Catching up!

Well, the Fab and Frugal Birthday didn't go exactly as planned, but everything eventually worked itself out.

For the birthday attire, I ended up getting a shirt from the mall for literally $4 off of the clearance rack at JCPenney. I wore that with black pants I already had, so my birthday attire total was $4.

As previously written, the birthday entertainment was FREE tickets to a play at Arena Stage entitled "The Quality of Life". It was EXCELLENT play, and I encourage all of you to go see it if it comes to your city. It brings up almost every emotion humanly possible - happiness, sadness, anger...you name it. Parking was free as well. Entertainment total - $0.

We had originally planned to go to dinner after the play, but it was so late and I was dead tired from all the running I did earlier in the day to change my name (FINALLY!), so we ended up just grabbing a quick bite to eat at IHOP an headed home. Dinner total: $18

My Maggianos birthday dinner (lunch now) was planned for the following weekend, but my husband had a little mishap with his car, and ended up having to go to NC. We rescheduled for the next weekend. And wouldn't you know it, I forgot my Maggianos $10 off coupon. But...when we got there, Maggianos was having a special called 'Today and Tomorrow' - where you get one selection of pasta that day, and another to take home - all for $12.95/pp. So we both ordered the Baked Ziti with Sausage for that day, and I got the Spaghetti w/meat sauce to take home, while Rodney ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli. We also ordered calamari and a Caesar salad to start with. For dessert we ordered two "mini" desserts as well. All for a total of $70.70

Note: the amount of spaghetti they gave me lasted through 3 more meals and not just one, so great deal. Check it out at a Maggianos near you!

So the grand total for the Fab and Frugal Birthday was....drumroll....around $93. I'd say I made my goal!!!!

Now on to Christmas. My family has decided not to spend more than $50 per person on gifts this year....time to start shopping!

Fab and Frugal Birthday Update & a discussion on lengthy workouts

So I have SEVEN days until my 32nd birthday! SO EXCITED!

I've scored the birthday entertainment, but still undecided about the birthday dinner and attire. I really want a snazzy (Yes, I did say snazzy...lol) dress to wear to the theatre, but I've been to sick and too tired to even go look. Never mind the $$$$ are extremely low, so I definitely need the time it takes for bargain hunting. I should be able to look for something spicy this weekend. This is my first birthday as a wife and my first time going to the "real" theatre, so I want to look HOT!

Now on to the workout discussion. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (www.acsm.org), the basic exercise guidelines for healthy adults under age 65 is do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week or do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, or do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.

I know people who power walk 30 minutes 5 days a week. I also know folks who work out twice a day for hours at a time. After reading Mark's Daily Apple (www.marksdailyapple.com), Urban Get Diesel (www.byersgetsdiesel.com), and many other online sources, I am leaning toward the notion that doing vigorous intense cardio for 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week is the way to go. I've recently fallen in love with Crossfit, as many of you know, and I can honestly say my body was never as toned and tight as when I was doing that, as opposed to doing the treadmill or elliptical for 60 minutes. I'm also loving circuit training via Jillian Michaels right now. But these kind of workouts do not work for or inspire everyone.

So here's my question: Do you love the elliptical or treadmill and can stay on it for hours on end? Do you love lifting heavy and often? Do you run miles on top of miles every week? Do you love calisthenics so much you just have to do push-ups every day?

Tell me...what's working for you?

First Birthday Freebie Scored!

So, from my last post, you know I'm on a quest to have the ultimate "Fab and Frugal" birthday. Well today, I scored the first free event!

Every year there's this event called "Free Night of Theater" where theaters in lots of cities across the country give away free tickets to plays, musicals, etc. over several weeks. I initially tried to get tickets to 'Black Pearl Sings' at Ford's Theatre in DC, but obviously I wasn't the only one with that idea as the link to reserve tickets kept timing out.

But...I did end up getting tickets for something on the night of my birthday. It's a play called 'Quality of Life' at the Arena Stage in Crystal City. It seems like it will be interesting, and I needed to step out of my box, so I'm hoping its going to be good.

A note about the birthday dinner...I joined a host of restaurant e-mail clubs, and have received lots of e-mails with discount coupons and even some free meals. Still haven't decided where to go yet.

So, the birthday experiment is well under way. STAY TUNED!

My Birthday – A Recession Experiment

Okay, so normally for my birthday, I go all out. This usually includes my husband "going all out" as well, as he's spent the last several birthdays with me. :-) My birthday is EXTREMELY important to me. It’s my favorite day of the year only after Christmas. And I normally start planning how I’m going to celebrate it MONTHS in advance. And I normally celebrate the ENTIRE month of October. I still plan to celebrate all month long, but I’ve been thinking and this year I decided to try something different.

Since we’re in an economic downturn - okay, so it's a recession- I decided to see how I could save a few bucks and still celebrate my birthday in grand (or semi-grand) style. So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m compiling a list of things I normally do or would like to do for my birthday weekend. Using this list, I am planning to do all or most of these activities using a discount, coupon, or getting a freebie if I can. Only things that are $20 or less can I pay full price for.

Here are just a few things on the list so far:

Massage
Manicure & pedicure
Birthday weekend activities – festivals, shows, etc.
Birthday weekend brunch with friends
Lunch on my birthday by myself
Dinner on my birthday with my husband

I’ll be posting how the planning is going, discounts or freebies I find, and the end result. Wish me luck!

A Change Is Gonna Come!

I have decided to create new goals for myself to get ready for my 32 birthday - OCTOBER 13, 2009, which is exactly 9 weeks and 3 days from Monday.

So here goes:
1. Lose at least 10 pounds.
2. JOURNAL, JOURNAL, JOURNAL - I was doing so well when I was doing this!
3. Consistently work out 4 - 5 times a week.
4. GET ENOUGH SLEEP.
5. HAVE FUN.

I'm going to try and not put any pressure (well, not too much anyway) on myself, but I need to get this under control. I want this weight gone once and for all, AND my doctor said I had to. :-)

Chalean Extreme Update: I have not been doing this as regularly as I should, but as of next week, I'll be back on schedule. I will say this though - after finally completing Burn Circuit 3 last night- I know this workout will definitley make me lose inches. I was huffing and puffing, and sweating, so I know it's working. I just wish the scale would go down with it.

What part of the game is this?

I know I owe you a review of Chalean Extreme and I will get to that in a second. But first I must confess something. I got some not-so-good news on Thursday, which caused me to go into a tailspin of bad eating habits. I've crawled back out of the hole, stocked up on food, and I am starting over today. It's the first inning of the second game of the season. Batter up!

Now on to the important stuff...CHALEAN EXTREME. Let me just say that the fitness test itself is no joke. You really don't know how out of shape you are until you try to do real push-ups after doing weights. Needless to say, my results weren't the best. But I'm on a mission. I want to be able to do at least 10 REAL push-ups at the end of this thing. NO MORE KNEES.

So on to the first dvd: Burn Circuit 1. And boy did it burn. It set pretty much every muscle that I used on fire. Then came Burn Circut 2...more muslces burning. I'm thinking I may need a new set of weights that are heavier and easier to interchange. The ones we have now are slowing me down.

We went out of town this weekend and I didn't get to work out for 3 days, so I'm starting everything over...this time with pictures and measurements.

So sit back and enjoy the game! It's going to get interesting.

What a feeling...

I'm well. FINALLY. Thank God.

No more hacking and coughing and not being able to breathe (a special shout out to my wonderful husband for spreading his germs...love you babe!) So far on my Paleo Journey I'm down 5 pounds! YAY ME! Not a lot, but something compared to the scale constantly moving up in recent months, so I'll take it.

I did great over the weekend. Lots of fruits, veggies, -and after a super fantastic trip to the Amish Market- some of the most freshest meat you will ever eat in your life. I'm hooked on their smoked chicken. How is it possible for that little small chicken (the size a chicken is supposed to be) could be so melty delicious? I had the beginnings of a few headaches this weekend, but I either at a piece of fruit, drank some water, or took a nap, and they went away. I think my cold was hiding them earlier last week.

I went to a birtday party on Saturday and turned down homemade mac-n-cheese, along with a chocolate cake that was calling my name...I can still hear it. Of course my body felt good by not eating it, but my brain is fuming. It's saying, "Where's all the good stuff?" "What happened to the food that tasted good, but wasn't good for you? We want that BACK." And I'm saying: IT WON'T BE COMING BACK. Not the way it was before. Which leads me to think that I need investigate in more tasteful meals and maybe even some paelo desserts. Although since I don't eat nuts (Yes, I eat peanut butter, but not peanuts. Makes total sense to me), this may be harder than I thought. More investigation and details to follow soon.

I received my Chalean Extreme workouts on Friday and plan on doing at least the fitness test today. Since I've gained a bunch of weight back, it'll be interested to see where I fall now. There will be a review tonight or tomorrow, depending on whether I survive or not.

When being sick is actually a blessing in disguise...

Hello! Since my last post, a cold has manifested itself, and I am working from home for the second day. Last night was a close call, but I'm feeling a little better today.

I will say, having a cold has been a blessing while I'm getting this Paleo thing under my belt. Having no appetite at all tends to help in the "no eating junk food" department. I haven't wanted to eat, much less eat junk. So YAY for me!

I stepped on the scale yesterday and was down a few pounds from last week, so another plus.

If I feel up to it today, I'm planning on cooking this cabbage dish that my friend Kim recommended (http://kimmitri.wordpress.com/). I'll post pictures once it's done.

Off to take more medicine! Ciao for now!

Here's tonights dinner: Fiesta Cabbage! YUMMY DELICIOUSNESS!

All the women who are independent...Throw your hands up at me!

Happy belated 4th of July! Did everyone celebrate their independence? Well, I did, and still continuing. I'm celebrating my independence from counting calories, eating junk, and just being addicted to food in general! I'm celebrating getting healthy for the last time, and STAYING THAT WAY.

I recently embarked on yet another Paleo journey, but this time, I'm determined to make it work. I've gotten most of the junk food out of my house, filled it with fruits and veggies, and finally got my husband to agree to eat whatever I cook for dinner. I'll be updating here as much as I can, so please leave comments.

I'm not able to Crossfit anymore due to financial constraints, but will be trying to follow several CF websites workouts that don't require weights or much equipment. (shout out to Crossfit 603: http://www.crossfit603.com/ - one of my favorites) Lately, I've only been doing the treadmill at home and some of my exercise videos. I'm investigating new exercise videos to give me some variety, so there will be reviews coming.

Enough for now, off to eat an apple or something!

Pictures from the Wedding! More to come!

Catching up and Wedding Madness

Okay, so I've been a slacker, but here's what I've been up to:

5/1/09:
WU: 2 rounds Cindy
Row 500M - 2:51 (Still focusin on form. My trainer thinks my pull is too short, so I may never get this thing right)

Strength:
Snatch : 15 with PVC pipe

WOD:
10 OH Squat - 43 lb
15 Box Jump - 20 inch box with 1 45lb & 1 25lb bumper stacked
20 sit-ups
4 rounds

Time: 13:48
-Slacked for a week doing wedding stuff-

5/7/09:
At home
WU:
15 jumping jacks
10 lunges

WOD:
10 push-ups
10 sit-ups
10 squats
6 rounds

Didn't time it.

5/8/09

WU - 2 rounds Cindy
500 M Row - 2:45

Strength:
Snatch Practice - 8/PVC pipe; 5/33lb bar

WOD:
Run 400m (I rowed 500M because my ankle was acting up)
10 DL - 103lbs
20 Kb swings - 16kg
3 rounds
Time: 19:54

Cool-Down:
Abs - Choice (didn't do these)
Foam Roller
Stretch

I'm still working on my food, but with the wedding in 7 days, I'm trying not to stress too much about it until I get back. The dress fits now and that's what matters...I guess.

Does not sleeping and stress make you fat? YES!

I've been doing some reading on how lack of sleep affects weight loss. We all know stress can do the same. But I had no idea about sleep...until recently. With all the wedding planning (and stressing) I've been doing, it's been extremely hard for me to stay on track with my eating and even get exercise in. And y'all know why I HATE to exercise, I was an exercise diva.

I've tried (trying) to eat Paleo for the past two weeks. I've done WW on and off for the past 3 - 4 years, as well as numerous other diets....with minimum results. So here's where I am now. I am going to focus on getting at least 7 hours of sleep. For me this will be a challenge. I am a night person, so going to bed early won't be easy. But being tired all the time sucks, so something has to change.

I'm also going to focus more on eating clean. That means NO processed food. So still no grains, if I do dairy, it will be in very limited quantites, and more veggies. I need to learn how to cook more veggies and not use the canned varieties so much so that will be my next goal after the wedding. I will try not to splurge too much on the cruise, but I'm only getting married once, so I better make this good. :-)

I need to start using the treadmill at my house again, if it's only for a quick 30 minute walk. My cardio has got to come up (as I've been saying constantly). So you guys keep me accountable!

Strugglin' & Strainin'...But I'm On My Way Home

Well, my first week of semi-Paleo went okay, but could have been so much better. I'm really trying this week. It's been super hot, and I have no AC, so I haven't felt like cooking, hence a lot of eating out. (Love WHOLE FOODS!!!)

Crossfit is still going great! I wish I could go more often, and I may step it up after the wedding. Right now, I'm paying for 3 days a week, but only going 2 days most weeks. And I need to step up my cardio outside of Crossfit.

4/23/09
Warm-up: Cindy (2 rounds)/500 M Row (2:36)
Strength: Press 5x5
33 lbs - 5
43 lbs - 5
53 lbs - 15

WOD:
Run 400 M
OH Squat
Box Jump
Row 500 M
OH Squat
Box Jump
Row 500 M
OH Squat
Box Jump
21-15-9
Time: 17:34

Cool-Down
Ab-mat (50)
Stretch

4/28/09
Warm-up: Cindy (2 rounds)
500 M row 2:36

Strength: Back Squat 5x5
53 lbs - 5
73 lbs - 5
93 lbs - 5
103 lbs - 5
123 lbs - 5 NEW MAX!!!!

WOD:
Row 500M
15 Thrusters
10 Ring Rows
3 rounds
Time: 20:13

Cool-down:
30V-ups
Stretch

My squat for the thrusters are looking really good. I'm trying to go much lower. Steve wants me to focus on my row too, and I think me focusing on form will make my times go up, but will be better for me in the long run.

I'm focusing on drinking water this week. I've been doing pretty good, but I feel super bloated and I'm not sure why. The scale is also not moving, but I am getting stronger, so I'm trying to focus on that and not get down about it.

I'm thinking about starting Couch to 5K after the wedding. We'll see...

Clean Eating takes a turn...Just Say No!

As some of you know I've been trying to eat clean for a few weeks now. Some days are better than others. But I'm still trucking along. I can say eating clean and doing Crossfit are two of the best changes that I could have ever made in my life.

My trainer Steve suggested I try "NO GRAINS and NO SUGARS" for the next two weeks, which is basically the Paleo diet that most Crossfitters follow. While I totally do not want to do this, and it is incredibly hard considering every single canned food has some kind of sugar in it (and I am the convenience cooking queen), I'm doing it. Again, some days are better than others, but so far I haven't wanted to jump over a bridge...

Also, I'm sending a shout out to Melissa Byers who I have been getting some great food advice from (check out her blog Byers Gets Diesel at http://byerscrossfit.blogspot.com/). She's helped me so much in the last few days alone, that I think I might can actually do this thing. And she's hilarious, so that totally helps. I'll keep you guys posted on how things are going.

Now to catch you up on the workouts. I haven't been able to go regularly every week, but I normally hit the gym at least 2 times for a Crossfit class:
4/10/09 - Rest Day

4/11/09 - There's a picture of me during this workout on www.crossfitlorton.com in the 4/17/09 post.

Warm Up
2 rounds Cindy
500 M Row 2:26

WOD: Tabata (2 min rest between rounds)
KB Swing - 69
Row - 589 m
Abmat - 80 sit-ups
Push-up - 67
Squat - 76

Cool Down - Stretch

4/12 - 4/13/09 - REST DAYS

4/14/09
Warm Up
2 rounds Cindy
500 M Row 2:26

Strength
Back Squat 5x5
33 lb bar (10)
53 lbs (5)
73 lbs (5)
83 lbs (5)
103 lbs (5)

WOD:
10 Push Press 43 lbs
10 KB Swing 16kg
10 Ring Rows
4 rounds

Time: 9:07

Cool Down
50 KB Twist
Stretch

4/15/09 - 30 mins treadmill intervals

4/16/09 - Can't find notebook I wrote the workout in. :-(

4/17 - 4/19/09 REST DAYS

4/20/09 - First day with NO GRAINS, NO SUGAR...VERY WEAK

Warm Up
2 rounds Cindy
500 M Row 2:36

Strength
OH Squats 5x5
33 lb bar (10)
43 lbs (15)

WOD: FORGOT TO WRITE DOWN TIME
SDHP 43lbs
Box Jump (2 - 45 lb bumpers stacked & 20" box)
Push-up
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Cool Down
50 Abmat

4/21 - 4/22/09 - REST DAYS

Maryland's Next Top Model wearing a big white dress tears down yet another wall.

I'm really going to focus on writing on here more. It is one of the ways I release stress, so I need to do it more often.

Let's see...to catch everyone up. I think I've been doing really good with the workouts. My times are not that great, but I am completing them which is the most important thing. And I'm going up in weight on some of the lifts, which I love! My push-ups are definitely getting better as well. I'm able to do quite a few full push-ups now, but not with the greatest form. I'll keep working those though.

As you can see below, yesterday's workout consisted of Wall Balls, which I hate. but they were easier this go around. Who knows? This Crossfit thing may actually be working!

I've been thinking about adding a couple of days of cardio in addition to Crossfit. This week I did Bootcamp on Monday, and it didn't completely kill me for Tuesday's WOD, so I'll probably keep that up if my schedule permits. Wednesday will be my rest day unless I need to switch out another day for something else. I was thinking of adding a walk on Friday or Sunday, depending on how I feel and what's going on.

Here's the workout schedule since the last post:

4/1/09:
WU - 2 rounds Cindy
500 M Row 2:28
10 Medicine Ball Cleans - 6 lbs

Strength 5x5 - 5 with 33lb bar; 10 with 43lbs

WOD:
10 DL 63 lbs
10 Push-ups
10 rounds
Time: 13:08

Cool Down:
Abs Choice - 50 Ab mat
Stretch

4/2 - 4/3/09 - sick

4/5/09
In NC - 4.5 mile walk

4/6/09
Bootcamp at gym - 60 mins

4/7/09:
WU - 2 rounds Cindy
500 M Row 2:25

Strength - Push Jerk 5-5-3-1-1 - Did not do

WOD - Diane:
DL 73 lbs
Pike Push-up
21-15-9
Time: 6:11

Cool Down:
50 KB Twist - 12 kg
Stretch

4/8/09 - REST DAY

4/9/09:
WU - 2 rounds Cindy
500 M Row 2:24

Strength:
OH Squat 5x5 - 25 @15 lbs; 10 @ 25 lbs

WOD:
20 Wall Balls - 8lbs
20 KB Snatch R/L 12 kg
20 Ab mat sit-ups
4 rounds
Time: 17:38

Cool-down: Stretch

Rodney and I traveled to Charlotte, NC to take our engagement photos. (Shout out to Diamond Exposures!) Who knew taking pictures was such hard work? I don't know how models do it. After the first hour, I was done. But we stayed FOUR more hours. They told us the pictures turned out beautifully, so I'm excited to see them and how good R&R looks. Stay tuned!

No on to the Big White Dress - I've been really concerned that I've been gaining weight and my wedding dress would not fit. Well, I tried it on a few days ago and...it still fits! It's actually a little loose in some places. I will be taking it to start the alterations this weekend, so hopefully by the time I actually wear it, it'll be a lot looser. I still need to get all of the accessories to go with it (veil, undergarments, etc.), which I'll try to get this weekend as well.

I almost got in a fight, and then the walls came tumbling down...

Sorry it's taken me so long to get caught up, but Saturday's workout took a lot out of me, and I ended up taking 2 straight rest days. Thank God I did because yesterday's workout was another killer.

Saturday:
WU - Cindy 2 rounds
5 Ring Rows
10 Push-ups
15 Squats
500 M Row 2:35

WOD: "Not Quite a Fight"
SDHP 33lb bar
Box Jump - 2 45lb Bumper Plates stacked (6.5 inches)
Push Press 33lb bar
KB Swing 12 kg
1 minute each, 1 minute rest in between each round - 3 rounds
-We were to count the total number of reps - 161


SDHP 18,20, 15
BJ 17, 10, 15
PP 9, 10, 7
KBS 13, 12, 15

So after being so well rested yesterday, I figured I was up for a challenge. Here's how the night actually turned out.

WU - Cindy 2 rounds - I was still able able to breathe at this point.
Strength: Push Press 5x5 53 lbs - I could breathe but by the end of it, I couldn't feel my arms or shoulders
WOD: Karen - 150 Wall Balls TIME: 17:04

I knew I would hate this workout immediately once I found out what it actually was. And I was right. Squatting with a 6 lb medicine ball in your hand so your butt touches yet another medicine ball, and then you throw said 6lb medicine ball up to a specific spot on the wall marked by stickers. Of course the sticker I was supposed to hit was of Pukey, the Crossfit Mascot (a clown that vomits), and by toss # 20, that's exactly what I wanted to do. It took me way longer to complete this than everybody else, but I finished!!!!! I then proceeded to lay in the floor for 15 minutes trying to figure out where my lungs had gone. (And trying not to cry) All in all, at least I finished and I can say that while it kicked my butt, I am a greater person for it.

Cool-Down: 50 Abmats & Stretch

Officially official...

Last night was my first official Crossfit workout. Before I had the Foundations class, and the other two nights I went it was a very scaled down, very different workout from what everyone else was doing. NOT TONIGHT.

Here's what I did:

Warm-up - 2 rounds:
5 Ring Rows
10 Push-ups
15 Squats
500 M row

Strength: (5 -5)
Push Press - 33 lb bar.

Workout - 2 rounds:
10 Overhead squats - 15 lb bar
20 Kettlebell swings
20 push-ups
Time: 9:26

Cool down:
50 Russian twists
Stretch

And while I only did 2 rounds, and the time wasn't that great, that workout was NO JOKE! I was sweating and breathing like I had just run a marathon. And those of you who know me, know that while I might run, running 26 miles anywhere with no gifts or jewelry given at the end of the race is a NO-NO!

The Aftermath
After the workout, I was definitely beat, but wasn't feeling too bad. I was sore, but nothing unusual. Little did I know things were about to change in my life...LOL

I was feeling a little nauseous after the workout. (Crossfit's mascot is a clown named Pukey. Now I know why) I was fine when I got in the car to drive home. I stopped by Whole Foods to get something for dinner. Getting in the car was fine. Getting out at Whole Foods, not so much. I was walking like I had cement shoes on in quicksand. I must have looked a MESS! And then I had to walk up and down a flight of stairs to get into the store and get out. Needless to say, by the time I actually got home, all I could do was stand at the bottom of my own flight of stairs and look up.

I ended up getting on my treadmill for 20 minutes last night, for an easy walk, just to try to loosen up my muscles. It worked a little and then I stretched some more. I still ended up taking Naproxen to be able to sleep...LOL I woke up this morning feeling like (in the words of my mother) the witch rode me last night!

But I'm going back today. Ah, the adventures of Crossfit! More tonight or tomorrow.

P.S. My armpits hurt typing this. I can only imagine how I'll feel tomorrow.

Lift and Press This!

I had this whole long post written about my first Crossfit class and it went away. So now I'm retyping it.

As I wrote before, I went to my Crossfit Foundations class on Monday. I was definitely feeling it yesterday. I asked my trainer (Shout out to Steve R. @ Crossfit Lorton!) whether I was supposed to feel anything and he said, "That's what happens when you're out of shape." Talk about motivation...LOL

So last night proved to be very interesting. I warmed up by doing ring rows, push-ups, and squats. We then went over my press again and I ended up pressing 58 lbs last night! YEAH, BABY! We then started the Workout of the Day (WOD), which is different from the Crossfit main site (http://www.crossfit.com/). We had to do 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 sets of Deadlifts (DL) and pike push-ups. I DL'd 63 pounds. And went 5 rounds for a total of 40 DLs and 40 pike-push-ups. Steve had me stop at 10 mins since this was my first real workout so I wouldn't overexert myself. This may not seem like a lot to you, but I was sweating like a pig about to become barbecue, and having a hard time standing up...LOL We then did 50 Kettlebell Twists with an 8 kg kettlebell. I may be off on the weight. I'll have to check when I go back on Thursday.

I was definitely feeling the workout when I finished, last night, and still this morning. But I know my abs and shoulders will thank me! Not today, and probably not tomorrow, but maybe next week...LOL

My eating has been pretty good. I'm trying to focus on eating REAL food and not a lot of processed food with ingredients I can't pronounce. I'm focusing on upping my water too. I need to see a loss (inches or weight!) soon.

All in all it was a great class last night and I can't wait to go again on Thursday.

Here are some links to some of the exercises I did last night. I won't have any pictures or video of me until Rodney comes to watch a class.

Press
Deadlift
Pike-push-up (I was on my knees and not straight legged)
Kettlebell Twist (I was going MUCH slower than this...LOL)

PVC Pipe, Squats, and the Making of Me...

I had my first Crossfit workout last night. It was really the Foundations Class in which the trainer shows you all of the exercises and lifts (or almost everything because it's a lot to know) you need to know in order to do Crossfit. And let's just say that even though we weren't lifting much (15 lb bar, PVC pipe, and 12kg Kettlebells), my body is feeling it slightly today. This has also gotten me super pumped to begin. I'm debating on going back today for an actual class or waiting until Thursday. My trainer is booked for the days I could meet with him this week, so I'm on my own. I may have to find another trainer who's more available in the evenings. I love Noah, but he's become so popular that I'm having trouble scheduling sessions. And that is no good for me!

On another note, we are in the final stretches of wedding planning. Cruise is almost paid for. Guests are paid for (or most of them!) and we're deep into the planning of the ceremony. I need to find accessories this weekend in addition to decorations for the wedding site. I am going to have SO many suitcases boarding the ship, they might think I'm staying.

One more thing. I was talking to someone this morning (shout out to Shauna!) and she told me something that I really needed to hear. I have been so focused on being sad, mad, depressed, and busted and disgusted about gaining my weight back. For the most part, it really wasn't anything I could control. Between BC and a severely sprained ankle with no way to work out, what are you gonna do. I could have eaten lettuce all day and still gained what I gained. I know this now for sure. Anyway, back to Shauna...she said yesterday happened. You can't bring it back or change it. That's like running from the killer and looking behind you to see how close he is to you. Then you trip over something and you're dead anyway. Yesterday is gone and there's nothing you can do about it. You can only move on.

And that's what I need to do. It's been really depressing not being able to fit into some of the clothes I like or even liking the way I look in the mirror. But I've got to keep telling myself that it won't always be like this and eventually I will get back to where I was. It might take longer than before (2.5 years) or in 6 months, but it's going to happen. It's in the making!

Stay tuned for more episodes of The Making of Me.

A shout-out! Holla if you hear me!

We've all been on some sort of diet or eating plan before...or we're on one now. I've done Weight Watchers, South Beach, Body for Life, Fat Smash, Extreme Fat Smash, Pastor Deborah Dukes Accelerated Weight Loss Plan, you name it. And each time (except for the last which wasn't exactly my fault), the weight came back on. Why? Was I not committed enough? Maybe. Was I just too greedy. Probably. Was it because I didn't have a support system? DEFINITELY!

Here's a thought: In a study of women trying to lose weight, getting support accompanied an improvement in the participants’ ability to control their eating and choose lower-calorie foods.1

While I was sucessful on some (WW for sure), and others sent me running to the ER, one thing has remained constant. Having a support system is IMPORTANT! Ask me how I know....I don't have one now.

Weight Watchers does promote getting support in a group setting, but if you don't personally know anyone in the meeting, it's hard to make a connection with someone who will hold you accountable. And that's what I need. Someone who knows me. If I call them and tell them I've had a bad day, they will know to coax me off the edge of the ledge, and will tell me to not turn into the next McDonald's thru I see. They will know to tell me that I have a big, white dress to get into in 78 days and to get my butt to the gym, even when I DO NOT want to go!

My closest family members and friends try to stay relatively healthy. They work out and they eat right (at least some of the time). But most of them are in NC while I'm in MD. And without this support system, I can honestly say I'm floundering. I know sometimes you have to pull your ownself up by your own bootstraps, but at this point, I'm so stressed about the wedding, work, and how to keep the lights on, that I don't even know where my boots ARE!

Just know that if you have a weight loss buddy, and they are hanging there with you every step, that you are well on your way! So this is just a shout-out to all of the good weight loss buddies of the world. Keep it up! WE NEED YOU!

(From the WW website) 1Wolfe WA. A review: maximizing social support—a neglected strategy for improving weight management with African-American women. Ethn Dis. 2004 Spring; 14(2):212-8

Better late than never!

So I'm not doing so well with updating my blog. Let me update you on what's been going on.

Last week was just REALLY busy. Then on Monday, I finally was able to go to a class at the gym. Guess what I chose: BOOT CAMP! It felt so good (and believe me SO BAD) to be able to participate in a class again. I go home, exhausted and funky, eat dinner, then sit down to study some of my PMP stuff. I notice my a muscle in my neck getting tight, but I try to massage it out. By the time an hour has passed, I can't turn my head to the left at all.

The Progression: I tried a hot shower, ICY HOT, heating pad, ice, massaging, you name it. NOTHING WORKED. The muscle just basically kept getting tighter. I couldn't sit down, stand up, or lay down. I mean you could feel the knots! So I told Rodney I'd wait until 2 am to go to the ER if I was still in pain. That was at like 1:10. By 1:15, I was like let's go. So after the normal waiting at the hospital (including 1 HOUR just to wait for my initial meds), I was walking on a cloud, and relatively pain free (thank you Jesus for Valium and Naproxen). UNTIL I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING. I hadn't planned to go to work anyway, but let's just say today is Friday and this is my first day back. I'm feeling much better (managed to go to Step class last night); just a few twinges here and there. And I still have a few Valium left if I feel like I'm relapsing.

Needless to say, with only working out 2 days this week, and being stuck in the house with nothing but food, my scale is not looking too good. But I'm back on it this week, and I hope to see some big losses soon.

I was going to write a post about the NY Post's cartoon, but I think it's all already been said. It wasn't called for, and we have to start speaking up people. If we just let this slide, IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN! So if I need to grab my picket sign, let me know! :-)

Ciao for now. See you in the gym.

My quads and hamstrings are KILLING me!

Okay, so not so good with this blog thing so far. I was just too exhausted last night to write anything. I did have a good workout though...10x10 walking lunges and situps (10 of each 10 times). Then I did a 25 minute walk on the treadmill. I'm feeling it today.

Dinner was excellent last night. Had turkey andouille sausage with peppers and onions with a huge side salad with fresh grated mozzarella, and some tomato cheddar soup. All things we got from Eastern Market on Saturday. Don't have a picture. I was WAY to hungry, so we said grace and dug in.

Found out this morning that the Crossfit Foundations class we were hoping to start on Monday is full, and we won't be able to start until 2/24. At least I can do step or something next week. SO EXCITED to be back in the game!

More later on the haps from today.

OK, so the rest of my day SUCKED! I won't go into detail. Let's just say right now I'm truly done with work, working out, and people (I won't list names, but you know who you are...LOL). I'll just have to start my life again tomorrow because I'm on my way to bed.

After I watch T.I.'s new show that is. I "heart" him...LOL

Weaping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning!

First Post - In the beginning

Okay, so I decided to start blogging about the working out, food, and the overall craziness of my life. This should prove to be very interesting.

Rodney and I took a trip to Eastern Market in DC yesterday and got all kinds of good for you food (and some not so good for you snacks for the ride home). I'm impressed that we were able to spend so little and get so much. So unlike the regular grocery store. We will definitely keep that up this year. I can't wait for the summer when more of the fruits will be in season. Although, the blackberries and blueberries we got look delicious!

Here's a picture of what I ate for dinner tonight. The chicken came from Market Poultry at Eastern Market. Baked chicken with diced tomatoes, with a side of brown rice, a side of greens, and light Cranberry juice to drink (along with a huge cup of water!). Talk about yummy deliciousness!

Rodney and I will start Crossfit workouts next week, hopefully. But I'm starting to do some Crossfit type workouts on my own just to up the anty on my fitness. The one I did tonight was KILLER. I warmed up by run/walking 1 mile, then did 5 push-ups, 5 squats, and 5 sit-ups for 10 rounds. (Was supposed to be 20, but a sista was TIRED!)

I plan on doing this for the rest of the week, to see 1) how my ankle does, and 2) to see the effect it has on my weight loss. As for my diet, I'm cutting back on the carbs (but not cutting them out totally...I don't want to end up in the ER again) and the amount of fruit I eat, as well as upping my protein. My veggies intake is pretty good anyway, so I've just got to keep that up.

Please continue to check my blog out for pictures from the first Crossfit session, and just the randomness of my life. I'm sure you'll be thoroughly entertained.