Long time no see!

I've had several friends ask me in the past few weeks if I've stopped blogging. Well, short term answer, yes! Long term? Dear god I hope not... My first reaction was, "People are actually reading this thing?!" 

Life has been chaotic lately. I've been accepted into a graduate program for occupational therapy, so the past month has been planning, packing, and relocating to a big new city! No one was joking when they say graduate studies are stressful. The semester hasn't even started and I've panicked a grand total of 4 times. Between immunizations, background checks, $600 worth of books, and innumerable expenses, it's fair to say I've isolated myself from this blog for quite some time. 

Keeping up with my healthy habits has been difficult, especially when I'm crunched for time and fast food sounds sooooo good. Sometimes it feels like there's no energy left for cooking or thinking healthy. But I stick  to what I know, which is FRESH not FAST. I've been able to maintain my weight without much hassle. 

My workouts have been sporadic. I supplemented running for yard-work when I was at my folks. Moving wheelbarrow loads of gravel are killer, but an amazing back and shoulder workout! My new apartment complex has a fitness room across the parking lot, so there's really no good excuse to not work out. My new addiction is the elliptical. It's very low impact but incredibly effective! Just don't think you're going to bounce like a gazelle at warp speed and actually reap some sort of benefit. Bump the difficult up at least halfway. You might be going slow, but give it a minute and you're sweating buckets. It's like trying to run your way up the Sleeping Bear Dunes in northern Michigan. 

Feel the burn...

My semester starts after Labor Day. I'd like to try and post at least once a week if I'm able...if not, I'll do my best with what I can. 

Weight: 151.2lb

Epic adventures, we be jammin'!

Sorry for the extended absence! I've been adventuring and enjoying life these past few weeks! I was able to take of a bit of time off from work and travel with Coastie! It was absolutely wonderful, being able to spend time with him, his family, and our friends. We spent our time up in northern Michigan, in places we've lived and loved before. It's always a welcome adventure, especially together.

I wanted to share a recipe that Coastie and I discovered after picking strawberries last week. We picked at Kiteley Farms in Charlevoix, MI. Definitely recommend them for berries. We picked there a few years back as well, and the strawberries were just as good as I remember. This past week, we ended up with darn near 10lb. of strawberries! 

 http://kiteleyfarms.com/

Today, my mother and I picked about 18lb. After strawberries with Coastie, I was ready for more! We were up near the crack of dawn and on our way to Middleton Berry Farm, a local place. It was our first time picking there, and holy cow...so good! 

http://www.middletonberryfarm.com/

Soul-wrenching-slack-jawed-dear-sweet-baby-Jesus-so-good Strawberry Freezer Jam (otherwise known as the recipe on the back of the Ball Freezer Jar Box...whoop whoop): 

2.5 c. crushed strawberries

1 c. sugar or sugar substitute

3 Tb. instant fruit pectin 

(recipe yields 3 half pints)

Start with fresh picked strawberries. Seriously folks, store bought 'berries' have NOTHING on fresh picked goodies. Don't even try! :

Go ahead and wash/core your berries. The farm my mother and I picked at did not use pesticides, but there is still dirt and invisible bug poop you'll want to be rid of. :

Next, crush a bowl of berries with a potato masher. Don't worry about crushing too many, leftovers can always be enjoyed...immediately. Go on and reward yourself for all that hard picking! :

In a separate bowl, mix your sugar and pectin together. :

Add 2.5 c. of crushed berries into your dry ingredient mix, and stir for 3 minutes. :

Pour, cap, and let your containers set for about half an hour to set. I ended up with 12 half pints out of 9lb. of berries. I made three of them with Splenda for my Gramps, who suffers from Diabetes. Should make for a sweet treat! It will stay good in the freezer for about a year. In the fridge? Well...I'll just guarantee you it will be gone before it even has the chance to go bad. Enjoy!

Cajun Shrimp!

Took another run today. 2.2 miles in approximately 30 minutes. I'm feeling great, but very tired. I'm also continuing to move as the night goes on. I don't want to cramp up like yesterday. No waddles, no thank you.

Thought I'd share my dinner recipe today. Holy cow was it good!

Cajun Grilled Shrimp 

All mixed in one bowl and marinated for one hour (two would be better, but I'm short on time and hungry!): 

• 1 lb. shrimp- peeled and de-veined 
• 1/3 c. olive oil 
• 3 cloves garlic
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (your choice, no matter!) 
• 1 handful parsley - chopped fine
• dash of salt and pepper

On skewers after an hour: 

• Shrimp
• Sweet onion
• Red bell pepper
• Yellow bell pepper

Grill on top of aluminum foil on medium heat. Easy clean-up and fights fire that jumps up to burn your precious shrimp! Grill on each side for about 4 minutes, or until the shrimp turns pink. Nice and pink, but not rubbery and overdone, makes for perfect shrimp. Don't worry about the peppers and onion, I think they're better on the crispy side. Feel free to add any veggies you like to the skewers. Mushrooms would probably be good!

Enjoy!

Breakfast: 

1 c. Just Bunches

2 tb. chia seeds

1/2 c. milk

1 banana sliced over top

Lunch: 

1 grapefruit

1 lean cuisine: Chicken Carbonara 

Dinner: 

3 skewers cajun grilled shrimp w/ bell peppers and onion

Weigh-in: 148.8 lb

Feeling the Burn

Holy-cow were my legs tight today...and still are! I woke up waddling around the house. Stretching seemed to help a bit.

Today I dominated yoga, or as my friend April puts it..."P90X Death Yoga" I'm inclined to agree. Though I feel accomplished, I'm afraid to stop moving for fear of being unable to move. All that, an object at rest tends to stay at rest hullabaloo.

I wanted to touch on rewards. I think they're essential to obtaining results and reaching your goals. Rewards can be big or small, long or short term. I remember studying and doing homework in college. Two intense hours of biological anthropology and I could order Thai food from the world's greatest restaurant. Another paper written and I was allowed to go watch the sunset on Lake Michigan.

Now that I'm trying to loose weight, I need some long term rewards. A new wardrobe is a given. Cute and sexy underthings are definitely in my future. Though these things are all wonderful and exciting, I want something else for me and just me. A tattoo. I already have several, and I've been itching to get another. But I can't justify spending the money on a body I'm not terribly proud of yet. The day I can stand on the scale and look in the mirror and say, "Holy shit, I feel good." I will march into the tattoo parlor, sketches in hand.

Breakfast:
Egg-white breakfast burrito w/ mushroom and red onion
2 Tb. Salsa
1 c. Skim milk

Lunch:
1 grapefruit
1 grilled chicken breast
2 Tb. bbq sauce

Snack:
Popcorn again. What can I say? Creature of habit.

Dinner:
Mixed greens salad w/ grilled steak strips
2 c. skim milk

Lots of water all day! 

Exercise: 1.5 hours P90X yoga

Weigh-in: 150.2 lb

Back on the Trails

Trying a new approach...

P90X worked great for awhile, but it really is time consuming. That's not normally a problem most days, but there are some days I work until 5 or later, after a very early morning. So, I'm substituting a few days here and there with running. I figure, as long as I'm out there doing SOMETHING, it will be effective. There are county parks on my commute home, and there are a few different 2-3 mile loops that I can run. These take around 40 minutes at most. I also find I can keep my motivation up if I don't step into my house (and subsequently sit on the couch) first.

Also, I have a new method of accountability. I'll be keeping up with this blog more often. I know I've totally been slacking in this regard. But in addition, my boyfriend and I are texting one another everyday: What we've eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, what exercise we've done for the day, and our daily weigh in.

I know some say you shouldn't way yourself everyday. Weight fluctuates, water weight, etc. A lot of programs out there only advocate for a once-a-week weigh-in to avoid frustration. Honestly, I disagree. As long as you are weighing yourself the same time everyday, the weigh-in will be accurate. And it is better to know and be aware of your body everyday, instead of resisting the urge to see awesome results by the end of the week. I am certainly and advocate of bodily awareness. As long as you fully understand that your body will fluctuate, you can avoid that feeling of set-back. Progress will take time, and eventually, if you keep a record of your daily routine, you will see results.

Meals for Today: 

Breakfast: 
1 cup Just Bunches with 2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup milk

Lunch: 
1 1/2 cups scalloped potatoes with onions and red peppers
Large glass water

Snack: 
1 medium bowl air-popped popcorn (no toppings)

Dinner: 
2 drumsticks grilled chicken
1 cup grilled zucchini and onions

2 liters water throughout the day

Exercise: 
2.8 mile trail run

When I was running I about peed myself. Almost came foot to fang with a Massasauga Rattlesnake. Thankfully I could side-skirt it on the trail and hightail it out of there! Hearing a rattle is a pretty chilling noise...especially when you can't see it at first.

Weigh-in: 149.3lb

Workouts and Wunderhunde

I am laying in bed as I type, and I'm not sure I could get up if I wanted to. I'm aching in places I forgot had muscle, namely behind my knees and those darn hamstrings...

I had a moment of pure frustration my first day back on the program. I took to several networking sites I'm a member of to publicly cry my disdain.

"Today I want to smash Tony Horton in the face. Screw you and your banana rolls. How 'bout you take that sphinx push-up of yours and shove it where the sun don't shine?" 

Not precisely what I wanted to say...the vulgarities were flying out my mouth and to the unresponsive TV through most of the workout, but censorship was deemed necessary due to the nature of company I keep on Facebook and elsewhere. No need to scare the world with my rage and hate for superman and bananas immediately after a terrible workout. Might look a bit crazed, no? Hah!

On top of my new dedication to P90X, I've been picking up shifts at work. There have been several 12 hour days and overtime hours in just the first half of this week. My clients deserve dedication and the other caregivers have lives that need tending, so I have no qualms with pulling a few extra hours. It takes the edge off the guilt when I do take time off. Because, hey, I have a life too! Also, all of my clients are feisty, spit-fire, chain smoking old women, bursting with personality. They are all amazing people who deserve a bit of extra help. 

But, boy oh boy, do I come home tired. Remember that excuse, "I just took on two doubles at work. I deserve a break."? Yeah, it's going to get crossed off the list. I might be exhausted from housekeeping, errand running, tending, etc., but I still need to make time for exercise. I hope the list will dwindle down in time, and that one is the first to go. No excuses. 

Side note: Took Skye, the Labrador Retriever, to the dog park today after I got off work. If only the world could be as simple as sniffing a butt to make a new best friend. Walked several laps and chucked the tennis ball for her more times that I can count. My arm will most likely pay for it tomorrow. Tony would be proud. 

For now, I sleep. 

Skye the Wunderhund:

I'm only human...

Between the stress of work, school, and any other excuse I could find, I stopped working out. Gained 10lb.

I wanted to start running again, and did for a bit, but then we kept getting rain, rain and more rain. It sincerely felt like the world was telling me to give up. In reality, it was just me and my poor excuses. Something my dear boyfriend often reminds me...excuses are like bums, they stink and everyone has one. I have a million.

I'm scared.

I'm stressed.

I just took on two doubles at work. I deserve a break.

I just took an exam. I deserve a break.

I don't have enough time in the morning to fit in a workout and I'm too tired from work at the end of the day.

There's not enough room anywhere in my house to comfortably do P90X away from prying eyes.

I don't want to people to see me jiggle in public working out.

I breathe crazy loud and get super red in the face when I run, it's embarrassing.

I need to laundry first.

The house is dirty and needs cleaning first.

My boobs are so big that it hurts to exercise, and I've never found a decent sports bra to help.

It's too hot.

It's too cold.

It's raining.

My tummy aches.

I just ate. Time to rest and digest.

But I already took a shower today. I don't want to get all stinky again.

See? The list can go on for miles. I'm still working through all my excuses and trying to come to terms with WHY I have such a difficult time committing to fitness. I used to be an amazing athlete. I used to weigh 120. I'm teetering towards 160 now. Seriously! I'm not okay with this. For a few months there I was 145, and I felt great! But then those excuses crept back into my life.

Today I'm starting P90X again. From the beginning, and I'm going to keep a thorough record of my progress. How many reps I can do, what my true weakness are, where my strength lies. I need to focus on the negative and positive. I need to push myself this time. Truly push myself. Boyfriend was also very right in telling me (and I can't believe I'm actually going to publicly admit this- Chris, enjoy this moment) I give up way too easily. I barely push myself past my limit, if I get to my limit at all. This needs to change.

I'm not giving up, I just fell into a rut. I'm only human, but the great thing about that is I possess the ability to change that rut. I am human, I can do this.

I also need to become honest with myself that it's perfectly alright to look like this when you run: 

At least you're running.

Restart weight: 155

It's a Two-fer!

I had a secret that I just couldn't keep. Perhaps it's not a secret but more of a fantastic tool. It's called SuperCook! It's an online program that allows you to type in everything in your fridge/freezer/pantry, and then it cranks out recipes you can make. I used it all the time in college, on a budget that allowed for groceries once in a blue moon. It was amazing what I could make, and even more amazing how healthy I could make it! 

For instance, today I made a veggie pizza for dinner. Didn't even know I had the ingredients until I sat down and cranked stuff out on the site!

http://www.supercook.com/

Check it out and happy cooking!

Back in Action

I came to the horrific conclusion I fell off the health-wagon over the holiday season! I'm only human, though I don't feel that is an adequate excuse for not exercising and keeping up with this blog. I'm back at it though! I weighed myself today and, holy $*#%, I didn't gain any weight! Though I sure didn't lose any either. I suppose I tried to compensate for my lack of P90X with small portion sizes over the holiday season.

I've always been the one who goes back for seconds, and on occasion, thirds. Yeah. I love food. I always have, and that will never change. Though I tried a new tactic in the past month. How about not loading up my plate so it feels like a small child's ball used for bumper-bowling? Low-and-behold, I still felt full! Who would have thought? 

I've started back up with P90X. I'm using the Lean program, which is geared towards more cardio work, something I know I prefer. Today was core synergistics, and it was...not fun. But I feel accomplished. I'm back on track, and I haven't given up. Well, I did there for awhile, but between the guilt, frustration, and disappointment in myself, I'm ready to start again.

What was that little saying? Oh yes, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." 

I'm baaaaack =)