A Keen Reminder

THIS is brilliant, just absolutely brilliant and it comes to us from the mouth of SNL comedian, Leslie Jones.

What are your thoughts?

Day 44: Hump Day Decisions

Yeah, well, my eating wasn't spot on - at all. I'm going to have to learn to beat my once-a-month cravings. But I did end with a salad today that was delicious! Salad always tastes better when someone else makes it... why is that?

I started to think "I really don't want to do this" during Lower Body Fix and then countered it with "Welp, if you're going to take that attitude, you have to work harder." It was super effective and I'm proud of how hard I did end up working.

Spent some time under the big blue sky during work which was much needed and a quick reminder of how small we all are. Oh! And I planted some succulents today that I picked up from one of our students. Overall, I'd rate it a 6/10 day.

Day 43: Some Vitamin D

When you live in a small town you have to fight for every tanning bed you can get your butt into. In this case, we have ONE tanning bed in the entire town of 6,500 people. So I'm taking lunch breaks to get some rays to help with my psoriasis more than anything else. Two sessions in and it's already made a huge difference!

Food was mostly protein all day so I ended with dinner being loaded with veggies and ate grapes for dessert. Only 1 yellow container today - I'm trying to find some balance after the last few days being carb heavy.

Did Upper Body Fix and 10 Minute Abs with the 21 Day Fix and loved it (needed it!) I'm starting to really get comfortable exercising without a shirt on. Just a sports bra.  Getting comfortable in this body as it is along this journey is a goal of mine and going sans shirt certainly helps me appreciate all that my body is doing!

Day 42: Getting Back on Track

This last weekend I ate a lot of salty foods and I can definitely feel it. I'm carrying around extra water weight that simply doesn't need to be there if I make wise eating decisions.

Chocolate, strawberry shakeo for breakfast; shrimp tacos for lunch; rice and beans for snack; steamed broccoli and carrots, chicken sausage and kale for dinner; plain Greek yogurt with a banana for dessert.

I'm getting to the point where I don't think about whether or not I WANT to push play and just push it. If I stop to think about it I'll start creating excuses and I'm not in the market for that! So I powered through the Full Body Cardio and 10 Minute Abs without second thought. It's just what we do now when we get home from work, right brain? I call that a victory!

Murphy and a calf are pictured, too, because that's what life is like here in Wyoming. Love logs and cattle.

Today was busy at work loading boxes of books into the car to donate to the library, doing spring cleaning, and getting some snack sacks put together for students who go hungry while waiting for services to kick in. Overall, it was a great day and loaded with extra exercise!

Day 41: Kitty Yoga

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! We slept in and caught up on some much needed sleep. Then took off for our favorite restaurant in Nebraska (The Mixing Bowl) where I indulged in some biscuits and gravy. I only ate until I was no longer hungry (another victory - wooh!) then the hubs ate the rest. I had a blended green ice tea as well.

We walked off brunch by taking the dogs on a walk up the hill and made it home before the storm hit. Lots of thunder and lightning.

Green berry shakeo for dinner as well as a veggie patty. I'm chugging water, too, because I know I've eaten some fairly salty foods this weekend.

Snuggled on the couch watching Gladiator and then ended the night with 30 minutes of yoga with the 21 Day Fix. Hubbins joined me and was grateful because his back and shoulders had been bothering him. Bubba also joined me so I had to make some modifications around his big fat body as he laid on my mat in various places throughout... Until he settled for sleeping on my stomach during savasana (corpse position.) Silly boy.

Day 40: Road Trippin'

I started the day with the Dirty 30 and 10 Minute Abs. Powered through even though I was exhausted. Glad I finished. Still love 10 Minute Abs and how much of a difference it is making in my core!

We headed out of Torrington to Laramie and went apartment shopping for me in preparation for relocating for school. I'm excited to say we definitely found the perfect place for me.

We ate lunch at my favorite restaurant in Wyoming, Sweet Melissa's Cafe, a vegan/vegetarian restaurant that will make your mouth water! I had some veggies and artichoke dip, carrot and ginger soup, and a lentil and walnut burger with pineapple and my side was (my favorite dish) their Gorgonzola Leek Mac n' Cheese. I'm proud of myself for stopping eating when I was no longer hungry rather than gorging myself like I used to do. Took more than half of it home and ended up eating it for dinner. We shared a slice of carrot cake and I'm happy to say that all I needed was a few bites to be satisfied. It was delicious though so I had to work at stopping myself. It was the first sugar I have eaten in over 4 weeks!

Then we headed from Laramie to Fort Collins, Colorado to go shopping. Check out the bottom right photo. I swear to Jeebus, Wyoming doesn't want us to go to Costco... ever. We persevered, though, and I'm glad we did/ The snow only lasted at the summit. Costco was a success for stocking up our freezer with black bean burgers, frozen fruit, and veggies.

Overall, it was a wonderful day!

Day 39: The Thunder Rolls

Working out to a knarly thunder storm. Hot inside the house, cool rain outside. Had all the windows open! But geeze was I feeling low energy, like really really low, but I did it and that's the important part! Finished Cardio (feet dragging) and then 10 Minute Abs (I yelled at Autumn through the TV.)

Took my math final today so school is done for Spring semester! BOOM! So happy to be done! I'm halfway through my math requirements for my geology major. I see calculus one and two on the horizon.

Tacos for lunch? Are you surprised? Chocolate, strawberry, mint shakeo for breakfast; shrimp tacos for lunch; rice and beans for snack; and still undecided about dinner. A big salad sounds amazing.

Time to relax and snuggle the pups!

Day 38: The Angry Workout

Ugh. See the center photo on the left? That's my pissed off face. That's my, I'm done with this crap, face. Marriage - humph - it ain't for the faint of heart that's for sure. 30 minutes later and a small talk and all that frustration went away. Smiles for the rest of the day! Also note the bottom right photo and that wicked shoulder muscle! *insert tongue rolling growl here*

Food was good - Green berry shakeo with melon and mango for breakfast; chicken salad pita with kale and pico de gallo for lunch; chicken dipped in mustard for snack; grapes for snack; Brussels sprouts, broccoli, Greek yogurt, avocado, and pico de gallo for dinner.

Not time for math homework.

Day 37: After Workout Kisses

Well, Murphy could care less, but Izzie was on kiss patrol when I finished my workout. It's the best kind of reward!

Had to take the Lower Body down a notch for myself today because I seem to have strained my left calf muscle. It's really tight and sensitive. I'll work on stretching it out over the next few days. Capped the workout off with 10 Minute Abs and even had a moment in the beginning where I thought it was too easy... Oh boy did that change real fast. It's nice to know, though, that I'm getting stronger in my core to the point the exercises are getting easier.

Food was good. Chocolate, strawberry, mint shakeo for breakfast; shrimp tacos for lunch; rice and beans for snack; farm fresh eggs, organic chicken, kale, and salsa for dinner. A pear with cinnamon sprinkled on top for dessert!

It was a good day overall and I'm feeling good. Feel strong and so good in my clothes! Can't wait to go shopping soon!

Day 36: Getting Stronger

 Today was Upper Body Fix and day 1 of my second round with the 21 Day Fix. I was feeling strong and wanted to challenge myself so I bumped my heavy weights up to 10's and my light weights to 5's. I was able to stick with each exercise without stopping about 90% of the time (wooh!)

Food was simple today. Green berry shakeo with mango and strawberries for breakfast; Chinese food which included hout and sour soup and yellow shrimp curry for lunch; and another round of delicious chicken tacos for dinner! I'll probably have some grapes for dessert.

It was a good day overall and I'm looking forward to starting the 21 Day Fix again and seeing how much progress I make.

Shredded Chicken Mini Tacos

When dinner is this good you have to make it two nights in a row!

Equals: 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green, 1 blue!

Ingredients:

Shredded chicken
Pico de Gallo salsa
3 inch corn tortillas
Baby kale/leafy greens
Plain Greek yogurt
Goat Cheese

Directions

• Heat up tortillas in pan with oil. Set off to the side.
• Heat up chicken and pico de gallo in the pan until warm.
• Spread Greek yogurt on tortillas.
• Add leafy greens and then chicken.
• Top with goat cheese.

Enjoy!

21 Day Fix - COMPLETE!

Today marks my official last day on my first go-round of the 21 Day Fix and I thought it would be a great idea to write out my observations, reactions, results, and overall conclusion about this three week experience. So here we go!

Reaction:
I'm a believer! It's not that I wasn't ever not a believer, it's just that now that I've done it to the best of my current ability and am seeing the results of what just three weeks of change can do, I'm blown away.

I'm honestly amazed at how much progress was made in just three weeks when I compare it to how hard, unorganized, and without direction I exercised last year. Previously, it took four months to get anywhere near where I am now.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next three weeks!

Observations:
I have been able to pinpoint where I store a lot of my fat. When I told people I was making food changes and exercising more I typically get this scoff and then some sort of comment accusing me of not needing to lose weight because I look fine. Which is true, my body carries my weight in different places and it's not noticeable when I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt or my work clothes. But believe me, I have the tummy pudge, the double butt, the arm flaps, the armpit butt. I know it's there, trust me.

So flash forward three weeks later and I'm truly able to see where I've slimmed down and toned up. Places like my feet, ankles, knees, side thighs, back, arms, elbows, and wrists are all places where my fat hides (other than the obvious gut region). Also, apparently, my boobs. Yeah... those bad boys are shrinking and shrinking fast, damnit.

Those are some amazing non-scale victories that I'm focusing most of my attention on. I can visibly see the difference in my arms and legs. And I can feel the muscle that has been developed all over my body these last three weeks. When I fold my arms across my chest I can feel the muscles in my arms. When I put my hands on my hips I feel muscle in my back and core. It's wonderful! And when my husband goes to pinch my legs he is met with muscle instead of chub... that was a fun discovery one day!

New Goals:
The new go-round starts tomorrow and I have I a few things I want to work on specifically this time:
- Challenging myself with heavier weights
- Better water intake. I'm good, but not consistently so.
- Portion control while out at restaurants
- 10 Minute Abs every night (except Sunday's)
- Take better progress picks!
- Go tanning

My Message To You:
If you've been contemplating changing your lifestyle to meet some fitness and health goals that you have, stop waiting and go do it! I don't care what program you go through or if you use one at all, just get up, get moving, and get healthy! We all have to start somewhere, so get going!

If you're looking for a program to follow, I highly recommend BeachBody's 21 Day Fix coupled with Shakeology. It took all the guess-work out of it for me and was so well-organized that the only way you can fail is if you stop trying.

Results:
Starting Weight: 156.1 lbs
Ending Weight: 150.6 lbs
Weight Lost: 5.5 lbs

Starting Inches: 176.75
Ending Inches: 171
Inches Lost: 5.75

Non-scale Victories:
- I feel stronger!
- I can see my leg muscles through my jeans.
- My work pants don't fit anymore, they're too loose!
- My stomach doesn't touch the inside of my shirts anymore.
- My fingers are noticeably slim.
- I don't need as much food as I thought I did.
- I'm not craving sugar anymore! (This one is HUGE!)

Day 35: Day 21 of Day 21

Today marks the end of three weeks kicking butt with BeachBody. Tomorrow begins a new 21 days!! I'll post about my results on the blog, so we'll get to that later.

Today was a good day in the exercise department. I was able to stick through the rounds of Full Body Cardio Fix and even survived the "surrenders" for the first time without stopping!

Chocolate, strawberry, mint shakeo for breakfast; chicken salad with avocado pita for lunch; grapes and veggies (Brussels sprouts and broccoli) for snacks; and the most bomb dinner I've had in a while! Shredded chicken mini tacos! (Pictured bottom right.) Oh geeze. These things were delicious and super simple. I cooked a whole chicken yesterday and shredded the meat for meals this week so the hard part is over. 3 inch corn tortillas, Greek yogurt (replacing sour cream), lettuce/spinach/leafy greens, chicken mixed with pica de gallo. Oh my mercy! Sooooooooo gooooood!

The dogs got their walk and now I'm sitting down to knock out a little math homework before bedtime.

How was your day?

Day 34: Recovery

It took me the better half of a day to snap out of yesterday's let down. I'm not sure why I go so wrapped up about it, but I think it has something to do with not having control and a large bit to do with having cabin fever in this little town.

We had brunch at our favorite restaurant in the area (35 miles away) called The Mixing Bowl where I had poached eggs and some sort of veggie chili with a bit of hashbrowns. I didn't eat all that was pictured, but rather stopped when I was no longer hungry. (win!)

We took the pups for a walk once we got home making them much happier and lifting my mood quite a bit.

Shakeo and math homework followed and then some veggies (broccoli and Brussels sprouts) for dinner with a veggie patty.

I finished the day with Yoga with the 21 Day Fix and had to make some adjustments for my furry yoga partner, Bub.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow and starting the week strong with a healthy attitude. Oh yeah, I have a whole chicken in the crock pot that, once cooked, I'll shred it for use throughout the week. Can you say "chicken enchiladas?!"

Day 33: Failed Plans

Ugh. Today we were supposed to go to Loveland, Colorado for our anniversary date. I had been looking forward to it for weeks! But noooooooooooooo the weather had to pull a Wyoming and, well, we only made it 1/4 of the way there before snow drifts started to take over the road and fog, blowing snow, and overall low visibility took over the sky. *sigh* Defeated, we turned around and headed home. We had to miss out on going grocery shopping at Costco (yes, we have to drive 115 miles to get to the nearest Costco) which I had my heart set on doing so we could load up on the good stuff for meal prepping. Ugh.

I was overcome with disappointment and ended up binge watching the latest 3 episodes of Bones (get your crap together Hodgins) and all of the new season of Archer.

My emotional funk wanted me to eat everything in sight and wallow in chocolate, but I settled for 3 pieces of left over pizza scattered throughout the afternoon and evening. Ugh. It could have been worse.

The highlights: I woke up and did Dirty 30 without hesitation. Ya'll morning workouters are nuts! I pushed through and the hubs even joined me. Followed it up with 10 Minute Abs and then a chocolate, mint, banana shakeo. So, it all started out positive... Finding the little victories as they happen.

Day 32: Starting Rough, Finishing Strong

I woke up this morning feeling just awful still after over-eating last night. And into the afternoon it felt like I had a balloon inflated in my stomach that just wouldn't go away.

Still, I pushed on. When my 15 minute breaks came around the hubs and I did our laps around the building. The first set were slower, the second set fast and full of laughter. It was a great way to boost my energy this afternoon!

I had a banana chocolate mint shakeo (a new fave!) for breakfast, some Chinese food (took most of it home) that included hot and sour soup, garlic shrimp and veggies, and fried rice for lunch. I was diligent about watching how much rice I hate. Total win!

Still feeling heavy from yesterday. I appreciate this lesson because I know I don't want to feel like this anymore or ever again!

Busted through my Cardio and then nailed my 10 Minute Abs! Now we're headed out for dinner and I'll have to be careful here. Hun wants Chinese/Japanese food tonight.

Enjoy your Friday everyone!

Dinner: Oh Dang! We went to a local grill house insteead of Chinese mostly because I was craving a salad and I knew this place had a great (for Torrington) salad bar. Had my salad, nibbled an appetizer of Mac n' Cheese bites and then had one piece of pizza. That pizza, by the way, is their small. It's like the size of a Dominos medium! I'd hate to see what their large is! Feeling full, but not overly so. I'd rate this whole food day a 7/10.

OH! Also this happened!

Whoop! Whoop! And I don't regret it for a second. I might have done a little tantrum dance while saying "no thanks," but I still said it. They looked darn good, too!

How I capped off my night. Relaxing in the tub for over an hour while I red a book and just rested. My muscles definitely needed this!

Day 31: Overeating. Humph!

Everything was going so well until dinner. I had my chocolate shakeo for breakfast, hummus and carrots and a lobster taco for lunch, yogurt and a banana for a snack... I did Pilates and the 10 Minute Abs with the 21 Day Fix and I even walked 6 laps around the building today on my breaks. My water intake was on track. It was a good day!

Then I made Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and chicken sausage for dinner with a veggie patty on the side. I was hungry so I gobbled it up. And fast. For the last hour I have suffered for it. My stomach is overly full and my energies are all headed to my digestion rather than... say... my brain to help me with my math homework. Ugh. I'm done fighting it. Time for bed.

Day 30: BOOM! A Month of Healthy Choices!

And I'm not slowing down! Today was probably my best workout yet. I'm on day 16 of the 21 Day Fix and definitely seeing results. Adding the 10 Minute Abs has been a huge impact on my physical changes and I can feel an increase in my confidence mentally.

I started the day off feeling sluggish and wore out and even called in sick to work so I could rest and rejuvenate before feeling "wore out" turns into "flat out sick for days!" And it worked! I'm feeling much healthier and have most of my energy back. I'll sleep like a rock tonight!

I had a green berry shakeo with kiwi and almond milk. Eh, wasn't great. Tomorrow morning is chocolate though! Woohoo! Lunch was another tuna pita with spinach and pico. So tasty and filling! Dinner was at Red Lobster where I indulged a little, but stopped eating once I was full. Lobster bisque, Caesar salad, 1 biscuit, lobster tacos, and zucchini. Huge meal, but still on track with my containers (ok, a little bit over, but I'm cool with that.)

Happy Wednesday!

That last biscuit... this is what the REAL Hunger Games is.

Day 29: Eggplant is a Fruit?

Say what?! I had no idea! I tossed it into the mix with my Brussels sprouts, some avo, and Greek yogurt. I love plain Greek yogurt because it can be used as sour cream. :)

Lunch was fantastic - tuna in a pita with spinach, salsa, and cucumbers. Definitely my favorite meal I've had in the 21 Day Fix and it was super simple!

I've been feeling worn out all day today so although I did the Upper Body Fix and 10 Minute Abs, I don't feel like I was firing on all cylinders. I'll get some good sleep tonight and kick butt tomorrow.

I'm starting to see some awesome results in my thighs, back, and arms! Loving this feeling for visual progress!

Day 28: Special Delivery!

My shakeo showed up today!!!! Woohoo! I'm trying something new and ordered the Green Berry and Chocolate packets. So far, the green berry is tasty!

I was exhausted today. Had a headache start around 3 PM and went to the hair salon for a trim. I'm back to a Mohawk! I so so so so did NOT want to push play, but I did and even went on to the 10 minute abs. Very proud of myself for sticking with it when it wasn't easy.

Had yogurt and banana for breakfast, spinach salad and chicken sausage for lunch, broccoli and veggie burger for dinner, hummus and carrots, grapes for snacks!

It's been a good day.

Day 27: Playing Catch Up

Since I went to bed early on Thursday with a bad migraine I had to skip Pilates with the 21 Day Fix. I promised myself I would make it up on Sunday... Which is today... And I did! I completed Pilates then Yoga and then topped it off with the 10 Minute Abs (which has quickly become my absolute favorite!)

I'm feeling great that I fulfilled my commitment to myself. It's easy to break our own promises when we're the only ones who are relying on us. I'm working toward breaking that habit!

Lunch:

Day 26: Productivity and Paint Fumes!

Today was the most productive Saturday I've had in months! We had a lunch date at our favorite place - The Mixing Bowl - where I had a salad, fish tacos, and sweet potato fries. Victory there was not eating all the fries and stopping when I was no longer hungry!

We mowed our lawn for the first time this season and then painted the kitchen and a wall in the living room. Still have minor touch ups to go, but the huge hurdle has been jumped!

Topped the night off with Dirty 30 and then 10 Minute Abs!

Overall, it was a definite win!

Also, this:

Talk about a personal victory today! Feeling so proud to have been able to walk away from this sugar heaven!

Day 25 cont: Some Truth

This was this day last year. I worked really hard for over 4 months to get to that point and had lost 20 pounds to get there. Even my psoriasis had cleared up exponentially! I wasn't to my goal yet, but still... I quit. That's what I do when I start to see results. I relax and create excuses for cheat days. The problem with cheat days is that a day turns into a week which turns into a month and before you know it... You're back to square one.

I'm lucky that I only gained 10 lbs. back before I decided to make a change. THAT was the last time I quit. I want to get to my goal and stay there. Health and fitness is a lifestyle, not a hobby. Today I pushed myself to do more by adding abs to my cardio fix. I'll do it again tomorrow and the day after that until I have the body I want and can responsibly maintain it.

I've been there before, I can get there again.

Day 25: Mother Effin' Burpees & 10 Minute Abs!

Burpees make me cuss. A lot. But I pushed through them! I topped cardio off with 10 Minute Abs (my first go-round) and fell in love! I'll definitely be adding this to my daily workouts from now on! Picture on the left is after cardio, picture on the right is after abs!

Day 24: Healthy Eats and Headaches

I was in control of my food yesterday, but skipped the exercise for bed. I had a full day of work and then an AAUW meeting that was capped off by a sickening migraine. Today, we kick butt!

Day 23: The Couple Who Lower Body Fixes Together, Stays Together!

Celebrating our anniversary of 5 years of marriage by exercising. Now to walk the dogs!

My food for the day:

The hubbins took the sweet potato fries and bread home with him leaving me with the delicious Cajun spiced salmon!

Day 22: Shiny!

Hardest part of Upper Body Fix? Lifting your water bottle up to get a drink afterward! Oofta!

My meals for the day:

Day 21: A Fast Monday

Am I the only one who feels like today has just sped by? I just finished my Full Body Cardio with the 21 Day Fix and it went by in a flash! My abs are well aware of the workout, though, so I know it happened! Feeling great - now it's time to make some fajitas!

Lunch was leftover vegetable and pineapple curry!

Dinner was antelope fajitas with veggies, cilantro, avocado, and pico!

Extra exercise! I take two 15 minute breaks each work day and use that time walking laps around our campus building. It's a great speed walk because it has lots of stairs, inclines, declines, and straight sections... plus it protects us from the unpredictable Wyoming weather!

Day 20: My Exercise Partner

Anyone else have this issue while doing crunches/sit-ups? Puppy kisses and laughter for days!

Day 19: Dirty 30!

We spent the day in front of the TV yesterday so we're making up for it today! I kept my nutrition on track though so that's a major enormous win!!

Day 17: Cardio Makes My Heart Go Bump Bump!

I'm officially 5 days into the 21 Day Fix and am loving it! Dinner is next.

Day 16: I Think It Might Rain

It was Pilates day with the 21 Day Fix and my body was feeling it! Took the pups for a walk real fast before this storm hit! Happy doggies = happy mama.

The hardest part of our walk.

This Domino's went in a few months back and it's literally my neighbor. The only thing that separates me from it is my backyard and our rental house. It's a brutal temptation because I love their pasta primavera. But today I was victorious and walked right by, doggies by my side.

Today was a good day.

Day 15: I Did NOT Skip Leg Day

Frick.

The Lower Body Fix is BRUTAL!! I'll be taking a walk this evening with the pups to properly cool down and stretch out the muscles I just killed!

Wednesdays are "lunch date" days with my dear friend, Callie. We chose Mexican food today because I absolutely love it. What's even better is that I didn't break any rules here for the 21 day fix!

1 yellow, 1 red, 1/2 green.

I saved my beans and rice for the next day's yellows.

Dinner was amazing. I love scrambles! Two large (fresh off the farm) eggs, kale, chicken sausage, broccoli, and tomatoes.

2 reds, 3 greens! Easy peasy!