Gym friends, BL, & high/low!

Happy Leap Year Day all! If you have a birthday, happy birthday!! That would really suck to have a birthday on this day! I mean your birthday is one of the best days of the year in my opinion, so not being able to celebrate it every year, psht not happening!

So let's talk gym people. Now I know everyone goes to the gym for different reasons, whether it be to be alone, to release stress, to socialize, or to just get it done. Sometimes we do all of the above. But I am a very social being and my job requires me to be alone ALL day with a 1 yr old. So going home and being alone for a few more hours before my husband gets home really is just depressing to me. So besides going to the gym to get my fitness on, I really like going to socialize.

I used to work at a gym and knew EVERYONE. There were days I felt like I couldn't get a good work out in because people wouldn't leave me alone. But that was my time to be with adults and friends. So moving and switching gyms put me back into not knowing anyone at the gym, which made me really not want to go. We also were going to a different gym previously that didn't have any classes you could take. I realized last night that I think this is what led to weight gain. I didn't know people at the gym and I didn't have classes to motivate me to go. I love classes, and I love getting to know people. Now making friends is motivating me to want to work out more and have fun while I am there!

I also found a running buddy! FINALLY! Someone who runs my pace! And she lives a whole 5 min away! So besides taking classes together, we can run together, and we have plans to shop on Saturday! I am very excited about this because most of my friends are at least 25+ min away, so hanging out requires much planning these days. So it's nice to have someone close now that I can hang out with and work out with! Her name is Jen and I have a feeling she will be in future blogs! :)

These girls knew how to make working out fun! This is what I see my gym experience like. With a friend having fun!

Via Pinterest

Now for the Biggest Loser. As many of you know my former teacher, and now good friend who married us is on this season. His name is Buddy Shuh on the red team. It is awesome to have behind the scenes knowledge and hear how everything works and goes down. I am so very proud of him and I think this week has been the most drama free, and best episode of the year! People need to realize it is a TV show, the more drama you create, the more air time you get. And NBC does a great job mixing things up to make people look how they want them too. They do a great job editing, and cutting things left and right. Just stories I have heard and how false it came across on TV is crazy. So people, don't believe what you see. Remember it's a TV show and they do certain things for ratings. Don't judge these people because you don't know them. They are doing something great, and that is to get their health together and make a better life for themselves. Look at that, not how the show makes them look. But on the DL, for real Conda is not a nice person. So they have that one correct!!

And my last item up for discussion. I saw this quote from Dr. Seuss and it inspired me to do something.

Via Pinterest

I have decided on the last day of the month I am going to start doing a new thing called High/Low. I am going to do the High and the Low of my month. I am also going to do the High and Low of my month for my relationship with God. I want to be honest and real. I am like everyone else, I have good days and bad days and I slack here and there. I think good bloggers aren't all about the glitz, glam, and popularity. They are about being real and honest as well. Not being afraid of being judged. And I challenge you to push yourself to do this. The high part is easy, the low is hard. Admitting defeat, pain, or hardship is hard for anyone. But I am here to provide support and encouragement! So here we go!

February High

Getting enough money back from our taxes that will pay for our honeymoon cruise! I was really nervous we weren't going to be able to afford it!

February Low

Realizing the trauma I have had from my rape has not gone away. You can read about what happened here. It is literally controlling my life & sending me to a bad place. I have lost who I am and feel trapped inside. But in all this, I have realized things need to change, and it's time to get the help I need. This will not go away on it's own. I am seeing options for therapy and am hoping to start going in the next few weeks.

February High Spiritually

Really starting to let go and pray about things first before trying to fix them on my own.

February Low Spiritually

Giving myself excuses to put off bible study or personal time with God. Placing more importance on worldy things than God.

Your turn!

-What kind of gym person are you? Do you like making new friends at the gym?

-What are your thoughts on BL this year?

-Ready to share your high/low moments of February?

I think this is winter?

Well I guess this weather is nice, but I don't like it for the fact that I know it is not winter weather! And now we are being spoiled and in 2 days it is going to drop again! This weather gets me in the mindset of spring, so to know that spring is not anywhere close, well that is aggravating! So as much as I enjoy this weather, I would like it to just be winter and be done and over with instead of continually teasing me and then reminding me HAH it's only January! SIKE! This is not nice, nor is it great for any of our health! I have never been so sick in winter before! So one or 2 days of this here and there is great, but this up and down stuff, no bueno. It's messing me up so much! But alas, prepare yourselves my friends, Friday brings back winter. So enjoy it while you can! Plus I am paying for a car port for all this snow.. I am wasting money! At least let me get my money's worth out of those suckers! Ok weather rant over. Onto more important things like running and diet!

Well I was doing quite well with our torture, I mean workouts, and I was kicking this cough which is still lingering here and there but for most part it's about gone. Then whammo, hit with the flu, and now this runners knee to contend with. So basically since Saturday, my diet and workouts have been a wash! Grr! But I am introducing other foods in today besides soup and crackers to see how things hold up. But easy things, like yogurt, an apple, cheese, ya know all those easy digestible things. No meats or veggies today, still want to make sure we can digest properly and I really don't want to push myself to become sick again. You have to give your body what it needs, so I am doing just so. Yes it is interfering with my diet plan but I would rather not feel like crap for a week vs 5 days.

It is hard when you are only trying to lose 10 lbs. Your weight can fluctuate up to 8 lbs in one day, so one day I look like I lost 4, then next it's only 2. It is quite aggravating! So I am trying not so much to focus on my weight, as I am toning up and losing fat, gaining muscle. Today my clothes are starting to fit a lot more loosely, which is a good sign! I know expelling half my body weight this weekend probably helped a little, but I can tell things are tightening up a lot! My stomach is shrinking and shaping in a new shape, which strikes my curiosity and makes me think maybe this actually will work to get a flat stomach. Everything I have tried before has not quite worked, so the fact that things are shrinking differently excites me. I can feel my back and legs tightening up. I am no where near as exhausted as I used to be since I was so dehydrated. If you want to do 1 thing, seriously, try drinking a gallon of water a day for a few weeks, see how your energy level changes! It is crazy! If I am tired, I start chugging water, not coffee. I think I have had coffee twice on this diet, and that was just to have it, not because I was tired. BTW ppl, starbucks has a sugar free peppermint+sugar free mocha! I would add two pumps of peppermint though, You can taste the lack of sugar for sure, but for sugar free, it is quite good!

One other thing I am noticing, I am still having cravings, not so much for sugar, but for carbs. I miss my pasta and my french fries! Plus the best ice cream for this diet, in moderation of course is either fat free, or no sugar added. That seems to be the smallest amount of sugars and carbs/calories combo I can find. It isn't sugar free but it's a nice treat here and there. You can also make sugar free jello on your own as a treat. I will try to mention things I find for those of you not on as strict of a diet as we are. Which I thought would be a good idea to show you. This is Antonio's diet, which he has to eat more calories then I do. So I am just trying not to eat as many eggs, because I tried, and I can not do it. I come close to throwing up every time. So I am trying to do 3, whenever it says 6, and he has to eat one more meal then I do. If he doesn't work out he eats 5 meals a day, I eat 4. If he works out he eats 6 meals a day, I eat 5. We are also allowed more sugar then normal RIGHT after a workout because we just burned so much sugar. So we have been making a strawberry protein shake with frozen berries and frozen strawberries and light cranberry juice. SUPER yummy! Ok here is the diet:

Meal 1: 
1/2 Cup Oats 
1 Cup berries
tbsp peanut butter (natural)
1 Scoop Protein Powder/ 6 egg whites-cooked how you like
Calories Carbs Protein Fat 
399 49g 33g 12g 


Meal 2: 
1 carb master
6 Egg Whites 
1/2 oz almonds
Calories Carbs Protein Fat 
420 34g 32g 8g 


Meal 3: 
1 Whole Wheat tortilla 
4oz Grilled Chicken 
1/4 cup b rice/ or comparable carb
Sliced Lettuce 
Sliced Tomato 
1/2oz Almonds 
Mustard To Taste 
Calories Carbs Protein Fat 
350 45g 34g 10g 


Meal 4: 
4 oz meat
Mustard 
1/2 Cup Cooked Quinoa 
1 Orange 
veggies
Calories Carbs Protein Fat 
395 45g 40g 7g 


Meal 5: 
veggies
4 oz meat
1/2 Cup Beans, lentils, hummous 
Balsamic Vinegar With Italian Seasoning +1 tbsp olive oil to add taste to beans
Calories Carbs Protein Fat 
347 38g 31g 9g 

If you workout:
Meal 6: 
9 Egg Whites 
1oz Reduced Fat Cheese 
1/2 cup oats
Calories Carbs Protein Fat 
374 30g 45g 9g

Let me guess you are thinking WOAH that's a lot of food.. ya well IT IS! Plus when you drink so much water, you are more full. So it actually is really hard to eat that much every day! Never thought  eating and drinking would be such a chore! But for real people, if you are interested in losing weight and looking for an awesome torturer I mean trainer, please let me know. I hate to admit this diet and stuff is working, but it is! And it is not a quick fix, it's shaping us into a lifestyle. Portion control is so key! But if you would like to work with Brent, let me know! My parents also train with him, my mom has been for 3 years. If you aren't sure and would like to come with antonio and I and test him out, it's $25 for a group drop in, which trust me people is an awesome deal! Most trainers are 80+ for 1 hr. And he is training to be a PA. So he has so much knowledge about the body and will tell you why you are doing that exercise, what it is affecting, and how to do it properly, which is important! If anything, come a few times or for a few months and learn some things to take back on your own!

We also started taking Vitamin B, C, D, and fish oil. They are also making a difference in energy levels and you just feel so much better over all! We don't feel so run down or almost jet lagged all the time. You don't want to go to bed at 8pm because you feel so blah. If anything you want to go to bed because you are exhausted from working out but still feel good! We are also both sleeping much better and much more soundly. Let me know if you need any help on your own diet/work out regime! 

Now on to running. My friend Meggers is doing a hardcore challenge this year, and she is welcoming anyone to join. But you need a google+ account which is easy to sign up for. Basically it's a group of any people who have fitness goals and are helping pump each other up and keep each other accountable for the goals! My goals are lose 10 lbs by May, run a 10k, and run 365+ miles! So if you would like to join, pop over here to operation hardcore fit, read about it and then contact Megan if you would like to join the group! Think it's a great idea!  

To all you runners, if you have runners knee, what are some things you do to deal with it? Please let me know! I really want to accomplish my goals and would like for this not to hinder them!

One last thing, I was trying to not eat super bad while I was sick, so besides chicken noodle soup, I made a french onion soup-sugar, and crouton free! We sprinkled a little reduced fat mozerella cheese on top!

Ingredients:

1 BIG sweet onion, or 2 smaller ones

2 packets french onion soup mix

64 oz of water

1 tbsp of olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 oz reduced fat cheese

Chop onions to your liking and put in large pot. Mince garlic and add to onions. Add olive oil. Sautee/reduce onions for at least a half hour at low. After a half hour, it's your preference how small onions are. Add first packet to onions and garlic and slowly stir in 32 oz cold water. Add second packet and slowly add another 32 oz cold water. Bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to liking. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Put soup in bowl and add cheese. Enjoy!

This was super easy to do and pretty good for a packet mix! It is great with wine, but wine has sugar!!

Hope everyone enjoys their Tuesday! Also make sure to watch Biggest Loser tonight to see our friend Buddy Shuh!! (red team)