march 16th

Yikes, I haven't posted for a while!  Sorry about that!  But I promise it wasn't because I was doing super interesting things, quite the opposite!  I've been busy, but nothing super interesting.  Doing the weight lifting schedule I posted last time, plus I started Les mills Combat which I LOVE!  somehow corny catch phrases aren't corny when they say them with an Australian accent.  ;)

So the last few weeks I've been struggling with a respiratory "thing", asthma-ish attacks, and unable to catch a full breath, etc.  I started on an inhaler, which really didn't help much, but a little, and I've also been using a nebulizer with albuterol, which helps as well.  Had a bad attack a couple of days ago, and probably should have sat out the 5k today, but I'm a tightwad and I paid for it, so I ran it! :) Well.  Tried.  I was running a decent pace (for me) at the half way mark, but I rounded a corner and the heavy wind just blasted me in the face and completely took my breath away.  It took nearly a mile of walking and gasping to finally feel like I could run again, and I was barely into it when I rounded another corner and got another blast of wind!  Dammit!  I was right back to gasping.  I did manage to run about the last 1/4 mile, and I ran across the line, but I really wanted to just keel over honestly!  It was awful.  I truly feel horrible for persons with asthma.  Not being able to breath has got to be one of the worst feelings I've ever had!  I finished in a less than stellar 39 minutes, which is actually faster than last months race with the bloody nose.  Geesh.  I have bad luck with races this year.  Must be something about the 13 in 2013.  Nah, my January race was good.  Can't be that.  Respiratory issue aside, I really honestly haven't trained like I should have.  I've ran a few times the past month, definitely more than before my February race, but not as much as I'd like to.

The plan now is to take a few days off from running training (still working out of course!), using the nebulizer, inhaler and rest to chase this respiratory thing out for good, and then by the end of this week I'll start indoor running again (did I mention I hate indoor running?) for a week or so, then hopefully by the last week or so of March it will be a little warmer and I can start running outside.  I'm working towards a PR in April, so I need to make it happen!!

Great set of girls in my YourFitness-411 group, Lisa (in the fedora) and Kellie (on the end beside Lisa) both way exceeded their personal goals for the day!  They are all such inspiring women, I'm lucky to have them!:

Feb 22nd

They say the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. I disagree.

The definition of insanity would be my new training program. Lol. I'm 4 days in, and every muscle in my body would agree with that statement. But, life is about changing it up, keeping it fresh, and losing that last 18 damn pounds! Ok so that last one isn't really what life is all about. At all. Life is about being healthy and pushing yourself just outside of your comfort zone I've never gotten lasting results in my comfort zone. I've never made friendships or learned something new or made myself proud or accomplished a new goal while in my comfort zone. You know where my comfort zone is? Chocolate bars on the couch with a book in my lap and my kids laughter in the background or cuddling beside me. I'm not saying that's not a good place to be. It's an amazing place to be. I would love to be in that place all day every day forever and ever. But that's not the place I can be and still reach my goals. And not reaching my goals is not an option. So this week has been all about leaping out of that comfort zone and into results! I'm embracing my non comfort zone. Because my comfort zone does keep growing. Zumba used to be intimidating and scary to me. So did paleo eating. Both are now squarely in my comfort zone, right next to that book in my lap. I love both but I've got to keep changing my plan of attack if I want to keep changing my body! So this week I started Les Mills Combat. I've also been weight training every day, I take a weights class at the Y 2x a week that hits every zone in an hour(called RIP class), then at home on my own I do a different zone every day for the other 5 days. Plus I still do Zumba 2x a week, and Zumba toning 1x a week. Oh, and of course I'm still running 3x a week, only 2-3 miles at a time for now. Mid April I will finish the les mills combat and then I'll start to bump my mileage up then. And I'll start my 1/2 marathon training program in June, but between now and then I only have 5ks so I'm keeping my mileage low for now.

Anyways, all that and still working full time, still mom to two, and I'm not neglecting their needs at all, in fact they have their small weights and they love to lift with me every night, and my son has even gotten out of bed at 5:30 a few mornings to do the combat DVDs with me! I'm loving them so far, I've done 4 different ones, and they have all been great! They aren't super long workouts but I definitely go straight in the shower when I'm done, and the time flies by while I'm doing them! That's one program I highly recommend! I took before pics, so in 60 days (well, 56 days now!) I look forward to showing you my after pics!

Here's my full training schedule, tell me I'm not insane!:

training schedule:

Daily-mornings
Crunches 2x25
Bicycle crunches 2x25
Push-ups 2x25
Burpees 2x10
Squats 3x30
Lunges 2x20
Boxer crunch 2x25
Bicep curls 2x20@8lbs
Tricep extension 2x20@8lbs
Tricep dips 2x20

Monday-
am-Les Mills Combat
pm-back/biceps
Hammer curls 3x15@8lbs
Bicep curl 3x15@8lbs
Preacher curls 3x15@8lbs
Barbell pullover 3x15@20lbs
Shrugs 3x15@20 lbs
Bent over rows 3x15@20lbs
Run

Tuesdays-
am-Les Mills Combat
pm-glutes/hams
Squats 3x20@20lbs
Goblet squats 3x15@8lbs
Jump squats 3x20
High step up 2x15
Donkey kick 2x15
Hip thrusts 4x6@20 lbs
Dead lifts 4x6@20 lbs

Wednesday -
am-Les Mills Combat
pm-RIP class @ Y
Run

Thursday-(LMC rest day)
am-chest/delt/triceps
Dumbbell bench press 3x15@8lbs
Barbell bench press 3x15@20lbs
Dumbbell fly 3x15@8lbs
Seated dumbbell side laterals 3x15@8lbs
Lying 1 arm side laterals 3x15@8lbs
Tricep overhead extension 3x15@8lbs
Barbell tricep extensions 3x15@10lbs
Tricep kickbacks 3x15@8lbs
Pm-Zumba 1 hour

Friday-
am-Les Mills Combat
pm-core
Boxer sit-ups 3xfail
Push-ups 3xfail
Reverse crunches 4x15
4sets of 1 minutes each:
Crunches
Boat crunches
Side crunches
Low plank
Run today or tomorrow

Saturday-
am-Les Mills Combat
Zumba toning
pm-calves/quads
Calf raises 3x15
Front squats 3x15
Wall sits 3x1 minute
Jumping lunges 3x1 minute
High step up 4x15
Barbell lunge 4x20@20 lbs
Barbell hack squats 3x15@20lbs


Sunday-(LMC rest day)
RIP class @ Y
Zumba @ Y

(And yes, I could handle heavier weights on some of these but I'm working with the equipment I've got!)

Oh, and side note, I switch around Friday and Saturday based of which day I run, I do core that day and calves/quads the other day.

February 9th

Oh wow, so I haven't posted in a while!

I promise you haven't missed anything interesting though.  I've been in pretty much a meat and sweet potatoes "rut", eating wise, and I've been working out every day.  its a "rut" and not a rut because I feel like if it were really a rut I'd be unhappy with it, but I'm pretty content right now.  I started a new weight training regimen on Monday, adapted from one I stole off of fit bitch's facebook page.  OK, I didn't really steal it, she willingly posted it, and I adapted some of the moves to fit the equipment I have at home.  So far I'm loving it!

So lets talk about running.  I haven't been doing it.  And I can tell. I have an assload of excuses...I mean reasons.  gets dark too early, its been cold, I'm a sissy.  You know that old routine.  But I had a 5k today, holy schnikeys I was pathetic!  Seriously, 40:00ish!  I was like a 1/2 mile in, and I always have to blow my nose during these cold weather runs, but this time I gushed blood everywhere, I got a huge nosebleed.  I pushed on as best I could, and I did finish, but I spent a mile and a half gagging on blood running down my throat (gross, I know!) so it was pretty sad.  BUT, I was out there, I did it, I lived, I learned!  It also didn't help that I didn't eat or drink ANYTHING before the 2:00 start time, except 1/2 a banana on the way there.  Just got busy and time got away from me!  I know better, that was stupid and a mistake I won't make again!

OH!  I weighed in and lost another pound this week too!  18 to go!

Operation: Kids Eat Healthy is going amazingly well too, In fact, I am getting ready to make some Caveman Crunch Bars in plain and chocolate, and some Paleo honey muffins for them (OK, and me) from the Civilized Caveman to snack on, and I'm hoping to try out his perfect paleo pancakes for breakfast tomorrow.

I would not feel right ending this day without a thank you shout out to my friend Lisa at YourFitness-411!  today marks the one year anniversary of the day I started P90X!  52 lbs later and with TONS of encouragement from Lisa, I feel better than I ever have, and for the first time in my life, I really feel like I have goals to work towards, that are all mine, and depend only on me to accomplish them.  I've had goals before, but they were either depended on someone else to help, or they were abstract goals, like "I want to be skinny" without any real plan or idea for accomplishing that goal.  Lisa has been there to give gentle suggestions, swift proverbial kicks in the ass, ideas to try, accountability and most of all constant support and confidence in my ability to achieve my goals.  I still have a little bit to go, but I have absolute complete and total confidence that I will get there, and that Lisa will be supportive of me thru the whole trip.  If you need motivation, a kick start, or ideas, TALK to Lisa either thru her Facebook page, or thru her Beachbody page, she is a Beachbody coach, and has an entire network of knowledge, fitness and nutrition products to help you, whatever your goal is, whether its to bulk up or drop weight, raise endurance, whatever, she will help you thru it!  And I don't mean that she will sell you what you need then never hear from her again, she will support you til the end!

Anyways, mushy thank you's aside, today had highs and lows, but even in the lows, I was still proud of myself for pushing on, and I'm using that to motivate me to train harder for my March race, only 5 weeks from today and I need to get out there and run and be better prepared for it than I was today!

Jan 25th

Sorry, its been a while, but I've been super busy, but pretty much same as usual when it comes to eating and working out.  Eating great, nothing new though, and working out hard.  Til today.  I've been getting a runny nose for a week, and today Z had a fever so I stayed home with her.  In the process of trying to teach her to use a mouth thermometer, I discovered that I also have a fever.  I'm going to put her down for a nap soon and take a long hot bath with epsom salts, tea tree oil and vicks to see if I can chase it out.  I'm also eating a metric shit ton of vitamin c as well.

Oh!  I had an epihany this morning.


Holy cow.

Every once in a while you experience something so delicious, that you know your entire eating future with this item has been altered.  I had that experience with coffee this morning.


So the eating philosophy that I follow 99+% of the time is paleo, its also the dietary lifestyle that is supposed to be the most beneficial for thyroid health, so it works out.  Anyway, they are always talking about "buttered coffee" on their blogs, etc.  Gross. right? This morning, one of them posted a "recipe" for coffee, with butter in it, so I decided what the hell. (recipe here from Paleo Mama!)  It was her first time trying it too, and she raved about it.  I miss coffee, but since I don't drink dairy anymore, I haven't been having coffee.  For some reason I haven't researched (not usually like me!) though, really good grass fed butter is the only dairy really approved for paleo use.  So I usually use Kerrygold butter, since its good grass fed, and I don't have to go across town to get it at the health food store.  Anyway, her recipe was just 2 cups of coffee, 2 teaspoons of grass fed butter and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, with whatever sweetener you use (raw stevia, raw cane sugar, honey and maple syrup are pretty much the only ones paleo approved, I use raw cane sugar) all tossed in the blender (or I use an immersion blender) and mixed up til a little foam is on top.

Seriously.  This shit is amazing!  And I can have coffee again!  Yay!  And this is better than the coffee I used to drink with creamer and sugar.  And yes, they are fats, but they are healthy fats.  Did you know your body can't absorb most nutrients unless you consume some healthy natural fats with them?  Anyway, I'm super excited, if you can't tell!  I have half of it in the fridge in a cold cup to experiment further with this and see if it is good cold too!

Jan 21st

So I realized I just am not interesting enough to post every day.  Nor do I have the time to post every day!  That shiznit is time consuming!  Actually I'm about 90% sure I typed up a post for Saturday but I sure as hell don't see it on the blog, so I must have jacked that up some how.

So a rundown from the weekend, I was bad and skipped breakfast Saturday morning.  Oops.  Then Zumba toning, which was a great class!  Then on to forget about lunch too.  Yikes.  I don't even remember what supper was actually!  I remember I had brussel sprouts, but I can't remember my protein!  Must have been delicious, lol! Oh!  I remember, it was hot turkey italian sausage!  And it actually was delicious!

Sunday morning, I got up and made some bacon, and then chopped it up with some kale, beat it all in with eggs and poured it into those little muffin cups and baked it, they were yum, and the best part was it made a shit ton of them, so I have breakfast for probably the whole week for me and the kids!  I ate left over brussel sprouts with mine, the kids and Cory had pancakes.  Then I had my new favorite preworkout snack, a banana, almond butter and raw honey.  Yum, perfect fuel for a good workout!  Weight lifting class at the Y then, followed by Zumba.  I seriously am blessed with the best instructors ever.  In both weights and Zumba class!  Seriously, people hear Zumba and they roll their eyes and think "ya, right, exercise." but these instructors will kick your ass!  And its like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it.  I'm always amazed by the people that just like stand there and go thru the motions.  Why bother.  I'm that crazy ass thats in every class jumping around and singing along and saying eff em to everyone that stares.

OK that was a little rant.

Home to bake a whole chicken, which was amazing!  I ate it with yam hash browns:

OK screw it.  I had a picture for here but I can't get it to post.  Dammit.

Which I'm kind of stuck on right now.  I'm in a yam hash brown rut.  Although I love them, so is it really a rut if you still like it?

I got so much work done this weekend, it felt amazing!  And I love the way I feel all day Sunday after weights.  I feel strong, I love that feeling!

Anyway, I had some of my egg bacon kale muffin thingys and asparagus for breakfast today,  and left over yams and baked chicken for lunch.

God work was stressful today!  And I was starving for some reason.  Probably all those weights.  I haven't been snacking much lately.  I did have some strawberries between breakfast and lunch today, but I haven't been snacking between meals otherwise, because I just haven't been humgry but I was today!  And of course I wasn't prepared for it because I'm not used to it.  Oh well, I survived.  Tonight I had a thin boneless pork chop and baked sweet potato and asparagus.

Oh and OJ.  I've been drinking the shit out of that Simply Orange juice, its pretty damn good!

And I have enough leftover baked sweet potato for breakfast AND for lunch tomorrow!  MMMMM!

Oh and the kids have been doing awesome in their healthy eating!  I love it!  raw veggies or fruit with every meal, no complaining or whining at all!  Love seeing them!