Things you should know about me and other Monday issues.

This weekend was probably the most productive weekend I've had in a long time. I think I've just been so overwhelmed with the things that need to be done in the next 30 days, that I've been in full-on lazy mode. Does that make sense? I've spent the last 2 weeks kind of skating through my workouts (although they've been challenging for the most part) and sleeping. I have been super tired due to the aforementioned overwhelmed laziness.



My closet, pre-weeding.

The weather is finally nice (for the most part, because let's face it; this is Iowa) and I can open the windows and air out the cabin fever that has been happening here since November. I worked outside a lot this weekend, potted some plants for the patio at the new apartment and mowed the yard.

Yesterday, I spent some time packing up my house and weeding out my closet. I realized, I have a TON of clothes that I don't wear anymore, won't ever wear again, or don't fit and probably never will again. I realize how pessimistic that is, but I'm just being realistic. So, I have begun the process of getting rid of clothes. I started with my t-shirts last night. In the photo, all of my t-shirts are in the cubbies on the right side of the photo. Do you realize how many size small shirts I own? A lot. I can't believe I was ever that tiny and it wasn't that long ago.
Something you should know about me: I'm the most emotional person I have ever known. I am not even trying to be funny here... I cry at the drop of a hat. I'm a work in progress, but it's a total flaw at times. Last night, while getting rid of my small shirts, I teared up. I felt like I was admitting to myself that I'll never be where I want to be. That I'll never wear that size again. I mean, I'm still in a medium; it's not like I'm a 4x, but it was still sad.

To be fair, this whole process of packing to move in with a boy (ahem... my husband) is pretty hard on me. I'm closing a chapter of the book of my life that I'll never have back. I won't even have the same name and that's strange for me.

Ok, ok. I will stop being such a stick in the mud! I woke up ready for P90x this morning and did chest, triceps and back. Those exercises are certainly lunch-lady arm busting, but I was exhausted after. I had my healthy breakfast, took my vitamins and I'm perfectly on track for the week. Take THAT, Monday.

Tonight is my workout with the trainer. Last week, I did those stupid "skips" exercises and I'm praying she doesn't do that to me again this week. That screwed up my back and legs like you wouldn't believe. Wish me luck!

The light at the end of the tunnel

Happy Friday!

My counting system.

Workouts for the week, check. Healthy eats, check. Water guzzlin' like a boss, check. I even started a system on my water bottles at work so I don't lose track.

BUT- For today's blog entry, I'm focusing on what's on the top of my brain....that's what a blog is about, right? Well here it is: THE WEDDING IS 29 DAYS AWAY. I'll let that little nugget of information sink in before I continue.

Sunk in? Yeah... me either. We have been engaged since May 2012 and it hardly seems real that the wedding is just around the corner. I'm excited with a side of panic. Panic only because I have a lot to get together before the Big Day! Here's what my current to do list looks like. This may not make sense to all of you but it'll give you an idea of what I have to get done before June 15.

dye the rope for the knot.
learn to tie the knot.
gifts for musician and speak
picture of grandparents
bakery and coffee for opening gifts
water bottles
day of- lunch
decorating reception hall logisitics
trolley
gift/guest table
photog list to Gretchen
boys' outfits
kids' bags
personal attendant folder
email to bridal party
chalkboard signs

This doesn't look like a lot, but keep in mind, my groom and I don't live together, so I have a little packing/purging/moving to do before the wedding. I also have family coming in from out of town so I have some cleaning to get done at the house! AH! It's to the point where I wish I didn't have to work and I could focus my time on prepping for the fesitivities!

Anyway, I better get crackin' on this list! Any encouragement is welcome!

Elevator eyes of intimidation

Ok, so yesterday was good ol' cardio day and you'll be pleased to know I left that gym completely sweaty and barely able to walk.

I started off with the 80 burpees, just to get that nonsense out of the way. I did eight sets of ten and it actually wasn't awful. I mean, I was tired and I definitely broke a sweat, but I made it! Not that long ago, I was hacking and gasping for air trying to do those things. Then I did mountain climbers (3/10) and jumping jacks (3/50).

Then I hopped on the eliptical machine. After about 10 minutes (when my face starts turning a lovely shade of crimson) this girl walked in. She was early 20s, cute, thin and in shape. She was wearing a tye dyed neon tank top and itty bitty little booty shorts. Her hair was perfectly coifed in a fishtail braid or something. She got on the treadmill behind me and spent a whole 5 minutes on it. Then she got on the bike next to me. In front of us is a mirrored wall. I could FEEL her looking at me. When I glanced up, sure enough she was giving me the stink eye. When she noticed that I had seen her, she didn't look away with embarassment like I would have, she gave me elevator eyes. This is when a person looks you up and down.

I'm one of those people that always thinks of what I would do and say after the fact, not at the moment, so of course, I didn't do anything. But you know, that's just plain rude. You don't just stare at someone, especially in a place like the gym. It's supposed to be a safe place where you can be completely disgusting and not judged. I oughta track that girl down and give her a piece of my mind. Come to think of it, last week an older lady was giving me a stink eye too. Keep judgements to yourself in the gym, ok ladies? And be friendly. It ain't that hard!

Last night, I stopped to get chicken breasts at the store on my way home. I made gouda and spinach-stuffed chicken. I topped with tomato. The stuff around it is creamed corn, which was a SMALL amount, but that crap spreads like cancer on your plate!

This morning I was even more sore than yesterday, even though it did feel good to work out. But, I slept in this morning. No p90x for me...

I think I was beat up

Hey friends, it's Wednesday! That means cardio day in my world. And, true to my word, I'll be adding SIXTY minutes to today's (second) workout...and 80 burpees. EIGHTY. *sigh* Me and my big mouth.

Yesterday I didn't work out in the afternoon. I was so sore and I figured if I rested last night, I would be good to go today. No sir. I feel as if someone hit my shins and calves multiple times with a baseball bat and then put on some brass knuckles and went to town on my lower back. Basically, like someone dragged me into an alley and beat me up. My sweet fiance tried to rub some knots out of my back last night and everytime he touched a knot, it would make my leg spasm and then crack me up because it kind of tickled. Imagine being a fly on the wall for that scene. Ridiculous.

So I went home and fell asleep...a Sleeping Beauty-type deep sleep. I was jolted awake at 4:30 by my alarm, still clutching my phone, which is my alarm clock. Apparently I didn't even move last night. Again, I did p90x, back and biceps. But I was in so much pain with my brass knuckle back, I don't feel like I got a lot out of it. Stupid mornings. I wish I didn't have to be at work until 10 because then I could really take my time in the morning and still feel refreshed and not like a beat up zombie.

Here is my current life, by the numbers:
I get married in 31 days....30 days by the calendar. The Big Day is June 15!
Since September, I have lost 8 pounds and 9 and 3/4 inches from my body.
Since I began Shakeology, I have lost and additional 4 pounds and an undetermined amount of inches, since I haven't been measured yet.
I drink 8 bottles of water per day, although I need to increase it.

Death by hopping

Hi all! Happy Tuesday. Yesterday, I had my weekly workout with my trainer.

Let me first say a few works about my trainer. We get along well and she's super fun. Our sessions are this crazy mix of laughter and pure hatred because I'm pretty sure she lays awake at night dreaming up these crazy exercises for her clients me to do. I tell her I hate her and she laughs. She actually said last night that she wishes she could tape our sessions because they are so funny. What can I say, extreme fear of my heart exploding during vigorous exercise brings out my comedian side, I guess.

So yesterday, as always, I went to her office for the weigh-in. After some chatting about life and my nutrition, I stepped onto the scale. My goal was a 1 pound weight loss and I did it! Woop! My body fat percentage also went down 0.3%. I could have done better, but I didn't gain! Heyyyyy!

Then came the workout. She cheerfully described this as a fast-paced, body weight cardio circuit. For those of you that don't have regular workout routines, a circuit is the devil. You basically do one set of each exercise and then go back and do it all again. Here's how yesterday happened.

She called my first exericse "skips." Sounds friendly, right? Wrong-a-roo. She set a stool in front of me. It was the height of your run-of-the-mill step stool. Then I had to hop from foot to foot putting the foot that was up on the stool. One left, one right = one rep.

She had me start my workout with 100 of those bad boys.
Then 12 burpees.
Then 80 skips.
Then one legged push-ups.
Then 60 skips.
Then abs.
40 skips.
Another ab exercise
20 skips.
Oh... think we're done? Get some water and in the words of my trainer, 'you're really going to hate me. hahahah.'
From this point, I can't really remember the alternate exercises we did, so bear with me.

exercise.
40 skips.
something else.
60 skips.
another exercise
80 skips.
this one, I remember... she strapped me to a bungee cord and had me sprint low and hard towards a dumbbell, touch the dumbbell and then, in low squat position, run backwards. She explained to me that staying low was of utmost importance because she had another client break her wrist. Grand. I just get married in 32 days. Thanks, lady.
Then 100 skips.

If you were counting, you know I did 580 of these ridiculous skips. But, since both legs equalled one, I really did 1,160. Plus all that other stuff.

This morning, I was an achey mess. I did get up to do my p90x this morning, which was Plyometrics. But it wasn't at 100% because I was SORE. I still am. But, I did feel pretty good after I did it.

So let's back up to yesterday's pre-workout chat with my trainer. She was prepping me for the 100, 80, 60, etc. and she mentioned burpees. Somehow, and I'm not sure how, I challenged myself to do 80 burpees in one workout. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!? Why can't I just keep my mouth shut!? She wrote it in her notes, so I'll be doing that as part of my cardio day on Wednesday.

Additionally, I promised that for each comment, I would add 10 minutes to my workout. There were 6 comments on yesterday's entry. That means, I will be adding *cringe* 60 minutes to my workouts this week. Thanks, guys. I really didn't think that many people read what I have been writing!

To end, I will share a video that my friend, Erica shared with me. The perfect motivation for the day. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o

Needed: motivation!

Marriage license!
 

Hi friends! I haven't blogged since Thursday of last week. Usually I take the weekend off, but Friday, I didn't really have anything to say. I only worked a half a day because Randy and I took the morning to get our marriage license! It's so exciting to be this much closer to our Big Day! (33 days!)

This weekend was Mother's Day weekend, so I took the opportunity to help my mom around the house, getting a few "big" projects done, as well as take a few trips with her to one of my favorite places, the garden center. God Bless springtime.

I even got a few things packed up and ready to move to the new place. However, it doesn't look like it. I cleaned out drawers, got rid of some clothes, etc. Although I feel like it was productive, the naked eye still sees somewhat of a mess in my house. But my dressers are cleaner, darn it!
In other news, I haven't been quite as motivated in the workout department. I cannot get going! It's ridiculous. Last week, my goal was to leave the gym every night as a sweaty mess, and I totally rocked that challenge. But, I also feel like I totally slacked last week and I need to change that. This week, I will find motivation in you and I need your help.

For every comment I get on this week's blogs, I will add ten minutes to my workout. I need something to keep me going and I'm enlisting the help of you, dear readers.

Formerly thin.

Cardio day was awesome yesterday, friends. I did a full hour of various cardio exercises. I was, yet again, a sweaty mess when I left. I even did 40 minutes on a machine next to a woman in her 50s-60s that gave me the stink eye the whole time. The. Whole. Time.

In the words of Stephanie Tanner, "How rude."

On a positive note, I outlasted everyone in my section of the gym last night. I get to the gym and start exercising and my goal is to work out longer than the person that comes in after me. Some days are bigger challenges than others. Yesterday it was this woman who clearly had a death wish for me. She did cardio, abs, arms, legs, back, yada, yada, yada. This lady never quit.

But I eventually wore her down and she left. That's how I roll, yo.



This is me with my family, summer 2007. LOOK AT ME!
 

Then I went home and began packing a few things for my move. I stumbled across some photos from college. You guys, I ate like crap and drank a lot... HOW was I so thin?! Dang you, metabolism! Now I'm pretty sure I eat really well and exercise constantly and it's all I can do to take off 10 pounds. This is ridiculous. Is this my fate? To just get slowly larger and larger until I can't move? I envision something like Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka... the one that has to be juiced when she meets her demise. That's me.

I know that the number on the scale isn't everything, but I don't feel like I'm losing anything at all and no clothes I own fit me. I don't want my future children to look back on me and say, "wow, Mom you used to be so pretty/skinny." I don't want to push my struggles on them, even though genetics do play a part. I know after I have kids, my body will totally change and I'll struggle even more and I'm terrifed I'm always going to be that girl that could stand to lose a few pounds. A old friend used to describe it as, "five pounds from fat."



Me, second from the right 2006/2007ish. Flat tummy!

I think a lot of my negativity this week sprouts from my tiredness. I can't seem to get it together this week... I haven't really slept and when I work out in the mornings, I don't give it even close to my all. I'm stressed because of the wedding and all there is to do before the Big Day (37 days), although it doesn't seem like stress, because it's not like job stress or something. It's like a headache; it can come hard and fast and be really painful or it can stick around for awhile and be a dull ache for what seems like forever. Weddin planning stress a month out from the wedding is a dull headache of stress. I have SO much to do and and I'm totally overwhelmed.