A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Terrible Thoughts

I have been feeling really good about the progress that both Todd and I have been making in the last month.  For myself, I have been feeling stronger and thinner.  I have been wearing sundresses and shorts and not feeling too self-conscious.  It's been so freeing and fun!----- That was, up till I saw a picture today of me at crossfit!

O MY GOSH YALL!!!! I look like the Miss Hulk...and not in a good way.  I look as if I am 8ft tall and have shoulders just as wide!  It is not attractive! NOT AT ALL!  I am telling yall....this picture is TERRIBLE!  And I am really afraid that this picture is reflecting what I really look like.  Which scares me! And makes me super sad and frustrated...and even a bit defeated.

And something I find interesting is the way the mirror images can changed based on how you feel or what your mind believes.  All last week, I wasn't sad when I saw my flaws in the mirror (those bigger and more unpleasant parts) because I was believing they were slowly going away.  I was feeling more confident! And feeling like I was getting closer to my goal.

But then, immediately after I see this picture, that same mirror image looks totally different now.  All of a sudden my flaws seem bigger again and I am now seeing myself completely different.  And I don't like this!  I wish this picture would have never surfaced, so I wouldn't be second guessing myself and all the hard work I have put in! 

Even my daughter told me I looked "deformed"! LOL!  She swears I don't look like this picture, but of course she is gonna say that! She is a daughter......

The bottom, right pic is the one haunting me.

 I know we sometimes get a bad pic or a bad angle.....and I am trying hard to convince myself that that is what is happening in that bottom, right picture!  And also the fact that I am next to a totally in shape, totally toned, skinny girl.  :-). But I admit...this picture has haunted me all day!  I really didn't think I looked like that....or even close to that, but perhaps I do. Which means I have a whole lot more work to put in than I thought! Feeling frustrated and defeated tonight!

Tomorrow I will wake up and start my day with a run...... And keep eating clean and try to move on from this terrible self doubt.  But I wanted to be honest!  Needed to document this and learn from it! 

SAY GOOD BYE TO MISS HULK BTW!!!!

A Momma's Fried Brain.....already

Only three days in with the BACK TO SCHOOL schedule and already I am having "issues". HA!  I'd like to call it the Momma's Fried Brain.

My brain actually started frying on day 2 when the alarm for 6am went off.....and I was TIRED!!!! Funny thing is, I have actually been waking at 6:22 most mornings for workouts, so WHY is just 22 minutes earlier that much harder?  I think it's mental!!

But it doesn't stop there!!!  O no, not even close! 

Todd and I had a racquetball date at 10am in McKinney (He LOVES racquetball and is quiet good at it).  I had promised him I would go and give it a try.  But I needed to get a CrossFit makeup class in.  My plan was to wake up early, take Addie to volleyball at 6:30am and go straight to Sherman to workout at the 7am class.  I get all the way there and realized I have looked at the schedule wrong and have actually come to a non-existing class:-(.  There is a class a 5am, 6am, 8am, and 9am.....but NOT 7am.  I couldn't stay and wait for the 8am because I knew I wouldn't make my racquetball date.  So I decided I wouldn't waste my time and would still get a workout in.  I headed over to the local park (FAIRVIEW PARK) and ran the trails there. 

I might have missed my CrossFit class, but this run couldn't have been better!!!

It was BEAUTIFUL and FUN!!! Lots of people of every age and size and even some with their pets were out walking and jogging these trails.  It was very refreshing and I am actually glad I decided to go run instead.  I ended up running two loops for 4 total miles:-).

The rest of the day consisted of me TRYING to play racquetball.  Let's just say I could not give Todd a good workout cos I am HORRIBLE.  I mean horrible!  :-(  ***Sorry Todd!  But we did have success with our first ever Costco shopping trip!! BTW, Costco has GREAT organic meat and produce sections!!! LOVED IT!!!  I highly recommend that place!!! 

All in all, we are having a great first week back at school despite my Momma Fried Brain.  And even better news, Todd is down 17lbs and I am down 7lbs.  We have been clean eating for 28 straight days!!! :-).

You can check out his blog for his progress at..... http://toddschange.blogspot.com/

First Day of School Blues

Addie 8th/Zander 6th/Gabe 4th

What is happening?  Why am I sad to see my kids leave this morning?  Why aren't they all that excited about new clothes, new teachers, and seeing their friends?  Is it because they are getting older now? Or is it me being sad that they are growing up?  Or is it that we are sad about losing the FREEDOM that summer brings? Or is it that the school system is exhausting us?  I DON'T KNOW!!! But I DON'T LIKE IT!!!

Addie's expression about school this morn:-).

I think it might be a combination of all those things??? And not to mention, when my kids are home with us, we all get along better. We all have less stress (no homework, no early mornings and no late nights, more family time, etc).  We have no outside influences to deal with or confuse us.  We just have each other and it's GOOD that way!  Our family functions and gets along so much better without school!  Even the kids enjoy us....probably because mom and dad aren't stressing either!

I really wanted to tell them to stay home this morning!!! Maybe we can pack up and move somewhere for 9months and homeschool? LOL!!! 

So yes, this momma is a sad momma this morning.....and I believe her kids would agree that were a bit sad to be leaving us too!!!

But God has a plan for them...and they are to go be a part of this plan!!! Therefor, I had to do what's right and send them to school:-(  

Encouraged Even When Scale is Failing Me

I am about to burn my scale!  Todd isn't getting much movement on it and I am actually up again.  What the heck gives??  But I am not gonna let it bring me down---YET!!!

I can see in both of us that we "look" different.  Not sure if it's in our heads or if it's for real, but I am going with it's for real! HA! I can see that Todd is losing weight in his chest area (less man boobs) and stomach seems to be not swollen.  He is also walking at a much faster pace and able to carry a conversation on at the same time.  And, he is sleeping better cos I am not hearing him snore like before:-).  I am super proud of him!!!

For myself, I feel like I have less back fat (can usually tell this from the sports bras) and less tummy.  However, I think my legs, butt, and arms are growing.  Yap, you heard me!! I think my butt is getting bigger.  It's getting perky! This baby got BACK!!! LOL! And my underwear fits me differently.  Not sure I like this change, but Todd does! HA!!! :-).

I think I am seeing a pattern here though when it comes to numbers on the scale.  If I crossfit much, I seem to weigh more afterwards...which makes me wonder if it's my sore muscles weighing more?  And on the days I run more than 5miles, I tend to weigh less.....probably dehydration?  But regardless, I feel great! I can tell I am performing better than I was before.  I am getting stronger.  I am in a smaller size again (bought 8's the other day in shorts and medium tops).  Things that weren't fitting me, are fitting me with ease now.  So surely, the scale will reward me later! 

I have also made a decision about what to do in the fall now that Gunter CrossFit will no longer meet:-(.  I have decided to attend CrossFit three days a week in Sherman (MWF) and will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the weekends.  I also hope to add a class or two from Get Fit Gunter when I can.

Now off to face the temptations of food and drinks of a weekend!!! **WE CAN DO THIS**

Had a Bad Day

Since I have been home from vacation, I have not had one night of good sleep....and I can tell that it is affecting me:-(.

The first night home---the fire alarm thingy started beeping in the middle of the night because it was out of battery.  The second night I kept waking up for some strange reason.  And last night I couldn't fall asleep even though I was sooo tired.  And not to mention, I am so incredibly sore after being back at crossfit.  OUCH!!! It hurts to sleep! HAHA!

Anyhow,  I managed to get up for my 6:45am crossfit class here in Gunter (when I really just wanted to sleep longer).  The WOD looked fun to me: 20 pushups, 20 KB step ups, 30 squat cleans, 30 front squats, 40 lunges, 40 double unders, and run a 800m.

Good news: All my pushups on vacation paid off cos doing 20 were fairly easy.  I flew through those 20!! However, the trouble came on the squat cleans.  I bet I did over 100 squat cleans...but my coach kept correcting me.  I have no problem being corrected, but for the life of me, I felt like I was doing it right??  I am somewhat of a prefectionast, so I was determined to get it right before moving on.  But I was getting so frustrated cos I can not for the life of me figure out what I am doing wrong.  Every thing the coach told me to correct, I felt like I corrected it.  But, apparently I still wasn't doing it right.  SOOO FRUSTRATING!  And I know I am also tired and sore so that added to my crankiness (insert my whiny voice with this please).

It was one of those days that I felt like I was really doing good---but just wasn't!  And I kind of felt out of place (not at home) today.

I stayed after crossfit to run off my frustration.  Came home and could tell Todd was a little moody too.  He hasn't had a real meal in a couple of days due to a two day cleanse.  So that didn't help this situation.

Todd and I went to swim a few laps at a friend's pool. And then came home to make fish tacos---YUM!  I ate one but could have eaten 5!

Then I opened my email to find out that CrossFit has decided not me meet in Gunter anymore!  This just sucks stinks!!!  I am so sad!!! I have the option to go to Sherman---but just hate driving there more than I really need to.  CrossFit alone is costly enough---adding in more trips to Sherman will only add up:-(.  So I now have some decisions to make about what I will do for the fall.  BUMMER!!

Now, on onto the good day Todd and I had yesterday! We gutted out kitchen cabinets and pantry for over 4+hours yesterday!  We are rid of all the JUNK food and much of processed foods.  Our counters are now full of kitchen aids that will help us continue a healthy diet: Juicers, crockpot, food processor, vacuumed sealer, etc....  This was one tough task and we still have a just a few more things to do to make the kitchen 100%.

And I am currently down 6lbs total:-). Todd is down 15lbs.

Just in the first hour our clean-out! WHEW!!

Reality Check

Our last evening was really a fun one at Destin.  Just before dark, the rain let up for awhile and the family decided one last beach trip was needed.  We didn't take anything but ourselves, a camera, and the paddle ball game...  Zander and Todd had to have ONE more game to decide who the paddle ball champ was for this trip.  BTW, Zander was the Paddle Ball Champ!

We had a blast being silly and taking all kinds of funny pics.....

Addie Girl has alot of expressions!! YIKES!

We also had alot of fun doing handstands, backbends, and even jumping over crossropes!!! YES, this momma can still out handstand her kids and out jump them all!!! ***Thanks to CrossFit!

Handstands-BackBends-FailedAttempts :-).

We did get a few family pics.....but we were not dressed for the occasion at all!!!

Where's Todd?--- YELLOW??

I won't lie... As we walked off that beach that evening, I felt a little teary eyed and sad.  Our two week family vacation had come to an end.  Our family time was ending!  Reality of going home to our busy and hurried lives was awaiting for us at home!!  But I really just wanted to stay as far away from all that just a little longer! HA!  This vacation was an absolute blessing!  Todd and I have said it several times....this may be the last time our whole family can take a vacation like this together for this long of a time.  Addie will be in high school next year, which means if she plays volleyball or any fall sports, she will need to be in Gunter in August.  I work all of July at my church and the boys play baseball all of June.  Our time is limited as you can see from that schedule.  So to have this vacation right now might be the only one we get like this.  I do feel like the kids appreciated it, enjoyed it, and that we all became a closer family because of the vacation.  We made some GREAT and LASTING MEMORIES!!!


It took us 12.5hrs to get home after stopping at Monroe to see the Duck Dynasty workplace and after getting caught behind an 18wheeler wreck on I20. 

Duck Dynasty Stop! HAPPY! HAPPY! HAPPY!

 

 

 We are now home and back to REALITY! Paying bills, deep cleaning floors and bathrooms, and catching up on work.  Todd had two more weeks off and we will spend the next two weeks tweaking our at home diets!!!  ***Just in time for back to school! :-).


Weight: Home scale says I only lost 3.5lbs (but hard to tell since I having a cycle right now)
Workout: I have already done crossfit this morn and ran 2miles.... hoping to run another few miles this evening while Gabe is at football!
Diet: Doing shakeology twice a day this week.....and eating clean.

Last Day and Rainy Day

I was hoping to have just a little break in the rain today for a nice picture of the kids on the beach and for one more run along the beach.  But it has been raining for over 24hrs straight.  :-(  But at least we have had several good beach days early on!!! No complaining what so ever from me here! It's been a blast!

We have spent the last two days sleeping in, taking good naps, watching rented movies, going to the movies, and doing some much needed school cloth shopping.

Rainy weather=pulling out sleeper sofas and watching old movies!!!

I didn't get to do my paddle boarding, as I missed the good wave days.  So I am determined to do that back when I get home at Lake Texoma.  BUMMER

Things I learned here on vacation:
1)  Our kids still like us and like hanging out with us.  They preferred hanging out with us than not....and to tell you the truth, Todd and I didn't have much alone time! HA! :-)
2) ADDISON:  She has an addiction to her phone but it's hard to know when to say when these days to the phone, as nowadays the phone is almost a lifeline for any teenage girl.  ** I don't like this one bit.  The girl loves fashion and enjoys going to shops to try to make her own outfits.  And she does great with it too:-).  I wish I had more money to let her explore this more.  She also has a great talent for doing hair.  She often is fixing my hair and doing cute things....which is what led all of us getting blue and purple hair this vacation. **We missed the opportunity to take pics of this and only Addie's lasted.  She has also become very independent.  She likes going for walks on the beach alone, but we only let her go with her brother alone. 
3) ZANDER: He is growing up and changing so quickly.  This kid never cares if he has brushed teeth or matching clothes....but suddenly this trip he was wanting to go shopping---- FOR IN STYLE and MATCHING CLOTHES.  He wants to suddenly look and smell good (watch out ladies).  He is just like Todd, too.  I have found little to do list and schedules he has made for himself.  And he is an organizer.  He has cleaned his room and made his bed everyday while here.  And he preplans everyday by laying out his clothes and stuff before hand.  And he is super funny!!! Just like his daddy!
4) GABE: He is not a bashful one and he has super manners....not sure where he gets that cos the rest of us are horrible models of this.  HA!  He enjoys tasty and good for him foods and will try anything.  He is a bit more adventurous than my other two.  He doesn't mind a little challenge but it also has to be somewhat safe.  For example: swimming out too deep in ocean water is a NO SIR for him....but ziplining is a BIG YES for him.  He enjoys meeting new people and new people enjoy him, too.  He seems to make friends with just about anyone he comes in contact with!
5) My husband.....so proud of his hard work and his determination to get fit.  It's alot of fun for me to have him on board with me on this passion of mine!!! And I must say he is a fabulous father.  The kids LOVE hanging out with him!  I find that Addie records alot of his funny stuff and post or send to her friends--which I think is sweet and very special (and funny).  Zander and Todd have a very special connection.  They are so much alike that it is easy for them to spend time together cos they have so much in common. 
6) Myself---I have found that eating cleaner makes me less tired.  I know this but its easy to forget when you get out of the practice of it.  I have also have a renewed love for running.  Not that I had lost it, but I think the Texas summer heat can just make one tired of it.  I am ready to get home and concentrate on spending as much time as possible with my family and I really want to do away with toxic relationships in my life.  I am excited about the new healthy lifestyle Todd and I plan to continue at home!  The next two weeks should be interesting when we clean out pantries and frigs!!! YIKES!

Well, I am about out of time here at the bookstore!!! Kids are antsy and ready to head to another place on this rainy afternoon.  I will be posting before pictures come Monday of our pantries...and Tuesday of the after pictures!! Should get pretty crazy up in here!!!

Bookstore Nerds! LOL

He is Frustrated

This morning I set my alarm for my 6am run but it was thundering.  I checked the radar and storms were all around, so I went right back to sleep, which I needed the extra rest!  When I woke up a couple of hours later, I found Todd in the living room with THAT LOOK on his face.  He immediately looked and me and said, "I am not very happy right now!".  I was kind of taken back at first, cos I immediately thought something major was wrong: money, house, parents, etc....
But he then followed up with that he was 4lbs UP!

This didn't surprise me at all.  I actually saw it coming, but this is his journey, not mine.  I have been there and done that-----MANY TIMES.  I have seen him "cheat" more.  In his mind, eating less and doing "some" movement should be a reward on the scale.  What he doesn't understand is that eating less than what we WAS and moving more than he WAS is still not enough in the long run.

To be successful you must........
1) Drink your water----all of it on a daily basis.
2) You must move more....but more should start being more on a weekly basis. If walking 1mile is easy now, up it to two miles.  When two miles is easy up it to three miles OR alternate running/walking until you can run a full mile or two.  **He hasn't made this adjustment yet.  He is walking the same as he did before but he is walking it better cos walking 2-3miles isn't hard anymore for him.  It's time to up his cardio.  And he hasn't been doing ALL the crossfit home workouts I am leaving out for him.
3) You must have portion control.  Todd is eating way better foods for him than before.  But this past week he has been eating bigger portions of the healthier foods....which will leave him no room for any "extra calories".  Meaning he can't eat larger portions of good/healthy foods early in the day and then eat a small portions of bad food in the evening. And right now,  he isn't in shape enough to burn off the "extra" calories of that kind of day!  What he is doing this week isn't bad...it's just not balanced out.
4) You must eliminate or restrict yourself from high sodium or starchy foods.  Especially after lunch time---as your body simply can't burn it all off in sleep mode. IF your gonna eat any starches...do them early in the day so your body can work it off.  And only eat starchy stuff seldomly.
5) Don't waste calories on wine or beer.  It isn't worth it at this stage of weight lose.  It simply slows your metabolism and adds water weight---especially if you haven't been eating clean or drinking your water correctly.

Todd is doing GREAT!  He is learning a great lesson right now!   Just because he ate HALF a burger rather than a full and walked 2miles rather not doing any walking....isn't going to make him fit.  If that were the case, we would all be fit!!! ME INCLUDED!

I have no doubt he is gonna have those 4lbs down in just a couple of days.  He is the type of person that once he puts his mind to it....he will do it.  I see that finally happening about his health! I just need to learn to help him better.

Now for me---I could tell when I tried to explain this to him, he was a frustrated and short with me.  He didn't want to hear what I had to say, even though I know he knew he needed to hear what I had to say.  He is mad right now! He doesn't like the "system" of how this works and to be honest, I think he thinks its unfair! TRUST ME----I UNDERSTAND THAT! I am that girl that workouts like a crazy person, eats great every weekDAY just to cheat on the weekends......which means I have a terrible cycle of just maintaining my weight.  I will lose 3lbs every week, just to gain it back over the weekend.  THAT ISN'T FAIR!  I am putting in way more work than most others---but cheating more often than many others.  It's the cold hard facts....cheats won't get us anywhere!

Map My Run App/Me running/Todd and I stuck in the rain under pavillion

WORKOUTS for TODAY:
Ran 4miles and walked 1 mile with Todd (total of 5miles)
CrossFit Today: 10 dips, 20 KB sit ups, 30 KB Squats, 10 HSPUs -----x5
PLANKING for 2 minutes holds  (two weeks ago I could barely get over a minute)

Vacation is Winding Down...

Vacation is winding down quickly.  I am sad about it but am looking forward to taking some of the “renewed” spirit back home with us. 

I have been surprised by the fact that our kids are still getting along and not complaining about being bored or asking about getting home.  I had completely expected that....and it may still happen, but so far they have thoroughly enjoyed this vacation too.

So a quick update.  I am down right at 5lbs (I was down 6lbs yesterday and then back to 5lbs today).  I think once I get home and start eating more clean rather than calorie count, I will notice a bigger jump on my numbers.  Todd is down exactly 15lbs.  He lost 13lbs quickly but we have had a few cheats which have slowed him a bit.  But I am noticing he is able to walk faster now and talk without breathing hard.  He is definetely more active than before, but I am a bit shocked at how much he couldn’t do to start with.  He is doing great and I think once he ups his cardio output more, the scale will show more success more quickly. 

Vacation Update:
Tuesday we had planned a full day outing on a pontoon boat, but we only managed a half day because some storms came in.  We still had a great time tubing and seeing dolphins.  We came home for rest and showers and later met back up with the Townsends to browse the Harbordock Boardwalk.  It was very nice evening with live bands and we also went to a 7D movie that was crazy fun!!! :-).  We finished our evening at the Townsend’s condo.  The kids crab hunted most of the night while we sat and watched from a beautiful balcony that overlooked the ocean!!!

Us and the Townsends about to watch 7D movie!  LOTS of LAUGHS!!!

Wednesday got up and went down to the beach and to our surprise, it was a very nice beach day.  We had planned just a couple of hours of beachtime, but ended up being down there from 10am-2:30pm.  That afternoon Addie, Zander and Todd went to a scary movie while Gabe and I went to a bookstore.  He read books while I got a couple of hours worth of work done.  And to finish off the night, Todd and I went to watch a later movie. 

My guys at the beach!!! Great beach morning!!!

This morning I have started my day off with another beautiful morning run and walk.  Todd and I even got stuck in a quick downpour---which was kind of fun! We plan to meet with the Townsends this afternoon to hangout on their beach and then maybe go get a burger (one bun) tonight down near the Harbor Docks.  Tonight the poker run begins and their is apparently a cool boat parade to see:-).

My beach views on three different occasions during my morning run.

Diet and Exercise Update:
Tuesday-
1) 5.5miles with Todd--Ran half mile ahead of him and then back to him, then walked a few minutes with him and did this over and over again (3.8miles of running).
100 Push Ups
Sit in Squat for 4mins on the wall

Wednesday
Lots of swimming---counted it as 350calories (but probably more)
Short run after dinner at dark---3miles

Thursday
Ran 5miles
Met Todd at end of run and walked 2miles with him
60 pushup
100 KB crossovers
50 push press

Mid Vacation Check In

Our internet is super sparatic and SLLLOWWW in our final beach house.  But, that's kind of been a nice thing.  Less of us on the iphones and ipads and more of us actually having conversations and such.  But, getting a blog up or sending any work emails is a problem.  :-(

A little bonus for this last part of the beach stay.....we actually reserved one of the smaller houses (smaller out of the two we have stayed at before).  But the owner was super nice and gave us the bigger house since we were so flexible and didn't mind hopping around a couple of days.  And we got the cheaper price, too!!!  So the kids have their own bed and room and bathroom.  And we also have a mudroom (maybe it's called sandroom here) and a washer and dryer!! :-).

**WILL PLACE VIDEO OF HOUSE HERE WHEN INTERNET IS BETTER

Yesterday morning we spent alot of time on the beach.  The waves were HUGE!!! And we spent alot of time playing in them.  Some of our exercises included swimming in the waves, running against the currents, and jumping the waves.  We were WORN out after three hours of beach play. 

We came back in for lunch but right afterwards and got a nap in.....then Todd and I walked back down by ourselves to sit for a good hour and a half.  NICE!!!!!

Last night we met up with some friends that we know from playing Mudcat Baseball.  They told us about a neat place called Baytown Wharf.  It was super nice and had plenty of stuff for the kids to do too: rock climbing, ropes course, park, etc.  It was a higher end place with several neat shops and some great restaurants. Todd and I splurged a little bit and ate more than we have been in the last 11 days.  We were both ate over our calorie count for the day---by about 200 calories, but my protein and veggie intake was great and very little fat.

We had calamari, salad, and grouper!! It was DELISH:-).

Today we plan rest a bit...  We will cook chicken and prepare oysters.  I have already gotten a 6mile run in, 2 mile walk with Todd in, and did 152thrusters and 60strict press.  

I will also get some work done today---send work emails.  And read!!! READ FOR FUN!!!

LOVE VACATION!!!

Hotel Hopping

Because we decided on this Destin vacation last minute, we had to be a bit flexible on our hotel/house rental accommodations.  Our Destin trips in the past we have been able to call and reserve a beach house with no problem.  This trip is a bit different.  We can't get into our beach house until Saturday so we spent three days in a hotel suite and tonight we are at BeachSide Inn...which is very nice.  The atmosphere here is very inviting.....there is a man playing a guitar at the little coffee shop here that is actually indoor/outdoor and the pool area is very nice and multi-layered.  Right now, it is storming so I have the hubby curled up by me snoring while the kids are watching Shark Week!

The boys swimming at BeachSide Inn

This morning we got up before sun-up to head to the beach.  It was very nice to have the beach to ourselves!  Seeing the sun come up with the family was super nice.  We were at the beach from 6:30am-10am.  PERFECT!!!  

OLD PIER (aka our beach spot) at sunrise

Todd and Gabe enjoying the ocean--LOVE THIS!

Todd and I are doing well with our new way of eating! The only struggle we are having right now is not getting enough veggie intake in.  I know we need to be eating around 5-8servings of veggies a day but we are lucky if we get even 3 in.  But our calorie count is staying under our daily allowances and we have said no to most of the white, sugary, carbed loaded foods (except for fruit).

I am running everyday---even if it's not alot.  We are both swimming every day.  And the boys and I are trying to out plank our previous records on a daily basis.  Right now, I am planking at 1:32.....and Gabe is a planking monster, with a record of 2:15.  Oh, and I did some crossfit/kettlebell exercises last night: 10 KB swings, 10 strict presses, 10 squats, and 10 KB high pulls---x6. Todd gave this a try too---but did it 3 rounds!

All is well here at Destin......

My family- Destin 2013

Settling in on Vacation

My family and I left immediately after church on Sunday morning to head to Florida for a our two week vacation!  This is the first time we have taken a FAMILY TWO WEEK VACATION!  :-).  We have done Destin several times but never for more than 5-7days! So we are super excited!!

Because of our last minute planning (cos we originally planned to go to California for vacation) we didn't get our "usual" beach house for the entire two weeks.  We are actually bouncing around three times before getting our "usual" beach house.  We will be in a beach hotel suite for 3 days, then a hotel one evening and then to our house! :-).

Our first day of travel went well.  I ran before church and Todd and I made a shakeology breakfast.  For lunch I had a one bun guacamole burger from Braums and for dinner I had a turkey breast Subway sandwich with the bread cut out.   We stopped at Baton Rouge the first night and then toured LSU campus the following morning.

LSU Campus Tour and meeting The Tiger

The next day of travel was much shorter and more scenic.....but I am learning that I have a bad habit of eating/snacking when I am bored.  I really wanted to stop and get some candy or some corn nuts to eat while we were driving, even though I was not hungry at all!  This is just a bad habit I have:-(.  Beef Jerky was our only snack while on the road and we limited it!  Being on the road can be a challenge when trying to clean up your eating habits, but I think we did fairly well.  I had a breakfast burrito (egg and sausage and tore alot of tortilla off) and a fruit cup.  For lunch I had 4 chicken nuggets and a small cup of chili from Wendy's.  For dinner, I had deli fried chicken (tried to eat around the "fried part"),  crab dip with 8 crackers and some grapes. ** I need to eat more veggies but so hard to do on the road!!!

We did some swimming and walking along the beach at sundown once we arrived at Destin:-)

Evening walk along the beach

This morning I got up early---yes, early ON VACATION, to get a nice run on the boardwalk---6miles!  It was AWESOME....and humid.  I will be doing this alot this week!!!!  Todd got up and got a morning walk in, too!  He is off to a great start!  Eating well, moving alot and so far in a good mood!!!

Six Mile Run along Destin Boardwalk

We spent much of our day on the beach....despite the baby jelly fish that were stinging us!  HA!  Lots of swimming, playing, resting, and family time on the beach!!!

My three kids!!!  Addie, Zander and Gabe!!! LOVE THEM~~~

Food for today:
Bfast was scramble eggs and sausage and half of a banana
Lunch on the beach was protein-gluten free-bar, a small apple, and a half of a PBJ sandwich
Snack was cajun mixed nuts (less than a cup)
Drinking tons of water and green tea
About to drink a VEGGIE NAKED DRINK

Exercise for today:
Ran 6miles, 100 pushups, and lots of swimming

I LOVE VACATION SO FAR!!!! *** Now off for a quick nap:-).

First Time Max

This morning, I walked into CrossFit (AT THE BOX) and was told that we needed to have 5 Max Reps done before the day was done.  The thing is, I haven't been at the Box in a full week due to Camp KIDJAM, therefor I didn't have any reps done. :-(

I haven't even done a MAX REP since starting CrossFit---probably haven't maxed out since college basketball training.  So needless to say, I didn't actually WOD today---instead, I worked with one of my coaches to knock out three MAX Reps.

At first I will admit I was a little frustrated because everytime I do a squat exercise, I am told that my form is wrong.  I KNOW it's wrong, but for years I have always thought it was my hips.  So with lots of work, I managed to finally get my FRONT MAX done.  I maxed out at 155lbs but I know I could have done more, because I did 155 twice in row and it wasn't at all a problem.  But the frustration came in when the coaches wouldn't let me keep adding weights because of my tight hips.  GRR!  But 155lb wasn't a bad squat, at least so they told me.  But I KNEW I could do more.

I moved on to the next exercise....  The next exercise was the strict press.  And my coach was floored when I was able to strict press 100lbs.  I even made 2nd on the leader board!! WHEW WHOO!!!!  I had no idea that was good!!! So at this point, I was happy to have been able to do something well and CORRECT!

The last exercise was ANOTHER SQUAT!!! I knew I was about to hear more about my hips....so I was mentally trying to prepare.  I got started.....and just a few reps in, my coached made some adjustments with my form and then asked me to take off my shoes.  ???? WEIRD, but ok!!!  So I took off my shoes. 

O MY GOODNESS!! What a difference that made.  Suddenly I was able to squat correctly and with more depth and it FELT so much more comfortable.  I ended up MAXing out at 155lbs on this exercise too.  Apparently my shoes have too much heal and arch and was throwing me off.  So from now on---or at least until I get crossfit shoes---I am to do max reps without shoes! :-).  **Don't get my wrong, I still have super tight hips but what an improvement!

Like I said before, I have no idea what is good, great, decent, or bad when it come to all this.  I am a newbie!  But, I was so happy to leave there because I could tell my coaches were pleased and impressed with my numbers.  This makes me HAPPY! HAPPY! HAPPY!

This really made my day! Feeling Strong and Confident again!

I am feeling encouraged and excited and even more focused on my diet now that my husband is on board with eating clean! 

I (We) are Back!!!

I have been missing in action as far as the blogging is concerned.  But I am back! And I am back with some exciting and nervous news!

I have spent much of July doing alot of ministry work..... Two Children's Camps and a whole lot of planning.  Needless to say, I love my job and love the rewards of it, but July is always a very tiring month for me.  But VACATION is NEAR!!! 

So, let me fill you in on the news.  I was at my last camp when Todd texted me and said he needed to talk to me.  We have had alot of things going on recently so I had no idea what this was going to be about.  ???  I found 20mins to have some quiet time talking to him via the phone.  Long story short, Todd has finally had the lightbulb go off for him about his health and weight.  And this conversation was all on his TERMS---not mine.

I'll try to be brief but the lightbulb went off for him when he started making vacation plans.  And alot of the things we all wanted to do (kids included), Todd wanted to do, but can't do due to weight or not being healthy enough.  Several other things had happened about this same time (like a comment from a kid, seeing a picture, and going to the doctor). 

I have been praying for years that this would happen for him.  I have been able to encourage and support him in the past, but to be honest, I felt like a nag and ended up making up my mind that I couldn't do it for him----just like no one could do it for me, either.  Now he is ready.

His plan is kind of drastic though.....but I think is going to work because it is TODD's plan.  I am totally on board too.

We start vacation this weekend.  We have changed our original plans from going to Grand Canyon/California to going to Destin....and for TWO WEEKS!! Makes me happy, happy, happy! 

While away on our trip, we will start eating clean.  No fast foods anymore and lots of seafood and trying new recipes out.  We will eliminate our white foods.  And Todd will slowly start moving more.  Exercise will consist of MOVING---swimming, go play racquetball (this is his favorite), walking on the beach (I will run), etc.  He isn't ready for alot of exercise, as he needs to lose about 20lbs first.  But this is doable, because after our two week vacation, Todd is taking another two weeks off to set our house and family up for success.

YAP---Todd is taking a full month off work to tackle this head on.  I will be his biggest cheerleader and supporter....and gonna try hard to have the kids join in too!  It won't be easy! It will be HARD!  It will be like a detox for him!  But he can do it! 

When we get home, we will clean out the kitchen of all the BAD foods and we will reorganize the cabinets.  We are committing to learning together how to cook clean recipes and how to pre-plan meals and snacks for a real work week.  And he will continue to swim, walk, and do weights here two or three times a day. 

I am excited about this change.  This change will benefit him, me, and my kids!!!  It's been long overdo....and the time is now!!!  Pray for us.  I will be updating my blog on his progress and how I am learning to deal with this change.