I'm in love...with health & fitness.

First of all I need to start off by saying that some boyfriends bring their girlfriends flowers, mine brings me supplements, and I LOVE him for it! I don't need a stinkin plant, I need my thermogenics haha. What a thoughtful guy, I think I might keep him around a while longer :-p

This week was Ashley and I's second "biggest loser" weigh in. I was really hoping to see some changes, especially after a week of Paleo (minus Easter Sunday aka cheat day), and drum roll please....I lost 2 pounds, woot woot! Ok, nothing major but it was nice to know that this crazy little diet is giving some results. Plus I've finally settled into a nice little weekly routine at the gym. I love and hate 5am so much. Spin is my new favorite hobby, but I am still very anxious about running. I tested things out last week and after about 2 minutes of jogging on the treadmil, I could feel the pain start to creep up the back of my ankle. I'm considering making another attempt this weekend, but instead of the treadmil I think a dirt trail might be a little more forgiving on my ankle.
My paleo diet has been going well, and I've even tried some recipes from the paleo diet lifestyle website. I have found though that some days (because of time or my workouts) I do need to modify slightly, and I'm ok with that. And surprisingly my cravings aren't as bad as I thought they would be. I really don't have any desire to scarf down a loaf of bread or eat a block of cheese, oh but I do miss cereal!
My new found passion and enthusiasm about fitness has really been on my heart and mind lately. The more I educate and push myself, the more I feel that I want fitness and health to have an even bigger role in my life then it does currently. Once I reach my goal, I want to be able to help other people reach theirs. Becoming a personal trainer or being involved in the fitness industry in some way has been an idea bouncing around in my head lately. I think it would be a heck of a lot more fun then sitting behind a desk all day, and I think it's something I should start seriously considering. Wow, who would have thought...14 lbs ago if you would have told me I would be blogging about a career in fitness I would have laughed at you.

 "I just don't think that Brooke could've done this. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." -Elle Woods, Legally Blonde.
Yay for exercise! LOL

Holidays don't have to = epic failure

"Perfectionism is not an attribute in my opinion so don't beat yourself up when you miss a few workouts or eat some Easter candy. The goal is to have far more good days than bad. Exercise for the joy of feeling good and getting better. Eat right with the intention of fueling your body with the things it needs to perform." -Tony Horton
On my facebook page I am fans of both P90X and Beachbody, It's definitely uplifiting to log into my page and see amidst the drama & random posts, some encouragement and inspiration. I saw this quote posted earlier this week and It has really stuck with me, especially as I choose foods to eat througout the day. I'm on day 6 of the Paleo diet and I'm slowly starting to adjust. We have all these ideas in our heads of what certain meals need to consist of and when your challenged to cut alot of foods out of your diet you begin to think outside of the box. For example, for breakfast we eat "breakfast foods", cereal, toast, eggs, waffles, oatmeal, etc. In reality we should be focusing more on the nutrients and fueling our body for the day. For the past 5 days eggs have been a major part of my breakfast because they are the only "breakfast food" that is Paleo ok. But this morning the thought of eating another egg made me sick, so I thought of what Tony said, "eat with the intention of fueling my body." So thats what I did. I packed up some leftover bbq chicken from Easter, fruit salad, and a handful of nuts. What looked like lunch was really my breakfast. It filled me up and I got a dose of protein, fruit, and fats from the nuts. I'm learning that with Paleo I just need to think outside of the box. There are plenty of foods out there that will keep me full and focused that don't come in a cereal box.
It's amazing how much self control you begin to gain the longer you are serious about fitness. The old Sheri, who dieted here and there, would have stuffed her face all day long yesterday. My mom had an amazing spread and in the past I could never say no to just one bite, or one taste. I tried a couple bites of things here and there and was satisfied with myself, it's Easter I wasn't going to say no, but at the same time that didn't mean I had to say OH YES. My dinner was Paleo approved and dessert was yummy. It probably does help to have a 3 and 5 year old around though, they kept me too busy too even think about munching all day. So yesterday was a cheat day, and i'm sorry Paleo but I ate carbs...and dairy. But the holiday is over, the candy left the house with the kids and i'm back to giving it 100%. I did skip my 5am workout this morning, but a girls got to sleep in at some point. Don't worry, I never completely miss a workout, just means I'll be there tonight with all the body builders and beauty queens.

Arividerchi bread! See you later pasta!

So Ashely and I had our first biggest loser weigh in this Tuesday. My weight and measurements weren't too depressing, especially if I look back to when I first started, and I feel like the goal I've set for myself in this little challenge of ours isn't unrealistic or out of reach. This is my second week of 5am workouts and I'm still loving it. I feel energized when I get to work and being able to just come home and relax when the day is over is a big plus. Last week I decided to try a little something called a Spin class, and I love it because losing buckets of sweat when I work out really makes me feel good. If you go to a gym where spin classes are offered you've got to try it, don't be intimidated, you catch on alot quicker then you think.
Now I've been stuck in this 130's plateau for quite a while now, and while my weight has never really been my main concern I am trying to work harder lately to finally see the 20's on the scale. What I would really like to see go down more than the scale is the size of my jeans, and the thing that effects that the most is my waist. Unfortunately thats where I put all my weight and coincidentally that is a tough spot to lose weight...go figure! It has been shrinking for sure, but with summer right around the corner I've decided to commit to a 30 days of the paleo diet. http://paleodietlifestyle.com/
I'd really like to see these stubborn inches come off my waist so I figured this, in combination with killing it the gym, could really help me make it happen. Paleo is essentially a no carb no dairy diet, which is clearly not for everyone. Going without the dairy will be fairly easy, but saying goodbye to breads, pasta, etc. for the next 30 days could be rough. I've never really been a big "diet" person because I don't feel like depriving myself of the foods I love is fair, but I figure 30 days won't kill me and hopefully it will be worth it in the end.
Lately I keep hearing the word "skinny" being spoken about me! Let me tell you this is a new thing for me, I don't even know what to say. It feels really good though, I know that. But I think the reason it really feels great to hear it is because of how hard I know I have been working. I haven't just starved myself or had some procedure, I have been dedicated to 100% hard work. I have totally changed my lifestyle, and in doing so not only have I gotten in better shape, but I have found a hobby that I love, and have been encouragement to other people around me. A year ago I never would have thought this is where I would be at, but I am so thankful that my 2 mile runs with Chloe back in December have snow balled into this!

The More The Merrier

I'm feeling inspired to write another entry for this week thanks to some really kind words and encouragement from a friend. When I first started this whole fitness journey I was doing it totally on my own. No blog, no workout partner, no nutritionist, no personal trainer, or motivational speaker. It was me, the pavement and my P90X dvds. And I think thats the way it needs to start, alone with yourself, facing your "demons." You need to be real and honest with yourself to be able to be successful in such a transformation.

BUT, as you get going and you really start to make progress...thats when you need positive people in your life to encourage you. And I don't just mean people on the sidelines cheering you on, but people who are as serious about their health and fitness as you are. After doing the same routine for so long you can start to get comfortable and slack off, thats why for me Steve came home at the perfect time. I had really been pushing myself but when he came back from Germany I had him to push me more. If he got up and went to the gym, well I just wasn't gonna let him keep making progress and just sit back, heck I was gonna go too. He never had to tell me to go workout or eat this not that, our competitive relationship just made me want to stay on top of things to stay even with him. Haha. I got up at 5am this morning to go workout, and he knew that if he didn't get up then also that he wouldn't have time at any other point today to go workout. And there was no way he was gonna be ok with knowing I worked out today and he didn't. So we challenge each other, we encourage, and we compliment...and it works.

Now this little blog of mine is really becoming the tool I wanted it to be. Because now a friend has read it and is challenging me. Seeing the discipline I have, encouraged her to push herself. And now we have, Biggest Loser Tuesdays...we're gonna weigh in and watch the show lol. But how great is that?! I now have someone else, not just cheering me along, but working with me and challenging me to stay on track. Now weigh ins will be in the back of my mind and I'll make better choices when I'm struggling. Having a support group is great, but having someone in the trenches with you is even better!

"Cuz its 1, 2, 3 strikes you're out!"

Sooo....looks like i'm on the mend for another 4 weeks. Strained my achilles tendon and doc said it could take up to 8 weeks to heal (its already been about 4). I'm still allowed to workout as long as the workouts I'm doing are not causing pain and I'm supposed to keep my ankle wrapped ALL the time. Oh, and no high heel shoes :-/
The positive pep talk I needed came at just the right time yesterday. An agent I work with is a runner, and when I say runner I mean RUNNER. This woman does 100 mile endurance runs and she's in her 70's (makes my half marathon look like a stroll around the pond lol). But I told her about how it was so hard for me to watch other people run, that everytime I saw someone outside jogging I wanted to throw something at them. She laughed and said she has the same feeling when she gets injured, so I'm glad I'm not crazy. She encouraged me to not let go of my goal to run a 1/2 marathon this year and was confident that if I kept up with my cardio I would be able to jump back into my running no problem once I was healed. It's pretty amazing how all the right people get placed in our lives throughout the years. It's nice to have someone who is so knowledgeable about my new hobby.
Since getting my membership to 24 I've been pretty consistant with going almost everyday. I've always done night workouts but it looks like I'm gonna start switching it up and doin the whole crazy wake up at 5am routine in order to have my night to just CHILL out. So far it hasn't been to terrible and there are alot less people at the gym at that time. Thinkin my new schedule is gonna be something like Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri -5am Wednesdays 5pm (since I work different hours on wed's) and Saturdays - whenever I wake up and get my butt there. Sundays I'll have off. I'm finally getting back on an eating plan that I can be happy with and its a relief to not have all that "junk food guilt."
Because I'm trying to be good again, last nights Giants game was a definate first. I don't go to games without having a hotdog, garlic fries, and a beer. I mean thats what baseball is all about right?
My wonderful bf packed me a sandwich, carrots, nuts, and granola bars. I had plenty to munch on that wasnt covered in grease or sugar. My only splurge was the AMAZING hot chocolate we bought somewhere around the 7th inning when it was FREEZING cold. I had to have something to warm me up. One of the major ups to packing ur own healthy snacks for the game is that you don't have to miss any of it while waiting in those ridiculously long lines, and then try and shimmy back to ur seat holding trays of food while stepping on every single persons foot in your row. Instead I got to watch a great, exciting game and I 
wasn't in a food coma on the drive home :-)

It's not goodbye, more like "I'll see you later"

Never did I imagine that what seemed like a sore calf muscle would turn into the hot mess it has become! I'm still sticking to my own self diagnosis that its some sort of achilles injury, but hopefully a trip to the Dr. next week will shed some light on what is causing the pain and how I can make it go away. Ice and the elliptical are now my new best friends and I can't help but want to throw sticks at people that I see running. Physically I feel like a blob without running in my life, and boy I did not foresee such harsh psychological effects. I've been doing alot of reading on runnersworld.com this morning about injuries and one article I read couldn't have said how i'm feeling any better, "For many of us, running is like a best friend. We count on it to quiet our anxieties, focus our minds, and make us happier, healthier, and saner. So what happens when injury strikes and takes away our trusted ally? We curse, we pout, we may even cry and scream. Sound excessive or irrational? It's not—in fact, experts say experiencing these emotions is normal and healthy. "The sense of loss an athlete feels when injured can be very similar to the other types of mourning or grief that occur in our lives," says Diane Wiese-Bjornstal, Ph.D., associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Minnesota and a leading researcher of injury psychology. "It's a huge sense of loss that you feel."


Lucky for me after doing a little digging, I found this article:      http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-286--13412-0,00.html
A whole weekly routine for sidelined runners. I have been feeling lost without a fitness plan for the past couple weeks. I mean Tues, Thurs, Sat, and Sun were all run days and I just haven't known what to do with myself. Finding this article couldn't have come at a better time, just so happens I even signed up at 24 hour fitness two days ago. So I'm finally letting go of the idea that I'm going to be able to run in a couple days, and with open arms I'm welcoming  in a new routine.