Gym Pet Peeves

I am a gym rat. I workout better in the gym than I do at home (unless it is my trainers home and she is screaming at me to go harder... we will talk about her later this week). It is just plain and simple, I love the gym!

 

However, there are some things at the gym that just drive me BONKERS!!!

 

 

Today I will blog about those things... please comment below and add yours to the list, lets b**ch together!!!

 

1. People who wear jeans to workout. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of you for coming to the gym to workout... but jeans? How is that comfortable at all? Do you chafe? Something about sweaty jeans just sends a shiver down my spine.

 

2. Chatty Cathy's! Seriously, I get it... I love talking and can talk to a brick wall. BUT when you are hogging a machine or a set of weights, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD do not carry on a conversation that can wait until you are done with said workout. Seriously! Our gym even has a little break room area... go sit in there and talk!

 

3. Bell Pepper Guy - Yes this is an actual guy. I give him kudos because he is eating smart and clean BUT seeing your bell pepper in your locker next to mine every morning just makes me laugh. And in case you were wondering, it is always a red bell pepper... never green, yellow or orange! One question, why not just eat it in your car or when you get home? #ILoveYouBellPepperGuy

 

4. Singing in the shower is okay... singing on the gym floor in the weight room, not so much! When I can hear you belt out the tunes over my own tunes (that I am listening to with headphones) it is a problem. Plus, you cant carry a tune in a bucket... shut up sir!!!

 

5. People who stand in front of me when I am watching myself in the mirror. Dude, I am working on my form (and checking myself out, wink wink) and you standing RIGHT in front of me when the mirror is 500 feet long, that is NOT cool. Please move over 2 feet, PLEASE!!!

 

6. People who watch you workout. Seriously there is this one person that will sit on a weight bench and watch other people workout... he occasionally lifts up a weight but 90% of the time he is watching everyone else. Man I wish I could lose weight and get fit by watching instead of doing!

 

7. The weight hog... use one set of weights and put the rest back, there are other people in the gym that would like to workout. Sharing is caring... DUH!

 

8. The girl who sits on the bike and plays on her cell phone for 10 minutes and never once peddles... Play on your cell phone all you want but dude like I said earlier, go sit in the break room instead of taking up a bike someone else could be using!  

 

9. The staff member who brings in junk food and walks right past the cardio machines to the gym office... I can smell your pizza, you are making life really hard right now!!!

 

10. My gym has 10 TV's on the wall in front of the cardio machines, one day I was watching a show and someone brought over a staff member and had them change my show to their show. EXCUSE ME I WAS WATCHING THAT!!! This has happened a handful of times... now I just watch my Netflix. RUDE!!!

 

Okay, enough b**tching... here is a CUTE picture of  my little pirate (today is pirate day for kindergarten so I whipped up this costume thanks to Pinterest)!!

 

 

It is Monday... again!

This past weekend was a hectic one but I love hectic, I am not a homebody at all. Saturday we left the house around 10am and didn't get home until 6pm. I squeezed my workout in at 8am (right when the gym opened) and then packed my meals for the day to take with me so I wouldn't be tempted to screw up. Since I had my meals with me, I was able to pass up lunch at Sonic, hotdogs and birthday cake at my friends daughter's 1st birthday and Raising Canes for dinner (I love Canes!) I am pretty dadgum proud of myself!!

 

Sunday I woke up with a horrible headache and my sweet husband decided to take the boys for the morning and give me some time to myself. It was much needed and much appreciated. All morning long I had a craving for a Vanilla Birthday Cake Milkshake from Sonic. I wanted one SO bad. I decided I would just fit it in to my day, log it and get back on track tomorrow... that is until I pulled up the nutrition information! HOLY HECK... 89g of carbs?! 72g of sugar?! Ummm... NO THANK YOU!!!!

 

Logging my food helped save me!!!

 

 

 

This morning I woke up at 4:30 am and got my workout in (legs and glutes)! I love being able to work out before the world (or at least my family) is awake!!! 

 

 

I felt skinny this morning (thanks to NOT eating that milkshake) so I took a progress picture. This is about 3 weeks apart. I can really tell that my body is starting to take a normal shape again and my waist is shrinking a lot... now just wish my belly would shrink more! Oh and look at that booty!!!

 

 

I was having such a great morning then this lady pissed me off on the highway and I started to get a headache... (seriously, I understand leaving a cars length between you and the car in front of you... but there is NO need to leave 10 car lengths in front of you... DRIVE) so I started my day off with a diet coke. Sue me! I will still get my water in but I needed this... Monday's and bad attitudes do NOT mix very well. Actually any day of the week and bad attitudes don't mix!! 

 

 

Now, time to go conquer Monday... here is some cuteness to get your through the day!

 

Scary Morning

We decorated the house for Halloween this week. Nothing too scary but some fun stuff that Caleb likes. I do not do scary. Never have. Never will. I hate being scared. I refuse to do haunted house, watch scary movies, or even a scary commercial for a movie. I do not do scary!

 

This morning when I was leaving for the gym (at 4:30 am) the house was dark and quiet like it always is, but I forgot that we had hung up this bloody picture thing by Caleb's door. When I walked past his room, it freaked me out a little bit. I am so use to seeing a blank wall instead.

 

 

When I got home from the gym, the house was still dark and quiet. This is my time to unwind, get ready for work, make breakfast, etc. I usually have about 45 minutes to myself and I love every minute of it. Well, this morning was different...

 

I was in the kitchen cooking my breakfast and I had left the fridge door open. Between the fridge door being open and the wall/counter, there was a little space you can see into the hallway. I looked over and I swear I saw some movement. It was fast and really creeped me out. I felt like there was someone watching me.

 

 

I went on to finish my breakfast and started to load the dishwasher. I started to hear some thuds around the living room/back door area. I stopped dead in my tracks and waited to hear it again, but nothing. I started to load more dishes and heard it again. I started to really get freaked out. I felt like someone was watching me and now someone might be in my backyard and at my back door trying to get in the house. I took a deep breath and waited to hear the sound again before going to get the gun and my husband.

 

There was the sound AGAIN. Okay, I am 110% freaked the F out!!! I headed to the bedroom... slowly... the whole time with my eyes on the back door. When I got to my bedroom door, I looked over once more into the living room towards the back door to hear the sound and there it was again...

 

FOLLOWED BY A LAUGH...

 

Then... I saw movement on the couch and some more laughter AND a cute little brown and blue polka dot blanket that belongs to a (mean) little 6 year old boy.

 

 

That little SH*T scared the HELL out of me!!! He never wakes up that early and he did this morning and decided "Hey, lets scare mom!!"

 

The thuds at the back door... it was him hitting the wall. The presence I felt and saw move between the fridge and counter, that was him running back and forth under his blanket.

 

OH THAT KID!!! He gave me a HEARTATTACK for sure!!!!

 

I am just glad I saw him before I woke up Casey and had him investigate for me. That would have been embarrassing!!!

 

S-O-R-E

Better sore than sorry! This morning it was a ROUGH one getting out of bed. My whole body is S-O-R-E!!! My legs quivered when I stood up and my back was crying out to me "lay back down"...

 

I decided to push through it and hit the gym for my morning workout. Today I started week 6 of the Kelsey Byers Skinny Jean Challenge (click the link if you are interested in the program or any of her other programs) and I didn't want to start the week off with missing my workout. I got to the gym, stretched it out and started to feel more alive!!

 

 

I am glad I went because as I was lifting this morning (chest and triceps) I realized I am stronger than when I started the program and I had to up my weights!!! I am so dadgum proud of myself today, not only did I make it to the gym, but I also went up on weights... eek!!!

 

Random - I noticed that my new workout tights have cupcakes on them! I love cupcakes so much that it has become a running joke with me and Jamie (RX 2 Fitness). Heck I cant even remember the last time I had a cupcake!!

 

 

Another awesome thing that happened this morning is that I am wearing NON maternity pants at work!! I tried these bad boys on about 3 weeks ago and they were still too tight and uncomfortable. This morning I decided to try them back on and they FIT!!! Wearing these make me even more motivated and determined to get back into my jeans... Just in time for Fall!!!!

 

 

One last random thought... I need more shaker bottles! We use to have like 10 of these bad boys and now we have 1... ONE! How they disappeared, I will never know. I use the one we do have twice a day and so it gets treated like Dax's baby bottles and is hand washed in the sink instead of being thrown in the dishwasher. Time to invest in some more I guess... ugh!

 

 

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Wednesday... and Happy Fall Y'all!!!!

 

Planning ahead for the weekend

We have one jammed packed weekend ahead of us... and I love it! I love staying active and getting out of the house, I am so not a home body (unless I am sick or just worn out).

 

Even though we have a busy weekend ahead of us, it doesn't mean I can slack on my meal plan and workouts. I have goal to hit, people!!

 

 

Friday - This morning has been hectic! I was up at Caleb's school peeling apples and slicing them so that the kindergarteners can make applesauce (which Caleb can't eat because he is allergic to apples). Then I ran home to get my snack for work, went potty, left and once I got to work I realized I forgot my snack... UGH! This would have been a great time for me to mess up on my meal plan, but I decided to ask around and found something healthy instead!

 

Tonight, Casey is taking me on a date and I had him pick a place that I was able to check out the nutrition facts. This is going to be my cheat meal BUT I am still going to log it and TRY to stay on track with my macros and calories. Avocado Artichoke Enchiladas, here I come!

 

Saturday - We will wake up and get our workout in first thing in the morning. Then at 5pm I am going to Six Flags with my sister in law, Sarah, while Casey goes to work. It is our company picnic and they are closing the park to the public at 7pm... I am so excited!!! I have my meals planned out to where I will just need to take 2 shakes with me to drink while at the park... Going to bank some extra burned calories with walking around the park!

 

Sunday - Caleb has his 6th birthday party!!! Oh I am so excited... I have hired Batman to come and pay him a visit, EEK!!! We decided to not do food at the party and instead just have some chips and popcorn to snack on since the party is at 2:30. Instead of cake, Caleb has requested a cheesecake. I can pass on chips, popcorn and cheesecake fairly easily! I will just bring my afternoon protein shake with me...

 

 

Monday - CALEB TURNS 6!!!! Holy COW!!!! I am taking the day off work but I still plan on getting up and going to the gym first thing in the morning so I can get my workout out of the way. We are going to take him to lunch, of course I will pick a place that I can look up the nutrition menu and eat as healthy as can be. Then we are headed to Main Event to play Laser Tag and go Bowling!!!

 

 

Just because you are on a "diet", trying to lose weight, sticking to a certain plan, it doesn't mean that you cant have a life while doing it. You just need to plan ahead and stick to your plan. Let those around you know what your plan is and have them help hold you accountable. I promise it can be done!

 

230's I am coming for you!!!

 

I hope you all have a great weekend!!!

4 week results - Kelsey Byers Skinny Jean Challenge

I have finished 4 weeks of Kelsey Byers Skinny Jean Challenge, started day 5 today!!!

 

If you are interested in purchasing this plan or any of Kelsey's other plans, here is the link...

http://bit.ly/1MkJeWH

 

A few little notes/facts/thoughts:

 

* As of Monday, I am 3 months postpartum... can you believe he is already 3 months old?!

 

 

* After having Dax, I tried to the 21 Day Fix. I loved being able to workout at home and the eating was easy to follow. However I was half assing it and didn't get the outcome I would have liked. Then I went on vacation and un-did all the half ass work I did do. I knew I needed to get back into the gym, I strive better there.

 

* I found out about KB Skinny Jean while I was on vacation and bought it when I returned home. I started it with home workouts and then started the gym during mid week 2. The plan includes at home workouts AND gym workouts! 

 

* Mid week 3 I decided to seek out help from a friend about my nutrition and I started logging. I have seen so many changes in the past week! Wish I would have called her earlier...

 

Weight:

This is UGLY and I went back and forth about telling you guys the actual numbers or just how much I lost... and decided that I am going to stay true to who I am and be transparent with you all.

 

* My wedding day, March 1, 2014, I was 161 pounds, that was my fighting weight (I am 5'10) and I quickly found out it was hard to stay there. I maintained around 178-188 fairly easy though.

 

* When I got pregnant the first time, May 2014, I weighed in at 189.

 

* When I got pregnant the second time, October 2014, I weighed in at 220! Yep, I gained 31 pounds from my miscarriage and depression that I dealt with afterwards. I love to eat my feelings, working on that!

 

* The day I had Dax, June 14, 2015, I weighed 278... I gained 58 pounds during my pregnancy!

 

* The day I started this challenge, August 19, 2015, I weighed 263.8!!!

 

* Today, I weigh 246.2... That is a total loss of 17.6 pounds in the past 4 weeks!!!!

 

* My goal at the end of this challenge is to be in the 220's. My overall goal is to get back to 180's and maintain.

 

Measurements:

Chest:

Start 48 - Now 43.5

 

Waist (high):

Start 40.5 - Now 38.5

 

Belly Button:

Start 53.5 - Now 49.5

 

Hips:

Start 55 - Now 50.5

 

Left Thigh:

Start 28.5 - Now 25.5

 

Right Thigh:

Start 27 - Now 25.5

 

Left Bicep:

Start 15 - Now 14.5

 

Right Bicep:

Start 15 - Now 14.5

 

Total Loss: 20.5 inches!!!!

 

And now for the photos!!! Casey took the start photos for me and I had to snap todays photos in the mirror because he was asleep and I am not about to wake that bear up (he is NOT a morning person)!

 

 

 

 

 

I am ready to take what I have learned the past 4 weeks and apply it to the next 4 weeks!! I will be posting here and there about my journey and then will give you another full update after I complete week 8... look for that blog post on October 14th!

 

Again, if you are interested in purchasing one of Kelsey's plans, here is the link

http://bit.ly/1MkJeWH

 

The WORST parents

 

Famous last lines of a child... when I grow up, I will NEVER treat my kids like you treat me. I am going to be a FUN mom/dad. I am not going to have STUPID rules like you do. I will let me kid stay up LATE. I wont FORCE my kids to eat broccoli.

 

Man the list can go on and on... am I right, or am I right?!

 

Now that I am grown up with 2 boys of my own I am constantly finding myself doing and saying things that my parents did and said. Things I SWORE I would NEVER do!

 

I had the WORST parents ever... seriously, they made me mind, use manners, eat my dinner, I had a curfew, I had to ask permission, I didn't always get my way, I couldn't act like a spoiled brat, I wasn't allowed to watch TV or answer the phone during dinner... which we had to do as a family (ugh), I had to do my homework after school before I was allowed to watch TV, I had a bedtime and in the morning they would wake me up before I wanted to wake up (how rude). The list could go one for hours of all the HORRIBLE things they made me do. Seriously, my parents were the WORST!

 

Oh and to top it off, if my friends jumped off a bridge my parents refused to let me jump too!!! Speaking of my friends, did I mention my parents had to meet my friends before I was allowed to go hang out with them?! Seriously guys, you are so old you don't know what is cool anymore...

 

Fast forward 20 years... I am now the WORST parent ever and I wear this badge with PRIDE!!!

 

 

Last night I went to Caleb's room and turned his TV off at lights off time and he threw the biggest fit. He called me mean and told me that I am not fun. He cried and begged for his TV to stay on, but I said no and walked out of the room to leave him crying alone in the dark. I couldn't help but laugh!

 

And so the cycle repeats itself...

 

 

Remembering 9/11

 

This morning I woke up at 4:30 am (I decided yesterday that lunch time workouts are no longer for me with my new schedule so I went back to morning workouts) and made it to the gym by 5. The whole way there I thought about 9/11 and decided to dedicate this workout to those who lost their lives. I am still here living and I need to live my life to the fullest and as healthy as I can.

 

 

I finished up my glutes and ab workout and was done with my day... but I decided to take it just a bit further.

 

 

Say hello to my little friend!!!

 

The Twin Towers each had 110 flights of stairs... 220 total. That is 2640 steps to climb. Holy heck!

 

I decided to try and climb at least one of the towers!

 

 

It was TOUGH and I was DRIPPING sweat... like after 2 minutes! I quickly remembered that I hated this machine. By about 8 minutes in my knee started to ache, stupid knee. I hit 10 minutes and 21 flights of stairs and needed a break.

 

I got off the machine, rode the bike for 5 minutes and recovered. Then I gave it another go! This time I decided to stay at a Level 1 and not play with upping and lowering the levels like I did the first time. That seemed to help some. I completed 10 more minutes for another 21 flights of stairs and I had to call it quits.

 

 

1. I needed a break again

2. It was 6am and time for me to head home

 

I have tons of respect for those firefighters, cops and civilians who climbed those buildings rescuing people. It was no easy task at all... I did 42 flights of stairs, about 1/3 of one of the buildings... and I did it in an air conditioned building with no extra weight of gear or people I was helping, not fighting for my life, or breathing in toxic air. It gave me a whole new kind of respect for 9/11...

 

I will never forget....

 

 

Logging my food

Do you log your food? Do you like logging your food?

 

I really HATE logging my food. Think of something (or someone, haha) you REALLY hate and that is how much I HATE logging my food.

 

Seriously... HATE IT!!!

 

Now that I have made my point... I have started logging my food.

 

WOMP!

 

I really want this weight off. My eating was so relaxed while I was pregnant and it continued to be that way after having Dax. I started to clean it up here and there but nothing hardcore. Now I am doing this challenge and I really want to kick some booty at it. I decided to bite the bullet and contact my favorite fitness friend, Jamie, and ask her for help with my eating.

 

Guess what her first question was... ARE YOU LOGGING YOUR FOOD?

 

She knew the answer already but asked anyways. She told me to log my food for the next couple days so we can see what is going on. She said she was going to play with my macros and see what I need to change. She said that I was probably eating too many carbs and not enough protein.

 

 

 

GUESS WHAT... She was right!

 

I logged my food for a couple of days and quickly realized that the amount of carbs I have been eating have been BONKERS high and my protein was BONKERS low! We have played around with some of my meals, changed up my bars I have been eating as a snack (switched from Cliff bars that have 43 grams of carbs to Quest bars that have 20 grams of carbs) and added protein shakes for snacks.

 

I have now been logging my food for 4 days and I have to admit, I am feeling much better. I am feeling thinner, not as bloated, I have more energy, and I am sleeping better.

 

AND the plateau that I have been on, I finally broke it. I weighed myself this morning, well because I love to weigh myself, and I have finally dropped another pound!!!

 

So moral of the story, while I really HATE logging my food... it works! I guess I will continue to log at least until I am able to get a handle on my nutrition again.  

 

 

Slow Progress

We have all heard it a 1,000 times...

 

I think I have heard it so many times that my eyes now roll themselves when I hear it again. In today's society we want FAST results. We have things like e-mail instead of snail mail. Text messages instead of passing notes. Paying for overnight delivery instead of waiting the 3-5 business days. The list goes on an on... and I am the worst at waiting. Seriously, I have NO patience. NONE!

 

When it comes to weight loss everyone (including me too) wants to eat one salad and be instantly skinny. You want one gym session to turn you into a fit swimsuit model. Sadly it doesn't work that way. One meal/gym session wont make you skinny/fit just like one bad meal wont make you fat.

 

So we say... Slow progress is better than no progress... and we go on with our lives pushing forward.

 

That is where I am now... pushing forward and repeating this horrid saying to myself.

 

I struggled getting started after having Dax. I wanted to be one of those moms who has a baby and instantly goes back down to her before weight. Well, for me that is just not the case. I have to fight for it and it pissed me off. So I half assed the process and hoped that I would wake up thin. Guess what, it didn't work.

 

(July 12 to September 9, almost 2 months difference... most of which I half assed. This dress is much looser on me now than before and I can tell my stomach and my booty have shrunk)

 

 

Then I found Kelsey Byers Skinny Jean Challenge and decided to really commit... I am not sure what went off inside of me, maybe it was because I was going back to work and none of my clothes fit me, who knows... BUT I am glad whatever it was, happened. Because here I am 3 weeks into the challenge, actually started week 4 today, and I am starting to see progress! It hasn't happened over night, it didn't happen after one healthy meal, it didn't happen after one hour at the gym... no, it happened after 3 weeks of hard work and a healthy lifestyle. Do I wish it was more, well I would be lying if I said no. However after snapping some photos today, I am happy with the progress I have made so far.

 

(Top picture is my before pictures from the KB Skinny Jean Challenge taken on 8/19. The bottom was taken this morning 9/9, exactly 3 weeks later. I will show the full photos next Wednesday when I complete week 4)

 

 

So I am going to sit here drink my protein shake and repeat over and over... slow progress is better than no progress.... CHEERS!

 

(Total Boy Mom photo...)

 

 

I am back...

I am back!

 

Back to work that is...

 

Being back to work means my life is going to be more structured. There is something about work that keeps me in check with my eating, my water intake, my gym sessions, and my blogging. I always slack on these things when I am at home on the weekends or for holidays.

 

This morning I set my alarm for 4:30 am and headed to the gym for my morning workout. For those of you who do not know, I am currently doing the Kelsey Byers Skinny Jeans Challenge. It started August 31st, but I started it on August 19th. It is a 12 week challenge that includes workout plans and meal plans. You take before and after photos and write a essay and send it to Kelsey by December 1st for a chance to win some awesome prizes. I am in it to win it!!! You know I mean business when I start logging my food... yep, I started logging my food. I hate logging my food.

 

 

I will be hitting up the gym Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 5 am. Thursday and Friday I will be getting my swole on with the husband at lunch time (those are his days off). Saturday we will go between 8-1pm (when childcare is open). Sunday we will rest!

 

Stay tuned because once I finish my 1st 4 weeks, I am going to post a blog with pictures, measurements and weight loss. Along with my meal plans and just some random thoughts I have about the program. Week 4 starts tomorrow and will end the 16th... so make sure to check back then!

 

On another note... being back to work has been okay so far. I will admit I have cried twice this morning. Once on the way home from the gym and once on the way into work. I am trying to just remember that I am only working part time and Dax is at home with his Daddy... that seems to be helping out with the tears. Another plus to working part time is that I am still able to take Caleb to school each morning and pick him up every afternoon... he will never even notice I am working, other than the fact that I will be wearing business casual clothes to drop him off at school instead of wearing my workout clothes!!!

 

Here are a couple of pictures helping me get through the day... Sweet boys oh how I love thee!!!