What I Learned From My Spontaneous Week “Off”

This past week has been a total whirlwind of crappy decisions and not taking care of myself!  "Just this one time" turned into a whole week of not working out and eating junk.  So, I want to share what I learned not only so I can look back on this as a reminder of why I'm on this journey, but also to possibly help someone else out there who may be having a rough week!!  So, here's what I learned from my week of madness:

1. Eating out is more expensive than I realized.  Each week, my hubs and I get a certain amount of “blow money” to spend on whatever we want.  I usually save mine up for things like boot camp, getting my hair done, and protein powder.  I had 50 bucks, and I blew through it in 2 days. 
2. Not having my meals prepped stressed me out.  I usually plan my meals, get groceries, and prep everything for the week on Sundays.  I didn’t "feel like it" last weekend, so I only got half of my food ready.  Since I didn’t have it all completely done, I just said screw it all and decided to take the route of eating out instead.  While finding a place to eat may sound easier than bringing your own lunch, it actually caused me to stress.  I didn’t have a plan, not much time to think about where to go, and kept ending up at stupid drive through windows and convenience stores.  Having everything in the fridge ready to grab and go is definitely a must. 
3. Skipping workouts sucks!!  It may sound crazy, but after a week of doing absolutely no physical activity...boot camp was way harder than usual.  I kept getting out of breath quicker, I felt weak, and I was slow.  With sweat pouring off of me last night while doing superband hammer curls and feeling like I was going to pass out, I remember looking down at my legs and thinking about how I am never taking a week off from boot camp again.  If you want to stay in shape, you’ve gotta stay on top of your workouts - there's no way around it. 
4. Reverting back to old habits brought back old emotions.  I felt like a fatty, ugly, boring, not confident, and just gross.  My hubs would tell me I was beautiful, and instead of believing him and saying thank you, I would shake my head and be like psh yeah OK.  Eating greasy junk foods and not working out = feeling like ew. 
5. I have to learn how to balance all the craziness in my life and not let stressful situations drag me down.  I recognized that I have a tendency to go back to old routines when stress comes up.  In the past, when I felt overwhelmed – I’d just hide on the couch with food.  That’s all I wanted to do last week...I would think about what all I had going on all at once, and I would reach for food...cheez-its, candy bars, cokes, just junk.  Not cool. 
6. I’m not the same person I used to be.  I read a quote once that said, “Stop being who you were and become who you are”.  SO TRUE.  I used to be totally okay with being the girl who never worked out, ate what she wanted, felt like crap, and did nothing to fix it.  I’m different now.  I have goals.  I want to be the best version of me, and eating healthy and working has definitely become a WAY bigger part of my life than I realized. 
7. Haters gonna hate.  Someone is always going to have an opinion about how I live my life and the decisions I make.  As much as I'd love to please everyone in this world, I can't.  If someone has something negative to say to me, I try to only let it bother me for a few minutes...then I let it roll and just keep doin my thing!
8. Making excuses and saying “oh, it’s just this ONE time – it won’t hurt” ADDS UP!  All those days that I told myself it was okay to have just this ONE drink, just this ONE order of fries, only ONE cupcake, and it’s just ONE day of not working out...all added up – not only on the scale, but also on my rear...and waist...and face.  Yes, it’s easier to make excuses than do the work – but you’re only hurting yourself in the end.  
9. No matter WHAT is going on, I have to make time to stop.  Last week I had a ton going on.  I decided to take last Friday off (which was amazeballs by the way), and I need to do that more often. Making time to take care of yourself is not selfish, and it's OKAY to do!
10. I had a crappy week, and it's time to get over it and move on.  Life has its ups and downs, good times and bad times, crazy times and slow times.  It's okay to mess up, but I'm not going to let it stop me.  I've only got 67 days left until I hit my bikini goal, so I've gotta get with it!!!!!!

To sum things up....

Not working out + eating junk + lack of sleep + stress = not a happy girl!

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Yesterday was a crazy day for me!  I have been "doing flowers" for years, and I finally decided to venture out on my own and start a business on the side.  My first little event was last night, where I provided the centerpieces for the Austin Wedding Guide magazine launch party.  The day before, half of my flower shipment arrived (minor freak-out) because the truck coming from the grower was running late.  So, the other half of my order had to be delivered yesterday morning.  I was sitting in my office at work with flowers in buckets all morning.  Once it was time for my lunch break, I just closed my door and whipped those centerpieces together on the fly!  I got them all done and ready for delivery, then I waited until it was time to go.  My husband came to meet me at work, and we left together.  He helped me set up everything at the event, and before I knew it the room was filled with people!  ........Just a little insight to how I operate - I know it may not seem like it online, but I am VERY shy in person.  It takes me longer than usual to open up to new people and feel comfortable.  I have a tendency to be very quiet and just watch people to try and figure them out before I talk too much.  So, being in that room was extremely intimidating to me!  I was so glad my hubs was with me because I might have just hid in the bathroom the whole time.  At one point, I looked around the room and thought...what did I get myself into?!?!  All of these people in here are pro's at what they do, have been around for years, and then there's me!  Austin is NOT a small town yall, so competition in the industry is fierce!!  I remember telling my hubs something that my Dad has been telling me my whole life:

"Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do to get where you want to be."

We noticed that they had put out some food, so we decided to go get some and grab a seat.  I think that was the best decision we made all night because a lady came and sat next to me and just started talking to me, and I ended up walking around the room shaking hands, introducing myself, trading business cards, and carrying on conversations for a good hour and a half or so.  WHAT!  Everyone was friendly, wanted to know more about me, and offered me tips on how to get started.  When I was done chit-chattin, I found my hubs and we went over to the pool table to take a breather.  I couldn't believe that I had actually gotten up and talked to so many people!  Here's a snapshot of the room so you can get a better idea...

Soooo....how does this relate to health and fitness?  Well, it's all about getting out of your comfort zone.  That must have been the lesson I was supposed to learn this week because my coach sent out an email about it, and I focused on it all week.  From the laps and burpees at boot camp, to the event last night.  It may not seem like a big deal to some of yall, but I am really dang proud of myself for talking to all those new people.   I didn't think I could do it, I didn't really want to, and I was scared...but I DID it anyway!

What things do you want to do but are too scared to because they will make you feel uncomfortable?  Is it those pull-ups in boot camp?  What about running laps in the parking lot?  Is it eating foods you've never had?

Whatever it is...All you have to do is TRY.  Put your mind to it, quit worrying about everything else around you and what people will think, and just TRY IT!  Once you try, chances are you will succeed!  Heck, you might even surprise yourself!

 

Turkey Chili

If you are looking for an easy one-pot meal packed with protein...look no further!  I have become a huge fan of this Turkey Chili because...
1. I can make a ton of it at one time, and I have plenty of leftovers for the week.
2. It's super easy!
3. It tastes good, it's healthy, and it keeps me full for a long time.

Wanna know how to make it?  Here you go!

First, get all your ingredients together:

Next, get out a big pot and put 1 tbsp olive oil in the bottom.  Turn it up to medium heat and let the pan heat up for a couple minutes.  Then, add in all 3 packages of turkey and break it up with a spoon.  Keep stirring it around until it is all cooked.  On a side note...ground turkey doesn't "brown" like ground beef...it stays white...weird, I know.  Anyway...once the turkey is all cooked, drain off all the liquid.  Then add in some garlic salt, pepper, and sea salt.  Stir it all around and let it cook another couple minutes.

Next, add in both cans of crushed tomatoes and both packets of chili seasoning.  Then fill up one of the empty tomato cans about halfway with water and dump that in your pot.  Stir it around on medium heat until it starts to bubble, then turn it down to low and put a lid on it.  Let it sit as long as you want...the longer it sits, the more the flavors will come together!  I usually let mine cook for about 45 minutes to an hour.

 

Once you have let it sit and cook for a while, you need to add in the beans.  I always strain the liquid out of the beans and rinse them before adding.

Once you have stirred in the beans, cover it up and let it sit for about another 15 minutes or so.  That's it! 

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 10 servings with about 1 1/4 cups of chili each)

• Calories:  310

• Protein:  45g

• Carbs:  24g

• Fat:  5g

You could eat it just like this or add on some toppings of your choice...shredded cheese, onions, etc.  

Enjoy!!! :)

 

 

 

You Don't Have to be Perfect

You know those “ah-ha” moments you have sometimes when you feel like a light just came on?  Yeah, totally just had one.  I have spent the past two weeks stressed out about everything under the sun...how I’m going to make my new business successful, upcoming road trips, bills, work deadlines, etc.  All that stress has made me turn to my old buddy...FOOD.  Instead of dealing with the stress, all I want to do is stuff it down with chocolate and macaroni and cheese...which I did, a few times.  And what happens when I do that?  I get fat.  I gain weight.  I feel like crap.  Soooo, to fix it...what do I do?  Eat more or drink!  And guess what that does?  Makes me feel like crap.  I get fatter.  I gain more weight.  Boot camp kills me.  Ew.

This morning I realized something...  I put WAY too much pressure on myself!!!!!!  I’m a “git er dun” kinda person, so before I’m even done with one thing, my mind is already moving on to the next thing.  I like to get things done, to a T, and fast.  

Example...we live in the country, and our trash service requires that we take our trash cans to the end of the road (which is a good mile or so from our place).  So, we decided that paying for that was stupid and that we would take care of the trash ourselves.  Sometimes we take bags to work, sometimes we put them in the back of the truck and wait till it’s not windy so we can just burn them in the field (call it redneck if ya want, everwhat).  Well, we had about 4 bags that had accumulated in the back of the truck, and I was determined that we needed to take care of them NOW.  I didn’t care if it was windy.  So, we went outside and burned them.  The entire time...my husband was in a tizzy and about to have a panic attack because the wind was just whippin stuff all up into the air, so he was afraid we were going to cause a grass fire.  I remember thinking to myself...wow, I am really stressing him out by wantin to burn this stupid trash.  After that, we took the push-mower to my parents’ house (we had borrowed it a few weeks ago).  When we dropped it off, I told Mom that we needed it back next weekend because we needed to mow really bad.  A couple days later, she asked me why we HAD to have it this weekend.  I told her that our grass looked like a dadgum pasture and that we had to take care of it NOW.  When I got home that night, I remember stopping to look at the grass and thinking...man, that grass isn’t as tall as I thought it was.  Then last night, I got home and was talkin my poor hubby’s ears off about all the stuff I have comin up that I need to get done, and he just looked at me and said, “I think we can procrastinate on all we have to do for one more night.”  

My point is...sometimes, things are just gonna have to wait.  I spend too much of my time spinnin my wheels worrying about doin this or that, trying to be perfect while I'm at it, and not enough time slowing down to enjoy the little things.  It makes me stress out, want to eat junk, and lose myself in the madness.  Yes, life is going to be a little nuts at times, but it’s not up to me to take care of it all RIGHT NOW.  And I don’t have to be perfect all the time.  Trying to be perfect only leads to disappointment (cause duh...nobody is perfect), which leads to more stress, more junk food, more fat, and more ew.  Not a fun cycle.  

 

So, I am done with expecting myself to be perfect and puttin all that pressure on myself.  I’m going to make mistakes sometimes, I’m going to gain weight sometimes, and I’m going to eat junk sometimes.  And I’m okay with that.  Why?  Because I’m human and it’s allowed.  

My journey to getting healthy and fit does not have a finish line (sure wish it did, but it doesn’t).  I know that I will never be “done” with it because it’s a way of life.  Some weeks I will feel like a rockstar, and some weeks I will feel like a turtle crawlin through the mud.  Either way, I WILL KEEP GOING!

NEVER GIVE UP...you can screw up, go slow, and struggle...remember, success comes one step at a time - you just gotta keep on steppin!!!

My First Half Marathon

Well, I officially conquered a huge fear of mine on Saturday – running a half marathon.  This was also one of my New Year’s Resolutions...check!  It was the most challenging, nerve-racking, exhausting, horrible, crazy, exciting thing I have ever done.  

I have never liked running, in fact...I think it pretty much sucks.  I have always been really slow, and what takes some people a few minutes to finish always seems to take me forever.  I've got short legs, and I've never called myself a "runner".  That's why I signed up for a half-marathon, so I could prove to myself that I can be a runner and that I can conquer that huge fear that has been with me my whole life.  I signed up in December, so I had a few months to get ready.  Along with boot camp 4 nights a week, I ran every weekend.  I started out with 3 miles and worked my way up all the way to 9 miles.  No matter what was going on, I made the time to run.  I ran in the cold, the dark, the sun, the rain, and the wind.  There was only one weekend that I gave myself a break and ran just a couple miles. 

The run I signed up for was the Zooma.  It was at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop.  Everyone was told to park at a place called Fast Park (used mostly for people who need to go to the airport), and then we were to ride a shuttle to the resort.  

This was the course description from the website: 

ZOOMA Texas lets you savor the splendor of spring wildflowers in the Texas Hill Country, as you wind your way through 13.1 miles well outside of the Austin city limits. Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush dance in the waving grasses on either side of the quiet roadways that make up this scenic race.  For the last few miles of the half marathon, you’ll traverse exclusively on the gorgeous grounds of the host property, the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort.

Given that the race is in Hill Country, there’s no getting away from inclines and declines, but the course’s natural beauty and the race’s all-women’s vibe will carry you along.  The After-Party Expo, held under a rustic wooden roof on a pavilion overlooking the river, is the ideal location for sampling complimentary wine, shopping, checking your results, and sharing laughs and memories with friends old and new.

Here's a map of the course:

The week leading up to the run was pretty weird for me because I was super emotional.  I had been planning on doing it for so long, and it all hit me that it was coming up in just a matter of days.  I stressed out, I doubted myself, I stuffed my face, I couldn’t sleep well, and I was really anxious.  My time to train was up, and there was nothing I could do about it. 

I went to bed at about 10:00 the night before, and I woke up 4 times tossing and turning.  My alarm went off at 4:30, and my husband had to push me out of bed.  I got dressed, looked at myself in the mirror, and told myself I could do it.  I got all my stuff, and we headed out.  I ate a banana and had a quick protein shake in the car along with some water.  It took us about 45 minutes to get to the parking lot, then we had to ride a shuttle (school bus) to the resort.  Once we got inside, there were people everywhere...walking around, sitting in the hall, waiting in line for the bathroom...so we decided to find a spot on the wall in the hallway and chill.  I ate another banana and drank some more water.  Before I knew it, it was time to go to the Start line.  Even though I may not have shown it on the outside, I was freaking out on the inside.  Looking around, I saw all these skinny people that looked like they had run a million marathons, some had weird outfits on, some had crazy socks, some had wigs.  Then there was me, sportin my “Little Miss Won’t Give Up” tank, capris, and hydration vest.  I stood by my hubby as long as I could, then I had to go stand in line to get started.   

They counted down from 3 minutes, and the whole time I was like holy crap holy crap holy crap.  I looked back at my hubby one more time and waved, and he winked at me and smiled – then I was off!  There were cameras and people all over the place, and it made me nervous but I just did my best to focus on myself.  People were passing me left and right, but I didn’t let it affect my pace.  I was rockin and rollin, there were some hills but I was like I got this!  I ran up and down them and kept going, then I started seeing monster hills.  I’m talkin, the kind you want to run up but can’t because they are too steep.  It pissed me off that I had to walk up them because my goal was to run the whole time without walking.  I told myself it was okay though, and when I walked I made it a point to drink water.  Once some of those monster hills were over, I was really happy because I started to feel like I was getting into my groove.  I was enjoying the scenery and the flowers.  I stayed ahead of the 2:30 pacers (pacers are the people than run holding a stick with a number on top that shows how long it’s going to take...they had pacers from 1:40 minutes on up).  They caught up with me on about mile 7, and I stayed with them as long as I could.  But the hills were insane.  I could run about ¼ of the way up them, and then I had to walk.  I walked as fast as I could and took big strides to try and keep up with my pace, and the more I did that the more I could feel my calves stretching.  

Finally, I came up over a hill to a somewhat flatter stretch of road.  In the right lane, people were coming towards me (yeah, all those crazy fast skinny people), and I was in the left lane...the one that looked like it would never end.  I couldn’t see the end of the road or where the point was that we could turn around to go back, and I didn’t like it.  The sun started shining, the humidity kicked in, and I felt like I was in a weird movie.  Some people running looked like machines, some looked like zombies, some looked like they were actually having fun.  All I could think was when is this going to be over?!  I started seeing things on the ground like empty packages to sport beans and gels and stuff, and I started to wonder if maybe I should have had some of that.  The only thing I had was a roll of Life Savers and water.  I had read a couple days before that Life Savers were supposed to help keep your mouth from getting dry, so I popped in a couple of them.  They didn’t help anything, just made me want more water.  I finally came out of the never-ending stretch of road, and I knew I only had about 3 miles left.  I looked up, and I saw more of what I had come to hate...hills.  I had noticed a few people stretching, so I thought maybe that was a good idea.  I went to the side and did a few stretches then I went back to the road to start running again.  A little ways down the road, I felt something pull in my left calf that I have never felt before and I was like uhhhhhh what the heck.  So I went to the side again and stretched my calves on a pole to a road sign.  I started walking and decided I was okay, and started running again.  I made it back to the parking lot where we had started (the start and finish line were at the resort), and it pulled again.  It made me mad.  So I ran more, thinking it would go away.  The last few miles consisted of running through a windy hilly golf course (that I’m sure was meant to be glorious and beautiful, but to me it looked like torture).  My calves were killing me, my shins hurt, my lower back hurt, my knees hurt, and my hips hurt.  It got to the point where if I even tried to run, I had to stop after a few steps because everything was hurting.  

I thought about a trainer I had a few years ago that used to make us run outside, and how he would literally push me and say “You ARE a runner!”...I thought about my first coach in Austin, Eugene, telling me “I’m not always going to be there, you have to learn how to push yourself.” ...I thought about all those mornings I got up and ran in the cold when I didn’t want to... I thought about my husband and parents waiting for me at the finish line... I thought about always being behind everyone when running in middle school... I thought about everyone who told me that they believed in me ... 

...and then it happened.  I turned a corner, and both of my legs gave up on me.  I tried to bend over to stretch, and both calves cramped up so bad that I had to sit down.  I closed my eyes because I thought maybe no one could see me (I know, sounds stupid now but at the time it made sense).  I opened them to look down at my legs and both of my feet were pointing in different directions, and I couldn’t move them.  I freaked out.  I started crying.  I heard some girl say “Awww”.  I heard a lady say “I just called the medic”.  I heard a guy say “Do you want me to push on your foot?”.  Next thing I know, there’s a random person pushing my feet towards me and another giving me a banana to eat.  The whole time I’m thinking, this is NOT happening to me!  I pulled myself together, took a deep breath, and opened my eyes.  The guy who had pushed on my feet asked if I needed help getting up, and I told him thanks but I just need a minute.  He said, “You got this” and disappeared.  The lady who called the medic told me to stay there and that they were on their way.  I said, “No, I’m going to finish this.”  There was no way I was going to let someone carry me out of there after all of the time I had spent getting ready for this, I had less than a mile left, and it just wasn't going to happen.  She looked at me like I was nuts, helped me up, and told me not to run anymore.  At this point I looked like the freakin tin man from Wizard of Oz.  I could hardly bend my legs.  I was hobbling, and I was embarrassed.  I was pissed off at my legs, disappointed in myself, and I didn’t want anyone looking at me.  I didn’t want anyone’s pity, anyone to feel sorry for me, or anyone to help me.  I was mad.  This whole time, I had been dreaming of this day.  Dreaming of sprinting across the finish line with my hands in the air, confetti falling all over the place, and smiling.  I knew that wasn’t going to happen now.  My finish time had been ruined thanks to the last 2 miles, and I physically couldn’t run.  I made it to the 13 mile mark, and I saw what I had been looking for this whole time – an orange shirt.  I knew that when I saw that orange shirt, it meant it was my hubby and I was almost done.  I saw him, then I saw my dad.  They both walked with me to the finish line, where I saw my mom waiting with her camera.  Some guy on a microphone called out my name and time, and there was a big camera in front of me (the one that was supposed to capture my glorious finish moment).  I didn’t look at it because I was a wreck and didn't want my finish picture to be of me walking.  

I saw a lady with medals and grabbed one, put it around my neck, and then I laid on the grass.  A medic guy came up and said he wanted me to drink some salts.  I was like what the heck?  Salts?  He said it was supposed to help with cramps, dumped it into a cup that had some lime flavored drink in it, and told me to imagine it was a margarita.  So I drank it.  Gross.  After that, I was just ready to leave.  I didn’t care about seeing any of the booths, checking out any of the free stuff, or any of that mess.  I just wanted to go.  My hubby and parents all told me how they were proud of me and loved me, and they gave me hugs even though I smelled bad and was drenched in sweat.  Somehow, I managed to smile for one picture...

 

So, there you have it...my first experience running a half marathon.  Will I ever do it again?  If you had asked me two days ago I would have said NEVER AGAIN!!!!!  But...I have actually been contemplating signing up for another one...just so I can redeem myself.  I guess I really am a little crazy, who knows.  What I do know is that if I ever run another half marathon, I am going to be WAY more prepared.  I'll be readin up on all this stuff about salts and sport beans and gel and carb loading and such before I ever do anything like that again.  

Am I disappointed?  Well yeah, but more than anything...I'm proud of myself.  I was scared to death, I got hurt, and I could have quit real easy...but I didn't.  I had a goal to cross the finish line after 13.1 miles, and I DID IT!  You can't always control your circumstances and what happens to you, but you can control your attitude and how you look at things.  In the end...I finished what I started...

...all because I wouldn't give up.

Sweet Potato Protein Muffins

Yesterday was the perfect day to experiment with a new recipe because it was raining and cold outside!  I wasn't sure how these muffins would turn out because I was winging it, but I LOVE them!  Here's how I made them:

First, get your ingredients together and preheat your oven to 350 degrees:

• 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato

• 1 banana

• 1/2 cup oats (grind up into oat flour)

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

• 2 scoops Biotrust vanilla protein powder

• 1 tbsp. coconut flour

• 4 packets stevia

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1 whole egg

• 1 egg white

Next, go ahead and cook the sweet potato.  I just peeled mine, rinsed it off, stabbed it with a knife a few times (to let steam escape), wrapped it in a paper towel, and microwaved it for a few minutes until it was soft.  Once it's done, chop it up and let it cool.  Next, go ahead and mix together your dry ingredients.  Add your oat flour (just grind up oats into a fine powder), protein powder, coconut flour, stevia, baking powder, and cinnamon to a bowl and mix.

Next, mix up your liquids.  In a blender, add your cooled sweet potato, banana, egg, and egg white.  Blend it together until smooth.  Then, mix it in with your dry ingredients.  Once they are mixed well, you can toss in some of the sliced almonds - save a few to put on top of the muffins if you'd like.

Get out your muffin tin and spray with some non-stick spray.  Divide the batter evenly into each space.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until done.  I realized halfway in that I forgot to put almonds on top, oops!

You can eat them plain or add the topping of your choice!

I topped mine with some PB2 - delish!

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 6 muffins):

• 126 calories

• 8g protein

• 17g carbs

• 4g fat

Enjoy!! :)