Decisive and Intuitive

I love resolutions. I'm down with the idea of starting fresh in the new year, but I never stick to my resolutions. One year I said I would give up swearing. Another year I said I would be nicer to people. Both lasted about 12 hours. I also have a pretty high self-esteem so I rarely see anything about myself that I'd like to change. Wish I was kidding, but I'm not!

But this year I've got two doozies that are achievable and will definitely help me improve myself:

1) Be more decisive.

I cannot make a decision for the life of me. I want to please everyone but more so don't want to be blamed if the decision I make is bad. The responsibility of planning things is unbearable, which is ironic because that happens to be my profession. I'll talk endlessly about how badly I want a plate of nachos and once we get to the restaurant I opt for a sandwich instead. It drive Mike nuts. I need to change that.

So I resolve to make my decisions and stick to them, no matter the consequences. 9 times out of 10 my decision is the right one but I hem and haw so much that I make myself sick. No more.

2) Be more intuitive of my eating habits.

This resolution is my Everest. You know how you always hear "Eat until you're halfway full, and then stop?" Yeah that's not me. I scarf down my food. I eat snacks throughout the day just because they're in my face. I eat portion sizes equal to Mike's and I certainly don't require as much fuel as he does.

My feathers get ruffled when people say to me "You're so skinny, how lucky you are!" Uhhhh people. Get with it. I am not genetically blessed. My metabolism gave out on me when I was like 9. I weighed 40 pounds more in high school than I do now. I exercise every day to break even and I can't just have a slice of cake when the mood strikes me. But I've accepted this, which is why I get so frustrated with myself when I'm at my parent's house shoveling Aunt Pat's cookies into my face right before dinner starts.

So I resolve to listen and focus more when eating. I'll eat what I crave, not just because it's convenient.

I hope that by putting this all out there I will stick to it! Wish me luck!

Double dare

Yesterday I know I think I went a little crazy.

For real, I don’t know how Mike puts up with me. I make big decisions without much thought and rarely think an idea through. I can’t imagine how many tattoos I would have if I got one every time I had the itch or how many dogs we would own if Mike let me near the adoption stands at Petsmart. It’s gotten to the point that when we talk about dinner plans or what movie to watch, Mike just waits for me to spit out 5 or 6 ideas before he gives his opinion.

My husband is the complete opposite. Like total other side of the planet. Things get planned, reviewed and planned again before he agrees. The number in our bank account actually matters to him (I don’t think about silly things like retirement before proclaiming that we should plan a trip to Hawaii or heck, why not just move there?) His only real vice is buying an occasional lotto ticket once the Powerball hits triple digits.

So back to me being crazy. Yesterday I decided I wanted to run a marathon.

Yup.

I really enjoy running. Sometimes when I exercise I don’t want to spend 30-45 minutes watching a repetitive DVD (sorry Jillian!) Getting stuck in a fitness rut is usually when I end up quitting altogether and dive into a gallon of ice cream.

But running is great; I can go at my own pace and for any length of time. Not having structure works for me! And when I'm done I feel like I’ve really accomplished something.

But now it’s time to start pushing myself. Mike’s sister Lauren suggested that I run the Turkey Trot with her on Thanksgiving this year and I actually signed up. Sure, 3 miles isn’t much but I’m excited about the race! My sister-in-law Erinn is running a half- marathon in Disneyworld next year and Lauren ran the Marine Corps Marathon a few years back! I am in awe; I want to reach a milestone like that. I want to have the bragging rights.

I have my eyes set on a half-marathon in June of next year. Erinn is sending me a training schedule. Now all I have to do is sign up for it.

And maybe eventually get this tattoo?

Source

If you can hold on, Hold on.

A few weeks ago I decided to take up running. The idiot that I am, I put on some old, cheap tennis shoes and just started running.

For days after that I waddled around like an old lady because I had pulled my hamstrings so badly I couldn't walk.

When I could finally move again I did a little research, invested in some good running shoes, STRETCHED and tried again.

I found a good loop in our neighborhood and ran for what felt forever. Turns out it was just about 1.5 miles. While that's nothing to be ashamed of I was wheezing pretty hard. Despite exercising pretty regularly I was not in runner's shape.

Per all the advice I read I gradually increased the length I ran, hitting 2, 2.5 and my high of 3.2 miles. I was pretty proud of myself considering I choose to run in the morning before work, which means being up and out the door by 5 am. Not easy.

Friday I was off from work and decided to really push myself. I had mapped out a 4 mile route and I was going for it. It was cold and sunny out and I had no time restraints. Perfect!

Did I mention the route I mapped starts and ends uphill? Oy.

But... I DID IT!

It was tough but surprisingly not as bad as I thought. My Ipod was rocking and I felt good! The best songs came on as I trudged up the tough hills - if you're wondering it was JT's 'Sexy Back' and The Killers 'All These Things That I Have Done.' I wish I could run at that time of day everyday!

I also figured out how to carry my house key. Genius.

Had to proudly snap this disgusting post-run photo of myself:

It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it!!

Running on Empty

It seems like we are constantly running from one event to the next!

While I begrudgingly went back to work this week, my darling hubby headed back to the beach for more fun in the sun. His family is spending this week in NC, just a few houses away from the Captain’s Cottage.

Since he’s in the middle of 20 DAYS OFF FROM WORK (hate him yet?) he decided to stock up on beach time. I’m jealous I couldn’t tag along!

Especially when I’m not there to see this in person!!!

Lauren I stole your picture :) It's just too cute!

The main reason I couldn’t snag some more vacation time? I have to take off work on Friday because we’re headed up to NOVA for Michelle’s wedding!

I’m in the wedding and will be busy from the instant we arrive. Mike has willingly accepted the roles of personal chauffeur/teary-eyed wedding guest/dance partner.

The bridesmaid dresses are super cute but I had mine altered before we left for the beach and tried it on again last night…gonna be a tight squeeze!

Side note: Jillian was very upset with me on Monday morning. She wanted to know why I was MIA for the past week and what I had done to myself. She made me pay for it and every part of my body issore!

Off to make some more plans!

Beach Bods

I’ve mentioned how we’re going to the beach with friends in a few weeks. It’s gonna be a week long fun-fest and I can’t wait!

When Mike and I realized that meant a week in bathing suits we both decided it was time for a lifestyle overhaul. I just learned about the “Newlywed Nine” which is similar to the “Freshman Fifteen.” I reached both these milestones.

Diets were out of the question since we both don’t believe in them, so when I started reading about eating ‘real food’ I was hooked. This website explains it better than me but the idea is to eat full-fat foods with plenty of whole grains, fruits and veggies. The more I learned the more I saw how perfect of a fit this is for us!

Not only do you eat healthy foods but you get to eat more – that’s what sold me! We started a few weeks ago and haven’t looked back. Mike tends to follow the Eat This Not That cookbook while I get a lot of ideas from this site. Once you realize what goes into packaged, diet, or low-fat groceries and how your body can’t process the additives it makes you think twice about grabbing for the Oreos.

I’m not one to get on my high horse (that’s a lie!) but this way of eating is awesome. I have so much more energy and I don’t even crave sweets. I rarely drink soda anymore (!!!) Feeling this good has made me want to feel even better, so I’ve been exercising every day. Mike’s down like 3 pants sizes and his clothes hang off of him. I think I can see an ab muscle or two on my stomach.

We don’t deny ourselves any treats - as ice cream is my biggest foe - but there is a lot less guilt associated with it now. And I’ve learned I don’t need the extra-large scoop with chocolate sprinkles.

Only a month until the beach! How many more pants sizes will Mike drop? Will I achieve at least a 3-pack stomach? Stay tuned…

Hot-Diggity Date

Lately Mike and I have been changing how we eat. Neither of us are particularly unhealthy eaters but with the beach a little over a month away (!!!) we’re both watching our figures.

The biggest change has been eliminating processed foods. It’s not that hard to stop buying pre-packaged groceries; in fact, it’s common sense. Less junk food=less weight.

We’ve been eating more fruit/veggies/whole grains and we’ve both been feeling a heck of a lot better. Mike has lost about 25 pounds in the past few months. I haven’t lost an ounce. But I feel great!

I’ve been experimenting with cooking more, thanks to snooping around food blogs like this one and this one for advice and recipes. We’re cooking things we usually wouldn’t look twice at, like lentils and kale. And we feel FULL after dinner. Real food is a wonderful thing.

One recipe called for dates.

Dates look disgusting - they remind me of cockroaches. But several recipes call for the fruit. I decided to throw some on top of a salad for lunch.

This morning Mike drove me to work--his car is in the shop now…what a run of luck we’re having! I was explaining how anxious I was about this fruit I had never tasted before.

He smirked and said “Some would say you’re taking a blind date to lunch.”

My husband: the comic genius.

Happy to report the dates were delicious! Very sweet and creamy and great texture. Can’t wait to see what other new foods we discover!

Date picture found here

Shred Head

Today marks the end of my 30 Day Shred experiment.

Yes, I realize it has been way over 30 days since I started. That’s because I did it every other day, with a few occasions in which I went 2 days in between workouts. And I didn’t keep exact track of how many days it’s been, but I picked today as when I think I have completed 30 sessions—just pretend, ok?

 

I do not look like this.

This wasn’t easy for me. Forget the fact that I am crazy out of shape and each level made me realize this more and more—I just hate exercising. I hate sweating and how sore it makes you and how easy the people in the video make it seem. Every day I would try to think of a reason to skip it: I was sick, I had to work late, dinner smelled too good to wait to eat it…the list goes on.

But the point is this: I finished. I didn’t take any measurements before I started and you better believe I’m not posting ‘before and after’ pictures, but I’ve noticed some change. I feel like there came a point in which I hit a plateau and no change came after that, but Mike says I look different. I notice that things jiggle less--that’s enough of a result for me. 

Things may have progressed differently if I had followed the strict diet plan they recommend or if I did the workouts every day instead of every other. Or if I didn’t often think “I just worked out for 20 minutes—now I can eat ice cream.” But I picked what worked for me and rolled with it.

I’m pretty proud of myself for reaching my goal. I think I’ll actually stick with it—the beach is only a few months away!

Images found here and here

Fight for it!

I know a lot of my posts have been health/exercise related lately. I promise I am not turning this into a fitness blog, but I’ve found that if I write about my efforts, it motivates me to stay on track. So bear with me--and maybe have a candy bar in my honor? My current favorite is Peppermint Patty.

Last night I started the Jillian Michaels “30 Day Shred” DVD. As you can tell she is my go-to trainer because I need someone to just yell at me to stop “phoning it in.” I’m still following her yoga workout but there are only 2 levels and I wanted to try something else so I don’t get bored. Before I bought the DVD I read a lot of reviews. All of them were 4 stars and up which I figured was a good sign that I could do it. A quick trip to good old Tar-Jay for the DVD and the hand weights and I was ready to roll.

 

As soon as I started I realized I was in trouble. I can’t do 3-minutes of push-ups and I haven’t done a jumping jack in years. Both are required just for Level 1. I can’t remember the last time I lifted a weight and 2 minutes in I’m supposed to be doing rapid arm curls. I also do not own sneakers. Probably would be helpful.

I got my butt kicked—there were several times when I was ready to stop, but Mike would wander in and shout “Good job!!” so that gave me some extra energy to keep moving. He’s a great cheerleader :)

I’m not anticipating any major results with all this exercise but it does help with the guilt when I reach for that extra Peppermint Patty!

Yoga image found here

I forgive you.

Today I went to David's Bridal to order my bridesmaid dress for an upcoming wedding. I was hesitant to walk into that store after my experience looking for a wedding dress. I know it's a chain and the majority of brides get their dress from there, which is why my Mom insisted we check it out. I agreed and wish I hadn't!

I hate the fact that it's always crowded in there. I hate that you have to have an appointment just to step through the doors. I hate that brides insist on bringing every female they know along with them. I hate that the 'consultants' come into the dressing room with you while you change. I hate that they sell your information to every possible solicitor. Needless to say, I did not purchase my dress from David's Bridal.

However, the bridesmaid dress I was buying is really cute--they do have a big selection and it's really convenient that they have so many locations. So I arrived for my 12:00 appointment today a few minutes before they opened and once they did it was mass hysteria. People rushing through the doors, lots of excited giggles and picture-taking, "Going to the Chapel" blaring over the speakers. It was my hell. I realized how incredibly happy I was to already be married and to be done with this whole process.

I waited a few minutes after I was told they were locating my dress. No one came back to get me. I asked for help and a nice saleswoman guided me over to the dresses and told me to help myself. So basically you need an appointment just to reserve a dressing room? More eye-rolling from me.

But here's the whole point of this story: I brought two different sizes to try on. One was the same size as my wedding dress and one was the next size up. I brought the smaller size as a little wishful thinking. And I'll be damned--IT FIT.  This is monumental because I recently tried on my wedding dress and didn't even come close to zipping it up. But not this time--you better believe I fist-pumped it out in that dressing room and even let out a little "YEAH!"

So thank you David's Bridal. I needed this small victory and never thought you would be the one to provide it.

Images found here, here and here

Fitness Freak

I wanted to share a little update on my yoga adventure.

For starters, I have not given up yet--which says a lot because I am lay-zee. But there have been some setbacks, namely the holidays and our crazy social calendar as of late. I try to workout every other day, but I have gone 5 or 6 days with nothing. This totally sucks and I pay for it big time, but I get back on the horse.

We also don't have a great space in our house for me to practice. You are supposed to use a rubber mat on a hard surface but our house is fully carpeted. It's really hard to balance without a sturdy surface underneath you (there was a lot of falling and cursing involved during this phase) and then it hit me:

Yup, that's my viewpoint from the kitchen. Ideal? No. But I work with what I got.

Since I'm wicked lazy about any type of exercise I had to find my motivation. When we booked our beach trip this summer with our friends (and some of the skinniest girls I know) that got me moving. I refuse to be the beached whale come July.

  source 

The results have been slow but positive. I haven't lost any weight but I also haven't gained any and I can definitely see the start of muscles. But here's the kicker: I am crazy strong now! I opened a jar the other day without any help--yes, I was that weak beforehand-- and I can actually do push-ups. I made Mike go deadweight the other day and I pulled him like 10 feet. That boy is not petite.

It helps that my hubby is on a fitness kick now too, having since joined a hockey league. There is nothing but produce in our fridge. He's even volunteered to do the yoga with me, which probably won't be helpful because I'll be laughing the entire way through it.

I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking with it for this long! Now if I could only figure out how to "pull my belly button into my spine"....

Melt your heart to the sky

Lately I have been working on my character. I often complain about problems but make no effort to resolve them and it's been bugging me. After a recent run-in with a rude store employee I was telling my Mom about the situation, who in turn said "You don't have a right to complain if you're not going to do something about it." So I picked up the phone and reported the employee to their manager. And I felt much better.

My current dilemma has been my little weight gaining situation. In reality it's maybe 5 pounds, but I feel like I have lost control. Enter my new mantra--I could whine, or I could so something about it! Small problem: I hate exercising. Despise it. I've gone on short kicks of going to the gym in the past, but inevitably I find an excuse to quit. So joining a gym is out of the question because it would be a complete waste of money.

I do own a yoga mat and actually did a workout DVD for a little while, but the workout was so hard to follow that I gave up. But I love the idea of yoga because it's all strength and toning, which is what I really need.

I was in Target yesterday and picked up this:

Jillian Michaels scares me because she is intense about exercising, but I need a good kick in the pants to get moving and figured she would be the best at it. Plus she throws some cardio into the workout so it mixes things up a bit.

I started today with the Level 1 Workout and after 5 minutes I was sweating profusely. 15 minutes in and I thought I was having a heart attack. At the end of the 30 minute workout I was whimpering, but it felt great. It was easy to follow and it was just the right amount of yoga slang mixed with actual instructions. I am sore all over but I'm hoping that's just my muscles waking up and not a sign of me doing the poses the wrong way!

Wish me luck and next time you see me I'm gonna be totally ripped.
 
Yoga image

Gut Check

I’m fortunate to work with some lovely girls. We all get along and it helps ease the stress in our jobs, which also makes the work day go by so much faster.

Since we’re all around the same age, we are all at pretty much the same point in our lives. Katie just recently got married, and Kristen is expecting her first baby next month. It’s great to be able to share stories about our lives and learn through each other’s experiences.

I recently decided I’ve taken this “sharing” to a whole new level. Kristen sits less than two feet away from me, so I can always hear when snack time comes for her and the little one. Of course we all have a mid-morning snack, but I found that I started adding more snacks throughout the day because Kristen was having hers.

I became a sympathy eater.

I know I’m not the only one who eats more at work than they do when they’re home, but this was ridiculous! The worst part is that Kristen is a candy-addict; I started making trips with her to the vending machine (hey, pregnant ladies need their exercise!)

This bad boy is my new foe/love of my life:

Seriously, is there anything more delicious?

I’m trying to reel it in, but it’s really hard to when you’ve unknowingly trained yourself to eat every hour. Oh and PS, I do not exercise. Gyms are the devil. Instead, I’ve resigned myself to staring at my perfectly altered wedding dress and hoping that will just do the trick.

Wish me luck—11 days to go!