Snow, Update, Snow, Infusion, Snow, Workouts, Snow, Food, Snow

I had my infusion on Friday. It was a long day-we left the house at 4:00 am (it was snowing so we wanted to leave a bit earlier than normal) and didn't get home until 9:30 pm. I slept on the way back, and then pretty much all weekend. I slept all weekend-my biggest side effect after infusion is always fatigue. By Monday morning, I felt a lot better, and by yesterday I was feeling like myself again. I went to the gym yesterday and did 20 minutes of cardio & 30 minutes of strength training. Oh, and 45 minutes of shoveling snow. Here I am after shoveling:




Whoa...we have had FOUR big snow storms in the past week. There is another storm on it's way tonight.


Seriously. SO MUCH SNOW!

The girls have had 4 school cancellations and 1 delay start due to storms. At this rate, they will be in school until July!

I went to the gym again this morning and did 30 minutes of cardio-proof:





I picked up coffee for a friend & I for an impromptu coffee date! I haven't seen my buddy Freda for awhile and I missed her. We had a nice chat and then I went through the car wash:





The girls had swim lessons at the Y, and then I took a Toning class-I've been taking this class on Wednesdays since it immediately follows their swim lessons. They join in and love it too!

Other than this past weekend (infusion), I have been eating really well. I have been tracking on the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone consistently for the past 20 days. Here are a couple of meals I snapped pics of-

I made a batch of cauliflower rice and had it for lunch yesterday along with sliced cucumber and some leftover chicken breast:


Not the best pic, but this was some cod that I baked with sundried tomato & capers. I chopped up half a jicama and mixed it with a mashed avocado, salt and the juice of half a lime-fantastic!



Tonight, I had baked wild salmon and sautéed green beans & mushrooms (forgot to take a picture). For breakfasts, I've been having hard-boiled eggs with sugar snap peas. I'm eating lots of veggies and protein with limited carbs. I'm feeling great!

Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, thought I'd give a product rave. I have been looking for a new eye cream. I have a Clarisonic Opal that I absolutely love, but hadn't been using it. I started using it again and was reminded how much I love it, but needed a new eye cream. I need something that is really moisturizing, but gentle due to my eye disease. After reading a bunch of reviews, I decided to try this:





LOVE! it is so moisturizing and gentle. I absolutely love it! It works great with the Opal as well...Winner! I got it on Amazon for $11.00!

That is all for now...have a great evening!


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TWENTY-NINE POINT SIX!!

Yesterday, we took another long ride-my longest yet-29.6 miles! I had a lot of improvement with my breathing on this ride. I did, however, get fatigued about 3/4 way into the ride. I think it was more of a mental fatigue because once we got close to the end, I felt an energy surge. Nothing can beat the cycling high after a ride-it's insane! After I cool down, I get this really great feeling of pride. It's awesome!

Here are my stats from Strava:










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TWENTY-SIX POINT FIVE!

Yesterday morning, we headed up to visit my parents at their campsite for the day. First on the agenda: drop the kids off with the grandparents and take our first long ride together! We planned our route and headed out...for a 26.5 mile ride-my longest yet. I've only had my bike for a week, and my longest ride was 10.7 miles, so I wasn't sure if I was up for the challenge. The first half of the ride wasn't too bad, although there were a lot of hills. Once we got to our halfway point, I was definitely ready to get back to the campground! I was pretty tired. When I saw the campground sign, I was so happy! We rode into the campground and saw Maya & Suri and my parents-then the pride sat in! I was so proud! I honestly did not think I could do it...it just goes to show, I'm much stronger than I give myself credit for!
I practically ran to the shower and after I caught my breath, the good old cycling high kicked in. I swear there is NOTHING better than that feeling.
Today I am resting and reading. I wonder what tomorrow will bring...

Here we are at our halfway point:




This is about 3/4 through our ride:


Here are my stats:


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TEN POINT SEVEN

This morning I decided to try to tackle those hills again. I tackled, and added .7 mile to boot! It was definitely a bit easier today, but still hard! I may have told Anand " I hate those hills" when I got home. But, man...as much as I hate them, they totally motivate me and increase my confidence! I left home around 10:30 this morning and it was a super hot day. When I got home, I told the girls we were heading to the beach. It was 93 degrees! That may have also increased my confidence a bit  ( knowing I could ride in that heat)!

Here is a snapshot of my Strava app:





I'm proud of myself!

In gardening news, we harvested some butter lettuce tonight and made turkey taco mix lettuce wraps...yum!




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TEN Miles!

This morning, I started out on a bike ride. I was feeling good, so I decided to try to loop down by the beach and back. My friend, Amy, was there so it gave me an incentive to get there to surprise her! I made it there easily, but was very nervous about the ride back as it's pretty hilly. I kept giving myself little goals (get to that mailbox, get up that hill, etc.) and it really helped. While I was going up hills that were rough and my breathing would get heavy, I was literally saying out loud "you can do this" and guess what? I did! I was SO proud!

Here are my stats:




And here is a picture I had my friend, Amy, take of me at the beach:



I cannot believe how much of a confidence boost these few rides have given me! I am feeling great and loving every minute of it!


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I'm BACK...

to being ME finally! It's been a fantastic week so far! I feel good and have been eating well, working out, and tracking my food! I'm not counting WW points as realistically, it's not for me-I just can't see doing that for life. I do, however, like to track at times just to see how I'm doing nutritionally. So far, so good! I definitely find that when I track everything I eat, I think more about if I really want something or not. It's all good!

Yesterday morning I went to the gym and did the elliptical for 30 minutes at a moderate pace. Then, I had an appointment to work out with my trainer. I started out on the treadmill and then we did some strength training. My shoulders & arms felt SO good last night! This morning, I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and I'm feeling great!

On the nutrition front, I am doing well. I am sticking to my meal plan and am preparing my food for the day. I made "egg muffins" again this week. Super simple-1/4 cup eggbeaters in each slot of a muffin tin, then add whatever veggies you like (I sauteed a pan of spinach, broccoli, onion, red & yellow pepper, and  mushrooms)-then sprinkle feta cheese on top and bake until set). I have 2 of them for breakfast-it's a great way to get some veggies & protein in to start the day. I baked salmon, cod, and chicken breasts for the week (LOVE that I have protein all ready to grab for meals), so I've been having one or the other along with either the quinoa & edamame supermix that I made. Delicious! Last night, I had a few hours to myself, so a friend & I went out to dinner. I normally would have had a margarita, but thought about it and decided I didn't really want to drink all of those calories since I've been feeling so great! :)

THIS is how I like to feel...working out, proper nutrition=happy ME!

Motivation!

I changed up my workout routine a bit this week. I did the Dynamic Fitness class on Monday morning that Tony teaches. I also decided to add in his Wednesday class. This morning, I woke up and was S.O.R.E. I had an appointment to work out with Tony, and wanted to skip it desperately! But, I put on my big girl pants and made my way to the gym. I was honestly hoping that he would be "busy" so I could do a light treadmill workout. No such luck! He came in approximately 2 seconds into my "treadmill workout" and told me I should do the class that was starting up. I looked at him and told him I was SO SORE-he said, "why? (smart ass!) Well, go ahead out there because it's starting". Me, being the ever obedient "student", said "ok" and went out. Yikes. We did circuits with abs at the end. I yelled at Tony at one point and told him I hated him. :)

I got to work and sent him the following email:




I’ll appreciate you later though-I’m sure of it.

His response?

Today was going to be dead lifts and lunges and some heavy rope work… so I’d imagine that either way you’d be hating me at this moment. It looked like you all were getting a real solid stretch afterwards too, hopefully that will help your recovery process from the “bottom” soreness you’re experiencing. J

-Tony

My response:

I say that I hate you, but considering the pants I just bought 2 weeks ago are already loose, it’s actually quite the opposite :)

His response:

Great to hear Nicole! Always a good feeling to fit into smaller pants! Remembah Grasshoppah, you’re doing all the work here, I am merely providing a wee bit of guidance. Keep on rockin!

-Tony

How motivating is that?! 

Proud Moment of the Day!

First of all, I came into work to another Boss's Day surprise! This time it was a Dunkin Donuts giftcard! SWEET!

I got an email from my trainer. This is what he wrote:


"Nicole. Kristen needed to free up more time in the mornings for her 1 on 1 and semi-private trainings. Given that you are truly in pretty darn good physical condition, I was wondering if I began teaching a 30 minute Dynamic fitness class on Mondays at 7am, if you’d still want to come. It’d be much of the same things you and I work on Mondays anyways and I’d still consider it an appointment if that helps you stay accountable. Then on Thursdays we could focus on some other exercises? I welcome your feedback…

-Tony"

Please note the line that reads "Given that you are truly in pretty darn good physical condition". Did you see that?! "Given that you are truly in pretty darn good physical condition" ME????? Seriously???!!!

This totally made my day. Here is my reply:


"First of all, you just made me smile (and extremely happy!) by saying that I am “truly in pretty darn good physical condition”!

You made my day!

And, yes-I will join in on your Monday class"

I forwarded it, along with my response, to my Facilitator & Wellness Coach. I even printed it out to place in my ME 4 Life binder! So excited!  Who woulda' thought?!! Certainly not me!

Walk for Hope!

The girls & I walked in the Walk for Hope this past weekend. Darcy, their teacher and our friend, organized a team for the event.





Here are the girls before we started:





Maya hugging her friend, Ava:





Here is Maya showing that she walked her first 5K!







And Suri!





Here are the girls signing the board:












It was a great day for a walk!


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Sometimes things don't go as planned...

but they turn into learning experiences! I went to the gym this afternoon for the indoor cycling class. When I got there, I found out the class was cancelled today. My first thought was "well, I guess I'll go back to work then!". Then, I thought about it for a minute and decided since I was there to work out, I should actually work out! I did 35 minutes on the elliptical! Was it as "hard" of a workout as cycling class? No. Was it a good, solid workout? YES!

Oops...I did it again!

...in my best Britney voice...

I went to the indoor cycling class again today! We did ladders-T.O.U.G.H!

So, this is the thing. AGAIN, ten minutes into it I thought "why did I do this again? I'm never going to be able to finish, I'm never coming back. I HATE this more than anything in the world!". Then, I got "into the groove" and at the end I was SO happy that I did it and can't wait to do it again. Who am I?! :) Total Love-Hate relationship! And from what I heard from Jameson & Nancy (my wellness coach), it's pretty normal. So, yes, I will go back to cycling class on Tuesday. I will HATE it for the first ten minutes and then will love it at the end :)

I DID IT!

I have been wanting to try the Indoor Cycling class at the gym for some time now, but have been intimidated, nervous, and scared about it. I've never taken a spin class before, so I guess I just wasn't sure if I could do it or not. Well, I decided that today was the day! So, off I went to the gym and nervously hopped on the bike. About ten minutes into it, I thought I might die and knew there was no way I would ever be able to make it through. Then, I got into a groove and decided that I was going to push through until either I passed out, fell off the bike, or best case scenario-finished. I FINISHED! I was SO Proud of myself after! And I'm so glad that I gave it a shot and didn't give up when it got hard. And MAN-was it ever hard!

Fitness Assessment!

I had my fitness assessment this morning! I was actually looking forward to this one (very much unlike the last one!). I've been working out consistently and my nutrition has definitely improved. Two weeks ago, I felt like I needed to add something in, so I added Zumba twice a week. I love Zumba! It's so much fun!

So, here are the results of my fitness assessment:

Blood Pressure: 115/68
Resting Heart Rate: 91
Chest: 35.25 (minus 1.25)
Waist: 34.5 (minus 1.25)
Iliac Crest: 36.75 (minus 1.75)
Hips/Buttocks: 40.5 (minus 1.5)
Thigh: 22 (minus .5)

Total Inches Lost: 6.25!


Weight today was 174.6 (loss of 3.6 lbs)
BMI today was 31.7 (not sure what it was last time, but it went down a bit)
Body Fat % today was 39% (again, not sure about last time, but it went down a bit)
Life Fitness Treadmill test-4.0 MPH: 25.5

All in all, I am very happy with the results. It proves that if I work hard, not only will I feel better, but I will see results!

Then, Jameson kicked my butt with a TOUGH workout. As in, the toughest workout I've had with him.



BUT, I had something to look forward to when I got back to work! I had scheduled my first ever "seated massage"! We are offered seated massages weekly-15 minutes for $12. I have no idea why I had not taken advantage of this before, but I can guarantee they will be a regular routine for me now! HEAVENLY! Here is the chair:


I could have slept in that thing for the rest of the day! This afternoon I have my first facilitation for the new ME 4 Life program! I can't wait!

FRIDAY!

TGIF! And a long weekend to boot-life is good!

Accomplishments this week:

I turned in my August fitness log with 700 minutes of working out-that is a 350 % increase from July-go ME!

I worked out 5 times this week (personal training sessions Wednesday & Friday, strength class on Tuesday, Zumba on Tuesday & Thursday)! I had been consistently working out 3 times/week for about 5 weeks and felt that it was time to add something else in so I added my old favorite, Zumba! LOVE it! AWESOME workout but fun at the same time!

I finally bit the bullet and went back to Weight Watchers.


I hadn't been since May 6. I figured it was time! And of course, it didn't hurt that I've been working my butt off and was down 3 pounds. My new facilitation group starts Wednesday and I am SO excited!

In other news,
I have yet another new trainer. This makes the FOURTH since I started ME First. Here is the rundown: Number one was Becky. I LOVE Becky! She got me excited to work out and for the first time in my life, I looked forward to it and enjoyed it. Then, she was promoted to the Healthy Directions classes, so was no longer my trainer. Then, I was told I would have a new trainer. A male trainer-Aaron. He would be coming in new so I hadn't met him and was so nervous (SCARED!) about having a male trainer. My trainer takes my measurements and works out with me so it's a pretty "intimate" relationship. I mean, seriously, my husband doesn't even know my measurements.


Then, the minute I met Aaron I felt at ease. He is extremely compassionate and not intimidating at all. We developed a friendship. Aaron introduced me to kettlebells, which I loved! We worked out together twice a week, met each other's families (our spouses & daughters all get along fabulously!), and hung out together. I even created a tag on my blog for Aaron after his wife told me it would make it easier to read the stuff I write about him. :) Then, the bomb dropped. Aaron was leaving. I was seriously upset over that news. I was positive that nobody would ever fill Aaron's shoes. I miss Aaron. Thankfully, we're still in touch :)
Then, there was Jameson. I was very skeptical just because he wasn't Aaron! Totally not fair, but it was how I felt. I met with Jameson and decided to utilize my twice weekly sessions with him. We totally hit it off! Jameson is great because he has a way to make me work myself harder than I think I'm able to. While still being compassionate, he pushes me. He is also a great listener-he is a behavioral health specialist as well-exactly what I need :) I had a day where I just needed to talk. We did some stretching, and then he listened to me. At the end of our "session", I apologized and he told me not to worry and that "mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness". So, then, when I got in to the pilot program, ME 4 Life, the bomb dropped again. Now I would have Tony as my trainer. This is where I totally came unglued. Well, that is a bit dramatic, but I was quite upset. I immediately emailed my wellness coach, Nancy (oh yeah, she is new to me as well but I love her!) and told her I needed to talk. I've been through all of these changes and I want to be positive about it, but I really enjoy my workouts with Jameson and (said while stomping my feet!) I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER NEW TRAINER!


I'll just put it out there-Tony intimidates me. Bigtime. I'm not really sure why other than I have seen him teaching classes and working out and he "seems" really tough. From what I've heard from other participants, he is totally the opposite of my perception of him. I know it's just a "perception" so I'm trying to focus on being open-minded and just give him a chance. He will never be Becky. He will never be Aaron. He will never be Jameson. And that is ok. I need to get to know Tony for who he is and learn what I can from him. Just as I wouldn't want to be compared to anyone else, it's not fair of me to compare him to anyone else. Maybe Tony will give me a little "tough love"-maybe that is what I need. Who knows? But, I do know one thing-I will work with him and see what it is that he can offer me and take full advantage of it!

I asked Jameson if I could still have my next assessment with him and he said yes. He will still be at the gym, so I can still contact him, work out with him, etc. Yesterday Tony sent a really nice introductory email with a survey to complete. I completed the survey and scheduled a meeting with him (first assessment). I scheduled that for Thursday so that I can "close the loop" on my assessment with Jameson on Wednesday (my 6 week assessment) and start fresh with Tony. Wish me luck!

Very Successful Week!

PROUD!

One of the requirements of ME First (the wellness program that I am in) is to keep a "fitness log" and submit it monthly to your fitness specialist. These logs look like a calendar and are a spreadsheet with formulas. For any given date, you enter what type of exercise you did (cardio/strength/flexibility), number of minutes, heart rate, and perceived exertion based on a scale of 6 (no exertion) to 20 (maximal exertion).  Due to my, um, lack of motivation over the past few months this is what mine have looked like lately:

May-0

June-0

July-200 (remember-this was the month I had my "lightbulb moment" at my fitness assessment)

This morning I opened my August spreadsheet up and was SO happy to discover that as of today-the 17th day of August-I have worked out for 418 minutes! Keep in mind that there are still FOURTEEN days left in the month! 

Lean & Mean

I've been working out with Jameson twice a week for a little over a month now. When I worked out with him on Tuesday, he said that I should try his "Lean & Mean" class. I asked him if he thought I could handle it. He said "yeah, it's hard but I think you can do it". I told him I'd think about it. :) Today was the day. Oh. My. God. I thought I was going to have a heart attack, but somehow I got through it. Oh, and did I mention that Jameson said that he was "nice" today?! I have to admit that I was pretty proud that I was able to do it though!

When I got back, I sent him this:

Note to Jameson: If I'm too sore to shop this weekend, you're in BIG trouble! :)

A Big Decision and an "AHA Moment"

Be warned...this is going to be long!

Yesterday, I resigned as President-elect of MeHIMA. It has been looming over me since the "great lymphoma scare of 2010". I feel like I've been burning the candle on both ends and that was just one more thing that I had to make time for and quite honestly, it was beginning to feel like a burden (which honestly benefits nobody-me or MeHIMA). I need to simplify my life and focus on my health & family. So, yesterday I gave my resignation and it feels great.

Today was my March ME First facilitation meeting. I woke up this morning and didn't want to go. I thought about it and decided that I really needed to go regardless if I wanted to or not. Plus, when I don't feel like going is the time that I actually need it the most. So, I went. We all started talking and doing our "check-ins" and I just didn't want to talk. I knew that if I started talking, I would end up crying and I just didn't feel like it. So I didn't do a "check-in".

We were handed some paperwork regarding goal setting and a form on "Process for Creating Long Term Goals". This form was basically a range of numbers from 1-10. 10 is the "ideal state" which should be a stretch, but also realistically attainable. Things to consider are: how will you be feeling? How will you be looking? What will you be physically capable of doing? How will you be eating? How will you be exercising? What will be your overall health (including medication use, disease management, etc.). On the 1-10 scale, we were instructed to mark where we believe we were when we started ME First and write some descriptors of our condition at that time. Then, we were instructed to mark where we believe we are today and add some descriptors. Finally, we were instructed to mark the place on the 1-10 scale where we would like to be in 6-12 months and write descriptors for how we will be then. AND write a "long term (6-12 months) goal" for ourself at the top of the goal worksheet.

I started filling it out and had no problem at all writing down my "ideal state": at goal weight, feeling fit & fabulous, looking fit (toned & healthy), physically capable of working out 4-5 times a week, eating clean 80% of the time, strength, cardio, & flexibility 4-5 times per week, overall health (taking vitamins/supplements regularly), feeling good, clothes fitting well, lots of energy, no low back pain (don't even get me started on that one!), feeling good about appearance.

I completed the "mark where you believe you were when you started ME First and write descriptors. I feel that I was at a "2" and used the following descriptors: overweight, inactive, eating very poorly, no energy, felt really bad about my appearance.

Then, I had a hard time. I had to write where I felt I was today. I did it-marked myself at a "5" because although I've "fallen back", I have learned so much and feel that I'm farther along than where I was when I started. BUT, I kept looking at the paper and it just felt like it didn't show the "full picture". I kept obsessing over where I was 6-8 months ago. Then, I feel that I was doing great and was well on my way to my ideal. I would say I was about an "8" on the numbers range. I was eating nutritiously, working out regularly and was well on my way to my weight loss goal. And honestly, weight is not the most important factor in that (although when I first started it was my number one motivator). I want to be leading an active & healthy lifestyle and the weight is just a number because if I am doing what I want to be doing, the weight loss will just be an added bonus.

So, I kept looking up at Jeri (my facilitator) and then I would look down. I was trying to decide if I wanted to talk or not because I knew that the minute I opened my mouth the tears would start. Well, I had to talk. So, I explained to Jeri that I was struggling because I felt like I had been so close to my goals and then went backwards. Jeri is awesome. I felt that she was truly listening and got what I was saying. She helped to redirect all of the negative energy that I  was feeling into more of an empowering direction. (if that makes sense). She asked me why I felt that I couldn't get back to where I wanted to be. She asked me if I had fear. YES! That is exactly it. I am sooooo scared that if I get back to a place where I'm feeling great and achieving my goals, then what happens if I have another health crisis, or something else that derails me? Well, she said that is just how life is and the one thing she said that totally sent chills up my spine was this: "Do not fear yesterday or tomorrow because we only have TODAY". Wow. I just got chills again typing it. It is SO true. I have been beating myself up because I have not been eating well, not been working out because of my back-I am focusing so much on the negative. So, I really thought long & hard about what she said and decided that if I want to achieve my goals, I really need to stop all of the negative chatter that is going on in my head. And in all honestly, I am certainly not where I was when I started ME First. I have gained soooo much information. I know myself more, I know what "makes me tick". So, today is the first day of me taking it one day at a time and just doing what I need to do to achieve my goals. Will I have setbacks? Of course I will-I'm human and life happens. But, will I achieve my goals? You better believe I will! I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but does it really matter? All I can do is focus on now.

So, my goals for today are:

1. Set up appointment with Jameson (my new fitness specialist-Aaron is no longer with ME First-more on that later!)

2. Call my doctor and get an order to get my vitamin D level checked.

3. Schedule meeting with Hope (my wellness coach).


UPDATE on goals:

1. I emailed Jameson, he replied so we're working on a date/time. 
2. Called and left voicemail. Waiting for response. Update: Doctor's office called me back. She wants me to come over at 2:30 today to do some bloodwork. She is doing vitamin D level as well as thyroid & CBC.
3. March 14 at 1:00


Do Not Fear Yesterday or Tomorrow-we only have TODAY.

Yikes!

I went for my fitness assessment today (another post with measurement update to follow). I asked Aaron if he could do this for me:

I worked out more in August than I have in months, but unfortunately I apparently ate all the calories I burned. What's a girl to do but wire her jaw?! So, taking no pity Aaron upped the ante. This was him today:

He told me "time to get serious". We did legs today-yikes. And, me being me, while doing one of the machines he had me "drop it down one" and do 5 reps. Well, instead of "dropping it down" I was adding weight. I wondered why it seemed to get heavier every time, but thought my legs were just tired. He said I was adding weight instead of decreasing. Ha ha. Leave it to me. So, after the workout when my legs felt like this:

Aaron told me that the next time we do legs we're adding lunges around the gym TWICE. Then, he said "You'll be buff for your next assessment...if you live". I'm in trouble.

Strut My Stuff!

This morning I received the following e-mail from Hope, my wellness coach.

"Hi 6A group - facilitation for July will be on the 7th and for August will be on the 18th.
The celebration will be on August 20th from 8:30 to 11:30 am at the Civic Center in Augusta. If you are willing to "strut" your stuff and give us a little blip to be read about your year in Me First, we would love to have you do that. Please let me know.
Hope your day is a healthy one!
Hope


ME First Program - Wellness Coach"



When I first read the e-mail, I thought "yeah, right. Like I'm a good example (since I was in kind of a downward spiral over the past month or so". Then, I went to work out with Aaron (separate story to follow). When I got back, I sat down and thought "I have come so far in the past year and DAMN it...I want to strut my stuff!". I remember sitting at orientation and seeing the people on the screen and I actually told several people "next year that will be me". Well, it's time and I'm ready! SO...this is my reply to Hope:
 
 
"Oh, you know I’m more than willing!


Before I started ME First, I was in pretty bad shape health-wise. After giving birth to my twin daughters in 2006 I developed Cardiomyopathy & hypertension. My heart was enlarged, my resting heart rate was very high, my blood pressure was through the roof and I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. I decided it was time for a lifestyle change. I wanted to be an example for my children to lead an active & healthy lifestyle.


Since joining ME First, I have lost roughly 25 pounds and over 25 inches! I was able to go off medication for the cardiomyopathy/hypertension, all of my bloodwork is now normal (no longer pre-diabetic), my heart rate is normal, and I actually enjoy (gasp!) exercise.


I have done things I never would have thought possible before-I jogged a 5K in 42 minutes (I could never understand before why anyone would want to torture themselves that way!),have tried many different fitness classes, taken up strength training (LOVE that it makes me feel strong), and work out with kettlebells (my current favorite!).
ME First has changed my life as well as the life of my family!
How’s that?!
Nicole"

 
So, back to the workout story, I was feeling great today. Last night my friend, Monika, came over with a TON of fresh herbs & some flowers. I was immediately inspired (separate post to follow!) and decided it was time to "step up to the plate". I am happy to report that today has been a great "food day". I had steel cut oats with almond milk, blueberries, half a banana & cinnamon for breakfast. For lunch, I had whole wheat couscous with tons of fresh veggies & herbs. I've had green tea, one of these after working out, and fresh veggies for snacks. I feel so great-energetic, light & just fabulous! So, back to the story (sorry for the rambling but that's me!). I go to the gym for my workout with Aaron. The receptionist calls him to let him know that I'm there, but he is on the phone. SO...I said, "hey, I'm feeling super motivated today. Think if I hop on the elliptical while I'm waiting I can get some brownie points"?! So, I did! I hopped on the elliptical and Aaron came out after 5 minutes (and a whole 37 calories burned-woo hoo!). I asked him about "brownie points" and he laughed. Then, he handed me my ass. Seriously. As in, the hardest workout I think I've ever had! In fact, when I finished he said "you just burned about 1000 calories". My reply? Jeez-you shouldn't have told me that because now I'll probably have to make a trip to Dairy Queen"! HA HA! (just kidding-kind of). Then, I proceeded to walk over to the receptionist and say: "um, next time I decide to earn some brownie points, don't! He worked me harder than ever!". She laughed and said she would remind me. Seriously, it was an awesome workout-exactly what I needed!

Stuff!

I had my Nurse Assessment today-it went very well. She compared the results from the health risk assessments I had taken in September & in April-it was amazing! It gave me a real boost of motivation to see it in front of me!
I went to Dick's Sporting Goods to pick up a 25 lb. kettlebell...Aaron had told me I could do some swings, throw it as far as I could (obviously outside!) and sprint to get it. What a great idea! I looked on Amazon and found this one:

for $49.99-free shipping, no tax. Well, Dick's had it for $59.99 and I googled and found a printable coupon for $10 off so I went to pick one up. I got to the register and she said she could not accept the coupon. Well, for $10 off and no sales tax I'll order from Amazon thank you very much! So...I may have to wait for a week or so, but it will be here soon enough!

I went to check out Bath & Body Works big sale. I had a coupon for 20% off so figured it would be a nice little gift to myself. I planned on picking something fruity & summery. I liked the orange sapphire scent:

It was really fruity & summery. BUT...then I found the "Shea Cashmere" True Blue Spa collection and was sold. SO YUMMY! The description says "Spritz all all over your body and wrap yourself in a warm blend of frothed milk, golden butterscotch, and Tahitian vanilla musk. "


I got the Shower Cream:

The Body Lotion:

The Fragrance Mist:

And the Hand Cream:

YUM! I can't wait to try it tomorrow!

I also picked up some mini hand sanitizers that were a dollar each and some of this that I've read about forever-it's a celeb favorite and I've always wanted to give it a try. I tried it on my lips and it feels like silk! You can use it on your lips, cuticles, elbows, basically anywhere you need some conditioning.

Then it was time to face the scale! DOWN .6 pound...WOO HOO! Not a lot, but it's a loss and I'll take it! I've gained the last few weeks I've gone so I feel like I'm now back on track! Monika & I made a pact tonight-we're both going to track our food for the next week. We're also going to hit the gym after work tomorrow for some cardio! I found a 30 minute "calorie-busting" routine for the treadmill in Shape magazine I want to try.