Busiest day of my LIFE...

Today was one of those days to where I just did not have time to do anything at all but work.  In fact, getting up to pee was taking so much time away from my inbox, I seriously wish that teleporting was a viable option.  I worked solid from 8:00 AM until 6:30 PM. 

This is how I felt all day:

So what do you do on a day  when you know your odds of getting to the gym are slim to none, and eating unhealthy food is very likely?  You don't give in.  Case in point, I brought my clean meal of leftover lean steak, peppers and onions, brown rice, some fresh corn, and half an avocado (I'm addicted to those things lately) to work today.  Around 11:30, I noticed someone had an open box of leftover pizza sitting on the counter.  Oozing cheese, pepperoni and greasy goodness.  I resisted, heated up my little meal, and went on about my clean-eating business.  I'm not gonna lie though, I thought about taking a ginormous bite of pizza, sighing in delight, and then letting the grease drip down my chin.  But no, brown rice all day long. 

When it became evident that a workout would most likely be missed tonight, I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I took the stairs up and down between floors a few times.  I rode the elevator and did squats while riding.  I did some wall sits in a conference room.  Did I look ridiculous? Why, absolutely my dear Watson! I was also in a dress all day long, which probably made it even more ridiculous.  But are my legs kinda sore right now?  YES!

One thing I try to remember in this time of cleansing, eating clean and exercising is this: just because you're busy and stressed in one area of life doesn't mean you have to totally lose focus on all of the OTHER areas.  I didn't make it to the gym like I wanted to today.  I was REALLY looking forward to my 6:00 training session.  But missing the gym did not mean it was ok to let it all hang out, shovel in some bad food and then be miserable. 

So cleanse updates: Still feeling pretty phenomenal on day 4!  Even though I had a crazy day, no official gym workout and a sore shoulder, I'm noticing a big increase in energy each day.  I feel very clear in the mental area, and I also feel like I'm not yawning by 3 every afternoon.  It's kinda like Bradley Cooper in "Limitless".....only I'm not winning a bazillion dollars in the stock market...but maybe I should try that tomorrow :)

Alright ya'll, it's been a long day, but it's almost Friday!  Now please go do the following:

Venting...and some wedding updates/advice!

Ok so I have to vent for a sec.  I definitely have an issue with Matt Lauer after today's interview with Paula Deen.  What a complete toolbag-face!  I've officially lost a great deal of respect for a news show that I usually enjoy watching.  Let's go back several years to his train wreck interview with Britney Spears.  She was preggers, hanging out of her tank top, and one of her false eyelashes came off during the interview.  She cried and he was OH so sympathetic to someone that was OBVIOUSLY having serious mental and emotional issues.  I think she complained about being too famous? Her hair extensions? Having kids??

Seriously LAUER? You were super sweet to this when it happened!

 

Now yes, I know that Paula pulled a major no-no when it comes to using a word that should never be used.  But she was obviously remorseful this morning and her feet were held to a fire that I consider fueled by an egotistical journalist.  I hope we can go back in your past, MATTY POO, and find some dirt.  Do unto others, brother. 

 

Ok I digress, I'm fired up and need to channel that energy into something positive.  So here are a few wedding updates!

 

1.  We have a CAKE (thank you Publix!)

 

 

2.  We also may have flowers! I may still try to do these myself just to practice and see how I do, but we have a backup option...(thank you again, Publix)

3.  I found a lovely salon to do make-up for the wedding.  Planning on scheduling a trial run very soon so I can post pictures of a Greta Garbo-esque face.  Think old Hollywood glamour. 

4.  We have possibly settled on a honeymoon spot! We're taking a bigger trip next year, but a romantic getaway somewhere close by is what we're after.

5.  I MIGHT be getting Botox...in my crow's feet...dot dot dot...smile :)  I would like for my face to look like this when it's done:

 

  JUSTTTTTTTT kidding!

 

Someone asked me recently how I'm liking the planning process.  I am LOVING it.  I hear a lot of conflicting opinions about the planning phase.  Some brides hate it, they loathe putting together table settings, or don't know how to make decisions.  Other brides take their Pinterest skills to a new level, and plan the most amazing and spectacular shindig this side of the Mississippi, on their own, without a planner, with $5.  Well, that's just not natural.  They key to everything is not letting the bull... get ya down.

 

Here's advice I have to anyone planning a wedding:

 

-  Realize it's not about just YOU, but you AND your loving fiancé.  The wedding should be a reflection of the two of you.  YES, some of you girls have been dreaming of your special day since you were five, but chances are, your ideas have changed a little bit.  Keep you guy involved.  Jarrett managed to make some really logical decisions when I was struggling at times, so don't forget about the man that put that nice rock on your left hand.

-  Plan the big things first (venue, music, food and bar), and then fill in the little details later.

-  If you have a budget, do try to stick to it, but do be ok with going over it a little.  Not a lot though, nobody wants to be like paying for all that 3 years later.

-  DON'T DO WEDDING STUFF EVERY DAY! This is pretty common in the beginning, but once you're initial excitement dies down, pick a night or two to plan, and then continue on with normal life as usual.  Letting it consume you will just stress you out and turn you into a Bridezilla.  Ugh, NO, not allowed. 

-  The hardest part will be the guest list.  Accept it and move on.  Try not to fight too much about it with your family.  Do make sure you include your family FIRST on the list.  They are the ones that love you and support you the most.  If you don't want to invite your best friend from 2nd grade, Shayla-Mae, then don't stress about it.

-  (Jarrett added this one, thanks honey!) Let the wedding be what you want it to be.  If that's a backyard BBQ, a wedding in a church, or the most elegant, formal event in the world, then do what you want to do.  But plan for it to be FUN.  I want the people that come to our wedding to be talking about it for years!

 

That's all I have y'all. Just think, it's ALMOST the weekend! Join me tomorrow for some workout and cleanse updates. 

 

 

 



Cleanse update...things you probably wished you didn't know...but you're gonna hear it anyway!

Ok so exciting, breaking news...I started the Advocare 10 day cleanse yesterday.  WOOT! 
So far, I love it!  Even on day 2, I can definitely feel the positive effects of eating clean and the "clearing out" of the ole' pipes.  (gross, but true).  I am definitely feeling more energetic, especially first thing in the morning.  I also noticed that instead of craving salty snacks, I'm getting a hankering for things like tomatoes, cucumbers, maybe half and avocado. 

A good friend at work today asked me about the cleanse and had some interest, so this is basically what our conversation sounded like via IM:

Friend: "hey, so can you tell me about this cleanse your doing, I'm interested?"
Me: "sure! it's for 10 days, you can still eat, but as clean as possible, staying away from alcohol, caffeine and processed foods."
Friend: "do you take any pills or anything at all to help with...things???"
Me: "yes, there is a fiber drink, some overnight herbal cleanse tablets and some restorative pills that kind of bring your intestines back into a healthy balance"
Friend: "hmmm herbal cleanse tablets, do you feel like you're in the bathroom a lot? and is it normal or is it like butt pee?"

...AND THIS IS WHERE I LOST IT LAUGHING!

To answer my friend's question...it's not at all like butt pee (best description EVER).  The trips to the bathroom are not emergency situations.  I'm probably in there a little more than normal, but that's to be expected.  Otherwise, we would call this "stoppage" not "cleanse".

Ok so enough about the inner workings of this cleanse (I'm sure my parents and fiancé are wishing I wasn't telling so much about myself)...eating clean is easy peasy.  Here's a glimpse at my food intake from yesterday:

- Breakfast: Fiber drink and a banana
- Snack: Strawberries
- Lunch: Half and avocado, black beans and some carne asada with salsa
- Dinner: Honey boo J made dinner in the crockpot, chicken with sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and onions.  DELICIOUS, I ate it again tonight.

See, doesn't that look WAY better than a bag of Cheetos?

I can't find my tape measure at the moment, it's probably still packed away in my moving things, so I'm going to have to go by the scale...I'll weigh in tomorrow and then again at the end of the cleanse.

So hopefully by the end of this whole adventure, I won't be feeling like this:

(yes I love my cat a little too much, sorry)



What else is new...oh yesterday, I had a pretty awesome hair day!

I'm feeling a little like Carrie Bradshaw tonight with my blatant honesty, only without the big curly hair and cigarettes.  I'll pose a series of questions Sex and The City style to bring it all home as I contemplate life sitting by my open window...

"How do we stay healthy in an unhealthy world? And what's really the difference between fit and fat?  Is it the number on the scale? In a world where we are defined by our number, how do we work to change the world we live in?"

Happy Tuesday y'all!

I slept in today...

I did something I don't normally do today.  I slept in until 9! Most Saturdays, I bound out of bed with extreme amounts of peppiness so that I can go to the gym and get my sweat on.  Not today, lovelies.  I haven't been to bed before midnight every night this week, so a little rest was in order today.

 

So how am I going to spend my Saturday you ask? Doing anything I want.  Which will include the following:

 

Copious amount of E! News, some True Hollywood Stories, and Kardashian re-runs.  I love watching people SPEND ACTUAL TIME figuring out why Kim and Kanye named their kid North.  WHO FREAKING CARES! Anyone that refers to himself as Yeezus is bound to name his kid something weird...like a compass direction. 

 

Bahahahaha...they are such a train wreck.  Ok after all the trashy TV I can stand, I'm probably heading here:

I dread this place ...the reason being because the name of the store implies that the people working here should be SMART enough to know about your pet.  WRONG.  Every time I go and ask for advice on Kitty Woo, I get blank stares and it's as if I'm speaking a foreign language.  But I desperately need some help, because the kitty has developed some weird issues this week (excessive licking of the fur, leading to multiple juicy hairballs, GROSS!).  Even as she sits on me while I write this post, I have to stop her from licking herself.  It's not been fun.  On top of fleas.  AND some newly developed meowing for attention. 

 

I will DEFINITELY go here....I LOVE this store...and I should really not shop here because it's addictive, but it's all sooooo pretty, AND I'm fitting into some 21 year old sized clothes now, so it's hard not to spend a few dollars.

 

I need to wash my hair, possibly fix it for once.  Haven't done that in 3 days, hence why I've worn my Hot Buns hair piece.  I took my hair down this morning and I told J that my hair was 3 days dirty.  He replied with "yeah, it looks pretty greasy, you need do something with that."  He's so tactful :)  Whatever, get one of these things, they're $9.95 at your local CVS. 

 

So even though that all seems pretty self-indulgent, I do have a plan to go running.  I've worked out pretty hard hitting the weights this week, so I feel like I need a good long run to bring it all together.  The weather is supposed to be not humid and around 82 degrees (normally by this point in June, it's so humid that people just pretty much live in bathing suits).  I love the neighborhood that we moved to in May.  Lots of long trails and running paths, so I'm pretty pumped.

 

How are you spending your Saturday? 

Punch Thursday in the throat!

I am estatic that it's FINALLY Friday.  I felt like this week crawled and that it would never get here!!! 

So obviously, yesterday was not a good day at all.  It was one of those days that just everything around me annoyed me.  It was primarily just an insane day at work with lots of little things to do.  But then things like people posting about the NBA FInals started to really annoy me.  I started thinking about something I had to do this weekend, and just wanted to bail.  I felt like I needed 4 cups of coffee to just breathe.  Just watching my email inbox grow exponentially made me want to slam my desk with my hands and just go home.

The most challenging thing I did yesterday was actually make it to the gym.  I wanted to shop/mope and wallow in my own misery.  But as I was driving in the direction of the gym, I thought to myself "you know, anger is a good motivator, let's go throw some weights around".  Which is exactly what I did for 45 minutes.  At one point while I was squat-cleaning (which has taken me forever to master), I was like "hmmm I think I'll add some more weight".  And I did.  I kept going.  I even did burpees with avengence, and I HATE those.  I threw myself on the floor over and over until I wanted to barf.   One guy in my class was like "YOU GO GIRL"...and then I felt like Glen Coco...
 

45 minutes later, I walked out with a smile on my face.  And on my way to babysit (again), I stopped and enjoyed this view:

I turned around to look at some pretty homes and thought, "I would like to live here one day".  Just thinking about sitting on one of those 3 balconies enjoying the salt air and a gin and tonic made me smile even more.  This is my future dream house. 

Everyone always says you can't out-train a bad diet.  This is so true, but one thing I learned yesterday is that you CAN out-train a bad day.  When I just wanted to give up yesterday, I kept on going.  I felt so focused while I trained that I didn't even think about what was going on around me.  Anger wound up being a good motivator.  Eventually, I forgot everything I was mad about. 

So now that it's Friday, here are some things I'm excited about.....my sock bun (no I'm not naked, you just can't see my shirt):

Spending time with snuggling with my kitty this weekend:

Chilling by the pool with an adult beverage: (shout out to Amy and Ben, CONGRATS, your koozie is now a permanent accessory in my purse)

To wrap all this up, just remember, a bad day doesn't have to become a bad week.  And if you are having one, go sweat it out, you'll be glad you did.  Enjoy your Friday!!!

When you can't run...just do INSANITY!

I would just like to start off by saying that my evening is complete right now because...I have discovered Full House re-runs on Nick at Nite.  Have mercy, Uncle Jesse.  Now that show was some good clean fun back in the 90's.  Cut. It. Out.

Ok I digress, let's get to the past 2 days of working out.  Tuesday was a rockin', 45 minute spin ride, complete with 3 very hard hills.  Lots of resistance loading followed by very little recovery.  It was a great ride, but man was I tired, however, I proceeded to babysit until almost midnight.  Late night, but mama can always use a little shopping money. 

Today, I made plans to go running with my good friend and maid of honor, Ashley.  But Charleston decided to flood, so we worked out indoors.  This girl is the queen of workout DVDs, so we did Insanity with Shawn T!  This is the type of workout where you feel every piece of you jiggle around as you jump up and down.  Your fat cries until you can't take it anymore...and then it's over!  Who doesn't want to work out to a program that is synonymous with being crazy? Exactly my kind of workout.

We did overindulge a little for dinner.  We hoofed it over to one of THE best burger joints in town, Poe's Tavern.  Named after Edgar Allen Poe, who spent a little time on Sullivan's Island back the day (like WAY back in the day, pretty sure there wasn't electricity going on back then).  Even though we had 2 beers, some chips and guac, we did manage to make one seemingly healthy decision...we split the burger and fries.  WHAT, SPLIT A BURGER?! Yes, we ate beef topped with an egg, cheese, and shared some fries, but I didn't feel like exploding.   Probably the right decision too, because I won't have to wear elastic waistbands for the next 3 days..

Stay tuned, next Monday, I'm starting the Advocare 10 day cleanse. I'm going to need it, especially after this monster I just consumed (technically, it was half a monster).  Super pumped!

Happy hump day y'all!

Weekend Recap!

Happy Monday! Here's a bit of a weekend recap from my trip home for Father's Day weekend.  Don't worry, it's not all sappy and mushy stuff about how great my dad is (although he is pretty awesome), but there's some healthy stuff thrown in there too.

So what do fathers and daughters do when they have free time on their hands?  They go fishing and attend small town BBQ festivals :)  Yep, I'm a bit of a tomboy, no shopping or mani-pedis for me. 

We caught one small fish, but the laughs and drive to and from the lake was worth the trip.  How can you not love life with a view like this for an entire afternoon?

The next day, we enjoyed some unhealthy food, but some great music and fellowship at a mountain BBQ festival.  This is Dad/Jim enjoying some of the good eatin'.  He's pretty special, look at that form as he goes in for the rib.  He also bought me some new tires for my car this weekend, without even batting an eyelash.  I offered to pay, he looked at me like I had 3 heads.  Good man. 

Saturday night, I cooked my parents a big dinner as a big thank you for my tires and it was GOOD if I do say so myself.  I'm attempting to post the recipes later, just haven't gotten there yet.  We had spinach stuffed portabella mushrooms with goat cheese, roasted brussell sprouts, and sweet potatoes, goat cheese and almonds.  (I like goat cheese, it's the bomb diggity) Sunday was church, more good eatin' (mom's squash casserole, YUM), and then I headed back home.  Definitely a little sad to leave after such a good weekend, but it was good to be home. 

One thing I did at home was try on my wedding dress.  I love this dress, and I WISH I could post pictures, but sadly enough, my fiancé reads this from time to time.  So no can do BUT I will say....the middle was a little LOOSE (YAY!), the rest fit perfectly, and I am super stoked for December. 

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend.  Just s quick heads up, I just ordered the Advocare 10 day cleanse after so many good reviews, so be forewarned that the shirtless (not bra-less) pictures are coming soon!

Thinking about all the future things...AKA GOALS

1) Apologies for no pictures on this blog post today.  I am a BIG dork and left my iPhone charger back in Charleston.  My parents use flip phones.  Charger fail :(
2) I like to number things, it keeps me on track.  I also like to talk that way sometimes in conversation.  Example: "One, that chick is a troll! Two, she is also a hobbit"....(this is a recent convo with a good friend of mine at work over a girl we aren't real fond of.  We are mean girls sometimes).
3) At least ONE of my friends (you know who you are) will make fun of me for starting off my post as a numbered checklist. 
4) I'm having SO much fun at home right now!

So as I'm sitting around at home alone this morning, I was reading a few other blogs while drinking my morning coffee, which is pretty much my daily routine.  I noticed one theme in common for all of these chicks that I follow.  Everyone has a goal...correction, everyone has MULTIPLE goals.  And it's not just one goal like "I want to weigh and look like what I did in high school", and then when it happens they're like "BOOOOM! I did it, no more blogging, peace ya'll while I enjoy my hotness".  Nope not these ladies.  They all have more than one goal, and more often than not, they get so inspired by what happens, they just keep on going, thus forming new goals. 

I started thinking about that.  Today, officially, I am 6 months away from my wedding day (WOOT WOOT).  That right there is a goal that I really wasn't sure was ever going to happen in my life.  I was content to be single, travel the world (and Vegas), and just be a successful career woman. Right there, I can check 4 things off my list (soulmate, world trip, Vegas and good job).  But why not add more to that list?

Now that I'm in my 30's, my goals are now focused on becoming a better "me", not trying to please everyone else.  Yep, sorry, that kinda happens the older you get, sorry to everyone in high school on Facebook that I don't follow or are friends with.  Your circle of friends becomes smaller, your begin to form your own family, and somewhere in there, you start wanting to take care of yourself.   Physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

That being said, here are the goals I have for myself this year.  Yes, this includes another checklist:

1) CONTINUE THIS BLOG! (And get good at it) Yes, I work for a software company, no I do not know what widgets, rafflecopters, or linkups are...so I'm determined to make this space better.
2) Get to a healthy weight.  Preferably around 145-ish.
3) Start running some races, possibly another half marathon again.  I love getting out on the road, with my music, just losing myself in a run.  Time to start racing again.
4) I have some goal pants I want to fit in.  Size 6.  Not throwing these away, they're too cute for that.
5) Look AMAZEBALLS in my wedding dress...tried it on yesterday....it's going to be epic.
6) Be a better spin instructor, possibly pick up another fitness certification. 
7) Stop being so EMOTIONAL sometimes.  I can't help my hormones, but I'm tired of having the out of body experience where I watch myself unravel, lose it, and then shove chocolate in my mouth.  Hormonal-fail!
8) Take a good trip with my man...not including the honeymoon.  We've never taken a vacation together. We are LONG overdue.
9) Be a good sister and a good daughter by being a better listener.  Sometimes, I'm way too opinionated, but I hope I'm getting better at this.  My fam can chime in on this one.
10) Stay consistent about going to church and my faith.  This is a big one for me and J.  Our faith is very important to us, we just need to try harder sometimes.

I could go on and on, but this works for now.  What are your goals? Where do you want to see change? Don't just let it be a number on a scale and that's it.  Let me become a growing project that turns into your life.  Happy Saturday y'all!

Why I'm marrying my dude...

I couldn't help but take a break from health posts to give a little insight into my personal life.  Today, I had the day off, along with my fiancé Jarrett, and we had such a great day.  He works an odd schedule and we rarely have days off together.  I'm a typical M-F person, he gets days off during the week and sometimes works late.  So it's rare we get to just be together for one day.  And while we were relaxing and hanging by the pool, just enjoying each other's company, I looked over and realized all the reasons why I love this big, tall, cigar-smoking, tan fella.  As of this Saturday, we will be down to exactly 6 months until the day we get married.  So we kind of celebrated that today.  Can. Not. Wait. :) 

Meet Jarrett (this is not our baby, we were just holding it over Mexican food one night.  He's a natural)

J and I met on Match.com.  (Yes, it works).  I had been on some really ridiculous dates up until I met him.  One guy I went out with failed to mention he was "separated"...until he updated his profile about an hour before our date.  To which I called him out on over sushi and flat out asked if he was still married.  He was...AWKWARD.  One guy asked me to go hunting with him...in the woods...by myself...after only one date.  Now granted, I do like to hunt and fish (I'm a bit of a tomboy), but I typically go with people I know.  I wasn't about to get ax-murdered by a stranger.  Even my dad was like "um, I don't think that's a good idea!" Needless to say, I was ready for a really good first date.  Which is exactly what I had with J.  He was waiting on a bench outside of my favorite restaurant, so I drove by and scoped him out before committing to the date.  We had wine, I smiled until my face hurt, ate chocolate cake and talked about life until we were the last 2 people in the place.  It really was the perfect first date.  We had similar family values, we both loved the same football team (FINALLY), and we both were looking for something serious.  I remember going by a girlfriend's house afterwards (with my corked bottle of leftover wine) and telling her that I knew this was something special. 

Fast forward to life 2.5 years later.  I couldn't be happier.  J proposed at that same restaurant on the bench where we first met.  We go back there from time to time to reminisce and the wait staff always remembers us.  Here is the infamous bench...

 

Life is not always hunky-dory.  We've had our share of ups and downs like all couples.  But here is what I love about this man.  He's always concerned for me.  Here is a good example.  On our first year anniversary weekend, we attended a home football game.  My sister came to meet us and hang out.  As he walked off to chill with some buddies, my sister said "He is always looking out for you.  And not in a stalker way.  But he's protective of you as a woman in the right way.  You can feel the love he feels for you.  And that is hard to come by".  Which then resulted in a stream of tears, but that was a special moment.  Then there was the time that we drove to my parents after a football game (our life revolves around it for 4 months, it's AMAZING), and I was in major pain in my lower abdomen.  J was very worried about me, but let me be stubborn and ride out the pain for an hour and a half.  Once we got home, my parents insisted on going to the ER (after 2 more hours of moaning and wincing).  Turns out it was a ruptured ovarian cyst (those things hurt like nothing I've ever felt), so nothing required surgery or an emergency intervention.  My dad came back to talk to me and said "That man is so worried about you.  Stop being so stubborn and let him take care of you, ok?".  Yes sir.  But it was a good life lesson.  I will always let the man I love take control when it's obvious I can no longer handle the situation.  He's a rock.

 

I even had a few moments of sweet thoughts of why I love him today as we were preparing to hang out.  Our ice tray in the freezer broke and he ran out to buy screws to fix it.  While we were sitting at the pool, I had just grabbed a fresh adult canned beverage from the cooler, and had not yet opened it.  He looked at me and said "Why is that not open?".  Always concerned for the best :)  He made me a snack after the pool (it's 97 down here and so humid that it feels like a wet blanket outside, so food and water were in order after pool time).

 

He's pretty great.  He has been a champ at wedding planning.  He puts up with me when I'm emotional and just being a girl, which is often.  He tells me he loves me multiple times a day.  That's the way it always has been. 



Life is not always easy, but I love having someone to share it with.  Sorry if you're all like "EW, too much mushiness, Rebecca!", but hey, this is who I'm marrying.  And he reads all my blog posts....and says they're good. 

Happy Thursday, y'all.  Spend the evening with someone you love!

Today is my FRIDAY!!!

I did something that I normally don't do...I took 2 days off! Here lately, I've been stingy with the PTO, so a half day here and there, all because I'm saving that up for a honeymoon sometime next year.   But sometimes, a girl just needs a break from every day life.  So I'm taking a little time to spend with my sweet man, and then heading home for the weekend to see my parents for Father's Day weekend.  YAY! Look how excited I am! (Tinkerbell, however, could care less)
  



I also did something else I rarely do...I skipped the gym.  BUT I do have a plan to go work out tomorrow, on my day off, which is pretty good considering I wont have to be up early.  I'm one of those weird girls that thinks sleeping late is 8:00 AM.  I don't even have kids, I just have a history of early risers in my family (THANKS DAD!). 

 

So even though I'm skipping gym time tonight, I did eat great today. 

 

Exhibit A: Leftover kebobs, cukes and tomato salad, and a La Croix water (LOVE these, they're even good mixed with strong adult clear liquids)

 

 

Exhibit B: Amino Uptake, just a little sample from the health food store.  It's supposed to provide some additional pre-workout energy when mixed with 8 oz. of water.  Tastes like sparkly green apples.  Not sure if that exists, but if it did, but I'm pretty sure what it would taste like. 

 

 

I do feel like I'm CRUSHING some laundry right now due to this little green mixture :)

 

So what will I do with all this free time you ask?  GREAT question.  Like I said, I'm planning to go sweat for 45 minutes.  I'll probably lay by the pool.  Watch some trashy TV. Maybe perform a little ritual I like to call "gossip magazine therapy".  Some folks go talk to a professional about their problems or when they are having rough times or a bad day.  Which is totally acceptable and fine.  I, however, developed a free form of my own therapy over the years.  I go to Barnes and Noble, get every single celebrity news magazine available, get a good coffee, and sit and read everything from front to cover for as long as I want.  Try it sometime.  It's relaxing and helps clear the mind, almost like yoga, without all the down dogs and rhythmic breathing.  Reading about celebrity shenanigans weirdly calms me down. 



Ok, speaking of celebrities, E! News is on (sadly, this is usually the only news I watch), so I need to begin my relaxation now.  AND Chris Hemsworth is about to make an appearance, so, I really need to go :)  Ya'll have a great Wednesday!

Not yo' mama's endurance ride!

Hey guys!  SO since the title of this blog is "I'm a Chubby Spin Instructor, I thought I'd give you guys a view into my world.  This is how I spend every Tuesday...(this is before people got there, duh)

Some of you reading this are probably thinking "ugh, I've walked by a Spin room before, it's usually filled with really sweaty people and they all look like they're about to pass out.  Oh and that instructor up there is YELLING at everyone like a drill sergeant.  Not for me!".  I think this is a pretty common thought.  I get this all the time from newcomers and people that are just curious in general.  Everyone thinks you have to be hardcore to do Spin.  I'm here to tell you that's not the case. 

Anyone can be an athlete.  It doesn't matter if you are 250 lbs and can't climb a stair.  Anyone that walks in my class is an athlete and is in in the presence of other athletes.  My style of teaching is motivate people, push them a little, and really get them to just enjoy coming to class.  Plus, what could be better than to spend 45 minutes rocking out to your favorite tunes (think Rolling Stones, Britney Spears, Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, T-Pain, LUDA!....just to name a few)?  SO that's what I did today.  I presented everyone the type of ride (endurance) to where we did work over the entire class, with little changes in resistance, but nothing cray cray. (You runners out there, think tempo runs). We climbed a few small hills, we raced away down a flat road or two, it was FUN and challenging.  For those of you that have done traditional endurance rides, you know that you're usually sitting down, staring at the floor, thinking "ugh my butt is so sore that if I don't stand up, it may just eat itself".  Not today people.  This is not yo' mama's endurance ride!

Case in point, I was a sweaty mess after class.  Mission accomplished! (please note tomato red face and smudged mascara, I look like this after every workout.  Too bad this isn't a scratch and sniff picture, you could really get the effect).  I like to stay as smelly and gross as possible until my fiancé complains so much that I'm forced to go get a shower.   It's a fun form of torture!

So enough workout stuff, dinner tonight is grilled sirloin kabobs with zucchini and onion, with grilled corn.  J is the grill master, so he's got everything fired up and it smells GOOD.  He may be the grill master, but I am the marinade master.  This marinade works for beef, chicken or pork, so I'll post it for you guys tonight.  DELISH.  Don't they look yummy?

Ya'll have a great night!  And thank you to all that have been supportive thus far on my very first post.  This is not only the chance for me to become a better "me", but also a better instructor, friend, employee, and girlfriend/fiancé/wife/daughter/sister.  Keep the love coming and I will send it back your way!

A little about lil' ole me...

As a reader of fitness blogs related to women everywhere, I thought to myself..."self, why not do your own? You like to write AND you already teach other people how to be healthy, why not give it a shot".   I was so inspired by cute, southern girls like Mama Laughlin and Skinny Meg that I just couldn't deny myself this opportunity any longer.  I wanted to be one of you girls.  So deep breath, here goes...this is me...HI!

I'm 31, engaged to a WONDERFUL, amazing man and getting married this December. For those of you that don't know me personally, a Christmas wedding has been my dream for OH only most of my life!  I live in Charleston, SC (Conde Nast's numero uno city in the WORLD) and it's like living on a little spot of heaven each day. I'm a software techie by day, but in my off hours, you can find me sweating in the gym, teaching a spin class, or attempting to run.....OR drinking champagne and eating sushi with my best friends.  I have a kitty named Tinkerbell, she is CUTE but oh so bad.  I mean, how can you not love this little kitty face?

I LIVE for college football (87 more days!) THE University of South Carolina Gamecocks are MY TEAM.  Do not mess with me during football season, I tailgate like a pro with my crockpot, face stickers, and cute gameday outfits.  This is me and my other half.  He's so stinking hot, at least in my opinion.

Sounds lovely, right? It mostly all is, I mean life is pretty sweet, but let me clue you in to something.  Four years ago when I started teaching Spinning, I was in the best shape of my life.  I had never really struggled with my weight, nor worried about counting calories. I ran a ton, I loved teaching, and I thought that I could just eat anything because hey, I teach this stuff, I'll still burn it off right? Wrong. Extremely wrong.  I let myself go.  I became a chubby fitness instructor, something I swore I would never do.  And by chubby, I mean fat.

I also fell in love right around September 2010, which meant lots of nights staring into each other's eyes, shoving in pizza, watching football, and drinking craft beer.  Life and love definitely revolved around a big meal for us.  This is the South, that's just the norm around here.  When I ripped a pair of my favorite Sevens one day at home, I just chalked it up to the crotch being worn out (note, they were worn out because my thighs rubbed together.....a little too often....ok a lot).  Several weeks later, I couldn't fit into my size 8 pants and my butt had started to take on a very bubble-like appearance.   My newfound rear end was something my man liked, and I was a little pleasantly surprised with some new "lady curves", so I just ignored the flab.  Bootylicious, like Beyoncé, that's what I kept telling myself.  I kept on eating and teaching, drinking and teaching, and just not caring.  When I started popping out of an old bikini like a busted can of biscuits last summer, I cried all while my sweet man told me that he loved me at any size.  Sigh, what every girl wants to hear....but not what you need to hear.  I continued on in this pattern.  I still taught Spin faithfully twice a week, all the while seeing the way some of my students looked at me.  I knew I had to make a change, but when was always the question.  When would I get back to what I looked like 4 years ago at 27?

Fast forward to January 11th, 2013.  The day that changed my life!   FOREVER! (Please ignore the splotchy/shiny face, this is all after I exploded into tears for about 5 minutes straight.  Took awhile to stop shaking too)

 

My amazing boyfriend popped the question with a beautiful ring, got down on one knee (good job, that was advice from my dad) right in front of where we had our first date.  We laughed, cried, called friends and family and celebrated.  We set a date for December 15th, 2013.  I found an amazing dress and realized for the first time in a long time that not only did I want to look beautiful on that day....I wanted to be in the best shape possible.  So I upped my training regimen by joining a small group fitness training facility through my gym.  It's awesome, and progress is happening, but I want more.  I will always strive for to be better, and this is one area that I will not stop trying.

I've tried it all.  Atkins.  Weight Watchers.  Diet pills (we always want the quick fix, don't we?).  Eating nothing but nuts and salad for 2 weeks just to fit into a pair of pants.  P90X.  Brazil Butt Lift.  I recently went to my doctor to have my thyroid checked.  For the second time.  Thankfully, my doctor is super honest with me and just told me that I have to get serious about it, that I can't just expect to teach fitness and not provide a good example to other people.  Ouch.  AND that if I wanted to try to start planning a family next year, I had to start shedding pounds off my 170 pound, 5'2 frame.  170...that was a big number for me.  I cried.  It was bad.  But it motivated me.  Hearing I was 30 pounds away from 200 was like having your fingernails ripped off in a torture room.  It hurt like a mo-fo...but the honesty was what I needed. 

That was at the end of April.  I'm now down to 163.  WOOT! Do I wish more weight was just melting off like butter on a hot yeast roll?  Absolutely. Am I proud of the fact that I'm doing burpees and lifting weights with dudes right now? Yes.  Do I  want to stick my face in a jar of Nutella some days? Every. Day.  I have no idea what I'm doing, I have no idea how to "blog", but like all parts of my life, I'm just gonna wing it.  I have almost 6 months to go until the big day and all I want to say is I hope that J's (the man's) jaw hits the ground when we have our first look...and then we can arm wrestle later to prove that I've improved my upper body strength. 

Hope you guys enjoy. What a way to start off my Monday!