TurboFire HAS ARRIVED!

Just a quick update- after an incredibly strenuous day hanging out with friends at the lake ( :p ) I came home to a package. And not just any package…(no, not that kind of package, you sickos) but it was…..*drumroll*….TURBOFIRE!

This is going to be me tomorrow morning. Obviously I already look that intense and am in that good of shape (insert incredibly sarcastic tone here 😉 )

But being serious- I so need this. I have a little confession that was actually inspired by Lisa (thanks for giving me the courage to put this out there hun!). I am a terrible binge eater. It all started when I was first diagnosed with IBS and GERD. It wasn’t hard having to cut out meat and dairy (I have no desire for those foods…except ice cream) but once I was told that I couldn’t enjoy doughnuts, ice cream, sweets, mexican food (salsa, chips, cheesy burritos), thai food (peanut sauce?!), and just the occasional junk, my cravings for them have just skyrocketed. Once I have a bite I just figure that I’m going to be in pain later anyway so I might as well go all out and eat my face off.  Enter: excruciating pain, bloatedness, and just being miserable. And, I’m pretty sure my binges have definitely contributed to my significant weight gain.

So- back to TurboFire. I need an outlet. I need consistency. I need a goal. I know that I’m harboring a lot of anger towards my medical conditions and I just need a healthy outlet to channel out my anger and frustration. For some reason I’m in this part of my medical condition where I just want to prove it wrong and eat those things which I know that cause me pain just to prove something….but I don’t know what I’m proving. Maybe I’m just angry that I feel like a 22 year old shouldn’t have to deal with something like this at such a young age. So, I binge out of anger, frustration, and sadness. So lame, I know. But its something that I’m trying to work through.

So, please, help hold me accountable with this. Instead of binging, I need to do something more productive and HEALTHY to release my anger and frustration. So, 12 weeks- I can do this.

PS- I just ate a cinnamon roll and now my stomach hates me 😦

But its okay, because tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity to begin again. 🙂

Stay positive, right? 😉

No internet?!

So, I’ve officially realize that I’m addicted to the internet.

Last Friday a drunk driver ran into our neighborhood’s internet cable pole thingy and as a result we were left without the internet for 6 DAYS. The good news: the drunk driver is okay; the bad news: the jerk made me realize that I need to find a hobby. No joke. I didn’t know what to do with myself. 2 days of movie marathons and 5 batches of protein ice cream later, I realized that I was quite disgusted with myself. How could I literally sit inside and do nothing with myself while mopping (moping?) about not having the internet?! I was determined to find other things to do OUTSIDE that did not involve TV or consuming ungodly amounts of protein ice cream.

Here are a few things that I have occupied myself with over the past few days:

*(please excuse the “borrowed” pictures, i’ve seemed to have lost my camera cord)

I washed my car! (source)

Meet Buddy. My car is my baby. I saved up for years for him and I’ve loved him ever since I took him for his first test drive. If you’re looking for a cute, compact yet just-big-enough, and reliable small SUV I strongly recommend a Jeep!

Washed my boys! (source) (source)

Koda! He is a Goldendoodle and the most adorable little guy ever.

Storm! He is a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and the most stubborn dog I have ever had! But still cute 😉

Bought two new books! (source)

Madelein Wickham also goes by the name of Sohpie Kinsella and is the author of one of my all-time favorite series: Shopoholic. If you’re in the mood for a light summer read that is full of wit, humor, and just fantastic go get the books now! The movie did not do it justice at all.

Read the back, looked cute.

Tried a couple new gym classes!

1. Circuit Training: a mixture of weight training. Arms, legs, abs, and bootay. I think my butt is going to fall off…in a good way.

2. Interval Training: mixture of cardio and weights. Kept my heart pumping the entire time!

Im always nervous when I try new classes because most aren’t intense enough for me. and there’s nothing worse than feeling like you wasted an hour of what could have been a good workout on what turned out to be incredibly pointless. Luckily these classes are run by a younger guy who pushed us to our limits and maybe a little beyond. Loved them!

Went on a beach trip with my girls!

So perfect. The day was spent shopping, eating, and laying in the sun while enjoying my new books. Bliss.

I discovered something amazing: I was incredibly more satisfied when my days were over. I had spent time outside, with friends, with pets, and away form the TV and internet. It was incredibly invigorating. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still managed to find my way to the television in time to watch the Bachelorette (Frank-retard; Ali-get over it), but I spent my time doing other things that made me feel more fulfilled. It made me realize just how much I (as well as the rest of the world…or maybe just America?) is consumed with the TV, internet, video games, etc. We’ve lost sight of whats really important- being outside, spending time with friends and family, playing board games. It makes me sad and a little frustrated that as a society we have lost touch with the simple things in life. I’m not saying that there is no place for the internet or TV but I think they should be used in moderation. Just my two cents.

Other than that, I’m still trying to clean up my eats and find some good cardio! TurboFire still hasn’t come and I’m just dying to try it out already! Maybe tomorrow?!

Hope everyone is having a happy humpday!

Are you addicted to the internet, tv, etc? Um, yes, as I recently found out.

What are some pleasurable activities you like to do?

1 month?

So, confession time. I was going about my morning routine when I decided to clean out my closet. So, after tossing clothes that I havent worn in years, I of course wanted to start mixing and matching the items that I did keep to give me some new ideas for combinations for the next couple months. Epic fail.

Pair of pants #1: My favorite par of Seven’s skinny jeans that fit 1 month ago.

(Yes, I have both washes) Yeah, they didn’t fit anymore. I barely zip them up. Deciding to give myself the benefit of the doubt (surely they just must have shrunk!), I proceeded on to the next pair….

Pair of pants #2: My second most favorite pair of pants- my Rock and Republic’s that also use to fit one month ago.

Yeah they didn’t fit either. Eff. My. Life.

Of course I let my curiosity get the best of me and I immediately headed upstairs to the scale. I have to be honest, I’m not a fan of the scale. After letting it rule my life for a good part of my sophomore and junior year of college, I refused to let it control my emotions again. But, when clothes don’t fit, and I mean to the point of busting out the seams, I needed to know what I was working with.

I know that numbers can upset people so for the sake of those sensitive to that, I will keep my weight to myself. But just know-I’ve grown out of my jeans. In one month. How does that happen? Oh yeah, there was my cousin’s wedding, then that 4 day vacation where I “let loose” (aka just ate for four days straight), trips out for dinner with the fam, nights out with the girls, and apparently one to many trips to the vegan desserts section of Clark’s Nutrition Store. And to top it off, I am the worst night time snacker. I swear, 8pm rolls around and I am making snack plates aplenty! So that’s how it happened!

So, the next couple of months will be spent exercising more (caaaaaaaaardio! When the heck is TurboFire going to get here?!) and incorporating more fruits, veggies, whole grains, and “plant” protein into my diet and cutting out the crap.

I am not going to crash diet.  I’ve been there, done that, and it never works. I will be taking this slowly. It needs to be a lifestyle change.

For those of you looking at my pic in my previous post and thinking, “Why on earth would you need to lose weight?!” Lets just say dresses do a fab job of hiding a troublesome midsection and upper thigh area. And to be honest, I’m not really concerned about losing weight, just the excess fat that has formed around said trouble areas. I’d love it if I could just tone up a bit more. And because muscle weighs more than fat, I could remain the same.

So, time to clean up my eats, get some good cardio, and lift some weights! Tomorrow is day 1!

Game plan:

• Workout 6 days a week (6 days cardio, 3 days weights, 2 days yoga)
• 3 main meals
• 2 “in-between” snacks
• Limit my snacking to one “treat” a night
• STAY POSITIVE

I need some advice!

How do you avoid nighttime snacking?

Also, what are your favorite brands of jeans?

Dead tired

Running around after 23 5th and 6th graders is exhausting! But more on that later.

I got all prettied up for the movies!

You don’t understand- wearing real clothes is a big deal for me. During the summer I’m either in PJ’s, a bathing suit, or my work uniform. Whenever I have an excuse to wear clothes I get excited. And yes, I LOVE dresses! So pink and happy 🙂

Lunch was eaten:

WW Tortilla, boca burger, and a juicy peach! And ketchup! Multiply that by 10 at that’s the real amount that was consumed. You can never have too much ketchup!

Snacks were brought for the movie:

TJ’s Kettle Corn- so delicious!

And off to the movie I went! So, the movie was entertaining. The acting was kind oh meh but there were some pretty cool action scenes. Some words of wisdom: do not drink 32 ounces of water before going to the movies. You will end up getting up to use the restroom every 30 minutes. I’m sure the lady next to me hated my guts. At least I was hydrated?

After the movies my sis and I headed to Heaven….aka….

No, you do not want to know how much was spent. I’m a little mortified myself.

The rest of the night was spent at VBS (Vacation Bible School). Oh my goodness. Whoever thought of this year’s pirate theme should be shot. 23 12 year olds running around with swords? My bruises have bruises.

So this tired lady is off to bed! See you all in the morning!

I need a cardio boost

I woke up this morning itching for some heart-pounding cardio. I have to be honest, I’ve been incredibly slacking in the cardio department lately. I was browsing amazon.com for some cardio dvd’s the other day and on a whim I purchased The Biggest Loser’s Cardio Max. I honestly had no expectaions going in so I wasn’t completely surprised that the only part that really got my heart pounding is Jillian Michael’s Advanced Level 2 Cardio Circuit. I think this DVD would be great for someone just starting out with an exercise routine. There are three different programs: Begginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and each are proken up into different levels: Level 1- Bob Harper’s cardio with weights, level 2-Jillian’s non-stop cardio (think jumping jacks, burpees, butt kicks, etc) and Level 3-Michelle Bridge’s kickboxing. But if you’ve been exercising for awhile you’ll definitely want something more challenging.

So, In the hopes of getting some good, heart-pounding cardio back into my life, The Fittnesista has inspired me to purchase…..TurboFire!

Hopefully Chalene Johnson will kick my booty in gear! Since TurboFire is mostly cardio, I still plan on incorporating some weight training with the help of Jillian’s and Jackie Warner’s Weight Circuit DVD’s. Variety is key for helping me maintain an exercise routine!

After my workout I made my way to the kitchen for some breakfast. Oatmeal it is!

In the mix:

• 1/2 oats
• 1 c Vanilla Soy Milk (make your oats with soy milk, not water! You’ll thank me later)
• 1 scoop Vanilla protein powder
• 1 T Flax
• Cinnamon

All in my pretty pink bowl and matching pink spoon. The baby section in Target is prime for fun bowls and spoons. Don’t judge.

And 32oz of water to start my day right! Fun fact: I HATE the taste of water. I always have to add lemon, lime, cucumber, or other type of fruit to add some flavor to it. I use to be a Crystal Light junkie but Im try to break that addiction.

I drink about 3-4 of these babies a day. I swear I must have been a camel in my past life.

Now I’m off to pack lunch and some snacks for an afternoon movie date with the sis! We’re going to see The Last Airbender!

Did anyone use to watch the cartoon?! My sister and I use to LOVE it!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

What shows did you watch when you were younger? Remember Doug, Rugrats, Rocko’s Modern Life?? Seems like forever ago!

What types of cardio do you enjoy? I love kickboxing! Thats why Im interested in TurboFire. From what I hear its mostly kickboxing.

Just another day in paradise

So, I basically did launry for the entire morning then proceeded to watch Remember Me. Its with Robert Pattison. It was pretty good…but then the ending was a complete bummer!

By the time noon rolled around I was more than ready for lunch! This girl needed some greens!

In the mix:

• Romain and red leaf lettuce
• 1/4 cucumber
• 1/2 c hummus
• Vegan Boca burger

Satisfied! I decided to meet my friend down at the lake after lunch. Such a gorgeous day!

Can’t forget the goods! I decided on reading The Kite Runner. I’ve heard nothing but good things so I’m pretty excited!

LOVE! I found the cutest puppy ever! Unfortunately her owners were there making stealing her almost impossible. But I definitely could have fit her in my purse….

And last but definitely not least- my future house! Seriously, how cute is that? And Its approximately 50 feet away from the water’s edge. Paradise.

Another successful day at the lake! I headed home around 4 and got ready for Vacation Bible School. After spending 3 hours dressed up like a pirate, chasing after 5th graders, helping with arts and crafts time, and attempting to maintain my sanity, I am now officially drained.Food was definitely consumed upon arriving back at home but I was far to famished to take pictures. Imagine a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Bingo-ready in under 3 minutes. Perfection.

Now I plan planting myself on my couch and watching Couple’s Retreat with the sis. See you in the morning!

I’m officially smitten….

….with Chris L.

For some reason I was completely floored when watching the Bachelorette last night. Granted, I usually watch the show just for entertainment’s sake- who doesn’t like laughing at all the weirdos that somehow manage to make it onto the show (staged much?) but during Chris’s hometown date, I completely feel in love with him, his family, their closeness, their love…it seemed so real and so genuin! Now why can’t I find a guy like that? Maybe I need to move to Massachusettes….

So, after a long peaceful sleep filled with dreams of Chris and I’s future children, I awoke ready to get my booty kicked by Jillian! Today I did her “No More Trouble Zones” and let me tell you, It did not dissapoint! Good job, Jillian. Stick with weights. My abs are still feeling the burn!

Before I knew it, it was breakfast time! I decided to keep it simple with a Greek Yogurt Parfait!

For those of you who do not know, I eat yogurt. But only Greek yogurt. Yes, I know its not vegan but it does not hurt my stomach and it’s a great source of protein. So, I’ll take it.

In the mix:

• I cup Greek Yog
• Strawburries
• Blueberries

Simple. Easy. Delicious.

It is currently 80 degrees outside and I am debating whether or not I want to go lay outside. I neglected to put on sunscreen yesterday (bad, I know) and now I am a definite shade of pink. I think I shall find some shade to park my burnt behind under. I do, however, need another book to read! I’ve been consuming mine in 3 days or less, lately. I’m definitely a reader.

I’m off to search my bookshelves! Enjoy the day!

Please! Any book recommendations??

Lazy day

I survived the night! 😀

I woke up feeling determined and ready for a brand new day. My stomach wasn’t 100% better so I decided to take things easy with some Yoga. So, I popped in this:

Jillian, no offense, but you suck at Yoga. Or maybe I’ve just been spoiled. I lived in a small hippy town in Oregon for 3 years and was surrounded by true Yogis. I’ve practiced Bikram Yoga (YUM!), Hatha, Kundalini, and Vinyasa. I  would have to say Bikram is my fav. Whats not to like about getting into a hot room, sweating your butt off, and re-emerging smelling like you haven’t showered in weeks? :p

After a dissapointing workout, I decided on making a delicious breakfast to make up for it. Enter: Vanilla Almond Protein Oats!

In the mix:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 T Chia Seeds
• 1/2 T Flax

Toppings:

• Cinnamon
• Strawberries
• Bloobs!

I don’t think Oatmeal will ever get old.

I decided to hang low and spend a few hours at the lake. I’m fortunate enough to live near a lake and to have a dock that enables 24/7 relaxation opportunities.

Yes, it is that gorgeous. So, I spent the day relaxing by the lake and reading a new find, Laura Fitzgerald’s, “Veil of Roses.”

SO GOOD. It is about a young Iranian woman who moves to the United States and only has 3 months to look for a husband in order to become a permanent resident of the US. The book highlights just how different life is like for women in Iran than in the US. It has defiitely made me more appreciative about certain liberties and freedoms. I highly recommend the book.

After laying in the sun for a few hours I was one stinky lady. So I headed home where I was greeted with a delightful shower. I love the feeling of getting all nice and clean after a day at the lake/beach. So refreshing!

Now Im off to make some dinner. I think some boca burgers are in order. Then, I shall indulge in one of my ultimate dirty pleasures….

Ali- please don’t pick Chris. I think he’s my soulmate…he just doesn’t know it yet.

Hope you all have a lovely evening!

Any good book recommendations out there? I’m almost done with mine!

Are you a fan of The Bachelorette? Who is your favorite guy? Yes, even though I’m not a particular Ali fan. She kinda lughs too much. And I adore Chris and Kirk. So cute!

Feel the Burn….

…of acid reflux that is.

Oh yes, its been one of those days. Apparently eating 5 oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will do that to you. Who knew? Oh yeah, I did.

Well, I figure tonight is the last night of indulgence. Go big or go home, right? So now its 11:55 pm and I’m currently laying in bed…unable to sleep due to the incredibly unhappy state of my stomach. At least I can now blog my troubles away. But, lets be honest, how many people are actually going to read my first comment? If you’re one of the few, hey! Welcome! I’ll try not to post so many of these types of acid-reflux induced comments. But considering my condition I’m not making any promises. And for those of you in the future who are looking back on my first post, heeeeeello! Hopefully I’ve gotten my sugar addiction under control and haven’t had an “episode” in awhile.

So, now that I’ve reached all kinds of pathetic by talking to current as well as future readers, I’ll be moving on now.

I wonder if first posts are always suppose to be boring. I was going to go all out and have my first post be tomorrow with lots of exciting pictures and perhaps a particular witty topic…but, alas, I’m lying in bed and have nothing else to do but watch re-runs of The Next Food Network Star (Go Aarti!) and talk to all you lovely people….or to just myself, lets be honest.

But, back to my GERD and IBS woes- tomorrow is another day. I’d like to think of it as my “new beginning”. I might sound a tad bit dramatic but I’m determined to beat this. My post might sound like the pain I’m experiencing is no big deal but to put it in perspective for you- GERD is so serious that cancer could potentially develope. Fun, right? No. I am stronger than my cravings, more determined than my desire for cookies, and downright fed up with living in a constant state of bloatedness, gassyness (too much?), and pain. Enough is enough.

So, game plan for tomorrow.

• Early morning workout (I’m thinking some Jillian might do the trick)
• Good Breakfast
• Maybe a trip to Clark’s Nutrition Center (is it weird that I like to browse the aisles of grocery stores? Don’t judge.)
• VBS Kids Counselor at 6pm! (Pirate themed-how could you go wrong with that?)

And thats about as exciting as it gets. So, untill tomorrow, err or later on today considering its now 12:13am, I’ll be attempting to get my aching tummy to bed for some much needed sleep.

G’night blog-land!