Phobias can be helpful....?

   I never thought I would say this, but this past weekend I learned that some phobias can actually keep you healthy. Over the weekend I was out of town working with a group of girls on an event, one of which was slightly claustrophobic and terrified of elevators.  After a little jesting we found out why, she had been stuck in them 11 times!! Whoa. I think I would be terrified too at that point!
    Good thing there were only 5 floors in our hotel, but of course we were on the 5th floor. So after the first couple times, we all realized this wasn't a joke, she was really going to walk up and down the stairs every time we had to go to the room. At first I thought "she's nuts!...we're exhausted right after a 10 hour road trip. I am not walking up the stairs." (Plus someone had to take the luggage up the elevator, right?)
  After that (and when we had boxes of stuff to move) I started taking the stairs with her, partially for security in numbers, and partially out of curiosity and the want to get some exercise over the weekend.
  The first couple of flights went well, then its a good burn, your excited to get your legs and butt in shape for the summer....then you start breathing a little heavy, and its always the last flight that almost gets you. But after your at the top, your not as gross and sweaty as you thought you would be, you feel better about the cookie you just ate, and you feel like a good friend/person just for keeping someone company that would have otherwise felt left out, self conscience, and sort of shunned all for taking the healthy option of stairs rather than the elevator. By the end of the weekend we were all taking them and feeling good about it.
  But let me warn you ahead of time, some places are not very stair friendly. The hotel we were staying in (which you would think would be very alert and open of where their safe exit way of stairs would be) had the entrance of their stairs on the street, outside, around the corner from the hotel lobby (hence the 'security in numbers' thing I said earlier). The front desk people even looked at us like we were crazy when we asked where the stairs were, and in another building the stairs were obviously not on the same level as far as the upscale decor as the rest of the place (seriously reminded me of grade school or dorm stairs rather than the upscale 5 star resort around them).
   But if you can take some weird looks, you'll actually get some exercise on your vacay and not have to take too much time out of your day to do it!

Prayers for Boston

   I know that I speak for everyone that is a part of this Blog when I say that we send out our prayers for those affected by today's explosions at the Boston Marathon.
  One of our group of SMC women is a Bostonian, and has run the Boston Marathon. My heart sank today when I first saw the news and tried to call her and she didn't pick up. Eventually we connected and learned that her and her family are all safe. I can only imagine being someone who is still wondering if their loved ones are okay or not, or even worse have heard terrible news.
   This type of attack hits very close to home for me. When I was in the Army my job was specifically to stop or deter this type of explosive attack. It hurts my heart to see anything like this happen to anyone, military or not. But to see something like this happen in our country, to civilians not trained to respond, or even be alert and looking for something like this, is unspeakable and I cannot express in words my sympathy for the people there affected by it and those who have to live with that horrific memory.
   The more I reflect on this event and the more I hear about what happened, my feelings are all over the place. I can't believe someone could do this. As someone who volunteered for the military in hopes to ensure something like this doesn't happen to our country, it makes me feel like I let those people in Boston down. I'm frustrated that our country hasn't been doing more since 9/11 to ensure each and every citizen knows what to look for and is on alert at events like this. I'm deeply saddened for those killed, hurt, and even those terrified by what they saw. I know that it has forever changed their lives.
   My full range of emotions then circles back around to patriotic. We will pull through this. No one, evil person can stop us. We're America. and then it hits me, we're blessed that this type of tragic event is still considered a tragedy in our country. We're blessed that we can go for a run in our neighborhood and not worry.  Most of us have been to, or at least heard of, a country that this type of thing is an everyday occasion. Something like this doesn't surprise anyone when its on the news at night.
  My hope is that we are able to keep our country that way, to keep war out of our own backyards, to keep the majority of our people's innocence and their understanding of war to what they've seen on the news and movies. I pray for everyone affected, for the emergency personnel and those helping at the scene. I pray that the government and security officials can make sense of this soon and bring justice to those who did this. And I pray for those who built and set off those bombs, I pray that they come to a full realization of what they did and are hit with a remorse that stops them cold.

Fitness Class Discrimination

As I told you all in my last blog entry, I recently attended a hot yoga class. I wanted to talk a little more about this experience I had. But first, a little background: I am not a huge “class” person when it comes to the gym. I am a member of Gold’s Gym, here is beautiful Southern Pines, and the gym has a great variety of classes through out the mornings and afternoons of each day. When I first signed up for the gym I told myself that I would attend the classes and make the most of my money, since the classes were included in my monthly membership fees. I started out strong. I went to at least one class every morning and on some days I went to two. But my initial work out “high” started to dwindle and I wasn’t seeing the results that I wanted to.

I am a runner. I have been running since middle school both competitively and leisurely. It makes me happy, it is what I love to do. When I was deployed as an active duty Soldier, I ran 6 miles every day, sometimes twice a day, and with in a few months time, I had lost close to 30 pounds. After coming back to the states, and getting back into my normal life routine, the weight came back. It didn’t bother me at first, but after a while, I knew it was time get back into it. I thought the gym membership was just what I needed and the class schedule would keep me honest. Well the classes got redundant, and I wasn’t seeing a change in myself like I do when I am on a running schedule. I started to notice something else too. The other members of my class didn’t seem to be getting thinner either. I started to take note of the attendees of the different classes, and after a while, if the majority of the members in the class weren’t in great shape, I didn’t attend the class. “Nope, this class obviously doesn’t work, Im going to the treadmill” I guess you could say I was being prejudice to certain classes based on their attendees. The gym membership was still great. It was perfect for running when the weather was bad. I do love the stair master every now and then, and I could watch hulu on my phone while I worked out. Also, even though it was a chore to get to the gym, once I was there, I was more motivated by seeing other members sweating their butts off too.

My husband has some back trouble. He will get some spasms when he has been working hard and sometimes they are debilitating. His physical therapist recommended yoga. My gym doesn’t have yoga, but there is a hot yoga studio in my town so we signed up for a week of classes to try it out. Nervous as I was, I was also extremely excited. I had read about it, and seen it in several fitness magazines and knew that hot yoga was relaxing but also a great calorie scorcher. Upon walking in to the studio everyone was quiet and seemed to be mentally preparing for the class. My husband and I just sat there smiling and people watching. It was cold out so many people we wearing coats and long pants, but as expected, everyone started stripping down before entering the 105 degree room. It felt like walking into someone’s mouth that just mouthwashed with lavender and eucalyptus. After claiming my real estate and getting settled I started looking around to see what king of people I was surrounded by. Super sexy was the kind of people I was surrounded by. Every person was wearing a cute Lululemon outfit and sculpted like you wouldn’t believe. There wasn’t a chunker among them, well except me, the noob. I couldn’t believe it. I was used to being one of the more fit attendees of classes, or at least middle of the pack, but not here. This class was full of slender, muscular human beings and all I could think, was that I need to start doing this more often. I want to look like these people. After the next 75 minutes, I understood why these people looked the way they did. The class was ridiculous. The floor would have been more slick than a slip and slide had I not been on an absorbent mat and continually mopping the sweat off my body through out the class. The poses were difficult, the balance was difficult and I reached muscle failure in the first 10 minutes. After an agonizing hour, the class went into a meditating and relaxation mode. As we lay there with the hypnotizing music playing, the instructor came around to each student, laid a cold lavender compress across our eyes and forehead and proceeded to massage our shoulders and arms. I never felt so good in my life. After the class, my husband and I couldn’t wipe our goofy grins off our face, and that night, after a hot shower, I never slept better. I found my perfect class. All the students are fit, I am sore for a day or two after, I leave feeling relaxed and you get a mini massage? Class Perfection! 

Dirty Talk : B. O.

Working out sucks. Especially when you are out of shape and trying to get in a grove. You don’t want to put on your spandex matching outfits because it cuts off circulation and gives a Michelin man appearance, but you don’t want to wear your grungy over-sized T-shirts and look like a noob in the gym. Your make up runs, you are breathing heavy, your shirt gets sweaty to the point that it changes color, except where your sports bra is, and what is that…… what is that……. Is that me? Ugh, is that smell coming from me? Do a quick, nonchalant sniff of the pits, and much to your demise: confirmation, that sour, deodorant smell is being emitted from your under arm. NIGHTMARE. Now you are self-conscience, not working as hard and looking around to see if anyone makes “the face”. You know the face. The frowny turtle face that people make when they smell something rancid. They don’t smell you, the gym is well ventilated, but the damage is done, your confidence is deflated and you just want to shower and have a brownie.

Turtle Face

A few weeks ago my husband and I decided to attend a hot yoga class. For those of you who are unaware of my many quirks, I have an extreme and unreasonable fear of smelling bad. I have at least 15 different types of deodorant available in my house at all the times, and many of them are scattered between bathrooms, purses and cars should I feel an emergent need to reapply. I have several little rituals that are unnecessary and probably ineffective, but needless to say I must complete them before I face the day: a normal day of air conditioning and minimal sweaty situations. The idea of going to hot yoga was a tad terrifying given the 105 degree temperature and static poses of arms in the air and exposed pits. My husband thinks that I am out of my mind. “You don’t smell babe, I don’t know what you are talking about” My sisters are like “Ugh, did you wear my shirt, it smells like you! Now I have to wash it” I’m getting mixed signals and quite frankly I would rather behave like I know I smell and remedy the situation, even if unneeded, rather than ignore the situation if it is in fact very much needed.

My Candy Land

So on the big day, the day that I am to expose myself to harsh conditions that promotes excessive sweating, I hop in the shower right before it is time to leave. I want to make sure I am as fresh as can be as not to offend my fellow yogis. When I hop out of the shower, my husband hands me a bottle of apple cider vinegar. And tells me to put on my under-arm before I put on deodorant. Is he crazy? But I listen. It kind of burns since I just shaved, and the smell stings the nostrils, but after a few minutes both the burn and the smell subside, my pits are super dry and I apply my strongest and most reliable brand and scent of deod. Still nervous walking into to yoga I don’t know what to expect, but after the excruciating hour and 15 minutes that followed my mind could only focus on not falling. When it was all over, I realized that I didn’t notice smell through out the entire class, and when I thought that no one was looking I gave a quick smell check to both arms and wouldnt you know it? NOTHING! The apple cider vinegar trick worked! I googled it on the way home, and apparently the pH on your skin neutralizes from the vinegar, destroying the ideal environment for that smelly bacteria to grow! Fancy that.

Im sure many of you read this and are like, “This girl is gross” or “I don’t have this problem” but I am sure there is someone out there that will be thrilled over this discovery, or at least I pray that there is so I am not alone in putrid nightmare! Let me know if you try it! 

Life Changer! 

That’s my skinny!

Cpizzle

Tips, Tricks, and Trends

Hey there!
   Sorry its been awhile, I guess life has caught up to everyone right about this time of the year. Between Lent, the cold weather (well...cooler at least!), and rescuing a new puppy :) (lack of sleep!!), I've sort of fallen off the work out wagon lately. But with lots of yard work to do, a puppy to chase, and healthy eating, I think I haven't gone too far off the deep end! Thankfully!
  So today I wanted to share some Tips, Tricks, and Trends with everyone--- mainly inspired by the last point I'll make and I think you'll see why!
  Tip:  As we have mentioned in different earlier posts the proper running gear is essential. For me it doesn't end there. (haha I'm sure you can tell just by me not running due to slightly cooler weather!) Running or working out for me has more to do with my mentality than anything else. The best way to get your mind ready for some good exercise, for me at least, is the right music. Its different for everyone I'm sure, but most people love to jam out to their favorite tunes....maybe they even dance around like a fool in the kitchen like I do...anyone...anyone...?  Oh well, its fun, try it sometime. Its even funnier when someone walks in and sees you. The music itself doesn't have to be some hyped up rock or rap music either. Its whatever moves you. If you like to dance, like me, think of the songs that when you hear them at weddings or in the car or just about anywhere, its hard for you to sit still, or not sing along to. The weird example I can give you is that I LOVE to swing dance or just dance in general, but old Frank Sinatra songs, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson (not swing I know...but still) and other fun songs just make me what to get up and move, and put me in a good mood. So of course I have them on my ipod, and they kept coming on while I was running, at first I would just skip them, but after awhile I wanted to listen to them and realized that they took my mind off running and I was thinking about dancing, even swing dancing (probably looking like a nut while still trying to run and not knowing it-haha!) but the point is that it passed the time and didn't throw me off like you would think that music like that would--- try it with your fav songs sometime.   Obviously I wouldn't recommend really slow songs, but just about anything else.
   Tricks: I almost wanted to include the music thing in this part, but...I needed a "tip" haha! so, this trick is similar to the right music. Because the right mindset is what the music is all about. So this trick is to think about something totally different than what your doing- especially running, ugh!-- usually I try to think about the beach (my love!) so relaxed, just sitting on the sand next to the waves, warm sun, fresh air....ahhh....makes you happy doesn't it? It will take a bit to get the hang of it, especially if your in pain, but for a brief moment it will take your mind off of it and transport you to somewhere else. If your running on a treadmill you can try hanging a picture of something ...or a hot someone ;) in front of you to stare at and keep your mind busy. You could even picture yourself the way you want to look this summer, picture your goal that your working toward and that you have accomplished in your mind. Let that mental picture motivate you--- even when your not working out, like when your trying to figure out what to eat for dinner...staring at the fridge...if your drawn to something you know you shouldn't have, try to recapture that positive image of you after you've reached your goal. Usually that helps me rethink what to eat because I want to get there. Try to avoid negativity though, usually that backfires with me ( I get pretty stubborn, sad or mad) so try to stick to the positive side if you can!
     Trends:   Now, to go along with that last point of eating something to help you to your goal..... we've posted some pretty great recipes on here to help with that! (They taste great! and fortunately for us all and our wallets, they're pretty cheap too!) Healthy eating is all the rage right now (if you haven't been living in a cave or something!) Between farmers markets, fresh market and whole foods....heck, even walmart is trying to go healthy...hint, Trying.
  So, what are all the other "trendy" things doing? Giving us new ideas on how to eat healthy! Pintrest being #1. So that's where I found this beauty of a website-
www.healthyindulgences.net
 Its pretty amazing. Mainly because no matter how healthy we try to be and the great dinners we make....at the end of the day, most of us want something that we can't have. You know what I'm talking about. Chocolate. Do I have your attention? well I guess we could have some and still be healthy, but no where near the amount we want or the type we want. So this lovely lady and her site are here to save the day! She gives us all these Healthy delicious recipes-- like the one I tried--- CHOCOLATE CAKE.
  Say what?!?!   Healthy.....chocolate cake. Usually those three words aren't anywhere near each other in a sentence. So I was pretty skeptical at first. I thought, there is No way that this is either 1- healthy or 2- actually tastes good.
  Boy was I wrong! Seriously. and to make sure it wasn't just me, I had my parents, my roomie (my hubby's best friend who literally doesn't eat any veggies) and my Hubby. We all agreed. Its awesome. and you'll never guess what its made with.
 seriously.
never.
But since I can't make you try it first and then guess, like I made the guys do.....I'll let you in on the secret.
  Black Beans.
Yep. shocked huh?

 

The cake I made :)

 

Sorry I couldn't get a better picture....it was gone before I knew it......and I didn't follow the directions exactly so it stuck to the bottom of the pan and wouldn't come out in one piece....(I'm a little afraid of wax paper)

  You may have to purchase some of the ingredients...took me awhile to find some of them ( I used Truvia as the sweetener) But its worth it. I'll put in the disclaimer that it isn't Exactly like regular chocolate cake. Just so everyone doesn't think I'm a huge liar. But it is Really good, very moist, and a very healthy alternative!!

   Hope you try it out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!!!

 

-----still working on my sign off--- so for now--- Hope you enjoyed "Baking with the Belle" 

Crock Pots are AWESOME -Recipes

CROCK POT - The Most Amazing Invention

I love the crock pot. I throw some protein in there and it's magic.

Chicken salsa
5 chicken breasts
1 can of tomatoes with green chilis
1 jar of salsa
(chopped green pepper or onions if you want)
 To taste:
Cayenne powder
chili powder
cumin
7 hours on low. 4-5 on high
Take out excess liquid
Shred the chicken

Under 200 cal for 4 oz serving

This chicken is great because you can eat it plain, throw it in corn tortillas with some avocado for a healthy taco, put it on salad, throw it in an omelet. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!

I ate this chicken for about 6 days - lunch and dinner. You can freeze part of it and use it later. That's what my mom does.

Pork Chili
2-3lbs of Pork Tenderloin (the big thing, not sliced)
3 cans of tomoatoes
3 cans of beans
1 onion
Chili powder to taste
Cumin to taste
Jalepenos for heat (if you want heat)
(any other veggies you want to throw in)
Turn the pork on with the tomatoes for about 4-5 hours on high. 7 hours on low
When the pork pulls apart, add the beans and leave it on low for another hour.

This serves about 8 people at under 400 cal/serving.

Setting Goals

I know some of you were writing about setting goals with running and what not. I love setting goals. It's just accomplishing them is where I struggle.

This past fall I set a goal to join a softball team with people I didn't know. It was an attempt to make friends, get some activity in, and leave my stress aside and get mentally healthy. Triple threat!

I got on a softball team and had a blast. I now play on a basketball team on Mondays. When I joined the leagues, I guaranteed myself at least one night a week of activity. One night a week not sitting on the couch. One night a week socializing but also working out.

So, if you're if you're looking for something that will guarantee a workout, but also be a socializing stress reliever, check out your local sport clubs.

Lent

 

Well, my motivation to stay in shape has truly been put to the test. I have been under the weather and work could not be more stressful right now. And with everything going on, running has fallen on the list of priorities. Isn't this how it always ends up? After the initial motivation is gone, sticking to a life style change is so difficult!

After accepting my failure to get out and run, I realized what a great Lenten promise. I will RUN (no other workout can replace running) at minimum of 3 days a week, but I am going to shoot for 4.  It will probably be one of the more demanding Lent sacrifices I have had in a while.

I always give up unnecessary shopping or going to restaurants/fast foods (unless it is a work function, I am out of town without access to a kitchen, or a family/friend birthday party), to help me better evaluate my needs verse wants, and then increase my daily prayer.  The “no purchasing unnecessary things” is extremely hard to do.  Just to name a few implications this sacrifice has, it includes no starbucks (AH!), shopping for clothes/other dumb things I want, restaurant dinners, or running out and grabbing lunch, etc.  But I have had this same Lenten promise every year since college.  So, I typically try to add something unique each year so I present myself with a new, additional challenge.  Last year, it was to knock off the swearing (I can be a potty mouth at times).  After I realized I wasn’t going to motivate myself to run, I knew a promise with God will.   So, it is decided, running is new Lenten promise, which I hope will morph into a lifestyle change.  Hey, my body is a Temple, and it could use a renovation!

The more I think about it though; it is a perfect Lenten promise.  I will be sacrificing time I usually use watching mindless TV at night or hitting the snooze button in the morning.  Instead, I will be using my time to better myself, physically but also mentally and emotionally.  When I am running, I have time to think, clear my head and say a few Hail Mary’s.  And when I am finished running, I feel calmer and de-stressed.  So what a better way to prepare for Easter!  

But you better believe I am going to celebrate Fat Tuesday with a run (not a literal run) to my favorite clothing store, eating dinner at a restaurant, and not going on a run.  J  It will literally be a “Fat Tuesday” day for me!

 

 

Oh, Hey There! An Introduction and a Recipe!

First time poster, long time blogger. Thanks for the invite!

I might link some stuff I've written on another health and fitness blog on here or copy and paste. I've actually been writing about my health and fitness for over a year. I will also send some links to some blogs that post some great at home workouts and recipes.

Onto that recipe!

I know that when I'm trying to eat right and get my shit together I need a plan. I also need to start every day off right. So on Sundays I make an egg bake. The egg bake is great because it stays good all week, it has protein to keep me full, and you can throw in all the veggies you need to get rid of.

I use an 8x8 pan and my recipe changes weekly depending on the proteins and veg I have in the house.

I typically put in a small zucchini, mushrooms, 2 cups of spinach - chopped, 1/2 green pepper, 6 eggs, 1/2 and egg white carton (the small one). *I also use that carton to cover the veg after I put it in the pan. I tend to use up all the veggies from the week that need to be used. Not tomatoes!  There isn't any flour or carb to soak up the liquid from the tomatoes, so it's too watery. Don't use them. If you want them, top your egg bake with salsa. For protein, I either use turkey sausage crumbles, bake up some turkey bacon, or if I have leftover chicken or pork, I'll season it with taco seasoning and throw it in for a south of the border kick.

I mix it all in a big bowl, and throw that into a greased pan and cook on 400 for 20-40 minutes (depending on your veg to egg ratio). You'll just have to check it. It's not an exact science because the recipe changes weekly. When it's finished, cut it into 6 slices and you are set for the week. You can also put them into muffin tins and make egg cupcakes. 2 cupcakes equals a serving.

It normally runs between 165-185 calories/serving. It's also cheap and it uses up stuff that needs to be eaten. Less waste!

My Secret Weapon: Spaghetti Squash

Yesterday my husband and I signed up for a hot yoga class in the evening (a blog post on that, coming soon). I was told when I signed up, since this was my first time, that I shouldn't eat a meal for at least three hours leading up to the class. The class was at 7:00 PM, so to the slow cooker it was! I scavenged the kitchen for ingredients, for inspiration, as to what to make for dinner. Protein? Chicken - Check, Vegi? Spaghetti Squash - Check. Now to bring it all together into a meal worth eating.

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breast
1 Large Spaghetti Squash
1 Jar Marinara Sauce of your choice
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Tabasco Sauce
Shredded cheese of your choice

First take the Chicken breast and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Next place the chicken in the slow cooker and lightly coat with the Tabasco sauce. Pour enough marinara sauce to submerge the two breasts. Cover the cooker, turn to high for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, open the slow cooker, smell the goodness, then shred the chicken finely with two forks. Cover the chicken again, and let the shredded chicken soak up the juices on the warm setting. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the spaghetti squash and cut in half length wise. This will take some muscle. Scoop out the "guts" and seeds. Season with salt and pepper and place face down in a casserole dish. Poke a few holes in the skin of each half and put about a half inch of water in the casserole dish. Place in the oven for 40 minutes.

Once the squash is cooked, use some forks and shred the inside into "spaghetti". Once both halves are completely shredded, take the contents and put in a fresh casserole dish and spread out. Next take the shredded chicken and completely cover the spread out spaghetti squash. Add more marinara as needed. Lastly sprinkle the cheese of your choice over the sauce. If you are ready to eat, simply place the casserole back in the over for 10 minutes so that all the ingredients can cook together. If you are eating later, simply cover with tin foil and refrigerate. When ready to eat, just put back in a 350 degree over for 20 minutes.

Whats so great about this? No oil, almost no fat (unless you use fat free cheese) and you can customize it. You can eat a huge serving and eat very few calories while doing so! I only wish I thought to take a picture of it before we ate it all!

This meal can server 3-6 people. Last night it fed 3, but we are big eaters and we had enough for one person to have left overs for lunch. We all were obsessed with this meal and I have designed another one coming soon!

Let me know how you like it!

Thanks my Skinny for the day,
C- Pizzle

Noobs

 

“Good Morning!” this very fit & very happy woman in her late forties greeted us.  She was wearing a big smile, a quarter zip Nike running jacket, fitted spandex pants, a Nike hat, and gloves, as she joyfully ran past us on her way back from her morning run.  I could barely get an audible response out, over my heavy, pathetic breathing (which was over the top for how slow we were going and the fact we had just started our run).  I clearly was not sharing the same sentiment as this cheery runner.  “We look like such noobs.”  B was obviously talking about how ill prepared we were to run in this weather.

It was a good 25 degrees Sunday morning, and we didn’t have the right clothes on at all.   (See yesterday's post!)   B had basketball shorts, pulled up socks, a long sleeve shirt, gloves, a hat, and sunglasses on.  I had cotton capri yoga pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a rain/wind breaker (in my mind, I thought it would be perfect because how thin it was).  I couldn’t find my hat or gloves, and the more I looked the more demotivated I became to get out the door, so I just said, “whatever” and decided to just get over it.  I was regretting this decision almost immediately.  I had to run with my hands in my pockets and the hood over my head, so all I really could do was look down. And that thin, little plastic barrier didn’t do much at all, except make a dramatic swooshing noise the entire run.  I completely agreed with B, we looked like noobs.  We were not having a good morning. 

Not only were we sporting all the wrong kind of clothes, but we were very much out of shape and paying the price.  All in all, it was just a bad start to the whole running thing.  As I finally dragged myself back into our driveway, B (who had been home for a couple mins by now) looked at me with a sarcastic grin, “How are those Belles doing?  Still ringing?”  ugh, not really…

The rest of the day I kept telling myself that the reason why our run was pretty miserable was the very cold weather.   I was going to have to break down and purchase some cold weather gear.  That had to be the reason, right?  Well God cleared the forecast, and gave me a beautiful 72 degree day on Tuesday to hit the trails.  So I put on a shirt and running shorts (I looked more the part this time around) and ran my 30 mins, and I still felt slow and out of shape.  Dang it!  So I guess the weather is not to blame. I will say, I felt a lot better than Sunday, but it was not the dramatic difference I was hoping for.  Maybe being out of shape and carrying around some extra weight is why the Sunday morning run beat me up so bad. (But just maybe.)

But, hey, we all have to start somewhere right? 

-Still Running with Belles on 

You Look Good, You Feel Good

I wholeheardedly promote looking good to make yourself feel good. By this I mean dressing the part of a worker-outer! I think it's important to buy workout apparel that makes you feel good before you even start working out. There's nothing like putting your feetsies in a brand new pair of kicks, putting on those favorite Under Armour running pants and a sports bra that holds the girls in place.
 
Looking the part is half the battle!

Buying workout apparel can get pricy, but you don’t have to break the bank to get quality items.  There are plenty of stores that sell afforadable workout clothes such as Target, Marshalls and Kohl's.  All you need is a supportive pair of running sneakers (in my opinion, the brighter color the better!), breathable socks, comfortable shorts that don’t ride, a sports bra that prevents black eyes :) and a breathable shirt of your choice.  Oh! And one more essential clothing item is the right pair of undies. Note to reader: if you are focused on your constant wedgie for the entire run, you’re wearing the wrong pair!  Try something different :) This distraction may cause you to want to stop running…don’t let the undies win!!!

So remember, when you look good you feel good so treat yourself to a brand new workout outfit to jumpstart the new, motivated you!

Lookin good, feelin good,
C me Rob-in that sexy bod

Set the Scene for getting Lean!!

Well, its no secret from my first entry that I am a yo-yo dieter. My weight goes up, and then it goes down. I like to make a lot of excuses about being busy, or the lifestyle I am living because of where we are living but really, its just a "bunch of halabaloo". (Little bit of a Disney's Tarzan quote there!) Today, after a meeting with the designer of my new house (Set to be done late next month! Hooray!) I was driving to the gym as I passed a little town park that will be walking distance to my new home. I decided on a whim to pull right in. The place was bustling! The entire parking lot was full so I decided to join in the locals and see what this little town park was all about! It is basically a perfect 2-Mile trail around a beautiful reservoir, along with a Disc Golf Course, or a "Frolf Course" as my sister-in-law likes to call it :-).  Well I decided instead of the gym I was going to run around this place and explore. Two laps later, four miles down, and I was feeling great. I decided to go for a third lap and got to thinking this is why I love running. I love being outside when the weather is lovely, like it was today, and I can run for miles so long as where I am running has nice things to look at.

Running the Lakes at Notre Dame, IN

Back in college, I would start out the year healthy by running around the most beautiful campus in the country, and finish healthy when it was nice again by doing the same thing. Running was a treat and something I looked forward to. Once Winter came around and snow became an issue, it was into the gym and on the treadmill. That basically lasted a week before I was just bored with it and I let my Winter layer grow on my belly.

View of Mount Rainier

When I was temporarily living at Fort Lewis, Washington over the summer after college I was forced to do 10K Ruck Marches twice a week. This is basically a punishment worse than death in my book and at any other location this would be the case, but when the route allows beautiful views of Mount Rainier the entire time, it became more of a treat! And as the summer days grew smaller, so did my waist line. Fast forward to a not so scenic area of Oklahoma that next fall, followed by the worst Winter Ive ever experience in Missouri, I was back in my fat jeans in no time.

Beautiful Savannah, GA

Finally, I move somewhere more permanent (three years), and more lovely that any place I had lived before: Savannah, GA. To this day, this is my favorite city in the US. I was able to run circles around that city year round in the beautiful weather! It was also pretty convenient that I lived close to a neighborhood of mansions. I would get lost on those streets while I dreamed about my future as a filthy rich woman......... dream being the key word there.

Its no wonder that my most unhealthy time in my life was where I was most unhappy with where I lived. The Army sent us to Arizona last year and for six months. I was couped inside because of the dreadful heat and the lack of desire to run in the morbidly brown area in which we lived.

My New Place to Run!

Now Im back on the east coast and Im loving it. Today I found something that motivates me, that has motivated me for years, and I only just realized it today. Thank goodness for recognizing one of my weaknesses today and for living in a beautiful place again. Cheers to getting lean in a beautiful scene!

That my skinny for the day!
~C-Pizz

My Fat Jeans

My Fat Jeans & My Small Dog

We all have them.  And if you don't, just humor me and pretend I am not the only one.  I bought my jeans one size too big online and I didn’t return them during the time window.  Well good thing I had them, I needed jeans to wear to work on casual Friday (my other, snugger jeans are in the wash). Although I am relieved to have a backup pair in the far reaches of my closet, it doesn't mean I am happy wearing them. Inside the fly, they have a little ribbon that says "lucky you."  This is just adding insult to injury.  When I put them on, I couldn't help but laugh.  I feel far from "lucky."  But as I threw this cranky, little pity party in my closet before work, I had no one to blame but myself.

I recently got married in August and for the 10 months I was engaged, I was SO motivated to lose the weight and lose it fast.  Between wedding photos and every single important person in our lives coming to see us get married, I was under some pretty high-pressure motivation.  I worked out, became a faithful follower of Weight Watchers, and declined dessert.  I lost the weight and felt great on our wedding day.  But right after the wedding, I let loose and ate all those delicious foods I neglected over the past year.  My husband and I went out to dinner regularly, ate greasy food during football games, and lazily ordered Chinese food whenever we wanted.  After all my hard work, heck I deserved to splurge, right?  Well, after a couple months of newlywed food bliss, the holidays came swooping in, and there was no bathing suit season in sight.  So I continued to eat all those delicious Halloween candies, coworker baked goods, thanksgiving leftovers, and Christmas cookies. And now I am wearing my fat jeans.

So my goal: Get out of my fat jeans and into my skinny ones by committing to a more healthy and active lifestyle!

How do I achieve my goal?  Like my wedding date, I need something on the horizon, something on my calendar I can't blow off.  After talking to my husband (from now on I'll refer to him has "B"), I finally convinced him to join me in preparing for a road race, the 1st of many goals to kick our health into high gear and get back into more loose fitting jeans.

One may ask: why am I dragging him into this?  He most certainly didn't go to Saint Mary's and commit to co-author a health blog.  Well, I am not nearly disciplined enough to do it alone.  I need a work out partner. (And I am not the only one with snug jeans lately.)  One big problem though, he hates running, I mean hates it.  I don't look forward to it, but he hates it.  So why on earth would we do this?  My sister & I ran the Chicago marathon back in 2010 to support my Mom and her bucket list, and it was just so incredibly rewarding.  B saw how much I enjoyed it, and he said he wanted to do one with me.  So now, I am holding him to it, and we are going to hit the road!  There is a local marathon/half marathon/8K on April 6th.  We aren't even going to pretend we are ready to make the marathon happen (yet), but the half marathon or the 8K (most likely the latter) have our names all over it.  Whether we like it or not, we are doing that race.

So it begins.  The quest for better health, and I wouldn't have done with without the wonderful girls behind this blog.  Thanks girls for the motivation!  My contribution to this sweet blog will be my struggles of getting off the couch, working out, eating healthier, sleeping better, and still balancing a social life.  So first stop on the path into my skinny jeans and a healthier life, April 6th! I will be Running with Belles on!

Don't be HANGRY!

Hangry:

When you are so hungry that your lack of food causes you to become angry, frustrated or both.

An amalgum of hungry and angry invented to describe that feeling when you get when you are out at a restaurant and have been waiting over an hour to get the meal that you have ordered.

 

"Damn! Where is that steak I ordered? We've been waiting for an hour and a half here. The service here is terrible! I'm starving! I don't know about you, but I'm starting to feel really hangry!"

(definition via Urban Dictionary)

 

  Don't be Hangry! Its one of my many pet-peeves of diets, and people "dieting". But it does happen to the best of us, even when we're not trying to diet...(it happens to me quite a lot actually- and I'm sorry to all of my close friends and family who have experienced my Hangry-ness! Its not pretty!)

 

  To give you some background on the situation (and myself) I was the youngest of five kids. I have two older sisters and two older brothers. Anytime my sisters and I would start mouthing off or get cranky, my mom would immediately ask us when the last time we had eaten was and then tell us to go eat some cheese. For the longest time we couldn't figure it out, especially the cheese thing. We just thought it was some Southern thing (there is a lot that goes on in the South that you don't quite understand as a child...or adult for that matter). Eventually, however, we figured it out! Mom was slightly anemic and knew that we probably had a little anemia too. Turns out she was right all along! Moms always do! So because of that, our Hangry escalates quite quickly once it starts. I've even seen my mom get to the point once of almost fainting because she was so hungry.

 

   Anywho- the whole point to this is --- please don't starve yourself!!!! I've seen so many people who work out regularly and practically starve themselves, and then don't lose the pounds they want to, or at least not as quickly. That's because their body is literally hating them. haha. Well that's how I put it. Its fighting against what it thinks is starvation, and is literally holding on to every little piece of fat it can to survive. Starvation doesn't work for weight loss. end of story.

   Look at all those movie stars- gorgeous, glamorous, yadda yadda yadda...then...they have an off "day" where the camera catches them 20lbs heavier. Or the fan who gets to meet their favorite star and comes back saying how much of a B*tch they were! Its cause they're HANGRY people! I've even read it in an article/interview (that's actually where I heard of Hangry first! haha!) Its not healthy and they know it.

   I'm not saying to go binge eat, or even eat like you were previously (obviously that got you to where you are now!) If your not happy with yourself, or just want to improve, something has to change. But you need to eat the right amount of calories for your body to sustain itself, and if you are looking to tone up, enough for those muscles to be sustained.

  That's why I'm a huge advocate of My Fitness Pal- I'm so excited that we (our little smc group) has decided to use it!!! It makes me so happy to see those calories wisely used, and at the end of the day be slightly under my calorie goal without having been starving all day and night! There are days when I've literally had to add more food to what I was going to eat to make sure I was eating enough. Its definitely a thin line that you have to stick to in order to see the results you want, but I promise your body (and your friends!) will thank you!

    Sorry...I could go on all day about this topic,so I'll stop for now, but I'm sure it will come up again.

  So...to recap----

1-Eat enough Good food--everyone is different- so don't feel bad if you need to have more cals then the next gal, that doesn't mean your bad or eating too much

2- Make sure its GOOD food--- you'll notice if you use my fitness pal, the more junk, the less you get to eat (obviously) and the less full/satisfied you will feel.

3- Check the labels on food --- sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised with the amount you can have. You want the most bang for your buck, so to speak, and it will help you find the right portion sizes for you.

4- Know your own body--- Try to get to the point where you can feel when you're getting Hangry...then try to never let it happen again- once your to that point you will eat practically anything, and probably too much of it! Plan ahead (I always have snacks with me. always. seriously. to the point where my husband and coworkers make fun of me. They're stashed away like nuts for a squirrel, in my purses, in my car, in my desk drawer...you get the point.) Its always that one time when you don't have something that you end up Hangry. oh and always apologize for being Hangry, it will happen at some point, but most people are more understanding when you explain that is Hangryness.

5- ITS NOT EASY, but stick with it.

Usually in Life the Best things aren't Easy.....

 

Setting Goals

My Precious Pup, Lambeau

So when you are trying to lose weight or get in shape, you are supposed to set goals. Most magazines will say, set small goals, monthly goals or weekly goals so they are more reachable. Since I am currently too afraid to step on the scale, setting a weight loss goal isn't in my cards for the time being. Instead I will set a fitness goal.  A few years ago, I was able to run circles around my husband. He is naturally fit and is good at every sport he tries. He hates to run, and since I love to run, I was able to beat him in our two mile run time for our Army PT test and the 10K race we did together for New Years in Savannah. Since then I have fallen off the band wagon. In Arizona he out-ran me and it didn't bother me because he was running more often then I was and at the time our puppy couldn't keep up with him, so he preferred to run with me. Now that we are in North Carolina, Erik is leaving me in the dust and so is my dog Lambeau. I have heard some couples say they don't want a dog because they don't want their spouse to be jealous of the attention they give to their pet. This is hilarious to me, because for Erik and I, we get jealous of who Lambeau sits next to or snuggles more. Going on runs was always my time with Lambeau because he preferred my pace. Yesterday, Erik and I went on a trail run. Lambeau stayed with Erik the entire time, and Oh man was I jealous. Running faster than Erik was never my goal, but it was something that always happened earlier in our relationship. As I slid behind, I was fine with it, but now that it is taking away my precious pup, my current goal is to speed up and once again, be Lambeau's preferred running partner. Crazy dog lady? Most definitely, but it is still getting me out on the road, and motivation is motivation. What are your motivations?

Lets Get it Started

Well, it been just over five years since we graduated from lovely Saint Mary's College. The day I graduated I was the heaviest I have ever been, but I'm sure there are quite a few that would admitt the same thing. Senior year was a nasty year of easy classes, lots of processed food and even more beer. No wonder some of us were busting out of our graduation robes. Since then I have managed to lose and gain weight almost yearly. This year, a few of us managed to have a girls get-away to Austin over Martin Luther King weekend. When planning it, it seemed like a fantastic idea, but as the vacation came closer, I realized this was a terrible idea. We spent the last month wining and dining our waist lines away over holiday hoopla. The fact that our jeans were still able to zip was based strictly on the elasticity of the denim. There is a reason I wont even consider buying a pair of jeans that doesnt have the word "Stretch" somewhere on the tag or label. This girls weekend came so soon, and we didnt have time to "de-bloat" from the holidays. At first it was all fun and games, but after the first night of a few beers, and the next morning of groaning while trying to zip our pants, we all admitted we arent where we wish we were in the fitness department. By the end of the weekend we all decided to become active members of My Fitness Pal on our iPhones and start contibuting to blog to stay motivated. No more buying bigger sizes (unless we are pregnant) No more downed pant zippers (unless we pull them down ourselves) and No more excuses! Go Belles!