Home Again

this made me laugh.

Finally back home after a six day pet-sitting stint. I love staying at my friends' nice houses and taking care of cute puppies and kitties, but there really is no place like home. I miss my routine when I'm not home, especially my morning protein shake:

10 oz water
1 scoop vanilla isolate
1/2 frozen banana
1/4c frozen berries
2 tbs hemp protein
2 tbs ground flaxseed
2 tbs chia seeds
1 tbs Udo's oil
handful of spinach

...best breaskfast ever!

I ordered a new kind of protein to try and it arrived today. This kind is hormone-free. I need to make a better effort to avoid toxins and hormones. It it a lot more expensive than the stuff I've been buying ($31 compared to $17....) but can you put a price on health??

Ok, lazy blog post done. :)

Faux Frosty

That there is my post-workout protein shake, made extra thick due to almond milk and extra ice cubes. It's a scant scoop of chocolate protein isolate, and a scant scoop of chocolate casein protein. Tastes just like a Wendy's Frosty. I feel like I'm cheating by eating it...

Today was back and biceps day, and I am happy to report that my tweaked back felt fine today. Tomorrow is double cardio, followed by chest and triceps on Thursday.

Nothing insightful or deep today....just my drank.

Fresh Steps

I got new shoes today! There's nothing like new shoes to get you amped up to run around. Thank you, Amazon for your speedy delivery and reasonable pricing. The shoes I have currently, are the same exact model that my sweet sister Debbie gave me for Christmas. Deb owns a chain of specialty running shoes stores in Salt Lake City, so my current shoes are top-knotch in style and support, so I stuck with the same exact kind except those were magenta accented and these have a lively green punch to them.

Some people say you should get a new pair of shoes every 300 miles. I have no idea how many running miles or elliptical miles or squats I've done in my magenta shoes but I just felt like they were getting a little worn out.  I think it will be nice to look down and see a little green flash as I run this fall and winter. Can't wait to take my new shoes out for a spin tomorrow during a lunchtime jog.

My upper back and neck area still feels pinched. I kinda tweaked it on Thursday doing triceps, but I totally sealed the deal Saturday during shoulders - overhead presses. It feels like there are hot knots all along my  right shoulder blade and up to my neck. This tends to be a problem area for me and it gets pinched once or twice a year, probably because 1.) I'm using a computer mouse with that arm all day, and likely not in an ergonomic fashion. or, 2.) I think I also carry stress tension there? Damn traps!

I got it rubbed out a bit and I think that helped, but we will see what it is like tomorrow. Tuesday is Back & Biceps day. I don't want to tweak it more doing lat pull-downs or rows so I need to use cation. Truthfully I think I was trying to lift too heavy for 15 reps. It is hard for me to choose lighter weight. I think its a mental thing. I'm going to have a casein shake and take my vitamins and get to bed early and hope it is even more healed tomorrow. Send your good vibes my way!

Bulk Cooking for the Week and Body By Design

Yesterday I went to Costco to get groceries for the next few weeks. Costco has the best prices for organic chicken, ground turkey, frozen fish, organic produce, quinoa and eggs. As I've preached before, preparedness is the key to staying on track with a fitness plan, and so for me, buying in bulk and then making meals in advance is the difference between failing or thriving.

Today I staying in and did chores around the house. Listened to music and cooked up food for the next few days. Here's what I made today:

• Baked sweet potato cubes (EVOO, crushed red pepper, salt, cinnamon)
• Quinoa Bakes - an awesome recipe I found here. Great 10:00 AM snack.
• Turkey Meatballs (adapted from this) 
• Roasted asparagus

Quinoa Bakes with a ration of three berries each.

Turkey meat, spices, egg, oats, veggies, pre-mixing. Hand mixing grosses me out but it is a task which must be done. 

Turkey Meatballs, served with spinach, and a bit of sweet potato and leftover quinoa salad. BOOM!

I'm on day six of Chris Gethin's Body By Design program. This is a 12 week program and the same program I attempted earlier this year. I made it to week seven at that time, before things in my personal life got hectic (relationship break-up and subsequent move into my own place) and I soothed myself with socializing and libations rather than sticking to the plan.

The Body by Design plan mixes twice-a-day cardio sessions with three different phases of lifting. These first four weeks are really pretty basic, except that he has you do 15 reps which is fairly high for most lifting programs. It is difficult to select the correct weight for fifteen reps, I tend to pick to high. I can't wait until Phase 2, (weeks 6-8) because that is when you get to do squats and deadlifts. love Love LOVE!  By the third phase, (weeks 9-12) I'll be doing super sets. I never made it that far last time, so we shall see how that goes. 

I should finish my 12th week of the program Thanksgiving week, which is perfect. I am trying to decide what to do for December. I think I will just make up my own thing for those few weeks. I'll be in Utah for a week over Christmas, and besides that, it will be good to start another 12 week plan the first week in January so it will end on my 29th Birthday at the end of March.

It is September 9th, and fall is definitely on the way. The night have become much cooler, and the air is starting to get that fall smell. I love running in the autumn time. Which reminds me, I have to be up at 6:30 in the morning to jog before work. Then I come home a jog after, woohoo!

Shiraz

Glassface at Mickey's, drinking a Tranquila.

Lilypad flower I snagged canoeing.

I've kept my housewarming plant alive for two months. My house is finally organized to the best ability a five hour effort brings; a safe space for my dreams and adventures to take root. I need more canvas and a new pair of Nikes. But I've got hugs and smiles for friends and two good ears to listen, eyes to breathe. This drought of a summer suddenly shattered by a sexy suprise rainstorm to bring back that cool breeze and make the grass stop scratching my feet so hard. finding good balance. writing more, painting. happiness through loving others. collecting glass jars..not on purpose, but they're pretty and hard and fragile... no BPAs either. a clove cigarello and an iced coffee at Tenney park while the sun also rises. Learning about the absolute mortality of life and the heartbreaking beauty of it all. My Granny died, and I love her. Forgiving myself for my shortcomings, but me and myself, we're really just best friends. Crispy cool fresh sheets in my room with a window AC. Overwhelmed by options, possibilities and the need to give. Found my voice, seeking a score to set it to. Expression, inspiration. getting old old fashioned.

Vintage Blue Mason Jars

Puffy eyes from crying about Scott Walker not being recalled June 5th.

No, Really...

Time passes, the seasons change, it feels like nothing happens but much happens in a year.

Last time I posted was July 2011, nine months ago. I find it humorous that at that time, I was lamenting about the train being off the tracks. Well, whatever gusto or proverbial bootstraps I thought I had found at that time did not come through. The train ran off the tracks and then careened off into the Grand Canyon. Ok, not that bad. But, yeah, I continued to NOT make good choices in regard to my health and fitness.

Another fun timeline, to catch us up to present date:

July 2011 - Went to North Carolina to visit my bro and sis. Went to Vegas for an HR software conference (Bellagio, baby!!)

August 2011 - Promotion at work which meant I had to travel to a small town in southern Illinois (six hour drive one way) for a week every month, while still juggling my Madison HR duties. Good news was a raise and management experience.

Sept 2011 - Boss went on maternity leave. Still traveling for work. Working out a little bit off and on, taking stabs at eating clean some weeks but also having cocktails with my roommates during the week.

October 2011 -  Have broken up with my bf twice at this point. Still traveling for work. Work stress level getting intense. Also start smoking a few cigarettes a day, as an added bonus!

November 2011 - Busy with work. Not in a good place; depressed. Stressed and not handling the stress in positive ways (clean eating & exercise). Break up and get back together with my boyfriend again (Really? really. ugh. It's me. It's him. It's mostly me.)

December 2011 - Make the decision to go back to school, switching gears completely. Burnt out on HR and blaming my sedentary unhealthy choices on my "desk job," I decide an active, health oriented job I would enjoy is Physical Therapy. For Christmas, I go to Utah to stay with my older sister and her awesome family. My siblings are all there too. Best Christmas ever! Emotionally filled my bucket, so to speak.

January 2012 - Switch to part-time hours at work. Start school. Consumed with the tunnel vision of going back to school and making that work, I decided it would be a GREAT idea to move-in with the boyfriend whom I've already broken up with five times. (Sometimes I make dumb choices)

February 2012 - School is going great and I finally feel like I can breathe since I'm not working 50 hours a week. I start a fitness program, and not a moment too soon. I weigh in at 240 lbs - OMFG.

March 2012 - Still working out and eating clean. Break up with boyfriend - for good, although still living there while I search for a place. Have a birthday, turn 28

----
So that fast forwards to now. I'm still doing my fitness plan and I've lost 22 lbs so far. I'm currently 218 lbs, 27.14% body fat. I've got more muscle than I've ever had, but that's good because I want to be strong and defined, not just some saggy bag'o'bones.

I'm in that awkward phase of breakup because we still live together. I found a place near Tenney Park but the lease doesn't start for another month. Every day is pretty painful, the dynamics toggle between getting along and arguing. We seem to both bring out the worst in each other. Both stubborn and hurt. I am so eager to just move on and get on with my life. When I get to my new place, I will create a positive, artistic space conducive to love and creativity. I have so much exciting stuff to look forward to! This summer is going to be awesome. I will be working full time, biking to work every day, and spending time with people I like.

So...cheers to new chapters!