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November 28, 2014

Black (and Silver) Sports Bra Fitness Friday


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Hmm that looks way more awkward than I planned in my brain, oh well. So I held to my annual tradition of avoiding all things Black Friday shopping like the plague.  I lounged around longer than I should but after breakfast and a bit of time on Farmville 2, yeah I know, I got up and went to Planet Fitness.  Turns out it was the only parking lot that was not packed today which is saying a whole lot because most days that gym parking lot is like the Hunger Games with slightly less violence.  I got a spot right down front with no hunting.  I went in and there was no line, no crowd in the women's locker room, and no fighting whatsoever for any of the equipment.

In short, it was a great day and I loved the sweating.  I had an epiphany later too which is just that I'm getting comfortable in my own skin again and I'm kind of loving it.  Now the workout totals haven't been ticking up as much as they did a few weeks ago an that would be my fault but for a different reason than you would might expect.

Last week I was having the mother of all cramp fests which killed the Wednesday workout.  Thursday I thought I'd make it up but I was just exhausted after the cycle of work.  And Friday I followed through with a major decision that had been looming.  I'm no where near menopause apparently, gotta screw the family curve there too, and all of the birth control options are contraindicated for me based on age, possible risks (blood pressure can be wonky every now and then), and whatever else the universe wants to include.  That left me with the option of an IUD or the Novasure Ablation.  IUD seemed scarier than the ablation so I went with the ablation.  I did debate it for a few months before I made a move.  The ablation basically moves there will be no little Southern Girls or Boys springing forth from me.  I kinda knew that already but it was confirmed that if I moved forward that was where life would end up. So yeah last Friday ablation won out.  Which wouldn't have been so bad except I couldn't eat all day prior to the procedure which wasn't until 2.  But by about 1:55 I was doing the happy drug express and by 3:30 I was up again and hungry.

My trainer gave me the go ahead to skip that workout since I'd be damn near a zombie by then and we weren't sure who the drugs would impact me.  Turns out I slept a lot.  I felt better in the morning but not good enough to trust myself in the pool so I slept in.  I did get back on track workout wise on Monday but I have to say that I haven't slipped up on the diet.  As of my last weigh in on Tuesday I think it was I'm down 12.6 pounds from where I started at the beginning of the month.  So yeah I'm totally endorsing the trainer option.  I'm learning better options for food, better ways to keep myself busy in the gym and better ways to just enjoy me.  I've just gotta slip by my birthday and Christmas without sliding completely back into dessert hell lol.

How was your day folks?

 Fitness Friday

November 18, 2014

Influenster SUPERstar!

Okay so yeah I have been an Influenster kind of girl for a while.  I read about the site on someone's blog and while I couldn't snag an invite from them, a few weeks after I initially tried to sign up I was sent an invite.  Not too long after that I was sent my first VoxBox and could say without a doubt that the program was super duper free and legit.  There's never been a dime exchanged between us and I have managed to get a fair number of products to review, use, and in quite a few cases make part of my staple products.  The food in particular has been great.  Even the things that I haven't loved someone in my house (usually my mom) or network really enjoys them.  We all LOVED the Nonni products.  We were sent the THINAddictives and woosah they were amazing which led to the biscotti and other things.  The hair care, skin, and nail products have been good as well to see how my mood and palette work with things I wouldn't have normally bought myself.

I think that's one of the best things about Influenster truth be told.  They don't send you things you'd never use but they attempt to push you beyond your standard fare.  As someone who was committed to doing better this year in that regard Influenster is a big asset to that.  Even when I had an issue because I moved to like super small town in not a Wal-mart kind of state they worked to get me the product so that I could review it and I have to say it's been the best foot care product I've had in a while.  My feet are always silky smooth after I use Freeman Barefoot Spa line.  I heart it. 

I have invited quite a few friends to join and I'll be honest for some it's harder to commit to the process of getting products, reviewing them and trying to speak about them in a good honest way.  I talk too much as it is so there's not a huge issue there for me.  I was worried that a negative review would smack me on the hand for future boxes but in my experience they want honest feedback  While the CC cream I was sent didn't match my skin tone in the slightest I was able to say that AND talk about what it was able to do for me regardless.

Best product from them EVER is probably not one that anyone else would think of really.  Last year I was sent a Goody product, I've gotten those before and like the brand outside of reviewing, that was a new Dri Wick like product that was made into a headband.  Now I'm not a super pink kind of gal but i was excited at the idea of this headband as I tend to sweat a LOT and mostly in my scalp when I workout.  If little baby angels could have descended from heaven and sang after that first workout they would have.  While the rest of my body was definitely in sweat mode and my face was glistening no sweat came from my scalp onto my face.  No it doesn't stop my scalp from going yeah exercise and downpour but it definitely isolates it and makes me less of a mess post workout.

All in all I can say it's been a great ride with Influenster and if you are interested and not part of the program yet please let me know.  I'd be happy to invite you.  We can review off into the sunset together.  Like for serious, just let me know.

Have a good night all.

November 14, 2014

Fitness Friday: First Full Week of Training

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So I officially started with my trainer on the 2nd but I totally forgot about the 90 million things I had on tap for last week so it meant I didn't really get a full week in on the training schedule and managing my diet without a lot of distractions. I'm going to give you a sectional update as I think I will make more sense than blabbing for the next few paragraphs.

Meal Plan: Is actually really flexible and is helping me work on eating 1) on schedule and 2) enough so that I'm not starving and 3) not so much that I'm overindulging.  Tracking everything I eat has shown me some days I'm hungrier than others but have managed to stay within my allotted daily calories all but one day and I was 20 ish calories over that day but really who has ONE fajita and goes to bed?  Best of all I'm learning a lot of fantastic new recipes that still indulge my major food craves but aren't horrible unhealthy.

Workouts: When I was having a better time of things at the gym this year I was there three to  four times a week for at least an hour and while I got a good sweat in I was also getting bored and losing motivation often.  I've managed to make it all three scheduled days this week and each was a different challenge but perfect at the same time.  Although I'm slow sometimes it seems like Monday is more of an ab and upper body day plus cardio.  Wednesday is a good general workout day.  Today is a butt and cardio day.  All of it was good.  I think I was sore a few weeks ago because I hadn't been at the gym regularly in a WHILE.  This week my body feels great, I can tell what the exercises are honing in on and I feel accomplished when I'm done.  Sweaty too but accomplished.

Trainer/Elizabeth: She rocks, not a lot else to say but who am I to stop talking prematurely.  She's very encouraging, supportive and answers my questions about workouts and food like super fast.  I know it's early in the process but she really is fantastic.  And if nothing else it seems like I'm losing weight.  Things aren't fitting the same and six pounds isn't enough to account for all of it.  Can you lose weight in your feet?  Cause really shoes are feeling a little BIG lately.  Regardless this feels like the best present I've given to myself in a while.

How goes your journey to healthy?

Fitness Friday

November 10, 2014

Fitness Friday Late Update

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So I haven't checked in for a few days my bad.  I mentioned in my last posts (October 31 and today) that I had hired a trainer from fitorbit.  I need the guilt/encouragement/guidance of my trainer.  Yep I'm claiming her.  Before our week together really started I made sure to start cutting back on what I was eating and how I was eating and I made sure to get into the gym because I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to squeeze in the full workout this past Friday and Saturday because of work stuff.  From that sad weight I posted a few weeks ago I am officially down six pounds.  I have already had six workouts, including abbreviated ones on Friday and Saturday when I was in conference mode.  If I hadn't stumbled upon the brownies I MIGHT have done better with the weight loss this week but any weight off is great at this point.  This week I can focus again and attend to both diet and workout.  Today felt great and while I'm a little sore but feeling great.  Back to the gym on Wednesday and Friday and Saturday.  Let's see what the next weigh in gives us.  How's life treating your workouts?



Fitness Friday

And she had gorgeous curls upon her head

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Well except I don't.  If I'm being perfectly honest I'm glad there is still hair on my head.  Ulta is the only salon that has my preferred Affirm Fibre Guard relaxer.  And I had found a great hairdresser that I trusted to do it.  When I went in for a random styling I found out that she was gone and likely would not be back.  Turns out most of the staff has bolted from Ulta.  I know that kind of thing happens but seriously my hair and patience were at an end so I had to trust a new girl with the process.  Issue #1 came with them having my relaxer but nothing else to take care of it.  None of the other components were there so I had to go with Mizani which my hair fights like it's a robber trying to steal something from an old lady.  Even leaving it on much longer than intended there was still a bit of texture that I wasn't wanting as I do like my hair BONE straight post relaxer.  She did listen to me about that part though and was pliable if that is the right word.  She clearly hadn't done very many relaxers and was even more out of sorts when it came to the blow out and flat iron process which to me seems like a no brainer.  I coached her threw that and left satisfied if not bone straight.

After the last relaxer did kind of the same thing cause she was rushing I am feeling more texlaxed than anything else.  My hair fully on my shoulders but does need to be evened out some more so that's the plan for the next few months.  I am pretty sure that after swim classes end I'm going to shoot for some braids so I can work out without it being stress on my hair trying to style and put up out of the sweat.  I'm still uneasy about swimming in braids but want to check with a few people to make sure I'm not freaking out unnecessarily. I refuse to let my growing and graying hair slow down the fitness train.  More on that in the next post.  How was your last wash day?


The Wash Day Experience