Too much cardio

I found this really great article online about cardio and I had an eye opening moment after answering these questions.

Are YOU a cardio abuser?

If you answer “yes” to three or more of these, then consider yourself a potential cardio abuser. See above for “cardio rehab” ideas.

• Do you try to negate a bad food choice or less than stellar nutritional day with extra steady state cardio session to “even out” the calories?  YES
• Is the duration of the session more important to you than intensity (e.g., you’ll choose 50 minutes lower intensity over 20 minutes of intervals)? No, not really I focus more on calorie burn.
• If time is short, do you scratch off resistance training before cardio sessions? YES
• If you want to drop some weight, is your first choice a 10 km or half marathon event? NO {already learned that doesn't work}
• If a coach gives you a goal-specific program, are you quick to ask “where’s the cardio?” or “when will we be adding in card?” Probably
• Do you track and record “calories burned per session” on a stationary piece of equipment? Well, on my heart rate monitor
• Do you feel fat or out of control when you go a day or more without a cardio session? YES
• Do you find your cardio time inching up and up… are you putting in more than an hour a day trying to lose weight or make progress? YES
• Do you find yourself progressing to longer endurance events — eventually hoping that events such as ultramarathons will help you lose fat? Do half-marathons seem like not enough and a full marathon just getting warmed up? NO, 13.1 is still plenty far for me :)
• Do you keep using cardio well beyond when it stops being useful or productive — for example doing cardio many times weekly for months and even years with little or no change in stimulus? YES
• Does the thought of dropping cardio make you feel distressed, fearful, and/or anxious? YES!!!
• Have you even refused to stop doing it after a trainer or health professional expressed concern about what effects so much cardio may have on you? UMmmm, if you consider people telling to slow down, then yes.
• Have you had blood test results that suggest you’re under significant physical stress (e.g. depressed sex hormones, disrupted thyroid, very high or very low cortisol, etc.)? No
• Are you afraid or reluctant to do resistance training, or increase the intensity or frequency of resistance training, in case you “get too big” or “bulk up” — even though endless cardio sessions haven’t helped you accomplish your goal (of reduced weight, body fat and/or girth measures)? No, I like doing weights too just not as much.

So yes I abuse cardio.  I think in the beginning it started with trying to work off bad food choices.  

Shit, I ate that bag of chips I better go run THAT off tonight.

BUT on the flip side, I love the 'runners high' I get from a good sweat fest.  

I have become a slave to my heart rate monitor, going longer and longer at the gym to burn as many calories as I can.

Well, I was stuck at 150 for MONTHS so apparently you can't run off a bag of chips and burning more calories doesn't equal weight loss {Unless you're on Biggest Loser, they workout like all day everyday and drop a load of weight! Must be the magic of Bob and Dolvett whom I love}

I'm trying really hard to cut back on my cardio and adding in more resistance training and weights.

If you know me in real life, then you know I'm super social, I love to be around other people which is half the reason I go to a gym.  {other than needing a break from the toddler} Wednesdays are my favorite days and I may have over did it yesterday with a calorie burn of 1420, oops.  

Today I'm ONLY going to do 30 minutes of spin and then Body Pump {weight class}.

Baby steps people, baby steps :)

I'm still doing good on my abs!

My little sweaty buddy!

Oh and I totally realized I bought the wrong video, I have the 6 week 6 pack, not the 30 day one.

Oh well, abs are abs and Jillians still hard core :)

I'm also not going to wear my heart rate monitor to the gym everyday so I'm less focused on burn and more on my workout.

Oh, and I FINALLY broke the plateau, 145.8 BABY!! 

Here's hoping to keeping it off in a healthy way!

Bedroom updates

I'm in the home stretch, 2 weeks left in the semester and then finals and I'm D.O.N.E {for the summer anyways!}. I can feel the 'itch' coming on, I debated skipping class yesterday and hitting up the thrift store. 

Instead I decided to actually finish some of the lose ends I have lying around the house. I know I'm not the only one who starts things and leaves them for WEEKS before finishing!  

First up is the light I found at the flea market!

This may sound crazy, but I've never hung a vintage light for fear of bad wiring and burning the house down.  Yeah, my house burns and that's the LAST time my husband lets me decorate anything.  ha!

This light was too cute to pass on though and it's perfect in the nook of my bedroom.

I painted it my favorite color.

Next, my adoptive parents across the street {really just my neighbors but they are always willing to help a girl out with a project, so I asked them to adopt me!} made me some pretty wooden frames.

I made a little gallery wall above my desk so I have some prettiness to look at, I even included my husband in one of the pictures, he's always complaining the pictures are of Miss M and I {hey I can't help if we are the pretty ones around here!}

I'm going to attempt to keep out the thrift stores until schools out even though I'm dying to paint some furniture. 

Need to focus on finals. Need to focus of finals. Need to focus on finals.

Maybe if I say it enough I'll do it.

Happy Hump Day!

My scale got a beat down

This is what happened between me and my scale this morning.

I'm pretty sure it's defective because I ate SO GOOD all week!!! Like whole platefuls of broccoli and cauliflower for lunch. Every freaking day. No sweets even though I was dying for one.

Friday I ran 7 miles in the morning, ate healthy all day, played soccer that night and I GAINED a pound the next day. For real. 

I didn't let that get me down I kept at it and did good all weekend. Nada. Not even the pound I gained came off.

This would be the point where I would say eff it, BUT I have the best blog buddies and someone offered to keep a food journal with me :) Knowing I have to account for what I'm eating is helping me stay motivated!

I have some other thoughts about what's happening, but that will have to wait for another post sometime this week. 

So WEEKS ago I ordered an abs video and it's been collecting dust since then.  Mama Laughlin was kind enough to give me a kick in the A** when she posted she was starting hers. FIIIINEE I'll open it and do it :)

Can we just say that I'm awesome for posting full on tummy pics? Ugh.

She kept pulling my shorts up, guess she doesn't want to see my stomach either.

Plus whens a better time to get ripped abs then when you are trying to get pregnant??

Oh lord, I just saw the ab workout is 30 minutes long!!! Who the heck does 30 minutes of abs, Jillian, that's who!

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

Being Honest

Dieting is a bad word in my house. I don't like to feel like I'm on a diet, I want to just be the girl who makes healthy choices.

Yes, I want to eat fish and plain veggies for dinner.

Surrrreeeee I'm starving and feel like beating someone, but a salad will totally hit the spot.

Nah, I think I'll pass on that cupcake.

Via

This is more of my reality.

I'm gonna eat so HEALTHY today! I always start out good, Greek yogurt {check!} whole grain waffle {check!}

Mid morning snack, Lara Bar, healthy and yummy {check!}

Then 12:30 hits, I'm freaking starving.  Things usually start falling apart here.

On good days I get to rush home from school to eat, I plan on eating good, turkey sandwich, fruit, SmartOne.

On bad days {like if I have to run errands or stay late and study} the options are not good. 

Subway, Chick Fil A, maybe La Madeline or Fridays.

I make 'good' choices but eating out is ALWAYS bad for weight loss. 

Then the dreaded mid afternoon lull hits. {This is the WORST part about 'staying home'} It's 3pm and your tired and or bored and a little treat is all you want.

I think 'WTH I work out, I can have a damn piece of chocolate if I want' 

{When I was heavy my little treat used to be a big bad of Peanut M&M's or a bag of Oreo's.}

So I pop a couple candies, or some pudding.

Then I feel guilty, so I resolve to run it off at the gym.

Which I do and on the drive home I tell myself I'm NOT going to over eat at dinner.

Which I really believe I can do.

UNTIL I get home 30 minutes later, change, and realize that I'm freaking HUNGRY.

I do cook healthy.

It's the damn 'after dinner treat' that gets me.

Eff, why why why do I have such a sweet tooth!

So what's the point of my ranting? Those damn little treats are sabotaging my weight loss. 

Just because I work out like a crazy person doesn't mean I can eat like one.

You can NOT out run a bad diet!

I threw away all the dang sugar, but I swear I'm going through withdrawal.  I need to learn I can't even have some in moderation, I have no self control.  I know everyone says you need to let yourself cheat sometimes.  I don't think this is true, bad habits sneak up on you the same way the weight does.  All those little insignificant choices add up.
It's time to be honest with myself and my plateau, I've been bouncing around 147-150 for a looooong time. I'm not eating what my body needs, even if I stay with in my 1800 calorie range, I'm not fueling my body correctly.
So I'm restarting, even after losing 100+ pounds I need to get back on track.  I need to be honest. I need to remember my goal and what got me where I was in the first place.


and just because she's cute....

Miss M's race recap

Miss M's first race didn't exactly go as planned.

We got there in plenty of time, decked out in some ADORB running gear.

The shirt is from Dillard's, I may have taught her to tell everyone 'I'll SCHOOL YOU!" 

This kid kills me :)

We did a little stretching....

I even got her a little baby Bondi Band so she could be like Mommy.

Her and her BFF were having a great time...

Their 'dancing' cracks me up.

 We were a little involved in the music and didn't hear them start the 1 mile run, oops.

We started 10 minutes late, but it really didn't matter after about 1 minutes of jogging M says 'my tummy hurts' and stops in the middle of the street. Of course her BFF then says 'my knee hurts' so we ended up carrying and running with them. Talk about working up a sweat! These kids weigh close to 40 pounds each and running with that is no joke!

Still they finished and had a lot of fun, but we are going to need to work on some endurance before the next one.

Miss M spent that night at her Oma's house so it was prime time for some spring purging!

It all started with the damn candy. It's been a constant in the house for weeks now and I have zero will power if it's around.

I tossed it all.

Then I worked on a closet full of old decor. My walls are so full and I just can't keep everything so I threw out a ton and put the rest in the garage to give away.

Next was the playroom, holy cow.  I just get so sick of little pieces floating around, Hubs was telling me not to throw some of M's toys away! Seriously, next time he's going to have to vacate the house too.

I think I'm stressing about adding in another baby, where the heck and I'm gonna put them? And all that baby crap?

BUT I'm already looking around Pinterest for nursery ideas and I'm not even preggo yet, so there are some pluses. Weight gain=bad decorating=good

I may have issues.

A plea for help and gym tips!

The most amazing thing happened.

Pigtails! It only took 3 long years, but FINALLY we have enough hair!

Best day ever.  I heart having a little girl.

A few months ago I found the cutest light fixture at a flea market.

I've since painted it and begged my Husband to 'help' me hang it. Either we really are too busy or he's getting good at putting me off because it's still not hung.

I decided to try to do it myself.

Sorry I have no head, Miss M took this picture and it's a miracle she didn't have her finger over the lens.

Due to a wonky screw I couldn't even get the old fixture down.

I left the tools and ladder there hoping one day I'll come home and he will have done it for me.

So far that plan is not working {Honey if you read this, I have sacrificed my body to bear you a beautiful child the least you can do is help a girl hang a light!}

Yesterday was registration for school and after sitting in line for 2+ hours last year I got my booty to school reallly early and only had to wait an hour.  I'm graduating in December so I only needed 5 classes, which makes getting a good schedule impossible.  I ended up registering and then realizing on Thursdays I would be going to school from 10am to 10 pm. My first thought was how in the heck and I'm gonna get in a work out? {Priorities people!}

So I ended up switching some things around and now I'm getting out at 4 everyday, but Miss M gets out of preschool at 2 so I still have some juggling to do.

Change sucks, just when I have a routine things change again.  When I plan my life I plan my work outs because it's a part of who I am now.  If it's important to you, you will find time.

Speaking of working out, Tuesday I could NOT get motivated to get to the gym.  My brain wanted to go, but my body just wouldn't get on board.  So I stayed home and took a rest day while only feeling slightly guilty.

Wednesday I was still feeling a little unmotivated, but I put on my gear and went anyways.

I felt so much better afterwards! I burned a crap ton of calories and  had fun to boot. 

I thought I would share some of my tips on getting a great gym workout.

1. Eat before you go, even if I go in the evenings I eat before hand.  Your body needs fuel so you can push yourself hard and not feel like your dying. Usually I eat a banana or a protein bar.

2. Try classes!! It's hard to push yourself as hard as someone else can. Don't worry about looking like a fool if you don't know the moves, after 2 or 3 classes you will be a pro! For the longest time I didn't do any 'dance' type classes because I felt dumb standing there when everyone was dancing, but  I finally tried one and IT'S CRAZY FUN!

3. Get there early to 'warm up' on your own. I always do at least 15 minutes on the treadmill before any class, this helps get your heart rate up so during class you will burn more.

4. If your not doing classes go in with a plan! Not having a plan usually ends up in a 'ehhh that's good enough' attitude. One of my favorite 'on my own' exercises is the Bcx Bootcamp. Print them off keep them in your car!

5. Make friends. I love my gym because it's small and all women, I see the same gals every week so don't be shy and say hello it makes it more fun!

Happy Thursday!

Shorts

Hope everyone had a great Easter! Mine consisted of cleaning my house, doing my taxes, and busting out my homework due Monday :) Fun stuff, I know.

It rained here so we had to move Miss M's egg hunt indoors, but she didn't seem to care she gasped every time she saw an egg sitting on the ground :)

I did do a little, much needed, shopping on Friday.  I learned that apparently I have a misconception about what I actually look like.

When I was heavy I knew exactly what size to try on and if it even looked halfway decent and zipped up I bought it. Usually I was more excited about it fitting than actual fashion, NOT that I dressed bad but your options are more limited the bigger you are. I've had jeans all the way to a size 20.

My favorite store to shop in was Lane Bryant.

To this day I still go in there looking for bras thinking they will fit me. 

{July 2009}

I was looking for a dress for a friends wedding, I picked up one to try on in a 14 because when I look at it, to me, it looks like my size.

There happened to be another one I liked and it only had one size, a 6, despite the fact that I just bought that size a few weeks ago, this dress was super fitted and I honesty felt it wouldn't fit.

The 6 fit perfectly.

Why can I not wrap my brain around that fact?

Probably because when I look in the mirror I see things I still need to work on.

We should call THIS the curse of being a woman!

Never being happy with your appearance.

My 'trouble' area is my hips and thighs. 

I was told once they are called Irish Hips, which I guess is better than the Polish nose I could of inherited :)

From the time I was a teenager until a few months ago I NEVER EVER WORE SHORTS.

Oh I would wear capris and if I was really feeling daring bermudas, but never shorts.

Well, when I ran to Target yesterday to pick up crap for Miss M's Easter basket {please tell me I'm not the only one doing it the day before!} I decided I needed some capri's because it's already so dang hot here in Dallas.

I picked up a few capris and bermudas to try on and thought about all the lunges I had done at the gym that morning.

Eff it, I'm going to try on some damn shorts, like REAL shorts not long shorts!!!!!

They fit, they looked good.

Well, a little wedge never hurts :)

{Top and Shoe: Old Navy}

{Shorts: Target}

Happy Monday!

Let's Be Friends

I'm gonna go ahead and admit it now.

I'm a serious Face Book addict. 

It's totally like the best thing since sliced cheese, or is it bread?

 I enjoy sharing pictures, recipes, shopping finds, and just overall funny things that happen to me throughout the day.

NO I don't post 'good night Facebook' or other daily doings on there. That's annoying.

I did update my status while I ran the half :)

Don't worry I made sure to get out of the way before typing! 

I think all my 'regular' friends are sick of my workout posts...

Like this workout after I ate too many Girl Scout Cookies.

Or my awesome parenting skills.

Yes, this was the only nap she got. What can I say I had to get to the gym!

Or when I buy yet ANOTHER mirror that I have absolutely no room for.

I randomly painted this purple just because I was feeling it that day. I had no where to put it, so the other day I picked it up and carried it from room to room looking for a spot to put it.

Luckily I found one :)

In my purple guest bath.

I need to stop buying mirrors though!

Oh wait, back to the point.

Facebook.

When I had my blog redesigned Tara was nice enough to add a button for me up in the right hand corner

So if you wanna give it a click and let's be friends :)

Parties, parties, parties!

I feel like I'm so behind on blogging! Sorry to those of you stalking my blog for updates :) 

Some days I just don't have time to fit it all in and unfortunately blogging is the first to go.  It's paid off though, I got 3 A's on my last 3 tests and applied for graduation in December.  I feel like I've been in school forever, actually I guess I have been. I'm excited to get it done and move on {IE find a great job and make some more shopping money} life ain't a ton of fun on one income. 

I turned the big 3-1 last Friday and my poor Mother had a 10 minute argument with me about how I was only turning 30. Seriously, she even had me second guessing myself, I'm thinking MAYBE I AM ONLY 30?? 

Geez. She even made me a cake with 30 on top.

The cake was an Ombre cake she saw on Pinterest. Very pretty, but no way can you make those pretty rosette swirls with butter cream frosting, it's too soft. 

Yesterday we had Miss M's 3rd birthday and let me tell you my house looked like I threw a college frat party for a bunch of boys. Crazy and messy, but it was a sign of all the fun we had :)

Her cute little dress is from Dillard's, the day before I realized she had nothing to wear and had to actually take her to the mall BY MYSELF {killmenow}. Usually I'm on top of these things, but I'm falling behind on the wearings yo!

My Mom {who we will now refer to a WonderWoman or WW for short} made these fantastic crowns for each kiddo.

Even for the boys! 

Last year we learned that cooking for 30+ people is a pain in the ass, so this year we went with Subway! Easy and good {plus healthy!} and cost me the same amount as if I would have gone and bought groceries.

WW pretty much did all the party stuff, decor, cakes, and cupcakes herself.

Yeah, I have the best Mom.

Ohhh and the cupcakes have an Oreo baked into the bottom. Delish!

Yeah, she made the cake too, hence the WW nickname.

She also made Princess Wands, treat bags, and those cute centerpieces! 

I had to take the pinata situation into my own hands.

The kids weren't cutting it.

Miss M and her BFF, these girls are so dang cute together I want to eat their faces off.

The kids jumped until they were wore the heck out.

My plan of having my husband clean up the next day while I was at soccer didn't work out like I planned.

Let's just say he can't drink like he used to!