a moment to refocusonlife ~ just believe

Hey everyone! Life has a way of getting in the way of things, doesn't it? I've been meaning to write this entry for over a week now...but alas, here it is!

On May 17th, I participated in the Warrior Dash #warriornation! Up until the VERY second I started running, I was scared out of mind. I wasn't scared of the potential that I might not be able to finish. I wasn't scared of the obstacles. I was scared of something much more obvious...

Mud puppies May 17, 2014

I was scared of running! 

My heart was beating out of my chest as we lined up at the start line. I mean, I was terrified that I would run a few hundred feet and be walking the entire course after that initial burst. But that wasn't the case! Until my feet started moving, I was not sure how I would do. But then the strangest thing happened: I was having fun. 

I was running, no one was chasing me, there were no tigers, no rabid dogs, absolutely nothing was chasing me and I was running! It was exhilarating! 

Then, out of the blue, I had ran for an entire mile without so much as a slight distress. We had passed a couple obstacles and I was still moving. I was confused. I was even able to carry on a conversation with Charlotte and Mark. Maybe I wasn't exerting enough effort? 

Then, another strange thing happened, I passed a very physically fit man that I had admired at the start line. That gave me even more hope. I was thoroughly confused at this point. 

All of this to state, I was afraid of running. Someone had suggested that I run the ALFA Hike for Hope 5k back in April. I literally laughed at that suggestion. I was fearful that I could not finish, so no way would I even attempt. 

It was all in my head. I was mentally blocking myself from enjoying something that it appears I may actually like! I wonder how often I've done this in my life? 

I am now registered for a timed 5k in July. The Athletic Quilt Streetlight 5k scheduled for 7/12/14. I'm not sure what kind of time I will post. I'm not sure I care. All I know is that, by gosh, I enjoyed the heck out of running and I'm excited about the possibilities! 

Big, huge thank you's go out to my #warriornation peeps. I love you, Mark and Charlotte (and you too Spectator Lisa)! You all rocked it out with me thru thick (mud) and thin (beer). 

See ya on the flip side. Don't forget to take a minute to refocusonlife...you might find something you've been blocking yourself from enjoying! 

Weekly Meal Plan - Week of May 25, 2014

Hi Everyone!
Sorry for the late blog post!

Here's our plan for the week:

Sunday: Patio Party @ Friend's House. We had grilled burgers and hot dogs.

Monday: Pork Chops, Green Beans, Sautéed Spinach. We used the grill and the pork chops were amazing!

Tuesday: Grilled Steaks. I found a beautiful Ribeye. Kind of excited! We'll pair with a salad. Two of the crew doesn't like steaks, so I will probably grill them a burger!

Wednesday: Proscuitto Stuffed Chicken Thighs. Yum! One of our favorites. I'm on a roll with the grill...we might even do them on the grill!

Thursday: I have an ALFA meeting. Mark is going to make the kids our homemade Tacos.

Friday/Saturday: I'm working all weekend. We'll be eating out.

How many people would like to see my weekly workout plan? Just gauging interest........

Weekly Meal Plan - Week of May 18, 2014

Hi Everyone!

Whew! What a busy weekend! I barely had a minute to think, but I've got the plan in place! Here it goes:

Sunday: Grilled Ham Steak, Corn on the cob, Sautéed Green Beans, Zucchini/Mushroom Sauté.

My first "Chopped" Competition Plate from last week.
Fun times! 

Monday: I have meetings all evening. The family is going to have pizza. Enjoy y'all!

Tuesday: It's Lasagna Day! Half will be using Eggplant as a replacement for noodles. The other half will be a combo of Eggplant and Noodles (per Lauren's Request). We'll have a salad as well.

Wednesday: Kielbasa, Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato Fries. Mark likes Mac and Cheese with his Kielbasa, so I'll probably make him and Lauren some.

Thursday: Pampered Chef Party for Lauren and I! Mark will be winging it... Good luck with that!

Friday: We're going to see Les Mis on Friday. It starts late, so we'll grab a quick dinner somewhere before--I'm thinking Hatch! Love that joint! They know how to rock out some Brussels Sprouts.

Saturday: Salads for lunch. Dinner plans with friends.

a moment to refocusonlife ~ love a good challenge

Happy Friday y'all! For the first time in for as long as I can remember, I'm not totally excited it's Friday. Aside from the routine computer issues this week, it ain't been a half bad week. But, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I'd just as soon hop back to Monday this week.

Why? Why, you ask? Because it's Friday, 5/16/2014. Tomorrow, Saturday, 5/17/2014, I will participate in the Warrior Dash. #warriors! Hashtag Warrior baby.

If she can rock out "Most Improved" in the Band...
I can do a mud run, right?
Congrats Lauren! 05/15/2014

So, what possessed me to register for this event? Well, let's see:

1. I registered before Christmas. I figured this would give me motivation to get into better shape (note to self: it didn't). 
2. It's on the bucket list (so is Paris, so somebody buy me a ticket). 
3. Friends are doing it (no, Mom, I'm not going to jump off a cliff if they do--just dumpster dive and mud crawl). 
4. Mark loves being outdoors (and this proves my love for him, right?)
5. Even gay men can be masculine! (no, really they can!)

Enough lists for now. 

So, come tomorrow morning at 11:30 am, I'll be either done making my way thru the mud course or I'll be loaded up on a gurney going to the nearest hospital. Either way, I'm going to be muddy. 

So, send a little energy out to me as I participate in my first 5k. Who knows, maybe I'll love it? I do, after all, love a good challenge! 

See y'all on the other side of it (with pictures!)

Peace out. 

a moment to refocusonlife ~ grain free

On Sunday, May 4th, 2014, I began the next step in my lifestyle transition. I've become super focused on goals during all of the weigh loss and my lifestyle changes. For some reason, numbers and data drive me (nuts?). 

At the beginning of 2014, I set one of my New Year's Resolutions as getting my blood pressure numbers down. Thru the weightloss, I think my numbers improved, but I wasn't seeing the improvement that I wanted to see. With that goal in mind, I saw a functional medicine Doctor. My goal is to reduce my blood pressure enough to end prescription medication. That may mean that I take supplements, I exercise, I eat right...whatever...my goal is to fix the blood pressure without pharmaceutical intervention. 

I've learned so much from that woman! <3 her. 

Can it be done? Of course it can! I just have to find the right combo that works for me. With all of that said, I had the appointment with the functional medicine doctor a couple weeks ago (right around Easter). He gave me a plan. One of his goals for me was to have me go "grain free" for 30 days. What that means is no wheat, rice, bread, grains, and a plethora of other items. It was not a huge stretch from the lifestyle I had already been living, so I dove right in (after the Art of Chocolate of course...)

I'm now entering week two of the grain free lifestyle. The thing I've noticed the most is that I feel like I am less hungry. Last week, for the first time in a couple months, I came under my weekly caloric budget...by 1500 calories! I was very pleased. I haven't been under budget in quite some time, let alone 1500 calories under! And...I wasn't hungry! 

The moral of the story here, I think, is that I never stop learning. I never stop learning about myself. I never stop learning about healthier lifestyles. I never stop learning things that others already know about me. I think that anyone that has stopped learning about themselves needs to take a step back and look in the mirror. See that face staring back? There's a wealth of information that you just need to dig in to find! Are you willing? Are you afraid of what you might find? 

I was. But not any more! 

So, this week, take a moment to refocusonlife, learn something about yourself and give it a whirl! You never know what might happen! 

Weekly Meal Plan - Week of May 11, 2014

Hey Everyone! Here's what's on tap for this week:

Sunday: Mother's Day Lunch at my parents (low-carb beefed up meatloaf courtesy of yours truly). Mother's Day Dinner @ Mark's Parents.

Monday: I have my final cooking class, so Mark is taking over. Since the whole family likes Hamburger Helper and I won't let them have it, I bought them a box so they can enjoy it while I'm not there. Yuck. Processed trash.

Tuesday: We are taking the Sea Doo's to drop them on the lake! Yay summer! We'll have a quick and easy dinner. I'm going to stop at Food Lion on the way home and pick up a Rotisserie Chicken. It's quick, easy, healthy, and delicious! We'll pair it with a salad most likely.

Wednesday: BBQ Grilled Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs. We'll pair it with some Brussels Sprouts.

Thursday: Lauren's Final 7th Grade Band Concert. Tonight we have dinner out due to time constraints.

Friday: Dinner Out

Saturday: Yikes! Mark and I are participating in the Warrior Dash. I'm nervous as can be...but I think it'll be a lot of fun! Bring on the mud! Afterwards, we'll have dinner with friends.

Enjoy the week everyone!

Weekly Meal Plan - Week of May 4th, 2014

Hey Everyone! 

Here we are at the start if another week! Here's my plan:

Sunday: Beefed-Up Meatloaf/Green Beans/Salads with homemade Red-wine Vinaigrette. 

The rest of the week is weird. Mark is gone with the Senoir trip for 3 days.

Monday: Grilled Wild Caught Salmon and Grilled Shrimp. I couldn't believe the color difference in the farmed salmon and the wild caught at the store. Unbelievable. I'll pair it with a homemade dill sauce and some asparagus. 

Tuesday: Vegetarian Lasagna. I've gone grain free for a month (at least) so I'll make the lasagna with eggplant. One of my favorite dishes! Paired with a salad. 

Wednesday: BBQ Pork Roast, sauteed veggies. 

Thursday: This evening I'm doing prom photography for NCSD. I'll make something quick. 

Friday: ALFA Bingo Night! Dinner out with Friends. 

Saturday: We will clean out the fridge to see what we have left. Leftovers anyone?