Pilates Feet :: Case Of The Mondays!

We’ve all heard the famous expression from the film “Office Space”:: “Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays!” We have maybe even used this expression for how we feel after a great weekend, returning to work. I might not be going to work, and I am definitely not headed to Chotchkie’s, but I am dong something on this fine Monday morning to bring myself out of those all too familiar “Mondays”! I am joining Skinnie in celebrating something that is a pick me up!

For me, it will be my very first full length Pilates class! Last Thursday was a mini introduction and let me tell you: it was definitely no joke. Friday morning I was sore all over my body (in that good, stretched out way) and even in places I never knew there were muscles (like my armpits!)! Saturday afternoon it subsided and I was back to feeling pretty good. Yesterday I headed up to get a pedicure since my ToeSox would show of my toes: they had to be pretty! I like to consider it a treat I get for sticking to this new work out regimen!

I am super excited to get into a great routine and how are these socks not an incentive? They were a little awkward on my feet at first, but I wore a pair around the house yesterday to get used to the feel on my feet and in-between my toes. The worst part is my pinkie toes are awkward and stay tucked in the little toe thing. Oh, well. Don’t look at me while I’m working on ma fitness!

Oh, and I love the little place here in town where I get my nails done::

How can I be down in the doldrums when I look down and see sparkly toes looking back up at me? Is that not absolutely fabulous? With one toe in front of the other I will walk through this busy week keeping my head high and will not have a case of the Mondays this week!

What is picking your spirits up on this Monday, of a very busy week? Head on over and share your thoughts!

Fit and Flab-u-lous Through Pilates!

Happy {almost Friday!} Thursday friends! Let me tell you what: I have been slacking on my fitness and am happy to report I am getting down to business and using deployment as the perfect time to submerse myself into Pilates! (Deployment goal #2!)

This morning I headed up into Temecula to an amazing in-home pilates studio and was completely won over my brand new Yoda! Sandee does personal training in pilates, spin and barre, but she also does small groups (maxing out at 5 clients) throughout the week. I am signed up for three more sessions for the rest of the month and then will be going to three times a week in December! Come deployment I fully intend on heading in Monday through Friday to get myself off the couch and out of the house! Maybe even going in the morning and sometimes back in the afternoon if she succeeds and gets me into the Spin craze! 

I was amazed at the muscles I felt working during our mini-introduction session this morning. She was so informative, letting me know why we were doing each move, what the benefits of them were, which regions I should be feeling it in and where I should not be feeling it! She gives such attention that I think it will be a blessing having her in my life.

My goal: to need a smaller wedding ring by the time deployment is over! My engagement ring might be able to be resized… but our wedding rings are stainless steel and can’t be. Yay for new ones!

OH, plus I get to wear these super awesome pilates socks::

 

And yes: I am still all about the instagram and you all will be sick of it before I am!

On a much less healthy note I am having a new chicken recipe tonight for dinner. Sandee gave me a diet plan and I am not quite sold on the extreme change from where I am right now. Our dinners usually consist of a meat, rice and a veg. Her meal plan has just protein and veg for dinner. This is the first change I am going to attempt. Oh, and pre-bed protein shakes instead of pretzels and juice. So, stopping at GNC today on our way home. In the meantime, a post-pilates nap is in order!

I am really excited about these new changes and accountability Sandee provides me with. When you’re paying as much as I am for it, you don’t not go! I’ll be sure to share the journey with you all!

(oh, and I will share how my fatty garlic chicken recipe goes too!)

iPhone-atics!

Get it… like “iPhone” mixed with “fanatics”?

Earlier last week I was hanging with Neidy and she was telling me some pretty awesome information about the iPhone and communicating with her husband with it. I tried not to be too rude, but needed to have all the deets about just how much these phones were, as the only person who had ever shared lead me to believe the phone bills were outrageous.

Oh, yeah… we were two of the five people still on the planet who didn’t have iPhones. I talked with Hubs about it and we decided Wednesday we would go out over the weekend and check them out.

Needless to say, this is my first time on the computer since Friday afternoon! We both got the iPhone 4 (not the one that talks to you- we figured we would start a little simpler!) and are addicted to them!

HOW DID PEOPLE LIVE WITHOUT THEM?

We really though we wouldn’t use them very much and that they weren’t worth their cost. Boy, were we WRONG!

Does the lady with the Brostache have an iPhone?

Ok, sure… maybe we’ve gotten some silly apps, but who can resist the BroStache (which was free, and is voice activated to move when you talk!) one? We also are both on “Words With Friends”(come find me, my user name is “TheYoungRetiree”)! We have been playing each other since we got the phones! Oh, and he won our first game of “Hanging with Friends”!

Of course, I am foursquaring my way around town and instagramming like it’s going out of style! I’ve been tweeting, facebooking and mailing from it. I have even been finding my way around in the dark thanks to the flashlight app! I really have no clue how we talked ourselves out of them for so long!

Deployment Goal Two :: Work It Out

While I currently have about 6 things on my deployment goals list, I’d like to talk about the second thing: PILATES! A while back Dr. J suggested I do pilates since it is so easy on the joints while being very beneficial for the body. Well, time and money just “weren’t there” and I never contacted the woman he suggested. Let’s be honest with ourselves for a quick minute. Both time and money were there, I just spent them both on other things.

Time passes and I had all but forgotten about pilates. We had been using the track as our form of exercise and then we fell off even that bandwagon! When I mentioned to him I was thinking of joining a gym during deployment to motivate me to get out of the house he said “No, I don’t want you joining a gym!” I’m sorry, what? I simply figured the financial attachment to something would motivate me more to actually have any kind of follow through! That’s when he brought back up the Pilates and it all came rushing back to me. I thought about it and decided I was not waiting for deployment to come around; I was going to make the call and get the ball moving right now!

I called and left a message yesterday afternoon with a personal instructor/trainer and was pleased to get a call back last night! We set up my introductory appointment for next week! I am thinking of looking into a package that would not only include pilates (and the possibility of yoga, barre or spin classes) but also includes nutrition counseling! Let’s be honest, there was a whole lot of pizza rolls eaten during our last deployment and nutrition counseling could be just the thing to ensure I can stick with eating healthy during deployment!

I am really excited and looking forward to talking with my “Guru” and setting a plan into motion! The best part: It is an in home studio! The pictures I have seen on the website are amazing of her studio. I definitely know I won’t be too nervous since there won’t be tons of “juicing gorillas” all around me!

I can’t wait to tell you all how it goes (and how shattered I am after the first meeting!) and what my definitive plan is!

Weigh-In Season In Our House

If you are a military family you know all about weigh-in season. If you are not, allow me to explain. Twice a year (for the Navy, is it different in other branches?) active duty personnel have to complete their PT test and pass a weigh-in. There are height weight requirements set in place to keep members fit and healthy (and looking damn fine in uniform).

Every six months my house gets turned upside down at weigh-in season and I may as well be living with a high school wrestler. You’ve seen pictures of Hubs, he’s no fatty in the eyes of popular society but he is built mighty awkward. He is short and kind of stocky. He would pass every time if he were about an inch or two taller with absolutely no problems. He is not an inch or two taller and as a result he has been eating a banana for breakfast, and apple and banana for lunch and salad for dinner.

One year when we were first dating he was given 2 days to lose about ten pounds and weigh-in again. He lost about 12 pounds in those two days by drastic measures similar to those of high school wrestlers and worse, some of which were endorsed by his command and shipmates at the time. I feel it is inappropriate to write about these methods but it involved saran wrap, gel, a homemade sauna and little to no nutritional intake as well as a few other drastic measures.

Hubs passed his weigh-ins this week and a weight was lifted off my shoulders! I could now commence my regular cooking schedule and he could resume eating like a normal person. I won’t buy $14 dollars worth of beef only to have it go bad since we never got around to making that stew, since we were too busy eating salads or chicken!

He will never change: about a month to two before weigh-ins he hits his PT schedule hard (for him) and tightens the purse strings on his diet. He is a snacker… more a “grazer” in the snack aisle… and I have not seen him snack in I could not tell you how long. I guarantee tomorrow he’ll be back to it.

He does pretty good and keeps himself in check… I just wish we could stretch those legs an inch for him! How do I motivate him all year long instead standing by and watching the torment during the season? Deployment goal #1 set: join a gym. If I’m paying for it, I’ll use it and maybe he’ll join in when he gets back!

Home Again, Home Again!

HELLO FRIENDS! I have returned from what will always be my home to our home in Fallbrook! Our trip was such a whirlwind leaving me with so many things to blog about and so many blogs to read!

My first official PCS is happening, 22 months after our things were put in storage and there were good things and bad.

We got to spend two weeks with Nan enjoying Moe’s, good southern BBQ, Cheesesteaks, Dog-N-Burger and of course: Thanksgiving dinner!

We enjoyed dinner with a friend at one of our favorite spots in Norfolk: Bardo! Ah-mazing. I can’t wait to share this treasure with you, and the tale of spicy guava sorbet!

We got to have dinner with my best friend and her baby (and awesomely cute baby bump!) at No Frill Grill!

I remembered all the little things from back home that I love: Harris Teeter, fields of green, JET NOISE!

I also found things about home that I never understood why people got frustrated by: Long traffic lights, everyone having vanity plates, THE HUMIDITY! I have no clue how I lived there for so long and just accepted it!

It was sad to see places I loved no longer there, and the biggest disappointment was trying to get a slice of chocolate cake at Taste… and they had no clue what we were talking about!

We had the best slice of pizza I have ever eaten at Chicago Midway Airport… and it wasn’t deep dish!

We are so happy to be home! I can’t wait to share our pictures and memories with you all!

San Diego was great to fly into but it was a little stinky! That was one thing we didn’t have back home! There is nothing better than being in your own bed though, and waking up in your own home. Tonight we have the Navy ball and tomorrow morning we get our puppies back! Have a beautiful weekend, friends!

Fit and “Flab”-u-less | Breaking Past Ten!

Wowzers, y’all! I have not updated here in a quick minute but wanted to give a quick update and see how y’all are doing, if you’re on the same journey to a healthier you! The week before last I hit a plateau after gaining a few pounds back (think three, almost four!) I was confident the weight would drop back off… and maybe tomorrow they would be gone… and what was I doing wrong… and why are they still there?!? Hubs and I got out of our workout routine and diet was all I had really been focusing on. Oh, but it was the week I needed sugar cookies in my life.

I think one of the most important things was the fact that I did not deprive myself and I tracked. I tracked those three bags of M&Ms every day for three days. I tracked the night I sat there and ate five sugar cookies. I tracked the days I was a few hundred over calories. I tracked sitting on the couch crying to Anderson and eating five snack bags of Lays.

Then I called it like I saw it and got serious. I drank my water every day. I got back on a slightly healthier train and practiced moderation and then I faced the fear and hopped back on the scale. I had dropped down past those first ten pounds! Those ten pounds I put on the month Hubs got back from deployment! I was down and I felt great and re-invigorated with my journey.

As of weigh-in this morning, for the purpose of updating for this post, I am down 12.6 pounds from my beginning weight on My Fitness Pal. I am here to plead with you if you are on this journey as well: DO NOT GIVE UP! Allow the indulgences, but track them! It would have been very easy to give up after the small gain back (which felt HUGE at the time!) but I worked through it and overcame! I am very excited and keeping positive about our pending vacation back home! Lord knows there are foods that I am going to eat when we get back! First up is some good pancit and a Philly Cheesesteak. Oh, and a chili cheese dog from a swanky little hole in the wall! I think there will be a lot of salad dinners! Also, a pair of sneakers is already packed and ready to take with me. There will have to be walking and working out this trip for sure!

How do you survive vacation or going back home without gaining a load of weight back?

*This is representative of my personal journey for weight loss and overall better health. I have no formal (or informal for that matter) education in nutrition or exercise. I have consulted my physician and keep in contact with him if I feel something with my body just is not right. You should consult your physician before starting a new diet or exercise plan.

Fit and “Flab-u-Less” Week In Review | Week Eight

Wowzers! So yesterday was crazy busy with our cooking class, a nice lunch date and my shop! This means I bring you my embarrassing week in review a day late. Y’all… this week was horrific! I thought I was doing well, but there was so much running going on with the vet and Jonesie and shopping and that one day where I was awake for like 40 hours. I went to put on a brand new bracelet yesterday and it was tight It is of course not my favorite time of the month, but there has been a three-pound gain… OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK!

Add to it, the cravings are never-ending today and I can’t beat it: I had two cups of mashed potatoes at lunch today. Seriously? Who does that?

This week is already no good and very bad and I want it to be over.

Here’s a question for you, gals: Since I’m dealing with PCOS and trying to get my hormones to act right… IS THIS NORMAL?

I mean, I will hear myself say something and immediately regret it… almost as it is coming out of my mouth! I have been rather short with Hubs (Bless him!) and Nan (who just knows it will pass) but there is no excuse! It doesn’t happen every month either- it seems as if every three months or so it is HORRIBLE!

I beg of you ladies, help me out here and tell me I’m not crazy. Furthermore, if you suffer the same (or should I say, if your husband’s suffer the same) is there anything you do to calm your inner beast? I don’t know if I can take a whole week or so with as short of a fuse as I have right now. Give me salty, give me sweet, give me another three pounds

Fit and “Flab-u-Less” Week In Review | Week Seven

Hello friends! Today we come with exciting news in my fit and “flab-u-less” report! I have broken through the ten pounder mark! That’s right: I am down 0.8lbs this week for a grand loss of 10.2! It was a small loss this week, which is fine with me! When we lost power I had several snack tubs of pringles and some cheeze-itz  for dinner. When we didn’t trust the stuff in our fridge we went out for more Mexican. Almost a pound works for me!

Hubs and I are getting motivated with the fitness aspect of all this and I think I mentioned we ordered a sha-weet stationary bike- definitely not your granny’s bike! Thursday it was supposed to be delivered to us and I was so anxiously waiting About two hours after we lost power the phone rang and was the delivery guy. (We ordered it on-line and like a furniture company was delivering it instead of sending it through UPS). He was within 5 miles of our house when his tire blew! It was 5:30, and his repair guy was coming from Chula Vista (So, easily an hour and a half away!) Needless to say we did not get our bike Thursday, and sadly have not heard from dispatch as to when it will be rescheduled for delivery.

In other news though, we got something else to kind of play around with:

Yeppers, we got mouth guards and boxing gloves! We ordered a speed bag and heavy bag (dual) stand (you know, not much fits in a Honda Civic!) and are awaiting its arrival. In the meantime I have been doing Kickboxing Bootcamp (which some of you on twitter are seeing as “Ninja Skillz”) which is definitely not for the weak! I am learning the punches and kicks and having a blast! We’ve decided when we fly home to visit we will take our gloves with us to work out… so, I think we have to put that in checked luggage?

Overall it has been a fabulous week. If you are on this journey with me, I hope you are having great success! We can do this: an ounce at a time!

Fit and “Flab-U-Less” 6 | “Free Days”

So we are another week down and if you are joining me on your own journey for health, how are you doing? I must say that this week I was a little surprised when I stepped on up to the scale: I was down 2.6 lbs this week! That is an overall loss of 9.4lbs. Not too shabby and rounds out to 1.5lbs a week, just like I set up MFP to do.

I’m no dietician or nutritionist, but I want to talk about something I do that keeps me sane, and doesn’t seem to be throwing me off track: Fun Food Friday! (Sometimes we have it on Saturday or Sunday, but it sounds better when it’s on Friday!) For the most part, on weeks I’m not too tired, we stick with the calorie counts. I have no problem being between 50-100 under my goal or 50-100 over my goal on any given day. There’s no way I’m hitting it dead on everyday!

ONE DAY A WEEK: we kind of don’t pay too much attention to what we eat. I still track the things I eat, but once a week, the tracker is slightly embarrassing, and I allow it. I don’t allow myself to get upset about it. I don’t allow it to bring me down or throw me off track. I refuse to call it the ever popular phrase ”Free Day” because I still hold myself accountable and track. Perhaps it’s the day we go crazy at El Torito, or I have Chipotle for lunch and dinner (don’t judge… I don’t! hehe!). Perhaps it’s a night out with the girls where everyone decided to bring cupcakes!

I never go violently over my calorie count for the day- I just use one day where I don’t judge if those calories weren’t gained in the healthiest of fashions.

I simply remind myself tomorrow will be a better day than today and carry on. I also think it’s great for throwing my metabolism off and not letting it get too complacent. Throw in some crazy food and make it work! Nine and a half pounds down, I’ll take it.

If you are on this journey with me, friends: let’s make this another fit and “flab-u-less” week, and don’t get down on yourselves if you indulged a bit with weekend celebrations!  

*This is representative of my personal journey for weight loss and overall better health. I have no formal (or informal for that matter) education in nutrition. I have consulted my physician and keep in contact with him if I feel something with my body just is not right.