New Projects

You know that social calendar I showed you all last weekend? Well thank goodness I chose to write everything down in pencil! Between the weather and exhaustion, plans have been cancelled, replaced, etc., these past few days. While I'm still trying to get re-acclimated to blogging on a regular basis, I think the weekly(-ish) post will do for now. Between work, working out, and everything in between scratch that last part, there is nothing in between, I've been a busy girl. In fact, I haven't actually worn real girl clothes (i.e., anything that is not work clothing, workout gear, or pajamas) in quite some time. Last Saturday was really a fluke--the only reason I put on pants is because it just seemed inappropriate not to.

Aw, my "I'm a 5th grader" face,
and an example of work clothing (add jacket).

Anyway, coming back to the (as of yet undisclosed) topic at hand... This week has been super refreshing for me. I've been taking the time to recharge and reassess my workouts, what I want to get out of them, where I stand nutrition-wise, and where I can/will go from there. And I've drawn some pretty good conclusions.

The Workouts

To say that Pure Barre has become a bit of an obsession for me is a little bit of an understatement. And this is coming from a girl who is a self-proclaimed gym rat. I used to scoff at the idea of group fitness classes, because I just didn't think they were for me. Socializing while working out? Absurd! Do you even want to get in a workout, or would you rather just chat and jump around to music mixes? Well, call me a fool, but I have to apologize for ever thinking that way. Crossfit was the closest that I had gotten to group fitness, but even with those competition-style workouts, you are competing more against yourself--physically and mentally--than you are the other Crossfitters. I used to think Crossfit was the only acceptable group fitness, because it was the most badass in my mind. Boy, was I wrong. Lucky for you all (or just for my sake), I do not actually have any photos of me attempting Crossfit workouts, but let's just say Insert Photo Here.

Now, it's no secret that regular gym-going sessions had gone to the wayside when I started my job, but while time management was the most prominent factor, it wasn't the only one. Back in probably mid-July, I tweaked something in my left shoulder while doing power snatches. I didn't really care to admit it, because heck--I'm one tough cookie and I rarely complain about injury. Mostly because I don't ever push my limits to that extreme. It was something minor, and if I just took some time off, backed away from the competition (Stupid Mind--if Body says I can't do it, then don't do it!), and came back with lighter/smaller movements, then it would feel better in days, right? Meh.

Let's fast forward to every shoulder workout I've done since then. Some with a few weeks in between. Some with a few days in between. The result? Poor left shoulder is still feeling the same--hurting upon any weight-bearing motion, especially with any rotational movement. Even getting a barbell up and overhead for weighted lunges was a pain. Literally. Fast forward even more til yesterday, and I (luckily only) have bursitis. The remedy? Two weeks of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds (typically taken for arthritis--I guess this is a testament to my aging joints??), 2 sessions with a physical therapist, and 4-6 weeks of exercises given by the physical therapist. JOY. Oh, and it is mandatory that I refrain from any aggravating exercise that engages my shoulder. Well that's a real bump in the road!

I chose to read that last part as: Don't isolate your shoulders while working out. I may be told otherwise...but until then, I'm a stubborn mule except I'm much more active than a mule. So in summary... all of this has led me to rethink my workouts, especially for the next few weeks, and the new addition of Pure Barre is welcomed with open arms (and tucked hips).

There are some days when I will add pb after a run, after a gym session, or before a hike. Other days, I just do that (it's high intensity, low impact) and call it a day. I don't feel like I've done too much, and I don't feel like I've done too little. Unless we are talking about laundry, in which case I've had plenty of that in the past week!

Some of us don't know how to work a camera.
This was workout outfit #2 that day...

When I get a few more days into pb, I am going to write a progress post. I can already tell there have been some great results (heck, I can tell just by looking that that picture), but want to give it four more days since they say that you can see results after 10 classes.

Nutrition

Lately, I've been paying quite a lot of attention to how I have been fueling my body. As do many people, I got a little carried away over the holidays--not so much because of an abundance of food, but because I LOVE seasonal flavors. You had me at gingerbread ____. If you fill that blank with "Oreos," I can't say that you are wrong. But the blank can be filled with numerous words...

Regardless, as I said last week, I've been staying away from the Devil juice. Ha--wouldn't that be GREAT if I called it that?! Yeah...no. I've also been straying toward healthier options. Mostly lean proteins, green vegetables (typically frozen because they are easier/cheaper), healthy fats on occasion, and limited amounts of complex carbs. With my job especially, it's really easy to get carried away and end up snacking on the road, even when you don't bring snacks with you. Especially when you drive on average 3-4 hours in a day. I've made it a habit of bringing a ThinkThin bar or a Pure Protein soft-baked bar. Note: the Pure Protein links to the company facebook page because these bars are not currently on their website.

Alas, some recent eats, and some recent grocery store finds.

Part 2 of yesterday's lunch.
Part 1 was a protein shake due to lack of time.

Today's lunch: tuna, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Seasoned with coconut vinegar & nutritional yeast.

Both of these meals were easy to assemble and complex in nature, providing me with the energy to finish my day/workout.

So I went a little overboard on the yogurts...

New Campbell's soups, and a new-to-me mustard!

Stats aren't too bad (aside from the sodium)--
should be interesting to try!

I'm not much of a soup girl, but I found the latter two soups at Kroger yesterday and thought I'd give them a whirl. I'll let you know the verdict when I finally get to eating them. And the former picture. Um, yeah, I get really excited when Kroger has new flavors of their CarbMaster yogurts, and I tend to hoard them because they usually fly off the shelves. It's a huge pet peeve of mine that yogurts are so good for you in so many ways (high in protein, low in fat, etc.) but they are generally bogged down with sugar, sugar, and more sugar. These babies have only 4g carbs/8g protein. Although I'd love for the protein content to be higher, I'm just glad that sugar isn't the number one ingredient!

Let me stop here to mention that I am in no way a nutritionist. The food choices I make are based on having gone through different training regimins, different contest preps, and pure personal preference. I do what I feel is right for my body. I am not trying to dictate how anyone eats, and I surely don't 100% enjoy unsolicited advice, especially if you yourself are not a nutritionist. There are numerous diets out there, and I can honestly say that I do not follow a single one. Nor do I want to.

True story: I had a lunch appointment an in-service at a doctor's office the other day, and somehow the topic of breakfast was brought up among the staff and myself. I had previously mentioned that I eat egg whites/eggbeaters for breakfast EVERY morning (yes--creature of habit), and must have mentioned that I had oatmeal that morning. You would have thought that I said I binge in the morning, because a nurse quickly quipped back, "You eat eggs AND oatmeal in the morning??" If only she knew that sometimes I mix a yogurt in there...

Clearly, people tend to be mistaken about what a complete meal is. And this baffles me, especially from those that work in such a setting. I guess it just seems counter-intuitive that medical staff aren't necessarily the healthiest people. Who would have known? This leads me to my next venture.

New Projects in the Works

Today I met up with my friend, Teresa, who is not only a personal trainer, but most recently a BeachBody coach. I had a few topics I wanted to discuss with her, one being how the whole BeachBody thing works. I love that I am able to inspire my own desire to workout, but I want to be able to do more when it comes to inspiring others. Those that know me in real life can attest for the motivation I can provide, whether it be in the form of a running partner or just inspiring accountability by offering up my own. In my opinion, it's easier to make healthy choices when those around you are making healthy choices.

After an hour and change of talking with Teresa, she has inspired me to look into the BeachBody coaching and make the small step leap into becoming a coach, first by becoming my own testimonial. How? By joining a challenge program and seeing it through to the end, following it to a T every step of the way. I must be crazy or an easy sell ;-) but I am already in the process of choosing which program to start with. What does this mean for you guys? Expect to be hearing a lot more (sarcasm) from me!

Oh, and after that, I went on a hike.

Here's to not knowing where the road ends,
only where you first began.

hugs!