Monday, March 10, 2014

I'm Superwoman.


 
 
 
If you don't know, now you know!  I am Superwoman! Yesterday was day 5 of the Advocare 24 day challenge for me.  It's definitely been a 'challenge!' I miss being able to eat whatever I want!  Last night my husband had a business dinner that we had to go to at a very nice Italian restaurant in downtown Nashville.  And guess what!  The menu was predetermined!! I was SO excited to have a grownup night out and go to that delicious restaurant and then it hit me- I can't eat that food.  The excitement turned instantly to dread.  I didn't want to turn down that food and I sure didn't want to be 'that' fat girl that won't eat!  I just decided to go and ask for a large salad and pay for it separately if need be.  Well, let's just say by the time I walked out of there, I was shocked. 
Let me back up.  Maggiano's is served family style, meaning all of the humongous platters are passed around the table to everyone.  Well, so much for not getting near it or sniffing it!  I'm talking over sized platters of stuffed manicotti, beef medallions soaked in some kind of creamy heaven, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken stuffed with mozzarella and spinach, mashed potatos, bread, fried ravioli, and bruschetta to name a few!  Of course the wine was flowing.  Then came dessert, again family style.  Strawberry cheesecake and tiramisu with (gasp!) coffee!!  Everything all you can eat. THEN when we went to leave, the servers brought out tray upon tray of to go wrapped servings of all of the above PLUS chicken parm and chicken rigatoni! Even the desserts!   Insanity!! It was a Gods honest free for all and for this girl on Day 5 of the cleanse...hell.  Pure, delicious smelling hell.  So what did I do, you wonder?  Well, to put it bluntly, I kicked ass.  There were a few healthy ( and way less delicious looking and smelling) offerings on the menu, thank GOD!  I ate Apple walnut salad (legal), basil tomato grilled chicken (legal), grilled asparagus (so disgusting but legal!), and grilled veggies (legal) with water with a slice of lemon.  That. Is. All.  Oh, I had about 3 olives.  It was so hard.  The poor guy beside me was so uncomfortable!  I kept passing over all the yummy food to him and he was like, "You don't want any of that? ....Oh, none of that either?"  Lol  I finally just caved and said, "I'm not some kind of weird non-eater!  I'm on a 24 day challenge at my gym." He seemed cool after that and then a bunch of us started talking about it and it was a lot less awkward!  But when that cheesecake was on its way, I quietly said to my husband, "I'm battling.  I'm battling right now."  That's what I say when I'm arguing with myself over food in my head:  *Just one bite!  No!  What will it hurt?* ect.  He was so awesome.  He wouldn't touch the coffee (one of my most missed friends!) and he said he wasn't having dessert.  He told me to stop battling, I'm not going to have 1 bite.  I can do it!  And so I didn't.  I told him to dig into that tiramisu, that I was fine and so he finally did.   I was not fine.  I felt like (I can only assume after thousands of episodes of Law & Order) a crackhead in a crackhouse!
I know this is extremely detailed and long winded and to most people sounds so crazy but when I walked out of there, I was shocked.  I couldn't believe I actually did it.  I couldn't believe I didn't take ONE bite!  And I couldn't believe it was as hard as it was.  I wish it wasn't.  It sounds so simple.  Just food.  Don't eat it.  But in the moment.....man, in the moment it is a battle!!  And I won a huge battle last night!  I know that if I can conquer Maggiano's, I can totally do this challenge and continue to kick ass!  And I know if I can-  ANYONE can, because I am weak.  I am the weakest Superwoman ever but a Superwoman nonetheless!  :)


Ps.
Here we are all snazzied up, before we went in! :) 


XOXO,
a


Monday, March 3, 2014

3 years and counting....

 
I have this cool new app called Timehop and everyday it shows me what my facebook status or instagram was on this very day in history.  So today it just happened to tell me that I started Zumba 3 years ago today!!  That is a huge milestone for me!  Zumba is what really got me going on my weight loss journey and really and truly changed my life.  It was literally the day that I switched from being 100% couch potato to ....well, an exerciser!  Lol  After doing Zumba for awhile and losing some weight, I added in some personal trainer sessions.  I didn't really care for her, but a few months later I found myself signed up at Golds Gym and starting their functional fitness class which is CrossFit (they just don't own the name).  Hardcore stuff!  These days I aim for 3 days of CrossFit and 3 days of Zumba per week.  Every so often, as I'm making my protein shake or putting on my workout clothes, I just think, who are you?!?!?  One of my friends says that I'm one of 'those' people now.  You know, the ones that work out all the time and are super fit!  Lol  Well, I'm NOT super fit and I have SO SO far to go on this journey but I kinda am one of those worker outers.  When I walk into the gym, my 4 yr old walks into the childcare and they sign him in without me even going in, I just wave through the glass....I go THAT much.  Who am I?!?! 
I'll tell you who I am, someone that couldn't stand looking in the mirror and being disgusted by herself for one more day without even trying to do anything about it.  I'm someone that took a class 3 years ago just in the off chance I might survive one hour with the skinny girls.  I'm someone that is still very much on an ever changing, evolving, some times frustrating but NEVER ending journey to be a better me. It may not be perfect but I'm never quitting.  I just can't put into words how thankful I am that I walked into that class 3 years ago today.  I can't imagine where I would be if I didn't. This is one of the pictures from the month I started Zumba: 


March 2011
 
                                             

 
I've shown it on my blog before but ugh, it's so bad. And here's one of my favorite more recent photos:


August 2013
                                                  

In full disclosure I think this is from the end of August and I may be a couple lbs heavier now (thank you holidays!!) but not much. 

I have some really exciting things coming up to help me jump start the next phase of this crazy fitness journey!  I'm so ready to gain some traction again and see some new improvements.  I've been stuck at this current weight so long that when I look in the mirror these days......well, I see more of the top photo than the bottom.  But it's all good, good things are acomin' and I'll be sharing with you all soon! :D

XOXO
a