Five on Friday!

It's finally Friday!! Which means it's time for "Five on Friday." 

1. I've been cleaning out the storage room and garage so we can sell Wyatt's baby stuff. This is a project I have been meaning to do for 6 months and was thrilled to finally get it started. However, when the first item sold I found myself feeling a little sad. They grow up too fast!

2. It's supposed to be nice this weekend, so we're going to go down to the river for a picnic and play in the water. We have a river that runs, literally, a 3-5 minute drive from our house and it just dawned on me last week that I have never taken Wyatt down there!

3. This week I am so very grateful for frozen peas. I've even been packing them to work with me and icing my leg as much as possible. Anyone have tips or suggestions on how to deal with stress fractures and prevent them from reoccurring? Anything has to be better than wearing a boot every couple of months!

What? Doesn't everyone carry frozen peas in their purse?

4. I saw this on Pinterest this week and about died. Watches are my weakness (it's possible I have a board dedicated just to watches). How have I lived without it?

5. My week without the scale is almost over! Whoop Whoop! JMBR Phase 2 ends tomorrow, Phase 3 starts next week! I'll have Phase 2 results and progress pics up on Monday!.

Have a great weekend, all!

Bloggers Helping Bloggers

Heather over at From Here to There has started an awesome exchange called Bloggers Helping Bloggers.


You're not going to go broke with this, or you don't have to anyways. It's all about encouraging and getting to know one another. Click the button to see how it works and hope you join in the fun!  ----
I completed JMBR Disc 7 for the final (until next go around) time last night. My triceps and abs are sighing a big sigh of relief tonight. Although, I get the feeling they will be begging for 7 back here shortly. Tonight marks my last time having to do the circuit of death in Disc 8. Hallelujah!!! I've got my last Cardio 2 on Saturday, rest on Sunday and then DUN DUN DUN... Phase 3 starts Monday. 
As promised, I will be back on Monday with my Phase 2 results including the dreaded progress pictures. Eeeek! 
Hope you all have an awesome weekend!

Dear 21 Year Old Self

Dear (21 year old) Tiff,

Don't be too annoyed that your mom came to town for a visit on your 21st to keep you from bar hopping. There will be plenty of time for bars, dancing and boys. Life doesn't end if it doesn't happen on your birthday. Taco Bell after midnight is never a good idea. Don't go there. You will regret it eventually. Sleep more. You're going to wish you did.

When your BFF tells you that you have to drink all the left over glasses, after losing a game of shot glass checkers, she's lying. It's not in the rules. On the bright side, a cute puppy will keep you company while you puke in the leaves out back. Also, when the same BFF calls you later that night to tell you she is lost somewhere surrounded by trees, don't waste an hour running around the neighborhood in a snow storm looking for her. She's in the back yard.

This year is going to be challenging for you. Something awful is going to happen that will change your life forever. I could warn you of when, where and how, but I'm not going to. This event will shape you and your future. You're going to feel broken and scared. But that's okay. Just know that you will make it out okay in the end. Know that it's okay to ask for help. Keep your head held high and you will come out so much stronger than you ever could have imagined.

Don't forget what it's like to have fun, though. Keep living. Laugh often. Trust those that earn it. You're strong, beautiful. Remember that.

When you get the bright idea and volunteer to make 12 homemade lasagnas by yourself to feed 100+ people, slap yourself for me, please. Heaven forbid college kids have to eat frozen lasagnas. You will dream of noodles, cheese and sauce for months. Lasagna will be ruined forever. Just don't go there.

I know you think men are scum, and it's true of some. But don't swear them off completely for too long. Enjoy being single for awhile, but keep your eyes and heart open. You'll find someone worth it in time. It might take you a few years to realize it, but that grump in the office that you're slightly scared of? He may not be so bad... Just a thought.

Love,

Me

Lets Talk Music & NSVs

So, I'm a country music kinda girl. Blake Shelton? Yes, please. It comes with the territory when you live in Wyoming. Don't get me wrong, I love me some 70's rock along with a few groups/singers in other genres... from a few years past. But here's the thing, and please don't take offense to this (it's just my own crazy opinion), this new junk that they pass off as rock, or "music" drives me up the wall. Voice alterations, and lyrics that make no sense?... blah. Noise to my ears. For this reason, I went strictly country several years ago and haven't looked back.

This wouldn't be an issue, except for the fact that country music does not make for good running music. I need to make a running playlist with some "I got this!" type of songs. So if you have any suggestions of some good workout songs, let me know please!

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On to Non-Scale Victories: For some reason, that is driving me bonkers trying to figure it out, buttons, and HTML format is not working on my blog this week. So you can find the amazing Katie HERE to link-up!

1. I noticed I'm starting to get muscle definition in my legs again!

Boom!

No matter my weight, my legs had always been really muscular. That is, until I got pregnant. The stick turned pink and snap! Hello, sausage legs. My legs were the only part of my body that I ever liked or felt confident about it, so I really struggled with this. I thought they'd start going back to normal after I had Wyatt, but they lingered for the past two years. All hope was lost of them ever returning until this past weekend. I'd just changed to go for a run and saw this in the mirror as I walked past and was amazed. There may have almost been tears. 

2. This one could be a major FAIL, but I'm choosing to find a victory in it. Once upon a time, not so long ago, this happened.

I ended up with stress fractures along my tibia from over-training and not listening to my body. I was completely out of commission for nearly 3 weeks. My doctor told me I had to be careful with it and it wouldn't take much to flare it up again.

Well, I'm a slow learner. It's been feeling great so I've been really pushing myself the past couple of weeks in my work outs. Last night it started to bother me about and as the day has gone on today it's feeling worse. So there's the fail, but I'm trying to see the positive in things. The victory is: 

Thank heaven's for frozen peas

I'm listening to my body this time. I didn't go for my run today. I attempted JMBR Cardio 2 doing modified moves with lower impact. That was still painful, so I stopped after circuit two and perched it on the couch with my peas. Hopefully they are magic peas and I'm back to new in no time!

SA (Scale Awareness) Meeting?

Hello. My name is Tiffany and I have a scale addiction. Are there scale awareness support groups? There should be. I've been without the scale for a couple of days now and I am dying here. I have seriously walked into the bathroom several times to weigh myself before remembering that the scale is on a little vaca in the garage. I hope he's enjoying his time there and knows he's missed.

I have never been a weigh-once-a-week type of girl. Never. Even when I've been busy lazy, stuffing my face with sticky finger quesadillas, I weighed myself at least once a day. Watched the scale creep up, stuff my face some more, repeat.

The scale and I have a love/hate relationship. The problem is, he was starting to get in the way of my weightloss. If, on any given time of day, I'd step on the scale and see a really great number, I'd think "Man, I'm awesome. I can afford to go over on my calorie intake a bit (a-hem... a lot)." So I'd eat more, even though I didn't need it. The next time day I stepped on the scale, I'd see a higher number and get really down on myself and it was just becoming a vicious cycle.

On the other hand, this is scary, unknown territory for me. What if I'm not working hard enough this week? What if I'm not losing like I should be? I have no way of knowing for sure! I think I need a paper bag!

I'm having to rely just on myself this week; go outside my comfort zone. I.do.not.like.it. But I put it out there to the blog-a-verse that I would not weigh in until Sunday, so I will continue to suffer my scale withdrawals and sleepless nights to prevent becoming a lying blogger.  

4 days, 2 hours.... 

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In other news, I'm linking up with Skinny Meg for Workout Wednesday...

I'm wrapping up Phase 2 of Jillian Michael's Body Revolution this week. If you want a killer shoulder workout, you can check out my recap of Disc 8, Circuit 3 HERE. If you think it's too easy, up the weights girlies!! It's a killer!

Wednesday is cardio day for me, so I'm going for a run this evening in hopes to PR my last 5k time:

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I'm also linking up with Sami and Jodi for ....

I tried a new recipe last night (found on Pinterest of course). Chicken and Asparagus Broccoli Stir Fry. You can find the recipe HERE. I didn't have asparagus, so I used broccoli and skipped the sesame oil. I served it with some brown rice and it was so good! I realize this picture looks gross, but I promise... it's not. Darn phone camera anyways.

Finding the Other Side of Fear

This is my last week of Jillian Michael's Body Revolution - Phase 2 and I don't know whether to feel excited and a sense of accomplishment over this, or to be completely terrified and fear for my life over what's to come. I've been reading people's comments regarding weeks 9&10 on the JMBR Facebook page, and I'm beginning to think I'd rather come face to face with a jellyfish than to move on to phase 3. If you know my fear of jellyfish, than you understand just how concerning this is.

With statistics like this, I don't understand why everyone is not terrified of jellyfish. I'll pet a shark before I walk barefoot at the beach. Darn washed up jellyfish. 

Here's a little taste of what I just read:

"Holy Moley! Workouts 9 & 10 are NO JOKE! dripping in sweat! Oh geez!"

-Laura

"9&10 are the toughest in my humble opinion..."

-Pat

"I'm on workouts 9&10 as well. They are really difficult compared to other previous workouts."

-Cherae 

"Started 9/10 yesterday. Oh my God! I am in pain."

-Elena

I feel ya, Elena. I'm in pain just reading about it. Then there is talk of near-impossible "wheel house push-ups" on disc 12? What the...??? I don't even want to know... 

My ridiculous fear of  jellyfish JMBR Phase 3 has got me really thinking about what other fears I have for my journey, and I've realized that I have a lot.

* I'm terrified of never being comfortable in my own skin. Terrified of never being satisfied with where I'm at now.

* Loose skin and stretch marks. Don't get me wrong, Wyatt was worth every bit of it, but I'm legitimately worried about my poor tummy never looking even semi "ok". I'm worried about how my c-section might affect how much I'm able to tighten my mid section. And a part of me feels guilty for even caring about this, but I do. I realize that I need to come to terms with it, accept it, and be proud of it no matter how it works out in the end. 

* Maintenance. I failed at this in the past. What if I lose the weight again just to put it all back on again? I'm excited to reach that point, but also feel a lot of anxiety for when that time comes. 

* I fear losing myself, and yet I also fear not being able to find myself. (Yup, she's psycho)

* I worry about how my weight loss might affect my relationships with the people in my life. 

* I'm scared that I'll never find the confidence I've craved and wished I had.

* A more immediate fear: I'm scared that when I take my Phase 2 Completion pictures/measurements this weekend that there will be no change. I want to be able to see my hard work paying off. 

These are all fears I'm going to have to face and overcome. Some,  I may just have to accept. But that's all part of growing and reaching a healthier place - both physically and mentally. Fixing the outside will only be temporary if I don't work on repairing the inside.

I've mentioned this in the past, but I haven't even looked at my own "before" pictures. (Well, mid-way pictures. I didn't take real befores). I snapped them and have yet to look back and see myself. I'm excited yet dreading being able to compare them in just a few days. I've been too embarrassed to post any on the blog yet, but I promise I will put progress pics up on Monday. (Eeek! It's out there now, so I have to do it).

Anyone else have strange, psychotic fears of any kind? 

Motivation Monday + Weekly Goals = Goodbye Scale

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Ours was really nice. We went on a little trip and I still managed to get a couple runs in, along with a nice sunburn.

One of my goals last week was to not weigh-in for two weeks, which will be the end of Phase 2. Basically, I suck at goals and I weighed-in several days... sometimes several times a day. I did not like what I saw, just like I knew I wouldn't. Our little vaca last month was disastrous for my weight loss. I did lose at least 4 pounds last week, but I still have 3 more to go before I'm at my "pre-vaca weight". Eeeek!

 So in times past, I would have seen that number and thought, the heck with it. I would have got myself a Winger's Sticky Finger Quesadilla, some Dr. Pepper, a pound of chocolate and had at it. "I've already failed, what's the point?" Not this time.

Instead of getting a Winger's Sticky Finger Quesadilla, (which by the way is the greatest 2500 calories you would have ever put in your mouth. And it's possible I used to eat 2 of them in one sitting), I tracked my food and didn't miss a single workout. In fact, I got a couple extra workouts in including some runs.

Saturday's Run 

Sunday is my rest day, so I took a casual "jog/walk" along the river after we got back to town. It was so peaceful - and hot. 

I also discovered this over the weekend...

My muscles are coming back in my legs! I never thought that would happen again. My weight may not be where I wish it was at the moment, but I'm starting to see a lot of changes in my body as I come to the end of Phase 2.

As for that pesky scale...

It has a new resting place for the week: upstairs, in the garage, on a high shelf. I can get it if I really wanted it of course, but this way, I'm going to have plenty of time over the process of trying to get it down to re-think things. I will bring it back down next Sunday so I can track the end of Phase 2, start of Phase 3. Until then, good riddance! 

My goals this week are similar:

1. Track food.

2. Do not weigh in until Sunday.

3. Finish JMBR Phase 2