For giggles....

Okay, not literal giggles but for fun. Well, maybe not for fun really either but anyway..here's the recap of my day!

Training: Off
Cardio: 30 min of a barf worthy program on the elliptical

Eats: (Medium Day)
-Egg whites, ground turkey & mushrooms; oats with honey & smashed banana
-1% cottage cheese (minus what Dad ate) & BBQ rice cakes (Quaker quakes..yum!)
-Tuna, apple & nuts
-Cookies & Cream PP with almond milk; Kashi Heart to Heart cereal
-Ground turkey, mushrooms, egg whites & shredded potatoes (frozen kind from Whole Foods)
-Fage 0%, pumpkin, Gingerbread PP, SF pudding powder & Kashi Heart to Heart

It's a TON of food. I'm full but not stuffed. We'll see how tomorrow goes (high day!)

Grabbed a few things from Dollar General after cardio (it's in the same plaza.) I forget how much "normal" stuff you can get there for far less. There's tons of junk too but they have a giant box of Cheerios for only $2!!!!!

Off to bed with my sleepy self. I really need to get up for cardio in the morning!

Sleep well!

Stuffed.

Yep, that's me. Stuffed. I'm eating a good amount of food on this plan & it's a little tough to actually get some of it in. The Lifestyle program is alot different than the competitor program. I like it though it'll take time to adjust to the food. We'll see how that goes. Jodi wants me to check in often & will adjust accordingly. It's only day #2 so we'll see how this goes. I do know that Easter may be a challenge with dinner but I'll make the best choices I can.

I'm not going to post arbitrary ramblings just to say I've blogged so that's really about it for the moment. Just wanted to update with how SOS is treating me!

Thanks so much to everyone for the comments. Lurkers, regular & new followers, etc. It's great to know that I can trigger your thoughts & even help you along with things that might be going on in your lives. It's why I do this!

The meat....

I got my SOS nutrition & it's going to take time to get used to really planning my meals again. Really breakfast is always the same & dinner is whatever I come up with that night BUT I definitely need to better plan my lunch & daytime snacks.

My food is at a very generous level which I suspected would be the case. Jodi said this isnt going to be easy & I'm almost afraid of what that means but it would appear we are dieting me slowly. Just calorie cycling for the meantime. I'm glad to have a very moderate approach.

My cardio is only an additional day to what I'm doing now so that's not bad either.

Maybe for giggles I'll post meals now & then but probably not daily. BUT I'll get back to posting my days.....maybe! lol

Today is cardio only.

Diet started with a low day (which is what I've been eating daily anway.)

Foods included protein & coffee; cottage cheese & BBQ rice cakes; protein shake, apple & nuts; 99% FF ground turkey, brown rice & broccoli; more protein, banana, almond milk & Kashi Heart to Heart cereal. This is DEFINITELY more protein powder that I've been having in a day (I've been using none) but it helps to get the protein amounts in!

I'm very much looking forward to finding out if my body is ready to take off the fluff!!!!!!!!!!!

Waging battle?

This week I've been feeling VERY out of sorts. It's due in part to a headache that's plagued me since Sunday (actually it started late Saturday) & it's caused from knots in my back. Kevin's done his best to work them out & did great but they still linger. The dang foam roller wont quit hit them either but I feel them. Anyway..that's part of the problem.

Not certain what's causing the other exactly but something struck me on the way back from the store today. I already knew it was Holy Week & what better time for satan to attack believers? I mean come on ..the holiest of weeks in the year....the time we remember the salvation of our lives, where HE died so that we could be free? It was like a 2x4 in the forehead. Satan leaves us alone if we aren't close to a breakthrough of sorts.

I was reading a friend's blog about this too. She's been having "demon dreams" & slept with a Bible under her pillow so that she could sleep better. It's amazing to know that he seeks us out in the times we are growing. So I guess my thought is that we should be proud to be sought because we are facing some great growth. That may sound hokey but if a little waged war against evil means I'm getting stronger...then I'll take it.

I heard a song on the radio the other day that I wanted to share. We sing it in church alot & it's just a song that makes me grin from every inch of my body. It's by Hillsong & called "Salvation is Here."

The chorus is this....

'Cause I know my God saved the day
And I know His word never fails
And I know my God made a way for me
Salvation is here

It's a goodie so check it out if you'd like. It sorta makes Him sound like a superhero, doesnt it?

Anyway...I know I have reader's with different beliefs so I will apologize if I've offended. It's totally not my intention but I just wanted to share what's on my mind the last few days......

I'll catch up with other stuff in another post :)

Reflecting.

So, it's Holy Week. The time of the year that some make a bi-annual pilgramage to church. Some spend the week in Passover. For me, I just try to remember WHY I live. WHY I'm forgiven & WHY I'm allowed to just be me. With those same thoughts, I sometimes think WHY did you do all that for us? And then I'm reminded with a gentle nudge...the fact that He'd have done it for JUST me. I'll never go all preachy on you because it's just not my style. But I will say that whether you believe in God or not..you should know that He died for you anyway!

I've spent alot of time in thought this week & vocalizing some things to a friend that I'm certain was put in my path to help me find my faith again. I was soooooo humbled this week with the thoughts of what God has done for me....from His brutal death to just carrying me through my grief to helping me find my health to bringing me the man of my dreams. I mean right down to the wedding date.....it's no coicincidence. I'm fully assured of that.

The week has brought about renewed excitement in my life. Reconnecting with the old Savage team, college friends, booking things for the wedding, etc.

It just reminds me that life indeed is good. It's not about what you have, who you impress or what size pants you wear. It's just about living an abundant life. I'm not saying you cannot have that without God either. But what I am saying is that just makes *my* life sweeter.

The weekend was good. We watched the Final Four games at the Blue Chip, had some good eats at the buffet, played a littled (won a little too!) Caught up with a friend yesterday who's struggling yet acknowledging that she needs help.

Nothing earth-shattering but that's how I like my days to be!

I'm off & running with SOS once again (read down a couple for that scoop) & we did our first workout this morning. Still waiting for the nutrition/cardio prescription but I know that takes a bit to receive.

Have a GREAT Monday!

Wow!

I just have to say THANK YOU before anything else. The support has been amazing in regards to my decision to become a Savage girl once again.

The bottom line comes down to finding what works for you. I did well on the program so I want to follow it again & having 11 months before the wedding gives me more than enough time to be smart about it!

Nothing much going on here. It's about 65 degrees today & the sun is shining. I perhaps sound suprised because we were forecast for mid-50's & rain. Though I hear the rain is still coming!

Kevin & I have signed up for the 2010 NCAA Final Four lottery. Basically, you sign up, pay the deposit (the cost of however many tickets you want) & wait until late July to find out if you've been selected to receive tickets for the tournament. It's being held in Indianapolis next year so it would be close to home for us! All the wedding stuff will be done by then also so it would work out perfect for our first weekend away. Fingers crossed for that!

Making tacos for dinner tonight, knocked out cardio & abs this morning, probably vegging on the couch after dinner too! My idea of perfect!

So really, not much to report but I really just wanted to extend my thanks for the support!

Here kitty kitty....

Seems odd, eh? Well, not if you live in the Chicagoland area & happen to listen to The Mix in the mornings! They were playing an April Fool's joke by playing a meowing kitten sound during the traffic report. I was fooled & wondered what the noise was as I pulled out of my garage since I wasnt fully paying attention to them yet. About 2 blocks later, it hit me & I busted out laughing! There were people actually calling in to fess up that they'd actually pulled over to check to see if they had any travelers under their hood! hahaha

And the other thing is that I have a kitty to let out of the bag.....it may seem like an April Fool's but it is indeed fact!

After have gone through so much after my shows, finally maintained my weight for 6 months basically eating intuitively & failing to "diet" on my own. I've enlisted some help. Some very sound, sensible help. Some may disagree & that's fine but I know in my heart it's what is best & worked really well for me.

Out with it already right?!?

I've re-joined the Savage team to get my body back. I did VERY well on their regular program & was able to do some really great work with body recomposition. I did well with the contest prep too & will admit that I was fearful that that program really did a number on my body. I think it was more affected by what the local coach did to me. I can repost that if you'd like but basically it was extreme prep in peak week, drastic water depletion & a prescription diuretic. Think what you will but I did it willingly but really never thought I would experience any problems. I thought I'd be fine.

I have made a couple attempts to diet in the last 6 months but none have been successful. I even hired a well-known nutritionist & followed the program to a "T" but it was FAR too low calorie for me & my body doesnt respond to that.

So I'm going back to what works. I'm doing their Lifestyle program which is meant for non-competitors. I will never compete again. I'm focused on being a wife next year & a mom following that. My family will be my focus & yes while you can do both..it's not in my plans.

I will start slowing by only following a medium day...not cycling calories as the program also allows. I will not weigh or measure veggies, I will have nutbutters on my rice cakes if I want that, etc. You get the drift. It's a lifestyle so I fully intend to make it fit into my life. I'm not competing so I see no need to go all crazy.

BUT I'm ready to drop this extra weight that's been keeping me warm! It's time to do it & do it properly. I function better with structure so it fits.

So that's my scoop. I've taken pics, measurements & am ready to be me again!