Tone It Up Week One

I just finished week one of this 8-week journey with "Tone It Up" and I am pretty excited about it so far. If you haven't heard of Tone It Up check out the fabulous Karena & Katrina here. 

So I've been an avid Crossfit junkie for three years but after some recent soul searching I realized that I need to take a step back and pursue some other fitness options. My best friend did Tone It Up last year before her wedding and she looked g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s; so when we heard that K&K were releasing Beach Babe 4, we joined the team! PS: You can buy the Beach Babe 4 or you can do the free workouts they suggest in its place, both are great.

There is a daily workout plus usually some accessory work and all of it is done in 20-50 minutes depending on the day. So let me be honest here- I'm in my final week of Crossfit where I lift daily, so when I saw the weights used for the TIU workouts were 4-10lbs. I thought it would be easy. I was wrong. Horribly wrong. I've been using 8lb weights and I've been absolutely dying!! It just goes to show that different kind of workouts work-out different muscles in your body. Overall I've loved the workouts and they've kicked my booty (especially the beach booty workouts, ha).

Workouts are one thing but honestly where I fall short is food. I love food and it makes or breaks you in the gym that's for sure. This week I killed it with the food plan and I feel so much better it's kind of stupid. I even texted my friend and told her I think I have abs coming in (which I don't, but I just feel that less-bloated! ha). So here is a quick compilation of what I ate during week 1: 

Monday

M1: Scarmbled eggs + 1/2 Banana

M2: Strawberries + Protein Banana Muffin

M3: Turkey burger (crumbled) + grapes + cucumber wedges + bed of greens + sweet potato chips

M4: No time

M5: Pork tenderloin + oven roasted veggies

Tuesday

M1: Egg cups (with peppers, mushrooms, spinach and ground turkey) + stawberries + booty call shot

M2: Raspberries and Greek yogurt + protein banana muffin

M3: Bed of lettuce and argulua with leftover pork tenderloin + cranberries + raspberries and grapes with balsamic and blue corn chips

M4: Larabar + cutie

M5: Zoodles with grilled chicken in homemade pesto

Wednesday

M1: Veggie and Turky egg cup (peppers, mushrooms, spinach and turkey) with 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and raspberries

M2: Banana and two banana protein muffins (oops, too much banana)

M3: GF wrap with grilled chicken, lettuce, mayo/mustard + grapes + mango

M4: Starbucks Acai tea lemonade with 1/2 the sweetner

M5: Avocado balsamic chicken + steamed peas 

Thursday

M1: 2 Egg cups (veggies + turkey) and 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and raspberries

M2: 1/2 banana + protein banana muffin + grapes

M3: Leftover balsamic avocado chicken + sweet potato chips

M4: Veggies with hummus and stawberries

M5: Tilapia + small sweet potato + green beans

Friday

M1: Homemade oatmeal with maple syrup and raisins + Green smothie

M2: Banana protein muffins

M3: GF wrap with ham, spinach, cheese, mayo-mustard mix + stawberries

M4: No time

M5: Homemade chicken tikki masla over rice 

Saturday

M1: Greek yogurt with fresh berries + Turkey Veggie Egg Cup

M2: Banana Protein Muffin

M3: Pesto shrimp + mango + strawberries + tropical smoothie

M4: No time

M5: Chicken pad thai (my 'splurge' meal)

Sunday

M1: Scrambled eggs + 1 piece of GF toast and peanut butter + strawberries

M2: Larabar

M3: Tuna on a rice cake and cheese + argugula salad with grapes and sunflower seeds + pineapple
M4: (not pictured) trail mix with peanuts, raisins, almonds and M&Ms (technically not 'compliant')

M5: burger on bed of arugula, pineapple, goat cheese and balsamic +  sweet potato fries + watermelon

Today (Sunday) I am going to meal prep for the week ahead which includes washing and cutting veggies to be roasted later this week or dipped in hummus, washing and cutting fresh fruit, mixing any dressings or dips I'm going to use, dicing and slicing chicken and making turkey burger patties, making homemade paleo granola and portioning out yogurt and cottage cheese for the week. Looking forward to week two and feeling even better. If you're looking for a new lifestyle to refresh your whole body, mind and soul join with me!!!

Goal for the week: Do all of the workout videos + look for a "goal" trip to take with my best friend when we complete this 8-weeks.

The Thankful Project: November 21st

The Thankful Project: November 21st: Workout Friends



Never thought I'd actually be able to say this, but I've been doing Crossfit for over two years. Today was my first "competition", an in-house competition where we spent the whole morning working out and supporting one another to hit some PR's and make time caps. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did, as I tend to get super shy and nervous when people watch me compete or perform in a competition...but I think that because of the amazing community that Crossfit is, it wasn't as scary. 






I just want to give a shout out to my awesome partner, Michelle and some of the great friends I have made in the past year at being at College Hill Crossfit like Starr, Megan, Kaci, Megan, and Carly. If it wasn't for them, I don't think I would've made it through today ... or PR'd my hang snatch. Overall, Michelle and I tied for 3rd with our sweet friends Megan + Megan and I'll gladly take that as a first competition victory. 

The Thankful Project: November 16th

The Thankful Project: November 16th: Crossfit

Yes I’m crazy. Yes I’m in pain. Yes I’m paying for this.  Over two years ago I drank that Crossift Kool-Aid and here I am still pounding away and pushing my body. I was terrified to try Crossfit at first; I was intimidated by the weights, the women were beastly and so strong, I didn’t understand any of the lingo and I was still struggling being sick. Yet I tried it. I remember the first workout having hill sprints and I thought I would die (because on top of being a non-Crossfitter I also despise running), however I survived and didn’t vomit so I returned for another WOD-..and another..and another.

Crossfit changed my life. I was always sick when I was younger but in my late teens I was diagnosed with several conditions that brought answers I’ve been looking for but a reality that there wasn’t really much that could be done. I worked hard throughout college but still was dealing with on and off episodes of sickness that brought me home a lot. Post-college is when I first stepped into a box and since then I’ve slowly improved my mental and physical health. I don’t talk about it much because I never want to use a disease as a crutch, but there are some days that I just can’t. Crossfit has offered that push and that commitment to help get through it.

I’m thankful for a place that I can work my butt off, become stronger and empowered. There are days I get so incredibly discouraged (I’m a perfectionist) and I get so angry with myself that I nearly want to quit. Yet like some sort of drug, I always come back. My youngest brother Jack started doing Crossfit with me and often has to talk me off the ledge. It has brought us closer as siblings and crated a bond that is unique and different than we’ve ever had. As Jack likes to constantly remind me, it’s all in my head. I admit it, I get in my head and can’t get out. Fear is my #1 enemy in the box. Ultimate fear: death. Jack reminds me that when I walked into Crossfit two and a half years ago, I had never touched a barbell, I couldn’t do one pull up, I never been upside down in a handstand, or ever swung a 50+lb kettlebell. Now I can do pull ups (as my biceps are still screaming from the 75 we did this morning), I love a barbell in my hand, I’m mastering the handstand, and kettlebells are my friends.

I believe that Crossfit is for anyone but not everyone is for Crossfit. You have to know how you are motivated, how you respond to the group atmosphere, and what you enjoy. I think that Crossfit can be adapted to any disability, restriction or injury but you have to be willing to put in the work regardless. Just because you can’t squat because you have a knee injury, doesn’t mean you’re going to take it easy in Crossfit. You’ll hit it hard in some other way. It’s adaptable, functional and relatable but it starts with you. You have to want it. You have to try. You have to be willing to be the last one on the floor and still keep chipping away at the workout.

Crossfit has changed my life and I have a sneaky suspicion I’ll be an avid Crossfitter for the rest of my life. #DoYouEvenLift

A Thankful Heart

15 Things I'm Thankful For 

15. Hallmark Movie Channel

There's nothing like wasting an entire Saturday glued on the couch watching happy (yes, predictable) Hallmark Movies. Oh and don't even get me started about Christmas Hallmark movies; haven't met one yet I didn't like!

14. Gluten-Free Flour

If it wasn't for GF Flour I may cry. From baking every weekend to not even being able to enjoy a cookie without feeling sick, GF Flour has been a Godsend!

13. AC & Heat

I used to want to live in the 1800's, but then I realized I wouldn't have AC or Heat and just think about how horrific that would be. No AC in North Carolina summers or Heat in Minnesota winters; yup I would've died.

12. Nike Workout Shorts

Come on, you know you live in yours on the weekend, after work, working out, after working out...

11. Jello 

Youbetcha. A nice jello salad is the best way to start a holiday season! It's happy and squishy and colorful; who doesn't love Jello?!

10. Starbucks Holiday Drinks 

Gingerbread latte. Eggnog latte. Tall nonfat white peppermint mocha with light whip. Bring it on. Got my Holiday Star Dash going on and I'm going to win.

9. Chick-fil-A

It's a staple in our household at least once a week during baseball season. The smell of waffle fries is enough to make you drool. Oh, and am I the only one who craves them on a Sunday?!

8. Books  

My bookshelves are overflowing with books and yet I always seem to buy more. I can't resist the smell of a fresh new book. Oh, and Yes, I do judge a book by its cover.

#Bookwormproblems

7. Joy of Writing

Writing is a release and such a joy. I'm so thankful that I get to sneak away and write whenever I can. I can express myself, share ideas, and it's amazing that other people like what I say and are inspired by it. So amazing.

6. The Ocean 

The smell of salt in the air. The foam of the waves. The presence of the Lord is so obvious that it's sometimes overwhelming. I'm so incredibly thankful I got the opportunity to live by the water for several years. 

5. The Gift of Travel

The thought that a year ago I was living in England is so humbling. If it weren't for the pushing of my family, I wouldn't have been able to do it. Now, one year later, I've been traveling for pleasure and for work, and have three trips in the works. How incredibly wonderful!

4. My Job 

This year, one of the biggest things I've been thankful for is God providing me with a wonderful first job that is not something I would've dreamed I would be doing. I've been able to travel, fly, and work with some wonderful people. Considering how many people haven't found that first job or are out of work, I'm thankful that I was blessed with this gift.

3.  Faithful Friends

This past year it's really been highlighted who are friends for a lifetime and friends just for a season. I'm thankful that friends have stuck by my side and encouraged me to grow personally and spiritually. Thanks for being a listening ear and a cheerful smile. 

2. Unconditional Love of Family 

To my family to always think better of me than myself; who push me to my limits because they know I can handle it. Who always try to thing in perspective and always make me laugh. We only have one another in this world, and I'm so glad we've grown our little family into a tight family unit. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful family.

1. God's Plan

His plan for my life is bigger than my own and for that I am thankful, because if it was up to me to plan my life, it'd be a complete mess and I would never reach my full potential. You experience life when you're pushed out of your comfort zone, and God knows that I am greater than this. It's humbling to know that and I am thankful for his unconditional love even when I majorly screw up. It amazes me that even when I venture off the path and fall down a hill, he can bring me past a river and up a mountain to get back on the path, and most of the time it's greater than you expected.

So for these things, I am thankful on this holiday weekend and I encourage everyone to count your blessings this holiday season because there is so much to be grateful for- from the little things to the big things, we are more blessed than w realize. 

Can't You or Won't You

"I trust you, I don't trust myself" I said through gritted teeth holding on for dear life as I glanced anxiously at my coaches face. 

I've pushed my body to its breaking point and done things I would've been scared to do three months ago. I've put my body through some of the most physically demanding challenges and come out physically exhausted, bruised, calloused, beaten up and to the point of vomiting, yet I keep coming back for more. However, there are still things I can't do, I can't push myself to do it. 

It wasn't until I was lying there horizontally, about 3 feet off the ground and he was telling me to let go of my arms so I would just hang by my feet that I cracked. He kept telling me what to do and all I could say is "I can't". He squatted down and looked at my in the eyes and said "You can't or you won't?" and I didn't know how to answer. I hung there for a moment and tried to release my hands but every ounce in my being was terrified that I'd fall to the cement floor below me and that'd be the end. "Trust me" he said and that's when I realized I trusted him 100%- I believed what he was telling me was true. He could've said anything to me in that moment and I would've believed him and trusted him; I just didn't have faith in myself, my own body and my own mind. 

The Lord says in Isaiah 40:11 "Do not fear, for I am with you" so why do we fear so much? I realize how much fear has held over my life. Fear of the unknown, fear of the known. Fear of failing miserably, fear of succeeding. Fear of the past but also fear of the future. So much fear and so little living.

Within those few seconds I had to chose to trust myself and have faith that I would not plummet to the cement ground. I let go and guess what, I'm still here today and hanging upside down isn't as terrifying as before. I put incredible faith in other people and even after being burned multiple times I continually put faith in others, yet I have the hardest time putting faith in my own self.  "Fear is an idea-crippling, experience-crushing, success-stalling, inhibitor inflicted only by yourself" Sometimes we are the ones standing in our own way. Trust in the Lord, trust in yourself, because He is always with you.

Let your FAITH be bigger than your FEAR. 

A Spot of Tea

So here’s the gym I’ve been talking about for the past few days. It’s tiny compared to American standards, but it gets the job done. My favorite part is that they have wifi, so I’ve been hitting up the bike like nobody’s business and getting back to one of my loves: PINTEREST!! I can’t get Pinterest to come up on my laptop over here for some reason; anyways…I digress; I still need to figure out the conversion of my weight from pounds to kilograms or whatever they use here, because every machine needs my weight and I am totally guessing what the conversion is! I need to google that. 

Thursday I woke up to a rare occurrence here in Northern England, sunshine! I walked to the bus stop to head to the gym without a jacket or my umbrella because the sun was shinning and it wasn’t raining. I love walking to the bus stop early in the morning, between 8 and 8:30 because in Keele Village we live next to an elementary school, so I love seeing all the parents walk their kids in their precious uniforms every morning. Rain or shine, parents take the bus and walk all the way to school in their cute red and black uniforms. The girls wear red tights with a black jumper dress, and the boys wear black pants with a red shirt, a tie, and a blazer. It’s just so English. This morning all the kids were out laughing and playing in the “gardens” before school started; it was so nice to just close my eyes, hear the laughter and the warmth of the sunshine on my cheeks.

I caught the bus back to Hawthorns and changed into a town-appropriate outfit (my tennis shoes and Nike stuff just wasn’t going to cut it), heated up the other ‘sausage roll’ I bought from town yesterday, and headed out towards Stoke-on-Trent.

I go off the bus at the Stoke Train Station which is this absolutely stunning old building with some gorgeous architecture. I’ve been on a mission to find Mom & Kelly a hotel to stay in while they visit me so I marched into the train station to inquire about a hotel, but it turns out the ONLY hotel in Stoke-on-Trent is the “hotel-from-hell” as the people on TripAdvisor have dubbed it. So that was an epic fail. It looks like Mom & Kelly will be staying in Newcastle in a quaint cottage or B&B while they’re here :)

Although Stoke-on-Trent didn’t look like much of a town, and it was starting to drizzle (I’ve become smart and carry an umbrella in my Longchamp bag at all times), I decided to discover the town anyways. Staffordshire College is in Stoke-on-Trent which is where English students go from the ages of 16-18 or the “gap years” as they call them, which are the years between high school and when they go to university. It’s an optional two years of schooling, but it’s basically like a glorified high school, or so it appears.

So because of that, with the average age of residents of Stoke on Trent being 17, you can imagine the town was a bit…sketchy. However, I kept on walking because I saw a sign that said Hanley Park was up ahead. I drugged on through the cobblestone pathways and came across Hanley Park which had a beautiful and tranquil lake. It was a quiet little park, full of ducks and geese, an occasional older couple walking hand-in-hand and a few people feeding the pigeons. I walked all around the lake in the light drizzle enjoying the older couple ahead of me sharing an umbrella and occasionally stopping to stare off into the lake where the ducks quacked playfully. 

After finding my way out of Hanley Park, I caught the bus into Hanley City Center which was actually a large town. The town was bustling with people and pigeons! There was a town market again full of fresh fruits and vegetables and street vendors selling potato jackets (baked potatoes) and fish & chips! I wandered into some of the more metropolitan stores such as The Potteries, Gap, and TK Maxx! It wasn’t as cute and quaint as Newcastle but it was nice to experience the city-vibe in Northern England for a change of pace.

Oh, and on the way back to Newcastle I jumped off the bus at this old church I’d seen just to see what it was. It was St. Peter’s Church. The grave yard was mysterious and eerie but quite peaceful at the same time; and the church itself was a beautiful beacon on top of a hill, with grand gothic architecture elements. Very beautiful!

Now I’m sitting in the Chancellor’s Building coffee shop with a spot of Earl Gray tea and a chocolate muffin listening to the Pride & Prejudice soundtrack on my Mac. It’s been a full day of exploring towns, and now I’m quite ready for the bangers & mash my flatmates are going to prepare me tonight!!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Today is so cold, my nose might fall off! They’re completely numb currently :) I got an e-mail from the I.T. Office last night telling me to come into the office, and I had been so nervous they were going to tell me that my laptop had exploded or something and was completely unfixable!

[Side-note: for those of you who don’t know, my laptop had stopped playing sound on Saturday so I brought it to the IT Desk to see if they could help me figure it out, and they broke it instead! Well sort of, anyways. They were doing a system update and didn’t plug it in when they did it, so it died half way through and my computer wouldn’t start afterwards!! They had no idea what was wrong with it, so they had to keep it and they said they didn’t know how long it would take to fix!! So I’ve been using a loaner laptop they laoned me] 

Anyways, I went to the I.T. Office this morning on pins and needles. Luckily, my laptop was alive!! Yay. They weren’t ready for me to take it, but they wanted me to come in and see the updates they’d done. They still haven’t fixed the sound, which is why I went into them in the first place so they said it may take a few more days before I could actually have it back. However, at least its up and running again.

Then I went to the gym for about an hour where I found a wifi spot, so I was able to check e-mails, Facebook and Pinterest; it was awesome. I love it when I actually recieve wifi on my phone :) Afterwards, I caught the bus back to my block where my roommate was still sleeping at 11:35, so I made myself a pita-peanut-butter-sandwhich and headed to ‘X’ block which is one of the common areas in Hawthorns where they have free wifi, and I talked to mom for a while and am now watching ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ all bundled up in my jacket and Hunter’s because I’m so stinking cold!!

Tonight I think I’m going out with the people in my flat to ‘Quiz Night’ which is a fresher’s week activity :) you answer random questions, like a quiz I guess, and can win prizes. Here’s hoping my toes and nose don’t fall off before then!!