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Body for Life PSers--Come on down!

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Well I''m back from the wedding weekend! The food actually wasn''t too bad for me. Probably not as clean as I''d have liked, but definitely not as bad (for me) as I''d expected. (Haha it was definitely yummy!) I''m actually more messed up from staying up late than anything.

Back to the grind tomorrow. I''m so exhausted from the weekend though and haven''t done diddly-squat today. Haven''t even done grocery shopping today, which means it''ll have to be done tomorrow, as well as cooking for the rest of the week. Haha I can actually feel soreness in muscles in my legs and hips that I don''t use as much in the gym, from the dancing at the reception, haha - I think it was from the Twist, because I didn''t even dance much to a lot of other stuff! My feet are in so much pain right now from the heels I had to wear last night, so I''m hoping everything will feel better in the morning. Here''s to hoping...
 
Hey Luvthem!
I''m glad the wedding weekend was a success, and that the food was good! I definitely know the muscle soreness you''re talking about, I''ve totally been there. Just tell yourself it''s from doing lower body and all that lifting is working!

We''ve been eating pretty boring food lately, I need to try some new recipes from the EFL book this week. I can''t wait to try those Greek wraps, I need to get on that.

This week will be week 10 for me, and I feel like I''ve stalled a bit. I missed two workouts this past week, and I could clean up my eating for sure. My birthday was on Thursday so I ate pretty sloppy the last few days with all the birthday lunches and dinners. They tasted good, though.

Here''s to an awesome, clean, productive week!

Take care of those feet, LT!
 
The feet are much better - thanks Haven! I think they just needed some walking around in normal mode after those heels.

I tell you what - it''s HARD to get back in the swing of things. I got all my lunches made yesterday afternoon, but I haven''t gotten back in the gym yet. Gotta get my mind back in focus.

Let us know if you try any new recipes that are good!
 
I''m struggling too, LT! I''ve had a head cold since Sunday so I haven''t worked out yet this week, and I''ve been eating a lot of chicken soup. My head feels like a 50 lb boulder, ugh.

I''m happy to hear your feet are better! Do you ever feel like your calves are tight after wearing heels for a long time? Every time we go to a wedding and I dance in heels all night I have a hard time wearing flats the next day, it''s so weird. My calves feel so tight.

Here''s hoping tomorrow brings health and good workouts for both of us!
 
I do feel that way sometimes! I''ve even gotten calf cramps before after taking the heels off - but never while wearing them though. Even more often is my knees and the area in my leg muscles right above my knees - haha, obvious signs telling me how bad heels are for our posture and alignment!
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My biggest problem after this weekend was in the balls and arches of my feet. The shoes didn''t have much material between the balls of the feet area and the floor, so I''m sure all that walking on concrete and stone inside that church was not helping. But my feet were literally numb by the time I got to the reception - I immediately got my flip flops upstairs (thank GOODNESS the reception was at the hotel we all stayed at!!). But I had no idea about the pain I''d have in my feet until the next morning when I put them on the floor when getting out of bed. All the blood was obviously out of them from being elevated, and the rush of blood also brought a rush of immense tingling pain - it was so weird. Then putting weight on them was just terrible! It got better as I did more walking, but the same thing happened the next morning, haha. It''s mostly better now, especially mid-day after a lot of walking in normal shoes, but I still felt it a bit even putting them on the floor this morning. It almost hurt in the actual foot bones, if that makes any sense. Ugh, no fun - if I wear those shoes again, I''m definitely looking for some Dr. Scholls padding and limiting my time in them.

I''m actually really thankful I found that out though, because they were really comfortable when I tried them on. I was actually looking at them in a different color for my wedding shoes - so I''m VERY thankful now that I know to look elsewhere! Haha I just don''t know how to prevent that happening with another pair of shoes, until I wear them for hours!

I''m in NC, and today marks the first day of many in a row coming up, full of rain and cool temps. Haha, very NOT helpful in shifting my mindset to go workout! I am eating well though and 98% sticking to the food program this week, so at least I can say that. My own wedding is in less than 3 months though, and I''m determined to keep my body in shape and not get lazy. So maybe if I think about that enough it''ll encourage me to get my hiney in the gym.
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You can totally make your goals in three months, LT! That''s enough time to do an entire round of BfL!

I wore these really cute green cowboy boots this weekend and my quads were sore for two days after, it was really strange. I rarely wear those boots, so I definitely wasn''t used to them, but ugh, how annoying to be sore after wearing cute boots.

I had a good upper body workout today, which is remarkable because I did not do ONE DARN THING last week in terms of workouts. My cold is still lingering, but I''m functional enough to go out and about so I definitely didn''t want to miss today''s workout.

I''m making the Grilled Fish Soft Tacos for dinner tonight. I just started eating tuna, so here''s hoping that they''re good. I''m going to make the chicken tortilla soup tomorrow night, that looks DELISH.

I weighed myself today and I''m back up to 163 lbs, so I''m really determined to get back on track. I still can''t believe I weigh this much, anyway, and to have come down from 168.8 I''m really scared of getting back up there.

Here''s to a good week for us!
 
I''ve made three great meals in a row this week from the EfL book, so I just wanted to share.

The fish tacos were really delicious! I''m not a big fan of fish, but I recently learned that I like tuna steak because it doesn''t taste fishy at all. The EfL recipes don''t tell you this, but I *always* brown my meat or steak before I cook it because the browning is what brings out the flavor. Did that with the fish, it was great.

The chicken tortilla soup was really good, too. I lost too much of the broth when I simmered the soup, as the recipe calls for, so I would either simmer less or ad more broth next time. Otherwise, YUMMY!

And, I just made the turkey meatloaf for dinner tonight and it even passed DH''s meatloaf test, which says a lot! His exact words were "This is good for healthy food!" He''s super picky when it comes to meatloaf, so that was pretty good.

Anyway, I''m making the chili tomorrow, I''ll let you know if it''s any good!
 
Hey Haven, I''m so sorry I''ve been so slack. I''ve hardly had any time to even get on the computer, let alone get on PS.

I got back on the program better this week. A few meals haven''t been perfect, but I''ve been trying hard and doing my best. I''m also working out 3x a week and combining cardio with upper/lower body days. I like that better b/c it gives me days for night meetings at work that I don''t have to beat myself up about, or evenings at home to get some things done.

Yeah I''ve never eaten tuna either - I''m a salmon fan, but the smell of tuna has always made me sick. I''ll have to look into the tuna steak! And I didn''t know that about browning meat either - good to know!!

Haha yeah I remember when I made the meatloaf - except it was with lean beef b/c the grocery store didn''t have the turkey. The EfL recipe is reeeeeeally good! I think that salsa makes a huge difference.

I made the chili a week or two ago - I can''t remember if I mentioned it in here or not. But it was really delicious! I halved (halfed? sp?
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) the recipe and made us each 2 lunches. Really good.

I made the shrimp scampi recipe earlier this week - it actually turned out to be very yummy!! FI said it was one of the best dishes he thinks I''ve made lately, ever since I started cooking more meals at home. I did use frozen shrimp, and garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, and chicken stock instead of white wine. VERY delicious though.

I''m also planning on making the Turkey Goulash again this week - I really enjoyed that last time I made it.

(HAHA I''m listening to the radio at work, and I''ve gotten to where I really like classical music, especially when I want to calm down and ignore stuff around me. They''re doing a membership drive and just mentioned how their music is such a HAVEN for people to get away from the constant feed of news and hectic, crazy things happening around us.
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)
 
I just made the chili tonight and it was DELICIOUS! Oh my gosh, my husband was so upset that I only made two servings of it. I think he may love it as much as my homemade marinara sauce.

I''m still not back on the workout schedule, I''ve only been to the gym once this week because I still have a nasty cough.

Ha ha on the radio mentioning a haven!
 
I know, isn''t the chili awesome?? Haha glad your husband liked it so much!

I hear you on the working out - I''m still not totally on schedule yet. I just try my best and go when I can make it. And try my best to eat well and at least keep that aspect clean.

I hope you get back to 100% soon! Getting sick stinks.
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I tried making the Turkey Goulash again last night - it was pretty much a fail. I''ve made it before and loved it, but for some reason it was very different last night. Not so good, haha. FI ate about half of it, then I made him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
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Oh well, lessons learned.
 
BLECH! I am so off track it''s unbelievable.

I haven''t worked out yet this week. Yesterday I went to this private Kelly Clarkson concert in the city with my best friend, who won the tickets by calling in to a radio show. I''m not a KC fan but it was pretty cool. HOWEVER, it ate up my entire day and I didn''t get my act together enough to work out before we had to leave.

I''m totally on top of the diet, but not the workouts. It''s pathetic, really. I don''t even work every day and I can''t get myself back into the gym. I WILL GO BACK IN TOMORROW. I WILL WORK OUT TOMORROW. Okay, now I have to.

I think I''m going to start a new challenge all over on Monday, since Sunday was supposed to be my last day of this challenge.
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I feel like such a slug!

How are you doing, LT?
 
Hahahaha, boy, I know the feeling Haven.

I''m mostly on top of the diet, but my weekends tend to be more of a break instead of just a day, haha.

I made something sort of like the Cajun Chicken Pasta dish last night - my spices were different, but the sauce in the recipe is really good. I just can''t find butterbuds, so my closest thing is lowfat margarine.

I worked out yesterday, and twice last week. I''m doing cardio and a lower/upper body workout when I go. That way I have some evenings free from workouts to get stuff done at home or run errands, and I don''t have to hate myself for it. I also helped my parents dig a truckload of sweet potatoes on Sunday, so I''m counting that as an upper body workout, haha - it was!! I''m not doing my abs as often as I should though - and I need to get on that, because they''re the area I have literally NEVER had look how I want it to.

And I really need to super-clean my diet. There''s really no excuse, except for time and laziness. I have plenty of options available to me for tasty recipes that are very clean. So I need to stick to it. I have had a goal for my body for years and never had the right knowledge/tools to get there. I haven''t taken my weight/body fat in a while, but I can tell in my legs/rear area that the stationary bike (my cardio of choice) and lower body workouts (that I do a lot more of than upper body) is paying off a little bit. I can tell that the workouts have the possibility to work, but the diet is the other key ingredient, and I''m not being as dedicated as I can and should be. I''m kind of hesistant to take the measurements right now, but I just need to kick myself a little more and stick to things all week.

On a snack note, I''ve been doing the Myoplex Lite ready to drink shakes every morning for my snack, and have really been liking them. But I''m starting to get tired of them. Do you ever get that way, where you have something you really like and stick to for a while... then you just kind of start to get turned off from it? I''m starting to get that way with it, so I need to find a new snack.
 
Hey LT! How do you like doing the two workouts together when you go? I''ve been thinking about doing that, too, but I have a very short attention span when it comes to the gym. I feel like I''d be tempted to walk out when I finished one part. Which do you do first, cardio or lifting?

That Cajun chicken pasta looks really good. DH isn''t into Cajun flavors, so I''m waiting for him to go out of town so I can make it in peace. :)

I recently found the Butter Buds in the cooking and baking ingredient aisle in my grocery store. They were sitting there with the powdered mustard, and I stumbled upon them while I was buying more sugar. I would have *never* thought to find them there, you may want to check out that aisle.

Congrats for seeing results! Isn''t it encouraging when you can tell that it''s working? I need to focus on the changes I''ve seen already to help get back into it.

Okay, so I''m on a mission to tighten up our budget, so I''m swapping out two dinners a week with rice and beans. We love rice and beans, and since it''s one of the cheapest meals on the planet, I figure why not? I''ve loved trying all the new EfL recipes, but all that meat protein adds up. I also make pasta with homemade meat sauce every week, which is my DH''s favorite, and that''s super cheap too since I make it from scratch. SO, I guess I''m just sharing that I''m adding frugality into my BfL plan. I''m excited to save more money and see how little we can spend.

DH was supposed to work out with me when he came home, but he just decided that he doesn''t want to go so I''m going to go later tonight after the pup''s training class.

I totally understand what you''re saying with the Myoplex Lites. I find that I''ll really love something for a while, and then all of a sudden I''ll be completely over it. I was like that with the Fage--I loved it for about six weeks, and then I took a break for a while. I think it''s totally normal.

Do your parents have a farm? That is so cool!
 
Okay, I am starting a new BfL challenge again today. I''m really excited!
I was pretty bad this weekend as far as diet was concerned, and it showed on the scale this morning. I was down to 161.6 on Thursday and then back up 163.2 today. SO, 163.2 is my new starting weight for this challenge.

Here we go again!
 
I worked out and eaten super clean all day! I don''t know why it took so much effort to get back on track, but I am!

I''m making the EfL chili again for dinner tonight, DH requested it and that''s okay with me because it''s so easy and inexpensive to make.

How are you doing, LT? It looks like we''re the only ones left in this thread, huh?
 
Hey Haven! Thanks for the info on the butterbuds- I''ll definitely have to search for those there. I''ve been looking among the "I Can''t Believe It''s Not Butter" and such.

I''ve been pretty slack for about a week now - I got thrown off this weekend because Mom and I had to travel to do some wedding work. But it''s back to the gym for me today.

I like the idea of rice and beans. Do you have any recipes or anything you do to spice it up? Do you add gravy to the rice or anything? Or is it just plain ol'' rice and beans mixed, and that''s your meal? We love beans too. We''ve been spending a lot more money too since I''ve been trying to cook these better meals, and it does add up very quickly, especially the lean meats. Saving some money would be great on our end too.

My parents don''t have a farm, but we have connections through my grandparents. We head out to farms of people they know after the farmers have already come through to get the Grade A sweet potatoes, and you can basically have whatever you want that is left (which is still tons and tons of potatoes), because they can''t get any money for them, since they''re not the perfect size/shape... which equals lots and lots of free sweet potatoes for us! Haha good thing we like them! I plan on cooking some with some suppers this week. It really was a lot of fun to go out there and pick them... some people would laugh at enjoying hard work, but I grew up doing it, and I really miss it. You don''t get to do a lot of that in apartment life. FI and I hope to one day have some land we can have our own garden on and get back outside. It''s what we love.

YAY for a new challenge! I know you''ll do great.
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Haha yeah we seem to be all that''s left. I wonder how Kasey ended up doing. I''m almost at the 2 month mark for my wedding. Not stressed, but it''s amazing how time closes in. So I''ve got that in the back of my mind right now to hopefully keep me on track. Trying to eat clean and stick to the workouts 3x a week. I do like putting them together, mainly just because it gives me some free days to do other things. I also like it because it''s pretty easy for me to stay in the gym once I''m there. I like knocking out two things and knowing I''ve accomplished something already that frees up the next day. I''ve still got some sorting out to do though... it''s easy to do my lower body in the gym, but upper body is a different story. The freeweights area is always super crowded during the week, so I either need to figure out a way to do upper body at home, or plan my workout days so upper body is always later in the week or on the weekends. To answer your question, I do cardio first, then the lifting. I like that best because then my heartrate is already high up, and I find lifting to feel a lot more beneficial then. I''ve never been able to start lifting cold - I mean it''s easy to do, but it doesn''t feel like it''s doing any good. Maybe I''m not using enough weights when I do that, but when I add more, I can only do a few reps then my arms are literally shaking (yes my arms have turned to mush... very embarassing... I''m working on changing that back to the tone they used to have, hopefully). I''m also thinking about cutting the abs from the lower body workout, since I never do them at the gym anyway. The machines don''t feel good to me, and the floor is nasty, so I end up coming home (only a block away) and doing ab workouts on the floor. But I''m thinking about throwing in my Pilates workouts twice a week instead, something like that. Sort of playing that by ear right now.
 
Hey LT!

The rice and beans are so good, I do them up either like this or like this. We don''t like cumin, though, so I never use that, and I always put in more jalapenos, cilantro, and chili powder. And a splash of lime juice. Mmmmm, I love rice and beans.

It''s definitely saving us some money to throw rice and beans in two days a week. I was spending more on meats than I realized, so I''m really happ to cut down our grocery bills. (I never knew tuna was so expensive! I paid $14.99/lb when I bought it for the fish tacos, yikes!)

That is so cool about the farms, I never knew farmers did that. I bet it would be a lot of fun to do some real work to get your food. Sweet potatoes are so good, too. I made sweet potato pancakes earlier this year, they were really good.

We really want to have a garden but neither of us have ever gardened before, so it''s really overwhelming. We live next to the Chicago Botanic Garden and I LOVE walking through all the beautiful gardens. Their herb garden is so amazing I always promise myself I''m going to start gardening after I see it. If I could do anything, though, I''d want to be a dairy farmer. I think making my own cheese would be the most amazing thing in the world.

TWO MONTHS UNTIL YOUR WEDDING!!!! That''s so exciting! You are going to be in rocking shape for the big day!

I started doing your three workouts a week plan, and it is TOUGH! I have to lift first because I am so wiped out after cardio that my legs literally shake when I''m done. I do like it better than going to the gym six days a week though.

I''ve always hated doing abs, but I found a machine at Bally''s that really works them well. It''s actually just a bench where the top and bottom moves, so you do a crunch while lying down. You can add weights to the bottom and it is insanely difficult. My abs are actually super sore right now from my last lower body workout. If your gym has one I highly recommend it.

Have a great weekend! I hate to admit that I''m already looking forward to my cheat day!
 
Oh boy, I''m definitely going to try some rice and beans. I didn''t get to do my grocery shopping yesterday like I usually do, so I''m going to do it tonight, and I plan to try this for 2 meals this week. Haha do you ever think about how much meals would change if you had any kids? It''s not happening anytime soon for us, but sometimes I think about how easy it is for me to make 4 meals (2 for each of us) out of a lot of foods, and how it all evens out pretty nicely most of the time. Then I think about trying to throw an extra mouth in there, haha, and how it would throw off everything! Not that that would hinder me in the slightest, but it''s just funny to think about.

Wow, I bet dairy farming would be fun. I love seeing them on TV on various shows - it''d be a completely different type of farming than what I''m used to. FI grew up on a hog farm, so that was yet another different type of farming... and a very smelly one at that! I just want a big garden to grow my own vegetables. If I was really ambitious, I''d have some chickens for my own eggs too. I don''t know if it''ll ever come to that, but I''d love to do that... especially do know that I was treating the chickies well and knowing where the eggs were coming from. FI really wants a tractor again, so maybe that''s somewhere in our future, and he could help with the garden if it was big enough. But I really just want tomatoes, zucchini, squash, potatoes, maybe some carrots, lettuce, greens... oh wow, it''s more than I thought. Haha that all takes a LOT of work too!!

So yesterday was the 8th - officially 2 months from the wedding. I am on a new roll today. It''s Monday, so a good day to get back on track. My foods are going to be smart again, and I''m going to stick to the 6 days on, 1 free day (I''ve been really slack lately... really just because of such a strain on time). I''m also going to be much more diligent about the gym, which I''d also gotten kind of slack on. I''ve had so many events in life that I''ve always set as goals to finally be in shape for, and never did. And I always look back at pictures of those and think how I never got my butt in gear. So I am NOT going to let my wedding be yet another one of those. So I''m back on the train today. I''ll keep trying to do the doubling up for the gym, because there are days (such as today) that I have wedding errands to do and can''t go to the gym. But on off days, I''m going to do Pilates, maybe even some yoga. FI''s also looking at getting back into boxing, and I really want to get into that some too if we get some equipment.

It really frustrates me how behind I feel with wedding stuff, and therefore also with everything else at home and in life. It''s amazing how much planning (aka TIME) even a 10 person wedding takes. But I have a renewed passion, as of yesterday. I spent the entire weekend working on stuff at home - cleaning, straightening up, researching wedding stuff... I hardly even got outside, which is really pitiful and disappoints me. Also didn''t exercise, and ate lots of junk. But I went to bed last night realizing that some things need to change. I''m going to keep doing wedding things, but there''s a lot of things at home that need to change. Less sitting on my butt (even though I feel like I hardly even have time to do that, I probably do it more than I realize), more doing things. I need to purge probably about 2/3 of my clothes in the closet. I need to go through huge stacks of paper that need to be filed/cleaned out. I really just need to simplify and make space. I''m a firm believer that life just runs smoother when everything has a place and is straight... and most things at home and in all my planning right now definitely do not abide by that. So tonight begins that process. And I''m not going to be picky with it. I need to go in with a stern attitude... if I haven''t worn those clothes lately, get rid of them. Even if I''m in good enough shape one day to wear them, I need to face the reality that they''re old and out of style. I don''t need to keep everything to file away, only the important stuff. Things need to have a place as soon as they come in the house, instead of getting laid in random places to be sorted through later. Aaaaaanyway, things are a-changin''. And along with that comes better workout schedules, better eating, less stress, better sleep schedules, better organizing for wedding stuff... yay! Here''s to good change.
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Hey LT!

I have thought about how much meals would change if we had kids. You''re right, it''s so easy to prep for four and then store the extra for lunches. AND, kids are so picky. I stayed with my little cousin last night and all she wanted to eat this morning was a piece of toast with butter and sugar on it. I don''t think she''d be into our EfL turkey goulash! It really freaks me out to think about having kids, actually. One minute I''m really excited about the prospect, and the next I''m wondering if I''m really cut out for it. I''ll get there, of course. Are you and DH thinking of starting soon after you marry? We''re in no hurry but we aren''t getting any younger, so we need to get serious about it in the next few years!

Your garden sounds amazing! I really want to try growing *something* this year. It is so much work, though, and I always feel so overwhelmed when I read about gardening because there''s so much information out there. Mmmm, home grown zucchinis sound wonderful.

The next two months are going to go by so fast! The exercising helps stress, doesn''t it? I know what you mean about setting goals for big events in life and then not meeting them. I look at pictures and think the same thing, too. (Except I did it for my wedding, I didn''t lose one pound for it.) Here''s to you meeting your goals for your WEDDING!

Boxing is a great sport, you should totally try it. I was a part of a kickboxing team for years, we did karate and kickboxing, and I really was never in better shape. I''d join the team again if the dojo membership wasn''t so expensive.

I didn''t know you''re planning a ten person wedding, that sounds wonderful. I''m sure the prep takes just as much time for ten as it does for 110. I need to spend less time on my butt at home, too. I''ve started writing To Do lists for myself at night for the following day and that''s really been helping. The problem is that I sit around once I''m done with the list.

And I LOVE purging stuff I don''t need. We''ve been doing a lot of that to prepare for winter. Doesn''t it feel good to see those old things go away forever? I just put a bunch of things up on Craigslist, too.

It sounds like you are overhauling right now! I hope it all works out and you have tons of room, no stress, and a kickin'' body by the time your wedding comes around!

DH and I are eating pasta with meat sauce tonight. Again. I swear, that man would eat it every single night if I made it. I made a quick asparagus salad, too, which I''m really excited about.

Here''s to an awesome week!
 
Hey Haven. I''m so sorry I''ve been MIA. Turns out it''s been really hard to get myself motivated. Schedules are really busy, and I just spent two days out of town for wedding appointments, which sadly results in a lot of not-so-good eating. A lot of that though, especially the bad eating at home last week, was due to a lack of planning. This week I''ve got a plan to eat clean, and keep a schedule with the gym. I''m also going to change the way I keep my food journal and go back to the way I used to do it. I like EfL''s sheets, but it''s been a lot of work to keep up with them and keep making copies. It''s gotten to where I feel like it''s making me not want to do it. So I''m going to go back to just keeping it all in my own little notebook I carry around, instead of on those sheets. Hopefully that way will be easier for me to do.

I feel the same way about kids too - there are times that I think about the life we live now and the habits we have, and how SO much would change, and I do wonder sometimes if I''d be able to handle it. But in the end, I know it would be so worth it. We''ve talked about when we''d want to before, but there''s no timeline as of yet. We also aren''t in any hurry and want a little married time to ourselves, but I think both our husbands/soon-to-be-husbands are close in age, if I remember correctly. So we feel basically the same way about wanted to get started in the not-so-distant future.

Well, we actually ordered some boxing stuff right after I talked about it in my last post! J is in the back room right now (of the townhouse we RENT, haha) trying to figure up a way to hang up everything. He''s pretty handy, so hopefully it''ll all work - he''s being pretty careful about what he does and making sure he can fix back the holes in the wall, etc before we leave (whenever that may finally be, haha). He used to be really into boxing, and is so excited to get back into it. I''m hoping to get into the kickboxing side of it - maybe get some good videos to get started with. We got a 100lb heavy bag (he''s a pretty big guy, so that''s what he really wanted), an uppercut bag, and a speed bag. The first two are already here, and the rest are on their way. We''re pretty excited - haha I know he definitely is! We''re trying to shift some things around to make more room for the stuff, so I''m actively working around here today to get rid of some stuff and get some serious cleaning up done.

Haha we LOVE homemade sauce too - J swears it''s one of the best meals on earth. Sounds like they''ve got similar tastes! Maybe I should add that to my grocery list for this week... yum!

Hope you had a great weekend! Here''s to a productive and non-lazy week on this end, haha!
 
Hey LT!

How''s your week going? It''s so hard to plan ahead when you''re totally booked up with wedding stuff, I remember!
I don''t use the printed out sheets anymore. I saved the Excel spreadsheets to my laptop and use those, but really I don''t record much anymore. I''m find with the workouts because I know them by heart, and I only use the food sheets when I''m feeling really out of control. Your little notebook sounds like a great idea.

I do freak out about kids, and sometimes I think that we''ll never be ready, but I''m guessing we''ll just be ready when we''re ready, right?

I''m so jealous about your boxing gear! Have fun with that, boxing is so awesome. I really loved kickboxing, and I always miss it when I see the personal trainers giving really bad boxing lessons to their clients at the gym!
 
Hey Haven! The week has been going ok. It''s been looooong. I got to the gym twice so far - did cardio and lower body Tuesday, and just cardio yesterday. I''m going to try to work out tomorrow too. My next goal right now is to work in some upper body workouts somewhere that I like - J is going to try to find his old boxing videos - I think I''ll enjoy that a lot. I''ve been sticking to the eating pretty well too, which is good. I feel pretty good, I''m just really tired. Haven''t been getting quite enough sleep - partly due to a lot of wedding stuff. I tell you what, I''m certainly not trying to rush the wedding or anything, but I''ll be glad when all this planning is behind me. It really works on my mind just to have all this stuff hanging over my head all the time that needs to be done.

Do you ever feel like there''s so much stuff in life that you''d like to be able to do? I do. I think about that a lot (in between work and wedding planning, haha which takes up a lot of thinking time anyway). I love photography. I''d love to be a professional photographer. I also love music and wish I could play so many more instruments - right now the only things I really have under my belt are piano and basic guitar (and I don''t even have a piano where I live right now). I also love web design and have done some basic learning in that - I think I''d be awesome at graphic design and internet work - haha I already love to blog, when I actually have time. Anyway, it just gets me thinking sometimes about how I often don''t feel like I''m doing a whole lot of good at my job. Work takes up so much of our time already, and I have this serious need to feel like I do some good in this world and that my work means something. I mean, I''m good at what I do. I just don''t feel fulfilled, and I feel like I could do so much good and absolutely LOVE all parts of life if I was involved in those other things more. But it''s not something you can just jump into either. I''ve entertained the idea of starting some photography classes and see where that takes me. Or making a point to pick up my guitar more and play, and maybe get involved in a local music group. I used to play handbells at various churches - absolutely loved that too. Something else I''d love to squeeze in that crazy mess of ideas too... volleyball. I miss it SO much, and have contemplated contacting people on facebook that I played with in HS and what not, that I haven''t talked to in years, just to see about getting a group together to play or something, haha. Anyway, I joke with J sometimes about this stuff... that should quit my job and become a professional photographer that does web design on the side and plays music on the weekends, who is also a stay at home Mom. That''s another thing - I know we''ve talked about kids a bit, but I really can''t wait for when the time is actually right to have them. I think I''d make an awesome mom, and J and I would raise some really good kids that cwould do a lot of good in this world. Different people have different talents, and I''ve always thought, as cheesy as it sounds, that I''d be a very good homemaker and mother. It''d be a heck of a lot better than my home is right now... junk everywhere, never able to keep things in the shape I''d like it to be... there''s not enough time!! Whew. Anyway, there''s my ramble for the day, haha. There''s just so much out of life I want - things I think I''d be really good at, but don''t quite know how to make the transition to get to those things.

So how are you doing with sticking to the eating and working out?
 
Oh! How could I forget? I''d also like to have lots and lots of animals at home. And to maybe volunteer at our local shelter. Animals have such a special place in my heart. Haha, so MANY things I want to do!!
 
Hey LT!

I think you''re right about the wedding--you will find yourself with a lot more time and a lot less stress once it''s over. And wonderful memories.
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I''ve only been hitting the gym three days a week this round, and only to lift. I do a milder version of the cardio workout with our pup every day--we go for 30 to 60 minute walks, and I run a bit and do sprints, but it''s not as intense as the BfL cardio. I think I burned out at week 7 (twice! this past round, and then two summers ago, too) because all that cardio put too much stress on my body. I''ve also been doing a modified version of the eating plan, I still eat six small meals but I don''t eat as much protein as he requires. I just can''t stomach that much protein, it''s too much for me. ''

Do I ever feel like I have too many things I want to do in life? YES! I completely understand where you''re coming from. I was at a similar place with my job last year, and that''s why I quit for this school year. I knew I wanted to teach, but high school just wasn''t the right place for me. I was too stressed, and too frustrated with the system to be effective anymore. Now I only teach ten hours a week so I have a lot more time, and I''m really trying to reevaluate what''s important to me and how I really want to live my life.
It''s actually been pretty amazing to be able to step back and take this breather. I know where I want to teach now, and what I have to do to make it happen.

I started a 101 in 1001 list back on December 29, 2008 when I was still teaching high school, and I''ve actually kept at the list. Have you seen this before? It''s actually a really powerful tool. I started a blog to track my progress, and I think I actually posted my list on my Who''s Who thread here, too. You should check it out, it''s so much fun to come up with your 101 goals.

I completely agree with you on the SAHM subject. I really want to be a SAHM, or at least work part-time when we have kids. As long as we can afford it, DH is on board. I''ve had a taste of the homemaking part this school year, and it really is nice to have the time to take care of the house and cook a good meal every night. I also make breakfast when I can, too, and I really think it makes the day go better! I can''t think of a better job than raising your own children. There are a lot of great housewife blogs out there, many of them seem to have creative side businesses--yours could be photography and music!

You have so many ambitions, I think you should really write them all down in one way or another. That 101 in 1001 website has a lot of good inspiration and tips for tracking and achieving goals, it totally sounds like it''s right up your alley! If you want to be a photographer, you should totally take a class! Our community college has an amazing photography program, and the tuition is not that bad.

I can''t wait to hear what you think about that website. It''s really inspired me to achieve a lot of things I wouldn''t have gone after if I hadn''t written them down.
 
Oh my goodness, I think that website is just for me. Thank you so much for showing that to me. It''s already stirring all these ideas in my head. I need to get them written down and officially start the list with official dates. I just went back and read yours in your Who''s Who thread... very inspiring, and definitely gives me a few ideas to make sure I include in mine. How long did it take you to get your full list in order?

That''ll definitely be something great for me to do. I''ll be able to use my blog for it too, which will help keep me accountable as well. Has this list and having your current time available to think about your next big steps let you make any heading towards the Haven? That''s still such an exciting idea to me - I seriously bet you''d have a huge turnout of PS ladies (and significant others they''d bring along, hehe) lined up for opening weekend!

I really do love being at home, just like you said. I love the days off when I have time at home to keep things in order and actually get things done. Working all day then working out and getting home at 6 or 7pm doesn''t allow much time at ALL for these things, and my home definitely shows for that right now, which I hate. I despise messes, but I have no time to keep up with them!

I loooove your idea of having a side business... I could definitely see that. Maybe I could start slow with some photography courses, see where that goes... yes! Yay! Haha I do love the housewife blogs too! Good information, and also so entertaining!

I hear you about the cardio. I''m actually tossing around the idea of getting my own stationary bike, as it''s the only cardio machine I really enjoy at all... and quitting the gym membership. We''re also probably going to be getting a dog (possible ''dogs,'' plural) after we get married, so I''m looking forward to walks/runs being more of my cardio. I hate running, but I''ll love doing it a little while if it''s with doggies!

I also hear you about the protein - the EfL is serious with that. I actually had a very high protein intake about a year ago, and it turned out to do really weird things to my body. I quickly realized I was just simply getting too much and needed to spread out the protein/carb/fat a little differently than I was doing. I need to be a little better at planning than I am right now, but it''s really just an issue of cleaning things up and sticking to it.
 
I knew you''d love the 101 in 1001 concept. I wish I could post my blog here for you to see, it''s so fun to write posts and put up pictures each time I complete a goal.

Yes, having time has definitely helped me move toward my Haven goals. It''s going to take longer than I though to get it going, because the chance that we''ll find someone to finance the project is so slim. SO, DH and I have put ourselves on Dave Ramsey''s financial plan to pay off our student loans and mortgage ASAP. THEN, once we have zero debt we''ll be able to save upwards of 50K per year to put towards the Haven. It''s going to take a while, but at this point I think I''ll have the money to buy land and build the first structure within ten years. Hey, I''ll be just under 40 then so I figure it''s not too bad!

In the meantime I''m teaching little classes here and there and taking notes for when we run the Haven. I''m having a ton of fun doing it, so that''s encouraging!

And yes, when we open the Haven I totally want to host a huge PS get-together--we can do a jewelry weekend or something! How much fun would that be? Oh my gosh, I can''t wait. It''s tough to know it will take years to get there, but having this passion is making it so easy to focus as far as finances are concerned.

And then there''s the staying at home issue. I feel really passionate about being a SAHM, but then I know that it will push back my Haven dreams a couple years. But, that''s okay, too. I think you could totally run a small business, especially with sites like Etsy.com around, if it''s something creative you can start there and run with it. My mom started a small desktop publishing business from home years ago, and today she earns almost as much doing that as she does working full-time as a school administrator. (I think she should quit her school job and focus on her publishing business, but she''s crazy and likes to do them both.)

Anyway, I can think of no better job than raising your children. With my career as a teacher I think I could actually teach six or ten hours a week and still keep the kids out of daycare. DH''s job is so flexible he could be sure to be at home while I''m teaching.

Take a photography course! It sounds like you''d really love it. And then once you''re doing one thing you love, others will follow. It''s odd how the more we do with passion, the more we *want* to do, but I really think that''s how it works.

Do you have a regular bicycle? If so, you can buy an indoor trainer that turns your bike into a stationary bike for indoors. I started a thread a while ago asking about them, but I can''t find it. We didn''t end up buying one, but we''re thinking about buying one for this winter. It can definitely be a cheaper option than buying a stationary bike, and I like that you''ll be better on your actual bike once it''s warmer out because you''ve been riding on it all winter.

I went wild with the eating this weekend. We dined out much more than usual, and I wasn''t exactly discerning. I feel kind of sluggish today, so I''m looking forward to eating clean this week.

I can''t wait to hear more about your goals! Enjoy writing them!
 
Hey Haven! Just wanted you to know I hadn''t forgotten about this. I''ll come update soon. I just have been super busy! Whew!

Hope you''re doing well!! Any big updates with the program or anything?
 
I hear ya, LT!

As for me, this week was so BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAA as far as BfL was concerned. I only made it to the gym ONCE, and I''ve eaten my way through Thursday until today. I am definitely looking forward to starting over clean tomorrow.

In better news, DH and I are researching treadmills. We need to buy one for the dog, which I realize makes us sound like crazy people, but we do. She needs more exercise than we can give her in the winter time, so we''ve decided to get one that is quality enough for us to run on, too. So I''m really going to commit to using that thing once we buy it. Well, if the pup lets me on it.
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I''m making headway on one of my 101 goals, though. I''ve been piling on the volunteer hours at our local shelter because we have a lot of fundraisers going on right now, so that''s good!

How was your Thanksgiving?
 
Whew!!

Thanksgiving was good - but I ate WAY too much. I got really irritable around Sunday too - I think it was because we did two really big family functions in the span of 3 days (Thursday and Saturday), which basically involve eating a lot of food (WAY too much!!), then having to sit around for hours in somebody''s house that is WAY too hot from so much body heat, and wait until someone makes the first move to leave. Don''t get me wrong, I love my family. But I think I saw them too much and was forced to be social for too long this weekend, if that makes any sense.

My stomach has also been reeeeeally weird since all that eating - I think I just fed myself so much junk that I''m not used to anymore, and my tummy had a slight panic attack or something. I''ve felt really bloated since Sunday evening/Monday. Anything I''d eat made me feel nauseous and like my stomach was literally going to swell and blow up. It was so weird that I just hardly ate anything yesterday after breakfast, which made me feel a little better. I actually started looking into some foods to do some detoxing, but I decided against that. I''m just back into the mode of wholesome foods, and NO junk. Seriously. My bridal shower is even this weekend, and except for the shower itself, I''m going to be very adamant about not getting dragged into all these places I don''t want to eat at.

I''m on a new plan today - eat well, NOT eat too much (I think my portions getting too big again have added to the tummy issues), and EXERCISE (I''ve been SO lazy). Haha, can you tell I''m sick of myself being like this?
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Something actually got into me this morning - I woke up and actually did my Pilates 20 minute workout before breakfast. It was amazing... the breathing and core work actually started me out on a great note and got me waking up pretty well. Reminded me of how much I prefer working out in the mornings like I did in college. Haha but I was really late to work today, so something''s got to change. I plan on hitting the stationary bike this afternoon too and sweating out a bunch of this gunk I''ve got built up in me.

I have been really slack on the actual EfL program. It''s hard to stick to such a schedule right now with so much wedding work going on. But I''ll be using the recipes some again, since I''m back to being determined to eat well. I just function SO much better when I do. Plus, the exercise... I hate feeling tired and lazy, and I usually put off the gym when I do. But I never take into account how much better I feel and how much more energy I have LATER when I actually go. So I''m going to try to remind myself of that more from now on.

I can''t wait till the wedding planning and all is over - not because I don''t enjoy it and look forward to it, but because there are a lot of things I''m looking forward to doing with my time. I''ve wanted to volunteer at the animal shelter for a long time, and that will probably be one of the first things I start doing.

It''s funny you guys are researching treadmills, because I''ve actually been researching stationary bikes, haha. FI thinks I should get one of the spinner types instead, since they''re made to hold up to a lot more than just a basic exercise bike from the sporting goods store. I just want to be able to quit the gym membership and put that money into something I can have at home.
 
Hey LT! Sorry it''s been so long--I kept checking this forum and I totally missed that you posted!

Anyway . . .

I''m sorry to hear about your stomach, hopefully it''s just a sign that your body is totally adjusted to being super healthy and now it won''t tolerate anything else!

I like pilates--what tape are you using?

I wish our pup could use a stationery bike because I would totally use that every day if we had one! One of the stores we visited to find a treadmill had a bike on clearance for $299 and DH and I almost bought it, but we decided against it because it would have been a total impulse purchase and we''re going to spend around $1,000 on the treadmill, already.
Did you guys get a bike? That would be so nice to cancel the gym membership. Do you have weights for lifting at home?

I''m kind of in a rut right now as far as diet is concerned, and definitely slacking on the workouts. I''ve been good with the lifting, but my cardio routine is almost non-existent. (I''m so looking forward to having a treadmill in the house!) I''ve been cooking healthy dinners every night, but I still think I''m eating larger portions than I should.

I actually freaked out this weekend because my weight has been hovering around 162 - 163 for the last few weeks, and I weighed myself on Saturday and the scale read 167.6! I was so upset because that was a huge jump, and it really had me recommitting to BfL. However, I weighed myself again on Sunday and I was back down to 162.2, so I have no idea what that was all about. It was still a good kick to refocus, as I don''t want to gain the weight back that I''ve already lost. I''ve been fluctuating between size 6 to 10, and I''m a small 8 right now, so I really want to get back into that size 6!

How has your week been going thus far?
 
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