Buying Our First House!

I promised I would give an update, so here we go! 

They have a ton of different check lists to follow along with online if you're buying a house. And I, being Type A, love a good list! So here is the check list, with a few extras added in, and how far we've come in the process so far.

We've come further than we've ever come before! We have found houses before that we were in love with, then there would be a problem with the house or the loan and we'd have to back out. This time we love the house, we have our realtor working with us to coordinate things with the seller, we've got inspections done, the loan process has started, and we're just trying to find homeowner's insurance now.

Finding homeowner's  insurance has been a pain so far, but most steps in the process are not fun, if I do say so myself. I have even mentioned to hubby that dating and wedding planning were less stressful than buying a house. And I hear that the final step, closing, is the most stressful of all! Ah!

But for now we will focus on what we have in front of us. We've written up an addendum to our contract since we've gotten the inspections done. So now we are just waiting on the seller to accept or negotiate other terms. Hopefully we will hear back today. We'll see.

But we've already decided where we want most of our things to go and what kind of changes we can make right away, which ones we'll wait on, and even have some far-off-in-the-future plans for whenever we get caught back up on money! We will hopefully keep you guys in the loop as we go about making the changes, so you can see what we're up to. : )

Young House Love and a Whole30 Update!

It's been a while since I checked in, but we've still been doing pretty good on our Whole30-ish way of eating. We have decided that we are going to just continue with the majority of the rules from the program that we did and incorporate them into our daily lifestyle. The exceptions are that we will not avoid Paleo-ifying foods and we allow ourselves peanut butter and honey from time to time as those don't seem to have any negative effects on how we feel. We've stuck to this plan about 90% of the time. Maybe 95%. We've been pretty good. Although, I do know now how easy it is to go overboard with certain Paleo-ified foods and will have to watch that.

I have noticed, now that we mostly eat only whole foods, that the foods that I used to love drool over are no longer all that appealing. They lack that extra umph that makes you want to just say, "Mmmm" when you take a bite. I can honestly say that about 90% of the time that I've eaten something off plan it has been a disappointment and not worth it. So that's good because it really makes sticking to the plan just that much easier! And... still no more headaches! : )

So now on to Young House Love. I don't remember how I came across this blog exactly. I know I was looking around for different decor ideas and different DIY ideas for the house that we are buying. (Update on that coming soon!) But anyway, I found this blog called Young House Love. It is written by a young couple, Sherry and John, who have a young daughter, Clara, and an adorable pup, Burger.

Apparently they started out just redecorating and remodeling their home for fun, discovered a real passion for it, and have turned it into their day job, along with blogging about it, of course! They have even written a book about their DIY adventures!

They are now on their third home and have documented pretty much everything from Day 1 online. It started out as a blog to keep their families up-to-date, but now they have a full business from it. Pretty cool! And we can all benefit from it by checking out their different design ideas and DIY tutorials. The website is very well organized, lots of great photographs, and enough personal touch to make it a must-read blog!

I've been copying all kinds of ideas for inspiration on decorating the different rooms in our house and have learned quite a bit. For example, you can make just about anything if you know where to find the materials, which don't have to break the bank either. Most of their projects are done by themselves and on a budget, so it totally makes it doable. Yay!

They are just getting started on the projects in their 3rd house, so check them out and follow along! I have to say that their second house is my favorite though. I just love pretty much everything about it. I can't say that I am lovin' the animal statues as much as Sherry, but she has at least made me think about adding them! : )

I just love all of the colors and the patterns and how everything seems to flow together. I think it's amazing how they tore down the wall in their kitchen in that second house to open it up and there's so much more light. I would love to be able to do that to the house we buy. No dark and dreary for me, thanks!

So Young House Love... our inspiration and daily entertainment as we consider options in decorating our first house! : ) And now I will leave you with a couple of before/after photos. To check out all of the before/after of their second house, CLICK ME!

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FRONT YARD:

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OFFICE:

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KITCHEN:

 

I really could just post all of their pictures, I love them so much, but I'll let you head over and check them out yourselves! : )

Patience

Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience.  Misfortunes have their life and their limits, their sickness and their health.  

 ~ Michel de Montaigne 

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I'm extraordinarily patient provided I get my own way in the end.

~ Margaret Thatcher

Patience is important, whether you are waiting for a promotion, waiting for weight loss, waiting on buying a house, waiting to buy a new toy, or just waiting in line at the grocery store. You have to deal with it everywhere. It's not always fun, but there's not really much you can do to avoid having to be patient. 

Currently, we are waiting to hear back from people about the house we are buying. We've gotten the inspections done and are just waiting for the results from the water test. And we've asked the seller to repair a few things that we found in the house inspection. So we are hoping to hear back from both of them today. We shall see. 

So for all of you out there who are waiting, like me, here are a few pictures to entertain you in your wait! : ) 

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One Of My Favorite Podcasts!

I posted a while back that I would share one of my favorite podcasts, so here you go!

I love listening to podcasts. I also love listening to music. So I usually go back and forth throughout the day while I work. I can't always concentrate on everything being said, but I still pick up quite a bit and learn a lot.

I recently discovered Abel James of theFat-Burning Man Show while listening to another one of my podcasts, On Diet and Health with Beverley Meyer. He was a guest on her show and I was really impressed with how clearly he explained everything and his story was pretty awesome too. 

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"After years of frustration, sickness, and increasing flab, I stopped listening to the “experts,” “gurus,” and even my doctors. I buried my nose in the research and experimented on myself like a lab rat until I found the truth. And man, it was a doozy... I learned that almost everything that I thought I knew about health, nutrition, and fitness was completely wrong."   

 -Abel James

So I decided to check out his podcast too.

It really hasn't been around for all that long; the first episode (I believe) aired just under 2 years ago. His podcast discusses Paleo Nutrition, Ancestral Health, and Primal Fitness in an interview format. He has had a large number of pretty amazing guests on his show to talk about how Paleo/Primal living has impacted their lives and how they are sharing it with the world. Some of the guests include Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple, Jimmy Moore of Livin' La Vida Low Carb, Melissa Joulwan of The Clothes Make The Girl, and George Bryant of Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.

"Once I did the opposite of what my doctors told me, I dramatically improved my health – reversing hypertension, healing my malfunctioning thyroid, and effortlessly shedding 20 pounds in 40 days."

-Abel James

I think the reason that I love his podcast so much is because it is straight-to-the-point, clear, concise, and organized information. The information is also very relevant to the journey that I'm now taking and supplies incredible resources for any direction I'd like to learn more about, in regards to Paleo. There is information on recipes, cooking, fitness, the science behind weight loss, overall better general health, women's topics, men's topics, Paleo for families, and good mental health. It explains the how, why, and what of just about everything I've wanted to know about Paleo. And the best part... it's very interesting. The conversations are never boring. Abel is very lively and creates a natural flow throughout the podcast, which I think helps to make his guests feel at ease. This creates the illusion that you're all just sitting around in the back yard discussing Paleo amongst friends, rather than you listening at home while they are sitting in front of a microphone broadcasting to hundreds of other people.

I must not be the only one who thinks his blog is pretty cool because in just the short amount of time that he's been creating podcasts, he has grown to be one of the main competitors against Jillian Michaels for the #1 spot in Health in the iTunes store. That's a pretty impressive accomplishment, especially considering how big Jillian Michaels has grown to be in the last decade.

"But make no mistake: I’m no guru. I do not have all the answers. YOU are the expert on you. Through my podcast, books, and coaching, I am dedicated to helping others optimize their health and reach their ultimate potential by being their own guru. But with the collective health of the country (and beyond) falling off a cliff, it is more important than ever the help reverse the obesity and health crisis. As such, I share the principles and system that enabled me to dramatically optimize my life with folks who want to shed unwanted fat and improve their health in a way that is completely honest, fun, and lifelong. If I can do it, so can you." 

-Abel James 

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Besides his blog, Abel also has a few books out, including some cook books, he's got a LeanBody 30-Day Rapid Fat Loss System, he provides online coaching for a very reasonable price, and he has created a recipe app with George Bryant of Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations, which you can purchase here!With all the variety that he offers, there's really something for everyone. I have purchased the cooking app and have tried out a few of the recipes. It is, not surprisingly, very organized and easy to navigate. I definitely recommend checking out the app along with the podcast! : )

The only bad thing I can think of at this time is that I have caught up on all of the podcasts and have to wait until he puts out another one!  

Check him out:

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Twitter

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iTunes 

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

We've made it through 2 inspections on the house we are trying to buy. Well, more like 1.75. We had an issue finding the crawl space for the main part of the house, so we still have to go back and check on that. And then we have the water inspection. After those we can say that we are buying the house!

We are now just waiting for the seller to tell us where the entry point is, or he'll have to cut a new hole for us to use for the inspection. We aren't going to buy if we can't see the foundation. So hopefully he will cooperate. We just have about 2 days of waiting in between communications and it doesn't help the stress level. We're trying to stay relaxed though.

I can now say that my headaches have gone a way. We had a splurge a while back, after finishing our first Whole30, and the pizza did bad things to me. It took 5 days, but I haven't had a single one in the last few days, so I know I am getting back on track. We're being less strict with this round of our Whole30, including some of the Paleo-ified foods that they said not to do, but not much. This week doesn't include any, so that's good.

Speaking of meal plans, this week's meal plan is just a random combination of some of our favorites (and easiest to make) recipes from the four and a half weeks we did the Whole30. It's so much easier to just pick from those because I know which ones we really loved, which ones were quick to make, which ones require a lot of equipment, and which ones are more expensive. I think this week is going to be easy, which is just what we need because we got a little side-tracked last week. We're still making progress though.

I'm about ready to start packing boxes, and labeling them, and organizing them until we can move ... but since we haven't gotten through the inspections all the way yet, we're still not 100% sure that we are buying, and that would probably not be a good idea to start boxing up our things if we aren't going to be moving. It's hard to not get too excited and get started on all the plans that I've made while we've been waiting for the last two weeks. But Hubby helps to keep me grounded. We could use any extra well-wishes, good vibes, prayers, and crossed fingers if you have any to spare! : )

We have also been biking a ton, so I actually haven't done any of the Fitness Blender in the last week because we've been getting outside most of the time. We only have a couple of months left that we'll be able to do that, so we're trying to get our fill! : ) I think we could probably bike every day and not get tired of it. It's fun, it's a cheap date night, and what better way to spend quality time with your significant other than to spend 1.5 hours biking and chatting.

Hope everyone has a great week! : )

Easy Chicken Salad Recipe from Whole Family Strong!

This Easy Chicken Salad from Whole Family Strong is wonderful in so many ways. I really didn't think that I would like it, to be honest. I've never been a big fan of chicken salad, pasta salad, potato salad, or anything like that. I saw it on the website, it looked easy enough, and I figured that if I didn't like it, it could still be used as a filler for my husband to eat with his lunches.

I am happy to report, however, that I loved it! I think it maybe stemmed back to when I was little and I didn't like the crunch of the celery mixed in with everything else, but I had no problem with texture this time. And the flavors together are wonderful! The apple really gives it a nice sweetness. I do have to say that I didn't use any relish or pickles because I couldn't find any without additives, but it still tasted wonderful. 

This is something that makes quite a bit of leftovers, so it was perfect to add to the side of hubby's lunch or even in the morning for breakfast. We gave it two thumbs up!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs cooked, cooled and shredded chicken (about 1 whole chicken)
• 3 celery stalks, diced (optional)
• 4 tbsp relish or diced pickles (did not use)
• 1 small box of raisins or 1 diced apple
• 1 handful of sliced almonds (pecans are delicious here too)
• 1/4 cup homemade mayo
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Gourmet variations to add: 

• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• juice of half a lemon

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine chicken, celery, raisins, almonds and mayo. Mix well.
2. Add in salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Variations:
1. Add in mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice. Enjoy!

My Journey, Blogging, & No More Headaches!

I think I've seen the last of the headaches. Today I can feel an itty, bitty, teeny bit of potential for tension... but don't think it will turn into anything. I believe that every single day since we went off plan I have said, "I'm never eating pizza again!" It was horrible, it didn't taste that great, and having headaches every day for a week afterwards is so not worth it. Not one bit.

Especially since I can make my own pizza with cauliflower crust, which is super delicious, and then I don't have to feel guilty and don't get the headaches either! Double win! I will have to remember that next time.

I was looking back through my blog a bit and thinking about the journey it has taken along with me. I started blogging for the first time ever back in 2008 when I studied in Spain. I used it as a way to keep in touch with everyone, without having to write 25 emails every other day. It was just a private blog, easy to share pictures, keep people updated, and they could all write me back through the blog in the comment box. It was great.

When I got back, I started Weight Watchers and lost the 100 pounds. I decided to start another blog, a public blog, to share my story. So I wrote one blog post, which is now the one under the "My Story" tab, and then forgot about it. I got a few comments from people who happened to come across it. Over the last couple of years I have gotten into and out of blogging, mostly in long spurts of not writing anything with a few weeks of writing consistently in between. It wasn't until January of this year that I really started trying to make it a priority.

I started this blog back in 2009 with just that one post. Since then I have added and deleted posts, renewed my story a few times, dropped Weight Watchers, tried extreme fitness, dropped extreme fitness, created a standing desk, and played around with Paleo. And in looking back from just these last 8 months I can see how much things have changed and are still changing. That's pretty cool to me, considering where I was at the beginning of this year was so much different from when I started in 2009 that I wouldn't even consider myself the same person.

It's a never-ending journey... and my journey has been pretty public. I decided to stop deleting posts/recipes that are no longer something I would necessarily recommend doing/trying anymore ... because it's a part of the journey, and I think it's interesting to show the path I've taken. And I'm excited and curious to see just how much my posts will change, along with my lifestyle, in the next year.

I kind of wish I had never deleted any of it, because I think all the mistakes I've made or decisions that I made then that I wouldn't make now have shaped who I am today and they were all important steps of my journey. It feels good to share this process too, kind of a therapy, and makes me feel like I am being held accountable for sticking to my decision to make my life a healthier one.

So those are my thoughts for today, happy Thursday! And thank goodness for blogs! : )

Sweet Potato - Coconut Soup Recipe

When I'm looking for a nice, big recipe to make that will provide several lunches... I turn to this soup from Jan's Sushi Bar. It's a great comfort food without the guilt that typically tags along with those wonderful comfort foods. It is so delicious and the flavors are a perfect blend. 

I used to crave tomato soup or chili with beans, but this soup more than makes up for it. I did add some ground turkey to it, but in our house it's not considered a full meal unless there is some animal protein included. The soup is wonderful without it though too. Otherwise, I would not change a thing... except to maybe make two batches! 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 small celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (13.5 ounce can)
• salt and pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Melt the coconut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Add sweet potatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon and nutmeg; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Working in batches, puree soup in blender or food processor until smooth; return to pot. Or use an immersion blender to puree directly in the soup pot.
4. Add coconut milk and stir over medium-low heat to heat through. Season soup to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne, if using. Ladle into bowls and garnish with unsweetened coconut flakes, if desired.

**Add in 1 - 2 pounds of your prepared meat of choice for extra protein! 

Crazy Week: Headaches, On and Off Whole30, and a Purchase Agreement!

The last week or so has been uber crazy. I don't even want to know what my cortisol levels were. I don't think I've ever been so stressed for such a long period of time. House hunting/negotiating is emotionally draining. I'll start there, since that's the biggest of my stresses lately. We found a house, we put an offer down, and then for the last week and a half we have been counter offering with the seller to get to a purchase agreement. Well, we finally got it!! : ) Yay! 

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This doesn't mean that we are buying the house just yet, just that we have an agreement that we will buy it if we are satisfied with the inspections. So, this week is inspection week. We are trying to schedule water and septic inspections and have our whole house inspection set for Friday. I'll feel better when I know the other two are set, but at least I feel a little more secure this week. I was afraid someone else would come along and outbid us, as has happened in the past. But, if inspections go well then we will be buying it! And that is pretty exciting, but I don't think it's really sunk in yet. 

We'll have so much to do once we KNOW we are moving too. Boxing up our stuff, arranging for family to help us move, find a subleaser, make a list for address changes, etc. It's gonna be an interesting month, hopefully. Fingers crossed that the inspections go well! And we'd really appreciate any extra good vibes, prayers, or fingers crossed from anyone who's got them! : ) Thanks!

So, now on to going off Whole30. 

I know that they say that you are NOT supposed to go and have a day full of eating whatever you want, you're supposed to try certain things for a few days so you can pinpoint what foods are problem foods. Well, we were stressed (excuse) and so we didn't do that. Instead, we ordered pizza. I have to say that I regretted that decision tremendously! 

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Within an hour or two of eating the pizza I felt as though I had a hangover. I had a huge headache, felt drowsy, irritable, and I know I had eaten too much but the feeling coming from my stomach was more of a general nausea rather than overstuffed. It was horrible. I went to bed immediately. That was on Friday. Today is the first day that I have not had a killer headache... yet. I can feel slight pressure, but I wouldn't classify it as a headache just yet. I'll take it though. 

Hubby also noticed a difference. He had the "hangover" after the pizza and had a monster of a headache (so he told me) the next day. He also noticed some of the aches in his knees came back and he noticed a general lack of energy. 

Also, I remembered that pizza being sooo good, like you can't help but go "Mmmm!" when you take a bite. That's what is was like for us the last time we ordered it, months ago. This time it really didn't have that same "wow" factor. I felt like I wanted to eat the whole thing and had to make myself stop when my stomach started hurting, but really wasn't impressed with the overall flavor. So not worth it! 

Getting Back on Whole30

I had been debating what would be the best day to get back on the Whole30 program for our second round, but waking up on that Saturday morning, knowing how horrible that food had made me feel, we chose to get back on right away. So Saturday morning was Day 1 of our Whole30: Round 2. We are already feeling better, but it's taking a few days before that pizza works its way out of our systems. 

It's amazing how much that food really affects us and I'm just wondering how I ate somewhat similarly for the last 26 years of my life and those effects were just the norm. Maybe they weren't so extreme because it wasn't such a shock when I was eating that way every day, but I know they were there to some extent because I notice such an incredible difference going back to eating just whole foods. I think we got the reminder we needed and we will not be going back off plan. Not with that kind of stuff anyway. I think Paleo-ifying certain foods is fine, but we'll try to keep those to a minimum too. And if we ever forget again, I'm sure the headaches will be right there, waiting to remind me!

Working Out

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I'm up for Workout #5/44 of Fitness Blender's 8-week program today. We went biking twice last week so that was our exercise, but that's ok. I'm not on a time crunch for this, just want to make it something I can maintain. I remember that I didn't particularly care for this workout when I tried it last time. I had a hard time keeping up and it was pretty hard. So hopefully it will be a little bit smoother since it's the second time. Wish me luck! : )

What We've Been Up To Lately...

Well, today is the last day before we start our second round of Whole30. I think it's come at a great time too because this has been an incredibly stressful week. We are in the process of negotiating for our first home, hopefully our only home ever. We're not the "starter home" type of people. One and done. That's what we want.

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We've put offers on a few other houses and they've fallen through for one reason or another. This is the first time we've gotten our pre-approval taken care of with the lender and now we're just negotiating back and forth with the seller to reach an agreement, which I'm pretty sure will happen soon. So, after that, we just have to get an inspection. As long as there isn't something horribly wrong hidden somewhere, we will most likely be buying this house. And that is scary!

It's really not as stressful as the process though. We are worried about someone jumping in and making a better offer while we're negotiating. We're worried about taking too much time and the seller decides he doesn't want to work with us. We are worried there will be something wrong with septic or another place that isn't right up front. We really have no reason to believe there is anything wrong with it, but you just never know. So there are so many different things still standing in the way and we would just love to be done... or at least moving in the right direction. Right now we're waiting on someone to call us back so we can make a decision to move to the next step. And waiting is hard.

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I think waiting to hear back on a decision like this might actually be harder than waiting to lose weight. And it's definitely 10x harder than dating or wedding planning was... and those were definitely not fun at all for me. House hunting is hard work, and it's emotionally taxing. You get your heart set on a place and then someone tells you that you can't buy it ... usually because of something out of your control, but still heartbreaking. I know there is one house out there with our name on it, just waiting. We're hoping this is it.

But just in case anyone was wondering, that's why I've been a little MIA lately. Stress levels have been through the roof! And I honestly have not felt like doing anything at all. It will be nice to get back on the Whole30 train and get my body going at optimum functioning again. I did miss my workout yesterday, but I did one today. It was #4 out of 44 on my Fitness Blender8 week challenge. So only 40 to go!! : )

Done with Whole30, Round 1!! What's next?

Today is Day 31. We did it! We made it through!! Whoo! : )

That was my celebration. I'm done now, lol. It is a pretty big accomplishment though. It's been a long time since I've finished something all the way through. And I have to admit that I was tempted several times to just have a little bite or something, and even last night I was tempted to say, "It's close enough. Why not just go ahead and have a little snack?" ... But I didn't. I thought about it and I would have been disappointed to have to say that I did 97% of the Whole30.

I decided to add a thanks to Whole30 in the survey they sent me. Here's what I said,

"Thank you so much for your program! I was one of those people counting calories and killing myself with workouts and still binging and gaining weight each month. I really wasn't sure what to do anymore and I happened to come by your webpage and the Whole30 program. I read about it and my husband and I decided to give it a try.

I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but I didn't get to drop 6 inches. Instead, I lost 6.5 pounds and about 3/4 of an inch in my waist, but the other benefits are incredible.

We are sleeping better. We no longer take 3 hours to wake up in the morning, more like 3 minutes. No more achy joints or back pain or daily headaches. Our energy levels have been consistent throughout the day and I no longer feel the need for a nap at 3:30 in the afternoon.

I've also noticed I no longer eat until my stomach hurts, while still wanting more. I eat until I'm satisfied. As a "clean plate" person, I can now take my plate back to the kitchen and save whatever I don't need to eat for the next day. I've never been able to do that before. I used to just shove it in even if I was full. And then go for seconds.

I only lost 6.5 pounds, but I'm happy with that. Never before in my life, ever, have I been able to eat what my body feels is the right amount, not counting calories burned or calories eaten, and lose weight. That is pretty exciting. And I was only doing about 15 - 20 minutes of exercise 2 days on/1 day off rotation.

And I know that if I continue to eat Whole30/whole foods, I know my body will even out and so will the weight. But more than that, I'll be healthy. And in the end, it really wasn't that hard, not when you see all that you're doing for yourself. So I just want to thank you. It's been an amazing 30 days! "

My hubby also lost 6.5 pounds, even though he wasn't trying to. It's kind of odd that we both lost almost exactly the same amount of weight. Mine was technically 6.4 and his was 6.6, but close enough.

So what do we do now?

credit: fitnessblender.com

We're so excited that we made it all the way through the first round. We're going to take today and tomorrow to have a couple of Paleo-ified foods we haven't been able to have and then on Friday we are starting Whole30 Round 2!!

I'm still going to continue with my Fitness Blender 8 week challenge too. I started that just a short while ago, so I've still got most of that to do yet.

I love the schedule though and I'm really happy to be starting another Whole30 soon. I can't recommend it enough! 

Rest Day!

Today is a rest day! And it is good! : ) 

Yesterday's Fitness Blender workout was killer, so I'm happy to have a rest day today before hitting it hard again tomorrow. We're getting ready to go see another new house. Fingers crossed, we need all the luck we can get. It seems that finding a house has been fairly difficult for us for some reason. I guess it's better than settling for a house we would end up regretting, but it has been a challenging process. So we'll see what happens today!

Let's Try This Again: Fitness Blender 8-Week Program!

credit: fitnessblender.com

A couple of months ago I had decided to try out one of Fitness Blender's 8-week training programs. I got about 2 weeks into it and then I quit. This shouldn't have surprised me. I am wonderful at getting super excited about a new program, giving it my all for about a week and a half, then I start to get burnt out, and by the end of the 2nd week I start missing days. By the 3rd week, I am usually completely done with even trying. This has happened to me time and time again in the last couple of years with ways that I've tried to improve my fitness or in trying improve what's on my plate. I haven't been able to stick with anything for more than 2, maybe 3, weeks. I try to do too much all at once (0 to 60) and get burnt out and end up quitting. Worse than that, I usually would end up rebelling by eating a ton of junk and not working out for the next three weeks. Sad, but true.

However... we are now on Day 25 of our Whole30 program. That means that I have done almost 4 complete weeks now of working out with a 2 days on/1 day off rotation. I just realized that today. This is HUGE for me! Not only have I been able to stick to the nutritional commitments, but I have stuck to my workout goals as well. Four weeks may not seem like such a huge deal, but for someone who has a habit of not finishing things, it's a pretty great step in the right direction. It not only shows me that I can do this, but that I am doing it!

credit: whole9life.com

I'm going to talk a little bit more about some of the podcasts that I listen to daily in a future post, but one of them that I had on today featured a guest who was talking about starting out with a small goal, working out successfully for 3 - 4 times a week for a few weeks/couple of months. After you show yourself that you can follow that routine, then add in more intensity, but it's much easier to build up to where you want to be rather than just jumping in feet first ... which is what I tend to do. 

But, I'm hoping that I have a good foundation built with this 2 days on/1 day off routine. I cannot begin to explain just how much better this plan works for me than the 5 days on/2 days off or 6 days on/1 day off routine that I thought I had to do for the last few years. I am still getting in 5 workouts a week, but for some reason that break every third day is just what I need to keep me from getting burnt out. So I'm going to do the Fitness Blender 8-week challenge, but I'm going to continue doing the 2 days on/1 day off rotation.

credit: fitnessblender.com

I'm a little bit scared, honestly. We're coming to the end of our Whole30: Round 1 and we are planning on starting up a second round afterwards. I'm afraid of starting a set routine for working out because I don't want to feel like I'm tied to something, end up not being able to follow along, and lead to a complete failure of not only the workout program, but of the nutritional program too. I need to figure out if I really do enjoy the structure of being told what to do every workout for 8 weeks or if I am better suited to choosing my own workouts, based on what I feel like at that given time. I'm going to have to just have faith and trust in myself that I can do this! I know I will have my husband's full support and motivation and I strongly believe that if I have the right attitude, I will be able to accomplish this next goal of mine. 

So, with all that being said, today was Day 1. 

It's a Thursday, I know. It's not the beginning of the week or the end of the week or any special day, but it just felt right to start today. So I did. I am not going to be able to talk about which specific workouts I do each day because it is a program that you pay for ( $6.99 for the 8-week training) but, like all fitness programs, Day 1 is a fit test. So that's what I did today.

Day 1: Ready and willing! : )

Fitness Blender's Physical Fit Test (PFT) consists of tracking how fast you can complete 1 mile, how many squats you can do with good form, how many pushups you can do with good form, how long you can stay in plank, and finally a sit-and-reach test. And, of course, you always do a warm up and cool down, before and after, your workout/fit test. 

So I will leave you with my results. I was a little surprised at how much strength/endurance I have lost in the last year, but I did what I could and we'll compare it in 8 weeks!

Here are my stats for Day 1 (Aug. 1st): 

1 Mile Run : 12 minutes

Pushups: 16 on my knees 

Squats: 43

Static Plank: 37 seconds 

Sit & Reach: 3 inches