I heart this stuff!

http://www.nobrew.com/

After 897923 days of 100+ weather (OK, but I think today might be 30 days in a row!), hot coffee or tea is a bit hard to drink. Enter iced coffee. But not just any iced coffee, but cold dripped New Orleans style. Sure, I could get my own chicory coffee and make my own cold brewed coffee, but for those of you that don't know, I'm l-a-z-y. Seriously, no joke.

Plus I have rationalized the heck out of the expense. I'd have to get the coffee and spend time making it. shudder. When I calculate that (bet you didn't know that my time is worth 5 bucks a minute, huh?) this stuff is a bargain! And don't forget, this stuff is from New Orleans. I'm sure a real cajun even brews it!

Depending on the strength you like, it's a 1 part of the coffee to 2 to 3 parts of water or water/milk or milk. Personally, I use water/milk with some blue sweetener, throw in some ice and voila! Pure cold coffee yumminess!

What? You need more reasons??? Throw this stuff in a blender, some fake sweetener of your choice, and blend away and you have a frap...add some vanilla and you have a vanilla frap...add some cocoa and you have a mocha...you can even slide in some protein powder if ya wanna! The possibilities are endless.

So, hurry out and get some! I can find it at Whole Paycheck, but if you can't locate it ask your local store to get some stat or order it online.

PS. I have no affiliation with this stuff at all. I just think it's great.

PSII or PSS or whatever - I broke my Star bucks habit by getting my Keurig...so far this newly developed habit has remained under the radar from the husband....cause I do the shopping! : )

No, I'm really not crazy.

I have a lot of talks with myself in my head, but sometimes out loud. It can go kinda like this:

• Can I eat more of that? Yes, but I shouldn't.
• Should I go to bootcamp? Yes, you should.
• Can I have a drink while I eat? Yes, but I shouldn't.
• Blah, blah, blah...

You get the point. Side bar: Did your mother ever annoy you with the - "I don't know, can you?"  There are a lot of things I can do, but it doesn't mean I should and there's also a lot of things I should do and I can. Having this inner dialogue has made me think about my choices and making decisions more consciously. I've gotten over it when I'm caught talking to myself out loud! Sometimes it just works better.

Have I been perfect? Far from it and I don't ever expect to be, it's just me working on making conscious choices. Oh, and here's a cheesy graphic. : )

Me, a Grem1in?

This weekend my husband characterized me and my eating as a Grem1in. I'm all sweet and cuddly (he thinks so anyway) when I'm well fueled, but when I'm not, look out! The other one he has used is:

Yep, the hu1k. And, yes, both are even a bit true unfortunately. Normally I have a snack or two in my purse, but unfortunately sometimes I forget. At least he's getting that when I say I need to get something to eat that I'm not messing around!

It was a weekend packed full of events, but we did rent a movie Friday night - Limitless. We were actually surprised how good it was, so if you're looking for a movie this one might be worth checking out.





On Saturday it was "only" 100 (temp, no heat index)...and I was thankful for the break in the heat. It's strange how much those few degrees make a difference.

Weekly Round Up

• 4 bootcamps
• Calories: 2631

Whew, Almost Finished?

It turned out that hitting goal was a milestone not the finish line for me (whoa - I can't believe it's been four years since hitting my goal weight!). The modifications I made to get to my goal pretty much have continued with more flexibility in exercise and food choices overall. For me, that means some, and at times a lot, of conscious effort.

Another thing I learned about when I was honest with myself is that at goal some not so healthy trends were re-emerging. It was a vicious cycle. Lose X amount, maybe I need to lose Y more. Fit in size A, maybe I need to fit in size B. Don't get me wrong, this was an important part of my journey initially, but at some point it had to stop. I had to say it was enough, accept it, and figure out the long haul.

I try to focus on:

• Acceptance of food as mainly fuel and not escape from something else. That doesn't include indulgences at holidays, celebrations, etc., it's the stress/emotional eating. But I do pretty much eat what I want when I want it. I guess it's intuitive eating? Whatever you want to label it, it boils down to me eating when I'm hungry (still following my personal number one band rule of portion size) and doing a quick check if what I am hungry for is not the most healthiest of choices to make sure it's not to avoid a feeling.
• Accepting myself - being "enough"; stopping negative self talk; and focusing on the positive of my own self perception.
• Divorcing the scale. 

Change is hard. Especially considering until my 30's I was pretty much viewed as thin with up/down to a bit fluffy, but my relationship with food and exercise has always been far from healthy behind the scenes. That's a lot of years of practice with some unhealthy behaviors! There are still days now and then that I think man I should lose a bit more or fit in a smaller size, find myself veering toward food to escape some feeling, and thinking negative things about myself, but in the whole scheme of things I am getting better and the frequency of these behaviors is decreasing.

And on some days, I even find that it doesn't take any conscious thought at all. Ah, progress. : )

Related posts:
Hunger
The 5 W's
Divorcing the Scale
Motivation

Coleslaw In Summer

Source

It seems that coleslaw is pretty much a staple during the summer when grilling and my house is no different, so I set out to come up with a decent recipe that was also easy. Well, not only is this decent and easy, it's actually pretty fantastic! And then I took it up a level one time (channeling Emeri1) by adding a couple tablespoons of blue cheese one time. Guests and my husband couldn't stop talking about it or believe that it was a lower calorie version. Verdict: Super Yum. So, I'd thought I'd share...

• 1 bag coleslaw mix (I get the finally shredded one - more band friendly to me - that has the carrots and purple cabbage in it as well.)
• 2 packets sp1enda or equa1(I wouldn't recommend using sweet n 1ow - I figure it would give it an after taste.)
• 1 cup low fat He1lman's mayo **This one actually has better stats than the low calorie!
• 2-3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• Optional: couple tablespoons of blue cheese

Dump bag of slaw mix in a bowl. Sprinkle on the fake sweetener. Dump in the mayo. I mix it up a bit at this point. Add 2 tbsp of vinegar. Taste and add more vinegar if needed. I refrigerate it a couple hours or longer to give it time to "brew" and if I am adding the blue cheese add that about an hour before (doesn't really matter when you do it, but I like to give it a bit of time to add flavor as well). Serve!

easy peasy.

What a BEATING!

First, anyone that sits through the TEN hour class deserves a CHL license. There's about 20 mins of shooting and the rest is all class. And lunch, that time doesn't count as part of the ten hours either. With about 4 hours left, I started doodling...pictures of me with a gun to my head. My husband caught me and started laughing. Turns out he felt the same way.

I passed the shooting part with no issue. The target was larger and the distances were much closer for the actual "test" than what I had practiced. So, I did well (for me anyway). My husband knocked it out of the park. There was one big hole in the center of the target and that was it. Showoff  :)

I zipped through the written test - as in so fast that I was done 10 mins or so before the next person - I figured I missed 1 or 2, but knew that it wasn't worth worrying about or straining my brain with the double negatives in the two I wasn't sure about. Yah, maybe not the best attitude, but let me just remind everyone TEN hours. Bottom line - I passed the entire thing and can move forward with applying for a license. I may or may not. It's TBD.

Miscellaneous thoughts:

1. There are quite a number of risks with carrying a gun, but in reality they also apply to having and using a loaded weapon in your own home.
2. In this state, since September 2007 you can have a loaded weapon in your vehicle without having a CHL. Eh, it's Texas. With or without it being legal, people that want to carry a loaded weapon were most likely doing so prior to 2007 anyway.
3. Ten hours is a long day on one subject period. Especially if it isn't one that you are extremely excited about and you may in reality be attending the course because (a) it was 2 for 1 and (b) earned you a huge pile of brownie points with your husband (not that either of those apply to me or anything)
4. There may have been some people in the class that may not have gotten the point of the class...use of a gun should be a last resort and to stop an imminent threat to your person that cannot be addressed otherwise. I stared at these people e during the last 4 hours to burn their images on my brain in case of any future encounters.  
5.  My husband was beyond thrilled that I completed this course and did well...I see some new shoes in my future...which makes the ten hours not so bad.  : )

Fluffy out.

Source

Bodyguard in The Making?

Check this out:

I did my best Texan impression last Sunday by going to the gun range with my husband. I think that's how Texans roll on a Sunday by the crowd that was there. Go to church and then go shoot off some guns!

That's my target using a handgun - small holes 22; some sorta 45 glock thing for the larger - hey, it was an impression remember? And nope, never been before. But get this, there was a LivingSocia1 for a 2-1 deal to get CHL training (concealed hangun license). My husband didn't renew his license (stupid since it's free) and has to take the course again. I figured he would be thrilled if I took it with him and since it's "free" for the training for me as we would have had to pay for his anyway, I figured what the hell.

The "wife restriction" I imposed on my attendance was that if/when we got to the gun part of the course and I didn't wanna or got scared that I'd be done. Well, I thought about that and decided I didn't want to sit in a classroom for 8 hours to then find out no way was I doing the shooting part, so that's how the range visit came about. I went again this week to practice some more and might try to get in one more practice session today. No way am I going to look like an idiot at this class! : )

So, by next week, I might be licensed to carry....hilarious! --- OK state of Texas, but there are some other states it applies to.

So, you know with all these fine looking women that will be going to b00bs,  I think I might have just found my job! B00bs bodyguard!!! : )

I'll let you know how it goes...

Source

What? WLS & Exercise is Possible?

All I can say is DUH to this article. : ) And as far as the next step of "can it actually help them to maintain that weight loss"...My vote: Yes. For me I would not have gotten to where I am today or maintained the loss after all this time without exercise. Plus, in addition to being thinner, I really want to be healthy and strong. I'm not sure how those goals can be achieved without exercising (related post). Anyway, I thought someone else might want to read the article.

Hot Out?

My tips for hot-weather-outside workouts:

• Water is your BFF. I take a bottle or two of water and freeze them. The night before I need it, I move it to the fridge to melt a bit. Then I take those and some cold ones from the fridge to camp. As an added bonus, the frozen ones feel lovely if there's time to put them on your wrist, forehead, neck....OK, anywhere!
• Listen to your body. Feeling light headed? Thirsty? Short of breath? Stop, slow down, or whatever, but listen to your body! Give your body what it needs otherwise you might find yourself having a fun experience like one poor gal at camp who was puking her guts out. Personally, there are no heroes and it's not a competition. Do what you gotta do.
• Sweat can be your enemy. There have been a couple workouts that I sweat out too much "good stuff" (hey, I'm not a doctor or a professional trainer) and have felt a bit light headed. To counter this, I take with me some Gatorade G2 which I will sip on and off. 1/2 water 1/2 Gatorade is another option. Too much makes me feel yucky, it took some trial and error to figure out what worked for me.
• Bring a towel. No duh, right? Except the other day I forgot mine because I was actually washing it (miracle) and it sucked!
• Dress appropriately. Screw it if you aren't a size zero or a fitness model. You're there to workout. Wear some shorts, a tank, or some sort of moisture wicking shirt. Don't add to the misery by dressing in too many clothes.
• Refrain from negative self talk. (I can't do it, it's too hot. I'm gonna die (not you aren't, it just feels like it, ha). Blah, blah, blah.) You can do it and you are! I find a hot workout much more mentally challenging and sometimes have to gut it through and mentally kick myself in the a$$. Heck it's only X number of minutes or X number of sets, right? So, if it's 10 jump squats, 15 pushups, 40 mountain climbers, and run a loop, I know that the time on average will be 3 times minimum for me. So I just cheer myself on and switch my focus to surviving getting to 3.
• BE PROUD! You are out there and you are doing it. You're awesome!

Have something else to add?

Don't Wannas

I. Did. Not. Want. To. Go. To. Boot camp. This. Morning.

Know what I did?

I got up and went....suck it up buttercup!

And after - as I expected, but it is just sooooo hard to believe when the "don't wannas" hit...

I. Was. Glad. And, I felt good. : )

Wellness Goals - 2nd Quarter Results

The heat is killing me! Boot camp at 5:30 in the morning has been easily averaging 85 degrees without even adding the humidity. 5:30 AM??? Ridiculous! But a good workout *sigh*. This is impacting my original goals, because I have embraced that I am not a hot weather runner. So, I have officially sidelined running until the weather cools down. I refuse to do something I hate it and that's OK.

1. Boot camps. Goal: 200 camps. Stretch Goal: 240.

• So far: 115 camps
• At the rate I am currently trending, I'll hit my goal and depending if I add any extra days when it cools down, I might hit my stretch. 

2. Training/Race Total Miles. Goal: 416 miles. Stretch Goal: 520 miles.

• So far: 108.92 miles
• HA - laugh with me. NOT hitting this goal. Unless I turn into F. Gump where he takes off. I would be happy if I hit 208 miles "ish" by the end of the year. I figure that by mid-September it might be cool enough where I feel like hitting the road again.

3. Half Marathon(s). Goal: 1. Stretch Goal: 2.

• So far: 1 - Goal completed. : ) ... stretch goal - right now, I can tell you I have no interest. It could be because it is so dang hot here though and the thought of running a half is the last thing I want to do. It's possible that I could get one in before the end of the year *if* when the weather cools down I have some interest.

4. 5K or other races such as obstacle races. Goal: 3. Stretch Goal: 5.

• So far: 1 5K completed; Signed up for: 1 obstacle and 1 5K. I should hit this goal. Stretch goal up in the air.

5. Calorie Burn. Goal: 130,000 Stretch Goal: 150,000 (note: this is only "dedicated" exercise)

• So far: 87,044
• This goal might be set too low. Even with the cut back in running, I should still hit the stretch goal. I'm going to have to revisit this one next year if I use it for setting goals again.

I am strangely OK with where I am at this point. With all my whining about the heat, it might seem like I should try to find something inside. But while the heat makes me whine, I still love boot camp and just have to suck it up. This is definitely personal growth for me. I really am not beating myself up about the running. I did push myself to do some runs to be sure, but once I was, I just was. The rest, I'm good with where I am so far. HA - at nearly 43 years old, I actually might be getting some of this stuff!

Summer Watermelon Salad

Watermelons are super yummy in TX right now. On our trip to San Antonio, we went to a super fantastic restaurant for dinner. They had a watermelon salad on their menu which we both thought was great. I thought that I could duplicate tweak it more to our liking, so I did made it the other night. I try to make an "exciting" side item as it is 89234897234 degrees here, so it's grill only for protein.

Ingredients:

• Watermelon cubed **A good seedless watermelon is going to be key
• Cheese - They used feta, but I used gargonzola (like a stronger cheese)
• Balsamic reduction
• Basil - They used leaves that were cut up. For me, I find that basil goes bad before I can use all of a fresh bunch, so I tried chopped organic basil in a tube!

Now for the extremely tough directions. Cube the watermelon. Throw some in a bowl (your call on how much). Drizzle on balsamic reduction. Throw on some cheese. Dot on the basil in a tube. (Husband comment: What's the bird poop?) Ya, it was that easy and just as yummy as the one from the restaurant. Theirs looked waaaay fancier : ) When I can rescue get the pictures that are currently trapped on my husband's camera, I'll post the picture of the one we had at the restaurant for a good laugh of how ugly mine truly is.

**UPDATED**

Balsamic reduction: Seriously easy guys. Get some balsamic vinegar, a good pot/saucepan, and a heat tolerant whisk (If you don't have one of these - go get one now! ha - a spoon will work just fine). Measure a cup of vinegar, dump it in the pan, and cook the hell out of it on high stirring constantly (or you can lower the heat to have it simmer, but you need to stir it frequently). I'd estimate it takes about 10 minutes, but whatever amount of vinegar you start with, you want it to pretty much reduce by half. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Voila! Balsamic reduction.

Other tips:

• Most recipes will say something about sugar. The vinegar actually sweetens as it reduces. Personally, it's sweet enough for me, so I don't add any.
• Uh, this kinda stinks. Turn on your overhead fan  on your stove if you have one. Oh, and don't hover over the pan, otherwise you will end up wearing eau de balsamic vinegar. Nah, that has never happened to me or anything. I just heard about this tip from someone else. : )

Should yogurt require instructions?

After a weekend of too much food (not stellar choices) and about 2 or maybe it was 20 :) adult beverages, I am back on the wagon. I feel sluggish and "fluffy", but I expected to from all the crap I consumed. Nope, I didn't get on the scale. I just got up and went to bootcamp bright and early, I will get back to making more healthy food choices than not, and I will cut out adult beverages (during the week anyway).

I do think I've gained some weight in the past 3 weeks. My teeter totter just got a little off balance. I don't feel as lean and a skirt that fits well (as in no spare room at all) feels a bit snug. But I am sticking with where I want to be in maintenance at this point and not getting on the scale. I know what I need to do to get the fluff off and will just tip the teeter totter the other way for a bit without any extreme action or freak out. And honestly, it feels good, really good...and weird to say that too! Now for some thoughts on yogurt...

I think Fage is the best Greek yogurt on the market. Yep, it's expensive, but many times I can find it on sale and I just load up. I grew up on Greek yogurt so "normal" yogurt is runny to me and grosses me out. I have been excited about the Greek yogurt hype as it has made it readily available without having to go to a "special" store. Drum roll for the whammy....

BUT I HATE the fruit thing!!! Seriously, I can't get all the fruit out and it's a pain in the a$$ to mix in to the yogurt in that little side thing. I guess it's the purist attitude that the yogurt maintains it's integrity and all that, but seriously??? And guess what? I am such an idiot I didn't even realize that you were supposed to pour the fruit from one side to the other. Was I the only one?

OK maybe I am, but it doesn't work well---at least for me, so maybe it's user error, but I don't think so. And I am still left scraping the fruit out and trying to mix it in the other side. And get this, look at the side of the container. There is a "suggestion" to "Please Do Not Stir". Have you tried the fruit alone? It's sweet---too sweet for me to have a glob with the yogurt unmixed.

And one more rant - why does it seem that the "exotic" flavors are in 0% fat and the "standard" are in 2%? I don't want blueberry something or other, I just want blueberry dang it!

I feel so much better now that I'm off to get one from the fridge. : )

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