Competitive Drive - Shut Up and Run

I like to think it's because I'm such an easy-going and laid back person, but I'm not incredibly competitive when it comes to sports....of any kind really. (It could also have a tiny bit to do with that whole "lack of balance and torn ligaments in my knee" thing)  In fact, I'm fairly certain my best friend, when we were in high school, totally jumped at the chance to never ever have to be my tennis partner again after about 2 matches (And for good reason. She's super competitive and a natural born athlete).  I was the kid who "played" softball in 5th grade and stood out in the outfield picking weeds flowers out of the grass.  Yeah, I think we've established me and sports-related comptetition don't mix (yes, I'm tall. yes, I played basketball in high school)

Now, don't go thinkin' I have no competitive drive whatsoever.  You would be sorely mistaken.  When it comes to school and clubs and leadership roles, be prepared to lose, Mr. AnyOneWhoDaresGoAgainstMe.  Seriously, just try writing a better research paper, because mine has zero spelling mistakes, minimal "be verbs", God-forbid ever a fragmented sentence, and my first draft is most likely the final draft. Boom. Consider yourself "schooled". (I believe the word you're looking for here is "awesome")

And now everyone knows what a big nerd I am.

I've recently also become very competitive when it comes to fitness.  And, fortunately for my own benefit I'm mostly competitive with myself.  I joined a really awesome boot camp I found out about through a LivingSocial deal.  It was only for a month but, if I was going to have access to a kick-ass trainer for a month I was going to make the most of it.  In less than a month I lost over 5% body fat and said to my month-ago-self "Booyah! Take that...myself!!"  So, now that I'm on my own, I have goals set for the next month (the first of which is continue to get up every morning at 5:30 of my own accord.) so that I win against myself again and again and again.

Oh, and speaking of competitiveness, check out this race  obstacle course 3.5 miles of hell I'm doing this weekend!  Warrior Dash - Oklahoma Course!

And here's a pic of one of the obstacles....for your entertainment

I'm baaaaaack!!!!.....hopefully

Okay kids, I'm back at blogging.  I can't seem to get the look and feel that I want, which could have something do to with not being quite as tech-savvy (or as patient) as I need to be to get it there.  So, if anyone would like to offer up their services, I would be much appreciative.  What's that you ask? Don't I work for a software company and thus should know what the heck I'm doing?  Oh you're so funny. Don't be ridiculous.

So, with that said, I'm revamping a little bit so that I can blog about more stuff, and (hopefully) more often. So, not only will I be adding fitness and nutrition, but there will be lots more on working patience (which I need endless lessons on) and hopefully some other fun stuff as I get back into the swing of things. As always, I would LOVE feedback, especially if I EVER get super complainy, or if you'd just like to tell me "be funnier".  My life at work is seriously like an episode of "The Office" so there will no doubt be some fun stories there.

With that said, I'm heading into some new, exciting (to me anyway) changes in life, including a mission trip to Guatemala, moving, and going back to school full time (yikes!) so any words of advice are gladly accepted!  Thanks and please be patient with me while I work on mine....

Sore Muscles = Water Retention

Over the past couple weeks (okay, week and a half) I have been doing some intense workouts.  Actually, after Easter, I set a goal that for 30 days I will wake up early and work out.  So, I started out totally gung-ho....maybe a little overeager, because I started "Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred".....first day, I did the workout in the morning, no problem.  Well, that first morning workout was followed by the first night of kickboxing classes.  Again, no problem......until the next day.  I was SO SORE!  And continued to be sore for the next 3 days (needless to say, for the following 3 days my morning "workout" consisted of stretching out my sore muscles).

So after several days of this, my muscles are still way sore, but feelin' relatively good (My favorite phrase being "hurts so good"), the rest of my body doesn't feel so good.  How can that be? I've been working out like a crazy person and eating healthy food, so why do I not feel much healthier right now?  Well, I found the answer!

runner's blog

My minor freak out - especially when I saw a 5 pound gain in a matter of a few days - was quieted by the above blog:

- You can gain anywhere from 2-4 pounds after an intense workout or event.
- When you're muscles are sore, it means there are tiny tears in the muscle.  In order to repair themselves, they retain water.  This is why you may feel bloated or "sloshy" for a few days after a hard workout.
- After an intense workout, the glycogen in your body is depleted, so when you eat sugar (from either simple or complex carbs) your muscles soak up a lot of it (along with all the water) right away.
- Once your muscles start to heal and feel better, they start getting rid of some of this as waste, causing you to lose the weight you "gained".

Oh yeah, and any time you start a brand new workout, especially if it's more intense than you're used to, your metabolism is known to go a little wonky at first.  So don't get discouraged!  Keep on keepin' on with the workout! It will pay off!

Laugh Your Ass Off

I laugh. A LOT.  All the time really.  I have friends who tend to introduce me as "This is Meredith.  She'll laugh at anything.".....I'm not always sure if it's meant as a compliment??  But hey, I think of it this way, I like it when people laugh at my jokes, so surely everyone likes someone who thinks they're funny, right?  AND, if I'm laughing, surely I'm burning more calories than if I weren't laughing.  And guess what folks, IT'S TRUE.

Not only does laughing burn calories, but there are lots of other health factors as well:

First off, and probably the most obvious is Mental Health.  Laughing helps protect you from emotional issues like depression.  Don't get it wrong, depression is both a chemical imbalance as well as emotional issue.  The laughing comes in to helps as a buffer against the negative things in life.

It also helps with your Physical Health.  The article I found this in also said that laughing is a common therapy used with cancer patients.  And there have been studies done that show people who laugh regularly are in better health and shape than those who don't.

And finally, Heart Health.  When you laugh, there is an increase of oxygen-rich blood flowing into your body, possibly due to endorphins, which, as we all know "Endorphins make you happy.  Happy people don't kill their husbands.  The just don't."  Thank you, "Legally Blonde".  Endorphins are also released during a good workout as well.

So, it can be concluded that a good workout = endorphins and laughing = endorphins, so working out = laughing......am I right? Am I right?!?!

Soooooooo guess what comes next?!?! That's right!! MY suggestions for a good laugh:
 - Talk to Me.  I will make you bust a gut. haha, jokes.
 - Watch a funny movie.  I suggest the classic "Dumb and Dumber".
 - People-watch.  Trust me. It's HILARIOUS.

And, yes everyone, there is also such thing as a "certified laughter teacher" (I've clearly missed my calling) and an entire Laughter Movement afoot!  Including Laughter Yoga, finding a Laughter Group (because it's no fun to just laugh alone), and practice "Woohoo!!! Time" everyday.  That's right, if you look at the clock anytime at 20 past the hour, yell out "Woohoo!!!" and then you can't help but laugh (or at least make everyone around you laugh at you).

No such thing as a "plateau"

So right before Christmas, I had hit a plateau (dun dun dun *scary music*).  I had been exercising like a fool (because I'm one of those people who would rather work out hours a day and eat what I want) but nothing was happening.  So, what did I do? I took a "break"...and by break, I mean over Thanksgiving and Christmas I ate every bad thing I could get my hands on.  And by "bad", I mean DELICIOUS......anyway, I digress...what I SHOULD HAVE done, was pay attention to more than just the stupid scale....

So we all know about BMI.  What most people don't realize is that it's just a calculation of numbers.  The bad thing, is that it doesn't take into account your muscle mass.  It doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat, so, while it's a good indicator of if you're overweight or healthy, it's definitely not the only thing you want to rely on.  Here are some great suggestions I found of what to look at and consider when you've hit the supposed "plateau" in your venture to healthy living:

Take measurements, with a good, ole' fashioned measuring tape.  Write it down.  Measure your arms, chest, waist (belly button) hips (standing feet hip-width apart and measure at your biggest area), and even calves.  Take the measurements every 4-6 weeks.  If you're losing inches, you're probably still losing fat and gaining muscle = no plateau.

Take stock of your energy levels and mood.  When you're exercising regularly, you're probably getting more sleep, your energy levels are higher, you feel better in your body, and you're overall happier with yourself.  That doesn't sound like a plateau to me!

Go to your closet.  Do your clothes fit better?  Can you fit into that smaller size? See? No plateau here.

When you think you've hit a plateau, you probably really haven't.  You're just paying attention to the scale, which, a lot like your BMI number, doesn't give you the whole story.  If you're exercising and still making an attempt to eat right, you're making a positive difference on your body.  Everything you do will pay off eventually, and is well worth the effort.  Don't give up. Your hard work is paying off!!

Recipe!

So, I tried a new recipe last night.  Super-duper easy, AND healthy!  You'll have to bear with me, as I am not one to follow a specific recipe, so these are close approximations....

Fancy Breakfast "Tacos"

Corn tortilla chips OR flour tortillas cut into triangles

Turkey bacon

Egg whites

Salsa

Shredded cheddar cheese
Cupcake pan

- Preheat oven to 350.

- Spray the cupcake pan with a little cooking spray. 

- Per "slot", put 2 tortilla chips (I had to break mine into a few pieces first to make it fit)

- Add to each, 1 tbs Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles, 3 tbs. egg whites, and 1 tbs. salsa

- bake in the oven until eggs are fully cooked (I didn't set a timer, but I think it took around 10-15 minutes?)

- Add up to 1 tbs shredded cheese after you take them out of the oven.

- If you love salt,  you might want to add a little at the end, or mix in with the egg whites before baking.

- pop them out of the cupcake slots and serve!

Not only is this recipe DELICIOUS, but it's also super healthy.  You can eat 2 "tacos" for only about 200 calories!!

I tried making a couple with flour tortillas cut into triangles in place of the corn chips, which made it look prettier, but took away the nice "crunch factor".

The top 2 are made with chips, the bottom 2 with flour tortillas

AND, for the eternal party-hoster, it's great for individual portions or finger-food type brunch!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I'm back! Sorry, forgetting to blog should be an assumption taken from the way you get to this blog. idonthavethepatienceforthis.  I didn't even have the patience to type spaces in between the words.  But I love this current blog idea, so really it's mainly because I've been super-busy traveling for work over the last week.

While I'm on the subject, and, yes, my last post was a quick workout one, but this is where I'm currently at in life. Busy, busy, busy.

SO...what I'm giving you today is time-saving tips for cooking...and cooking healthy at that.

Soup.  My mother happens to be the master at what looks to me as taking whatever she finds in the kitchen, throwing it into a pot, adding some broth, and POOF! It's the most delicious soup you've ever tasted!  Currently, my "go to" soup if I realize on Sunday night I haven't bought groceries OR even thought about my lunches for the week is Taco Soup. 4 cans of beans (black, pinto, red, kidney? I think are the 4 it calls for, but I am "bean picky" so I use 2 cans black and 2 cans pinto), 1 can corn, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1lb ground beef or ground turkey, a taco seasoning packet mixed with the meat, and a ranch packet.  Heat it up on the stove and you've got lunch for days and days (Which also leads to the point of Double or Triple-up on Quantity). It's oh-so-hearty and delicious (if you want a little somethin-somethin extra, add a little shredded cheese and sour cream....and tortilla chips)

You know who else has great soup? Whole Foods! They make several kinds, hot and ready to go everyday! so if you live close to one, check it out.

Use packaged, chopped veggies.  I personally prefer fresh veggies just because I think they taste better, but when you're short on time, you'd rather have frozen veggies than none at all, am I right?

I am also a big proponent of buying pre-cooked, frozen grilled chicken breasts and grilled chicken strips.  They are the perfect addition to salad, and add the flatout bread or sandwich thins and BBQ sauce, and you've got BBQ chicken sandwich!

For more quick tips for cooking, look HERE!!!