Day 339: Overdue Update from the Busy Pants

So, I'm pretty ashamed of how long it's been since I last updated this blog. 3 weeks and 4 days? Really? Wow... I put the blog on the back burner because I have a lot on my plate right now. I've got a ton of stuff going on at work, I'm helping plan a baby shower for my bff Alisa and a big career celebration party for one of Nick and my dearest friends/mentors/professors from college, PLUS I'm taking a lettering class online, and it's Easter weekend. Whew! Listing all that stuff out doesn't seem like it's much, but all those things involve a lot of intricate work and planning. I also feel like I'm leaving out some things.... Blah, I hope you guys understand! 

I'm also ashamed to say that I stopped doing the "Insane" workout as religiously as I was before after the recovery week. I just got bored. I miss(ed) being outside, especially now that there's sunlight begging to be biked in now that the glorious daylight savings time has returned. I do intend to do the "insane" workouts on rainy days when biking isn't an option. I just love to bike too much to not do it, and I don't think my knees or my full schedule could handle doing both.

During my blogging absence, I got to visit my dear bff Krystal on St. Patrick's Day weekend and we had a lovely active Saturday! We brought her groovy dog JD to the dog park and we walked him around the hike and bike trail close to where she lives in this place called Bear Creek Park. Um....SO JEALOUS. This park made Beaumont's hike & bike trail look like a blank sheet of paper next to a Van Gogh painting. This place has a mini zoo with all kinds of beautiful animals, tons of baseball/softball fields, a dog park, equestrian center, golf course, and a ton of other stuff. If you're ever in Houston, I highly recommend visiting this magical place.  

Yeah, that's a bison. 

Happy faces!

I biked while Krystal & JD walked (hence the helmet)

And then Krystal took the most
epic photo of me EVER. 

I made some bird friends, too.

JD's FIRST visit to the dog park! He had a blast!

Yeah, JD needed a good scrubbing after
 his first romp at the dog park.

Even after ALL that craziness, I was still committed to doing the Insanity thing during that week, so I did it when we got back to Krystal and Ross's house because I'm nuts.

Dedication or mental issues?

And even thought we were EXHAUSTED by the end of that Saturday, we still made time to cook a delicious healthy meal. It wasn't done till after 9 p.m., but it was totally worth it!

Baked butternut squash

Just FYI, peeling a butternut squash SUCKS. Be sure you have really sharp knives and a really sharp peeler before you try to tackle one of these big bad boys. It was a workout to just peel and cut the dang thing! I'm hoping to find FROZEN butternut squash from now on.

Mashed cauliflower, shredded chicken, and quinoa

I've tried quinoa before, and I didn't like it, but now that I've tried how Krystal makes it (in the rice cooker), I'm pretty much addicted.

Speaking of addicted, I visited my cousins and Goddaughter on the way home to Beaumont on Sunday, and Cici introduced me to the deliciousness that is the affogato (espresso poured over ice cream)

I WANT THIS EVERY DAY, BUT I'LL GET FAT.

 It was a fab weekend for sure!

-----------------------

LAST Sunday, I got to do a little creative exercising with my mom and some lovely ladies whom I've known my whole life from my church. We went to Painting with a Twist and had a wonderful time...

Here's mine! I hung it in my bedroom.

-----------------------

Zooming forward to today, I wanted to start biking the DAY daylight savings time began, but the weather was not ideal. This March has been particularly windy, and I didn't think I could handle it. I went for a ride today for the first this spring, and it was GLORIOUS. I went to the good ol' hike and bike trail this afternoon and did 6 laps (12 miles) + 3 miles on the straight path (1.5 mile each way) = 15 miles biked! 

It felt great to be out there again! I kind of did something that usually annoys me when other people do it, and I played music on my phone using the Pandora app, but it helped. I don't like to use headphones while I'm biking just incase a faster cyclist needs to pass me and I can hear them approaching, and for safety's sake. I put it on the Michael Giacchino  station, and I got to bike to some pretty epic music. How can you not be inspired to pedal faster when music from the Incredibles is blasting at you? A lot of John Williams music came on as well, so the hearing Superman theme was a great way to finish.

So I guess you could say that today was truly a great GOOD FRIDAY. I got to bike and enjoy God's beautiful blessings of nature with a strong, healthy body, and I got to play guitar and sing at a very meaningful Good Friday service at church this evening. I may be swamped, but I am grateful for all of it. I hope everyone has a good Holy weekend. I hope I get to update again sooner than later!

P.S. In addition to celebrating Christianity's biggest day of the year, I get to eat bread and rice again starting Easter Sunday! Let's see if I can control myself, haha!

Day 314: Fitness Test 2 & Struggles

I'm addicted to sugar. There, I said it. I'm addicted to carbs and sugar and horrible delicious food. That's part of the reason why I had to start this journey in the first place. Even though I have been great about not eating bread or rice since Fat Tuesday, I've still been eating things I shouldn't.

I've been justifying that cake and brownies aren't technically "bread" over the past couple of days, and technically they aren't since I wouldn't make a sandwich with them (haha), but it's got to stop. I want to really get serious about what I need to restrict myself from eating because I know that I will get so much further in my progress if I do so. I'm not sure what my deal is other than being addicted... Sugary food makes me feel better for a little while, and then I feel like crap shortly after. It's got to stop. What drives me more crazy is that I know better, and yet I still do it. You suck, addiction.

On a happier note, I just did my 2nd fitness test with the insane regimen I've been following lately, and I did better than the first go! Gosh, imagine how much better I'd be doing if I weren't eating sweets here and there...

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not binging and going nutso and eating NOTHING but sweets, BUT I know that even just the tiny bit I have been eating the past couple of days are affecting my progress. I attended a fun little Stella & Dot jewelry party on Saturday to help out my cousin Celina who's trying to make some money while she works as as stay at home mom, and I splurged more than I probably should have on the goodies that were at the party. A little brownie here, a small cookie or 3 there, some chips and queso, some ginger ale/sherbet punch, a glass of spumante....... It adds up!

Speaking of jewelry, my cousin convinced me to host an online trunk show so that I could try to earn some discounts and free jewelry. I figured if it's just online, I don't have anything to lose and it'd help her out at the same time! If you'd like to treat yourself to something nice, or need a gift for a loved one, click this link and get ya something:  Melanie's Stella & Dot Online Trunk Show

I've got to get my self-discipline back in check. It's been slipping so often lately and I keep faltering over and over, which is why I haven't made much more progress. I measured myself over the weekend, and I haven't lost any inches since the last time I measured myself MONTHS ago.

On the bright side, at least I feel stronger! Insane workouts have been kicking my butt, and while I'm not painfully sore like I was in the beginning, I still feel like my body is changing in good ways. It's only been 2 weeks, so I must be patient and I must be more disciplined about eating better.

I'm just tired of this cycle, and I want to break out of it. WILL POWER. WHERE ARE YOU!? SHOW YOURSELF. 

Week 1

Week 2