It’s been a long time….

It’s time.

I’ve had little nagging thoughts here and there over the last few weeks.

THE BLOG. GO.

WHY AREN’T YOU TAKING NOTES?!

IT’S THERAPEUTIC. THE BLOG. GO!

As I mentioned before (and think EVERYDAY) summer is the hardest time to stick with anything. My eating has been….less than stellar. Still about 70-30. But….

*The kids are on a bun kick. The Boy could eat plan New England Style hot dog buns all day. And The Girl is in to Hamburger buns with ketchup and butter (???). So I’ve had more bread over the last 3 weeks than I’ve had in years.

*BJ’s stopped carrying our go-to fruit snacks. The boy will not eat the ones I picked up in replacement – the first pack I opened for him, I ended up eating myself….which opened the flood gates to an onslaught of fruity goodness. THEY WERE AMAZING. Healthy Helpings of…Candy. OMG. Can’t-get-enough-goodness.

*Holidays, BBQ gatherings, meeting friends for meals…..trips for ice cream. It’s all been so fun and good….but it’s taken it’s toll on me. I feel like I’ve hit bottom again. I feel lousy. Bloated. The headaches are back. And I’m grasping for straws. Googling “how to kick the sugar addiction”, “acupuncture for sugar addiction”, juice cleanses, the 21 Day Fix, contemplating That Crazy Wrap Thing….looking up quick fixes…again.

I already know what works.

God always provides. And right at my fingertips is another round of the 21DSD. But I’m still hesitant. My mom is getting married on Saturday….which means a trip home. And a trip home is pretty much my eating kryptonite. A trip home means eating…whatever and feeling like hell after. And a wedding? For cripes sake….parties are crazy tough to avoid sugary goodness!

But….maybe this is God’s way of letting me test myself. See if I can do it. No, PROVE to myself that I CAN travel/go home and still stick to my clean eating. Really make this a forever thing. A LEGIT forever thing.

But….it’s hard. It’s not convenient. I haven’t mastered having good for you snacks at all times. And it’s easier to grab a mouth watering whopper with bacon. Ice cream. Chips and salsa at Chili’s.

How many times am I going to cycle through this crappy feeling before I just make it permanent? Because it’s gross. I feel awful. And I hate searching for the easy way out. It feels cheap. And I know it won’t last.

I KNOW WHAT WORKS.

So I’m doing it. The July 21DSD. I’m going to do some research again today, in my books and online. Compile a fantastic list of travel goodies to get the car stocked for our trip. Have a case of club soda. And just do it.

That is my mantra for this month. Because I can. I know I can. I can be stronger than the cravings. It’s time to make them go away forever. Because I’m tired of feeling like crap….again.

It’s time.

I’m glad to be back.

#wildworkoutwednesday by #runningsugarfree

The Hubs is a cyclist. He got us both road bikes last year – awesome! He’s been riding to work 3-4 times a week ever since – jealous – his route to work takes 30 minutes where as mine would take 2 hours. He has signed up for his first race…in the Adirondacks. He’s a cyclist…and I think it’s awesome.

Two weeks ago we were able to go on a long ride together. He went on a nice route with 2 of his buddies the week before and we thought it would be fun to try. Yeah!

Here are my mistakes:

• it was only my 2nd ride of the season, while The Hubs has about 500 miles in
• my first ride was only 9 miles
• this ride was 32 miles
• I didn’t fuel properly before hand – a Quest bar will not fuel a 30 mile bike ride
• I tried to keep up with The Hubs the whole way – haha
• It was windy everywhere…EVERYWHERE

*Things were ok to start.

The weather was fabulous – nice and cool – couldn’t have asked for better. I was able to semi-keep up with The Hubs, while working my tail off. Keeping a killer pace – yeah! But I was cursing the wind – I swear it was in our face EVERY second of the ride. There was a calm stretch early on where we were able to ride side by side and chat a bit – that was nice! It was a good route – basically along the rivers the whole way. And at about 20 miles, we got to a lighthouse by the bridges and stopped for a water break – super gorgeous. Back on the bike to head home…

I smashed against the wall.

I seriously left nothing on the table. I told The Hubs: “Go ahead. Get the car and come back to get me.” It was that bad. I was miserable and cursing the rest of the way. Every moment of the last 12 miles was terrible and couldn’t be over soon enough.

In hindsight, I should have never attempted the whole ride at such a blistering pace. I asked The Hubs about his ride with his buddies and he mentioned that their pace was much slower, there were some periods of just coasting…but we RACED that damn route. My body was NOT ready to be in the saddle for 2 hours. It was just a silly rookie mistake.

Redemption

I went on a ride this past weekend with those same 2 bike buddies. 19 miles. At a glorious cruising pace. I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. Sure, there wasn’t as much wind this time around. But our pace? Conversational. We actually talked to each other. I was able to glance around and enjoy our surroundings. When we got done? I could have gone for more! It was amazing.

Lesson learned: It’s not a race. I am totally capable of a long ride…just not at breakneck speeds like The Hubs. If you want me to join in? Slow down a little.

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Shout out/Love-fest/You’re The Best!

I’m speechless this morning.

My soul-sister (The fabulous Coco’s Daughter) featured me and The Salve on her blog!

Coco is one of those gals who EVERYONE loves. She’s the sunshine that all the flowers are drawn to.

I ADORE Coco. I love her Twinados like my own.  The day we met in July of 2013 was the day the stars aligned and a life-long friendship was created. Her amazing family has brought us so much happiness – we’ve been creating memories right and left, soaking up sunshine while battling the frizz, sharing family dinners and special occasions whenever we can. I’ve told her more than once – she’s stuck with me forever. Broken record…STUCK.

And today – not only did she give me a shout out….she gave me the most AMAZING shout out a girl could ask for! I’m still speechless. One of my favorite parts? How she described what the Twinados think of me:

Mythical like a mermaid with the charm of a unicorn and the sparkle of a seahorse.

I mean, COME ON. Can there BE any higher praise?! #stillspeechless

I’ll admit – I AM uber on top of the Shutterfly Freebie business. Each time an alert pops up on my phone with a code for a free magnet/address labels/8×10 print, my heart races and I launch into action: TEXT COCO…and get one for yourself! I take advantage of EVERY darn freebie they offer. Yes, EVERY. Perfect gifts – Grammies and Nanas LOVE that stuff.

And the part about The Salve? Also 100% true. Everyone who has used this stuff has had the same reaction. It’s bleeping MAGIC.

It makes ME so happy to share The Salve with whoever I can. Your little bug has some itchy patches behind his knees? The Salve. Road rash from a tumble off your bike? The Salve. Ouchie toe nail post pedicure? The Salve. Wicked tears after kicking bootie during your WOD? The Salve. My local box has even picked up The Salve so that it’s available to all my gym-mates – FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC.

*Like Coco said, we aren’t doctors…just love sharing the natural goodness that is The Salve. So read the label/use with caution. But it’s really really good stuff. 😉

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#21DSD for June – Day 1

After a month off, I decided it was time to jump back in to the 21 Day Sugar Detox way of life. I kept to my 80/20 way of life fairly easily in May, but a few hard falls off the wagon show me my relationship with certain sugary things is still contentious (i.e. I can’t have a box of Wegman’s Famous Chocolate Chip cookies on the counter and not eat one every time I walk past it. Nor can I take the kids for ice cream and not get a kiddie cone for myself). I didn’t beat myself up about any of my food choices – my body did that enough for me, with stinky/bloat-y reminders after I ate things not so great. And that just feels terrible. I much much  much prefer how I feel when I eat things that agree with my gut. I’m not bored with my go-to foods. And I’m still uber in love with Club Soda. So I’m ready to go again!

*My energy levels are really great. No afternoon crashes/cravings – LOVE.

*My workout programming seems to be just what my body needed – I’m on week 6 of the Competitor Programming and loving every minute of it.

*I’m still nauseous in the mornings and have a hard time deciding what to eat for breakfast.

*I’ve been off my birth control for 1 month (SUPER long back story to this one) – and that is going well. My body seems to be adjusting well. My naturopath says we’ll see where I’m at after 3 months. And my GYN was totally on board with any/all changes that I’m after making – i.e. getting off all of my meds. Yes.

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#wildworkoutwednesday #memorialdaymurph

My Wild Workout Wednesday post this week is about my WOD from Sunday…

This past Sunday was Memorial Day.

Each year, CrossFit gyms around the country celebrate Memorial Day by inviting our members + the community to participate in ‘The Murph’ workout. It’s a way to recognize the hardships faced by the men + women that serve our country and to remember those that have fallen.

The ’MURPH’ was named in memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28th, 2005. This workout was one of Mike’s favorites. Mike was a focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.

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My mind was focused as I drove downtown Sunday morning. I was thinking of all those fallen soldiers. I was thinking how lucky we are to live in the relative peace that we have here in America. How lucky I am to be alive, and able to go attempt a kick-butt workout like The Murph. There’s never a moment that I take my physical abilities for granted but I was especially aware on Sunday.

Jamie Toland wrote an awesome article that better shares my feelings:

There has never been a time when I was pushing myself to finish and thinking for a second about quitting that I did not think about both my grandfathers and what they went through as soldiers during World War II. I think about the military training and time my own father spent serving our country as a United States Marine. I think about my friends who have served and many who still serve and the sacrifices they have made with time away from their families and some even more substantial. But also I think about Lt. Michael Murphy and what he did for his country and his fellow brothers in arms. 

As I look around our box and see the faces of the other members and they dig very deep both mentally and physically to finish this capacity of work, I’m proud to be a part of my affiliate and also the CrossFit community that takes time to acknowledge service men and women. I know that doing a difficult workout in a safe environment is in NO way comparable to what our soldiers go through on a daily basis nor is it even remotely in the realm of what war would be like. But for these people to give up their time and physical energy to at least acknowledge and remember the efforts and sacrifices of others is still a very special thing to me.

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I was part of the 8:30am crew at Urban Life. My regular gym peeps were there, and a few of my other favorites. We all geared up and headed out for the run at 8:30.

The 1st mile felt good.

It was the first time I completed Murph with Rx pull-ups (no bands, no jumping)

It was the first time I completed Murph without a single push-up on my knees (all were hand-release push-ups)

As I ran for the door after my squats, my legs felt like heavy jello. I was gasping for air as I went down the stairs. And as I started to jog out the door, my entire body screamed at me….”WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” But I pushed.

How many people would do Murph everyday to bring a loved solider back? Pushed.

How many people would do anything to be able to get out and run? Pushed.

My legs finally felt better/less terrible at the 1/2 mile mark. Pushed harder.

Back up the stairs to the 4th floor of Urban Life for a time of 53 minutes.

Memorial Day is one of my favorite days. Not because it’s a day off, or because of the BBQs or the start of the summer season. I love it because of The Murph WOD. I love doing this workout – paying respects to our heroes, and doing it with a heart full of appreciation, and a mind full of remembering. It might not seem like much, but it’s a big deal to me.

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#motivationalmonday #runningsugarfree

Most of what I share on my Facebook page is motivational/inspirational/awesome. There’s not much better than seeing a post in your news feed that immediately makes you say “YES.”

So here are some Motivational Monday Gems for you…..let’s rock.

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#foodiefriday from #runningsugarfree

Ah, it’s Friday again, yeay! The Kiddos LOVE Friday – they absolutely adore “Stay-at-Home Days” (aka The Weekend) so once we get to Friday, they know they are in the home stretch!

But Fridays are exciting for ME because it’s #foodiefriday again! And at this early hour, I’ve already found a bunch of amazing things to share. Along with a few goodies I gathered earlier this week too – this will make for some fun treats this Memorial Day weekend! I JUST got a mini donut pan from Kohl’s last week – can’t wait to try it out. And we are ALL about the grill, especially when the weather is good!

Happy Cooking!

• Paleo Chocolate Donuts
• The Greatest Grilling Recipes Ever
• Gluten Free Recipes for the Grill
• Spaghetti Squash and Sausage Breakfast Casserole
• No Bake Almond Butter Cookies
• Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids

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#wildworkoutwednesday with a side of #runningsugarfree

I was chatting with a friend last night at dinner. She asked if I was still following my 21DSD protocol. Sigh.

No.

However, I’m coming to grips with this. I’m about 80% good – clean eating, no sugar…and 20% off the plan – ice cream with the kids, grilling outdoors with friends. Now’s the time of year where all I can do is be consistent as possible….listen to my body, make good choices and not beat myself up about the occasional “off-menu” choices.

I also had a realization this week….all these belly issues? Started during my battle with sinus infections in 2013. A year of being on antibiotics every 4-6 weeks destroyed my gut. I’m so incredibly thankful that I was able to have surgery and solve the sinus problem. But my insides suffered in the process….and I never made the connection until now.

I came across Ginger Newtrition recently and got sucked into her Love your Liver Spring Detox. It’s not that far off from what I did on the 21DSD – no sugar, clean eating. And it includes things that I’ve heard of and have wanted to try…including tongue scraping, elixirs, green tea, probiotics, oil pulling, etc. I’m all for adding anything to my routine that can help my gut heal. And once again, having a group for some accountability, daily posts, emails, connections – it really makes a difference.

I’m ALSO super pleased with the programming I’m following for my workouts. My body is thriving on the strength and shorter metabolic conditioning segments. I can already tell I’m getting stronger. My technique on my lifts FEELS better. I’m not completely wiped out at the end of the day.

Everything I’m doing at this point seems to be working, moving in the right direction…making me better. And I’m excited to keep taking the little steps in the right direction.

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Ok! Now what you’ve all been waiting for…Wild Workout Wednesday! 😉

WOD: 

• 6.1 miles
• Muscle snatches from mid-thigh 3 sets of 5 reps
• Clean pull + power clean (2+1) x 4 sets
• Handstand holds 20 seconds x 3 sets
• 1 mile

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#everylittlebithelps

…instead of stopping for ice cream after t-ball, we went home and I made a smoothie with coconut milk, banana and cacao nibs. #win

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* Had an appointment for myodetox therapy again today. It’s not easy/it hurts like a mother but so worth it. Missy and Kyle are awesome.

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* Borrowed a juicer from one of my good buddies, and made my first juice! Spinach, celery, Apple, carrot and OJ. It was amazing. And I even ate the pulp, with butter and salt – yum! Fantastic!!

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* Scheduled off day from WOD programming so I got in a gorgeous 6.5 mile run. It was cool and breezy, my favorite. Have to enjoy the good weather while it lasts…it’ll be 90 degrees again before I know it.

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* sampled a few Quest bars from NatureTyme….holy moley they are amazing! I can taste the sweetener, but for a protein bar with not many ingredients, it has repeatability. I’ve seen them ALL over Instagram and had been meaning to try. I’ll be adding them as a quickie grab and go snack!

Sprints…. #wildworkoutwednesday

Pretty quick turn around from Monday – after feeling super low, I’m absolutely enjoying my workouts this week. Feeling strong, moving heavy weights, not exhausted at the end of the day. I’m using video to watch my form. And I can feel that things are improving, which is just what I wanted. Yes.

Today’s WOD:

mile warm up and cool down

A. Tall muscle snatch x 3×3.. build a bit from last week
B. Clean pull @ 90%x5x4 sets
C. Turkish Get Ups – x 20 reps (10/arm @ 25#)
+
100m sprint @ max effort
rest 100 seconds
10 rounds

*it was CRAZY to think about my sprint pace…..being as it was marathon pace for elite runners. I cannot IMAGINE a world in which that pace is sustainable for 26.2 miles. #mindboggling

Grateful for another #wildworkoutwednesday. Check out FitFoodieMama for more linkups!

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