Day 2 of Nutrition Challenge

Day 2.  Yes, less than 48 hours into this challenge and I want a powdered donut so bad I can smell it!  Now let's just clarify something.  I don't even like donuts.  Never have.  That is one food item that could leave earth forever and generally speaking I would be a-okay with it.  But today, I WANT A FREAKING POWDERED DONUT!  You know, the kind in the Hostess pack... the kind that when they hit your mouth there is a moment of cold that you can not explain, but then an explosion of sugar that makes you want more.  Next thing you know, you look down and see powder all over the front of your shirt that reminds you why you don't eat powdered donuts.  Ahhhhhh!  But instead I will eat this handful of almonds and be happy.  Because tonight I get to go back to the gym and kick some ass for the first time in a week.  Super stoked!!!

Today's eats:  (always lots of water!!!)
7:15am:  Bacon, Eggs, Guac, Coffee  (This will always be the same)
10am:  Orange
12:45pm:  Grilled Chicken and veggies over lettuce, guac, salsa
3pm:  Lara Bar
4:30pm:  Cashews  (working out at 5:30)

I will get home around 7pm and probably gobble up some pork loin and roasted carrots.

Just a fyi, other food items that I can live without FOREVER:  gravy (any kind), pancakes, sauerkraut, cabbage, pasta.  As you can see, the list of item and can not live without is obviously really long.  :)  (ice cream, chocolate, holy crap I have a sweet tooth today!)

MAKE it a great day people!!

Game On!

It all starts this Wednesday.  A nutrition challenge at Centerville Crossfit.  There are two things that force me to commit to something:  1)  Money and 2) the word "challenge".  Any time I part with my hard earned cash I expect a return on investment.  So if I pay big money for jeans, I had better look darn good in them!  And I am always up for a challenge.  I have never been able to mentally understand those people who don't like challenges.  Is it laziness?  So confusing to me....

Anyways, I have pretty much lived my life this past year eating the standard Paleo way.  Over the past 3-4 months I have slipped to about 80/20 on this.  Okay, okay, let's be honest, it's probably more like 70/30.  There is something about going to a lake every weekend and eating pizza, chips, drinking beer, etc... that I just can't say no too.  But the lake house is officially closed and it's time for hibernation to begin.  And by hibernation I mean cooking and food prepping on Sundays, working out 3-4 days a week, and vacationing to some place warm at least 2-3 times during the winter.  

I went ahead and started prepping yesterday for this week.  I know the challenge doesn't start until Wednesday, but why wait?  Pictured above are the precooked bacon egg biscuits.  These have diced onions and tomatoes on the bottom with salt and pepper on top.  I went ahead and cooked these and just warmed them up this morning for breakfast.  While the oven was warm I cooked the whole remaining pound of bacon on a sheet pan.  I can pretty much eat bacon cold, warm, or scorching hot.    

Other items I made on Sunday:  

• Browned some ground turkey and added taco seasonings with a can of diced tomatoes (think Rotel, only I'm cheap and buy mine at Aldi's)  I will use this in lettuce wraps with some guac.  It's also good tossed in with eggs.
• Marinated pork loin.  This sucker is going to last me all week.  Random strangers are going to receive some pork loin by Wednesday.  
• Cut up vegetables for quick cooking and/or snacking.
• I will be making Fruit N Nut Bars tonight to hopefully help with my sweet tooth.

It's really day 1 for me and just knowing that I'm not suppose to eat sugary yummy food is making me want it more.  And the fact is I'm pretty good at making Paleo dessert type foods to get me by.  A whole month of no honey might just kill me.  Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating, but you just never know.

Breakdown of today so far:

• Woke up at 6:30am.
• Ate two bacon and egg biscuits at 7:30am.
• Got to work at 8am
• Met with Chiropractor at 10am (this is a whole other post... grrrr)
• 12:30 lunch:  Two burgers with lettuce and onion.  Not the greatest choice, but we eat lunch out daily and todays choice was the Fried Food Capitol of Moraine, Ohio called Treasure Island.
• Tonight I will be walking on the treadmill (again.... grrrr!!!) due to my back being all out of whack.  Dinner will be either the pork loin or the browned beef.  I'm leaning towards the pork loin with some grilled veggies.

Building Blocks

Dear 20 somethings,

I know this is hard for you to imagine, but there is going to come a day when you will be in your thirties.  You will wake up after a night of binge drinking and realize that it's going to take you two days to recover instead of just one.  It just happens.  But really, that's not the worst part.  During your 30's you suddenly have bills, responsibilities, and possibly health issues.  So consider this your warning to prepare for your future.  Here are a few things that I have learned over the past couple of years:

1.  Save, save, save!

During your 20's you are either living at home or have just moved out to your first apartment.  Life is pretty good.  You don't really have to make much to survive.  There are going to be bumps in the road eventually.  Your car will breakdown, you will need a new one, and you will eventually want a better place to live.  Start putting money aside now to use later.

2.  Build a foundation

Do you want to be something great?  Studies show that you are who you hang out with.  If you are socializing with losers, you too will most likely be one.  But if you want to be successful, start hanging around successful people.  How do you do this?  Ask questions when you meet someone older who seems to have their shit together.  Older people love to be mentors.  And I don't necessarily mean 'old' people.  This could be someone in their 30's, 40's, or 50's.  There is nothing better than seeing someone from the younger generation WANT to succeed.

Just a quick example:  Ten years ago I was at an engagement party which was located in a million dollar home.  Once I realized who the rich uncle was that was having the party I approached him and said, "I have to ask, how is someone so young (he was 55... get it, I complimented him) able to afford something like this?"  He then went on to tell me about his company that he sold for over 5 million dollars.  Weeks later he became our company's business adviser.  Why?  Because he loved working with two younger people who wanted to succeed and were willing to do what was needed to make it happen.

3.  Learn!

During this past year I have literally been in shock at the number of my friends (men and women) who have very little knowledge about what I like to call - life.  They don't have retirement accounts or they did something silly like took the money out of it to pay off debt.  They have no idea how to refinance their homes and the regulations involved.  And some are at the age where they are having to deal with aging parents.  It's a reality people.  Here's a small breakdown of what I'm referring to....
    
a.  Retirement Accounts:  I have a Simple IRA so I am going to use it as the example.  If you pull money out of your retirement prior to the authorized age you will have to pay the income tax on this money.  If younger than 59 1/2 years old, then you also get the pleasure of paying a 10% penalty tax.  If you withdrawal this money within two years of your initial contribution you will get hit with a 25% penalty tax.  WOWZA!!!!  One of my friends paid nearly 40% in taxes on the money she withdrew.  She didn't ask anyone.  Her thought process was - it's mine so I'll just take it.  She about pooped herself in April when the tax bill came due.  Ask questions.  Research.  Learn.  

b.  Refinancing your home:  I will just touch on this.  Way too many people refinance their homes for the original borrowed amount.  No.  I say it again... NO.  Not unless you need that money to pay off some major bills should you ever do this.  Example:  Home is originally sold for $100K.  You put 20% down (because you are smart and WILL avoid PMI... great blog post located here) which means your original loan is $80K for 30 years at 6% interest.  Ten years go by and interest rates have dropped to 3%.  So now you technically have 20 years left on your original loan.  Many banks will try to refinance you back to 30 years (tacking on another 10) and then again for the $80K instead of the current principle balance on the loan.  They will then give you a check at the refinance closing and you will feel like a rock star who just made a large check.  Instead hand that check right back to them and have them pay off some of your mortgage that you just worked the previous 10 years paying!  And make sure it's a 20 year refi and not the original 30!    Ask questions, research, and learn!  Call an accountant, call a friend, call someone smarter than you when it comes to this stuff.  Get over your pride.

c.  Aging Parents:  UGH!  My parents are now in their late 60's and mid-70's.  NOOOOOO!!!!!!  I really don't want to ever think about them getting old or even worse... never being here.  But, it is reality.  Keep in contact with your parents to see how they are.   I have a couple of friends and family members currently dealing with parents who have dementia.  It is saddening and frightening all at the same time.  This isn't really an avenue I have had to go down yet (thank you God!), but when we do I will definitely ask questions, research, and learn as much as possible.

Final note, I know you think you are invincible.  I did too.  Then at the age of 35 I got hit with some major health issues.  I'm a business owner so my health insurance SUCKS!  My deductible is $6500 a year, straight up.  So getting hit with two surgeries that fell in two different years.. back to back... took a chunk of money.  Yes, I know you can do the math.  Shit happens.  (See #1.)  This year alone I have had 3 close friends get hit with medical issues.  One lost her job due to it. (See #1.)  I have two other friends flirting with the idea of filing bankruptcy.  (See #1)  Are you catching on to what I'm saying?  (See #1)  

I hope you get to enjoy your 30's as much as I have been.  It's finally a time when you get to find out who you really are.  That is if you grow up.

From,
Your 30 Something Fan

Need vs Want

It's been an interesting couple of weeks.  The majority of discussions I've had somehow involve money.  The basic question, "how do I save?".  All the way to, "why do they charge so much?!".  So I thought I'd do a quick breakdown to these questions.

Just so you all don't think I'm a financial saint I want to give you some history.  When I was in college a nice gentleman (aka: moron) agreed to giving me a credit card.  At that time the Fairfield Mall in Beavercreek, OH had just been built.  What is a girl to do during her 3 hour break between classes, but go shopping?!  At the crisp age of 20 I had over $8,000 in credit card debt.      I came home from class one day to find my dad had opened my mail and my credit card bill was on the kitchen table with the balance circled and a note that said, "don't go anywhere, we need to talk."  Oh holy crap.  This was it.  My dad was truly going to kill me.  I knew I had driven him crazy as a teenager, but this time I was sure I had thrown him completely over the edge.  Instead he sat me down, explained the severity, and created a game plan on how to pay it off.  That summer I worked two jobs, Cub Foods and Kettering Rec Center.  I would go from one to another.  I even worked third shift at Cubs because it paid a whole .50¢ more per hour.  I finally paid it off and have never been in debt to a credit card company again.  Oh, and yes, that was the worst summer of my life.

Saving money has always been a constant topic in my family.  Since I was a kid my father preached to the heavens about how important it was to be debt free and save for retirement.  Up until the past 8 years, I never fully understood the concept.  I just knew I was saving money, but it never fully sunk in as to why.  Now that I am approaching my forties (that just about made me puke), the realization of retirement is becoming ever more clear.  There is a light, dim as it may be, at the end of this long tunnel.  

Here is the basic principle of money.  Don't spend what you don't have.  I can hear the screams now.... "BUT!!"  Yes, I know, you NEED that 10th pair of $115 Buckle jeans, and you NEED to add to your collection of Coach handbags.... just like I NEED to eat Esther Price candy.  No, no I don't.  You see, your addiction to spending is just like my addiction to food.  You put a bag of Oreo cookies in front of me and you can kiss them goodbye.  What's the best way to kick the habit?  Write every penny that you spend down.  I don't care if you gave your son a quarter for a gumball.  Write.  It.  Down. Do this for 30 days and then tally it all up.  Holy crap!  That's a whole lot of money, huh?  The biggest question I try to ask myself is, "do I NEED this or do I just WANT this?"  

Let's be honest, I own a lake house.  I wanted it.  I own a boat.  I wanted it. For both of these items I created clear goals in order to achieve them.  I knew when I was 25 that I wanted to one day own lake property.  Every week I put aside money in my "goal fund" so that one day I would have enough money for the down payment.  I bought my lake house when I was 33.  Once I bought the house I knew I needed a boat.  Again, I set the goal and I worked to achieve it.  For two years I saved by cutting coupons, shopping for clothes at Target and Goodwill, and pretty much became a homebody during the winter months.  At 35 I bought a pontoon, paid in full.  

How do you know a need from a want?  You need water, electricity, a roof over your head, healthcare, etc...  You want to eat out daily, purchase more shoes, purses, and clothing than you really need.  Just like I need to eat more vegetable, but I want to eat ice cream.  Get it?  And let's be clear, we all make mistakes.  Whether it's on a diet or saving money.  I do eat ice cream.  And you will spend too much sometimes.  But luckily, every minute is a new beginning.  

My Experiment

It's time for a serious post....

Over the past two months I have woken up every night with horrible night sweats.  Drenched.  Go ahead, say it - GROSS!  Yes, it really is.  The last time this happened was two years ago when the doctors had me heavily medicated for endometriosis.  So of course, what have I been thinking the problem is... hormones.  I have literally been scouring the internet looking for new information on hormones, thyroid, replacement therapy, natural remedies, etc....  I had literally diagnosed myself.  I was also slipping into semi-depression just knowing that I would have to go back to the obgyn soon.  Two years ago I was in that office on a weekly basis either for tests, blood work, shots, or surgeries.  It's a bad memory.  It is also what caused me to change my life.

As many of your know I began eating Paleo in September of last year.  My journey began with 30 days of strict eating.  No cheats.  This meant no sugar, fake sugar, grains, beans, or dairy.  (Hopefully I didn't leave anything out.)  Once my 30 days was over my gym conveniently started a Paleo Challenge and I signed up.  This continued throughout the winter and helped me to lose 38Lbs.  But most importantly, I felt great!!!  Once spring hit I decided to ease off on the strictness and go 80/20 on my diet.  Mainly I have been eating strict Paleo (with an addition of a Diet Lemon Lime soda nightly starting about two months ago... remember this) and on the weekends I am less strict.  Ok, who's kidding who... I drink beer.  Other than the beer, I'm still pretty much a Paleo eater on the weekends.

So let's get back to the night sweats.  In addition to the night sweats I have been having hot flashes.  The boyfriend will ask if I'm going through menopause with a humorous chuckle.  Little does he know that it's very possible and scares the hell out of me.  I'm already down an ovary so God only know what this body is doing!  (And I mean that literally.... only He knows.)  My final downer.... cramps.  Yes, I know most women have pms cramps, but I'm so lucky that I have them on a daily basis.  Right now they are just mild, but when my endo is in full swing I won't be able to sleep through the night without a heating pad.  Being a woman is grand.    I really do have a point to all of this..... here it comes.....

After a crazy conversation with my brother about my rising ailments he says to me "I wonder if you've become so healthy now that your body is fighting off your nightly Diet pop filled with fake crap?"  WTH?!  Is he nuts?  So a couple of days ago I decided to stop the single nightly can of Diet Lemon Lime.  Guess what?  I've slept through the night... completely dry, I haven't overheated during the day, and I've had ZERO abdominal pain.

This has since led me to do some Googling on the side effects of artificial sweeteners.  Holy crap, it is mind blowing.  Here is one good read, but you might want to do some research yourself.  All of this was just another reminder that what we put in our mouths really does effect our body, not just the number on the scale.

My WOD thoughts

Let's start with an update... I'm still doing Crossfit, I still eat about 80/20 Paleo, I haven't gained any weight, I still sell cables for a living, and I still have an amazing boyfriend.  Ok, now that that is over.... let's move on....

I have heard from strangers and those who know me (or any crossfitter) that they think we have some super human ability when we workout.  So today I thought I would show you my thought process before, during, and after a workout.

Alarm sounds at 5:30am I roll over and immediately pick up my phone and go to the Centerville Crossfit website to see what the wod (workout of day) is.  Oh holy crap.  Run a mile!  20 heavy dead lifts!  30 BURPEES!!  40 hand release pushups!  End with am 800 meter run!!  Who in the hell is writing this month's wods?  It's too early for this.  I'll just do it tonight.  No, you can't tonight....It's going to be 95 degrees and you will die if you do it tonight.  Get up!  No.  Get up!  Fine!


6am:  Stroll in to CCF.  Warm up with 4 minutes on the rower (my body begins to realize it's about to get a beat down) followed by stretches.  Next we get our bars ready for dead lifts.  My warm up is 10 DL's at 65Lbs.  This is kinda heavy for 6am.  Casey, the trainer, then tells us to add more weight.  I bump it up to 115Lbs.  Oh yeah, this will be fine.  Casey walks over, "Heather, you can do more than that!"  Crap, I've been called out.  Heavy sigh.  I'm now at 135Lbs for deadlifts.  And so the wod begins....

3 - 2 - 1 - GO!!!

Run a mile (5 times around the building)
  Lap 1:  Ok, remember to breathe correctly.  No stomach cramps today.  You can do this!!!
  Lap 2:  You've got a good pace Stace.  Keep it up.  You can totally make it all 5 without walking.     Come on!  Don't stop!!!
  Lap 3:  Whew, it's getting warm out.  Only two more to go.  Please lord, don't let me die here today.
  Lap 4:  Seriously, who keeps putting running in the wods!?  I'm going to kill one of them.  Mitch?  Becky?  Casey?  Naturally-in-shape people!  I hate them all!
  Lap 5:  Last lap.  Maybe I'll just walk a little.  No, don't.  You can do this.  Just keep going.  This is it.    The worst is almost over.


20 Heavy Dead Lifts : Ok, just catch your breath.  Deep breath.  Chalk on hands.  And lift!!  Holy crap that's heavy.  Do it in 3's.  GO!  Around #15... I can't do this.  I should just quit and go home.  That way I can look half way decent for work today.  No you pansy, lift the damn bar!!  You've come this far this past year and you're going to quit?!  GO!


30 Burpees:  Seriously Mitch Lyons.  I hate you.  I hate your gym.  I hate working out.  I need a towel!!  Look at this sweat just dripping off my face.  This is ridiculous.  I'm 38 years old.  Why do I do this to myself?  I could be at home making eggs and bacon right now.  


40 Hand Release Push Ups:  This is it.  You rock push ups.  Time to kick some ass and just go!  Holy puddle of sweat beneath me.  HAHAHA.... so long fat!  God I love crossfit!  I love this gym.  I love these people!  BAM... run!!!!!


800 Meter Run:  A few (literally) feet into the run.... I can't feel my arms.  Holy crap.  I'm going to fall over.  My legs are jello.  I begin to walk due to the usual pain/cramp in my side.  Ok, everyone has told me to watch my breathing.  BREATHE  RIGHT!!!!  Pain is gone... running begins again.

24 minutes and 3 seconds.  It's over.  Oh thank you God, it's over!  Way to go, you did it.  "Great job everyone!!!"  That felt awesome.  


Pretty much every workout contains some type of thought process to this extent.  You MUST push through it.  The mind is a terrible thing.  I could have easily not given 100% today.  I could have easily rolled over and stayed in bed.  I could have easily left early.  Luckily, that other angel on my shoulder kicked some mental butt this morning.

My Paleo Grocery List

Many people have asked me what I eat, where I buy it, etc....  So tonight I thought I would write it all out and share it with the world.  Please note, I am not as strict as others are in regards to organic/grass-fed.  I try to stick to it as much as possible, but I am also human and don't spend a fortune at the grocery store.  For more information, google search "paleo".

Weekly Purchases and Where I buy them:

• Medjool Dates:  Trader Joe's or Earth Fare
• Almond Butter:  Trader Joe's is cheap, but I like Earth Fare's better
• Unsweetened coconut:  Earth Fare
• Eggs and Bacon:  Kroger
• Veggies:  Green, Red, and Yellow Peppers, Carrots, etc... :  Kroger or Aldi's
• Fruits:  Bananas... for recipes or freezing:  Kroger or Aldi's
• Frozen Fruit for smoothies or recipes:  Trader Joe's or Aldi's
• Almond Milk, no sugar:  Trader Joe's  (pink carton, on the shelf)
• Variety of nuts:  Trader Joe's
• Guac:  Aldi's

What should ALWAYS be in your pantry, fridge, or freezer:

• Sundried Tomatoes:  Trader Joe's
• Frozen Veggies  (no excuses not to have veggies)
• Meat!!!  I bought a grass fed cow last fall.  Best investment ever.  When you see meat on sale, stock up!  I have enough flank steak in my freezer to feed an army.  
• Eggs
• Ghee:  Earth Fare
• Coconut or Almond Flour
• Coconut Oil  (Trader Joe's has, you have to ask for it!)
• Seasonings  (garlic, basil, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc...)
• Honey:  Use sparingly people.  (Trader Joe's)

I make A LOT of food on Sunday nights.  I usually bake (Yes, bake on a cookie sheet) a pound of bacon so it is readily available throughout the week.  Do not, I repeat, do not eat a full pound of bacon at one sitting!  Think of it as a side dish.  I add it to eggs, chicken, brussel sprouts, etc....  I also make fruit n nut bars, paleo muffins, or some type of energy muffin/bar to get me through the week.  (Again, these are all still paleo.)  I also cut up veggies, hard boil some eggs, brown a pound of beef, and create any marinades I might need.  You can find a billion recipes online.  Or I strongly recommend you use pinterest.  Here is a link to my Paleo Main Dishes board.

Happy Shopping!!!

Former Fatty

I've been thinking about this post for a few weeks now.  I'm still not 100% where it's going to go, but I feel like I need to vent.... with that said... I begin..

The seasons are changing and Spring has definitely hit Dayton, OH.  My allergies will be the first to tell you.  Anyways, I am now in a definite size 8.  For the first time ever in my life the double digits are too big.  Many of you are reading this and thinking "congrats", "way to go", or "I wish that was me."  As I go through last year's wardrobe every item is too big.    This is when it hits me and my mind starts going 80 miles per hour with a multitude of thoughts.... holy crap!  I was THIS big!  What if I'm ever this size again?  Should I keep these clothes?  How am I ever going to stay at this size?  And the thoughts just keep going.... over and over....

As a former fatty you get use to hearing things like "you're just thick", "you hide your weight well", "you have such a pretty face", and "you're big boned, not fat."  At a very young age you develop a pretty awesome sense of humor about being fat.  "Baby Got Back" and "Fat Bottomed Girls" were the tribute songs for me and my friends.  I could easily poke humor at myself, my weight, or the amounts of food we were eating that could cause the room to roar in laughter.  Every overweight person has these abilities.  They will also tell you to add cream cheese or sour cream to anything and it will taste better.  (You're shaking your head in agreement, aren't you?)  When you've been a fat person for 37 years, it's a huge adjustment to think of yourself any other way.

I've lost over 35Lbs and have gone from a size 16 to a size 8.  I no longer hear the above descriptions, but instead hear "you're thin!" or "i wish i had your body".  These statement are new to me and I have gotten pretty good at just saying a simple, thank you.  But there are a lot of changes associated with losing weight that some people don't understand.... or possibly think you're crazy for saying you are having a hard time adjusting too.  Such as working in an industry that is all men and for the first time having them look at you like you're a piece of meat.  Um, gentlemen, we use to talk and laugh about wiring and stupid stuff... please stop looking at my ass.  The hardest thing I have found is shopping for new clothes.  Out of habit I immediately go to the XL sizes.  I then have to remind myself that those will not fit.  No, I'm not joking about this, I took 12's into the dressing with me last weekend.... just in case.  And no, they did not fit.

Probably the biggest mind game is from other women.  Man we can be hard on each other, why is this?  After chiming in on a conversation among overweight women about their biggest loser contest, I was replied with "like you've ever had a weight a problem!"  I mentally thought - I'm one of you!  How dare you think I'm one of those skinny girls I use to want to punch! - but then I remembered they never knew the old me.  I proceeded to tell them my story which led to many questions and a mutual respect for one another.  Funny thing, this story also goes the other way.  I recently had a very, very close friend tell me "you look great, but I don't think it will last.  You like pizza too much."  My heart dropped.  What if they are right?  What if I can't keep this weight off?  Those words stayed with me for weeks.  But then I remembered how much I love proving people wrong!

So what's a fat girl gone skinny  strong to do?  I continue to eat healthy, workout, and most importantly - surround myself with POSITIVE people.  I still have a long ways to go before I reach my personal goals (flat stomach when sitting), so I will keep pressing forward.  Just remember the next time you talk to a woman, we all have a past whether it is a fat or skinny one that is full of emotions.  And only you can control your future.

Every Penny Counts!

Money.  That dirty word that no one likes to talk about.  From watching the news and reading posts on Facebook today, I think we need to talk about it.  Just a little.  This won't hurt, I promise.

Ways to Make some CASH:

• Sell your stuff!  We all have extra "stuff" in closets, spare rooms, the garage, etc...  Get rid of it!  
• Consignment Stores:  There are plenty of adult and children's clothing stores around town.  And let's not forget Home-to-Home in Centerville.  You can take furniture, pictures, and other household items here for consignment.
• Garage Sale:  It's almost spring and time to plan a garage sale.  My mother, sister-in-law, and myself will be having one this year.  We have done them in the past and done well.  My recommendations:  A) Have it the first weekend of the month.  or B) If you live in or near Centerville, do it during their Annual Garage Sale Weekend.  What better way to get free advertising and customers?
• Make what you have available:  Let's say you have two printers, but only use one.  If you are someone on Facebook and have at least 50 or so friends.... post it!  This is the first lesson in sales:  ask for the sell!  You have to tell people what you have in order for them to buy it.  
• Online Opportunities:
• Did you know you can take surveys online and they will pay you?  I have never done this, but know many stay-at-home mom's who do this.  Google it for more info.
• Ebates (or other sites that are like it).  I am an online shopper.  I have about a zero tolerance for human's inside a shopping center.  And by humans, I mean teenagers who are wearing their pants down low and are just gawkward.  (Yes, I made that word up.)  If you online shop, go to the Ebates site first, find the store you want to buy from, and then click-thru the ebates site to get to your shopping store.  During the Christmas season I received a $68 check from Ebates.  
• Coupons.  Print them.  Use them.  No more information should be needed here.  Go to couponmom.com for a good starting point.
• Music downloads.... are you ready for this?  GoMusicNow.com is an overseas (UK or Australian) website that allows you to download music for .09¢ - .15¢ per song.  You have to create an account first and upload $25.  Then every time you download a song it subtracts it from your account balance.  It also keeps a list of all songs you have purchased/downloaded so that you can download them again FREE if needed.  
• Auctions:  I'm not a big fan of Ebay for selling, but I have gotten some great deals here.  For our business we have used AuctionZip.  Other than computers, there is nothing in our building that we have not purchased brand new.  We have a really nice counter in our show room that we paid $50 for.  The original Invoice was in the drawer... they paid $10,000.  Perhaps that is why they went out of business?
• Sneaky Ways to Save
• So you know Kroger gives you .10¢ off per gallon for every $100 you spend with them, right?  And you know that you plan on spending at least $100 on your kid's summer clothes at... let's say Old Navy (or insert whatever store!).  Go to Kroger, buy a $100 gift card for that store.  You have just earned .10¢ off your gas.  And if it's during their double deal time... it could be .20¢ off.  I recently remodeled a bathroom and purchased all my Lowe's gift cards there first, and then went and bought paint, lights, etc...
• Online "Points":  Whatever "points" program you use, put it to your advantage.  Stop thinking of it as you winning the lottery.  Choose a gift card that you will use for something valuable.  Say a gas card, or Target, or Wal-mart.  You know, places that sell toilet paper!  I mean really, do you need that Starbucks card?    
• Aldi:  I am a strong supporter of Aldi grocery store.  Stop rolling your eyes.  Between my friend Stephanie and myself we can tell you what is good or bad.  But seriously, if you're making smoothies... who cares where you get that frozen bag of blueberries?!  Only you know!  And I'd like to go ahead and give their guacamole 5 stars.

That is it for now.  Want more great ideas?  Turn out Clark Howard or Dave Ramsey.  :)

Reality Check 101

Yesterday I was at Indian Lake for the day.  After just being there a few hours reality set in.... we eat and drink a LOT at the lake.  Since I was just going to be there a short time I did not take any food with me.  (dumb)  Before heading northbound I ate my usual breakfast of eggs, bacon, and avocado.  For some reason my little brain thought I'd be okay with just this.  Around 1pm the snack foods and beers came out.  I enjoyed lots of cauliflower and too much cheese.  So far this is sounding lo-carb to you, yes?  But something is missing.... protein!!!  Real substantial protein.  It wasn't until 7pm that I ate a burger (no bun of course) and had a handful of carrots.  This was NOT enough daily food intake.  Around 3am I woke up starving!!  Again, no food at the lake house so what is a girl to do?  I got in my car and drove back to Dayton.  DUH!!!  I walked in the door and immediately ate a small piece of leftover beef with some guac.  Nighty night.

So what did this experience teach me?  I am going to have to plan, plan, and plan again.  Not only for my weekends at the lake, but just in general.  I have been very lenient the last few weeks and this needs to stop.  I kind of forgot that most people eat pasta, crackers, and more pasta like it's the norm.  I also realized that summer is just a few months away and I really need to get cracking to lose these last 10Lbs.  So food prep Sunday begins now!

On this week's menu:

Herb Rubbed Sirloin Tip Roast :  This will most likely last me a few days.  And I am one of those people who doesn't mind eating the same food repeatedly.  Except for chili.  I pretty much killed myself on chili a few months ago and can't even look at a bowl of it now.  #ruinedforlife

Blueberry Muffins:  Ok, so these aren't the greatest paleo things to make, but for me they are very handy.  On mornings when I am running late (too often), I can just grab these and go.  I also only have about 45 minutes between work and crossfit so eating one of these helps get me through the workout.  They are full of protein and fiber.

Sun-dried Tomato Bake Chicken:  This is the easiest recipe EVER.  I also like to add mushrooms and onions to it.  Make it with a side of spinach salad and you will have a great meal.

Veggies:  Pick your fancy.  Cut, slice, or dice them ahead of time so you have no excuse.  (Hence today for me)  And don't be afraid to add seasoning.  When I first started making veggies I would only add salt.  Boring.  Now I add garlic, paprika, basil, etc...  Just depends on the dish.

February Update

I'm finding it hard to believe that it is already February 13th.  Seriously, where does the time go?  I foresee flip-flop season approaching!  Are you ready?

I recently returned from cruising with my mom to Mexico.  We had a great time!  I now have a tan which will last for about one week due to the OH-IO cold.

This is me and my mom's 3rd cruise together.  For the record, on the first cruise I gained almost 10Lbs.  Yes, you read that right!  On the 2nd cruise I gained 5Lbs.  On the 3rd cruise, I lost a pound!  Proof positive that eating and exercise combined make a huge difference!  My mom and I exercised daily.  She would walk the full ship while I ran.  I made it six times around without stopping!  That is 2.5 miles and the first time I have ever jogged that far without stopping (or feeling like I was going to collapse).  On other days I would go to the gym and make up my own wods (90 sec row, 30 sec rest, 90 sec plank, 30 sec rest, 90 sec sit ups, 30 sec rest, 90 sec squats, 30 sec rest.  Repeat 5 times.)  At one point my mother looked at me and said, "Please don't hurt yourself, I won't be able to get home without you."  She is one funny momma.

This is one of the meals.  Lobster and shrimp with veggies and rice.  I did not eat the rice.  Not going to lie, I did eat frozen yogurt EVERY SINGLE DAY!  And yes, it was worth it.  Did I mention I still lost a pound?  HAHA!

Recently I have come in contact with many people who ask me how often I workout.  Or they make comments that I'm a gym rat.  So, I just want to take this moment to clear that up..... I go to the gym on Tuesday and Thursday nights.  And I occasionally throw in a Saturday when my schedule allows it.  For the love of Pete people, it has taken me 37 years to realize this so I'm going to let you in on the secret..... what you put in your mouth is what appears on your thighs.  If you eat crap, you're going to look and feel like crap. Period.  You have to have the will, it's not in a pill.

It is truly strange for me to hear people call me little.  I have looked at this picture above multiple times in the past week and said to myself - that's really you.  I can't wait to see what the next year brings!  Hopefully I am ripped like some of my fellow crossfitters.  (Val S., I'm talking to you.)

Life as I know it

It's already the 18th of December.  I'm really not sure where the past two and a half weeks went.  I keep being told by the older generation "the older you get the quicker time goes by."  Crap.  That must mean I'm getting older.    

The Centerville Crossfit challenge has been going great.  It's only the second week, but I can see the motivation that everyone at the gym has.  It's been great!!  My shoulder has caused me some pain, but I've gotten pretty good at knowing when to stop.  I have also started shoulder strength exercises over the past few weeks, I really think these have helped.  This past Saturday we all had body measurements taken.  I was pretty excited to see that I had shrunk even more since my last measurements in November.  YIPPEE!!!  I was told last night that I need to eat more.  As someone who has been fat all my life, it is very hard to grasp the words "eat more".  I went home last night and hard boiled some eggs and bought some healthy guacamole.  (Side note, check your labels!  Not all guac is the same!)  This will hopefully help me get some more protein and fats in.  Life is all about progress.

Below is one of my favorite Paleo treats.  It is a Blueberry Muffin from Elana's Pantry.  My suggestions for if you make them:  Cut the eggs down to 4 or 5 so they aren't spongy, add a pinch of ground nutmeg and cinnamon, and don't use a mixer.  They are delicious.

Life at work has been pretty great too.  Generally the months of January and February are very extremely slow.   We did a large mailing that has drummed up new business for us.  Thank God for the recession.  And yes, I'm being serious.  Previously people were only buying name brand product which costs about 4x what we sell our items for.  See website here.  Once the recession hit, people have realized that they just need product that works.  It no longer needs to have the expensive names of Leviton or Panduit..... sorry boys, I just bashed your companies.  But really, your stuff comes from China just like ours!  Stop mugging the crap out of people.  Oh wait, no, keep doing it.  Because that leaves more business for me.