To transition myself from the Christmas cookie coma that I have been in for the past week or so and back into my healthy lifestyle.. I started this morning off with this. It is a bit heavier on the yellow (carbs) than I normally go for this early in the day.. but this was something that could get me excited to get back at it this morning..
Ok so here it is.. super easy.
I only made 1 serving for me, but this could easily be increased..
Prepare 1 serving of Oatmeal according to package directions. I use the traditional Quaker Oats, nothing special.
As the oatmeal is nearly done.. add
*agave nectar or a teaspoon or so of sugar
*1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
*2 teaspoons of peanut butter (more or less)
*a dash of salt
All of these measurements are guesstimates.. adjust according to your taste.
You can also add in a tad bit of butter, but I skipped it this morning.
And that's it guys! Super easy and tasty.. The perfect breakfast to welcome my wayward self back to the lifestyle I strive for..
So I just posted on Facebook the following status..
Ok... so I'm not getting all the "let's watch 2016 die" memes out there.. I mean we only get ONE LIFE.. and a short one at that. whether it was the best year ever, or a year of struggle.
*YOU are still here
*you are still breathing
*you are still alive..
make the most of that shit!!! This life is limited, we are not even promised tomorrow.. 2016 marked 366 days in your life.. Cherish the hell out of that, good or less than stellar.. and if it wasn't great, figure out a way to be happier in the future.. We do have the option to CHOOSE happiness.
And I was still up and feeling a bit reflective so I thought I'd elaborate a bit on 2016 for me...
It wasn't the easiest year of my life. Honestly, I really couldn't tell you any year that has been "easy".. no one year really sticks out for me as that. Every year has come with struggles, joys, triumph, happiness and heartache... that's life. And this year, well, it was 366 days of mine.
January started kind of sketchy.. I had what I thought was a UTI that ended up being something more permanent. I am a nurse and was able to be adamant about obtaining a diagnosis of what the hell was wrong with me.. so in a week or so, I saw my primary doc, my OB/GYN, had an ER visit, and finally was sent to urologist. And of course, during that week I went through a bunch of tests too.. mostly relatively easy.. but still.. I was a patient. Nurses make the WORST patients...
Oh and did I mention in the midst of all of this I was supposed to go on a trip with my kids to Key West??? Their aunt lives there and we had direct flights so I sent the girls off without me.. But what a massive disappointment that was.
Oh the final diagnosis after all those tests was done after having a minor bladder surgery.. Interstitial Cystitis. Google it. I did, and found all kinds of scary information that made me think my life was going to be OVER as I knew it and my health would never be ok. So my anxiety and depression kicked into overdrive and I was a basketcase for a bit..
After going on some medicine and healing from the surgery, I got better. I'm still not 100% and i'm bothered by my bladder pretty much at some point daily, but it's more like a "twinge" than feeling horrible. It's liveable and I deal with it. I try not to focus on it, and I definitely don't let myself go to that place that makes me feel like I'm going to end up debilitated. It is what it is. It's part of life.
In February, I needed to use my unused plane ticket due to using a credit to pay for part of it when it was originally purchased. My husband decided to take a few days off work, my mom offered to take my kids, and off we went... to Florida!! I went to Disney World for the first time in literal YEARS and had a blast with my husband. I still wasn't 100%, I definitely didn't feel as well as I do now. I saw every bathroom at WDW and in Clearwater... but I went. and had a blast. And saw that my life wasn't over.
In March, we closed on our house. I have never owned a house and this was HUGE. I'm still super excited that we have our house now. So yeah, another good thing ;)
In April, we were living between 2 houses as we did some renovations on the house we bought. The girls' rooms were torn down to the studs and redone, and 70% or so of the house was painted.. we have ONE ROOM left right now to paint. (and go figure, its the worst one of them all ;) ). It was a crazy month but we got through it with a lot of heart and hustle. lol.
In May, we finally were fully in this house, ready or not. ;) And of course it was full on dance competition season, so we were still BUSY. But so happy. We were in our house, it was coming together, and did I mention I have a POOL!!!!! It's above ground, but I don't care. It's something I have literally ALWAYS wanted.
June, July, August - As always summer went by in a flash.. but a huge thing for me this summer was finding Beachbody and starting my health/fitness journey. It was the summer I began to work on me. I fell in love with working out and working on ME. Personal development, positivity and just CHOOSING to be happy took hold of my life in ways they hadn't before. I actually made a lifestyle change to a healthier life and stuck with it. I gained a crap ton of confidence. I started posting live videos on facebook.. many without make up on @@.. something that scared the crap out of me before... I feel like I really came into my own.
We also took a family trip to Walt Disney World. We stayed on property for a week. It was amazing.. but exhausting. I can't wait to go back again. I'm scheming for a 2017 trip as we speak.. I may actually have some tentative plans booked :P
OHHHH I also took a job in the ICU at my hospital. Training was intense this summer and worth it as I became a better nurse. I also decided at least for now, that the ICU isn't my thing.. and that's ok. I'm going back to my old job next week.. ;)
September - Back to school.. the girls went back to school a day or so after our Disney trip and I finished my ICU orientation and began working on my own in the unit. It was ok. Not too eventful of a month..
October - The highlight was definitely a trip to Myrtle Beach with my sister and my kids to see their older sister get married. It was gorgeous, the beach was deserted, and the wedding was spectacular. I can't wait to visit there again. Neither can the kids.
And well... the remainder of the year has been good.. November I worked my butt off in the beginning of the month and actually lost some weight prior to Thanksgiving.. Of course, I indulged some over the holidays but for the first time in FOREVER, I didn't really gain anything this holiday season.
Guys, I know this got long, and probably a bit boring... but I just want to say that you need to appreciate your life. You need to choose happy. You don't get to choose what happens in your life, you don't get to always choose your circumstances and I KNOW that I am blessed beyond belief to have had the freedom to make some of the choices that I have had in life, but you get to choose what to focus on.
Focus on the GOOD. Focus on what you CAN do. Believe in YOU, and for cripes' sake CREATE a life of HAPPY. If you want some help, want some advice, want to be hooked up with people and tools that helped me to shift my mindset and create my happy.. let me know!! I really would LOVE to be that person for you.
I'd love to write this post as a day by day post like I've done with the last few... But to be honest here, I can't. The past few weeks I wrote those posts in parts as the week went on.. this past week, nothing got written....
Anyway folks, I did week 3 of CDF over again, as I stated I would be in my last post. I followed the calendar and got the majority of my workouts in.. .. my nutrition was ok.. it was honestly, you guys.. just an average week in the life...
Life has gotten in the way with this program..
Life gets in the way a lot of the time.
When I originally started this program, these workouts, this nutrition plan, this blog series... I intended to go all in.. (minus Thanksgiving) and document my results and my journey.. and show it can be done.
It has happened, but not really in the way I intended. And that is OK.
I am not perfect. I have life stresses. I suffer from anxiety and depression at times. I let things get to to me. I like to take one thing and let it build up in my mind until it's going to ruin my entire life... in theory. But, I'm not letting myself do that anymore. I'm catching myself, and I'm flipping that crap in my head...
The old me would have used these stresses and the not following this 100% as I'd intended as an excuse to quit. I mean if it's not perfect, why bother...
Well, I hate to tell you.. and me... that that is total bullshit. There is no need to be perfect. Nobody is perfect. It is important to just TRY and DO YOU BEST.
That is it.
Just do your best.
The 30 days I originally picked to do this program, just weren't the right 30 days for me. And that is ok. Does it mean that all the work I've done doesn't matter??? Does it mean that is impossible to stick to a program for 30 days?? Does it mean i'm a failure??
Nope. Sorry. It means I'm human. It means that shit happens. It means it's a bad time of year.
But guess what guys.. i'm still here..I'm still going. I'm still finishing.
And with that.. I'm on week 4.. The home stretch :)
And as always.. if you want to Work with Me.. just click that tab and you'vll find the info you need to get in touch!!!
So this week didn't happen quite the way I'd envisioned. Having a day or two off from workouts, a day or 2 to indulge in some heavier foods. Yeah.. a day, or Two?? Turned into 4 days off.
I'm not complaining or beating myself up about it. Life happens. I want to be someone who shows you it doesn't have to be ALL or nothing. You can indulge in your favorite foods and still get results.. As long as you are smart about it and get back on track in a reasonable amount of time. :)
So here is how, what i'm now calling Week 3A, went...
Monday..
This was a double workout day and I got both in..
and killed the meal plan!! woot! Check that out...
Tuesday..
This was a difficult day for me. A day that would have normally made my anxiety start to take a front seat and leave me on the couch for hours. Instead.. i made different choices..
My "feel better trifecta" tonight... I am someone that is generally laid back. Until I'm not. Then I'm REALLY NOT. I struggle a bit with anxiety and depression and when things happen that I have no further control over that could effect my life... I tend to freak out... I worry and worry and cry and worry.. and.. we'll, you get it. Today something had me feeling that way... and freak out mode began... but instead of staying in that place as I would have before. I pulled myself out. I did it! I made myself suck it up through my crying headache and do my workout. And I felt better.. (what!?!). Then a hot bubble bath and some Wayne dyer on audible... well.. that was amazing.
I wouldn't have been able to do this if I hadn't made the decision to work on me... I made the choice to work not only on my body but on my mindset. It all connects after all. I am forever grateful for that choice and the friends I've made along the way!!! Even on these crappy days.. because these days is when that choice matters the most! ❤️️
Wednesday
This day started out with me being cancelled from the extra shift I picked up. That happens when they simply don't need another nurse for staffing. I honestly don't recall a lot about this day.. other than I got my workout in and my meal plan was spot on....
This was the last day before the fall... :P
Thursday - Sunday
So this all started when i didn't have to work on Thanksgiving.. it was awesome! lol. Our hospital overstaffs on holidays to ensure there are enough people to take care of the patients. And then, according to how many people are actually there and things like seniority and how many low census days you have had this year, you will get a call asking if you would like to stay home.. I got the call. And I stayed home. :)
I got to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade for the first time in years. A sacred thing that this tradition loving girl truly appreciates. Unfortunately my children have somehow missed the "tradition is sacred" gene.. WHAT??!?! Eh whatevs, I got to see my parade. :)
Then we had Thanksgiving dinner with my husband's family. <3 And I got to attend. I was more than excited.
Afterwords my sister and I headed out on our yearly, Black Friday.. (errr..black Thanksgiving night??) shopping run. We had a blast and spend some quality time together. I honestly look forward to this outing every year. and NO KIDS are allowed, and only momentary visits from husbands, in case they are needed to grab a "one per customer" item, or haul home a bulky item. This is all much to our young teens' dismay. Oh well kiddos.. you can go when you can drive yourselves... maybe.
Friday is generally my thanksgiving. My mom switched it a few years ago to accommodate me when I became a nurse and had to work the holiday mostly.. and also to accommodate in-laws and our black friday shopping habit that has creeped its way into Thursday evening. Overall, it's awesome and works out really well for our family.
Saturday well, I have no excuse.. and Sunday.. well no real excuse either besides we went to cut down our Christmas tree. A real tree is a MUST for me. See above, about traditions. ;)
So guys fitness wise, this week started off strong and ended up being a wash. And that's ok. I took some time to figure out how to handle it.. and I decided to just do week 3 of the program over again. After this round I will be doing another.. with hopefully better results, now that I won't be interrupted by the holidays.. If you are wanting to join me.. you don't have to be perfect.. Obviously, I'm not. You just have to try..
Monday (Day 8)
This was a fun day because it was Progress Picture day and I could actually see a difference. in 8 days. I don't know about y'all but I find that crap nearly unbelievable.. lol. If you want to peep my pics, you can go back one entry. :) So day 8 was kind of fun.. because I was off of work, and the rest of family was at work or school. I will be honest and say that as social as I like to be, and as open as I am with my life, I still like my alone time.. Anyway, this is the first day of "doubles." That means instead of just one workout in the program you do one longer one, and another shorter one. This day was MMA Shred and Core Kinetics. MMA shred is 37 minutes, and Core Kinetics is 16 min. I had decided I was going to get my workout in early, so I could be done with it and have the rest of my day to do whatever i wanted. (don't get too excited, my most "fun" thing was grocery shopping. ;) ). Anyway, I did MMA Shred, which is one of the kicking/punching/more cardio workouts and then popped in Core Kinetics. About 3 minutes into that one, I turned that nonsense OFF and got in the shower.. lol! I was just TOO tired from the first one. It's ok though, I got the shorter one in before bed. :) Tuesday (Day 9) I'm most proud of this day and I honestly didn't work THAT hard. I'm proud because as a nurse I work 12 hour shifts and on the days that I work, I usually don't work out. Why? Well, some days are HARD and I honestly do not have it in me at the end of the day. But guys, here's the thing, some days aren't. Some days are long, they are draining, but they aren't so bad that I cannot come home and press play. Yet, I was continually giving myself an out. A bullshit excuse. ;) So this day I didn't. I have committed to doing this dang program as close to the way it's written as possible.. so when I didn't have a terribly exhausting workday.. I pressed play anyway. And it felt good!!
After however, I went off the meal plan a bit. Not by much, but it is what it is. I'm not perfect, I'm not a robot. Some days I want to eat.all.the.things. Thankfully, I've cheat proofed my house for the most part and the most damage I did was some organic tortilla chips and some dip made from greek yogurt. It was delish, and to be honest, I don't feel guilty at all. This is a lifestyle. And although I'm buckling down for 30 days.. I won't pretend that life won't happen a little during this time.
Wednesday (Day 10)
So tired today. So, so tired... Did I mention I was tired?? lol.. But goals.. so I drank my Energize and got my booty off the couch, at like NOON. HA. and got. it. done. It was a repeat of the double workout from Monday and today I was able to do the workouts back to back. Without dying, or puking. So NSV (non-scale victory ;) ) for this girl!! Oh and I felt like a superhero after that!!
Thursday (Day 11)
This was the day I decided to take a day off. I worked 13+ hours this day and my body was sore and achy and I was tired. I decided that I had to listen to my body and take a rest day. I was ok with this since my nutrition was pretty good for the day and I felt I just needed a rest...
Friday (Day 12)
This day started off ok.. well, at least I got my workout in!!
This workout was a struggle!!! Not because of my body.. I'm getting stronger!!! But because first off I wasn't in the mood. Sometimes I"m just not. THEN someone messed with the DVD player in the room I usually workout in. After some annoyed button pressing, I just moved to the living room. I"m thankful I have that option nowadays.
THEN the dog wanted in.. and got away from me so I had to chase her around the yard for 15 minutes in the middle of my workout.#wtfdog
BUTTTT. it got DONE! Then I was onto the other 48,000 things on my to do list for that day. Because this day was my daughter's 12th birthday. And she insisted I not have the kind of birthday party for her that *I* like best. The ones where we go to a place, her friends meet us there, I bring my credit card and a cake, and 2 hours later... it's a wrap!!
Yeah, no. That wasn't happening. Instead it was a sleepover that included 6 of her closest friends. Keep in mind, we had our other 2 girls here too. And my family came over for the party part before the sleepover. I think there were 15 kids or so here at one point. Oy.
It was fun and was fine.. besides the fact that the food was pizza, wings, chips and a candy "buffet." So this was the beginning of my downward slide this weekend.
Saturday (Day 13) /Sunday (Day 14)
I'm going to admit to you guys that this weekend was not good. Not good at all. I ate a bunch of crap, I lounged around the house Saturday. I was exhausted from lack of sleep, and probably from all the crap I had eaten.. and continued to eat.
By dinner Saturday, I fueled my body with some healthy food, but other than that. NOPE.
Sunday I worked all day.. and although I packed myself healthy food for the day, I had a slight case of the "fudge-its" and gave into eating some crap at work, and didn't work out.. But.. it is what it is and we are onto a new week! I am NOT going to let myself give up on this program. I will still take my "progress" pics tomorrow and I will just KEEP GOING.
I was feeling a bit down, because to be honest, wanted to go at this challenge that i'm doing full force..
But you know what, sometimes life doesn't work like that. THAT is why it is so important * to create habits that will bring you back to where you want to be... * to have goals and a deep seeded reason WHY you want to achieve them *to understand that you can achieve your goals, even if it takes longer than you want to...
Oh and to surround yourself with awesome people that will support you, push you, comfort you, and give you a kick in the pants when you need it!!
If I can help be one of those people for you, reach out! Now onto getting my butt back on track! :)
So what everyone is usually interested isn't always the journey but the PROGRESS.. so here goes.. These pictures really do speak for themselves.. I've kept up on my workouts, and have been about 90-95% ON POINT with my meal plan this week..
Here goes..
Overall, I am down 2 pounds and 6 INCHES overall.. insanity.. I am so in love with these results. If you want want to join me on this journey.. contact me!!! I'd love to get you started!!!
Lost of things going on this week... The biggest one though besides the election.. is the start of my new fitness program. Starting this program, being a part of something NEW, being in a group of coaches that are also doing it with me, encouraging me, and motivating me.. has breathed new life into my fitness journey..
I plan to use this as the week goes on and publish it after my results pics from each week has been taken, so i can share with you all. ..
sooo..
Monday (DAY 1) - Day 1 went as well as can be expected. It was the first and shortest workout, but it makes you feel like a legit badass!! it was so fun... and by eating on plan I actually felt really good as well.. Kinda like Rocky!!! haha!!
Tuesday (Day 2) - Day 2's workout is called Dynamic strength and it is seriously bananas!!! lol. It is definitely challenging but is the kind of workout that I will get better as I get stronger and fitter as this program progresses..
Another highlight of today is that I tried a new food.. well kinda. it's an old food in a new way..
Riced cauliflower.. I got this exact bag at Trader Joes and just took some, put it in a frying pan with some organic EVOO, and some salt and pepper and sauteed it for a bit.. then i added a bit of water to help soften it up. After it cooked a bit I threw in a handful of Sharp Cheddar cheese shreds and a couple tablespoons of almond milk... My husband claims to hate cauliflower.. imagine his surprise when I told him what he was shoveling into his mouth by the forkful... (hahahahahaha.. he thought it was quinoa???? lol)
Wednesday/Thursday (Days 3 & 4) These days went really well.... I got my workouts in. I think my favorite so far is MMA speed.. but I haven't gotten to try them all yet. I really am also starting to see some changes in my body.. I'm down nearly 2 pounds in 4 days?!?! What the what?!! Insane.. and amazing.. haha.
I also tried the 2 5 minute workout add ons they have in the program these days.. i did "5 Minute Core on the Floor" first. It's a 5 minute plank workout. I am a fan. And I'm looking forward to the day I can do all 5 minutes up on my toes.. right now, I'm definitely modifying some to my knees. However, since this isn't even on the official program schedule for this week.. i'm happy I added it on.
I'm also feeling sore. It's a good sore, but of course, it is always good to combat that a bit. So, in addition to using some Performance Line Recover after my workouts, I also did the 5 minute Recovery workout before bed on Day 4. It's just a 5 minute stretch sesh.. but it feels nice. ;)
Also on Day 4, with my legs feeling like rubber I stepped off my front porch onto my driveway and rolled my right ankle.. and FELL on my left knee. not cool, guys, not cool. So I ended the day feeling a bit sore and banged up.
Friday (Day 5) I had to work this day, so I already knew it would be a struggle. (I work 12 hour shifts as an ICU RN and it's difficult to get a workout in on these days.) But this was a HARD day at work. I was tired, probably partially from not getting to sleep as early as I'd liked, and partially from my workouts, and I just wasn't feeling the best. I slipped up slightly on my meal plan.. I had a couple cookies and a bit of chocolate. @@ le sigh. Although, I bring healthy things to work, sometimes the stress of the day gets to me.. and well, chocolate.
I had planned to workout when i got home regardless, but I got out of work and hour late, and my body was sore from the big tumble on Thursday. So I took an unplanned day off to hopefully let my body rest and heal.
Saturday (Day 6)
Nothing too exciting this day.. except well.. WEEKEND!! woot! I don't have to work this weekend which I always like, except my husband had to!! Blah!! lol. He had to go to work in the early afternoon, so I ferried my daughters around for the day. Well one of them.. only my younger one has dance classes on Saturday. After we were home from that, I totally wasn't really feeling my workout.. but I pushed play anyway.. :)
Today was MMA Shred, I so enjoy these punching/kicking days!!! I tried to go a bit easier on my still slightly strange feeling foot, but I still got in a killer workout. It is so easy to just give up and NOT workout. Especially when you are feeling sore, and tired, and just not all about it. BUT I will tell you something I've learned over the past few months.. You feel so much better about YOU when you JUST DO THE THING.. JUST do the work.. Just get OUT of your own way... soo..
Day 6 DONE!!
Tomorrow the girls have a dance convention, so I will be getting up early and getting in my last full workout of the week. Sundays on this program, or the last day of your week anyway, are supposed to be just an active recovery day.. well there is an actual workout called "Active Recovery" lol. But since I took a day off on Friday, I'm going to get up and do the last full workout of week 1 in the morning... and Active Recovery before bed.
Day 7 (Sunday)
Followed my plan and got my workout in early before the girls' dance convention today.. Had Moe's for lunch.. but besides my shake that is about all I ate today. So not totally "on plan" but the best I could do.. :)
Had a great day with these kids!!! Will be sharing my WEEK 1 Transformation/Progress Pics tomorrow.. so stay tuned!!!
It's no secret that I think health and fitness are important... However, I also enjoy things like candy, margaritas, cookies, cake... etc, etc, etc.. I am a HUGE believer in balance. It is so important to create a healthy life where you generally choose good, whole foods, but occasionally splurge.. one day I came home from work and this box was sitting on the table.... for 🐺 sake!!!!! I do. Or have enough willpower in my entire body.. 😂
This has been me lately. I've been basically in maintenance mode.. not losing any weight, not really gaining anything either.. So not too bad.
On the other hand.. I have goals. I do not have the body I want yet. I love me, don't get me wrong and i don't think there is anything wrong with my body.. but.. like I said.. goals!
So, I've decided to get off my arse and stick to a program for the full, allotted program time. In this case, 30 days. After I will likely continue.. but it is time for this mama to see some RESULTS. and i'm not getting the results I want because even though i'm continuing to work out, I'm not sticking to the meal plan....
Sooo starting this past Monday, I BEGAN sticking to the meal plan.. I am not going to allow myself to make excuses about food. I am going to stick to the program and follow the instructions.. and I fully plan to amaze myself and all of you with the results!!!!
Stay tuned for weekly updates on how it's going.. meal prep/planning ideas/new recipes and maybe even some workout pics/videos as the month goes on.
In addition, it is November. The traditional month for the gratitude posts to begin showing up on your facebook feeds. And although many things may be irritating to see over and over again, people being thankful.. that's one thing I'd love to see more of..
You see, it's no secret that my life has changed.. it has taken a 180 degree turn in many ways, from changing careers, to buying a house, to beginning to build my business and I am crazy thankful for the faith I had to just JUMP when there was leap of faith to be taken.
I have transformed my whole LIFE from what it once was... and that is not something that is easy, but it is always something to be grateful for.. Creating a life you love.
I am continuing to do that.. continuing to work on me, both inside AND out. You see when you look around are truly grateful for the things that you have and the life you are designing.. it's awfully hard to feel miserable, and it's damn near impossible to feel sorry for yourself over the things you don't have!
And when life throws you a curve ball.. and know darn well that it will, if you are focusing on the things that you CAN change, and what you have control over, you are much happier.
Currently... Outfit - Anything that involves a tunic type sweatshirt and leggings, paired with boots of course.. I mean it IS fall. For the leggings.. preferably lula roe, although i do admit some of their patterns are a bit crazy for me. For the tunic..
This is my current favorite tunic.. courtesy of Target. I may or may not order more tonight since i see they are on sale. lol. Food - Well.. If it weren't for my goals of staying healthy.. I'd say Halloween candy.. lol. well maybe Halloween candy is still a valid answer, even if I only indulge in a piece here and there. (I purposely didn't buy any candy to pass out yet, because I know myself and I don't need that kind of temptation.)
But I digress.. Aldi has been my grocery shopping jam lately. They have TONS of organic food now.. and so many things with REAL ingredients. These sausages are the shizzz and top my list this month..
Show - Admittedly I watch a few more shows than I probably should.. but if I have to pick one.. This is Us is phenomenal.. In an "I seriously cannot miss an episode" kind of way. Thank goodness for DVRs :)
Book - I have a few in this section this month.. I know I'm late to the party but I just read "The Girl on the Train," by Paula Hawkins. The characters in it were a hot mess, but the book was a great read!! I do recommend it if you like anything with an air of mystery. It was a perfect book for the spookiest month of the year. I haven't started another one yet.
I also strive to better myself each day with a little of the personal development genre. I tend to like listening to these on Audible, rather than reading them.. i seem to be able to get through them faster because I can listen as i drive, or do laundry or whatever.
This month I listed to this book first.. I would HIGHLY recommend it. I love how candid Jen Sincero is in this one.
And what i'm currently listening to... Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein.. I'm about a quarter of the way through and so far so good. ;)
Fitness program - I just finished doing Country Heat as my main workout program and I do have to say that it was amazing for my country lovin' dancin' fitness soul. It is just so much fun to do!!! After I finished 30 days of that i've been trying different workouts on Beachbody on demand.. Turbo Fire is so far a favorite on there!! Next week however, (November already.. what?!?) I'll be starting the brand new Core de Force workout and I couldn't be more excited. I did a sneak peek workout of that one and it is amazing.. fun, FAST, and makes all the right muscles ache with that "hurts so good" kind of soreness that makes you KNOW you are getting results. ;)
Favorite view -
My front porch
And the ocean in Myrtle Beach.. where I was last week attending a wedding.. I miss this one!
in other news..
I'm super excited that I got my first coach prize from Beachbody today.. it's a new yoga mat and i think it's pretty cool that they just sent it to me as a gift for growing my business and helping people this month!! So that was a fun mail day ;)
If someone has told me in 2010 that in 2016 I would be a critical care nurse I'd have laughed in their face! At the time I was a struggling teacher trying to gain traction in a job market that well, wasn't kind to me. I was working in a school with no support from the administration, the staff, the students even for the most part. I worked 24/7, I felt stuck. I was depressed. I cried a lot and lost 20 pounds from not eating and not sleeping.. basically from worrying myself sick. Yet, I couldn't see a way out.
The school year ended that June and it seemed like a ton of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders... until the thought of starting over again in September came over me. But then, I didn't have to. I was laid off.
Now for my sanity this was great, for my bank account... not so much. So the job hunt began. I took a job tutoring a few days a week at a charter school with the hopes that as the school grew, so would my job. It did. I was hired part time for the next school year.
And guess what... I wasn't happy still. Because you know why? Teaching was not my thing. It wasn't my calling. It was a way to pay the bills and although I longed for it to be more.. it just wasn't. I mean I did a fine job.. but the next year they decided they needed someone with different certifications and I was laid off again.
Back to square one. I did look for another teaching job.. to no real avail... but I also did something a little bit crazy... I applied for an accelerated BSN program. I had no idea if I'd get in and even if I got in if I could go but I filled out the application, paid my $50 And had a little faith.
I found out on December 14, 2012 that I got in. I quickly registered for all of the classes I needed to have before the program started and was back to school in January of 2013. I was 33 years old. I had 2 children at home. I had an amazing husband who cares for them as his own. And with their support.... I did it.
I got my BSN in May 2014. And began working in a hospital that July... recently I've moved into critical care. So I am, indeed, an ICU nurse.. how insane.
Now I have a new dream.... one where I build a successful business that encourages and empowers women (and some men ;) ) to take control of their lives and health through fitness, nutrition and personal development. I want to help people both in AND out of the hospital setting. Honestly I think both jobs are insanely powerful. And I will work to create my business and continue to create the life I want.
I have designed my life... with purpose and intention these past 3-4 years. And I continue to do it now. I would have laughed at someone saying I could be an ICU nurse in 2016 back then.... just as I would have giggled at the thought of being a fitness coach. But look at me now.... I am both.
Just a little lesson in how important it is to follow your dreams with reckless abandon.. because you never know.. they just might come true!!
This is my go to for the days when I have more time... Basically the days I don't have to work at the hospital. :) It's quick, delicious, packed full of nutrients, and chemical free ;)
First grab your favorite frying pan and add a couple teaspoons of your favorite oil. This is mine.
Then take all of your "hard vegetables," the ones that will need a bit longer to cook, and add them in there. Today we used broccoli, cauliflower, onion, and green pepper. You can use any darn thing you want and have on hand. Let those cook until they are soft enough for you. I made enough for 2 of us today as the tweenagers are home and one wanted some.
Quick tip: to get them to soften up faster add a bit of water to the pan.. It will steam them a bit and make this dish even faster to make!!
When they are softened, then add your "soft veggies." For us today this meant tomato and spinach. Let those cook for just a few minutes. Then push all your veggies to one side of the pan.
Add your eggs. I use 2 eggs per person. I throw them right in the pan and scramble them up as they cook with a spatula.
When the eggs are done, (don't forget to give your veggie mixture a mix here and there too), mix everything together... and Voila! A healthy, home-cooked clean-eating breakfast!! :)
PS. I like to add salt to my eggs.. and this is my favorite kind to use.. ($2 at Trader Joes)
Also, don't forget to tell me what your favorite veggies are in the comments, or if you try and like this recipe!!! Also, subscribe and share!! Thank you!!!
❤️️
