365 days ago...

What were you doing a year ago?

Do you remember???

I DO!!!!

I have finally hit the one year mark from my 2nd... yes 2nd.... ACL surgery! I can not believe that it has been a year. Where has the time gone??

I wish I could say that this past year was a breeze and I have heeled perfectly but I would soooo be lying!

My first go round with ACL surgery was 11 years ago. I was in the 9th grade and eager to get back to my sports. I remember the day I came home from the hospital I was wanting to go to church and help paint the youth room. Mom thought I was crazy! Physical therapy was a breeze and I mean easy breezy!!! I finished a couple of months early and was back to playing sports like nothing ever happened.

Fast forward 10 years and that great reconstructed ACL decided to give up on me... again. BOO! I knew exactly when it happened, what I was doing, and how it felt. Just like the first time. I just knew!

August 23, 2010, I was headed to the hospital for round two. My surgery was suppose to last 45mins and ended up lasting a whopping 2.5 hours! I had the most amazing support group waiting patiently for me to get out of surgery.

I woke up to all my favorite people in one room. It is so amazing to know that I can always count on the ones who love me!

After surgery, was the long bumpy road to recovery. This was some of the hardest months that I have had to go through.

I rushed back to work after being home for only a week and attempted to do WAY too much! This just led me to a set back that I would soon regret. Almost 4 whole months of therapy later, I was finally on my own.

I wish I was pain free 24/7 but after 2 surgeries on the same knee I don't know if that will ever be the case. I will not get my hopes up though!!!

I am proud to say that I am a lot farther and stronger than I thought I would be at this point. I was moving at a really slow pace but thanks to my wonderful, supportive husband for pushing me to lift heavy weights again, I feel that my progress is really booming now. Hoping and praying that this continues down this road and away from the "s" (surgery) road! I do not want to see my doctor any time soon... or ever again!

I went for my one year check up last week and he was very impressed with my progress and I did not have to hear the words.... "I want to see you back in 6 months." Whoo-hoo! I was released!!!

I am praying that I continue to get stronger and push myself harder. I know my limits, when I can I push it a little more and when I need to stop.

I do know one thing though... I could not have made it through this past year with out my family and friends who have encouraged me to keep pushing and to never give up! Thanks to all of you!!

"30 Sucks"

Today is Britt's BIG 3-0 Birthday!!!! I decided that we would invite Em, Britt, Brooklee, Mom, Shorty and Uncle Walt over for a little birthday bash. I figured that we had to make somewhat of a big deal about the be BIG 3-0 but not go over board about it.

I found this cute idea off of pinterest.com.

Brooklee and I did all the shopping the last two Friday's that we got to hang out. She was a big help in a lot of the decisions. She helped pick out her gift to Britt, helped me pick out what plates we would use and which gift bags to get. Such a big helper!

Zach came up with a DE-Li-CIOUS menu and of course was the best chef ever!

Menu:

Stuffed Burgers

Sweet Potato Fries

Baked Beans

Can we say.... YUM YUM.... BUT.... SOOOO STUFFED!

Brooklee was having so much fun running around. I told her to pose for the camera and this is what she did. SO silly!

Em brought an oh- so- good ice cream cake!!!

Brooklee helping Britt blow out his candles!

Sweet little family!

Enjoying some strawberries and ice cream.

Uncle Walt and Brooklee looking at photos on his phone. She will sit and do this ALL day long. She loves looking a pictures... especially of herself =)

She didn't like the couch seat so she climbed on the arm of the couch and was just chilling.

This is how this sweet girl throws a fit. She wanted another sucker from the flower pot and Em told her "no". Brooklee laid out on the floor. Silly silly silly!

It was a great night. I absolutely love my family and love every second we are all together! Next month little Brooklee will be turning 2!!!! I can't believe it!!! Hope everyone has had a great weekend so far!

"New Day"

A few months back, Katie, sent me an email from livingsocial.com. I was so confused at first but then realized that it was a 12$ voucher to Easely Amused. I immediately purchased it and sent the email to Emilee. Well... it was getting close to our voucher expiring so, we decided to take a girls night and get our paint on.

Easely Amused is an instructor led painting class. This was my 3rd class to attend. I must say that this class was a little challenge. It was the toughest one I have been too.

Here are some of our pictures....

Katie getting ready...

Em is such a pro!

My painting midway...

Em hard at work!

Katie getting serious... kicked that stool back and got to work =)

Mine and Katie's finished work.

I think they turned out pretty darn cute.

One thing about these paintings is the farther you are from them the better they look. It is also best not to look at them for a little while after you get done. When you go back to them then you realize they actually do look pretty good.

What I ate Wednesday...

It's Wednesday again! This week has been filled with lots of delicious food! Each day I go on to my fatsecret.com account and log all my food in for the next day. Pack my lunch box with what I have down and don't let anything tempt me. Or should I say... TRY NOT to let anything tempt me. It is definitely hard but as long as I am true to myself and try my absolute hardest then I am happy. So here it is....

What I ate Wednesday....

Meal1:

4 large eggs

1 tbsp of organic butter

3 fish oil

Meal 2:

33g of Cookies and Cream Protein Powder

2 oz of Almonds

(I snack on the almonds pretty much all morning.)

Meal 3:

6 oz of Pork tenderloin

1 cup of lettuce

Mustard

(I made a very yummy salad!)

Meal 4:

2 oz Chuck Roast

Mushrooms

1/2 oz of almonds

(I topped it with a little Zero Calorie Walden Farm BBQ Sauce and some jalapeno mustard...YUMYUM)

Meal 5:

33g Cake Batter Protein Powder

1 cup Silk Almond Milk

1 oz of Almonds

(Crushed half and ate the other half whole)

Zero Calorie Walden Farm Chocolate syrup

(Made an ice cream sundae....Wish there was more! SOOOOO GOOOOD!!!)

Calories: 1615

Fat: 102

Carbs: 24

Protein: 155

Hope you all have had a wonderful Wednesday!!! Remember: Stay focused on your goal!

rules to live by....

I found this off of pinterest.com (Which I think I am totally addicted now.) and thought it was straight and to the point. Thought I would share it with you today.

Happy Tuesday!

freedom...

So... it is 330am and I am awake. Of course! This is nothing new or surprising. I wanted to write about how I feel right now. I hope you will continue reading....

Since Zach and I have been on our own with no diet coach, we have changed a good bit. The last three weeks and the weeks to come have definitely been a learning experience. Good and bad.

While we were with our diet coach he "owned" us. I know I have talked about this before, so I won't bore you but just give you a little refresher. We had to tell him everything we ate, everything about our cardio, and our strength gains/weaknesses. EVERYTHING. Which was completely fine. It became a habit, it became obsessive (well at least for me). One other thing he got the pleasure of "owning" was our freedom. Our freedom to enjoy a break. What I mean is.... after we submitted our weekly logs we would wait, check our phones and emails like it was Alton Brown or Bobby Flay sending us an email. We were waiting for those two words... cheat meal.

See... cheat meals or as I like to call them "refuel meals" are a necessity to strict dieting. Let me explain... After days of low carb intake your body needs a re-boost. The extra carbs will be stored energy for the following week. Plus, your mind, body and soul need the mental break.

Back to me and Zach...

Like I said earlier Zach and I have been switching things up, learning every step of the way! Zach does lots of research and is always on top of his game. So the last two weeks we have been low carb, moderate fat and high protein eating Sunday-Friday and relaxing on Saturdays.

The freedom to eat whatever we would like for a entire day! I was very hesitant about this last week. But as the day went by the more I enjoyed the freedom not to weigh any food out, the freedom to say I want that and actually get it. The freedom to not worry.

Yes... this does mean your weight goes up the next day and takes a couple of days to come back down. But if you do the cheat/refuel properly it can benefit you in so many ways.

Well... yesterday was Saturday... yesterday= freedom.

Man, am I feeling it today! This is exactly what I feel like.....

Instead of just eating when I was hungry... I downed everything in site. I totally went the opposite direction of what happened last Saturday. I am miserable... with a capital M! I know my body needed it and I am definitely not saying that I won't do this again. I am sharing my "OOPS" with you and how I am going to fix it.

I rarely ever and I mean EVER get heart burn. I was up all night with this! Awful... my heart definitely goes out to those who battle with this on a daily basis. Last night after we got done with our meal... Zach said why do we feel like this (not exact but something along those lines) and I said... Because we have eaten like crap ALL day! The little cartoon above is so true!

I am so thankful today is Sunday. Today is starting a new week!

My challenge for the week...

1. stay on track all week

2. don't stress over my mistake from yesterday... leave it in the past and move on!

3. Continue working hard in the gym

4. Remember this body was given to me and I need to....

Get back on track and approach next Saturday COMPLETELY different!

How I will enjoy next Saturday... I have been thinking....
I will refuel my body with cleaner food sources throughout the day and have a cheat meal for my last meal. We will be cooking out for my brother-n-laws birthday. All day must be clean so I can enjoy his birthday dinner and not feel like I am right now the next day.

I hope that writing down my thoughts and how I am feeling will help me stay focused and true to myself. Learn from my mistakes, leave them in the past, make adjustments and move on.

Thanks for reading. I hope you all have a great Sunday/week!

i am from...

I love to follow Katie's blog. She is one person who I aspire to be more like. When she writes a blog post, I usually stop whatever I am doing and immediately read it. Well last night she posted "i am from" post.

At the end of it she asked the question...

"so, who/what/when/where are YOU from?"

I laid in bed after reading her post pondering on where I am from.

Maybe that's why I was so tired today. =)

With Katie's permission to steal her idea, I would like to share where I am from.

i am from....

I am from a Mockingbird Lane. I am from 614 Cherokee. I am from a small town. I am from the Delta. I am from Greenwood, Ms... born and raised. I am from the most amazing parents. I am from a loving home. I am from a town where it takes 2 minutes to get from here to there.

I am from a mother who would do absolutely anything for anybody. I am from a mother who keeps life full of spice. I am from a mother who has made me the woman I am today. I am from a mother who makes me laugh until it hurts. I am from a mother who has drilled in me to ALWAYS be early. I am from a mother who is my best friend. I am from a mother who has a heart of gold and is the most beautiful woman (inside and out) that I have ever known.

I am from Shorty. I am from a house where "stepdad" wasn't in our vocabulary. I am from Shorty, my DAD! I am from a man who has done and will do anything for me. I am from a man who I spent youth hunt weekend with. I am from a man who came to ALL my sporting events. I am from a man who would let me drive his truck while we were hunting. I am from a man that said "you gave it character" after I dented his truck by hitting the ONLY tree in an empty field. I am from a man who has been the best dad anyone could ask for.

I am from a gorgeous sister. I am from a sister who has taught me so much about life. I am from a sister who would give me the shirt off her back. I am from a sister who married a wonderful man. I am from a sister who is an amazing nurse and is so caring. I am from a sister who has given me the biggest joy... Brooklee. I am from a sister who is my best friend.

I am from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins that have supported me through everything. I am from relatives that live way to far but are always so close to my heart.

I am from public school (k-5). I am from Cruger-Tchula Academy (6-10). I am from Pillow Academy (11-12). I am from years of sports. I am from great friends. I am from FBC Greenwood. I am from spending many spring breaks and summers on mission trips. I am from a deli that I worked at for years.

I am from Delta State University. I am from Phi Mu Fraternity. I am from some of the best Phi Mu sisters. I am from back road riding and late night dancing. I am from Fugler-Hammett dorm. I am from late nights in the chapter room. I am from finding any little excuse not to study.

I am from 2 ACL surgeries. I am from many months of rehab. I am a wonderful job who has allowed me to meet some of the most amazing people. I am from very early mornings (3am). I am from looking forward to the days I am off so I can keep Brooklee. I am from sleeping in on weekends is no later than 5am. I am from trying to be asleep by 7pm. I am from loving to spend my spare time at my house. I am from spending all my free time with my wonderful family. I am from two furry rescue dogs, Duke and Delta. I am from caring for them as if they were humans.

I am from trying to live a healthy lifestyle. I am from loving to workout. I am from weighing out everything that goes into my mouth. I am from very strict diet Sunday-Friday and relaxing on Saturdays. I am from weighing myself every morning. I am from trying new workout programs and diets.

I am from the man that God brought to me. I am from the man who is my best friend. I am from a man that would meet me at Chick-fil-a mornings before big test to help me study. I am from a man who is the best cook. I am from a man that shares the obsession of working out and dieting. I am from a man who is my diet coach, trainer and chef. I am from a man who pushes me to be a better person. I am from Zach Rounsaville, the man who I don't know what I would do without. I am from a man that loves to be a homebody with me. I am from a man that doesn't care to spend Friday and Saturday nights at home with me, Duke and Delta. I am from a man that loves me for me! I am from a man that I share a wonderful little house off of Cedar Spring Cr. with. I am from the man that I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with.

I am from the month of October. I am from October 10, Zach's birthday. I am from October 18, my birthday. I am from October 31, 2009, our wedding. I am from the wedding that took me from Memrie H. McCaleb to Memrie H. Rounsaville. I am from a wedding that people dressed in Halloween costumes at our reception. I am from the best day of my life.

I am from....

so, who/what/when/where are YOU from?

What I ate Wednesday...

This is my third week of being on my own. So far so good!!! Zach has been a great diet coach, chef, and personal trainer. I don't know what I would do with out him. A lot of my food is the same from last week. Zach cooks a good bit of food at once and whatever doesn't fit into containers he freezes it for the next week. So my food is basically the same except we cut out some calories. So my portions are just a little smaller.

As of this morning I was 140lbs. =) I expect it to go down a little more before Saturday. Last Saturday Zach and I did a full carb up day. So of course my weight was up a little at the beginning of the week. Hopefully I will hit 137 by Saturday.

What I ate Wednesday....

Meal 1

340am

5 eggs

1tbsp butter

Meal 2

730am

22g of Rocky Road Protein Powder

1 oz of Almonds

(I ate some before I took the pic)

Meal 3

12pm

4 oz of Ribeye

Lettuce and onions and peppers

I was pretty hungry and graving something sweet, so I walked over to the cafeteria and got lettuce and sugar free jello.

Grab some sugar free jello the next time you are having a sweet craving!

(sorry the pic is turned sideways)

Meal 4

2pm

4 oz of ground beef

30g of sour cream

30g of salsa

lettuce

This was DELICIOUS! I made it into a little burrito!

Meal 5

5pm

1 Cup of Almond Milk

22g of Cookies and Cream Protein Powder

Can't wait to enjoy this! Eating ice cream on a diet is the best invention ever!

Calories: 1550

Fat: 104

Protein: 146

Carbs: 14

last couple of days...

Zach decided to switch up my weight routine....again. I'm on day 4 and man is my body feeling it! Here is my training log from Saturday until today.

Saturday- Walk in the Park

Legs

Step ups on picnic table

1x5 per leg- body weight

2x5 per leg- 15lb kettlebell

3x10 per leg- 15lb kettlebell

Walking Lunges

3x10 per leg 15lb kettlebell

Sunday- Back Attack

Back

Deadlifts

1x5- 45lb

1x3-95lb

8x3- 135lb

Barbell Bent Over Row

1x8- 65lb

1x8-75lb

1x8-65lb

Unilateral Barbell Row

2x10- bar+10lb

1x10- bar+15lb

Dumbbell Bent over Row

3x12- 25lb

Monday- Bench-a-thon

Chest

Bench Press

1x3-45lb

1x3-60lb

8x3-75lb

Incline Bench

3x6- 45lb

Close Grip Bench

1x8- 45lb

2x8-55

Floor Press

1x10- 45lb

1x10-55lb

1x10-65lb

Tuesday- Bun Buster

Legs

Squats

1x3- 45lb

1x3- 70lb

8x3-95lb

Front Squats

3x6- 45lbs

Good Morning

3x8- 45lbs

Sift Leg Deadlift

1x10-45lb

1x10-65lb

1x10-95lb

And of course... Cardio! 40 mins daily!

My body is definitely feeling the change in exercise program but that is why it is so important to keep your body guessing. By doing the same exercises daily, your body gets use to the program and it is not forced to adapt to new stimulus. Switching up your exercises frequently will help see progress better. The best time to do cardio is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and the second best time, depending on your schedule, it is best to do weights then cardio. When doing weights your body depletes glycogen (carbs stored in your muscles) so that by the time you switch to cardio your body is much more likely to burn fat for fuel.

abs of steel...

I was asked the other day if I had some of my ab exercises posted on my blog. So... here it is. Here are 6 of my favorite ab exercises.

I hope that you can add a few of these to your routine. You can change the sets and reps to fit your program better if needed.

Straight Leg Raises

3x12

Double Crunch with Weight

(I usually hold a 5 pound plate or kettlebell)

3x12

Plank and Side Plank

30 seconds per side

5 sets

Leg crossed crunch

3x10 per side

Elbow to knee plank

3x10 per side

Bench knee ups

3x15

I hope you will enjoy trying these out. All of these can be done on the floor so if you do not have a bench available that is okay. Please let me know if you have any questions.

HUGE DISCLAIMER: There is no such thing as spot reduction. There is NO need to do ab exercises everyday. They are a muscle group just like any other muscle and need rest. The best way to get results in the midsection is to do your cardio, clean diet, and then abs. Please do not do a million crunches thinking you will get a 6 pack. All this will do is make your abs stronger. Until you burn the layer of fat that is sitting on top don't expect the results you are after. Remember: CARDIO, DIET, STRENGTH TRAINING=RESULTS!

lazy afternoon...

I can't believe Sunday afternoon is already here. Another work week is quickly approaching. I am taking full advantage of not having anything to do right now.

Zach and I have had a great weekend and I am very sad that it is almost over. Our great friends, Jonathan and Stacey, came Friday night. It was so good to see them. We use to see each almost monthly but some how we have managed to let 8 longs months slip by. Needless to say it was a great visit and a lot of catching up was done.

Saturday morning, Zach and I went to the park for a great workout. Or should I say... butt kicking workout... seriously! We are both walking around the house like we have been hit by a train. We worked legs! Quads and glutes are definitely feeling it! I recorded our workout on Zach's phone (we left the flip at the house) and we can not figure out how to convert it from his phone to the computer. I will be sure to bring it next weekend.

After our butt kicking park workout, we spent the day with our great friends. This was the first Saturday in 13 weeks for me, since March for Zach to spend the day at ease about food. We didn't weigh out one meal! When you are so strict for so long a good "carb up" is necessary. Zach and I thoroughly enjoyed this! We are back on the diet today.

After Jonathan and Stacey left, Zach and I enjoyed Parlor Market for our supper. This place is delicious. The menu is full of unique items. We started off our meal with the fruit and cheese platter. Yum! For our meal we both went with the oh-so-good PM Burger! This is probably one of the best burgers in Jackson! When I say it was good... I mean it was good!

Bright and early this morning I was ready for a good workout. Zach put me through a great back routine. The Z&M Powerhouse Gym (aka our garage) was open at 6am and ready for business. I got Zach to take pictures of the exercises I did instead of a video. Please excuse the fuzziness of some of the pictures. My camera kept fogging up. I guess it was too hot for even the camera!

Started off with Deadlifts

1x3 45lb

1x3 95lb

8x3 135lb

Dumbbell Bent over row

25lb

3x12

One arm barbell row

Bar+10lb

2x10

Bar+15lb

1x10

Bent over barbell row

65lb

3x10

After a great workout, Zach and I were non stop doing stuff around the house. Busy bees! We took a break and headed to church. After sitting there for a hour, we REALLY started feeling that leg workout from Saturday. Glutes are so sore but... I love it!

I am working on a core post. It will be pictures of my favorite core exercises. A sweet member asked me about this the other day and I thought it was a great idea. Look out for it!

Hope all of you have had a FABULOUS weekend!

For the rest of the day???

Lazy afternoon.... I will take it!

photo shoot...

For those who don't know, I love taking pictures and especially love taking pictures of the prettiest little model, Brooklee. Here is a little slide show of some pics I took of her last night.

thursday thoughts....

It's Thursday!

Which means tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!

Which also means that my brain is just running all over the place and have a lot of random stuff I would like to share!

1.Favorite shirt...

I got this t-shirt off of elitefts.com and it has become one of my favorite shirts. Not only is it super soft and comfy... I love the message!

"Strong(her)"

Exactly what I am trying to live by these days!

2. The cutest girl ever...

How cute is this??? I took Brooklee shopping with my last Friday when I was off. Yes... I had her in the buggy part and not the seat.... shhhh.... just don't tell her mother. =) I was looking at the clothes and looked over and saw this. She was just a shopping herself. So grown up!

I will be off next 2 Fridays and I can't wait to spend the day with her! I just love her so much!

3. Pinterest....

Still haven't gotten the point but I sure have found some neat things on there. Stay way from the food part... you will be drooling the entire time. That food looks ABSOLUTELY.DELICIOUS! Here is another pic I have found...

SO TRUE... Keep sweating!

4. My inspiration...

I got to work with Katie today! She is such an inspiration to me! Katie did her internship a few semesters ago and I know that God definitely put her in my life for a reason. Check out her awesome blog!

5. Quit Time....

I have started having "quiet time" every morning. I honestly think this stays with me all day. After I get ready every morning, I go to the kitchen, make my breakfast and sit at the bar in silence. I have download this daily Bible app and each day I read the scripture of the day, pray and then eat in silence.... and I enjoy every second of it! Try scheduling in about 15-20 mins each day to just sit in silence.

6. Journal...

I have recently bought a diet/fitness journal. And I love it. It has really helped me this week. Each day I write out what I am going to eat for the next day... calories, fats, carbs, protein and so on.... And that is ALL I eat. Yesterday, we had a party at work. Parties are so much fun but so tempting. I wrote on the top of my page "STAY STRONG-140lb!" Every time I looked at my journal I saw that and it helped me stay on track. It all paid off!!! I was back to 139 this morning!! WHOO-HOO!

7. Date Night...

Zach and I have planned another date night for this weekend and I can't wait. Last weekend we ate an early supper at Julep on Saturday. This weekend we have decided to go to Parlor Market. I love date nights! Just me and Zach!!!

8. Park workout...

Zach and I will be returning to the park early on Saturday morning to do our workout. Been thinking of what I can do different this week. I am very excited about this!

9. Sweet text messages...

Monday my wonderful grandparents sent me a sweet text message that completely MADE.MY.DAY! All it said was "hope you are having a great day." Which I was but that just made it ten times better!

10. Last but not least...

Tomorrow is F-R-I-D-A-Y!!!!

Whoo-hoo!

Hooray!

Yipee!!!!

So excited!

What I ate Wednesday...

Zach (my new diet coach) switched up my diet for the week. This might happen weekly or it might stay right here for a while. This morning I was 140lbs which is fine. If I drop back down that will be fine too! My weight was up a little on Monday so it is dropping back to were it needs to be. Like I said in a previous post... I'm not necessarily trying to lose more weight but if it happens so be it. More calories=More energy!!!! So as long as I stay at 140 or below I am completely fine with that!

Its Wednesday again...

Which means...

What I ate Wednesday....

Meal 1

345am

5 medium eggs

1tbsp of butter

Sorry forgot to take a picture but just picture a plate of some yummy scrambled eggs!

Meal 2

750am

22g of Cake Batter Protein Powder

2 oz of almonds

Meal 3

12pm

60z Rideye

Sauteed peppers and mushrooms

(No oil or butter... just a non stick skillet)

I had already eaten some...

Meal 4

230pm

4.5 oz of Ground beef

1 cup of lettuce

2tbsp of sour cream

2tbsp of salsa

1/2 oz of almond

Meal 5

5pm

20g Cake batter protein powder

58g of Natural Peanut butter

8oz of Almond Milk

Mixed together and made a smoothie

Calories: 2211

Fat: 165

Carbs: 31

Protein: 160