70!!

I just love weekends that are surrounded with the people I love the most. 

My family!

They, literally, bring so much joy to my life. I hate that we we live hours apart. 

Today is my grandmother's 70th birthday. She is the most beautiful woman I know. So loving, kind, generous and all the rest of those great adjectives! We invited her and my grandfather down for a lunch on Saturday. It was a beautiful day to celebrate a beautiful lady's birthday.

In my last post, I put up a few pics of her and my grandfather from Friday nights dinner at Longhorn Steak house. 

Yesterday, Zach and I got up bright and early, walked for 30 minutes and came inside to make a homemade caramel cake (my grandmother's favorite). Since, Zach and I don't eat this, it was definitely a challenge! We didn't even try one bite. We were just praying that it tasted great!

When the sun came up, Zach and I headed to Em's and Britt's house to help get everything else ready for the lunch. 

Come to find out, the Star Baptist Church was holding a 5k run/walk for St. Jude. Little did we know that they would be blocking off the entire town and letting no one leave or enter Emilee's street. This was a little challenge since the birthday girl and my grandfather weren't there yet. We begged and pleaded to the firemen who had their firetruck completely blocking the street and we  finally got through. 

Brooklee cheering on the walkers and runner!

Once the grands got to the house, it was party time!!!

Brooklee was so excited to show them everything! Her playhouse, her garden, her "hunkieberries"(huckleberries), her bedroom.... EVERYTHING! She went from room to room running around. She was so excited!

Zach spinning Brooklee around. She was having so much fun!

 Pretty girl was so dizzy but kept going back for more!

 The birthday girl and my grandfather enjoying ever minute!

 The beautiful flowers on the table.

 Enjoying each other's company!

We had a delicious spread of food! Green salad, broccoli salad, slaw, fresh grilled corn on the cob, grilled chicken breast and thighs, and grilled sausage! Yum, Yum, Yum!!!

Waiting on lunch!

 Brooklee loving every moment!

 The homemade caramel cake! She loved it ;)

 The smoke from the candles made this pic a little cloudy but I love it!

 Me and Zach!

It was a great day! We had the best time!!! 

Happy Happy Birthday, Memaw!!! 

We love you!!!

flex-meal

In my last post, I was excited to have a flex-meal. This meal was instructed by my nutrition coach. I was able to enjoy whatever I wanted in 75 mins. 

I thought all week on what I wanted to eat. Two things kept sticking out to me.

1.) Ultimate Salad from Newks or the Strawberry/Grilled Chicken salad from Longhorn Steakhouse.

2.)Coconut Milk Ice Cream.

Shorty wanted a steak so Longhorn it was!

For my appetizer, I ate a banana and a pecan pie Lara Bar on the way to the restaurant. 

Here is my delicious salad!!!!

Grilled chicken, strawberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, pecans, and red onions with a raspberry vinaigrette.  

 Not only did I get to enjoy a delicious salad, I got to enjoy it with two of the most generous, kind, and loving people that I know...

My grandparents!!!

My wonderful parents were there to but I didn't get a pic :(

 They are in town for this beautiful women's 70 birthday!!!

Memaw enjoying her birthday dessert!

 After supper, Zach and I headed home. We ran into Kroger before supper to pick up a few things that I forgot to get earlier when I went. We had to pack a cooler to keep most of it chilled. Well in this cooler was this...

Coconut Almond Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream

and another Lara Bar! :)

This has got to be some of the best ice cream ever!!! I am also a huge fan of Lara Bars!

And yes, I ate ever bit of that!!! 

My entire supper was completely gluten/dairy free. I woke up this morning feeling so great. Got straight out of the bed and hit the streets for a 30 mins of steady state fasted cardio.

KB+SUN+BACKYARD

My goodness gracious!!!

I had a great workout today! I have to be honest... I wasn't feeling it. But I got my lazy butt up and got to work. I have been training in the mornings before work but today I did it this afternoon so I could have a "flex-meal" for supper. As you all know, I work with Jen Keck, an awesome nutrition coach! She sent me over a new meal plan that I start on last Saturday. With this plan I get a "flex-meal" on Friday evenings but to get this meal I have to switch my training to the afternoons. What I mean by "flex-meal" is... I can consume whatever I want in a certain time. This has to be deserving...aka... a butt kicking workout! I have been racking my brain all week on what I wanted to eat and what my workout would be. I still had no clue what I was going to do while I was getting dress for my session. All I knew was that I needed to do chins before I did anything else. 

After my chins, I grabbed a 20lb KB and my yoga mat. Took it to the backyard and got to work! I just winged it. No plan. Kicked my own butt!!!

KB+SUN+BACKYARD=FUN ;)

Here is how it went down...

Assisted Chins:
3
3
2
1

50 KB Swings

Circuit:
5x8 with a 1min rest in between sets

8 swings
8 walking lunges per leg
8 snatches per arm
8 front squats
overhead carries
8 walking lunges per leg
8 KB rows per arm

Here is the video!
Ignore the end when Zach forgot to turn off the camera!

I will post pics of my "flex-meal" later. I am pretty excited about it!!!

Happy Friday!!!

reunion

Yesterday, I got to go back to my old stomping grounds. I not only got to see where I spent 4 years of my life but I got to spend it with the girls who helped me make some awesome memories.

Good ole Cleveland, Ms!

Delta State University!!

Fighting Okras!!!

Phi My Fraternity!!!!

Nine years ago.... YES, 9 YEARS AGO.... I stepped on the campus of DSU as a freshman. Thanks to my sister who had been to DSU for several years and was a Phi Mu, I knew a good bit of people, but not knowing a soul that was my age. 

I got to DSU a week early for recruitment. I week of no cell phones, no computers, no communication with anyone outside of recruitment. Went to nightly parties eliminating one chapter at a time. On Friday of that week was bid day. I placed my choice the night before hoping that the same chapter would want me too. I was handed my bid card with which chapter I got. I didn't even look at the card! I ran straight to the Phi Mu line and was the first one in line. I finally opened my card and was ecstatic!!! 

I was a Phi Mu!!!

We ran out of the Union on to the Quad to a bunch of other Phi Mu's in orange shirts. My sister came running to me with arms opened and handed me my orange shirt. I was in a sorority not knowing what to expect. 

We all got in the back of pick up trucks and started making rounds around the Quad. The girls were all chanting chants and screaming and yelling with excitement. I just kept looking around with a smile on my face, ready to start a new chapter in my life. 

We headed to a pool party and just hung out getting to know each other. I quickly became great friends with these girls! It was a bond. A bond like no other. A sisterhood bond. 

I am still great friends with them. I might not talk to them everyday but I know that if I ever needed anything I know that I could call any of these girls and they would be there. 

Yesterday, we had a reunion. A much needed reunion! Em and I drove up to Cleveland to meet our friends for lunch at the very yummy A La Carte. One of our favorite places to eat when we were in school. We then headed to the Union for a little meet and greet. 

After the meet and greet, we headed to the new Phi Mu hall and chapter room. Since, DSU is a smaller school we didn't have houses. We had halls in the dorms. The chapter was moved to a new dorm because of the former dorm being condemned.  After taking a tour, Kaitland and I walked over to our "home" and tried a few dorms so we could walk through our hall one more time before they tore it down. We had no luck... doors and windows were locked :(

After driving through the campus to check out some of the newer dorms and riding around town to places we use to always go, it was time to head to the hotel and get ready for the dinner. 

Before the dinner, we headed over to AnnMarie's for appetizers and cocktails. It was a great time to mingle with everyone again!

Me and Chastity before the dinner.

She was my suite-mate for 3 years. 

Me, Neeley, Savannah, and Kaitland

My wonderful Big Sis, Missy!

After visiting for a little while, we headed over to the Warehouse for dinner. It was delicious and a great way to end the wonderful day!

Me, Katland, Chastity, Amanda, Neeley, Tracy, Stormi, Amy, and Lacey.

 Me and my wonder sister! The girl who made me want to be a Phi Mu!

 All the Phi Mu alums at the reunion!

All in all, it was a wonderful day!! Weather could have been a little warmer but we didn't let that stop us one bit! I hope that we have these reunions more often. 

its by choice

Yesterday, Zach and I passed by a Chinese buffet in town. We have been there a maybe 3 times. They have some AH-mazing peanuts on the dessert buffet.

I'm talking so amazing that the peanuts are HUGE. Oh wait.... they are so HUGE because of all the sugar that is coated on them. Yes, sugar coated peanuts=delish!

Since taking our nutrition towards Paleo style, we can no longer eat peanuts (esp. sugary coated peanuts!). As, we passed by the Chinese buffet, I made a comment to Zach saying... "Too bad we can't eat peanuts anymore." Zach came back with a great answer...

"It's not that we can't have them, we are choosing not to have them."

Well said Zach!

I have a lot of people ask me about my diet. It's not like I am on this strict diet that doesn't let me enjoy life...

I am choosing to make better choices in my nutrition. I made the choice to give up gluten for lent. I choose not to go back to it. I made the choice to give up dairy and I choose not to go back to it.

I have also gotten very good about listening to my body. Unfortunately, my body does not love strawberries the way that I love them! Before going Paleo, I was eating oats and after not eating oats for a couple of days and then incorporating them back in for a day, I realized my body doesn't handle them well. This was the final straw that pushed me into going Paleo.

I do have a nutrition plan that gives me guidelines for each meal: how much protein, how much, fats, how many carbs, and how much fruit. But after doing this for so long I know what I need at each meal. So, yes we still go out to eat. We enjoy having guidelines. It helps us stay on track.

We are choosing to get up at 2am to workout. We are choosing to go to bed at 5pm. We are choosing to spend our Sunday afternoons being lazy. We are choosing to make the step to living a healthier lifestyle.

What are you choosing for yourself?

are we crazy?!?!?

Zach and I have started getting up at 2am to make sure that we get our training in for the day. When someone finds out that we do this they can't believe it and I'm sure think we are slightly crazy.

We do this for several reasons...
1.we have to be at work at 430am.
2.by 2pm we are tired.
3.we usually will talk ourselves out of it by the time we get home.

Yes, this is early but try to think about it this way...
1.we are probably asleep or close to it by the time a lot of people are getting off work.
2.we don't have children so our schedules are free.
3.a lot of people get up before work and workout.

I have really enjoyed getting my training done in the morning. I have always like training first thing. I feel that I am more alert and energized. Today, I had enough energy to get through the day and then some.

I have switched my training up a little. I have always liked using kettlebells(KB) and have always been interested in them. Zach gave me a book on KB's that he had. I read over it this past weekend and was excited to start training today. The book is sectioned off for beginners/intermediate/advanced. Each section has strength/cardio/strength&cardio workouts. I decided today I was try out the beginner strength training workout.

Since I love to lift heavy, I am going to continue that and do one main lift a day and finish up with one of the KB programs. I started off this week with squats. I started at 35% of my max(which is 165lb) and worked my way up to 85%. They all felt good. My last set was a little difficult but I pushed through and made all 5 reps.

Here is my training for the day...

Squats:

35%: 55x5

45%: 75x5

55%: 90x5

65%: 105x5

75%: 120x5

85%: 140x5

140lbs! 1x5

KB Workout:

warm up-100 KB swings 15lb (probably should have done these before the squats)

1) 50KB Swings 35lb

2) 25/side one arm swings 15lb

3) 50 hand to hand swings 20lb

4) Cleans 2x8/side 25lb

5) Cleans&Press 3x5/side 25lb

6) Snatches 3x5/side 25lb

7) Front Squats 3x10 35lbs

I did not film 1-3. I thought watching all those swings might be a little boring. But here is the video.... 

Hope you enjoy!

So.... yes, we might be a little crazy but after getting up this early for over 2 years now.... doesn't seem that crazy to us.

Hope yall have had a great Monday! 

this little garden of mine

On March 31st, Zach and I drove past a little store with lots of plants for sale. We passed by and then turned around. 

We had been talking about growing our on veggies but didn't really know where to start. We had this huge tin buckets and weren't using them. 

Next thing we know we are buying squash, zucchini, red/orange/and green bell pepper plants. 

Here is a picture of our "garden" on its first day.

These plants have grown so much! I have loved the process of watching them grow. Each day we get home we put our bags down, walk outside to see Duke and Delta and then walk straight over to the veggies to see if anything has changed. 

This morning we walked out there to see if anything happened from yesterday to today. 

2.5 hours later, we got home from church and I was preparing myself lunch and Zach said....

"were these this big before church???"

I ran to the door... oh my goodness!!! 

Squash

 They were big but no where near this big. 

Zucchini

 I still can't get over it!!!

Red bell peppers.

 I LOVE our little "garden" and can't wait to have fresh veggies right outside our backdoor. 

Squash, Green/Orange bell peppers/Zucchini/Red Bell pepper.

I have been told that we are going to have so much squash and zucchini that we aren't going to know what to do with it. We might have to give some away. I don't any of it to go to waste. 

If this does happen.... bring over a grocery bag and do some shopping :)

tired vs lazy

Three days a week, Zach and I do 30 minutes of steady state fasted cardio. This is nothing strenuous, just a comfortable pace around the neighborhood for 30 minutes. We usually get a 1.5 miles.

What do I mean by fasted walk???

We do it on an empty stomach. The only thing that we comsume before we walk is a water. 

Why do we do it fasted??

Because your insulin levels are low which increases the likelihood of burning body fat for fuel. If you eat before cardio, esp. a meal containing carbs, you are more likely to use the food for fuel instead of burning fat. 

What is steady state cardio?

When you try to maintain a consistent intensity level and/or heart rate throughout the duration of your cardio. To maximize fat burning during your steady state cardio, you want to keep your heart rate below 140 beats per minute on average. Of course, this can differ from person to person depending on the age. 

The mornings that I teach spin, I will consume meal 1 before I ever leave the house. Higher intensity fasted cardio will burn muscle instead of fat. 

Zach and I woke up stupid early this morning. This is old news. Our bodies are just drilled to wake up early, no matter how late we go to bed. We needed to do our 1st session of fasted cardio for the week. 

I have to be honest... I wasn't feeling it! 

All I wanted to do is continue to lay in my warm bed! Zach kept encouraging me to get up. I repeatedly said... NO! I'm tired.... or lazy????

tired-exhausted, as by exertion; fatigued or sleepy 

lazy-averse or disinclined to work, activity, or exertion; indolent.

While I was tired... who isn't at 230am???.... I was being more lazy than anything!!

My bed was so comfy and being lazy was just the option I was choosing for the day. 

Zach started getting ready to go walk by himself. I continued to be LAZY!!!

I finally got up but still wasn't feeling it this morning... BLAH!

After about 10mins of walking... I was feeling GREAT!!! Came in after a nice walk, made breakfast, prepped all the veggies for the week, and did a little blogging and such on the computer. 

It really is a great way to start the day. I am thankful to have a body that can carry me around the neighborhood and for a husband who keeps me on track!

How did you start your day off?? 

Try some steady state fasted cardio. 

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!!!!

Hearts for Corey White 5k

Today, we walked. 

We walked a 5k. 

3.2 miles.

For one person...

Corey White.

Corey is a friend/co-worker of mine. In January, Corey found out that he needed a heart transplant at a young age of 29. A healthy, active young man. Played basketball any chance he got, worked out just about everyday and was a hard working employee. 

Corey was airlifted to Houston, TX, in January and has been there ever since. He got his new heart and is determined to get back home. He told me today that he will hopefully be home by the end of May. 

A month or so ago, I was contacted by his cousin and was asked to help with a benefit walk in Corey's name. Well, of course I want to help! I didn't do much but was glad that I could be a part of this day and raise money for a great cause. 

We all gathered in Raymond, MS at Hinds Community College. At 8am, the walk started. It was such a beautiful morning. It was perfect!

BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE!

Me and my precious niece! Just love her!

The Brithday Girl! Tiffany!

Katie! 

Me and Zach first thing this morning!

Dr. Hall! A great, great man!

Katie...aka TROOPER! She had surgery last Friday and showed up with her crutches!!!

Jessica!

Shane and Josh ran the walk... TWICE!

Sara!

It was a great morning! I am so thankful to have such a great friend! I can't wait for Corey to come walk in the doors at work.

He is a fighter!!! 

He is my inspiration!

a week of PR's!

Last week I decided to test out my main lifts and see if I have gained any strength over the last 12 weeks of intense workouts. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how I did. 

At the end of each main lift I did a few circuits. Pretty fun and challenging. 

Hope you enjoy!

I would love to hear from you... tell me what you think. Leave me a little comment at the end!

Happy Friday!!! :)

brownie heaven

A few weeks ago, Jen Keck, made a single serving brownie. Clean and healthy of course! Here is her original recipe. Check out all of her recipes! They are all so good!

Zach and I didn't have coconut flour so we played around with the recipe and used protein flour instead. I am sure that either way is absolutely delicious! 

Here is our recipe...

1scoop Chocolate 100% Whey Protein

1TBP of  unsweetened cocoa powder

2packets of Stevia

2oz of egg whites

1/2tsp of Baking Powder

1/4cup of canned pumpkin

Spray a microwave class bowl and mix all the ingredients together. 

You can use different bowls but I just use the same one and it worked out fine. 

 Place in the microwave for 3-4mins on level 8.

 Run a knife around the edge so it will release from the bowl.

 Ta-da!!! 

Place your favorite nut butter on top... my choice-All Natural Almond Butter... or coconut oil and enjoy!

I haven't had a real brownie in quite sometime but this is so good you would never know there was a difference! 

Here is a estimate on the Macros:

Calories:178

Fat:1

Protein:38

Carbs:10

Fiber:5

(This is without the almond butter)

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Thanks, Jen for coming up with some very tasty, clean and healthy recipes!