23
One and a half weeks down, two and a half to go! BRING IT!
A little over a week ago tonight I made a bet with Ben. At the time I was like I AM SO SMART! I AM TOTALLY GOING TO WITH THIS BET, YO! A week later I’m realizing that this bet was an EVIL TRICK! By my EVIL HUSBAND!
Because of this bet I’ve lost TWO POUNDS! I’ve started running again! I’ve pumped iron! I’m sleeping better! I’m… HEALTHIER!
Let me explain, at the time I had a KILLER sinus headache and he mentioned that it was probably because I’ve been eating crap lately. And I have. I’m not gaining weight, just maintaining, but I haven’t been making the most awesome decisions. I mean, I’m only baking one cake a week. And just because I bought seven kinds of cheese the other day? And maybe I might have accidentally become addicted to Diet Pepsi again… suddenly ANY AILMENT I HAVE is diet related. So I bet him that I would eat healthy for a week and that I’d STILL have a sinus headache and at the end of it he’d have to say to me that he was wrong and I was right. OUT LOUD. TO MY FACE.
Then he was all, DO IT FOR A MONTH! And I said FINE!
Then he said and WORKOUT, THREE DAYS A WEEK AT LEAST! So I was all I WILL KILL THIS! BAM!
Prepare to be WRONG, buddy!
I take my bets very seriously. VERY. SERIOUSLY.
It’s ON! There is no motivation in the world like having to hear the man you love with all your heart tell you that he’s was wrong and you were right.
I’m so sure that I’m going to win this bet that I should have added some money into the mix so that I could have played some online bingo, upped my money and bought some new jeans for my new tiny waist! 
One and a half weeks down, two and a half to go! BRING IT!
18
Questions Answered: AMY!
I’ve decided after seeing the questions from my last post that it will probably be easier to answer them each in separate posts. You can still go ask questions here if you want and I’ll get to them all eventually.
First up is Amy who is pretty damn awesome. She’s been a huge inspiration to me in my weight loss battle. You should go check her out!
What are your tattoos of? Will you get more?
My 1st one is on my lower back and is blue daisies and a sunflower. It reminds me of my Nonnie (my dad’s mom).
The 2nd one I got because one night my dad served us entirely too much wine and somehow my step-sisters and I talked ourselves into tattoos. We each got a lotus flower in a different spot. Mine is on my ankle. My step-mom calls us the Lotus Sisters.
The 3rd one is on my wrist and is a hibiscus which is the Hawaii state flower. I got it a few days after Ben proposed to me next to a waterfall I’d just swam in in the middle of a beautiful tropical fain forest.
I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to get another one and as soon as I have the money (and the design) I will. I already know what I want and it will be something special for Cassidy. 
I know that people are either totally PRO or AGAINST tattoos and I fall pretty much in the pro category. I’ve heard girls say before “Why would you try to dress up a Bentley” and other equally narcissistic bullshit and WHATEVER. Pretty much every girl I’ve heard utter those word has more in common with a used up busted Honda than a Bentley. Also, the answer is: for the same reason you put makeup on, wear perfume or keep scrapbooks. Memories and beauty. Nothing wrong with that.
Where did you meet Ben?
I met Ben streetracing. True Story. He had friends that hung out in the same circles I did and he posted on a local streetracing message board that I moderated. We had a lot in common and would hang out if the group all happened to be together. I was still married at the time and it wasn’t until a few months after Troy and I had separated that Ben started showing “interest”. We have SO MUCH in common that it was hard not to like him right back! Everybody ASSUMED I liked another guy so I think people thought I’d end up dating him. They were wrong. Ben was so nice and sweet and really sensitive to my feelings being a new single mother struggling to make it on my own. I knew within a month or two that I never wanted to be without him. <3
How did you name Cassidy? (Love her name! You don’t hear it often.) What are other names you considered?
My first Cabbage Patch doll was named Cassidy. I’ve known since then, probably around 7 or so, that my first daughter would have that name. For a week or two I considered Breann but at night when I’d dream about her, it was always Cassidy. So she became Cassidy Breann Stacy.
Do you think you’ll have more kids?
I want one more, yes. The timing just hasn’t been right for it to happen. I imaging a baby with Ben’s eyes and smile and my heart swoons.
3
Peddle Faster!
So I kind of quietly started a new round of P90X on Monday. I didn’t really tell anybody but Julie and Ben because that meant having to admit out loud that I totally failed the last round. I’m not sure what happened but about half way through I just lost steam and motivation and gave up.
But I’m back, baby!
I’m not following the workout plan exactly because on cardio days I’ve been out on the bike peddling off the calories. I finally had to admit to myself that I’m just not going to be able to run. At least not right now. My shins have never stopped giving me problems and after trying stretching techniques, icing, aspirin, new running shoes, neoprene wraps, focusing on my landing, EVERYTHING, I’d still have KILLER shin splints every single time I tried. Having to admit it just WASN’T going to work was really hard on me because I hate being a quitter.
BUT! On a more positive note I’ve discovered that while I’m not a runner, I AM a biker! Ben, Cassidy and I started taking bike rides and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. The first day we rode about 10 miles and for the following two days I walked funny and had a hard time sitting down but that hasn’t happened since and I’ve been able to do the 9-10 mile rides with great success. I still can’t keep up with Ben, but I’ll get there soon!
So for right now (and at least the next two weeks) my schedule looks like this:
Monday: P90X Chest & Back
Tuesday: Bike ride (this week we did a 10 mile ride and I burned 700+ calories)
Wednesday: P90X Arms and Shoulders
Thursday: Bike ride (did 9.6 miles, 670 calories)
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: P90X Legs and Back
Sunday: Bike ride plus either X Stretch or Yoga X
Friday was a rest/free day for me and I think that I might stick to that for awhile. I have a LONG week of working and by Friday I am BURNT OUT. Ben and I like to have date nights those nights and then I’m in bed REALLY early. If I can manage to make it to a Friday with enough energy to work out I’ll probably plug Kenpo X, Plyometrics or a ride in there but for now, I’m not going to get down or myself or feel bad if I don’t manage to get to it.
Also, I’ve stopped using Spark People. It’s a great site but SO BLOATED with extra crap that I don’t need. So I’ve switched over to MyFitnessPal and I love it so far. So, if you use it add me!
And I PROMISE I’ll get back to blogging more regularly again. I was in kind of a slump there for a bit but now that I’m back on track and eating more healthy and getting some great exercise I feel like I’m getting all my energy and spunk back.
2
Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets.
So, I’ve needed new jeans for about a month and a half. I’ve been rotating between THREE PAIR and trying to dress them up in different ways to not make it looks like I only had THREE PAIR and I was quickly beginning to think that the people at work assume I live out of the trunk of my car. Or a cardboard box. Either way.
The problem is that, we really don’t have the money for me to go and buy new jeans right now, especially since (HOPEFULLY) in another two months when I’m done with P90X, I’ll need MORE jeans. Then today I remembered a friend mentioning The Goodwill the other day and was like DUH! I’ve gotten jeans there before because, HELLO CHEAP! I totally rock The Goodwill jeans.
ANYWAY! I’ve been telling myself for at least a week now that I have a LOT OF JEANS, I just need to go through and try them on and for sure before I go and BUY anymore. But… there was a big part of me that KNEW I’d be disappointed at all the pairs I couldn’t fit into yet so I’ve been making excuses EVERY DAY.
Then today, when I got out of a bath after a pretty intense Plymometrics workout, I looked over at my THREE PAIR of jeans laying on the floor and went to pick them up to put them in the wash and was like FUCK THIS, I’M TIRED OF THESE JEANS. So I started pulling out pairs of jeans and tried EVERY SINGLE PAIR ON. Here is how it went.
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8 pair – still too small
6 pair – FIT! But have holes or are inappropriate for work, but will make GREAT weekend/yard working jeans
3 pair – entirely too big
9 pair – FIT PERFECTLY!
NINE PAIR! I HAVE NINE PAIRS OF JEANS THAT FIT!
NINE!
So when Ben called to me for some reason I came bounding out of the room:
Me: GUESS WHAT!? ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!?
Ben: Yes, I am listening to you.
Me: So, I was totally going to go shopping for new jeans but told myself I HAD to try all my jeans on BEFORE I went so I did and GUESS WHAT?!
Ben: You have jeans that fit?
Me: (All in one breath) NINE PAIR! AND THREE ARE TOO BIG AND SIX FIT BUT HAVE HOLES AND EIGHT ARE TOO SMALL BUT NINE PAIR FIT!
Ben: You have 26 PAIRS OF JEANS?!
Me: Shit.
Ben: TWENTY SIX PAIRS. OF. JEANS!
Me: I’ll be down to watch Lost in a second! I LOVE YOU OKAY BYE!
Cardinal Rule of Wifehood: Never admit to the number of shoes, purses, eye shadows or jeans you own. The poor men just can’t handle it.
Seriously though, after he got past the initial shock, he congratulated me and told me how proud he was and really, I am so proud of MYSELF. Even though I’ve been doing P90X for two 15 days now, until today I hadn’t lost any weight. I know I’ve gained muscle because I can see it, so I know I’ve lost fat because I’m not GAINING weight but actual pounds had not come off yet. Then yesterday I mentioned it on my P90X blog and this morning, BAM!
THE POUND. The pound I’ve been waiting to see for two weeks so I can finally officially say: I have lost 40 pounds.
I feel SO GOOD. I feel STRONG. I feel FIT. I feel like my lungs are bigger, my heart is stronger and my endurance is sky high.
I owe huge, gigantic, TOTALLY BIG thank you’s to two very important people:
Ben. Who has supported and encouraged me every single step of the way. He has been tough on me when I needed it and sensitive when I really needed a break. There is no way that I could have done this without the constant support and encouragement from my husband. And I know how hard it is for him to sit there and WATCH but not be able to DO since he’s pretty much stuck on the couch till his back surgery on the 15th of this month. To be able to stay upbeat and positive and supportive while he’s been down is a BIG DEAL to me. Thank you, honey.
And!
Julie. Who’s own transformation is just… AMAZING. I’ve known Julie for a LONG time. I got to hold her 1st baby the day he was born, I was there to watch her walk down the isle, and even though I’m a hippy liberal SHE STILL LIKES ME! What she’s given to me in a healthy body, mind and spirit is more than I ever expected. She makes me laugh pretty much every day and keeps me motivated to PUSH PLAY and BRING IT! Thank you, Julie!
19
Either you run the day or the day runs you.
I promised in a past post that I’d update you all on this weight loss thing and how it’s going. So here we go.
I’ve lost 31.5 pounds and 10% body fat. That’s a lot of fat. The last time I was at the gym I picked up a 30 pound weight just to see what it felt like and my body goaned and my heart skipped and my head exploded. 30 pounds is HEAVY!
A lot of people in real life always dance around The Question. The “What did you weight to start” question. I’ve never really understood that. Like, why is The Weight Question something that people are so reluctant to answer? It’s a number. It doesn’t define your self worth. It doesn’t MEAN anything to anybody but the person answering the question. I think that most women are scared to answer it, especailly when a skinnier person is asking, because women are SO OBSESSED with that number. It’s like a competition. It’s not. Women, seriously, stop it. I’d rather be 140 pounds of lean muscle mass than 105 pounds of weak emaciated limbs. The Number has a different meaning for evey person and using it to gain some kind of psychological upper hand is lame and catty and why 81% of the female population bugs the shit out of me.
Last September, a few days before my birthday, I got on the scale for the first time in MONTHS AND MONTHS and expected to weight MAYBE 200 pounds. I weighed 230. My body groaned and my heart skipped a beat and my head exploded. It’s a general theme. That wasn’t even the worst part. Ben and I made the collective decision to Get Healthy so we went to the gym and I ran for two minutes and had to stop because I felt like I was going to FUCKING DIE RIGHT THERE OMG. I couldn’t believe how out of shape I was. I was ashamed and sad and SCARED.
Today, four months later I weigh 197.6 which is progress! But still around 40 pounds from where I think a healthy weight is for me. I’ll never be 120 pounds again and, honestly, I don’t ever want to be that tiny. I want muscles. I want strong powerful legs and biceps and CURVES. I don’t think I’d make a good skinny girl.
I feel better, my clothes fit better, I’m stronger, I’m a better me. It hasn’t been easy. When the first pounds come off you feel GREAT. You are MOTIVATED and AWESOME and YEAH! Then you hit a wall. I haven’t lost any weight in the last two weeks and I have to keep reminding myself that I’m STRONGER. I have muscles now that I didn’t have before but it’s still easy to fall into that little lull that leads back to The Quitting. I set a challenge for myself this week to do intense cardio every day. For me this will be TurboJam kicking my ass.
One of the hardest parts of this entire journey so far has been what I see as a personal defeat: The Running. I LOVE to run. I love the sound of my feet hitting the ground, the feeling of air deep down in my lungs, the empty mind as I focus on breathing and getting to my next goal. It’s therapeutic and I love it. I’ve come leaps and bounds from that first two minute run. Cardiovascularly, I think I could run MILES but my shins start to ache after the first mile. Like, BAD ACHE. Like, have consistent pain for the week following. Like, actually limp up and down stairs for the next three days. I can’t begin to explain how frustrating this is to me. I feel like I have failed. My body is failing me.
So here’s my plan. My final effort. I’m going to give this one last try force my body with all my might to shape the fuck up. I’m ordring some shin compression wraps as soon as I’m done posting this and as soon as they get here my run will look like this.
1) Wear compression wraps
2) 10 minute FAST walk to warm my muscles up.
3) 1 mile run at 5.5 MPH (I can go faster but I want a baby step here)
4) IMMEDIATELY ice. Like, get off the treadmill, stretch, drive home, ICE.
5) Aspirin!
6) See how I am the next day.
This is pretty much my last ditch effort. I can’t tell you how bad I want this to work. I just can’t.
Till then, the rest of this week will look like this:
Wednesday: TurboJam Cardio Party
Thursday: Core training at home on the ball with the medicine ball & AbJam
Friday: Gym (cardio and upper body. Have I mentioned I’m addicted to my new bicep muscles?)
Saturday: TurboJam Cardio Party
Sunday: Core training at home on the ball with the medicine ball & AbJam
Monday: Gym (cardio and upper body)
We’ll see how that goes. I want my legs to be completely rested (from weight training at least) when I go for that first run.
AND! Now I’ve gone on a lot longer than I meant to.
Night!
PS – I might start doing some videos they way Julie is. I love watching them and I like the idea of being 1) accountable, and 2) able to look back later and see the change in body and attitude.
PSS – Talk me out of getting a fourth tattoo. Seriously. It’s been on my mind a lot lately.
11
Beer Can Chicken
Ingredients:
1 4-6 pound whole chicken.
1 can of beer (you can use whatever beer you want but we use Modelo Especial)
Seasoning that you like
My dad made this for us when we were visiting at Christmas and it was SO GOOD I’ve made it twice since then. He BBQ’d his but I baked mine. Either is good.
For the seasoning I use garlic powder, Garlic Dude Dust and pepper. Just clean the chicken then dry it, season it, open the can of beer and dump 1/4 out, place the can in a roasting pan, push the chicken down onto the can using the legs to support it, then bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4-2 hours or until your thermometer reads at least 160 degrees.
I’m not even kidding, guys, this is SO easy to make. It’s like five minutes of prep then let it be. When it’s done I let it rest for about 10 minutes then cut it up. Although it’s so tender that you only have to cut the breasts off, the rest of the chicken will just fall apart. I pull all the skin off and set it aside to use when making chicken stock (will post that recipe soon!) and since the chicken cooks upright all the fat drains off and you are left with lean, flavorful, tender and juicy breasts. *giggle*
My dad made leeks and green beans to go with it so that’s what I made too. I took green beans, leeks, a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and Garlic Dude Dust and sauteed it till the green beans were cooked but firm and BAM! Complete meal.
I haven’t gotten the nutritional facts together for this yet but the only fat you end up eating is from the tablespoon of olive oil in the green beans and I made enough for 8 servings so even that fat is a pretty small amount. It’s just protein and green veggies and SO GOOD.
If you make it, let me know what you think, what you did differently or what you’d do to make it better.
Enjoy!
