Five on Friday!

Slowly but surely I am getting the hang of this blogging thing (it's only taken a year and a half...). I think the one piece of advice that I never seem to follow is to blog about the things that I love to read. I mean, I do and try, but then there are other times when I think my life is too boring, so I just don't share. One example is food. I LOVE reading blogs that post the kinds of meals they eat throughout the day.

Julie at Peanut Butter Fingers is one of my favorite blogs to read because almost daily she is sharing her meals, and snacks. I always get ideas of what to eat. So I am going to work on posting more food ideas!

The next thing that I am trying to get better about are link ups. My most favorite link up is Five on Friday, and I stumbled upon this link up from Darci at The Good Life. I love reading them. So even though I am extremely late to the party, I am finally going to join!

[one]
Coffee. I am the true definition of a coffee drinker, maybe even bordering a coffee addict. But this week I have three different flavors that I am alternating between. And I gotta say, I am loving the strawberry shortcake flavor!

[two]
Breaking Bad, Breaking Bad, Breaking Bad! I started watching this show a couple of years ago, then I lost interest because of certain characters dying off. But since the series finale is Sunday, I spent last week catching up on part 1 & 2 of season 5. Even though there are parts of this show that I don't particularly love, it is still a phenomenal show, and I cannot wait to watch the finale.

[three]
My porch. Because I hurt my back again, the only comfortable place that I found for me to sit is on our back porch, in adirondack chairs. Today has been flip flopping between sun and rain, and I am loving it. A very peaceful way to drink my coffee and read blogs!

[four]
These little things! My favorite junk food are chips. When I didn't care about being healthy, chips were pretty much my form of crack. These are a great substitute. They are crunchy, and salty, but not overkill. Chips murder my taste buds. I found them in the produce section of a Super Target. And these have some great nutrition facts. For 22 pieces: 120 calories, 6g fat, 15g carbs, 3g fiber, 200mg of sodium, and 4g protein.

[five]
My foam roller. My foam roller has been my best friend for the last two days. I have been rolling out my IT bands, and hip flexors in attempt to heal my back faster.

Have a great weekend, friends!

It Happened, Again.

My back, is screwed, yet again. UGHHHHHH!!

I don't even know what to do. The first time that I injured my back was in April. I was in a HIIT class, doing squats, I felt something shift, and my whole back tensed up. Ever since I have had a sensitive lower back, and experience lower back pain and stiffness almost weekly. However it has never been as bad as the first time I injured it. Until now.

Last night I was planning to go to a half hour Core Fit class, then stay for Step Class, and Chisel (weight lifting). I usually lift weights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I successfully finished Core Fit, I was feeling good, feeling thin, and I was ready to complete two more classes. The ironic part is that I have been attending Core Fit in an attempt to strengthen my core, and better support my back.

Step and Chisel used to be my favorite classes of the week, but ever since the instructor left, it hasn't been the same. But one of the girls who always attends the Step class is now training to be an instructor. And last night was her first trial run. She killed it! She was soooo good. She used the same music as the old instructor, had similar moves, kept up speed, and didn't mess up once! I was so excited for her, but also jazzed that I would have a good instructor back.

Because I was so amped up, I was going beast mode on the bench. Then she called out the Charleston Kick, and the minute I bent down I felt something shift, pop, and crackle (anyone else thinking about Rice Krispies?) in my lower back. Immediately I began to feel a tingling sensation shoot down my left leg and butt cheek. All I was thinking was OH SHIT!!

Here is an example of the Charleston Kick, but we were using benches, not bosu balls. I actually really love this move, but I guess my back does not.



I immediately stood up, marched in place, and tried not to panic. However all I wanted to do was scream out in pain. But I have such a tough time walking out of a class early, plus I didn't want the new instructor to think I hated her, especially since she was doing so good. So I stepped out of class for a minute, tried to stretch out my back and hips, I lightly foam rolled, and went back to class.

You might be thinking that I am an idiot for going back to class, but don't worry I took the rest of the class realllly easy. I modified everything. Because there was a lack of bounce in my step, I mirrored the old ladies in the back of the room. Actually, I think the old ladies were going harder than I was! But that's okay, I had to listen to my body. Even though I was going slow, there were times when I felt like I was going to puke. Blah.

Class finished, I told the instructor she was a rock star, and then I ran waddled out. Of course I had walked to the gym, so I was going to have to toddle my way home. As I left I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I was in pain, but more so I was mad. Raged. I wanted to attend Chisel but my body was failing me, again. And I knew that I was going to have to rest for a few days, not a fan.

Thank god for sunglasses because I cried as I walked home. Although I had the quivering bottom lip going on, so I am sure that people knew. I am not one of those girls that just kinda weeps, I definitely have an ugly cry. Every step I took I could feel something crackle.

I am uninsured and broke, so I am turning to Dr. Google for help. I am icing my back, doing light stretching, and taking expired vicodin for the pain. I already have troubles falling to sleep, and staying to sleep as it is. Last night was hell. No position was comfortable, and normally I toss and turn in my sleep, which was near impossible last night.

I am getting some ibuprofen tonight because it mixes better with wine than vicodin it's an anti-inflammatory, which should help any swelling go down. Also, I am no expert, but just from reading my own body, I really think my lower back issues are connected to my hip flexors. I often get really tight and sore hip flexors, and IT bands, so I am going to focus on stretches for my hips, and foam rolling my IT band. Wish me luck!

Dieting Myths...er Truths

I have been dieting and exercising long enough that I would dare say that this has become a way of life. However when I started this whole process I didn't believe a lot of things I was told. I thought healthy fitness loving people were always telling lies to make themselves feel better for virtually starving. You know the things that I am talking about.

"Drink a full cup of water before each meal and you will eat less." (This is true)
Or "Stand while you eat and you will be prone to eat less." (This seems ridiculous)

Anyway, I have found that some of these things that I once thought were myths, are actually true. Mini aha moments, if you will. These are the things that I have found to be true for me, but some of you may find them to be just as ridiculous as standing while you eat.

1) Eating protein helps to keep me full longer. That and things high in fiber. If my dinner includes a high protein veggie patty, and brussels sprouts, I will definitely be satisfied until bed time.

2) Oatmeal makes a great breakfast because it coats my ribs and sticks with me longer. I can make it to lunch without wanting to chew my fingers off.

3) Drinking cold water better hydrates my body, and drinking warm water makes me feel full. I learned this the hard way. I once brought a water bottle filled with warm water to a cardio class. By the end of the class I felt so full and bloated that I thought I was going to throw up.

4)Keeping a food journal really does work. Counting calories, or Weight Watchers is actually the best way to start. You never realize how much you are consuming, until you write it down. I can't count calories or points anymore because it makes me batty. However I do still try to keep a food journal so that I can monitor myself, be aware, and not go overboard on what I am eating each day.

5) Chewing gum while making dinner helps me to avoid snacking while cooking. I have a terrible habit of eating while I cook, chewing gum helps.

6) Be mindful when eating. I once heard that as Americans we are constantly thinking about food, until we are actually eating it. So in an effort to enjoy my meals, I try to focus on the bites that I am taking, and really enjoy my food.

7) Snack often. I try to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. I prefer it to be this way. Eating 3 big meals causes my stomach to stretch, so I try to break up my meals, and eat more frequently.

source

Row Machine.

I thought it would be fun to do a series of posts outlining and critiquing the various things that I have tried at the gym. Some thing I love, some I don't. I am not a professional trainer, so all of these posts will be my own opinions, and personal findings.

The first post was dedicated to cycling, and can be found here.

So for this post I am going to focus on rowing. 

Description: The row machine looks like this:

source

It is a stable machine designed to mimic the motion of rowing a boat. The handles are the oars, and the seat moves as you push your feet. It's kinda hard to explain while typing, so here is the video that I learned proper rowing form from:

I was actually a little intimidated to try the rowing machine. I wasn't sure if I would know how to do it right, I thought I would try and then everyone in the gym would be starring at me while I was doing the motions completely wrong. This video really helped, and now I feel pretty confident about my skill level.

Duration: I usually row in increments of 10-15 minutes, but you could definitely do more. On days that I don't have a class to attend I will do circuit like workouts, and rotate between strength exercises with 10 minute cardio blasts in between each set.

Level of like (10) or dislike (0): A 9 or maybe even a 10. I love it for short, quick cardio blasts. I find that I work harder when only doing it for 10 minute sessions, compared to 30 minutes all at once. But that's just me.

I will usually do intervals, go really hard and fast (TWSS) for about 30 seconds, and then I will slow it down for 15 seconds. Repeat.

Benefits:
-It's a great low impact cardio option. Because you  sit while you are working, I find it not to be as difficult as running, but my heart rate still spikes. Plus I don't worry about injuring my back or knees as much as I do with other activities.
-It utilizes a lot of muscle groups. My legs, my upper body, and working to stabilize my core.
-Its a great aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Your body is dealing with resistance while utilizing your oxygen supply with repetitive motions.

Advice for first timers:
-Make sure to use your legs to really drive the motion. Your legs hold the power more than your upper body. Not to say that you don't use your upper body, just don't neglect the legs, they are your biggest muscle group.
-Be prepared to get calluses on your hands. Or at least I get them. But that could be because I lift dumbbells first, then row, then lift, etc. A lot of friction is put on my hands in a small period of time.

Throwback Thursday: The Time I Boated Down the Mississippi

In the link up yesterday, I mentioned that I traveled down the Mississippi River in a house boat. Because Holly is incredibly awesome, she took the time to read my link-up and commented that I should do post about the trip. I would have never thought about doing something like this because I focus so much on diet and exercise. However I really like the idea of giving some tidbits of my none fitness life. 

When I was in the seventh grade I received the worst news possible. We were moving. In the world of a 12 year old, moving away is life changing and devastating. But not only were we moving, we were going to travel down the Mississippi River from Red Wing, MN all the way to Cape Coral, FL. I was going to have to home school. I felt like a freak. Home schooling was not cool. And I am an only child on my mom's side of things, so I would be traveling/schooling alone. 

Now you might be thinking that this is the adventure of a lifetime. I think that now. But back then I was not happy about it.  My step dad had retired at an early age, and his life long dream/goal was to take his boat down the river. From the time that I knew my step-dad (he's been in my life since I was 5), he had a 41 foot Chris-Craft that he kept in a marina in Red Wing, MN. Every summer we would spend our weekends at the boat. To give you an idea of what the boat looked like, here is an image I found on Google: 

source

In the fall of 2002 the shit show (aka; my step dad, my mom, our two cats and me, the moody tween) piled onto this boat, and departed from our marina for the last time. As we left, I don't think I quite grasped what was happening. I was mad at them for not letting me go back to school with my friends (I am sure I was just a delight to be around), but at the same time I felt like we were just going on a vacation. 

It took us a month. It should have only taken us three weeks, however along the way we hit a tree stump, broke a prop, and were stranded in Demopolis, AL for a week, while we waited for the boat part. If I had to pick a place to be stranded, it would not have been Demopolis. Not because Demopolis was that bad, but because some of the other marinas we had stayed in along the way had pools, gift shops, and yummy seafood restaurants. 

This marina had none of that. It did however have a community TV with cable in the main office. However I got yelled at once by an old man because I tried to watch Clueless, and he didn't find the movie to be entertaining. He didn't know what he was missing. 

We stopped in some incredible cities, and marinas. We also stopped in some not so incredible places, but that was all part of the fun. We went through at least 20 lock and dams along the way. I got to boat past the St. Louis Arches, stay in the Kentucky Lakes area, and experience the Mobile bay area. 

And the most memorable part of the entire trip was crossing the Gulf of Mexico to get into Tarpon Springs, FL. It took an entire day. We had to duct tape our refrigerator closed because the waves from crossing the Gulf would have knocked the fridge open. Every time my step dad tells this story the waves get bigger and bigger. It started out that the waves were 3-4 feet high, then they were 5-6, then they 8 feet. In any case, it was very turbulent, hard to walk around, and one of our cats got sea sick, poor guy. For at least 8 hours we could not see land, but we did see lots of dolphins! Back then I was fearless, but now I think crossing the Gulf in such a tiny boat would be terrifying. 

In all honesty, it was an incredible trip. I loved spending so much time with my family, seeing so much of the United States, and soaking up so much culture. Home schooling was actually a pretty cool experience, and I didn't feel like a freak. Once we got to Florida I spent a month there, and then every other month I would fly home to stay with my dad, so being able to home school was actually pretty convenient. 

I feel like I could write story after story about this trip. And when I talk to my mom and step dad about it, each of us have different memories. It's funny how that works out! 

Finish the Sentence Link Up

Here is another round of Finish the Sentence with Jake and Holly! I love doing and reading these link ups! It's a fun way to get to know other bloggers and find new blogs.

My happy place... is at a bar. I love happy hour, or going out late night. I love being surrounded by people, being social, and having a drink in hand. My second happy place would be at a beach. I love pretty much any body of water.

Whatever happened to... Oreo O's cereal? I lovvvvved that stuff!

So what if I.... still own and watch VHS movies.

E! needs a reality show about... Me and my drunken adventures.

My go-to fast food meal is... as an ex-fat girl I have far far too many of these. Name a place, and I'll name my meal. Seriously, I don't like to play favorites. But if I had to pick just one it would be a veggie burrito bowl from Chipotle, I like to pretend it's sorta healthy.

You might not know that I... home schooled when I was in the 8th grade so that I could travel down the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Florida, on a house boat, with my mom, step-dad, and our two cats. And I would love to do it again someday!

The hottest quarterback in the NFL is... Aaron Rodgers. However he is pretty much the only quarterback that I know about, I am a baseball gal, not so much football.

If I could.... I would eat whatever I wanted and not gain a single pound.

My personality is awesome because... I don't take anything too seriously.

Twerking is.... something that I would like to see men do. Just saying.

I think it's super gross when... I have to pick soggy food out of the sink. Eww, I just shuddered.

Someone needs to tell Miley Cyrus.... that there is a big difference between sexy and raunchy.

Oh the Irony!

I just got done posting about my lower back pain last week, and literally right after I hit the publish button I went to a cardio class and re-injured my lower back. Can we say ironic?

We were doing burpees, followed by a large leap forward. This completely fucked my back, and not in a good way. I spent the next few days keeping it low key at the gym. Which is not easy for my new-ish fitness loving self. I get sooooo frustrated that my body cannot do what I want it to. Two years ago I would have used injury as an excuse to skip the gym for months ever. So there's that.

Anyway, since I seem to keep injuring that damn lower back of mine, I thought it would be nice to share some of the exercises I've been doing while in extreme pain.

I avoid doing squats, since that is pretty much what put me in the situation to begin with. But I love working my legs, so now I have been doing mass amounts of lunges, variations of lunges, wall sits, and sumo squats. But doing some of these have consequently given me a slight bit of knee pain. I am a disaster, I tell ya.

I also stopped trying to be a runner. I have always hated running, but I always wanted to like it. I don't try anymore. Not even a little bit. Running can be really hard on the body and joints, and it hurts my back and my knees. Soooo I dropped it like a hot potato.

In order to replace the cardio of running, I started cycling again. Which is easy on my lower back and knees. I also use the elliptical, and really concentrate on spiking my heart rate using intervals.

Overall I just try to listen to my body. If it hurts, I don't do it. And I really focus on stretching out my hip flexor, outer hips, and hamstrings. On a side note, I truly believe that the hip flexor is one of the most neglected muscles to be stretched. We are constantly using the hips flexors, which means they are super tight, and they effect a lot of other muscles.

And if you are looking for some great exercises to stretch out the hip flexor, this is a post.

Liebster Nomination 2.0!

So a little while ago I was nominated for a Liebster Award. However I was extremely clueless as to what the heck a Liebter Award was.

Well thankfully Rachel from One-Way Ticket to ONEderland has filled me in one what it means! And she also nominated me! So head on over to her blog post and read what the Liebster Award is all about. 

Since I have been nominated before I feel pretty silly going through all the motions again. But I do love reading blogs when people answer random questions, because I think you get to know them a little better. And because I am also so flattered that Rachel nominated me, Imma go ahead and answer Rachel's questions! 

1. Who is your embarrassing celebrity crush? Or just your publically acceptable crush? Hahaa

-Lance Bass, who is gay and officially off the market. But damn, as a preteen, I was hot and bothered by Mr. Bass. 

2. If you could hop on a plane and go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

-Greece or Italy

3. What is your favorite TV show?

-Rookie Blue, Castle, or Scandal. Clearly I love me some ABC shows, or maybe this just shows I don't have cable. 

4. What was the best family vacation you ever went on? Or if not a family thing….What was the best vacation you ever went on?

-I went to St. Thomas this past year for my step-brother's wedding. It was an incredible trip, filled with incredible people. My roommate came along, because she is basically part of my family. But it was also so fun to get to spend time with my step siblings, and the bride's family. I learned so much about all of them as people, and I really think it bonded all of us as a family! 

5.If you could meet one person living or dead, who would it be and why?

-Lucille Ball. I adore her, and the I Love Lucy Show. 

6. Who is your favorite musician?

-Conor Oberst or Tegan and Sara

7. What is the most important trait in a significant other?

-Humor. I am single, so I would like to think I will need humor in my significant other, but it will be so interesting if I still find that to be most important when I actually find my man! 

8. What is your favorite book or book series?

-Dry by Augusten Burroughs. I have loved every book he has ever written. 

9. What is your dream job?

-It's constantly changing. But overall I think it's safe to say I would love a job in fitness, so maybe a personal trainer, or a gym teacher.

10. What is your favorite song of all time?

-I have two: 

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight by the Postal Service 

And Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind



11. What is the most embarrassing thing that you have done?

-I really, really don't get embarrassed easily. However I would be absolutely mortified if I ever farted in a yoga class or any other quiet, relaxing atmosphere. I know, I know, it's a natural thing, and it could happen to anyone. But I would just die, and then be extremely distracted the rest of the time.