Playlists and Randoms

I'm feeling pretty random here today guys. Sooo...you're going to get a random splattering of all the things that might be rolling around in this little noggin of mine so far this morning! Get ready, because here we go ;)

Alright first of all, after reporting yesterday that I had hit a plateau with my weight loss, I need to announce some updates. I took all my measurements again last night, and since January 21, I've lost 9 more inches! (Between Jan. 1-21, I had already lost 8 inches!) So that is definitely a huge Non-Scale Victory! (NSV) But, I had also lost another pound this morning. Goodbye stupid Plateau! Get outta here. It's time we see other people.

So far this week, I have gone for a run Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday. And if it's not storming today between 5-5:30 (like my weather app says it should), I'm gonna run again right before Zumba! Who am I? Who is this girl that runs this much? I don't know, but I think I might be liking her! She's motivated like crazy and so determined. 

Man I look attractive after running...

Oh, and I decided on an official motto for myself on this journey: "One Pound at a Time." I wrote it down on the first page of my new fitness journal I'm keeping, and so I see it every time I open it up. (I use the 3 sections in the journal for: 1. measurements, progress and inspiring quotes, 2. workout tips & routines, and 3. healthy food ideas and recipes.) I'm not quite done doodling all over that page, but you get the idea at least :)

I haven't yet gotten my dear boyfriend any Valentine's Day presents yet. Oopsie! Last year I was just so on the ball with everything! I was probably done before February even started. I had even written 14 cute little love notes that he got to open every day leading up the the 14th! See? On the ball. This year, not so much...

But I am super excited for Valentine's Day! He's in charge of all the plans, so I have no idea what to expect. He told me he'd tell me when, and what to wear, but not until the day or so before. I do love surprises though, so I'm psyched! Can't wait to see what my cute freckled boy has up his sleeve!

And speaking of the day of love, there are a couple super amazing giveaways happening for Valentine's Day around blog-land. So far I've entered to win a KitchenAid mixer at Newlywed Moments and a Michael Kors watch at Wifessionals! I mean hello? Those are seriously awesome prizes, am I right here people?! 

Also, I want to make a super awesome playlist for my runs and hikes and stuff. But I want new music! So I need suggestions and ideas from you lovelies. What do you listen to when you work out? What would you recommend? I've got a $15 iTunes gift card just calling my name, and I'm ready to put it to good use. So let me know what you listen to, and what you think I should buy! (Note: I do NOT like hard rock...)

Image found HERE via Google Image search.

Well, I thought there were actually more random thoughts in this brain this morning, but it seems like that's all I've got. Although that seems like plenty so I guess we're good, and we'll end here! I hope y'all have a good Thursday. And get excited, because tomorrow's Friday! And don't even try to pretend like you haven't already been anticipating the end of another work week...

What random thoughts are in your head today?! Anything you want to share?

Plateau

Today is another Weigh In Wednesday, so I'm linking up with Alex & Erin. My weigh in this week is anything short of exciting. And honestly, I'm quite frustrated with it. So I'm jumping straight into the numbers, so then I can rant a little bit...Oh, and I forgot to take a picture of my actual scale this morning. Oopsie.

Initial starting weight = 227

Starting in January = 217

January 23 = 205

January 30 = 204

February 6, Today = 204

I'm stuck. I've hit a plateau - for the last TWO weeks! My first Weigh In Wednesday post I was able to report a great loss that week, as I had lost 5 pounds that week during my Daniel Fast. I was at 205 that Wednesday. Then last week I had lost only 1 small pound, bringing me to 204. And guess what? For the past week I have only managed to shed one single pound. I know, I know - at least I was able to lose one pound and it's not a gain, and yes I'm happy about that. But I've been working really hard! And this is all I have to show for it recently. 

I've been exercising like crazy lately. I mean really - this is kind of a miracle for me! Here's the rundown since last Wednesday's report, and the calories I burned doing them:

 

Wednesday - Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred (195 cals), "Malibooty" routine, & simple dumbbell reps

Thursday - Zumba (600 cals) & testing of Fab Ab February Day 1

Friday - no cardio, but Day 1 of Fab Ab February

Saturday - 3.5 mile trail hike (539 cals) & Day 2 of Fab Ab February

Sunday - 1.66 mile walk/run (250 cals) & Day 3 of Fab Ab February

Monday - 2.3 mile walk (268 cals) & I forgot my ab challenge...

Tuesday - 1 mile walk/run (137 cals) & Zumba (650 cals) & Day 4 of Fab Ab February

So obviously I'm not slacking off in the exercise department. I mean hello? Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows how much I've always detested running. But here I am trying it out lately, and I ran twice in just three days! That's a huge step for me. And you know what? I didn't detest it that much... I was actually surprised with and proud of myself for how much of those walk/runs I was able to actually run. And I  was also surprised with how great I felt afterwards too! I just need to make sure I remember the 'after' feeling, so that I can find some inspiration for those days I'm not too motivated. But anyways, my exercise was pretty good the last week. Right?

This was to prove to Kate yesterday that I did the Fab Ab challenge! We're trying to hold each other accountable.

Now I admit, last week wasn't the best food-wise, but it was still pretty good. I had a few birthday meals and maybe some cake in there, but for the most part I did what I could to stick to healthy-eating. I stayed within my allotted calorie count on MyFitnessPal, and still drank tons of water. And even though I'm not actually on the Daniel Fast anymore, I still try to eat vegan or vegetarian when I can. So usually that means I'm still eating Daniel-Fast-appropriate food for breakfast, lunch & work snacks. Then dinner-time is when I throw in some meat or cheese. 

Basically, I'm just not sure why I'm stuck here at 204...? But I'm determined to not give up! I will not be stuck at this Plateau for another week. I promise you that. Today I'm thinking I'll run a mile right after work, and then do the 30 Day Shred and Day 6 of Fab Ab February. And tomorrow will be zumba again. I'm just going to keep on truckin', and push past this stupid 204! I'm so close to ONE-derland, and I can't wait to get there. I'm so excited to see a ONE as the first number of my weight again. Bring it on baby! Let's do this. 

Feel free to share exercise tips, routines or ideas with me below! I also want to hear some yummy and healthy food ideas! I am always looking for new things to try, so I would love to hear something you've tried yourself and love! 

Purchases, Trips & Cooking - First Things First edition

Hello there ladies, on this slightly dreary Tuesday morning. It's cold and rainy here, and I'm super tired today. Not the best start to my day. But I just gotta suck it up and move on of course. I'm going to tell myself that today WILL be a good day, and then I'll make it a good day. Simple as that, right?! Anyways, today is week five of our First Things First link up with my girl Hallie at Life: Oceanside, so let's get this going! Shall we?! This weeks topics are:

First major purchase on your own, First trip out of the country, First thing I learned to cook

First major purchase of my own
My current laptop! My parents bought me one right before I went away to college in August 2006, and that baby got me through a lot during those four years. My mama got me a pretty, pink polka-dotted skin for her, and I named her Lucy the Laptop. (I like alliterations  remember?!) But then she started to wear down, and she definitely needed to be replaced. So in January 2011, I bought myself a new one! Seems weird that it was two years ago now, because I still consider it to be brand new sometimes. I went all out and got the best I could get (well, the best besides a Mac...) and upgraded her with all the bells and whistles I could afford. I couldn't bear to part with my original Lucy (she still sits in my room, unused in fact), and so my new one is also name Lucy as well!

First trip out of the country

For my high school graduation present, my Mama and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas! We went on Royal Caribbean, to their little private island and to Nassau. It was so much fun with just the two of us, and it was an amazing present for graduation. We went shopping and played bingo, and took a random scrapbook class on the boat one day. We went swimming, a lot, we went to fun shows and games and watched karaoke. We did as much as we could, and enjoyed every minute of that cruise! You can see a whole ton of pictures from it back HERE when I did my Throwback Thursdays to all-things-high school a while back, and here is a collage of just a few :)

First thing I learned to cook

I'm actually not too sure on this one, but I'm going to go with something like pasta salad. And here are a few reasons why I think that: 1.) My mama makes excellent pasta salad, and it's one of my favorite things she makes. 2.) It's one of the easiest things to make. Even for a silly teenager like I was! 3.) Hello, it's pasta. And in case you're wondering, here's a quick 'recipe' for the way me and my Mama make our yummy pasta salad.

Boil 'short' pasta of your choice. We like using tri-colored rotini. (That's the 3 colors of spiral noodles)

Dice up veggies: red & green bell pepper, vidalia onion, black or green olives...

I also add in a can of chick peas (garbanzo beans), and sometimes some pepperoni or cheese cubes. Depends how I'm feeling that day...

Then toss it all together with the pasta, in about half a bottle of Creamy Poppy seed salad dressing and add some salt and pepper to your liking.

What's great about this 'recipe,' is that you can change it up and make it however you really like it. You can add in different or new veggies and things, or make it super plain and simple with just noodles and dressing. Other veggie options could be: yellow banana peppers, cucumber, grape tomatoes, broccoli or corn. And you can add in whatever seasonings or spices  you like! Basically, it can be a kitchen-sink kind of pasta salad, but I guarantee it'll be delicious!

So now, go write your own post on this week's topics, and then come back here to link up with me and Hallie!  And if you'd like to prepare for next week, the topics are:
1. First broken heart
2. First thing you do when you wake up in the morning
3. First high school dance or prom (talk about date, dress, whatever, and share pictures too!)

And share this on Twitter to spread the word, and make sure to put our button on your post as well please!

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Pound Cake, Workouts & Other Happenings

Morning ladies! For a chilly Monday morning, I'm in a pretty good mood. Don't know why exactly - since I overslept and my back and neck were sore when I woke up - but I'll take it! Maybe it's because I'm back here in blog-land, and blogging always seems to make me happy. Last week was fun with all my special birthday posts like: a recap of my 25 Before 25 list, my new 30 Before 30 goals, a fun giveaway, and some random facts about me.

BUT! I'm ready to get back into some 'regular' posts again, and hopefully meet a few more of you lovely followers! There are more and more of you every day, and that just floors me sometimes. So glad you're here! You should definitely introduce yourself if you haven't already, because I'd love to exchange an email or two to get to know you!

So, onto the obligatory weekend recap! Friday night was my shared birthday dinner with my Grandmother, out at my Grandparents house, with our entire family. We had a fun night of dinner, presents, ice cream & cake, and just talking and laughing and sharing stories! We always have a good time together :)

German pound cake my Grandmother made.

Saturday morning, my parents and I went to Maclay Gardens to go on a hike around the lake trail out there! It was quite cold, so I wore two long-sleeved shirts, and a jacket, and I actually felt great. And it really is so pretty out there! I love getting to do some of my exercising outdoors, rather than be stuck inside all the time. Thank you Florida :) We hiked 3.53 miles, and I burned 540 calories! What a great way to start the day. When we got back, I did Day 2 of my Fab Ab February challenge, did some laundry, and got showered. 

I went to pick up Jeff, and we got some special Taco Tueday deal from Tijuana Flatts, even though it was Saturday, and they were so yummy! And I was a good girl and got the 'healthier' options, on a wheat tortilla  and I only ate about 6 of the chips... And then we went back to his house, I packed a cute little box of Valentine's goodies for my swap partner, and then went to the post office to send it off! We hung around his house a little bit longer, then we went up to Backwoods Bistro to meet a couple friends for my birthday dinner! (I was a bad blogger and did not take one single picture there...) Then Jeff and I went back to his house, and he let me pick our Netflix movie, since it was still my birthday week :) I decided on a slightly cheesy-sounding 'rom-com' called "The Decoy Bride," but it actually ended up being super cute, and Jeff even liked it too! (Probably because it was set in Scotland, and the main girl was also the voice of Merida in "Brave" and he loved that movie too!)

Sunday morning was Sunday school, church, and then lunch with my parents, aunt & uncle and cousin at Red Elephant. We had a great time chatting and just being together again! Then right when we got home, my parents and I all changed, and we headed to my high school alma matter right down the road, to hit the track! They walked the whole time, but I did walk/run intervals, and surprised myself with how much of it I actually ran, and how great I felt afterwards! I did 1.66 miles, and burned 250 calories. And I'm pretty proud of myself for that :) Baby steps here people! I came back and did Day 3 of Fab Ab February, some more laundry, and then headed to Jeff's again! We made a trip to Publix for a bit, but most of the day was spent watching more episodes of "Fringe," as usual :)

So once again it was a good weekend. I was able to spend lots of time with my parents and family and my boyfriend! I was also able to eat pretty well, and exercised twice!  And now today, I get to announce that the winner of last week's favorite things giveaway is Breanna! Congrats girl! I just sent you an email to find out where to send your goodies! (P.S. - I used the random number generator thing to pick the winner...) Thanks to everyone who commented and sent birthday love! I really do appreciate it all!

I hope y'all had good weekends as well, and that your Monday is also off to a good start! I'm hoping that this good mood sticks around all day today, and that this Monday goes by quickly! Tootles!

Oh, and today I'm linking up with: Covered in Grace, Sami's Shenanigans, and Synfully Delicious.

Planking in February

Dear Followers: In case you missed it yesterday, I'm doing a simple little 'My Favorite Things' style giveaway. All you have to do to enter is comment on yesterday's post! So go here and check it out :) And thanks to those of y'all who already have! Also, thanks for all the great birthday wishes I've been getting this week - it's been so much fun!

Dear Family: Thanks so much for such a great birthday dinner last night, and all the great presents you got me too! The food was delicious, and you guys really did a great job picking out presents for me! Also, not pictured in the collage below - my parents got me a two-year subscription to "Eating Well" magazine, to go along with my weight loss journey and adventures into healthier eating! Such a thoughtful present!

Sandals from Sis & Bo. Earrings, apron & jewelry box from parents. Watch from step-brother.

Dear Boyfriend: Even though you still don't get to wear the walking boot for your foot yet like we thought you would, and you still have to use crutches and not actually put any weight on your foot -- you do at least get to leave the house a little bit more now. And that makes us both happy! Still praying for recovery...

Dear Fab Ab February: I'll be Planking in February! Not the silly kind where people lay on random crap and post dumb pictures all over social media. The serious kind of planking that gives you rock-hard abs, hopefully. Anyways, you are slightly terrifying and definitely a bit out of my comfort zone, workout-wise. But you know what? I'm going to attempt to tackle you anyways! Who knows if I'll actually be able to do 100 sit-ups and a 2-minute plank by the end of the month, but I'm sure gonna try, dadgumit! Anyone want to join me?! We could all remind and motivate each other!! It's always better with friends.

(P.S. - I did Day 1 last night just to test it out, and it went great. It starts off so dang easy. And it doesn't take too much motivation to do it, because it's so quick! I suggest you at least start this with me, without focusing on the end too much, and just see how far you can get!!)

I wrote it in my new "Health & Fitness" journal I'm keeping, but you can find the pin HERE.

Dear Weight Loss: We've been stalled around the same weight for the last week and a half. I have two more birthday dinner's to splurge a little bit tonight and tomorrow, and then we're kicking this baby back into high gear! I've been fluctuating around 204-205 since last Wednesday, and I'm over it. Goal is to be under 200 in the next two weeks, aka -- Valentine's Day. Let's do this!!

Dear February Goals: I just want to list you out here, to keep me accountable to myself, and to my little blog.

1. Lose at least 8 pounds total, but be under 200 by Valentine's Day (I was 200.5 on V-Day, womp womp...)

2. Read two books

3. Complete every day of the Fab Ab February challenge

4. Run at least four times (I'm a running 'fool' these days!)

5. Try a new restaurant here in town (OK - it was only Earth Fare, but they have amazing food there!!)

Dear Weekend: We will be a bit 'busier' than weekends past, because Jeff can finally leave the house a little bit more! Today after work, I'm picking him up and heading out to my Grandparents' house, for a shared birthday dinner for me and my Grandmother, with our whole 12-Fam. (That means our 12-member family, in case you're confused. That's how we refer to the amount our family involved at any given time, for example - myself, sister, step-bro, mama & papa equals 'The 5-Fam.') 

Anyways... tomorrow morning I'm going on a hike with my parents at Maclay Gardens. I need to finish some laundry, mail some packages and then I"ll head to Jeff's in the afternoon. Then tomorrow night will be a small birthday dinner with some friends at a restaurant here in town! Don't know yet what Sunday holds, but isn't there something big happening? ..... oh yeah, the Super Bowl. Obviously I'm real invested in that. I really did just have to sit here and think about what was indeed happening on Sunday :) Whatevs. 

I hope y'all have had a good week! Mine has been great, but then again it IS my birthday week after all! Happy Friday, and Happy Weekend! Enjoy spending time relaxing or playing or whatever, as long as it's with some people you love and care about. I know that's what I'll be doing!