Rachael
Friday, August 31, 2012
Relocating!
The blog is moving! I'll be posting here from now on - follow me on over if you want! See you there...
Thursday, August 30, 2012
P90X Review From a Chicks Perspective...
I'm on day 43(ish) of P90X, this is my second time around - first time actually trying to stick to the diet.
Here are a few thoughts pertaining to this whole P90X thing...
Weight Lifting or In Other Words, Will I Turn Into a Muscle Chunk?
The weight lifting videos are golden. The variety of moves is really great and makes it nearly impossible to not get a good workout in. You have to make a conscious effort not to burn calories to do this without feeling it. Tony Horton talks about the concept of "muscle confusion" which works as a great selling point because it sounds snazzy and cool - like Tony made a hip discovery and you should really listen up. The reality is that because of the variety in the exercise regime your muscles are being forced to work in different ways promoting strength, toning/growth depending on the weights you use and if you diet properly - fat loss. The variety also helps prevent a plateau or in basic terms - it prevents your muscles from getting bored.
These workouts are great for tightening, toning and building muscle. For those women who are worried about "bulking up" - the short answer is that you won't. Women's bodies are simply not designed to gain as much muscle as a man's so it's basically impossible to end your 90 days looking like a viking warlord unless you're on steroids. The long answer is that although you won't turn into Van-Helga, you must still pay attention to what you're eating if you want significant changes. The first round of P90X I paid no attention to what I ate and ended up feeling very...heavy. I gained weight in muscle but didn't feel like I lost much fat at all which was disappointing, diet is important.
Cardio:
Plyometrics is crazy...that stuff is not for the faint of heart. If you have knee issues, you might wanna hang this one up. It's intense and burns some major calories, my perspective is that if you can make it through Yoga and Plyometrics then you can do this program. Every single cardio workout is worthwhile. I have a few I really don't care much for...I honestly can't stand the Kenpo video, besides the fact that it almost always falls on a Saturday, I can't help feeling like a spaz 90 % of the time. It's a humbling experience. They're worth pushing through though and modification is always a good idea if you can't tackle the whole thing - just push through what you can and make choices that will avoid and prevent injury.
Diet:
This is tough. The results you get with P90X and with any workout really are 20% exercise and 80% diet.
I cannot stress enough the importance of clean eating in getting results with this thing...
It really is hard to break the bad eating habit, it's also difficult to avoid crappy foods given the fact that America isn't exactly known for it's healthy diet choices. The basics you need to keep in mind are as follows: unhealthy food is addictive. If you constantly eat it, you'll constantly want it. Breaking that addiction is done the same way you would break any other kind of addiction, you avoid it. Sometimes weaning yourself off is easier, but for me I had to cut it totally. Sugar is my biggest area of struggle so I eat natural sugars, fruits, honey, agave nectar and stevia but processed sugar is totally out for me at this point. Since I'm allergic to wheat, staying away from basic carbs wasn't and isn't that difficult. If I want carbs I can have oatmeal or brown rice and have the complex carbs portion of the diet covered, that being said I can definitely see how this portion of the diet would be tough for someone accustomed to chowing down on pastas and breads. You just have to knuckle down and commit to the diet for a 4 week period and you'll see some changes that will motivate you to stick with the program.
Random Tips:
Avoid the scale. Please...stay away from the scale. The mindset should be to focus on inches mainly, not how much the scale moves on a daily basis. That won't do anything but depress you because of how much it can change after one meal or a night of sleep. Weight fluctuates too much to depend on in a brief span of time.
Take time to focus on your food. Since your diet is going to be strict, make sure you're investing enough time in it to keep you interested and willing to stick to it. You're allowed to get creative and enjoy the process of learning to make foods that are good for you. This is about changing your lifestyle more than it is about deciding to just "be fit" for 90 days. You have to commit to fueling your body with healthy foods but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them. That reminds me...yummy recipe for a chocolate milkshake coming up.
Be consistent. Don't allow yourself to do certain things before you work out if that's what it takes. Stay consistent with your exercises and don't skip days. One day turns into two, three, ten.. it just gets harder to hit play again from that point on. Life happens, work, friends, parties, babies being born in your dining room... I know, but keep in mind that exercise is good for you not just physically but mentally as well. It's a wise choice, don't put it off.
My Stats:
I've lost a solid inch around my waist in the last month, I've gone from being able to do 2 or 3 push-ups to doing 25+ without a problem. I feel better, I don't get headaches every day now from sugar deprivation (the first two weeks were awful, terrible withdrawals from processed sugars), my calves have gained a quarter inch, my thighs have lost the same amount.
Also, there are now veins that pop out in my forearms and hands. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about that last thing. Still processing. I'll get back with you...
I'm totally up for questions, so if you think of any send me a message or comment and I'll do my best to answer!
Rae
Round of applause, please.
The first thing that popped in my head to say about P90X is that dieting is hard. Food isn't the most important thing to me, I wouldn't call myself a real foodie, but I've discovered that I really have a thing for sugar. And butter. And chocolate. Those things don't fit into Tony Horton's idea of nutrition and since I've committed to doing this thing, it's my job to do Tony's bidding. From not smashing my face to avoiding Coke, Tony's word is law.
Here are a few thoughts pertaining to this whole P90X thing...
Weight Lifting or In Other Words, Will I Turn Into a Muscle Chunk?
The weight lifting videos are golden. The variety of moves is really great and makes it nearly impossible to not get a good workout in. You have to make a conscious effort not to burn calories to do this without feeling it. Tony Horton talks about the concept of "muscle confusion" which works as a great selling point because it sounds snazzy and cool - like Tony made a hip discovery and you should really listen up. The reality is that because of the variety in the exercise regime your muscles are being forced to work in different ways promoting strength, toning/growth depending on the weights you use and if you diet properly - fat loss. The variety also helps prevent a plateau or in basic terms - it prevents your muscles from getting bored.
These workouts are great for tightening, toning and building muscle. For those women who are worried about "bulking up" - the short answer is that you won't. Women's bodies are simply not designed to gain as much muscle as a man's so it's basically impossible to end your 90 days looking like a viking warlord unless you're on steroids. The long answer is that although you won't turn into Van-Helga, you must still pay attention to what you're eating if you want significant changes. The first round of P90X I paid no attention to what I ate and ended up feeling very...heavy. I gained weight in muscle but didn't feel like I lost much fat at all which was disappointing, diet is important.
Cardio:
Plyometrics is crazy...that stuff is not for the faint of heart. If you have knee issues, you might wanna hang this one up. It's intense and burns some major calories, my perspective is that if you can make it through Yoga and Plyometrics then you can do this program. Every single cardio workout is worthwhile. I have a few I really don't care much for...I honestly can't stand the Kenpo video, besides the fact that it almost always falls on a Saturday, I can't help feeling like a spaz 90 % of the time. It's a humbling experience. They're worth pushing through though and modification is always a good idea if you can't tackle the whole thing - just push through what you can and make choices that will avoid and prevent injury.
Diet:
This is tough. The results you get with P90X and with any workout really are 20% exercise and 80% diet.
I cannot stress enough the importance of clean eating in getting results with this thing...
It really is hard to break the bad eating habit, it's also difficult to avoid crappy foods given the fact that America isn't exactly known for it's healthy diet choices. The basics you need to keep in mind are as follows: unhealthy food is addictive. If you constantly eat it, you'll constantly want it. Breaking that addiction is done the same way you would break any other kind of addiction, you avoid it. Sometimes weaning yourself off is easier, but for me I had to cut it totally. Sugar is my biggest area of struggle so I eat natural sugars, fruits, honey, agave nectar and stevia but processed sugar is totally out for me at this point. Since I'm allergic to wheat, staying away from basic carbs wasn't and isn't that difficult. If I want carbs I can have oatmeal or brown rice and have the complex carbs portion of the diet covered, that being said I can definitely see how this portion of the diet would be tough for someone accustomed to chowing down on pastas and breads. You just have to knuckle down and commit to the diet for a 4 week period and you'll see some changes that will motivate you to stick with the program.
Random Tips:
Avoid the scale. Please...stay away from the scale. The mindset should be to focus on inches mainly, not how much the scale moves on a daily basis. That won't do anything but depress you because of how much it can change after one meal or a night of sleep. Weight fluctuates too much to depend on in a brief span of time.
Take time to focus on your food. Since your diet is going to be strict, make sure you're investing enough time in it to keep you interested and willing to stick to it. You're allowed to get creative and enjoy the process of learning to make foods that are good for you. This is about changing your lifestyle more than it is about deciding to just "be fit" for 90 days. You have to commit to fueling your body with healthy foods but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them. That reminds me...yummy recipe for a chocolate milkshake coming up.
Be consistent. Don't allow yourself to do certain things before you work out if that's what it takes. Stay consistent with your exercises and don't skip days. One day turns into two, three, ten.. it just gets harder to hit play again from that point on. Life happens, work, friends, parties, babies being born in your dining room... I know, but keep in mind that exercise is good for you not just physically but mentally as well. It's a wise choice, don't put it off.
My Stats:
I've lost a solid inch around my waist in the last month, I've gone from being able to do 2 or 3 push-ups to doing 25+ without a problem. I feel better, I don't get headaches every day now from sugar deprivation (the first two weeks were awful, terrible withdrawals from processed sugars), my calves have gained a quarter inch, my thighs have lost the same amount.
Also, there are now veins that pop out in my forearms and hands. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about that last thing. Still processing. I'll get back with you...
I'm totally up for questions, so if you think of any send me a message or comment and I'll do my best to answer!
Rae
Once Upon a Time, in My Dining Room...
A lot has happened in five days, for instance - a baby was born in my dining room at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning.
No big deal.
Bethany and Luke made the wise decision to flee the storms Isaac would bring along. They came and stayed with us in Atlanta, just in case the baby decided to come and they lost power or worse.
Well, come he did.
They were prepared for a home birth, midwife and all and thankfully the transition to another state didn't prevent plans from running smoothly. Mommy and baby are doing fantastic, and I currently have an infant in my house to cuddle and hold. Win, win? I say yes.
Anyway, not interested in much blogging this evening - a little preoccupied for obvious reasons. I just wanted to prepare you for the impending baby pics coming up and share a bit of the joy in my home right now.
Oh, my.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Baby Bump
I love babies, the smell, the feet, the hands, the little dimples...
I think babies are the only things on earth that can own some major rolls, I know I can't. It's good to have a clear self-image.
So - to continue my story, I have a very, very dear friend who unfortunately lives about 6 hours away from me. Last year, I went on a spur of the moment trip to Ireland to photograph her wedding. By spur of the moment, I mean I had two weeks notice. It was awesome.
Bethany and Luke got married at Waterford Castle which is about two hours outside of Dublin, we stayed in the castle the night before the wedding which was totally surreal.
Then we drove around the Irish countryside and walked on beaches and visited pubs and listened to street musicians, and then we all rode around on magical unicorns. Joking, obviously - but we might as well have, it really wouldn't have been a stretch.
I think babies are the only things on earth that can own some major rolls, I know I can't. It's good to have a clear self-image.
So - to continue my story, I have a very, very dear friend who unfortunately lives about 6 hours away from me. Last year, I went on a spur of the moment trip to Ireland to photograph her wedding. By spur of the moment, I mean I had two weeks notice. It was awesome.
Bethany and Luke got married at Waterford Castle which is about two hours outside of Dublin, we stayed in the castle the night before the wedding which was totally surreal.
Then we drove around the Irish countryside and walked on beaches and visited pubs and listened to street musicians, and then we all rode around on magical unicorns. Joking, obviously - but we might as well have, it really wouldn't have been a stretch.
Here are some pictures of their wedding, last September.
She's pretty gorgeous.
I was standing in my bathroom getting ready for work when Bethany texted me to let me know she was having a little one. I think I dropped my phone four times before I could actually calm down enough to answer her.
This child is going to be ridiculously precious.
Naturally I wanted to take some maternity pictures for her but despite all of my best efforts I couldn't make it down to see her until yesterday.
I think we barely scraped by because August 23rd happened to be her official due date.
I'm so, so glad it worked out to do this shoot...
Get a load of the cuteness
Absolutely precious. Can't wait to meet that little blessing...
I'm off to find an infant to cuddle,
Rachael
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Closet Talks & Crunchy Toes
Sometimes I wander into my closet and bump into shoes and belts and forgotten skirts (I don't do well with skirts) and I draw a blank.
Sometimes I feel like outfits purposefully hide from me.
I'm no moron... I know what's up.
Anyway, the dilemma reached the point of being ridiculous a few weeks ago so I decided to do something I should have done a long time ago.
I pulled out every shirt, skirt, jean and ballet flat I own. I then proceeded to mix, match, pair, reevaluate and take picture after picture after picture of the outfits I pieced together in a full length mirror. I then loaded all of those pictures into a file on my computer, so I have somewhere to turn when I walk into my closet and feel like I'm looking into a black abyss.
Doing this has helped me so much. It took a good 4 hours all said and done, but if you take into consideration the amount of time wasted floundering around in your closet for something that might "work" it is well worth the investment.
I just finished doing this with my sister a few days ago and it was a really fun way to spend an afternoon - good company and multiple opinions on whether stuff is cute or not always helpful.
Also, Pinterest. Definitely Pinterest.
It helps to look up stuff that you already have in your closet instead of just pinning fantasy items, lots of nifty ideas.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Totally shifting gears here...
I buy tennis shoes new, it's not a rule of mine necessarily...it just seems like if you're planning on using them you deserve to own a brand new pair of tennis shoes, call it motivation to earn 'em.
That being said, I have had years, and years and years of bad tennis shoes experiences. Crunched toes, smooshed feet, blisters and the ever present obvious fact that tennis shoes just aren't that cute. Also I operate about like a two year old when it comes to keeping shoes clean. White tennis shoes just don't work well for me, at all.
So I found these. Ignore the fact that they look sort of huge...I have substantially large feet. Anyway, white tennis shoe problem? Solved. Crunched toes? Not anymore. Blisters? Not happening.
Unfortunately new shoes don't fix the fact that I'm a crummy runner. They did however, serve as a great catalyst for a bonding experience for Brad and I. He apparently didn't realize until yesterday after prolonged periods of time spent staring at my twiggy little ankles that they are severely pronated, bless him. He loves me anyway.
I like this aspect too...
Not bad, huh?
xoxo,
Rae
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Christmas Time is...Not That Near.
I like Christmas.
I like traditions.
I like the fact that every single person invited to a Christmas party feels compelled to bring homemade fudge.
I don't like what that fudge does to my waistline. Stupid sugar and butter. Darn you.
I like Zebra Cakes dolled up to look like Christmas trees. I'm a 10 on the classy scale.
I can't eat those anymore due to a tragic allergy to wheat I seem to have developed, but they weren't great for my waistline either.
I like handmade ornaments and the way Dean Martin croons Silent Night.
I even thoroughly enjoy the process of botching up our yearly gingerbread house endeavors.
On that note... remember Leah? One year, all six of us kids worked for hours on a gingerbread mansion - pretty much any kind of candy you can think of was painstakingly plastered to the walls and roof of that house. The whole creation was a gorgeous mass of swooping swirling sugar and Christmas.
And that kid ate it.
I kid you not. Our gingerbread house slowly disappeared over the course of a week, one bite at a time.
At first it was a mystery, but finally we caught the little munchkin at it. She waited until everyone had gone to bed and then toddled into the kitchen and to the top of a stool to load up on peppermints, icing and twizzlers. I can't prove anything but I'm pretty sure she stockpiled whatever part of her harvest couldn't stomach at the time in a forgotten diaper bag. Again, I can't prove it...it's a gut instinct. I'm also fairly certain Olivia was a behind the scenes accomplice.
Anyway, I digress. There have already been conversations in my family, not many, but the beginnings of bubbling discussions regarding Christmas gatherings, who is claiming what date for parties, who is heading up gift exchanges, you know the drill, and it's August. I want so badly to just enjoy the impending holidays, from the crisp in the air and the celebratory buzz that begins in October to the cozy internal warmth December ushers in.
But that's where I start to lose focus.
I inevitably get so caught up in planning how to have a good time in three months, that I forget to enjoy right now. That tendency to forget to be thankful for today? That is the number one way I create regrets. I forfeit the blessing I've been given in having today by focusing on things far away.
So here are the facts...
It's the 21st of August. The mornings are cool, the evenings are cool, the afternoons are hot. Today the sky was the most gorgeous shade of deep summer blue I've seen in a long, long time. It is the perfect weather for grabbing a quilt, a book and if possible an inviting field.
If you figure out how to literally grab a field, please let me know how that goes.
I'm making conscious efforts to seize the day, and by that I mean enjoy where I am. Soak up today and appreciate it for what it is. Let the planners plan, I'm sure I'll get sucked in and become a key participant at some point, but for now I am enjoying August.
Trust me, I'll get my Christmas on when the time is right.
I like traditions.
I like the fact that every single person invited to a Christmas party feels compelled to bring homemade fudge.
I don't like what that fudge does to my waistline. Stupid sugar and butter. Darn you.
I like Zebra Cakes dolled up to look like Christmas trees. I'm a 10 on the classy scale.
I can't eat those anymore due to a tragic allergy to wheat I seem to have developed, but they weren't great for my waistline either.
I like handmade ornaments and the way Dean Martin croons Silent Night.
I even thoroughly enjoy the process of botching up our yearly gingerbread house endeavors.
On that note... remember Leah? One year, all six of us kids worked for hours on a gingerbread mansion - pretty much any kind of candy you can think of was painstakingly plastered to the walls and roof of that house. The whole creation was a gorgeous mass of swooping swirling sugar and Christmas.
And that kid ate it.
I kid you not. Our gingerbread house slowly disappeared over the course of a week, one bite at a time.
At first it was a mystery, but finally we caught the little munchkin at it. She waited until everyone had gone to bed and then toddled into the kitchen and to the top of a stool to load up on peppermints, icing and twizzlers. I can't prove anything but I'm pretty sure she stockpiled whatever part of her harvest couldn't stomach at the time in a forgotten diaper bag. Again, I can't prove it...it's a gut instinct. I'm also fairly certain Olivia was a behind the scenes accomplice.
I mean...look at those two. Guilty is written all over their faces.
Anyway, I digress. There have already been conversations in my family, not many, but the beginnings of bubbling discussions regarding Christmas gatherings, who is claiming what date for parties, who is heading up gift exchanges, you know the drill, and it's August. I want so badly to just enjoy the impending holidays, from the crisp in the air and the celebratory buzz that begins in October to the cozy internal warmth December ushers in.
But that's where I start to lose focus.
I inevitably get so caught up in planning how to have a good time in three months, that I forget to enjoy right now. That tendency to forget to be thankful for today? That is the number one way I create regrets. I forfeit the blessing I've been given in having today by focusing on things far away.
So here are the facts...
It's the 21st of August. The mornings are cool, the evenings are cool, the afternoons are hot. Today the sky was the most gorgeous shade of deep summer blue I've seen in a long, long time. It is the perfect weather for grabbing a quilt, a book and if possible an inviting field.
If you figure out how to literally grab a field, please let me know how that goes.
I'm making conscious efforts to seize the day, and by that I mean enjoy where I am. Soak up today and appreciate it for what it is. Let the planners plan, I'm sure I'll get sucked in and become a key participant at some point, but for now I am enjoying August.
Trust me, I'll get my Christmas on when the time is right.
My poor husband.
I'm out,
Rae
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Sisters
This is my sister.
For the sake of being fair...
here she is again.
I have to be honest though... the first picture is a better representation of my ding-bat, sweet lovely sister Sarah.
Guess what?
I got more. This, too - is my sister.
We have a tradition that involves birthdays and very odd hats. More on that on a later date. Maybe.
Again, it's necessary to be diplomatic...
This is Olivia. She's on the right.
She also answers to Sweetums, Peanut and, like most of us - Ding-bat. We all answer to that one.
Hey, want to know something cool?
I'm not done.
There's more....
Get a load of that eyebrow.
Here she is again...
This is Leah. Leah is a doll-baby.
I can't tell you enough how thankful I am for my sweet, crazy, loving sisters.
They are precious.
They're my friends and my comrades.
They take silly to a whole new level, reference the above images...
I would say they're graceful but Sarah is recovering from a torn ACL because she decided to try ball like the Harlem Globetrotters, Olivia somehow coerced a folding chair into collapsing onto her finger which put her and her mangled hand in the hospital and I'm pretty sure if all of the members of my family got a nickel for every time Leah stepped on our feet we would be sittin' pretty within a 36 hour span.
Loving? Yes. Graceful? Not a quality we can claim.
The only black eye I've ever had was self-inflicted. I walked into a pile of concrete reinforcement bars.
My sisters giggle with me and cry with me.
I'm thankful for my sisters.
Random fact, I changed the diapers of the last two. Thankfully I've been spared the experience of changing my older sisters diaper.
So far.
She may get old and senile and require some attention one day, but I'm counting on being too far gone to be of any use. Lord willing.
There are two brothers smooshed between all this estrogen, they'll get some attention later, but for now - can I get an amen for the blessing of sisters?
- Rae
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