Starting 2013 off RIGHT

So, tomorrow is it... the last day of 2012.  I get up, go to work, spend the evening with friends and wake up in a new year.
I may try to stay up and ring in the new year but it would be difficult... I have a 5k to run in the morning.  At 9am.  And it's an hour away. Oof.
Oh well.

Today I went grocery shopping and restocked on all the healthy stuff I need.  Then I made a giant pot of stew in the crock pot to allow me to eat well for lunch the 4 days I work this week.  Then I worked out, and worked on flash cards for AFAA Primary Group Exercise and my TurboKick classes.

I paid bills and worked on my budget.  I updated my calendar.  I got my eyebrows waxed.

I taught an awesome, intense, sweaty hour and fifteen minutes of Zumba.

I ate a delicious dinner and FroYo with my best friends. We watched football and hung out.

I finally feel like I've got things in hand.  I have a plan and I'm working the plan and it's working for me.

In the new year I'm doing a couple of cool things.  First up DietBet!

Roni - who I adore - is doing a DietBet with her readers and the internet at large.  It's awesome! I'm totally stoked. And scared.  12 pounds is a lot for me to lose in a month.  I'm going to do my damnedest though! I WANT TO BE IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE!

Then,  Dani - who is on my long list of newly developed girl crushes from FitBloggin - over at Weight Off My Shoulders is doing a Progress Not Perfection challenge - 8 weeks, track all the things, be accountable to everyone else.  I'm excited about that too. I always do better when I feel like everyone is watching my every move.  This is going to be good for me.

Also, I'm adding in TurboKick. Sentao and Toning classes in to my schedule on a weekly basis now.  I will be getting to use all my certifications/licenses  I'm even hoping to get Hustle back on the schedule in the next month or so.  Just something fun and different to switch things up.

The most important thing is that everything is being done on my terms.  I'm taking control and I'm making decisions and I'm not letting myself be second fiddle to anyone.  Not at work, not in the fitness world, not at home.

One of the biggest lessons for me in 2012 is that I sabotage myself by being too nice and not making waves. I avoid confrontation and am afraid to hurt anyone and that's great, it's who I am and it's part of why people like me... I'm a big old softie...but it also lets me get walked on.  I need to be more forward and honest and forthcoming.  I've been working on it for the last few months and I'm getting more confident in it.

I'm ready to get through tomorrow and wave in 2013 with a smile and a rocking time on my 5k.

What are YOU doing to get 2013 started off on the right foot?

Simplifying Schedule and Fitness Goals

In order to simplify my life in 2013 I have been looking at ways to ensure I don't do silly things like double book myself or schedule classes that overlap by 5 minutes anymore.  Enter - iPlan on my iPad and iPhone.

I looked at a number of different applications on the iPad and iPhone to keep my schedule straight.  I hate just using my Google or Apple basic calendar because they do silly things like import everything from Facebook and it gets cluttered and annoying.  I am no good at keeping up with a physical calendar and, really, I don't need anything else to put in my massive purse.

I really like the sleek look at this calendar app and I like that I can bring in my Google or Facebook events with ease and make the go away just as easily.  It's just a very friendly application.

It's also very pretty!! 

So here's the break down of my January in terms of my workout schedule.

Week 1 - 5k, 5 Zumba Classes, 1 TurboKick class.
Week 2 - 9 Zumba classes, 1 Trio 'Commit to Fit' Master Class
Week 3 - 11 Zumba classes, 1 TurboKick class
Week 4 - 11 Zumba classes, 1 TurboKick Class (1 Turbo and 1 Zumba in Feburary.)

So total? 1 5k, 36 Zumba classes, 3 TurboKick classes and 1 Master Class.

Oh, and one of those Sunday's will actually be replaced with Aqua Zumba training.  As long as there are spots open when I try to register on payday.  So I'll be minus 3 Zumba classes in week 4.

And somewhere in there, I will do other short runs and learn choreography and practice choreography and live my life outside of Zumba and do my full time job.

I am so excited about 2013.  I plan on using all of my speciality licenses.  I'll get Aqua and Gold and I'll use them as often as I can.  I'm hoping to pull Hip Hop Hustle back out too, try it out in some of the new locations to see if it will take off.

I'm going to do my best to balance my load and work smarter, not just more often to share the Trio Fitness love!

Gimmie Fuel...

My mom, brother, and niece and nephews sent me the coolest Christmas present.  A Nike Fuel Band.

You see, a year or so ago when I was looking at various tools for tracking activity I glanced at the Fuel Band but ultimately decided on the BodyBugg (which I love!).  Still, I liked the social aspect of being able to compare and go head to head against people on the Fuel Band and I LOVED the look of the band itself.  I was considering buying one in the next few months - when I reached my next goal.

No need, now! Thanks, Mom!!!

I love this little bangle on my wrist! It's the White Ice band and it's SO PRETTY on my wrist. It looks like jewelry from afar and all techno cool up close.   Then, when I click the button to check on my stats, the colors are so bright and pretty that I'm all OooOoo!

Today is only day 3 with it on and I haven't yet worn it for a normal workout but I love the instant feedback and it's one of the more friendly smartphone interfaces I've dealt with as of yet.  Tomorrow when I go to teach class we shall see how I feel about it.

I really like using it in conjunction with my BodyBugg.  I can't wait to see the comparison between what the two read during my workouts.

I think it's also kind of cool that I got it during a break in my hectic schedule.  This way I know what my Fuel should look like on a typical rest day versus a normal workout day versus my heavy workout days.  I like being able to see the difference.

Food, food and more food.

Needless to say, while I was on vacation and newly off my soft food diet I ate a LOT of food.  Some of it was just stuff I missed while I wasn't allowed to eat it - like a bagel! BUT some of it was stuff I just can't find/get here at home.

Let's start with lunch on day one in DC.

Ben's Chili Bowl.  Located a little off the beaten path in DC this place was SO WORTH the extra walking to get here.  After having walked all of Arlington Cemetery we were HUNGRY and this place delivered with gigantic servings and gigantic taste. 

Ben's Chili Cheese Fries

 Marshall and I split this... we couldn't finish it.  Matt took one for the team and finished these off.  Along side the delicious chili cheese fries I had a chili cheese burger and Marsh had 2 chili dogs.  Everything was delicious, fresh off the grill and so bad for me.  Worth it.

The other great thing about the place?  The sign behind the counter that says People who eat for free: Bill Cosby, President Obama and family.  Everyone else pays.  It made me giggle.  I wish I had gotten a picture of it.

On a slightly healthier note - the three of us hit up a tapas bar called Jaleo's for dinner after we hit the Natural History Museum.

Here's what we ordered:

• Pan tomate - toasted sliced of rustic bread brushed with fresh tomato with fresh cheddar
• Cana de cabra - soft semisweet goat's milk cheese paired with raisin walnut bread and fig jam
• Ensalada rusa - salad of potatoes, imported conserved tuna, and mayo
• Flamenquines - traditional pork meat filled with iberico ham and cheese breaded and deep fried
• Chistorra envuelta en palatable frita - slightly spicy chorizo wrapped in crispy potato
• Patatas bravas - potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli
• Croquetas de pollo - traditional chicken fritters
• Pimientos del piquillo rellenos de queso - seared piquillo peppers filled with goat cheese
• Endibias con queso de cabra y naranjas - endives, goat cheese, oranges and almonds

Endibias con queso de cabra y naranjas, Ensalada rusa, and pimientos del piquillo rellenos de queso

It was all flipping AMAZING.  I mean, damn.  The waitress said to order 3-4 tapas per person in order to ensure everyone was full.  We struggled to get the last two eaten.

My favorites were the cana de cabra, the ensalada rusa, and the flamenquines.  The cana ce cabra was just such an interesting dish.  The cheese was delicious, the fig jam was bold and sweet and the walnut bread was just drool worthy. The ensalada rusa was one I wasn't sure I wanted to try but the combination of the fresh tuna, cold potatoes, peas and the delicious red sauce on top was just mouthwatering.  I would eat just that as a meal it was so good.

As for the flamenquines - holy crapballs.  It was the last dish brought to the table and it was just not fair how tasty it was.  Warm, salty, meaty, the cheese was gooey and the flavors just melded so well.  Honestly, it was worth the 18$ we paid for it.

This was only the second time I've ever done tapas and I'm loving it more and more.  Can't wait to try it again!

On day two of vacation we played our food choices on the traditional side. Starbucks for breakfast, lunch was Potbelly's sandwich shop and dinner was at a Red Robin on the way home.

Potbelly's was a new place for me and I loved everything I ate - a small chicken and cheddar sub on wheat loaded with veggies, a cup of baked potato soup and a bag of PopChips.  I would LOVE to have a Potbelly's here in town! I don't do subs very often but if I had a Jimmy Johns or a Potbelly's I think I would.

Red Robin was a bit of a memory lane moment.  We stopped at the Red Robin near Potomoc Mills.  I spent a good amount of time there with my theater friends during my first 3 years of high school.  I had a delicious burger, we shared onion rings, and I nommed on a hot fudge sundae for dessert.  It was a good stop... and the memories in that place were good too!

As you can tell - I didn't stay on plan very well while on vacation.  I ate all sorts of things I shouldn't have but... it was worth it and I regret nothing.

So now that I'm getting ready to go back to work tomorrow, and I've weighed in, I'm getting back on track by cooking and prepping all of my meals for the work week.  Woohoo!

Vacation!

This past week was my sabbatical week from work.  5 days.  No work.  Ahhhhhh.  Of course, that meant the week before I was working twice as hard to be ready for leaving everything at the office for the week.  I did it though.  I left the office on Friday the 7th and shook it off and went about doing stuff that wasn't work related.

My vacation started off with a day of even harder work.  TurboKick Instructor Training with Mrs. Fatass.  That's right... now not only are we Zumba instructors... we're TurboKick Chicks also!

Now... it was no picnic.  That training was BRUTAL.  Amanda, the instructor, had no mercy and we moved almost constantly for the whole 8 hours.  Ouch! And used arms in a way I am so not used to.  I woke up Sunday and I couldn't lift my arms for all the punching we did.  Totally awesome though.

Sunday was the last Trio Fitness Sunday for the month and we rocked out TurboKick and then I taught Zumba while Sue did Zumbatomic.  Then my 75 minute class at the Y.  Then I wanted to crawl in to a hole and let my arms and legs fall off... and I got to start my real vacation.

Monday was a chill day, prepping for travel and going to pub trivia with the guys.  Awesome times were had.

Then the real fun began.  2 days in the wilds of Washington, DC.

Marshall, Matt and I went to DC and totally did the tourist thing.  First up?  Arlington National Cemetery.

This was not my first trip to Arlington, but I am always shocked at the sheer immensity of it.  The fields of fallen servicemen.  JFK's gravesite and the Tomb of the Unknowns still give me chills.  It's just... moving.  I'm glad we got to go again.

Matt riding the metro for the very first time. He was this adorable the whole time.

After lunch, which we will discuss tomorrow, we did the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.

I laughed at this sign for like an hour.

Then we took a nice walk, had an AMAZING dinner and got ready for day TWO of sight seeing.

From afar at sunset.

 Day Two started with a waking tour of the monuments.

Closer, during the day.

World War II

Lincoln Memorial

 This was a big thing for me.  I walked all of those steps and I didn't stop and I didn't feel like my ankle was going to break.  That felt AWESOME.

Vietnam Memorial

Vietnam Memorial Wall

The White House

 Then it was on to the American History Museum.

Julia Child's kitchen!

KERMIE!!

 A quick break for lunch with our friend Todd then it was on to the National Air and Space Museum.

Our friend Todd at lunch.  Looking like an adult!

Coming back home was hard.  Firstly because we walked about 10 miles a day and our feet and legs hurt and sitting in the car wasn't fun but also because there was so much more I wanted to see.  The National Art Gallery, the Holocaust Museum, Library of Congress, the White House.  We're going to make another trip in the spring to see more!

Oh! Hi! Long time no see!

Sorry for going dark for so long there.  Real life snuck up and bit me on the bum! THEN I went on an adventure and now I'm starting to get my life back on track so that I can get through the end of 2012 without too much drama.

So, when last we spoke - I was going on my soft food diet to try to heal up the swelling in my jaw from TMJ.  That went as well as can be expected.  I spent the 10 days I lasted feeling bloated and still not truly full.  My jaw did wind up feeling far better and now I'm far more aware of what I put in to my mouth and how it makes my head feel.  Such a weird thing to have to take in to consideration.  Will this make my jaw angry?  Some times the answer is YES! Yes, it will.  But it's tasty and I want it so Imma eat it anyway! Most of the time though I'll pass on the steak and go with something easier to chew now.

I miss steak. A lot!

I also promised to share the funny ENT story.  So -

While sitting in the ENT's office, in what is actually an OB chair since the office is set up in an old OB office and I'm leaned back and the doctor is staring in to my ears and Hming and ahhhhing as he takes stock and is jotting down notes.

Then he starts talking.  "Have you heard about this book, Wheatbelly?"

I told him I had not and he begins talking about how it's based on this study that due to changes in wheat over the generations that, even in people who don't have a wheat allergy, the human body can react in a weird way that causes more abdominal fat to be held on to during weight loss.

I nodded, he held my head still and kept looking.

Then I started thinking... he's talking about weight loss while looking in my ears... are my ears fat?  What is so interesting in my ears that he picked NOW to talk about this book which has changed his view on how he eats.  WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY EARS?!???!!

He then just started talking about weight loss in general.  How hard it can be but he knows that anyone can really reach their goals if they want to.  That because of Wheatbelly he plans on going wheat free after the new year once all the partying is done.

I get it, dude.  I'm fat.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY FREAKING EARS??????

He then spends a few minutes poking the sides of my head and having me open and close my mouth and looking at my nose and throat.

I told him, that's awesome that he's making those changes.  I tried going wheat, grain, gluten, carb free in different combinations and it didn't work for me but I've lost 200 pounds and am doing just fine without this new miracle cure. That since my thyroid is in check, I'm good.

"Oh! You do have a thyroid condition."
"Yep, Hashimotos."
"Well that explains the lack of ear wax."  *crickets* "You see, your ears itch because you don't make enough healthy ear wax."  Oh! An answer! Awesome!
"Also, your ears are totally healthy... you just have TMD or TMJ.  Read this material and go on a soft food diet for two weeks.  Then talk to your dentist about your cross bite."

Oh... good... answers.

But are my ears fat?  Someone tell me my ears are pretty?  Please??!?!?!?

Up next - posts on vacation, vacation food, an awesome Zumba Master Class and The Hobbit!

Adventures in cooking...

Today I went on a bit of a cooking expedition.  And OW my hands hurt.

Since I'm on this soft food diet, I decided to make some hearty, comforting, soups to get me through the next week and a half.  Here's what I made -

Kristen's Potato Leek Soup - This is OMG good.  Hearty, warm, creamy and very easy to follow instructions.  This made about 6 cups of soup.  I can't wait to eat it topped with just a touch of cheese.

Crockpot Sweet Potato Basil Soup - This is, honestly, a bit overwhelming.  This is not something I can really eat as a soup - the basil is extremely overwhelming and it's hard to eat more than maybe 1/2-2/3 a cup at a time.  Very filling though.

Winter Root Vegetable Soup - This is the soup that tried to kill me.  In peeling and chopping all of those root vegetables I developed a blister on my right index finger which then POPPED while finishing up the chopping.  This is a very hearty soup that tastes extremely earthy.  The celery root really comes out a lot in this.  This was a little hard for me to do the splitting of the soup and blending and recombining was time consuming but worked.

Also cooked this weekend was a giant pot of baked potatoes.  Tomorrow Marshall is going to finish baking the sweet potatoes for me.

I also bought apple sauce, pudding, ice cream, hot cereal, oatmeal and all the fixins' for my Shakeology shakes.  I am going to defeat this soft food diet if it kills me.  And it might.

Last night Matt and I went to see Skyfall and I really wanted something sweet.  I wound up eating M&Ms one by one by holding the M&M in my mouth, cracking the shell and then tonguing it and sucking on the chocolate.  I WANTED THOSE FREAKING M&MS!

I keep trying to look on the positive side of everything and I know this is going to help boost my weight loss but I don't like it.  I want a steak, or a hamburger, or a slice of pizza. SOOOOOOON!

Also, the countdown to vacation starts NOW! 5 work days between me and my vacation. WOOHOO!