This is what I do

(This post talks about body image and my body struggles.  I am just giving you a heads-up!)

Yesterday was a pretty typical day at the gym.  In case you haven't read my About me section, I manage and personal train one of the fastest growing franchise gyms in the country, SNAP FITNESS.

I love my job.  Don't get me wrong, there are better days than others, but overall I love to get up and go to work each day.  There are SO MANY people who don't have the first idea about what to do a t a gym.  They are my favorite members because they are like a blank canvas.  It is so fun to watch them learn and ask questions and look to ME for advice.  It is still very humbling after 3 years. 

Although, I train and am at the gym all day it is still hard to get in a good workout. I do get interupted at times, but it is part of the job.


My workout today:
Single leg squats to a bench. 4x12
Asst. pull-ups 3x12
Squats as low as possible with bar with shoulder press 4x10
Flat bench chest press 4x10
Decline situp/twists 4x10.


Being someone with an overweight story, I feel like the women especially can connect to me on a better level.  I am a petite woman, so at first new members/clients think "you have never had to worry about what you eat!"  OH CONTRARE!  I have and do. 

My mindset has definately changed over the past year.  I REALLY struggled with being at the BEST SHAPE of my life and it hurt my body in the process.  I had the ultimate figure athlete body with 13% body fat and chiseled muscles. The PROBLEM with that is fugure athletes are at the peak of their shape at competition time, I was at the PEAK for months.  It wreaked havoc on my body and hormones.  I started going to therapy and since have COMPLETELY changed my thinking.  The decision to change was made easy by the decision to try to get pregnant.  I didn't want to be pregnant and NOT be healthy myself.  How could I carry a healthy baby?? 

After months of getting to a healthy weight, adding body fat and scaling back lifting weights once a week (I still get to run thank goodness) we started having...wait for it....UNPROTECTED SEX!!!  That's right.  6 months and nothing happened. I mean nothing.  No period, no pregnancy.  NADA.  That's when we decided to go to the R.E. to figure out what the heck was going on.  Our R.E. established my hormones were not up to par. 

It has now been 8 months and today I will finish my last round of Clomid.  I am nervous about this time working.  I know there are women who have been struggling twice as long as we have and I commend them highly for it.  It is an emotional roller coaster. Let me tell ya.

Thanks to my new friend Kate, whom I have a lot in common with, I decided to write a post about my previous struggles.  Only a handful of my friends and family know about my previous struggles and now our difficulties getting pregnant.  When the day of conception occurs, I will tell them about this blog.

Thanks for reading IF YOU WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH IT.  Some serious stuff on today's post, but I feel 10x better getting it out.

Have a blessed day and Cross your fingers for Kate and Benjamin!!!!

Competitive maniac

Well hidey ho neighbors.  I hope your weekend went well.  We finally got some sunshine here in Tennessee.  It has been raining it seems like forever.  All of that rain can really do a number on your mood, let me tell ya.  I think in the past 2 weeks the sun was out all of 47.5 seconds.  Just enough to stick his tongue out at us. 

Yesterday and today though, the sun has been brightly showing his smiley face and he brought with him Mr. FALL!!  The weather for the week is going to be 65-70 degrees.  I got to wear a long sleaves to the gym this morning.  Yippee!  Fall, how I love you. 

This weekend, I had to work at the gym for a few hours.  On Saturdays when I work, Clint comes with me and workouts or gets in the computer.  I love the fact that he can come to my work with me.  Even though I might be training clients or working with members on the machines, just to have him there is a great feeling.

We stopped by Wal-mart to pick up a few things for my mom's birthday on Sunday, then went home for a little of this.

That's correct.  Alabama Football.  Clint is a big fan and has been since he was little.  So as a proud supporter of my husband, I am a pround supporter of RTR (Roll tide Roll).

No don't let me stray you from the truth.  I really don't like football much.  A few years back, when I was in the process of getting my Masters in Athletic Training, I worked with a collegiate football team.  In that season,  I learned what happens before the game (taping, filling up water), on the sidelines, and after game clean-up.  NOT FUN!!  It left a bad taste in my mouth!

Clint and I love to do things together.  He loves football.  So, I wanted to learn to tolerate it and maybe like it again. 

I am a very competitive person.  Not only with other people but with myself.  I want to push myself to be the best I can be at things.  I don't talk the trash that is associated with being competitive, but I do get very ill and frustrated when I am not winning. 

Because of this trait in my character, each week Clint and I bet on NCAA games and NFL games.  That way I am involved in his hobby and I have something to aim for. 

The last two weeks I have LOST!!!  arg!!!  So I had to plan meals for dinner each night.  That might not seem like a big deal, but I am also extremely indecisive.  Clint just decides and either I lay it out for him to cook or I cook when I get home. 

Yesterday it came down to 1 game and I was sure that I lost yet agin for a 3rd time.  After further review of the games and out "bet sheet", we saw that I WON!!!!  Yippee skippy!

Of course, we hadn't came up with a wager as of yesterday.  I have decided what Clint is going to have to do this week.  This was hard to come up with since he is pretty much ok with doing whatever around the house, but his LOSING self is not going to be completely excited about CLEANING BOTH OF OUR BATHROOMS!  DUN-DUN-DUNNNNNNNNNN.

Are you competitive???

Do you and your significant other or family compete in things?

Meet my family

Get ready for some mush. This is the love of my life!  Clint is the best man I have ever met and  is a God-send.  I truly enjoy spending as much time as possible with him because it is never a dull moment.  Funny thing we really didn't care for each other when we first met and after. We were cordial and friendly.  He thought I was high maintenance and I thought he was a jerk.  We tolerated each other.  That is until I moved back from grad school.  (dun dun dunnnnn)  He had just bought a house and we were going to be roommates.  God had a different plan for us and opened each other's eyes.  We were counselors at church camp and you know how camp goes.  If you don't or never went to camp when you were younger, at camp you usually had that one person you flirted with the ENTIRE week and "promised to talk" after you left.  Well, in most instances, that doesn't pan out.  In our case, it delayed my moving into his house until a year and 8 months later after we were MARRIED.  It really is true what they say about "when you least expect it, it will happen."  It jumped out from behind the bushes and got me. 

Some ball game.  Not sure which.  He is one fine specimen!  Bow-chica-wow-wow

One of my BFF weddings this past summer.

1st year Wedding Anniversary.

Clint's 1st love.

This is Daisy. She is 6 years old of Ms. I think I am the queen of the house, but isn't because mama is!  She is still too cute though.

Bella.  Our intellient daughter.  How smart does she look?!?!  Looks aren't deceiving she has one blue eye and one brown.  Such a beauty.  We got her off of Craigslist. When we went to pick her up, the owners had her so skinny you could see her ribs.  No lie.  She was scared to death and it took us 30 minutes to get her to come out from behind the couch.  She is still skiddish around people, but around us is the most loveable animals.

That is our family.  We are very happy, but would be even more happy with some or even just one new family member.  (wink wink)

Let's play a game

Well HELLOOOOOOO (in my best Mrs. Doubtfire voice) I love that movie.  Anywho, since this is a brand new blog, I thought I would play the 20 question game with myself.  So without further ado.  Ready, set, play.

Whats your middle name? Marie

What are you listening to right now? One of the soap operas is on in the background at the gym.
What was the last thing you ate? A nature's valley dark chocolate trail mix bar.
Last person you hugged? Clint
How is the weather right now? Cloudy and 78 degrees
Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Clint
What is the first thing u notice in the opposite sex? Face of course
Favorite type of Food.  Mexican
Do you want children? YES please!!!
Hair color? Auburn
Eye color? Hazel
Do you wear contacts/glasses? Thankfully not yet
Favorite holiday? Christmas.
Favorite Season? OOOH.  Um well Summer probably.
Have you ever cried over a girl/boy? Yes.  I am a crier.
Last Movie you Watched?
What books are you reading? Simply Scandalous By Carly Phillips and All I need is you by Johanna Lindsay
Piercings? Ears and belly button
Favorite Movie? Steel Magnolias.  I can watch that movie everyday if possible!
What were you doing before filling this out? Vacuuming the gym.
Any pets? Beautiful dogs.  Daisy, a white with brown spots ( and belly freckles) Jack Russell and Bella, a silver and white Siberian Husky.
Favorite Flower? TULIPS!  I want to got to the Tulip Festival in Hollandone day.
Have you ever loved someone? I love too easily sometimes.
Who would you like to see right now?  I always want to see Clint.
Have you ever fired a gun? Yes, a shot gun.  (at cans in the woods)  I am a serious gun slinger!
Do you like to travel by plane? I don't mind it.
Right-handed or Left-handed? Right
Do you have a tattoo? No, for 3 reasons.  Scared of needles, not decisive enough to pick one I like, and THEY ARE PERMANENT. (if you have one more power to you and I think they are beautiful works of art, but not for me!)
What is the wallpaper on your cellphone? Clint holding Daisy on his chest kissing her head. So adorable.
First thing you thought about when you got out of bed this morning? Already??!?!?!?
3 Things you can't live without? Clint, my cell phone, books
What are you afraid of? Failure 
Whats your favorite color? PINK
 What did you want to be when you were a kid? Pediatrician

I hope you enjoyed this get to know me game.  It made me think, that's for sure. Do you know what you like???

Love: What does that mean?

Happy Hump day!  Wednesdays are always good in my book because it means the week is on the downward slope.  I start looking forward to the weekends and spending QT with my hubs. 

Driving to work this morning, I saw a marquee with the phrase Life without love is like Fall without leaves.  That really struck a cord in me.  I drove the rest of the way to work and thought.

It is so true!!

Fall is an amazing season, with all of the vivid colors of oranges, reds, yellows, and browns, the smells of cinnamon, pumpkin, and apple pies, the comfort of sweat pants, hot chocolate, sweaters, and blankets.  Fall is such a comforting season.  But without the changing of colors and falling of leaves, Fall can't happen.

I started to reflect on the phrase I saw and what it meant to me.  Love is everywhere.  Or better yet, it SHOULD be everywhere. 

I love God.
I love my husband.
I love my family and friends.
I love my health.
I love our dogs.
I love shoes and handbags.
I love vegetables and fruit.
I love our boat and the lake.
I love my job.

I could go on and on.  I won't bore you with EVERYTHING I love. but you get my point.  I love so many things, but love takes on many meanings for me.  Even though I love a boo-coodle of stuff, each love is different.

 I love God first and foremost and He has blessed my life so much.  I love my husband second and God could not have provided a better man for me.  (I love you Clint!)  My family and friends have ALWAYS been there for me and the love I have for them goes very deep.  Loving shoes, handbags, food, exercise and whatnot is part of me as well, but I COULD live without them.  I could be content without stuff.  Would I want to??  um....not necessarity, but I could if I had to.

Love in my life is built around people.  People that I know love me unconditionally.  It doesn't matter what I look like, what I eat, or how many miles I run.  People in my life love me for who I am.  Words cannot describe the happiness and contentment that comes with true love in your life!!

Life=LOVE

Who do you love??
Could you be happy without "stuff"?

 

Background check

Hey there Mr. Tuesday.  Nice to see you.  I have been thinking about all kinds of posts to share.  I can't write them down fast enough.  I have so many ideas.  Since I am new at this, I thought I would give you a little background on my me. 

I have a B.S. in Excercise Science and my Certification in Personal Training.  I have always been athletic, playing HS volleyball and softball.  I was privileged enough to receive a partial scholarship to play college softball all 4 years. 

 After that little tidbit, you wouldn't think I was overweight and unhealthy. WELL, I WAS.  I topped the scales at 172lbs and at the ginormous stature of 5'2, that is not little and petite.  The funny thing is that I never knew I was overweight.  I ate what I want, whenever I wanted and was content with that. 
It wasn't until my sophomore year of college that my best friend and teammate wanted me to start running with her.  UM....really??  Running???  Can't we do something else?  We started out and I hated it!! I looked forward and prayed times when she didn't feel like running.  Thanks God.  That summer, I continued to run and lost some weight and started to feel better.  hmm interesting.

During the next school year I maintained that loss or gained a few pounds which was fine, but each summer after that I lost weight by running and watching what I ate.  I became more confident and conscious of what I was putting in my mouth. (i.e. sonic blast and chili frito pies WOW!)

Long story short,  it has been 7 years and about 57lbs since I started this healthy lifestyle change.  I couldn't be more thankful for my friend L and her encouragement and pushing me. 

There have been moments of backtracking and moments of obsessive exercising and calorie restricting, but I have finally found a balance to my life and to my health that I am comfortable with.  I love exercise of all kinds (running especially) and eating healthy.  I plan to live this way for the rest of my now happier life.

Where did Saturday and Sunday go?

Our weekend was jam packed.  Early that morning, 5:30AM to be exact,Clint left to go unload boxes at our church for Angel Food.  For those who haven't heard of it before, I will enlighten ya.  This is from the organizations website. "Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States." Our church has been associated with this ministry for a few years.

Meanwhile, I was getting ready for a 5k run.  I run with a client of mine once a month in a 5k.  This keeps her motivated and focused on a new goal each month.  We started this 3 months ago and each time she has beat her PR.  I am so proud of her.  The best part of running with her each time is seeing her sprint off in the end.  To see her face at the end is my reward to running with her (even if it is raining)!!

Clint and I met back at home. I showered as fast as humanly possible, got ready and then we were out the door.  We went to a 30th surprise birthday party for a friend at church.  He was TOTALLY surprised and not dressed for the occasion.  They had to get him there somehow and saying he was shooting basketball was it I suppose!
I was STARVING by then since I hadn't had time to eat since about 6am that morning. It was 1:30 by then!!!  Note to self.  GRAB A BAR AS YOU ARE RUNNING OUT THE DOOR NEXT TIME AND STOP BEING STUBBORN B/C THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE FOOD AT THE PARTY AND YOU WOULD RATHER WAIT AND SEE!  whew!  I snacked on some veggies from a veggie tray, this teeniny roll and piece of ham and some green beans.  The cake they had was white cake with whipped icing.  I am not a face of whipped icing.  Give me some buttercream please!  The party was small but full of fun conversating.

There was a couple hour break in our fun packed Saturday before we left for the Nashville Predators Pre-Season hockey game.  WOOT WOOT for Hockey season.  We have partial season tickets and each year I enjoy them more and more.  When Clint and I started dating I knew zippo-nada-nothing about hockey except they fight a lot.  That first year I missed quite a few goals because I was people watching.  Call me crazy, call me nosy, but I LOVE to people watch!  It is a great past-time for me.  I know I am not the only one!  The Preds won 3-2 and there was a great fight that ended with a KO 1, 2, 3 and a stretcher.  Serious blows.

Sunday started with fruit cutting that we were taking to our Sunday school class that morning.  Church was enlightening.  I love the fact that I have been to churhc all my life, but you still are able to learn things and see something new out of an story you have heard since you were in the nursery. 
We were not able to partake in the fabulousness of my fruit cutting skills, because we left to pick up our niece and head to our other niece's 2nd birthday party.  So cute is she.  Talk about ALL GIRL.  Pink dress and pearls.  SHE IS 2!!  A girl after my own heart I tell ya.  Food, fun, and flag-football was had. SIDE NOTE: Clint totally dominated in the flag football game.  He was so excited about "breaking some guy's ankles".  Football jargon for all those non-knowing folk.  I didn't know what that meant, so here is the explanation.  It is where a player goes one way, then breaks real quick-like to go the other direction faking his opponent out.

We hightailed it home 20 minutes before 15 people were coming over for a small group get together.  basically every Sunday we get together at someone in the groups house, eat, then do a devotional/discussion and some singing.  These always lift my spirits and start out the week on the right foot.  We finally got to have a relaxing weekend last night about 9pm.  This g-ma's bedtime is about 9:45pm.  TALK ABOUT A SHORT WEEKEND!  It was fun though.

My first post!

Hi everyone.  This is my first post.  I am not going to lie I am nervous about this blog.  I have been following blogs now for a few months and I kept asking myself why I haven't started one.  As you will learn, I am a crazy obsessive list writer. I make lists for to-dos, grocery shopping, cleaning chores, pros/cons, you name it, I have made a list. I used to write them on pieces of scrap paper.  I would find (and still do) lists in purses, in my car, or random places.  I have then moved to Google Tasks.  Such a lifesaver and treesaver too.  So, after that derailing thought ( I do that OFTEN) I made a list of reasons why to start a blog and reason not to.

Reasons not:
1. Do I really want people (random people) to read about my life and all that happens?
Answer-Well, sure why not.  I like being nosy of other people's lives.
2. What would I write about?
Answer-Who the heck knows.  We shall see.
3. Would people follow?
Answer-To be determined I guess.

Reason to:
1. I can record my life and all the crazy things and thoughts I have.
2. This is my blog and I can write about WHATVER I WANT.
3. I can give some useful advice about weight loss, fitness, and a happy marriage.
4. If people don't follow, at least I can always have this piece of my life recorded.
5. Why not?

Ok, so the reasons to list outweighs the reasons not.  Neither one carries much poundage, but this blog is all mine.  I can write what I want and people can choose to follow or not. 

So welcome y'all!!!