…love Jillian

Today is my birthday.  The big 31.  And while I mostly still feel like I’m in my 20’s a few things have definitely changed (in no particular order): 

• There was a time (not too long ago) when I could smell my own feet.  That’s right folks; I could get my toes to my nose with no problem at all.  A few weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch with Hubs and noticed that my feet felt a little sweaty (which sort of concerned me since I had just showered) so since they were in Hubs’ lap, I asked him if they smelled.  He made a gross face so I grabbed one of them and pulled it towards my nose only to realize I could only get it a little over half way and in the process made a sound like a 90 year old women had just stooped down and got back up.  I seriously thought my hips might have broken it was so loud!  I still don’t know if my feet smelled that night.
• My metabolism is not coming back.   Like Ever.  It’s a struggle to merely maintain my current weight.  And my love affair with food is growing stronger and stronger year to year. 
• There was a time my biggest “want” was a fun night out and a nice boyfriend.  Now my biggest wants revolve around moving into an actual house coupled with getting Hubs to load the dishwasher and pick up his clothes.
• I’m still not sure what ‘Get your Diamonds Up’ means….
• 4 inch heels are getting less and less comfortable.  And comfort wins out on fashion more times than not….nothing beats a good pair of fuzzy boots and leggings!
• Having a baby has turned into a high priority.  Cause seriously, I’m not getting any younger.  It was only a couple years ago my girlfriend and I joked around about having a ‘community’ baby…now I really want one of my own.

I’m sure this list will grow longer and longer the older and older I get but for right now, I’m hanging on to my youth as long as possible.  Sure I could have smelly feet while wearing fat girl pants but all in all it’s not so bad….

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I have been talking about waking up early and getting my workout on for…YEARS!  I always thought about awesome it must be to get up, get your workout done and not have to worry about it after work or later in the day?  Well, I finally did it.  I did it this morning.  And it feels great!

Usually, I SAY I’m going to get up and then when the alarm goes off I can justify snoozing for about 2 more hours but today was different.  Today, I was at risk of looking like a total flake to a new friend and so when the time came I couldn’t back out.   Yesterday, said friend asked me to get  up and workout at 545 and I was all SURE! I’ll be there!   But in the back of my mind I was thinking…suuuuuuuuuuure I’ll be there (wink wink.)   I’m awful at saying no (Just ask the Alpha Sigma Alpha directory sales women or the young adults selling magazines door to door for inner city kids in Philadelphia even though we live in KC.  I bought both.)

So, instead of flaking out and looking like a total lazy bum I set my alarm and actually got up.  No snoozing at all.  The workout went by crazy fast. Then I had some breakfast, took a quick nap, and lounged around the house for an hour before I finally got moving for work. Which still put me ahead of schedule.

I know I’ve said I’m going to do morning workouts a million times but I might actually make them a regular addition to my week….well, not EVERY day, but maybe a couple days a week!  I feel greeeeat!

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These last couple weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions and craziness.  It feels like every time I get a handle on one thing…another things needs attention.  I suppose that’s just life though.   So here are a few things that have been rolling around in my head the last week or so:

• Work is still hit or miss.  I think I had a pretty decent October; however, somedays my phone barely rings.




• My love affair with Fusion Fitness has taken a little bruising since the remodel (which produced monumental amounts of dust.) I’m super excited for the remodel to be complete and we can get back to taking our shoes off.




• Which brings me to my next topic.  I cheated on Fusion with Crossroads Bootcamp and loved it.  Bootcamp is a closer drive as it’s on the way to/from work so I’m going to use the 12 session Groupon I bought and then make an informed decision as to stick with Fusion or switch to Bootcamp for a while….I can’t (aka refuse) to pay for both.




• Hubs and I had a conversation (well really I talked and Hubs listened) that might have been better had under different circumstances (someone, I’m not pointing fingers here, might have had a little too much wine before said conversation) but the jest of it went like this:  be an active part of our little family (me and our puppies), do some chores once in a while or I’m keeping my townhouse to ensure I will have a place to live when I get tired of cleaning up after him—Sooooo.  Dramatic.  Well, now he’s being super helpful and present and while I love it; I also feel like I might have been a little hard on him…after all, he is my husband and I really didn’t mean to scare him into thinking if he didn’t get over his aversion to loading the dishwasher I was going to leave him.




• (For any boys that read these posts, I apologize in advance)  Earlier this week I was on the receiving end of a Hysterosalpingogram and we found out that all my lady parts are working fine.  (You know, in the baby making department.)  The doctor assured us everything was good and that this particular test had a tendency to raise the likelihood of baby making 10-15 and in some cases 20%….so, with no blockages and a higher likelihood of the baby making stars aligning we have definitely been thinking about what life would be like with a little Bambino in our house.




• Oh, and speaking of babies, I have been hoping for Baby Heide’s delivery this week but the little guy seems to be holding strong inside momma.  So we definitely have something exciting coming up in the next few days!  I cannot wait to meet this little guy!

Only one more day til the weekend. We have a pretty fun few days planned: bday party tomorrow night, game night Saturday, and a quiet Sunday home with Hubs watching football and eating pizza which I’m really looking forward to (the spending the day with Hubs part, not the eating pizza part although pizza is pretty darn yummy and a staple in our household.)

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I mentioned a little earlier that I was mulling over my eating habits.  So I’ve been trying to change a couple things here and there without getting myself all worked up in a frenzy about it.  And what I’ve found is that it’s not really that hard to change.  Eating crappily is more about convenience than necessity and the last couple of weeks have really hit that point home.

            It only takes 3 extra minutes to make oatmeal and eggs for breakfast instead of whipping into the McDonalds drive thru.  And with my handy dandy egg poacher it only takes one minute to actually cook the eggs.  Thanks Mom.  Or Grandma.  I can’t remember which…maybe both.  I’ve actually had the aforementioned egg poacheer since college and 10 years later I’m actually loving it.  

            Morning snack?  Easy.  Almonds in my desk drawer. 

            Lunch is sort of tricky.  I like to eat lunch WITH people.  My good buddy Lisa.  Or Taco Thursday with people from work. Or Hubs.  Seriously, lunch is my weekday social life.  Which makes it quiet difficult to eat “close to the earth” since I like to eat loads of bread at Panera or 5 Tacos at Taco Thursday or vats of cheese dip with Hubs.  So, I’ve been trying to only eat lunch WITH someone once a week.  When I eat by myself the choice is easy.  Hy-Vee produce department (yeah, I know Hy-Vee sounds like a disease but seriously, their ginoramous lunch area is to die for–they have everything!  They have an entire isle full of small prepackaged veggie, fruit, cheese, or fruit/veggie/cheese combo cups prepared daily.  They are super fresh and the perfect size.  Then I grab some chicken or turkey off the salad bar.  And viola!  The perfect healthful lunch.  My favorite part?  They have tons of variety so it’s not just carrots and celery every day.  It’s a long list of things to choose from daily–so it doesn’t feel like I’m eating the same old boring thing every day.  And they are super portable so I can eat them in the car if I need too…and I can get a fruit, a veggie, and a meat for under $5!  So, it WAY cheaper than social lunches….BONUS!  

            Afternoon snack is easy to as I’m usually home by 4 and I can grab something at home.  Or if I’m not going home, I will grab a fruit cup at Panera before Fusion.

            Now, dinner (and all weekend for that matter) is much more difficult.  Let’s just say we have an entire baking dish full of left over spaghetti Hubs made last weekend.  It was delish but seriously, if there is spaghetti in the fridge why would I want to cook something else?  I have such a hard time sticking to the healthful eating when he’s around.  It’s so much easier to just eat what he’s eating.  I’m trying to stand my ground but it hasn’t been easy.    

            Anyway, ”eating close to the earth” is mostly stuff that I enjoy eating anyway.  I like veggies and fruit and salads.  And looking at the ingredients list before putting something in the cart makes a world of difference…at least for me.  Hubs still put the Country Crock Loaded Mashed Potatoes in after he saw the 35 ingredients but hey, who am I to judge? 

            Oh, I’ve been drinking tons more water too.  I’ve basically limited my soda intake to 2 (maybe 3) a day.  Which may not seem like a great adjustment but I used to ALWAYS have a soda in my hand so 3 small sodas a day is a HUGE improvement.

            Now, if I could just figure out how to go to actual restaurants and still make wise food choices this would be a much more enjoyable process!  I’ll keep you updated on that front :)

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• I’m ecstatic that this weekend is Hubs’ Half Ironman.  He’s all trained up and I’m sure he will finish well within his goal.  I know he can do it!  Even more importantly, I’m looking forward to jumping up a spot on Hubs priority list and hopefully I can regenerate some enthusiasm for swim/bike/run in the upcoming off season.  This summer was a lot of waiting around for Hubs….




• Work is a roller coaster of good and bad days.  One day is super busy with tons of orders and the next my phone is lucky to light up with an arrival of another ridiculous twitter by @chunkhandler.  Seriously, that dog is funny.  Thank you Chelsea Handler!  Or should I say @Chelseahandler since hashtags are the new cool.




• I’ve been thinking a lot about my eating habits recently.  I read the book “Food Rules” by Michael Pollen and am in the Middle of “This is Why You’re Fat” by Jackie Warner—these people bring up some valid points about how I’m making the wrong food choices.  Basically, both of their philosophies go a little something like this:  Eat as close to the Earth as possible.  And Jackie has a special emphasis on avoiding sugar (since it’s in practically everything we eat.  She says not to eat any food with more than 5g of sugar except for fresh fruit.)  This is basically the same as eating close to the earth because avoiding processed chemically altered foods only leaves food from the outside isles of the grocery store anyway.  I’m contemplating adapting these food philosophies into my daily eating.  Oh, and Jackie says you get two treat meals on the weekends as long as you eat “clean” for 5 days…I’m still kinda mulling this over a little bit though.  Do you know how much I love Tostitos?




• I’m super excited for one of my girlfriends to get home from her cruise…hopefully engaged or not but either way–we need to talk!




• Tyson has really started to wear on me in a way that makes me want to sew his butt hole closed. What is it with this dog pooping in the house?  Nothing gets your day started off on the wrong foot than a big steaming pile of dog crap in your kitchen morning after morning.  He’s quick too.  I don’t even miss him when he sneaks downstairs during the 15 minutes its takes me to brush my teeth and throw on my clothes.  I don’t understand how one dog can be so clueless…or maybe brillant. 

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So, I have a ton of topics that need to be discussed, none worthy of their own post so here they are:

• I purchased the Laser Hair Removal Groupon a couple weeks ago but cannot get up the nerve to actually make the appointment.  I mean, I hate needles — I cried like a baby when I was forced to take an additional measles shot when I was 19 (yeah, I know laser treatment isn’t NEEDLES but I’m just trying to give you a measuring stick for my pain tolerance.  It’s low.)  So, now every time I think about calling and making my first appointment I immediately get sweaty and nervous.  I think Hubs is gonna have to go with me….isn’t that why women get married?  So, they have someone to drag along on scary (albeit elective) appointments?




• Fusion is working.  I know it.  I can feel it in my legs and butt and shoulders and abs.  And I’ve noticed that every time I think I’m building up some sort of tolerance to the level of Fusion I’m doing there is a more advanced modification; and so begins the pain all over again.  I think that is why I love it.  When I started the only parts that got sore were my back, abs, and shoulders.  But the stronger I get the more deep I can feel the exercises.  It’s like a light goes off and I can finally understand what the exercise is SUPPOSE to feel like and I feel like such a dumbass because I’ve been actively participating in the exercise without being able to tell which part it was suppose to be working.  Maybe it’s because I wasn’t strong enough to work the parts intended or maybe it just takes a bit of practice.  Either way, it’s working.   I can tell–even if the scale doesn’t agree with me….




• Hubs and I’s relationship feels good.  We are as happy as we’ve ever been.  Or at least I am.  It’s amazing how putting a little bit of distance (aka independence) on things makes such a big difference.  I feel like I’ve owned the things I want to be doing: Pilates, reading, school, running, and not worrying so much about our schedules lining up.  Which in turn has basically put the urgency on him and he responded right away!  I felt the shift immediately and I have to admit…it feels kinda good




• Our finances have been locked down.  Hubs got his allowance and he finally seems to own the amount.  Before, he would qualify purchases (food, drinks, snacks, exercise, misc crap) item by item and day by day whether they fell in the allowance or debit card category.  But now, EVERYTHING falls in allowance and it makes a difference since I do’t have to log in to see what he’s spent before we go to dinner or something.  The Carter Family has two major financial priorities right now:  paying down bills and buying a house.   I think if we can keep up this pace we will be out of debt and living the American dream in no time; although I’m not sure the 2.5 kids fit in our plan so we might just have 1 or 2 (depending on the sex of the first one) and let Juls/Bret have the our extra 1.5/.5–then they can have an even 3 or 4.  That sounds easier than trying to have ½ a kid…I hope Juls and Bret appreciate our generosity!  

Oh, and since you brought it up—kids.  We’re working on it (and that’s all I have to say about that)

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So, this morning I got up and my legs were super sore from last night’s Fusion. Which would normally invoke abandoning morning workouts and waiting til the evening but when I let the puppies out it was cool and overcast—the perfect running weather. So, what did I do? I got my running shoes and went for a quick two mile run before work. Let me say that one more time for those of you in shock, I went for a quick two mile run. Yes I went running. By myself.
         I’m not sure what has gotten in to me. I’ve been wanting to run ever since the weather turned cooler (which I suppose is only a few days but still…) and finally getting out there felt really good. My Garmin watch was dead so I don’t know exactly how long it took me but even if it was the slowest 2 miles of my life I’m still happy I did it.
         Speaking of running, I decided (all by myself with no pressure from Hubs) to run the KC Half Marathon again this fall. I was really proud of myself for running it last year and I think I owe it to myself to do it again. The training plan is fairly easy—just a few short runs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; so it’s not overwhelmingly hard or long. So, we’ll see how that goes….
          Oh, and I went to Fusion again tonight–now my legs AND butt are killing me. I think that means it’s working…

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Dear Fusion Fitness,

           I owe you an apology.   On Friday while I was packing for my weekend getaway I thought I would try on a pair of shorts that could previously only be button under extreme strain to the stitching (you know, just to check my progess) and I was pleasantly suprised when they zipped right up without any struggle!  At that moment I was so proud and appreciative of your efforts to get my butt back in shape….

          But then…..the weekend happened.   The wine, the pan fried chicken, the bread pudding, the bacon cheese burger, the strawberry cheesecake, and the Senor Tequilas complete with a margarita that was so salty it made me wish I had a bone saw to cut off my wedding ring this morning. 

          When I woke up I was moving a little slow (a product of a long weekend I suppose) and contemplated skipping class this morning but I didn’t and you practically killed me.  Last week, I was only moderately embarrassed at my ability to keep up (the progress I was making was worth the embarrassment) but this morning was a whole other story;  I would have done anything for a magic trap door to open and inconspicuously lower me down into the floor so your other (more disciplined) clients wouldn’t have to listen to all the grunting and sighing as I tried my best to hold a simple plank…   

           Just so you know:  I’ve learned my lesson.  I will never take 4 days off AND eat crappily again…I promise.  Please forgive me?  How long are you going to punish me?  I know what I did was awful and you can’t just forgive and forget but I promise to show you that I didn’t mean it and I promise not to behave so badly again.  Please.  I would like to get things back to normal….maaaaaybe by the end of the week if at all possible?   

Anxious to fix our relationship,

Jillian

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Over the weekend we went to Hermann, MO and enjoyed the wineries.  We did 4 different tastings and Hubs got a little silly.  IT was so much fun!  Our bed and breakfast was super cute and the lady who owned it was so sweet and prepared a super delicious breakfast!  Oh, and let’s not forget the massages.  We met tons of cool people and ate lots of good food.  Hermann is the perfect getaway for a quick vacation.  We left Friday and came back Sunday morning…leaving America’s Birthday for our families. 

            We started at Hubs’ parent’s house.  We ate Brats, beans, and delicious rhubarb dessert.  Then we headed to my parents for roast, potatoes, and gravy!  So much good food!  After dinner, we had a Wiggans family Yahtzee tournament and the Yahtzees were definitely flowing…we had a great time sitting on the deck, playing with the new puppy, and watching fireworks.  (I didn’t really enjoy the fireworks but my family did and I think they got a couple good laughs watching me jump every five minutes.)  

            The weeknd was full of everything Hubs and I love.  Traveling, family, and food….last 4 days have been really fun but a little rough on Operation 20lbs.  So, I’m kind of excited to get back into the regular weekday schedule that starts with a killer workout at Fusion Fitness.  The Fusion workouts kick my butt every morning and while I’ve only been going for a few weeks I can already tell a difference and I’m getting very addicted.  It’s amazing how a little exercise coupled with smaller portions can make such a difference.  Unfortunately, I think Hubs might be picking up my slack since everytime we eat I put whatever I don’t want on his plate…and he eats it.  I’m afraid Hubs is gonna need a few extra workouts just to compensate for the extra bites he’s eating off my plate.  The good news:  I’m no longer eating Hubs bite for bite….yay!

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         The last couple weeks the universe has been screaming the words, “Hey, missy, you’ve gained a few (noticeable) lbs.” 

          First, my mom took me shopping.  She bought me shorts and tops and more shorts.  Her exact words as we were in the dressing room, “Now you have clothes that fit.”  While I tried to argue my old clothes fit fine, she pointed out that I wear the same stuff over and over and even that stuff is too tight.  So, I graciously thanked her for the new comfortable clothes and happily loaded them into my car.  (Sidenote: the new clothes are much more comfy than my old ones—but let’s not tell the whole world.) 

         While we were checking out, my mom and I were having a typical mother daughter exchange.  You know the ones, the ones where mothers suggest you do stuff (like finally throw out all those zeros you will never wear again) and daughters argue that moms don’t know stuff (like I might get back in those zeros if I completely stop eating and spit into a cup all day like a high school wrestlers cutting weight before the big match; “the big match” being my life.) 

          During my rebuttal the checkout lady chimes in to the tune of:  WHO WAS A ZERO?  YOU WERE A ZERO?  GIIIIIIRL, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN EATING?”  Seriously lady?  Was that entirely necessary?  Mom just giggled.  I shook my head.

         Then, the nail in the weight loss coffin:  I stopped to visit an old account.  I hadn’t been there since I left my last job back in February–the first words out her mouth?  “You’re Preggers??!?!?”  No, but I have several pregnant friends so maybe I’ve just gained sympathy weight?  They of course, laughed and said marriage was agreeing with me….

         Anyway, I’ve made the decision to lose the extra pounds I’ve put on eating queso, French toast sticks and pizza.  I’ve talked to my good buddy Erin and she talked me through the basics of what I should be eating and how to make them weight loss friendly for me but still delicious for Hubs because there is nothing like a healthy tasting meal that makes you wanna scarf down an entire pizza AFTER you’ve already eaten all those healthy meal calories…not that Hubs and I know from experience or anything. (wink wink)

          So, this is my declaration to the world:  By the end of the summer I will be 20lbs lighter.  I guarantee it.  No one (or at least me) should ever be asked if they are pregnant until they are ACTUALLY pregnant.   Queso doesn’t taste THAT good.  I’m just saying….

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