It doesn't hurt to ask, RIGHT?

This month I decided to only buy 15 visits because I am going to be out of town for a week and I thought 4 times a week and 3 times one week to boot camp would be plenty. I was wrong, I am just three days into my boot camp and wanting to do more. I honestly do not dread going to boot camp. This week I have been going at night due to work, being out of town, etc. Yesterday, I asked Whitney about the fusion fitness classes they offer and asked her if they would be good for me. She said specifically that the Boot Camp on the Mat would be especially good for me since it is low impact. Unbenounced to me Niki G offers additional boot camp classes that is included in the unlimited package. I thought the unlimited package only included the boot camp fitness courses. Glad I asked, ha! I plan on going to the Boot Camp on the Mat on Thursday of this week. I will let you know how it goes. You are probably wondering what boot camp on the mat is - per the website it is a yoga boot camp which includes stretching and strengthening to tone and tighten your entire body. This should be interesting, I have never done yoga before. Boot camp on the barre is another fusion class that is offered at Niki G's fitness. This class is a body sculpting workout on the barre. I hope to try it out in the future.

Everyday at boot camp I learn something new. Yesterday when we were doing our cool down I actually listened and comprehended what Whitney was telling the new members (how to breathe, to point your toes a certain way to get a good stretch). It really made a difference! I am sure she said the same thing on my first day but I was so nervous I didn't hear her. Wonder what else I will hear new today??

I have a confession.. I have not been tracking my food like I should. I have still been eating healthy but not tracking like I need to. I have not been drinking enough water.. I have been drinking probably 50 oz and need to drink at least 64 oz. Actually probably more. Also, I have not been able to go to weight watchers the past two weeks. Last week I had a doctors appt and this week I had a meeting that I could not miss. To be honest I am frustrated with my weight. My clothes feel better and people can tell I have lost weight but the scales sure do not show it. I am thinking about using the calorie tracker provided by Niki G. I am going to really do weight watchers and track every bite starting now and see how I do this week. I have always been a really slow loser. I did get on the scale this morning and had lost 1 1/2 LBS from last week. I will continue to keep my head high and not worry about the scale...its the size that matters. RIGHT... :)

15.7 INCHES!

I am amazed at the results of just one month of boot camp. From the measurements that I took I lost 15.7 inches. This month I chose to measure other places of my body to see how much I lose in other areas of my body (neck, calves, thighs, arms). The bulk of my loss was around my waist, I lost 8 inches. I checked and rechecked to make sure the tape measure was correct and it is. Also, yesterday was test day at Niki G's boot camp. The test includes a timed mile, and number of sit-ups and push-ups we can do. I started off running but Whitney told me that I was to walk because of my knee. I am sure I will appreciate that later but I really wanted to run just to compare from day 1 of boot camp. I walked the mile in a little over 16 minutes which is not good, but I plan to work on that and hope to do it in 14 minutes by the end of the month. I am not a fast walker. I would rather run than walk fast. On day 1 of boot camp I did 4 sit-ups. Guess how many I did yesterday? 20!!! and I feel like I could of done more and on day one of boot camp it was nearly impossible for me to do 4. I am so impressed with myself! My goal this month is to really work on push-ups. I still was only able to do 1 yesterday. Tomorrow I weigh in at weight watchers. I hope to do well but I am trying not to focus on the scale..The inches mean more to me :)

Goals of the month:
Walk a mile in 14 minutes
Do more than 1 push-up
Eat Clean
Walk or do some type of cardio on days I do not go to boot camp.

Trip to the doctor!

Last Thursday, I had my doctors appointment due to my knee pain from boot camp. Long story short, the doctor told me no more boot camp for 6-8 weeks because I needed therapy to strengthen my core and hips to help my knees stay aligned properly. I explained to the doctor this was not going to work. I told him I have not been this motivated in years and I had to go to boot camp. Is there seriously anything I could do?. He explained to me he didn't think I was going to hurt my knee worse; however, I am going to continue to have the pain. He suggested for me to talk to my trainer and see if she would work with me. He said I should not be running, lunges, squats, or any jumping. I am very frustrated but am hopeful that it will all work out. I will be doing therapy twice a week so hopefully that will help too! Guess I will truly have to stick to my motto. NO PAYNE NO GAIN!!!

I am planning on going to boot camp tonight! I stayed with my parents last night and really didn't want to wake up at 3:30 to drive to boot camp. I will be there tonight though!!

Boot camp + Birthday = ice cream cake for me :)

Monday was my 28th birthday and it could not have been more perfect! I started the day off with boot camp! This week is my 4th week of boot camp. I honestly cannot believe it has been almost 4 weeks. I am honestly feeling better about myself both physically and mentally. For some reason, boot camp is always a dream to me. I cannot even remember what we did Monday. I remember it being hard and where I stood in class but no idea what we did. When I got home, I showered and then layed down with Melonee for about 30 minutes. I just love cuddling with her. Jennifer came to pick up the girls from the weekend and brought me chick-fil-a..my favorite. After having breakfast with my family, I went to work. While at work, Greg walks up with flowers which caught me off guard. I was thinking who in the world would be sending me flowers. I looked and it was a co-worker who I have known for maybe 3 months. She also took me to J. Alexander's (one of my favorites) and got me a purse! TOO MUCH!!! I have to tell you what I ordered at J's. I got the pork tenderloin with orzo and wild rice. Also, we had to get the queso dip. After lunch, my boss told me to go home! I was excited to actually spend some time with my family and Alice. Me, mom, and Alice went to TJMAXX while dad mowed my yard!

When we got home from our shopping adventure, Mandi was preparing dinner for my family and close friends. She is so thoughtful! The menu included a balsamic salad with homemade sour dough croutons, stuffed pork tenderloin, and orzo and wild rice. I loved it even though it was very similar to what I had for lunch. She also got my favorite (Dairy Queen) ice cream cake and yes I had a piece and hope to finish it off tonight. I was very excited that several of my friends were able to come to make my day even more special. I hope to post pictures later.

Father's Day Weekend FUN!

Dottie Kate relaxing with dad on Father's Day :)

This past weekend was filled with lots of excitement and family time. My brother-in- law Ryan Florida (it is necessary to clarify the last name since I have 2 brother-in-laws named Ryan) had to have his appendix removed. It is a running joke that I must marry a Ryan. We shall see, ha! My sister obviously with two little ones was not prepared. I received the phone call about 20 minutes into my Friday afternoon nap (the first nap I have taken in a very long time) and knew I needed to get up to rescue my sister.. Luckily, the girls were with Ryan's mother; however, she did not have any milk for Dottie. I drove to Murfreesboro to get the everyone clothes and milk for the babies and stopped by Anita's to drop Dottie's milk off and grab Jennifer a plate. Jennifer asked me to keep the girls Saturday and Sunday so she could take care of Ryan. I decided to keep the girls at Jennifer's on Saturday because I needed to help her get her house ready to put on the market. The realtor was scheduled for the following Tuesday to do pictures and the house was definitely not in shape for pictures. With the help of mom and dad, we were able to get the house ready for pictures. When Ryan woke up, he couldn't believe all that we accomplished.

Sunday, I had a wonderful day with celebrating father's day with dad, mom, Melonee, and Dottie! We stayed around the house for the majority of the day and then we got the girls dressed up to take pictures. We went to the agriculture center and Scarritt Bennett. We also, stopped by Las Paletas for a popsicle. Melonee loved the popsicle's, we got four different flavors and she ended up trying them all over and over!!!

Feel the BURN!!!

Yesterday was good day! I actually lost .6LBS. Not too much, but it is better than none! I have always heard its better to lose slow than fast and I am in this for a lifestyle change not to get skinny over night. I do want to give a shout out to one of my besties KARA..she lost 4.8LBS at weight watchers this week. That is amazing. I have never lost that much in a week. When I used to go to WW with Alice she would frequently lose that much..Congrats KARA!!

I actually just got back from lunch..Can you believe I ordered fruit...FRUIT!!! as my side. Now that is something that I have never done. Baby steps...and it will be well worth it in the long run.

This morning I woke up excited to go to boot camp! Lindsey had told Whitney the day before about my knee pain. She was concerned about my knee and adjusted every workout for me. Another reason, I love my trainer, Whitney. She let me know real fast that weights were going to be my best friend since I can't run or jump....So no more sprinting for me or jumping. Now I get to walk at a very fast pace with weights. I thought it might be slightly easier than running..um no!!! I was sweating more than ever today! My arms still feel like jello. I am sure it will get easier. I can't believe we are almost finished with speed week.. Apparently next week is called "hell" week. I can only imagine what is in store for next week. O and we did an ab workout and I felt abs I never knew I had for the first time. Its hard to explain but basically we did 3 different levels of crunches at once. I could feel the burn!!! On a more positive note my knee feels a lot better!!!

I really can't believe I have almost successfully completed my 3rd week of boot camp! I owe a lot of it to Lindsey. She has really been a huge motivator and she is not going to do boot camp next month.tear....She says she is still going to get me up in the morning to go...I'll need that. But I can honestly say she has been the boot camp champ!! Bless her heart she went last night and there were only 3 members that showed up. Needless to say it was the toughest workout thus far...but she was up and ready to pick me up this morning. WAY TO GO LINDS!!!

1000 calories in an hour

Today I burned 1000 calories in an hour!!! That seems pretty impressive to me. I was super excited! Today we did longer sprints, skipped sideways with weights up a hill,variation of push-ups, and the boat position which is really hard. I was able to do the "boat" position for several seconds. Whitney actually commented to me after the workout and said good job on the boat...I asked Lindsey what the heck the boat was. Needless to say she explained it was the very hard position when your body is shaped like a C and you are rocking back and forth. It was so HARD!!! No to the not so good news, I have hurt my knee. My knee has been hurting now for couple weeks, but it was more of a muscle soreness. Not today! I can tell that I have done something. Low impact for me for the next few days. I am going to take tomorrow off to rest. I called my doctor to call me a stronger dose of anti inflammatory but she said I should go see a specialist. YUCK! The soonest they can get me in is a week from tomorrow..Not sure what I should do other than take Motrin. I do have a prescription from 2004 I could take. I may try that and see if it helps. I assume it will be less effective since its out of date. I really hope this knee does not hold me back...maybe its just strained...keeping my fingers crossed. O and a coworker today said they could tell I had lost weight in my face. Yah!! Tomorrow is weigh in day at weight watchers. I hope I did well. Last night I cooked my meals for the week. I made homemade whole wheat pizza with ground turkey, onion, mushroom, and a little cheese. Also, I made a maple mustard pork tenderloin (which was so tasty and easy) with brown rice and succotash. Delish!! O btw if you have not tried the frozen rice pack at trader Joe's its a must! You microwave the bags and the rice comes out perfect! Tonight, I am going to a friends house for supper club. Hope she cooks something semi healthy. You may be wondering what super club is. A group of girls from college started a super club a couple years ago which is where each month someone hosts a dinner at their home. Fun!! Wish me luck on my 2nd interview tomorrow..I have to consent a doctor to a study. Hope my anxiety stays at bay :)

Monday morning workout after a mini vacate = painful

This morning I actually didn't have a hard time waking up luckily since I feel asleep without charging my phone. This meant I only had 1 alarm which is not good for me. Over the weekend, I took a very fast trip to Savannah with Lindsey to see Becca. We had a really good time and ate some really yummy food. I tried to be conscious of what I was eating. For lunch, we went to Huey's on the river for lunch and I requested grilled shrimp instead of fried shrimp. Becca made us dinner reservations at alligator soul which I kept calling alligator food for some reason :) The waitress described these amazing sounding scallops on a bed of fingerling potatoes which is what I ordered. When I received the order, I was a bit disappointed as there were seriously no potatoes. The scallops (which were tasty) were on top of artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes which was not what I was expecting but still very good. I know I really didn't need any more carbs, but wanted them. :) I kept telling the girls, I am going to ask for more lemon cranberry muffins but I didn't. I am dreading weigh-in this week. Hopefully, I didn't do too bad this weekend. I really did try to make healthier choices. I didn't drink as much water as I should and could tell this morning at boot camp.

Today Lindsey and I were both really dreading boot camp because of our trip. This week started speed week which includes several sprints during our morning workout. I was really nervous and really hoping we stuck to the flat running path this morning. My wish did not come true. Up the hill we go sprinting. Guess who ran with me? You guessed it, Whitney, which was really good for me otherwise I may not have been able to run all the way up, but she was able to help me with my breathing and motivation to get up that hill. Long story short, I was able to run up the entire hill every time this morning. This was a big hurdle for me. I seriously can't believe I did it and I did!!! After one of the runs, we went back to the play ground and were to place one foot on a platform which was 2 ft off the ground and one foot on the ground and had to pull our self up without using hands (this is hard for me using hands). Leave it to me, I pulled my right hip while doing this; but , I kept going. We still had 2 more sprints at this point. I am so glad Lindsey and I both started our week and morning off to a good start..

During mine and Lindsey's 16+ hours in the car, she suggested I start drinking a protein shake after working out. We saw a sign for peaches and stopped to get some for my shake. I made a shake this morning and it was Delicious. I used vanilla protein powder, almond milk, 2 peaches, and added maybe 1TBS of cocao nibs. I am not a fruit eater and feel this is a really good way to get some fruit in. It was like drinking a milkshake. I plan on going to Trader Joe's at lunch to get some groceries. Why do I always dread going to the grocery store? I love to cook , but hate buying the ingredients.

Two workouts in 12 hours..whew....

Last night I we braved the heat and it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Don't get me wrong it was hot, but I survived. We worked on arms which I seriously need to work on. My upper strength is lacking. I was able to use an 8LB weight to do this belly dance move which was really complicated. Also, I could definitely tell a big difference in my run. The breathing trick has helped me so much. One of my concerns is when I work out at night, I really have a hard time falling asleep. This happened again this week. I only got 5 hours of sleep last night, but I didn't let that stop me from getting up and going to boot camp bright and early. On the way to the studio I told Lindsey how crazy it was we just worked out less than 12 hours ago. Today was very difficult for us both. I think the hardest day yet. We did suicide sprints up a hill...not once, not twice, not three, but 4 times!!!! Might I add after the 2nd go around Whitney said this is your last time ,..you can do it! Well after we completed the third round we went back into the studio to do more weight exercises for our legs (I thought for sure we were done with the sprints) NO she sent us back out the door again. I told Lindsey I don't think I can do it..it was very difficult, but I survived somehow. We also worked on sit-ups which I am doing better at.

I really am going to try to make it to boot camp in the morning. I am planning on going out tonight with one of my good friends who I have not seen in over a year. I promise not to misbehave too much.. Also, this weekend Lindsey and I am going to Savannah to see a friend...super excited, but a very short trip. I can't wait, its going to be so much fun. I hope to get in a lot of walk so I will be ready for boot camp bright and early Monday morning.

Goal of the week: I am going to work really hard on tracking my food this week. Today has been good so far! :)

Weigh -In Wednesday

Today I was so pumped about going to my weight watchers at work meeting because I had done so good. Even on my cheat day I did well. Today I had an interview at work so I didn't wear my normal dress and flats. I wore spanks, pants, spandex tank, shirt, belt, jewelry, high heels.etc...Trying to look my best :) Well I get on the scale and I gained .6 LBS. I am a little disappointed, but I will just try harder next week. I really really need to start tracking what I eat. I hear this everyday at boot camp. I don't have any excuses, I am just not good at tracking. I plan to start now!!! So far today has been an ok day!! I found out my friend, Ann Claire, is not coming on our girl's trip. I am sad about that but understand totally. Also, today one of my friends asked me to do a yard sale this weekend. Well, today is Wednesday and that is super short notice. I told her that I am going to Savannah and she responds,"for someone who says they never have plans..i seem to be out of town a lot" for some reason that just really hit me..I don't know why. I am not mad at her or anything but my response was...I am just living like there is no tomorrow. I really am trying to live like there is no tomorrow. Recently (last week) one of my fathers very close friend growing up died unexpectedly which really hit me. They don't know for sure if he had a heat stroke or a heart attack. This really scares me. You just never know about life. On st. patty's day my father had open heart surgery at 55. Now that is scary! Another reason, I am changing my habits to be healthier. The saying is so true, you never know what you have until you lose it and get get it back. Live today as it may be your last, love with full sincerity, believe with true faith, and hope with all of your might!!! Wish me luck, today's boot camp is at 6 pm and its already 95 degrees outside. I'll check back in tomorrow and let you know how I feel.

Week 2 - Day 2

Today I really feel like I accomplished a lot. I have always had problem breathing correctly while working out and while running Whitney (my trainer) noticed this and taught me how to breathe when running. I had no idea you were supposed to breath in twice and then exhale all the way out. This really helped me out a lot while running. I actually look forward to running tomorrow and will start working on my pace now that I know how to breathe. I am still the last person to the studio but I am working on this. It's all about the pace not how fast I run. Once I finally made it back to the studio, our room was rather full and I honestly didn't see a place to place my mat. Whitney kindly showed me where to go and leave it to me...Somehow, I put my foot on my mat and seriously slid several feet and fell. LEAVE IT TO ME....I was so embarrassed everyone in the room saw me and I didn't know what to do but laugh and it was that uncontrollably laugh that I could not stop. Lindsey was beside me and said that would only happen to you, which is so true. Today, I felt like I worked out harder than in my previous workouts. I felt like I had more energy today. I am sure by 10am I will crash. Luckily, someone brought in some Tazo "awake" tea at work and I am drinking a cup now. I am not a caffeine drinker and I am hoping that with time I will gain more energy by working out. Today we did arms, which I thought would consist of different variations of push-ups. But I was wrong, Whitney showed us all sorts of different exercises to work out arms. I highly recommend Whitney as a trainer she actually cares about you individually and makes sure you are doing the exercise the correct way and pushes you just enough. When I signed up for boot camp I had planned on doing it for just one month; however, yesterday I signed up for month #2. They say it only takes 21 days to form a habit. I am a little over 1/3 of the way there. This is super exciting to me. I never thought I could do this physically or ever be able to get up at 4:40ish and I have proven myself. I already have more confidence. Today is going to be a good day!!! O one last note I burned over 700 calories this morning.....

Week 2

Today it was my turn to drive. Lindsey called me and in her sweet voice said just checking to see if you are up. I said yes I am getting ready..when really I was not even awake...I got up and got ready in seriously 2 minutes and then picked her up. We were not late :) When we got there we did our normal warm-up routine and then grabbed our weights and went outside to run. Before we went out Whitney told us to grab our water because we were going to be out for awhile. Once again, thank goodness I do the 5:15 class. So after running to our designated spot we did several exercises to work our legs, then we did squats up a hill sideways, then ran up the hill to the parking garage that has the ....you guessed it...stairs!!! 1/2 of us did squats up the stairs while the other half did wall squats. Then the groups switched. We ended up going up and down the flights of stairs 3 times. I seriously didn't think I was going to make it. The stairs were pretty difficult for me and the rest of the campers. After we finished the stairs we were told to run back to the studio. Our instructor told up to pick a pace and stick with and keep our heads down. She also suggested to run/walk every other tree. This really does help. Once we got back we did more sit-ups, bicylces, etc. For some reason after today's workout I was exhausted. After taking a shower, I said to myself I have time to lay down and take a brief nap. This was a mistake because I did not end up getting to work until 10am which means I will have to work later. Hopefully, I will get some good rest tonight.

I can't believe I worked out on a SATURDAY!

Working out on the weekend is something that I have never done. I thought it would be easier waking up since the class was at 9:30. I was wrong, it really was just as hard getting up for the 9:30 class as the 5:15 class. I am not a morning person at all!!! I hope this class makes me more of a morning person. For some reason the part of the boot camp I dread the most is the running. I have never been able to run, but I am getting the hang on it. Being able to pace yourself is key. Today my instructor decided to add another variable to the run. The big pink workout ball. I was thinking when she told us to grab the ball that we were going outside to do exercises on the ball...I was wrong. She wanted us to run while holding the awkward ball above our heads. This was so hard!!! I can't even run well much less carry this huge ball. I would rather carry weights which is what we normally do. Working out on the weekend was really good for me. I went to lunch with two friends and I ordered a fish sandwich and asked them to grill it without the batter. They were unable to do this because it would fall apart but they did lightly dust the fish for me. I was trying to be healthier. One week down!! yah....we did it!!

Week 1 of Bootcamp

Tuesday, May 31st, Lindsey,my neighbor and best friend, was in my drive at 4:45 am ready to go to my first day of boot camp. For those of you that know me, know that I am not a morning person at all! Waking up to go to a 5:15 boot camp class is a challenge in itself for me. While on the way Lindsey told me she went the day before to the boot camp class. She is an over achiever! She let me know that the first day is going to be a "test" day which includes me running a timed mile, push-ups, sit-ups. Of course, this made me even more nervous. I was able to run the mile in 14 min and 5 seconds, do 7 sit-ups, and 1 "real man " push-up. I was pretty embarrassed but at least I am taking the first step and ready to do something about becoming more physically fit.

Day 2 happened to be on Wednesday which meant the class was at 6pm. I left work an hour early to make sure I would arrive on time. Little did I know that traffic was going to be the worst I had ever seen it. I was panicking as I signed an agreement that stated I would not be late. Should I go or not go? Then I remembered Whitney the instructor was doing my measurements. I had to go and wanted to go but was again nervous for other reasons. I sped through town as much as I could and made it to the class by 6:10. I rushed in and had to use the restroom because I was hydrating as much as possible prior to class. Missed the warm up portion of the work and took off running up the steep hill several minutes behind everyone else and surprisingly I was not the last one to finish our mile. After class, I appreciated the morning classes because it was not far from 100 degrees outside and it was only June 1st.

Day 3 - Today it was extremely hard to get up. Last night I could not go to sleep after working out. I could tell my body was tired but i could not go to sleep for the life of me. I kept looking at eh clock and counting down the hours until I had to be back up ready for boot camp. The last time I looked at eh clock it was midnight, that meant 4 1/2 hours of sleep for me. Luckily I had thought of a way to maximize my sleep time, so I thought. I decided to sleep in my workout clothes, laid my protein bar on my nightstand, and had my water ready in the refrigerator. I would just have to pop up and put my shoes on and go!! Well guess what...this was not the best idea. I woke up at 3 am and was in pain from my tight sports bra. I was in so much discomfort I had to get up and take them off..Whew...what a relief. Today we die every kind of push-up you can imagine. Before beginning boot camp this was my major fear because I cannot do one push-up. Somehow I managed to do them. They were far from perfect but at least I tried. I definitely need to work on my upper strength. I am sore in places I didn't even know could get sore. I am feeling muscles I have never felt.

Day 4 - After starting boot camp it was recommended by the guidelines to set 3 alarms in the morning to make sure we make it to class. Of course, I always set multiple alarms and never hear them. Just ask my roommate if you don't believe me. As of day 4, I had been doing really well on waking up on time. Well, at 4:53am Lindsey had text me that she is outside. Of course, I didn't hear the text. She finally called me after waiting patiently outside and said ARE YOU COMING? I told her I will be right there. I had obviously over slept. I had not heard my alarm or text. I was completely out of it. I ran out the door barefooted, grabbed my new shoes our of my car, and we were off barely making it on time. Well, we were a couple minutes late. Today was super tough for me because I am still sore from the past 3 days. A girl in the class told me it's going to be tough for the first month and she is skinny!! We did legs today. We did the majority of the class outside luckily it was not too hot. We were told to pair up with a partner, I paired up with Lindsey. we were told to wrap a stretch cord around us both and Lindsey was to pull me up a hill sideways while I am doing squats and attempting to prevent her from pulling me up..This was a lot harder than it sounds. Lindsey was definitely great at motivating me because I really wanted to quit but kept going and going and going. We did this scenario 4 times. And after doing this fun exercise we ran back to the studio. On the way back, I decided to set goals (i.e..trees, streets, etc.) that I could run to before walking a bit. This really worked. I actually was able to run the majority of the way back which is more than I have ever run in my life. O were not finished yet! We grabbed our mats and on to the floor for some more leg and hip exercises. Luckily our instructor, Whitney, explains each exercise 3 different ways depending on your level. This is great for me because I am a beginner..They are still not easy. I try to concentrate on getting the form right and by the time I get it right it's on to the next move. I am certain by next week it is going to be easier..O,did I mention that I tend to get called out during class...Whitney will say Good job, Kayla. I think to myself.. I must be doing it wrong or she realizes that I am struggling and need some confidence. It does help!! Well, tomorrow morning will be the end of week 1. I am super excited!! Boot camp is exhausting but I love it and I am sure it will be easier and easier each week.