Summer Bucket List linkup

 

1. Try running outside again. I haven't done that in forever and I really am curious to see how I would do without the treadmill.

2. Cook more and try some new healthy recipes. Avocado pasta, stuffed chicken, spaghetti with tofu noodles... Already have a few things on the list.

3. Vacation- I am going to Cozumel in July and I am going to give up social media for a week! Gonna be hard without my MLFC ladies, but a well needed break :)

4. Go to every concert I can. Just bought tickets for Gary Allan today!

5. Purge my closet again! I have clothes that seriously need to go... Yesterday I could have pulled off my capris withoutunbuttoning or unzipping them- way too big!

6. Do the Advocare cleanse again after vacation.

7. Try a new workout video or class.

8. Buy a kettle ball and heavier weights.

9. Reach 155 lbs by the time I go back to work on August! 

This is my first summer not teaching summer school in 4 years! I fully plan to enjoy it and have no excuse not to workout :)

Crazy time of year...

I haven't been the best at blogging lately. Honestly, I haven't been the best at eating either and my workouts have been just ok, in my eyes. I am exhausted. It is the end of the school year and I have about a week until I am out for summer vacation. My days are spent trying to keep my kids at school entertained and on task. They have summeritis, just like me :) By the end of the day, I am so tired. On top of that, my brother had surgery yesterday on his hand which was a small stress added to the mix. I have to almost force myself to workout daily instead of taking a nap. That is pretty unusual for me. I am one of those that usually just DOES IT! I find myself yawning more. I stress eat. I am not proud of it, but it's life. I know myself. This happens every year. I am burnt out and ready for a break. I need to sleep late. I need to sit more, instead of standing all day long. The key is to NOT GIVE UP! Life happens. There are good times, bad, tired days, days when you feel like a million bucks, great workouts, ok workouts, and bad workouts. Life is not perfect. I have faith that I will get back on track soon and get these last few pounds off! So, if you are feeling stressed or tired, KEEP GOING! Don't give up! I'm not!

Bayou Country Superfest

 

This weekend was amazing! My family and I, along with one of my friends headed to Baton Rouge for the Bayou Country Superfest. It was our first time to go and we had a BLAST! :)

 

 

Me and Katy- so EXCITED! :)

 

When we got to Baton Rouge, we were all starving and the first thing on my list of things to eat was some good ole Cajun food! There goes diet out the window! :)

We went to a place there called Parrain's and it was amazing! I got the crawfish etouffe. LOVE! I didn't eat it all, I could have... BUT I put some in a to go box. It was so delicious!

 

That evening we headed to the TIGER STADIUM for the concert. I am a HUGE LSU fan, so I was just super excited to be there period, but even more excited to see all the great bands play! WOO HOO!

 

The first night we saw: Aaron Lewis (don't really know him), Thompson Square, Darius Rucker, Miranda Lambert, and Lady Antebellum.

 

Darius definitely knows how to put on a show. I loved Miranda's videos that went along with her songs, she personalizes them for the places she goes and it was really cool. She was super hyper and fun. Lady A was great, even with Hillary Scott about to pop, that didn't stop her.

 

The next morning, we got up and decided to take a road trip to New Orleans (about an hour away). I love NOLA and I always have fun there. We wanted to go to the market and eat lunch. I also HAD to have one of my fav drinks! I love Jesters and they ARE strong, but one won't kill ya! ;)

 

That night we went back to the concert in time to see: The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, and  the Zac Brown Band. They were all great! I am a sucker for LUKE! I LOVE HIM! Zac Brown has some AMAZING musicians in his band. It was pretty awesome! He also played over the time he was supposed to.

 

This was what it looked like from our seats there. I don't think there was a "bad" seat in the house. So many people and everybody was having FUN!

 

 

Overall, I loved the Bayou Fest! We had a great time and I am pretty sure we will be making a trip back there next year. Who doesn't love country music on a nice, breezy night in Louisiana, right? :)

 

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and great Memorial Day!

 

P.S. I didn't go crazy and eat over the weekend, but I didn't do that great either. Am I going to beat myself up? NOPE! Gonna jump back on track tomorrow and keep going. Remember, you only go around once-you have to live a little! :)

 

To crossfit or not to crossfit?

That is the question! I have been contemplating my summer workouts for a while. I have been craving something different, something MORE! I want to take it to the next level. I am off for the summer (perk of teaching), so that helps big time. I will have more time to cook/eat what I want and what is healthy and also be able to get in longer workouts every day as well.

I have been looking into Crossfit lately. The nearest one is in Galveston (a ferry ride away for me- about 45 minutes) so it would be something I would really have to make sure I am ready to commit to. It is also semi-expensive. If I wanted to sign up, I could get unlimited sessions for about $125 a month! YIKES! I just don't know if it is worth it?

So, I started looking online at crossfit stuff.

Here is some stuff that I found, thanks to Pinterest (I don't know what I ever did without that site!)

  

Maybe I should try the beginner one first! LOL!

I know crossfit won't kill me and it has more weight work in it, which is what I want. Muscle makes you skinny :)

I am going to give it a try and start doing some crossfit stuff at home. I will keep you posted!

I know I will need to get a kettle ball and some heavier weights to make this work, so that will be happening soon.

Do you crossfit? At a gym or at home? Where do you get your workouts from?

I'd appreciate any feedback:)

Thanks!

Finding a balance!

So, I had a wonderful birthday which ended last night with sushi. It was a surprise that my aunt and cousin offered to take me out. To say the least, I did not eat well. Not to mention that the coach at my school brought me a HUGE breakfast burrito for my birthday, which was breakfast/lunch or brunch for me. Anyways, it was my birthday so I can eat what I want! LOL! Now it is time to get back on track!

For the next few weeks I plan to:

• Eat as clean as I can
• Workout every day that I can
• Run 3-4 times a week

This may be hard over the weekend, because I am heading to Baton Rouge for this festival!

I can't wait! There are going to be some great artists there, including my man crush- Luke! mmmmmhmmmm!

I have already been planning ahead and know that I need to plan to eat in MODERATION while I am there, so I plan to share with my friend that is going with us. It is hard to say no to some good ole Cajun food! YUM! I also plan to get in a long workout Friday night and then Monday when we get back. You have to find the balance between fun and healthy living. It is hard, but remember- you only go around once so make the most of it! :)

P.S. 13 work days til summer break!

The big 3-0!!

It's true... I know I don't look it (positive self talk! lol) but I am 30! Wow, how time flies!

When I got to work on Friday, the nurse at my school had decorated my room.That's the banner you see at the top. There were 30s everywhere. It kinda gave me anxiety! AHHHHHH! It was nice though and I work with some great people and the kids really made the day great. It was a few days early, because my nurse friend was out of town for the weekend and Monday too, so she wanted to make sure I had the decorations before she left (how sweet of her- sarcastic grin!)

Friday night I headed to happy hour with my aunt.

 

I love that dress...got it off veryjane.com for cheap. If you haven't checked it out, you should- every day there are great deals! :)

 

 

Saturday we laid out around my friends "redneck pool" lol.. it was great and I am sunburned but I needed some sun. It was a fun day. Later that night we went out and I may did overindulge a little, but hey- life is short and you gotta have fun sometimes.

 

 

Sunday, my parents cooked an awesome dinner and then showered me with gifts :) My brother bought me a new pair of Nike Free Run 7.0. I love those shoes and my pink ones are getting worn out. My mom got me a new anchor ring from James Avery (LOVE!), a Brighton necklace, a new Nicholas Sparks book, and Reese's. I sure did eat one and it was yummy!

 

At 30 I am so thankful for:

God for giving me 30 amazing years. I would be lost without my relationship with him and he has truly blessed me beyond words.

 

My amazing family. I have really hit the jackpot in that area. I have great grandparents, parents, a brother, aunts, uncles.... I have so much family and although it can be crazy at times, I am blessed and they are always there for me.

 

My job and the kids I work with. They make every day interesting and they are truly the reason why I go to work every day.

 

My home.. it's small and there isn't much to it, but I love it and it is "my place".

 

My health. I have managed to make it to the ripe OLD age of 30 without ever having major health issues. I am healthy and so happy about that!

 

The love of exercise and the fact that I have educated myself about food.

 

Not going without. I am so thankful to have the ability to buy everything I need in this life and also things I want (sometimes more than I should! lol).

 

Life experiences. I try to live it up and enjoy it, because it does pass by too quickly.

 

I am thankful for this journey I am on :)

 

Happy Birthday to me!!!!

Have a great day ladies!

Summer is near and stress eating!!

So, I am a teacher and the end of the year is quickly approaching. 15 more school days to be exact, but who is counting? LOL! We have come a long way from 180, just saying. I love my job but who doesn't like to be off? right?

Anyways, when this time of year rolls around for me it is HARD. I think I feel a lot of emotions:

Tired- we have worked our booties off

Sad to see my babies go.

Excited for summer!!!! DUH!

Overwhelmed trying to get last minute things done.

Anxious!

I am a mess around this time! The kids are going crazy too!

It is hard not to eat my feelings away. I have been starving lately, wanting everything in sight. Am I crazy? Probably. Summer is right around the corner and I know I CANNOT eat everything I want and still expect to look good in a bikini (which I plan to live in this summer). There are so many times like this in life that we want to eat because we are sad, mad, stressed.... the list goes on. It is important to remind yourself how far you have come on this journey and that you don't want to go back.

Yesterday, I found myself saying "don't eat it... You aren't hungry... Drink some water". I surprised myself really. I know food is not the answer. It is not going to fix anything. That chocolate bar, bag of chips, or cookie is not going to solve my stress or worry. I encourage you all to learn to recognize stress eating. It's a big battle to win but when you do- it will feel so good :)

And the winner is....... Drum roll please!

 

The person with comment #10 was Karie! I have e-mailed you Karie and will have your gift card in the mail soon!

 

A big THANK YOU to all you ladies who read my blog and left encouraging comments. Having support makes things so much easier when it comes to healthy lifestyles and working out.

 

I get support from MLFC! Without those ladies, I would not make it!

 

Some of my friends support me and some don't. It is hard. The ones who do support me don't hassle me if I don't want to eat something or whine if I want to head out to workout instead of having fun. The others simply don't understand and most of them do not care about living a healthy life. Most of those friends are not a huge part of my life anymore. It is true that you will lose friends along the way. Never forget your goals and don't let anyone get in the way of what you want to do!

 

My family is much the same way. I do have a lot of support from my mom. She works out too. I go to her house to use the treadmill, bike, and weights. It's nice to have a "gym" to go to and someone who is as into it as you are. Their are others family members who make comments and say things to me about eating or losing weight. I chose to ignore it. I read some of the comments from you ladies in MLFC and it breaks my heart to think your husbands or family members say ugly things to you. My advice: let if fuel the fire, not put it out. Most of the time when my family says something I can look at them and think "well, I don't want to be unhealthy like you" and it's the truth. I think a lot of people's nasty comments come from jealousy. They are jealous that they don't have the willpower or strength to put the cookie down and get after it. Don't let them beat you down. Stick with it and maybe one day your success will encourage them! :)

 

Who encourages you????

 

 

Have a great day ladies! :)

100th post!!!! A giveaway!

Here was my first post ever in the blogging world. Boy, I have come a long way! I am down about 7 pounds, but have lost a lot of inches- I can tell you that. It has been over a year since I began documenting my journey. It has been filled with ups and downs along the way. I have learned a lot about working out and eating right. I have succeeded and failed many times, again and again.

The good part is that I am close to my first goal- 155 lbs and I am finally starting to feel comfortable with my body and happy with it too. I have learned to accept that this is the way I was made and the person I am. It is so important to love yourself and accept who you are.

 

I have learned a lot about food too and what is good for me. My diet is totally different from a year ago today. I have learned to love a lot of healthy foods and most days I crave chicken, salad, fruit.... I stick my tongue out at a lot of foods that I thought I could not live without. It is amazing how many things we become addicted to, but we really don't need. Caffeine, cheese, alcohol, the list goes on. You can do anything you set your mind to. So, for those of you that think about giving up or for those of you that haven't even started- you CAN do it. I NEVER thought I could, but I never stuck with anything long enough to find out. It will happen, it takes time, you will cry, it will be hard, it will hurt, you will be sore... but you can do it and I have faith in you.

 

In celebration of my 100th post I am giving away a $20 gift card to

TAR-JAY as me and the girls like to call it. Makes it sound like we are shopping somewhere fancy :) All you have to do is be a follower of my blog and comment below (if you have blog topic ideas, let me hear them!). I will pick a winner on Wednesday and send the gift card on its way.

THEN:

This was beginning of 2012 at about 170ish

NOW:

This was yesterday at 160

P.S. Look what I found yesterday at Target! I have been wanting to try these :)

Finish the sentence linkup.....

Unlike my sibling(s) (that I love very much).... I have learned to listen to other people (including and mostly my parents)instead of being a stubborn horse's butt!

 

My best friend says... HIIIIIIII GUY! And our toes talk to each other after we get pedis.... helllooooo loooooo ooooo... we are dorks!

 

People call me... Miss Senseney (I am a teacher, that is my name- at school, outside of school, everywhere! I am thinking of changing it! LOL!)

 

I most often dream... crazy crap! I don't remember half the time, but the good ones I know I like include Channing Tatum and the song "Pony" :)

 

The best part of my day... is when I get to sit down and night and relax, solo in my house and watch whatever show I want!

 

I really don't understand... this crazy world! You can't go anywhere without being abducted, shot, stabbed, etc. No thanks, I will stay home and I am happy to live in small town, USA. My neighbor is the only security I need- he is kinda craaaazy and owns gunS (way more than one)! (in a good way, of course!)

 

I get really annoyed... when people are late and make me wait. Every minute is precious, don't waste my time!

 

There's nothing like a... good margarita... seriously, I can feel everything melt away with the tequila!

 

Lately, I can't get enough... of sweets! You would think Flo was visiting, but nope- I am just dying for some chocolate!

 

One thing I am NOT is...Irresponsible... I know- sounds boring! BUT I am a teacher, I need my job! I try to do legal things... lol

 

I spent too much money on... my addiction to Very Jane... OMG I could buy something every day... that crap is seriously ADORBALE. It's a big problem for my wallet :)

 

I want to learn.... how to do something crafty and sell it on ETSY and make some MONEY!

 

If I ever met _________, I would...Luke Bryan.. I would be arrested for inappropriate touching... oopsy!

 

I can't stop... working out... I love to sweat, it is so much a part of my life and who I am now.. I could not go without it.

 

Never have I ever... gotten fired from a job- what can I say? I am a great little worker!

 

Reese Witherspoon... sounded retarded on that tape with the po-pos... it was definitely a good laugh for me.

Teacher Appreciation Week

I saw a few people posting about this and since I am a teacher, I figured I would weigh in on the conversation.

First of all, I don't need lavish gifts for teacher appreciation week. I don't really ever get them and most of my parents don't even know it is Teacher Appreciation Week anyways. I know they are busy working and raising kids, so I don't get all butt hurt over it. I get all the reward I need from my kids. When they learn, read, smile, and enjoy the day- I am happy. Sound cliche? Sure, but it is true!

I love my job because.....

I teach 2nd graders and they are 7 and 8 years old. They are the cutest things in the world (well, most of the time). They still love me so much and do what I ask them to do without any argument (for the most part).

It is so awesome to be that teacher that taught them to read.

I love when my kids make connections to things. Ex: Outside and they start talking about food chains or on a field trip they start telling me they can describe the animal using adjectives. That makes me happy!

Summers... let's be honest I love that time off, but every year I cry like a baby to say good-bye to my class. I become really attached.

The funny things kids can tell you... they really have a sense of humor and it cracks me up on a daily basis.

I could go on and on about things that I love- I NEVER in my life thought I would be a teacher, it is not what I went to school for at all, but I love it. I couldn't imagine doing anything else. I have put a lot into it and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Things that kinda suck: The pay and ALL the work- it really is a lot!
Remember we are not just a teacher but we fill in as parents sometimes, nurses, counselors, teach them manners and so much more. Teaching is not just a one task job.

Overall, a simple thank you is enough. :)
To all the teachers out there- THANK YOU!!!!

Man Crush Monday :)

Let's spice it up a little ladies! :) Turn this boring Monday into "Man Crush Monday". LOL! Here are my 3 "boyfriends".

#1

CHANNING TATUM! OMG he is smoking hot and I love every movie he has ever been in (well, that I know of). I would marry him and have his babies ANY DAY! You think he works out??? :)

#2

LUKE BRYAN! That Georgia boy is on fiyaaaa! When he sings, it makes me melt..... his new song "Crash my Party" is aaaaamazing! Who wouldn't want that. Added bonus: he wears his pants nice and tight!

#3

DREW BREES! We all know I love football! I am a HUGE Saints fan! I love me some Drew... he is the all American, great dad, great husband and he plays football which makes him ever better! Gotta love it! Look at those eyes! He is also a fan of Advocare, by the way!

Who are your man crushes?

Happy Monday ladies! :)

What are you afraid of?

FEAR FRIDAY!!!!! MWHAHAHA! LOL! I get inspiration for writing from the strangest things! This was me last night:

Ok, maybe not exactly BUT there was a roach in my house last night and it was on the door to my pantry and I about LOST IT! I am so scared of those things I could PUKE! It is a "OH MY GOD! WHAT DO I DO?", sweating, freaking out kinda thing! IT MAKES ME HAVE HEART PALPITATIONS just writing about it. Anyways, my plan of attack was as follows:

1. Get a can of Bengal and spray that sucka!

2. He ran, of course! I got my little electric (yes, electric) fly swatter and batted that thing a million times! He would not STOP MOVING! HEEEEEBBBBBBBIEEEE JEEEEEEEBBBBIIEES! Anyways, finally flushed him down the toilet. BYE BYE SUCKA! I slept with one eye open anyways!

So, I started thinking of what I am afraid of when it comes to weight loss:

1. I am scared people think I am ugly or fat.

2. I am scared to wear a bikini around people I am not comfortable with.

3. I am scared to run a 5k and suck at it.

4. I am scared to eat too much and see that scale start to creep up.

5. I am scared to get pregnant one day and not be able to get back to my normal size.

6. I am scared to go on vacations, because I will overindulge.

7. I am scared to join a gym or any kind of public exercise group in fear that people will look at me like I suck or I can't do it.

The list could go on. I am scared of a lot of things.

Losing weight is hard.

Getting out of your comfort zone is hard.

Realizing that you don't have to hide behind your clothes and you can actually wear something cute or a little revealing is hard.

Learning the balance between healthy living and enjoying life is hard.

It is hard. Lifestyle changes are hard. I wouldn't change it for the world. I have slowly learned to overcome my fears one at a time and I plan to continue to do that and reach my fitness goals. So, kick fear to the side ladies! It cannot control you or me. We can do it and we will. Just like I will be telling the next roach I see- "YOU WILL NOT SCARE ME! I WILL KILL YOU!"

Have a great weekend ladies and kick your fear in the butt!

May- the month of no excuses!

So, I really want to get to my goal and I am so close! SO, this month is a month of no excuses for me! I am doing the following challenges this month.

 I started this one Monday and I could def feel the burn!

I got the 3 ab challenges from http://www.sweetsouthernmel.blogspot.com/

I will alternate the leg workout above and the ab workout below.

 

I am also still doing Jillian, Insanity, and TurboFire sometimes and of course I will be running. Am I crazy? Maybe! BUT I want it that BAD!

 

What workouts do you do?