Up to the Skies

The theme of today has been Wedding Weekend Detox.

So I got very little sleep, ate a million rich foods, drank my weight in beer and did not exercise.  So the epitome of fitness and wellness.  I ate a lot of sugar and carbs, and am feeling it today.  

All those things combined make for one of the best weekends, but also may have set my goals back a few weeks.  But it was WORTH IT.  I totally believe to live and experience life, and my pursuit for fitness and a super hot lean bod doesn't need to prevent me from enjoying important things in life.  

But it has gotten me thinking a lot about cheat meals.  

Part of last night's cheat meal...

I can physically feel myself being set back by two days of indulgences, but what about one meal a week or even one whole day a week?  I have mixed feelings about "cheat" meals/days.  I work very very hard to build a calorie deficit, and I struggle with binge eating.  So what benefit is there to a cheat day?  

Not a cheat meal, today's brunch/lunch

The way I want to indulge, a cheat meal could set me back an entire week's worth of calorie deficit.    I really am on the fence with this diet practice.  Yeah yeah, yeah I am not on a diet or whatever, and I'm just out living a healthier life.  No, I'm not really following a strict program like paleo or WW but I do have personal guidelines.  So a cheat meal for me would be something outside of my normal foods.  

So my biggest question is: Is it worth it?

In many ways, I think so.  Sometimes the cheat meal is a reminder of why you don't eat that way regularly.  Sometimes the cheat meal prevents a long term binge.  Sometimes the cheat meal gives you just what you're craving.  

BUT

Sometimes the cheat meal sends me into a spiral.  Sometimes a cheat meal will turn into a few cheat days.  Sometimes a cheat meal will cause more cravings.  Sometimes a cheat meal will lead to feelings of worthlessness, guilt and shame.  

My conclusion is this: It depends on the meal for me.  My many many cheats meals tell me that the big burger or pizza cheat meals are worth it, these meals don't lead to the negatives listed above.  It's the cake and ice cream cheats that accumulate the cons.  At the very least in the cheats like burgers, pizza, BBQ I am still getting protein and sometimes complex carbs.  In the sweets, I am getting literally zero nutrition.  

Which sucks because I love sugar.  I have a sugar problem.

Today was a full body day at the gym

Work Out

-Free weight Upper Body: dumb bell curls, shoulder press, tricep kick backs, push ups

-Squats on Squats on Squats: Traditional Squat 4 sets until burnout, Sumo Squat 4 sets until burn out

-Leg Press: Five sets until burnout alternate calf press

-Leg Extensions, three sets

-Weighted Dynamic lunges with clean and jerk at the turn around until burn out

-20 Minute Cardio Hill Interval on dreadmill

-10 Minutes of abs

Another non-cheat meal, tonight's dinner

That training session really kicked my trash.  I have been spent the rest of the day.  But now I am watching Point Break with my three best friends, and debating sleep. 

What are you feelings about cheat meals?

When you cheat what are your preferred indulgences?

What's your favorite gym routine?

This Post Brought to you by: "Pursuit of Happiness" by Kid Cudi

Metzger-Illera Wedding Photo Recap!

So here's where I have been the past few days...

I was in Chicago for my BFF Katie's wedding to her love Jon Unai.

So from Thursday until Saturday this is how things went down...

A Little Bit's Enough

Ok, so I didn't update last night and I'll tell you why...

I was three sheets to the wind.

Let me also add, I had been with family grieving the loss of my Aunt Cele who honestly was one of the biggest BAs who ever graced this earth.  This isn't an exaggeration at her funeral we talked about her getting arrested and put in jail and still throwing one kick butt dinner party in the same night, hundreds of people mourned and celebrated her life.

In accordance with my Irish family, I celebrated at the Irish wake a little too much.  I had the presence of mind to eat a decent dinner, but I am human and in the pursuit of my healthy and fit lifestyle I have not totally gone the way of prohibition.  I love booze.  Specifically wine.

So in reality, the party scene doesn't mesh with with the gym scene-and my waist line is the proof.  There are a lot of reasons why but in my experience there are two reasons-

1)drinking, let a lone heavily automatically increases your caloric intake albeit with the booze and the subsequent poor food choices

2)The hangover.  The hangover leads to another day of poor decision making because you hate life, you regret that last glass of pinot and the only thing to ease the pain of whatever it was you said to whoever it was is a big-fat-bacon-cheeseburger and fries.

Now, I don't want ya'll to think I am a lush but I do imbibe and yes, hangovers mean you probably took things a little too far.

However, I have found in my not-so limited experience the following tips to avoid these aforementioned pitfalls and to create a tumultuous marriage between losin' and boozin':

-Whilst drinking eat yo' greens.  Sounds weird, but if I order green food I might not want it at first but at the end of the day I'll start eating whatever is in front of me. Make it greens. 

-Don't start the carbs, it's a farse that you should eat lots of breads/carby things while you drink.  So don't start

-Enjoy yourself, if you stress every drink you're missing the point

-Drink plenty of water before you fall asleep

-Now to the hangover part...Drink 32 ounces of water immediately, cook bacon, eat a whole wheat bagel with a banana and finish it off with some coffee

-Take your supplements, especially your B-vitamins

-Sweat.  Don't skip your work out.  It will suck, but I promise you within 15 minutes you'll feel better.  Some of my best work outs and been on my worst days.

-If I drink a lot of wine, my allergies are usually way worse because of the sulfamides in the wine so I always take fexofenadine the next day.  

-Don't avoid your routine.

  

Anywayyyy, losing family is uncomfortable, and sad.  I looked like death warmed up after seven solid hours of grieving with family.  Nothing feels as comforting as this little wet nose nagging me to get up and face the day.

So nope, no work outs for me today or yesterday-it's actually a crazy week, I leave for Chicago tomorrow but more on that later...

Do you still drink on your journey to wellness?

What kind of hangover tips do you swear by?

Do you have a big family?

This Post Brought to by: "Just Give Me a Reason" by Pink Featuring Nate Ruess

Ten Thousand Hours

LET ME GET ONE THANG STRAIGHT...

Yes, I have been ignoring this blog.  

And I coullllldddd write out a huge long post about where the last year has gone, what I did with my life and why I stopped blogging but all you really need to know are the following three things:

1.  Goliath still rocks, he's FOUR now which is basically like a FRICKIN Adult who can like make their own decisions, and stay up all night if they wanted to-but he doesn't because why? He still rocks.  As in he still clocks 3 minute miles on his rest day, and likes to sleep till noon because he can.  Don't let your jealousy overwhelm you.

2.  I ran my 20th Half Marathon last Saturday at Rock The Parkway.  So on to the next one right? RIGHT.  I am running 50 by my 30th birthday son, so I gotta do work.  That's at least SIX half marathons a year.  So goals are cool right?

3.  Wait what was the third thing?  I totally forgot from the time I started the second paragraph to now.  The point is, this blog is still about my awesome dog G who loves to run and the asthmatic he tugs for miles.

So where did I leave off?

Yesterday, was heavy leg day.  So today has turned into a rest day, since me and my hoodrat Mary went so hard yesterday.

Let's see....weeee did:

1 Warm Up Squat Set of 135lbs x 10

Hack Squats 4 Sets of 10

UnASSissted Squats 5 Sets of 10, plus burn out

Wide Leg Sumo Squat 4 Sets of 10, plus burn out

Leg Press, Maxed at 200 lbs alternated between calf press and ham press 4 sets of 15/25

Hamstring Leg Extensions, 4 Sets of 15

Dynamic Weighted Lunges till burn out

All in All it was an hour work out that torched like 600 calories with zero cardio.  

My butt hurts today.  Mary and I walked around like stiff zombies whilst shopping today.  My husband is tore up from his leg day, he makes awkward uncomfortable noises every time he moves.    I mean I am still sore from back and biceps we did earlier, oh and shoulders...just everything really hurts.  That's how you know it's working right?

Obviously, lifting is a pretty new routine to the bloggy-woggy.  It's pretty new to me, I have been weight training with my girl Mary since the end of Feb,  and it's been monstrous for my running.  I really love shedding mileage time with pure strength and not spending hours doing speed training.

Also, it's a wonderful change of pace.  I have a permanent love affair with long distance running but my body is beyond use to it-and if I am ever going to look in the mirror and not nit-pick this is the way I am going to get there.

I have been at my goal weight now for almost two years.  That's weird to even type out, like is it still called goal weight when you have maintained for that long?  I don't think I can when I set new goals.  But the point is, it's been two years since I have felt like I have made forward progress, it's time to make PROGRESS.

About those goals, I am using new and old tools now-

I have ditched my trusty Weight Watchers, I will always love you-it just isn't right for me anymore.  I eat far too much.  My Fitness Pal has got me, even though I feel like it's really judgmental sometimes. 

I am back on Nike+ because let's get real, who doesn't love hearing Tim Teabow congratulate you after a long run? My garmin is still getting lots of love though.

I am leaving my message boards in the past, and focusing on advice and feedback on Twitter, Instagram and other blogs.  

I am working out with my husband now.  Well, we go to the gym together now.  He works out with Beefy Bob, spouse of my wittle beefcake Mary.  Yes, we all work out together. We are like this super power lifting family.  It's obnoxious how cool we are, so don't even try to understand it.

That's about it for now, Goliath is telling me it's time for bed.  

Even though I'm pretty sure no one  truly follows this anymore, I am still gonna ask my post questions:

Do you EVEN lift?  ;)

What's your favorite muscle group to train?

What are you favorite fitness tools?

This Post Was Brought to you by: "Ten Thousand Hours" By Macklemore and Ryan Lewis