Hurts So Good

What's that you say?  Tara got her what back?  Her groove?  Ohhhhhhhhh shit.

So I started a new workout yesterday.  My everything hurts so good.  I mentioned earlier in the week that I have a friend that's a trainer and she put together a little program to whip me back into shape make me unable to walk right.  Let's just say, shes knows what she's doing.  She was also nice enough to let me post that sumbitch on here for you to see, and try, if y'want.  And here it is… 

Tara's 5 Day 60 Minute Session Training Plan

Day #1 - Cardio and Heavy Llifting
20 min cardio intervals 2:1 ratio
(2minutes moderate intensity, 1 minute fast for duration)
    Upper body lifting 3-4 sets of 10
    Lat Pulldown
    Pec Fly
    Lateral raise
    Assisted Pull Ups
    Row

Day #2 - Cardio with Plyo’s (Did this today. Nearly died. Pictures below.)
20 minutes cardio-your choice
20 minutes as many rounds as possible
    20 bw squats
    15 step ups or box jumps
    10 jump squats
    5 push ups
Finish with 5-10 minutes of planks, side planks, back extension (3sets each)

 Day #3 - Cardio and Heavy Lifting
10-20 minutes cardio- your choice
Lower Body Lifting 3-4 sets of 10 unless noted otherwise
BB Squats 12-10-10-8
Reverse Step Ups on Hack Press
DB Sumo Squat
    Superset with db calf press (same weight as sumo)
Prone Leg Curl
Leg Lifts

Day #4 - OFF or Cardio Endurance

Treadmill- work on your runnin!
 
5 minute warm up

2min increase resistance (5x)

1 min- decrease resistance (5x)

1 min- increase resistance (5x)
     (slightly more than round #1 of increases)
2 min- decrease
2 min- decrease
1min- decrease 

Day #5 - Circuits and Intervals
Warm up 5-10 minutes
**Take minimal rest between sets** 2-3 sets of each circuit; start with 2 and work up to 3

Circuit #1- Lower Body with Kettlebell
12 KB swings
10 KB lunges (each side)
12 KB squat press
10 KB alternating bent row

Circuit #2- Dumbells
12 db chest press
12 db front raise
12 bench dips
12 cable curls

Circuit #3
12 db bench split squat
12 db shoulder press
12 db Bent Row
12 db deadlifts

Circuit #4
12 push ups
45-60 second plank
30 total torso rotations
30 total russian twist

Did I have to google a shitload of those things? You know it.  Am I stoked?  Hellllll yes.  I missed being sore and I missed being excited about this stuff.  While I'm not # obsessed, it is an easy way to adjust my efforts/eating/etc. so I'm back to doing Weigh In Wednesdays.  I'm also doing it with my friend Jenn so we can keep each other motivated!  Sooo since today's Wednesday…

I'm wearing pants and a sports bra, no reflection fails.

Wanna get back on the wagon with me?  There's plenty of room, you sexy bitch.

No Vom!

So this was my last wreckless weekend before really buckling down and getting serious again. On Friday, after a not so awesome week, we had pizza and pumpkin night (and wine, well, I had wine) with our pretty cool neighbors. I felt the need to drink the whole bottle (don't judge me) and didn't particularly regret it! We ended up with with pretty badass pumpkins!!

Saturday was a marathon day consisting of meeting babies, trying on bridesmaid dresses for my bro's wedding (that aren't hideous, thanks Laur!) eating some of the best sushi I've had in a whiiiile.  I commend Melissa on her sushi ordering skills and can't wait til we have something to celebrate again so we can go back to that place! ;) And don't worry baby bird, one day we'll teach you how to use chopsticks! While at lunch, the dreaded topic of a half marathon came up again. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get sucked into that one and it horrifies me in the best way possible. Speaking of races, holy shit, my friend Allison ran the Marine Corps Marathon yesterday…she's my hero and I will reward her with pizza and wine!

 

Sunday was spent mostly prepping for the week! Protein was ordered, food was cooked, lunches were prepped and gym clothes was set out.  My week of eating looks a little something like this:

Breakfast

1 scoop cinnamon graham protein

8 oz vanilla almond milk

1 nanner

 

Snack

100 calorie pack of almonds

 

Lunch

2 cups raw spinach

4 oz tilapia (baked)

1 minute rice brown rice cup

Snack

100 calorie pack of almonds

 

Dinner

Tonight, asian ground turkey over rice with green onions

Tomorrow, turkey taco salads

Alternating those 2 the rest of the week 

 

As far as gymming goes…I went this morning and did some cardio, destroyed my biceps and did a little back. I'm most definitely out of my groove (need to get it back like Stella) and could feel it this morning. Halfway through I maybe sorta thought I was gonna vom, but I didn't (!!!), and I kept going. In other accountability news, I'm joining my friend Jenn in a Biggest Loser contest game, for moral support and accountability. Since I ended my contest back in May(ish) I gained about 10 lbs and have been hovering there for a good while. I want those off and then some, so this should help! Weigh-in Wednesdays are gonna make a comeback…maybe not super publicly, we'll see.

I'm stoked to be back in the swing of things. I'm generally less stressed and more enjoyable to be around when I go to the gym regularly. Ask my husband, he'll agree wholeheartedly, and I'll say the same about him. I'm also a little more perky and I love myself a little lottle more than normal, all good things!

Happy Monday! What can you do in order to love yourself more?

Two Weeks

Two weeks.  That's how long it's been since I've set foot in the gym.  Gross.  That's how I feel.

Big question is…why?  Fuck if I know.  Well, I know bits and pieces, but overall I just got discouraged.  I got so used to seeing results that when I stopped seeing them I felt discouraged.  I kinda lost the spark I had going and I'm having a tough time getting it back.  Next big question is…what the hell am I gonna do about it?

Well, my husband (thankfully) happens to be a huge meathead.  I haven't always liked this aspect about him, in fact I used to hate it and hold it against him because I felt he made the gym a priority over me.  But, Mr. Meathead and I have decided to team up and make some efforts together.  He wants to bulk up and I want to do the opposite, both of which require discipline when it comes to diet and exercise.  He keeps saying he'll gain the weight I lose, which I'm down with.  The bigger he gets the smaller I feel and I'm sort of a sucker for big arms, so it's win/win.

So, yeah I haven't talked to him about this, but he won't argue.  Tonight, we'll place a little online order…protein for me and weight gainer for him.  We'll have that by the weekend.  Then, Sunday we'll meal plan and grocery shop for the week.  I may or may not have a friend that's a trainer that's giving me some recommendations for exercise routines for the week.  I also found out that my gym is going to start opening half an hour earlier, which means I can start at 5:00, hell yes.  Why am I typing all this out?  Why am I asking all these questions out loud?  Lay off me.  I want to be held accountable, it's when I do my best.

He'd like to get back to being the size he is in the picture(s) below and I'd like to pretend that was a picture of me instead of a picture of Jillian Michaels with her head cutoff.  Either way, stay tuned, we're about to get big/small and toned.  I'll aim for some progress pictures.

Don't kill me, I love you.

One can dream, right?

When do you do your best?

Boom! Nailed it!

Last Friday I flew from wee little Maryland to the great state of Texas to nervously meet see my "blog friend" Brandi. For those of you who know me, you know it took some balls. For those of you who don't know me...it took some balls.

I first found Brandi's blog in the summer of 2012. I followed it faithfully (aka hit refresh a few times each morning waiting for a new post) and I laughed a lot, cried a lot, but mostly I felt like someone had been through what I was going through. Things happened in my life that had made me pretty unhappy at the time and I knew she had been there too! I knew she had struggled with the same things and I was like, hey I like her, she knows how I feel! I remember the first time I emailed her, my ass was trying so damn hard to be funny, because surely if I was she'd be more likely to respond. Well, she did, and I was probably more excited than I needed to be. We emailed back and forth sporadically and she was always the one I was most excited to share my weight loss successes with annnd my embarrassing stories, because she'd laugh with, not at, and she'd never ever judge me. Over the past year, we became friends and we've talked about everything under the sun. Ev-er-y-thing.

A little while back I decided I'd had enough with the texting, gchatting, face timing, emailing and the occasional phone call...I wanted to hug it out. So I tested the waters and eventually said, "Sooo I think I'm gonna come down to Texas..." and I got a resounding, "Yayyy!"

I got down on Friday afternoon and FINALLY got to hug it out with my dear sausage-fingered friend! She's the perfect blend of beautiful, kind and hilarious. Oh and she greeted me with my favorite beverage upon arrival...bonus!! I also got to meet her handsome husband and her adorable boys. Like, seriously adorable. If I'd had more room in my suitcase I mayyyybe would've tried to sneak one (ok both) back.

 

Friday night we went to TopGolf with a group of friends and Kristen came to meet us! I met her through the blog/Instagram and she's sweet as can be!! I confirmed my statement that I'm no good at stick + ball sports! But I tried, and I ate a shitload of quesadillas oh and nachos oh and I drank too many bud lights so I'm pretty sure I thought I was a damn golf pro. I thought wrong! 

 

Saturday I got some solid alone time with Brandi which consisted of Starbucks, a sweet ass hangover and some inappropriate-for-little-ears conversation. Maybe I'm selfish, but I wish I coulda stretched that part out just a teensy bit longer. The rest of the day was spent at the fair. Kristen and Megan came too!! ALL THE FRIED THINGS!! Holy hell. Don't judge me (who am I kidding, I'd judge me) but here's the rundown of my fried food intake and my thoughts:

 

Fried Cuban Roll: Delicious shredded pork and some other stuff, not too shabby!

----- BEER -----

Fried Reese's: Chocolate syrup and powdered sugar on top? Ok fine. I think I actually FELT my heart start to beat slower on this one

----- BEER -----

Fried Thanksgiving Dinner: Turkey and stuffing and taters in a ball, fried, with gravy and cran for dipping...whoa that was good! Only regret was that Ben wasn't there to try it! Winner winner chicken turkey dinner!

Post fair we went back to the house to get ready and headed out for dinner and drinks! Due to my fashion idiocy, I ended up borrowing 80% of my outfit soooo you'll never see me in that again, ha! I will say that I wore heels all night with little to no bitching annnnd no tripsies! I will conquer you heels, you bastards! We only had to fend off one creeper at the bar and I blame Megan's studded leather shorts for that one. It was worth it for the amount of laughter that was enjoyed!! I heard someone utter the words, "last call" for the first time in a while, so that was pretty sweet.

 

 

Sunday morning I soaked up my cocktails with a greasy breakfast (because my fat intake was low) before hitting the road to the airport. It went quick, but it'll be a memorable trip! I think most of all it'll encourage me to do things that might seem a little scary, because chances are you'll end up stoked that you did it!

I mish you already.

Soooo...crabs, beers and shenanigans await you (and the fam). Come to Maryland, I fucking dare you.

Twenty niner.

It's been a minute!  Ok, it's been a month, whatever.  Time flies when you're having fun, right?  I heard that somewhere.

So I turned 29 last week and I'm gonna let you in on a little secret…I haaaaaate birthdays.  Well no, I hate my birthday, I love everyone else's.  It gives me a reason to spoil the people I love without giving them a reason to bitch about it.  Where was I?  Oh yeah, I hate my birthday.  I'm not entirely sure why, but I thiiiiiink I might be cured.

It's pretty safe to say I got spoiled.  By my sweet and thoughtful husband, by my incredible family and by my insanely perfect friends.  I got flowers!  I got cards!  I heard kind words.  And I got streamers, yes, fucking streamers.  How can you not swoon over a man that decorates your dining room and kitchen at 4am before he goes to work?  And leaves you flowers and a Starbucks card so you can go get yourself breakfast!  But seriously, it made my little heart do somersaults.

 

 The rest of my long weekend was spent having lunch with my parents, dinner with Ben, breakfast with my best friend, lunch with a new friend, shopping with my mom and a little get together with some of my favorites.  My sweet dad also turned 60 so we had a nice dinner to celebrate on Sunday.  I can't complain, not even a little.  But I can say that my heart is more full than it has been in a while and I couldn't be more grateful for the people I have in my life.

 

 

In other news, I'm pretty much shitting myself with excitement over the fact that I'm flying to Texas on Friday.  You ever do something that's so far out of your comfort zone that you just can't wait to see how it's gonna turn out?  Yeah, me either.  So I started reading this blog a little over a year ago.  It's THE reason I got inspired to get off my ass and do something about, well, my ass.  It had gotten pretty lazy and pretty fat and pretty sad.  But the more I read the more I realized I could change!  I could fix what I had done to myself and I wasn't stuck being unhappy.  So I started making a change and I emailed the incredibly inspiring woman who's blog I was reading and about died when she emailed me back.  Then, after our initial email exchange I got courageous drunk and emailed her again.  Persistence might be one of my best qualities.  We became friends.  Great friends.  Talk almost every day friends.  Halfway across the US friends.  It took me a little over a year to sack up and say, "Hey, I think I'm gonna come visit you." and for her to respond, "Yay!!!!!"  I also get to meet some pretty amazing and hilarious people I've gotten to know during this whole journey.!!  Am I nervous?  You bet your ass I am.  Am I excited?  100x more than I am nervous.  Pretty safe to say I've never done anything like this before and I can't fucking wait.

In exercise land I've been slackin my ass off.  I don't quite feel like I'm getting the most out of my workouts.  I'm trying not to force it too much so I'm only going a couple days this week!  We'll see how that goes!!  Ok ok I might do arms on Friday morning before I fly out.  I know 3 friendly bitches that are probably gonna yell "flexbreak!!" at some point and I'd like to be prepared.  Oh and Ben won't be there to back me up (literally, see below)!!

Have an awesome Monday and be sure to appreciate someone today!  I know I do!