AdvoMER

I feel like some big changes are coming. I'm anxious . I'm uncertain .  But I feel good. I feel like "open up."  Let's do this. Ahhhhh. I've got things on the horizon that just feel so right. Can't wait to share more!!!  

Guess the pound difference!!

have really been talking to me lately. 

I started tracking my workouts in June of 2013. I started caring. I started thinking. I started educating myself.  On the back of the journal is a quote, "continuous efforts, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential." -Winston Churchhill (see above).  So I got the journal and I'm tracking my WODs and there was a cool quote on the back and I still did things my way.  I'm still doing things my way. But my mental game is shifting. I'm asking myself the whys and I'm more aware of and recognizing my habits. This is liberating. I'm more in control.   Mindfully relentless...continuos effort. I happen to grab my journal tonight to read it and check my time from this mornings workout.  And happen to read the quote on the back, "continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential."  Continuous effort is the key to unlocking our potential.  Mindfully relentless.  I'm on a journey...this is li...

Tomorrow I go back to reality. I've been off work from my main job for the past five days (thank you parent-teacher conferences). This is normally a very joyous occasion; however, I almost always slip back into my habits. Because I'm by myself and no one can see me.  So I haven't gone to the gym for the past week. I signed up to go. And I just didn't.  Do I dwell on this...do I beat myself up...do I feel disappointed?  The answer is no. I'm on a journey and I guess after 4 weeks of 4 WODs/week I needed a week off.  Time to continue the journey. School starts tomorrow, I'm signed up for my 530a wod, and ironically there's smoked chicken and veggie steamers already in the refrigerator. (And freezer.) And my water bottle is in my car already.  I guess I do better with structure because I, also ironically, fell down into the depression hole. It was so easy to do nothing. And to pick a part my body in the mirror. Why is that easier for me...I'm still learning...

The Kansas City Royals won their post season wild card game last night. The city is lit up!!  So I'm celebratin' too, right?  So I stop and get my regular McDonald's breakfast order and celebrate with my coworkers this morning. Mind you, I've been eating mainly leftover meats and steamer veggies for breakfast the past 2 weeks.  20 minutes after enjoying my bacon egg and cheese biscuit with a hashbrown and diet coke, I needed to use the bathroom. And then I got a headache. And felt tired.  So I got some ibuprofen from the nurse and dealt with my choice.  Snack time rolls around at 10a and I've got my sausage mcmuffin to eat. I think to myself, don't eat it, it'll make you feel bad. But I ate it anyway. Because it was there. So I ate it. And had to use the restroom about 15 minutes later.  I looked at the clock when I was finally starting to feel normal again and it was about 1045a.  I ate my lunch of lettuce, hotdog, peas, snap peas, sesame sticks and l...

I've been blogging for a little over two months now.  I got on the scale this morning. I weigh the same as when I started. I had weighed myself at the end of the day a couple times last week and thought, do it in the morning. So I finally weighed in the morning ("in the morning" during the past two weeks has been 510a and not much else is happening than changing my clothes) ((more on that later.)). So I weighed this morning with a little bit of hope in my heart for a pound or two difference.  Nope. Negative. Nada. Here's where my mind is changing. Big deal. Who cares what the scale says. Is it really about those three blasted numbers??!!  No. It's about (we're now at the above mentioned "later") the fact that I've been to CrossFit four days a week for the past two weeks. It's about the fact that I didn't  completely blow my food choices yesterday.  It's about the fact that I'm actually doing it.  And I'm going to keep doing it...

Mindfully Relentless  Relentless: Never giving up. Never.  Mindfully: describing a mental state of awareness; being aware of what's going in your mouth  Mindfully Relentless: always being aware of what's going in your mouth.   Relentless kept popping up. I saw it everywhere.  My new motto...my new mantra. It has to always be on the forefront.  You have to be aware of what you're putting in your mouth and why you're putting it in your mouth. I had a stressful day on Thursday. I had an hour and a half before I had to pick up Maxwell. I immediately thought about QT. I could get my diet coke with crushed ice, my two taquitos and my peanut butter M&ms. This is a regular snack for me - heightened in the summer when drinks are 79 cents. I knew I wouldn't get M&ms. I'm mindful enough at this point to at least cut out one treat. I've occasionally gotten unsweet tea instead of diet coke; however, I've been drinking it a lot lately so it's calling my na...

I've gotten that perplexed look several times when I'm asked about crossfit.  My guess is because my body, on the outside, hasn't changed that much.  I don't look like this. However my body is changing on the inside.  I can lift heavier than when I started in February of 2013.  (Read: my deadlift was 185, now it's pushing 300 at 275.)  And my mind is changing, which is where it all starts and sustains.  But I digress, back to crossfit. (one of my favorite subjects.)   I've known this woman  since 2004.  She is one of my lasting friendships from my time in South Florida (will save that for another post.) Her name is Viana and she is a badass competitive crossfitter.  She started going and I got the chance to visit her when she had first started.  It wasn't all she talked about because she's not one to flaunt her badassness (is that a word?) but I could see it in her demeanor.  She was more confident in her own ski...

I had the pleasure of enjoying conversation over lunch with my sweet friend Christina recently.  We workout together at CrossFit I-35 and hadn't seen each other in quite some time.  I instantly felt comfy cozy when we sat down together and we got right into conversation like minimal time had passed.  Like Krista, I feel comfortable being candid with Christina so our conversation naturally turned toward exercise and diet. That lead to me talking about my blog and I likened it to what I imagine fat camp would be like.  Lots of thinking, introspection and coming to grips with my why.  Requiring a post of myself every so often has really forced me to keep my weight loss journey on the fore front.  And figure out the function of my behaviors.  (Yes, I just said function of my behaviors.)  It's like I'm constantly at fat camp.  (Anyone that has gone and is reading this, props to you, it's been mentally exhausting for me!)  Here's what's be...

"I've heard this motivational speech 9 times before" "Quit talking, start doing" "Just f*^*ing do it!" If you still look pretty after a workout you didn't work hard enough.  Well, I sure don't look pretty!!  But I got a great workout.  And if anyone thinks crossfit doesn't include cardio, think again.  This is a beet red face from 4 RFT, 400m run, 15 c2b, 15 burpees.  I modified the crap out of that WOD and still almost only puked once.  But I went.  I finally got the ball rolling.  This is huge.  And it's indicating to me that my focus is back.  Had a thought this morning about loving myself through this process.  If I make a "bad" food choice or skip a workout, to not beat myself up and to remind myself that it's a process.  My coach continues to tell me "it's a process!"  

Five years ago. I was preparing to walk down the aisle. We had been following an extreme diet of chicken and vegetables mostly. Some yogurts, cereals, subway, chick-fil-a and papa Murphy's pizzas too. Oscar and I just checked in mentally.  We were not straying, no matter what. We were going to look good for our wedding!!   And we did!!  I had lost 40 pounds, from around 200 to 160 (not exact numbers but I probably have it written down somewhere.). And my husband lost 80 pounds, from 260 to 180...in about 6 months, Jan. 2009 to June 2009. In July I thought it would be wise to start reintroducing some foods in an attempt to get our stomachs prepared for our honeymoon in Mexico knowing that we were going to eat all the things.  It was about the 4th day of my honeymoon I noticed that my clothes were feeling tighter. Probably partially due to my eating/drinking and partially due to the humidity.  This diet was effective but many people thought it was extreme and impo...

This word keeps popping up.... *video is of Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, the worlds fittest woman on earth.  http://vimeo.com/m/101381743

I've had a vision board since 2012. I became a little satiated looking at it day after day. I would say however that they are helpful. So I made a new one. I had actually printed these out a long time ago and got around to putting them up today.  I also taped up my kit kat minis wrapper. Candy usually wins with me so hoping this will be a helpful visual.  "Attract what you expect, reflect what you desire, become what you respect, mirror what you admire." "You are intense.  You are obsessed.  You are not normal. You say yes when others say no.  You rise while others sleep.  You're better today than you were yesterday.  You do what others will not.  You control your destiny.  You are on a quest.  Never stop." "Friends may come and go. But 200 pounds is always 200 pounds."  – Henry Rollins "Amazing things will happen." "I know what I need to do. Now I just need to get out of my own way so I can do it."  "I didn't want to c...

I've been debating how to write this...ugh.  So your first week went great and you were spot on with your diet and you followed the plan right?  Otherwise, shaking my head, I'm disappointed. This seems how it always go and this blog is about coming out of hiding and exposing my terrible habits.  (Oh geez, my Mom is going to read this.)  I rebelled last week. I told my husband I'd make a delicious breakfast we could eat all week long and a delicious snack.  Did I make it?  No.  Did I eat a healthy breakfast?  No.  I ate McDonalds all week long.  Every morning.  And I knew I was rebelling so I changed from my usual to this cause this is kinda better, right? And if I used cash, no one would know I went, right?  PS.  Most of those toys were purchased without any food, my husband is a bit of a collector!  (They're for the baby!) So no, I wasn't spot on with my diet and I did make terrible choices.  But I'...

Not sure how frequently I'll regularly blog, but I'm feeling it.  So here we go. Insulin + Insanity = Insulanity Per Wikipedia  insulin is :  provided within the body in a constant proportion to remove excess glucose from the blood, which otherwise would be toxic.  And insanity per me: repeating the same behavior yet expecting a different outcome.   This name came to be during a conversation with one of my friends from my gym , Krista .  Overtime she has become one of the few people I've been painfully truthful with about my eating habits.  We're in this boat together and it's a judgement free zone and she's just awesome.  She's also into oils ...which makes her even more awesome.  I'm sure you'll see here name pop up here and there.   I learned when I read It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig that (help me if I'm wrong) eating sugars, dairy, grains, legumes, alcohol causes my insulin to spike to clean out the ...

My little brain has been swirling with blog ideas so I thought, let's get on with it.  I've never done this before so put your seat belts on. My name is Meredith.  And I guess you could said I'm exposing myself.  I'm coming out of hiding. (Happily married to Oscar.)  I need to do something completely different this time and I need to be successful. And I think I can be.  I've found motivation and inspiration reading blogs and I think if I've got people reading about me and checking up on me then I might be more successful.  It's like when I got married (more about that later) and the David's Bridal chick didn't believe me when I said I would lose weight.  I lost 40 lbs.  (Geez, so many things to blog about) So, the plan is 90 days, July 14 - Oct 14, of cleaned up eating.  It's not paleo because we won't be 100%.  (We = Oscar and I.)  It's not primal because we'll more than likely mess up.  We're working on changing 34 year ...

I think I got it!  I'm creating this blog because I think exposing myself is exactly what I need.  I've been on this "journey" for several years and my way ain't workin'!  So I'm trying something completely different.  My next post will be my true Declaration.  Stay tuned!

This is my first test post.  Let's see if I'm doing this right....