extreme weight loss, feeling inspired

Does anyone else watch Extreme Weight Loss on ABC? I have to admit, I don't watch very much TV at all, I might watch a show every now and then, but I will watch this! I do, and I find it very enlightening and inspiring. Seeing the struggles that these people go through and what they deal with is incredible. Last weeks episode was about a girl named Jami and it was very emotional watching. If you haven't watched an episode or don't want to watch them you should watch this one. Chris Powell is awesome at pushing these people through their struggles and helping them in more ways than just by work outs. I've even seen him get emotional with these people, that's dedication!

What can I say?! I'm addicted to this show and Biggest Loser. I watch an episode of either of these and I want to go out and run like 10 miles!

So, I know if you watch it you'll find it inspiring as well!

Do you watch either of these shows, or anything else like them?

manic monday

Ahhhh, it's Monday again! The weekend is over and it's time to get back to the grind. Waking up at 430am (ish) is my way of starting my week right. I wake up, go spend some time at the gym while everyone is still asleep and then come home for breakfast and a nice post workout shake!

My plans for this week are:
Monday: Back and Biceps (am)
Tuesday: Legs (am)
Wednesday: Rest (although I might try and get a quick run in)
Thursday: Chest and Triceps (am)
Friday: Back and Biceps (am)
Saturday: Long Run (am)
Sunday: Recovery run (am)

Honestly, who knows what i'll be up to i the afternoons after the littles go to sleep. Maybe some P90x, or Les Mills Combat, I can't schedule anything because there are some nights when it's impossible for me to do anything and then I get frustrated because it didn't happen.  I know I will be doing something though! Got to stay active!

Just remember:

I might get myself one of these shirts, because there are one too many guys at my gym that walk around like this! Working on every body part is important, don't skip days just because it is tough!

dietbet part 2 the end!

So I won this last Dietbet! Yay! I reached my goal weight and then some. I surpassed my goal weight by 1 pound weighing in at 137! Out of 5724 people 2847 of them reached their goals, so that left us winning $44.69 a piece, awesomeness!

This Dietbet was tough because I think I am at the point where I am losing fat, but I am gaining muscle, so i'm not really losing weight, numbers wise. I can tell I am losing inches, but the numbers on the scale are barely moving, and it's kind of hard not to get discouraged by that. I keep trying to remind myself that it's the muscle I am gaining causing me not to lose weight! :)

I'm probably not going to do one of these again for little while since this one was kind of stressful for me at the end not being sure that I was actually going to make the weight, and with me being at the point I am with weight lifting. Who knows though!?

Have you ever done a dietbet before?

ENERGYbits review and Giveaway!

I was lucky enough to be able to try out a product that I have only recently heard of called ENERGYbits. I've read reviews from people who have loved them and raved about them, so naturally I wanted to try some too!

 Yay! This was my happy mail on Wednesday of last week!

My sample contained enough bits for 2 days, so I was able to try it for 2 different workouts, woo hoo!

Let me tell you a little about them first before I get into the review:

These bits (the ENERGYbits) only contain one ingredient, organically grown spirulina algae. This ingredient has been used by Olympic athletes for decades. Spirulina has also become more popular as a superfood, i've been hearing more and more about it lately, and how can you beat 1 calorie per bit! Here's what the website says about them:

"Want more energy, more mental vitality, or a healthy high protein snack you can grab on the go? How about a quick way to boost your athletic performance, supercharge your run or crank up your endurance while working or working out? If so, ENERGYbits® are for you. Made from 100% organically grown spirulina algae and loaded with 40 nutrients, ENERGYbits® algae tabs have the highest concentration of protein in the world (64%) all for just one calorie per tab. Endorsed by the United Nations as the most nutritious food on earth, spirulina algae has been a favorite of Olympic gold medalists for decades and is a super food in every sense of the word, delivering instant and enduring energy to your brain and body."

I couldn't wait to try them so I took them before my workout on Thursday morning, and I felt amazing! I used to take a pre workout (booo I know!), but I hated it because it messed my stomach all up, I continued to take it because it gave me the extra energy that I needed. I took the ENERGYbits about 15 minutes before I went to the gym in place of the pre workout. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to have the same amount of energy that the pre workout gave me, but I was amazed, because I did! It wasn't like I was hit with energy at one time like with the pre workout, it gradually grew as I needed it. It also did not phase my stomach at all, which I was very excited about. I did chest and I even hit a PR on the bench press! I even continued to feel energetic after my workout was over, it was awesome! I then used them before my run on Sunday and felt the same way. I kept hitting the miles and my energy didn't waver at all, I completed 6 miles while keeping up an 11:30 min./ mile pace when I usually fall down to a 13 min./ mile towards the end of my run. I felt amazing and I am in love with these!

The two days that I took these bits I could tell that I felt more alert and my energy didn't die down later in the day like it normally does. I quit drinking caffeine about 8 months ago and I would drink a caffeinated drink around 5 in the afternoon for a pick me up and ever since I quit I really haven't been able to find a good substitute for it until now! I didn't even need a pick me up around 5, I still felt like I had enough energy to keep going without feeling fatigued even after I had been up since 4:30am. 

They suggest that you take 30 bits a day, which would equal 30 calories. These bits give adults all of the nutrition and protein they need for the day, boost their energy, and remove brain fog. The website also lists plenty of added health benefits to taking these daily like improved physical energy, improved endurance, reduced fatigue, helps reduce anemia and blood pressure and the lists goes on. Pretty much these tiny bits are awesome and super healthy for you!

I am just going to have to bite the bullet and pay the money for these because they are totally worth every penny, and they are still cheaper than the pre workout (even better!)! I am so excited about these, and so very glad that I was able to try them out!

So, now for the good part! ENERGYbits has offered to let one of my readers also try a free sample of them. Amazing right?! 

But, if you can't wait until the end of the giveaway you can head over to their website and enter "BLOG" into the discount code box and you'll receive 10% off!

Now for the giveaway, just enter below for a chance to win a free sample of ENERGYbits so that you can be #PoweredByBits too! 

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

pr's and that good stuff

So yesterday, at the gym, I set a new PR for myself! I benched 75 ibs. 5 times, 5 times, people! Yes! Knowing that I pushed myself harder helps get me pumped up, it helps push me to do even more. I also had my husband there with me to spot me, he is an excellent "coach", he makes me feel like I can push my self harder than whenever I go alone.

I'm a very shy person and I hate, absolutely hate asking for a spot at the gym. I don't think that I have earned the right to do that yet, at least that is how I feel, since I am a newbie to the whole lifting thing. Although, I think I have found my new love, lifting! I enjoy it almost as much as I enjoy running. I look forward to waking up at 4:30 in the morning just to go to the gym while everyone else is asleep, before work. It gets me pumped and ready for my day!

I just wanted to brag a little bit!

running

Lately I have put my running on the back burner thanks to my shin. I believe that my shoes are to blame. Darn shoes! I need to get fitted for some good ones, because there are so many different types out there. My shin feels better now, although, it has been like 2 weeks since I have ran. I plan on running on Saturday, so hopefully I will be able to run! I'm so anxious to get back to running..

I feel so lost whenever I can't run (I know I just began, but still). That is time that I get to myself, I think about the day, work, home, family, whatever. You name it, I just think about all kinds of things. It's so freeing to be out there running, with the wind in your hair, watching the sun rise, hearing the birds chirp. Most of the time I leave early enough in the morning to watch the sun rise, and there aren't very many people out, so it's quiet and I can actually think.

Even when I don't go out there by myself and run, there are occasions when I take my daughter, it still feels awesome! I like taking her with me because she just babbles about things, like the birds, the flowers and trees and such. It is interesting to see the world through a 3 year olds point of view! I'm hoping that by taking her with me when I do that it will show her how much she could enjoy running in the future.

Running has helped me push through my attitude of giving up. I used to start things and give up on them if I didn't get it right away, but with running it is different. It's like a whole new world out there to explore that I did not know even existed, so I can't even think of giving up now! There are so many races out there and places that I would like to run, so I see no giving up in the future!

So for now my view will continue to look like this:

And what a wonderful view this is!

What makes you run? What makes it important to you?

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the color run, part 2!

So, I signed up for another color run, like 2 weeks after my first one! This one was in Winston-Salem though, pretty much the same distance away as Charlotte. Still, I had a blast!

My GPS on my phone didn't work and I didn't take my watch, so I have no idea what my time was or anything like that. It didn't really matter though, because this run was more for fun than anything else! Next color run that I do, I think i'll wear a tutu or dress up or something like that! There definitely is going to be more in the future though!

This time they had colored water as well as the colored powder stuff, which was pretty neat! I liked the shirts much better this time too, but when I washed this one all the color came out. :( The one from the run in Charlotte didn't wash all the way out, but instead the color just faded, needless to say I was a little sad.

There were a ton of people at this one, even though it hadn't sold out by the time it started. There were kids, babies in strollers, whole families, pregnant women pushing strollers with babies, there was just a variety of people! There is going to be another one in Raleigh in September, I think, but I am debating on signing up for that one as I will be towards the end of my half marathon training, so we will see!

Then there was the color party at the end! Wow, so much COLOR!!!

And of course my Race Swag!

I love these fun runs, they make running so much more than just exercise! They make it enjoyable, instead of feeling like you're just exercising, you're having fun!