Sunday, June 29, 2014

Pilates, Pilates, Pilates

I did Pilates three times this week and this was the wittiest title I could come up with.

This week I worked out 5 out of 7 days.  Pretty good.  I took my usual days off, Monday and Friday.

Sunday I took Martina's Slowburn Vinyasa class.  I wasn't expecting to get my heart rate up so high or to sweat, but I did.  I guess I shouldn't let the Slowburn word fool me.

Tuesday I had my standard reformer class.  Rachel, the newest Pilates instructor at LTF-Novi, subbed for Cassie.  I had never met Rachel, so I was kind of curious to meet her and take a class with her.  She is so nice and very pleasant.  She is trained the same way that Cassie is, so it was an easy transition.  She's a little quieter than Cassie, but she's new and she had never met any of us before.  Plus, Linda can come across as a thug when you first meet her.

Wednesday was my only training session with Sarah and you can read about it here.

Thursday was Jumpboard Pilates.  I hadn't done Jumpboard in two weeks, so I was anxious to get back to it.  Cassie was there for this class and she filled us in on the new West Bloomfield club that is opening.  We were asking questions because we were interested in what a Diamond LTF club was all about.  Sounds very luxurious, but not what I would want.  (No offense!)

Jumpboard was definitely tough.  We did those agonizing arm exercises.  I just kept repeating "My arms are going to look awesome, my arms are going to look awesome," just to keep me going.

Saturday was a private Pilates session with Cassie!!!  I love private sessions!  It's nice to get the one-on-one attention and just chit-chat with Cassie.  It's like sweating with a girlfriend...except you're the only one sweating.

Before I went to LTF, I stopped at my local Starbucks and picked up a Skinny Caramel Macchiato for each of us.  Cassie and I have the same favorite drink at Starbucks.  Great minds, people, great minds.

Yeah, I know it must seem weird to walk into a gym with two venti Starbucks, but hey, I don't care.  I just strolled on through with a coffee in each hand like:


And I seriously would have gone Naomi Campbell crazy if anyone would have said anything.  

So, that was my week in a nutshell.  I would call it a successful week.  I did a little bit of everything: lifting, yoga, and Pilates.  My three loves.  I think my head is getting back in the game.  I'm not weighing myself every day.  I was going to remove the batteries from my scale, but I didn't and I've been able to avoid the scale.



Product Review: The Run Home Store


So between my meltdown and Sarah not being able to compete in July, we're both a little down (but not out).  And since we're in this together, I thought we should have some sort of tangible inspiration.  I've seen several Instagram accounts advertising exercise/lifting jewelry and I almost bought some a few weeks ago, but didn't.  I thought now would be a perfect time to get something for both Sarah and I.

I went on Etsy and searched for exercise jewelry.  There are tons of pages.  I found the jewelry that I would ultimately buy on the first page, but I wanted to continue looking a little bit more rather than pull the trigger right away.  Nothing else really spoke to me like the necklace picture above.  It was perfect.  The etsy store that I purchased this necklace from was called The Run Home or you can order directly from their website.

This store has some awesome stuff!  I didn't browse the entire store, but I liked what I saw, I love what I received, and I will shop there again.  The prices are great!  I much prefer to support independent artists/craftspeople than ordering from a larger business.  Etsy is a wonderful website for that.

I placed my order on Tuesday evening while I was watching Extreme Weight Loss, it shipped (from Georgia) on Wednesday, and I received it on Friday.  I loved the necklaces!  Obviously I only opened mine because they come beautifully wrapped and packaged.  I wanted Sarah to open hers as a present.   


Seriously, how awesome is this box with the silver ribbon cord around it?  Presentation is really everything.  It goes a long way in my book.  Not to mention, I received a hand written note from the owner, Debbie.  Classy.  Also, there were care instructions and a cloth to clean the necklace.  I love it!

Just a quick note, I did add the open heart charm extra.  The necklace as advertised just came with the quote and the barbell.  I was debating whether to add an S on Sarah's necklace and a V for mine, but I decided on the open heart charm.  It was a little smaller than I expected, but now seeing the whole necklace, it is actually the perfect size and doesn't distract from anything else.  A bigger heart charm would have crowded it too much.  

Not only did I love my necklace, but Sarah did, too.  I had to run to a private Pilates session with Cassie and she was manning the protein shake table, so we didn't get too much time to chat.

I would HIGHLY recommend Debbie and The Run Home store for your athletic jewelry needs.  This is definitely the first of many purchases I will make.  

Be sure to like their Facebook page.  I'd like to hear if any of you purchase anything.  Love my necklace and it inspires me to fight on.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Training 2014 - Week 25



This week Sarah and I only trained on Wednesday afternoon.  She took Sunday off from work or something selfish like that.  ;)
                                                     

Wednesday was a completely different workout than anything we've ever done.  We did an obstacle course.  I had some fair warning before I came to the gym so I was a little leery.  I hate change.  

The obstacle consisted of 8 exercises and I had to do the full sequence three times.  Some of the exercises included thrusters, rowing, running/walking, push ups.  It was a combination of things I love and hate.   I loath running.  I've tried to love it or even like it, it's not gonna happen.  It's like forcing a relationship with a nice guy that you're not attracted to.  

My heart rate definitely got up and I was sweaty.  I think my deodorant even failed me!

I really liked the obstacle course workout.  It made the hour go really fast.  I kind of missed lifting heavy, but it's good to change things up.  

Next week, we will be working out Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon.



Saturday, June 21, 2014

A Week of Emotional Mania


I won't continue to blab on about what a crappy week I had.  I think I did that enough already.

I worked out four days this week.  Not bad for a crappy week.  I worked out with Sarah on Sunday and Wednesday.  I had a great Pilates class on Tuesday.  I canceled out on the Jumpboard class on Thursday because I was so unsure of what I was going to do.  In retrospect, I am glad I did because I was insanely sore on Thursday and Friday.  We're talking incredible pain.  I can't imagine how I would have felt if I had gone to Jumpboard.  I might have been wheelchair bound.

So I took Thursday and Friday off from the gym and my healthy diet.  I ate like a fricking pig just to re-enforce that I hate the old way of eating.  Seriously, I was so lethargic, bloated, and salty.  It so wasn't worth the momentary euphoria of eating crap.  And it didn't help that everywhere I went I saw morbidly obese people, some who even walked like weeble wobbles.   It made me want to never go back to those days again.

Weeble Wobble toys from the 1970s

Saturday was my return to the gym.  I took Rickita's 945 Hot Vinyasa Flow class.  It was a great class for the most part.  My main issue is that I sweat so much that my feet and hands slip on my mat.  I ordered a mat towel on Amazon and it should be here on Tuesday.   I did the first two flows pretty well, but the third one was a little convoluted.  I did the best I could.  I tried to do crow pose, but that's a lot of ass and leg weight for my arms to hold up. 

I was really glad I took a yoga class.  It was what I needed.  

Have a good week!
  

My Nervous Breakdown of the Fitness Kind



It was bound to happen.  I completely melted down this week.  Five months of a plateau has finally gotten to me.  As I stated in my weekly training thread, the scale was a bitch this week.  Not only was my weight up, but my body fat percentage was up, too.  My diet was virtually the same.  My thyroid checked out okay at the doctor's office.  The Reds left town the week before, so that's no reason for the increase.  I've been eating at home, basically the same menu as the last few weeks.  I.WAS.PISSED.

But on the positive side, I look fabulous.  My skin continues to firm up, my muscle definition is great, people are continuing to comment on positive changes they see.  The scale is the most cruel bitch of all.  I know it doesn't really matter, it's just a number.  It's all about being healthy, getting off meds, feeling good.  But on Wednesday when I was standing on that scale all of that didn't matter.   D.tox was an epic waste, I wanted to quit training and Pilates, I wanted to quit period.

Then I thought about how fabulous my butt and legs look.  My arms are making good progress.  My abs are going to be phenomenal.  My skin looks spectacular.

And then I thought about all the haters and some of you haters are reading this right now.  You know who you are.  I'm doing what you couldn't and can't do.  I'm doing what you don't think I can do.  I'm tenacious, I'm strategic, I'm patient, I'm determined.    And it kills you.  But thanks for pushing me to do better and pushing forward.  I'm actually glad you're around.

So, I'm still climbing out of the pit and regaining my momentum.  My mood about this is still a little manic.  Sad, disappointed, hopefully, lonely, persistent, inspired.  I'm going to be meeting with Sarah and Cassie this week and we're going to tweak things a bit and see what will work.

I'm inspired by the story of Justin Willoughby who lost 550 pounds and it took him a decade to do it.  A DECADE.  That's dedication.  Holy crap!  I guess I shouldn't be bitching about 13 months, right?

Well, that's all for now, but I leave you with the Motivational Penguin.



Sunday, June 15, 2014

Training 2014 - Week 24

As usual, Sarah and I trained on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.  Surprise, surprise.

Sunday morning,  I was super sore.  My low back and low abs were bothering me for absolutely no reason I could think of.  I had taken the previous two days off as rest days, so I have no clue what was going on.  Everything was a little sore.  My right knee, my left ankle.  You name it, it hurt.  I made Sarah aware so we proceeded with caution.  (None of my pains were very strong, just dull and very annoying).

Sunday was total body day and super-setting day.  This time we only super-set two exercises and there was no kettle bells swings or rowing machine.   My cardio was stair stepping, but this time it was with the step aerobics step and risers.  I think we used 5 steps on each side.

It wasn't all fun or exercises that I liked.  I did have to do walking lunges, which I hate.  But there were also exercises that I like, squat rows and chest press on the floor.

When I came home, I showered and then took a two hour nap.  Yeah, a two hour nap.

Wednesday was just awful.  My weight was up and my body fat percentage was up over two percent.  I don't understand why this is happening.  My diet is the same, I'm exercising.  D.tox was supposed to get me out of my plateau and it's not happening.  The scale has not been kind this year.  I'm up in weight and body fat percentage.  I see a change, but that's not enough.  I have to change something. 

Do I not continue with training?  Do I leave Lifetime for some place new?  What do I do about Pilates?  I'm going to take the next few days to think and reassess.  I'm not quitting, but I have to tweak things a little bit to get to my goal.

Jumping Jehoshaphat


I had a super tough workout schedule this week.  I worked out five days in a row.  I usually work out four or five days, but I break it up.  This week I felt extra confident and went for it.

I worked out with Sarah on Sunday and Wednesday.  You can read our training post here.

Monday, I took Tammy's 4:45 yoga class.  I love Tammy's classes and I haven't taken a yoga class in almost two weeks.  June is actually a yoga challenge month and I have failed miserably in trying to squeeze in some yoga.  Between two training days and two Pilates days, I have to try and fit some yoga in at least once a week.  I also have to be careful to not get myself into an adrenal fatigue situation again.  (That sucked).

Tuesday was my regular Pilates class with my girls, Linda and Maureen.  It was a great class and I really got a good workout.  I always get a good workout, but lately Pilates has really been kicking my butt.

Thursday was Jumpboard Pilates.  This was the most excruciating Jumpboard class to date.  Cassie introduced three new exercises and each one was more challenging than the last.  The first two were arm exercises where we laid down on the reformer box (lengthwise) and pushed off the jumpboard with our arms.  Wow, those were rough.   To me, the toughest exercise was the new leg exercise that had us laying on our sides.  Even though it was tough, I can only imagine how beneficial this exercise will be for my glutes and my hips.  Unfortunately, when I was laying on my left side, I had some sharp pain.  I don't think it was an injury pain, but more of a killer cramp.  I did significantly better when we switched sides.

My sugar cravings go into overdrive after Pilates.  Each night after Pilates, I come home and want sugar, sugar, and more sugar.  It's gotten to the point that I am now drinking two protein shakes a day.  One at work as a mid-morning snack and another in the evening after my workouts.

Friday and Saturday were well deserved rest days.

I am really glad I took a yoga class this week.  I have a free morning on Friday, so I might squeeze in Tammy's Friday morning class.

Have a good week!

Friday, June 13, 2014

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

These are not just the lyrics from the most bitchin' musical of ALL TIME, but it's a sentiment to some very special peeps that have left Lifetime Fitness Novi.  

Angela 


Always there for encouragement and a positive word.  I almost don't feel guilty for high-fiving her once.  I'm sad to see her go.  She was the trainer that did my Buck session when I first joined Lifetime two years ago.  She didn't make me feel like a total blob starting out and she got me signed up for TEAM Weight Loss.   I'm sure I'll see her working out at Lifetime, but I'll miss seeing her on a somewhat basis.

Charlie


Charlie was one of the earliest fans of this blog.   He always made me laugh because he would always self -five himself when he saw me.   I could always count on him for a friendly hello.  He guarded the Alpha zone like a pitbull and once kicked Sarah and I out of there.  Whatever, we were done anyway.

Good luck, Angela and Charlie.  Also, good luck to Kristie and Dave, who also left Lifetime but I didn't get the pleasure to get to know them or work with them.



Training 2014 - Week 23

Training this week was on Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon.

I was really in a panic about how Sunday's workout was going to go.  This was after all my first workout since my crazy Friday night.  Turns out, I did great.  Hmm, maybe I should get wasted every Friday?  Just kidding.

Both days were full body days.  Sunday was a traditional workout, Wednesday was a little different.

On Wednesday, we super-setted three exercises and then did another super-set of three exercises.  I really enjoyed it except that the third exercise of both groups of exercises was kettle bell swings.  I HATE kettle bell swings.  It didn't even matter that the kettle bell was super light, I essentially did 6 minutes of kettle bell swings.  My arms did hurt the last couple of times I  did the swings, but my abs hurt the entire time.  The only justification for continuing on is that one day my abs are going to show through and will look amazing.   I swear if Sarah would have told me ONE MORE TIME to go lower in my squats, I would have swung the kettle bell into her chin.  I seriously HATE kettle bell swings.

Kettle bells aka Devil bells

To add insult to injury, we ended this workout on the rowing machine, again.  It didn't suck as bad as the last time and actually didn't seem as long.  I still had a tough time getting my feet out of the pedals.  

Weight-wise, I was up a few pounds, but I I had eaten two meals and a protein shake before coming to the gym.  On the positive side, my body fat percentage went down about 1.3 percent.  I guess those BCAAs are working!

Next week I will be working out on Sunday morning anf Wednesday evening.  

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

The Week That Was

This past week was an okay week.  I took three rest days: Monday, Friday, and Saturday.  Friday I was crazy sore and I was away from home all day, and Saturday I was hung over.  Monday is usually a rest day.

Sunday and Wednesday were personal training days with Sarah and you can read about it here.

Tuesday and Thursday were Pilates days.  Pilates really kicked my ass this week.  I came home Tuesday after class, showered, and passed out while watching Extreme Weight Loss.  I did well in class with all of the poses and exercises, but holy crap I felt rough.  My judge heard me sighing on Wednesday morning and asked what was wrong and I said Pilates class.

Thursday was Jumpboard Pilates class and it went super fast (thank God!).  My quads were burning as usual, especially during the warm up.  Once we get to the timed exercises it's not so bad.  It was a packed class, so packed Cassie had to turn someone away.  Eastside Cassie came out.  I was scared. LOL

As I said earlier, I took Saturday off because I was hung over.  I had a wild and crazy Friday.  I had a busy social calendar this weekend with my buddy Sara graduating on Saturday from South Lyon High School.

My goal for the upcoming week is to squeeze in at least one yoga class.  I really miss yoga.  I need to sweat the toxins out and get my yoga on.

Have a great week!


Sunday, June 8, 2014

The Mother Of All Cheat Days

Fridays are historically my cheat day.  I don't pack a lunch,  I dine out for dinner,  and I don't exercise.  It's my day to let loose, sort of and within some boundaries.  Mainly I just allow more gluten, carbs, and calories than a normal day.  It keeps me sane.

This past Friday was an epic saga of over-consumption and over-indulgence, and I love it!   It was an all-around blast.  One of those days you remember for years.

Friday was a gorgeous day in Detroit.  The sun was shining, it was just hot enough.  Perfection.

For lunch, I went out to lunch with my friends Sharon and Cynthia.  We walked to Greektown and ate at Pizza Papolis.  I ordered the pizza/salad lunch combo.  I chose the spinach pizza and the garden salad with ranch dressing.  I ate every single bite, I left nothing uneaten.  It was delicious!

Sharon and I at Pizza Papolis   June 6, 2014

I spent the afternoon at work because I was going to attend the evening's Detroit Tigers game with my friend Brittany and her cousin Tarra.  I haven't been to a Tigers game since the Tigers-Yankees playoff series in 2006.  So embarrassing considering I work across the street from the ballpark.  

Brittany and I met up just after 5.  The area around the ballpark was busy with game attendees and the Jehovah's Witness conference concluding next door at Ford Field.  It was crazy busy with car traffic and pedestrian traffic.

We started by heading to Bagger Dave's for dinner and a beer.  I ordered the Bacon BBQ Burger (AMAZING!!!!), Brittany ordered a chicken sandwich, and we both drank a Mount Pleasant Train Wreck (or as I like to call it The Brittany).  Then we went next door to The Well and we each had a Miller Lite.

By the time we finished our beers it was time to head back towards the ballpark and meet up with Tarra.  We stopped at Elwood's and had another beer.

Me and Brittany at Elwood's  June 6, 2014  Detroit, MI

Once we met up with Tarra, we went into the park.  We took the steps.....millions of steps up to our seats.   I was a little out of breath, but I was pretty happy to get up them.  A year ago, I would have probably suffered some chest pains.  Our first trip was to a lounge to get some complimentary CMU t-shirts.  I got a Large, and it fit!!!!!

Then it was time to go to our seats and watch the game!

Detroit Tigers v. Boston Red Sox  June 6, 2014  Comerica Park Detroit, MI

Seriously, how beautiful does Detroit look in this picture?  It was a gorgeous evening.  Super lucky.

The game was great.  The Tigers won.  During the game I had three more beers and split a daiquiri.  There were fireworks after the game and then I went home.

My previous blog entry was all about how I was pop and fast food free for a year.  On my way home, I stopped at White Castle, my favorite fast food place.  I ordered a two double cheeseburger and fries combo....with a bottled water.  I went home, sat on my couch, and loved every single bite of my White Castle.  It was happiness in a white and blue bag.  White Castle truly is the food of royalty.

Now, you might be asking why I am blogging about all this alcohol I drank and all the crappy food I had.  Because I am human and in the wise words of my dearest Jackie, "Sometimes you have to live a little."  I don't consider myself a drinker because I only have the occasional glass of wine, but sometimes you just have to have a wild night with your friends and it's okay.  This is real life.  You can indulge, you can go crazy.

I did do a lot of walking and step climbing during the day.  According to my Galaxy S5, I got over 10,000 steps for the day and that's only the times that I had my phone with me.    I laughed with the girls so much that my abs hurt.

One of the things I was happiest about was how roomy my seat at Comerica was.  I had no issue fitting into it.  I was comfy and I was excited about that.

I am writing this blog entry two days after the fact and I have gotten back on track with my eating and exercising.  I had my day of fun, booze, and junk food.  Now, it's back to business and that's really what it's all about.  I am at a place where one day doesn't derail the train and doesn't send me into a tailspin.  This is what doing this "the old-fashioned way" is all about.  You learn, you make mistakes, you have fun, YOU LIVE!

Back to the grind.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

One Year Pop and Fast Food Free


Tuesday, June 4 marked one year of me being pop and fast food free!!!  I started this when I began D.Tox in 2013 and it stuck!  I really had no expectation of never having pop or fast food again, I honestly don't know how that happened.  I've gone months without having pop before, but never this long.  I'm pretty proud of myself.  Coca-Cola was my heroin.

Being Coke free was tough in the beginning.  I would pass a vending machine anywhere or a mini cooler at the checkout line at the grocery store and look at the pop and drool.  I really missed Coke.  I missed Coke so much that I was dreaming about it.  In my dreams though I was disappointed in myself for caving in to the temptation.

I may not have mentioned it in this blog, but Coke was the ONLY thing I drank.  Coke bloated me, made me gain weight, and whenever I would wake up I was always thirsty.  Thirst is a HUGE red flag for diabetes.  What would I do to remedy my thirsty feeling?  Drink more Coke, of course.

Since I've done away with Coke, I'm less bloated, my glucose readings are better, and my kidneys don't hurt anymore.  I do have to say that my body really wasn't loving the Coke at the end.  It wasn't as refreshing to me as it used to be.  I think I was almost just drinking it out of habit and addiction.

I would say that by the end of Summer 2013, the temptation was over.  That being said, I avoid going to movie theaters like the plaque because other than peanut butter and chocolate, buttered movie popcorn and a large pop is the best food combination ever.

By comparison, being fast food free was relatively easy.  I have gone to the local McDonald's when I visit my mom to get a large unsweetened ice tea and on Valentine's Day, I went with friends and got an ice cream cone.  But other than that, I have not gotten anything from the standard menu of burgers and fries.

I did a blog post in January about fast food temptation and you can read it here.

Now, there are some food chains that I do patronize, but I do not consider to be typical fast food chains.  I go to Panera regularly and I usually stick to a breakfast souffle or the Greek Salad and Creamy Tomato Soup (minus croutons).  I absolutely love Chipotle and I am so thankful that I don't live that close to one.  I order my burrito bowls with brown rice, steak, grilled veggies, hot salsa, mild salsa, black beans, and guacamole.

I also occasionally go to Five Guys.  I've probably gone there 5 times in a year.  Plus they don't have a drive thru, so that doesn't count.  LOL  I avoid the french fries even though they taste like heaven.  I get the little hamburger (no cheese).   Some of the condiments that I enjoy are grilled mushrooms, A1 sauce, mustard, raw onion, and ketchup.   What I like about Five Guys is that you can make your burger as healthy or unhealthy as you want and the meat tastes and feels like meat.  I swear the meat at McDonald's makes a weird tearing noise when you bite it.

Anyone who is considering giving up pop, I recommend switching to iced tea, which is what I did.  Unfortunately, I still used artificial sweetener in my iced tea, but since this last turn at D.tox I have gone completely sugar/sweetener free in my iced tea.  I was actually getting the same blah over it feeling with the artificial sweetener that I had when I gave up pop.

Maybe next year, I can do a post about being artificial sweetener free!

Training 2014 - Week 22


This was a heavy lifting week for sure.  I mean, every week is tough, but it was so tough this week I had to have weight taken off some of the machines.  Yeah, that never happens to me.

I worked out with Sarah on Sunday and Wednesday.  Both days were total body days.

Sunday start with step ups on the step up machine.  I hate that machine, I much prefer the step aerobics step ups.  But I do appreciate how much harder the machine is, I just don't have to love it.

Wednesday started with front squats, which I don't think we've ever done, at least the way we did them that day.  I only lifted the bar, which was 45 pounds, but it was still a challenge and the hand/arm placement was a little awkward.  I did get through 2.5 sets before I had to change it up because of the strain on my wrists.  Then we did deadlifts with 85 pounds.  I've done 85 pounds before, but maybe I was just too tired.  Who knows.  Again, I did 2.5 sets before Sarah took off 10 pounds and I finished that last half set.

Most disgusting of all was the rowing machine.  We've only used it twice, but it is still awful and brutal.  My quads were burning a little.  The worst thing about the rowing machine is getting out of it because your legs are jelly and you're trapped in the foot pedals.  I always take forever to get out of the foot pedals and that's a workout in itself.

It was a good week.  It was rough.  I was sore on Thursday and crazy sore on Friday.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

One Week Post D.Tox

This has been the best week in my life because the rollercoaster of emotions, aches and pains, and sugar withdrawal was over.

I woke up on Sunday and drove like a bat out of Hell to my favorite Coney Island (Leo's on Eight Mile @ Farmington) for breakfast.  I ordered a ham and cheese omelet, with potatoes, and sliced tomatoes.  I washed it down with iced tea (unsweetened).  I only had a few bites of the potatoes (too dry), but I ate all of my tomatoes and a good chunk of the omelet until it became too hammy.

I didn't go too crazy with eating.  I did want to maintain and continue my weight loss.  I didn't want to completely negate my progress.

In terms of exercise, I worked out four days this week.  I worked out with Sarah on Monday and Wednesday and you can read about it here.  On Sunday, I took Martina's Hot Vinyasa Flow class and sweat buckets.  I was sweating from every single pore.  I think I lost 10 pounds in just sweat.  On Thursday, I took my beloved Jumpboard Pilates class and it was Cassie's first day back from her honeymoon.  Now that her wedding is over and she's back from her honeymoon maybe she can concentrate on me full time.

Martina complimented my skin and thought I had gotten a facial.  Cassie noticed that my chins were smaller.  Apparently the effects of D.Tox that I didn't notice was my amazingly smooth and clean skin.  I mean I did notice that I was looking cuter than usual, but I had no idea it was because of D.Tox!

On Saturday morning, I went and had Sarah do a post-D.Tox Health Score.  My previous health score from April was a 68.  It is now a 76.  It probably would have been higher, but my glucose reading was high (106).  It was the exact same as in April, but I had an alcoholic drink the night before and that is probably why it was high Saturday morning.  I'll take more about that a little later in this post.

Everything was great.  The numbers were pretty much the same as they were in April.  My body fat was slightly higher, and my lean body mass was a little lower.  So, Sarah and I have decided to add some BCAAs into my supplement list.  Bonus for me:  Sarah surprised me Sunday by buying me some of the Thorne BCAA, so I'll keep you posted on my progress with that.

So, more about my food intake this week.  I definitely am going to watch my carbs because I don't react well to carbs at all.  Everything was cool until Friday.  I went to Mexican Town to have lunch with my friend Brittany.  I got the two cheese enchilada lunch special that came with rice and beans.  I also had some chips and salsa before my enchiladas came out.  My body reacted fine.

Friday evening I was going to go show shopping with my girlfriends.  The time switched from 6 to 7 and I hadn't eaten since lunch.  I decided to go eat at Leo's (seriously, I love this place) and had a bacon cheeseburger with onions, and a side of fries.  YUMMY!  I didn't eat as much as I did before D.Tox.  Before D.Tox, I would have cleaned my plate.  This time, I ate 3/4 of the burger and only half of the fries.  

I drove straight to DSW to meet the girls and my pancreas was in pain from the carbs.  Wow, carbs and I have to set some limitations.

After much success in getting some new summer shoes, the girls and I headed to California Pizza Kitchen.  We each ordered the same alcoholic beverage.  What did it for us was that George Clooney's Casamigos Tequila was in this drink.  SOLD!!!  It was a fabulous drink and I will get it again when I go to CPK.

I ordered just a side salad with ranch dressing.  It was great and refreshing, and a pretty good choice.   My friend Maddie is gluten intolerant and so she ordered a gluten free Margherita pizza.  She couldn't finish it, so she gave me two pieces.  It was so yummy and hit the spot.  My tummy was fine obviously since there was no gluten.

Saturday, I went to a graduation/going away party and I grazed all day.  It was at my friend Jackie's home and so there were a lot of  healthy options.  Her kale salad is amazing.  I was there from noon to 7:30, so I ate lunch and dinner there/  The weather was perfect and so was the food.

So, my first week post-D.Tox was a success.  I did deviate from the script, but that's life.  Life is meant to be enjoyed.  You splurge and get over it.   We're all human.  That's why I am doing this uncut.