Tag: weight loss

fitness and nutrition

KT’s Week 6: Food, Toilet Paper and…?!?!

2chicksandapen

Well, here we are at another week in the fab fit fun journey I call life. My life is crazy most days, but that is what I love about it and why I decided to twist my tangled web of life into this blog spot this week. Wait, I do that every week! #itsallaboutme

Let’s start with my opening pic. Those are my tired legs on Saturday morning. Thick thighs matter people and so does rest and relaxation. I get up and hit the gym early on Saturdays and when my schedule allows I double up and knock out an extra workout with Pilates. This was the drill this week and it was bitter sweet all around. I said good bye to one of my favorite CrossFit coaches then scooted over to Pilates where I got my ass, abs, and thighs into tip top shape. Just kidding! The attempt was made only. No abs are visible yet because if there were abs I would post a pic, trust me!

I fueled the beast (me) then back home to my circular spinny chair that is amazing. I flopped my lazy and sore butt into that fabulous chair. I write most of this blog in the spinny chair for those of you who need a visual. All while the hubs thinks I’m texting friends but I’m really writing….he is just oblivious. Feet kicked up relaxing, looking out the windows at the sunshine or the rain, each of which is calming in its own special way. I read, write, think, create and rewrite in this chair that spins like my life: round and round we go like hamsters on a hamster wheel.

This week a special friend told me that he knows what I do every minute of my week thanks to my online presence. Well if you read this post, I dedicate this one to you! Ha Ha, not really. I don’t post the end of my toilet paper rolls on here, or the number of times I hit the commode, but I could, since poop sells. I don’t post the amount of time I spend on glam sessions, or the big deals I close 9-5 as a boss lady. I don’t post about all the petty crap the comes across my work desk on the daily. I don’t post about all the stupid people I have to exercise patience with, sometimes repeatedly. And I don’t post about my sex life. So there, we will get back to my fab, fit, fun life instead. But I do take requests so if you need a commode column or a sex life column just let me know and I will see if I can acCOMODate your inquiring minds?!?!?! Hope I disappoint you with the sex title 😉

My fun Friday started this week when my CrossFit box brought in some new equipment. Ski Erg’s were in the box for us to rise and grind, promptly at 6:30am. It was different, fun, and it got my heart pumping and the sweat dripping which is exactly what I needed for the stressful work day that was on the horizon. It’s been about 20-25 years since I went skiing. Holy cow, that makes me feel old! And it took me a minute to get the motion going but I conquered the Ski Erg and I am looking forward to it being in my workout mix.

FNL or Friday Night Lights rounded out the day for me. A little tailgating, a blue snow cone, and the nasty smell of high school boys post-game. Supporting my local community team. Cheering on a boy who is destined for the NFL and hanging with some friends I haven’t seen in a while. It was good time sitting in the stands, listening to the fans cheer, watching the engaging half-time show and smelling the aroma of a backyard bbq.

This week’s game had a purpose. A good fight kind of purpose. Each of the feeder schools fought to collect food for their local food pantries. What a great way to help others. Being a blogger is purposeful and I challenge each of my readers to make an impact on their community. Donate this week or month to a local food bank. Don’t have the means? Volunteer. Volunteering at a food bank is one of the most humbling experiences one can have.

In honor of the food fight I will be posting food pics this week to give you a glimpse at my food choices this week. Some people don’t understand what it means to count macros and others think I am always on a diet. I really just choose what I want to eat and make it fit in my daily macros.

#iifym – if it fits your macros you eat it. 🍩 🍕 🌮 🍔 🥦 🥩 🥛 🥓 🍦 🧀 🍳 ☕️

  • Steak, chicken, zucchini and onion kabobs was a mid-day Saturday meal while football was blazing at my house.
  • Way too spicy shrimp on a Monday. I needed that protein but they were just too damn spicy!
  • Weekly go-to items: yogurt almost daily #nofat mighty muffin #chocolatefix cheese stick and clif bar are #onthegosnacks
  • Need to avoid items on the daily: cookies, especially the ones the hubbie buys in bogo pack #nothelpful
  • Hydration: I have been drinking Ice flavored water as my go-to drink or no calorie drink but my coach insisted I get some real water in the mix. Enter the water challenge. I’m at about a 3:1 ratio, or 3 flavored Ice to 1 plain Jane water #progress #hopefloatsthisweek
  • Starbucks: I haven’t gone a week without my rocket fuel at least a couple days. This is the time of year I switch from iced coffee to hot. I’m sticking with a skinny caramel macchiato for now but I’m really waiting for their infamous caramel brûlée to hit the scene next month….but I’m hoping the skinny version will be in my macro range.
  • Pasta salad mid-week. Got some peppers, onion, tomatoes and a cheese stick for some fat and protein. This is a meal I could eat daily. Compliments to my sister for making that yummy dish for me this week. #takesanarmytofeedme #stillnotgoodinthekitchen
  • Slacker alert: I missed some photo food ops this week. My bad it’s fall break here so the kiddos are off schedule. #realitytookover

Remember fitness/nutrition is an investment in you not an expense. Keep moving and challenging yourself.

You control the when you eat, what you eat, and how your body feels because of this week my macros are:

130 carbs

62 fat

130 protein

PSA: this blog is written by KT aka Chick 1. KT announced this blog with a quick Instagram video. She added a twist to her storytelling this week by adding her voice. You have seen her in pics which is also by design. Adding video lets you hear the author’s voice. Another layer of creativity which is part of 2 CHX overall style. 2 CHX is always creating and reinventing themselves. Following Dr. Seuss’s lead….why fit in when you were born to stand out? Which is also a celebration of aging women in our eyes.

In your 40s you have experienced life. Success, failures, births, deaths, and technology growth. Now, you can sit back and settle for all things the same / meh or you can create the new beautiful version of you as you tackle your 50s and beyond. This overall blog section will show you our vision for our own personal growth as we hope to inspire others to create their own version of a sexy, beautiful, strong self after 40.

A little tidbit for our readers: KT.247 is her brand within many affiliated brands or entities. KT blogs here as a creative outlet and means of storytelling and as yet another layer of the complex business woman, coach, athlete, momma, friend and CrossFit addict that KT represents. It is only one slice of the pie. Some will like the slice and others may crave more. KT often says she is an acquired taste, one that takes time to appreciate. If you want to stick around, she will be writing here for six long months about her fab, fit, fun life adventures. Stick around or not, the choice is yours.

Until next time…..

fitness and nutrition

Chick 2 and the Birthday Burpees

2chicksandapen

This time last year, I was still pretty new to CrossFit.  So when I stumbled into my box on my birthday for a workout, someone told me it was time to do my birthday burpees.

Now that I think back, there was some snickering around the box that morning about birthday burpees.  But, I am pretty gullible, and I was anxious to be part of the community.  I also don’t like to seem like I am slacking or afraid of hard work.  So, I went over into the beginner’s corner (what I call the side area of the gym where I often retreat when I am doing particularly sloppy / awkward movements), and started at it.  I did them a few at a time, very slowly, spread throughout the workout, probably cursing each one, but I did my 44 burpees.  Maybe halfway through the 44 someone saw what I was doing and told me that it was all a joke.  But, I did them anyway.  Why stop part way through?

Here it is, my birthday week again.  It’s been over a year at CrossFit Pure.  My birthday fell on a Sunday this year so I didn’t have anyone to tell me to do burpees.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am working on health and weight loss.  I also have some challenging injuries that limit my ability to do some of the most dominant CrossFit movements (squats, deadlifts, etc.)  To be sure I am still getting a solid workout, I often add things on my own in addition to scaling and adapting movements.  At times, I challenge myself to do certain moves each day during a week as extras, like 50 sit ups, 50 slam balls, and so on.

During my Monday workout this week, I decided to do some extra burpees. Burpees kick up my heart rate better than nearly any other movement.  Monday was a shorter workout so I was able to do 50 spread throughout my gym time, mostly before and after. I thought I would do 50 each workout day this week. On the way home, I thought to myself that, given it’s my birthday week, maybe I should go a little bigger.

How could I challenge myself?  What could my birthday burpees be this time around?

So, I decided to go a lot bigger, shooting for a goal of 10 times my age in burpees.  So, 450 total for the week.

As I sit here on my birthday, I am happy to say I reached that goal, and even BEFORE my actual birthday.  I learned something each day, too.  Here’s a snippet:

Monday: The first 50 burpees, completed before I set the actual goal.

Lesson: Sometimes you start something without a goal in mind, then the opportunity to create a measurable goal comes to you.  Embrace it, and challenge yourself beyond what you think you can reasonably do.

Tuesday: Another short workout, so managed to add in 100 burpees on this day. I set that 100 burpee goal when I walked in the door that afternoon, given that the workout was brief.  Plus, I decided that if burpees were part of the regular workout, they did not count toward my personal goal, so I had to push myself on the days when they weren’t programmed. (We don’t see the next day’s workout until the night before.) (Total: 150)

Lesson 1: Set intermediate goals that help you along the path.  When you have the chance, take a bigger bite out of the goal than you normally would if you were doing the same amount each day.  You never know what life will throw at you.

Lesson 2: Making up my mind before I started also helped me push through the after workout burpees.  The workout we did pushed my upper body to exhaustion.  So, when I dropped to the ground after it to finish my birthday burpees, I laughed out loud since I couldn’t push my body back up.  But, I had a goal to achieve, so I shook them out, took a few minutes to rest, then got going again.

Wednesday: Did 50 burpees during a crammed schedule kind of workout, then 25 at home. (Total: 225, halfway there!)

Lesson: My schedule was off this day.  Arrived at the gym late, couldn’t do the programmed workout due to injuries so had to pull one up from previous weeks, had a doctor’s appointment just after gym, and so on.  We all have these days where it is hard to fit things in, but we have to do it anyway.

So, I did 10 burpees in the driveway at 6:00 am while I was waiting for my daughter to get in the car. (This stunk on concrete but I was SO much more awake on my drive!) I was at the gym for less than an hour total but still got 40 burpees in.  Then, I did 25 more at home that night.  Those were also awful since I wasn’t in my gym clothes and trying to do them on carpet or tile is just different.  But, I did them. Striving toward goals means doing things that aren’t ideal or just plain stink sometimes.

Thursday: Another 100 burpee day. Did all 100 before the workout. (Total: 325)

Lesson: Most of the week, I did my burpees in sets of 5, EMOM style.  (Every Minute on the Minute, do 5 burpees.)  I didn’t wear out too much this way. I just chipped away at it. Take bite sized pieces from your goal.  This day I did them for 20 straight minutes, since my schedule was off again.  (I don’t usually have this much time before a workout).  One of our CrossFit coaches saw what I was up to and said, “look at her, over there doing burpees like it’s her job.  Like it’s her JOB!”  And this week, it really was my job.  It was my commitment to myself.  It’s also so helpful to have people notice along the way and encourage you!

Friday: 75 burpees. These were the hardest of the week. (Total: 400)

Lesson:  What I dreaded all week happened Friday.  There were burpees in the workout.  So on top of the 36 in the workout, I did the additional 75 that I needed to do for my birthday goal.  I was so tired after a long week, hadn’t eaten as much as I usually do so I felt sluggish, had a busy day at work, and so on.  It was a true mental challenge to get through these, especially since I did all 50 after the workout.  Again, sets of 5 EMOM style.  I nearly cried about 4 times but I just talked myself through it.  It was a slog and a true mental test. I just kept focusing on the next five.  Thankfully, the end was in sight at this point.

Saturday: 50 burpees.  Mostly all after a challenging workout. (Total: 450!)

Lesson: For these, some of our awesome gym ladies jumped in and did them with me.  We all challenge each other at times, so this was a great lift (and an amazing support since burpees aren’t much fun for anyone!)  This also made me push harder, since these ladies are all faster at burpees than I am and were doing them until I was done.  So, my EMOM style meant everyone else was doing more! more! more! I had to do the last 20 without a break so everyone could stop!  This is one small example of how our community makes you push yourself out of solidarity and encouragement.

I was so happy to get over the finish line.  I screamed in relief and joy. I am so thankful for what this body and mind can do.  There were several times this week when, through the pain and “I don’t wannas,” I reminded myself to be grateful for the strength to do this.

Later that day, it was fun to clean up, dress up, and have a tea party, again with some of my amazing friends from my box. Then, family celebrations as well.

The big takeaway:

It was a week of CELEBRATING WHAT MY BODY CAN ACCOMPLISH at age 45.  Getting older doesn’t have to mean getting slower or weaker.  I can set goals, push through, and have people cheering for me and pushing me along the way.  It is a metaphor for life, goal setting, achieving, and setting new ones (which is what I am doing today!)

Maybe next year I’ll do burpees all month.  Maybe by then I’ll be doing my burpees completely correctly. Or maybe it will be something else that seems like the right mountain to climb. Who knows.  I’ll see where I am and set a new challenge.

This post wouldn’t be complete without a tip of my party hat to Chick 1.  If you’ve been reading her blog posts, you know that she is a goal setter and a goal getter.  I didn’t really understand much about making progress toward goals until I watched her in action.  She is a marvel in what she chooses to strive for, how she accomplishes it, and the way she holds herself accountable. I’m still practicing this whole goal thing, but her showing and sharing that process has been a gift to me that will keep unfolding for years to come.

May 45 bring all the growth that 44 did, and more!

fitness and nutrition

KT’s Week 5 – Consistency and the Power of a Compliment

2chicksandapen

Week five is a reflection week. How good have I been with my food tracking? How consistent is my gym attendance? How well have I done meal prepping? Did I sneak in some alcohol? Did I munch on that dessert? Am I sleeping well? Does the scale like me this week?

As I close out September I see plenty of room to improve and that’s what I am going to do. No more birthday excuses! No more extra dark chocolate covered almonds….I mean they are soooo hard to resist. It’s definitely hard to count out a handful and say that’s my ration. That’s it. 🤧

I am going to focus on being consistent as the fall and fluffy clothes weather are upon me. Why? Because it is easy to hide under the fluffy clothes and I want abs for Christmas this year!

I’m going to hit some clearance racks this week and buy a swim suit two sizes too small to use as my winter motivation. Let’s see how I measure up as we get to 2019 and bikini season!?!

As a bonus tidbit this week, I am putting a shout out to those college kids who are on their own for the first time and may want to give in to the freshman weight gains. Don’t do it. Commit to yourself and your education. It’s all about life balance. You can do it!

With reflections you can identify strengths and weaknesses. This week I turned a corner and hit my protein numbers more consistently, thanks to a new item I tossed into the food mix that cures my sweet tooth and gives me some protein. Check out the FlapJacked mighty muffin hack this week. If you are traveling, in the office break room, or in your college dorm this is a great fill in. This is a quick and easy eat that tastes soooo good! Just add water and you get some decent protein and curbs that sweet tooth. Not an everyday stable mable but a good alternative for when you need it. Double chocolate is the way to go and you can get them on amazon. Super easy!

Short post this week. Just keeping true to my word of a weekly post on my fab and fit journey. Less is more sometimes.

And my extra special bonus this week came from my kid’s doctor who said I looked amazing. I hadn’t seen him in six months so it was nice that he noticed. The power of a compliment like this fuels motivation. It really does. Getting noticed for the hard work you put it is just fabulous. And the shocked look on his face of “Wow, you look good!” made it that much better. Watch out world. I still got some game in me! Fab. Fit. Fun….and now super cute!

Toodles for now. 😘

fitness and nutrition

KT’s Week 4 = PrOgReSS

2chicksandapen

I am going to start out by announcing my big yet small purchase this week. I bought a new scale. To be specific, I brought a RENPHO scale from Amazon. It ties into my Apple health and has some neat features within its app. (See the pics below).  It was a $30 investment with good reviews online. I am pretty happy with it so far. It replaces my older, more expensive scale but the technology is far more advanced so it was a good investment.

One of the benefits of this scale is its Bluetooth capability. It syncs directly to the app when I get on the scale. Why is this so important? Because there have been a few days in the course of my journey that I didn’t like the number on the scale so guess what? I didn’t put that yucky number into the MyFitnessPal app. I had a choice and I opted not to highlight my less than stellar performance. That means I manipulated the program to yield the results I wanted. Hmmmm…how many people do that in some area of their lives?

At the end of the day I am only cheating myself, and for that the accountability feature of the Bluetooth connection is awesome for me. I am legitimately committing to what the scale inputs into my app. Talk about stepping up my game. When you commit to six months with your coach you need to evaluate everything you do so you end up with results you want at the end. It’s all you. The coach is just your guide.

If you follow this blog I can only hope it inspires you to take whatever step is the next step for YOU in a journey to living healthier.

It always amazes me when I get a note or message from someone telling me I have inspired them. This week it came from a girl in Germany. She told me she loves watching my fit life unfold online. I INSPIRE her. These are the magic words for me. If I know I am under a microscope and have the potential to impact others, I am going to push that much harder for me and those that I influence.

Danke schoen to my Deutschland pen pal of the week. You made my blog post! For the rest of you In blog land: you could be the lucky one to make an appearance in my blog post next week if you send me a personal note!

The numbers report (not the weather report):

Carbs: 150
Fat: 65
Protein: 130

And since the new scale entered the picture, I figured I would post the number for inquiring minds!

The SCALE says: wait maybe next time I will share 😜 ⚠️🙄

But remember, the scale is just a number. I feel great. I look strong. My doctor says I’m healthy. I don’t take medication. My attitude is positive. I’m sporting a new tattoo. And most importantly my mental game is uncompromised.

Hugs, high-fives, fist bumps, and toasts to all who read and react to this week’s KT chronicles.

And for that I am posting some highlights of a gym session with some badass ladies I workout with each week. Each of them inspire me in a different way and are a key ingredient in my success to this point.

And on a closing note my husband bought me a scale a long time ago as a gift. I resented him for it for years as I always thought it signified his discontent with my shape post-child rearing however he was most likely doing it to provide me a tool. At that time in my life I was too busy being a mom to realize and appreciate the gesture. And now when he sees I bought a new scale I think he was in utter shock and disbelief. Hats off to hubs who helps motivate and support me. I can totally get away with writing this tidbit since he never reads my blog posts!

Closing thoughts for this week: My progress on the scale isn’t enough for me to scream and shout about but there were plenty of NSV’s (Non-Scale Victories) this week. My middle child hit 18 this week. I skipped another round of cake. I hit some PR’s in the gym (trimmed another 43 seconds on my mile time) and I even went to a high tea party with friends to celebrate yet another birthday. See my fancy pic!

Oh September, go away already. Too many opportunities with all these birthdays around me.

Wish me luck next week.

fitness and nutrition

T-Minus 100 (and counting…) for Chick 2

2chicksandapen

img_2153

247.

184.

147.

313.

There are numbers that stand out to me in my mind.  Benchmarks.  Milestones. Moments of triumph and shame.

247 was how much I weighed when I got pregnant with my youngest baby.

184 was how much I weighed when I got married.

147 was how much I weighed when I dieted wayyyyyyy down in my early 20s, so far down people said I looked sick.  My lips poked out, my cheeks sunk. I even lost some of my hair.

And then there was 313.  313 was the highest number I ever saw on the scale.  That was six years ago, or maybe seven, in the final stretch of completing my doctoral dissertation.  Raising kids, teaching college courses, presenting papers and presentations, writing articles, cooking family meals and more by day.  Up until 1:00 or 2:00 am each night, chomping on watermelon jolly ranchers by the bag and guzzling diet cokes.

I probably weighed more than that at some point, but 313 is the highest I saw between my toes.  After that I stopped looking in disgust.

This week, I passed another milepost.  I passed 213 on the scale, more than one hundred pounds down from that highest reading.  Over time, I’m sure I’ll tell the stories of all the diets I’ve been on, from my first time on Weight Watchers at about age 11 to what I’m doing today.  I’ve lost 100 pounds several times in my life.  Maybe that’s why I am a bit more sober about this one than celebratory.  It was a goal I was happy to get to, but I am still in progress.  I may always be in progress.  Maybe that’s what I understand this time that I didn’t before.

Of course, any doctor would tell you that 213 is not a healthy weight for a 44 year old woman, five foot eight.  I know that.  Many people wouldn’t be proud to tell that they weigh 213, or wouldn’t tell you their weight at all. I was in a conversation at the gym this week with two men, who shared that they weigh 155 and 195, so that was perspective.  I’m sharing here because it is a number and it doesn’t define me.  My weight is definitely a part of my story, and a complicated and even important one, but I mostly don’t care what people think about it.  Mostly.

These days I try to focus more on how I feel.  I work out most days, and in spite of some pesky injuries, I can move better and do a lot more physically than I could several years ago. I eat pretty well most of the time. The doctor was pleased with my progress at my latest physical.  My blood pressure is great.  Overall, my health is improving.

Still, this is just a pause on a very long path.  A milepost on the way to another destination. I’ll wave at it, take a picture, then keep moving to what comes next.

More about that in future writings.

-Chick 2 (aka Beth)