What an odd day it’s been…Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a good day just odd.  I’ve been feeling real good the last couple of days.  Even with all the odd things that seem to be happening, I feel ok about things.  I’m working hard at not internalizing things; this is such a struggle for me.  If something doesn’t go as planned, if it goes wrong, or simply doesn’t go the way I expect it to, I question myself and try to figure out what I did wrong.  I beat myself up replaying things in my head and picking them apart to figure out what happened.  After I ware myself down I realize that it probably isn’t me; that it could easily be something or someone else. At the same time I’m going through that silly torment I put myself through, I’m praying my way out of it.  It has really helped me get through it and get over it.

I’ve been praying a lot lately.  I have something I need to sort out that I’m just not sure of.   Something I am real excited about that I’m hoping comes to fruition, a dear friend’s mom, and lots of other things.

Work has been very busy; lots of things going on there that need to be sorted out.  I’m hoping within the next day or so things will settle down.  Things settling at work will put my mind at ease and help me to think clearly about everything else.

We planted a vegetable garden today!  We are very excited about it.  Joe is most excited.  He wants to water the plants and spray them.  I can’t wait to see how it goes.  I’m not sure how well it will grow with the bugs around here.  We purchased and organic bug spray…hopefully that will do the trick.  One of the veggies we are growing is eggplant; the only thing I know to do with eggplant is to parmesan it, otherwise I’m clueless haha.  It should be a great learning experience and it will save lots of $$$ on fresh produce.

We had a great workout again today; I have something I need to take time to work out, like my fear of boxes. I can jump on a 12” box, but I struggle with doing it consecutively, without stopping.  It just gets in my head…its silly. Practice, practice J

I did well with my eating today…the weekend is coming up…always a challenge for me.  Here’s what I ate today:

700         2 eggs w/ turkey sausage 4oz prune juice

1115       small banana, protein shake, 8 almonds

145         6 oz steak ½ cup mushrooms

630         2 pork chops sautéed in olive oil, 1 cup broccoli

I love fried chicken!

Just when you think your kids are getting “it” a picture or essay comes home from school that proves you wrong J  Justin had to write a paragraph of his favorite food:

Greasy, Fried Chicken

My favorite food is fried chicken.  Fried chicken is very delicious.  They are juicy, and healthy.  If you taste it for the first time, you would go wild!  It has a lot of protein too.  You could buy it at Publix.  I love fried chicken!

Well, the good thing is that he knows chicken is a protein and proteins are important. But clearly we have some more work to do, like talk about how bad fried foods are for us, but my family has truly come quite a ways since I started my fitness journey. 

Joe and Justin received their report cards today and both made Honor Roll.  Joe was disappointed he missed straight A’s by 1 point.  We are so proud of all 3 boys for doing so well. 

Today was a great day, work could have been a bit more productive but there have been a few distractions there that I need to handle a bit better.  I’m letting some things get to me that I need to work on getting passed.

My eating was great today; a few of you asked why I wasn’t posting my food log anymore so I will begin to do so again tonight.  My water intake was great again today.  I drank just about a gallon today.  I can honestly say I’m feeling better physically and mentally about the water...it’s really not as bad as I made myself believe it was.

We had a GREAT group workout today, everyone worked hard and seemed to be pretty impressed with each other.  Right after our group workout I have my one on one training.  That was pretty tough but I think I did ok.  I felt great after the workouts, my head was clear and ready to focus on work; too bad my body didn’t agree haha.  Brent’s workouts are amazing and help me in so many ways; one of my favorite results is the instant release of stress…it’s amazing how differently you can feel from the time you walk into a workout to the time you crawl out...its great!

We have a small group from our Boot Camp at work who will be doing the Mud Run in October.  I am so excited that we have a few who are willing to do it.  I am so proud of them. It should be lots of fun.  Now to just get a few others to join in the mess J

I’ve been feeling good, feeling a bit confident; trying to approach things in a positive way and working on talking out things that I am unsure of.  I have such wonderful people, who are understanding, patient, so encouraging, and kind in my life.  I used to think that when something went well I was lucky…I am not lucky at all; I am, simply, blessed.

Here what I ate today:

715                         2 eggs, 3 links of turkey sausage, 4 oz. prune juice

1045                       1/2 banana, 8 almonds  (I missed my protein here)

230                         Turkey sausage with 1/2 cup onion, ½ cup mushrooms

530                         HUGE salad with lettuce, egg, grilled chicken, cucumber, bacon, tomato

1 Gallon of water throughout the day

Not to much for today...

Its report card week J  we picked up Nick’s tonight; Joe and Justin will get theirs tomorrow.  Nick did great, all A’s and B’s with the exception of a D in Latin.  Latin throws him completely.  The good thing is, is that he is done with it after this year.  The bad news is, next year he has to take French for 2 semesters and Spanish for 2 semesters.  Then for 8^th grade he will elect the language he wants to take.

Joe had his audition last night for the Charlie Brown performance.  Initially he wanted to try out for Linus and Schroeder.  He ended up trying out for Charlie Brown and Schroeder; no one else was trying out for Linus so I’m not sure if that mean he will automatically get it.  I’m a bit lost when it comes to this stuff.  He should know within the next 2 weeks which role he will play.

We are all looking forward to our trip to NY the end of April.  Looking forward to seeing my family and hoping to be able to spend some time with some old friends.  I’m dreading that long drive, but I have no doubt it will be worth it.

It was a pretty productive day at work.  Got lots of done including cleaning up the area we workout in.  Today’s workout went well; my running is improving and my eating was perfect. J  My face has broken out (Boooo) I’m pretty sure it’s from eating pork again but then I realized there are 2 new things I am using that may contribute to it.  I’ll lay off the pork for a week or so and see if it clears up; if it does not I’ll stop using one of the 2 other things…got to love the process of elimination.

It's a good day when it starts rough but ends well.

I was so conflicted about something today.  One of those things happened, that may not be a big deal to anyone else, but it was, or had the potential to be, the straw that broke the camel’s back. All’s I have to say is thank God for the words I heard yesterday at church.  If I didn’t hear what was said, if that message didn’t come across to me clearly something very important may have come to an end…ok so maybe I’m being a little dramatic but the thought did cross my mind.

My hand is still swollen but is a bit better.  Seems like a banged it up pretty good during batting practice yesterday.  We decided I wasn’t holding the bat tight enough.  The area between my thumb and index finger is swollen and real tender.  It did cause distraction during tonight’s workout; but then again so did the bugs, so I tried real hard to ignore it.   The workout was a good one, it was challenging, and it felt great.  We will all be experiencing lots of soreness tomorrow.  J

One of the biggest problems I have when working out is my head.  I let the workout get to me to easily and that causes me to struggle through it.  I take rests when I need to, but then I find myself taking a longer rest than I should because I’m telling myself over and over again that I can do it; I’m literally stalling myself, it’s ridiculous.  After the workout is over I could kick myself or over resting.  I need to stop thinking and just do! My mind is my worst enemy, it always has been.  Ok, so I know this, how do I fix it?

It was great to have Brent back and to work out with the girls tonight.  I only work out with them once a week and they are my favorite group to work with.  I missed last week because I wasn’t feeling well.  Brent shared some of his experiences with us from his mission trip.  I’m really looking forward to hearing more about it during our Bible Study Wednesday night.  There are so many things he taught me and made me think about that has changed the way I live my life.  I have been humbled, and I’m finding that is where I feel most comfortable.  It’s almost relieving to feel this way.  Most of my life has been based on materialistic things, what others think, what they say, and how they feel.  Living life like this is sloppy; it’s living for all the wrong reasons. The more I think, the more I pray, and the more I learn from Brent and the other’s I’ve surrounded myself with, the more humble and comfortable I become and, with that, I’m beginning to feel safe.  

The water intake was much better today.  I did my gallon, got my exercise going back and forth to the bathroom J  it’s tough for me to drink all that water but it makes me feel good.  The eating has been good to.  For my own 31 day challenge I took pork out of my diet, well I put it back in and I am experiencing puffiness and pimples.  Another great thing about Paleo is that you can really pinpoint how certain foods affect you.  I’m thinking that pork is not my friend as much as I thought it was…oh wellJ

Goals, goals, goals!

It was a very productive weekend for us J  Got lots of things done around the house but still lots more to do.  Today over all was great; sent the boys off to Sunday school with their dad while I stayed home and got ready for church.  Once they got home the boys and I headed for church.  I love that they get so much out of their services.

The message at church today was a great one and I was able to bring it back to some issues I have going on.  There was a guest Pastor in from a church in Tennessee.  He was great; I smiled so much through the service that my cheeks began to hurt.

We had our 2^nd softball practice today; our first game is next Sunday.  I feel like I got beat up.  I have a couple of bumps, bruises and a swollen hand with a thumb that doesn’t want to move very much.  I hurt it while batting…ouch!  But it was lots of fun and it should be a great season.

I heard from the Paleo guy.  Very excited about what he will be going over.  He is preparing us for 50 days of strict Paleo with not cheating.  I’m excited to see how he will direct us.  Here’s what he had to say today:

Hey Insider CavePeeps!

Super stoked... not long until the Final 50 Countdown Challenge takes off... and I'm sending this email with some reminders of how to make this happen without fail.

1. Clean sweep - Before the 50 days starts (today won't be too soon) do a clean sweep... get rid of everything that isn't Paleo as if I was there, in your kitchen (and the rest of your house - office- car), with you. And if something is of question it's probably on the no-no list. Now, this step is for everyone... single people, parents, kids... do what you have to do to set yourself up for success... if your family is supportive they may still resist this step because it affects them so don't be surprised if someone complains when you throw out their favorite bag of cookies... I don't care if you have to bribe them or demand or just whine until they cave... the success of this challenge rests on you following these steps as if I were a doctor giving you a prescription... listen... I've only lasted this long because I followed some really effective guidelines that worked that you are now getting exposure to.

2. Arm yourself - Do some additional homework now... know the restaurants you could go to (yes, I eat out at least 2 times a week without a problem because I did my homework, and you will too)... Here's a trick... talk to the manager to ask what the specific ingredients are if the menu doesn't say (sometimes waitresses don't know)... let the manager know that you would love for his establishment to be the place you go to "cheat" during this 50 days... if fact, you plan on posting up your favorite places on facebook and the YOTC page... I did this and even have a restaurant that named a dish after me... and the place I eat at has had visitors from out of state order it!!

3. Do your research - Have you actually read The Paleo Diet yet? If you're only getting your foundational information from other websites and posts chances are you could be missing something... also - visit Slankers Meats and look around. I've been ordering my meat from here for the past 2 months and LOVE IT! There is also a lot of other useful information I found there.

So, you have some homework to do before we officially start... April 12th is the start of the challenge so put that in your calendar.
Stay strong. Stay Paleo.
- Caveman

PS. Look for Caveman Prep Course part 2 shortly.

This should be a very enlightening experience for me.  I know I’ll be needing lots of support and prayers for success.  50 days is well over what I have been able to handle and there is a couple of holidays during that time and a trip to NY.  This will be the toughest challenge yet for me.  I’m hoping this will get me closer to making this a lifestyle change.  It’s happening slowly but surely.

Well it looks like we have almost 2 teams for the Mud Run in October.  I’m excited!  I need a goal for that time of the year and now I have one.  It should be great.  Time to start training for it J

So here are the goals I have set for myself so far:

·         Lose 30 lbs. By the end of June

·         Get through the 50 day Caveman challenge

·         Complete the Mud Run in October.

I don’t think any of these are unrealistic J just extremely challenging.

Overall my eating has been great.  I did take a cheat day today but did not over due it at all.  I'm disapointed that I didn't keep up with my water like I have for the last 2 days so I am going to extend it for another day.

Feeling good about so many things in this life right now.  I'm so thankful to God, my family, and friends.

Consistency and Stability...here I am.

Well I must say I have been haunted by the Oreo layer cake all day.  Every time I opened the refrigerator I could smell it.  I did great resisting it though; resisting always gives me a great feeling of accomplishment.  I've been back on track perfectly the last few days which is a great feeling for me.  Usually when I go off track with Paleo it takes me weeks to get back into it, not this time.  My self- control is really much better. Self-control is key for me…I have no doubt I will reach each goal I set for myself this year.

I did great with my water today; I drank over a gallon by early afternoon and I’m still drinking.  I’m getting a pretty good workout walking back and forth to the bathroomJ.  Speaking of a good workout; had a tough one with Valerie and Stacey today under the Oak Tree.  I am trying to figure out why we choose exercises that cause us to get on the ground and practically roll around in the leaves and the dirt.  Next weekend I am going to plan a workout and bring some equipment J I’m going through heavy lifting withdrawals.

I need to work on getting the family back on track.  Poor Justin ate too many carbs last week and his soft little belly has puffed out.  He has been cranky and so tired.  To this day it amazes me how horrible some foods are.  The way the affect us seem ridiculous yet we still indulge…even worse, we give it to our children.  He has been better today so we are off to a good “re-start”.  He is watching his portion sizes again and making sure he is having his protein with every meal.  If I could recommend anything to anyone who needs to change eating habits of their family the key is to lead by example.  My family started picking up better habits before I was even trying to get them to be aware of how they eat and exercise.  The boy’s schools are great about educating them on healthy eating and exercise; that and what they are seeing at home has made a difference.  Then, of course is the shopping, we stopped buying a lot of crap and started buying better foods.  Better quality foods, less processed foods, etc. This will be an ongoing challenge for us for the rest of our lives.  But the reward is amazing.  Well worth it J

I’ve been thinking a lot about refocusing on some things; I’ve been throwing a ton of energy into a program that has worn me down for a few reasons. I do need to come up with a plan to rejuvenate it a bit and get people excited again but I’m comfortable at this point that the program can hold its own and I can loosen up on the reigns a bit to.  Charitable work has been weighing heavy on my mind; I just can’t stop thinking about it.  I have a few ideas in mind that I am going to pursue but first I’m going to talk to a couple of people about fundraising…Just LOVE it and truly miss it since we haven’t done much in the last couple of years because of the economy.  I’m confident that between friends and business associates, we could raise a good amount of money and donate it to a great organization. I’ll keep you all posted on that.

We are planning on getting a group together and doing the Marine Mud Run in the fall.  We already have a few people who seem very excited about getting all muddy.  It will be a huge challenge for me but a great goal to set for myself.  It will be tough but not impossible…we are in it to complete not compete. Anyone want to join us?

The day has been a great one once again.  They seem too great on a regular basis.  It’s amazing how my change in perspective has changed my life.  I feel happy, content, and I feel stability.  Stability and consistency are my goals for this year.  So far I am on track and actually doing better than I thought I would at this point. The next thing I’m going to throw into the mix is talking to people about things I am either unsure about or upset with.  Being passive is not working for me anymore.  I learned from a friend that anything can be said if it’s said the right way and I truly believe that I’m just not sure I could say something the right way without getting emotional and crying haha…I just hate when that happens.

Well, I’m excited to see how I will be in a few months.  I’m looking forward to a more stable, spiritual, healthier, fit and much smaller me which all equates to a very happy and content me (and a happy TJ tooJ).

Well I made it through my gallon of water.  It wasn’t all that bad.  It’s just one of those things I need to do and not think about.  Tomorrow will be more difficult since I will be out and about, not sitting at my desk with a jug of water all day.  Need a plan for that for sure.  In addition to drinking all that water, I walked at least 2 miles going back and forth to the bathroom.

Today was a pretty awesome day.  The weather was perfect, did great with eating, a pretty great workout that made my quads SCREAM for mercy….gotta love it.  The only downside of the day was that Joe had to go to the doctor.  His allergies are horrible right now.  The coughing, sneezing, congestion and the cute little graspy voice.  He should be ok once he gets going with his antibiotics, zyrtec (adult dose) and cingulair.

We need a few prayers for him that he is cleared up by Monday.  The next performance is in July and they are doing Charlie Brown.  Joe is auditioning for Linus and Schroeder.  We are hoping his allergies won’t cause him to lose the part.

The weekend is pretty full.  Steam cleaning carpets tonight, baseball practice in the morning and workout with Valerie, painting, ripping up carpet and hopefully laying a new floor by the end of the day Sunday.  I think I may sound just a little unrealistic right now, haha.