Category: Coffee Date

Coffee is good for the soul. Something about it makes me feel so at home and so open. The smell of coffee brewing is invigorating. It isn’t just about the caffeine, although that doesn’t hurt. It is like a loyal friend. Always there for you when you need to wake up, take a break, have a pick me up after a long morning, or just need a warm hug for your soul.

 

And thanks to Starbucks advocating for their “third place” experience, a lot of my deep musings and conversations have happened over a cup of coffee. So today I’m going to chat (or type) with you over a cup of coffee. I used to do this all the time but then life happened and the only thing I do regularly is eat, sleep, work, and workout. So, let’s have a fun little Coffee Date!

If we were having coffee… 

I would tell you how excited I am to be able to connect again. I miss this space. Writing has been something I’ve always loved. Really, it has been a therapy of sorts. There have been so many times that things don’t make sense in my head but as I start to write they just seem to make sense. I would tell you how I have been writing a little more in an actual paper journal! For a long time the only place I journaled was here on the blog, but not too long ago I found my collection of paper journals from the year before I got married and it was so enlightening to read through those. Let’s just say I’ve come a long way since then… Oh the thoughts that go through a 19 year old girl’s mind…

If we were having coffee…

I would tell you that I am thiiiiiiiis close to finally finishing my Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. I registered in September and got most of my materials close to October of last year. I’m extremely thankful that it is a go at your own pace program. It took me awhile to get through the first half of the program, which is the science based portion. I’m cruising through the second half, which includes a lot more practical coaching education. The coaching portion comes a little more naturally to me as it is more psychology based… Good to know I will actually get some kind of use for that Psychology degree I have! I’d tell you that I am really excited about being able to help teach others how to have a healthy relationship with food and to get the results they are looking for. One of the biggest thing I’ve noticed, especially in women, is that most of the clients we see come in to our CrossFit are not eating nearly enough of the right foods. Especially Protein. Let me step on my soapbox for a moment…

LADIES… Lifting weights and eating adequate protein will not make you look like some she-hulk body builder! I wish to the Dear Lord in heaven that it did, because I would be jacked. You should aim to eat protein dense food with every meal, even your snacks! If you aren’t getting enough protein from whole foods, or you are traveling or crunched for time,  you can supplement a protein shake.

I have used several different brands of protein, most recently getting the opportunity to try out Lean1 Protein from Nutrition53. The most important thing is to find a quality protein that you will actually drink (The regular Lean 1 Flavors all tasted great, the Vegan flavors tasted very… earthy. Which is cool if you like that taste. I wasn’t a fan). All that to say I don’t care how you do it, but eat you freaking protein.

*steps off soap box*

Sorry, I get really worked up about that.

Deep Breath.

Let’s get back to coffee…

If we were having coffee…

I would tell you I have been doing my best to read more. I really love reading. I recently finished the Book Start by Jon Acuff and I really enjoyed it. Now I’m working on Tribes by Seth Godin and Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin. I have several other titles on hold in my online library… Did you know you can get ebooks from the Public Library? I read them from my ipad. That was life changing when I figured that out! Some of the more popular titles have a long hold list but I like that having them on loan makes me want to read them before they have to go back to the next person on the hold list. It’s so easy in this fast pace busy society to forget about the things we enjoy. For me it is reading. I love learning and reading is one of my favorite ways to learn. Plus Leaders are Readers!

If we were having coffee…

I would ask you what was one thing on your to do list that has been sitting there for awhile. I’ve been using my Passion Planner to keep track of my chores and errands. That means whatever I don’t complete for that week has to be rewritten on the next week’s page. I had a huge stack of things in my garage that I was supposed to mail to someone for the last month or so. And I just kept putting it off for no real reason. I finally bit the bullet and packaged them up and mailed them out the other day. It felt so good. I would tell you to bite the bullet and get that thing done. The energy you spend dreading it is more draining than the energy it takes to actually get it done. So like Shia says… JUST DO IT!

If we were having coffee…

I would tell you I have been really enjoying training lately, but it has been hard. I feel stronger than ever. I’m trying to dial in my nutrition (PROTEIN, remember?!) and work on my form. I’ve found some major errors in my pull that I’ve been doing for so long they are miserable to try to correct now. But I’m working on it and making progress. This week was tough. I posted this on Instagram after Wednesday’s workout:

“This week training has felt hard. The heat was crazy and the weights were heavy. I feel strong, hitting just 10lbs below my 1RM max split jerk for 5×3 today. Some days it feels easy. Most days it doesn’t it. If you want something worth having, you are probably going to have to fight for it. I want to to be a better athlete and coach. I want to be stronger, faster, leaner. I want to be better than I was yesterday. And that is worth fighting for when it’s hot… And the weight is heavy… And you suck at double unders. Now I’m just thankful that tomorrow is rest day”

Rest day was amazing and today’s workout felt good. I would tell you that I think your mentality about your training effects the outcome of your training more than we realize. I have been in a good place mentally and I feel like it is making all the difference in my training.

If we were having coffee…

I’d thank you for putting up with my random rambling and tell you we have to do this more often!

If we were having coffee… What would you tell me?

If we were having coffee today I would probably stare at the menu at Starbucks for like 5 minutes before deciding what to get. Funny how the more I frequent Starbucks the longer it takes me to figure out what I should order. Back when I first started frequenting Starbucks on the regular I would default to one of the super sweet fluffy creamy dessert drinks… Like a White Chocolate Mocha. I loved it. I’d spoon out the whipped cream like it was Ice Cream. There is obviously more than a few good reasons why I ended up over 250lbs…. Anyway, recently my tastes have been changing and I just can’t handle sweet. I never thought I’d be the own to order a plain coffee at Starbucks… But apparently I am. Man, is this what growing up is like?

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I just recently started my hormone supplementation as a part of correcting my Estrogen Dominance. I will say that my afternoons before were a struggle. I had a pretty frequent headache that would come on after lunch time and stay through most of the afternoon. I would feel so foggy and just dream about laying in my bed. I can say now that even just on day 1, which happens to be my early morning, I feel so clear headed and not at all tired. This is HUGE. I’ll write a whole post about it once I spend more time on it. It is really forcing me to pay attention to my body and how it is working. For now let’s just say I’m feeling much better… and I hope all this helps my body start responding better to my meal plan and exercise!

If we were having coffee I would tell you how in addition to finally getting my body back in balance I think that the sudden appearance of SPRING! has made me a happier person. I’ll say it again, seasonal depression is such a real thing. the bitter cold hurts my soul. especially when it overstays its welcome. I noticed driving into our subdivision today that the trees have blossoms on them. YES! Our grass is green. It is warmer. The sun shines more. The hope of a new season is such a beautiful thing.

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If we were having coffee, what would you tell me?

Hip hip Hooray for Friday! I swear the days are getting longer but the weeks are getting shorter. Today I was thinking about my recent struggle with weight and progress and how I’ve felt “stuck” since our cruise. Then I realized our cruise was THREE FREAKING MONTHS AGO. Seriously though? a quarter of a year? I feel like it has been a lifetime and yesterday all at the same time. Can we go back?

Between the “all you can eat” on the cruise and the weeks leading up to it I ended up gaining 10ish pounds. The lowest weight I was at pre-holidays/cruise/crossfit move was 183. I stayed between 183-185 for the last few months of 2o13. I was around 193-195 at the end of January. I’ve continued working out the same and stayed mostly on plan with eating and now I’m at 190. These dang hormones seem to make it impossible to shed weight. I know it’s not all about the scale, but my clothes haven’t changed much at all. If we were having coffee I would probably complain to you about how I hate having to work twice as hard for half the results, while in the same breath saying how I know this is just how it is and I need to work with it. I’ll accept it, but that doesn’t mean I won’t whine about it…

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I can’t believe how fast Payton is growing up. She is 4 going on 14. She has such a personality. Just recently we had her hair cut… She wasn’t sure about it first but now she looks in the mirror and says “Momma, I look like a grown up don’t I?” and I think she likes the attention she gets from such a drastic change. I hope that changes as she gets older… or we could be in trouble. Parenting is such a crazy thing. It’s hard to ever feel like you’re doing it right. I want her to be a strong leader, to ask hard questions, but at the same time I want her to be respectful too. How do I teach her how to use that to help and not hurt? How do I bridle that passion without breaking her spirit? I don’t know. This parenting thing isn’t for the faint of heart!

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If we were having coffee I would ask you if you budget. I have been trying to stay on top of finances this year. To be honest before this year I never paid intense attention to how we spent our money. I had a general idea, but nothing too detailed. I decided to try YNAB. I’ve actually found that the same principals I used to lose weight have helped in the area of finances as well. The first month I simply tracked all our expenses. Knowing where every penny went was eye opening. It made me far more aware when I was spending. I began to ask myself the same questions at the store that I would ask myself when I ate… Is this going to help me reach my goal? If the answer was yes than I moved forward with the purchase. If not, I put it back. It hasn’t caused me to “find” an extra sum of money to pay off all my debt, but it helps me really to think about my purchases.

If we were having coffee I would likely be wearing spandex and complaining to you about how hard it is to find clothes that fit. I know I’ve talked about Fabletics before but I have to say it again – I LOVE their clothes. The Lima Capris are by far my favorite. They are comfortable, they don’t fall down when I burpee, and they are cute! They just came out with a new line for April and the colors are so bright and cheery! My order is on the way and I can’t wait to put it on. Seriously, who needs jeans? Use this referral link and get 50% off your first outfit!

 

 

If we were having coffee – What would you tell me?
Do you Budget?

It’s friday again? Already? Funny enough I’m drinking coffee out of my Disney Cruise Line mug. It’s kind of like a reminder that the weekend is a mini vacation that is right around the corner. Don’t mind this other random picture I’m using since it is not my Disney mug…

If we were having coffee today I would probably have more than a few cups. Fridays are my long days. I’m really surprised that one hour of sleep makes such a difference in how I feel throughout the day. Most days I’m in bed around 9pm and up around 5 or 5:30, having a good 8 hours of sleep. Well, they aren’t always a “good” 8 hours, but 8 hours nonetheless. Fridays I often get around 6.5-7 hours of sleep since I get up earlier to coach the 5am class. That little hour makes all the difference for how I feel the next day. Is it nap time yet?

If we were having coffee I would ask you your thoughts on the most recent Maria Kang picture and the backlash it is receiving. I think the first one may not have been ill intentioned, but this one got under my skin a bit. She knew how people responded to her first picture and I imagine she anticipated the same reaction on this one. It comes across like she is saying “What’s your excuse for not looking like me?” but what if people don’t want to look like her? Not to mention they might not be excuses… they might be real reasons… I have been working my ass off for 4+ years to lose weight. I have a daughter, a full time job, a full time business, finished 4 years of college and I have some serious hormone and thyroid issues. I have to work twice as hard for half the results. That is not an excuse… that is my reality. It isn’t fair, it isn’t an excuse, it is what it is. I may not look like Maria Kang, but I am proud of my progress. Everyone is on a different journey. Some may be just starting, some may be in a good place mentally but the body hasn’t caught up. Just because I don’t look like her doesn’t mean I’m any less healthy or happy… and I hate that she is implying that. I think we can love our bodies where we are, while still wanting to make changes to better ourselves. I guess sometimes the line is blurry between excuses and reasons. I just feel like this is SO negative and judgemental. And that picture looks a little (or a lot) touched up.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I am struggling with chicken right now. That sounds so weird to say (type?) I don’t like any fish so my lean meat choices have been turkey and chicken. I’ve been struggling wanting to cook it and I don’t even want to touch it. It is in several of my meals on my meal plan and I don’t like the taste, texture, or smell right now. I need new ways to cook it, got any ideas?

If we were having coffee, What would you tell me?!

linking up with alissa.

 

Well good morning, friends! It’s friday,  that means it’s time for our coffee date! It also means it is the 4th morning in a row I’ve stayed home with Poor Payt. She is definitely getting better it is just taking for-freaking-ever. I usually coach the 5am class on Fridays but Chris took it for me since we weren’t sure how Payt would be feeling this morning. I went in to check on her around 6 (normal mornings we are up by 5:30am and at the gym by 6) and she was still wheezing and so out of it. So I let her sleep. Until she popped up around 7 and wanted a shower. and peanut butter and jelly. and disney junior. And of course I’m a softie and give into her every whim when she’s sick… so I’m currently resisting the urge to pull my ear drums out from Disney Junior overload….

Anyway, if we were having coffee I would tell you I feel like I’m the one that has been sick, It is more mentally exhausted taking care of a sick kid than it is to actually be sick myself. I know many parents have it much worse, but this is hard for me! Especially still trying to take care of everything else. I feel like I’ve been absent from CrossFit for most of the week, even though we’ve been there for a little bit most of evenings. My training has been far more relaxed this week. I squeeze in a WOD or a strength set here or there, but not near what I normally do. It’s just a part of parenthood, I suppose.

If we were having coffee today I’d tell you I’m drinking out of the Disney Mug in celebration of our upcoming Disney Cruise. I’ve never been on a cruise before, but I’m SO excited.  Adventures opened up this week and I’m already dreaming about my fire & ice pedicure, swimming with the dolphins, and parasailing! I even have a countdown going on my phone.

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Can’t come soon enough.

If we were having coffee, what would you tell me?

Hey Friends.

Thanks for stopping by for coffee. If we were having coffee I would thank you for sticking with me through this new season of life. I know things have been busy and I haven’t been posting as much as I’d like to. I still enjoy sharing life and my journey with you. I’d admit that seeing my page views and comments dive was hard to handle. I understand people want consistency, but I just wasn’t at a place to offer at that. As much as blog readers look at bloggers and think we all have it together, sometimes we just don’t. I started this blog with the intentions of trying to be as real as possible. The reality is I can’t do it all. And that’s hard to admit to.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I submitted my graduation petition. I can’t even begin to explain how much I’m looking forward to being done with school. I started just after I had Payton when I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I have been doing online classes since then and it hasn’t been too difficult but adds an extra level of stress. I’m excited to be one of the first in my family to have a college degree. By the end of February I should have my Bachelors of Psychology. As much as school is stressful I am already looking into a Masters in Fitness Management at MOBAP online. After a summer off.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you I’m SO excited to be having real family pictures done today!! We have never had more than just snapshots done of our little family. Here’s to hoping the kiddo cooperates and we get some good pics!

Speaking of coffee – did you know that Starbucks now lets you tweet a coffee to someone on Twitter? How fun is that!

If we were having coffee today, what would you tell me?