Diet, workout, and body image changes

I am starting off my whole foods diet by following the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook I went to the grocery store and bought a TON of fruits and veggies. The point of the diet is to find if you're eating any foods that you have a sensitivity to. Which can make you feel unwell in many ways, such as sinus infections, acid reflux, bowel issues, headaches, asthma, skin issues and a ton of other issues. I'm just going to see if something in my diet is what is making me get sinus infections and be regularly exhausted. It's a 28 day diet, so it's not like it's a ginormous commitment.
http://www.nourishingmeals.com/
http://www.wholelifenutrition.net

I've also started the 100 push-up challenge. href="http://hundredpushups.com/index.html I'm starting on week three and going off of my pt test. I did better on the first test I did than I expected.

I'm also doing an ab workout that one of our cadre taught us. I'm hoping that by the time I commission, I'll be able to max the male PT test or be really close.

Not to mention running at least 3 miles each day.

And more on body image than fitness level, once I find my camera, I'm going to start taking a picture of myself everyday and journaling how I feel about myself that day. This will hopefully help reinforce in my mind that I'm being unfair to myself when I look at myself in the mirror.

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Support System

Has it really been almost a month since someone last updated RTBA? Eeek! Well I'll give a quick update with my progress. About seven weeks ago I rejoined Weight Watchers, and although it's been a slow process, I'm finally seeing that number inch its way down on the scale. I no longer feel completely disgusting about myself, which is great!

My husband has been my biggest supporter for trying to lose weight—not in a condensending way, but in a way that he understands I have to do this for me. He keeps me in check with the things I eat and makes sure I'm tracking everything for WW, and we go on walks with our dog and he keeps me accountable for working out during the week.

So I know it's not a huge loss, but in seven weeks I'm down 2.2 pounds. This is a slow and steady process. I know I didn't gain those twenty pounds over night, so I can't expect to shed them quickly.

How are you guys doing? Do you have a supporter helping you along with your journey?

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Bust a Move

I've had the same workout music playlist for far too long and would very much like to revamp it with some new songs. I currently have 81 songs on there, but I shuffle through them like crazy during a workout if a song isn't motivating me enough.

I was thinking it might be fun if we all (whoever wants to comment!) leave a comment with our top five to ten favorite workout songs. No repeats from other lists, please! Maybe we'll be able to add some new songs to our playlists!

Jessica's Top Ten Favorite Workout Songs
  1. Yeah! by Usher featuring Lil' Jon and Ludacris 
  2. Fighter by Christina Aguilera
  3. Walk Away by Kelly Clarkson 
  4. Honky Tonk Badonkadonk by Trace Adkins 
  5. Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake 
  6. The Way I Are by Timbaland
  7. Santa Maria (del Buen Ayre) by Gotan Project
  8. Poker Face by Lady Gaga
  9. Don't Stop the Music by Rihanna 
  10. Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas
  11. Imma Be by Black Eyed Peas

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God's Pharmacy

I posted this on my personal blog a little over a year ago and thought you would all enjoy it, especially those beginning the 30 Day Challenge Ashely mentioned yesterday.

My husband will be out of town for the next two weeks, so I'm vowing to make healthy decisions and work out every day. Yesterday I went to the grocery store and stalked up on tons of fruits and veggies, many from the list below. I hope you enjoy reading it!




This intriguing list of fruits and vegetables is not my brainchild, but I rinsed it off and made it worthy for your consumption. Resources are also included. There are indeed other nutritional benefits that can be gained by consuming the foods listed, this should add to the benefits of the information and not minimize its veracity.

To be fair to the critics, there are some versions that stretch the facts or do not support their claims. Many of the lists are also ripe with juicy grammatical errors. Please forgive my grammar, the gingko supplements have not been working for me. I will switch to walnuts, in moderation of course.
In addition to the listed foods, other items contain similar nutritional benefits. Critics also use that as grounds to discredit lists of this nature. They claim the fruits and vegetables are selected to match the corresponding benefits. My response: "So what”

If the items on the list were cherry-picked to match the facts, it is facts none-the-less and not a contrived list. This publication of God's Pharmacy does not claim to be an exhaustive list, there are certainly additional fruits and vegetables that we can benefit from. This list is designed to be a creative reminder to eat healthy and to serve as a fun exploration into the wonders of nature. Perhaps, some of the critics are simply bemoaning the title. My response: "Lighten up, it's healthier."

Have fun and enjoy!


1. A sliced Carrot resembles the human eye including the pupil, iris, and radiating lines. Science indicates that carrots help protect the vision, especially night vision. WHFoods: Carrots


2. A Tomato has up to four chambers and is commonly red. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene and helps prevent heart disease, prostate cancer, breast cancer and more. Tomato juice can also reduce the tendency toward blood clotting. WHFoods: Tomatoes


3. Grapes hang in a cluster that resembles the shape of the heart. The stronger the color of the grape is, the higher the concentration of phytonutrients. Grapes prevent heart disease and reduce platelet clumping and harmful blood clots. WHFoods: Grapes



4. Walnuts resemble the brain, mimicking the wrinkles and folds of the neocortex. Research suggests that walnuts may reduce the risk or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Walnut - Wikipedia The high concentration of omega-3 fats in walnuts promotes healthy brain function. WHFoods: Walnuts


5. Kidney Beans, true to their name are kidney shaped. They provide nutrients that are helpful to the human kidneys. Kidney beans contain molybdenum, which helps sulfite oxidase to form and is responsible for detoxifying sulfates WHFoods: Kidney beans. Animal research has shown that chronic renal failure has been associated with oxidative stress Sulfite-mediated oxidative stress in kidney cells.

6. Celery has a bone like appearance and is rich in silicon and Vitamin K, which are needed for healthy joints and bones Gillian McKeith You Are What You Eat


7. Avocados were used by the Aztecs as a sex stimulant and the Aztec name for avocado was ahuacatl, meaning "testicle" History of Avocados. An extract of avocado impedes the growth of both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. WHFoods: Avocados


8. Figs have a rich history and often been referred to as a sexual food, this is partly symbolic due to the appearance of the fruit. Figs are loaded with seeds and when halved, many note a resemblance to female genitalia. The Hindu name for fig is anjeer and research has shown that anjeer is helpful for sexual weakness Ficus carica - medicinal plants. Figs have also been mentioned as a source helpful for male fertility and motility. Health-info.org



9. Oranges, Grapefruits and other Citrus fruits have been compared to the appearance of female mammary glands. These fruits contain nutrients that are helpful in the fight against breast cancer. Health Benefits of Citrus Limonoids Explored


10. Sliced Onions resemble skin cells and contain quercetin. Studies have shown when treated with a combination of quercetin and ultrasound at 20 kHz for 1-minute duration, skin and prostate cancers show a 90% mortality within 48 hours with no visible mortality of normal cells. Quercetin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


11. Sweet Potatoes resemble the pancreas and have a low glycemic index count, which is beneficial for diabetics. North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission


12. Olives resemble ovaries and may help reduce hot flashes in women going through menopause. WHFoods: Olives Research indicates that Olive Oil may reduce ovarian cancer by 30%. ACS: Olive Oil May Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk

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Garmin Forerunner

I am SUPER excited for tomorrow. Wanna know why?


Because I ordered both my dad and me the Garmin Forerunner 305!

Don’t know what it is? Well let’s just say it’s magical.

No really. It tracks just about EVERYTHING on your run. How far, how long, elevations, pace, heart rate, and probably about 234923904 other things. You can use it on a bike too, or I imagine in a lot of other scenarios. I think it does just about everything but run for you.

Now, for those who know my dad……this just SCREAMS his name. Seriously, since Jamie told me about it, Amazon has been screaming “PAT PAT PAT PAT!” My dad currently tracks all his runs on Excel, and being the accountant that he is, he is a beast with Excel and has made it his bitch. If we run a new route outside, then he has to drive around and clock it so we know exactly how far we went. At the gym, they have a track but we aren’t sure exactly how long it is. NOW HE WILL KNOW!! Since my older brother didn’t buy Dad a birthday present, I convinced him to go halfsies with me on it now, for no particular holiday!

So, the best part is…..my dad doesn’t even know! Wanna know the second best part? I just signed up for Amazon Prime for FREE, cause I had a .edu email address, so I got OVERNIGHT SHIPPING for $8.

This means, it will get delivered to me tomorrow at work, and I can take them to my parents tomorrow night so my dad and I can use them for our run!! I will have to see if they need batteries or some kind of charge, so I can charge them up and we can use them

Who knew I would ever be so excited about something related to exercise??? Cause NOW, I will HAVE to keep running since I spent $150 on a fancy watch for myself haha.

I will let you all know how I like it :)

p.s. Don't tell my dad!!

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We're Princesses!

In seven months my mom, (hopefully my) sister-in-law and I will be walking in the Disney Princess 5k around Disney World in Orlando, Florida!


My mom signed up this week and I'm so incredibly proud of her for taking this step and I really hope my sister-in-law can complete it with us (she and I still need to sign up). I've heard nothing but great things about this event, so I'm sure it's going to be great.

I have several friends from Georgia who are driving down for the 1/2 marathon, so it'll be fun to see them, too! Now I just need to get my butt in gear and start gearing up for this 5k!

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210 miles in 2010!

So, I am up to 76.5 miles in 2010! I made a low estimate for January, February, and March. I started "counting" in February, when I created 101 blog, but I started writing down my miles starting in April.


My goal of 210 in 2010 is looming! I still have over half of the miles left to run, and half the year left to do it (minus 7 days!). I calculated that I have to run around 22 miles per month in order to meet my goal! It is miserably hot out, but I am getting back on track tomorrow!

One of the problems I have is my favorite route to run is only about 1.7 miles. We don't have a good two mile route, which would be my go to distance. If we don't do the 1.7 mile run, the shortest we can do without putting a ton of thought into it is 2.75. Maybe tomorrow we will set out on the 2.75 track. I can figure out what 2.25 or so would be, and walk it out if I need to! I need to start pushing my distances more!

I was also able to get some running tips from Collin, specific to my form, while I was in Little Rock. He said it looks like when I swing my arms, I swing them cross body, causing more strain to my core and more energy expended. He also said I run with my head down, which I know. I actually like NOT looking into the distance while I run, cause it makes it feel so much farther. However, when I drop my head, it drops my whole posture, which could be contributing to my back problems (which have all but gone away since I got my new BED :P).

So I am slowly getting myself on track with good running goals again. It is tough since it is so miserably hot out, and I LOATHE running at the gym. BUT, I feel better about myself when I am exercising.

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