Greetings from Ocala, Florida! We came down here to hang out with hubby’s cousin and family. The drive down was pretty uneventful and we made great time!

This morning I woke up early and sent the two kiddos into the room to wake up Hubs at 6:30am. He really loved that

Ready to go for the first run in two months! I was nervous, excited, and completely ready to go!! The last time I ran was April 13, 2012 for 5 miles.  The few weeks before that I really just ran with the 5k group I was coaching and that was it.

So we headed out for a quick two miler. Whew. My pace was good but man, oh man– my tuckus was tight and I felt like I needed a few more miles to get my groove back. But we stuck with a quick two miles (2.2 to be exact) and walked back to the house for a full 2.5 miles.

I loved moving my feet again. Love. Love. Love.

Then while I cooled down, breakfast was served.

I felt like I was staying at a Bed & Breakfast. I love a good start to the day!

So we are laying out by their pool all day and enjoying some great time with family.

How are YOU spending this Saturday of a long weekend?

When I was featured last week online with Women’s Running Magazine, I mentioned that I like to reward myself for keeping up with workouts. A lot of the women that commented on the post seemed to enjoy that idea, so I figured why not come up with a list of some fun ideas for WORKOUT REWARDS!

1. $1 per workout into a “New Clothes Fund”. 5 workouts a week = $100 month
2. Manicure & Pedicure, especially after tackling a new distance (like first time half marathon or marathon)
3. Massage for sticking to CrossFit for a month or two.
4. $1 movie from RedBox (or your local equivalent) and make sure to have on hand some healthy snacks!
5. Sleep in on your rest day, provided it’s not a workday, and have your significant other make protein pancakes for you when you wake. Breakfast in bed!
6. Buy a latte at Starbucks or your local coffee house, if you reach your workout/food plan goal for the week.
7. Set small goals (5 lb increments, example) and reward yourself with a new fitness gift for each level accomplished. Splurge when you reach your BIG goal and maintain. Whether that is maintaining a large weight loss or PRing on a 10k.
8. Signing up for a new class in your community. Digital photography, Zumba in the park, or Creative Writing. Do it, YOU deserve it.
9. Stuck to your workouts? That means you have listened to your tunes. Upload 10 new songs on your iPod!
10. Running your dream race? Buy something to commemorate your hard work. #swag

Nike shirt-- bought myself as a REWARD!

How do YOU reward yourself??

The other day I got to hang out with Madeline , her hubby, and their sweet baby. Emmie was really the only reason I got off the couch to go to lunch

Yep. All that happened. Unsweet tea in a mason jar (ok, sweetened with splenda!), Emmie being oh-so-cute, and spinach salad with gobs of mozzarella cheese. I had suggested we go to the Upper Crust in Richmond Hill. It’s a hole in the wall, but a great pizza, sammie, and salad place. Plus apparently, Chris & Madeline are Packer fans…. so I scored big time!

I love that FitFluential not only helps create a platform for bloggers to grow and showcase their healthy lives, but also helps us to meet like-minded individuals. I love everyone that I have met so far and am so happy that Madeline is living so close!

Want in on the FitFluential Family? Go to the link above and apply to be an Ambassador, Blogger, or Enthusiast!

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Another group of new friends in Savannah, are the Book Club ladies. Some of them I knew before the group was started (one was even my old boss!) and some I am still getting to know.

St Patrick’s Day 2012

Hunger Games Movie

And yes, we actually read books. This month’s selection was ’50 Shades of Grey’. Sexy, er, exotic.

Amy is the host for this month’s book club and she has selected to make an assortment of Grey & Anastasia’s breakfast items. If you have read the book, you know how controlling he is about food and how much they seem to wake, eat, then um… well you know

tea..... so Anastasia of us

Thanks Amy for the yummy spread of breakfast treats!

Yogurt Parfait, Baked Pancake, & Egg Casserole. So good....

We started off with a fun ice breaker that I concocted; What was your worst date? Everyone wrote their worst date down anonymously and then we guessed who’s was who. It was pretty funny to listen to stories of failed loves, first dates, and even some that turned out to be our husbands’.

With fully bellies and English Tea to drink, we dove into the questions… and then the monthly chit chat. Oh my, how I love our conversations. They can vary from events going on in Savannah, to our significant others, fashion, babies, and Savannah gossip. It’s always a fun time and can last for hours!

xoxo

What is your favorite way to spend time with girlfriends? Or for the 1.2 guys that follow the blog, how do you spend your time with your ‘bro-mance’ friend(s)?

The other day while recovering, USA Today had a headline that grabbed my attention- ‘Obesity could affect 42% of Americans by 2030′.  That’s scary stuff.

Imagine what health care will cost then? Just think of how great you feel when you are working out and feeling great? I have heard so many stories and seen some of my friends first hand, change their lives and then the needs for prescriptions are cut in half or eliminated. I know that in my own life; when I lost weight and while continuing to do so, I do not get the common cold as much, I have more energy at work, more productive for extra curricular activities (non-profit committees etc), and the knowledge knowing that I am taking my health in my own hands.

But according to the National Health Institute Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator, I am currently overweight. BMI factors your weight vs. height. It does not take into account lean muscle mass, bone structure, water weight, male/female etc. I like to use BMI as one of the tools in my weight loss toolkit.

But do I freak out?

Nope.

I just drop it harder while working out and make sure my eating is streamlined like 90% of the time. With more and more accessibility to fast food and happy hours pretty damn happy with friends here in Savannah, I need to take tabs on my eating until I reach my goal weight and BMI is in the Normal Weight Range.

I challenge everyone to take their personal health and make it a priority. Don’t be a statistic in 2030.

I vow to myself, my husband, & my furbaby to–

Eat Healthy and Clean, but still enjoy unique, fun, cuisine.

Workout and Run Races within the scope of my training plan.

Take time for myself.

Reward my training plan (more on this in a later post).

Will you be a statistic? 

First off, I am still in awe of the love that everyone left on the Women’s Running Magazine “Blogger on the Run” feature from yesterday. While I lounged on the couch, I read every single comment and was motivated to make sure that when I can get back out there, I will!

Also, if anyone is a new reader— HI and welcome. Hope you stick around and enjoy things!

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So, my surgery came and went on Tuesday.

Oh those sweet sunglasses. My friend Holly’s mama is the head nurse in the surgery portion of the hospital, so she came in to say hi. Well as she is giving me a big ole mom hug, she pulls out these fun glasses from Holly! She just knows I love to have fun! Sadly they are not Operating Room (OR) appropriate.

But the staff at St Joseph’s/Candler is always so sweet. My Nurse Anesthetist even put an air heater under the warm blankets right when I got back into the OR. Because you know they keep hospitals like an igloo. Then they started the fun juice….. 3.2.1…

My doctor has the best bedside manner and explained to hubs & my mama, that they removed quite a bit of adhesions that were sticking my colon plus other organs to my abdominal cavity. Hence all the pain I was in previously.

So I am bloated and in pain, but NO pain after I eat nor pukey feeling! SCORE! I have a hard time moving, since they make small incisions through your abdomen.  The only weird side effect is that my legs have the worst cramps, so I am wearing my zensahs and drinking water with nuun. Once I can move a little more, I am going to take my stick roller to them.

So for the next few days, I am going to lay around while receiving “Princess Pampering”. Which I have to receive, since it was on the paperwork from the doctor’s office. Which I have to say, my family is doing a great job! My mom came down for the surgery and my dad is on his way now to spend a few days with us as well. Gee golly, I love my family!

3 beautiful flower arrangements that I squished together for one photo

Oh and I would be remiss if I did not wish my husband a Happy Birthday (yesterday) and my Dad a Happy Birthday (today!). To the two men in my life, I love you guys. Thanks for being there for me and loving me no matter what!

Edited  at 10am- Head over to Women’s Running Magazine TODAY (May 10th), I am being featured as the ‘Blogger on the Run’!!!

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A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah who oversees the programming at MindStream Academy just over the bridge into South Carolina. MindStream is not a weight loss school nor a ‘fat camp’ but a safe haven for teens to grow and develop while continuing their education on the beautiful campus.

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” Plato

Sarah was nice enough to meet that Sunday morning and take me on a tour. But boy, am I  jealous of the grounds the students get to live on!

students' veggie garden

 They learn to grow their own veggies & fruits then come to this amazing kitchen and are taught how to cook! How fun!

kitchen in their dorms

The campus prides itself on outside ‘play’. Throughout the campus you will find outdoor equipment, a  yoga room, a lake for swimming, and an equestrian center. Amazing! Oh and the stables were beautiful!

equestrian center is amazing...

Horses at MindStream are used for Equine Therapy and from the stories I heard from Sarah, they have helped numerous students with weight issues, overcoming bullying, etc.

MindStream Academy is in Savannah’s backyard and I could not be more excited to be a proponent for them. I can tell from the Success Stories posted in Sarah’s office and stories she shared, that they are creating hope for these kids. They come here because they want a change. Sure, weight loss is a nice side effect. But confidence, life skills, and discipline is going to carry them throughout their life.

They teach them how to make solid decisions when dining out, or when traveling like when you have to stop in a gas station for snacks as shown here by Emily. Students learn how to have a healthy relationship with food and themselves. Isn’t that what everyone needs to learn?

The 43-acre campus is busting with a variety of fun activities. And the students venture off campus with their teachers for trips to Hilton Head Beach, the movies, Subway for refreshing sandwiches, or into Savannah to attend local events.

While walking around with Sarah, I thought back to my teenage years and remembered being slightly overweight and how I lacked the confidence inside. I don’t think I would have had enough guts to go for a whole semester, because I don’t know how I would have explained it to my friends. Because I was always really involved in school and active, but not comfortable in my body; yet no one ever knew that. But I think I would have thrived during their summer program and gained a lot of knowledge that would stuck with me. Knowledge that I am still working on now as I am approaching the big 3-0.

Please take a look at their website. This is really a great program and I look forward to becoming more involved. This week they are showing a movie off-campus about bullying, which is such a hot topic in the nation. Unfortunately, I can not attend due to my surgery, but some of the students will be speaking and sharing their experiences with bullying. #powerful