The Best Workout Clothes

Since I have been a serious worker-outer (yes I realize that is not a word but what can you do?) I have been on a constant search for...
-the perfect work out pants
-the perfect Zumba shoe
-the perfect running shoe
-and the ultimate, the un-attainable, the perfect sports bra.

I have found one or a variety of most of the above items.  Some I am still in search of...some I fear (ahem, bra, I'm talking to you) I will never be completely happy with.  Such is life.  Se la vie.

La vie. 
Hardy har. 
Anyway I digress.  Here are some of my favorites:

*Disclaimer-I am a cheapy.  I teach, I am single, therefore I do not have a disposable income on which to spend untold fortunes on workout clothes. So for you bargain shoppers or people on a budget-enjoy!

Work Out Pant
I have tried a blue million.  Old Navy's are ok but tend to fall down and I HATE constantly having to tug my pants up while exercising.  I sometimes wear yoga style capri pants but lately I have become a big fan of fitted capris-maybe not the most attractive but they stay up and compress any unsightly jiggling...mostly.  My two picks are:

Danskin Now Performance Capri-Available at Wal-Mart ($10-$12)

Xersion Fitted Athletic Capris-Available at JC Penney ($10-$20)

 

Both of these pants are on sale often.

 

Zumba Shoe

 

I started doing Zumba in a pair of Nike Musiques that the instructor recommended and they are great-an essential thing in a Zumba shoe is a pivot point on the ball of your foot.  But when I had danced all the cushion out of these shoes I started looking for something new. And found these:

 

Kelly Ripa Collection Ryka Transition Shoe-Available at www.amazon.com (price varies)

These have the pivot point but are not strictly a dance shoe.  I have done boot camp in them and have run in them-they are comfy for both.  They are really lightweight which is great.  When I bought them I got them for around $50 which was about $20-$30 cheaper than what I could find in stores-gotta love Amazon!

Running Shoe
I am a Nike lover-always have been, always will be.  They just fit my foot best.  So for my fellow Nike lovers I offer you:

The Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoe-available pretty much everywhere-price varies



 

 

These shoes are SO COMFORTABLE.  They are my favorites just to wear and are also really great for running- not to mention they come in a bunch of colors :) Always fun!

 

 

Under Armour Micro G Defy Running Shoe-available at www.amazon.com -price varies

 

 

These I just bought the other day to try for my 5K and because my Nikes have about had it.  They were only $38 at Amazon (tip-when shopping on Amazon always check out the diff colors of an item-this style of this shoe was $38, all the others were $78-worth a try to save yourself several bucks). I've only worn them a few times but really like them-light, very cushioned and comfy. 

 

 

And so we come to, my nemesis, the sports bra.

 

Sports Bra

Understand that I am....chesty.  Well endowed.  Whatever you want to call it-I'm rocking a DD ladies.  And I have NEVER, EVER found a bra that contained the girls on its own and believe me I have tried tons.  My best solution is to double up. I usually wear a non under wire regular bra from Lane Bryant (the Cacique bras are the bomb for you busty ladies like myself).  Then I layer a snug sports bra over that.  My fav:

 

Old Navy Padded Sports Bra-available at www.oldnavy.com - ($10-$15)

 

This bra is great for high impact, which lets face it, if you have a big chest is anything resembling physical activity.  They come in fun colors too-I believe mine are XL.  Great moisture wicking.  And cheap-on sale a lot too.


So there you have it-my must have run down.  If anyone has any work out gear they can't live without, please, do tell.  I am thinking about investing in some workout undies-any recommendations?  And if anyone has found the miracle sports bra cure-please, please share!!

Happy working out!





Taking It To the Street

Well it's official. Three friends and I have officially signed up for our 5k. We are The Frenetic Four (an inside joke of a name that would not make sense or be funny to anyone else even if I explained it). And this, and the crazy 68 degree break in the recent Artic temps, inspired me to hit the streets today in preparation.

Holy mother of running shoes the treadmill just doesn't cut it, does it folks? I knew this. But I had forgotten. My legs and lungs certainly have. And I know it is totally a mental thing taking me back to my basketball suicide running days of high school, but I cannot get my breathing right. Oy. To the vey.

But I made it. Just under two miles at the sluggish and slow pace of 16/mile. You know, slightly faster than turtles and slugs. But I kept going. I had to walk some but I kept going. I'm beginning to believe more and more that running is about 99% mental and 1% physical. So I'm going to pray about it and think positively and make it happen. I'm going to finish the race. I may be slow and I may walk some but I'm crossing that finish line.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)

Confessions-Part 2

Just when you thought I'd said all I had to say....

(Usher anyone?)

I must, must always have my toenails painted.  Even in the dead of winter when no one but me sees this.  I used to always have them painted and never my fingers but now I am obsessed with finger nail color as well.

I take super fast showers for a chick.  For a human really.  We're talking less than 10 minutes here folks.  And that includes leg shaving.

I LOVE horses.  Have shown them since I was a child.  Own more than one.  My father and brother have trained them and I have spent the majority of the weekends of the summers of my life at a horse show, prepping for a horse show or on horseback.  It was something I never thought I would give up but the people, not the horses have soured it for me.  Showing?  Not so big on anymore but my horses I'll always love.

I get ready, again for a chick, nearly as quickly as I shower.  I roll out of bed in the morning at about 6:40ish and arrive at school at between 7:15-7:25.  In that time span I get up, get dressed, do hair and makeup, let my dogs out, pack my lunch and hit the road.

I have a thing with teeth.  Smile and good teeth are among the first things I notice, in guys mostly, but also in all humans. 

It is all I can do not to correct peoples grammar and spelling when they write things on FB.  The only thing that stops me is not wanting to be an insufferable know it all twit.  But gosh it's hard to fight it.

I am not proud of this but I cannot contain my laughter when I see anyone fall.  I always check to make sure they are ok and then.  I.  lose.  it.  I realized this weekend during a mini ice storm that this extends to dogs, as hilarity ensued every time my pups slid right on past the back stoop.  he he.  he he he.  I am so ashamed.

I love cake.  All cake.  Cupcakes (the offspring of cake) included.  But I enjoy my cake cold, as in refrigerated.  Yum. 

Enough fluff.  More serious heavy stuff to follow.  Maybe.  Maybe more fluff.

F-Filter Free

I have reached a point in my life in which I (think) I no longer care about trying to be nice and polite all the time.  I think I have about reached the breaking point that will lead to me removing my filter.

Now, for those that know me or have met me you may be thinking-filter? Lindsay? HA! But believe it or not (and this may terrify you to your very marrow) very little comes out of my mouth that has not been judiciously edited before leaving.  I know...its hard to believe.

Now this whole impending filter free movement is not an excuse to be mean or to hurt people with rude comments.  That is never a good idea and like Ellen I think we should "be kind to one another".  It is rather an honesty movement.  Maybe instead of sugar coating things I just let er' rip.  Maybe instead of bottling up hurt feelings or questions or comments I just say what I think and feel. 

This could be a dangerous experiment but goodness don't you think it would be liberating?  No one would be left wondering about what you really thought of them or if you were romantically interested or if they had made you mad.  No double talk, no passive aggressiveness.  I think it would be so freeing. How many time have you wished, hoped or prayed that you could really know what someone was thinking? Good or bad, it would be better than wondering...always wondering.

I'm almost there folks-I am teetering on the brink of an all out filter free fest.  It's only matter of time until I jump off the ledge.

If I Were a Boy

Linking up with Erin over at http://www.livinginyellow.com :)

If I were a boy....

....I wouldn't have had to worry about pulling my hair into a pony this morning because I didn't feel like doing it.  Running a brush, or more likely, my hand through it would have done the trick.

....the khakis and school tee I pulled on for hump day wouldn't have been a cop out or a comfy treat but my normal uniform.

....while running on the treadmill last night controlling my boobs in a variety of bras to prevent my being knocked unconscious would not even be an issue.

....I would not have the compulsion to eat anything chocolate that is not nailed down.

....Hallmark and Sarah MacLachlan sad puppy commercials would not reduce me to tears.

....I could sew wild oats and date around and act a fool and no one would call me a floozy or a tease or a hot mess. I'd just be "being a guy". 

....comfort over fashion could always, always be my motto.

....dressing up would still consists of pants and a shirt.  I'll whine about the tie but it won't even come close to matching the horror or pantyhose, Spanx and heels. 

....I'll be able to simply stop drinking REGULAR Coke to lose those pesky 10 pounds I picked up over the holidays.  Within a week they'll be gone.

In short, I will live a charmed life.  But sadly I will never, ever understand women.  It's okay though.  They don't understand us either.

Confessions (or a look into my terrifying mind)

I believe chili is the perfect food. Add macaroni, shredded cheese and diced onion-gastrointestinal nirvana. Ironically my least favorite food? Any bean.

I must have Chapstick on or near my person at all times. It is a compulsion.

I think all of the best and most important things in life begin with the letter F. Faith. Family. Friends. Fun. Fitness. Food.

I cannot allow the battery on any of my apple products to have a percentage countdown. It give me anxiety. I need help.

I also get slightly panicked if I do not have bananas in the house. Again need help.

I think that the only healthy way to lose weight is to change your lifestyle and eat healthy. Conversationally I also think Doritos are manna from heaven and no bake cookies are divine. Thus I am at war with myself.

I believe the only way that America will ever combat and truly correct our obesity issues is to make healthy food cheaper and more accessible to all economic levels. Buying fresh fruits and veggies and lean meats will nearly double your grocery bill. And that is for me, a single person. How is a family of four on a fixed income suppose to do it? Take a look at that Michelle Obama.

I believe that technology is at once our greatest advantage and invention and our biggest curse.

I dance often and randomly. I just shook my groove thing walking through my dining room. When I am unbearably happy about something I want to sing and dance to celebrate that. I would have made a good tribal woman.

In turn I also turn to music when I am unbearably sad or depressed about something. These emotions do not however make me want to dance.

I have an internal jukebox that is always always playing. It is a curse and a blessing.

I love Disney movies. I am unashamed to go see them in the theater without an appropriate Disney aged child.

I do not believe in Valentines Day. I believe it was a "holiday" created to torture those of us who are alone. When is "All the Single Ladies Day" I ask you? When?

I love movies. I probably own 200 DVDs. I prefer period romances, rom/coms and regular coms but also enjoy actions and drama. And dude movies. I cried at the end of The Dark Night Rises. I need help.

I am a cryer. Many things can move me to tears and yet other times I can be surprisingly stoic. While my friends were copiously wiping tears at the end of Les Miserables I was stone faced. Yet Marley and Me left me a puddle.

I cannot watch any type of military departure or homecoming. It breaks my heart and makes me sob. I believe our military and military families are some of the most undervalued and unappreciated of all.

I have to wear a watch at all times and an completely and totally anal about punctuality. I am generally a good 5 minutes early wherever I go. My other curse in life is being surrounded by people who do not share this compulsion. I believe my parents constant tardiness in my youth made me this way.

I believe in good manners. In being kind. If someone texts you, reply. If they email you, reply. If they Facebook you, reply. Sense a trend here?

I love words. I love using big ones, not to sound snooty or smart but because I love the way they roll off my tongue and sound.

And now that I have undoubtedly scared off any and all readers I may have I will conclude this installment of confessions.

Tune in next week for more jewels :)

Happy MLK Day!

We can all find some wisdom & inspiration in the works & thoughts of Martin Luther King Jr.

High Five Friday

The whole High Five Friday thing goes along well with my F theme for this blog.  So without further ado, here are this week's high 5:

1. It's Friday and in a week that has been FOREVER long that is a welcome sight to my sore eyes, tired shin-splinty legs and weary mind.  The fact that I have a fab movie/game night planned for tomorrow with my friends doesn't hurt.  I just hope my somewhat competitive nature does not frighten them away from me. For ever. My passion for Taboo cannot be overstated.

2. Ran a mile three days this week, once after an hour of Zumba (not my brightest move but I was feeling motivated and since that is rare and fleeting I went with it).  It wasn't easy but I did better than I expected and am striving to a) beat my time next week and b) take less walking breaks.  They were few and far between but to make it through the 5K in March they need to be nonexistent. Onward treadmill warrior!

3. After hearing about her from my peeps and pinning several of her recipes on Pinterest I wandered over to The Pioneer Woman's website the other day to check it out.  Oh. My. Word. I am officially obsessed.  I want to make all her recipes, steal her family, move to her ranch and manage to have 1/100,000th of the blog viewers and comments she has.  It's my new goal in life. 

4. iPad-I'm not proud of it but I broke down and bought myself an iPad mini Sunday after church. Best Buy was having one of those suck you in no interest deals and this girl was sucked...so to speak.  But I am love, love, loving it.  And now when I do anything on my iPhone is seems so microscopic.  This "high" has also been instrumental in my complete immersion of all things Pioneer Woman.  I'm not proud of either really.

5. Through my new obsession (see #3) I discovered a recipe for Pico de Gallo and Guacamole that I am making for our game night tomorrow. Why are they capitalized you ask? All Mexican dishes should be-they are that important folks. Apparently my friends were of the same mind because they are making queso, black bean salad and Mexican roll ups. Great minds. So on top of the excitement over time with friends the joy at the prospect of a Mexican appetizer pig out is almost more than I can stand. Drooling a little here.

Addendum to #4-Another high?  I finally realized that if I turned off the battery percentage feature on my new iPad I would quit having heart palpitations as I watched the battery life drain from my device percent by percent.  It was giving me anxiety and I can greater enjoy the iPad experience much more without that looming over my head.  I may or may not be a candidate for some sort of drug.  That is all.

That's all folks!

Oh except-pretty sure my blog title sucks.  But not really sure what to do about it-the pressure to put a title to this mess while creating it was (shocking in the light of #4 ect up there) too much for me.   My normally creative mind blanks.  Any help/ideas/thoughts people?

My Power-walk with God

My pastor is currently doing a series on wisdom and following God's will in our lives. 

And boy, does this chick need to hear these messages. 

See I wholeheartedly believe in God's will.  I know without a doubt in my mind that He has a plan for my life.  That even when things make no sense at all He is in control and it will all be ok.  I believe that truly and deeply.

In fact I even feel (maybe wrongly) that I am pretty good about using God's wisdom and prayer to make decisions in ways that He would want me to.  I could improve on this, obviously-who couldn't?  But I feel relatively competent in this area.

But the issue, for me, comes with finding the patience to wait for God's will & His plan to unfold.  For staying faithful through the seasons of my life that lull and drag on and seem, at times, fruitless and wasteful. That seem like I am constantly waiting...for something.  For answered prayers or unanswered ones. For a husband.  For children.  For some grand purpose in my life to be gloriously revealed. That's what's hard.   That's what I struggle with. 

And that? Ladies and gentlemen that is nothing more than a gigantic control issue.  I, like many of my female (and to be fair, some male) counterparts, enjoy being in control.  Having a mapped out plan.  Following it to get from Point A to Point B.  It has worked in many, many aspects of my life.  School, career, home, car, etc.  These plans have all been checked off efficiently in a timely manner.  It's the husband, the marriage, the babies that I so want that seem to be elusive.  I'm fine with God's will but it's His timing I sometimes take issue with.  I would prefer it line up a little more with my schedule :)  Awful I know.  And I am working on it.  But folks, its not easy.

But a friend in a similar situation lately received some very great advice that I think is something I am going to turn my mind towards when I am struggling with accepting, not so much God's will, but His timing.  What am I supposed to be doing right now that I couldn't do if I were married with kids?  Where does God want me to be that I wouldn't otherwise be able to be if my life were in a different stage?  Good questions and ones that really make you refocus and realize that yes, God does have a plan and no, it doesn't always make sense to us.  But whatever is supposed to happen in our lives will, in His time and according to His plan.  One of my favorite verses sometimes helps me to focus in on those facts when I am having a rough time.

Psalms 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."

In other words, shut up, let me do my thing and do as you're told.

I'm trying God, I really am.

5k?

So as I wrote in my initial post I am, very apprehensively, thinking about training to run for a 5k this spring. I've tossed the idea around and I just really feel, for whatever reason, it's something I'm meant to do. I think it will be a great goal to have for myself and will hopefully help in the whole get fit, lose weight initiative.

Today after church I voiced this fledgling idea to some friends I was lunching with. And they were so supportive. Tons of you can do its and suggestions and potential race ideas. Reason # 554 why I love Immanuel Baptist Church & my peeps there-more on that later. One friend even invited me to do a race with her in march-the name has escaped me but its one of those super fun ones where they throw paint on you. And so I think I have chosen my first race. Gulp.

And now the terror and doubt sets in. Can I do it? I hope so because I think it will be big for me in lots of ways.

So blog-verse-I need tips. You runners out there! What do I need to be doing? Help a girl out :)

Back at It

Thanks to the power of the Z-pack, steroids and a day off work I was back to Zumba last night.  A great one hour work out-in which I actually found myself helping to lead the class for three songs since one of our instructors was out sick.

Now let me say that I am not, in many ways, a shy person.  Around attractive men, maybe.  In fact my closest friends think it's hilarious that I basically morph into a retiring mute when I'm around a guy I like. This is pretty much an antithesis of my actual personality-I have no issues in other areas of my life being the center of attention.  I'm a dancer, singer, have been in plays, and enjoy telling stories and getting laughs.

But, aside from the hotties, for some reason getting up in front of a group of peers trying to show them how to dance freaks me out.  I can just picture them all saying:

"What is SHE doing up there?"

"She's not a professional."

"She certainly isn't a picture of fitness and health-why am I watching her?"

This is, of course, all in my head as all the ladies in my class are very nice and actually quite supportive of those that are asked to get up there and shake it in the spotlight.

And last night, I was ok with it too.  I just thought, you know what, I've come a long way!  I know these dances back and forth and I love doing them so I just let it go.  I shook and shimmied and sung along and sweated my butt off (a phrase I often wish was not just a figure of speech as I have quite the badonkadonk).

To me that's one of the best things that has come with my weight loss-a greater acceptance of myself in all social situations.  I'm ok-I'm not perfect, nor do I have the perfect body and I probably never will but I am working on both.   And I'm proud of me-the real me-and ok with letting people see it.  And that's ok too.

Pause

My view for the past three days. Sinus infection be gone so I can resume operation healthy eating / exercising my butt off.

F-itness: Zumba-Thon

Last night was my first Zumba class since...oh Christmas break began.  I was slovenly over break and it was lovely. Sometimes you need to eat crap and lay around like a slug.  No other fitness site would ever tell you that but I'm keeping it real folks.  And it's true-for me at least.  If I don't indulge and give myself a break every now and then I will go off the bandwagon, permanently.  So it was needed...and as I only gained about 2-3 lbs but thoroughly enjoyed myself I feel like it was well worth it.
But, the bad part about that is that those 2-3 (and many more) have to come off.  So it's back at it now that school (I teach K/1, more on that later) and my normal life is back in session. 

Hence my local Zumba classes extended one and half hour Zumba-thon last night.  53 ladies of all ages, weights and levels shaking what their mama gave them.  It was pretty awesome.  Super crowded in an 'I can't pump my arms like I want because my neighbor will become unconscious and if she steps on my toes one more time it's on like Donkey Kong" kind of way.  But still awesome.  If you have never tried Zumba, like dancing in any way and are looking for a fun way to exercise and burn 700-1,000 calories an hour-check it out.  You can search for a class near you here:

Zumba Class Search

And while I am a tad sore today that old trite saying is so true.  While I sometimes have to make myself work out kicking and screaming and fighting all the way, I always, ALWAYS, feel better afterwards.  Healthier and stronger and accomplished.  Which is always nice.  So get out there and get yours-healthy, strong, accomplished feeling that is :) Walk, jog, lift, dance, swim.  There are a million ways to get active and though it ain't always easy-it's always worth it!

FFF Kick Off 2013-It's on blogsters!

So I've blogged before and apparently, I suck.  So naturally I thought I'd try again.

But this time I'm going to be a little more real, and I little less long winded.  I'm going to talk about what's going on right now in my life.  And folks, I'm actually, for the first time in a while, loving it.

So the three F's? Let's break it down.

Fitness:
Over the course of a little over a year I have lost 40 pounds and still have about that many more to go.  But I've gone from being a overweight out of shape chick to a Zumba dancing, boot camp-ing, Couch to 5K-ing, still a ways to go but in much better shape girl.  And I'm proud of me.  I'm proud that I was ok rocking skinny jeans that are a size I haven't worn since high school the other day.  And I'm proud that I am actually considering trying to train to run a 5K sometime in the spring.  So all of that? The pain and the frustration and the successes-they'll all be chronicled here.

Faith:
I am a Christian and, although I have not always been as devout and faith-full as I should be I am really trying to work on that lately.  I've found a church that I really like with people I really like and am hoping to grow in my faith there.  I'm praying that 2013 brings more time with my Bible, with prayer and growth and with God-specifically listening to him instead of talking so much and trying to follow his plan in my life.

Fun:
Yeah this will be a bit of everything-fashion, friends, music, movies, crazy stories of my forays into the dating game and...fun.  Because without it in your life, what's the point?

Buckle up folks-I'm ready to rock the socks off of this year.