Yes, that is me in the photo above - in St. Thomas in July 2008!  I love this picture because it takes me back to Magan’s Bay and being on vacation where my husband proposed to me.  It is one of my happiest memories!  I didn’t know Adam took that picture either… haha, he’s sneaky like that sometimes. 

    I am super excited to announce Adam and I are going on vacation soon!  This time we’re heading to Mexico to an awesome all inclusive resort.  In keeping with my eating clean, I have to admit, I’ve still been eating sweets.  AAHHHH!!!! I can’t help myself, I have the worst sweet tooth ever! 

   I have just a few weeks before going on vacation though and I WILL be in a bikini, so I have all the extra motivation I need!  In addition to walking 45 minutes every morning and working out with Tina 3 days a week, I’m adding 3 days of my own workouts in addition to the walking.  So.. that’s 6 days a week - 45 minutes walking & 30 minute workout with strength training/hiit cardio.   Phew! I am also not eating any sweets (and now understand why really skinny people can be so angry! haha). 

   Adam is helping me by not buying sweets I can eat.  He bought some Kashi (filled with fiber) coconut (yuck!) bars.  We made turkey burgers last night for dinner.  He had his on a bun with some french fries.  I had mine seasoned with mrs. dash, on top of a bed of spinach.  It was yummy and I wasn’t tempted to eat any fries! 

    Now that I can eat more fiber again (thanks 6mp!), I am overloading on spinach.  It’s a good thing too because with Crohn’s Disease I can get very anemic due to my body not absorbing nutrients.  That pesky Crohn’s!  Spinach is a great source of iron; I’ll be turning into Popeye any minute now. 

     No dessert last night.  I’m drinking herbal tea in place of sweets.  I am not going to lie, I got a headache on Sunday and I think it’s because my body is going through sugar withdrawals!  HAHA 

    Even though I am in strict workout/eat right mode right now before vacay, my trainer is going on vacation too, so I’m going to miss out on a week with her.  This makes me sad, but luckily, she has taught me a lot over the last few months and I’m confident enough to workout on my own and still get results. 

   That said, I may try some workout classes.  I might go back to a Pure Barre class and I can’t wait til we’re on vacation to workout at the resort.  The gym offers all sorts of classes!!  Classes can be intimidating for me, but I have really been wanting to take a spinning class and they offer one!  

   My class intimidation goes all the way back to college. My friends and I attended a “Thighs, Butt, & Gut” class.  The class was torturous. I had been sick with a sinus infection the week before and was still recovering.  The instructor was going so fast that I wasn’t able to catch up and halfway through I had to excuse myself I was coughing so hard.  I coughed up mucus, with a little blood! We were so excited when the instructor shouted, “Let’s take a break!”, and then so sad when she said, “…and take a few running laps around the track!”.  Really?! Dripping in sweat, we ran through the track doors with the class and then went right out of the side door and walked our butts over to the TCBY on campus. 

    The only other class I had taken was a yoga class.  This was one of those hippie yoga classes.  Lot’s of chanting and drums.  My friend and I did pretty well getting the poses, but when she passed gas twice, we got a major case of the giggles.  We got tapped on the shoulders and asked to leave.  HAHAHAHA  AND that was the last time I took yoga. haha 

    So, I will keep you posted on my progress. I can’t wait to try some new classes at this resort we’re going to, but I have a few more weeks to get in SUPER shape before we go.  

  xoxo, Becca

 
    

     I have come to the conclusion that there are going to be weeks where I crave carbs and sweets.  I do all of the things you’re supposed to do when craving bad stuff, like drinking more water, drinking green tea, nibbling on carrots, eating a bite of dark chocolate.  Nothing satisfies it and I end up finding some old box of brownie mix in the back of my pantry and making them.  Sometimes it is just worth giving into the craving for your sanity and then moving on to eating well the rest of the day.  You know what I mean?

   But today I’m on track with my clean eating.  After a spray tan party at my spa with some close friends, I headed to the grocery store to buy some fresh ingredients for our clean dinner. 

    Adam and I have been talking about going on vacation for a while (ahem, since October of last year when I started this workout journey).  And we are going soon, but in the meantime, I thought I’d create a new dinner recipe that reminds me of being on an island!  Something light and yummy! 

     I came up with an avocado salad.  Here’s what I bought and I figured I’d mix it all together somehow: 

- 4 Avocados

- Shrimp (small)

- fresh Lump Crab meat

- red onion

- limes

- tomatoes

-cilantro

-corn

- cucumber

- 1 jalapeno

     I peeled and cut up tiny pieces of 2 cucumbers, cut up a red onion into small pieces, tomatoes chopped and cilantro. I mixed together about 1/2 cup of lump crab meat, 1/2 cup of shrimp, cucumbers, 1/4 cup of red onions, and mixed together a bit of cilantro, corn and tomatoes (eyeballed this) and cut up the jalapeno.   I juiced 1 whole lime into the mix.  I, of course, separated mine from the mix I made for Adam because I can’t have jalapenos, tomatoes or corn, plus I hate the smell of cilantro. 

   I cut 3 avocados in half, took the pits out and salted them lightly.  I then filled in the “hole” where the pit was with the mix.  And voila! Dinner is served!  I cut up a lime for garnish on the plate. 

   SO… here it is: 

  MMMM!! It was so good too!! I put a little spinach on the plate to eat with the “salad” left over and the left over cucumber. I sprinkled the rest of everything with fresh lime juice. 
    I really enjoyed this and Adam loved it too! It would make a great dip too!  Very light, clean and healthy!  LOVED!! 

   If you make it, let me know how it comes out!  Instagram: #avocadosalad @mrsjones8281 

    I have some exciting stuff happening this week that I will update you on later! 

   Firstly, I am in love with that yellow bathing suit.  Secondly, this is so true! 

   Yesterday, Adam and I went to the Cajun Festival on James Island.  Lots of good food available, 10,000 people, and literally like only 20 porta-pottys (my nightmare).  I had eaten so well earlier in the day; I had a lean steak for lunch with a whole cucumber even!  I took one look at the sign, “elephant ears” and had a lapsed moment of judgement. 5 tickets later, I had an elephant ear and a bottle of water.  And to tell the truth, it wasn’t even a “real” elephant ear like you’d get at the fair, it was a Greek Pita warmed with sugar/cinnamon.  Point was, it wasn’t worth standing in line for or giving them 4 tickets, but I was hot, tired and hungry and it sounded good at the time.

   My husband got fried alligator and chicken and andoulle sausage jambalaya.  I had a bite of the alligator and it was so good!  I try to stay away from anything fried or spicy, so there wasn’t a whole lot of food there for me to eat. 

   It’s ok to indulge every now and then.  It’s not like I eat an elephant ear every day. haha I won’t beat myself up over it, I have Crohn’s disease to remind me it wasn’t the best food option.

    Back on track today!!  And what a day it has been so far!  At least the sun is shining and the hint of summer is just around the corner! 

    I have been doing more cardio than usual this week, walking 2-3 miles almost every day and then coming home to do planks, crunches, working on raising my legs for the pooch - I HAVE to get better at these, and overall feeling better! 

   Time to go back to doing work! Stay motivated!

     I haven’t written in a while, but it’s not because I haven’t been working out and staying motivated, I’ve just been super busy!  Since I’ve last written, I have been in 2 5k’s during the month of March! 

   The first race was in Wilmington, NC for Susan G. Komen Foundation. My Granny, mother-in-law, Adam’s Mamaw and his Aunt are all breast cancer survivors, so this cause is very near and dear to our hearts!  It was freezing that morning, but we had so much fun and plan on making it an annual event! 

Here I am with my handsome husband (he ran it in 23 minutes!) before the race began….

  

  The second race was last weekend - the Color Me Rad 5k!  It was a crisp 49 degrees, with certain rain clouds in the distance. Color bombs were thrown at us, we were doused down with color spray and even though we couldn’t feel our fingers or toes, it was a blast!  I hope they come back next year and we get to go again!

Nothing like getting a bomb of orange colored corn starch to the face! haha  - By the way, it tastes like chalk!

  This week I have been attacked by my allergies as pollen is out in full force. I sound all stuffy, sneezy, and blah, but I’m not going to let it derail my determination! 

   In Crohn’s news, I am finally starting to feel better. I am very slowly and cautiously adding back veggies into my diet that I wasn’t able to eat during the flare and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to eat again. I am getting slightly tired of eating zucchini, squash and asparagus, so anything with variety will be nice. I’d love to be able to eat a salad again with spinach, but I’m not there yet. Is it normal to dream of eating salad?

   I’ve put an eat clean challenge on myself for the month of April.  Technically it “starts” tomorrow, but why wait?  Yes, I’ve been trying to eat non-processed foods.  With Crohn’s it has been tricky, especially since it really leaves no room for variety.  As I integrate more veggies/fruits back in my diet, I really want to focus on eating just that - fruits, veggies, lean meats and healthy fats (hello avocados!). 

    I am hoping that Adam and I will go on vacation late spring/early summer and this has motivated me to stay on the healthy food kick.  It’s all about setting small daily goals - don’t get overwhelmed and even if you do mess up and eat an Oreo, don’t let it derail you, just keep eating healthy. 

    And if that doesn’t work, tape some photos of motivation to the fridge/pantry.  People say that once you kick the sugar habit, fruit can satisfy your sugar cravings.  I have yet to have this happen. HAHA  I will always want to eat dessert.  And really, I don’t want to live in a world where Red Velvet Cake doesn’t exist.  BUT…

    For the next 21 days, I am going to eat clean without cheating. It’s 3 weeks.  I can do this.  I can do anything for 3 weeks (and hopefully forever? let’s start with 3 first).

   Since I went to the Carolina Cup yesterday and ate tailgating foods: 1 turkey burger slider, 3 bites of chicken salad, a handful of chips, a brownie bite and some meatballs - I guess I should start the challenge today instead of tomorrow! haha Although, at least I can say I was probably the ONLY person tailgating that didn’t have any alcohol! 

 Here I am at the Cup:

  

It’s all about the planning, I’m heading to the grocery store to stock up on yummy clean foods that my digestive tract can handle.  I’m going to start this week with prepping everything for lunch and 2 snacks.  21 days of real food is going to be hard, in fact, I might have to hide the junior mints the Easter bunny brought me until it’s over. :) 

   Want to do the 21 day challenge with me?!  Let’s do this together!  Follow me on instagram: @mrsjones8281  & send me photos of your meals - maybe we can inspire each other!

   hashtag #21eatcleanchallenge   

xoxo, Becca

    First, let me start with saying I worked out Sunday through Saturday last week! Yay me!! I am so proud  of myself! 

   Now, let me tell you how the rest of the weekend went.  Saturday I went to 9 Round and had a great workout. I had to jump rope at the first round and I instantly went for the “fake” jump rope, where there are just handles, but no rope. The trainer came over and was like, NO, you are using the real jump rope and don’t add in an extra jump, just jump once around for the 3 minutes.

   WHAP!  I slapped the rope against my leg really hard, it stung, but I kept going for fear of the trainer not seeing me still going! haha 
I finished my session, drenched in sweat, but feeling pretty good! 

   I get home and immediately realize my knee is in extreme pain. I look at it - YEP!-  I hit the jump rope just above my knee (or did my fat knee jut out and hit it?! we’ll never know, haha).  It was swollen and here’s what it looked like yesterday:

  You can see the line where the rope hit me. OUCH! As if my ugly knees needed something to make them look worse! haha  It’s actually not as bad looking as it feels, but it’s getting better.  I figured I’d take a day off Sunday and rest from all this working out, clearly my knee needs all the rest it can get.  Note to self: Don’t Jump Rope WITH the rope. 

   Sunday I rested. I also got sick about 8pm, skipped dinner, and woke up at 2:30am vomiting ….until about 9am today.  I was getting better. I was starting to feel so happy that my meds were starting to work! I barely had any food on Sunday for there to be a “reaction” to something, so I know that’s not what it is.  It’s just the way Crohn’s is.  I lay awake at night with the extreme pain, waiting for the vomiting to happen.  I really can’t complain though because I HAVE been feeling better, I guess I am just going to have to realize that I do have Crohn’s and that on occasion I will feel bad. 

   I have taken it easy today as well, NOT my plan at all! I have a lot of work to do and was going to go to 9 round since I had to go over to that side of town.  Didn’t happen.  I stayed in bed until 11.  I’ve eaten 2 Popsicles (does it count if you’ve thrown them up?!) and a cup of chicken broth soup today. I haven’t been throwing up anymore, so I am going to attempt to eat a little more for dinner and get some calories in me! 

   I need to be rested because Adam and I are going to be running/walking a 5k on Saturday. 

   OK, time to find something to eat.

   It’s FINALLY Saturday! I have to head into work at the spa for a bit, but then I’m headed to 9 Round for a workout.  I am so proud of myself for working out 6 days this week!

     I have gained 7 pounds total since October.  I can’t tell you how much that bothers me. I know it shouldn’t, but it’s a mental thing. I have lost inches all over and when I remeasured the other day because my weight just keeps creeping up up up, they are still the same.  I have been feeling so much better with my Crohn’s meds FINALLY and feel like they are working. So I’m probably not as dehydrated as before.  I have decided not to weigh myself everyday now, but that I will weigh once a week or so. 

   My diet isn’t going to change drastically anytime soon.  I hate reading nutrition stuff online that say everyone should be eating whole wheat, all these different type of super fiber filled veggies, brown rice, etc.  and I think, AHGHGH I can’t eat that! 

   BUT…. here’s a little something that puts the weight gain for me into perspective.  I found this picture on a website( http://www.niashanks.com/2012/07/stop-weighing-on-the-scale-for-weight-loss/ ) and while this girl isn’t me, she is about my size though and her start weight was 127, which is close to mine.  She gained weight and looks better! 

  

   SO…I should just get over it, but keep tracking my progress through photos / measurements.  When you lift weights, I feel like my weight has shifted and shaped my body differently. 

   OK - I am off to work and then to a session at 9 Round! Even though it is pouring outside and I do not want to venture out into this mess, I am staying motivated - I hope you are too!

    Happy Tuesday everyone! I have a super busy week ahead of me with clients at the spa, but I’m still making time to workout with my trainer.  No excuses!
  In my previous post, I said that I joined 9 Round last week.  Yesterday, I took Adam with me to do some boxing and I went again today for round 2 (pun intended).  hehe  Adam looked pretty good boxing; he’s going to have to go again one day. 

   Before I went to workout today, I bought myself a new toy and I’m super excited about it!

  A Polar FT4 heart rate monitor with chest strap, just like the one in the photo above.  Not to mention it’s pink so it’ll match everything I wear.  I couldn’t wait to try it out, so I wore it to 9 Round.  I love it because it shows me my heart rate, when it’s in “the zone” it needs to be in for fat burning and when I’m not.  It also says how many calories I burn during the workout.  I burned almost 400 calories in 30 minutes at 9 Round.  Which is awesome because when I was punching (pun not intended, but I’m keeping it) “boxing” into my “Lose It” app on my phone, it was telling me I’d only expended 117 calories. 

    I highly recommend the Polar FT4!!  I’ve only had it a day though, so I’ll let you know how well it does in the future.
   I also had my BMI/Body Fat measured last week.  My BMI is at 21%, which is a healthy range. I’d like to get my body fat % down a little.  I’m putting in the time at the gym, but they do say you can’t out exercise a diet.  I’m not saying I am eating fast food because I’m not, but after speaking to another nutritionist that actually works with GI Dr’s„ I feel slightly discouraged with the whole diet situation.  Bland white carbs, hardly any veggies (zucchini/squash and the stalks of asparagus work for me, but I know Adam is getting tired of eating them), a lot of fruits are off the list as well. 

 For those of you Crohnie’s that read my blog, here’s some helpful hints she gave me: (and after following them for a week, NO bloating, no pain, hardly any upset tummy, & no vomiting)

- Absolutely no whole wheat, eat white or potato bread.  Makes me cringe to give up the whole wheat, but oh well. 

- NO Brown rice, stick to white (really?!) 

- Try to stick to foods with 2g or less of fiber. 

- Chewable and/or gummy vitamins

- Eat 6 or more smaller meals a day & avoid large meals

    It’s so hard hearing a lot of this because America is all about “eat more fiber”, “always choose whole wheat over white!”, etc.  I told the nutritionist I didn’t want to get fat (hello, the scale says I’ve gained 4lbs, why?!) - Side note I know I posted that your weight doesn’t matter if the measurements are still the same, but it still sucks to see it creeping up!

  To which she made a very good point, that you can eat an entire pot of brown rice and it will still make you fat because of portion control.  She said our society is obsessed with fiber and protein intake.  I honestly just hope to find a balance to keep my tummy happy and my body healthy with the nutrients it needs. 

   Also on the list of what my tummy can handle? Rice Crispies and marshmallows.  Rice Crispie treats are clean, right?!? haha

   Another thing I’m currently obsessed with now is hot tea.  I went to a tea room over the weekend and now I can’t stop drinking it! I got some new green tea today and when I feel like I want a sweet, I make some green tea. It helps because the warm drink makes me feel too full to be grabbing sweets.  Consequently, I also can’t stop running to the bathroom.  I’m trying to up my water intake too daily, so I’m actually getting exercise walking back and forth to the bathroom. haha

   This is my workout plan for the week:

   

 
     :)  9 Round has a lot of cardio snuck into the workouts, like jumping rope, boxing, jumping jacks, jump squats and the dreaded burpees.  I HATE it, but I love how I feel afterwards. It’s the perfect way to get my cardio in when I’m not seeing Tina during the week.  Last week, I did a workout with Tina, went to work and then did a 9 Round workout afterwards.  It didn’t feel like too much, but I don’t think I’d be able to do that everyday. 

    OK, time to wrap it up.

xoxo, Bec

    This is so true! Have you ever met someone who ALWAYS has an excuse?!  This isn’t just about exercise, but everything! I used to have friends who wouldn’t hang out, call/text me back, but somehow found the time to go out to parties, leave for the weekend, etc.  Hints, USED to have friends.  It takes an effort;  exercise and living a healthy lifestyle takes an effort too! 

    If you told me a year ago I’d love getting up to go work out with a trainer, I would have laughed at you.  And not just a little giggle, I would have belly laughed hard.  I HATED working out.  I hated sweating (I still do), I was much happier sitting on the couch watching any Bravo tv show marathon. 

   Now I like the feeling I get after I work out and actually look forward to it!  I signed up this week to be a part of 9 Round gym.  It’s a fun concept, of 3 minute rounds (there are 9 rounds), of boxing, kick boxing, cardio, weight lifting, etc. It’s near my spa, so it’ll be convenient to head over there after work on days I don’t work out with my trainer. It’s hard, but a lot of fun! 

    I doubled up on working out on Thursday.  I did 30 minutes at reFORM with my trainer, went to work and then went to 9 Round after work.  I worked out with Tina yesterday and was planning on going to 9 Round today, but woke up feeling like my body may need rest. haha  My muscles are so sore, my legs and arms are super sore. I might just walk around the neighborhood later today after work and call it a day! 

    When you think about making an excuse, think about how important your health is to you.  If you constantly say you want to look like “so and so”, but do nothing to change or move forward with your goals, then what is holding you back?  Everyone has to start somewhere - start today and 6 months from now you’ll be glad you did! 

xoxo, Becca

  Today is Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.  And since my birthday was on Saturday, I have been eating birthday cake like there’s a zombie apocalypse coming and it’s the last time I’ll ever be able to eat it. 

  Caramel cake and red velvet cake are so incredibly good that it’s hard to resist.  I’ve been trying to not eat more than a piece a day.  I know some of you clean eaters are cringing that you just read I’ve been eating cake everyday. HAHA  It’s for my birthday and I’ll get back on track this week.   

   With the dietary restrictions my GI dr gave me recently, I have been feeling better this week surprisingly.  I weighed myself and I’m down 3lbs eating more fat and less veggies/fruit.  My body makes absolutely no sense to me.  Actually, I think it’s just less water weight because I’m not as bloated as before when I was eating all of the good fiber foods. 

   Since this is a Fat Tuesday post, I won’t go on and on about my love and addiction to sugar.  Yes - addiction.  I don’t smoke, I don’t drink,  but I do love my sugar! If given a table of snacks to eat, I’d pass by the chips/salsa or anything salty and go straight for the cupcakes!
Oh wait, where was I? Yes, I won’t talk about sugar. haha 

  Instead, I’m going to share with you all of the fun places online that I like to use for resources for my new found love of fitness and health.  You know I’ve been seeing my trainer Tina at reFORM Studios, so if you’re in the Charleston area, then you should go see her.  Otherwise, there are some great online resources for you; no excuses!

My favorite online trainer: Cassey with Blogilates

- She’s fun, perky, & feels like she could be my best friend, while kicking my butt.  Her online videos are a lot of fun. 

My favorite place to read online advice from trainers and get motivated:Jamie Eason is so inspiring!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/

Clean Eating motivation & good recipes: (She loves desserts too!)

http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/

More workouts online & recipes:  Body Rock

http://www.bodyrock.tv/start-bodyrocking

My new favorite workout gear to wear Lorna Jane, it’s like the Australian version of Lululemon, but WAY cuter!

http://www.lornajane.com.au/clothing/sports-bras

A friend of mine just started her own blog, she’s doing the 17 Day Diet:

http://diaryofthe17daydiet.blogspot.com/

   So now you have no excuses! If you can’t afford a trainer, if you don’t have time to go to the gym, these are all resources you can use to get started at  home, for free!

    What are you giving up for lent?  I have never given up anything, ever. My church didn’t do that.  I will push myself harder though because I’m starting to feel better AND you know, I’ve been eating a lot of cake. 

  Adam and I watched “The Fighter” the other night and it inspired me to go boxing.  I’m heading to a place called 9 Round right now - 30 minutes of intense 9 rounds of boxing! I’ll let you know if I survive! haha  I talked 2 other friends into going with me, so we’ll see how it goes. 

xoxo, Becca

   My birthday is Saturday!  Woo hoo!!  I woke up this morning after 2 days of working out with Tina feeling so sore in my butt & thighs.  I told her when I started working with her that I wanted my butt back, and while it’s not quite there yet, it’s improving.  She also snuck in a little cardio yesterday during our session and while I was sweating like crazy, I felt great afterwards! 

   I treated myself yesterday to a little shopping spree at my favorite store, White House Black Market.  I haven’t been in there in a while and I have noticed that most of the pants I have from there are tighter than they used to be.  I have to say, that while I can get my size 4’s up and zipped, they are tight! I reluctantly went up to the size 6’s.  They fit perfectly, looked great and to be honest, I looked skinnier in them than in my old size 4’s. 

   I know it sounds crazy, but I think all of these squats are making my butt bigger, therefore, my pants size has to go up.  Everything has shifted! I need to find a photo of myself in my old jeans and compare it to how I look now because I know it’s better now!

   If you’re reading this and working out and trying to make healthy changes in your life, don’t get discouraged if you have to “go up a size”. Size and weight doesn’t matter, when you’re toning.  In fact, even working ab muscles can make them seem to “poke out” more on the sides, you’ll look more toned, but you may fit in your clothes differently. It is funny how that little number can do things to your mind though. We’re all supposed to be a size 2, aren’t we? :)  No.    

   Also, I found an old photo of my arms from “Before”. It’s a little fuzzy and I feel like the difference is more noticeable in person, but I’m showing you anyway because my arms have gotten so much better!

      Stay motivated!! Don’t give up!! 

   xoxo, Becca