PROTEIN!!! MUSCLE MILK!!!

You like the post title? Ha. I couldn't help myself.  When I think about protein, I immediately yell "MUSCLE MILK" in my head.  Is this post about muscle milk? Hell no. But is it another post regarding healthy living? Ummm, yes. Don't kill me.
I swear on my life that I do not obsess over my health and fitness.  Never have. Never will. I have wayyyy too many other things in my life to stress over.

We might look like we're being super healthy by hiking during our wine country vacation, but that picture does a truly poor job depicting how much booze and unhealthy food we consumed.  Tricky, huh?

However, I have to admit that after a vacation centered on wine, followed by Kevin's 29th Bday celebrations, and partying it up in Indy for DMB last weekend, my body was starting to rebel against me.  Like legitimately, I felt disgusting and just... well... sloppy


 I know its shocking, but a steady diet of alcohol, pizza, and taco bell does NOT do a body good.
Regardless of feeling completely foul health-wise, I still always discuss my weekend shennanigans w/ two lovely ladies, whom I probably talk to more than my mother, who happen to be the infamous Pink Lou Lou and The Bargain Blonde!

So after recapping last weekend's events,

(*side note* -which may or may not have included running into one of the hottest guys to ever graduate from my high school, and sharing multiple dances with him over a fab 80s band. Don't worry yall, Kevin was there the entire time, and I introduced them to each other like 10 times.  Okay, i might have been gushing over this guy while introducing him to my husband, but hey- wouldn't you if you ran into "the" senior guy that everyone coveted when you were in 7th grade??  Believe me, my 7th grade, 13 year-old self is still super pumped about that random occurrence.  Like jumping up and down ecstatic, even though I'm sure I made a complete idiot out of myself while mentioning to him that his senior picture was a HOT commodity amongst us 7th grade FC girls. Hilarious and embarrassing all at the same time, but oh well. )

Lindsey mentioned that she had been doing the Tone It Up nutrition plan, and she really liked it so far.  Seriously?  A nutrition plan that LINDSEY likes? hrm.  That pretty much sealed the deal for me, and I immediately made my pizza-loving husband join me on a semi-detox.
First things first, we went to the grocery to get healthier items.  I never really buy bad items, but I could definitely use more protein, fruit, and veggies in my life, as could Kev.
Sooo, this was the result of our grocery trip.

Note all of the fruit, almond milk, and apple cider vinegar

Veggies GALORE.

I'm not going to lie to you, I was super skeptical about half of the items on the nutrition plan, because I am kind of a picky eater.  And as I've mentioned to yall before, Kev eats like an 8 year old.  I was super unsure how this was going to go.
And honestly?  I've been extremely surprised by mine and Kev's reaction to the food.  When I say surprised, I really mean super happy and completely fulfilled by all of it.  I've had to modify some items because there are some things that I just simply won't eat (ie: tofu, quinoa, tuna, and pineapple to name a few...).  But we've both also tried a lot of items that we've really wound up loving, which are all awesome for you.

My two favorite surprises so far?

GARLIC SHRIMP!!!!! 

Holy amazingness

PROTEIN SHAKES!!!!

Amazingly fabulous and refreshing

I think I was the most skeptical about the protein shakes because I seriously conjure up images of the guys from Jersey Shore when I think about protein shakes.  Do I wanna look like Ronnie?  Umm, thats a hells no! But every nutrition plan on earth heavily emphasizes the need for protein in your diet.


Kevin and I have both lost weight while doing it, and to be honest, we were going to completely end it after this week.  However, both of us feel soooo much better while doing it, that we're going to continue on with it.  I've always tried to live by the 80/20 rule in regards to food, but I have seriously slacked on that in the past few months.  (And by 80/20 rule, I'm not talking in a business sense.  I'm talking about I try to eat healthy 80% of the time, and the other 20% of the time I splurge a little bit.) So I think we're going to keep after it during the week, but let ourselves have a little bit of fun on the weekends.  Like Kev and I could/would be able to give up wine or bourbon for a diet? Yeah. Right. Theres no way.

 Anywho, I highly recommend doing this little nutrition plan if you're feeling a little sloppy after all of the summer parties, weddings, and cookouts.  I also think its SUPER beneficial if you have someone that is doing it with you.  I've had an awesome support system with this guy at home,

This pretty lady, 

Annndddd my fav Texan :)

Alright guys, I hope this inspired you ALL to have one last binge weekend :)  I promise you if you try this & are able to keep it clean for a bit, you're body will seriously thank you.

Mmmkay, thats about it :) 

Do something that makes ya sweat....

I feel like I need to redeem myself since I've been so MIA.  Work, school, animals, weddings, wedding showers, and family events have taken over my my life.  So I decided that I would finally do a post dedicated to a question that I've repeatedly gotten via email, fb, & twitter since I've started this blog and kind of avoided.
Sooooo no more procrastination, Topic of Conversation today???

Sweatin' it out, the Caroline way

(And before I start- I feel as though I should preface this post by saying that I am in NO WAY a certified trainer or have any kind of formal education in the exercise department.  Everything that is in this post works for me, sooo take that for whats it worth :)  )

Let me just go ahead and let you in on my fitness secret....

I don't follow a workout routine.  At all.

Never have.

Never will.

Let me just say, my extreme ADHD alone probably prohibits me from following any type of rigorous workout schedule.  Actually, to be really honest, workout schedules in general kind of make me want to stab my eyeballs out.  And furthermore, I feel as though I would do the exact opposite of whatever a workout schedule would tell me to do.  Just like I do when I attempt to go on a diet.  Seriously- you all know how it is- the exact moment that you decide to cut something out of your everyday diet, you wind up craving it 10000 times more than ever before.  As a result, I just avoid boxing myself into any type of organized workout schedule.  Exercise always has & still continues to be a huge release for me.  And as a result, I just don't ever want to feel like exercising is an obligation that I dread doing.  As it is now, I still look forward to my workout almost every day.  

So now that I've reiterated the fact that I don't follow any exact workout schedule, I'll be honest about the fact that..... 

I DO workout 5-6 days a week.

Every week.

No exceptions.

Yall ready to come through the computer & hit me yet?  Hell, I would be if I was you.  I'm totally aware that I'm contradicting myself and probably sound like a crazy Jillian Michaels wannabe. Heres the skinny (hahahahahahaa, you get it???? Such a fun pun) : While I hate be held to an exact routine, I am an extremely regimented person.  If I don't some type of workout in on a daily basis, I feel like I've completely wasted my day.
Soooo as a general rule, I do whatever type of workout I'm in the mood for that particular day.  If its 30 minutes on the elliptical, then I do that.  If its beating Kevin at tennis (again) for an hour, then I do that.  If my body is in pain, I'll either skip a day or do pilates.

I once read somewhere an article where Matthew McConaughey stated,

  "You should do at least 1 thing per day that makes you sweat." 

Helloooo Hotness...

And obviously, who am I to disagree with that beautiful man?? :)  Regardless of what type of workout you do, I guarantee it'll help your bod & your mood. I highly recommend starting a calendar to document what you did as a workout each day.  That way it not only holds you accountable for actually doing something each day, but it also helps jog (haha, i did it again. I just feel super clever with all my fitness puns) your memory about your fav workouts.  There are SEVERAL awesome iphone apps for this too.  My personal fav is myfitnesspal, which records your food intake AND workouts.


 I'm pretty old school & just write down what I do on our calendar at home.  However, anytime I feel like I want to hit Kevin over the head with a hammer ...yell at Kevin for one of his boneheaded moves ..have a thorough conversation with my interesting husband, I tend to go for a run around the neighborhood.  Not only does it take out my frustration or aggression, but it also completely changes my mood for the better.

Since I don't have an internal GPS, I run with my iphone, which I have conveniently downloaded the Nike+GPS app on it.  I LOVE THIS APP. It tracks my run, keeps a running history for me, shuffles my itunes so that it pairs a good song based upon my speed, and has famous athletes giving you motivation while you're running.  I mean, lets be honest- When Tebow tells you to run faster, by GOD, you RUN FASTER.  
Now, how many miles do I tend to run per week?  This number varies from week to week.  Last week, I ran 16.2 miles.  The week before, I ran 22.  I never ever hold myself to completing a super high number of miles when I go out for a run or when I hit the treadmill because forcing yourself to stick to a strict schedule just takes all the fun out of something.  Do I always do at least 2 miles when I run?  Yep.
Do I generally do between 2.5 - 4 miles?  You bet ya.  But if I dont have the time or I'm not in the mood, then I'll get in at least 2 miles & move on to something else.

I'm well aware that I'm in the vast minority of people who actually enjoy running... soooo heres a quick rundown of my favorite AT home workouts:

(In no particular order...)

1. 30 Day Shred & Biggest Loser workouts w/ Jillian Michaels. 

Ohhh yes, I went there.  Do I think she's a crazy hooker? Yes.  Does she frighten me? Yes.  Do her workouts kick your butt in every way imaginable?  Yes, but they're all only around 20-25 minutes. Yall, anyone can do anything for 20-25 minutes.  Start at level 1 & work your way up. 

*Side Note*-I find it helps to yell at her & call her mean names- makes the workout much more entertaining :)

2. In-home walking w/ Leslie Sansone

I am embarassingly aware of how insanely lame this sounds/looks, etc.  And umm, I can't lie, it definitely is pretty mild compared to Jillian, but yall, listen... 

this woman is to walking like Lance Armstrong is to cycling.  She is the  walking Guru, and unlike Jillian, she is super nice in all of her videos.  (Yes, bishes, I said video(s).  That is plural.  I may or may not own a few of them.)  Leslie is kind of sneaky because she can make you work up a sweat by walking & doing weights, but she has this calm/hypnotizing way about her, so that her workouts kind of feel like you're working out with a nicer & more fitness-minded version of your mom. (Sorry Jan, we both know you get all competitive when we work out together. And people wonder where I get it from. hrm.) Anyway, like Jillian, you can find her DVDs just about anywhere.  

Since I know her moves pretty well, I usually just mute Leslie & watch something on demand on our computer.  Makes the workout go insanely fast.

3. Tone It Up Girls

If you haven't seen these girls in SELF Magazine, pinterest, or on a blog, immediately go to www.toneitup.com and check them out.  They have about a BAZILLION different work out videos on their website, youtube, and pinterest to choose from.  I adore their workouts because it essentially marries Jillian Michaels intensity with the calmness from Leslie's videos because they film all their videos at the beach.  talk about motivation. (Bhahaha- ps-don't you love how I talk about these trainers like they're my friends?   Hysterical.  Probably not normal, but funny nonetheless.)

Anywho, I have their beach babe DVD, which has SEVEN different workouts on it and you can also download the workouts to your computer as well.  In addition, they also have a great twitter account that directly connects you to their blog, which gives you daily workout ideas and/or assignments.  Obviously, I don't follow the daily assignments to a T, but its a great reference tool.  Seriously- check these girls out- you'll love them!

4. Pinterest & Youtube

I've gotta be completely honest with you all.  I have days where I'd sooner watch a Hannah Montana marathon than get a workout in.  Like I've said 90 times in this post, I get easily bored with my workouts, so sometimes I'm just tired of running, the gym, or those peppy broads I just mentioned.  In which case, I march my happy self to my computer & try to find SOME type of workout that peaks my interest.  

I highly recommend looking at the Pinterest Fitness Board to give you simple in-home workout ideas that require no machines or weights.  

If that doesn't strike your fancy, go to Youtube & search fitness videos, like 10 minute ab workout, 15 minute arm workout, etc.  I really like the 5-10 min workouts on youtube because they always get me going, even when I'm not in the mood to do anything.   

And honestly, that about sums up all my workout stuff for when I'm not at the gym.  I told you all- its not rocket science and it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it has always worked for me :)  

And when I'm not in the mood to do a darn thing, I try to keep this in the back of my head....

No truer words have ever been spoken.  

Thats about all I've got today :) Hope that answers your all's questions! If not, you know where to find me!