Fitness Results, FINALLY!

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Colleen
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Until my sophomore year of college, I had never stepped foot into a gym. The only reason I started working out is because the brand-spankin’-new fitness facility was built right next door to my dorm building.

It’s as if the universe and my tight jeans was sending me a not so subtle sign. Get in the gym, you lazy SOB. You have no excuses now. 

So, I went. I tried my best to mentally prepare myself to get serious about fitness.

I’ll never forget the first time I stepped – okay, stumbled – onto an elliptical. I set it to Level 2 (because I’m a born champion) and got to work. My legs were on FYAH! I was sweatin’ like a sonofgun and felt like I was really going to town.

Then, I looked down. Nine minutes had passed. I think I trucked on for another solid minute before throwing in the towel. Literally, I threw my towel.

But then next day I went back and tried again.

Over time, things have gotten easier, and I’ve continued to challenge myself. I moved up to running. Lifted a few weights. Took a few classes.

And those are the results I’ve seen. My results have been stamina and endurance. I’ve never lost a significant amount of weight (because I didn’t have to) and I’ve never seen a difference in my shape.

Was that ever discouraging?

HELL YES! Sometimes I’ve felt discouraged when friends lose weight, chisel abs, and buy new, smaller clothes. We always want what we don’t have, right?

That said, I’ve always known and appreciated that fitness looks different on every body.

So. 

Fast forward to last night: I was making dinner and Cory said, Your back and shoulders look really strong. 

What’s that you say?!

Like the uber tool that I am, I immediately ran to look in the mirror. I was shocked. I saw muscle!! Muscle I never had before!

Finally, FIVE YEARS after starting my fitness journey and a month after stepping into a BodyPUMP class (three times a week), I have seen my first real physical results.

For some, this may not be a big deal. But for me, it is! Especially because I have that whole Muscular Dystrophy thing going on. So, I’m proud of myself. Plain and simple.

*Please know that I am not trying to be vain by posting this. If you read this blog regularly, you know that’s not my style. In over a year of blogging, this is my first “serious” fitness picture. (Mainly because I feel weird putting pictures of my bod on the internet.)*

Anyway, this just goes to show that this whole fitness thing does work. Maybe it takes longer for some than others (ie: ME) but this feeling is worth it! :)

Stay happy and healthy, my friends! Have a great weekend!

Let’s chat: What I love most about fitness is _____________. Challenging my body and the feeling of accomplishment that it brings. 

Posted in Fitness, Health, Richmond, Workouts | Tagged , , | 31 Comments

Happy Birthday, Cory!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Colleen
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Five years ago, after several months of dating, Cory and I spent his 21st birthday together. At 19 years old, I thought it was so cool that I’d be dating someone old enough to buy alcohol. I mean really, that was neat ;)

We met up at school to celebrate with friends, but we both ended up coming down with a stomach virus by 6PM on the night of his birthday celebration.

Co-driving the Porcelain Bus with my semi-new boyfriend on his 21st birthday was not how I had it planned out in my mind – but hey, barf happens.

While he did experience a sadly unique 21st birthday, I think we made up for it a few years later. Cory’s 24th birthday was pretty flippin’ fantastic. We had been engaged for 8 days and we were in Madrid, Spain backpacking our way around Europe.

And now, he’s having his first birthday as a married man. I think that fact is more exciting to me than it is to him, but I just can’t believe how far we’ve come and how much we’ve accomplished since that silly, sick 21st birthday in Farmville, VA.

It makes my heart smile.

Happy birthday, Cory! You’re the best husband around, the best friend I could ever have, and you make my world a better place – simply by being you. Here’s to a great birthday. I can’t wait to see what 26 has in store for you!

Let’s chat:

  • Go ahead, say happy birthday! He reads the blog ;)
  • Do you have a favorite birthday memory? Cory and I spent my 21st in Vegas, which was pretty neat! 
Posted in Family, Love | Tagged | 19 Comments

Unlikely Third Wheel

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Colleen
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Last night I went out to dinner at Kobe with my boyfriend and my girlfriend. Contrary to the scathing Yelp reviews, we all absolutely loved the place! We’ve been talking about chowing down on hibachi for weeks now, and thankfully last night was the night!

Funny story: at Longwood (where Cory, Emily and I went to school), the standard dinner time was 5:00. Seriously, everyone was at the dining hall by five for dinner – and honestly, I think we all got used to it.

We don’t necessarily eat dinner at 5:00 anymore, but apparently we still eat much earlier than the average person.

Yep, the three of us had our own personal hibachi chef/dining room. Emily commented that it would have been really romantic if Cory and I had been on a date.

To that, Cory said, “Emily, do you ever feel like the third wheel when you go out with us?”

Emily replied “Nope.” 

Cory sighed. “Oh, well I do.”

I just can’t imagine how he could come to that conclusion! ;)

Posted in Dinner, Eating Out, Food, Friends, Richmond | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

iParty

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Colleen
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This weekend we had a little bit of celebrating to do!

My other half has a birthday on Wednesday, so I felt it was necessary to throw a little party. It wasn’t just any party, though. See, Cory is obsessed with all-things Apple, so I knew that had to be the theme of the party.

It was actually really fun to plan this party because a) Cory deserves it, and b) I knew the theme was just perfect. We had tons of food, alcohol (woof.), and themed desserts.

Seriously?! How perfect are these. I called upon the wickedly talented people over at Frostings to help me with my cupcake idea. They did the cupcakes for our wedding, so I knew they’d be great!

While I recruited help for my cupcakes, Emily took matters into her own hands and actually made the cutest, most perfect cookies for this party!

I was super impressed. 

And what would an Apple-themed birthday party be without Steve Jobs? Right. It wouldn’t be one. While the real Steve wasn’t able to show up (too soon?), we managed to make due.

Creepy? Sort of. Hilarious? Absolutely.

I felt very lucky to be able to spend some time with our best friends. Cory honestly deserves the world, so I’m happy we were able to start off his birthday celebrations surrounded by the ones we love most.

Posted in Family, Friends, Fun Things | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

VIDEO BLOG: Spray Tan Proof

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Colleen
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Hi all! I can’t seem to get the video to actually post to my blog. I’m frustrated. And I refuse to be frustrated on a Friday!

If you’d like to view the video, you can click here!

I apologize for the additional step! :)

Have a GREAT weekend!

Posted in Vlogs | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Shame + Humiliation = My Air Brush Tan Experience

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Colleen
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A few summers ago, I had a “pre-cancerous” mole removed. The threat the doctor gave me scared the shit out of me, and I honestly haven’t been tan since. On our honeymoon in St. Lucia, I did lay out in the sun, but I applied sunscreen constantly.

But I have been tired of pasty legs! Done with looking like I have never seen the sun! I long for bronzed skin. So when I saw a Groupon for an airbrush tan, I didn’t think twice before purchasing it.

I’ve been a little nervous leading up to my tan, only because I was fretting the possibility of resembling an oompa loopma, or worse: Snookie.

I’ll be honest, I also spent time worrying about feelin’ all SPRING BREAK! with my girls in another girl’s face. It’s just not how I normally spend a Thursday afternoon.

But the time came this morning. I got to the salon, checked in, and was told to have a seat. I scanned the room. Which one of these poor women will have to stare at my boobs? 

Apparently, none.

I was approached by Chris.

MALE Chris.

As flamboyant as can be, he said in a charming Southern accent, “Alright honey, I’ll be doing your tan.”

I believe shock and horror overtook my face. I never even considered that a MAN would be giving me my spray tan. He assured me he does this “all day, every day” and I had nothing to worry about.

And so, I followed this man into a room and took off my clothes. Very Anastasia Steele-ish of me, I know.

 

Now, I’m not usually in a thong and bra in front of a stranger man, so I was pretty awkward. To make matters even MORE COOL, I didn’t have my glasses on, so I could barely see him when he yelled over the humming of the machine “Now do this!” instructing me on how to position my arms, legs, hands, pride…

At one point, I had to bend over. In my underwear. In his face.

Overcome by shame and humiliation, I naturally sped through an Act of Contrition hoping the Good Lord would forgive me.

What, that’s not normal?

Well friends, my life is not normal.

Let’s chat 

  • Let’s ignore the awkwardness of my situation. Have YOU ever gotten an air brush or spray tan? I hear air brush tans, like I got, yield better results because they don’t end up looking splotchy
*Disclaimer: My experience with Chris was absolutely professional. This post simply reflects my insane, somewhat humorous, thought process.
Posted in Life | Tagged , , | 33 Comments

The Hard Work Has Paid Off!

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Colleen
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Since we made the move to Richmond two months ago, I have been referred to as a “kept woman” and a “lady of leisure” on more than one occasion. Because I moved for my husband’s job, people assumed I was taking it easy and riding the wave.

That bothered me a great deal.

Clearly, education bears no weight. For the past two months, I have been out of town every week on Mondays and Tuesdays due to class.

My round trip to school used to be 30 minutes; now it’s 4 hours. And that’s not counting the 30 minutes each way to and from my parent’s house (where I was staying on Monday nights.)

And when I wasn’t in school or traveling, I was spending time driving to and from interviews, scouring the internet for hours applying to jobs, and  writing cover letters. And I also started volunteering.

So yeah, it’s been a real cake walk.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed this flexible schedule. And it’s not lost on me how fortunate we are to even have the option to live like we have been living. I have learned more about myself in the past two months than I could have ever imagined. And honestly, I think it was the best thing that could have happened for our marriage.

But I’ve been getting restless. I need work, to be busy. I like to work. And, well folks, the hard work has paid off!

As of Monday, I was offered an amazing, wonderful, perfect-for-me job! It’s my first “real” job, as in, not “just-a-paycheck” job. This is setting me up for a career that I couldn’t be more thrilled about!

That said, I’m off to search for a new First Day of Work outfit :) Have a great one!

Posted in Domestic Bliss, Family | Tagged , , | 36 Comments

My Date with Bootcamp.

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Colleen
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I firmly believe I am the only young adult female who never took a dance class as a child.

No ballet recitals for this girl. No jazz hands.  No tu-tus.

Instead, my mother decided I should play t-ball, attempt soccer and softball, and humiliate myself on the basketball court.

These are life events that keep my therapist employed.

I digress.

The pang of the dance class void is not something I deal with daily. I don’t live in a Glee episode (sob!) so I can maneuver throughout the day without being reminded that I have two left feet and a rhythmless soul.

Until I try a new workout class that, unbeknownst to me, is chalk full of choreography.

Emily and I tried Bootcamp today, and I went in as a confident fool. I do Body Pump. I can totally handle Bootcamp. 

But no. This was a Step Class wolf disguised as a Bootcamp lamb. I spent the entire class two steps behind. Once I finally mastered the step, knee, jump, jazz hands combo, we were on to something new.

I don’t know what hurts more: my abs or my pride. You win, Bootcamp. You win.

Let’s chat - 

  • Do you enjoy classes that are heavy on choreography?
  • Did you take dance lessons as a little girl/teen? I’m sure you did.
Posted in Fitness, Friends, Health, Workouts | Tagged , | 22 Comments

Any Body Can Be a Fit Body

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Colleen
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Several events in the past week or so have reminded me that many people perceive working out as a miserable chore. A means to an end. An intimidating means to an end, no less. And let me tell ya, I get it! 

Reading books written by fitness gurus, searching the internet, and even reading blogs can make fitness seem confusing and lead one to believe they’ll never measure up to Blogger X/Fitness Guru Y/Diet Guidelines Z. You might not know where to start, what foods to eat, or even if you want to care about it!

But let me tell you – you can do it, and you need to care about it.

Some claim, between work/school/errands/LIFE, I don’t have enough time to workout. To that I say:

You might be saying, Four percent, schmore percent, I hate the treadmill and I don’t know any other way to work out. To that I say: Take a group fitness class! Classes are offered at gyms and local community centers. Find one. Go.

*No extra cash to spend on a class? Reasonable answer. I’d suggest buying a fitness DVD like Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred (less than $10 online) or 10 Pound Slim Down to get ya started!*

Now you might be thinking, Colleen. Jillian Michaels? Group fitness classes? Maybe waking up earlier than I have been? This sounds miserable. You’re insane. To that I say:

source

I don’t have abs. I can’t do a pull-up. I am incapable of sprinting. But I still keep at this thing called fitness because it works! It makes me happy, I maintain a healthy weight, and I feel good. If I can do it, so can you.

If this motivates one person to get off their ass today, I’ll feel fantastic.

Posted in Fitness, Health, Workouts | Tagged , , | 30 Comments

Thursday Thoughts

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Colleen
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1. I’ve really liked the fact that Cory has been so consistent with attending his boot camp. The guy hasn’t missed a day in three weeks! When his alarm goes off, he hops out of bed, and that makes it infinitely easier for me to get up and rollin’ as well.

I own the fact that I’m a lazy girl who really has to work hard at motivating myself. Judge if you must.

2. PicMonkey is my new jam. Thank God, because I was really mourning the loss of  Picnik.

3. One of the first friends I ever made in college, Danielle, is coming to see me this afternoon! I haven’t seen her since August! We have tons to catch up on (most importantly, her upcoming wedding!)

4. Every time I fill out tax forms (i.e. W-4) I always have to ask “Wait, do I claim myself?” and I feel like an idiot every time. Oh, yeah – I have a degree, I just can’t fill out forms about myself. 

5. I don’t know how to use a coffee machine that’s not a Keurig. Really, I’ve never done it.

original photo credit

6. Oh yeah – I’ll be having a sleep over with this girl tonight!

It’s shaping up to be a pretty fantastic Thursday! :)

Let’s chat:

  • How often do you get together with your college friends? Several of our college friends live near us, so we’re very luck to see them quite often! 
  • Old-school coffee makers: who uses them? I was talking to Jamie last week and both of us have never used one! And don’t know how! 
Posted in Fitness, Friends, Fun Things | Tagged , , | 31 Comments