Bonnaroo Bound!

No weigh in this week folks, I am heading out to Manchester, TN today for the 4 day blow your mind music festival that is Bonnaroo.

For the next 4 days I will be camping with great friends, listening to some awesome music, drinking good beer and dancing the night away covered in glow sticks and face paint. I.CAN'T.WAIT

Bonnaroo is an experience all in its own. It is one of the best music festivals in the country and we wait patiently every year for Valentine's Day when they first announce the line-up, and the beginning of June when we can head back to the farm.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and have a full recap when I get back, but till then I'll be unplugged.

Some things I want to do this year:
1) silent disco (foster the people is going to dj one night!)
2) ferris wheel at night
3) stay up LATE at a dancing glow stick covered show
4) get in good with the Woodchuck people at the broo'ers fest, get some free stuff
5) eat dinner at the food truck oasis
6) meet new friends
7) do one class at the Academy
8) Talk to the Dirty Guv's (we have seen them almost 10 times already, now's the time for talking!)
9) Find one new band to love
10) Relax, be safe, and have fun with my best friend!

I'm off to the store to gather the last of my materials and finish packing. If anyone else is heading out to Bonnaroo BE SAFE. See ya there!!

BONNAROO

Peace & Love,
  Emma

A Few Bands On My List: Bonnaroo 2012

I'll be seeing the Avett Brothers again!

Foster the People!! 

Alabama Shakes

BEN FOLDS FIVE! 

Phantogram

The Dirty Guv's

Moon Taxi

Two Door Cinema Club

Trampled by Turtles

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Skrillex (gotta hit up at least one dubstep/ dance your ass off show)

Gary Clark Jr.

The Shins

Radiohead

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Good morning!
 Honestly I am SO EXCITED about today's weigh in. I thought I had gained surely at least 2-3 lbs and was being generous with myself yesterday when I estimated 1.5-2.

I only gained 0.6 lbs! (must do my nails today!!)

Beginning Weight: 162 lbs

Current Weight: 148.8 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 13.2 lbs

I will take it! After 2 weeks of being sick, and not being able to work out, then out of town and OFF PROGRAM 0.6 lbs is absolutely ok with me. :)

Today I will be going back on program full force. I am also going to be starting a new workout routine! Pictures and info to come today will be the first day! I am designing this routine myself, and it is based off circuit training and strength training and using very limited materials. I am extremely excited to start this self designed boot camp, and if anyone is in the Cookeville area and is interested in joining me and my guinea pig friend Samantha and the boyfriend FOR FREE let me know! I would love to have more people working out with us!

Today was day 2 of the soul detox and I am really enjoying it! Today's lesson lead to my new prayer for myself and my relationships. 

I also found this yesterday, lead to this verse from SkinnyRunner.com as this is a verse she refers to often! She says it helps remind her of why she works so hard and runs so much, and that to keep a clear mind and positive outlook even when it gets tough! Meditation material here

Peace,

  Emma

Back on Track

Well hello there.

So last week I was out of town visiting my family back home. We live in a very small town and at my dads house I get barely any cell reception, no 3G coverage and we have no internet, so needless to say blogging was not much of an option.

I did get this super cute picture of me and my nephew Ollie at the zoo. He wasn't as excited about photo taking as I was

Apparently sticky to WW wasn't much of an option either. Without my phone app I was lost, and REALLY kinda fell off the wagon. But all is well, no major damage was done, but I have gained approx 1.5-2 lbs. Its also that time again so it's hard to really tell. Either way I will weigh-in tomorrow and we will see what happens.

I was pretty upset with myself on Monday to be honest. I had been eating like crap, and hadn't worked out at all since I got sick. I was on doctors orders no exercise until I finished my antibiotics due to being so dehydrated. So I finished my antibiotics last Friday and no working out + crappy food put me in a very squishy and bloated place. BUT last night I went and ran with the boyfriend and immediately felt better about everything. We are all going to fall off the wagon at some point, just don't let it keep you from getting back on! I know I won't!

I started my shakeology again, am now taking all my vitamins everyday plus a probiotic, and issued a new rule, 64 ounces of water a day before I get to have anything else to drink. It has already helped tremendously! I have much more energy, I am sleeping better, my digestion is back on track, and my skin is actually looking better. Water + Vitamins= Better Health in my book.

New Happenings!

*So I am currently looking for employment. I have spent all day scouring the job boards and actually have 2 very exciting leads. One of which I REALLY hope works out! I want to work full time in the summer, and then stay on part time in the fall and spring. More info to come!

*I have started a daily bible study! I have never done one before, and I am pretty excited. It is the Soul Detox and I found it through Instagram. Its a phone app and is really well designed and user friendly. I would love for anyone who wants to to join me to let me know!! Here are the instructions on how to find it!

1. Download the YouVersion bible app
2. create a free account
3. go to plans
4. select soul detox plan

This little light of mine! I'm gonna let it shine! 

It's a 35 day bible study and it gives you the study materials and the bible verses to study in any bible version you prefer. I like the Contemporary English Version best, just more my style! On instagram or twitter you can follow this study as well through #shereadstruth and/or #souldetox. They are already on day 14 so you can either catch up to day 14 from when you start or go at your own pace, or JOIN ME!

*Woodchuck is now in cans! We have waited forever for this day! :) Thanks Woodchuck for continuing to be awesome.

Can of Woodchuck and fresh Louisiana Crawfish. Best Saturday

Also still available in Bottles in all your favorite varieties! 

*Bonnaroo is in 9 days!! I CAN'T WAIT. I got my ticket today!

9 more days and I will be back!!

My Ticket! Glad they are cloth this year and not plastic like last year!

Peace,
Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

I feel like I should move this to a Friday post since I never seem to get to blog on Thursdays.

148.2 I'll take it!

Beginning Weight: 162 lbs
Current Weight: 148.2 lbs
Total Weight Lost: 13.8 lbs

So yesterday I got up and was really not feeling well. I went to the doctor as soon as the clinic opened to have some tests run. I hadn't weighed in that day so I wasn't really sure what it was going to be, but I had weighed in on Wednesday and it said 148.6 (same as last week) so I was curious as to what was going on. They took my blood pressure and all that jazz and then put me on the doctor scale. I watched as she started moving the balance weight and when she finished I noticed the bottom heavy weight was still set to 150, so I asked her what I weighed in at and she said 154. WHATTHEF***. I looked at the nurse and said "well that can't be right, I weighed in yesterday at 148.6" her response...."haha sorry."

Now having weighed in at almost 6 lbs heavier than the day before I was really curious as to what was going on (and really freaked out btw). The doctor looked at my symptoms and ran a urine panel. Apparently I have an advanced UTI and was really really dehydrated which was causing me to bloat (a lot). So I went home with 2 prescriptions, 1 antibiotic and 1 pain reliever (that makes my pee really bright yellow) and instructions to drink as much water as possible over the next few days. I drank a total of 160 oz of water yesterday!! I could tell it made a huge difference in how I felt and also in my weigh in this morning.

The antibiotics make me extremely nauseous, so much so that I ended up throwing up all my dinner last night and only could eat saltine crackers and some vanilla frozen yogurt (I know that sounds odd but the probiotic qualities of the active cultures in yogurt, fro-yo, and keifer help put back the good bacteria in your stomach after the antibiotics kill it all). I am waiting to here back from the doctors office about switching to a different antibiotic, if not I should be super skinny by the time these 10 days are over.

Here is the moral of this story kids.

1) DRINK WATER. You need to be drinking plain water everyday and lots of it. At least 8, 8oz glasses a day (or 64 oz). Without this water you body will not be able to function properly and could lead to bloating, constipation, headaches, fatigue, and even urinary tract infections. Also, drinking water will HELP you lose weight as it is essential to all vital organ systems in the body to run 100%.

2) If you are ever prescribed an antibiotic, you need to counter the effects by taking a probiotic as well. Antibiotics kill bacteria in the body, but in our intestines and stomach we have good bacteria that is essential to proper digestive functioning (flora). When antibiotics kill the bacteria targeted for your infection, they also take out the good stuff too which can cause excess yeast in the intestinal tract (candida) and can keep your intestines from digesting properly. I had candida in 2009 after a long stint with antibiotics. I looked like I was 5 months pregnant and had A LOT of digestive issues and it took me almost 2 months to get rid of it. So make sure you have a probiotic plan in place. There are a few ways to do this. You can buy probiotic supplements over the counter at your drug store. Make sure they have at least 5 million active cultures in the supplement (the one I take has 15 million) and keep them refrigerated at home, they last longer. You can also buy supplements at some chiropractic and natural health doctors offices or stores (I get mine from a natural health doctor). Food that contain active cultures are keifer, yogurt, and frozen yogurt along with some others. Make sure you don't take you probiotic supplement with your antibiotic, rather alternate them. If you take them together the antibiotic will cancel out the probiotic. Talk to your doctor or health care provider about a probiotic plan when prescribed antibiotics!!

Hope this helps kids. I am going to get back to reading the hunger games in my PJs on the porch since it is so beautiful outside!

Emma

Milestone

For as long as I can remember I have been a size 10 or 12 depending on the brand of pants. In the past 2 weeks I have noticed more than before that my pants don't fit. I have what I like to call saggy ass in the back, where the fabric just hangs down my leg. Trust me it looks as hot as it sounds.

So yesterday David and I decided we needed to go buy new pants. He needed some khakis for work, and I need any pair that fit even a little bit. I was REALLY NERVOUS to go to to shop. Even though I knew my 10s and 12s didn't fit anymore I was terrified I would get to the store and I would have to buy the same size again and see no change. What if my pants didn't fit just because they had been stretched out or worn to much? That can happen right?

So I get to TJ Maxx and start looking. I decided to shop in the women's section. Other than the fact that I am 25 and too old to shop in juniors, they only come in 7/9/11 and the 11s look like women's 6s. I was really not interested in pants that barely cover anything (low riders are the devil). I grabbed a pair of pants in a 10 and the same pair in an 8. They were navy blue and super cute so I figured I would give it a shot. The 10s were so big they looked like I was wearing a tulle skirt underneath. So I tried the 8s and they fit much better! No muffin top either (score!!).

New section!! I like single digits

I went on to try on more clothes all in 8s! I even tried on 2 pairs in 8s that were too big!!

I ended up buying 2 pairs of jeans and a pair of shorts. It was much more fun that I had anticipated and it's really hitting home to see the change in other areas of my life other than just on the scale. So don't be scared when you have to buy new clothes!! Just go and have a good time and enjoy the pay off from all your hard work!

Emma

Explorers & Rugged Outdoorsmen

Saturday David and I slept in and then I made breakfast. After we ate the weather was looking dreary but it hadn't started raining yet so we packed up the kayaks and hit the lake. We thought we would be able to stay out for an hour or so but ended up being on the water for 3! The weather cooperated and we ended up having a fantastic afternoon and getting a great workout in.

Now, growing up in the south means I have to be a little country, and past the accent (I honestly don't hear it until I hear my voice recorded), and the choice of word and phrase usage (apparently a "come to jesus talk" is a foreign concept to people north of our fair state) I try to keep the country at bay. But every now and then a girl's gotta do something a little countrified, so David and I like to go kayaking at this place called Old City Lake. It's not the scenery we like, but the snapping turtle hunting. We also don't use rods or reels or fishing equipment of any kind. Imagine hand-fishing or catfish grabbing, but with big ass snapping turtles. Yeah... it's scary. I only catch the baby turtles but David catches the BIG ones. Like bite your hand off easily big ones. It gets muddy and gross, but it's a good time (and free, did I mention I am unemployed?)

First catch of the day. The key is to see the head and grab the tail, they can't bite you that way

Look at my turtle (not even a snapper) but cute none the less

Not Happy

2nd catch of the day and David's VERY happy

Right before he bit the paddle. Don't worry he didn't damage it

Right before he literally jumped and tried to get David

Snapping turtle hunting is fun, and country as hell. We always let them go after we get a few pictures. We have caught some big ones, I would say both of these weighed around 25-30 lbs each.

After the excitement of the turtles died down, we kayaked on down the river and found this sweet jewel. 

The coolest treehouse ever (instagram makes my shitty camera phone pictures look awesome)

This thing was just in someone's backyard. here's the run down on the tree house. It is 2 stories with 2 decks on top. It has 4 beds inside, central heat and air, electricity running underground from the house, track lighting, windows, and a real front door along with a rope bridge. Yeah.. it is intense. It didn't look like anyone was in the house so I snuck to the top and took some pics.

Not instagram picture, but gives a better idea of the height of this thing

central heat and air, grounded electricity, insulation, & windows

swinging bridge incase you wanted to hang out at the other tree platform

nicer front door than mine, with combination number lock so also probably safer

The inside had carpet on the floors and the 2 top decks had linoleum. I wonder how much they would ask for rent?

Here are a few more pics from the day! My shoulders are still sore from 3 hours of paddling!

kayaks, mine is the little one

Hideaway

Passenger

River Zen

I think I am the first person to ever take a closeup of a flower on instagram #trendsetter

cutie

Emma

Lazy Summer Days of the Unemployed

I have a lot of free time lately with being unemployed and not in school. I saved enough money to last me through the summer, but plan on getting a job in June for fear of going stir crazy. For now I am taking a few weeks off to enjoy the early summer weather, and catch up on some pinterest projects. It is also a good time for me to read some books, and work on myself and my journey to better health and wellness both physically and emotionally.

Here are some things I have been doing lately.

Reading New Books from my latest McKay's Adventure

Pinterest Nails, I am obsessed. Nudes and Sparkles

Running at night 

Exploring during the day 

Rescued a hurt baby bunny. Her name is Fiona

Making Essex Purchases

Juicing for Life, enjoying a reused glass bottle

Practicing my skills

I love summer.
Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Hey! I'm back!

So listen to what I did yesterday. Currently I am not in school for the summer, not working at my GA, and I don't have a regular job either so I am just chilling. Because of my lack of schedule it's easy to lose track of the days.Yesterday morning I got up and jumped on the scale, but not for my weigh-in. I had been weighing each day this week to keep myself on track after being out of town at a music festival all weekend and not tracking. The scale reads 148.8 and I am pleased with this, even thinking "by tomorrow I should be down at least another 0.2." I go on with my day until David comes home from work. We start talking and he makes a comment about how tomorrow is a half day. I get really confused because it's Wednesday and I don't understand why he would take a half day on a Thursday. After 3 minutes of intense arguing about what day it is, I find out it isn't Wednesday, it's THURSDAY. It's my weigh-in day and I had no picture! At this point it was already 12:30 so no weighing in now! So I apologize for my tardiness, I am an unemployed idiot.

So this morning I got up and weighed in again (since it's Thursday and all). Here ya go!

148 is an insane number for me! Kinda trippy

Beginning Weight: 162 lbs

Current Weight: 148.6

Total Weight Lost: 13.4 lbs

Pretty exciting to be at 148! Could have been a better weigh-in but with the Beale Street Music festival this past weekend I did pretty good to lose at all! So I am proud of myself. This past weekend showed me I could not track and still have control over what I eat and how much I eat and see some progress!  

The music festival was so much fun! Some of the bands I saw were Florence & the Machine, My Morning Jacket, 3 Six Mafia, The Civil Wars, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, NEEDTOBREATHE, Dr. Dog, Little Richard, and Michael Franti & Spearhead. We ate good food, and saw some awesome shoes and had a blast hanging out with some of great friends. Here are some pics. Memphis is a black hole for Verizon service, so my phone spent a lot of time searching for service and being dead, so I didn't get too many. 

The whole crew. Love these people

Ran into Annie 4 times at the festival! Weird, but I love and miss this girl. 

Did I mention we saw DJ Honey Badger? ha. 

Being safe and responsible by taking a cab... 10 people in a six passenger van. it.was.hot.

Our hostesses... Thanks guys!

Long lost friend Jenn! Love this lady, we did Bonnaroo together last year

The Civil Wars 

My Ladies! Jess, Me, Chelsea, and Whitney and big street beers (I still got the smallest one)

Can't wait till the next one, but for now, I'll be staying on program, no drinking, and working out everyday! Hopefully next week I can have a KILLER weigh-in! My goal is to be at or below 147 and for the first time in a LONG time be within my BMI weight range!

Send some good vibes my way if you get a chance. 

Love,

  Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Well folks, it's that time of the month again... literally. I will be postponing my weigh-in for today. Check back tomorrow!!

In the mean time, since I am a psych major and all I found some articles on the subject for all my lady friends out there who may experience a similar situation each month! Educating yourself on the natural processes of your body can really help you NOT throw that scale out the window and want to jump off a building when it's your TOM and you have to weigh-in.

Do you lose the weight you gain on your period?

Why do I gain weight during PMS?

How to lose water retention weight during your period.

Sorry to all the men who are reading this, although on the other hand educating yourself might just save your ass from the unwanted side affects of the TOM. Keep you from stepping into the lion's den so to speak... your welcome.


Emma

National Runner's Month

Happy National Runner's Month!

Downloaded Instagram! New Brooks, I am totally in love

Get out there and get those Feet on the Pavement people!!

Here is a fun song to download to run to!!

  Peter, Bjorn, and John "Second Chance"

Find a good time that you enjoy running in a place you find beautiful and inspiring and do something good for your body today! You may fall in love like I did!

Emma

Rant On

Here is a quick rant I feel the need to have.

I am watching TV, an updating my blog, and I see the same commercial 4 times over the span of an hour. Which commercial you ask? Sensa.

Sensa is a product you sprinkle on your food and it helps you lose weight. WTF. I can't stand these commercials and these products. While it would be amazing to sprinkle some magic powder on your cheeseburger and lose weight, it doesn't work like that! Being healthy isn't about pumping your body full of synthetic products so it looks good on the outside. What do you think it looks like on the inside?

If you want to be at an appropriate weight and be HEALTHY you have to put the work in and trust me its harder than sprinkling some magic powder on your food. But in the long run you will be a better person for it. You will be healthier both inside and outside, with better habits and a sense of control of your life that you earned. You will grow.

Don't fall for the quick fix. We aren't entitled to anything we don't earn for ourselves, and there is no magic product that will make it all better. Instant gratification is just that, its is fleeting in a instant. Put the work in and get the results you earned! Besides, do we really have any idea of what we are putting into our bodies with these fake, man made products? Be smart people!!

Rant Over.
Emma

Sunday Fun Day

Here is your Sunday Song of the Week! Dig in.
Love Some Summer Music

Our last day in Chattanooga consisted of sleeping in, packing up, breakfast at The Blue Plate, playing in the water, and shopping!

After a fantastic breakfast (I went with the egg white omelet with a fruit cup), we walked down to the river and enjoyed the scenery.

Grey Heron, and yeah I dressed up

David kept creeping backward to get as close to the bird as possible. 

That water was freezing! There were some kids playing below us and obviously the temp did not phase them

Fun times family photo

Then time for some shopping! I spent way to much money, but got some great deals. my justification is that I am running enough mileage on a regular enough schedule that I need to start investing in some higher quality gear. So I bought some running clothes, and new shoes. I got a pair of lightweight Brooks. I LOVE THEM! If you are a runner, get some, you won't regret it.

Last night I had some friends to go run with and we hit 5 miles! It was a great run, and I loved having a group with me!!

It is very humbling to see pictures of yourself. Apart of this journey is monitoring my progress, so I am trying to be better about photographing everything. Sometimes it is very easy to think I have gone farther than I actually have. Some days you think you have done fantastic, and are right on track and you let your program slip or set it aside for old habits because it's not going to kill you right? But then you take some pictures with friends and you realize that while you have made progress you still have a long way to go. That's how I look at these pictures, Yeah I have lost 12.8 lbs but I still have 19.2 more to go, and I need to stay on point to get there. I also need to learn how to see myself in an accepting way and be less critical. I immediately see these photos and my mind hits all the negatives. I still point out all the bad places and completely miss the point of the photo which is to document my life with the people I love. So while we may have the tendency to be negative towards ourselves, a part of this is learning how to change that mindset as well. Don't take the journey for surface value, it's not just about weight on a body, its more than that. Once you take hold of the entire process of change, you can begin to rebuild EVERYTHING.

This is just as much mental as it is physical!!
Emma