{Adventure with the In-Laws}

Early last week, we asked my in-laws that they were up to this weekend. My mother-in-law promptly responded with "Field Trip?" Jason and I talked, knowing we had no idea what she had up her sleeve, and we were in.

Well, you have to know how things work with my mother-in-law to understand that... Several years ago, we started taking periodic day-trips to places. We've been on a winery tour, driven to a couple different places just to enjoy a meal, etc. The whole point of the thing is to explore a part of our state in a quick day-trip and have some good times together.

Yesterday was our first field trip in a long time. We got up to be ready to head to the Wilmington area at 9:30 a.m.  Our first stop was Sweet & Savory. We had to wait a few minutes to be seated, but had a great spot close to the back on the kitchen side. My in-laws had never had the homemade chips, so Jason ordered a basket for the table to share. Not long thereafter, we ordered our lunch and spent the remainder of our time eating and talking. We caught up on each others happenings and discuss the current state of events in our state. We talked about memories, stories of childhood beach trips, etc.

Crazy in-laws

After lunch, we decided to head toward Carolina Beach. In all of Jason's and my years, we've never had Britt's donuts. Today that was going to be remedied, at least for Jason. We got lucky getting into Carolina Beach and found a perfect parking space about 1 block from the boardwalk area. We walked around for a while - had to walk off our lunch! We also went to a nice observation area on the boardwalk to hang out for a bit. That didn't last too long as there wasn't a cover on the area and the seagulls were making their presence known if you know what I mean! Then, it was off to Britt's! My father-in-law and Jason both had 2 donuts each and would have eaten more had my mother-in-law not stopped them :-)  While they enjoyed donuts, I had a wild cherry snocone, complete with red-stained lips, teeth, and tongue.

We did some more riding around, and then it was time to head back toward Raleigh. We had dinner reservations at The Country Squire in the Kenansville area. My mother-in-law has fond memories of The Country Squire and people come from miles away to enjoy the restaurant.

Well.... things got interesting about 1 mile from the exit for The Country Squire. I noticed that the van steering wheel was shaking a little while we were in Wilmington, and had made the comment about 5 minutes earlier that I needed to take it for an alignment. Then I heard a loud "pop" and somehow I managed to guide the van, slowly and carefully, off the side of the road. We had blown a tire. I don't remember much, but Jason said he heard the noise, saw me pull over, and then I immediately started to cry and shake. Boy, oh boy. (Did I mention that Jason lost a tire on his wheelchair earlier in the week? He got tossed from his wheelchair and we spent Tuesday getting that repaired. Obviously, not our week for tires!)

My father-in-law got out and looked at the tire. I remember him saying that he'd never seen a tire look like that and he was so proud of me for guiding the van off the road safely without hurting us or others. Here's where I was especially thankful for him.... He called AAA and dealt with all of that. The customer service agent with whom he spoke was kind and helpful. She even called after the AAA roadside person had been dispatched, just to check in. Now, that's customer service!

Insert request for all - If/when you see a car/van/truck on the side of the road, please move over. Having a car issue is stressful enough, but having other vehicles whiz by at a high speed makes it incredibly scary!

About 30 minutes later, Bernard from Wallace Towing and Roadside Assistance showed up in his navy blue Chevy Silverado. He was ready to be our knight in shining armor! Bernard had a bit of difficulty getting the van lifted to change the tire, but once he used the jack that came with the van (special because of the retrofit) and then got it lifted the rest of the way with his jack, he was in business. He got the full-size spare on and sent us on our way. Bernard was just a nice "good 'ole boy" was was beyond friendly and reassuring that everything was gonna be alright. He did tell us that we were the 5th vehicle with the exact same tire issue on that stretch of I-40 that day. Something is odd about that to me...

After getting the tire fixed, we were back on our way home. We decided to skip dinner at The Country Squire, and we'll plan another field trip to go there soon. We got home just before 9 p.m. and we were all wiped! What a day! It was fun, but I told my mother-in-law that the next time we took a field trip, we better not have anymore tire adventures!

I'll be contacting AAA Car Care on Atlantic Avenue tomorrow morning. They replaced the tires a couple years ago, but I'd assume there should be some kind of warranty on the tires. Since the tires are on the older side, I know I'm going to replacing all of them, but still want to check out "the deal" with the current tires. Fun stuff!

{Catching up...}

I've been terrible about blogging the last couple of months. Honestly, I've been distracted by things going on around me. It's affected my attitude, my working out, and everything around me. So, now that things have calmed down a bit and I feel like I'm heading in the right direction again, I'm back to blogging. :-)

Here's a sampling of pictures of what's happened since mid-April:

My cousin, Ryan (center), graduated from Carolina in May. While at Carolina, he studied Music, Voice Performance - with a concentration in Opera. This picture was the evening of his senior recital in Hill Hall.

While I am concerned about what he's actually going to do to make money with his degree, it seems like he has a solid plan. He's moving to New York in August and will be taking private voice lessons with a professor from Julliard before applying to graduate school. Hopefully, big things from this kid!

  I got new shoes! OMG they are bright!

I joined the Raleigh Galloway running program in May. I've been running intervals/Galloway-method since I started running in 2010. I decided to join the bigger group (even though I swore I never would) because I couldn't get back into the running habit after my surgery. I'll tell ya...There's nothing like having a program of 500+ people and a pace group of 30-50 people to hold you accountable for your long run.

Suzanne, one of my running buddies, joined with me. We've signed up for the Richmond Half, but are seriously considering the full (OMG - did I say full marathon!?!?) We'll decide after our 18-miler on August 31 on whether to change races!

We went "home" Memorial Day weekend to visit family. A part of every visit home is to see my Granny. God knows I love this woman with every fiber of my being. She's been a constant source of joy in my life. She is always a voice of reason and consoling words when I need them. Love her!

Girls Night Out! Love spending time with these ladies! On this particular evening, we went to Chubby's, then to Orange Leaf for frozen yogurt and girl talk. Love them!

 

Jason's birthday was June 13. We originally had plans to go to Boone/Blowing Rock with the in-laws, but due to accessibility issues it didn't work out. So, we took his birthday off and headed to Wilmington for the day. We started our day with an early lunch at Sweet & Savory. After lunch, we headed over to Wrightsville Beach. We walked down to Robert's Grocery for snacks, then spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting at the Johnnie Mercer pier. Bliss.

The Board of Directors of my organization had their June meeting at the Executive Mansion. Hardest part of this day - My boss (Executive Director) announced to the Board his intention to retire on January 31, 2014. It's been a wild month with this announcement, but I am finally able to say that I am ready for the new adventure that could come from the change...

Jason started training at Raleigh CrossFit! I've been trying to get him to go since I joined last year, but he wouldn't go. I mentioned it again after the Carolina Clash event and he agreed! I think it's safe to say that he's hooked!

That's just a sampling of what's been going on... It's been a busy couple of months, but I think things are starting to level out... YAY! Back at it!

{Pictures!}

Jason and I haven't had professional pictures done since our wedding day, just over 7 years ago. The pictures we've had taken of us since then are few and far between, and usually are selfies.

Last spring, we had made arrangements to have pictures taken, based on a recommendation from a friend. About 2 weeks before the appointment, the photographer and I were emailing back and forth about locations, etc. In that email, she finally confided in me that they were nervous about whether they'd be able to get good pictures of Jason (he's got a startle reflex that doesn't love camera flashes), etc. So, that revelation scrapped pictures...

Jason and I talked a little more about it and decided to postpone pictures until after my surgery. We thought it would be nice to celebrate the "new me" and celebrate us. I've been following Laura Case on Twitter for a while. She's friend with several people I knew. At some point in the fall, I finally asked if she'd be willing to take pictures for us.

Three weeks ago, Jason and I met up with Laura at Sears Farm Park in Cary. We met around 6 p.m. because Laura thought the lighting would be best at that time. Usually, J is a little hard to photograph. I think Laura knew that she just had to keep interacting with him and keep him on his toes!

Laura said they were going to be fabulous before we left that evening... Boy was she right, look at these!

Laura mentioned this one in her comment, so I had to add it.
He does do this a lot! That boy!

Laura also took some pictures of us by ourselves. I love these! Look at my cute husband!

Had to have a hat on for one!

It might sound a little silly, but I really think that Laura caught the "new me" perfectly. I think she actually got genuine smiles out of me.

Thank you Laura! 

{Our 7th Anniversary}

Today, Jason and I celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary. Time sure does fly....

Seven years ago we were joined in marriage in front of our friends and family at Forest Hills Baptist Church in Raleigh, followed by a beautiful reception at the Albert Coates Local Government Center. Every day that I go to work, I get to walk through parts of the building where our reception took place and it still makes me smile.

In our seven years of marriage, we've been through our fair share of ups and downs, all the while working things out together.  While we may not always agree, but we are partners through it all and do our best to compromise on all things - big or small.

I am so thankful that the powers that be saw fit to have Jason and I meet. I am even more thankful that our relationship grew and we were later married.

(Truth be told, I am kind of a brat so he's had his work cut out for him. Glad he wanted to take on that challenge!)

(Classic Olan Mills pose - thanks Laura Case!)

Here's to many more years together!

{Essure procedure}

First things first, what is Essure? Essure is a non-surgical permanent birth control. It is hormone free and works with your body to create a barrier to prevent pregnancy.

I was diagnosed with PCOS in August 2001 (Read more here, if you want). Since that time, I have been to multiple doctors to try to understand my "place" in the world as far as having kids goes, etc. Since getting engaged (in 2005), Jason and I have hemmed and hawed about having children. While we would love to see little Regan and Jason running around, we know that it would be more challenging for us in many ways.

In 2005, I was pretty much given the "no go" on kids. Because of my medical issues, Jason and I were told we'd have no choice than to go through fertility treatments. That began an internal tug-o-war... We could go through fertility treatments and have multiple scenarios - 1) get pregnant with 1-2 babies; 2) get pregnant with 2+ babies and possibly of subjected to "selection" (and I refused to even consider "selection"); 3) not get pregnant at all. Jason and I discussed our options, the financial aspects of it, and decided that biological kids just weren't in the cards for us. We agreed that I would continue to take birth control "just in case" until another non-hormonal option became more available to us.

In 2006, I made an appointment to speak with my WHNP about non-hormonal birth control options. I had grown increasingly tired of the shift in my mood, etc. because of birth control. We discussed the Essure procedure during the appointment. At the time, I still wasn't 100% comfortable with ending the possibility of having children.

Fast forward to 2012... The issues with PCOS, including cramping, mood swings, etc. had become increasingly hard to manage. I also was diagnosed with Celiacs disease, adding even more complications to our life together. Also, in November 2012, I had my tummy tuck. Since that time, my body has been adjusting to it's new "shell" and doing odd things. These odd things were causing more issues than they were worth...

In March 2013, I made an appointment with my WHNP to discuss my options again. I made it clear that I preferred a non-hormonal option, but wanted to understand all my options. During my appointment, we reviewed several options: 1) IUD (scared of that because of Brandy's situation); 2) Essure; 3) Tubal ligation; 4) go off birth control and just "see"

On Tuesday, April 16, I went to my ObGyn's office for the Essure procedure. It went something like this:

• Night before - Take several medications to soften/open my cervix. Enter pretty severe cramping overnight.
• Arrived at doctor's office at 10 a.m. 
• Around 10:30 a.m. - Taken back for nurse to insert IV for anesthesia (I chose to "go under" anesthesia, much like the anesthesia for a colonoscopy.)
• Drug-induced nap began around 11:15 a.m.
• Essure procedure completed
• 12 noon - Taken into room for monitoring, etc.
• Back home by 12:30 p.m.

It's been about 3 weeks since my procedure and I am glad that I did it. I still have to take my birth control for ~2 more months. Three months from the date of the procedure, I will have a HSG at Carolina Conceptions. That test will (hopefully) show that my fallopian tubes are blocked and that Essure was a success.

While our decision to permanently end my fertility may not be right for everyone, its the right thing for us. I'd recommend this procedure to anyone that's done having children as it is probably the least-envasive option possible.

{What a month!}

Oh my! My blog has been totally neglected for the last month. Rest assured that even though our life has been pretty hellacious, we've done our best to maintain some semblance of normalcy. This is what has been going on...

April 15 - Twice yearly HVAC system service

April 16 - I had the Essure permanent birth control implanted. (More on that later, hopefully)

April 17 - AC stopped working. Noticed (at 9 p.m.) that the secondary drain pan was full of water. (At least the sensor stopped it from overflowing and causing damage.)

April 18 - I had a work conference at UNC-Chapel Hill that I was helping "sponsor"/run. Due to the AC, I had to miss the afternoon sessions.

Newcomb & Company checked the AC in the afternoon. The repairs to the AC were going to be significant because of the parts involved. Jason and I decided it was best to replace the system vs. band-aiding a 15-year-old system. This was the beginning of ~18 days without AC (Thankfully, the weather cooperated!)

April 19 - A staff member from Newcomb & Company comes to give us a quote on new AC. During his visit, he inspected our hot water heater (we have HydroHeat) and sees that it was improperly installed. We were informed was a carbon monoxide poisoning and combustion hazard! Eeek!

Drama for the remainder of the day, including but not limited to: City of Raleigh called to report improper installation; City of Raleigh called PSNC to turn off the gas to condo; Multiple phone conversations with neighbor serving on HOA about the safety of neighbors that had same guy install their hot water heater; Newcomb & Company installed new hot water heater (to replace relatively new hot water heater); City of Raleigh inspector visits condo; etc.

Was told that person that installed hot water heater was not a licensed plumber and did not have hot water heater inspected after installation. Began "campaign" to make sure all my neighbors were safe. Most of our neighbors are older and probably don't know how the water heater should be installed (I sure didn't!).

Week of April 22 - The week was full of multiple conversations with our HOA, State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, etc. Spent many hours working on 48page document to submit to the State Board of Examiners regarding the gentleman that installed our initial hot water heater. On Thursday evening, I had a long conversation with an older neighbor that had the same person install her hot water heater. It broke my heart when she started crying because of how scared she was :-(

Week of April 29 - Neighbor that serves on HOA Board "took over" hot water heater issue for condo complex. He was able to get some of our money back from gentleman that installed hot water heater in 2010, so long as I promised to notify the State Board (guessing he thinks that if he compensates us he won't be in as much trouble).

On Thursday and Friday, the 2-day installation of the new HVAC happened. Habitat ReStore removed old hot water heater from our deck. My mother-in-law and father-in-law spent all day Thursday at condo and MIL scrubbed the entire deck for me. Hubs stayed home on Friday while AC was being installed. One advantage of 2 days at home - was able to get lots of home projects done (resealed J's roll-in shower; re-caulked shower; re-caulked kitchen sink; etc.)

So, the saga with the hot water heater will continue, but I am hoping it will be relatively painless. I am sure that I will have to be interviewed at some point by the State Board, but they should have plenty of helpful information from my 48page complaint.

Jason and I are really hoping that things are finally getting back to normal! April has been quite drama-filled and I would love a couple of drama free months.

{Let's Go Rays!}

The hubs is a huge Tampa Bay Rays (previously the TB Devil Rays) fan. He's been a fan of the team since they were terrible and his love of the team has never waned. The Rays AAA team is the Durham Bulls and it's neat to get out to games there knowing that those guys will (hopefully) make it to the "big time" soon after leaving the Triangle.

Anyone that knows the hubs, knows he's hard to buy for - especially at holidays. So, when I was trying to come up with something fun for Christmas, I decided to look at the Rays schedule. It worked out that they would be in St. Petersburg for a home stand at the beginning of the season. I started working on the trip in September/October and was actually able to keep it a secret until Christmas morning (yes, this was beyond difficult for me!). With the help of some connections, it worked out such that we were able to go to 1 spring training game, opening day, and an additional game.

Here's a summary of our week with some pictures:

We drove to Florida on Friday. Our plan was to leave by 7 a.m. and stay in Altamonte Springs on Friday evening. We got on the road late and finally made it to Altamonte around 6 p.m. We were able to visit with Margaret and Branden that evening, complete with dinner at Harry Buffalo.

Got a bit of a late start on Friday, but once we were properly

loaded in my car and caffeinated - off we go!

 

I think I now officially hate South Carolina. Traffic started at South of the Border and

didn't clear up until Georgia. (We all know how great that was for my patience.)

Lunch at Ferg's and Rays spring training

Dinner with friends...

A new mead and my favorite cider

And some baseball....

It's safe to say that this kid (well, and me too!) had a good time. He's already plotting when we can hop in the car and head to another game.

{A little rough patch}

As I said in my post yesterday, I've been going through a bit of a rough patch recently. Between the less than stellar weather and dealing with a few minor healing issues associated with my surgery, my motivation has been lacking. Yes, I have been exercising and being careful about what I eat - but, I haven't really been feeling it. 

Over the weekend, I realized just how much I have missed running with my girlfriends. Since my surgery, I have tried to get out and run with them a few times, but the weather hasn't been helping. The (relatively) intense cold early in the morning "hurts" my incisions and waiting to run until mid-afternoon on the weekend just wasn't an option. I updated my half marathon plan and will be running the Midtown Race Series Half Marathon on June 1. I have exactly 8 weeks to get my sh*t in gear to do this race and I am gonna do it. Now, to convince my girlfriends to run with me....

Anyway...today ended up being just what I needed...  I got lots of motivation from different sources and that seems to be just the ticket to helping my mojo come back.

See what I mean?

1. A municipal official that I haven't seen since October came to the office today. When I went to the waiting area to get him, he didn't recognize me! Then he whispered in my ear how nice and happy I was looking.
2. I walked into CrossFit at lunch and a fellow athlete asked how much weight I had lost and said I was looking great. As always, I said "...Not really...I've actually gained weight..." Another athlete piped in and reminded me that I'm developing stronger muscles and "... (I) sure as hell look skinner!..."
3. We were working on our 3 RM on the back squat at Raleigh CrossFit today. I think Coach Bobby sensed my frustration with the weight on my bar. He asked my 1RM and and quickly discussed the current weight, etc. After our quick exchange, I was able to do a 110# 3RM. When I told him he said that I needed to remember the leaps and bounds I had come since starting in July and starting back after surgery.

Then, I got this from my friend, Mary:

Top 5 Ways to a Better Life according to Dave Grohl (An interpretation of his Keynote speech at SXSW in Austin,TX)

1. No one is you and that is your biggest power. “It’s YOUR VOICE. Cherish it. Respect it. Nurture it. Challenge it. Stretch it and scream until it’s f**king gone because everyone is blessed with at least that, and who knows how long it will last . . .”  

“Who’s to say what’s a good voice, and what’s not a good voice? The Voice? Imagine Bob Dylan sitting there singing ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ in front of Christina Aguilera.”

2. Don’t be afraid of not fitting in. “I can truly say out loud that ‘Gangnam Style’ is one of my favorite f**king songs of the past decade. Is it any better or worse than the latest Atoms for Peace album? Hmmm… paging Pitchfork! Come in, come in, Pitchfork! We need you to help us determine the value of a song! Who f**king cares.” Don't be someone who designs their lives to impress others.

3. Give a damn about yourself.  It’s about taking care of yourself so you can be a better human being. A 2.0 version of you is way more equipped to help others in need. Take up yoga if you’re stressed. Ask for a big raise. Walk away from a relationship that is abusive or draining. Or just take a nap, for Christ’s sake.

4. Be humble.  No one wants to go to lunch with a supermodel who says things like, “My cheekbones, if you’ve noticed, have a similar incline to an escalator.” One thing I’ve noticed is that if you are good at something, people will acknowledge it. Appreciate the hell out of those people. Should you be blessed enough to have the fortitude to work so hard at something that people celebrate you, your first reaction should be gratitude. And know that there’s a ton of people out there from all races and socioeconomic backgrounds who can still teach you something. I don’t care if you’re Bill Clinton or Jay-Z – always be learning; always be improving.

5. Spark a revolution.  

Always have the highest bar for yourself. Wake up everyday and no matter how crappy you feel, want to change something for the better. Do something that makes someone happy. Create something that inspires someone. Be someone’s light when they are hopeless.

 

{Victory}

Chennelle, owner and coach at Raleigh CrossFit, has a knack for writing the best blog posts at just the right time for me. When I see them pop up on the Facebook page, I get a little bit weirded out because it's like she's been in my head ;-)

 

Today was no different:

“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his enemies, for the hardest victory is victory over self.” – Aristotle

"Competition. Is the competition against others or within yourself? Or is it both? The goal should be to be the best you can be. For each athlete, their best is up to them. The best could be entering a competition. The best could be getting the bar into a good overhead position. The best could be continuing to work on pull-ups, push-ups or muscle-ups. The best could be winning a local competition or completing a workout in the time you decided you would finish in."

 

It's no secret to most people that know me that I am not super competitive, well, at least not with anyone else. I grew up as an only child, so I didn't have siblings with which to compete. This was an advantage and disadvantage because all it did was fuel my competition with myself.

 

At times this innate desire to compete with myself causes issues, as it has the past few weeks (or months). I guess it started right after surgery - I wanted so badly to get back out there and go for a run or to CrossFit and I couldn't. I knew better than to try and F things up that I had worked so hard for. When it was finally time for me to get back to working out, my competitive streak was in overdrive. Needless to say, my body didn't cooperate with my brain and all I did was get more and more frustrated with myself. But...

That competition with myself has kept me moving in the right direction. I could have very easily just stopped going to CrossFit, or skipped out on every single run. I didn't though. Each time I did a workout, I set a goal - run 3 minutes without stopping, use XX pounds of weight, do XX pull-ups, etc. The runs were shitty not so great. The CrossFit WODs weren't at the heaviest weight. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter than I wasn't the quickest runner on the greenway or one of the first to finish the WOD. Each time I was out doing a run or going to CrossFit, I was beating a goal I had set in my head and that is pure victory.

{Weekly Menu - last week and this week}

Not sure what has been going on in my head for the last 11 days, but I haven't really felt like writing. I blog simply to have a place to express my feelings and I guess I haven't really wanted to deal with the crap in my head. So, here's to trying to deal with some of the BS...

Thought I'd start with a relatively benign post - the weekly menus. We only plan meals for Sunday through Thursday on a regular basis. Most of the time we end up out to eat on the weekend and/or figuring out a meal with ingredients we have on hand.

Week of February 17 to 21:
Sunday: Garlic-y Chicken; Quinoa Pilaf; Brussels Sprouts with Bacon (We were out of town for the weekend. My in-laws invited us over to dinner as "payment" for teaching them how to use their new iPhones.)
Monday: Swordfish; Roasted Butternut Squash Slices; Sauteed Broccolini
Tuesday: Grilled Chicken; Quinoa Pilaf; Steamed Veggie
Wednesday: Pork Stir-Fry
Thursday: Easy Chicken and Spinach (adapted from PaleoOnABudget)

Week of February 24 to 28:
Sunday: Pepperoni Pizza Casserole (from Tessa - The Domestic Diva)
Monday: Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps (from PaleoTable, adapted from Skinny Taste); Roasted Sweet Potato; Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
Tuesday: Sauteed Shrimp; Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Wednesday: Grilled Pork; Roasted Sweet Potatoes; Sauteed Spinach
Thursday: The hubs is on his own! I'm going with some girlfriends to look at wedding dresses with Mary!! Yay!

{Review - Backyard Produce}

One of my goals this year is to reduce our grocery bill slightly, while also incorporating higher quality foods into our meals. At first, I thought I could depend solely on the Farmer's Market, but realized getting out there every week might be more "trouble" than it was worth. During the summer, I don't mind going out to the Farmer's Market during lunch, but going in the winter and perusing all the produce isn't my idea of a fun way to spend my lunch hour (it's too dang cold!).

I attended a Paleo Cooking Seminar at my box a few weeks ago. Raleigh CrossFit had arranged for Food Simply Fresh and Backyard Produce to provide information on recipes and their services in an effort to make our healthy eating choices easier and more accessible. As I listened to the presentation, I realized that Backyard Produce could help me achieve my goal.

(Source)

What's Backyard Produce? 
Backyard Produce is pretty much an online Farmer's Market. They offer (mostly) locally grown, farm fresh produce delivery to a large part of North Carolina, from Charlotte to the coast. The biggest difference between Backyard Produce and other vendors is that I have choices and it is year-round. Other vendors charge a fee and you get what you get, during summer months only.

So, how does it really work?
When signing up, you are asked to select the amount of produce you want delivered based on the needs of your family. Based on the type of basket you choose, you are allotted a certain number of points. Each week when the order page/"marketplace" opens online and you simply log-in and select the items you want. Your order must be placed by Saturday night and all then all you have to do is wait on your delivery.

Thoughts on my first order...
I placed our first order late last week, to be delivered yesterday. I selected the "Family of Four" basket because of the amount of produce we consume in a week. The staff at Backyard Produce assured me that if this was too much, I could email to downgrade.

Upon placing my order, I received a confirmation email, with an order number. My order was correct, but I assume that if there had been an error or if I needed to change it, I could have so long as I made the Saturday night deadline.

Our delivery arrived sometime yesterday while we were at work. Since we live in a condo, I asked that they leave the box in the foyer/mailroom area. I was pleasantly surprised to see it by our door when I got home - not sure if a neighbor let the delivery person in or if a neighbor brought it to our door... Either way, I was excited to open the box.

So, here's what we got for ~$45:

(1 bunch) NC Rainbow Chard; (2) Baby Broccoli/Broccolini; 

(1 lb.) Green Beans

(2 lbs.) NC Sweet Potatoes; (1-2 lb.) Butternut Squash; (1 lb.) Carrots; 

(6) Navel Oranges; (6) Apples (Fuji/Pink Lady/Granny Smith); (2) Limes

I was excited to get the box open last night. I was slightly disappointed with the broccoli. It was totally my fault - I thought I was ordering "regular" broccoli. But, as any foodie would do, I figured out a way to prepare the broccolini and we'll be having it for dinner tonight. 

All-in-all, this looks like it's going to be a good thing for us. We had the chard last night and I had an apple with my breakfast this morning. So far so good! Looking forward to seeing what's available next week!

{Metabolic Testing}

Over the past few months (before surgery and after resuming exercise), I have been at a plateau with my weight loss. Something didn't seem right about this... I mean, seriously, how could I not be losing weight? Each day I'm eating 1390 calories (as prescribed by MyFitnessPal), doing a 30-minute walking video at least 4 days a week, training at Raleigh CrossFit at least three days a week, and occasional runs with my girlfriends (I still haven't gotten back into running since surgery). On top of all of this, my caloric intake is coming from whole foods - lean meat, fruit, veggies, nuts, and occasional dairy. This led me to start thinking more about how my body operates and maybe I needed to calculate things a little differently.

I knew from discussions with others that a person's resting metabolic rate was an important factor in weight loss. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the amount of energy required to perform basic bodily functions such as respiration and heart rate while the body is at rest (source). No two bodies are alike - we all know that. So, each of our caloric needs are completely different....

I found a RMR calculator online. This particular calculator asked for gender, weight, height, age, and body fat (optional). I entered my information (including body fat, as result of body composition testing last week) and this is what came up... 

According to the calculator and equations on this site, my average RMR is 1694 calories per day. However, this is based on five different formulas that have the possibility of not being that accurate. Some may ask, how could they not be accurate - it's based on a scientific formula. At the same time, I would ask - what exactly is being measured?

I did this leading up to my appointment for metabolic testing and nutrition consultation at Rex Wellness Center. When I made my appointment, I was given instructions to not eat or exercise for 12-hours prior to the test and to not consume any caffeine the morning of the test.

Source

When I arrived at Rex, I was immediately shown to Sherry's (nutritionist) office. She explained that various online calculators are very helpful, but they aren't quite right and how the use of the MedGem would provide a more accurate resting metabolic rate. The MedGem test requires that you put a clip on your nose and breathe in/out through a special mouthpiece attached to a hand-held device. Somehow, this little machine is able to measure your oxygen usage and carbon dioxide output.

I have to say that the 8-10 minutes that I had to breathe into the mouthpiece may have been the longest 8-10 minutes in my life! I couldn't play on my phone, read a magazine or do anything, except sit. Anyone that knows me can probably attest to this being extremely difficulty for me.

Once the test was completed, the MedGem provides the RMR. That number is then multiplied by an "activity factor" based on my lifestyle, to determine calorie needs. The long and short of it is this... My resting metabolic rate is 1530 calories. In order to maintain my current weight, I need to consume ~2065 calories per day. Sherry said she was a little surprised by this number, given that I had bariatric surgery ~13 years ago (normally their numbers are lower). She then said that the higher number was likely attributed to my healthy eating habits, running and training at CrossFit.

We next discussed how many calories I have been eating... Needless to say, the 1390 calories given to me by MyFitnessPal were causing me to short my body ~140 calories per day...and that's the calories just to survive. That calculation wasn't taking into account normal daily activity, exercise, etc. Basically, my body thinks it is being starved.

We talked about my needing to hit ~1530 calories per day on days that I do not exercise. She also encouraged me to get a heart rate monitor because of CrossFit. According to her "research" (other patients), it looks like someone participating in CrossFit can burn anywhere from 300 to 800+ calories in a single workout. (Holy crap! That's a lot of calories!)

We reviewed by food diary on MyFitnessPal and discussed the need for some adjustments to my fat and protein intake. She helped me adjust my goals on the website so that it will make tracking daily a lot easier. So, here's what it looks like...

In the next week or so, I will be purchasing a heart rate monitor and adjusting to my new goals. Hoping these changes help with my daily energy level and my training!