Today, I write, again, because:
A.  I'm still on Spring Break and thought I'd put out as many posts as possible while I still have time.
B.  My body is too sore to move anything other than my fingers.
C.  I don't get the morning paper so with my coffee, I blog.

Nancy Negative Side:
I'm in an asstastic mood.  LPIYH (Little people in YOUR heads):  Oh joy, so glad you decided to share this bad mood with both of us.

The only reason I'm sharing this is because, perhaps, a few of you can relate.  Maybe there is a teeny, tiny chance that some of you are here because you, too, feel asstastic about this same thing.

So there I was...

• My clothes are fitting awesome.  
• Lots of my pictures are looking good.
• People are making comments that I look better. 
• My last workout was rad.

I was feeling good.  I was feeling pretty.  I was doing my morning walk around the internet and suddenly this picture kicked me in the face.
Sidenote:  There has NEVER been a good picture of me that has come out of the Crossfit 480 owner's camera.  That damn thing hates me. 

• I don't look exactly like I want to look but I'm getting there.  
• I'm closer than I was 6 months ago.
• I did 190 Wall Balls yesterday...and a shit-ton of other stuff
• No matter how long I do Crossfit, it's ALWAYS hard (as in lay on the floor and try not to die hard) and I NEVER quit.

• My clothes are fitting awesome.  
• Lots of my pictures are looking good.
• People are making comments that I look better. 
• My last workout was rad.
• I have tons of super great things going on in my life right now.  
• I pulled out my entire summer wardrobe, a wardrobe that didn't fit last summer, and it ALL FITS! 

I'm 3 weeks in to my Crossfit 480/180 Challenge.

This morning I got on the scale and I had only lost 2 lbs. 2 MOTHER F***ING POUNDS IN 3 WEEKS! I almost threw my scale at the mirror but quickly thought that 7 years of bad luck may not assist in my weight loss so I re-thought that.

Then I put on my pants...and they were a tiny bit looser. I chalked it up to the fact that I haven't washed my jeans in 2(ish) wears. What?! Don't even lie. You don't wash your jeans every single time either. They're the perfect fit after the first wear!

So, I'm still pissed at everything. I'm pissed at myself for times that I eat cookie dough on Friday night. I'm pissed at Crossfit because somehow it's their fault I haven't lost weight. I'm pissed at my friends who are naturally skinny because...because, eff them. Why were they blessed with these quick metabolisms anyway?!

BUT...here's where things get good. Get ready. Are you ready? This is a big deal...

My friend, who I met at Starbucks to do work (and we actually did minimal work and maximal chatting) said, "Your face looks so much better. Fresh and thin and great." OH. MY. GOD. I love you Sarah!

Now, I love everything. I love Crossfit for helping make my face look thinner. I love myself for eating right all the other times that I'm not eating cookie dough. And I even re-love my skinny friends because...well because they're my friends and they're hot and they should own it.

It's definitely been slow progress but in just 3 weeks I know I have made some BIG (albeit seemingly slow) progress.


Here are the things I can do that I could before:
1. Double Unders
It sounds like something they made up in Australia to me but really, they are jump roping and when you jump you do 2 swings of the rope around before you come back down. I couldn't do them for weeks and I did them last Tuesday!!!

2. I Can Run(ish)
Boomer who is my buddy doing the CF 480/180 Challenge with me and who is awesome and funny and great by the way. Anyway we were running on Sunday and we BOTH have improved so much. We used to be breathing hard after jogging 1/4 of the track, walking 1/4. Now, we jog 3/4 of it, walk 1/4. We did that 5 times, and then ran the whole thing. Pound it out for Katie and Boomer!

PS. I know I can do it, but I am still weak sauce when it comes to my mind. If he hadn't been running right in front of me, I feel like I would have walked. So, thank you Boomer and I need to work on my brain.


3. I Can Finish My WODs
Even hard ones, I finish. A few times ago I had to lay on the ground, panting, when I was done but I finished. Sidenote: I told my brother about this and he said, "You layed on the ground. You are so dramatic." I said, "Next Open House is the weekend you're here. I can't even freaking wait." So, Derek, Justin, and Brian...you better put a WOD up that shuts him up good.


But I digress...back to I'm finishing my WODs! You have no idea how excited I am about this. Now, I know that I'm not going to get better than anyone in my T/Th class, but I'm hoping some new people will join so maybe, just maybe, I can be better than them. Here's what I'm seeking in new Cfers: couch potatoes, once fit people who are now fat, fat people. Triathletes need not apply. ;)

3. My Shoulders are Thinner
This is where I carry my weight...actually I carry it all over but this part is so annoying to me. I have friends that carry their weight in their ass and thighs. I think I would SO rather that than arms. I mean, your ass and thighs are always covered. So quit your whinin' bottom heavy friends! ;) Anyway, my shoulders are getting thinner. I think I'm losing weight from the top to the bottom. I don't care how it goes as long as it goes.

Next up...I want to EARN my right to buy a CF480 tank top. I can't wait to rock it but I don't think I've earned it yet. I need to set a goal, meet it and then I'll give myself permission to buy it! Suggestions on goals?

Until next time blog readers!

PS. THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading my blog! I LOVE when I hear that people are actually reading!

So, we're a few weeks in to our CF Challenge. Here's how things are going so far: I feel good, but sore. It's a good sore though, it's never so bad I can't move, it's just a "I know I worked out" feeling. I have SO MUCH MORE ENERGY. I'm happier during the day, less annoyed with little things and actually really look forward to going to the gym.

I am super aware of what I'm putting in my mouth and how it will affect my energy level and workouts (good news). I actually take time to chew my food and digest it...what a freakin' concept. My pants fit a little better...a little better... but I'm frustrated that the scale hasn't showed any weight loss yet :( JB told me to stay off of it but that's virtually impossible for me.

I know I'm getting stronger. I never wonder if I'll complete my WOD anymore. I know I'll get it done, now it's just a matter of upping the intensity/weight. I'm still, by far, the worst one in my class...but progress is progress and this is a race against myself not other people. Besides, the guys in my classes are super great and always encouraging.

In the next few months, I want to be in a smaller size. I want to be able to move from ring rows to the bands. I wanna front squat 73 lbs (instead of 53). I want to run a mile without stopping. I want. I want...and I will.


I can't say enough good things about CF 480. I love Justin, Brian, and Derek. They have taken an active interest in me and my health, in fact more of an interest than I was taking in myself for a while. They're encouraging, yet expect my best every time. They say things like, "Wow, you did that WOD with more intensity than I have ever seen," and in the next breath they say, "Pick up the pace Katie. Go faster!" They're understanding of where I'm starting and make me believe that I'll only get stronger and better.

In addition to them there is something amazing to be said about the CF community. I say that because my friend is a CFer and she says, "It's a Crossfit thing." I've never met a more encouraging group of people in my life. Just when you think you've done everything you can and are ready to quit, someone appears over you and says, "You're almost done. Come on," and you finish what you never thought you could.

I give full credit to http://www.littlemissmomma.com/ for coming up with this idea. I actually think her friend came up with it. Nonetheless. I heart it and I will steal it because I think that if I read someones blog on a regular basis, we're friends so she won't care. However, if you're bored of my blog, go and look at hers. She a professional (unlike myself and my ametuer (I can't get the red line to go away. That means I spelled that word so wrong that the computer can't even tell what I was trying to write. Oh well, I give up. am-eh-chure, in case you didn't know either) status) and funny and fun and has super cute crafty projects...but I digress.

Here are a few Awkward and Awesome (I've noticed that I just capitalize anything I feel "deserves" a capital letter, such as awkward and awesome, don't tell my students I don't follow the capitalization rules) things that keep me on track.

Let's start with Awkward...because it's more fun and I know all of you enjoy laughing at my mishaps.

Awkward Things that Keep Me on Track
Every morning I put the blowdryer under my chin so it blows all of my hair back and I feel like a supermodel for a few minutes...until I turn off the blowdryer. When I'm feel low, I do it for longer. How does it keep me on track? Because. When my face is fat I don't feel supermodely so I can't have that.


I do "the check" every morning as well. I used to check my stomach by sitting down to see if there were any rolls. I secretly likes the tiny skin rolls but if it rolled like there was fat, it was a bad day. Now, I'm older and not a size 5 so I already know what the answer will be if I do that check. I, instead, do the back check. How far do I have to bend to make a back roll? Is is there when I am just standing? BAD DAY. Do I have to really bend back? EXCELLENT DAY.


Can I feel my hip bones? I don't know why but I wasn't blessed with wide hips (ps. that might be another "awkward." I want big hips and I could care less if my booty gets bigger. Are you singing Sir-Mix-A-Lot right now too?) Anyway, if I'm about to got to sleep and can feel my hip bones well, I'm doing fine. If not, it's time to move my arse, er...hips. PS. I know this picture doesn't really fit but those ARE his hips and that IS all I watched when I saw Fight Club so I think it fits.


And a few Awesomes...
I LOVE cinnamon and I found these Cinnamon Almonds with, only, 1 gram of sugar per serving. I crush them and put them in my oatmeal. DELICIOUS!



I have to stay healthy because I don't excel at many things but I am a damn good aunt. You're not seeing the how being healthy equates to being a good aunt? Is it because I wanna live a healthy life and be able to run around with them? No, it's much more vain than that. I hate being in pictures with my niece and nephew when I am insecure and since I see them all the time, I have to keep it up. PS. I know that Lumberjack sweater isn't the girliest thing ever. I blame the mother of these perfect children because I said, "Bring me a sweater and that's what she gave me."




And there you have it. What are the awkward and awesome things that keep you on track?!?

It's no secret that I love sugar. Love. This makes me think of that Friends episode when Phoebe is dating the psychologist and he says, "It's just food, Monica, not love." "It's just sugar, Katie, not love."

Let me just tell you about the worst of my addiction to that refined poison...during my 1st year of teaching (which was the 2nd most stressful time EVER) my daily routine, after school (and sometimes at lunch too-did I really just admit that??), was to get a Diet Coke and a Twix bar out of the vending machine. You know how the commercial for Twix bar makes them look like a "pause" button? Well, where the hell was the pause button during my gluttonous overdose of a year of bad decisions and a TWENTY (yes, you read correctly) pound weight gain?!?!




Fast forward to the next time I ODed, big time. I moved to Durango...the fittest city in the world. These people worked out and ate healthy like it was their job. The guy I used to work with biked to school every day...even when it was 8 degrees. WTF?! EIGHT DEGREES. I didn't even want to walk to my car, let alone bike to my job. So, all of the Durangans were kayaking, hiking, jogging, biking, rock climbing, cross country skiing. I was driving, not biking (even though that's pretty much how everyone else gets there) to Bread...for the cookies that were as big as my face. This happened a lot. Strong work Cartier.



So, as I began getting healthier, because it was either that or slit my wrists (and probably watch refined sugar pour out of my veins), I did some research. Since I pretty much have a PhD in Googling, I Googled.


Major things that cause sugar/caffeine (caffeine is in this category as well) cravings:
1. High stress
Your body doesn't care whether you're stressed because you're being chased by a shark (in which case I would hope I wouldn't stop for the Twix but I'm not convinced) or because of the day-to-day BS. SOLUTION: Realize you're getting stressed and: breathe, meditate, chew gum, whatever it takes to keep the garbage out of your body because the last thing you need when you're stressed is for your jeans to not button.


2. Inflammation
This sounds weird, but it's true. However, it can me the normal inflammation like injury or something or allergens. So, if you are allergic to everything, as I am (I'm not freakin' kidding. They put 80 "allergens" on my and I was allergic to 73 of them, Holy Shnikees!) you'll be affected. SOLUTION: Take your allergy pills or stay away from things you're body hates you for putting in/near it.


3. Low blood sugar.
That means when you don't eat enough, your blood sugar gets low and you crave sugary snacks. SOLUTION: Eat every 3 hours. NEVER let more times than that pass and make sure that each time you eat there's some protein in the mix.


4. Not Enough Sleep
This is not a problem for me but some people getting enough sleep is a tough task. SOLUTION: turn off your computer (ahh, the irony as I type this as midnight) and drift off into dreamland. Sidenote: I had to put this adorable picture of my sweet, sweet niece sleeping like a baby.



5. Eating Dirty
This is the opposite of "eating clean." So, if you're putting food that has been altered (think: almost everything that's in the aisles of the store), you're going to be craving more of that dirty food. SOLUTION: Detox. Some people don't agree with these but I do. People have said, "Our bodies are built to process this and we don't need to do them." I say, "No, our bodies were NOT built to process chemically enhanced, processed food. So, for that reason we need to "eat clean" and when we don't (cause nobody can do it all the time) we need to detox. In unrelated news: don't EVER Google Image: eating dirty. Ahhhh, my eyes are burning!!!


Moral of this story: I had to find my triggers and still have to work hard to realize what is going on when it's happening and then, here's the hard part, not give in to the sugar cravings.

PS. I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not but refined sugar is BAD, BAD, BAD for you. So, grab some fruit (which is not refined sugar but still sweet) and let's all sing Kumbaya. Namaste Friends.

So...the losing the weight part wasn't that tough...it's the whole, "You're going to have to maintain these eating habits for the rest of your life," thing that's a little tougher.

I'm doing it already..."Well, I shouldn't grab fast food on the way home...but I lost some weight so it won't really hurt." "No sugar Katie...but I lost some weight so it won't really hurt." "I should only eat a handful of popcorn...but I lost some weight so a bit more won't hurt." YES IT WILL!




So, I need to get back on track and that's what I'm doing...starting tomorrow, just kidding, starting today, now.

Goals for the summer:
1. Get into ALL of my old shorts and no only have them button but have them button WITHOUT the muffin-top. "Just because they button, doesn't mean they fit."
2. Run.
3. Eat frozen grapes-frozen grapes NOT popsicles.
4. Swim...that means swim laps not lay on a raft in the pool.

Ahh, I've been a bad blogger! I'm getting back on it.

Here's the update:
I did Biggest Loser with 23 of the staff members at my school. I busted my booty, eating right and exercising. I lost 23 lbs and got second place. It wasn't first and my competitive side didn't like losing but...I won.

Things I won:
My "Real" Clothes Fit.
All my good clothes (i.e. clothes that are NOT from Old Navy or Target) are in my regular size, and I haven't been in them for a while, but I'm back! Hello, beautiful clothes that I paid good money for. Oh, how I've missed you!

My Smile is Back.
My mom used to always say, "All of your happiness is wrapped up in your weight." It's a sad but very true statement. It's amazing the confidence you have when you feel good about yourself.

I'm Dating Again!
Due to lives extenuating circumstances for the past few years, I haven't really felt ready to jump into a relationship. I am a fairly happy person, but at that time I wasn't. So, I needed to get my head straight so I didn't end up attracting a man who wanted to take care of me and put me back together. Mission accomplished. About a year ago I got back to being myself, standing on my own two feet and ready to date. The only problem...no confidence because in the process of putting my head back together, I ate a LOT of sugar.

If you know me from college, you know that Social Butterfly Cartier was the name of my game...and I had game. Ha! Ha! Kidding (a little bit). But...when you put on weight and don't feel good, Socially Retarded Cartier was what you got. But I'm back! I'm ready to be dating. I have dates lined up, fingers are crossed, life is good!

However, question for my blog enthusiasts...where do I meet people? Everyone I know says, "Try online dating. You're a teacher, you don't meet people." All true. I know that online dating works. I have friends who have married their eHarmony "matches," but I just don't think it's for me.

When I think of all of the best couples I know, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have been a "match" on eHarmony. Also, why do I want someone who has everything in common with me anyway? That's boring!
"What are your political views?"
"Oh, really, mine too."
"What's your religion?"
"Really, me too."
"What was the economic background of your family."
"Cool, me too."
Zzzzzzzzz, Excuse me while I try and wake myself back up.

I once read a statistic that "Only 30% of single men over the age of 30 are mentally stable." AFKM (You can figure out that acronym)? Awesome, I can't wait to jump into this pool.

I'm so scared to weigh in tomorrow. Why? Why, you ask? Because I sucked this week. Yep, I fell off the wagon and hit the ground with a hard thump...a hard thump on several cookies.

How is it that I have a need to eat crappy when I'm feeling crappy? Most people get sick and lose their appetites. Not me. Awesome.

I know I have to just suck it up and face the consequences of my bad decisions. I'm ok with no loss but please, please, please Scale Gods...no gains!




Either way, I'm back on track. We all make mistakes, right?!!