Mean and Clean

Oh Monday... Monday... Monday...

Today I am feeling pretty much like a rock star! Ha! Let me just start off by saying we made a trip to Jefferson for "Dead Week." This means that Coach can't have ANY practice. No football. No wrestling. So, I decided to take a week off as well. Being a holiday week... this meant cookouts, and eating out. Lots of eating out. I also ran once. ONCE. When I say I ran, I mean a mile. Ha. One mile. So, on this glorious Monday, I suffered from dead week by almost passing out on the only hill in McRae, and then almost crying from emotions when I heard my GPS say that I was running a 13 min mile. (Yeah... I cry when I run... if that little lady would say I was maintaining a 7 minute mile I'd probably cry then too.)  I also may or may not have listened to lil Kenny sing "You Save Me." Now that I reflect on my running playlist... I was probably crying because I was listening to sappiness. However in all reality, it may just have been my eyeballs sweating. Yeah. That was it for sure.

Now, since I am detoxing from a week of bliss, today I began my regaining of the rock star status. :)

I am currently obsessed with 3 things. This blog's purpose is to proclaim my current love for:
1. Advocare's meal replacement shakes
2. Clean eating.
3. myfitnesspal

Let's start with #1: Advocare Meal Replacement Shakes

Breakfast is where it is at. I'm one of those kids that wakes up and does not want anything to eat, but I know my body NEEDS it. This shake is giving my body exactly what I need. Packed with 24 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 26 other vital vitamins and minerals, and only costing me 220 calories. This is all just extra "icing" because the real reason I drink it is because it is a chocolaty treat and fills that sweet desire that so often lingers in my mind.  Coach even drinks these and LOVES them. He kicked his poptart/ coco crispies love to the curb and now enjoys a shake with his morning devotion. (Makes my heart smile!)  When you think of meal shakes... I know you are all questioning. No, don't. They are really good! You have my word! If Coach can drink them... you can.

#2: Clean Eating

I know the facts are black and white. Our bodies need "clean" fuel. We absolutely do NOT need the crap we eat. The best advice I have ever gotten/read/gave/can give is to shop only on the outside of the grocery store aisles. Think about it: produce, meats, dairy. The center aisles have crap that you really don't need. Coach and I could spend an hour picking out cereal. Last summer the cashier asked me how many kids I had! I mean, I did have a box of coco crispies, captain crunch, lucky charms, and frosted flakes.. but it's just us! No more. I now only buy a box of cheerios for Coach and his strange addiction to eating dry cereal while drinking a glass of milk. (Strange, yes.)

Tonight I went to my beloved Wal-Mart. (Sike.) I decided that if I was going to kick crap eating to the curb, I needed to start taking all the advice I had been reading. I am pleased to say that it really is possible to shop and only buy clean items. I planned my trip by reading a list of clean groceries found here. I planned each of this week's meals by reading clean eating blogs. Let's be honest, Pinterest is just heavenly for this stuff. Then I set off. I did have to go down 2 aisles. One, I needed some Liquid Plumber. (Dang bathtub drain.) Two, I bought a jar of organic pizza sauce for our clean pizzas and a box of whole grain pasta for our spinach lasagna rolls. (Both clean.) I came home with enough food for the week. That's lunch and dinner for two. I stocked up on frozen fish, chicken, eggs, yogurt, fruit, and lots of veggies. Tomorrow I plan to make lots of salsa. It is only clean when you make it. Plus, it really just tastes better!

I also recently bought some books on clean eating. They should be here this week. I'll be sure to post my findings.

#3 MyFitnessPal

I first used this app in a college weight lifting class. Yeah. I took weight lifting and advanced jogging as my 2 P.E. classes. I grew up on rec sports, and hate bowling... :) It really is SO EASY! You put in your stats, then log what you eat, and how much you exercise. At first I thought I wouldn't want to take the time to calculate every food I ate. Well, no worries. Some little genius out there already did it! I seriously have not found a food that I eat that isn't already on there. Next excuse, please!?!

Here is my favorite part: You eat, you enter, your calories allowed go down. :( You exercise, you enter, your calories allowed go UP! :) Really, duh! I knew this, you know this, yada yada yada. But, I needed to see it! I needed to know that my body needed food. Which then carried me back to clean eating. I can eat more when I eat well. Good food, more food. Carley Cain loves to eat!

Really these things are not new findings. I am not inventing anything new. I am doing the REAL things that work. I also cannot take any of the credit for this stuff. Danielle is the girl with the brains. She blogs, I follow. Seriously. Slightly obsessed. There I said it. :) Read about her passion here! 

I DO however deserve credit for actually doing these things. So many folks want results, but then forget about them when they pass a DQ. I plan to eat clean and have abs by Christmas. Ok, maybe Easter.

These shoes have 0 to do with anything... but I want them. :0

You wanna join me on eating clean and such?! Send me a message and we can start a group to motivate each other... already have 3 ladies on board!

Love love,
C^2