Ericka: I Want to Ride My BICYCLE!! 10.10.14

This morning I rode a bike for the 1^st time since who knows how long, probably since our trip to Chicago summer 2013 when Chris and I decided to brave the busy main streets. What were we thinking?!

I started my workout with my solo C25K week 6 day 2 jog (two 5 minute jogs, one 8 minute jog, and two three minute walks in between- 10 minutes for warm-up and cool down). Yes a solo mission because once again my husband couldn’t pry himself out of the bed to jog with me. In light of yesterday’s battle with the dogs, I decided to stick to the well lit main street.

The plan was to get on the elliptical to finish off my hour of exercise, but then I discovered a bicycle I could actually ride. When I saw the bike, all I could hear was Queen's "Bicycle Race".  I’m so over the elliptical, and this bike provided the much needed change up.

Last weekend I attempted to ride my dad’s bike…no bueno. My dad is 6’2 and I’m 5’3. I needed assistance just to get on the bike. I didn’t even make it out of the driveway without falling off, and by falling off I mean laid out on the ground. Of course I blamed my husband for not helping me off upon request.

Even though the bike I rode this morning was closer to the size and frame I need (thanks Casey for forgetting your bike at our house), I was still a little gun shy after last weekend’s debacle. But hey, it’s second nature just like riding a bike right? Wrong. For the first block I actually had to keep turning the wheel left to right just to steady myself. I felt like a 5 year old learning how to ride for the first time, but then Daft Punk’s “Lose Yourself to Dance” came on and it was at that moment that I hit my stride.

I  was feeling so good that I decided to give riding with no hands and with my head tilted back  with eyes closed so I that could feel the breeze and revel in all of the morning’s tranquil glory.

I raised one hand, started to veer off into a curb, and was reminded that I am not good at this, yet. In fact, I've never been able to ride with no hands, or pop a wheeley. I’ll add riding with no hands to my bucket list, along with learning how to double dutch, and roller skate backwards.

I have two more jogs to get in to complete week six. I don’t want to go into week 7 with a week 6 jog still looming over my head. That’s why I have to do four jogs this week versus three because I didn’t finish week five.

Until next time.

Here is some Happy Friday music for your listening pleasure!

E

Ericka: FIGHT OR RUN 10.8.14

On August 18^th, I exercised for the 1^st time since my miscarriage in April. Yes, I had a miscarriage, and I allowed it to derail my journey to becoming fit and healthy.  Before you think this is a woe is me post, it is not. I just want to fill you all in on what's been going on in my life. The good, the bad, and the not so pretty.

The day I learned I was pregnant I happened to be with two of my friends and of course immediately told them. One of them then went on to tell me that she too was pregnant. We were so excited. I didn't think I could be happier, but then a couple of days later I learned another dear person was pregnant too, and we were all due around the same time. My first thought was of happiness and excitement. My second thought was the odds were not in our favor. I made a deal with God: if someone had to lose a baby, let it be me.

Everything was running smoothly, well smoother than my 1^st pregnancy. No morning sickness, no cravings, nothing. That’s when I started to worry, because it was the opposite of my experience with my 1^st pregnancy. When we were told that the baby’s heartbeat was lower than normal, I did my research and knew this little one had a 50-50 chance. I tried to exchange my realistic viewpoint for cautious optimism. As the weeks went by, the baby kept chugging along despite his low heartbeat and his slower growth progression.  I continued to exercise, but not strenuously and never to the point of exhaustion. My husband was optimistic, and towards the end I even allowed myself to believe we may beat the odds. I had a bit of scare the Friday before the miscarriage, but I saw the heartbeat and was told everything was fine; I felt encouraged. I started to believe the other shoe was not going to drop, because I was just one week away from being out of my 1^st trimester. My research told me that the baby’s odds of survival would go up to 70% if I made it out of the 1^st trimester. But by that Monday, there was no more heartbeat.

FIGHT OR RUN. I chose to run. To ostrich really. I buried my head in the sand and succumbed to my sadness, I ate. I drank and I ate some more.

After a month and a half of binging, I decided to stop emotionally eating. I thought to myself, if someone had to go through a miscarriage, at least it was me. However, I learned a week later that another one of us was losing her baby. It’s still just so surreal. I cannot help thinking about all the people who have children and not value their children’s lives. I get so angry every time a hear about a child being abused, neglected, abandoned. It’s not fair that we are going through this again. Knowing how hurt I was and still am, I can’t imagine how someone who is going through a worse situation handles it.

FIGHT OR RUN. I chose to run again. Turning to food and wine caused me to gain 20 pounds over 5 months. Clearly that is not the way to handle your emotions. I was just so angry at God for letting this happen again.  I thought we had a deal. 

FIGHT OR RUN. After awhile I stopped running. The turning point was talking to the other person who lost her baby. She told me that as soon as she was cleared by the doctor she started working out again. I did not even know about her lifestyle change until she told me she lost 11 pounds by exercising and eating smaller portions. She started with taking walks with her husband. It was their time to talk and process things. Then she began the Couch to 5k program. I was so proud of her. I am still proud of her. She didn't let life knock her down. She is my inspiration. She is the reason I finally chose to fight again. My husband and I started with walks, beginner Nike Training Club workouts, and a no whites detox diet for the first two weeks. We exercised about three times a week. After two weeks, we started the Couch to 5K program. I've never made it to the end of the nine week program, but I am determined to make it through this time. We're on week six now.

FIGHT OR RUN. Today I had to jog for 20 minutes straight. I had been putting it off for three days. I was nervous. I was scared of finding out that my body could not do it. At the age of 30, correction 32 ( I am going to stop lying about my age), I had achy knees, which has always been a problem, but extra weight does not help, plantar fasciitis, and just overall completely out of shape. To say the task was daunting is an understatement, but somehow I did it. Well there was a 45 seconds stop within the first 10 minutes of the jog. Have you ever been faced with decision to either literally run or fight when being charged by two dogs?

I wish I could say this was the first time this has ever happened to me, but alas, it was not. About 15 years ago, I was out in the country for a family picnic. My cousin, sister, and I decided to take a walk. Our walk turned into a run for our lives scenario when a pack of wild dogs started chasing us. We darted into an abandoned shed of some sort to catch our breathe. My cousin saw a car and made a mad dash for it. He didn't even tell us he was leaving. My sister and I ran and hopped into the stranger’s backseat. On top of his glove compartment was a gun. We did what any would do when faced with whether to get back out and run brave the dogs or stay in the car with a stranger with a pistol…we stayed in the car. I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the kind stranger for not robbing us and for returning us to safety. It’s funny now. Hell it was funny then.

FIGHT OR RUN...somewhere in between.The difference between now and then is 15 years, 80 pounds, and the realization that there was no way in hell that I was going to out run the dogs. So I stood there, quickly checked for a weapon I could grab without making the dogs any angrier, of course there was none, and I silently cursed my husband for not joining me for the 5am jog. I resigned myself to having to fight. Who am I kidding? I neither fought nor ran. I resigned myself to getting mauled and hoping for the best. Ha! Luckily, the neighbor/owner of the dogs ran out of his home and shepherded his dogs back inside. He told me “They really are friendly dogs.  They just wanted to say hi.” Ha! I’m sorry, I can’t trust that they are friendly when they charge me while barking and growling. It was not funny then, but I can chuckle about a little bit now that I am relaying what happened.

Despite the false start, I fought through it. I even got on the elliptical afterwards for 20 minutes. Not only am I fighting now, I am on my way to actually becoming a runner. So far, I’ve lost about 8 pounds, give or take a pound or two depending on the day, and I am on my way to consistently exercising 300 minutes again. For my birthday, I started the day off with yoga and then a jog. Last Saturday, I returned to that boot camp style step class from hell for the 1^st time in a year. It was not a pretty sight, especially when she made us run around the studio three times, do 50 jumping jacks and then repeat until we did 400 jumping jacks. Well until they did 400 jumping jacks. I am not about that life, well not yet. I was proud of myself for keeping up pretty well for the jogging portion. I’ve also made some strides with my eating habits, but I must admit, changing my diet is a lot harder than adding exercise into my regime. 

My husband and I do plan on trying to get pregnant again, but for right now, I'm focused on getting healthy. I wasn't 10 pounds lighter the second go around; a goal I had previously set. I am determined to get there for the next pregnancy if that's in our cards. FIGHT OR RUN...DO BOTH!

Wish me luck guys. I hope you are all doing well. Sorry about the long hiatus and sorry about this extra long post.

Until next time…

P.S. I’d like to give special shout outs to Daft Punk (Around the World) and Disclosure (White Noise) for getting my jog started on a good foot. To Taylor Swift (Shake It Off) and Rich Homie Quan (Lifestyle) for helping me tough it out during the middle, and to Kiesza (Hideaway) for putting some life back into my jog for the last 4 minute stretch. Honorable mention goes to Charlie XCX; Boom Clap was the perfect cool down song.

P.P.S. 

Deuce Updates:

1. He tells me I embarrass him...he is still only 2
2. He is completely potty trained at school, but tells us he prefers pull ups at home
3. He is going through a superhero obsession. He pretends to talk to Commissioner Gordon. Apparently the joker has kidnapped 100 of New Orleans' finest citizens and something about central lock up

 Family Updates:

1. In one month Chris and I started new jobs and sold our house. That was only three months ago. We now live on the Westbank with my family while we look for a new home/fixer-upper. 
2. Plan A is to look for a fixer-upper in either a good neighborhood or an up and coming neighborhood that is at the tail end of transitioning into the next (Bywater, Marigny, Treme, etc). I know a fixer upper is a huge undertaking, but it's my second home and I want to put my own stamp on it. Plus I'm committed to finding a home in the city, not in the burbs or burbs adjacent.
3. If you know anyone who wants to unload blighted property in the nicer parts of Treme and Mid-City holla at your girl :). No seriously, please let me know.

-Ericka

Ericka: Catch the Wall Girl (3.8.14)

I had the most amazing work out this morning. Dancing Grounds grand re-opening was today, and in honor of the opening they had free sample classes from 10a-4pm today. I met up with a friend of mine and went to a class called "Work It Out". It was basically a hip-hop fitness class. The fitness level was basic. The class was made up of professional dancers as well as non-pro dancers of all ages and sizes. We started with a warm-up dance, then some isometrics, and then another dance that she kept building on. It didn't matter whether you caught on or not, as long as you kept moving. Towards the end of the class, the instructor, Laura, put on a bounce song. I'm ashamed to admit this as a native Nola girl, but it was the 1st time I've ever caught the floor or the wall. I must say it was a killer leg and calf work out. Then we got in a circle and she called people out to free style in the middle. Unfortunately, I made eye-contact, and I was one of the (un)lucky few to hop in the circle, so to speak. At the end of the class, she taught us the beginning of choreographed routine. On my way out of class, I checked in on the Salsa Sweat class and that looked like fun as well. It was salsa moves to hip-hop & R&B songs. They also have Bollywood lessons, ballet classes and more.

What I liked about the class was that the instructor was extremely friendly, the music was current, the dance moves were great, and it was a judgment free zone. I immediately signed up for a 6 month $33/month membership. I didn't even have to pay up front the entire amount. They're just going to automatically deduct it.  If you want to drop in on a class, the 1st one is only $5; normal drop-in rate is $12.

Dancing Grounds is located at 3705 St. Claude St. in the Bywater area. Here's a link to their page with the class schedule and other info: dancinggrounds.org! What prompted me to go was watching a few of their YouTube videos. When I saw them dancing to Grown Woman and Partition, I was sold. There's also a youth program! I'm thinking about signing Deuce up. If you like to dance, and don't want to feel like you're exercising, this is the place for you.

If you don't live near the Bywater area, there's also Dance Quarter on Toledano Uptown. I hear their dance trance class is phenomenal. http://dancequarter.com

Till next time,
E

Ericka: Debauchery, Repentance, & Penance (3.6.14)

When I last left you, I had just started my workout regime. Fast forward 2 weeks later, and I got sidelined by the doctor. I kept getting the same sinus infection, because A. I never took the medicine I was prescribed, and B. I didn't give myself enough time to get over the infection. The doc told me to take it easy. Well taking it easy to me meant no exercising. What's worse is when I don't exercise, I don't diet. Exercising gives me the extra push to be more mindful of what goes in my body, because I don't want to undue all of my hard work. So for the last few weeks I've been tail spinning into debauchery of catastrophic proportions. I'm talking sweet potato pie, ice cream, loads of potatoes, fried food, chips, chips n dip, chips ahoy, pizza...well you get where I'm going. It got so bad, that I started to crave healthy food. One day all I could think about was a kale salad topped with a little quinoa, black beans, cilantro, almonds, & avocado. all of my debauchery came to a head on Mardi Gras, and I started to rethink what I've been doing i.e repent.

Lent is my opportunity to hit the do over button. I, like most other people, use it as the chance to x out some of the bad habits from my life. My penance for my acts of gluttony is to give up the following: (1)Carbs after 3 (2)Soda (3) Unhealthy Desserts & (4) Alcohol. In addition to giving up those things, I vow to go to church once a week. I also aspire to do volunteer work or do something extraordinarily nice for someone else. Once I get the clear from my doctor to go back to exercising, which I'm hoping to get Tuesday, I vow to exercise at least 3 times a week.

So what are your Lenten vows?

Ericka: Run Jack Run/Funky Nola/Jogging w/an Amazon

Run Jack Run
Who knew a half-marathon would bring out the emo in me? This past Sunday, my friend Jacqueline participated in the Rock n Roll half-marathon; a feat she had been training for, at first in secret, over the last few months. For those of you who don't know, a half-marathon is a little over 13 miles. That's not just a physical challenge,it's also a mental challenge. After the 1st 5 miles, hell the 1st 1 mile if I was the participant, it becomes a battle of the wills. I and another friend of ours set up shop at the 12 mile mark to await her arrival. I saw a mother and son duo, he looked about 10 years old, and I teared up. I saw a father pushing his sick daughter in a jogging wheel chair; more tears. I saw an elderly gent keeping up with the best of them, and I welled up. I saw a woman who looked about 7 months pregnant, and I... had a moment of invidiousness, followed by a moment of "you go girl", and then a few tears. When I saw my friend come my way, I was filled with so much pride. She set a goal, and she was on her way to accomplishing it. Of course I shed another tear. By the time the man dressed as a banana rolled through, I was damn near bawling like a baby. Jack calculated that she would finish in 2 hours and 10 minutes. The marathon keepers estimated a finish time of 2 hours and 20 minutes. Jack beat both estimations, and finished in 2 hours and 4 minutes. Of course after witnessing Jack and all of her glory, I turned to my friend M and said, we are doing this next year. Two hours later I texted them and informed them if I couldn't complete it in 2 hours and 45 minutes or less, then I will have to graciously bow out. I just see myself jogging for what seems like 10 miles only to find out it's only been 3 miles after an hour. I also see myself saying "this is stupid" prior to exiting stage left after learning such tragic news lol. Nonetheless, despite my trepidation, I really do want to train to participate next year. First stop, teaching my body how to jog again. Second step, train for a 10K.

Side Note: Some of the participants did a full marathon, over 26 miles. They all run together, but when the half-marthoners stop, they keep going. I'm sorry, but seeing other people accomplish their goal while I still had another 13 miles to go would take the sails out of me. Kudos to those folks who kept going.


Funky NOLA
Monday I finally joined my friend Margaret for a Zumba class located at Funky Nola (1700 N. Broad). It was a great way to reintroduce my body to moving. The music was fun and selections included Latin, African, Reggaeton, and Hip-Hop. The instructor, Danielle Burrell, was really upbeat and kept a smile on her face. The class was all women, and their ages ranged from mid 20s to 60s. I would say the intensity level is moderate. You will definitely burn some calories and sweat. Classes are Mondays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 7 p.m., and Saturdays at 9 a.m. A drop in class is $10, but for $60 you can purchase a 10 class punch card. I will definitely go again. For more info go to www.facebook.com/Zumba.Danielle1

Jogging w/an Amazon
Last week my co-worker/friend and I decided that we should start going for 30 minute power walks/jogs 3 days a week at 4:15 p.m. Ev is a working mom like myself, and has had trouble finding the time to exercise. Working parents have a lot against them when it comes to finding time to exercise. Evenings are hard because there is only one gym, that I know of, that provides babysitting care. That gym is not convenient to get to because it's all the way in Harahan. Besides, even if I went to that gym in the evenings, I would be taking my kid from one daycare to another. I would probably get to the gym at 6:00 p.m. at the earliest, pound out an hour and then head home.  I would then get home around 7:45, then cook, feed Deuce, give him a bath, and then send him to bed. Even though  my husband and I split the household duties, I still wouldn't get a chance to spend any quality time with my kid or my husband. The other option is of course waking up early in the morning, but rest time is so valuable. However, I am still going to work my way up to doing that. So getting in a quick 30 minutes in the afternoon is a great compromise. When I used to go at lunch, I would spend an hour and 20 minutes on walking to the gym, working out, showering, and then walking back. I would then have to make up that time by working late. By going around 4:15-4:30, I can just go home afterwards or even go back up to my office for a little while, because I usually don't meet with clients after 4, since our office closes at 5pm, and my co-workers are heading home for the day.

Ev is tall, has long legs, and is not a southerner. If you're from the south, especially from New Orleans, you know we tend to walk a little slower. I blame our stroll on the heat and humidity as well as our devil may care attitude. Yesterday was our first day. We started off with a 5 minute warm-up. I thought we were walking at a fast paced, but apparently we were not by Ev's standards. After the 5 minute warm-up, I told her that I was going to jog 60 seconds then walk 90 seconds for 20 minutes. She then responded that she will pick the pace up on her walk to keep up. Here I thought that was her fast walk. My jog was only a few paces ahead of her walk, and by the end, her walk was neck and neck with my jog. Ev's power walk didn't even seem that fast. It wasn't like the power walkers you see in the neighborhood or at the mall. I  blame her long legs, and my slow jog trot. At the end of the jog, my legs were burning.  Afterwards I tried to go to the new Whole Foods to pick up a few things to make myself a nice healthy salad. When I exercise, it compels me to eat better too. However, the lines were ridiculous, and I had to leave without getting anything, much to the dismay of my kid who started crying and screaming "I want some food". I instead I had 2 fresh spring pork rolls from Pho Orchid; not the healthiest, but not bad either. This morning I made myself a nice smoothie, and I brought beef pho for lunch today. I only ate half, and I'm saving the rest for tomorrow's lunch. 

Ev and I met up again today, and my jog trot did not get any better. However, Ev was a great motivator, and she helped me to push myself. Thanks Ev! We plan on doing it again tomorrow. 

Side Note: This morning, I woke up with delayed muscle soreness, and it has stuck with me throughout the day. I love that feeling. I could go for a nice deep tissue massage, because it hurts so good. My workouts these 3 days weren't even that strenuous; that's a testament to how out of shape I am. I can't believe just last August I could do 20 minutes of straight jogging, but now I'm winded after a jog/walk. I can't dwell on what could have/should have been. I just have to keep moving forward.

Thank You
Finally, I would be remissed if I didn't say thank you to the countless emails, text messages, and social media comments offering tips to help me stay on track and offering to be my work-out buddy. Thanks for the encouragement. I really appreciate it. 

Good Night,
E

Ericka: The Game Plan 1.8.14

Lack of preparation gets me every time. You can't just get up and say, "I'm going to make a change" without the tools to actually help you accomplish your goals. Well, at least I can't. For me, the battle of the bulge struggle is real.

Healthy Food Choices:
The first thing I need to attack are my food choices. Two weeks ago, I went to the grocery store and purchased all of this healthy food. I pretty much stuck to the outer aisles, i.e the fresh fruits & veggies aisles. Although my refrigerator was stock piled with a lot of food, every time I opened the door, I didn't know what to cook and didn't have any quick go to snacks. I ended up making a delicious salad (my go to for the last 2 weeks have been a caprese salad, a kale salad with avocado in it, and a red cabbage salad with cilantro and Asian sesame dressing) and devouring the entire salad at once. Lessons learned: (1)Plan my meals prior to going to the grocery store, and (2) add protein to salads to make them more filling.

Exercise:
Here is my dilemma. I no longer have a gym membership. Chris' membership was paid in part by his last job, which took some of the financial burden off of us.We were members at Elmwood Downtown with access to the main gym on the weekends starting on Friday evening. It was convenient, because I could walk to the downtown location and get in a workout on my lunch break. In addition, the main gym had childcare which was very helpful on Saturday mornings. So now that a gym membership is no longer in the budget, I have to figure out other ways to make time for exercise. I am an early riser so in theory I could work out first thing in the morning at 5:30 a.m. In actuality however, getting out of my nice cozy bed that early is not very appealing. It would be easier if I had a partner that was getting up too, but Chris is definitely not a morning person. However, I am making it my mission to commit to waking up early 3 times a week and exercise for at least 30 minutes. This will require packing all of our lunches and picking out my work outfit the night before. Oy vey! When I get home from work, all I want to do is chill out and decompress. I also want to get back to jogging. I swear I lost the most weight when I adhered to a jogging routine. I always felt a sense of accomplishment after a jog. I could measure my success through my jogs. I saw myself go from walking most of the jog to jogging the entire 30 minutes.  Now I have to start all over again. I'm considering working through lunch twice a week in order to get off a little early for a jog through downtown. Right now, I'm all about free exercise.

Support System:
As aforementioned, I like a work out buddy. I hate to admit this, but I am a misery loves company kind of gal, at least when it comes to exercise. I don't want to get up early in the morning and watch my husband sleep blissfully as I put on my workout gear. I want Chris to be my workout partner, but I don't think he is mentally ready for it. When we did have a membership, he rarely went during lunch. In fairness, although the gym was close to his job, walking distance even, it would take him 15 to minutes to get there vs my 5 minute walk. Driving wasn't an option, because by the time he got out of the garage and parked, he wasted 20 minutes. He did make it sometimes, but he never went to the HIIT class I begged him to go to with me. He went once, walked out of the class after 15 minutes and never tried it again. Yes the class was intense, but it was doable. I think he got intimidated. He blamed it on his head cold. We were doing the Saturday thing for awhile, but working out once a week is not going to cut it. Every once in awhile he joined me for a Nike training routine, but  we couldn't get it in most evenings. It just isn't feasible. Between picking up Deuce, spending time with him, cooking, and preparing for the next day, our evening is over before it even starts. In the summer and spring I could take Deuce to the park after school and push him in my jogging stroller, Chris usually didn't join me. But going to the park in the evening is not an option right now, because it gets dark so early. So what am I going to do? Chris has his weekly bowling league; I need something for myself. Perhaps my sister would be interested in meeting up once a week to exercise at each other's homes. I also need to learn how to motivate myself without the support of others.

If you guys have any ideas, be it healthy meal suggestions, how to fit exercise in a busy schedule, or meetups please feel free to comment.

E

Ericka: Resolutions 1/3/2014

It's a New Year, so why not take this time to reflect on the good and the bad of 2013, and resolve to do better in 2014.

2013:
The Good:

• 9 weddings. While that seems exhausting, and it was, it was also quite beautiful to be among the few who were selected to witness such a loving commitment between 2 people. 
• My son- humble brag alert: Deuce has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. He is intelligent, funny, silly, inquisitive, loquacious, and bad as hell. The boy's vocabulary has expanded from about 10 words by the time he turned 1 to communicating using 7-8 word sentences by the time he turned 2 in November. Some of the words have been choice words, and while it can be quite embarrassing, he sure knows how to use the words and phrases appropriately. At first blamed I my dad for my child's foul language, but after taking an inventory of my own communication skills, I realized I am to blame too. But then again, I am my dad's child, so it's still his fault! I am so proud of my little boy, and he embodies the phrase "Love is you."
• My husband- Chris has stepped out of faith and left a very good job in order to pursue other career endeavors. 2014 is your year baby, and I am proud of you. 
• My Family- We have seen each other through some good times and  tough times. The Garnett-Windon-Smith-Stanfill-Cunningham clan is still in tact and closer than ever. 
• Myself- I've started to take my career by the horns by networking, which I loathe, and even creating a new program at my job. This blog, based on the feedback from a lot of folks, has shown me that I have another talent. While physical fitness is still my goal, I may incorporate a lifestyle aspect to this blog.

The Bad:

• This year I've learned being content and happy with the status quo. The only way to get to where you want to be is by pushing yourself to do better and be better.
• I didn't meet my fitness goals, but I am going to keep on trying. Nothing beats a failure, but a try.
• I've lost some loved ones this year, and I miss them dearly. However, I have to believe there is something bigger than us in order for me to cope with these losses. 
• Watching your loved ones deal with the loss of the child and not knowing how to help. A child represents hope and bright possibilities. When you lose a child, you lose a little bit of your heart. However, my loved ones who are going through this are proving to be quite resilient. I know they will have another baby one day. 

Not too bad. Clearly I have room for improvement, which we all do. I am a work in progress.

2014 Resolutions:

My friend suggested writing down what I want to accomplish, and perhaps that will make me stick to it more. I would hate to be making the same resolutions on January 1, 2015. 

1. Get Healthy- Eat better, live better, and exercise. I definitely want to restart exercising at least 300 minutes a week. When I had a goal, it was a great motivator. I also want to try out new & revisit various exercise programs. Bikram yoga, jogging consistently, and maybe even crossfit, are all on my to do list. I have to start going to my Saturday morning class more often. When I went last Saturday, I was seeing stars and my lower back started getting sore after the 1st 5 minutes; a sign that I am out of shape. 
2. Treat My Hair With Respect- I decided to stop getting a relaxer back in May of 2009. I love the versatility of natural hair. If I want to wear it big, I can. If I want to wear it sleek and straight, I can. However, the maintenance is the same as when I used to get relaxers. I have been lax in the maintenance department. I go longer than I should between washes, I don't do nearly as many deep conditioning treatments as I should, nor as many trims, and I do not have a proper night time routine to prevent breakage. If I want the really big hair that I crave, I have to do better. I may do a 30 days of protective styles challenge. We shall see.   
3. Get Pregnant- Yeah that's on my list, and I slipped it in at 3rd. Hopefully my mom doesn't read this and get too excited. (Mom, if you are reading this, don't get your hopes up and no pressure).This resolution is out of my hands for the most part. What is in my hands is preparing my body for pregnancy through eating right, exercising, and getting on a consistent vitamin routine.
4. Be a better wife, sister, friend, daughter, granddaughter etc. I noticed that I am not good at keeping the lines of communication open. I am usually the callee/textee not the caller/texter. With my husband, I leave my problems at the front door, which is my coping mechanism. However, I need to share all aspects of my life with him. He is, after all, my partner. 
5. Cook more and eat out less. Self-explanatory.

Here's to making new memories in 2014. Happy New Year!

And now a glimpse of 2013. A retrospective in pictures. 

Ericka: It's Been A Long Time 12.5.13

It really has been a long time; two and a half months to be exact. During that time my son turned 2 and immediately became terrible, and that's about it. So what have I been up to? Not much really, which I'm sure you can tell by the lack of blogging. By not much I mean not much exercising, not much healthy eating, not much weight loss (quite the opposite actually). I have a lot of reasons for not keeping up with my healthy lifestyle. The following are my top 5 reasons:

1. No buy in from my partner. My husband slacked off, so I decided to slack off. 
2. No buy in from myself. I think blowing out my hair was the start of my downfall lol. I got a taste of the not working out life, and I loved it.
3. Laziness. It's so much easier to grab a meal on the way home, especially when you have a hectic work and home life. Dieting requires preparation, and if you know me, you know that I am quite the procrastinator.
4. Lack of time. It's too dark in the morning and in the evening to go for a jog, and I've been so busy at work, that I have not been able to go to my lunch time workout. I could get up at 5a, since I'm up at that time anyway due to daylight savings, but I've been using that as my moment of tranquility- sleeping baby & sleeping husband = happy mama/wife
5. I don't wanna!

While I have reasons for falling off, I don't have any excuses for doing it. I have been working out here and there, but not much. My latest fitness challenge is this step class at French Riviera on Earhart. This is not your ordinary step class, and it is not for the faint of heart. My friend dragged me to the class a few weeks ago. It started at 9:30a and around the 10:15 mark, I started my countdown. I was giddy with excitement over the fact that the class would be done in 15 minutes. However 10:30 came and went. Then 10:45 then 11. Holy shit! The class was an hour and a half. She neglected to mention that part to me.. The instructor, Jerry/Geri just turned 60, I believe,, and looks barely north of 40. She has so much energy that it's sickening. The class incorporates walking lunges, squats, and ab work in addition to the step portion. At the end of the 1st hour Geri the Tyrant, as I like to call her in my head, makes us do 400 jumping jacks straight! Then we started with the lunges. 

Since I haven't been exercising, I put on a couple pounds, and by a couple, I mean 8. Luckily, since trying to do better over the last 2 weeks, I lost 4lbs. Nonetheless, I am utterly disappointed in myself. While I have started embracing eating well again, I have yet to get the physical fitness portion together. I have to do better.
So yes I faltered, but consider me a cautionary tale of what happens when you start to slack off. It's a slippery slope that starts with a missed workout or overindulging a meal or two. I hope you are doing better, than I have been doing lately. I've paused the challenges until I get mentally prepared. My current plan of action is start with eating right and exercising 3 times a week. Once I can do that consistently, I will start the challenges again. I believe I owe you guys a video

Please continue to root for me, and I will do my best to keep you updated as to my fitness successes and failures.

E

Ericka: I'm Not My Hair...I think (9.25.13)

Five days ago for the anniversary of my 27th birthday, I decided to change things up a bit by getting a blow out. While the results were nothing short of amazing, shout out to my hairdresser for taming the beast, it made me less inclined to anything that could mess up my do. Which means avoiding sweating at all cost. Needless to say I haven't worked out since I got my hair done. For shame, I know. Unfortunately, I am not the only one who has sacrificed my health for my hair. A lot of women, particularly African American women, will avoid working out because it may mess up their hair. Well after today, I am going back to the fro. The next time I decide to wear my hair straight, I will make sure to look up some ways to preserve the do when working out.

As to the honey do list. One thing has been completed thus far. The garden has been weeded! I should have taken a before and after picture. Chris has yet to give me my task, and we only have a couple more weeks to go.

Till next time,

E

Chris: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack (9.17.13)

Alright y'all, I know I been on hiatus. But in the last couple of weeks, Deuce has been sick twice and I was sick once. I know you are wondering how can Ericka still post, but Chris hasn't............... Well, you got me. But I'm back for the 3rd challenge. I wasn't as strict on the 2nd challenge but I dropped 8-9 lbs. However, I'm ready to get serious and coming back with a vengeance.

Just to follow-up on some things that I talked about previously, my bowling team finished 3rd in our 1st bowling league. So, we are back for season 2 and looking to win it all. I have my own ball, so I think I'll be able to do much more damage this season. I've already seen some improvement and looking to get my average up this year.

Also, football season has started and so has fantasy football. My fantasy team is 2-0 right now and is looking like we are ready for a championship run. Also, the Saints and LSU are out to fast starts, so it's always more exciting when you're teams are winning.

Well, that's all I have today but I'll be back tomorrow and will be around from here on out. See you guys tomorrow!!!!

Ericka: Challenge No. 3 Picked and Starts Today (9.15.13)

Saturday night we, with my mom, my cousin, and my sister's assistance, picked our 3rd set of challenges.

1. Random: Honey Do List
2. Diet: Alternate 7 days of  No Whites with 7 days of No Carbs for dinner
3. Fitness: Learn Choreography to Favorite Video

The Rules

Random: The Honey Do List



Chris and I have to come up with a honey do list for each other that must be completed within the 30 day period. Some of the things on the list may be a shared responsibility. If you want to join in on this challenge, come up with a list of 5to 10 things that you have been putting off. I've come up with the following:

• Convert Deuce's crib to a toddler bed
• Clean the gutters
• Remove weeds from garden & plant new flowers in the flower box
• Get a medicine cabinet & other cosmetic things to spruce up bathroom
• Organize closet

While this is my list for Chris, I will be helping him complete it. I just need to come up with one more

Diet: No Carbs/No Whites
Yes another carbs challenge. Don't shoot the messenger. I didn't pull it. I swear that's not the only challenges we under have under diet. We just somehow keep picking that sort of challenge. I think, well I hope, that's the last carbs challenge. Considering we didn't do to well on the last challenge, I guess this is like a do over. You can either alternate the 7 days or do 14 days straight. I think I'm going to do 14 days straight, and those 14 days will be the last 2 weeks of the challenge. I just think that will be more of a challenge for me.

So No Whites means no sugar, including fruit, no salt, no carbs, no dairy products, and no alcohol. It's a detox diet a trainer told me about. So not looking forward to it.

Fitness: Choreography
I am so excited about this challenge. I'm not even sure which video to choose. I'm looking for choreography that is fun, doable, and provides a good workout. We will definitely post it at the end of the challenge. Here are my front runners:

Michael Jackson: Remember The Time- We can do this one as a couple

 

Janet Jackson: Pleasure Principle- As a kid I used to try to do the chair move and would fail epically every single time

 



Janet Jackson: Rhythm Nation- A Classic

Beyonce: Who Run The World- Mainly because the choreography is sick and would be physically challenging to say the least

For this set of challenges, we are going to have a guest blogger. My sister has decided to join us for the challenges, and she is going to give you guys her perspective too.

Okay guys. The challenge begins today and ends October 14.

Happy Sunday!
E

Ericka: The Results Are In! (Part Deux) 9.12.13

So I weighed in today, and as expected, I didn't lose much. Well correction, as much as I had hoped for going into this challenge. What I envisioned was moving into a new weight bracket. I only had to lose 4 pounds, and I wouldn't be in the 90s anymore. Instead I lost 3 pounds on the dot. Chris managed to lose 9.5 pounds!

The Good:

At least it's going in the right direction. Considering I really only stuck to the diet for 2 and half weeks, that's a pretty good weight lost. In the past, if I started to slip into an overeating, no exercising relapse, it would last for months, and I would pack on even more weight. This time I got back on the wagon relatively quickly. While I didn't jog 3 times a week, I did push myself and got in 12 jogs regardless of the week. 

Weight loss grade: A- for Effort; C+ for results D for eating Which averages out to a C

The Bad:

I did not, whatsoever monitor my good deeds. Lesson learned: my challenges need to be more specific. To remedy that, I created a "volunteer an hour every week at a charitable organization" challenge. Since I know I did some nice things for people, even if I didn't write it down, I give myself a C-. The minus is because I didn't always go out of my way to do these nice things.  

The Ugly:

You know what grinds my gears? The fact that men seem to lose weight a lot easier than women. I mean come on! Chris lost 9.5 pounds, and I swear he didn't do half the things I did. He didn't get in his 3 jogs a week, he didn't even try to make up for the first two weeks when we didn't run, he pretty much ate what he wanted, lived how he wanted and reaped the rewards. When I saw he lost 9.5lbs, I said "I'm sure that stomach virus helped you out a bit." His response, "Nope, it's all in portion control." PORTION CONTROL! PORTION CONTROL! Did this boy really tell me it was due to portion control? Portion control my butt. The only portion he controlled was the amount of exercising he did, i.e. the lack thereof! Perhaps I should portion control sex (thanks J for that witty response, if I only I had it earlier) My friend said she thinks I have grounds to divorce him. There is also the option to sabotage him a la Mean Girls style. I can tell him I made him a delicious low calorie, low fat smoothie when in actuality it's filled with cream, sugar, and all the bad stuff that makes life more enjoyable. Am I jealous? In a word, yes, but at least I can admit it.

Okay I'm done with my rant. Back to being a supportive wife. In all seriousness, I'm proud of him and actually happy for him. We both have goals to achieve, and I'm glad he is closer to his. Chris just know that it's on! I'm coming for your ass. Love you babe! Keep up the good work.

As for my measurements, I lost anywhere from a 1/2 to an inch for the most part. The biggest loss though was in my waist. I lost almost 3 inches there. Of course, there was no change in my butt or my chest. If anyone has a flat butt or chest, I can definitely give you some.

E

Ericka: Late Night Cravings (9.11.13)

Right now I'm fighting the urge to eat something, anything. I brushed me teeth, flossed, and rinsed my mouth out with Listerine all in the name of trying not to eat. Oh and for the prevention of the gum disease GINGIVITIS! Usually late night teeth brushing deters me from eating, because who wants to ruin fresh breath with unnecessary eating.  But tonight there is a string cheese stick calling my name. Why can't I just fall asleep already? Usually I'm asleep by 9:30.

Maybe I have a little extra energy from my evening work out. I met up with Jennifer and the boys. We did the usual jog/walk around the City Park track for a total of 55 minutes. Then we did 15 minute NTC "cardio killer". As per usual that workout was extended by at least 5 minutes since we had to stop and run behind the boys.

Tomorrow is weigh in and measurements day. I'm a bit nervous, because we truly only worked out and followed the diet for 2 and a half weeks. The first 2 weeks were a wash with everything that was going on. Hopefully the scale reflects at least a 3 pound weight loss. I haven't been checking the scale on a daily basis, because I am afraid of what it will reveal.

Good night. I'm going to force myself to go to sleep.

E

Ericka: Last Day 9.11.13

Let's catch up shall we. On Who Dat Sunday I did indeed get in my last 2 jogs to make a total of 6 for last week. Chris, Deuce and I went City Park with my cousin's fiance and their two boys. We put the boys in their respective jogging stroller, Chris pushed since it's the equalizer that allows me to keep up, and we went around the extended track. After 30 minutes of jogging and walking we stopped and did some calisthenic exercises using the equipment in the park; the boys ran around and disrupted some of the other people trying exercise (oops). I guess it's been awhile since I've gone to City Park. I had never used the extended track before, and I did not even know there's work out equipment. Good job New Orleans! After about 10 - 15 minutes we got back on the track and did  another 30 minutes of jogging and walking. As a treat for the boys for putting up with being in a stroller for such a long period of time, we took them to the playground to burn off some energy and wear them out.

Monday I decided to skip cardio and did some stretching instead. My body needed the break from the last 2 weeks of jogging. Yesterday Jennifer and I decided to meet up at the park again. We went around the track, jogging and walking, for about 30 to 40 minutes. We then finished our workout off with a 15 minute NTC cardio workout. Well of course it wasn't just 15 minutes for us. The boys were running around, asking for food and drinks, and being just being kids. We were going to go around the track again and maybe even take them to the playground, but we were exhausted.

Jenn and I discussed doing this more often. She's trying to lose a little post baby weight, and I'm trying to lose a little post overindulging for the past 4 years weight. So it looks like I have a new workout buddy yay! Chris doesn't know it yet, but Jenn, my sister and I have decided to meet up Thursday for a workout sans the boys. Guess who is going to be in charge of them.

I can't leave before telling you a Deuce story. Last night while getting him dressed for bed he began trying to lick his own nipple. I tried not to bring attention to it, but when he exclaimed "Mommy I eat nipple!", I couldn't help but laugh. I also learned my child is an escape artist. Chris told me a few months ago he could get out of his crib, but I didn't believe him. Well I saw it with my own eyes yesterday. We have been co-sleeping with Deuce since the day he was born That was not the plan going into this parenting thing, it more or less was forced on us, because our kid would not sleep through the night unless we cuddled with him. So long story short we are lazy and did not want to hear him cry. We've tried letting him cry it out before, and we actually broke him once when he was about 6 months. Then Hurricane Isaac hit, and we had to share a bed again, and he never adjusted to sleeping by himself since. We tried the CIO again, but neither of us could bear going through the week of crying. In fact Deuce became more resilient. The 1st time we did CIO method he cried for 30 minutes at the longest. Every day following the 1st day, his crying time got shorter and shorter until he finally stopped crying. Well not the 2nd go at it. I think he was about 10 months and boy could he wail and shake the crib. The crying lasted far longer. When we thought he stopped and fallen asleep, it turned out that he was just taking a break! We then tried to let him sleep on a mattress next to our bed, but every night/morning around 1:30a.m I would be awaken by the kid climbing over me and into the bed.

 Anyway last night I decided enough is enough. No more cosleeping. I set up a pallet for him in the game room. We haven't converted his crib into a toddler bed yet, because somebody has yet to get the parts out of the attic even though I've asked him repeatedly. I read him a story and put on Dora. He laid down wit a little bit of a fuss, but then he was quite. 2 minutes later he was up and in the living room. I brought him back in the room, he came back out. This exchange occurred 5 times, then I threatened him with timeout. He said okay and walked to his chair and sat down with his head down. He preferred timeout over going to bed alone even though he was tired. We then did the dance again. I put him in, he came out. I turned off the tv, he came out. I put on the Jungle Book he came out. I put him in his crib, he escaped under 30 seconds. Finally I closed the door, because I know he has trouble twisting the knob. He banged on the door and cried out for me, and only me. Of course he has to make me feel like a horrible mother. Hey Deuce can you throw some guilt your father's way?! Then the noise stopped. I waited 30 minutes to go in, out of fear that he was just getting his wits together. Finally we went in. We found him laying down next to the door holding his teddy bear; he was fast (slow) asleep.

Okay guys. Time to get my day started. But before I leave you, I would be re-missed if I did not call attention to the people we lost on 9/11. The lives lost were mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, and friends. Military personnel, and first responders. Their ages ranged from 2 to 85. More than 90 countries lost citizens on that day. We Americans learned that we can be attacked on our soil. So please take a moment today to reflect, pray, or just think about the lives lost, and the family members and friends who have had to find a way to go on without their loved ones.

E

Ericka: Patient 0 (9.7.13)

He struck again. That sweet, precious, precocious, cutie pie that I always talk about is also a germ bomb. Last year, November 2012 to be exact, my son infected at least 15 family members and friends with the mother of all stomach viruses. I'll never forget the night it hit me. It was the night of my cousin's 21st birthday. A friend of mine and I attended her celebratory dinner. My friend bailed on going to the club, because she wasn't feeling well. I pushed and went to the 2nd stop, but I too had to leave, because I felt nauseated. I attributed my downfall to the alcohol, even though I hadn't had much, the loud music, and flashing lights. I distinctively remember thinking "well old girl, your days of partying until the wee hours are over."  I got home and then bam; it started with vomiting and then it got worst. I will spare you the details, but if you have ever had a stomach virus then you know how ugly it can get.

My friend called me first thing in the morning. She sounded a little out of sorts. I asked her how she was feeling, and she said "I think I have food poisoning." I told her that I too wasn't feeling well and told her about my ordeal. We both busted into a fit of laughter, because she, her boyfriend, and I had all gone through the same ordeal all night and morning. We tried to pinpoint the culprit. First we blamed it on a piece of chocolate cake, but we nixed that. After exhausting all options we came to the conclusion it had to be Deuce since he was sick days earlier, and we had all been in contact with him. We started laughing again and both got off the phone to pay tribute to the porcelain throne.

Then the bodies of the infected started to add. Chris got sick. Then my parents, my brothers, Chris' parents, a cousin, and Chris' brother in Texas and his family. The virus crossed State lines all because his brother happened to be in town that weekend. The funny thing is that Deuce never seems to get it as bad as the adults.

Well the stomach virus has reared it's ugly head once again this week, and it hit both Chris and myself. The culprit, once again, was Deuce. Luckily, we were able to contain the outbreak: knock on wood.

I started feeling like myself Thursday, but unfortunately my jogging count by that day was 0, but I didn't want to press my luck with a jog. My sister came over that night and forced me to go to the grocery store and cook. My plan was to skip dinner, because I was being lazy, my kid was quarantined in Prairieville, and my husband was scared to eat. Anyway, I quickly broiled 3 thin ribeye steaks and sautéed a mixture of super greens.

Friday morning I was really feeling myself and decided to go for a jog. I started with a 5 min warm up walk, followed by some stretching, then a 15 minute jog, and finally a 6 min cool down walk. During the cool down, I called Chris and told him to join me for my second leg of jogging, and he actually did. Chris is not a morning person, so I was quite shocked. We then did a 25minute C25K, which added up to 10 minutes of  jogging minus the warm up, cool down, and brisk walking.

I'm not going to lie, I could feel my stomach in my throat at times, but I persevered. I have to get in 4 more jogs this weekend. Wish me luck.

E

P.S. Chris and I are idiots. Well I'm an idiot. When we got home for our jog Chris told me to unlock the door. I informed him that I didn't have a key, because when I left, he was still at home. Chris then informed me that he assumed I brought my key. I then pretended to call my dad, because I had indeed picked up a key, but thought it would be funny to pretend otherwise. Chris thought the same thing, because he proceeded to pull the key out of his pocket. I showed him mine too, and we both had a chuckle. Then Chris pointed out that I had the wrong key, and we started crying laughing. If it wasn't for Chris, we really would have been locked out of the house.

Ericka: So About that 6x a Week Thing... (9.1.13)

I did it! Well let me rewind a little. I know what y'all were probably thinking, "she hasn't blogged in a few days. She must have fallen off." Usually that's how it works. If I'm not vocal about my activities, then I must not have anything to report. This time however, I was just plain busy.

Thursday I skipped the jog. I don't know what happened. All I know is, by Thursday I still had 4 more jogs to go, and I consider a jog to be at least 20 minutes, with the majority of that time, or at least half, being spent actually jogging. Oh wait, I do remember. I changed into my workout clothes right before I left from work. The plan was pick up Deuce, go straight to City Park, then go to the grocery store, cook a meal and have a couple of girlfriends over. Well as I was leaving work, I got a call from Deuce's teacher. She suspected he wasn't feeling well, because he was cranky and clingy all day among other symptoms that I won't mention. So I pick up Deuce and start to head out for the grocery store. I decided to nix going to the park, because if he was sick then being in the heat wouldn't help things. On my way to the store I realized I forgot my wallet at work. After a not so quick detour back to the CBD from the Lakeview area I finally made it to the grocery store to pick up my ingredients for Southwest Salad topped with Grilled Shrimp. Luckily Deuce's mood had improved, so he bared with me while I ran all of my errands. Well there was this slightly embarrassing, well really embarrassing moment. This lady had just finished complimenting me (ok Deuce) on how cute, sweet and smart is. Deuce was being his usual chatterbox self. Then he did the unthinkable. He pointed to the lady's butt and said "Mommy, she made poo poo." The lady turned around said "What did he say?" I tried to cover and tell her we are in the middle of potty training (we're not) and that he said he had to poo poo. Of course Deuce repeated his accusation. Now I'm not goint to lie on my baby. Someone passed gas, and it wasn't me and it wasn't Deuce.

I looked down in shame and tried to hurry up the check out process. Back to the dinner. It was really quite simple. All you need is kale (or whatever green leafy vegetable you prefer), a little bit of quinoa, 1 avocado, diced red onions, cilantro a little evoo, cherry tomatoes, corn and black beans. I grilled the shrimp in my grilling pan using salt, pepper and garlic. Voila! The ladies (my sister and 2 of my good friends) brought the wine and dessert.

On to Friday. I got up early for a for what was supposed to be a quick 30 minute walk jog set. I started out with a 5 minute warm up walk then I jogged for 15 minutes straight! I am still in disbelief as I type this. I don't know what came over me. Perhaps my all Beyonce playlist. Perhaps it was the good weather. Or perhaps it was just pure determination. In other news. Friday was my Joey's (my youngest brother for those of you who don't know) first dance! He looked so handsome, and apparently he painstakingly picked out his outfit at the mall with some assistance from the Leonards.

Saturday, Chris and I took Deuce to Audubon Park. We did week 3 day 1 of the C25K plan which involved sets of 1.5 minute jogs and 3 minute jogs with walking in between each set. That took 24 minutes including warm up and cool down. Then I, and I alone, took Deuce to the Cool Zone at the Zoo. Geesh prices have gone up. It would have costed us $50 for the day of fun, but due to an unexpected family discount, I only spent $16. We met up Jennifer, Auntie Carla and the boys, and they all had a blast. At the end of the day I was soaking wet and exhausted. Deuce slept for 3 hours straight. I wish I could say the same. Of course that long nap bit me in the end, because he didn't go to bed until midnight.

Sunday/Today. My sissy came over and in an attempt to get Deuce to sleep we decided to take him for a stroll in the hot sun at 1:45 p.m. I utilized the time to get 2 jogs in. The first set, I followed the week 3 couch to 5K plan. Then after my cool down I jumped right back in for a jog a block walk a block routine for an additional 20 minutes. I AM EXHAUSTED! And of course Deuce never fell asleep. Chris finally got home around the time I was finishing up. He went play golf with his Dad and brother. Apparently they used the golf cart, so don't let him fool you into thinking he walked the entire course. I wonder if they always use the cart....hmmmm.

Now for my good deeds. I have cooked a meal for friends, gone to Dillards to pick out an outfit for my sister (on my parents' dime) I hope she likes it, and been in charge of the Deuce monster the majority of this weekend so that Chris can get in some QT with his friends, dad and brother for fantasy football drafting, LSU Tigers watching (GEAUX TIGERS) and golfing.

Okay guys. I'm beat. Enjoy the rest of your labor day weekend.
E