A Weekend in Review and Apple Cider Vinegar

I had a very emotional weekend this past weekend.

I could NOT figure out why I was so blue until I looked at the date and realized that I was supposed to be working, but it was an event I was fired from....Even though I was SO SUPER RELIVED.....I also slugged around feeling like a bit of a failure...

On the plus side, I have been in a great workout place lately which I am proud of.  Not obsessed, just balanced.  I have been visiting the gym 4-6 times a week and on days I do not make it there, I do a 30 minute free weight routine while I watch Hulu on my laptop.....it works!  4 years ago when I was actually the thinnest I have ever been (around the time Sissy got married I got down to 160 pounds and a solid size 10 which is small for me!), I did my free weights everyday while watching Bravo and it was the weights and not just the Spinning that really helped the scale budge.....

I had to think back to what worked for me in my decades of dieting and working out and I HIGHLY recommend a little light weights (I lift 5 pound weights at home and then 7.5 - 10 pound weights at the gym) for maximum shrinkage.

Saturday, I went on a 35 mile bike ride with my Dad.  How awesome is my Dad!!!  He will be 65 next month and he is in terrific shape which I never give him credit for.....he can ski 10 days in a row out West and bike for miles and miles and he is a great role model because the man has NEVER been a member of a gym!  Dad loves activity and found sports he enjoys and tries to do them often.  We are bike buddies and even have the same bike!  When I was a baby, my Dad would put me on the back of his bike (the original baby bike seats that were on the back and not the front of bikes like they are now) and I actually remember getting too big for my baby bike seat when I was 3 and being REALLY upset....it is one of my first memories!

Dad and I rode to a little town we love to make our rest stop because it is full of quaint cafes, bars, and ice cream shops.  He gets a beer, I get ice cream and we sit and chat with lots of other people enjoying life and it always puts me in great mood...which I needed.  On Saturday, Dad actually asked me to slow down a few times which means I have been improving!  Since I have been training for my upcoming Century (100 mile) ride in October, I have upped my pace from 12-13 miles an hour to 14-15 miles an hour and Dad likes to ride a bit more leisurely...made me feel great as those hours in the gym are paying off.

After the bike ride, Mom, Dad, and I went out for burgers and it made me really sad as I remember the time (even up to 2 years ago!) when I would rather be hanging out with many other people than my own parents, but now I am just so blessed and fortunate that spending a day with my family is what I look forward to most.  I am REALLY going to miss them.  Being away from Mom and Dad will be my biggest transition I am anticipating out of everything.

Yesterday, I had an AWESOME workout at the gym, caught up on email, and ate a massive amount of sushi for dinner....again perfection!

Before bed, Crush and I had a wonderful chat about the future and I am feeling much better about EVERYTHING.   I realize now that my issues with the money are simply because of how Awful treated his trust (yes, this is the second man I have dated from family money and with a trust fund), and Crush is so different: generous, better with money and seeing the future (Awful loves to SPEND and Crush loves to SAVE), and Crush's commitment to his family and past and future investments are much deeper than Awful's.  Crush wants to leave something for the next generation whereas Awful just wanted to buy tons of motorcycles!  All will be fine and I need to stop worrying and start functioning.

Apple cider vinegar time....:

You may not know this, but ACV is an amazing cure-all for many things: acne scars, indigestion, weight loss support, and most importantly for psoriasis relief!  Again, I love TRYING so many things, that I often forget what works best and ACV has always topically helped my skin...even though it can stink!

I began researching it again after a particular itchy few weeks from stress and I learned that ingesting it has wonderful properties that many many many people truly believe in.

ACV has the power to re-adjust ph levels in the body and purify toxins.  So.....for the last 2 weeks, I have been drinking 2 AVC drink mixtures a day.  1 after breakfast and 1 in the evening.  I make mine by mixing 1 TBSP unfiltered AVC (Heinz and Braggs are good brands....you need the kind with the "Mother" in it as it has the best healing properties) with 16 ounces of seltzer water and 3 ounces of natural (I like either Newman's or Simply) lemonade.  After a few days, I have been actually craving this little drink....yes, it is an acquired taste and the ACV is STRONG, but after I have my ACV, I experience a surge of energy and I do not feel hungry for a while....YAY!

The ACV is acidic, so I drink mine with a straw and brush my teeth after I finish it as I don't want the enamel on my teeth to weaken anymore than it already has (my 7 year diet soda addiction....4-7 cans a day...was not kind to my teeth!).

In the 2 weeks since I started my ACV, my skin is clearer (psoriasis and complexion), my hair is shiner, and my nails are longer and stronger!  I love trying natural solutions over anything else and this is a keeper!

Also, I have a scar on my tummy from my plastic surgery and I read that the ACV breaks down scars and in 2 weeks, I have seen a MAJOR difference to my scar (softened, reduce in redness)....that in itself is reason enough to try it!

Here is a link for the helpful uses for ACV and if you can handle the smell.....TRY IT!

If you have psoriasis like I do....here is another link for you!

HAPPY MONDAY!

I Bought A Dress REVISITED

Last month I told you that I bought a dress in 2 different sizes.  And I tried them on again and the smaller size fit.  Yes, that is right, I accomplished a mini goal!

I think it fit because I cut wheat for the most part (there have been wheat slip ups, but I am just trying for the majority, not perfection....all or nothing just doesn't work for me anymore!) out of my diet 90 percent of the time. I also have been trying to hit the gym 4-5 times a week.

Cutting the wheat has really helped control my binges and excessive over eating.  I will say that my skin isn't looking as good as it did before.  I am bummed.  I initially gave up wheat to help my skin.

But, psoriasis is an immune disorder without a real cure, so I will try anything and everything.  The fact that I lost 7 pounds in about a month while still eating french fries, chocolate, and ice cream AND that I haven't binged too much is a total win for me. I am sticking with a mostly what free diet skin improvement or not.  I know when I head down south, my skin will improve a bit, too....nothing helps it like the sun and salt water.

So, now that I made my smaller dress goal, I am going to make another mini one....4 more pounds before the wedding.  I have over 3 weeks, so I think if I keep going to the gym and resisting pizza....pizza is my weakness....I can do it.