Feeling Like Me Again!

Ah, since my last post I've recovered from being ill, went to Los Angeles with Sweetie and joined about 3,000 fellow Virginia 'Hoos for a near victory against the USC Trojans, and finally had some days of rest!

I also finally got back to the grocery store and cooked! I didn't realize how much I missed eating my own cooking--egg white omelets, crab cakes, broiled salmon, grilled chicken, oh my!--and all the positive effects thereof: increased energy and better weight management.

I've even bought ingredients for Bulge-Free Brownies--protein packed 100 calorie bars that Oxygen Magazines claims are great for mornings and pre-workout. I'm going to endeavor to make them tonight. I literally can't wait to get home from my meeting to make them!

Stayed tuned!

Zapped!

Arrrggghh! Whatever bug has been going around I caught it! And I'm not pleased! This thing has really zapped all the energy out of me the last few days. It's not cool at all.

I've been trying to rest as much as possible (my body has forced me to rest much more than I typically would when I've been ill before), and I'm still tired!

At least I'm not all achy and the bouts of chills and then hot, sweats are gone.

Okay, Okay. No more whining.

At least there is plenty of tennis to watch since I haven't been able to get on the courts. So, life isn't all that bad!

Chip Shot, Topsin, Serve Down T, Oh My!

I know it's US Open time, and the pros are doing their thing, but this blog is about me. So, I'm obligated to talk about me and my own tennis game!

This season my coach and team have committed to step it up big time! We're playing at a higher level, so our game must be at a higher level. We have to work harder and play smarter. As my coach says, "it's a new day!"

While I have done pretty well and have advanced nicely in a short time (City and State Championships at USTA 3.0; City Finalist-7.0 Mixed), I know that the game I have played in the past (less thinking and more hustling) will not get it done as I move up levels. I need more variety in my game--more weapons.

I am committed to working with my coach and team and building my arsenal. The last couple weeks I have been working on my chip shot, forehand topspin (a real challenge because I'm known for my backhand--NOT my forehand), and serving down the T.

I must admit that I was not all that receptive to the chip shot. I didn't think it was something I could really do. But, I'm working on it AND getting it (well, it's not super consistent yet, but I'm getting it more often than not now)! I'm loving topspin; it's helping me get over my forehand slump and mental block (I played a whole State tournament going AROUND my forehand--thank goodness it worked and opponents didn't really figure it out). And serving down the T--when I get it-it's sweet!

I haven't had an opportunity to test these skills in actual matches yet--just practice matches. But great practice makes great play. I'm committed to practicing. I'm committed to becoming great (well at least as great as an obsessed recreational player can be. LOL!).

I'm also committed to continuing to Lose Fat! A few of my teammates and I ran the hills before practice. Initially, this exercise was to prepare for the State and Sectional Championships, but I am going to continue to run the hills. Every match is important, and I can't get to City, State, Sectionals--and one day Nationals--if I don't prepare for the regular season!

I am Shay Shay! I am Committed to Preparing to Win!

Thank Goodness No Junk Food Was Around!

Without going into all the details, let me just say that yesterday was a little bit stressful. Not the I'm about to fall apart kind of stressful. Just I'm really busy, I have deadlines to meet, and folks are not cooperating kind of stressful.

For many people, with stress comes the tendency to eat. Yesterday was definitely one of those days where if I had some potato chips, chocolate or gummy bears, I would have been all over them!



Thank goodness I had clean snacks instead! Without my clean snacks, I could have done some real damage. This is just how much munching my stress level required. But, at approximately 30 calories, 6 grams of carbs, and two ingredients, my Kamut snack cakes sweetened with agave nectar can't do much damage at all--even if I eat 3!

These were the perfect combination of crunch and sweet. These little cakes fed my stress level just right!

Whew!

So Wrong, but I KNOW I'm Right!

Whew, time is really flying! It's been about 10 days since I've blog. In the past this has meant that I was off plan, but this time I've just been really busy! I am DEFINITELY ON PLAN!

This past weekend I had family in town. It is always wonderful to have company, especially when they are awesome and easy guests! With company, however, comes food challenges. I am proud to say that I didn't not succumb to temptations. I cooked breakfast almost everyday, except one when we went to my favorite healthy options spot-Thumbs Up. We ate out during the day, but I was totally satisfied with tasty salads with chicken or salmon. I even cooked Sunday dinner and made sure I had plenty of clean options so that I could enjoy without feeling guilty or deprived. I even stayed away from the homemade bread and wonderful key lime pie--except for just a pinch of bread and a dab of pie from the serving knife during clean-up.

The biggest challenge for me was our cupcake adventure. We were in the mall and passed a cupcake shop. My family was intrigued. I said, "I don't know anything about this place, but if you want a cupcake I know where to go." So, we journeyed to cake heaven A Piece of Cake. This place makes some of the most delicious cakes (next to Mom and my buddy Gina) I've ever had! You walk in the shop and the smells of White Chocolate, Carmel, Red Velvet, and all sorts of other flavors hit you right in the nose. BAM!

I walked out of there without a cupcake. My family got a half dozen. I managed to even avoid them once we got home. Truthfully, I wasn't even tempted to taste one. I know I'm focused now!

Well, the folks at Piece of Cake must have spies who witnessed my triumph over the Cupcake Temptation. Tuesday in my email box pops an email that says, "Swimsuit Season is Over; Slip into a Delicious Piece of Cake" from no other than Piece of Cake!

How funny is that?!?!?!? It's like they KNOW I passed on their tasty cupcakes! How wrong is that?!?!!

VERY WRONG! But, I know I was RIGHT to pass on the cupcakes. I have a goal to reach, and I'm determined to reach it!

Besides, I have asked Gina for a Red Velvet Birthday Cake in a couple months. I can surely wait until then--especially because by then, I will be AT GOAL!

So, whatever Piece of Cake! I'm NOT FALLING FOR IT--at least for right now. I'll have my chance to indulge in one of your cakes one day. When I do-I would have earned it, and I will enjoy it!

I Served for the Cure

This past weekend 7 of my fellow teammates and I journeyed north of The City and Served for the Cure to support the Miller Zell Soles 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk team. What a fabulous time of tennis and fellowship for a great cause!

Of course I packed clean snacks, but I also indulged a bit when the crew went out for dinner--and some great meals we had!

Now I am back home and have already gone to cycling class and had my spinach, egg whites, feta, and salsa on flatout.

I am ready for the week ahead and actually looking forward to pushing through to my fitness goal by the October 4th--6 weeks from now!

I am Shay Shay Fit!

I Know My Food Triggers and Will Control Them

We often talk about NOT eating certain things, so it was nice to get some reinforcement in a recent Jillian Michael's e-newsletter (they're great; I'm on all sorts of fitness e-news lists!) about not depriving ourselves and moderation. I like how Jillian talked about knowing your food binge triggers--things you can really do in moderation. My food triggers: tortilla chips, my grandma's zucchini bread and sweet potato biscuits and my dear friend Gina's Red Velvet cake. So, I don't keep tortilla chips in the house and limit my Mexican eating out and thank goodness Grandma is in Virginia and Gina isn't a full time baker!

What I'm learning to do now is to enjoy things I want and not beat myself up when I know it's just a treat and I'm working hard every other meal and day in the gym. Recently, it was a lamb burger from Marlow's with feta and some tasty sauce. I switched out the roll for a pita and got asparagus instead of fries and I was TOTALLY satisfied and in food nirvana. And after my tennis match the same day, a few of us went to Little 5 points to eat. It was about 10:00, but I was a little hungry. I passed up the calamari (which I LOVE!), homemade bread (which I LOVE MORE!)--both ordered by my pals--and the apple beignets with Georgia caramel sauce (and yes, I LOVE apple desserts and caramel!) and opted for the salt (easy on the salt I asked) and vinegar popcorn. Yep, salt and vinegar popcorn. It was sooo tasty! I was a little annoying to the waiter, I know because I asked if the popcorn was cooked in oil and when he said it was actually microwave popcorn that they spruce up, I asked to see the package. It met my requirements for not as much of a fat punch, so I ordered it. IT WAS SOOO GOOD! I really enjoyed every bite of it and felt great about my choice. I didn't feel like I missed out on anything.

This was a true learning moment for me. I know I can control my food triggers! I HAVE TO if I want to be Shay Shay Fit!