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Hello everybody! Welcome to Weigh-In Wednesday!

Please go check out my sweet co-hosts!

Ash @ A Step in the Right Direction

 Erin @ She's A Big Star

I'm a married woman, y'all!

{I love everything about this}

Can I just say how HAPPY I am right now? The biggest stress of my life so far is over - everything went swimmingly and now we're back to "reality."

Reality hit HARD this morning when I weighed myself.  Starting with the rehearsal dinner and ending with tacos, fake cheese, & homemade margaritas last night, the past week has been a wedding-related free-for-all when it comes to food choices. 

I'm just going to leave this here.

Yikes.

Weighing In

Height: 5'8"

SW: 236.2

Last week: 201.2

This week: 206

Change: + 4.8

Total Loss: -30.2

You will notice I'm using a new scale {wedding present}. I'm compared it to my old one - that one has me at 204 (I've compared before and I'm always 2 lbs heavier on the new scale). Regardless of which one is right, I'm going with the new one. It's probably more accurate.

The weight gain I expected - that part doesn't bother me because I know I can lose it. Feeling bloated, fatigued, and having tummy issues for the past few days has NOT been worth it, however. It's amazing how much BETTER you feel when you are eating clean and working out. Right now I feel like a big ole blueberry.

Today is a new day - the hubby, husband, Hubs, whatever - is back at work so it's time I get back to work as well. Eating clean and good old fashioned hard work. 

{Good-bye friends}

{Good-bye Creamy Goodness}

This morning I went for a quick run - just a mile to gauge how my knees were feeling - it's been 1.5 weeks since my last half marathon and while the soreness has subsided, my knees are not feeling too friendly. Over the next week I'll be working back up to 3m-5m runs and sticking there for a while. No more long races until I start mini training up again in August.  

My next big goal for running is the Monumental Half Marathon here in Indianapolis on November 1st.  I plan to start training again at the beginning of August so for the next two months, my goal is to really LEAN out so I will be faster and lighter for my next half. I know carrying extra weight is killer on my knees and I want to be able to run for a LONG time.  Lots of cardio, lots of weight lifting, and some yoga/flexibility for the rest of the summer.  

{I should really work on my background choices}

Stay tuned for our wedding recap starting tomorrow - I have lots to share!

What are your fitness goals for the summer? 

How do you bounce back from a big gain?

***Disclaimer: The following post is a review for Vega Bars. I was given the opportunity to participate in this review through my Sweat Pink ambassadorship and was provided with several bars to try out for this purpose.  I received no other compensation for this review and the opinions expressed in this blog about this product are 100% my own honest, unbiased opinion.***

Recently I was given the great opportunity to review the new line of Vega nutrition bars! I've tried the Vega protein powders several times now and I'm a big fan. Now I'm just trying to figure out which flavor I want to invest in.

Nutrition bars are a great option for when you're on the go or super busy like me. I'm not always prepared when hunger strikes in the middle of a lecture or study session so I need something that I can carry with me at all times and quickly pull out of my bag - enter Vega bars!  

It's really hard to find a protein source that is "clean" - meaning it contains very no processed or artificial ingredients. The closer to the earth your food is, the better! While  the Vega bars do contain more ingredients than I would prefer, they are a pretty great option compared to other bars.  I love that all of their bars are non-GMO, gluten free, and contain plant-based protein. 

Vega is releasing four sets of bars:

• Vega Snack
• Vega Sport Protein
• Vega Sport Energy
• Vega One

The Vega Snack bar was one of my favorites - I tried the Dark Chocolate Mixed Nuts and Sea Salt & the Cranberry Almond flavors. Both bars featured that coveted salty-sweet mixture that I love in a snack - it satisfies my sweet tooth and also provided protein and crunch. I would highly recommend these bars for a mid-afternoon snack to power through the work day.

Vega Sport Protein was also another great bar from Vega! Often times protein bars taste artificial - the sweeteners they use are very pungent and the protein itself tastes terrible. Not here - I love the texture of this bar! It's very smooth and reminds me of homemade cookie dough. I tried the Chocolate Coconut and the Chocolate Mint - mint is my favorite and almost reminded me of a chewy thin mint cookie!

Vega Sport Energy is suggested for use mid-workout. It's mostly composed of nuts and fruit to provide quick energy. Personally I don't eat during workouts - during long runs I use gels because I'm not comfortable chewing while running and I don't usually need fuel during a workout.  I used this bar as another snack option before or after a workout. Chocolate Coconut Almond and Cherry Almond were the flavors I tried and both were equally delicious! I love fruit and nut bars because they are simple and don't have a bunch of extra ingredients. They are also moist and chewy which is a nice texture difference compared to your standard nutrition bar.

Vega One is an all-in-one meal bar. I tried Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cherry Almond. This bar had the longest list of ingredients by far and was pretty high in calories - 270 calories - which makes sense as it replaces a meal.  I wasn't a big fan of these bars because they were more dense and tasted like a typical meal replacement bar. I don't like to replace meals with bars or shakes - I end up feeling hungry quicker and unsatisfied. Just a personal preference!

Overall Opinion

Pros: I love that the bars are non-GMO, gluten free, and plant-based. All of the flavors were delicious! I've had a positive experience with the protein powder so I trust the company and enjoy their products!

Cons: I wasn't a fan of the Vega One bar but I don't ever use bars for meal replacements because it doesn't fill me up. I also think there is a significant amount of refined sugar and processed ingredients in the bars. I've seen cleaner versions. I also have no experience with the old product to compare the two.

I enjoyed reviewing the Vega Bars and I would probably purchase them down the road if I saw them in stores. They are perfect for a quick snack or workout recovery and taste delicious but I am hesitant about the extra sugar even if it is organic. My favorite bars were the Vega Energy Protein and the Vega Snack bars!  

 

<a href=" http://www.prettystrongmedicine.com " target="_blank"><img src=" http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g30/cheerxflip9/WIW-2014.jpg " width="240" height="350" alt="Weigh In Wednesday"/> </a>

Hello everybody! Welcome to Weigh-In Wednesday!

Please go check out my sweet co-hosts!

Ash @ A Step in the Right Direction

 Erin @ She's A Big Star

Time sure is marching on - I just finished another round of exams for Pulmonary and now I'm finishing up the year with Renal and a TON of practicals. ONE MONTH. Which means six until the wedding. AHHHHH! Freak out mode!

Weighing In

Height: 5'8"

SW: 236.2

Last week: 205.6

This week: 204.2

Loss: -1.4

Total Loss: -32

Another small loss, but a loss none-the-less! Inching closer and closer to that big 199 goal. I'm starting to see differences finally - mostly in my clothes. My jeans are getting looser, my tops are fitting better, and my energy levels are increasing. It's not a dramatic difference but at least I finally feel like I'm seeing results!

The past two weeks have been taper weeks - less mileage and more moderate activity. Today and tomorrow will be my last runs before my mini on Sunday. Then I plan to do yoga on Friday and Saturday, maybe a light workout on Friday. The nerves are officially setting in. I KNOW I can do this. I just hope everything goes in my favor. 

Secretly, I know I'm scared that I will get injured - my foot or my knees - something will go wrong and I'll have to stop working out until I heal. I don't want to lose momentum going into the summer - not when I'm finally building consistency. 

Self-doubt creeps in - Did I train enough? Did I skip too many short runs? Will I be able to handle the hills? Will I finish? All I can do now is do my best! Run, walk, or crawl, I'm going to drag myself across that finish line. I will finish.

This past weekend, we had LOTS going on and I finally got a break! After my exams on Friday, I decided to freshen up my hair color and start the process of going blonde again. I want to be blonde for the wedding because I've been brunette for a while now and I was blonde when Nick and I first met. I've been coloring my hair since 8th grade - this might be the first time I've actually seen my natural color in years but oh well! Later that night, a few of my friends and I went to see The Other Woman - it was a great girls night! 

On Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early to go run my medical school's 5K we sponsored in conjunction with the Health and Fitness Expo.  I'll recap this race in a later post because I'm quite excited! 

Saturday evening Nick came up to Indy because we were going to go apartment hunting and look at furniture for the big move in two weeks! Most of Sunday was spent furniture shopping and Monday morning we went to see our possible future apartment. Everything is coming together! 

When Nick comes to visit, I try to flex my chef muscles so he won't be worried about starving to death (and he needs to get used to my "weird" eating.) I'm not Julia Child but I'm getting there...

Eggs with veggies and salsa chicken, greek yogurt with strawberries and almonds.

My new favorite meal: salsa chicken, avocado, lots of hot sauce, and a side of veggies!

Hope you're having a great week!  Whatever your goals are, keep going!

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Hello everybody! Welcome to Weigh-In Wednesday!

Please go check out my sweet co-host!

Ash @ A Step in the Right Direction

If you're new to the link-up, please leave a comment & say hi!

This girl has finally got her groove back! Thank you sweet baby Jesus! The past few weeks have been just kinda blah - I was eating like a hormonal teenager and living the couch potato life.  Maybe it's the dawning of Spring weather or something just clicked again but I'm feelings pretty great.  

I have to be honest, I was pretty down in the dumps lately which happens to me on occasion. Anyone else experience this? I just have little cycles of not feeling like myself - they come and go, maybe they last a few days or maybe a few weeks but eventually I get over them. I hesitate to say "depression" but that's what it feels like sometimes. Luck for me, I'm out of the funk and feeling much, much better.

Weigh in time! 

Height: 5'8"

SW: 236.2

Last week: 208.5

This week: 207.6

Loss: -0.9

Total Loss: -28.6

BMI: 31.6

Small victories. I rebounded a bit from my water weight loss when I was sick so my loss is pretty small this week. 

In other news, long run last night. It was a 50 minute "fall back" run and my first club run in THREE weeks - exams, spring break, illness - all the excuses. So I was able to get 4.7 miles in which were slightly painful and not at all enjoyable. However, in order to catch up in my training I need to bust out 7-8 miles this weekend.  Wish me luck. I'm scared.

Remember my Turkey meatloaf(s)? I think I've perfected the recipe. Holy delicious - these are pure perfection! Paired them with some roasted squash, zucchini, and potatoes (plus topped with tomato sauce).

Now for something completely new!

Thanks to my dear friend, Marguerite, I found out about a FREE fitness movement called November Project! It started in Boston and now has expanded to 15 cities across the country including my dear home of Indianapolis! This morning (at 6:25 am) was my first time and I had a blast (well...I felt great afterwards. It was pretty hard!). Everyone is super nice and encouraging and people of all fitness levels are welcome!  

I will have more updates about NP soon! It's definitely something I'm going to incorporate in my week - the opportunity to meet new people with similar interests that ARE NOT medical students is so refreshing - "real" people? WHAAAA

 Killer burn followed by a much deserved breakfast! Lentil and bean "taco" with yummy 'matoes and the always pleasing scrambled eggies.  I'm happy and full 'til lunch!

Excuse me while I got foam roll my life away.  Hope you all are enjoying the first hints of spring! 

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Hello everybody! Welcome to Weigh-In Wednesday!

Please go check out my sweet co-host!

Ash @ A Step in the Right Direction

If you're new to the link-up, please leave a comment & say hi!

It's been a pretty crappy few days here.  After thinking I had avoided illness and proclaiming that I "never get sick" while my fiancee and friends were under the weather, a nasty stomach flu struck me at 5 am on Monday morning.  I can honestly say I haven't felt that bad since I was a kid - it was the terrible, awful.  Once the vomiting and other stuff ended, I pretty much didn't move all day and subsisted on Sprite and water.  Fever finally broke in the middle of the night and by Tuesday I was feeling a lot better - just dizzy and a bad headache (presumably from dehydration).  Today I'm still achy (pretty much everywhere) and lethargic but I'm feeling much, much better so I'm hoping I can make up for lost time and get stuff done today!  

Oh yeah, and I'm on Spring Break. whomp whomp. I didn't have any major plans for the week - just lots of doctor appointments - dentist, eye doc, etc. which I had to switch around. Wedding planning - I have my hair and makeup trial on Saturday which is when my friends will be coming for my Bachelorette Party! I was hoping to blog more but that seems to never workout.

The goodness in all this - weight loss!  Now I'm 90% sure this is due to losing water weight and not eating anything substantial for two days but a loss is a loss. 

Height: 5'8"

Last week: 210.4 (two weeks ago)

This week: 208.5

Loss: -1.9

Total Loss: -27.7

BMI: 31.7

I realized that I never came back and updated last week - it was a crazy week.  I was just coming off of a cardiology exam and preparing for a practical.  Pretty sure I was at 211.5.  

I don't really have much else to report so far because I haven't done much the past couple days. I am excited to be in the 200's - next stop is ONEderland!  

I'm really worried about my half marathon training though.  The past two weeks I haven't been sticking to my schedule and I've had a couple really bad runs where I just struggled.  I was hoping to get back up to speed this week but I'm thinking it's not a great idea to try to run while I'm still rehydrating and feeling dizzy/headachy.  I think today I'll do a low-intensity workout at the gym, maybe walk/run on treadmill and see how I tolerate it.  

I started compiling some wedding looks that I'm interested in! I would love your opinions!  I also decided that I'm going to keep my hair dark for the wedding. It's been a while since I had it blonde and I don't want to do anything drastic in such a short amount of time.

Hair

I have never had an up-do in my life so I don't really want to start at my wedding - I just don't think they would flatter my round face.  I love all of these looks!  Very flowy and laid-back but the braids and curls give structure.

Makeup

I love bold makeup and I love a beautiful red lip! I'm just not sure I want it for the wedding day but I'm strongly leaning that way.  I also love the more simplified smokey eye and nude lip - I would want to kick it up a few notches though since it's an evening wedding.

Thoughts? How do you get back into healthy eating and working out after being sick?

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Hello everybody! Welcome to Weigh-In Wednesday!

Please go check out my sweet co-hosts & make sure to say hi!

Bailey @ Being Bailey J

Ash @ A Step in the Right Direction

(Amy is taking a break from WIW)

I'm not sure where to start with WIW today. Blogging has been the furtherest thing from my mind lately (you can read WHY here). 

Last week I ended up having about a 5 lb GAIN which I largely attribute to that time of the month/water weight since I weighed in today and was back at my post-cleanse weight. Still 16 lbs down in total but no additional loss. And the plateau continues...

A lot of celebrating but I have been working out! (I have to play catch up from Friday since I didn't post about my workouts.) 

Last Wednesday (after I woke up really frustrated from the gain) I made myself go for a nice, long run. I didn't really have a distance in mind - I was just follow the C210K app which said to run 20 minutes. Because my music was going and I was pretty pissed off with myself, I ended up doing 4.3 miles and running 4 miles straight! 4 MILES! Me??? The girl who couldn't/wouldn't even run a mile at the beginning of the summer. I felt awesome!

I want to do MORE! I've been talking with a few other bloggers about running a 10K and then shooting for a half marathon next spring! I'm hoping to run Fort 4 Fitness 10K in September in Fort Wayne, IN and the Thanksgiving Day Race 10K in Cincinnati, OH with Marcy @ The Mustache Diaries! I'll announce the half marathon dates soon!

I also did something I haven't done in 5 years when I was in Germany - I went for a bike ride! I rented a silly little cruiser bike and took it out on the Loveland Bike Trail for a ride. I have no clue what a good pace is or anything but it felt like a good workout. Those cruisers don't go very fast!

Lastly, I've been kicking butt at boot camp! Last Wednesday I was the only one who attended so I got my own personal boot camp, including doing these darn tire flips! 

At least if I'm celebrating, I'm doing well on workouts. And I've been making smaller changes with eating, just working my way back up to clean eating. I have to break through my plateau this week! I only have 4 months to get dress shopping ready! 

***Don't forget, Ash and I have 50% off all ad space for linking up today!*** Code = WIW50

What was your favorite workout you did this week?

Do you have any upcoming races?

How did you get into wedding shape?