Tuesday, September 22, 2015

I Probably Have To Pee (WARNING: TMI AHEAD)



Oh, Shelly. How I relate!

My daughter joked one day years ago that she was going to make me a shirt that said, "I probably have to pee". She said that because I am always going to the restroom. She also says that I must have a bladder the size of a thimble. She's right on both counts.

It is also a known fact in the CrossFit world that women will often involuntarily urinate when jumping rope or lifting really heavy weight. I do both. Sorry if you were unaware of that and if I have now offended you or grossed you out. You might want to stop reading now.

A study conducted by the University of Insubria in Varese, Italy looked at almost 700 female athletes with an average age of 36 and found that 15% suffered stress incontinence. Most reported having leakage when jumping, doing abdominal exercises and jogging. 30% either stopped playing their sport or changed the way they played their sport because of this.

I don't want to change my sport! I want to lift, run and jump without having to think about not peeing my pants!

I would also love to not be in the chronic hunt for a bathroom NOW because my bladder decides it has had enough.

All that said, I drink a TON of liquids and am highly caffeinated at any given moment. Both of which produce a need for frequent urination. But lately I have been wondering if what I experience is normal or if it is time to have the Detrol Discussion with my doctor.



As a service to all athletic women, here is my research and self study.

Stress Incontinence

Via Mayo Clinic- 

Urinary incontinence is the unintentional loss of urine. Stress incontinence happens when physical movement or activity — such as coughing, sneezing, running or heavy lifting — puts pressure (stress) on your bladder. Stress incontinence is not related to psychological stress.


If you have stress incontinence, you may experience urine leakage when you:
  • Cough
  • Sneeze
  • Laugh
  • Stand up
  • Get out of a car
  • Lift something heavy
  • Exercise
  • Have sex

Overactive Bladder Syndrome

Via Mayo Clinic-

Overactive bladder is a problem with bladder-storage function that causes a sudden urge to urinate. The urge may be difficult to stop, and overactive bladder may lead to the involuntary loss of urine (incontinence).


If you have OBS, you may have the following symptoms:
  • Feel a sudden urge to urinate that's difficult to control
  • Experience urge incontinence — the involuntary loss of urine immediately following an urgent need to urinate
  • Urinate frequently, usually eight or more times in 24 hours
  • Awaken two or more times in the night to urinate (nocturia)

Hmmmm.. Definitely experience SI when I'm doing double unders or cleaning heavy. And yes to some symptoms of OBS.

To help decide if I have a problem, I tracked how often I had to potty throughout the day. I also tracked my liquid intake for comparison.

Here is a day in the life of Angie. Don't judge. I know I have a caffeine problem and I don't care.


Summary:

I had to go to the bathroom 12 times. That is definitely fitting the criteria for OBS.

I drank over 200 ounces of liquid. Ummm...that's gotta go somewhere!


More questions.

That is a fairly normal day for me drinking wise. I'm always thirsty and my mouth is always dry. And it's always been that way. J's mom asked me if I was diabetic when we met because I drank so much!  I'm now pretty sure I don't have SI or OBS so much as that I just drink a FREAKIN' LOT and I'm kind of small person so my bladder is probably fairly small.

But now I wonder why I drink so much? Is this normal? Do you drink over a gallon and a half of liquid each day?

I have an annual physical coming up so I will be bringing all this data with me to maybe get some answers. In the meantime, I'll ponder the Mayo Clinic at home treatment options....

Kegal exercises- OK!
Healthy weight- Check!
Decrease fluid consumption- eh.....
Decrease caffeine consumption- yeah, yeah, yeah...
Double voiding- um??? I'm already in the bathroom a lot???
Scheduled bathroom trips- That reminds me of my grandma...
Intermittent catheterization- Aw, hell no!
Absorbent pads- Only for double unders!
Bladder training-  Well, if that goes anything like my puppy training skills I'm screwed.

Stay Strong Y'all!



Saturday, September 12, 2015

7 Minutes Of Free Writing...

9.12.5

One of the blogs I follow puts up daily writing prompts for each day of the current month. I found one particularly intriguing this month and it was...

Free write for 7 minutes - and publish without editing.

Since this is a blog about my Random Thoughts, this should be fun.

3-2-1 Go!

Really stoked about talking to the MSU Softball team about nutrition today. They had lots of great questions and I had a blast!

Really perplexed by the lady that came into the gym this week to sign up and had NO EMAIL ADDRESS. How do you live in America in 2015 and not have an email? I understand having an email and never checking it, but not having an email? Really how? When I asked her if she could get one (since our software system needs it), her response, with a perplexed face was, "I don't have a reason to ever need one.". Again, HOW? Even my 80+ year old grandmother has an email! And she looked around my age. SMH...

This morning at the gas station on the way in the clerk was really chatty. I wasn't really awake, but I tried to play along. She had calculus homework sitting to the side. I commented on how it had been awhile since I studied calc. She smiled and said, "Oh, how long?"  She smiled weirdly. I realized -when I got in the car that I looked like a meth head. Ratty ripped gym shirt, wet hair piled on my head, not yet caffeinated face...yeah... I looked like I took calc. haha

J is watching Avatar. Good movie.

We have to paint the new gym tomorrow. I hate painting. yay.

I'm pretty sad Under The Dome ended last Thursday. I loved that book and enjoyed the TV show. Even though it went off the deep end and got really weird, I still looked forward to it each week. I don't really watch a lot of tv, and that was one of about 2 shows I watch. Lol. Project Runway is on at least.

Dawn Fletcher emailed me this week! I love her and I am excited about an opportunity she has given me. I have to start working on it tomorrow and I'll tell you all about it soon.

WOW! Times up already!

Stay Strong Y'all!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

IIFYM Part 3: What Are Your Macro Numbers?

9.10.15







Life


This week is a deload week both mentally and physically. I don't have any goals or objectives this week, I'm just going with the flow. It's really nice! I've spent a lot of time reading other people's blogs and reading books and watching HGTV.

We made a BIG announcement at the gym Monday and that is that we are moving to a new location! The new facility is brighter and more centrally located and is going to be amazing! And it is right behind SAMMONS DONUTS! Woot woot!


Training

I did the CFM Anniversary WOD on Monday and had a blast! Every year we tweak it slightly, but here was this year's.



We opened 9-7-11, so the last three movements are representative of that. The 4 push ups represent the four years open and the 2015 seconds, well because it's 2015. The way it worked was there was a team of 3 people. One person did all the things on the list and then the next one did all the things and then the next, etc. The goal was to get as many rounds completed as a team as possible. I only did 8 rounds of work which equated to about 9-10 minutes and I left feeling like I should have done more.

But then the soreness hit. Holy Trap Queen! Who knew your shoulders could become permanently attached to your earlobes? Since Tuesday I've been living in a constant state of shrug. I even had to scale weight on my back squats yesterday because the barbell hurt to lay on my upper back. #wimp

Mercifully though this is a deload week so nothing else has been quite as sore. Welcome back to CrossFit Angie!

Learning

If you missed If It Fits Your Macros Part 1 and Part 2, please go back and read. Prior to this post we have talked about what macros are and what calories are and how many calories you need. Today we are going to go into what macro breakdown might work for you.

There are a lot of different ways of deciding what breakdown to use, and trial and error are always needed, but a good starting point is to use your body type to determine what percent of each macro you need.

Photo Credit: Precision Nutrition

There are three body types, Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph. Now, must of us aren't exactly one type, we are combinations, but you can probably figure out which one you lean toward the most.

Are you a long, lean runner type? Naturally thin, with long limbs? Yes, maybe you've put on some weight because of your current lifestyle, but what were you when you were younger? If this sounds like you, you are probably an Ectomorph.

Guess what? Ectomorphs get ALL THE CARBS! Haha, well not all the carbs, but Ectomorphs do tend to  have a high carb tolerance so the recommended split for an Ecto is 55% carb, 25% protein and 20% fat. (One note here. As a female, be careful with a low fat intake as it can cause some hormonal issues. If your calorie count is really low, it might help to run your macro numbers by a nutritionist or diet coach to ensure you are getting enough fat.)

Are you naturally muscular with a medium build? Think wrestlers and gymnasts. If that is you, you may be a Mesomorph. These body types tend to be testosterone dominant and build lean mass easily while holding lower body fat. A good split for a Meso is 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% fat.

Interesting fact, most really good CrossFitters are Mesos and that is why the Zone Diet works so well for them!

The last body type is the Endomorph. The characteristics of this group are large bone mass and large overall body and fat mass. Think of football linemen. These body types don't tend to burn carbs as well as the other two, so they tend to benefit from a higher fat diet. 25% carb, 35% protein and 40% might work well for them.

If you are an Endo, partition your carbs tightly around your workouts to get the most benefit!

Remember, no one is exactly one type so these might not work exactly for you, but they are a starting point. For more on this topic, take a look at Precision Nutrition's article, "Body Type Eating". And if you are ready to make a big change, consider hiring me as your nutrition coach! I would love to help you!

 In the next installment of IIFYM, we look at monitoring your progress and making adjustments. Stay tuned and make sure to subscribe to my newsletter so that you know when I post AND get extra information I don't put in the blog.

Best Thing I've Come Across Lately



I am not a creative person. I have no artistic skills and am thankful I have people in my life that do. But when I came across this post, I got excited! I LOVE to color! And like you probably, I haven't done it in ages. This post links to some great printables that are free and a few coloring books you can purchase. (Hint hint family, I'd love a couple coloring books for Christmas!)

Stay Strong Y'all! 

Do me a favor and subscribe to my email list. Not only will you be able to keep up with all my random thoughts, you'll get even more stuff that doesn't get put on the blog! Recipes, inspiring stories, funny things, you just never know with my random thoughts!

Now that I've gotten you interested in macros, take a look at my Fast Food Macro Cheat Sheet! Great for when you have to drive through, but want to make a smart decision!

This post linked up at..

Image result for fit and fashionable fridayFitnessFriday logo

Now that I've gotten you interested in macros, take a look at my Fast Food Macro Cheat Sheet! Great for when you have to drive through, but want to make a smart decision!

Sunday, September 6, 2015

A Random Mess Of Thoughts

9.6.15

Life

I've had a few life facts reaffirmed this week and learned a few new ones. In no particular order, here they are.


  • Never go into Hucks without your phone camera. You WILL see the raddest mullet ever and you will immediately want to ask Joe Dirt for his autograph. You will also see free pizza samples sitting right out in the open at about butt level 3 feet away from the register and 6 feet away from the door. I'm not a germ-a-phobe, but something about that just looked unsanitary.
  • Whoever prices things at Murray Goodwill is nuts. I have a project list of things that I am searching for so I routinely run through Goodwill and Angels Attic. I never find things at Goodwill. Scratch that, I never buy things at Goodwill. Wal-Mart is right across the road and is cheaper. 
  • Don't try to mop when the dog is in the house. No explanation needed.




  • You can use fish food as plant fertilizer? (not sure if this is a fact, thus the question mark) Sometimes my brain makes a lot of random leaps and connections and this one may be pushing it. I was looking at my sad little houseplants wondering how to make them happy. I was also thinking about lunch. Then I remembered that fish meal can be used as a plant fertilizer. Which made me think that I could pour my canned tuna water into the plant. Then I remembered the shrimp pellets I accidentally bought for my Beta fish. They don't float, so he won't eat them. Hmmmm...they make Miracle Grow pellets that you sprinkle on the soil. Why can't I sprinkle these pellets on the soil?? I did it. I'll let you know what happens. 
  • When you decide to use fish food pellets as plant fertilizer, the dog thinks they are treats and digs the soil out to get to them. 

I got a Tupperware box yesterday! Here's the super exciting unboxing! Lol, really, don't get your hopes up. It's not that exciting. Ok, it's not exciting at all. But I'm in my jammies and look wretched so it might be worth watching just for the laugh value.





Training

Yesterday I got to compete in my first CrossFit Competition since February! Super City CrossFit hosted the second annual Battle of the Boxes Team event in Metropolis, Il. We won last year so we were hoping for a repeat and WE DID IT!

Yesterday was special because it we had so many athletes interested in competing we had to take two teams! 12 athletes represented CFM in a fun, hard day of competition and 3 of those had never competed before so we were excited for them to experience it! Each team had 3 guys and 3 girls.

The first event was 15 minutes to establish a max deadlift, a max bench press and a max clean. The girls on my team and I are all really close in abilities so we were able to execute this event according to our plan almost flawlessly! Shout out to Lindsey for her 140# bench!! The boys did amazing as well and our team won event 1!

The next event for us was 5 minute WOD where we had to push a weighted sled (115# I think) in 100 ft increments as a relay for distance. I pushed it 100 ft, then Meg  pushed it 100 ft back, then Lin, etc. This event about did me in. First, I don't have a lot of muscle endurance yet since I just started back to CrossFit. Second, it was 100 billion degrees in blazing sun and on asphalt and I don't sweat. I just get really hot and overheat. I survived it and we won that event, but it took me a good 30-40 minutes to get my head back on straight!

For our third event I have to give props to my partner, BJ. We had to do thrusters and bar muscle ups. He was a machine on that pull up bar! His hands ripped and he was hurting, but he kept going strong! This was the only event we didn't win yesterday and we lost it by ONE SECOND! I remember on my last muscle up staring at the bar convincing myself that I could do it. Dang. There was that second we needed!

The last event of the day was Triple 3. The boys competed as a unit and the girls competed as a unit. Each unit had to row 3000 meters, do 300 double unders and run one mile. Megan was worried about her double unders but she rocked them LIKE A BOSS!! And when those girls took off running, they were on fire! As for me.....

I am not a great runner. I enjoy sprints, but anything over 400 meters is just gross in my opinion! But, I've been working on it and was feeling fairly confident going into the 1 mile run. I had a plan and I had a playlist. As I took off out the door into the blazing heat, I was surprised when J came up running beside me. He was coaching, not competing, so I thought he was just running out to give me a few words of encouragement. But no. He ran the entire mile with me!

My calves cramped up and my shins started hurting about 1/3 of a mile in. J was encouraging me, but I couldn't hear him because of my head phones. Apparently everybody else could hear us though!

J- Land on your heels! Stretch out your stride! You are doing fine!
A- I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

J- Don't let anybody else pass you! You are almost there!
A- I DON'T CARE!
J- MOVE YOUR ASS!!
A- (me hauling ass the last 300 meters)

Hahahahahaha! I'm not sure my time, but that was probably my best/worst mile. I had to walk a lot and I yelled at my husband (and he yelled at me) and I cried, but I made it in the door fourth. Even though I'm a terrible athlete mentally sometimes, I am proud that my husband is my coach and knows when to baby me and when to push me.

And even though I was writhing on the floor and making sounds reminiscent of a dying animal at the end of that event, our team won it as well! So close to a sweep!

If you've never been a part of a CrossFit competition, you should go sometime just to watch. The community and support that everybody brings is amazing! And my favorite is the women.

Nowhere else have I ever seen women come together and cheer each other on like they do at a CF comp. Even if they are on different teams, it doesn't matter. In CF, we love strong women. We love building each other up. We love seeing each other do things we didn't know we could do. If all women acted like CF women at a comp, a lot of cattiness and drama would go away.


Best Thing I've Came Across Lately

Teaching middle school for 14 years put me in a position to know and work with young people dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts. Having a college aged daughter with friends suffering the same issues has shown me we have to look at new ways to help them. They suffer and think they are alone because they just can't see anything beyond the present situation. Those of us that are older and know that hard times pass just can't convey that to them because the concept of a future that is better is almost impossible for them to envision. I came across this article by Tim Ferriss and I think it is a profound piece on the subject. Please share it with anyone you know that is struggling.

Another ingenious thing about this article? The hyper link reads this

http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/05/06/how-to-commit-suicide/

Why does it say "how to commit suicide" at the end? So that if someone searches that phrase they will be presented with this article. And because it's Tim Ferriss, this will show up at the top of Google searches. Love it.

Talk back

What life facts have you learned lately?
Could you have your spouse as your coach?
What do you think about the Ferriss article?

Stay Strong Y'all!

This post is linked up at the MIMM with Katie & The Fit Dish Link-Up with Jill Conyers and Jessica Joy!

And don't forget you can still get my Fast Food Macro Cheat Sheet for a few more days for only $1.99!

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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Fast Food Diet Friendly Cheat Sheet!


I'm so excited to finally have this ready! 

Are you an on the run mom who frequently hits up the drive through to feed the kids and yourself?

Are you an on the road sales person who hasn't had a come cooked meal in years?


Are you trying to eat healthier, but just don't have the time or brain power left to navigate restaurant options?

Well then my Fast Food Cheat Sheet might change your life!

I have created a PDF of the most macro friendly options at various fast food restaurants. What to order, how to order and all of the macro nutrient information is right there for you. No excuses to eat like crap just because you are eating on the fly.

This PDF is available for a limited time for only $1.99!

Get yours here!


What would you do with $1,000,000?

Warning: This is one of those random posts that come through my brain! Enjoy!

Surely you've been with a group of people and the topic of the latest lottery mega million dollar prize comes up. Everyone starts talking about what they would do if they won thousands of millions in the lottery. 

What would you do if you won the Powerball Mega Millions? 

I hate that conversation. I understand others find it fun and exciting. 

It's very demoralizing to me. It feels like a waste of time and brain power. There is no way I'm going to win tons of money in the lottery so why think about it? 

And besides, everyone says the same things. 

I'm getting a Ferrari!

I'm buying a Mansion! With a maid!

I'm quitting my job!

I buying a yacht and sailing around the world! 

Oh! And charity. I'll give some to 
charity. 

And then what? 3-5 months into this adventure you are bored as hell and can't figure out why you aren't happy? You have all kinds of long lost friends and relatives coming round, but you are scared and all alone?

And then 5-10 years out you are broke. 

Maybe I'm being melodramatic and maybe I've watched too many stories on cable about people winning the lottery and then losing it all. 

Winning that much money just sounds and feels stressful to me. (Don't get me wrong, I'd take it in a heartbeat if  offered!)

Yesterday I was listening to a podcast and the question came up,

"What would you do if you had a million?"

My ears perked up because this was a very interesting question. Just a million? 

The chances of me winning a million are slim to none because I don't generally participated in activities that would put me in that position. 

But when you change the question to just simply, "had" or "earned" a million dollars? 

That seems reasonable. Don't get me wrong. A million is still a ton of cash. But it's not what it used to be. 

(Think Austin Powers) 

Conceivably, most of us can grasp possessing a million in a concrete way, whereas the Powerball millions are abstract. 

I realized quickly I liked this question! 

"What would you do with a million?"

Freedom-  I love my job and don't want to quit what I do, but as a mom and pop business, we are tied to the gym 100% of the time. I love to help people live their goals, and I think I could take that to the next level if given the right resources.I would figure out a way to take care of my athletes in the absolute best way possible, but give myself a little more freedom. With that freedom, I could help more people and find some more balance in my life. 

Freedom 2.0- I would sell my house. Funny right? I would sell my house and pay off everything and be free and clear of all obligations. #startfresh

Housekeeper- Ok, even though I'm now homeless in this hypothetical situation, wherever I am I will have a weekly housekeeper. Not a maid, just someone to come through and clean. I love organizing. I hate cleaning. 

Learn-  This is where my money is going. I love to learn! I would sign up for ALL THE CLASSES! So many people think of stuff to buy when they think of money, but stuff is just stuff. Experiences and knowledge are with us all the time and can never be lost!

Travel- For the last few years, every time we have traveled it has been for a work-ish event. And it's been on a hustle schedule because we had to keep the box open. Drive there, do event, drive home. If I had a million, I would use my new found freedom to actually travel. See the world! Do something that necessitates a passport! And do it slowly! 

Hey baby, let's buy an RV and drive 45 miles per hour! And stop every hour and a half because I have to pee.

Stuff- I'm not so noble that I'm not buying stuff! My heart is torn three ways as to what I would purchase (it's only $1 million, still gotta make choices) and they are all cars. 


  • Fully restored 1969 Camaro SS
  • 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat in sublime green
  • Fully Restored 1987 Pontiac Fiero with a 4 cylinder (don't laugh! It was my first real car and I LOVED that car)
Charity- I love to perform Random Acts Of Kindness, so the $1 million would help me perform even bigger RAOKs!

So there it is.

What would you to do with a million?



Stay Strong Y'all!

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