Movin on Up..

I moved.. well just mostly my blog!

N'Rage Fitness Blog

Statistically Speaking

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The life of an Oilfield Wife.

It is absolutely a Monday, the worst kind at that. After that I come home and scroll through facebook and see the same debate I have seen now for about the last month. Cheap gas:the pro's and the con's (thats the nice way to put it) I obviously will argue with the it is bad side. Most people don't agree or maybe don't understand beyond the price you are paying at the pump. PS I like when it doesn't cost me $95.00 to fill up my tank. $4.00+ a gallon it too much and it will top load out. So I see alot of things that piss me off to no end. This is my blog so I can cuss and put every one of my opinion into it. But I want to share in site because some of the comments made to me recently are falsely backed.

1. Very few Oilfield Jobs actually get a raise when gas goes up. 

2. Your state and local governments tax the crap out of crude and natural gas. So they also have alot to do with the pricing not just BIG OIL RAPING THE SMALL MAN.

3.Energy cost that are too high are as bad as too low, it's about the cost to get it out of the ground. Too low we can't afford to bring it up. Too High pretty much the same. 

In the middle everyone makes money. 

4.Not all oilfield workers are on an offshore rig somewhere :) or a Frac Crew! They actually employee jobs from dirt work, to port-a-potties, to cranes, delivery drivers and I could go on for ages here. It's mostly not an episode of Black Gold.

5. My husband works in completion, he has for a decade now. Does he made good money when times are good? Yup, way more than when he did what he went to school for and we starved and barley got by. 

Now that being said. My husband at one time in the last 10 years has missed at least one of every major moment in our lives. Birthdays, holidays, first steps, school activities and so on. He is promised to his job anywhere from 10 to 30 days at a time over the years. When I say that I don't mean 8 to 5 either. I mean work, sleep when you can in a pick-up and if you get a baby wipe shower you are lucky. I have met him on the side of dirt roads to take him food because he hasn't had any and finding a motel is a luxury. He works with explosives, when things go wrong it can look like this... 

 

or this (Follow Link)

Surface Detonation Simulation

So there is a reason they pay a little but more than your average desk job. I could debate with you about this job or that job all day long but guess what I am not going to. I just want to give you a small insight to why I get stark raving mad when I read people comments about us being spoiled or entitled. Let me tell you buddy; both my husband and I grew up low income;trailer park kids. So don't think we don't know what it is like to be happy about some Top Ramen with hot dogs. I moved out when I was 17 with a 3 month old baby and we lived 4 of us in a small house and could barely afford the formula to put into Bailey's bottle. We also survived 2009 economy crash which put us back into that situation. Yes it's a boom or bust:rise and fall industry. That is not what is going on right now. The middle east wants to see us suffer for trying to be independent. We should bring workers home and create more jobs in our own borders over buying high price middle east crude. So right now instead of being able to create jobs, we are losing them. Those state taxes I mentioned earlier fund all sorts of things like Education for an example. Being as I work in Education I can tell you we don't need less money in our schools. 

Now from my perspective. While my other half is out in the field ran,snow,sun, or twisters;
I am at home holding down the fort, paying bills, taking care of sick kids, going to ball games where half the school population thinks I am a single mom because they have never seen my husband. Single parents get that but I can't count how many times we have to Facetime or Tango for homework or because your little kid is 2 and doesn't understand why he hasn't seen daddy in 15 days and when he comes home he looks like a grizzly bear! I plan and go to all those things he misses. This year I have been pulling off homework of my kids and myself. I am not griping about it. There are days I do, days I "didn't sign up for this shit" comes out of my mouth more often than not. BUT I am also able to be there for every moment of ours kids lives. One of us is a full time parent instead of 2 part time. So I won't change that. Neither of us had that and we want them to have that. 

So before you bash those guys or condemn their jobs on gas. Here is a list of some crude/gas made products. Is there any you can't do without?

Solvents	Diesel fuel	Motor Oil	Bearing Grease
Ink	Floor Wax	Ballpoint Pens	Football Cleats
Upholstery	Sweaters	Boats	Insecticides
Bicycle Tires	Sports Car Bodies	Nail Polish	Fishing lures
Dresses	Tires	Golf Bags	Perfumes
Cassettes	Dishwasher parts	Tool Boxes	Shoe Polish
Motorcycle Helmet	Caulking	Petroleum Jelly	Transparent Tape
CD Player	Faucet Washers	Antiseptics	Clothesline
Curtains	Food Preservatives	Basketballs	Soap
Vitamin Capsules	Antihistamines	Purses	Shoes
Dashboards	Cortisone	Deodorant	Footballs
Putty	Dyes	Panty Hose	Refrigerant
Percolators	Life Jackets	Rubbing Alcohol	Linings
Skis	TV Cabinets	Shag Rugs	Electrician's Tape
Tool Racks	Car Battery Cases	Epoxy	Paint
Mops	Slacks	Insect Repellent	Oil Filters
Umbrellas	Yarn	Fertilizers	Hair Coloring
Roofing	Toilet Seats	Fishing Rods	Lipstick
Denture Adhesive	Linoleum	Ice Cube Trays	Synthetic Rubber
Speakers	Plastic Wood	Electric Blankets	Glycerin
Tennis Rackets	Rubber Cement	Fishing Boots	Dice
Nylon Rope	Candles	Trash Bags	House Paint
Water Pipes	Hand Lotion	Roller Skates	Surf Boards
Shampoo	Wheels	Paint Rollers	Shower Curtains
Guitar Strings	Luggage	Aspirin	Safety Glasses
Antifreeze	Football Helmets	Awnings	Eyeglasses
Clothes	Toothbrushes	Ice Chests	Footballs
Combs	CD's & DVD's	Paint Brushes	Detergents
Vaporizers	Balloons	Sun Glasses	Tents
Heart Valves	Crayons	Parachutes	Telephones
Enamel	Pillows	Dishes	Cameras
Anesthetics	Artificial Turf	Artificial limbs	Bandages
Dentures	Model Cars	Folding Doors	Hair Curlers
Cold cream	Movie film	Soft Contact lenses	Drinking Cups
Fan Belts	Car Enamel	Shaving Cream	Ammonia
Refrigerators	Golf Balls	Toothpaste	Gasoline

Turkey Meatballs

I love Italian food. However very few of those recipes can fit into my every day eating plans. So I ventured into meatball land tonight. I combined several Pinterest  recipes to come up with this one and my family actually ate them and went back for seconds so I am guessing they are edible!

Meatball Ingredients:

1 lbs ground turkey

1 onion

1 package frozen spinach

4 mozzarella sticks cut into 4the

1 egg

1 hand full of bread crumbs  

1tsp of all pictured below Seasonings

Preheat Oven to 400 and spray a baking pan with your choice of spray.  After defrosting your spinach, drain any excess liquid off.

Mix together all ingredients but string cheese sticks and save enough bread crumbs to sprinkle tops. This is best done with your hands. Ick I know!! Once you make your meatballs stick a piece of cheese in the middle! Tada.. bake for about 30 minutes or until 165 degrees. This made about 25 meatballs!

The Sauce:

One jar sauce heated up and I chopped up mushrooms to add in it!

I added a hand full of grated Parmesan cheese on top. My kids also had whole wheat pasta noodles but I was perfectly ok with just meatballs. Next time I would season heavier, I feel like turkey need lots of seasoning to take on the flavor!

The Pre

My all time favorite supplement is by far a great pre-workout! Post hysterectomy energy is something I struggle with greatly. I can't rock through a workout on a cup of coffee anymore. I have tried a lot of them, so I tried to touch on a little bit of everything in reviewing them.  Pre-workouts are similar to the fat burners in, it's about knowing your body and what it can handle. Don't ever skip to the max dosage without trying out a smaller dose first. Like in my last post- smelling sounds is not a good experience and vomiting in the middle of leg day can be unproductive!

So here we go:

1. I bought this awhile back on a recommendation from a salesman at GNC that insisted this was top notch! Their top of the line women's supplement with ton's of excellent feedback on pump results...WRONG..NEGATIVE GHOST RIDER!!!! I got about 10 minutes of sweat out of it, could have sat in the sauna and achieved the same results!

2. Another product marketed and priced for "women". It was okay, yes that is all I have. I have had far worse and the taste was manageable if you are new to this whole pre-workout game this is a okay starter. You could also try the ASSULT it is a few bucks cheaper on the fact that it isn't marketed towards chicks!

3. I did a round of this because I see so many people rave about it. It's probably also a good starter drink. I double scoop to get the results I need. Occasionally I get a headache at the crash but nothing that hangs around for long.

4. The store I get my favorite from was out and recommended I try this.  I don't get a tingle (which I love) off of this product and I have learned the hard way it is not a friend of anything cardio related. Twice I have almost up-chucked during HIIT or LEGS. BUT as far as a regular lifting day, it makes me want to do the HULK SMASH! My better have had to drag me out of the gym. It is usually the other way around I could have threw weights all day long.

5. Of course I saved the best for last. I have not tried the BULK in their product but I have the other two. Blackmarket Labs IMO makes the best most well rounded product on the block. They make sure you get a surge to every area you need it. No crazy crash either! Once a month they launch a new limited addition flavor and none that I have tried have disappointed me. I recommend it to a lot of people and haven't once got an "I hate this" response.

Quick note on Supplement Cost. If you are digging this deep into using supplements you are probably noticing it's not a cheap ordeal. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. Do your homework before you buy a random cheapy product! 

Burn it up!

Fat Burners

Something I get asked about alot! Normally I don't take them. I am super sensitive to niacin in vitamin form. Which most fat burners and thermogenics have in them. Too much of it and I get flu like symptoms and a big fat anxiety attack! Every now and then I get brave enough to try one when I need a pick me up or a jump start. Usually I just try and control my diet but that isn't always a great success in my world! Here are a couple I have recently tried. We end up with alot of samples at my house because my lovely husband spends so much time in the supp shop they are always throwing stuff at us to try!

1. White China- HORRIBLE experience! Ended up trashing the rest of the bottle. I could smell sounds people! That and it resulted in several mad dashes to the bathroom!

2. CLA Core- not extreme energy here. No reaction what so ever, could probably be safe taking it with a pre-workout or coffee!

3. 360Cut-  Pretty decent product. Not over the top, I can take one with coffee and be ok or two if I am just drinking water. No jitters, no crash, no extreme adrenaline rush.

Refresh (Detox) Review!

Detoxing is one of those things that people always wonder about but no one wants to really talk about! I feel there is nothing wrong with a good detox every now and then to get you back on track or jumpstart you onto a new journey. I have tried lots of other products for detoxing.

The good, the harsh, and the... don't leave the bathroom types! I also hate to refer someone to a product I haven't myself tried. I want to be able to give actual feedback not just google search reviews.

As far as this product goes: I got the refresh without ShakeO. I have my own protein powder that I am partial to. I am not dogging people who love it. I have lots of friends who adore it!
I am a picky protein girl, taste and texture wise!

It comes with a really good guide to follow and answer a lot of the questions I had. I started on a Friday which was probably now the greatest time for me. I should have done Sunday-Tuesday.

The hardest part was the no junk loaded coffee. Day one was my clean out the system day. After that there was no excessive potty stops :) The fiber is something you need to chug it's not created to be a yummy treat. It also makes you appreciate the Vanilla Shake you are going to have for lunch! Drink lots of water. I also lifted every one of these days with a significant drop in strength due to lower calorie intake. I did still take my Pre-workout because there would be no walking out the door at 5 am without it. All and all it was a really good product and I dropped close to 3 inchs off the waist which was exactly where I needed to recover from the first few crazy weeks of school junk/stress!
 Happy Chasing H

Fruit Pizza

I found this recipe on Instagram (@shonda1020)

I figured I would give it a try because it was a lot simpler than some that I had tried and failed miserably at. I also added half a scoop of protein powder to the crust. (I use American ISO Whey-Apple Crumb Pie) Bryan isn't a huge Greek Yogurt can so I think next time maybe I will do half in only PB spread instead but he said the crust was worth the double NOM NOM's!

Crust:

1/2 Cup oats
1 banana mashed
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp nut butter
1 tsp agave

Toppings:

Flavored Greek Yogurt
Berries
Almonds
Natural Honey

Mix toppings together. Scoop mixture into nonstick pan. Flatten into 1/4 inch. 
Bake @375 for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for 8 minutes. Cool and top with toppings.

3 Year Fit-iversary

I have become a total blog slacker again! In my defense this time of year kills me and I just keep adding to it so now it is more like a busy mom Buffet than a full plate!

So it's been 3 year since I decided my life needed a major change. I feel like my blog has gone from Chasing Angry & Depressed to Chasing Healthy & Fit! I have to say without the help of my hubby jumping on board I don't think I could have accomplished any of it. Even when he takes it way to the extreme and makes he yell "I hate your face" I still appreciate the effort! So I don't have any solid weight or measurements because I am trying to be in a phase of just let my body change and accept that. It's hard, I get on the scale every now and then at the gym. It ranges from 122-125 which I am actually not happy about (yes I am aware most women are reading that and cussing my name right now). I had gained up to about 130 before my braces and then the whole what I can eat part killed my gains and it's been a slow track back up. About 3 weeks ago I was sitting at 18% body fat, which is down from my March measurement of 24% so I was super happy with that. Other than that, I know myself well enough that even post hysterectomy my one remaining ovary still sends me for a hormone-coaster ride when I am not expecting it and it can change my body (especially my mid-section daily). It's probably something I am always going to deal with and why I will never be ok with it, it will NOT defeat me. 

So I am taking the average at 123 lbs.

27.25 Waist

32 Hips (I am growing a butt here!)

20.5 Thigh (GOODBYE THIGH GAP)

11.50 Flexed Bicep ( Welcome to the BBGun Show)

My most recent self improvement is dragging my butt out of bed at 4:45 a.m. 5 days a week. I am not a morning person and GOD BLESS the poor people who have to deal with me! (Gina & Robin are seriously the best workout partners every!) Also I made the big decision to go back to school. I LOVE helping people with their health. Helping someone learn to love themselves is the greatest freaking high in the world! That is what I like about promoting for a MLM. I am just terrible at the marketing gunk! I am emotional, hate public speaking and I cry when I talk about my past! I also am not good at being brand specific. I love to sample company's products and creating stacks that work for me and where I am at today and that usually involves a little of this and a little of that! "That" may also change next week, so when I get approached by friends and acquaintances I am always honored that you think I would be great at selling your product. The truth is I probably wouldn't! 

So for those that ask if I still sell BBVI: My website is still up because I haven't had the time to sit on hold for an hour to shut it off. I am not using or promoting it! Nothing bad to say about it, just one of those my needs changed and so did my supplements. If you are a follower of my blog than you know my theory on "programs" like that or Herbal Life, Advocare, Shakeology,Weight Watchers,etc: If you like them, can afford them, are not harming your body and it works for you.. THAN KEEP DOING IT! 

(Just don't expect everyone to jump on the train with you)

Last grump on this subject: DON'T REP A PRODUCT YOU DON'T USE.  You are seven kinds of shitty if you are selling other people on something you have not or do not use. You see all these "sponsored" athletes these days that you can't trust that they are actually even using that product. Don't paddle up the river in the Douche Canoe!

So after that rant. I have decided to go back to school. I am currently working on my Personal Trainer Certification. I was so flipping excited until the day I got my textbooks in the mail and then I thought what the hell was I thinking! I am managing (aka struggling) but eventually I will get there. After that it's off to the big kid school for either BS Exercise Science or BS Nutrition. Haven't really made up my mind on that one yet, so hey if you have some input shoot me an email! All of this while being an Oilfield Wife and Football/Basketball/Bulldog Mom. Honestly the end game here is to find a career that I am passionate about and that would make up a lapse in income because the Oilfield is ass backwards and when you get an office job you have to take a cut in pay. BIG TITLE less PAY = DUMB!!! But that is what it is going to take to have my hunny on a normal schedule instead of the craziness we have lived for the last decade! It's hard on both of us and some days it gets harder instead of easier! So maybe by the time I am 40 I will have a big kid job to go with my big kid degree!

So there is my Fit-iversary Update. 3 years: It took me 3 years to pull that off, so don't beat yourself up if you haven't accomplished a big goal in a short amount of time. 

Happy Chasing

H

August Resolutions!

-I will say this is a long one. I tried to address some of the questions I have been getting along with my blog topic at hand! 

If you are a mom, especially a SAHM with school age kids, then you know August resolutions are almost as popular as New Year's resolutions. If you don't have kids then you are reading this thinking this lady is batty! Why you may ask? 

Well summer break is over. The children are back in school and you have possibly more than 5 minutes a day to think about yourself. Instead of the crazy mecca of camps, vacations, sleepovers and pool parties! 

I started my "stop hating me" journey Brody's first day of kindergarten. He is going into the 3rd grade this year and I might be having a panic attack as I type that. I keep getting a lot of "I wish I had your dedication" comments lately. Well let me tell you it isn't always that way. I am human, just like you and I make mistakes and fall flat on my face. I am probably not someone you should put at the top of your people to imitate list. ha ha

The one thing I can tell you is that once I got the weight off, I knew I never wanted to go back to that feeling. It's not just the amazing feeling that overwhelms you when someone tells you how fabulous you look. It's when you pass your reflection in a mirror and you don't automatically look away. Now I am not saying stand there all damn day and have a love fest either! It's called being comfortable in your skin, once you reach it you would do anything to not give it up. Am I satisfied in my skin, absolutely NOT! That is what fuels my drive to achieve better. Not just in my appearance (yes I hear you calling me vain) but me as a person inside and out. To learn to judge less, uplift more!  Not just in other's but with myself also. As women most of the time we are our own worst enemies! Which sets us up for immediate failure. It is ok to pat yourself on the back. For all the victories large and small!

If you read past blogs I am pretty sure at least 10+ times I have said " I will never be in love with fitness, I will never be the girl who likes to work out" HA well guess who went and fell in love! It really is an addiction. It's a mood changer for me, I can be in the shittiest mood and go to the gym sweat it all out and leave it alone. I don't like the whole "strong is the new skinny" quote but getting strong and pushing your body to do things your mind says you can not do, and then 3 months later you can do it with no struggle. It's an endorphin high I am not giving up. Might as well find me a support group :)

  Do I think that everyone should work out like I do? 

No! Fitness is a very big word. There are vast amounts of ways to be healthy and fit. It comes in all shapes and sizes. I think everyone should test out the waters and see where you belong. 

If the number on your scale is what matters most, find a high cardio exercise. 

(Zumba,biking, running, machine cardio, spinning, swimming)

If transforming your body is what matters most, find some weights!(If you don't have a gym then look into home workout programs: Tapout, p90x, insanity, etc.)

Even if you choose to mix the two, if you are losing weight try out 30 minutes of cardio on top of a weight session. Women tend to freak the F out when we don't drop weight and are spending hours in the gym.

To my endo-sisters: Is working out post hysterectomy more difficult?
That's kind of tough to answer. I didn't to a whole lot of working out pre-hyster. It was super painful to do anything that strained my abdominal region. Some days the fatigue is harder to deal with. I artificially generate it on those days. It is much easier to push past now-a-days. If you are in the middle of a flare there is no pushing past anything but the heating pad and a bottle of Demerol! I DO NOT MISS THAT AT ALL!

What do you use for Supplements?
For me, if I don't keep it simple I will never follow through with it. Going into a supplement store can be overwhelming. The sales people will convince you into a ton of things that are probably going to do something for you other than damage the balance in your savings account. However, I want to keep it as simple as I can. I am a busy mom I don't have time to track pills and drinks 10 times a day!
My stack consist of a protein, pre-workout, amino options, and a multi-vitamin! I may dabble in this or that every now and then but this is what I stick to! Keep in mind this is what I use for MY goals right now. No weight loss! No "diet"
I like OPTI-WOMEN multivitamins they are not harsh to take and won't kill me if I don't eat right away after taking them.
I have to Proteins here: The Combat- is really Bryan's but I use it occasionally. I prefer the ISO it digest easier and let's face it, it's the best tasting powder I have EVER tried! I pretty much let my hubbs pick my protein and I decide on the flavor but if MGN American ISO in Apple Crumb Pie is ever in stock BUY IT PEOPLE!!
Amino aka BCAA's  I have several options for these depending on when I take them. The Musclepharm I usually drink while working out. The orange bottle has caffeine in it so I don't mix it with my pre-workout. I use it more in 2 a day's or an afternoon pick me up. The chews are for on the go times!
Saved the best for last. Pre-workout
Pictured is adrenHERlyn CUTS by Blackmarket Labs. Hands down the best I have ever tried in a pre-workout. It makes me sad when I cycle off it. I am so sensitive to stuff like this yet, somehow this product give you that WAHOO itchy wonderful pump without the side effects I get from others like it afterwards. I have even had some give me an anxiety attack. Not this when it's gone it's gone and no nasty habits left behind.

Do I think using a food program is cheating?

This is a loaded question! So I will do my best to answer it in MY OPINION!

I can't say I disagree with them, I used one to dynamically jump start my journey. That being said, let it be your guide to learn to do better. You can NOT quit it and go back to life as usual. There are more programs out there than I have fingers and toes. I won't tell you one is any better than the other. Find something you like, taste and financially! I had no problem at all adapting to a meal replacement plan, some people do. I used to to teach myself how to fit the proper calories into my day. I think of it as "the patch" it helped ween me off my smack (junk food) and when I didn't need it anymore I quit using it. I am not a cold turkey type of person. I know that about myself! Whatever you do, make sure you are eating enough. Seriously, nothing will halt your results like in-taking under 1,200 calories a day. If you are over 150lbs I suggest upping your minimum to the 1,350-1,450 range. Yes I know things like MFP isn't going to agree with that but I am speaking from personal experience here! 

Whether you're drinking a shake,calling Jenny, guzzling a pink drink or wrapping it up. Be prepared to take flack for it. Like I said fitness is a big word and it has lots of different approaches and opinions behind it. If it works for you and you like it and your not actually damaging your body beyond repair go for it. Also, be prepared that not everyone will want to do it with you. Don't hound people to be on your bandwagon, let them hitch a ride on free will!

So onto goal setting. 

•  Set reasonable goals in a reasonable time span! My goals I am setting are about a 12 week range. 
• Find a friend with similar goals to share with. I can promise this will make a difference in your results. It is also someone to keep going when you want to give up and vise versa.
• Try to set personal goals along with physical ones. Inner you needs to be as beautiful as outer you!
• Set up a reward system that does not involve food. To the person who taught me this, my shoe/workout clothes appreciate you. My checkbook not so much! Granted a double cheeseburger is a lot cheaper than new heels but you are not a dog, you do not need rewarded with a beggin strip!

I hope that answers some of the things I have been in-boxed. It seriously flatters and amazes me that people actually want my opinion on this stuff!
You all inspire me! Now I am off to put some serious thought into my goals. Make your self a road map of how you are going to hit it. If I wake up tomorrow and decide I am going to New York, never been there and I am not using GPS. It is going to take me twice as long! Don't take on becoming healthy without your GPS. It's 2014 use your computer and if that doesn't work chances are there is an APP for it!

What are your new goals?

HAPPY CHASING
H