Leslie Strickland

This week turned out to be a busy, but good week. I stuck to my meal plans, and even decided to mix it up a little and eat an extra meal during the day. For that extra meal, I mixed together low-fat Greek yogurt, strawberries, honey, and a scoop of protein powder, and it was more like a healthy treat than a meal. My version totaled up to 30 grams of protein, 10 grams of fats, and 25 grams of carbs. I hit my macros every day this week, and to be honest, it has been a good minute since I have...

This week has flown by! I decided to add some extra cardio to my weeks, and Coach Nick gave me an endurance program to help with my running. I have been doing the extra program for two weeks, and I can already tell a difference! We had a workout that involved running towards the end of the week, and I found myself not as out of breath as I normally am during those workouts. I actually finished that workout with 5 seconds to spare from the time cap. It's the small things that make me happy....

I seriously cannot believe that we only have one more month of this program! Just in time for me to hit a plateau and mental block. Friday's weigh in showed that I lost 1.6 pounds. This has been sort of a rough month, so I knew going into Hannah's office this morning that it was not going to be anything impressive. It might not have been a lot, but at least I didn't gain and I am heading in the right direction (thanks, Hannah!) I have noticed over the past years that when I try to lose...

Well, this week turned out to be better than last week- thank goodness! I stuck to my meal plan, and did not stray away. I kept it simple and went back to the basics for lunches—sautéed chicken breast, and veggies—and for my dinners, I made a venison roast with more veggies. While I did not go crazy with my food this week, I noticed that I was not eating enough when I entered my food into my MyFitnessPal app. I did feel it during my workouts—I did not feel like I had as much energy as...

I feel like I lost all motivation this week- like I'm in limbo. My pre-made lunches were pretty much the only thing that went right. I ate a good bit of sweets, which is unusual for me, and I indulged in a burger and fries from Hardee's. I'm an emotional eater, and this week got the better of me. This week is over though, and as difficult as it is for me right now, I'm going to turn myself around and get back to it. I'm planning on meal prepping this week and make it to CrossFit as much as I...

Well y'all, I survived the Live Better Pink 5k run last weekend. Not only did I survive, but I cut a minute and a half off the last 5k that I ran two and a half years ago! In April 2017, my 5k time was 41:05, and this past weekend, I ran it in 39:35. I also made a new "personal best" because I ran 1.25 miles without stopping. That is the farthest that I have ever run without having to take a break! When the race started, I challenged myself to see how far I could jog without stopping. When I...

Well, today was the four month weigh in day, and I am down 22.2 pounds! It might not look like a lot in text, but the feels are real! Imagine carrying four 5-pound bags of potatoes around all the time! During a workout last week at Thomasville CrossFit, it really hit home on how much weight I have actually lost. For the warm up, we had to grab a "light-weight" medicine ball and run 400 meters with it, and every 100 meters, you had to do 5 overhead squats (where you hold the ball over...

Y'all. I was cleaning out my closet over the weekend, and I came across some work pants and jeans that I knew I would not fit into. I knew it was better to keep them so I just set them to the side with the thoughts that one day I would fit back in them and that would be one less pair that I would have to buy. One of my coworkers has been making comments about how my pants are baggy now, and I thought why not try on one pair of those pants. Turns outs, that "one day" was actually sooner than...

The cravings were back this week, and I did wind up caving because I did not want to cook Sunday night. Those two slices of Meat Lovers pizza were totally worth it, and I savored every bite! Every now and then I will give in just enough to satisfy a craving because if I don't, I will eventually over indulge in something later down the road. If you haven't already figured it out, I like my lazy days—especially when it's a four day weekend! I'm not exactly proud to say it, but I winged...

Another week has come and gone. Physically, this week was great! All of the workouts felt great—even the running ones. I felt strong in the weightlifting portions, and I can tell that I am making some progress. For my main meal prep this week, I went with an all-time favorite recipe from the Practical Paleo cook book—bacon wrapped chicken thighs with a smokey spice blend. This spice blend is my go to and tastes great on everything from air fried chicken wings to pork loin, but especially...

Halfway there! It really is crazy how fast this program is going by! I am down 16.5 pounds so far, and so many inches! I'm noticing a big difference in my clothes, so I'm sure I'll have to make myself buy some new ones soon. If I haven't mentioned this yet, I despise clothes shopping. Take me to Hobby Lobby or a kitchen store any day, and I would be the happiest person out there. This week, we added an 8 week old black lab puppy, Otis, into the mix. While my heart is full, my body and...

At this point of the program, I can really tell a difference in everything. Nick, our coach at Thomasville CrossFit, has been programming a lot of cardio lately. Have I told you that I'm not cardio's biggest fan? Like, at all? Well, cardio is "hardio" for me, and always has been. Back in college, when I didn't need to do cardio, I told people that my life motto was "Leslie don't run." Yes, I used the incorrect grammar and everything because that's how much I meant it. Fast forward...