This is war, she roared

After last night's basketball game, you probably think I'm talking sports. 

I'm not.

I'm talking body.

I'm talking weight.

My weight, to be exact.

The countdown is on.

I leave for Paris in eight weeks.

Seven weeks and three days to be exact.

Let's just say that I have some baggage I would rather not take to Paris. (J'aime manger!)

Two weeks ago, I re-joined the tough gym.  If you are a long-time reader, you will recall in April of '10, I did bootcamp at the tough gym.  I was in there nearly every day.  Some days twice a day- before and after work.  I starved.  I sweated.  I killed myself.  I spent a lot of money for classes.  Tough classes that got results.

And, I won.

It is ran something akin to biggest loser, and I fuhreaking won.  I was the women's overall winner, combining weight loss, inches and percentage of body fat lost.  I was down to 140 pounds. 

Fast forward to March of 2012.  I would not describe myself as a winner right now.  I've continued to stay in shape, some what, but my diet has gone to hell.  I am an all-out person.  Either I'm on the wagon, or I'm off.

I'm back on the wagon.

I got on the scales on Thursday morning, and after being back at the tough gym for two weeks, I was up five pounds.

This is war, she roared.

Plus, after work on Thursday, I was showing a colleague some photos of my art.  There is a photo on facebook of me holding a shadow box that I created for Papertrix.

I shyly said "that was me, after I finished bootcamp, when I was down to 140 pounds."

She blinked, leaned towards the computer screen, giggled, and said in an incredulous voice

"Oh, I didn't even recognize you."

Ouch.

This is war, she roared.

In '10 before I did bootcamp, I did no sugar, no flour on my own and lost 23 or so pounds.  Then I did bootcamp and lost another 23 or so pounds.  I haven't gained it all back.  I can still kick ass in the gym.  (Sorry, I can.)

When I'm "off" I grab whatever and shove it into my pie hole.

When I'm on, I'm conscious and making healthy choices.

A friend of mine calls it "being kind to our bodies."

One of my best gal pals, Jennifer,  (go read what she has to say about her body, and read a portion of the incredibly encouraging email she sent to me, yesterday.  (Which I printed out to keep as encouragement.)  Until this very moment when I went to link with her blog, I had no knowledge that she wrote this post.   

As women, why do so many of us feel nothing but disdain for our bodies?  Our bodies do so much for us.  My body helped me to produce two beautiful children and I have the "scars" to show for that.  Our bodies carry us through life and help us to embrace and love and touch and encourage.  Why can't we encourage ourselves?

This is war, she roared.

I have a fire burning in my belly.  Deep beneath that belly fat, there is a fire, roaring.  It helps me keep going when I've worked all day and I don't feel like going to class or climbing onto Jacob's ladder or picking up some weights or pushing myself on the rowing machine. 

When I am thinking healthy, I cook and produce lovely dishes to feed myself.  Last night I made a pizza with a tortilla.  (I have been craving Italian spice and tomato.)  I should have "crisped the tortilla, first.  I like to bake on my stone on top of parchment paper.  Such easy cleanup. 

I cooked up mushrooms, zucchini and spinach.

Added shredded mozzarella cheese.

For those of you who are counting weight watchers points, I was surprised that a tortilla (pkg says "burrito size) is 4 points. 
I was in such a hurry to eat it, that I forgot to take a photo after the cheese melted.  It was very good and very filling.
This morning I cooked up zucchini, sliced thin and quartered.

Added fresh mushrooms.

In the blender I blended 2 farm fresh eggs, (1 point each), a splash of milk, a teaspoon of sour creme, a teaspoon of pizza sauce (I often put catsup on my scrambled eggs- I think it is a southern thing) and 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella. I blend my eggs because I like them fluffy and don't like to see egg whites, I like them to be creamy yellow. I sprinkled the eggs with dill and ground pepper.  I also sprinkled a twist of this Florida sunshine stuff I have which is sea salt, orange-lemon-lime zest, ginger root, rose petals and peppercorns.  Then I added a teaspoon of this stuff from The Bread Dip Company which is called Artichoke and Caper All Natural Bread Spread & Dip.  Yum.  Flavor, people, I want flavor!

It was delic.  The toast is Ezekiel bread which is 1 point per slice.  The spread is Brommel and Brown yogurt spread which not only tastes like butter, it smells like butter.  I love it.

This is war, she roared.