Abby
Hi my name is Abby. I
was born and raised in Lancaster, PA. I
served 8 years in the U.S. Navy. I’ve
been out now for 9 years and living in Lancaster, PA. I’m a wife and mother to 3 boys. My husband is a personal trainer and a
wonderful husband and Daddy. My kids are
twin 10 year olds and a 3 year old.
Mitchell, Chase, and Conner are my world. They are amazing, awesome kids. I’m blessed by God to have such an amazing
family.
I haven’t always been healthy and fit. I used to drink and smoke a lot. I’ve quit smoking for 10 years and barley
drink. Since I moved home after the
Navy, my dad would always challenge me to a race across the Wrightsville
Bridge. I couldn’t beat him and I wanted
to so bad. I also started running races
at this time and my 5k time was about 35 minutes. I wanted to get my 5k time down to 25 minutes or
less. I ran every day that summer. I
beat my dad and got my 5k time down to 25 minutes. I also lost weight and gained muscle. Since this little challenge of mine I have
become, over the last 10 years, very healthy and fit. I don’t even buy potato chips at the store
anymore.
I got bored with just running 5k’s
and 5 mile races so I decided to race in a triathlon. I did my first TRI back in 2009. I did pretty well for my first time. It was the sprint Tri for Life at the Hempfield Rec Center.
After that I decided I wanted to run a half-marathon and a Marathon. Before I ran my first marathon I ran at least
5 half-marathons. I knew I was capable
of running a marathon just as long as I trained for it. I ran my first Marine Corps Marathon in just
under 4 hours. I was super proud of
myself, but knew right then that long distance running wasn’t for me. The 26.2 miles really took a toll on my
body. After the marathon in 2010 I kept
running races and eventually injured myself.
I was starting to transition out of so much running to weight lifting. During a training session at a “CrossFit like
gym” I tore my ACL clean off. I had
surgery and was back on my feet in 4 months running another half marathon. After my last half marathon I decided to give
running a rest and start weight lifting.
The world of CrossFit really caught my eye. I liked the hard work and the mini challenges
while you were working out. I have been
to a couple of CrossFit gyms and like them all, but it is expensive and I wanted
to be at the gym my husband trains at.
Right now I’m weight training and running when I can. I’ll run a few favorite
races with my twins, but we don’t train for them. My sister, Libby wants to run a half and I’ll
do that one long race with her because I know she needs the support and we
always have fun. I do The Tri for Life
every year. I don’t usually train for
it, I rely on my weight training to make me strong enough to get through the
race. This year in the Tri for life I
got my best time and finished 4th in my age group. The kids and I will run a couple of 5 k’s and
my son Chase has beat me one time by 3 seconds and has been trying to beat me
again ever since.
I also love cooking healthy food. I love using fresh veggies
and mixing super foods and antioxidant rich foods together so I can heal faster
from weight training and get back into the gym.
I usually cook 6 chicken breasts, a few different veggie, and quinoa for
the week. This way I don’t have to cook
2 different meal. One meal for my
husband and I and one for the kids. I
have all boys and they are picky eaters.
I cook healthy for them too but they don’t eat quinoa and peppers. Sometimes my 3 year old will have an apple
and peanut butter for dinner. As long as
they pick something healthy I don’t care if its breakfast at dinner time. It’s what gets their belly full and
happy.
I’m just like everyone else.
I deal with the daily struggles of “not having enough time in the day to
get everything done” I always have a fitness goal. Right now my husband and I are trying to prep
food for one week. We usually prep food for the week, but it’s been so busy
with sports we have fallen off the wagon.
We want to do it for 13 or 14 weeks.
So far it’s Monday and we have nothing prepped. I’ll spend my afternoon, after work, grocery
shopping and prepping food today. Our
goal to preparing food and packaging it for the week is very vain of us. We want to look good in our bathing suits on
our vacation at Bethany beach. Besides
this goal, we usually try to eat healthy all the time. My husband and I are into building muscle and
dropping body fat. We are both at the
tipping point of this life style. What I
mean by that, is we are lean and have muscles but the muscles aren’t defined
enough. In order to get the muscles to a
defined point we really have to stick to our diets. This is the 80/20 rule. 80% diet and 20% exercise. Have you ever heard of the “Abs are made in
the kitchen” Well it’s true what you put in your mouth reflects in your
body. I have always been a yo-yo when it
comes to body weight. I’ve been anywhere
between 120 and 200. 200 lbs. is when I
was pregnant with my twins and my 3 year old.
I have lost all the weight, but always struggled getting to my ideal
weight which is 125. I’m about 127-130
and since I’ve been weight lifting that number is ok with me because of all the
muscle I’m gaining. There is a delicate
balance between weight training and diet.
I want to be lean and defined, not bulky.
So to sum up my goal I want to follow a specific clean
eating diet, prepare food for the week, for 14 weeks, be healthy, weight train
as much as I can, run when I have the chance, and by beach time look fabulous
in my bikini. After the 14 weeks I’m
hoping this just becomes my life style and feels normal to do it all the
time.
I actually started writing this on Monday. I went grocery shopping last night, prepared all my
food, and went for a 4.5 mile run after my husband got home. I made:
6 chicken breast with 25% reduced sodium taco seasoning and
coconut oil
2 boxes of garlic and herb quinoa with fresh chopped kale
A head of broccoli and cauliflower
3 yellow peppers and 3 orange pepper
5 avocados
I’ll mix chicken, quinoa, peppers, avocado and some lime
vinaigrette every day this week for lunch and dinner.
Here are some pictures:
See You Next Friday,
Abby
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