Team, I haven’t eaten a full, real candy bar in over 20 years. Candy bars are for teenagers who burn hundreds of calories just rolling their eyes. But I ate one today. I have slept 15 hours in total the last three nights, drove a van of stinky teenage boys over 8 hours yesterday and today I ate a candy bar. I have no idea why!! Today was my rest day, which was planned on purpose, because there was no way I was going to workout this morning when I worked 15 hours yesterday. Tomorrow I will work 12 hours and I am back to the gym, using up energy I don’t have. I can usually push through cardio but the thought of lifting weights makes me want to cry a little. I should be able to get at least 7 hours of sleep tonight. I hope that’s enough to feel revived and alive tomorrow morning at 5am. If I fall asleep on the bench, I hope my kids wake me up in time to get to them to school!! Wish me luck!! Update- Made it! Mostly. Got up and did a shortened weight lifting session, just didn't have a full session in me and I ran for 30. Feeling a little better after almost 8 hours of sleep!! I have 12 hours of work in front of me, but then 2 normal days before another long 12 hour day on Saturday. But I should be able to get 7-8 hours a sleep a night for a few days. Sleep is so nice!! Thanks for cheering me on! I need it!!

I had an interesting moment recently that reminded me about boundaries. A colleague I rarely stay in touch with reached out and asked if I could be a reference for her brother who is applying to the university where I work. The tricky part… I’ve never met her brother. For a moment I paused and thought about it. I didn’t want to be judgmental, but I also realized it wouldn’t feel right for me to vouch for someone I don’t know. A reference should come from a place of genuine experience. It also reminded me that sometimes people reach out when they need something. That doesn’t always mean bad intentions, but it’s still okay to listen to your gut. So I kindly declined. Little life lesson: Being supportive doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. Sometimes the most honest and respectful thing you can do is simply say no. No drama. No judgment. Just integrity. Anyone else ever been in a situation like that?

Today was my husband’s birthday and I knew we had a family dinner at an unknown restaurant. I wanted to plan ahead so I had a high protein low calorie breakfast and lunch with a protein bar on the way home from work. I wanted to not be too hungry and overeat at dinner. The restaurant was not picked until I was on the way home so I was guessing as to how to plan ahead. We ended up at Tepanyaki Japanese Steak House for dinner. I had the salad, bone broth, some of the fried rice, and tenderloin steak and could not finish my meal. I was stuffed. In the end, I got all of my protein in and did not overeat calories. I even skipped desert today and had left room for the birthday cake and/or ice cream. My calories even ended low, but I am too full to eat anything else. So I am going to call it a win.

BUT I did it anyways. I went to the gym 4 times this weeks. Twice with strength training and like today ...I just did some walk on the treadmill. I didn't wanna but my body is my temple. I did it for myself because coach said....I am worthy. It was hard to move on but I did it and what it did was echoed all over this group. You NEVER feel bad for working out. My motivation...my socks.

For the past 3 days my Oura Ring has been giving me a “Major Signs” alert. That means my biometrics are showing my body is under strain — things like recovery, HRV, and temperature signals saying something is off. And honestly… it checks out. The last few days I’ve had: • No appetite • Sore throat • Headache • Body aches (like a truck ran me over) Normally I’d push to hit my steps and workout goals, but this week I’m focusing on what I CAN control: 🥤 Hydration 🥗 Nutrition (even if protein is lower than usual) 😴 Rest and recovery Even the Angry Diva is in recovery mode. Sometimes the strongest thing you can do in your fitness journey is listen to your body and allow recovery to happen. The gym will still be there tomorrow. 💪