If you're a Dave Ramsey follower, you've heard this quote of his:
"Live like no one else...so you can live like no one else."
Now in the above, Mr. Ramsey is referring to financial health more than physical health. I have had people laugh at me when I said I wanted to have no car payment, or planned to get completely out of debt. "No one does that?!?" or "That's not the American way!"
Uh. Yeah. That's the point. Always leads me to that counseling/coaching question I like to ask when someone is adamant that what they are doing is "working" and it clearly is not (i.e. they are upsetting people left and right with behavior they think is justified..) "How's that working for you?"
We use cash only, credit just for gas which we pay off every month, and we live where every dollar has its place. Now, there is always room for improvement and I know for a FACT I could spend less than I do, but overall, we are not further in debt, even after my husband being in school for 5 years, and if all goes as planned it will all be paid off in 2014 (which is all now student loan debt as we paid everything else off). So while I might be the only one not charging vacations to my Visa or getting a new car because I want a new car, and doesn't everyone have to have a payment anymore anyway? I don't care. I don't mind being different as it will help us meet our ultimate goals.
Rant aside, here is the parallel I'm finding to my healthy lifestyle journey.
Eating the way I am right now, and probably will for a long time, is DIFFERENT than EVERYONE around me, including my family for the most part (they eat the dinners I cook but otherwise they also eat bread, chips, popcorn, etc.), friends, co-workers, pretty much everyone.
Sometimes, being different can be challenging. Like in situations like tonight where we attended a fun Valentine's banquet fundraiser. The menu had chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese, rolls, congealed salad and red velvet cake for dessert. Not to mention the tons of candy everywhere on the tables.
I made a request of having just chicken and green beans and caught more flack for it than necessary. No one was really angry about it, but a few unnecessary comments were made. I just closed my eyes and reminded myself...
"Live like no one else...so you can live like no one else."
Not one person who likes to pick on how I eat will see their ab muscles in 6 months. I WILL. Makes me almost willing to post my before/after pic with the sports bra and shorts.
Almost I said.
Overall the point of this post is this: when you are working toward improving your life, many times people who don't agree with your method, timing or choices will feel free to say something to you about it. These same people are SILENT when you are filling your body with poisonous foods like sugar (and ALL of its substitutes) or whatever else.
Why?
Because you are being different. Sometimes, I truly believe, people are in awe of your discipline. And maybe a small part of them wishes they could do what you are doing but it just seems to hard.
Well, doing HARD things is the only way to meet your GOALs. If it were EASY, everyone would do it, right?
Well I avoided SO many bad things this weekend. Friday night date out with my hubby I had a beautiful steak and salad with oil/vinegar. Saturday we were out shopping and I had a steak and steamed broccoli and asparagus. Today I ate out twice, having chicken and green beans each time. I'm kinda sick of green beans but true story, I ordered peas at lunch then remembered they are legumes...
Am I always going to be this extreme? No probably not. But I feel better than I ever have just 12 days into the Whole 30.
I'd venture to say I will likely eat more like this, than not once it ends. I'll reintroduce food groups as instructed but if anything gives me excess gas, bloating or makes me get a zit, it's back out of my diet. Permanently.
And when I reach my goals and have clear skin, strong abs, and lower body fat % than I've ever had, I will still eat this way.
It's a lifestyle. Not a fad. And the science doesn't lie.
And my results won't either! (still haven't weighed but got my FAVORITE jeans on today!!!! haven't worn them in MONTHS!)
Rant complete! Have a great night...and remember...whatever you are doing for YOUR health is your business. Don't let anyone toss a disapproval grenade into your bowl of whatever.
~Clara
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Scale-ing Back
So I'm 4 days into the Whole 30 and honestly, the food part has not been very difficult. Probably because I had already been focused on protein, produce, healthy fats and water. But something else HAS been really really hard.
Let me back up first and tell you that the only main changes to my current diet were removing beans, dairy and dark chocolate.
If you know me well, you know the loss of my daily dose of dark chocolate is serious. But honestly, it is not the hardest part of this whole thing and I find myself thinking about it very rarely.
Know what I'm obsessed with instead?
THE SCALE!
I'm not supposed to weigh during the 30 day challenge. I weighed and did pics/measurements at the beginning as it was time to wrap up January anyway, but no scale for 30 full days.
The only time I've ever done that was when I broke my ankle in 2010 and couldn't get on the scale with a cast on.
Holy geez, I had NO IDEA this would be so hard for me!
So this is a big mind thing I'm going to have to get past in order to survive the next 26 days and conquer what apparently has become an obsession these last 3 years that I didn't realize was an issue until now!
My trainer friend Nate wrote about this in his blog and has some great insight about training, weight and the scale; check it out HERE. I read it this week for inspiration when I realized I couldn't stop thinking about or talking about the dang thing!
Overall...obsessively weighing has done nothing FOR me. If anything, its made me absolutely crazy!
Weighing every morning, before doing anything else. Weighing after every single long run praying I had run at least half a pound off. Weighing after a huge meal, and being upset with myself for having eaten too much. Weighing as soon as I came in from being on a trip to see how badly I had damaged things while traveling.
In thinking about it, I realize that I always step on the scale with slight hope but mostly negative anticipation. Which is funny, as I've seen the scale go down 100 pounds before, right? Gradually, but still down. And yet, I always get on there self-loathing in advance, sometimes hopeful, but more often than not in this past year, flat ticked off with myself for not being disciplined enough to have a good number every single time I weighed. And sometimes the number would send me into a tailspin of said self-loathing that would include a dive bomb off the wagon faster than you can say bloat.
I had my weighing down to such a science, that I knew I would lose about .8 each week until the week of my cycle, when I could lose anywhere from 1.5 - 3 pounds in one week. When I was consistent, it was more predictable and I actually got on the scale less frequently. I think it became unhealthy in the last year when I slid off track so much.
SO I'm going to try not to drive myself (and everyone else) crazy with how much I miss the scale...but honestly, I probably won't be able to sleep on night 30 when I know I can get up and weigh myself again...which also happens to be my birthday!
In other news, I've been kind of lethargic and tired, so I've been working out but not as intensely as I was before. I'm sleeping as much as my body needs to (which means I'm heading to bed NOW) and even taking naps when I can. I am reading this is common at the beginning of the Whole 30, so I'm just following the plan to a T and hoping I will also experience the burst of energy sometime in the next week or so. I'm definitely sleeping hard, that's for sure!
That's it for tonight. Have a great night! Feel free to share if you're scale-obsessed too...would love to know I'm not alone!
~Clara
Let me back up first and tell you that the only main changes to my current diet were removing beans, dairy and dark chocolate.
If you know me well, you know the loss of my daily dose of dark chocolate is serious. But honestly, it is not the hardest part of this whole thing and I find myself thinking about it very rarely.
Know what I'm obsessed with instead?
THE SCALE!
I'm not supposed to weigh during the 30 day challenge. I weighed and did pics/measurements at the beginning as it was time to wrap up January anyway, but no scale for 30 full days.
The only time I've ever done that was when I broke my ankle in 2010 and couldn't get on the scale with a cast on.
Holy geez, I had NO IDEA this would be so hard for me!
So this is a big mind thing I'm going to have to get past in order to survive the next 26 days and conquer what apparently has become an obsession these last 3 years that I didn't realize was an issue until now!
My trainer friend Nate wrote about this in his blog and has some great insight about training, weight and the scale; check it out HERE. I read it this week for inspiration when I realized I couldn't stop thinking about or talking about the dang thing!
Overall...obsessively weighing has done nothing FOR me. If anything, its made me absolutely crazy!
Weighing every morning, before doing anything else. Weighing after every single long run praying I had run at least half a pound off. Weighing after a huge meal, and being upset with myself for having eaten too much. Weighing as soon as I came in from being on a trip to see how badly I had damaged things while traveling.
In thinking about it, I realize that I always step on the scale with slight hope but mostly negative anticipation. Which is funny, as I've seen the scale go down 100 pounds before, right? Gradually, but still down. And yet, I always get on there self-loathing in advance, sometimes hopeful, but more often than not in this past year, flat ticked off with myself for not being disciplined enough to have a good number every single time I weighed. And sometimes the number would send me into a tailspin of said self-loathing that would include a dive bomb off the wagon faster than you can say bloat.
I had my weighing down to such a science, that I knew I would lose about .8 each week until the week of my cycle, when I could lose anywhere from 1.5 - 3 pounds in one week. When I was consistent, it was more predictable and I actually got on the scale less frequently. I think it became unhealthy in the last year when I slid off track so much.
SO I'm going to try not to drive myself (and everyone else) crazy with how much I miss the scale...but honestly, I probably won't be able to sleep on night 30 when I know I can get up and weigh myself again...which also happens to be my birthday!
In other news, I've been kind of lethargic and tired, so I've been working out but not as intensely as I was before. I'm sleeping as much as my body needs to (which means I'm heading to bed NOW) and even taking naps when I can. I am reading this is common at the beginning of the Whole 30, so I'm just following the plan to a T and hoping I will also experience the burst of energy sometime in the next week or so. I'm definitely sleeping hard, that's for sure!
That's it for tonight. Have a great night! Feel free to share if you're scale-obsessed too...would love to know I'm not alone!
~Clara
Monday, January 28, 2013
Best.Trip.Ever.
Why was last week's business travel the Best.Trip.Ever? Because I LOST WEIGHT! What? I've been lucky to maintain, but I lost a solid few pounds of fat while I was traveling last week. Super duper awesomeness.
Let me share how. This is gonna be a big food post with lots of pics so brace yourself!
WATER: I knew I would be eating out alot. So I made sure my water intake was solid. I drink about 4/32 oz water bottles/day.
SNACKS: I didn't pack snacks for my 5 hour drive (duh - what was I thinking???). Fortunately I found a gas station with these great options!
COOKING: I stayed with a friend at her apartment; SO much better than eating out EVERY meal. I was able to control what I ate by having plenty of veggies and protein available for snacks along with making sure I could have full control over certain meals. Here are a few pictures of my home-made concoctions last week:
This is 2 scrambled eggs with diced baby tomatoes. I sautee the tomatoes for a few minutes to get them kinda cooked before adding the eggs. I do eggs almost every morning with different veggies. Spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, and even onions.
RECIPE!:
1 lb ground turkey
2 cans reduced sodium kidney beans
2 cans reduced sodium black beans
1 small can plain tomato sauce
2 cans low sodium diced tomatoes (this time I used the ones flavored with green peppers, onion and celery)
1 bag frozen green bell pepper
one diced onion
2 chopped zucchini
Homemade chili seasoning (I make my own chili seasoning as the packets are full of additives and salt. This way I can control what I ingest.)
Chili seasoning recipe: (appropriate for the amount of chili above)
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Tsp Oregano
1/2 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
1 and 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
Brown the meat and onion and green pepper. Add seasoning. Dump in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Drain beans and rinse them, then add in. Turn up the heat on the stove and toss in the Zucchini, let it simmer together. The zucchini gives the chili a little bit of sweetness we found, and it was delicious! You can also do this in the crock pot on low all day.
Did you know you could also add an entire bag of spinach chopped up? Your kids will never know. Mine don't even notice it anymore and we're getting so many nutrients. You can also soak and cook your own beans but I rarely have time to do that especially when traveling so the fact that I even cooked was a feat in itself. I have no issues with canned beans as long as you stick to low sodium and rinse them well.
We topped our chili with nonfat greek yogurt and diced avocado. It was amazing! If I do say so myself.
GOOD LUNCH CHOICES: Even when those I dined with made whatever choices they wanted, and some things that smelled and looked amazing, I was really satisfied and happy with my lunch choices this week. Here they are:
This is lunch at Great Wall, my FAVORITE Chinese place in Dothan. They have a "diet" menu (you know I hate that word) and I ordered the Steamed Chicken and Vegetables. I used to get sweet and sour sauce on the side, but it is SO laden with sugar I opted to skip it. Instead, I took a spicy mustard packet and mixed that in and it was DELICIOUS! Just the right amount of spice and flavor and the veggies were perfectly cooked. You have to check this place out if you're in the Dothan area - be sure to tell Mrs. Nancy that I sent you.
This is one of several Longhorn lunches. Longhorn has some really healthy options and you know what? Like other restaurants, the healthy options are sometimes NOT on the menu. Pictured above is the "dieter's chicken" which is really funny as it comes with ANY 2 sides you want (lol). Grilled chicken breast and I opted for green beans and asparagus. Amazing and delicious!
This is another Longhorn lunch - I ordered "The Rancher" which is a 6 oz sirloin topped with a slice of bacon and an egg sunny side up. It also comes with some sauce but I just ordered it dry. Along with a good side of steamed broccoli with no butter or oil on it. This was AMAZING and SO packed with protein!!!
DINNERS: So when I didn't cook (I only cooked dinner one night) I ate out. Here are the dinners I opted for while out and about:
Night 1 - I went to Panera as my friend wasn't feeling good and got her some soup from Panera. None of the soup options seemed safe - here was my conversation with the young man in the drive through:
"Can you tell me what soups you have tonight? Me.
"Sure! We have the chicken noodle, the garden vegetable pesto, and creamy tomato." Him
"Ok, I am looking for one without carbs. Does the garden vegetable pesto have pasta in it?" Me
"Yes, but it only has 80 calories per serving so its a good choice." Him
"That's great, but I am not as worried about the calories as I am the carbs. Does your chicken soup have noodles in it too?" Me
"Yes it does, but it is also low fat with only 70 calories per serving." Him
"Thanks, I'll just get my friend the grilled cheese and the chicken noodle soup." Me, while shaking my head and realizing they just don't teach nutrition at ALL like they should in school. I called Longhorn and waited for them to cook me the 6oz sirloin above, broccoli and asparagus. It was amazing. And that is ginger pear dressing on my plate in case I needed it for my veggies - didn't really, it was awesome!
OK, probably my FAVE dinner all week. 6 oz Filet with 3 grilled shrimp (I shared) and beautiful steamed veggies along with tomatoes and fresh basil. I asked for the veggies to have no butter and the chef added a lemon in so I could squeeze it over the veggies. VERY insightful of him and it was really one of the loveliest meals I've had. And so pretty and colorful. WINNING!
So there you have it...my week in pictures.
My scale said I was back down to 212.8. I'm not totally sure how well that will "stick" as it was the low point of my cycle weight wise, but I"m feeling good, so we'll see.
I weigh in and measure in for the month on Wednesday before starting a newer, more challenging eating plan for 30 days called the Whole 30 for the last month of the 90 day challenge I started in December.
Basically it is how I eat now, but a bit more strict removing dairy and beans which I eat now and NO CHEATS for 30 days!!! THAT will be tough. Bye bye dark chocolate...Oh and I have to put the scale away for the entire month! SO scary! You can learn more about the Whole 30 plan (its free!) HERE. I'm excited about it! It can also cure many ailments, stomach issues, acne, etc., as you can add some foods back in afterward to see what affects your body/skin negatively.
I'll tell you more about the Whole 30 later this week. In the meantime, I'm heading to the kitchen for some dark chocolate before I have to break up with it for the month of February!
Keep on keeping on folks. I'm learning more and more that it is ALL about nutrition. You can work out all you want, but if you eat like crap, you'll feel like crap and never get the results you really want. I'm still working out, sometimes twice a day doing Turbo Fire and running (my running group is up to week 4 on Couch to 5k!). Yesterday I went out alone and ran 5k by myself and it felt great. I'm really enjoying the Turbo Fire too. Yep, all that activity is important. And I was doing this a year ago, lots of running, boot camp and Zumba. But my nutrition was not dialed in like it is now. And for that, I am getting and expecting, RESULTS.
Love those. At this rate I could be at goal by summer (GASP!).
Peace out friends!
Clara
***By the way, I also found there is an ingredient in the Shakeology that doesn't agree with me and may have made me so sick last month though I still think it was my gall bladder being set off by something, maybe that. It works wonderfully for alot of people, but there is something in it that just doesn't sit well with me so that's out of my regimen.
Let me share how. This is gonna be a big food post with lots of pics so brace yourself!
WATER: I knew I would be eating out alot. So I made sure my water intake was solid. I drink about 4/32 oz water bottles/day.
SNACKS: I didn't pack snacks for my 5 hour drive (duh - what was I thinking???). Fortunately I found a gas station with these great options!
I split the almonds between two snacks and the apple I shared as it was HUGE. Enjoyed the apple with some peanut butter and the banana right away after I bought it as I was starving. I did not make it in time for a sit down lunch that day, but I stopped by my favorite grocery store (Publix!) and got a Cobb Salad (removed about half the cheese and the icky green onions - lol). I also snacked on baby carrots (plain), snap peas (this was funny as I walked around the office eating them) etc.
COOKING: I stayed with a friend at her apartment; SO much better than eating out EVERY meal. I was able to control what I ate by having plenty of veggies and protein available for snacks along with making sure I could have full control over certain meals. Here are a few pictures of my home-made concoctions last week:This is 2 scrambled eggs with diced baby tomatoes. I sautee the tomatoes for a few minutes to get them kinda cooked before adding the eggs. I do eggs almost every morning with different veggies. Spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, and even onions.
This was my amazing homemade chili...
1 lb ground turkey
2 cans reduced sodium kidney beans
2 cans reduced sodium black beans
1 small can plain tomato sauce
2 cans low sodium diced tomatoes (this time I used the ones flavored with green peppers, onion and celery)
1 bag frozen green bell pepper
one diced onion
2 chopped zucchini
Homemade chili seasoning (I make my own chili seasoning as the packets are full of additives and salt. This way I can control what I ingest.)
Chili seasoning recipe: (appropriate for the amount of chili above)
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Tsp Oregano
1/2 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
1 and 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
Brown the meat and onion and green pepper. Add seasoning. Dump in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Drain beans and rinse them, then add in. Turn up the heat on the stove and toss in the Zucchini, let it simmer together. The zucchini gives the chili a little bit of sweetness we found, and it was delicious! You can also do this in the crock pot on low all day.
Did you know you could also add an entire bag of spinach chopped up? Your kids will never know. Mine don't even notice it anymore and we're getting so many nutrients. You can also soak and cook your own beans but I rarely have time to do that especially when traveling so the fact that I even cooked was a feat in itself. I have no issues with canned beans as long as you stick to low sodium and rinse them well.
We topped our chili with nonfat greek yogurt and diced avocado. It was amazing! If I do say so myself.
GOOD LUNCH CHOICES: Even when those I dined with made whatever choices they wanted, and some things that smelled and looked amazing, I was really satisfied and happy with my lunch choices this week. Here they are:
This is one of several Longhorn lunches. Longhorn has some really healthy options and you know what? Like other restaurants, the healthy options are sometimes NOT on the menu. Pictured above is the "dieter's chicken" which is really funny as it comes with ANY 2 sides you want (lol). Grilled chicken breast and I opted for green beans and asparagus. Amazing and delicious!
This is another Longhorn lunch - I ordered "The Rancher" which is a 6 oz sirloin topped with a slice of bacon and an egg sunny side up. It also comes with some sauce but I just ordered it dry. Along with a good side of steamed broccoli with no butter or oil on it. This was AMAZING and SO packed with protein!!!
DINNERS: So when I didn't cook (I only cooked dinner one night) I ate out. Here are the dinners I opted for while out and about:
"Can you tell me what soups you have tonight? Me.
"Sure! We have the chicken noodle, the garden vegetable pesto, and creamy tomato." Him
"Ok, I am looking for one without carbs. Does the garden vegetable pesto have pasta in it?" Me
"Yes, but it only has 80 calories per serving so its a good choice." Him
"That's great, but I am not as worried about the calories as I am the carbs. Does your chicken soup have noodles in it too?" Me
"Yes it does, but it is also low fat with only 70 calories per serving." Him
"Thanks, I'll just get my friend the grilled cheese and the chicken noodle soup." Me, while shaking my head and realizing they just don't teach nutrition at ALL like they should in school. I called Longhorn and waited for them to cook me the 6oz sirloin above, broccoli and asparagus. It was amazing. And that is ginger pear dressing on my plate in case I needed it for my veggies - didn't really, it was awesome!
OK, probably my FAVE dinner all week. 6 oz Filet with 3 grilled shrimp (I shared) and beautiful steamed veggies along with tomatoes and fresh basil. I asked for the veggies to have no butter and the chef added a lemon in so I could squeeze it over the veggies. VERY insightful of him and it was really one of the loveliest meals I've had. And so pretty and colorful. WINNING!
So there you have it...my week in pictures.
My scale said I was back down to 212.8. I'm not totally sure how well that will "stick" as it was the low point of my cycle weight wise, but I"m feeling good, so we'll see.
I weigh in and measure in for the month on Wednesday before starting a newer, more challenging eating plan for 30 days called the Whole 30 for the last month of the 90 day challenge I started in December.
Basically it is how I eat now, but a bit more strict removing dairy and beans which I eat now and NO CHEATS for 30 days!!! THAT will be tough. Bye bye dark chocolate...Oh and I have to put the scale away for the entire month! SO scary! You can learn more about the Whole 30 plan (its free!) HERE. I'm excited about it! It can also cure many ailments, stomach issues, acne, etc., as you can add some foods back in afterward to see what affects your body/skin negatively.
I'll tell you more about the Whole 30 later this week. In the meantime, I'm heading to the kitchen for some dark chocolate before I have to break up with it for the month of February!
Keep on keeping on folks. I'm learning more and more that it is ALL about nutrition. You can work out all you want, but if you eat like crap, you'll feel like crap and never get the results you really want. I'm still working out, sometimes twice a day doing Turbo Fire and running (my running group is up to week 4 on Couch to 5k!). Yesterday I went out alone and ran 5k by myself and it felt great. I'm really enjoying the Turbo Fire too. Yep, all that activity is important. And I was doing this a year ago, lots of running, boot camp and Zumba. But my nutrition was not dialed in like it is now. And for that, I am getting and expecting, RESULTS.
Love those. At this rate I could be at goal by summer (GASP!).
Peace out friends!
Clara
***By the way, I also found there is an ingredient in the Shakeology that doesn't agree with me and may have made me so sick last month though I still think it was my gall bladder being set off by something, maybe that. It works wonderfully for alot of people, but there is something in it that just doesn't sit well with me so that's out of my regimen.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Not So Great Super Great Week
So this week has been great. Funny thing is, not everything in my LIFE was great. Work was a bit stressful, our house still hasn't sold in Florida, and I am preparing to leave town Monday for a few days. All of those things would normally have me ughed out by now.
BUT. I really think a healthy approach to my eating and my crazy-mad exercise activity this week have made a huge difference in my mood and my overall attitude, including my response to some things that might otherwise be big let-me-eat-anything-I-can-get-my-hands-on-right-now moments.
As I mentioned earlier in the week, I started training a group of ladies to run a 5k. We're using the Couch to 5k program and starting week 3 now. It's been SO awesome to be part of their beginning running journey and its fun to have people to meet to work out with!
Let's recap the activity this week:
Sunday: Core 20 min workout, ran intervals with one of our training group members (she wanted an extra run!)
Monday: Fire 45 min workout, ran intervals with training group, week 2 of C25k.
Tuesday: HIIT 20 min class, ran intervals with training group, week 2 of C25k.
Wednesday: HIIT 15 min workout, Sculpt 30 min workout.
Thursday: ran intervals with training group, week 2 of C25k.
Friday: Fire 55 min workout, lunchtime 2 miles with a friend (her first time hitting that distance!), evening run with training group, week 3 of C25k.
Saturday: Core 20 min workout, 40 min stretch (like pilates/yoga), 2 mile walk with the family.
Yeah, I'm pretty tired looking at that list too. Some days I had 2 workouts, and one day had 3. I don't plan to always do that as I could overdo it, but given running is something I am good at, I don't always count it as an extra workout.
My body is responding extremely well to the workouts, as well as the eating mostly protein, produce, healthy fats and of course, lots of water.
I'm going to be packing my handy Turbo Fire workout DVDs, the schedule, and a friend gave me a few of her awesome Boot Camp lists to do as well while I'm traveling. I'm excited to stay on track with food and kind of see it as a challenge. I am planning to do everything in my power to LOSE WEIGHT this week.
Think I can do it?
Hey, are you a regular reader? I go for weeks with ZERO comments...if you read, appreciate, get what I'm saying or think I'm a moron, would you please leave a comment below? Yes, they have to be approved before they are published...so if you call me a moron I likely won't approve it. But would love to know if I'm talking to dead air or not...
thanks friends!
HUGS! Here's to a healthy week ahead!
Clara
BUT. I really think a healthy approach to my eating and my crazy-mad exercise activity this week have made a huge difference in my mood and my overall attitude, including my response to some things that might otherwise be big let-me-eat-anything-I-can-get-my-hands-on-right-now moments.
As I mentioned earlier in the week, I started training a group of ladies to run a 5k. We're using the Couch to 5k program and starting week 3 now. It's been SO awesome to be part of their beginning running journey and its fun to have people to meet to work out with!
Let's recap the activity this week:
Sunday: Core 20 min workout, ran intervals with one of our training group members (she wanted an extra run!)
Monday: Fire 45 min workout, ran intervals with training group, week 2 of C25k.
Tuesday: HIIT 20 min class, ran intervals with training group, week 2 of C25k.
Wednesday: HIIT 15 min workout, Sculpt 30 min workout.
Thursday: ran intervals with training group, week 2 of C25k.
Friday: Fire 55 min workout, lunchtime 2 miles with a friend (her first time hitting that distance!), evening run with training group, week 3 of C25k.
Saturday: Core 20 min workout, 40 min stretch (like pilates/yoga), 2 mile walk with the family.
Yeah, I'm pretty tired looking at that list too. Some days I had 2 workouts, and one day had 3. I don't plan to always do that as I could overdo it, but given running is something I am good at, I don't always count it as an extra workout.
My body is responding extremely well to the workouts, as well as the eating mostly protein, produce, healthy fats and of course, lots of water.
I'm going to be packing my handy Turbo Fire workout DVDs, the schedule, and a friend gave me a few of her awesome Boot Camp lists to do as well while I'm traveling. I'm excited to stay on track with food and kind of see it as a challenge. I am planning to do everything in my power to LOSE WEIGHT this week.
Think I can do it?
Hey, are you a regular reader? I go for weeks with ZERO comments...if you read, appreciate, get what I'm saying or think I'm a moron, would you please leave a comment below? Yes, they have to be approved before they are published...so if you call me a moron I likely won't approve it. But would love to know if I'm talking to dead air or not...
thanks friends!
HUGS! Here's to a healthy week ahead!
Clara
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Burpee Kinda Month
So its been a "Burpee Kinda Month." If you've ever done a burpee (some people call them up/downs), you will understand what I mean. You are standing up, then you drop down into pushup position then jump back up. Its TOUGH on your quads and really gets your heart pumping. Especially when you weigh over 200 pounds. Just saying.
I was doing GREAT at the time of my last posting. I went on a business trip and did awesome, staying on plan and working out a ton. Then I returned home and something strange happened. I was hit with some kind of crazy, weird, GI issue that stopped me in my proverbial tracks.
It was horrid. Each afternoon I began to get nauseated and light headed. I would eat something, then feel completely bloated, stomach burning, nauseated, to the point of laying down. It was rough. My parents came to visit after Christmas and it had been going on for a week so she made me go to the doctor. Everyone was puzzled but it sounded like my gall bladder. Had an ultrasound and supposedly that is working fine...(though they didn't do a function test; I still suspect that might be an issue).
Guess what? I felt better when I ate crappy food. It was the only kind of food that would keep me from having to lie down. Fruit, veggies, etc., made me feel horrible. It was very puzzling. They put me on a medication that helps reduce acid in your stomach, and I was on that for about a week, then decided to take myself off of it. I slowly began reducing carbs again and next thing you know, I'm back on track.
It was crazy as I really didn't "want" to eat badly for those two weeks, but it was either that or feel like crap. Now I'm rounding the bend of that issue and beginning to have the opposite, feeling bad if I eat something bad. YAY!
All that crap (lol) out of the way (for now), I've started something fun on the exercise track.
Still doing my awesome Turbo Fire workouts and I love love love them. I've also started running regularly again; and last week started a group of ladies on the Couch to 5k (C25K) program. We're most of the way through Week 2, and they are very faithful and dedicated. It is SO awesome to have them training with me! I'm really enjoying it AND the accountability of having people to workout with is awesome.
Most days I have a Turbo Fire workout AND a run. It seems like alot, but it feels amazing. I'm really really enjoying it and seeing results very quickly.
The eating is mainly Protein, Produce and water. I eat protein at every meal/snack and veggies at every meal/snack with fruit here and there too. It's going extremely well for me.
What I notice most is my BELLY FAT is what is disappearing the fastest. This is normal for reducing complex carbs. I am eating carbs, people, but not in the form of bread or pasta or rice. Instead, in the form of veggies and fruits, and millet and flax.
I feel really good and don't find myself craving anything which is really helpful. I do eat dark chocolate every day still too which is really helping me stay on track and not crave anything crazy.
Hey wait, I didn't talk about New Year's resolutions! Because I don't believe in them. Read my thoughts on that HERE when I posted about Decisions vs. Resolutions. Good stuff. I keep hearing "I plan to eat less this or more that or do this or stop that." Well...lets talk in February when your very airy lofty goals have failed. You have to make them SMART! Read more about that HERE.
Overall, I'm in a really good place. I did gain some weight back when I went through the crazy-eat-bad-food-to-feel-better-gi issue, but I'm back to losing again and almost to where I was before it happened.
So the moral of the story is I HATE Burpees but sometimes life is like one. You are up, you are down, its rough, you want to quit, but you have to hang in there and keep going. And I have and I am.
Holla! :)
Clara
I was doing GREAT at the time of my last posting. I went on a business trip and did awesome, staying on plan and working out a ton. Then I returned home and something strange happened. I was hit with some kind of crazy, weird, GI issue that stopped me in my proverbial tracks.
It was horrid. Each afternoon I began to get nauseated and light headed. I would eat something, then feel completely bloated, stomach burning, nauseated, to the point of laying down. It was rough. My parents came to visit after Christmas and it had been going on for a week so she made me go to the doctor. Everyone was puzzled but it sounded like my gall bladder. Had an ultrasound and supposedly that is working fine...(though they didn't do a function test; I still suspect that might be an issue).
Guess what? I felt better when I ate crappy food. It was the only kind of food that would keep me from having to lie down. Fruit, veggies, etc., made me feel horrible. It was very puzzling. They put me on a medication that helps reduce acid in your stomach, and I was on that for about a week, then decided to take myself off of it. I slowly began reducing carbs again and next thing you know, I'm back on track.
It was crazy as I really didn't "want" to eat badly for those two weeks, but it was either that or feel like crap. Now I'm rounding the bend of that issue and beginning to have the opposite, feeling bad if I eat something bad. YAY!
All that crap (lol) out of the way (for now), I've started something fun on the exercise track.
Still doing my awesome Turbo Fire workouts and I love love love them. I've also started running regularly again; and last week started a group of ladies on the Couch to 5k (C25K) program. We're most of the way through Week 2, and they are very faithful and dedicated. It is SO awesome to have them training with me! I'm really enjoying it AND the accountability of having people to workout with is awesome.
Most days I have a Turbo Fire workout AND a run. It seems like alot, but it feels amazing. I'm really really enjoying it and seeing results very quickly.
The eating is mainly Protein, Produce and water. I eat protein at every meal/snack and veggies at every meal/snack with fruit here and there too. It's going extremely well for me.
What I notice most is my BELLY FAT is what is disappearing the fastest. This is normal for reducing complex carbs. I am eating carbs, people, but not in the form of bread or pasta or rice. Instead, in the form of veggies and fruits, and millet and flax.
I feel really good and don't find myself craving anything which is really helpful. I do eat dark chocolate every day still too which is really helping me stay on track and not crave anything crazy.
Hey wait, I didn't talk about New Year's resolutions! Because I don't believe in them. Read my thoughts on that HERE when I posted about Decisions vs. Resolutions. Good stuff. I keep hearing "I plan to eat less this or more that or do this or stop that." Well...lets talk in February when your very airy lofty goals have failed. You have to make them SMART! Read more about that HERE.
Overall, I'm in a really good place. I did gain some weight back when I went through the crazy-eat-bad-food-to-feel-better-gi issue, but I'm back to losing again and almost to where I was before it happened.
So the moral of the story is I HATE Burpees but sometimes life is like one. You are up, you are down, its rough, you want to quit, but you have to hang in there and keep going. And I have and I am.
Holla! :)
Clara
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Stronger
Hey friends!
It's been a great week. Many interesting challenges have crept up and whacked me in the face. I, however, persevered. Let me share my successes with you.
1) I lost 10.5 pounds in the 3 days with the cleanse. Typically you regain a few after a loss like that. I did and then lost again. I'm 10.5 pounds down and its staying down. Only 49.5 left!!!
2) I ate out 3 times in the last week!!! Made great choices. Friday night found a local restaurant has grilled chicken breast and sweet potato! Next day ate before leaving the house and only ordered grilled chicken strips at Chik-fil-a. Then Sunday ordered fried chicken and removed the skin/crust and ate that and veggies. Proving once again that I can be on the run and still lose. Good thing as I am traveling next week!
3) I've been a cleaning and organizing machine! My house has begun transforming into a home. We moved in 6 weeks ago, and for 3 of those weeks I had travel while my hubby's job has kept him crazy busy. Finally starting to put the "me" stamp on my place. Love my wall colors and excited to see it all come together. We may even get a Christmas tree this weekend!!!
4) I have followed my workout plan to a T. Let me tell you...this Turbo Fire is NO JOKE. It has been really tough but fun at the same time. One day I was scheduled to do a stretching workout for 40 mins. I was like, stretching for 40 mins? It ended up being like a pilates/yoga and my body really needed it. I loooooved it and felt 100% better after it!
5) A very sweet friend delivered fresh chocolate pie after the Christmas parade we missed last week due to my little one being sick (again!). I didn't eat any!
I'm trying to get enough rest which is easy since we bought an awesome new bed (seriously the BEST thing I ever bought!) and overall feeling much much better than I was just two weeks ago.
Doesn't hurt that my jeans aren't cutting off circulation either...lol
I'm getting stronger - and think that I haven't only gotten back up, I'll be staying up, thank you very much. Feels too good and the accountability of my 90 day challenge team is keeping that thought in the back of my mind...hmmm...do I want to confess this on our Facebook page?
Also, let me give a HUGE shout out to Nathan Trenteseaux, the owner of Underground Fitness Resolution and an awesome fitness and nutrition coach/consultant. You can visit his website here and check him out. He's an awesome, helpful, knowledgeable trainer. If you live in the Gainesville/Alachua area you should totally check out his place and get in his training. I would if I lived closer! For now I'm pummeling him with questions and information and I am learning a ton. He also says "yo" alot which you know I'm all about. What!!!???!!! Holla!
Hope you all are having a GREAT and SUCCESSFUL week!
Clara
It's been a great week. Many interesting challenges have crept up and whacked me in the face. I, however, persevered. Let me share my successes with you.
1) I lost 10.5 pounds in the 3 days with the cleanse. Typically you regain a few after a loss like that. I did and then lost again. I'm 10.5 pounds down and its staying down. Only 49.5 left!!!
2) I ate out 3 times in the last week!!! Made great choices. Friday night found a local restaurant has grilled chicken breast and sweet potato! Next day ate before leaving the house and only ordered grilled chicken strips at Chik-fil-a. Then Sunday ordered fried chicken and removed the skin/crust and ate that and veggies. Proving once again that I can be on the run and still lose. Good thing as I am traveling next week!
3) I've been a cleaning and organizing machine! My house has begun transforming into a home. We moved in 6 weeks ago, and for 3 of those weeks I had travel while my hubby's job has kept him crazy busy. Finally starting to put the "me" stamp on my place. Love my wall colors and excited to see it all come together. We may even get a Christmas tree this weekend!!!
4) I have followed my workout plan to a T. Let me tell you...this Turbo Fire is NO JOKE. It has been really tough but fun at the same time. One day I was scheduled to do a stretching workout for 40 mins. I was like, stretching for 40 mins? It ended up being like a pilates/yoga and my body really needed it. I loooooved it and felt 100% better after it!
5) A very sweet friend delivered fresh chocolate pie after the Christmas parade we missed last week due to my little one being sick (again!). I didn't eat any!
I'm trying to get enough rest which is easy since we bought an awesome new bed (seriously the BEST thing I ever bought!) and overall feeling much much better than I was just two weeks ago.
Doesn't hurt that my jeans aren't cutting off circulation either...lol
I'm getting stronger - and think that I haven't only gotten back up, I'll be staying up, thank you very much. Feels too good and the accountability of my 90 day challenge team is keeping that thought in the back of my mind...hmmm...do I want to confess this on our Facebook page?
Also, let me give a HUGE shout out to Nathan Trenteseaux, the owner of Underground Fitness Resolution and an awesome fitness and nutrition coach/consultant. You can visit his website here and check him out. He's an awesome, helpful, knowledgeable trainer. If you live in the Gainesville/Alachua area you should totally check out his place and get in his training. I would if I lived closer! For now I'm pummeling him with questions and information and I am learning a ton. He also says "yo" alot which you know I'm all about. What!!!???!!! Holla!
Hope you all are having a GREAT and SUCCESSFUL week!
Clara
Thursday, December 6, 2012
We Lose Our Way...We Get Back Up Again!
Welcome back to my Blog. Well, welcome ME back to my blog. I haven't been here in awhile. If you've been looking for me and wondered if I was still alive, I am.
Not in the best health of my life, but alive. Really, my own fault. I lost my way!
I have spent some serious time over the last month or two looking over the past year and analyzing what went wrong, and why I lost my way and gained weight back. For reference sake, I must admit I gained 40 pounds back of the 100 I had lost. Oh how I have dreaded putting that information out there. But it is my reality and I'm facing it head on.
I really think when I hit the 100 pound down mark, I no longer felt "fat" and I eased up on things. At first just on my eating...slowly I began easing up on my activity and exercise too. I was still doing stuff, but not doing it as well or as diligently as I was doing before.
My *biggest* realization has been this:
No matter how "fit" I get, I will HAVE to CONTINUE my healthy lifestyle in order to maintain that fitness.
Can we just take a moment and let that sink in?
It seems logical. I've posted many times about Mud Mountain...and how I slide a little bit and somehow end up in a pile at the bottom of it.
I also talk about falling off the wagon. The wagon dragged me along for awhile. That was me trying to keep a grasp but not living how I needed to live.
Eventually, with the stress of the move, etc., I just simply let go. And the waggon became a memory. And my clothes stopped fitting me. And I cursed myself for giving away all of my bigger clothes as soon as I grew out of a size.
Though that might have been a blessing in disguise as the reality of not being able to wear anything cute hit me square in the face recently. I was forced to buy a pair of size 14 jeans. Remember...in March I was sporting size 10s. Sigh.
I also realized I spent alot of time trying to encourage others. Which I definitely want to do and plan to, in a more limited way. I need to spend my time focused completely on my own journey. And make it all about me again. So my blog will take on that kind of slant, when I do make time to blog again. Not sure how that will fit into my new schedule.
I began looking for a plan to get me back to where I needed to be. I've always wanted to try the Turbo Fire workout videos (from beachbody) but never wanted to pay over $100 for them...then they went half off a few weeks ago. I jumped on it and ordered it. A beachbody coach I've followed for awhile on Facebook was also starting a little facebook group for a 90 day challenge starting 12/2. I signed up. One other facet of the whole thing is drinking a Shakeology shake per day. Shakeology is pretty expensive but no more than other shake programs out there. I love that its all natural and decided, what the heck, I'll give it a month. It won't be a meal replacement for me, but a good healthy snack. This girl likes her real food.
I'm also planning on easing my running back up again. Two shorter runs during the week (one speedwork, the other just 3-4 miles). Then one longer run on the weekend. I'd like to get back into half training. But one thing at a time here. I'm not going to overwhelm myself.
I started the program this week with a 3 day cleanse. It was very calorie restrictive so I didn't exercise. I drank 3 shakes a day, a few pieces of fruit and had a salad with chicken or steak for dinner. I lost 10 pounds.
Of course most of that 10 pounds is water weight. BUT. It does mean at this point now I've only gained 30 back. That makes me happy.
Now I'm back to eating real food again. The goal? Mainly the way I ate before, but I'm tweaking a little bit. Mostly veggies and some fruit, lean protein like chicken, steak or fish and lots of water. I'm not giving up carbs completely but I am seeking out alternatives.
Clean eating folks. That's whats up.
Will keep you all posted on how I'm doing! I truly hope to drop around 30 pounds in this challenge, then continue kicking the gears up until I reach my goal weight of 165.
Thanks for reading and for hanging in there with me. Please forgive me if you feel I have failed you. I truly feel I've mainly failed myself.
But when we lose our way, we get back up again!
Enjoy this song from Toby Mac. Get Back Up AGAIN!
Hugs,
Clara
You turned away when I looked you in the eye,
And hesitated when I asked if you were alright,
Seems like you're fighting for you life,
But why? oh why?
Wide awake in the middle of your nightmare,
You saw it comin' but it hit you outta no where,
And theres always scars
When you fall back far
We lose our way,
We get back up again
It's never too late to get back up again,
One day you will shine again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever,
Lose our way,
We get back up again,
So get up, get up,
You gonna shine again,
Never too late to get back up again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever
[May be knocked down but not out forever]
You're rolled out at the dawning of the day
Heart racin' as you made you little get away,
It feels like you've been runnin' all your life
But, why? Oh why?
So you've pulled away from the love that wou'd've been there,
You start believin' that your situation's unfair
But there's always scars,
When you fall back far
We lose our way,
We get back up again
Never too late to get back up again,
One day, you gonna shine again,
You may be knocked down but not out forever,
Lose our way, we get back up again,
So get up, get up
You gonna shine again
It's never too late, to get back up again
You may be knocked down, but not out forever,
May be knocked down, but not out forever!
This is love callin', love callin', out to the broken,
This is love callin'.
This is love callin', love callin', out to the broken
This is love callin'.
This is love callin', love callin',
I am so broken
This is love callin' love callin
Lose our way, [way way way ay ay ay]
We get back up, [get back up again]
It's never too late [late late late ate ate ate]
You may be knocked down but not out forever!
Lose our way,
We get back up again,
So get up get up
You gonna shine again
Never too late to get back up again
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever,
This is love [lose our way] callin' love callin' [get back up again]
Not in the best health of my life, but alive. Really, my own fault. I lost my way!
I have spent some serious time over the last month or two looking over the past year and analyzing what went wrong, and why I lost my way and gained weight back. For reference sake, I must admit I gained 40 pounds back of the 100 I had lost. Oh how I have dreaded putting that information out there. But it is my reality and I'm facing it head on.
I really think when I hit the 100 pound down mark, I no longer felt "fat" and I eased up on things. At first just on my eating...slowly I began easing up on my activity and exercise too. I was still doing stuff, but not doing it as well or as diligently as I was doing before.
My *biggest* realization has been this:
No matter how "fit" I get, I will HAVE to CONTINUE my healthy lifestyle in order to maintain that fitness.
Can we just take a moment and let that sink in?
It seems logical. I've posted many times about Mud Mountain...and how I slide a little bit and somehow end up in a pile at the bottom of it.
I also talk about falling off the wagon. The wagon dragged me along for awhile. That was me trying to keep a grasp but not living how I needed to live.
Eventually, with the stress of the move, etc., I just simply let go. And the waggon became a memory. And my clothes stopped fitting me. And I cursed myself for giving away all of my bigger clothes as soon as I grew out of a size.
Though that might have been a blessing in disguise as the reality of not being able to wear anything cute hit me square in the face recently. I was forced to buy a pair of size 14 jeans. Remember...in March I was sporting size 10s. Sigh.
I also realized I spent alot of time trying to encourage others. Which I definitely want to do and plan to, in a more limited way. I need to spend my time focused completely on my own journey. And make it all about me again. So my blog will take on that kind of slant, when I do make time to blog again. Not sure how that will fit into my new schedule.
I began looking for a plan to get me back to where I needed to be. I've always wanted to try the Turbo Fire workout videos (from beachbody) but never wanted to pay over $100 for them...then they went half off a few weeks ago. I jumped on it and ordered it. A beachbody coach I've followed for awhile on Facebook was also starting a little facebook group for a 90 day challenge starting 12/2. I signed up. One other facet of the whole thing is drinking a Shakeology shake per day. Shakeology is pretty expensive but no more than other shake programs out there. I love that its all natural and decided, what the heck, I'll give it a month. It won't be a meal replacement for me, but a good healthy snack. This girl likes her real food.
I'm also planning on easing my running back up again. Two shorter runs during the week (one speedwork, the other just 3-4 miles). Then one longer run on the weekend. I'd like to get back into half training. But one thing at a time here. I'm not going to overwhelm myself.
I started the program this week with a 3 day cleanse. It was very calorie restrictive so I didn't exercise. I drank 3 shakes a day, a few pieces of fruit and had a salad with chicken or steak for dinner. I lost 10 pounds.
Of course most of that 10 pounds is water weight. BUT. It does mean at this point now I've only gained 30 back. That makes me happy.
Now I'm back to eating real food again. The goal? Mainly the way I ate before, but I'm tweaking a little bit. Mostly veggies and some fruit, lean protein like chicken, steak or fish and lots of water. I'm not giving up carbs completely but I am seeking out alternatives.
Clean eating folks. That's whats up.
Will keep you all posted on how I'm doing! I truly hope to drop around 30 pounds in this challenge, then continue kicking the gears up until I reach my goal weight of 165.
Thanks for reading and for hanging in there with me. Please forgive me if you feel I have failed you. I truly feel I've mainly failed myself.
But when we lose our way, we get back up again!
Enjoy this song from Toby Mac. Get Back Up AGAIN!
Hugs,
Clara
You turned away when I looked you in the eye,
And hesitated when I asked if you were alright,
Seems like you're fighting for you life,
But why? oh why?
Wide awake in the middle of your nightmare,
You saw it comin' but it hit you outta no where,
And theres always scars
When you fall back far
We lose our way,
We get back up again
It's never too late to get back up again,
One day you will shine again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever,
Lose our way,
We get back up again,
So get up, get up,
You gonna shine again,
Never too late to get back up again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever
[May be knocked down but not out forever]
You're rolled out at the dawning of the day
Heart racin' as you made you little get away,
It feels like you've been runnin' all your life
But, why? Oh why?
So you've pulled away from the love that wou'd've been there,
You start believin' that your situation's unfair
But there's always scars,
When you fall back far
We lose our way,
We get back up again
Never too late to get back up again,
One day, you gonna shine again,
You may be knocked down but not out forever,
Lose our way, we get back up again,
So get up, get up
You gonna shine again
It's never too late, to get back up again
You may be knocked down, but not out forever,
May be knocked down, but not out forever!
This is love callin', love callin', out to the broken,
This is love callin'.
This is love callin', love callin', out to the broken
This is love callin'.
This is love callin', love callin',
I am so broken
This is love callin' love callin
Lose our way, [way way way ay ay ay]
We get back up, [get back up again]
It's never too late [late late late ate ate ate]
You may be knocked down but not out forever!
Lose our way,
We get back up again,
So get up get up
You gonna shine again
Never too late to get back up again
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever,
This is love [lose our way] callin' love callin' [get back up again]
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