Ok, so I have a confession to make.
But it's not FOOD based confession. Shocked? I KNOW! Me eating well for 26 days, staying 100% on track for 26 days was formerly unheard of.
Did you hear me? 26 days!
Even when I gave up chocolate for lent a few years ago (I'm not Catholic but really do like the thought of sacrifice/focus that tradition lends) I ate all kinds of other weird dessert things to replace my daily dose of dark chocolate.
No more. I traveled all last week and did a great job staying on track!
But I made a decision while I was out and about. One of the reasons last week was SO good for me is that I stayed with a friend at her apartment and I planned every.single.meal. This was super helpful and I honestly did not eat ONE thing off plan! I left on Sunday and returned on Thursday evening.
Even found myself in the car on the way home Thursday without a lunch plan. Oops. I found a grocery store and purchased hard boiled eggs and carrots. It was delicious and plenty filling. And I was CRAVING these things!
Amazingness. Still.
So realizing this next week will be completely unpredictable. I leave Monday morning to head to Atlanta to start my new job. Spend the night in Atlanta, then drive home Tuesday evening. Wednesday morning, head out to begin touring my region, stay the night in Savannah, then tour those 3 facilities and head back to Atlanta, spend the night, then go through training on Friday.
I'm going to pack a cooler tomorrow with my breakfast options as those will likely need to be quick and easy, and I will truly pray I can find decent food options everywhere else I go. Some of the towns I'll be touring through are small.
Given the uncertainty, I made a well thought out decision to get on the scale yesterday and make note of my current weight. \
GASP! Yep, I weighed.
But it wasn't in a moment of weakness, giving in to a craving to do so or anything unhealthy. I just decided I really wanted to see how next week of eating out almost every meal would affect my overall results as this week is the last of my official Whole 30!
Now I have decided I will not be posting about my weight just yet. Yep, to keep you coming back to my blog and wondering. Just kidding, really because I didn't weigh so I would lose focus. I weighed to be able to weigh next Saturday and be able to tell how my new job is going to affect my healthy lifestyle.
You see, I'm already making it a Whole 50. I may or may not have dark chocolate on my birthday (March 1). I haven't decided yet. But I certainly don't feel like food owns me, and I also don't feel like I need to decide on that at the moment.
I feel really strong. Really determined. Really happy with this way of eating.
Yes, I am definitely going to do some reintroduction. I LOVE beans and I want to see if they affect me negatively or not. I'm curious about grains but miss them less honestly. And occasionally I would love cheese and a little bit of sugar (not together - haha).
But I CANNOT believe how successful 25 days was, eating really YUMMY food and not going hungry, even one day or night.
I am eating plenty of fat with every meal, enjoying some of my absolute favorite foods ever (avocado is one, and I've always always been a happy carnivore). Developed some new favorite foods, like brussel sprouts, snap peas, limes, and mangos.
The one thing I KNOW I have to do better at this week is exercise more consistently. I ended up with 3 rest days this past week which is too many; mainly because I stayed up too late visiting with friends, and "couldn't" get up early enough a few days then ran out of time. This will NOT happen this week!
Given that, I'm posting my workout schedule to help me stay accountable. Here it is:
Sunday: Afternoon run (going to happen in a little bit)
Monday: early morning T30 Weights workout and HIIT 15, 20 or 25 (whichever I have time for)
Tuesday: early morning interval run on treadmill plus a TF workout
Wednesday: early morning T30 Weights workout and HIIT 15, 20 or 25
Thursday: early morning 2 mile run on treadmill plus TF Abs workout
Friday: REST day - sleep "in" then work, then drive home (also happens to be my birthday)
Saturday: We'll see after this crazy week. :)
So there you go. My workout plans. Please pray for me this week! I'm excited about my new adventure, and planning to stay on track throughout it!
Thanks friends! Home stretch of my first Whole 30!!! Woot woot!
Clara
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
10 Benefits of Amazingness. And Then Some.
So here I am, trying this new thing.
Just wanted to give an update on how things are going for the Whole 30 and for me overall.
I'm on Day 18. What??? Yep, it's flying by. Here is a link to the website to learn all about the Whole 30 challenge and the benefits of doing it: Whole 30 Details
Let me just list THE TOP 10 amazing benefits I'm reaping from eating CLEAN and W30 approved foods ONLY for JUST 18 days:
2) strength - to tag on the above, I actually feel my muscles more than I EVER have - I told my husband I can feel my abs, the ENTIRE length of them, and I KNOW soon we will meet!
3) BAD cravings GONE - my prior cravings/issues with sugar. GONE. I even made pancakes this morning for my daughter, including handling dark chocolate chips with my BARE hands. NOT ONE made it into my mouth. Didn't even want them. (I felt a little bit like an alcoholic handling a beverage from their past - a bit shaky but couldn't believe how strong I felt!)
4) GOOD cravings HERE - I am craving things like: hard boiled eggs (which I haven't even made yet), brussel sprouts, lean meat, snap peas, green beans, broccoli, healthy soups, fish, etc. WEIRD but YEAH!
5) Physical Improvements - ok, while I'm not allowed to weigh, I just know the scale will be good to me when I do get to weigh as I can just feel it. I can visibly see changes in my waistline, face, arms, etc. My hair is shinier, my teeth apparently whiter, my fingernails longer, white tipped and stronger than ever, and my skin clearer.
6) My will is SOLID - I don't even feel a little unsure of myself, even with a bunch of travel coming up in the next few weeks. I know HOW to do this and I'm DOING it. Period. Not at all afraid of what might happen.
7) My GUT is GREAT - enough said.
8) Sleeping like a BABY - No joke. I'm waking up in the same position, on my back, as when I go to sleep. I've never been able to sleep on my back (yes I have an amazing Serta IComfort mattress too) but man, the 8-9 hours I'm getting are solid.
9) Intense FOCUS - If you know me you know this is a huge deal. I'm usually the "oh look, something shiny" person in the room and have a hard time buckling down sometimes. I've had laser focus lately. Getting a ton accomplished at once and knocking things out, all kinds of things.
10) INCREASED HAPPINESS - this one is funny. I had read you might feel happy for really no good reason. This is absolutely true! Now, I do have one blessed life...a great husband, beautiful little girl, dog who adores me, and friends who are absolutely amazing. However...I still have a house in Florida that needs to sell, some big expenses coming up as I change jobs and have to have COBRA insurance and not one part of me is concerned. Granted, I'm a normally very positive person, but honestly, I feel more positive than I ever have.
There it is, folks.
Whole 30 eating is EXTREME. It is CHALLENGING. I won't call it hard.
Because, to quote from the book, It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, "Please don't tell us that this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard."
I've been at this "dieting" thing for 3 and a half years. I've lost 100 pounds, gained 40 back, then lost another 11 (plus however many I lost this month!). I consider my last 4 years pretty decent trial and error experience. I've spoken AGAINST ditching carbs or eliminating food groups.
But this is NOT eliminating carbs. It's eliminating GRAINS and eating only the carbs that God himself made. Read the Grain Manifesto here: Grain Manifesto
I've had cheat MEALS that turned to cheat DAYS that turned to cheat WEEKENDS that turned to cheating 50% of the time.
I've tried moderation with "bad" foods, exercising more to compensate for eating more (uh, that doesn't help by the way) and self-loathing after eating something "bad." I've tracked every single morsel I put in my mouth, tried to exactly estimate how much I needed to burn, eat, etc. I've made myself crazy counting, and accounting for, and not spending ANY time really thinking about how I FELT - my gut, my mind, my heart, my muscles.
So are you going to ask the question or are you going to wait for me?
How did that work for you Clara???
Yeah. It didn't. I am a sugar addict. And I tried to justify that because the rest of the world justifies it every day. Sugar does NOTHING LASTING for my body and the temporary high just isn't worth my overall health. And I gained weight back. Almost HALF of what I lost in 2 years back in just 8 months. Which brings me to last December, and then right now.
It may sound crazy that I'm just 18 days into something and claiming a permanent healing. Maybe my tune will change after I travel for the next 3 weeks. Maybe not.
But on the off chance my tune, resolve, gut and health remain the same and continue to improve, I'm going to continue doing what I'm loving - this W30 lifestyle. I already plan to extend it another 20 days and make it a Whole 50+ with some reintroduction as I have a group of friends embarking on it starting on Monday.
If I like it, I think I'll make it a WholeFOREVER. Why not? In fact, I just spent a little while creating a new board on Pinterest "Good Eats for Life" and deleting my "Favorite Recipes" board that contained CRAP that I might indulge in here and there in life, but don't plan on creating in my kitchen anytime soon, if ever. Sugar OWNED me folks. Even pictures of it. No more.
AMAZINGNESS.
Visit the website. Read the material. Buy the book. I'm telling you, if you don't feel better after 30 days I'll eat some cheesecake. (just kidding. that actually sounds gross right now - that's HOW sure I am that this will change your life!).
Holla!
Clara
Just wanted to give an update on how things are going for the Whole 30 and for me overall.
I'm on Day 18. What??? Yep, it's flying by. Here is a link to the website to learn all about the Whole 30 challenge and the benefits of doing it: Whole 30 Details
Let me just list THE TOP 10 amazing benefits I'm reaping from eating CLEAN and W30 approved foods ONLY for JUST 18 days:
Ten Benefits of Amazingness (i.e. the Whole 30) SO FAR:
1) energy - I feel great and absolutely experiencing increased strength in my workouts.2) strength - to tag on the above, I actually feel my muscles more than I EVER have - I told my husband I can feel my abs, the ENTIRE length of them, and I KNOW soon we will meet!
3) BAD cravings GONE - my prior cravings/issues with sugar. GONE. I even made pancakes this morning for my daughter, including handling dark chocolate chips with my BARE hands. NOT ONE made it into my mouth. Didn't even want them. (I felt a little bit like an alcoholic handling a beverage from their past - a bit shaky but couldn't believe how strong I felt!)
4) GOOD cravings HERE - I am craving things like: hard boiled eggs (which I haven't even made yet), brussel sprouts, lean meat, snap peas, green beans, broccoli, healthy soups, fish, etc. WEIRD but YEAH!
5) Physical Improvements - ok, while I'm not allowed to weigh, I just know the scale will be good to me when I do get to weigh as I can just feel it. I can visibly see changes in my waistline, face, arms, etc. My hair is shinier, my teeth apparently whiter, my fingernails longer, white tipped and stronger than ever, and my skin clearer.
6) My will is SOLID - I don't even feel a little unsure of myself, even with a bunch of travel coming up in the next few weeks. I know HOW to do this and I'm DOING it. Period. Not at all afraid of what might happen.
7) My GUT is GREAT - enough said.
8) Sleeping like a BABY - No joke. I'm waking up in the same position, on my back, as when I go to sleep. I've never been able to sleep on my back (yes I have an amazing Serta IComfort mattress too) but man, the 8-9 hours I'm getting are solid.
9) Intense FOCUS - If you know me you know this is a huge deal. I'm usually the "oh look, something shiny" person in the room and have a hard time buckling down sometimes. I've had laser focus lately. Getting a ton accomplished at once and knocking things out, all kinds of things.
10) INCREASED HAPPINESS - this one is funny. I had read you might feel happy for really no good reason. This is absolutely true! Now, I do have one blessed life...a great husband, beautiful little girl, dog who adores me, and friends who are absolutely amazing. However...I still have a house in Florida that needs to sell, some big expenses coming up as I change jobs and have to have COBRA insurance and not one part of me is concerned. Granted, I'm a normally very positive person, but honestly, I feel more positive than I ever have.
There it is, folks.
Whole 30 eating is EXTREME. It is CHALLENGING. I won't call it hard.
Because, to quote from the book, It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, "Please don't tell us that this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard."
I've been at this "dieting" thing for 3 and a half years. I've lost 100 pounds, gained 40 back, then lost another 11 (plus however many I lost this month!). I consider my last 4 years pretty decent trial and error experience. I've spoken AGAINST ditching carbs or eliminating food groups.
But this is NOT eliminating carbs. It's eliminating GRAINS and eating only the carbs that God himself made. Read the Grain Manifesto here: Grain Manifesto
I've had cheat MEALS that turned to cheat DAYS that turned to cheat WEEKENDS that turned to cheating 50% of the time.
I've tried moderation with "bad" foods, exercising more to compensate for eating more (uh, that doesn't help by the way) and self-loathing after eating something "bad." I've tracked every single morsel I put in my mouth, tried to exactly estimate how much I needed to burn, eat, etc. I've made myself crazy counting, and accounting for, and not spending ANY time really thinking about how I FELT - my gut, my mind, my heart, my muscles.
So are you going to ask the question or are you going to wait for me?
How did that work for you Clara???
Yeah. It didn't. I am a sugar addict. And I tried to justify that because the rest of the world justifies it every day. Sugar does NOTHING LASTING for my body and the temporary high just isn't worth my overall health. And I gained weight back. Almost HALF of what I lost in 2 years back in just 8 months. Which brings me to last December, and then right now.
It may sound crazy that I'm just 18 days into something and claiming a permanent healing. Maybe my tune will change after I travel for the next 3 weeks. Maybe not.
But on the off chance my tune, resolve, gut and health remain the same and continue to improve, I'm going to continue doing what I'm loving - this W30 lifestyle. I already plan to extend it another 20 days and make it a Whole 50+ with some reintroduction as I have a group of friends embarking on it starting on Monday.
If I like it, I think I'll make it a WholeFOREVER. Why not? In fact, I just spent a little while creating a new board on Pinterest "Good Eats for Life" and deleting my "Favorite Recipes" board that contained CRAP that I might indulge in here and there in life, but don't plan on creating in my kitchen anytime soon, if ever. Sugar OWNED me folks. Even pictures of it. No more.
AMAZINGNESS.
Visit the website. Read the material. Buy the book. I'm telling you, if you don't feel better after 30 days I'll eat some cheesecake. (just kidding. that actually sounds gross right now - that's HOW sure I am that this will change your life!).
Holla!
Clara
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Living Like No One Else
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
"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
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
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