Reflecting

This has been a crazy week at work. Ended yesterday at 3:00 with 60 hours. So happy to have things slow down at work. I'm still tired and trying  to catch up, taking a day off today to just breath.

I've been reflecting on things. The stress of work the last two week lead to a lot of eating/drinking things that are not good for me. Of course those things made me feel worse, but somehow I had myself convinced they were going to make me feel better... our brains are pretty interesting, the habits we have cultivated for ourselves are powerful. I have myself convinced that "comfort foods" will ease the stress when in reality they make me more tired and stress my body out more! But I somehow operate in direct opposition to what I know is good for me.

I know I am not speaking for myself alone when I say the relationship we have with for is often our biggest obstacle when we are trying to be healthy and/or lose weight. In a conversation with my husband I theorized that part of my issue is that I go fast and hard into an eating plan and I end up feeling deprived. Then I slide into old habits and start eating those foods I have deemed as "evil" or unacceptable, and I feel bad, both emotionally and physically, because I start to over indulge. Then I 180 right back into my health mode and it starts all over again. The cycle has been playing out like this for about a year now.

I am desperately trying to find some balance, and really figure out where I want to be. It's such a challenge. The body I want, and the eating habits I want to have aren't compatible, so it's been difficult to find stability and consistency.

What I do know is that deprivation doesn't work. If I feel deprived at some point I'm going to fall off the wagon. Overindulging doesn't work. I feel sick and sluggish and I gain weight of course. I want to be strong, I want to be fit. I want to run, hike, bike, and do burpees with ease. I want to feel strong, I want to feel like a woman warrior!

What I really want is for the guilt associated with food to end. I want to find that healthy balance we are all searching for. I never imagined the journey would be so long, and ongoing. I really thought after a certain amount of time I would simply be a new person, with new habits and I would just feel differently. And I do to some extent, but it's not the total transformation I expected. The journey continues as I change and grow, and life changes. Adapting to new situations, and the curve balls life throws you affects the journey. I think the key is to love yourself and be gentle with yourself. Accept where you are and work towards what you want  remembering that you are doing your best, and life can be hard. Be happy! Smile, enjoy your life. In the end I highly doubt any of us will look back and wish we'd fit into that size 5. I think we will look back and wish we'd had fun, wish we'd been present, wish we'd taken risks, and enjoyed the journey.

A Week of Workouts

I had a request for the workouts that i do at the gym. I figured I would blog it in case there was more interest. I don't want my body to get bored, or get used to the workouts I do, so I try to keep my body guessing.

Sunday: Rest day

Monday: 

Tuesday: 

Wednesday: 

Thursday: 

Friday: 

Today's workout (Friday) is listed as circuit training but more specifically it is Autumns Calabrese's 21 Day Fix Total Body Cardio. I will do this workout at home. On Wednesday you can see I also listed circuit training, I make myself cheat sheets to use at the gm of the 21 day fix workout routines. That day was Dirty 30. 

Saturday is yet to e determined, but I will probably be at the gym running intervals. I found this great new challenging routine on Pinterest.  

Speed     Incline      Duration

4mph        5%            5 min

6mph        2%            3min

7mph        2%            1min

3mph        10%          1min

Repeat 3 or 4 times 

I loved this one because it really worked my gluteus, and my hamstrings.

I get bored pretty easily with the same routine. I like things for a short period of time then find I need something new to stay motivated. I switch it up between floor routines and machines.

Workout Ideas

I have completely stopped running, I think I will pick it up again as fall approaches and the weather cools down. I love being outside in the  fall air. But for now I am still in the gym. I have been making myself cheat sheets for 21 day fix workouts but I am ready for a new challenege. Here are two workouts I hope to try this week.

Smoothies and Cardio

I am falling in love with smoothies. This morning I had a peach, strawberry one. It made way more smoothie than I anticipated so I shared with my husband, which meant less nutrients for me... I need to switch up some portions next time so I can add more protien. Here  is what my smoothie contained

These amounts were doubled in the entire smoothie, I only listed my half. This is such a yummy easy way to get your fruits, veggies, and protein in.

Todays workout will be 21 Day Fix Cardio at the gym. I actually quickly scrolled through the video to write down the work out because I could not find it anywhere online which is super irritating so I am going to list it here for you if you are like me and can't be home to do a workout video, or you simply don't own the 21 day Fix and would like to really challenge yourself ftoday. It kicks your ass.

All workouts begin with the same warm up:

1 minute run in place
1 minute jumping jacks
30 second pinwheels forward
30 second pinwheels backwards
1 minute toe touches
30 second side reach right
30 second side reach right

Repeat this warm up section 2 times.

Workout:
Do each workout for 1 minute the entire workout should take 25 minutes.

Round 1
Cross Jacks
High Knees
Cross Jacks
High Knees

Round 2
Skater Jumps
Mountain Climbers
Skater Jumps
Mountain Climbers

Round 3
Reverse Lunge
Burpee
Reverse Lunge
Burpee

Round 4 
Lateral Squat Walk
Oblique Knees
Lateral Squat Walk
Oblique Knees

Bonus Round
Down Ups (Plank)

Why Counting Calories is Better

After trying a program that touts  a "no calorie counting" method to healthy eating and weight loss I have determined that for me counting calories is so much easier and allows me so much more freedom in food choice. In the 21 day fix you use the cups provided to measure out food portions. There is a guide that tells you what types of foods should be measured in each cup. It is a helpful way to see appropriate portion sizes, however it s not a long term solution in my opinion and here is why....

There are many foods and beverages that are not included in the guide, that leaves you wondering what color cup it should fit into. You risk throwing yourself off by eating/ drinking too much, or getting  discouraged if you do happen to have something that isn't on the guide because you worry you aren't really staying on track. I love soy chai, I don't have it all the time, but when I do what cup does that go in?? If I want an Odowala Bar is that a fruit? A grain? Is it a mix? What about Naked Smoothies.. are those a fruit, a veggie? Both? How do I measure that? What if I want a latte? The possibilities are endless honestly there are many foods that don't fit this profile. If I was committed to eating completely clean, no processed foods at all I can see how this would possibly be the best solution, but thats isn't real for me and I am guessing that isn't real for many of you. You are making changes, but still eating some of the foods you used too.

If you are counting calories you can easily see where you are all all times in the day. the My Fitness pal app has literally every food you can imagine. People add to it all the time, the database is immense. You can also add your own foods, which allows you freedom to be creative and make up recipes. You can eat out and quickly see the calorie content.

You can't carry those cups everywhere. I mean you could, but where is the practicality in that? You can track calories on the go on your phone. You can even scan in barcodes and it will add the food for you right away. You also can't dissect foods you eat at a restaurant and start measuring them out at the table.

The cups are great for teaching yourself portion control, and for teaching you the right foods to eat, and how much of each food group you should eat in a day. I was eating way too many grains. I still use the cups to measure out meats because I don't have a scale, but the red cup is 1/2 cup which ends up being 3-4 oz of meat, that is a serving size. It is a helpful guide. It is also helpful to see what bracket you should be in for your weight loss goals, however the My Fitness Pal app gives you rough calculation on that as well. It has worked very well for me so far.

After a while you start to know how many calories are in all the foods you eat, you become super educated and prepared to make choices on the run. Counting calories trains you to really see the food for what it is, and allows freedom in choosing foods. If you find yourself struggling with the cups, maybe switch it up, use them as a measuring guide, but start counting those caloires. I think you will find it's actually easier in the long run. Give the fix a chance for 21 days at least. Especially if you have really been struggling to lose. You paid for it, use it! But don't try to live on it forever.

Preparation: Video Post

Diet is not a verb

Somewhere in the course of history we added a second meaning to the word diet. It went from this

Noun: the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.


to this

Verb: restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight.

And that is the problem. When we think of the word diet we tend to think of the second definition. It is this dirty word that we all loath, and it has certain unmentioned caveats. One being, it is temporary. The original definition of the word diet is clearly not temporary, it is the kind of food you eat, you eat to live you eat every day, it is simply a description of the kind of foods you eat, nothing temporary about that.

But when we go on a diet, I think we all imagine it will be a temporary thing, "just till I lose the weight, then I won't have to be so restrictive." The truth is that's a sad little lie we tell ourselves to make it more manageable, more palatable. "I can do this because I don't have to do it forever."

But see the original definition tells us otherwise... Your diet is what you eat ALL the time. You have to keep it up, you have to keep going. You are making changes, you are not DIETING (verb), you are permanently changing your DIET (noun).

Personal story: when I started my weight loss journey I was determined. I was crazy about my diet and my workouts. I lost weight quick. I was down 30 pounds in 3 months. I was strict I was regimented, I said no to yummy things, I was a drill sergeant about working out even on vacation. I was committed. I was also under the illusion that it was temporary...

One day I had an ephiany. This is forever. If I go back even a little bit to the way I used to eat, the way I used to be about exercise, I will be right back where I started. I will gain it all back. I can never again be complacent about workouts, I can never again say "it's ok if I eat this."

This is a lifestyle change, you are changing who you are, changing your habits. You are a new different person. You have to give up the old and embrace the new. That was a hard pill to swallow. I reached a point where the weight stopped coming off. I kept up my "diet" (using it a s verb here) and saw no change no results, nothing. I hit a major plateau that I am still riding. The worst part about the whole thing was I kept thinking (and still do sometimes) but I am eating so well, I am doing so good, I am dieting! That kind of thinking discourages and leads to relapses.

Obviously this is my maintain point. It is going to take something drastic to get over this hump. I work out 4-6 times a week. I eat healthy, I count calories. I don't lose. I maintain, and that means if I stop, if I don't work out, if I don't eat this way I will start to gain.

You reach a point where you realize, these changes are permenant. I want you to know that now going into this so maybe you wan't be so shocked and disappointed like I was.

In all honesty I have a difficult time maintaining this. When I saw other mommies with stellar results and six packs and flat tummy's I used to think "I want that!" But now I know what it would take for me to get there, and I don't want it bad enough. It is easier to maintain than to lose especially when you are starting out. When I was heavier I burned so many more calories, now that I am 30 pounds lighter the same workout burns 1/4 of the calories it did before. That is discouraging, and makes it difficult.

I don't have the motivation or desire to have a flat tummy. And that is OK. My goal is to be happy and healthy and help my kids start good eating habits and have a good relationship with food while they are young. I would love to lose the extra fat I carry, but if that means more work than what I am doing now, it's simply not happening, and I am ok with that. I seriously have reached a peaceful place (after much whining and frustration).

You will reach a point where you are ready to stop "dieting" and simply maintain a healthy diet. Make your goals attainable, make them sustainable. Be happy with the little victories. If you find that you are miserable evaluate whether or not you can maintain this forever. You cannot think of this as a temporary thing. You are making changes for a lifetime. This is not A diet it is YOUR diet.

Trying New Foods

This week we are trying several new foods in an attempt to add more fruits and veggies to our diet and get rid of as many carbs as possible.

Monday night was Spaghetti with Zoodles (Zucchini noodles). Huge hit with my husband, my son tolerated them Lexie had to be force fed.... They will be a staple so hopefully the kids get used to it!

6-8 zucchini noodled
Spaghetti sauce of your choice
16 meatballs

That's it! Super easy.

*Image from Google Search*

The kids do love dessert but we are trying to establish healthier habits there as well. For dessert we had Greek God Vanilla Honey Yogurt with pecans. My son LOVED it, my daughter not so much... 

Tuesday morning I tried my hand at flour less banana pancakes. Hit with everyone except my little girl.

*Image from Eugines Kitchen* 

Tuesday evening 93/7 hamburger patties with cauliflower rice I love the cauliflower rice, seriously I may never eat regular rice again. I mixed in some butter and salt... delicious! 

*Image from Google Search*

Dessert apple slices with peanut butter and chocolate chips! We skipped the granola and nuts. 

*Image from Google search*

Wednesday Morning Tuesday night I prepare eggs in muffin tins for the week. It's can be challenging when we have to get up so early to make something healthy, so this preparation makes breakfast simple. Just bag them up and re heat in the morning. I added a 10 oz glass of Naked Green Machine smoothie. 

9 eggs

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup diced bell peppers

1/2 Turkey Sausage link

*Image from Google Search*

Wednesday  Turkey Burgers (no bun) with Cucumber salad

Tomatoes diced

Cucumbers diced

Light Italian Dressing

Fresh Parsley (optional) 

*Image from Google Search*

Thursday meatballs and broccoli 

Friday My husband and I usually go out. Last two Friday's we had ModMarket roasted chicken, rosemary sweet potato mash, and arugala salad.