Podcasts & Realizations

Preface: Since working I have gained a TINY bit of weight. Which saddens me because really I want to lose another 5-10lbs. I haven’t been super strict on my diet but I AM FINALLY settling into a workout schedule!

Since I have been working my ‘free’ time has become very limited. I had hoped to read JM’s Master Your Metabolism & Unlimited (which I did start and can’t wait to get back to). I also had several other books on nutrition and diet that I wanted to get to and I have missed reading my weekly articles from various websites. Anyway needless to say I am not keeping up on my ‘studies’ as much as I would like. So the other day I decided to start listening to more of JM’s podcasts. And I have learned a lot--some about nutrition, some about exercise, but mostly about myself. Here is what I have learned from the last couple of podcasts I’ve listened to. (WARNING: Some of this may appear to be glaringly obvious (meaning you know it and have read it before) but let me tell you until you really internalize it you won’t ‘get it’.)

#1 DO IT FOR YOURSELF: Jillian took a call from a listener who had lost something like 100lbs. She claimed to have hit a plateau and couldn’t push through. Jillian dove into why she had gained the weight in the first place. Well this gal’s father was a PE teacher and all of her brothers and sisters were runners. As the conversation went on the girl basically said ‘I’m losing the weight to prove to them or to make them proud’. Jillian stopped her and said something to the effect of you have to do it for yourself!

#2 BEING THIN DOESN’T EQUAL CONFIDENCE OR SELF WORTH

Again Jillian took a call from a woman who was 4’11 and used to weight 165lbs. She now weighs 117lbs. The woman was calling for two reasons 1-she looks in the mirror and doesn’t know how to respond to her reflection and 2-she is also feeling awkward about the way others are treating her. The first sounds to me like losing the weight was a band aid to help with self confidence issues. The second is VERY easy for me (and I am sure others who have lost weight) to relate to. Others were ALWAYS watching her eat and criticizing her choices. They were also messing with her emotions—telling her husband that they thought she’d leave him now that she was thin, etc.

Both of these things hit me like a TON OF BRICKS! The whole time I have been losing weight I have wanted to be healthier but in the forefront of my mind it was to be an example to my siblings, to make sure my daughter has a mother around for as long as possible, and to try to keep up with my ULTRA SEXY husband. I was doing it for myself but the other reasons were my main push. I specifically remember working out and keeping Kaci nearby so I could look at her and push myself through the workout. I am not saying that being an example is a bad reason to get healthy but what happens when you have the knowledge , lose most of the weight and people see you as an example… then what? Do you stop losing and just sit stagnant? Do you gain it all back? What motivation do you have to lose those ‘vanity pounds’? The answer my friends is NONE! Unless YOU are the reason you are getting healthy then you can forget it! My initial reasons got me to make a change in my life and they are still reasons that I want to maintain a healthy lifestyle but I have realized now that the rest of my journey has to be for ME.

The other thing that hit me was still looking in the mirror and seeing the ‘chubby girl’ or to take it one step further as say to eat like the ‘chubby girl’. I still have these issues that I have to work out. At first when I was losing the weight it was easy to see it. I SAW the pounds come off and new muscles reveal themselves --it becomes VERY exciting. But once I got to a certain point (ie a healthy weight) all I see is what is left. Why do I still have flab here? Why isn’t the saddle bag gone yet? Etc. etc. etc. It is very difficult to get a grip on that. Then there is the eating like a ‘chubby girl’ part. I grew up in a family of social eaters. We ate when we were happy and we ate when we were sad. We rewarded ourselves with food. Eating was funny too—‘look at how short and little I am and how much I can eat’. IN FACT I still to this day will make comments when I eat like ‘I’m a good eater’ or I will tell Kaci ‘You eat like your momma’. Why do I still think like this?

Anyway I know this is a LONG post and if you’ve stuck with me to the end I thank you. I just had several realizations this week due to fabulous podcasts. Now I am not saying I agree with everything JM says for example today I completely disagreed with what she was saying to the point that I had to fast forward through a particular segment.

THE TAKE AWAY:

I am going to look for the good in the mirror and congratulate myself for my accomplishments more.

I am going work on my attitude toward food and be careful about the way I talk about food.

I am recommitted to my calorie count.

I am no longer eating after 7PM.

I am going to work on drinking less Diet Coke.

In the future I will keep better track of which podcast I've listened to. If you want you can download JM's Podcasts HERE.

Again sorry for the long post! Have a wonderful day!

Balancing Act

Okay let's take a look at a typical day now...

4:30 AM

Wake up (if I haven't already woken up with Kaci Lu--who is currently teething her molars)

4:30-5 AM
Work Out (I'm lucky if I get a 1/2 hour workout in which makes me sad)
5-6 AM
Shower & get ready for work
6-6:30 AM
Pick up the house a little and make sure meals are ready for family & me
6:30-7 AM
Commute
7-3PM
Work at the MOST fabulous job (other than being a mommy that is)
3-3:30 PM
Commute
3:30-8:30 PM
Play Play Play
Make dinner
Bath time & Bedtime
8:30-10:30PM
Hangout with Hubby & watch the Yankees game of the day :)
10:30 PM -4:30 AM
SLEEP!!!

Now I understand that people have WAY more difficult lives and I feel HONORED to have my life and have the opportunity to do the things I do. Let me make it VERY CLEAR I am NOT complaining. I LOVE my life. But WOWZA!

Finding time to workout (because let's face it sometimes I hit the snooze button unconsciously) is VERY difficult! Eating well is hard too. There is a cafeteria (I am a sucker for cafeteria food-weird right?) where I work and sometimes my 'cold lunch' doesn't always sound as good and the soup of the day or amazing magic bar that is calling out to me! Then for some reason when I get home I'm in MAJOR snack mode!

Needless to say I have a bit more adjusting to do. :) If you have any tips for me lay em on me!

PS I need some good ON-THE-GO breakfast ideas.

Sorry I have be MIA

Sorry for the long pause between posts. I just started working last week and I am trying to get in a rhythm! Boy oh boy it is hard to eat right when you work full time and have a family! This is really going to be a balancing act. I will definitely be posting about how to brown bag it more effectively that is after I figure it out for myself. The first couple of days I did well (yogurt/turkey sandwich/ celery & carrots/ etc) but then time slipped away and I just thought oh I'll get something healthy in the cafeteria...well that can be difficult. I just got my new Rachael Ray magazine today and on the cover it says '1 month of make ahead meals'. We will have to see if any of these will work for lunch. PS Have I mentioned that I LOVE this magazine? It is so pretty and colorful with TONS of yummy looking recipes (I say looking because I have yet to cook one of them...lol). The ONLY thing I hate is there is NO nutrition information. I hate that!

More Odds & Ends!

Okay so remember this post? I order Jillian's Michaels' Unlimited & the Master Your Metabolism Cookbook.

First Unlimited:

Sadly I haven't found a ton of time to really get into Unlimited but what I have read I LOVE! This book is not a book about weight loss. The information it has in it can be applied to weight loss but really it is a book that helps you figure out who you want to be and or how to be a better happier version of yourself. This book is straight forward and I find myself saying 'well yeah that makes sense' a lot! I love love it and can't wait to really dig in!

Second Master Your Metabolism Cookbook

So the first part is kind of a summary of Master Your Metabolism and I found that SUPER interesting. In fact I plan on purchasing THAT book. The recipes....eh. I really don't see myself cooking most of the stuff. Sad huh! Yeah I will be returning that book and ordering Master Your Metabolism. Once I start into that prepare yourself for some tips from it.

The Murray Fun Day 5k!

So me and my cute friend finished the 5k is 30 mins and some odd seconds! I was SUPER impressed! We literally ran (jogged really) the first 2 miles without a single walk break. Towards the finish line I almost thought about walking to the end until I heard Jillian Michaels in my head 'finish it strong! Nothing I hate more than when you peter out in the end!' and I picked it up! It was fun I and will be signing up for more running adventures. A BIG thanks to my friend Amy for motivating me! She is a SUPER athlete and was kind enough to push me along. I'm sure she could have completed A LOT faster if it weren't for me!

Dear Running Friends: I think I am going to purchase a treadmill. Any advice?

Random tip: What colors are you eating? Many of us do not get enough vitamins and nutrients from the the food we eat but an easy way to fix that is to eat the colors of the rainbow (no, I'm not talking about skittles!). When walking through the produce section try picking up all of the colors of the rainbow. Make it a game with your kids and have them help you pick the colors out!

Love ya all thanks for the love and support!

'Training' for my first 5k

I know I know those of you who are runners are laughing at me. A 5k isn't that rough right? I bet you run a 5k every morning. Well I have only run twice this summer. Yep TWICE! But Saturday my friend I decided to run 3 miles in preparation for the Murray Summer Fun Run (5k) Monday morning. And guess what!! We walked/ran 3 10 min. miles! Again my runner friends are laughing BUT I have NEVER run a mile that fast in my LIFE! Thanks Amy for pushing me to do this! I am SUPER excited!

Tried it & Liked it and 5k update

As I have mentioned before I am a Breakfast girl! I love a plate of pancakes with warm buttery syrup. That doesn't really fit into my healthy lifestyle. But this morning that is just what I had. Only I made it with this...

Heart Smart Bisquick (made with egg whites) and topped it with this...

So during my last shopping trip I found this little gem. Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Syrups! (I really like Maple Grove Farms, they make a lot of low cal salad dressings. LOVE EM) Now I am not going to lie to you and tell you it tastes JUST LIKE regular syrup. But I will tell you that if you are a breakfast lover like me and you want to find a great syrup substitute this TOTALLY fits the bill. Let's compare the nutrition facts for just a second...

REGULAR VS Maple Grove Farms Butter Syrup

Serving Size 1/4 cup

Calories 30

Total Fat 0

Sodium 100mg

Carbs 11g

Sugars 0

Sorbitol 10 g

Protein 0 g

As for my fist 5k I signed up for the Murray Fun Run on July 4th. I told myself I would NEVER run this because I would see too many people but my friend talked me into. I don't have much time to train but it will be fun even if I just end up walking. :) We'll see what happens.

My Apologies!

Are you sick of reading this blog? I AM! Goodness sakes! This blog started out as a way to share information with readers. But lately it has been me whining about not losing weight! My sincerest apologies! Over the last month and a half I realized I have been going through the motions of working out and counting calories. And I haven't been actively learning about diet, nutrition, workouts, etc. etc. Well I am back! With more information!

First of all to get me started again I ordered these two items this week and am SUPER EXCITED to recieve them!

**I know that everyone is not motivated by JM but I really am my apologies if you are sick of hearing from/about her**

This cookbook is supposed to teach you about nutrition and health while also providing easy everyday meals. It sounds more realistic that most alot of the other cookbooks I was researching.

While deciding whether or not to purchase this book I came across JM's radio show/podcast (I will be listening to these podcast on a regular basis!) If you want to find out more about this book go HERE and check out podcast #6 All About Unlimited. I'm even more excited about this book after listening to the podcast!

Here is tidbit I learned from that podcast. Do you know the difference between High Fructose Corn Syrup & Corn Syrup? I didn't. But apparently Corn Syrup is ok in moderation. It is metabolized by the entire body. Where as HF Corn Syrup is a more processed substance & it is ONLY metabolized by the liver. Yikes!

Again my sincerest apologies for becoming so self involved and boring. Hopefully I will be able to share more valuable information! Thanks for sticking with me!

PS: Who or what motivates you?

Vanity Pounds??

So we all know that I have been trying to lose those last 5-10 lbs. Well I found this little blurb on Everydayhealth.com regarding those lbs. :

"You know what I like to call those last 10 or 15 pounds that won't come off no matter what you do? Vanity pounds.

The term describes our desire to lose weight that, as far as our bodies are concerned, actually feels healthy. Today's society pressures us to want to look a certain way, so for aesthetic reasons we try to be thinner than our bodies want us to be. Personally, I have gained and lost the same 8 vanity pounds more times than I care to admit.

Losing your first 50 pounds might have been tough, but believe me, dropping those final few stubborn pounds is a whole different challenge. The body struggles to hold on to that last bit of fat for survival purposes.

Now, don't get me wrong — you can lose the weight if you want to, but it will require you to muster a tremendous amount of restraint and willpower. If you're really up for it, do the following for 30 days:

1. Cut your sodium to 1,000 mg a day.
2. Drink at least 80 ounces of water daily.
3. Cut out processed foods.
4. Abstain from alcohol.
5. Train at 85 percent of your MHR (maximum heart rate) for 1 hour 5 times a week.

You can do a lot in 30 days — in fact, I can pretty much guarantee you will lose at least 5 pounds. And you'll feel like a rock star!"

80 OUNCES OF WATER! Holy cats that is A LOT of potty breaks! 1,000 grams of sodium is ANOTHER hard one. Hmmm we'll see.

I also found THIS other blurb from Every Day Health regarding breaking the cycle of emotional eating. I will definitely be trying out those ideas.

PS: I PROMISE to start providing more valuable information. I know the last month or so has been more of my thoughts. I am getting back into the research and factual information about healthy living and I promise to pass what I find on to you! Thanks for following! :)

Another AH HA Moment

A little over a month ago I adjusted my calories and since I did I haven't been losing weight. I did some research and I realized that I may have made a mistake. I don't think that lowering my calories was the answer. Instead I think that I just need to be making better use of my calories.

When I started out I was allowing myself 1500-1850 calories a day. I was eating 3 meals 2 snacks (not always the healthiest) and an optional healthy sweet treat.

Then I cut back to 1400-1600 calories a day. 3 meals a day 2 snacks and no sweet treat. I found myself going over on my calories a lot and because I went over I would feel like I had blown it and just give up. I also found between lunch and dinner I was STARVING and I began to eat and wouldn't stop.

Now I have gone back to my 1500-1850 calories. I will be eating 4 planned meals two snacks and an optional healthy sweet treat. I feel like I have A LOT more energy. I've only been doing it for 2 days but I feel a difference and I've lost weight already! Phew!

PS- This article REALLY hit home for me. I don't know if any of you struggle with this but I DO!

HOW TO STOP A BINGE

The Following are clips that REALLY hit home!

(I could have WRITTEN the first paragraph!)

Binge eating has always been one of my biggest obstacles to overcome in losing weight. For me, once a binge is triggered and I take that first bite, I’m farther from stopping a binge than before I took the first bite. That first bite puts me into a frenzy and I forget all of my good intentions, aiming instead for a blissful food coma. That feeling of everything being better, calm, okay, safe and warm washes over me and I forget the guilt that will ensue for a few minutes. Tomorrow is another day, I reason. I can do better then. Deep down though, I know tomorrow will be full of regret, feelings of failure and doubt that I can ever pull off this weight loss/ fitness goal of mine.

Another technique I learned was called HALT. It reminds you to ask yourself if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired before reaching for food as a comforting tool. These emotions are strong binge triggers, so eating for the sake of eating while feeling them is not a good idea. Figure out what you are really feeling and distract yourself for a little while to address the problem mentally. Once you know why you want to eat and what the root cause is, do something about it or decide to not. Make it your choice, your decision; put things in your hands again. You are now in control

May

Okay, so May was a rough month. It was the first month since Kaci was born that I didn't lose ANY weight. I was kind of upset about it. I mean I have worked really hard this last year and I REALLY wanted to hit my goal and I was disappointed in myself. Seriously I felt that I let myself down and oddly enough I kind of felt like I was letting you down (silly I know). But I brushed myself off and realized that I learned A LOT last month. I learned that just because I am thinner now doesn't mean I can eat whatever I want-seems like an obvious thing but to me it wasn't. I also learned that the more weight you lose the more you have to adjust your calories & workout routines. I'm constantly learning what foods are okay for me and body.

So here I am one year after having a BEAUTIFUL baby girl. No I didn't hit my weight loss goal on the day I wanted to. Big deal! I lost 69 lbs in a year!! What the what! I have a lot to be proud of! I didn't hit my goal BUT I get to set NEW GOALS! And that in itself is kind of liberating. So today I am going to sit down and write down my NEW GOALS! I already have one in mind and I need your advice. I want to run 2 5ks this summer. Anyway advice on good shoes, jogging strollers, good ways to train, or races? Help me out here. I am NOT a runner but I'm going to try to be. :)

I also just wanted to say thank you. The handful of you that read this blog are really motivating to me. I know sometimes this blog can get boring but having it makes me feel like I've got my own little support group. And I hope you get something out of it to. ;)

Weaknesses

Alrighty! Here is the situation. I HAVE GOT to quite it with the cookies. The freezer situation helped for a bit but now I LIKE the way frozen cookie dough tastes! What the what is wrong with me!?? It is out of control I'm not talking one or two cookies. Today I ate 5! I have GOT to gain control of this situation! So I had Aaron throw out the cookie dough and I have am vowing right here right now: NO MORE COOKIES OR COOKIE DOUGH until the last 5 Lbs are GONEZO!

~sigh~

That feels good to get out!

What is your weakness and how are you kicking it!?

Please share! I need to hear that someone else is dealing with something similar! :)

Adjustments and THANK YOU!

Ok so today is April 28th! This means that in one month from today my little girl will be ONE YEAR old!!I can't believe it! But it also means that my personal deadline to be at my goal weight is QUICKLY approaching! And to be honest my progress has kind of plateaued. I am still working my fanny off six days a week but I am not seeing any progress on the scale. I know my love of Easter candy is part of the reason but there had to be more. I haven't adjusted my caloric intake for months! So I was looking over my calorie journal yesterday and realized that it needed some adjusting--anytime you can eat 3 healthy meals, 2 healthy snacks, peeps and a cadbury egg and still remain in your calorie goal! I think you may have TOO much wiggle room. So this morning I jumped on freedieting.com and re calculated my caloric intake as well as carbs, proteins, & fats. I am going to buckle down! It's crunch time! I've got 5-7 more lbs to lose and I can't just throw in the towel now! If you have ANY motivating words this is the time to post em! :) Thanks for everything!

Can I just say that I LOVED your comments on my last post! It is SO great to hear from you! Keep it up and don't be shy! To be honest comments are kind of a pay day for me. It gives me motivation to post because I feel like people actually care!

Unqualified

So sometimes I feel very unqualified to write this blog and so I just don't post anything but then I got thinking-I'm a real person on a real journey and that includes the good bad and the ugly. So here is what has been happening lately!

So March went pretty well in fact I was on schedule to lose 5 lbs during that month! I was THRILLED! Then about 1 1/2 weeks ago I started making chocolate chip cookies for random events. Now I don't know if you do this but for some reason I feel like when I eat cookie dough it doesn't really count because it's not like they are 'real' cookies. DUMB! I know!

Then last week my little girl got an ear infection and a yeast infection/diaper rash! Needless to say my schedule was turned upside down! I wasn't working out, getting enough sleep and I was not eating the right things.

Easter is this month. Now you might not think this is a big deal but it is! I can resist Christmas goodies but Easter goodies! Forget about it! Peeps, Candbury Eggs, Robin Eggs, etc. I have VERY little self control!

Well here I am on the 4th of April only 1lb lighter than March 1st! :( I feel totally deflated! All of that hard work right down the drain! Thankfully my darling girl is feeling better. I am hoping to KICK butt this week! This month is going to be better than March was turning out to be! I am going to work harder than ever! You see my baby girl turns ONE at the end of May and my goal was to be at my goal weight by her first birthday! I have 12lbs to go!

So here is to a WONDERFULLY HEALTHY APRIL!

ps thank you for letting me vent. i know it's not as much fun to read but i really feel better afterwards!

Dad

Feb 17 is a day of recognition in my life. This day 13 years ago is the day I lost my dad. I guess you could say he is a big reason why I want to be healthier. My dad is smart, handsome, funny, spiritual, and loving. He has a laugh that would crack anyone up. He was full of wise advice. I want more time with him. I want him here to meet my husband and play with my daughter. I don't blame him for not being here, I know there is a plan for each of us. But I will be healthy today so I can be around tomorrow. Relationships deserve time. Dad I love you!