So, here we are, at the end of another week. I hope everyone had a great weekend so far and that positivity is pulsing in preparation for the upcoming week.
Tomorrow is my first day back to work in 30 days.
Thirty. Days.
That is a long time.
I am staying focused on my priorities and have pretty much stuck to my daily goals and intend to continue to do so as I get back into my real life routine. I have missed a thing here or there, but overall, I would give myself a 95% rating for staying on top of things.
Today, I am prepping my food. I made my menu and went shopping on Friday because I had all day plans on Saturday.
My friend's daughter's birthday was yesterday and it ended up being a perfect Saturday.
We began with a trip to the coffee shop (a must!) and headed out to a nearby farm to pick strawberries.
I have never picked strawberries before but it was really fun and I am so glad I did it. I brought my dog along too.
After the strawberry picking, we grabbed lunch in another nearby town and then headed to a park. The scenery was very pretty and my friend (who is an AMAZING photographer) got some really beautiful shots. My dog even decided to run and jump in the lake for a swim in the lake!
After the park we headed to an abandoned farm I spotted earlier this week driving back from lunch with another friend of mine.
It was really fun to shoot there.
Around 7pm, we started to head back to town and decided to stop for gelato before heading back to my house for a light dinner and a movie for the birthday girl.
It. Was. So. Relaxing.
Although is was busy and a full day, we had no real agenda other than we wanted to pick strawberries, go to the park, and go to the barn.
There was no rushing. We were able to enjoy every single second of the beautiful day.
All in all, everyone had a good time and needless to say, we were all worn out by the end of it. My dog has barely gotten up from his spot all day.
So, I digress....as I was saying, today I am prepping my food for the week. I just pulled my frittata (egg whites, onion, sweet potato, red pepper, broccoli) out of the oven and am about to make my protein bars (modified from Jamie Eason's recipe); to mine I added coffee grounds and omitted the carrots. This is the third batch I made so far and I am just messing around with some of the ingredients. I am about to pop those and my lamb meat balls in to cook.
My menu for the week includes 5 meals each day; there is an optional 6th meal (eggwhites and spinach) if I am hungry before bed. I also drink 1 protein shake blended with a frozen banana post workout on days I train.
Here us my menu:
SUN:
Egg whites and arugula, oatmeal with a splash of almond milk and flax.
Think Thin bar (this was just in my purse and was convenient; I don't normally rely on protein bars that I don't make myself)
Lamb meatballs with a dallop of Greek yogurt, cauliflower cous cous, and a salad of tomatoes and cucumber
Homemade protein bars
Coconut curry tofu and veggies with cauliflower cous cous
MON:
Frittata
Homemade Protein Bars
Coconut curry tofu and veggies with cauliflower cous cous
Celery with raw almond butter, hard boiled egg
Lemon chicken with green beans and sweet potato
TUES:
Frittata
Greek yogurt and blueberries
Lamb meatballs with a dallop of Greek yogurt, cauliflower cous cous, and a salad of tomatoes and cucumber
Chicken muffins and carrots
Italian Chicken with spinach, mushrooms, onion, tomato sauce, quinoa pasta, and a salad
WED:
Frittata
Homemade Protein Bars
Italian Chicken with spinach, mushrooms, onion, tomato sauce, quinoa pasta, and a salad
Celery and raw almond butter
Spicy shrimp with cauliflower cous cous and green beans
THURS:
Frittata
Greek yogurt and blueberries
Spicy shrimp with cauliflower cous cous and green beans; salad
Chicken muffins and carrots
Fish, broccoli, and sweet potato
FRI:
Frittata
Homemade Protein Bars
Chicken stuffed poblano peppers with spicy cauliflower cous cous
Celery and raw almond butter
London Broil, broccoli, and sweet potato
SAT:
Frittata
Chicken muffins and carrots
London Broil, broccoli, sweet potato, and salad
Homemade Protein Bars
(This is my shopping day so I will plan my dinner accordingly)
Pretty simple stuff.
The only things I am making ahead are the bars, meatballs, and frittata.
Everything else will be the day of and then packaged for left overs.
I first took inventory of all that I had in the house and tried to make a menu based on those items, my goal being to buy as little as possible to supplement. It worked out pretty well; I only spent $72.00.
This week I begin week 3 of Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer. So far, I can't see much progress besides an increase in strength and I feel like I have more energy.
I weighed myself this morning but have decided that it is just not worth doing it every few days or even once a week.
Logically, I know that the scale doesn't matter and if I am working to build muscle that I may gain a little. I think instead of weighing in, I will take my measurements every week for the next 10 weeks.
However, I do think I will weigh in at the end of each phase.
Like I said before, I am doing this more to strike a healthy balance in my life. The weight will come off with continued smart choices and good care taking. This is not my first rodeo but it is the first one I am doing where I am looking to go 8 seconds. I am in this for the long haul.
I know this post was sort of all over the place but sometimes my brain just works that way. It feels so good to be posting again.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Goals and Priorities
I cannot wait to get back into the gym tomorrow!
Three rest days in a row is not my favorite; good thing this is the last week of that.
So, I went back to the doc today for a final post-op check up before returning to work next week. So far, he says everything looks good and the swelling should dissipate within the next month or so. If not, we will explore the option of going back in and doing the more invasive procedure. He said it is still too early to tell right now whether or not that will be necessary, so I just have to wait it out and see.
I will not be running for at least the next 30 days and at the end of that period of time, we will reassess and see what he thinks I will be able to do from there. At that point, it will have been 3 solid months of no running.
BUT...
I know that is is really not that big a deal. There are other cardio options available to me, so I am still ok with that.
This is kind of a different subject but, I mentioned going back to work...usually, for me that means going back to STRESS.
I have had nearly a month away from all the madness and I have to say, I feel ok to go back.
This time, I am armed with a plan. I have my priorities in order. I have clear goals. I have decided that I will not allow myself to be consumed by work.
My Husband and a couple of my friends have been extremely helpful and encouraging. They listened to me gripe and then helped me figure out ways to cope with my issues.
A lot of what I was feeling boiled down to feeling like I am always rushing and never have any time to do the things I love or want to do.
Between responsibilities at work and at home, I never felt like I could just relax and enjoy relaxing. There was always something I needed to do. Everything felt laborious.
Sometimes, I would just avoid all of it and waste hours on the internet. This method, of course, would accomplish nothing and I feel even more overwhelmed because I still had things that needed to be taken care of!
Self-sabotage, much?
I think this is one of the reasons I stopped taking good care of myself. I just felt overwhelmed and every little thing that was added to my "to-do list" was just another job.
I didn't make ME a priority. And not only I suffered for that.
So, I made a list, well actually more like a "schedule".
It looks like this:
Monthly:
Clean out refrigerator
Wash and detail cars
Now, you may be saying, "Brush your teeth? You have to put this on a list?"
Yes.
The thing is, sometimes I don't brush my teeth or wash my face before I go to bed.
It is a bad habit, I know.
It is also gross.
But I have to be honest with myself. And, as grodie as it may be, it is true.
I am sure everyone out there has been guilty of this at some point.
Don't judge.
This list is for me. So I can feel better about myself. So I can visually see what it is that I want to do to feel that way.
Not all of the things on the list are necessarily enjoyable but they are things that must get done.
As my Husband has called us, we are the "The Great Procrastinators of our time".
It is true.
There have beena few times where clean laundry just will not get put away. I hate that part of laundry. Once the dryer sings its happy "I'm done!" tune, I dread the next step.
Why?
I have no idea. But it is that way.
So, instead of feeling bad about it or weird or just letting my laundry pile up, I have decided to manage my procrastination by making a specific time to take care of it. This way, it is not hanging over my head.
To be honest, this was really my Husband's idea.
We have been talking a lot lately about what makes us happy and why we don't pursue those things more often. We are both experts at finding excuses, so in an effort to branch out and actually do some of those things, we both came up with our own time management strategy. His came first.
I was inspired by his improving attitude as he was realizing that "all the things I want to do but don't have time for" was actually not the case. He was finding that he did have the time and once he got a routine down, he was finding that sometimes, he would even have time left over.
After a couple weeks of him doing this, I decided that I wanted to get on board and I have slowly been working my way to today's scheduling culmination.
It is all about perspective, mindfullness, and paying attention to what is important.
I am excited to incorporate the extra things to my days and weeks with the things I have already been doing for the past couple weeks. It seems like a lot but I don't want that to discourage me from making it work.
As my schedule dictates, my goal is to blog three times a week. (I am already at 33%!)
Even if no one reads this or cares what I write about, it is a release for me, it feels good, and is my way of leaving an imprint of my existence.
Of course, I hope people read this. That was kind of the point.
I hope my past and present experiences help someone realize they are not the only one that feels the way they do and that they are not alone in their struggle. Better yet, I hope I can help them through it by talking about how I got through it myself.
That is my ultimate goal in this life: To make an impact and to help other people.
Three rest days in a row is not my favorite; good thing this is the last week of that.
So, I went back to the doc today for a final post-op check up before returning to work next week. So far, he says everything looks good and the swelling should dissipate within the next month or so. If not, we will explore the option of going back in and doing the more invasive procedure. He said it is still too early to tell right now whether or not that will be necessary, so I just have to wait it out and see.
I will not be running for at least the next 30 days and at the end of that period of time, we will reassess and see what he thinks I will be able to do from there. At that point, it will have been 3 solid months of no running.
BUT...
I know that is is really not that big a deal. There are other cardio options available to me, so I am still ok with that.
This is kind of a different subject but, I mentioned going back to work...usually, for me that means going back to STRESS.
I have had nearly a month away from all the madness and I have to say, I feel ok to go back.
This time, I am armed with a plan. I have my priorities in order. I have clear goals. I have decided that I will not allow myself to be consumed by work.
My Husband and a couple of my friends have been extremely helpful and encouraging. They listened to me gripe and then helped me figure out ways to cope with my issues.
A lot of what I was feeling boiled down to feeling like I am always rushing and never have any time to do the things I love or want to do.
Between responsibilities at work and at home, I never felt like I could just relax and enjoy relaxing. There was always something I needed to do. Everything felt laborious.
Sometimes, I would just avoid all of it and waste hours on the internet. This method, of course, would accomplish nothing and I feel even more overwhelmed because I still had things that needed to be taken care of!
Self-sabotage, much?
I think this is one of the reasons I stopped taking good care of myself. I just felt overwhelmed and every little thing that was added to my "to-do list" was just another job.
I didn't make ME a priority. And not only I suffered for that.
So, I made a list, well actually more like a "schedule".
It looks like this:
Monday- Sunday
AM:
Rise at 5 am
Leave the house NLT 545 am
Skin regimen
Brush teeth
Take vitamins
Fish oil
Eat on time (Goal is 2-3 hours)
Drink water (Goal is 1 Gallon a day)
Exercise (Goal is 4-6 times a week)
Rise at 5 am
Leave the house NLT 545 am
Skin regimen
Brush teeth
Take vitamins
Fish oil
Eat on time (Goal is 2-3 hours)
Drink water (Goal is 1 Gallon a day)
Exercise (Goal is 4-6 times a week)
PM:
Walk Bing for 30 minutes
Fish oil
Eat on time (Goal is 2-3 hours)
Drink water (Goal is 1 Gallon a day)
Skin regimen after dinner and chores, well before bed
Brush teeth
Floss
Study for 1 hour
Write or talk to Husband
Pack bag for next day
Pack food for next day
Be in bed between 9 and 10 pm
Walk Bing for 30 minutes
Fish oil
Eat on time (Goal is 2-3 hours)
Drink water (Goal is 1 Gallon a day)
Skin regimen after dinner and chores, well before bed
Brush teeth
Floss
Study for 1 hour
Write or talk to Husband
Pack bag for next day
Pack food for next day
Be in bed between 9 and 10 pm
Monday: Dust and sweep
Tuesday: Laundry
Wednesday: Brush Bing, dust, and sweep
Thursday: Laundry
Friday: Dust, sweep, mop, clean the bathroom
Saturday: Wash sheets, make grocery list and go to the gro sto, discard any old food; mani/pedi
Sunday: Go to church, prep food for the week; face mask and candlelit bath after dinner
Tuesday: Laundry
Wednesday: Brush Bing, dust, and sweep
Thursday: Laundry
Friday: Dust, sweep, mop, clean the bathroom
Saturday: Wash sheets, make grocery list and go to the gro sto, discard any old food; mani/pedi
Sunday: Go to church, prep food for the week; face mask and candlelit bath after dinner
Weekly as I can
Blog (Goal is 3 times per week)
Read for 30 minutes (the internet doesn't count)Monthly:
Clean out refrigerator
Wash and detail cars
Now, you may be saying, "Brush your teeth? You have to put this on a list?"
Yes.
The thing is, sometimes I don't brush my teeth or wash my face before I go to bed.
It is a bad habit, I know.
It is also gross.
But I have to be honest with myself. And, as grodie as it may be, it is true.
I am sure everyone out there has been guilty of this at some point.
Don't judge.
This list is for me. So I can feel better about myself. So I can visually see what it is that I want to do to feel that way.
Not all of the things on the list are necessarily enjoyable but they are things that must get done.
As my Husband has called us, we are the "The Great Procrastinators of our time".
It is true.
There have been
Why?
I have no idea. But it is that way.
So, instead of feeling bad about it or weird or just letting my laundry pile up, I have decided to manage my procrastination by making a specific time to take care of it. This way, it is not hanging over my head.
To be honest, this was really my Husband's idea.
We have been talking a lot lately about what makes us happy and why we don't pursue those things more often. We are both experts at finding excuses, so in an effort to branch out and actually do some of those things, we both came up with our own time management strategy. His came first.
I was inspired by his improving attitude as he was realizing that "all the things I want to do but don't have time for" was actually not the case. He was finding that he did have the time and once he got a routine down, he was finding that sometimes, he would even have time left over.
After a couple weeks of him doing this, I decided that I wanted to get on board and I have slowly been working my way to today's scheduling culmination.
It is all about perspective, mindfullness, and paying attention to what is important.
I am excited to incorporate the extra things to my days and weeks with the things I have already been doing for the past couple weeks. It seems like a lot but I don't want that to discourage me from making it work.
As my schedule dictates, my goal is to blog three times a week. (I am already at 33%!)
Even if no one reads this or cares what I write about, it is a release for me, it feels good, and is my way of leaving an imprint of my existence.
Of course, I hope people read this. That was kind of the point.
I hope my past and present experiences help someone realize they are not the only one that feels the way they do and that they are not alone in their struggle. Better yet, I hope I can help them through it by talking about how I got through it myself.
That is my ultimate goal in this life: To make an impact and to help other people.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
In the Bag!
This week I started a 12 week program designed by the gorgeous and ripped Jamie Eason.
I have been a member of bodybuilding.com (see my Body Space here) since late February 2007, when I was just getting into my fitness seriously.
At that time, I was working with a trainer and he whipped me into shape in about 4 months. It was like day and night. I wish I still had those photos.....
Anyway, I was leaving FL to move to Hawaii and my sister actually introduced me to the www.bodybuilding.com website. I was instantly addicted. It like FB for fitness. I have used this site as a tool and resource since then and I have met and kept in touch with quite a few amazing people over the years via the site. It is definitely a dynamic community with loads of information, articles, a store, and now, the LiveFit Trainer .
The trainer is completely FREE. It lays out a nutrition plan AND workouts.
This is JAMIE EASON, people! FOR FREE!
Ok, before I make it sound like a gimmick, let me give you the deets.
It is a 3 phase program. Each phase is 4 weeks long. Each day of each phase is accessible through the site where it will give workout and nutrition info for ladies and guys; guys' portions are obviously larger and the quantities are plainly laid out in the plan.
The great thing is...no matter your fitness level, this program will benefit you. The transformations are INCREDIBLE.
And there are no "magic pills" or "fat burners" used; just balanced clean food and exercise.
Today, I am going to post some pics....I have some from last year when I competed and I am going to show everyone what is going on with me now.
I took the "NOW" pics earlier this week, at the start of my 12 weeks.
Today was the final workout of the week. The schedule was 4 days on, 3 days off. My workouts seriously took between 30-45 minutes.
Right now (Phase 1) I am not doing any cardio, as prescribed by the plan. This works out great for me because I am still recovering from foot surgery; I am ok to lift but still not feeling like I could hop on an elliptical or treadmill. In a month or so (when this phase is over), probably more likely.
Also, I am pretty sore, but not so much that it is painful. It is a soreness that makes me realize that I did something, so that makes me feel accomplished.
So, for the next couple weeks, I will be on a 4/3 schedule. Week 3 moves to 5 on, 2 off.
I am interested to see how I improve.
I am no novice when it comes to getting in great shape but I always struggle once I am there.
Then, I always end back at where I am right now.
Like I said in my last post, I am learning to be gentle with myself and I also want to find that balance where I can enjoy life and make healthy choices for myself overall.
I am hoping that, through this program and its lessons on daily balance that I can achieve the relief I am seeking.
Here are those pics I promised. All pics are unedited.
I have been a member of bodybuilding.com (see my Body Space here) since late February 2007, when I was just getting into my fitness seriously.
At that time, I was working with a trainer and he whipped me into shape in about 4 months. It was like day and night. I wish I still had those photos.....
Anyway, I was leaving FL to move to Hawaii and my sister actually introduced me to the www.bodybuilding.com website. I was instantly addicted. It like FB for fitness. I have used this site as a tool and resource since then and I have met and kept in touch with quite a few amazing people over the years via the site. It is definitely a dynamic community with loads of information, articles, a store, and now, the LiveFit Trainer .
The trainer is completely FREE. It lays out a nutrition plan AND workouts.
This is JAMIE EASON, people! FOR FREE!
Ok, before I make it sound like a gimmick, let me give you the deets.
It is a 3 phase program. Each phase is 4 weeks long. Each day of each phase is accessible through the site where it will give workout and nutrition info for ladies and guys; guys' portions are obviously larger and the quantities are plainly laid out in the plan.
The great thing is...no matter your fitness level, this program will benefit you. The transformations are INCREDIBLE.
And there are no "magic pills" or "fat burners" used; just balanced clean food and exercise.
Today, I am going to post some pics....I have some from last year when I competed and I am going to show everyone what is going on with me now.
I took the "NOW" pics earlier this week, at the start of my 12 weeks.
Today was the final workout of the week. The schedule was 4 days on, 3 days off. My workouts seriously took between 30-45 minutes.
Right now (Phase 1) I am not doing any cardio, as prescribed by the plan. This works out great for me because I am still recovering from foot surgery; I am ok to lift but still not feeling like I could hop on an elliptical or treadmill. In a month or so (when this phase is over), probably more likely.
Also, I am pretty sore, but not so much that it is painful. It is a soreness that makes me realize that I did something, so that makes me feel accomplished.
So, for the next couple weeks, I will be on a 4/3 schedule. Week 3 moves to 5 on, 2 off.
I am interested to see how I improve.
I am no novice when it comes to getting in great shape but I always struggle once I am there.
Then, I always end back at where I am right now.
Like I said in my last post, I am learning to be gentle with myself and I also want to find that balance where I can enjoy life and make healthy choices for myself overall.
I am hoping that, through this program and its lessons on daily balance that I can achieve the relief I am seeking.
Here are those pics I promised. All pics are unedited.
 |
| 18 days before my show. |
 |
| About a week out. |
 |
| My good friend Cat who flew to KC with me and my Husband; she treated me like a rockstar! |
 |
| Rooftop photoshoot. |
 |
| Gym Photoshoot. |
 |
| Me and another bestie, Liz, who was in the same category with me. |
 |
| This was my theme wear. I was a chef! |
 |
| Mirror shot in the bathroom. |
 |
| Me and one of my besties, Katie Jo. |
 |
 |
| Wednesday April 4, 2012. This is hard to look at in comparison, but it is what it is. |
Friday, April 6, 2012
April Showers Bring May Flowers
It is officially Spring.
The sun is out, birds are chirping, flowers are blooming.
As for me, it has been a tough transition from last Spring until now.
After my May 2011 competition in Kansas City, I struggled with my weight and overall body image. I began eating what I wanted, drinking, and ultimately I put on nearly 20 pounds over 10 months. That is a steady gain.
I also had foot surgery in March so I have not been super mobile in the past month and a half.
But, with that gain and struggle I learned a lot too and I really feel that in order for me to grow in this area and move on with living my life, I needed to experience the struggle. Through my recovery from surgery, I have been given the opportunity to re-focus on what is important to me in my life.
Last summer, I read a couple books that gave me good insight.
The first was "The End of Overeating. Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite" by David Kessler. I learned so much from this book, especially how big companies target consumers by using layering techniques of sugar, fat, and salt to keep people eating and buying more of the product. Our brains are wired to crave more sugar, fat, and salt when consumed together; the industry just preys on that fact.
The second book I read was "Intuitive Eating, a Revolutionary Program that Works" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. This book dumps some common nutritional beliefs on their heads. This book focuses on how every person is different and blanket diets (or diets that lead to deprivation) are a big no-no. It also teaches about how we have this inherent ability to regulate our food intake from birth, but it is usually lost as we are brought up; parents undoubtedly influence what, when, and how much a child eats. While people may think they are doing the best thing for their child, they could be interfering with their natural ability to regulate appropriate food intake.
Their basic point is it doesn't have to be an exact amount of food day in and day out; some days you will want more and some less, but in the end, it balances out. They also believe that no food is inherently bad. What is bad is over-consumption and mindlessness.
This theory resonated with me and still does and several others whom I have studied seem to have a similar opinion. Even when I had my bouts with overeating after reading these books, I could more clearly see triggers, and could better recognize my feelings while in the moment (whereas before it was almost like an out of body experience). Even in a binge, I could be mindful. That might sound odd, but it was a step in the right direction.
When I was prepping for my competition last year, I was very hard on myself. The smallest slip up would send me reeling. I went from being an overeater (all binge, no purge) to experiencing episodes of bulimia. It was kind of enthralling at first, it made me feel powerful in a strange way. That I could command my body to rid itself of what I had desperately craved only moments earlier gave me a feeling of indestructible, although I was indeed destroying myself each time I engaged in this behavior. It did not become an problem, per se; I realized that what I was doing was completely unhealthy and that I needed to stop. Although here were not many, there were probably a half dozen episodes in a month's time.
From that, I tried to re-learn my body, my eating type, my habits. I wanted to dissect them in a way that I was too scared to do in the past. I wanted to look at myself objectively.
I have been on a journey to do just that.
While I have learned a lot about what triggers me (anger, frustration, and anxiety) I still struggle with the default state that I have grown accustomed to over the course of my life. I am better able to talk myself down from the self destruction ledge and reason with myself. Sometimes, I allow myself the indulgence; many times, I feel little to no guilt afterward. Sometimes, I do. It depends on the situation, my state of mind, and surrounding circumstances.
It is really all about perspective and where you are with yourself.
There will be good days and there will be not-so-good days. But, that is life.
I have realized what my priorities are;I also realized I was focusing way too much attention on things I cared nothing about (in the big picture).
I have decided to be gentle and loving with myself; I will treat myself well and be patient with myself.
In an effort to do just that, I have decided to start blogging again. It really helps me (and hopefully others) realize my issues and feelings about things. Sometimes I don't even know I feel a certain way until it comes out in my writing.
In an effort to be better to myself, I am really going to focus on putting good, nutritious fuel in my body and moving my body everyday.
As this post started out, it is Springtime. On a walk with my dog today, I looked up at the sky and felt ALIVE for the first time in a long time. I felt THANKFUL that God has blessed me with a capable body in which I can use to do good, healthy things. It was a remarkable feeling to realize how much I take for granted in my life. Why waste it by trying to continually destroy it?
Instead, I am choosing to cherish, honor, and nurture my mind, my body, and my spirit.
This is not a dress-rehearsal. This is my life, the only one I have on this Earth, so why not make the most of every day that I am lucky enough to be here?
This will not be accomplished easily. It will take hard work. But it is worth the dedication.
When I think of all the other things I spend time on...either through doing or pondering, I am choosing to make me and my well-being a priority.
The sun is out, birds are chirping, flowers are blooming.
As for me, it has been a tough transition from last Spring until now.
After my May 2011 competition in Kansas City, I struggled with my weight and overall body image. I began eating what I wanted, drinking, and ultimately I put on nearly 20 pounds over 10 months. That is a steady gain.
I also had foot surgery in March so I have not been super mobile in the past month and a half.
But, with that gain and struggle I learned a lot too and I really feel that in order for me to grow in this area and move on with living my life, I needed to experience the struggle. Through my recovery from surgery, I have been given the opportunity to re-focus on what is important to me in my life.
Last summer, I read a couple books that gave me good insight.
The first was "The End of Overeating. Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite" by David Kessler. I learned so much from this book, especially how big companies target consumers by using layering techniques of sugar, fat, and salt to keep people eating and buying more of the product. Our brains are wired to crave more sugar, fat, and salt when consumed together; the industry just preys on that fact.
The second book I read was "Intuitive Eating, a Revolutionary Program that Works" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. This book dumps some common nutritional beliefs on their heads. This book focuses on how every person is different and blanket diets (or diets that lead to deprivation) are a big no-no. It also teaches about how we have this inherent ability to regulate our food intake from birth, but it is usually lost as we are brought up; parents undoubtedly influence what, when, and how much a child eats. While people may think they are doing the best thing for their child, they could be interfering with their natural ability to regulate appropriate food intake.
Their basic point is it doesn't have to be an exact amount of food day in and day out; some days you will want more and some less, but in the end, it balances out. They also believe that no food is inherently bad. What is bad is over-consumption and mindlessness.
This theory resonated with me and still does and several others whom I have studied seem to have a similar opinion. Even when I had my bouts with overeating after reading these books, I could more clearly see triggers, and could better recognize my feelings while in the moment (whereas before it was almost like an out of body experience). Even in a binge, I could be mindful. That might sound odd, but it was a step in the right direction.
When I was prepping for my competition last year, I was very hard on myself. The smallest slip up would send me reeling. I went from being an overeater (all binge, no purge) to experiencing episodes of bulimia. It was kind of enthralling at first, it made me feel powerful in a strange way. That I could command my body to rid itself of what I had desperately craved only moments earlier gave me a feeling of indestructible, although I was indeed destroying myself each time I engaged in this behavior. It did not become an problem, per se; I realized that what I was doing was completely unhealthy and that I needed to stop. Although here were not many, there were probably a half dozen episodes in a month's time.
From that, I tried to re-learn my body, my eating type, my habits. I wanted to dissect them in a way that I was too scared to do in the past. I wanted to look at myself objectively.
I have been on a journey to do just that.
While I have learned a lot about what triggers me (anger, frustration, and anxiety) I still struggle with the default state that I have grown accustomed to over the course of my life. I am better able to talk myself down from the self destruction ledge and reason with myself. Sometimes, I allow myself the indulgence; many times, I feel little to no guilt afterward. Sometimes, I do. It depends on the situation, my state of mind, and surrounding circumstances.
It is really all about perspective and where you are with yourself.
There will be good days and there will be not-so-good days. But, that is life.
I have realized what my priorities are;I also realized I was focusing way too much attention on things I cared nothing about (in the big picture).
I have decided to be gentle and loving with myself; I will treat myself well and be patient with myself.
In an effort to do just that, I have decided to start blogging again. It really helps me (and hopefully others) realize my issues and feelings about things. Sometimes I don't even know I feel a certain way until it comes out in my writing.
In an effort to be better to myself, I am really going to focus on putting good, nutritious fuel in my body and moving my body everyday.
As this post started out, it is Springtime. On a walk with my dog today, I looked up at the sky and felt ALIVE for the first time in a long time. I felt THANKFUL that God has blessed me with a capable body in which I can use to do good, healthy things. It was a remarkable feeling to realize how much I take for granted in my life. Why waste it by trying to continually destroy it?
Instead, I am choosing to cherish, honor, and nurture my mind, my body, and my spirit.
This is not a dress-rehearsal. This is my life, the only one I have on this Earth, so why not make the most of every day that I am lucky enough to be here?
This will not be accomplished easily. It will take hard work. But it is worth the dedication.
When I think of all the other things I spend time on...either through doing or pondering, I am choosing to make me and my well-being a priority.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Time Flies
Well, well, well....time sure does fly when you are having a good time.
These past few months have been a whirlwind and sadly, I have done a poor job of documenting them here.
On May 21, I stood tall and tan in 5 inch clear heels on stage in a micro-bikini in front of hundreds of people under bright lights and with loud thumping music filling my ears at the Midland Theater in Kansas City, MO.
It. Was. Awesome.
I was blessed to have a couple of my besties along with me. Liz and I stood right next to each other on stage and Katie was in a different category, but we got to spend time backstage together. It was exciting and nothing like I imagined at all.
The WBFF put together a fantastic show and the promoters were amazing, detail oriented, and the show went off without a hitch (well, Hitch Fit was in the house, but that is a different story).
Hi guys!
The women I met were kind, amazing, inspiring, FRIENDLY, and so truly dedicated that it made me so proud to be a part of it all.
I trained long and hard for 16 weeks. Was it worth it? In many ways, yes.
It was something that I have been wanting to do for such a long time now and the fact that I did it is just mind-blowing. I am super proud of myself.
That being said, I don't think it is something I want to be doing all year.
Although I did not place, I didn't care. The experience was worth it to me as well as the memories, the people I met, the things learned about myself, and getting to see Kansas City.
I got to spend some time with one of my oldest friends who happens to live there.
I ate the most delicious bar-b-que I have ever had.
I celebrated with great friends, good food, and delicious brew (and wine!).
Now, with this behind me, I set my sights on new goals.
On Oct 29, 2011 I am running my very first half marathon in Greenville, SC.
My training schedule is a bit different and I am doing my own nutrition. I am using the Eat Clean Diet and the Eat Clean Diet Magazine as my guide.
I am definitely eating more now than I was during competition prep, but my overall intake is not too terribly different (except my carbs, but most of them are coming from the copious amounts of veggies I am eating).
Right now I am taking in between 1600-1800 calories a day.
I feel good and I have only gained a few pounds post show. Not too bad.
I will say that I was still carrying a considerable amount of body fat compared to other girls on stage, but even still, I felt like a million bucks. It didn't matter to me.
After the show (and a horrible travel experience returning home...although we did have an impromptu vaca in Dallas for a couple days and got to check out the aquarium and some of downtown, which was fun) we went on vacation for nearly a month.
We spent the majority of our time in Florida, split between Tampa/St Pete and Jacksonville.
After seeing friends. family, going and doing, partying, and visiting the theme park we decided to head back home and start our staycation.
It was a busy 2 weeks with house projects and getting things in major order while we had the opportunity.
My Husband even gave me carte blanche in the Master Bedroom and I created a sexy, loungy Morrocan/Boho inspired spacewe could both enjoy.
But, I have to be honest here......I have had a hard time staying motivated in terms of getting into the gym and working out.
Don't get me wrong...I have worked out, gone running, and have eaten pretty clean.
BUT.....
I have done JUST ENOUGH to not lose it totally and I have had plenty of treats (and drinks!).
I was so glad to get back to work and on a regular schedule.
This week wasn't the BEST example for that with the holiday weekend and all, but I did work out more this week than I have in a while, and it felt pretty good (and left me pretty sore!).
I decided that I was going to follow the Eat Clean 2 week plan found in this Eat Clean Magazine and so far I am loving the simplicity and great taste of the recipes.
Sometimes I tend to over-complicate things and this menu makes me understand that things can be simple and satisfying.
I have been a clean eating advocate for many years now, but sometimes, it is nice to just go back to the basics.
Sometimes we can overload ourselves with information that we obtain online, from self proclaimed "experts" and even the government.
Detoxing ourselves and getting back to simple eating is sometimes just what we need to gain perspective. It is true for me, anyway.
I know this is a long post, but it has been such a long time...I miss this.
I am going to try to get back into posting more often...at least once a week.
Pics will be added soon.
Peace, love, and God Bless.
These past few months have been a whirlwind and sadly, I have done a poor job of documenting them here.
On May 21, I stood tall and tan in 5 inch clear heels on stage in a micro-bikini in front of hundreds of people under bright lights and with loud thumping music filling my ears at the Midland Theater in Kansas City, MO.
It. Was. Awesome.
I was blessed to have a couple of my besties along with me. Liz and I stood right next to each other on stage and Katie was in a different category, but we got to spend time backstage together. It was exciting and nothing like I imagined at all.
The WBFF put together a fantastic show and the promoters were amazing, detail oriented, and the show went off without a hitch (well, Hitch Fit was in the house, but that is a different story).
Hi guys!
The women I met were kind, amazing, inspiring, FRIENDLY, and so truly dedicated that it made me so proud to be a part of it all.
I trained long and hard for 16 weeks. Was it worth it? In many ways, yes.
It was something that I have been wanting to do for such a long time now and the fact that I did it is just mind-blowing. I am super proud of myself.
That being said, I don't think it is something I want to be doing all year.
Although I did not place, I didn't care. The experience was worth it to me as well as the memories, the people I met, the things learned about myself, and getting to see Kansas City.
I got to spend some time with one of my oldest friends who happens to live there.
I ate the most delicious bar-b-que I have ever had.
I celebrated with great friends, good food, and delicious brew (and wine!).
Now, with this behind me, I set my sights on new goals.
On Oct 29, 2011 I am running my very first half marathon in Greenville, SC.
My training schedule is a bit different and I am doing my own nutrition. I am using the Eat Clean Diet and the Eat Clean Diet Magazine as my guide.
I am definitely eating more now than I was during competition prep, but my overall intake is not too terribly different (except my carbs, but most of them are coming from the copious amounts of veggies I am eating).
Right now I am taking in between 1600-1800 calories a day.
I feel good and I have only gained a few pounds post show. Not too bad.
I will say that I was still carrying a considerable amount of body fat compared to other girls on stage, but even still, I felt like a million bucks. It didn't matter to me.
After the show (and a horrible travel experience returning home...although we did have an impromptu vaca in Dallas for a couple days and got to check out the aquarium and some of downtown, which was fun) we went on vacation for nearly a month.
We spent the majority of our time in Florida, split between Tampa/St Pete and Jacksonville.
After seeing friends. family, going and doing, partying, and visiting the theme park we decided to head back home and start our staycation.
It was a busy 2 weeks with house projects and getting things in major order while we had the opportunity.
My Husband even gave me carte blanche in the Master Bedroom and I created a sexy, loungy Morrocan/Boho inspired spacewe could both enjoy.
But, I have to be honest here......I have had a hard time staying motivated in terms of getting into the gym and working out.
Don't get me wrong...I have worked out, gone running, and have eaten pretty clean.
BUT.....
I have done JUST ENOUGH to not lose it totally and I have had plenty of treats (and drinks!).
I was so glad to get back to work and on a regular schedule.
This week wasn't the BEST example for that with the holiday weekend and all, but I did work out more this week than I have in a while, and it felt pretty good (and left me pretty sore!).
I decided that I was going to follow the Eat Clean 2 week plan found in this Eat Clean Magazine and so far I am loving the simplicity and great taste of the recipes.
Sometimes I tend to over-complicate things and this menu makes me understand that things can be simple and satisfying.
I have been a clean eating advocate for many years now, but sometimes, it is nice to just go back to the basics.
Sometimes we can overload ourselves with information that we obtain online, from self proclaimed "experts" and even the government.
Detoxing ourselves and getting back to simple eating is sometimes just what we need to gain perspective. It is true for me, anyway.
I know this is a long post, but it has been such a long time...I miss this.
I am going to try to get back into posting more often...at least once a week.
Pics will be added soon.
Peace, love, and God Bless.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
18 weeks out
Well, this week was the first week back to training.
I did pretty well, as my body is weak and recovering from a nasty flu strain.
I got in 4/6 days resistance training and 4/5 days cardio training. It is a new program for me and I am a little unfamiliar with it so I am using this first week to go through it, kind of like a "test run" to get my feet wet.
Now that I am a little more "in the know" I am going at it hard this upcoming week.
I have also decided to incorporate some classes (new and old favorites) into my routine. On the line up: Pilates (<3), Kickboxing (I have taken a few classes before and it always kicks my butt!), Zumba (we will see how this one goes).
Along with classes, I want to mix up my cardio training with swimming, jumping rope, and playing tennis with my Husband, although, I am not sure how much "cardio" benefit I will get...I am not stellar at tennis, but it will be fun if nothing else.
Yesterday I prepared my meals for the next 7 days. It took a while, but I had a plan and stuck to it.
I made:
Chicken Salad*
Frittata Cups with Oatmeal*
Protein Pancakes*
Huevos Rancheros with Rice*
Shrimp Stir-fry*
Chili*
Shredded Chicken for Salads*
Tropical Coconut Shrimp Variation*
Chicken with Cauliflower. Onion, and Squash Medley
*Recipes will be posted on the RECIPES page.
On another note, my Husband and I are still determining what living frugal means to us and we are constantly re-evaluating our budget.
While we were talking the other day, he showed me this link on Budgets Are Sexy.
There are many posts on the site pertaining to budgets but the one he showed me was about grocery bills.
Normally, we budget $1000 a month for food. This includes grocery trips (to include toiletries, cleaning products, trash bags, laundry soap), coffee trips, and eating out.
Upon looking at this page we decided to slash our budget in this area and do an experiment.
Instead of $1000 a month, we have cut it down by 30% to $700 (which, is still well above what others spend. This gives us $150/week at the grocery store and $100/month for eating out.
We have our own personal spending allowances that we can use for coffees, lunch out during the work week, or whatever else, but the money allotted for groceries and OUR date dining is reserved for just that.
That saves us $300 a month which comes to $3600 a year! That is a lot!
So, I decided to start the experiment at the store yesterday.
Right now, I am cooking for myself, so I cut the $150 in half. That was my food budget for the week.
Before heading out to the store, I took a detailed inventory of what I currently had at the house. Building meals from that, I added items I needed to supplement. This helped my list stay small as I wasn't creating a menu where I needed to purchase every single ingredient.
Then, I was off to the store. I did not deviate from my list. I purchased only what was on it. My total was $56. There were 2 items I was unable to purchase on this trip, so that will add about another $7 to my overall grocery total, bringing it to $62.
When I left the store, I was hungry and would have to prepare my food once I got home. I hadn't had my cheat meal yet so I decided to go get some Indian food. My total balance there was $18; totaling $80.
My Husband thought it would be more like $100, but we were both pleased with $80.
Now my fridge is stocked for the next 7 days and I can come home after work or the gym and just pop it in the microwave. No fuss. No mess.
My plan is, because this food should last until next Saturday, I will most likely go shopping Friday after work and then come home and cook after the gym on Saturday morning.
So, that is my update for this week! I can't believe in just under 18 weeks, I will be up on that stage! Time to get cracking on my vision board!!!
And I am interested in knowing, what do you spend on average per week at the gro sto? What does this total include (food, pet food, toiletries, cleaning/household supplies)? How often do you eat out? Is this amount included in your overall food budget? How do you break this budget down?
I did pretty well, as my body is weak and recovering from a nasty flu strain.
I got in 4/6 days resistance training and 4/5 days cardio training. It is a new program for me and I am a little unfamiliar with it so I am using this first week to go through it, kind of like a "test run" to get my feet wet.
Now that I am a little more "in the know" I am going at it hard this upcoming week.
I have also decided to incorporate some classes (new and old favorites) into my routine. On the line up: Pilates (<3), Kickboxing (I have taken a few classes before and it always kicks my butt!), Zumba (we will see how this one goes).
Along with classes, I want to mix up my cardio training with swimming, jumping rope, and playing tennis with my Husband, although, I am not sure how much "cardio" benefit I will get...I am not stellar at tennis, but it will be fun if nothing else.
Yesterday I prepared my meals for the next 7 days. It took a while, but I had a plan and stuck to it.
I made:
Chicken Salad*
Frittata Cups with Oatmeal*
Protein Pancakes*
Huevos Rancheros with Rice*
Shrimp Stir-fry*
Chili*
Shredded Chicken for Salads*
Tropical Coconut Shrimp Variation*
Chicken with Cauliflower. Onion, and Squash Medley
*Recipes will be posted on the RECIPES page.
On another note, my Husband and I are still determining what living frugal means to us and we are constantly re-evaluating our budget.
While we were talking the other day, he showed me this link on Budgets Are Sexy.
There are many posts on the site pertaining to budgets but the one he showed me was about grocery bills.
Normally, we budget $1000 a month for food. This includes grocery trips (to include toiletries, cleaning products, trash bags, laundry soap), coffee trips, and eating out.
Upon looking at this page we decided to slash our budget in this area and do an experiment.
Instead of $1000 a month, we have cut it down by 30% to $700 (which, is still well above what others spend. This gives us $150/week at the grocery store and $100/month for eating out.
We have our own personal spending allowances that we can use for coffees, lunch out during the work week, or whatever else, but the money allotted for groceries and OUR date dining is reserved for just that.
That saves us $300 a month which comes to $3600 a year! That is a lot!
So, I decided to start the experiment at the store yesterday.
Right now, I am cooking for myself, so I cut the $150 in half. That was my food budget for the week.
Before heading out to the store, I took a detailed inventory of what I currently had at the house. Building meals from that, I added items I needed to supplement. This helped my list stay small as I wasn't creating a menu where I needed to purchase every single ingredient.
Then, I was off to the store. I did not deviate from my list. I purchased only what was on it. My total was $56. There were 2 items I was unable to purchase on this trip, so that will add about another $7 to my overall grocery total, bringing it to $62.
When I left the store, I was hungry and would have to prepare my food once I got home. I hadn't had my cheat meal yet so I decided to go get some Indian food. My total balance there was $18; totaling $80.
My Husband thought it would be more like $100, but we were both pleased with $80.
Now my fridge is stocked for the next 7 days and I can come home after work or the gym and just pop it in the microwave. No fuss. No mess.
 |
| Stocked up! Everything is pictured here except the chili and the chicken with the Cauliflower, Squash, and Onion Medley. |
 |
| No deviating this week! It is all about the planning and prep!! |
So, that is my update for this week! I can't believe in just under 18 weeks, I will be up on that stage! Time to get cracking on my vision board!!!
And I am interested in knowing, what do you spend on average per week at the gro sto? What does this total include (food, pet food, toiletries, cleaning/household supplies)? How often do you eat out? Is this amount included in your overall food budget? How do you break this budget down?
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Day 2...with the FLU
So, yep......I have the FLU!!!???!!!?!?!?!?!?!?
It seems like every single time I start a new training regimen I get sick. I have been feeling a little poppy since Saturday night and it has progressively gotten worse. This morning was AWFUL.
I went to the doctor and they told me to go home for the next 2 days and rest. That means no training.
However....
I can still eat clean and drink lots of water, so that is good.
Off to rest. I am exhausted....pretty much NO sleep last night. Ugh.
It seems like every single time I start a new training regimen I get sick. I have been feeling a little poppy since Saturday night and it has progressively gotten worse. This morning was AWFUL.
I went to the doctor and they told me to go home for the next 2 days and rest. That means no training.
However....
I can still eat clean and drink lots of water, so that is good.
Off to rest. I am exhausted....pretty much NO sleep last night. Ugh.
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