It's almost 2013! I've got some big goals next year, mainly racing in a triathlon in August. Not sure what I was thinking committing to that, but I've told too many people to back out now!
With my triathlon in my mind, a bunch of us are hitting the ground running with the New Year, New You Fitness Challenge. For 60 days beginning January 7, 2013, we will be doing a Beachbody program, drinking Shakeology and reporting in via Facebook for daily accountability.
It's going to be fun! That's what we tell ourselves: fitness is FUN! Say it with me...and we'll all believe it. No seriously, it's all better when we suffer together. Suddenly it's not suffering anymore. It's results.
This challenge works just like the one a group of us finsihed in the fall, and are doing right now to keep ourselves accountable over the holidays with nutrition and exercise.. So if you already know the drill, you can stop reading now. If you need the scoop, here it is:
New Year, New You Fitness Challenge
This challenge will be run via Facebook. I'll set up a private Facebook group for all paticipants so we can communicate without the world seeing what we're saying. Some of the fall challenge people are staying on so we've got a good-sized group!
This challenge will also be Beachbody program specific. Why am I making you buy something to take part? In short, because their programs work when you follow them. And they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. So I guarantee that if you follow them, you will see results, but if you're not happy, Beachbody will give you your money back. This is a win-win situation. Yes, I sell their products. Yes, I use their products. I think they are that good. And trust me, I have tried so many different fitness/weightloss products, I am a walking infomercial.
But, the point is, we're going to work together, and you are going to see the results you want. Period.
What you need to do:
1. Confirm to me that you're in so I can add you to the Facebook group.
2. Go to my Beachbody website and choose a Challenge Pack, which bundles the fitness program of your choice and a 30-day supply of their protein shake together at a discount. I can help you if you want advice on what program to choose (you'll recognize some of them, like P90X). I own and have done many of them. (I know some of you who have done these challenges before also already have a Beachbody program on hand to use. In that case, just get yourself on Shakeology, the protein shake. I explained about Shakeology HERE.)
3. We'll start Monday, January 7, 2013. Every single Beachbody program comes with a schedule and an eating plan. I can help you determine how many calories you should be eating if you need help with that.
4. Post at least once a day in our Facebook group for accountability. Post how your workouts are going, how your eating is going, any questions, etc. The support from the group is huge part of our success. It will keep you motivated and accountable. I discover the importance of this myself on a daily basis!
5. Follow the program of your choice and drink Shakeology, the protein shake, once a day for the duration of the challenge(Important Note: Shakeology isn't a "diet" shake designed like Slim Fast. This is a full on nutrient-rich shake to boost your nutrition, not starve you to death. I drink it, my husband drinks it, our dog drinks it. Just kidding. We don't have a dog.
I will be taking part in the challenge right along with you. I'm planning a combination of workouts for the challenge. I just informed Santa he's bringing me Les Mills Combat for Christmas, so that will be my primary workout, with a little bit of ChaLEAN Extreme (to me, it's like P90X for women) thrown in.
We'll officially run the challenge January 7 - March 7, but I'll leave the Facebook group open for as long as the group would like it to be open. That way, if you're doing one of the longer programs, you'll have support the whole way through!
Let me know if you have any questions. And if you’re weirded out about the whole "buying from me" thing, no big deal. I just want everyone to reach their goals, and this is what works for me.
I say this every time we do a challenge: This isn't a short-term fix -- it's a lifestyle change. I am a big, big believer in Beachbody and their products. I would never sell you guys crap. It works. And if you decide it doesn't work for you, you'll get your money back. Period.
OK, let's do it.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Don't You Be Eyeballin' Me!
Portion control is my nemesis! I'm here to tell you right now, I'm bad at portion control. It's what got me into trouble over time.
When I really committed to getting fit and losing weight, I began to weigh and measure all of my food. I know, I know, what a hassle, right? Who has time to do that? Who WANTS to do that?
You do.
Seriously. If you are as lame as I am about eyeballing your portion size, you need to weigh and measure your food to "get your eyes right."
After many years of eyeballing my food, I'm BETTER, but I'm definitely not perfect. Case in point: 10 minutes ago I was having a morning snack. I had 3 dried figs (not hard to eyeball), and then was adding some walnuts. I looked at the bag and thought, "That looks like two tablespoons." I started to pop a few in my mouth and then decided to measure the bag first. FOUR TABLESPOONS. I was totally off. Had I logged the two tablespoons, I would have been as much as 110 calories off.
So what's the big deal? And what is my point? My point is that we can't always trust our eyes. And the big deal is that if you're in weightloss mode, those 100 calories (and the 100 calories you missed at another meal or snack) could, especially over the course of a week, truly make a difference. You hop on the scale at the end of the week expecting to see a one pound loss. But it's not there. You might be close, maybe you just needed another 100 calories per day gone out of your diet this week. Where was it? For me, it would have been in that bag of walnuts.
This happened to me over and over again before I really knuckled down and consistently tracked my food (and ramped up my workouts). Those hundred calories here and there can make a difference if you're trying to lose.
Is it as big a deal if you're maintaining? No, but weighing, measuring, and tracking my food is what keeps me in check and keeps me from mindlessly tossing things into my mouth when I'm cooking or packing lunches. It all adds up!
So don't be eyeballing it! Do some measuring and find out how accurate you are. Make it a game. It's really not that bad -- in fact, it may just grow on you!
When I really committed to getting fit and losing weight, I began to weigh and measure all of my food. I know, I know, what a hassle, right? Who has time to do that? Who WANTS to do that?
You do.
Seriously. If you are as lame as I am about eyeballing your portion size, you need to weigh and measure your food to "get your eyes right."
After many years of eyeballing my food, I'm BETTER, but I'm definitely not perfect. Case in point: 10 minutes ago I was having a morning snack. I had 3 dried figs (not hard to eyeball), and then was adding some walnuts. I looked at the bag and thought, "That looks like two tablespoons." I started to pop a few in my mouth and then decided to measure the bag first. FOUR TABLESPOONS. I was totally off. Had I logged the two tablespoons, I would have been as much as 110 calories off.
So what's the big deal? And what is my point? My point is that we can't always trust our eyes. And the big deal is that if you're in weightloss mode, those 100 calories (and the 100 calories you missed at another meal or snack) could, especially over the course of a week, truly make a difference. You hop on the scale at the end of the week expecting to see a one pound loss. But it's not there. You might be close, maybe you just needed another 100 calories per day gone out of your diet this week. Where was it? For me, it would have been in that bag of walnuts.
This happened to me over and over again before I really knuckled down and consistently tracked my food (and ramped up my workouts). Those hundred calories here and there can make a difference if you're trying to lose.
Is it as big a deal if you're maintaining? No, but weighing, measuring, and tracking my food is what keeps me in check and keeps me from mindlessly tossing things into my mouth when I'm cooking or packing lunches. It all adds up!
So don't be eyeballing it! Do some measuring and find out how accurate you are. Make it a game. It's really not that bad -- in fact, it may just grow on you!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Finding the Time and Inspiration
I'm busy. You're busy. We're all busy. But we've all got the same 24 hours in the day. How we decide to use them is up to us.
Last winter/spring/summer and into the early fall, I was so dedicated, getting up at 4:45am to get my workouts finished before anyone else was awake. That still needs to happen -- if I start work, I KNOW I won't stop to workout -- but I've definitely been pushing the limits, staying in bed just a little bit longer, running just a little bit later, having to fast forward through some parts of my workout. I hate that. When I commit to something and put a workout on my schedule, I like to follow through. Plus, when I don't get up and get moving, the whole day feels rushed and running a little behind.
I've talked about how I'm training for a triathlon, and now I realize it's time to recommit to my goals. Over the past few weeks, sports channels have been running recaps of the Ironman that took place in Kona, Hawaii. The Ironman is a triathlon on a HUGE scale. I always enjoy watching it, but this year I've watched with greater interest because next summer, I will swim, bike, run, but on a much smaller scale.
The professional Ironman athletes are amazing, but it's the everyday citizens who are INSPIRATIONAL. Twice I've sat through the show that follows some of the "normal" people who choose to compete in the Ironman. There are cancer patients (yes, patients!), cancer survivors, a fire fighter who ran the marathon portion in full gear in honor of comrades killed on 9-11, people my age (which makes me think I need to ramp it up!), and even people in their 60s and 70s! Each time a competitor crosses the line, the announcer welcomes them saying, "You are an Ironman!" How cool is that? From the first person to the last.
If you're a P90X aficianado, you know who Tony Horton is (P90X creator). But what you may not know is that his sister, Kit, is a Beachbody coach. In a recent blog post, she wrote about all of the excuses about exercise she'd had in her head over the years. How familiar do these sounds? So familiar to me!
-I work long hours, I can’t get the workout in
-My travel schedule makes it difficult to eat healthy on the road
-My family won’t eat what I make and I’m tired of making two separate meals
-P90X workouts are an hour long, most days, I just don’t have an hour to workout (or 90 minutes for Yoga !!!)
-The holidays are coming and it’s challenging to eat well this time of year with all the temptations around
-It’s just not normal to eat healthy all the time, you should be able to indulge once in a while
-Before I know it, the day gets away from me and I haven’t got my workout in
-Cooking healthy meals takes too long and it’s so expensive
-Or how about the infamous, "I'll start on Monday."
When you watch the Ironman, you realize it's time to throw all those excuses out the window. The Ironman competitors made a choice to take on the most difficult athletic challenge and many other daily choices to commit to their training and fuel their bodies in the best way to be able to compete. Plain and simple: this race became their priority.
Do we all need to start training for the Ironman? No, of course not. But it's time to start making our own choices -- nutritionally, physically, mentally.
What does making exercise and healthy eating a priority really mean? It means more than doing the workout when you really don’t feel like it and saying no to the birthday cake at the office. It means getting back on track the day after you’ve had a bad day. It means feeling good and feeling good about yourself and your accomplishments for the first time in a long time. It means saying no to crappy food not because you have to talk yourself into it, but because you truly don’t want it AND because you've learned how badly you'll feel afterwards and you're tired of digging back out of that hole! Making conscious, consistent good decisions about your nutrition and fitness will give you the strength, perseverance and determination to make the right choice every time you’re faced with one.
You'll be surprised how quickly it will be a good habit. You'll soon wonder how you ever lived any other way!
Last winter/spring/summer and into the early fall, I was so dedicated, getting up at 4:45am to get my workouts finished before anyone else was awake. That still needs to happen -- if I start work, I KNOW I won't stop to workout -- but I've definitely been pushing the limits, staying in bed just a little bit longer, running just a little bit later, having to fast forward through some parts of my workout. I hate that. When I commit to something and put a workout on my schedule, I like to follow through. Plus, when I don't get up and get moving, the whole day feels rushed and running a little behind.
I've talked about how I'm training for a triathlon, and now I realize it's time to recommit to my goals. Over the past few weeks, sports channels have been running recaps of the Ironman that took place in Kona, Hawaii. The Ironman is a triathlon on a HUGE scale. I always enjoy watching it, but this year I've watched with greater interest because next summer, I will swim, bike, run, but on a much smaller scale.
The professional Ironman athletes are amazing, but it's the everyday citizens who are INSPIRATIONAL. Twice I've sat through the show that follows some of the "normal" people who choose to compete in the Ironman. There are cancer patients (yes, patients!), cancer survivors, a fire fighter who ran the marathon portion in full gear in honor of comrades killed on 9-11, people my age (which makes me think I need to ramp it up!), and even people in their 60s and 70s! Each time a competitor crosses the line, the announcer welcomes them saying, "You are an Ironman!" How cool is that? From the first person to the last.
If you're a P90X aficianado, you know who Tony Horton is (P90X creator). But what you may not know is that his sister, Kit, is a Beachbody coach. In a recent blog post, she wrote about all of the excuses about exercise she'd had in her head over the years. How familiar do these sounds? So familiar to me!
-I work long hours, I can’t get the workout in
-My travel schedule makes it difficult to eat healthy on the road
-My family won’t eat what I make and I’m tired of making two separate meals
-P90X workouts are an hour long, most days, I just don’t have an hour to workout (or 90 minutes for Yoga !!!)
-The holidays are coming and it’s challenging to eat well this time of year with all the temptations around
-It’s just not normal to eat healthy all the time, you should be able to indulge once in a while
-Before I know it, the day gets away from me and I haven’t got my workout in
-Cooking healthy meals takes too long and it’s so expensive
-Or how about the infamous, "I'll start on Monday."
When you watch the Ironman, you realize it's time to throw all those excuses out the window. The Ironman competitors made a choice to take on the most difficult athletic challenge and many other daily choices to commit to their training and fuel their bodies in the best way to be able to compete. Plain and simple: this race became their priority.
Do we all need to start training for the Ironman? No, of course not. But it's time to start making our own choices -- nutritionally, physically, mentally.
What does making exercise and healthy eating a priority really mean? It means more than doing the workout when you really don’t feel like it and saying no to the birthday cake at the office. It means getting back on track the day after you’ve had a bad day. It means feeling good and feeling good about yourself and your accomplishments for the first time in a long time. It means saying no to crappy food not because you have to talk yourself into it, but because you truly don’t want it AND because you've learned how badly you'll feel afterwards and you're tired of digging back out of that hole! Making conscious, consistent good decisions about your nutrition and fitness will give you the strength, perseverance and determination to make the right choice every time you’re faced with one.
You'll be surprised how quickly it will be a good habit. You'll soon wonder how you ever lived any other way!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Getting Motivated, Staying Motivated!
Like everyone else, my motivation to exercise waxes and wanes. I'm waning right now, for sure. For the last few years, I've tried to pay more attention to how I feel at certain points during the year, and Fall to Christmas is always hard for me. I think it has to do with the change of seasons, the fact that it's dark so much more, not to mention getting colder. In the summer, I have no problem hopping out of bed, walking in the early dawn hours and then coming home and doing some resistance training or heavy duty cardio.
But when it's cold and dark? Not so much.
I do try to think about ski season and conditioning for that, but since we're at about the furthest point in the year from bathing suit season, and right now I could hide any extra LBS under heavy ski clothes, again, not hugely motivated.
So this is when I've got to dig deep and really keep my act together. I came across a really good list of ideas for staying motivated regardless of the time of year. I pulled out some of my faves to share to keep us all thinking about staying on track:
1. Remind yourself how you feel after a workout. Endorphins, baby!
2. You time. This is when you make YOURSELF a priority. Not your husband, not your kids, not your extended family, not your job. It's about you. And trust me, you'll have more to give back if you take this time for youself.
3. Calories burned. If you count calories, which I do most of the time, and let's face it, doing so is really one of the most effective ways to lose weight, you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit. So this is just one step closer to your goals.
4. Having fun. Exercise should be fun (and to me it is, except for running days which I would only define loosely as fun!). If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.
5. How you’re going to look. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you. My vanity is a BIG motivator!
6. Health/fitness magazines. It motivates me to read fitness magazines. I see what exercise does for others and I find that motivating.
7. Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences. I hope people learn from mine, too :)
8. Success stories. I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website or a magazine has success stories, I’ll almost always read them.
9. Forums/support groups. Get with a group of people (message me if you need one!). I have challenge groups on Facebook that help me keep on track, and I have a whole group that I call my Fit Friends who I swap info with all the time. Find a group that works for you, and then make it a point to check in daily. It really helps.
10. Rewards. Set a goal for yourself and when you achieve it, reward yourself in a non-food way. I like to go to my friend's day spa. She really spoils me!
11. New clothes in smaller sizes. I love it. My husband who monitors the budget -- not so much.
13. Feeling strong. When I'm having a really good workout or run (yes, sometimes I have a good run!) I envision myself kicking ass and taking names!
14. Stress relief. Mad about something? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world of difference. After you're finished, you'll be calmer and possbly not even remember what was annoying you!
15. Time for contemplation. Mostly this is when I walk. I love having time to mull things over or just listen to music I enjoy. When I lift or do HIIT workouts, I do try to concentrate. Science shows concentrating recruits muscle fibers more effectively.
16. Get a workout partner. There is nothing better for accountability than having someone to report in to or to serve as your cheerleader. In grad school, when I first lost a significant amount of weight, my friend Marci and I worked out together every day. As I lost weight, she'd cheer me on and leave me little notes and cards to celebrate my success. That was way cool.
17. An exercise class. Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out.
18. A coach or trainer. I can coach you for FREE :) Message me!
19. Keep track. I log my workouts through Beachbody's WOWY.com and it keeps me accountable and motivated. You wouldn't believe what I'll do to make sure I get a scheduled workout done. I take DVDs with me when I travel and make sure I find an empty room to jump around in.
20. Compare. Take photos, measure, weigh. Give yourself several yardsticks by which to track your progress. I've completed programs where I didn't lose a lot of weight, but I lost a lot of inches and I could see results in my pictures (and how my clothes fit).
21. Train for something. Whether it's a 5K race or triathlon, just signing up will keep you motivated. I'm doing this now, and I'm already panicking on how I will keep up with my running in the winter. I don't want to re-learn to run in the spring, so I'm working hard to keep up!
22. Avoiding feeling like Jaba the Hut. That's how I feel when I take more than one day off a week. Obsessive? I don't know, but I do know how great I feel when I DO stay on track. That's what gets me out of bed on those cold, dark mornings. For me, exercise is non-negotiable. It's going to happen, I just need to figure out create ways to do it sometimes.
23. A healthy future. I want to be a good role model for my kids AND be healthy for when I do finally get grandkids (although I probably should have started having kids earlier).
24. The scale. Some people hate it, but to me, it's just another tool to see how I'm doing, even for maintenance. It’s not motivating to weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going down, instead of up.
25. Achieving my goals. Whether it's weight, running a certan distance/time, completing a workout program -- whatever -- set realistic goals and be specific. Do it. Track. And then celebrate your achievements!
26. Go public. Talk about your goals, programs and progress publicly. Post it on your blog or Facebook page. Tell people you’re going to lose weight or exercise daily, and report to them. You’ll make it happen when people are "watching." AND you'll be surprised how supportive people are. Suddenly, YOU'RE motivating someone else, which is way cool.
27. Motivational quotes. Maybe it's cheesy, but I like to find them on the Internet and post them on my Facebook page. It lets people know what my mindset is and why I do what I do.
28. Compliments. When someone notices the changes in your body, it feels good. And it makes you want to work out more. Again with the vanity!
29. Beach vacation or high school reunion. Eeeeeek! There's a hilarious line on one of my favorite workout DVDs. Chalene Johnson shows a move and for encouragement she says, "Imagine you're walking away from your friends at your high school reunion, IN A BIKINI!" Yes, the thought of that drives ME to the basement to pump some iron!
What motivates YOU?
But when it's cold and dark? Not so much.
I do try to think about ski season and conditioning for that, but since we're at about the furthest point in the year from bathing suit season, and right now I could hide any extra LBS under heavy ski clothes, again, not hugely motivated.
So this is when I've got to dig deep and really keep my act together. I came across a really good list of ideas for staying motivated regardless of the time of year. I pulled out some of my faves to share to keep us all thinking about staying on track:
1. Remind yourself how you feel after a workout. Endorphins, baby!
2. You time. This is when you make YOURSELF a priority. Not your husband, not your kids, not your extended family, not your job. It's about you. And trust me, you'll have more to give back if you take this time for youself.
3. Calories burned. If you count calories, which I do most of the time, and let's face it, doing so is really one of the most effective ways to lose weight, you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit. So this is just one step closer to your goals.
4. Having fun. Exercise should be fun (and to me it is, except for running days which I would only define loosely as fun!). If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.
5. How you’re going to look. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you. My vanity is a BIG motivator!
6. Health/fitness magazines. It motivates me to read fitness magazines. I see what exercise does for others and I find that motivating.
7. Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences. I hope people learn from mine, too :)
8. Success stories. I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website or a magazine has success stories, I’ll almost always read them.
9. Forums/support groups. Get with a group of people (message me if you need one!). I have challenge groups on Facebook that help me keep on track, and I have a whole group that I call my Fit Friends who I swap info with all the time. Find a group that works for you, and then make it a point to check in daily. It really helps.
10. Rewards. Set a goal for yourself and when you achieve it, reward yourself in a non-food way. I like to go to my friend's day spa. She really spoils me!
11. New clothes in smaller sizes. I love it. My husband who monitors the budget -- not so much.
13. Feeling strong. When I'm having a really good workout or run (yes, sometimes I have a good run!) I envision myself kicking ass and taking names!
14. Stress relief. Mad about something? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world of difference. After you're finished, you'll be calmer and possbly not even remember what was annoying you!
15. Time for contemplation. Mostly this is when I walk. I love having time to mull things over or just listen to music I enjoy. When I lift or do HIIT workouts, I do try to concentrate. Science shows concentrating recruits muscle fibers more effectively.
16. Get a workout partner. There is nothing better for accountability than having someone to report in to or to serve as your cheerleader. In grad school, when I first lost a significant amount of weight, my friend Marci and I worked out together every day. As I lost weight, she'd cheer me on and leave me little notes and cards to celebrate my success. That was way cool.
17. An exercise class. Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out.
18. A coach or trainer. I can coach you for FREE :) Message me!
19. Keep track. I log my workouts through Beachbody's WOWY.com and it keeps me accountable and motivated. You wouldn't believe what I'll do to make sure I get a scheduled workout done. I take DVDs with me when I travel and make sure I find an empty room to jump around in.
20. Compare. Take photos, measure, weigh. Give yourself several yardsticks by which to track your progress. I've completed programs where I didn't lose a lot of weight, but I lost a lot of inches and I could see results in my pictures (and how my clothes fit).
21. Train for something. Whether it's a 5K race or triathlon, just signing up will keep you motivated. I'm doing this now, and I'm already panicking on how I will keep up with my running in the winter. I don't want to re-learn to run in the spring, so I'm working hard to keep up!
22. Avoiding feeling like Jaba the Hut. That's how I feel when I take more than one day off a week. Obsessive? I don't know, but I do know how great I feel when I DO stay on track. That's what gets me out of bed on those cold, dark mornings. For me, exercise is non-negotiable. It's going to happen, I just need to figure out create ways to do it sometimes.
23. A healthy future. I want to be a good role model for my kids AND be healthy for when I do finally get grandkids (although I probably should have started having kids earlier).
24. The scale. Some people hate it, but to me, it's just another tool to see how I'm doing, even for maintenance. It’s not motivating to weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going down, instead of up.
25. Achieving my goals. Whether it's weight, running a certan distance/time, completing a workout program -- whatever -- set realistic goals and be specific. Do it. Track. And then celebrate your achievements!
26. Go public. Talk about your goals, programs and progress publicly. Post it on your blog or Facebook page. Tell people you’re going to lose weight or exercise daily, and report to them. You’ll make it happen when people are "watching." AND you'll be surprised how supportive people are. Suddenly, YOU'RE motivating someone else, which is way cool.
27. Motivational quotes. Maybe it's cheesy, but I like to find them on the Internet and post them on my Facebook page. It lets people know what my mindset is and why I do what I do.
28. Compliments. When someone notices the changes in your body, it feels good. And it makes you want to work out more. Again with the vanity!
29. Beach vacation or high school reunion. Eeeeeek! There's a hilarious line on one of my favorite workout DVDs. Chalene Johnson shows a move and for encouragement she says, "Imagine you're walking away from your friends at your high school reunion, IN A BIKINI!" Yes, the thought of that drives ME to the basement to pump some iron!
What motivates YOU?
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Healthy for the Holidays Fitness Challenge
Note added 10/19: I originally said this challenge would be Nov. 8 - Dec. 28, but the 8th is a Thursday. We'll start Monday, Nov. 12! Be there!
It's that time of year -- you know, that time when holidays collide. Halloween candy and Christmas cookies sit side by side on the store shelves. Man, I love this time of year. And I hate it.
Every year I say the same thing -- I'm going to be really disciplined about what I eat this year. But let's face it, that's no fun! Last year was miserable in terms of fitness. I had surgery on Dec. 9 and was banned from working out until after the New Year. So I sort of gave up. I ate gluten, dairy, sugar -- OK, I really ate EVERYTHING -- and I felt so bad by the time the last Christmas cookie was gone that I swore I'd never do it again.
This year will be different. For reals! Because I know, madness! Why are we doing a challenge that encompasses the holidays? No, we're not going on some crackpot starvation diet over the holidays. The point here is to set some personal goals and keep ourselves somewhat on track. Frankly, I am so, so relieved that I'll be able to exercise this year. But through our online Facebook support group and our Beachbody programs -- yes, you know I sell them and that I love them! -- we can perhaps keep ourselves from straying too far from our norm and then feeling like we wished we'd asked Santa to bring us liposuction instead of a new sweater.
This challenge is just like the one a group of us just finsihed this fall. So if you already know the drill, you can stop reading now. If you need the scoop, here it is:
Healthy for the Holidays Fitness Challenge
This challenge will be run via Facebook. I'll set up a private Facebook group for all paticipants so we can communicate without the world seeing what we're saying. Some of the fall challenge people are staying on so we've got a good group!
This challenge will also be Beachbody program specific. Why am I making you buy something to take part? In short, because their programs work when you follow them. And they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. So I guarantee that if you follow them, you will see results, but if you're not happy, Beachbody will give you your money back. This is a win-win situation. Yes, I sell their products. Yes, I use their products. I think they are that good. And trust me, I have tried so many different fitness/weightloss products, I am a walking infomercial.
But, the point is, we're going to work together, and you are going to see the results you want. Period.
What you need to do:
1. Confirm to me that you're in so I can add you to the Facebook group.
2. Go to my Beachbody website and choose a Challenge Pack, which bundles the fitness program of your choice and a 30-day supply of their protein shake together at a discount. I can help you if you want advice on what program to choose (you'll recognize some of them, like P90X). I own and have done many of them. (I know some of you who have done these challenges before also already have a Beachbody program on hand to use. In that case, just get yourself on Shakeology, the protein shake. I explained about Shakeology HERE.)
3. We'll start Thursday, Nov. 8. Every single Beachbody program comes with a schedule and an eating plan. I can help you determine how many calories you should be eating if you need help with that.
4. Post at least once a day in our Facebook group for accountability. Post how your workouts are going, how your eating is going, any questions, etc. The support from the group is huge part of our success. It will keep you motivated and accountable.
5. Follow the program of your choice and drink Shakeology, the protein shake, once a day for the duration of the challenge(Important Note: Shakeology isn't a "diet" shake designed like Slim Fast. This is a full on nutrient-rich shake to boost your nutrition, not starve you to death.).
I will be taking part in the challenge right along with you. I'm planning a combination of workouts for the challenge. The Beachbody program I'm currently following is ChaLEAN Extreme (to me, it's like P90X for women). I'm also training for a triathlon, so I'm doing some running and swimming, too.
We'll officially run the challenge Nov. 12 - Dec. 28, but I'll leave the Facebook group open for as long as the group would like it to be open. That way, if you're doing one of the longer programs, you'll have support the whole way through!
Let me know if you have any questions. And if you’re weirded out about the whole thing, no big deal. I just want everyone to reach their goals, and this is what works for me.
I say this every time we do a challenge: This isn't a short-term fix -- it's a lifestyle change. I am a big, big believer in Beachbody and their products. I would never sell you guys crap. It works. And if you decide it doesn't work for you, you'll get your money back. Period.
And an important note: We're not going to starve ourselves over the holidays. Will we eat Christmas cookies? If we want to! Will we drink egg nog? I hope so! My personal goal is to enjoy in moderation, do some kick ass workouts (which is what keeps me sane), and not wake up on January 1, 2013, unable to button my pants!
Who's with me?!
It's that time of year -- you know, that time when holidays collide. Halloween candy and Christmas cookies sit side by side on the store shelves. Man, I love this time of year. And I hate it.
Every year I say the same thing -- I'm going to be really disciplined about what I eat this year. But let's face it, that's no fun! Last year was miserable in terms of fitness. I had surgery on Dec. 9 and was banned from working out until after the New Year. So I sort of gave up. I ate gluten, dairy, sugar -- OK, I really ate EVERYTHING -- and I felt so bad by the time the last Christmas cookie was gone that I swore I'd never do it again.
This year will be different. For reals! Because I know, madness! Why are we doing a challenge that encompasses the holidays? No, we're not going on some crackpot starvation diet over the holidays. The point here is to set some personal goals and keep ourselves somewhat on track. Frankly, I am so, so relieved that I'll be able to exercise this year. But through our online Facebook support group and our Beachbody programs -- yes, you know I sell them and that I love them! -- we can perhaps keep ourselves from straying too far from our norm and then feeling like we wished we'd asked Santa to bring us liposuction instead of a new sweater.
This challenge is just like the one a group of us just finsihed this fall. So if you already know the drill, you can stop reading now. If you need the scoop, here it is:
Healthy for the Holidays Fitness Challenge
This challenge will be run via Facebook. I'll set up a private Facebook group for all paticipants so we can communicate without the world seeing what we're saying. Some of the fall challenge people are staying on so we've got a good group!
This challenge will also be Beachbody program specific. Why am I making you buy something to take part? In short, because their programs work when you follow them. And they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. So I guarantee that if you follow them, you will see results, but if you're not happy, Beachbody will give you your money back. This is a win-win situation. Yes, I sell their products. Yes, I use their products. I think they are that good. And trust me, I have tried so many different fitness/weightloss products, I am a walking infomercial.
But, the point is, we're going to work together, and you are going to see the results you want. Period.
What you need to do:
1. Confirm to me that you're in so I can add you to the Facebook group.
2. Go to my Beachbody website and choose a Challenge Pack, which bundles the fitness program of your choice and a 30-day supply of their protein shake together at a discount. I can help you if you want advice on what program to choose (you'll recognize some of them, like P90X). I own and have done many of them. (I know some of you who have done these challenges before also already have a Beachbody program on hand to use. In that case, just get yourself on Shakeology, the protein shake. I explained about Shakeology HERE.)
3. We'll start Thursday, Nov. 8. Every single Beachbody program comes with a schedule and an eating plan. I can help you determine how many calories you should be eating if you need help with that.
4. Post at least once a day in our Facebook group for accountability. Post how your workouts are going, how your eating is going, any questions, etc. The support from the group is huge part of our success. It will keep you motivated and accountable.
5. Follow the program of your choice and drink Shakeology, the protein shake, once a day for the duration of the challenge(Important Note: Shakeology isn't a "diet" shake designed like Slim Fast. This is a full on nutrient-rich shake to boost your nutrition, not starve you to death.).
I will be taking part in the challenge right along with you. I'm planning a combination of workouts for the challenge. The Beachbody program I'm currently following is ChaLEAN Extreme (to me, it's like P90X for women). I'm also training for a triathlon, so I'm doing some running and swimming, too.
We'll officially run the challenge Nov. 12 - Dec. 28, but I'll leave the Facebook group open for as long as the group would like it to be open. That way, if you're doing one of the longer programs, you'll have support the whole way through!
Let me know if you have any questions. And if you’re weirded out about the whole thing, no big deal. I just want everyone to reach their goals, and this is what works for me.
I say this every time we do a challenge: This isn't a short-term fix -- it's a lifestyle change. I am a big, big believer in Beachbody and their products. I would never sell you guys crap. It works. And if you decide it doesn't work for you, you'll get your money back. Period.
And an important note: We're not going to starve ourselves over the holidays. Will we eat Christmas cookies? If we want to! Will we drink egg nog? I hope so! My personal goal is to enjoy in moderation, do some kick ass workouts (which is what keeps me sane), and not wake up on January 1, 2013, unable to button my pants!
Who's with me?!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Knuckling Down and Getting it Done
I have made a personal choice for fitness to be a big part of my life. Part of that has to do with where I live now - Colorado - where I'm surrounded by athletes, both amateur and professional, on a daily basis. Part of that also has to do with vanity -- I like the comments I get from my current level of fitness. Another part has to do with the example I want to set for my kids.
When we first moved here, I was intimidated. I come from the Midwest, Ohio specifically, where all of our family events revolved around food. I look back at pictures of my heavier self and I see "soft." I would go through times of better and worse fitness, better and worse eating, weighing more or maybe a little less. It was a back and forth I was constantly battling, and I wasn't at all sure how to break the cycle. I just knew I didn't like feeling soft. I didn't like being out of breath by just dashing up the stairs for something (an effect that was magnified a zillion times when we moved to high altitude!). That was not acceptable to me.
So I started by not wanting to huff and puff going up the stairs. Now I'm doing things for fitness I swore I'd never do (yes, I do remember that I said -- probably somewhere on this blog -- that I'd NEVER run, and now I am).
The bottom line is deciding what's acceptable to you. If you're OK with how you look and feel, that's great! I wasn't.
If you're not happy with it, what sacrifices are you willing to make? Because it will require sacrifice.
Have I gone to an event and not eaten what they had there? Yes. Have I gone to someone's house for dinner and taken my own food? Yes. Have I eaten nothing when everyone else around me is eating cake and ice cream? Yes.
How did I feel when I did these things? Did I feel deprived or sad or sorry or embarrassed? I really didn't. I thought about my long-term goals and where I'm trying to get to. People had/have a lot of questions and comments: why are you doing that; that seems extreme; do you have an eating disorder; oh, you can relax and eat this just once; come on, just try it. But in the end, many ended up being intrigued by what I was trying to do.
Does everyone need to behave like this? No, but you do need to understand that if you have goals, especially weightloss, it's going to take longer to reach your goals every time you make the conscious decision to eat more calories than you burn. I was bummed when I found that out -- haha!
I want to empahsize that it's OK to have a cheat meal, even when you're trying to lose weight. In fact, you SHOULD have a cheat meal once a week. If you try to be so restrictive, you'll rebel eventually. Trust me on that one.
But have the cheat meal in a controlled manner. Prepare for it earlier in the day, or week even. If you're headed out to a party or event, eat very, very clean earlier in the day -- veggies, fruit, lots of water -- so you have calories to spare when the time comes. And don't make it a no-holds barred cheat. Put some parameters on it: take small portions of everything you want to try ONCE. Don't keep going back. Step away from the table. And definitely make a point of burning some calories through exercise when you know a cheat is coming!
I try to eat super clean six days a week and leave myself room for "cheats" on Friday. When I first adopted this system, I literally binged on Friday. In the end, that didn't work for weight loss, and I felt like crap on Saturday.
Ultimately, I had to decide how I would spend my calories. These days the things that I save for Friday cheats are chips and guac (measured out, not eaten in a binge like I used to do) and popcorn. Again, an enjoyable amount, not enough to make me feel horrible.
Now, I will tell you, as I got further along towards my goal weight and I was trying to drop the last few, tenacious pounds, it got harder. And to get to the bitter end, I had to drop all cheating completely for a few weeks to get to my goal. For me, it was worth it.
You'll need to answer for yourself what you're willing to do to get there.
And yes, we can work out like maniacs, but if we're undoing our good intentions with poor eating, it's not going to happen. Weight loss is at least 80% of what goes in your mouth. I know. That sucks. But it's a fact. Once I got that dialed in, the weight started to come off.
Other basic tips:
-Learn to listen to your body. Stop when you're satisfied and before you're full. Portion control will always be a big problem for me so I weighed and measured my food for a LONG time into correct portions to teach myself what it felt like to eat the right amount. I still do it on occasion because I'm just that bad at it. I've accepted that this is part of my makeup and I've moved on.
-Log your food. I say it so often and it's so true. If you aren't losing weight, write it down and look at your food in black and white. It's usually staring you in the face.
It always sounds like so much when I'm telling people, "Exercise! Eat clean! Log your food! Count your calories! Come to the Facebook page and report in for accountability!" The goal is to get you in the habit of these things so it's no longer work -- it's just something ingrained that you do without thinking or adding extra complexity to your day. Automatic is the goal. You exercise, you eat clean, you log your food and workouts. I don't even give it a second thought anymore.
Ultimately, you need to decide when and if you're ready to dig in and go for the results you want. I had to have my own personal wake up call, which was really about seeing others who were emulating what I wanted and then taking the steps to get there. I'm not getting any younger! Are you? I believe you can be in the be shape of your life at any age, and I believe it because I have felt it for myself and I have seen it in countless others who I connect with through my own Beachbody coach. Yes, even I need support and motivation so I have a whole group of people I rely on in addition to you guys!
OK, so what are you going to do now?
When we first moved here, I was intimidated. I come from the Midwest, Ohio specifically, where all of our family events revolved around food. I look back at pictures of my heavier self and I see "soft." I would go through times of better and worse fitness, better and worse eating, weighing more or maybe a little less. It was a back and forth I was constantly battling, and I wasn't at all sure how to break the cycle. I just knew I didn't like feeling soft. I didn't like being out of breath by just dashing up the stairs for something (an effect that was magnified a zillion times when we moved to high altitude!). That was not acceptable to me.
So I started by not wanting to huff and puff going up the stairs. Now I'm doing things for fitness I swore I'd never do (yes, I do remember that I said -- probably somewhere on this blog -- that I'd NEVER run, and now I am).
The bottom line is deciding what's acceptable to you. If you're OK with how you look and feel, that's great! I wasn't.
If you're not happy with it, what sacrifices are you willing to make? Because it will require sacrifice.
Have I gone to an event and not eaten what they had there? Yes. Have I gone to someone's house for dinner and taken my own food? Yes. Have I eaten nothing when everyone else around me is eating cake and ice cream? Yes.
How did I feel when I did these things? Did I feel deprived or sad or sorry or embarrassed? I really didn't. I thought about my long-term goals and where I'm trying to get to. People had/have a lot of questions and comments: why are you doing that; that seems extreme; do you have an eating disorder; oh, you can relax and eat this just once; come on, just try it. But in the end, many ended up being intrigued by what I was trying to do.
Does everyone need to behave like this? No, but you do need to understand that if you have goals, especially weightloss, it's going to take longer to reach your goals every time you make the conscious decision to eat more calories than you burn. I was bummed when I found that out -- haha!
I want to empahsize that it's OK to have a cheat meal, even when you're trying to lose weight. In fact, you SHOULD have a cheat meal once a week. If you try to be so restrictive, you'll rebel eventually. Trust me on that one.
But have the cheat meal in a controlled manner. Prepare for it earlier in the day, or week even. If you're headed out to a party or event, eat very, very clean earlier in the day -- veggies, fruit, lots of water -- so you have calories to spare when the time comes. And don't make it a no-holds barred cheat. Put some parameters on it: take small portions of everything you want to try ONCE. Don't keep going back. Step away from the table. And definitely make a point of burning some calories through exercise when you know a cheat is coming!
I try to eat super clean six days a week and leave myself room for "cheats" on Friday. When I first adopted this system, I literally binged on Friday. In the end, that didn't work for weight loss, and I felt like crap on Saturday.
Ultimately, I had to decide how I would spend my calories. These days the things that I save for Friday cheats are chips and guac (measured out, not eaten in a binge like I used to do) and popcorn. Again, an enjoyable amount, not enough to make me feel horrible.
Now, I will tell you, as I got further along towards my goal weight and I was trying to drop the last few, tenacious pounds, it got harder. And to get to the bitter end, I had to drop all cheating completely for a few weeks to get to my goal. For me, it was worth it.
You'll need to answer for yourself what you're willing to do to get there.
And yes, we can work out like maniacs, but if we're undoing our good intentions with poor eating, it's not going to happen. Weight loss is at least 80% of what goes in your mouth. I know. That sucks. But it's a fact. Once I got that dialed in, the weight started to come off.
Other basic tips:
-Learn to listen to your body. Stop when you're satisfied and before you're full. Portion control will always be a big problem for me so I weighed and measured my food for a LONG time into correct portions to teach myself what it felt like to eat the right amount. I still do it on occasion because I'm just that bad at it. I've accepted that this is part of my makeup and I've moved on.
-Log your food. I say it so often and it's so true. If you aren't losing weight, write it down and look at your food in black and white. It's usually staring you in the face.
It always sounds like so much when I'm telling people, "Exercise! Eat clean! Log your food! Count your calories! Come to the Facebook page and report in for accountability!" The goal is to get you in the habit of these things so it's no longer work -- it's just something ingrained that you do without thinking or adding extra complexity to your day. Automatic is the goal. You exercise, you eat clean, you log your food and workouts. I don't even give it a second thought anymore.
Ultimately, you need to decide when and if you're ready to dig in and go for the results you want. I had to have my own personal wake up call, which was really about seeing others who were emulating what I wanted and then taking the steps to get there. I'm not getting any younger! Are you? I believe you can be in the be shape of your life at any age, and I believe it because I have felt it for myself and I have seen it in countless others who I connect with through my own Beachbody coach. Yes, even I need support and motivation so I have a whole group of people I rely on in addition to you guys!
OK, so what are you going to do now?
Monday, September 10, 2012
Fall Back Into Fitness Challenge: It's On!
Yes, today is Day One of our Fall Back Into Fitness Challenge. There are nine of us who are communicating via Facebook to keep ourselves accountable and movitated to get back into fitness over the next 30 days.
Research shows that there are three components to a successful health/weightloss program: a workout program, an eating plan, and support. We're getting all three through this challenge!
For me, having other people along for the ride is key. I love knowing that there are other people out there suffering with me!
Personally, I'm doing a Beachbody program called ChaLEAN Extreme. It has been ages since I've worked out with free weights versus resistance bands. My rear end is KILLING me, people. I bumped up my weights on Saturday and I'm still feeling it.
I have hit some personal milestones. First and foremost, I'm happy to announce that for the first time in my life I can do a pushup. A real, honest-to-goodness man pushup. Can I touch my nose to the floor? No. But can I be on my toes and dip down more than a millimeter and actually a truly respectable amount? Yes! Nevermind that I can't use my arms later in the same day. Not important.
The other milestone is that I am in my eighth week of running. I'm following the Couch to 5K plan (the app I use is 5k101). Technically, I should be at the end of the program in this, the eighth week, but suffice it to say that I'm not the world's most natural runner. I repeated one week and then did an interim week because I was sure that if I went from 4 minute intervals to 8 minute intervals, I would expire on the spot.
Happily, I did not and am now up to 12 minute intervals. Yes, you heard that right: I can run for 12 minutes straight. That means I don't stop! Then I walk for the required 3 minutes. AND THEN I DO IT AGAIN! Crazy, I know.
I'll tell you what is crazy: how loud I huff and puff and how loud my feet are when they hit the ground. I'm certainly not going to run quietly up behind any wildlife. No, indeed, the quiet stillness of the early morning in my neighborhood is shattered on my running mornings. I hope no one is planning to bird watch.
But I am running. RUNNING. OK, jogging is probably more accurate, but I've always wanted to say I'm a runner.
And now I'm running off to bed.
Research shows that there are three components to a successful health/weightloss program: a workout program, an eating plan, and support. We're getting all three through this challenge!
For me, having other people along for the ride is key. I love knowing that there are other people out there suffering with me!
Personally, I'm doing a Beachbody program called ChaLEAN Extreme. It has been ages since I've worked out with free weights versus resistance bands. My rear end is KILLING me, people. I bumped up my weights on Saturday and I'm still feeling it.
I have hit some personal milestones. First and foremost, I'm happy to announce that for the first time in my life I can do a pushup. A real, honest-to-goodness man pushup. Can I touch my nose to the floor? No. But can I be on my toes and dip down more than a millimeter and actually a truly respectable amount? Yes! Nevermind that I can't use my arms later in the same day. Not important.
The other milestone is that I am in my eighth week of running. I'm following the Couch to 5K plan (the app I use is 5k101). Technically, I should be at the end of the program in this, the eighth week, but suffice it to say that I'm not the world's most natural runner. I repeated one week and then did an interim week because I was sure that if I went from 4 minute intervals to 8 minute intervals, I would expire on the spot.
Happily, I did not and am now up to 12 minute intervals. Yes, you heard that right: I can run for 12 minutes straight. That means I don't stop! Then I walk for the required 3 minutes. AND THEN I DO IT AGAIN! Crazy, I know.
I'll tell you what is crazy: how loud I huff and puff and how loud my feet are when they hit the ground. I'm certainly not going to run quietly up behind any wildlife. No, indeed, the quiet stillness of the early morning in my neighborhood is shattered on my running mornings. I hope no one is planning to bird watch.
But I am running. RUNNING. OK, jogging is probably more accurate, but I've always wanted to say I'm a runner.
And now I'm running off to bed.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Shakeology: What is it and why do I keep yammering on about it?
So if you've read the info about the upcoming Fall Back into Fitness Challenge (starting Sept. 10 -- join us!), you'll know that one of the requirements is to drink a protein shake called Shakeology once a day for 30 days.
Why? Why am I making you do this as part of the challenge?
Because it works. Pure and simple. I've said it before and I'll say it again, and I'll keep saying it: I have kissed a million protein shake frogs over the years before I discovered Shakeology. I trust Beachbody and their ingredients implicitly. That's really all there is to it. I think the entire world should be drinking Shakeology for the nutrients it provides.
Remember, Shakeology ISN'T a crash diet shake like Slim Fast or nasty stuff like that. This is an all natural recovery drink with all sorts of good stuff. The bonus is the weight loss that I, and thousands of others, have experienced as a result of getting your body back in balance.
People balk because when they first see the price. So I'm going to break down the nutrition for you and you can see what you're REALLY paying for. I have cut it out of our daily routine before because I thought we just couldn't afford it. Then I didn't feel as healthy. So we (Eamonn and I both drink it once a day) quickly realized we couldn't afford to NOT drink it. I know, I know, so sales pitchy. But it's that good for you. I promise.
Read on for the nutrtional low down:
The cost of Shakeology on home direct (you get free shipping) is $119.99 plus tax. A one-month supply breaks down to around $4/serving. When you are using it as a meal replacement to lose weight that means that your meal costs $4.
But what does it cost to eat at a restaurant and at home? A fast food meal on average is $5, more if super-sized and definitely more when you live in the mountains and the value meals really aren't so value-ish! A meal in a sit-down restaurant is on average $10 or higher. A home-cooked meal is typically around $4/serving when you have a meat, veggie, and carb. Yes, a home-cooked meal may rival Shakeology regarding cost, but is that truly accurate?
Here is what you’d have to eat to get the same nutrition in a glass of Shakeology:
4 cups raw broccoli ($3.94)
7 whole carrots ($1.99)
10 cups raw cauliflower ($4.30)
3 cups romaine lettuce ($1.99)
4 cups uncooked mushrooms ($8.97)
3 raw onions ($2.91)
1 cup peas ($1.09)
4 cups red radishes ($5.16)
4 cups non-fat yogurt ($3.49)
1 bowl exotic fruit, including goji berry and acai berry ($4.40)
1 shot wheat grass ($1.95)
Total $41.19
Multiply that by 30 servings and you are getting $1,235.70 worth of food for only $119.95.
As for calories, Shakeology is 150 - 170 cal/serving (depending on which flavor/blend you choose), plus whatever you add to your shake. A fast food or restaurant meal is 400 cal or more, at the bare minimum.
The bottom line is that we need to think differently about our food, what it costs, and what we're getting in return. Are you getting the biggest bang for your nutritional buck? It IS affordable if you think about what you're getting. You could take $120 of your monthly food allowance and direct it to Shakeology. The nutritional benefits that you would receive, in return, would be worth its weight in gold.
Take a look at Shakeology again, but look at it through different eyes -- get beyond the "oh my gosh it costs this" reaction and you'll see something totally different. I promise! :)
Why? Why am I making you do this as part of the challenge?
Because it works. Pure and simple. I've said it before and I'll say it again, and I'll keep saying it: I have kissed a million protein shake frogs over the years before I discovered Shakeology. I trust Beachbody and their ingredients implicitly. That's really all there is to it. I think the entire world should be drinking Shakeology for the nutrients it provides.
Remember, Shakeology ISN'T a crash diet shake like Slim Fast or nasty stuff like that. This is an all natural recovery drink with all sorts of good stuff. The bonus is the weight loss that I, and thousands of others, have experienced as a result of getting your body back in balance.
People balk because when they first see the price. So I'm going to break down the nutrition for you and you can see what you're REALLY paying for. I have cut it out of our daily routine before because I thought we just couldn't afford it. Then I didn't feel as healthy. So we (Eamonn and I both drink it once a day) quickly realized we couldn't afford to NOT drink it. I know, I know, so sales pitchy. But it's that good for you. I promise.
Read on for the nutrtional low down:
The cost of Shakeology on home direct (you get free shipping) is $119.99 plus tax. A one-month supply breaks down to around $4/serving. When you are using it as a meal replacement to lose weight that means that your meal costs $4.
But what does it cost to eat at a restaurant and at home? A fast food meal on average is $5, more if super-sized and definitely more when you live in the mountains and the value meals really aren't so value-ish! A meal in a sit-down restaurant is on average $10 or higher. A home-cooked meal is typically around $4/serving when you have a meat, veggie, and carb. Yes, a home-cooked meal may rival Shakeology regarding cost, but is that truly accurate?
Here is what you’d have to eat to get the same nutrition in a glass of Shakeology:
4 cups raw broccoli ($3.94)
7 whole carrots ($1.99)
10 cups raw cauliflower ($4.30)
3 cups romaine lettuce ($1.99)
4 cups uncooked mushrooms ($8.97)
3 raw onions ($2.91)
1 cup peas ($1.09)
4 cups red radishes ($5.16)
4 cups non-fat yogurt ($3.49)
1 bowl exotic fruit, including goji berry and acai berry ($4.40)
1 shot wheat grass ($1.95)
Total $41.19
Multiply that by 30 servings and you are getting $1,235.70 worth of food for only $119.95.
As for calories, Shakeology is 150 - 170 cal/serving (depending on which flavor/blend you choose), plus whatever you add to your shake. A fast food or restaurant meal is 400 cal or more, at the bare minimum.
The bottom line is that we need to think differently about our food, what it costs, and what we're getting in return. Are you getting the biggest bang for your nutritional buck? It IS affordable if you think about what you're getting. You could take $120 of your monthly food allowance and direct it to Shakeology. The nutritional benefits that you would receive, in return, would be worth its weight in gold.
Take a look at Shakeology again, but look at it through different eyes -- get beyond the "oh my gosh it costs this" reaction and you'll see something totally different. I promise! :)
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Fall Back Into Fitness Challenge Starts Sept. 10!
Fall is here. I am looking forward to it because:
1. I love the cooler weather
2. The kids are going back to school (that sounds terrible, but it has to happen so we all might as well soldier on and make the best of it)
3. I can reduce the amount of trigger foods in the house that the kids like to have as treats but derail me personally
4. I can ramp up my workouts without anyone asking when I'm going to be finsihed
5. The kids are going back to school
I may or may not have repeated some of the items I'm more excited about.
The other day I read a statistic that the average person gains 8 pounds on vacation. 8 pounds! Eeek!
We have our work cut out for us. Because I did go on vacation this summer. True, it was to Ohio. It's not like I spent three weeks traveling around Europe, drinking beer and eating cheese (flashback to summer '93 when I came home not being able to get my jeans over my knees). But Ohio definitely had its temptations (Donato's pizza, Graeter's ice cream, Grandpa's homemade ice cream, Marie's candy...).
Anyway, I've decided that when the kids go back to school, it's a great time for parents to band together in celebration and fitness.
This challenge will be similar to one a group of us did last winter. So if you already know the drill, you can stop reading now. If you need the scoop, here it is:
Fall Back Into Fitness Challenge
Just like last winter's post-holiday challenge, this challenge will be run via Facebook. I'll set up a private Facebook group for all paticipants so we can communicate without the world seeing what we're saying.
This challenge will also be Beachbody program specific. Why am I making you buy something to take part? In short, because their programs work when you follow them. And they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. So I guarantee that if you follow them, you will see results, but if you're not happy, Beachbody will give you your money back. This is a win-win situation. Yes, I sell their products. Yes, I use their products. I think they are that good. And trust me, I have tried so many different fitness/weightloss products, I am a walking infomercial.
But, the point is, we're going to work together, and you are going to see the results you want. Period.
What you need to do:
1. Confirm to me that you're in so I can set up the Facebook group.
2. Go to my Beachbody website and choose a Challenge Pack, which bundles the fitness program of your choice and a 30-day supply of their protein shake together at a discount. I can help you if you want advice on what program to choose (you'll recognize some of them, like P90X). I own and have done many of them.
3. We'll start Sept. 10. Each program comes with a schedule and an eating plan. I can help you determine how many calories you should be eating if you need help with that.
4. Post at least once a day in our Facebook group for accountability. Post how your workouts are going, how your eating is going, any questions, etc. The support from the group is huge part of our success. It will keep you motivated and accountible.
5. Follow the program of your choice and drink Shakeology, the protein shake, once a day for the 30 days (Important Note: Shakeology isn't a "diet" shake designed like Slim Fast. This is a full on nutrient-rich shake to boost your nutrition, not starve you to death.).
I will be taking part in the challenge right along with you. I'm planning a combination of workouts for the challenge. The Beachbody program I'm currently following is ChaLEAN Extreme (to me, it's like P90X for women). I'm also training for a triathlon, so I'm doing some running and swimming, too.
We'll officially run the challenge for 30 days, but I'll leave the Facebook group open for at least 120 days (or for as long as the group would like it to be open) for those of you who choose longer programs. You'll have support the whole way through!
Let me know if you have any questions. And if you’re weirded out about the whole thing, no big deal. I just want everyone to reach their goals, and this is what works for me.
This isn't just as a short-term fix. I am a big, big believer in Beachbody and their products. I would never sell you guys crap. It works. And if you decide it doesn't work for you, you'll get your money back. Period.
What have you got to lose? It will be fun, I promise!
1. I love the cooler weather
2. The kids are going back to school (that sounds terrible, but it has to happen so we all might as well soldier on and make the best of it)
3. I can reduce the amount of trigger foods in the house that the kids like to have as treats but derail me personally
4. I can ramp up my workouts without anyone asking when I'm going to be finsihed
5. The kids are going back to school
I may or may not have repeated some of the items I'm more excited about.
The other day I read a statistic that the average person gains 8 pounds on vacation. 8 pounds! Eeek!
We have our work cut out for us. Because I did go on vacation this summer. True, it was to Ohio. It's not like I spent three weeks traveling around Europe, drinking beer and eating cheese (flashback to summer '93 when I came home not being able to get my jeans over my knees). But Ohio definitely had its temptations (Donato's pizza, Graeter's ice cream, Grandpa's homemade ice cream, Marie's candy...).
Anyway, I've decided that when the kids go back to school, it's a great time for parents to band together in celebration and fitness.
This challenge will be similar to one a group of us did last winter. So if you already know the drill, you can stop reading now. If you need the scoop, here it is:
Fall Back Into Fitness Challenge
Just like last winter's post-holiday challenge, this challenge will be run via Facebook. I'll set up a private Facebook group for all paticipants so we can communicate without the world seeing what we're saying.
This challenge will also be Beachbody program specific. Why am I making you buy something to take part? In short, because their programs work when you follow them. And they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. So I guarantee that if you follow them, you will see results, but if you're not happy, Beachbody will give you your money back. This is a win-win situation. Yes, I sell their products. Yes, I use their products. I think they are that good. And trust me, I have tried so many different fitness/weightloss products, I am a walking infomercial.
But, the point is, we're going to work together, and you are going to see the results you want. Period.
What you need to do:
1. Confirm to me that you're in so I can set up the Facebook group.
2. Go to my Beachbody website and choose a Challenge Pack, which bundles the fitness program of your choice and a 30-day supply of their protein shake together at a discount. I can help you if you want advice on what program to choose (you'll recognize some of them, like P90X). I own and have done many of them.
3. We'll start Sept. 10. Each program comes with a schedule and an eating plan. I can help you determine how many calories you should be eating if you need help with that.
4. Post at least once a day in our Facebook group for accountability. Post how your workouts are going, how your eating is going, any questions, etc. The support from the group is huge part of our success. It will keep you motivated and accountible.
5. Follow the program of your choice and drink Shakeology, the protein shake, once a day for the 30 days (Important Note: Shakeology isn't a "diet" shake designed like Slim Fast. This is a full on nutrient-rich shake to boost your nutrition, not starve you to death.).
I will be taking part in the challenge right along with you. I'm planning a combination of workouts for the challenge. The Beachbody program I'm currently following is ChaLEAN Extreme (to me, it's like P90X for women). I'm also training for a triathlon, so I'm doing some running and swimming, too.
We'll officially run the challenge for 30 days, but I'll leave the Facebook group open for at least 120 days (or for as long as the group would like it to be open) for those of you who choose longer programs. You'll have support the whole way through!
Let me know if you have any questions. And if you’re weirded out about the whole thing, no big deal. I just want everyone to reach their goals, and this is what works for me.
This isn't just as a short-term fix. I am a big, big believer in Beachbody and their products. I would never sell you guys crap. It works. And if you decide it doesn't work for you, you'll get your money back. Period.
What have you got to lose? It will be fun, I promise!
Friday, August 3, 2012
I Have Been Running. Don't Fall Down in Shock.
I know. I KNOW. I swore I'd never run. And really, I think that what I've been doing can only loosely be called running. I'm not sure I'd even call it jogging. I'm probably doing some sort of fast shuffle like the old people at the mall. But I have managed to finish the second week of a Couch to 5K program (the one I'm using is 5K101).
It's really nothing short of a miracle.
A bit of advice: if you pig out on SmashBurger and frozen yogurt, the next day's run might be a bit compromised. Take my word for it. Don't try this at home. Ick.
News update: I've decided that a year from tomorrow, I'm going to participate in a local triathlon. Eeeek. There. I said it. It's out there.
So I figured if I want to do a triathlon, I'd better figure out how to run, and I'd better do it sooner rather than later. I also figure there's going to be a lot of pain involved.
I randomly chose a free podcast program off iTunes to help me run. When I've tried running before, I've made the clssic mistakes: running too fast at the beginning. The podcast helps. It eases you into it gradually with alternating walks and runs. I did a few test runs just listening to the free podcast, and it was OK, but the music is so boring. For $2.99 I could download a program you could set to your own playlist. Truly, it's the best $2.99 I even spent. My first two weeks of "running" have actually gone pretty well. Other than the whole post-Smashburger debacle.
I'm going to add some swimming into my workouts starting next week. Shape magazine (you know how I love it), printed a triathlon training schedule, and next week I'll start following that. In addition, I've been doing some weight training with ChaLEAN Extreme.
I am struggling with my eating somewhat. When I lift weights, it makes me crazy hungry, so I'm trying to balance sensible portions with what my body needs. Weighted workouts always challenge my eating.
Next week will be Week 3 of Couch to 5K. I cringe to think I'll bump up to more running, but I guess it has to happen!
It's really nothing short of a miracle.
A bit of advice: if you pig out on SmashBurger and frozen yogurt, the next day's run might be a bit compromised. Take my word for it. Don't try this at home. Ick.
News update: I've decided that a year from tomorrow, I'm going to participate in a local triathlon. Eeeek. There. I said it. It's out there.
So I figured if I want to do a triathlon, I'd better figure out how to run, and I'd better do it sooner rather than later. I also figure there's going to be a lot of pain involved.
I randomly chose a free podcast program off iTunes to help me run. When I've tried running before, I've made the clssic mistakes: running too fast at the beginning. The podcast helps. It eases you into it gradually with alternating walks and runs. I did a few test runs just listening to the free podcast, and it was OK, but the music is so boring. For $2.99 I could download a program you could set to your own playlist. Truly, it's the best $2.99 I even spent. My first two weeks of "running" have actually gone pretty well. Other than the whole post-Smashburger debacle.
I'm going to add some swimming into my workouts starting next week. Shape magazine (you know how I love it), printed a triathlon training schedule, and next week I'll start following that. In addition, I've been doing some weight training with ChaLEAN Extreme.
I am struggling with my eating somewhat. When I lift weights, it makes me crazy hungry, so I'm trying to balance sensible portions with what my body needs. Weighted workouts always challenge my eating.
Next week will be Week 3 of Couch to 5K. I cringe to think I'll bump up to more running, but I guess it has to happen!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Hey There and New Fitness Goals
I haven't felt like blogging lately. How obvious is that? I'm sorry. I left you hanging high and dry near the end of Ultimate Reset.
So here's a quick rundown of how that turned out, where I've been, how I'm eating now, and what's next for me in terms of fitness.
Ultimate Reset
I think Ultimate Reset might be my favorite detox program ever. Just like when I finally found Shakeology and said that I'd kissed a lot of whey protein frogs to get to the love of my life -- Shakeology -- I feel like I went through a lot of detox hells to get to the point of Ultimate Reset. The food was yummy. Yes, there was prep work and I had to think and plan ahead (not always my strong suit), but I felt amazing after it was over, and I think I look pretty darn good. When I was in Ohio, I had a lot of people ask me what I was doing to lose weight. When other people can see it, that tells me something is working.
I have stayed mostly vegan after Ultimate Reset. Mostly, not totally. I have found that how I feel best for now. I did eat ice cream in Ohio. I did eat some meat. I find I mostly crave meat (or eggs) when I have PMS (sorry if that's TMI), but other than that, right now I can take it or leave it, and I mostly want to leave it. I have, of course, eaten popcorn. And always will.
As for grains, I am really only eating rice and some quinoa. I'll probably never give up rice.
So, when people ask me to describe my diet, I tell them I call it the Crave Diet. Really, I eat what I crave (in moderation because when my body craves chocolate, I don't make a meal of it!) and that's fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and meat when I want it. I'm not bored with that. There's a huge variety of stuff you can eat in that realm. Huge.
I'm not kidding myself -- this an easy way to eat during summer. I figure things will change when cooler weather sets in, and my body craves different foods. It will be an experiment.
Overall, I lost 6 lbs. on Ultimate Reset, which at first, bummed me out because there were people out there losing 30+ pounds and talking about it on the support threads. But for me, that was a pretty good amount. It took me below 130 lbs. (I'm 5' 4 1/2"), which has been a goal for a long time, and I feel like I'm at a good, healthy, fit weight. I never did measure on the final day. We left for Ohio the day after Reset ended and I just flat out forgot to measure.
Fitness
Summer is always sort of a weird fitness time for me. The kids are home, of course, and we're sort of schedule-less, which never bodes well for me. I always do best when I have a strict schedule to follow.
During Ultimate Reset, you're not supposed to work out, but I couldn't stand that, and I didn't feel the greatest doing that. So I ended up alternating days of walking and doing TurboFire Stretch 40, which is 20 minutes of yoga and 20 minutes of deeper stretching. I felt really good with that plan.
In Ohio, I walked nearly every day. It makes me happy to walk around my old hometown and drink it all in. It was a nice break from structured routines and higher impact workouts.
So now, what do I do?
I did set up a month-long schedule in my WOWY calendar (Beachbody's online gym) for TurboJam. It's lower impact than TurboFire. I'm working my way back to working out harder at altitude -- I was amazed at how I could feel the difference from a cardio perspective after spending two weeks at sea level!
But I'm wanting to add stuff in to make my workouts more challenging.
So here's what I've decided to do. The TurboJam schedule will take me almost until the boys go back to school. I'll stick with it, but I'm adding some RUNNING. Yes, I said it. I'm adding RUNNING. Is hell freezing over?
I know, madness. But my long-term goal is -- get this -- to do a triathlon. And if I want to do a triathlon, I need to run. So I'm starting with a Couch to 5K program. Once I finish that, I plan to add in the triathlon training program (note: that's going to put me in the fall so I may be training and not have a race to run, but the point, to me, is the training part). For the remainder of the summer, I'm also going to do some Brazil Butt Lift and P90X Legs and Back. Might as well keep hammering away on that area. I feel like I had good results doing that in the spring.
I'm writing it out so it makes sense to me...
Remainder of summer:
-TurboJam + Couch to 5K + BBL and P90X Legs and Back
Late August (when school is starting):
-Contine with Couch to 5K (note, I originally wrote "Cough" to 5K. How appropriate.)
-TurboFire and ChaLEAN Extreme
Mid-October:
-Continue with TurboFire and ChaLEAN Extreme
-Begin triathlon training schedule although this could be a curious process because it would already be snowing in Colorado...
I'll see where that gets me!
So here's a quick rundown of how that turned out, where I've been, how I'm eating now, and what's next for me in terms of fitness.
Ultimate Reset
I think Ultimate Reset might be my favorite detox program ever. Just like when I finally found Shakeology and said that I'd kissed a lot of whey protein frogs to get to the love of my life -- Shakeology -- I feel like I went through a lot of detox hells to get to the point of Ultimate Reset. The food was yummy. Yes, there was prep work and I had to think and plan ahead (not always my strong suit), but I felt amazing after it was over, and I think I look pretty darn good. When I was in Ohio, I had a lot of people ask me what I was doing to lose weight. When other people can see it, that tells me something is working.
I have stayed mostly vegan after Ultimate Reset. Mostly, not totally. I have found that how I feel best for now. I did eat ice cream in Ohio. I did eat some meat. I find I mostly crave meat (or eggs) when I have PMS (sorry if that's TMI), but other than that, right now I can take it or leave it, and I mostly want to leave it. I have, of course, eaten popcorn. And always will.
As for grains, I am really only eating rice and some quinoa. I'll probably never give up rice.
So, when people ask me to describe my diet, I tell them I call it the Crave Diet. Really, I eat what I crave (in moderation because when my body craves chocolate, I don't make a meal of it!) and that's fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and meat when I want it. I'm not bored with that. There's a huge variety of stuff you can eat in that realm. Huge.
I'm not kidding myself -- this an easy way to eat during summer. I figure things will change when cooler weather sets in, and my body craves different foods. It will be an experiment.
Overall, I lost 6 lbs. on Ultimate Reset, which at first, bummed me out because there were people out there losing 30+ pounds and talking about it on the support threads. But for me, that was a pretty good amount. It took me below 130 lbs. (I'm 5' 4 1/2"), which has been a goal for a long time, and I feel like I'm at a good, healthy, fit weight. I never did measure on the final day. We left for Ohio the day after Reset ended and I just flat out forgot to measure.
Fitness
Summer is always sort of a weird fitness time for me. The kids are home, of course, and we're sort of schedule-less, which never bodes well for me. I always do best when I have a strict schedule to follow.
During Ultimate Reset, you're not supposed to work out, but I couldn't stand that, and I didn't feel the greatest doing that. So I ended up alternating days of walking and doing TurboFire Stretch 40, which is 20 minutes of yoga and 20 minutes of deeper stretching. I felt really good with that plan.
In Ohio, I walked nearly every day. It makes me happy to walk around my old hometown and drink it all in. It was a nice break from structured routines and higher impact workouts.
So now, what do I do?
I did set up a month-long schedule in my WOWY calendar (Beachbody's online gym) for TurboJam. It's lower impact than TurboFire. I'm working my way back to working out harder at altitude -- I was amazed at how I could feel the difference from a cardio perspective after spending two weeks at sea level!
But I'm wanting to add stuff in to make my workouts more challenging.
So here's what I've decided to do. The TurboJam schedule will take me almost until the boys go back to school. I'll stick with it, but I'm adding some RUNNING. Yes, I said it. I'm adding RUNNING. Is hell freezing over?
I know, madness. But my long-term goal is -- get this -- to do a triathlon. And if I want to do a triathlon, I need to run. So I'm starting with a Couch to 5K program. Once I finish that, I plan to add in the triathlon training program (note: that's going to put me in the fall so I may be training and not have a race to run, but the point, to me, is the training part). For the remainder of the summer, I'm also going to do some Brazil Butt Lift and P90X Legs and Back. Might as well keep hammering away on that area. I feel like I had good results doing that in the spring.
I'm writing it out so it makes sense to me...
Remainder of summer:
-TurboJam + Couch to 5K + BBL and P90X Legs and Back
Late August (when school is starting):
-Contine with Couch to 5K (note, I originally wrote "Cough" to 5K. How appropriate.)
-TurboFire and ChaLEAN Extreme
Mid-October:
-Continue with TurboFire and ChaLEAN Extreme
-Begin triathlon training schedule although this could be a curious process because it would already be snowing in Colorado...
I'll see where that gets me!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Day 21 -- Last Day!
I know. What the heck. I haven't posted at all in this last week. It's summer. Kids are home. It has been crazy busy!
So I have to say, I'm super excited that today was the LAST DAY of Beachbody Ultimate Reset. I made it!
I did have some wobbles here and there and I discovered in this last week I had to add extra food nearly every day, but I'm pleased with how things turned out.
Tomorrow, I'll weigh and measure, but I don't think it's going to be a true representation because of an unfortunate PMS situation. I'm sorry to burden you with woman details, but there you have it.
A bit of exciting news: I don't have six-pack abs, but I do have two-pack abs, which is kind of fun to see actual ab muscles.
Summing up:
-I liked the Ultimate Reset. It was "hard" in the sense that I was touching and handling and cooking non-Reset food for my family, but I only slipped up a few times. Really, the Reset food isn't too far off from how I eat anyway.
-Don't cheat. I nibbled some chicken during the vegan week. And some eggs. But that was as bad as it got UNTIL...I was making a dessert for dinner at friends' last weekend (I took my own food!) and I ate one of the peanut butter bars. I was so mad at myself! I was so close to the end and to have a massive misstep like that! Really annoyed. And apparently that little misstep made my body mad, too. I spent a chunk of the evening in the bathroom with a digestive system that didn't know what the heck to do with that fat and sugar Ugh. Embarassing and awful. Thank goodness I was somewhere I could use the bathroom! TMI, I know, but you have been warned! To reiterate: don't cheat!
-Don't workout The booklet says no exercise other than light walking and stretching. I followed that the first few days. Then I got antsy. And for few days, I did some TurboJam and some walks That pretty much kicked my ass. Then I switched and did TurboFire's Stretch 40 nearly every day. That workout made me feel great. So stick with what the booklet says!
-Plan ahead. Cook ahead. I think I've said this in nearly every post, and it remains true. Cook big batches of rice and lentils. Double the batch of Lentil Lime Salad because you eat it two days in a row. Do what you can to make your life easier.
-Use the support groups on Facebook. Great place for questions. I had questions about using Shakeology and making substitutions and found answers there
-Substitutions. Use them and don't sweat it. I had so much Toasted Millet left, when a meal called for a grain, like quinoa, I just used the millet. I didn't want it to go to waste. Same thing with greens. If I had spinach and something called for collards, I used spinach.
-Eat it cold. I'm a big fan of raw eating anyway, but there were some of the soups and salads that they want you to heat or cook, and I just ate them cold. More nutrients! I never heated any of the soups except the miso. For the seawood salad, I soaked the hijiki and then just threw all of the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, subbing the yellow onion with green onion, and ate it cold. It was delicious!
-Take your food with you. I had fun going to friends' for dinner (except the tummy troubles) and just taking my own food. I explained what I was doing and that I'd be bringing my own food and no one cared. In fact, they were intrigued by Ultimate Reset.
That's all I can think of now. I am a little bummed out about the timing of my PMS, but it is what it is!
Now, as for how I'll eat over the next few weeks, my plan is to ease lean proteins back in. I'll be cautious. I have to fly on a plane tomorrow so I'm sticking close to Reset foods so I don't have some sort of abdominal meltdown on the plane!
But my goal is to eat as lean and raw for the remainder of the summer. I'm really craving Chocolate Shakeology and actually, Tropical Shakeology. I'll add those back in starting on Day Two off the program. I don't want to drink it and hop on the plane.
More details on Ultimate Reset later!
So I have to say, I'm super excited that today was the LAST DAY of Beachbody Ultimate Reset. I made it!
I did have some wobbles here and there and I discovered in this last week I had to add extra food nearly every day, but I'm pleased with how things turned out.
Tomorrow, I'll weigh and measure, but I don't think it's going to be a true representation because of an unfortunate PMS situation. I'm sorry to burden you with woman details, but there you have it.
A bit of exciting news: I don't have six-pack abs, but I do have two-pack abs, which is kind of fun to see actual ab muscles.
Summing up:
-I liked the Ultimate Reset. It was "hard" in the sense that I was touching and handling and cooking non-Reset food for my family, but I only slipped up a few times. Really, the Reset food isn't too far off from how I eat anyway.
-Don't cheat. I nibbled some chicken during the vegan week. And some eggs. But that was as bad as it got UNTIL...I was making a dessert for dinner at friends' last weekend (I took my own food!) and I ate one of the peanut butter bars. I was so mad at myself! I was so close to the end and to have a massive misstep like that! Really annoyed. And apparently that little misstep made my body mad, too. I spent a chunk of the evening in the bathroom with a digestive system that didn't know what the heck to do with that fat and sugar Ugh. Embarassing and awful. Thank goodness I was somewhere I could use the bathroom! TMI, I know, but you have been warned! To reiterate: don't cheat!
-Don't workout The booklet says no exercise other than light walking and stretching. I followed that the first few days. Then I got antsy. And for few days, I did some TurboJam and some walks That pretty much kicked my ass. Then I switched and did TurboFire's Stretch 40 nearly every day. That workout made me feel great. So stick with what the booklet says!
-Plan ahead. Cook ahead. I think I've said this in nearly every post, and it remains true. Cook big batches of rice and lentils. Double the batch of Lentil Lime Salad because you eat it two days in a row. Do what you can to make your life easier.
-Use the support groups on Facebook. Great place for questions. I had questions about using Shakeology and making substitutions and found answers there
-Substitutions. Use them and don't sweat it. I had so much Toasted Millet left, when a meal called for a grain, like quinoa, I just used the millet. I didn't want it to go to waste. Same thing with greens. If I had spinach and something called for collards, I used spinach.
-Eat it cold. I'm a big fan of raw eating anyway, but there were some of the soups and salads that they want you to heat or cook, and I just ate them cold. More nutrients! I never heated any of the soups except the miso. For the seawood salad, I soaked the hijiki and then just threw all of the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, subbing the yellow onion with green onion, and ate it cold. It was delicious!
-Take your food with you. I had fun going to friends' for dinner (except the tummy troubles) and just taking my own food. I explained what I was doing and that I'd be bringing my own food and no one cared. In fact, they were intrigued by Ultimate Reset.
That's all I can think of now. I am a little bummed out about the timing of my PMS, but it is what it is!
Now, as for how I'll eat over the next few weeks, my plan is to ease lean proteins back in. I'll be cautious. I have to fly on a plane tomorrow so I'm sticking close to Reset foods so I don't have some sort of abdominal meltdown on the plane!
But my goal is to eat as lean and raw for the remainder of the summer. I'm really craving Chocolate Shakeology and actually, Tropical Shakeology. I'll add those back in starting on Day Two off the program. I don't want to drink it and hop on the plane.
More details on Ultimate Reset later!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Day 14 -- Still Here!
OK, sorry the big lapse. Busy, busy, busy. I'm currently on the last day of Week Two! It hasn't been totally smooth sailing, mostly problems of my own doing. For example, why would I make homemade ice cream for my family when I'm in such a challenge!? I tasted it! And it made me feel sick. So that took care of that.
Days of being needing more food and not needing more have continued to alternate. Yesterday, for example, I was having a bad crash before lunch. I was due to eat the Microgreen salad, which I love, for lunch. It has toasted nuts or seeds on it. I actually cooked up a big batch of nuts and seeds so I'd have them ready when I needed them. So I ate some in advance of lunch. I could tell I was desperate for protein and fat.
And tonight, it's only 7:15pm and I'm already feeling hungry. For a workout today I did TurboFire Stretch 40 so it's not like it was strenuous. In fact, it felt good. So I'm not totally sure what I'll do with what is going to be a roaring hunger in about an hour!
It is a good reminder that this isn't a starvation diet. If you're hungry, eat. So I guess I have my answer!
Days of being needing more food and not needing more have continued to alternate. Yesterday, for example, I was having a bad crash before lunch. I was due to eat the Microgreen salad, which I love, for lunch. It has toasted nuts or seeds on it. I actually cooked up a big batch of nuts and seeds so I'd have them ready when I needed them. So I ate some in advance of lunch. I could tell I was desperate for protein and fat.
And tonight, it's only 7:15pm and I'm already feeling hungry. For a workout today I did TurboFire Stretch 40 so it's not like it was strenuous. In fact, it felt good. So I'm not totally sure what I'll do with what is going to be a roaring hunger in about an hour!
It is a good reminder that this isn't a starvation diet. If you're hungry, eat. So I guess I have my answer!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Day 10 -- Halfway!
Today I realized that I'm halfway through Ultimate Reset! Pretty exciting.
I did have some cravings today, but not enough to pop something in my mouth. I was making the boys egg sandwiches for breakfast and I really wanted to eat their leftovers. But I did not. As I go on, my resolve strengthens to stick to the plan.
I did TurboFire Stretch 40 today and I'm also sticking with my plan to alternate days doing that DVD and a walking.
I'm trying to think if I have any advice/major observations. The calorie counts in this second week are definitely lower, especially if you don't eat the afternoon snack, which I haven't been hungry for. I just read on someone else's blog about the Paleo/Primal diet, which is somewhat how I eat anyway and somewhat similar to the Reset. She commented how she no longer grazes -- no longer eats snacks in between her meals, and I'd say that's how I'm becoming. And usually I'm a 5 - 6 times a day eater.
So it's a curious process.
I remain amazed at the lack, egg sandwich desire this morning withstanding, of cravings. Last night I made Finn popcorn, and I ate nary a kernal. Popcorn is my favorite food, people, so this is huge. Hugely huge.
I did have some cravings today, but not enough to pop something in my mouth. I was making the boys egg sandwiches for breakfast and I really wanted to eat their leftovers. But I did not. As I go on, my resolve strengthens to stick to the plan.
I did TurboFire Stretch 40 today and I'm also sticking with my plan to alternate days doing that DVD and a walking.
I'm trying to think if I have any advice/major observations. The calorie counts in this second week are definitely lower, especially if you don't eat the afternoon snack, which I haven't been hungry for. I just read on someone else's blog about the Paleo/Primal diet, which is somewhat how I eat anyway and somewhat similar to the Reset. She commented how she no longer grazes -- no longer eats snacks in between her meals, and I'd say that's how I'm becoming. And usually I'm a 5 - 6 times a day eater.
So it's a curious process.
I remain amazed at the lack, egg sandwich desire this morning withstanding, of cravings. Last night I made Finn popcorn, and I ate nary a kernal. Popcorn is my favorite food, people, so this is huge. Hugely huge.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Days 8 & 9 -- Busy!
Last day of school Wednesday = lack of time to post AND the need for careful eating planning!
Wednesday, Day 8 of Ultimate Reset, marked the first day of Week 2 as well. I have to say, the size of the meals was much more to my liking. Just fruit for breakfast, my favorite Ultimate Reset salad for lunch, and beans and rice with steamed veggies for dinner. Because I was going to be at Eamonn's bike race during dinner (and they were serving up some hamburgers and potato chips the whole night), I just steamed the veggies and threw them in with the beans and rice and all of the spices. It was really tasty.
Anyway, just an example of how I'm really trying to look ahead and make sure I go prepared with all of the correct supplements and food.
I had a huge revelation yesterday, which, because it was the last day of school, contained not one, but TWO ice cream parties, pizza, and then the trip to the hamburger ranch. As I was helping to set up the ice cream buffet at lunchtime, I realized I had absolutely no desire to eat the ice cream or any of the toppings provided which ranged from syrup to whipped cream to sprinkles and all sorts of candies and cookies. I felt zero need to pop M&Ms or Oreos into my mouth, and it was a beautiful thing. I nearly wept with happiness.
That feeling stuck with me at the second ice cream/pizza party.
Overall, I think this second phase is going to be more to my liking. Plus, I feel like I'm seeing/feeling some changes AND several people have commented on how I look. I love it! I'm so vain...
Although I will say that when today, Day 9, dawned, I didn't want the miso soup and smashed chick peas for breakfast. Frankly, these are normally foods I would love -- at lunch or dinner. But what I really wanted and was truly craving, was either the fruit plate, which is pretty much the breakfast staple this week, or Shakeology, which is allowed if you have the Tropical vegan version. I went with the Shakeology, and it really hit the spot.
Had my favorite salad and more beans and rice for lunch and I was so full that when dinner came around, I STILL wasn't hungry. It was a weird, large amount of food, and I will confess that I'm a little stymied about how eating that much at one sitting is OK! I calculated the calories and it was over 700! What the heck! I even went back to see if I'd misread the recipe and doubled it or something. Nope, it was correct. So here's where I had my first off-plan experience: I drank Tropical Shakeology again for dinner, which you're not supposed to do, but I couldn't stomach a full meal.
C'est la vie. I still feel like I'm detoxing.
I also noticed that I'm super tired today. Don't know if that's the detox again or if I just had a really long day yesterday.
With that said, I'm hitting the hay!
Wednesday, Day 8 of Ultimate Reset, marked the first day of Week 2 as well. I have to say, the size of the meals was much more to my liking. Just fruit for breakfast, my favorite Ultimate Reset salad for lunch, and beans and rice with steamed veggies for dinner. Because I was going to be at Eamonn's bike race during dinner (and they were serving up some hamburgers and potato chips the whole night), I just steamed the veggies and threw them in with the beans and rice and all of the spices. It was really tasty.
Anyway, just an example of how I'm really trying to look ahead and make sure I go prepared with all of the correct supplements and food.
I had a huge revelation yesterday, which, because it was the last day of school, contained not one, but TWO ice cream parties, pizza, and then the trip to the hamburger ranch. As I was helping to set up the ice cream buffet at lunchtime, I realized I had absolutely no desire to eat the ice cream or any of the toppings provided which ranged from syrup to whipped cream to sprinkles and all sorts of candies and cookies. I felt zero need to pop M&Ms or Oreos into my mouth, and it was a beautiful thing. I nearly wept with happiness.
That feeling stuck with me at the second ice cream/pizza party.
Overall, I think this second phase is going to be more to my liking. Plus, I feel like I'm seeing/feeling some changes AND several people have commented on how I look. I love it! I'm so vain...
Although I will say that when today, Day 9, dawned, I didn't want the miso soup and smashed chick peas for breakfast. Frankly, these are normally foods I would love -- at lunch or dinner. But what I really wanted and was truly craving, was either the fruit plate, which is pretty much the breakfast staple this week, or Shakeology, which is allowed if you have the Tropical vegan version. I went with the Shakeology, and it really hit the spot.
Had my favorite salad and more beans and rice for lunch and I was so full that when dinner came around, I STILL wasn't hungry. It was a weird, large amount of food, and I will confess that I'm a little stymied about how eating that much at one sitting is OK! I calculated the calories and it was over 700! What the heck! I even went back to see if I'd misread the recipe and doubled it or something. Nope, it was correct. So here's where I had my first off-plan experience: I drank Tropical Shakeology again for dinner, which you're not supposed to do, but I couldn't stomach a full meal.
C'est la vie. I still feel like I'm detoxing.
I also noticed that I'm super tired today. Don't know if that's the detox again or if I just had a really long day yesterday.
With that said, I'm hitting the hay!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Day 7 -- Some Adjustments
Today I decided to make a few adjustments. First, the meals I've been eating seem so huge to me. It's way more food than I would normally eat in one sitting. Normally, I eat three meals and two or three snacks, and I'm always hungry for each one.
On Reset, you eat three meals and one afternoon snack, but that snack is optional and sometimes I want it and sometimes I don't. On the days I don't want it, it's usually because the noon meal has been so large, I'm not hungry. I don't like the feeling of not being hungry again for 4 - 5 hours. I like to eat every 3 hours or so. Otherwise, I just feel overfull and bogged down.
So today I tried a little experiment, and I like how it turned out.
First, I didn't eat the full portions in the Ultimate Reset menu/recipe book. For example, breakfast was supposed to be 1 cup of oatmeal, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon ground flax seed, and 1/4 cup apple. For me, that's a huge bulk of food at once. So I knocked the oatmeal down to 3/4 cup and the yogurt down to 1/4 cup. After breakfast, I felt really good, like it was a normal amount of food for me.
Now, I will say that I did get hungry before lunch and my stomch was seriously growling. At that point, I went out for a walk. And here's the second change I made: I walked for about an hour versus the 20 minutes 2x a day the book recommends. I work a sedentary job, so the 20 minutes isn't cutting it, and it's tough for me to find time for two separate walks. So I'm going to go with what feels right and that's longer walks once a day. I didn't hoof it like I normally would, but I still felt like I got my blood moving.
At lunch, I did eat the recommended amounts. I'm OK with eating a lot of veggies -- they fill you up with their size and fiber, but you burn through them pretty quick. And happily, I was hungry for a snack around 4pm. Again, I didn't eat the full snack amount recommended. I chose fruit and yogurt and had 1 cup of berries and 1/2 cup yogurt instead of 3/4 cup. I was full on that.
At dinner, I ate the recommended amounts of the veggies and tempeh, but cut down the amount of rice. I still felt a little overfull after the fact.
So we'll see how that works. The scale didn't move again today and that bugged me. But week two starts tomorrow and that will mean a shift in food. More changes in store!
On Reset, you eat three meals and one afternoon snack, but that snack is optional and sometimes I want it and sometimes I don't. On the days I don't want it, it's usually because the noon meal has been so large, I'm not hungry. I don't like the feeling of not being hungry again for 4 - 5 hours. I like to eat every 3 hours or so. Otherwise, I just feel overfull and bogged down.
So today I tried a little experiment, and I like how it turned out.
First, I didn't eat the full portions in the Ultimate Reset menu/recipe book. For example, breakfast was supposed to be 1 cup of oatmeal, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon ground flax seed, and 1/4 cup apple. For me, that's a huge bulk of food at once. So I knocked the oatmeal down to 3/4 cup and the yogurt down to 1/4 cup. After breakfast, I felt really good, like it was a normal amount of food for me.
Now, I will say that I did get hungry before lunch and my stomch was seriously growling. At that point, I went out for a walk. And here's the second change I made: I walked for about an hour versus the 20 minutes 2x a day the book recommends. I work a sedentary job, so the 20 minutes isn't cutting it, and it's tough for me to find time for two separate walks. So I'm going to go with what feels right and that's longer walks once a day. I didn't hoof it like I normally would, but I still felt like I got my blood moving.
At lunch, I did eat the recommended amounts. I'm OK with eating a lot of veggies -- they fill you up with their size and fiber, but you burn through them pretty quick. And happily, I was hungry for a snack around 4pm. Again, I didn't eat the full snack amount recommended. I chose fruit and yogurt and had 1 cup of berries and 1/2 cup yogurt instead of 3/4 cup. I was full on that.
At dinner, I ate the recommended amounts of the veggies and tempeh, but cut down the amount of rice. I still felt a little overfull after the fact.
So we'll see how that works. The scale didn't move again today and that bugged me. But week two starts tomorrow and that will mean a shift in food. More changes in store!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Day 6 -- Great Day!
A lot of people doing the Ultimate Reset have talked about how they spent the first few days or the first whole week in a fog. I haven't felt like that at all. Until today, when I felt so great that I realized I really MIGHT have been in a fog and not realized it.
Truly, I think I've avoided most of the detox symptoms because I rarely drink anything with caffeine, and even though I ate s'mores over Memorial Day Weekend, I don't eat a lot of sugar. So I wondered if I was going to coast through this thing.
But here's the deal: I don't think anyone is going to coast through this! There will be something to challenge everyone. I think I felt foggy and grumpy up until today. Today I felt really productive and in a good mood, and that's when I realized I hadn't really been in a good mood for the past few days.
It's a good feeling.
Anyway, the food today was really good, for the most part. I'm still not sold on the tempeh 100%. I bought the 5-grain flavor, because that's what the store had. I heard there is a rice one that's really yummy. This is just kind of chunky and weird. I did really like it rolled up in the nori rolls.
I will tell you I was DREADING breakfast this morning -- baked tempeh (and it's for dinner tomorrow night -- something to get through. I won't sub out a meal because I want to use this stuff up. I won't buy this flavor again.). You marinate the tempeh in mix of Bragg's Liquid Aminos (which I've used for years), syrup, and apple cider vinegar before baking it. It wasn't awful, but it's just a flavor combo I dig at breakfast. It's more of a lunch thing for me. So maybe I'll like it better tomorrow.
I forgot to eat the toast I was supposed to have at breakfast, but it didn't matter -- I was full.
I haven't really been tracking calories. I did the first day or so, then I stopped. Today I tracked because I'm curious as to how many calories I'm eating. I think each day is about 1400 calories. Tomorrow I'm going to make an effort to really weigh and track stuff to see how close I'm coming to that number.
My weight has popped back and forth between the same 1.5 pounds up and down since Day 1. This is a little depressing to me because I have heard everyone else's amazing results and I was sure I could drop 10 lbs. So now I'm needing to re-evaluate and recommit because I don't want these 3 weeks to be in vain. I want to be sure I learn something from this in case I don't lose weight -- I don't want to be disappointed at the end. I'm trying to remind myself there are many benefits to be had that don't involve weight loss, that I'm already in the appropriate weight range for my height, blah blah blah. Just needing a MENTAL reset right now and having trouble doing it.
Day 7, end of first week tomorrow!
Truly, I think I've avoided most of the detox symptoms because I rarely drink anything with caffeine, and even though I ate s'mores over Memorial Day Weekend, I don't eat a lot of sugar. So I wondered if I was going to coast through this thing.
But here's the deal: I don't think anyone is going to coast through this! There will be something to challenge everyone. I think I felt foggy and grumpy up until today. Today I felt really productive and in a good mood, and that's when I realized I hadn't really been in a good mood for the past few days.
It's a good feeling.
Anyway, the food today was really good, for the most part. I'm still not sold on the tempeh 100%. I bought the 5-grain flavor, because that's what the store had. I heard there is a rice one that's really yummy. This is just kind of chunky and weird. I did really like it rolled up in the nori rolls.
I will tell you I was DREADING breakfast this morning -- baked tempeh (and it's for dinner tomorrow night -- something to get through. I won't sub out a meal because I want to use this stuff up. I won't buy this flavor again.). You marinate the tempeh in mix of Bragg's Liquid Aminos (which I've used for years), syrup, and apple cider vinegar before baking it. It wasn't awful, but it's just a flavor combo I dig at breakfast. It's more of a lunch thing for me. So maybe I'll like it better tomorrow.
I forgot to eat the toast I was supposed to have at breakfast, but it didn't matter -- I was full.
I haven't really been tracking calories. I did the first day or so, then I stopped. Today I tracked because I'm curious as to how many calories I'm eating. I think each day is about 1400 calories. Tomorrow I'm going to make an effort to really weigh and track stuff to see how close I'm coming to that number.
My weight has popped back and forth between the same 1.5 pounds up and down since Day 1. This is a little depressing to me because I have heard everyone else's amazing results and I was sure I could drop 10 lbs. So now I'm needing to re-evaluate and recommit because I don't want these 3 weeks to be in vain. I want to be sure I learn something from this in case I don't lose weight -- I don't want to be disappointed at the end. I'm trying to remind myself there are many benefits to be had that don't involve weight loss, that I'm already in the appropriate weight range for my height, blah blah blah. Just needing a MENTAL reset right now and having trouble doing it.
Day 7, end of first week tomorrow!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Days 4 & 5 -- A Pattern
So I feel like a pattern is emerging. I'm not hungry and don't need the PM snack one day and then am starving and feel like I DO need the snack (plus more) the next. I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to even things out so I'm not feeling these swings. I'm also trying to figure out what the difference is. I wonder if it's the lack of meat? Hmmm, I'll need to look back and see if on the hungrier days there was protein in the form of meat that day.
I still have a backache, but then again, it's the same backache I've had for months. Not sure if it's age or a giant tumor that is slowly killing me.
I'm feeling morbid tonight.
Yesterday was sort of an out of whack day in terms of timing of supplements. I got off kilter for dinner. We were invited to visit a friends' ranch (I'll post pics when I get them on my personal blog) and we were on the go all day and there much later than I thought we'd be. I was good about packing Reset food for lunch, but I didn't take an appropriate snack. I was lucky because I had some leftover lunch, so I ate that. But I hadn't packed the afternoon supplements. I just had them when I got home, but found myself un-hungry at dinner. I drank a Shakeology and that seemed to do just fine.
Or maybe it didn't do just fine because today I've been hungry. I looked at the allowed snacks and multi-grain crackers was among the choices. I don't eat gluten, so I ate rice crackers instead and hoped that was OK, but then I felt like I needed fat/protein, so I added some nuts and even a few bites of fruit. The combination was not Reset sanctioned. And then I realized I hadn't taken my before dinner supplements. I'm having them now, before bed. I hope the world keeps turning!
Got plenty of exercise at the ranch yesterday, but none today. And come to think of it, I sat and worked much of today -- so why am I so hungry?
It is a mystery.
I also fee irritable and a little sad today. Don't like it. Don't like it at all...
I'm hoping it's just all part of the process!
I still have a backache, but then again, it's the same backache I've had for months. Not sure if it's age or a giant tumor that is slowly killing me.
I'm feeling morbid tonight.
Yesterday was sort of an out of whack day in terms of timing of supplements. I got off kilter for dinner. We were invited to visit a friends' ranch (I'll post pics when I get them on my personal blog) and we were on the go all day and there much later than I thought we'd be. I was good about packing Reset food for lunch, but I didn't take an appropriate snack. I was lucky because I had some leftover lunch, so I ate that. But I hadn't packed the afternoon supplements. I just had them when I got home, but found myself un-hungry at dinner. I drank a Shakeology and that seemed to do just fine.
Or maybe it didn't do just fine because today I've been hungry. I looked at the allowed snacks and multi-grain crackers was among the choices. I don't eat gluten, so I ate rice crackers instead and hoped that was OK, but then I felt like I needed fat/protein, so I added some nuts and even a few bites of fruit. The combination was not Reset sanctioned. And then I realized I hadn't taken my before dinner supplements. I'm having them now, before bed. I hope the world keeps turning!
Got plenty of exercise at the ranch yesterday, but none today. And come to think of it, I sat and worked much of today -- so why am I so hungry?
It is a mystery.
I also fee irritable and a little sad today. Don't like it. Don't like it at all...
I'm hoping it's just all part of the process!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Day Three -- A Little Sore
So today was Day 3 of the Ultimate Reset. I'm going to do a little experiment. I finished eating dinner at about 7:30pm MST (kind of late, but I made the boys' dinner first and then I had to make the Japanese "feast" that is dinner from Week 1, Day 3), and I am STUFFED! I'm curious to see at what point, if any, that I'm either hungry again or back to a normal feeling. How fast will I burn through that dinner? I'll update...
What I'm noticing today:
I've upped my water intake, so I feel very hydrated and my mild headache is gone. However, I had a wicked back backache earlier today. That seems better this evening, but I was seriously sore -- like I'd done a workout sore -- this afternoon.
I didn't need the snack this afternoon, but that might have been because I ate a later lunch. I did wake up hungry, but didn't eat breakfast until after 9am because of a series of events (that weren't unfortunate, just delayed my breakfast).
I took a 20 minute walk this morning and that felt really good. Nothing at all strenuous, no climbs or anything, just the flat path around the neighborhood, but it felt nice to stretch my legs. I don't think I even broke a sweat.
I was a little crabby around dinnertime, when I was making the boys' dinner so maybe a little blood sugar dip?
I had to make cookies for someone as a thank you gift. I did not eat one bite of dough. Unheard of. In fact, I wasn't even tempted to take a bite. Indeed, one of the things I suddenly realized is that I haven't craved anything sweet for the past three days. Wild, considering last week at this exact time I was on about my 3rd s'more.
And here are some tips I was thinking about today. Things that were vexing me before I started and now I wonder why the heck I was so worried:
Don't be afraid to substitute stuff. Some of the foods can be hard to find, especially if you live in a small town and the nearest Whole Foods is 2+ hours away (like me). For example, I couldn't find tempeh, which was disappointing because I wanted to try it. Not only is it one of the ingredients in the nori rolls, but you also eat it for breakfast one day, as well. But then when I was looking at the Ultimate Reset support group pages, people were saying you can substitute any meals that you need to (with some exceptions). So I could have put oatmeal in as a replacement for the tempeh breakfast, or had the rice and beans instead of the nori rolls. In the end, I stumbled upon some tempeh (the nori rolls are really good so I'm glad I found it!) so it wasn't an issue, but don't be hung up on not having an ingredient. Another example: I couldn't find mirin -- Japanese cooking wine -- so I used white wine vinegar instead.
Venture out of your comfort zone. A lot of the foods on the cleanse are things I already had in my fridge or pantry (with the exception of the tempeh!) because I eat a lot of these foods regularly. I know you THINK you might not like wakame (a sea vegetable) or nori (the toasted seaweed sheets sushi is rolled up in), but give it a whirl. Expand your palate a little bit and experiment. You might not like it the first time -- think about teaching your kids to try new foods! Sometimes it takes a few times, right? Also, let's face it: many of our palates are numbed from all of the artificially flavored, processed foods we've eaten over the years, and we don't even know what real food tastes like. So, I encourage you to at least try some new things, and keep an open mind. Truly, the first time I ate oat or buckwheat groats I thought they were nasty. Now they're two of my breakfast staples.
Cook ahead. I know I said this yesterday. Or maybe the day before. But it's really key if you're busy -- like who isn't? Cook up a big batch of brown rice, lentils and quinoa so you don't have to cook when you're assembling salads (the Lentil Lime Salad is CRAZY good, people!). Tomorrow I'm out and about all day so when I made my nori roll for dinner tonight, I went ahead and made two so I had tomorrow's ready to go. Same with the Lentil Lime Salad -- doubled the recipe today so it's ready for tomorrow. Maximize your time and minimize your cleanup!
And thinking back to yesterday and how I needed to add the snack and even a little extra food on top of that, don't sweat it. Very important: This isn't a starvation diet. If you're hungry, eat something! Within the parameters of the cleanse of course. Not potato chips. Or crackers even. Look at the suggested snacks and eat!
Let me know if you have any questions! If you're NOT doing the Ultimate Reset, but would like more info, you can read about it here or send me a question!
And now, here's an update on my "fullness:" An hour later, and I no longer feel full. My metbolism is really chewing on the cucumber salad, miso soup (lots of seaweed in those two!), and the nori roll.
What I'm noticing today:
I've upped my water intake, so I feel very hydrated and my mild headache is gone. However, I had a wicked back backache earlier today. That seems better this evening, but I was seriously sore -- like I'd done a workout sore -- this afternoon.
I didn't need the snack this afternoon, but that might have been because I ate a later lunch. I did wake up hungry, but didn't eat breakfast until after 9am because of a series of events (that weren't unfortunate, just delayed my breakfast).
I took a 20 minute walk this morning and that felt really good. Nothing at all strenuous, no climbs or anything, just the flat path around the neighborhood, but it felt nice to stretch my legs. I don't think I even broke a sweat.
I was a little crabby around dinnertime, when I was making the boys' dinner so maybe a little blood sugar dip?
I had to make cookies for someone as a thank you gift. I did not eat one bite of dough. Unheard of. In fact, I wasn't even tempted to take a bite. Indeed, one of the things I suddenly realized is that I haven't craved anything sweet for the past three days. Wild, considering last week at this exact time I was on about my 3rd s'more.
And here are some tips I was thinking about today. Things that were vexing me before I started and now I wonder why the heck I was so worried:
Don't be afraid to substitute stuff. Some of the foods can be hard to find, especially if you live in a small town and the nearest Whole Foods is 2+ hours away (like me). For example, I couldn't find tempeh, which was disappointing because I wanted to try it. Not only is it one of the ingredients in the nori rolls, but you also eat it for breakfast one day, as well. But then when I was looking at the Ultimate Reset support group pages, people were saying you can substitute any meals that you need to (with some exceptions). So I could have put oatmeal in as a replacement for the tempeh breakfast, or had the rice and beans instead of the nori rolls. In the end, I stumbled upon some tempeh (the nori rolls are really good so I'm glad I found it!) so it wasn't an issue, but don't be hung up on not having an ingredient. Another example: I couldn't find mirin -- Japanese cooking wine -- so I used white wine vinegar instead.
Venture out of your comfort zone. A lot of the foods on the cleanse are things I already had in my fridge or pantry (with the exception of the tempeh!) because I eat a lot of these foods regularly. I know you THINK you might not like wakame (a sea vegetable) or nori (the toasted seaweed sheets sushi is rolled up in), but give it a whirl. Expand your palate a little bit and experiment. You might not like it the first time -- think about teaching your kids to try new foods! Sometimes it takes a few times, right? Also, let's face it: many of our palates are numbed from all of the artificially flavored, processed foods we've eaten over the years, and we don't even know what real food tastes like. So, I encourage you to at least try some new things, and keep an open mind. Truly, the first time I ate oat or buckwheat groats I thought they were nasty. Now they're two of my breakfast staples.
Cook ahead. I know I said this yesterday. Or maybe the day before. But it's really key if you're busy -- like who isn't? Cook up a big batch of brown rice, lentils and quinoa so you don't have to cook when you're assembling salads (the Lentil Lime Salad is CRAZY good, people!). Tomorrow I'm out and about all day so when I made my nori roll for dinner tonight, I went ahead and made two so I had tomorrow's ready to go. Same with the Lentil Lime Salad -- doubled the recipe today so it's ready for tomorrow. Maximize your time and minimize your cleanup!
And thinking back to yesterday and how I needed to add the snack and even a little extra food on top of that, don't sweat it. Very important: This isn't a starvation diet. If you're hungry, eat something! Within the parameters of the cleanse of course. Not potato chips. Or crackers even. Look at the suggested snacks and eat!
Let me know if you have any questions! If you're NOT doing the Ultimate Reset, but would like more info, you can read about it here or send me a question!
And now, here's an update on my "fullness:" An hour later, and I no longer feel full. My metbolism is really chewing on the cucumber salad, miso soup (lots of seaweed in those two!), and the nori roll.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Day Two -- I'm Grumpy
Yes, it's true: I'm hungrier today and grumpy. Detox or am I just hungry and grumpy? Hard to say. I'm definitely hungry because I was out and about today, not sitting and working. I did add the afternoon snack, which I didn't eat yesterday, and then I ate a few extra walnuts because I could just tell I was about to crash and burn. Then I actually sat down and closed my eyes for about 10 minutes. After that my kids came yelling into the room asking when dinner would be ready. That's when I became grumpy!
Overall though, a good day. Breakfast seemed huge: a cup of blueberries, a full cup of oatmeal, half a cup of plain yogurt, and some sweetner (I used stevia). I would normally never eat that much for breakfast -- it was a huge bowl of food. But I ate it and didn't feel overly full.
I packed up lunch and the rest of the day's supplements because there were errands to be run and end-of-school activities at a park. It all worked out well.
I've been a little anxious about the last week of the Reset -- nothing like worrying in advance -- because some people have talked about how hard that last week is eating just fruits and veggies. But then Rochelle, one of my upline coaches, posted a good reminder today that everyone's experience has been different and not to compare your Reset experience to anyone else's. Good advice. So keep that in mind if you're having a different Reset than someone else!
Also, I didn't end up walking today. I woke up tired. Tomorrow is another day to try and get out for just a little stroll!
For now, I'm going to get ready for bed. I wonder if I'll dream about food? I feel full, but it's of beans and rice and greens, not a flaky croissant, which my callous child ate in front of me today.
That kid is out of my will.
Overall though, a good day. Breakfast seemed huge: a cup of blueberries, a full cup of oatmeal, half a cup of plain yogurt, and some sweetner (I used stevia). I would normally never eat that much for breakfast -- it was a huge bowl of food. But I ate it and didn't feel overly full.
I packed up lunch and the rest of the day's supplements because there were errands to be run and end-of-school activities at a park. It all worked out well.
I've been a little anxious about the last week of the Reset -- nothing like worrying in advance -- because some people have talked about how hard that last week is eating just fruits and veggies. But then Rochelle, one of my upline coaches, posted a good reminder today that everyone's experience has been different and not to compare your Reset experience to anyone else's. Good advice. So keep that in mind if you're having a different Reset than someone else!
Also, I didn't end up walking today. I woke up tired. Tomorrow is another day to try and get out for just a little stroll!
For now, I'm going to get ready for bed. I wonder if I'll dream about food? I feel full, but it's of beans and rice and greens, not a flaky croissant, which my callous child ate in front of me today.
That kid is out of my will.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Ultimate Reset: Day One
So I eneded up starting Ultimate Reset a day early because I realized Day 21 was going to be a travel day for me and I didn't want to deal with that. Now, Day One is under my belt and I feel pretty good about getting started.
My thoughts:
The food is tasty and there's a lot of it. In fact, I felt overfull after dinner so I might need to watch that I'm not actually eating too much.
I plugged the times for taking the supplements into my calendar so I would get a reminder for what I needed to take and when. I was worried about remembering. Also, I thought I'd get all confused about the timing and stuff. I think after tomorrow it will be second nature.
I'm not running back and forth to the bathroom like most people think happens on a cleanse/detox.
I don't think I'm really having any detox effects yet. Some people complained that they were really irritable or had headaches at the end of the first day. I have only the slightest tinge of a headache so I'm hoping that's a good sign. But I also didn't have to go through caffeine withdrawl because I don't drink it. When the sugar detox hits, it could be another story. I ate s'mores while camping last weekend. And I liked it.
I do feel a little tired, but that may also be because I slept in a tent all weekend, and then had to play catch up with work these past few nights. But now that I am caught up, I intend to get to bed early tonight. Or at least get in bed and maybe watch Mad Men. I'm three episodes behind!
Not working out is strange. The Ultimate Reset booklet says that two 20 minute walks or some light stretching is a good idea, but nothing with intensity. I may get up and go for a walk tomorrow because I feel like my body wants to move. I sat and worked all day these past two days, so that's playing a role, I'm sure.
I looked ahead at some of the recipes and saw that I'll be using a few ingredients (brown rice, lentils) for two days or so in a row. I cooked up some batches of each of these today so I can pull them out for quick lunch assembly.
Note: If you're doing Ultimate Reset, be sure to take before/after pictures and measurements. You really can see the difference!
OK, that's all I can think of in terms of my observations on this first day. More tomorrow!
My thoughts:
The food is tasty and there's a lot of it. In fact, I felt overfull after dinner so I might need to watch that I'm not actually eating too much.
I plugged the times for taking the supplements into my calendar so I would get a reminder for what I needed to take and when. I was worried about remembering. Also, I thought I'd get all confused about the timing and stuff. I think after tomorrow it will be second nature.
I'm not running back and forth to the bathroom like most people think happens on a cleanse/detox.
I don't think I'm really having any detox effects yet. Some people complained that they were really irritable or had headaches at the end of the first day. I have only the slightest tinge of a headache so I'm hoping that's a good sign. But I also didn't have to go through caffeine withdrawl because I don't drink it. When the sugar detox hits, it could be another story. I ate s'mores while camping last weekend. And I liked it.
I do feel a little tired, but that may also be because I slept in a tent all weekend, and then had to play catch up with work these past few nights. But now that I am caught up, I intend to get to bed early tonight. Or at least get in bed and maybe watch Mad Men. I'm three episodes behind!
Not working out is strange. The Ultimate Reset booklet says that two 20 minute walks or some light stretching is a good idea, but nothing with intensity. I may get up and go for a walk tomorrow because I feel like my body wants to move. I sat and worked all day these past two days, so that's playing a role, I'm sure.
I looked ahead at some of the recipes and saw that I'll be using a few ingredients (brown rice, lentils) for two days or so in a row. I cooked up some batches of each of these today so I can pull them out for quick lunch assembly.
Note: If you're doing Ultimate Reset, be sure to take before/after pictures and measurements. You really can see the difference!
OK, that's all I can think of in terms of my observations on this first day. More tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Ultimate Reset!
Anyone who wants to get in on a group support/challenge for Beachbody's new Ultimate Reset, this is your chance! You know I've used Beachbody DVDs for years (you’ve probably seen the infomercials for P90X, Insanity, TurboFire, Slim in 6, etc.) and whey protein shakes (Shakeology) and think they're the bomb. And you know how picky I am about making sure my food doesn’t have chemicals in it. The Beachbody stuff is the real deal.
Beachbody has just introduced something called Ultimate Reset. It’s a non-starvation (very important to me, personally, I like to eat), gentle cleanse designed to reset your body to its “factory settings.” The test groups had amazing results – weight loss, lowered cholesterol, increased energy, etc. Now it’s for sale to the general public and people are posting their results. I’m totally impressed with what I’m seeing.
I’m going to start it on May 31 and several people are joining me so we can have a support group. It’s 21 days long. You don’t exercise during it except for maybe some light stretching and walking. The focus is to let your body rest, cleanse itself of toxins, and reset itself. We would love to add a few more people to our group for support.
I feel really confident that we will ALL see great results, especially if we all do it together. I would never recommend something that I didn’t think was really amazing. And I’m spending my money and time on it just like you. I really think these programs are that good. I know some of you have wanted to get healthier for a while, so let’s do this together. I’ve spent a lot of years now researching diet and exercise and I think these programs offer an ideal way to jump start.
If you have questions, please let me know. If you want to go ahead and order:
This website is straight to the Ultimate Reset for more info and ordering:
http://myultimatereset.com/esuite/home/coachnatalie
This is my general Beachbody site for all of the Beachbody products:
http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/coachnatalie
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I’m in pretty much the best shape of my life at 44. I’ve learned through all of this that you can be in the best shape of your life at ANY age and we can work together to help you be healthier, too. Tell me what you want to accomplish, and I can help get you there.
OK, anyone interested in joining us for Ultimate Reset, let's get going! I’ll be setting up a private group on Facebook so we can all communicate without the general Facebook world seeing it. If you have a friend who you would want to pull into the group, that’s fine. Just let me know and get your order placed TODAY so you're ready to go with us on May 31!
Beachbody has just introduced something called Ultimate Reset. It’s a non-starvation (very important to me, personally, I like to eat), gentle cleanse designed to reset your body to its “factory settings.” The test groups had amazing results – weight loss, lowered cholesterol, increased energy, etc. Now it’s for sale to the general public and people are posting their results. I’m totally impressed with what I’m seeing.
I’m going to start it on May 31 and several people are joining me so we can have a support group. It’s 21 days long. You don’t exercise during it except for maybe some light stretching and walking. The focus is to let your body rest, cleanse itself of toxins, and reset itself. We would love to add a few more people to our group for support.
I feel really confident that we will ALL see great results, especially if we all do it together. I would never recommend something that I didn’t think was really amazing. And I’m spending my money and time on it just like you. I really think these programs are that good. I know some of you have wanted to get healthier for a while, so let’s do this together. I’ve spent a lot of years now researching diet and exercise and I think these programs offer an ideal way to jump start.
If you have questions, please let me know. If you want to go ahead and order:
This website is straight to the Ultimate Reset for more info and ordering:
http://myultimatereset.com/esuite/home/coachnatalie
This is my general Beachbody site for all of the Beachbody products:
http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/coachnatalie
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I’m in pretty much the best shape of my life at 44. I’ve learned through all of this that you can be in the best shape of your life at ANY age and we can work together to help you be healthier, too. Tell me what you want to accomplish, and I can help get you there.
OK, anyone interested in joining us for Ultimate Reset, let's get going! I’ll be setting up a private group on Facebook so we can all communicate without the general Facebook world seeing it. If you have a friend who you would want to pull into the group, that’s fine. Just let me know and get your order placed TODAY so you're ready to go with us on May 31!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Fun Fitness and Nutrition Website: Slimkicker.com
OK, so you know by now how overly competitive I am. Set anything up as a challenge, and I'm all over it. I'm mostly competitive with myself, but I have been known to over-celebrate when I crush my kids at board games or air hockey. And don't ask Eamonn about the enduring grudge over Trivial Pursuit. (Nancy Drew's hair was TITIAN, not blond!) But I digress.
Anyway, the developers of Slimkicker, e-mailed me ages ago and told me that the site was underdevelopment and would I be interested in taking a look at it when it was finished.
I said yes.
Flash forward to a few weeks ago when they e-mailed that the site was up and running.
It's really fun! You create a profile and can track all sorts of things like your exercise and your food intake, but you can also participate in challenges, which appeals to my overly competitive self.
Before I had my Bodybugg, I used MyFitnessPal to track my calories, but Slimkicker is pretty slick and cool looking (yes, I'm shallow and love things for their looks), and I dig those challenges.
Please note, while the site developers did ask me to check out the site, I'm not being paid to promote it or anything. I just think it's cool. I just joined the Mix it Up Challenge to try something new each day for seven days. On Sunday I'm starting a raw food detox/15 day raw eating challenge so there will be lots of new things on my horizon in the next two weeks!
Anyway, check out Slimkicker if you're so inclined. I'm on there as Roontoo!
Anyway, the developers of Slimkicker, e-mailed me ages ago and told me that the site was underdevelopment and would I be interested in taking a look at it when it was finished.
I said yes.
Flash forward to a few weeks ago when they e-mailed that the site was up and running.
It's really fun! You create a profile and can track all sorts of things like your exercise and your food intake, but you can also participate in challenges, which appeals to my overly competitive self.
Before I had my Bodybugg, I used MyFitnessPal to track my calories, but Slimkicker is pretty slick and cool looking (yes, I'm shallow and love things for their looks), and I dig those challenges.
Please note, while the site developers did ask me to check out the site, I'm not being paid to promote it or anything. I just think it's cool. I just joined the Mix it Up Challenge to try something new each day for seven days. On Sunday I'm starting a raw food detox/15 day raw eating challenge so there will be lots of new things on my horizon in the next two weeks!
Anyway, check out Slimkicker if you're so inclined. I'm on there as Roontoo!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Eating Seasonally
Sometimes I get tired of making my kids eat vegetables. I know. That's a terrible thing for a mother to admit. But it's true. And I think it stems from the fact that there are certain times of the year I don't want to eat certain vegetables. It took me a long time to figure out why.
A few years ago someone made a casual comment about how she was starting to crave leafy greens again now that spring was coming (I think it was March of that year). I had no idea what she was talking about. Why would the fact that it's March have aything to do with the fact that she wanted to eat leafy greens? So I started doing a little research and really, the whole concept is so obvious that this is one of those things that I wonder how I got to a certain age and just had no clue about it. Trust me, this is one of MANY things I got to this age and still have no clue about.
But the whole concept of eating seasonally explains perfectly WHAT I've been feeling over the years -- not wanting to eat salad in January, being drawn to squash in the fall, wanting berries in the summer -- but not feeling right about it. Meaning, shouldn't the healthy person in me want to eat salad and spinach and all sorts of greens all year round?
Turns out, that's not really the healthiest way for us to eat. We're pretty much programmed to be drawn to what we need, what is seasonal, at the right times of the year. So those anemic looking tomatoes and strawberries that are grown in a greenhouse and are on the store shelves in January? We should just walk away. Walk away, I tell you.
I found a few good links with good info about what to eat when, and of course, some of it has to do with where YOU live.
I like how this page describes eating seasonally.
And here's a website that has more to do with geographic info and being sustainable by eating what's in season on your state.
Personally, I was happy to discover that chocolate does not have a season. I'm going to take that to mean you can eat it all year round. In moderation, of course.
A few years ago someone made a casual comment about how she was starting to crave leafy greens again now that spring was coming (I think it was March of that year). I had no idea what she was talking about. Why would the fact that it's March have aything to do with the fact that she wanted to eat leafy greens? So I started doing a little research and really, the whole concept is so obvious that this is one of those things that I wonder how I got to a certain age and just had no clue about it. Trust me, this is one of MANY things I got to this age and still have no clue about.
But the whole concept of eating seasonally explains perfectly WHAT I've been feeling over the years -- not wanting to eat salad in January, being drawn to squash in the fall, wanting berries in the summer -- but not feeling right about it. Meaning, shouldn't the healthy person in me want to eat salad and spinach and all sorts of greens all year round?
Turns out, that's not really the healthiest way for us to eat. We're pretty much programmed to be drawn to what we need, what is seasonal, at the right times of the year. So those anemic looking tomatoes and strawberries that are grown in a greenhouse and are on the store shelves in January? We should just walk away. Walk away, I tell you.
I found a few good links with good info about what to eat when, and of course, some of it has to do with where YOU live.
I like how this page describes eating seasonally.
And here's a website that has more to do with geographic info and being sustainable by eating what's in season on your state.
Personally, I was happy to discover that chocolate does not have a season. I'm going to take that to mean you can eat it all year round. In moderation, of course.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
100%
After about two months of not feeling that great, between the candida cleanse and being sick, I feel like I can finally say that I am back at 100%. Or as close as I'm ever going to get.
Work is settling down for the next month or so and I'm going to use this opportunity to do what I said in my last post and add some extra workouts in to really push myself towards my goal of getting rid of the last 5 pounds I put on when I had to take my big workout break post surgery and then also do some toning before baring my legs. Although the baring the legs is going to happen much sooner this year. We are having such an early spring here so I don't have much time.
Quick question: have you noticed as spring has approached, that you are craving different foods? I definitely have. All winter I've struggled to consume leafy greens. Give me a potato any day! My next post is going to be about eating raw and eating seasonally and why it's important.
Just wanted to touch base and let you know I didn't forget about you, I was just wrapping up a big work project. Now I'm back in the swing, so stay tuned.
And I did start a Shakeology cleanse today to really reset my brain and get myself ready for spring!
Work is settling down for the next month or so and I'm going to use this opportunity to do what I said in my last post and add some extra workouts in to really push myself towards my goal of getting rid of the last 5 pounds I put on when I had to take my big workout break post surgery and then also do some toning before baring my legs. Although the baring the legs is going to happen much sooner this year. We are having such an early spring here so I don't have much time.
Quick question: have you noticed as spring has approached, that you are craving different foods? I definitely have. All winter I've struggled to consume leafy greens. Give me a potato any day! My next post is going to be about eating raw and eating seasonally and why it's important.
Just wanted to touch base and let you know I didn't forget about you, I was just wrapping up a big work project. Now I'm back in the swing, so stay tuned.
And I did start a Shakeology cleanse today to really reset my brain and get myself ready for spring!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Done with the cleanse
Oh my word. I just spent the last week as sick as a dog. Needless to say, I completely terminated the candida cleanse. Did I do enough to get that crap out of my body? I hope so. Basically, I think the cleanse was eliciting such an immune response (the stuffed nose, swollen glands, etc.) that I ended up with a massive sinus infection. I haven't had one that bad since before my sinus surgery 6 years ago.
Anyway, I'm well on the road to recovery now and ready too move on. Today I started back with a light workout (TurboJam Remix) and I'll do something similar tomorrow. Thursday I want to pick back up with TurboFire and my plan is to mix in some Brazil Butt Lift and P90X Legs and Back. Afterall, swimsuit season is close. Ack!
Now I need to get my nutrition dialed back in, too. This week my goal is to get some raw foods made, specifically some flat bread so I can eat some veggie sandwiches. Yum!
More details on the raw eating later.
Anyway, I'm well on the road to recovery now and ready too move on. Today I started back with a light workout (TurboJam Remix) and I'll do something similar tomorrow. Thursday I want to pick back up with TurboFire and my plan is to mix in some Brazil Butt Lift and P90X Legs and Back. Afterall, swimsuit season is close. Ack!
Now I need to get my nutrition dialed back in, too. This week my goal is to get some raw foods made, specifically some flat bread so I can eat some veggie sandwiches. Yum!
More details on the raw eating later.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
The Candida Cleanse
So during the fitness challenge some friends and I have been doing, I wrote a bit to them about the fact that I decided to do a candida cleanse.
What the heck is candida? Brace yourself. It's yeast. Gross. I'm talking about yeast. And I'm talking about it beyond, you know, your private parts. Eeeek! I swear, I'm not going to get THAT personal.
My point is that candida goes way beyond that. Yes, you can have it on your skin (Finn used to get it on his bald head when he was undergoing chemo), babies get it in the crooks of their fat little arms or behind their knees, etc. But you can also get it as a systemic infection in your bloodstream.
How?
I think it happens all sorts of ways (you can Google it and see about 5 million different explanations for it), but for me, I think it tied into my melanoma surgery back in early December and then eating too much sugar, wheat, and all sorts of other goodies over the holidays.
When I was able to start working out again after the first of the year, I noticed my recovery from workouts wasn't the greatest. My joints were sore, I was really tired, and I just had weird muscle fatigue. At first I thought it was just beause I hadn't been able to work out for those 3 weeks (I read that you can lose aerobic endurance in as little as two weeks--bummer, but good incentive to keep up with your high intensity workouts). Then I remembered a few years ago when I was consulting with a nutritionist and she had me do a candida cleanse.
According to natural health people, candida overgrowth in our bodies is rampant in Americans because of our highly processed diets. Really, it all comes down to what you believe and buy in to. I felt really great after I did the cleanse last time, so I thought, I'll do it again.
And so I did. I bought the same products I'd used before and away I went. I didn't even call my friend, who is a naturopathic doctor. I figured I'd have no problem.
Holy cow, I was so wrong.
So if you do your Googling, you will see that there might be some side effects as the yeast in your bloodstream start to die off and get expelled from your body. I was fine for about the first three days and then the die off hit me like a ton of bricks. UGH! At first I thought I was getting sick, but the severity and how fast it all came on got me thinking and that's when I discovered the yeast die off side effects/symptoms.
It was really bad for about four days, then moderately bad for another three. After that things simmered down.
So what I experienced:
-Massive histamine reaction. It was like having the worst sinus infection ever. My sinuses closed almost completely off.
-My lymph nodes were like golf balls and so sore that I could barely eat or drink. Yawning or even opening my mouth very far were both incredibly uncomfortable. That was the symptom that has taken the longest to go away. It was a week before I could eat without wincing. But then, I'm a total baby about such things.
-Complete and total fatigue.
-My tongue had a lovely white film on it.
-The skin on my jaws felt bumpy and itchy.
Literally, it was like I had the flu, except I didn't. At one point I took my temparature, but I never had a fever that I know of.
I did also have night sweats and trouble sleeping. My husband said I was snoring up a storm (I don't THINK I normally do that) because of all of the swelling in my nose and throat.
Sounds lovely, eh?
My Internet doctoring lead to two different trains of thought: don't stop the cleanse because you need to keep going, or stop the cleanse and let your body recover because this massive die off is taxing your immune system even more.
WTF?
So I did the only thing I could think of at that point. I went to my naturopath and we decided on a course of action that dialed back on the supplements to let my body recover, but to still keep going with the cleanse.
The thing is: I have to be super clean with my diet and really only eat meat and veggies. Super. Clean. Ugh! I know I can do it, but it seems overwhelming because there's no time limit on this--it's just until the symptoms go away and it's clear the candida is gone. That could be next week (very unlikely) or two months! ARGH! I don't do well with undefined deadlines.
Guess I'll learn pretty quick!
So do go out and learn more about the negative health issues candida can cause if you're so inclined. As with many other things, much of the traditional medical community kind of poo poos the whole concept, but there are stories about how in autopsies people organs are just covered in the candida fungus. Personally, I think candida is a real problem and I want it gone!
What the heck is candida? Brace yourself. It's yeast. Gross. I'm talking about yeast. And I'm talking about it beyond, you know, your private parts. Eeeek! I swear, I'm not going to get THAT personal.
My point is that candida goes way beyond that. Yes, you can have it on your skin (Finn used to get it on his bald head when he was undergoing chemo), babies get it in the crooks of their fat little arms or behind their knees, etc. But you can also get it as a systemic infection in your bloodstream.
How?
I think it happens all sorts of ways (you can Google it and see about 5 million different explanations for it), but for me, I think it tied into my melanoma surgery back in early December and then eating too much sugar, wheat, and all sorts of other goodies over the holidays.
When I was able to start working out again after the first of the year, I noticed my recovery from workouts wasn't the greatest. My joints were sore, I was really tired, and I just had weird muscle fatigue. At first I thought it was just beause I hadn't been able to work out for those 3 weeks (I read that you can lose aerobic endurance in as little as two weeks--bummer, but good incentive to keep up with your high intensity workouts). Then I remembered a few years ago when I was consulting with a nutritionist and she had me do a candida cleanse.
According to natural health people, candida overgrowth in our bodies is rampant in Americans because of our highly processed diets. Really, it all comes down to what you believe and buy in to. I felt really great after I did the cleanse last time, so I thought, I'll do it again.
And so I did. I bought the same products I'd used before and away I went. I didn't even call my friend, who is a naturopathic doctor. I figured I'd have no problem.
Holy cow, I was so wrong.
So if you do your Googling, you will see that there might be some side effects as the yeast in your bloodstream start to die off and get expelled from your body. I was fine for about the first three days and then the die off hit me like a ton of bricks. UGH! At first I thought I was getting sick, but the severity and how fast it all came on got me thinking and that's when I discovered the yeast die off side effects/symptoms.
It was really bad for about four days, then moderately bad for another three. After that things simmered down.
So what I experienced:
-Massive histamine reaction. It was like having the worst sinus infection ever. My sinuses closed almost completely off.
-My lymph nodes were like golf balls and so sore that I could barely eat or drink. Yawning or even opening my mouth very far were both incredibly uncomfortable. That was the symptom that has taken the longest to go away. It was a week before I could eat without wincing. But then, I'm a total baby about such things.
-Complete and total fatigue.
-My tongue had a lovely white film on it.
-The skin on my jaws felt bumpy and itchy.
Literally, it was like I had the flu, except I didn't. At one point I took my temparature, but I never had a fever that I know of.
I did also have night sweats and trouble sleeping. My husband said I was snoring up a storm (I don't THINK I normally do that) because of all of the swelling in my nose and throat.
Sounds lovely, eh?
My Internet doctoring lead to two different trains of thought: don't stop the cleanse because you need to keep going, or stop the cleanse and let your body recover because this massive die off is taxing your immune system even more.
WTF?
So I did the only thing I could think of at that point. I went to my naturopath and we decided on a course of action that dialed back on the supplements to let my body recover, but to still keep going with the cleanse.
The thing is: I have to be super clean with my diet and really only eat meat and veggies. Super. Clean. Ugh! I know I can do it, but it seems overwhelming because there's no time limit on this--it's just until the symptoms go away and it's clear the candida is gone. That could be next week (very unlikely) or two months! ARGH! I don't do well with undefined deadlines.
Guess I'll learn pretty quick!
So do go out and learn more about the negative health issues candida can cause if you're so inclined. As with many other things, much of the traditional medical community kind of poo poos the whole concept, but there are stories about how in autopsies people organs are just covered in the candida fungus. Personally, I think candida is a real problem and I want it gone!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Coping with Cravings
OK, a small group of us started a challenge on Jan. 30 and are communicating via a private Facebook group. If you want in, let me know. It's never too late! We're just using the page to keep ourselves accountable with exercise and eating.
Now, for the past two days, I've been craving avacados/guacamole. What is it in the avocado that I need right now?
I am a big believer in eating what you crave. Please note, this doesn't apply if you're craving a bag of potato chips or 10 pounds of chocolate. For example, at certain times of the month (TMI, I know), I have intense cravings for protein, specifically for chicken and eggs. Other times of the month, the thought of eating eggs makes me sick.
Keep in mind, I'm no medical expert, so what I'm saying could be a load of hooey, but I think our bodies are talking to us all the time and trying to tell us what what they need. Unfortunately, we are so far removed from listening to our bodies, we have no idea what they're saying. "I need some protein" becomes a hamburger and French fries at a fast food retaurant. "I need some antioxidants" becomes a binge on cheap chocolate that just leaves you wanting more.
It has taken me a long, long time to get to the point where I can sort of listen to my body (and then not ignore it). Trust me, I want to mow through an entire chocolate bar sometimes, too. But the next time a craving hits, slow down and think about what you're feeling, and you might find a nutritionally better way to satisfy your crave and really nourish your body versus just eating to consume what you think you want.
Here are the ways I try to deal with irrational cravings and try to change some bad eating habits I might have taken on lately...
1. Get out of the kitchen. I find that after I eat lunch, my body wants something sweet. I'm pretty sure this is just a habit I got into over the holidays. So I hurry and get away from the temptations.
2. Brush my teeth. Nothing kills wanting to eat something else faster than brushing your teeth because anything after that tastes nasty. Even better: floss. Way better: put in a tooth whitening strip. You'll never want to eat again.
3. Drink water. I'm usually just thirsty.
4. Pack snacks. And try to think about what will give you the most bang for your buck. Candy bar, no. An appropriate portion of nuts and raisins, yes.
5. Chew gum/eat a mint. This is kind of like the toothpaste one. Today I had the overwhelming urge to keep eating after I had alredy finished lunch. I grabbed a piece of gum and was fine.
So there you have my five key strategies for trying to break habits and stop cravings. I admit, some days are easier than others!
Now, for the past two days, I've been craving avacados/guacamole. What is it in the avocado that I need right now?
I am a big believer in eating what you crave. Please note, this doesn't apply if you're craving a bag of potato chips or 10 pounds of chocolate. For example, at certain times of the month (TMI, I know), I have intense cravings for protein, specifically for chicken and eggs. Other times of the month, the thought of eating eggs makes me sick.
Keep in mind, I'm no medical expert, so what I'm saying could be a load of hooey, but I think our bodies are talking to us all the time and trying to tell us what what they need. Unfortunately, we are so far removed from listening to our bodies, we have no idea what they're saying. "I need some protein" becomes a hamburger and French fries at a fast food retaurant. "I need some antioxidants" becomes a binge on cheap chocolate that just leaves you wanting more.
It has taken me a long, long time to get to the point where I can sort of listen to my body (and then not ignore it). Trust me, I want to mow through an entire chocolate bar sometimes, too. But the next time a craving hits, slow down and think about what you're feeling, and you might find a nutritionally better way to satisfy your crave and really nourish your body versus just eating to consume what you think you want.
Here are the ways I try to deal with irrational cravings and try to change some bad eating habits I might have taken on lately...
1. Get out of the kitchen. I find that after I eat lunch, my body wants something sweet. I'm pretty sure this is just a habit I got into over the holidays. So I hurry and get away from the temptations.
2. Brush my teeth. Nothing kills wanting to eat something else faster than brushing your teeth because anything after that tastes nasty. Even better: floss. Way better: put in a tooth whitening strip. You'll never want to eat again.
3. Drink water. I'm usually just thirsty.
4. Pack snacks. And try to think about what will give you the most bang for your buck. Candy bar, no. An appropriate portion of nuts and raisins, yes.
5. Chew gum/eat a mint. This is kind of like the toothpaste one. Today I had the overwhelming urge to keep eating after I had alredy finished lunch. I grabbed a piece of gum and was fine.
So there you have my five key strategies for trying to break habits and stop cravings. I admit, some days are easier than others!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
It's Challenge Time!
OK, I've been way out of touch. Holidays. Work. You're all too familiar with it, I know.
But now it's time to get busy. And now it's the perfect time. Maybe you made some New Year's resolutions that involved health and wellness, but a few weeks in, you're starting to wane. Don't wane! Don't do it, I tell you!
I'm here to help. In fact, I hope there are a whole bunch of us who are here to help.
Here's what we're going to do:
Starting Monday, January 30, 2012 (I'm not so out of it I don't know what year it is), it's on! What. What is on, you ask.
We're going to do a 60-day Beachbody challenge. You will do the Beachbody program of your choice (if you have one longer than 60 days, just keep going! If you have one shorter than 60 days, just redo--don't sweat the details!). You will drink Shakeology once a day for whatever meal you choose.
That's it. That simple.
Why am I pushing Beachbody products on you? I know, it seems self-serving because I sell them. And it probably is. But here's the deal: THEY WORK. I owe my current state of fitness (which I'm feeling pretty darn good about) to Beachbody products and the support system I have there.
I know, I KNOW! I'm totally hawking wares to you.
So what do you do if you don't have a Beachbody program or Shakeology. I would love it if you ordered from me HERE. (www.beachbodycoach.com/coachnatalie just in case that link doesn't work for you like it's not working for me--UGH.) That would be awesome. If you already have the products, and I know some of you do, then just say you're in for the challenge and you're in.
That's it.
So, the rules:
1. Follow a Beachbody program and drink Shakeology once a day
2. Log your daily accountability--here in the comments, on Facebook if we're Facebook friends (I'll set up a private 60 day challenge group so no one has to see what you're doing/eating), or on the separate Facebook page I set up. Search on Facebook for Natalie's Get Fit Have Fun and LIKE it. Daily accountability = what workout you did and what you ate. Believe me, it will help to log your food.
The prize is a healthy, fit you. If I start making money at this gig, the next 60-day challenge will have Beachbody merchandise as prizes, but for now, I think we can all agree that getting healthy is the best gift of all.
OK, more later. That's enough for now. Who's in?
But now it's time to get busy. And now it's the perfect time. Maybe you made some New Year's resolutions that involved health and wellness, but a few weeks in, you're starting to wane. Don't wane! Don't do it, I tell you!
I'm here to help. In fact, I hope there are a whole bunch of us who are here to help.
Here's what we're going to do:
Starting Monday, January 30, 2012 (I'm not so out of it I don't know what year it is), it's on! What. What is on, you ask.
We're going to do a 60-day Beachbody challenge. You will do the Beachbody program of your choice (if you have one longer than 60 days, just keep going! If you have one shorter than 60 days, just redo--don't sweat the details!). You will drink Shakeology once a day for whatever meal you choose.
That's it. That simple.
Why am I pushing Beachbody products on you? I know, it seems self-serving because I sell them. And it probably is. But here's the deal: THEY WORK. I owe my current state of fitness (which I'm feeling pretty darn good about) to Beachbody products and the support system I have there.
I know, I KNOW! I'm totally hawking wares to you.
So what do you do if you don't have a Beachbody program or Shakeology. I would love it if you ordered from me HERE. (www.beachbodycoach.com/coachnatalie just in case that link doesn't work for you like it's not working for me--UGH.) That would be awesome. If you already have the products, and I know some of you do, then just say you're in for the challenge and you're in.
That's it.
So, the rules:
1. Follow a Beachbody program and drink Shakeology once a day
2. Log your daily accountability--here in the comments, on Facebook if we're Facebook friends (I'll set up a private 60 day challenge group so no one has to see what you're doing/eating), or on the separate Facebook page I set up. Search on Facebook for Natalie's Get Fit Have Fun and LIKE it. Daily accountability = what workout you did and what you ate. Believe me, it will help to log your food.
The prize is a healthy, fit you. If I start making money at this gig, the next 60-day challenge will have Beachbody merchandise as prizes, but for now, I think we can all agree that getting healthy is the best gift of all.
OK, more later. That's enough for now. Who's in?
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