G's Story and Plans for the New Year

So I’ve tried to be pretty honest with the fact that December has been a bad month for me all around.

I’m not beating myself up about it, but I’m really amazed at how generally bad I feel right now…I can’t sleep at night, I have heartburn, my stomach has been a mess (obviously the Crohn’s has a lot to do with this), I’m tired all the time, I’ve had a massive headache for a week, and I have no energy.

This is what happens when I eat crap food and don’t exercise…it’s crazy how quickly it happens too!

I’m allowing myself to just let things be through the holidays, but come the New Year, I’m hitting it hard again, and it looks like I’ll have 5-10 pounds of holiday gain to work off on top of the rest of the weight I wanted to lose.

I’m starting a new T25 group on January 6^th, and there’s still time to order and get yours in time to start the New Year off with a bang.

 

New Year's resolutions often fail because they’re such lofty goals or huge changes from our regular lifestyle that it’s too hard to maintain…T25 is only 25 minutes of exercise people! This is the PERFECT program if you’re trying to build good habits! I wanted to share an email with you that I received from one of my accountability groups...this woman is simply incredible and I'm so honored to have worked with her, I know she'll reach her goals in no time…here’s the story of “G”:

I have never been a skinny or heavy person; I am just in the middle which I would call an apple with 4 toothpicks that are my arms and legs. I'm short at 5"1 , and  I have three kids and a full-time job. Not too long ago I joined the 40's birthday club... I was told the older you get, the harder it is to lose weight. I was in denial. When I finally stepped on the scale, I had never seen this number; it was the highest weight since my pregnancies! So I decided to do something about it.

I heard about T25 and was curious. I knew I was tight with money, but I knew I had to do something for me to get healthy again and feel good again in my clothes.  I hated getting dressed in the morning and I would stare at my closest not knowing what to wear because almost all of them don't fit me.  So I saved some money aside and bought the T25 package with Shakelogy.  I knew this would fit my schedule because I am very busy during the weekdays with my kids but I can do 25 minutes! I did feel a little bad because it was expensive and I kept thinking this money I could use to pay my kids' needs, but I have always provided them everything and it's my turn to give me something.

On my first day of T25, I did not work out alone! My husband joined me as my buddy and supporter.  He is still working out with me today. One time we missed a workout because I was sick…. I felt so guilty for not working out that I made myself to do double workout the next day! OMG! Seriously? That told me I was serious about my commitment to this program.

That day before I started, I weighed in at 162 and now 10 weeks later, I weigh 147. I lost 15 pounds. I also lost 4 inches off on my waist, bust and hip. I have lost 2 dress sizes. I feel so much better in my clothes and I feel so great!

Now that I have completed the Alpha and Beta program and we are still working out with mixed workout. I continue to run 2 to 3 times a week and keep attending my Folklorico Group practice for two hour once a week.

So I have not reach my goal weight, 130, yet, but I only have 17lbs to go!

 

I’m so very proud of G and all the progress she made, and I hope her story encourages you to make a change too…I think the most powerful point in her email was this “I have always provided them everything, and it’s my turn to give ME something”!!

I LOVE this! Give yourself something this new year; put your health first!

2013 was my best year yet, and I’m committed to making 2014 even better, so who’s with me?

Email me at babebeforebaby@gmail.com if you’re interested in joining me!

Moderation

Moderation is something I just can’t seem to do.
I can’t control myself around things I know are “bad” for me.
I never have just one cookie.
I can’t stop eating an open bag of popcorn (or chips) until the bag is empty.
If there’s pizza, I won’t stop eating until it’s gone.
Even when my stomach hurts.  Even when I know I’m not hungry anymore.  Even when I’m totally and utterly full, having a dish of m&ms in front of me pretty much guarantees I’m going to eat some (scratch that…eat them ALL).

 

 

I have had this problem forever, and it’s one I can’t seem to shake.

I’m addicted to food….bad food that is (I don’t seem to run into this problem with broccoli). 
Alcoholics can’t have just one drink, or they’ll go off the deep end and re-kindle their problem.  I'm not trying to trivialize that issue, it's a serious one...and I think I am the same way with junk food.  I’m ok as long as I don’t give in and have a bite, because once I have that first bite, I can’t stop myself until the temptation is gone.  I always have the mentality too, that if I “just finish the bag and get it out of the house it won’t be there tomorrow to tempt me”.  Obviously this is not working.

People say that moderation is the key to longevity when it comes to dieting. 

I can’t do moderation. 

I’m not sure if I ever will be able to.  I have one bad food, and I keep going for the whole day….that day turns into a week, and that week has turned into a full month before I know it.  I’m not going to shame myself for this.  I’m actually sort of proud of myself for being so aware at this point in my journey that I’m now realizing what my triggers are.  I'm starting to think that I may suffer from a binge eating disorder, but that's a whole other post for a whole other day.

I can’t have peanut butter in the house anymore…if there’s something to dip into it or spread it on, I’ll eat the whole jar if I’m not careful.

I can’t bring treats into my house, I binge on the whole package at once.

If you keep treats outside of your home, it’s a lot easier to resist them.  This time of year is so difficult because what I can’t control is the treats in the office, or the packages of cookies my clients send to me, or the chocolate candies my husband brought home from his job.

 I will not stress about it, but I will acknowledge this issue, and I will be more diligent about it in the New Year.

Give yourself some Grace people, it’s all you can do.

The truth

The truth is, I’m struggling this month.

I’m in the midst of one of the worst Crohn’s flare-ups I’ve had in years, and I’m finding it very hard to do anything physically active.

I just don’t have the energy…I’m tired all the time, I just want to sleep, and when I am up and moving around, I’m nervous if I do anything more than walk I’ll “aggravate” my condition.

But I can walk.  And so I decided today that that’s exactly what I’m going to do.  Instead of making excuses and not feeling up to doing T25, I’m going to try to walk on my treadmill for at least a half hour each day.  I’m not feeling great, but it’s better than nothing.

As for my diet, well that’s touch and go.

I’m following a “Low residue” diet now per doctor’s orders, which pretty much means carb cycling right now is impossible.
I’m not worried about the scale right now, I’m worried about getting my intestines healed, and if that means I have to stick to eating non-fibrous foods and carbs for a while then so be it.

Life happens sometimes, and you have to re-evaluate your priorities.

Priority number one right now is getting healthy.

When that happens, I’ll refocus on weight loss.

I hate that I won’t be following along with my challenge group this month, but I’ll still be there to support them even though I’m not doing the workouts myself. 

Sometimes you just have to listen to your body, and right now, mine is telling me to slow down.

I’ll get back at in in no time I’m sure, I am stronger than this disease!

 

New Year's Resolution

What would you say to your best friend if they told you they felt guilty for indulging in their favorite holiday meal last weekend? Or if they told you they had one too many glasses of wine while they were enjoying time with friends they rarely see?  Or if they told you they missed a few workouts because they stayed up too late at a holiday party the night before?

You wouldn’t call them fat and tell them that they better be perfect today or else, would you? 

You would tell them to go easy on themselves, right? 
You would tell them, one day at a time, wouldn’t you? 

So why don’t we do the same when it comes to ourselves? Why are we so cruel and wicked when we have a slip-up, or decide to just let the night turn into what it will without obsessing over every little thing we put in our mouths?  Why do we beat ourselves up when we aren’t perfect and the scale goes up a few numbers?  Why do we hold such unrealistic expectations for ourselves through one of the most trying times of the year?  Why do we have such an all or nothing attitude when it comes to our own journey, when we’re the first to tell others that it’s ok to fall?

 

 

I’m human, and I’ve been falling down a lot lately.  The draw of time with family and friends that I rarely get to spend quality time with is too strong, and while I make good choices some of the time, a lot of my food choices lately have been poor ones, and the scale is showing it. 

Every day I wake up with resolve to make the next day better.  Sometimes I succeed.  Sometimes I fail.  It seems lately that my MO has been to do great during the day and then throw it all away at dinner.

But there it is again…

”Throw it all away”….Throw what all away? Did my bad decision at dinner really throw away all the good decisions I made during the day? Absolutely not! Would you tell your friend that had pizza for dinner that her Greek yogurt for breakfast didn’t matter? NO! You would applaud her for doing good 2/3rds of the day and tell her tomorrow is a new day, right?

So with that being said, I already know what my resolution for this coming new year will be, and it’s very different than any resolution I’ve had in my life.  Up until now, my resolutions have always involved weight loss, in some way, shape or form. 

This year is different. 

This year is going to be about learning to love myself, to treat myself the same way I would my best friend.

To stop fat shaming and comparing myself to others.
To stop picking apart my flaws and start focusing in on the things I DO like. 

This year my resolution is simple: Give yourself some Grace.

 

We all have bad days.  That doesn’t undo the good ones, it just adds character to your journey. 

So what the scale went up? You’ve seen it go down by almost 60 pounds, give yourself some grace! So what you had a glass (or bottle) of wine? You’ve avoided alcohol for months to reach your goals!  So what you’re not at your “goal” weight? You’ve run 3 half marathons! So what you’ve got bumpy thighs? You’re a size 8 for the first time in your life!!

So what I’m not perfect? You probably wouldn’t read this blog if I was, right?

 

You are so much more than that bad food choice you just made.  You're so much more than that skipped work out that you can't stop thinking about.

 

 

 

I hope this post helps you realize that it’s ok to stumble on this journey.  It’s ok to fall down.  The important thing is that you focus on the positives.  Appreciate what your body has done for you.  Be thankful you have the strength to make it through a tough workout class or run a 5k.  Give yourself some Grace.  You’ll thank yourself for it someday.

Motivation Monday: Back on track

This morning was a humbling experience.

I basically took the last 2 weeks off from my healthy lifestyle, and only got in one day of exercise since Thanksgiving.

Boy did I feel that this morning when I got back to T25; I was amazed at how much harder the workout felt!  It wasn’t just the workout though…for the past week I’ve been feeling bloated, tired, lethargic, and just down right crappy.  It’s amazing what unhealthy food and no exercise does to your body, even for just a short time!

I weighed in this morning, and it wasn’t pretty…I took a picture but I’m keep that to myself for now, and I’ll let you know how I’m doing at the end of the week when I’m hoping that I magically drop 8 pounds of water weight (what!? Isn’t that normal!?!)

I spent the majority of last week with my beautiful nieces and made some pretty awesome memories with them, so I don’t regret that at all, but I certainly could have made better choices with my eating, and I do regret snacking on all their candy and teddy grahams all week!

So, this week I will be back on point with carb cycling and T25; I’m going to be honest here though…I’ve been doing T25 on and off since July and I’m thinking I might need a change soon.

I LOVE the 25 minute workouts, and it’s definitely what keeps me pushing play, but Beachbody is releasing a new P90X3 TOMORROW that is a 30 minute workout series!

 

 

I’m really tempted to try this, especially since the challenge pack is on sale through the end of this month....and I've always been so impressed with the P90X results, but honestly the time commitment kept me away.  Now that Tony Horton has this 30 minute series, I'm thinking I might be ready to try it....

So I want to know…if I had a new P90X3 support and accountability group that started with the new year, would you join me?? Comment below or shoot me an email at babebeforebaby@gmail.com!

 

 

Oh and don’t forget to vote today!

http://www.healthline.com/health/best-health-blogs-contest-id?id=297

Confessions of a fat girl: Holiday Edition

So much to talk about, where to begin??

Let’s start with Thanksgiving, and how very proud I am of my 2 Aunties for running their first 5k ever!

It was bitterly cold, colder than any 5k I’ve ever done (even last year’s Thanksgiving race), so it wasn’t an easy race to start with for them, but they did it! My Aunt Lesly ran the entire time, I was so proud of her, but she was feeling bad about leaving my Aunt Linda behind, who had started doing run/walk intervals pretty early.  About half way through, I told A. Lesly to keep going and I’d go back for A. Linda, and I ran the second half of the race with her.  She’s from Virginia, so the cold was really hard on her lungs, and her asthma was giving her a hard time; I coached her through, telling her to just run to the next light post then we could walk again, then run to the street sign, etc. At the end of the race, she started crying and said “You didn’t have to do this, stay back with me, but I’m so so grateful you did” and gave me a huge hug J

I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my Thanksgiving morning! (My 2 cousins ran too, though they steamed ahead way faster than my Aunts!)

Now…on to my holi-weekend bingefest.

Confessions of a fat girl: I’m human.  I fell down this weekend.  And I stayed there for 4 days.  I ate whatever I wanted, I drank a ridiculous amount of wine, and I didn’t track anything I put in my mouth.  Aside from my Thanksgiving morning 5k, I got absolutely no exercise in this weekend (unless you count cleaning the house as cardio!?)

I almost cried when I got on the scale this morning.  A month’s worth of hard work, all gone from one weekend!? This is absurd, and I know (or at least I hope) that some/most of this is water weight because I didn’t come close to getting enough water this weekend, and I know I ate lots of salty foods.  Aside from that, after 4 consecutive days of bad eating, I’m in the midst of a full blown Crohn’s flare up L

This hasn’t happened to me in months, and even though they say diet has nothing to do with it, I’m convinced that my crappy eating is connected to this one.  My stomach is so bloated I’ve gone up a pants size (not uncommon during a flare-up) and making it through a workout is difficult to say the least.  This complicates getting back on track a bit, but makes it all the more important.

Today I’ll go back to carb cycling, and I’m re-doing another round of T25 with my challenge group that starts today.  I’m actually going to wait until this weekend to take my “Before” measurements, I feel like the bloating and water weight from Thanksgiving/Crohn’s will give me an unfair start point and I don’t want anyone to feel like I skewed my progress!

 

I'm sure a few of you out there fell off the wagon this weekend.  We all fall; it's getting back up that sets you apart from the crowd.

 

 

Don't let falling turn into failing, you got this!
Oh and don't forget to vote today!!!
http://www.healthline.com/health/best-health-blogs-contest-id?id=297

Proud

I don’t talk about my family much on this blog, but I wanted to just take a minute today to say how incredibly proud of my Aunts that I am.

Both of my Aunts approached me at the end of the Summer and asked, if they started training, if I’d be willing to run with them on Thanksgiving for their first 5k EVER.

They told me I inspired them to start running, and it brought me to tears.  Here are these 2 incredibly strong women, who have raised amazing children of their own, who have stepped in to help me and my sisters when my own mother decided she didn’t want to be a part of our lives anymore, and they’re telling me that I inspire them??? Holy cow.

I was humbled, flattered, and honored to say the least, and of course I agreed to run with them.

The have both each lost over 50 pounds in this past year, and they look better and better every time I see them.

Both of my Aunts, one in her late 40s and one in her mid 50s, inspire ME, and I cannot wait to run this 5k with them tomorrow morning.  I promised them I would stay by their side the entire race, and that I didn’t care about my own time, I only wanted to run with them, so while tomorrow’s race will certainly not be about personal bests, it will be about family, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my Thanksgiving morning.

 

 

 

In other news, it’s obviously a big food day tomorrow, and I’ve decided to make it this week’s reward day so I don’t have guilt eating some of my favorite foods.  I will still try to eat consciously and not over-stuff myself, but I’m not going to beat myself up over it, and I’m not going to let the holiday drag beyond tomorrow.  One day, that’s all it is, and we’ll get right back on track on Friday! J

You can (and should) enjoy the holidays, and stay on track, so long as you make sure you’re limiting the holiday to just one day. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

I've been nominated!!!

Wooo hoooo!!!
I'm so very excited, humbled, and thrilled to announce that this little ol' blog of mine has been nominated for the second year in a row for Healthline's "Best Health Blog" award!
I do my best to keep it real here, to tell you about my good days and my bad, to share what's working and what's not, and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing about my journey.
It would mean so much to me to win this award, not just because theres a cash prize involved (nice bonus!) but because it will prove that this journey is meaningful, not just to me, but to everyone I'm sharing it with.  I love hearing how I've inspired you to start your own journies, so I hope you will support me by voting here: http://www.healthline.com/health/best-health-blogs-contest for Babe Before Baby, or by clicking on the big ol' icon on the right side bar over there where it says "vote daily".  And yes, you can vote 2 times a day, every day from now until the contest ends in January, so please vote early and often! What's in it for you? Well, I vow that whatever cash prize I do win, I will give away 1/2 of it to my readers.  That's right, I'm GIVING YOU my prize! So go vote people!

Healthline I appreciate your support more than you know :)

Eating out while Carb Cycling

Let’s be honest people.  Eating out is a part of most of our daily routines.  It used to be a treat…a special occasion even, but in today’s day and age of working moms and busy schedules, sometimes eating out is not only convenient, it’s the only option. 

This is where you have to be tough on yourself.  You do NOT need to go crazy every time you eat out or get take out.  You do NOT need to eat what your husband/family/friends/co-workers are eating.  You can’t reach your goals if you just eat like everyone else, it’s that simple. 

 

I try and tell myself this every day in the office when the various donuts/cupcakes/cookies/etc are tempting me in the kitchen.  Sure everyone else in the office is indulging.  Sure, it would be nice to give in as well…but the reality of the situation is, that I have different goals than the rest of my co-workers.  Sure, some of them are naturally thin and have nothing to worry about in the weight category, but it’s about more than just weight loss, it’s about being healthy, and fueling yourself with the right foods the majority of the time.  Every day indulges are a habit we really need to break free from as a society, and I’m not saying it’s easy, but your body with thank you for it over time.

So, that being said, yes, I’ve eaten out multiple times since starting carb cycling.  I enjoy eating out on my “guilt free” day the most, but if I have to eat out during the week when I should be on plan, here are some tips to keep in mind.

·         Beware the sodium monster.  Inevitably, food you don’t prepare yourself is bound to have more sodium, and even more if you’re eating at a convenience/fast food place versus a restaurant.  Be prepared to see the scale go up the next day, even if you stayed under your calories, for the pure fact that sodium makes you retain more water.  It goes away, don’t worry, but drink extra H20 on these days to compensate.

·         Remember your portion sizes.  Most restaurant servings are far too big for the portions we should be eating; share an entrée or ask for a take out box when your meal comes and box half of it before you even start eating.  If it’s not on your plate, you’ll be less tempted to finish the whole thing

·         Stick to the recommended food combinations: Protein, Fat, and Veggies on low carb day, and Protein, Carb, and Veggies on high carb day.  Modify menu selections if you have to.

·         Salad is your friend.  It’s the easiest thing to modify in terms of adding/subtracting ingredients, and lean protein is an easy add (think grilled chicken, fish, eggs, etc).

 

Here are some of the things I’ve eaten while dining out or getting take out these past few weeks:

(Above) Low carb: Garden salad with grilled chicken and feta cheese, a little splash of balsamic vinegar for dressing, delivered from a local pizza shop

(Above) Sit down restaurant, cobb salad with grilled chicken, lots of veggies, bacon, and hard boiled eggs.  This was so delicious, I didn't even add dressing!

(Above) Panera Bread has an awesome "hidden" menu that's totally low carb.  This is the "Power Mediterranean Chicken" Salad.

Above: High carb day.  Steamed chicken with mixed veggies, and a bit of white rice on the side.  No, white rice is not the best option, but it's better than fried rice! PS...I think the texture of steamed chicken is kinda gross...

Above: High carb day: scrambled egg whites with spinach (no added fat on the grill) and a piece of dry whole wheat toast.  I put some egg on the bread for a few of the bites so it was sort-of like an open faced sandwich.

Above: High carb day: Salad with grilled chicken and loads of veggies, paired with a bowl of fruit on the side for my carb serving.

Above: High carb day.  This is from a local chain called Izote but it's the same as a Moe's or Chipotle: rice, chicken, lettuce, pico de gallo, and onions.  No fat (cheese, sour cream, guac) on this, and remember to pick rice OR beans, not both (they're both carbs).  On a low carb day, take out the rice and add the cheese and guac for some fat, and feel free to load up on the veggies!

 

 

 

Hope this sheds some light for you, feel free to comment with questions! :)

One More Day

Just a quick post today to update you; I'm waiting until tomorrow until I weigh-in.  I mentioned this last week, but the way the Carb-Cycling Schedule works, you're supposed to weigh in on Saturdays, after 2 low carb days in a row.  I want to make sure I'm not beating myself up about a pound that will be gone by tomorrow, so I'm just going to wait for it.
Hang tight, I'll keep you posted!

My T25 Results!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll let these pictures speak for themselves.

 

 Regardless of what the scale says, I’ve lost inches, gained muscle, and lifted my booty with ten weeks of T25!

This program really is fairly easy to follow…don’t get me wrong, the workouts are intense, but since they’re only 25 minutes long, it’s hard to find a valid excuse not to just get it done. I have my favorite workouts within the program for sure, but there’s enough variety with all of the different DVDs that you never really get sick of any of them. Now that I’m done with the program, I’m still doing the workouts because they’re so short I can squeeze them in no matter what my schedule is.

Are my results not enough to convince you? Take a look at some of my other challenge group ladies' progress pics!

 

(This awesome transformation above is my pal Kelly who has a little baby boy at home, and found the time to make her health a priority! She has an awesomely inspiring Instagram account called "Naptimefitness", go follow her if you don't already!!)

 

 

I have to say that I’m really happy with all of these results, and so proud of my challengers who finished the program, but I’ve been blown away with my own personal progress in just these past 2 weeks now that I’ve added carb cycling into the mix. 

 So that being said, I’ve decided to do a prototype challenge group starting December 2^nd, where’ll I’ll combine T25, Carb Cycling, and Shakeology to get some serious results…didn’t you ask Santa for a better body for Christmas this year????

Seriously though this group is going to be awesome, but I’m limiting it to only 5 people because I really want everyone to get focused attention from me and not slip through the cracks, so this is for people who are really committed to wanting to see a change!  I’ll personally guide you through Carb Cycling, and make sure you stay on track with daily accountability through a private Facebook group.
If you’re interested in learning more, leave your email in the comments or email me at babebeforebaby@gmail.com!

Carb Cycling: What I'm eating

I got a lot of questions after last Friday’s carb cycling post about what I’m eating.

I’d like to preface this by saying that everyone is different, and I’m fully aware that not everyone is as boring as I am when it comes to food, nor is it their cup of tea to try and eat that way.  It’s just the way I roll people, I like simple, I like easy, and I actually prefer to pretty much eat the same thing on weekdays during the day and just change it up for dinner.  There are plenty of other options out there for carb cycling options, this is just what I'm eating because I find it works well for me and is easy enough to plan for.

So, that being said, this is what I eat, Monday through Friday.

Meal 1 (6am):

Plain Non-fat Greek Yogurt, sweetened with Stevia drops
½ cup of Kashi Go lean (all mixed in)
(I don’t have a serving a veggies with this meal, even though I’m supposed to!)

Meal 2 (9am):

Shakeology (I almost always use the vanilla latte recipe: 1 cup cold coffee, ½ cup almond milk, ice, and blend)
I leave for work at about 8:15, so I mix this in my blender and put it in a thermal cup and drink around 9 when it’s time, it keeps well
On low carb days, a 100 calorie pack of almonds
On high carb days, a banana

Meal 3 (12pm):

3 ounces of Chicken breast (I bake a whole package on Sunday nights and portion it out, just seasoned with a Mrs. Dash’s seasoning mix)
2 cups of green beans (this is basically a whole can of green beans, use low sodium to make sure you’re not getting too much salt)
On low carb days, string cheese
On high carb days, 1 cup of brown rice

 

Meal 4 (3pm):

Quest Bar (cookie dough is my favorite)
On low carb days, celery with 1 tablespoon of Peanut Butter, or Carrots with Laughing Cow cheese
On high carb days, an apple

 

Meal 5 (6pm):

This is where it typically varies for me
Some sort of lean meat (3-5 ounces)
Veggies (usually broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or a mixture of all 3)
On low carb days, I will either add a little fat to my cooking method (like Olive oil, or a butter based sauce), or add a little cheese on top of the meat
On high carb days, I omit the fat and stick to baking or broiling the meat, and add a carb like brown rice, quinoa, mashed potatoes, etc.

And that’s it.  It’s not exciting, I know, but like I said, I keep things simple and I prefer it that way.

Throughout the day, I drink a gallon of water, and I have 1 to 2 cups of black coffee in the morning.
At home after dinner, I’ll have seltzer or if I’m really feeling a bad craving I’ll have some peppermint tea (black).

This is breaking down to about 1200 calories on low carb days, and about 1500 calories on high carb days, and believe it or not, I’m not hungry.  I was when I first started, but I’m finding if I hit the 2 cups of veggies at every meal like I’m supposed to, I feel very satisfied until the next time I’m supposed to eat.  I think the biggest thing for me has been closing the kitchen after my 5^th meal, that after dinner snacking was my biggest downfall.

If you follow the Turbo Cycle for carb cycling, Sunday is a totally guilt free day where you can indulge in whatever you want, and try to hit about 1,000 calories more than normal (2500 calories).  I did well on my first reward day yesterday, and was proud to say that when I put all my indulgences into MFP for the day, I hit the 2500 calorie mark pretty dead on, and didn’t feel like I over-did it.  I had made a no treats promise to myself until Thanksgiving (chocolate, cookies, cake, ice cream, etc), so my rewards yesterday were pretty much based around pairing carbs with fat, which you’re not allowed to do during the week; I had homefries and toast at breakfast with my egg white omelet, I had popcorn and beer at the hockey game I went to, and I had a delicious burger with French fries for dinner, and after each meal, I felt satisfied but not guilty. 

 

 

The scale is up a bit this morning, but I know I ate a lot of salt yesterday and didn’t drink nearly enough water, so I’m pretty confident that number will drop again tomorrow.

So there you have it.  And yes, before you ask, I do change it up occasionally.  I have social events and activites, dinners out, lunches out, etc and I just try to hit the guidelines as best I can with the options I have available.  I ate out at Panera Bread a few times this past week, and they have a great low carb hidden menu with a few different salad options that make it pretty easy to stay on plan.  I'm also aware that next month, I might be sick of one (or all of the things) on my daily menu, so I'll probably rotate in a few new protein options, like turkey muffins for lunch, egg muffins for breakfast, or turkey meat/cheese roll-ups for snacks. 

 

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions!

I'm still here

I'm still here, I promise!
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have caught on to the fact that I've been posting about Carb Cycling a lot this week.
I plan on doing a post about this tomorrow, after I've got almost a full week under my belt (I've been doing this since Monday), but I have to say that I'm really loving it so far.  I feel really good today, the scale is moving in the right direction, and my calorie burns have been higher this week than ever before thanks to the kickstart in my metabolism.  In short, I'm thinking this is something I can stick with for a while, especially because it has built in REWARD days!!
In other news, tomorrow is my LAST DAY OF T25! It's like the end of an era! I'll be sure to post my full review of the program sometime soon, as well as my overall results, so stay tuned!

Speed Training

Goood morning! Ok it’s not that good, it’s Monday and I wish I were still in bed, but that’s life, right?

I had a decent weekend, with 2 days of running with an old friend from high school who’s helping me work on my speed so that I can improve my 5k time.

Saturday we met up at our high school track (talk about reliving the past!) and did intervals for about 30 minutes.  She tells me this will help me get my legs more used to running at a faster speed.

Our workout went like this:

2 laps, easy run to warm up (about 11 min mile).

Walk half lap, then do the following:

Sprint for 1 full lap: the goal is to complete the lap in (or under) 2:10 (this would equal an 8:40 per mile pace).  Most of our laps were 1:57.

Walk for ½ lap to recover.  About 10 yards or so before hitting the half lap mark, jog at “grandma pace” (super slow) to get your body ready to sprint again.  When you hit the half lap mark, sprint for 1 full lap again.

Repeat this sequence for as many times as you’d like; since this was my first go, we did 6 sprint intervals.  Next weekend, we’ll do 8, and then eventually the goal is to do 10, with the last 2 intervals SUPER fast (we’re talking 1:45 or less per lap).

I have honestly never done a track workout before, so this was pretty new to me, and I thought I would hate it since I don’t do well when I can see how far I have to go still.  But really, with all the recovery time built in, the time went by pretty fast, and before I knew it, we had finished our 6^th lap and were done for the day!

I have no experience with speed training or anything of the sort, since I’m fairly new to running, but my friend assures me this will help shave minutes off my 5k time (she recently dropped from a 30 minute 5k time to 28, and now she’s training to drop under 25!) T25 has done wonders for my running since there are so many speed and agility drills that work your calf muscles, but hopefully these track workouts will help make even more of a dent in my time.  I still haven’t “officially” broken the 30 minute mark on a 5k yet (coming in faster than 30 minutes), so I’m hoping that these workouts will help me blow that goal out of the water.

Yesterday we did an easy run, which should be at least 30 minutes, but no more than 40 minutes, at a pace where you can talk in broken sentences.  We met up at a local trail that loops around a reservoir for this, and I found myself running faster than I thought I could for an easy pace.

 

Later in the day yesterday, I went for a quick hike with my husband since he had a very rare afternoon off; it was nice to walk through the foliage, but man was it cold!

My friend runs 6 days a week; she does arms on 2 of her easy run days, but other than that, she ONLY runs for exercise.  I’m on my last week of T25 this week, so I’m thinking about focusing on running for the remainder of the month before starting my next program, but I don’t think I’ll care for running only…I need variety in my life, so I’ll probably still throw in some Turbo Fire or T25 workouts here and there.

How was your weekend? Did you try anything new with your workouts?

CAUTION: You are now entering your Comfort Zone

Do you ever have moments in your journey when you wonder why the heck you’re still doing this?

I mean…I’m pretty much at the lowest weight I’ve ever been as an adult.  People compliment me on my hard work, and when I say I’m trying to lose the last 20 pounds, they look at me like I have 2 heads (Where you gonna lose it from!?)

The truth is, I find it pretty comfortable at this weight.

 

I feel good about myself, I feel strong when I can push through workouts I never thought I’d do before, and I’ve run 3 half marathons.

I’m proud of where I am in my journey, something I never thought I’d be unless I was at my “goal weight”, a number, which in all honesty, is sort of random….why 158 you ask? Well 2 reasons.

First, it’s a decade I don’t think I’ve ever even fathomed was possible for me.  It seems like it’s such a small number, and one I’d be proud to shout from the rooftops…. I don’t want to cringe when someone asks me how much I weigh the next time I’m in the doctor’s office, and even if you added 5 pounds from clothes and water weight, I’d still be happy with that number if I had to weigh-in in front of other people.

Second, it’s exactly 75 pounds from where I started, 233.

75 seems like such an amazing number.  I can’t begin to imagine the pride I’d feel to say “I’ve lost 75 pounds”.  I want that.  I want to be able to say that I did that.  I want to say that I busted my butt, pushed myself further than I ever thought possible, counted my calories, fueled my body, and still managed to deal with everyday life in between.  I’ve had many hiccups on this journey, I’ve never hidden that from you.  I’m not perfect, and I can’t say that I lost my weight in record time, but I CAN say that I’m happy with the road I’ve taken, the things I’ve learned along the way, and where it’s led me thus far.  I can also say that I know I’m not done yet.

Yes, I’ve lost over 50 pounds so far.  Yes, I still have a little more than 20 pounds to go.  No, I won’t stop because I’m comfortable now; it’s time to break out of this comfort zone for good. 

 

 I know I have weight to lose still, and I want to see the 150s more than you know.

I want this. 

I WILL do this.

I’ve had a rough week this week…in all honesty I let my period get the best of me.  I’ve been moody, tired, and craving carbs and sugar like you wouldn’t believe, and I’ve given in.  Between cookies at work, frozen yogurt after dinner, drinks and apps with friends, and not hitting my step goals each day because I’ve been too tired, my scale has not been my friend these past few days.

Tomorrow marks the start of a new month, and 60 days until New Year’s Eve.  Tomorrow marks exactly 28 days until Thanksgiving.  I’m making a commitment to myself, and to you, that starting tomorrow, I will not be indulging in any treats, large or small, until Thanksgiving.  They’re triggers for me to binge, and I just can’t risk that if I want to reach my goals.  It’s time to get serious again.

I’ll weigh in with you every Friday to keep myself accountable, and I’ve got a new DietBet starting today to lead me up to this goal; it ends the day before Thanksgiving (you can still join here: http://diet.bt/17nPWYP )

Feel free to join me if you need the motivation, but either way, keep leaving those comments and shooting me emails, I need the accountability!!