That airplanes in the night sky are shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now....
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The Voices in Your Head...or are they....
How is it that some of us go through our entire lives able to ignore the naysayers around us? How is it that those same people seem to find their proper path in life without much trouble? Perhaps I am missing something and those people face as much of a struggle as the rest of us, but man it sure doesn't seem like it.
I feel like I have struggled my entire life. I have always wanted nothing more than acceptance from the people around me. I know that this all goes back many years. Struggling to be accepted even as a young child. Being ridiculed for my pale skin and orange hair from the very start of my schooling has never really left my psyche. Being the second favorite daughter out of two, which means I was the least favorite, when it seems that a sibling can do no wrong has never really left my psyche. So really every decision I have ever made has been to make other people happy. What a mistake that has been. Thirty-one years of a mistake.
My father always told us to figure out what it was that made us happy and then turn that into a career. I guess that words are much easier to say than to accept. I was always supposed to become the high-powered attorney of the family. I was always supposed to be the ruthless one, the one willing to do just about anything to accomplish my goals. I was supposed to do my time in the military to follow in my father's footsteps. I was supossed to be a partner in a law firm by the time I turned 40. I was supposed to get involved in politics. I was supposed to run for office. I was supposed to be a Senator. I was supposed to be the first female President of the United States or at least on White House staff at some point. I was supposed to be the one with all of the power. *Insert profanity filled scream here.
Well I'm 31. I will be 32 in three and a half months. I am none of those things. I never will be any of those things. I have tried for 31 years, unsuccessfully, to live the old addage "fake it until you make it." I haven't made it. I never will, at least not at those things that I am "supposed" to do.
I am sick of living someone else's dream for me. When is it my turn? When do I get the chance to really figure out who I am and what makes me happy and then turn that into a career?
I am deathly afraid of failure. I have been since I was young because it has always been so important in my family to succeed. Success is the holy grail to my family. Success is measured in many ways but our parameters include your level of education, your income, your assets, and your advancement in your field. Notice how none of those things have to do with emotion, or helping others. This is what I was taught. Which is perhaps why I have deep down rebelled against it subconsciously for years.
I don't want to be a high powered attorney. Would I be good at it? Absolutely. Could I do it? Without question. Would I be happy doing it? Absolutely not. Would it lead me to an early grave in some way, shape, or form? Probably.
Some will read this and wonder why the hell I've waited 31 years to declare my emotional and lifepath independence. Hell, I don't even know if I have declared it yet. It's difficult. When you have people questioning your every move on a daily if not hourly basis, you question yourself very quickly. When you question yourself, and you are so afraid of failure, you set yourself up to fail because you are truly afraid to succeed. Whether or not I am afraid of success I don't know. I don't think I am, I want it more than anything. What I fear is disappointing others. I have realized however that in order to not disappoint others I have to live a life that I was not intended to live. That life leads me to being unhappy, overweight, and desperate to escape. I refuse to live that way any longer.
This competition awakened something in me that has been in hibernation for years. Call it my backbone when it comes to those closest to me. I know now what really makes me happy. I know now that helping others and sharing my knowledge to do just that should be and will be the foundation of my next career move. I know now that I cannot live another person's dream.
I have a new plan. I am hoping the steps I take in the next few days and weeks will get me to the next stop on this path. My cousin told me when we had lunch together this past Thursday that he sees I am really happy. I am. I've wanted this for so long. I can't allow anything to de-rail that progress at this point.
So to those who may read this who may be naysayers, "Shut up. I no longer hear you, nor do I wish to. You can either accept the choices I make and the path I have decided to take my life, or you can just not be a part of it. Perhaps that is harsh, but I don't need the negativity in my life at this point. So please, just support me. That is all I ask."
I feel like I have struggled my entire life. I have always wanted nothing more than acceptance from the people around me. I know that this all goes back many years. Struggling to be accepted even as a young child. Being ridiculed for my pale skin and orange hair from the very start of my schooling has never really left my psyche. Being the second favorite daughter out of two, which means I was the least favorite, when it seems that a sibling can do no wrong has never really left my psyche. So really every decision I have ever made has been to make other people happy. What a mistake that has been. Thirty-one years of a mistake.
My father always told us to figure out what it was that made us happy and then turn that into a career. I guess that words are much easier to say than to accept. I was always supposed to become the high-powered attorney of the family. I was always supposed to be the ruthless one, the one willing to do just about anything to accomplish my goals. I was supposed to do my time in the military to follow in my father's footsteps. I was supossed to be a partner in a law firm by the time I turned 40. I was supposed to get involved in politics. I was supposed to run for office. I was supposed to be a Senator. I was supposed to be the first female President of the United States or at least on White House staff at some point. I was supposed to be the one with all of the power. *Insert profanity filled scream here.
Well I'm 31. I will be 32 in three and a half months. I am none of those things. I never will be any of those things. I have tried for 31 years, unsuccessfully, to live the old addage "fake it until you make it." I haven't made it. I never will, at least not at those things that I am "supposed" to do.
I am sick of living someone else's dream for me. When is it my turn? When do I get the chance to really figure out who I am and what makes me happy and then turn that into a career?
I am deathly afraid of failure. I have been since I was young because it has always been so important in my family to succeed. Success is the holy grail to my family. Success is measured in many ways but our parameters include your level of education, your income, your assets, and your advancement in your field. Notice how none of those things have to do with emotion, or helping others. This is what I was taught. Which is perhaps why I have deep down rebelled against it subconsciously for years.
I don't want to be a high powered attorney. Would I be good at it? Absolutely. Could I do it? Without question. Would I be happy doing it? Absolutely not. Would it lead me to an early grave in some way, shape, or form? Probably.
Some will read this and wonder why the hell I've waited 31 years to declare my emotional and lifepath independence. Hell, I don't even know if I have declared it yet. It's difficult. When you have people questioning your every move on a daily if not hourly basis, you question yourself very quickly. When you question yourself, and you are so afraid of failure, you set yourself up to fail because you are truly afraid to succeed. Whether or not I am afraid of success I don't know. I don't think I am, I want it more than anything. What I fear is disappointing others. I have realized however that in order to not disappoint others I have to live a life that I was not intended to live. That life leads me to being unhappy, overweight, and desperate to escape. I refuse to live that way any longer.
This competition awakened something in me that has been in hibernation for years. Call it my backbone when it comes to those closest to me. I know now what really makes me happy. I know now that helping others and sharing my knowledge to do just that should be and will be the foundation of my next career move. I know now that I cannot live another person's dream.
I have a new plan. I am hoping the steps I take in the next few days and weeks will get me to the next stop on this path. My cousin told me when we had lunch together this past Thursday that he sees I am really happy. I am. I've wanted this for so long. I can't allow anything to de-rail that progress at this point.
So to those who may read this who may be naysayers, "Shut up. I no longer hear you, nor do I wish to. You can either accept the choices I make and the path I have decided to take my life, or you can just not be a part of it. Perhaps that is harsh, but I don't need the negativity in my life at this point. So please, just support me. That is all I ask."
Friday, May 7, 2010
All things happen for a reason
So as most of you know, I am no out of work. Scary, yes, but it also allows me to do some things that I have been wanting to do for the past few months. I can now spend more time in the gym, focusing on and doing the work that I really need to do in order to do better in this competition. I can also focus more time on my home party company. This is helpful because I feel like it has been slightly neglected, and thus I haven't been seeing the steady stream of income that I had there for a while. It will be nice to have that coming back in over the next couple of months. Finally, I can spend a little bit more time figuring out where exactly I want to go from here. Granted I need to find a job as quickly as possible, but I am thankful to have the time. I believe that no matter what happens that we have to be thankful for what we have in life. I spent way too long focusing on the negatives in my life and I just simply refuse to do so any longer.
So here's to the positives! Having a wonderful family, amazing, supportive friends, a roof over my head, three fuzzy children to always keep me company, a back-up income in my business, tax returns coming somewhat late (mine came today), and my neice and sister moving back to Richmond next weekend. Life is never perfect, but it's pretty darn good. I'll take it.
So here's to the positives! Having a wonderful family, amazing, supportive friends, a roof over my head, three fuzzy children to always keep me company, a back-up income in my business, tax returns coming somewhat late (mine came today), and my neice and sister moving back to Richmond next weekend. Life is never perfect, but it's pretty darn good. I'll take it.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Life gets in the way
I think I have been fairly fortunate in this competition thus far. I have had a few moments where I have felt slightly overwhelmed, but being single and not having children and living at home with family to support me, I haven't really had to worry about time constraints with working out or with severe life changes that can cause emotional and psychological stress that can really derail your dedication to the program.
That unfortunately sort of changed this past week, but I think I have it under control. Most people know that I interviewed with a company for a job that I would honestly say is a dream job at this point in my life last week. I was really exicted to get the opportunity to even step foot in the corporation's building, much less be able to interview for a position like this. It all went so well. I came out of the interview so confident. Well I got the call I'd been waiting for this past Wednesday from my headhunter telling me I all but had the position. We were just waiting on the final paperwork to come through. I even met with her Thursday morning to finalize additional forms and such.
My current supervisor knew I interviewed and she knew the status of the offer. She found a replacement for me very quickly, which is good. It means there won't be a lag in the work that I'm leaving. Most of you know that I take my work very seriously and that I don't ever want something that has my name attached to it to be less than perfect. That is just my personality and I will always expect that much of myself. So what it comes down to is that between my current position finding someone to replace me, and still waiting for the new position to hopefully be finalized, I am in a bit of limbo right now. I still hope that the new position will come through, but we all know that not everything in this world is guaranteed. So I have a plan of action for the next two weeks, and I am confident that something will come through, but I was a bit frustrated, angry, let down, irritated, etc. this past Thursday into Friday. The only saving grace for me Thursday was Kelly's Cycle class at the gym. I got mad on the bike, and I about killed myself a couple of times, but it helped. I keep telling myself that no matter what happens, the fact that I didn't turn to food Thursday evening like I normally would have is a HUGE victory for me. I just have to keep at this program. No matter what happens in life. I just learned this week that the old cliche applies. "Much easier said than done."
It looks like it will probably be three weeks before anything is finalized when it comes to the new position. So I'm out there continuing to send out applications and such in the meantime because I don't think it would be wise to have all of my eggs in the one basket. So friends, if you know of anything in Richmond, even something I could do temporarily, please let me know! I just have to stay positive and know that things will work out the way they are meant to do so in the next few weeks.
I'm off to eat and head to Zumba and then am going to go to the Maymont Herb Festival and Fair with my mom. It will be nice to spend time with her today and to just not think of the stress from this past week.
Have a wonderful weekend all!
That unfortunately sort of changed this past week, but I think I have it under control. Most people know that I interviewed with a company for a job that I would honestly say is a dream job at this point in my life last week. I was really exicted to get the opportunity to even step foot in the corporation's building, much less be able to interview for a position like this. It all went so well. I came out of the interview so confident. Well I got the call I'd been waiting for this past Wednesday from my headhunter telling me I all but had the position. We were just waiting on the final paperwork to come through. I even met with her Thursday morning to finalize additional forms and such.
My current supervisor knew I interviewed and she knew the status of the offer. She found a replacement for me very quickly, which is good. It means there won't be a lag in the work that I'm leaving. Most of you know that I take my work very seriously and that I don't ever want something that has my name attached to it to be less than perfect. That is just my personality and I will always expect that much of myself. So what it comes down to is that between my current position finding someone to replace me, and still waiting for the new position to hopefully be finalized, I am in a bit of limbo right now. I still hope that the new position will come through, but we all know that not everything in this world is guaranteed. So I have a plan of action for the next two weeks, and I am confident that something will come through, but I was a bit frustrated, angry, let down, irritated, etc. this past Thursday into Friday. The only saving grace for me Thursday was Kelly's Cycle class at the gym. I got mad on the bike, and I about killed myself a couple of times, but it helped. I keep telling myself that no matter what happens, the fact that I didn't turn to food Thursday evening like I normally would have is a HUGE victory for me. I just have to keep at this program. No matter what happens in life. I just learned this week that the old cliche applies. "Much easier said than done."
It looks like it will probably be three weeks before anything is finalized when it comes to the new position. So I'm out there continuing to send out applications and such in the meantime because I don't think it would be wise to have all of my eggs in the one basket. So friends, if you know of anything in Richmond, even something I could do temporarily, please let me know! I just have to stay positive and know that things will work out the way they are meant to do so in the next few weeks.
I'm off to eat and head to Zumba and then am going to go to the Maymont Herb Festival and Fair with my mom. It will be nice to spend time with her today and to just not think of the stress from this past week.
Have a wonderful weekend all!
When things get negative...
Appreciation of the Good Things in Life
How many times are we blind to the good in front of us because we're looking past it for something better? It's like watching the railroad track your entire life, waiting for a train to come in and never realizing that you're sitting smack in the middle of the splendid Grand Central Station. Take a second look at your goals. Are they building on the good already in your life? Are you taking full advantage of the strengths you already have? Is it worth giving up what you have for what you might have? In many cases, the answer is yes. To that we say "Go for it!" with all the enthusiasm we can muster. Those are the meaningful goals. If the answer is no, try reworking your goals to include ones that complement your present life rather than substitute for it. Whatever the answer is for you, we could all use a little more appreciation for the pieces of silver in our lives
How many times are we blind to the good in front of us because we're looking past it for something better? It's like watching the railroad track your entire life, waiting for a train to come in and never realizing that you're sitting smack in the middle of the splendid Grand Central Station. Take a second look at your goals. Are they building on the good already in your life? Are you taking full advantage of the strengths you already have? Is it worth giving up what you have for what you might have? In many cases, the answer is yes. To that we say "Go for it!" with all the enthusiasm we can muster. Those are the meaningful goals. If the answer is no, try reworking your goals to include ones that complement your present life rather than substitute for it. Whatever the answer is for you, we could all use a little more appreciation for the pieces of silver in our lives
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Jillian's Inspiration..this is why we don't restrict calories...SCIENCE
From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
How many times have you started a diet in your life? Probably a lot more than just once. If you want to lose weight, you have to do it the right way. I'll tell you right now: Skipping meals or following an extremely low-calorie diet is not in any way, shape, or form the answer for losing any amount of weight. Extreme calorie deprivation only sets you up for yo-yo dieting, or "weight cycling." Your weight will continue to go up and down for the rest of your life. If you want permanent weight loss, then listen to me.
The lack of understanding about the right way to lose weight can set people up for big-time failure. Even if you do have initial success on one of these extreme diets, the toll it takes on your body is not at all worth it. Extreme diets that promise big weight loss in a short amount of time cut out macronutrients like carbs and fats — which is horrible for your hormone balance and your metabolism.
Why are you in this pattern of fasting, then slipping up and bingeing, then fasting again? Maybe you desperately want to lose weight for a special occasion and figure that only a couple of weeks at 800 calories a day can give you results you want. And maybe it does…but then what happens when you go back to a normal eating pattern? Simply put, you're toast. While you weren't taking in enough calories, your levels of T3, the thyroid hormone that boosts your metabolism, plummeted and you slowed down your metabolism. Also, your response to insulin has taken a hit, so instead of glucose entering your cells, where it can be used for energy, your body lets it roam around in your blood, where it can cause trouble. Your sensitivity to leptin (which regulates appetite) is also reduced, so you're never quite sure when to say, "Enough!" at the table. Plus, the hormone that tells your brain you're starving, called ghrelin, shoots higher than ever. That is just the beginning of your problems. When you inevitably start gaining back weight, you start the cycle of yo-yo dieting all over again. It gets more and more frustrating every time you do it.
It's time to end this vicious cycle, and the way to do that is not to "diet" but rather to make a lifestyle change. Shift your thinking from merely "cutting back" to simply eating proper portions of the right foods. Whole, nutritious foods will repair, nourish, and support every cell so that your body will work for you and not against you. Be good to your body and it will be good to you!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Quit Yo-Yo Dieting and Get Real Results!
How many times have you started a diet in your life? Probably a lot more than just once. If you want to lose weight, you have to do it the right way. I'll tell you right now: Skipping meals or following an extremely low-calorie diet is not in any way, shape, or form the answer for losing any amount of weight. Extreme calorie deprivation only sets you up for yo-yo dieting, or "weight cycling." Your weight will continue to go up and down for the rest of your life. If you want permanent weight loss, then listen to me.
The lack of understanding about the right way to lose weight can set people up for big-time failure. Even if you do have initial success on one of these extreme diets, the toll it takes on your body is not at all worth it. Extreme diets that promise big weight loss in a short amount of time cut out macronutrients like carbs and fats — which is horrible for your hormone balance and your metabolism.
Why are you in this pattern of fasting, then slipping up and bingeing, then fasting again? Maybe you desperately want to lose weight for a special occasion and figure that only a couple of weeks at 800 calories a day can give you results you want. And maybe it does…but then what happens when you go back to a normal eating pattern? Simply put, you're toast. While you weren't taking in enough calories, your levels of T3, the thyroid hormone that boosts your metabolism, plummeted and you slowed down your metabolism. Also, your response to insulin has taken a hit, so instead of glucose entering your cells, where it can be used for energy, your body lets it roam around in your blood, where it can cause trouble. Your sensitivity to leptin (which regulates appetite) is also reduced, so you're never quite sure when to say, "Enough!" at the table. Plus, the hormone that tells your brain you're starving, called ghrelin, shoots higher than ever. That is just the beginning of your problems. When you inevitably start gaining back weight, you start the cycle of yo-yo dieting all over again. It gets more and more frustrating every time you do it.
It's time to end this vicious cycle, and the way to do that is not to "diet" but rather to make a lifestyle change. Shift your thinking from merely "cutting back" to simply eating proper portions of the right foods. Whole, nutritious foods will repair, nourish, and support every cell so that your body will work for you and not against you. Be good to your body and it will be good to you!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
FIELD DAY!!!
Yesterday was our second event in this program, the dreaded field day! When we showed up to the event the only thing I could focus on was Shane from the Fredericksburg club flipping these big tires in the middle of the field. I was terrified at first, but then I just told myself "NO, you ARE going to do this, you CAN do this, and just think about HOW PROUD you will be of yourself when you do it!" I looked at the other stations being set up as well, but nothing, at first glance, seemed as intimidating as those damn tires.
We started the day with having our picture taken, since I had to leave right after the compeition to make it to the wedding, and then we got started on warming up our muscles. The way that the event worked was that we spent nine minutes at each "station." The stations were created by the two trainers from each club. Each station was different and used different parts of your body to complete the tasks at hand. Plus it allowed us to experience the training styles of the different trainers from each club.
Each team began the day at their own club's station. Andi and Greg created a fast paced combination of activites that I think was the best way to start because you used your entire body to keep going for the full nine minutes. Greg had us dribbling a basketball in a weaving pattern around cones and then Andi, who loves her kettlebells, created an exercise where you use the hip swing movement to toss different weighted medicine balls granny toss style, up into the fence trying to hit targets that had been hung up. The first time through I hit most of the targets but man after about the third or forth time through my hips didn't exactly want to swing. :-)
Next we huslted on over to the Blue station. This station started with team push-ups, slapping your partner's hand each time you came up. Then we moved on to see-saw sit-ups, which don't look hard at first glance but my abs are S-O-R-E today. Then they had us do lateral and various drills through a ladder on the ground. Finally we played tug-of-war. Now you have to remember we moved through this circuit and did each activity all within NINE MINUTES. You can imagine at this point the amount of sweat that was starting to occur.
Orange team was next. Now these two trainers have a bit of reputation. They're tough. They expect a lot of their team. Their attitude was no different with us yesterday. We started this station with a sort of "capture the flag" drill where we were all in a circle and we had to grab the t-shirt haning from the back of our team-mates' waist bands. Needless to say this was not easy on uneven ground and I was out pretty quickly. I think that if I hadn't been so concerned with protecting my knees that I may have been a bit more competitive at this point. Then as we were eliminated we had to go over to the side and do different drills, high-knees, kicks, jumping jacks, etc. I had to modify a few things, but I think that we all tried to do everything that we were able to do. Unfortunately, this is where the negativity started for some. One teammate of mine overheard a comment that was made by one of the trainers about our team. Thankfully she didn't share that comment with me until close to the end of the competition. When I'm in the middle of battle (whether that battle be with myself or as part of a competition, especially physical) I tend to be a bit of a hot-head. What matters though is that we made it through the station and moved on....where did we go next?
THE DREADED TIRES! Now I have to admit, the only saving grace here was that this was the Black team's station and Shane is definitely not hard on the eyes. ;-) You know what I'm saying ladies, that eye candy can be a bit of a motivation to keep going when you honestly feel like falling out on the ground. Anyway, Erica and I started on the big mamma jamma tires OF COURSE! The first time we lifted it up and tried to flip it I thought I was going to die. It's amazing how heavy those darn things are! But we soon figured it out and learned to work together to get the behemoth flipped over and over again. We then switched and flipped smaller (but still not regular sized) tires and then had to hop our way through them. Seriously a difficult station to say the least!
Next we got to play a little Ultimate Frisbee with the Yellow teams' trainers. This was a lot of fun and it kind of took me back to my days at American U in DC when we used to play frisbee on the quad after class during the fall and spring. I wasn't overly familiar with the rules, but honestly it kind of reminded me of soccer and when we got to about the middle of this time frame my competitive side started kicking in. Man I MISS playing team sports. I didn't really realize how much I missed it until we all started playing yesterday. I think I may just have to get into the RSSC or something when this competition is over with.
At this point I know we were all T-I-R-E-D but we had two stations to go! Our next station was another station that intimidated me. The Red team's station. They had set up over in the sandpit where the swings are located at Bryan Park. Sand intimidates me. Only because I know that running in sand, and especially quick movements in sand are movements that engage all of the knee joint. Uneven ground, especially sand, is something that makes me think my knees are going to go out again. That is the last thing I want to deal with EVER. So we started this station doing high and fast knees through a grounded ladder. Then we moved on to making a serpintine jog/walk through cones in the sand. I went a little slower than I would have liked through this, but I still did it and that made me happy. Then we were to crawl under the swings through the sand. Unfortunately, with the screws in my knee, I absolutely am unable to crawl. (Where the screws are placed in my shin bone prevents me from kneeling at all on my left side. The pain that kind of pressure exerts on the screws is absolutely blinding.) So the first time I just low walked through it along the side. The second time though one of the trainers had me bear crawl through it. If you don't know what a bear crawl is, look it up and do it. HARD!!! I think that's another reason my abs hurt. When we got to the end of that part of the station we did push-ups. Why do trainers love pushups?!? LOL!
Our last station for the day was the Green Team station back over on the tennis courts. The Green Team is the team from Swift Creek. This was a combination of Japanese hopscotch and jumping rope. Now I just realized this past week that I am able to jump again. I haven't jumped or hopped at all since the surgery. Dr. Stadler doesn't really want me doing it, but it's so much of an accomplishment for me that I can't help myself really. (She doesn't want me running either but I tried to jog from station to station, carefully of course.) Hopscotch was actually hard, because you go from two legs to one leg, and being left handed and thus left-side dominant it was hard for me to not hop on my left leg alone. (That's my screwed leg...LOL.) Anyway, what I was really proud of myself for was actually jumping rope and jumping rope WELL. I mean in time, caught it a couple of times, but I was DOING it...just like old times at soccer practice. If nothing else it was a personal victory for me.
I really think the whole day, no matter the slight negativity that we had to deal with, was a sort of personal victory for every one. At least I hope it was. I know it was for me. It was an added bonus that by the time I left, I had burned almost 2000 calories for the day and it was only 10:45 a.m. Now if I could figure out a way to do that every day, I'd be skinny in a couple of months! It was on to the wedding at that point and for friends I hadn't seen in quite a while to notice that I really am losing weight just topped off my day as pretty damn near perfect. I was able to be at the wedding for one of my best friends and share in her happiness all after accomplinshing so much at the field day. Days don't get much better I don't think. I'm looking forward to the rest of this competition with so much enthusiasm that it is hard to contain at this point. I just about wish we could have field day every Saturday to keep challenging us!!
Be well. All of you!
We started the day with having our picture taken, since I had to leave right after the compeition to make it to the wedding, and then we got started on warming up our muscles. The way that the event worked was that we spent nine minutes at each "station." The stations were created by the two trainers from each club. Each station was different and used different parts of your body to complete the tasks at hand. Plus it allowed us to experience the training styles of the different trainers from each club.
Each team began the day at their own club's station. Andi and Greg created a fast paced combination of activites that I think was the best way to start because you used your entire body to keep going for the full nine minutes. Greg had us dribbling a basketball in a weaving pattern around cones and then Andi, who loves her kettlebells, created an exercise where you use the hip swing movement to toss different weighted medicine balls granny toss style, up into the fence trying to hit targets that had been hung up. The first time through I hit most of the targets but man after about the third or forth time through my hips didn't exactly want to swing. :-)
Next we huslted on over to the Blue station. This station started with team push-ups, slapping your partner's hand each time you came up. Then we moved on to see-saw sit-ups, which don't look hard at first glance but my abs are S-O-R-E today. Then they had us do lateral and various drills through a ladder on the ground. Finally we played tug-of-war. Now you have to remember we moved through this circuit and did each activity all within NINE MINUTES. You can imagine at this point the amount of sweat that was starting to occur.
Orange team was next. Now these two trainers have a bit of reputation. They're tough. They expect a lot of their team. Their attitude was no different with us yesterday. We started this station with a sort of "capture the flag" drill where we were all in a circle and we had to grab the t-shirt haning from the back of our team-mates' waist bands. Needless to say this was not easy on uneven ground and I was out pretty quickly. I think that if I hadn't been so concerned with protecting my knees that I may have been a bit more competitive at this point. Then as we were eliminated we had to go over to the side and do different drills, high-knees, kicks, jumping jacks, etc. I had to modify a few things, but I think that we all tried to do everything that we were able to do. Unfortunately, this is where the negativity started for some. One teammate of mine overheard a comment that was made by one of the trainers about our team. Thankfully she didn't share that comment with me until close to the end of the competition. When I'm in the middle of battle (whether that battle be with myself or as part of a competition, especially physical) I tend to be a bit of a hot-head. What matters though is that we made it through the station and moved on....where did we go next?
THE DREADED TIRES! Now I have to admit, the only saving grace here was that this was the Black team's station and Shane is definitely not hard on the eyes. ;-) You know what I'm saying ladies, that eye candy can be a bit of a motivation to keep going when you honestly feel like falling out on the ground. Anyway, Erica and I started on the big mamma jamma tires OF COURSE! The first time we lifted it up and tried to flip it I thought I was going to die. It's amazing how heavy those darn things are! But we soon figured it out and learned to work together to get the behemoth flipped over and over again. We then switched and flipped smaller (but still not regular sized) tires and then had to hop our way through them. Seriously a difficult station to say the least!
Next we got to play a little Ultimate Frisbee with the Yellow teams' trainers. This was a lot of fun and it kind of took me back to my days at American U in DC when we used to play frisbee on the quad after class during the fall and spring. I wasn't overly familiar with the rules, but honestly it kind of reminded me of soccer and when we got to about the middle of this time frame my competitive side started kicking in. Man I MISS playing team sports. I didn't really realize how much I missed it until we all started playing yesterday. I think I may just have to get into the RSSC or something when this competition is over with.
At this point I know we were all T-I-R-E-D but we had two stations to go! Our next station was another station that intimidated me. The Red team's station. They had set up over in the sandpit where the swings are located at Bryan Park. Sand intimidates me. Only because I know that running in sand, and especially quick movements in sand are movements that engage all of the knee joint. Uneven ground, especially sand, is something that makes me think my knees are going to go out again. That is the last thing I want to deal with EVER. So we started this station doing high and fast knees through a grounded ladder. Then we moved on to making a serpintine jog/walk through cones in the sand. I went a little slower than I would have liked through this, but I still did it and that made me happy. Then we were to crawl under the swings through the sand. Unfortunately, with the screws in my knee, I absolutely am unable to crawl. (Where the screws are placed in my shin bone prevents me from kneeling at all on my left side. The pain that kind of pressure exerts on the screws is absolutely blinding.) So the first time I just low walked through it along the side. The second time though one of the trainers had me bear crawl through it. If you don't know what a bear crawl is, look it up and do it. HARD!!! I think that's another reason my abs hurt. When we got to the end of that part of the station we did push-ups. Why do trainers love pushups?!? LOL!
Our last station for the day was the Green Team station back over on the tennis courts. The Green Team is the team from Swift Creek. This was a combination of Japanese hopscotch and jumping rope. Now I just realized this past week that I am able to jump again. I haven't jumped or hopped at all since the surgery. Dr. Stadler doesn't really want me doing it, but it's so much of an accomplishment for me that I can't help myself really. (She doesn't want me running either but I tried to jog from station to station, carefully of course.) Hopscotch was actually hard, because you go from two legs to one leg, and being left handed and thus left-side dominant it was hard for me to not hop on my left leg alone. (That's my screwed leg...LOL.) Anyway, what I was really proud of myself for was actually jumping rope and jumping rope WELL. I mean in time, caught it a couple of times, but I was DOING it...just like old times at soccer practice. If nothing else it was a personal victory for me.
I really think the whole day, no matter the slight negativity that we had to deal with, was a sort of personal victory for every one. At least I hope it was. I know it was for me. It was an added bonus that by the time I left, I had burned almost 2000 calories for the day and it was only 10:45 a.m. Now if I could figure out a way to do that every day, I'd be skinny in a couple of months! It was on to the wedding at that point and for friends I hadn't seen in quite a while to notice that I really am losing weight just topped off my day as pretty damn near perfect. I was able to be at the wedding for one of my best friends and share in her happiness all after accomplinshing so much at the field day. Days don't get much better I don't think. I'm looking forward to the rest of this competition with so much enthusiasm that it is hard to contain at this point. I just about wish we could have field day every Saturday to keep challenging us!!
Be well. All of you!
I love Jillian....the latest addition to my article search...never say "I CAN'T"
From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels, Friday, April 16, 2010
When it comes to diet and exercise, I forbid you to ever use the phrase: I can't. I'm telling you, there's no such thing! There might be "I don't want tos," but there are absolutely no "I can'ts" from here on out.
Why am I being so hard on you about this? Because I know you can! In fact, I promise that you can do anything you want in this life — if you want it bad enough.
The next time you start to say "I can't," stop yourself and instead say the "antidote" statement, which is "I can." I can lose weight. I can start to exercise. I can get control of my life.
Think about what might be causing you to feel defeated before you even begin, and tackle those negative feelings or memories or harsh life lessons. You have the power to take your life back. Soon you'll see the evidence that you can accomplish your goals, that you are strong and intelligent, and that you deserve everything wonderful that life has to offer. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, kid!
You Can't or You Don't Want To?
When it comes to diet and exercise, I forbid you to ever use the phrase: I can't. I'm telling you, there's no such thing! There might be "I don't want tos," but there are absolutely no "I can'ts" from here on out.
Why am I being so hard on you about this? Because I know you can! In fact, I promise that you can do anything you want in this life — if you want it bad enough.
The next time you start to say "I can't," stop yourself and instead say the "antidote" statement, which is "I can." I can lose weight. I can start to exercise. I can get control of my life.
Think about what might be causing you to feel defeated before you even begin, and tackle those negative feelings or memories or harsh life lessons. You have the power to take your life back. Soon you'll see the evidence that you can accomplish your goals, that you are strong and intelligent, and that you deserve everything wonderful that life has to offer. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, kid!
Monday, April 5, 2010
FYI - click on the calendar...
Then it will open up in a separate window and you can see the whole thing much easier!! :-)
April 2010 Work-Out Calendar!!
So here is my finalized work-out calendar for April. If any of you live in or around Richmond and are members of American Family Fitness, please feel free to join me! The work-outs are all at the Southside location unless they are high-lighted. The high-lighted work-outs are at Swift Creek which is on Route 360. The event on April the 17th is an outside event, a field day or boot camp if you will. Scary but I know it will be FUN! I hope that some of you can join me for some of these classes! They really are a lot of fun!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
20 Ways to Eat Healthier NOW! (as published in SELF magazine)
One of the biggest struggles it seems for so many people doing this BAL competition is the food. I came across this article on 20 really simple ways to change the way that you eat without having to stress over the calorie counting and what not today and I thought it may be helpful to some out there. I bolded some of the ones that I think are super important, and ones that I follow as much as possible. So read and heed!
20 Ways to Eat Healthier Right Now
Adopt one (or all) of these simple strategies to drop pounds and feel great!
Marisa Cohen, SELF
Remember when you were a kid and eating was as simple as “Open, chew, enjoy”? You didn’t count the grams of fiber and fat in your PB&J. You munched when you were hungry, stopped when you were full and ran off to play with your Cabbage Patch Kids. But choosing a meal as a health-minded adult can be as complicated and joyless as a calculus final. Enough! Here are 20 common-sense rules that make eating right as easy as pie for you and your inner 8-year-old.
1. Eat like a tourist in Greece
The sunset over your office park isn’t as stunning as the one over an Aegean beach, but a plate of grilled fish and fresh vegetables and a glass of wine is as delicious in Athens, Ga., as it is in Athens, Greece. Plus, a Mediterranean menu can help lower your risk for heart disease and keep you slim, says Susan Mitchell, Ph.D., co-author of Fat Is Not Your Fate (Fireside).
2. If you can’t grow it, don’t eat it
A potato comes from the ground, an egg from a hen. But where did that Pop-Tart come from? If your best guess is “aisle 7,” pass it up. “Unprocessed, whole foods will give you the most benefits,” says Michelle K. Berman, R.D., of Fairfax, Va. Processing takes out nutrients such as antioxidants and fiber, and even when chemists add them back, nothing stacks up to Mother Nature.
3. Read the back of the box first
“The front is all advertising,” Berman says. Flip it around for the real story. The more ingredients, the more likely it has visited a few processing plants where something artificial was mixed in, says Lydia Zepeda, Ph.D., professor of consumer science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
4. The crunchier, the better
Snacks that offer a big, satisfying crunch when you bite into them—we mean apples, celery, snap peas and nuts, not chips—keep your mouth busy longer than food you slurp. “The more you chew, the slower you eat and the more time your body has to register fullness,” Mitchell says.
5. You can always have more
Tomorrow. A food shortage is not imminent. Besides, anything you eat after you’re full doesn’t even taste as good. “There is a toning down of taste buds after the first few bites,” says Linda Bacon, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at City College of San Francisco. And no one loves feeling stuffed.
6. A frozen berry beats a fresh doughnut
Purchasing organic local produce is better for both the environment and your health, but when the nearest farm is hours away, don’t default to a package of Oreos. “Frozen, canned and fresh fruit all have comparable amounts of nutrients,” says Christine M. Bruhm, Ph.D., director of the Center for Consumer Research at the University of California at Davis.
7. You can’t replace real ice cream
When you’re craving Chunky Monkey, no amount of fat-free ice treat will make up for it. “Diet foods leave you feeling hungry and cheated,” says Paul McKenna, Ph.D., author of I Can Make You Thin (Sterling). Splurge on one scoop of the real deal and savor it. “You’ll be satisfied physically and psychologically,” McKenna says.
8. There’s no fruit in “fruit flavor”
Seeing flavor on a label is a sign the food was stripped of its real taste and a fabricated one swapped in, Bacon says. Natural only means the additive came from a plant or an animal, which may not be as healthy as it sounds. “Scientists create flavors using bacteria and call them ‘natural,’” she says. Would you buy Bacteri-Os?
9. If it’s not around, you can’t eat it
You’re in your cozy armchair watching Gossip Girl when you get an urge for Cool Ranch Doritos. If all you have to do is walk to your pantry, you’ll grab a bag and attack it. But let’s say you must put on your shoes, find your keys and drive to the store. Laziness will triumph. (Yes, sometimes sloth is a good thing!)
10. Table your meals
As much sitting as we do, we rarely stay put during dinner. Fifty-nine percent of young women eat on the run, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association finds, and on-the-go eaters consume more total fat, as well as more soda and fast food. The less distracted and stressed you are when you dine, the more efficiently your body absorbs nutrients. Turn off the tube, step away from your desk and park the car before you dig in.
11. Judge food by its cover
When you have to hack through layers of packaging and plastic to get to your dinner, it’s likely to be unhealthy, Zepeda says. Plus, research indicates that perfluorochemicals in food containers may lower fertility. Companies aren’t phasing out PFCs until 2015! So do it yourself now.
12. Cake’s just not that into you
Sugary carbs are the bad boyfriends of the food world. They woo us with sweet nothings and leave us unsatisfied, guilt-ridden and 10 pounds heavier. The solution: Pick a snack that has your back, such as fruit, low-fat yogurt and honey. The occasional hookup with a sexy old fling is fine (hello, red velvet!), but most splurges should have your health in mind.
13. Don’t drink dessert
Brimming with vitamins! Bursting with energy! Store shelves are exploding with colorful, cleverly named drinks that sound healthy but are actually just sweetened water. Don’t let the labels fool you, Berman says. If it’s not skim milk, plain H2O or regular coffee or tea, it’s a treat. For a healthier sip, try lemon or mint iced tea or sparkling water with a splash of juice.
14. Make sure you can ID the animal
You don’t have to hunt and skin your supper, but if your chicken has been molded into a nugget, who knows what you’re really chewing? And when you choose meat that’s been processed into sausage, strips or slices, you’re downing sodium and preservatives instead of healthy nutrients, says Adam Drewnowski, Ph.D., director of the nutritional sciences program at the University of Washington at Seattle. Stick to unfussed-with cuts straight from the butcher.
15. Fuel up in the morning, not at night
A car needs gas when it’s hitting the road, not when it’s sitting in the garage—so why do we have our biggest meal when the only energy burner on the agenda is working the remote? Instead, aim for a 550-calorie breakfast, a 500-calorie lunch, a 450-calorie dinner and a 100-calorie snack. “If you overeat at night, you’re less likely to burn off the calories,” Mitchell says.
16. Don’t buy food where you buy tires
In our time-crunched life, it’s tempting to grab groceries at the pump or in a store where you can get a giant box of cereal along with an ottoman. But for the healthiest food at the fairest price, visit the neighborhood grocery store. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that convenience stores charge more for nutritious fare than supermarkets do.
17. Work for your dinner
Sure, you could inhale supper straight out of a bucket, but for a healthy meal, you need to invest at least a few minutes in chopping, rinsing or grilling. The result is worth the effort, Mitchell says. “When you prepare dishes yourself, you can see exactly which ingredients are going into it and make conscious choices about what you truly want to eat,” she says.
18. Your hips are not a fridge
Once you slice and sauté your way to a fabulous feast, you don’t have to finish every bite. “We’re conditioned to think that if we don’t devour everything on our plate, we are misbehaving,” McKenna says. But if you keep munching even after you’re full, you are using your body as a storage unit. If there’s enough left over for lunch tomorrow, pack it up and put it in the fridge. Otherwise, toss scraps in the trash. We promise we won’t tell your mom.
19. Watching Top Chef isn’t cooking
We love food shows, too, but zoning out in front of the TV with a container of greasy moo shu pork is kind of missing the point. “Cooking has become a spectator sport,” Drewnowski says. “People watch and think, 'If only that chef could come cook for me!'” No need to whip up a seven-course meal, but you can pick up tips about combining flavors and using fresh ingredients.
20. Cut yourself a break
If you follow these rules most of the time but occasionally crave a fast-food fix, a slice of pizza or a brownie, go for it. You can happily resume your healthy plan once you satisfy the urge. “We all have to relax a bit,” Drewnowski says. “If you want fried chicken now and then, enjoy it!”
20 Ways to Eat Healthier Right Now
Adopt one (or all) of these simple strategies to drop pounds and feel great!
Marisa Cohen, SELF
Remember when you were a kid and eating was as simple as “Open, chew, enjoy”? You didn’t count the grams of fiber and fat in your PB&J. You munched when you were hungry, stopped when you were full and ran off to play with your Cabbage Patch Kids. But choosing a meal as a health-minded adult can be as complicated and joyless as a calculus final. Enough! Here are 20 common-sense rules that make eating right as easy as pie for you and your inner 8-year-old.
1. Eat like a tourist in Greece
The sunset over your office park isn’t as stunning as the one over an Aegean beach, but a plate of grilled fish and fresh vegetables and a glass of wine is as delicious in Athens, Ga., as it is in Athens, Greece. Plus, a Mediterranean menu can help lower your risk for heart disease and keep you slim, says Susan Mitchell, Ph.D., co-author of Fat Is Not Your Fate (Fireside).
2. If you can’t grow it, don’t eat it
A potato comes from the ground, an egg from a hen. But where did that Pop-Tart come from? If your best guess is “aisle 7,” pass it up. “Unprocessed, whole foods will give you the most benefits,” says Michelle K. Berman, R.D., of Fairfax, Va. Processing takes out nutrients such as antioxidants and fiber, and even when chemists add them back, nothing stacks up to Mother Nature.
3. Read the back of the box first
“The front is all advertising,” Berman says. Flip it around for the real story. The more ingredients, the more likely it has visited a few processing plants where something artificial was mixed in, says Lydia Zepeda, Ph.D., professor of consumer science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
4. The crunchier, the better
Snacks that offer a big, satisfying crunch when you bite into them—we mean apples, celery, snap peas and nuts, not chips—keep your mouth busy longer than food you slurp. “The more you chew, the slower you eat and the more time your body has to register fullness,” Mitchell says.
5. You can always have more
Tomorrow. A food shortage is not imminent. Besides, anything you eat after you’re full doesn’t even taste as good. “There is a toning down of taste buds after the first few bites,” says Linda Bacon, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at City College of San Francisco. And no one loves feeling stuffed.
6. A frozen berry beats a fresh doughnut
Purchasing organic local produce is better for both the environment and your health, but when the nearest farm is hours away, don’t default to a package of Oreos. “Frozen, canned and fresh fruit all have comparable amounts of nutrients,” says Christine M. Bruhm, Ph.D., director of the Center for Consumer Research at the University of California at Davis.
7. You can’t replace real ice cream
When you’re craving Chunky Monkey, no amount of fat-free ice treat will make up for it. “Diet foods leave you feeling hungry and cheated,” says Paul McKenna, Ph.D., author of I Can Make You Thin (Sterling). Splurge on one scoop of the real deal and savor it. “You’ll be satisfied physically and psychologically,” McKenna says.
8. There’s no fruit in “fruit flavor”
Seeing flavor on a label is a sign the food was stripped of its real taste and a fabricated one swapped in, Bacon says. Natural only means the additive came from a plant or an animal, which may not be as healthy as it sounds. “Scientists create flavors using bacteria and call them ‘natural,’” she says. Would you buy Bacteri-Os?
9. If it’s not around, you can’t eat it
You’re in your cozy armchair watching Gossip Girl when you get an urge for Cool Ranch Doritos. If all you have to do is walk to your pantry, you’ll grab a bag and attack it. But let’s say you must put on your shoes, find your keys and drive to the store. Laziness will triumph. (Yes, sometimes sloth is a good thing!)
10. Table your meals
As much sitting as we do, we rarely stay put during dinner. Fifty-nine percent of young women eat on the run, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association finds, and on-the-go eaters consume more total fat, as well as more soda and fast food. The less distracted and stressed you are when you dine, the more efficiently your body absorbs nutrients. Turn off the tube, step away from your desk and park the car before you dig in.
11. Judge food by its cover
When you have to hack through layers of packaging and plastic to get to your dinner, it’s likely to be unhealthy, Zepeda says. Plus, research indicates that perfluorochemicals in food containers may lower fertility. Companies aren’t phasing out PFCs until 2015! So do it yourself now.
12. Cake’s just not that into you
Sugary carbs are the bad boyfriends of the food world. They woo us with sweet nothings and leave us unsatisfied, guilt-ridden and 10 pounds heavier. The solution: Pick a snack that has your back, such as fruit, low-fat yogurt and honey. The occasional hookup with a sexy old fling is fine (hello, red velvet!), but most splurges should have your health in mind.
13. Don’t drink dessert
Brimming with vitamins! Bursting with energy! Store shelves are exploding with colorful, cleverly named drinks that sound healthy but are actually just sweetened water. Don’t let the labels fool you, Berman says. If it’s not skim milk, plain H2O or regular coffee or tea, it’s a treat. For a healthier sip, try lemon or mint iced tea or sparkling water with a splash of juice.
14. Make sure you can ID the animal
You don’t have to hunt and skin your supper, but if your chicken has been molded into a nugget, who knows what you’re really chewing? And when you choose meat that’s been processed into sausage, strips or slices, you’re downing sodium and preservatives instead of healthy nutrients, says Adam Drewnowski, Ph.D., director of the nutritional sciences program at the University of Washington at Seattle. Stick to unfussed-with cuts straight from the butcher.
15. Fuel up in the morning, not at night
A car needs gas when it’s hitting the road, not when it’s sitting in the garage—so why do we have our biggest meal when the only energy burner on the agenda is working the remote? Instead, aim for a 550-calorie breakfast, a 500-calorie lunch, a 450-calorie dinner and a 100-calorie snack. “If you overeat at night, you’re less likely to burn off the calories,” Mitchell says.
16. Don’t buy food where you buy tires
In our time-crunched life, it’s tempting to grab groceries at the pump or in a store where you can get a giant box of cereal along with an ottoman. But for the healthiest food at the fairest price, visit the neighborhood grocery store. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that convenience stores charge more for nutritious fare than supermarkets do.
17. Work for your dinner
Sure, you could inhale supper straight out of a bucket, but for a healthy meal, you need to invest at least a few minutes in chopping, rinsing or grilling. The result is worth the effort, Mitchell says. “When you prepare dishes yourself, you can see exactly which ingredients are going into it and make conscious choices about what you truly want to eat,” she says.
18. Your hips are not a fridge
Once you slice and sauté your way to a fabulous feast, you don’t have to finish every bite. “We’re conditioned to think that if we don’t devour everything on our plate, we are misbehaving,” McKenna says. But if you keep munching even after you’re full, you are using your body as a storage unit. If there’s enough left over for lunch tomorrow, pack it up and put it in the fridge. Otherwise, toss scraps in the trash. We promise we won’t tell your mom.
19. Watching Top Chef isn’t cooking
We love food shows, too, but zoning out in front of the TV with a container of greasy moo shu pork is kind of missing the point. “Cooking has become a spectator sport,” Drewnowski says. “People watch and think, 'If only that chef could come cook for me!'” No need to whip up a seven-course meal, but you can pick up tips about combining flavors and using fresh ingredients.
20. Cut yourself a break
If you follow these rules most of the time but occasionally crave a fast-food fix, a slice of pizza or a brownie, go for it. You can happily resume your healthy plan once you satisfy the urge. “We all have to relax a bit,” Drewnowski says. “If you want fried chicken now and then, enjoy it!”
Healthy Granola Bar Recipe!
Okay since I've gotten SO many request for the recipe, here it is you guys. These things really are delicious and it is MUCH cheaper than buying a box of granola bars at the store.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 tbsp of your favorite “chaser”: such as millet, flax seed, flax seed meal, wheat germ, etc. (I use 1 tbsp of wheat germ and 1 tbsp of ground flax seed in mine)
• 1/4 cup of Soy Protein powder (optional, but gives nutritional boost, I use the vanilla flavor)
• 1/2 cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter (I use organic, you can also use almond or cashew butter for a different flavor if you're not a peanut fan)
• 1/2 cup Honey (mix it up by using 1/4 cup of organic Honey and 1/4 cup of organic Blue Agave syrup)
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar (optional, I don’t need it the honey and agave are REALLY sweet enough)
• 1/2 cup of your favorite “additives”: sunflower seeds, raisins, cranberries, dried blueberries, figs, almonds, pecans, whatever your heart desires. In my last batch I used cranberries and pecans, but I've done dried apricots with walnuts, carob (vegan chocolate) chips and dried cherries...the possibilities are ENDLESS
• 1 tsp salt (optional, don’t use if you are using salted nut-butter or salted nuts already)
Preheat your oven to 400F. Prepare a small saucepan with the honey, peanut butter, and brown sugar (if using). Take this time to get out a 9×9 baking dish and line with parchment paper or aluminum foil. (I have issues with parchment paper so foil works better for me!) Also set out a cooling rack. Spread the oats (and chaser and additives if needing toasting, such as millet, wheat germ, or any type of nuts) onto a deep dish baking pan or cookie sheet. Place pan into oven. Turn the saucepan onto low to med-low heat. You want the mixture to get warm and combine smoothly, but be careful not to burn or simmer. You know your stovetop best to know what setting will work to accomplish this.
While the oats are toasting, prepare the additives that aren't toasting like the dried fruit into a medium sized mixing bowl and coat with protein powder (if using). Coating the additives with the protein powder allows them to settle more evenly into the mix. Plus the added protein is great and you aren't worrying about too many extra calories!
Be sure to watch the oats carefully, they don’t taste good when they get burnt. Take out of oven when they are a golden brown. This takes about 5-10 minutes for me, usually around 7 minutes. When oats are done, carefully add to the medium bowl with the additives. Then drizzle in the nut-butter/honey mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon. This will take a bit of muscle work, but it is possible to combine it all together.
Plop the mixture into the baking dish lined with parchment paper and spread evenly into baking dish. The bars are around 1/4″ in depth when spread correctly. Place the pan on the baking rack and allow the bars to cool completely. After they have cooled down, pull the paper/foil up to remove your square of bars from the pan. Then just score the granola bars so you get as even a cut as you can and cut on a hard flat surface. Cut the bars apart and place into individual snack size Ziplocs. Store them in the fridge for quick and easy snacks all week long! Makes 18 granola bars.
Nutrition (Approximate. You will add more calories with sweetened fruit or chocolate of course):
• 137 cal
• 4 g fat
• 22 g carb
• 2 g fiber
• 5 g protein (this is higher depending on what type of protein powder you use)
Ingredients:
• 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 tbsp of your favorite “chaser”: such as millet, flax seed, flax seed meal, wheat germ, etc. (I use 1 tbsp of wheat germ and 1 tbsp of ground flax seed in mine)
• 1/4 cup of Soy Protein powder (optional, but gives nutritional boost, I use the vanilla flavor)
• 1/2 cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter (I use organic, you can also use almond or cashew butter for a different flavor if you're not a peanut fan)
• 1/2 cup Honey (mix it up by using 1/4 cup of organic Honey and 1/4 cup of organic Blue Agave syrup)
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar (optional, I don’t need it the honey and agave are REALLY sweet enough)
• 1/2 cup of your favorite “additives”: sunflower seeds, raisins, cranberries, dried blueberries, figs, almonds, pecans, whatever your heart desires. In my last batch I used cranberries and pecans, but I've done dried apricots with walnuts, carob (vegan chocolate) chips and dried cherries...the possibilities are ENDLESS
• 1 tsp salt (optional, don’t use if you are using salted nut-butter or salted nuts already)
Preheat your oven to 400F. Prepare a small saucepan with the honey, peanut butter, and brown sugar (if using). Take this time to get out a 9×9 baking dish and line with parchment paper or aluminum foil. (I have issues with parchment paper so foil works better for me!) Also set out a cooling rack. Spread the oats (and chaser and additives if needing toasting, such as millet, wheat germ, or any type of nuts) onto a deep dish baking pan or cookie sheet. Place pan into oven. Turn the saucepan onto low to med-low heat. You want the mixture to get warm and combine smoothly, but be careful not to burn or simmer. You know your stovetop best to know what setting will work to accomplish this.
While the oats are toasting, prepare the additives that aren't toasting like the dried fruit into a medium sized mixing bowl and coat with protein powder (if using). Coating the additives with the protein powder allows them to settle more evenly into the mix. Plus the added protein is great and you aren't worrying about too many extra calories!
Be sure to watch the oats carefully, they don’t taste good when they get burnt. Take out of oven when they are a golden brown. This takes about 5-10 minutes for me, usually around 7 minutes. When oats are done, carefully add to the medium bowl with the additives. Then drizzle in the nut-butter/honey mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon. This will take a bit of muscle work, but it is possible to combine it all together.
Plop the mixture into the baking dish lined with parchment paper and spread evenly into baking dish. The bars are around 1/4″ in depth when spread correctly. Place the pan on the baking rack and allow the bars to cool completely. After they have cooled down, pull the paper/foil up to remove your square of bars from the pan. Then just score the granola bars so you get as even a cut as you can and cut on a hard flat surface. Cut the bars apart and place into individual snack size Ziplocs. Store them in the fridge for quick and easy snacks all week long! Makes 18 granola bars.
Nutrition (Approximate. You will add more calories with sweetened fruit or chocolate of course):
• 137 cal
• 4 g fat
• 22 g carb
• 2 g fiber
• 5 g protein (this is higher depending on what type of protein powder you use)
Enjoy! Let me know how they turn out!!!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
No more Miss Nice Liz!
Sooooooooo....it's been an interesting few weeks to say the least. I've been swamped at work and swamped at the gym so I haven't had a chance to post much at all. I guess what I have discovered in the past few weeks is that the dynamics of this competition are very much like the dynamics of other areas of life. There are those that push and push as hard as they can, every second of every workout. Then there are those that are afraid to push, so they rest on whatever excuses they have tendered for themselves. I understand both perspectives as I have been both places. I was the one for years who relied on the excuse that my knees couldn't handle working out but so hard. Man was I wrong. I've also been a competitive athlete, pushing myself to greater extents every single practice. So I get it. I know this program is hard. I have mornings when I am in extreme pain and I can't fathom getting up to go and workout, but I do it. I'm done with the excuses. I'm done with my own personal whining and inner complaining that has prevented me from accomplishing my goals for so many years. I turned over a new leaf in the past couple of days, and things are about to get very interesting.
The other issue that I am finding I have to deal with as this competition goes on is my suspicion of others. I was made fun of for years in school. When you spend that long with people whispering behind your back, it is hard to believe that it won't happen again. Until the start of this competition, I hadn't really opened up to many people since college. I do that on purpose because I don't want to get hurt. So I opened up to my team members seven weeks ago. I have had inclinations in the past few days that it may not have been the best idea to do so. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am perceiving things incorrectly. But I can't help but to feel the whispers behind my back. I've been examining that recently and I can't help but to wonder why.
I am a leader. I have always been and I will always be. I also expect a lot of people. I'm a perfectionist. I am also a bit of a control freak. I can be aggressive, but I am also a very, very loyal friend and I think I give pretty darn good advice. Once I trust you, and I know I can trust you, I would go to the ends of the Earth for you. However, once that trust is broken, it is damn near impossible to repair.
Perhaps my expecting so much of people is a detriment to me in this competition. I don't know. I worry about others. I worry about my friends, and as such I've worried about my team members. While I know that I can't change that personality trait of mine overnight, and I will continue to worry, I have to let go a bit as well. Not every one in this competition is going to be able to make the life changes they need to make to accomplish their goals in the next four months. I know they all have it in them, but as much as this is a weight loss journey it is also a journey of self-discovery. It is that second journey that is the most difficult for some, and the one that will take much longer to accomplish. Without accomplishing it however, the first journey will at some point hit a brick wall. I've had it happen before. It makes me sad that some may not accomplish what they want to accomplish over the next few weeks. I can't linger on that. I have to continue with my journey and just hope that they all come along.
So I'm amping up the workouts again for myself. I'll be at the gym twice a day, every day except for Saturdays (when I'll just be going in the morning for a good 3 hours) from now until the end of July. I'm down quite a bit of weight thus far, but I want things to pick up for a while. If you're interested in my schedule, I am going to try to figure out a way to post a calendar to this blog. So we'll see what I can get figured out here soon. In the meantime, I will be doing the Komen Race for the Cure on May 8th, and I will also be going to the Dominion River Rock Festival the weekend of the 15th. Can't wait for both of those.
We have our cooking lesson and our field day coming up so hopefully I will have more pictures from those. I will post pictures from the 10K this coming weekend!
Have a wonderful and fit week, ALL of you.
The other issue that I am finding I have to deal with as this competition goes on is my suspicion of others. I was made fun of for years in school. When you spend that long with people whispering behind your back, it is hard to believe that it won't happen again. Until the start of this competition, I hadn't really opened up to many people since college. I do that on purpose because I don't want to get hurt. So I opened up to my team members seven weeks ago. I have had inclinations in the past few days that it may not have been the best idea to do so. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am perceiving things incorrectly. But I can't help but to feel the whispers behind my back. I've been examining that recently and I can't help but to wonder why.
I am a leader. I have always been and I will always be. I also expect a lot of people. I'm a perfectionist. I am also a bit of a control freak. I can be aggressive, but I am also a very, very loyal friend and I think I give pretty darn good advice. Once I trust you, and I know I can trust you, I would go to the ends of the Earth for you. However, once that trust is broken, it is damn near impossible to repair.
Perhaps my expecting so much of people is a detriment to me in this competition. I don't know. I worry about others. I worry about my friends, and as such I've worried about my team members. While I know that I can't change that personality trait of mine overnight, and I will continue to worry, I have to let go a bit as well. Not every one in this competition is going to be able to make the life changes they need to make to accomplish their goals in the next four months. I know they all have it in them, but as much as this is a weight loss journey it is also a journey of self-discovery. It is that second journey that is the most difficult for some, and the one that will take much longer to accomplish. Without accomplishing it however, the first journey will at some point hit a brick wall. I've had it happen before. It makes me sad that some may not accomplish what they want to accomplish over the next few weeks. I can't linger on that. I have to continue with my journey and just hope that they all come along.
So I'm amping up the workouts again for myself. I'll be at the gym twice a day, every day except for Saturdays (when I'll just be going in the morning for a good 3 hours) from now until the end of July. I'm down quite a bit of weight thus far, but I want things to pick up for a while. If you're interested in my schedule, I am going to try to figure out a way to post a calendar to this blog. So we'll see what I can get figured out here soon. In the meantime, I will be doing the Komen Race for the Cure on May 8th, and I will also be going to the Dominion River Rock Festival the weekend of the 15th. Can't wait for both of those.
We have our cooking lesson and our field day coming up so hopefully I will have more pictures from those. I will post pictures from the 10K this coming weekend!
Have a wonderful and fit week, ALL of you.
The Myths of Weight Loss
I came across these when I got to work this morning and I felt like they warranted sharing. So here they are!
Myth #1: Carbs are the Enemy
Maybe we can blame Dr. Atkins and other proponents of the low-carb diet craze for this one. Experts suggest that carbohydrates play a star role in keep you energized and your organs functioning properly. The carb bad rap should rest squarely on the shoulders of "white carbs" like white bread, white rice, and sugar. These refined carbs, dietitians suggest, are more likely to pack on the pounds. Stick with whole grains like whole wheat pasta and brown rice for a healthier diet.
Myth #2: Never Eat After 8PM
The habit of under-eating all day only to overdo it at dinner time is likely where this myth came from. Eating excess calories at any hour of the day will lead to weight gain. Just remember: It's not when you eat, it's what you eat.
Myth #3: It's Not a Workout Unless You Sweat
A cardio workout that gets you huffing and puffing is vital for a healthy ticker, but that's only half the picture. Low-impact workouts, like weight-lifting and yoga, might not leave you drenched in sweat, but they're equally important to keeping your muscles strong and your body burning calories all day long. Work cardio and resistance training into your exercise regimen and you'll be seeing the full picture of health.
Myth #4: Weight-Lifting Bulks You Up
Most women don't have the necessary testosterone levels to transform them into the spitting image of Conan the Barbarian-era Arnold Schwarzenegger. But if you integrate weight-lifting into your workouts and find you're getting a little too cut, switch to lighter weights and more reps.
Myth #5: Muscle Weighs More than Fat
Here's the deal: a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight exactly the same amount. A pound! The difference between muscle and fat is an issue of density and volume. Muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space in your body which can give you a leaner look overall.
Myth #1: Carbs are the Enemy
Maybe we can blame Dr. Atkins and other proponents of the low-carb diet craze for this one. Experts suggest that carbohydrates play a star role in keep you energized and your organs functioning properly. The carb bad rap should rest squarely on the shoulders of "white carbs" like white bread, white rice, and sugar. These refined carbs, dietitians suggest, are more likely to pack on the pounds. Stick with whole grains like whole wheat pasta and brown rice for a healthier diet.
Myth #2: Never Eat After 8PM
The habit of under-eating all day only to overdo it at dinner time is likely where this myth came from. Eating excess calories at any hour of the day will lead to weight gain. Just remember: It's not when you eat, it's what you eat.
Myth #3: It's Not a Workout Unless You Sweat
A cardio workout that gets you huffing and puffing is vital for a healthy ticker, but that's only half the picture. Low-impact workouts, like weight-lifting and yoga, might not leave you drenched in sweat, but they're equally important to keeping your muscles strong and your body burning calories all day long. Work cardio and resistance training into your exercise regimen and you'll be seeing the full picture of health.
Myth #4: Weight-Lifting Bulks You Up
Most women don't have the necessary testosterone levels to transform them into the spitting image of Conan the Barbarian-era Arnold Schwarzenegger. But if you integrate weight-lifting into your workouts and find you're getting a little too cut, switch to lighter weights and more reps.
Myth #5: Muscle Weighs More than Fat
Here's the deal: a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight exactly the same amount. A pound! The difference between muscle and fat is an issue of density and volume. Muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space in your body which can give you a leaner look overall.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Week 4 Details
Well week 4 is done. I'm still feeling very strong, but have had a couple of small issues with my knees this week, and my feet. I did have a few victories as well. On Thursday I put on the pair of jeans that I bought over a year ago that I haven't been able to wear since I bought them. They're longs, of course, so I had to put on heels to wear them. First time I've worn heels since knee surgery. Well that didn't go so well. I ended up with very swollen feet, but I ignored it and went to cycle class that night. Ended up trying to compensate with my knee, and that of course was a bad idea. So I spent Friday icing and recovering and got back to it this morning by doing pilates. I did a little cardio later in the day, and burned quite a few calories washing the dogs. I'm definitely in a much better place today and ready to get back at it.
There are a few things still bothering me. First is that I feel like I'm abandoning my friends in some way. Almost like when a girlfriend starts a new relationship and they disappear off of the map for a while. I did that with my ex-husband and I don't want to do it again to my friends for any reason. However, at the same time, this competition and my ultimate goal of losing the weight for good, are very important to me, and I would hope that my friends understand why I can't go out very much, and why I am occupied so much during the week. I know that there is probably a balance out there, but until I lose this weight and get to my goal, I'm not sure that there is a "balance." For me it's almost all or nothing right now when it comes to working out and putting all of my effort into this.
Second, I know that a large chunk of this struggle is mental. I was working on TT stuff today and had the TV on in the background and Celebrity Fit Club was on. I haven't watched TV in a while, but this episode they were discussing anger, and having to let that anger go before real change can be accomplished in someone's life. I couldn't agree more. I think that all of us in this competition harbor anger, resentment, disappointment, rage, whatever...some emotion that is holding us back from accomplishing our true goals. I am trying to get my head around what those emotions are within myself. It isn't an easy process, but I feel it is necessary to success in this program.
Finally, I have begun to really take a look at the outside stressors and situations in my life that absolutely need to be changed in order for me to succeed at this. There are a few that I can change quickly, and then there are others that will take true effort to change. The question then becomes, "when am I going to have time to change these things?" I feel like the weekends go by far too qiuickly, and that I don't have enough time to accomplish the things that I need to get done. With the whole spring forward in time this evening, I'm even more wary that I'll be losing an hour.
I have no idea why I am having a stressful day. I think that the best route is to just go to sleep and to begin a new day tomorrow. Tomorrow is always a new day. I don't feel "off track" so to speak, but I guess with other things in my life that I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I would usually turn to food at points like this in my life, and I am fighting that urge every minute right now. I need my friends, I need my family, I don't want to lose anything...except the weight.
There are a few things still bothering me. First is that I feel like I'm abandoning my friends in some way. Almost like when a girlfriend starts a new relationship and they disappear off of the map for a while. I did that with my ex-husband and I don't want to do it again to my friends for any reason. However, at the same time, this competition and my ultimate goal of losing the weight for good, are very important to me, and I would hope that my friends understand why I can't go out very much, and why I am occupied so much during the week. I know that there is probably a balance out there, but until I lose this weight and get to my goal, I'm not sure that there is a "balance." For me it's almost all or nothing right now when it comes to working out and putting all of my effort into this.
Second, I know that a large chunk of this struggle is mental. I was working on TT stuff today and had the TV on in the background and Celebrity Fit Club was on. I haven't watched TV in a while, but this episode they were discussing anger, and having to let that anger go before real change can be accomplished in someone's life. I couldn't agree more. I think that all of us in this competition harbor anger, resentment, disappointment, rage, whatever...some emotion that is holding us back from accomplishing our true goals. I am trying to get my head around what those emotions are within myself. It isn't an easy process, but I feel it is necessary to success in this program.
Finally, I have begun to really take a look at the outside stressors and situations in my life that absolutely need to be changed in order for me to succeed at this. There are a few that I can change quickly, and then there are others that will take true effort to change. The question then becomes, "when am I going to have time to change these things?" I feel like the weekends go by far too qiuickly, and that I don't have enough time to accomplish the things that I need to get done. With the whole spring forward in time this evening, I'm even more wary that I'll be losing an hour.
I have no idea why I am having a stressful day. I think that the best route is to just go to sleep and to begin a new day tomorrow. Tomorrow is always a new day. I don't feel "off track" so to speak, but I guess with other things in my life that I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I would usually turn to food at points like this in my life, and I am fighting that urge every minute right now. I need my friends, I need my family, I don't want to lose anything...except the weight.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Be a Loser First Team Event Photos - 3 Lakes Park 5K
I don't have a ton of time to write this evening as I've booked three TT parties in the past two days and I have to get the hostess packets for them done tonight so that I can get them mailed out tomorrow. So instead I wanted to go ahead and post the pictures from the 5K event this past weekend. I didn't have time to take but so many since I was much more focused on getting myself through the event. I will try to take more at our next event in April at Byrd Park. Enjoy and have a great night! Biggest Loser comes on in a few minutes!
Getting RID of the belly bulge!!
This is another one from Jillian Michaels. This is specifically for a few people out there I know who have asked about how to really get RID of that pesky fat that tends to settle in our midsections. Read it and live it guys! We can do this!
It is possible to carry extra water weight in your tummy. To get rid of this: try cutting your sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day and increasing your water intake. This will help you reduce water retention and reduce the spongy appearance of belly fat just a bit!
But really, it comes down to healthy eating and consistent cardio workouts. Stick with it, kid — it’ll come off. Just keep at it and be patient with yourself.
How to get RID of the belly bulge!!
Contrary to what you might think, getting rid of the belly bulge is all about diet and cardio, rather than strength-training exercises that target the abdominals. This is because belly bulge results from excess body fat, not lack of muscle. The best way to reduce the bulge is therefore to reduce your body fat, and we all know what that requires — diet and exercise, baby!
It is possible to carry extra water weight in your tummy. To get rid of this: try cutting your sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day and increasing your water intake. This will help you reduce water retention and reduce the spongy appearance of belly fat just a bit!
But really, it comes down to healthy eating and consistent cardio workouts. Stick with it, kid — it’ll come off. Just keep at it and be patient with yourself.
How Insulin Plays a Critical Role
Taken from Jillian Michaels' daily newsletter. I thought this information was interesting and useful to all that are taking part in this program and those of you out there interested in changing the way you eat!
One of the endocrine system's most important hormones is insulin, which plays a critical role in how your body uses food. When you eat, your digestive system breaks food down into glucose, and the glucose circulates in your bloodstream (where it's often referred to as blood sugar). In response to the rise in glucose after a meal, the pancreas releases surges of insulin, whose job is to clean the glucose from the blood. Insulin directs some of the glucose to the body's cells, which use it for energy. Some of the glucose is diverted to the liver, where it's converted into glycogen (stored glucose) for later use by the muscles. Insulin then helps turn any leftover glucose into fatty acids and stores them in fat cells, where they can be tapped later for fuel.
Problems arise when your body starts creating too much insulin, which can happen for several reasons. One of the most common is that you ate too many highly processed, refined carbs, such as white bread or pasta. Such carbs increase blood sugar dramatically, requiring a rush of insulin to clear the blood. If your blood sugar surge is really dramatic (as it would be if you ate those refined carbs on an empty stomach), insulin overreacts and works twice as hard to clean the sugar from the blood. This overefficient removal of sugar means that your blood sugar concentration drops, with the result that you feel hungry again and crave (and probably eat) more carbs. That's the postsugar "crash and binge" cycle, the root of sugar addiction. In addition, when your muscles are still fueled from your last snack, the insulin converts those extra calories into fat. And as long as large amounts of insulin remain in the bloodstream, your body won't have a chance to tap into your fat stores for fuel — so you won't burn any fat, either.
This cycle can eventually lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which your body produces insulin but the cells become insensitive to it — as a result, the insulin can't do its job to lower the glucose concentration in the blood. Insulin resistance is a precursor of type 2 diabetes and is common among overweight people. Elevated levels of glucose in your blood is a surefire sign of it.
There is hope for preventing the problem. The key is to maintain low levels of insulin by eating whole foods, pairing carbs with protein, and avoiding highly processed carbs. When your insulin-release mechanism works the right way, it helps keep your weight in check. When it's not working, you're in trouble. If you can take control of your insulin's ups and downs, you'll be primed to lose weight and restore your body's hormone power!
How Insulin Plays A Critical Role
One of the endocrine system's most important hormones is insulin, which plays a critical role in how your body uses food. When you eat, your digestive system breaks food down into glucose, and the glucose circulates in your bloodstream (where it's often referred to as blood sugar). In response to the rise in glucose after a meal, the pancreas releases surges of insulin, whose job is to clean the glucose from the blood. Insulin directs some of the glucose to the body's cells, which use it for energy. Some of the glucose is diverted to the liver, where it's converted into glycogen (stored glucose) for later use by the muscles. Insulin then helps turn any leftover glucose into fatty acids and stores them in fat cells, where they can be tapped later for fuel.
Problems arise when your body starts creating too much insulin, which can happen for several reasons. One of the most common is that you ate too many highly processed, refined carbs, such as white bread or pasta. Such carbs increase blood sugar dramatically, requiring a rush of insulin to clear the blood. If your blood sugar surge is really dramatic (as it would be if you ate those refined carbs on an empty stomach), insulin overreacts and works twice as hard to clean the sugar from the blood. This overefficient removal of sugar means that your blood sugar concentration drops, with the result that you feel hungry again and crave (and probably eat) more carbs. That's the postsugar "crash and binge" cycle, the root of sugar addiction. In addition, when your muscles are still fueled from your last snack, the insulin converts those extra calories into fat. And as long as large amounts of insulin remain in the bloodstream, your body won't have a chance to tap into your fat stores for fuel — so you won't burn any fat, either.
This cycle can eventually lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which your body produces insulin but the cells become insensitive to it — as a result, the insulin can't do its job to lower the glucose concentration in the blood. Insulin resistance is a precursor of type 2 diabetes and is common among overweight people. Elevated levels of glucose in your blood is a surefire sign of it.
There is hope for preventing the problem. The key is to maintain low levels of insulin by eating whole foods, pairing carbs with protein, and avoiding highly processed carbs. When your insulin-release mechanism works the right way, it helps keep your weight in check. When it's not working, you're in trouble. If you can take control of your insulin's ups and downs, you'll be primed to lose weight and restore your body's hormone power!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Oh the things our bodies can do!
So I was talking to a friend on the phone today, someone I miss terribly and who I don't see near enough, and we were talking about a time before my surgery when we went to the gym together. She was doing these weird things on the stability ball, walking out with her hands, pulling the ball up with her legs, and then walking back. I told her she was crazy. She tried to tell me that I could do it too, and I didn't believe her. I didn't even try. How about the first team work out of this competition we did the walk-it-out as I'm calling it now. I've even gotten to the point of starting to pull the ball up towards me with my legs. I actually taught another friend to do it tonight.
It's amazing what our bodies are capable of when we don't quit and when we never say "never." I may still have some residual fear of certain activities since my surgery, but I will never again doubt what my body can and can't do. :)
It's amazing what our bodies are capable of when we don't quit and when we never say "never." I may still have some residual fear of certain activities since my surgery, but I will never again doubt what my body can and can't do. :)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Keep Challenging your Body!
From one of my idols and mentors even though she doesn't know it, Jillian Michaels. I thought this article was appropriate at this point in the competition.
It may have been just a few weeks ago that you were an exercise newbie. Those first workouts were rough — you didn't think you'd ever survive! But now look at you — you're working out on a regular basis and improving your diet. Good for you!
Know what? It's time to bring the hammer down again. How do I know? Because your body is getting just a little too accustomed to the workload that originally taxed it to the max. Remember — to see continual results, you have to keep challenging your body.
Once you've been exercising for several weeks, it's safe to increase your intensity, and I recommend working out at about 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. To monitor your intensity, first calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 if you're a woman, or 226 if you're a man.
Once you've calculated your 85 percent rate, you can keep yourself at the right intensity by taking your own pulse throughout your workout. The quickest way is to count the beats for 6 seconds and then multiply by 10. You should check your pulse every 10 minutes or so.
Sometimes during weight training your heart rate will jump above that 85 percent mark, which is fine. If you're using weights, just make sure that your heart rate doesn't drop below 75 percent of your max for the duration of the workout.
It may have been just a few weeks ago that you were an exercise newbie. Those first workouts were rough — you didn't think you'd ever survive! But now look at you — you're working out on a regular basis and improving your diet. Good for you!
Know what? It's time to bring the hammer down again. How do I know? Because your body is getting just a little too accustomed to the workload that originally taxed it to the max. Remember — to see continual results, you have to keep challenging your body.
Once you've been exercising for several weeks, it's safe to increase your intensity, and I recommend working out at about 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. To monitor your intensity, first calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 if you're a woman, or 226 if you're a man.
Once you've calculated your 85 percent rate, you can keep yourself at the right intensity by taking your own pulse throughout your workout. The quickest way is to count the beats for 6 seconds and then multiply by 10. You should check your pulse every 10 minutes or so.
Sometimes during weight training your heart rate will jump above that 85 percent mark, which is fine. If you're using weights, just make sure that your heart rate doesn't drop below 75 percent of your max for the duration of the workout.
Eating Out while still being a Loser!
I got an email from a team member yesterday that she was going to go out to eat. So the following was my response to that. I think they're good tips for every one to try to follow as much as possible when eating out to make sure that you have a healthy dining experience!
Remember that when you eat out, entrees and salads are usually two or more servings each. So if you order the chicken marsala and you eat all of it, you will actually end up eating almost a thousand calories! So when you eat out, try to think about these tips and see if you can put some into practice!
1. Tell the waiter or waitress to only bring you HALF of what you order to the table. Then have them box up the other half of your food and you can take it home and eat it at LEAST 24 hours later. That way you really only have one serving.
2. Request that ALL sauces and/or dressings be put on the side. This means sauce for your entree as well. Then just dip your fork into the sauce or dressing before you take a bite of your food. You will still get the flavor but you won't eat much of the calorie laden sauces or dressings ever again!
3. When you have a choice, order BBG. Broiled, baked or grilled meats. Also ask for no oil or butter in the cooking. Believe me, I worked in food service for a long time, and every kitchen can do this!
4. Make 50% of your plate vegetables. Literally. Order an extra portion of STEAMED veggies. You'll still feel like you have lots of food and you won't have the calories of the carbs or meat! Just make sure they are steamed and not sautéd! That translates to oil!
5. Last but not least, stay away from refined carbs. This means no white pasta, bread, or rice. Don't even let the waiter bring bread to the table. Stick with water and squeeze some lemon into it! Get whole grain pasta, rice, and bread if you have to have it. If the place you are eating doesn't offer them, order more veggies!
These are just some tricks that I am now using when I go out to make sure that I still continue to stay within my food program as part of Be a Loser! I hope they are helpful to you guys!
Remember that when you eat out, entrees and salads are usually two or more servings each. So if you order the chicken marsala and you eat all of it, you will actually end up eating almost a thousand calories! So when you eat out, try to think about these tips and see if you can put some into practice!
1. Tell the waiter or waitress to only bring you HALF of what you order to the table. Then have them box up the other half of your food and you can take it home and eat it at LEAST 24 hours later. That way you really only have one serving.
2. Request that ALL sauces and/or dressings be put on the side. This means sauce for your entree as well. Then just dip your fork into the sauce or dressing before you take a bite of your food. You will still get the flavor but you won't eat much of the calorie laden sauces or dressings ever again!
3. When you have a choice, order BBG. Broiled, baked or grilled meats. Also ask for no oil or butter in the cooking. Believe me, I worked in food service for a long time, and every kitchen can do this!
4. Make 50% of your plate vegetables. Literally. Order an extra portion of STEAMED veggies. You'll still feel like you have lots of food and you won't have the calories of the carbs or meat! Just make sure they are steamed and not sautéd! That translates to oil!
5. Last but not least, stay away from refined carbs. This means no white pasta, bread, or rice. Don't even let the waiter bring bread to the table. Stick with water and squeeze some lemon into it! Get whole grain pasta, rice, and bread if you have to have it. If the place you are eating doesn't offer them, order more veggies!
These are just some tricks that I am now using when I go out to make sure that I still continue to stay within my food program as part of Be a Loser! I hope they are helpful to you guys!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
First 5K DONE! On to week four!
So we are another week into this competition. I've lost almost 16 pounds so far which is awesome, and today I accomplished something new. I finished my first 5K. Granted I wasn't able to run it, I saw the doctor Friday and she doesn't want me running just yet as it would put far too much stress on my shin bone where the screws are located, but I finished it. I actually finished a 5K and under the time that I wanted to accomplish. That is HUGE for me. I have never, ever done anything like that before. I hated running in gym class when I was a kid. But you know, the feeling that came with actually finishing that race today was one that I haven't felt in a long time. It was a good feeling. The feeling that you actually conquered a goal that you set out for yourself. It makes me want to keep going. It makes me want to race again. Now I can't wait for the Dog Jog and the Monument Avenue 10K. I honestly may have to do more races between now and the end of the program, even if I can't run.
So I'm still enjoying the program. The fact that I'm down that many pounds of course helps with the motivation. Only a few short months to go and I am confident at this point that if I stay at this pace that I will reach my goal weight. Wow. I still can't believe that I can say that right now. Some days it seems so unattainable. Then other days I wake up and I am ready to rock and roll. I have to admit that this past week was a little more difficult when it came to getting up. My schedule got thrown off by Muse, but that was worth it. I had a few moments this week when I considered making an excuse for not going to work out or not going to team training. The thing that is different this time though is that the level of accountability is so high. I never want to disappoint my teammates or my trainer. So I keep going. I get up. I get to the gym. I do the team training, I do the cardio, and I'm seeing results. Real, true results...and it is so motivational.
The only thing that is suffering at this point is the "social" aspect of my life. I would have loved to have stayed in northern Virginia overnight Monday to spend time with some friends up there, and another friend of mine was in town this past week and he wanted to see me and I just couldn't go out with him because of the extra time I have to spend in the gym. He understood, of course, but doing 2 to 4 hours a day of gym time isn't the most conducive to what was my party lifestyle. The fact that the partying has diminished however is a good thing. I like not being tired all the time, and I sure as hell don't miss the after effects of party nights. That doesn't mean that I'll never do it again. There are too many holidays that I adore to miss out on all of the parties. It just means that I have a higher respect for what I'm doing to myself, and I don't want to wear myself down anymore. This year for me is about building myself up. This competition is a big step in that direction.
I got to talking to a teammate today during the walk, telling her a bit of my life story. You guys know, the part where I got stuck in Colorado and had to deal first hand with a violent case of PTSD. It just amazes me how much, sometimes, we allow things in life to get us down, and to negatively impact not only our mood, but our bodies. I weighed right at 180 pounds when I got married. I don't think I weighed much more than that before I moved to Colorado. I have learned in the past few weeks through self-examination that I will never, ever allow the needs of a significant other to determine the manner in which I conduct my life again. I did that for too many years, and it led me to a very unhealthy and destructive place. It isn't worth it. Of course you can love someone, and want to compromise with them on many life decisions. But it is never worth your physical or emotional health. Never. Now I'm not saying that I'll never end up in a relationship again, I wouldn't mind that. However, I will always, ALWAYS come first.
Enough emotional babbling. I was very proud of my team today. Our one guy, Mr. Josh, came in SECOND place in the entire 5K and he was the first guy to finish. WAY TO GO JOSH!! We all finished the race, finished strong, and it was inspiring to see how much it effected my teammates to accomplish this goal. People are amazing, in a good way, and all nine of them inspire me in their own ways and I know that I couldn't get through this competition without them. I love the purple team!! <3
I will post the few pictures of the 5K that I have at some point in the near future. Oh and FYI the cutie cameraman had to run to catch up with me and interviewed me during the race. Heh heh. I'll stop before I get started on that one. LOL! I'm telling you all, the world is in trouble when I get to my goal. I'll be a terrible, but fun influence. To my girls, we are seriously having an all out shopping extravaganza in July/August. I say we go to the outlets in Delaware...no sales tax, and J and Sarah you guys could meet us down there, then we could all just go to the Jersey Shore for the weekend and fist pump our ways to bliss! HA!
So I'm still enjoying the program. The fact that I'm down that many pounds of course helps with the motivation. Only a few short months to go and I am confident at this point that if I stay at this pace that I will reach my goal weight. Wow. I still can't believe that I can say that right now. Some days it seems so unattainable. Then other days I wake up and I am ready to rock and roll. I have to admit that this past week was a little more difficult when it came to getting up. My schedule got thrown off by Muse, but that was worth it. I had a few moments this week when I considered making an excuse for not going to work out or not going to team training. The thing that is different this time though is that the level of accountability is so high. I never want to disappoint my teammates or my trainer. So I keep going. I get up. I get to the gym. I do the team training, I do the cardio, and I'm seeing results. Real, true results...and it is so motivational.
The only thing that is suffering at this point is the "social" aspect of my life. I would have loved to have stayed in northern Virginia overnight Monday to spend time with some friends up there, and another friend of mine was in town this past week and he wanted to see me and I just couldn't go out with him because of the extra time I have to spend in the gym. He understood, of course, but doing 2 to 4 hours a day of gym time isn't the most conducive to what was my party lifestyle. The fact that the partying has diminished however is a good thing. I like not being tired all the time, and I sure as hell don't miss the after effects of party nights. That doesn't mean that I'll never do it again. There are too many holidays that I adore to miss out on all of the parties. It just means that I have a higher respect for what I'm doing to myself, and I don't want to wear myself down anymore. This year for me is about building myself up. This competition is a big step in that direction.
I got to talking to a teammate today during the walk, telling her a bit of my life story. You guys know, the part where I got stuck in Colorado and had to deal first hand with a violent case of PTSD. It just amazes me how much, sometimes, we allow things in life to get us down, and to negatively impact not only our mood, but our bodies. I weighed right at 180 pounds when I got married. I don't think I weighed much more than that before I moved to Colorado. I have learned in the past few weeks through self-examination that I will never, ever allow the needs of a significant other to determine the manner in which I conduct my life again. I did that for too many years, and it led me to a very unhealthy and destructive place. It isn't worth it. Of course you can love someone, and want to compromise with them on many life decisions. But it is never worth your physical or emotional health. Never. Now I'm not saying that I'll never end up in a relationship again, I wouldn't mind that. However, I will always, ALWAYS come first.
Enough emotional babbling. I was very proud of my team today. Our one guy, Mr. Josh, came in SECOND place in the entire 5K and he was the first guy to finish. WAY TO GO JOSH!! We all finished the race, finished strong, and it was inspiring to see how much it effected my teammates to accomplish this goal. People are amazing, in a good way, and all nine of them inspire me in their own ways and I know that I couldn't get through this competition without them. I love the purple team!! <3
I will post the few pictures of the 5K that I have at some point in the near future. Oh and FYI the cutie cameraman had to run to catch up with me and interviewed me during the race. Heh heh. I'll stop before I get started on that one. LOL! I'm telling you all, the world is in trouble when I get to my goal. I'll be a terrible, but fun influence. To my girls, we are seriously having an all out shopping extravaganza in July/August. I say we go to the outlets in Delaware...no sales tax, and J and Sarah you guys could meet us down there, then we could all just go to the Jersey Shore for the weekend and fist pump our ways to bliss! HA!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Difficulties of Convenience Shopping and Muse
I love Matt Bellamy for going full on rockstar with the leather pants and the shiny silver glitter shoes! <3
The third encore was the best!
Talking about food, I just want to say how difficult it is to buy ANYTHING healthy at a convenience store. I mean it borders on ridiculous. Here you stop to stretch your legs after being in the car, and you want to get a snack, so you walk into this sensory overload oasis on the side of the road and what do you find? Nothing but JUNK. We stopped at a Wawa somewhere in Spotsylvania County I believe, and while they made an attempt at some healthy foods such as a pita bread and hummus combo, or a "protein" pack that included a mini wheat bagel, peanut butter cup (Heinz peanut butter), grapes and a hard boiled egg, there was NOTHING in the store that was organic, whole, real food. Thankfully I had one of my delicious home-made granola bars and a baggie of organic almonds and dried cranberries with me. The best to "good" for me that I could get was an Odwalla Superfood Green Machine drink. (If you haven't had one, the thing is delicious, it is green, but it has spinach, broccoli, wheat grass, barley grass, and then all sorts of fruit in it. A great drink with actual nutritional value in it if you have to have something!) The overall experience was nothing short of disappointing.
I'll get off of my soapbox today and get back to recovering from the show last night. I was going to hit up Southside for Zumba tonight, but I may keep it closer to home and go to Swift Creek depending on how long food shopping and cooking takes today! Hope every one has a wonderful day!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Dog Jog 2010 ~ Support Bruno and I!
Okay so I just registered for the Dog Jog on March 20, 2010 with my Bruno. He and I will be doing the mile course that is set up for owners and their dogs. I'm excited. I think it will be fun to do it with him, and hope he has a good time. Now of course, this is a big fundraiser for the Richmond SPCA. There couldn't be a cause closer to my heart as I have three fuzzy kids, which most of you have met. They are my world, and I spoil them like they're human. To me though, they are. If you could just take a moment to visit our race page and make a small donation that would be awesome. Every dollar counts y'all. I know times are tight, and I don't expect anyone to give too much, just a dollar here or there would be amazing. Here's the link:
http://www.richmondspca.org/LizandBruno2010
So support me and my Bruno!
http://www.richmondspca.org/LizandBruno2010
So support me and my Bruno!
If anyone would like to register to do the Dog Jog with me and to raise some money for the SPCA as well, you can go to http://www.richmondspca.org/race to get more information.
Thanks guys!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Week Two down and OUT!
Week two was just as much fun as week one, if not more so. I could have done without the little stomach bug Monday and Tuesday, but it didn't keep me down for long! I worked out quite a bit this week as well, still doing the team training Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and I also did Zumba Tuesday, Cycle 60 Thursday, as well as cardio in the evenings on Monday and Friday. My friend Susan and I also did a good upper body resistance work out Friday night.
My body seems to be holding up pretty well. Much better than I expected it to honestly. I really thought that one or both of my knees would have had it by now. They're holding up though. So really the only things I've had to deal with were the stomach thing and then last night a very, very strange pain in my heel. The heel is made up of fatty tissue and bone, so I'm not sure where the pain came from, but I'll be doing some internet research today. I was fine all day yesterday, worked out twice, came home, had my dinner, and went to bed. Everything seemed to be going as well as it could. Then about midnight I was dragged out of a deep sleep by an overwhelming pain in my left heel. Now this is the leg that I had surgery on back in June, but nothing was wrong with my knee. It was just my heel. Not where the Achilles tendon is, but right smack dab on the back and inside of the bottom of my heel. Very strange. So I took a Tylenol PM thinking maybe that would help but it did nothing. I tried to go back to sleep, and was woken up again an hour later by worse pain. I tried elevating the leg but that made it even more terrible. The only thing that seemed to help, and this is what makes it even stranger, was getting up and walking on it or letting my legs hang over the side of the bed in a seated position. It was like enough blood wasn't getting down there or something. Every time I would fall asleep, the pain would jolt me awake again. So needless to say I didn't get much sleep last night at all and I wasn't able to do pilates this morning like I had planned. The pain is gone now, for now, but of course I'm up and around at this point. I'm hoping it doesn't come back because it was definitely an 8 or 9 out of 10 on the pain scale. Not cool, especially not knowing where it came from.
Other than that, the week has been full of the normal outside drama, which I am trying to curtail every way I know possible in my life. I haven't had much time to get on the internet, but honestly that doesn't bother me much. I think I watched a total of three hours of TV for the entire WEEK which is actually liberating. I've been getting my news from the actual newspaper or online, or at the gym while I do cardio, so I haven't been missing out on much I don't believe. I read before I go to bed in the evenings so I get an information release that way.
My team is still the best team around, and I have to say a word or two about my trainer. Andi is just the absolute best. She genuinely cares about every person on the team and she wants nothing more than to see us be successful. She's easy to talk to, and she's one of those people who really listen to what you have to say. So many people nowadays act like they're listening to you, but you can almost see the wheels in their head turning to formulate a response to whatever you're saying before you've even made your point. Andi isn't like that, and it's refreshing to say the least.
There have been a couple of other benefits to the beginning of this jounrey, most notably that my father, who is a wonderful person but who has let himself go over the past few years, has started going to the gym on a regular basis again. Granted he has yet to really start eating healthy except at dinner because he doesn't have a choice then, but he is working out again. I told my sister that he can't stand it that I am actually making a change and he doesn't want to be the last significantly overweight person in the immediate family. I don't really care what his motivations are, I am just happy he is doing it. His father died around my Dad's current age from a heart attack. I don't want that to happen to my Dad. Not only for me, but for his only granddaughter, my niece, Mia. He needs to be around to see Mia grow up and to help her along her life journey. That little girl loves her Grandaddy Young. I don't want her to be without him like I was without mine. So I couldn't be happier that my Dad is going to the gym to keep up with me. :)
I will post more later, but the battery on my laptop is about to die and I have to go shopping for a few items for food this coming week. I hope every one is having a great weekend. Stay healthy!
My body seems to be holding up pretty well. Much better than I expected it to honestly. I really thought that one or both of my knees would have had it by now. They're holding up though. So really the only things I've had to deal with were the stomach thing and then last night a very, very strange pain in my heel. The heel is made up of fatty tissue and bone, so I'm not sure where the pain came from, but I'll be doing some internet research today. I was fine all day yesterday, worked out twice, came home, had my dinner, and went to bed. Everything seemed to be going as well as it could. Then about midnight I was dragged out of a deep sleep by an overwhelming pain in my left heel. Now this is the leg that I had surgery on back in June, but nothing was wrong with my knee. It was just my heel. Not where the Achilles tendon is, but right smack dab on the back and inside of the bottom of my heel. Very strange. So I took a Tylenol PM thinking maybe that would help but it did nothing. I tried to go back to sleep, and was woken up again an hour later by worse pain. I tried elevating the leg but that made it even more terrible. The only thing that seemed to help, and this is what makes it even stranger, was getting up and walking on it or letting my legs hang over the side of the bed in a seated position. It was like enough blood wasn't getting down there or something. Every time I would fall asleep, the pain would jolt me awake again. So needless to say I didn't get much sleep last night at all and I wasn't able to do pilates this morning like I had planned. The pain is gone now, for now, but of course I'm up and around at this point. I'm hoping it doesn't come back because it was definitely an 8 or 9 out of 10 on the pain scale. Not cool, especially not knowing where it came from.
Other than that, the week has been full of the normal outside drama, which I am trying to curtail every way I know possible in my life. I haven't had much time to get on the internet, but honestly that doesn't bother me much. I think I watched a total of three hours of TV for the entire WEEK which is actually liberating. I've been getting my news from the actual newspaper or online, or at the gym while I do cardio, so I haven't been missing out on much I don't believe. I read before I go to bed in the evenings so I get an information release that way.
My team is still the best team around, and I have to say a word or two about my trainer. Andi is just the absolute best. She genuinely cares about every person on the team and she wants nothing more than to see us be successful. She's easy to talk to, and she's one of those people who really listen to what you have to say. So many people nowadays act like they're listening to you, but you can almost see the wheels in their head turning to formulate a response to whatever you're saying before you've even made your point. Andi isn't like that, and it's refreshing to say the least.
There have been a couple of other benefits to the beginning of this jounrey, most notably that my father, who is a wonderful person but who has let himself go over the past few years, has started going to the gym on a regular basis again. Granted he has yet to really start eating healthy except at dinner because he doesn't have a choice then, but he is working out again. I told my sister that he can't stand it that I am actually making a change and he doesn't want to be the last significantly overweight person in the immediate family. I don't really care what his motivations are, I am just happy he is doing it. His father died around my Dad's current age from a heart attack. I don't want that to happen to my Dad. Not only for me, but for his only granddaughter, my niece, Mia. He needs to be around to see Mia grow up and to help her along her life journey. That little girl loves her Grandaddy Young. I don't want her to be without him like I was without mine. So I couldn't be happier that my Dad is going to the gym to keep up with me. :)
I will post more later, but the battery on my laptop is about to die and I have to go shopping for a few items for food this coming week. I hope every one is having a great weekend. Stay healthy!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Educate your Mind to feed your body right!
So yes, the movie last night angered me, but I think that it's important for every one to be proactive when it comes to what you are putting into your body to fuel it. I mean we wouldn't put kerosene in our cars to make them run, right? Aren't our bodies worth more than our cars?
The movie is a bit shocking, and I have to admit there were parts of it that were very, very difficult to watch and listen to, so for those who may have a bit of a squemish side, there are books that you can read to get even more information. There is a book that goes along with the movie and addresses the same stuff. There are also two other books who's authors are featured in the movie. So all three must be good reading. I plan on starting the Omnivore's Delima this coming week! Enjoy!
The movie is a bit shocking, and I have to admit there were parts of it that were very, very difficult to watch and listen to, so for those who may have a bit of a squemish side, there are books that you can read to get even more information. There is a book that goes along with the movie and addresses the same stuff. There are also two other books who's authors are featured in the movie. So all three must be good reading. I plan on starting the Omnivore's Delima this coming week! Enjoy!
The Omnivore's Delima by Michael Pollon
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Food, Inc. a Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is making us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer - and what YOU can do about it!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Food, Inc.
Just watched this movie through the instant play feature on Netflix. If you haven't seen it, watch it. Watch all of it. Even the most difficult parts to watch. This is life. This is what we eat. We eat industry. We don't consume real food. At least most of us do not. Buy free range if you are going to eat meat. Buy organic if you eat fresh veggies whenever possible. To not do so is to condemn the next generation of Americans to health problems that have yet to be discovered. Who knows what cloned meat and genetically mutated soybeans will cause human bodies to do in twenty or thirty years? Do we really want to sit around, do nothing and wait to find out? Do not let American apathy become the catalyst for the food industry big wigs to sicken our country any longer. Grow a garden. Go to the farmer's markets. Eat local when possible. Join a co-op and have locally grown, organic veggies delivered to you. This film is a huge eye-opener and should be required viewing in all schools and at PTA meetings. My opinion of course. But I refuse to kill myself slowly any longer. Even if I have to get a second job to pay for the better food, I will no longer fill my system with this junk.
Watch it. You can thank me in a month or two when you have been eating organic and such and you feel ten years younger and have shed a few pounds.
Sorry for the rant, but I am ANGRY!!! Be well and may your families be well. Good night friends.
Watch it. You can thank me in a month or two when you have been eating organic and such and you feel ten years younger and have shed a few pounds.
Sorry for the rant, but I am ANGRY!!! Be well and may your families be well. Good night friends.
Making food for the week
Well yoga at four isn't possible today, as I've gotten bogged down in food making and laundry (i.e. I have nothing clean to wear to the gym yet) so I figured I would blog a bit about how I set up food for the week. Food for thought per se.
I have yet to have my appointment with the nutritionist and my RMR reading (resting metabolic rate), but I would like to think that I know a thing or two about eating properly. (Sometimes it is just IMPOSSIBLE to put the brownie down and step away from the desserts.) I don't honestly believe in telling myself that I can NEVER have a certain food ever again. To do so is stifling for me, it makes me want to do nothing more than to eat the very things that I have told myself I cannot have. So instead, I believe that it is easier to just make educated decisions on what to eat and to eat multiple meals and snacks, of a smaller size, throughout the day so that I am never ravishingly hungry.
To reach those goals, and to help along the way to weight loss, I have started spending a great portion of one day a weekend actually making food.
First, each meal should rest on the PCF factor. (Dubbed by my last trainer, Jared...no, not the Subway Jared.) This means that each meal should contain a Protein (lean of course), a Carb (complex and whole grain), and a Fiber (read green leafy vegetable or veggie of some sort). If you make sure that each meal or snack has all three, then you'll be on the road to a healthier weight and eating habits. This isn't a complicated way of eating, and I've broken it down into what I can make on the weekends so putting meals together during the week is a breeze and making any meal during the week takes no longer than 15 minutes to throw together. This makes for more ME time in the evenings, and makes it super simple to pack lunches, saving not only calories but money in my pocket!
Here is what I am making today, and some examples of what I'll put together this week. I hope that this information can prove useful to someone else out there!
Protein:
3 chicken breasts boiled - this means that there has been NO oil used in the cooking and the fat has boiled off of the chicken for the most part. Each breast is around 6 to 8 ounces so you get a total of six serving from three breasts. Then you can use the water (which is now chicken flavored) to make soup or to cook other things for dinners. I jar the liquid after it cools in a recycled spaghetti sauce jar and refridgerate it for up to one week.
3 to 6 eggs hard boiled - these are great to put on salads or to eat quickly in the morning or for a snack.
1 can of organic black beans - or you can use dried, point is that I open the can, rinse them really well and then let them drain. I store them in a Gladware container. Again, really good on salads or in wraps.
1/2 pound of turkey bacon broiled in the oven - cooking it this way makes it taste much better and is healthier than in the microwave. Awesome on salads, wraps, or omletes in the morning.
Now there are other proteins of course. You could brown up a pound of ground turkey or chicken and store it in a Gladware container to use in wraps or chili later in the week. You could drain and sautee up a package of tofu to use in stir-fry. You could bake a turkey breast to shave for open face sandwiches. You could make salmon patties, or go ahead and cook a large filet of fish for salads or fish tacos. The possibilities are endless. I stay away from red meat and pork as much as possible. They aren't truly considered lean proteins, and the organic versions are very expensive.
Carbs:
2 to 4 cups of brown rice - cooked in water only, no oil added. Then I store this in another Gladware container. 1/4 to 1/2 cup is a serving, so I will get between 4 and 8 servings off of what I make. Good to have for a quick carb side for dinner.
2 to 4 cups of wheat couscous or penne pasta - again great for an easy side. Cooked in water only, no oil. You can add a drizzle of olive oil or walnut oil to it along with fresh herbs and garlic or shallots before serving and it is delicious.
2 to 4 cups of steel cut oats - make with organic skim or 2% milk or water. Store in a Gladware container. This way you have breakfast or mid-morning snack ready to rock. Add some nuts and dried or fresh fruit and you have the perfect PCF meal.
Fiber/Veggies/Fruit:
Canteloupe or Honeydew - it's melon season so I get one of these, chop that baby open, cut it up and then divide it into snack sized ziploc bags a cup or half cup per bag. This makes having a sweet, fiberous snack on hand easy. Plus it's mostly water and VERY low calorie!
Blueberries - again I wash these and then divide them up into snack bags. Really easy to add to greek yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast.
Asparagus - steam a big bunch and store in a Gladware. Veggies for lunch or dinner! YUM!
Brussel Sprouts - steam a full pound and then store in an airtight container. Really, if you guys haven't tried these, do yourself a favor and try them. Serve them by just drizzling with a little olive oil, sprinkling with some shallots, heating them up and then tossing with a few walnuts and dried cranberries. You'll thank me!
Orange cauliflower - I either steam this or chop it and have it raw. I heart cauliflower, no dressing needed with the orange variety because it has TONS of flavor!
Baby Carrots - either steam or divide up raw into snack sized ziplocs. Easy to grab in the morning to take as a mid-afternoon snack. Eat with a handfull of nuts and you're good. You get carbs from the sugar in the carrots, but remember that type of carbohydrate will be burned faster by your body.
Celery - I wash this and cut it into sticks. Fill it with all natural creamy peanut butter and then line the peanut butter with craisins. A great PCF snack that takes you back to childhood.
Broccoli - steam this and put it into Gladware. Super simple side dish for every meal and it's green so you can eat as much as you want. Just step away from the cheese sauce or the butter. Try it sprinkled with garlic. Delicious!
Tomatoes - I slice these and put them in a Gladware. That way I have an easy topper for wraps.
Bell Peppers - do the same thing as the tomatoes. Awesome on fish tacos, or to eat raw or on salad!!
Avocado - I heart avocados. Slice one up, put it in a Gladware and then squeeze a half a lemon over it. These are awesome on turkey or chicken wraps or sandwuiches in the place of mayo, and the lemon will keep it from going bad and doesn't affect the flavor.
Salad mix - always have on hand. I prefer to get either the total spinach or organic baby spinach/greens blend. The kind that comes in the box. The boxed kind lasts much longer than the bagged. It won't go brown or get mushy as easily.
Other:
Herbs - I have a basil plant in my kitchen that I use almost daily, but if you buy herbs in the little clamshells from the grocery store, chop them up and store them in a Gladware. They'll keep for a week and you can use them to sprinkle salads, chicken, rice, just about anything. They add immediate flavor with NO chemicals or fats!
Garlic - I always have a jar of the chopped garlic on hand, but you can also chop fresh garlic and put it in a small airtight container to use throughout the week. Sometimes this can dry out though so add a little lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil to keep it moist.
Shallots - These are one of my favorite things to use. They give amazing flavor and you don't need many. Just chop one or two small to medium shallots up and do the same thing you would with the fresh garlic. These are super healthy! Get organic if possible of course.
That's pretty much it. Now you have TONS of options for your meals! Here's an example of how I'd use what I made to have a full day of healthy eating!
Breakfast - around 4 or 5 AM - 1 cup of greek yogurt topped with berries and a little granola and a drizzle of agave nectar.
Morning snack - around 8 or 9 AM - 1 cup of oatmeal with some berries, craisins or walnuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle of agave nectar if needed or some stevia.
Lunch - around 12 PM - a high fiber wrap stuffed with chicken breast, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, and black beans or any combo of what I've made. Sometimes I add a little garlic hummus for flavor. Served with a side of broccoli, asparagus, or brussel sprouts.
Afternoon Snack - around 3 PM right before the gym...we have to have some fuel to burn - Celery with Peanut butter and craisins, or Raw Almonds and Dried Fruit, or Canteloupe and Almonds, or any combo of snacky type items as long as I'm keeping with the PCF.
Dinner - around 6 or 7 PM - 3 to 4 oz of any protein available and brown rice and veggies. Or turkey chili, fish tacos, etc. Just use whole foods and don't buy anything pre-packages if it can be avoided.
Evening snack - if I am still awake and hungry, although I very rarely eat after 7 PM - Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with blueberries or fresh fruit. (This is like dessert.)
That's it. Plain and simple! :)
I have yet to have my appointment with the nutritionist and my RMR reading (resting metabolic rate), but I would like to think that I know a thing or two about eating properly. (Sometimes it is just IMPOSSIBLE to put the brownie down and step away from the desserts.) I don't honestly believe in telling myself that I can NEVER have a certain food ever again. To do so is stifling for me, it makes me want to do nothing more than to eat the very things that I have told myself I cannot have. So instead, I believe that it is easier to just make educated decisions on what to eat and to eat multiple meals and snacks, of a smaller size, throughout the day so that I am never ravishingly hungry.
To reach those goals, and to help along the way to weight loss, I have started spending a great portion of one day a weekend actually making food.
First, each meal should rest on the PCF factor. (Dubbed by my last trainer, Jared...no, not the Subway Jared.) This means that each meal should contain a Protein (lean of course), a Carb (complex and whole grain), and a Fiber (read green leafy vegetable or veggie of some sort). If you make sure that each meal or snack has all three, then you'll be on the road to a healthier weight and eating habits. This isn't a complicated way of eating, and I've broken it down into what I can make on the weekends so putting meals together during the week is a breeze and making any meal during the week takes no longer than 15 minutes to throw together. This makes for more ME time in the evenings, and makes it super simple to pack lunches, saving not only calories but money in my pocket!
Here is what I am making today, and some examples of what I'll put together this week. I hope that this information can prove useful to someone else out there!
Protein:
3 chicken breasts boiled - this means that there has been NO oil used in the cooking and the fat has boiled off of the chicken for the most part. Each breast is around 6 to 8 ounces so you get a total of six serving from three breasts. Then you can use the water (which is now chicken flavored) to make soup or to cook other things for dinners. I jar the liquid after it cools in a recycled spaghetti sauce jar and refridgerate it for up to one week.
3 to 6 eggs hard boiled - these are great to put on salads or to eat quickly in the morning or for a snack.
1 can of organic black beans - or you can use dried, point is that I open the can, rinse them really well and then let them drain. I store them in a Gladware container. Again, really good on salads or in wraps.
1/2 pound of turkey bacon broiled in the oven - cooking it this way makes it taste much better and is healthier than in the microwave. Awesome on salads, wraps, or omletes in the morning.
Now there are other proteins of course. You could brown up a pound of ground turkey or chicken and store it in a Gladware container to use in wraps or chili later in the week. You could drain and sautee up a package of tofu to use in stir-fry. You could bake a turkey breast to shave for open face sandwiches. You could make salmon patties, or go ahead and cook a large filet of fish for salads or fish tacos. The possibilities are endless. I stay away from red meat and pork as much as possible. They aren't truly considered lean proteins, and the organic versions are very expensive.
Carbs:
2 to 4 cups of brown rice - cooked in water only, no oil added. Then I store this in another Gladware container. 1/4 to 1/2 cup is a serving, so I will get between 4 and 8 servings off of what I make. Good to have for a quick carb side for dinner.
2 to 4 cups of wheat couscous or penne pasta - again great for an easy side. Cooked in water only, no oil. You can add a drizzle of olive oil or walnut oil to it along with fresh herbs and garlic or shallots before serving and it is delicious.
2 to 4 cups of steel cut oats - make with organic skim or 2% milk or water. Store in a Gladware container. This way you have breakfast or mid-morning snack ready to rock. Add some nuts and dried or fresh fruit and you have the perfect PCF meal.
Fiber/Veggies/Fruit:
Canteloupe or Honeydew - it's melon season so I get one of these, chop that baby open, cut it up and then divide it into snack sized ziploc bags a cup or half cup per bag. This makes having a sweet, fiberous snack on hand easy. Plus it's mostly water and VERY low calorie!
Blueberries - again I wash these and then divide them up into snack bags. Really easy to add to greek yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast.
Asparagus - steam a big bunch and store in a Gladware. Veggies for lunch or dinner! YUM!
Brussel Sprouts - steam a full pound and then store in an airtight container. Really, if you guys haven't tried these, do yourself a favor and try them. Serve them by just drizzling with a little olive oil, sprinkling with some shallots, heating them up and then tossing with a few walnuts and dried cranberries. You'll thank me!
Orange cauliflower - I either steam this or chop it and have it raw. I heart cauliflower, no dressing needed with the orange variety because it has TONS of flavor!
Baby Carrots - either steam or divide up raw into snack sized ziplocs. Easy to grab in the morning to take as a mid-afternoon snack. Eat with a handfull of nuts and you're good. You get carbs from the sugar in the carrots, but remember that type of carbohydrate will be burned faster by your body.
Celery - I wash this and cut it into sticks. Fill it with all natural creamy peanut butter and then line the peanut butter with craisins. A great PCF snack that takes you back to childhood.
Broccoli - steam this and put it into Gladware. Super simple side dish for every meal and it's green so you can eat as much as you want. Just step away from the cheese sauce or the butter. Try it sprinkled with garlic. Delicious!
Tomatoes - I slice these and put them in a Gladware. That way I have an easy topper for wraps.
Bell Peppers - do the same thing as the tomatoes. Awesome on fish tacos, or to eat raw or on salad!!
Avocado - I heart avocados. Slice one up, put it in a Gladware and then squeeze a half a lemon over it. These are awesome on turkey or chicken wraps or sandwuiches in the place of mayo, and the lemon will keep it from going bad and doesn't affect the flavor.
Salad mix - always have on hand. I prefer to get either the total spinach or organic baby spinach/greens blend. The kind that comes in the box. The boxed kind lasts much longer than the bagged. It won't go brown or get mushy as easily.
Other:
Herbs - I have a basil plant in my kitchen that I use almost daily, but if you buy herbs in the little clamshells from the grocery store, chop them up and store them in a Gladware. They'll keep for a week and you can use them to sprinkle salads, chicken, rice, just about anything. They add immediate flavor with NO chemicals or fats!
Garlic - I always have a jar of the chopped garlic on hand, but you can also chop fresh garlic and put it in a small airtight container to use throughout the week. Sometimes this can dry out though so add a little lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil to keep it moist.
Shallots - These are one of my favorite things to use. They give amazing flavor and you don't need many. Just chop one or two small to medium shallots up and do the same thing you would with the fresh garlic. These are super healthy! Get organic if possible of course.
That's pretty much it. Now you have TONS of options for your meals! Here's an example of how I'd use what I made to have a full day of healthy eating!
Breakfast - around 4 or 5 AM - 1 cup of greek yogurt topped with berries and a little granola and a drizzle of agave nectar.
Morning snack - around 8 or 9 AM - 1 cup of oatmeal with some berries, craisins or walnuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle of agave nectar if needed or some stevia.
Lunch - around 12 PM - a high fiber wrap stuffed with chicken breast, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, and black beans or any combo of what I've made. Sometimes I add a little garlic hummus for flavor. Served with a side of broccoli, asparagus, or brussel sprouts.
Afternoon Snack - around 3 PM right before the gym...we have to have some fuel to burn - Celery with Peanut butter and craisins, or Raw Almonds and Dried Fruit, or Canteloupe and Almonds, or any combo of snacky type items as long as I'm keeping with the PCF.
Dinner - around 6 or 7 PM - 3 to 4 oz of any protein available and brown rice and veggies. Or turkey chili, fish tacos, etc. Just use whole foods and don't buy anything pre-packages if it can be avoided.
Evening snack - if I am still awake and hungry, although I very rarely eat after 7 PM - Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with blueberries or fresh fruit. (This is like dessert.)
That's it. Plain and simple! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)