Finding Balance

It truly has been a long time since I decided to write a post. I must be honest, I have opened a post several times and  could never find the right words to express myself. This has truly been a journey and like any journey there are bumps in the road. For me it came in March when I received a phone call that my father had died.

Now I did not have a close relationship with my father but his absence made a significant impact on my life. I always thought that we would have more time to know each other and heal. That may sound stupid but at thirty-four that was my get by. I was was not aware of how his death would rock my world and change my reality. In the process of  planning  his funeral and settling his affairs I found myself  revisiting my life and looking at who I am. I was  immersed in and full of grief and regret, that I thought exercise would help me overcome.

In truth exercise did not heal my wounds but it did help me cope. I however did see that I was focused  far too much on who I used to be. I was far too concerned with going backwards and failed to appreciate who I was(or am).  So I needed to step back and I was forced to sit down, due to a nagging injury that I had  ignored for months.

The result has been a happier me, I exercise four days a week instead of the six days I was stuck on. I am giving my body the time it needs to heal.  Don't get me wrong I do get frustrated with my injury because I want to run!!! I know it will happen in time and I will be stronger in the end.  I am still eating 80% clean and loving it.

So in short I am still finding my way but I am happy!

Blessings K

Embracing You Now

Wow this journey is a difficult one. I am now spending more time learning to embrace me. Embrace me for who I am right now, not who I will become. When you are on a weight loss journey,  a journey to improve your life, you spend a lot of time in judgement. Sitting in judgement of yourself can be a difficult task.You become critical and start to dissect you self and you are always looking for a new thing to improve.
As I type this I am at an intensive leadership learning retreat for my doctoral program.  We have spent the last 48 hours learning how to recognize our strengths.  In addition to, stop spending time trying to improve our weaknesses. Not to ignore our weakness but to recognize them and to prevent them from hindering our strengths. Then to use our strengths to be the best version of ourselves possible.

I kept thinking of this journey as we were having small group discussions. Much of this journey is looking at our weakness as something we must alleviate,instead of looking at our strengths and seeing how they can over shadow our weakness.

I came to a reality that I need to rearrange my thinking about this journey.  I am going to take some time to learn how to capitalize on my strengths. As of July 1st I plan to take a month long hiatus from social networking and blogging( I know I have been a slacker anyway). Then I am going to come back here on August 1st  with a new perspective. I hope that it will be able to help you find a new perspective as well.

Blessings,

K

Bored.com

Seriously I am ,I actually know what the words are to all my workout DVDs. I find my self mocking them as I am going through the workouts. Honestly I have been here before but I would just mix it up or take a break. Well I am not in the mood for a break and I have mixed it up every witch way.

So, I decided to do some research on new plans and products that might peak my interest. I stumbled across bodybuilding.com. Actually it is not the first time I have been on the site but I had in the past just browsed through the information there. So I sat down and did some comprehensive reading. They have several great printable work out plans to help get you started and some awesome nutritional advice.

I have been eating clean for a few years now but I realized that I have slowly let in some processed foods back into my diet. I'm eating about 60% clean right now. It is time for me to get back to 80% clean eating.

I really want to see more abdominal muscle definition and build more leg muscle. So I decided to commit to loses 18 more pounds and to use Jamie Eason (free) 12 week LiveFit Trainer program to get me started. I am kind of excited about this new journey. No more DVD's, I will be using my home gym or going to the gym. I love the portability of this program and the fact that I can access it on my phone. In addition I can print all the exercises and directions off the site as well.

In the past it was my goal was just lose weight and to no longer be obese. Now I am on a completely new journey, and obesity is a thing of the past for me. So I am purging my cabinets and stocking my fridge and freezer with all my clean staples.

Summer is near, what is your plan?

The good, the bad and the ugly

The Good:

It has been over two years since I started this journey and I have successfully maintained my weight loss. I have to admit I am a different person and I have made some significant changes in my life. I feel stronger both mentally and physically. I can see a change in my husband and children. It is wonderful to see them make good choice without thinking about it. It feels good modeling the right behavior for my children. My toddler has no idea what our old lifestyle was like so to him our active lifestyle is normal. My seven year old embraces it most of the time but he has his moments like every child where he wants junk food and fast food. I give into him once in a blue moon but for the most part he has adjusted.

The Bad:

Motivation is still a daily battle, it is funny though. I wake up every morning before my alarm clock goes off and talk my self into my workout. Some mornings it is a thirty second pep talk and others it is a ten minute scolding. I know the title of this portion is the bad but I don't think it is a bad thing. Motivation is renewable as far as I am concerned and I feel like as long as I am conscious about my need to move forward. Then I will remain steadfast on the journey to health and fitness.

The Ugly:

Losing weight does not solve all your body image problems. There will always be something to work on or ridicule. For me having lost 110 pounds and carrying most of my weight in my legs. I am dealing with firming up my legs and it has been a uphill battle. Most of my skin bounced back and firmed every where else but there are parts of my thighs that have some loose skin and it is frustrating. The good news is, the more I weight train the better it looks. This however is not a overnight process and consistency is the key. So I keep going and I know perfection does not exist. I will just keep working hard to be the best me I can be!

Up and Downs

So I have been a horrible blogger lately and I really don't have an excuse. Life just seemed to get in the way of me taking the time to write down my thoughts.

So I have committed myself to blogging more consistently again and you can look forward to Friday posts.

As far as weight loss is concerned I an up 3lbs from my goal, I spent the past week in my hometown planning my fathers funeral. Food just was not interesting and I did not eat enough or well. I started back today working out and getting back on track with my food. I am sure I will be back at goal in 2 weeks or so.

I have been working more consistently on creating more time for myself to workout. Right now I get up at 5:30 am to workout before the kids get up. It seems like that is the only time that I can carve out for myself. Hopefully when I am off for the summer I will be able to enjoy a afternoon run again. I have found that exercise helps me to decrease the stress in my life and it is easier to deal with everyday problems.

I have found that as parents sometimes we put our selves last, not intentionally. We do it because we love our children. I have come to the conclusion that I needed to put myself first 2 hours out of the day. Considering the fact that we have 24 hours in a day , that is not a lot. So I will no longer feel bad about!! I know it sounds like a confession, well it is ! I am guilty for feeling bad for taking time for myself, like I am sure many of you are. In order for me to be a better mom, wife, professor, friend, daughter and colleague. I have to find time to build a better me 1 hour of exercise and 1 hour of self reflection , writing or shopping. Shoot shopping can have it's healing qualities.
LOL!!

What ever you do today make sure you take some time out for YOU!!!!!
Regardless of how I spend my second hour I think it will make me be a better me.

Phase 2

If you have made it to day five then you should pat you self on the back. Everyday  you follow your plan , you are accomplishing something. Now everyday wont be perfect you will slip up but the fact that you continue to push forward is the most important thing. 


Phase 2

1.  look at your food diary, have you been honest with your self.  Are you writing down everything that you eat, or just what you plan to eat. If you are not being honest with your self then you won't succeed in this process. If you bite it then write it!!!!  Many of us don't want to see on paper what we are putting in our mouths. But it is that accountability that helps us to succeed. One you start to be honest with your self bout what you are fueling your body with, you will see why you are gaining or not losing weight.  Eighty percent of you weight will be lost in the kitchen, so it is what you are eating that matters most. 

There were time on my journey when I would snack on little things and not write it down. I would forget or intentionally leave  it. Sometime fudge the number to make myself feel better. It was during those moments that I would gain or not lose weight.  If you are counting calories, you should be eating at least 1200 calories a day.  That is the minimum because if you are working out you calorie deficit will be too low to maintain. You will be losing muscle instead of fat if you are not eating enough.

Figuring out a safe minimum amount of daily calories can be difficult but extreme restriction of calories can significantly slow the metabolic rate, and restrict your weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine says that you shouldn't send signals to your body to conserve calories by detoxing or fasting.  Women should eat at least 1,200 calories per day, and men should eat at least 1,800.


2. Increase you exercise routine to 45 minutes a day at this point 30 minutes should becoming a routine. Remember you don't need a fancy gym or lots of equipment to accomplish your goal. 

YouTube is a great resource for work out routine and help with learning how to do exercises with the correct form.  Click the links I provided below for some basic exercise ideas.

Push up tutorial 

Proper sit up 

Jumping Jack 

Mountain Climbers 

Squat 

lunge 

Burpee 

10 minute work out 



3. On day ten, weigh yourself and take a day off from working out!!!!  Take some time to reflect on what has worked for you so far and write down some goals for your journey. Do you want to run a 5k eventually? How much weight do you want to lose? Find a piece of clothing or plan a reward for you goal day. Some people have a pair a jeans they hope to fit hanging up as reminder to help them reach there goal. Find what works for you but make sure it is realistic. I used to put a dollar in a jar for every pound that I lost. 


YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!

January Challenge

So I decided to start this challenge because when I started my journey to fitness there were no real guides to help me as a beginner. There are a few things you need to get in order before you officially start.  You want to lose weight but starting seems like such a big deal. Well that is what this challenge is about, getting you set up to succeed.  We will do this challenge in 3 phases and each phase you will add something to your toolbox.

My recommendation prior to Phase 1:

1. If you have not been to the doctor in a year schedule an appointment as soon as possible.  Get a full work up make sure you have your cholesterol checked, blood glucose levels and thyroid levels.  Ask your doctor about how they see your weight affecting your health.

Phases 1.   January 1 to 10

1.    Go to the dollar store pick up some measuring cups and spoons.  Ultimately you would like to get a food scale but measuring cup and spoons are a cheap weigh to get started quickly.  From day one you will either weigh or measure  (both) all of your portions.

2.     
       Grab a cheap notebook or one you already have. You will from day one write down everything that you put in your mouth. No matter what it is, this for your eyes only.  Write down  the food and calories , pick a calorie point you would like to for a day, don’t go below 1200  a day!!!

3.      

     On day 1 weigh your self and measure your legs, arms and waist.  Pick a time of day that you can repeat   in ten days.  (Put the scale away and don’t touch again for 10 days!!!!)

4.     

       Look around your house do you have any work out DVD’s, do you have a gym membership you are not using. Shoot do you have sneakers or weights. Find the tools that you are ready have and use them. DON’T purchase anything new.  Commit to 30 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of strength training six days a week.  Walk for 30 minutes, run get on the elliptical or do walk away the pounds.   For strength if you have weights use them I will post some work out guides for you to use.  If you don’t have weights use-canned food to start.   Track you exercise in the same notebook you use for your food.

Side note: many of you might be tempted to use an online sight to start. That is fine but what if you don’t have access to that sight all the time. Small notebook is easy to carry and you can keep it with you at all times.  The simpler this is the better it is.

5.     Go grocery shopping !!!  

a.     Shop for lean ,meats and fish shoot for 95 percent

lean or higher. If it’s only 90 percent lean, a 100-gram (about 3.5-ounce) portion of meat would still have 10 grams of fat per serving—not exactly low-fat. When buying poultry, choose breast (whole or ground) only.  Splurge on shrimp. This high-protein, low-fat, low-calorie option feels decadent, so pick up a shrimp cocktail ring., beans, fruits , vegetables, low fat dairy and  whole grains.   

b.     Low fat dairy,  don’t buy a brick. Cheese is way too easy to overeat if you’re faced with a big hunk of it. If there’s a block you love, take it to the deli and ask them to slice it into 1-ounce portions. Otherwise, look for string cheese. Buy nonfat greek yogurt but be careful not purchase the ones with lots of extra  sugar loaded in them. 

c.      Vegetables and fruit grab a rainbow. To get a variety of nutrients, try to include every color of the spectrum—red, green, orange, yellow, purple, white—in your diet. Shop on delivery day. Ask your grocer when the store receives produce. Fruits and veggies lose nutrients and flavor the longer they sit out in the air and light.

d.     Whole grains Try quinoa, bulgur, barley, and brown-rice pasta to add new elements to your menu. 

e.  Look at labels if you don't understand the ingredients then don't buy it. Shop the perimeter of the store.  look at fruits and vegetables as snack instead of buying 100 cal snacks or puddings.  

f.       Sit down and plan all your meals for 10 days.  Bag up fruits and veggies in snack bags and put them in a bowl in the fridge. That way you have snacks ready to go.  Pack you lunch  and snacks everyday that way you have control over what you are eating.  Look on pintrest , cooking light an eating well. You have some others but plan a menu so that you wont feel deprived.  That way you know what you will be eating for all of your meals

tip:  Every time I leave he house I grab a snack and throw it in my purse. I usually grab one for my entire family. It keeps us from snacking on fast food and junk. If you use nuts as a snack make sure you measure them!!!!!! 


So that is phase 1,  they say it takes 2 weeks to make something a habit , I am giving you 10 days to get it together before adding anything to your list.  Ready, set, get  off the couch!!!!

Phase 2 will be posted January 5, 2013!!!