Day #155

Yes, I am still on the ball with my lifestyle change!  Exercise is KING when it comes to mood and well being.  Just one day without it and I feel my spirits sink.    I think I said it before, MD's need to write scripts for exercise - most people need to be more serious about incorporating movement into their life.  I am glad I bought a few new workout DVDs because I do start to get a little bit burned out.  But now that I can mix things up a bit more that burn out has vanished.  I do have plans to try new things though, like hiring a personal trainer once the baby is a year old and can manage to be away from me for just a short while.  I also would love to play soccer in an adult league, Bikram Yoga is also something I have wanted to do for several years now.

It's no surprise that I thrive on a totally GRAIN FREE diet.  The moment I add anything - even a slice of GF toast to my morning routine is the moment I set myself up for digestive issues within 30 minutes of eating whatever the grain item is.  Spaghetti used to be a staple food around here, not anymore.   Rice, corn all the gluten free grains cause a great deal of pain.  I am grateful for coconut - shreds, oil,milk, flour, water - it agrees with me!

Today is Day #155 of my resistance training/lifestyle change.  My problem areas have all been drastically reduced in size.  There is NOTHING in my closet that is now too small - but many items that are too large.  I recently noticed some upper ab definition and that has inspired me to continue with my current regimen and include more ab-work 2-3 times a week.  I realize that I cannot spot/target reduce, but in addition to my current regimen it certainly will help.  My goal is to reduce my weight by 10lbs by September - which would put me at my goal weight (or very near to it).  Despite eating well and daily exercise I currently do not seem to be losing any weight.  I feel like I'm at a plateau, the only thing that I can do is continue to move forward with my current exercise plan and hope that I will meet my goal by September.  In a perfect world, with the onset of a plateau I would hire a personal trainer  to help me maximize my workouts and provide change to my current routine.  But that will just have to wait for a bit.  Besides, I honestly feel like the videos provide a multitude of different weight training exercises - it's the cardio ones that feel repetitive.

I just realized that this is more like a journal entry than a blog post.  Sorry about that.  I just want to keep track of my progress and type my thoughts out in an effort to evaluate and preserve my transformation process.  Also, I hope to inspire and help others on their paths.

Less Is More

Today I was fortunate enough to spend the day cleaning - DEEP cleaning.  The kind of project that I have had my mind on for well over 1 year now.   My husband and I have a room designated as our "Office"  it's a really great room actually, it has pecan flooring, three large bookcases and nice window treatments.  There are two windows and by each one we each have our little workstations.  My desk is a small space saver that I have had since I moved into my first apartment & it's from one of my favorite furniture stores in St Louis - The House of Denmark.   My husband has a small table that he has been using as a desk ever since we met.   I have watched as his side of the office started to remind me of something from the show "Hoarders".  I have been asking him to clean his side of the office for at least two years now.  Well, today he took the eldest to the zoo so I could conquer this task.  Not only did I clean his side of the office, I cleaned mine as well and I convinced myself, and my awesome husband to get rid of many things that we are no longer using.  It's not exactly how I want it just yet, but it's a drastic improvement to be sure.

The fact that this room has not been properly organized and cleaned has been grating on me for too long.  I hope that now that it's decent I can finally relax a little bit.  It's really challenging to find the time to organize/de-clutter when you have little cuties who want all of your love.   Call me crazy, but today has been an awesome day.  I was in the cleaning/de-cluttering/organizing "ZONE".  Nothing like it to make you think twice before you want to buy that next book/shirt/whatever-it-may-be.  Seriously trying to work on being happy with everything I do have instead of looking ahead for what's next.  I am in awe over some of the stuff that we each were able to "let go" of today.  Changes like this don't happen overnight, for me it has been a process and has taken some time.  I am going to keep working at decluttering as it is very rewarding emotionally.   Here's to a simpler, cleaner, happier life!

My 7 Days Sans Weight Training

I want to make this post to encourage anyone who "falls off the wagon" with regard to ANYTHING.    Whether it's not exercising, eating improperly or any other bad habit - you can break the trend, often times really easily.  Also, it's important to know the root cause or causes of why you stopped sticking to your good habits in the first place.

Seven days passed without me doing any of my exercise videos.  I still took long walks, and I still remained active with 2 kids - but my resistance training was put on hold for 7 full days.  I started to feel depressed, unhappy, I wasn't running my household the way I wanted to (cleaning etc).   I knew I needed to pick up right where I left off.  I keep a notebook with info and I went for 115 days of "staying on track" with my workouts, maybe a 1 or 2 day deviation from the official plan, but nothing close to 7 days.

I began to think of why I fell off track.  First, I thought of the recent Daylight Savings Time.  That threw me off my game so much that I moved my workouts from first thing in the morning to the kids nap time.
Then, it all started when I had to spend my nap time on the phone taking care of some important personal business.  This, in turn added stress to my life and I knew that I would spend more time on the phone in the next several days dealing with the situation.  I'm also having some work done to my house, and it has been a very slow process but is finally nearing completion.  I also realized that I have been watching A LOT more TV than I did previously.  HBO's new Sunday night programs like Game of Thrones and Treme have kept me coming back for more.  All of these things put together are a personal recipe for disaster for someone like me.  After considering all these factors I decided that I should just set an alarm for 5:30am so I can continue my morning workouts.  I LOVE having the morning workout complete and accounted for, for the duration of the day.  In order to make this happen I need to go to bed earlier so that I can be refreshed and ready to go in the a.m.

Yesterday I broke my 7 Day Spell by working out during naptime and this morning, I woke up to my 5:30am alarm.  I feel SO MUCH better already and I'm back on track.

While being on hiatus, I am proud to say that my weight did not fluctuate much at all.  I didn't eat as well as I should, but I ate pretty well.  I'm on a raw food kick again and enjoyed mostly nut mylk smoothies.   The 7 Days OFF experience is actually positive for me because I realized that my weight loss is *real* it's not a fad diet - if it were I would have packed the pounds right back on.  And also, I need the exercise to keep me happy and motivated in life.  I wish all Dr.s would really PUSH the exercise on their patients and could write scripts for a Personal Trainer.  For me, it is making all the difference in the world!

Nourished bellies and relationships

I look forward to lots of food preparation and consumption over the weekend.  With Dada to help watch the kids I get to prepare whatever I feel like sometimes & this weekend, in particular made me realize how good such simple things actually feel.  I truly enjoy the process of chopping vegetables for a soup, smelling onion caramelizing in cast iron with loads of garlic.  It's fun, it's creative and nourishing.

Grace comes in and wants to know what I'm doing - pretty soon she will be able to truly help and participate in the cooking (or uncooking) experiences herself.  Paddy crawls about the kitchen now too, he wants to know what's going on as well.    Dada loves the end product, as long as it doesn't involve a big mess to clean up.  

So the weekends are certainly a time for more thought out, time consuming food preparation and family.   Nourished bellies and relationships in our little space of love.

A Conversation With My Dentist

Me:  Have you heard of Weston A. Price?

Dentist:  No.  Who is he?

Me:  Only like the COOLEST Dentist EVER!

Dentist:  Really?

Me:  Oh yeah!  Back in the early 1900s he traveled the world studying the diets of indigenous people and determined that the Western diet was often the cause of poor dental health as well as overall physical degeneration.

Dentist:  Hmm interesting

Me:  Yes, he even published a book and conducted studies.  He also disapproved of the modern day root canals.  After reading about root canals I have decided that I would most likely opt for an extraction, and I can be vain, so that's saying a lot.

Dentist:  Really?  You would actually opt for an extraction?

Me:  Yes.  After what I have read, I am convinced that modern day root canals cause some severe issues to human health and degeneration.

Dentist:  Hmm, what is this guys name again?

Me:  Weston A. Price -   I am going to buy his book and you are welcome to borrow it if you like.  I think you'd really enjoy reading it, as he has quite a following.

Dentist:   A following?  Really?

Me:     Yes.  Believe it or not, there are many cookbooks that exist today that are very popular- based on & inspired by his research.     A dentist with a fan club, if you can believe it.  A LARGE fan club too.

Dentist:  I am definitely going to check this out. 

Me:  Cool!  Please do!  There is a BIG OPEN MARKET for holistic dentistry here. 

Dairy (and Refined Sugar) are the new Gluten

All of my friends know that I am in the process of getting back into the "best shape of my life".   Major lifestyle changes have not only become a habit, but something that I LOVE and am really looking forward to.  But if you have spoken, texted or emailed me recently you probably also know my journey is not yet over.  I have still been suffering with gastrointestinal issues,  things that I won't say because I don't want you to become ill, along with abdominal pain and bloating.  Spending excessive amounts of my time in the restroom is just not cool when I have two kids screaming for attention, crawling on the counter and knocking over glass, coloring on each other and chewing on shoes, but I digress. 

I  spoke to my Dr and we came to the conclusion that it's most likely dairy that is the culprit. Now, even though I don't drink straight cows milk at this time (raw or pasteurized) I still consume things like whey protein shakes and butter every single day.  I have been taking digestive enzymes with my meals along with Betaine HCL and this really seems to help digest proteins like I should.  So this morning, I took a very high quality digestive enzyme along with my usual whey protein shake and BAM! it hit me like a ton of bricks - ouch!    Now,  I have had my thoughts about whey not agreeing with me before, but this drink is so respected and everyone loves it, I thought that it couldn't be the shake.  But I can now say for certain that it is.  I'm sure it's fine for the rest of the population who, unlike me can tolerate dairy.  It has worked well for me with regard to weight loss, but I just can't afford to consume it any longer.

So I am really going to make efforts to treat Dairy and Refined Sugars just like I do gluten - ERADICATE them!  It seems to be the ticket to less time spent in the restroom and a happier family life.  Even though I'm not Vegan, I do believe the Vegan products will suit me better as they are (for the most part) certified organic and animal product free. 

So, the journey continues.  I'm pretty sure that I'm well on my way to getting even better and that I uncovered a major problem that was frustrating me these past few weeks.  I loved bread and dairy and sugar but it's not worth all of the pain. 

Four Simple Tips for Success

People have been asking me what I did to shed 15-20lbs in 3 months time.  The truth is, it was a culmination of many different things - an intense lifestyle change.  But here are some very critical components to a proper weight loss attempt.

1.  Get a Heart Rate Monitor-  I just LOVE working out with my HRM.  I thought the strap would bother me, but I often forget to remove it.  If you're counting calories you know exactly how much is going in - it's equally important to learn how much you're burning off.   It also lets you know which exercises really challenge you. 

2.   Discuss Weight Loss Goals with Your Dr -  We hear this all the time, but do we really do it?  Prior to giving birth to my daughter I prided myself on my ability to "never see a Dr".   If you are having problems losing weight and you are giving it your all it would be wise to discuss this with your Dr.  If your Dr brushes you off and hasn't been helpful I suggest you find a new one or try a Naturopath or Chiropractor.  

3.   Ditch the Diet Drinks and Soda - ANYTHING with artificial sweetener is not good for you.  Like smoking, it's a bad habit.  Just say NO!  I have not consumed any of these products in the past year and a half!  (probably longer)

4.  Write down your goals and tell your friends.   When I started my Body Transformation Program I announced it on Facebook.  Sure, not everyone cares or pays attention or even noticed, but some friends did and they encouraged me.    The main idea is that you announce it to everyone you know so you hold YOURSELF accountable.  If you write it down and tell others the chances of it becoming reality are much higher.  

These things were very easy for me to accomplish.  Maybe some folks would struggle with one or maybe even all of the above.  You don't have to do all of these things at one time, but it's important to be moving towards your goal.  The payoff is so very worth it.  There is no better feeling in the world!