Hey Everyone! I promise I am still alive over here, a break from blogging was exactly what I needed. Now I am back and ready to melt some of this stubborn weight off of my body. In the next couple of days I will pop in and share with you whats been going on in the last couple of months and what my plans for the next couple of months. Like the little logo above says I have decided to give Whole 30 a chance, with the hope that it kick starts my weight loss and helps push me onto a healthier path.
Over the next 30 days I will fill you guys in on my experience, what kind of meals I have been eating and just overall how I am feeling. I did my official weigh in yesterday, and was actually surprised to see that I was almost 5lbs down from my highest weight. With some hard work and persistence I should be able to keep the scale heading in the right direction. I have been following Rachel Wilkerson’s journey on the Whole 30 for the last month and she has totally inspired me to give it a try. I mean it is only for thirty days, I can manage that (I hope).
Here is to a healthy and productive month. I will be back tomorrow with more of an update on what exactly I am doing and how I plan to have a successful 30 days (and beyond).
This week has been an absolutely frustrating weight loss week and mainly for reasons that I’ve done to myself.
I was upset the scale didn’t seem to be moving at all so I started to let unhealthy foods creep back into my life. Diet soda here, and extra piece of pizza, pie and refined white carbs. Just not what my body needs at all. At the end of the day these are all just excuses for my poor decisions.
Rather then let this poor food choice cycle continue I’m going to shake it off and keep pushing forward. Little choices add up to big rewards and I am eagerly anticipating the scale going back in the right direction.
Getting back into fitness and healthy eating is hard. Anyone who has weight to lose, has wanted to tone up or just committed to a gym plan knows this. There is so much advice and information available that I often feel overloaded. I go from being vegan, to low carb to everything in moderation and back to vegan. A little stability and routine would be nice. The other day my friend Natasha was telling me about a book she received as a gift called Bob Harper’s Skinny Rules. Normally I try to stay away from “diets” but I ended up downloading the book to my Kindle right away and finished reading it in one night!
Bob’s rules are fairly simple to follow and for the most part seem pretty like pretty good weight loss advice. We all know that we should be limiting refined carbs, making sure to drink enough water and get an adequate amount of sleep. I don’t want to list out all the rules but if you want to check it out the book is really affordable and a pretty good read. I think even if you bought it just for the recipes you it would still be a good investment.
So how did my first day of following his “skinny rules” go? It was good but not great. I like how the book encourages frequent eating and healthy snacks. It really is important to keep your body running on healthy food. The emphasis on cutting back processed ingredients is awesome. I found myself eating whole foods for breakfast, snacks and lunch. Things went downhill towards the end of the night. My plans changed and rather than going home and cooking a meal for dinner I decided to go out to a movie with a friend (Django Unchained – TOTALLY AWESOME) and skipped dinner. Who the hell am I? I never skip a meal. I figured it was better for me to not eat then to eat a fast food meal. I honestly still don’t know what the right choice for me to do would have been. In actuality I probably should have ended up getting a chicken wrap with no sauce, at least it would have been something to tie me over until I got home. The movie ended really late so I ended up just drinking some water and heading to bed.
I wish I could say I was more planned today. A late night meant a rushed morning and the only thing I brought with me to school today was a damn apple. School from 11:30 to 9:00pm with only an apple is not a good health choice. I ended up buying a salad for one of my breaks in between class but I really need to get better at planning my school days. If I am at work or at home it isn’t a problem for me to plan meals and pack but as soon as it comes to carting around a days worth of food with me at school I just don’t want to do it.
Now that you guys have listened to all my excuses, do you have any tips? How do you plan a busy day? Any healthy lunch options that don’t rely on packing around every Tupperware container I own. Maybe I should just suck it up and do it. My health is worth more than the inconvenience of packing food with me to school.
I’ve lost sight of my goals. I have seemingly forgot my mission to lose weight. My body is lethargic, my good choices suck and I just plain old gave up on myself.
I don’t know when it happened but it did happen. I stopped blogging and holding myself accountable. I stopped going to the gym. I let myself down.
It’s time to pick myself back up and fight for what I want. I want to be healthy. I want to be happy and comfortable with my body. I want to have a long life full of adventure and excitement.
The only thing standing in the way right now is my lacklustre attitude. Today it changes.
There’s been some changes happening around here lately. I have avoided the gym like the plague, I’ve been swamped by school work and the food I have been eating leaves a lot to be desired. This all has to stop now.
There really isn’t a reason to take care of myself. I worked hard all summer long to drop thirty pounds and I’m watching it pile back on. I do not want to be fat anymore, therefore I just need to stop. I know what’s healthy. I know what makes my body feel good.
I’ve decided to put a pause on my pricey gym membership for 60 days for financial reasons but that doesn’t mean I can’t work out outside. I have an ample number of yoga and work out DVDs and the plan is to start using them. Even just going for a short walk will help keep my body busy and the stress at bay.
Bedtimes have been getting later and later and I don’t want it to become a problem. I need to put the electronics down, do a mind dump and go to sleep at a reasonable time. I’m simply fed up with my own excuses. I deserve better from myself.
Moving forward I’m going to work on maintaining baby steps. Better choices snowball over time and slowly I will get to where I want to be. I need to remember that it’s not going to happen immediately. It’s a process and I need to enjoy it.
Today has been all about prep. Well it actually started Sunday night. I finished laundry, cleaned and vacuumed and bought the necessary groceries for survival. Now your probably rolling your eyes, I am even just typing that sentence out. These are all things that I shouldn’t need a pat on the back for, I promise I’m not asking for one, but I’m really proud of myself.
Rather then start the week off running around like a chicken with its head cut off I was prepared. Per Brittany’s example I hard boiled a dozen eggs and left them in the fridge ready for breakfast and lunches. I cut up veggies and pre bagged fruit slices so I could grab and go. I put a few granola bars in my backpack so I wouldn’t be starving while at school.
So far it’s been working. I get sucked into the temptation of a treat from Second Cup but I am really going to try to avoid the extra calories and money spent. I haven’t stopped at a fast food place on my way home and I have no intention to. My butt is even in bed early so I have a solid 8 hours of sleep. Nothing feels better than being rested for class and work.
The only thing that I want to focus on is the exercise. It has slipped to the wayside as of this last week. I downloaded a new app, GymPact, and I didn’t make my goal for last week and lost five bucks. Talk about motivation to get myself in gear. Even though I haven’t been anywhere near perfect in the gym I’m still trying to not be to hard on myself. Balancing school, work, homework and a social life is challenging. These first few weeks are all about finding that balance and making it work for me.
I hope you all had a great weekend. Unfortunately the weather decided to do nothing but rain here. Rain is good but I will always use it as an excuse to be lazy. A nap or two was definitely enjoyed over the weekend. Sometimes low key is what is needed and I feel refreshed and ready to take on the week.
Over the weekend I found a new yoga website that allows you to stream videos. Do Yoga With Me is an all free yoga website that allows you to stream a video of the instructor and practice along. So far I have done a few of the videos and found it to be helpful. I still prefer to be in a class with the help of an instructor and the momentum of the class but in a pinch this works just fine.
These last ten days have been really hard for me to keep on track with my healthy eating and exercise. To help I am going to start making weekly goals which will hopefully help set me up on the path of success and keep my momentum going. This week my goal is to work out 5 times. I just want to keep my body moving for an hour a day at least 5 days a week. As soon as I start moving my body I find my eating habits seem to fall back into place, so with some hard work I will be back kicking ass in no time.
I am a total sheep when it comes to fads. You don’t have to pull any teeth to get me to admit it either. I like trying new things and juicing has been no different. The movie “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” is what pushed me to break down and buy a juicer. I know I am not alone in this. The movie is so inspirational. Essentially Joe Cross ( the man the documentary is focused on) decides to do a 60 day fast on nothing but juice. Seriously. Just juice. It sounds a little crazy but as you watch his body and his health transform you can’t help but deny the health benefits of the juice.
Now this juice he is drinking isn’t some pre-packaged, pasteurized product. This is fresh fruit and veggies (mostly veg) run through a juicer (he is using a Breville). What comes out of this machine is nothing short of a nutritional power house. Fresh nutrients and micro nutrients that nourish and help the body. If you get a chance to watch the movie you should jump at it. Even if you have no intention of doing a juice fast this movie still inspires you to eat healthy, natural foods and that is never a bad thing.
As soon as I found a place to buy a juicer I ran down and bought one and then headed straight to the store to buy as much organic produce as I thought I would need. Cucumber, kale, celery, tomatoes, carrots, beets and everything else I thought would taste good in a glass. I never took a photo of a the first glass of juice I made. Honestly it tasted a bit like grass clippings. I used way to much celery and it ended up overpowering everything else. I still powered it down and it wasn’t long after that I fell in love with my juicer.
This juice was one of the tastiest. I used 3 carrots, 1/2 cucumber, and apple and about an inch of ginger. It was might tasty. The ginger really adds a kick and gives the juice some interest.
This is the only juice I made that consists of only fruit. Not recommended if your diabetic just because of how much sugar it contains, but this juice tasted like a tropical island to me. This glass was 1/2 a pineapple, and apple, two oranges and a handful of strawberries. All I really needed to do was add vodka.
This juice was pure veg. Beet, kale, carrot, tomato, bell pepper and celery. I loved the rich purple of this juice. It is pretty amazing that only a quarter of a small beet turns everything into a gorgeous purple. I have never felt better than when I started including juice into my lifestyle. Not only is my body getting what I need but I just have more energy. I have also been eating really well and working out so the combination of all three has helped me get to a place where I am happy. The weight is falling off and the smile is back on my face. There really isn’t anything better in the world.
What are your thoughts on juicing? Have you ever given it a try?
Life has been pretty great lately. Normally I am one to look for the positive side of things but the last few weeks I have really made an effort to do what makes me happy. The nice thing about happiness is how simple it is. Sometimes happiness is an extra ten minutes of sleep or turning down going out one night. Sometimes its putting on my nicest shoes and hitting the town for a few drinks, sometimes it is just a matter of being content. Life has a funny way of working itself out and lately I have been incredibly relaxed. Making myself a priority has certainly made me a happier healthier person.
Last Sunday I weighed in and I hit my first mini goal! I was officially down 25lbs ( I have lost a few more since then) and it honestly couldn’t feel greater. I haven’t noticed a huge difference in my body yet but my energy has skyrocketed. It is easier to get out of bed in the morning and I have energy throughout the whole day. Everyone always asks how I have been losing the weight and honestly there is no magic trick. You all know that. Nothing but healthy choices and hard work make weight loss possible. I have my moments of weakness just like everyone else but at the end of the day you just need to remember whats important to you. Turning down a cookie has never hurt anyone (at least I hope it hasn’t).
My next goal is the 50lb gone mark and I am well on my way to getting there. I really want to focus on getting into the gym more consistently than I am. Keeping my body moving is a big part of having a healthy maintainable weight loss and as I lose the weight and work on my body things like running or yoga get easier and easier to do.
This last week has been fantastic as far as healthy eating goes. I finally feel comfortable in my healthy eating skin. I feel confident I can make the right choices, fuel my body properly and improve my overall health. As a bonus I am only 5 pounds away from my first goal. Hopefully I surpass that goal this week.
A few things have really helped me in getting my shit in order. First of all I don’t even allow myself to buy food that is going to tempt me. I still allow myself to indulge and have a treat every now and then. It is just preferable if I don’t have 10 servings available at all hours of the night. My self control is not that good yet. Another thing that has really helped me is loading my meals and snacks with fresh veggies. It sounds pretty simple but I did not get to be 100+ overweight by overindulging in vegetables. My body just feels so much better when I am eating a lot of veggies and fruit. I have energy, my sleep is better and overall I just feel great. The weight loss is just a bonus.
This week I really want to focus on getting into the gym and starting a work out routine that is maintainable. I have signed up for a 10km, a 5km and two (!!!!!!!!) half marathons so I need to get my but in gear. Now that I feel comfortable with the healthy eating aspect of weight loss it is time to kick it up in the gym. I know my body wants more and I am totally ready to let it have it.
What is your Monday motivation to kick ass this week?
