AGH! After two solid months of eating better and working out religiously, I hit a wall. My body is changing, but I am not seeing any weight loss. Yes, yes, I know. Throw the scale out the window. Sorry, at my height, there is SUPPOSED to be some weight loss. And, I need to see it.
So, I sat down and re-evaluated everything AGAIN. A calorie is a calorie, right? My calories are 70-80% super heathly. Burn more calories than you eat. Check. So, where am I going wrong? Well, I remembered when I was doing Ideal Protein and losing weight at record speeds. Put two and two together... My diet requires a high protein intake (while still cutting the overall amount of calories) in order for me to see weight loss.
Basically, I need to drink two protein shakes a day - one for breakfast and one post-workout. And, of course, still being smart about my lunch and dinner choices.
I can't wait to lose the weight so that I can go back to maintaining and not drinking my meals...
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Routine
I feel like I have finally hit one of my goals/milestones. I am in a routine. It comes as second nature to get off of work and go to the gym. Saturday, I wake up and plan when/what my workout will be that day. Sunday is my designated day of rest. My clothes are fitting better. I feel like I am making progress. My diet could still be better. When I plan, it's perfectly on-point. But, this is why I am tracking. Even if I am allowing myself to eat not-perfect meals (mainly, leftovers sent by our parents from the weekend), I am exercising portion control. I am not eating out of boredom.
I MIGHT be ready to post progression pictures soon. And, by soon, I mean first part of April. ;)
I MIGHT be ready to post progression pictures soon. And, by soon, I mean first part of April. ;)
Friday, February 1, 2013
End of (Whole30) Days
It's over. Woohoo! So, how do I feel? Pretty good.
Will I do Whole30 again? Maybe. But, more than likely not (rather, not 100%). Here are my thoughts:
The Good:
- I learned how processed food can affect the way my body feels, my energy, my sleep, etc.
- I lost about 5 pounds.
- I lost inches, and feel smaller.
- It seemed like I had more energy for my workouts.
- I got a great start to my new "health journey".
The Bad:
- It is a difficult lifestyle to maintain with social events.
- I still had cravings for "bad food".
- The naturally higher fat content of the diet made me "feel gross" or bloated sometimes.
The Ugly:
- In a household where not every person is 100% committed to the plan, it became OBNOXIOUSLY expensive.
Did I mention that our food budget exceeded $1000 in January?! Granted, that included about $200 dedicated to the alcohol, groceries & two meals for the beach trip with the girls, but, still... I budget $400-500 a month on food - that includes groceries and dining out. That budget has been suiting us just fine - even during the holidays. So to see it double was ridiculous.
Here's the deal. I've lost weight before. This served the exact purpose I expected it to - to give me a solid jump start back into a healthy lifestyle. Michael tried out a few new recipes with me, and started back on his healthy track. I know that we can find a happy medium together that will not bust the shit out of our budget like Whole30 did. Literally, I cannot go back to eating badly now because it makes me feel like crap for days. I've also grown accustomed to my 5-6 workouts per week, which helps keep my diet in line (don't want to reverse all that good work!). My plan now is to keep our household eating good, clean, healthy foods as much as possible. I will go back to reserving Sundays as my "don't giv'a damn" day (we visit with family all day, and there are always diet-busting foods), with maybe a cheat dinner somewhere during the week - typically, Friday or Saturday night for a "date". That is exactly what I did before, and it worked beautifully. I did not feel like I was sacrificing, and I made better choices & portion control on my cheats because my cravings were not awful. I have 30lbs (of fat) to go. Getting it off is one thing, keeping it off is where I'm focused.
Will I do Whole30 again? Maybe. But, more than likely not (rather, not 100%). Here are my thoughts:
The Good:
- I learned how processed food can affect the way my body feels, my energy, my sleep, etc.
- I lost about 5 pounds.
- I lost inches, and feel smaller.
- It seemed like I had more energy for my workouts.
- I got a great start to my new "health journey".
The Bad:
- It is a difficult lifestyle to maintain with social events.
- I still had cravings for "bad food".
- The naturally higher fat content of the diet made me "feel gross" or bloated sometimes.
The Ugly:
- In a household where not every person is 100% committed to the plan, it became OBNOXIOUSLY expensive.
Did I mention that our food budget exceeded $1000 in January?! Granted, that included about $200 dedicated to the alcohol, groceries & two meals for the beach trip with the girls, but, still... I budget $400-500 a month on food - that includes groceries and dining out. That budget has been suiting us just fine - even during the holidays. So to see it double was ridiculous.
Here's the deal. I've lost weight before. This served the exact purpose I expected it to - to give me a solid jump start back into a healthy lifestyle. Michael tried out a few new recipes with me, and started back on his healthy track. I know that we can find a happy medium together that will not bust the shit out of our budget like Whole30 did. Literally, I cannot go back to eating badly now because it makes me feel like crap for days. I've also grown accustomed to my 5-6 workouts per week, which helps keep my diet in line (don't want to reverse all that good work!). My plan now is to keep our household eating good, clean, healthy foods as much as possible. I will go back to reserving Sundays as my "don't giv'a damn" day (we visit with family all day, and there are always diet-busting foods), with maybe a cheat dinner somewhere during the week - typically, Friday or Saturday night for a "date". That is exactly what I did before, and it worked beautifully. I did not feel like I was sacrificing, and I made better choices & portion control on my cheats because my cravings were not awful. I have 30lbs (of fat) to go. Getting it off is one thing, keeping it off is where I'm focused.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
How do you do it?
I realized today that there is not, nor will there be, enough time in a day. As I hurried to get myself and Ethan dressed and out the door for the day, I took a look around my messy house and thought, "I'm going to clean house tonight." But, even I can admit it - that's a total joke.
We (Michael, Ethan and I) hit the road at 7:30am (although we always try for earlier), and don't step foot back through the doors of our home until roughly 7pm, maybe 6:30pm on a great day. That includes work, working out, and the pick-up/drop-off of Ethan. I've been trying to get better at using my crockpot so that dinner is at least hot and ready when we get home. If not, dinner is usually served around 7:30/8pm. Wow. That feels so late when I type it out. Then it's bath, teeth, book, prayers and bed time for Ethan - no later than 9pm, but always aiming for earlier. Then, I finally get to park my ass on the couch and play catch-up with Michael. After some quality time, I usually piddle and Michael either works out or plays on Xbox (we were watching The League until it ran out on Netflix. Need something new...). We usually curl up into bed at around 10/11pm. Literally, I always wonder how did we get to bed so late, but reading the above kind of says it all.
I write this out because at one point I thought I could not squeeze one more thing into my day - including a work-out. Now, I look forward to leaving my 9-5 to work up a sweat. I feel so much better when I leave the gym, and I feel like I'm a better person to my family - even on the "bad" days. I enjoy a clean, tidy house more than most people, and it's taken a little getting used to to see my house in such a disarray so much of the time. The last time I did a deep clean of the house, I found myself laughing at this thought: "The only bad thing about cleaning house is that it restarts the countdown to the next time you need to clean it." Isn't that the damn truth! Houses do not stay clean, even when you do "simple maintenance" (as Michael would call it). And, when you have kids you can pretty much forget about it. Moms who keep a sparkling house with small children must not have any hobbies, or they pay dearly for a fabulous housekeeper (whose number they should pass to me).
Oh, and weekends, you say? I guess I could... But, lately, our Saturdays have been reserved for family trips to the Farmer's Market, taking turns working out, and then trying to cram in whatever we have been invited to that night (usually means finding a babysitter - which I've become not fond of since it seems like we have something EVERY.SINGLE.WEEKEND). I'm looking forward to some Saturday nights at home soon. Maybe then I'll clean the house. You know, for real. Maybe. ;)
We (Michael, Ethan and I) hit the road at 7:30am (although we always try for earlier), and don't step foot back through the doors of our home until roughly 7pm, maybe 6:30pm on a great day. That includes work, working out, and the pick-up/drop-off of Ethan. I've been trying to get better at using my crockpot so that dinner is at least hot and ready when we get home. If not, dinner is usually served around 7:30/8pm. Wow. That feels so late when I type it out. Then it's bath, teeth, book, prayers and bed time for Ethan - no later than 9pm, but always aiming for earlier. Then, I finally get to park my ass on the couch and play catch-up with Michael. After some quality time, I usually piddle and Michael either works out or plays on Xbox (we were watching The League until it ran out on Netflix. Need something new...). We usually curl up into bed at around 10/11pm. Literally, I always wonder how did we get to bed so late, but reading the above kind of says it all.
I write this out because at one point I thought I could not squeeze one more thing into my day - including a work-out. Now, I look forward to leaving my 9-5 to work up a sweat. I feel so much better when I leave the gym, and I feel like I'm a better person to my family - even on the "bad" days. I enjoy a clean, tidy house more than most people, and it's taken a little getting used to to see my house in such a disarray so much of the time. The last time I did a deep clean of the house, I found myself laughing at this thought: "The only bad thing about cleaning house is that it restarts the countdown to the next time you need to clean it." Isn't that the damn truth! Houses do not stay clean, even when you do "simple maintenance" (as Michael would call it). And, when you have kids you can pretty much forget about it. Moms who keep a sparkling house with small children must not have any hobbies, or they pay dearly for a fabulous housekeeper (whose number they should pass to me).
Oh, and weekends, you say? I guess I could... But, lately, our Saturdays have been reserved for family trips to the Farmer's Market, taking turns working out, and then trying to cram in whatever we have been invited to that night (usually means finding a babysitter - which I've become not fond of since it seems like we have something EVERY.SINGLE.WEEKEND). I'm looking forward to some Saturday nights at home soon. Maybe then I'll clean the house. You know, for real. Maybe. ;)
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Other peoples eyes
So, I feel like I haven't made much progress as far as slimming down this month. I definitely feel better, and feel like I am progressing with improving my strength. However, this week, I've had two people tell me that I am "looking good" and to "keep it up". So, am I too hard on myself? Maybe.
I will definitely be staying on a Paleo track - of course not 100% of the time, but as much as possible. It's true how they preach that food can be your medicine. Since cutting the processed foods, I just feel so much better. I even sleep better. I'm excited to branch out into more Paleo recipes once Whole30 is over (so many yummy things out there that are Paleo, but not Whole30 approved).
I just need to remember that slow and steady wins the race. All of these changes are helping me in the long run. But, hearing other people notice physical changes in me (when I don't) really does help.
I will definitely be staying on a Paleo track - of course not 100% of the time, but as much as possible. It's true how they preach that food can be your medicine. Since cutting the processed foods, I just feel so much better. I even sleep better. I'm excited to branch out into more Paleo recipes once Whole30 is over (so many yummy things out there that are Paleo, but not Whole30 approved).
I just need to remember that slow and steady wins the race. All of these changes are helping me in the long run. But, hearing other people notice physical changes in me (when I don't) really does help.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
I cannot win.
The past 24 hours have been brutal - more so emotionally. Brutal might be exaggerating...maybe obnoxious is a better description.
I'm over halfway through my Whole30 challenge, and it has been pretty awesome. I definitely miss bread, and I definitely miss sweets. And, chips...and splenda and coffee creamer. Okay, I miss everything! But, I feel better all around. My taste has started changing, which is what happened before when I lost all of my weight. That tells me that I'm going in the right direction.
Back to the obnoxious stuff.
Yesterday started off annoying - I had to move offices for a second time. This makes three different offices that I have "lived in" here, and two different buildings. I moved into a smaller space and had to figure out how to ghetto-rig two desks so that I had the space I needed. The guys who were helping us that were moving told me that it's a good thing I am small because a normal sized person wouldn't be able to work in my "new" office. Lovely. Thanks for that. And, I know that I will be moving again in the next year because we acquired the building next door. Everyone will be rearranged when that lease is up. What is the most annoying about it all is that the person who wanted my job was reveling in it. They were being extra "cheery" and "helpful".
Then, I had to miss my Crossfit workout after work because I was playing catch-up from being occupied with moving all morning. Dad needed us to get Ethan early because he had a dinner with friends, and Michael couldn't leave in time. No problem...I would've run, but the weather was freezing and wet. The last thing I was going to do was get myself sick two days before my beach trip.
Then, this morning... Oh, the fun! My coffee exploded. And, did I mention that our kitchen light is out? So, I don't even know if I cleaned everything up. ANNOYING. So, here I am at work. I grabbed a cup of regular coffee and decided to just go ahead and mix a couple of creamers and packets of splenda. Well, remember how I said my tastes have started to change? The pumpkin spice creamer tastes like shit now. UGH! I cannot win today.
But, I got the best hugs and kisses from the cutest little boy and the most handsome man today. Michael and Ethan definitely make everything better. <3 p="p">
I'm over halfway through my Whole30 challenge, and it has been pretty awesome. I definitely miss bread, and I definitely miss sweets. And, chips...and splenda and coffee creamer. Okay, I miss everything! But, I feel better all around. My taste has started changing, which is what happened before when I lost all of my weight. That tells me that I'm going in the right direction.
Back to the obnoxious stuff.
Yesterday started off annoying - I had to move offices for a second time. This makes three different offices that I have "lived in" here, and two different buildings. I moved into a smaller space and had to figure out how to ghetto-rig two desks so that I had the space I needed. The guys who were helping us that were moving told me that it's a good thing I am small because a normal sized person wouldn't be able to work in my "new" office. Lovely. Thanks for that. And, I know that I will be moving again in the next year because we acquired the building next door. Everyone will be rearranged when that lease is up. What is the most annoying about it all is that the person who wanted my job was reveling in it. They were being extra "cheery" and "helpful".
Then, I had to miss my Crossfit workout after work because I was playing catch-up from being occupied with moving all morning. Dad needed us to get Ethan early because he had a dinner with friends, and Michael couldn't leave in time. No problem...I would've run, but the weather was freezing and wet. The last thing I was going to do was get myself sick two days before my beach trip.
Then, this morning... Oh, the fun! My coffee exploded. And, did I mention that our kitchen light is out? So, I don't even know if I cleaned everything up. ANNOYING. So, here I am at work. I grabbed a cup of regular coffee and decided to just go ahead and mix a couple of creamers and packets of splenda. Well, remember how I said my tastes have started to change? The pumpkin spice creamer tastes like shit now. UGH! I cannot win today.
But, I got the best hugs and kisses from the cutest little boy and the most handsome man today. Michael and Ethan definitely make everything better. <3 p="p">
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)