While in the shower at the gym today I was brainstorming about that article (which may be more of a blog post, I don’t remember) which I want to write about when my thoughts led down an interesting path and has made me rethink my goals. (Sticking with the 20% though!)
While lathering up I was thinking about if I ever considered myself ‘fat’ and what my eating habits were like my freshmen year in high school when’s I went from 150 to 125 in three months. Me at 125 was a little scrawny but I had muscles. Before you panic and wonder why I dropped 25 pounds in three months, let me explain.
I would have been around the age of 14 and was weighing in around 150 and 5’4”. I was chunky but not ‘fat’ in my mind. My family however made me feel fatter than I was but still bought Totino’s pizzas and pizza rolls and curly fries and other junk so that’s all we really had to make ourselves for dinner. (Us being my sister and I who was still at home.) The oldest sister was skinny and somehow the middle sister and I were made to feel compared to her all the time. (Still are in many ways but Mon can’t really say she is winning the most fit part of the comparison anymore.)
Summer before freshmen year started and I joined the color guard. I went off to camp and by the time school was in full swing I was down to 125! I had practice every day after school in the heat and humidity. I was the only child at home and began to beg for healthier food options because I was tired of the same thing all the time. Healthier food became meat and cheese sandwiches and me cooking dinner like hamburger helper and such. Still not “healthy” but more variety than the past. I was just busier and not sitting at home eating all the time.
I should add that I don’t really blame my parents for the food we were raised on. They did what they could, made what they were used to, and that’s just life. We ate a lot of Shake-n-Bake chicken as a kid after mom went on a ban against fried food. (We never made homemade fried chicken anyway...) Bacon was only for BLT’s and that was like twice a year. Money was also tight so we had what was affordable.
Sophomore year I had still kept the weight off and I remember borrowing a size 3 dress to wear to homecoming. It did have a lace up back so I could get in and out of it but it was still a size THREE! Slowly, over time, mostly senior year, I gained weight and looking back attribute it a lot to stress. Life of a teen compounded by my loving mother and being the only child left at home made up a lot of the stress. When I went to Hawaii on a band trip just after graduation I was not comfortable with my weight. I had spent time at the gym with a friend for months trying to get into shape but didn’t have a clue what we were doing. I felt fat for the first time. Doesn’t help when you show your dad a group photo when you get back and he can’t spot you.... in the center... very clearly... and responds with “I didn’t realize you had gained that much weight.” Yeah.
Reflecting on it this morning my thought went something like: I managed to go from 125/130ish all the way to 160ish pounds and I felt so fat and gross. (I do understand that 160 is not fat and am not judging. Promise.)Then it hit me...
I am happy to be approaching 165 this morning and couldn’t have been more proud! Holy Shit! My old ‘fat’ weight has become my new skinny weight. The lowest I think I would look ok at is 150 but it would be lucky for me to get there. Even looking back at that photo not much is different about me.
WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?! So, I’m still aiming for 20% body fat but no longer am I afraid of losing 30 pounds. Again, I don’t plan on losing all of it but turning some of it to muscle. But, no longer am I going to be ok with thinking I’m where I should be and the charts lie when I’m at the same weight ish I was when I thought I was ‘fat.’
Changing the mindset.
Was going to attach photos but they don’t want to upload easily from my phone. I’ll try later.
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Monday, October 1, 2018
Let’s Try This Again
Ironically I’m back on public transit, on my phone and posting this. Just looked back at the last post and some themes seem odd exist...
First, I am rocking day 4 of no processed sugars. I have a new goal, but more on that in a minute, and it has given me something to strive for. And I REALLY want to meet that goal!
Second, I was thinking this morning about how I may be rocking it this time because I’m not on my period or starting my period. If I can get in the habit BEFORE all the massive cravings happen that should help. Posted about that in the last post too!
So, this new goal you ask? Ok. I want to get to 20% body fat. 15% is dangerous for women and 18% can start to have negative effects for some. I figure 20% should be alright and is already a lofty goal. Not impossible, just going to need to work for it. And so far I am and am staying motivated!
What started this? Well, I read an article someone shared on twitter and want to post about that, but that’s another day. Part of it talks about overweight people knowing what to do but not doing it. I don’t see myself as overweight but my BMI says I am and studies somewhere have to link that to health issues. So I figured it is time to buckle down again and just do it!
This morning I woke up and went to check the time but my phone wouldn’t light up. It was 3:46am. I had set an alarm for 3:45 but the phone wouldn’t turn on so... no snooze for me! I got up and went to the gym. Did my workout and off to work I went. But I am stopping on my way home for an alarm clock; the phone is beyond trust. (Factory reset seems to have fixed errors but I’m not going to trust it.)
Currently I am at 36% body fat and 167ish lbs. I did some math and if I just lose fat I will need to lose just under 30 pounds. That’s a little intimidating and puts me at a REALLY low weight. I’m not sure I’d look healthy at that weight so the plan isn’t to replace some of that fat with muscle. This will be achieved by weights/CrossFit style workouts 3 days a week. After a month to adjust to that November will begin three day weights/workouts with 2 days of cardio. I signed up for the marathon relay again and want to get into better shape for it. Once life calms down I’d like to start doing more 5k’s again too. So cardio needs to be worked in.
Other than that I’m going for a more strict Paleo style diet and seeing how it goes. So far, not bad. I did eat BBQ sauce yesterday though that I know had sugars in it... but I did limit the amount! I also discovered my afternoon headaches are probably caused by my lack of salt so salted nuts are now in my drawer to snack on. They aren’t my favorite but I will gladly take them over headaches any day.
So, hopefully this time I can stick with the updates and actually have things to update on. We shall see.
Happy Monday!
First, I am rocking day 4 of no processed sugars. I have a new goal, but more on that in a minute, and it has given me something to strive for. And I REALLY want to meet that goal!
Second, I was thinking this morning about how I may be rocking it this time because I’m not on my period or starting my period. If I can get in the habit BEFORE all the massive cravings happen that should help. Posted about that in the last post too!
So, this new goal you ask? Ok. I want to get to 20% body fat. 15% is dangerous for women and 18% can start to have negative effects for some. I figure 20% should be alright and is already a lofty goal. Not impossible, just going to need to work for it. And so far I am and am staying motivated!
What started this? Well, I read an article someone shared on twitter and want to post about that, but that’s another day. Part of it talks about overweight people knowing what to do but not doing it. I don’t see myself as overweight but my BMI says I am and studies somewhere have to link that to health issues. So I figured it is time to buckle down again and just do it!
This morning I woke up and went to check the time but my phone wouldn’t light up. It was 3:46am. I had set an alarm for 3:45 but the phone wouldn’t turn on so... no snooze for me! I got up and went to the gym. Did my workout and off to work I went. But I am stopping on my way home for an alarm clock; the phone is beyond trust. (Factory reset seems to have fixed errors but I’m not going to trust it.)
Currently I am at 36% body fat and 167ish lbs. I did some math and if I just lose fat I will need to lose just under 30 pounds. That’s a little intimidating and puts me at a REALLY low weight. I’m not sure I’d look healthy at that weight so the plan isn’t to replace some of that fat with muscle. This will be achieved by weights/CrossFit style workouts 3 days a week. After a month to adjust to that November will begin three day weights/workouts with 2 days of cardio. I signed up for the marathon relay again and want to get into better shape for it. Once life calms down I’d like to start doing more 5k’s again too. So cardio needs to be worked in.
Other than that I’m going for a more strict Paleo style diet and seeing how it goes. So far, not bad. I did eat BBQ sauce yesterday though that I know had sugars in it... but I did limit the amount! I also discovered my afternoon headaches are probably caused by my lack of salt so salted nuts are now in my drawer to snack on. They aren’t my favorite but I will gladly take them over headaches any day.
So, hopefully this time I can stick with the updates and actually have things to update on. We shall see.
Happy Monday!
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Things you just shouldn't say. Period.
My mom came to visit.
A long time ago, like 5 years ago, I learned that no matter what I'll never make my mom happy. Mom will always have something to say. She will be disappointed. I will be a horrible daughter some how. I can't control that. I can't control her and how she treats me. What I can control is me, how I treat her, and living far away from her so I don't have to deal with her on a regular basis.
Now, don't get me wrong, I respect my mom. She has done a lot. She has taught me quite a few things in life. There are many good qualities about my mom. I recognize that. I will acknowledge that. But, when we spend time together in close quarters I am reminded of all the things she likes to say.
I have begun to call them Momisms.
Momism from this evening: You're not supposed to work out every day. You're supposed to give your muscles a break.
Yes, true, I worked mostly arms today so my run tomorrow should be fine. Heaven forbid I be in shape and can actually do physical activity daily?
Momism from Monday: You and your fiance are old enough and set in your ways enough that you're going to struggle.
Really? Wow. Thanks for that vote of confidence. We rather seem to like each other, know how to discuss things, and often think a like already. Yeah we know it won't all be sunshine and roses, but we will work through them. I like to think we are older, more mature, and ready to be in a marriage because of this, not doomed.
Momism from last week while taking the dog for her morning walk after my run: (I gotta give you the whole conversation...)
Mom: So when you go to Crossfit is there a coach?
Me: Yep, that's how Crossfit works. There is a coach to help you with all the stuff we do and the workout.
Mom: Oh, well when your sister and her husband go they go for a WHOLE HOUR.
Me: Yep, I go 5:30 to 6:30. That's an hour.
Mom: Well, when they go it is NON-STOP for an hour. They are constantly doing something the WHOLE TIME.
Me: Yep, that's Crossfit.
Cause my Crossfit is so much more inferior to the Crossfit my sister (her fave) hasn't done in almost two years?
Momism from last week, the day after the one just listed and on our walk again: (again, you need the convo)
Me: My butt hurts. We did a lot today at Crossfit so walking is a little difficult this morning.
Mom: (something not so memorable)
Me: I made your sister laugh when we were dress shopping. My sister kept picking dresses that were way too small and your sister was the only one paying attention to me. In one of them I told her that at least my butt looked good and flexed it causing her to laugh. Nobody else saw it.
Mom: Well you look like a sausage in the wedding dress you bought too.
Yep. That's my mom. That's one of those things that nobody should ever say to anyone, ESPECIALLY their daughter. This is the one that takes the cake for this visit! Mind you, this is followed a week later by implying that I workout too much. Which is it? Am I fat or do I workout too much? No mention of the 25 lbs I've lost since the last time I saw her. Nope. This is my mom. Yet I will still respect her. I will still be polite, as much as possible, and cook for her and take care of her while she is here. I will still be concerned for her and try to help her out. But at the end of the day when she says something about how I'm not the greatest of daughters (comments have been made implying this in the past) she won't have any actual evidence. I will NOT give her the evidence of making her feel like she makes me feel with her comments. I cannot control her or her actions, but I can control mine.
Now, most think this would make me feel bad. I've learned not to listen to my mom. It has actually become a joke. I told someone about it and they said if I was a sausage then I must be a turkey sausage. I came back with "cause I'm so lean." So now I have a wedding dress which makes me a "lean turkey sausage."
What does upset me? Well, the fact that I lost my best friend when I pissed her off standing up for myself when I told her I too have issues with my body and don't like it. The ONE person who is ALWAYS supposed to have your back told me that I look like a sausage in my wedding dress. A dress Mom only saw a picture of me in, a dress she told me she didn't even want to see while she is here, and a dress that I LOVE and feel amazing in because I know I look amazing in it.
I know without a doubt I do NOT look like a sausage. Not even remotely. I don't even think I have the weird side boob/fat arm pits in this dress. I know I work hard to be where I am today in my fitness journey and to keep it going. I know that Mom can take her comment about not needing to worry about shrinking out of my clothes because I'm apparently going to get pregnant and gain it all right back and shove it. I'm changing my life for me and my future. I'm not losing weight for the wedding, I'm losing weight because it is healthier for me, helps me feel better, and I just like being active. This is a lifestyle change I'm working on and not a short term fix.
A long time ago, like 5 years ago, I learned that no matter what I'll never make my mom happy. Mom will always have something to say. She will be disappointed. I will be a horrible daughter some how. I can't control that. I can't control her and how she treats me. What I can control is me, how I treat her, and living far away from her so I don't have to deal with her on a regular basis.
Now, don't get me wrong, I respect my mom. She has done a lot. She has taught me quite a few things in life. There are many good qualities about my mom. I recognize that. I will acknowledge that. But, when we spend time together in close quarters I am reminded of all the things she likes to say.
I have begun to call them Momisms.
Momism from this evening: You're not supposed to work out every day. You're supposed to give your muscles a break.
Yes, true, I worked mostly arms today so my run tomorrow should be fine. Heaven forbid I be in shape and can actually do physical activity daily?
Momism from Monday: You and your fiance are old enough and set in your ways enough that you're going to struggle.
Really? Wow. Thanks for that vote of confidence. We rather seem to like each other, know how to discuss things, and often think a like already. Yeah we know it won't all be sunshine and roses, but we will work through them. I like to think we are older, more mature, and ready to be in a marriage because of this, not doomed.
Momism from last week while taking the dog for her morning walk after my run: (I gotta give you the whole conversation...)
Mom: So when you go to Crossfit is there a coach?
Me: Yep, that's how Crossfit works. There is a coach to help you with all the stuff we do and the workout.
Mom: Oh, well when your sister and her husband go they go for a WHOLE HOUR.
Me: Yep, I go 5:30 to 6:30. That's an hour.
Mom: Well, when they go it is NON-STOP for an hour. They are constantly doing something the WHOLE TIME.
Me: Yep, that's Crossfit.
Cause my Crossfit is so much more inferior to the Crossfit my sister (her fave) hasn't done in almost two years?
Momism from last week, the day after the one just listed and on our walk again: (again, you need the convo)
Me: My butt hurts. We did a lot today at Crossfit so walking is a little difficult this morning.
Mom: (something not so memorable)
Me: I made your sister laugh when we were dress shopping. My sister kept picking dresses that were way too small and your sister was the only one paying attention to me. In one of them I told her that at least my butt looked good and flexed it causing her to laugh. Nobody else saw it.
Mom: Well you look like a sausage in the wedding dress you bought too.
Yep. That's my mom. That's one of those things that nobody should ever say to anyone, ESPECIALLY their daughter. This is the one that takes the cake for this visit! Mind you, this is followed a week later by implying that I workout too much. Which is it? Am I fat or do I workout too much? No mention of the 25 lbs I've lost since the last time I saw her. Nope. This is my mom. Yet I will still respect her. I will still be polite, as much as possible, and cook for her and take care of her while she is here. I will still be concerned for her and try to help her out. But at the end of the day when she says something about how I'm not the greatest of daughters (comments have been made implying this in the past) she won't have any actual evidence. I will NOT give her the evidence of making her feel like she makes me feel with her comments. I cannot control her or her actions, but I can control mine.
Now, most think this would make me feel bad. I've learned not to listen to my mom. It has actually become a joke. I told someone about it and they said if I was a sausage then I must be a turkey sausage. I came back with "cause I'm so lean." So now I have a wedding dress which makes me a "lean turkey sausage."
What does upset me? Well, the fact that I lost my best friend when I pissed her off standing up for myself when I told her I too have issues with my body and don't like it. The ONE person who is ALWAYS supposed to have your back told me that I look like a sausage in my wedding dress. A dress Mom only saw a picture of me in, a dress she told me she didn't even want to see while she is here, and a dress that I LOVE and feel amazing in because I know I look amazing in it.
I know without a doubt I do NOT look like a sausage. Not even remotely. I don't even think I have the weird side boob/fat arm pits in this dress. I know I work hard to be where I am today in my fitness journey and to keep it going. I know that Mom can take her comment about not needing to worry about shrinking out of my clothes because I'm apparently going to get pregnant and gain it all right back and shove it. I'm changing my life for me and my future. I'm not losing weight for the wedding, I'm losing weight because it is healthier for me, helps me feel better, and I just like being active. This is a lifestyle change I'm working on and not a short term fix.
Monday, March 20, 2017
The Downside of Losing Weight
So everyone thinks losing weight is all happiness right? I mean you feel better, you look better, you feel you look better, you are happier, you're healthier (for most of us, not always is losing weight healthy). Why should anyone be upset about dropping a few pounds?!
Ask my bank account.
So the food isn't as cheap as all the junk I used to eat. I know. PB&J's are cheaper than actually cooking. Eating the amount of meat I have been in the last few weeks isn't cheap, not to mention trying to eat fruits and veggies too. But, I shop when things are on sale and base my meals around that. I buy in larger amounts when there is a good deal and freeze it. I am trying to make extras of stuff to freeze also. For example: ground beef was on sale last week, so was ground turkey, so I made four pounds worth of meatballs and froze them. Now I have quick weeknight meal when I need one. The fiance's vacuum sealer he received from me for Christmas is getting used, that's for sure.
If it isn't the food then what could it be?!
Clothes.
Remember back this summer when I was avoiding buying clothes at all costs? Remember that "friend" who told me it is dumb to not want to buy clothes that fit? Yeah, that was because I wanted to lose the weight and didn't want to spend the money just to shrink out of the new clothes. I don't have money to just flush down the drain like that.
Well, I broke down and purchased some new jeans and dress pants. A couple shirts were also thrown in. Now? Now I can't fit them. The dress pants fall off of me. The stretch denim capris are baggy. The workout pants are loose and fall off!!! I have a pair of dress pants that I found in the closet that needed to be hemmed. I've worn them once... now TOO BIG. Just this morning I found another pair of jeans I forgot I had purchased because they also needed to be hemmed... I'm sure they don't fit anymore either!
Now what do I do?! I need a third job just to pay for a new wardrobe that fits!
Current plan is to have a yard sale and sell my wardrobe to help pay for a new one. We will see how that goes...
Ask my bank account.
So the food isn't as cheap as all the junk I used to eat. I know. PB&J's are cheaper than actually cooking. Eating the amount of meat I have been in the last few weeks isn't cheap, not to mention trying to eat fruits and veggies too. But, I shop when things are on sale and base my meals around that. I buy in larger amounts when there is a good deal and freeze it. I am trying to make extras of stuff to freeze also. For example: ground beef was on sale last week, so was ground turkey, so I made four pounds worth of meatballs and froze them. Now I have quick weeknight meal when I need one. The fiance's vacuum sealer he received from me for Christmas is getting used, that's for sure.
If it isn't the food then what could it be?!
Clothes.
Remember back this summer when I was avoiding buying clothes at all costs? Remember that "friend" who told me it is dumb to not want to buy clothes that fit? Yeah, that was because I wanted to lose the weight and didn't want to spend the money just to shrink out of the new clothes. I don't have money to just flush down the drain like that.
Well, I broke down and purchased some new jeans and dress pants. A couple shirts were also thrown in. Now? Now I can't fit them. The dress pants fall off of me. The stretch denim capris are baggy. The workout pants are loose and fall off!!! I have a pair of dress pants that I found in the closet that needed to be hemmed. I've worn them once... now TOO BIG. Just this morning I found another pair of jeans I forgot I had purchased because they also needed to be hemmed... I'm sure they don't fit anymore either!
Now what do I do?! I need a third job just to pay for a new wardrobe that fits!
Current plan is to have a yard sale and sell my wardrobe to help pay for a new one. We will see how that goes...
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Whole30 Go For it!
I have been following a strict Whole 30 diet for the whole month of March (so far). I was feeling better but now my stomach is messed up. I think it has to do with candida again.
I haven't actually had any terrible cravings. One night I wanted something sweet so I stopped at the store and picked up some bananas and frozen fruit for a smoothie. I have taken a real liking to frozen fruit, a banana, and some coconut milk to make a smoothie. In the morning I decided to add some cocoa powder to mix it up a little. It has been a LONG time since I have made brownies, but I'm pretty sure my brain thought I was drinking the batter! It was SOOOOOO GOOOOD!!!!
Since this summer I have lost 20 lbs. That's right, 20 lbs. Someone asked me the other day how much I had lost because I was looking so good. (A perk about never seeing your coworkers, they notice differences.) It hit me after I replied, twenty pounds, that HOLY CRAP!!! I've lost TWENTY POUNDS!!! I have never been the one who is always talking about "I just need to lose 10 lbs" or anything like that. But I realized I lost a bag of dog food worth of weight, two large bags of potatoes worth, just less than half my dog worth! No wonder running is easier these days, I'm not carrying a ton of weight around anymore! Also, made me realize just how much weight I had gained in a year.
It has taken a long time, but it sure feels good to be hovering around 162 lbs again. I saw 158 once and am hoping to see it again. This Whole30 thing should continue to help with that goal. I couldn't imagine what I would do if I saw 140 anything.
I haven't actually had any terrible cravings. One night I wanted something sweet so I stopped at the store and picked up some bananas and frozen fruit for a smoothie. I have taken a real liking to frozen fruit, a banana, and some coconut milk to make a smoothie. In the morning I decided to add some cocoa powder to mix it up a little. It has been a LONG time since I have made brownies, but I'm pretty sure my brain thought I was drinking the batter! It was SOOOOOO GOOOOD!!!!
Since this summer I have lost 20 lbs. That's right, 20 lbs. Someone asked me the other day how much I had lost because I was looking so good. (A perk about never seeing your coworkers, they notice differences.) It hit me after I replied, twenty pounds, that HOLY CRAP!!! I've lost TWENTY POUNDS!!! I have never been the one who is always talking about "I just need to lose 10 lbs" or anything like that. But I realized I lost a bag of dog food worth of weight, two large bags of potatoes worth, just less than half my dog worth! No wonder running is easier these days, I'm not carrying a ton of weight around anymore! Also, made me realize just how much weight I had gained in a year.
It has taken a long time, but it sure feels good to be hovering around 162 lbs again. I saw 158 once and am hoping to see it again. This Whole30 thing should continue to help with that goal. I couldn't imagine what I would do if I saw 140 anything.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Spring? *updated*
It is hard to remember that it is still winter. We are in the "Spring Semester" and the weather is wonderful! I'm sure it will change again shortly but for now it is hard to remember that it isn't officially spring. Now, the spring semester is when I seem to get the busiest. Weekends are booked and busy along with evenings and week days. I didn't even look to see when the last time I had a moment to blog was.
I'm still doing alright with the workouts. Minus the illness of last weekend (flu is no fun) I have been going on a semi-regular basis. It is challenging when I'm not home in the mornings or am getting behind on grading and HAVE to get grades updated.
In the diet area I have been slacking. I have gotten in the habit of allowing myself food I shouldn't have once a week. That turned into once a week and anytime I was in a hurry. That turned into anytime I kind of wanted food I shouldn't have. Last weekend I was chaperoning a field trip and rather than packing food I opted to eat the food there and what we bought the kids. I ate WAY too much pizza on Friday night which led to waking up feeling HORRIBLE and puking. It was one of those situations where I didn't want to puke but knew it would make me feel so much better if I did. Then I ended up puking and was asking myself why I hadn't just done that earlier. I regretted eating pizza so much since I was assuming it was just my body rejecting all the gluten and cheese and grease and butter and garlic and... I'm getting an upset stomach just talking about it.
Well, turns out one of the teachers I work with had a kid down with a 24 hour stomach bug. I then determined that must be my issue when I had completely emptied my stomach and was still puking. But, everything tasted like pizza for 24 hours and I am now against pizza. I don't even really want a tomato sauce on anything yet either.
So I decided it was the kick in the pants that I needed. My weight loss has stopped and I know it is the diet. I also haven't been feeling great. I haven't been liking my job. I have noticed a lot going downhill in my attitude so it is time to get back on track. I know food leads to a lot of this. Also, my dog has been diagnosed with diabetes so in researching that more I have been reflecting on my own diet and blood sugar fluctuations. I want so much to get back to being fat adapted! So, March 1st I started a Whole 30. Three days have been good so far and I have some food plans for this week laid out. Already I have dropped about 6 lbs. Inches are about the same, but I have dropped some weight.
Then I got curious when I was looking back at how much I weighed and decided to pull up the original picture from when I started Crossfit. I found it was the end of March (I thought it was the beginning) when I started Crossfit and took some new pictures. I see some changes but nothing that dramatic. I'm still really proud of myself and what I've accomplished. The fact that I can do some of the workouts without feeling like I'm going to die is a great feeling! Also, I'm working towards a 10k distance and it is a good feeling to be able to get on a treadmill and do a walk/run training program and complete almost 3 miles in my last 5k time. And that includes walking!!!
**Update**
After posting this I went on about what I was doing and stumbled upon a post that led me to ask a friend about the former friend who I am no longer friends with. She is going through a very exciting time in her life and I had mixed feelings. I'm sad that I'm not there to experience it all with her. I thought about sending her a message but I have thought about this in the past and don't want to open that can of worms. I thought about sending her a card just to let her know that I'm excited for her but again, I don't want to open that can of worms. She could get the card and find it a nice gesture and go on with her life. She could get the card and want to start talking again. She could get the card and it could fire back up all the bad feelings towards me. She could fire up those feelings and lash out. These go from ideal to what I am completely trying to avoid in the first place. So I was having mixed emotions and decided to just wait and see what I feel in a few days. As I closed all my browser windows there were my two pictures I made part of this post.
Suddenly I see a HUGE difference. I see myself as a much happier person. Instead of focusing on where I don't want to be I focus on how close to where I want to be I actually am. I work and change the world daily. I'm planning a wedding to a guy that makes me smile and makes me happier than I could have ever imagined. I bought a dress that I LOVE and adore and can't believe I will actually be getting married in. I am counting down the days to when I get to spend every day with my husband. I have stress but it is stress related to MY life. I don't let others stress me out as much. Even listening to the people I used to work with I realize all we ever did was complain and now I am WAY more positive and choose to focus on the positives.
THIS I don't ever want to give up. This, sadly, I think is all directly related to losing someone I called my best friend. I always tried my hardest to help her be happy and at the same time I lost my own happiness. As I said then and still say, losing her as a friend isn't about her, it is all about me. It has been too long since I have actually focused on me and worked more on becoming who I want to be rather than trying to be the one who helps everyone else.
I found that I had saved this picture while looking for my "before" photo and I think it says it all.
Now I see someone in the current picture who is figuring out how to swim on the surface again. THAT is why I started Crossfit and working on myself. THAT is why I gave up the friend I was closest to in the whole world. THAT is why I continue this journey. It isn't about weight or numbers or looks, it is about how I feel. Always has been, always will be.... be about me.
I'm still doing alright with the workouts. Minus the illness of last weekend (flu is no fun) I have been going on a semi-regular basis. It is challenging when I'm not home in the mornings or am getting behind on grading and HAVE to get grades updated.
In the diet area I have been slacking. I have gotten in the habit of allowing myself food I shouldn't have once a week. That turned into once a week and anytime I was in a hurry. That turned into anytime I kind of wanted food I shouldn't have. Last weekend I was chaperoning a field trip and rather than packing food I opted to eat the food there and what we bought the kids. I ate WAY too much pizza on Friday night which led to waking up feeling HORRIBLE and puking. It was one of those situations where I didn't want to puke but knew it would make me feel so much better if I did. Then I ended up puking and was asking myself why I hadn't just done that earlier. I regretted eating pizza so much since I was assuming it was just my body rejecting all the gluten and cheese and grease and butter and garlic and... I'm getting an upset stomach just talking about it.Well, turns out one of the teachers I work with had a kid down with a 24 hour stomach bug. I then determined that must be my issue when I had completely emptied my stomach and was still puking. But, everything tasted like pizza for 24 hours and I am now against pizza. I don't even really want a tomato sauce on anything yet either.
So I decided it was the kick in the pants that I needed. My weight loss has stopped and I know it is the diet. I also haven't been feeling great. I haven't been liking my job. I have noticed a lot going downhill in my attitude so it is time to get back on track. I know food leads to a lot of this. Also, my dog has been diagnosed with diabetes so in researching that more I have been reflecting on my own diet and blood sugar fluctuations. I want so much to get back to being fat adapted! So, March 1st I started a Whole 30. Three days have been good so far and I have some food plans for this week laid out. Already I have dropped about 6 lbs. Inches are about the same, but I have dropped some weight.Then I got curious when I was looking back at how much I weighed and decided to pull up the original picture from when I started Crossfit. I found it was the end of March (I thought it was the beginning) when I started Crossfit and took some new pictures. I see some changes but nothing that dramatic. I'm still really proud of myself and what I've accomplished. The fact that I can do some of the workouts without feeling like I'm going to die is a great feeling! Also, I'm working towards a 10k distance and it is a good feeling to be able to get on a treadmill and do a walk/run training program and complete almost 3 miles in my last 5k time. And that includes walking!!!
**Update**
After posting this I went on about what I was doing and stumbled upon a post that led me to ask a friend about the former friend who I am no longer friends with. She is going through a very exciting time in her life and I had mixed feelings. I'm sad that I'm not there to experience it all with her. I thought about sending her a message but I have thought about this in the past and don't want to open that can of worms. I thought about sending her a card just to let her know that I'm excited for her but again, I don't want to open that can of worms. She could get the card and find it a nice gesture and go on with her life. She could get the card and want to start talking again. She could get the card and it could fire back up all the bad feelings towards me. She could fire up those feelings and lash out. These go from ideal to what I am completely trying to avoid in the first place. So I was having mixed emotions and decided to just wait and see what I feel in a few days. As I closed all my browser windows there were my two pictures I made part of this post.
Suddenly I see a HUGE difference. I see myself as a much happier person. Instead of focusing on where I don't want to be I focus on how close to where I want to be I actually am. I work and change the world daily. I'm planning a wedding to a guy that makes me smile and makes me happier than I could have ever imagined. I bought a dress that I LOVE and adore and can't believe I will actually be getting married in. I am counting down the days to when I get to spend every day with my husband. I have stress but it is stress related to MY life. I don't let others stress me out as much. Even listening to the people I used to work with I realize all we ever did was complain and now I am WAY more positive and choose to focus on the positives.
THIS I don't ever want to give up. This, sadly, I think is all directly related to losing someone I called my best friend. I always tried my hardest to help her be happy and at the same time I lost my own happiness. As I said then and still say, losing her as a friend isn't about her, it is all about me. It has been too long since I have actually focused on me and worked more on becoming who I want to be rather than trying to be the one who helps everyone else.I found that I had saved this picture while looking for my "before" photo and I think it says it all.
Now I see someone in the current picture who is figuring out how to swim on the surface again. THAT is why I started Crossfit and working on myself. THAT is why I gave up the friend I was closest to in the whole world. THAT is why I continue this journey. It isn't about weight or numbers or looks, it is about how I feel. Always has been, always will be.... be about me.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
New Year, Busier than ever!!!
Ok, so a lot has happened in the last month and a half. So much so that I haven't had a chance to write anything.
Did I mention I got engaged? So that whole trip over Thanksgiving? I left a part out until we could announce it to family and friends properly before blogging about it. He proposed in Mesa Verde National Park and from there we haven't had a free moment.
December was filled with finding a venue. Being Catholic I know we will be married in a church by a priest or deacon. He isn't Catholic, but he gets to deal. Did you know that you CAN have a destination Catholic wedding?! I didn't but figured they should be able to happen. So after asking at the parish I belong to we set on the hunt to find a church and location we could both agree upon. So far our guidance was "in the mountains of Colorado."
After googling every church in the diocese we narrowed down the list to the ones that were in an ok location and looked nice. This led us to the chapel where we will be getting married. It is GORGEOUS! That led us to looking for reception venues. THAT led us to looking at our "cheap back up" plan... umm... not as cheap so back to the mountain venue! By Christmas we had a date, location, venue, menu (for the most part), decorations, and many more things already decided. Not sure why some get so stressed over this, everything is falling into place nicely. I'm waiting for when it all hits the fan, but so far it is smooth and every hurdle we come to we cross with ease as a couple.
The biggest hurdle was the officiant and interpreter. He is hard of hearing/deaf so it would be nice if he could understand his own wedding and what he is agreeing to. His parents offered to pay for one of his old interpreters to sign for us but she hasn't done it in ten years or more and wouldn't feel comfortable. Back to square one. We were going to try and get a priest who can sign but nobody ever replied. Then we were going to go with the local one but he is busy. Then we were going to go with one from the parish I'm from. Before we did that I wanted to try one more time to get someone who signs. I went to the church where they have a deaf ministry and talked to the ladies in the office. I left a message for the ONLY priest who signs in the whole diocese. That's pretty much the populated area of the sate... the ONLY ONE. It is worth a shot. We took the chance and we got it!!! We will have a ceremony that is both spoken and signed by the same priest. No interpreter needed.
This is a big deal to me because I don't like singling him out for his hearing. I don't like that "special" accommodations need to be made. It should just be something that is done and happens. We shouldn't have to look at different people on our wedding day for what is happening. Now we don't have to and yet we combine both worlds into one. Kind of symbolic of the day...
Then with school I'm planned ahead and things are smooth for the most part. I got new windows in my house. And last year I started working with two other teachers doing a small group ACT/SAT prep class. That's taking off nicely and keeping me crazy busy. This weekend is dress shopping!
So on the dress shopping front I am SO tempted to text up the ol friend I ditched this summer and inform her of what happened. You know, the one who told me I don't know what it is like to not like my body and be called fat? That one. Well, in talking to my father about our wedding budget and all that he let me know that they would toss in a little extra to help with buying a dress since I will need to buy one. Jokingly I asked if he really wasn't going to make me wear the dress my mom has insisted I wear (cause both sisters wore it) for the last 12 years. Nope, it won't fit me. Ok, but they can always alter it.
My father replies with, "Yeah, but they can only let it out so far." My own father. Now I'm not sure he really meant to tell me he thinks I'm too fat to fit into my sisters ' dress but that is in fact what he said.
Nope... no idea what it is like to have strangers call me fat... my family does it enough for me. Of course she won't see it as about me and my feelings but instead will turn it around to be about her so I won't.
In other news I'm feeling good about myself. I now have the drive of "but this will make your arms look good" to push me through workouts and to not wimp out on weight. I'm toning and am getting some definition of a bicep!!!! That's exciting news. I haven't really gotten the scale much lower than 169 or high 168 but tomorrow I'm hopeful. I have been watching what I eat this week and yesterday I was at 175 when I went to bed. 170-171ish when I woke up and just weighed myself before going to bed again. I can usually predict my morning weight based on my evening weight. Tonight I was at 169. I typically drop a few pounds over night as I process food and such so I have high hopes for tomorrow.
More about workouts later.
Did I mention I got engaged? So that whole trip over Thanksgiving? I left a part out until we could announce it to family and friends properly before blogging about it. He proposed in Mesa Verde National Park and from there we haven't had a free moment.
December was filled with finding a venue. Being Catholic I know we will be married in a church by a priest or deacon. He isn't Catholic, but he gets to deal. Did you know that you CAN have a destination Catholic wedding?! I didn't but figured they should be able to happen. So after asking at the parish I belong to we set on the hunt to find a church and location we could both agree upon. So far our guidance was "in the mountains of Colorado."
After googling every church in the diocese we narrowed down the list to the ones that were in an ok location and looked nice. This led us to the chapel where we will be getting married. It is GORGEOUS! That led us to looking for reception venues. THAT led us to looking at our "cheap back up" plan... umm... not as cheap so back to the mountain venue! By Christmas we had a date, location, venue, menu (for the most part), decorations, and many more things already decided. Not sure why some get so stressed over this, everything is falling into place nicely. I'm waiting for when it all hits the fan, but so far it is smooth and every hurdle we come to we cross with ease as a couple.
The biggest hurdle was the officiant and interpreter. He is hard of hearing/deaf so it would be nice if he could understand his own wedding and what he is agreeing to. His parents offered to pay for one of his old interpreters to sign for us but she hasn't done it in ten years or more and wouldn't feel comfortable. Back to square one. We were going to try and get a priest who can sign but nobody ever replied. Then we were going to go with the local one but he is busy. Then we were going to go with one from the parish I'm from. Before we did that I wanted to try one more time to get someone who signs. I went to the church where they have a deaf ministry and talked to the ladies in the office. I left a message for the ONLY priest who signs in the whole diocese. That's pretty much the populated area of the sate... the ONLY ONE. It is worth a shot. We took the chance and we got it!!! We will have a ceremony that is both spoken and signed by the same priest. No interpreter needed.
This is a big deal to me because I don't like singling him out for his hearing. I don't like that "special" accommodations need to be made. It should just be something that is done and happens. We shouldn't have to look at different people on our wedding day for what is happening. Now we don't have to and yet we combine both worlds into one. Kind of symbolic of the day...
Then with school I'm planned ahead and things are smooth for the most part. I got new windows in my house. And last year I started working with two other teachers doing a small group ACT/SAT prep class. That's taking off nicely and keeping me crazy busy. This weekend is dress shopping!
So on the dress shopping front I am SO tempted to text up the ol friend I ditched this summer and inform her of what happened. You know, the one who told me I don't know what it is like to not like my body and be called fat? That one. Well, in talking to my father about our wedding budget and all that he let me know that they would toss in a little extra to help with buying a dress since I will need to buy one. Jokingly I asked if he really wasn't going to make me wear the dress my mom has insisted I wear (cause both sisters wore it) for the last 12 years. Nope, it won't fit me. Ok, but they can always alter it.
My father replies with, "Yeah, but they can only let it out so far." My own father. Now I'm not sure he really meant to tell me he thinks I'm too fat to fit into my sisters ' dress but that is in fact what he said.
Nope... no idea what it is like to have strangers call me fat... my family does it enough for me. Of course she won't see it as about me and my feelings but instead will turn it around to be about her so I won't.
In other news I'm feeling good about myself. I now have the drive of "but this will make your arms look good" to push me through workouts and to not wimp out on weight. I'm toning and am getting some definition of a bicep!!!! That's exciting news. I haven't really gotten the scale much lower than 169 or high 168 but tomorrow I'm hopeful. I have been watching what I eat this week and yesterday I was at 175 when I went to bed. 170-171ish when I woke up and just weighed myself before going to bed again. I can usually predict my morning weight based on my evening weight. Tonight I was at 169. I typically drop a few pounds over night as I process food and such so I have high hopes for tomorrow.
More about workouts later.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
It is paying off... slowly
The other day I stepped on the scale and saw a number less than 170 for the first time in a long time!!!! A week later I saw it again!!! Now, I know 169.8 isn't a huge win but when I stop and look back I'm down over 10 lbs. Today when I stepped on the scale I saw 167!!! I can remember seeing 183 on the scale (more than one day in a row) and this morning I was down 16 lbs!!! (According to my BMI I should lose another 20, I'd be happy with another 7-10)
What have I been doing?
-Less Stress
-Living Happier
-Focusing on the Positives
-Eating Better
-Following more of the diet I paid good money for the blood test to find out
-Working Out
Overall just being more satisfied with life, decluttering it in many ways, and working to enjoy it. Instead of focusing on the bad I try more to focus on the good. It doesn't always happen, but I try and that is the first step. :)
So, just a quick post about my win today and how my weight is better than yesterday. :) Along with the eating habits...
Oh, AND I wore a skirt today. It is cute, I just don't always wear skirts because I'm a teacher and they make me nervous at times being around 8th grade boys all day... Anyway... wore a skirt all day, spent the whole day walking around the room, did a review game so I had to be on my feet and moving things on the board and everything... It was the last period of the day before I realized I never put deodorant on my thighs. (It is a trick to prevent chafing and if you haven't tried it, you should.) I never put deodorant on my thighs and I had no chafing issues!!!! There are a lot of little payoffs to all this...
What have I been doing?
-Less Stress
-Living Happier
-Focusing on the Positives
-Eating Better
-Following more of the diet I paid good money for the blood test to find out
-Working Out
Overall just being more satisfied with life, decluttering it in many ways, and working to enjoy it. Instead of focusing on the bad I try more to focus on the good. It doesn't always happen, but I try and that is the first step. :)
So, just a quick post about my win today and how my weight is better than yesterday. :) Along with the eating habits...
Oh, AND I wore a skirt today. It is cute, I just don't always wear skirts because I'm a teacher and they make me nervous at times being around 8th grade boys all day... Anyway... wore a skirt all day, spent the whole day walking around the room, did a review game so I had to be on my feet and moving things on the board and everything... It was the last period of the day before I realized I never put deodorant on my thighs. (It is a trick to prevent chafing and if you haven't tried it, you should.) I never put deodorant on my thighs and I had no chafing issues!!!! There are a lot of little payoffs to all this...
Monday, November 14, 2016
You Win Some, You Lose Some
Last week I set the goal of eating all Whole30 or at least Paleo to help kick the sugar issues that I have and to get back on track. This has sort of been my whole goal since Halloween time but last week I said it was going to happen! Two weeks till Thanksgiving break, a trip, a turkey, and all the overeating that goes with the above. So, two weeks to reset and make better choices to hopefully help curb all the bad habits over break.
Well, last week was a horrible week when examined up close but when I step back it was actually a great week. Up close it included some late nights at school to get grading and other things taken care of, some crazy time where kids were building constantly on their projects, an election that has led to the worry of a possible pay cuts (definitely not getting raises next year) based on not passing some school funding items, and some really stressful times. But, when I step back I see a week where kids were able to create unexplainable project pieces, rock a presentation to their parents, cook some great food for teachers, and overall show that they are great and why I do what I do.
That being said I was invited to Pizza and Punch by students in the FACS class. I was ecstatic because all of last year I never received an invite for their days to cook for teachers and this year I was invited right away! How can you turn down a chance to sit with students who want you to be there and eat some delicious pizza? It was amazing! Just... it wasn't paleo...
Then Thursday came along. I was tired, had cramps, a to do list a mile long, and just wanted to curl up and go back to bed. Instead I had to be at school, had to get a video made, round up photos, organize some stuff, and put on a happy face until 8pm while students showed off their projects. So, when the math teacher walked in with donuts I may have eaten one... or four... throughout the day. Then, for dinner the other teachers who ran to the store to get sides for our pulled pork brought back cheesecake and berries. How could I resist?! It was a rough, emotional day. Friday I may have helped finish off more cheesecake even though I'm not proud of it.
So, I had some wins in that I kept the cravings down until the end of the week. I even went to the candy drawer, dug through it, and none of the candy sounded good so I closed it and walked away. But I did give in at the end of the week big time!
This week is a new week and everyday is a new day. Today I saw 169 on the scale for the second time in a week. That is a HUGE win!!! I will take it and use it as incentive to keep going. :)
So today I was better at getting my workout in, drinking more water, and avoiding the last of the cheesecake along with other things I shouldn't eat.
Well, last week was a horrible week when examined up close but when I step back it was actually a great week. Up close it included some late nights at school to get grading and other things taken care of, some crazy time where kids were building constantly on their projects, an election that has led to the worry of a possible pay cuts (definitely not getting raises next year) based on not passing some school funding items, and some really stressful times. But, when I step back I see a week where kids were able to create unexplainable project pieces, rock a presentation to their parents, cook some great food for teachers, and overall show that they are great and why I do what I do.
That being said I was invited to Pizza and Punch by students in the FACS class. I was ecstatic because all of last year I never received an invite for their days to cook for teachers and this year I was invited right away! How can you turn down a chance to sit with students who want you to be there and eat some delicious pizza? It was amazing! Just... it wasn't paleo...
Then Thursday came along. I was tired, had cramps, a to do list a mile long, and just wanted to curl up and go back to bed. Instead I had to be at school, had to get a video made, round up photos, organize some stuff, and put on a happy face until 8pm while students showed off their projects. So, when the math teacher walked in with donuts I may have eaten one... or four... throughout the day. Then, for dinner the other teachers who ran to the store to get sides for our pulled pork brought back cheesecake and berries. How could I resist?! It was a rough, emotional day. Friday I may have helped finish off more cheesecake even though I'm not proud of it.
So, I had some wins in that I kept the cravings down until the end of the week. I even went to the candy drawer, dug through it, and none of the candy sounded good so I closed it and walked away. But I did give in at the end of the week big time!
This week is a new week and everyday is a new day. Today I saw 169 on the scale for the second time in a week. That is a HUGE win!!! I will take it and use it as incentive to keep going. :)
So today I was better at getting my workout in, drinking more water, and avoiding the last of the cheesecake along with other things I shouldn't eat.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Halloween
Well, I survived Halloween!
This weekend the bf and I carved pumpkins and they were adorable. Then I came home so I could workout on Monday morning. It was difficult to get up in the morning but the workout was good. We did Fight Gone Bad again! I talked about it in my Week 3 post from April. I looked it back up and saw that my score was 179 in April. Monday I tallied up 182! It isn't a huge difference but it is an improvement. :) Just gotta be better than yesterday.
Monday night the bf and I handed out candy for trick-or-treaters and I cooked. I made caramel popcorn balls, chili, and cornbread. I was going to do a Paleo chili but I'm not supposed to have zucchini and that's a big veggie used in place of beans. Also I figured that my list says legumes are approved so I opted for beans. I made a huge pot full and then froze some and put some away for lunches. This led me to find that I should stop thinking my freezer is empty.
I'm also part of a group of positive, encouraging women and the leader mentioned starting a Whole30 for November. I have wanted to do a Whole30 round before but have never found enough food I am supposed to eat on the list of foods I should eat. So all day today I thought about it. Then, as I finally finished entering grades at 5pm and packed up to head home, I decided that this week it just won't happen. I need time to plan and shop. My goal for this week is to keep drinking lots of water, eat mostly Whole30, and only allow one meal a day to be a healthy, non-Whole30 meal.
My bf said he would also do the diet with me for support but I'm thinking it may have something to do with all the candy we ate last night making us feel so bad this morning... I also haven't done measurements for November because I've gained about 5 lbs from eating KALE SALAD (seriously... kale salad... there is really truth to this ALCAT test...) and then pigging out on candy last night didn't help.
So, now it is time to do more research. :)
Happy November!!!
This weekend the bf and I carved pumpkins and they were adorable. Then I came home so I could workout on Monday morning. It was difficult to get up in the morning but the workout was good. We did Fight Gone Bad again! I talked about it in my Week 3 post from April. I looked it back up and saw that my score was 179 in April. Monday I tallied up 182! It isn't a huge difference but it is an improvement. :) Just gotta be better than yesterday.
Monday night the bf and I handed out candy for trick-or-treaters and I cooked. I made caramel popcorn balls, chili, and cornbread. I was going to do a Paleo chili but I'm not supposed to have zucchini and that's a big veggie used in place of beans. Also I figured that my list says legumes are approved so I opted for beans. I made a huge pot full and then froze some and put some away for lunches. This led me to find that I should stop thinking my freezer is empty.
I'm also part of a group of positive, encouraging women and the leader mentioned starting a Whole30 for November. I have wanted to do a Whole30 round before but have never found enough food I am supposed to eat on the list of foods I should eat. So all day today I thought about it. Then, as I finally finished entering grades at 5pm and packed up to head home, I decided that this week it just won't happen. I need time to plan and shop. My goal for this week is to keep drinking lots of water, eat mostly Whole30, and only allow one meal a day to be a healthy, non-Whole30 meal.
My bf said he would also do the diet with me for support but I'm thinking it may have something to do with all the candy we ate last night making us feel so bad this morning... I also haven't done measurements for November because I've gained about 5 lbs from eating KALE SALAD (seriously... kale salad... there is really truth to this ALCAT test...) and then pigging out on candy last night didn't help.
So, now it is time to do more research. :)
Happy November!!!
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Nutrition Talk
Today the Crossfit Gym (I know it is called a "box" but I'm not on that level in my mind yet...) had a talk about nutrition. I didn't really feel like getting off the couch but I figured it would do me some good to get outside again today. So, I went...
First I just have to say my body is programed to sweat whenever I am in that building.
The talk started with us writing down what we ate yesterday and rating it. Yesterday was Saturday and most don't have great weekend eating habits. So we were given the option of writing down Friday. Ummm... so Friday was what we call a "build day" where the kids spend the whole day working on their projects and as teachers it is one of the few days we get fast food for lunch. Friday's pick was KFC. Not a proud moment but it was tasty. That also led to a lot of napping yesterday and some poor food choices. Today I'm doing a little better but the one thing I learned today is that I have got to stop lying to myself. I can't say I still eat pretty healthy. Since this summer I have had some struggles on the diet front. It started with everything leading up to having the ALCAT test redone. Things have to change.
So this talk today went through a lot of information but not extremely in-depth. It is all stuff I have heard before but needed to hear again. The owner of the gym has her PhD and is a registered dietitian. She has been doing this for awhile and is a woman after my own heart; she looks at things from a scientific point of view.
To start with she mentioned all athletes need a healthy diet (Duh...) and that we were all athletes, she knows this because we show up to Crossfit. WAIT, what?! I have NEVER thought of myself as an athlete before. I did color guard in high school and a little in college. I've never played a "sport" or anything that most would consider to be athletic. I would like to have the "athletic" toned body but never have I thought of myself as an athlete. This is a whole new lens to view myself through...
Macro nutrients: fat, proteins, and carbs, were the main part of the talk and she stressed the Paleo diet. Not as a "diet" or anything but more so as an analogy for clean eating. Pretty much to her Paleo means eating things that haven't been processed to a degree. She also mentioned figuring out what YOUR body needs and reacts to. Not everyone HAS to go dairy free or give up grains. The key is to eat food that isn't as processed. Paleo also tends to be higher in protein, moderate in carbs and healthy fat intake, dense in macronutrients, and a better balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids when compared to the "average American diet."
Included was a list of foods to avoid and why:
grains- have anti-nutrients (?), inflammatory, carb-rich but nutrient poor
beans- have anti-nutrients, inflammatory, carb-rich but nutrient poor
gluten- inflammatory and damages the gut lining
dairy- inflammatory, good at making baby things get bigger (unless you're wanting mass gain you probably don't need it)
refined sugars- inflammatory, causes swings in blood sugar, can be addictive
alcohol- see refined sugars
processed foods- crammed with chemicals, preservatives, extra sodium and nutrient poor
Until this summer I was doing good with avoiding the above with the exception of rice. I need to get back on the wagon and cut out the junk I have been eating. With the help of the ALCAT I already know what foods my body doesn't tolerate. Now I just need to get back within the "good diet" guidelines.
It was also mentioned that the Whole30 and all the diets who say they take 30 days have science behind them. Studies have shown that 30 days is the ideal time to see changes take place in gut health and other changes in the body based on food changes.
Things I already knew but she went over some of the pros of cleaner eating:
-to be healthier
-to perform better
-to aid in recovery
-steady energy
-mental clarity
-increased muscle mass
-increased strength
-better immune response
-fat loss
-improved mood
-decreased inflammation
-faster recovery
-better sleep
The idea of being "fat adapted" as something that happens when your body is used to burning fat more than it is burning carbs. You still eat carbs but your body is more reliant on the long term break down of fats rather than the fast energy. It helps to balance out a lot of different functions in your body. So a 30 day run of something like Whole30 can actually get your body into a "fat adapted" state.
I had never thought of it like that before.
Signs that you're fat adapted include: less hangry episodes, you don't have intense carb cravings, steady energy throughout the day, you burn the fat you eat rather than store it, metabolic flexibility
Then came the timing piece. This part I was really interested in because I have been trying out intermittent fasting. Pre-workout meals should be 15-75 minutes before a workout, endurance workouts should include a snack, and a post workout snack/meal 15-30 minutes after a workout. If you're fat adapted you can do fasted training. (That's kind of what I do!) Fasted training helps your gut feel better and taps into your fat stores if fat adapted.
It will take 2-3 weeks to adjust if you're coming from a crappy diet. Drink lots of water and suffer though, it gets better on the other side.
So, I'm going to try to get back on the clean eating kick. Step one: cutting out processed sugars. First I will stop eating candy. Not proud that I downed a whole bag of sour gummy bears the other day... I still have some yogurt that is sweetened and delicious... but I'm not buying any more. It will be difficult with Halloween coming up next weekend, but it can be done. I have done it before!
Drink more water...
First I just have to say my body is programed to sweat whenever I am in that building.
The talk started with us writing down what we ate yesterday and rating it. Yesterday was Saturday and most don't have great weekend eating habits. So we were given the option of writing down Friday. Ummm... so Friday was what we call a "build day" where the kids spend the whole day working on their projects and as teachers it is one of the few days we get fast food for lunch. Friday's pick was KFC. Not a proud moment but it was tasty. That also led to a lot of napping yesterday and some poor food choices. Today I'm doing a little better but the one thing I learned today is that I have got to stop lying to myself. I can't say I still eat pretty healthy. Since this summer I have had some struggles on the diet front. It started with everything leading up to having the ALCAT test redone. Things have to change.
So this talk today went through a lot of information but not extremely in-depth. It is all stuff I have heard before but needed to hear again. The owner of the gym has her PhD and is a registered dietitian. She has been doing this for awhile and is a woman after my own heart; she looks at things from a scientific point of view.
To start with she mentioned all athletes need a healthy diet (Duh...) and that we were all athletes, she knows this because we show up to Crossfit. WAIT, what?! I have NEVER thought of myself as an athlete before. I did color guard in high school and a little in college. I've never played a "sport" or anything that most would consider to be athletic. I would like to have the "athletic" toned body but never have I thought of myself as an athlete. This is a whole new lens to view myself through...
Macro nutrients: fat, proteins, and carbs, were the main part of the talk and she stressed the Paleo diet. Not as a "diet" or anything but more so as an analogy for clean eating. Pretty much to her Paleo means eating things that haven't been processed to a degree. She also mentioned figuring out what YOUR body needs and reacts to. Not everyone HAS to go dairy free or give up grains. The key is to eat food that isn't as processed. Paleo also tends to be higher in protein, moderate in carbs and healthy fat intake, dense in macronutrients, and a better balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids when compared to the "average American diet."
Included was a list of foods to avoid and why:
grains- have anti-nutrients (?), inflammatory, carb-rich but nutrient poor
beans- have anti-nutrients, inflammatory, carb-rich but nutrient poor
gluten- inflammatory and damages the gut lining
dairy- inflammatory, good at making baby things get bigger (unless you're wanting mass gain you probably don't need it)
refined sugars- inflammatory, causes swings in blood sugar, can be addictive
alcohol- see refined sugars
processed foods- crammed with chemicals, preservatives, extra sodium and nutrient poor
Until this summer I was doing good with avoiding the above with the exception of rice. I need to get back on the wagon and cut out the junk I have been eating. With the help of the ALCAT I already know what foods my body doesn't tolerate. Now I just need to get back within the "good diet" guidelines.
It was also mentioned that the Whole30 and all the diets who say they take 30 days have science behind them. Studies have shown that 30 days is the ideal time to see changes take place in gut health and other changes in the body based on food changes.
Things I already knew but she went over some of the pros of cleaner eating:
-to be healthier
-to perform better
-to aid in recovery
-steady energy
-mental clarity
-increased muscle mass
-increased strength
-better immune response
-fat loss
-improved mood
-decreased inflammation
-faster recovery
-better sleep
The idea of being "fat adapted" as something that happens when your body is used to burning fat more than it is burning carbs. You still eat carbs but your body is more reliant on the long term break down of fats rather than the fast energy. It helps to balance out a lot of different functions in your body. So a 30 day run of something like Whole30 can actually get your body into a "fat adapted" state.
I had never thought of it like that before.
Signs that you're fat adapted include: less hangry episodes, you don't have intense carb cravings, steady energy throughout the day, you burn the fat you eat rather than store it, metabolic flexibility
Then came the timing piece. This part I was really interested in because I have been trying out intermittent fasting. Pre-workout meals should be 15-75 minutes before a workout, endurance workouts should include a snack, and a post workout snack/meal 15-30 minutes after a workout. If you're fat adapted you can do fasted training. (That's kind of what I do!) Fasted training helps your gut feel better and taps into your fat stores if fat adapted.
It will take 2-3 weeks to adjust if you're coming from a crappy diet. Drink lots of water and suffer though, it gets better on the other side.
So, I'm going to try to get back on the clean eating kick. Step one: cutting out processed sugars. First I will stop eating candy. Not proud that I downed a whole bag of sour gummy bears the other day... I still have some yogurt that is sweetened and delicious... but I'm not buying any more. It will be difficult with Halloween coming up next weekend, but it can be done. I have done it before!
Drink more water...
Monday, October 3, 2016
Some Thoughts
A lot has been going through my head lately and I wanted to share it all! :) But I will try to pace myself...
I ran a 5k this weekend! Sunday morning was the Hot Chocolate 5k in Downtown Denver. It was a great morning and after a week of not working out (minus Monday) it was wonderful to get some exercise. I managed to run the whole thing!!!! That's right... I ran the whole thing after being sick and not doing any exercise for about three weeks. My average pace was around 11 minute miles. 36:57 was my time according to my timing chip. I'm getting better without even running!
But, I still am missing working out. So, this month a facebook friend is having a 21/90 day group of ladies to encourage each other to keep on track with a goal. It has to do with the idea of taking 21 days to make a habit and 90 days until New Years. My goal is to get back to Crossfit 3 days a week. It seems if I get back into that habit then the other two days a week of exercise falls in place and I'm up to 5 days a week. It is also easier to keep the diet in check when working out on a regular basis. Sleep and schedules are usually easier for me to deal with too. So today, after a 5k yesterday, I woke up early and made it to the gym. :) Tomorrow walking may be an interesting task.
Diet... So I have discovered some things about diet. First, did you all know that butternut squash is really delicious? AND easy to make? I grilled some up this weekend and it was so tasty. I went and got three more from the store because they are on sale 2 lbs for $1. Chobani flips are also delicious. They make a pumpkin pie one that I would eat all day long if I could. Today I had the PB&J one that is also delicious. Yogurt and I are having a love affair right now. My goal is to cut out sugars again... I did it for the two weeks before so I know I can do it again... but for right now I'm good with no sweets and eating sugars in my food within reason.
Now I am so sleepy I could probably go crawl in bed for the night and be fine. Part of me is tempted to and just wake up extra early to get school stuff done. I could get up at the gym time and ride my bike to school tomorrow. Then I could go to bed now and be fine. I always bring home work to work on and never get around to doing any of it. My brain shuts down early in the evenings and nothing ever happens. This is why I workout in the mornings.
So far I'm in a much better mood than I have been and worked out today. :)
I ran a 5k this weekend! Sunday morning was the Hot Chocolate 5k in Downtown Denver. It was a great morning and after a week of not working out (minus Monday) it was wonderful to get some exercise. I managed to run the whole thing!!!! That's right... I ran the whole thing after being sick and not doing any exercise for about three weeks. My average pace was around 11 minute miles. 36:57 was my time according to my timing chip. I'm getting better without even running!
But, I still am missing working out. So, this month a facebook friend is having a 21/90 day group of ladies to encourage each other to keep on track with a goal. It has to do with the idea of taking 21 days to make a habit and 90 days until New Years. My goal is to get back to Crossfit 3 days a week. It seems if I get back into that habit then the other two days a week of exercise falls in place and I'm up to 5 days a week. It is also easier to keep the diet in check when working out on a regular basis. Sleep and schedules are usually easier for me to deal with too. So today, after a 5k yesterday, I woke up early and made it to the gym. :) Tomorrow walking may be an interesting task.
Diet... So I have discovered some things about diet. First, did you all know that butternut squash is really delicious? AND easy to make? I grilled some up this weekend and it was so tasty. I went and got three more from the store because they are on sale 2 lbs for $1. Chobani flips are also delicious. They make a pumpkin pie one that I would eat all day long if I could. Today I had the PB&J one that is also delicious. Yogurt and I are having a love affair right now. My goal is to cut out sugars again... I did it for the two weeks before so I know I can do it again... but for right now I'm good with no sweets and eating sugars in my food within reason.
Now I am so sleepy I could probably go crawl in bed for the night and be fine. Part of me is tempted to and just wake up extra early to get school stuff done. I could get up at the gym time and ride my bike to school tomorrow. Then I could go to bed now and be fine. I always bring home work to work on and never get around to doing any of it. My brain shuts down early in the evenings and nothing ever happens. This is why I workout in the mornings.
So far I'm in a much better mood than I have been and worked out today. :)
Monday, September 19, 2016
Plan, meet Wrench
So, huge wrench was thrown in all sorts of plans last week... Let me begin with the good first. :)
Wednesday I went on a hike. A BEAUTIFUL hike. It has been one year since the bf and I became pretty much inseparable so we decided to both take off work and go on a hike we were going to do almost a year ago but hadn't gotten to yet. It was only 1.2 miles but in that you gain 1,000 ft. It was some steep trail and not the easiest at times.
Then I brag... cause I didn't really ever get winded! I felt leg day from the Friday and Monday before, but I could easily stop for maybe 30 seconds and be fine to go again! I also could still walk at the end of the day, and even the next. #winning
That evening the bf came with me to ASL class and was bored out of his mind but has suddenly started teaching me way more signs! I like it. We ended the evening at the Cheesecake Factory where I ate my weight in food and then we shared a piece of cheesecake and took one to go for the weekend. Overall it was a great day and I loved every minute of it. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Then comes #fail... nothing like taking a sick day only to wake up sick the next day.
Yep, Thursday I started to get sick. Friday was worse. Saturday was the peak of all that is horrible. Sore throat, stuffy nose, pressure everywhere, upset stomach from drainage, all of it... Sunday I began to feel a little better but it was now all in the sinus areas and trying to choke me. Luckily I have an awesome bf who let me lay in his relining couch spot all weekend and waited on me hand and foot. He even came to cuddle with me when I asked him to so I could sleep. It seemed the only way I slept during the day was if he was holding me. He let me watch whatever I wanted on tv and never complained and cooked all sorts of good food for me even though I couldn't taste it. I think he is a keeper!
Then comes today.
Today was rough. I felt better but it was a day where struggling to breathe and talk gives you a headache. As I was going through the lesson ideas I had for today I was dreading doing notes with the kids because that meant I would have to talk all day long. So instead I gave them a day to do the homework I would normally assign and give them 3 days for because it is kind of long. Then I was touched... kids really do have a heart and worked without issues on the assignment the entire hour. It was awesome and makes my heart happy. Then I left knowing I could come home and rest and be lazy.
THEN... I checked my email to find a student with high anxiety and over planned freaking out. Checked out some info and think it might be more than my class so replied to her about that. Then sent a note to the team as a heads up. Then went to deposit some checks and found that the last one I deposited didn't go through? Ugh. So sent the bank a message. No clue what I did with the check either. Oops. Checked the time as my internet was slowing and saw it was after 7... I REALLY need to call and complain about paying almost $50 for 1.5 Mbps internet. This is NOT ok... give me a promo rate again or I'm switching to a provider advertising 25 Mbps for $50. BIG difference there. But alas, it was too late to call. Which also means it is too late to call the other bank that I need to call and too late to call and cancel the milk man order because $11 for a gallon of OJ and a dozen eggs in a month is a little high. I don't use it enough anymore to justify it.
AND... to top it all off, I want to go work out. I miss it. And I'm doing so great at it! And I have a 5k in two weeks. And yet I can't even seem to walk a flight of stairs without feeling like I need a nap and fill tissues with snot all day long. Maybe I will take the pup on a walk in the morning if I'm feeling up to it before I go to school? I need to do something but I get so exhausted so easily.
And then there is the diet part... Yeah... not too proud to say my dinner tonight consisted of a bag of potato chips. But, I'm also at a place where I'm kind of thinking eating any food is better than nothing which is what I'm actually hungry for. I know I need to eat so I do force myself to... I just can't seem to force myself to cook or plan a meal.
So today I'm doing better on the illness front than yesterday and gaining my strength back one day at a time... but this is all a big wrench in the plan on keeping on track.
Wednesday I went on a hike. A BEAUTIFUL hike. It has been one year since the bf and I became pretty much inseparable so we decided to both take off work and go on a hike we were going to do almost a year ago but hadn't gotten to yet. It was only 1.2 miles but in that you gain 1,000 ft. It was some steep trail and not the easiest at times.
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| Hanging Lake, CO |
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| The water was SO CLEAR!!! |
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| Changing Leaves of CO |
Then I brag... cause I didn't really ever get winded! I felt leg day from the Friday and Monday before, but I could easily stop for maybe 30 seconds and be fine to go again! I also could still walk at the end of the day, and even the next. #winning
That evening the bf came with me to ASL class and was bored out of his mind but has suddenly started teaching me way more signs! I like it. We ended the evening at the Cheesecake Factory where I ate my weight in food and then we shared a piece of cheesecake and took one to go for the weekend. Overall it was a great day and I loved every minute of it. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Then comes #fail... nothing like taking a sick day only to wake up sick the next day.
Yep, Thursday I started to get sick. Friday was worse. Saturday was the peak of all that is horrible. Sore throat, stuffy nose, pressure everywhere, upset stomach from drainage, all of it... Sunday I began to feel a little better but it was now all in the sinus areas and trying to choke me. Luckily I have an awesome bf who let me lay in his relining couch spot all weekend and waited on me hand and foot. He even came to cuddle with me when I asked him to so I could sleep. It seemed the only way I slept during the day was if he was holding me. He let me watch whatever I wanted on tv and never complained and cooked all sorts of good food for me even though I couldn't taste it. I think he is a keeper!
Then comes today.
Today was rough. I felt better but it was a day where struggling to breathe and talk gives you a headache. As I was going through the lesson ideas I had for today I was dreading doing notes with the kids because that meant I would have to talk all day long. So instead I gave them a day to do the homework I would normally assign and give them 3 days for because it is kind of long. Then I was touched... kids really do have a heart and worked without issues on the assignment the entire hour. It was awesome and makes my heart happy. Then I left knowing I could come home and rest and be lazy.
THEN... I checked my email to find a student with high anxiety and over planned freaking out. Checked out some info and think it might be more than my class so replied to her about that. Then sent a note to the team as a heads up. Then went to deposit some checks and found that the last one I deposited didn't go through? Ugh. So sent the bank a message. No clue what I did with the check either. Oops. Checked the time as my internet was slowing and saw it was after 7... I REALLY need to call and complain about paying almost $50 for 1.5 Mbps internet. This is NOT ok... give me a promo rate again or I'm switching to a provider advertising 25 Mbps for $50. BIG difference there. But alas, it was too late to call. Which also means it is too late to call the other bank that I need to call and too late to call and cancel the milk man order because $11 for a gallon of OJ and a dozen eggs in a month is a little high. I don't use it enough anymore to justify it.
AND... to top it all off, I want to go work out. I miss it. And I'm doing so great at it! And I have a 5k in two weeks. And yet I can't even seem to walk a flight of stairs without feeling like I need a nap and fill tissues with snot all day long. Maybe I will take the pup on a walk in the morning if I'm feeling up to it before I go to school? I need to do something but I get so exhausted so easily.
And then there is the diet part... Yeah... not too proud to say my dinner tonight consisted of a bag of potato chips. But, I'm also at a place where I'm kind of thinking eating any food is better than nothing which is what I'm actually hungry for. I know I need to eat so I do force myself to... I just can't seem to force myself to cook or plan a meal.
So today I'm doing better on the illness front than yesterday and gaining my strength back one day at a time... but this is all a big wrench in the plan on keeping on track.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
The Thigh Gap Myth and other stories
We often see photos of girls with a gap between their thighs. They even make thigh gap jewelry?! WTF is that!? Anyway I was excited because while I was admiring my legs the other day (I do this often as I really like the way they are looking!) and noticed I have less fat on my upper thighs where they rub. Then I realized I'm so close to getting rid of the extra jiggle where the thigh gap should be and maybe, just MAYBE, I might end up with a gap between my thighs. You can only imagine my excitement. This is a big deal! I don't know if I ever had a gap between my thighs except when I stand with my feet apart.
So the beginning of September started and I got to fill out my measurement page in my food/workout journal. It has mostly just been a workout log book but hey, it is something. So I am pumped to take my measurements and compare them to before! I'm fitting the waist of my pants better (thighs not so much as the quads are getting pretty ripped) and feel better and I'm so excited to see what changes are happening with the numbers.
First, the scale. I've lost some pounds and am excited to officially record my losses. I'm down 6.2 lbs! Woot! These inches must be good with a loss like that and the progress I'm seeing. Next the chest relaxed and expanded. I measure through my arm pits and above my breast. My hope is to monitor the side boob and my pecks. Turns out... both measurements have no change.
Waist (smallest part), no change. Not sure how I'm fitting pants better...
Stomach (belly button), no change.
Hips (across hip bones), down 1.25"!!!! CELEBRATE!
Neck, UP 0.5"... ok, ok... we are building muscle
Shoulders, UP 1"... slow down on the muscle building but I do like the way my deltoids are looking...
Right arm upper relaxed and flexed, no change.
Left arm is down 0.5" relaxed and down 0.75" flexed... I double checked.
Right forearm flexed and relaxed, no change.
Left forearm flexed and relaxed, DOWN 0.25".... thought I was building muscle?
Right thigh, no change
Left thigh, no change
calves, yeah, they haven't changed measurements either...
So now I'm realizing that this thigh gap thing is a myth. At least it is for me. Also apparently all my 6.2 lbs came from my hips and my left forearm.... After taking all the measurements I re-realized something... It isn't about the numbers. It isn't about the pounds I lose or the inches that seem to never change. Instead it is about how you feel. I'm loving working out. I debate about going twice a day. Exercise helps me control food cravings (this past weekend was BAD on food choices) and overall just be better. I can see things changing on my body. More definition is happening in my arms. My thighs are less jiggly at the top. Side boob is getting more firm. The fact that I feel better overall, am convincing myself to wake up early, get up, and work out just because I REALLY want to do that day's workout... THESE are the reasons to be excited. I'm FINALLY understanding how people can workout everyday and enjoy it. I understand why runners can run and keep doing it day after day. It is about how it makes you feel, not always what it does for the numbers.
But also, as a scientist kind of person, it is driving me crazy that the numbers aren't showing the changes I know are happening. Dumb data.
In other news I started a relay team (and am on it) for the Colfax Marathon in Denver. It is in May and a group from school is going to run the relay. Originally I said I wanted the flat 3.? miles to be my part. There is another 3.? mile piece and then some 6.? mile pieces. Now I'm kind of interested in pushing myself to be able to run 6 miles.
First I need to make sure I stay healthy. Kids are dropping like flies at school due to illness. Last Thursday I felt so bad that I convinced myself to eat out and call it a night because cooking wasn't an option. Instead of a burger and fried that originally sounded good and could be purchased from the car window, I decided some good soup would be better. So I picked up some chicken soup from the grocery store that was out of my way. I also took Friday off to let my body recover a little. So glad I did because I felt a bunch better by the end of the day on Friday. By Tuesday I was itching for some exercise though...
So the beginning of September started and I got to fill out my measurement page in my food/workout journal. It has mostly just been a workout log book but hey, it is something. So I am pumped to take my measurements and compare them to before! I'm fitting the waist of my pants better (thighs not so much as the quads are getting pretty ripped) and feel better and I'm so excited to see what changes are happening with the numbers.
First, the scale. I've lost some pounds and am excited to officially record my losses. I'm down 6.2 lbs! Woot! These inches must be good with a loss like that and the progress I'm seeing. Next the chest relaxed and expanded. I measure through my arm pits and above my breast. My hope is to monitor the side boob and my pecks. Turns out... both measurements have no change.
Waist (smallest part), no change. Not sure how I'm fitting pants better...
Stomach (belly button), no change.
Hips (across hip bones), down 1.25"!!!! CELEBRATE!
Neck, UP 0.5"... ok, ok... we are building muscle
Shoulders, UP 1"... slow down on the muscle building but I do like the way my deltoids are looking...
Right arm upper relaxed and flexed, no change.
Left arm is down 0.5" relaxed and down 0.75" flexed... I double checked.
Right forearm flexed and relaxed, no change.
Left forearm flexed and relaxed, DOWN 0.25".... thought I was building muscle?
Right thigh, no change
Left thigh, no change
calves, yeah, they haven't changed measurements either...
So now I'm realizing that this thigh gap thing is a myth. At least it is for me. Also apparently all my 6.2 lbs came from my hips and my left forearm.... After taking all the measurements I re-realized something... It isn't about the numbers. It isn't about the pounds I lose or the inches that seem to never change. Instead it is about how you feel. I'm loving working out. I debate about going twice a day. Exercise helps me control food cravings (this past weekend was BAD on food choices) and overall just be better. I can see things changing on my body. More definition is happening in my arms. My thighs are less jiggly at the top. Side boob is getting more firm. The fact that I feel better overall, am convincing myself to wake up early, get up, and work out just because I REALLY want to do that day's workout... THESE are the reasons to be excited. I'm FINALLY understanding how people can workout everyday and enjoy it. I understand why runners can run and keep doing it day after day. It is about how it makes you feel, not always what it does for the numbers.
But also, as a scientist kind of person, it is driving me crazy that the numbers aren't showing the changes I know are happening. Dumb data.
In other news I started a relay team (and am on it) for the Colfax Marathon in Denver. It is in May and a group from school is going to run the relay. Originally I said I wanted the flat 3.? miles to be my part. There is another 3.? mile piece and then some 6.? mile pieces. Now I'm kind of interested in pushing myself to be able to run 6 miles.
First I need to make sure I stay healthy. Kids are dropping like flies at school due to illness. Last Thursday I felt so bad that I convinced myself to eat out and call it a night because cooking wasn't an option. Instead of a burger and fried that originally sounded good and could be purchased from the car window, I decided some good soup would be better. So I picked up some chicken soup from the grocery store that was out of my way. I also took Friday off to let my body recover a little. So glad I did because I felt a bunch better by the end of the day on Friday. By Tuesday I was itching for some exercise though...
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
A New Development
I have begun to check the workouts when they get posted the night before... This is something I often do because I'm beat after a long day at school. I haven't been getting home until after 5:00 which for me is weird because I typically can't function after 4. Anyway, I have been checking the workouts to see if I should go to Crossfit in the morning or not. For example, Sunday I spent the day with the bf and a friend canning peaches and strawberry jam. After being on my feet all day and my whole body aching, I decided to check the workout before deciding if I should get up and go or instead sleep in before the busy week.
Then something NEW happened... I saw the workout and was excited to go! Monday morning I was struggling to wake up. My phone decided to begin updating between snooze buttons. (I set 3 alarms and get to hit snooze on the last one once before having to actually get up) I began talking myself out of getting up but for some reason was so nervous that my phone wouldn't update in time for me to wake up again in time so I couldn't go back to sleep. I also tried to tell myself that I had nothing planned, I could just go on the way home from school. But then I also talked myself out of the afternoon idea because I really like the small morning class and the cooler temperatures. I know all the people, they are great, they are supportive, and there are less people in general so it isn't as crowded. It is also like 10 degrees cooler in the morning and even then it is often a hot and sweaty place when you get to working out.
I actually was more anxious about missing a great workout than I was about doing the workout. I talked myself into getting out of bed to make sure I made it to the morning class. This happened with less umph on Friday too! So strange...
In other news this weekend is supposed to be my shopping spree weekend but I will be out of town for the three days so clothes shopping will have to wait a little longer probably. One pair of slacks is in the works and seem like they will fit, I just have to work on the waist band part. Once they are done I should be able to whip up dress pants fairly quickly. They would take about 2 evenings if I actually put my mind to it. Especially since now I know what I'm doing.
This week I'm also a little heart broken about my weight. Friday I was down to 174!!! Kept it around there all weekend. Then Monday came and I was 177 again. Today was 178. My stomach has been horribly upset though and Monday wasn't pretty when I went to the bathroom before bed. I ate a lot of sugar and stuff I shouldn't this weekend so I'm thinking that did me in. It is back to restricting the diet to what was working again. Apparently sugar, rice, and almonds do actually affect me. That would also explain why switching to almond milk in my protein drinks wouldn't help with the weight loss. Good news is that I don't think any of the gain is actual pounds but instead just inflammation. Get back on track and that should drop off again in a few days.
Then something NEW happened... I saw the workout and was excited to go! Monday morning I was struggling to wake up. My phone decided to begin updating between snooze buttons. (I set 3 alarms and get to hit snooze on the last one once before having to actually get up) I began talking myself out of getting up but for some reason was so nervous that my phone wouldn't update in time for me to wake up again in time so I couldn't go back to sleep. I also tried to tell myself that I had nothing planned, I could just go on the way home from school. But then I also talked myself out of the afternoon idea because I really like the small morning class and the cooler temperatures. I know all the people, they are great, they are supportive, and there are less people in general so it isn't as crowded. It is also like 10 degrees cooler in the morning and even then it is often a hot and sweaty place when you get to working out.
I actually was more anxious about missing a great workout than I was about doing the workout. I talked myself into getting out of bed to make sure I made it to the morning class. This happened with less umph on Friday too! So strange...
In other news this weekend is supposed to be my shopping spree weekend but I will be out of town for the three days so clothes shopping will have to wait a little longer probably. One pair of slacks is in the works and seem like they will fit, I just have to work on the waist band part. Once they are done I should be able to whip up dress pants fairly quickly. They would take about 2 evenings if I actually put my mind to it. Especially since now I know what I'm doing.
This week I'm also a little heart broken about my weight. Friday I was down to 174!!! Kept it around there all weekend. Then Monday came and I was 177 again. Today was 178. My stomach has been horribly upset though and Monday wasn't pretty when I went to the bathroom before bed. I ate a lot of sugar and stuff I shouldn't this weekend so I'm thinking that did me in. It is back to restricting the diet to what was working again. Apparently sugar, rice, and almonds do actually affect me. That would also explain why switching to almond milk in my protein drinks wouldn't help with the weight loss. Good news is that I don't think any of the gain is actual pounds but instead just inflammation. Get back on track and that should drop off again in a few days.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Week 3
On my way to CrossFit today, it dawned on me that today was weak three, the beginning. When do I have to stop saying I'm new to Crossfit? Also, go me! This is week THREE!!
So this weekend I noticed my legs are more solid. I've always had pretty solid calves and running recently has helped those. But my thighs and butt are getting less giggly! My muffin top in the back (the part I hate the most) is also getting smaller. But, I still haven't lost much weight. I don't start my days at 180 this week, but I also dont consider 178 much different. Menstrual bloating doesn't help either. My hope is to see a weight change next week. OR, since I'm still gaining muscle, I'd settle for just being able to button my dress pants again!
Anyway, it is week 3. Last Friday I ended the week with a crazy workout. They call it "Fight Gone Bad" if that tells you anything. We did our run out and back and then a warm up. From there the other pre-workout time where we usually work on skills of some sort, or increasing weight, was spent setting up. It is one minute of each: wall balls, sumo dead lift high pulls, box jumps, push press, row. Rest for two minutes and go again. You count one of everything and thencalories on the rower. I made a total of 179 in the three rounds. I thought the board said 5 rounds and you cannot imagine my excitement when the coach said we were almost done.
Today's workout was easier yet kicked my lungs in the butt. 3 front squats and 3 burpees. AMRAP. (As many rounds as possible) I managed to do 6+3! (6 rounds with 3 squats)
Is it a lot? No. Is it more than I could do yesterday? Hell yes! And this weekend I was able to start seeing results. I was excited when I held up my arm and could see slight deltoid definition coming. My thighs giggle less. My butt is more firm. And my brother even said something to the fact that he finds me attractive, but I'm getting more attractive and he's worried what will happen if I stick with it. :)
I'm pumped. I'm tempted to sign up for 6 months since it takes another $25 a month off the fee and I'm liking it. It definitely isn't me or something I would normally do, but I'm liking the fact that I'm gaining upper body strength! Like, I did TWO push-ups (on knees) today! (Face planted my first one there)
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