Whole Lotta Veggies….and May Challenges

A bunch of people have asked how Whole 30 is going and how I’m doing….a few have assumed my silence means I failed. LOL. I’m happy to say I did not fail! I did cheat a bit – but I did not fail. I lost 16 pounds in 30 days – which is pretty phenomenal!

Overall it was pretty amazing. I had no idea how few veggies I was eating….or how much processed crap I was eating! I also didn’t realize how often I turned to carbs for cravings, bad days or boredom. Carbs are my consolation blanket. I can’t say I’m completely over my cravings for cupcakes – but I can say I will never go back to a gluten filled diet. Ever!

I focused on the healthiest options possible every day – and I found ways to make veggies work for my life. I don’t have time in the morning to roast vegetables and pack lunch. Hell most nights I end up working later than I should and packing lunch becomes a “shoulda done” before bed  (a post for another day). So instead I go to Whole Foods Saturday or Sunday and I roast veggies for the week then bag them up individually. Yes, I do realize tupperware would be more ecologically friendly – but I end up not washing it, forgetting it at work or in my car and wasting money. Plastic bags, for the win!

Some of the veggies I simply cannot live without: raw peppers with olive tapende or just plain  -YUM! Spaghetti squash with pesto – oh em gee – SO good! Seriously, an awesome substitute for pasta. No it doesn’t *taste* like pasta – it tastes like squash – but it LOOKS just like pasta! Perfect. Oh and of course, cauliflower- especially purple (which they had at Whole Foods and was all the rage this week in my lunch). Love cauliflower!

So how did I cheat? I had dairy – both cheese (yum) and half and half in my coffee. Oh and I had coffee. I’m sorry, I can’t live in a world without coffee. I know the book tells you that’s crap – but it’s not. The caffeine withdrawals were awful. I couldn’t function one day because I was in the midst of carb flu and without coffee. If anyone decides to do this experiment – make sure you’re not traveling….or in back to back meetings. I will also add that detoxing off a processed food laden diet is horrible, I was nauseous, I was dizzy, my thoughts were jumbled but I also was weak. I got muscle cramps places I never get cramps when exercising – and I was sleeping horribly.

Most importantly -  I don’t WANT to give up coffee. I have one Venti iced coffee with cream daily. That’s it. I’m not drinking it all day long and I’m not willing to live without it. Some things are worth fighting for!

So what will my May challenge be? More of the same, with a twist. May I’m back to traveling – Phoenix, LA, Dallas and maybe a local trip down to CT. I need to be ON m game. No gluten. Lots of veggies, lots of lean protein, fruits. Oh and lots of moving.

Thankfully I have a little challenge to keep me motivated! Stef Sweeney is hosting a Bikini Buddy Challenge (thank god no ACTUAL bikinis are required – I’m a LONG way from there) and I signed up with my girl Layne. We are team Cantaloop Cuties – inspired by our favorite 90′s song ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwBjhBL9G6U

The rules are super simple:

1) Pair up with a buddy.
2) Arrange a time to meet with me (before/after class, etc) to get your beginning measurements taken.
3) Pay $10 each – $5 registration fee; $5 to go into the Winners Pot.
4) For the next 6 weeks, get your booty into gear!! Stay on top of your working out/being active, eating healthy, drinking water, etc.
5) At the end of the 6 weeks, measurements will be taken again. The team with the most inches/body fat lost WINS ALL THE MONEY FROM THE WINNERS POT!!!!

So gluten-free, veggie heavy diet plus lots of Zumba and cardio (more about my new favorite cardio in the next post!) = Awesome track for getting myself slimmed down!!

Wish me luck – I feel like I’ve finally got a secret formula down for success – I’m looking forward to having a healthy summer!

Shifting Focus, New Blog!

It’s been a month since I’ve posted. I’ve had a million things to say, but none of them felt right for this blog. I went on a great vacation, I did some soul-searching, I figured out some key elements from my life that need to be incorporated somewhere but none of those things fit neatly into the category of Sparkly and Slimming. I love this blog and it has served me well in the last 2.5 years. I’ve lost weight, gained friends and truly had an outlet to vent/celebrate all things related to weight-loss.

But, I’m starting to think I need something else. I still have things to say, I am still pursuing weight-loss goals – but I don’t always want to talk about that. Right now for example I REALLY want to talk about happiness, the pursuit of happiness and how I think I can make myself more happy in the next year after reading this fantastic novel “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin.

So, I am shifting focus away and starting a new blog – a She Is Sparkling blog if you will – one where I can blog about anything and everything without limiting myself to one or two topics. I’ll probably bounce between them eventually but for now you’ll find all my non-weight related banter over there.

Link to my first post: http://sheissparkling.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/new-blog-new-projects-new-goals-hello/

Is Weight-loss an Accomplishment?

I follow a lot of weight-loss / healthy blogs -  some have amazing tips and give me warm fuzzies, some get me fired up and thinking. Recently someone posted a negative comment they received about fat people getting praise when people who have maintained a healthy weight their whole life never get accolades. The commenter said she was sick of seeing fat people get praised of overeating then undoing their mess.  Of course, people went rabid like Justin Bieber fans at a free concert in Time Squares. Insults were hurled, angry faces were thrown, swear words exchanged etc. etc.

I sat back (for once) and pondered this. Do we (“society”) praise people for unfucking their lives? We do! There are TV shows dedicated to losing fat, giving up additions (“Addiction”) or getting over a failure (or failures) ala “Fix My Life”. There are magazines and news specials all about transformations. We are obsessed with success stories, we thrive on progress and we live for triumphs over adversity. Right? So then how do people on the other side of the coin feel? Should we in fact be celebrating people who have kept it together all along?

This graphic made me laugh out loud, I had to use it!

 

Weight-loss is a perfect platform for this argument. I was once 450 pounds. I got there 100% of my own accord (special shout out to food for being my once BFF and main accomplice). I am now coming out of the downward spiral with exercise, healthy food options and lots of support from friends and family. Is my struggle “worse” or somehow more tragic because it was of my own making? No. Are my accomplishments somehow more impressive because of my size? Nope. So why then do I get so much praise from the folks around me for getting my butt to the gym or fitting into smaller jeans? I’m guessing it’s because the people in my circle – my community want to see me succeed. Sometimes I feel like a sham – I write a weight-loss blog for 2.5 years and yet I am not at my goal weight – how the hell is that possible?! I’m still struggling. But, maybe that’s the beauty of it. I have flaws (loves cupcakes, hates to cook), I fall down – I make mistakes – hell I straight up give up sometimes! But, I always get back on the proverbial horse and try again. I am resilient (I wasn’t always) and I share those struggles with the world. This blog is a lot about my success but even more about my real-life on-going struggles with my weight and my choices.

All that said I can’t help but wondering (in a very Carrie Bradshaw sorta way) – should “normal” people be getting the accolades for getting up every day and just being awesome? Shouldn’t those folks that have never strayed more than a few pounds from their ideal weight be saluted and revered more than those of us that slip up (time and time again) only to (someday hopefully) reach success?

Are you more drawn towards success after immense failure or status quo awesomeness?

Food for Thought….

I think I’ve used this blog post title before….but it was just so dang good I had to use it again!

I made some promises in my last post and I am happy to say I have stuck to at least one of them. Oatmeal, I love you! This gem is my newest food obsession and the best breakfast everrrrrrrr!

$2.50 for a box of 5 packs and the pack of oatmeal DOUBLES as a container for water. Open packet (my most favorite is dark chocolate), dump into bowl, add water,  microwave for 2 mins – stir in 1 TBS of cookie butter and enjoy! Mmmm cookie butter. Who knew oatmeal was the *perfect* vehicle for cookie butter?!

No idea what the heck I’m talking about? From Trader Joe’s:

or from Market Basket/Demoulas:

Truth be told I like the Biscoff better – it’s not as sweet. Either way, it’s 90 calories per tablespoon so it’s more than peanut butter but GOD it is so freaking tasty. I could (read: have in the past) eat a whole jar. It’s like crack. Cookie crack. I think it makes me crave oatmeal even more. Like right now it’s 10:30pm and I’m not hungry but man, just thinking about oatmeal tomorrow is making me salivate! #oatmealaddicted #totalfatkid  – um have I mentioned I am obsessed with hashtagging? It drives my friends batty, but I love it.

I bought a book for my Playbook on vacation purely based on title (I love doing that! Authors put a lot of effort into a catchy title, why not play reading roulette once in a while?). The title? “Nice Girls Finish Fat“.

I’ve mentioned a half-dozen times that I still don’t know what’s at the root of my emotional eating. I wasn’t abused as a child (nor as an adult), I’m not depressed, I don’t have any diseases to explain away my affliction to food…it’s always been a mystery. Well, this book is helping me figure it out for sure.

Am I always nice? God no. But, I am obsessed with what other people think of me. Legit, obsessed! I spend probably half my day worrying about it. I go to bed reviewing my day in a detailed, neurotic way, literally affecting my sleep! I obsess over my emails, my conversations, my interactions…..it’s exhausting. I’m also someone who HATES when people don’t like me. I just hate it. If someone (especially at work) doesn’t jive with my sassy-ness/sarcasm I will make myself crazy trying to find a way to change myself to suit them. No lie. I didn’t used to be like this…I can’t pinpoint EXACTLY when it changed but I know it coincides with being at my heaviest weight. Suddenly I had to overcompensate for my weight by bending my personality to mesh with others. The sad thing is in doing that, I lost part of myself. I stopped being as sassy as I once was. As my mom says, I lost my chutzpah! How did I fill the gap? Oh with food of course!

From the cover: Many women put too much on their plates, both literally and figuratively. In Nice Girls Finish Fat, psychotherapist Karen R. Koenig explains the link between the two and gives overweight women detailed advice on how to lose their extra baggage—both emotional and physical—by becoming more assertive in every aspect of life. For the millions of overweight women in America, diet and exercise just aren’t cutting it. That’s because many of these women have emotional issues buried deep beneath those stubborn pounds, issues that must be dealt with first if weight loss plans are to succeed. In this illuminating book, based on decades of professional experience, Karen Koenig offers on-the-page psychotherapy to help readers attack the roots of their food problems. With her engaging personal style, she teaches women about the biological connections between repressed emotions and eating, revealing the ways many women use food to stuff their anger, control their aggression, and assuage their feelings of guilt—all in the pursuit of being “nice.” Giving “good girls” permission to love themselves first, Koenig offers thought-provoking quizzes and questions to help readers identify and overcome the habits that have been holding them back. Empowering readers to gain the confidence they need to lose weight, Nice Girls Finish Fat not only shows women how to stop obsessing about food and develop healthy eating habits, it teaches readers skills to improve every aspect of their lives.

I once joked with my brother that I was a true emotional eater. Happy? Eat. Sad? Eat more. Mad? Eat. Nervous? Eat. Food is a universal, food is the constant, food is the fixer of all emotions. Anytime I don’t want to feel something, I feed myself instead. Something the book really focuses on is the emotions you’re feeling while eating. Understanding the connection between what you eat and how you feel is KEY – and it’s something I’ve never delved into….probably for fear of what I’d find. This morning was easy – I was excited for oatmeal. LOL. I think I will always be a “fat kid” at heart, I love food! I didn’t snack in between breakfast and lunch (too busy), lunch was anti-climatic. Soup + an unplanned concall with a super chatty client. Then dread set in. My 3pm call is with someone who just makes me uneasy. I can’t explain it but I’m always on edge before we speak (thankfully it’s not often and I am 99.9% sure he does not read this blog, LOL). Suddenly I was rummaging through my snack draw. I needed comfort. I needed buffalo pretzels. No wait, I need trail mix. Scratch that – peanut butter and plantain chips. TIME OUT! I don’t need to eat, I need to get some fresh air, collect my wits and put my big girl pants on! Why the hell am I letting one stupid concall fluster me to the point of mindlessly eating?!!? Stupid! But, I’m glad I paused to reflect on the emotions before eating. Baby steps.

So, I quasi-own my call. Well, I stood up for myself, I didn’t stammer or talk like the MicroMachineMan (both signs of my nerves) and most importantly, I did not put a single thing in my mouth! YES!

TWSS? Ha.

Another great point in the book focuses on why we feel compelled to always be “nice”. Is that an adjective we use to describe ourselves? Do we go above and beyond to the detriment of our own health? Reading this section struck such a chord. I am so focused on being a “sweetheart” at work that I have actually stood back and let other people get promoted instead of me. No lie. I have sold myself short to make sure someone else shined. Who the hell does that?! Someone desperately trying to keep the title “sweetheart” at any cost. I should be sweet because I want to – or because the person is nice to me in return. I shouldn’t do nice things that in turn drive me crazy or lead me to emotional eating. Oh and I should never put myself second. If I don’t make myself a priority why should anyone else?? Other amazing self-care tips highlighted in the book are mentioned in this article. We’re all guilty of not doing a few of these!

How perfect is this? I need to print it, put it on my nightstand and my desk and in my phone. #preach

Let’s be frank – If I want to conquer this shit once and for all – I need to find my backbone and keep it intact! I can’t wait to finish the book because I’m so excited about everything I’ve learned. I know it’s something I will read and reread a bunch of times in the coming months. If you’re struggling with being too nice – or with not being yourself, I highly recommend it. As always, no one endorses me to share my 2 cents with you, I do it simply because I love talking.

Now my last gem of the day is the best – this is so true and something I really, really need to OWN!

Musings from Vacation

It’s been a seriously crazy few weeks. I’ve neglected my blog. Forgive me!

A few bulleted updates….then some goals I plan to work on post-vaca!

* I took my PMP (Project Management Professional)  exam October 10th. I thought I was prepared….I wasn’t. It was 1000X harder than I imagined and I failed. I cried. I considered just giving up. Thankfully I have family and friends who do not feed into “Poor Me” Samantha. Back in the saddle, I rescheduled for Oct 22nd and studied my ass off for 12 days. It paid off – I passed! YAY! I am officially a PMP – how fun is that to say?!

*Work friends from far and wide were in town last week for training. It’s always so nice to see people you only talk to on email or the phone in the flesh! Especially when they have super cute accents…. I went out a few times and while I didn’t eat terrible….I wasn’t a rockstar either. I thought I had learned not to splurge just because I had friends in town….but I seem to have lapsed a bit on this! LOL.

* I’m officially on VACATION and I’ve done REALLY good not checking work email or calls. I am normally a bit of a workaholic, so it’s tough for me to leave work up to someone else! I’m also someone who has few boundaries when it comes to calling/emailing someone on vacation (cough Tony cough) – this week has made me realize how sacred time off is….and how annoying it is when someone bugs you! LOL. I vow to do better respecting boundaries in the future.

Speaking of vacation – wanna see some pics? Of course you do! Who doesn’t love a good beach shot?!

So we’re here for Mom’s 60th birthday. I think birthdays are a huge deal and should be celebrated properly – she’s never seen LA and was loooong overdue for a vacation. I am writing this while she naps – I think I’m wearing her out. LOL. We’ve been all over-  Malibu, Santa Monica, WeHo, Culver City, Burbank, Hollywood – quite the tour!

View from our hotel at sunset!

Malibu = amazingness!

Mom posing in Santa Monica!

Self-portait! (note: my arm is reflected in my glasses, LOL).

I could seriously get used to these views!!

So, like all good vacations I have had a ball so far but I’ve also reflected on my current status. I’m working too much, not working out enough and not giving myself a break. Before vaca I couldn’t tell you the last time I spent an hour with a novel or taking a bubble bath or just stretching! I’m constantly go go go go – and part of that was my PMP, but part is just my nature. I need to chill. Relax. BREATHE!

So, some November goals are in order:

1. Work out each day – physically (barre, zumba) or “mentally” (stretch! read! enjoy quiet). Work it out!

2. Stop making excuses. Everyone works long hours – I’m not a brain surgeon….put work away at night when possible! I honestly need to stop using the work crutch as an excuse for not doing # 1 or # 3.

3. Start cooking. Oatmeal. Breakfast. Something! I enjoyed this bowl of deliciousness today in the hotel and it made me want to cook!

Steel-cut oats with maple syrup and berries! SO YUMMY!

Those are my November goals. I have no excuse not to stick to them! In fact, I started today, early! I went to the gym @ the hotel and got a kickass barre n9ne-style workout! Yes, my hotel gym has a BARRE - how freaking cool is that?! Hotel Palomar – I heart you!

Trying NOT to look creepy…..

A barre! Note: those balls are the DEVIL, not squishy!

This one is for Stasia. I did abs at the barre and thought of you girlfriend! LOL

A barre! So excited!!! #b94lyf

Back to vacation! More when I return!

XO

Negativity, next steps and “now”….

First and foremost thank you all so much for the comments, emails and love after my mini-meltdown last week. It really means a lot to me to have so many wonderful people in my life (and in my corner) who support me and want to see me succeed! You guys are the best!

Second,  I feel compelled to say this because I think my frustration with my body and my weight was taken out of context by some. I love barre n9ne – but I am not sponsored by them nor am I affiliated with them in any role other than as a paying client. I buy classes or challenge packs just like everyone else who attends. When I say I’m upset that I’m coming 5 times a week and not seeing a difference I am NOT saying “barre doesn’t work”.  It is a great form of exercise with great people, otherwise I wouldn’t patronize it. That said, I cannot give it or anything sole credit for my failure or success. At the end of the day I am responsible for my body. My food intake, my steps, my exercise are all dependent on me and my level of effort at that given moment. I’ve hit a plateau and barre isn’t “to blame”. I hope that’s clear. I will still be enjoying barre workouts at barre n9ne as a tool during this journey, I will just be supplementing it with some tweaks (see below).

Moving on I have accepted where I am (which I think is one of the hardest parts of this whole journey – accepting your state of mind/body at a moment in time…. especially when it’s not where you wanted to be or thought you’d be). Being jealous of people around me isn’t going to get me where I need to be. Neither is dwelling. Lying to myself only placate my mind, it doesn’t help my body or my spirit.

As Baz Lurhmann once said:

Don’t waste your time on jealousy;
Sometimes you’re ahead,
Sometimes You’re behind.
The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

In the end I am only accountable to myself and only I have to live with myself and my decisions. If I did give up I would disappoint a bunch of you – but I would devastate me. I didn’t come this far only to turn back now. I’m gotten over the hardest part! I lost my first 100 pounds, I’ve changed my lifestyle – now I just need to tweak in order to keep moving in the right direction. Fall down 7 times, get up eight.

So what is my new plan?

4 times a week: barre classes (3 classes of either TFFR, method, barre fusion or cardio and 1 class of legs/arms/mat fusion/lean and tone). I really want to pump up the barre. I think that will be where I see the most “bang for my buck” if you will.

2 days a week of circuit training + cardio at the gym. Once upon a time I had a personal trainer who advocated a 20 mins cardio, 20 min circuit, 20 min cardio set. I need to add that back in again.

2 days a week of pure cardio (trying ZUMBA! today with Stefanie!  ~ also lined up to try CrossFit and spinning. I’ll give anything that gets my heart rate up a go!)

I’m ready to kick it up. I know the next 30 days are going to be killer (especially with the aforementioned travel thrown in) but ya know what? That’s life! Life is never going to be this perfect linear progression. There will be hiccups and setbacks and changes, it’s not always going to work out as I plan.

Speaking of perfect, I wrote my last post and never even realized I used the word “perfect“. There is no such thing. My mom used to always joke “There was only one perfect person and they crucified him”. Region aside, NO ONE is perfect. I can’t expect that of myself. Not in work, not in fitness not in life. Life is not perfect.

I’m committed to kicking ass the next 30 days ~ so committed that I made myself a calendar inside Gmail with the aforementioned schedule.

In addition I will be eating my number + sticking to 10,000 steps a day. I sleep better and FEEL better when I get those steps in. Why stop a good thing!? I’m also excited  because for the next 30 days I have NO PAGER for work. Wooo! I will mot likely resume my responsibility in September – but this gives me a full 30 days to dedicate to myself after hours. I’m excited to see how it goes.

That’s where I am. Thank you all again for being real with me – for sharing your missteps and setbacks, it’s nice to know I’m not alone!

A good reminder:  You have to have a setback in order to have a comeback….otherwise you settle in your setback.

 

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

I had an entirely different post planned for today, but my friend Jessi posted this quote on my wall and I had to run with it!

“When there is no turning back, then we should concern ourselves only with the best way of going forward.”

I spent a lot of my downtime this weekend getting my armoire organized for summer (I still had sweaters in the forefront…not so much useful when it’s 88! LOL). As I sifted through cute summer tops and *almost* my size jeans and khakis I thought about how I promised my LAST summer (and the summer before…) that I would be thinner by now. I started to get angry at myself for not trying harder through the year.  I got completely disheartened and thought again about every crazy diet I’ve tried, every time I have sworn off cupcakes…sigh. It’s been a long 7 years of dieting! I say 7 because I joined WW for the first time in 2004. Of course, had I stuck with it then I wouldn’t be here now, I’d be thin. But, everything happens for a reason, and I can’t change those reasons.

What I can do is exactly what the quote says – move forward – and do that with all my might.

I have 4 days until my big weigh-in. I’m excited, I think seeing the number on the scale will help solidify my efforts for the year. Seeing 299 would mean I lost 85 pounds in one year! That is awesome. Jay Jacobs from the Biggest Loser has been posting on FB that losing just one pound a week is a difference of 52 pounds a year – which is huge! Little things add up to big results. I need to remember that when I start thinking of how far I COULD have been. Coulda, woulda, shoulda….

I love motivational quotes, and this one seemed fitting for today:

Ha! So true, so true.

I am committing to being happy with how far I’ve come. Happy that a top that was far too tight last year fits perfectly this year. Happy that I can walk up and down the stairs without being winded. Happy that while my strides are slow, they are made with intention. I need to accept that I can’t go backwards, and I can’t change the course of my fate. Everything worked out this way for a reason, even if I can’t see that reason yet!

How did you guys do this long weekend? Did you stick to a plan, or go off the rails? Are you excited to be back into a routine? I know I caught myself snacking more than once this weekend and thinking “Wait, you’re not hungry!”. It’s so tempting to get out of a routine when you’re not working!

Happy 4th Weekend!!

TGIF guys! I hope you all are ready for your long weekends! I know I am.

I started off my 4-day weekend by waking up at the ungodly hour of 5:45am. I thought of 42 excuses why I didn’t want to get up! Then I thought about Tanya and how much I love her class and how great I feel after a morning workout … and I peeled my ass out of bed! I’m glad I did, I can see the differences in my stamina already (I can stand in relevé for more than 2 seconds!! I can’t believe it!). I feel amazing and I’m excited that each class is different! I never know what tortuous activity is coming next.

This weekend I have a lot of activities planned, but I’m making a concerted effort to incorporate healthy choices whenever possible. I’m heading to The Farm in Lexington to pick up some fresh fruits and veggies (might even try something crazy like a watermelon radish!). I’m constantly reminding myself of my looming self-inflicted deadline of July 8th – but not in a bad way…in a “do you REALLY need dessert? Will it help or hinder your progress? Did you have enough water today?”. I am encouraged and so so hopeful that I will see the number 2 9 9 staring back on that scale next week!! Thank you all for your encouraging notes and emails, it really makes my day knowing how many people are in my corner rooting for my success!

A few people mentioned how hard is to avoid over-eating (or drinking!) during the holidays. Here are some tricks I use to help me in social situations where I could be tempted to go crazy.

* Pick your battles. If you want a beer/wine/mixed drink at the event, then aim for eating as healthy as possible. Load up on veggies, salad (beware of the tasty but high-calorie items like dressing, croutons and bacon), eat lots of proteins and limit your starchy carbs (potatoes, white bread etc). If you’d rather have a decadent dessert (like berry, berry cheesecake or a brownie sundae) then you need to limit your alcohol intake. Everything is a balancing act! You can eat everything you want – but not at once.

* Get bouts of exercise where you can. Don’t want to gym? Take a walk, park further from the fireworks and enjoy the extra exercise.    (sidenote: I looove the gym during holiday weekends – it’s dead!).

* Last but not least, keep this one in mind: This isn’t your last day on Earth. You don’t need to have every crazy treat at the carnival or the BBQ…because there will be others. So often I have felt like I needed to eat EVERYTHING around me because “it’s a holiday!” or “I might never do this again!”…nah, I’m pretty sure 4th of July will happen again next year! No need to overdose on cotton candy, fried dough (mmmm…), hot dogs, french fries AND milk shakes in one day.

For some kickass healthy recipes check here and here. I highly recommend grilled corn, fresh fruit in any form and quinoa salad.

Oh I’ve also started reading “The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl” by Shauna Reed (thanks for the recommendation Amanda!) – I LOVE Shauna…we might be separated at birth we’re so alike! The book is hilarious, I’m really enjoying it. If you’re looking for a fun summer read, I highly recommend it!

Enjoy your long weekends everyone!!!

Monday Check-in

Morning All!

How was everyone’s weekend? Mine was decent. I got a fabulous workout in yesterday, I can feel the soreness in my legs today, which is nice. I decided it would be a good practice to check in on what I planned to do last week and see how I did.

Last week’s plan with comments:

Workout schedule -
Mon:  Zoe drilling DVD
Tues:  Morning circuit training  (because I have dinner plans) <– dinner plans moved, after work circuits instead.
Weds: Evening cardio
Thurs: Lunchtime circuit training (working from home has it benefits!) plus Zoe drilling DVD
Fri: Evening Cardio (hopefully outside if it’s not too hot) <— nope. Worked a 12 hour shift, no exercise whatsoever!
Sat: Circuit training plus cardio session <— just cardio and a shimmy drill, no circuits
Sun: Father’s Day – cardio session with Dad (beach walk maybe?) plus Zoe DVD  <— Dad ended up working, I did a cardio/circuit mixed set at the gym

So, my plan didn’t exactly work out….but that’s life right? I didn’t plan to work until 9pm on Friday, but shit happens. It’s all about how you adjust to what life throws at you.

Here is this weeks goal workout plan:

Workout schedule -
Mon:  30 mins Cardio, Yoga/Pilates DVD
Tues:  circuit training, Zoe DVD
Weds: barre n9ne ballet workout in the AM – woo!
Thurs: Lunchtime circuit training (working from home has it benefits!) plus Zoe drilling DVD
Fri: 30 mins cardio, Zoe DVD
Sat: Circuit training plus cardio session
Sun: Yoga/Pilates DVD, Circuit training plus cardio session

Of course, it’s all subject to change. But, that’s what I’ve put in my BB calendar. Hopefully I can hit 85% of it.

As for the rest of weight-loss – emotional stuff, eating etc. I think things are going well. I’ve been channeling a lot of stuff through my paper journal. I realized that keeping stuff inside doesn’t make it go away, it makes you crazy. So I’ve gotten in the habit of writing before I go to bed. I read it the next morning and decide if the things on my mind can be tackled or need to be let go of. This morning was a lot of ‘let it go’. I have learned that if you put too much focus on something, you give it more power than it deserves.

I’m reading a new book on the history of dieting. I don’t know why I find it so fascinating, but I do. It’s called “The Hundred Year Diet: America’s Voracious Appetite for Losing Weight” by Susan Yaeger. I’m reading it on the nook I borrowed from my Mom (thanks Mom!). The best line so far (I’m only 20 pages in): “It is difficult for many Americans to recognize simple, good food anymore – let alone appreciate it. We are confused. We fly from one loopy, illogical diet to the next. We feel guilty; we binge and purge. And we’ve become just about the fattest people on earth.” SO TRUE! I really like the book so far, and will write a little review once I finish.

Do you guys read weight-loss centric books? Have a favorite?

Have any of you made a weekly plan? How’s it working out? I’m excited to try the ballet workout on Weds morning, I’ll definitely blog about it afterwards!

Amanda’s Amazing Weight-loss

Every so often I will catch a story or a picture posted by Bob Harper on FB and think “That person kicks ass!”. Amanda was the last person who caught me as “kickass” and I had to message her. Low and behold, she lives in Mass too! Small world man.

Here’s the picture and paragraph Bob posted:

November 22, 2010- My name is Amanda. I used to weigh over 400 pounds. I went vegan in June of 2008, and shortly after, starting going to the gym 5-6 days a week. I have now lost 159lbs! I feel fantastic, and I am not done with my journey, but I am getting there fast! I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me! I enjoy doing The Biggest Loser Yoga DVD, as well as countless others. You are a true inspiration! Thank you!

I got a chance to email with her about her AMAZING weight-loss (201 pounds people! She’s lost a linebacker!)  and wanted to share her story and her before and after pictures with you guys. This girl is FIERCE! My questions are bold, italics and her answers are in normal font. Check out her website for Vegan eats around Mass!

Were you heavy as a child?  Yes, I started getting chubby around the 5th grade.

Had you tried to lose weight before? Oh yes! I was on the low carb diet the longest..epic fail. I lost 70 pounds one time..then gained 150. Crazy!

What was your breaking point? I had so many…breaking chairs..not fitting into chairs..not being able to walk..not living my life. And then one day I woke up.

How did you start running? Well I have this amazing friend Amy, and she runs marathons..it was so inspiring so I decided to try it! I dabbled a few times at first, but I didn’t start to love it until I started training for a 5k this year..then I got hooked.

What habit was the hardest to give up?  Convenience foods..I had to learn to cook!

Is your end game reaching a certain weight or completion of a half/full marathon or something else? I used to think so..now I don’t really know what my end game will be. I used to think reaching a 180 pounds or a size 12 would do it for me..but now who knows? I think running will play a big part in my life in the years to come..and I’m definitely not ruling out a half-marathon one day.

How did you overcome the negative talk / “I can never accomplish this” voice in your head?  Hmm..I’m really into positive mantras! Like when I run…in comparison to non-chunky runners I am pretty slow (for my 5k I did a 15 min mile)..so as I run, I keep repeating to myself “Slow and steady wins the race“..it works! It’s the same with weight loss..I gained all of this weight over the course of 10+ years..I had to accept it wouldn’t disappear overnight. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

What’s your diet like now; what are you favorite foods? I eat a plant based diet (no meat, eggs, dairy, or fish). My favorite foods at the moment (it changes weekly lol) are asparagus, mushrooms, tofu, chickpeas, wild rice, and Gardein brand “beef” tips..mmmm!

Do you like cooking? Have a favorite recipe? Oh yes, LOVE IT! I have SO many! My blog is over at http://www.veganinsalem.com and there are many favorites listed there :)

Have you always been vegan or was it a bi-product of the weight-loss? I went vegan before the weight loss. I was doing low carb for the billioneth time and I just got so sick of it. I tortured a vegan we know will tons of questions and within a week I took the plunge! I didn’t begin exercising until six months in, and that’s when things really began to happen!

How do you cope with going out to eat @ restaurants? I’m lucky to live so close to Boston, and there are tons of vegan options there. Locally in Salem, I can find veggie burgers or salads anywhere and that works for me!

Besides running, have you taken up any new hobbies, or found old hobbies to be more fun? I love to walk anywhere…all I can think of when I do, is how I used to not be able to..I will never take that for granted.

What’s your favorite song on your iPod for working out? I have SO many..currently I am loving anything by The Wombats! :)

Who is your biggest weight-loss inspiration? Hands down, Shauna Reid, author of “The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl”. I have read that book FIVE times! I laugh, I cry…I think she’s the Aussie version of me! Best. Book. EVER.

(I’ve never read it! I requested it at the library on Amanda’s recommendation!)

Having lost 200 (it is 200 right ((201 actually)) pounds do you think you’ve changed on the inside too? If so, how? Yes, I have learned to love myself. Losing the weight has enabled me to deal with everything on the inside that needed work. Instead of hiding and avoiding, I confront and deal.

Now….ready to see her pictures? Oh man she looks AMAZING….I’m so excited to share these!