Day 3.2: Have you Forgotten?

This is a reminder post.  

Don't forget to:

• write everything down, both food and exercise.
• weigh yourself and measure yourself.  For added motivation, take photos of yourself front, back and side.  I did this.  It wasn't pretty.  I did smile.  Still not pretty.
• use the hunger scale in this post.  Hunger is polite, not ravenous.
• stretch.
• use the super foods and everything we've learned in the previous 2 cycles.  Build, ladies.

I was really excited to see on Saturday that one of my favorite apps, NTC (Nike Training Club) has a new look.  They've updated and added some great features (there are a few bugs, mostly in timing and the voice coach).  My favorite is the Program feature.  You can select your goal, level, and add running to make a four-week program.  I love it when people tell me what to do!  This feature takes the brain strain out of deciding what workout to do and keeps it interesting (like the Blogilates app or calendar).  Both of which are sure to keep you on track.  Check NTC out.  I adore it.

Okay, not much else to say today.  I worked out this morning so that's great, but I do believe I ate almost a third of my daily calorie goal for breakfast.  Sigh.

Eat Green!!

Day 3.1: A Fresh 10 Days (remember 3 is the number of times we've done a cycle, 1 is the day of 10)

I am so excited for the New Year!  I was thoroughly ready to say good-bye to 2013...it was not awesome in so many ways...I'm ready to commit to a better me and a healthy and happy new year.

So, I am making a push until Easter. Tess once said that the best time to make a diet and exercise push is from New Years to Easter.  I wholeheartedly agree.  There's not much on the calendar that is celebratory in nature that comes with a lot of social eating.  Let's use that to our advantage and make some positive and lasting changes. I am going to run consecutive 10-day phases, even if they don't start on Monday :) Easter is on April 20th.  In 14 weeks and 4 days, or 101 days.  That means we will be going through 10  10-day cycles.  Brace yourself.  

Today is Day 1 of a Fresh 10 Days.

I have been getting health-related emails since December, most about what to watch for and what will be big in 2014.  Some of these things caught my eye.  I will share them with you over the next couple months, but this 10 days I wanted to focus on this little gem:

"Adopting a plant-based diet could help tip the scales in your favor. A five-year study of 71,751 adults published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that vegetarians tend to be slimmer than meat-eaters even though both groups eat about the same number of calories daily. Researchers say it may be because carnivores consume more fatty acids and fewer weight-loss promoting nutrients, like fiber, than herbivores do."

I am not going to be a vegetarian.  I like meat and I like what it does for my body and my appetite.  But I can see the advantages of eating more plants.

The first challenge this 10 Days will be to eat 3 servings of veggies & 2 servings of fruit each day.

That makes even me feel a little panicked.  My diet is bread-centric.  And I dislike cold foods in the cold weather.  But I'll manage.  Here's some ideas of how to do it:

• make a green smoothie with one cup of spinach - 1 serving
• eat a cup of carrot & celery sticks (sans ranch, please) - 1 serving
• eat a cereal bowl of salad with veggies on top (1 tbps or less of olive oil for dressing) - 2 servings plus a bonus of 1 healthy fat serving
• top your morning oatmeal with 1/2 cup berries - 1 serving
• eat a banana, apple, or orange - 1 serving
• any 1/2 cup serving FRESH fruit - 1 serving
• fruit juice or concentrate - 1/2 cup (we've been over this, but juice is so concentrated and sugary and lacks all the fibrous benefits of fresh fruit)
• drink exception: 8 oz of V8 tomato or fruit blend - 1 serving

See, not so bad.

The second challenge is to eat 1400 calories per day.  We have done this before.  We can do it again.  Remember that fruits and veggies and protein are energy-dense foods, while breads, sugars and processed foods are calorie-dense.  Energy-dense foods help you feel full, lose fat, and provide nutrients.

The third challenge is to exercise every day for a minimum of 30 minutes.  We are going to increase the minimum exercise time next challenge, but for this 10 Days 30 minutes is the bare minimum.  Do more if you are feeling like a rock star.  If you are like me and took a huge portion of December off, and you worked out hard yesterday to kick your rear into gear, and are paying for it in soreness today...30 minutes is PLENTY.  Use the things we've already learned: mix cardio up with weights, get outside, and do something with a group or partner occasionally.

The fourth and last challenge is to eat no sugar.  The giant tin of almond roca is not helping my situation any, but I did have the gumption to chuck all the other Christmas candy and treats.  All I have left is a big bowl full of nuts, in the shell, which will end up being a great snack.  It will take time to pry them out of their stubborn shells, and they are full of healthy fat and proteins.  It will become my new afternoon ritual.  I personally am going to commit to indulging in sugar only once in 10 days.



The last thing about losing weight that I want to discuss today is your personal incentive, goals, or base reasons to lose weight.  Some ideas are:

• Put your money where your mouth is.  Websites like dietbet or healthywage let you make a goal, pay monthly, and pay you when you meet your goal.  I like that!  People on healthywage have won $1000 for meeting their goal weight over a 6 month period.  The more lbs the more money you get.  WOW!
• Don't obsess about a number on the scale.  Focus instead on how you feel, how fast you run, a specific area of your body, or an item of clothing you would like to (realistically, of course) fit.  Not the 1-size-smaller-than-you-have-ever-worn-in-your-life jeans that you bought on sale and hung up to remind you of how skinny you'll never be.  I've never done that.  Nope, not me.
• Make a goal and visualize yourself there. The more you visualize yourself exercising and being fit the more likely you will be to get out and exercise.  Make a notebook with magazine pictures and positive reinforcement statements about your ability to be where you want to be.  Research shows this is a powerful tool in achieving goals and people who do this are successful in their ambitions.  I like to look at the Athleta catalog.  It makes me want to look like that: strong and healthy, not skinny and underfed.  I also want to be able to stand on my hands with my feet almost touching the ground behind me.  Unrealistic?  Maybe a little.
• Divide your goal in to smaller short-term goals.  Want to lose 10 lbs?  Set a goal to lose 1 lb per week, 4% of your total body weight in 30 days, or 1% of your body fat in 2 weeks.  These are all realistic and healthy goals that help you focus on the smaller less overwhelming task to get to your overall goal.  I am terrible at this: I set my weight loss goal and put it off, convincing myself that I can do it all in the last 10 weeks of my time period.  Classic fail technique.  Works every time.
• Reward yourself.  If you work out all 10 Days this time, buy a new piece of exercise clothing or other clothing item.  If you're like me, new exercise clothes always make me excited to work out.
• Set activity-based goals.  Run a half-marathon, ride 100 miles, hike to the top of Mt. Timpanogos, do a triathlon, go to Hawaii (jealous).  Having an activity with a set date will encourage you to get fit enough to accomplish this activity in an enjoyable manner: no walking the marathon, or taking 20 hours to summit, or wearing a mu-mu on the beach.  Know it's coming and OWN IT!  I entered a lottery for the Little Red 100 mile bike event on June 7.  I hope I get chosen...and if I do, I'll be ready!  If I don't, I'll need someone to be support while I ride 100 miles on my own...somewhere.  This also means I need to start riding my bike downstairs.  Ugh.
• Do it for your right reasons.  We've discussed this before in this post, but make sure you are making this journey for a good reason, one you and your family can all support, and that mentally will help you become a better person for you.  Doing this for the right reasons will help you stick to your goals.  My reasons are that I want to reach my personal best.  I have always wanted to reach that best and stay there.  My goal is to be lighter so everything in my life is easier: hiking, walking, running, and playing.  I want to be healthy so I can keep pace with my teen-aged daughters, my amazing Mom (who did a ninja course at a trampoline park at 60...NINJA!) and, eventually (heaven help us all) my grandchildren.  Also to set a good example for my daughters of a healthy lifestyle and eating habits, so they can avoid problems such as anorexia or bulimia which affect so many young girls and women today.

Are you ready?  I am!  So I'll end this ridiculously long and blathering post with this inspirational and thought-provoking quote...and then I'm going to work out.  I'm already in my workout clothes.  Half the battle is already won.

Be Committed!

And Kathryn, we love you.  Your dad was, and is, a great and kind person.  Having seven daughters, he had the patience of Job, and he passed on his best qualities to you.  You and your family are in our prayers.

Merry Christmas!

We are on a Christmas hiatus!

Have a great holiday, and check back for a new 10 day challenge on Jan 6.

Merry Christmas!!!

The Second 10: YOU DID IT!

Way to go!

You've finished another 10 day challenge.  20 days of healthy eating and improving your health.  You are awesome!  What next?  It's almost Christmas, and the fun food is just beginning, as are family activities, parties and the kids' winter break.  Time will be at a premium.  What to do?

Find a plan that works for you.  If you've been consistent in your workout times, don't relent.  Keep that appointment blocked for yourself.

Keep drinking lots and lots and lots of water.  Your urine (ewww) should be light yellow to clear.

You've begun eating more healthfully.  Continue to write everything you eat down, healthy or not.  This will help you be honest with yourself and provide a picture of your eating habits.  You have seen what a clean eating pattern looks like, and if you keep writing it down you just might shame yourself out of that second handful of homemade almond roca.  You now know how eating healthy makes you feel.  When I overload on sugar I feel bloated and gassy.  I feel horrible and yucky.  Think about how you'll feel eating sugary fatty foods and choose to feel good.

I heard someone say once that you should only eat something if it's the best you've ever tasted.  Or you're really hungry.  Take a look at this hunger chart. It may help you avoid over eating, boredom eating, and help you focus on what your body is really telling you:

Monday I was cooking dinner, and suddenly got really faint feeling, broke out into a sweat, and was really shaky.  I realized that I hadn't eaten for about 5 hours.  This is extremely rare for me because typically I am a grazer and eat every 2-3 hours.  I am officially in my "Christmas Anxiety/Excitement Mode" where I have constant butterflies about Christmas until it arrives and I can't discern hunger from the butterflies.  Bizarre, I know, but an annoying fact of my life.  I had let myself get into the 1-2 level and was physically suffering from it.  I downed half an orange Fanta and had a couple crackers and my blood sugar leveled off again.  Point is, don't let yourself get so low.

If you also eat to experience flavor and texture (like I do) eat your single serving  s l o w l y, savoring each bite.

True hunger is a polite reminder from your stomach, not your brain.
If your brain is telling you to eat, it's trying to tell you something else, so figure out what that is.  A hug? A stimulating conversation?  A drink of water?  A nap?  A time out?  A workout?  A good book?  A project?    Keep this in mind and you can stay in control.  And put down that second helping of candy.  I'm talking to myself, naturally.

Let me know if you want to put the challenges on hold until after the New Year.  I'm thinking that would be best, but I don't want anyone to backslide.  What do you think?

Day 2.10: Finish Strong!

It's the LAST day of our SECOND challenge!  This is HUGE!  

If you complete today, you will have eaten clean and avoided sugar for 20 days.  That is amazing!  You should be so proud of all the good habits you've embraced and the bad habits you've put aside.  Even if it's just one habit, it's a move in the right direction.

Don't let up, get that workout in today before you get distracted today with all the shopping, house cleaning, laundry, and party preparation...make time for yourself.

I saw this really great article today from Shape magazine.  It is 11 ways to burn more calories naturally. Do I have your attention?  This just reinforces a few of the things we've discussed over the last two challenges, including drinking water and increasing your protein intake. Check it out: http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-maintenance/11-ways-rev-your-metabolism?utm_source=LifestyleNewsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=AllNLsubscribers&utm_campaign=LifestyleNewsletter121113&utm_content=B

Things to do today:

• Measure & weigh yourself today (or tomorrow).
• Eat some low-sugar Greek Yogurt today.
• Cook with some olive oil or drizzle it on a salad.
• Post in the comments if you've lost any weight or BF%.  Be accountable for the changes that are (or aren't) happening.  Be truthful with yourself and you'll know what you need to do to reach your goal.

Here's some recipes that use greek yogurt.  Try one:  http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/10-delicious-greek-yogurt-recipes-you%E2%80%99ve-never-seen

Make today count & finish strong!

Day 2.9: Two More Days!

How are you doing??  Only two more days!!

If the winter is drying  your skin out like it is mine,  keep drinking water.

My grandma gave us a box of Sees Nuts & Chews at our party on Saturday.  They are a family tradition, started many many years ago by my great grandpa.  I'm so luck that Grandma has continued the tradition to her married grandkids.  Anyway.  Mine are going to stay wrapped until Christmas Day.  Two weeks.  I can't wait!

Loved this quote:

Day 2.8: Uncle & Goals

UNCLE!

Not the relative, but begging for mercy.  I feel so much better.  Last week was rough for me.  Of course, I was sick, but still.  I did eat my super foods and I did have a cheat meal.  Isn't that part of the plan?

Monday.  A fresh start.  I hope you have done way better than me, exercising and snubbing sugar in all forms.  If not, start again today with a will.

It is also official:  I have set a new December record for days I've worked out.  3.  That is 300% improvement over past Decembers, so you can see why I'm so very proud.  

My December "Hail Mary" in the fitness and dramatic weight loss department has bit the dust, so I've come up with my new game plan.  My new focus goal is to work out 6 days a week.  And all I'm going to do is walk.  Yep.  Walk.  Here's why this works for me:

1.  It gets me outside.  The outdoors calls to me in a very instinctual way, and I have a burning desire to be out there.  Housework and other responsibilities can drown out this call if I let them, but I'll keep that from happening by going first thing in the morning.  Sometimes the thought of an hour sweating in the basement fills me with dread, particularly if I'm feeling stressed.  If you want to do something, you usually do it.  I want to go outside.  So I will.

2.  It clears my brain.  Instead of stewing over Christmas gifts, making phone calls, and being the secretary and last minute go-fer for 24 hours a day, I will only do that for 23 hours per day and take one hour to walk in silence (relative) and enjoy how it makes me feel.

3.  I helps me achieve a goal.  Just doing something I love will help me reach my 6 days/week goal.  And that is huge for my self-worth and sanity.  While I can't control many, many things about December, I can control this.  By making it simple, I can accomplish it.

4.  I helps me be grateful.  I am grateful for warm winter clothing.  I'm grateful for a body that functions.  I'm amazed that our bodies can create warmth as we move, and not freeze in 7 degree weather.  I love Utah's wintry, blue-sky days.  I am grateful for snow plows.  And I'm grateful that Tess has a nice warm garage, so she doesn't have to back out into the street to brush off her car, just so she doesn't have to shovel the driveway twice. :)  See?  So much to be grateful for.

So while walking uphill isn't my usual caliber of exercise and, frankly, makes me feel like a granny, it also boots my mood, accomplishes my goals, centers my thoughts, and fills my heart with gratitude.  Can't complain about that!

Today, be thankful!