Day 4.10: We Made It! & Whole Foods List

It's the last day of our 10 day challenge.  Did  you workout with weights three times?  If not, get on it today.  Lift something heavy with your legs and arms for 30 minutes.  A small child would do nicely.

Did you do what you are afraid of?  How did you do on conquering your weakness.  I did well.  Not perfect, but better.  I feel a rhythm coming on that is the natural way for me to be eating.

I know most of us are afraid of weights, but did you do it?  If you continue alternating with weights and cardio you will see muscular developments that will make you smile.

I printed out my "before" photos that I took as added motivation.  That ought to scare the bejeebers out of anyone, but unfortunately, I'm not easily scared.

I also started reading a couple of books, one being about adjusting our minds to eat more healthfully and conquer cravings.  When I finish that, I'll share the highlights.  The second one is about eating cleaner foods, opting for whole food sources, and adapting it to family life.  We'll see...

To send you off on a great note, ready to stay strong over the next four days, I found this list of whole foods: Whole 30 Food List.  Rest assured that if you are eating items from this list you should give yourself a big round of applause. Remember to keep aiming for 3 veggies and 2 fruits daily.

I also found this [Lean Meals] Shake Up Your Diet With 30 Superfood Protein Smoothie Recipes Under 300 Calories.
 Many of which actually look appealing, surprise, surprise.  Have one of these after your 30 minutes of weight training for maximum muscle building and recovery for the strongest muscles ever!

You are all amazing and I am so happy to be on this journey together.  If you have any tips or tricks or just want to share, post away.  I don't need to be the only voice around here.  I would love to learn from all of you, because you are all inspiring and healthy and so very wise.

4.9: Guinea Pigs & Desserts with Nutritional Value (at least some)

Mmmmm...I'm still savoring delicious homemade donuts at the family birthday party last night.  Can you say awe-sommmmmmeeee?!  So worth cheating for.

Saw this article.  I dare you to try any of these.  I think I'm going to, and I'll even bring you some.  And watch you eat it.  It says crazy delicious...you be the judge.  Satisfy your sweet tooth with something more robust in the health department.


This morning we had pumpkin pancakes, a new favorite love of mine.  They were tender and delicious and almost everyone ate them.  Even though my youngest politely said "could you make just plain pancakes next time?"  Yep.  Well, honey, in case you haven't noticed, my mantra is "life is too short to eat boring food."  The girls regularly refer to themselves as the guinea pigs, as in they are testers and tasters of all foods under the sun.

Which makes me, and them, happy.  They will never go to a place away from home and not be able to eat anything.  I find, however, that they are very interesting studies in healthy relationships with food.  They frequently turn down warm homemade cookies <gasp> because they are not in the mood.  They are sure I'll be making them again soon (they know me so well) and can have one when they feel like it...and I really mean just one.

My oldest skips breakfast <gasp, again> because she's not hungry.  To me this is like breaking one of the 10 Commandments.  "How can you possibly function without breakfast?!" I screech as I try to force a woman-sized teenager to eat two spoonfuls of oatmeal.  But contrary to all reason, she's just fine without.  It is beyond my comprehension.  She eats the lunch I pack for her each day (she likes predictability and things that aren't gross at room temperature).  When she gets home from school she eats her biggest meal snack of the day and it seems that the flood gates are open and the pit is bottomless, and she does her mama proud.  Then dinner comes along and I'm like, "I put all this work in to making a nice healthy dinner and I'll be skunked if you leave the table without eating every. last. bite."  Law.

I find her eating habits confusing and a tad frustrating.  But honestly, it's working for her.  She has energy.  She's growing, she eats healthy food, she's interested in cooking, she can turn down snacks and is comfortable with her body's communications to her about when she is truly hungry and when she's not.  I am very proud, albeit somewhat flabbergasted.

My second is a bit more like me.  She has an insatiable sweet tooth and, like me, enjoys eating for taste.  She can also turn food down when she's not hungry.  Unfortunately that usually means regular food.  We are learning together how to not eat a bag of chocolate Easter eggs with your friend at one sitting.  She's a multiple cookie, grazing, bread-centric eater like me.  My job is to provide healthier snacks that she'll eat, like chopped veggies and fruit, which she also loves.  She too listens to her hunger, it just happens to hit at weird, non-meal, and times when she's interested in delaying something.  Hmmm.  Sounds kiddish.

We've always joked that my youngest was born without a sweet-tooth (a blessed state of being) and she rarely imbibes in dessert, has the longest-lingering holiday candy, and is basically not food-centric.  She is also more like her oldest sister in obeying her hunger signals, but she's the most regular breakfast-eater and even likes oatmeal, thank the heavens.  She is an active calorie-burning machine and needs to stoke her furnace frequently.  She loves savory things, like her dad, and is the one who asks most for crab & steak.

Anyhoo, the point is that by observing these three beautiful, healthy, happy, lights-of-my-life, I can learn from their healthy internal code that, because of mental and physical baggage, I have overwritten in myself.  I can also help them nurture and develop healthy habits, like making healthy substitutions and knowing when to say when.  Combined with their active-play lifestyle, I am comfortable with their eating habits and know that they are, so far, using food as fuel, and occasionally pleasure.

And because they are children I will continually hear griping at dinner time about the amount of broccoli, tough steak, rice that looks like bugs, and squash that is too "creamy" (their least favorite texture).  I know that all these foods are nourishing them and broadening their horizons.  And as I dish up Forbidden Rice and mountains of green and orange veggies, it serves me right that their favorite food is crab.

Day 4.8: Thank My What...?!

How was your weekend?  It was so sunny and beautiful, I hope you got out in the sunshine.  We went cross-country skiing as a family.  It was great fun.  Our oldest tried skate skiing for the first time and WOW is she a natural!  It was amazing to watch how fluid she was.

Two things I love about cross-country skiing: it is a total body workout and every extremity is warm the entire time.   If you want to try this sport sometime, you can rent gear for super-cheap at Weber State's Outdoor Rec office.  Snowbasin grooms a track, and so does North Fork up by Eden.  Check out TUNA for more information.  There's even races, if you're crazy like that.

I can't wait to watch the Nordic events in Sochi in a couple weeks.  They are my favorite winter events.  They are such great athletes and every time I see them I am inspired to be stronger and healthier.

Skiing Saturday in the bright sunshine I felt a strong sense of gratitude.  (I could live with more gratitude every day and my life would be much fuller, but this is a topic for another day).  I felt grateful for my healthy body, for a beautiful place to live, for snow, for sun, for my awesome kids, and my supportive and challenging husband (not that he's challenging but that he challenges me) (okay, he's challenging sometimes...aren't we all).  During November in Primary we talked a lot about showing gratitude and went over and over different ways to show gratitude for different things.  

So I pose the question: 

How do you thank your body or show gratitude for it?

Over Saturday and Sunday I really thought about it.  The main things I thought about were how I fuel it, and how do I feel about it.  Stuffing my body full of sugar or junk is no way to thank my body for the years it has been so good to me, and is sure to hack years off my life span.  Having a negative body image is also a betrayal to my body, just like judging a person by their looks.  Hating how I look is overlooking the myriad of ways my body is truly awesome.

As women we spend an undue amount of time criticizing, hating, covering, hiding, attempting to change and being ashamed of our bodies.  This is not to say that we shouldn't try to continually improve.  But just as we are taught not to be hyper-critical of the people in our lives, we should treat our bodies with the same respect.

So thanks, body, for carrying me through 37 years of healthy life, for carrying and bearing and nourishing 3 children, for hugging and laughing and running and swimming and jumping, skiing and sleeping and holding babies, for kissing the people I love, and talking to people I care about.  I'm going to treat you nicer, because I still need ya for a lot of years and a lot of challenges yet to come, I'm sure.  

Teach your children, especially your daughters, how to show gratitude for their bodies.  Example is the best teacher.

Find a way to thank your body today.  And thank our Father in Heaven for such an awesome, beautiful, functional, perfect gift.

Day 4.5: Better Breakfast Ideas

Friday, Friday, Friday, Yeah!

I woke earlier than usual today, which means I actually woke up with my alarm that goes off at the same time every day.  I just didn't  hit snooze.  Fridays give me a little boost of energy from knowing we made it through another week.

That meant I actually had enough time to heat the oven up to make a delicious breakfast:  Monster Pancake or German Pancake.  You know, the one that puffs up in the oven?  It makes a great high-protein substitute for regular pancakes.  It takes 6 eggs, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup flour, so it has a great protein to processed carb ratio.  Here's the recipe:

6 eggs (beat in blender for 3 minutes)
Add:
1 cup milk (I use skim) side note: unsweetened coconut milk has more protein and less milk sugars than even skim milk.  who knew? use that if you're feeling daring...it's yummy...in stuff.
1 cup flour (you could sub wheat for white)
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
Blend until smooth.
Pour 3 tbsp melted butter into 13x9 baking dish and pour egg mixture over that.
Bake at 450 deg for 15 minutes.

It is really yummy.  Mine sometimes puffs and sometimes doesn't.  I think it's my old temperamental oven, which hopefully I will be saying sayonara to on Saturday.  Yippee!

Eating mindfully is about making substitutions for better quality calories.  Eggs and protein are an automatic win as a sub for highly processed white flour pancakes, even if said pancakes are puffy and to die for.

Another protein breakfast I have been seeing a lot of is Egg Cups.  These are basically an egg+veggie+meatofchoice+cheese scramble poured into a muffin tin and baked, instead of scrambled in the frying pan.  The sky's the limit on what to put in these babies, so use your imagination and all your left-over vegetables from dinner that your kids didn't eat.  They'll eat them in these breakfast eggy-muffins.  Even better, throw in some kale, chia seeds, flax seed, or olive oil and make them a super-food vehicle.

Choose one thing today and swap it for something better!

Day 4.4: Think Positive

Hello there!  I just wanted to encourage you to think positively today.  If you experienced a set-back yesterday or this morning, just plow ahead.  Every day is a choice and a battle.  If we keep at it, it'll quit being a battle eventually.

Remember: work out today for your mental and physical well-being!  And drink all your water.  Your skin will thank you!

Day 4.3: The Benefits of Planning Ahead

I have done something completely out of character...I made a 10 day meal plan: breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner.  I shopped once, and hopefully I don't have to go to the grocery store for at least 5 days.  We'll see...

The benefits I see coming from this strange action on my part are: not scrambling to think of something to make at 4:30 pm and having no meat defrosted; branching out and adding variety to our menu; having vegetables on hand to eat as side dishes; having healthy and planned snacks when the kids get home; having a dessert planned for Sunday to look forward to and be ready for; save money (although I'm skeptical).

Planning ahead helps us live our lives to a fuller extent, being able to focus beyond the now and the immediate.  It helps us be proactive instead of reactionary.  Reacting is the enemy of many things, including healthy dieting.

It seems as though every time I try to meal plan I end up spending twice as much as random-shopping.  But random shopping gets so aggravating and I end up at the grocery store at least 3 times a week.  Which has to end.  Smith's is my Cheers...very sad.

I made this spreadsheet so that each ingredient gets used more than once so nothing goes to waste.  Before you start thinking how awesome I am, remember: I am the world's greatest imitator.  I found the idea on a blog.  I couldn't tell you what blog because I found it in a blog-fog.  You know, where you click and click and click through hundreds of blogs, lost in the organizational prowess and beauty and skill of strangers' lives?  Just google "meal planning spreadsheet", there are a million out there.  Anyway...I'm trying it.  I think this will go hand in hand with eating three square meal a day.  Don't ask me why it's taken me 17 married years to try this in earnest.

Yesterday I did great!  I ate my meals, I avoided easy-to-grab snacks like peanut butter and bread, crackers, or leftover cheesy eggs.  I had an apple when my sweet tooth hit, and I jumped at Get Air for an hour.  I was in heaven.  It was so nice to get a good workout doing something fun with my kids.  And it was hard.  My upper back is sore today; not legs, but back.  Obviously this is an area I need to work more often.

How was your day?  Did you stick to your plan?  Did you beat your weakness into submission?  Did you strengthen your body in some way?  Did you clear your mind and live happy?

I did, and boy does my house look like it.

Day 4.2: Weight Bearing Exercises

How was day 1?  I hope it was grand!  Today I had some delicious Zucchini Pancakes, from Smitten Kitchen, and they were delicious, with really minimal sugar per serving.  And I subbed 1/2 wheat flour.  Win-win.

Today I am going to share some easy ways to get strength training into your workout.  Remember, this 10 days your goal is to do strength training 3 times this 10 days.  

I found this "Seven Minute Workout" and I really liked the exercises and reps.  These are "Body Weight" exercises, meaning the resistance you use is your own weight.  More for some of us, to be sure :)  Push yourself and do it 3 times.  You know you can.

The seven-minute workout

The 12 station regime should see each exercise conducted 15 to 20 times, in 30 seconds, with only five to 10 seconds “rest” between each one. The whole circuit (which can be repeated two to three times) should take about seven minutes and Jordan says to do it no more than three or four times a week.

If you have dumbbells at home, and I don't mean people that really annoy you, try some of this group of exercises.  10-12 reps, 3 sets.  Try to choose a variety and work your whole body.

The last suggestion I have for body weight exercises is my personal favorite, the Nike Training Club app for iphone or ipad.  Seriously love this app.  Exercises range from beginner to advanced, 30 min to 45 min, and you can mix the workouts with cardio for extra fat burn, and the body-weight exercises work your entire body.  There's a voice coach and you can set your favorite jams to play while you rock your muscles.  I find that I like to add more arms after, like plain old bicep curls, but the app is full of push ups and rows, great for chest and back.

Take time to build your muscles.  You will burn more calories, feel sleeker and stronger, and be less injury prone.

Day 4.1: 10 Days of No Fear

Let's start again!  This is 10 Days of No Fear!  Some of the previous goals are not working for me.  So I'm going to modify the goals for the next 10 days.

Conquer your Weakness: indulge at a predetermined time or frequency.  Post your resolution in the comments including item & frequency. Now you are accountable.  Mine is sugar/candy/dessert.  I am only eating it on Wednesday and Sunday.  Rats, now I'm committed.

Exercise: do at least 3 - 30 minute sessions of weights this 10 days.  I'll post some good body-weight exercises as well as some free-weight exercises as well.

Diet: 3 veggies, 2 fruits daily.

Hydrate: 64 oz of water each day (8-8oz glasses)

It's time to ask ourselves: How bad do we really want it?

I like this quote.  Really, we tend not to do what we are afraid of.  But great strength comes when we overcome fear and express faith.  Faith in what will happen if we do this hard thing.  Faith in ourselves that we can actually do something hard.  Faith that we have help from a Higher Power to overcome weakness.

I am afraid to go without sugar.  But I really do want to trim down.  I'm ready.

Day 3.10: Today is Better than Yesterday

Last day of this 10.  Don't give up today, work out to start the weekend off right!  Eat those fruits and veggies and drink drink drink!  Some of my kids have been drinking more and it has helped their chappy lips and dry knuckles.  Yay!

What challenges were you successful in for this cycle?  I said I was going to moderate the challenges for the next 10 and I meant it.  Ramping up to full speed after the holidays was tougher than I thought.  Sheesh.

Measure and weigh yourself if you think there's any chance that you've changed.  Me, not so much.

And while there are no numerical changes that mark the successes I've had this 10 days, I know that I have improved:  we picked back up on our weekly group class, I worked out 4+ days/week for the past two weeks, I am drinking all 64 oz of water daily, and I am eating more fruits and veggies.  All very positive and healthy improvements.  I hope you have improved in some small way, too, because we can all find joy every day in doing something better than 10 days ago.

I know that I also said that I was going to do consecutive 10 day challenges, but I'm revising my statement.  Think of it as being fluid, going with my gut...not disorganized, sloppy, and unmotivated.  Be positive.  We're going to start again Monday.

Enjoy your final day.  Celebrate your wins.  Ready yourselves for Monday.  We begin anew.

Day 3.9: Almost there

Nearly done!  Not starting on Monday has really confused me, but I'll manage.

Check in on the challenges for this 10 Days:

1. 1400 calories per day...most days
2. No sugar - meh...
3. 30 minutes daily...except yesterday.
4. 3 veggies & 2 fruits...success!

I've been off to a slow start, I'll admit.  However, I did make rice crispy treats yesterday and only ate two and I still met my 1400 calorie limit.  Horray!

Do you have any suggestions on challenges for the next 10 days?  I've got some ideas stewing, and I think simplicity is going to be the key word here.  I've been told I'm a little intense, so I think I'll try to be a little less so.  No reason to make any of us feel like a failure, right?

A little note about meal spacing.  After going through the small children phase, when they ate frequently and I ate right along with them, I have morphed into a grazer.  Sometimes I think that this should allow me to perfectly integrate the "golden rule" of fat loss which is eating every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism revved all day.

Yesterday I was on the computer and doing business stuff all morning.  Then I left the house around 12 and didn't get home until 3.  Most mornings I usually don't usually eat after breakfast, and then I start grazing.  Every time I wander through the kitchen I eat something.  Yesterday I ate a bigger lunch, 500-600 calories at 1, and I was stuffed until dinnertime.  Not being home helped, but I really didn't feel a desire to snack after lunch, even after I got home and the kids came home from school.  This is a miracle.

So I'm wondering if three bigger meals is the best way for me to eat. You know, actually sitting down at the table and eating enough food to feel satisfied?  It makes me feel like a diet rebel, like I'm laughing in the face of all scientific research, like how could I possibly lose fat if I'm not eating every 2 hours.  Don't get me wrong: I like having more frequent excuses to put food in my mouth.  But this only helps me if I actually need it.  Not to defy all logic, but it is possible that something different might work for me.  Like maybe the way I ate all my whole growing up life.  Three squares a day, no snacks.  Like following a circadian rhythm for eating.  Do what comes naturally.  I have a gut feeling that the less I am required to think about what to eat, the less I'll think about it period.  Which is a good thing.

I'm willing to give three square meals a try.

Day 3.8: Hard Facts About Exercise

The other morning I pulled on my compression tights and thought "I really like these.  Maybe if I wear a long sweater no one will know they are workout pants."  I'm avoiding jeans and wearing stretchy pants.  It's gone a little too far, don't ya think?

Alrighty, back to what I do best: information.

I read this a month ago and really really loved it.  It is called "8 Cold, Hard Facts About Exercise"

It is worth reading.  I really liked the 5th fact: "I won't allow you to eat whatever you want".

Whenever I start exercising a lot my appetite increases.  But more than my appetite is my "perceived food budget".  Yeah, I can totally eat a dessert after each of my 5 meals.  I worked out.

As you can see, this is not working for me.

When you start truly calculating how many calories you burn during exercise (as the article points out) it's really not as many as you think.  I have a cycle computer that tells me I burn 900 calories on a 90 minute ride.  I appreciate that calculation because it gives me permission to eat everything in sight.  But I'm preeeettttyyyy sure that it's off by about 300 calories.  Truly.  And while 600 calories is a lot, it ain't 900.

I am always jealous of professional cyclists.  They are always saying in interviews how they have to force themselves to eat enough calories during the day so they don't bonk.  This is during a grand tour, like the Tour de France.  Those poor cyclists.  Wouldn't that be an interesting problem to have?  Forced to eat enough calories?  Wouldn't I love to be them.  Riding 150 miles each day.  For 3 weeks straight.  Never mind.

Other facts I liked:

"Exercise alone won't change you."  Enter my personal diet challenges.  This will be a hard one for me to get through.

"Exercise will always feel hard."  Each time I ride my bike I dream of a day when I can ride 17 mph for hours without it hurting.  Unfortunately, it will always hurt.  My mind just has to quit telling me that I can't go any more.  Because in reality, I can.  Our ability to push through the hard will increase as we exercise more.

I am ready for some results that I can see.  This article helped me see some things I can change that will hopefully help me get off my plateau.  Did you find anything interesting or new?

Day 3.7: I feel better now

Wow.  Now that I have nothing to hide...

I'm so glad someone commented (thanks, Tess).  I was starting to hear crickets and uncomfortable silence.  That's not awkward.

I really do feel better, however.  I feel like I can start again.  Just after I posted  yesterday, I sat down to read the January Ensign.  No, I didn't tear into it on Dec 30, and yes I procrastinate.  Have you not read this blog?  Anyway,  I read Pres. Uchtdorf's message about beginning anew.  It was just what I needed.  The best time to start is years ago.  The next best time is now.  So very perfect and uplifting.  Take time to read his message.

Also perfect and uplifting was my workout today.  I got invited by my favorite person to go cross country skiing at Snow Basin.  It was 37 degrees, perfectly sunny, and so much fun.  The grooming left us sinking in snow drifts in some areas and not speeding along, but it was one heck of a workout.  All the moving arms and struggling uphill on super skinny skis and shooshing downhill with no edges...it's a toughie.

It was very rejuvenating and I had a smile on the whole time.

I know some of you have been enjoying outdoor workouts now that the air isn't the color and consistency of mud, and I encourage you to keep it up.  The weatherman says we're in for a week of declining air quality, so get outside while it won't give you emphysema.  Seriously.

Confront your demons, take control, and learn from mistakes.  I think that's this 10 days' theme.  Also, don't set goals you can't realistically reach.  But wait, I already said that.  The story of my life.

Day 3.6: In the Middle

Humph.  Middle of the 10 days.  Can't get the gumption to move off the computer chair.  The weekend mess is staring me in the face and my sheets need to be changed.  Also, I need to iron.  All of my least favorite things.  I think I need a nap.

I had a healthy breakfast, though.  I drank some water.  I read a funny an inspiring post on a new website I found, called Fiterazzi.com.  Other women going through the same things and feelings I am.  Well, some of the same.

I read a bit over the weekend about diet restrictions, and I think some of us have discussed this before.  When we black-list foods from our diet, we find ourselves obsessing over them, craving them more, and over-indulging when we get our hands on them.  For instance...

A couple years ago I did a diet for 5 weeks.  I was feeling particularly interested in what this would do for my body, I was feeling motivated and ready to give it my 100% effort.  And I did.  It was heavy on protein, alternating with days of protein & certain veggies.  It cut out bread and sugar completely, including fruit.  I followed it.  When I had my cheat meal, it was a hamburger wrapped in lettuce.  I had no sugar, not even sugar substitutes.  I ate tons of eggs and carrots.  I made a pancake for breakfast every day that had 1-2 tbsp of oat bran.  The only exercise I did was walking 20-30 minutes each day.  And I lost weight.  8 lbs in 5 weeks.  I felt totally in control, totally excited that something was working.  I was also looking forward to the set date that I was done and I was going to have bread and dessert again.  The plan was to have it just that day and then continue on with my new found success.

So the day came.  And boy was it a day.  I stuffed myself silly.  I felt rewarded, and so deserving.  Then the day ended and the next day came.  There were a couple things I had wanted to eat and didn't, flavors I'd been missing, and so I figured I could eat them the second day, and THEN get back to the restrictions.  I survived 5 weeks, right?  I didn't die without sugar and bread, I was happy and content, and proud of myself during those 5 weeks.  Okay, I was AMAZED at myself.  But the reward day turned into days, then weeks, and then months, and I never got back on the train.  And I sure made up for lost time.  I gained back 13 lbs in 5 weeks.  Such very classic diet behavior.

Mentally I was ruined.  The total deprivation that I had enforced evolved into a feeling of panic that these things I craved were never going to be there again, or that they will forever be off limits.  I was ruined because I knew it was physically possible for me to go without them, so I must be a weakling when I did eat them.  Not only that, but I hadn't been exercising at my usual pace and because I had been eating so few calories every day, my poor starved body and mind clung to every calorie I gave it.  I started out that spring in the worst shape of my adult life, and spent the summer slowly building back what I had lost in fitness.

I still have not gotten back to that lower weight, and have hovered at my beginning weight for 2 years.  I still overindulge on sugar and bread because I swear I'm going to cut it out for good on Monday, and it really is the LAST time I eat 5 cookies at a sitting again.  Okay, 8 cookies.  Luckily I have stuck to exercising because I can never be that unfit again.  

But I am still mentally confused about my feelings for sugar and bread.  I know they are part of a healthy and happy diet and lifestyle.  I know that I don't really need much of them, and truly I do not need them every day.  I have made changes like eating only whole wheat bread, so I know I'm getting more quality from what I do eat.  I don't keep candy around the house and I don't even make dessert once a week.  But when I do get my hands on dessert, heaven help me.  Somewhere in my brain that diet has temporarily turned off my ability to say "I don't need it now.  It'll be there later, when I really want it".

I don't always feel guilty for eating candy or dessert.  When I do feel guilty it is because I know I didn't really need it.  It is because I know that inside me is the ability to say no.  The ability to control myself.  The ability to have control over my bodily appetites, and to practice moderation.

All of this sounds like an addiction recovery program.  Because it kind of is.  

This is why when we talk "diet" it should be about balance, healthy substitutions, and listening to your body.  It should be about recognizing why we are eating: hunger, loneliness, sadness, happiness, or boredom.  Healthy diets start with what we can eat, filling ourselves with healthy good food so we don't need empty unhealthy foods.  Diets should be about enjoying food because it makes us feel and and it is enjoyable, but knowing when to say when.  This is also why we share and have support systems and fitness groups, and make realistic goals.  So that the changes we want to make can happen and stick.

So, I am officially adjusting my 101-day goal until Easter: I am going to have dessert once per week.  I am going to have sugar, the real kind, on my oatmeal every day.  I may even have something sweet during the week NOT on my cheat day, but it is going to be less than 100 calories if I do.  I will have no more than 2 pieces of bread each day, the whole wheat kind, and enjoy every bite.  And I am going to eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day.

My name is Emily, and I am totally addicted to sugar.  But I don't have to be.

Day 3.4: The Sun & Vitamin D

It's going to be a beautiful day today, sort of sunny and creeping toward 50.  What!?  I'm going to try to get outside today and exercise in the clean air...finally.

Are you having a cheat meal today?  I know I am!  All I've been wanting is a McDonald's single cheeseburger.  I even turned down a cookie yesterday.  I did not turn down caramel popcorn I made for a friend party.  It's my mom's recipe and it is so delicious!  It's more like Cracker Jacks, buttery and salty.  It was worth it.

Get outside and let what sun there is bathe you in warmth, lift your spirits, and boost your Vitamin D. 

Vitamin D can decrease your risk of cancer, developing type 1 diabetes, osteoporosis.  It stimulates your pancreas to produce insulin, regulates your immune system, and is an inhibitor to cancer cell growth.  

In the summer we get plenty because we spend so much time outside, but in the winter we typically find ourselves deficient, particularly at our latitude and above.  Studies suggest that we need 1000 IU of Vitamin D daily for the maximum cancer fighting & immune system boosting results.  

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which means it is stored in our bodies.  If you take supplements and get over the recommended dose you can get a toxic effect, leading to kidney stones or failure.  Don't worry, stay under 2000 IU daily to avoid overdose.  For women, guidelines suggest 200-400 IU daily.  Get 400 IU between age 50 & 70, and 600 IU after 70 to really combat osteoporosis.

Food Sources of Vitamin D From WebMD:

"So how can you get enough of this overlooked vitamin? Most foods aren't filled to the brim with vitamin D -- far from it. You can get 425 IU in a 3-ounce serving of salmon, and 270 IU in 3.5 ounces of canned sardines. But most foods provide much more modest amounts of vitamin D, from egg yolks (25 IU per egg) to cheddar cheese (2.8 IU per ounce).

"You'll get 200 IUs of vitamin D by drinking two glasses of fortified milk," says Sandon,"

The sun stimulates human skin to produce Vitamin D beyond your daily requirements.  If you have been in the sun in a bathing suit long enough to make your skin slightly red, you've produced 10,000-25,000 IU of Vitamin D!  No wonder we're happier in summer.  Be cautious, however.  Prolonged sun exposure has is negative side effects, as can taking too many supplements.  Be balanced.

Point being, the sun is your best source of Vitamin D.  Get out in it every chance you get in the winter months.

Have a Sunny Winter Day!

Day 3.3: Body Image: What is your ideal?

Happy Late Day 3.

Saw this in November and thought it was post-worthy.  These are photos taken by Howard Schatz of women athletes in their prime and at the top of their individual sports.  Read the full article here.  It is fascinating to me how many differences there are.  When we think about our goals and what we want to be or look like it is important to remember two things:  what are we trying to accomplish and where are we starting from.  As we analyze our individual strengths and weaknesses we can use those to become our individual best.  With my personal physique it would be crazy of me to try to be a rhythmic gymnast.  With my personal strengths I am more suited for long distance and endurance activities.  

And, while my dreamy-dream is to be a super-athlete, the main thing I have always tried to accomplish is being a healthy child-bearer, child-raiser, wife, and church-member.  And these are the hardest and most challenging pursuits of all.  Which is all the more reason to step it up.  Be realistic: we don't have a personal trainer, dietitian, team, and host of medical advisers, and all the fitness equipment and gear we could possibly need.  But we do have the internet.  And friends & family and plenty of resources.  And me.  So no excuses, either.

So take a gander, oooh & aaahhhh, & think about what's possible, don't get discouraged, dream, set goals, and keep on working at it.  We'll get there...eventually! 

Always remember:

Be your fabulous self!

Just a healthier version!

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.