It's time to start doing some testing

I feel like I'm on the brink of a major change. 

I've been educating myself on various methods of losing weight such as intermittent fasting and ketosis. 

I've tried getting into ketosis before with less-than-desirable results. But I may have done it wrong. It needs to be done in a gradual manner rather than jumping right into it.

Next week I'm going to do some testing. 

The whole catalyst for this is that I started noticing that the stomach bloat I've had is NOT a normal thing.  I have lived with food intolerances (not allergies) all my life and I've just accepted the symptoms as normal. So next week I'm going to cut the most likely food candidates for my food intolerance and see if I can figure it out.  Perhaps it's dairy?  Or maybe grains? 

I've been reading The Virgin Diet by JJ Virgin and there are a LOT of symptoms she mentions in there that just hit home for me.

1) Have you tried unsuccessfully to lose weight?
2) Is what you used to do to lose weight no longer working?
3) Are you a yo-yo dieter?
4) Do you frequently experience discomfort after eating, such as bloating, gas or indigestion?
5) Can you only lose weight by starving yourself or exercising like a maniac - or possibly not even then?
6) Are you feeling and looking older than you should?

I answered yes to more than one of those questions - which indicates that I have a food intolerance to something.I just need to figure out what.

Hopefully after I figure it out I will start to feel better and maybe finally lose the stomach bloat I've learned to live with but never have been able to eliminate before no matter how hard I exercise or cut calories. 

I'll keep you posted!

The Health Bet starts Sept. 5 - are you in?

This is pretty amazing.

How much is your health worth?

Would it be worth it if you were guaranteed to win a part of a pool worth $1M - $3M?

If I told you all you had to do was do the following for four straight weeks (which is totally do-able) that would be worth it, right?

• Drink Shakeology 5x a week 
• Work out at least 3x a week

The video below says it all.

Take a chance. Win back your health while winning a few dollars. 

My workouts go to 11 now!

Is Your March going to be a "Lion" or a "Lamb?"

Happy March 1st!  Where is this year going?

Time marches on no matter WHAT happens in our lives, right?

So yes, I started Hammer & Chisel back in January and finished this past week. However, was it perfect?  Did I stay on plan 100% the whole time?  No I did not because as always, life happens.  And then my own worst enemy - my head - came out again.

Listen I struggle with sticking to programs all the way through.  Somewhere in the middle I usually lose my resolve for some reason or another.  But then I'll see something that gets me back on track and then I end up finishing. Go figure.

So what usually throws me off?  It's a combination of things.  Sometimes the stress of work gets to me and if I didn't work out in the morning, something happens that prevents me from doing the workout after work. I'll end up working late, I have a special project I need to continue working on from home.

Then there's personal stuff that comes up - my sister's birthday, various celebrations, etc.

It's always something.

But I think the point is how well we can deal with what life throws at us.  I mean, don't we all feel better after a workout and then we're better able to handle all of life's pressures? So really that means getting in some form of exercise during the day is the best natural medication we can take to deal with life.  Better than aspirin, better than an anti-depressant. 

My own personal goal for March is to complete the 21DF program all the way through.  Today - March 1st  - is Day 1. Just completed the Total Body Cardio Fix workout and feel GREAT.  I'm now drinking my Cafe Latte Shakeology and about to go vote (it's Super Tuesday!) before heading into the office.

I need to remember this feeling that I have RIGHT NOW after working out and having my Shakeology - and right now I'm feeling fantastic, strong, and ready to face the world.

How's 2016 going so far??

Greetings everyone!

Wow, I didn't realize it's been so long since my last entry!

So here's what's been happening since the last time I wrote:
1) I got engaged on Christmas morning!  It's given me a new motivation to become healthier.
2) I ran a half marathon in December.  It was the TOUGHEST one because I had not really been training for it and that last mile was brutal. I cried tears of pain and joy at the end. A real emotional experience.
3) On Jan. 7, I started the Hammer and Chisel program.  It's tough but it's been a GREAT experience! I'm entering my last week of the program this week and looking ahead to what's next
4) I signed up for the Austin 10K in April.  Using my Nike running app on my phone, I'm following an 8 week training plan and ramping up my runs since I haven't really been running since the half in December. Time to get back into it!

As far as health plans the rest of the year, well I've started "Operation Wedding Dress."  We're targeting a wedding date sometime this summer. So I have a few months time to get in better shape but don't want to wait till the last minute! Now is the time to start.

What are your goals for the year and are you still working towards them now in the middle of February?

You know the statistic - more than 70% of people drop out of their New Year resolutions by March 1st.  Let's go against the norm and don't become a part of that statistic!

I have my motivation for this year.  What's yours?  What is your why?  Make sure it's one that is strong enough to get you through those days when you don't want to push play or workout at all.

Keep it up!

21 Days of Fixmas!

Greetings everyone!

Okay, so Thanksgiving is over. A lot of us are probably feeling a little guilty about some of the things we ate on Thursday, right?

And about 95% of people are probably telling themselves "well, I'm going to get back to healthy eating & start an exercise program after the New Year."

Well...what if you started doing something it NOW rather than later??

What if you were one of the few who were already well on their way to a healthier lifestyle on January 1st and you were ahead of everyone else?

This holiday season, me and a few of my friends are committing to doing either the 21 Day Fix OR the 21 Day Fix Extreme program starting Monday Nov. 30 and going through till Dec. 20.

If you want to be healthier this holiday season, then let's do this. Plus, this is a GREAT lead-in for the new Hammer & Chisel program that's coming out soon so that you can start THAT in the New Year with a nice head-start.

Time to ask yourself "WHY NOT?"

If your answer is "well I got holiday parties coming up..a cookie exchange..a birthday party. etc."

Well guess what? So do I! 

But it's all about pre-planning. 

I'll be sharing my progress on here. I know some days will be tougher than others, but I'm ready to get healthy now rather than later.

In the home stretch for 2015!

Wow, where has this year gone?? Here we are in the last 7 weeks of 2015.

This has been an eventful year for me - making progress and then having setbacks. But you know what? LIFE HAPPENS!  What matters is how quickly you get back on track.

As I said, in late August I had surgery and the doctor didn't clear me for running until October 12.  Well I have to admit, I haven't consistently started until this past week..

It was just last Sunday when I looked at the calendar and let out a loud expletive when I realized that the half marathon I signed up for last year was coming up in 5 weeks.  Today it's in FOUR weeks on Dec. 6.

Am I ready? Hell no!

But am I going to finish? You bet!

I know I probably won't meet my PR but considering the health setbacks this year, I think it would be a great way to finish 2015 by just plain finishing the race.

I picked up a GREAT book by Dr. Jordan Metzl called "Running Strong" and it has a strength training program specifically for runners.  I just started it today and holy moly, I was sweating in the first few exercises which includes some plyo, planks, lunges, squats, balancing, etc.  But hey, if it's going to make me stronger and prevent injury during the half, I'm going to power through. 

As an extra, I like to do the 10 Minute Fix for Abs routine from the 21 Day Fix program.  It hits ALL the major ab muscles and I definitely feel it the next day.

So there's essentially MY plan for the rest of the year, or at least this month - continue training for the half. 

What is YOUR plan for November?  What are you doing to improve your health this month? 

Do Setbacks happen? You bet! Move on

Hi everyone!

So I've been MIA for a little while because I had a minor surgical procedure on August 27. It wasn't due to any sickness and it wasn't life-threatening (thank goodness).  But it still knocked me down for the count these past few weeks because I haven't been able to do any high-impact workouts for three weeks now!

A little frustrating since I was on a roll before the surgery and going full blast on Cize AND the 21 Day Fix programs and running on the side. 

But that's okay.  I'm slowly building myself back up by walking and doing low-impact exercise daily.  And I know that this little setback should not completely de-rail the fitness progress I've made this year. 

So tomorrow I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor and I'm hoping I get the green light to start working out normally soon. 

My fingers are crossed!

I realize that I can't just jump in full blast to where I was.  I will listen to my body and push it a little each time. 

Just wanted to let everyone know the scoop!  And if you've ever had a setback, it's not the end of the world.  What matters is how quickly you pick yourself back up and continue on your long-term goal.

That's what I'm going to do. 

Day 1 of Cize!

Today is Day 1 of Cize and here is my Day 1 routine. First off, I was SHOCKED that I was sweating only 5 minutes into the workout!  By the end, I was sweating buckets.  Was NOT expecting that. My hat is off to all dancers out there. Here is this non-dancer at her attempt to look cool - but hey, at least I'm burning calories!  What a fun workout. Looking forward to perfecting this routine and learning the next!

Sharing some exciting news I just saw tonight on Facebook. Please excuse the messy hair and the numerous times I say "awesome" towards the end of the video - I was just excited! :)

Details here → http://bit.ly/labordayFIX
Facebook group here → http://bit.ly/LaborDayFix

Who wants to Cize it up with me in August??

Hey all!

Yesterday (July 20) was the release of the new fitness program from Shaun T called Cize.  It's supposed to be workout that's so much fun, that you forget that it's exercise.

It's a program where you learn various dance routines and in the process, you're burning up the calories.

Now this is an ironic thing because I am NOT a dancer and in fact, almost have no rhythm at all and here I am with a drummer boyfriend. :)

BUT, I'm willing to give it a try and I'll be doing the program for the first time starting August 10th.  And I'd love to do the program with people who are just like me - not too sure on the dancing thing but brave enough to give it a whirl!

So the basic rundown:

• It's a 4 week fitness program.  Come on - only a month!
• Each workout is approximately 35-40 minutes
• Appropriate for all levels of fitness: from Beginners to Advanced

If you're curious or just want more information, let me know.  I'll be posting my cool dance moves (ha!) next month....

Countdown to Reunion Time!

So on Saturday, June 27, I started the 21 Day Fix Extreme (21DFX) program because on Saturday, July 18 I have a big family reunion that I'm attending and I'd like to look and feel my best!

Today is Day 6 of the program and I got to say - this is tough!  There is a workout every single day. No rest day.  The closest thing to a rest day is the Yoga workout on Day 7 but even that you sweat a little!

Last night was a challenge for me. I ended up working late. Then I came home, made dinner and then we ended up popping in a DVD and watching the movie "American Sniper."  Well when the movie ended, it was around 9:30pm - which is close to my bed time.  And I STILL had not done my #21DFX workout.   I was SO tempted to just change to my jammies and go to bed. But I told myself "Remember why you're doing this. And this is only Week 1. Just put on the DVD and do the modification moves."  So that's what I did!  And even doing the modified moves that are low impact, I was still sweating when I finished. But I felt soooooo good afterwards!

 I felt so good that I even did an extra credit workout for a health challenge that I'm participating in at work.

So yeah, I felt like I crushed Day 5 despite not wanting to do it. DONE! Now on to Day 6...

Day 2 of the 3 Day Refresh

Video blog #1: Intro to 3 Day Refresh

3 Day Refresh intro

Above is the link to my first video blog - and it's just a video of me opening the 3 Day Refresh box that I just received in the mail.  Did not read any of the program materials at the time of the video.  Now that I have I am happy to report that this is NOT a fast.  Yes, it's a low-calorie plan (about 900 calories) for three days but you also eat real foods too like fruits, veggies and healthy fats.

Besides Shakeology, it looks like the supplied supplements should assist with any hunger pangs.  We'll see if they handle MY hunger pangs!

Oh and please excuse the hacking dog at the end of my video.  That would be my little rat terrier Lucky coughing like she usually does.  She's old.

A Digital Detox This Weekend

For this last weekend in March 2015, I am hereby declaring a digital detox from all of my mobile devices.

Here is my why - this morning I was so absorbed reading a book on my Kindle Paperwhite that I got mad at my boyfriend when he asked me a simple question. Seriously?

I mean, here is the love of my life asking me a silly little question and I turn around and practically bite his head off!

I am SO so sorry for this.  My priorities seem to be a bit off-kilter.

If I had to list all of the important things in my life, my Travis would be at the top - at the same level as my family.  These are the people that I would lay down my life for. I would donate an organ for if they needed it. 

Yet you wouldn't know it based on my behavior this morning and how I treated him. :(

This made me come to the realization that yes, I am addicted to my iPhone...my Kindle Fire...my Kindle Paperwhite.  Sometimes I will have all three surrounding me.  And then sometimes, I even take them to bed with me!  Is this really necessary?? Hell no!

Travis has been saying that he'll be talking to me and I'm only half-listening to him.  He's right.  If I have one of my devices in my hand, I will only respond with a "Uh-huh" and then not even looking at him.

How wrong is that??

I feel so embarrassed and ashamed. If something were to happen to him today, I would be buried under regret.

This weekend, the Kindles will be put away.  The phone will only be used as a telephone. (And maybe tracking my run but that's it).  And I will actually look my love in his eyes as he's talking to me, and I will look up and live in the now.  And I will go outside and live life.

Even Coaches have "off" days

I have a pretty demanding full-time job and this week, my partner-in-crime (the guy that works with me in the email program) is on Spring Break. So I'm basically doing the work of two people this week and it's been crazy!

Monday I worked 10 hours.

Tuesday I worked the usual 8 hours but then Tuesday night I got a last-minute voiceover job (I do voiceover work on the side). And the project needed to be turned in by Wednesday morning. So I ended up doing that right after work and through dinner.
Which means that yesterday (Tuesday) I did not workout.

**GASP** SHOCKING!

Yes, even Coaches can have an "off" day sometimes.

We all have busy lives and sometimes... life just happens.

But here is what makes the difference - how quickly we get back on track.

Today I started my day with Shakeology and right now, I'm jumping right back in with my 21 Day Fix workout.

This could be a time where I could easily beat myself up and start letting negative thoughts go through my head.  But my own Coach has a great analogy for this.

So..if you get a flat tire, you immediately fix it so you can get back on the road, right?  Well when you have a minor setback,  you should do the same thing because if we let negative thoughts say things like "well, I messed up so I guess I'll just go totally off-program and eat a bag of chips for dinner."  If we do what those negative thoughts are saying, then we are essentially slashing the other three tires of our car after experiencing the one flat tire.  And that makes NO sense, right?
Exactly!

So right now, I am putting the spare tire on, and I'm getting back on the road.

Let's roll.

I'm baaack!

Hello everyone! Well I'm back and ready to continue this upward trend that I am currently on. (Upward in a good way, not in bad way like upward on the scale!) So here's the scoop: Last month I joined a Facebook challenge group coordinated by my coach, Ryan. Now I've been one of Ryan's minions for a LONG time but only halfheartedly participating in the exercise groups and programs here & there. In fact, last year I joined WW-At-Work since my company was sponsoring a weight loss challenge and they were paying for part of the meeting fees. I became a WW member in the summer and stayed a member all the way through to the end of December. And guess how many pounds I lost? Only 2 pounds. Yes, I kid you not. In about six months of being a WW member, I just lost 2 pounds!!! Granted, this was mainly my fault for not following the program to a T. I have nothing bad to say overall about the program since it works for so many. But for ME and my particular lifestyle, it obviously did not work. It wasn't a perfect fit.

With the start of the new year, I figured it was time to try something new. Lo and behold I see a message from Ryan about a new 90/10 group starting in January. I decided to join and to really focus on eating more whole foods and keeping track. I printed up weekly meal plans and went grocery shopping. For more information on the 90/10 Nutrition plan, you can check out the website here: www.9010nutrition.com.  So in just a month of eating on the 90/10 plan, guess how many pounds I lost? 4.5 pounds. In a month. And also, feeling great in looser pants!

I'm continuing the 90/10 nutrition in February and after my awesome experience in January, I have decided to become a coach myself! It's a little scary. And of course, I'm second-guessing myself since I do NOT have the fit, toned body that I'm still striving for. However, I decided to think of this as a journey that I can continue on while at the same time, supporting others who have the same goals. We can share the struggles and help each other achieve our respective fitness goals!

At least, this is how I'm envisioning it. :)

So now this blog will turn into me talking about my experiences as I start this new journey. I will be an open book. Get ready.

How Quickly the Weight Comes

I am SOOO mad at how far I've let myself go! So since I left WW last summer, I have gained 10 lbs. How is it possible to gain 10 lbs in six months??? It's utterly depressing. Granted, there have been things happening in my life such as: 1) Getting more responsibility at work and having to do two jobs - which equals more hours and coming home at later times. Oh and sitting at my desk for hours upon end 2) Officially over 40 and the metabolism is slowing 3) Less exercise and hardly any weight lifting All of these things combined will lead to weight gain but 10 lbs in six months??? That's just downright insane!!! I re-joined WW today and I'm starting with this Simple Start which is essentially eating the Power Foods and no counting. Don't know how that will work but I'll try it. At this point I'll try almost anything. (except crazy diet pills or surgery) I'm now going to take my ass off the couch and do a DVD workout

Happy

This post has nothing to do with weight loss but it's just a note about life.

Right now in this moment, despite work waiting for me tomorrow after a week's vacation, I am so content with life.

When we arrived back in town late last night after the 18 hour drive from Florida, and we walked into OUR house, I was just hit with this enormous sense of gratitude.

Gratitude for all the good things I have in my life - the house, the dogs, the awesome boyfriend, my family, my friends.

I'm almost afraid of something happening to take these away from me! That is why I am going to savor and enjoy what I have right now.

But this journal entry is also an acknowledgement to let Him know that I appreciate all the good stuff that I have and that I feel so blessed. I don't know what I've done to come across this good fortune. But I'm so grateful.

ANYWAYS, going back to weight loss, obviously I didn't stay on plan 100% while on travel. I tried to do activity while there, though. I ran twice and then I walked what felt like 100 miles when we were at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure in Orlando. So hopefully those helped offset some of the eating. I go for my weigh-in tomorrow. The moment of truth is on the horizon!

A little setback

So last weekend, my boyfriend and I moved into our new house! We're thrilled about it all being first time home owners. BUT of course with moving comes disorganization and lost items. Some of these temporarily misplaced items included my Medifast meals. So during the moving days, I was not on plan. And yes, I indulged.

I went for my weigh-in on Wednesday and I gained a couple of pounds. CRAP! First gain since I started this weight loss journey in May.

A little disappointing but certainly not a surprise since I also didn't have time to do a formal workout this past week outside of the moving activities of moving boxes.

So now I'm back on track and hoping that my body gets back into fat-burning mode fast.

I also wanted to put down reminders of why I want to lose weight in the first place:
1) To be healthier. Now that I'm over 40, it's more important than ever for me to be more mindful of my weight. I'd like to get out of the Overweight BMI range.
2) To look better. This translates to wearing smaller sized clothes and feeling sexier for my man.
3) To run easier. Now that I'm officially signed up for the half marathon in November, I want to do anything possible to make the run easier - including losing a few pounds!

To me, if I'm at 145 by my birthday in October, I'll be happy! So that's going to be my short-term goal. It's 8 lbs away, 6 and a half weeks away. Do-able? Yes.