Thought of the Day

http://gingc.tumblr.com/post/62079366232

New Goal: Produce Annihilation

Source: http://asmith9502.tumblr.com/post/60183837758

New goal: For a hungry day eat more and don't worry about the extra calories but make it fruits and veggies only.

Thought of the Day

"Working out at the gym to fit my underwear"

~ Weezer "Pork and Beans"

Yup.  That and my skinny jeans.  They just don't fit like they used to...

It's probably been a month since my last good outdoor run. 

Ran twice this weekend.  Okay, so it was only 30 minutes each day but I have to start somewhere, amiright? And at that, I'm sore!

Tomorrow begins month two of Chris Powell's 5 month program and I'm a little nervous because I took last Monday through Friday off because I was sick.  I know, through the wondrous power of logic, that I didn't lose all the muscle I gained in the last month, but it sort of feels like it.  Wish me luck, readers!

Here's to cardio.

Here's to lifting heavy.

Here's to counting calories.

Here's to keeping promises to myself.

Trials and Triumphs, and Cartoon Cats

Losing weight and changing how you think about eating isn't a linear process.  It's a little more Paula Abdul, you know "two steps forward, two steps back":

But you know, somewhere in that back and forth, you learn and you do find a way to slowly move forward.  Okay, so most people probably learn a lot faster than I do, but I've always been partial to learning the hard way.

Anyway.  Here are this week's notable trials and triumphs to remind myself yourself that this is a process and messing up is okay because there's something to be learned from it.

Trial: I went to a friend's BBQ on Friday.  It's always been pretty difficult for me to make responsible decisions at social events and I have been known to write them off as "special occasions" now and again, thereby justifying any binge eating I do.  But this isn't the first time that I have been presented with a social engagement since my journey has begun and so I should have learned something from the last one, right?  Well, yes and no.  The BBQ took place soon after work.  I left work a little later than I wanted to finish some stuff I was working on.  Then I hit the gym for a lift session.  By the time I got home, there was no time to cook something healthy to bring to the BBQ so the bf and I hit the neighborhood Whole Foods and grabbed veggie burgers, our favorite buns, and a bag of chips, because you have to bring something to the party besides your incredible wit, am I right? A BAG OF CHIPS! What was I thinking?! 

looks like a simple bag of chips, but it's actually real, active, kryptonite.

It's much too early in the process to be tempting myself with my very favorite chips.  Le sigh. I ate them, of course I did.  Them and a couple other chips that were on the table.  It was definitely a bit of nervous eating since I was at a party with a group of people I had just met. 

Triumph: That said, I didn't drink a single beer.  Instead, I brought tequila, fruit, and seltzer to the party.  So this was a bad party move because I ended up leaving the bottle there, but in the end I'm proud/happy with my decision.  I also didn't eat a quarter of the burger bun because I started feeling really full.  Stopping eating when I'm full is a new thing for me.  

Lesson Learned: I know that I could have defeated the chip temptation if I had made a plan before arriving at the party.  Next time, I will state said plan aloud in front of the bf.  Telling another person present would keep me honest and I know he would encourage me as well.

Final Thought: Although it wasn't perfect, I definitely ate differently than I would ever have in the past.  I enjoyed more conversations than food, chose a responsible drinking option, and stopped eating when I was full.  I'm counting this blip as a reward meal for the week and I enjoyed the extra calories/salt/fat with little no guilt.

Friday Favorites: Fitness Blogs

Welcome to the Sunday edition of Friday Favorites! 

Okay, so I have a confession to make: I went back to work this week, which explains the drop off in posts.  But I'll have you know that even though I haven's been posting with the fervor that characterized my vacation time, my brain is working on all sorts of interesting things for you, readers! 

Anyway.  This week, I want to talk about fitness blogs.  That's how this whole adventure got started in the first place.  First, I was just trolling the before and after tumblrs like this one.  The bf says that this makes me obsessed about losing weight and that I shouldn't compare myself to others, and he is right.  But he's also wrong.  These before and afters are a source of motivation because when I see someone who struggled like I have attain even a modicum of success, I do a (sometimes) silent cheer for them in my living room and give them a mental/virtual high-five.  All this positivity reminds me that people who have a harder struggle than mine have been successful and I think, "So why shouldn't I be successful?"

But that was just the beginning.  My blog inspiration really came from this man, Hank Hanna, who has a blog called The Business of Losing Weight.  

Hank. Lol. See why I love this guy?

Hank hasn't posted in a while, but here are 5 reasons why you should get into this blog (start from the beginning and you will have plenty of reading material) yesterday:

1. Hank is just your average person, like me, except he's a man.  And some of you readers might be men and might be able to connect with that. Or you are a woman, like me, and don't care too much about the gender specifics of your blogger.
2. Hank had a lot of weight to lose, which is different from me.  Some of you readers might connect with that too.  
3. But even though I never had to lose as much weight as Hank, his stories are so incredibly relatable to anyone trying to lose any amount of weight.
4. Hank is funny.  He adds pictures and videos to break up the text that always make me laugh. He also has a segment called "stuff fat people do" that are funny and relatable at the same time.
5. Hank is also a triathlete, which is incredible.  You can read about how he got to that place and it will inspire you to do something you never thought possible.
6. He always has a sweet sign-off at the end of each post that is like a little mantra for fitness and health.
7. He's smart.  You ever read a post from someone who is obviously inexperienced, immature, or maybe even blatantly dumb? Yea, that will never happen on Hank's blog.
8. He has a cool southern accent.  

Did I say 5 reasons? I guess there were a few more, eh? :) 

Start with this post.  This is where I began and I was hooked after just this one post.  Now there have been many bloggers who have written on this topic, but Hank's is original and funny.  After reading that, I went all the way to the beginning of Hank's story and read all the way to now.  I hope there is a future post soon!

So, readers, what do you think of fitness blogs?  What are your favorites?

Type 3 Diabetes: Another Reason to Stop Eating Crap

Did you need another reason to stop eating crap? I can never have too many reasons.  I just file them away in a corner of my brain and pray that they will activate when temptation arises.  The more items in that corner, the better my activation chances.  So if you need more reasons for your corner, keep reading for a really good one.

Not a lot of things run in my family.  I mean, there's good looks, incredible wit, and, oh, wait, yea...Alzheimer's disease.  If you have ever known anyone with this disease, or if you have seen/read The Notebook, then you know what I'm talking about.  One of the scariest things about this disease is that doctors don't fully understand why it happens, which means that there's no clear way to prevent it. The Mayo Clinic says that not eating fruits/veggies, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are all linked to Alzheimer's disease, and I have also heard that exposure to aluminum might be a factor.

Doctors now think that there is a link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease - it's like diabetes of the brain, or type 3 diabetes.  Although they don't understand this relationship 100% yet, I will heed this warning because it makes sense to me, at least how Women's Health explains it here.

What to do if you're scared of losing all your hard-earned brain cells to this stupid disease? Stop eating crap.  More specifically, don't eat the stuff that contributes to diabetes: high fat and high sugar. I love fat and sugar...and salt.  Well, at least I can have my salt, am I right? No, I know, excess salt contributes to high blood pressure, which is linked to Alzheimer's disease.  Thanks, logic, for killing that little bit of happiness. This year, I think I'll just stick with the "everything in moderation" mantra, and actually try to mean it, because what we are talking about here is sugar and fat in excess. 

Oh, and if you're interested in avoiding aluminum like I do, start with your deodorant.  Those things are chemical bombs waiting to explode on your pits.  I've tried a lot of different ones and I like this one the best (you can get it at Whole Foods).  Also, check out this video by the Sexy Vegan, who does a review of different pit colognes. It's both funny and informative!

Day 1: Trials and Triumphs

Third post of the day! Don't get comfortable here, readers.  Although I promise to put in the effort needed to maintain this blog, just like any relationship, over time, I expect that my enthusiasm will wane and soon you'll be asking me why I never buy you flowers anymore. 

Here is the day 1 recap:

• Kicking negative thoughts (I can't do this; Why bother exercising today - one day doesn't matter) is going to take some time. I guess I didn't think this through, eh? Just because you declare something adorable like I'm going to believe in myself! doesn't make it magically materialize into reality, unless you have a 3D printer, in which case, any m-fing thing is possible. Anyway.  Where was I going with this? Ah, yes.  Whilst driving through town today, I was planning my exercise for the afternoon and I caught myself thinking that I'd skip today, because, well, one day doesn't matter much.  SKIP TODAY?! TODAY IS DAY ONE! Yeesh!  So after I chided myself for getting off to a slippery start, I told myself that every little bit of positive behavior is important.  I don't know how much I really, deep down, believe that yet, but I'm trying! Which leads me to...

• Exercise: The bf told me today that what matters most in seeing change is consistency and intensity.  Sometimes, I think I'm going to choose my battles here and only accomplish one or the other.  Today is one of those times.  I have had a headache for two days straight despite sleeping well and so I was not pumped for any exercise whatsoever.  But I did it, readers.  I think it's important to move at least 30 minutes a day, in a concerted effort to sweat (not just rolling around on the floor with my cat). It wasn't my best run, but any run completed is better than no run at all. Am I right?

• Victory! Made a delicious dinner.  Instead of just roasting tofu how I always do it (with Braggs) and roasting brussel sprouts like I always do it (with garlic, oil, salt, and pepper) I whipped out the cookbooks for some much need inspiration.  Just using different spice combos can make ordinary staples fresh and interesting again.  Feels good to be excited about healthy food! Recipe for the tofu here. Recipe for brussel sprouts came from this cookbook.

buckwheat, lemony dill tofu, and ginger brussel sprouts

• This gem of a healthy snack got me through the dinner planning process.  This could be a new routine.  When I get home from work, I'm usually too ravenous to be creative.  A little snackeroo while planning will tide me over for sure. I really enjoyed this snack, mostly because it allowed me a little break from the day. I think snacks have potential for being a blog focus/feature...

baby carrots, Cedars red pepper hummus, Califa double espresso almond milk - and yes, this is the same plate I used at dinner.  Don't judge me.

Oh, and one more thing: did I tell you that my healthy routine that I'm setting up, while it will be a lifestyle change (even though it's true, I'm definitely sick of hearing people say that - sounds pretentious, doesn't it?) I am ultimately looking to be in the best shape of my life one year from today.  I read somewhere that goals are important.  So there's my long term goal.  My first short term goal is to create some short term goals...

Faith in Fitness: Taking a Leap

I have been searching for the elusive fitness cure all thirty of my years.  I have tried Weight Watchers, counting calories, fasts, calorie restriction, intuitive eating, hoping, wishing, and dreaming.  I love fitness blogs and motivational tumblrs, Women's Health magazine, running, biking, spinning, hiking. And yet 20-30 pounds of unhealthy remain. 

So what will be different this time?  This time I am dedicating myself to believing in the system. Believing that consistency, effort, and plain old healthy practices will get me where I need to be.

You know:

And, of course:

Here's to a new way of thinking!