Challenge Accepted!!

I just got back from a wonderful weekend with my awesome family!  We met up at the beach in Galveston for a weekend full of family time & birthday celebrations! My niece just turned 1 and one of my nephews is about to turn 5. At one point during the trip I counted 21 family members together at one time from places as far as Lubbock Texas - which is about a 10 hour drive away from Galveston.  It was really nice to get away from all of the hustle and bustle of life and just take in the nice weather and enjoy time with my family.  I wore a tiny bikini during the trip!  By no means do I think I have a "perfect" body and of course there are always parts that I want to improve, but I know it's taken so much work to get where I'm at & that's something I'm proud of.

Bikinis plus babies = bliss

Despite the progress I've made, there is room for improvement!  I am super excited about starting a new 30 Day Challenge tomorrow!! It really helps me stay on track with health and fitness when I have a specific goal or specific challenge to take on and I'm super ready to begin a new exercise-based challenge by Betty Rocker.  This challenge is based on body-weight exercises so the workouts can be done at home and no gym is required. Ryan and I have seen great results from following Betty Rocker's meal plan/food guidance and we're so ready to begin the 30 day exercise challenge she put together!

That's right, Ryan is joining me for this challenge!! Eeeeeeeeeeee!  I love it when we get to take these challenges on together!! If you want to join in on this challenge too, you need to register here: http://fuel.thebettyrocker.com/30-day-challenge-registration

Once you register, you need to check your email and confirm your registration. There is even a closed/private Facebook group you can join after registration to get support from other people taking on the challenge. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CHALLENGE BEGINS JULY 1ST SO YOU MUST REGISTER ASAP!!!  THIS IS A FREE CHALLENGE!! I will be posting about how Ryan & I handle the challenge over the next 30 days.  Here are Betty Rocker's abs for motivation:

Come on, you know you want to join!!

Confidence!!

I'm not blogging as much lately but that doesn't mean I'm not sticking to a fit lifestyle!! I've been at my new job for a few weeks now and it's taking me some time to get used to being so busy!!

Anyways, the Hubby and I have continued to eat clean and I've really been experimenting in the kitchen trying to find new recipes to keep things interesting.  I keep seeing Instagram posts that include dragon fruit and spaghetti squash so I tried both of those food items this week!!

The disappointment:

For as pretty as it looks, I really found dragon fruit  to be a bland unexciting fruit.  After I sampled it with the Hubby, I decided to toss the remainder in our daily green smoothie to add volume.  Is it possible that this fruit actually detracted from the deliciousness of the rest of the smoothie?!  Apparently so... I won't be trying that again anytime soon.

The happy surprise:

I made spaghetti and meatballs using spaghetti squash and I loved it! It didn't have any of the negative affects of "real" pasta but really hit the spot.  Hubby loved it so much he requested that I package some up for his lunch tomorrow. Everyone wins!  I found this particular recipe on a paleo blog: http://paleopot.com/2013/03/stupid-easy-paleo-spaghetti-squash-meatballs/ YUM!! Super easy too!

Ok so the gem of the week has been how confident I have felt over the last week.  I really believe that what you invest into your health and fitness carries over into other aspects of your life.  I am frequently taking on new challenges, pushing beyond my comfort zone, and experimenting creatively to produce new results across the board - at the gym, in the kitchen, in the workplace and in my social life.  It's crazy to feel my confidence grow in so many different areas.  I'm certainly humbled and thankful for the life I've been given and the amazing people in it, but I'm also proud of what I have done with the parts of my life that are in my control.  I can't be critical of myself or feel intimated by challenges when I know perfectly well how hard I work and how much I push the limits to find out what I'm capable of.

Are you proud of the way your life looks right now?

Are you giving your all to the key elements in your life?

Do you feel confident and purposeful in the decisions you are making?

Healthy Habits Continue!!

I've had a busy weekend, but it's time to blog!

My husband & I had a great talk this week! We talked about the slow progression we've gone through in the past year in an effort to get healthier and about what we've learned along the way! 

Stage 1 - Increased activity levels:

Getting more active through lifting weight & some cardio/HIIT helped us lose some extra weight as soon as we made a push to get healthier. Exercising regularly helped regulate our sleep patterns & gave us a great sense of accomplishment. Even though we were not "runners" a few years ago, at the present time, the hubby & I have both run long races. His current record is the (8 mile) Turkey Trot & mine is the (13.1 mile) Dallas Half-Marathon. It feels so good to know we can make those kinds of demands on our body & our bodies will perform. Even though our bodies changed for the better through increased activity levels, we weren't satisfied. I was especially disappointed at my fluctuating energy levels & weight fluctuations...

Stage 2 - From fast food to home cooking:

The positive changes in our bodies multiplied once we started eating healthier. Fast food is cheap, easy & has flavors that are meant to get you hooked. Even the salads at many fast food places are LOADED with SUGAR & fat - the sugar content tends to skyrocket when dressing is added.  When I started making home cooked meals I was pretty uninformed as far as what was healthy & what wasn't. I would find a recipe that looked tasty & try it out without much regard to nutrition but, even then, cooking at home instead of eating fast food tremendously reduced the amount of added sodium, added sugar, and chemical preservatives we were eating. We progressed further and made even more of a push to educate ourselves on health and nutrition.

Stage 3 - Home cooking goes all-natural:

The hardest & most rewarding challenge we've faced to date has been the change away from processed foods to all natural foods. This step came about when my health was not good.  I had never struggled with weight gain but in 2011 the number on the scale climbed and climbed despite an increase in my activity level and a positive change in my food intake.  I am so thankful that my doctors listened to my symptoms - persistent fatigue, weight gain, acne, moodiness, etc. - and worked with me to make me feel better.  We discussed medications and I also discussed my food intake and exercise habits with my doctors at length after my Hashimoto's diagnosis. After those conversations, I knew that if I wanted to feel great and stabilize my weight I would need to put in some work and change my habits.  When a particular doctor told me what kind of meal plan I should follow, I was overwhelmed but I was determined to feel healthy again.  I went all natural.  Instead of consuming added fats like sauces & cream cheese we get our fat from foods like avocados & nuts. Instead of topping a home made salad with Light dressing that comes loaded with unpronounceable chemicals, I make dressing using things like grapefruit. (Who would have thought?) I make my own pestos now!  I can even make lasagna using all natural veggies & meats without the processed pasta layers. I'm not a doctor and you have to find what works for you, but feeding my body an abundance of natural and nutrient rich foods has absolutely made a difference in both my appearance and my health.  I don't take thyroid medication any more AND I don't struggle with my Hashimoto symptoms anymore.

It's hard to explain how your body just feels better when you feed it the right foods but its worth sticking out the inevitable adjustment period that comes with big changes in order to feel so good.  Yes, it takes work.  Yes, there are times when I have to resist cravings.  Yes, it's a LIFESTYLE change and not just a quick fix, but it's worth it.  The Fuel System has been a great product to have in my arsenal because it provides a practical application of so much of what my doctor suggested when my health was failing.  I eat fruit every day. I eat veggies every day. A significant part of my diet is made up of protein. Eating five meals a day helps keep my metabolism going. There are almost no ingredients that I put in my body that I can't pronounce.

My husband had no health ailments motivating him to go through the above phases, but he has joined me in the journey.  I know that part of why he has gone through all of this with me is simply because he is my biggest supporter.  He likes to take these challenges on when I do, just so I can have a partner to help me through.  But he has also gone through the various phases and kept up with the changes because he sees how they benefit him. In phase one he would accompany me on my runs at the start, but by the end he was setting his own goals and ran the 8-mile Turkey Trot without me!  In phase two, he started out politely accepting whatever experiment I put in front of him but then began looking forward to home-cooked meals and started to dread greasy fast food.  In phase three, what started out as a four-week challenge is now turning into a lifestyle change for him.  He's even asked that I continue making green smoothies for him to drink at work each day! I love it! I love that he has continued our Thursday body composition check ins although we've finished the four week challenge.  I love that he learned so much in those four weeks that his body has continued to change! I love that he asks questions and wants to know more about why we're eating the way we're eating.  I love it when I hear him trying to pass that knowledge on to others!!  I'm really excited about the positive changes we've made and I'm excited to see how we progress further.

Smoothie prep for me & Hubby:

Meal Plan Complete & the Next Challenge

You know what I've been thinking about this week?  Most of the time, I want to eat healthy!

Yes, I like a little indulgence - especially red wine & dark chocolate - but most days I'm perfectly happy with my healthy food choices and don't feel deprived by eating healthy.  I eat what I like, I avoid what I don't like, and I especially focus on eating foods that make me FEEL good.  Having energy, never getting sick, and having a body that will perform when called upon is worth so much more than just the temporary satisfaction of indulgence.  I've been focused on eating healthy ever since my Hashimoto's diagnosis and slowly but surely I've found recipes that really satisfy without any negative health consequences.  It takes Time.  It takes Effort.  You will make Mistakes.  All of that is okay because you are making progress towards a better you!!  Your well-being is worth it!

Looking fit and trim is a really nice bonus that comes with actually being fit.  As noted in my previous post, Ryan obviously made amazing progress during the meal plan and lost a significant amount of body weight. My body fat loss wasn't quite as dramatic (for various reasons) but there have definitely been some improvements to my shape in the last four weeks.  Here's a little before & after shot:

I definitely think I look curvier because my waist got smaller.  I look less rectangular.  Winning!

Now that I've finished the meal plan challenge, I'm ready to push myself in new ways!!  I will continue to eat clean but I need a good exercise challenge!  Cardio/HIIT is always a challenge for me during the summer because hot sticky grossness is no way to live...but I can't allow myself to slack off on cardio just because it's 100 degrees outside!  This summer I have so much more available to me than just outdoor tracks and parks - I have a GYM membership as well as a stationary bike and treadmill INSIDE MY APARTMENTS.  No excuses!!  So, for my next challenge, I plan to complete 30 miles of cardio in 30 days!!  I will either run outside, run on a treadmill, or use the elliptical to complete all 30 of those miles!  (Although I really enjoy biking, I find that biking miles are much easier for me than walking, running or the elliptical so I won't count biking miles during this particular challenge.) I will begin my exercise challenge tomorrow!!

Ryan Completed the 4-week Fuel System!!!

Ryan's progress update:

His weight dropped from 188.4 lbs to 177.4 lbs!!

His body fat dropped from 17.1% to 14.8%!!

Interview!!

Here is an interview with the Hubby at the end of his first run through the Body Fuel System:

You just completed the Fuel System, was it different from what you expected?

-Yes.

How?

- I was surprised at the positives and negatives that I didn't anticipate.

On the positive side, I was really surprised how well the five meals a day actually fit into my schedule and how eating small meals throughout the day prevented me from getting hungry even though I was having smaller meals. Eating smaller frequent meals helped keep my energy levels up while making sure I never felt full and tired like I do after big meals.

On the negative side - I guess you could say its a positive - I learned something about myself: I was surprised how much I rely - used to rely - on junk food and sweets to improve my mood.  When I was having a bad day I'd eat chocolate, something fried or fast food to kind of take my mind off of my bad mood.  Without that crutch its a little big harder to induce a mood swing sometimes but working out at the gym almost always improves my mood - so if I can just make it to our evening gym workout I'll be fine.

Going back to the beginning of the system, how did you feel at the end of the first day?

- I was a little worried going into the first day that I was going to hate the meals and that I was going to be really hungry but I was surprised by the end of the first day that none of the meals were terrible, they simply range from tolerable to actually pretty good.  I was especially apprehensive about the green smoothie but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

How did you feel at the end of the first week?

- My concerns at the end of the first week were that I wasn't doing it right because I dropped almost 7 pounds in the first week and that seemed a little bit fast to me.  So I figured we may need to make an adjustment to my portion sizes.  I was definitely pretty irritable at the end of the first week because I remained hungry even after having a meal but we made adjustments and the next week was much better.

* Interviewer's note: It took a few days for me to notice Ryan was eating the women's portion sizes for protein and adjustments were made accordingly! The Fuel System states that 1 serving of meat is based on your fist size - generally 4-6 oz for women and 5-7 oz for men - I eat 5 oz and Ryan gets 7 oz.

What was your impression of the fuel system at the end of the second week.

- The end of week 2 was much better.  I was even more surprised at some of the meals that were much more than tolerable - they were good.   Somewhere in the first or second week it became readily apparent how often people offer me free food: free desserts, free junk food, people want to take me out for junk food, donuts showing up in the break room, candy bowls, people literally leaving food on my desk that I ended up giving away.  That's probably the hardest thing of everything - more than working out and eating five meals a day - telling people who are trying to be nice to you "No".

How were you doing by week 3?

- Week 3 I feel like I stunted my progress a bit by having more than one cheat meal in a row.  We hung out with a lot of friends and family and its even harder to say no to home-cooked meals and drinks with really good friends when everyone is in a celebratory mood.  But after it was over, I felt like I could still get back on track with the rest of the week.  Even though I stunted my progress, it wasn't all completely lost.

Did following the Fuel System affect your workouts?

- Indirectly, yes.  Before the Fuel System it always kind of bugged me how my current workout schedule only hit every muscle group once per week and once I got on the fuel system I felt like since I was putting all this effort into it, I wanted to double my efforts at the gym as well and hit each muscle group twice in one week.  I didn't quite pull that off by the end but I did increase how often I went to the gym nonetheless.

Are there recipes from the Fuel System that you want to eat again?

- Oh, absolutely.  Most of the red meat and turkey heavy recipes I found especially delicious and wouldn't mind eating those even if I wasn't on a meal plan.

Did you like the breakfast options?

- I'm a bacon and eggs kind of guy so I definitely liked the bacon and egg breakfasts. It was hard to get excited about some of the other recipes but they did their job of keeping me from being hungry until it was time for the smoothie so they work just fine.

What did you think of the smoothies?

- As a person that has always looked at V8 in disgust, I was very surprised to discover that - while not something I would ever crave - the smoothies went down pretty easily.  Some of them even felt a little refreshing.

What were the biggest changes between what you used to eat compared with what you ate on the Fuel System?

- Before I started the fuel system I already made progress cutting certain things out of my diet such as soda and fast-food.  But something I definitely missed during the System was bread and dairy products - specifically cheese.  There was a lot of times in the past when I would not even crave sweets or desserts after a meal as long as it was replete with bread and/or cheese.

What was the hardest thing about the fuel plan?

- Dealing with cravings or finding substitutes for cravings.  The few substitutes I tried for certain cravings never worked to completely sate me so I might continue to look for something that fits within the same type of diet but that is a way to satisfy or eliminate the cravings.

Is there anything you learned from the Fuel System that you plan to keep doing?

- I really like the five meal a day concept specifically with a smoothie as a second meal.  It keeps my energy levels consistent throughout the day which is a great plus at work.  Even though I have a great fondness for breads and cheese, I'm starting to mentally associate those things with changes in my energy levels, so, while not avoiding them completely, I will try to minimize their role in my meals.

Did things get easier as your progressed through the fuel system?  

- Yes and no.  The five meals got easier because I learned to fear them less and enjoy them more but turning down free food offered to me and dealing with cravings is still something I have to deal with.

What did you like best about the body fuel system?

- Results.  I've never seen results this fast with any other thing I've tried.  Even after the first week I still saw continuing improvements in the following weeks using the right portion sizes.

Was there anything you found particularly challenging about the Fuel System?

- It's hard to explain to friends and co-workers what you're doing.   A lot of them automatically assume that you're trying to lose weight simply because you thought you were fat.  They have a hard time understanding why you'd want to do this and it becomes annoying to try to explain it over and over again.

Well, why would you want to do something like this?

- I like the idea of getting in better shape, looking better, and just improving my health and hopefully my longevity.  But mostly I did it to support my wife.  I think she found it a lot easier with someone going through these things with her.

How did your body change while you followed the Fuel System?

- I didn't realize much change in myself at all but other started to comment.  My wife started making comments first about how I was getting skinnier but most people expect their wives to say that.  It wasn't until other people started to comment that it really started to sink in - like my mom and the lady that cuts my hair commented.  I noticed that my gut started to shrink and I went down a notch on my belt.

Would you recommend the Fuel System?

- Yes, but only to people that I think have the will-power and self-discipline to stick to it.

Do you plan to continue the Fuel System?

- Yes.  I like the results.

Ryan's final thought: Whenever possible use a non-transparent or non-translucent container for the smoothie - you'll have a lot less questions to answer and less jokes to pretend to laugh at!

Progress Photos!!

Pumped!

How's your week??

I am having a great week!  I've been sticking to my meal plan, enjoying "clean cheats", and going hard at the gym!!

Meal Plan:
Apparently, the first time I tried this meal plan I skipped a couple of the recipes.  I'm happy to have discovered the Ninja Nut Bread recipe, among others, this time around!  I think last time I went through the meal plan I skipped this particular recipe because I still had a bunch of left-over home-made protein bars.  Anyhow, it was interesting having some Bread that didn't contain any flour, milk, or sugar. It was definitely not the sweetest bread I've ever had but it pairs well with almond milk or coffee and is surely way better for me than regular bread.  Here's the Ninja Nut Bread hanging out in my little loaf pans:

Today's dinner will be lasagna.  I made this the first time I went through the meal plan and loved it!  Instead of using pasta between layers, this recipe calls for zucchini between the layers.  It's awesome being able to eat lasagna without the icky feelings in my tummy afterwards!  Here is the lasagna right before I put it in the oven:

Clean Cheats:
Clean cheats aren't strictly on my meal plan but contain lots of nutrients & health benefits. A Cheetos chip for example, would NOT be a clean cheat - that's just a cheat because there is so little in it that is good for you; but a dessert that is prepared to provide maximum nutrients and that has no added sugar or dairy but that still tastes delish might be a clean cheat! Here are some photos of a prior clean cheat I prepared:

I think my favorite clean cheat of all time might be steak.  If I keep my portion size right and prepare the steak the right way it isn't a cheat at all...but sometimes there's just an extra bit of butter or something else delectable about the steak that makes it fall into the clean cheat category.  So yummy! So yummy! I had a really delicious steak on Sunday that absolutely made my day!  I wish I had a good photo to share but the restaurant was dimly lit.  It's probably better that way...

Gym:
Go hard or go home! I am always trying to make progress with my workouts but sometimes I get complacent and do what I've done a dozen times before.  I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that - doing the same routine is a heck of a lot better than no exercise at all - but my goal right now is PROGRESS.  I can't expect different results if I'm doing the same workout I've always done. This week has been all about trying new exercises, pushing harder at familiar exercises, and ensuring that every workout is worth the time spent at the gym. Yes, it's exhausting.  Yes, I'm sore.  Yes, my food intake is more important than ever.  But it is so worth it.  I love how I feel right now.  I feel strong.  I feel energized.  I feel like my goals are not just thoughts in my head but instead are a reality that I'm closer to each and every day.  Here's me at the gym working on my stems:

Did y'all know that Ryan's 4 week weigh-in is this Thursday??  I am super excited to share his progress with y'all!! Expect an update soon!