On a positive note...

Previous weight: 163.6
Current weight:   162.4
Loss: -1.2 lbs

Steady loss is good progress.  I saw as low as 161.2 on the scale this week, but the "official" weigh-in this morning was not that low (I'm really not bothered though by water weight fluctuations).  I did a lot of thinking this week and while it's easy to get sucked into the "MUST LOSE QUICKLY" mindset, in the long term that's not what I'm after.  I'm eating quality food, exercising consistently and letting my body find it's healthy weight.  That's not going to happen overnight. AND THAT'S OKAY!
I also had an epiphany this week concerning exercise.  Everyone has their own limit as to how much time & effort they are willing to put into exercise and fitness.  I feel like my exercise regime is sustainable long term and won't burn me out.  I have zero desire to kill myself working out everyday for hours on end.  I also don't want to set aside the time right now to train for a half marathon (a thought I was batting around).  AND THAT'S OKAY!  Running 4 days a week, strength training 3 days and doing yoga a couple times is a comfortable amount of effort to me and still provides opportunity for improved body composition.
Someone commented on Facebook this week that "Yoga is for sissies!" after I shared one of my workouts.  To be honest it took me by surprise and pissed me off for a minute.  But it also made me think.  I like yoga to be part of my weekly routine because it increases my flexibility and makes me feel good.  End of story.  I can't worry what people think about how I'm choosing to round out my fitness program.  It's a little pointless to compare yourself to others because in the long run we're all different.  What's right for you may not be right for me and vice versa.  *End of rant*
Just for the record though, this balancing pose ain't for sissies (and yes, I can do this)....

 I'm going to throw it out there too that the same thing goes for your weight.  There is no "perfect" weight.  I stood back from the mirror and analyzed how I actually felt about my body.  Yes, I can stand to tighten up and slim down some, but I look okay right now.  Running in the mud run last weekend also showed me that I have good functional strength.  It actually feels good to have positive thoughts about myself.  It's all to easy to focus on the negative. 

I hope your week is going well.  SMILE and have a great day :)

Week 3 Goals

Hey folks!  Hope your weekend was great!
I decided to sit down this morning and set a couple goals for the week.  While looking through my food diary I noticed that last week my calorie intake was a little low.  While it's nothing crazy, I want to make sure that I'm fueling my body properly, especially since I'm running again AND lifting weights.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not starving, but because of the volume of non-starchy veggies  and lean protein, I'm not finding myself very hungry. I am a firm believer in "Eat to Lose" so the main focus this week will be upping the quantity of food without sacrificing the quality.  I think I can rectify my "issue" by doing #4 on the goal list... 

So, on to the goals:

1. Eat a minimum of 1300 calories, 1500 on run days
2. Make dinner at home M-F ( I'm not a good menu planner)
3. Eat breakfast before taking eldest child to school 
4. Exercise according the plan without skipping anything

• Sunday- Run 4 mi
• Monday- Eccentric Weightlifting, Yoga  (Bonus:Walk)
• Tuesday- Run 3 mi (Bonus: Yoga)
• Wednesday- Yoga
• Thursday- Run 4 mi, Weightlifting high rep/low weight
• Friday- Run 3 mi (Bonus: Yoga)
• Saturday-Weightlifting: low rep/heavy weight, Yoga

Do you have any specific goals for the week?  I'm always looking to expand on mine....
Here's to a fantastic week!

Down 'n Dirty

Here's a few shots from yesterday's mud run....

Before

 

Coming up to the final mud pit...

Over the hill into one of the pits...

Slogging through...

After....

 

 

 

 

I gotta say, I had a blast! This is definitely something I'll do again.  My sister-in-law and nieces joined in the fun too and it was great to share the experience with them!
I got up this morning and ran a little over 4.5 miles. I'm a bit sore from yesterday's obstacles, but nothing terrible.  It was a boost to my ego to be able to handle the course fairly easily.  Handling the walls was probably the hardest thing, since it was a series of progressively higher walls you had to maneuver, but I made it :)  The strength training is definitely paying off.
Hope you're having a great weekend!

Week 2 weigh-in

Week 2 weigh-in was this morning. As expected, I didn't drop a huge amount, but I am able to share a decent solid move downward.  Last week's weight- 165.0.  Today's weight- 163.6.  I'll take the 1.4 lbs with a smile, and keep chipping away at it.  I'm really pleased to be honest. I feel really good, I'm eating with control and intent, I'm listening to my body and my hunger cues and I'm making exercise consistent again.  This past Sunday I ran 5 miles EASILY which was an amazing feeling!
This weekend I'm running a Mud Run with my nieces and sister-in-law.  Should be tons of fun!  Stay tuned for pictures :)
Check ya later! Have a great day!

Eat your greens....

My newest "go-to food" these days is a green smoothie.  I love that I can get a big whack of protein and veggies quickly.  It's also a perfect way to start the day if I'm in a hurry or a good way to refuel after my strength training.
Generally I do 1-2 scoops of protein powder (MRM brand is my current choice), plain nonfat greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp of ground flax seed and 1/2 c frozen berries plus as much spinach as I can shove in my blender (usually about 6 cups).  Of course there are variations to the above recipe, but this is the basic rundown.
Anyway, somewhere along the way, while researching green smoothie recipes, I read that it's important to rotate your greens.  Meaning, you shouldn't use the same veggies for extended periods of time in your smoothies as it can lead to a buildup of the natural toxins plants use as a defense mechanism.  There's a good explanation  HERE.
Since I can go through a 2.5 lb bag of spinach in a week, I figured that it was time to vary things a bit.  I was definitely getting in a rut with my veggies.  Carrots and sugar snap peas are easy, as is the spinach, because I can buy them in bulk at Costco.  So that was what I was eating every day.  But variety, as stated in the article, is important.

This week at Costco I changed it up and got baby kale for my smoothies. And, when I went off to the grocery store I bought a few additions to my norm, like celery and cucumber. I also decided it was time to try a new green leafy veg, since there are plenty to choose from.

I stood there for a while, trying to decide what to buy.  In the end I bought..... dandelion greens.

While they don't make a great addition to smoothies, they are a bit too bitter, they are tasty in salads or in my sauteed veggie medley at breakfast.  Next week I'm thinking perhaps I'll try rainbow chard or beet greens.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's good to try new fruits and veggies (you'd think I would've learned that by now lol).  I've discovered quite a few "new" things I love just by stretching outside my normal comfort zone, brussel sprouts, beets and sweet potatoes to name a few.

What's your favorite green leafy vegetable?  Have you tried green smoothies? Do tell :)

 


    

Kombu....whaaa???

Week 1's "back on track" review-
The past week was FANTASTIC,  despite one minor run-in with some dried cherries. I ate really clean and as a result, I'm feeling "clean" (if that makes sense).  Exercise is on point again too.  I had to postpone my morning run today due to an appointment, but I've already set things up with hubby to go later this evening. 
The scale this morning read 165.0 which gives me a loss of 7.2 lbs this week.  While it feels good to show huge losses (while not starving myself), I don't expect to show that next week. To be frank, it would not surprise me to show negligible loss next week.  I'm okay with that though, as the number is only part of the equation.  Most importantly is how I'm feeling and how well I'm doing with consistency in eating clean.

Now, if you've been reading me for any length of time you know that anytime I find a product I like, I like to share.  Today I've got two things .
The first, is called kombucha.  To read more about kombucha, click here

I'm generally not a fan of drinking calories, but in this situation the calories and sugar are small. I drink TONS of water, but sometimes I just want something different. I like carbonation, but try not to drink too much diet soda.  This is a perfect solution for me.  At 35 cal/serving and 2 g of sugar I feel comfortable drinking this. As a bonus, it's loaded with probiotics and other good stuff. (Just a warning, as it's fermenting gives it natural effervescence, so don't shake it or I've heard it can "explode" upon opening).  There are several brands and flavors available. The one pictured above is a flavor I just tried last night.  Hubby and the kids refused to try it since it was green lol, but I liked it. 
 
My second "find" is probably something you've seen.

 The one in the middle is pink grapefruit flavored Perrier (my fave).  These ARE NOT sweet!  If you don't like mineral water, you most likely won't like this.  I like to put mine in a big ol' wine glass with lots of ice and feel fancy :) Zero calories, zero guilt.

So there you have it.  Mama's back on track, and you have a few new things to check out, if so desired. Anyone tried these things already? 
Hope you're having a great week! Happy Thursday...

Back on the Wagon....

Well, time for confessions.  Things have been a bit up and down for me.  It's been almost 2 months since I've blogged. In that time my weight has done a sharp upward jump. I'd do well for a few days then go off the rails and inhale everything in sight.  Thursday morning (9/6) I got on the scale to find I had hit 172.2.  ARGGGGG!  Basically I've regained almost half of the weight I'd lost (this is totally embarrassing to admit). 
Reality check.  I came to the realization that if I continued on my current path, by the time I get through the holiday season I'll be  back up to my highest weight of 202.  All of my clothes are tight and uncomfortable and I don't have anything in bigger sizes anymore.  Enough is enough.
I know I can't eat sugar, so that's out (again).  I have also been doing a fair amount of drinking, which is out for now too. 
Getting back on track has been easier than I expected.  I know what to do, it's just a matter of doing it, without excuses or rationalization of bad behavior .  The expected headaches hit the first day, but otherwise I'm feeling so much better.  I'm eating lots of whole foods, massive spinach smoothies, and plenty of lean protein.  I refuse to walk around hungry, so I make sure to eat regularly (high quality foods of course).  Hubby is being supportive, but struggles with his own sugar addiction.  He brought home cookies yesterday and asked if I wanted the last one.  He's now starting to understand that I very easily snowball out of control, so "No Thanks" isn't met with the same resistance of the past. Yay!
I set up a new workout schedule & got the food portion cleaned up.  Now it's time to let my body do it's thing :)  I'm trying not to be obsessive about the number on the scale.  I just want to be comfortable in my skin and active and healthy.
Thursdays are my new weigh-in days...just to track the trend.  I've set a mini goal to be back down to 155 by November 10th (baby girl's 2nd birthday). I think that's aggressive but do-able.
Ultimately I'd like to get down to 135-140 range, but for now I'm concentrating on eating clean & exercising consistently (again lol).
I'll be checking in soon....