An Open Letter...to Myself...

Dear Courtney (me),

You need a serious pep-talk, sweetie.  You need some serious motivation.  You were doing SO WELL before you started back to work in August.  You were exercising two times per day...losing weight and toning up. Your motivation was unwavering.  You were happy.  You were proud.  Your confidence was creeping up.

So, things lately have not been ideal.  You have been exhausted and have used every excuse in the book to get out of doing what you need to do...doing what you know in your heart you really WANT to do.  Something is holding you back, and the hard part is figuring out what exactly has gotten in the way and why.

Nobody's life is perfect.  You are now sitting at a desk, in an office, at the job of your dreams.  You are making more money.  You are working in a much more cohesive, healthy environment.  While it seemed like when this piece of your life came together, all of your problems would be solved, you were wrong.  More success at work is not going to bring you health and happiness unless you make it a part of the puzzle.  Right now there are a lot of puzzle pieces going on in your life -- career, finances, marriage, children, health, friendships, etc.  The problem is that all of those puzzle pieces are corner pieces or something.  You have not found how to incorporate them all together so that the big picture can be something beautiful that you can be proud of.  I guess the question is, how are you going to pull it all together?

I wish you had the perfect answer to this question.  I do think, however, that once you love yourself more, the picture will start to fill itself in.  You are WORTHY.  You are LOVED.  Just love yourself. Your shortcomings to not define you.  Being overweight is not your identity.  I know you have let it become who you are.  That is so unfair.  You are full of life and a love for life.  You have a kind heart and a loving spirit.  Don't let your self-doubt be the cloud that overshadows your path to success.

You can do this.  You are worth it.

Love,
Me

Deja Frickin Vu

I wish I had this awesome reason as to why I have been gone so long.  I don’t have one. The reality is that I have been having a really hard time.   One thing I keep learning over and over again is that I do not handle stress well.  I do not take difficult life events in stride and continue on with my healthy lifestyle.  As a matter of fact, I am sure that you can find several entries in my blog just like this one…entries that summarize excuses for why I am not doing what I am supposed to do…entries that whine on and are pretty much a written pity party.

I am done with that.

Here are the things that threw me off, but shouldn’t have…

           I started a new job.  It is an awesome job.  I love it.  (Not a reason to stress eat!)

      

 My house was robbed.  This was super upsetting.  My laptop was taken, so this is a reason why I could not blog, but not a reason to eat cheese pizza and breadsticks afterwards.
        

I got sick two weeks in a row – stomach bug and nasty sinus infection.  Understandable that I did not put in rigorous workouts while sick.  A reason for me to eat multiple bowls of Fruity Pebbles and eat a spoon of hot fudge out of the jar as I passed through the kitchen? Ummm….not so much.

So, has the past month of laziness and poor eating gotten me anything?  Yes! It did. 

It gave me 10 additional pounds stacked onto my gut and ass. 

It pisses me off.  I have no one to be pissed at but myself.  HOWEVER, I am not going to use the pissedoffiness (that really should be a word, by the way), as a reason to why I need a flippin Nachos Bell Grande.  I am using it to spring me in the right direction.

I don’t have some brilliant newfangled plan that I am using.  I am just going back to what I know works.  Here goes:

þ I am following the 21 Day Fix eating plan.

þ I will follow the T-25 Exercise program a minimum of 6 days per week.

þ I will get in some extra cardio in at the gym a minimum of 3 days per week.

þ I will start checking in via one social media method at least once a day to keep myself           accountable!

So, yeah, none of this is rocket science.  It is just doing what I need to do in order to get the job done.  I know I can do it.  I WAS doing it.  The key is just not stopping every time life throws some curve balls.  A change in routine does not mean that Papa John’s and ice cream are suddenly calorie free.  Although, that would be AWESOME!

3 Day Refresh Results!

So, for the past 3 days, I have been doing the 3 Day Refresh in order to reset myself physically and mentally for healthier eating across the board.

Why did I need this?  Well, I will illustrate it for you perfectly.  During the week, I was eating awesome! Then on the weekends it would all go to hell in a greasy hand-basket.  I wasn't eating badly for ALL meals, but there would always seem to be one that was really inappropriate for a person saying they are trying to live a healthier lifestyle.  I give you exhibit A:

This is the greasy empty Red Robin plate from last Saturday's meal of a barbecue cheeseburger.  Instead of getting my usual side salad with my sandwich, I got a side of onion rings.  As you can see, all that was left was the grease on the plate, utensils, and the little wooden stick...which I may have eaten too for extra fiber if there had been extra barbecue sauce on it.  Well, not really, but...

I needed to get rid of my constant craving for the "bad stuff."  This was not going to be easy, but it is only 3 days, and it needed to be done.  Sorry, greasy Red Robin plate...

So, for the past 3 days, I have been eating stuff like this instead...

Vanilla Fresh shake with strawberries blended in and a bowl of carrots with hummus

Cucumbers, tomatoes, and hummus with cherries for dessert

Roasted Broccoli with Tomatoes

Spinach Salad with Olive Oil and Vinegar

I also had Shakeology for breakfast and a Fiber Sweep drink during the mid-morning.

I am going to be honest about the drinks.  I usually drink Shakeology made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a banana.  Making it with water was certainly an adjustment.  Also, I decided to forego the banana, because I was only allowed to blend half of it into the shake.  I found it more satisfying to drink the shake and have my bowl of cherries with it.  

The fiber drink is...interesting.  It tastes waaaay better than the fiber drink I had to drink with the Advocare Cleanse last summer. It is still,however, grainy.  I did not take a picture of it, because I did not have time.  As SOON as I stirred up that sucker, I chugged it down.  

The Vanilla Fresh shake isn't BAD.  It is just bland.  When you are blending it up, it kind of smells like vanilla cake.  Ummm, well, it does not TASTE like it.  Again, it does not taste bad.  It just isn't incredibly flavorful. I recommend making it with cold water.  You can add in fruit too, but I honestly preferred it without...especially since there is no fruit allowed at dinner time.

Drinking a lot of water was a huge adjustment for me.  I try to drink my water, but all the liquid required for the refresh when you figure in all the shakes and fiber drinks, plus the amount of water (half of your body weight in ounces), I was making very frequent trips to the ladies.  I was worried that the fiber drink would cause other bathroom issues, but it did not at all.  I just constantly had to tinkle. ;o)

So, besides the drinks, frequent bathroom visits, and eating a lot of rabbit food, did I get anything out of it?

The answer is, YES!!

 I lost 6.2 pounds in 3 DAYS!!!  

  

I took my measurements and lost a total of 4 inches.

So, yeah, I am thrilled with the results!  It also did something really important for me, which was put my eating back on track.  I realized after having such a restricted diet for the past few days, that meat is what I really need to feel full and satisfied with a meal.  I used to think it was bread or pasta or rice.  Nope!  I never once found myself craving a bowl of pasta.  I wanted a big hunk of chicken!  I would stare at my salad at night and whimper and think, "This would be PERFECT if I only had some grilled chicken."  That is a big revelation for me.  I don't NEED an over abundance of carbs. 

Also, after working so hard these past few days, there is no WAY I am going back to eating like I was.  I wanna keep that scale going down.  I don't want all of this to be for nothing!

I am a Beachbody coach, but these results and opinions are real.  I purchased this program out of pocket and am under no incentive to give any certain kind of review.  If feel that this is something that you would like to try, however, please let me know and I would be happy to help!

Now, excuse me while I go have some breakfast...which will be a whole roasted chicken.  (Kidding!) Gonna have some Shakeology --- only with my milk and banana though.  :)   Happy Thursday!

Why does food matter so much?

As I mentioned in Friday's post, I am currently taking on the 3 Day Refresh.  Basically, it is a 3 day cleanse where you have to drink 4 drinks (including Shakeology, Vanilla Fresh  (a vanilla protein drink you drink at lunch and dinner) and Fiber Sweep (a fiber drink).  The regular food that you eat during the day consists of fruit, veggies, and a limited amount of healthy fat.  That's it.  It is quite an adjustment.

Yesterday, I felt like I wanted to be this girl:

I was just pissed because I could not eat anything.  It really got to me.  Of course, because of all the liquid I was drinking, I was also running to the restroom what seemed like every 20 minutes and had withdrawal headaches (probably from carbs or sugar).  The odd thing is that I didn't think I ate a lot of either one of those things.

Today, I woke up and while I would still love to sink my teeth into a juicy steak or chicken breast (I love meat.), I feel a lot better.  I have gotten to sit back and think about why I let food dictate my mood for the day.  It is so silly, really.  There are so many other things in my life that are going so awesome right now...better than they have been in a loooog time.  Why do I give food that power?

I wish I knew the answer to that question.  I just know that the next time I find myself feeling that way, I am going to focus on the things in my life that bring me joy and that actually MATTER.  I just hope I can get to the place where food is nourishment and not a reward or a way to make me feel better on a bad day.  

This is a short entry, but I just had to write it down because I know I am not the only one who has this relationship with food.   It is a complicated one, for sure.  This is definitely something that I am going to have to work on in order to get to where I want to be.

Anyway, I am plugging along with the refresh.  I will post my results on Thursday!

It's Friiiiiday!

First of all, I would like to congratulate the winner of this week's Spartan Race free registration giveaway, Alejandra! I had the pleasure of chatting with her briefly last night and this will not be her first race. She has completed another race and was so impressed by the camaraderie of fellow participants, race workers, and volunteers, that she became hooked.  After talking to her, I think that I may have to raise this up on my fitness bucket list.  Again, congratulations, Alejandra and good luck on your race!

If you didn't win and still want to register for a race, you can still get a 10% discount on any race!  Just enter the code SPARTANBLOGGER at checkout.

In other news...

I start the 3 Day Refresh on Monday!

If you are unaware of what the 3 Day Refresh is, it really is what it says it is.  It is a 3 day cleanse.  It is definitely the answer to breaking through a weight loss plateau and resetting not only your system, but also your mindset.  If you have kind of been in a rut with eating healthy, this really can help you get on back on track.  After seeing the results of some of my friends and Beachbody teammates, I am SO EXCITED to get started with this!  I mean, it is only 3 days!  I will keep you posted on how things are going.  I have done some longer cleanses in the past, and while it helped with my eating habits, I lost no weight or inches.  It was really depressing.  I am hoping that this is what I have been looking for!

Check out these results!  Jess at Operation Skinny Jeans, my friend and coach, had the same luck as me on longer cleanses, and had awesome result with the Refresh.  Check out how she did! (She gave me permission to use her 3 Day Refresh result pics.)

photo courtesy of Operation Skinny Jeans

photo courtesy of Operation Skinny Jeans

photo courtesy of Operation Skinny Jeans

She lost a little over 5 pounds in 3 days and is keeping it off!  I think that is just awesome!  I will be sharing my results as well and really hope they are as great.  If you have questions about the 3 Day Refresh, just let me know!  I would be happy to help!

Food Challenges

Yesterday, I was catching up on reading some of my favorite blogs, and I came across an entry that really kinda slapped me across the face...in a good way.  Skinny Meg wrote an entry a couple days ago which basically outlined how we ALL have challenges.  We all have limited time, temptations, etc.  The bottom line is that if we want to get healthier, we have to pull up our big girl panties and commit and DO IT.  I just sat there and thought, "She is so right!"  It was just what I needed to see this week.

Then, I started thinking about my biggest challenge -- food.  It used to be exercise, but I have really managed to work it into my routine...whether it is during the school year when I am crazy busy with work or during the summer when I have a lot more spare time.  I have just come to the realization that no progress is going to be made without exercise, so I schedule it into my day as sort of a non-negotiable.  Are there days where I am exhausted and don't feel like it?  Yes! I have gotten to the point where I do it anyway though...because I have realized that I feel much worse when I don't.  Are there days where there are extenuating circumstances and I cannot exercise because I don't get home from work until 9:00?  Yes! But those days are few and far between.  So, I guess what I am taking a lot of words to say, is that I really feel like I have managed the exercise challenge (yay!).  The food part is harder.

Food is complicated.  There are several reasons why it is harder. One of the biggest is the temptations.  You could plan a healthy day, for example, and someone puts enough fresh donuts in the break room to feed a small village.  That is rough.  There are definitely days where I have eaten a donut.  I have just had to train myself to walk away.  I could list reasons that the food part is harder for days.  I wanted to focus on one in particular that I (and I am sure many of you) deal with daily...cooking dinner at home when I have a house full of picky eaters.

Let me give you the rundown of what I am dealing with (perhaps you will be able to relate):

Tim (the husband) - He is a picky eater.  As a matter of fact, he pretty much turns his nose up and the vast majority of fresh fruits and vegetables.  The only fresh fruits he will eat are bananas and watermelon.  The only fresh vegetables he will eat are corn, potatoes (both starches), and the occasional tomato.

Aidan (9 year old) - He has had food issues since being a toddler, but has gotten much better.  He has a mild form of autism (PDD-NOS), so he is really sensitive to things like smells and textures.  He also depends heavily on routine.  So, in order to make weekday eating less stressful, we pretty much have set menu. Then, he knows what to expect and eats better.  It is just one of those things...  If there are days where the menu may change, he has to have fair warning or meltdown mode begins.

Darcy (4 year old)-  She is the least picky of the group and will typically try most foods.  The only foods I cannot get her to eat are spaghetti and pizza (The funny thing is that when I was pregnant with her, I had an extreme aversion to these foods).

Because of the picky nature of the majority of the household, it is hard for me to eat the way I want because it is a huge pain to cook two separate meals.  I have, however, found a way to make things more manageable.

Here are some examples of how I make it work:

Monday night is taco night.  This one is simple.  I make the taco meat with extra lean ground beef.  Instead of using lots of toppings and shells, I make a taco salad with lots of lettuce and pico de gallo.  I just use a sprinkle of cheese and pass on things like sour cream.  I crumble up one taco shell  for some crunch.  On occasion (if I feel like I have the calories), I will add a small amount of refried beans to the salad.

Tuesday is chicken nugget and macaroni and cheese night.  I do not do either one of those, so I am making a separate meal.  It is EASY though.  While I am cooking the other foods, I prep some green giant broccoli with cheese sauce (very low calorie) and a bag of Steamfresh brown rice.  I have actually gotten my four year old to start eating the brown rice (yes!) instead of the macaroni.  I am still working on the broccoli. ANYWAY, I layer a serving of the brown rice with a serving of the broccoli and cheese.  Then, I open a can of chunk light tuna and add some of that to the top and season with pepper. It makes a kind of "tuna casserole."  It takes only about 10 minutes to prep and I can easily make it in the microwave while I am cooking for the rest of the family. 

Wednesday is spaghetti night!  I have decided to stay away from pasta (trigger food), so I have found an easy way around it.  I start out by making a meat sauce for the entire family.  I typically use extra lean ground beef and an organic jarred sauce.  I honestly like the Meijer Organics selections.  They are affordable and very good.  While the meat sauce is simmering, I julienne a zucchini in order to make "noodles."  I take the pile of little zucchini noodles and toss it with about a cup of the meat sauce and put it in a tiny casserole dish.  (I have a couple awesome individual serving size dishes.)  I then top with some mozzerella cheese and put it in a oven preheated to 350.  While the zucchini baked spaghetti is baking, I put water on to boil for the regular pasta that everyone else is going to eat.  By the time their pasta is finished cooking and plated up, mine is all ready to come out of the oven.  It is so good too!

I was a little heavy on the cheese for this one...but what can I say? PMS got the best of me.

Thursday night is pizza night.  I have found that during the work week, Thursday is the toughest night.  So, we typically eat out.  I have learned that I need to avoid pizza and breadsticks at all cost.  I simply cannot control myself.  So, I schedule my Thursday workout to take place while the rest of the family is chowing down on pizza.  Once the kids are in bed, I treat myself to a salad from Panera or Chipotle.  I have to say, it is nice to eat one meal a week where I can do so without any interruptions.  

Friday nights are a toss up (and Aidan knows this).  We will usually eat leftovers from the week or do something simple like grilling burgers or chicken.  

Saturdays usually mean dinner out.  I just know where we are going ahead of time and plan accordingly.  I usually tell my husband what I am going to order, so if I decide to try and change my mind to something less healthy, he knows.  He would never call me out on it, but I KNOW HE KNOWS.  

Sundays I make a bigger dinner, but it always includes meat and a vegetable side.  This one is easy for me to manage, because I have a lot more time to prep the meal.  I usually go for a crockpot option.

This has turned out to be a REALLY LONG blog entry.  I am sorry about that.  I just wanted to give some meal prep ideas for those of you who have limited time and a family who isn't exactly on your food plan.  I am gradually trying to work these foods into my kids' diet.  It just takes time.  I do know for sure, however, that seeing me eat this way is something they are noticing.  I mean, I consider it a victory that one of my daughter's favorite foods is salad.  

What about you?  How do you manage healthy eating with picky eaters at home?

Be a Spartan!

As I have mentioned before, I have only ran walked one 5K ever.  I just didn't train as hard as I should have.

These past few months, I have really started to up my fitness game.  Things have firmed up.  I am starting to see actual muscles in my arms.  I am getting stronger.  I feel SO strong, that I got cocky a couple weeks ago and agreed to complete a half with my aunt in May 2015.  I was starting to wonder if I was truly crazy, but I realized that being a little afraid is sometimes a good thing.  Being afraid of something like this simply means that you have presented yourself with a challenge.  In the fitness world, I have learned that if you are not challenged, you go nowhere.

Sooo, I have decided to stop with this fear nonsense and take challenges head on.  I mean, even if I am not the definition of success with my endeavor, I can still say that I was there and that I tried.  I mean, saying "I ran and walked a half marathon."  sounds a lot better than "Yeah, I decided not to even try the marathon, because I know there is no way in hell I could run that far."

Just as I was having this dialogue running through my head, I received an e-mail from Dan - a representative from the Spartan Race.




The Spartan Race is the very definition of a challenge!  The cool part though is that there are different levels of the race --  sprint, super, and beast.  Less experienced competitors can participate in the sprint race, while those who are more hardcore in their training could tackle the beast race.  This run is no joke!  I mean, did you see the competitors running through FIRE??!!  Wow!

For those of you who are locals, there is an Ohio race this fall on October 4th!  If you live in Ohio, definitely checkout the website so that you can register you and your team.  Unfortunately, I have a prior engagement that weekend (a certain little cutie's 5th birthday party), but this would be such a cool opportunity and a very cool thing to complete with a team of friends.

Now, Dan is being very generous!  He gave me a coupon code for 10% off your race registration!  How awesome!  So, if you and your team decide to register, just enter SPARTANBLOGGER at checkout and you are all set!  This code works with ANY open heat race -- not just the Ohio one.

In addition to that, Dan is giving away one FREE registration to any race!!  Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a free registration to any Spartan Race of your choice!  The winner will be announced on Thursday of this week.

This race really defines challenging to me.  That's why I know that sometime in the future I will be competing. I know I have to, because trudging through mud and fire is DEFINITELY out of my comfort zone.  Comfort zones are nice, but isn't cool when you can break out for a little while?

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