Day 5: ( 14.2 oz veggies) Not super impressive, but I didn't have much of an appetite in the afternoon and evening and I wasn't feeling that committed, so....here it is.
Breakfast: (7.4 oz. veggies)
A meal fit for a queen! 2 c coffee w/ organic half and half, coconut sugar, cinnamon, Egg scramble (1 whole, 1/2 c whites, unsweetened almond milk, spinach, kale, purple onion, jalapeno, tomato, red pepper), 1/2 an avocado, and a 1/4 of Tuscan cantaloupe (my fave!)
Calories = 453
Snack: left-over chicken salad (noshing from the fridge)
Calories = 182
Lunch: (1 oz veggies)
1
banana, 1 c kale , 1/2 c frozen, organic, blueberries, 1/2 T fresh
ground almond butter, 1/2 T coconut oil, 1/2 T hemp seed, 1/2 T chia
seed, 4 walnut halves, 1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 c unsweetened almond milk.
6-7 ice cubes.
Dinner: (5.8 oz. veggies)
3 oz yellow eye rock fish and a salad w/ 2 c mixed greens, 1 c raw veggies, a large handful of mung bean sprouts (great for estrogen issues, btw) , blueberries, raspberries, and Tessemae's Balsamic. We also had green beans, but I didn't eat mine. Appetite was super low for me last night. No picture on this one, because we were on the phone with our son while eating dinner (way more fun than taking pictures of food ;)
Calories = 365
Friday night drink: Fo-jito!! (mock mojito) Yes, still going strong on our 30 days w/o alcohol to reset my hormones.
This was muddled lime and mint w/ filtered water and club soda. Refreshing and YUM!
After dinner: I had a sweet-tooth, so we had a date cinnamon roll from Marlene's. I wish I would have taken a picture (I will next time) . They are made from dates, nuts, and LOTS of cinnamon (no added sugars, but oh, so sweet. OH GAWD, they are good! I get them from the dessert cooler at the Tacoma Marlene's, opposite the salad bar. I don't know how many calories are in these, so I guesstimated about 250 ish.
Fitness: 40 minute walk with Honey + 40 minute shoulder/triceps/core lift (my intent was to run with honey, but I'm still honoring my knee, and today my knee said, no.
Calories burned: 292
This is a snippet of my shoulder/triceps/core workout. For my lift days right now, I'm doing 3 sets of 3 muscle groups. So I did this round above, 3 times. Then I do 2-3 more triplets grouped together for 3 rounds of different exercises for those same muscle groups (hope that makes sense).
So, that was day 5!
Calories consumed : 1833
Minus calories burned - 292
Total for the day : 1541
Day 4 : There it is!!!! 2 pounds, .4 ounces!!!!!! Woot Woot!!! Not obsessing over hitting the exact mark every day. I'm really happy with the amount I'm consuming each day. That said, it feels good to hit the mark on day 4. ;)~
Breakfast: (6 oz veggies)
2 coffee w/ organic half and half, coconut sugar, and cinnamon, egg scramble (1 whole, 1/2 c whites, full of spinach, kale, and chopped veggies) , and 1/2 an avocado.
Calories: 418
Lunch : ( 11.1 oz. veggies)
I was soooo not feeling a salad for lunch, and with it being my house cleaning day, I wanted something with a little less effort. So this is what I had,
1/2 c chicken salad, 1c mixed raw veggies w/ 1 T hummus, and a sweet potato (w/skin) with coconut oil and cinnamon. YUM!
Calories : 530
Snack (1.2 oz veggies)
A quick smoothie before my class that consisted of 1 c kale, 2 T almond butter, 2 T cacao, 1 t honey, 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk, 1 banana, 1 T hemp seed, 1/2 c blueberries, and ice cubes.
Calories: 378
Dinner: (14.1 oz veggies) With a busy day for both of us, tonight was yummy left-overs. Bison meatloaf, stirfry summer veggies, and a large salad w/ Annie's Goddess dressing.
Calories: 475
Fitness for the day was my Shred class! It's always a treat to sweat along side our amazing community, and outside on a such a beautiful day to boot!!
Calories burned = -491
Total calories consumed = 1801
Minus today's fitness - 491
Equals a total of 1310
(this is lower than I like to be, but the heat mixed with cleaning day made it hard to eat more. Ideally I like my range in the 1600's (post workout), but it all evens out. Sometimes I'll be under, and it's a given that there are days I'm over.
Day 3 = 1 pound and 8.3 ounces of veggies
Less than day 1 and 2, but if I would have done the egg scramble with all my veggies instead of a smoothie, I would have been at 2 pounds, 1.9 ounces..... is that right?! Ouch. Even though that stings a bit, the smoothy was all whole foods and really boosted my energy and gave me something different, so no regrets there.
Today's epiphany felt like a win to me! I noticed that in the last 3 days my plate looks different. Instead of protein, veggie, and starch or carb (like garlic bread or rice), it is protein, veggie, veggie. That's not to say, I will never consume bread or grains, but I have found a goal with-in a goal. That is to have 2 servings of veggies on my plate most meals.
I am having the nerdiest kind of fun with all of this. In such a short time, I'm learning a lot about myself, and where I want to be. It's not about dieting, losing weight, or becoming a title (like vegetarian, vegan, or Paleo) but rather getting back to a place of gratitude for everything my body allows me to do and honoring that by giving it what it needs to fuel a high quality life. Yes, I am totally geeking out and loving it!
I do, above all else, believe in balance. I want to be sure anyone reading this understands this is not about setting a goal and half dying to achieve it. It's not about scarfing veggies before bed to make my two pound quota. As you can see, I haven't hit that mark yet, and still consider every day to be a huge win! This is about learning and refocusing my relationship with food, fitness, and myself.
In keeping it real, I somehow shifted to a very careless relationship with myself over the last year. Excess crap food, drinking, and loafing around has been my main existence, with bursts of "Oops! Better reel it in!" moments of 'being good'. I think a lot of it has been changing hormones and that has made it harder to give a shit. I actually did a "dont give a shit vlog"
about 3 years ago (click on the "don't give a shit vlog" link above to view).... and this last year, my "don't give a shit" got the best of me. I share this because I know many of you reading this may experience this and not know why. Hormones are definitely something to look at, but that's a different blog.
Here is day three's food and fitness log:
Breakfast : (2 oz. veggies)
I know, far cry from yesterday, but I think variety is important. So this morning's smoothie, inspired by Dr. Mark Hyman really good! Here are all the nutrient goodies in today's smoothy,
1/2 banana, 2 c kale , 1/2 c frozen, organic, blueberries, 1/2 T fresh ground almond butter, 1/2 T coconut oil, 1/2 T hemp seed, 1/2 T chia seed, 4 walnut halves, 1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 c unsweetened almond milk. 6-7 ice cubes. SO GOOD! Oh, must not for get, 2 c coffee with organic half and half and coconut sugar.
Calories: 471
Lunch: (9.5 oz veggies) - Must eat the left-overs before they spoil!
4 oz. wild salmon, 1 c fresh, sauteed green beans, 1 c brussels sprouts, diced sweet potatoes, and purple onion .
Calories: 392
Snack: (5.7 oz veggies)
veggie plate with hummus
Calories: 105
Dinner: (7.1 oz veggies)
3 oz bison meatloaf, stir fry summer veggies (squash from Laura's garden *Yum! Thanks Laura!* purple carrots, orange peppers, white onion, jalapeno), and a salad (mixed greens, white onion, peppers, cucumber, cherry tomato, green onion, live sprouts, and blueberries) with Tessemae's balsamic.
Oh! And my fitness for today was 1 hour yoga in my studio and a couple of short walks with my dog.
Total calories for today were 1523.
As a fitness professional, it's important to note, I have not always been healthy. Far from it. I am a product of the baby boomer's era. Born in the 70's, it was a time when women took more to the work force and helped with a second income. Food companies accommodated this trend with quick and easy meals that could be easily assembled after an 8 hour work day for the woman who wanted to have it all. Over the years, this became the most lucrative industry in our country. Boxed macaroni and cheese, Spaghetti O's , hamburger helper....
Our food pyramid taught us that we should be eating mostly bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. Six-eleven servings to be exact. Commercials showed us that a healthy breakfast was a bowl of cereal, white toast with butter and fruit preserves, and a glass of fruit juice.
This is how I ate well into my late 30's. I know many baby boomers who still eat this way and believe that this is a healthy diet. Many people of this era (and myself until about 10 years ago) still believe that as long as they limit the obvious sugars (ie: cake, cookies, ice cream, candy, pastries, puddings, and other dessert foods) they are limiting thier sugar and staying healthy and away from junk food. So, I enjoyed my Honey Bunches of Oats cereal (12g sugar) , toast w/ jam (13.5 g sugar) and a glass of orange juice (22g sugar). That's a whopping 47.5g of sugar to start my day. Snacks, lunches, and dinners weren't much better, plus I loved an occasional candy bar or ice cream treat! Who doesn't?
With the above eating habits in my 30's, I felt like shit. Tired, depressed, no energy or drive to do anything fun, I would get a bad headache and feel emotional and moody around 3 or 4:00 almost every afternoon. I looked older than I was. I was over weight. I grunted when I got up off the couch or rolled out of bed like an old lady expending all her energy on that small task.
In my late 30's I began to educate myself and do better. By 40, I was in the best shape and felt AMAZING!!
I have maintained this status over the years and have been really proud of myself. This last year, my habits have changed. I went out to eat on an average of 3-5 times a week (Fri/Sat dinner, and maybe a Sunday breakfast or lunch), I increased my alcohol intake from social drinking to enjoying wine with dinner after a stressful day at work in addition to weekend social events. I haven't lifted consistently for over a year. I still consume lots of fruits and veggies and have maintained my healthy eating habits on my regular meals when I don't go out, but WOW!! THE DIFFERENCE I FEEL is scary and a path I don't want to return to. With my hormones out of wack this year, I am constantly fighting myself for energy and motivation to do what I know is right.
I still "look" healthy today. I little cushion between my skin and muscles, but over-all, I'm still here in my healthy body. But what I feel lurking in my future if I don't take the reins now and make those healthy choices, scares the shit out of me! My bloodline shows me where I can be in my older years with genetics and lifestyle if I don't choose wisely, continue to learn and give my body what it needs to be sustainably healthy. That is one reason you will never see me taking weight loss product (Advocare, Shakeology, magic wraps, pills, or potions) As I deal with hormonal imbalances and inflammation, I know exactly where I could be if I don't "choose" my path wisely now. Real, mostly unprocessed, whole foods (not meal replacements). Adequate water, sleep and exercise. Supplementation given from my holistic doctor that fits my personal needs (learned through blood tests), not one size fits all, fitness industry supplements you can buy from a health club or MLM distributor. I am a huge advocate of researching and learning through books, podcasts, and long talks with my doctor. As a result I have a ton of knowledge which makes it extra hard to continue to feed myself excuses as to why I feel the way I do.
So, that is my why. My path may not be the path for you, but my hope to inspire you to find your path, learn, and grow. In doing this publicly and being honest and candid with you, this will hold me publicly accountable to myself as well .
This is me this year. While I still have a good base line for a healthy lifestyle, I remember what it was like not knowing anything. It's NEVER too late to learn, feel better and improve our health and quality of life. Equally true, there is never a stopping point. To stop learning and growing, is to stop living. No matter the excuse, there is ALWAYS a choice..... until there isn't...
DAY 1 = 1pound 9.5 ounces of veggies! And that was a challenge. Here is my breakdown.
Breakfast = 6.6oz. veggies
2 c coffee w/ organic half and half, organic cinnamon, and organic coconut sugar
egg scramble (1 cage free/grain fed whole egg + 1/2 c cage free egg whites) with 1 c organic spinach,
1 c organic kale, chopped organic green onion, and 5 halved organic cherry tomatoes, 1/2 c avocado (not a veggie) , and 1/4 Tuscan cantaloupe
Calories = 401
Snack = 0oz. veggies
1/4 c dry roasted sea salt edamame
Calories = 130
Lunch = 6.0 oz. veggies
Chicken salad (Kirkland canned chicken, Just Mayo, diced apple, brown mustard, chopped raw organic pecans, chopped organic green onion, organic turmeric, sea salt, pepper) in a 1/2 of a Ezekiel sprouted pita with cucumber, organic radish, organic shredded carrot, organic live sprouts, and sliced tomato + raw, organic tri-colored carrots, organic broccoli, cucumber, with hummus.
Calories = 434
Pre-workout meal = 1.5 oz veggies
Smoothie: 2 c organic kale, 1 T fresh ground almond butter, 2 T organic cacao, 3/4 c unsweetened almond milk, 1 banana, 1/2 t raw, local honey. Not as tasty as I had hoped.
Calories = 347
Dinner = 11.4 oz. veggies
4 oz. wild sockeye salmon, 1 c brussels sprouts and cubed organic sweet potato (yes, I counted the sweet potato - it may be considered a starch, but it's a starchy root veggie full of nutrients), and a salad with organic mixed greens, organic radish, cucumber, and organic purple onion with 1 T Tessemae's Balsamic dressing.
Calories = 543
My Fitness for today was a 1 hour HITT bootcamp. Took it light as I am healing my knee.
Burned Calories = -285
And of course, no wine with dinner.
Side note: I'm listing all the organic, grass fed, cage free (blah blah blah) stuff not to be annoying, but to show that I am buying organic whenever possible because chemicals, and pesticides greatly effect hormonal balance.
I'm 46, hormonal, and achy. I feel like shit. My hormones are lagging. I have lots of inflammation. My osteoarthritis in my knees are flared up. My muscle mass is down and fat % up. I'm not fat (though my clothes are tight). I feel okay aesthetically in my skin, but I have looked better for sure!!
I saw my doctor last week. Thank God I have her! She is a holistic doctor, not the type to throw 10 new medications my way, give me a cortisone shot for my knee, and put me on the pill for my hormones. Nope! She asked me about my diet. We talked about alcohol, sugar, processed foods, and supplementation.
I admit, my habits have changed over the past year and I am paying for it now. It happens. It's part of being human, so I don't hate myself, or beat myself up over it. But change is necessary if I am to have the life I want and feel amazing and full of energy.
So, what am I going to do about it? I have all the knowledge I need to get back on track (perks of my profession) and I am taking anyone who wants to follow, along for the ride.
#1. No alcohol for 30 days. After 30 days, I will continue to practice better habits. A nightly glass or two of wine with dinner sounds harmless, right?...... Contrary to all those social media memes and magazine "studies", while wine does have heart healthy antioxidants (which you can also find in other foods) it can wreck your hormones and adrenals. My hubbs is joining me on this one, which I love! I am truly lucky to have such a supportive love, friend and life partner!
#2. I BOUGHT A SCALE!! I will add 2 pounds of veggies to my daily diet. I will also up my fruit/berry intake.
#3. Whole foods (organic when possible)! Fresh fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, wild fish, chicken and occasional grass fed bison. *Limit processed foods. This includes when eating out as well.
#4. Fitness every day. Whether it's 20 minutes of yoga, or and all out HIIT, weight lifting, or steady state cardio, I will do something each day. I will tell you this one will be the hardest for me right now. Usually for me, the opposite would be true, but did you know that my above behaviors have taken away those hormones that feed your drive and motivation to move??? Yup!! True story.
FOOD IS WHAT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL
STRONG, VIBRANT, AND HEALTHY,
OR TIRED, SICK, AND ACHY.
Gonna try to blog daily to check in and share how it's going, (struggles and triumphs). If anyone wants to jump in with me, I'd love the comradery! Please note, I am doing this for the health and well being of my mind, body, hormones, and knees. This is not a weight loss goal. That said, I would expect to lean out in the process.
So, there it is and here I go.
