Drop a Pants Size by February 2013

Well, it has been months since I blogged.  I have missed it!  Honestly, it is not easy to find the time to blog, work and take care of a large family.  One of my goals is to blog more.  One of the main reasons for doing this is because I need to.  I need a place that I can keep myself accountable.  Let me back up.  The last few months I have gotten away from healthy eating and living.  I haven't been exercising as much and my eating has been less than desirable.  Especially the last month I have gone WAY over board.  This isn't about what I have done though.  That is the past.  In order to move forward, you must learn from the past but not dwell in it.  I have spent much of my life living and dwelling in the past and I am hear to say, that does not get you very far.

So here we are at the cusp of a new year.  We are seeing ad everywhere asking what are we going to do different in 2013?  What are your goals?  I know I have been making goals for too many years to count and I don't follow through to the fullest.  Not this time.  I don't want to blink my eyes and a whole year has past and I haven't made one of the most important changes.  That change is my relationship with food.  Suffice to say, it is a rocky one!  I am ready to make a change in my lifestyle.  I am ready to break the negative cycle.  The negative cycle of eating well, binging, feeling bad, binging more and then doing that all over again. 

I can't do this alone, I need help and support.  Will you do this with me?  Are you ready to make a change too?  Are you wanting to lose weight, feel better, or all of the above?  Let's do this together! 

Starting Jan. 7th I will be starting a 30 day weight loss challenge.  Let us take 30 days and SERIOUSLY change how we are eating.  This challenge group will be on Facebook.

Here are the rules:

1.  You must drink at least 8 glasses a water a day.  Water is a great way to cleanse your body and keep you hydrated. 

2.  You must have a Facebook account.  We will be using it to support each other daily.

3.  Shakeology is required.  If you are not familiar with Shakeology, it is an amazing meal replacement from Beachbody (the makers of P90X). 

4.The first 3 days of the challenge we will swap one meal for Shakeology. 

5.The next 3 days of the weight loss challenge we will take the sugar out of our diet, no candy, cookies, soda's (even diet) and no foods with added sugar.  You would be surprised how much sugar is lurking in the foods we eat.

6.  Day 4 we will limit are carb intake.  Carbs especially from white flours (pasta, bread, etc), contributes to weight gain and/or not being able to lose weight.  We should be getting our carbs from veggies, fruits, or nuts. 

I think this is a great place to start for now!  We have time to go get our kitchens ready to start this, i.e. get all the holiday cakes and cookies out. 

I know this might sound like a lot but, we can take one piece at a time together.  I really want to see how I will feel after 30 days.  I have started challenges like this in the past and I have never given my full 100%.    Sugar and carbs are my Achilles heel. I start to feel better from not eating them for a few days and then I think I can go back and just have a little.  That never happens.  No matter how many lies I tell myself, I always go back in full force. 

I just don't want to lose weight for vanity reasons.  I want to take care of my body better and my mind.  You see, I suffer from anxiety disorder and I am finding the more sugar and carbs I have, the worse it is.  The more I eat healthy and stay away from the sugar and carbs, the better I feel.  It sounds so simple right, but so hard to do! 

Let us do this together.  I have limited spaces, so please let me know as soon as possible if you are in!

Are You Addicted to Sugar?

If  you are like me, you love sugar! It doesn't matter in what form it comes, you want it.  Donuts, cookies, muffins, chocolate, ice cream, coffee creamer, straight up, you want it.  I know my sugar addiction must have started at an early age.  There was always some sort of sweets around the house and when I would visit my grandparents they always had some sort of boxed or homemade treat waiting for me and I loved it. 
When my friends and I used to go out to diners when I was in high school, I would literally eat sugar packets (I know that sounds gross to some of you but, I bet not all of you).  Sugar has always been there for me.  If I feel down or mad or happy, it is ALWAYS the right occasion to have some sort of sugar-filled delight. 
The question I have been asking myself recently is, "at what cost?"  I have been reading a lot lately that you can be addicted to sugar, that sugar addiction can be as powerful as an addiction to alcohol  or narcotics...what?!?!  When I first read this, I was like, "yeah, right".  I can quit anytime...or can I?  Case in point, there were cookies in the kitchen today at work and they were my favorite, chocolate chip.  This was a perfect time to test my theory that I could quit at anytime.  Any guesses what I did?  Well, 5 cookies later...I guess I can't quit at any time.  So, what do I do, how do I break this physical/mental/emotional tie to sugar.  Well, first here is a list of five symptoms of possibly being addicted to sugar I found at http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/five-symptoms-that-youre-addicted-to/:

1. You Crave Sugar Despite Being Full

If you are generally well nourished and have just finished a fulfilling meal, and still find yourself craving sugar, then that is a clear sign of something unnatural.

2. You Feel Guilty Afterwards, But Do it Again Soon

It is common to get a guilty conscience after an unplanned "cheat meal". If this happens to you, but you still find yourself doing it again soon, then you may have a problem.

3. You Have Tried to Quit Multiple Times

Perhaps you've realized that all the sugar you're eating may be hindering your weight loss efforts. Now you try to quit eating sugar, but still find yourself reaching for a treat several days later. Perhaps this has happened repeatedly and you're constantly angry at yourself for the lack of willpower.

4. You Make up Excuses About Why You Should Cheat

The way a craving feels is like your brain is arguing with itself, trying to sell you some excuse as to why it would be a good idea to indulge, despite having made a decision not to.

5. You Can't Quit Despite Physical Problems

Perhaps you've got bad breath, acne or your teeth are getting damaged. You may even be severely overweight and diabetic. You know these serious physical problems are caused by your unhealthy lifestyle and still you just can not quit, no matter what.

After I read this list I realized that I could answer yes to all 5.  Ugh! The one that got me the most is the fact that I have been trying to lose weight but, when it came down to it, I couldn't give up sugar for more than 3 days without going back to it.  So what is a girl or guy to do to quit this habit that sabotages or health and or efforts at weight loss?

1.  You need to be committed.  Just like with anything, if you are not committed to something, you will not succeed.
 
2.  Write down all the reasons why you want to quit sugar, i.e. health, weight loss, energy, etc.  Go back to that list when you are especially feeling tempted.

3.  Find something to fill that "sugar void".  We use sugar as a reward in so many situations.  Instead of "rewarding" yourself with a cookie or ice cream, do something good for yourself.  Take a walk, get a mani/pedi, read, find something to do that isn't food related!

4.  You need to quit for at least 3 weeks.  You can't quit for a couple of days and then think that you can have "just a little bite".  That, "little bite" will snowball into days or weeks of eating sugar on a daily basis.  3 weeks should give your body time to adjust to not having sugar and after that 3 weeks, you will feel so much better, you won't want to go back. 

5.  If you are able, do something like The Ultimate Reset, this will restore your body and help you get rid of unhealthy cravings.  There is so many other benefits as well, you can lose weight and have more energy and who couldn't use more energy!

6. Drink plenty of water!!!  That can't be emphasized more!

7.  Eat protein at every meal; it is digested more slowly than simple carbohydrates and will leave you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. You will therefore be more likely to resist the urge to eat dessert every night after dinner.

8. If you are considering having that donut, walk away for 15 minutes and drink some water.  In 15 minutes your craving should subside.

I know that this sounds like a lot.  If you take it one day at a time (sometimes, one minute at a time) you can do this and reap the benefits!

I am starting a nutrition challenge on facebook next week. The challenge will last for 6 weeks.  One of the requirements is kicking the sugar habit.  Will you join me?  Email me at aclow75@gmail.com and lets do this together!

If I Can Do It, So Can You!

Week 3 of P90X is coming to a close.  I have Friday and Saturday left before recovery week starts.  I wish I could say I have been eating well this week but, I have made a few questionable choices.  It is amazing how one bad meal, leads to another, and another, and another.  I am not happy with myself right now.  I want to say that I am not "beating  myself" up over it but, that is not true.  That not so small voice in my head is saying "why bother, you aren't going to lose any weight anyway".  Be quiet!!!  That voice is so annoying but, it does hold one point.  I am not going to lose weight if I don't combine my hard work exercising with eating right.  When I say eating right, I mean not going back for more birthday cake at 10 at night.  I am eating better but, I still struggle with going to food to "comfort" me.  I am still learning how to overcome the cravings that I do have.  BUT I CAN DO THIS, even if I don't feel like it can happen, it will, it has to. 

WE CAN ALL DO THIS.  Despite the voices that tell me I can't, I have continued to move forward.  Let me tell you, it is not easy, especially when you are doing Ab Ripper X and you have kids running around you or asking you questions.  It is very hard to answer questions and stay focused on trying to get through Ab Ripper!  The only time of day that I can work out is when all 5 kids are awake.  I know it sounds crazy to even attempt but, if I want to do it, this is when it needs to get done.  For the most part the kids will leave me alone but, when it starts to go downhill, it goes downhill fast! 

On the positive side, my kids are being exposed to Mark and I taking better care of ourselves. When I was a kid, I never had that exposure.  In fact, I was always the kids lagging behind in the back while we had to run around the football field in gym class.  Exercise and me where never friends.  The best part for me is when they exercise with us.  It makes all the other distractions worthwhile.

I tell you this because I want you to believe you can do it.  No matter what your schedule is like, how many kids you have, whatever other "excuse" you may have, if you want to get take better care of yourself, so you can enjoy your life more fully, you will find away to do it.  There are days when I just feel like I don't have the energy to get through it but, somehow I do.  Does get go smoothly all the time, no.  Sometimes it is so bumpy I am surprised I get anything out of it at all.  What I get out of it is the confidence and power to do it again tomorrow.  I show myself that I can work through obstacles to achieve my goals.  Am I to all my goals yet?  No.  That is ok.  Fitness, like anything in life is a journey.  Sometimes the journey is smooth and sometimes you hit big potholes!  We just need to climb out of those holes and keep going. 

So let's keep going together, shall we?  If you want to go on this journey with me, contact me at aclow75@gmail.com. 

I am putting together a nutrition challenge group on facebook that I would love to have you aboard for. 

In this group we will list daily how we are eating and what kind of exercise we are doing. 

I also ask that in this group that you drink Shakeology once a day.  If you are not familiar with it, it is an AMAZING drink made my Beachbody.  It is a meal replacement drink that tastes to good to be healthy!  Check out the link above and it will give you all info you need about it.  It will really help in curbing your cravings and help to lose weight.

I will be getting the group read on FB to start this challenge on July 29th.  The challenge will last for 6 weeks.  Let's see what you can accomplish!

As Tony Horton would say from P90X, "Do your best and forget the rest"!

Days 10 & 11 Down

I am on Day 11 of P90X and it is going well so far.  I have lost 2 lbs since I started.  I won't take measurements again to Day 30.  I have been eating pretty well for a change and not doing a lot of late night snacking (that always gets me

Last night was a little rough for me.  I was super tired and the only time I could exercise was after 7:30 pm and I was not interested.  I did Cardio X and I felt like it was the first time I had ever exercised.  I was all uncoordinated, stiff and sore.  It wasn't pretty but, I did it.  It doesn't have to be pretty, you just have to do it.  Toward the end my littlest son, Christopher was holding my hand :-)

On another note, I wanted to talk briefly about McDonalds (or any fast food place).  It used to be that if I used to eat a lot of fast food (at least 2-3 times a week).  I could never stop and get the kids food without getting something for myself.  That has been changing for me in the last few months.  I am finding I can stop now and not get anything for myself  or even "snack" off the kids food.  I know the fast food isn't the best for them but, we do get it from time to time for them.  I will get it for the twins after therapy as a treat for all their hard work.  They love cheeseburgers!  At first I thought I was "missing out" because I couldn't have any. Now, it is different.  I feel like I am doing something good for myself and I am not missing out on the 1000 calorie meals! 

Healthy living is a process and journey.  I used to think it was some destination I was going to reach.  I am seeing better now that healthy eating, like life,  is a process and you never reach a point and say, "ok I'm done, I can stay here."  You can't be stagnate in life, you are either moving forward or going backward.  Let's make the steps forward more than the steps back!

Listen to Tony!

Well, so much for posting everyday.  It being the 4th yesterday, I enjoyed time with family and friends but did manage to get my workout in the morning. 

On Day 2 was Plyo X.  Plyo has a lot of jumping and is a great cardio workout.  I had done it before and for the most part, liked it.  I had to do it after 7:30 at night which is a hard time of night for me to be motivated to jump :-\  We put the DVD on and pressed play!  It was going fairly well but, I was getting very tired at the end and my heart rate was elevated.  When it was time to stretch, Tony specifically said that if your heart rate was still high, don't put your head down and stretch.  I looked at my pulse, it was at 135 bpm, it was high for being about to stretch but, I thought I would be fine. WRONG!  I started feeling really nauseous and after a few minutes I had to sit down.  I felt awful!  I knew then, that I had bonked, hit a wall, whatever you want to call it.  I felt like s#*!  My dear husband proceeded to go make some Results & Recovery for me but, we didn't have enough :-(  So he made a no sugar gatorade type drink that we got from a whole foods place in town.  That helped some but, I was still feeling bad so he got me an italian ice (only 100 calories) and the sugar I needed to start feel better.  I went to bed and woke up the next morning feeling fine.

The moral of the story is: Listen to Tony, he knows what he is talking about! 

Day 3 was much better.  It was Shoulders, Arms & Ab Ripper X.  Mark and I exercised before heading out for the day.  It was nice to get a workout in early.  Ab Ripper X is getting better.  I can last longer doing each of the sets (there are 25 in a set).  Are they pretty or perfect, no but I am doing it!

The diet has been not too bad.  I only had one small piece of cake yesterday at a Independence Day gathering.  I have been trying hard not to eat late at night.  That, I am convinced helps in losing weight.  I especially don't eat carbs late.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

Tropical Storm Debby Won't Stop Me!

For those of you who haven't heard, Florida has been being pounded by Tropical Storm Debby.  I live in Florida and we have been getting LOTS of rain.  What is ironic is I have a degree in meteorology and used to watch the weather all the time.  Since having kids, the only amount of weather watching I do, is looking out the window.  Needless to say, I did not see this coming!  We were on our way to church Sunday morning and I was wondering where all this wind, clouds, and warm rain were coming from.  I didn't have to look any further than my smart phone to see that we were being hit by rain from the tropical storm.  I digress...

Sunday was a rest day for me for exercise so I didn't mind so much that it was raining and dreary.  It was one of those days were you just want to curl up and read a book or play games with the kids.  Monday though, was a different story.  It was back at it on Monday with my Brazilian Butt Lift, Sculpt.  I don't know about you but, when it is raining and dark and dreary, the LAST thing I want to do is exercise.  The old me would have procrastinated until it was too late to do anything.  I was proud of myself, I didn't.  I got my workout in and felt good about it.  My eating choices weren't all that great for the day but at least got worked some of it off! 

My husband, started P90X yesterday.  I was proud of him too for getting it done when motivation was low.  It was so fun watching him exercise with all the kids trying to exercise with him.  The twins trying to do sit-ups and push-ups was precious.  Abigail was doing a great job with the mason twists (for those who have done P90X, you know what I am talking about)! 

Speaking of P90X and BBL, Beachbody, the company that produces these awesome at home workout videos is running an incredible deal right now.  If you have ever wanted to try at-home fitness this, is the time.  You can try P90X or BBL or TurboFire AND a bag of Shakeology for 1 month for only $14.95.  That is an awesome!  If you don't know what Shakeology is, please check out the link I have attached.  It really is the best meal of the day!  Please talk to me about this incredible deal and/or check-out the website:  https://extranet.securefreedom.com/MillionDollarBody/csShopping/ShoppingCart.asp?Cat=&ProductID=&InvCountry=USA and then click on Trial Offers.  Really, ask me anything about these programs, I would love to help!

Wow..I think I see some blue skies coming back...

The Stress Eating Monster Makes an Appearance

If you have been following this blog you know that I started Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) last week. I finished Day 5 with no problems.  Well, that night one of my sons woke up with a horrible toothache and I was up with him for half the night. It had been a long time since I had a night with little sleep.  I.Felt.Miserable.  The first thing I wanted to do when I woke was-EAT.  I didn't want a healthy breakfast, no I wanted something that was tasty and full of calories.  I will spare the details but I did resist the urge to eat more.  Later that morning I had to take my son to the Dr. and afterward, to make him feel better, we went for donuts and this time, I did get donuts.  I had 2 and they tasted so good!  As soon as I ate them, I felt horrible.  Why did I do that to myself?  I went to get donuts in the name of making my son feel better but, the truth is, I went there to make myself feel better. 

After doing that though, I didn't say "the hell with it" for the rest of the day and eat poorly.  Also, despite being sleep deprived I DID do my workout and I was proud of that!

Fast forward to Monday and I found myself in the ER with my husband.  He is fine, praise God but once again the stress eating monster appeared. That morning I could not wait to eat the donuts that were left over from Sunday.  I consumed them and still wanted to more.  How many donuts would I have to eat to feel better? 2?5?10?  How many times am I going to do this to myself and think that food is going to make me feel better?

I was remind of a couple of things.  I was reminded of how when you do not get enough sleep, your will-power is lowered and you have a harder time fighting those cravings.  I was reminded again that no matter how many donuts, ice cream, etc I eat it will never make me feel better.  It will never take the place of what I am really craving in that moment; sleep, less stress, break from the kids, a trip to Cancun...

Even though, the last few days have not been "fun", I think God puts these moments in our life so we can learn from them and hopefully make better choices in the future!

Day 5 of BBL in the Bag!

After a day of rest yesterday, I was back on it today with Day 5.  Before I got to my workout, I enjoyed a great performance from my kids on the last day of Vacation Bible School.  I especially loved the twins dancing!

Well today my Brazilian Butt Lift workouts were Cardio Axe, which is 30 minutes of Brazilian/South American dance moves.  There are different sambas and great moves.  I am getting comfortable with the moves and I am able to get into more.  The 2nd one was one called High and Tight.  That is 35 minutes of concentrating on the booty and let me tell you, he works it from every angle!  The core of this workout is working the 3 muscle groups of the glutes in as many directions as possible.  While I was lying on the floor doing some moves, my cat even joined me, well, not really she came to give me moral support but that is besides the point ;-)  At the same time my 2 oldest were carrying on a conversation with me about going to the beach.  It is a good thing us women know how to multi-task! 

All and all it was a good workout and I look forward to tomorrow!

Day 3 of Brazilian Butt Lift Down!

Well, yesterday I completed the 3rd day of BBL.  It was a tough workout.  I was sore from the day before and my legs were screaming!  They did not want me to do lunges, so I didn't go as deep into them. 

I am getting the moves down more and the dancing is quite fun.  This is a great longer body workout and I feel it!  I definitely get a good sweat and have fun at the same time.  I am still trying to get used to Leandro's accent. My kids still think the workout is "weird".  What do kid know about wanting to have a better looking backside ;-)

Today is a rest day and according to the calendar it says to take a nice bath...so I think I will tonight!

Day 1: Brazilian Butt Lift, The Bum Bum

Today was Day 1 of the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) program I started.  Well, I was looking for a less intense program for the summer and so far, BBL is not less intense.  My "bum bum" got quite the workout this afternoon!  I thought after doing 20 weeks of Turbo Fire, I would not have to work as hard, but I was wrong.  I am glad that I was wrong.  Working this hard just means I have more work to do and I am working different muscle groups harder.  So all and all it was a good first day.  I feel good about what I did. 

The next big part though is eating right too.  That means no late night snacking and eating too much.  My biggest struggle has always been eating sweets especially late at night.  I am hoping this blog will help keep me accountable to not give into the temptation of sweets and over-indulging. 

Thanks for reading my ramblings :-)  Till tomorrow...

Choice Challenge for June

When I was driving into work this morning I was listening to a local talk radio station.  The host was speaking to a Dr. about obesity in our country.  He spoke about how 1/3 of Americans are obese.  He talked about how we need to get our children out to play and not sit inside playing video games are watching tv because we are not helping our children by doing that. 

Then, awhile later a read an article in the newspaper about WWJE (What Would Jesus Eat).  The title was kind of silly but made sense.  The article discussed how Jesus would have eaten and if there were drive-throughs in the 1st century, Jesus wouldn't have "super-sized" it on the way to giving a sermon.  Jesus also walked ALOT.  The premise of the article was about how in the 21st century we have lost the spirit of moderation.  The word gluttony is not used anymore.  What we do physically will effect how we are emotionally, spiritually, mentally.  They are all connected. 

I have heard most of this before but it is good to be reminded.  This may sound cliche but it is true, "You are what you eat".  I am not saying to not enjoy something decadent or sweet but, don't sit down and eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's (I know because I have done it more times then I can count).  It also made me think of the example I am setting for my kids.  Do I want them to develop the bad eating habits I have, but am I going to do something different?  Am I going to show them how to love themselves by showing them how to take care of their bodies or am I going to teach them my bad habits so they struggle with making the right food choices?  I don't want to go down the rabbit hole with this but, I think we all understand what we eat DOES effect our self-image (I think this is especially true for women). 

So this month I am going to challenge myself to set a better example for my family on what I put into my body.  I am going to be more conscience of this, not only so I can be healthier but, my kids can have a better example of how to take care of themselves. 

Who would like to join me in this challenge?  If you don't have kids, you can still do this.  Challenge yourself to take better care of yourself.  This isn't about losing weight, this is about making better choices so we can participate for fully in the life that God has given us.  Weight loss will be a natural "side-effect" of eating healthy and exercising.