Phit-N-Phat...Making Fitness and Weightloss a Lifestyle

Lifestyle Versus Diet: Which is Right?

Lifestyle is the new DIET. What do I mean?

A lifestyle is when you...

• Lose weight incorporating things you love in a sensible way.
• Plan your workouts and work your plan.
• Love yourself enough to say NO when you can't control yourself.
• Understand you need to build a life for yourself that involves health; not tear your life apart with food and thoughts.
• Know you will ALWAYS have to eat healthy and find things that fit that plan. 

There's tons of tips and tools I can give you to help you lose weight. I can teach you all kinds of new habits that make living healthy an easy transition. But, if you BELIEVE being healthy is a DIET that leaves you miserable, hungry, and working out to the extreme you will simply fall back into your old habits of lazy comfort. In your heart and mind you have decided that it takes tricks and that you have an end date.

When you commit to learning how to LIVE you will really have that lightbulb moment. The lightbulb comes on when you are done looking for fixes. You might have to walk around in the dark a bit, scared and confused, but rather than running for the door you look for the switch.

This blog  was written by a PNP moderator and one of my Beachbody coaches. I have a great team!!! And since she posted her week I thought I would do the same. All of us train different but we make it happen in the way that we love. I like racing, lifting, and Tough Mudders so I train to do those things with stuff I enjoy.

Mon - 30 min. run; shoulder training

Tue - 30 min. elliptical cross-training; arm training

Wed -30 min. run; leg training

Thu - Asylum Back to Core; back training

Fri - 30 run with Chalene Extreme abs circuited into the routine; chest training

Sat - Long run of 7-8 miles

Sun - Off and food prep/get the week ready!

This schedule might be light to some and extreme to others but it is RIGHT for me. It's written with the way I love to workout and that's what keeps ME going back for more each day.

And I do the same with my food. I'm working with my coach right now and we agreed to make a menu I love. I"m not competing this year but I want to look my best for an event so I should EAT my best!

B - oats and egg whites
S - salsa chicken, roasted veggie and sweet potato (I ADORE sweet potatoes and can't believe there was a time in life I wouldn't eat them)
L - seasoned white fish with rosemary red potatoes
S - Shakeology with any fruit I want
D - steak, large green salad with veggies, red potatoes
S - salmon and roasted veggie or green beans

Seriously, these are all foods I truly like and I load them with herbs and spices. Now, years ago I didn't eat like to eat this way but I learned how to slowly evolve into this kind of day. I experimented a lot with ways to make them taste devine. Ask and I'll share tips!

But, the key is that right now I have a goal and I'm working toward it. This means I eat very healthy and I do it happily. I know it's right for my goal and my body! Then on occasion when I TRULY want something I have it. It's OK and it's OK knowing it my fun foods shouldn't be a main staple of my "diet." When I weighed 250lbs fun food was the staple and healthy foods I chose rarely. Took me awhile to figure out I can have both if I just let go of what I thought a diet HAD to be.

Continuing to Heed My Body's Advice

Chris and I were going to do a 15K this morning. I had grand plans to test-drive a nutrition strategy for my next half in two-weeks. 

We went out last night to celebrate my re-certification in ISSA and basically some other milestones. I've been feeling pretty good this week and think I can see myself making lots of forward progress getting my "groove" back.

It was a lot of fun, we danced some, had a little wine, I ate sensible, and we were home by 10:45. Note: we go to a Boomer and above type bar with dancing. You can have a full night and be home early. Score!

We got up this morning, dressed, ate breakfast, and headed to the race. We even walked to registration. The whole time my knees were a tad achy, nothing major, I was tired, and I just kept thinking am I really ready to do this? I mean, I had worked out this week, had my DOR on Thursday, busted butt in working (like too many hours to put on here or you will think I'm a nutcase), and just deep down felt like this race would make the rest of the day worthless.

I looked at Chris and said I just wasn't in it but if he was into it I could muster it up for the team. He said he didn't care...it's COLD! We laughed, turned around, and decided to hit the Y, workout, and then go get groceries for the week.

It was such a great day and so nice not feel guilty for canning something I had "planned." In the past I would push. Today I just thought who the hell cares if I do this race? Is this race going to change how anyone's day goes? No. The only person it effected was Chris and he was COLD and so was I. Cold running on a tired body is not a good time and I do these events to have a good time. Sometimes it's about beating myself but that's fun! If I can't find the fun what's the point?

We went to the Y. I ran for 30 minutes and worked a LITTLE on speed meaning I just ran faster than an easy run for 15 minutes because I felt like it. Chris wanted to do a long run so he did 1:15 on the treadmill while I finished my workout with some upper body circuits and ab work. I keep workouts in my phone for JUST THESE REASONS! I always have something I've written I can pull out and use.

Then we headed to Whole Foods and Kroger to get food. It was nice and we decided today we would just eat unconventional but healthy stuff. It felt great! I had some veggie sushi that I never do, Honeycrisps are IN so I bought I know 20 of them because I eat about 3 apples a day, and I bought an assortment of prepared vegetable and grain salads and baked tofu. 

Tomorrow I'm walking with my friend early then cleaning and prepping all that glorious food. This is our menu for the week (dinners are what we all eat and lunch is me and Chris - Logan takes a variety of things).

Preworkout - apple
B - oats and egg whites with one egg
S - Shakeology made with water and ice, pumpkin seeds
L - homemade bean chili over spag squash (I like volume)
S -  almond butter rice cake and apple
D -  bison mexican stir fry with herbed gluten free cous cous OR skinny chicken dumplings (made with GF oat flour), with a salad (baby carrots, cukes, broc, spinach) OR Boca burger on Ezekial Bread (could use GF too we have it), baked sweet potato fries, and cucumber slices
S - Shakeology same as snack and another apple

I also have some yogurts, bananas, popcorn and such in case I'm extra hungry. 

We're starting our Beachbody 90-day Challenge on Phit-n-Phat.com and here's my plan for the week first week. I have a bunch of PNP ladies coming in for Phat Camp this weekend so it's going to be an awesome week and I'm excited! I'm putting the videos in as I can for two weeks since I'm travelling and doing big events. Then I'll be on a regular schedule.

Mon: CEX Burn 1 (havent done yet and want to try)/I've got Abs

Tue: Tempo Run 5 miles

Wed: CEX Burn 3/2-3 miles/Extreme Abs

Thu: Off

Fri: First night of camp (cardio night - bodyweight routine)

Sat: Camp (sprints, two more workouts)

Sun: Camp (cardio, 2 more workouts)

Long post but that's the plan. I'll take off Monday for sure to catch on PNP and hit that grocery store!

It's the Weekend and Are You Ready?

I ask my private clients and site members this ALL THE TIME. Weekends can make or break your progress. Several reasons...

Some people like a "free day" because they want to live "normal" one day a week.
I think this is the kiss of death for your lifestyle. One, why is it normal that you eat a bunch of junk all day once a week and then be depressed and bloated on Sunday? Really? The normal people do that?

No. They might eat a few extras but they also don't clean their plate, keep stuffing because they know it will be a long time before they have freedom again, and worry how they are going to feel on Sunday. 

Almost every woman I know who has free day mentality also has gained weight, is frustrated they have to work harder than everyone else, and has feelings of deprivation most of the time. 

Go into the weekend thinking they will make good choices but no plan on how to get there.
I think the weekends should be a little more relaxed for most of us. It teaches you how to make good decisions. But it can't be learned without some structure!

Know where you are going. Do you need to bring some snacks so you aren't starving? Think about what you want at those restaurants; what you want to be healthy and if you want a tad extra.

Exercise wise the weekend is a good time to make up for missed workouts or have longer ones you don't get in the week. It's also a nice time to schedule walks with family and friends. Exercise doesn't always have to leave you in a puddle. It can be a good hour with a good friend!

No food in the house..you RAN OUT!
This used to be me. I would eat up everything by Friday night and have nothing on Saturday then prep and re-load Sunday. Saturday's were spent stressed out trying to stay on a plan while scrambling up whatever I could find. This sort of leads to the "free day" lady if you aren't careful!

 

This is my weekend plan and I thought I would share for accountability and to help you see how I tackle things.

I'll pick Logan up from school today and we'll hit the store and get the oil changed on the way home. Most of the time I go on Thursday to get food for the weekend but this week I had a walk with a good friend scheduled and needed my girl time. Our only plans tonight are Target and Ghost Hunters in bed with Logan!

I love on the weekends to keep it easy with food. Tonight is breakfast for dinner. Eggs, toast, oats for me, and fruit. We have a bit of fruit left that needs to be eaten. Sometimes I toss in nuts and yogurt but you get the drift. 

Tomorrow we are doing a family fun run. Breakfast is our usual (oats and eggs for me, oats and fruit for Logan, Shakeology for Daddy), then we do our family race, Shakeology in the car for me and the boys will just do fruit for snack, drop Logan off at my mom's and then Chris and I head out of town to do the Warrior Dash.

The Warrior Dash is a 5K with obstacles and a mud pit at the finish. I'll pack a cooler with a pre-microwaved WW pizza and baby carrots, an apple, and a protein bar. Chris will want Subway on the way out so I'll get that for him and pick me up a 6in. for the ride back to town. When we get back to Nashville it will be late (10pm) so we'll probably head to Ruby Tuesday and eat. I love the spag squash marinara (250 calories), a big salad (loads of veggies, egg, and do indulge in broc salad but no cheese or dressing for me), and WINE. It's date night although abbreviated.

Sunday we'll get Logan after I hit the store and I'll start prepping our food for the week. We typically go to Ruby Tuesday again with Logan as our family date. This week, since he has another try at the Cross Country meet, we'll definitely go. I get the same thing I do on date night but no wine. No exercise on Sunday for me since I clean, do XC, cook, etc. It's my take care of family business day. I'll have my usual breakfast, Shakeology with fruit for lunch before XC, some pumpkin seeds after the meet, then we head to RT for dinner. I'll have another shake before bed, too.

So you can see I keep moving on the weekends, have a plan but a loose one, know where I'm going, what I need to pack up so I'm not scrambling, and you bet I'll plug it all into Loseit! Oh, and I carry a gallon of Xtend with me everywhere I go so I'm not behind on my water. 

Hope this helps! And, if I break from plan I just think, "Is this a good choice?" If I can say it's not perfect but it will work then great! It's not about being perfect to make a lifestyle work. It's about having a lifestyle that can do to make you perfectly happy!

My Planning and Why

I'm starting this with my plan for the week. Last week I said I needed to get back to my old behaviors so that's what I'm going to kick off with today. Some positive planning, structure, and accountability. You really can't beat any of that when you are living the lifestyle.

EXERCISE

Monday - finished a hard 4 mile tempo run on the treadmill
Tuesday - back/shoulders/abs and 30 min. of cardio (new routine learned at Phat Camp that is wicked)
Wednesday - Long Run of 7-8 miles
Thursday - chest/legs/arms hour circuit
Friday - 3 miles and ab circuit 20 min.
Saturday - EZ 5K in the morning with Logan and Warrior Dash in the afternoon
Sunday -

I'm using some routines from Phat Camp for the cardio and the strength is my own stuff this week. Today I ordered Chalene Extreme and I think I'm going to follow that program a bit to free up planning for myself.

FOOD

Went to the store yesterday after driving back from Dayton PC early in the morning. Here's what I planned for myself starting tomorrow because today I winged it and will be prepping tonight. I had to work, therapy, and lots of other things so tonight it is.

Breakfast - 3/4 cup of oats with cinnamon, truvia, and almond extract and 8 egg whites with ketchup OR 2 pcs of EZ toast with ICBINB and 8 egg whites.

Snack - Shakeology and 1/3 cup of pumpking seeds

Lunch - roughy cooked in coconut oil, mixed fajita style peppers and onions, and 4-6 oz of sweet potato (strength days I'll do 6)

Snack - apple with two carb master yogurts

Dinner - Skinny Chicken and Dumplings, Spag Sauce with Laura's Lean beef over a bag of steamer vegetables, OR chicken fajita mix (no rice for me) on top of big salad

Snack - 12 oz of red wine OR shakeology and an apple OR 100 cal bag of popcorn (wine or snack but not both this week)

On a high day that equals about 2100 calories and a lower day (choosing lower options) it's about 1800. I also have some baby carrots, celery, and bananas to add in case I'm hungry. It's filled with stuff I like and I should be able to maintain fine with this.

I also have plans to have go out to eat three times this week! I know two are Ruby Tuesday so that's easy. The other I will know ahead of time and make plans. My goal for this week is to stay off BLT's, stay on plan, and be aware of my hunger. Assess if I'm hungry or just stressed.

PERSONAL

This weekend I was at Phat Camp Dayton and it was great. I love the workouts because they scale them to fit everyone's level. Women who look just like I did six years ago show up to these camps and I hope when they see me they have hope it's possible. I respect them so much for showing up and giving it their all. When I weighed 250lbs I wouldn't have had the guts to do it, let alone, push myself to try working out in a new way.

The majority of the women at camp were just starting out or trying to figure out where to go with exercise and getting in shape. As we were in the seminar portion of the camp, so many of the women started asking questions that had plagued me back in the days of losing weight.

One woman was worried about loose skin on her tummy. I just couldn't help it but I had to comment that for some of us the skin is NOT going to bounce back. I was honest with them that once that elasticity goes it's gone. Some women do have great genes and no matter what kind of weight gain they have with pregnancy they'll get it back with hard work. But, A LOT of us with past battles with obesity WON'T.

Jen asked me to show my Tummy Tuck scar and she said, "Well, that's not so bad." I promptly said you haven't seen the REAL scars from the lower body lift. LOL. I pulled half my pants down and showed the women what I had to do to fix my past. I even took the time to explain what it has meant to me, personally.

I spent years trying everything to fix my skin issues. I still try! At four years of maintenance and work I knew it was time for surgery. Today, with the loose skin that is STILL left after six years I have learned I need to live with it. Y'all know everyday I work on self-acceptance, but what I was hoping they would see is a woman who can kick butt in workouts who used to sit on her butt letting life kick her.

That's the awesome thing about Jen Hendershott's Phat Camps and my own PNP Meet-ups at events; we all can work together towards a better lifestyle. Some of us are in the beginning. They need the help to get started on the right path and who better to give back than women who have been there.

And there are others there, too. We had a couple of figure girls, a few women who love endurance events, a mom of 8 kids who has no time and little money for clean food, girls with no kids just starting out in adult life and women who are hitting the boomer years. It's amazing when you attend events with me because I can promise you there will be women with all kinds of stories yet a lot of commonality in trying to find the balance while losing weight.

OK...so that was all about camp. I decided on Saturday that it was important for me to leave Sunday morning EARLY and miss the last day. Logan had his first cross-country match and I wanted to be there. Something told me I had to be there but not for the reasons I thought.

We went and the baby wasn't feeling too hot to begin with. He's got a little cold but seemed OK to go. He wanted to! We arrived and it was a MADHOUSE. 100's of kids and parents everywhere. It was like organized confusion.

Because he's a 3rd grader we waited for our turn in the hot sun for about 45 min. to an hour, I think. He stretched and seemed fine until we lined up. We had to wait 15 min. on the line and that's where his nerves kicked in. He said his legs shook. We hugged tight trying to get the adrenaline out.

When they sounded the horn he ran the field, hit the track then just started walking. I could see he was shutting down. It was too much. I ran to the side (coach's can be on the field) and tried to get him to run. When he started melting down I backed off hoping if he had no outlet (me) he would keep going. No. Some sweet kids and another mom ran to him and cheered him on. Nice as it was I could see his face was striken with too much stimulation.

At that point I walked with him and we ended up leaving. He started throwing a mild fit; my worst nightmare because I don't want this friends at school to see him THAT way.

Other things happened but I tried to keep my composure and help him learn from it. We processed the day 2-3 times. I wanted him to completely understand that I understood WHY he was frustrated and didn't like it, that I was proud of him for trying, that it was OK to not want to race, but throwing a fit and not using your words to express your emotions isn't acceptable. THAT was hard for me. I had to find a way for him to understand he was in time out for tantrums and not for his inability to process a big event. I was so worried he would think I was mad and punishing him for not running.

In the end he got it. I know he did. I've thought a lot about it, too. It may sound insane but God uses these times to help us. I remember blogging a long time ago that I had to go through years of being fat, bullied, and miserable to even have the ability to help my clients. Same thing with Logan. We have to believe that these tough moments are meant to be so that one day in the future when it REALLY matters he will succeed, try, not quit, or know how to leave something the right way.

It's so ironic that my phrase "Last place is the girl on the couch," the mantra of PNP, plays so well with my child. Being in last place means you were a part of something. It means you were brave enough to try. I have to give it to Logan. That boy might not like a lot of what we make him do but he shows up and attempts things.

I told him we weren't quitting Cross Country. He enjoys practice. I enjoy coaching the girls. We'll keep going and each meet we can decide if we want to race or if we want to cheer on our friends. Either way WE'RE a part of something. That was the goal and we CAN DO THAT.

I do admit that it's hard with the food and exercise to not just go crazy lately. I'm not always perfect but I'm doing the best I can. It's what I preach to my girls. If I'm not eating perfect you bet I'm tracking calories to keep it honest.

That's why I'm planning and posting, being honest and blogging. It's not always roses but I've learned to have a lifestyle means you gotta fight through the tough times and enjoy the good ones. I know what foods to not have around, I know some days I need to schedule a workout with someone so that it will get done, and I know there are times I have to ask my husband to question my food choices when I'm not willing to do it.

It's how I handle maintenance. When I'm strong I intuitively eat. When I'm worked up like a maniac it's time to go on a plan and turn off thy brain. These days a little silence in my head, an app to track my calories, and a piece of paper with a plan is a good thing.



The Queen Is Busy

Today just updating y'all on me. This is my selfish Thursday blog entry. No big theme or a-ha; just a little mind dumping so enjoy it or pass on it.

I started my therapy. We're in week three and things are moving along. It's been rewarding to take the time to re-visit things I need to deal with at 37. Although most of my life is good I have several areas that just need work.

What I don't like about therapy is it is work. I go on Monday. Every Monday I'm hungry, sad, and tired. This is BEFORE the session. Afterward, I'm very tired, very sad, and drained. I guess it's the process of talking and verbalizing so many of the things I keep inside. When I put voice to that stuff it becomes real. Once it's real that means fixing it in my book.

I am learning a lot about myself. My standards are high with myself, others, and life. Right now I have to figure out how to make life fit in those standards and that might mean changes. And, I have to figure out those changes. 

Another issue with me is guilt. I can feel guilty over ANYTHING. If I enjoy myself, eat something different, have some wine, go a on trip, go to bed early, buy something, take a day or two off from working out, work only eight hours on PNP, whatever, I feel twinges to obsessive thoughts of GUILT. I'm not sure where that comes from either. But, if I had to nail one word that sort of describes why I am out of sorts these days it's probably feelings of guilt too often.

I have also figured out that I have a lot of work to do with my broken heart over Logan. That's the best way I can describe it. I feel like I ache for him a lot. Too much. That's not the relationship I want and I haven't been able to verbalize much of it. Each session we talk about other things that "bother" me and when it comes to Logan I breakdown instantly. I know that's going to be my rawest wound to heal.

With my body image and such...honestly, it's not great but I think it's a symptom of other things. I just can't see myself how I look to people. I only see the flaws, I see myself "naked" even in clothes, and six years after weightloss I still don't like getting too attached to the idea of being thin in case "it goes away." I know intellectually it won't. I work too hard and enjoy eating too healthy now, but in my emotional brain it's still living 30 years of being fat. 

So, that's therapy. It's proving to be beneficial. I feel good the day after. I've been a little more productive and I can tell that just doing SOMETHING is making a difference in how I feel even if we haven't done much. Just the effort it takes to show up is making a change...and a good change.

Now, onto food and exercise. Let me obssess a minute! I know it's why you read me!

This week I've really ate super good for a runner. If I was trying to compete I would think differently. The funny thing is I look about the same and feel better. My macros according to Loseit (and I don't track or plan those at all y'all) have fell in the range of 55-60% carbs, 25-30% protein, 10-20% fats. My typical food this week have been (and I didn't even make a hardcore menu - just prepped stuff I liked and went with the gut the rest of the time):

B: 3/4 cup of dry old fashioned oats cooked in water and 8 egg whites OR 2pcs of EZ toast and 8 egg whites 
     I found the toast and ew actually keep me full longer even though it's less calories.

S: Shakeology w/ 1/4 cup of dry oats or an apple

L: 4 oz flounder, 1 medium (4-6 oz) of sweet potato, 1 cup of cooked broc (roasted with Truvia, balsamic, and cinnamon), some baby carrots with dijon mustard for dipping

S: Apple and 1/4 cup of Pumpkin Seeds

S: Yogurt mixed with SF Jello before dinner

D: Stir Fry Veggies with some protein (sometimes chicken, pork chop or I mix a bunch of cottage cheese with SF pudding for dessert and have the veggies loaded on a big salad)

S: 8-10 oz of red wine most nights

S: 3rd apple of the day or 100 cal bag of popcorn and a Shakeology made with almond milk

You'll see I love apples. :) I'd rather have 3 apples than variety! My weight did go up this week to 147.6 which is two pounds over last week. I almost didn't weigh this morning because I woke up and felt tight and my tummy was looking about the best I've seen it in awhile. But, I knew I would blog so I did. Boo!

One - I worked hard yesterday. I had an hour of circuit training and coached cross country. I think I burned over 800 calories or something.

Two - I am sore in the legs and back. Two big muscle groups and they are pretty ripped today. That holds a lot of water.

Three - It was the King's Birthday and I promised my son that Momma would take him to Ruby Tuesday and we would have dessert. I just don't eat them but this is something I wanted to do for all three of us. Chris' birthday shouldn't be about my Friday weigh-in. Anyway, I had some wine (too much by the end of the night but it was worth it) and we got two desserts and shared them all. I ate slow but I'm not used to real sugar! Long story short I am sure all the sugar and wine filled up my muscles full of water. I'll probably pee like a crazy woman today and tomorrow.

Exercise wise:

3-4 runs a week
1-2 Whatever I feel like things (a video, long stretch, Core training, just what I feel like doing)
4 Strength Sessions: circuit style since I'm going to two Phat Camps and I gotta be ready.

Since I'm coaching cross-country this week I've combined two of my runs with XC. I get there 25 min. early and run the track, go grab my kids, and then run with them for another 1-2 miles.

One or two days off a week and just trying to do a wide mix of things. All I know is that whatever I'm doing is definitely igniting my soreness factor.

OK...jumbo long post. Hope you enjoyed it and got a little idea maybe about eating and such. Feel free to ask questions!

Cheesecake Factory = Skinnylicious!

For all of us who want to be able to eat out and be a "regular or normal" person, the excuses are being taken away from us to eat healthy and delicious.

Today I recieved an email from Cheesecake Factory that they have a new Skinnylicious Menu with over 50 items! Wow and they look really good! Best part is the calorie limit is also posted so you have awareness of what to order.

You know, I lost my weight before anyone was hardly offering DIDDLY and now I feel good I can stay in maintenance since almost anywhere you go these days you CAN eat within a tasty guideline. Ruby Tuesday, Wendy's, IHop, and now Cheesecake Factory are just a FEW of the places we can eat and feel great. 

Check it out! I know a date night be looming!

Skinnylicious Menu

So, now tell me, what IS YOUR EXCUSE? It ain't options! If it's peer pressure I say grow up and decide your health is more important than fitting in...this ain't high school girls.

Do You Ever Stop Journaling: Updated

Working out is NEVER a problem for me. I love it and will do it until the cows come home. Journaling my workouts is also easy. Every day I can't wait to jot down my workout and see some progress in my BodyMinder. I just posted today on how I use mine on the PNP site if you are interested. I use those records the next time I workout to either increase my weight by a little, change an exercise I didn't like, or beat my reps by one or two.

What I HATE doing is tracking my food. I just don't like it. I would love to say it's too time consuming or that I eat "so good" I don't have to worry about it but it's NOT TRUE. How we look and how the weight comes off has everything to do with how much we stick to plan.  If the plan isn't working then adjust because the results won't match. Without journaling the food you have no idea what to change.

First, you gotta be willing to own up to the things you are doing. It's easy to sit back and PROCLAIM nothing works for me! I work out hard, eat what you tell me, etc., and I don't see results. The first thing I say...

"Send me the last two to three weeks of daily food journals and exercise logs and let me see what's going on. If you don't have them, then track for two to three weeks and then let's see what changes need to be made. We don't know if you need more or less food, more or less exercise, more or less rest, etc., if you aren't tracking."

You know what almost always happens?

1. They track honestly for two to three weeks, feel pressured to stick to plan because I'm going to be looking at it, and start losing weight.

2. They track honestly and see that they are giving about 80% effort all the way around by missing a workout here and there and eating off their plan every three to four days. The info stares them in the face and shows what we "remember" is not always what "happened."

3. They don't track, lay low, and spend another month doing the same old stuff and making zero progress. What feels hard and dedicated can't be proved, improved upon, or fixed because they don't want to take the final step in accountability. Then they reach out again frustrated but with no information backing it up. :)

Back in 2008, I took a harsh look at myself for a week. I had been planning my meals and half-you-know-what following the plan. For one week I went to Sparkpeople and tracked my calories and everything that went in my mouth. I also designed a menu with flexibility because for weeks I wasn't following my plan.

I realized I don't eat bad. I eat very healthy but I eat an extra snack or two here and there, eat what I'm craving versus what I need, and then don't get optimal results. If I am willing to bust it in the gym why not bust in the journal and food?

Fast-forward to 2010...I've learned a lot. I know make a weekly food plan with some pre-determined options for times I might want something different. Thinking ahead means I've chosen things that make me happy AND keep me moving FORWARD to my goals. That can mean 100 cal bag of popcorn at night, a Skinny Cow a couple of times a week, a Weight Watch pizza when we want fun food, etc.

So, do you need to journal? Yes and no. Do you get results and follow a weekly plan? You don't have to. Do you struggle to get any results while working hard but not following a set plan? Yes you do. You need to see all the things you FORGET you eat each week.

Where Is the Dream Body Built?

To succeed you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a reality.

Anita Roddick

 

We all know exercise is important but your body is built in YOUR kitchen.

• It isn't built at a restaurant.
• It's not earned at a drive-thru.
• It's not even able to be ordered on the phone.

If you want to look good, feel good, have energy to drag your butt out of bed to exercise, and feel like a hot goddess in the bedroom you BETTER be spending some time in the kitchen preparing for your week. Good, nutritious foods make you look and feel awesome AND help you lose weight much faster than a bunch of packaged stuff.

As you know, I like to be ready for the week and Sunday works best for me. I hit the store either Saturday or EARLY Sunday morning. Sunday morning is usually the best because it is when the store is loaded with food and you beat the rush.

When I get home I start cracking. The first few weeks it took me half a day to do it all. Now, I know my kitchen, have my own systems, and can crank out all my stuff in about 2 hours including food for the family.

Breakfast
My breakfast needs no prep. I just use 1/2 cup dry old fashioned oats, cover with water, nuke for 3 min. then stir in what I want. While I stir, I pour a half container of egg whites in a non-stick sprayed bowl and nuke for 3 min. Things I like on my eggs are ketchup and salt, hot sauce and salt/pepper, maple syrup with a sprinkle of chopped pecans, spicy hot mustard, etc. 

In my oats I like splenda, fruits, nuts, peanut butter, sugar free jello mix in lemon (just a serving), a yogurt when I don't want eggs, and protein powder. All of that is good flavoring.

Quick, simple, and my favorite meal of the day!

 

Snacks
I keep fruit for snacks. Most of the time I eat two apples a day and I buy BIG ONES so I can feel full. I also like rice cakes with peanut butter and I pre-make those so that the peanut butter is measured.  In a pinch I will eat a protein bar, less than 12g of sugar please. But, honestly, I keep Starkist Tuna salad packets, peanut butter packets, and rice cakes IN MY GLOVE BOX with plastic spoons and when I need a snack this is much better than any protein bar for you.

If you get bars, they are either jacked with sugar or crap or both. I'm not "above" them but I don't eat them daily. Real food fills me up; those pacify me to another meal.

BTW...I eat fruit whenever the hell I want. Remember my quote? Fruit don't make you fat; fruit pie does! I'll eat it early, late, or whenever without worrying about "the CARBS!" 

Say what? Yep, carbs are the same as fruit. It ain't the OD'ing over oats, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, brown rice, PLAIN white rice, fruits, carrots, whole grain breads and beans that gets you into a big ole mess. It's all those with some sugar, cheese, bacon, and side of garlic butter that does, honey.

I typically eat a low carb type yogurt with some flax and berries as an afternoon snack. Sometimes I mix in sugar free pudding mix made with water. I do the SF mix then stir in the flax and yogurt. I like the greek and low carb yogurts because they have the least amount of sugar.

 

Lunch
Our lunch this week is 5 oz of MEASURED after I cook it lean stew meat. I cook in the crockpot with some lite Teriyaki marinade (Mrs. Dash makes several good ones too) for a few hours on low. Measure it. I put that on top of some STEAMED WHITE RICE (brown is better but white is better than nothing) mixed with fried rice seasonings. Just stir a spice pack in there without oils and such. It does just fine. Then I have that with some kind of veggie I like (raw okra, roasted broccoli, bed of lettuces, baby carrots, whatever you like).

 

Dinner
Dinner this week is either George Foreman Salmon with spaghetti squash mixed with jar tomato sauce or crockpot chili. I make my basic black bean and chic pea chili and put a little cinnamon and bag of frozen spinach to bump up the nutrition. We use a ton of cinnamon here. It's super good for you and regulating your blood sugar.

I shot a video of my spinach bucket sautee. It's a must see!

Spinach Sautee

Before bed I either have nuts and a protein shake, egg whites and a little peanut butter, yogurt and flax, or a glass of wine with my husband. :)

This week I will post a new recipe that Mammy made for her own prep this week. She's getting as good as the Queen!

Food is NOT the Enemy

Have I said or done something to make all of you think that food is the devil, the enemy, or something to fear? I hope to God not because I happen to love it. I love all food...

• Good fruits and veggies
• Ezekial bread, oats, whole grain breads, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, rice of all kinds
• French fries, a burger, grilled cheese sandwiches
• Frozen yogurt, dessert, wine

I eat all of it and move on no matter if it is clean or dirty. It just isn't that big a deal.

I spent the past few days in Vegas. We drank a lot of wine and rum, we had pancakes, ordered a ton of dry salads, then finished the last two days with french fries at EVERY MEAL. You know why it doesn't bother me? Because I'm OK with coming home a little bigger, with good memories, and then just FREAKING starting my regular ole daily healthy eating. It might take a week or two to for the weight to tick back off but who cares? In reality, no one knows I am "bigger" but me and I don't even know because I'm not dumb enough to weigh!

To be honest...I sort of like what I see and that was after intuitive and unplanned eating for five days. Intuitive eating is basically avoiding obvious mistakes.

1. Don't eat from the bread basket because it's there.

2. Split some stuff.

3. If I want fries, just get Chris to order something with fries and have some.

4. Just because we are eating out doesn't mean I have to pig out.

5. Drink a lot of water so I am not fooled into being hungry.

How many of us are afraid we will make a mistake with our food that we decide throwing in the towel is the way to go? IT'S not!

Most of you on your worst day never did enough damage food wise to make a long term dent in your weight unless you let a meal or afternoon turn into three days of bad decisions. I can tell ALL OF YOU that if you have more than 10-15lbs to lose it is a lot harder to screw your food up than you think. Even a day of total and wild eating crap can be undone simply by just getting back to regular eating the next meal and thinking ahead rather than back.

I get girls caught up in macros, grams of proteins, when should I eat my carbs, should I eat carbs, and a bunch of other stuff. Are you telling me you want to live your life counting this bull?

The other day I told someone that there are a few weeks out of the year that I have to be super conscious of when and what I eat. There is no going with how I am feeling, what I really want, or eating a little extra. That's when I'm trying to get to a level of leanness for the STAGE.

The rest of the year I make a menu that is healthy but it's filled with stuff I like. That's because I work hard at having a lifestyle that is good for me and fits my family. I learned a long time ago that extra fruit doesn't make me fat, if I want a whole wheat/grain sandwich it's FINE, all veggies are only going to make me feel good, and if I don't want what I planned it is OK.

Going off plan doesn't always equal a shitfest. Find something else you like but just use commonsense. Y'all, going off plan can mean you DECIDE to go with what you are craving in a healthy, commonsense way.

If you want ice cream go to dang Mc Donald's and get a cone. Hell, get TWO and that is still less calories than a Blizzard with Butterfinger. The sad thing to me is that most of you have total trigger moments and food that derail you ALL THE TIME, and yet you never come up with a less disastrous option FOR THE NEXT TIME.

If you love pizza and you routinely order pizza because you are tired - guess what? Saying your plan is to make sure you have healthy food cooked probably isn't going to work for a few months!!!! You are going from crawling to running. Can we at least toddle a bit???

Our pizza girls with kids and demanding jobs would do BETTER by taking a few minutes in the grocery store and find the best frozen alternative that is easy to control yourself and family with. Trust me, frozen thin crusts are going to be less calories than Pizza Hut (because half of you will get breadsticks or hot wings - why not?). Get used to making the frozen choice and then you can venture into the world of making your own, Weight Watcher pizzas, and the almighty having food prepped all the time.

The thing I want you to understand is that food isn't scary. It's not evil. It's not even hard to make a better choice. It's HARD when you put pressure on yourself that if it isn't perfect then it isn't worth it.

I promise you that I make and made tons more "better than giving up choices" than I have made PERFECT choices. Maybe it's just me but I think people who act and think they are perfect are assholes and I don't want to be the food asshole. I want to be normal and normal has no perfect plan. :)

More Prep Ideas!

Ok...if you haven't heard already, EVERY SUNDAY I DO A WEEK LONG FOOD PREP! Oh it's my favorite day of the week. I hit the floor early, sometimes I exercise and sometimes it's a well-deserved day of rest, eat a hearty breakfast and then hit the grocery store for our healthful eats all week.

This week I tried a couple of things new to or improved and thought I would share. I also found an awesome website filled with photos of kid's lunches (works for us adults looking to lose, too) and we have an AWESOME kid's lunch discussion going on at the new PNP site. Check it out in the Phit Eating Forum. Becoming a member of the general site is free so sign up and participate in some PNP talk!

First I made a recipe that is like a Green Chile Quiche. OMG it is sooooo stinking good. Today I ate two of them as leftovers at lunch and they were EXCELLENT cold. I think you could make up three days of breakfast with them and pair it with yogurt and berries or fruit and a piece of whole grain/whole wheat toast and a smear of healthy Smart Beat butter.

We had it for dinner last night. Here's mine!  You got your chili quiches (2 = 260 calories!), raw okra with a little spicy mustard and lite miracle whip mixed for dipping, spinach leaves with one packet of Splenda and balsamic vinegar tossed, and my treat of the day - 1 liter of Kroger's strawberry crystal clear sparkling water. Look at all that food for 375 calories! This kicks the ASS of a frozen meal and it took no time to throw in a bowl.

Today I had two of those pups with a piece of EZ bread toasted, some baby carrots with the same dip, and a handful of pumpkin seeds. If you don't eat pumpkin seeds you are missing out.

This is how Chris and Logan eat it. They like peas. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, I made a chocolate version of the breakfast protein cake. You can see the discussion, recipe, video, and more at the PNP site. To see the video and comments you will need to register as a free member. Then you can use this link to see all about the yummy breakfast cake that Logan and I enjoy!

 

I also bought apples, cut up grapefruit, made a huge batch of marinara sauce (extra veggie style) with some Laura's Lean Beef mixed in for pasta I can cook up at night. If I don't want pasta, I just nuke my beef sauce and then put it on top of a huge bed of roasted broccoli and spinach leaves.

For lunch I grilled some tilapia with roasted broccoli and peppers. Chris got brown rice flavored with low sodium soy sauce and I like to have Ezekial Bread or a sweet potato.

For snacks and easy sides for all of us we have cut up fresh peppers, raw okra and baby carrots. Tomorrow night is steak night and I'll do some frozen okra sauteed with fresh onion, spinach leaves, and garlic. You just drizzle a dab of EVOO in a non-stick, heat to medium, throw in chunks of onion, the frozen okra, and then at the end throw in the spinach. That takes about as long as the steaks take to cook on the Foreman.

We also pre-bagged Logan's snacks for the week and we're TRYING to get him to take his lunch a day or two this week. Yes, my son loves to get hot lunch at school! We have let him because it makes him feel like other kids. The whole time he was in pre-school he had to bring his own with his special diet. I think he still feels like now that he can eat like other kids he wants to do that. It's OK. I win most of the time with anything I set my mind to and I am determined to convince him MY lunches can be fun and like other kids (without being a crap fest).

No excuses...EVER ladies. Each day is your day to make a better choice and every Sunday is your chance to get the next six days RIGHT!