Interview about Goals

I was asked several questions about my goals recently and I thought I'd put them on "paper" and let the whole world see.  Why?  Because I want to achieve my goals and accountability is part of that.  So, I am giving my blessing to anybody who reads this and wants to keep me accountable:  if you see me faltering, TELL ME!  I want you to keep me accountable and help me reach some of my goals. 

I also want to let you know that I will never ask my clients to do something I would not do myself.  So when I answer these questions that were asked, I would ask these things of my clients and of myself.

1.  What are your fitness goals?


My fitness goals include losing at least 150 pounds, doing 25 push ups on my toes (REAL push ups), seeing some definition in my abs, and working out 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes of hard work or an hour of not as hard work.


2.  How far do you have to go?


As of today (July 15, 2012), I need to lose 127.6 more pounds, still be able to do 20 more pushups on my toes, see a LOT more definition in my abs, and consistently workout 5 times a week.  


3.  What do you have to do to reach them?


This is a tough question.  Let's start with the easy one:  be able to do 25 pushups on my toes.  I want to be able to do this by the end of August.  I know I can reach this goal, but it's going to have to work in conjunction with my other goal of working out 5 times a week.  I HAVE to build my strength and be dedicated enough to see that doing 25 pushups on my toes is a big deal (I haven't been able to do that since high school... over 10 years ago).  


To see more definition in my abs, I definitely need to be focused and dedicated to working out 5 times a week.  I also need to be watching my diet.  No soda, refined sugars, processed foods, and very little sodium is how I will see progress there.  


To lose 127.6 more pounds, again, I have to workout 5 times a week, watch what I eat, and stay dedicated to the fact that I'm getting healthier.


4.  What are you willing to do to get there?


I am willing to cut out all soda, refined and FAKE sugars, processed foods, and lower my sodium to get to the number on the scale.  I am also willing to limit my alcohol intake to one drink a week.  I will work to eat out a lot less (limit it to twice a week- once with Mike, once with my co-workers).  I also am committed to working out 5 days a week for at least a half hour when I do Chalean Extreme and a whole hour if I am walking or playing tennis or doing some other form of cardio work.


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So there they are folks!  My goals.  On "paper" for the world to see.  


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You know I'm always good for a challenge.  :-)  


So here it is:  I want you to take the four questions I have posted here that someone recently asked me and ask yourself these four questions.  THEN, I want you to find someone to keep you accountable.  It can be a spouse, a friend, a co-worker, even me...  Then tell your answers to that person.  Ask them to hold you accountable like I just asked you to hold me accountable.  Feel free to comment below too if you want.  I want to see what your goals are.  Then, let's work on meeting those goals together.  

The Most Common Excuse

What excuse do you use for not eating healthy?  Time?  Money?  Work?  Lack of support?

The most common excuse I hear when people do not want to lose weight is that it costs more to eat healthy. 

Consider this:

Cancer is not an easy or inexpensive disease to treat.  People can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on treatments and procedures.  Other diseases such as diabetes are ones you are stuck with for the rest of your life.  Digestive issues can be miserable to deal with.  Some diseases cannot even be diagnosed unless a thousand tests are run which exhausts the body and the pocketbook.  I have several older relatives who spend over $800 a MONTH on prescription medications for high blood pressure, diabetes, pain, ulcers, cancer, etc.  And think of the side effects!!!  Headaches, diarrhea, high blood pressure, constipation, ulcers, higher risk for some cancers...  these are all side effects I hear about on TV commercials for medications.  Is it worth it?????

I cannot guarantee that disease will not crop up in our lives, even if we eat healthy.  I have a very good friend who's mother ate healthy almost every day of her life and she still ended up with cancer.  BUT, if we can eat healthy and help reduce the chances for cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc, isn't that worth it?  If we can eat healthy and reduce the risk (and completely get rid of the risk in some cases) for the need for some medications, isn't it worth it?

I found this article in the USA Today that really highlights some great points!!

1.  The five categories of food that were evaluated in this article in the order of least expensive to most expensive:  grains, dairy, vegetables, fruit, protein and less healthy foods.

2.  Consider your portion sizes.  A serving size of potato chips costs much more than a portion size of carrots and you will feel more full and satisfied!

3.  Proteins tend to be more expensive, such as chicken or fish, but eggs and beans are also sources of protein that is much cheaper. 

4.  The reason fruits and vegetables are higher in price is because we need more servings of them per day!! 

5.  In each of the food groups listed above, there are expensive items and inexpensive items.  If you always buy the most expensive, most exotic fruits, OF COURSE they will put a dent in your wallet. 

6.  Most people only allocate about 20-25% of their food budget towards fruits and vegetables.  The government suggests closer to 40%. 

Another great place that you can cut back is through what you drink!!  If you cut down on the soda, that will add up a lot!!  Even diet sodas that are horrible for you add a lot to your budget.  Try drinking water or iced tea with all your meals.  You can add lemon or cucumber or berries to your water or tea to make a nice refreshing treat that is not mundane. 

While I was doing the research for this blog post, I really evaluated my own grocery bill.  I spend on average about $80 every two weeks for Mike and I.  This usually includes some meat (chicken, pork chops, ground beef, steak), some almond milk, regular milk, healthy snacks for me, a few unhealthy snacks for Mike, and all kinds of veggies and fruits that I put into my shakes in the morning or salads at lunch or dinner.  I already have spices at home so I rarely need to buy those.  That totals about $160 a month for groceries from the store.  Then I look at my Shakeology and because I'm a Team Beachbody Coach, my Shakeology is only about $97 a month.  My entire grocery bill is a little over $260 a month for both Mike and I.  Now, if Mike ever decided to start drinking Shakeology, our bill would go up to about $360 a month. 

Eating clean is not really hard on the budget if you just look at what you're spending your budget on.  It can be harder on your creative brain cells though because it does take some thought to come up with food that is clean, not processed, healthy and NOT BORING, right? 

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I have a challenge for you:

Do some research and come up with three dinners that you can cook this week that are CLEAN. The Eat Clean Diet website has some awesome recipes.  Give three of them a try.  See how you feel and how your pocket book feels.  If you shop smart and eat smart, you will achieve great results both in how your body feels and how your budget feels!!

Weekly Meal Prep- Does it help????

I mentioned in another blog the importance of planning ahead.  When I am traveling and know I will be on the road, I plan ahead by making sure I have access to a refrigerator and/ or microwave and that there is a grocery store or Wal Mart near by.  That's the easy part.  What comes after that though???

When I find out that there is a Wal Mart or grocery store nearby, I plan out exactly what I will be eating for the week:  breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Then I make a grocery list.  I also decide which ONE night I will either eat out or order room service (depending on the hotel).  

This week, I will be in Bowling Green, KY.  It's only about 2 hours away from me, so I will be able to drive there.  Which MEANS, YAY!! I get to take almost everything with me.  

Breakfasts are easy:  Shakeology!  I already cut up the cherries I will blend with it and I will buy bananas when I get there.  I will take with me my PB2 and Shakeology.  

Lunches are a bit more challenging as I need something to take with me as I don't have time to go out and grab something to eat in between sessions.  This week, I plan on buying cut up lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, broccoli, and radishes.  I'll take with me some balsamic spray dressing (10 sprays= 10 calories!!).  I will buy some turkey lunch meat (sliced from the deli if possible) for my protein.  I'll also buy some Greek yogurt for a mid-morning protein snack and some apples.  That should take care of my lunches.

I will go out to dinner on Thursday night.  Probably eat something at the hotel restaurant, such as salmon or steak, maybe grilled chicken with some grilled zucchini.  That sounds tasty.  Other dinners will include items similar to my lunch.  Lots of veggies, salads, and maybe some microwavable fish if I can find some.  

What is the benefit of planning ahead?  By planning ahead, I am able to stay on track and focused.  I know exactly what I'm eating, no matter where I am.  It's definitely worth the hour or two I spend planning on a Sunday evening.  

Struggling to stay motivated?

Once you start on a journey of a lifestyle change, how do you stay motivated?  

Motivation is what got you started...  but HABIT is what is going to keep you going...


Here are some tips that I have practiced that have helped me stay motivated.



1: Plan for an event. If you plan for a vacation a couple months out , it gives you prep time and a goal to strive for. Setting that short term goal helps you stay accountable because you know you'll be in a swimsuit or hanging out with people or wearing a little black dress. 

2: Publicly tell people what you are doing. Sure you'll get resistance from some people, but most people really want to see you succeed! Plus, this helps keep you accountable!! People will notice changes... They will ask you how you are doing with your results and if they see progress, I guarantee they will join you and you will then have added support. 

3: Get on a program. There are tons of programs, some for free, others with a fee. Regardless, having things plotted out for you keeps the monotony at bay and provides a different style of training. You'll be more educated and well rounded in your own program design after that.

Dried Fruit- Sulfites

Dried fruit can be pricey in the grocery store and sometimes loaded with extra sugar and additives that you don't need to be giving your body.  A lot of dried fruit has sulfites in it, which is a preservative that can cause allergies and other concerns with different bodily systems, such as dermatological, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular problems.  People with asthma are intolerant to sulfites.  (I used this article as my source of information...  other good information included if you are interested in further reading.)

Instead of ingesting sulfites in your dried fruit, try making them at home!!!!   

I found this excellent way to make dried banana chips!!!  I absolutely love anything banana! 

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Slice bananas into thin chips and drizzle with lemon juice. Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 2 hours, turn and bake an additional 1.5 hours. As the chips cool they will firm up into a crisp chip! 

Great to snack on their own, added to trail mixes, or used as toppings in oatmeal or cereal.

I will be trying this banana recipe VERY soon!!!

This article gives a great step by step process on how to effectively dry whatever fruit you want.  Leave a comment here if you've given this a try!!  I'll update you when I've had a chance to give it a try.

After 90 days...

I started a fitness/ food challenge on April 4, 2012, 90 days ago roughly.  I started out 20 pounds heavier and several inches thicker.  As of today, I can say I've lost those said 20 pounds and have lost an average of about 2 inches around my waist and hips.  I've lost about an inch around my biceps, calves, thighes and bust.  I could have lost more, but honestly, I had a lazy final 3 weeks.

But...  aside from the weight and inches lost, I am a completely different person than what I was 90 days ago.    I know how to read labels now, I know foods that will give me energy and I even pay attention to the crap that goes into my body now.  Whenever I have a craving, I work VERY hard to find something that will satisfy the craving but not ruin all the work from that day or week.

I have also been drinking Shakeology for 120 days (a little over four months).  I know that has helped me as well.  Knowing the types of food that is Shakeology has definitely helped me make better decisions.  I am eating super foods from the Shakeology and I don't want to interfere with what they are doing for my body.  I have more energy, more desire to push play on my DVD player, and I am STRONGER!!!!  I have muscles I have not seen in several years.

What is the biggest change?  I think the biggest change is my DESIRE to just eat healthier.  I DESIRE to lose the weight.  I DESIRE to have more energy day to day, and I DESIRE the will to keep going.  My biggest change is that I know DESIRE and CRAVE to be healthy, fit, and energetic.

It's all in the COLOR!!!!

Do you ever wonder why certain foods are certain colors???????  Well, here's the 4-1-1 on what the colors mean and how they affect your nutrition choices!!

Orange and yellow foods- apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, mango, papaya, peaches, oranges, pineapple, lemons, tangerines, yellow peppers, pumpkin, butternut squash, and carrots

The color comes from carotenoids, which helps boost your immune system, help you maintain sharper vision, and lower your risk of cancer.

 

Red foods- red berries, red grapefruit, watermelon, red apples, red peppers, pomegranates, beets, radicchio, red cabbage, and tomatoes

The color in red foods comes from Lycopene and Anthocyanins.  These boost heart health, increase memory capacity, keep your urinary tract clean, and lowers risk for some cancers.

Green foods- green apples, honeydew melon, green grapes, kiwi, lime, pears, avocado, asparagus, arugula, artichokes, broccoli, broccoli rabe, kale, collard greens, green peppers, green beans, lettuce, cucumbers, spinach, zucchini, and green cabbage

These foods contain lutein and indoles, which help to maintain bone strength and eye health, as well as provides many minerals and vitamins.

Blue and purple foods- blackberries, blueberries, plums, grapes, raisins, eggplant, purple potatoes, and purple asparagus

These help keep you looking younger by providing anthocyanins and phenolics to your body.

Brown and White foods- bananas, dates, cauliflower, garlic, onion, mushrooms, ginger, parsnips, potatoes, shallots, and turnips

These contain phytonutrient allicin, which has been known to help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

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CHALLENGE:

For dinner one night this week, try to eat food from each of the categories above!!  Take a picture and post it so we can see!!!

Make the Time!!!!! Fruits and Veggies

Yesterday I posted about making time for you.  Put whatever you need to get done on the calendar:  workouts, date with the husband or wife, time with kids, power hours.

So, what about the things we need to make time for that can't be put on the calendar...  such as making the time to eat fruits and veggies!!!!!!!!!

Fruits and veggies are such an important part of your diet.  They provide tons of natural vitamins and minerals that your body cannot generate on its own or you can get anywhere else.  They help to clean your system out to renew it and they give you energy that you might not normally have.

So how do you find time to prepare fruits and veggies?

1.  Buy bags of pre-washed veggies or pre-cut fruits so you can toss them into a salad on a moment's notice or use as snacks.

2.  Grapes and blueberries are delicious frozen!!  They make a great treat.  Keep them in your freezer all the time and you'll have a QUICK, handy snack.

3.  In the mood for soup?  Make a rather large batch of vegetable soup on the weekend (crock pots are great for this!!!!).  Freeze your leftovers so you have a fast lunch or dinner when you're in a hurry!!

4.  Keep fruit in a basket on your desk at work.  Bring in five pieces of fruit on Monday and as you go through the week, eat one for a snack every day.  The fruit in the basket looks pretty and you'll eat more of it when it's in your line of sight!!

5.  Spread some peanut butter on an apple or a banana for a high protein snack.

6.  Take a half hour every weekend to cut up some fruits and veggies to have in containers for the week.  Every day, just grab your container from the refrigerator and you're on your way!!

Keeping Your Lifestyle Is Not Always Easy

I've been asked several times recently:  "How do I travel and still manage to lose the weight?"  Or "how do I maintain the healthy lifestyle?" Great questions!! 

Here are some tips.

1.  First, recognize that it is a LIFESTYLE change, not just a diet or a fad or something to do for a month or two.  It's a LIFESTYLE change. 

2.  After recognizing that it's a lifestyle change, commit to it.  Commit to changing your life, one small step at a time.  By committing to it, I am making a decision to make healthy choices wtih food and exercise.  I am making a decision to COMMIT.

3.  After recognizing it's a lifestyle change and making a decision to stick with it, also learn to recognize that you are human and bound to make mistakes. 

4.  When I make a mistake (which I do often enough), LEARN from it!!!  And then RE COMMIT to the lifestyle change.  This is an important step.  If you do not learn from your mistake, you will continually make it.  Think about how you felt before you made the mistake and then really understand and evaluate how you feel AFTER you made the mistake.  After eating that big plate of nachos, did you have the energy to finish your day?  If you  had the energy, was it the same as when you made a smart decision for dinner? 

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A few more tips to help with this lifestyle change:

1.  Have a SALAD every day.  This helps get your veggies in (and sometimes fruit depending on your salad). 

2.  I have a SHAKEOLOGY every single day to help me gain an extra 20g of protein and 3-4 servings of veggies in my diet.  Yay for #ChocolateShakeology and #ChocolateVeganShakeology

3.  Don't beat yourself up when you make a mistake.  As mentioned above, learn from it and move on.  Re-focus yourself, remind yourself of your goals and start with the very next meal.  Don't wait until "tomorrow."  Get right back into your lifestyle change the VERY NEXT MEAL!!

4.  READ THE LABELS!!!!  If you are interested in eating healthier, stick to the outside of the store where everything is fresh and not processed and read those darn labels.  The labels tell you everything you need to know about the food you are eating.  Watch the calorie, sodium, sugar, carbs, fats, proteins, etc.  As you are learning what to eat and what not to eat, focus on one thing.  Maybe lower your sugar intake.  Once you've worked on the sugar intake, work on choosing foods with lower sodium.  As you start to choose foods based on the labels, you will notice a difference.

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REMEMBER:  This is a lifestyle change that will be with you forever.  Commit to making right decisions and the rest will fall into place!!

Pizza= Weakness for me

When changing your lifestyle, you are training your body to eat things and do things it isn't used to.  Because of this, there will be some weaknesses.  I know I have struggled with several things.  I'm continually training my body to be strong and fight through it but there are situations where that just isn't possible.

PIZZA is a HUGE weakness for me.  I cannot seem to avoid it and no matter what I tell myself before hand, I always seem to think "just one piece" is ok.  Unfortunately, I cannot STOP at one piece.  I end up having two or three.  So how do I help myself overcome this? 

First, I think of how the pizza makes me feel AFTER I eat it and throughout the next few hours.  Without fail, I ALWAYS feel like garbage.  I'm very sluggish and my attitude changes for the worse.  I am not a happy person.  I am always thirsty and cannot seem to stop additional cravings.

Next, I think of ways I can still have my pizza but without the horrible feelings.  Making homemade pizza is a great way to help give you the pizza.  One of my favorites is to take a whole wheat tortilla, spread some pizza sauce on and put 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mozzerella cheese on it.  Add a ton of veggies (like bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, onions).  Bake it in the oven for a few minutes at about 300 degrees and you have pizza!!! 

Here are other recipes you can try too from Eating Well.

Healthy Pizza Recipes from Eating Well

The key is using cleaner ingredients, LESS CHEESE, and less greasy pepperoni and other meats.  Use LOTS of veggies and thinner crusts.  You can still have your PIE and eat it TOO!!! 

How do you see success?

I've been on this weight loss journey for several months now.  I've seen the scale move down quickly at times, but other times, it's been a VERY slow progress.  There are weeks where I do not see the scale move at all.  It can be upsetting, but then I remember I am seeing OTHER changes occurring.  I have to see the victories OFF the scale in order to keep myself motivated sometimes.

Here are some changes I see:

I'm down two sizes in bathing suits from last year.  That's incredible for me!!  I felt sexy in a bathing suit the last time at the pool several weeks ago and that hasn't happened in...  well, EVER.  I felt amazing.  That's a HUGE victory.

I'm also seeing my clothes fit much, much looser.  My nice dresses I have for those special times when Mike wants to take me out do not fit and I had to get them altered to be SMALLER!!!

I'm also making healthier choices.  Last night Mike and I went to Smokey Bones for dinner.  I LOVE that place.  I got the pulled pork with roasted corn and mashed potatoes.  I only ate half my dinner and brought the other half home for Mike to enjoy for lunch today.  It's not just eating smaller portions though.  I'm choosing a salad with some Balsamic dressing over the loads of Ranch dressing I just love.  I haven't had soda in...  oh, I'd say about 4 months.  Fast Food is out of the picture.  I feel amazing!!!!

Here's the biggest change:

I have ENERGY that I never had before.  I can go up and down the stairs in my new house and yes, I still have a long way to go, but I do not feel like I'm winded just by walking up 20 steps.  I can walk quickly through the airport (as quickly as my luggage allows) and feel amazing.  I am building muscles and really learning that being healthy is not an obsession, it's not a fad, it's not a temporary fix.  It's a LIFESTYLE change that I plan on continuing to make.

So, if you're not seeing the scale move like you want it to, remember there are other victories to celebrate.  Find them!!!  Share them with others!!!  And CELEBRATE the fact that you are on the road to ending the trend of obesity in America!!!

10 foods for eating clean

10 Ways to Eat Clean

1. Drink less alcohol

2. Eat less sugar

3. Cut the salt

4. Eat less saturated fat

5. Cut down on refined grains

6. Eat less processed foods

 

7. Eat more fruits and vegetables

8. Drink more water

9. Drink more green tea

10. Have more whole grains