Week 36 Wrap up, Turkey Trot and a Progress Pic

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Mine went pretty well. Thanksgiving morning my friend, Mel, and I went to Chagrin Falls and ran the 5k Turkey Trot. This was the first time I've ever participated in a race on Thanksgiving morning, and it was the first time Mel has every participated in a 5k. It was a new experience for both of us. Thanksgiving morning was BITTER cold, in the low 20's! And the snow with the wind just went right into our faces pretty much the entire race. Between not being able to see and the slippery roads (due to the cold), we finished the 5k in 42 minutes. I think I figured out that we ended up doing 13.5 minute miles...not too bad considering the conditions and our lack of experience, but slower than my usual pace. On our drive back from the race, Mel and I both agreed that this has become a tradition. So look out for next year! We'll blow all the other racers out of the water!

Here are a couple pictures from the turkey trot. The pictures on the right are Mel and I staying warm in the car before the trot started, my race bib, and Mel and I at the finish line. Please notice the icicle that is forming off of Mel's eyebrow....icicle...it was cold. The picture on the left is the shirt we received for participating. The size? It's a large.

Why do I mention the size of the above orange shirt? Because, it is the first time since before I was a teenager that I am able to wear a size that does not have an X included in the size. I own one other t-shirt that is a large, and wore it to yoga and training last week. It's really very exciting to think about. As small as an X is on a tag inside a piece of clothing, it feels pretty monumental to be able to wear something that doesn't have an X included in the size. 

Thanksgiving went well. There were no family spats, that I noticed. I think that was the first time in a while we've had a peaceful family get together where everyone got along. I ate myself into a coma and didn't feel bad about it in the slightest. The good thing about holidays with my family is my aunt does Thanksgiving and she's pretty health conscious. So, as an appetizer, she offered hummus with veggies. Our dinner had the usual turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, but she then had baked sweet potatoes instead of the typical casserole with marshmallows. And then I brought roasted brussels sprouts. I took half pieces of pie and ended with a single glass of champagne. Everything in moderation, right? I still was stuffed, but tried to fill my plate with more turkey and brussels sprouts than carbs. Not sure how well I did, but I felt I did better than I would've in the past. Only thing is that I was STARVING by the time I got to my aunts house, after doing the 5k. I had a protein shake on my way home from the turkey trot, but it just wasn't quite enough to satisfy until dinner.

Instead of our traditional family trip to Aurora Farms at midnight, we decided to sleep. My mom and I ended up going to the farms around 11am. It's still pretty much the same deals (as far as what we were looking for), plus we weren't grumpy from lack of sleep and an over stimulation of crowds. This year was extra special, though. Why? Because I was able to go into regular people stores and shop; this was the first year I was not limited to just the stores that offer plus sized clothing. It was a new world! I'm not a big shopper, so I ended up walking away with a pair of jeans, a sweater, and a new pair of running shoes. But that's all I was looking for, so I consider it a success :)

And the jeans? I have officially sized down again. I am now down to a size 16 jeans. It's been 8 months and am down 5 pant sizes. I started this journey at a size 26 pants. I'm not done yet, but it feels like some good progress....even if the scale doesn't reflect all of the progress made. But then again, the scale is just a number. I'm thinking of cutting down my weigh-ins to just once per month, instead of every week. I think that will help me to not rely on that number as much and just focus on how my body feels and the physical changes that are occurring. I need to measure again very soon.

Anyway, below is my newest progress picture. The newest picture are the size 16 jeans I purchased :)

Week 35 Wrap Up and holidays

Something pretty good happened this week. I lost weight. I am down 1.5 pounds this week for a total loss so far of 64 pounds. After 8 weeks of staying at the same weight, this was very exciting to see on the scale! I'm hoping this is the official end to the plateau so I can get back on track.

I did a couple things to push through the plateau. First, I added 30 minutes of cardio every day. That's 3.5 hours of cardio I added for two or three weeks. Nothing happened with that. Then, I didn't workout at all for week (which turned into two after I then got sick). So last week was the first week back to working out. I also upped my calories to add protein. Before, I was staying around 1200-1300 calories per day. I've now upped my calorie intake to 1400-1700 per day and make sure I get at least 100 grams of protein per day. It's been a little difficult to get that much protein without adding a protein shake or anything, but I've been doing it. It involves consuming more chicken and greek yogurt, but it's been happening.

Yesterday during training I did dead lifts for the first time. Those are pretty fun! They're almost as fun as flipping tires.....almost :)

School is just a few weeks from finishing up, but have some mixed feelings about it all. I'm pretty excited to finally be done with school, but that also means I'll be done with school...which means a business needs to get started and money needs to be earned and life needs to finally begin. The thought of all of this is terrifying and exciting and seems very unreal. But I'm really looking forward to starting this new chapter of my life. I'll be honest, there's not a whole lot I feel confident about, but I can honestly tell you that I am not only confident in my cooking ability, but I feel confident that I will be able to run a successful business.

So, I'm really not a fan how Corporate America has abused the Christmas season by manipulating customers into thinking they are in such a need to buy possessions at a discounted price. And, in order to do so they have to stand in line for hours in the cold, cutting their Thanksgiving dinners short (if they even have them at all anymore), trampling other customers just to get in the store entrance, fighting like children to get that last item on the shelf, and waiting in line for hours upon hours as employees then have to work on Thanksgiving day/night. Personally, I refuse to enter a Walmart or Target or Kohls on Black Friday.

My mom, brother and I do go to Aurora Farms at Midnight on Black Friday every year, though. We've been going the past 5 or 6 years now. We never buy much, we don't stand in lines. I go because I like to people watch. I find it really interesting that there's a line out the Coach outlet store that goes around the entire outlet center so people can get the same sale they offer on Memorial Day (and you can just walk into the store and not wait in any line whatsoever on Memorial Day weekend). Whatever store I do go into, I make an effort to be extra nice to the employees, as they probably get yelled at some point throughout the evening and weekend. This year, however, I have a plan to purchase something. I need a new pair of running shoes...desperately. My current pair are so broken, my feet are constantly cramping up and it's to the point that it affects my workouts and cardio. Not to mention, I've put a hole in one of my shoes already and there's another hole starting in the other one. Aurora Farms has Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour stores there. And I am broke. I am a broke college student. So this year I will be willing to stand in a line to get a decent pair of shoes at a discounted price. It's a week away and I'm already mentally preparing myself haha

This year, I am more thankful than usual. I am thankful I have the support of my family and friends to pursue my passion. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to save my life and make myself healthy. I am thankful for the new relationships in my life that have helped make me a better person. I am thankful for the challenges that have come along the way that have also helped in making me a better person. I am thankful for the struggles. I am thankful for the good times. I am thankful for the encouragement. I am thankful for the warm hearts. I am thankful to be where I am. I am thankful that I am not where I used to be. I am thankful to be alive.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! Stay safe, enjoy time with friends and family, and stay thankful.

Week 34 Wrap Up and Lifestyle vs Diets

The week off of working out that I was supposed to take turned into a solid two weeks off. The first week I took off was to see if that would confuse my body enough to be able to break through the plateau that's been happening for over 6 weeks now. The second week, I got sick and had a sinus infection that knocked me down...hard. Life also took over with co-hosting and catering an event over the weekend, as well as the ultimate excitement of being maid of honor in my best friends wedding (I think I cried more than the bride did during the ceremony haha).

Yesterday basically turned into Day 1 again. I went to yoga and had a double training session with J. I REALLY noticed the difference yesterday, after not working out for two weeks. The jogging warmup labored breathing more than it used to. I felt much tighter in yoga. And training kind of beat me down a bit....breathing was definitely labored more than it has been in past sessions. I also felt just plain gross during the two weeks where I didn't workout. There's a big difference between working out and not working out. My back bothered me more than it used to. I felt like I had less energy. Lethargy kicked in. I'm very glad to be back :)

I weighed in today and I'm sitting at the bottom of my plateau weight (I keep going up and down 3 pounds). By next week, I am really hoping the weigh-in will go well and I'll see that number that I've been looking for for over 6 weeks now.

During my plateau, I began to feel a little discouraged. I tried so hard to push past the plateau and nothing was working. I said this to J and he gave this response, "training is life long. Having a rocky month will just be a blip on the radar in a few months and you'll be right back to kicking ass and flipping tires." (I like flipping tires! AND kicking ass!!) That was something I needed to hear. It put it all into perspective. It gave me more hope that I will break through the plateau and get back to a moving scale and more weight loss.

This journey that I'm on is my life. This isn't something that is ever going to end. When I hit my goal weight, I'm not going to stop the healthy eating and exercise. I'm not going to stop everything and expect myself to stay as strong as I will be by then, and keep the endurance I will have, and stay the same size and same weight. It doesn't work like that. This isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle.

I see all these diet pill ads on tv and magazines, and see ads for different diet food plans and it's a little saddening. Diets don't work. No one can radically change their eating for a predetermined amount of time, lose the amount of weight they want, then stop and go back to their old habits and STILL keep that number on the scale. And then people wonder why their weight yo-yo's. Their weight yo-yo's because their diets yo-yo. It's no wonder why more than 80% regain all of the lost weight, or more, after two years. 

Some even take an even more drastic step and have gastric bypass surgery in order to lose weight. But 30% of those who go under the knife and have gastric bypass surgery end up gaining any lost weight back. I know of people where that has happened. Their stomachs are the size of a thumb now, how could someone gain weight after bypass, you may ask? Because they eat like crap. Sure, the weight will come off at first. But no matter what size your stomach is cut down to, if you fill that stomach with processed food, chemicals, and unhealthy options, it'll catch up.

Healthy isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle. Healthy also isn't JUST nutrition or JUST working out...it's BOTH. If you eat like crap but exercise regularly, you're not going to have the strength and endurance you should have during your workouts. If your nutrition is great but you don't workout, you won't hit your peak and will never be at your best.

"You mean, I can't sprinkle some magic 'weight loss' powder onto my Big Mac and large fry, sit on my butt, and expect to lose 10 pounds by next week?"
NO. Sure, that extra fiber you're sprinkling on should ideally make you feel fuller faster, thus eating less. But, it's not a significant enough of a difference and if you end up losing something, it's generally just water weight. Not to mention, if you then don't workout at all, you'll be just as out of breath walking up those two flights of stairs as you were before.

Food shouldn't be something that can be manipulated to fit your immediate physical/bodily wants. Food is fuel. Your body needs food to sustain. Your body needs food to live. Your body needs the proper food to perform at its peak and keep you as healthy as possible. Cheetos are not fuel. French fries are not fuel. Even if you're only eating a specific amount of calories, but those calories are filled with fast food and processed chemical crap, you may lose some weight at first, but your body will keep screaming at your until it receives the nutrients it NEEDS. The same goes for exercise.

Life happens, but you don't have to let it knock you down. What do they say again? A 1 hour workout is only 4% of your day. Choosing grilled chicken over fried is not that hard of a decision to make. It's all about whether you choose to make it a priority in your life. Do you want to live your life to the fullest because of a healthy LIFESTYLE you chose? Or do you want to try and cheap out, yo-yo diet for the rest of your life and wonder why you're not getting the results you think you want? It's your life, it's your choice.

I'm choosing to take care of myself and take care of my life so I can be as healthy as can be to take care and help others. If there's one thing I've learned along this journey, it's that I'm worth a healthy lifestyle. I'm worth living a healthy and productive life filled with longevity. I am worth health. I am worth happiness. Are you?