Break On Through to the Other Side

Lately I've been pondering motivation. Like why is it such an easy concept to understand and so difficult to actually implement. I know I need to lose weight. I want to lose weight. No, I mean I REALLY want to lose weight. Not like "my diet starts first thing Monday morning." More like "I am losing weight because I am sick of living like this."
For some people motivation to lose weight comes when they see a picture of themselves and it forces them to see themselves as others do. Or worse, someone actually makes a hurtful comment. Or maybe they get an earful from their doctor, or their clothes just simply don't fit anymore.
When I first started on this journey my motivation was more of an epiphany. I simply realized that I would be turning 30 soon and I didn't want to waste any more time "going to" lose weight. Maybe the weight wouldn't come off right away, but at least I would be doing something about it.
And for me the biggest motivation is success. For every pound I lose it motivates me to lose another one. It's a good feeling to see the number on the scale going down. And like most things in life, when something feels good we want more of it.
But what happens when the scale just stops moving. True, it's not going up - and that is a very good thing. But neither is it going down. While that's not very good in and of itself, it's down right catastrophic for my motivation.
Finally, though, progress. I finally decided to buckle down and get down to business. You know what? It worked. Surprise! Surprise! I cut calories to 1200/day and upped they exercise. Way upped. I've been putting in hard circuits at the gym - pushing myself a little more each session. Also I've reintroduced walking, not just on the treadmill (which as you know is the most boring thing in the world), but outside with actual fresh air and crap.
Isn't it funny how we know the right things to do, but somehow never get around to doing them. Why is that. do you suppose? They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. If that is true, then perhaps the opposite is true as well. The road to paradise must be paved with fresh fruit and vegetables.

A Really Big Show!

Today is my 97th post on this blog. The big 100 is right around the corner and I think that I should mark it by some really big changes to the way I share info with you. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I will say that the change is for the better. I can't wait to share all this with you. For now just hang tight.
Moving right along to the subject matter at hand - The diet/lifestyle change is finally back on track. I hate that my kids have to go back to school so early, but I'm not at all sorry to be back on schedule. I'm back in the gym 3-4 days a week, and I'm eating regular meals at regular times. Boring, yes, but undeniably good for the body.
I have to travel to the lake house again at the end of September for Dad's 50th birthday (insert big whoo-hoo here). That is exactly six weeks from now and I would like to be down 10 pounds by then. That is a totally reasonable goal. That's 1.66 pounds per week and if I can't do that after setting stagnant all summer, well then, I just need to throw in the towel.
One last thing. Part of the Big Surprise has to do with food. (what doesn't?) Anyways, if anyone has any absolutely fabulous (original - meaning yours or a friend or family members, not previously published) recipes, healthy or otherwise, that you would like to share then please do so. Just send the recipe name and origin, recipe, and your name to keila_mb@myway.com. It really is going to be awesome!

Back to School and I'm the Fool

My babies went back to school yesterday and yes, it is ridiculously early. I would so much rather them go to school all through May and then not go back until the end of August. Like so many other things, it would be so much better if I ran the world. So I am sad that the summer, at least for this family, is officially over. On the other hand, I will be glad to get back on some sort of schedule. My healthy lifestyle has gone woefully off course this summer and it would seem that while my kids pack up their little pencils and crayons, I will be packing up my protein bars and free weights.
Seems like there are a few lessons I need to brush up on. Like, how to get motivated to workout every morning. No choice, no options, just routine. Oh, it's a weekday? Then it's a workout day. (Weekends are still optional/light days)
I also need to relearn how to order off of a menu. . .and enjoy it. I have admittedly eaten some stuff this summer that probably won't be gracing the pages of Clean Eating magazine. Yes, that food was delicious. And I know that they strategically place such things on the menu, usually with big glossy pictures, just to lure you in. But I also know that the same restaurant that offers the delicious chicken Parmesan with all the ooey gooey melty cheesy goodness, also offers a really  fresh and tasty salad with crunchy greens, juicy tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, and other vegis, all topped by a really savory piece of lemon grilled salmon. I just forget about it because it's buried at the bottom of the menu. So I guess I'll be spending more time at the bottom of the menu.
Likewise, a lesson I have never learned, is how to dine out with friends without feeling like the weirdo dieter friend. My friends are amateur foodies in the sense that maybe we don't have our own food network show, but we can definitely compete in the food Olympics. So when we go to a restaurant and I order a salad or some version of grilled chicken for the umpteenth time, they notice. "Oh, she's being good," they coo. Not sure if they are trying to be supportive, but the effect is the opposite in fact. I wind up feeling conspicuous and judged.
I guess I have my work cut out for me. I guess, like most things, that I will just have to knuckle down and do it. I am much better at avoiding, but that is no longer an option. Now maybe my daughter can explain long division to me so I will have a better time of dividing the calories in a restaurant dish.

My Husband is Safe. . .For Now

Hubby: "Hey, dear. Where's my khaki pants?"
Me: "They are in the washing machine with my khaki pants."
Hubby (with disbelief): "But they weren't dirty!"
Me (smacking my forehead with sarcasm): "I'm sorry. I just assumed since they were on the bathroom floor. . ."


Guess it's a good thing I did an hour at the gym this morning. ; )

Wouldn't It Be Nice If. . .

Wouldn't it be nice if one morning I could wake up and not think about what I'm going to eat throughout the day? Or just exactly how much time I can devote to getting the maximum workout? Or how in the world am I going to have the time to workout, go to the store, do everything that needs done at the house, and still have time to cook two different but equally healthy dinners?
Wouldn't it be nice to go to the mall with friends and be able to go in any shop and find clothes that fit? What would it be like not to have to shop exclusively in the "plus" or "women's" or the absolute worst "extended" sizes? I would like to be able to go shopping with my friends and come home with more than a purse or shoes or makeup. Those things are lovely, yes, but I shouldn't have to be reduced to buying my clothes online and having them come to my house in unmarked wrappers like fricken' porn. Although come to think of it the porn wouldn't be nearly as embarrassing as some of the sized I've let myself be resigned to in the past.
Wouldn't it be nice to not be the fat friend? The funny one? The one with such a pretty face? Wouldn't it be nice, at least just once, to be the hot one?
Mostly I wonder what it would be like not to wonder these things. What if my weight were not an issue? What will happen when I actually make my goal weight? Wouldn't it be nice if we could celebrate our accomplishments instead of zeroing in on our shortcomings?

WTH2O

Have you been down the water aisle in the supermarket lately? I know, right, a water aisle? But anyone who is or has ever tried to lose weight knows the importance of drinking water. Or staying hydrated, is I suppose the new term. Whatever. When I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty and that is that. I try to get all of my 8 glasses of water a day, but I gotta say some days it's a challenge. So I decided to conduct a little experiment of my own.
I took a proactive approach to the supermarket water aisle and decided to try, if not all, at least a whole freakin' lot of different waters. How many different kinds of water can there be, you ask? Well, I will tell you.

First I bought several different brands of plain old water flavored water and I feel good saying that, hold on to your hats here, there's really not that much difference in flavor. I'm really not a fan of bottled water for environmental reasons and at home rely on a refrigerator filtration system and reusable bottles. That will continue to be my favorite. I also like the Crystal Lite flavors that you can get to mix in with your 16-20oz bottle of water. Most of them are in the 5 calorie range with a few of the energy or metabolism or hunger varieties going up to 30 calories. Still a waaaay better choice than even diet pop.
Next I tried a few of the grocery store brand carbonated flavored waters. Pretty good and I will probably buy them again. I liked the flavors, especially the black cherry and the lemon lime, and since it's carbonated it fills in nicely for diet pop in a pinch.
Then I hit the newest craze of "fitness waters". SoBe life water I did not care much for, but to be fair I only tried the lemonade flavor and it had a definite herbal flavor that I found objectionable but not totally unpalatable. Some of the people I talked to really like this product, so I think it must be a matter of personal taste here.
Then I moved onto the Vitamin Water Zero. It had, believe it or not, zero calories and miracle of miracles actually tastes good. The flavors are really nice and refreshing and each one is geared with specific vitamins and minerals added towards a specific purpose. Like the go-go flavor with extra B vitamins for energy. I don't know if it really made a difference in my energy levels but it tasted nice and was easy to chug back during a super hot workout.
Now, I will admit to being sucked in by the whole O.N.E. coconut water craze. You've seen all the pictures of celebrities carrying it around in their skinny red-stringed wrists. I thought that they must be on to something and since it is an actual natural product with no additives or added sugar and sporting tons of natural electrolytes and more potassium than a banana, I figured this one would be a slam dunk. Especially when it was on sale at my local Kroger. $1 is a small price to pay for a taste of the good life, right? First let me say that O.N.E. coconut water tastes nothing like coconut, which is disappointing to say the least. What it does taste like, and I feel that I am not overstating things here, ice cold vomit. I could not even finish the whole 8oz carton and when I finally gave up I considered licking the dogs ass just to get the taste out of my mouth. Sorry, O.N.E. people, but I really really REALLY did not enjoy your product. I would have to be just this side of actual dehydration to ever consider putting that stuff in my mouth again, and even then I'd have to think about it.
The conclusion: Water is Water. Flavored is good, plain is even better, and if you get it out of your tap and put it in your own reusable bottle its the best. Now stop harping on how hydrated you are or need to be and shut up and drink your water.

Just Another Day in the Life

My blogger dashboard was in a full on hissy fit yesterday such that I could not spread my usual sunshine so today you get the double dose. I haven't been in the best mood as of late and I'm not exactly sure of the reason. Perhaps it is the oppressive heat that is sweeping the country (104 degrees day before yesterday) or it could be that the scale hasn't been as cooperative as I think that it should be, but then again what else is new?.  And now, just to see if I can bring the rest of you down, a few hard truths for your day.
Just because your muscles are sore from a workout does not mean that you should take the day off from exercise, according to this month's issue of Women's Health magazine. We build muscle by creating tiny little tears in our muscle fibers and when they repair themselves more muscle tissue is built - more or less. So as long as you are eating adequate amounts of protein to facilitate muscle production you should have no problem with back to back workouts. The only catch is that sore and over worked muscles are more prone to injury. So if your legs are screaming from yesterday's squats focus today on upper body and vice versa. The only exception is your abdominal muscles which require very little if any recovery time seeing as how they are designed to move and flex with practically every movement of our bodies.
Also I have found a new motivator to amp up my diet and exercise routine. It goes like this - Losing weight and fitting into smaller size clothing = very good! having said clothing be tight and not hang off your body like the larger size = not so good. Nothing like a new sausage casing pair of workout pants to make a girl see the trouble areas. As is I were unaware.
And lastly, this. Calories that you eat on vacation are just as real as calories that you consume at home. I know, right? I was shocked too! I mean what is the point of working so hard to be able to go on vacation if you can't even enjoy it once you're there? Or if you are like me, you say "screw it" and let yourself enjoy your vacation with wild abandon then suffer terrible amounts of guilt and depression once you get home. I mean, really, was that ginormous cinnamon roll really worth the extra fat and calories? I guess you just gotta pick and chose. Like the really yummy sweet potato casserole I had at one restaurant was totally worth the fat and calories, plus I got the added vitamin A and fiber from the sweet potatoes. But the aforementioned cinnamon roll, not so much. No redeeming nutritional qualities whatsoever, and the worst part is - it wasn't even the best cinnamon roll I've ever had. Ah, you live and learn I guess.
So there you have it, sports fans. Your daily dose of sunshine without all of that pesky vitamin D and s#*t! Enjoy it. And tune in next time when I'll try not to be so damn chipper.