Love Not Lipo ... Live a Little, Love a Lot

Lately things have been much more about my wedding.  It was quite a lull there in the planning for a while.  So I’ve been practicing wearing my hair up which I never do. I figure it’s good to do something different with your hair for your wedding day:

We’ve been working on the menu for my wedding, combining old favorites with the inn’s offerings.  If I had my way, the whole thing would be seafood, but I doubt the majority of the guests would agree with me.  But in the least we’re going to have to incorporate some of these crabby patties:

On Saturday we went to the dress maker who is doing my Maid of Honor’s dress, and my mom’s dress.  I showed her the design I had come up with, and we poured over fabrics and colors, planning out the perfect look and fit.

Later that night we had a mother’s day barbque for my complex, blended family.  Lots of versions of “mother” present at the barbque.  Blended family calls for a blended menu.  We grilled up Tuna, Salmon, Chicken breasts, burgers, T Bone Steak, Veggie Kabobs and Portobello Caps.  We had mangos, strawberries, watermelon, broccoli salad, coleslaw, Cape Cod waffle chips, white corn chips with guacamole, salsa, salsa verde, and a choice of raspberry pie or chocolate pie for desert.

Sunday, to compensate for this delcious feast, I ran sprints at the park. (1 min jog, followed by 30 second sprint, x’s 20 reps.) Afterwards, I came home and surfed inspirational videos on Youtube about Cross Fit to motivate me further, then did a 30 minute Jillian Michaels Shred DVD.  Awesome workout! When I was through I was drenched with sweat, and my bootie muscles are encouragingly sore today.  A perfect end to such a taxing workout was one of these shakes I’ve been loving:

• 2 scoops arbonne protein powder
• 1/2 cup V8 fusion smoothie (I used strawberry banana)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1/2 cup strawberries

This is more than 25 grams of vegan protein, nothing artificial, tons of fiber, vitamins, and nutrients.  I felt like I could work out for a third time after one of these babies!

But instead I rounded out my day of wellness with one of these recovery jacuzzis I’ve been loving.  Check out my view from the bathtub!

Although my progress often feels somewhat intangible to me, it was pretty powerful to take a look at some before and afters 6 months into personal training:

 

Before…                                                After….

(If you want to see the ORIGINAL and most dramatic ”before,” check out the “about tab” of my blog.  At one of my lowest and sickest points, and 80 pounds heavier 15 years ago)  Yes it really has taken 15 years to heal.  This is a process.

Forgive the cheesiness of the myspace-esque self portraits and the scary wallpaper background, but here are a few more “afters” :

My trainer Terry Muscleflow at Global Fitness in Malta and I did a lot of hard work together these last six months, but I would say the biggest shift for me during that time was establishing a new habit of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.  I experienced the sensation of really pushing my body to the physical limit and this is something I never would have been able to do without someone introducing the concept, and motivating me to learn I could do it.  The awesome thing about committing to something for a significant chunk of time is that you establish a new habit or ingrained behavior.  In other words, it no longer feels unatural to work this hard, and in fact it feels unnatural if I work out too easy.

It is at this point after 6 months of personal training that I am going back out on my own armed with these new tools.  I have worked out since I was 16 years old, but I have never felt so innately connected to my physicality, and my bodies need for nutrition and hard core exercise.  The fitness lifestyle is no longer something I have to endure, but rather something that I crave and need to feel “normal.” I’ve noticed that I do not feel upset when I eat certain foods or miss a workout, for I am so certain that these behaviors are hardwired into my lifestyle indefinitely, and therefore there’s never any reason to obsess or feel scared about outcomes.  This is not a race.  Just a lifestyle.

Examples of my lifestyle include an awesome rain soaked run in the state park with my dad and brother, (and Todd and Jake, not pictured):

Plenty of fish and dark green vegetables to eat:

And one of these now and again:

I love visualizing and talking about my body as an efficient fat burning machine.  Thinking in this manner not only makes me feel more relaxed and confident, thus keeping cortisol levels balanced in my bodyand contributing to weight loss, it also makes me feel motivated to continue being active because I am constantly giving myself the message that I am an active person.

Being on my own again without scheduled sessions with my trainer has required that I figure out a way to make sure I am getting a variety of forms of exercise into the nooks and crannies of my week, and balancing that with the proper nutrition the majority of the time, and opportunities to ejoy my favorite foods from time to time as well.  Today I handled this by waking up early and doing this time management and healthy lifestyle exercise:

1)Take a piece of white paper and draw lines vertically dividing it into 4 columns.

2) Above one column write “This weeks meals” and numbers one through six with adequate space between each number, below it.

3) In the second column write at the top “Grocery list”

4) In the third column write “workout schedule” and label it Monday through Saturday with enough space in between below

5) In the forth column write “to do”

Now move forward in filling each colum out.

6) I have no problem eating the same things every day for one week straight.  I eat six small meals so there is enough variation throughout the day, and it saves money and time doing one set menu for a week, then changing it out the following Sunday. In the “this weeks meals column” think of six small (200-300 calorie) balanced meals and write one next to each of the numbers.  Here is my meal plan for the week as an example:

1. 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, mixed with 2 Tbsp dried cranberries, 1 Tbsp Chia seeds, and 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (I do not cook my oats, just eat them raw. They absorb the milk and are chewy and delicious.  Sometimes I mix it all together the night before and put it in the fridge and it’s even better.
2. Arbonne protein shake
3. 100 calorie whole wheat bagel thin with 2 oz turkey, spinach, cucumbers, basil and whole grain mustard
4. 1 cut up empire apple, and 1/4 cup mixed nuts
5. 5 ounces salmon or tuna, 2 cups raw spinach tossed with 1 Tbsp vinagrette dressing
6. yogurt, or fruit bar, or skinny cow ice cream sandwich, or fruit salad

7)  Write in the grocery list column anything you don’t have in the house for your weekly meal plan.

8.) In the “work out schedule” column, make a list of everything you intend to do, working it around your committments for the upcoming week. Here’s mine:

1. Sunday (today): Run in the AM, 15 minutes of strength training DVD, plus 20 pushups, and 20 dips
2. Monday: 5am run in the park
3. Tuesday:AM- 5am run in the park PM- stair mill at the gym, 3 sets of lat pull downs, chest presses
4. Wednesday: 5am run
5. Thursday: AM- 5am run, 15 minutes of strength training DVD, 3 sets of each leg-1 minutes of jumping on one foot, hands in prayer position
6. Friday: AM- 5am run
7. Saturday: rest
8. Sunday: AM- run PM- 15 minutes strength training DVD, 20 pushups, 20 dips

9) And finally in the forth column, make a list of everything this week that you need to accomplish that is out of the ordinary.  I have a list of about 8 things listed that have to do with my evo-life business, and my arbonne business.

Todd and I are off to my moms for dinner and wedding planning.

Have a great week!

Saturday mornings are so optimistic.  I woke up around 6am and lay there.  Because I was focused on trying to fall back asleep, I started thinking about things that make me anxious.  So I switched gears and started thinking about things I like to do on Saturday mornings, like eat oatmeal, and catch up on my favorite blogs.  Then I felt inspired and got up instead.

So I ate a big bowl of oatmeal with cranberries, dates, slivered almonds, and almond milk, and a cup of eggnog coffee:

And bathed in snippet and ink, kath eats real food, the token fat girl, and love my dress.

Then I peeked outside at the other good news, which is I finally got my poor little car fixed.  She got smashed from ice on the roof last winter, and is now back to her former sexy self finally!!  Elmo’s did an awesome job fixing and detailing her, and although painful, it was a $500 deductible well spent.

As referenced in a previous post, historically I have not been a fan of multiple small meals.  Nor have I been a fan of “Clean Eating.”

Things are starting to change.  For those of you who wonder what “clean eating” actually is, like I did, here is a definition from Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Diet website:

“Eating Clean is treating your body right.

It is eating the way nature intended. You eat the foods our bodies evolved to function best on, and that makes you feel – and look – fantastic. When you Eat Clean you eat more often. You will eat lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. These practices keep your blood-sugar levels stable and keep you satisfied. The best part is that if you need to lose weight it will happen almost without you having to try. And yes, you can have a treat now and again.”

My diet this week is completely clean, and incorporates 6 small meals.  Here’s what’s on the menu with a rough time frame:

7AM: Baked Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal

9:30 AM: 2 Clean Egg Muffins

12:00 Pm: Lean Hamburger and Eggwhite Scramble (I used 96% lean beef instead of Turkey, and 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil and half a green pepper, instead of spinach)

2:30pm: Arbonne Shake made with unsweetened almond milk

5:00pm: Pan Seared Ahi Tuna with Colorful String Beans:

7pm: Eat Clean Chicken Cassoulet

Seems like a ridiculous amount of food, money, and prep time, right?  Here’s the breakdown:

• Total grocery money spent for one week, 6 meals per day: $150
• Total food prep time: grocery shopping Saturday afternoon after workout, 1/2 an hour. Cook time: 12:00pm to 4:00pm Saturday afternoon (leisurely, and remember, virtually no more cooking the rest of the week!!)
• Total Calories: 1234 per day, with no hunger*

*I also have been enjoying a cup or two of my version of  “holiday libations” Eggnog Coffee with a splash of vanilla almond milk:

P.S.  Eating Clean in a restaurant is easier than I would have thought.  It’s just a mindset going in to the place.  I ate for the first time at a restaurant I’ve been dying to try last night for my good friend’s birthday party, and let me tell you it was worth it!! Aside from the beautiful ambiance of The Point in Albany NY, the menu had like 20 things I would have eaten with total delight.  I settled on a satisfying Large House salad with six big grilled shrimp on top.  I ordered a side of sauteed mushrooms and threw those on top as well.  I used about a teaspoon and a half of olive oil on top, and a sprinkle of balsamic.  YUMMY!!

In this most recent fitness venture, I am trying a lot of things I haven’t before, frankly the things of which I’ve always been resistant.  Although I live a fairly healthy lifestyle, my weight has pretty much been at a stuck point for the last several years.  Mostly this has been OK because I’ve been in a really good place emotionally for a long time, however I have evolved to be more perplexed than distraught by my body’s functioning/under-functioning, and have decided to explore the phenomenon more thoroughly.

Today’s featured “Formerly Resisted Fitness Behavior” is:

6-8 SMALL MEALS A DAY:

This is what I’ve been eating for the last week or so, and I actually really enjoy it.  I’m trying to think about why I was always so resistant and here’s what I’ve come up with.

1) It takes a lot of planning…

Yes it does, but I’m fairly obsessive/compulsive, so it’s not that big deal.

2) It can’t really make that big a difference on ramping up my metabolism….

Well my current metabolism apparently sucks, so what is my problem?

3) I cannot have the “volume” and “quantity” of food I so enjoy.

Well it’s old eating disordered behavior to hoard and relish food.  The reality is I’m simply less hungry when I eat consistently all day long protein and nutrient rich food, and isn’t that the ultimate…to “need” less food?

I’m waiting to report on actual results for my first weigh and measure day with Terry, which will be next week.  Here’s what I ate today, as an example:

7:30 AM-Natural Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal

9:45 AM- Hard Boiled Eggs and Jalapeno Mozzarella stick

12:30 PM-White Fish with Lemon Dill Green Beans

2:30pm-Arbonne Chocolate Peppermint Shake

5:30 Pm- Swai Fish Burger and Lemon Dill Green Beans

And my yummy conclusion to the day at 7pm, Mixed Berry Granola Protein Shake…mmmmm

In case anyone is curious about the calorie count of this 6 meal extravaganza, it’s 1205.

What have I got to lose?? (Besides 20-40 pounds)

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I feel really optimistic and motivated the last few days.  When life is feeling stale and the days are mindlessly flying by, I find it very helpful to regroup and reorganize.  Setting new goals and priorities makes me feel refreshed and productive.  Yesterday morning I met with my new Trainer Terry Pittman at my gym.  We really hit it off for our first session, in that not only did I feel like he had a solid grasp on a healthy fitness lifestyle, I felt like he had a good understanding of the science behind how my body has been functioning (or under functioning) and in addition, the part my mind plays in my outcomes.

After the question and answer period, where Terry learned about my history, personality, and goals, we moved into the workout.  It was relatively brief considering the amount of time I have logged away in gyms over the years, it was all over the place, and nothing I would have thought to design on my own.  Terry explained that this was all part of “confusing my body into a higher level of fitness.”  In this context I can see where having a trainer is very helpful as compared to working out alone.

We started with planks combined with controlled leg swings out to the side.  We did lat pull downs, cardio interval bursts, and these crazy pull up leg raises I have never done or seen before.  The workout wrapped up when I got to the 13th rep of the second set of these babies.  When I told Terry that I felt a little nauseous, he immediately had me stop and then we walked around the gym for a while cooling off.  He explained to me that my body had reached its limit and was letting me know it was time to stop.  I was sort of surprised when this feeling came over me, because since the workout kept switching up so quickly into new transitions, I almost didn’t have time to realize my level of exertion.  I am far more familiar with the feeling of exertion in the form of running for an hour, or sprinting for 120 seconds.  As we cooled down, Terry explained to me how crucial it is to listen to your body, and to work with it, not against it.  He told me that he could tell that I have the kind of personality that would sometimes drive me to push harder than necessary at first, resulting in burning myself out.  (Has he been following Lovenotlipo or something??)

“The gym is always going to be here.  Slow down and give this process the time it deserves,” he encouraged.

He designed a rough schedule for me for the upcoming weeks.  We will train together on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, and  will do 45 minutes of cardio on 2 of the alternate days, and rest the two remaining days.  “Now, when I say rest,” he said, “I mean rest.  Do nothing towards your fitness goals beyond healthy food choices.”  The other thing he said that struck me, was to try and avoid being too rigid.  He advised me to switch up what days I take off, and what foods I eat.   He said that success is when these behaviors feel natural, not regimented.

It is always refreshing to talk to people who understand the link between psychology and our outcomes.  Since the beginning, I have had a goal for Lovenotlipo to be a blog that embodies “healthy lifestyle” holistically, meaning that downfalls, reconfigurations, and neuroses are showcased as simply part of my process…a part that I speculate most of us can relate to.   Even as the author of this blog, and a therapist specializing in the field, from time to time I question whether my fears, failures, and insecurities are normal.  I can easily be tricked into believing, looking at the glossy photos and smiling faces in other Healthy Lifestyle Blogs, that others are better equipped than I, and are sailing through life effortlessly making good lifestyle choices.

I have never experienced the sensation of “sailing effortlessly” in my life, but I can tell you however, that I never quit.  I place importance on the value of evolving into a better person, in whatever new form that manifests, above all other values.  With this value placed at the forefront, I will inevitably be a better friend, daughter, wife, mother, sister, employee, and bottom line…happier.

I’ve been truly enjoying being back in my routine, running at my new gym especially, and the ease of tracking my nutrition.

This week I’m working on being conscientious of the impact of processed and convenience foods on my outcomes.  I am also working on incorporating more vegetables into my diet.  These are the two areas I feel I consistently fall short on nutritionally.  So I took the time to prepare four different interesting vegetable dishes to choose from this week.  My inspiration came from one of my favorite food blogs, and I easily selected delicious recipes for the specific vegetables of my choosing thanks to the clever layout of Ashlee’s site.

I went with:

I am looking forward to seeing how eating vegetarian and unprocessed will feel in my body this week.  I enjoyed the time spent puttering around my kitchen preparing this food today, and managed to spend a few leisurely hours with some special women this afternoon as well.

Today was such a gorgeous day, and still truly autumn, complete with golden sun, and a blanket of smooshy yellow leaves beneath my feet.  This is so stunning to me since we already survived a snow storm this year.  I talk all the time in this blog about how nature has a calming effect on my baseline anxious personality, and as I drove home weaving through the burnt orange leaf strewn streets of my town this early evening, I thought again about how much I love living here.  My mind was flooded with the examples of the range of intense joy and pain the women in my life are currently experiencing.  While today was one of the greatest days of one woman’s life, it was one of the worst of another’s.  I am powerless over what life will deliver me tomorrow, and I can do nothing more than show up and be present.   Although I am rich with emotion, today I am calm.

I am calm in the golden sun, and I am remembering what one of those very women said….

“When the heart is full of gratitude, there is little room left for despair.”

We had another ridiculously full week, and somehow, for the first time in what seems to be months, it was 3pm this afternoon, the house was clean, food was cooked and packed for the week, and I actually had time to read a book, take a nap, and watch movie!!

Todd is president of the board of the directors for the Ballston Area Community Center, and the highlight of last week was the Center Gala.  It was nice, but we didn’t win the Pampered Chef spice rack in the silent auction.

And the high light of this week is I’ve decided to do the Arbonne 7 day cleanse and 30 day detox nutrition program.  A committment to nutrition and purity of ingredients in my body has served my weight loss/weight maintenance goals well and stablized my eating disorders far more powerfully than any desired number on the scale, or unrealistic beauty ideal.  Arbonne’s nutrition products are in perfect line with my philosophical beliefs about nutrition, nothing artificial whatsoever, no gluten, no animal products, and vitamin, mineral, and nutrient packed.

So basically here’s what it looks like:

A cleanse a day for seven days.

The morning begins with a Pomegranate Energy Fizz, INSTEAD OF COFFEE!! My only real vice left, this is gonna be interesting….

These are my supplements that I began taking last year as recommended by my doctor Dianne McDonnell for my specific needs.  Omega 3 Fish Oil, Vitamin D, Mega Multi Vitamin, Vitex Chaste Tree for hormonal balancing, Biotin for strong hair and nails (that one was actually recommended by my hair stylist, Amber at Rumors.)  Once your body is used to these, you sure feel it when you forget to take them!

Twice a day I drink detox tea.

For breakfast I drink an Arbonne Chocolate Banana Shake

I eat two healthy snacks a day.  My morning snack this week is, greek yogurt with granola and an Arbonne Fit Chew.

For lunch I’m having poached chicken with a side of soybeans and organic shitake mushrooms, tossed with lemon juice, sea salt, and a little olive oil.

For my afternoon snack, I’m having steamed broccoli tossed with slivered almonds and organic Goddess dressing, and another Fit Chew.  If I’m needing an energy boost, I’ll have another Pomegranate Energy Fizz.

For dinner I’ll have another Arbonne Shake, perhaps Vanilla, or Creamsicle, or Peanut Butter!

I weighed myself and took measurements, but any reductions in those areas will just be a bonus.  I am thrilled about the potential for increased energy and focus from detoxifying my body.  Here’s to another amazing week!!

Thanks to the “recalibration session,” yesterday was a total success!  Actually, not only did the day turn out rewarding and exciting, it actually opened up some new doors for me that I will share more about in the upcoming months after I work out some details.  What I can share about now is the delicious food I prepared for the week:

Breakfast: Honey Greek Yogurt with Walnuts, Coconut, and Banana for breakfast…

Broccoli “Pasta” with sauteed mushrooms, feta, parsley, and ground chicken meatballs for lunch…

An Ezekial Cinnamon Raisin Flourless Sprouted Grain English Muffin (chewy, dense, and YUMMY!!!!) with 1 Tbsp Almond Butter for snack…

For dinner I had essentially the same thing as lunch, but with big green garlic olives, feta, and parsley…

Mixed Berry Soy smoothie with cinnamon and stevia for desert! 

After I finished making all this, I raced off to Albany to make it to Fleet Feet in time to get fitted for my sneakers.  The customer service was amazing, and my buddy Max not only used one of these: (1982 throwback)

He observed me walk on a tiny indoor track, and then watched me run on a treadmill to see how my feet strike the ground.  Based on these assessments, he explained to me in lingo I did not retain the reasons why he was about to pick the shoes he picked.  He brought out three pairs, and we scrutinized each, one at a time.  After walking around and running on the treadmill for all 3, we finally ruled out the Adidas, the Asics, and settled on the winner, the Saucony Progrid Omni 9.   

They are far more sturdy feeling than my Nike Shox, and were the least “intrusive” of the three that I tried.  Max told me that the sneakers that you can feel the least, are the best choice.  It feels so reassuring to know I have footwear that is appropriate for my particular body.  Inspired by the whole process, and having met another one of my New Years Goals, I decided it was indicated to splurge a little more and buy some new running clothes.

When I was checking out, another really nice kid asked me “are you training for a race m’aam?”  How good do you think it felt to say, “well, I’m gonna run a half marathon in September.”

2 years ago I would have never believed you if you told me I was gonna have this experience.  Life is so funny.

I left the store feeling motivated and inspired, the perfect “refresh” I have been needing in my life lately.  I raced up to Clifton Park to meet my mom at an adorable place she’d suggested Mocha Lisa’s.  How have I not heard of this place??  I will certainly be bringing my honey back here for an inexpensive cozy date some lazy weekend afternoon. 

Well we had a lovely time, and definitely got each other inspired on some things to come…let’s just say it’s the next major step in my journey.   Stay tuned!!!!

One of my informal New Years Resolutions is to do more structured relaxing.  Hahaha!  I laugh because I still can’t just “relax,” but  ”structured relax,” possibly.  My favorite method of structured relaxing is catching up on my magazine subcriptions.  Like my Netflix account, my magazine subcriptions are underutilized, and the pile of glossy, juicy pure entertainment beckons me from my bedside table longingly most nights.  The last few nights however, I have spent 20 minutes or so, usually dedicated to blogging, browsing through the pages of an Oldie but Goodie, Self Magazine.  I say Oldie but Goodie because I remember reading Self back in high school, and being oddly intrigued, but not totally relating….honestly I don’t think that relating more to Cosmo made me the picture of emotional health in those days.  Well these days, not only do I relate and more to Self, I am inspired and practically emotionally moved as I read it. 

I extremely connected to my philosophical belief that people evolve into products of who they hang around with, what they look at, watch, read, and hear about.  Self magazine does a very nice job of infusing me with a quick shot of positivity and mental and physical energy.  And besides the overarching benefit of reading Self, I was so excited by the 2011 Jump Start Diet Feature in the January issue.  I wasn’t excited that it was yet another diet story, nor was I excited that it featured Jillian Michael’s who in general I think is kinda scary and over the top, but it had like a bazillion really balanced, really creative, really simple meal, snack, and desert ideas.  Plus it touted a higher calorie, nutritionally dense food plan, and shorter more intensive interval training workouts.  All things right up my alley, with lots of specifics for inspiration.  They have a whole online program so you can actively participate as well.  If you never have before, or if you’ve forgotten about it in recent years, I recommend checking out Self magazine again.  But more importantly, I recommend remembering the joy of spending half an hour alone with your thoughts, and those wonderful glossy pages.