Weekly Weigh In

-0.6

-17.6 total

I was really hoping for like a 30 pound loss (haha) with how much I was on point this week,  but it’s all good. A loss is a loss, I’m almost at 20 pounds which is weird to me because I don’t see the difference.  It’s like I had all this excess weight in my body somewhere, and it never showed up in my clothes.  If that makes sense.

I didn’t get to workout yesterday which totally threw my day, I’m always in a better mood when I work out.  the dog walk didn’t happen because of the storm last night so I didn’t get that chance either.

BUT TODAY IS ANEW.

I have my meals planned out for the week, and I’m hitting up the gym everyday.  I decided that since I have classes at the gym I can take, I am going to try a few out.

Saturday 9:45 Kickbox Cardio… the description is: Kick, punch, bob and weave your way to a higher fitness level. Constantly move, getting in that cardio that we all want and need. You will walk away with a surge of energy and feeling ready for anything that comes your way. 55 Minute Workout.

Sunday 8:30 Body Works Plus Abs… the description is: A lightweight dumbbell workout moved to the beat of the music. Burn calories as you flow through a variety of exercises to sculpt and tone your body into shape! Notice improvements in your muscle tone, posture, balance and strength. A total body workout! 55 Minute Workout.

This way Jason can get his weight training on and I’ll be doing something other than running or the elliptical.

Oh it’s going to be funny watching me do this.  I am so uncoordinated.

Meal Plan for the week:

• Wednesday: Greek Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Jason is cooking)
• Thursday: Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner (From SkinnyTaste)
• Friday: Chicken Taco Bowls (From SkinnyTaste)
• Saturday: Out most likely
• Sunday: Uh… haven’t decided yet – between Pan Seared Soy Glazed Flounder or Zero point noodles with turkey meatballs

Then we go to the grocery store and the whole thing starts over again.

 

How’s your week so far?

 

Goodbye February

Morning loves!

It’s the last day of February, and this year is going by quickly.  I’m in shock that it feels like yesterday the school year was started, and I was bustling around trying to figure out everyone’s name, and what to teach.  

I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing half the time.

It’s been one week (since you looked at me…. hah) since I got my results and massively overhauled my lifestyle.  I’m interested to see how tonight goes.

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

Happy Monday!  

This recipe comes from The Skinny Taste Cookbook – which is one of my many food bibles.  

It’s super easy and delicious.

It’s 12 smart points for 2 pepper halves.

Today was a weird day.  I woke up exhausted, which I blame on my lack of exercise this weekend.  I have way more energy when I move, and bring a slug this past weekend was no good.

I’m a firm believer in rest days, but this was too much.  I let my laziness get the best of me.

I left work and busted out 4 miles on the elliptical and then came home to get dinner going.  I was on point with eating this past week, so I’m anxious to see what the scale says.  I know I shouldn’t live and die by the scale, but it helps with the motivation.  

Motivation versus Discipline

So what is the difference between motivation and discipline?

Motivation, to me, is where you are so excited to be doing something for the end result.  With regards to weight loss, for me, it’s the “January Joiner” syndrome. Everything is new, fresh, exciting, and I am ready to go.  More than ready.  I’m kicking my own butt at the gym, and drinking water and nothing else, I’m binging on veggies and fruits, and silently judging people in the Krispy Kreme drive thru.

Then after week 1 or the first slip up, or getting sick, or being injured… and I am in that drive thru.

Discipline is when everything goes wrong that can go wrong, you stick to the plan anyway.  You don’t feel well?  Too bad, drop and give me 20.  You’re tired?  Still gotta run.  You want a cheeseburger?  Here is some celery.

So is “motivation” the cool aunt to discipline’s controlling parent?

At first I thought so.  I’ve started and stopped this journey so many times that I know that motivation can only take you so far.  It can take me about a week, and then I lose steam.  I lose momentum.

That’s when the discipline needs to kick in.

Story of the day:  I’m a high school teacher, and today the FFA (Future Farmers of America) club brought us donuts, bagels, and fruit.  I grabbed a banana and then a donut which I immediately felt bad about.  It sat on my desk for about 5 minutes before a student came in complaining how hungry they were because they didn’t have time to eat breakfast.  Voila!  Donut to the rescue.

She offered to give me half, and I declined.  I didn’t need it.  So where my motivation and discipline waned, I was able to rebound.  Thank you student!

Discipline is tough love, but it’s still love.  It might now seem like it when everyone is running around drinking on Saint Patrick’s Day and you are running a 5k before lifting for half an hour, and then sucking down a protein shake.

It may not seem like love when  you are waking up sore, the scale doesn’t move, and you are craving french fries and gravy.

But what makes it worthwhile, what makes the discipline worthwhile is seeing the running get easier, the clothes get looser, the energy skyrocket.

Obviously, these things haven’t started for me yet, as this is day 5 of being disciplined, but I know they are there.  I know they are coming.

But that isn’t enough to keep me in the game, really.  I’m being honest.  If I can’t see results pretty quick;ly I start to lose my edge.  So what do I do?

I’m choosing to think about how far I have come already.  Yes, I’ve lost the weight.  I’ve been at goal.  I have run a freaking marathon.  I have walked 60 miles over 3 days.  I have done everything I have ever put my mind to when it comes to fitness.

This is no different.

Happy Friday guys!

Blood Work and Why I Am Changing

On Monday, Feb 20, I had my fasting blood work done for:

• CBC with differential
• Basic Metabolic Panel
• Lipid Panel

I have to have this done periodically because of medication I am on which can cause high cholesterol and blood sugar.  Well…. I wasn’t expecting anything earth shattering because I considered myself to be somewhat healthy.  I thought, surely, there would be nothing wrong with my blood work because I haven’t gained weight since the last time I had it done (haven’t lost much since, either), and I haven’t changed my habits.

Well.  I was horribly wrong.

So when I had my blood checked in Dec. 2015 my Triglycerides were 173 – which is higher than it should be, but not scary.  My doctor told me to exercise, lose weight, and eat better.  I tried half-heartedly and forgot about it.

My Triglycerides this go around: 261

If you’re not aware of what a normal range is for my age it would be 0 – 149.

The scary talk came in.  My doctor essentially told me  “You are killing yourself slowly”.  He said that regardless of genetic factors, you can do things outside of medication to stay in a healthy range.  I have obviously not been doing those things.

From The Mayo Clinic:

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn’t need to use right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in your fat cells. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, particularly “easy” calories like carbohydrates and fats, you may have high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).

What’s considered normal?

A simple blood test can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range.

• Normal — Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)
• Borderline high — 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol/L)
• High — 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol/L)
• Very high — 500 mg/dL or above (5.7 mmol/L or above)

 

SO… now what?  Well I have another meeting with the doctor on March 17 to get an action plan, but, The Mayo Clinic states:

What’s the best way to lower triglycerides?

Healthy lifestyle choices are key:

• Lose weight. If you’re overweight, losing 5 to 10 pounds can help lower your triglycerides. Motivate yourself by focusing on the benefits of losing weight, such as more energy and improved health.
• Cut back on calories. Remember that extra calories are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. Reducing your calories will reduce triglycerides.
• Avoid sugary and refined foods. Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and foods made with white flour, can increase triglycerides.
• Choose healthier fats. Trade saturated fat found in meats for healthier monounsaturated fat found in plants, such as olive, peanut and canola oils. Substitute fish high in omega-3 fatty acids — such as mackerel and salmon — for red meat.
• Limit how much alcohol you drink. Alcohol is high in calories and sugar and has a particularly potent effect on triglycerides. Even small amounts of alcohol can raise triglyceride levels.
• Exercise regularly. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most or all days of the week. Regular exercise can lower triglycerides and boost “good” cholesterol. Take a brisk daily walk, swim laps or join an exercise group. If you don’t have time to exercise for 30 minutes, try squeezing it in 10 minutes at a time. Take a short walk, climb the stairs at work, or try some situps or pushups as you watch television.

So guess what I am doing.

Daily Goals:

• 200 oz of water a day
• At least 30 minutes of exercise per day in addition to a dog walk*
• Track everything and by everything, I mean everything.
  • Lean proteins
  • veggies and fruits
  • whole grains unrefined
  • limit alcohol
  • limit dairy
• Removing stress – I know this is hard and almost impossible, but other than the gym I am going to take at least 20 minutes a day to unplug, and just sit.  With this weather we have been having here in the DC area, I find myself wanting to be outside alllllllll the time.  I think I can manage 20 minutes on the patio reading.

I apologize if I haven’t been present lately.  I apologize if I haven’t been a good friend.  I’ve been feeling physically horrible for a while now, and getting all this medical information recently has shed light on why this has been happening.

 

Please be patient.  I’m coming back.

 

Braised Eggs with Lamb, Tahini, and Sumac

I love this dinner.  I can’t make it look the way it does in the picture, but I love it.

It’s rich, luxurious, and mouth watering – which is why we don’t have it often.

The Jerusalem Cookbook is a gift from God.  Literally it’s written by the chosen people.

So how was your day?

I spent the day grading papers, running around after teenagers, and pulling my hair out.

Then I went to the gym, busted out 4.0 miles, and got a protein smoothie after.

I came out feeling better than when I went in so that’s a start.

I went home, prepped dinner, and had an impromptu sing along to Adele pretending I was on American Idol (and that I didn’t sound really bad).

It’s these days that I enjoy.  Routine is underrated.  

Post Dog walk, it’s 7:30 and I’m ready for bed.

Weekly Weigh In

+0.4

-16.8 total

It’s so much better than it could have been.  If you saw on my posts on facebook earlier I have received the dreaded “you’re killing yourself slowly” talk from the doctor.  My triglycerides are bad.  My blood sugar is bad.  My good cholesterol is low.

While my doctor said “It could be genetics” after evaluating my lifestyle and being honest about it – Genetics might be a factor but I have done this to myself.

So what’s next?

I have a follow-up appointment on March 17 to figure out what the heck I should exactly do, but from now till then I am buckling down.  I am choosing whole foods over processed stuff, no more red meat, limit alcohol immensely, exercising every day, water like it’s my job, and trying the Keto diet.

What is the Keto diet?  I’m not exactly sure of all the fundamentals yet, but essentially it’s low to no carbs, with a focus on Proteins and Good Fats.

Bye, Bye Bread.

I am still doing WeightWatchers, but I will be apparently doing it the right way now by focusing on whole foods.

But…. pizza?  Cauliflower crust here I come.  I will perfect the making of you.

Beer? You will exist in tiny amounts somewhere on a weekend at some point.

These are sacrifices that need to be made.

Cumin Rubbed Chicken Tacos

I decided to experiment with dinners this week – here’s day 1.

I essientially took chicken breasts and rubbed them with cumin.  I seared them in a pan with sunflower oil and then baked them the rest of the way at 400 F for 14 minutes.

I chopped fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and cilantro as toppings.

But the show stealer is – the sauce.

I got the original recipe from The Jerusalem Cookbook, but I tweaked it.  

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I only use Fage total)
• 1 tbsp sumac
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves smashed or diced
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp honey

Mix it together and voila! Best sauce ever.

​​
Husband Approved!

See you tomorrow!

Working For It

I lost 3 pounds at WeightWatchers this week.  I am going to keep going. I am not running so much anymore, the 5K I did kicked my butt.  But I am still working out.

 

I’ll be back with more information, but for now, hello again.

Where Did The Wagon Go?

I fell off the wagon and it went far, far away.

I have to find it.

 

I don’t know if I’ve become complacent or if I’m just hungry constantly (Well I know I am), or could it be that I have become comfortable at this weight? The last one can’t be true because I kind of hate myself at this weight.  I am tired, sore, and bloated.

So how does one change?

I’m focusing on one thing at a time.  I need to get my workouts back in check.  I’m starting that today.  Once I get back in that groove, I’ll focus more on my food intake.  I need to meal prep better.  I was so good that one week, and then bam.  I was done.

Salads here I come!

My Training Plan this week:

• Thursday: 2 min running/2 min walking 7 times for 28 minutes
• Friday: Cross Training (Elliptical)
• Saturday: 3 miles (1 min running, 2 min walking until completion)
• Sunday: Cross Training (Elliptical
• Monday: 3 min running/2 min walking 6 times for 30 minutes

Then my new WeightWatchers week begins on Tuesday.  I’d like to be smaller by my doctor’s appointment in January.  I want to show my doctor I am trying.  So that is my goal.

 

What are your goals?