Legend...Hold the Dairy...

I talk a LOT about the exercise side of fitness.  It's my love, my passion, my addiction.  And yes, it gets me results.  It makes me stronger, faster, leaner...more irresistible.  Plus, it's fun.  I get to kick, punch, run, dance...and I typically only have to do so for one to two hours a day.  Which, I feel, is pretty easy.  The nutrition side of fitness...that side which glowers upon regular chocolate cake consumption and does not condone a daily intake of Funyuns...that is not so fun.  And, until recently, it was not even remotely easy for me.  Good thing I like challenges and being told it can't be done.

I was never what anyone would label "a healthy eater."  I was more likely to fall under the category of "eternal grazer" or "garbage disposal."  I ate massive amounts of food in single sittings with constant snacking energizing me between meals.  And I ate things like Weis dessert bowls (frequently enough that my coworkers began calling them "Jen Bowls"); king size Snickers bars; 20-piece McNuggets with three different sauces so my delicate pallette would not get bored.  We frequented the diner down the street so often that we had our own booth and the waitresses knew our "usuals." 

Then I started TurboFire and started dropping pounds and inches.  I was, to put it mildly, quite pleased.  I continued to drop when I picked up running, and I started gaining muscle when I began using ChaLEAN Extreme.  But that mid-section still looked suspiciously poochy, as though it might be carrying something.  And it was.  It was carrying Big Macs, taco pizza, everything fries, and too many desserts to name (but all containing chocolate).  I took a moment to be frustrated, to feel depressed, to pout and whine and stomp my feet regarding the unfairness of it all.  Then I turned to my favorite place for change: Beachbody. 

I wanted more results and I wanted them faster.  I ordered HipHop Abs, E&E Formula, and my first round of Shakeology.  I signed up for my personalized meal plan and started using myfitnesspal again.  I returned to Body Confidence by Mark McDonald. Things began happening. 

First, I fell in lust with Shaun T and in love with E&E.  Then I made a lifelong commitment to Shakeology, which led to a lifelong commitment to (mostly) clean eating.  Because here's the thing: I have that shake in the morning, and I find it ridiculously easy to maintain healthy eating for the remainder of the day.  My body gets what it needs, so minimal (if any) cravings follow.  For a girl that used to hide candy bars in the freezer so my kids wouldn't get them, who used to stock an entire file drawer at my desk with snacks ranging from funsize chocolate bars to entire boxes of cereal...that's kind of a big deal. 

Now here came the most kickass part of all the kickass-edness (yes, it's a word!): I had ab muscles under that pooch! And a waistline!  For the first time since junior high, I saw flat abs in my future.  I don't even have to flex.  They just pop out.  It's like every day, I'm more awesome.  It's hard to believe, right?  How does one so awesome continually find more room for awesome?  Barney Stinson ain't got nothin' on this girl.  Legend...

Speaking of dairy...Yeah.  I don't do that anymore, either.  At least, the occasions are few and far between.  I originally cut it out as part of the Body Confidence jump start plan, but found that not only did I not miss it, I felt better overall.  And after being dairy free for a few weeks, when I had a small glass of milk...Let's just say, things weren't the same between me and the white stuff anymore.  Which just makes decisions that much easier still.  Again with the awesome.

And again, my point behind all this rambling is THIS: if I, the bacon-loving, chocolate-cake-shoveling, fried-cheese-inhaling garbage disposal and former champion of all encased meats, can not only change my diet and garner control over my eating but am actually SATISFIED with my current intake...then so can you.  I don't wanna hear crap about healthy foods being too expensive.  I don't wanna hear "but my kids won't eat that."  I especially don't wanna hear "but that's too difficult."  I will slap that french fry right outta your mouth. 

Fact: eating right will extend your life.  It will extend your children's lives.  Less sickness equals less prescriptions and less trips to the doctor.  Fact: your kids will eat what you provide.  You're the parent and you make the rules.  When my children complain, I make them this deal: get a job, do the shopping, prepare the meals.  Then we can have cheeseburgers and potato chips every night.  Guess what?  We're still eating organic veggies and grilled fish or chicken.  Fact: the more you do it, the easier it gets.  The only difficult part is the first two or three weeks.  Once those devil toxins are cast from your body, you will crave things like cantaloupe and mixed greens and water.  And then I won't have to keep slapping you.  Which is nice for both of us.

And now that I have finished my Dwight Shrute-like diatribe, I'm going to go sip my green tea, read a little Mama Llama with the babe before he naps...and then I'm gonna rip into HIIT 15 and some ab work.  Because Shakeology gave me the energy to do so.

The Photographic Evidence

It's a quick one tonight, folks.  I had a day full of fevers, vomit, and gymnastics (although the last one was blissful, as I finally got to sit and watch my Bear flip and tumble whilst perusing the latest from Runner's World) and it is off to Skinny Girl Margarita-ville I go.

Anyway - I pledged to at the very least share my meals/snacks/etc from here on out, and so I felt obligated to stop by and do just that.  I have already been a sometimes faithful user of myfitnesspal (and I highly recommend it to anyone trying to lose or gain weight - it's free and it works.  What more can you ask for?).  This week, I was particularly faithful and have eased myself back into a normal eating plan vs. the good-all-day-gorge-at-night plan I had been following in recent weeks.  I alternated that with the it's-a-special-occasion-because-it's-Bear's-birthday/we're-out-to-eat/I-just-freakin'-feel-like-it-OK?!? diet...but that one, believe it or not, did not get me the results I was after either.  So it's back to basics, as it should always be, and I have given myself the added accountability of taking photos of each morsel consumed (pre-consumption, of course) and sharing the resulting photographs with all of you.  On the edge of your seat yet? Drumming fingers anxiously on your computer desk?  Well, stop it.  That's annoying.  (I won't care in a few moments, as I mentioned previously that my good girl liquor awaits).



Is it everything you dreamed it would be?

So there it is.  Ta-DAAA!  That's my daily breakfast, although the yogurt is typically substituted with a form of fruit.  I am weaning myself off of Nutella, but that shit is made out of crack.  The peanut butter crackers - from a vending machine after gymnastics.  I was starving and about to be Sponge Mom Angry Pants if I didn't get something in my belly.  Hubby outdid himself once again, mixing leftovers with cupboard leavin's (you know those packages of stuff that you never recall buying and never seem to get used?), so we had pasta with chicken and sauce for dinner.  Perfect on a chilly and rainy day.  Lunch - I did that myself!  I used fridge leavin's (leftovers and previously cut veggies and/or fruits so I only have to put forth minimal effort) and concocted a pretty bangin' salad for myself.  And...at long last...thank you, Bethenny Frankel, for the gift of Skinny Girl.  Tastey and low-cal enough that I feel no guilt over two servings (certainly not after two servings, as I have become a total lightweight in this arena). 

There you have it.  Not every day will be this detailed (I will be back to my random rants/ravings/blatherings as of tomorrow), but if you're truly curious about what I'm ingesting, friend me on myfitnesspal.  My username is Miller343 and my diary is public.  And hey, I can use all the eyeballin' I can get to keep me on track and eating like the athlete I picture myself to be.

Hoppin' Down the Candy Trail

It happens every holiday, be they big or small.  Sacks, baskets, buckets o' sugar are heaped upon the children (and by proxy me, whose willpower shrinks in fear in the face of anything chocolate covered or filled) to "celebrate."  No sooner has the Halloween candy disappeared (some into the overjoyed bellies and more into the trash) than we have candy canes and Christmas cookies filling our countertops.  There are the itty bitty candied hearts on Valentine's day (along with the larger chocolates...*sigh* and *cringe*) and gold foil-covered chocolate coins on St. Patrick's Day.  And then Easter.  Baskets overflowing with Reese's, Skittles, and those frighteningly neon Peeps.  A basket at home from the Bunny himself.  And baskets at each house visited, plus candy in the pretty plastic eggs planted in bushes and drainpipes.  My stomach heaves a little just looking at the mountains of peanut butter-filled, chocolate-covered, candy-coated poison.  Of course, that doesn't prohibit my greedy little hands from reaching out to sneak my fair share.

And it's not just the candy.  Nor is the candy the worst of it.  At least for me, those holiday meals suck me in worse than any sweet nosh.  The juicy ham, lumpy mashed potatoes, and homemade gravy.  The buttered corn and buttered biscuits and buttered anything-else-my-butter-knife-can-find.  The pies, cakes, and desserts of the no-bake variety with whipped cream and pudding-like substances!  I cannot stop myself.  It is as though my body moves of its own accord, racing away from all that hard work and discipline to shovel in mounds of starches, salts, and bad fats.  I suppose it is like any addiction...You can kick the habit, but one slip up and you're barrelling down the mountain at full speed.  Luckily, I am better at putting on the brakes and getting back on track than I used to be.  It just tends to happen one to two days later, after the initial food hangover has left and the second one has been worked through.  That old saying about "the hair of the dog?"  That, my friends, is CRAP. 

Who wants to roll around in bed all day, clutching aching bellies and moaning when you could be jumping, moving, and enjoying the just-as-tasty and so-much-better-for-you fruits and veggies?  We tell ourselves that the candy/ham/potatoes are a reward and that we deserve them.  I don't know about you, but feeling nauseous and exhausted doesn't seem so rewarding to me.  And I firmly believe that I (and my body that has been treating me so well) deserve much better.  Of course, this realization hit me after I ate my weight in biscuits and cracker candy, only to follow it up the next day with peanut butter cups and Twizzlers.  Turns out, healthy living has ruined binge eating for me.  I may as well have willfully given myself the flu.  I felt that awful.

Then I thought, I'm giving this stuff to my kids.  Awful, awful Mommy!  I wouldn't hand my kids cartons of cigarettes or cases of beer.  So why do I load baskets full of other toxins as a celebratory gift?  Well, I won't be anymore.  I laid down the law and told Hubby that from here on out, that Bunny brings gifts, not candy.  And we bring healthy fruit and veggie trays to graze on when we go elsewhere for dinners.  No more binging.  No more days of recovery for falling off the wagon. 

...I just hope I retain this feeling of superiority over Hershey and Mars when I next stare down their progeny during a moment of craving...

I'm Not Tired!...*yawn*

I've got this workout thing down.  I have endurance, motivation, and a sincere love for all things endorphin-producing.  Alas, I am not as disciplined when it comes to the nutrition side of fitness.  And when I say "not as disciplined," I mean "not disciplined at all."  As in, both boxes of Samoas and both boxes of Thin Mints are G-O-N-E.  So is the Nutella.  And the leftover General Tso's (extra spicy!) with a side of pork fried rice.  Did I mention Hubby and I stopped at Hot Dog Johnny's yesterday?  Where I ate two Johnny Dogs and a bag of fries?  And proceeded to wonder why my body felt so incredibly awful.

Really, I was doing very well for a substantial amount of time.  I drink my Shakeology every morning and plan our meals and snacks very carefully.  Then came a stretch of days that had us away from home at mealtimes and so packed with errands and events that I had no time to hit up Wegmans.  And I relapsed into old ordering habits, each restaurant pulling me farther and farther down the slow and sluggish rabbit hole.  I started with Chic-Fil-A grilled chicken wraps and side salads (not so bad for a drive-thru order) and went all the way to bacon cheeseburgers (at our favorite diner) and the aforementioned General Tso's (from a not-worth-it takeout Chinese pit whose convenience is the only reason we use it).  I kept up with my two-a-days and long run schedule throughout this downward food spiral, so my calories were actually in check.  My nutrition, sadly, was not.

Two days ago, I found myself lacking in get-up-and-go.  I figured I'd take a rest day as I hadn't had a true "rest" in awhile.  Then yesterday, I continually ran into workout roadblocks: Hubby needed a ride to the eye doctor for a nasty case of pink eye; we had bank stops and office visits following the eye appointment; the babe required much tending to once we were home.  I was thinking ahead and planning an early bedtime for the kiddos so I could squeeze in my workouts before I hit the hay myself.  And then, THE WALL.  I hit it.  Hard. 

I told Hubby I wanted to lay down with the babe for a bit while he napped, figuring on a half hour rest.  I awoke two hours later, a sweaty, drooling mess with no more energy than I'd had before my sleep.  My limbs were leaden and my head heavy.  And I finally put all those puzzle pieces together: I needed my iron.

I have suffered from anemia since my teen years but can usually bypass iron supplements so long as I keep dark leafy greens and the occasional steak in my diet.  Not only had I let my nutrition slide, I was still exercising as though I hadn't.  Yes, calories were in check.  But my essential nutrients (and my iron) were not.  It finally clicked for me: if I want to train like an athlete and continue my workout schedule at the intensity I enjoy, I actually need to eat the way I train.  Brilliant!  Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?!? Oh, right...

It is so simple, and I have said it to others so many times.  I preach it to my children on a daily basis.  But I finally took a step back and figured I needed to apply it to myself.  Diet is not a four-letter word; it is a lifestyle.  It is something I need to follow if I expect my body to continue performing at the level I have become accustomed to.  So I'm back on the healthy food train, chugging right along.  My run today felt a little sluggish, but I got it done and recovered nicely and with enough energy to complete my Ab Sculpt and Kenpo X sessions I had scheduled for today.  And now, I am feeling a tad hungry (read: RAVENOUS) so I'm gonna head to my kitchen and pull out last night's leftovers (Beachbody's sweet pepper pork) and snack on some fresh strawberries and kiwi for dessert.  I swear I have learned my lesson this time! (Just please, don't put me anywhere near chocolate cake...)