So I've been doing alot of thinking, and have decided to change some things with the way I'm eating. I've been doing low fat raw for a while now in between the eating cooked food sometimes - and that seems to be optimal for my body. I lose weight easier and I feel better with more energy and happier, not so heavy and sleepy.
But I still feel like something is missing, and thinking back, it seems like I felt really good during the summer of last year. I was pregnant and I know for some people that makes them feel better, but it usually doesn't for me - I usually feel worse. So that tells me that if I were to eat just like I ate last summer but NOT being pregnant, I could possibly feel exceptionally good. Also because I was not working out at all - except for walking 3 miles 3x a week, for about 3 weeks in my 4th month. Now I'm doing strength training 4x and cardio 3x a week which I think is going to be HUGE in the difference it makes if I combine it with what I was doing last summer.
Okay, so WOW. I have to say I am super inspired by reading my blog from last summer (I just stopped writing and went back to read it). So I WAS going to write on here that I am going to start another 30-day challenge tomorrow, but instead, I am going to work hard to beat my previous goal of 18 days at 100% low fat raw. Plus, I am going to implement these things every day:
wheatgrass shot, first thing in the morning
milk from one coconut each day
1 glass of vegetable juice right after the wheatgrass (fresh from the juicer)
1 bunch of greens each day, whether from smoothies or salad
1 cup of sprouts 3-4 times a week (alfalfa & sunflower seeds are my favorite, but I want to also try lentils)
I also want to try and incorporate seaweed every day for the minerals & calcium. I have to do a little more research to see how I can do that - and where to buy the raw stuff and how to eat it without upchucking, LOL! I bought some dulse in the package once, and it was almost inedible...super super salty...bleh. People have it in their salads and also in their smoothies...so we'll see. I need to do a search on the raw forum to see how other people eat it and in what quantities. I do have Nori rolls which are still in the package so I will probably try that today with some crunchy greens and tomatoes.
I'm going to read more of my old blog to get inspired - I remember how awesome I felt, and I want to feel that again! It only comes with eating exclusively raw and I have to remember that. I'll be posting more on here for accountability's sake.....so you're going to get sick of hearing from me. =)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
So what did I do?
I went running and it felt WONDERFUL - I was really glad I did (see previous post if you're wondering what I'm talking about!). But .... I was also pretty irritable for the rest of the day, because I was so tired. So this is when it might perhaps have been wisdom to grab the sleep while I could, so as to make it better for my family.
Today was interesting because I got up early and did what some moms do every morning, but I never do, made breakfast (french toast & fresh OJ) for the entire family including DH. Jack woke me up at 6am and never really went back to sleep, and I felt such a pull to be like the Proverbs woman:
15 She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens.
I even made Starbucks coffee for DH, thinking to make it good for him - the house smelled so wonderful, and was so nice & clean from my big clean yesterday (our church was cancelled). The music was playing softly and I was in such good spirits.
Anyway, DH told me he really appreciated my making it all, but he couldn't have coffee that particular morning because he was getting his physical done! Of all days, LOL. He ALWAYS has coffee and buys it every morning, so I really wanted to bless him & surprise him, while also helping him save a bit on his coffee budget. Then, he also didn't eat any of the breakfast because he was in a rush.
I was a little bummed & was tempted actually to cry for a teensy bit (I really wanted to make it good for him!), but that's OK, I thought - I have been working on making it good for my family with NO demands of praise from them or even thankfulness (although we're working on that with our children), but to do my work wholeheartedly before God's face with a pure heart. I've also been weaning myself of needing a nap because I HATE becoming dependent on them, which I totally was. I'd get in a panic if I couldn't get the kids to be quiet so I could have my nap.
Thankfully that part is going really well - I've just told myself that I have to work HARD if I want my home to be a peaceful sanctuary from the chaos of DH's work day and the children's day at school. So I worked really hard today, it seems like I never really sat down except to eat and check my email real quick. Looking back, it's like...gosh, what did I even get done? I gave two of the kids baths, and made dinner...and kept the kitchen & house clean. But wow, nothing really got done in the grand scheme of things. I did get my workout done, and a shower. LOL.
I made rosemary italian yeast bread, garlic sticks, and chili from scratch for dinner early in the morning so I wouldn't have the pre-dinner stress that always seems to happen (baby crying, kids begging to eat something at 5:30pm and complaining that they HATE whatever it is that I'm making, DH calling to say he'll be late, trying to get the kids to clean up the house before DH comes with much groaning & ......... you get the picture! Not having to make dinner during that time really makes it easier!).
I've been surfing some blogs lately that have been so inspiring and so wonderful - they have really changed my mindset on how it is to be a mother/wife and how important it is for me to keep my home, and to work hard during the day. So this has been on my heart alot lately, and my diet has been put on the back burner a bit, so I haven't been doing as well. It's hard, I go back & forth because on one hand, it's really important that I feel good & eat well - but on the other hand, it seems to make me so focused on myself! I see how it affects me so negatively when I get down on myself for having eaten something not good for me. I'm trying to find the middle ground here and am not sure where it is exactly - I also don't want my entire thoughts to be consumed with trying to be fit by summer. For what? So I can look good for other people? To me, that is just so not what I am supposed to be doing right now. I'm supposed to be working on making things good for my family, for my husband, and really spending time blessing them and looking within myself to find how I can change. To be healthy is good, yes, and that is what I'm trying to focus on.
I'm thankful that I've been able to be very consistent in my workouts - this is going on the 4th week I've been consistently weight-lifting 35 min. 4x a week and interval training by jogging/sprinting/powerwalking 40 min. 3x a week. I do my weight lifting during naptime usually, and then fit in the cardio whenever DH is home to let me go.
Jack is crying now, and this weary momma is going to hopefully be in bed by 10pm tonight. A new day is starting tomorrow.....I really wish I could do 30 days 100% raw again.....it seems to be almost impossible for me right now though. But I keep trying and hopefully one of these days my blog will be really quiet and then I'll announce out of the blue that I'm on day 17 of 100% raw or something like that, LOL. One can dream, anyway. =)
Today was interesting because I got up early and did what some moms do every morning, but I never do, made breakfast (french toast & fresh OJ) for the entire family including DH. Jack woke me up at 6am and never really went back to sleep, and I felt such a pull to be like the Proverbs woman:
15 She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens.
I even made Starbucks coffee for DH, thinking to make it good for him - the house smelled so wonderful, and was so nice & clean from my big clean yesterday (our church was cancelled). The music was playing softly and I was in such good spirits.
Anyway, DH told me he really appreciated my making it all, but he couldn't have coffee that particular morning because he was getting his physical done! Of all days, LOL. He ALWAYS has coffee and buys it every morning, so I really wanted to bless him & surprise him, while also helping him save a bit on his coffee budget. Then, he also didn't eat any of the breakfast because he was in a rush.
I was a little bummed & was tempted actually to cry for a teensy bit (I really wanted to make it good for him!), but that's OK, I thought - I have been working on making it good for my family with NO demands of praise from them or even thankfulness (although we're working on that with our children), but to do my work wholeheartedly before God's face with a pure heart. I've also been weaning myself of needing a nap because I HATE becoming dependent on them, which I totally was. I'd get in a panic if I couldn't get the kids to be quiet so I could have my nap.
Thankfully that part is going really well - I've just told myself that I have to work HARD if I want my home to be a peaceful sanctuary from the chaos of DH's work day and the children's day at school. So I worked really hard today, it seems like I never really sat down except to eat and check my email real quick. Looking back, it's like...gosh, what did I even get done? I gave two of the kids baths, and made dinner...and kept the kitchen & house clean. But wow, nothing really got done in the grand scheme of things. I did get my workout done, and a shower. LOL.
I made rosemary italian yeast bread, garlic sticks, and chili from scratch for dinner early in the morning so I wouldn't have the pre-dinner stress that always seems to happen (baby crying, kids begging to eat something at 5:30pm and complaining that they HATE whatever it is that I'm making, DH calling to say he'll be late, trying to get the kids to clean up the house before DH comes with much groaning & ......... you get the picture! Not having to make dinner during that time really makes it easier!).
I've been surfing some blogs lately that have been so inspiring and so wonderful - they have really changed my mindset on how it is to be a mother/wife and how important it is for me to keep my home, and to work hard during the day. So this has been on my heart alot lately, and my diet has been put on the back burner a bit, so I haven't been doing as well. It's hard, I go back & forth because on one hand, it's really important that I feel good & eat well - but on the other hand, it seems to make me so focused on myself! I see how it affects me so negatively when I get down on myself for having eaten something not good for me. I'm trying to find the middle ground here and am not sure where it is exactly - I also don't want my entire thoughts to be consumed with trying to be fit by summer. For what? So I can look good for other people? To me, that is just so not what I am supposed to be doing right now. I'm supposed to be working on making things good for my family, for my husband, and really spending time blessing them and looking within myself to find how I can change. To be healthy is good, yes, and that is what I'm trying to focus on.
I'm thankful that I've been able to be very consistent in my workouts - this is going on the 4th week I've been consistently weight-lifting 35 min. 4x a week and interval training by jogging/sprinting/powerwalking 40 min. 3x a week. I do my weight lifting during naptime usually, and then fit in the cardio whenever DH is home to let me go.
Jack is crying now, and this weary momma is going to hopefully be in bed by 10pm tonight. A new day is starting tomorrow.....I really wish I could do 30 days 100% raw again.....it seems to be almost impossible for me right now though. But I keep trying and hopefully one of these days my blog will be really quiet and then I'll announce out of the blue that I'm on day 17 of 100% raw or something like that, LOL. One can dream, anyway. =)
Friday, April 11, 2008
To go running or not to go running, that is the question...
So here's my dilemma. Dh has been sick this whole week, so he's been sleeping in until about 10:30am, then going to work at about noon. Today is my day to go running, and it takes me 40 minutes. It's a gorgeous day outside with blue sky and crisp, clear air at 8:20 in the morning as I'm getting the kids ready for school.
Here's the thing. I get back from taking them at about 8:40. Then I have a choice: go back to bed for a nap of about an hour, then wake up to a busy busy day of feeding the kids, working on the house, selling some stuff on Ebay, etc. I'm DEAD tired because Jack basically cried most of the night (he's really sick with a fever & cough) so I didn't get much sleep.
The question is: after my nap, will I wake up super tired anyway? Or will it actually benefit me to get the sleep? OR would it benefit me more to just get up & get my rear end moving on this beautiful day....? Aaack! Decisions decisions........I'll let you know what I end up doing later on. =)
Here's the thing. I get back from taking them at about 8:40. Then I have a choice: go back to bed for a nap of about an hour, then wake up to a busy busy day of feeding the kids, working on the house, selling some stuff on Ebay, etc. I'm DEAD tired because Jack basically cried most of the night (he's really sick with a fever & cough) so I didn't get much sleep.
The question is: after my nap, will I wake up super tired anyway? Or will it actually benefit me to get the sleep? OR would it benefit me more to just get up & get my rear end moving on this beautiful day....? Aaack! Decisions decisions........I'll let you know what I end up doing later on. =)
Thursday, April 10, 2008
I will get through this day!
This is hard! But then, isn't it always? Good things in life generally are not easily attained. Yesterday I made it through but was sorely tempted several times - it's just that, when you're hungry, everything sounds good and starts calling out to you in varying degrees of loudness!
I'm the type of person where I hate to stop doing something once I've started; I don't like to leave things unfinished. So I'll work on a project until I'm so hungry that even hotdogs sound good! 'nuf said. DH just called to say he isn't going to be home from work until 8pm or later, which means...I don't have to cook dinner! At least, not a sophisticated "coming home to a warm yummy dinner for DH" type of meal. And, now I have a bit more time to be on the computer since the kids are having fun outside - and I have the munchies!!!
Twice today I have actually had the offending item IN HAND before I forced myself to put it back, it's not worth it! That would be, a box of Wheat Thins & a frozen tortellini w/alfredo sauce & parmesan cheese microwave meal - my favorite! I just keep thinking about how much fun it is to weigh in the morning, and how I look forward to it when I go to bed...kind of like a reward for being so good all day.
So I forced myself to grab a bunch of bananas instead. And now that I'm done with 6 medium-sized bananas, the thought of the tortellini or the wheat thins is like....bleh. So - one victory down, a million more to go - LOL! I am so motivated by the SUNNY days and the beautiful colors outside, and also the pretty palette of colors in the department stores when I go shopping. The colors this season are vivid blues, greens, pinks - all of which look so fresh and totally motivate me to keep working hard to have a healthy & fun summer.
Today my daughter & I were dancing around the living room, and then I showed her how to do leap frog over my back, then I did it to her. And the other day we were doing the hula-hoop - and I just kept thinking how awesome it feels to feel.....young. To have energy, and to know that I've been building my body strong by lifting weights and running, so that I can jump up & play with my kids when the moment calls for it. I don't feel as fragile, but strong and able to be a kid with them. That is why I'm so excited for summer - lots of running and playing together with long walks and sitting in fields telling stories.....picking blueberries....bike rides.....playing tag!
Hi, my name is Sherah. I'm 31 and addicted to a life full of LIFE!!!!
My weight! I forgot to let you know - on the day after our challenge was up, day 31, with about 7 "cheat days" in the challenge, I officially reached my pre-baby weight of 134lbs!! I'm very excited because eating low fat & working out 6 days a week is really working for me. I'm really happy with the results I've been getting, and I can't imagine what they'll be like when I reach my goal of 120lbs. I have a loose date set for June 1st, to be 120lbs by then. I do know, that muscle weighs more than fat so I'm perfectly happy to lose more fat & gain muscle, and thus not even reach my goal weight. And by the way, the ideal weight for someone my height of 5'3" and smaller bones is about 110-115.
So after our challenge I ate some junk and also ate raw several days in a row, so maintained my weight of about 135-136 and this morning, was at 134 again! Hurray! I'm very curious to see if this is going to stay, or if it'll kind of jump around before it goes down any further. So the VERY lowest I have ever been, since having baby #2 back in 2001, is 132. So in 2001 I weighed 132, and the next time I ever weighed that low was a year ago, January '07 after I completed at 39-day master cleanse. It would be truly phenomenal for me to be able to say I got down to 132 and not even cleansing - but just eating mostly raw and working my body.
I'm the type of person where I hate to stop doing something once I've started; I don't like to leave things unfinished. So I'll work on a project until I'm so hungry that even hotdogs sound good! 'nuf said. DH just called to say he isn't going to be home from work until 8pm or later, which means...I don't have to cook dinner! At least, not a sophisticated "coming home to a warm yummy dinner for DH" type of meal. And, now I have a bit more time to be on the computer since the kids are having fun outside - and I have the munchies!!!
Twice today I have actually had the offending item IN HAND before I forced myself to put it back, it's not worth it! That would be, a box of Wheat Thins & a frozen tortellini w/alfredo sauce & parmesan cheese microwave meal - my favorite! I just keep thinking about how much fun it is to weigh in the morning, and how I look forward to it when I go to bed...kind of like a reward for being so good all day.
So I forced myself to grab a bunch of bananas instead. And now that I'm done with 6 medium-sized bananas, the thought of the tortellini or the wheat thins is like....bleh. So - one victory down, a million more to go - LOL! I am so motivated by the SUNNY days and the beautiful colors outside, and also the pretty palette of colors in the department stores when I go shopping. The colors this season are vivid blues, greens, pinks - all of which look so fresh and totally motivate me to keep working hard to have a healthy & fun summer.
Today my daughter & I were dancing around the living room, and then I showed her how to do leap frog over my back, then I did it to her. And the other day we were doing the hula-hoop - and I just kept thinking how awesome it feels to feel.....young. To have energy, and to know that I've been building my body strong by lifting weights and running, so that I can jump up & play with my kids when the moment calls for it. I don't feel as fragile, but strong and able to be a kid with them. That is why I'm so excited for summer - lots of running and playing together with long walks and sitting in fields telling stories.....picking blueberries....bike rides.....playing tag!
Hi, my name is Sherah. I'm 31 and addicted to a life full of LIFE!!!!
My weight! I forgot to let you know - on the day after our challenge was up, day 31, with about 7 "cheat days" in the challenge, I officially reached my pre-baby weight of 134lbs!! I'm very excited because eating low fat & working out 6 days a week is really working for me. I'm really happy with the results I've been getting, and I can't imagine what they'll be like when I reach my goal of 120lbs. I have a loose date set for June 1st, to be 120lbs by then. I do know, that muscle weighs more than fat so I'm perfectly happy to lose more fat & gain muscle, and thus not even reach my goal weight. And by the way, the ideal weight for someone my height of 5'3" and smaller bones is about 110-115.
So after our challenge I ate some junk and also ate raw several days in a row, so maintained my weight of about 135-136 and this morning, was at 134 again! Hurray! I'm very curious to see if this is going to stay, or if it'll kind of jump around before it goes down any further. So the VERY lowest I have ever been, since having baby #2 back in 2001, is 132. So in 2001 I weighed 132, and the next time I ever weighed that low was a year ago, January '07 after I completed at 39-day master cleanse. It would be truly phenomenal for me to be able to say I got down to 132 and not even cleansing - but just eating mostly raw and working my body.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
FABULOUS RESULTS!!!!
I am SUPER excited to say that I am now, finally, seeing fabulous results!!! Day 30 of my friend & my challenge was on Saturday the 5th, and we did make it, although limping somewhat. =) Several days, probably 7 total during that time, I wasn't able to eat 100% raw but on those days I at at least half, and every day kept trying.
But I think that the reason I'm seeing good results is because I got inspired exactly 2 weeks ago from today, to work out HARD again. I've been doing a video called T-Tapp which was really nice to have after the baby was born when I didn't feel like I was up to anything harder. Don't get me wrong, the video is a HARD workout and honestly I was never able to get through the entire thing since the baby was born.
But I am just more of a physical type of working out person. (was that even a grammatically correct sentence? LOL!) So I dug out my old weight lifting routine specifically designed for me by an online trainer after I had baby #3 back in 2002. I got super excited and started reading a bit online and the next day, bam, I went for it 100%.
I haven't looked back ever since!! It has been amazing and now I know, this is the missing link to eating raw and the reason why I have not been progressing as far as I would have liked. I don't know where it's come from, but I have had total motivation to complete each workout - it's awesome! So here's what I do, currently - these are about 30 min. sessions of weight training each day:
Mon - legs (quadriceps) & chest
Tues - 40 min. powerwalking w/1 min. sprinting 5x
Wed - shoulders, abs, & calves
Thurs - back & legs (hamstrings)
Fri - 40 min. powerwalking w/1 min. sprinting 5x
Sat - arms (biceps & triceps) & 30 min. powerwalking
Sun - day off
I wake up every single morning feeling more trim than the day before, I love it! All my jeans are loose after wearing them for half a day - the first half they fit perfectly (after being washed). I don't have one pair of jeans that is too small now; I don't think I've been this small in years & years. My belt is getting tighter, and the best thing of all - my "muffin tops" (flab of baby momma skin over my waistline) is getting smaller and so is my tummy! I don't look toned at all, yet - but I definitely feel stronger and my legs & butt especially lean more towards feeling hard & firm instead of flabby and squishy with just a wimpy amount of muscle. (but they still look squishy, LOL)
The tricky part is fitting it into my day. With six kids, it's not that easy - but I have found that whatever I give priority to, happens that day if I make it so. So in the morning I give priority to a nap if needed and then cleaning the house....also spending time with the kids if they need me to. During naptime THE priority is working out, and the kids' quiet time is from 1-3pm so anywhere in there, I fit it in, usually at 2pm. Sometimes I only do half, then that night I'll make up the other half or if I'm gone all day, I'll do my workout at about 8:30 after the kids are in bed.
Powerwalking/sprinting is alot harder because I don't have a treadmill, stationary bike, or any other way to do cardio here at home. I've had to rely on DH coming home early enough for me to do it while it's still light, but I've run into the problem of taking 40 minutes out of the evening when it's dinner time, homework, cleaning up, family time, bedtime, etc. It kind of all meshes together - it seems like 5pm-8:30pm are my absolute busiest times of the day! I just didn't feel right about leaving during that time.
I was getting really frustrated to be missing my cardio sessions, but also trying not to have demands on DH too.....I am determined not to let my weight loss goals interfere with the family in any way. Like also, telling the kids to LEAVE ME ALONE as I'm trying to lift the heavy weights =) I want them to feel like they ARE the most important thing to me and working out is not more important than them.
Anyway, up until now I have been a bit scared to go out alone on the streets at night. It just kind of gave me the heebie jeebies. That is, until two nights ago, when I had this absolute ITCH to go go go go go go get my body moving. It was about 9pm and there was this press to get energy out or something. And I can't contribute that to raw energy, because that particular day I had indulged in some wheat thin crackers and some other stuff like peanuts and a couple of heavy granola bars. I think it was partly my trying to get it out of my system, and burn off the calories, actually.
So - I did it!! I put on DH's humungo reflective jacket made for construction working, and set off to do my 30 min. powerwalk. Oh wow. I have really been missing out!! It was absolutely lovely....the streets were all lit up - I didn't realize how bright it actually is around here at night! I made sure to walk only on the main streets that are well lit (and just FYI, I am in a really family friendly, nice newer neighborhood) and was even able to do this funny walk where I stretch my legs as farrrrr as I can with each step and really work the walk wiggling my butt, sucking in my stomach. I probably wouldn't have had the guts to do that if it were broad daylight, LOL! I felt like I was in my own little world with my thoughts....it was a really nice time alone. I think I prefer it now! And no more stressing out because DH isn't going to be home on Tues/Thurs/Sat for me to go out. The air was crisp, clear, and my lungs felt awesome afterwards, as did my legs, abs, & butt (especially the next day, LOL!)
So I have no idea why it's been so easy for me to do these workouts - and by easy I mean, psychologically; the workouts themselves are NOT physically easy. Especially lunges! But I'm going to ride this wave as long as it cares to take me with it, for sure! One thing I keep thinking about is summer summer summer and how I am so excited not to feel dowdy and fat and flabby this summer. Last summer I had the cute little 5 month pregnant belly and was for the most part happy with how I looked (I mean after all, I had an excuse!) - but the summer before that, when I'd just had a baby in May, I was truly miserable. I know it is all what you make of it - and I let myself feel that way - but I just don't want to ever feel like that again. So it'll be fun to see the difference this time.
And also, totally off topic, I am enjoying my baby soooooooo much. He is almost 4 months old, can you believe it?? He is the sweetest little guy ever, and lately I've been thinking that I just would love to have another one. Ha ha - isn't that always how it goes? For me, it totally is. I'm very very overwhelmed after the newest one arrives, and once things settle down I get a yearning for the whole experience again. I think part of it also has to do with how good I felt during my last pregnancy due to eating raw (vs. 5 awful previous pregnancies on SAD), and that is definitely something not to dread, but to look forward to repeating! So I truly hope God has another one in store for us....I look into Jack's eyes and think, another one of these? Those sweet innocent baby blue eyes looking back at me, full of love, contentment, and smiles. So pure, so loving and in rest about everything. Until he gets hungry, LOL. But you know what I mean?
On another note, I have been thinking alot about emotional eating and why it is that I tend to want to binge. Then I got a big, huge, DUH. It's obviously because I'm restricting myself to a very limited amount of foods (not really considering there are SO many fruits & veggies out there, but you know what I mean) but mostly it's because I keep having this "forever" mentality.
Like I'll say, okay, today starts a 30-day challenge and I am not eating ONE bite of cooked food until the 30 days are up. Then I start getting this OMG GIVE IT TO ME sort of mentality, like I absolutely am going to die if I don't eat it since it is going to be forever until I can have it again. 30 days really is a long time. And most of all, the night before the 30 day challenge starts, I eat anything & everything in site that remotely tastes good because starting tomorrow, it's nothing allowed. I think I almost force myself to binge with that kind of thinking.
I've been modifying & tweaking things for a while now, and I think I might have it down...we'll see. I'm going to start doing mini challenges for myself, 10 days each. On the 11th day IF I want to, I am allowing myself to eat whatever I want, in moderate amounts. No eating half the bag of Cheeto's, or half the batch of cookies - or an ENTIRE plate of deluxe nachos. But I can have what I have been craving for the past 10 days, as long as it's not meat (except salmon). I also am allowing a night out here & there with DH as it fits and/or comes up - so that I can get salmon & steamed veggies which I am perfectly happy with.
So today starts a 10-day mini challenge for me, and the 11th day is next Saturday the 20th. I'm currently eating low fat raw still, mostly mono meals and very little overt fats (in other words, I don't add much fat to my diet but I do get the fat in fruit so about 8-10% fat overall per day). I do have cooked/boiled/steamed veggies sometimes in coconut oil, mostly asparagus & broccoli with onions & garlic sometimes, no seasonings or salt. For the most part I eat foods whole (not blended w/the exception of OJ) and my current variety of foods is: bananas, oranges, mangos, avocados, green/red leaf lettuce, spinach, romaine, strawberries, asparagus, carrots, onions, garlic, pineapple, broccoli, kiwi, grapes, dates, and apples. I don't have any nuts in stock at all, so I'm not eating those - they all give me a stomach-ache anyway.
It's 2pm and I'm off to do my workout for the day - I loooooooooooooooooove how I feel the next day when I'm all sore & knowing that I kicked butt the previous day. I'll probably post new pictures as soon as you can see a significant difference.....mostly I'm looking for my stomach & muffin tops to disappear. And by the way, you can't see the muffin tops in my "3 months PP" pictures to the right. You only see them when I wear a belt so....that's why you can't tell. =)
But I think that the reason I'm seeing good results is because I got inspired exactly 2 weeks ago from today, to work out HARD again. I've been doing a video called T-Tapp which was really nice to have after the baby was born when I didn't feel like I was up to anything harder. Don't get me wrong, the video is a HARD workout and honestly I was never able to get through the entire thing since the baby was born.
But I am just more of a physical type of working out person. (was that even a grammatically correct sentence? LOL!) So I dug out my old weight lifting routine specifically designed for me by an online trainer after I had baby #3 back in 2002. I got super excited and started reading a bit online and the next day, bam, I went for it 100%.
I haven't looked back ever since!! It has been amazing and now I know, this is the missing link to eating raw and the reason why I have not been progressing as far as I would have liked. I don't know where it's come from, but I have had total motivation to complete each workout - it's awesome! So here's what I do, currently - these are about 30 min. sessions of weight training each day:
Mon - legs (quadriceps) & chest
Tues - 40 min. powerwalking w/1 min. sprinting 5x
Wed - shoulders, abs, & calves
Thurs - back & legs (hamstrings)
Fri - 40 min. powerwalking w/1 min. sprinting 5x
Sat - arms (biceps & triceps) & 30 min. powerwalking
Sun - day off
I wake up every single morning feeling more trim than the day before, I love it! All my jeans are loose after wearing them for half a day - the first half they fit perfectly (after being washed). I don't have one pair of jeans that is too small now; I don't think I've been this small in years & years. My belt is getting tighter, and the best thing of all - my "muffin tops" (flab of baby momma skin over my waistline) is getting smaller and so is my tummy! I don't look toned at all, yet - but I definitely feel stronger and my legs & butt especially lean more towards feeling hard & firm instead of flabby and squishy with just a wimpy amount of muscle. (but they still look squishy, LOL)
The tricky part is fitting it into my day. With six kids, it's not that easy - but I have found that whatever I give priority to, happens that day if I make it so. So in the morning I give priority to a nap if needed and then cleaning the house....also spending time with the kids if they need me to. During naptime THE priority is working out, and the kids' quiet time is from 1-3pm so anywhere in there, I fit it in, usually at 2pm. Sometimes I only do half, then that night I'll make up the other half or if I'm gone all day, I'll do my workout at about 8:30 after the kids are in bed.
Powerwalking/sprinting is alot harder because I don't have a treadmill, stationary bike, or any other way to do cardio here at home. I've had to rely on DH coming home early enough for me to do it while it's still light, but I've run into the problem of taking 40 minutes out of the evening when it's dinner time, homework, cleaning up, family time, bedtime, etc. It kind of all meshes together - it seems like 5pm-8:30pm are my absolute busiest times of the day! I just didn't feel right about leaving during that time.
I was getting really frustrated to be missing my cardio sessions, but also trying not to have demands on DH too.....I am determined not to let my weight loss goals interfere with the family in any way. Like also, telling the kids to LEAVE ME ALONE as I'm trying to lift the heavy weights =) I want them to feel like they ARE the most important thing to me and working out is not more important than them.
Anyway, up until now I have been a bit scared to go out alone on the streets at night. It just kind of gave me the heebie jeebies. That is, until two nights ago, when I had this absolute ITCH to go go go go go go get my body moving. It was about 9pm and there was this press to get energy out or something. And I can't contribute that to raw energy, because that particular day I had indulged in some wheat thin crackers and some other stuff like peanuts and a couple of heavy granola bars. I think it was partly my trying to get it out of my system, and burn off the calories, actually.
So - I did it!! I put on DH's humungo reflective jacket made for construction working, and set off to do my 30 min. powerwalk. Oh wow. I have really been missing out!! It was absolutely lovely....the streets were all lit up - I didn't realize how bright it actually is around here at night! I made sure to walk only on the main streets that are well lit (and just FYI, I am in a really family friendly, nice newer neighborhood) and was even able to do this funny walk where I stretch my legs as farrrrr as I can with each step and really work the walk wiggling my butt, sucking in my stomach. I probably wouldn't have had the guts to do that if it were broad daylight, LOL! I felt like I was in my own little world with my thoughts....it was a really nice time alone. I think I prefer it now! And no more stressing out because DH isn't going to be home on Tues/Thurs/Sat for me to go out. The air was crisp, clear, and my lungs felt awesome afterwards, as did my legs, abs, & butt (especially the next day, LOL!)
So I have no idea why it's been so easy for me to do these workouts - and by easy I mean, psychologically; the workouts themselves are NOT physically easy. Especially lunges! But I'm going to ride this wave as long as it cares to take me with it, for sure! One thing I keep thinking about is summer summer summer and how I am so excited not to feel dowdy and fat and flabby this summer. Last summer I had the cute little 5 month pregnant belly and was for the most part happy with how I looked (I mean after all, I had an excuse!) - but the summer before that, when I'd just had a baby in May, I was truly miserable. I know it is all what you make of it - and I let myself feel that way - but I just don't want to ever feel like that again. So it'll be fun to see the difference this time.
And also, totally off topic, I am enjoying my baby soooooooo much. He is almost 4 months old, can you believe it?? He is the sweetest little guy ever, and lately I've been thinking that I just would love to have another one. Ha ha - isn't that always how it goes? For me, it totally is. I'm very very overwhelmed after the newest one arrives, and once things settle down I get a yearning for the whole experience again. I think part of it also has to do with how good I felt during my last pregnancy due to eating raw (vs. 5 awful previous pregnancies on SAD), and that is definitely something not to dread, but to look forward to repeating! So I truly hope God has another one in store for us....I look into Jack's eyes and think, another one of these? Those sweet innocent baby blue eyes looking back at me, full of love, contentment, and smiles. So pure, so loving and in rest about everything. Until he gets hungry, LOL. But you know what I mean?
On another note, I have been thinking alot about emotional eating and why it is that I tend to want to binge. Then I got a big, huge, DUH. It's obviously because I'm restricting myself to a very limited amount of foods (not really considering there are SO many fruits & veggies out there, but you know what I mean) but mostly it's because I keep having this "forever" mentality.
Like I'll say, okay, today starts a 30-day challenge and I am not eating ONE bite of cooked food until the 30 days are up. Then I start getting this OMG GIVE IT TO ME sort of mentality, like I absolutely am going to die if I don't eat it since it is going to be forever until I can have it again. 30 days really is a long time. And most of all, the night before the 30 day challenge starts, I eat anything & everything in site that remotely tastes good because starting tomorrow, it's nothing allowed. I think I almost force myself to binge with that kind of thinking.
I've been modifying & tweaking things for a while now, and I think I might have it down...we'll see. I'm going to start doing mini challenges for myself, 10 days each. On the 11th day IF I want to, I am allowing myself to eat whatever I want, in moderate amounts. No eating half the bag of Cheeto's, or half the batch of cookies - or an ENTIRE plate of deluxe nachos. But I can have what I have been craving for the past 10 days, as long as it's not meat (except salmon). I also am allowing a night out here & there with DH as it fits and/or comes up - so that I can get salmon & steamed veggies which I am perfectly happy with.
So today starts a 10-day mini challenge for me, and the 11th day is next Saturday the 20th. I'm currently eating low fat raw still, mostly mono meals and very little overt fats (in other words, I don't add much fat to my diet but I do get the fat in fruit so about 8-10% fat overall per day). I do have cooked/boiled/steamed veggies sometimes in coconut oil, mostly asparagus & broccoli with onions & garlic sometimes, no seasonings or salt. For the most part I eat foods whole (not blended w/the exception of OJ) and my current variety of foods is: bananas, oranges, mangos, avocados, green/red leaf lettuce, spinach, romaine, strawberries, asparagus, carrots, onions, garlic, pineapple, broccoli, kiwi, grapes, dates, and apples. I don't have any nuts in stock at all, so I'm not eating those - they all give me a stomach-ache anyway.
It's 2pm and I'm off to do my workout for the day - I loooooooooooooooooove how I feel the next day when I'm all sore & knowing that I kicked butt the previous day. I'll probably post new pictures as soon as you can see a significant difference.....mostly I'm looking for my stomach & muffin tops to disappear. And by the way, you can't see the muffin tops in my "3 months PP" pictures to the right. You only see them when I wear a belt so....that's why you can't tell. =)
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