Why doesn't our body come with an owner's manual?

I'm still having a big issue with writer's block, this sentence alone took me five six days to write. The past six or so weeks have been a roller coaster with out of whack hormones and stress induced depression. Every morning I wake up with determination to get back on track with my healthy eating and by mid afternoon it goes down hill very quickly. If only our bodies would come with an owner's manual to help combat these tough times.

Honestly, I'm amazed that I've only gained about 8 pounds back over the past month. Not that I'm proud of that but, with the amount of unhealthy food I've consumed, I should have put on 20lbs.  I've had countless doctor's appointments and think that I'm on the path to recovery. The problem is I'm not there yet and I need to overcome the urges I have to eat junk food in order to create an imaginary happiness.

Where do I go from here?

1) Continue teaching classes at the Y and start back up with running
2) Begin regularly blogging and journaling about my progress to hold myself accountable
3) Faithfully record my food and exercise on Myfitnesspal as well as in the accountability group I'm in on FB
4) Redo body measurements, find out my body fat %, and take a "before" picture
5) Daily meditation to help reduce stress
6) Begin every day with prayer, reevaluating my goals/ looking over my vision board
7) Pray for strength, will power, and faith & knowledge that God is in charge and that I must trust in Him!

Spring into New Goals

I spent some of this afternoon looking through my old blog posts and reflecting on this journey. I looked at my initial goals, to lose 30 pounds and to be able to run a 10K, both of which I have done. My goals have been achieved and with Spring right around the corner it is a great time to set new goals for myself to keep myself accountable. I have been debating with myself all week about what my next course of action should be. I have been very stressed out lately and extremely frustrated with my bicep tendon still on the fritz and the inability to lift/ go to my favorite Chisel classes. I am struggling to find balance and would like to lift this cloud of despair.

My goals for the near future reflect my need for more happiness, self control, and peace.

1) More and better sleep: My goal will be to eventually get at least 7 hours of sleep every night (of course knowing I have no control over whether my children allow for that), to go to bed earlier and to "unplug" at an earlier time each night to allow myself to unwind.

2) Figure out what my body fat percentage is and then work toward 22% (Body fat percentage chart)

3) Spend 10 minutes each day in prayer/ mediation

4) Sign up for and train for a Triathlon this summer

5) Drastically lesson the usage of electronics in the evening and increase the amount of quality family time (even if that means homework and running to soccer and baseball)

6) Figure out how much I can take on and learn to say "No" without feeling guilty

I don't know if I dare set any more goals since this list seems daunting enough, I do want to increase my water and produce and lesson my processed foods but I will take it slow or I know that I will fail miserably.

I have to say, this week I only worked out a couple days and I ate whatever I wanted. The lesson I learned, eating garbage makes me feel like garbage and not working out and getting those extra endorphins puts me in a crabby mood. I greatly enjoyed not "worrying" about what was going into my body but my body did not appreciate it. I don't regret taking the week off and believe it helped me realize how far I've come and how much I've changed.

Count your blessings, set your goals, and have a great week! <3

Reaching your goal and the depression that follows

I did it! I reached my goal weight for the YMCA weight loss challenge that began in January. I was really certain that I wasn't going to get there but I worked my butt off (literally) and succeeded. The goal was 140 lbs. and has been my ultimate goal since the beginning. I'm thoroughly elated and received a huge hug from a Y staff member that was rooting for me. It was a wonderful moment.

You would assume that I am living on cloud nine... but I'm not. Here's the thing, I worked so hard for more than a year, made sacrifices, pushed myself further than I ever have before. I've created a new, healthier version of myself and have had a constant goal in mind. Now that I've reached this goal I think I had built up the final result. In my mind, once I obtained my goal I think I expected fireworks, confetti, balloons, a party, etc. I assumed that the minute that number appeared on the scale my life would be radically changed. What a terrible, gut wrenching feeling to discover that, after the initial elation, you are still the same you, no fairy godmother has transformed your existence.

This heartache lasted (and will continue to some extent to last a little while longer) until I had some reflection time while doing dishes this evening. I have radically changed and transformed, it did not happen overnight but in a long progression of time. My go to snacks and meals have changed, what I considered a binge is drastically less than what it used to be, I look forward to working out and have been slowly passing these habits onto my children.

I may not have a party, confetti, or balloons but I can be proud of the journey I've taken and grateful for the blessings I've received. I'm also excited to create another goal for myself after enjoying this week off from scales and the stress of losing weight.

Made my goal weight!

Tribulation or Celebration

This evening I had a revelation!

I have been upset since injuring my back a couple weeks ago and had to take a huge step back in my workout routine and also increased my stress eating (regrettably). My weight loss challenge at the Y ends in a little over a week and I have about 6 more pounds to lose. I've been beating myself up over it for awhile and then had a light bulb moment today.

Here I am trying to not lose my $50 and to make my goal weight when I have SOO many more important things that I could be celebrating! I have never been in this good of shape, I feel great (other than a few aches and pains), I fit into clothes that I never imagined wearing. I went from XL to S and 14 to 4, so why am I still struggling to embrace my success? Why do I have to keep pushing myself to the next level?

I believe it's completely based on fear. I am terrified that if I don't continue to reach for the next goal that I will revert to prior habits and slowly, but surely, gain every ounce back and return to every unhealthy habit. How can I get past this overwhelming trepidation? 

The answer has been calling to me for the past two weeks.... giving it to God. In the past two weeks I have been to Mass several times and read scripture with my fifth graders as well as some on my own. I always listen for meaning and heard several times words of fasting and having inner strength. I still hold strong that those words were for me but today I also reflected and realized that He's been trying to tell me to give all my worries up to Him. Not an easy task, but I've decided that I need to try my best and allow myself to revel in this success knowing that I have been on this path long enough that I have created habits that will not be easily broken. 

I will keep my goal weight but will not stress about trying to get there in the next week. This month and a half has been rough, unforeseen circumstances that were out of my control. I have learned that this journey is not a sprint, it's a marathon and I am in it for the long haul. I will NOT stress about possibly/ probably failing this weight loss challenge but, instead, will be grateful that it allowed me to take another step into my future of a healthier lifestyle.

For now, I give my worries to God and will enjoy the weekend with my beautiful, healthy family! 

When's the last time you were actually hungry?

When's the last time you had actual hunger pains?

I feel that many of us tell ourselves that we are hungry because we are creatures of habit. We wake up and are set on auto pilot. Most of us eat our meals at fairly consistent times, which is definitely not a bad thing. Most of us snack during the day as well to keep hunger at bay. My question, does our hunger need to stay at bay?

I understand the idea of not allowing yourself to get famished and thus binge but, a member at a recent weight watchers meeting said something that really struck me. She mentioned that after starting weight watchers she was reminded what it felt like to be hungry. She didn't mean it in a negative way but in the sense that she had constantly been feeding herself prior. It was very profound to me as I am doing a fast/ cleanse currently (for the second time- see my post in August), and I DO know what it feels like to be hungry. This made me think about how, in the past, I don't know if I could count the number of times I ate because I was really hungry AND only ate to feed the hunger with nutritious foods. 

Our bodies were not meant to be garbage disposals, what we eat is meant to provide us with fuel and nutrition to help us and not reward ourselves. Another great thought, we eat to live not live to eat. We need to be aware of our body, the signals it gives and work on our will power muscles. I think it's okay to be hungry sometimes, to feel the signal our body is meant to give us to tell us it's time to refuel. Allowing that hunger and then resisting the urge to overfill with copious amounts of unhealthy foods will force that will power muscle to thrive. 

Take the challenge but plan ahead. Know that you are going to wait to be hungry but have a healthy snack waiting (portioned out) and absolutely no junk food nearby. I am finishing up this three day fast/ cleanse and know that when I did it a few months ago, I decided to reward myself (like a dog) with treats the next day and the next day after that... Not this time, this time I have learned from the past three days that it's okay to feel hunger, I do feel satisfied by refueling with vegetables and fruits, I enjoy green tea and unsweetened iced tea, I need to drink WAY more water, and I found a awesome new salad that I love!

Have a blessed week!

Plan of Action

I'm pretty sure my givadamn is broke. Between severe back pain, the medicine I am taking to counter the pain, and the inability to get a quality workout I have thrown myself an epic pity party including 5 pounds of chocolate, well, not really... but it feels like it since I did gain that much over the past few days. What really torks me off is that it's all my own fault. I am the one that hurt my back and then, instead of altering my diet to counter my decreasing workout schedule, I upped my chocolate. Arg... I am so angry and I have 3 weeks until the end of my weight loss challenge group. I really need to amp up my efforts, like an elite athlete training for the Olympics or something.

Sorry, had to vent. I feel a little better, just need to get my back in tip top shape and then I can start working out a little smarter. I know that my pain is from bad sleep in combination with moving a heavy desk and sitting on the floor playing with a cute little two year old for hours last weekend.

My three week plan of attack:

Step One: Follow a 3 Day Refresh
Step Two: Load up on fruits & veggies (at least 7 servings a day)
Step Three: Drastically decrease dairy & carb intake
Step Four: Increase my water intake to 12 cups a day or more
Step Five: Workout every day but only as much as the body & time allow (no overdoing anything but at least walking some everyday).
Step Six: Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night
Step Seven: 30 minutes of Yoga three times
Step Eight: Refrain from drinking all pop and alcoholic beverages
Step Nine: Submit a blog post twice a week to hold myself accountable and encourage all others on this journey.

I know that's a lot of steps but I feel very optimistic about it. If you need encouragement or advice please feel free to comment below, facebook message me, or email (katidid04@hotmail.com).

Be Part of the 8%

I have been teaching different aerobic classes once a week for the past month and have noticed a disheartening trend, less and less of the new faces are attending class. After teaching class last night I decided to look up the statistics on how long new year's resolutions typically hold out. The numbers are not too bad to start with 75% making it through the first week of their resolutions, 64% through the first month, and 46% past 6 months. However, the percentage that are successful at achieving their resolution is a staggering 8%. (Statistic Brain)

Contrary to many sources which claim that it takes a mere 21 days to create a new habit, other research has shown that it can ranch from 18 - 254 days. A more realistic average is about 66 days. What does this mean? It means DON'T LOSE FAITH!!! Maybe you worked your butt off the first week and slowly returned to your pre-resolution habits? Or you pushed yourself and made it all the way through a program or a cleanse and feel that you "earned" a reward day that turned into a few days and then a couple weeks, etc. If this sounds like something you are doing, STOP, re-evaluate, believe in yourself, and move forward without dwelling on past mistakes.

What are other ways can you ensure a spot in the elite 8% success rate? Today a friend shared a blog that, in my opinion, hit the nail right on the head. It's title "The brutally honest 6 reasons you are still overfat" tells it all. Although it has some vulgar language, the message holds true. A couple of the points really struck a cord with me. Knowing whether someone is going to be successful based on if they own up to their failures or if they blame everything on others. I've been there, done that and completely understand that if you can't accept that you are in charge of your decisions and can say NO you will not succeed. You CAN say no to treats at work and you CAN pre plan for busy days to ensure you aren't going through the drive through for a quick, unhealthy meal. Stop blaming others and circumstances, pull up your big girl panties and take control!

The author, Coach Taylor, also talks about how the definition of a treat has become so skewed. When I was growing up we had homemade meals around the dinner table and had fast food only a handful of times per year. Now a days, fast food has become a main stay in many households because of busy schedules. Pop, candy, chips, etc. also used to be a special treat that we had for special occasions such as Halloween, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, etc. and not something that was a staple in everyone's pantry. I'm not pointing fingers because I'd be throwing rocks at glass houses. This article was such an eye opener for me that I hope others will see it as a motivator to either stay the course of improving their lifestyles in healthy ways or they will begin their journey to healthy living. 

Remember, YOU are in charge of your success, don't make excuses! Be resolved to continue your transformation into a healthier you and be part of that 8%.