Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Low Carb Flu and progress
I haven't been on in ten days to blog. I wanted to, but this low carb flu and other side effects of changing my diet are killing me. I really feel like I have the flu. I did lose 6lbs since I last wrote. So thats something. I can't say that I stuck to the diet completely. I just couldn't take it. The upped protein helped some, but I have done more research and have learned that maybe a healthy fat like avocado would have worked better. So back at it. Hopefully I can kick the brown rice I have been using for relief. Its not much rice at all, but it made it so my head wasn't splitting! I have avocados (which I love) and nuts for my healthy filler fats. I'm back in the game to try and rid myself of grains. I am hoping with all the wisdom I gained from Mark's Daily Apple I can do this. There are so many succes stories on his site. I would love to look back in X amount of months and be able to add my own story. I hope someday to own his book. He talks about a way of life that he calls the "Primal Blueprint". Its not Paleo, but I believe that its probably better than Paleo in that healthy fats are encouraged and it embraces lifestyle change also and not just diet. So I guess I would like to change my 30 day Paleo Challenge to a 30 day Primal Challenge and really try to embrace a healthier lifestyle. I do have to acknowledge that despite all the icky feeling I have seen good side effects too. Since I have come as close as possible to being Primal I have noticed a surge in energy. I am getting off of my butt and doing things that I don't normally have the energy to do. If I can kick this headache and body aches I feel like I would unstoppable. I am going to be able to keep my house cleaner, play with my kids more, have more time and energy for my husband, and greatest of all have time for myself and my pursuits. I can't wait to get past this funk and reap the full benefits of this lifestyle.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Concrete reasons
Healthy choices are going to feel like torture unless you've got a concrete reason behind them. Thats a line that I paraphrased from Jillian Michaels. Its resonated with me these last few days. I have found my choices have not been so hard this time around. For the first time ever I have found myself not even tempted by some of the things I craved. I have my reasons why I want this change, this transformation. I also know that no one else can bring me to the position I want. I have to do this, so I need to get my head in the game.
Speaking of head, I have a killer migraine! I haven't been blogging the last couple days because of it. I also am experiencing a ton of fatigue and muscle aches. I did some research on line and I learned that its carb/sugar withdrawals. I was a bit surprised by that information. I didn't eat a lot of sweets or wheat products. So I did a lot of investigating in my kitchen for hidden sugars. I think that might be part of the cause, that and rice. I did eat a lot of curries over brown rice. I hope this feeling passes soon. I do feel a lot better today, after implementing some of the strategies I read. I have upped my protein and lowered my work out time and intensity for the time being. I am hoping the protein helps restore my energy and cutting back on the work outs temporarily will allow me to conserve some of that. I have read that this withdrawal can last a couple of weeks. I sure hope I get over it quicker. I am determined to make it through and not give up on this 30 day challenge. Yesterday the headache got so bad that no OTC meds were touching it. I really didn't want to, but I ate something with grains and my headache disappeared within 15 minutes. I was then able to function headache free for about an hour and get my kids in bed. I am hoping not to have to do that after a couple more days. My hope is that the pain, fatigue, and aches will be tolerable enough by then. I don't feel bad for eating grains, because I want to take care of my body and if a small amount of grains will help my body feel better while its transitioning thats ok with me.
Despite all this I do have my reasons why I am going to keep pushing and why no obstacle like withdrawals are going to make me stop. I might have a setback along the way, but I will eventually make my goals if I keep my reasons in my mind as motiviation.
My concrete reasons are:
* I've got 150 lbs of lean mass buried under layers of fat and I want to get down closer to that number.
* I want to see my children's children grow up.
* I want to feel lighter on my feet.
* I want to feel as comfortable in my own skin as possible.
* I want to inspire my children to live a happy and healthy life.
* I want the oodles and oodles of confidence that seems to come when you care for yourself.
* I want to look hot!
* I want my husband to feel like he has that hot trophy wife!
I am sure there will be more reasons as time goes on. Thats what I have for now and its good enough to sustain me.
Speaking of head, I have a killer migraine! I haven't been blogging the last couple days because of it. I also am experiencing a ton of fatigue and muscle aches. I did some research on line and I learned that its carb/sugar withdrawals. I was a bit surprised by that information. I didn't eat a lot of sweets or wheat products. So I did a lot of investigating in my kitchen for hidden sugars. I think that might be part of the cause, that and rice. I did eat a lot of curries over brown rice. I hope this feeling passes soon. I do feel a lot better today, after implementing some of the strategies I read. I have upped my protein and lowered my work out time and intensity for the time being. I am hoping the protein helps restore my energy and cutting back on the work outs temporarily will allow me to conserve some of that. I have read that this withdrawal can last a couple of weeks. I sure hope I get over it quicker. I am determined to make it through and not give up on this 30 day challenge. Yesterday the headache got so bad that no OTC meds were touching it. I really didn't want to, but I ate something with grains and my headache disappeared within 15 minutes. I was then able to function headache free for about an hour and get my kids in bed. I am hoping not to have to do that after a couple more days. My hope is that the pain, fatigue, and aches will be tolerable enough by then. I don't feel bad for eating grains, because I want to take care of my body and if a small amount of grains will help my body feel better while its transitioning thats ok with me.
Despite all this I do have my reasons why I am going to keep pushing and why no obstacle like withdrawals are going to make me stop. I might have a setback along the way, but I will eventually make my goals if I keep my reasons in my mind as motiviation.
My concrete reasons are:
* I've got 150 lbs of lean mass buried under layers of fat and I want to get down closer to that number.
* I want to see my children's children grow up.
* I want to feel lighter on my feet.
* I want to feel as comfortable in my own skin as possible.
* I want to inspire my children to live a happy and healthy life.
* I want the oodles and oodles of confidence that seems to come when you care for yourself.
* I want to look hot!
* I want my husband to feel like he has that hot trophy wife!
I am sure there will be more reasons as time goes on. Thats what I have for now and its good enough to sustain me.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Day one success
Today was my first day on the Paleo diet/lifestyle. I woke up this morning and had to think really hard about what to eat. I usually just grab a small bowl of cereal or grits to satisfy my immediate hunger and then worry about balancing my meal with something green or some fruit. Not the case today since grains are out. I cursed myself for not thinking about this the night before. After drinking a couple of glasses of water to stop the loud growling I could finally think. I settled on a turkey breakfast links with wilted spinach.
I sat down to eat my plate and I felt satisfied for about 45 minutes. I was shocked at how quick I went from satisfied to very hungry. And it wasn't just a little twinge of hunger. This hunger was a beast that took over all my thoughts and would not be ignored. I do believe that hunger has something to do with the small amount of calories consumed compared to the amount of calories expended. Since I don't plan to cut down on exercising or the activites I do around the house I will just have to eat larger portions of my veggies. I also will try to eat a hardier veggie than spinach in the morning. I do often times work out before I eat anything in the morning and I think that a more filling vegetable will make a world of difference. After I got the morning beast under control I wasn't all that hungry throughout the day middle part of the day. Towards the evening when I was more active I noticed that the hunger crept up on me again. Luckily I had just went grocery shopping so I was able to get food in my stomach quickly and fill the hunger. I don't think I have been that hungry since I was pregnant. Anyone who has been pregnant probably knows that crazy hunger you get at times that you just can't seem to stay full. Men if you have ever come upon your largely pregnant wife in the fridge shoveling food into her face nonstop and barely chewing before swallowing you've seen the crazy hunger!
All in all I would say that my first day changing to a Paleo lifestyle has gone pretty well. I did go grocery shopping today and I cut up most of the produce I will need for the week. I think that this will help me a lot. I know myself. In the past if healthy was not easy and fast then I grabbed something quick and unhealthy. Usually a cookie *blush*. Thats the old me, the chick I am trying to change. Today I am a success and I am so proud of that.
I sat down to eat my plate and I felt satisfied for about 45 minutes. I was shocked at how quick I went from satisfied to very hungry. And it wasn't just a little twinge of hunger. This hunger was a beast that took over all my thoughts and would not be ignored. I do believe that hunger has something to do with the small amount of calories consumed compared to the amount of calories expended. Since I don't plan to cut down on exercising or the activites I do around the house I will just have to eat larger portions of my veggies. I also will try to eat a hardier veggie than spinach in the morning. I do often times work out before I eat anything in the morning and I think that a more filling vegetable will make a world of difference. After I got the morning beast under control I wasn't all that hungry throughout the day middle part of the day. Towards the evening when I was more active I noticed that the hunger crept up on me again. Luckily I had just went grocery shopping so I was able to get food in my stomach quickly and fill the hunger. I don't think I have been that hungry since I was pregnant. Anyone who has been pregnant probably knows that crazy hunger you get at times that you just can't seem to stay full. Men if you have ever come upon your largely pregnant wife in the fridge shoveling food into her face nonstop and barely chewing before swallowing you've seen the crazy hunger!
All in all I would say that my first day changing to a Paleo lifestyle has gone pretty well. I did go grocery shopping today and I cut up most of the produce I will need for the week. I think that this will help me a lot. I know myself. In the past if healthy was not easy and fast then I grabbed something quick and unhealthy. Usually a cookie *blush*. Thats the old me, the chick I am trying to change. Today I am a success and I am so proud of that.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Tomorrow is the big day!
Tomorrow I start my new way of eating and new lifestyle. I am still a little unsure as to what that all entails. I did do a lot of research on the Paleo lifestyle and diet and there are so many different versions that it is confusing. I just decided to pick and choose what I think will work for me. So tomorrow I do away with hidden sugars like those in condiments and salad dressings, grains, and legumes. After a week or two I will do away with what little dairy I am still consuming. Some views of the diet say that raw milk and soft cheeses are still okay. I might add these back in at some point in time because I LOVE feta cheese. But for now I am going to wean myself off my feta dependance. I eat feta on my salads quite reguarly, and sprinkle a fine dusting on any veggie that is to bland for me to eat. I also will add some more strength training and ab work to my exercise schedule. I already get about 2 hours of cardio a day and pump iron for at least 30 minutes three times a week. With this new plan I will work on a different section of my body a day for at least 5 days a week.
I expect that eating cleaner and being more physically active will start to banish the last of my sluggishness. I have come a long ways in ridding myself of the sluggishness, bloating and just plain laziness that had taken over my life. Whats sad is that unlike a lot of the people in my weight range I did not suffer from most of the aches and pains that I hear about. I had some, but not the amount a lot of people complain about. I just was to tired and out of breath to get up and do what I needed to do. I just did not have the motivation to do what I needed to do when it was so hard to do. Something finally clicked in my head and now I find myself pushing past my limits and striving to do better. I want to go even farther and I think cleaning up my diet even more will do that.
I have also noticed in the three months since I started to clean up my diet that I have not been able to eat some of the things I used to because they taste rotten, smell or taste like chemicals, or are just plain unappealing anymore. One example of all three is velveeta. Now I never thought velveeta was exactly healthy for my family, but I used it to get them to eat things that were. Pretty much cancelled out some things didn't I? Now velveeta tastes so bad that I just can't even eat the shells and cheese I used to love. I can taste that its not natural, it has like a rotten sour flavor, the texture is gummy and that just makes it unpalatable.
Tomorrow does make me a little bit nervous. I haven't known a life where grains, dairy and legumes were not on my plate daily. We are always told to eat seveal daily servings of grains. The thought of doing away with such a big part of the American diet is daunting. Part of me scoffs at myself, this shouldn't be to hard for me. I have never liked pasta and only ate it when we were broke. I haven't ate bread in quite some time, and I dont' miss it. I still do eat cereal, grits, and oatmeal. I guess I will have to give those up. I love grits, the other two I can take or leave, but my grits... Thats gonna hurt. I will miss cheese. No other way around that one. Cheese is so good. I just don't think that large quantities of cheese are a good idea. I am not sure that even a small amount of cheese is a good idea for me. I love the stuff and I think a small taste would send me down the wrong path. Since I haven't consume much other dairy in months beside a dollop of sour cream here or there I won't feel deprived. How will I ever let go of legumes? Legumes have played a big role in my life. For a part of my upbringing my parents were vegetarian. I ate a TON of legumes. I learned many differnt ways to cook them and they are always something that I can feed my family when I have been to lazy to go shopping. I will miss lentils. I LOVE lentils and I think occasionally I will just have to break down and make a pot. Its interesting to note that some paleo diets say legumes are ok, others say in moderation, and some say never again.
And last but not least, my fat chick in a skinny world moment. Today I had my "last meal" at Chipotles. I decided that the last meal with grains, dairy and legumes was not going to be one that I had to cook. Well after going through line I sat down on one of their wooden chairs with the thin metal frame. The chair looked rickety to me and definitely felt that way. I am sure had I been at a proper weight I probably would not have even worried about the chair or noticed how unsecure it felt when I sat on the edge. Just another reminder that most things in this world are not made to accomadate people who are not at or close to a healthy weight. Just one more motivation to shed these unwanted pounds.
I expect that eating cleaner and being more physically active will start to banish the last of my sluggishness. I have come a long ways in ridding myself of the sluggishness, bloating and just plain laziness that had taken over my life. Whats sad is that unlike a lot of the people in my weight range I did not suffer from most of the aches and pains that I hear about. I had some, but not the amount a lot of people complain about. I just was to tired and out of breath to get up and do what I needed to do. I just did not have the motivation to do what I needed to do when it was so hard to do. Something finally clicked in my head and now I find myself pushing past my limits and striving to do better. I want to go even farther and I think cleaning up my diet even more will do that.
I have also noticed in the three months since I started to clean up my diet that I have not been able to eat some of the things I used to because they taste rotten, smell or taste like chemicals, or are just plain unappealing anymore. One example of all three is velveeta. Now I never thought velveeta was exactly healthy for my family, but I used it to get them to eat things that were. Pretty much cancelled out some things didn't I? Now velveeta tastes so bad that I just can't even eat the shells and cheese I used to love. I can taste that its not natural, it has like a rotten sour flavor, the texture is gummy and that just makes it unpalatable.
Tomorrow does make me a little bit nervous. I haven't known a life where grains, dairy and legumes were not on my plate daily. We are always told to eat seveal daily servings of grains. The thought of doing away with such a big part of the American diet is daunting. Part of me scoffs at myself, this shouldn't be to hard for me. I have never liked pasta and only ate it when we were broke. I haven't ate bread in quite some time, and I dont' miss it. I still do eat cereal, grits, and oatmeal. I guess I will have to give those up. I love grits, the other two I can take or leave, but my grits... Thats gonna hurt. I will miss cheese. No other way around that one. Cheese is so good. I just don't think that large quantities of cheese are a good idea. I am not sure that even a small amount of cheese is a good idea for me. I love the stuff and I think a small taste would send me down the wrong path. Since I haven't consume much other dairy in months beside a dollop of sour cream here or there I won't feel deprived. How will I ever let go of legumes? Legumes have played a big role in my life. For a part of my upbringing my parents were vegetarian. I ate a TON of legumes. I learned many differnt ways to cook them and they are always something that I can feed my family when I have been to lazy to go shopping. I will miss lentils. I LOVE lentils and I think occasionally I will just have to break down and make a pot. Its interesting to note that some paleo diets say legumes are ok, others say in moderation, and some say never again.
And last but not least, my fat chick in a skinny world moment. Today I had my "last meal" at Chipotles. I decided that the last meal with grains, dairy and legumes was not going to be one that I had to cook. Well after going through line I sat down on one of their wooden chairs with the thin metal frame. The chair looked rickety to me and definitely felt that way. I am sure had I been at a proper weight I probably would not have even worried about the chair or noticed how unsecure it felt when I sat on the edge. Just another reminder that most things in this world are not made to accomadate people who are not at or close to a healthy weight. Just one more motivation to shed these unwanted pounds.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Fat Chick in a Skinny world
Hi and Welcome to my new blog!! This blog is about my life as a fat chick in a world that is not made for us and my journey to get a healthier body. A little over three months ago I decided to change the way I live for the better. I made small gradual changes and spent some money on creating a home gym. Craigslist was my saviour when it came to gym equipment. I got good quality stuff for 50% or less of the retail price. I also researched the internet for all the knowledge that I could find on losing weight, eating right and getting healthy. Pinterest became a great resource. I was and am still surprised at all the stuff I didn't know about something so simple as what I put in my mouth. My kids are lucky. I am going to make sure that they are not ignorant. I thought I was making some good choices for my family and I was not.
On May 28, 2012 I started putting all my knowledge in action. At the time I had no exercise equipment or any idea where to start with exercise. I decided to start with the one thing I knew I could fix easiest. I started making healthier meals and only purchasing foods that were good for us. I did more research and I became shocked and apalled at what is in the processed food I had been feeding to my precious family. So I stopped buying those things. I decided that our food needed to be as close to how it looked originally as possible. Of course this meant that I spent a lot more time in the kitchen. I like to cook and have always cooked from scratch, just not every meal! At first I found it tedious, but now I actually love the time I spend in my little kitchen making healthy and tasty meals.
Next I had to tackle the exercise mystery. I know it shouldn't be a mystery, but sadly it was. I had no clue how long, how hard or what exercises I should be doing to get lasting results. I did more research and started with light walking videos and small weights. I did twenty minutes to begin with every other day. I started perusing craigslist and bought myself an airstepper for next to nothing. I used that thing religiously for well over a month. Then I purchased a set of eight pound weights and started using those too. My skin started to look better and my energy started to improve.
Fast forward to today. I have kept to my slow and steady "lose a pound or two per week" goal and am 15lbs down. Not as fast as I would like to see, but attainable and stustainable. Those were key for me; I have tried this before and failed. I thought back on all my previous attempts and why they have failed. Number one was that I did not change my lifestyle. I just added more exercise to life without accounting for the ginourmous amount of crap and calories I was loading into my body. The second thing I found that was off was the exercise. I always chose some new lose weight quick fad that promised results. Well I got my results quickly and piled the pounds and then some back on quickly. I never got to a healthy weight either with the quick weight loss plans. They were just to strenuous to keep up until I reached my goal. The third thing was that I did not seek out a support network. I do believe that even with my previous misguided attempts I would have been a lot more succesful with a support network.
This time I am determined to succeed. I know it won't be easy and it won't always be what I want to do, but step by step I am determined to make this work. I have marked off September 5th as the day that I start the next phase of my transformation. I eat pretty healthy right now, but I want to attain a very clean diet. I am saying goodbye to certain foods for at least 30 days. I am trying out the Paleo diet for 30 days and I will see if I get the energy and focus that living and eating that way promises.
On May 28, 2012 I started putting all my knowledge in action. At the time I had no exercise equipment or any idea where to start with exercise. I decided to start with the one thing I knew I could fix easiest. I started making healthier meals and only purchasing foods that were good for us. I did more research and I became shocked and apalled at what is in the processed food I had been feeding to my precious family. So I stopped buying those things. I decided that our food needed to be as close to how it looked originally as possible. Of course this meant that I spent a lot more time in the kitchen. I like to cook and have always cooked from scratch, just not every meal! At first I found it tedious, but now I actually love the time I spend in my little kitchen making healthy and tasty meals.
Next I had to tackle the exercise mystery. I know it shouldn't be a mystery, but sadly it was. I had no clue how long, how hard or what exercises I should be doing to get lasting results. I did more research and started with light walking videos and small weights. I did twenty minutes to begin with every other day. I started perusing craigslist and bought myself an airstepper for next to nothing. I used that thing religiously for well over a month. Then I purchased a set of eight pound weights and started using those too. My skin started to look better and my energy started to improve.
Fast forward to today. I have kept to my slow and steady "lose a pound or two per week" goal and am 15lbs down. Not as fast as I would like to see, but attainable and stustainable. Those were key for me; I have tried this before and failed. I thought back on all my previous attempts and why they have failed. Number one was that I did not change my lifestyle. I just added more exercise to life without accounting for the ginourmous amount of crap and calories I was loading into my body. The second thing I found that was off was the exercise. I always chose some new lose weight quick fad that promised results. Well I got my results quickly and piled the pounds and then some back on quickly. I never got to a healthy weight either with the quick weight loss plans. They were just to strenuous to keep up until I reached my goal. The third thing was that I did not seek out a support network. I do believe that even with my previous misguided attempts I would have been a lot more succesful with a support network.
This time I am determined to succeed. I know it won't be easy and it won't always be what I want to do, but step by step I am determined to make this work. I have marked off September 5th as the day that I start the next phase of my transformation. I eat pretty healthy right now, but I want to attain a very clean diet. I am saying goodbye to certain foods for at least 30 days. I am trying out the Paleo diet for 30 days and I will see if I get the energy and focus that living and eating that way promises.
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