Thursday is Challenge Day - Use it ot lose it

Today's challenge is to do 15 military style push ups. They don't have to be done all at once you can break them down into groups of 3-5.  Can't do them on your toes yet?  Do them on your knees and if that is still too much of a challenge lean against a wall or counter.  We lose 10% of our muscle  strength each decade after we turn 30
unless we use it. After today attempt to do at least 15 everyday taking one day off each week to rest of course.

The Road To HERE!

Who are you?  How do you get to post a blog about wellness?  These are questions that have gone through my mind on more than one occasion.  I suppose it could be that little voice of self doubt or my own conscious asking what I suppose others are thinking, either way I feel they must be addressed for me to be able to continue on and enjoy writing this blog.  So I'm about to get real.

Well as far back as I can remember I've always struggled with my weight.  I was not always fat but have always struggled.  As a pre-teen I was overweight and was often teased about it.  Now realize that I grew up in the 80s so my weight would be considered normal or even trim by today's standard but back then I was chubby. Then as I grew into adolescents it became worse as I obsessed more over trying to lose weight my struggle began with food.  It was the enemy and it was winning the war.  Then after a routine back to school physical and motivational talk by my pediatrician, I had an AHA moment. I realized food was not the enemy it was not good or evil but rather a fuel and which octane I choose to put in my body would determine how effective my body would run.  That is not to say I immediately began to make only good food choices but I did lose 30 pounds during my first year in high school.  I kept if off all through high school and manged to receive an ROTC scholarship to college.  Needless to say that participating in ROTC's physical fitness program whipped my body into the shape it should have been in at 18 years of age.  I maintained my weight all through college and was running and enjoying exercise.  So I decided to switch majors to Exercise Science (its a long story, far too long to get into here).  I graduated from college was in what would be considered athletic form at 18% body fat and able to run a 7 minute mile.  My weight however was still an issue because now I had to maintain it and it seemed my battle with food was not complete.

I continued to workout so my weight continued to maintain.  I was running ferociously.  Then it happened.  The dreaded overuse injury that sidelined me for 6 months.  I was still able to exercise but I was not able to run.  So my major calorie burning component of my regime was now gone.  So the weight started to creep up a bit.  just a pound or two nothing major.

In case you couldn't figure it out
 this was my wedding day

Then several years passed.  I grew up got married and started my new life as Mrs Timothy Seats. I was now commuting 45 minutes one way to work daily and not getting home until after 7 most evening.  So guess what folks.  the excuses started.  I'm too tired, I don't have enough time, etc, etc.  So my first year of marriage my weight went up 30 pounds.  YIKES!  So I went to the doctor, not for a quick fix, but, convinced that I must have a thyroid issue.  Alas no.  She told me it was happy weight.  Say what?  Yes happy weight, often when people are in a loving relationship they become comfortable and become complacent about their fitness and health.  Well I can tell you for sure that I was neither happy about it or comfortable.  So I was always on on some type of "diet" (we will talk about that word in another post) or getting ready to start a new "diet" or trying to figure out why the last diets stopped working.  I"ve tried Atkins, South Beach, starvation you names it.  We will explore those more later.  So now I'm just gaining weight because, as we all know before you start a new diet you must purge the house of all forbidden foods and you can't possible actually expect this girl to throw away food.  So I'd binge to purge my cupboards.  Smart idea, right?

2 months after baby #1

Well I got did manage to lose 30lbs but was still considerably over weight (yes folks at one time my weight was in Biggest Loser Contestant Territory)  I got pregnant with child #1/  Amazingly enough I only gained 20 lbs.  I lost it right away, but then post partum depression set in, I ate to sooth myself and the scale stopped moving.  Then a couple years later I got pregnant with child #2.  Again gaining only 20lbs and losing it quickly after the birth, but, once again post baby blues (milder this go around) hit and the scale stopped.  Then in Jan 2011.

Doing the Indianapolis Half Marathon
 October of 2011

 I joined Curves, began wogging and training for a half marathon, and started weight watchers.  I dropped 20lbs easily and was finally in ONEderland again (those that watch Biggest Loser know what I mean) In 2011 I completed 2 half marathons.  I also hit a weight loss plateau. Then in the late fall of 2011 I got pregnant with child #3. I only gained about 25 lbs and by 6 weeks post partum was back down to my pre pregnancy weight.  Then I decided I need to get more than serious. I was tired of being overweight, I was tired of lugging around the fat that I knew would eventually lead to mulitple health conditions and I wanted better for me and my family. So I began a new adventure. I knew having a newborn would mean time would be tight and the reality of trying to get up early enough to go to the gym was not likely to happen.  So I bought some fitness videos and fell in love. Along with the videos, I joined a Beach Body Challenge group for accountability, motivation and encouragement.  I began to drink Shakeology daily (we will go into great detail in another post)  Let's just say that I believe that the great nutritional benefits I've received from that has helped me to avoid post baby partum blues, stay energized, complete my workouts and drop 35 lbs in 3 1/2 months.  No it has not always been easy.

Me today.  Well actually a week ago.

Yes I've had to work my buns off and yes I've had to change how and what I eat.  However, I see a new lifestyle and a healthy relationship with food emerging.  I now opt for fruit to satisfy a sweet craving.  I now see treats as that treat for every once in a while and not something to be eaten daily.  Yes I use to eat some type of baked good, candy or other junk food nearly daily. It was my go to for comfort and energy (even thought I knew better and was even educated in health and nutrition) I now opt for reading my Bible and eating to fuel my body so that I don't have constant trips up and down the blood sugar roller coaster.  I know that this has been a long post and thank you for sticking with me to the end.  Now that I've got that off my mind let's focus on enhancing the spirit, mind and body, that we have been blessed with.

Tickle Your Funny Bone

Drink It Up

Water it is an essential component of life. This makes up about 60% of an adults body weight and plays a vital role in all of lifes processes.  Even the air we breath must have a certain amount of humitdity in it so that it does not dry and irritate our airway.

However, we often fail to consume enough of this vital resource in its simple form (plan ole water, no soda, juice, coffee or tea).  We lose over 13 liters of waters each day just to carry out our noraml daily activities and that needs to be replaced.  The average person needs to consume 8 cups of water (additional water is received from food sources) So drink up. Being properly hydrated will help you in so many ways.
Being properly hyudrated:
1)  makes your skin look smoother and thus you appear younger.

2) helps you to lose weight.  It not only makes your stomach fill full, but it also aids in digestion and absorption of your food so you derive more nutritets from what you consume. There fore your body gets adequate nutrion and doesn't send out siganls that you need to hunt for more to eat.

3) makes you feel more energized or on the other hand beig dehydrated makes you feel lethargic.  a minute amount of reduction in your water levels can effect your overall feelings of well being but not be enough to trigger the thirst response.

4) improves your exercise perfomance.  Let's face it no one wants to exercise strenuously while feeling thirsty.  That being said even being dehydrated in a small amount can cause your muscles to feel fatigued sooner than you will feel thirsty.  Exercise requires additional water so be sure to hyudrate before, during and after exercise.

The above are just a few reasons drinking water should be a part of your dialy health routine.  You may be thinking that is all well and good, but, I don't have time to sit and chug a half of gallon of water and I don;t have time to spend the entire day running to the bathroom.   Well let me assure you drinking water all at once is acutlaly not the best approach.  Its far better to sip it through out the day.  If you are not much of a water drinkier now then let me encourage you to buy a refillable water bottle not the kind with the plastic label on the outside that come in the cooler at the covnience store but an honest to goodness (such as the ones below)

 Then if you have trouble making it a habit set a reminder on your smart phone (say every hour) and every timethe alarm sounds drink half a cup of water.  You can also use an app such as myfitnesspal by myfitness pal llc or drinking water by chickpin. Or you can choose a simpler method such as a trigger, such as everytime you checkthe time, or look to see if you have a new email. Once it becomes a habit (which takes about 21 days and the topic of another post) you can drop the crutches if you desire.

Be Prepared

Low carb, no carb, vegetarian, paleo, clean, standard American no matter which diet you and your family choose to follow success all depends on being prepared.  So my first post will focus on enhancing mind and body.  Enhancing body by having healthy food options on and and easily accessable to all emembers of the household.  Enhancing mind comes from knowing that you are prepared to serve your family meals and have all the ingredients on hand (no more last minute runs to the store).  Peace of mind also comes when you can avoid the meal time drama of the baby is screaming because he's hungry, the toddler is throwing a temper tantrum because he's hungry and the kindergartner is crying because her brothers are both so loud.  Oh wait maybe that only happens at my house   

Here is how I handle this situation feel free to take away what you like and ignore what you don't. A lot of this came to me while participating in Chalene Johnson's 30 Day Push training.  The first thing she teaches is to set priorities.  One of my priorities is my family and our health, however, I don't want meal/food prep to take over my life.  So although I've always been a menu planner I decided to simplify.  I scrapped the elaborate excel spreadsheet for a more easy to use menu planner board.  Its a magnetic board (pictured below)  I cut 3x5 cards into 4ths.  I put self adhesive magnets on the back.  On the front I wrote our families favorite meals.  I have a set of cards for breakfast, one for lunches and dinners and one for snacks. I also have cards marked OUT, for those times we will be eating away from home.

Step 1) I set a day that I will shop.  For me its typically on Saturday. Then I get out family calendar and determine which meals we will be eating at home and which ones will be eaten out.

Step 2) Then I fill in the rest of the meals & snacks for the week. I also take into consideration any appointments we have that will take me out of the home close to meal times, thus impacting my meal prep time.

Step 3) Then I sit down with my local grocery circular, my coupons and determine if I want to change any of the meals because there is a great special or I have a great coupon.

Step 4)I write out my grocery list.

Step 5) I go to the store. I only purchase what is on the list.

Step 6) While putting groceries away I prep all my fruits and veggies by washing and rinsing and placing in keep fresh bags or containers. I also use Ziploc snack bags and pre package smaller portions for snacks for the kids and I. 

Step 7)  Each morning I check the menu board to see what meals we are having that day and the next to see what may need to come out of the freezer to thaw.  Any veggies that need to be cut up for dinner get cut up then.  I try to multi-task as much as possible.  For example,  while making breakfast I'll get the next days lunches ready.  I also like to make dinners that reheat easily for lunches.  

This system works for us and you may find by tweaking my methods a sytem that works for you.  Some like to prepare an entire weeks worth of food on one afternoon.  That doesn't work well for us for several reasons.  the main one being that I am kind of a picky eater.  Not in that I won't try new things or don't eat a wide variety of food but I do like my food to have a certain texture and flavor which you sometimes lose when reheating.  Not to say we never eat leftovers in our house I just only can eat certain foods as leftovers. Chicken is one I can make ahead and reheat so I often cook batches of chicken breast for dinner and make a few extra to cut up later in the week for salads or to make chicken sandwiches.  I however,do not like cold hard boiled eggs.  I do like egg salad or deviled eggs so I will make hard boiled eggs for a snack and cook a few extra to make into egg salad for lunch later in the week. 

So in short you have to determine where your weakness lies.  For me it is in the planning.  If I don't have a plan I'll buy stuff at the store but not always have anything to make meals. If you find you run short on time or energy on certain days then prep those meals in advance.  If I know that one day this week I'm going to be out running errands most of the day and that I have spaghetti and meatballs on the menu, I've learned that I need to make those meatballs in advance because I won't want to once I get home from running around all day. So today while making lunch I'll also cook up meatballs. To keep in the fridge for tomorrows dinner.  I can then cook the spaghetti  and sauce fresh tomorrow so the meal will taste fresh but also be put together quickly.