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Transformation Tuesday & Bringing Unsexy Back….again

02|14|2017

This is a little bit different than most #transformationtuesday pics you may see out there on social media these days but these are my before and after and during/before images!

The pic on the left was when my daughter was about 7 months old and since I had only gained 17 lbs. being pregnant, I had lost the baby weight by this time. I wasn’t, however, getting very far otherwise. I was still hovering in the high 190s….still trying to find my way….dabbling in a little bit of running and such. But, definitely didn’t have any plans or specific goals and was very loosely following WeightWatchers online. (btw, I’m STILL totally a WW fan….always will be. If done right, it’s a great program! But, for the majority of my WW experience, I used my Pts for SmartOnes & Lean Cuisines, 100-cal snack packs, and drank Diet Coke like it was going out of style!)

The middle pic is after I had been a coach for a little over a year and a half. I had done programs like ChaLean Extreme, TurboFire, P90X3, several rounds of the 21 Day Fix, Body Pump and most of the time I was utilizing the 21 Day Fix/Portion Control containers with clean eating. I got down to about 154 lbs. from 199 and was wearing a size 6 in some things. I had taught Zumba for a while. (AMAZING CLASS if you ever have the chance to go live!!!) This was a time in my life where I was completely falling in love with fitness! In fact, I fell so in love with it, there was a period of time in this season where I would begin to over-exercise. (I’ve talked about that before and will more but that’s for another blog post for the sake of time!)

During this time, I was learning to break up with the scale. I was learning that strength training was so so important and that I was more concerned with being lean, tone and strong than reaching a goal weight. So, while I was happy with my weight loss, I was working hard to let go of the hold the scale had had on my for so so long. For as long as I can remember before I started coaching, I’d been addicted to and controlled by it. I would weigh every day, several times a day. I let it dictate my moods. And, there were times when if it was up, I said screw it and I binged. There were times it was even DOWN and I somehow convinced myself I deserved a reward….of food…and I binged. This would be a vicious cycle for me between college years and before I had my daughter.

After I had her, I realized more and more I wanted to change…NEEDED to change. Not just for her, but for me, too. She needed to see an example of a healthy, strong woman in her life who didn’t use food as a coping mechanism. It had to start with me. I didn’t want the life I had lived to be her life. I knew from the moment I was pregnant that she would need me, but I had no idea at the time how much I was really the one who needed her…

And, so to talk about that pic on the right for a bit.

This is a stronger-on-the-inside me than ever before. But, this is a girl who needs to get back to taking care of her body. I’ve been taking care of my mind and soul and healing….but somewhere along the lines I kinda forgot the part about my fueling and taking care of my body. And, so many things have suffered. AND, I don’t want B to not see me come full circle. She’s already been seeing some of my not-so-good habits. She’s made comments about my chubby belly…..OH dontcha just LOVE a kid’s honesty lol. She’s changed somewhat from being the kid who lived on fruit and veggies and good food to the kid who cries if she can’t have Kraft mac-n-cheese. Now, I’m totally that mom that wants to let her live a little and not make any foods seem like they are “bad” for her. But, we absolutely do need to find a happy medium in our house of her eating healthier. And, again, it starts with me.

So, this me is 193 on a good week and 199 on a bad week (yes, I’m only weighing in once….sometimes rarely twice a week now ~ YAY, that’s something in itself my friends!). I’m still squeezing into size 12s….whereas before when I was wearing 16s and pushing 18s. Now, I totally get that sizes could have evolved over these 7 years but I also know my body composition is still quite different than back in 2010….but I refuse to go buy new bigger clothes. #notgonnahappen My skin is terrible……I have worse acne now than I ever did in high school. I haven’t been able to get my wedding rings off for going on 2 weeks and talk about a suffocating feeling. I can’t wear any of my tall cute boots because I can’t zip them up past my thick calves. I’m not sleeping well at night and having a terrible time getting up early. My vision is often cloudy. I have serious brain fog and I swear ADHD. And, as I mentioned in a SUPER vulnerable blog post yesterday (you can read it HERE), I truly believe depression and anxiety can improve and be managed with proper nutrition and focusing on several keys things….most of which are totally free and have nothing to do with being medicated! I have a blog post I’m working on to share many things I’ve learned in the past year about overcoming depression and anxiety. It’s good stuff I tell ya! I even have test scores to prove it!

AND, SOOOOOOO, I’m going back to the unsexy things I know I need to do to turn the ship around. If you’re new here and haven’t heard me talk about “the unsexy” things, you can check out this post from a while back. But, basically, I got this from a book called the Compound Effect. If you haven’t read it, you TOTALLY should and as soon as possible lol! You can grab a copy or download it HERE! And, here are a few excerpts.

“This book is about success and what it really takes to earn it. It’s time someone told it to you straight. You’ve been bamboozled for too long. There is no magic bullet, secret formula, or quick fix. You don’t make $200,000 a year spending two hours a day on the Internet, lose 30 pounds in a week, rub 20 years off your face with a cream, fix your love life with a pill, or find lasting success with any other scheme that is too good to be true. It would be great if you could buy your success, fame, self-esteem, good relationships, and health and well-being in a nicely clamshelled package at the local Walmart. But that’s not how it works. … What this book is about, with all the unnecessary noise, fat, and fluff removed, is what really matters. What really works? What half-dozen basics, when focused on and mastered, constitute the operating system that can take you to any goal you desire and help you live the life you were meant to live? This book contains those half-dozen fundamentals; they comprise the operating system called the Compound Effect.”

“By the end of this book, or even before, I want you to know in your bones that your only path to success is through a continuum of mundane, unsexy, unexciting, and sometimes difficult. But as Jim Rohn would say, “What’s simple to do is also simple not to do.” The magic is not in the complexity of the task; the magic is in the doing of simple things repeatedly and long enough to ignite the miracle of the Compound Effect. Jim Rohn taught that we become the combined average of the five people we hang around the most. And, know that daily disciplines compounded over time. Know, too, that the results, the life, and the lifestyle of your dreams can be yours when you put the Compound Effect to work for you. If you use the principles outlined in the The Compound Effect, you will create your fairy-tale ending.” ~ Darren Hardy from The Compound Effect

So, yes, this part is where I got it from ~ “I want you to know in your bones that your only path to success is through a continuum of mundane, unsexy, unexciting, and sometimes difficult things.”

Working out at 5 a.m. 5 or 6 days of the week? Unsexy.
Ha, for some, working out at ANY time of the day? Unsexy.
Logging your food? Unsexy.
Meal planning? Unsexy.
Grocery shopping? Unsexy.
Saying no to pizza? Unsexy.
Not going out to lunch with coworkers? Unsexy.
Drinking water at happy hour with your friends? UNSEXY (if you’re me lol).
Checking in with a coach like me? Unsexy.
Committing to a goal that could take you a YEAR to accomplish? Unsexy.
Sharing with someone else you’re committing to said goal? Unsexy.

Most everything you’re gonna have to do to reach a goal is gonna be unsexy…..mundane….unexciting….and FOR SURE sometimes difficult. And, I’m by NO means just talking about a weight loss goal!

But, you know what isn’t unsexy, mundane, unexciting and difficult? The way you will feel after following through with what you said you wanted.

Stay tuned for my #unsexy health & fitness plans for the next 111 days!

And, Happy Valentine’s Day from B & me!

Gotta love new fun snap filters!!! #peaceandlove

Fit Friday (v1)

02|3|2017

Yay, #fitfriday is back! And, going forward, I’m gonna make it more fun with more valuable info for y’all! I want to do some Q&A’s with some coaches on my team who are trainers and nutritionists and more! So, I’ll be asking y’all from time to time for questions and things you’d like to know!!

Today’s it’s all about me 🙂 #iknowsorry

Right now my fitness is at somewhat of a standstill. I was almost two weeks into a new round of Country Heat (i still love love this program btw! half-hour workouts that FLY by because they’re so fun! and, a ton of steps and low impact but great calorie burn?!? #signmeup) BUT, I got sick the middle of January (yes, I’ve been sick a lot this past year 🙁 ) and listened to my body and just did some yoga here and there for almost two weeks. So, I’m slowly getting back into workouts right now until my next phase in the adventure…..I didn’t wanna start a new round of Core de Force and not have time to finish it because….

Starting the 20th, I’m doing something called the Ultimate Reset. It’s like a detox for your mind and body and it’s advised not to do any strenuous exercise for the 21 days of the program. I’m SO excited for this! I totally need a reset on my nutrition….one like I’ve never done before! And, will be focusing on yoga during it! There’s a new program on #bod called Yoga Retreat and it just HAPPENS to be…..21 days 🙂 AND, I also just heard through the grapevine that also releasing on #bod is Yoga specifically for the UR and it’s coming out just as I get started! #winning

I’m excited and NERVOUS to focus so intently on my nutrition. But, I know that a healthy outside starts from the inside….mind AND body. And, I’ll be sharing more as I go about why but there are a lot of reasons I have for focusing on nutrient-dense foods, clean eating and ultimately an elimination plan for a while.

So, to get started, the Ultimate Reset. I’ll be talking more about what that is and why I chose it. And, then after that, I plan on starting my first of 3 rounds of Core de Force! Yes, 90 full days of my fave program right now! It makes me feel #badass! And, I’ll be incorporating 30 days of the Whole 30 with my first round of #CDF!

Lots of changes and exciting things to get back on the right track again!!

And, as if just FEELING better again wasn’t enough motivation for me, this girlie has my back! It’s still one of my top priorities in life to teach her how to love and honor herself and her body 🙂 #yepweloveoursnapchatfilters #becauseshesalwayswatching

Stay tuned for more health & fitness adventures!!

And, for your fit tip for a Friday…
When you REALLY don’t feel like working out, try just doing 5 to 10 minutes of your workout. So so often the hardest part is just getting started! Do 5 to 10 minutes and just see if you wanna quit after that! #ibetyouwont

If you’re interested in taking the ride with me, drop a reply on this post or email me at fistrongpink@gmail.com and let’s explore some options and see what we can fit you with!

ZOODLES!!!

11|12|2016

Two of my favorite substitutes for pasta are spaghetti squash and “zoodles” (spiralized zucchini). Don’t get me wrong…I still love my pasta. I just don’t have it daily anymore!

Interestingly enough, I didn’t even think I liked zucchini. I don’t like it raw and I don’t like it just chunked into mixed veggies and sautéed. BUT, I LOVE it spiralized…go figure.

I bought this cheap little “as-seen-on-tv” gadget at Walmart a long time ago and although I do want to upgrade to a better one, it does the trick with thinner zucchini. I think it was like $9. And, you can make 2 different sizes of “noodles” with it.

My go-to recipe with zoodles is just to sautéed the zoodles with sweet onion (love my Walla Walla Sweets!) in some EVOO and then add a can of diced tomatoes (usually the garlic flavored ones) and then a can or two of Rotel tomatoes for some spice. Then, I just throw shrimp in at the very end and voila! I don’t do “low carb” BUT it is a low carb meal and it’s delish! I love to add crushed red pepper flakes at the end just for good hotness measure.

So, do yourself a favor and try zoodles if you never have! And, even if you think you don’t like zucchini….like I did!

Real talk with Dina ~ #thestruggleisreal

07|9|2016

This made me laugh! …..’cuz I can tell you I’d rather eat a donut than anything green these days.

I’ve been having a lot of good days with my nutrition BUT my weekends have been tough. Golf nights have been tough. And, I’m still dealing with a ton of bloating and uncomfortableness and crazy weight fluctuations. I also still have some weird things going on when I eat certain foods. I get really short of breath and almost like heart palpitations when I eat things with gluten. So, when I started feeling better, I started eating it again and didn’t really notice any terrible side effects…but one nice thing about trying an elimination diet is you are way more aware of how your body reacts to things.

I think when I started to feel better, I thought I “deserved” to take a break from worrying about what I was eating constantly. But, it was just an excuse and it’s left me feeling really really blah. I’ve even had some of the pain back ~ nothing like before thank goodness but enuf that I know I need to refocus. And, I got a little tough love from my sister this week about getting back on track ~ it really is important and I CAN DO IT!

So, yes, I started a refocused plan of attack yesterday….yes, on a FRIDAY. The old me would’ve waited til Monday. Actually, the old me would’ve waited until after my trip to Nashville at the end of the month or maybe even until summer was over. But, I don’t wait for things any more. My team & I started a 3-week impromptu challenge! #strengthinnumbers

I’ve had this Rocking Fit Body, Mind & Spirit 12-week journal for a few weeks now and I was going to start using it when I started my next new fitness program…which is likely going to be Country Heat!! BUT, again, I just remembered yesterday that I don’t wait for things anymore!! I’m almost 2 weeks into PiYo and loving it! And, it’s time to take my power back from food again!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the back!!

I’m working on a separate blog post about my plan to get my health truly back to optimal but here’s the short of it!

I’m on a 7-day adaptation plan of the M.A.D.E. Diet. It was put together by a top coach in the network, Melissa McAllister. She has been doing IF (Intermittent Fasting) for a long time and she is AH-MAZINGLY fit. I love IF because I don’t love to cook and prep a lot, so this lets me off pretty easily lol. This plan is a HFLC (High Fat Low Carb) plan that is also GF (gluten-free) & DF (dairy-free). Now, I don’t love anything “low” when it comes to eating ~ but often plans tagged with this more mean you are eating the right carbs ~ complex carbs from fruits, veggies and certain starchy foods like sweet potatoes…which have become like an every day staple and are so nummy! So, this is my plan until just before Nashville when I do the 3-Day Refresh! I do this every few months and always LOVE how light and energetic I feel and I wanna head into Nashville feeling the best I can AND full of energy because it’s go-go-go and not a lot of sleep! Then in the beginning of August, I’m going to do something called the Ultimate Reset. It’s a 3-week detox from Beachbody and people rave about the results….mostly how they feel when they’re done! AND, THEN, I’m moving back into the Whole 30 plan. Again, I will have a separate post detailing more of what I’m doing but I had tried Whole 30 about a month ago and it was so hard but it was so good. I hated it and loved it all the same time. (I partly hated it ‘cuz it was SUPER hard to watch labels and find things I could eat…I know more now and was making it harder than it needed to be….but seriously, I couldn’t believe how many foods have hidden sugars and soy in them and other crazy things you can’t pronounce!) My doctor ultimately advised against it for me at the time…so, I was doing it on my own. She wanted me eating a low-fat, low-fiber diet and breads and pastas….which for IBS that is somewhat recommended. But, I do believe there are reasons that may not be the answer for me. And, honestly one of the bigger reasons she didn’t want me doing it was because she thought stress was contributing to my tummy problems and since I’ve told her about my issues with food, she didn’t want me over-thinking and over-stressed about food choices. But, I’ve learned a lot more about it….learned how I can do it without as much meat….I’ve found where I can get allowed foods more easily….and, I’ve been connecting with a fellow coach who has lost over 100 lbs. with it but more importantly she has shared with me how it has changed her life…changed her relationship with food. And, honestly, that’s what I’m after. I can’t tell you how amazing it would be to be free of the chains once a for all. I have done really well in the past 3 years and can’t imagine where I’d be without the support system I have, but when I’ve fallen, I’ve fallen kinda hard.

I’m writing a new story tho ~ and it’s not going to be about my struggles with food! It’s going to be about how I worked really hard to overcome…and I hope it will help others who maybe struggle like I have!

So, here I am with a new set of “before” pics! They never get easy….trust me. BUT, it’s for motivation…it’s for accountability. AND, since I know first-hand the scale doesn’t always tell you the truth about everything, I rely on pics to gauge my progress!

Ha, do you like my peeling left shoulder? ick.

I do still use the scale as a gauge but it doesn’t hold nearly the weight it used to….no pun intended lol. My weight ~ 179.8.

And, just for fun and a BONUS, my new fave shirt from the Pulse Boutique! I’m in love with this online store!!

Ok, so there you have it! Believe me when I say, it’s hard to come up here to share my story and it’s yet again another story of my struggles. But, I’m confident again! I took a little break and although I’m disappointed in myself, I’m human. I will always be the girl who decided to go for it….over and over again…every day. I truly believe you have to make the decision to go for it every. dang. day. Let go of yesterday. Let go of last month. Let go of last year. Focus. On. Today. And, then do that over and over and over again. #TodayMatters

Oooh, and another bonus. For the record, I don’t like Walmart. If I could, it would always be online or Target. BUT, I’m not proactive enuf and am often forced to go there! But, you can find good deals and cute stuff sometimes! Like those tanks I talked about last post…or cute coffee mugs if you’re like me and have a coffee mug addiction! How cute is this?!?

Peace out and happy weekend everyone!

#realtalk with Dina ~ You can have your cake & wear your skinny jeans, too….

06|10|2016

ok, did I get your attention?

CAKE? #yesplease….. SKINNY JEANS? #canthetwobeinthesamesentence #theanswerisYES

Don’t believe me?

Keep reading.

My goal is to recommend a book a week to ya’ll that has helped me in my health & fitness & sanity & overcoming struggles & #hotmessmom journey we call life!

Welcome to the first official book recommendation! (yes, I have recommended books before today!…but welcome to the first edition of a blog post centered around it!)

Today I wanna talk about a concept I’ve been thinking a lot about lately ~ “never hungry, never full.”

I don’t know about you but I’ve been hungry since like 1980. And, I also seem to always have to eat until I have that ~~stuffed~~ full, completely satisfied feeling.

I’m gonna be straight up honest with you (#keepinitreal) and say that growing up…even well into my adult years if I’m REALLLLLY honest…I would look at thin chicks and be envious. Envious of their metabolisms and their damn genetics and small bone structures and on and on of the list of reasons why I assumed they were thin. I even felt this way about sister. I often thought it wasn’t fair that she “got the good genes” lol. She’s always been thin and tone and muscular and could eat whatever the heck she wanted.

Now, while of course we all have our own unique body compositions and shapes and genetics DO in fact play a huge role, I want to talk about another reason some people just are naturally thin.

Looking back on how I looked at other women…..and now honestly since I’m in a better place mentally and stronger physically….I believe a lot of the women I was comparing myself to simply lived their lives with a healthy relationship with food. They didn’t know some secret I didn’t (ha, well maybe they did…..they somehow knew that food could NEVER solve a problem or a hurt). They didn’t see food as a coping mechanism like I did. They didn’t see food as some magical bean that would erase all their problems. They didn’t eat just ‘cuz they were bored….or tired….or sad….or happy. (Yes, that’s what people like me….emotional eaters…do. And, for me, believe me it’s ERRRRY emotion. Just like I don’t discriminate any food….I like everything….I don’t discriminate which emotion I eat with lol.) They didn’t have unhealthy food behaviors like binging or closet eating.

This is my sister!

She eats when she’s hungry and stops eating before she’s full. And, growing up, she wasn’t the one getting up in the middle of the night sneaking food. She wasn’t the one hiding food. She wasn’t the one who guilted herself to the point of being even more unhealthy and drastic after indulging in something. And, even more to my point about having a healthy relationship with food…..she LOVES food. And, she would be the first to say that! But, she just doesn’t see food the same way I do and therefore the way she uses it is very different. If she wanted (and still to this day) something delicious and decadent, she had it and didn’t spend even one minute feeling guilty for it!

And, now I’m going to divert a little bit but I promise I’ll bring ya’ll back.

In my quest to look at my nutrition as a source of what’s been going on with my body, I grabbed a book of Natalie Jill’s 7-Day Jumpstart. That’s not the book I’m highlighting this week….although it is really good. I LOVE her story! She was broke and didn’t feel well physically or about herself and she completely turned her life around and is now a successful fitness professional, author and a #girlboss I definitely admire! I didn’t get the book because of the title ;). I picked it up because I knew she had celiac disease and promoted a clean, unprocessed, gluten-free diet….(AND, like I said I just loved her story. I forgot to mention she was a presenter at a conference I was at for coaching in Dallas a few years ago, so I’ve been following her ever since). Anyhoo, I’m getting to the point! Natalie Jill also talks about this “never hungry, never full” concept in this book. And, that concept as she presented it isn’t in the context of a specific type of diet you follow ~ it doesn’t matter if you do flexible dieting or clean eating or Paleo! It’s simply talking about how to find a healthy way to look at food.

So, YES, I DO believe you can have your cake and wear your skinny jeans, too!

Again….

Wait.

What????

Is this for real? I know I didn’t always believe it. I believe it now. (Even if it means you have food sensitivities and indulge in GLUTEN-FREE CAKE from time to time! LOL!)

One of the biggest changes that happened in my life after I started coaching was focusing on personal development. It’s actually something the company and our teams talk about like DAILY. We talk about the importance of staying positive, staying driven, digging deep to conquer fears and overcome, letting go of the past, finding your faith and finding hope, and being the best you you can be to help others the best you can! How do you do personal development? You read and listen to books on audio and watch YouTube videos and go to seminars and workshops and listen to podcasts. The options are really endless. And, there is help for everything that you struggle with!

Through personal development and coaching, I’ve been able to recognize my triggers and tendencies and utilize the tools I’ve been given to overcome. From the very beginning and for the very first time in my life (I began coaching when I was 37! Yes, that’s a long time of not knowing better. Like they say when you know better, you do better? #umyes And, it’s never to late to learn….it’s never too late to do better), I was exposed to a completely comprehensive and healthy approach to losing weight and getting in shape that focused on personal development FIRST….an approach to help you lose weight that wasn’t just based on throwing a meal plan and a workout at you. An approach that makes you think about WHY you struggle ~ WHY you may turn to food ~ WHY the thought of working out is too overwhelming to even take that first step. So, yes, I dove into personal development from the very beginning as a coach, and I began to recognize early on my self-sabotage and issues with food were never really about…..food! It’s wasn’t so much about that CUPCAKE but my emotional response to eating that CUPCAKE! My sister would stop at one CUPCAKE! (Or maybe not eat it at all…she doesn’t love cake like I do lol.) I have often binged on them to the point of being sick! But, my awareness and willingness to change and overcome has only continued to improve. And, being a coach and learning how important working on ME from the inside out was!

Ok, coming back around now. I want to start sharing regularly the things I have done for personal development that have helped me. And, if you have followed me for a while, you know I don’t just struggle with food. So, I’m going to be making recommendations for a VARIETY of life’s struggles! This first book helped me really think about what made my sister & I so different when it came to food. It really made me get down the ROOT of why I was turning to food….why I had such a long history of BINGE and closet eating ….or why I even had the other extreme….NOT eating. (Yes, sadly, I’ve went thru those stages as well. I lived on diet coke and sometimes one meal a day and then a night of drinking). And, more importantly, how I could start to overcome once and for all!

Through personal development and growth, I have found the strength and mindset to pray about it! Before coaching and before diving into ways of learning to overcome and finding my Faith again, I honestly never would have dreamed to PRAY about my issues with food! I think I was so ashamed that I felt like I wasn’t even worthy of being able to pray about them. I know now eating well is a form of self-respect and love for yourself and of COURSE that would be a God thing!!

Ya’ll know I’m still far from perfect, which is good because there’s no such thing anyway. And, the book I’m going to recommend isn’t about having the perfect nutrition and never indulging! Yes, I will ALWAYS like my beer and my wine and my cupcakes. And, there are seasons when I’m okay with eating and having them and seasons when I’m not. I’m in a season of not eating them right now. I’m actually in a really TOUGH season of watching labels and being SUPER sensitive to what I’m putting in my body. But, it’s not because I believe CAKE is the root of all evil. (I mean who in their right mind could think cake was evil 😉 ) It’s not because I think the foods I’m eating are making me overweight. And, there’s a chance that after I do this, I may find that I can in fact have gluten and I can have dairy and I can go back to having all things in moderation. Right now, I’m doing this because there’s definitely something going in my body and my nutrition is the one thing I CAN control. But, mentally when it comes to food and my relationship with it, I get stronger every day! This Whole 30 challenge isn’t something I could’ve even gotten 5 days into 5 years ago! And, I can honestly say right now that I no longer body shame or am jealous of my sister or anyone else! AND, I’m eating when I’m hungry and stopping before I’m full! No, I still am not QUITE like my sister or the people described in this book. And, it could take years, if I ever fully do….but just given the fact that I know I can get thru these 30 days make me feel proud that I’m not the person I was 3 years ago.

ANYHOO, here is it! “Thinside Out ~ How to Have Your Cake & Skinny Jeans, too!” Stop Binge Eating, Overeating and Dieting For Good Get the Naturally Thin Body You Crave From the Inside Out. If you dealt with or are dealing with anything I’ve described in this post, I think you’d love this book. And, my suggestion is not to just READ it and move on. Really take it all in! Bookmark the things that really speak to you! Dig deep on what it says. And, start to change your thinking OR if you’ve already overcome, forgive yourself and let it go already!

p.s. I would love to know what you think of this if you read it! And, I would LOVE LOVE to share success stories on my blog! I encourage you to email me if you ever have something you want me to share that could help someone else out there! Believe it or not, I really don’t wanna always just talk about me and my story!! I told someone yesterday that I want to use this blog to also highlight other #girlbosses and strong women!!! STRONG WOMEN….may we be them….may we know them….may we raise them! AND, maybe we have our cake and wear our skinny jeans too….no matter what size you are! (Ha, this would be the never-ending post if I went there right now…that’s TOTALLY for another blog post….loving yourself no matter what size you are! But, that’s what this is ALL ABOUT my friends!)

And, today’s bonus for you!
A recipe for sweet potato fries that looks delish!
I made Whole 30 sweet potato fries last night with just
EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) & sea salt and they were SOOO nummy
but these sound a little more savory and fun! If you’re GF, do what I did OR don’t use corn starch and sub out the vegetable oil for coconut oil or EVOO (I was starving last night and just wanted to get them in the oven!)
If you’re not, just click the image to go to the recipe 🙂

My Whole 30 Challenge

06|8|2016

Hey everyone! I’ve been a little MIA again! I’ve been really tired so just haven’t been getting up that early to blog. I love to joke that I just know ya’ll are DYING to hear how my health & fitness journey is going?!? Right?!? lol

Well, if you keep reading, you must at least be curious, so here’s my latest!

I shared on my fitness page that the CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis a few weeks ago was clear. It was awesome news and definitely a relief. BUT, I’ll admit that I was prepared for them to find something….maybe even hoping they would find something….so at least I knew for sure what I was dealing with and I could stop feeling like maybe I’m crazy lol. So, without a concrete diagnosis/finding it’s common practice to treat my symptoms as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). I’m on a medication called Bentyl and the good news is my pain and cramping that was pretty much a constant is virtually gone. I continue to have other issues, however. And, there are some annoying side effects from it like being really tired and I already was and crazy dry mouth lol.

Anyhoo, I love my doctor. She’s patient with me. She takes a lot of time and even visits over the phone. She has kinda laughed at me a few times when I’ve came to her with something I’ve read that I wonder if I have…..like adrenal fatigue and leaky gut (which honestly I’m still not convinced I DON’T have because I have so many of the symptoms). While I know I shouldn’t try self-diagnose myself, I’m pretty desperate for answers and relief and at the end of the day your health is YOUR HEALTH and I think researching and talking to people is important.

So, when more than one thing and a few awesomely helpful people pointed me to taking another look at gluten and dairy, I started researching nutrition even more. And, ultimately I took a closer look at something called Whole 30. I will admit that I’ve been curious about it before but I didn’t take the time to actually read what it really was. I honestly assumed it was a low-carb, Atkins-type “diet” that was all about meat and therefore wasn’t really interested. But, after reading several Whole 30 success stories of people who have similar symptoms, I knew I had to read the book finally. And, I’m so glad I did. It also led me to a book that actually I should’ve read even before Whole 30 but I found out about it thru the Whole 30 book. The book is called It Starts With Food.

I don’t wanna throw a lot of details at you and I’m honestly still learning but I wanna give a few highlights (and I’ll be sharing more as I venture thru these 30 days).

Ever since becoming a coach, I really don’t like the word “diet.” This is not a diet. Yes, it is a strict 30 days but the principal behind the timeframe and the premise behind the book is actually not about weight loss. It’s more about food elimination to try to pinpoint inflammation triggers in your body. I list below what you cut out but everything you forego are foods that CAN cause inflammation in the body.
I don’t like to do temporary changes in my nutrition and I love eating clean and I love grains and beans and all natural pb and greek yogurt AND my vegetarian food (sadly my vegetarian food contains both gluten and soy). BUT, again, I do believe the reasoning and the science behind this elimination plan and I’m going to try trust the process. And, of course my goal is to incorporate long-term changes ~ and if that means gluten and dairy free, than so be it.
If you take one bite of something non-compliant….have even 1 tsp of coffee creamer….you start over. I’m willing to make some changes but I don’t wanna have to start over lol.
You cut out gluten, dairy, legumes, soy, sugar and alcohol for 30 days. And, like I said, I’m still learning, but from what I see eliminating these is more to determine how sensitive your body is to each. After 30 days, you begin reintroducing one at a time and see how your body responds. You then go back to Whole 30 for 2 days to again see how your body responds.
It’s not HARD. This part of the book really stuck with me. They talked about how we shouldn’t dare call these 30 days hard. Beating cancer is hard. This. Is. Not. Hard. Wow, now that’s a legit statement. Makes me think about the last time I did a round of the 21 Day Fix and called that hard. Um, yeah, no.
Fat is not the enemy.
Whole 30 is not low carb.
The book says you don’t have to count calories or weigh anything, which is AWESOME news!! But, I do still plan on using my handy-dandy portion-controlled containers. I honestly can’t be trusted with portions without my containers yet. I’m getting better at eyeballing foods but I like to track and I like to have a guideline of how much of things like sweet potatoes and fruit I can have because I DO still believe you can have too much of a good thing. Yes, while I don’t believe anyone ever became overweight from eating too many bananas, I do believe you can eat too much fruit!
You do NOT weigh yourself for 30 days. This might be a challenge for me. I have been weighing in once a week with my Biggest Loser peeps BUT I’m gonna be a good girl and just follow the rules. Again, the thinking is that this isn’t a weight loss plan.
There is hidden sugar is WAY more things than I ever realized. This book and looking even closer at labels than I’m used to has been an eye-opener. I had a bag of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in the cupboard ~ YUP, both contain corn syrup! WHAT? And, my turkey bacon? Even regular bacon?? Chicken sausages? Yup, yup, and yup. So, this part has already been challenging to me and I’m only 2 days in. And, since I need to stay away from peanuts, I have to even watch for peanut oil. I had some nuts that had peanut oil in them so I’m sticking to raw nuts for the duration.
Shakeology isn’t Whole 30 compliant but I follow a few other coaches who have done Whole 30 and who follow Paleo and they believe the benefits of Shakeology outweigh having pea protein and Stevia 🙂 So, I decided to stick with it!

Ok, so here I go! I was down to 169 a few weeks ago but just like things have been going, I gain and lose 5 to 10 lbs. from week to week. I’m really REALLY looking forward to not dealing with these crazy weight fluctuations.

I wanted to cheat the day before I started….which was a really bad idea because day 1 yesterday was ROUGH 🙁 BUT, it was fun to go to my fave place with my fave girl! Basil for sushi after church! She absolutely LOVES this place! The edamame (also which I can’t have right now) and vegetable lo mein with a Japanese soda are her jam!

And, this is literally my fave thing on the menu. AND, it MAY even be WHOLE 30 compliant! I’m not sure what’s in the sauce, tho ~ it likely contains soy ~ but dang it’s so good my sister & I joke we could actually DRINK it. It’s made with tuna, mango, avocado and little orange things (caviar?) that I LOVE! It’s called an ahi-tini if you’re ever in the Williston, ND area! #yummo!

This is what I wanted for lunch. #imeanhaveyouTRIEDbutterfingerpbcups???

This is what I had!

Vegan Tropical Strawberry Shakeo, unsweetened cashew milk (apparently I should be making my own cashew or almond milk on Whole 30….I’m not sure I’ll be doing this one #justkeepitreal ~ I don’t think I have the time or budget to do some of the suggested things), an overflowing cup of spinach, fresh blueberries, almond butter, and a couple tsps of coconut oil blended into a nummy, earthy smoothie. (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green, 1/2 purple, 1/2 orange, 2 tsps)

Ok, so, there you have it! I’m praying for answers ~ praying for relief ~ and very hopeful this is a good next step! I’m not working out right now because of a foot issue and will have a separate post about my workout plans coming up and how this latest issue has derailed me! AND, after the Whole 30 my plan is to do Beachbody’s Ultimate Reset to do even more of a detox. I actually was going to do the Reset first but my kit didn’t make it here in time and I really needed to make a change! And, then I head to Nashville for Coach Summit! I can’t wait!!! And. then when I come home, depending on how my body is doing, I think a Paleo lifestyle may be in my future!

And, for your fit tip for a Friday… When you REALLY don’t feel like working out, try just doing 5 to 10 minutes of your workout. So so often the hardest part is just getting started! Do 5 to 10 minutes and just see if you wanna quit after that! #ibetyouwont

And, for your fit tip for a Friday…
When you REALLY don’t feel like working out, try just doing 5 to 10 minutes of your workout. So so often the hardest part is just getting started! Do 5 to 10 minutes and just see if you wanna quit after that! #ibetyouwont