Bring It 2012!

Happy New Year!!!

As I sit here and think back on this year I realize how truly blessed I am.  We can all come up with things in our lives that we feel like we are missing.... say a husband or kids for me.  But when I take a step back and realize everything else that I do have, wowza! am I ever blessed!!

So it's December 31, 2011.  A year ago I promised myself I would lose weight and get fit.  Now, I am 32Lbs less and able to lift more weight than I ever imagined.  Physically this year has been amazing.  And actually, this year has been pretty amazing in every aspect of my life.  Emotionally, financially, spiritually, etc....  It all kind of goes hand in hand when you decide to work on it.

So what are my goals for 2012?  And yes, I said goals.  I think the word "goal" sounds so much better than a "resolution".  I actually created a very detailed spreadsheet that hits almost every point of one's life, but I will give you my fitness/health goals:

• Run (not walk, RUN) the Harrigan's 5K on St. Patty's Day
• Hand stand push-ups, double unders, and kipping pull-ups... you will be mine by this time next year!
• 20Lbs less by May.... hello swimsuit season
• Continue to eat Paleo
• Of course, continue losing weight and gaining muscle with my Centerville Crossfit family.... they ROCK!

2011 Before and After

It's a new day

The Paleo Challenge officially ended last week.  I lost a total of 8 inches overall.  Eight.  Eight inches.  When you really think about it, that's a lot in just 50 days!  I am extremely happy with the results and am continuing with my paleo lifestyle.

Now, with that said, I did find some pure joy in this past weekend's eating.  It all started with Thanksgiving.  I actually stuck to Paleo until the apple pie came out.  Even then, it was just a sliver.  Oh but a delicious sliver it was.  The real kicker this past weekend was the homemade Chex mix.  My mom and I have been making this together for years.  The secret ingredient to our mix:  bacon fat.  Yes, it consists of 1 full cup of not only butter, but also bacon lard.  You literally take a bite and it's like a party in your mouth.  My friends also call it crack and it is requested by them every year.  Let's just say I ate enough to last me until next year.  BLAH!  Horrible feeling afterward.

So, thus begins the rest of my life.  Just the thought of eating cereal, milk, or candy bars almost makes me gag. Bring on the veggies!

Paleo Update - Day 44

Let me just say, you are about to see two U-G-L-Y pictures of me.  Both were taken after workouts.  I promise to take better ones on the next challenge.  And for the heck of it, next week I will wear the same outfit as my "before" pic just so you can see the difference.  Wait, I can't wear those pants... THEY'RE TOO BIG!

It's Day 44.  Unbelievable how quickly this has gone by.  I will get measured next week and will definitely post my losses at that time.  I can tell you a size 10 now fits way comfortably.  It's very odd to me.  I have always been between a 12-16.  Occasionally (when I need to do laundry) I will walk into the other closet and think to myself - Oh, I'll just put these (size 12's) on and all will be good.  And then, crap!  Literally, they will look like I just crapped my pants because they are so baggy.  Yes, yes, this is a good problem to have.  I just need someone to finance me a new wardrobe.....

This year as a whole I have lost 27Lbs.  Since I started eating Paleo I have lost 21Lbs.  What's that tell ya?  It tells me that the discipline with Paleo is what I needed to really get the weight loss process started.  Notice I said started because this journey is not over.  I plan to continue on.  Why?  People!  How many times do I have to tell you this?!  I FEEL AH-MAZING!  My skin is healthy, my sleep is good, I have energy, and my desire to kill people has reduced dramatically. (Kidding on the killings)

My next goal:  20 pounds gone by the end of March.  Just in time for lake season.  :0)

4Lbs!!!!!!

I am 4Lbs away from being at my lowest weight loss in over 10 years.  4Lbs!!  WOOHOO!!!!  Trust me, that makes the thought of eating baby shower cake all weekend a little less appealing.  This was taken this past weekend.  The sweater is bulky, but you get the idea.  :)

 

How to manage it all...

I have decided that for some, managing money is a lot like trying to lose weight.  What is simple for one person, is harder than hell for another.  People are now beginning to notice that I have lost weight.  18 pounds of weight to be exact.  (Thank you God!)  If I told you it was easy, I would totally be lying.  You see, I am a lover of food.  I can tell you what things go together to create a wonderfully creamy and rich tasting dessert.  All my life food has been the main subject.  As a kid I can remember hearing, "If you score a goal we will stop by UDF for ice cream."  Or, "if you behave while we're at Beerman's you can have a treat."  Food was always looked at as a reward in our family, not just fuel for the body.  So to lose this weight and eat the Paleo lifestyle I had to make some major changes.  I now keep a daily food journal, I only buy healthy foods, and I limit my cheats.  This all requires WORK.  Annoying work.  Dreadful work.  But now I am almost at two months of eating this way and it's becoming second nature.  I tell you all this so you can see how hard it is for me to manage what I eat, but I am very good at managing something else.... money.

I was raised in a home where money was talked about daily.  Just as some people talk about work, or their health, we talked about money.  We still do.  My parents raised my brother and I to be very frugal shoppers, to save when we can, and to always plan for the future.  The future, that truly is the hardest part because you never know what that "future" is going to be.  Right now I am saving for a new car.  I plan on paying cash for it.  And by saying "I plan on..." that means I have a budget.  I know where my money goes every month and I can pretty much project where it will go over the next 12 months.  Only occasionally is there something that catches me by surprise.  Such as the THREE baby showers this weekend (slit my wrists now please).  Too me, managing finances comes super easy.  I can look at someone else's lifestyle who is up in shambles and quickly tell them where they can cut expenses, make extra money, and save.  It's second nature.  (Annoying, huh?)  

So while finances come super easy to me, managing my food is extremely hard.  Maybe you are the opposite?  One thing I can tell you, to learn about Paleo I researched it.  I read books, blogs, recipes, etc....  So if you are someone who says, "I just don't get how to get out of debt?!".  I suggest you pick up a book, listen to Clark Howard or Dave Ramsey, or ask someone who knows.  Knowledge truly is half the battle.  And if you ever want to ask me, I am happy to listen.  I have done this for several friends and the information shared never goes beyond us.

To show you the similarity between the two, I just thought I'd show you some of the items I mentioned above.  The less calories and crap you eat, the more weight you shed.  The less money you spend and waste, the more money you save.  

Food                                        Money                                  

Food Journal                           Budget

Only buy healthy                      Only spend what I can afford

Limit cheats                             Don't blow the bank!

Stress.

I had a realization yesterday about how much stress reeks havoc on my life.  Three of our top four accounts  put my Monday into a tailspin.  And it was the kind of stress that makes your brain hurt.  I would prefer 9 hours of physical labor over 9 hours of mental labor any day.  That stress spilled over into Tuesday.  Both days I didn't get home until near or after 8pm.  (Writing this now with bags under my eyes at 8:30pm and just wanting to go to bed.)

Stress can come in all forms... work, family, personal mind games, relationships, etc...  Mine seems to be D).. all of the above.  My dad had back surgery last week and is now in a nursing home until Friday.  He is doing awesome.  But at the same time I worry about him.  Is he lonely?  Is he getting the right foods to eat?  He is diabetic and refuses to eat paleo.  And I was in shock Sunday night when his food tray consisted of a sweet corn muffin, fruit with cottage cheese, and orange sherbet.  All of which will send insulin skyrocketing.  The first 3 ingredients for sherbet are all sugar related.  Ok, I digressed...  My brother has been having some private issues and had to go in today for testing.  So I was a man down at work.  Work.... oh good lord.... work.  I work/own Cable & Connector Technologies with my brother.  We import custom and off the shelf cables.  Ya know all those cords behind your computer and tv?  Yeah, I sell those.  Anyways, custom cables are made to customer's specific needs.  Usually for specialty equipment.  This requires talking to engineers.  Have you ever dealt with engineers?  Some of them are wonderful.  (Kudos to Huy if he ever reads this)  Others are a pain in the ..... That was my Monday... and Tuesday... and probably Wednesday. 

And here's THE BIG STRESS:  Personal Mind Games.  Ok, so I told you last week that I am officially a size 10.  I have never been a size 10, at least that I can remember.  So somewhere in the back of my head this little voice has been telling me that I can stop.  That I look good enough.  That I should just eat that ice cream and not worry about it.  So Sunday night I had a come to Jesus moment with... myself.  I remember a multi-millionaire once telling my brother and I that we would never live in a huge house or be millionaires unless we could literally "see" ourselves in that house or as millionaires.  So as of Sunday  night I have decided to start seeing myself as an 8.  I have googled pics of people with before and after pics as my inspiration.  It has helped.  I am pushing forward.

What has all this stress done to me?  I haven't slept well in four days.  I have two canker sores in my mouth (one is on my throat making it hard to swallow.  grrr and gross.)   I can feel my whole body tense up.  And I don't want to eat.  (Never in a million years did I think THOSE words would come out of my mouth.)    And the aches and pains in my body are intensified to the point I couldn't workout today.  And that really pisses me off.  The thing is, I know this will pass.  I know soon (although it might take a few weeks) everything will work out and then I will be bored out of my mind.  So tonight, I'm just glad to say.... thank God tomorrow is Wednesday.  And I'm trusting that He will give me some much needed peace and pain relief.   

Day 18 of 50 - Serious cravings today

I'm having a strange day.  I'm craving everything.  I haven't had cravings like this in over a month.  For some reason the thought of laying on my couch in comfy sweats with a Reese's peanut butter cup sundae just sounds divine.  But I'm also remembering the after effects of that:  stomach pains, immediate tiredness, racing to the bathroom before my gut explodes (don't you just love visuals?), should I go on?

Another thing getting me through, I received an email today telling us that our halfway measurements will be taken on the 29th.  Halfway?!  It's hard to believe that we're almost halfway through this.  This is reason number, okay I don't have a number, but this is just one of the reasons I love Centerville CrossFit.  During this Paleo 50 Day Challenge we will be having a workout together followed by a catered meal, during our halfway check-in we will be hearing about the ease of shopping for paleo foods with snacks, and at the end there will be a group dinner to award the winners.  (Winners are chosen based on least cheats, measurements, total weight loss, and I think most dramatic change from before and after pictures.)  The group atmosphere and camaraderie at CF is like no other.  Through all my bitching and moaning before, during, and after a workout... I truly do love going.

So how will I combat my cravings?  Thinking almond butter and a banana.  Or maybe some super dark chocolate with almond butter.  Then again, this may pass by the time I get home.  Hopefully.

Oh, and here's an updated pic of me from NYC this past weekend.  I have about 20 more pounds to go, but I really do feel so much better now that I eat paleo.  And of course the workouts help too.  :)

 

Size 10's!!!!

I have so much to write about, but first and foremost... I am wearing size 10 jeans today!!  I started this year wearing a tight 14.  You know, the kind of tightness that you wear baggy shirts so that the muffin top spilling over is not seen by all.  Today I fit comfortably into a size 10.  This is after my friend Amy looked at me while we were in NYC and said, "Ok, those pants are too big.  You're not allowed to wear them anymore."  Seeing as how that was the second time I had heard that comment in a week, I decided it was time to part with the baggy 12's.  YAY!!!!

And yes, you heard right, I was in the Big Apple for 4 days.  That's 4 days of pizza and pretzels on EVERY corner.  I accumulated 5 cheat points total.  Which brings my total cheats to 7 on this day 16 of the 50 day paleo challenge.  I had pizza, gelato, a canolli, and the best ice cream brownie sundae ever!!  I also walked for 3 days straight for about  8-9 hours per day.  Luckily the exercise kept me from gaining any weight.  The hardest part about having those tasty treats, it makes me want more.  That's the thing with sugar, it is an addictive substance.  I know it will take several days, if not a week, to get the thoughts of sugar plums out of my head.  (What the heck is a sugar plum?)

We landed back in Ohio late Monday afternoon.  I immediately laid out some beef and sausage from the freezer and headed to the grocery store.  I knew this week was going to be a hectic between my dad having surgery and my CrossFit workouts.  I made a big pot of chili on Monday night.  I can eat chili on and with anything.  (Examples:  egg topper, avocado, stuffed in a green pepper, etc...)  If you make chili, add some veggies to it such as a diced up red and green bell pepper.  It's the easiest way to get more vegetables in your diet.  My lifesaver this week has been the egg muffins I made a few weeks ago and froze.  I completely forgot to buy eggs at the grocery.  I've been popping the muffins in the microwave for about 2 minutes every morning.

We are having a Paleo Potluck dinner at the gym this Friday.  Hopefully I will get some new dishes that I can share with you all.  :)  

Monday, Monday....

Well I made it through the weekend without killing myself (or anyone else).  I have found that the best way to curb cravings is to do things that either keep my mind off of food or that won't allow me to cheat.  Such as Friday night I went and got a pedicure.  A) Sitting in a chair for an hour is like being in jail to me.  No chance of escaping to go get a milkshake.  B) My lovely pedi person decided to talk to me about the Asian culture.  This includes what they eat.  It was enough to make me gag and not want to eat for the rest of the night.  Fried chicken feet anyone?

Majority of the weekend was spent with family.  We went to Marissa's soccer game, the Sauerkraut festival, and on Sunday we made Haunted Houses.  (Think gingerbread house at Christmas, but Halloween style)  I did rack up a cheat at the festival by eating a Popsicle.  It was so stinking hot out and water just wasn't doing it.

This upcoming weekend I am heading to New York City with my friend Amy.  I already know that I will be eating a slice of pizza and possibly some type of dessert from the Italy area.  Planning is the key to eating Paleo.  So I'm going to make some Paleo bars to take with me and carry in my purse.  I will also pack some fruit.

PS... Today is Day 7 of 50.

Day 3 of 50 : Paleo Challenge

Ok, I'm not going to lie.  Today I want cheese.  And not just any cheese, I want queso dip with nacho chips.  Actually, you can keep the chips.  I will just lick it out of the bowl.  Instead I'm going to eat a chicken sausage brat with sauteed onions and assorted peppers for dinner.  Then I'm going to workout.  And tonight my dessert will be a frozen banana (already chopped up) that I will throw in a blender and add some coconut milk to.

Although I want cheese, I'm not going to eat it.  Because believe it or not, I know this WANT will go away.  Because in reality I don't NEED it.  And my parents always explained the difference between a want and a need to me.  :)  But good heavens I NEED this desire for cheese to go away.  Right.  Now!

PS.. If you are thinking about going Paleo and want some good recipe sites to follow just let me know.  I have a whole slew of them.  Below is a picture of Egg Muffins (eggs, onions, peppers).  They are a great grab-n-go breakfast.  I made these on Sunday for this upcoming week.

Paleo Challenge: Why am I doing this?

Today starts a 50 day Paleo challenge at my gym, Centerville Crossfit.  I had already started eating "paleo" about 3 weeks prior so I feel like I'm ready for this.  What is Paleo?  Simplest way to explain it:  eat meats, fish, plenty of veggies, some nuts, few fruits, and good fats like avocado and olive oil.  So with the process of elimination right now you should be saying - no dairy or bread or beans or sugar (real or artificial) ?!?!?!?  Yes, kids.  None.

And now you're thinking, oh it's just another low carb diet.  Well, yes and no.  Yes it is low in carbohydrates.  But no, it's not the standard low carb diet.  Why?  Because these foods aren't just removed because of their carbohydrates.  They are removed because of what the food itself does to your body.  For more information check out Robb Wolf's website, http://robbwolf.com/.  And definitely read his book, "The Paleo Solution".

Let's get back to the good stuff.... why did I choose to do this?  If you know me well, you know that in the fall of 2008 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.  It is much like Crohn's disease which effects a person's digestive system.  When having a flair up a person with UC knows exactly where every restroom is located within seconds of walking into a building.  I was put on medication at the phenomenally valued price of $180 per month.  (and that's with sucky insurance)  I was also told to eat plenty of fiber and beans.  (This now makes me laugh)

One year later my appendix burst and I had my first appendectomy.  Six months later I was diagnosed with Endometriosis.  I had my first endo surgery done which removed a lot of the endo, but I was told it would never fully be gone and would continue to grow.  Guess what?  Six months later, due to extreme pain, I had another surgery.  And when I say pain, I'm talking the kind that wakes you up at night because you're pretty sure something is cutting you with a knife in your abdomen area.  This time a cyst the size of a grapefruit was removed.... along with an ovary.  sniffle sniffle...   Ok, ok, life goes on.... suck it up!

So for two years I was in and out of doctor's offices on a weekly basis and was able to rack up 3 surgeries.  Literally.  I was determined to make 2011 a year of positive changes.  First I started working out.  Then I read "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf.  Hey, wouldn't you know it.... he has/had Ulcerative Colitis too!  After just three weeks of changing my eating habits I have had ZERO digestive issues.  I have taken ZERO medications for either disease.  And I feel fantastic!!  A friend over the weekend said to me, "Your face is glowing like a pregnant woman."  (And I am 100% NOT prego!!)  So if you are reading this, why not give it 30 days and see if it makes a change to your life the way it has mine?

MORE Price Increases - UGH!

It's been a long time, 2 years to be exact, since I've posted.  But I feel with today's current economic condition that I need to get back to airing what is on my chest.  Today's rant : Price Increases.

For the past year or longer I have been cutting coupons, shopping at Aldi's, and stocking up on goods when I find deals.  Many have thought that I have officially gone crazy.  But now it seems like the reality is starting to set in.  Just yesterday Hershey's announced they will be increasing their prices 10%.  News makers are warning us gasoline will reach $7 per gallon by the end of the year.  And the cost of standard groceries will see a 10-15% increase this year.  So what does all this mean?

It's time to cut back.  Find balance.  If you didn't cut coupons before, start.  There are some great websites out there that will email you weekly with all the local store savings.  You can also print coupons directly from your computer.  And even better, stock up.  It's not like toilet paper is going to go bad.  Come on people, think!  Do you have rewards points that are collecting dust.  Turn them in.  And yes, I know it's a "reward" but that doesn't mean you get to congratulate yourself.  I mean seriously, you're getting rewards for spending money and going into debt?!  Once again... think about this.  Turn those points in for things that you use and need.  Like a gas card.  Not Starbucks.

So I know you're thinking, "Heather, you own a company and are doing good.  Why do you care?".  Honestly, I didn't get where I am today by buying foo-foo drinks at Starbucks.  I cut pennies any way I can.  Don't get me wrong, I still go to Indian Lake.  And I will fill that boat up with $5/gallon gasoline a few times this year.  But I also buy my shorts at Goodwill.  ;)  Balance.