I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me

Everytime I go out for a walk or jog, I ask God to watch over me and keep me safe. And other times, like on yesterday's run, I have to recite Philippians 4:13 in my head to make it to the end. Yesterday's run was the most difficult so far. It was a 5 minute warm up walk followed by a 20 minute run. By the 20th minute, I'm sure it looked more like a crawl, but I was able to do it without stopping and I truly believe it's because I asked my higher power for strength. After the setbacks I've had with over eating and not losing much weight, I needed that little victory. Thank you, Jesus!

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Level 2 Day 6 of Ripped In 30 went really well. The workout seemed to go by faster and was much less painful. I'm trying to decide if I will do a 7th day or take a rest day then move on to Level 3. I'm leaning towards one more workout day because I know I haven't lost that much weight (if any) this week. I could use another workout before my weigh in, But I will see how I feel about it tomorrow.

My diet yesterday was on point. I stuck to my no processed food goal. It went something like this:

1/2 cup field peas (yes, for breakfast) 110 calories

1 protein shake 240 calories

1 apple 95 calories

1 cup string beans 70 calories

1 nectarine 62 calories

muscle milk 170 calories

2 mini corn on the cob 180 calories

1 cup string beans 70 calories

Total for the day 997 Sweet!

At some point this weekend my weigh in and new pictures are coming. So stay tuned!

As always, thanks for reading.

Enjoy today,

Blaque

Level 2 Day 4 of Ripped In 30 - The Remix



OK, so I had a moment the other night. I was so freaked out because of I gained .4 of a pound. I know, I know...pretty pathetic. But I have been feeling stronger and my endurance has increased especially during my runs. Those are the things I will try to focus on going forward as opposed to the number on the scale.

While I was at work, I walked .81 miles on my first 15 minute break (it actually took 16:33 minutes. Don't tell my manager) and on my second break I walked 1.04 miles. After work, I did Week 5 Day 2 of C25K. Todays workout started with a 5 minute warm up followed by two 8 minute runs separated with a 5 minute walk. These runs are definitely getting harder but I was able to complete it without stopping. 

Then Travis gave me the best gift ever. He fell asleep at 8pm so I was able to start Level 2 Day 4 of Ripped In 30 before 9 o'clock. Yes! I am still struggling with the plank jacks, mountain climbers and crow push ups. In fact, instead of doing crow push ups I do regular push ups. And I have to stop and rest my arms during the plank jacks and mountain climbers. The rest of the workout is challenging but doable. I've decided to extend this level until I've done at least 7 days. I really want to do the moves I just described without stopping.

I've tried to increase my water intake. I had a total of 104 ounces...I was shooting for a gallon. I haven't been tracking my food lately because I felt I was eating pretty healthy. But I think I will start again just to make sure I am not eating more calories than I should.

I'm 10 pounds away from my goal weight. I'm 5 pounds away from a total weight loss of 100 pounds. If that's not motivation, I don't know what is. Time to turn it up!

Thanks for reading.

Always,

Blaque

Hiding Inside My Fat Girl Sweater

“Hey Skinny Minnie!”

“Wow, your face is so thin!”

“Yolanda, you’re wasting away to nothing!”

Someone, please make it stop! First of all I AM NOT SKINNY nor am I wasting away to nothing. Hardly! Skinny is a body type I will never find myself in. That’s not self-deprecation, that’s an honest assessment of my body. When I came home from Boot Camp at the age of 21 years old, I was 125 pounds but I was not skinny. I always have been and always will be a thick person and I don’t have a problem with that. But these weight loss comments/compliments are over-whelming and pressure educing. Every time my mother looks at me she says I need to eat more and that my face is too thin. People at work all want me to give them some magic secret they believe I have for weight loss. I’ve started keeping this big, bulky fashion disaster of a sweater with me so that I can wear it as camouflage whenever I leave my desk. 

I really wish I could take a 2 to 3 month vacation (paid vacation, that is), finish losing this weight in private, then come back as if nothing had happened. It’s hard. Having body image issues is hard. And I'm an introvert by nature. Having all of this unwanted attention regarding my weight loss and body is quite uncomfortable. But I can’t let all these crazy emotions derail me from my destination. 135…I won’t stop until I reach 135 pounds!

Yesterday's run felt really good. I did Week 5 Day 1 of C25K and for the first time since I've been using this app, I got lost in the run. I was actually enjoying the feeling of running instead of praying that the interval would soon be over. Today's workout started with a 5 minute warm up followed by 5 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking. It repeated three times before ending with a 5 minute cool down. I felt great. I felt strong. I did a total of 2.30 miles, plus I walked another mile back to my vehicle. Yay me!

Last night after I put Travis to bed, I did Level 2 Day 3 of Ripped In 30. Again, it’s getting a little better but I’m not even close to keeping up with the women on the video. I try to focus on technique as opposed to doing as many reps…hopefully by the end of this level I will be able to do both.

I’ve really been enjoying my workouts lately. The comments from others about my weight loss? Not so much!

Tell me, do you get rattled by comments about your weight and/or weight loss? Please tell me I'm not the only one!

Thanks for reading.


Always,


Blaque

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Don’t Be Afraid of Green Smoothies

I love green smoothies! And slowly more and more people are loving them too.Even my Mom gets excited when she sees me making them, she's hooked too.

Green smoothies are blended drinks that combine leafy greens with fruits, vegetables and often healthy fats, such as almonds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, etc.

Green smoothies are packed with fiber, are very filling, are quick and easy to make, and they’re an excellent way of getting your recommended daily requirement of fruits and veggies.

My smoothie of choice is made with strawberries, bananas, spinach and kale. Yesterday, I also added a scoop of protein powder because I had this smoothie instead of my morning protein shake.

I will admit, these smoothies look a little suspect, but they taste great. I ate less yesterday after drinking mine and instantly felt very energized. The Internet is filled with hundreds, thousands maybe of green smoothie recipes. But all you simply have to do is buy fresh (organic whenever possible ) green leafy vegetables and blend them with your favorite fruits using a 60/40 ratio of veggies to fruit. You may want to add a little water or a nut milk of some sort to help the blended process. I like mine thick so I add very little.

Blend it, chill it and trust me, all you will taste will be the deliciousness of the fruits.

So I had part of my smoothie for breakfast then I had a little more later in the day. I also had a Nature Valley protein bar and a pint of Chinese vegetable friend rice and a spring roll.

Because I went off my diet and had Chinese take out for lunch, I decided finish up early at work and take a 5 mile nature hike before my son's nurse left for the night. And I am so glad I did. I love being out in nature and just marveling at the beauty of it all. 

I went to a place called Mariner's Park to walk the Noland Trail. This trail is very demanding. It's hill after hill for a full 5 miles. The first 2 miles I did my C25K Week 4 Day 3 run. The rest of the way continued to alternate betwen jogging and walking doing mostly walking for the last mile or so. But I felt great afterwards. 

Obviously after jogging and walking for 5 miles I took a rest day from Ripped in 30. But tonight is the night that I start Level 2. I can't wait to see what Jillian has in store for me!

Thanks for reading.

Always,

Blaque

Balance

As I was doing Level 1 Day 4 of Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30, I realized that the most challenging part of doing these workouts is keeping my balance. Other than the single-leg hops and skaters which requires me to land on one foot, the moves are not incredibly hard. Still, I keep wobbling and find myself fighting for control and balance.

I find myself fighting for control and balance...that's the story of my life.

During the workout my inner voice kept saying "Don't give up! Keep at it! Eventually, you'll find your balance!"

After a little reflection I know now that I need to be equally encouraging in other areas of my life. I need to be more patient in regards to my compulsive eating. I didn't get this way over night and I can't normalize over night either. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to be complacent about it. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep trying to correct it. And eventually, I will find my balance!

Major "Aha moment" for me!

My meals today were a little more controlled. I had a protein shake (240 calories), a banana, a bowl of grapes, a rice cake w/ peanut butter (250 calories), 1/2 cup of pinto beans (120 calories), 1/2 cup of collard greens (60 calories) another banana, more collards, and a nectarine.

Just in case anyone reading this is thinking that this is not enough food, I had Gastric bypass surgery in 2011. I no longer have a functioning stomach. My surgeon created a small pouch at the top of my stomach using surgical staples. My pouch was then connected to my small intestine. So I can only tolerate a small amount of food at a time. Trust me, I've tried to devour a plate full of some of my favorite things...I didn’t' turn out well.

In addition to R.I.30, I also did a total of 75 sit-ups and I did Week 4 Day 1 of C25K on my Run Double app.

The run starts with a 5 minute warm up followed by 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2 minutes 30 seconds of walking, then it repeats, and finally it ends with a 5 minute cool down.

I'm not that great of a runner. I long for the days when I was in the Army Reserves and could run for miles. But that was a lifetime ago. Now, I'm 42 years old, about 30 pounds heavier than I was then, I'm slower, my form is horrible, and I have a terrible case of Genu valgum (which means I'm knock kneed but Genu valgum sounds less child-like). I probably don't look like a runner, but I have to admit, I love it and it does wonders for my stress!

Considering that I was putting all of the final touches together to send my son back to school tomorrow, today was a pretty good day as far as diet and exercise.

I will continue to search for that elusive balance and try to be consistent with it when I find it. But if I stumble, I will be gentle with myself and know that tomorrow is another day.

Tell me, how do YOU find balance in your life?

Until next time, may you have harmony, peace, and yes, balance, today and always!

Regards,

Blaque