5 Day Eating Clean/No Processed Food Challenge

So I tried this earlier in the month but it was during a very inopportune time. I'm going to challenge myself again to eat clean for the next 5 days.

"Eat clean"...what exactly does that mean? In a nutshell it means that you eat only whole foods...Foods that are as close to their natural state as you can get them. If something didn't grow that way, it's probably not a whole food. For me this means that I can enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains but nothing pre-packaged...Protein bars, Protein Shakes, Morningstar farms products.

Yikes! 

Although I think that I eat pretty healthy most of the time, my weight loss has stalled so it's time for me to kick it up a notch. Most of the processed food that I eat is consumed out of convenience. I don't THINK that what I eat is extremely unhealthy. But I'm not a Nutritionist so what do I know?

If you've been reading, I haven't been posting my food as religiously as I did a few weeks ago. So I am going to start tracking my meals again, take more photos and share my clean eating intake. What I'm not going to do is count calories. I'm going to trust that if I eat clean and get my compulsive grazing under control, the weight will start to come off again. It's only 5 days, so it shouldn't be too painful? Right? We'll see.

Yesterday was a Manic Monday in every way. I didn't have time to take walks on my 15 minute breaks nor did I have time to do anything on my lunch break. It was one "urgent" email after the next. By the end of the day I was so ready to change into my workout clothes and get the heck out of the office!

Being out in the fresh air and getting a run in is one of the best ways to relieve stress...at least for me. Not only did it center me, but it gave me time to be alone with my thoughts and reflect. Everything about yesterday’s run felt different. There was a chill in the air that I normally don't like because it symbolizes the change in season. I didn’t mind it so much yesterday, however. I just took everything in and really appreciated the blueness of the sky and how green the trees were...everything looked more beautiful. I started thinking about the possibility of being diagnosed with an illness that I’ll have to fight and I realized that one day, I may not be able to run. That motivated me to push myself and keep going even after I got tired. I didn’t even use my C25K app, I just ran and left everything I had on the trail. I’m no Lo Lo Jones, but I can’t remember the last time I jogged 2 ½ miles without stopping.

It felt great. Even though it took me over half an hour, it was a huge accomplishment.

I’ve been thinking a lot about life and death and my own mortality lately. It’s not just about going for a run and appreciating the beauty that God made. I’ve also been very present with my family. I’ve been making a conscious effort not to argue with my mother. I’ve been enjoying every single second that I have with Travis…even when he woke up in the middle of my night time work out. I just turned off the DVD and stayed with him even after he fell asleep. As I sat there with him, I realized that I AM dying. We all are. From the moment we are born we are all waiting for God to call us back home. My grandmother lived until she was in her 80’s. My first born son only lived an hour after his birth. Both of their lives had meaning. We are all put here for a purpose. And regardless of whether we are given a diagnosis that comes with an expiration date or we are just going about our lives and something tragic happens, it will eventually be our time to leave what we think of as our home. It is my hope however, that we all try to live in the moment and appreciate everything that this temporary yet wonderful world has to offer. We should use tragedies to help us appreciate miracles. We should embrace the cold and darkness of the winter because with it is the promise of the warmth and newness of springtime.  I sat up for hours last night wondering…what if I returned to the doctor in December and found out that I am the picture of health? What if this scare was God’s way of getting my attention and drawing me closer to Him?

My prayer for everyone who may be reading this is that you live in the moment. Appreciate every aspect of your life, the good and the bad. Take time today to go outside, breath in fresh air, and marvel at the beauty that your Higher Power has created.

Make today your best day ever! And do at least one today thing that will improve your health.

Thanks for reading and may God bless you and keep you!

Always,

Blaque

Get Back in the Game

Get Back in the Game

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." - Isaiah 60:1 NIV

Are you going through a tough time today? Are you sitting on the sidelines of life? God is saying, “Arise and get back in the game.” If a friend betrayed you, don’t go through life lonely. Go out and find some new friends. The right people are in your future. If you lost your job, don’t sit around complaining. Go out and find another job. When one door closes, God will always open another door. If you’re facing a health issue, fighting that sickness, don’t give up on life and start planning your funeral. Arise from that discouragement!

The above is from an email I received this morning. Sometimes, we are given just the right word at just the right time!

I spent the entire weekend worrying about an illness I don’t even know if I have and trying to cope with feelings of frustration due to my weight loss slowing down, that I didn’t even realize that I’ve mentally checked out. I am not fighting nearly as hard as I should be fighting. It's time for me to arise from my self-inflicted discouragement and get back into the game!

Living in the moment is hard sometimes. It’s much easier to be past obsessed or to fixate on what the future may hold. But I need to focus on the here and now. We all do. The truth is, I have come a long way. I should be ecstatic about the weight that I have lost thus far. I've gone from 240 pounds to somewhere around 143...and for that I am proud! As far as my future...I know that God's got me. Anything that may or may not happen is a part of His plan. All I can do is trust Him!

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my focus now is on my health; physical, mental and spiritual. Everything else, I will allow to take care of itself. 

The only exercising I did yesterday was a walk with Travis. It took me over 40 minutes to walk 2 miles, but that little boy and his wheelchair are soooo heavy! I literally felt like I was flipping tires in a Strongman Competition or something. But we made it. The weather was perfect for a nice stroll with my favorite guy so I wasn't in a rush anyway!

I've decided that I am going to take a break from Ripped In 30. In no way am I giving up on it, though. I am just holding off for a while because I don't feel as though I'm getting the full benefits of Week 3. The reality is, I can't do the moves just yet. So for the next few weeks I am going to do The 500 Calorie Workout by The Firm. 

I've done this workout a few times before. It is also very challenging, but the moves aren't nearly as difficult. I promised myself that I was going to complete Ripped In 30, and I plan on keeping that promise. I just have to get to a place where I can give 100% to all the moves. I can't expect to get "ripped" if my form is off and I'm only completing half of the repititions. In life, sometimes we have to adjust...

So while doing The 500 Calorie Workout, I will do a weigh-in each Sunday to see how I am progressing. Again, health is my main focus, but I would still like to reach my goal of 135 pounds...but no pressure!

Wish me luck!

God bless,

Blaque

Elevated B12

As if I didn't have enough to worry about...I received a call from my doctor's office regarding some lab work I recently had done. I was told that my B12 levels are high...very high. This is odd to me because I was taking B12 supplements, but like everything else in my life, I wasn't consistent. I did a Google search on elevated B12 levels and I really wish I hadn't. This could be a sign of a number of very serious medical conditions. Or maybe it's nothing, I don't know. In any event, I have to get my blood work re-checked but not until December. Three months is a long time to wait, but what are my options?

I have to believe that regardless of the outcome, there is a purpose for all of this. Right now, I am going to focus more on eating healthy and clean rather than whatever number happens to be on the scale on any given day. At this moment my weight is the least of my worries. Being as healthy as I can be is paramount right now.

For lunch I made a very quick and healthy vegetable stir-fry with steamed rice. It was delicious.

I bought the vegetables pre-packaged from Trader Joe's. I sautéed them in a little olive oil, light soy sauce, salt, pepper and Smart Balance. Simple and tasty...just the way I like my food!

The rest of the day I tried to keep myself busy. Housework, housework, housework and lots of snuggling with my favorite guy.

I plan on doing a lot of this during these next three months. I'm convinced that my son's cuddles have medicinal powers. He makes everything better!

After I put Travis to bed, I reluctantly did Week 3 Day 2 of Ripped In 30. I was distracted and really didn't want to work out. Besides, this level is super hard and I just don't think I'm in good enough shape to give it 100%. I know that sounds rather defeatist, but rest assured I have no intentions of giving up. I just wish I could do the moves better and keep up with the number of repetitions. I really feel my age while doing Week 3. And the last thing I need right now is to be reminded of my age.

Where did all the years go?

Anyway, thanks for reading and allowing me to purge. Promise me that you will do at least one thing after reading this that will improve your health. It's all important!

Grace and peace,

Blaque

Finally, Week 3 of Ripped In 30

After a few days off from working out, I finally completed Week 3 Day 1 of Ripped In 30...oh the horror!

I have to admit, I really struggled with Level 3. I lost a lot of momentum after not working out in several days. Travis' nurse had personal issues this week and my workout routine was completely thrown off. I honestly felt as though I was back at Week 1 Day 1.

The first circuit was Quad Hell. Bear crawls, duck walks, and squats...oh my! My legs and abs are sore and I know I didn't even do most of the moves properly. Level 3 is definitely a challenge. But like the other two levels, it will get better...I hope! I didn't even do the cool down. By the end of the circuit 3 I was laying in the middle of the floor sweating profusely and bargaining with Jesus...Lord, if you just help me to get in shape, I'll never abuse food or my body again!

Somehow, I doubt He bought it!

Despite the fact that I didn't do the cool down, I still added a dollar to my workout jar. I completed the hard parts. That counts, right?

CHA-CHING!

 

As worn out and sore as I am, I'm happy to be back on track and excited to continue with Week 3. I can't wait to see the results at the end of this difficult level.

Wish me luck, I'll need it.

Always,

Blaque

Completed Level 2, Time To Weigh In

I finished Level 2 Day 6 of Ripped in 30. The fact that I managed to lose anything is a gift being that I'm smack dab in the middle of the hormonal poool most women take a dip in every 28 days. So I will take this .8 pound weight loss and be happy! Besides, I've lost almost 15 pounds since starting this DVD so I think I'm doing pretty good.

Anyway, here are the results:

Previous Weight       Current Weight
144.6                        143.8

Goal Weight
135

Starting Bust            Current Bust
36 inches                  36 inches

Starting Waist         Current Waist
30 inches                 29 inches

Starting Hips           Current Hips
40 inches                 40 inches

Starting Forearm     Current Forearm
12 1/2 inches           12 inches

Starting Wrist         Current Wrist
6 inches                   6 inches

Starting Thigh        Current Thigh
23 inches                22 1/2 inches

Starting BMI       Current BMI
24.82                    24.68

Starting Body Fat %    Current Body Fat %
39.44%                           39.28%

I've been in Triple-C mode for the last few days: Cranky, Cramping, and Cravings. So I took a break from the blog, working out, and pretty much everything that didn't involve laying in bed eating Peanut, Almond & Dark Chocolate Nature Valley Protein bars. But after completing Level 2 of Ripped, I've noticed slightly more definition in my arms and shoulders. My abs and lower body still need a lot of work, so I'm hoping to see a difference in those areas after Level 3. *crosses fingers for luck*

Being that I am having a few female "issues" right now, I didn't make it 3 days without processed food. Yesterday was a little better however. I only had one protein bar, 5 clementines, a rice cake with almond butter, a pink grapefruit, a handfull of grapes, and for dinner a veggie burger with an ear of corn.

It was a Morningstar Farms spicy black bean burger with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, veggie cheese and spicy brown mustard on a whole wheat bun. I probably could have done without the carbs, but man oh man was it tasty!

As far exercise, I still haven't managed to start Level 3 of Ripped. But I did walk 2.39 miles with Travis. Pushing a 90 pound child in a wheelchair for 2 miles is workout enough, trust me.

Before I went to bed, I also did a 15 minute workout DVD. It's called Personal Training with Jackie: Crunch-Free Xtreme Abs. This was a really good workout. It was short, but challenging. I might even add it to the end of my Ripped workout being that my core needs so much work...but we'll see what Level 3 brings before I commit to that.

Well, a new week is upon us. I don't know about you, but I'm closing the door to everything I may have done wrong with my diet and fitness routines and opening a window of new goals and opportunities. We've all been given another chance to do a little better than we did before. Let's take it!

Thanks for reading.

Always,

Blaque

Improvements

I had the day off from work yesterday because Travis had an appointment with his orthopedic specialist. My plan was to take him to his appointment, come home and relax, grab a bite to eat  and then hit the 5 mile trail. But due to circumstances beyond my control,  I never made it back out of the house. This is why I prefer to run or workout on my lunch breaks. Once I get home, finding time to workout becomes increasingly difficult. So Level 2 Day 5 of Ripped In 30 was my only exercise yesterday.

And you know, I’ve been so preoccupied with not being able to do the plank jacks and mountain climbers the way that I want to do them, that I almost didn’t notice the things that have gotten easier. When I started with day 1 of this level, I couldn’t do the side lunges with a leg raise without getting a cramp. But now, I can do them with no trouble at all. Also, my balance has gotten so much better. I don’t wobble nearly as much. I’m making improvements. I still may not be able to do all of the moves, but I’m better and stronger now than I was when I started Level 2. That’s encouraging.

I tend to always eat more when I am at home. Maybe because there are more stress triggers there. I didn’t bother tracking my food. I think I ate relatively healthy food, it’s just that there was a lot a whole lot of it. 

I ate lots of fruit, a whole wheat English muffin with a little Smart Balance Light spread, veggie bacon, rice cakes with almond butter, a protein shake, an ear of corn, and for dinner I had ½ cup of yellow rice and some sautéed mushrooms.

These mushrooms were so flavorful if I do say so myself. I sautéed them in a little EVOO, garlic, salt, pepper and a little Emeril's Essence spice. I know that a lot of people are not big fans of mushrooms but I highly recommend them. They are great meat substitute because of their texture and they actually have a lot of health benefits.

I remember being a kid growing up on what I joking call a BAD diet (Black American Diet).

I remember eating lots of fried chicken, maybe some pork chops, white rice, canned vegetables, lots of white bread, noodles, and tons of Kool-Aid. Don’t get me wrong, my mother, like many others, did the best she could when it came to putting food on the table. But I don’t think in those days much that was given to nutrition. So a lot of adults my age are just use to eating things that we grew up on. But now, we have so many luxuries that our parents didn’t have. Healthy and affordable recipes are at our disposal via the internet. We don’t have to have a degree in Nutrition to know whether or not the food we eat is healthy.

As a matter of fact, I am setting a mini-goal for myself:

For the next three days I am not eating any processed food no matter how healthy I think it is. Nothing out of a box, not even rice cakes or peanut butter or almond butter. Wait…that means no protein bars or Morningstar Farms products…YIKES!

But my eating habits have been out of order lately so from now through Sunday, if I can’t eat it in the form that it grew, it’s not going in my mouth.

Do you have any diet or fitness goals? Tell me about them.

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

A Bad Day

If I had to describe today in two words they would be: EPIC FAIL!

I went on somewhat of a feeding frenzy. I had a cup of green tea sweetened with
one package of Splenda when I woke up this morning. Then throughout the day I had one cup of succotash (200 calories), 1 slice of mango, the last of my vegetarian spaghetti, 1 caramel corn rice cake with 2 tbsp. of peanut butter (250 calories) 1 banana, 3 more slices of mango, and a Morningstar Farms Mushroom Lover's burger patty (just the patty, no bread 110 calories).

I was super busy with housework so I didn't get a chance to go for a walk. But I did 25 sit-ups early in the day. And after I put Travis to bed I decided to do Level 1 Day 3 of Ripped in 30 and a Walk Away the Pounds DVD.

I used 3 lb weights instead of 5 lbs while doing Ripped because I'm still concerned about my shoulder. However, using the 3 pounders felt like I wasn't holding anything at all. Still, with all the popping in my joints while doing the moves I'm starting to feel my age for the first time ever.

Walk Away the Pounds is probably one of the easiest workout DVDs on the market. But try doing it right after a Jillian Michaels workout and it suddenly becomes 10 times more difficult. My legs were so weak and soar, but I made it to the end of the 2 mile walk.

I should have left well enough alone, taken a shower and gone to bed. But oh no...I attempted to shampoo my carpet...at 9:25 at night only to find out that my carpet cleaner was leaking. Big time leaking. AARGH!!! Annoyed, I had another rice cake with peanut butter and a grilled cheese sandwich. Old habits die hard! I said I would be honest...I eat my stress and it is what it is. Eating when I'm upset feels involuntary at times. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. All I can do is try and make tomorrow better than today.

Right now, I'm going to go watch Total Divas and wish I had a body like the Funkadactyls...either one of them...I'm not picky.

I bet they don't eat grilled cheese sandwiches in the middle of the night.

God, help me!

Tell me, how do you deal with bad days?

I'm looking forward to reading your comments.

Always,

Blaque

Rest and Recovery

For some reason, my left shoulder is still very sore. I heard popping on that side as I was doing the first two days of R.I.30. One would think that having to lift a 90 pound child in and out of bed, in and out of his wheelchair, and in and out of the bathtub every day would give me more upper body strength.  But I guess my upper body didn't get the memo. In any event, I decided to rub my shoulder with Ben-Gay and take a break from Ripped. I still managed to squeeze in a little activity however.

I did 25 sit-ups as soon as I got out of bed, 25 when Travis took a nap, and then 25 more after he went to bed. After dinner, I took a short 1.34 mile walk. Also, when I went to Target, I did what so many weight loss experts say to do. I parked as far away as I could in order to get in some extra steps.

The distance from the parking lot, through the store for 2 items, and back to my vehicle was .38 miles. That doesn't sound like a lot, but if done a few times a week it can start to add up. And hey, every little bit helps, right? I probably wouldn't do this every time I run an errand, but if I don't have my family with me and I'm wearing sensible shoes, there is no reason why I can't make this part of my routine. I've decided that every thing I do from this point on is either going to help me lose weight or cause me to gain. And I am determined to do whatever it takes to lose this weight once and for all.

My diet today wasn't too bad. Throughout the course of the day I had a protein shake, 1 pineapple spear, 1 slice of mango, 1 bowl of spaghetti, 1 apple and a bowl of grapes. Then when I woke up to change Travis' briefs I had a banana the first time and another pineapple spear the next. Like I said, not too bad.

Now, I have to get myself mentally prepared for Day 3 of Ripped in 30. Anytime I stop something, it's so hard to get started again. But I CAN. I WILL. I MUST!

Tell me, how often do you take rest and recovery days?


Blaque