yet another step towards a healthier me???

I’m not exactly sure what has spurred my move towards a healthier “me” in the past 6 months or so.  It’s really been quite unlike me.  I’ve never considered exercise to be an important part of my regular routine.  I’ve never truly considered the food that I consume.  I’ve dieted in an attempt to reach a more attractive weight, but always in the sense that I cut calories not that I made any attempts to eat healthier.  Now I find myself on an ongoing quest to take “the next step” in remaking myself into a healthier and happier version of me. 

I’ve been exercising on a regular basis for the first time in my life – exercise videos and running mostly.  I’ve been drinking water almost to the exclusion of anything else.  I’ve dramatically cut my alcohol consumption and as of the last couple of weeks, have begun to take vitamins and supplements designed to fill in the gaps left by my current diet and attempt to ‘even out’ my body’s chemistry.  I’ve come to love “real” tea, both iced and hot as I’ve taught myself to replace Diet Coke with black tea or flavor my ongoing water consumption with green.

I recently had a bunch of blood work done.  I really wish that I had done it in December so that I would have a baseline of sorts that might show me how far I’ve come already.  At this point – it was a solid mix of “good news – bad news”.  The good news is that I’m remarkably healthy overall.  My sister, (my dedicated Naturopathic Doctor) commented that mine were the best and most exciting lab results that she had seen in a long time.  No cholesterol issues, no signs of impending doom in the form of diabetes…all the things that we were concerned about particularly from a genetic standpoint was good news.  I also had her run a full food/vegetable allergy panel.  THIS news, to me, was the “bad” news.  Here is a list of my favorite foods:  spaghetti, lasagna, nachos, Chipotle burritos, bleu cheese in most any form, Thai fried rice, anything that is filled with or covered with melted cheese (particularly if also fried), ice cream, vodka….yum.  And here is a partial list of my allergies:  rice, wheat, gluten, dairy (in particular cheddar & parmesan cheeses for some reason)…the list was significantly longer, but these are the items that fell into the yellow and red “2’s or 3’s” categories on my list meaning that they were the items that I needed to be most concerned about.  Notice any crossover between those lists?  This was less than awesome news to me.  I expected the lactose news and I have gone lactose-free before – when I was nursing my youngest daughter.  I was NOT expecting the wheat/rice/gluten news. 

I honestly don’t know how to eat gluten-free but I’m determined to try it.  And I think I’ll record some of those efforts here – maybe I can either help someone else considering this change or garner some knowledge from my mysterious base of readers.  I officially “started” this effort today when I ordered my burger sans bun…but NOT sans French fries.  Fries are potatoes, right?  And potatoes aren’t gluten-ey?  Right?  Hmmm…after I ordered, I questioned myself and did a quick internet search.  I ran across a couple of blogs that I scanned very quickly and found that, in fact, French fries are often a problem.  They are apparently either dusted with a wheat powder to make them golden and crispy – or they are fried in the same fryers that are utilized to cook other items that are not naturally gluten-free.  Hmm.  Oops.  First strike for the day.  What else did I learn?  Never pick the croutons off your salad…they will most always leave behind enough crumbs to cause issues.  Obvious news, I suppose.  But still takes a little bit of the wind out of my sails as I begin to really realize how little I know.  I am certainly lucky that my issues are not so extreme that the addition of some invisible crouton crumbs might cause extreme disaster but I am going to need to start doing some real research if I want to try to do this the ‘right’ way. 

And – for the record – I suppose it’s possible that this is a figment of my overactive imagination, but I did recognize some *ahem* gastrointestinal “issues” very shortly after I consumed the ill-advised but frankly, delicious potatoes. 

So – particularly knowing that I do NOT do very well reading overly science-y tomes, does anyone out there have any awesome blogs, articles, books, etc. to share that can help me begin to make these terrifying diet changes?  I'm thanking my lucky stars right now that it is summer – the season of grilled meats and vegetables instead of winter – the season of comfort-food-y, gooey, noodley casseroles.  At least I have a couple of months to wrap my brain around these concepts before the cooking moves back indoors.  

"Game On" explanation

If you've been paying attention, you know that I've made some pretty major changes in the way that I take care of myself lately.  I feel like I've explained and described my process so many times at this point that everyone around me must be growing SO weary of hearing the story - but I continue to have someone new ask me to explain nearly every day.  So I decided that it is time to copy my new friend Jenny H and describe "Game On" in my own words in a place where everyone can see it at once - and can refer back if you're not ready for it now...

This winter, I was on a crusade to get my friend Sonja running with me...and we were talking a lot about eating healthier, treating our bodies better, etc, etc....I felt like I was doing a decent job of taking care of myself, but obviously I could do better.  She called me up and asked me to be her partner in a "Game On" challenge.  If I'm being honest - I signed up solely for Sonja...I originally thought the concept would never work for me - that taking part in an online challenge was going to be no motivation for me whatsoever...but I really wanted to support Sonja.  So - in January, we started our first round of "Game On - Minnesota style".  The whole thing has truly changed my life in a multitude of ways.  It is based on a book titled "Game On" which I have not read.  There is a growing group of us who utilizes a private facebook group to keep the thing rolling.  Here's how it works:

At the beginning of each 4 week round (we DID do one 6 week round but I doubt we will again), everyone puts $40 into the "pot" and partners up for the competition.  Here is what it consists of:

• Diet - the official "Game On" book dictates a strict diet, but this is one of the details that we, as a group, decided to alter a bit.  To take part in the challenge, you need to be following some sort of a diet.  We have some people (like me) doing Weight Watchers, some counting calories, some following a primal diet, etc.  You must follow some sort of organized diet plan.  This is worth 30 points per day.
• Exercise - you must commit to some sort of sweat-inducing exercise for at least 20 minutes per day.  This is worth 20 points per day.
• Sleep - you must be in bed with the possibility of sleeping for at least 7 hours per night.  For those with small children who wake us frequently, you can still get your points as long as you are in bed attempting to sleep 7+ hours.  For example, if you KNOW that your child wakes up at 6 am every morning, you must be in bed with the lights out by 11 pm to get your points.  If your baby still wakes you up twice a night, just make sure that you are in bed early enough to get 7 hours per sleep around those wake-ups.  Naps don't count!  You have to be "trying" for 7 continuous hours.  Worth 15 points per day.
• Water - This is a big one and seems to be the most challenging and surprising for most people.  You must consume 101 oz of water each day.  And yes, that's WATER.  Juice doesn't count, flavored water doesn't count...you can flavor your water with fruit, berries, "real" tea (ie. Crystal Light is no good, the bottled teas that you can buy that are full of chemicals are no good)...but the key is to be consuming real, honest to god water that has not been chemically altered.  Worth 10 points per day.
• New Habit - Pick a good habit that you want to encourage each and every day.  Some examples:  daily meditation, reading for pleasure 20 minutes per day, spending 30 minutes per day of focused play time with your kids.  Worth 10 points per day.
• Old Habit - Pick an old habit that you want to lose each and every day.  Some examples:  I gave up soda which was HUGE for me, drop your television consumption to an hour a day, stop texting while driving, stop biting your nails.  Worth 10 points per day.
• Communication - this is why this whole thing works, I think.  You have to communicate both with your teammate AND with someone from an opposing team each and every day.  Because of the private facebook group, this is very easy for most of us.  All you really have to do is pop in and drop a note about how your day is going in terms of the challenge each day and drop a private note to your partner.  Everyone is ridiculously encouraging and wonderful and this is a big part of what makes the whole thing so much fun - the community is fantastic!  Worth a measly 5 points per day - but CRITICAL to my success.

You can also lose points each day for the following:

• Scale Penalty - You are allowed to step on the scale once each day. If you step on more than once, you need to deduct 1 point per time.
• Snacking Penalty - This is a tough one for me to define honestly...I've more or less ignored it, I think it is a carryover from the official "Game On Diet" that none of us are following.  Deduct 10 points per penalty if you are snacking outside of your official diet, I guess.
• Collusion Penalty - if you cheat - deduct 20 points....but really?  If you're cheating anyway, are you going to be honest enough to deduct these points?  Unlikely.
• Alcohol - BIG ONE for so many.  If you consume alcohol, deduct 25 points per drink.  Ouch.
• Change your Habit - remember those new and old habits from above?  You have to commit to those habits for the entire round. If you opt to change your habits midstream, you have to deduct 50 points...so be sure that what you pick is lifechanging and worthwhile, but not impossible!

You earn bonus points for losing 1% of your total weight each week - 20% of your total score.  If you are at a point (which I am...can you believe it??) where you don't need to lose 4% of your total weight - ie. you are at a healthy weight - you set fitness goals instead and you earn that bonus by achieving your fitness goals.  For example, this last round, I set weekly distance goals for myself in running - I did an 8.5 mile run the first week, 9 miles the second, 9.5 the third and 10 miles this week to earn my bonuses.

And you earn 10 points for reporting your score on time.  

There is a potential for 850 total points each week and those points are averaged across your team to decide a final winner.  Each round that we've done so far, has seen a team of 2 win and an individual win - so 3 people split the pot.  But really?  I think all of us would agree that we ALL win and that it is definitely $40 well worth spent!

You do get one day off and one meal off from everything listed above each week...you get your full points during that time regardless of how badly you treat yourself...so yes, once a week, I have nachos and vodka for dinner. I regret it almost immediately as I feel horrible (why DO we do these things to ourselves?)...but I still get my full points.  I skip a workout a week...etc.  

The "Game On" challenge has truly changed me!  I think very differently about what I do to  my body.  I still make bad decisions once in a while (like the nachos and vodka for dinner example from above) but I make those decisions consciously and with every understanding of how I'm going to feel afterwards.  I am in FAR better physical shape than I think I've ever been.  And people around me are noticing which is why I'm writing this post - I truly want to invite everyone that I know and care about to join us!  Today is the last day of the current round.  We'll be taking one week off and starting up again on June 18.  If you're interested in joining us - let me know!  Or if you have questions - I'll do my best to answer them for you!  Do something good for yourself!  

Healthy Mondays - "Game On" update...Round 3

I have a complicated faith (don't worry - this isn't a religious post - not brave enough to tread that path just yet).  It includes some traditional, Western beliefs...but also includes a lot of very old, very holistic beliefs.  This planet and all that exists on it is the biggest miracle to me.  I believe that we are healthiest and strongest when we are taking advantage of the gifts that are available to us naturally every day and resort to Western medicine in cases of emergency.  Lest you think I've gone off the deep end - I owe the lives of two very important people in my life to advances in Western, Cancer fighting medicine, so I DO recognize the value that can be found in surgeries, pills and injections!  But I think that our general health can be greatly improved by a holistic, every day approach to taking care of ourselves.

Case in point - I've written about the "Game On" challenge...it has done some really amazing things for me.  For example:

• I am regularly drinking 100 oz of water per day
• I am rarely drinking alcohol
• I have cut soda out of my diet
• I have rarely consumed refined sugar in 2012
• I am naturally focusing on consumption of proteins and raw fruits & vegetables
• I am exercising 20 - 60 minutes per day.  6 days per week

And yes - I definitely started this challenge looking to give my weight loss a jump start.  But I'm sticking with the challenge (I'm in the 3rd month at this point) because I love how great I feel overall!  I honestly believe that at the ripe old age of 35, I'm in nearly the best shape of my life.

Here's the numbers for you...

We are 4 weeks into a 6 week round of "Game On".  This is my third round (we took one week off between round 1 & 2 and the first two rounds were 4 weeks each) so I've been living this healthy lifestyle for 13 weeks!  In that time, I have dropped from a Size 10 jean to a very comfortable size 6.  I have returned to a point where the 7.5 mile run that I did on Friday felt AWESOME and not AWFUL!  I am at a weight that I honestly haven't seen since before I spent a semester in Greece in college and ate way too much baklava.  And - I spent 3 days working with a big bunch of guys who were all flirting with me the whole time, so I MUST be looking better because I can't remember the last time that I turned anyone's head besides my husband's.  My weight when I started was 147.6 and yesterday I was down to 126.6 - 21 pounds lost and I am within a "healthy weight" category.  This is 4 pounds below what I thought was going to be my goal weight because I NEVER thought I'd see 125 again!  WOW!

Since I've cut soda out of my diet, I drink a LOT of water.  Which gets really old after a while.  So - I've started to drink quite a bit of tea.  Usually I go quick and easy with a tea bag but I'm also dabbling in loose leaf, "medicinal" teas as well (this brings this post back around to the holistic health that I talked about up top).  More on this fabulous topic soon!
Here's the pics:

wow - me at the start of "Round 1" - 147.6 pounds

Me today!  126.6 pounds

and showing off the Size 10 jeans...

Healthy Mondays - Round 1 of Game On complete!

So yesterday was the end of the 1 month long "Game On" challenge and I couldn't possibly be happier with the way that it went!  What exactly IS "Game On"?  Well - read back to here to get the complete rundown.  In a nutshell - it has been a one month healthy living challenge.

I am a little bit in love with the whole thing.  Why?  'Cause it's NOT a diet.  It IS a diet...but it's so much more than that!  I spent the month counting Weight Watchers points but I also cut out alcohol, increased my water consumption by roughly 100 oz per day, cut out soda, increased my exercise, maintained my sleep patterns (I was gonna say "increased" but in reality, I love my sleep and this hasn't really been an issue for me in the past).  I feel great both physically AND mentally.

I'm better at Weight Watchers this time than I have been in the past because I am so focused at not losing this challenge...in the past when I've done WW, I've always saved myself some points for treats at the end of the day or a beer.  This time, because I am sneakily competitive (and 'cause I can't HAVE the beer) I have been focusing on things like making sure I have a protein at each meal and dramatically increasing the amount of vegetables I'm eating.

I'm shocked to report that I am perfectly capable of consuming 100+ oz of water per day.  AND - when I DO?  I do, in fact, feel better!  I can't put my finger on "how" I feel better...but I definitely feel different.

I love the camaraderie of both supporting a team and competing against others (though our group was very bad at trash talking and actually just really supportive of each other regardless of the competition).

My final results?  Well - I started 4 weeks ago at 145.8 pounds and *drumroll* ended yesterday morning at 135.4.  I lost 10.4 pounds in 4 weeks...am back to running 3.5 miles at a 10 minute mile pace...have learned to incorporate drinking massive amounts of water into my daily routine...have gone 6 weeks without a soda...and I feel GREAT!

And - I just got the email...my fantastic team came in 2nd place.  I am VERY proud of my teammates.  We did awesome!  And - bonus for me - since I had a perfect score for the 4 weeks and the winning team only had 2 members...I win part of the pot too!  New running sneakers for me!  WOOT!

We are going to do a "Game On - Round 2" beginning this coming Sunday. If you are interested in putting together a team to join us this time around - I highly encourage you to join us!  It's not a diet - it's a healthy way of life and it feels GREAT!

"Before" - 4 weeks ago

"After" - taken this morning

Healthy Mondays

So I think Mondays are going to be my healthy-goals-check-in-days.  My last stint with Weight Watchers always saw me weighing in on Mondays so it feels logical to me.  I did so very well shedding weight this past spring with Weight Watchers.  And my running goals have all been met and exceeded over the past year.  BUT.  Then my crazy, crazy summer happened.  I had one day off in the month of July - and each of those days either included 3 catered meals or meant that I was travelling = eating out/eating fast food.  So I fell off the diet wagon.  But I was still running fairly consistently (even while travelling, yeah me!) so i didn't actually gain more than a few pounds until right around Thanksgiving this year.  That is when the wheels fell off.  I ran the Turkey Day 5k and suddenly had no more runs on the calendar.  So why run, right?  Hmmm.  Apparently...running is what was keeping me svelte!  (HA!)  So I have gained a monumental amount of weight in the last 6 weeks.  It truly can't be healthy.  So here are, concisely, my healthy body goals as of right now:

• Jump back on the Weight Watchers bandwagon to return to my goal weight of 130.
• Return to exercising at least 3 times per week. 
• Water.  Water.  Water. 
• Diet Coke = Bad

To expound a bit ('cause lord knows, I AM verbose as a rule)...

• I love Weight Watchers.  Well, I hate Weight Watchers, of course.  It isn't "right" to LOVE Weight Watchers.  But I do love it.  sorta.  I believe that it is the best "diet" on the market right now.  It doesn't contain any supplements or crazy powders or anything.  It doesn't tell you that you can't eat this or that.  I can't imagine sticking to a gluten-free diet or anything like that.  It lets me eat whatever I want but holds me accountable for what I eat.  It teaches me to place a very real value on eating the "right" foods - ie. vegetables and proteins over carbs and cakes.  It doesn't cost a small fortune.  It doesn't necessitate that I continue to buy 'their food' until the end of days to keep the weight off.  It seems like the healthiest option by far. AND - BONUS - I know it works for me.  I am a Lifetime member, after all!  (yes - you are reading the sin of pride in that statement).  I reached and maintained my 130 pound goal weight for 6+ weeks back before the girls were born.  Can't wait to get there again!  And - I was almost there this past spring when everything went horribly wrong.  So - as of today - I'm BACK WW! 
• I love races.  I hate the expense of races.  But I love races.  I love the comradery of it.  Love the excitement of it.  Love the challenge of it.  Love the fact that it forces me to keep running on a regular basis.  So - much as we probably can't afford it, I'm going to go back to signing up for some races.  The first one will likely be the Valentine's Day 5k if I can convince SOMEONE (see that, sic?) to run it with me again this year - I totally embarassed myself "running" it last year - this year will be better!  So - back to running the track at the ymca.  Though I'm considering trying some swimming once a week or so to change things up because that track gets mighty dull after the 30th lap or so. Chris bought me a waterproof case and headset for my ipod so I'll give it a shot.  Plus - BONUS - swimming IS a full-body workout, after all. 

• I don't like water.  What's to like?  It is SO boring.  I only can tolerate it if I've been running (then it's delicious!) or if it's ICE cold!  So this is going to be a tough one for me.  I'm dedicating my BIG BLUE pitcher to my water drinking goals.  I'll fill it with filtered water every morning and empty it by bedtime.  I WILL!
• Diet Coke is delicious.  I am also addicted.  Full-on addicted.  Until I have my daily dose, my body feels sluggish, achy...downright hungover.  Mere moments after that first sip, I'm clearer, physically feel better, significantly less cranky...and it frightens me.  It is 100% ridiculous that the way that I feel and the way that I react to my children is so dependent on a cup of stuff that is bad for me to begin with.  So - at least for now - I'm giving it up cold turkey.  I gave it up while I was pregnant, I can do it again.  I'll just suffer for a bit, I'm sure...and so will the girls unfortunately.  But - it'll be better!  I swear! 

So that's in for now.  In a nutshell. 

And my check-in for today - 147.6 pounds per my home scale.  And this is what I look like right now.  This is an honest photo.  I did not suck anything in...didn't push anything out.  This is just me.  It ain't pretty but it's true and it will get better quickly.