Eating Clean--YES, YOU CAN

I eat clean 95% of the time. I started out slow--eating clean on an 80/20% basis (which is what i often recommend to people just starting out). Starting with the 80/20 makes this jump more realistic, and once you get the hang of it, it's easy to make a larger transition. I had posted, a few months back, a partial grocery shopping list; this one is more exhaustive, and will really help you to learn what is/isn't clean.

To get started right, you want to instill a few new habits: 1) Shop the perimeter (I know you've heard this before) 2) Read the labels 3) Don't be afraid to try new things.
Breads

• Trader Joe's brand--Their 'whole grain breads' are clean. I've never tried them, but I've heard they're good. Particularly the Sprouted Multi-Gran and California Protein.
• Ezekiel brand breads--In the freezer section. There are several different varieties--ALL OF WHICH ARE NOT CLEAN--but most are. Read the label.
• Alvarado Street Bakery brand breads--Great selection of rolls, loaves, buns, etc. All of these are clean.
• Tortillas--Hard to find. They should contain only corn, lime, and water. Again, I've heard Trader Joe's carries a sprouted wheat tortilla that is clean, but I've never tried it.

Dairy & Non-Dairy
If you're going to eat clean, personally, I don't recommend dairy. I limit it to cheese, which I only 'treat' myself with--it's not part of my regular eating plan.

• Greek yogurt
• Unsweetened almond milk
• Unsweetened rice milk (made from brown rice)
• Unsweetened soy (always buy organic to avoid GMOs)
• Unsweetened coconut milk (buy 'light')

Meat

• Poultry--Eggs. Mostly the whites, but the yolks, in moderation. Buy organic, please. Boneless, skinless chicken/turkey breasts are awesome.
• Beef--not considered 'clean', but if you want to eat it, buy organic, lean cuts.
• Wild game--Go for it.
• Pork--Generally not part of a clean diet. Skip it.
• Duck--Too fatty.
• Fish--Go for it.

Produce

Stock up, and do your best to buy organic! MOST of your diet should come from this section!
Fruits: All of it.
Veggies: All of it.



The Aisles

Try to keep out of 'em, except for:

• Green Tea
• Decaf coffee (if you must)
• Oatmeal--steel cut or traditional rolled oats.
• Canned items--eeeee...try to stay away, but if you must, read the label. Go for no added sugar and watch the sodium content.
• Dry beans and legumes (I DO buy canned, organic)
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat pasta
• Other grains
• Sweeteners/condiments: Truvia, Aminos, pure maple syrup, spices (no seasoning packets!)
• Flour: oat flour, whole wheat flour
• Chips: There are some really tasty, clean organic chips out there! I buy a flaxseed/red quinoa chip that i love!

That should do it!

Shop away, my friends!

Post Ultimate Reset

So, it's around 2 weeks post Ultimate Reset, and i've noticed a few things:
1) I've put on 3lbs
2) I crave green vegetables
3) I no longer crave crap food on the weekends, NOR alcoholic beverages

In fact, in relation to number 3: My husband and i usually drink on the weekends. We'll buy a bottle of wine/sangria, he'll drink beer while hanging in the pool, etc. This past weekend, I had a few "Mike's Hard Lemonades." They made me feel gross. Like really gross. Not 'drunk' gross, but just bloated and nasty. Ew. I'm a big red wine drinker. The last few times i've had red wine, I feel gross. I get all stuffed up, and feel sluggish the next day. White wine, however, doesn't have that affect on me. What's weird, is i've NEVER been a white wine drinker. Okay...end alcohol rant.

In relation to number 1: I know it's because i've a) had alcohol on the weekends b) not been drinking a gallon and a half of water every day and c) not working out as hard as i usually do. That's all about to change. It's amazing how, when you reset your system, you actually NOTICE, once you start back into your old habits, which of those habits are holding you back from the results you want. BINGO.

In relation to matter 2: Kale. Really. Kale. Never saw that one coming. I want to eat it every day. Weird, I know.

Even my morning coffee doesn't seem to give me the same satisfaction that it used to. Although I complained about the structure of the Reset while I was doing it, it actually gave me a great sense of satisfaction. I'm not saying i'm going to go BACK to that kind of massive structure, but i definitely, after these past 2 weeks, see how much that structure helped me to be my best.

SO...today: adding more vegetables, skipping the morning coffee (already had one this morning, so that'll have to wait until tomorrow), and going back to my water-drinking ways.

Also, i've been doing the Muscle and Fitness Hers 12-week Trainer program. Unfortch, i'm not impressed with it at all. I'm on day 15 of it, and although I LIKE it, i don't feel like i'm getting much out of it at all. I do believe, that i'm going to go back to Asylum and the bain of my existence, Shaun T.

Eat Clean. Be Fit.

Ultimate Reset--Day 22!

I did it! I successfully completed the 21-day Ultimate Reset, and I'm proud to say that I cheated ONCE. And that was on Day 21. I had a tiny piece of a brownie. And guess what? It wasn't worth it. So...my thoughts:

I dropped 9lbs. I didn't think i had 9lbs to lose, but apparently, I did. I always weigh myself first thing in the morning--that's the best, and most true time to weigh-in. For 21 days, I had a love/hate relationship with the reset. It went something like this:

Phase 1: WOW! Look at all this cool food i've never tried! I'm cooking so much! I love cooking! And salad! Good thing I love salad!! YAY!
Phase 2: WOW. Look at all this cool food i've never tried. I'm cooking so much. Cooking is getting old. MORE salad? What the hell is 'millet'? I think that's what's in the bird feeder.
Phase 3: MORE FRUIT?? Can't I just have oatmeal, for the love of GOD. I hate salad. I refuse to cook. All of my vegetables will be eaten raw. I want my chocolate shakeology. Stat.

Day 22: Holy crap. Look how thin I am. My skin is glowing. Most of the cheese on the back of my thighs has gone away. My thighs are SMALLER. I LOVE THE ULTIMATE RESET! :D

See? Love/Hate.

I'm going to be straight with you--it's tough. Now, if you are a single woman with no kids, or a married woman whose husband was doing this with you, it would be much easier. Here's why: It is ridiculously tough to cook your family meals, and watch them eat delicious nums like turkey spaghetti, grilled brisket, and baked chicken--while you sit there with a pile of beets and a salad. Granted, the pile 'o beets and the salad are equally delectable, but let's face it--it's not a grilled brisket. Have you ever pulled a pot roast out of a crock pot, and it's falling apart because it's so tender? And then you sit at the stove and make gravy with the drippings and it smells delightful? Yes, me too. Except I didn't get to eat it. I had to ask my husband if it tasted okay because i'm so good, i didn't even taste it. However, I cannot lie: When I made the brisket, I put a piece in my mouth, chewed it until it was liquified, then spit it out. I had to. It was a briskit. I know you people understand the conundrum I was in.

Anyways...you also can't work out while doing this. I LOVE to workout. It's my stress relief for the day. If i'm not yelling at Shaun T for kicking my rear, my day is not complete. With the Ultimate Reset, you're allowed 'brisk' walks and Tai-Cheng or Yoga. That's it. That simply doesn't cut it for me. By week two, i'd walk into my workout room, roll on my rumble roller, lovingly caress my weights, and kiss my workout shoes. Awful, i tell you.

How do I feel? The Ultimate Reset says, and I quote: "After just 21 days on the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, you'll be feeling dramatically better--physically, mentally, and emotionally." So...do I? Physically, I feel awesome. Mentally and emotionally? I feel more...calm. More centered with my body. Anything extravagant? No, not at all. But let's face it--I ate 90% clean before. I CAN imagine, that if you don't eat clean and do this, you'd feel all kinds of amazing. Even though i eat clean, about mid-way through the 2nd phase, my body felt...different. I just feel better. Definitely more energized.

What am I going to do now that it's over: Eat oatmeal and drink chocolate Shakeology. Those are the two things that are high on my priority list. :) The oatmeal has been eaten (steel cut oats, a heaping tsp of flaxseed, and soy milk---YUM). The Shake-O is next. I'm going to ride out the next 2 weeks and see how I feel. I will most likely be purchasing some of the supplements from the Reset so I can continue taking them. Am I going to eat meat? Probably. I'm certainly not vegan. And I like meat occansionally. I consider myself 'Flexitarian.' I eat mostly vegetarian, but I like ground turkey in my spaghetti and i enjoy the occasional, weekend briskit.

Do I recommend the Ultimate Reset? Heck, yes. It's hard. It takes dedication. It takes absolute determination. But you can do it. I'm so proud of myself that I did it! :)

Here's to your health, my friends! You have one life--make it count!

Phase 2!

Here I am, the first day of Phase 2 of the Ultimate Reset! I feel great! AND...as a bonus, I'm down 3lbs! May not seem like a lot, but I notice my midsection is more lean-looking. I'll take it!

This phase involves a colon detox. They promise not a lot of pooping--I hope they're right! The detox drink (3x a day) tastes like an herbal tea--not bad at all. Much better than the spinachy alkanalize shot!

Can't wait to post before/after pics!!

Ultimate Reset Day 6

So, here I am, entering Day 6 of the Ultimate Reset. My thoughts so far: The Alkanilize is gross, but i choke it down knowing that it's doing fab things for my body. I'm drinking over a gallon of water a day, which I THINK is causing me to bloat a bit in my tummy area. When I wake up in the morning, the bloat is gone (and i think i look leaner), but by 4pm, my tummy looks big again. The food is ridiculously awesome. Not only is this reset causing me to actually TASTE my food, but it's making me step outside of my comfort zone in the kitchen. Tempeh? Millet? Quinoa salad? Sure.

It's a LOT of food. I have a hard time eating it all! I feel amazing. Not tired, not sore, just....rested and healthy. I LOVE THIS!! I'll update with a weight loss, if any, tomorrow!

Here we go!

Today is Day 1 of my Ultimate Reset. Have to say, i'm a bit nervous. It's a lot of food, and i'm not really one for thinking ahead. So...HERE WE GO!!!!

3 years in the making

Last week, or perhaps 2 weeks ago, I posted something on my facebook page about holding off 40 pounds for 2 years. What I didn't realize, however, is that it has been since OCTOBER 2009 that I started my new life. Here is my inaugural post.
It's hard for me to remember, nearly 2.5 years later, that I was ever like that woman i describe in that first post. It's hard for me to remember that I used to just sit at this computer--day in and day out--and never take a break for MYSELF. For a little over 3 years, I RARELY took a pee break, much less a lunch break. Time for myself? What was that?

Now, i'm not saying my life is perfect. I still spend the majority of my day working at my computer (hello, I have to pay the bills!), I still run myself ragged with the kids...but I am ENJOYING IT. Doing 'life' no longer drives me into the ground. Yes, there are still some days where I am completely wiped out--but who doesn't have those? There are days when I want to yell, "Calgon! Take me away!" :) Overall, my HEALTH is better, my ATTITUDE is better, and my LIFE is better. And, I can't forget this--I'm FORTY pounds lighter.

Taking care of myself has allowed me to enjoy my life so much more. I take an HOUR a day to myself. One stinkin' measly lil' hour, and use it to work out. But during that hour--usually spent silently cursing at Shaun T--gives me so much. That ONE hour, started three years ago, has allowed me to change from the inside out. I'm healthier than i ever thought i could be, and now, I stretch myself so much further than I ever thought I could. I'm about to embark on a 21 day body reset. And you know what? I'm not scared of it. My BIGGEST problem with it, is that i can't drink coffee. 3 years ago, this would have freaked me the heck out. But everything listed on the shopping list are things that I eat and buy. Maybe not regularly--I mean, I have yet to go buy seaweed wrap, but I eat it a lot. So, I'm not scared. What a long way I've come.

I am so grateful for my health. When I think about how far i've come, I feel...happy. Proud. Accomplished.

I want you to feel that, too. Because I saw what I was capable of with my limited time, and because i wanted to help others, I became a Beachbody coach AND a Certified Personal Trainer. I certainly can't MAKE you do anything, but once you decide to make a change, I can help you succeed. Join me at my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FitWisdom and introduce yourself. No pressure, no trying to get you to buy anything. Just good, honest, support. I promise.

What do I eat?

I encourage everyone to eat 'clean,' but a lot of people have trouble distinguishing what is clean and what is not. So, in an effort to help out, here's a list of things that are regularly on my shopping list:

• Organic fruits/vegetables (usually: apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, broccoli, asparagus, celery, iceberg lettuce, spinach, tomato, avocado, green beans)
• Raw almonds (I'm allergic to these, but i can usually eat a handful and be okay--livin' on the edge!)
• Tilapia
• Eggs (organic, brown)
• Soy milk or coconut milk (i use it in my Shakeology--SO good!)
• Laura Scudder's smooth peanut butter
• Organic cereals (granola and shredded wheat squares)
• Triscuits (plain)
• Cheese (sparingly)
• Salsa (Julio's brand--NO PRESERVATIVES)
• Whole grain/whole wheat bread (check the ingredients--just because it says, "Whole wheat" doesn't mean it's whole grain. It can still have sugar and enriched flour in it.)
• Whole grain/whole wheat tortillas
• Tuna
• Chicken
• Ground turkey
• Tofu
• Whole wheat pasta (I eat this about 1x every 2 weeks)
• Truvia (i use this in my coffee during the week)
• Lara bars (I'll sometimes pick up a few of these, but not often)
• Better Oats brand oatmeal (LOVE this stuff)
• Plain, steel-cut oatmeal (Nature's brand)
• Beans (black beans, pinto, red beans, etc.)

I know there are other things--i'm just not remembering! I DO drink Shakeology 1-2x a day. I LOVE my Shakeology, and will never go back to NOT having it! I drink a TON of water, too!

Think you can't?

You can. Think you don't have the time? You do. Think your body can't change? It can. Think you can't change old habits? Throw that crap out the window. Here's an example:

I used to know this woman--wife, mother of two, full-time job. She did what many working parents do: Go to work, sit on her butt at work (Hello, desk job!), eat when she could (rarely healthy), get off of work, run the kids to their various activities, shower, conk out at 11pm, and start the day all over the next morning. Sound familiar? Of course it does--many, MANY houses run like that--you're not alone.

Over time, this woman had lost any "her" time that she ever had. She started to gain weight because, well, as much running around as she did, she was fueling her body incorrectly, and really--driving to and fro doesn't burn many calories. One day, the woman was looking through pictures, and for the first time in a LONG time, actually saw herself. And I mean SAW herself. She saw the extra pounds, the untoned body, the creases in her forehead from stress. And she knew that it was time. So this is what she did:
She made herself a priority.

She stopped scheduling lunch-time calls. She stopped thinking granola bars were healthy. She stopped thinking, "Oh, I look okay for a 'mom'." She stopped making excuses.

She started dedicating 1-hour for herself (at her lunch hour). She stopped eating processed foods. She stopped thinking she looked okay, and decided that she could be healthier. Guess what happened?

She lost 40 pounds. She lost a ridiculous amount of inches. She became a smaller size than when she was in high school. She became happier. She became friendlier. She became a better mom. She became more patient. She became a better wife. She became a BETTER PERSON.

In the big picture, what changed? What did this parent give up? The answer: ONE HOUR A DAY.

So you say it can't be done? I say it can. Because I'm that person who didn't have time.

For one week, write down everything you do. Ex. 6am: wake up. 7am: leave for work/drop off kids. Noon: lunch (can you get in a workout here? No---move on). 5pm: Leave work/pick up kids. 630pm: Dinner, etc.

If you can't make an hour for yourself, you CAN make 30 minutes. Carve it out in the morning or before bed. It CAN happen. You think 30 minutes won't/can't make a difference? IT WILL. I promise!!

You can do this. YOU can make that change. Believe in yourself. You deserve it.

Refrigerator Food

So...what's in your fridge? I want to know. Here's ours:

Granted, i'm about to go to the store, but all i would add is: Two 1/2 gallons of soy milk, a loaf of whole grain bread, fresh veggies (celery, tomatoes, avocado), and some fruit (ours is actually on the counter in a bowl right now).

So, this makes me wonder--WHAT IS IT THAT PEOPLE KEEP IN THEIR FRIDGE? Usually, my husband will have beer on the bottom shelf, and SOMETIMES, there will be yogurt for the girls--but that's it. We rarely have leftovers--i cook what we need, and if there's any left, Chris takes it for lunch the next day.

So what is it? What's in YOUR fridge?

New diets

Top of my list: New, 'fad' diets. The one that particularly annoys me right now: The HCG diet. Really? They give you SHOTs people. Shots of hormones to 'retrain' your hypothalmus. Are you freaking kidding me??? You know how to train your hypothalumus? Get off your butt and MOVE. It's one thing to have a hormonal imbalance wherein shots may be necessary, but simply doing this because it guarantees you a 1-2lb loss per day?? Are you crazy? And then, on top off all of this, they restrict your caloric intake to 500 calories per day. Last time i checked, that was starvation. So let me get this straight--they're going to inject you with hormones, and starve you. Yeah...that makes sense. Perfect CRAZY sense. It says this on a webpage i found:

"Will you gain the weight back after hCG? There is no reason you should, so long as you have replaced any former negative eating and inactive lifestyle habits with new, healthy perspectives on food and exercise."


So, they're saying that if you replace your old, negative eating habits with good ones and work out, you'll KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF???? Holy crap, people--stop the presses!!

Let me give you a few tips: Eat right, burn more calories than what you eat. Those are two 'fit' rules to live by. Don't let doctors inject crap into you. Don't let people tell you there's a 'quick' way, or an 'easy' way. There is only ONE way, and it involves the two tips i just gave you.

Find a group of people that will support you and hold you accountable for your actions. Listen to people that have been there, and have taken control of their health habits. ASK these people for help! YOU can do it. It's not hard. It's NOT rocket science. It's common sense.

Before/After

Here's my before/after:

Think YOU can't do this? Why not? I did it with  $3 a day and 5 days of exercise a week. The $3: Shakeology. A meal-replacement drink that acts as 5 trips to the salad bar. There are no preservatives--nothing fake in this drink. 100% all-natural. It improves your health AND gives you energy. When's the last time you are a full day's serving of veggies?? I just did--for breakfast.
The workouts: P90X, Insanity, Asylum (not all at once!). An hour a day (my lunch break), 5 days a week.

It's now Jan 2012--where am I now? Still 16% BF and 124lbs. I'm now doing P90X2. YOU can do this! Join my FB page at www.facebook.com/FitWisdom!

What's stopping you?

I'm on my Team FitWisdom facebook page so often, that I forget to blog on here. At the end, I'll add my "After" Asylum pics (although they're posted on Facebook).

So today, I want to ask you a question: What's stopping you? What is it that's stopping you from being the BEST you? Not just the healthiest/fittest you, but the best YOU you can be? The top 3 things that pop into your head are most likely going to be kids, work, motivation--at least ONE of these is going to be your excuse.And yes, that's what it is--an excuse. Let's hit these one at a time...

Kids
Kids, kids, kids. Lovey little things, that often feel like they're sucking out our very souls. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you two things are certain: 1. I ADORE my kids--love them completely with every inch of my very soul. 2. They drive me insane and I feel like they take up every bit of my time.

Well, this is how I USED to feel. Don't get me wrong--statement 1 still holds true! But number 2 has changed drastically--how? I MADE time for myself. Many parents use the excuse, "I can't take time for myself--I HAVE no time! I'm dealing with the kids every waking moment!" You have to MAKE time. I have worked out numerous times with kids under my feet. I'm not saying it's always the best workout, but it's better than sitting on my butt doing nothing. As far as "me" time--I try my best to have the kids tucked in for the night by 930pm. Yes, that's late--the little one doesn't get home from gymnastics until 830-ish 3x a week (then we have to snack/shower/etc.). But I know, at 10pm, my butt is going to be downstairs, in my comfy chair, with my husband. Often, we'll watch one of our DVR'd shows together, and sometimes, I'll play on the Kindle. It's all good--it's ME time. Bottom line: If you DON'T make "me" time, you're ultimately going to regret it. You'll be better off, and your kids will be better off if you take time for yourself! As far as fitness goes--30 minutes a day is practically guaranteeing you a healthier and longer life.

Work
If you work fulltime, you know how hard it is to get in a workout. Believe me, I deal with it every day. I am blessed in that i get to work from my home office--so I can just wander into my workout room when I can catch a break. If you work in an office, it's a bit tricker. When I DID work in an office, we had an onsite gym. I worked out every day. I literally blocked off my calendar from 1130-1230 and went to the gym. If you DON'T have a gym, it gets even tricker. My husband used to get up at 5am to run/workout, or, he'd run when he got home. When he runs now, he runs after work. That is HIS time, and he needs it. Make the time, people. Not everyone that works full time is overweight and unhealthy--it CAN be done, so figure out how YOU'RE going to do it.

Motivation
Man, I usually take an extended break from Thanksgiving until New Years. And by 'break,' I mean I don't work out much, and don't eat as clean as I should be. But, I do this fully knowing that a) i'm probably going to gain 5lbs b) I'm going to bloat from eating white flour/sugar and c) it's going to be hard to get going again. By setting those losses out in the open BEFORE I go on break, I know what to expect when I start again in January. I also know that NOT starting is NOT an option. I know how easy it is to NOT workout. I know how easy it is to make excuses. Start telling yourself, "I'M MAKING EXCUSES FOR MYSELF." You hate it when people make up excuses to you, so why in the world would you make excuses to yourself? I was once one of those people. Instead of getting up at lunch and working out, I would sit at my laptop and make excuses: "Someone might email me," or "What if my boss pings me?" Yeah, what if? EVERYONE takes lunch. They'll get over it. Also, if i left my computer, I'd say, "Oh, I'll DUST during my lunch break." YES! Can you believe?? So many excuses being I was too lazy to put forth the effort to make myself healthy. You know where that got me? Go check out my 'Before' pics on the facebook page!! Taking that first step is HARD. But do it. MAKE yourself workout 4 days this week. Do it, and you will feel better. Soon, you won't need to motivate yourself--you'll be motivating others!!

Don't let anyone or anything stop you. YOU are going to be your biggest downfall or your own biggest cheerleader. Cheer yourself on. Don't sell yourself short. You are worth so much more!!

Steph

[As promised--my "After" Asylum pics]