Time For an Attitude Adjustment

I've lost weight in the past, and have always gained it back plus some. This happens to most everyone that loses weight. I believe the statistic is 95% of people that reach their goal weight gain it back within a year's time. That is a scary statistic to me, and I've been a contributor to it.

There are several reasons why I was not able to maintain my weight loss in the past. Starting with my food choices and ending with mentality. I have a new plan in motion for training myself to truly eat healthy. I'm excited and slightly nervous for this new plan of attack.  If you follow me on IG you will probably start noticing some changes in my Photo Food Logs this weekend (and it might look a little strange for the first few days). I will explain more soon!

People (myself included) don't get to be majorly overweight or obese just because they're lazy or love food too much. There is an underlining issue. You're hiding from something. You're trying to over-compensate for something. You're looking for comfort or acceptance. You're scared or crave control. Any or all of the above. Or maybe it's a different reason entirely. Everyone's story is different. If you watch the Biggest Loser or Extreme Weightloss, than you have seen the trainers help contestants get to the root of their problem. This is an essential part to maintaining weight loss.You must heal the inside to make it match your new exterior. Happy and healthy inside and out.

This was the part I was missing before. I did the work. I lost the weight. I worked out constantly (probably a little too much), but I was living in denial. Denial of things in my past. Denial as to why  I had those 50+ lbs to lose to begin with. It was far more than just a little too much take out. Losing the weight and fitting into a size 6 did not heal the pain in my heart. In fact, it intensified it. I couldn't hide behind my extra fat and pounds of chocolate weren't there to dull the pain anymore. I felt more vulnerable than I ever had, so I unconsciously sabotaged myself and put the weight back on.

This time around, my weight loss WILL stick, and in order to do that, I have to heal myself completely. There are things I need to deal with in order to live a happy, full, healthy life. Many of these things I'm not so sure I will ever feel comfortable addressing specifically on the blog, but I will be making an effort in my personal life.

I reached my 20 lb lost mark 2 weeks ago. As I saw that number on the scale, I knew I needed to start the process of getting down to the root of my "problems." I'm chipping away one thing at a time, starting with attitude. I am horrible with "negative talk." I look in the mirror and I pick myself apart. Occasionally I will call myself fat or chubby in day to day conversation. I'll grab some cookies off the shelf thinking, "You know you're going to come back for them anyways." "There's no way you can eat healthy 24/7 for an entire week, so don't even bother." "You look horrible in that." "People will be looking down on you." And on and on.. you get it.

So, today I am pledging to myself to have a more positive attitude. To make a conscious effort to think uplifting thoughts, not only about myself personally, but about those around me and life in general. 

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Don't forget that Google Reader is going away this weekend, so if you wish to still follow my journey, follow me on Bloglovin'!!

Motivation Monday Link-up again next week! Don't forget to share your tips, successes, recipes, thoughts etc... with us and start your week off right!

 

Non-Scale Victories

Linking up for another round of Non-Scale Victories today. I love Thursdays! It's great to have the chance to forget the scale and concentrate on your other successes for the week!

1. I've had some big break throughs in my running this week. I'm sensing a trend here with my runs and NSVs. So, to bore you once again with my results:

I woke up Saturday morning with 5 miles in my head. Honestly, I didn't think there was any way I'd be able to complete it, but I had to try. Something really clicked for me last week, and I've been able to push myself so much harder in my JMBR workouts. Why not try with running too? The last 2 miles were rough. I thought I might die a few times, and there was a little walking in the last mile, but I finished! This is the farthest run I have ever done in my life! Such an awesome feeling.

Wednesdays are my cardio day, and Wyatt is usually hanging with his dad, so it's the one guaranteed day a week I get to run. Last night I decided to go for speed, not distance...

I am still in shock over my time! I thought it would be months before I had a mile under 10 minutes.

2. I've been making an effort to actually get ready for the day. Paint my face on, do my hair, wear real clothes. The things that I did ever day pre-mommy duty and that have severely been slacking the past few years. Yesterday, I decided to try on a shirt that hasn't fit in years. Not only does it fit, but I wore it without a cover for my arms and shoulders for the first time ever.

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I have some big changes starting in my fitness/health journey. It's something I believe is going to help me with my eating as well as help me keep the weight off for life. If you follow me on IG, you'll probably notice a bit of a change in my Photo Food Logs. Explanation coming next week.





Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

I'm going to apologize in advance for lack of decent pictures and true measurements. I was starving and did not take time for that!

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas 

Chicken Breasts - cut into bite size pieces (I used 3. They go a long ways!)

(3) Bell Peppers (I used a red, orange and green)

(1) onion

Lime Juice

Low Sodium Chicken Broth (I used roughly 2 cups)

Cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to taste

Whole Grain Tortillas (small)

Desired toppings (I used a pinch of cheese, non-fat plain great yogurt, salsa and lettuce)

1. Chop peppers and onion and place in bottom of crock pot. (If you like your veggies with a bit more crunch, you can always add them later)

2. Season chicken with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to your preferred taste

3. Place chicken in crock pot over the veggies

4. Pour lime juice over chicken followed by chicken broth

5. Cover and cook on low

(Cooking time will vary depending on crock pot, of course. Mine cooked for 9 hours while at work and was perfect!) 

Discovering Who You Are

Note: I've added a new recipe. Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas can be found HERE

Twenty-five months ago my life was changed forever, or rather thirty-four months ago. Life changed from late nights out, sleeping in, changing plans on a whim and non-stop social events to dirty diapers, burp rags, early bed-times, mid-night feedings, early mornings, cars, Disney movies, sticky messes and lions.  While challenging at times, being a mother is the greatest blessing any of us have, or ever can, experience. However, it's also an emotional roller-coaster and full of ups and downs.

We go from being completely selfish and self-absorbed, to caring for another's needs before our own. Showers and meals are sometimes forgotten. "Friends" are often lost. The days of adult conversation seem a distant memory. While raising these amazing blessings, we sometimes lose ourselves along the way. 

Shortly before making my lifestyle changes, I was sitting on the couch after getting Wyatt to bed earlier than normal. Despicable Me was still playing on the TV. There were cars and crackers scattered across the floor. I remember quietly cleaning up our evening of fun, careful not to wake my precious little boy. Suddenly, I felt a pit in my stomach and I just started to weep. Wyatt was sound asleep, the house was now clean and I was alone with myself.

 I cried because I didn't know what I was going to do for the rest of the evening. What had I done with my time before I was a mother? What did I enjoy doing? Did I used to have any hobbies? What was I passionate about other than motherhood? Who was I?

With an overwhelming sadness, I curled myself up in a ball and cried myself to sleep that night. The next morning I woke up determined to find a balance. I literally made a list of the things I enjoyed before my beautiful baby boy graced us with his presence. A list of my hobbies and passions. At the top of the list was "crafting". Somewhere in the middle was "fitness/running." 

I picked up crochet hooks and yarn on my lunch break, and after Wyatt went to bed that evening, I began to teach myself to crochet. This was the start of my journey to a healthier me. Crochet became my "me time". I was doing something just for myself and I started to feel happier as time went on. Eventually, I got around to making my "me time (with the munchkin in tow)" my workout. 

As women, wives, mothers, students, career-women, etc... it is important that we don't lose ourselves along the way. Don't forget who you are. Yes, I am Wyatt's Mama. That is my most important title, and the one I hold dearest to my heart. But, I'm also Tiffany. The girl that cries if a kitten has a cold. The girl that loves to bake and make a mess in the kitchen. The girl that loves staying up all night to finish an amazing book. The girl that dreamed of joining the Peace Corp and loves to be involved. The girl that loves to laugh and be silly. The girl that started sewing and quilting at 8 years old. The girl that loves basketball, racquetball, rollerblading, weight-lifting and the great outdoors. 

Often times, our excuse for continuing our un-healthy lifestyles, is that it's not fair to our children. Somehow, we start to believe that it's unacceptable to do something for ourselves. Society leads us to believe that this is our one and only purpose.  Heaven forbid we take 30 minutes a day to do something for ourselves. Is that 30-60 minutes going to turn our children into psychotic messes down the road? I think not. 

Our children deserve strong, empowered, healthy mothers. They deserve a well-rounded, balanced, and happy mother to care for them and teach them. Why do we, as women, judge and bring down those that make an effort to balance it all? Those that remember who they truly are and don't want to lose sight of that? 

I'm at the start of my journey. 21 lbs down with many more to go. Time with my son is very precious to me. I work full time, am currently a "single" mother (just Wyatt and I live here), and I fit a workout in 6 days a week. My son is not neglected or forgotten, nor will he ever be. He is going to go grow up with a happy, healthy (physically and mentally) mommy. 

Don't feel guilty for wanting that for yourself. Don't feel guilty for wanting to be at a healthy weight. For wanting to feel confident, look good and live a longer life. Your children, and all the people in your life, will only benefit from it. No matter what the crazies say.... 

Photo Food Logs

After a few days of horrible eating, I knew I had to try a different approach to tracking my food. Double cheeseburger and large order of onion rings for lunch, anyone? So, I decided on a little Photo Food Log experiment. I am taking pictures of everything I eat and have been sharing on my instagram. So far, this is being a huge help in my journey. Honestly, it's a pain to take a picture of your food when you're starving and just want it in your belly. If I'm wanting a little snack of something, I usually decide it's not worth the hassle of pulling my phone out for a picture. Not to mention, I'd then have to share with everyone that I was eating junk.

Day 1 - Friday 6/21/13

Day 2 - Saturday 6/22/13

Day 3 - Monday 6/24/13

Um, those might be some lemon Girl Scout cookies on the left. At least I had the calories available for them, right?

Sundays are my weigh-in days. They are also the day I allow myself to have a slightly higher calorie intake and indulge a bit. I'm not worrying about photo food logs on Sundays, for now. This Sunday was spent on the golf course getting plenty of sun. 

Yep, those are antelope on the fairway. Nope, they don't move even if your ball lands a food from them. 

Has anyone else had success taking pictures of their food? Anyone want to join me with photo food logs? 

Motivation Monday Link-Up & 5 Mile Run!

It's time for another round of Motivation Monday! Grab a button and join my co-hosts Wendy, Morgan, Alisha, Katie, Veronica, Gwen and myself for a little motivational pick-me-up to start the week off right. Share your progress, thoughts, recipes... whatever is working for you!

<center> <a href="http://thefittrain.blogspot.com/"><img alt="MotivationMonday" height="400" src=" http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv234/Wendy413/Motivation%20Monday/NewMotivateTeam2.jpg" width="600"></a></center> Also, I've also added some social media buttons at the top of the page! Follow along with me! Which reminds me, Google Reader is going away at the end of the month, so if you aren't following me on Bloglovin' HERE, please do so we don't lose each other! Now, on to Motivation Monday... 
Saturday, I woke up withe crazy idea to run 5 miles. The farthest I have ever ran at one time was 4.5 miles several years ago, and even though I only get to run once a week or so, I wanted to see if I could surpass that. 

The last two miles were painful, but I pushed through. It's ridiculous how excited I was to have actually done it. Not only that, but I cut a full minute off my last 5K time! Our minds prevent us from doing so many things we are capable of. From mile 3.5 on, I kept thinking, "You can't do this. You're hurting, you should stop. You cut a minute off your 5K, you don't need to run 5 miles." I was right about the hurting part. It hurt, bad. I'm still hurting today! But I can do it and I did do it.

Next, yesterday was my weigh in. I weighed in at 174.2 which is just over a pound lost for the week and 21 pounds total! After my crappy eating last week, I was extremely happy with that number.

So far, my Photo Food Log experiment is helping me keep my eating under wraps. When you have to stop and take a picture before eating, it definitely makes you think twice about it. I've been posting them on IG and hope to keep it up!

So, what's working for you? Grab a button, and don't forget to come back and add the link to your post!

Picture Food Log Experiment & DIY Father's Day Gift

First, and most importantly, don't forget to link-up with us on Monday for another round of Motivation Monday! It's a great way to start the week off and get back into the swing of things!

Second, I have been horrible about tracking my food the past few days. I was completely out of control with my eating yesterday.Work has been crazy resulting in last minute "lunch at my desk" with limited options. Stress eating. Unexpected changes in our evening schedules, resulting in no workout last night. (I get slightly cranky when I miss a workout completely) Limited sleep and just over all challenges in day to day life that I haven't been handling as well as I'd like.

Many of these things are out of my control, but I can control what I'm eating. I just need to get a handle on it again.  So, all that being said, I decided to start a little experiment. I'm going to take a picture of everything, and I do mean everything that goes into my mouth. Maybe knowing that I'm going to have to take a picture and share it with everyone will help knock some sense into me. Be prepared for obnoxious food pictures... they are coming. I'll be sharing on my IG and here on the blog. Help hold me accountable, please! I'm going to need it.

Speaking of mindless eating, did you all  know they make Cookies N' Cream kisses!? They are amazing absolutely evil! I highly recommend never buying them, unless you're perfectly okay with eating the entire bag.

I'd be lying if I told you I only ate 2 yesterday. Good thing I'm not starting my picture logs 'til today!

Third, I didn't go out and just buy these for the heck of it. (Trying to justify my naughty eating here.) On Wednesday evenings, Wyatt gets to spend some one-on-one time with his dad. So, we held off and did Father's Day on Wednesday. Here's the Father's Day gift:

I got the idea from My Sister's Suitcase. I'm definitely not that creative on my own. I also added a gift certificate to his favorite lunch place and attached it to the lid. Ta-da! Quick and easy. 

As for the weekend, I will be getting some runs in and making up my missed workout. I also need to get more organized with my food planning so I have fallback options when things come up unexpectedly. 

Happy Friday!

Non-Scale Victories - JMBR Phase 2 Result Addition

Time for another round of Non-Scale Victories! I apologize in advance, because I'm going to be a bit of a broken record. I shared my JMBR - Phase 2 results on Monday, and I'm going to recap them once again today. 

1. As of this past Sunday, I have lost well over 17" around my body so far. (Probably over 20", but I was a slacker and didn't take all my beginning measurements.)

2. I got brave this week and shared my progress pics. I'm starting to notice a difference in my upper body, which feels really great. (Once again, I was a slacker and didn't take official before pictures. So I'm missing a 195 lb pic)

3. I started JMBR - Phase 3 on Sunday and I am LOVING it. It's brutal, but awesome. Back in Phase 1, I could not hold hollow-man or boat pose for the life of me. In weeks 9/10 there is an exercise where you hold boat pose for 10 seconds, then slowly lower to hollow man for 10 seconds, back to boat etc... without collapsing, or breaking on the floor. I can do it! 3 months ago I couldn't hold either of those poses for 10 seconds, and now I am able to alternate the two like nothing. 

Throughout all of Jillian's DVDs, she almost always makes a comment saying, "You have no idea what your body is capable of. Push yourself..." Quite honestly, in the midst of a workout, I am thinking SHUT UP, Jillian. I hate you. Truth is, she's right. I realized this earlier in the week when I was able to complete moves I never thought possible. Since that moment, I am loving my workouts. It's not something I have to do. I look forward to them. I'm excited to push myself past my comfort zone and see what else I can do. 

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Don't forget, Google Reader is leaving us at the end of the month! Follow me on Bloglovin' so we don't lose each other!

Let's Get Healthy Link-Up - Zucchini Inspired

It's a 2 post kind of day! I'm also linking up with Sami and Jodi for some healthy recipes. 

My "Lets Get Healthy" post is zucchini inspired today. I have several in my fridge I'm needing to get used up,  so I've been browsing Pinterest for recipes. I haven't tried these yet but plan to by the end of the week:

1. Low Fat Zucchini Brownies. Recipe can be found HERE. These are on my to-do list for Sunday. Yum!

2. Zucchini Oven Fries. Slice zucchini and dip into beaten egg. Cover both sides with seasoned bread crumbs. Place on cookie sheet and spritz with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes, turning half way through. (I've also made these using parmesan). 

Picture from www.sparkpeople.com

3. Zucchini Boats. Recipe can be found HERE

Picture from www.thecomfortofcooking.com

Yum! Is it dinner time yet?

Workout Wednesday - Toy Story Addition

Wednesday has finally arrived in the longest week ever. Which means, it's time for another Workout Wednesday with Skinny Meg!


First of all, last night was my first go-around with JMBR Phase 3, Disc 10. There is only one word to describe this one,   A-MAZ-ING! I absolutely loved it. It is, by far, the hardest workout I have ever done. I have never sweat so much in my life. It was painful, exhausting, and I thought I was going to pass out at one point, but I loved every second of it. I'm definitely feeling it in my entire body today. Hopefully I won't be too sore for my run tonight!

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On to Workout Wednesday. As I've mentioned before, more often than not, I work out with my two-year-old. Once I came to the conclusion that my workouts were as much of a priority as getting up and going to work in the morning, I knew I had to find a way to incorporate it in without being able to easily find excuses.

Wyatt is a horrible, and I do mean horrible, sleeper. 5 am is sleeping in for us if that gives you any idea. It's just he and I at home, so going to the gym is not an option. Waking up at 3am to be sure and get it in before he wakes up is also not an option. No way, Jose'. I tried working out around 8:30/9pm after he was asleep, and I was too exhausted to push myself through a workout. This led to the conclusion of working out while he is awake.

Please excuse the mess, I was packing for a trip.

I had many concerns about this and a big internal debate over it. The last thing I wanted was to lose precious time with my son when I feel like I get so little as it is during the work week. (Why can't money grow on trees?). I was concerned that he'd be playing in his room by himself, get into things, cry and whine, etc... But, I got lucky. Every evening (sometimes in the morning, depending on the day) we go into my room before dinner and workout together. He mimics the moves, yells back at Jillians, lifts 2 lb weights and jumps around like a crazy person. Now, don't get me wrong, some days go better than others. There are times I have to hit pause to get him a drink, or to have a little chat. There are days he brings his toys in and plays on my bed. And even the rare occasion that he wants nothing to do with it and goes and does his own thing for a few minutes. But overall, it's been a great experience for us. Wyatt actually looks forward to it and asks me to put a workout in.

So with this in mind, and the fact that I will be completing JMBR in the next 4 weeks, I've been browsing workouts. I came across a Toy Story workout (which Wyatt is obsessed with). This is definitely one we can do together, or he can just watch the movie and mom can workout. Either way. Pretty sure this will have to happen this weekend...

Can't go wrong with a little Toy Story Workout action. There's always to fit a workout in and make it fun!

One of those days...

So, this happened last night...

And I lived to tell about it.

 I'm not sure if I psyched myself out reading about it how "hard" it was, but it went surprisingly better than I thought it would. Don't get me wrong, this workout is not easy. It was definitely a step up from the previous ones. Circuit 2 is brutal, but beyond that, it was just right difficulty-wise for me. 

I had no problem doing push-up jacks which shocked me. Also, back in Phase 1, I could not hold Hollow Man or Boat Pose for the life of me. Last night I was able to alternate the moves without collapsing on the floor. I love what this program is doing for me and love finding what my body is capable of. I mean, I'm practically Wonder Woman. 

In other news, the boy is a bit under the weather, which means no sleep for either of us the past 2 nights. I'm ridiculously tired. Just this morning on our way to daycare, I drove right by and started heading down to Colorado. Apparently I felt like running away today. Unfortunately, I knocked some sense into myself and realized we just can't up and leave, so we flipped around and drove back which then put me way behind for getting to work at a decent time. I get Wyatt all settled in, hugs and kisses, bye-bye. I'm almost to work, listening to some Blake Shelton on the radio, when I start thinking, "Man, it is bright out this morning. My sunglasses aren't even helping.. blah blah". This is when I realize that I am missing my lenses. I had spent our entire, longer-than-usual, morning commute wearing lense-less sunglasses and hadn't thought anything of it. Mama needs sleep, or I'm trying to start some new trend. Either way.

The bad news is, when I'm exhausted, I'm gruuumpy (aren't we all). I don't want to cook healthy foods. I want to order a dadburn greasy pizza and down a gallon of Dr. Pepper. Working out? Puhlease... no time for that. But, I'm going to refrain and be a good girl. I'll let Jillian kick me while I'm down tonight and I'll eat some healthy crap and hopefully wake up in a better mood tomorrow. 

Don't forget, Google Reader is going away at the end of the month. So if you are only following me through there, don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' so we don't lose eachother! You can find me on Bloglovin' HERE.

JMBR Phase 2 Results & Motivation Monday

Good riddance JMBR Phase 2. I wish I could say I was sad to see you go. Although, I may be wishing you back by the end of this week! Sunday's are supposed to be my rest day, but I was too curious. So, I decided to give Cardio 3 a try and see what was in store for me in the next 5 weeks...

Death. That's what is in store. I'm not joking, friends. I laid there for a good 20 minutes after finishing, sure I had died and gone to hell. Surprisingly, I survived. However, if I don't post tomorrow, know that it's death by Jillian.

Of course, I can't move on to Phase 3 without sharing my Phase 2 results with you guys. I've debated sharing my weight and progress pictures. Mainly because I hate looking at myself. I hate seeing my weight in black and white. But, we are our worst critics, right? So, here we go.

Let's start with measurements. For some idiotic reason, I didn't think to take measurements of my whole body before starting the program. I'm blonde, what can I say? I only have my beginning tummy and hip measurements. I got smarter after completing Phase 1 and did my whole body at that time. Word to the wise, take measurements from the get go! I promise you will regret it if you don't.

 I use the following chart as a guideline on where to measure myself at.

Now for the scary part: pictures. Just like with measurements, I didn't take official "before pictures." I got smart and changed that after Phase 1 was complete and I'd already lost 10 pounds. I started my journey the beginning of March weighing in at 195 pounds, 5'4" tall. Yikes. The only pictures I have at that weight are from a little trip we took the weekend before I started JMBR. 

195 lbs

I lived in hoodies no matter the temperature. Always covered up and ashamed of my appearance. This was probably the first day in months that I had my hair down. I had given up on myself completely.

 Here are my "end of phase 1" results (it's not easy taking full length pictures of yourself in a little mirror):

185 lbs

And my end of Phase 2 results, weighing in at 175 this morning. 20 pounds down, lots more to go! But I will get there!

175 lbs

I have had many setbacks along the way already: injuries, illnesses, vacations, but I'm not giving up. There is still a long ways to go, but it's great to finally start seeing and feeling a difference in myself. If you have a bad day and are feeling like you've ruined your progress, or are wondering what's the point in continuing on, just remember that the time is going to pass anyways. I try to always keep in mind the quote: "6 months from now you're going to wish you started today." Oh so true... if Jill doesn't kill me first. 

Head on over and see Wendy to grab a button and link up!