Wheat Belly Wednesday - Edition 3

Oy! Work is a zoo this week, so Wheat Belly Wednesday will be short, sweet and to the point!

Week 2 has gone well. I'm still getting some headaches, specifically in the evenings and I seem to be fighting off a could the past couple of days (will it ever end?), but over all things are going well! I am plugging right along and cold aside, feeling great.

This week's weigh in:

Starting Weight: 193.8
Week 1: 188.6
Week 2: 186.4
Week 2 Loss: -2.2
Total Loss: -7.4

After a big loss last week, I wasn't expecting to lose 2 pounds this week, so I'm happy has punch with that number. Things are moving in the right direction! Hopefully the headaches will subside soon. Overall, I'm loving the way I feel these past couple weeks and am sure it will just continue getting better.

Wheat Belly Wednesday - Edition 2

Week one down and successful!

It definitely hasn't been an easy week. Giving up grains/wheat has been difficult, but I knew it would be. Days 3-5 were by far the most difficult up to this point. All things carbs were calling my name, but I managed to pull through. It really is such an empowering feeling to be stronger than your mind. The only negative effect I've had in the past week is some pretty bad headaches. I'm assuming it's from detoxing myself of all the chemicals and processed junk. Although, I am a chronic migraine sufferer, so it could just be coincidence.

On the positive side of things, I am feeling absolutely amazing the past 2 days. Like, on top of the world amazing. I have not had this much energy or felt this 'normal' in at least 6 months. In all honesty, sick, lethargic and miserable had become my new normal. I had completely forgotten what it was like to feel truly healthy. Knock on wood that it continues... I always seem to jinx myself when I mention that I'm feeling better.

I have been trying to stay creative in the things I'm eating. I don't want to dislike or get bored with food. That will just lead to binge eating all things I know I shouldn't have. This weekend I made some zucchini boats and loved them!

They are stuffed with ground venison (in this case, deer. VERY lean), tomatoes and I added some green chili's for flavor. Topped with a bit of shredded parmeson. mmmmm. It really did hit the spot.

As for this morning's weigh-in:

Starting weight: 193.8
Week One: 188.6
Total Loss: -5.2 pounds

I'm pretty happy with that number. Currently, I'm working out about every other day due to my toe and just easing back into things in general. I made the right move in going back to JM Body Revolution. I've upped my weights this time around and am really focusing on form. My body reacts best to circuit training. I burn the same amount of calories in 30 minutes of circuit training (lifting moves, combined with short cardio bursts) as I do with 30 minutes of straight cardio as with T25 etc... And the big thing is, I enjoy it more.

We finally have a spring day today. Our first day expected to make it in the 60s. Then, snow forecasted for Sunday. So, of course, I have to take advantage of it and try and get a run in for Dakota tonight. My first run in far too long. I know it won't be pretty, but I cannot wait to hit the pavement!

Things are lookin' up, and I'm lovin' it!

Fit 4 Christmas Results & Link-up

It's hard to believe we have reached the end of the Fit 4 Christmas Challenge! This has been such an awesome experience for me. Not just because of losing weight and finding my motivation again, but because of all of you. The support you all have given each other has been so amazing... I just don't even have the words. Thank you all for joining in and making it such a great (almost) 2 months.

***Don't forget to submit your challenge results, including before/after pictures and starting/finishing weight to me. If you want a chance to win the awesome prize pack (handmade crochet item of your choosing, $15 Starbucks gift card, some of my favorite misc health/fitness items and a Target gift card donated by Heather) be sure to link up, post to the Facebook group or email me at tiffhult27 (at) gmail (dot) com by Sunday morning. I will announce the winner on Monday!

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I started this challenge back at a pretty unhappy place. Frustration over a very long plateau was getting the best of me and I had all but thrown in the towel. I weighed in November 1st back up 7.5 pounds at 175.6 from my lowest weight.

I weighed in this morning at 166.1.

Total lost in the challenge: 9.5 lbs
Total lost to date: 29.50 lbs

Did I meet my 162 goal for the challenge? No. But I lost during the holidays for the first time... ever. I broke a 5 month long plateau! I'm happy with the progress I've made.

Was I perfect along the way? Most definitely not. In fact, I have been unable to workout for the past two weeks. But I've managed to lose. A belt isn't even helping to keep my pants up. My rings are very close to having to go on a chain around my neck. Changes are happening and progress is being made again!

Left pictures were taken November 1st. The right were taken this morning.

 

And since I'm so close to that 30 lb loss mark, I wanted to compare just how far I've come. Again, I didn't take before pictures until I had already lost 10 pounds and was at 185. 

20 lb difference

185 lbs

That was me less than a year ago. I have a hard time looking at these pictures. I never saw that when I looked in the mirror. Clearly, I knew I was overweight and out of shape. But I had no idea how overweight I was and most importantly, how unhappy I was.

In the grand scheme of things, 30 pounds lost doesn't sound like a lot. But it is. Not just physically, but emotionally. It's taking longer to get to where I want to be than I expected, but I'm enjoying the journey and am so excited for what 2014 is going to bring.

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<a href="http://www.thefittrain.blogspot.com" title="The Fit Train"><img src="http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af57/tiffrunner/fit4christmasbutton.jpg" alt="The Fit Train" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Alright ladies... start sharing those before and afters! I can't wait to see everyone's results!.

Fit 4 Christmas - Week 7 (FINAL WEEK)

We are now in the final week of Fit 4 Christmas! Does anyone else feel like we just started this little 'ol challenge?

Start of Challenge: 175.6

Week 1: 171.8

Week 2: 169.2

Week 3: 168.0

Week 4 & 5: 168.4

Week 6: 166.2

Total Challenge Loss: 9.4

Week 6 loss: 2.2

I started my weigh-loss journey at 195.5 pounds. Soooo close to hitting that 30 pound loss! This is the best weigh-in I've had in months. I have been stuck in plateau-ville since July. July. Unable to ever get past that 168. Today, I have finally done just that!

Thanksgiving, along with an illness that just doesn't want to fully go away, has made for a difficult couple weeks. The accountability of this challenge has helped me to keep trudging along. You all have been so incredible and motivating!

I know Christmas is only a week and a half away. I know that there are goodies, parties and even some stresses that make it difficult to stay on track. Especially in this coming week... As you go through this final week of Fit 4 Christmas, I want you to keep one very important thing in mind: progress pictures.

One week from today, you will be showing your before and after pictures to your blog followers, in the Facebook group or emailing them to me. I know you are going to want to be able to show as much progress as possible. I know that you are going to want to look and feel amazing when you are surrounded by family and friends over the holiday. No amount of goodies are worth that feeling. 

We're going out with a bang this week on the mini challenge. Leg day; every day! Add weights to the moves if you want a little extra. If you really want a challenge, try adding weights to your burpees! 

 

Aaaand in case you need even more motivation to make it through this week - a little reminder of what you could win!

Handmade item of your choosing. This is just a general selection of choices.

Some misc items of my favorite health & fitness things

A $15 Starbucks gift card

AND a $10 gift card donated by Heather. So sweet!

Pretty good deal for losing weight and getting healthy, right? Finish the challenge out strong!

Fit 4 Christmas - Week 4

Let's just start with this: I have been a terrible blogger this week.

As much as I love this little 'ol blog of mine, sometimes other things are more important. As much as I love and need my workouts, sometimes other things are more important.

Last Friday, I woke up feeling "off". By the time I went to bed, I felt like death. I was put on antibiotics right away this time and they have helped tremendously, but there have been zero workouts. On top of being sick, again, work has been craaazzzy with no signs of letting up. I work in the construction industry, and we are getting into our busy time of year. Then, Wyatt has had a bad case of the "terrible twos" this week which doesn't mix well with a sick mama. It's been a challenge seven days and I am so relieved it's Friday (even if I do have to work tomorrow.)

I owe everyone participating in Fit 4 Christmas an apology. I have been absent in the blog, the Facebook group and IG this past week. As well as way behind on responding to emails. That doesn't mean I haven't been following all your inspiring posts! Not to mention, I planned to have Week 4 up before 8 this morning, but my work cell started going off at 5:20 this morning and is just now slowing down. Waahhh. That's what happens when it's -2° outside. If only I could move my desk closer to the fireplace....

Enough rambling. On to what everyone is really here for today:

Starting Weight: 175.6

Week 1: 171.8

Week 2: 169.2

Week 3: 168.0

Total Loss: -7.6

Week 3 Loss: -1.2

Finally back to my lowest weight! I went into the week completely planning to break past that dreaded number, but I'm not disappointed in the results. For as long as I can remember, I have struggle when I'm sick. I don't stress eat. I don't eat to comfort emotions. My main food struggle, is with physical pain. When I am sick or having a bad pain day, I tend to eat to comfort myself. It's been that way since I was a little girl. I have struggled and struggled to overcome this for a few years. This is the first time I have stayed on track with my food when I'm not well. It's such an accomplishment for me and I'm so proud of that 1 pound loss. Now, I'll be even more determined to stay on track next week so I can finally break past that 168!

On to week 4:

Push ups! These are going to kill me. Upper body strength is my weakness and something I am continually working on. Please keep in mind there are sooo many variations of the push-up. Ways to make it easier, or harder. Do whatever you need to do to challenge yourself.

You may need to go to your knees, or maybe a standard military push up is enough for you. If you can breeze right through military push ups, try lifting a foot off the floor, or do crow push ups. If that is too easy, try my favorite: scorpion push ups. It doesn't matter what level you're at as long as you are challenging yourself to be better.

Food challenge for this week: Plan your Thanksgiving dinner in advance. I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't scared about next week. We will be leaving next Wednesday to head out on an 8 hour drive to spend Thanksgiving at my dad's. I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the family this year! This helps, because I will know how things are prepared. However, my dad will be cooking the other days, and I'm horrible about munching in the car. I plan to go into the holiday completely prepared. 

Am I going to allow myself some pumpkin pie? You bet. But I have planned small portions and what foods I'm going to allow myself to splurge on and what I'm not. Go into the week with a plan in mind, and do your best to stick with it! 

Good luck with Week 4 everyone. I know you will all do great!

Fit Test Friday & a Weigh-In

This week has been a great example of that statement for me. As I looked back at the month of August, I just saw a big, fat FAILURE across my forehead. The month started out strong, and then the illness came. Instead of controlling my eating and attitude, I quite simply let myself go to hell in the health department. Not the brightest decision when you're unable to physically workout. Top that with no-scale and my "what the hell" attitude and I was really expecting the worst. 

I weighed in for the first time Wednesday morning expecting to see a 5-10 lb gain. Instead, I saw 171. It's a gain, yes. But a very small one and I was so relieved! I'm making Friday's my official weigh-in day, so I stepped on the scale again this morning.

Boom! Water weight gone, and down 2.4 for September. My goal is to hit 163 by the end of the month. A pretty big goal, but I'm going to do my best to get there. Hard work pays off. I really haven't adjusted my calories, other than to eat better quality food. 

Now for Fit Test Friday!

A loss in the weight department, and an increase on the Fit Test makes for a great week! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and come back to link up with us on Monday!

30 Day Shred Results

Is it really August already? I'm in shock! I thought the day would never come. I love Jillian, but 30ds gets old very quickly for me. Too repetitive in my opinion. But, it gets results. Which is the whole point, of course. I missed a few days here and there, but I was doing it along with JMBR, so I didn't sweat it too much. Let's get right to it, shall we?

 

Weight wise, I only lost roughly 5/6 lbs. 

Inches:

Start:                                 Finish:

Waist: 36"                          34"

Tummy: 40"                        37"

Hips: 40"                            39"

Left Thigh: 22.75"               22"

As I was getting my result pictures ready this morning, I decided to go further back and look at my mid-section progress. I took a bare stomach picture in April, after I was down 10 pounds to use as a reference for myself. I never planned on sharing them with anyone else, but I'm so happy with my progress today, I've decided to be brave...

I still have a ways to go, but I'm happy with my progress so far!

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Yesterday was my Burpee Comment Challenge. I posted that I would do 5 burpees for every comment I received. Around noon yesterday, I opened it up to IG as well and ended up with enough comments and "likes" to give me 80 burpees. You guys are the best!

There was no way I was giving up my run, so I headed out right after work for a 5k. As much as I love the runner's high and challenging myself to run faster/further, I don't enjoy running. I notice every step, every breath and constantly check my phone to see how close I am to being able to stop. But not yesterday. Yesterday's run felt nearly effortless. I enjoyed my surroundings and music. I said hi to people as I passed them and felt amazing. I PR'd my 5k, then went home and did my 80 burpees before I found an excuse to put them off.

80 burpees after 3 miles were torture, and I LOVED it. I had to take a 30 second break every 20 burpees to stretch my quads, but I got 'um done! Thanks to everyone that helped me out with my challenge! I think I'm going to start doing comment challenges regularly.

JMBR Final Results & Progress Pics - Motivation Monday

Grab a button and join us for Motivation Monday!

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Four months ago I ordered Jillian Michaels Body Revolution on a whim, hoping that I would finally find the motivation to lose the weight and get my health back. Day 1 of JMBR, I weighed in at 195.6

Approximately 195 lbs

I've faced some set backs with injuries and illnesses causing the program to take a little longer than expected, but I pushed through to the end. In Phase 1, I was skeptical. I struggled to force myself to get up and get the workout done. But, the pounds were falling off, so I continued on. It's hard to find an excuse to skip a workout that's only 30 minutes long. I lost 10 pounds in the first phase and was starting to feel a little better. My clothes were fitting more comfortably and I was beginning to enjoy my healthier lifestyle.

Towards the end of Phase 2, I started seeing a lot of changes. Not just in my physical appearance, but changes in who I am. I found myself smiling more and had more confidence than I've felt in a lot time. Instead of coasting through the day to day, I started to feel passionate about things again and enjoy the little moments. The old me was returning.

In Phase 3, I found a love for fitness. The scale slowed in the last phase, which I'd be lying if I said it wasn't frustrating. However, it's no longer the most important factor to me. I became more concerned with what my body is capable of. How far can I run? How fast? How heavy can I lift? How many reps can I do? My focus has switched. Am I at a healthy weight? No. Do I still plan on losing? Heck yes. Of course I do. I can't wait for the day I am at a healthy weight, however, my overall health is my main focus. For me, I am judging that by my endurance and what I can achieve in my workouts. By doing this, I have seen the biggest changes in my body this phase. Even though the scale doesn't reflect it. 

So, on to the JMBR - Final Results

Left: End of Phase 1. Middle: End of Phase 2. Right: End of Phase 3

Left: End of Phase 1. Middle: End of Phase 2. Right: End of Phase 3

Also, as these pictures reveal... I've had a break in my plateau! I am finally down 1 pound this week for a total of 26 pounds lost. This is the first time I've seen the 160's in over 3 years. Here's to hoping the 160's disappear faster than the 170's!

I'm a few days into my 4 week program from efitmama and I am LOVING it. It's a bit higher intensity, which is exactly what I was needing right now. Eventually, I do plan to come back to JMBR and repeat it using higher weights and the more difficult modifiers. 

I'm a work in a progress, but I'm amazed at how far I've come. I have tears in my eyes looking at these pictures. Tears for letting myself get so unhealthy and be unhappy for so long. But most importantly, tears of happiness. Because I'm actually doing it. I stopped looking for excuses and I just did something about it. I put the negativity aside and ignored the part of me saying "Someday" "There's not enough time." "Maybe when Wyatt gets a little older." "Eating healthy is too expensive." "I'm too tired." "I'll start tomorrow, or Monday." I'd listened to her for far too long and clearly she wasn't making me happy. Choosing to ignore the excuses was one of the best decisions I've ever made. 

I've said it a thousand times, and I'm sure I'll say it a billion more: Your body is capable of so much more than you ever dreamed of. Push yourself past your "limits" because that is where the magic happens.

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Also, I'm guest posting for the beautiful Carolyn over at Fitnasty for Life today. Go check it out!

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Progress Pics + Finding Your True Weight with Dukan Diet

                    

Towards the middle to end of June I reached my 20 pound loss mark. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I started to get a little lax with my eating. The occasional cheat was turning into a daily cheat and I justified it to myself. I'd just lost 20 pounds! I can afford to eat some junk again, right? Wrong. 20 lbs is awesome, and I still feel great about that. The problem was, I'm no where near goal. Not only that, but this journey isn't just about losing weight for me. It's about being healthy inside and out. I want to be strong, not just physically, but strong in healthy food choices and life in general.

As you all know, I started my photo food log experiment. It definitely helped some, but still wasn't giving me the structure that I needed at this point. Then, I heard about the Dukan Diet. It is a form of a Low Carb Diet with a customized Weight Loss Plan. I want to explain the program a little bit since I've been pretty vague about it up to this point. I'll have progress pics at the end of the post, so bare with me a bit!

                                               

As you can see above, The Dukan Diet is a physician formulated program with 4 phases to help you reach your "true weight." You don't count calories on this program. You can eat as much as you want within the 100 allowed foods consisting of lean proteins, select veggies and Oat Bran.

You can find your true weight by answering 80 questions about yourself (eating habits, build, lifestyle, pregnancies etc...) This info is used to determine what your true, healthy weight is. BMI and other weight loss programs are very vague. Dukan Diet makes it personal, which I really like. My True Weight is 138.

My favorite part about the program is daily accountability. With Dukan Diet Weight Loss Coaching (less than $1 a day) you fill out a report about your day with current weight, measurements, exercise, motivation level, and the next morning they send you a response based on your answers. I've never seen any weight loss programs that do this, and I've tried many.

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Finally, on to my experience with the program.

I was nervous about starting. This program takes away all of my favorite foods. But, this was a good thing. I don't want to cut them out forever. However, I knew I needed to for a time being so I could learn to not depend on them. My body (and mind) needed to learn to eat them sparingly. So, I decided that a drastic change for some time is what I needed at this point in the game.

Knowing I was starting the program, I did something very bad. I ate junk, and a lot of it, the day before. I gained a few pounds doing so, and starting the program back up at 176 (I'm 5'4").

Coming from a girl that was once a vegetarian and really could care less for meat, the attack phase was extremely difficult for me. I don't eat fish or seafood which really limits your variety on the program. By the end of day 2 with no sweets or carbs, I thought I might be dying. No joke. Who knew it was possible to have withdrawals over food? This was a huge eye opener for me, though. I depend on food far more than I ever realized. Since the attack phase, I'm trying to learn that we eat to fuel our bodies. Not for comfort or enjoyment. There is a purpose behind it, and I need to choose my foods with that in mind.

I lost 5 pounds during my 6 days on the Attack Phase, bringing me back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Woohoo! 5 lbs in less than a week is a big loss, and I think that might explain some of the plateau that I've experienced the past 10 days.

These shorts were bought towards the beginning of the Dukan Diet. This picture was taken one week later.

Now for the official Before/Afters (weighing in at 171.2.) Darn plateau anyways...

If you wish to try the Dukan Diet you can get 25% off Dukan Diet Coaching by using code: F13BG25

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I'm off to climb a 14,000 foot mountain (yikes!). Hope you all have a great weekend, and don't forget to link up with us on Monday for Motivation Monday!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for the Dukan Diet; however, all thoughts, opinions and results are my own. 

Motivation Monday

Time for another Motivation Monday Link-up! Grab a button and join us for sharing your progress, recipes, tips... whatever motivates you!

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I reached a big "milestone" in my weight loss this week. I have finally  reached (and passed) my pre-pregnancy weight! It took me 25 months, but am thrilled to have made it. This isn't the end though, I still have a long ways to go, but I am confident I will get there. 
I'm joining the lovely Amber and Holly for their July 30 Day Shred Challenge. It had been a long time since I'd done this workout! Love it! 

As I mentioned last week, I'm starting a program to help with my eating. Fitness is never the issue for me. I love working out, especially the past few weeks. I'm starting to see results in my endurance and muscle definition and that helps to keep me motivated in that area. Food... food is a different story.
This program has you answer roughly 80 questions about yourself, most of them pertaining to food preferences/habits and generates your program accordingly. That being said, I have 6... yes, SIX days of "Pure Protein." 
Now, don't freak. I'm still an "everything in moderation girl." That won't be changing. Problem is, I struggle with the "moderation" part. Cookies, candy bars, processed sugars, chocolate... yeah, they aren't meant to be consumed daily. I would count them in my calories for the day, in fact, I would adjust my meals around the crap to save for them. That is just not healthy. Not on a daily basis. 
So, for six days straight, I am eating only lean proteins and non-fat dairy as well as some daily oat bran. After those six days are up (end of day Wednesday), I will start adding certain veggies and then eventually everything else. This is a type of detox, as well as to jump-start your body and flush out all the processed junk and sugar. You guys... it's rough. I knew I loved my sweets, but it is consuming me these past few days! It also doesn't help that I'm not a huge meat eater so I'm getting bored with my food. It's shown me just how badly I need help getting these things under control and learning to eat healthy. Not just temporarily to lose weight, but for the long haul. 
Keep your fingers crossed that I'm still alive on Thursday when I'm allowed veggies. Green foods will never have tasted so good!!
And, to leave you all with some cuteness...

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!