Motivation Monday - Hiking

Welcome back to another Motivation Monday! Grab a button and come link-up with us!

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When it comes to working-out, we often get stuck on the classic forms of exercise. Running, walking, lifting weights etc... One of the main causes of failing to stick with an exercise program, is we don't find something we enjoy. You don't have to run endless miles or join a Crossfit gym if that's not your thing. Losing weight and getting healthy shouldn't be a temporary goal. We are trying to find success for the rest of our lives; therefore, we need to find something we can actually do for the rest of our lives. 
Variety is key for me. Right now, I'm fortunate enough to enjoy the classic running and lifting. However, I know myself and I know that eventually I'll get burnt out on that if I don't find other things to throw into the mix from time to time.
I'm an outdoorsy girl; always have been. My idea of the perfect vacation is camping high on a mountain top, in a tent, water running near by, cooking over the camp fire. Crazy to some, but I love it. This is where I'm in my element, where I'm happiest and feel most like myself.

Medicine Bow Peak 7/20/13

Friday night, we left the baby with Grandma for a slumber party (my first time ever leaving him over night!) and headed to the Snowy Mountain Range. We backpacked in over 3 miles over hills, boulders and creeks before camping for the night.

Our camp

We got up in the morning and did a little fishing before packing up to head back out.

The scenery was absolutely gorgeous. A 3 mile hike (each way) is such a great workout! Especially when you're carrying a 20+ lb bag on your back. The best part, I don't even feel like it is a workout because I enjoy it so much. 

If you follow me on IG, you have probably already seen these. Just pretend like you haven't

I've been in a "slump" in various parts of my life the past several weeks. Due in part to this plateau and other happenings. This weekend away was just what I was needing. As we were hiking in Friday night, I found myself reflecting on how far I've actually come instead of how far I still needed to go. There is no way I could have made that hike 3-4 months ago. Heck, I probably couldn't have made it a month ago.

For so long I've focused on everyone else, and lost myself a long the way as I mention here. I was once again reminded of the things I love and my passions which was an amazing feeling. I'm starting the week feeling great and ready to bust through this plateau. 

What is your favorite form of exercise? Share some ideas in the comments!

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. 

Ramblings + NSVs

I'm feeling a bit random today, so here we go...

First things first, I hope you all hop over and visit Sami to check out the details for her Running for Maggie Virtual 5K. This run is in honor of her beautiful sister, Maggie that was lost too soon. Join in! It's for a great cause and your time doesn't matter! This means there are no excuses. Even if it takes you 2 hours, it's better than not at all. Right? Right.

Second, I love and respond to all of your comments via email. If you haven't received a reply from me, it's not because I'm ignoring you! You are set up as a "no-reply blogger". Check out Amy's steps to fix this so we can talk! Each and every one of you help motivate me so much to continue to make healthy choices, thank you so much for that!

Third, check back tomorrow for more details on the DukanDiet I've been doing, along with results up to this point. I'll also be sharing a discount if you are interested in trying it for yourself. I understand that not everyone will necessarily agree with the program, and that's fine. Honestly, I will probably be tweaking it myself for the future, but it has helped me get my sugar/carbs under control which is huge and was my main reason for trying it.

Fourth, my dad came to visit this past weekend. Wyatt was so excited to beat on have Grandpa around! We had a parade in town (only a block from our house, score!). The horses (and bull)were a big a hit with the little one. Prepare for picture overload in three, two...



I felt a bit bad for the bull. One horn must be heavier than the other.

Wyatt loves Grandpa!



In case anyone has ever wondered, horses don't care for popsicles.
Although Wyatt refused to give up on trying to feed them... 





Love!

Fifth: Non-Scale Victories....

I've completed "two-a-days" with my workouts nearly every day for the past 2 weeks. I'm starting to see some muscle definition in my upper arms which I'm beyond excited about. Maybe I'll actually achieve some Jillian arms by the end of this!

Yesterday was my cardio day. It was hot and the last thing I wanted to do was go outside and run in that nastiness. I decided I would go run one mile than come back home for some 30ds. Then this happened...

I knew I wasn't going my fastest pace, and a part of me really wanted to just give up and go with my planned "easy way out" workout, but I forced myself to continue. I'm so glad I did! It may not be my best time, but I love that calorie burn!

And last but not least, I fit into another pre-baby shirt yesterday that hasn't fit in 3 years! (I think I might spy a hint of collar bone, too).

Side Note: I have no idea what is going on with the weird format of this post. Sorry!

Training at High Altitude

So, a little fun fact about myself (that I shared last week); I live at 7,200 feet altitude. As a reference, that is 2,000 more feet than a mile (or Denver, CO). Until you have been to, or lived at, an extremely high altitude, you would never realize the many things it affects.

For example, babies born here (whose mother lived here throughout her pregnancy, of course) are typically much smaller than average. It is very common for newborns to have jaundice the first week or so. In fact, my OB warned me before hand that Wyatt would probably have jaundice due to the altitude, and to be prepared for it. We require more water consumption than those at lower altitudes. Baking is a PITA. Things never turn out right in the baking department... I'm still frustrated over this. And on and on.

The air is thinner up here due to oxygen being under a lot less pressure than most parts of the country. There are positives along with the negatives though. For one, it's gorgeous. I can be in a campground, secluded in the mountains with all sorts of wildlife, a mere 10 minutes from my home.

Studies have shown that someone living at a high altitude has a 25% increased endurance over someone living around 500 feet. For this reason, Olympic athletes will travel here for training leading up to the big event.

Obviously, I'm acclimated after seven years of living here and rarely have any altitude sickness symptoms. One of the few times it's very apparent to me, is when I travel to my hometown. I can run further, faster and push myself harder at 3500 feet. (It's quite possible that is my favorite part of visiting, maybe.)

On Friday, I am taking an over-night camping trip. This will be my first night away from Wyatt... eeek! We are going to be taking a 3 mile hike up a mountain, to nearly 14,000 feet. With this in mind, I thought I would share some tips on high altitude training. Ya know, in case any of you up and decide to visit this part of the Cowboy State someday.

Just a little incentive

1. Don't push yourself too hard. Your heart has to work much harder in these parts when you aren't used to it and it's crucial, for safety reasons, that you ease in to it. Keep in mind that it can take up to several weeks for your body to adjust.

2. Double your fluids. For the first several days you will be short of breath and light headed, fluids will help. Also, things evaporate more quickly here, including sweat. You may not realize how much fluid you are actually losing during your workout, and may not refuel properly as a result.

3. They say to keep your workouts indoors for the first week or so while you acclimate. The main reason for this is if you've never traveled to high altitudes, you don't know how your body is going to react. It's common for everyone to have some degree of altitude sickness in the very beginning. It's better to be nearby other people in case you have a bad reaction.

4. Don't get discouraged. You can't expect your body to jump right in like it's used to. Slow and steady wins the race. When you return home, you'll be even more amazed at what your body can do!

5. If you do workout outdoors, wear sunscreen! You burn easily here. That is, in the 3-4 months there isn't snow on the ground.

Wish me luck that I survive my hiking trip and don't fall off a cliff, or get eaten by a bear.

Just kidding.

Kind of.

Motivation Monday - Plateau

Welcome back to another Motivation Monday! I hope you grab a button and link up with us today.

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Don't forget to check out all my amazing co-hosts!
Wendy Katie Veronica Morgan Alisha
Thank you to everyone that linked up with us last week. I've reached a frustrating plateau in my weight loss journey, so reading your posts really helped to keep me going last week!
My scale is "fixed", I think. I took the batteries out and put them back in and it's no longer showing Wyatt weighs the same as me, so that's a plus. However, it's not budging in the slightest for me. It varies 3 lbs up, 3 lbs down and I'm trying not to lose my sanity over it.
I didn't plateau until the last 15-20 lbs on my pre-baby weight loss journey, so this is new territory for me. I can't say that I'm a fan. I started the Dukan Diet July 1st. I lost 5 lbs in the first week, and then nothing. This is in no way the diet's fault, I think I've just reached the inevitable point we all dread when trying to lose weight. 
In an effort to bust through and start seeing some movement on the scale, I've upped my workouts and increased my runs. Hopefully I'll have some progress to share by next week! 
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Yesterday, I spent the morning with Jillian and Shaun T. I completed Level 2 30ds, followed by JMBR Phase 3 Cardio and wrapped it up with Insanity Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. 

I continue to be amazed by how much of fitness is really mental. Your body is capable of so much more then you realize. Three months ago I couldn't make it through a JMBR Phase 1 workout without having to pause for breathers. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine being able to do a 2 hour workout. The scale may not be moving, but my endurance is improving leaps and bounds. Despite my scale frustrations, at the end of the day, it's my fitness level that matters most to me. So I'll take it.

My #1 motivator right here. Love this boy!

Anybody have some plateau tips they want to share?

 

Fatty Heart

I'm short on time today. We have company coming into town, and all kinds of fun stuff going on for the weekend. But, I saw this picture yesterday and just had to share it:

I was shocked to see the image of a fatty heart. So, while you're tempted with barbecues, sweets and other fatty foods this weekend, keep that in mind!

Non-Scale Victories

My scale died on me, so I'm glad it's Thursday to celebrate other victories! After going waaay overboard during the 4th of July, I'm happy to report I am 100% back on track. I'm following the Dukan Diet (loosely) for my eats at the moment. (More on that next week). It is really helping me to get my sugar and carb intake under control.

Little fun fact, I live at 7200 feet. Which is 2,000 feet above Denver, and well over a mile high. It makes working out... interesting, to say the least. Olympic athletes come here to train for that reason. There's not much oxygen up in these parts (maybe that's what makes us a little crazy?) When you live in the mountains, 85 degrees is "hot". The 80s feel very different at 7000+ feet than they do at 500, 3000 etc... Normally we don't see those temps until August, and only for a week or two.

On my run last night, it was 89 degrees of misery. There are so many things altitude affects that you never realize, or think about until you live in it. (I'll have to do a post on that soon). But I was dripping in sweat, I was sun burnt after only 15 minutes and just plain wanted to die. Instead of just completely giving up, I forced myself to run home and complete 30DS. Even though all I really wanted to do was collapse on the floor in front of a fan.

 

If you follow me on IG (social media buttons are at the top of the page if you wish to follow along :) ), you probably saw that I completed my furthest run to date: 6 miles in 1 hour 3 minutes. I know that's not the greatest time to a lot of people, but I'm extremely proud of it. The running fever has definitely hit me and I'm considering attempting 10 miles in another week or two. Eeek... we'll see!

Last, but not least, I just bought these shorts on Saturday!! I have mixed feelings about this... 

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