Finished But Not Final!

Day 22 of the 21 day Ultimate Reset! And my body truly feels reset and refreshed. What a wonderful experience: one that will impact me for the rest of my life. My results took me to the third shelf (picture at left) during the 21 days. But I'm not done. I really have 30 more to lose. So I'm looking to move beyond the bottom shelf (imagine the second and fourth shelves combined). Knowing that accountability is my friend, I am going to continue blogging (ups and downs/good and bad/ positives and negatives until I hit my goal weight loss. A second form of accountability will be our BB coach group for the month of August. I am committing to 31 days of the 21 Day Fix workout, continued clean eating, and drinking Shakeology and checking in daily to comment and support many of the other coaches on our Beachbody Arete Team. Of course, I will be incorporating CIZE as well! Can't wait to get started! May even dance some this evening. Going to begin exercising with Fix and Engergize in the morning. The Recharge should be here soon. Will drink that before going to bed.

Reset Results:
  LOST -
     Weight loss - 15 pounds
      Hips - 5 inches
      Waist - 4 inches
        Overall - 20 inches
       A sluggish, foggy feeling
        The need and desire for napping
         The heaviness and digestive issues accompanying weight gain and poor eating


   GAINED -
       Confidence in ability to make commitment and follow through (this has not always been the case)
       Desire to eat cleaner
        Ability to enjoy vegetables and fruits with recipes to give variety and taste
         Desire for water more than any other drink - a love for water and its effects on the body
        A healthy system

         A feeling of energy, well being, and focus - a desire to keep these feelings strong

Helped my daughter move this weekend. The energy and ability to work for long periods of time - invigorating! The ability to go to sleep later and still be up early - exciting!
 
Until tomorrow and my August challenge.

Ready to take on a challenge of your own? Here's a possibility -

Future Days

Ultimate Reset - Day 19, Phase 3

Tempeh is marinating - Baked Tempeh for dinner (recipe at end of blog entry). Thinking some curried cauliflower and one other veggie as well. It is what I don't automatically think about for dinner that highlights the change most - not fast food, bread, white pasta, white rice etc. (I am still nurturing a desire for dark chocolate and Justin's peanut butter). I am amazed by the number of nut and seed butters available. I am amazed by the number of tasty healthy recipes I never took the time to try.

At one point this afternoon, I thought I needed a nap, but once I got around to it - NOPE. Not tired! Such a wonderful feeling for someone who used to spend many hours a day napping, especially on weekends. Parts of my life definitely suffered for it (especially grad school reading). The changes I am experiencing are giving me something infinitely more valuable

than being "skinny." Time.  More time awake, more time feeling healthy, more time feeling positive, more time with family, more time on study, more time focusing, When I am tempted to eat something that taps my system of my energy, I just need to remind myself of how wonderful it feels NOT to
crash from a sugar high.

So now I begin concentrating on the days beyond the Ultimate Reset. I am not yet where I want to be and am sure the pounds won't drop as quickly after Saturday. But I have a plan to keep myself heading in the right direction.

*My coach accountability group (checking in daily and supporting others as well)
*BB's new Energize to support morning workouts
*BB's 21 Day Fix for daily exercise (and it's only 30 minutes each day)
*BB's new Restore to drink in the evening before bed (helps sleep, muscle recovery, and curbs the appetite
*CIZE to dance several days after school (hoping some colleagues will join me)
*Shakeology daily (meal replacement or snack)
*LOTS and lots of water (should drink half your body weight in ounces daily)

But most IMPORTANTLY, I will create a schedule of meals each week, plan accordingly for shopping, and prep food on the weekend so that lack of time in the evenings or at school won't become the enemy. The best way to avoid eating what I shouldn't is to always have something I should. And it can still be tasty!

Two more days!

Until tomorrow ~

BAKED TEMPEH
(makes 1 serving)

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
1½ tsp. sesame oil
1½ tsp. 100% pure organic maple syrup
½ clove garlic, chopped
4 oz. tempeh, cut into ½-inch strips

Directions
Combine vinegar, Bragg Liquid Aminos, oil, maple syrup, and garlic in a small bowl; mix well.
Place marinade in a shallow dish; place tempeh in dish and turn several times to coat well on all sides. Marinate for 1 hour, covered, in refrigerator, turning once after 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn over and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until golden brown.

Day 1 - Who Knew?

 Day one is in the books and other than feeling sleepy and enjoying a nap, the day went smoothly and the meals were quite enjoyable (thanks, Matt). And who knew that I could eat so many vegetables in one day and feel satisfied? The daily menu allows for a snack during the day. I passed it up today as I didn't feel hungry.

Lots of water!

I'm sure drinking a gallon of water a day helps curb hunger. :)

The recipes are tasty and easy to follow. I love the homemade salad dressings. Don't think I will ever really want to use store bought dressings again. The creamy garlic we made today is delicious! And it is the first time I have had scrambled eggs with herbs - just lovely!

      This first week - Phase 1 - is referred to as Phase 1. RECLAIM - The Beachbody Guide defines it as "reclaim[ing] your body, accessing its inner chemistry and preparing for change."
Slowly remove foods - red meat, dairy - known to place stress on digestive system

Breakfast PHASE 1

An interesting fact I learned from the program - water can slow down the digestive system (dilute digestive juices and acids). This can cause digestive problems. The fix? Drink your water 5-10 minutes before eating (8-12 oz glass). The idea is to chew your food so many times that you don't have to "wash it down" with liquid as it becomes liquid.

On the Ultimate Refresh, you drink distilled water and add the Mineralize.

The Nutrition Guide explains all of the how and why of the program.

So, I'll leave you with another interesting fact: chewing gum deceives your digestive system and causes to prepare for the coming food - only there is none.

Looking forward to tomorrow's meals.

The Missing Piece

Everything else comes first - exercise last. We say that the other activities must be completed - we owe that time to someone or something else - and exercise is - well - hard. This is me for sure! So many irons in the fire, so much other responsibility. However, I am trying diligently to change my mindset. To realize that exercise is hard, but it is worth the difficulty. This is the only body I will ever have, and it is my responsibility to take care of it or face the consequences - and those consequences are not pretty - and dealing with them will be a whole other kind of hard.

Yet knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it are much different. So I had to find a way to make it work for me. Some people just go for it. Some people even enjoy the exercise (I do once it is done - and not because it is over, but because I feel so good). But I tend to put it off to another time, then another, then another - eating as well - oh, I don't put off eating - I put off eating meals that will fuel my body with needed nutrients. If bread and chocolate had all of our daily vitamins - I would be Hercules - well maybe Xena.

My dilemma, then, became how to motivate myself to act in a manner that would build me up both physically and mentally - that would keep me on track - not perfectly - but heading daily in the right direction.  Challenge groups and coaching groups! For me, the answer.

I began with the challenge groups - and even then I struggled - but I trudged on. I finally realized that is isn't about not struggling, it is about perseverance - not giving up. That every step I took in the right direction would eventually lead me to a healthier and happier place. The real beauty of these groups (which is the main reason I became a coach - lifetime accountability) is that my struggle affirms someone else's struggle and together with many others we journey, building one another up with encouragement and understanding along the way. We stumble - we fall - one challenger put it well when when she commented about not only falling off the horse, but tumblig down the hill as well.

We are better together - and I am better because I am not only looking out for myself but others. And if we stroll together day by day and pound by pound - we will eventually find ourselves running and wondering at which point the actual change took place.

In his book The Compound Effect,  Darren Hardy states, "The Compound Effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices. What's most interesting about this process to me is that, even though the results are massive, the steps, in the moment, don't feel significant....What most people don't realize is that these small seemingly insignificant steps completed consistently over time will create a radical difference."

 It is the small steps, the consistent steps, the turtle steps that will eventually allow for finishing the race. And those of us working together may not all cross the finish line at the same time, but we will cross, while continuing to cheer one another on along the way.

A Lifetime Commitment to Getting Back Up

I've done it. I've taken the plunge and become a Beachbody coach. Why? This is the question that my coach asked me. Why? Because I have tried so many other ways to lose weight and found that there is no EASY way and no MAGIC pill. They just don't exist - not to lose weight and be healthy for a lifetime. And that is exactly what I want to be: healthy for life. Beachbody's motto is to help others - really - I'm not kidding - even before selling a product. They advocate relationships and truly having a desire to help others along the way to succeed on their health/weight loss journey. Their products are solid, promoting good nutrition, exercise, and just as important accountability.

Accountability - this is what I need. And my being a coach gives me that while allowing me to share my discoveries with others. My coach and my team will keep me accountable and assist me in learning more about myself, nutrition, and exercise. There are some who can manage this journey on their own, and I applaud their will power and stamina. For me, I have a tendency to put exercise off and eat foods I shouldn't - knowing that I need to live the program I have committed to share keeps me on the straight and narrow - and ultimately keeps me healthy everyday, every month, every year, for a lifetime. No more losing weight and putting it back on months later (ever notice how much easier it is to find it than to lose it?). No more maybe I'll exercise for a few weeks then forget about it. No more feeling sluggish and tired. No more harming my body - the only vessel I have to wander this world. No more.

Commitment to a healthier life allows for a better life overall. And I am all in. And all in equals understanding that I will stumble, falter, mess up, make excuses. But it also encompasses a new group of people who care about my journey and will help me, catching me, picking
me up,encouraging me, and keeping me moving forward. What an awesome opportunity.

Setbacks and Successes

Love this thought. And both setback and success describe my past week. The 21 Day Fix is wonderful. I love the 30 minute workouts. They allow for do-able, consistent morning workouts. The containers are a great visual for understanding proper portions.
     This past week I managed to exercise and follow most of the container portions. There were a couple of setbacks - usually pertaining to food; however, those setbacks were not nearly what they would have been in the past. And even with those, I managed to lose 4 pounds this week!
    




The beauty of this program, for me, is that I am learning that when I eat clean for the most part, those times when I want something "not so clean" are more enjoyable and less detrimental to my health overall. And my mentality about food has changed. I no longer think that just because I "stumble on the path" I have to end the journey or allow the stumble to turn in to a full blown crash. Truth is sometimes stumbling causes a refocusing on the path itself. This journey is for life, I may stumble, but I will not be detoured from the path on my journey to better health.

Sweets, treats, and More Sweets - Just say NO

     Sweets, treats, and more sweets - all on the second day of the 21 Day Fix. And NONE of those have a colored container. First, there is a small party for one of the teachers and homemade chocolate cake - avoided, then a student tells me she has a white chocolate bar for me as a thank you for my uil help this year (but it concerned I might not want it as she has realized I am trying to avoid sweets). I took it, of course, and let her know that I would just have a few pieces at a time (but I didn't start today). Next, I realize my aide put cookie dough in my class fridge (I ordered it from her several weeks ago for her cheerleader fundraiser).
     Then, I am offered an opportunity, not once but twice, to go have lunch (never happens on a school day - only 30 minute lunch time normally). But I packed my containers this morning and stuck with them. So I consider this day a success (I exercised this morning) and hope to eventually reach a point where these occurrences and not such a temptation in the first place.
     The exercise this morning was tough - but that's ok as it gives me room to grow and see progress. One day at a time - day two down - and sweet temptations avoided.

Stumbling Is Still Moving Forward

So I have managed to get this water thing down. That big bottle is wonderful and assures that I will always have at least 8 cups of water with me at a time. The best part is that I have come to crave it - can't imagine going without drinking water all day long. It is a wonderful feeling.
     Exercise - doing much better with that. Just received the 21 Day Fix and so thankful that each workout is 30 minutes (make for a perfect morning workout).
And then there's the eating - yikes - have I mentioned how much I like to eat - all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons. The 21 Day Fix incorporates the belief that it takes 21 days to create a new habit. So here I go - moving toward a new, healthy habit of EATING. I also understand that this may be the aspect of clean living that will always be a challenge, but I will not ever give up, stumbling now and then is much better for my health than just giving up and eating all of the wrong things - for all of the wrong reasons.

Managing Mornings

To meet my healthy challenge, I have to learn to get the process right - not perfect - but right for me. Because we are all different, unique, it is important to discern what is best for each of us. So this time around, I have committed to trial and error and if necessary, trial and error again, until my journey toward better health is truly mine. And presently my trial is morning exercise and the error is not getting it done the last two days. I am NOT a morning person (not really even a mid-morning person - more of a zombie until 10 to be exact); however, I have discovered from my continual attempts to exercise IN THE MORNING that I am a better person throughout the day - calmer, less anxious or worried, able to handle stressful situations with more kindness and grace. My day and well being are just better overall.

    So instead of just giving up and considering it a lost cause, never to succeed (it is MORNING after all), I consider what I know to be true - when the exercise session is shorter, I am successful. Thirty minutes more of sleep seems to be the key to my actually "getting up" in time to complete the task. To this end, I have ordered the 21 Day Fix (the serving containers will definitely be a bonus as well). I am not, however, giving up on my longer exercise sessions. These I will work in on most afternoons. This way, instead of ruling out mornings completely, I may actually add work outs
throughout the week. Win-win. Monitoring and adjusting - my new motto toward better health - both mentally and physically - one morning (and afternoon) at a time.