Challenging work out of the day

Push yourself a little harder in your workout. Add 10minutes to your normal workout and if you are a runner, try several hills in your run. That should get your heart rate up and burn you some more calories!

First Day of Detox

I am really hating myself right now! Today was a pretty rough day of detox. I did not feel so well, almost a bit dizzy today. I am very greatful that I did not have any headaches! Not drinking Caffeine or soda really pays off. :) I had energy but I could not push my body the way I normally do when I exercised. I could barely run 2 miles...I was so tired when I was done. Hopefully tommorow will be a better day. As for the food aspect, I was a bit tempted when I was fixing the kids' dinner. They had hotdogs with veggies and an apple. I had to keep telling myself, "don't put that hot dog in your body...all you have done will be worth nothing if you do!" It worked but it was very very hard! Lets hope I have a better day tommorow :)

So Tired!!!!

I have been so tired lately and I truly believe my diet needs to change. When I first started living a healthy lifestyle I made a huge change in my diet. I stopped eating fast food, greasy foods, and found new healthy ways to cook. However, I did not really limit my sugar intake. I love sweets and candies but my body does not! Especially since I am running a lot more than I ever have in my life! My daily nutrients consist of about 50% Carbohydrates 15% protein and 35% fat! That fat is coming from sugar and as a runner I need to have 60% Carbohydrates and 20% Protein. The fats and oils should be coming from the protein and complex carbs like fruit not the sugar intake. It is time to limit treats to a "treat" mentality. It is a special food that comes only so often. Sad to see it go but I am looking forward to a lot more energy.

I will be starting my detox plan tommorow and it will be 7 days long. Ugh!!!! I hate this part. Such torture! I guess its the price we pay for all the junk food we eat. I have created my own plan fit to my body and my needs. I will share the plan once I have finished the detox. I am curious to see what kind of results will come. I have always followed a premade plan, so this will be very interesting. Will power is key and lets hope I have it. My husband is no help with his candy and junk food! I want more energy, I am so tired of being exhausted! I am 25 years old, there should be no reason that for me to be so unhealthy and tired. It is time to make a change and I can't wait for it to happen! :)

Happy Monday

I ran my first 5k!

Sat, 10/17/09, I ran my very first 5k. This was such an accomplishment. I felt like I had completed something that was so important to me. I am so addicted! I want to run more races…perhaps a 10k in the near future. I was so nervous the week prior. I was worried about so much, my weight (heavy on my body), being in enough shape (did I train hard enough), if I was going to not make through the finish line (would I be too tired?), and most of all walking during the race. I wanted to run the full race and I had to mentally prepare my mind that three miles was not a lot, I could make it to the finish line. All of these thoughts ran through my head that week and I had to overcome the negative ones to feel like I could run the race at the best to my ability. A part of me wanted to skip out! However, I psyched myself out and kept telling myself I could do it. As I arrived I was by myself and an hour early, so I had some time to reflect on my run. I had some time to warm up, get my blood flowing, and heart rate up a bit which helped for the run. People were casual and nice. The competitive itching to race runners stayed in the front…it was nice to stay in a group at my own pace. If I had been up front I would have been compelled to run just as fast as them and probably would have been too tired to complete the race. I started at a slow pace, stayed focused, listened to good music, and kicked up my pace every .5 mile and had a strong finish for the last mile. After I completed the race I thought, “That was easy!” It was fun and accomplishing at the same time. I know I can do it, I know I can run and if I can then so can you! Don’t ever say that you can’t do something especially if you don’t try. It is worth every minute of having that feeling of accomplishment. It is not only about how much weight you lost, it is also about your health and your body. They both deserve to be happy too!

Journal

Alright....So these past couple of days have been so HARD!!! I am a bit homesick and so I have been eating much more than usual...u know, eating my feelings. I am sure I have gained some weight but, I am a bit scared to hop on the scale to weigh myself. It feels like 5 pounds. The good news is that I can get rid of it quickly if I really try. I have had way more soda and ice cream than I should have and have eaten right before bed so that the has a chance to sit on my butt! I also have only worked out once this week and its Thurs! Yikes!!! I am planning on hitting the gym tonight and running my butt off. I needs some new motivation...I just need to figure out what I can do to motivate myself :) The 5k is in three weeks, so I better get motivated fast!

Challenging workout of the day

Have you ever tried circuit training? It burns more calories than it does lifting weights. If you are a beginner, try running for 5 minutes, lift weights for 10 minutes or until fatigue and repeat until your running has reached 30 minutes. It is a bit of a challenge, but it is completely worth it!

Welcome Back!

Boy does it feel to be back! My life has been in complete and utter chaos from the time I took a hiatus and still is. One might wonder...How can a person still lose weight when their life is entirely stressed? To be honest, it wasn’t easy. Some of the hardest things were not being able to blog about what I was eating or being able to count my calories and most of all, it was hard not to eat my feelings. I don’t know about you, but when I am stressed out, I just want to eat and eat and eat! For the most part, I did measure my portions, chose healthier foods, exercise and hope for the best. I did end up losing 4 pounds which was so great considering that I was trying to maintain my weight and not lose any. In a time of stress, it is hard to even think of losing weight, I don’t even think your body can handle that unless you are starving because you are stressed. Packing, taking care of two small children, and moving across the country was a challenge however, we did make it through and I made it through four pounds lighter! Some tips I have learned:

1. When you are traveling, you can’t cook your own food. It is impossible. Try to choose a place to eat that has some healthy menu items. I know, I know...you are going to want a hamburger rather than a salad. Try half a hamburger with a salad. Think about what you are eating. Is that entire ramekin of ranch dressing with those French fries worth all the calories? What is in it that can’t possibly be good for you?

2. Don’t even think about losing weight when you are in a time of stress and traveling. Maintaining your weight is key. When you have the time to relax and fully challenge yourself then you can worry about losing weight. It helps to be in the right frame of mind when you are trying to lose weight. Trying to maintain the weight you have lost is a challenge within itself!

3. Remember...losing weight is not hard, when you think it is, it will be. Make exercise a part of your life. Don’t think about “dieting”. Think about being healthier. :)

P.S . There will be some changes to the blog. Instead of a daily affirmation, I think it might help if I journal about how I felt that day or what cravings I had and if I defeated them or not. I will no longer post an exercise tip of the day, but I will post a challenging workout of the day and will continue to have thought of the week and “the numbers” every Friday. :) I think balance is key and I don’t want to overload myself with blogging or else I will dread it.