Tag: health

fitness and nutrition

KT’s Week 5 – Consistency and the Power of a Compliment

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Week five is a reflection week. How good have I been with my food tracking? How consistent is my gym attendance? How well have I done meal prepping? Did I sneak in some alcohol? Did I munch on that dessert? Am I sleeping well? Does the scale like me this week?

As I close out September I see plenty of room to improve and that’s what I am going to do. No more birthday excuses! No more extra dark chocolate covered almonds….I mean they are soooo hard to resist. It’s definitely hard to count out a handful and say that’s my ration. That’s it. 🤧

I am going to focus on being consistent as the fall and fluffy clothes weather are upon me. Why? Because it is easy to hide under the fluffy clothes and I want abs for Christmas this year!

I’m going to hit some clearance racks this week and buy a swim suit two sizes too small to use as my winter motivation. Let’s see how I measure up as we get to 2019 and bikini season!?!

As a bonus tidbit this week, I am putting a shout out to those college kids who are on their own for the first time and may want to give in to the freshman weight gains. Don’t do it. Commit to yourself and your education. It’s all about life balance. You can do it!

With reflections you can identify strengths and weaknesses. This week I turned a corner and hit my protein numbers more consistently, thanks to a new item I tossed into the food mix that cures my sweet tooth and gives me some protein. Check out the FlapJacked mighty muffin hack this week. If you are traveling, in the office break room, or in your college dorm this is a great fill in. This is a quick and easy eat that tastes soooo good! Just add water and you get some decent protein and curbs that sweet tooth. Not an everyday stable mable but a good alternative for when you need it. Double chocolate is the way to go and you can get them on amazon. Super easy!

Short post this week. Just keeping true to my word of a weekly post on my fab and fit journey. Less is more sometimes.

And my extra special bonus this week came from my kid’s doctor who said I looked amazing. I hadn’t seen him in six months so it was nice that he noticed. The power of a compliment like this fuels motivation. It really does. Getting noticed for the hard work you put it is just fabulous. And the shocked look on his face of “Wow, you look good!” made it that much better. Watch out world. I still got some game in me! Fab. Fit. Fun….and now super cute!

Toodles for now. 😘

fitness and nutrition

KT’s Week 4 = PrOgReSS

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I am going to start out by announcing my big yet small purchase this week. I bought a new scale. To be specific, I brought a RENPHO scale from Amazon. It ties into my Apple health and has some neat features within its app. (See the pics below).  It was a $30 investment with good reviews online. I am pretty happy with it so far. It replaces my older, more expensive scale but the technology is far more advanced so it was a good investment.

One of the benefits of this scale is its Bluetooth capability. It syncs directly to the app when I get on the scale. Why is this so important? Because there have been a few days in the course of my journey that I didn’t like the number on the scale so guess what? I didn’t put that yucky number into the MyFitnessPal app. I had a choice and I opted not to highlight my less than stellar performance. That means I manipulated the program to yield the results I wanted. Hmmmm…how many people do that in some area of their lives?

At the end of the day I am only cheating myself, and for that the accountability feature of the Bluetooth connection is awesome for me. I am legitimately committing to what the scale inputs into my app. Talk about stepping up my game. When you commit to six months with your coach you need to evaluate everything you do so you end up with results you want at the end. It’s all you. The coach is just your guide.

If you follow this blog I can only hope it inspires you to take whatever step is the next step for YOU in a journey to living healthier.

It always amazes me when I get a note or message from someone telling me I have inspired them. This week it came from a girl in Germany. She told me she loves watching my fit life unfold online. I INSPIRE her. These are the magic words for me. If I know I am under a microscope and have the potential to impact others, I am going to push that much harder for me and those that I influence.

Danke schoen to my Deutschland pen pal of the week. You made my blog post! For the rest of you In blog land: you could be the lucky one to make an appearance in my blog post next week if you send me a personal note!

The numbers report (not the weather report):

Carbs: 150
Fat: 65
Protein: 130

And since the new scale entered the picture, I figured I would post the number for inquiring minds!

The SCALE says: wait maybe next time I will share 😜 ⚠️🙄

But remember, the scale is just a number. I feel great. I look strong. My doctor says I’m healthy. I don’t take medication. My attitude is positive. I’m sporting a new tattoo. And most importantly my mental game is uncompromised.

Hugs, high-fives, fist bumps, and toasts to all who read and react to this week’s KT chronicles.

And for that I am posting some highlights of a gym session with some badass ladies I workout with each week. Each of them inspire me in a different way and are a key ingredient in my success to this point.

And on a closing note my husband bought me a scale a long time ago as a gift. I resented him for it for years as I always thought it signified his discontent with my shape post-child rearing however he was most likely doing it to provide me a tool. At that time in my life I was too busy being a mom to realize and appreciate the gesture. And now when he sees I bought a new scale I think he was in utter shock and disbelief. Hats off to hubs who helps motivate and support me. I can totally get away with writing this tidbit since he never reads my blog posts!

Closing thoughts for this week: My progress on the scale isn’t enough for me to scream and shout about but there were plenty of NSV’s (Non-Scale Victories) this week. My middle child hit 18 this week. I skipped another round of cake. I hit some PR’s in the gym (trimmed another 43 seconds on my mile time) and I even went to a high tea party with friends to celebrate yet another birthday. See my fancy pic!

Oh September, go away already. Too many opportunities with all these birthdays around me.

Wish me luck next week.

fitness and nutrition

T-Minus 100 (and counting…) for Chick 2

2chicksandapen

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247.

184.

147.

313.

There are numbers that stand out to me in my mind.  Benchmarks.  Milestones. Moments of triumph and shame.

247 was how much I weighed when I got pregnant with my youngest baby.

184 was how much I weighed when I got married.

147 was how much I weighed when I dieted wayyyyyyy down in my early 20s, so far down people said I looked sick.  My lips poked out, my cheeks sunk. I even lost some of my hair.

And then there was 313.  313 was the highest number I ever saw on the scale.  That was six years ago, or maybe seven, in the final stretch of completing my doctoral dissertation.  Raising kids, teaching college courses, presenting papers and presentations, writing articles, cooking family meals and more by day.  Up until 1:00 or 2:00 am each night, chomping on watermelon jolly ranchers by the bag and guzzling diet cokes.

I probably weighed more than that at some point, but 313 is the highest I saw between my toes.  After that I stopped looking in disgust.

This week, I passed another milepost.  I passed 213 on the scale, more than one hundred pounds down from that highest reading.  Over time, I’m sure I’ll tell the stories of all the diets I’ve been on, from my first time on Weight Watchers at about age 11 to what I’m doing today.  I’ve lost 100 pounds several times in my life.  Maybe that’s why I am a bit more sober about this one than celebratory.  It was a goal I was happy to get to, but I am still in progress.  I may always be in progress.  Maybe that’s what I understand this time that I didn’t before.

Of course, any doctor would tell you that 213 is not a healthy weight for a 44 year old woman, five foot eight.  I know that.  Many people wouldn’t be proud to tell that they weigh 213, or wouldn’t tell you their weight at all. I was in a conversation at the gym this week with two men, who shared that they weigh 155 and 195, so that was perspective.  I’m sharing here because it is a number and it doesn’t define me.  My weight is definitely a part of my story, and a complicated and even important one, but I mostly don’t care what people think about it.  Mostly.

These days I try to focus more on how I feel.  I work out most days, and in spite of some pesky injuries, I can move better and do a lot more physically than I could several years ago. I eat pretty well most of the time. The doctor was pleased with my progress at my latest physical.  My blood pressure is great.  Overall, my health is improving.

Still, this is just a pause on a very long path.  A milepost on the way to another destination. I’ll wave at it, take a picture, then keep moving to what comes next.

More about that in future writings.

-Chick 2 (aka Beth)

 

fitness and nutrition

Faith and Freedom: KT’s Week 3

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Oh I have faith in myself yes I do. I also have the freedom to be good or bad. Who knew?!

As I enter week three, I lived through birthday #1 but did dine out at a favorite restaurant (Pappadeaux).

I did indulge in a seafood dish to aid in hitting my protein numbers but also included some fat in the sauce and I really entered the dark side and shared a dessert. Was it the best choice? Probably not, but my nutrition plan is about living and choosing the better options most of the time and not stressing if you splurge once in a while.

Speaking of splurging I indulged in a low carb cocktail this weekend. Not my first choice of drinks but one that was easier to justify I guess. Nonetheless I expect my scale and body to react a little differently over the next few days while that little indulgence works its way out of my system. This was officially the first time I had alcohol on this healthy living plan since I started and the 12 weeks prior so this was a big deal.

Drum roll please! The new numbers are in:   160 Carbs, 130 Protein,  67 fat

As I suspected my numbers are shifting downward. Down another 110-150 calories a day…. no big deal. But that protein number is so damn hard to hit! I feel like I need to inhale shrimp by the pound daily to make it work or supplement with a protein drink. And right now my go to drink is Shamrock Farms Rockin’ Protein Builder. 190 calories, 30g protein, 4 g fat and 12 carbs.

Enter big sigh as I tackle the week. Still no big victory on the scale to report but I can safely say my stamina on burpees and running is improving so I will take that over the scale anytime.

———–

Mid-week check-in right here: Well today was a game changer! I talked to my coach about my 12 weeks and some big picture thinking and *boom* I changed my program from 12 weeks to six months. That translates into a longer time commitment and hopefully some big changes in my body composition. Again, the coach is now in the spotlight just as much as me. And she knows that I am cataloging this journey on here so maybe, just maybe, I will let her be a guest blogger so she can show her side of the equation.

It’s a partnership for the next 6 months. I’ve never met her in person and we live in different ends of the country with different lifestyles. Talk about a trust exercise! Working together to achieve a goal.  Would you make the same commitment?

I am a bit crazy (in a good way). I take risks everyday and this is just another one for me, but I’m the one that determines the outcome.

fitness and nutrition

Chick 2’s New Nutrition Plan (aka 24 Chicken Nuggets and a Packet of Sauce)

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Chick 2’s Turn to Chime In:

I’m jumping on the macro bandwagon for different reasons.  Since the start of 2018 I’ve spent a few months on keto and a few months trying to “eat clean” focusing on upping my vegetables and protein while staying away from processed foods.  Both approaches brought success in their own ways, but after a time I stalled out, got bored, figured out how to game each system, missed ______ (bread, chips, tacos, tortillas, ice cream, brownies, insert whatever craving-of-the-week hit) a lot, and decided it was time to change again.

I first heard the word “macros” from one of my CrossFit coaches.  It didn’t take long until I was hearing it two or three times a week.  After seeing several friends achieve good results using it, I decided to give it a try.

It’s only been a few days, but here are my impressions so far.

-Tracking is a challenge to get used to, especially if you are serious about measuring your amounts (using a food scale, etc.), which you need to be. Neither of my previous plans required this.

-I have only eaten significant carbs (other than veggies or fruits on my clean eating plan) occasionally in the past 8 months.  I do feel myself wanting to gorge myself once I have some carbs, like rice, pizza crust, etc.  I hope this changes.

-It is HARD to balance it all. Examples:

Day 1: I ended up with some carbs and lots of protein left.  I had no idea what to do so I just gave up and decided to try again the next day.

Day 2: I ate well at work.  I have gotten really good at meal prep this year, packing for work for the week every Sunday.  Then I usually just eat dinner at home. But on this day I ended up going from work to the gym to watching my daughter play sports until late and ended up consuming 900+ calories after 8pm.  24 chicken nuggets, one honey mustard sauce, and a drink. You’d think this was a mega-cheat but it wasn’t.  I played with food combinations between games, etc. and that was all I could come up with, but I hit my macro counts almost perfectly for the day.  Still, as I told my daughter, the 24th nugget isn’t nearly as tasty as the first one. This was a “trust the process” moment, since everything in me said that eating 24 chicken nuggets was NOT a weight loss move. (I had many of these moments during keto as well.) But, I did it.

Day 3: Today I decided to eat the Chick-Fil-a meal that was offered to me at school midday, hoping to break calories up more evenly. Then I ended up way short on fat and carbs for the rest of the day (mainly due to the waffle chips I ate.)  It was a struggle to get nearly enough protein to get close to the right number.  I was hungry most of the day even though I ate more than my allotted calories, and in the wrong macro categories on top of that.

I am trying to be patient but at times that doesn’t feel so good.  On my previous diets I had go-tos that I knew I could eat if I was hungry.  I haven’t figured that out yet on this plan.  This particular group does not offer meal plans but I can see why they get asked so often to provide them.  It takes time to figure out what works.  On keto I did spend time reading labels to understand carbs, etc.  The second diet was easier to follow, just making vegetables the foundation of my diet.

This one has freedom over what you can eat but the amounts and the overall daily mix creep up on you.  It’s a lot to manage.  The best approach has been to plan the entire day in advance, but I’ve also realized just how often I am offered food unexpectedly (especially at work!) or that things often just don’t go according to plan.  In some ways this way of eating does seem like an approach you can use for life. I do want tacos and chips and all ice cream, but I know I can’t have them in unlimited amounts or every day if I want to be healthy.  I’m committed to figuring it out and seeing if I can achieve my goals.

I have had bad days and better days so far, but I am getting used to it.  I realize I have to be intentional from early in the day to get my protein in, so I shopped with that in mind. More to come in the next update.

#2chx #mealprep #health #nutrition #fitness #CrossFit #macros #iifym #proteinlife #keto #balance #chickennuggets #stilllovecheese