Tag: inspiration

Eating, Fitness, Lifting, Running, Uncategorized

A Period of Pluck

runswithhips

I can’t believe we are still here. Alive and well.

2018 is a year I’ll never forget. Took some L’s but the good L, my Lord, is faithful! It was a long plucking period of learning lessons, about myself, my path, and my future.

Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a ‘time to plant and a time to pluck what has been planted’ and this was a plucking harvest. I was driving to work and in my thoughts when this motto for life made me smile…

Ever Onward.

Not just move on, but move.

“Maybe we can move to Arizona?!”

So, we did!

***

So, I have had a very full plate this year. Not only has my family relocated to AZ, I did not wait, and jumped right into working as an inclusion para educator here, but I’ve finally reached the finish line in getting my teaching certification. One SEI class left, and I can apply for an alternative certificate. I’ll be Elementary certified K-8 and I am very excited, curious about what my new career and life will look like. Dreaming of teaching science or social studies, but I’d teach basketweaving if it got me to my full certification! Not to mention, I now have 5 teenagers and a soon to be adult in my brood… parenting, adulting, all the expectations.

I have started back, committing to my body, and health, and mind after a year of putting myself dead damn last. I had been on oral contraceptives for a year to get rid of some period ‘irregularities’ and hadn’t really been successful. I purchased a great book that helped me make the decision to pluck the pill out of my life before things got too whacky.

I’m certainly still in the phase where my body is getting back to normal, and can already pinpoint some things that had changed. I feel like the suppression of testosterone affected my desire to workout, the water retention made it impossible to lose, and the depletion of nutrients definitely contributed to bad cravings for salt and sugar. Fixing it all now, data by day and I’m so grateful for the resiliency my heart and body have shown me… period!

Even with a membership at the local rec center (that I absolutely love for my whole family), I’m starting back with the most basic of workouts at home to get my weight back to a happy place.

Deets:

I’m 207 205.6 lbs as of this morning and have a GOAL of getting under 200 lbs. before the last day of school, May 29th.

I also began fasting 16 hours, 5 days a week. No food/drink after 8pm the night before, needless to say. Next day, I drink 32 oz or herbal tea, no honey of course, and I break my fast at my noon lunch break with a massive salad of kale greens mix, 4 oz. chicken breast, 1/2 medium avocado, nuts, and feta. Also eating 2 cuties, and 1/4 cup nuts on the drive home to keep cravings way down and get my mind. Dinner is usually veggies and meat, or maybe 1/2 avocado, tuna, and a few crackers if I feel the need to.

I am doing 45 minutes of SOMETHING ACTIVE 5 days a week. I’ve been walking, running, step aerobics, 30 Day Shred, and lifting…. whatever change up works for the day. With 5 kids and a husband who I need to show up for daily, including work, track meets, basketball games, recitals, date nights, cuddle time, etc., a check in the boa has brought me much content because I am making being active and healthy on top of it all!

Overall, I am trying to keep bonafide carbs lower, and carb cycling, so to speak, on weekends with more carbs, and less meat. It’s working as far as energy, digestion, and cravings. This is 2 whole months in of this lifestyle, so it’s safe to say these are habits…. just time to really incorporate consistency in my cardio and lifting workouts.

Now, off to 5th period!

We’ll chat soon, Hip Huggers!

Advertisement
Eating, Fitness, Running, Uncategorized

Talk About It Tuesday

runswithhips

Hello Hip Huggers,

Here is an interesting Transform(ATE)tion Tuesday to end the year….

img_7008
Jan. ’15 (left) Dec ’16 (right) – 2 year and 20 lb. difference. And yes, ate a sista did in 2016!

The picture on the left is from January ’15 and the other is today, December ’16. Almost 2 years apart and although I can clearly see where I’ve GAINED weight and hair in the new picture. There is about a 20 lb difference between the 2 pictures and you guys, I don’t feel bad about that at all! In fact, I think I look surprisingly great for having an anything but active year, complete collapse on eating in moderation and mindfully, and really allowing stress and self loathing to rue the day all this year. But anyway…

Lets talk about: Goals.

tumblr_mevmtsbxjy1rnvwt1

Really, I did!

My fitness goals for 2017 are pretty simple: 15 miles of running/walking a week, 3 liters of water a day, and a loss of 20 18 lbs. by June 2017. I really want to get my portions back under control, cut out bread & cheese a bit (y’all, I’ve been doing really good with the cheese) and train of a race – all secondary achievements I plan on acquiring this by summer as well.

This is not, in any, saying I won’t involve myself in a plethora of other fitness activities. I’d like to run the Hot Chocolate 15k in Feb, which will require much more than 15 miles a week. I also can’t neglect how vital lifting weights and cross training are running, and I enjoy all of the above. But, to get myself motivated, I want to go back to what I know can easily be a part of my everyday with working, being in school, and having a huge family to take care of. Putting things into perspective: Just run the world day, Pam.

******

Speaking of, today’s run ( first since June) was balmy and nice. The weather is so fall like here its crazy. We actually didn’t even get out for a run until well after 12, a sure no-no any other time of the year here in Texas pretty much. We just lapped it around the park here until we got 30 minutes so I have no idea the distance. That, thanks in part to an upgrade in FitBit. I got a FitBit Alta for Christmas. Lovely, however it doesn’t allow for you to manually start a workout on the watch – there s no button. I’m I missing something? Besides my old Charge HR….

img_4117-2
Merry Christmas to me. FitBit Alta, swapped out the black for the purple band, because like Nas, ‘my state of mind is purple’ in 2017.

I’m kinda bummed because I did want a FitBit that was a little more stylish, and more comfortable to wear around the clock so I can get accurate data of my sleeping. But I didn’t want to give up so many of the little things I wanted I a fitness watch. I can always return this and buy another, I just wish I’d done a little more research before adding this particular one to the Christmas wish list. I definitely didn’t trade up, but I’ll give in a little longer before I revert back to old faithful, like I’ve done with most meals…

img_7306
Fried chicken breast in grapeseed oil (was on sale), and lightly sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese while piping hot! Then, paired with plain jasmine rice and roasted skinny string beans.

Note: when making really flavorful (read: fried) protein, I always stick to plain rice, preferably jasmine. The chicken has plenty o’ seasoning and the plain rice balances it all out so the meal is sans unnecessary salt and oil (I sometimes stir fry my rice if just making chicken breast to add a little moisture to the meal,  but its really not necessary. I myself am cooking for 7 and they don’t all, or should not all, have to eat like me every night. Food is fun, don’t forget that! Meal down the hatch, and am currently trying to get down these last 20 oz. of water! Good night, Hip Huggers!

What are your 2017 resolutions and/or goals? We can encourage each other! Comment below!

Uncategorized

80/20.. Always Plenty!

runswithhips

I get asked often on Instagram and Facebook how I lost weight and kept it off? Do I EVER eat bad? How long have I been running? Who runs the world? You know those complex questions…

20140125-104718.jpg

I kindly answer questions, but sometimes wish I had a FAQ page so I wouldn’t have to sound like a broken record. But, the one great thing about retelling my journey is I can reflect back on what I did. What worked, and what did not.

Pretty much EVERY aspect of life involves the uber famous 80/20 rule. I have yet to see this philosophy not work! No matter what phase of my weight loss I was in, I had accidently adopted the 80/20 rule. For those that may not know – Eating clean 80% of the time and relaxed eating 20% – very simple math that can make or break your eating plan. Done wisely, yes it works! And it still works.

80-20-eating

The ultimate reward for eating healthy, whole foods is a more efficiently fueled and functioning body to sustain life, not rewarding yourself with that big mouf’ burger.. Never Forget That! That fact is what will pull you out of a many slumps you’ll face when you are staying on your plan, exercising and yet seeing no results. Which happens at times for many different reasons, and should NOT be blamed on that cookie, glass of wine, slice of pizza. Those things actually HELP your body to recognize that you will not eat nuts and berries for the rest of your life but will again indulge in a little sugar, fat, and carbohydrate. Your brain loves those things, so don’t try and outsmart it…just be smart!

With that said, even with those cheats – all things in moderation! As healthy as exercise is, you wouldn’t do it 365 days a year. Why? Your body needs rest. Being proactively healthy can be a bit stressful, especially first starting out. Give your brain a break! here is a VERY interesting article my hubby sent to me a few years back when I was absolutely obsessed with eating right…click to enlarge:

cheatmeals

I remember when I first began losing weight. After a few months, I started to notice I could only go so long without something…naughty. Those became my cheat meals. I mean, I was eating oatmeal for breakfast, a 600 calorie meatless TV dinner for lunch (bad idea but that’s another post) with rice, broccoli, and chicken breast for dinner…maybe 1200 calories a day! Absolute metabolism murderer, but I knew very little about long term weight loss and I was just high on seeing results…#laterpost.

Every Saturday, I would buy one bag of Maui onion chips from Target and yes, inhale the entire bag! That was my only cheat meal of the week, and the thought of those chips made me turn away from anything off of my food plan all week! That was my 50 Shades of Grey in a loveless, boring marriage with bland, low calorie foods.

20140125-105441.jpg

My, how things have changed! Healthy food is never boring now and that mega bag of greasy chips is now almond crackers, snack peas, rice chips, or any of the TONS of healthy snack options I have discovered over the years. Food is meant to be enjoyed, you just have to learn how to enjoy it and do your body good at the same time…its all about balance!

Now that we have that equation in the mental math books, we can exaggerate that thinking and apply the 80/20 eating to our 80/20 lifestyles! We will touch on this topic next week!


Question: Do you think eating 80/20 is practical? Would you try it?