Training Update

In the past I have referred to posts like this as "weight updates" but that's not what this is anymore.  I am at a place with my weight and physique that I see ME and feel more like myself.  It feels so much better than I felt a year ago y'all!  I still feel like my lower half looks a lot older than my top half but I am killing it on leg dayz and see more muscle tone than I've had since 2010.  Winner winner  baked chicken and raw veggie dinner!

I don't workout anymore; I train.  I've progressed thru my journey and now I am not training for a trip to Vegas (just went in May) or a certain goal on the scale; I am training for life.  I want to be fit for the same reason I became a trainer years ago, because I believe we are called to take the best care of the body we are given and I want to be an example to my children of how to eat well and stay fit.  Don't call me a hypocrite though when you see me at Sonic getting a vanilla coke or a hot fudge Sunday. I still allow myself to indulge on treats occasionally, just not regularly.  (I love the 4th of July BBQ and can't wait for juicy TX BBQ.) I have a whole new list of regular treats I have come up with or found to satiate my sweet tooth  and I will share those on here with you (another post).  I haven't lost a lot of pounds since my last update but I have gained a lot of lean muscle and my clothes fit completely different... in a good way. 

For today, I weigh-in at 144 lbs

Thigh Gap??? Psssssshh

Clavicles are sooooo last year.  This year all the girls/women want to show off their thigh gap.  (Insert valley high girl accent) Did you, like, know that?  {Watch this.}  Did you see that?  I rolled my eyes, twice.   

 Let's get real ladies.   Some of us will never have a TG and guess what?!?  That is perfectly fantastic!  Now listen to the flip-side, I do have some very good friends with beautiful thigh gaps of their own because their bodies are made. that. way. It's called genetics.  I've been born into a genetic pool that does not promote thigh gaps, and I'm fairly certain my thighs have touched since I was born.  I've always had an athletic build after I lose my excess weight and get fit, showcasing fuller legs and hips and muscular arms; therefore, I've never been a string bean.   I want to be an example to my children of what it looks like to take good care of my body, mind and spirit.   I don't want my daughter or my nieces to see me obsessing about looking like the cover of Cosmo or some ridiculous reality star.  {Although some days those things do distract me from my ultimate goal to be healthy and fit. That is when I have a talk with myself or my husband that usually begins as a pitty party and ends as a pep talk.}  I DO want my daughter and nieces to see me working hard to take good care of myself, not being sedentary and feeding myself junk {although I still occasionally enjoy tex-mex, red wine, champagne, jelly beans, chocolate, Sonic tater tots, vanilla coke, donuts...y'all I could go on and on} the key is I don't fuel my body with these foods all day and night. 

I was always an active kid/teenager and spent my time playing with friends as much as possible.  We rollerbladed, road bikes, climbed everything, ran track, wakeboarded...lots of fun things that kept me in shape as I chowed down on chips and soda and my young metabolism did its job.  But then I graduated from college, got married and got a desk job.  Working in downtown Houston I literally had a world of fast food beneath my feet.  I sat all day and indulged on Ninfa's breakfast tacos, delicious Italian pastas at lunch, Fritos and a root beer for a snack in the afternoon...and who knows what Mr. GQ and I ate for dinner back then.  I was consistent, meaning I consistently gained seven pounds each year for several years in a row.  Then with my first pregnancy I kept my sedentary lifestyle, ate a lot of PB&J sandwiches followed by a chocolate shake and gained another 52 pounds in 40 weeks.  You see, there  have been times in my life when I definitely made a habit of doing nothing but sitting on the sofa, eating processed food and watching too much TV.  A lot of women can live this way and on the outside they stay slim and sexy. Sometimes genetics take good care of you aesthetically, {but not internally}.  My doctor was worried about my weight gain before my first pregnancy as I was on a road toward obesity and related illness because my lifestyle was affecting ME.  It made me extra sluggish, fatigued, grouchy and I didn't feel like myself.  In 2009 after my second child was born I wanted to feel like myself again so I made a big change.  I adopted a lifestyle wherein I enjoyed pushing my body to see what it was capable of doing in the gym or on the track and I ate good, healthy food everyday.  It was amazing!  I became a personal trainer and coached other women to change their lives through healthy eating and daily exercise. I ran a half marathon and wore a bikini proudly with a baby on my hip and stretch marks on my thighs.

You see... I will never have a thigh gap BUT I can keep pushing my body to be the fastest, strongest, most fit version of me, because The Lord only blessed me with one body and He asked me to take good care of it.  Thigh gaps can kiss it. 

REAL Food = FUEL

I'm about to get REAL with y'all.  We are going to talk about food in a way you may have never thought of it.  Or you thought about it and then you just kicked that thought out the door on it's big ol' fat booty because you don't want to change anything about your lifestyle. 

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19,20) 

I have spent the last decade or so looking at my body and the things I put into it on a regular basis and realizing that God expects me to take care of my body not only by avoiding dangerous substances and activities but also by providing it with the fuel and exercise it needs to operate properly and at its best.  Food should be something you see as FUEL and beneficial to your body…not a way to smother your feelings…which is what I have taught myself to do my entire life.  I eat when I am angry, sad, depressed, hurt, emotional, happy, joyful, excited…I just eat all the time.  And I learned to love processed "food" (that shouldn't count as such because say it with me ladies…"IT AIN'T").  If God didn't make it…it's probably not good for you.  

{Stop real quick and allow me to clarify.  I LOVE food.  I am a total foodie at heart.  I love cream sauces, butter, bacon, stinky cheese, pasta and a great steak.  BUT, that is not the way that I eat on a regular basis.  I try to eat as many raw veggies as possible each day.  {Say it with me in your best southern accent…CROO-DUH-TAY.}  I cook lean meats at home which means we eat lots of chicken and turkey b/c I don't know how to cook fish well and fish scares me.  I don't want to eat farmed fish.  Only freshly caught fish…straight off the boat in Galveston.

But, I am normal person and I STILL crave processed crap and so I thought I'd share with y'all the things (b/c they aren't real food so I can't call them that) I really crave…weekly…sometimes daily and I am training myself to say|scream "NOOOOOOOO!" to them on most occasions.  
1.  Sour Patch Kids (the berry bags are the best)
2.  Little Debbie snack cakes of any type/holiday/shape (although have you had one lately?  They taste like processed crap.  Not as heavenly as they did in middle school when I had a soda and zebra snack cakes for lunch for like a month straight.)
3.  Chips.  All Chips.  I love chips.
4.  Dips.  All cheese based dips.  Guacamole (healthy choice in moderation).  Salsa (healthy choice)  I love dips.
5.  Ice cream loaded with chocolate, caramel and cookie dough….mmmmm
6.  Fries and tater tots
7.  SODA…burn the back of your throat soda

Okay, seven is my fave number so I will stop there and go back to my fresh grapes and strawberries.  

Not even kidding...I found a hidden bag of sour patch kids about ten minutes ago that I had forgotten about; I ripped that sucker open, ate three and quickly realized they didn't taste so good today.  I'd rather have REAL food.  I am making progress ladies.

I for one CANNOT have the items I crave in my house or I.will.eat.them.all.  In one day.  I have no self control when they are near me and so I try to not buy them often.  I have sour patch kids when we do a family movie night and I will have chips and salsa when we eat tex-mex for dinner, but I can't even tell you the last time that happened.  I try to snack on veggie trays as often as possible and fresh fruit with some type of nut butter.  I gave up dairy and drink almond milk now which is actually very good!  I still cook delicious food made with butter, cream sauces and bacon, but I don't cook them often.  I save them for special occasions and holiday parties and when I do eat them I pay close attention to portion control.  One big tip I have is to load your plate half full with fresh leafy green salad and then you fill the rest with protein and veggies.  I sit and eat my salad first before I eat anything else.

Tips for eating well:

1.  Keep veggie trays or sliced and cleaned raw veggies on hand every day.

2.  Pack your own snacks for the road.  Don't be tempted by fast food.

3.  Load your plate at potlucks and parties with salad and veggies first.d

4.  Drink lots of water all day long.

5.  Give up bread/pasta/rice (whole wheat is all I eat) after lunch if you eat it at all.  You can get a lot of nutrients from other sources besides these carbs.  Try sweet potatoes, quinoa and shredded squash instead.

6.  I drink chocolate protein shakes with peanut powder in them (mixed with almond milk or coconut water) when I am craving a milkshake.  I use this line of shakes:  LEAN BODY FOR HER

7.  Drink your veggies.  I have a Blendtec blender and I love it.  It's a beast.  I blend up all kinds of things and the green makes me think of the Incredible Hulk.  ;0)  Add strong fruit such as pineapple or cranberries to cover the taste of raw greens until you get used to it.  This is the best way I know to get your veggie intake daily.