Is It Possible To Have A "Holly, Jolly Christmas?"

I love the holiday season. It's hard not to enjoy all the sights, sounds and smells. But, in the midst of all the celebrations, we tend to get overwhelmed, stressed and we throw caution to the wind. Here are a few simple guidelines that will help you maintain balance through the rest of the holidays.

1.  Eat Breakfast within the first hour after waking up.  This will help you start your day off right and kick start your metabolism.

2.  Make sure to include protein in every meal. This will keep you full longer and your heart healthy. Protein is also a building block of the body- muscle, bone, skin and blood are all made up of protein.

3.  Eat every couple of hours to keep your blood sugar stable.  This will keep you from binging on everything in sight.

4.  Drink water- LOTS OF WATER!  Water also aids in curbing your appetite as well as flushing toxins out of your body.

5. Make "me" time a priority. Take time to unwind by doing things that YOU find energizing. Go for a walk, try a new recipe, read a book- whatever makes you feel restored. Keeping stress levels low aids in weight loss and a happier you all around! 

6.  Get at least 8 hours of sleep.  By fully resting your body, you boost your immune system and have more energy.

7.  Be thankful!  Take time each day to think up a couple of things you are grateful for each day. This is the perfect time of you to practice gratitude. What a humbling season this is!

As crazy and hectic as this season may be, it will not undo you to take a week off from a strict fitness routine. Enjoy the holidays guilt free by practicing moderation and keeping these things in mind. I've had to take a few days off from exercising and have had to remind myself that it doesn't matter so much what I do this week, but rather the rest of the year.  I hope you all have a peaceful and merry Christmas!

Sleeping Beauty Was On To Something...

 

 

 

In this day and age, a proper night’s sleep is very hard to obtain. There are so many distractions that keep us awake way past sunset and our sleep schedules get skewy. However, not getting enough sleep doesn’t seem to be a huge concern as long as there is a big pot of hot coffee waiting for us in the morning.  We stay up to watch television, play on social media sites or socialize with friends. We oversleep, overeat and become lazy because we do not stop to rest. Our bodies are so dependent on chemicals and stimulants to get us through the day when simply unplugging earlier in the night and exercising in the morning could do the trick.

The Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep:

·         Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.

·         Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.

·         Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents

·         Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.

·         Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.

·         Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

Sleep is SO important to our bodies but it seldom is a priority- especially this time of year. Do yourself a favor and try going to bed between 9 and 10p.m for a few nights to see if you notice improvements in your memory, health and mood.  

 

Skinny Santa?!

With the holidays coming up, many people put their healthy lifestyles on hold. Temptation is just too much. Well, with these tips, you should be able to navigate through the holidays fairly smoothly without having to wear stretchy sweat pants everyday just to be comfortable.

1.      Don’t show up at a party empty handed. By offering to bring a side dish or and appetizer, you are given the opportunity to bring a healthy dish that not only you can enjoy, but that may spark interest in your friends and family. Many people don’t know just how yummy eating healthy foods can be, so why not take advantage of this situation! Plus, the host will most likely be so thankful for the help!

2.      Eat a light meal before you go. Heading to a party on an empty stomach could be dangerous. All the unhealthy foods and sweets could be too much temptation in your weakened state. However, if you eat a light meal chock full of veggies and lean proteins, by the time you get to the party you won’t be nearly as tempted. I prefer drink to a nutrient dense protein smoothie to help curb my appetite.

3.      Don’t completely deprive yourself of the festive foods! Enjoy some of the treats, but reign yourself in! Our nature is to over indulge. Get enough to taste and enjoy without have to “fill up.” You’ll enjoy the party more if you’re not constantly having to deny yourself, but can walk away guilt free if you stick to just one or two “cheats” rather than gorging 100%.

That’s it: 3 simple tips that could totally change the outcome of your holidays! Make sure to stay active and eat well. Let the festivities begin!!

In It For The Long Haul

     In my personal experience, staying motivated to be healthy in fit is not easy. Birthdays, holidays, Fridays and really just being awake are big triggers for me when it comes to unhealthy eating. And, as you probably could have guessed, the unhealthy eating results in me feeling sluggish so I definitely do NOT exercise.  So how do stay focused and disciplined with all of the stressors and temptations flying around you?

 

     I've heard a lot of people say the trick to staying on course is to make a lot of small goals. Micro sized. I'm talking "walk 15 mins, 3 days a week." From there, your goals will gradually get bigger, but never being more than one day at a time. For many, this system has proven effective, however, for me, it's my pot hole. I am a "big picture" kind of person, so when my goals are so small, I have a hard time celebrating and feeling victory over my progress. So I just don't even attempt to achieve it.

     For me, I have found the most effective form of motivation is competition, whether with myself or a group of people. I do not like to lose and that has proven to be my secret weapon for weight loss. Last year, I wasted 6 months going in circles with my weight because I just could not find any real desire to push myself. Sure, losing weight was what I wanted, but it was not enough to push me like I needed to be pushed. However, when I entered my first challenge group, a switch flipped- there was no way I was going to lose to ANYONE. I worked my butt off and won that first challenge. That was when I realized I was fueled by success and triumph.

     There's something about competing that keeps you accountable for your choices. I certainly did not want to be the one in the group who had not exercised and who was still sneaking fast food. I wanted to appear committed and driven and the only way to do that was to actually BE committed and driven with my workout schedules and clean eating. You can not fake physical progress.

     Everyone, I'm sure, is motivated by different things, but I am grateful to have found what works well for me. So whether its my birthday, the end of a long week or even if I'm just awake,  I am much more equipped to fight my temptations than when I first began this process.  Bring it on holiday season!

Knocked Down But Not Defeated

I realize that it has been a few weeks since my last post. Here is what has been going on:

1. I went to the state fair. One of my favorite events of the year- I love everything from the sketchy carnies to the questionable rides thrown up over night to the greasy, americanized food. That being said, I cheated in my eating WAY too much in that one day!

2. I got married! I am now officially married to my favorite person and am so thankful that we no longer have to say "goodnight" to each other.


3. I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and told that if I wanted to have kids I had to go on both medication AND hormones. Ouch.

That last event is what I wanted to focus this entry on. Ever since I was 12, I have had very irregular, painful periods. They were so irregular, that there were a few years that I have only had my period twice in the entire year. I have also always been a heavier girl. In elementary school, I was shopping in the plus sizes and by 8th grade, I already weighed 130/145 lbs. My weight was always a very sensitive subject for me since I have 2 brothers who are both naturally fit. I remember being told that it wasn't my fault, that I was just "big boned." But even as a child, I knew that to be a lie. I have very dainty, small bones- I currently wear a size 5 ring and even THAT is a little loose! So I knew it wasn't my bones. I just blamed it on drawing the short end of the stick in the gene pool. Even with being overweight, though, I never wore bigger than a size 8.

However, something supernatural happened in highschool- I began to shrink in size! That 8 shrunk to a 6 which in turn shrunk down further to a 4 and eventually a 2. These were the later years in highschool where all the smaller girls were developing hips and years of eating junk food were catching up to them. I felt confident, I felt attractive. But something was not right. As I mentioned in my first entry, I was later diagnosed with an anxiety disorder that was causing me to become sick and lose weight. There was nothing healthy about my body at that point, but for the first time in my life, I was not getting side ways glances when I went for seconds at dinner.
Let's jump ahead to the present day. Where after two weeks of wedding celebrations and honeymoon eating I was diagnosed with PCOS. PCOS is a homonal disorder in women which leads to irregular menstrual cyclces as well as insulin resistance. Just those two symtoms alone completely change my world.
When looked at deeper, the irregular menstrual cycles are caused because my hormones are so off balance that my eggs never come to maturity and don't shed in a timely manner. This is the root of my very painful, inconsistent periods. It also makes it very difficult for me to concieve or even be able to bring a pregnancy to full term without miscarriage. Talk about heavy news at the end of your honeymoon! I was crushed! I'm 22 years old and being told that, while it is not impossible for me to bear children, the odds are definitely not in my favor.
I also realized that my fight against the obesity in my life literally is and has been and uphill battle. Sure, my sedentary lifestyle did not set me up to combat the insulin resistance inside my body, but my weight is also not something that can be controlled with just small portions. My doctor was wonderful, and very clearly mapped out the foods I should be eating to fight against this, which I am happy to share if anyone needs guidance. But the realization of having to eat in this way (even though it was pretty much my normal diet anyway) because of a MEDICAL condition also hit me hard.
Now, I'm not one to play victim or feel sorry for myself, but with all of this news, I turned into the BIGGEST wimp. I cried and got angry. I rebelled and ate as many candy bars and desserts as I needed to comfort myself. I ate meals that consisted mostly of bread and pasta. I was digging myself in a hole of self pity.
I have not worked out and I have gained weight. And here is the worst part of 2 week tantrum: the hardest of symptoms caused by PCOS can be managed with diet, exercise, hormones and a metication for the insulin resistance. I don't HAVE to worry about obesity if I follow the workout routine and diet that I have BEEN following. I have a high chance of succuess in concieving AND bringing the child to full term if I take both of my medications. I just have to accept that this is my body. It is not perfect. But this is not a death sentence either. I can still live a very full, rich life with this disorder. I just have to keep up the work I have started.
As I stated in my last blog entry, I have worked very hard to rid myself of all medications. It was only 2.5 years ago that I was taking 4 daily medications. Being healthy and clean from all chemicals and hormones has been my greatest accomplishment and a source of tremedous pride in my hard work. That being said, being BACK on chemicals and hormones does not mean that I have failed or that I am weak. It simply means that I have chosen what is best for MY family; current and future. This was a very tough conclusion for me to come to, but the Lord is GOOD and He has great plans for life.

Not So Skinny Jeans

I have always loved food and hated exercise. It’s no surprise, then, that I was overweight as a child. Like many obese children, I suffered from depression and insecurity. When I was 15, I got my first job and poured everything I had into it. I had finally found the place whereI was validated and needed. I quickly became addicted to the affirmation I was receiving and completely dropped my social life in desperation for more affection from my employer. Before I was 17, I was certified to train employees on the job and was thus promoted to being the assistant manager. At that point in time, you had to be 18 to receive that position, and so one was created for me to be able to fulfill that role. My junior and senior year in high school, I was working 40 hours a week during the school year and 70 hours a week during the summer. I supervised and scheduled over 200 staff and signed every single one of their pay checks. I was fully affirmed.

During this time, however, I developed an illness. It started out irregularly, but by my senior year in high school, I could not keep food down at all. So, as my ego was building, my stomach was shrinking. I spent a lot of time my junior and senior year of high school at the doctor. I was poked and prodded and scanned and accused of making myself sick on purpose. When I graduated high school, I was offered the manager position at my job with a high starting salary. They even offered to pay for my undergrad degree. Knowing that I was not healthy where I was, I moved upstate for college. Not being able to hide behind my job was the WORST. I felt very exposed and unskilled. I began drinking heavily and partying to distract myself from the gaping hole I felt from not working my old job. I ate very unhealthy, drank a lot of alcohol, chain smoked cigarettes and never worked out.

That year I lost 25 pounds. The summer after my freshman year, I lost another 10 pounds and was at my all time lowest weight. I hadn’t weighed that much since middle school! Throwing up had become routine for me. It was that summer that I was told by a nutritionalist that my body was so out of balance and mal nourished that I was on the brink of a certifiable mental breakdown. That was also the summer that other doctors confirmed that I had an anxiety disorder that caused my nervous stomach. Everyone finally knew that I was not intentionally making myself sick. What a relief!

As happy as I was to know that my sickness was not in my head, there was also fear. I was finally skinny and attractive and confident with my body. I knew I could stand to gain a few pounds but was terrified that I would gain more than just a few. I was expecting 20 pounds at the most. Boy was I wrong. In just over 12 months after being prescribed powerful anxiety medication, I gained just under 70 pounds. In a YEAR I went from a size 2 to a size 16. This time the depression and insecurity came back stronger than ever and I quit my job and began nannying. Watching kids meant I could stay in yoga pants and oversized tshirts all day with very little contact with other adults. Turns out, I only needed contact with one. The lady I was working for was just getting set into her routine with Beachbody programs and Shakeology. In that year, I watched her go from a size 16 to a size 4/6 before my very eyes. For me, it was hard to justify a single mom who worked full time and came home to two kids finding time to exercise and live healthy while a 21 year old working part time with NO kids didn't. Teresa was my inspiration, my motivator and, throughout this process, my biggest supporter. With her encouragement, I got off of my 4 daily medications and began eating healthier and working out using the Beachbody home workouts. I am currently a size 8 (hoping to end at a 4/6) but I am the healthiest I have ever been. Because I am eating healthy foods and exercising, my anxiety disorder has all but disappeared. During this process I met my fiancé who I am marrying in 5 days and am back in the working world (only working a solid 39 hour week). This journey has been tough with many ups and downs, but I am thankful for every step of it and all that I have learned along the way.