21 Day Fix- Week 1- Oh Snap!

Oh snap! What have I gotten myself into?

For a perfectionist, starting something (anything) new is terrifying. In my mind, failure is not an option (although I’ve failed on plenty of adventures in my lifetime).

After I said yes to the program, I anxiously awaited my supplies. Keyword- anxious. This program seemed to be super hard core, what if I couldn’t do it? What if I spent the money and didn’t see any results? I was so anxious that I had a panic moment, I thought the group challenge had started and I didn’t have my supplies yet. Alas, the group had started their prep week, buying healthy groceries, reading through materials and so forth. Phew!

When my supplies arrived, I went from saying "oh snap" to an overwhelming feeling of dread. I was totally, unquestionably, overwhelmed.  Yet we all have to start somewhere...so that is what I did.

I started by reviewing the eating plan. Much to my delight, it is very similar to the Weight Watchers food guidelines. It directs you to veggies, fruits, proteins, (healthy) carbs, (healthy) fats, seeds and dressings. It provides information about oil and nut butters, beverage substitutions, (healthy) treats and goes over free foods and supplements.   

Where this program is really on point is the portion control. It provides color coded containers along with a formula for how many containers of each color you should eat based on your starting weight. This is clutch. It’s something my (former) Weight Watchers members struggled with, how much of each food group to eat.

My husband and I planned out our dinners for the week based on the program. I stocked up on plan friendly foods and what I really like is the direction toward the whole food (what some call green or clean eating). I needed this redirection. I had gotten off track, eating “high fiber” bars or snacks, most of which I couldn’t read all of the ingredients, as well as processed meals such as Lean Cuisines. I’m not knocking these when in a pinch, but it felt great knowing I was putting good fuel in my body.

Next I mapped out my exercise plan against all of my personal activities for the week. I knew there were nights when I wouldn’t be home. On those nights I had to prioritize my exercise earlier in the day. But no exerscuses! There is no reason why I can’t find 30 minutes in my day to take care of me.

After doing the first workout, Cardio Fix, and surrendering to the surrender move- I thought to myself, holy mother of #$$@@%! My husband asked me how it went and I answered “well, I didn’t die”- ha! I modified and I was very glad they had a gal in the front of the video showing the modifications. After having 2 stress fractures in the same foot in 2014/2015, I am being very careful with my exercise. I modified the entire first week and when I couldn’t do a video because my body was too sore, I listened to it and walked outside instead.

I’m proud to say I’ve completed my first week of the 21 Day Fix and I could not be happier with how I feel.

Click here to read about my 2^nd week. I was super skeptical about the Shakeology and boy was I surprised.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

What the ?!?

My (23 year old) daughter came home from work last week, glimpsed at the kitchen table and said “what the ?!? You’re *said in an accusatory tone* doing Beachbody?”  I went on to ask her what the big deal was, what she knew about Beachbody, and so forth. She replied “it goes against everything you stand for with Weight Watchers. Moderation. Not killing yourself with workouts. A program that is maintainable.”  And I thought to myself… very interesting, she’s actually been listening to me all of these years…

Over the past few years, several people have asked me to try a Beachbody program or to be a Beachbody coach. While I was curious, my initial response was the same as my daughter’s. Even the title of the program went against my grain “21 Day Fix”. You can’t fix a lifetime of behaviors or get to the root cause of the reasons a person is overweight in 21 days. I hate (and I don’t use that word often) quick fixes, fad diets, cleanses- empty and unrealistic marketing promises. My daughter was right; I have been a Weight Watchers lifetime member since 1997, losing and maintaining 40+ pounds twice. I’m currently maintaining my goal weight that I reached in 2012. I’m healthy, (mostly) happy with my physique and more importantly I’ve changed many, many behaviors. Small, slow, maintainable changes for life. So why even give Beachbody a second thought?

Last fall I met a Beachbody coach who really impressed me. She wasn’t the stereotypical Beachbody coach I had conjured up- an over the top fitness and health freak. She was a real hard working mama, balancing what we all do- work, home, family, other commitments and health- in no particular order. I admired her positive outlook and work ethic and month by month I watched her transform her mind and body.  It’s been amazing to watch her progress.

As my fellow Weight Watchers and friends know, I’ve been rather lost since I parted ways from being a Weight Watchers leader- after all, the program has been a HUGE part of how I’ve lived my life for 20 years. It’s worked for me; I love the practicality and adaptability of the program- it’s made for real life. I miss helping others reach their wellness goals, but what’s a girl to do?

I’ve been working hard to maintain. When you’ve struggled with being overweight since childhood, it’s an everyday battle requiring, patience, planning, persistence & consistence. I’ve stayed focused on living well, knowing it’s about more than the scale. Since I’m already at my goal, I’ve been working over the past year to transform my body. This has meant trying new things. In 2015 I took part in personal training sessions and learnt so much about how to human body works. So far in 2016, I’ve tried TRX and yoga. My mantra since 2010 has been to choose faith over fear. Staying true to my mantra, I agreed to give the 21 Day Fix a try *gasp*.

I was skeptical on many levels, about the intensity of the nutrition and workouts and especially about the protein shakes (I’m still scarred by my Slim Fast stint in the 80’s). Yet the timing was right. Coming off of a winter of being stuck inside due to my neuralgia, I was up a few pounds and not feeling as good as I wanted to. Instead of looking at the 21 Day Fix as a radical, impractical program, I decided to view it as a jump start to get back into my wellness routine. I signed up to be a part of a challenge group that started on May 9^th.

Of course I made the choice to blog about my journey and to keep it real.  Always keeping it real. I’m excited to share this journey with you, be it an epic failure or an epic success, we can learn from them both.

Click here to read about my 1^st week.  J

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Late Bloomer

This week I declared to my husband that I want to be in the best shape of my life for our upcoming trip to Hawaii in September. As you can imagine, he didn’t argue. We’ve been married for 21 years and one of the many things I love about my husband is not only that he goes along with, but supports my many whims.

Yet I feel I need to put a disclaimer out there because I’m not about to aim for the body I had when I was 18 (pre-children and gravity). I mean to be in the best physical shape of the mature body I currently have.

Now that my disclaimer is out of the way you might ask, why now? And I will ask, why not?

When I started to list the reasons why I can be and want to be in the best shape of my life, they made sense:

• I have the time. With one young and adult and one almost adult child, I have more time now to focus on me. They’re out and about spreading their wings, I should be too.
• I have the ability. I am healthy! I won’t get into my trigeminal neuralgia that's a whole other story…but overall, I am blessed with the gift of good health. Why not do more to take care of and ensure my longevity?
• I have the drive. Forgive me here a moment as I tell you that I like to exercise. I can feel your angry eyes on me and sense your huffy sighs. I love knowing that when I move my body I’m doing great things for my body, mind and soul.
• I have the knowledge. We live in an information driven society.  From Facebook, YouTube and  the World Wide Web to people I know who are in the wellness industry, my options are endless.

It’s amazing the people I meet who want to take better care of themselves, who have all of the above, who get stuck. And no, I’m not one to judge since I spent many of my adult years overweight. I think that it’s human nature to focus on the reasons why we can’t do something rather than the reasons why we can.

This week I encourage you to focus on what you can do to get well. Make a list, you’ll be surprised at what you’re capable of.

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of the noise in my own mind. Of the negative thoughts and self- doubts that clang about so loudly that they drown out my own possibility. It’s nonsense!

Every day we wake up and draw another breath is a day loaded with possibility!

I’m 44 years old and it’s my time to bloom. How about you?

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Rut Busters

Over the past few weeks several people have asked me what they can do to break through their weight loss plateaus- so guys and gals- this one’s for you.

The only thing more frustrating than a gain during the weight loss process is the scale being stuck at the same number week after week. I’ve experienced plateaus for weeks, even months and it is maddening! As a former Weight Watchers leader I saw members quit when the scale stopped moving in the right direction. It was the WORST to see people make such progress only to give up, and I totally get it.

Here are a few ways to bust through your rut when the going gets tough.

1- Read the labels. This may seem obvious…however…take a moment to look at more than the fat and calories in the foods you are eating. Food manufacturers are sneaky; they add sugar to low fat and non- fat products to make them taste better. Look for foods that are lower in sugar and higher in fiber. Look at the ingredients, if you can’t read or pronounce them, consider an alternative. The less processed the better. My daughter brought home some veggie chips the other day. They had just as much fat and calories as regular chips and had no added nutritional value, don’t be tricked by business.

2- Patrol your portions. Speaking of labels, are you paying attention to the recommended portion size? When was the last time you weighed or measured your food or beverage? I know, I know- weighing and measuring can be a drag- you don’t have to do it all the time but it’s good to check in every once in a while to see how you measure up (pun intended).  Sometimes those one cup portions slip to one and ½ cups. Those innocent little slips can add up throughout the day and you don’t even know you’re self-sabotaging. If you’re not weighing and measuring your portions, take a week to do so and be honest about how you’re doing.

3- Take a look at your liquid intake. For years I was a Coke drinker, a total waste of calories (but tasted so bubbly and refreshing-aaaah). I weaned myself off of the Coke to water; it took me almost a year. I’m glad I skipped over the diet soda routine. There’s a lot of research showing that the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks can trigger the same sugar craving in the brain that real sugar triggers. Do yourself a favor and ditch the diet drinks. If I can rehab my coke (a-cola) habit, you can too. How’s your water intake? Water’s not only good for our bodies; it’s a great filler too. I drink a bottle of water before social events so I don’t show up ravenous (I eat a healthy snack too). In the evenings if I’m still hungry I’ll drink a bottle of water first. Often I find I’m not hungry, I’m just bored, thirsty, stressed <fill in your blank here>.

4- Shake up your fitness routine. When is the last time you changed up your routine? A while back my husband and I realized we were doing the same 3 mile per hour walk in the evenings. Our bodies became accustomed to that activity.  We made a few changes to shake things up. When we walked the YMCA track, we did the stairs after a few laps. When we walked in the neighborhood, we did curb step ups. Walk for a little while and then turn and face the curb, step up and down for a minute and then continue walking. Sure, your neighbor might think you’re a lunatic, but it’s getting your heart rate up. Some people are reluctant to introduce strength training into their routines because it doesn’t burn as many calories as cardio. However, muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, so pick up a pair of weights and give it a go. Maybe start out by doing some basic strength training during TV commercials? Think about a new activity you can try this week and make sure it’s something you enjoy; you’ll be more inclined to stick with it.  

5- If you bite it, write it. If you drink it, ink it. I must give credit to a former Weight Watchers leader Ann Marie for that clever saying. How many times have you gotten to the end of the day and truly cannot remember what you ate or drank? It happens to me often. My mind is whirling with so many thoughts and “to do’s” I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast. Writing down what we eat and drink, either in paper form or an electronic tracker serves a few purposes. It forces us to take a hard look at what we’re consuming and provides insights into why we did or why we did not lose weight that week. It helps reinforce the good food choices we make while hopefully helping us to think twice about the less than wise choices. Please don’t use time as an excuse to tracking what you’re consuming; it only takes a few minutes a day. I really like to pre-track my entire day in the morning or the night before. When I pre-track I’m more inclined to stay on track and be intentional about my choices.

6- What’s your why? The weight loss journey is long and hard. Like baby fit hard. Like I’m so tired and frustrated I want to throw myself on the floor and have myself a little baby fit hard. Right? It’s important to re-evaluate when we are stuck. What is your why? Why did you start your weight loss journey to begin with? Has your goal changed? Is it even important to you anymore? Why? Does it need to be modified based on your current life circumstance? What will it look and feel like to reach your goal?

Wherever you are in your weight loss journey, I am begging you- DO NOT QUIT!!! You might be stuck but you are one step ahead of the person who quit.

You’ve got this! You are all that and a bag of veggies! This is your story to finish and the ending is going to be amazing!

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Because I Can

Today’s post is thanks in part to Whoopi Goldberg who helped me to view being active in a different way. Last week on The View, they were talking about smoking. Someone asked Whoopi why after smoking since her teen years she finally decided to quit. She went on to talk about a video of a young boy fighting the crippling and terminal illness of cystic fibrosis. She said (indirect quote) that in one part of the video he said he just wanted to be able to breathe again. That was Whoopi’s a-ha. It was then she realized she was abusing her lungs when some people would do anything to have healthy lungs.

Then came my a-ha. There is absolutely no reason why I cannot get my body moving for 30 (or more) minutes a day. No reason and no excuse.

For a long time, I had the definition of CAN on my desk, and then I gave the print to someone else.

Can- verb \kən, ˈkan also ˈken; dial ˈkin\

a:            to know how to 

b:            to be physically or mentally able to 

c:            to be permitted by conscience or feeling to 

d:            to be made possible or probable by circumstances to 

e:            to be inherently able or designed to 

I can move my body every single day. What a gift. I have a healthy brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, limbs. I can run, jump, lunge, walk, dance. I’m not wheel chair or bed bound. I have all of my working extremities. It’s time for me to get moving, because I can.

I’ve allowed the winter (being stuck inside) and a few injuries to distract me from my moving daily mission. I am active, but not every day. And (don’t tell anyone), I actually like to exercise. Yuck! I know!  

I think it probably comes from my worst year of trigeminal neuralgia when I was often bed bound. When you’re not able to move, even your head, it’s all you want to do. It also comes from the idea that movement= medicine. I feel better when I move more. That may seem logical but after a long day of work and other Mom/Wife/Friend/Volunteer activities, my fitness can come in last.  

I want to get back to viewing exercise as a choice not a chore. I want to get back to scheduling activity into my day as a non-negotiable appointment. I’m worth it and prolonging my life, that’s worth it too.

How about these reasons for moving more? Moving more:

• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely. 
• Reduces the risk of heart disease. 
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes. 
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
• Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer. 
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety
• Helps control weight. 
• Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints. 
• Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
• Promotes psychological well-being. 

Convinced yet? Here’s a picture of me climbing to the top of the Hole in the Rock in Arizona. I need to remember how wonderful that felt, to be healthy enough to give it a whirl. Disclaimer: I panicked half way up (I’m terrified of heights), froze like Spiderman glued to the rock, and slowly worked my way back down. It’s not a fail, it’s a win because I went for it and next time I’ll get a few steps closer to where I want to be. That’s the thing about goals, they can change depending on our circumstances and we need to be OK with it as long we we keep moving forward.

What will you do to move more this week?

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Lifelong Benefits of Moving More

Lighten Up

Last week marks a milestone for me, 5 years since I started on my wellness journey. I remember that time in my life so clearly, I was tired of myself, heck I was just plain tired. Tired of the starting and stopping. Tired of the trying and failing. Tired of the plateaus. Tired of my clothes not fitting. Tired of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. Tired of the limits I put on myself because of my weight. Tired of being tired. Shall I go on?

So I went back to Weight Watchers for what seemed like the millionth time. At the time I was feeling quite hopeless and I had absolutely no reason to believe I would succeed. Yet here I am, 40+ pounds down and maintaining. Truthfully sometimes I still can’t believe I’m here.

I had a great visual last week to remind me of how far I’ve come. I flew out to Arizona for some family fun in the sun and flying out I traveled by myself. I usually have my husband, who says he is my mule, to carry everything but this time I was on my own. Boy did I miss my mule. I had my purse, laptop bag and  suitcase. My suitcase weighed 42 pounds. I had such a hard time lugging that thing around. I had to schlep it in and out of the airport, on and off the shuttle bus, into and out of my trunk and up 3 flights of stairs in our rental home. Sheesh! It was killing my back and my knees. And then it occurred to me, that’s almost exactly how much weight I lost. How did I carry that around for so many years? No wonder I was tired.

It was a helpful reminder for my maintenance journey. Let’s face it, maintaining is hard. I’d argue it’s almost as hard as losing. Aren’t I a ray of sunshine? Making good choices day after day, being consistent and persistent- it’s just not easy when you love (and are addicted to) food.

As spring has (thankfully) emerged, we know that summer is lurking around the corner. And I don’t know about you but I went through many changes of season when my clothes seemed to shrink in my drawer. What the heck? There I was ready to spring into something fabulous and nothing fit. Not.A.Single.Thing. I don’t use the word hate much, but I hated that feeling. The feeling of shame  because I had to go up another plus size.  

Last weeks’ vacation reminded me of how good it feels to be well. That being well is a choice not a chore. It’s not something I have to do, it’s something I want to do. It was such a good feeling to pack my suitcase with clothes that I love that make me feel good. Of course it’s so much more than the clothes. It was an incredible feeling to be active with my family on vacation. My goal was to be outside and active every day- walking, biking, hiking a mountain, horseback riding- and I did just that. To have the energy to be an active Mom and wife, that’s something I always wanted.

My question to you is- what do you need to unpack from your suitcase to make room for a healthier you? 

If you want to start on or continue with your own wellness journey- what’s stopping you? 

This week I challenge you to take pen to paper and make an unpacking list-

• Take out fear and replace it with faith.
• Unpack your mistakes and replace them with lessons learned.
• Throw away your excuses and exchange them for plans.
• Take out struggling in silence and fill your bag with supportive friends.
• Unpack negative self-talk and replace it with an attitude of gratitude.  
• Throw away the impatience and exchange it for persistence.

Do whatever it takes to lighten your load, the destination is worth it.  

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Press On

For most people, last night would have been a stellar evening. I went out for my annual birthday bash with a group of dear friends. We laughed and carried on and had a blast. However with my neuralgia and the cold even the best of nights can come to a screeching halt. When our night came to a close I said my goodbyes, warmed up my car with my automatic starter, bundled up and headed out. In the time it took for me to walk to my car the pain started and before long it felt like knives were jabbing my eye socket. The 45 minute drive home seemed twice as long, the headlights painfully bright. Fast forward to today, I’m medicated and pressing on. Making my way through my work day and Mom duties the best I can while resting in between.

It’s funny how God’s messages are so timely, it’s like He knows our lives or something?  

At our weight loss group this week we talked about how to stay on track with our wellness routines during tough times. And today I find myself struggling with my eating, wanting to soothe my pain with food and go back to bed until it all goes away. Yet we just can’t do that. We can’t pull the covers over our head and hide because we’ve got this life to live. We’ve got responsibilities, commitments, relationships, plans, goals, dreams…we have to keep on keeping on.

Why is it that when life gets hard one of the first things we sacrifice is our own wellness? It seems kind of counterproductive. When everything around us seems to be spinning out of control, we have the ability to breathe, to slow down, to refocus and take control of our wellness and maybe, just maybe it’s the only thing we WILL be able to control for a time.  This kind of focus in the middle of the whirlwind takes more than fortitude, it takes planning, patience, persistence and a positive outlook- I like to call it the four P’s.

Planning: There’s comfort in having a plan, in having control of something when everything is falling apart. Many people believe that planning takes time that they just don’t have when in reality planning is a time saver. It’s important to make time for our wellness. Notice I didn’t say take the time, I said make the time. Examine your day, and find a way to begin to build healthy routines into your day. Take five minutes the night before to plan out your eating for the next day or take 15 minutes to prep your food for the next day. Spend some time over the weekend grocery shopping and preparing meals for the week. I know that some of you reading this are thinking “Tara do you EVEN know my life? I’m just too busy!!! I have not a moment to spare in my day.” And to that I will ask you to re-examine how you are spending your time and to think about what you can let go of that’s less important than taking care of your health. Schedule in your fitness plans as non-negotiable appointments. What’s more important than taking care of you so that you can then help others?

Patience: This is a funny one because as my husband knows I’m one of the most impatient people we know. Impatient with myself, others…Yet I’ve learned that being well is a long term and full time gig. We will be faced with many challenges that are temporary. In the moment they may seem like they are going to last forever. They will try our mettle and be the bane of our existence. They will exhaust and test us. They will take every last ounce of energy we have. Financial strains, marital issues, work challenges, health woes, death, divorce, parenting our children, parenting our parents- doing for and caring for everyone but ourselves. To this I say hang in there baby. Kick, scream, battle, do whatever it takes to survive. Do your best to remember that this too shall pass. Accept and acknowledge the slow down while doing whatever you can when you can to take care of you.

Persistence: While you’re kicking, screaming and battling your way through, remember this- sometimes the challenging circumstance has moved on and we have not. We’re so mired in the woefulness that we don’t even remember to come up for air and re-evaluate; to truly take a look at where we are and what needs to be done. Sometimes we use life challenges as excuses to not take care of ourselves.  Don’t we all know that one person who seems to always have something going on in their lives? Drama and chaos follows them around like a shadow and while some of it is real, some is also self-induced because if they continue to focus on others they won’t have to take a hard look at themselves. I know- I’ve been there.

Persistence isn’t about doing it just right, it’s about doing IT, doing something, ANYTHING to move forward. It’s about accepting the circumstance that we’re in and making the best of them. Making one decision that we have control over and taking actions based on that decision.

A positive outlook: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right."- Henry Ford. The brain believes what you tell it. The brain has a hard time differentiating between perception and reality. So fake it until you make it honey. You really can think yourself into being well. Words spoken and unspoken are so powerful. Being positive has been extremely important in learning to manage my chronic pain. Pay close attention to the story you’re writing in your mind. Whatever story you write will come true, you control the ending.

Use these four P’s to press on wellness warrior. You’ve already got what it takes to reach your goals. God knows your heart and He’s prepared you for this moment in time. Know and believe that He’s equipped you for the task at hand.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara