Are You Eating for Your Health?

So another week has passed.  This was a big one for me.  I accomplished another goal I had set for myself.  I told myself back in April that I would finish the Insanity workout and I did, then when I started Focus T25 in July I made a promise to myself I would finish, and I did...today.  Today was the final workout.  I feel so proud of myself.  For years I would jump into a weight loss effort with both feet only to peter out after a short time.  When I started my journey toward better health back in March, I knew I had to go about things differently than I did in the past.  I had to look at this journey as a lifestyle change, not as a short term diet.  I have a family health history that I needed to overcome.  I knew it was going to take some effort on my part.  I needed to put my effort into getting up every-damn-day and working out, I needed to put more effort into planning and preparing food, and I needed to put the effort into defeating the naysayers.  Those naysayers come in all forms, family, friends, and occasionally, even myself. 

I've been contemplating what it was that was different about me this time.  And I have come up with some answers.  Number one, with Team Beachbody I have a built in support group.  My coach and even people I don't know are cheering me on.  I often wish that others could see my facebook wall.  I am friends with and follow so many positive people.  It is full of motivation and inspiring stories.  I feel blessed to be involved with Team Beachbody.  Number two, since I became a coach with Team Beachbody, I feel that I am being held accountable to reach my goals and prove that it can be done.  I know people are watching.  Most are watching and cheering me on, I'm sure there are some that are waiting for me to fail, but that is life.  I am choosing to pay attention to the positive people.  Number three, and possibly most important, my eating has changed.  You can't out exercise a bad diet.  I'm making informed choices about the food I am putting on the table for my family and me. 

I've come to realize over the past seven months that the food I had been preparing for my family the past 25 years was not the healthiest.  I am embarrassed to admit it was not uncommon for my kids to have a meal of chicken strips, tator tots, and a vegetable when they were young (I thought I was making it healthy by adding the veggies).  Of course whatever was leftover was popped into my mouth while I did the dishes.  I spent years buying processed foods, adding a salad or vegetable and thinking I was giving my family a well balanced meal. As a matter of fact, when my 3 year old daughter got a Barbie Jeep for Christmas, she drove it right up to a bush (her version of a drive-thru window), leaned her head out and yelled to the bush, "I'll take a cheeseburger and fries."  That should have hit home, way back then and there, but it didn't.  So today when I saw the coolest Chipotle ad, it really hit home to me how much I have changed what we are eating at our house, and even when we eat out at restaurants.  The pictures in this blog are from the ad you can here. 

 

Since April, I have been making every effort to make sure we are eating foods that are minimally processed.  It requires a bit more thought, planning, and prep time from me, but it has been so worth it.  I try to buy meat without added hormones, and non GMO foods.  We are eating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and making every effort to have five or six small meals a day.  For instance, my son was told in early spring of this year, that if he wanted to play varsity football, he would have to put on 30 lbs.  Otherwise, he would not be big enough.  So we went to work.  He worked out and lifted weights daily in the off season, and I fixed up his diet.  



My son, number 11



Fortunately, I had already been implementing the cleaner eating lifestyle into our family, or he would have just gained that weight as fat (by eating fast food).  He gained the weight as he was asked, he gained 30 lbs and is solid and strong.  And he earned a starting position on varsity.  He did it on his own, but I like to think I had a small role in that, by providing him with healthy choices.  I wish I had been a good role model living a fit and healthy lifestyle for his whole life, but there is no going backwards.  We just build from where we are.  From here on out, I purchase the healthy food, I prepare the healthy food, and we all eat the healthy food.  Along with exercising daily, eating right will prepare us all to live a long healthy life.

It's Just Too Easy For Me...Unfortunately

So, I had one of those weeks.  I got overwhelmed with life and I missed my workouts for two days.  I know now that really was the catalyst.  The not working out.  I missed my workout on Thursday because I stayed up too late on Wednesday, so the alarm clock was ringing at 4:30 am it was just too much, plus it has been oppressively hot here lately.  The temperature is not so high, but lots of humidity.  Anyway, when it is already 80 degrees outside at 4:30 am, I know my garage (workout room) has not cooled off during the night.  So I just hit snooze and went back to sleep.  Well, when Friday came around and I did the same thing, and that is when all the negative self talk started.  And truly it is an easy habit I fall into.  Not sure where it came from, but I've done it for years.  When I was younger, it was not as defeating, but over time I have become especially good at it.  That voice in my head telling me I'm too fat, not smart enough, too loud, not pretty enough, not rich enough, I'll never make it, I always fall short.  At my age now, I'm really good at finding specific flaws, my hair is too thin, thighs are too thick, too many wrinkles, I'm too this or not enough that.  I would NEVER speak to anyone the way I talk to myself.  And why do I do that??  Where did I learn that??  I guess those are questions for a therapist.  I just know that it has to change.  It has never helped me get out of a slump, so it just needs to STOP!

 

The good thing is that this time, I realized what I was doing pretty quickly.  I'm actually very happy about that.  For the past thirty-odd years, I would have let this moment defeat me.  I would have slid backwards and let it get the better of me.  Not only putting me in a slight depression, but I would have slowly (or quickly) gained back the weight I've lost and probably added a few more.  This time was different, not only because I recognized it starting, but I also gave it a name and talked about it.  I realized what it could do to me and what triggered it.  The truth is when I stopped exercising, that is when my mind freaked out.  I believe that is because I was now missing out on the natural high that exercise provides.  There are all sorts of articles I've read that talk about exercise causing the release of endorphins, like this excerpt from WebMD:
Improved self-esteem is a key psychological benefit of regular physical activity. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain (physical and emotional).

So I think that catching it early, realizing the negativity for what it is, and then working to solve the problem instead of criticizing myself for my mistakes, should help me overcome those negative feelings.  I've also decided to give myself permission to slip up occasionally, I am human after all.  Is life really worth living without an occasional piece of cake?  I think not!  I am learning that even though my workouts are tough and I'm not very fond of them while I'm in the sweaty middle of it all, they do help me to keep a positive outlook on the outside world and where I fit into it all.  Life is not always smooth sailing, and honestly I'm sure any sailor will tell you that sailing is a lot of hard work (even though they enjoy it).  When I started my weight loss and fitness journey back it April, I knew it was going to be a lifestyle change for me this time.  It was not going to be something that I just did for a short time and then stopped once I got to my goal weight.  I just never realized back then, that my body would NEED to workout to keep my brain on an even keel.  (sheesh! you'd think I was a sailor over here with all my references!!)  I have always drawn the line from eating well and how I felt, compared to eating junk and paying for it for days!  It is good to know that my body has accepted this new way of life and will "encourage" me to keep up with my fitness too, as long as I pay attention to what it is telling me.

 

Lastly, I want to reference this last picture.  A few years ago I read the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.  If you haven't read it, I recommend it.  It talks about the power of attraction.  The book said whatever you think about, you bring to your life.  So for instance, if I constantly thought about how fat and worthless I was, I would bring things into my life that would prove that to be true.  Have you ever noticed when something goes wrong and you get upset, then it is like everything that can go wrong does?  Well the same is true if you are feeling confident and grateful for all you have in your life, then you bring more good into your life.  I'm over simplifying it, but I'm sure you get the point.  The reason I am bringing it up is that I really noticed this week, how I was letting my negative thoughts about myself, control how I was feeling.  I need to be more mindful about keeping a positive attitude so that I bring more positivity into my life.  Who doesn't need a little more positivity??

Struggles, stress, and how NOT to deal with them

What a week this has been.  And truly it was only half the week that was difficult, even though it felt like an entire month.  I have done well over the entire week with my workouts.  They were definitely needed to release stress and get me started on the right foot each day.  I actually increased my dumbbell weights this week again too.  When I started the weight portion of my workout, I started with 5 pound dumbbells.  The week before last I moved up to 8 pounds and this past week I increased up to 10 pound dumbbells.  It is amazing what a struggle that is to lift when you have to do it so slowly and when you are combining it with intense cardio.  I saw a big difference in my measurements this week though, so it was totally worth it!!  I think I will stay at 10 pound though for a while.  I really don't want to get big, I want to lean out.  I know the key to that is having more muscle though.

So, this is what created added stress and struggles this week.  School started on Wednesday.  Wow, just saying that, I can't believe it was only three days ago!!  We've been on a schedule this summer because of the many football practices so it really wasn't because we had to be up early.  I'm not sure what it was that started it, but we have all been on the edge.  Having a teenage son who has his own set of priorities has not really helped the situation.  He can't remember to do half of the things we tell him to do.  His mind is all about football and girls right now.  My hubby and I have had a hard time just staying on the same page about anything too.  A big problem that started on Wednesday is that we both want to get our workouts done in the morning before work.  This would be fine if we were doing the same workout, but we are not.  He is on his second round of Insanity where many of the workouts are an hour or hour and a half long.  In the summer, while I was off from work it wasn't a problem because I would just wait until he left for work.  Now he is trying to get up early enough and get his done so that I will have time to get in my workout before I have to get ready.  I've had to bump mine back about a half an hour so he doesn't have to start so early, but that means I'm still sweating even after my shower.  That kinda turns me into a crankypants.  Mornings have not been fun around here lately.

It isn't just school that caused all the ruckus this week.  My eating has not been on point either.  I started the week with an amazingly large and delicious chorizo breakfast burrito from Nick's Deli in Los Alamitos.  If you've never had one, you are missing out!  Seriously.  Anyway, I would have been fine if I had stopped there, but nope.  I ended up eating out with my hubby too.  I ordered a delicious tri tip salad from Madera's in Los Alamitos.  Again, if you've never been there, put it on your list.  I've never had a bad meal there, I take that back, I have only ever had amazing meals, great service and if you go on a Friday or Saturday night you get live music too!  So, still not too bad right?  I don't think so either, but then Wednesday night came around.  That was the day school started, remember?  Well I also had to go in to my doctor for a blood test and ultrasound on my thyroid.  So the blood test means fasting...  First day of school, no food all day, so when the hubby asks if I'd like to go to El Torito for dinner with his boss, well yes!  Yes, I would.  I'M STARVING!  Not a good idea, but I did it.  Table side guacamole?  Yes please.  Refill on your chips?  Yes, please.  Another beer?  No, thank you (at least I had a little sense in my head).  So fast forward to the next day, snacking out of control, pickles, cheese, veggie straws.  Then Friday comes around and my body is completely angry at me.  I ended up Friday afternoon in bed at 4:30 lying in the fetal position practically crying.  I had stomach cramps that felt like labor pains!  I won't go into too much detail, but after the offending items left my body I was finally able to go to sleep, after 4 hours of cramps.  I have learned my lesson.  My body prefers healthy food in much smaller quantities!  I will be more thoughtful about my choices in the future.
So, yes, this week has been a trial and really I think it is all due to not being on a schedule that we are used to.  I struggle with making good choices when I haven't planned properly, I struggle with appropriate responses when I am dealing with stress and I'm tired and hungry.  So the answer is to have a routine.  I will be planning out my schedule not only for work and working out, but also for healthy meals and snacks.  Here's to a new, better organized, start next week.

Just Show Up and Push Play

So I was reading my friend Marci's blog where she was talking about the importance of showing up and she inspired me to think about how I have been applying that to my own life.  It is a relatively new concept for me at this time in my life.  If you would have asked my mom what my nick name was while I was growing up, she would have told you they called me "Katie Go."  If anyone was going anywhere, I wanted to go.   For example, at five, my mom had a guest over who talked about how cute I was and that I should pack a bag so I could go home with her.  Well, I did.  I got a brown paper bag (she did say to pack a bag after all) from the kitchen and I was packed and ready to go when she was leaving.  Now the disappointment I felt about finding out she was just being nice and I was not really invited to go, well, that is for another time, or maybe even therapy. ;)  But anyway, my point is, I used to get out there.  I showed up for anything I could, and I loved it.  Somewhere along the way, I quit showing up.  I'm not sure if it was because I started gaining weight, so I quit showing up, or if because I quit showing up, I started gaining weight.  Hmmm, that is something to think about.  Sounds like a chicken or the egg type of discussion.

 

So, I'm sure you're wondering how does this actually apply in my life now?  Well, let me tell you.  My new healthier way of life involves exercising.  Since I prefer working out in the privacy of my home, so I started doing home exercise DVDs back in April.  April 1st to be exact.  It was a Monday, it was the first day of the month, it was actually a dieter's dream start date!  Anyway, I will in no way ever say that I am an expert, or that I have all the answers, but what I do know is that every day (since April 1st) I showed up!  How??  I have followed the workout plan that came with my DVDs and PUSHED PLAY!  It didn't matter if I didn't feel like it, if I was tired, if I was sore, if I had something else I wanted to do, I still went into my workout room (my garage), put the DVD in the player and pushed play.  There are days where I nailed my workout and I know it has made a difference, but there are days where if I look at it honestly, I mailed it in.  But you know what?  I still did it.  And it made a difference too.  I did more than I would have done by staying in bed or laying on the couch watching TV!

 

I think it is funny that it took me until I turned 45 to realize that I really did need to eat right and exercise if I was going to make lasting changes in my health and in my figure.  I have been told that my whole life, but I always searched for the easy way, or the quick fix instead.  Unfortunately, none of those were lasting.  What I actually had to do was Show Up (in my garage) and Push Play.  It has taught me that I CAN do it, and I am capable of making lasting changes in my life. 

 

It is now my goal to bring along as many people as I can with me on this journey.  I feel so much better, not only physically, but emotionally as well.  Everyone deserves to feel this way!  I'm ready to start Showing Up again at social events and not feel like I have to hide.  I'm through with worrying about what other people might be thinking about me.  I do know this change didn't happen overnight, and not even after the first month of working out steadily.  But I do know that working out does make you a happier person.  I don't know all the science, but it is something about releasing endorphins and some other mumbo jumbo like that.  What I have learned is that I like SHOWING UP and I really do like my results from PUSHING PLAY. 

 

So here is the deal.  Maybe home workouts are not your cup of tea, maybe you love the gym, or the track, or the pool.  What ever it is, it really doesn't matter, you just need to SHOW UP!  Do YOUR best, and each time you go, your best will get a little bit better.  All those small improvements will add up to big changes in your health - body and soul.

 

Getting my Priorities in Order

Priorities are important.  We all have them.  What do you have in your list of priorities?  I like this image, as it lists lots of different priorities, but they are all jumbled, so you really don't know what is most important.  I guess that is because they are different to everyone.  That is what makes the world go round.  My priorities have changed over time.  Obviously my priorities as a young girl, a single college girl, even a new mom, are a lot different from what they are now.  We are all a work in progress.  I just want my progress to be going in the direction that will most benefit me, my family, my friends, and my business.  
So this has been a stressful week caused by a phone call from the breast imaging center.  I realize that this is their job, but when they call you out of the blue and in a nonchalant voice say that the radiologist would like you to come back in to the office to re-do your mammogram... and he'd like you to have an ultrasound too, well, it is hard to hold it together.  Especially when I'm still trying to wrap my head around the passing of my mom to cancer in May.  On top of it all, I knew my husband was going to be out of town when I had my appointment.  I was trying to be strong, but, oh the thoughts that have been flying through my head.  All the negotiations with God, the wondering if it even mattered that I have been working on getting fit and eating better, even wondering about what I would look like without hair.  I can't even go into the thoughts I had about my husband and children.  The good news is that after the second mammogram the radiologist said that everything was clear and I didn't need to have the ultrasound.  He said something about how they compare them as a mirror image and there was some sort of asymmetry.  Ha!  I could have told him they were asymmetrical!  You don't need a mammogram for that, just a set of eyeballs!!  Anyway, I've come out of this experience with a new found vision for what I want my future to look like.

Back in April I went to a short training that talked about Franklin Covey's productivity quadrant.  This past week really brought that back to the front of my brain.  So I learned that I need to be spending most of my time in quadrant II.  And I want to get out of my habit of spending time in quadrant IV!  Now for me though, I feel that spending time with my family is a pleasant activity, however, I would place it in II, because I want to build memories and raise my children in a responsible way.  I've come to realize that while it is important to have a job, and be productive and successful at work, it is far more important that I take time to let my family know they are valuable and important to me.  Sure, I can tell them all the time, but how do you really show that something is important to you??  You give it your time.  That is it.  Simple as that.  So, I have placed my family at the very top of my priorities.


Finally, here is the deal for me.  I am going to spend more time with my family, I am going to take care of myself, so I can spend more time with my family.  I will be working on my Beachbody coaching business so I will eventually be able to work from home and spend more time with my family.  Are you seeing a pattern here??  These things are priorities for me.  They are not an option.  I am focusing on what is important to me.  Life has a way of throwing things at you and it is how you deal with them that matters.  I've realized after this week of stress, that I handled it the best I could at the time, but from now on I will be facing life with a positive attitude and making sure that my friends and family know that I love and care about them.  I will be working hard to improve my health and the health of those I care about.  We only have this one life to live and I want to look back on mine and know that I focused on what mattered. I will look back and know I lived my best life for me and for everyone that matters to me.

Consistency = Success

Consistency... that is the name of the game isn't it?  When I look back on my life to times where I have been successful the key ingredient has been consistency.  When I really wanted to be a flag girl back in Jr. High, I brought home that practice flag and practiced the routine until I could do it in my sleep.  And oh, boy, when I wanted to be a cheerleader in high school you could find me on my front yard lawn practicing the routine in front of the big plate glass window.  It was like the giant mirrors that were on the wall in the girls' gym.  And the same goes for my school work, jobs, and hobbies.  If you consistently put in the time, success usually follows close behind. 
So, how do you make that consistency happen?  That is the hard part, right?  While I can look back and see the successful results of consistency in my life, I can also see the poor results from times where I was not consistent.  Those times are not looked upon very fondly.  I can't even count the number of exercise programs I have tried, let alone the number of diets. (eek!)  That is so embarrassing!  So what was the problem?  Why couldn't I hang on?  Why didn't I EVER make it to my goal?  It is simple really, I was looking at all of these things as temporary fixes.  A diet I would only have to be on for a short time, and then I would be able to go back to my life and live.  I had to look at them that way, they were so restrictive!  No one should have to live without ever getting a dessert, or a piece of bread with butter!  Enjoyment is what life is all about.  We should enjoy relationships, food, exercise, and what we do for a living. 
Here is the deal, once I realized that I needed to make PERMANENT changes in my lifestyle, was when I realized that these changes needed to be something I could live with forever without feeling deprived.  I started by changing my nutrition, and Shakeology has become a big part of that.  I consistently have one shake a day and it delivers a full day's nutrition to me in the one glass.  Once I was doing that, I started eating better, it was easy since the Shakeology took away my cravings!  Then I was ready to add in regular exercise.  The first program I chose was Insanity.  I opted for such an intense program because I knew I needed to make some big changes in my life.  It was hard on this overweight 45 year old mother of two teenagers!  But I knew that consistency was the key.  Even when I felt like I couldn't give it my all, I still got by butt up and out of bed every morning.  I pushed play and gave it whatever I had available to give.  It wasn't always pretty, but it was DONE.  I can't tell you the sense of accomplishment I felt when I completed that program.  It was the very first exercise program I have ever completed.  And I succeeded in doing that by consistently pushing play on my DVD player.  So here I am at the end of my first month of my second exercise program (Focus T25), and I have not missed a single day of exercising.  I will achieve success with T25 as well, because I do it consistently.  You can too.  I can help you.  You see, that is the part I didn't mention.  It is helpful to have accountability.  My Beachbody coach has been there with me all along.  Supporting me, cheering for me, and really just being there expecting me to do my best... so I did.  Hmmm, accountability, that sounds like another blog topic...

Katie Armstrong's Fitness Bunker

So I'm sure you are all wondering two things...
1.  What's with the name?
2.  How long is she going to last blogging this time?

Well, the first question I can easily answer.  Since the last time I was on here and writing regularly, I have taken on a new business venture.  The best part about it is that I get to work on my health while I am working the business.   This business is Team Beachbody and my website has my screen name in it.  (www.beachbodycoach.com/ktarmywife)  I have been trying to tie everything together with an army theme, so therefore we have the Fitness Bunker.  Bunker is defined as: a defensive military fortification designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks.  Now while I'm pretty sure we will not be in any position to have bombs falling on us, I do feel that when we are trying to make healthy food choices and exercise regularly, we sometimes feel we are under attack from the outside world.  We are "assaulted" by a barrage of ads on television that encourage us to eat giant greasy burgers and wash it down with chemical laden sodas.  We all have friends or family that occasionally sabotage our efforts as well.  So the Fitness Bunker is here to be a place to take refuge, a place to get encouragement and motivation to start or carry on with your fitness goals.  Ask any fitness or weight loss questions, I will do my best to answer them, if I don't know the answer, we will learn together.  This is a lifelong journey after all. 
As far as question number 2, well, I'm going to do the best I can.  I previously tried to write everyday.  Obviously this busy wife and mom could not keep that up!  My plan is to write at least once a week.  I do find that in my "battle" against obesity, there are plenty of roadblocks and assaults from unforeseen enemies that pop up, so I will have plenty to write about.  

Back Again (Hopefully)

Wow, I haven't been on here in such a long time.  I wandered back here without the thought of blogging today, but when I noticed the blogger logo on my gmail screen, I thought I should take a look. I only had 4 posts in all of 2012.  That is crazy!  I re-read several of my old posts and noticed I have had so many changes in my life in the past year.  I had practically forgotten that my husband was slated to deploy to Afghanistan.  That didn't end up happening, between Obama calling for the draw back and the state of California's finances, plans changed, thank God.  I survived my daughter's senior year of volleyball.  My girl graduated and has also gone away to college.  The house is empty without her here.  She is doing great, but I'll save all the bragging for another blog. :) 
The best news for this school year for me is that I was able to get a placement in a different classroom.  I was so burnt out working in the autism program.  I love where I work now and I love the staff I work with!  I don't even miss that old classroom at all, not even a little bit!  On top of this great placement, my principal offered me a job after school teaching math intervention to second and third graders.  It is so great!  I'm actually using my credential too!  I just had to renew it to keep myself legal.  Feels good to actually be in charge of childrens' learning again.  I'm actually hoping it turns into a full time job.  We will see.
I hope I can continue to do this blogging, I think I will set more reasonable goals for myself.  Maybe I will shoot for once a week, or maybe even once a month! Ha! (probably more attainable for me!)