Maintenance Mode

So I just realized it has been close to 3 months since I wrote a blog post. Oopsie! I am still here plugging away. I have been in "maintenance mode" a little bit for the past few months. Not going gung ho but also determined not to gain weight. I am exactly where I was 3 months ago, so I feel good about that. I still have 10-15 lbs to lose, so I'm back at it this week.

I got to thinking about what it was I was doing differently when I was in "gung ho mode" vs. maintenance mode. Here are some examples:

Gung Ho Mode:
Diligently tracking my calories down to the last bite
Working out 6 days/week
Drinking at least 80 oz. water/day

Maintenace Mode:
Not eating like a total pig
Working out 3-4 times/week
Drinking water when I can

Sometimes one needs to go into maintenance mode even just for a week or 2 to keep from going insane. Losing weight is tough and it's mentally and physically draining. Taking a step back can be a good thing. As long as your maintenance mode is just a brief break and doesn't equal a binge session and turning into a total couch potato. That's just falling off the wagon.

I feel like after years of yo-yo dieting, I finally have it figured out. I know how to just live a normal life while also being conscious of my weight and my health. THAT is the result that I really wanted. I wanted to be able to change my lifestyle to where I can live like this forever and not worry about gaining the weight back.

I will try harder to keep this blog updated more often. :)

Have a Happy Halloween everyone and remember.....Halloween candy is for KIDS! Stay away! Seriously...back away slowly.

My Journey Is Not Without Failure

I have posted a lot of advice and about my success with weight loss, but I haven't really touched on my many failures and slip-ups throughout my journey. I'm all about keeping it real. I am far from perfect and have made many mistakes. It's called a journey for a reason. I've hit potholes, slowdowns and have completely gone off course. Fortunately, there is a lot to be learned from your failures.

One of my biggest mistakes is late night snacking. Nothing will slow down weight loss faster than eating sweets at night and I am an offender. I know I should eat low carb if I eat at night, but I can't help myself. In the past I have made a plan of action for those times when I MUST have sweets. Sugar free pudding, fruit with fat free cool whip, apples and peanut butter are all things that satisfy my sweet tooth but don't totally blow my progress. So why do I sometimes still go for the blizzard or cookies? Because I'm human!! I am trying to limit my late night slip-ups to just 1 or 2 nights per week.

Another mistake I made is letting myself go during the holidays. I gained weight last December and it was very discouraging. Sure it was only a few pounds, but I quit working out and lost a lot of my muscle tone. Why? I asked myself that in January and didn't really have an answer. I guess it's because I was super busy and there were so many family get-togethers with amazing food and cookies.....oh the cookies. I am going to come up with a plan of action this holiday season. I'm not sure what it will be yet and I'll be sure to share it all with you when the time comes.

My biggest epic failure throughout my journey is those days when I tried to guess how many calories I was eating because I didn't feel like tracking everything. Boy, am I a horrible estimator. Breakfast and lunch aren't too bad because I eat pretty much the same things for those 2 meals. Dinner is trickier and so are snacks. Bottom line is I was eating about 25% more calories than I thought I was. Oops! There are still occasional days that I don't get on myfitnesspal and track like I should, but I'm doing much better now.

I've made many more mistakes that I won't get into right now. I don't hate myself for them and I don't consider myself a failure. I learn from every mistake I make. If I'm heading off course I do a u-turn and get myself back where I need to be. If I have a super high calorie day, I don't just throw in the towel and forget the whole thing. I forgive myself and get back at it the next day. Stay true to yourself and always remember why you started your journey in the first place. Just because you mess up and aren't always perfect doesn't mean you aren't worth it. You are!

My New Endeavor

I'm only going to post about this once because I don't want to be annoying about it, but I'm so excited about it that I feel like I would be doing a disservice to not share it with you.

Back in May I went to a Freezer Meal Workshop for Wildtree, a company that sells all natural and organic spices, rubs, oils, bread mixes, etc. Basically you pay for the spices and oils (the "bundle") and then you bring the proteins and veggies already prepped in freezer bags and then assemble everything at the workshop. The total cost is around $120-$140 depending on what proteins you buy and it comes to about $2/service, which is cheaper than fast food and WAY healthier and much tastier. You leave with 10-20 meals that you freeze and then pull out on a busy night. I'm talking really good meals like Lemon Rosemary Pork Tenderloin, Italian Meatloaf, Chipotle Lime Fajitas, Honey Balsamic Chicken and much, much more. The first night I made something we were just blown away. Every single thing we had from that workshop was amazing. Like, way better than the way I had been cooking before. The great thing is that it was all super healthy and I felt good about feeding it to my family. I forgot to mention that you leave with at least half of the spices and oils to cook with for future meals. You can go to the Wildtree website and click on recipes and type in the product you want to use and find many recipes. Very cool! The oil are grapeseed oil, which has half the saturated fat of olive oil and it can be cooked at a high temperature and it doesn't burn off like other oils. It comes in many flavors, like basil pesto, zesty lemon and hickory bacon. (Yes, bacon! And it's healthy!)

I loved it so much that I decided to become a representative. These products are helping me stay on track with my healthy eating and I want to share it with the world. This stuff is awesome! I have my first workshop on August 6th and I am so excited!

If you would be interested in hosting a workshop or would like to come to one of the monthly workshops I'm going to be hosting, you can reach me at kacibeatty@hotmail.com or you can message me on my Peace, Love and Healthiness Facebook page here. If you just want to look at my website to see what it's all about or you would like to order something, you can check that out here. I should mention that if you host your own workshop, there are very good hostess rewards. I'm talking free stuff, people! :)

A Typical Day of Eating For Me

I've been asked on several occasions to write a blog about what I eat. I've shared with you some of the products I love from Aldi, but I haven't done a post that lists out what I eat on a daily basis.

BREAKFAST:
Typically I will have a whole wheat English Muffin with a little bit of natural peanut butter and some Simply Fruit natural blackberry spread. I will add some kind of fruit, usually an apple. It comes to just under 300 calories. If I am just coming home the gym and I want to add more protein, I will make 2 eggs, whole wheat toast with Smart Balance butter and an apple. I used to not be much of a breakfast person. I'd have something quick like a protein bar or something, but I found that I overeat more later in the day if I don't have a good breakfast.

LUNCH:
Lunch for me involves lots of veggies. I will usually make a wrap (I LOVE the Ole Extreme Wellness tortillas that are high fiber and low carb) with a little turkey, spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and mustard. I'll have hummus and carrots with it or hummus and pita chips. If I don't have something along those lines, it's usually just leftovers from last night's dinner.

DINNER:
We have a lot of variety with our dinners because I don't want any of us to get bored. I do follow the same formula though when it comes to dinner: lean protein + grain + vegetable. Lean proteins for me are chicken breast, tilapia, salmon, pork chops or lean beef. Grains are brown rice, quinoa or whole wheat pasta. Vegetables are whatever you want and like. My kids like greens like broccoli and green beans so we have that a lot. Some of this may sound boring to you, but if you use the right seasonings it can be amazing. I sell Wildtree, which are all natural seasonings and oils so we cook mostly with that. If you're interested in hearing more about that, check out my website here.

SNACKS:
This is what gets a lot of people in trouble, myself included. You could eat 3 super healthy meals and then totally blow it with the wrong snack choices. I try to have healthy versions of things I crave, like chocolate. On those days that I NEED chocolate, I will have a sugar-free fudgesicle (30 calories) or a little handful of dark chocolate chips. Usually a little bit is all I need to feel satisfied. If I'm super hungry, then my go-to snack is string cheese or a 100-calorie pack of nuts (I love the Blue Diamond 100-calorie packs). Low carb snacks keep you feeling full longer.


That's my eating in a nutshell. I'm not saying I'm totally perfect and never stray from this. On the rare occasion we go out to eat, I splurge a little. Everyone has days that aren't perfect and we all make poor food choices from time to time. It's good to have a blueprint to follow at least 80% of the time.

Some really good advice that I read (YOU: On a Diet by Dr. Oz), suggests to eat the same things every day when you are first starting on your journey. It's just easier to plan and stick with it. So if you have a breakfast you love, don't feel bad for eating it every day.

Stay tuned for my next post: Foods I avoid at all costs

Why You Should Lift (Heavy) Weights

Once I got close to my goal weight I started to notice how I felt better, but I had some hanging skin that wasn't attractive. Why go to all that trouble losing weight if I'm just going to look flabby at the end? With the help of Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred I lost several inches and it made a huge difference. Here's my before and after pic from that (from August 2012):

My weight didn't really change but I lost 12 inches overall! (and look at the boob lift it gave me! No surgery required!)  I went on to do Jillian's other DVD, Ripped in 30 four times over a 6 month period and I was determined to tone up. It still wasn't enough though. 

I started lifting weights at the gym and I was always told not to lift too heavy or I would look like a dude. I fully believed that and it took research and advice from a few buff ladies to see that heavy lifting is where it's at. Women don't bulk up the way men do. We don't have the testosterone that men have, so it just isn't going to happen. 

Here are some reasons why you should lift heavy:

1. You may have been told that cardio is the ultimate fat burner, but that effect stops as soon as you stop. Build more muscle and you'll keep your body burning fat all day long. 

2. You'll look more defined. Let's face it, who doesn't want sexy shoulders and arms?! 

3. You'll build strength faster with heavier weights. Lifting lighter weights for more reps is great for building muscle endurance, but if you want to increase your strength, increasing your weight load is key. 

4. You'll lose belly fat. Studies have shown that women who lift heavy weight lose more intra-abdominal fat (deep belly fat) than those who just did cardio. Losing that deep belly fat not only helps you look hot in a swimsuit but it reduces your risk of diabetes and cancer. 

5. You'll feel empowered and who doesn't like feeling like a badass? Lifting weights is great for your self-esteem. 

6. Lifting weights will improve your performance in other areas, such as running or walking. By lifting weights, you are strengthening the muscles around your joints which can prevent injury and just make you better in general. 

If you don't belong to a gym (or even if you do) and you want some exercise moves to try, check out the Nike+ Training app. You can pick which muscle you want to work and get several exercises to try. 

I will post a new before and after pic at the end of summer. I've only been lifting heavy for a couple of months, so I'm still a work in progress. :)

Making Time for a Healthy Lifestyle

When I was overweight I used the time excuse more than anything else. I worked and I felt like if I wasn't at work, I should be home with my kids. It's such a delicate balance to make time for yourself and also not feel guilty thinking about other things you should be doing. 

As I started losing weight, I started seeing things differently. My kids aren't going to remember that there were dishes in the sink or laundry on my bed that needed folded. They will remember that their mom was healthy and had energy to play with them. They'll look back at pictures and see a smiling happy mother who felt fulfilled because she took time to live a healthy lifestyle. I'm setting a good example for them and I hope it stays with them through adulthood. So I will leave the dishes for later after the kids' bedtime and head out for a long walk with my daughter. The laundry can wait because my son wants to play ball. 

Making time to work out is by far the biggest challenge. If you can find at least 30 minutes of your day to squeeze in a workout, you will see results. That's why I love the Jillian Michaels DVDs. I can do them with my kids in the room with me and sometimes they join in and do the moves with me. :) I go for runs whenever I can fit it in, usually later in the evening while my husband takes care of the kids' bath time. If you make it a priority, you will find time. If it's not a priority, you will just make excuses. 

When it comes to food, a lot of people turn to fast food or junk because it's convenient and fast. I was in that rut for years. I finally learned the value of food prep. Pick a day that is your least busiest day when you can set aside an hour or two to prep your healthy food for the week. Cut up fruits and veggies and put them in baggies or containers so when you go to grab a snack you will have something healthy to grab on the run. I make yogurt parfaits for the whole week so all we have to do is add granola. 

As for dinners, I try to keep it as simple as possible yet I have to make sure it's tasty or my family won't eat it. I've learned the value of seasonings and oils. I will take the protein (chicken, fish, thinly sliced pork chops, etc.) and put it in a container after I rub it with a little grapeseed oil and seasonings such as garlic & herb, lemon pepper, lemon rosemary or chipotle lime. If you have good seasonings, even the most basic chicken breasts can taste awesome.  I will soon be a rep for Wildtree, a company that sells natural and organic seasonings and oils and lots of other things too. I am a believer in their products and I love that they don't have chemicals or MSG. So I prep the meat the day before and let it marinate all day before I cook it. I serve it with a starch like sweet potatoes, brown rice or whole wheat pasta and also add in a veggie that my kids will eat like fresh green beans, corn, zucchini or broccoli. None of this is super time consuming, so it's not hard to prepare a healthy meal each night. 

My Wildtree cabinet

The bottom line is there is nothing more valuable than your health. If you take care of yourself now you will add years to your life and make your quality of life better. And who doesn't want to live a better life?! 

The Scale is a Filthy Liar

My name is Kaci and I'm a recovering scale addict. For a year straight I weighed myself every single morning before I did anything else. It was an obsession and it led to endless frustration. If I was up a pound I saw it as a huge failure. I now weigh myself once a week and I always weigh first thing in the morning.

There are reasons why the scale could show a gain: water retention from not drinking enough water (or eating too much salt) and also muscle gain. If you're weight training, it's best to not go by the scale and instead take measurements and go by how your clothes fit. For example, I started seriously weight training in January. I have lost only 2 pounds since January 1st, but I'm down a pant size and have lost 10 inches. The scale is a liar!

 

This is not me, but an example of someone else. See how the scale can be a liar?!

 

 



If it's such a liar, why do we give it so much control over us? I wish I had an answer! That number on that blasted little square on our bathroom floor can ruin your day before it has even begun. It can make you feel like throwing in the towel because all of your hard work doesn't seem to be paying off. But you know what? That scale doesn't show you reduced cholesterol levels, reduced risk for heart disease and diabetes or the years you've added to your life from your healthy changes.

If you're a daily scale addict like I was, I'm challenging you to try something new: put the scale away and only get it out once a week to check in on your progress. Start measuring yourself once a week too. Always weigh (and measure) at the same time every day. If you weigh one week in the morning and then the next week later in the afternoon, you will not have an accurate judge of whether you've gained or lost.

Also, I hate those BMI calculators as much as I hate the scale. I'm 131 pounds and according to the chart I'm overweight! Those BMI calculators don't take muscle into account. So yes, BMI calculators are filthy liars too!

There are many ways to tell you've lost weight even if the scale doesn't show it. Loose clothes, more toned physique, inches lost, more stamina and just feeling better overall. This week I have realized I need my wedding ring resized because it has almost come off a few times. 18 months ago I had to use soap and water to get it off my finger! Celebrate the little things and don't obsess over the scale. I'm not saying it's not a good idea to weigh in occasionally. Just don't let it be the ONLY way that you measure progress.

How to Become a Runner

I'll start this off by saying that my definition of a "runner" is anyone who gets out there and runs. It doesn't matter how far or how fast or whether you mix it with walking. If you hit the pavement (or treadmill) on a regular basis and move your butt, you ARE a runner. It's not an elite club that only a select few can belong to. Anyone can do it. Trust me, if my lazy butt was able to do it, so can you!

When I first started, I was super intimidated and super ashamed of how out of shape I was. Looking back, I wish I hadn't been so hard on myself and just enjoyed the journey more. My husband is a marathon runner, and a fast one at that. I guess I was comparing myself and I just kept thinking how pathetic I was. Luckily he's super sweet and encouraged me and told me I was doing awesome when I couldn't run longer than 2 minutes at a time. I know now that I was making progress and I should've been more proud of myself. I was still lapping everyone at home on their couch!

To begin, I did the Couch-to-5K program and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to get into running. Click here for the program, which includes a schedule to follow at the bottom. You start with just running for 60 seconds at a time and over the next 9 weeks you will be amazed. By the end of 9 weeks you will be able to run a 5K without stopping and I mean it when I say that. I did just that. If you stick with it and follow the program and do it 3 times/week at least, you will get there. I'll never forget the day I was able to run 1 mile without stopping. It was glorious! It's fuel to keep going.

Before you even start the Couch-to-5K, sign up for a race if possible that's about 2 1/2-3 months away. It is so helpful to have something to motivate you and to strive for. There are 5K's pretty much every weekend around the area. Once you do one, you will be hooked and want to keep running them.

A little advice that I didn't follow in the beginning is to cross train. Ride a bike, do the elliptical, do workout DVDs, lift weights, etc. I went from a 12-minute mile to a little over a 10-minute mile once I incorporated Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 and weight training. Anything that makes your legs stronger will make you a better runner.

I hope I covered everything. If there's anything you want to know, just ask! I'm not a running expert AT ALL, but I wanted to share with you what worked for me and how I started.

Here's my awesome necklace I got for Mother's Day from my hubby and kids.

Busting Through a Plateau

There is nothing more frustrating in one's weight loss journey than the blasted plateau. I hit several throughout my journey and it is so hard to not get frustrated and just throw in the towel. I was 143 lbs for SIX WEEKS! The scale just would not move no matter what I did. I was patient and it finally started moving in the right direction again. Plateaus are totally normal and something most everyone will deal with at some point. Here are a few tips I have for dealing with plateaus:

- Make sure you are tracking every single thing you put in your mouth. It could be that you are eating more calories than you think.

- Up your water intake. Just like I said in my last post, water speeds up your metabolism.

- Eat out less and eat at home more. It's much harder to know exactly how many calories you're eating when you eat at a restaurant.

- Switch up your workouts. If you do the same workout over and over, your muscles get used to it and become very proficient at it and in turn, burn less calories. Try a new machine at the gym, take a new class, try running faster or just going further than you usually do. The best way to bust a plateau is interval training (alternating between fast and slow). Your body continues to burn calories even after you are done with your workout.

- Lift weights. The most overlooked weight-loss trick is the calorie-burning power of muscle. The more muscle you have the higher your resting metabolism, because muscle uses more energy (calories) than fat does just to exist. Weight-loss causes not only fat loss, but some muscle loss as well. If you are already weight training, increase the weight or do more reps.

-Make sure you are eating ENOUGH calories. Experiment with your calorie intake. If eating 1200 calories/day isn't working out for you, it could be that you aren't eating enough. Up it to 1500 for a week and see what happens.

- Don't give up. This one is the most important. No matter what you do, do not give up. Keep going because the scale will eventually start moving again. Patience is a virtue, especially in weight loss.

Switching Out Diet Soda for Fruit Infused Water

So I gave up diet soda 2 weeks ago today. I was a serious junkie- I'm talking 4 or 5 diet sodas/day. It's a wonder I was able to lose 55 pounds while still drinking it to that extreme. I decided to give it up because it's horrible for you and I knew all along that it was. I just kept telling myself that I was making so many other healthy changes that drinking soda wasn't going to kill me. There are worst things I could put into my body. Well, there are but that's still such a lame excuse. I'm not going to go on and on about why diet soda is bad for you. I think we all know by now that it is and you can do your own research if you want to know.

I went cold turkey and I was amazed at how easy it was! What helped me the most was throwing myself into my new addiction: fruit-infused water. It is SO good for you and it tastes really good and I am having so much fun trying new flavors. You can check out my Vitamin Water Pinterest board here. I have pinned a lot of really great recipes. My favorite so far and the most refreshing is cucumber mint. I also love raspberry lemon. I put all of the fruit (sliced thin) in the bottom of a big pitcher and top it with water and let it chill overnight. The flavors from the fruit come out into the water and the result is pretty much amazing.

Here are some benefits of drinking fruit-infused water (or even just plain water):
-Being hydrated improves your health and naturally flushes toxins out of your body
-Water keeps your skin plump and elastic (because who likes wrinkles?!)
-Water fights bloating
-Fruit-infused water makes drinking water more enjoyable because it has flavor
-There are natural antioxidants and vitamins from the fruit
-Drinking water speeds up your metabolism

Since switching to water, I feel so much more energetic, happy, my mind is clearer and my skin looks really good. I was having major breakouts on my face and that is now pretty much gone.

I hope I have inspired some of you to try fruit-infused water! You won't be disappointed!

Dining Out....Without Blowing it.

This can be the biggest challenge you will face. It's one that I struggled with and still struggle with. Here are some tips and tricks that I've learned:

1. Do your homework. If you know ahead of time where you're going, go online and look at the menu and see what the healthier options are. That way you're not in a situation where the server is waiting on you to make up your mind and you make a spur of the moment bad decision.

2. Avoid buffets. No matter how much willpower you THINK you have, all of that goes out the window when you're loading up your plate. If you absolutely have to go to a buffet for some reason, try to just stick with the salad bar and maybe some grilled fish and grilled chicken. Even the vegetables at buffets are usually swimming in butter and/or oil. Gag. Instead of hitting the soft serve machine, opt for fruit and a little piece of pound cake.

3. Drink at least 1/2 liter of water before you leave the house. This will help you to not feel as hungry. Eat a snack about an hour or 2 before so you're not completely ravenous when you get to the restaurant.

4. Always get salad dressings on the side. You will use 50% less dressing and the dressing is the most caloric part of a salad usually. I dip my fork in the dressing before each bite and don't use nearly as much dressing that way.

5. Avoid anything with the words breaded, fried, creamy, buttered, scalloped or smothered. If something has mayonnaise on it, get it on the side and use about half of what they give you. Better yet, use mustard instead if possible.

6. Red sauce vs. White Sauce. If you're eating Italian, red sauces are always a much better option than white sauce. Have you ever re-heated alfredo sauce the next day when the butter has separated from the cream? Makes you realize what's in it. Yikes!

7. Don't be afraid to ask for substitutions or for the chef to prepare it differently. If something says breaded, ask if they can grill it instead. When ordering fish or any kind of seafood, ask for no butter to be used.

8. Eat slowly and take your time. If you inhale it, you won't have time to feel full before you've eaten the whole meal. I always try to not eat more than I would eat at home. So for a huge bowl of pasta, I would only eat about 1/3 of it and take the rest home.

9. If you're full and don't want to take the rest home, cover it up with a napkin or cover it with pepper so you won't be tempted to keep picking at it. I'm horrible about that. I'll say I'm full and just keep shoving food in my mouth because it's there.

10. Stick with your favorite places. If you know of restaurants that serve healthy meals that you love, there's nothing wrong with going back over and over again. Some of my favorites are Applebee's (love the 550 calorie menu), Crazy Bowls & Wraps,  Subway, Panera (love how they list the calorie count on the menu), and Fazoli's (I get a kid's meal for 300 calories).

11. Skip dessert. It's tempting, but you really don't need it. Go home and have a little scoop of frozen yogurt with fruit or something you can control. Restaurant desserts are ridiculously high in calories.


Fast food can be a tricky one, but it's something we all have to eat sometimes. Here are a few of my go-to fast food choices:
- Anything on the fresco menu at Taco Bell
- Santa Fe Salad from McDonalds (390 calories WITH dressing!)
- Chicken, cranberry apple salad from Burger King (about 500 calories with dressing)
-Jimmy John's - Turkey Tom with no mayo, sub Dijon mustard, add peppers and onions and no cheese (about 300 calories and full of flavor)
- Fazoli's Kids meal


Whew, now I'm hungry! ;)

My Top 10 List for Getting (and staying) Motivated

This is a tricky one because everyone is different and motivated by different things. I'll preface this by saying that I'm not an expert at this, but these are things that worked for me.


Now before you even begin your weight loss journey, you need to think long and hard about WHY you want to lose the weight. This can be a number of reasons: to feel healthy, to look better, to fit into a wedding dress, to be better at sports, etc. My main reason was to be a good example for my children and to be the woman that my husband married 10 years ago. I had changed not just physically, but emotionally. I was more withdrawn because of my weight and I was not comfortable in my own skin. It was affecting my marriage and affecting my life. THOSE were my reasons.

The next step is to set a goal. My goal at first was to lose 30 lbs. At the time I thought that's all I really could lose. I didn't set my sights high enough, but that's okay because as time went on I realized what I was capable of. It's okay to start with a smaller goal: let's say 20 pounds. Once you have your goal in place and you know your reasons for wanting to meet that goal, keep it in your mind and remind yourself of them EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Here's my Top 10 List for Staying Motivated (in no particular order):

1. When my alarm goes off on my cell phone in the morning, it says "REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS". It helps me get in the right frame of mind before my feet even hit the floor.

2. I have pictures on my refrigerator of myself (skinny and happy) in college and I printed out some of my favorite quotes like "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" and "When you feel like quitting, remember why you started." Having reminders in your kitchen will keep you focused.

3. Keep at it. If you take a few days off, it is so hard to get your motivation back. You have to keep at it every day. Don't lose focus and just tell yourself that a cheat day here and there is okay, but do not get derailed for more than 1 day at a time. The longer you veer off course, the longer it takes to get back on track. For example,  we went to stay in St. Louis on our 10th anniversary last month and you can bet that I cheated like Tiger Woods (only with food and booze, not hookers). But I got right back at it the next day and no real damage was done. Same thing with holidays. It's okay to indulge a little but don't let it turn into an entire week of binge eating and couch surfing. It's not worth it to lose so much of your hard earned progress.

4. Find a partner in crime. Having someone to be accountable to is huge. You can encourage each other and give each other crap when you are slacking. It helps.

5.  Think healthy, not skinny. To really lose weight and have it stay off you have to not think of it as a diet. Honestly if you want to get thin and healthy, there is no finish line. It never ends. You have to keep doing this forever if you don't want to gain it all back. Focus on changing your eating habits to be healthy and the skinny will follow. Crash dieting and not eating enough calories will have adverse affects. It takes longer to lose weight with a lifestyle change vs. a crash diet, but it's worth it because you have changed your ways and you will be able to stick with it long term.

6. Don't eliminate foods, limit them instead. If you tell yourself you can never eat ice cream again and pizza is forbidden, who in their right mind would commit to this lifestyle change? Everything in moderation. There are lots of low calorie ice cream options at the store or allow yourself a mini blizzard every once in a while. They're like 300 calories, so just work them into your daily allowance. And make homemade pizza and you can control the amount of calories that go into it.

7. Celebrate the small victories. I know I said this the other day, but I'll say it again. 1 pound lost is a big deal and so is 1 inch off your waist. Look at this graphic below and keep it in mind when you want to whine and say, "Only 1 pound this week!"

8. Get rid of your "fat clothes". As soon as I outgrew them, I sold them or gave them away. It was a way of telling myself that I was never going back there. Don't give yourself the option to grow back into them.

9. Pace yourself. Know that this new lifestyle is the healthy way and doing it this way means it will take longer. Be realistic and come to terms with the fact that it could take you 6 months to a year to reach your goals. Another one of my favorite quotes is, "One year from now, you will wish you had started today." A year goes by SO fast. Have something to show for it at the end.

10. Buy some cute workout clothes. Having something nice to wear will encourage you to get out there more. If you're wearing your husband's old t-shirt, it's just not as enticing to go to the gym or go out for a walk/run. I love Wal-Mart's Danskin brand and Target's C9 brand.



I hope some of this helped you in some way. I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting, and there are probably some things you could teach me. Whatever it takes to motivate you, is what you need to do. Getting motivated in the beginning is the easy part. It's staying motivated that takes dedication and drive. You can do it!










                                                                                                                                                                

Losing Weight on a Budget

So here is the story of my love affair with Aldi.....

One of my excuses before was that healthy food was too expensive. Sound familiar? They built an Aldi near my house and I ventured in there one day and I was shocked! Whole wheat spaghetti? Hummus? Flatbread with flax? Almond milk? Stevia? This is not the Aldi I remembered. They have evolved and if you aren't shopping there you are missing out! Every time I go in, there is something new. I swear I almost cried the day I saw that they now carry natural peanut butter and it was less than $3. I was paying over $5 for natural peanut butter at Walmart. Regular peanut butter is TERRIBLE for you with hydrogenated oils that will spackle your arteries. Gross. I beg of you, switch to natural peanut butter. You can't tell a difference at all. In fact, ransack your kitchen and if anything has hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup, get rid of it. Hydrogenated oils are so 20th century. Sorry, I'm getting off track here, but I'm passionate about that.....

These are just a few of my staples. Protein bars (for breakfast), 50 calorie OJ,

Flatbread, yogurt and low fat cheese

 

These little peppers are so good dipped in Greek Yogurt dip or just by themselves.

 

And this is pretty much the greatest thing ever. I spread a little on flatbread

with turkey, cucumber, spinach and tomato and it's like a little gyro.

 

For our family of 4, I spend about $70-$100/week on groceries. Not bad. Their frozen chicken is all natural and I cook with it at least 2 nights/week. I use it to make baked chicken, chicken and brown rice, chicken fajitas, etc. In the summer we make chicken on the grill a lot. They sell Jennie-O's ground turkey, which is good in my spaghetti sauce. I love their frozen seafood, especially the salmon and tilapia. Thaw it out and sautee it with just cooking spray and some seasonings. Super healthy and really tasty.

 

Also, you can't beat Aldi's produce. Sometimes the strawberries and grapes are hit or miss but it's like that at any store. Their asparagus, peppers, broccoli, apples and potatoes are the best and way cheaper than even Walmart.

 

So are you getting the picture here? I LOVE Aldi. I love Aldi more than my daughter loves a good fart joke. I love Aldi more than my son loves flinging yogurt. I.love.Aldi.

 

 It's possible to feed a family of 4 healthy food for less than $100/week. I lost all of my weight eating food from Aldi.

 

Jeez, I should get an endorsement deal!

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

In the beginning.....

I'm going back to the beginning of my weight loss story in late 2011. I've thought a lot over the past year about why this time was different. Why I was able to stick with it this time. I have made many attempts at weight loss over the years and I wondered why this time feels different. Here's what I think....

I think in order to truly change and lose weight you have to admit to yourself that YOU and YOU ALONE are the reason you are overweight. It's not because you have an office job where you sit in a chair, or that you have kids (I was claiming baby weight when my daughter was in preschool), or that you just don't have time or don't like fruits and vegetables. Blah, blah, blah. I had to face the fact that I had gotten this big on my own and I was the only one to blame. (I know sometimes there are medical conditions that can cause weight gain, but that's rare)

Once you realize that and take ownership of it, you realize that you can take control of the situation and change it. Once you see that it's not some out of control circumstance that made you fat (trust me I blamed everything but myself), then you see that it is something that you yourself can change.

It started small at first. I started going to the gym 3 days/week and doing 20 minutes on the elliptical and I started using myfitnesspal (Which I love! I'm Kbeatty32, so look me up) to track my calories and once I lost the first 5 pounds I really started to feel like I was taking control of my health. Just take baby steps and feel proud of every single little accomplishment. Just don't treat yourself with food! I told myself once I lost 10 pounds I would get my hair highlighted. And I did. When I lost 20 pounds, I bought some new jeans. Just last weekend I hit 55 pounds and treated myself to an amazing swimsuit I have been eyeing for about 6 months.

So, to sum it all up, just take ownership for it and take steps (big or small) to change it. I know it's easier said than done. Trust me, I know. But keep focused on the outcome and that is to feel good about yourself and to feel healthy and younger. I know it's such a cliché, but for months I had a piece of paper on my fridge that said, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." Oh, so true. That piece of cake at 10 pm is going to taste good for about the 3 minutes it takes you to eat it, but once it's gone all you're left with is a horrible feeling and regret. When I get hungry late at night, I chug water and just go to bed. I wake up feeling proud of myself for not eating crap. THAT is motivation in itself!

I'm on Facebook! Check out my Facebook page here! I will post updates there when a new blog post is up and I will post some things there like recipes and pics.

My Weight Loss Story

So I technically started this blog a year ago with the intentions of posting weight loss tips and about my running, etc. At that time I still wasn't sure of myself and I didn't feel like anyone wanted to read it and I didn't feel like I was any kind of expert on the subject. Flash forward to a year later, I am still not an expert but I'm a hell of a lot smarter about this lifestyle that I now lead and I feel like I should pay it forward and inform/motivate others through this blog. Thanks for checking it out and I'll start with my updated weight loss story. I originally posted this after my first half marathon back in October 2012. The before pic below is from 2007 at my highest weight ever non-pregnant (193). The after pic is from last month on our 10-year anniversary getaway (133 lbs)

MY WEIGHT LOSS STORY

I have reflected a lot lately on how I got here and how much further I still want to go. These last 10 pounds are going to be the hardest I think, but I am totally fine with taking my time and doing it the healthy way.

I think back to the very beginning of this...Christmas night 2011 to be exact. I had gotten a new sweater or something like that and I tried it on and was just SO unhappy with how I looked. My husband had gotten some new running gear and I was always so amazed at how healthy and fit he was. I thought to myself that he deserves a wife who cares about her health as much as he does. I thought about the woman I was when we first met. Totally fit with rock hard abs. I know he didn't fall in love with me for my appearance but I still thought about how it's not sending him a very good message that I had just completely let myself go. I love him and I want him to know that I still love him enough to want to be healthy and fit for him. I also thought about my daughter and the message I wanted to send to her. I want her to know the importance of staying active and being healthy. I don't want her to obsess about her weight or about being skinny, but I want to show her by example that hard work pays off and she can accomplish anything if she puts her mind to it. So I started this journey for THEM. Along the way my motivations have evolved and once I lost the first 20 pounds it also became about me and proving to myself that I could do it. I felt so awesome after the first 20 pounds that I briefly felt like I should just stop where I was. But I quickly gained 5 pounds back and I realized that I was far from done and I still had a long way to go to change myself. That was around April, which is also when I decided I was going to do the Rock N Roll Half Marathon. I started the Couch 2 5K that month and completed it in June. I did my first official 5K in August and then a 4-mile run after that. For most of June and July I was convinced I didn’t really want to do the Half Marathon. I loved running, but I had myself convinced that I didn’t want to run 13.1 miles. But I realized that was the old me talking and the new me wouldn’t back down from it just because it sounded hard and miserable. I was going to do it. I didn’t get to train as much as I wanted to, but I still finished and the next time I run a half marathon my time will improve. I’m not striving to be an elite runner or even to really compete. I just want to do it to prove to myself that I can. And to also show my daughter and son that hard work pays off. So in a way running has changed me and it has definitely changed my body. It has brought me and my husband closer together and made me realize even more how amazing he is. The whole 8 years that I was overweight he never ONCE said anything to me about my weight or asked me to lose weight. Sometimes I wonder if he even realized that I was overweight, but I don’t know how he couldn’t. He was just being nice. That’s who he is and he inspires me every day to be the best I can be. I’m sharing this because if I can inspire just one person to start their own journey then that just makes my journey all the better. You don’t have to settle for anything. Grab life by the balls and make it YOURS! J

 

UPDATE AS OF 4/22/13-

Since writing that weight loss story in November 2012 I have lost 5 more pounds and I am down a total of 55 pounds. I still run and I have now realized the importance of cross training. I do Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 6 days/week and have 3 new Jillian DVDs on their way this week so I can change it up a little bit. I gave up diet soda a week ago and I have seriously never felt better. My energy level is much higher, which I wasn’t expecting. I have discovered a love of fruit infused water, so I’ll be posting some of my favorites on here.

 

Me after my run tonight. It's not a pretty sight, but damn it felt good!