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!