Tuesday, July 30, 2013

My Body's a HOT Mess!

I want to post something like this....

- I've been diet coke free for a week and I have not cravings.
- I've cleaned up my dinners and my coffee and have more energy than ever before.
- All of these changes have made me lose 10 pounds in just 3 days.

Here's reality...

- I have been diet coke free for a week. The cravings aren't bad, but it is not easy. Some foods, especially salty stuff, don't taste as good without washing it down with diet coke.
- My dinner's have been clean (and really yummy), but lately my energy is low and my workouts are way harder than they should be. I took 2 rest days last week (in a row!) in hopes to rest my weary body. I hopped in the pool today and hand no oomph. I got in a solid brick workout- 600 yd swim+10 mile ride+15 minute stretch. 
- The scale is a bit up from the last time I weighed in. I did have pizza a few days ago and I know that pizza makes the scale jump every.single.time. I was starving all day yesterday so I anticipated a loss today. 

I have some BIG events coming up in the next 3 weeks and I want my body to get with it and comply with what I'm expecting it to do. 

It's not my "special time" so I can't even blame it on that. 

There's a little whiny voice inside saying, "It's not fair. Why is this easier for other people?". 

Thankfully there is a much louder voice reminding me that our bodies are strange. They have highs and lows that sometimes can't be explained. I press forward. I exercise. I make healthy choices. (I am cooking beets for the first time ever while writing this and drinking my coffee without creamer.) 

I've got this. You've got this. 

~Kari

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Pt Defiance Trail Hike

This will be a quick one. I've got a lot to do today, but wanted to tell you about our family hike. Yesterday morning I woke up with an itch to get outside, but my planned workout wasn't interesting to me at all. I had what my husband would call a "great" idea. A family hike! It took some convincing, but everyone agreed to come. We decided to head out to the Pt. Defiance trails. My plan was to do the outer loop (4.6 miles). That's not too far, right? Oy! I might have been a bit too ambitious. I forget that the rest of the clan doesn't walk/run/bike/swim/lift their way through life. 

We walked....

Mommy waits at the top of a very big hill



We rested....



We got carried when we were tired....


Bonus workout for mommy. I not only lifted 53 lb Bug over my head, but carried him for a significant distance.
We conquered.... 



Confession- We cut the trail a little short and ended up doing closer to 4 miles. It took us 2 hours and 10 minutes. We won't be winning any trail races in the near future, but WE did it together. We did it! There were many great times on the trails (like when 3 deer ran out of the woods right in front of us), but for me the best part was when we were about 1/2 was through and Sissy asked me why I wasn't tired. I told her that all of my working out was to help me to be able to enjoy activities like hiking. Taking care of my heart makes it easier to do things like hike. I love sharing fitness with my family!!!! 

Mad props to the husband for coming along. It was not his cup of tea, but he did a great job. :)


I am soreeee today! That hike was way more challenging than I expected. Recovery workout today- short run followed by some yoga. 

4 days soda free.

Spartan Sprint next Sunday. Found out today there are around 15 obstacles. 30 burpees for each obstacle I can't do. 450 burpees! Please let me complete some of the obstacles. It's not too late to register. If you are local come play with me!!!!!


Do you have races coming up? Are you working on new fitness goals???

Please share. I want to support you in your goals.

~Kari






Friday, July 26, 2013

Lucky Charms won't work next week

BEST conversation ever with Sissy today. More times than I can count I have talked with both of my kids about how food is fuel and we need to eat right to fuel our bodies for how we want them to perform. Until today I was pretty convinced that all they heard was "Blah food blah blah blah we want blah blah blah". Swim lessons start on Monday morning. Sissy wanted Lucky Charms for breakfast today. Lucky charms. I hate Lucky Charms. I don't buy Lucky Charms. Not going to sell out the person that bought them, but it wasn't me.

I got her the Lucky Charms.
Set them on the table.
Started to walk away.

"Mommy, these won't work for breakfast next week"

Me: Why?

" Lucky Charms aren't a healthy breakfast. Swim lessons start on Monday and I need a breakfast that will give me energy for swimming. Lucky Charms don't give me energy".


WHAT??!?!?!?!?!??!?! 


She has been listening. She hears me. She gets it.

Notice- She didn't say, "Mommy, I can't eat Lucky Charms because they will make me fat". NOPE! They don't give her the energy she needs to be amazing at swimming.

What if we all ate this way? I want to sleep good tonight so I am going to stop eating late at night. I was to power through my workout so I'm going to have a lean protein and a carb instead of a diet coke before I leave. I want to stay full until lunch so I am going to make a dense breakfast with food that will "stick".

We haven't arrived. She still ate the Lucky Charms. We are on our way. Each of us.

How do you view food?
How have your views of food changed?

~Kari

Thursday, July 25, 2013

The World Didn't End When I.....

In this journey (Margo uses the word project and I kinda like that) to lose and maintain weight there have been some event that have made me feel like the world as I know it was going to end....

- Leaving onederland and gaining back 20 of the 165 pounds that I lost
- Buying an XL shirt that fit in the L, but looked better in the XL
- Only getting in half of my workout yesterday because I had other plans and couldn't do both (I only did a 12 mile ride and had to skip the 3 mile run)
- Getting on the scale this morning

These all seem like really petty small things, but for someone who has, who always will, struggle with their weight they are the things that keep me up at night. The things that I dream about. Last night I had a dream that I threw out the scale, trusted clean eating and ballooned back up to 356 pounds. I weighed myself today. Not because my weight defines me, but because I refused to be held captive by the fear in my dreams. 

For months now people have been encouraging me to listen to Jillian Michaels podcasts. I finally did and was blow away. The first podcast I listed to (July 15th episode) featured a caller and the her question was something like this:

I've lost 70 pounds over the past 10 years. During the past 2 years I keep regaining and losing the same 20 pounds. What's the point?

Her question stopped me in my tracks. I *may* have shouted yes while riding my bike down the middle of a neighborhood road. What's the point?

Jillian in her oh so Jillian way got the caller to see that LIFE is the point. We get one life to live and we keep on pressing on because it's all about living the best life possible. We fight those 20 pounds because we want more. We want to be the healthiest WE that we can be. 


The strength that is needed to go on every single day is what makes each of us amazing. There are days that we don't want to go to the gym. We go. There are days that it's easier to eat a bowl of cereal for dinner. We take the time to make a healthy meal. There are days that we fail. We get a fresh new start with the new day. 

Today I weighed 212.1 pounds. The world didn't end. I'm still an athlete. I'm still working hard to teach my kids about healthy foods. I'm 2 days soda free. 
Do I want to be back in the 190's? Absolutely! I felt better then. I had more energy. My clothes fit better. I'll get back to where I need to be, just not in a day. Probably not even a month, but I will get there.

Where are you going? 
What will you do today to move you a little closer to your goals?

~Kari




Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Where did that come from????

Yesterday was rough! In the middle of the night I woke up with a killer headache. I am convinced now that I am on the verge of a sinus infection. The pain started around my cheek bones and went all the way up to my hairline. I took some advil and felt better. I go in a 30 minute run, took Sissy to the library and the grocery shopping. By the time I got home the headache was back and I was toast. Thankfully the husband was home so I was able to climb in to bed and take a nap. 

My afternoon workout, Shred, was a no-go when I got up because my head was still pounding. A shower helped and then I was back in bed. Hubby was pushing fluids while cooking dinner while taking care of the children. I am one lucky woman! A quick call to my mom and the mystery was solved. Sinus headache! DUH! Hubby to the rescue once again, a few Tylenol sinus pills, and I was on the mend. (Oh, and a caramello bar- caffeine helps headaches- it's a fact!) 

Speaking of caffeine, the day before yesterday was the day I decided to give up my diet cokes. Yes, I know I've done it before. This time is different. I can't explain why, but it is. The headache wasn't from the lack of diet coke, unless my body knew my plan and was fighting against me as a preemptive strike. This is possible, I suppose. I survived a major headache without opening a can of pop. See, this time is different. 

The headache is still there, but not as strong. Going to take another sinus pill and hop on my bike for a long ride. Today is scheduled to be a transition workout with 12 miles on the bike and a 3 mile run. Not sure about the run but can definitely do the bike portion. Having a headache is hard work! 

How do you fight off soda cravings? Do you?

~Kari

Monday, July 22, 2013

To Bet or not to Bet

Soooooo.... I was going to do a Dietbet and then no one wanted to play with me. I was sad. I felt a little bit rejected. I invited and invited and invited. Were you sick of getting invited? :)

I decided to cancel my Dietbet because it was just me and one other player and if we both won we'd actually lose money after Dietbet took their cut. That's no fun at all. Blah.

Why even do a Dietbet? I am seriously lacking motivation. It's so hard to "start" again. If you are looking for a game to play you should check out Mindy's. Her game just started today and you can join late.

My Spartan Race is in 12 days! My partner is unable to come, but thankfully another friend stepped up to do it with me. After her last obstacle course race (Tough Mudder) she vowed to never do an obstacle course again, so I really appreciate her willingness. True friends are willing to get dirty (and a little uncomfortable) with you. :)

I need to weigh myself. Right? Does what I weigh have an impact on what I'm eating? Yes, it does. Should it? Probably not. When I stopped weighing myself is when I started gaining. One day. One choice at a time. Time to regroup.

I need some sort of incentive beyond feeling good.
What motivates you?

~Kari



Friday, July 19, 2013

There's No Place Like Home

I'm on vacation #3 in less than 4 weeks. The vacations have been amazing. I feel refreshed and rested, but in terms of healthy habits I feel defeated. My workouts have continued, which is awesome. I love that exercise has become such a part of my life that it is no longer a "half to" but rather a because I want to. 

I've written a lot lately (possibly too much) about how I've put on 15-20 pounds since reaching my why-didn't-I-realize-it -when-I-was-there maintenance weight of 193 pounds. Eating on vacation is hard and I find myself thinking, "Does it even matter? I've already gained so much weight." I hate that mentality. Being home for a few days and starting my clean dinners reminded me how good it feels to be making healthy choices, but when you aren't home it is so hard to plan meals. I find myself overeating because I don't know what/when the next meal will be and I don't want to starve. Now, at 210ish pounds I am no where near starving, but it feels that way at times. 

I'm starting a DietBet on the 24th am actually a little excited! I hate the "diet" idea, but I am looking forward to working towards a goal. I don't know if my body will corporate, but at least I am going to try. I'll do my initial weigh-in on the 23rd after we get home from this trip. That weight won't be pretty.

My Dietbet plan? Eat healthy foods, stop drinking soda (yes, again), and commit to 64 ounces of water every single day. 

I'm disappointed in my choices lately when it comes to food. I hate that I lack self-control. I want to have a healthy attitude about food. I LONG to be "normal" about eating. Confession- I ate a pack of Bug's M&M's while writing this post. Guess I'll be running by the store tomorrow. Days like today make me wonder if I'll ever reach that place where it is no longer so very hard. Will I? Have you? Is this just the way it will always be?

~Kari







Thursday, July 18, 2013

Clean Dinners- A Week In

I came back from Fitbloggin ready to clean up my meals. I was home for 2 days and then we left for the Ocean. Well, that's not going to work. I checked out Clean Eating for Families and Kids and devoured it while at the ocean. I was committed to clean eating. This is where I want my family to be. I came home and it is hard!!! It's a lot easier to read about clean eating than to implement. 

Breakfast is already pretty clean for me. Eggs, oatmeal (not instant), cheese, peanut butter, bread. Do they make clean bread? Is peanut butter clean? It has 5 ingredients. Most of what I read says that I should be looking for 5 or fewer ingredients. 

I decided to first tackle cleaning up our dinners. We use eMeals (did you see my giveaway?) for meal planning and they have a Clean Eating plan. Honestly, not everything is clean, but it's a lot closer than we were getting before. For example, we had Pitas (not clean), but they were whole wheat instead of white. It's a definite step in the right direction. I am going on vacation again today and I wanted to share initial impression a week in to cleaning up our diets. 

Pros
~ My digestive system thanks me. I can see a significant difference in my, uh, bathroom habits. Things are moving along nicely.
~ Husband is totally open to trying new foods. I really appreciate his support. 
~ We have tried some new veggies this week.
~ I thought I hated Mango. I tried it again this week and don't hate it. :)
~ I feel stronger in my workouts. This may be in my head since it's only a week, but I'll take it. 
~ I am fuller at night and don't feel the need for a nighttime snack. I'm still having one out of habit, but don't NEED one.

Cons
~ Way more dishes! Seriously! Husband pointed out that going to Jack in the Box requires O dishes to wash. The pots! This will be an adjustment.
~ Multiple grocery store trips. I usually go to one store once a week. I had to go to two different stores because the 1st didn't carry all the stuff on the list (eggplant, pine nuts, and fresh green beans were at WinCo and not at Safeway)
~ Expired produce! When I get back from vacation I am going to try and find a handy checklist that shows how to store produce. I don't have want to make the time to go grocery shopping every day for fresh produce. This week a few things went bad before I could use them. 
~ My children are going to bed hungry because they are not into this change at all. They usually eat some fruit for dinner, but nothing else. Ugh! This did eat noodles one night. *sigh*

Next Clean Eating steps....

1. Finish off my creamer and then figure out something else for my morning coffee.
2. Find some breakfast recipes that I can make. I didn't love the ones in the clean eating book.
3. I don't know....any suggestions????


~Kari

PS- No one 1 person (Hi Katrina!!!) has entered my DietBet. :( If you are planning to enter do it soon! 




Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Spartan Race Winner

We have a winner!!!! I used a random number generator and the winner is comment #2.

Danielle Warren follows me on Twitter! Thanks Danielle.

Check your email. I'll send you the info you need to claim your free entry to any Spartan race in the 13-14 race season.
Congratulations!!!


Didn't win? Click on this link to get a 15% off discount from your race fees.

On a personal note~

I am starting to feel more comfortable with the idea of doing a Spartan Sprint.In small print on the website it says that 99.9% of people finish the race. Surely I won't be that .1 percent. I may be doing a whole lot of burpees. It may take me hours to finish. I will finish.




~Kari

Giveaway: eMeals 12-Month Dinner Subscription

Now's your chance to win! Yesterday I told you all the things that I love about eMeals. I have the opportunity to give away one 12-month subscription to eMeals. Good Luck!!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Off to celebrate Bug's 6th Birthday. I may be eating Chuck E Cheese for dinner. Not sure if it's clean. ;)


~Kari

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Review: eMeals

What's for dinner?
I forgot to pull anything out.
We had this last week.
I'm hungry.
We spent HOW much and still have no food!

These statements were common in our household before a friend of mine introduced me to eMeals. She swore that eMeals saved her both money and time. She also insisted that the kids and her husband loved the meal plans. It sounded too good to be true.

We started using eMeals last summer and would never turn back. Let me tell you about how it works. Each week you receieve a new 7 day menu plan. The plan correspondes with a grocery shopping list for the week. See a meal that you don't like? No worries, just cross those menu items off your list before you go shopping. Usually all of the meals sound amazing, but occasionally there will be one that our family just won't eat. eMeals makes it super easy to skip meals. I check my fridge and pantry for items that I already have and then head towards the grocery story. There is always very little waste and eMeals works hard to use items multiple times in the week-long plan. For example, if you are buying cream cheese, then there will be multiple recipies that use cream cheese. No longer is there a 1/2 used container of cream cheese in the back of the fridge.

eMeals has a variety of meal plans. The meal plans include: classic, clean eating, Safeway, low calorie, slow cooker, and MANY more. You can choose a menu plan for 2-3 people or a family. We tried the low calorie one and it wasn't right for our family. Most of our time with eMeals has been with the Classic Family plan. We love it! As you know, last week we started trying to "clean" up our dinners. We switch to the Clean Eating Family Plan and have been surprised (I don't know why!) with the quality of menu choices.

A few things I love about eMeals:

~ It really does save money because we are using what we buy for multiple meals.
~ It saves time! I'm no longer scouring the internet trying to find something differnet to cook for dinner.
~ The plan helps me to know what to pull out for the next day.
~ My family loves the variety of meals.
~ The paper shopping list is super easy to use. They have a new app that I haven't had a chance to try.
~ You have the option to change your plan if the plan you chose doesn't work for your family.
~ There are almost always leftovers! I pack leftovers up in small containers and take to work for lunch. 
~ My husband and I have both become better cooks. We've learned many different techniques for preparing food and are continually introduced to foods that we wouldn't have tried before. 

eMeals offers A LOT more that I haven't tried. I know that they have lunch and breakfast plans. There are plans for specific stores. There are even special meals planed for large extended family events and holidays. 

Go! Right now! Go see what eMeals has to offer. :)

Have you tried eMeals? What were your thoughts? 



~Kari

Disclaimer: eMeals provided me with a one year dinner subscription to promote their website. I did not or will not receive any compensation for this post. The opinions are my own and true to my experience. PS- We just renewed our subscription and in a day or two I will be giving away the 1 year subscription to eMeals that was offered to me for doing this post. Stay tuned! 





Monday, July 15, 2013

Bearing My Fitness Soul

The first 90 pounds I lost in secret. A few people would quietly ask, "Have you lost weight", but it wasn't until someone asked on Facebook (after seeing an updated picture) how much I had lost. Then it was OUT there. The whole world knew. Once you put something on Facebook there is no going back. 

I knew that to lose weight that I'd have to exercise. Going to the gym as an overweight person is terrifying. I started at an all women's gym. That felt safe. Most of my time was spent on the elliptical and occasionally I'd take a Body Pump class. You'd find me in the back row, left hand corner. 

A new fancy gym opened up way closer to our house and I could add Hubby for the same price I was paying at the women's gym, so we joined. The kids loved it. Bug was only 6 months old so he loved pretty much anywhere. I started missing the sense of community that a group fitness class brings so I started doing group water aerobics. There is something reassuring when you look over and see that someone else is working as hard as you. Water aerobics turned into Yoga and then Kickboxing and then Step Aerobics and eventually Shred. Shred is best described at HIIT meets Bootcamp with a flavor of CrossFit. My spot in the back row, left corner slowly started to migrate. Now you will find my in the middle or front. I am pretty fearless in these classes. I am often the "look at Kari for an alternative" on some of the moves. I know my body. I know what works for me. 

I love group classes, but when it comes to running I am a one man show. I don't have a partner. I don't run with a club. Heck, I even hate it when someone sees me on the side of the road and honks when they drive by. At Fitbloggin I had an amazing opportunity to run with two ladies (Erin and Emily) and it truly changed how I think about running and my own fitness level. Running, to me, has always been very private. I.run.alone. The reason I run alone is that I don't want to hold anyone back. I worry that they will go home and complain about how I ruined their run. Erin, Emily and I agreed that we were just going to have a good time. We'd walk when we wanted and that was ok. It was the best run of my life. Not the fastest, but definitely the best. I was with friends. They weren't judging my speed. They We were there to support one another. It wasn't a contest. It was just a run. 

Letting down my fitness fears allowed me 
the opportunity to enjoy running with friends. 

There was nothing to prove. We just ran. Kickboxing to Step Aerobics was a months long transition. I'd sit outside of Step and watch people. The fear of tripping over the step kept me out of that class for way to long. I probably never would have tried Shred, except for the fact that I met the instructor in Kickboxing and we had a solid relationship. 

Doing the Mud run this past weekend pushed me further than I thought possible. The mud run gets it's own post later on. :) 

I am doing the Spartan race. I AM DOING THE SPARTAN RACE to put myself out there. To show myself and others what I am capable of doing. Is it crazy? Possibly! I refuse to sit back and wonder "What if I would have tried". It's scary to put yourself out there when it comes to try new fitness activities, but I can tell you that I have never been disappointed with the results. I don't love every class I've tried (Zumba), but I am thankful for the opportunity to even try. 

Here's Erin, Emily and I mid and post race! Thanks for the run Ladies!



~Kari 

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Changes Abound

Times they are a changing around our house. Food has been a constant topic of conversation in a really good way. Today Sissy requested scrambled eggs WITH PARSLEY and a whole wheat sandwich thin for breakfast. Major win if you remember this episode. For snack yesterday we had plain (!) yogurt topped with granola and blueberries. Both kids liked it, Bug threw a fit because he was convinced that Sissy's was ice cream. We got past that. 3 dinners into our new clean eating dinners and it's going ok. Check out my Facebook page as I will be posting dinner pics for the first 90 days of dinners. One night Bug didn't want to eat his broccoli so we "googled" why broccoli was healthy. Did you know that it aids in eye health? That was news to me. He ate a bite. Progress!

Fitness wise I have a new found passion for my fitness goals. I am trying new things! In a few hours I will be leaving for my first ever mud run. It should be interesting. I promise to do a recap. On August 4th I will be participating in a Spartan race. I *may* have had nightmares about the race last night. I am terrified that I won't finish. Hubby reminded me the other night that the past 4 years have been about me doing things I never thought possible. Training continues for my Sprint Tri on Aug 18th. If you are interested, I'm posting my workouts on the top of my blog. Oh, and then there's the Electric Run 5k on August 16th....and my Free to Breath 5k on Sept. 7th (click here to donate!!!). Whew! I'm usually a 1-race-per-year kind of gal. This is a perfect time to get my food in check because I need all the help I can get. 

Are you interested in doing a DietBet? I have one starting in 11 days. Buy-in is only $20 and it's a great way to gain some motivation if you are wanting to drop a few pounds while earning a little $$$. 

Also, I get to give away a free entry to a Spartan Race! You need to enter by July 17th to win. Check it out! 

What changes are happening in your life????

~Kari




Thursday, July 11, 2013

Giveaway: Reebok Spartan Race Entry

My first giveaway!!!!! I'm super excited to offer this opportunity to one of you.

A few weeks ago I would have said....

~ I don't do mud runs.
~ I don't do obstacles course runs.
~ Running 3 miles is enough. Why do more?

On Saturday I am doing a mud run.

On August 4th I am doing the Spartan 5K race in Washington.

Someone asked me to do the mud run when I was still on a Fitbloggin high and I said YES! I'll let you know after Saturday if I made the right decision.

Why do the Spartan? The challenge excites me. I am terrified in the amazing, fantastic, oh my gosh am I really doing this sort of way. Also, Zombie Running Princess has agreed to be my partner so that makes me feel better. Even if I'm last, I won't be alone. :)

At Fitbloggin I received a free pass for a Spartan race. When I got home and emailed the company I learned that I would also get a pass to give away to one of my readers!!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!! The winner gets to pick any open heat in any 2013-14 race within the continental U.S. How awesome is that? And if you live in my area (WA/OR) you could come on Aug. 4th and run, climb, crawl, grunt with me.

3 Ways to Enter
Comment below telling my why you want to try a Spartan race.
Follow me on Twitter. (Separate comment)
Follow me on Facebook. (Separate comment)
Want another chance to win? Head over to Run, Ride, Repeat. She is also giving away a race entry.
 
Winner will be chosen at random and announced here on the blog on Wednesday, July 17, 2013.
Remember this is only good for open heats in any 2013-14 Spartan Race located within the continental United States. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments or email me.

Since there will only be one winner for the race entry fee, Spartan Race so kindly offered up a 15% off registration fee code for us to use. Isn't that awesome?
Here is the link: 15% off code
~Kari
Disclaimer: Reebok/Spartan Race provided me two free race entries in hopes to promote their events. I did not or will not receive any compensation for this or any Spartan Race post. I will be writing about the race I participate in but all opinions will be my own and true to my experience.

Note: there is a mandatory fee of $14.00 for insurance that is not included in the race registration fee. Winner will be responsible to pay for their own insurance costs.

Is Okra a Fish?

Have you signed up for my Dietbet? It starts on July 24th.

Home from vacation! Whew!!! Unpacking is a lot of work. First on my list when I got home was to download my new emeals menu plan for clean eating. After sharing the plan with hubby he was down with giving it a shot. I told the kids that we were trying a new menu plan. They gave me the confused and concerned list. Someone, who will rename nameless, asked if okra was a fish when I was describing the first nights dish. No, okra is not a fish.

The first meal was pork chops, peaches, and okra. Too tired to do "big" shopping, I decided to just get what I needed and go back tomorrow for everything else. Sadly, I roamed the produce section and couldn't find okra. Major clean eating sadness. Frozen veggies it is. I bought a variety hoping that if the kids could choose that there'd be more buy-in. I had to buy baslamic vinegar, pork chops, and peaches. I was surprised at the extras that I already had in my cupboard. Hubby grilled the chops and peaches. Kids chose carrots and peas. I boiled the veggies.

Here's dinner (excuse my messy stove- don't judge):

 
 
The verdict? I loved it! The husband liked the grilled peaches and pork. He ate a few veggies. The kids HATED it. They finally gave in and ate some peaches and then talked for hours about how they were starving. Sissy "tried" the chop, barely and Bug just snubbed the entire meal. He claimed full status after 3 bites of peaches.
 
The best part for me was that I was still FULL 3 hours later. No measuring required. I didn't need seconds. I was full.
 
Hubby has committed to trying the clean eating meal plan for 3 months.
I'm encouraged.
My kids may starve to death.
 
~Kari
 
 




Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Fitbloggin Workouts

First off: I'm doing a Dietbet starting on July 22nd. Come play with me.

The workouts! I almost forgot to post about the amazing workouts at Fitbloggin!!! I was so very, very tired (too much eating out, too little water, to many late nights, SO much emotion), but I just *had* to do the workouts at Fitbloggin. Here's my rundown....

Pyrolates at Fireband Sports


Do you see me? I'm in the back row in the middle. I'm always in the back row cause I'm tall! The instructor, Sara, is the incredibly fit looking chick on the right hand side in black.

Pyrolates (just in case you, like me, have never heard of it) is.... Ummm... I can't explain it. They do a nice job explaining it here. The workout was incredibly intense. It required a ton of core strength and stability. We adjusted the resistance bands under Sara's direction. I can totally see how the class could be adapted to meet a variety of fitness levels. I happen to be next to a girl that has done the class regularly and was super impressed with all that she could do. As a first timer it was very challenging. They aren't kidding when they say muscle-shaking and sweating. I was a hot mess by the end. Modification is the name of the game when it comes to group exercise. Towards the end we were going plie squats on the machine and I just could-not-do-it so I hopped off the equipment and did squats on the group. Thankfully Sara didn't come over and yell at me to get back on the machine. :)

My body was ON FIRE after just 50 minutes. The best part was at the end where we did some "happy baby" with the straps. It felt SO good. My calorie burn wasn't too impressive- 323 calories, but I know that I got a good workout. Classes like Pyrolates provide an amazing after burn that you won't see on a heart rate monitor. Was I sore? Oh boy, was I sore!!!! My abs hurt (in a good way) until Saturday and class was on Thursday. This is a class that I would totally do again.

Bootcamp

6 AM on Friday morning came very early. MUST.GO.TO.BOOTCAMP. Thankfully me roommates were also on board. We got up at 5:45, gobbled down a protein bar, and headed downstairs. Read here for a super detailed Boot camp report. Boot camp was tough in a "this sucks, more please" sort of way. :) Erin from Dig Deep, Play Hard was fantastic. She was so sweet, but when it was time to work she let us know that it was time to work. I loved every minute of it. Calories burned- 560 in 56 minutes. BAM!

Yoga

6 AM Saturday morning brought Yoga. I wasn't planning on Yoga, but all the cool kids were doing it so I had to go. Yoga was sponsored/led by SweatPink. Before Fitbloggin I had never heard of SweatPink, but apparently they are very popular. Yoga was fine. It was yoga. It felt good to stretch out some sore muscles from Pyrolates and Bootcamp. I did hear some comments that it was not an "all levels" class, but for me it was good.

Jumpsport Trampoline

I was most excited to attend the Jumpsport Trampoline class. I had been following Rachel on her journey to Fitbloggin and was stoked to try out such a fun looking exercise class.


Got to meet Rachel during Fitbloggin!!!

This class did not disappoint! Jeff, the instructor, had an amazing amount of energy. He kept me entertained and pushed me the entire class. The trampolines felt incredibly secure and there were so many different ways to use the trampoline that I never would have thought of on my own. My partner, and roommate, Kay, and I would switch between floor exercises and the trampoline exercise. You can find the complete workout here. I WANT a jumpsport trampoline. Not gonna lie, they are pretty pricey. My workout was so good that I am putting a trampoline on my Christmas list. Such a fun workout and I burned a ton of calories (614 in 60 min) and was wiped out afterwards. It was as challenging as running without the extra impact on my joints. I loved it!!!! This is something I could see myself doing with my daughter and we could switch off doing floor and trampoline exercise just like in class.



Killer running sprints at the end

Jumpsport Trampoline class was definitely the best class that I attended at Fitbloggin. The energy was HIGH and the class was truly designed for all levels to participate.
 
 
There was one more fitness opportunity that totally rocked my fitness world, but I am going to save that one for it's very own post.

What's your favorite form of exercise?
Do you prefer to go it alone or with a group?


~Kari






 


Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Ready...set...Go?

Tomorrow is our last day of vacation. I have loved spending time with the family and am ready to head home. We will spend one last day lounging by the pool and digging up shells. It has been relaxing and refreshing.

My mind still drifts to Fitbloggin when I wake up in the morning. That conference had such an impact on me and allowed me to refocus on my health and fitness goals. I finished reading Eat Clean for Families and Kids and am more convinced than ever that is this the direction that I want, that I need to go. Hubby is scared. He has worried about cost, time, and taste. Maybe he's right. Maybe my post-fitbloggin/vacation lounging mind has bitten off more than I can chew. When people complain that they don't have the "time" to exercise I get so irritated. I have the time. They have the time. I think the same way about food prep. We all have the same amount of time in our days. It's all about how we choose to spend that time. Many of the blogs I read around clean eating talk about how they spend hours (!!!!) prepping food for the week. Hours? Do I have hours????

We use emeals for our meal planning for dinners. Do you use emeals? We were reluctant at first and have now found them to be a lifesaver. Currently we are on the classic meals plan. We are going to try the clean eating dinners. I'm going shopping on Wednesday night for our first round of clean eating dinners. Kids and hubby hate vegetables. I foresee dinner being a battle for the next week.

I want this. For the first time ever in my weight loss journey I want to eat healthy because I want to feel good and I want my body to perform at optimum. It's not about losing a few pounds. It's about being the healthiest me that I can be. Am I worth the time and extra money (this one is still in question) that it might cost? The rah-rah cheerleader in my says YES!, the fat girl in the corner has her doubts.

~Kari

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Eating Clean The Beginning

I am currently reading Eating Clean for Families and Kids by Tosca Reno.

I laugh at people that eat clean. Why would you want to eat a bowl of strawberries over a snickers bar? Aren't you starving? What DO you eat?

Hubby has great questions- Doesn't it cost more? Isn't everything bland/boring? Do we have time to cook more food?

The kids have issues- But we like Lucky Charms. Where's the chocolate? What about ice cream? Can I have another pop tart? (I can't be the only one that feeds my kids these foods?!?!?)

Halfway through the book and I am feeling super conflicted and a little bit guilty. A serving of Lucky Charms has the same amount of sugar as a Kit Kat! I would never give my kids a kit kat for breakfast, but would allow them to eat a sugar cereal. She has suggestions for ways to clean up breakfast- eggs, fresh fruit, plain yogurt, granola. My kids will eat those foods, but they require a lot more time on my part to prepare. Can I rearrange my mornings in a way that make time for cooking breakfast.

Chapter 3 is Getting Your Family on Board- This is going to be tough. I'm barely on board. I don't want to deprive them on "tasty" food, but their health is super important to me. How cool would it be if they grew up with an understanding of healthy foods.The key on this one is going to be getting the kids and hubby involved in the shopping, taste testing, and preppy of foods. They hate veggies. Sissy likes broccoli, but that's about it. Tosca suggests starting with a veggie they love- broccoli every day it is! :)

Last night I *tried* to eat clean for dinner. We had grilled chicken. I grilled up some red pepper and onion. Lettuce from the garden rounded out my meal.

 
 
It was great! I felt full and satisfied.
 
After dinner I had smores. Baby steps, baby steps.
 
~Kari

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Fitbloggin: Lesson's Learned

*This is so long....stick with me! Good stuff in here.*

Lessons learned....hmmmm... have I really learned them?
Time will only tell. Maybe I'll learn them for a week. Maybe for a lifetime?

Most of the sessions that I attended at Fitbloggin were around the healthy living side of things. My blogging is more of an outlet than a business. I only started blogging because a co-worker encouraged me to get my story out there. When I started blogging I had no idea how much I would learn from others while working to get my story out.

The two sessions that really moved me were the Getting Back from Gaining Back and Dealing with Your Before when you Reach your after. The irony of attending a "reach your after" and a "gaining back" seminar make me laugh. If I've reached my after than why in the world did I gain back???? Both of these sessions were #1 on my must attend list.

Reaching My After

I'm not who I was when I started this journey. Mostly everything about me has changed- food preferences, hobbies, interests, priorities, relationships. I've changed but many of the things around me are still the same. There are times in my life when my after doesn't mesh with the world around me. I find myself apologizing to people that aren't happy with my changes because I am the one that has changed. They didn't sign up for this change. The changes in my life that caused me to lose weight are a good thing. I am happier and healthier. Not everyone loves that changes that my after created.

During the discussion we were encouraged to think about why we got heavy to begin with. Why? I ate too much crap and never exercised. Is there more than that?

Revelation #1- As a child I snuck food for fear that my brothers would get more than me. At a very early ago (8 or 9) I started to "feel" fat and talk to my friends about diets. I wasn't fat. I wasn't even "big" until middle school. A little self fulfilling prophesy? I remember I met someone and he told me, "Your name is Kari. That's why you are fat. Every Kari I know is fat". ((UGHHHH!!!! HATE that kid)  I truly believe that I became morbidly obese because I deceided very early on that I had no choice but to be fat. I now know that I have a choice.

The cool thing about healthy living is that there really isn't a finish line. There is always a new race to run, a new exercise to master or a new healthy food to try.

Revelation #2- My after is an ongoing process. There isn't a magical finish line when I get to put up my feet and say, "All done". There's not an "all done", just a "what's next"!


Gaining Back

It's no secret that over the past 6 months I regained 20 pounds that I was convinced were gone forever. It was so encouraging to talk with others that had gained back after losing. I felt like such a failure gaining back after having lost. I felt like I had let others down, like I had failed.

During this session I started to think about why I gained back those 20 pounds. It comes down to the fact that I had stopped tracking and was eating way more than my body needed. My exercise has been spot on, so I know that it's the food. Here's the thing- I don't want to track forever. There is nothing wrong with tracking. Nothing at all. It worked for me. It works for a lot of people.

Revelation #3- If I no longer want to record, than I need to seriously start looking at my food choices. This will mean less processed foods and more clean, natural, raw food.

Truth be told- "clean" eating terrifies me. It seems like so much work and so expensive. For the first time ever I am at a place in my life where I WANT to eat clean. I want to eat foods that don't require me to count out pieces for fear of having too many calories. I want my food to fuel my body and make me a stronger athlete. THIS scares me!


I could share so, so, so much more, but this is getting super long.
Are you still reading? What are your current fitness goals? Do you feel like you've reached your after? How do you live in a world that has not changed when you have changed in more ways that you can count?

~Kari



Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Fitbloggin- The PEOPLE

I learned quickly at Fitbloggin that it truly was all about the people! There were some people that were going to be there that I KNEW I wanted to meet. I wanted to meet Alan....



I wanted to meet Emily...



I wanted to meet David.... (someday I *may* tell you about making a fool of myself while gushing over him. I know now how my kids felt the first them they saw Mickey Mouse in real life. Not that David is Mickey Mouse, but you get the picture.)

I wanted to meet Carla.... AAAAKKKKK! No picture with Carla. I swear, I met her. :) 


Meeting my blog favorites was amazing! Even more amazing was meeting the people that I didn't even know existed before this weekend. People that in 3 short days I came to adore. 

So many people that I can't possibly do them justice. Liz was so authentic. Margo so inviting. There is Emily who I actually talked to randomly in the bathroom and then ended up sitting next to at dinner. Erin is hysterical and such an encouraging presence. Sarah who is from England and has a fantastic accent. My amazing roomates Sharla and Kay Lynn. Rooming with strangers was a bit odd, but totally turned out to be perfect. Stephanie was one of the firsts to come up to me the first night to say hi. Dacia took me to try on tri suits! Paola was always ready to swoop in when I was looking lonely. (She's up top with Alan!!!!!) So many more people!!! I am sure in the weeks to come that more people will pop up as I process Fitbloggin. 







I know I am leaving people out! 

Fitbloggin is amazing for so many reasons. The biggest reason of all is the people. It was such a great reminder to me to take time in my life for people. We all are busy. This past weekend was a great reminder to me that I need to invest in those around me. As I said yesterday, we all have a story. Fitbloggin reminded me to take the time to sit and listen to the stories that people have to tell. 

More Fitbloggin recaps to come! 

~Kari





About Me

My photo
On June 19, 2009 I started my weight loss journey. It has become quite the journey! As of today (2-1-11) I have lost 162 pounds and have gained a whole new life. This blog is a continuation of my journey. I hope to inspire and encourage others through my process.