The Carb Time Change Experiment

There is a lot of talk out there about when to eat carbs (such as grains, beans, etc). Some say only during the first part of the day. Some say anytime you want. Some try to avoid most all together. When I say carbs I mean all three types (starches, sugars, fiber). I have yet to figure out what works best for me. For quite awhile since coming back to California we had been having carbs with our meals throughout the day and late in the evening. I was working out harder than I had before with much more intense cardio included and still had not seen the results I had been working toward.  My fiance' recommended a change in our daily menus. A long time ago we purchased some exercise equipment by Gold's Gym that came with a little booklet of diet suggestions for building more muscle. It suggests making every meal count (including snacks) and having 6 meals a day. From 7am-7pm. The first 3 meals are protein & carbs and the last 3 are protein & veggie.

Hmm. Why not? Let's give it a try! I had cut out dairy and sugar (recommended by my herbalist) again recently, why not make a few more adjustments? So we figured it all out and started right away. The first few nights my stomach was not happy with me in the evening and I had to go to bed hungry with cravings for things like popcorn and chips. It was kind of miserable. But after the third day my body started to adjust. The hardest part was getting my water in during the day. I had been used to drinking most of my water in the morning but eating the first meal so early I didn't have much time to do that. It also meant exercising with out fasting. I am starting to see a little difference in my weight (less bloating) already even without the intense workouts I had been doing. I'm hoping that as I build back up my workouts the muscles will start to respond to the added protein I'm getting in. Will let you know the results after a couple of months of experimenting. Any thoughts on carbs and what has worked for you?

Listen to Your Body

 This summer I finished a workout program called Power 90. It really upped my cardio level. I suck at cardio. Was around cigarette smoke since birth and smoked myself for over 20 yrs before quitting so needless to say my lungs are not great. Anyways, I enjoyed the workout and wanted to push myself to the next level. I decided to give Insanity a try. For those of you that don't know, it's a 6 day a week cardio marathon for two months. Yikes, right?

 Last month I started Insanity with the fit test and actually did pretty good. It gave me the motivation to continue to try the program. The first week was intense. I was afraid I wasn't going to make it through the week. But I pushed everyday and it did get a bit easier over time. I completed 3 weeks of Insanity and was seeing a huge difference in my body. A lot less jiggle in places that I had been working on for months. I was pretty happy about it. Although I did miss weight training. Not bad at 42. Then something happened.

 It was probably a combination of a lot of different things, but anyways I ended up in a depression that was pretty bad. I lost all energy and motivation to workout. I tried one day and barely made it though a light workout. Gave up again for another week. It was tough. Exercise is my outlet and usually the way I keep positive and full of energy, to not have that ability was really disappointing. As I came out of the fog I finally pushed myself to workout, wasn't ready for insanity so for the next few days I just did fat burner express from the power 90 program which is still cardio.

 This last week, I decided to try to alternate cardio and weight training with a combination of videos to work myself up to Insanity speed. I also decided to change up my diet as far as what I eat for each meal, my fiancee also wanted to change when we eat each meal. Following a suggested guide by Golds Gym. Having each meal count and include protein. Three carb and protein meals followed by three veggie and protein meals. My cardio is still weak but I feel a bit physically stronger. I may add Insanity into next weeks lineup a couple times a week. We'll see.

  The main thing is to listen to your body. No matter what program or workout regimen your doing. If you have an injury, or like me, have lost your energy and strength, stop and take a look at what your body might need. A rest, change in routine or diet. One thing that I have learned along the way is to be flexible and go with the flow. I'm not competing in any competitions, nor do I get paid to do or complete any programs. It is all for me and how I want to look and feel. One thing I know is that I will not give up my goals.

Detox Your Body

One important aspect of bettering your health, especially when you begin as toxic as I was, is to detox. I have been gently doing that for years now with green smoothies, lots of clean non-chlorinated water and regular exercise.

Green smoothies are made in the blender and I have them daily an hour before dinner. The chlorophyll helps your cells detox and the fiber will help clean your colon. I add lemon to the smoothie as a natural preservative (keeps for almost a week in the fridge) as well as to help ward off cancer. I also add Vitamin C powder and Spirulina for added health benefits. It's an easy way to add veggies to your day as well. The key ingredients I use are kale, celery, parsley, cilantro, carrots, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and water (supplements above).

Most people are highly dehydrated and slow down their bodies ability to function properly all together. Each person is supposed to drink a minimum of half their body weight in ounces of water each day. Drinking plenty of water also allows you to detox naturally through your bowels. Try drinking 30 ounces of water or more upon rising and for the first couple of hours of the day to get things moving along.

Working up a good sweat lets you detox through your skin.  Make sure you wash this sweat off your body as soon as you can to keep pores from getting clogged and causing blemishes. Just imagine what is coming out of your skin if you are constantly taking in harmful toxins. Yuck.

Lately, I have been introduced to hydrotherapy (colonic). While taking herbs for healing and detoxifying the body it was recommended that hydrotherapy would be beneficial as well. I had no idea that even though I had been regular for quite some time now on my healthier lifestyle that I still may have lots of build up in my colon. Well after two treatments the evidence spoke for itself. My stomach was noticeably smaller. Wow. Amazing.

Beauty Inside and Out

Being healthy radiates to the outside. It's no joke. You just have a glow about you. Your nails are clearer, your hair breaks off less and has less split ends and your complexion is amazing. I've gone from over 200 lbs, toxic and using tons of harmful beauty products daily to a fit size 8, healthy and use nothing but gentle (organic when possible) beauty products. I look at pictures and am amazed at the transformation to this day. Your skin absorbs the chemicals you put on ladies, whether it be hair dye, make up or nail polish. You can look your best and be good to your body too.

I've found some products that I have used for quite some time now that I swear by. No I'm not paid by any to advertise, I just thought you might like to try them. One is Tate's miracle shampoo and conditioner (I order online by the gallon) they have many different uses and they work wonderful. My hair has never looked so healthy or grown so well in my life. I don't dye it or bleach it anymore either. The make up I use is 100% pure. I buy mine at Lazy Acres but you can find them online too. I use the tinted moisturizer, pot rouge (for cheeks and eyes), mascara and gloss and I'm good to go anywhere. My skin and lashes feel great! As far as polish goes, I don't need any these days. My nails are so clear it looks like I have a french manicure all the time. When I want to make them look really great I buffer them. Sharing some beauty secrets I've found. Hope you will find ways to let go of the harmful chemicals you might still be using.

Self Love is So Important

As I looked in the mirror this morning as I do everyday, I found myself looking at the more defined muscles of my upper body instead of picking apart my lower half. Yes I have saggy skin, cellulite and stubborn fat to get rid of still from my weight loss journey, but today I am making a conscious effort to not solely focus on those areas when I am looking at my reflection. For me it has been a constant struggle to find self love. I am my own worse critic and I don't know if that will ever change but I am more gentle on myself each day. I have learned to appreciate my body for all of the terrible things I have put it through in the past, all the healing that it had to go through and all the hard work that it does for me now.

We only get one body in this life and what we do with it is our choice. For today and the rest of my life, I'm going to strive to do what is best for my body as well as my spirit. I want to live a long healthy life. In order to do that I must continue to learn ways to love myself and let my body know that I care.  In the movie Hungry for Change, Dr Northrup suggested that we put a note in the places we look the most that says, "I totally and completely love and accept myself right now." I immediately did just that. I am starting to think it has helped me. What do you think? Do you love yourself as you are today?

Confidence in Sharing Your Story Part 2

Last month I talked about a couple of opportunities that had come my way to share my story with a wider audience on other peoples blogs. This month I was notified that they had been published! More than one emotion washed over me. Part of me was excited and proud and the other was apprehensive and had butterflies. Overall humbled to be able to share my story with others in hopes of helping even one other person out there achieve a healthier life.

I want to say thank you to Anna, who took the time to write me and ask if I would like to share on her blog. I so appreciate all of the fit community who take time out of their busy day to reach out to others. Her blog is amazing! Please go check out my story and the rest of her blog at http://www.rulesofdieting.com/kristies-weight-loss-success-story/. Thanks to her I was able to share my story with another blog as well. Thank you Lydia for agreeing to share my story as well. You can read the full edition of my story and check out Lydia's blog at http://divinehealthfromtheinsideout.com/2014/06/from-size-18-to-8-2/

I hope my blog readers will find all of what I shared on these blogs just as helpful as what I have posted on here. I have not had many comments as of yet and I do hope that you all feel free to share your thoughts and feelings with me.

Confidence in Sharing Your Story Part 1

 For some time now I have been sharing my story with as many people as I could that would listen. First with family, second some friends, third viewers of my FB page and this blog and then the world. My mom and fiancee are constantly telling people to find my FB page for info on better health too. It is something that I feel passionate about sharing. I wished that I had someone around to do so for me when I was thinking about making this lifestyle choice. I want to be there for others. I really feel that anyone out there can do this for themselves if they just have the right information and desire to change. The hardest part for me in getting the word out there is that I am a bit on the shy side. It has been easy to put info on a FB page and blog, less scary for someone that blushes at the drop of a hat. What I have felt the need to do lately though is work on my confidence so that I can start to break out of my shell.
Earlier this month I was asked via FB to do a couple of interviews on how I achieved my weight loss. The first person to do so would be via Skype. Gotta say my first reaction was, yikes on camera? I'll have to think about that. I was told to check out some of the other interviews that were done and get back to him. I did, but too bad for me, he has not gotten back with me. You snooze you lose huh? No worries it wasn't long before someone else asked me to do an interview but this time via a blog. I immediately said yes this time and to my surprise it led to being featured on another blog as well. Getting my story out to try and help as many people on their journey as possible has been my goal from the beginning, so needless to say I am thrilled. I was told they will appear on these blogs sometime next month.
Then yesterday I was given an opportunity by my fiancee to share some info with a couple of girls at the service department. At first just writing down my FB page name. That in turn led to some further comments, which led to an intro to my story and hope in their eyes. It wasn't as embarrassing for me to talk with them as it has with others in the past. It's a step in the right direction anyways. I'm seriously considering making some business cards with my FB page and blog on them to hand out in times like these. Who knows where this journey will take me in the future. Hmmm. Something to think about.