Monday, March 11, 2013
21 Day Sugar Detox- week 1: check!
I ate three meals out this weekend...and all 3 were 100% detox friendly!
And I even got a small iced black coffee today. (I NEVER drink black coffee)
The cravings are finally subsiding, although they are still there. Not getting a diet soda when I was out to lunch this weekend was VERY hard.
It's interesting though- there has been two times now where I've tasted something that I know isn't sweet but tastes incredibly sweet to me. It's incredible! First was a red bell pepper. Oh my gosh! It seriously tasted like candy. And then earlier tonight was Kombucha that just had ginger and unsweetened cranberry juice added to it. It tasted incredibly sweet and I know without a shadow of a doubt that typically unsweetened cranberry juice is not sweet. I'm happy about this development though-- means that things are happening!
...And now I've completed week 1. Two more to go--I'm ready to keep truckin' along!
(p.s. I haven't been paying too close attention to the scale but I think Im down about 4 pounds or so!)
Thursday, March 7, 2013
21 DSD- day 5!
Today I said no to a handful of chocolate chips, bunny grahams, and goldfish. It was so difficult!!! I work as a nanny and boy is it hard not to grab a handful of this or that when it's snack time. Wowzers. But I said no so I'm taking it as a victory.
I did better with water today and am quite certain I will get more than the normal 6 hours of sleep tonight.
The cravings haven't subsided yet...Im anxiously waiting that time to come. Maybe day 5 wont be as much of a tease?
I'm learning about me mindfully eating on this cleanse....even though when I eat it's mostly paleo I grab handfuls of things, a piece of fruit, etc. without even realizing it! Pretty interesting to observe.
Goodbye day 4, onto day 5!
goodnight-
I did better with water today and am quite certain I will get more than the normal 6 hours of sleep tonight.
The cravings haven't subsided yet...Im anxiously waiting that time to come. Maybe day 5 wont be as much of a tease?
I'm learning about me mindfully eating on this cleanse....even though when I eat it's mostly paleo I grab handfuls of things, a piece of fruit, etc. without even realizing it! Pretty interesting to observe.
Goodbye day 4, onto day 5!
goodnight-
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Day 3
Today was rough.
I'm about to go to bed so here are the highlights.
--headache again this afternoon (and again now actually)
--I feel more hungry than normal...like i have to eat more to feel equally satisfied
--could have done better on the water; didn't hit 64oz. today.
--get really tired after being awake for about 9 hrs.
--I ate A LOT of almonds. I couldn't stop!
Most importantly though: I did it and am still on track!
I'm about to go to bed so here are the highlights.
--headache again this afternoon (and again now actually)
--I feel more hungry than normal...like i have to eat more to feel equally satisfied
--could have done better on the water; didn't hit 64oz. today.
--get really tired after being awake for about 9 hrs.
--I ate A LOT of almonds. I couldn't stop!
Most importantly though: I did it and am still on track!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
21 Day Sugar Detox: Day 2
I made it. Huzzah!
I woke up very hungry this morning but noticed that I slept really really well last night.
Hit a pretty low energy point in the afternoon when I was working on some school work at the computer and experienced a headache too. All to be expected really. I made a point to drink a lot of water today and I think that helped. Probably over 64 oz. when all was said and done- I will try to do the same tomorrow!
Here is what I ate:
3 hard boiled eggs
piece of fruit
some roasted almonds
healthy portion of my beef stew
bag of veggies that had: carrots, celery, tomato
and a new recipe for dinner!
The recipe was sausage stuffed portabella mushroom caps. Essentially you bake the caps up and then cook up some sausage, onion, and spinach (I used broccoli) to then combine with some egg and a little coconut flour. Put the sausage mixture on top of the mushroom caps and broil for 5 minutes. Lastly top with tomato sauce. Delish!!
Anyways, I've been up a long time and am all tuckered out so Im headed to bed.
Goodnight- see you tomorrow.
Julia
I woke up very hungry this morning but noticed that I slept really really well last night.
Hit a pretty low energy point in the afternoon when I was working on some school work at the computer and experienced a headache too. All to be expected really. I made a point to drink a lot of water today and I think that helped. Probably over 64 oz. when all was said and done- I will try to do the same tomorrow!
Here is what I ate:
3 hard boiled eggs
piece of fruit
some roasted almonds
healthy portion of my beef stew
bag of veggies that had: carrots, celery, tomato
and a new recipe for dinner!
The recipe was sausage stuffed portabella mushroom caps. Essentially you bake the caps up and then cook up some sausage, onion, and spinach (I used broccoli) to then combine with some egg and a little coconut flour. Put the sausage mixture on top of the mushroom caps and broil for 5 minutes. Lastly top with tomato sauce. Delish!!
Anyways, I've been up a long time and am all tuckered out so Im headed to bed.
Goodnight- see you tomorrow.
Julia
Monday, March 4, 2013
21 Day Sugar Detox- day 1
Life has been a crazy whirlwind and I finally feel like I have a few weeks to breathe now that a few big tasks are behind me. Ahhh.
Things with school are going well...I just went back and read a few posts back and to my loyal readers in blog-land: I ended up purchasing that Horn that I mentioned I had been trying out back in November. I love it! Just performed a recital on it also which I thought went really well. *phew!*
In the weeks leading up to the recital I cleaned up my eating and, in turn, officially lost the 8-9 pounds I gained over the course of last semester. Boy did that feel nice! But, in the process of being crazy stressed in preparation for my recital I told myself that after my recital I would buckle down some and concentrate on myself. I made it a goal to attain a relatively normal sleep schedule and get my eating back in check. I'm tired of gaining and losing the same 5 pounds...I'd like to build off of the 20 pounds I lost 8-10 months or so ago. And who knows, maybe I can even figure out a way to fit in a workout or two during the week. :P
This is where the 21 day sugar detox comes in...this happens to be coming at the perfect time for me and, after a week of celebrating my recital being over, I'd say it's time to get back on track.
(side note: when in music school your recital is similar to a very very large project so is very time consuming)
Day 1 Report
I think it's just as much a lack of sleep thing as it is the detox but boy am I tired on day 1...wow! I expected this though so I'm not necessarily alarmed- just bummed I have over a 15 hour day today. Sleep tonight will be awesome.
I'm excited about the next 21 days and I'm hopeful that it will help re-create some habits as I enter into the last part of my school semester.
Here's what has been on the menu so far today:
3 hard boiled eggs and a piece of fruit for breakfast
Some roasted almonds and cut up carrots and tomatoes for snack
Hearty bowl of beef vegetable stew for lunch.
--I will have more beef stew for dinner--
For those familiar with the detox lingo- this is my first round of the detox and I'm doing level 3 with one exception: I decided to do the cleanse after I had gone grocery shopping so I have some fruit that I'm technically not supposed to have. (Your choices are typically either a green apple or a green-tipped banana) So- I will still be only having one piece of fruit a day but am going to not let those pieces of fruit go to waste.
But, other than that we are on track and ready.
I'm going to try to check-in every day...hopefully I can find the time in my schedule to do so.
So, until tomorrow-
J
Things with school are going well...I just went back and read a few posts back and to my loyal readers in blog-land: I ended up purchasing that Horn that I mentioned I had been trying out back in November. I love it! Just performed a recital on it also which I thought went really well. *phew!*
In the weeks leading up to the recital I cleaned up my eating and, in turn, officially lost the 8-9 pounds I gained over the course of last semester. Boy did that feel nice! But, in the process of being crazy stressed in preparation for my recital I told myself that after my recital I would buckle down some and concentrate on myself. I made it a goal to attain a relatively normal sleep schedule and get my eating back in check. I'm tired of gaining and losing the same 5 pounds...I'd like to build off of the 20 pounds I lost 8-10 months or so ago. And who knows, maybe I can even figure out a way to fit in a workout or two during the week. :P
This is where the 21 day sugar detox comes in...this happens to be coming at the perfect time for me and, after a week of celebrating my recital being over, I'd say it's time to get back on track.
(side note: when in music school your recital is similar to a very very large project so is very time consuming)
Day 1 Report
I think it's just as much a lack of sleep thing as it is the detox but boy am I tired on day 1...wow! I expected this though so I'm not necessarily alarmed- just bummed I have over a 15 hour day today. Sleep tonight will be awesome.
I'm excited about the next 21 days and I'm hopeful that it will help re-create some habits as I enter into the last part of my school semester.
Here's what has been on the menu so far today:
3 hard boiled eggs and a piece of fruit for breakfast
Some roasted almonds and cut up carrots and tomatoes for snack
Hearty bowl of beef vegetable stew for lunch.
--I will have more beef stew for dinner--
For those familiar with the detox lingo- this is my first round of the detox and I'm doing level 3 with one exception: I decided to do the cleanse after I had gone grocery shopping so I have some fruit that I'm technically not supposed to have. (Your choices are typically either a green apple or a green-tipped banana) So- I will still be only having one piece of fruit a day but am going to not let those pieces of fruit go to waste.
But, other than that we are on track and ready.
I'm going to try to check-in every day...hopefully I can find the time in my schedule to do so.
So, until tomorrow-
J
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
We all have 'em: Triggers
I've been thinking a lot lately about why many of us have tried so many "diets" only to give up 2 months in...or perhaps even 2 weeks of 2 days. Why is that?
(As a side note I must say that I don't really consider paleo to be a "diet" anymore, but I talk about it as if it is because I do want to lose weight while eating this way and also because it's quite different than the "normal" American diet.)
Anyways- while attempting to eat '100% paleo' I am usually not '100% perfect.' Go figure! :P
But I've been trying to figure about what my triggers are so that I can be a little more successful each day. Here are some things I've come up with:
1) "Hi my name is Julia, and I love all things sugar."
I believe that as a society we are all whole-heartedly hooked on sugar. In makes sense...it's what fuels our bodies! But boy do we over do it, and boy is all that stuff addictive. I'm no scientist and can't even cite studies but I've read things that have said that sugar is just as addictive as some drugs. This may seem a little dramatic but I still think it drives the point home.
2) I love all things sugar even more when I am tired.
I have realized that I must sleep enough in order to make this happen. Experts say you need a good night sleep in order to lost weight because it allows your body to do a whole bunch of good things that support your weight loss. Cool, right? Yea, sure. But for me it's simply because if I'm not rested enough I want to go for sugary things that give me quick energy!
p.s. I wake up super early everyday for work so I have a hard time with the whole sleep thing.
3) I consider dessert type things to be a reward.
These first 3 were a perfect trifecta last week. Here's how the story goes: I was tired and hit my wall hardcore around 3p. So what do I do? Head over to the coffee shop to get my afternoon cup of tea. (all is good, so far...) And then I see this cookie that a friend of mine told me was awesome. And then I remember that I had played really well earlier that day in a competition so I deserved that cookie. And then I remembered why I was there in the first place (exhaustion!). So yea, the cookie begged for me to buy it and boy was it delicious. ha!
4) If I don't plan I'm screwed!
I usually have to pack all 3 meals everyday which gets a little hard come Wednesday or Thursday night when all I want to do is go to bed....but the days that I don't plan I pay for it the next days- both with my choices and with my wallet.
5) I say "well, I can just re-start tomorrow."
Yikes. This generally leads to one bad choice followed by the rest of they day filled with bad choices.
6) Happy hour.
nuff said. Can't go to happy hour starving; it's dangerous! And I need to order better drinks...even if they do cost a little more.
7) I'm human, and therefore not perfect.
_________________
Now, with all that said- things are going well! I had lost a few pounds just before Thanksgiving and put them right back on over that weekend but have been back on track and am back down to my pre-Thanksgiving weight. And I don't regret any of it either. haha. And yes- I did have pie for breakfast one morning. :)
Things with school and work are good too! Some really exciting stuff in the works, actually. The past couple weeks have been one of those rare occasions where I actually feel like some of my hard work is paying off. It's been really refreshing. More on all of this later.
That's all for now, thanks for checking in-
J
(As a side note I must say that I don't really consider paleo to be a "diet" anymore, but I talk about it as if it is because I do want to lose weight while eating this way and also because it's quite different than the "normal" American diet.)
Anyways- while attempting to eat '100% paleo' I am usually not '100% perfect.' Go figure! :P
But I've been trying to figure about what my triggers are so that I can be a little more successful each day. Here are some things I've come up with:
1) "Hi my name is Julia, and I love all things sugar."
I believe that as a society we are all whole-heartedly hooked on sugar. In makes sense...it's what fuels our bodies! But boy do we over do it, and boy is all that stuff addictive. I'm no scientist and can't even cite studies but I've read things that have said that sugar is just as addictive as some drugs. This may seem a little dramatic but I still think it drives the point home.
2) I love all things sugar even more when I am tired.
I have realized that I must sleep enough in order to make this happen. Experts say you need a good night sleep in order to lost weight because it allows your body to do a whole bunch of good things that support your weight loss. Cool, right? Yea, sure. But for me it's simply because if I'm not rested enough I want to go for sugary things that give me quick energy!
p.s. I wake up super early everyday for work so I have a hard time with the whole sleep thing.
3) I consider dessert type things to be a reward.
These first 3 were a perfect trifecta last week. Here's how the story goes: I was tired and hit my wall hardcore around 3p. So what do I do? Head over to the coffee shop to get my afternoon cup of tea. (all is good, so far...) And then I see this cookie that a friend of mine told me was awesome. And then I remember that I had played really well earlier that day in a competition so I deserved that cookie. And then I remembered why I was there in the first place (exhaustion!). So yea, the cookie begged for me to buy it and boy was it delicious. ha!
4) If I don't plan I'm screwed!
I usually have to pack all 3 meals everyday which gets a little hard come Wednesday or Thursday night when all I want to do is go to bed....but the days that I don't plan I pay for it the next days- both with my choices and with my wallet.
5) I say "well, I can just re-start tomorrow."
Yikes. This generally leads to one bad choice followed by the rest of they day filled with bad choices.
6) Happy hour.
nuff said. Can't go to happy hour starving; it's dangerous! And I need to order better drinks...even if they do cost a little more.
7) I'm human, and therefore not perfect.
_________________
Now, with all that said- things are going well! I had lost a few pounds just before Thanksgiving and put them right back on over that weekend but have been back on track and am back down to my pre-Thanksgiving weight. And I don't regret any of it either. haha. And yes- I did have pie for breakfast one morning. :)
Things with school and work are good too! Some really exciting stuff in the works, actually. The past couple weeks have been one of those rare occasions where I actually feel like some of my hard work is paying off. It's been really refreshing. More on all of this later.
That's all for now, thanks for checking in-
J
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Truckin' Along and Building Habits
Hey hey!
Well, after I make a big deal about being back I suddenly disappear again. Although not for as long....and not because I wanted to necessarily either. But alas, working close to 20hrs a week while going to grad school full time leaves extra time at a minimum. :)
I do have the beginnings of some fun recipe and cooking posts though! Perhaps I'll find time this weekend or next to sit down and finish them. :)
I'm truckin' along though. Most days I classify as "mostly paleo" but that works for me right now so I'll take it. Yesterday turned out to be a 100% paleo day which was great.
Perhaps it's just a matter of building my "planning ahead" habits more so that eating cleanly becomes the new normal? I think I might be onto something there... :P
Had a midterm last night and I'm so glad that that's behind me! Now just 5 more school days until the beloved time off that is Thanksgiving. Just the thought of catching up on sleep makes me so happy! Haha.
Aside from all the foodie stuff, the most exciting thing in my world right now though is that I'm searching for a new Horn! It's been really fun looking around and playing on a whole bunch of horns...especially because I can actually afford to buy one should I find one I really like.
And the little added bonus to all of this is that I'm currently borrowing one that is perfectly in my price range that I'm, so far, really liking. I'm going to play on it for a few weeks and hopefully for some more trusted sets of ears but it looks promising so far. :)
That's all for now I suppose; I've got a 3 year old vying for my attention!
Xo-
J
Well, after I make a big deal about being back I suddenly disappear again. Although not for as long....and not because I wanted to necessarily either. But alas, working close to 20hrs a week while going to grad school full time leaves extra time at a minimum. :)
I do have the beginnings of some fun recipe and cooking posts though! Perhaps I'll find time this weekend or next to sit down and finish them. :)
I'm truckin' along though. Most days I classify as "mostly paleo" but that works for me right now so I'll take it. Yesterday turned out to be a 100% paleo day which was great.
Perhaps it's just a matter of building my "planning ahead" habits more so that eating cleanly becomes the new normal? I think I might be onto something there... :P
Had a midterm last night and I'm so glad that that's behind me! Now just 5 more school days until the beloved time off that is Thanksgiving. Just the thought of catching up on sleep makes me so happy! Haha.
Aside from all the foodie stuff, the most exciting thing in my world right now though is that I'm searching for a new Horn! It's been really fun looking around and playing on a whole bunch of horns...especially because I can actually afford to buy one should I find one I really like.
And the little added bonus to all of this is that I'm currently borrowing one that is perfectly in my price range that I'm, so far, really liking. I'm going to play on it for a few weeks and hopefully for some more trusted sets of ears but it looks promising so far. :)
That's all for now I suppose; I've got a 3 year old vying for my attention!
Xo-
J
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Im Baaaack!
I'm back....almost 4 months later!
Since my last post I think it would be safe to say that a lot of life has happened. I traveled for a month at the end of the summer, moved to a new city in a new state, started multiple new jobs, and began a Doctoral program. And amidst all of that kept on living life.
It's been quite the transition this time around but I finally feel like I have a grasp on things here and have decided that it's time to put my weight loss goals back in the forefront. I haven't really gained any weight in the past 4 months, which I suppose is a victory, but I sure don't weigh less than I did during my last post.
And today, after a couple of days off of school and a questionable date with a pint of Ben and Jerry's I've decided that now is the time. So here I am...back for more. But this time my aim is different- I'm not just in this to do "hardcore for 30 days"; I'm here to work on making paleo sustainable for me long term while also working my ass off at school so that I can accomplish the things I want to. Both of these things require A LOT of time and energy and, to be frank, I have yet to find the balance. But I'm going to keep trying. And I'm going to write about it. So while this is still a 'paleo blog'- I'm also giving myself the freedom to write about other stuff too because we all know we get bored of an only food blog. And the other stuff is, in a roundabout way, is what motivates me to want to pursue paleo long term.
Before I sign off can we talk about my totally awesome new blog name. :) I thought it was appropriate! I'd say that eating paleo requires a good amount of creativity and, well, I'm gettting a Doctorate degree in music...wouldn't you say that requires a lot of creativity too? So yes, "Creative Living!" Huzzah!
That's all for now; it feels good to be back!
Until next time-
Julia
Since my last post I think it would be safe to say that a lot of life has happened. I traveled for a month at the end of the summer, moved to a new city in a new state, started multiple new jobs, and began a Doctoral program. And amidst all of that kept on living life.
It's been quite the transition this time around but I finally feel like I have a grasp on things here and have decided that it's time to put my weight loss goals back in the forefront. I haven't really gained any weight in the past 4 months, which I suppose is a victory, but I sure don't weigh less than I did during my last post.
And today, after a couple of days off of school and a questionable date with a pint of Ben and Jerry's I've decided that now is the time. So here I am...back for more. But this time my aim is different- I'm not just in this to do "hardcore for 30 days"; I'm here to work on making paleo sustainable for me long term while also working my ass off at school so that I can accomplish the things I want to. Both of these things require A LOT of time and energy and, to be frank, I have yet to find the balance. But I'm going to keep trying. And I'm going to write about it. So while this is still a 'paleo blog'- I'm also giving myself the freedom to write about other stuff too because we all know we get bored of an only food blog. And the other stuff is, in a roundabout way, is what motivates me to want to pursue paleo long term.
Before I sign off can we talk about my totally awesome new blog name. :) I thought it was appropriate! I'd say that eating paleo requires a good amount of creativity and, well, I'm gettting a Doctorate degree in music...wouldn't you say that requires a lot of creativity too? So yes, "Creative Living!" Huzzah!
That's all for now; it feels good to be back!
Until next time-
Julia
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Almost, but not quite
I am one of those gals that does when all the experts tell us not to do: I weigh myself every day. It's mainly a curiosity thing and it helps to keep my accountable. And surprisingly, when the scales vary throughout the week I don't even really every worry about it because I know that I only count the number that I see on the scale on Wednesday mornings.
Here's the thing though, I saw the scale hit the 20 pound mark twice earlier in the week and this morning I came up short! So, as you might imagine, I'm a little bummed because I wanted to "officially" be down 20 pounds and now I'm just "unofficially" down 20. Almost sounds petty to write it but that's where I'm at. *boo!*
So officially? I'm down 19.6 pounds total. I need to kill it the next 2 1/2 weeks....I really want to get down another 5.4 pounds!
Anyways, Happy 4th of July!! :D I'm off to meat my friend Nicholas for breakfast.
xoxo-
J
Here's the thing though, I saw the scale hit the 20 pound mark twice earlier in the week and this morning I came up short! So, as you might imagine, I'm a little bummed because I wanted to "officially" be down 20 pounds and now I'm just "unofficially" down 20. Almost sounds petty to write it but that's where I'm at. *boo!*
So officially? I'm down 19.6 pounds total. I need to kill it the next 2 1/2 weeks....I really want to get down another 5.4 pounds!
Anyways, Happy 4th of July!! :D I'm off to meat my friend Nicholas for breakfast.
xoxo-
J
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Back on Track
That's right! We are officially back on track!
I was very pleased to see a loss on the scale this week and I feel like I am officially in a groove. In week's past it has been very difficult to say no to high-carb, high-sugar snacks, but this past week they weren't even a temptation. When presented with Cheez-its, Oreo's, Fig Newton's, and sugary cereals I happily chose a handful of raisins. This is a very nice place to be.
And, I feel like I am finally over this cold. Morning's are still pretty rough but I finally feel well enough again to head back to the gym this week. Woohoo!
I do feel like I must disclose the following though: I did enjoy 24 hrs of 'cheating' from Friday night to Saturday night. The food choices were still mindful though, and I don't regret that farm ice cream I had with my mom yesterday when she came to visit. :) And getting back on track today? A non-issue as far as I'm concerned.
So....as of weigh-in this week I'm down 18.4 pounds total. I'll take it.
My goal's have shifted since the beginning of the summer and are now the following: This week I really want to get down the the 20 pound mark. This is what I am shooting for. And then from weigh-in this Wednesday I've got 2 1/2 weeks until I move and I'm planning on losing an additional 5 pounds within that time frame to bring my weight loss to a grand total of 25 pounds. Boy will that feel good!
In other news, things are picking up these next couple weeks. I've officially have an apartment lined up in Hartford and have officially begun making my moving plans. I even bought 15 boxes yesterday along with tape and packing paper! This week begins the "going through everything" phase and then I hope to space out my packing within my last 2 weeks here. It all seems a little daunting still at this point, but I hope to take it one day at a time and keep the stress levels down. :)
Until next time y'all-
J
So....as of weigh-in this week I'm down 18.4 pounds total. I'll take it.
My goal's have shifted since the beginning of the summer and are now the following: This week I really want to get down the the 20 pound mark. This is what I am shooting for. And then from weigh-in this Wednesday I've got 2 1/2 weeks until I move and I'm planning on losing an additional 5 pounds within that time frame to bring my weight loss to a grand total of 25 pounds. Boy will that feel good!
In other news, things are picking up these next couple weeks. I've officially have an apartment lined up in Hartford and have officially begun making my moving plans. I even bought 15 boxes yesterday along with tape and packing paper! This week begins the "going through everything" phase and then I hope to space out my packing within my last 2 weeks here. It all seems a little daunting still at this point, but I hope to take it one day at a time and keep the stress levels down. :)
Until next time y'all-
J
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I've been silent for over a week on here; oops! Unfortunately I came down with a cold last Wednesday so haven't been feeling up to blogging and all that.
But, it's been a good week! I weighed in last Wednesday...I stayed exactly the same from the week. Not ideal at this point obviously, but I will happily blame 'that time of the month' and move on.
As far as the goals I set for myself, here is how I've done:
- The first goal was to workout 4 times; this was an epic fail. I worked out once, got sick the next day, and haven't felt well enough to workout since. It was also over 100 degrees on the heat index a couple days last week which made is impossible as well. But, I succumbed to taking Sudafed this morning so am actually feeling up for working out! I'm going to head back for a Step aerobics workout this evening.
-Goal #2 was to drink at least 64 oz. of water each day: goal achieved! I thank the cold for this one a little, but I have been drinking water like it's nobody's business. Go me!
-I also haven't had coffee since my last blog post....go me!
-Sleep has been good most night's too! A few mornings I have woken up on my own before my alarm clock but I've been feeling rested so I'm counting that.
-Definitely didn't blog 4 times...sorry guys :P
-And lastly, I only ate out one time! Had a grilled chicken salad with dressing on the side.
-Goal #2 was to drink at least 64 oz. of water each day: goal achieved! I thank the cold for this one a little, but I have been drinking water like it's nobody's business. Go me!
-I also haven't had coffee since my last blog post....go me!
-Sleep has been good most night's too! A few mornings I have woken up on my own before my alarm clock but I've been feeling rested so I'm counting that.
-Definitely didn't blog 4 times...sorry guys :P
-And lastly, I only ate out one time! Had a grilled chicken salad with dressing on the side.
I've been weighing myself often and been keeping close tabs on myself so am anticipating a loss tomorrow. Can't say for sure how much; I'm hopeful I'll drop a little more between this morning and tomorrow morning.
Anyways, last night was the exception to good sleep so I'm going to go take a little nap while the kids I nanny for are taking their nap.
thanks for reading! :)
~J
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Goal setting
I don't have much energy but I thought I would check in before heading to bed.
Things were going great paleo-wise but I took a step back the past 3-4 days or so. It was that time of the month and for all you women out there, you know what that can be like! I craved every kind of bad food and was just EXHAUSTED. Not all was lost by any means but I'm excited to get back to 'normal' tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a big day...I've got 5 weeks until I move out and head to a 2 week brass quintet seminar. As they say, it's go time!
I've got to 1) save money, 2) practice my instrument, and 3) eat paleo.
1) Can't afford to purchase anything that isn't essential at this point. Kind of a bummer because I feel like I have been working so hard but the reality is that I have a lot to save to make everything happen that is in the works.
2) I've been doing 1.5-2 hours daily and that changes as of tomorrow. I must and will get back to practicing my normal 3 hours. I have a lot of music to learn and I want to sound my best going into the seminar.
3) Paleo: I still have the same goals and am still just as committed. I will keep working and I will keep dropping weight. And my best friend is doing it with me now...we are going to help each other. I want to lose at least 10 pounds in the next 5 weeks.
Goals for this week:
- Workout 4 times (have a run be at least 1 of those times)
- Drink at least 64 oz. of water daily.
- No coffee. Only tea if necessary.
- Get at least 7 solid hrs of sleep a night and shoot for 8.
- Eat 100% paleo.
- Blog 4 times. (this counts as 1!) ....writing is cathartic and I'm convinced that I'm more successful when I blog than when I don't.
- Only eat out 1 time. (I made plans with my roomie to go out to eat Thursday night but other than that I'm staying home)
I gotta say, it feels good to have written those down. I'm off to go work on the sleep one...time to head in that direction since I've got an early morning tomorrow.
Thanks for listening. :)
Things were going great paleo-wise but I took a step back the past 3-4 days or so. It was that time of the month and for all you women out there, you know what that can be like! I craved every kind of bad food and was just EXHAUSTED. Not all was lost by any means but I'm excited to get back to 'normal' tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a big day...I've got 5 weeks until I move out and head to a 2 week brass quintet seminar. As they say, it's go time!
I've got to 1) save money, 2) practice my instrument, and 3) eat paleo.
1) Can't afford to purchase anything that isn't essential at this point. Kind of a bummer because I feel like I have been working so hard but the reality is that I have a lot to save to make everything happen that is in the works.
2) I've been doing 1.5-2 hours daily and that changes as of tomorrow. I must and will get back to practicing my normal 3 hours. I have a lot of music to learn and I want to sound my best going into the seminar.
3) Paleo: I still have the same goals and am still just as committed. I will keep working and I will keep dropping weight. And my best friend is doing it with me now...we are going to help each other. I want to lose at least 10 pounds in the next 5 weeks.
Goals for this week:
- Workout 4 times (have a run be at least 1 of those times)
- Drink at least 64 oz. of water daily.
- No coffee. Only tea if necessary.
- Get at least 7 solid hrs of sleep a night and shoot for 8.
- Eat 100% paleo.
- Blog 4 times. (this counts as 1!) ....writing is cathartic and I'm convinced that I'm more successful when I blog than when I don't.
- Only eat out 1 time. (I made plans with my roomie to go out to eat Thursday night but other than that I'm staying home)
I gotta say, it feels good to have written those down. I'm off to go work on the sleep one...time to head in that direction since I've got an early morning tomorrow.
Thanks for listening. :)
Monday, June 11, 2012
FMM: Bedroom Habits
Hello all! I'm way late considering there is only a couple more hours in Monday, but you know what they say! Better later than never....right?
Anyways, things are well over here. I went for another run Saturday morning and cut 13 seconds off of my mile time! I was hurting though, running requires muscles that I don't work very often! But I was proud of myself for doing it again and plan to get out there again soon! My eating shaped up over the weekend as well and I feel like I'm finally getting over this craving hump and perhaps catching on to a bit of a rhythm. Feels good to feel in control. :)
Now onto FMM!
If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links there too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!
1. Do you set an alarm clock? If so, for what time? Ugh. yes. I set three in fact. If I have to shower they are set for 6, 6:10, and 6:15. and no shower? 6:15, 6:25, and 6:30.
2. How many hours of sleep do you get on an average night? I have been diligently trying to get to as close to 8 as possible and usually get around 7.
3. Do you bring your laptop to bed? Yep! Don't think it's the best thing for ya but it helps me wind down a little. I try to keep the screen pretty dim which helps me justify it a little.
4. How many pillows do you require to sleep? 2. If I ever get stuck with just one I always fold it in half! hehe.
5. Do you sleep with socks on? Never ever. Cannot stand the feeling!
6. How often do you change the sheets? Every couple of weeks I'd say; more than a week, less than a month just sort of depending.
7. Do you remember your dreams? Not usually. If I fall back asleep after my alarm goes off then yes but it's pretty infrequent otherwise
8. Which side of the bed do you sleep on? Believe it or not, I'm still camping out on a twin bed! So right smack dab in the middle. :) But usually if I'm sharing a bed I take the left side (if you are standing at the foot of the bed)
9. How often do you take naps? Since I'm a nanny and the babies I watch nap sometimes I can sneak in a little nap during the day...I'd say those happen twice a week. And then I usually take a small nap on Sunday afternoons. :)
10. Do you sleep soundly? Yes! Once I'm asleep I sleep very well up to the time when my alarm goes off. Many people have had problems with that and I'm thankful that it's never really been an issue for me.
Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions! Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments! And hey…try saying hi to someone new this week! Happy Monday, Friends…
Anyways, things are well over here. I went for another run Saturday morning and cut 13 seconds off of my mile time! I was hurting though, running requires muscles that I don't work very often! But I was proud of myself for doing it again and plan to get out there again soon! My eating shaped up over the weekend as well and I feel like I'm finally getting over this craving hump and perhaps catching on to a bit of a rhythm. Feels good to feel in control. :)
Now onto FMM!
If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links there too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!
FMM: Bedroom Habits
1. Do you set an alarm clock? If so, for what time? Ugh. yes. I set three in fact. If I have to shower they are set for 6, 6:10, and 6:15. and no shower? 6:15, 6:25, and 6:30.
2. How many hours of sleep do you get on an average night? I have been diligently trying to get to as close to 8 as possible and usually get around 7.
3. Do you bring your laptop to bed? Yep! Don't think it's the best thing for ya but it helps me wind down a little. I try to keep the screen pretty dim which helps me justify it a little.
4. How many pillows do you require to sleep? 2. If I ever get stuck with just one I always fold it in half! hehe.
5. Do you sleep with socks on? Never ever. Cannot stand the feeling!
6. How often do you change the sheets? Every couple of weeks I'd say; more than a week, less than a month just sort of depending.
7. Do you remember your dreams? Not usually. If I fall back asleep after my alarm goes off then yes but it's pretty infrequent otherwise
8. Which side of the bed do you sleep on? Believe it or not, I'm still camping out on a twin bed! So right smack dab in the middle. :) But usually if I'm sharing a bed I take the left side (if you are standing at the foot of the bed)
9. How often do you take naps? Since I'm a nanny and the babies I watch nap sometimes I can sneak in a little nap during the day...I'd say those happen twice a week. And then I usually take a small nap on Sunday afternoons. :)
10. Do you sleep soundly? Yes! Once I'm asleep I sleep very well up to the time when my alarm goes off. Many people have had problems with that and I'm thankful that it's never really been an issue for me.
Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions! Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments! And hey…try saying hi to someone new this week! Happy Monday, Friends…
Friday, June 8, 2012
...just keep swimming...just keep swimming...
I think it's almost been a week since I posted! *yikes*
Last weekend I was away from my kitchen a lot but was able to make good choices! I went to Friendly's for a late lunch last Saturday and I was able to find one thing on the menu that was paleo. I'm sure there was a hidden something in my steak and veggies, but considering what my other options were I was pleased. And then on Sunday a close friend of mine took me out to dinner at a local restaurant which had quite a few paleo options! I've noticed that the nicer the restaurant the easier it is to eat out on paleo. I ordered a greek salad with chicken....it was huge!!! And had lots and lots of vegetables too! I ended up taking about half of it home and eating it Monday night for dinner.
I must digress though and tell you a little bit more about this place....first of all, it's delicious, is always crowded, and is a fan favorite for our college town. Secondly, it's known for it's popovers. Huge, delicious, warm popovers that come with an equally delicious apple butter. So, I made the conscious decision to "cheat" and upgrade to a popover instead of getting the roll or whatever that comes with the salad. And my friend agreed to help me share it so I felt less guilty. ;) Here is where I struggle though and I don't know where the balance is....do I get a popover (or whatever else it may be) every once in a while because that's life and accept the consequences (not as much weight loss is the main one that comes to mind), or do I go hardcore 100% until I reach my goal weight and then 'live a little' once in a while? I don't really know the right answer and I'm sure everyone has their own opinion. This is where that learning curve comes in....I need to figure out what works best for me and what is going to help me long term.
Fast forward to Wednesday now; that was weigh-in day! I don't know what I weighed when I re-started blogging last week so I can't say how things fluctuated but I will say that the scale showed a 16.2 pound loss since I started on this grand adventure. I will be able to get a more accurate assessment next week and then we can go from there I suppose.
Things that haven't gone well: I didn't keep my eating in check on Wednesday after my weigh-in and that has sort of spilled over into yesterday and today too.
And, I will likely have a drink or two tonight because I'm hanging out with a friend of mine who is leaving to go out of town for over a month tomorrow so I imagine we will want to have a drink or two to celebrate. But come tomorrow we must get back on track. I want this too bad not to make it happen at this point.
Things that have gone well: I ran over a mile without stopping yesterday! To many this is not a big deal and is something that they have been able to do for as long as they can remember. But to me, it was huge! I can't ever remember being able to do that so I was thrilled. I was slow but I ran the whole time! And then after a quick phone break I ran home!...another .85 miles. I'm super excited about this...I just need to find some good tunes that are at about the pace I want to run and I'll be set.! I have never considered myself to be a runner but knowing I can run over a mile is a huge boost to the confidence. I'm definitely sore today, but am thinking about getting out there again sometime this weekend to see how I do!
In other news, I need to up my practice time and start clocking more hours at school. That also starts Saturday. (Today I have a haircut appt. after work so wont likely get a ton of time by the time I'm finished with all that) Working towards getting better at French horn is just as important, if not more important, as losing weight is and I will not let this summer go to waste!
Oh, and lastly- I've been making a point to drink a lot of water every day. Some days are better than others but I'm really making an effort because I know it's a really important aspect of weight loss. And along those same lines, I've also been making an effort to get to bed on the earlier side so that I can get 7.5-8 hours of sleep every night by the time I get my butt out of bed at 6:30am. Those are two things that people always say are really important for weight loss that I never do so I'm making an effort to try and make those things happen. In turn, I'm also trying to cut coffee/caffeine. I've only been mildly successful in that category so far. :P
I think that's it for now, I'll be back soon!
~Julia
Last weekend I was away from my kitchen a lot but was able to make good choices! I went to Friendly's for a late lunch last Saturday and I was able to find one thing on the menu that was paleo. I'm sure there was a hidden something in my steak and veggies, but considering what my other options were I was pleased. And then on Sunday a close friend of mine took me out to dinner at a local restaurant which had quite a few paleo options! I've noticed that the nicer the restaurant the easier it is to eat out on paleo. I ordered a greek salad with chicken....it was huge!!! And had lots and lots of vegetables too! I ended up taking about half of it home and eating it Monday night for dinner.
I must digress though and tell you a little bit more about this place....first of all, it's delicious, is always crowded, and is a fan favorite for our college town. Secondly, it's known for it's popovers. Huge, delicious, warm popovers that come with an equally delicious apple butter. So, I made the conscious decision to "cheat" and upgrade to a popover instead of getting the roll or whatever that comes with the salad. And my friend agreed to help me share it so I felt less guilty. ;) Here is where I struggle though and I don't know where the balance is....do I get a popover (or whatever else it may be) every once in a while because that's life and accept the consequences (not as much weight loss is the main one that comes to mind), or do I go hardcore 100% until I reach my goal weight and then 'live a little' once in a while? I don't really know the right answer and I'm sure everyone has their own opinion. This is where that learning curve comes in....I need to figure out what works best for me and what is going to help me long term.
Fast forward to Wednesday now; that was weigh-in day! I don't know what I weighed when I re-started blogging last week so I can't say how things fluctuated but I will say that the scale showed a 16.2 pound loss since I started on this grand adventure. I will be able to get a more accurate assessment next week and then we can go from there I suppose.
Things that haven't gone well: I didn't keep my eating in check on Wednesday after my weigh-in and that has sort of spilled over into yesterday and today too.
And, I will likely have a drink or two tonight because I'm hanging out with a friend of mine who is leaving to go out of town for over a month tomorrow so I imagine we will want to have a drink or two to celebrate. But come tomorrow we must get back on track. I want this too bad not to make it happen at this point.
Things that have gone well: I ran over a mile without stopping yesterday! To many this is not a big deal and is something that they have been able to do for as long as they can remember. But to me, it was huge! I can't ever remember being able to do that so I was thrilled. I was slow but I ran the whole time! And then after a quick phone break I ran home!...another .85 miles. I'm super excited about this...I just need to find some good tunes that are at about the pace I want to run and I'll be set.! I have never considered myself to be a runner but knowing I can run over a mile is a huge boost to the confidence. I'm definitely sore today, but am thinking about getting out there again sometime this weekend to see how I do!
In other news, I need to up my practice time and start clocking more hours at school. That also starts Saturday. (Today I have a haircut appt. after work so wont likely get a ton of time by the time I'm finished with all that) Working towards getting better at French horn is just as important, if not more important, as losing weight is and I will not let this summer go to waste!
Oh, and lastly- I've been making a point to drink a lot of water every day. Some days are better than others but I'm really making an effort because I know it's a really important aspect of weight loss. And along those same lines, I've also been making an effort to get to bed on the earlier side so that I can get 7.5-8 hours of sleep every night by the time I get my butt out of bed at 6:30am. Those are two things that people always say are really important for weight loss that I never do so I'm making an effort to try and make those things happen. In turn, I'm also trying to cut coffee/caffeine. I've only been mildly successful in that category so far. :P
I think that's it for now, I'll be back soon!
~Julia
Saturday, June 2, 2012
I got a flat tire :/ ...and my Allergies are killer!
Good morning y'all, Happy Saturday. :)
I'm up early with a few minutes to post before I go about my day so I thought I would check-in.
My exciting story for the day is that I got a flat tire late last night when I was leaving a friends house. Bummer, right? My friend jacked up my car and went to go take off the tire but it unfortunately was stuck on there. So we ended up calling AAA and waited for over an hour for them to come. When I finally got home, almost 2 hours later than I anticipated, I was very excited to crawl into bed. I don't think it even took 5 minutes and I was out. My kitty slept next to me all night too! He's a cutie. :)
My choices were pretty good last night though, so go me! I had a little bit of red wine with my friend (a glass or less) and then when I got hungry snacked on these veggie chips. The ingredients were vegetables and oil. (Safflower, and canola...no soy!) Had I been at my place I probably would have snacked on something else but considering I was at my friend's house I was really happy with the find. I also went for a Coke Zero towards the end of the night as well cause I wanted to be sure to be awake enough for the drive home. It's all about the little victories for me so I'm going to go ahead and take that one. :P
Unfortunately, my allergies have been killer lately. The pollen levels have been crazy high! I've been taking Claritin in hopes to help them but it doesn't seem to be doing much. And if it is I can't even imagine what they would be like without anything. I'm considering switching to another OTC antihistamine next time I go to the store in hopes that that may provide some additional relief. *achoo!*
Today I'm headed to some rehearsals for a gig and am going to be dealing with being away from a kitchen all day. It's always tricky to eat out on paleo, but I am determined to find a good place with good choices. I also plan on packing some fruit, veggies, nuts, and a lara bar. Ah, the life of a caveman.
So that's what is happening with me in a nut shell. Thanks for stopping by!
Next post: Water, and sleep. Cause those are important.
Stay tuned!
~J
I'm up early with a few minutes to post before I go about my day so I thought I would check-in.
My exciting story for the day is that I got a flat tire late last night when I was leaving a friends house. Bummer, right? My friend jacked up my car and went to go take off the tire but it unfortunately was stuck on there. So we ended up calling AAA and waited for over an hour for them to come. When I finally got home, almost 2 hours later than I anticipated, I was very excited to crawl into bed. I don't think it even took 5 minutes and I was out. My kitty slept next to me all night too! He's a cutie. :)
My choices were pretty good last night though, so go me! I had a little bit of red wine with my friend (a glass or less) and then when I got hungry snacked on these veggie chips. The ingredients were vegetables and oil. (Safflower, and canola...no soy!) Had I been at my place I probably would have snacked on something else but considering I was at my friend's house I was really happy with the find. I also went for a Coke Zero towards the end of the night as well cause I wanted to be sure to be awake enough for the drive home. It's all about the little victories for me so I'm going to go ahead and take that one. :P
Unfortunately, my allergies have been killer lately. The pollen levels have been crazy high! I've been taking Claritin in hopes to help them but it doesn't seem to be doing much. And if it is I can't even imagine what they would be like without anything. I'm considering switching to another OTC antihistamine next time I go to the store in hopes that that may provide some additional relief. *achoo!*
Today I'm headed to some rehearsals for a gig and am going to be dealing with being away from a kitchen all day. It's always tricky to eat out on paleo, but I am determined to find a good place with good choices. I also plan on packing some fruit, veggies, nuts, and a lara bar. Ah, the life of a caveman.
So that's what is happening with me in a nut shell. Thanks for stopping by!
Next post: Water, and sleep. Cause those are important.
Stay tuned!
~J
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Getting underway....(day 2)
Well, it looks like I was able to attract a bit of an audience yesterday when I posted the link here to my blog on facebook and twitter...sweet! I don't know who you are, but I'm happy that you are here because it really does help me to stay accountable. :)
I went to the grocery store yesterday and bought lots of vegetables to cook in the upcoming days. Bok choy and rainbow chard are the most adventurous ones and blueberries were buy one get one free! Berries are awesome; I'm excited that they are starting to come into season here.
I was also more tired than normal yesterday and am the same today. Some people react differently in their first couple days of paleo than others, but I am one of the ones that gets really tired. I also get a little fuzzy. It will be nice to be over the initial hump here.
I also did what you aren't supposed to do and ate right before bed. (boo!) They always say not to because it affects your sleep cycles and your bodies ability to burn fat when it's sleeping, etc, etc. But alas, I did it anyways. I had a small handful of blueberries, a couple of baby carrots, and a large glass of water. It obviously could have been worse though, eh?!
I've got some meat de-frosting in the fridge and a workout planned after work so it's going to be a good afternoon! In the meantime though, I going to go take a little nap while the 18 month old twins I nanny for are sleeping.
See you next time! (I'll try to come up with something a little more fun to write about) ;)
~Julia
I went to the grocery store yesterday and bought lots of vegetables to cook in the upcoming days. Bok choy and rainbow chard are the most adventurous ones and blueberries were buy one get one free! Berries are awesome; I'm excited that they are starting to come into season here.
I was also more tired than normal yesterday and am the same today. Some people react differently in their first couple days of paleo than others, but I am one of the ones that gets really tired. I also get a little fuzzy. It will be nice to be over the initial hump here.
I also did what you aren't supposed to do and ate right before bed. (boo!) They always say not to because it affects your sleep cycles and your bodies ability to burn fat when it's sleeping, etc, etc. But alas, I did it anyways. I had a small handful of blueberries, a couple of baby carrots, and a large glass of water. It obviously could have been worse though, eh?!
I've got some meat de-frosting in the fridge and a workout planned after work so it's going to be a good afternoon! In the meantime though, I going to go take a little nap while the 18 month old twins I nanny for are sleeping.
See you next time! (I'll try to come up with something a little more fun to write about) ;)
~Julia
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
I'm Back! Day 1...or is it Day 155?
Well, I'm back! It's been a while since I've posted and while the scale has done nothing but go up and down since my last post, a lot of other fun life things have happened!
The biggest thing to report is that I graduated! I officially have a masters degree and am happy to say that my stress levels are back to a healthy level. Now I'm in the process of getting ready to move and transition into the next chapter of my life. In a few short months I'll be packing up my bags and moving an hour south of where I'm living now and am going start pursuing a Doctorate degree. I'm looking forward to the adventure and think it's the best next step for me.
But the last few months of grad school? Oh boy were those stressful! Sleep was only happening 5-6 hours a night and I wasn't able to really eat paleo more than 60%-70% of the time. So the bottom line for me was that it got hard and I didn't always make the best decisions. As the semester got busier it became more and more of a chore to plan and cook all of my meals and it became harder and harder to say "no thanks" to those darn gin and tonics. :P
But, I am happy to say that I, by no means, fell of the wagon completely (phew!) But, I ate non-paleo enough, and didn't workout enough to continue to see the scale move consistently in a downward trend. On the upside though, at one point the scale said I had lost more than 20 lbs! (this is not the case today, but it was still exciting!) And overall, I'm still the lightest I've been in a great while which is cool too!
And this brings us to the reason that I'm back.... I've got 7 1/2 weeks until I move away from the place that I've called home for 2 years and I want to make the most of it. This blog helped to keep me accountable back in Dec/Jan/Feb and I hope it will do the same now. The goal? I'd like to lose 15 pounds in these 7 1/2 weeks and then hopes for another 10 in the month or so after that before I start up school again come September.
So while I suppose this is Day 155 since I started all of this, I am going to wipe the slate clean for myself. Today is day 1 and I'm looking forward to this new adventure that we lovingly call paleo.
Check back for more fun...hopefully I can keep us all entertained in the midst of it all. :)
The biggest thing to report is that I graduated! I officially have a masters degree and am happy to say that my stress levels are back to a healthy level. Now I'm in the process of getting ready to move and transition into the next chapter of my life. In a few short months I'll be packing up my bags and moving an hour south of where I'm living now and am going start pursuing a Doctorate degree. I'm looking forward to the adventure and think it's the best next step for me.
But the last few months of grad school? Oh boy were those stressful! Sleep was only happening 5-6 hours a night and I wasn't able to really eat paleo more than 60%-70% of the time. So the bottom line for me was that it got hard and I didn't always make the best decisions. As the semester got busier it became more and more of a chore to plan and cook all of my meals and it became harder and harder to say "no thanks" to those darn gin and tonics. :P
But, I am happy to say that I, by no means, fell of the wagon completely (phew!) But, I ate non-paleo enough, and didn't workout enough to continue to see the scale move consistently in a downward trend. On the upside though, at one point the scale said I had lost more than 20 lbs! (this is not the case today, but it was still exciting!) And overall, I'm still the lightest I've been in a great while which is cool too!
And this brings us to the reason that I'm back.... I've got 7 1/2 weeks until I move away from the place that I've called home for 2 years and I want to make the most of it. This blog helped to keep me accountable back in Dec/Jan/Feb and I hope it will do the same now. The goal? I'd like to lose 15 pounds in these 7 1/2 weeks and then hopes for another 10 in the month or so after that before I start up school again come September.
So while I suppose this is Day 155 since I started all of this, I am going to wipe the slate clean for myself. Today is day 1 and I'm looking forward to this new adventure that we lovingly call paleo.
Check back for more fun...hopefully I can keep us all entertained in the midst of it all. :)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Week 7 weigh-in
Just checking-in and posting my results for the week....
I, once again, 'cheated death' a little with some of my food choices but I still managed to lose some which is great! I'm really looking forward to this week ending though, stress does not help me make good choices and I've got a lot of it! I knew last week and this week would be stressful, but it will be good to get back to normalcy. :)
Anyways, I lost another 1.2 pounds for a total weight loss of 16.4 pounds!
My goal for this week? 2.9 pounds. Seems a bit lofty, but I'm gonna go for it! :)
See you next time-
J
I, once again, 'cheated death' a little with some of my food choices but I still managed to lose some which is great! I'm really looking forward to this week ending though, stress does not help me make good choices and I've got a lot of it! I knew last week and this week would be stressful, but it will be good to get back to normalcy. :)
Anyways, I lost another 1.2 pounds for a total weight loss of 16.4 pounds!
My goal for this week? 2.9 pounds. Seems a bit lofty, but I'm gonna go for it! :)
See you next time-
J
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Week 6
At the end of week five I was down 13.2 pounds and pretty darn happy about it.....I didn't want to over think it too much but I set a goal for myself to hit 15 pounds in week six. And then life happened, and you know what? It was not a great week eating wise. It was mostly good, but there was a 12-24 hour period where I definitely could have made better choices. In addition to that, I also didn't make it to the gym like normal because of other commitments I had already made. So alas, I set myself up to see a gain on the scale and justified it in my brain so that I would be okay with whatever number I saw and that would be that.
So then Wednesday morning came and I stepped on the scale....and you know what? There was a loss! And it was a loss of a whole 2 pounds making my total weigh loss 15.2 pounds!
I'm absolutely thrilled, and also feel like I cheated death a little considering a few of the choices I made. :P But you know what? That's life and all I can do is do the best that I can. Now that my first month is up this is all about sustainability long term and that comes with the reality of not always eating 100% paleo and that's ok. My next goal is to lose 4.1 pounds because that will get be into the next grouping of 10 lower on the scale. Ideally it would be great to hit this by week 8, but I'm ultimately shooting for week 9 and maybe will be pleasantly surprised a week earlier. :)
And now to reflect a little on my first month on paleo.....
Ultimately, I've decided that I really like this way of eating/diet. But, I'd say that it almost took the whole month to get to that point. The realities are that there is a lot you cannot eat, it is more expensive to eat this way than "normal", and it takes a pretty fair amount of planning. But, the other realities are that you sleep better, have way more energy than you're used too, don't get sick (no morning sniffles!), get to eat some really delicious food (bacon!), and you lose a good amount of weight...some quicker than others.
I think it really helped me that I started this while I wasn't in school because by the time school started and something came up where I couldn't eat at home I was already far in enough on the program that I knew how to make it workable. And it made it really doable that every week I stepped on the scale I weighed less than the week before. (even the week I ate an embarrassing amount of almonds!)
I have seriously tried every diet in the books and have always only been mildly successful until this one. I would follow the plan every week to a tee and could never lose more than 8 pounds before plateauing. And then frustration would kick in and before long I would be back to where I started, or even a few pounds heavier. It was a vicious cycle!
But now? I eat how much I want when I want it and work out 2-3 times a week. <--This is how I always thought it should be!! It's been very encouraging. :)
I'm excited to keep sticking to it and frankly, as long as the scale keeps moving down each week I'm happy. I've also got April 15th that I'm looking forward too....that's my graduate recital and I'm excited to get to that point and see how much I've lost and what sort of size I can fit into. :)
Here are a few other exciting things that I want to share:
1. One of my pairs of jeans is officially "too big"....it's been that while for a while, but literally they are just falling off now.
2. I bought a new pair of jeans at Old Navy and they are definitely a size smaller than my other pairs....and there is room in them too! (But, the size below that would have been way too tight so I went with the larger size)
3. My mom gave my a shirt about a year ago that was pretty darn small, but I held onto it hoping to be able to wear it someday. And you know what? That day was yesterday :) (The last time I had tried it on was after I finished p90x and it was still too small then.)
4. There have been a few other shirts that were too tight before but fit normally now.
5. The legs in my dress pants are super baggy. And the waist line in my other pair is getting pretty darn big too.
That's all for now, see you next time :)
So then Wednesday morning came and I stepped on the scale....and you know what? There was a loss! And it was a loss of a whole 2 pounds making my total weigh loss 15.2 pounds!
I'm absolutely thrilled, and also feel like I cheated death a little considering a few of the choices I made. :P But you know what? That's life and all I can do is do the best that I can. Now that my first month is up this is all about sustainability long term and that comes with the reality of not always eating 100% paleo and that's ok. My next goal is to lose 4.1 pounds because that will get be into the next grouping of 10 lower on the scale. Ideally it would be great to hit this by week 8, but I'm ultimately shooting for week 9 and maybe will be pleasantly surprised a week earlier. :)
And now to reflect a little on my first month on paleo.....
Ultimately, I've decided that I really like this way of eating/diet. But, I'd say that it almost took the whole month to get to that point. The realities are that there is a lot you cannot eat, it is more expensive to eat this way than "normal", and it takes a pretty fair amount of planning. But, the other realities are that you sleep better, have way more energy than you're used too, don't get sick (no morning sniffles!), get to eat some really delicious food (bacon!), and you lose a good amount of weight...some quicker than others.
I think it really helped me that I started this while I wasn't in school because by the time school started and something came up where I couldn't eat at home I was already far in enough on the program that I knew how to make it workable. And it made it really doable that every week I stepped on the scale I weighed less than the week before. (even the week I ate an embarrassing amount of almonds!)
I have seriously tried every diet in the books and have always only been mildly successful until this one. I would follow the plan every week to a tee and could never lose more than 8 pounds before plateauing. And then frustration would kick in and before long I would be back to where I started, or even a few pounds heavier. It was a vicious cycle!
But now? I eat how much I want when I want it and work out 2-3 times a week. <--This is how I always thought it should be!! It's been very encouraging. :)
I'm excited to keep sticking to it and frankly, as long as the scale keeps moving down each week I'm happy. I've also got April 15th that I'm looking forward too....that's my graduate recital and I'm excited to get to that point and see how much I've lost and what sort of size I can fit into. :)
Here are a few other exciting things that I want to share:
1. One of my pairs of jeans is officially "too big"....it's been that while for a while, but literally they are just falling off now.
2. I bought a new pair of jeans at Old Navy and they are definitely a size smaller than my other pairs....and there is room in them too! (But, the size below that would have been way too tight so I went with the larger size)
3. My mom gave my a shirt about a year ago that was pretty darn small, but I held onto it hoping to be able to wear it someday. And you know what? That day was yesterday :) (The last time I had tried it on was after I finished p90x and it was still too small then.)
4. There have been a few other shirts that were too tight before but fit normally now.
5. The legs in my dress pants are super baggy. And the waist line in my other pair is getting pretty darn big too.
That's all for now, see you next time :)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Wednesday weigh-in
Hello!
Just a quick post to check-in....
I'm still planning on writing my thoughts on the first month of paleo, but alas things have been so busy that I just haven't found the time. Sorry! :P
But I'm here today with my weekly weigh-in....
I know stress and sleep really affect weight loss so I was a little nervous because I haven't eaten 100% paleo this week, and I've been stressed and sleeping less that I'd like.
But honestly, I did the best I could considering the circumstances of getting back into school and things and it did in fact end up paying off!
I lost another 2.2 pounds this week! For a total weight loss of: 13.2 pounds!
I continue to be encouraged and am really excited to hit the 15 pound mark in the next couple of weeks.
Unfortunately that's all for now. Hoping to blog some this weekend so maybe I'll see you around here in the blog-o-sphere then!
Take care, Happy Wednesday-
~Julia
Just a quick post to check-in....
I'm still planning on writing my thoughts on the first month of paleo, but alas things have been so busy that I just haven't found the time. Sorry! :P
But I'm here today with my weekly weigh-in....
I know stress and sleep really affect weight loss so I was a little nervous because I haven't eaten 100% paleo this week, and I've been stressed and sleeping less that I'd like.
But honestly, I did the best I could considering the circumstances of getting back into school and things and it did in fact end up paying off!
I lost another 2.2 pounds this week! For a total weight loss of: 13.2 pounds!
I continue to be encouraged and am really excited to hit the 15 pound mark in the next couple of weeks.
Unfortunately that's all for now. Hoping to blog some this weekend so maybe I'll see you around here in the blog-o-sphere then!
Take care, Happy Wednesday-
~Julia
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