Is It Okay to Take a Break? Your Questions Answered!

Good morning and Happy Wednesday my friend!

Today I just want to take a minute to answer a question that gets asked frequently. Once you've started a program or a routine, is it okay to take a short break in the middle or should you just push through?

The first thing to evaluate is this: why do you want to take a break?

• If it's because you think it's too hard, then instead of taking a break you need to look at modifying some of the moves, or taking more frequent "pause breaks" during the workout.
• If it's because you don't think it's working, you need to persevere and look at other things in your life that may be sabotaging your success. How is your diet? And be honest with yourself about it. Are you drinking enough water? Are you still drinking sugary sodas? Are the people around you being supportive? If not, get in touch with me and I will add you to an accountability group! I am also here to help you with anything else: exercise questions, food and nutrition, etc.
• If it's because you're just feeling lazy... you need to push harder! =)

So, when IS it okay to take a break?

• If you are feeling very physically fatigued, or you are sick, it is absolutely okay to take a break. Listen to your body, it knows what it needs! And if it needs a couple days off and just to chill, then you need to do that. You can pick up where you left off, or you can start up where you are on the calendar and then just plan to extend a couple days at the end.

Does this mean you should "take a break" every single time you're feeling a little tired? Absolutely not. I'm sure you're not surprised by that answer! We ALL wake up some days feeling a little bit sleepy and not quite ready to push play and get our sweat on. However, you know that as soon as you get about 10 minutes into the workout and you see that you really don't have that much time left to go it's much easier to just persevere and get it done!

Change takes time, and it takes effort. If you think back to the person you were in middle school, all those things you used to do and the way you used to behave, are you that exact same person? Probably not! And has it taken time to transition from that person, to the high schooler, to the college student, to the person you are right now? Of course it has! We all know that Rome wasn't built in a day, and your health and wellness goal isn't going to be achieved in a day either!

Regardless of whether or not you work out today, the day is going to pass and you aren't going to get it back. So tomorrow, when you look back on today, are you going to look at it with, "Man, I should have pushed play! Now I'm one extra day away from finishing this program!" Or will you look at it and say, "YES! One day CLOSER to being finished! I can't wait to see what my results are!"

I believe in you.

Exposing The TRUTH About Modifiying Exercises

You and your friend are out for coffee, and you compliment them on their noticeable weight loss or physical changes.

"Oh thank you for noticing," they exclaim proudly. "I started doing that <insert exercise program here> and it's AH-MAZING..." At this point they begin rattling off the various exercises they are required to do, and they talk about the jumping around and the kicking and the flailing.

You might have been interested in joining them, but after listening to them you start thinking, "Holy crapola, I can't do all of that!!! I'll DIE!" So instead of piping up and talking about how you have goals to lose weight, tone your muscles, or just get more energy, you sit there and nod your head; then you glibly change the subject.

You really want to step up and make a change. You have been struggling for years to get to where you want to be. You've tried diets, diet pills, various online activity sites. You've tried support groups, only to have your gung-ho friends slowly drift away and come up with excuses to NOT do things. You don't know where to start, and while you've seen the different infomercials for various fitness programs that promise results you are left thinking, "I can't do that. I have bad knees/hips/elbows" or "I have asthma" or "my stamina sucks and I wouldn't last 15 minutes."

My friend, I was - and still am - just like you. My lung capacity is not what I want it to be. My cardiovascular strength is still developing. My knees - oh my knees.... how they LOVE to get tweaked during power jumps or any type of plyometric workout. And can we talk about my wrists, particularly my left one? While my tendonitis is finally under control, I still find myself favouring it and having to monitor exactly how much time I spend in regular plank vs. planking on my elbows instead.

What your fitness loving friend isn't telling you is that you can modify the exercises to fit your fitness level. While certain programs don't show modifications, there are plenty that DO offer a modified option. If you are interesting in working with a personal trainer, talk to them in your very first meeting about your concerns and ask them about modifying. If you're researching an at home fitness program, talk to someone about programs that support modifying.

Today I modified multiple exercises to fit my current fitness level. I was attempting my power jumps, and during the landing of one my right knee gave out and I tweaked the tendon. So instead of jumping, I alternated lifting my knees. Here's a snapshot to show you what it looks like:

The key is to hold your elbows up and contract your abs forward  and a little to the side of the lifted knee. This works your obliques! You just march as quickly as possible and contract your core as hard as you can. Exhale - really blow OUT - as you lift your knee as it helps those abs contract even more!

I also modified the squat hook (a type of punch) combo as I began to lose energy and my knee was still sore. Here's how I did it:

Start in the center with your guard up. Take a BIG step to the right, push your hips and tail bone back (this keeps your knees back and over your ankles), and squat down while you bring your right hook across. A hook punch is like sliding your elbow across the top of a table or shelf. Step back to the center, keeping your guard up. Take a BIG step to the left, push your hips and tail bone back, and squat while you bring your left hook across.

At the end of the day it comes down to this: ANY movement is better than NO movement! We aren't all born with springs in our legs. This girl is only meant to jump when riding a horse! And you know what? I'm okay with that! Plyometrics are my weakest point, but I try each and every time to do what I can, and when I can't do it anymore I start modifying the workouts to fit what I am capable of.

I'll leave you with this: it is not a sign of weakness to modify exercises. It is a sign that you are smart and you don't want to hurt yourself! Know your limits, know what you're capable of. Don't stop trying to see what you can do without modifying, but don't ever beat yourself up for needing to ratchet down the intensity.

Get out there and be awesome my friends!

Grain-free, Gluten-free Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Just in time for fall! I don't know about you, but I am obsessed with pumpkin! It is so tasty and totally one of my favourite treats. Pumpkin pie? Yes please!!! Pumpkin cheesecake? Pumpkin streusel? Pumpkin bars? *faint*

Okay, okay. So it's true that I love pumpkin a lot! I decided to adapt last weekend's recipe to fulfill my need for pumpkin. And they totally pass the test! They are absolutely delicious!

I will take a better picture when I have them all dressed up with some tasty frosting tomorrow! We're having a party, which is why I went on a baking spree =)

So, check my other post for a link to the original recipe that I used. Today I adapted to the following (I doubled the recipe to account for extra people, but this is the normal recipe which will give you about a dozen muffins):

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 3 T organic grade B maple syrup
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 T coconut oil, softened
• 1/2 t apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 C coconut flour
• 1/4 C blanched almond flour
• 1 t pumpkin pie spice
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 very ripe medium banana (approx 2/3 C mashed)
• 2/3 C organic pumpkin puree 
• 1/4 C almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

1. Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup. (This step  is essential!) 
2. Add your eggs one at a time and mix well in between. Add the ACV and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl mix together your dry ingredients.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well, using a spatula to scrape down the sides as needed.
5. In another bowl mash together the banana, pumpkin, and milk. Ensure it is well mixed.
6. Gently fold the pumpkin mix into the batter.
7. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling them approximately 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick or fork comes out clean.

I did double this recipe and came away with 2 1/2 dozen muffins! WOW. So you get a lot of bang for your buck with this one =)

Leftover muffins should be stored in the fridge if you plan to have them around for longer than a day or so. They also freeze well!

Trail Mix Cups - Trial and Error

Because I had all the pulp left over from my homemade coconut milk I figured I would use it to make some trail mix bars! Or something like that =)

The first thing I did was spread the coconut out onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper:

Since my oven was still warm from the banana muffins I just plopped the pan in there for about 30 minutes.

While that was doing its thing, I diced up the following:

• 2 dried apple rings
• 2 dried peach slices
• 2 dried pear slices
• 2 dried nectarines
• 3 dried plums
• 3/4 C dry roasted unsalted almonds

I also grabbed:

• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• dash of himalayan pink salt
• 5 Tbsp organic local honey 

 Sadly, the mixture wasn't "wet" enough, so I cut up some waxed paper into squares and used them to line the muffin cups.

I baked them at 350* for 25 minutes! While they taste really, really good - not too sweet, good crunch - I need more of a binding agent so it's back to the drawing board! I have an idea of what I want to do, a couple of ingredients I'm going to add, but you'll have to wait for a week or two till I have them all in hand. Until then, these would be a great topping for yogurt, or as a Paleo granola!

Homemade Coconut Milk

I have tried a few different versions of homemade coconut milk but haven't been satisfied. I started seeing a number of people recommending using boiling water instead of cold water, and THEN someone recommended using hot coconut water!

Folks, we have a winner!!!!

What you need:
*1 1/2 C unsweetened coconut (preferably organic and finely shredded)
*2 1/2 C unsweetened coconut water (I purchased mine from Trader Joe's for $2.99 - a deal!)

Put the coconut shreds into your blender, and heat coconut water until just starting to boil. Pour heated coconut water over the coconut. You may want to hold a towel over the lid of the blender just in case a little spurts out the side due to the pressure of the heat. Blend for 4-5 minutes - you can give your blender a break if you feel the need. I did!

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or container. Using something with a wide mouth is best so that you can press the shreds to extract as much of the fluid as possible. I let mine sit for about 20 minutes before I pressed the extra out, to let it cool. I then poured the milk into a jar.

Grain-Free Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

Good morning and HAPPY SUNDAY!!!! I have been on a roll this morning playing around with recipes in the kitchen =) I used the following recipe for today's banana muffins! Against All Grain Banana Muffins

If you haven't checked out Against All Grain's website, I HIGHLY recommend it! Especially if you are living a Paleo lifestyle. Heck, just go pick up her cookbook!

Anyway, I didn't make the streusel topping, nor did I add chocolate chips. I already have big plans for a new twist on this recipe for next weekend - I have TWO DAYS OFF IN A ROW next weekend!!!

Here is the recipe in case you don't want to use the link:

Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chip Streusel Topping

 

Author: Danielle Walker – Against All Grain

Recipe type: Baked Goods

Serves: 1 dozen

Ingredients

• 4 medium eggs, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons honey (optional, but may be needed if bananas aren’t too sweet)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ¼ cup blanched almond flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 overly ripe medium sized bananas (we’re talking big brown spots)
• ¼ cup milk (I used coconut, but almond works well too)
• ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)
  For the Streusel
• ¼ cup pecans
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips (either homemade or Enjoy Life)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a paddle attachment in a stand mixer, cream together the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla until is light and fluffy.
3. Add your eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add in the apple cider vinegar.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
5. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
6. Mash the bananas and the milk in a bowl until it has reached a similiar consistency to baby food. Fold the banana mixture into the batter and the chocolate chips if you’re using them.
7. Spoon the batter into muffin tins lined with cute parchment squares (thanks Martha!) or these handy and reusable silicone muffin cups. Fill to about ¾ full.
8. For the streusel topping, chop the pecans, honey, and cinnamon in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Mix in the chocolate chips, then sprinkle the mixture over the muffins.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops have browned lightly and a toothpick comes out clean.
10. I like the store anything made with coconut flour in the fridge for 3-4 days or the freezer for 3-4 months.

Grilled Herb Chicken Quarters

I know, I know. The title isn't exactly interesting so much as it is descriptive! But hey, I'm a no frills kind of a girl!

Now I put this together in kind of a hurry being that it was almost 7pm when I finally got around to preparing the chicken. What you will need:

*Package of 4 chicken leg quarters, skin on (best if you can get local pastured chickens, but if not opt for the best you can find)
*3/4 package Kerrygold herb and garlic butter, sliced into 1/2 tbsp pieces
*A blend of the following:

• 2 tbsp (or more - I'm a garlic fiend) granulated garlic
• 1.5 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1/2 tbsp ground sage (also a sage fiend)
• 1 T black pepper
• Himalayan pink salt

***Side note: the Kerrygold herb butter is not salted, so you will need to salt to your taste. I am not a huge salt fan so I am still getting a good grasp on how much salt is enough. Last night I did not use enough, even though I salted the skin layer as well, so I need to tweak the recipe and do some better measurements!***

First, turn on your grill and get it heated up, clean the grate, etc!

Rinse your chicken and pat dry. Trim off any extra skin and fat pieces and place onto a tray. Run your fingers underneath the skin to separate the skin from the meat, creating a nice pocket.

Spoon the spice mixture onto the meat, under the skin, and rub in gently, making sure to press it into the back corners and around the edges. Take 3 or 4 slices of the butter and tuck them under the skin as well, then pull the skin taut. When all have been seasoned under the skin, take the remaining slices of butter and rub it onto the outsides of each piece. Season the skin with salt and pepper to taste.

Place on the grill and cook over medium heat for 35-40 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the grill. These cooked about 40 minutes on our propane grill:

And yes, they were just as delicious as they looked! Though as I said before, not enough salt =) I still have 3 left in the fridge and I can't wait for "day two" because you KNOW it only gets better as it sits overnight! Next time I do these I want to thin slice some parsnips and oven roast them, and add something else for some greenery like grilled asparagus! YUM!!!

If you don't have a grill you can bake it in your oven. I did something similar a few weeks ago, though I did not have a grill pan so they turned out okay but not as crispy as I wanted. If you do have a grill pan, I would put them in a 400* oven covered with tin foil for about 25 minutes, then pull the foil off for another 10 minutes until the skin gets crispy.

Enjoy!

My Real Life Optimum Health Journey

It occurred to me the other day that there are a lot of people in my life now that don't know where I started from. Many probably think I've always been into working out and being really active. While there is a grain of truth to that - I spent many years working professionally on the horse show circuit which meant early mornings, late nights, and lots of physical activity - I haven't been the kind of person who was "into" running, climbing, and real working out.

I've struggled with weight all my life. As an adult, I now know that much of my weight issues stemmed from my undiagnosed gluten allergy.

I was a pretty active kid. My mom was not the kind of person to let us sit in the house watching tv or playing games. We were outside ALL. THE. TIME. Rain or shine, unless we were doing homework, eating dinner, or going to bed, we were out in the yard or playing with our neighbor friends in the tree farm behind us, climbing trees and running all over. We rode our bikes from one end of town and back. For 5 years we lived at the top of a pretty big steep hill, one we walked up and down each day to get to and from the bus. I rode horses and also did some barn work to make a little extra money (always the entrepreneur). On the weekend we were at my dad's house, and again we spent much of our time biking around town from my house to my cousin's, or over to my friend's house who lived way on the outskirts of town. We also played soccer and T-ball, and also were part of the swim team. So, I wasn't exactly sitting around doing a lot of nothing!

I realize now that there have always been signs of my allergy, but being that it wasn't a "thing" back in the 80's like it is now no one was going to diagnose me. I was called "picky" in regards to my eating. I disliked things other people enjoyed like fried chicken, and many cereals. Funny enough my favourite cereals were teh corn and rice based ones: Crunchy Corn Bran, Rice Chex, Crispix, and Kix. I know now that when a kid says they don't like something it's important to see if there is a common thread/food - there is a high possibility that it is a food allergy!

In any case, when I was 6 or 7 I was a pretty normal kid with a little bit of a belly:

 

As the years passed, I began to put on weight. No matter how active I was I just always had extra weight around my stomach.

We moved to a new town when I started 3rd grade so I was put into a new school with new people, and also a new neighborhood with new kids. The only ones my age were boys, and in the way that boys can be they were mean to me pretty much from the get go, calling me fat and making fun of me in the ways that young boys do.

I stayed with the same classmates all the way through my senior year. I only found a few pictures from that time frame, but as you can see I got a bit taller but also put on weight:

I am missing one of my photo albums that has more pics from this era of my life. When I find it I will add more photos, but the above pictures are me in between the ages of 12  - 18.

I left high school bitter and unhappy with little to know self-confidence, covered up by false bravado and an "outgoing" or "gregarious" personality. Inside I hated myself, I hated that I was FAT, I always felt ugly. I sought acceptance in new groups of friends, bounced around a bit, and eventually ended up in Georgia where I began my life working with horses.

By this time I was a mostly vegetarian, eating mostly salads and tofu, faux meat products (they're healthy, right?), and occasionally having grilled chicken or turkey. I suffered from chronic heartburn and GERD, but I didn't know at the time that it could be an allergy. I knew which foods made me worse but I ate them anyway. I mean, other people in my family had the same problems as me and they just took Tums for it so I figured that was my solution.

With horses I was working really long days, with barely any breaks for food. While I did lose weight - when I first began I got down to 125-130 but not for long - I was still around 148lbs. I DID feel much better about myself physically because I wasn't 160 lbs anymore, and I was really strong thanks to throwing hay bales around, cleaning stalls, riding, walking/running long distances to get to and from the show ring in a hurry, etc. No matter what I was doing I was still heavy around the middle. I wouldn't get into a bathing suit in front of people. I hated EATING in front of people.

I felt bloated all the time no matter what. I blamed it on "baby fat" but how long can you hang on to that?

Losing weight DID give me confidence, at least more than I had ever had before, but my weight was never stable. It fluctuated a ton. I was trying to eat healthy by being an even MORE hardcore vegetarian. When that didn't help, I went back to eating some meats but still stuck to a more vegetable and tofu centric diet.

I didn't like having my picture taken, especially my body. I learned how to dress myself so people couldn't see the spare tire around my middle. Through this time I was working with horses, running or walking every day, and even going to the gym - without any real results or changes.

My health got really bad about 4 years ago, the year before I got married. I was sick all the time, suffering from rolling waves of nausea, near constant GERD to the point where even something as simple as ice water would come back up. (GERD is gastro-esophageal reflux disease, where you burp up food and bile). During this time my work suffered, and as much as I was trying to be there for my jobs I know that I wasn't at my peak. I felt like crap all the time, my moods were horrible. I went to my PCP who prescribed omeprazole (Prilosec) 3x a day. I was like, "Uh, I take that shiz and it doesn't help me. Fool." So I went to a naturopath and she started me on a gluten-free diet.

Gluten free did help to a point in that the chronic nausea went away, but I was still dealing with other things. Heartburn and GERD still happened. I was even MORE fatigued. I went to a different naturopath and we discussed trying out the Blood Type Diet. Following the plan, I was to eat pretty much as a vegetarian. I was subsisting on beans for protein, soy milk, gluten free foods, etc. The only meat I would consume was, again, chicken or turkey. I was severely anemic and began taking both a prenatal vitamin and an additional iron supplement.

I looked "fine" in the way that people do when they learn to cover up their flaws. I chalked a lot of my issues up to just being overly tired from working 40 hours in an office plus 25-30 hours at the barn per week.

I was working a ton, stressed about the wedding, running in the mornings to get "ready" for the big day, etc.

I feel I should insert here that work involved both a desk job and the barn. At the barn I would clean stalls, ride, teach, move jumps, etc. Very physical work.

Fast forward to two years ago when we moved to Alabama. I was tired of being tired and feeling crappy! A friend of mine posted about Paleo on her Facebook and I was intrigued. I had noticed that gluten free foods gave me the same symptoms as gluten laden foods. I was at my wits end feeling crummy and food was becoming my enemy.

Alabama became a great place for a "fresh start." First, a pic from when I first arrived:

A few months later, after switching to Paleo, and working the farm every day (teaching, riding, moving jumps, etc):

I felt really, REALLY amazing for the first time in a long time. Fat literally *melted* off my body. I had boundless energy. I had NO HEARTBURN. Living grain free, dairy free, and eating real, whole foods made a huge difference in how I was feeling! And finally I got the physical results I was looking for.

Once we moved here and away from my long days at the barn I once again put on weight and lost track of my diet and exercise. I was living in limbo! Then a friend introduced me to the workout programs, and though I haven't been as consistent with them as I would like to be, it has given me an outlet for my energy. I have been focusing on being consistent, as I was back in Alabama, and thanks to the commitment I am finally back on track where I'd like to be. And thanks to that, I am finally embracing myself where I am at RIGHT NOW, and celebrating the sprouts in my life, such as the progress below. Forward progress, however slow, is still progress.

Hey look! Finally a picture of ME with NO COVER UP. Taking these pictures, and then deciding to post them was FRIGHTENING to me. It's frightening to me to write this entire blog post. I'm not even sure how coherent it is. I'm not sure if I have even been able to put into words how much this lifelong struggle has burdened me. I know now that a lot of what I went through was mental, hangups leftover from the cruel words of ignorant children. But part of letting go and moving on is getting it out of your head and onto paper, so here it is. 

If you made it through all of that, I'll bake you some Paleo cookies and send you one =) 

Thank you for your love, your support, and for just being here. You mean the world to me, and I hope that my words have given you something, anything, if only just a little smidgen of contentment knowing that we are all the same.

Big Audacious Goals: Redux!

Well hi there, friend! Long time no see! Things have been all over the place lately what with starting a new job, going on vacation to visit the family, and settling into a new routine. I'm finally starting to feel more human and more in touch with my time again, and let me tell you what a giant blessing it has been. I feel really good about what is going on and how things are happening! So, in light of all this I've decided it's time to revisit my Big Audacious Goals. You know, those things we talked about back at the beginning of the year? Yeah, those things.

They are funny things, these B.A.G.'s. We all want to have one, but they can be so daunting! The time, the commitment, heck just coming up with them is a big deal. Plus there's that little voice inside that says, "That isn't feasible" or "that's too BIG of a goal!"

Well let's just tell that little voice to shut the heck up!!!!

Here's the thing I've been learning this year: to walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT. I have been learning to let go, to trust, and to take action in the direction of my goals.

Only one problem: I kind of lost sight of my goals.

I mean, I have a couple that are still hanging around.

1. Have a horse.
2. Buy a house.
3. Start a family.

And of course the in betweens that will lead to accomplishing those ones.

1. Pay off debt.
2. No, seriously, like ALL of the debt.
3. Save money.
4. Increase my skill and thus my income.  

So what are my BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS then??? Paying off all the debt (meaning, car included), starting a family and buying a house are pretty big ones to a lot of people! But really, I think those are just average, run of the mill everyday goals.

The truth is, I have been sitting around the last week or two reevaluating my goals. I have been spending time dreaming BIGGER than normal and thinking of those things that I really, really want to do. Some of these are continuations of what I wrote down at the beginning of the year, and some are new ones, but here they are in no particular order:

• Travel to Belize and help build the orphanage for King's Ransom.
• Feed 100 orphans a year through my tithing 10% of my income.
• The above means I need to increase my income by 200%.
• Grow my home based business so that I can work from home, which affords me the ability to be a working stay at home mom and offers the flexibility to work on growing some additional income streams.
• Build my food/recipe blog and even begin baking, cooking and selling Paleo/gluten free items for fun and for extra income (which ties in nicely to increasing my income).
• Put money aside to open and/or invest in a winery in Oregon.
• Learn about the art and science of making/selling wine (see above).
• Bake/cook tasty foods to serve at the wine tastings at the above winery.

I know that ALL of these things are possible. The starting off point? That's exactly where I'm at right now. The first step is annihilating our debt utilizing the skills learned in War on Debt. During this we will be able to save money as well, and begin deciding in which investments we would like to put our "wealth account" money. This will start the fund that will be the future for our family, and will build the long lasting wealth for the generations of our family.

Getting these down on paper gives me perspective, and the opportunity to look them over and decide which comes first. It also gives me the opportunity to reverse engineer the goals. I take the goal, then I break it down into pieces and steps, and I set up the pathway to get to each individual step! I'm already on my way to feeding the orphans, which has been an amazing feeling. By the end of the year I will have fed at least 10 - a healthy start!

So, what are YOUR Big Audacious Goals? I would really love it if you would share them with me!

Have an AWESOME day!

The Ending is ALWAYS Worth Journey

No pain, no gain. 

Cheesy? Certainly. But the words ring true. I whined, I cried, I found my strength and I found answers. I persevered and I achieved what I was looking for - to break free from a downward spiral I was in and to regain control over what actually was a response to stressors in my life. 

7 week results. I will take it. I am in such a good place right now =) you can do it too! I BELIEVE IN YOU!

Yep yep it's update time!!!

So I've been doing the lowcarb thing for awhile now, and while I am noticing differences for sure (not bloated!!!) I definitely am tired of counting macros and calories. I miss eating more real food. I just had some fresh figs and they were divine!

In light of this, while I am still going to stay low sugar or sugar free, I am going to go back to my Paleo life. I prefer it, with whole real foods! And not worrying if i ate too much protein to balance my fat and carbs. That said I would like to stay fairly low carb in that I will keep "paleo treats" to a minimum. 

I just miss FOOD!!! And it's too much math and worrying! So, keto/low carb works really well but I just like food too much =)

The #LCHF journey continues!

Hello friends!!

Things here are going well! I am learning a lot and once I have it dialed in I will share! I have been meaning to link to the macros calculator that I used to help me figure out how many grams of each (carbs/protein/fat) I should be eating. I found that I was doing it wrong! I was too high on protein and too low on fat. Crazy! I am slowly figuring out what I can eat and when to balance my macros evenly throughout the day. 

I haven't been making any low carb treats yet because I don't want to go crazy, but I have a few I am waiting to make. I am looking forward to it!

In good news this is doing what i wanted- curbing the sugar cravings and making my insides feel better. I am adding more consistent workouts back in and can't wait to see what this month brings in terms of results! 

Be back SOON!!! Xoxo!!

The Two Week Low Carb/Keto Update!

Well hi there!

Last week ended up being absolutely nutso for me with a lot of work related activity that had me up really early and working long days. I opted to just spend time this weekend chilling out and enjoying myself a bit, but I knew it was time to check in here!

I'm not gonna lie to you - last week it was tough to stay on track. I managed to do it thanks to the advice of some other low-carb and keto gurus. I found Quest bars (can be purchased at GNC and other such nutrition stores) and while they aren't the *best* thing to make a meal out of (real food is always #1) they really helped me get through midweek. I have tried a number of different flavours now and at 20g protein and 4or less net carbs per bar they are definitely a good option. Lots of variety! GNC is also having a Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale on both bars and boxes (through late August I think?) so now is a great time to buy! I am trying to decide if I want to get some boxes or not =)

In any case, things that have happened:

Physically I have been pretty fatigued and battling headaches as well as muscle soreness. In doing research I found out that fatigue and headaches are a sign/sympton of ketosis so I am on the right track... But it's not a fun way to find out you're where you want to be! The muscle soreness is due to my system being flushed out by all the water I am drinking and it was recommended to take a calcium-magnesium-potassium supplement to help replenish. I have a multivitamin that I began taking and I am seeing a difference! It was really painful though - all the muscles in my lower body were screaming. It even hurt to pee! It was CRAZY! But all is well now and I am glad that Google exists!

I am trying to be better prepared this week in regards to my food. We went shopping yesterday and I will be doing a grip of food and meal prep today with my roommate. She is a food prep genius and she also watches her diet, so we have been making things that we can share (as well as some individual stuff). She likes my low carb coconut biscuits too, so that's awesome! I like to make a couple dozen and throw them in the fridge for quick eats.

I found that a lot of the Trader Joe's chicken sausages are low carb and keto friendly - sugar free! They are tasty, though so far my fave is just the standard garlic herb one. It holds up the best to being added to a variety of meals. Also, they cook up quickly and are easy to take on the go! My roommate makes pretty bomb egg cups too, so those are nice to have around.

I am trying to decide if I should go completely dairy free. I've been having 8oz of full fat greek yogurt each day and at first I was thinking it was upsetting my stomach/bowel. However, since adding in the vitamins that has gone away so I'm thinking that was related to needing more nutrients.

I have been walking almost every day and am ready to get back into a more solid workout routine, so that will start in the morning! We are finishing setting up our workout room today and I am looking forward to swinging some weights around.

Last little note: I have found some amazing people to follow on Instagram, Facebook, and in the blogosphere who specialize in low carb and keto.  I haven't stepped to making their recipes just yet as many of their recipes are for treats and the like, and I am trying to break the treat habit right now. However, in two more weeks I will be ready to pick up some of the approved sweeteners (stevia, erythritol, etc) and begin trying my hand at some low carb/keto goodies. I am excited especially to use a couple of these recipes: Blondie's Paleo Journey

Have a wonderful week until I talk to you again!

So far so good and down 4 pounds!

Wow!!! So excited about how week one went for me!!! Am down 4 lbs and very happy about that. 

I am having trouble with my sweet tooth for sure, that's still a struggle. I caved and had one cherry yesterday =) Silly i know but I really want to kick that bad craving for sweets! I don't know about you, but i definitely use certain sweets stuff (namely dark chocolate) to make me feel better at the end ofthe day. I don't have a big sweet tooth for general things, but i do love my fruit a LOT and I also have recently found taro flavoured Boba tea and FroYo- waaaahhh!!!! So the purpose of what I am doing is to get back to where I can have things like that without craving it. 

If you have been on your own health and fitness journey you have probably heard about candida. This is a yeast that lives in your intestines and it feeds off of sugar! I won't go into details here but do a quick google search for it and you will see how this seemingly innocuous little thing can wreak havoc on your body- and how it quite possibly could be what is holding you back!!!

Anyways, just wanted to pop in and let you know how it is all going! Have an amazing day!

Day 6 and going strong!

Thought I would pop in with a quick update! So far so good and I am definitely seeing a good difference. I feel fantastic, more energy which is what I am in need of and the cravings for sugar, while not gone completely, are tapering. I miss silly things like my morning protein shake, but otherwise not too bad. 

I made some coconut flour biscuits which are low carb and higher in protein and fat. This eating plan means more healthy fats being consumed, and it definitely makes you feel fuller longer!

I can't wait to give a more detailed follow up on Monday! Until then, party on!!

The Ketogenic Diet

So the past couple of months have been crazy stressful, and the last few weeks even moreso. I don't know about you but I am totally a stress eater. Not that I binge, but I will start adding back things like ice cream or white potatoes- things that make me feel crappy but satisfy my need for comfort food. 

In light of this I decided to once again do a full reset and get rid of all those foods! An easy plan to follow is the ketogenic diet, which allows proteins, certain vegetables, fats and some dairy. I am not a big dairy person but it is nice to have an option. I opt for raw milk products on the occasion that I am buying dairy!

The key to this food plan is that you eliminate sugars - including fruit! - from your diet. You also eliminate starchy vegetables and the like, including potatoes, winter squashes, etc. You are retraining your body to seek out the proper fuels that it needs to run optimally: fat and protein. 

This food plan will help kick start the fat burning mode that your body is intended to be in. (Warning: nerd alert). Our bodies are not designed to process te amount of sugars that the current Standard American Diet (SAD) has us consuming. It is important to recognize as well that carbohydrates are metabolized as sugar. The excess sugars in our system causes our insulin levels to spike, and our body has no way to eliminate the insulin so it stores it as "energy" for use at a later time. This energy is known also ad your enemy: FAT. 

Our bodies then become accustomed to getting these sources of quick acting energy- these sugars that we consume. Because of that, our bodies send out little notices to our brains when we are tired: "Hey! Gimmie a quick boost of energy!!!" So we head out and grab a snickers or a soda. 

This starts the entire "sugar spike - insulin spike - too much insulin - store for later - fat" cycle all over again!!!

The most efficient and slow burning types of fuel for sustainable energy are protein and fat. I'm not taling about fried chicken- I am taling about chicken with a source of quality fat like avocado, top quality butter (like kerrygold), coconut oil, olive oil, etc. eating these types of foods will keep you feeling more full and more satisfied for longer peruods of times. 

The other great thing is that your body will soon learn that it is getting the proper fuels that it needs and it will begin burning the excess fuel (read: fat) that it has already stored up! Thus, through proper diet with a normal amount of movement you can burn fat and achieve the level of health you have been working for!

Later I will come back with a link to the food list I use, and while at first it will feel extreme just remember that it is temporary until you kick those sugar cravings and kickstart your body's motor imto running properly!

A quick recap of my week so far:

Day 1 was pretty easy and straightforward. Had some black coffee and eggs for breakfast, then chicken with cauliflower for lunch, and chicken with sauteed bok choy, onions and mushrooms for dinner. Slept really well and woke up feeling great!

Yesterday was day two and oh my.... It hit me that I haven't had any sugar. Headache, crabby, tired.... Oy!!! But it is a sign that I am on the right track! So again I had eggs and some full fat greek yogurt for breakfast, then steak and cauliflower with an avocado for lunch! Snacked on some roasted almonds as well. Missed dinner - bad me - because I was so tired when I got home and went straight to bed. But again I slept fairly well!

Today I am a little tired and definitely still feeling that urge for some sugar to pep me up, but I will make it. Started the day with steak, eggs, and asparagus, as well as a little coffee. 

I will keep updating an I encourage you to r esearch for yourself. You can also reach out to me if you would like! I am no expert but I am always seeking to learn more as i am on this journey to my personal level of optimum health. Cheers, big ears!!

Trying my hand at grain-free biscuits - a success!

Well hello there!

I am absolutely POOPED after this past weekend but it was totally worth it I had an amazing time! I know I teased you all with the idea of grain-free biscuits last week and never got around to posting the recipe. Then the other night I needed to throw something together quickly that would pack a protein punch and fill my tummy, but be stable enough to hang around in the bag that I lugged around during these very loooooong days. So, I whipped up another batch of these, tweaked the recipe a little from what I had done previously, and voila! I had these on hand for a couple of days as in-between-meals snacks!

The recipe is ridiculously simple!

Preheat your oven to 350*. Lightly oil a cookie sheet with coconut oil (these get sticky, so oil or put on parchment paper).

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1/2 C coconut milk
2-3 tbsp coconut (or olive) oil
1 tsp all natural vanilla
1 C coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
Dash of sea salt

Mix together eggs, coconut milk, oil and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well, then allow it to sit for a couple of minutes to let the baking soda activate and the coconut flour to absorb.

Keep extra coconut flour on hand to put on your hands while you scoop and shape the "dough." It is very, very wet and sticky! The dough will expand up and out a bit as it bakes, so my rounds were about 2x2x1 inches.

Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, until the center is no longer wet! They will still be springy to the touch, which is really good - these didn't get dry like some coconut flour products!

If you want to make them more savory - as I did the first time - skip the vanilla, use olive oil instead, and add your fave herbs! Or for more kick, add some chives and crispy bacon bits! For a more scone-like biscuit, candied ginger, dried cherries or other fruits, etc would give you what you're looking for. They won't be as crumbly, but they turn out nicely. I also am kicking around the idea of cutting butter in to the batter. We will see!

These took less than 10 minutes to prep, so they are great to throw together first thing in the morning or right before dinner! Have fun and make them your own =)

Sometimes you just have to make a snack!

I know, two posts in one day. Crazy!

I just saw a picture and knew that I HAD to make them immediately. I will keep this post short and sweet and show you these:

Heat oven to 375

Slice 2 sweet potatoes in half, then slice horizontally without going through the skin entirely. 

Place onto a foil wrapped cookie sheet and drizzle liberally with coconut oil. Season with ample amounts of sea salt, fresh black pepper, and garlic. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until soft and crispy around the edges. 

These would be awesome with some freshly grilled steaks and asparagus!

Contrary to popular belief, I'm still on the planet! A couple new recipes to entice you...

Forgive me my friends, I had NO IDEA it has been so long since I last posted! Clearly I fell into some time-space vortex, et voila it has been 4 months. WOW.

So what has been happening.... A LOT! I received not one but TWO promotions in a short time and thus work has been crazy busy and a whirlwind. I am working hard to earn my next promotion and to perform my duties with the excellence and diligence that I strive to achieve every day.

I began running and have been doing great! However, it has been getting very HOT here and thus I have taken my workouts back indoors and am doing my cardio kickboxing as well as weightlifting again. If I could convince myself to wake up at 4am again I would get out and run, so we'll see what will happen!

I've also been thinking about taking this blog up a notch and really getting into the food blogging side of things. You know me well enough to know how much I LOVE to EAT! I love to cook, and I enjoy creating simple foods like taste good and make you feel good too. I know that sounds chowdery but hey - underneath this tough exterior is a big squishy interior!

Anyways, in light of my new venture, I'll start off with something that one of my fave food bloggers showed me. I adore fries, I admit it. I haven't met a fry I didn't like! Since going paleo, I typically get sweet potato fries or just bake them myself. Then I happened upon The Urban Poser. On Sunday nights, she and her family have a tradition of making grassfed burgers with avocado and a side of fries. But she takes her fries to the next level and makes them out of.... PARSNIPS.

I love parsnips! They are definitely one of the most underutilized root vegetables, and when you coat them with coconut oil, garlic, pepper, and sea salt, then bake them till they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are transformed into something magical.

All sliced and ready to bake

You can use your mandolin to shoestring them, but I just cut them by hand cuz hey - I'm crazy like that! And it was entertaining =) A mandolin would take less time though, and you could get a thinner cut.

Fresh out of the oven

I use an organic refined coconut oil (Tropical Traditions expeller pressed) that has no coconut flavour and is safe for high heat cooking. You could also use ghee (like the amazing ghee from OMGhee )! Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, stirring them around half way through to ensure evenness.

Dinner is served

 I paired them with some sesame pork ribs and cauli-rice! Sauce for the pork was sesame oil, coconut oil, local honey, lots of fresh garlic, coconut aminos, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. I'd like to put the same sauce on chicken! (I'm not a big pork fan) because it was tasty!

Finished it up with dessert, chocolate coconut flour cupcakes with homemade whipped cream (unsweetened)!

These bad boys look dangerous... dangerously TASTY!

These were made with the following:
6 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 c local honey (or raw honey)
3/4 c coconut flour
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Trader Joe's)
1 tsp baking soda
dash sea salt

Sift together dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add wet to dry and mix well, then allow batter to sit a few minutes so that the coconut flour can fully absorb the liquids Spoon into muffin cups and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Try not to eat them all in one sitting

I used heavy whipping cream, a dash of pure vanilla extract, and then just used a hand mixer to make it nice a fluffy. This is not a paleo topping! However, you can make paleo frosting using palm shortening or something similar. I have not yet branched out into that, but it is on my To-Do list!

I love these cupcakes because they are SO EASY to make and they turn out really tasty! Easy to dress them up with some dried cherries baked in, and add some Enjoy Life chocolate chips for real decadence. A sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg to spice them up will change the flavour dramatically. Candied ginger for a fun twist! No limits to what you can make!

Can't wait to share more recipes, so until next time!

The future, the past, and what happens when we're gone?

I know the title sounds morbid and totally introspective. I swear though, it's not like a deep thought from Jack Handy - it's not going to squeak. (Props to you if you get that reference!)

So I was reading a chapter out of this amazing success book that I've been working my way through over the past couple of months. (Yes, months. It's heavy reading and requires some processing afterwards). The chapter started out kind of hard hitting and at first I was thinking it was saying something like, "Give up on making anything of yourself because no matter what you do you're going to die anyway, and no one is going to remember you regardless. You're not original, no idea you come up with it original, and at best you're mediocre." It LITERALLY says that everything we do is an exercise in futility.

Some success book, right? I was thinking that perhaps this was a chapter I ought to skip, but in the effort to continue growing my wisdom, knowledge, and understanding I read on.

"That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new"? Already it has existed for ages which were before us."

Dangit! Here I thought that I was some amazing inventor and wise beyond my years!

What's really funny is that my sister and I just had a great talk about this kind of stuff last week on one of our epic walk-a-paloozas. Though there are many innovations that happen, it is not likely that the innovator is the one who thought of it originally. It is likely someone else had the thought as well (and perhaps even a hundred years ago), but the innovator is the one who saw it through to fruition. Through their hard work and their persistence the idea was made into something real and tangible. It is only through effort that we will see that of which we dream.

Deep enough for you? It gets better.

The chapter goes on to discuss things like following the rules (oh horror of horrors for someone like me who thinks they were often meant to be broken) set forth by your leader - the one in authority. It tells us that there is a time and a place for everything - good and bad - and since no one knows what will happen, who can tell us when it will happen? So when the bad times come you can take comfort in the fact that good times will follow; thought sadly enough the opposite also holds true!

Furthermore, it is in the times of good that we are to be preparing for the bad times that are on the horizon. We are to be investing,saving, and storing up because we do not know what misfortune might happen on the Earth.

We are to work with excellence in diligence in whatever it is that we do, "for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom" after we die. And the bottom line is that we are supposed to work, we must not be idle and sit on our hands and assume that what we have sown is going to be successful.

Live your life and be happy in it, and remember even the bad times.

For all that I read in these passages, one thing truly stood out to me. I have been struggling recently with that pesky little thing called "EGO." You know, the thing that keeps you unteachable, that keeps you broke and prevents you from living the life you want to live. The one that tells you, "You're too good for this," or "You already know all about that," and even, "You're sooo much more capable than that person, so why did they get the promotion and not you?"

Yeah, you know that voice. I'm sure you do. I hate that voice!

Anyway, that voice, that little thing called EGO loves to keep us looking in the past. It keeps us looking back at what we did and what jobs we had and what those places are doing now, or who you used to date and who they're dating now.

Here's the hard-hitting truth (at least it was hard hitting to me):
Once you leave, someone else will be there to take your place.

Ouch. Yeah I know, that hurts. Don't they always say that the truth hurts? Yep, it hurts way deep down in those places that you're always trying to hide from other people. But the fact of the matter is that the above phrase IS the truth and it will happen whether it's you leaving a relationship, leaving a job, or leaving this Earth.

Oh Adrienne, you say outloud, talk about EGO. You're such a knowitall sometimes. Whatever!

That's ego too.  You're right, I'm no expert. Who am I to talk about this stuff? I'm just a girl who is working through all of this now, at an age when I am ready to have my crap together and to get past all the stuff that is holding me back.

The bottom line is that we need to stop living in the past, and we need to not worry about the future. Why? Because we don't know what the future is! We don't know what is going to happen or where we're going to be, and we don't know when we're going to die or how. The only thing that we DO know is that we ARE going to die someday, and our life between now and then is all we've got so we had better make it GOOD. Once we're gone there's someone else there to take our place. to take our old things or to buy our old house. It's not ours anymore, it's someone else's and after that it will be for someone else.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in [death] where you are going."

Walking in a Headwind

What a title, am I right??

But for serious, I did that today. For those who don't know, once or twice a week my sister and I go on walks together. This is difficult due to the fact that we live in two different states about 1200 miles apart, but thanks to the invention of the cell phone (and earbuds) we make it happen! Anyway, today it is sunny and gorgeous but suuuuuper windy. Like, crazy windy.

So I toodle over to one of the local parks, a really neat place that offers both regular park activites (swing sets, baseball fields), some more unique offerings (sand volleyball, 18 hole disc golf course), and an awesome set of walking trails. The picture above shows you how pretty it is, so I definitely like to take advantage of it!

Heck, I even made some friends! They kept following me around hoping my phone was food.

*Sidenote: feeding ducks at a park is a dangerous activity. They end up following you and trying to eat your shoes. lol!*

Anyway, I knocked out about 5 miles today, all the while gibgabbing with my sister about all sorts of things. As usual we had a great conversation, but when I finally got back to my car I was WIPED OUT. about 75% of my walk was into a strong, driving headwind; one that knocked the wind out of me at times, and made my eyes water fiercely. Yet I pushed on.

Of course this got me thinking. So often in life we feel as if we're being faced by a headwind, a large amount of resistance attempting to impede our forward progress. And yet, when we persevere and we push on we realize how strong and capable we are, and are even made stronger in spite of - or because of - it.

In strength and weight training the idea is to increase resistance in order to build up and strengthen our muscles. Doesn't it make sense that the same would hold true for life in general? When you've hit a roadblock and you find away over, under, through or around it, don't you feel so much MORE accomplished?

The next time you find yourself in a rough patch, just when things are seemingly at their most difficult and you are wondering if you will be able to make it through to the finish, think about THIS message. It is the RESISTANCE in life, the HEADWINDS that we face that make us STRONGER and MORE CAPABLE. When you persevere, you WILL achieve and you WILL be successful. You will have a new tool in your toolbox that you will be able to bring out or offer to someone at a later date.

Do not fear the headwind. Turn your face to it and PRESS ON!

Time Management and Setting Boundaries

Oooh now doesn't this sound like a super fun topic?? Hahaha! No but seriously, lets get real for a moment. It is SO EASY to let time slip away from you and get sucked up into distractions. We can always find something else to do that isn't at all related to what we SHOULD be doing.

"I know I need to scrub the toilets, but I also reaaallllyyy need to read a chapter in my new book [insert frivolous title]."

"I know I should be working out but I also just simply must refold all my socks."

"I know I need to do some personal development, but there are all those shows on the DVR I need to watch before they get deleted.... I'll just watch one or two and then I'll come back and do my PD."

When you are undisciplined with your time, your time gets sucked up into distractions! Then you sit there and wonder why you're not getting anything done!

Some of you have seen this picture already, but here is is again for those that haven't:

This is my day planner, and each color indicates a different piece of my life. No, I didn't come up with this awesome idea myself, I got it straight from MY coach and mentor Dani Johnson. I have to tell you though, it has freed up my life SO MUCH!

Orange and Green indicate work (I have two jobs). Purple is my workout time. Yellow is extracurricular activities. Blue is my time with God. And pink? Oh yes, pink is all for my husband! I make time for him every night, and usually it's just us chilling on the couch together after eating dinner. It's really nice.

The white space leaves me time for everything else I need or want to do! You can see that I have a fair amount of white space, at least a few hours each day in which to read or catch up on Facebook, talk to friends, etc. And obviously I can still be flexible within this schedule because while it is giving me BOUNDARIES, it's not tying me down. I KNOW when I am available, and I KNOW when I can move something to another "white space" to make time for something else!

Boundaries are NOT limitations or control mechanisms. Boundaries on your time will set you FREE!

You will no longer feel guilty when you're watching your DVR or you're browsing on Pinterest. You'll know without a doubt that you HAVE THE TIME to do that! And you will become so much MORE productive in those coloured spaces because you have set yourself time limits in which to achieve the priorities you set for the day.

If you don't tell your time where to go, it will get sucked up into other useless things! And remember this: putting things off because of the time it is going to take to finish them is ridiculous. The time is going to pass by anyway. 

Just dive in and get it done!

I encourage you to give this method of scheduling a shot. If you don't have a day planner as detailed as mine (15 minute increments) then at the very least make a time schedule (you can use Excel!) and block out your time, labeling it and colour coding it so that you know what you're going to be doing each day and when. Try it for 21 days, and see if it doesn't make a huge difference in your productivity.