The Secret to Eating Healthy

Today I sat down to eat my lunch.  It was a very simple salad.  Some greens, carrots, red pepper, grape tomatoes, poached chicken topped with a lovely vinaigrette I made with extra virgin olive oil and this amazing balsamic vinegar from a local store in Sedona, AZ.

Wanna see it?

Ok, so I've already eaten most of it but look how nice and colorful it is.

And as I was sitting eating my salad I had an epiphany.  Eating healthy isn't always easy and sometimes you do it because it needs to be done.  I know I've mentioned before how my co-workers like to comment on my food and how they wish they could eat more like me.

Well, the truth is, I don't always like what I eat.  The truth is, sometimes I'd RATHER be eating what they're eating.  But I don't for 2 reasons:

1.  My body does not forgive easily for food indiscretions.  If I stray too far from my regimented eating, then my body strikes back at me and boy is it ugly. 

2.  In my quest for gaining health, I've seen, heard, and read too much.  I know what that bad food is doing to my insides.  I know that in the long run, bad food just isn't doing me any favors health wise.  And if I TRULY want to get better (and I do, I really do) -- and not just lose weight but feel NORMAL again, then I must give my body as much help as possible.

And so I sat eating my pretty salad.  There was no pleasure in any of it.  I was literally eating to get rid of my hunger.  I was eating to fuel my body.  And THAT'S the secret to how I eat healthy.  I know that in order to feel truly good about myself, sometimes I have to make the sacrifice.  Sometimes it's about forgoing what I want in order to give my body what it needs.

And it's not all the time.  Most of the time it's really easy.  But on those days when almost anything else sounds better than what I've prepared for myself, those are the days I just dig in and remind myself that it's just fuel for the fire.

 

Drop 2 Sizes: Phase 2 (Again)

Third time is the charm right?

Yes, this is my third time trying to Drop 2 Sizes.

My first try was in January of 2014.  I had just gained 30 pounds out of the blue and was feeling pretty lousy so I was desperate for something to work.  Alas, I didn't make it all the way thru.

I then started working with my current doctor and was diagnosed with hormonal imbalance, hypothyroid, adrenal stuff, deficiencies etc ...  So my brilliant self thought it was a good idea to try again.   My second attempt was June of 2014.  I was only about 2 months into my treatment.  I finished.  I remember it being underwhelming.  In retrospect, I don't see how I could of thought I'd get ANY sort of results because I can now see how bad off I was.  But according to that post, I lost inches. I did NOT, however, lose 2 sizes.  Not even close.

And then finally I decided to try AGAIN.  Tonight will start my second week of Phase 2.  I can tell that this time I'm getting more out of it.  There are moves that I can do without modifying this time.  In fact, the first move of the first workout was one that I had to modify EVERY TIME during the previous 2 tries.  So I was actually SHOCKED when I started this time and didn't have to modify it at all.  And I think that's because I have made that much progress with my doctor.  Thank God.  So I really feel like this go round will be the first legitimate try. 

I took starting measurements and pictures back in June.  I haven't posted any updates yet because I haven't taken any update measurements at all.  I've thought about doing it but honestly, I've been afraid.  This may sound weird, but I've been feeling SO GOOD lately, I was afraid that if I took measurements I would see that nothing had changed.  And I didn't want to do anything that might make me feel bad.  But as I explained in my last post, I've been on a plateau and I believe now is the time to at least take the measurements to make sure I'm moving in the right direction.   Because you can't change what you don't measure.  Right?

Right.

Oh and one last tiny, little thing.  I just placed an online order over the weekend for a new pair of jeans because my old ones ripped.  I ordered them one size smaller.

WHAT?!?!

:)

July Fireworks and Working Out!

Hello world.  I hope everyone had a spectacular July 4th.

I don't know how it is where you live, but in Los Angeles there are just way too many people who get their hands on fireworks.  And not those pew pew tiny fireworks, those BIG BOOM BOOM fireworks.  And they are usually drunk and not qualified to handle such items.

My assistant's apartment almost burned down because of said people.  Thank goodness both he and all his worldly possessions made it out alive.  Seriously people, cool it with the fireworks.  You will be JUST as patriotic without them.



Lots of things to talk about on this fine Wednesday morning.  First lets talk about my weight.  I am still holding steady.  In fact, I still pretty much weigh the same as I did at the beginning of May.  And I'll be honest, I'm heart broken.  Now, I'm trying to not let it get to me because I'm aware there are many things that still need to be fixed in my body, but I thought I was making headway.  In fact, I felt like I DESERVED to make headway.  But alas, life had other plans.  In any case, sitting and pouting will absolutely get me nowhere so lets try to troubleshoot what is happening.

Lets look at some of the factors:

Food wise, I'm eating the same things and save the 4th of July weekend where I splurged, I have been eating around 100 grams of net carbs per day since February.  Calories are roughly the same, protein and fat are roughly the same, I'm still avoiding the foods I've been avoiding and everything.  So I don't think food is the problem. 

Workout wise, I'm STILL doing the Drop 2 Sizes program.  In fact, today starts Phase 2 week 2 and I feel like I'm really killing it this time.  Probably because I have more energy.  In any case, I really feel like I'm getting stronger.  So perhaps the plateau is a building muscle thing. 

Health wise I hit a little snafu.  In June I started to feel pretty lousy again.  Old symptoms were creeping back in too frequently (fatigue, sleeping problems, hair problems etc ..).  So after a dialogue with my doctor, we realized I was not taking enough progesterone.  In fact, I was taking 75% less than what she wanted me on.  That's a big difference.  I was taking 25mg and she had wanted me on 100mg.  She sorted it out with the pharmacy and I'm one week into my new dose.  So far so good.

Now when I lay it all out on the line like that it just becomes glaringly obvious doesn't it?  So what's probably happening is that I'm gaining a little bit of muscle which has offset any real loss on the scale AND with my meds a little messed up, my body hasn't been working as efficiently as it could.

I have to be honest, I hadn't really put 2 and 2 together until I just typed that all out.  Probably should have thought that thru a little more before I had my pity party.

Ok, so here's what I'm going to do:  I'm going to take some measurements.  If I HAVE been gaining some muscle then I should be down.  And secondly, I'm just going to give it some time.  Which in my opinion is one of the WORST THINGS EVER.  I don't know about you but there is nothing worse than when my doctor tells me "you just have to give it some time to work".  There is no comfort in those words because all I hear is "There is nothing you can do.  You have no control over this".    Those are not the words you want to tell a control freak, which I am.

But that's what I have to do.