Is It Really Week 6?

     The last week has been an absolute rollercoaster.  My trip to California was bittersweet, and I made it back to Kansas just in time to turn around and begin a drive to Oklahoma.  This is when life happened and in the past it would be knocking me off track.

 

     I'll be completely honest, for the last week as I said goodbye to my dear friend Jessie, and then went to Oklahoma to speak at a ladies' Bible study, I didn't really think much about the transformation challenge.  When I left for the airport that Saturday, I had a feeling it would be difficult to stay on track.  I was talking to my husband about it yesterday, and determined that it would do me no good to retroactively track my nutrition for that week.  There's nothing that could be done about it at this point, and it would just leave me feeling bad.
     Instead, I have decided to focus on moving forward.  This week is about rebuilding a sense of normal for me.  On one hand, I feel guilty doing that.  On the other, I know that it's something I need to do.  The only way I can truly honor Jessie is through striving for my dreams and loving the life I've been given.

 

     I have learned that in very stressful situations, my eating is non-existent.  I did a mental check of what I ate while on my trip to California, and it wasn't much.  Sometimes it was because of circumstances like trying to make a connecting flight, and other times it was just the fact that I didn't even think about it.  In contrast, my Oklahoma trip was less stressful, and I was wanting to eat more comfort foods.  I feel like the two trips balanced each other out in that regard.
     I did do my progress photos, and will post them here.  I am not seeing huge differences yet, I do feel a difference though.  The trips reminded me of that.  When I am eating well and staying active, I feel so much better.  Just doing a short workout last night helped me stretch out.  I will persevere. 
     While I don't feel like I failed, the quote above is still a good kick in the pants.  Keep going.  That's what I have to keep telling myself.  It's about getting back into it more quickly than I did the last time.  Instead of letting myself be thrown off and wake up 3 months later wondering why I couldn't keep it up, I am back after a week.  That's progress, and that's what this is all about. 

All the best,
OkieGal

 

 

Wrapping Up Week 3

     Three weeks of the 12-week transformation challenge done!  Even with some rough points in the week, I finished strong!  It has been interesting to find out which of my focus areas are coming along and which are still a work in progress.  I am really impressed with how well the infused water pitcher is helping me keep up my water intake.  I have had above 70oz for nearly two weeks now, and most days are closer to 100oz!  That is a huge improvement from my past bests of around 40oz in a day!  I will say that the weekends are more of a struggle for me when it comes to this focus, and so I will be more intentional about it on the weekends moving forward.

 

 

     From a mental perspective, the fight over doing my workouts is diminishing.  I had no trouble jumping right back into it today after my rest day.  I still need to work through the physical aspects.  My body is still working through the transition from not working out to having a consistent workout regime.  Just keep going, and I know it'll continue to get better.

     One of my focuses is to be more thoughtful about my treats and to choose healthy food options.  I have found that by planning my treat meal in advance, I am less tempted to have treats the rest of the week.  I had set in my mind that it would be Saturday, and so we went out and had a great time.  It was part of the plan, so I didn't feel guilty.  This week we had Mi Ranchito, which is one of the Mexican restaurants in the area.  Had chips & salsa, cheese dip, and a great dinner.  We then went for dessert to a new place that opened up, Smallcakes Creamery.  Smallcakes is a cupcake shop and the creamery is a new concept store for them.  They basically take their cupcake flavors and put them into the form of ice cream.  I took a picture to prove I did indeed have a treat!  Two of my favorite flavors of their cupcakes are the Caramel Crunch and the Red Velvet.  Naturally, I got them both in a waffle bowl.  It was awesome!  When you plan your treat, consider them!  :)

 

 

     The other thing about the treats that is interesting, I don't want them during the week.  I had the dinner and the ice cream last night, and I was ready to eat healthy again.  I felt bloated and sluggish at the end of the night.  I don't regret my treat.  I just feel like my body is getting more and more used to the healthy options.  It actually wants them more often over the junk than it used to.  When I do have to grab a quick bite out, I'm making better choices.  That is great progress! 

     On the sleep front, this is definitely a work in progress.  I was in bed around 1 am last night.  Between the bloated feeling from the treat and the late night, my day started rough today.  As I ate well and got active I noticed I felt better.  Getting sleep is going to be important for me.  I may have to start writing it on my calendar to keep it top of mind.  That seems to be working for my workouts, treats, and water consumption. 

     I am excited and nervous for next week's measurements and progress pics.  I am feeling a difference, and it will be interesting to see if it shows when I check in! 

 

All the best,

OkieGal   



Nutrition Revelation

     This week has been an improvement when it comes to nutrition for me.  I have gotten within striking distance of my calorie goal, and am doing better on the ratios too!  I'm still feeling some aches here and there, yet have continued to stick with the workouts.  I've been modifying if needed to avoid truly injuring myself.  The infused water pitcher has been a great way for me to consistently get my ounces in.  The main area with some progress still needed is getting to bed & to sleep at a more reasonable hour.  I've improved here, just need to continue that focus.
     I mentioned before that my need to focus on overall health had, in part, to do with the fact that I have been told by the doctor several times that my cholesterol was high.  This is still the case, in addition there is another reason that nutrition has become a greater focus for me.  That reason is Chickpea.  From very early on, Chickpea was showing great interest in the activity of eating.  He enjoys watching us eat.  He thought it was funny at first, and then became more interested in what we were doing.  He wanted to try it to!

 

     This made me think about what I was modeling for him.  I knew that I wanted him to try real foods.  I had planned to make his food for several reasons.  One is that it would be easier to just make extra of foods we were already buying.  Two is that it's cheaper.  Three, I want Chickpea to get a taste of real food before anything that has been packaged or processed is introduced.  Fourth, it's easy and cheap! 
     I got myself something quick one day, and Chickpea was showing interest.  I sat there and thought, "I would love to share from my plate, but how can I do that when I'm not eating the things that he can or should eat?"  It made me think about what I was modeling and what I want him to see and do.
     Now that I'm getting my nutrition on track, I feel much better about what I'm showing him.  He will also see that it's fun to have a treat from time to time.  That's the point.  I'll be giving him an example of a balanced look at food.  He will have the opportunity to appreciate healthy foods, and also still be a kid and have a treat here and there. 
     I am learning a lot and really thinking about why I do what I do.  It became obvious now that Chickpea is here, I had to adjust what I am doing nutritionally.  Not just to make sure I am here for him for as long as possible, but also to make sure I am giving him the best example I can of a healthy, balanced life.

All the best,
OkieGal

Strive for Progress

     The last two days have been interesting.  My water intake is definitely improved by quite a bit.  I have consistently consumed at least 80oz of water every day since Tuesday.  That's definitely a step in the right direction!  I also found it easier to get back into the workout groove after my rest day on Wednesday.  There were still a few thoughts about skipping Thursday's workout.  It was good to see that there weren't as many, and it wasn't as difficult to get back to it.
     The area that was a bit more challenging yesterday and today was my nutrition.  I am not able to go to the grocery store until tomorrow, so we've been playing the game of trying to piece together meals with not a lot of ingredients to choose from.  It's always interesting to see what your creativity comes up with, but I have found that times like these are when bad habits are more likely to creep in.  The good news is that even when I did grab something quick, I made healthier choices about what I got. 
     An example of this was we had Jimmy John's delivered for lunch yesterday.  Typically I would get one of the sub sandwiches.  Yesterday, I decided that I would get the sub that I normally would want in their lettuce wrap ("unwich") form, have them go light on the condiments, and use the Ezekiel bread we had here at home.  I also refrained from getting any extras like chips or a coke.  It was proof that I could still grab a bite to eat, and not go completely off the rails from a nutrition perspective.

 

     The other difficulty I had with less options in house was not meeting my calorie goal for the day.  The calorie amount would have been decent if I was looking to lose weight.  Since my goal is to build muscle, it wasn't ideal.  No worries though, I'll be getting back on track tomorrow.
     I feel like the biggest win for me out of all this is the fact that I didn't beat myself up over it.  Things happen.  My accountability buddy pointed out that sometimes we have to do the best with the options we have at that time.  I did, and I feel awesome about that.  Those are the little steps that make this possible.  It is about a lifestyle, not a quick fix diet.  We are going to run into situations where we need to made a decision in a pinch, and that's okay. 

 

     What I've been reminded of in the last few days is to set myself up to have nutritious options at home.  Additionally, I was able to make the healthiest decision possible when the options at home had run out.  Life is full of curveballs, and it's about what you do with them.  As they say in my DDP Yoga DVD series, "only you control the way you react, how you adapt, how you breathe, and how you take action."

All the best,
OkieGal 

A Revelation About Stress

     What a day!  I was just not feeling it at all today.  Chickpea woke up several times last night, which is not normal for him.  I think he's having a growth spurt or something because he also wanted to eat a lot today.  He was tired, I was tired, and it was just a more challenging day than normal.  I woke up with a headache, but it seemed to subside after I got breakfast.  We went to church, and after we got home it was just one mess after another.  I will spare any details and just say that we ended up with impromptu bath time this afternoon and a load of laundry to be done. 
     Overall I was feeling a bit grumpy and tired.  Just felt stressed.  In the midst of all this I did become aware of several things about myself.  First of all, I am proud to say that while the DDP Yoga schedule allowed for an optional rest day, I opted to do a workout.  I knew I'd feel better after doing it.  I just finished, and can say that I'm glad I did it!  I feel more relaxed and will have a much easier time getting to sleep, assuming Chickpea lets me stay that way! 
     The other thing I learned is that when I get stressed, I start thinking about all those comfort foods that tempt me.  This gets even worse when I am feeling very hungry.  It starts a spiral to where it impacts my decision making, state of mind, etc.  I have a tendency to be hypoglycemic, meaning that when they made the candy bar commercials about "you're not yourself when you're hungry," they were describing me!  Add these symptoms to stress, and you have a perfect storm leading me to less than optimal food choices.  Luckily by this point hubby had come home from work, and was able to make me a quick protein shake to help get me out of the "hangry" situation. 

 

     The revelation about how stress impacts my food choices is a great one.  Now that I'm aware of it, I can give myself healthy alternatives to those comfort foods.  For example, I usually find some sort of potato sounds awesome when I'm in this state of mind.  That's not necessarily a bad thing.  I love sweet potatoes too, and that could be a great alternative.  It would give the comfort food vibe, without killing my nutrition goals.  Another option is to choose to allow myself a treat.  In today's situation, I didn't want to burn my treat for the week on the first day.  That's the beauty of it, I gain so much by becoming aware of my thought processes.  I can begin to think through what is really going on, recognize it for what it is, and then make a choice based on what I know my goals are and the information in front of me. 
     In the past, I would have more easily said "screw it," and ended up diverting off my path.  Then that diversion would give way to more, and then I'm nowhere near the path I really want to be on.  Now I see the situation for what it is, own that situation, and then make a decision.  Today I chose to stay on the path.  That's a huge win for me!

All the best,
OkieGal

Food and My Relationship With It

     Today I have been thinking about nutrition. More specifically my attitude towards it. I purposely used the word nutrition, instead of diet here. For me, I feel like diet has gotten a restrictive and negative connotation in my own mind.  I realized this when I was deciding to do the transformation challenge and immediately thought I better eat a bunch of stuff I "can't have anymore."

     As that thought crossed my mind, I realized I have had unhealthy associations with food and with having a healthy lifestyle. The guidelines of the challenge even allow for 1-2 treats a week, yet my mind thought I can never have sweets again. It is simply not true, or realistic.

 

     It is about balance in life. I should be eating the healthy good for me foods more often than not, and having a treat here and there is okay and completely normal. While I'm no expert, I have read in several places that having a treat here and there actually helps keep you on track. It's when the treats are happening a majority of the time that it becomes a problem. 

     Another thing I realized is that I had been rewarding myself with food in the past. For me, this is counterproductive and feeds into the thought process that a food plan is restrictive.  I am working on ideas for rewards when I hit milestones that aren't food related.  It's important to celebrate the milestones, while keeping myself on track. 

     My focus is now on balanced nutrition, and creating a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. Good nutrition is important for me. In my last 2 yearly physicals, I was told that my cholesterol was too high. You wouldn't guess it by looking at me, yet it's true.  I want to get a handle on that now before my health is deteriorating because of it.
     The other reason it is important, is because only by having healthy nutrition will I get to my personal aspirations.  While I'll talk about my goals more tomorrow, since my overall focus is to build muscle and not lose weight, I'll have to track to make sure I am eating enough calories to support that plus the calories needed to breastfeed.  It's a lot harder than I thought.  Especially when trying to use healthy foods to reach the calorie goal with a good balance between healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates.  I've started using the MyFitnessPal app again to help track the calories and ratios.
     When I think of my nutrition as adding more of the healthy foods instead of as a restrictive activity, it puts my mind in the right space.  Even choosing to add one more healthy meal a day is progress.     

     The good news is that I can choose to make a difference. Through the challenge my focus is to be more consistent with healthy nutrition, choosing a healthy option more often than not. Enjoying treats from time to time, and using other options as rewards instead of food.

 

All the best,

OkieGal

The Drop

     The Drop is another gem that my husband and I have found.  Several months ago I saw a Groupon deal for this bistro.  While I didn't purchase the Groupon at the time, I found myself still curious about this place.

     So, I took a look at their website and was excited to try it.  I told the hubby about it, and we decided to visit during their happy hour.  During this time they offer half priced appetizers, so we thought it would be a great time to try several different things.

     The appetizer that we chose was the Fusion Hummus.  It was a great!  We really enjoyed it.  Even better than that was their bruschetta.  While it wasn't an appetizer (therefore not included in the happy hour pricing) it was totally worth it!  For $15 you can order any 4 of their bruschetta options.  My husband and I would go back just for this. 

     The bruschetta options we chose were:

• Goat cheese, fig, pistachio
• Brie, apple, balsamic cream, candied pecans
• Red grape, gorgonzola, port wine reduction
• Prosciutto, roasted garlic, romesco    

     The Drop has a great atmosphere.  It is cozy, and reminded me of a few of the little restaurants we tried while in Spain.  We would love to go back and try a few of their entrees and flatbreads as well.

The Beginning

      I have to admit that I never thought I would actually start a blog.  However after moving to Kansas City a little over 4 years ago, I found that I often got asked by people that had lived in the area a lot longer than me where I would suggest going to eat.  I decided that it might be interesting to share some of the places we've tried for others to read...so here I am.

     I lived in Oklahoma from birth until my husband and I got married.  After arriving in Kansas City we had to find new favorite places to go out to eat.  We both enjoy finding places that are not huge national chains, but we do eat at those from time to time as well.

     So, with that I intend to share places we've found, and would also love to hear of any places I may have missed so far!