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

Transition

     After a rough start to the week, yesterday and today have been better.  Chickpea was in rare form today, but it was nothing too crazy.  He mostly is wanting to explore and wiggle around, and he is still working on the whole mobility thing.  It ends up being a pretty funny combination.  He finds the most interesting ways to get around.  When he wasn't playing or wiggling near me, he insisted on clinging to me.  He finally got his wiggles out and is snoozing away.
     Today is a rest day for the DDP Yoga program, so I decided to get Chickpea out of the house.  He got a stroller ride to the park down the road and we did a few laps before coming back home.  It was a total of about 30 minutes, and while it was overcast the humidity helped get me sweating.  I opted for a quick paced walk today instead of jogging.  My knees need a bit of a break, and my goal was just to be moving, and ultimately give Chickpea a change of scenery for awhile.
     I feel like I'm falling into familiar territory with my workout.  While this is week 3 of the transformation challenged, I am on week 8 of the DDP Yoga advanced schedule.  The schedule is 13 weeks long, so I'm in the last half of it.  This is a time period with most workouts that I start to really feel it in my body.  I'm not injured, I am just sore.  My joints are achy and overall tired.  I know this is my body adjusting to it all.  In the past, this is also about the time I'd start letting up.  I would take more rest days until I wasn't doing much of anything.  Then I'd be right back where I started.

     I'm having to remind myself to keep going.  I'm glad that I'm still in the early part of the 12 week challenge while this feeling is hitting me.  I believe that it will give me the push I need to make it through this part of my workout journey.  I am going to apply something I learned from the labor and delivery process.  There's a portion of labor called "transition," and in my childbirth class we talked about it being the part where I would feel like I couldn't do it anymore and want to give up.  Having those feelings meant that I was almost ready to push.  It was remembering this concept that helped me get through transition and to pushing without asking for pain meds (my goal was a natural, pain med free childbirth, as long as baby and I were healthy.  Technically didn't have it natural since I was induced and they used Pitocin, but I did get through without pain meds).  I need to remember that my body is transitioning from not working out regularly to having fitness be part of my regular schedule.  I have to give myself a chance to fight through it.  Just keep going.
     This is where taking it one day at a time helps make it all manageable.  Day by day, I will continue this journey, and I will make progress!

All the best,
OkieGal
      

A Case of the Mondays

     What a day!  Today was just rough.  I woke up with a headache, and I can feel the tension in the base of my head/neck has built up.  I am not a fan of this, just because I know it has lead to migraines for me in the past.  Add on top of that the fact that Chickpea was also having some fussy time today, and it just made it difficult.  I also discovered that several of the produce items that I had purchased on Saturday have mold on them, so I was none too thrilled about that.  To give a visual, late in the afternoon my husband comes home from the gym.  He walks in and Chickpea is in the play yard crying, and I'm sitting in the chair next to it eating my lunch with tears rolling too.  Honestly, I think Chickpea was sensing my tension and also he was having tummy issues.  Long story short, it was just "ugh!"
     The evening was a lot better, and I found myself looking forward to my workout.  This hasn't been the case previously.  I was looking at it as a stress relief, and a way to end the day on track.  It felt good to stretch out, and I have the good after workout high to help my headache as well.
     During the early evening, I was playing on the floor with Chickpea.  He is working on crawling right now, and I noticed he has a pattern when he's learning something new.  Long before he can physically do the action (whether it is rolling over or crawling), you can tell he wants to do it so bad.  He tries and tries and gets so frustrated that he's not doing what he knows he wants to do.  He'll get so frustrated that he will just lay on the floor, arms folded with his head down.  He may not realize it yet, but he is so close to his break through.  He soon will have the physical motions down, and be able to accomplish his goal.  Watching him do this, I know he has to feel that frustration first.  Once he hits the frustration, it will drive him to do more.  Once he gets that drive, he accomplishes the action he wants to take.  If he reacts like he did with rolling over, he will also be seen showing great joy in his success.  Then he'll be onto the next thing to learn.

     This made me think about myself.  One of my several motivations for challenging myself is to be better for Chickpea.  He watches me, and I want him to see a confident Mama that shows him balance in life.  Eating healthy, while allowing for treats.  Working hard, while celebrating my accomplishments.  Appreciating who I am, while always striving to be even better.  Helping others, while also taking care of myself.  Living a life focused on the Lord.
     I also remembered that I am learning a lot from him.  I will have frustrations in life, and I may need to cry it out.  At the end of the day though, I will pick up and try again.  I will keep going, and I will be determined to accomplish my goals.  I will also celebrate the successes I have, no matter how small.  Then choose the next action to learn more about, and do it.
     I must remember it is about progress.  While today had a rough start, it is what I did with it that mattered.  I celebrate the lesson that Chickpea taught me today, and I will celebrate with him when he accomplishes his own goal!

All the best,
OkieGal 

Wrapping Up Week 2

     Another week has come to a close for my transformation challenge, and I am happy with how it is going so far!  Currently I am enjoying watching my Sooners on TV after having my treat meal for the week.  Burger, fries, and ice cream for dessert.  It was glorious!  It's funny how after eating healthy through the week, the treat is quite a shock to the system.  I enjoy the treat, but I find myself ready to eat healthy again afterwards.  The best of both worlds!

     Overall things are going well.  My water intake is progressing.  Today I got off to a slow start.  I still will have had more water than I used to, so it's been great progress for me.  I completed all my planned workouts, and only cut one short this week.  Again, progress.  My nutrition goals suffered a little bit when we were running out of groceries late in the week.  I got a Costco membership using a Living Social deal, and replenished our supplies today.  It is a step in the right direction for setting me up for progress in this area.
     I am already starting to notice muscle building in my legs, booty, and abs.  My husband mentioned the other day that he was noticing slight definition in my pec muscles as well.  I've been doing a lot of planks and push ups! 
     For this upcoming week, I will work to continue my momentum with water consumption and workout consistency.  I want to give special attention to my nutrition to get more consistency with it.  I also will be working to get more sleep.  This is always easier said than done with a 7 month old in the house.  I feel like it will help me have more energy and get better results overall.

 

     I am thankful for all that I have in my life.  Especially those around me that have been so supportive.  It is a difficult process to look inside yourself and admit to changes that need to be made in your life.  It has been very important to have my husband, my accountability partner, the ladies of the No Excuse Moms groups, and many others that have continued to cheer me on.  This is so much more than a physical transformation for me.  It is building consistency in my life that will bring even more confidence in myself.  Thank you!

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 

Infusing Water For The Win

     The last couple of days have had some good progress.  The infused water pitcher I ordered arrived on Monday.  I immediately opened it up and washed it.  I added some strawberries to it, filled it with water, and let it infuse over night.  I was excited to give it a try Tuesday, and filled my water bottle from the pitcher.  I'm happy to say that it met expectations!  I enjoyed the light taste of strawberry in my water.  It was also successful from a water consumption perspective.  I didn't have to remember how many times I refilled my water bottle, I could see how much I had left by the water level in the pitcher.  I successfully got through the whole pitcher in one day!  That is 93oz! 

      That's a definite step in the right direction!  Today is the second day of using the pitcher method, and I'm happy to say that I am on my last 16oz of the pitcher!  It's been interesting to see how my body has reacted so far.  Of course there are more frequent bathroom trips, but I'm told that calms down after my body gets used to the new water intake level.  Another thing I've noticed is that the more I drink water, the more water I want.  It's like my body is saying, "hey, I like this stuff!  I want more!"  I went over my 93oz goal on Tuesday because of this fact.  The last thing I noticed as a breastfeeding mom, I was a lot fuller this morning.  I won't go further into it other than to say it was not a side effect I expected!  lol
    

 

     This is good progress for me.  My goal is to keep the momentum, and take it one day at a time.  It's overwhelming to think about drinking all this water every day from now on.  If I only think about it one day at a time, it doesn't seem like such an obstacle to overcome.  I'll be interested to see what other things I begin to notice as I continue to stay hydrated.  I'm also excited to try new flavor combinations and keep the water interesting.  We shall see!

 

All the best,

OkieGal