Staying challenged and accountable

Let me take a minute to introduce you to Marcia.  She is someone who like many, has struggled with weight issues throughout her life.  For her it began in childhood.  Over the years she has tried several different programs and techniques to drop weight.  She was often successful with her weight loss, but this would only last for a short period.  This past year all of that changed.  You know when people say "something clicked"? Well something clicked for Marcia, but it wasn't in an instant.  A lot of things led up to this gradual shift in mindset.

Before

After

Marcia signed up for a weight loss program at the beginning of 2013 that was based on a low glycemic plan. This program gave you the food to eat in pre-packaged single portion servings, so it was all lined out for her. She has come to realize that having some kind of "plan" is necessary for her success.  Marcia is a self proclaimed "rule-follower", which means that if you set the guidelines for her, you better bet she's going to do it!  Some of us struggle to follow through with such things, for Marcia she finds herself motivated and once she commits, she's focused.

Some other things were occurring along the way.  The program she was following had healthy living classes that she actually attended before she started the diet.  In these classes she felt encouraged and was given a new vision of herself and courage to make changes.  They actually spoke about seeing yourself in a different light.  This is so key.  If you want to be healthy and fit, see yourself as that person versus overweight and disappointed with yourself.  Even if you don't totally believe that new vision, the more you really put your mind there, the more you will start making choices that follow suit.

I also hosted a bible study that was centered on health and fitness.  Marcia was a part of that and feels that also added to her changing perspective.  It's all about letting go of habits and patterns of thinking that keep us stuck, and embracing new ones.  This requires stopping and taking an honest look at yourself and where you are at.  If you are going to let go of anything and change, you have to know what you are letting go of and be upfront about it.  For some of us that might be some deep rooted pain from the past, self-esteem issues, the disbelief that we deserve better or are worth it; or it might be the unwillingness to let go of what we find comfortable and self-gratifying.  It could be a fear of new things and change.  There are so many whys that are different for each of us, and critical to identify.

Marcia's change has been about moving from being emotionally motivated with her food, to being motivated to be healthy overall...not just physically.  One very key piece to her journey is that now she recognizes when she is veering off course and makes conscious efforts to refocus.  It is important to understand, though, that this actually starts before the "veering off course" ever occurs.  Prevention is where it's at and this is a huge part of Marcia's change in mind set...her "aha moment", if you will.  Not only will Marcia tell you this, but you can see it very clearly in her daily life: she continually seeks knowledge, resources and experiences that all relate to healthy living.  She is always learning new ways to be creative with her lifestyle change, how to make it fun, and surrounding herself with other people of like mindedness.  This is something she emphasizes: you MUST stay connected with healthy people and look to others for inspiration who show healthy results in their own lives.

I could go on and on about Marcia's journey.  It's been an awesome thing to watch.  When the transformation happens from the inside out is when it will stick.

A few things to leave you with that work for Marcia:

• Challenging herself with new goals and specific programs help keep her from getting bored and stuck in a rut.
• She does so much better when tracking her food and exercise, then it's right there in front of her and she can see where she needs to be more focused AND reward herself for the positive changes.
• Planning ahead before events/situations where she knows she will be tempted to go off track.

Happy 2014 everyone!!!

New pages

It's 7:13 on a Saturday morning.  Usually my goal on a Saturday morning is to spend plenty of quality time with my pillow.  Certain things get me out of bed on Saturdays, like a 5K, a day trip, a deadline...this morning?  My brain. Having just finished my masters degree barely over a week ago (I think it's finally starting to sync in) and starting my health coach certification program on Monday has gotten my head going, to say the least.  I feel myself in the midst of a pretty big transition in life and toward a career that I have been investing myself in for years.  I'm thrilled from the inside out!

The health coach program I chose is through the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute.  I researched programs for months before choosing this one.  My goal is to provide a balanced perspective that is realistic for individuals.  My personal approach to health and wellness in my own life is centered on this same idea. Health and fitness has become something I love and have a passion for.  I have traveled my own winding road to get to the point I am at and am excited to help others along their journey.  Where I am now is at a place where nutrition and exercise are just a part of my life rather than something I have to struggle with.  I love food.  I won't lie and say I always love exercise.  However, I have learned how to make it such a part of my life that I want to do it even if it doesn't always excite me.  The feeling of what it does for me far outweighs any excuse or objection I might wrestle with in my mind.  I hope to help people learn ways to make health something awesome in their own life.

I am looking forward to sharing with you as I start a new page in life!  Now...for a fresh cup of coffee. Oh...and a silly pic :)

Happy weekend!

Chasing dreams and reaching goals

It has been awhile since I posted anything on my blog!  Two months?  Well here I am again.  I took a little hiatus because I was finishing my masters degree in health psychology.  *whew*  I turned in my very last paper two days ago.  Hitting "send" on that one was such a mix of emotions: excitement, uncertainty, disbelief, relief, joy, fear and pure exhaustion!  Here I am two days later and I am basking in a feeling of accomplishment and strength.  The journey felt like it might kill me at times, but I feel all the more confident and able for having done it.

I have to preface the whole thing by saying that, as a single mom, I feel a great amount of gratitude for having the privilege to even pursue a masters degree.  My mom didn't even have the same kind of opportunities when she was a single mom and my sister and I were much older than my son was when I was first on my own with him.  Everything seems to take so much more effort when your kids are young...because it really does! My son was 2 when we started our life together as an "us"...him and I.  He was in diapers and I was finishing my bachelors degree at OSU while centering my life around nap time, bed time, playdates and potty training. He was almost 4 and sat in the stadium at Oregon State University with my family as I walked during graduation and received my diploma.  He doesn't remember that one, but I couldn't have been more proud to have my son there watching.  

A few years later, a few birthday parties and firsts....first day of school, first night at daddy's house, first visit from the tooth fairy, moving from an apartment into a house...lots of new beginnings all the time, I started my masters program.  Lots of blood, sweat and tears along the way.  I would drop Ashton off at school, leave for work, come pick him up at after school daycare and head to run errands or go to soccer or karate or swimming.  Home for dinner and chores and bedtime.  Then, once I was good and tired....I would start in on my work for the evening. This degree required all papers from me.  I love writing but not technical writing and NOT after a full day of work and being mom.  But write I did.  Research. Write. Research. Write. Repeat.  Sometimes I would hit a wall and just cry.  The next morning I would do it all over again, always mindful of the goal.

I feel that I have so many people to thank for encouragement and grace along the way.  I have always aimed to have a balanced life between work, school and Ashton.  But, I've definitely heard myself saying, "I can't, I have a paper due" A LOT over the past couple of years!!  For the people in my life who saw my goal even when I was having a hard time seeing straight at all....thank you!  Thank you for putting up with my grumpiness when I was tired and feeling so worn, thank you for delighting in the little accomplishments along the way ("yay I finished my paper 1 day early!"), thank you for cheering me on when I didn't realize how much I needed it.  Thank you for understanding I was spread too thin, but understanding why I was doing it too...  

This milestone in my life is MAJOR for me.  MAJOR.  I do not take it lightly in the slightest bit.  My deepest hope is that Ashton has an internal awareness of working hard for meaningful things in life.  If I accomplished just that from all my efforts I will be so happy.  

My other hope is that if there is anyone out there struggling to reach a goal, that I can somehow inspire some motivation.  No one can do it for you.  It won't be easy, I can promise that.  In fact, I can also promise that it will be damn hard.  But it will be worth it.  In fact, it will likely be more worth it than anything else that you do if it is something you believe in and have to sacrifice for.  If I can do it, you can do it!  You just have to commit.  

Clean eating breakfast cookie

Well...I tried a new clean eating recipe.  It really wasn't that far of a stretch for me...so, way more my speed!  

Breakfast Fruit and Nut Cookies:

Yup, I know, they look much tastier in the cookbook!  Why is that the way it always works?  Ha!  So, although I usually say that I am not a breakfast eater, the truth is that I do eat it.  I just don't eat right when I get up.  Or even within the hour.  Normally I get showered, feed all the beings in my house furry and otherwise, get Ashton's lunch together, chug down some coffee and off we go.  It's in the car when my whirlwind has slowed down a bit that I realize, "Hey...I could use a bite of something".  Well, these "type" of cookies are a typical fare for my on-the-go breakfast.  I admit, my usual go-to recipe has butter and a "bit" more sugar... :) I do usually use whole wheat flour and flax though, so, points for that.  Anyhoo, here's the recipe from the Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook (pg 33):

Preheat oven to 350F

Ingredients
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. melted Olivina (recipe for this in the cookbook) or light oil
3 egg whites
1/4 c. finely chopped dried figs
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. bran flakes
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 c. slivered almonds

Combine sugar, oil and egg whites in large mixing bowl. Stir in chopped dried fruits and vanilla.

Lightly spoon all-purpose flour into measuring cups and level with a knife.  Combine whole-wheat flour, bran, baking soda, flax seed and spices.  Stir with a whisk or fork.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in almonds.

Drop by tablespoon full onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat.  Bake for 12 minutes or until almost set.  Cool on pans and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutritional Info per cookie:
Calories 154
Protein 2g
Carbs 22g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugar 12g
Fat 6g
Sodium 26mg

These are pretty tasty little things.  They are a good substitute for my typical "breakfast cookie" since they are very similar, just less sugar and oil instead of butter.  I tend to try to use what I have on hand, so I used craisins for all of the dried fruit instead of dates.  Also, I used kashi cereal as a substitute for the bran flakes because it also had slivered almonds in it!  Am I an improviser or what?!  The important thing is that they are super yummy.  You should try them.

UPDATE
The crock-pot porridge... it was decent.  I can think of plenty of people who would like it.  I'm sure if I was a steadfast breakfast eater that would become a regular recipe of mine.  It sure would be nice to wake up and there's some hot porridge waiting for you...if you were a big breakfast eater!  :)  I'm glad I tried it and I will for sure recommend it for those looking for something filling in the mornings, especially as we watch summer leave us and the colder mornings creep up.  One side note, just as with the greek salad: it makes A LOT of porridge!  So either downsize the recipe or if you have a family of 12 you're good to go.  :)

Have a blessed evening!

Clean eating recipes

Recipes from Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean diet cookbook that I have tried:

Greek Salad

YUM!

This took some chopping, but was really pretty easy.  The one thing I will say...it made A LOT!  So, since you can't very well freeze it (ew), I would either cut the recipe in half, even for, let's say a family of four.  Otherwise, save it for an event like a potluck or BBQ.  We ate LOTS of Greek Salad for a few days!  :)

The recipe is on page 234 of The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook.  What a great summer side!

Recipe number 2:

Eat-Clean Hummus 

This was a hit!  We already LOVE hummus at my house.  My fridge is never without hummus!  We love dipping pitta chips, tortilla chips, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms...you name it.  This was so easy to make and super cheap.  The most time consuming thing was squeezing the lemon juice from the lemons.  But, it really wasn't a big deal.  The only thing that I had an issue with was finding tahini.  The store we went to didn't have it.  I wanted hummus NOW (hehe) and did not have time to go to other stores.  So, we skipped the tahini and it did just fine!  Fabulous really!  I will make it again, though, and use tahini just to compare.

Now for recipe number three!

The very first recipe in the book is Crock-Pot Porridge.

So...I'm not a breakfast girl.  Breakfast is my favorite meal, I just don't eat it for breakfast!  However, in my crock-pot right now, getting ready for me in the morning, is...

Crock-Pot Porridge

This recipe was different for me.  I had to look for rye flakes (huh??) and steel-cut oats.  Okay confession time.  I didn't exactly see the "steel-cut" when I wrote down which ingredients I needed.  Therefore...I have oats.  Just oats.  No "steel-cut".  Also, I somehow missed putting "cracked wheat" on the list.  Oops.  But, in the crock-pot you will find oats, rye flakes, brown rice, wheat germ, water (you can use a milk of your choice) raisins, craisins, diced dried apricots, vanilla and nutmeg.

Again, all of these recipes are in The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno.  You can go to www.eatcleandiet.com to find out more.

As for the other thing I am changing:

2) My workouts are changing as of tomorrow.  I have been doing TurboFire and have really enjoyed this program!  Chalene Johnson is FUN, encouraging and so motivating!  She is hardcore but in a way that is very inviting.  I have very honestly looked forward to these workouts.  Now, it's time for me to challenge myself a little more with some weights and resistance.  I have been so married to cardio for years, that it is a bit of a leap of faith for me to switch gears.  Although I know ChaLEAN Xtreme includes cardio, from my understanding it will not be the amount that I am used to, at all.  Well, I am down for trying something different!  I have wanted to push myself in this direction for a long time.  Now is that time.  I am so curious to see how my body and my fitness level responds to a new exercise regime.

Here we go!!