Health Living Jumpstart tips (From Arbonne)

Tonight, I sat on a conference call with some other Arbonne members. I have taken on The Arbonne Healthy Lifestyle over the past two months. In the upcoming month, I am going even deeper and working in conjunction with The Paleo Pledge and seeing where my journey takes me. With that said, the call gave me some fabulous tips and reminders.

Before going forward...
PLEASE REMEMBER:

You don't have to know EVERYTHING about nutrition, health & fitness to start a healthy journey... START &learn as you go. We are ALL a work in progress!

Water, water, water!
-Our bodies are 90% water!
-We can go up to 100 days without food but only 4-6 days without water!
-By being 5% dehydrated, we can reduce our physical and mental functions by 30%!! Can you say, brain fog?!
GET THAT WATER IN!
There are many guidelines for this, drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. I, personally, drink my body weight in water each day.

Top 3 nutrient dense foods that score a perfect 1,000 on the ANDI scale:

Kale

Collard Greens

Watercress

*ANDI stands for "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index." An ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities.

Cutting out Inflammatory foods:
dairy, gluten, soy, wheat, caffeine, alcohol and sugar
-Dairy, Wheat and Gluten are extremely inflammatory within your body
- 100% of us have sensitivities to some foods but the vast majority of us do not know what foods are inflammatory for us.

*Awareness is the first step to change*
Keep open minded. You'll learn new foods and new ways of looking at things and stay open to those changes.
-WRITE IT DOWN! Keep yourself accountable. It's best to write down what and when you eat so that you can keep yourself accountable and allow others to help see what you've been up to during the process.


Clean out your cabinets:
-The holidays just ended. WHY would you keep around foods to tempt you and hinder your success on the program?
-When you do go shopping again, stay focused on CLEAN, WHOLE, foods! Fresh produce is best!

10% is genetics, 10% is exercise and 80% is the food that you eat.
-Although, for me, I know that fitness is a much larger percentage than 10%. I MUST remain active and consistent with my workouts in order to see results.

Do it with LOVE:
If you don't stay open minded and find foods and workouts that you LOVE, then you aren't going to stick with it! I've been blessed to find Fit Girl Studio and Arbonne. I have foods that I love and taste great. I also have a fitness studio that gives me workouts that I truly LOVE. It doesn't seem like deprivation and it doesn't seem like work to workout either.

Workout recovery shakes:
-Recovery shakes are in ADDITION to your meals and help aide in recovery.
-Recovery shakes are typically- protein, water, ice, high glycemic fruit (you can also add cinnamon or coconut/almond milk)
-You must drink within 30 minutes of your workout
-Make sure that you've "earned" your shake but doing a sweat-breaking workout!
-The shakes are recommended rather than "whole food" because it gets into your body and balances out your blood sugar as quickly as possible.
*High Glycemic fruits: bananas, mango and pineapple.

Benefits of eating (clean) whole foods:
-Heal ongoing sinus infections
-Help eliminate brain-fog
-Boost energy
-Regulate digestion and bowels
Oh, and weight loss!

Keep track of your wins and share them with others. Grab someone else's arm and bring them along on the journey. Health and fitness is best achieved when you start with yourself and then inspire&help others.

Good luck in 2013 and let me know how *I* can help you achieve your goals!

I'm living--- it's a lifestyle!

I've made living healthy and fit a lifestyle. It isn't a diet. It isn't about counting calories and then rushing to burn them off at studio. I work my butt off and I eat clean and I feel good. It's kind of that simple. Yeah, I use protein (I found one that WORKS for me and feels clean to me) and restrict my eating (I cut out sugar, wheat/gluten, dairy and soy) BUT I LIVE!

My vacation started a few days ago. I'm at my parent's house before we head off for a cruise for a week. My husband got in today and I went to Moe's for a quick lunch before heading to the mall. I checked their allergy paper (I am allergic to gluten and have a sensitivity to dairy) to see what I could eat. I made a clean salad (some things had soy but I ate it anyway). I did what I could with what I had. I wasn't going to NOT eat- I LIVED and ate a (relatively) clean meal.

This afternoon, I was tired! I wanted to head back to the mall to exchange something with my husband but knew I could either take a nap before or workout. I always feel better after working out so I put my workout clothes on and did my Holiday Hottie workout from Fit Girl Studio (it did help that Michelle tweeted about the workout and asked if anyone had tried it yet. I had to do it after I saw that and realized that I didn't try it yet!) I couldn't believe how exhausted I was from 20 minutes of working out at HIIT! I was tired before but felt great after- I LIVED.

DRIPPING sweat after my HIIT workout! Thanks, Fit Girl Studio!

Tonight, instead of going out to dinner, my mom made a dinner at home for my husband's birthday. She made salmon, chicken, asparagus, clean guacamole and squash. I ate balanced (I put chicken, squash, asparagus and guacamole on top of a bed of spinach lettuce) and I LIVED my healthy lifestyle. I didn't push it on anyone else, but we made a great (clean) meal and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Now, we're heading to a bar/restaurant to get my hubby's favorite dessert. I will NOT be eating any dessert because it's ice cream (dairy), brownies (gluten) and covered in sauces (sugar). I will feel sick for days after and it's just not worth it. I'll be in great company and I'll be perfectly content sipping on my water.

Today, I LIVED a CLEAN, HEALTHY AND FIT LIFE and I'm very content :)

Has clean-living and fitness become part of your lifestyle? What are some little things that you notice and think, "Wow! I sure have changed my lifestyle!"

The 411 on Paleo and MY Paleo Pledge

In January, I'm starting The Paleo Pledge, under the supervision of Kelly (a registered dietician). Kelly runs Paleo Infused and is also a fellow Fit Girl.

I am NOT doing this in place of my Arbonne program. This is NOT a new "fad diet" that I'm trying but rather working in conjunction on another step of my health journey. I have wanted to try Paleo for a while and discussed this idea with my Arbonne mentors (Molly and Jennifer) and with Kelly (from Paleo Infused). While Paleo does typically cut out grains and legumes (meaning that I would cut out my protein shakes because they contain pea protein -peas=legumes), I know that I want to continue my shakes on my journey. With that said, I am going to stick to a version of Paleo (cutting out my other grains) and see how it works for me.

Along this journey, I think back to when Jennifer first told me about how she had been "practicing" this lifestyle for about a year and a half. I've come to a place where I'm constantly learning and I don't feel like I'm dieting at all. I feel content in "practicing" a lifestyle of health and excited to learn more about my health, nutrition and body on this Paleo Pledge in Janaruy.

Here is some information about what a Paleo "diet"/program is and what The Paleo Pledge is (from www.PaleoInfused.com). The Pledges start at the beginning of each month and is $30 (if you reigster by the 20th of the month-$50 thereafter).

Hope to see some of you on my journey!
*Note: the Pledge can be done from anywhere- you do not need to reside in Chicago :)

What Does Paleo Infused Nutrition Mean?

 

Paleo: Paleo comes from the word paleolithic, which in brief means ancestral and prehistoric.
Infused: Infused means to cause to be permeated with something (as a principle or quality) that alters usually for the better.
Nutrition: Nutrition is the bounty of our health and describes the entity of Paleo Infused Nutrition.

Paleo Infused Nutrition:

Put it all together and therein lies the foundation of my company – educating clients on how to achieve optimal health based on eating in accordance with historical human nutrition (reprogramming our epigenetics) and overcoming today’s social pressures and the food industry (conventional wisdom) and reaching personal health goals. We have a rich cuisine, as this is great within itself, but we are out of touch of our roots. With conflicting health and nutrition advice in the media and in varying health professionals, I ensure to simplify my counseling so it makes complete sense and it hard to forget.

Paleo Infused Nutrition is focused on helping others, including the average person looking for improved health and those who have been diagnosed with a medical condition, to change their lifestyle, leading to a long and positive quality of life, season after season.
There are two main guidelines to my Paleo Infused Nutrition lifestyle:

1. eat whole, nutrient-dense food
2. reduce/avoid processed, refined foods – grains (including “whole grains”), legumes, pasteurized dairy and sugar.

Usually the biggest red flag in the above guidelines are the avoidance of grains. While I do not intend to strip all grains from one’s diet, I will help my clients understand a new perspective on these industrialized foods. And with grain’s modest nutrition profile, their propensity to trigger food intolerances (gluten and grains), carbohydrate cravings, addictions, binges and their limited serving of fiber, it is hard for me to suggest grains to be part of someone’s every meal or snack.
While the above guidelines are simple in script, they take adjustments to apply. That is what I am here for – to help coach you, educate you, empower you to be your best, eat your best and feel your best.

Paleo Infused Nutrition Pledge

 

Do you feel like you have tried everything to shed those lingering stubborn pounds? Or are you frustrated with a sensitive digestive system? How about your blood sugar? Do you get irritable when it’s been 2-3 hours without eating? Perhaps you too have diabetes and want to improve your A1C. Or are you trying to conceive and it’s been taking longer than desired? Do you fight sugar and carbohydrate cravings daily? Perhaps you have been eating a primal diet for awhile, but some neolithic foods have been showing up more than you want.
If you have said yes to any of the above, perhaps a Paleo Infused Nutrition Pledge is what you need. Starting the first of every month, join a small community-based team to reach your health goals and pledge to eat clean.
Overall, this is a commitment you make to yourself and RD, Kelly Schmidt, with set health and diet-related objectives.

• RD will help coach you to eat foods clean of sugar, gluten, lectins and processed foods for 4 weeks.
• RD will provide nutrition guidelines for the pledge
• Provide daily motivation and tips
• Support via a team forum with other people on a similar journey
• Q&A sessions
• Meal plan guidance.

This is a great way to reprogram your epigenetics, strengthen your immune system, detox naturally and optimize your body composition. Most clients find this is a great way to get them back on track and incorporate new healthy habits.
Expectations during this 4 week program include:
Better sleep, decreased inflammation, better (performance) recovery, diminished anxiety, weight loss, higher energy, increased fertility, better blood sugar control, better digestion and more. This program can help educate you on how to amend your lifestyle to be your best person now and beyond the 28 days of the pledge.
Depending on where you are coming from, you can choose to do one of the follow plans:

• Basic
• Weight loss
• Auto-immune protocol
• Digestive health protocol
• Performance

Kelly’s mission is to inspire and motivate you to find your own healthy balance through proper nutrition leaving you to feel empowered to embrace all that life has to offer. Please select which plan is ideal for you and contact Kelly at Kelly@PaleoInfused.com. A $20 discount is implemented for those who sign-up by the 20th of each month. List price is $50.

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail!

This morning I had a 7am flight to catch down to Florida. This meant waking up at 4:30. I contemplated making my shake before I went to bed -- that didn't happen. Instead, I threw a bag of almonds in my purse and figured I'd make a shake in the morning. That didn't happen either lol.

By the time I got to the airport, I was starving!! I had accidentally (what was I think?! Oh wait, I wasn't!) packed ALL of my health essentials (chews, sticks, protein, nuts) in my suitcase and not my carry-on.

I walked around the food court to see if anywhere had egg whites. I found a place and asked them to make me an egg white omelette with mushrooms, onions and peppers. She was puzzled and kept confirming, "No cheese? No meat? No potatoes or bread either?"

When the omelette finally came out it was super heavy. I walked over to a table and sat down to eat it. When I opened it up it was completely covered with cheese. It looked almost like cheese sauce. There was no way I could eat it! I took it back and she re-made it because she knew I had asked for no cheese. The problem? When it came back the second time it had regular eggs and tasted terrible! I took two bites and threw it away.

gag! Airport omelette the size of a takeout box!

I was still SO hungry though. I settled for a huge water and a "Kind" bar. It's clean and relatively no added ingredients other than fruit and nuts. Needless to say, my stomach was killing me for the rest of the day. You live and learn but I also realize...
"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail!"
I certainly felt this way today!

Thankful that my mom had an apple and water waiting for my in the car and also made a healthy/balanced dinner tonight.

Chicken &veggie stir fry (don't usually eat corn but that's okay) with spinach and pine nut salad!

Oh and the best thing: I had a shipment of Arbonne products sent to my parents house: protein, fizzy sticks, chews, tea and a 7 day cleanse!

All of my goodies are out of boxes and ready for the cruise!

What's your experience with traveling and staying clean and fit? Any tips or suggestions to help a Fit Girl out?

Tomorrow, I will post about my at-home workout routine while I'm on vacation!

Italian Omelette

I am off work (school) for break and decided to make myself a homecooked breakfast instead of a protein shake this morning!

I studied in Italy and Italian spices (basil in particular) are some of my favorite tastes and smells ever! So, this Italian omelette was perfect for my morning and helping my reminise about my time spend studying in Italia.

Italian Omelette

Ingredients:

• Egg whites
• Olive oil (for sauteing veggies and also for the eggs)
• Spinach
• All natural sun dried tomatoes (trader joes is great)
• Pine Nuts
• Basil (Fresh is best)
• Mushrooms
• Garlic
• Avocado

Directions:

• Heat up olive oil
• Saute garlic, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts and basil together in a pan
• Set the veggies aside
• Heat up oil in a pan and add egg whites
• Once cooked 3/4 of the way, add veggie mixture and some fresh spinach
• Fold omelette over
• Put atop a bed of spinach lettuce
• Top with avocado, pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes

Creamy (no-mayo) tuna salad! (gluten, dairy and soy free)

I was searching for a clean meal that didn't involve me making chicken or thawing some of my shrimp. I went to: TUNA! But, if you're like me- growing up with tuna meant that it was smothered in mayo (yes, mom- you did use light or fat-free...) and if it was in a salad, I put ranch dressing on top of it. I haven't done THAT in a LONG time. Two things helped me to come up with this recipe:

1. Forty-Carrots at Bloomingdales has a delicious no-mayo tuna (although, I'm not sure what they use in it! I know it's gluten free and they use lemon).
2. I kept hearing a commercial about the goodness that we call avocados and the person was discussing making creamy tuna salad with avocados for lunch.

When I searched for a recipe, I couldn't find something that I liked. Therefore, I marched to my kitchen and dug out what I had and mixed up this flavorful Creamy (no-mayo) Tuna Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1 tablespoons olive oil (I used garlic olive oil)
• 1 can of tuna (Try looking for low/no sodium)
• 1 lemon wedge (I used my True Lemon packet by True Citrus)
• Pepper
• Basil
• Any other toppings to put inside your tuna (ideas: onions, celery, mushrooms)

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients together.
•  I ALWAYS let my tuna salad sit in the fridge for a half hour-hour before eating it. I feel like it helps the flavors come together (but maybe that's just me)
• Set tuna atop a bed of spinach lettuce
• Add your favorite nuts
• Enjoy a CLEAN tuna salad. Yum-o! 

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

Day 30-30 day challenge complete!

Today is day 30 of my 30 day challenge. It was actually not the best ending to a challenge. Last night really threw me off, mentally, more than I thought. I was upset that I fell off last night. I felt okay when I went to bed but I felt bad that I worked SO HARD my whole challenge and then didn't stick to plan last night. It's not about eating terribly or giving into temptation. Because, that wasn't what happened. It's about knowing that I want to lead a clean, healthy, life. I don't want to eat foods that hurt my body. There are plenty of foods that taste amazing that don't cause inflammation (the root of infection, disease, pain and being uncomfortable), weight gain, un-balanced blood sugar levels, water retention, irregularity, bloating and stomach problems.

I woke up this morning at 9:05. I realized that Barre started at 9:15 and was sure that I was just going to miss the class (I didn't set an alarm because I wanted to sleep in if I could. It's very rare that I sleep in and don't set an alarm). I looked at my husband and said, "You know what, I'm going to go to barre- NOW! I'll get dressed and run there." It only takes 3 mins to get there so I got dressed, grabbed my fizzy stick and water and ran to the studio. Amy was excited to see me because she had a lot of cancellations (the weather was GROSS today). It was myself, two others and our instructor Amy (the manager of the LP-Fit Girl Studio). I hadn't taken barre in about a week and a half. I did an okay job (Amy said that I'm still doing great) but I have lost so much flexibility in such a short amount of time. It made me want to work harder and keep up with my barre classes!

When I got home I had some detox tea and more water. I also made my recovery shake and my detox/cleanse juice (started it later in the day). We had a big brunch at my fave local Jewish Deli with my family and friends for my husband's birthday celebration. I ordered an egg white omelette with mushrooms, onions, spinach and lox. I also had water and a side of fruit. I was pretty stuffed after!

 My husband and I went out to run errands and I talked to Molly while I was out. I realized that I need to stay true to what being clean means to me and my goals. I also realized that I wanted to stay true and help other people stay focused as well.

When I got home I drank my detox tea, cleanse and water. I took a sweet nap and didn't even set an alarm. I didn't wake up until 6:30 lol (my body needed that sleep, I guess). I had a delicious balanced salad and some detox tea when I was done.

I finish my official last day on my 30 day challenge feeling humbled. 

This journey hasn't been about just weight loss. This journey has been about finding a new way of eating. It has been about finding a new outlook on food and listening to my body. I now know that I don't need junk to make me happy and live. I don't need to eat the brownies just because people bring them into work. I don't need to order a drink just because my friends are. When I go to a restaurant and everyone orders dishes that look delicious and are covered with creamy dressings or cheese-- it's okay that I eat my balanced salad with fresh fish or chicken. I don't need it and I'm okay with eating clean.

I hope that my journey has inspired some of you to take a new outlook on food and clean living. My journey has just started and I intend on continuing this lifestyle into the future. I also plan on staying strict on the plan for the remainder of the year and then possibly adding in some dairy (if I REALLY want and if I feel okay after testing it back into my system). Again, for myself, that will be a question of deciding if I REALLY need those types of foods just to make me feel satisfied or happy.  Since I workout so much, I also plan on continuing shakes at LEAST for recovery and most likely for one meal as well.  I LOVE my fizzy sticks and will be ordering more soon.

In the end- I hope that you've looked at my process and seen that YOU can do it too. EVERYONE can change their life. The catch? YOU have to be the one to TRULY WANT to do it! YOU are the only one that can change you. With that said, YOU also have to be HONEST with yourself every single step of the way. When you aren't honest you are truly only hurting yourself. Believe, believe, believe...believe in yourself. I  have a LONG way to go but I've taken the first few LEAPS and will take the rest one step at a time. I believe that I can reach my goals if I continue to do what is best for myself and stay true to myself.

Good luck on your journey and let me know if you have any questions about my Arbonne 30 day challenge!

xoxo Thanks for sharing this part of my story with me...

Tonight, I lived... (Day 29-Arbonne 30 day challenge)

Tonight, I had my husbands 30th birthday party that I hosted at a local pizza restaurant. I pre-ordered food for the guests:
Marinara&Goat Cheese w/ garlic bread
House-made salsa and chips
Salads (and a salad for myself with chicken on the side)
3 pizzas (Sausage/Pepperoni, White pizza and Veggie pizza)
Chocolate Cake

When the guests got there I mingled and then headed over to my salad to take a bite (I hid my salad without the dressing over in the corner). After looking at the salad (kinda in the dark) I realized that it had candied pecans and goat cheese. While I do LOVE those two delectable items- they're most certainly off plan for me. I ate two servings of salad (no dressing), chicken and a tad of marinara sauce (I'm sure it had sugar, but it was gluten free). At dessert time, I lit the candles on his cake and sat back as my sister-in-law passed out a delicious chocolate cake. I passed on a piece but eventually took a spoonful of frosting from my husband's plate (Sugar over-load!). I drank my water and left feeling okay. When I got home, I had another spoonful of chocolate frosting(eeks).

After we dropped our things off at home we headed downtown to get appetizers and drinks with friends and family at The Signature Room. The view was amazing. I was content with water, until everyone urged us to order something that I could eat. I really couldn't eat anything on the menu. The settled with spinach/artichoke dip (not worth it) and baked brie (OMG-HEAVEN ON A PLATE!). I guess I'm missing cheese... I did have a few bites of the baked brie (no pastry of course) by itself. Instead of ordering an alcoholic drink (I can't really drink anyway -even before the plan- because of a medicine I take) I ordered mint tea! I was quite proud of myself.

I text Molly (before the brie incident) and told her what I ate. She said, "Love it! Living 80/20 and tuned into how you feel!" My response, "Thanks! But, more like 95/5 haha!But, I'm trying!"

With that...I go to bed, a tad disappointed in my "caving in" but I know that tonight, I lived... and I'm alive and it's just food and it's just one evening and I'll be okay! Right? You all agree..right? ;)

Day 27-Arbonne 30 day challenge

Day 27

 3 Days to go

Weight: 9 lbs down but this might be the last time you see my weight because I THREW AWAY MY SCALE!!

My meal prep from last night. I wish I would've made a second salad. I ran out of spinach. AH! I need to get to the grocery store ASAP!

 

Food Log for today:
730-balanced shake
11-2 c. spinach, 1/4 c mushrooms, 3 oz chicken, 1/4 c quinoa salad (veggies, quinoa, evoo, pine nuts), tiny bit of avocado
2:30pm- balanced shake
6:15pm- thought I'd have time to make a salad but I didn't so I made a balanced shake
7:30pm- totally needed my recovery shake (just blueberries, coconut, almond milk and vanilla protein ...which my spin instructor said looked like cement. YUM!) after SpinShred.

Today was a busy busy day and I felt like EVERYONE was exhausted! I felt like all of my students were tired (We even had kids take the soft dodge balls and lay on the gym floor during gym instead of playing! Hmmm...you would've thought nap time would be quiet later in the day! No such luck!). The adults were all tired as well. Needless to say, I didn't make it to my 5:30 pm class. I had to take a nap and then head to my 6:30 gym class. So...thinking about how I felt today...I felt TIRED!

I threw away my scale- no seriously!

This morning, I decided that I'd had enough...I'd had enough mornings of waking up and getting on the scale only to see a number that I didn't like. I would instantly change my mood and have a terrible start to the day. I was tired of having a number run my life! My journey, as Molly said, shouldn't be about the number- it should be about the journey to living a clean, fit and healthy life. So, I got on the scale. It wasn't a terrible number; it was the same as yesterday (even though that wasn't what I wanted to see either). But, I got my scale (that probably wasn't exactly accurate anyway) and took it to the trash !

Wow- my trash chute looks so disgusting! lol Guess that's where my scale belongs ;)

I thought about that all day. I thought about when I'd buy a new one. Maybe I'll buy one in a few weeks. Maybe I'll buy one after the new year. After thinking those thoughts, I had people post on my wall and tell me that they haven't had a scale in their home for years. I decided, that I'd try keeping it out of my house--forever. Well..maybe not forever, but i'll TRY not to cave! I pictured myself only weighing myself at the doctor and being proud. Or, being one of those people who don't have any clue what they weigh when someone asks them. Sighh...I hope I can stick with it!

When do you weigh yourself? If this a struggle that you've had? Share your story w/ me, Fit Girls (and guys)!

Day 26-Arbonne 30 day challenge

Day 26

4 more days

weight: back down to a total of 9 lbs gone

I've been super down the past few days with struggling with the scale. It's hard to stay focused on the real goal of this journey sometimes- it's not all about weightloss. It's about getting healthy and in the process losing weight. It's also about finding myself in a happier, more clean and healthier place.

Today, Molly told me to focus less on the scale and more on how I FEEL each day and journal today. Well... today, I felt ANGRY. I felt ANGRY that I am somehow sabatoging myself and that I'm feeling mentally too weak to get past this barrier of never being thin. Blah, blah, blah...this fit girl talks way too much about sappy, self-pitty, emotional stuff... I'm sure you're all thinking that, but it's okay. I've decided that I'm hiding my scale. Well, telling my husband to hide the scale. I don't know if I can go a whole week without weighing myself but I will try not to weigh myself for 3 days (Saturday). It's a start.

I was proud of myself for making a salad for the pot luck today and my quinoa stuffing. Every bite was eaten, so I suppose you could say that it was a hit! I was also happy to have an easy time at lunch! I didn't have a single urge to eat the fatty mac-n-cheese, pizza or cupcakes. I did however have a scoop of frosting with my berries for dessert. It actually tasted really funny- maybe because I haven't had sugar in a long time. I guess that's good.

Food log for today:
740- shake (2 scoops , .25 c berries, 1 c spinach, 1 tbsp of almonds, 1 scoops fiber)
12- spinach lettuce -2 cups, plain grilled chicken (4 oz), mushrooms , onions, .25cup of quinoa stuffing and olive oil. Also had a few slices of strawberries and a scoop of frosting.
4-salad: spinach,5oz. Chicken, few slices of avocado,1 tbsp of quinoa sprinkled on top (lots at lunch) and truffle oil(half tbsp).
730-shake (2 scoops , .25 c berries, 1 c spinach, 1 tbsp of almonds, 1 scoops fiber)
830-detox tea with almond milk and stevia.

I'm also tracking my water. I filled my 33oz water bottle 4 times.= 132 oz.

Stay strong, Fit Girls (and guys)- I'm doing my best to!

I'm a Fit Girl in Progress..not perfection.

I've had a REALLY hard past two days--emotionally, body-wise, mentally...

I have this notion in my head that the scale needs to keep dropping and if it's not that that means that I'm doing something completely wrong. I also have this fear, yeah--fear, that if it stops moving, it's never going to move again; I'm going to be fat and that's just how it's going to be. I was the fat kid. I was the heavy one in college. I was the friend, the cute one and the self conscious one. I'm the one that has to cover up at the beach. I'm the one who can't wear the in-style fashions. I'm the fatter sister. I'm the one that has a cardigan in every color. I'm the one that cries while getting dressed and I'm the one that hates taking family pictures on vacations because I'm ALWAYS the fat one. So, naturally...this whole losing weight thing is not just about losing weight. It's about anixety, fear and whole lot of heartache over the years. It's not just about the number dropping or fitting into a smaller size, it's about being proud of myself for changing my life and doing something that I have yet to be able to accomplish (sure I've lost weight, many times over- BUT, I've never been thin, fit AND healthy...).

I talked to Molly (my Arbonne and nutritional mentor) today, my mentor, and she started out phone conversation out like this, "Are you ready? Are you ready to hear me?" I thought she was sarcastically going to reprimand me for weighing myself too much. Now, she did that but she also brought me to tears in a matter of seconds. She told me, "You need to start realizing that you don't want to be fat and your body doesn't want to be fat. Repeat: your body doesn't want to be fat. Your body wants to be thin." She went on to explain that stress can cause you to hold onto weight (She has her doctorate in psychology). I knew this already but it somehow felt different hearing it. She told me that it's the journey that is what we need to focus on and not the outcome. The outcome will come from focusing on the journey ::::insert immediately flowing of tears while driving::::. She told me (or at least this is how I remember it), "You're doing it, already! You're on the journey. You've completely changed your life. It isn't about a diet. It's about a lifestyle and you need to remember that. You're not cutting out sugar forever. You're not giving up wine forever. You're learning how to live a healthy lifestyle- a truly healthy lifestyle. You're already doing it, girl. But, you need to remember that your who thing- your whole brand is... A Fit Girl in Progress. You're a work in progress- NOT PERFECT. You're not trying to be Fit Girl is Perfect. You're trying to live a healthy lifestyle. And, with the practice, will come the outcome (weight loss)." 

I ended the phone call on a pretty somber note. I know this is what I need to be doing for myself. I'm proud of myself. I am proud of my changes. I work so hard to live a truly healthy lifestyle. I work hard to build every ounce of muscle that I have and I am working so incredibly hard to get this fat off of my body. I know that I need to step off of the scale and let my journey go, but it's hard when you've been so focused on that number your whole life.

I'm crying as I write this, big surprise, I know... but I just want to see myself, physically, as I dream of being: thin, fit and healthy. In due time, I suppose.

I'm off to sculpt fusion yoga to focus and sculpt my muscles and spin to burn some calories!

Thanks to all of you who follow my journey. I'm not perfect. I'm not to my goal yet, but I'm working on it.... I guess I really am the epitome of...A Fit Girl in Progress.

Day 24&25- Arbonne 30 day challenge

I caught myself at Trader Joes AGAIN. I go so many times a week (in addition to Costco). However, I realized that it wasn't exactly a bad thing. ALL of my food is fresh produce unlike echem, someone else that I live with, who msotly has dry goods and processed stuff (I love you babe, just sayin'...)

 
Day 24

6 days to go

Weight: I wasn't going to weigh myself until Friday, but I couldn't help but get on the scale. I am the same as I have been.

I had a really hard time staying on my eating plan at the end of the day because I was on the go. I had a dr appointment and then hit the gym really hard. I asked Molly if it was okay to eat a shake for a meal instead of a full meal. She said that was perfectly fine. My day on Monday went like this...
Eating plan:
7-shake
11-balanced salad (shrimp,spinach,almonds,mushroom,olive oil, quinoa)
3-shake
530-5oz shrimp (went to Whole Foods and got shrimp from their shrimp bar)
7-balanced shake. (Was on the go and it was the easiest thing to do)
10-was hungry and grabbed the first thing in site: a handful of almonds.

Day 25

5 days to go

Weight: I was trying not to weigh myself but...I did. I was up a lb. VERY frustrating! I feel like I've barely lost in two weeks. Since Thanksgiving (okay so that's really only a week and a half) I just went up 2 lbs, down 2 lbs and back up a lb. Oy! So, I tweeted this morning, "Woke up on the wrong side of the scale!" I was in such a bad mood this morning.

Eating Plan today:
7am-  receovery shake (after cardio barre)
8:15am- balanced shake
11am- salad with chicken, berries and apples (carbs), nuts and olive oil (fat) and also threw in some mushrooms and peppers. It was a very random salad lol.
2:30pm- Sautted mushrooms, spinach, shrimp, olive oil and pine nuts (no carbs on accident)
6:30- balanced shake
---I did have a few nibbles or quinoa and apples tonight while I was making my quinoa/rice stuffing for a salad for tomorrow's potluck.

Well...all I can say if that I did everything near perfect today. I hope it shows sooner rather than later super soon!

Do you guys weigh yourself daily?Weekly? Monthly? I feel like I HAVE to weigh

Day 23- Arbonne 30 day challenge

Day 23

7 Days to go (although, I'm extending it +14 to stay on plan until I leave for vacation)

Weight lost:9lb so far

 I'll post my weight again on Friday!

Today's eating plan:
930-shake (spinach, apple, protein &side of almonds)
1130-recovery shake (just almond milk, protein, cinnamon)- half of an apple and tablespoon of almonds
1:30- veggie egg white scramble(egg whites, broccoli, mushrooms, pine nuts and avocado)
530-balanced salad(spinach,turkey, beets, mushrooms, quinoa, sauteed veggies)
*fit chew
7:00- detox tea (almond milk, stevia and fiber included)

I was SO hungry today for some reason. I'm not sure why. Oh well. I had a nice night downtown and made a balanced salad at one of my favorite healthy eating salad bars (Food Ease).

Funny story(at least to me):

Tonight, my husband and I were coming home from downtown (we live in Chicago) and we were on the bus. There was SO much traffic by our house because of Zoo Lights (it was a MILE radius of standstill traffic). I told my husband that I wanted to walk home from the corner (1.25 miles from home). He said, "No." He was tired, his shoes were uncomfortable, blah blah (Love you, hubby). I decided that I would get off and walk anyway... When I got off the bus I started walking, but the bus started to catch up to me. I decided to start running (in my jeans, uggs, north face and purse)...and I ran the whole way home (literally laughing!). I laughed at how crazy I looked and how silly it was. I made it home and had to call my mom and tell her. I also called my husband to say, "Hey! I'm home! Are you close?" Yeahhh...about that...I was home 20 minutes before him. Hehe. Love life! Always find excuses to be active (I took the stairs at the mall tonight, too!)

Day 22- Arbonne 30 day challenge

Day 22

8 days to go

down 9 lbs!! The scale moved today!

 Today I woke up really late. I had a late night last night after a birthday party and just staying up and cleaning the house and watching tv last night (fun, I know). I didn't eat my first meal until 12:30 p.m. oops. I knew that I wouldn't get all of my meals in so I text Molly and we decided to do 3 meals instead of the 4 and see how I feel. Even with that, I couldn't get all my meals spaced out perfectly. I was starving after class, so I had a shake then. Listening to my body :)

 Eating Plan:
12:30 p.m.- Omelette (delicious! I'll post the recipe below) and side salad
3:30 p.m.- Balanced shake (protein, spinach, berries, almonds and fiber).
----I also had a cup of alkaline broth, detox tea and am sipping on my detox juice.
6:30 p.m.- Salad out at The Counter. I had mixed greens, avocado, 5 oz of grilled chicken and lots of grilled veggies (with lots of oil, so no evoo on top): mushrooms, onions, peppers and pineapple!
---I'm still finishing my detox juice. If I'm planning on being up super late again, I'll eat something in a little bit if I feel like I need to.

I'm feeling really good. I'm trying to listen to my body a bit more and get sleep if I need it. Today, I woke up in time for spin. I got dressed and for some reason, my Fit Girl Studio app showed that the class was fully booked and that I couldn't sign up. I didn't go to class. I ended up going this afternoon to Ballet Body Bootcamp and it ends up that I was registered! I was SO upset because I LOVE SpinShred and taking Liz's classes! I felt really bad. Oh well. I'll take SpinShred tomorrow!

Veggie/Apple Omelette

Ingredients:

mushrooms

apples (I would've used granny smith if I had it)

pine nuts

broccoli

white truffle oil

egg whites

avocado

pepper

Directions:

Heat up white truffle oil in a small pan

Sautee all veggies together until apples and broccoli are tender

Pour eggwhites in the pan

Fold and flip until fully cooked

Top with avocado and pepper

This was DELICIOUS. I love eating clean and exploring new recipes and food combinations. I also made my husband a turkey and cheese omelette after. I did have a little urge to take a bite or add cheese to mine (that's how I always had my egg white omelettes before). But, I stuck to the plan and enjoyed my own!

Day 20&21-Arbonne 30 day challenge

Days 20 and 21

9 days left

Today, I weighed myself and was back down to where I was pre-gain from thanksgiving. I am down a total of 8 lbs. I have, officially, one more week on the challenge and I really want to kick my butt in gear in re to eating perfectly on time and no licks or tastes or anything off-plan (I have been really great though on the plan). I want to keep the scale moving downward SO badly.

I learned today that my carbs don't have to be at every meal and that I can skip them at dinner since I won't usually be burning them before dinner. Makes sense.

I tried a shake that was listed on the website and I didn't think I'd like it but figured I'd try. Well..
. I hated it lol. But, after talking to Molly, I figured out why
-I make it for a single serving and it should be 3 large cups in a big vitamix or blender (I made it in a bullet)
-The recipe was written without a key ingredient (half an apple).

my green shakes and my berry shake (mmm)

At any rate. I made two and tried them today. I wasn't going to waste my protein after I made it! So, I drank it. Maybe I'll try it again sometime!

Some small moments that made me proud today:
---We're having a potluck at school next week and I signed up for a salad and I'll bring my quinoa. Then, I'll have a perfect meal already made for myself!
---I passed up homemade heath bars in the office today. They looked pretty darn good but wouldn't have been worth it.
---Tonight, my cousin had a birthday party at Bottles and Bottega. It's a BYOB painting studio. Everyone brought a bottle of wine (I brought two and didn't drink any). My cousin brought shrimp (for me!) and cheese and crackers. I made a gorgeous veggie tray with hummus and pine nuts. I shouldn't have eaten the hummus but it was really clean so I ate it (at least I don't think I should've eaten it. It was dairy, gluten and soy free, though). I nibbled on that and then stepped away, with my water bottle in hand.

Small steps...and I keep going....

Eating plan today:
spin class recovery shake- 7:30
8:30-Breakfast shake
11:00-Lunch salad with veggies, shrimp, quinoa, avocado and oil
2:00- Shake
6:00-Salad with shrimp, avo, lots of veggies, pine nuts and olive oil
8:30- nibbles of shrimp, veggies and hummus.

Off to sleep. I had planned on going to barre and spin shred in the morning. I need SLEEP! Spin Shred for sure though!

Day 19- arbonne 30 day challenge

Day 19

11 days to go

I was really off with my eating schedule today bc I forgot my second shake at home and being a teacher, I can't just leave to get food!

I ate:
-Shake
-Veggies from broth with avocado and pine nuts topped with shrimp
-For dinner I had a delicious salad with berries and apples as my carbs . It also bad regular olive oil, herbs and avocado. I had shrimp on the side
-After the gym I was going to just have my shake but it was so late I debated on eating or not. I ended up tearing into my crockpot chicken, veggies and sweet potato that I had made. I are a tbsp of pine nuts and basically had a whole third meal. Oops.

Anyways- tomorrow is a new day and I will try harder!

Day 18-arbonne 30 day challenge

Day18
12 days to go
-not weighing myself until Friday

I had a *perfect* day! I got all of my food in, without a single hitch and had double workouts!

Eating:
7:30am- recovery shake
9:10am- breakfast shake
11:15am- lunch of my balanced salad (spinach, quinoa, avocado, olive oil, peppers, mushrooms and shrimp)
3:30- afternoon shake and almonds
7:30pm- evening salad!
Tonight I had two detox teas (same teabag) bc it's yummy and it's freezing out!

Because people have asked (I've been told that it doesn't seen like I'm eating enough) - I take in between 1,200-1,400 calories and way more fat than I used to! But, healthy fats of course.

I prepped my salads and shakes for tomorrow. It's all about being prepared!

I realized that I haven't taken my vitamins in a few days- I'll get on that tomorrow!

Day 16- Arbonne 30 day challenge

Day 16

14 days left

not weighing myself until Friday

 Prep day!

After my spin shred class today, I went to make my salad. I decided to get my shakes ready for the day and my salads ready for the next two days. I also bagged almonds (I've been eating a tbsp instead of putting them in my shake) and celery for snacks. I made 4 balanced salads and prepped my shakes, too! It was a very productive afternoon!

Day 15- Arbonne 30 day challenge CRAVINGS AND CHOCOLATE

Day 15

15 Days to go- halfway (although, I think I'll make my "challenge" go until Dec. 19 or 22 when I leave for vacation!)

I'm not weighing myself until next Saturday (well...at least, I'm going to TRY not to)

note: Don't judge me for my honesty! At least I'm honest! Most people wouldn't dare tell the truth about how ever second of their day goes!

     I'm struggling a bit. I had two spoonfuls of cake today. It was gluten free. It was flourless. BUT- it had sugar and dairy, I'm sure. 

Now, I don't think that it's a horrible, terrible, no-good, very-bad thing for people to have cake! But, for ME, right now, it's not what I should be doing. It's not on MY plan!  

     It was the same deathly chocolate cake that we had on Thanksgiving. I brought home two pieces yesterday for my husband (one apple-not my cup-o-tea- and one chocolate). I had it in there for a day without eating it. However, that changed this afternoon., I had a spoonful before I took a nap. UGH. Bad! Then, I threw it away. I must've dreamed about that darn chocolate cake because when I woke up I actually walked to the clean trash bag and got the cake out of the trash (it wasn't as gross as it sounds- it was a new bag and it was in foil. It was however, just as sad and desperate as it sounds) and took another scoop. I then proceeded to throw it away again but before it even make it out of my hands, I grabbed it and almost had another bite. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?! I wanted that sweet, chocolaty goodness SO BAD! Let's be honest...two tablespoons/bites of chocolate isn't going to ruin my day. But, it messed with my head! I WANT to stay on plan SO bad. So, why do we hop off? Tonight, I made my shakes with extra berries and stevia in hopes of curbing that sugar craving.

After my morning spin classes, I had a recovery shake that was super balanced. 

Lunch, I went to Bloomingdales Cafe (Forty Carrots) and had a no-mayo tuna salad salad with olive oil and avocados. It was absolteuy heavenly! When I got home, had a half a cup of quinoa to compensate for the lack of carbs in the meals lately.

No-mayo tuna salad and fresh avocado!

For dinner, I was on the run (I'm babysitting tonight) so I made two shakes quickly and took them with me. I was super-thankful for the shakes tonight because I really didn't have time to make a meal.

My new favorite shake:

Spinach, frozen berries, vanilla protein, almonds and stevia

So, question of the day: Who has had crazy struggling with a certain craving?! How do you get over it? I have lots and lots of water on-hand now just incase! That's how I'm trying to curb mine!