Fat, Fit & Healthy

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Tue, 21 May 2013 15:33:04 -0400

Got up nice and early to finish working on art commissions and...

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:56:00 -0400

Got up nice and early to finish working on art commissions and designs, so I made myself a healthy breakfast of shakeology and brought up two bananas and a granola bar for snacking throughout my work day.

After I finish for the day, it is fit test number one for this play through of Insanity!

What do you eat to fuel you throughout the day?

Dinner

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:10:43 -0400

Had delicious vegetarian wraps tonight. So tasty! It can be so easy to make something savory, but still healthy if you are willing to think out of the box and be inventive with your meals!

Onto the gym in about an hour. I love late night gym sessions.

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Mon, 13 May 2013 18:39:18 -0400

Getting my work out on later today. Thinking about changing up...

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:50:55 -0400

Getting my work out on later today. Thinking about changing up what I had originally planned and go for a run instead, since it is absolutely gorgeous outside right now!

On another note, my herbs are finally starting to pop up and I need to start transplanting my basil in particular. I also have a huge pot full of snap peas growing outside! Can’t wait to eat my own organics. <3

How did you all spend the weekend?

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Tue, 07 May 2013 19:55:38 -0400

Just finished writing up my new workout and work schedule (since...

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:25:16 -0400

Just finished writing up my new workout and work schedule (since I work from home, this is a super important aspect of how I keep myself organized).

Planning to restart up with Insanity in a few weeks, since my recovery took so long and I have been itching to get back into it.

How do YOU keep yourself organized in terms of health, & fitness? Do you plan ahead or decide things impromptu?

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Mon, 06 May 2013 04:33:45 -0400

Despite coming so far, our journey is never truly over. There...

Mon, 06 May 2013 03:43:08 -0400

Despite coming so far, our journey is never truly over. There is always a new challenge ahead, whatever it may be. I now see those challenges as some of the most amazing parts of life. They test you and mold who you will become. I still have a long way to go on my weight loss journey, but I am excited to be so much healthier than I was only a year ago.

I still have rolls, pudgy cheeks, fat on my arms, but something I now have that is different than before is a love for myself. It is not perfect, but it is growing everyday. I am happy for the first time in so long and happy to finally be able to look myself in the mirror and tell myself that I AM beautiful, every aspect of who I am, both inside and out. I have struggled with self hate as long as I can remember, but I am proud to say I am not simply on the journey to lose weight, change my lifestyle and be healthy, but also one of self discovery and acceptance of who I am and who I will be.

Thank you all for sharing in my journey. <3

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Sat, 04 May 2013 02:46:48 -0400

I can't believe you've lost so much weight!! That's AMAZING! Seriously, you're a role model.

Fri, 03 May 2013 21:06:00 -0400

You’re so sweet! All these lovely comments bring a smile to my face.

And I am not the only role model here, I think each and everyone of us in this community is a good role model to each other. I cannot tell you how many of you wonderful fitblrs have helped motivate and push me forward on my journey through your personal posts, insight and successes. This community seems to breed success, because people give each other a helping hand when they need it and we don’t judge one another. It doesn’t matter what stage a person is at, this community treats everyone like they are worthy of time and respect unlike many others in this world.

Each and everyone of you is a good role model, because you are cultivating a mindset of never giving up on your dreams, loving those around you no matter what and never giving up on yourself!

I've been eating a lot healthier than usual lately and I've found that I'm not hungry very often. I eat the 3 main meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner but other than that I feel too full to eat. Therefore, I'm eating under the healthy calorie limit by a couple of hundred calories. Do you suggest I just keep forcing myself to eat more so that I eat enough calories, or would it be better to just not eat anything, since I don't actually feel that I need it. I also do cardio for about 40 minutes daily.

Fri, 03 May 2013 21:01:00 -0400

I am no doctor or nutritionist, so I am simply going to give you advice based on what I know and my own personal experiences. I believe, in order to give you the best proper idea of what you can do to up your intake without making yourself feel sick, I would need more information on what your daily meals consist of. Are you eating mainly fruits and leafy greens or something else? How large are your portions when you do each? Do you have a specific preference in terms of foods (are you a meat eater, vegetarian, vegan)?

The thing is, you should always be at least 1200 calories or higher, since your body needs this amount of fuel to keep on running basic functions properly from day to day. This being said, if you are working out as well, you will need a little more in your daily intake to help fuel your workouts too.

I can speak from experience about feeling full even when eating next to nothing. The problem is, you eat low calorie amounts on a daily basis for long enough, you start to get used to it and it seems harder and harder to eat. When I first left my ex-husband, I had no money for food and was eating 1200 calories a day at first and it slowly became a lower and lower number due to less and less means. Eventually you will get sick and your body will start crashing. You may not feel hungry, but you need to find healthy options that you can add into your day as little meals between your breakfast, lunch and dinner.

You should not be “forcing” yourself to eat, but rather finding ways to make sure you are getting the proper caloric intake and daily nutrients your body needs. This could be anything from making your meals smaller and eating more often to adding more healthy fats (nuts, avocados, etc) into your diet along with healthy grains in order to help fuel your workouts as well help increase your intake for the day.

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Fri, 03 May 2013 20:48:41 -0400

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Fri, 03 May 2013 20:48:20 -0400

Saved

Fri, 03 May 2013 20:37:00 -0400

‘When the world was desolate and dark, you were there; a hand on my hip, the other pressed firmly against the ever rapid beating of my heart. This hole had a depth of unimaginable grandiose; vast, complex, with no hand holds to steady myself and rise to the top. When I was drowning in the quicksand—my personal despair—you reached a hand to grasp my own, catching me from further succumbing to the depths of my own mind. In the light of day, when all appeared—if only to me—to be overtaken by a void so great, you took my palm into your own. You saved me, with no care or concern of the truth, that in saving me, you risked your own sanity, your own well-being; this reality that overwhelms us all. My trance is broken, the thrall that had over taken me, destroyed. Like a fisherman manning his net, my servitude to my own fears broke as easily as the net cast too close to the rocky shore. There is a gratitude deep down in my soul, my spirit, that I can never fully explain. The feeling overwhelms me, it is too powerful for words. When my light was fading, and I was alone, you tore me from my dying place and breathed life back into this spirit within me…and in this, you saved me from death itself.’

Today has been a wonderful day, though with a lot of contemplating. My life has bee difficult these past years, but writing this to my loving husband who helped save me from myself really made me realize how far I have come; and not simply with my mental well being, but also my physical. I am still down well over 100lbs and while I have struggled with lack of time, depression or other things that can sometimes hinder the speed at which you allow yourself to physically change, I am still weigh far less than a year and a half ago. That is something I know to be proud of.

This is something I think we all need to take away from our journey. That even when we fall short, even if the weight loss and fitness goals stop from time to time, we ALWAYS get back up and try again. Even when we have a lapse in willpower or strength, we eventually find it all again and get back to work making ourselves the happiest and healthiest we can be.

Love you all. <3

On another note, my space bow tie came in the mail, woohoo!

Excited that Connor and I officially own our own home! I am also so proud of Dottie, she is so...

Thu, 02 May 2013 20:25:09 -0400

Excited that Connor and I officially own our own home! I am also so proud of Dottie, she is so perfect for us. She stays in the yard without a leash now and will just lay next to me, attached at the hip as I work in the garden. Slowly designing an awesome landscape project for the back patio and planted in front yesterday and today. Grabbed some beautiful lilacs for a vase in the kitchen and now I am going to start working on my herb garden! Life has been good lately.

Excited to start utilizing my balcony for yoga sessions now and finally being able to grow some of my own organic goodies! Excited to start getting back to the gym now that things are finally getting less stressful in our lives.

Internet back is awesome. I got a few messages while I was away, but I will try to get back to you all soon. Love you guys!

How have you been spending your spring so far?

Still no internet

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:30:23 -0400

…but I will be starting back up with an Insanity hybrid tonight! Won’t have my internet til Monday afternoon.

New Trails, New Adventures

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:43:28 -0400

After about 2 hours of heavy lifting by myself (somehow slowly worked a few large, heavy dressers and cabinets up the stairs alone…), I decided to take Dottie for a walk, having been told there is a path down my street that leads to many areas of the city. The trail is pretty beautiful, following a river and through the woods around many of the suburbs. I am super excited to use it all the time and start to run the trails as well. Perfect for training for my half marathon, since all of the trails go out at least 3-5 miles and then I also have my coming back time.

Do you have a favorite place to run/walk outside in your town/city?

First day juicing at the new house with a new juicer! This...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:31:00 -0400

First day juicing at the new house with a new juicer! This patch of tasty ingredients makes a day’s worth of juice for me, sometimes a little more if I am not hungry. Usually I use less fruit in my juices, but my watermelon was going to go bad if I didn’t use it soon, so I figured I’d juice that as well. This will give you an idea of my typical ingredients though and how much of each I usually use.

Connor’s 17 year old cat, Pepper, with a leaf on her head....

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:45:38 -0400

Connor’s 17 year old cat, Pepper, with a leaf on her head. Moving in last night was quite the workout. Just me and my husband…took us six trips with a small pickup truck and lots of heavy lifting. Glad to finally be here!