Post Thanksgiving Bliss!

I’ve gotta be honest… I did not eat clean on Thanksgiving. I ate dressing and sweet potato casserole and even pumpkin tart… yum, yum, yum!  I ate and I was on a happy little carb high for a full day!  I’m past it now and back to my clean, competition diet and don’t feel one shred of guilt… and I am thankful for that.  I truly feel like I’ve gotten something out of my system… like I was feeling deprived without even knowing it and this one meal totally cured it! 

I decided to have Thanksgiving with my best friend instead of staying home with family. This year I just needed to do something completely different than what we used to do with my husband… and it was a fantastic decision! I feel happy and relaxed instead of sad and anxious.  Whenever I visit my friend Hilary I always feel like I’m on the best little mini vacations. She lives in a small town in southern Alabama… there’s not alot to do… but I always feel more peaceful and centered when I’m here. 

I brought my exercise band with me and plan to knock out an arm workout and then we’re gonna take my lil’ miss on a hike and then to the playground.  A nice, relaxing, fit sort of day!  Diet so far is great, and got my morning supplements in.   Not sure about dinner yet… probably a chicken stir fry… we’ll see.

Is MSG Making You Fat?

   I found some interesting articles years ago linking the consumption of the food additive MSG (monosodium glutamate) to obesity. At the time, I had a difficult time finding reference articles to back up the research and theories, but recently I have stumbled across numerous articles about this very thing…. Must finally be catching on!

MSG is a food additive that creates a powerful taste sensation, and it resides in most processed foods… from potato chips to boxed rice mixes to canned soups. You know how it’s difficult to eat just one of those sour cream and onions potato chips… MSG is one reason why. MSG is an excitotoxin (in the same class as aspartame) which means that it overexcites neurons to the point of cell damage and eventually cell death. The big problem comes in becomes there is no blood-brain barrier in the hypothalamus and the excitotoxins can get straight to the brain. Research has found that MSG causes lesions in the hypothalamus, leading to obesity, short stature and reproductive problems (hello all you ladies with PCOS). It has also been found to increase the amount of insulin released by the body (ya know… the fat storage hormone) to 3x it’s normal amount!

Years ago when I first found out about this link, I was shocked to discover that not only did doctors and researchers know that MSG led to obesity, but they also used it to induce obesity! I went to the site

 http://newenglandjournalofmedicine.com and put one little phrase in the search box…. “MSG obese rats” Article after article came pouring forth showing the use of MSG to induce obesity in the test subjects. Interestingly enough I just went back to the site and can no longer get the same results from the search. I’ll be checking it out more closely later on. You see, rats and mice are not obese in nature, but in order to research different aspects of obesity, diabetes and whatever else they were researching that required fat rats… they used MSG to induce obesity! Food manufacturers have known for years that they are in fact Making Us Fat… and so instead of removing the additive (which is addictive in nature, thus causing us to continue buying their crap)… they just market “diet” foods to us instead… it just makes my blood boil thinking about it! Also, because MSG raises insulin levels sharply, which drops blood sugar levels, it leads to you being hungrier than you would have been, and sooner than you would have been… thus causing the consumer to essentially consume more… hhhmmmm…. Yeah. That’s not on purpose, right?  

This is just one more reason why eating clean, natural foods makes so much sense. The truth is, manufactures add so many additives, preservatives and chemicals to our foods that we have no way of really knowing what it is doing to us or our families. Also, these additives change our taste buds, the very way we taste foods. I have been so surprised at how wonderful REAL foods like fruits, vegetables and grains taste all on their own. It’s hard to taste just how very sweet a bell pepper is when you are used to consuming processed white sugar.

Now a homework assignment… if you are brave enough… take the list of MSG names below and go through your pantry right now and see just how many products contain them. Go be brave… you can’t act until you know! And if you are interested in learning more on this subject there is a book called The Slow Poisoning of America by John Erb. I have not read the book yet and so cannot vouch for it personally, but know that this man has done extensive research on the subject.

These are names manufacturers use to disguise MSG:

The following substances contain the highest percentage of factory created free glutamate, with MSG containing 78%:

• MSG Gelatin
• Calcium Caseinate
• Monosodium glutamate
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
• Textured Protein
• Monopotassium glutamate
• Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)
• Yeast Extract
• Glutamate
• Autolyzed Plant Protein
• Yeast food or nutrient
• Glutamic Acid
• Sodium Caseinate
• Autolyzed Yeast
• Vegetable Protein Extract
• Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)

 

44 Days! – 147.2lbs…. ugh… wasted time!

I am so disappointed that I have wasted so many days… weeks… piddling around and not staying focused.  I’m not going to start beating myself up over it though… what’s done is done… and blasting myself and breaking down my faults is NOT going to help me in my drive to the finish line!

I’ve been pretty spot on for days and have dropped back down the few pounds that I’ve been playing with the last few weeks… the scale is moving downward again!!! Yay!  I’m trying my best… I can maintain like nobody’s business, but my diet has to be spot on to lose the pounds. 

To say that this is a stressful time for me is a gross understatement.  There is so much stress and emotional turmoil in my life right now… I told a friend that it almost feels like I’ve jumped in to the deep end of the pool and then realized I can’t swim.  I’m floating in the midst of all this grief, sadness, stress, and anxiety and I feel as though I might go under… but I keep treading water… I keep moving forward… I just keep moving.  I don’t know what else to do.  It feels as though my mind is just gonna freak out and stop working at any moment… as though it’s just gonna say to me “ok.. that’s it… I’m overloaded and can’t process another damn thing!”  And I guess that’s the key here… I can’t seem to process any of this stuff… I just keep moving through it… not looking too closely at any one thing… just keep moving… stay afloat…. but at what point do I just get too damn tired to paddle anymore?  Anyone out there got a life preserver?

It’s All In The Prep….

I spent a couple of hours last night prepping my food for the next few days. I can’t tell you how many times it has saved me to have food ready to grab and eat or grab and throw in my cooler as I‘m running out the door. I know for me personally… I am not going to prepare food 4, 5, or 6 times a day. If at least a few of the meals are not heat and eat, I will inevitably end up eating out and struggling to make wise choices.

It really is fairly simple to make food ahead and split it into single serving sizes. Even things like cottage cheese… I’ll buy a large container and split it into 1/2c servings in tiny plastic containers. Also things that don’t need to be cooked, but require you to pull out several things every time you want to make it… like my favorite protein shake. I just hate pulling out the big bag of frozen blueberries and a measuring cup… and usually end up getting blueberry juice on something… so I take the whole bag at once and divide it into 1/4c servings in those tiny snack bags. Then throw them all in one gallon size freezer bag and into the freezer. Then when it’s protein shake time,… it’s super easy and I’ve even started throwing my spoonful of coconut oil into the baggies so that eliminates yet another step.

The biggest time savings though is in the protein department. Now through much trial and error I have found that certain things freeze well after they are cooked and others… not so much. Anything cooked in a sauce and then chopped or shredded tends to freeze and reheat well (I’ll add some recipes in a bit.) But things like hamburger patties, chicken breasts, ect. tend to get tough and just don’t taste as good. I prefer to make those things up every few days and keep them in the fridge. Same goes for tuna or salmon patties… very tasty, but always better if not frozen. Now for the things that do freeze well…. lean ground beef precooked and divided into either single servings or recipe size portions (2c for a family) … then it can just get thawed in the microwave and tossed into soup, chili, spaghetti sauce… whatever. Various versions of crockpot meats also do very well…. Like Chicken Salsa Verde, Pepperocini Beef, Taco Style Chicken. Also soups and chilis are endless in variety and freeze like a dream as long as they don’t contain a starch like pasta or potatoes.

Last night I kept things very simple and really didn’t accomplish all that I wanted but got enough done to last me a few days. I divided my container of cottage cheese as I stated earlier. I made a veggie and egg scramble of onions and bell pepper and then added 4 whole eggs and 6 whites, cooked and then divided into 3 bowls to serve as breakfast with an apple for the next few days. Then I divided my blueberries for my protein shakes. I seasoned and cooked 8oz of very lean ground beef and divided into snack baggies and froze… they will probably end up being thrown into a Clean Taco Salad. Then I made my uber yummy Cola BBQ Chicken… recipe to follow! I made three thin sliced breasts which are perfect portions for my mini meals, and fantastic with either a clean coleslaw or a dinner salad. I’m going to make Salmon Patties for dinner tonight and will make double for extras in the fridge. I’ll also probably make some seasoned green beans and put 2-3 portions in the fridge… I’ve been slacking on the green veggies.

Well, this is what makes it possible for me to stick to a clean, healthy diet, and when I don’t take my own advice and keep things stocked…. I end up eating crap, feeling like crap, and not losing weight. I’ll be back later today to post several of the recipes I mentioned.

 

 

 

Family, Friends & UFC… Good Saturday!

It was a good day today… maybe not 100% on the food, but a good life day!  I slept in late then lounged a bit and enjoyed my coffee while perusing recipes, did a couple loads of laundry and felt the need for a nap. It was wonderful! One of those middle-of-the-day naps that feels decadent and almost sinfully wonderful… and I felt no guilt…               just aaahhhhhhh! 

I woke up, got dressed and my daughter and I went to dinner with my family. It was really nice to all be together and Mmmmmm Steak! I am indeed an unashamed, unabashed carnivore!  Then my sweet little brother suggested I join him and some friends to watch the UFC fight… Lesnar vs. Couture.  It was good… I really enjoyed myself.  We just hung out with some old friends and new friends and watched the fights.  Then came the main event… I actually felt my adrenaline start pumping.  I really like Randy Couture… he’s a good guy… but Brock Lesnar is a beast!  The weight, size and age difference were staggering.   I will say though that Couture was in great shape, and Lesnar was looking a bit soft… and more than once I thought Couture just might wear him down enough for a win… Lesnar was looking tired… real tired…. but in the end The Beast took it!

Then we went to a local bar and hung out for a while and I got to see a dear friend I haven’t seen in months… I’ve missed you girl!  And got to spend quite a long time just talking to my brother…. which was really, really nice!  For most of our life, we didn’t get along very well, but over this last year he has been so great… so sweet and supportive and we’ve gotten really close… and I’m grateful for that! 

So now it’s 3am and I am SO ready for bed! Gonna get up early and hit the grocery store and come back and make up my meals for the next few days… I’ll be back tomorrow to post my meal plan and how I’m going about the food prep.  Night

Wanted: Motivation and Sense of Purpose Again….

Ok… I was back to being Debbie Downer!  I won’t bore you all with the details of my sadness… it’s not the point of this post.  This post is about the fact that I’ve allowed external forces to influence my once steely resolve.  I’ve allowed my heartbreak to turn into a complete lack of motivation and self control…. absolutely unacceptable!  One has nothing to do with the other.  Just because my personal life is… well, a mess… does not have anything to do with the fact that I still need to live a healthy lifestyle… I still have a competition to win… and I still have to be the strong-willed woman that I am!   The fact is, it’s crunch time… the deadline is fast approaching and I have a long way to go… roughly 35lbs… not an easy feat… NOT the time to be slacking.  

I’ve let my goal… my vision… my focus… slip away.  I know I’m not alone in this… I know other woman, and men for that matter, struggle with this very thing day in and day out.  What I do now… What I CHOOSE to do now… determines whether I’m a Champion… or just another competitor.   It’s time to regain my focus… find the eye of the tiger, so to speak, hehe…. is that the Rocky theme music I hear in the background…. I think it is!   I totally need to make a video with a training montage! I love those!  And I need to go rent Rocky IV right now… come on… you all know that was the best one!

Leg Day… Oh, How I Love and Hate Thee…..

Well, my brooding is over… yay! I know you all must be quite relieved… I hated hearing myself whine like that! LOL   I’m a tough girl… I hate that feeling of brokeness… but today is a new day.  I feel much more leveled out, rational and clear.  

I almost feel guilty when things that are so hard and so heart wrenching don’t keep me down longer…. is that weird?  But honestly, it’s as though the logical side of my brain kicks in and says “Ok girl… you gonna sit around whinin’ like a big baby or get on it with it already…. what’s mopin’ around gonna do for ya?”  Clearly the logical side of my brain sounds like some burly man with bad grammar… but regardless… makes a lot of sense!  Having been through this year… I’ve developed a teflon coating of sorts… still haven’t figured out if that’s a good thing or not.  But it’s as though nothing sticks to me.  When someone makes me angry or sad or dissappointed… it just doesn’t stick. I’m completely over it within a matter of hours… a day at the most…. it’s really odd.  

Now… onto the day at hand!  I am working around the house today, making phone calls and trying to decide what I’ll be making for lunch… ’cause this girl is hungry!  I have an appointment with my trainer at 5…. leg day!  I both love and hate leg day with a fiery passion!  I love that my legs are getting smaller and leaner… I love that my tush is beginning to migrate back to where it should be …. and I love how strong I feel…..  BUT, oh how I loathe the squats and lunges! I like doing the weighted machines and don’t even mind the deadlifts and such…. but oh those squats and lunges… especially lunges!  But as with most things that comprise a healthy life…. the sacrifice is worth it! Always, Always, Always Worth It!

Ok… Some Brooding & Just a ‘Lil Ice Cream :)

Ok.. still struggling through my brooding, broodiness… still blue and discontent about the personal side of my life…. I don’t deal well with other people’s drama… it makes me… well… moody, duh… I think that’s obvious, huh?  I like harmony… I like a world where… what’s that line… ah.. everyone eats rainbows and poops butterflies! hehe…. I like sunshine and kittens and… well… you get the picture.   And for some reason… my current personal situation, seems to be a mixed forecast at all times.  If Monday was light and happy and wonderful…. watch out for Tuesday… ’cause a storm will be comin’.                 

Every time I start to feel safe and happy and close to something real…. well… the tide turns and the dark clouds start to roll in… and everything is shaken violently and I’m torn to pieces for a few days while someone works through whatever it is this time… and inevitably… the clouds part and suddenly everything is suppose to be ok again…. but the truth is… I’m just plain tired at this point.  I’m heading into… heck… I’m smack dab in the middle of the worst two months since the weeks following the accident.  THIS was my husband’s time of year… the time he lived for all year long… this was to be Abby’s first Christmas…. I’m barely keeping it together on the inside… guess I seem fine and dandy on the outside… but I just can’t handle any extra drama right now.  I need the people I love to be there for me right now… I need to FEEL loved and cared for and appreciated… I need stability and distraction and comfort… because there simply isn’t room in my soul for more heartache and drama and pain.   

Wow… you guys give me cheap therapy, you know that?  I get to pour my heart out to the masses… ok, ok.. the handful of you who actually read my little blog, hehe … and for some reason… it makes me feel better. 

Sooooo… after a dismal and rather sad attempt at working out tonight… (but hey, it was something, right?)  I’m going to tuck my daughter snuggly into bed… curl up in my huge, quishy bed… wrapped in my huge, squishy down comforter and watch The Holiday and fall madly in love with both Jack Black and Jude Law all over again and eat Blue Bunny Lite Ice cream to my hearts content!  A girl just has to compromise sometimes…. I think a little exercise and lite ice cream are a nice compromise on a night like tonight….

Goodnight all…. tomorrow is a brighter day… I just know it!

But I Don’t Wanna Workout…….

I find it fascinating that when my personal life is off… when things are just blah and I’m ill tempered and unhappy…. I have no desire to do the things that will make me feel better.  Exercise always makes me feel better. There is nothing that can turn my mood around like an hour of busting my tail on the treadmill with hip hop blasting from my ipod…. and yet… all I WANT to do is crawl under the covers with a pint of ice cream and watch a sappy chick flick and wallow in my discontent.  But alas… I cannot allow the wallowing… which only makes me want to wallow more… it’s a vicious, vicious cycle I tell you!   Lucky for me, I have a date with my trainer this evening at 5, because if it were left to me today…. I’d have a date with Ben & Jerry and maybe Tom Hanks or John Cusack! hehe

I promise that within a day or two I’ll be a little ray of sunshine once again…. but until then…. please tolerate my ramblings and sullen, moodiness…. and I’ll try not to be THAT bad!

54 Days – Must… Do… Cardio….

Ugh… I am feeling incredibly lazy today!  I have been a bit of a grump today… a lil’ crabby…. kinda pouty… ok, a big sulky baby!  And… I have yet to go to the gym for my cardio.  Just not feelin’ it.  I know… I know… and I may go after I put Em to bed…. but well… you and I  both know that probably ain’t happenin’! hehe

I have to be there at 7:30 in the morning for cardio… so I may just call today a rest day and go to bed at 8 o’clock again like I did last night!  I don’t know what’s up with me… I’m just exhausted! So sleepy all the time!   I could go to bed right now and sleep all night…. oooh that sounds nice…. don’t think the 4 year old will let me get away with it though!

Diet has been stellar today though.  Yummy Blueberry Smoothie for brekkie, Mmmmm Mmmm Chinese food for lunch, Natural Peanut Butter on a spoon midday (ok, I know PB is NOT a meal replacement! hehe) And
I’m thinking Roast Turkey Breast and Green Beans for Dinner…. then off to Sleepy Town!