I Hurt Myself and Stayed on the Weight Loss Track!

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm” – Winston Churchill

I woke up and limped to the almighty scale.   I need help, not walking but I’ve hurt myself and I need to stay on the weight loss track.  I’m so afraid this leg pain is going to cost me my hard-earned weight loss motivation.

Why am I limping?  I’m limping because I’m a type-A, overachieving, super freak! Every time I start to work out consistently and see results, my type-A overachieving persona takes over and I do something completely over the top.  Before I know it, I  get hurt which completely sabotages my weight loss efforts!

Exercise Problems

Squats have been a problem for me since my 20’s.  No matter how much I concentrate on form or how many personal trainers or physical therapists I have work with me, I end up hurting my knees.  Over the past few months, I have been able to get away with twelve ballet squats per workout.  Yesterday, motivated by the small results I’m starting to see and my playlist, I decided to go for 60 squats with some weights on my shoulders.  What was I thinking?

History Repeats Itself

I started running a few years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed the runners high from my one-mile run/ walk, so I whimsically signed up for a 5K Thanksgiving Turkey Trot.  I did realize that normal people train for things like this, but why would I let that hold me back?  The route was completely cross country with a rocky trail and uneven ground. Hours later after the run, I bent over to take the Thanksgiving turkey out of the oven and couldn’t get back up! Let’s just say my husband was less than thrilled that I invited thirty of our closest family members over for dinner and spent the entire day on the couch grimacing in pain.

Time to Learn To Exercise in Moderation

I’ve had more fiascos like this than I can count.  Since my personality is so all or nothing, my typical response to a self-afflicted work out injury is, screw it since I’m off track I might as well eat and drink everything and anything I can get my hands on.  This super freak isn’t going down this time!

And Now It’s Time To Contend With The Scale

But back to today, I stepped on the scale this morning to find that it was stuck on the same weight as yesterday.  Ugh.  I knew this was coming! We all see all those motivational signs about abs being made in the kitchen and 80/20 or 70/30.  As for me and my body, I need to move in order for the scale to move.  I get the best results when I walk (not run) for a consistent hour every day.  And that is just not happening right now since I can’t stand for over 5 minutes without feeling shooting pains up my spine- ugh.

How I Hurt Myself and Stayed on the Weight Loss Track!

How I Hurt Myself and Stayed on the Weight Loss Track

I decided I had worked too hard to lose the weight this time and there was absolutely no way I was going to gain it back.  And I have to tell you, I’ve been down and out with back, neck, and arm pain for over a month and am rocking my weight loss goals!

Here are 3 of Simple Ways I stayed on the Weight Loss Track

1. Focussed on my diet and ate even healthier than usual which was somewhat easy since I was doing the Whole30 during a good portion of the time
2. Scheduled and enjoyed every second of self-care I could treat myself too.  For me, this meant a lot of Epsom salt baths, infrared sauna sessions, and a few craniosacral massages.
3. Reset my goals so that I was only accountable for things I could control.   And I even took going to the gym out of my calendar (for now).  Looking at it every day and feeling like a failure because I didn’t go was bad for my moral so I gave myself a break.

 

So, in the end, my back still hurts and I may not be able to lift my right arm but I am down 6 pounds.  And this time, I can officially say even though I hurt myself, I stayed on the weight loss track.  There’s always a bright side:)

How do you stay on track with exercise when you have an injury?  What exercise does your body respond best to?

How I Hurt Myself and Stayed on the Weight Loss Track!

Why I’m One of the 2% of Successful Dieters

 

Ever since I wrote the blog What do Successful Dieters Have in Common, I haven’t been able to get it off my mind.  Deepak Chopra’s words keep running through my head. I’ve been searching for the answer to the question I had to ask myself, why me?  Why have I been one of the 2% of successful dieters?  This is why I believe I’m one of the 2% of successful dieters.

“Only 2% of all dieters will lose at least 5 pounds and keep it off for five years” – Deepak Chopra

His words were impactful, intimidating, demotivating, and downright scary.

I  researched for What do Successful Dieters Have in Common and came up with and formed a list of common characteristics of successful dieters:

• Find exercise they enjoy
• Become addicted to their weight loss efforts
• Prepare food in advance
• Know the power of power walks
• Strength train and weight lift
• Have a positive attitude and believe they can lose the weight
• Share their goals and plans with others
• Involve others (work out buddies and fitness groups)
• Visualize success daily

 

And I gave you my answer and the best answer I could come up with at the time,

I just kept trying…

Successful Diet Secret

More Reasons I Was A Successful Dieter

Now that I’ve had more time to think about this, I know there was definitely more to my weight loss success.  There were a few things I did that allowed me to keep my place in the elite club of 2% of successful dieters.

Ditched the Diet Soda and Artificial Sweeteners As I wrote about in I AM an Addict, giving up diet soda and artificial sweeteners was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done!  It was well worth it though.  My sugar cravings got better!

Worked on My Health Throughout my journey, I worked on getting healthier.  The healthier I got the more energy I had for my weight loss efforts and the greater weight loss success I experienced.

Gave Myself Grace For years I held myself accountable to be the perfect dieter and exerciser.  As soon as I went off course, I would go into “bad girl” mode and eat like it was my J-O-B.  Now I give myself grace. When I slip, I forgive myself and get right back on track!

Aligned Myself with Holistic Dr’s, Coaches, and Personal Trainers I consulted with two holistic dieticians, two integrative physicians, and worked with three personal trainers.  Having the right people on your team can be very helpful!

Journaled and MyFitnessPal I journaled and recorded workouts, food, and my weight in my journal.  Consistently journaling was incredibly helpful and allowed me to look back and analyze what was working and not working for me.

Regularly Revisited My Why I blogged about my Why or should I say whys in Remember Why You Started.  I revisited them and intentionally thought about them at least a few times a week.  Allowing myself to feel the emotions that were tied to them was very powerful!

And I Prayed.

Why I’m One of the 2% of Successful Dieters

 

 

 

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Let’s Tackle the Weight Loss Villian!

“You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway.” ― Steve Maraboli

I awoke and was quickly confronted by the almighty scale.  Before I stepped on, I made a quick weight loss confession.  I ate dinner after 7 pm last night. I know that’s a diet no, no but it wasn’t really my fault.  Last night was date night and we had to cart the kids around first, so we didn’t even get out of the house until after 7:00 pm.  I think the almighty scale should give me a pass on this one.  And give me credit for eating grilled chicken and avocado on lettuce for dinner and walking over an hour in 90-degree weather.

Fingers crossed…..My weight was down .6 from yesterday.  I’ll take it.  Thank you!

Inspired by my small weight loss from yesterday, I sit at my computer hoping I am ready to tackle the weight loss villain I told you about in “Why Haven’t I Lost Weight“.  Have you ever heard of Cortisol?  Has she been a problem for you?

A few definitions for cortisol

Merriam- Webster defines cortisol as a glucocorticoid C21 H30 O5 produced by the adrenal cortex upon stimulation by ACTH that mediates various metabolic processes (such as gluconeogenesis), has anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties, and whole levels in the blood may become elevated in response to physical or psychological stress.

In case that sounds like a foreign language to you, I’ll give you my not so medical or technical definition of cortisol.  Cortisol is a steroid hormone known as the stress hormone and is produced by the adrenal glands when we feel physically or mentally stressed or threatened.  It hinders weight loss because cortisol is associated with insulin resistance, carbohydrate cravings, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and fat deposits on the face, neck, and belly.

And an even simpler definition of cortisol would be to call the ultimate diet and weight loss buster, at least according to me and my weight loss journey.

A supplement that helped many of my cortisol issues

A little over a year ago I sought help from a brilliant holistic doctor,  Dr. Rudy Byron who recognized my issues with cortisol and suggested a supplement called AdreneVive.  AdreneVive is a combination of:

• Ashwagandha root extract
• Skullcap root extract,
• Eleuthero root extract,
• Rhodiola Rosea root extract,
• l theanine,
• Phosphatidylserine

AdreneVive pretty much changed my life.  I can now make it through a day without taking a nap, my energy is more even throughout the day, and I even lost a few pounds!

* Even though I had tremendous success with AdreneVive, you’ll want to be sure to consult with your physician before starting it.

Even with the AdreneVive, I can literally feel my cortisol surging throughout the day.  Do you ever feel your cortisol surge? I will set out to do something non-stressful like writing a blog or cleaning out my email inbox and within minutes my body and mind rev up and my inner super freak surfaces.  Within seconds, I start trying to complete the task better and faster.  My mind goes into overdrive and sometimes I forget to breathe!  I feel like I need some help with this.  I’m envisioning little drops that I can put in my water to help me tone it down a notch every time I start to rev up.  I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Byron and cannot wait to hear what he recommends.

Wondering if cortisol is affecting your weight loss efforts?  You may enjoy this read this article by Mind Body Green.

 

Cortisol

 

Why Haven’t I Lost Weight?

 

Today I awoke baffled and began reflecting on two blogs I wrote a few days ago titled Why and the Pursuit of Ketosis- Day 4.  After reading those blogs, my inner Sales Manager would have hired me for the position of Successful Dieter in a New York Minute.  So, why haven’t I lost all the weight?

I quickly decided that there must be more to this weight loss journey than just eating a specific number of calories daily, exercising, and weighing myself.  Hmmm.  Exasperated by this sixteen-year journey, nothing came to mind.

I thought to myself, “What question would I ask if I was interviewing a potential new hire? I know, I would ask them to walk me through the times in their life when they had gained substantial weight”.

The Freshmen 32:

Well,  there was this one time in college……  I walked into my Dad’s house expecting to go for a bike ride or breakfast.  Instead, he was standing very firmly at the top of the stairs.

“You are going to break up with that guy today,” he said.

I had been dating my high school-turned-college boyfriend for well over three years when my Dad caught wind that he had done something most Dad’s wouldn’t approve of.

Within a second we were in a standoff.  My Dad’s forehead was so red and veins I didn’t know he had were popping out of his head.  And then he calmly said, “If you continue to so much as talk to him, you will not see another dime of my money and that means no college tuition.”

A week later the letter saying my college tuition hadn’t been paid came in the mail.  I had days to come up with the money or I would need to withdraw from the semester!

I made an appointment with the financial aid office.  Being the only child of a man who had the means to easily pay my tuition,  didn’t help my case with the financial aid office.  Luckily the financial aid counselor had a big heart and found a way to help me out with a fraction of my tuition.

Within days I had three jobs.  I had already committed to rushing a sorority and continued full throttle with that only missing one rush event. And as for my grades, 15 credits and just shy of a 4.0.

Ask me about my weight – I gained 32 pounds in one semester!

And The A Word That Took My Weight Loss Efforts Down:

Autism rolled into my life like a hurricane.  Within a few days, my healthy Son looked so sickly, had a huge distended stomach, didn’t poop for days, and lost speech. To make matters worse, he didn’t sleep for more than two hours at a time, had extreme sensory issues, and the impulsive and aggressive behavior was dangerous and scary..  Everywhere I went, I felt like people were judging my parenting skills.  And to make matters worse, my husband and I were not seeing eye to eye on our parenting approaches.  I have never been so stressed out in my entire life.

I gained 60 pounds in less than a year and a half!

And This One Time When I Had “Balance” In My Life:

And then there was this one time about a year and a half ago,  my life was, dare I say, in balance.  I walked an hour a day, made it to my yoga mat at least twice a week, lifted weights 2-3 times a week,  journaled about 1500 calories a day on myfitnesspal and dropped substantial unwanted pounds.

Then, I accepted a job I thought sounded fun and easy enough.  I would be working for a great company and with a dynamic team.  The position itself wasn’t stressful but there were always a lot of balls in the air,  and a demanding travel and social schedule.  I enjoyed the position but it definitely threw my family out of balance and life at home got really chaotic.

Ask me how many pounds I gained in less than 4 months – 37!

There is a common theme in all of these situations and I’m sure she is part of the root cause of my weight gain setbacks in my weight loss journey.  and the likely reason why I haven’t lost all the weight.  I’ll introduce you to her in my next blog,  but be prepared, I’m next to positive you won’t like her one bit.

Weight Loss Help

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Remember Why You Started – Weight Loss Motivation

I looked at my morning calendar for some weight loss motivation and saw,

“Feel like giving up?  Remember why you started.  What’s your why?”

-Fitlosophy Calendar

 

Knowing “Why” Can Be Your Best Weight Loss Motivation

As I sit at my desk, typing my latest confession, I notice a saying on a weight loss motivational calendar my daughter bought me for Christmas, “Feel like giving up? Remember why you started. What is your Why?”

Remember Why You Started -Weight Loss Motivation

 

What Is My Why?

What is my “why?”  Why have I been ferociously dieting and exercising to lose weight?

I felt a teardrop on my cheek before I could even start typing the words.  The memory of one of my ‘whys’ is still crisp… Knowing travel and fine dining are my daughter’s love languages, I took her to the mountains and made reservations at a picturesque restaurant with beautiful views.

The traffic took a little longer than expected and we were both starving by the time we got there.  I went to the bathroom and my daughter headed straight for the buffet.

When I came out of the bathroom I noticed she didn’t get me anything.  I asked her why she hadn’t in my hangry voice.  She responded with, “Mom, I never know what diet you are on.”

The tears started flowing and I couldn’t even look at her. What type of example was I setting for my daughter? Was I negatively impacting her body image?  Would she grow up thinking constant dieting is just part of life? How could she respect me?  This had to be the 16th diet I was on since she was born. And to make matters worse, I knew, my mom constantly dieting when I was a child contributed to my own unhealthy relationship with diet and exercise.  The thought of me doing the same or worse to my daughter was unbearable.

And Another Why

My Dad and I had spent the week in Maine on Lake Sebago with my kids. It was a wonderful trip with a plethora of delicious blueberry pancakes, perfect weather, great beach time, good music, and roaring campfires.

We returned home to my house in Boston to prepare for his flight home in the morning.  My dad was in a very talkative mood and told me stories about his childhood and mine until 2:00 AM.

When I finally stood up and said I needed to go to sleep, he stood and kissed me on the head. “Pooh (my childhood nickname), you need to lose that weight”. I stood speechless.

He must have felt my shock because words just started flowing from his mouth. “You know you are beautiful either way, so you don’t have to worry about that. We don’t have to worry about your husband, because God knows he loves you.”

I quickly recognized the look on his face he made when he was choking back tears, “for Dad, please”.  He went in for a second kiss on the forehead and his tear rolled off his cheek and onto my forehead.

My dad flew home the next morning and passed in his sleep unexpectantly a few weeks later. For all practical purposes, I consider my weight loss to be his dying wish.

Turning Your Why Into Motivation

Your Why Into Motivation That Will Keep You On Track Throughout Your Weight Loss Journey

While knowing your “why” is very powerful, it isn’t always enough. Your ‘why(s)” need to convert to motivation that will compel you to tenaciously work towards your goals.  Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it?  Well, not always.  Experts recommend revisiting your “why frequently” and allowing yourself to feel the emotions associated with it.  Journaling about your “why” can also be very helpful.  Putting pictures and notes in places where you will see them several times a day can be a powerful tool, too.

Motivational Posts, Videos, and Articles To Help You Stay Motivated Throughout Your Weight Loss Journey

I recently googled, “Remember Why You Started” and was amazed at the number of inspirational and motivational posts the concept was part of.  There are even youtube videos about it.   Shape Magazine lists remembering why you started in their top 23 Best Weight-Loss Motivation Tips article and Charm View published an article titled Remember Why You Started: Staying on Track With Your Fitness Goals. Motivational speakers and coaches everywhere agree that having a firm “why” is key to success in reaching any goal, especially weight loss goals.

Those who have a “why” to live by, can bear almost any “how.” – Viktor Frankl

So, What about you.  What’s your why?  I would love to hear it.  And if I can help, I would like to help you turn your why into a how!

Cheers,

Tanya ~Weight Loss & Wellness Coach

 

The Heart of My Why

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The Cortisol Reduction Plan!

 

 

After re-reading yesterday’s blog Let’s Tackle the Weight Loss Villain,  I excitedly reached out to Byron Health and Healing to schedule an appointment.   I couldn’t wait to talk to Dr. Byron about lowering my cortisol levels.  As it turns out,  Dr. B was on vacation.  Great for him and not so good for me or my cortisol levels.

Patience is not one of my virtues, so I put my enthusiasm into researching a cortisol reduction plan of my own.  I came across a great article you may enjoy by Dr. Axe, 6 Steps to Get Your Cortisol Levels Under Control and Turn Down Stress.

In the article Dr. Axe lists the following six steps to manage cortisol levels:

1. Switch to whole foods and an anti-inflammatory diet -Since I have recently done several rounds of the Whole30 and eat Whole30ish when I’m not on round, I should be solid.
2. Reduce and manage stress – Why does everyone want us to manage our stress?  This one is probably the hardest for me but I’m going to give myself credit because I’ve been doing a great job of meditating on a regular basis.
3. Exercise regularly – Check.
4. Use adaptogen herbs and superfoods –  I have been taking Cortisol Manager and it seems to be helping, but I can’t help but wonder if I should be taking more?  I guess this is a question for Dr. B. 
5. Try essential oils to promote relaxation – I honestly think I was the last person to get on the essential oil bandwagon but I have been diffusing lavender essential oil at night and it seems to help quite a bit with relaxation.
6. Get enough sleep – Done.  I love to sleep.

Since I was able to check off the items on Dr. Axe’s steps to get your cortisol levels under control, but feel like I still need a little more help brining down my cortisol level, I did more research and came up with more steps.

The cortisol reduction plan:

• Get good sleep and try to turn in and wake up at the same time every day
• Be happy!
• Exercise, but not too much or too hard
• Spend time on nurturing spirituality
• Cut caffeine
• Lower sugar intake
• Take naps
• Reduce inflammation in the body
• Control blood pressure
• Learn to recognize stressful thinking
• Learn to relax
• Practice deep breathing and take lots of deep breaths
• Eat prebiotic foods
• Stay hydrated
• Eat more spinach, citrus fruits, beans and barley, omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, and dark chocolate
• Meditate or listen to relaxation tapes
• Drink tea: holy basil, green, black, or rooibos tea

You can find the list on Pinterest.

I guess I’ve come farther in this sixteen-year weight loss and wellness journey than I realized because I’m already doing the majority of the items this the cortisol reduction list too!  Of course, there are still a few things I need to work on.

Just breathe….

I decided to focus on breathing.  I know I need to pay attention to it because I forget to breathe all the time.  My Apple watch reminds me to breathe at least once or twice an hour!  I remember this tall, calm, centered, svelt friend of mine who had a tattoo on her wrist that read “breathe”.  At the time I thought it was kind of silly but now I’m thinking her tattoo is profound and maybe I need to find out where she had the work done.

It’s tea time somewhere….

Recent research published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research showed that rooibos can significantly reduce the levels of cortisol, so I’ve decided to start drinking tea.  This is huge because I don’t drink anything besides water, bone broth, and… vodka.  I just have this gut feeling that the rooibos tea is going to help my adrenals and cortisol levels.  Wish me luck!

Naptime is a great time for cortisol levels…

And as for taking naps, if that’s what the research says I have to do to lower my cortisol levels, I guess I should at least give it a try!

 

I hope you do something to reduce your cortisol today!

Breath and Reduce Your Cortisol Levels

 

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes…Including you.” –Anne Lamott

How I Gained Over 100 Pounds

I recently told you about my personal experience with September 11th and how it impacted me.  What I didn’t tell you was that it was the catalyst for my weight gain story.

On September 11th, I was in the best shape of my life and wore a fitted Ann Taylor size 0 dress to work.  I was a type-A driven sales manager, trainer, and coach with a resume decorated with accomplishments and record-breaking successes.  I was also a fitness enthusiast who ran 3 miles a day, took a daily fitness class, and lifted with a trainer 3 times a week.  If anyone would have told me my future self would be writing an article entitled, “How I Gained Over 100 Pounds,” I would have thought they were crazy.

When the planes crashed, my career as I knew it crashed and the beginning of my story, “How I Gained Over 100 Pounds” began. Within days my personal income was reduced exponentially and within a few months, it declined by over 75%.  That wasn’t the worst part though, the worst part was watching my team members fall off one at a time.

Having daily discussions with good, smart, educated, hard-working people about how they were no longer making enough money to pay their bills was devastating.  It was especially hard because I promised them just a few months before that they would earn a minimum of six figures if they did as I told them to.  I could barely look them in the eye and ran to the bathroom for “cry breaks” multiple times a day.

I didn’t handle the stress well. I couldn’t sleep and I started experiencing anxiety and anxiety attacks. I remember being at an all-time low one night when I sat at the edge of my bed drinking a cheap beer at 2:30 in the morning on a weeknight in hopes it would help me fall asleep.

Four Dress Sizes in 8 Months – Oh My!

And then finally, something good happened exactly eight months later, I traded in my fitted Ann Taylor size 0 dress in for a size 8 wedding dress that needed to be taken out in a few places.  I had gained a little over a dress size a month!

Married May 11, 2004

Within days of our wedding, my body started to balloon out.  I was exhausted, getting migraines every day, and within a week or two I couldn’t fit in my clothes.  I vividly remember a business trip to Las Vegas where I had to buy a new wardrobe in size 14 because the clothes I packed two days earlier no longer fit!

Could It Have Been Because of a Little Bundle of Joy?

When I got home from my trip, I found out I was pregnant with my first child, Taylor, and was absolutely thrilled.  I was so excited to be a Mom I didn’t even think to question why I had gained over 4 dress sizes before I missed my first period as a pregnant woman.

Unfortunately, I’m a horrible pregnant person.  I feel awful from the moment I get pregnant until a few months after the baby is born.  Ultimately, I was put on bed rest.  I gained well over 70 pounds during my pregnancy.  My Mom promised me I would lose at least 12 pounds in the hospital since the baby would weigh at least 6 pounds and the sac is typically equal to the baby’s weight.  I left the hospital heavier than I was before I gave birth!

A Holistic Doctor’s Diagnosis

When Taylor was almost one, it really hit me that I still felt awful and hadn’t lost any of my baby weight.  I went to an integrative physician who gave me an adrenal fatigue diagnosis.  You may remember me sharing my story with you in  Untangling the Weight Gain & Loss Web – Adrenal Fatigue.  The Dr. explained that my adrenal fatigue was making it difficult to lose weight.  She made some lifestyle and diet suggestions, suggested a few supplements, and told me to take naps!

Adrenal Fatigue

PCOS

About a year later I was still feeling terrible and hadn’t lost any weight.  My Husband, Tony suggested I see an endocrinologist.  The endocrinologist ordered several tests.  A few weeks later I had  sleep apnea and PCOS diagnosis. Guess what I was told? Both of those diagnoses would make it difficult to lose weight as well – ugh.

PCOS

 

My Thyroid Just Couldn’t Make Up It’s Mind

And then came my thyroid.  It is crazy – seriously.  It is fine for one month and then off the next.  It took years to get a doctor to take my thyroid issues seriously.   Once someone did, the first words out of her mouth were, “This is going to make it more difficult for you to lose weight”. –  “Great, because it’s been so easy!”.  To top things off, I can’t tolerate traditional thyroid medication.  I’ve tried it twice, and I couldn’t sleep for days after one dose of either Synthroid or Armour.  Luckily, I found a homeopathic remedy that helps keep my thyroid.

Thyroid Issues

 

Food Was Making Me Fat In More Ways Than One

When my Son was having health and behavioral problems,   a friend suggested I have him tested for food intolerances. Drew was scared to have his blood drawn, so I had the test done on myself first.   A few weeks later, the Doctor called saying she was more concerned about me than him.  I was intolerant to 27 foods and had a leaky gut!  Guess what?  The Doctor told me my leaky gut would make it more difficult to lose weight!

A Gene That Made it More Difficult For Me to Lose Weight

The MTHFR gene mutation diagnosis was hard to swallow.  The list of possible symptoms and side effects was endless and depressing.  When my doctor closed the conversation with, “Because of the MTHFR gene mutation it is more difficult for your body to detox and lose weight.”  I almost laughed.  How many diagnoses can one person have that makes them fat?

Looking back I can clearly see, stress was the biggest contributor to my weight gain and all but one of the diagnoses that accompanied and exasperated it.   There is a very tangled relationship between stress and weight gain and weight gain and the diagnosis I was given through the years.

And here is my one piece of advice

If I could give you one piece of advice to keep you from gaining weight and needing to author your own story of “How I Gained Over 100 Pounds.”  like I did, I would say manage your stress.  You can’t stop this crazy, fast-paced, relentless world from showering you with stressful situations, but you can control the way you respond to the stress.  If I was a stress doctor, I would prescribe exercise, prayer, laughter, meditation, yoga, naps, bubble baths, and most importantly relaxing breaths!

I hope you do something to positively to manage your stress today! 

Manage Stress – Just Breathe

 

 

 

Whole30 Snacks

When my Daughter, and Whole30 partner, was a toddler, her friends carried baby blankets, pacifiers, and bottles into their playdates.  Taylor came armed with her healthy snack bag.  Her snack bag was almost as big as her and typically had 5-10 different healthy snacks in it at any given time.   At the age of two and a half, she didn’t trust anyone to carry her beloved snack bag beside for herself.

Healthy Snack Bag- Whole30 Snacks

In this case, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and I am just as serious about my snacks.  Funny thing is I only snack once or twice a week, but I need to know that there are quick, easy, healthy Whole30 approved snack options available.

Whole30 Snacks

Finding healthy Whole30 approved snack ideas was my top priority of the day, so I sat down and started googling.  I was lucky enough to happenstance on an article that had 30 great ideas.

I also read the easy snack ideas Melissa Hartwig wrote about in the  Whole30 Day byDay

-a handful of almonds, baby carrots with guacamole, a meat stick or an apple – easy enough- right?

The blog was great and I loved Melissa Hartwig’s easy Whole30 compliant snack options, but I also needed some packaged items I could just throw in my purse and have at my disposal, so back to google I went.

Shopping on Amazon for Whole30 Snacks is SO Convenient……

I crafted my Amazon shopping list, crossed my fingers, and thanked God for Amazon Prime.

1. Wonderful Pistachios
2. Epic Chicken Sriracha Bars
3. Bare Baked Crunchy Snacks
4. Blueberry RX Bar
5. Mission Meats Keto Sugar-Free Grass-Fed Beef Snacks
6. DNX Bar- Sampler Pack Mixed Flavors
7. Mixed Berry RX Bar
8. Performance Nut Butter
9. Justin’s Nut Butter Natural Classic Almond Butter
10. Chomps Free Range Jerky Snacks 
11. Trader Joe’s Dried Fruit – Strawberries
12. Dried Pineapple
13. Trader Joe’s Sweet Apple Rings
14. Pearl’s Olives To Go
15. Artisana Organics Raw Cashew Nut Butter
16. Larabar Lemon Bar
17. LonoLife Beef Bone Broth

Shopping At Walmart for Whole30 Snacks:

Next, I set out on a field trip to Walmart, determined to find some items. This was huge for me since the only thing I hate more than grocery shopping is shopping at Walmart, but I was determined.  I am glad I went because I hit the Whole30 approved snack jackpot!

Can’t resist those Whole 30 approved snack bars!

And My Favorite Nut Butter of All:

I left Walmart famished and grabbed my mail on the way into my house.  I found a package from Performance Nut Butter in it.  Performance Nut Butter is a Whole30 approved snack vendor and they offered to send me some of their product to sample.  I tasted the nut butter and it is absolutely delicious.  The combination of macadamia, coconut, and cashews had a smooth, unique flavor.  Score!   That’s another great snack for the snack bag!

Performance Nut Butter – Whole30 Snack

Having my healthy Whole30 compliant snacks ready to go, makes me feel so much better about tomorrow.  I can’t wait to share them with Taylor.  I hope she’ll be proud of Mom’s snack bag :).

What healthy snacks do you have planned for the week?

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So Long Low Carb Diet Hello Whole30!

“Take Pride in How Far You Have Come and Have Faith in How Far You Can Go!” – Live Life Fit Calendar

I sit nervously at my desk as reality sets in.  I will be walking away from the high protein low carb moderate fat diet I have been on since March and committed myself and my daughter to start the Whole 30 on September 1^st.

I am not only nervous, I am filled with anxiety and doubt.  Am I doing the right thing? I have lost about 36 pounds since March on my current diet.  What happens if I take my foot off the high protein low carb moderate fat diet and gain it all back?  What if I invest a month in the Whole 30 and I don’t lose any weight or worse yet gain a few pounds? To make matters worse I’ve shared my story with thousands of people who will be watching me.

I decide I need to get my feelings out on paper.  Once I do that, maybe I’ll burn the paper or put the note in a bottle and throw it into the lake or something dramatic like that.  For some reason, I can all but hear Cat Stevens,  “If You Are Going to Leave Take Good Care” playing in the background.  So here goes….

 

Dear High Protein Low Carb Moderate Fat Diet,

My heart is filled with gratitude and respect for you.   I want to truly thank you for all the wonderful things you have done for me.  I’m thankful for each of the 36 pounds you helped me lose.  I’m also grateful for the way high protein diets like yours tend to help my body tone up quickly, especially since I was a hot mess when I first started you.  The switch that turned with my sleeping patterns just a few days into this diet was nothing short of miraculous and my entire family would like to thank you for that.

You are a fantastic diet.  If we were a couple, I would probably say it’s me not you.  It’s just, have you ever read the book Good to Great? The book talks about how good is the enemy of great because once things are good people don’t push themselves to achieve great”ness”.  Well, I want great. I want to get to a healthy weight and feel my healthiest ever.

There are just some things about the high protein low carb moderate fat diet that are not resonating with my body.  The gluten, dairy, and artificial sugar all cause migraines, body pain, and inflammation throughout my body.

With that in mind, I have decided to start the Whole 30 on September 1^st.

So High Protein Low Carb Moderate Fat Diet, please wish me luck.  I leave you filled with hope, optimism, and a smudge of confidence.  I have a few friends who have completed the Whole 30 and they have all said it has been completely life-changing.  As a matter of fact, they all looked like newly revised versions of themselves after they completed the Whole 30.   I’m only a few chapters into It Starts with Food and it already seems like the gains the dieters make are remarkable.

I’m hoping to be an amazing Whole 30 success story.  If not, I’ll be back on my hands and knees sometime around the first week in October.

Sincerely and Respectfully,

Tanya

 

Whole 30

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What Do Successful Dieters Do?

I awoke excited because it was the kids first day of school.  While I was excited for them I was very happy for myself and looking forward to the extra time I would have to invest in my own self – care. I decided I would add a morning meditation to my routine starting today and grabbed my phone and found the Shedding the Weight, Mind, Body and Spirit meditation I had saved.

Meditation

As I started to listen to the preamble of the first meditation and relax to Deepak Chopra’s calming voice, he shared a very alarming statistic.

Only 2% of dieters will lose at least 5 pounds and keep it off for five years.

My meditation practice was ruined at that point because my mind was absolutely stuck on Deepak’s statement.  How can only 2% of dieters lose at least 5 pounds and keep it off for five years? That just seems crazy.  Isn’t America always on a diet?

Why Me?

Instead of my mind floating with the meditation music, it filled with questions. First, how was I so fortunate to be one of the less than 5% who has lost over 60 pounds and kept it off?  I flashback to what my life was like before I lost the weight.  I was tired, uncomfortable, in pain, and suffering from migraines multiple times a month. What did I do that was different than the other 95% of dieters that allowed me to break free and shed the weight? I brainstormed for hours because I wanted to give you a profound answer, but I couldn’t muster an insightful one up.

If someone asked me what I did to experience the weight loss success I have experienced thus far, and I had to answer, I would simply say this:

I just kept trying

Common Characteristics of Successful Dieters

I spent the morning in pursuit of a more profound answer and after hours at my computer decided I might as well be asking someone the secrets of life.  I did find the following commonalities that are worth sharing.  Successful dieters:

Find exercise they enjoy

Become addicted to their weight loss efforts

Prepare food in advance

Know the power of power walks

Strength train and weight lift

Have a positive attitude and believe they can lose the weight

Share their goals and plans with others

Involve others (work out buddies and fitness groups)

Visualize success daily

So, how about you?  Which of the above characteristics of successful dieters have you mastered? Which do you need to work on?

My Diet Secret

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