you can make it if you try

“Frustration is the first step towards improvement. I have no incentive to improve if I’m content with what I can do and if I’m completely satisfied with my pace, distance and form as a runner. It’s only when I face frustration and use it to fuel my dedication that I feel myself moving forwards.” ~ John Bingham

I love the first sentence in the above quote, "Frustration is the first step towards improvement." There truly is no incentive to improve if you are content with what you can do or are satisfied with where you are. And frustration is exactly where I've found myself lately.

I have recently found myself in a place I haven't been in in a very long time, struggling with emotions and strong holds that have not controled me or my eating habits in what seems like forever. Yet the pressure of some things have made me mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted and feeling like such a failure where my weight loss and fitness are concerned. I've found emotions swaying me towards old eating habits I thought I'd laid to rest a LONG time ago. When I first began this weight loss journey I was so gung-ho about being healthy and skinny and becoming the person I wanted to be I was completely unstoppable - nothing seemed impossible. I made my health, my fitness and my relationship with myself priority 1 and I enjoyed every single moment of it. Yet somewhere along the way there was a shift and slowly my focus slid away from that to all the wonderful things that were happening around me. Don't get me wrong - this slip wasn't caused by bad emotions...it came from celebrating life and thinking I was at that point where I didn't have to work as hard at my fitness or slack where my eating was concerned. WRONG!!! Slowly I have slipped into those old patterns of laziness and flat out skippping workouts. So I have to ask myself....how do you get back on track? I've come so far and I certainly don't want to lose any ground. How do you find the motivation that I miss and have somehow lost along the way? How do I get my "fitness - mojo" back? The key is all in......MY MIND

You Can Make it if You Try
Max Steingart

You can't be beaten at anything, until you quit in your own mind. There is no failure except in your not trying. There is no defeat except from within.

You have no really insurmountable barrier except your own inherent weakness of purpose. The odds are with you if you keep on trying.

Consider yourself on a very long journey. Sustain your personal vision of success until you achieve it. In the end, you can only fail if you don't try.

Winning isn't everything, but wanting to is. Success is a road that's paved with perseverance.
Copyright 2011 www.yourdailymotivation.com

SO....I'm pressing on.... I'll keep you posted...

Healthy Dining Finder

I found this cool website through the BL Resort Blog. It's a great tool to use to find healthy options wherever you are.

http://healthydiningfinder.com/Home

The website has the recipe for one of my FAVORITE salads. Chili's Guiltless Grill Caribbean Salad - YUM!



Chili's Guiltless Grill Caribbean Salad
(Makes 4 Servings)

INGREDIENTS

4 Cups of Romaine Lettuce cut into 1" pieces
4 Cups of Iceberg salad cut into 1" pieces
3 Cups of Napa Cabbage, shredded
1/8 Cup of fresh Mint, thinly shredded
1 Cup Mandarin Oranges
2 Tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/8 Cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Cup Dried Cherries
1/8 Green Onions, sliced
12 Pineapple wedges, fresh
Sprinkle (1/2 Tsp) of Sesame Seeds, black and white
8 oz. Chili's Caribbean Dressing (recipe below)
4 Chicken Breast, boneless/skinless (5 oz. each raw weight), grilled without oil or seasoning
Directions
Toss lettuce, cabbage, mint, oranges and dressing in a bowl
Place on plates and top with remaining ingredients
Tip: Divide ingredients into four parts and toss each salad individually for best presentation and even distribution.

CHILI'S CARIBBEAN DRESSING
1 Cup Mayonnaise, fat free
1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
2 Tsp Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Honey
1/3 Cup White Wine Vinegar
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
3 Tbsp Pineapple Juice
3 Tbsp Orange Juice
1/4 Tsp Orange Zest
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Salt
Directions

In a mixing bowl, use wire wisk to mix mayonnaise, mustard, honey and garlic.
Add vinegar, lime juice, pineapple juice, orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Mix thoroughly.

Nutrients per Serving

Calories 390
Fat 4.5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 80 mg
Sodium 560 mg
Carbohydrates 52 g
Fiber 7 g
Sugars 35 g
Protein 34 g

Welcome Summer!

Hooray for summer and Hooray for the renewal of my gym membership!!! It feels really good to make that investment in myself by renewing it. I have really missed working out at the gym. First I thought, “No biggie – I can do so much stuff at home on my own or outside.” And I did….for a little while. I found that working out at home was a lot harder than I thought. There are always other things to do, places to go, people to see, laundry or house cleaning to do….TV to watch…always some excuse, and those excuses I’m sure will still be there, but if I can get there right after work and not stop at home I’ll have it made. Going straight from work is a habit I had gotten into last year so hopefully I’ll be able to swing right back into it and make my time at the gym a priority again. From various sources I’ve heard a great tip for staying accountable with your workouts. If you treat your workout like it’s an appointment you can’t or shouldn’t miss and actually schedule it into your day/week you are less likely to skip out on it. I’m going to put it to the test and see if it works for me. I also picked up several really great summer dieting/exercising tips in my Women’s Health magazine for June. Here they are – hopefully some will work for you too.

1. I will eat it if it grows on a tree, or a bush, stalk or vine. Your goal is to fill your body with as many fat-discouraging nutrients as possible, and the very best source of them are in fruits, vegetables and nuts.
2. I will eat protein with every meal and snack. Muscle growth is triggered by protein-rich foods. In fact, every time you eat 10 to 15 grams of protein, you stimulate a burst of protein synthesis that helps builds muscle. Eat 30 grams and that synthesis can last up to 3 hours. Your goal is to eat between 0.54 and one gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you want to weigh 150 lbs you should eat between 81 and 150 grams of protein per day.
3. I will eat before and after exercise. Eating a snack of both protein and complex carbohydrates right before and after working out speeds muscle growth and recovery. Your goal is to have a protein and carb snack 30 minutes before you work out and a protein rich meal following.
4. I will become a salad savant. Salads delivery wildly important nutrients that aid weight loss. A prime example is folate. A study found that dieters who ate the most folate lost 8.5 times as much weight as those who didn’t. Your goal is to consumer as many leafy greens as you can. Expand your green palate to include escarole, bok choy, mache, or broccoli rabe. Also add spinach not only to your leafy green salads, but to omelets and quiches as well.
5. I will never have the world’s worst breakfast….NOTHING! When you wake up your body is fuel deprived. If you don’t eat you lower your metabolism and starve your muscles. Skipping breakfast increases your risk for obesity by 450% - yes, that’s right 450%. Your goal is to eat 30-35 percent of your daily calories early. Match proteins with whole grains, produce and healthy fats. If you have absolutely zero interest in eating in the morning at least drink a glass of 1% milk which will give you 8 grams of protein plus fat-burning calcium.
Excerpted from The Women’s Health Diet
Your body is already a fat-burning machine. All you need to do is turn up the furnace so you’re torching even more fat. Here’s how. DON’T STARVE: restricting food kills your metabolism. TURN IN EARLY: people who sleep less and are under more stress may have more visceral (abdominal) fat, which interferes with metabolism. GO ORGANIC: pollutants from pesticides may hinder the energy burning process. STAND UP: breaking up long periods of downtime increases fat burning. KEEP IT CHILLED: drinking six cups of cold water a day can raise your resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily. (That adds up!) GET SPICY: capsaicin, a compound that is found in chili peppers, can fire up your metabolism. SIP COFFEE OR TEA: caffeine can boost your metabolism, but don’t over do it, a little goes a long way. FIGHT FAT WITH FIBER: it can increase fat burning by 30 percent – aim for 25 grams of fiber a day. EAT IRON-RICH FOODS: Iron is essential for carrying the oxygen your muscles need to burn fat.

Minor changes can go a long way and really add up over time. Start your summer off right and try adding a few of these tips to your routine. Your body will be healthier and thank you for it.

diet vs edit...regardless it equals education

I get asked all the time, “What diet are you on?” or “What diet are you following?” I hate the word “diet.” Any words that starts with “die” can’t really be good can they??? Plus the word “diet” gets so much negative press. Diet food, diet pills, diet soda, fad-diets, mad diets, BAD DIETS!!!!! The word just naturally carries a negative connotation, unless you are in Germany or Japan where it refers to imperial assemblies or legislature and even then may not be seen as a good thing. Still I keep on my continued quest to improve my “diet” or my relationship with food and be a healthier person - that won’t EVER stop. I heard a Women of Faith Speaker say once, Luci Swindoll I believe it was, that she loved to play scrabble and so when her Dr. told her to “diet” she decided that she would NOT diet, but rather “edit” her eating. Sounds a lot nicer doesn’t it. Regardless of whether you edit or diet, changing your eating habits is a challenge. Or at least that has been my personal experience and I believe the experience of most anyone who is trying to lose weight.

Studies show that it takes approximately 21 days or 30 – 40 repetitions for most people to break or create a habit. My husband has been on a weight loss journey for a little over 2 years now and myself for the last 15 months. While a lot of my habits have changed for the better, I still find myself daily challenged by old habits. It’s amazing to look over your history and see where your eating habits come from and decipher why we do the things we do. Think about it – eating habits are learned behaviors and for most of us these behaviors are associated with a feeling or a memory. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. On weekends when I have enough time I LOVE to make a big breakfast of biscuits, sausage gravy, sausage and eggs. Delicious! This reminds me so much of my mom. She loved to cook and on weekends, usually every Sunday, she would make biscuits and gravy for us. As we got older it was the one day of the week we were guaranteed to sit down and eat a meal together and after Jamie and I moved out was always a special time or treat to sit down and eat breakfast together. While I don’t indulge in sausage gravy much anymore I try to find healthier alternatives to the foods I love so that I don’t feel so deprived. Unfortunately I have not found a healthy alternative to biscuits and gravy. ;o) Another great breakfast memory I have is breakfast burritos. Sometimes Mom would make them for us before she left for work and would wrap them in paper towels for us to warm up and eat on our way to school. No one could wrap a burrito like that woman. It never fails, when I try to make a burrito like her the tortilla is too full or it breaks or all my filling simply falls out...not matter what I try, it’s just not the same. And while I love Mom’s breakfast burritos and they are easy and handy to make, I just can’t allow myself to eat this way unless I find a healthy alternative. These challenges are good and I’m experimenting and finding new ways to enjoy my favorite foods without any of the guilt or sacrificing taste. I am able to enjoy the things I love, use portion control and not miss out on any of the yummy goodness by breaking the recipes down and cooking as much from scratch using wholesome foods as I possibly can. It takes planning and time, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it and really getting some very happy results. For example: Mom’s breakfast burritos usually included full fat crumbled sausage, scrambled eggs, a Kraft single or some shredded cheese tucked neatly into a fluffy flour tortilla – delicious, but today I make mine with reduced fat sausage or chicken sausage, organic brown eggs scrambled with organic skim milk, shredded cheese made from 2% milk and small corn tortillas. Mine are really more of a taco than a burrito, but I get that same yummy goodness that my mom fixed us and by making better choices they are half the calories and made of more whole foods that my body can breakdown and use more easily. Same yummy taste – better for me = WIN WIN!!

I am on a constant search for new information of how to better arm myself against temptation and to understand how my body works and metabolizes food. I really truly believe that educating yourself is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. I wish I knew 5, 10, even 15 years ago what I know today about diet and exercise. Back when my Mom and my Aunt Shirley were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes all dr.’s pretty much told you was, “loose weight, eat ‘sugar free’ and take your meds.” Well…they had the losing weight right even though they didn’t really give them any goods ways or information on how to do that, but they were all wrong about the “sugar free” stuff – that junk is poison…literally. It is sooooo not good for your body and if you consume too much of it can actually make symptoms worse or cause problems of their own. The dr.’s also made it seem like taking meds was your only option. You just had to learn to live with type 2 diabetes. Today there are millions of resources out there to better educate you and proof that type 2 diabetes is reversible. And actually there’s living proof right in my own family – My Aunt Dee has managed to stabilize her blood sugar and keep it in a healthy range for almost 2 years. She has reversed her diabetes with diet and exercise and educating herself on how different foods affect your body. It’s not magic and it isn’t an easy overnight fix. It’s a life long journey that she will be on, but because she was took matters in her own hands with diet and exercise she doesn’t have to take any medications or insulin. Praise God.

I’m currently reading a Reader’s Digest book I picked up at Costco called “Reverse Diabetes Your Total Guide To Blood Sugar Control.” Like I said I’m on a constant journey to educate myself and while I don’t have diabetes my family history puts me a great risk for it, therefore I want to do everything in my power to prevent it! I want to be proactive now so that I won’t have to suffer like my parents had/have to. According to the research in the book there are currently 24+ million Americans with diabetes and 57 million Americans with pre-diabetes. 70% of Americans are overweight or obese and spend an average of 15 hours daily sitting down with little to no exercise. On average a person will consume 142 pounds of sugar per year. These sugars have been added to processed foods and drinks at the factory. We’re being bombarded with extra calories and sugar before we even eat or drink our food. 60% of people with diabetes will have at least one complication and spend a minimum of $6000 per year in out of pocket cost. Pretty bad statics huh? No wonder their calling it a “diabesity” epidemic. But don’t fret my friends there is a glimmer of hope. Losing just 7% of your body fat (approximately 14 lbs if you are around 200 lbs) and exercising a half hour 3 – 4 days a week will drop your risk of diabetes by 58%. Improve your diet and eat “smart carbs” (whole grains, colorful, fiber packed fruits and vegetables) or a low-glycemic diets full of produce, whole grains and lean protein) and you’ll drop your risk of metabolic syndrome by 28% and drop your risk of diabetes by 70%.

Ok, ok…I’ll get off my little soap box for now. But can you see why I have such a passion for this and want to share my information with you? Be good to yourself, take care of yourself – you only get this one body to live in while here on earth.

And if you’re still wondering what “diet” I’m on…it’s simple. Calories in – Calories out. I use portion control and eat lots of colorful vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins and low fat dairy. I use olive oil and occasionally canola, but for the most part try not to use excess oil and butter in my diet. I eat organic when I can and I try to make a lot of my food myself – the less processed something is the better for your body it is. I am committed to improving my overall health and losing these last 70 lbs. It doesn’t have a name; I’m just exercising and making better choices. I'm consciously making life style changes to improve my health and my life. :o)

yummy recipes!

Here are a couple of some of my recent recipes that Michael and I really enjoy, I hope you enjoy them too.

Chipotle Beef (adapted from Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels)

2 1/2 - 3 lb chuck roast
kosher salt
pepper
garlic
onion
15 oz can low sodium beef stock or broth
7 oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo

season the roast with salt, pepper and garlic to taste, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and sear both side of the roast. quarter the onion and put half in the bottom of the crockpot with half the beef broth/stock (I like to add a couple of cloves of crushed garlic to the bottom layer too). lay the roast on top and put the other half of the onion on top and around the roast. pour chipotle peppers in adobo over the roast and onions and cover with the rest of the broth/stock. Cook on low over night through out your work day. YUM!!! Serve over mixed greens for an awesome salad that needs no dressing. Serve over rice or with baked sweet potato fries - mmmmm. Or fill 1/2 a pita with lettuce, beef and onion for a savory sandwich. WE LOVE THIS AND IT'S SOOOO EASY TO MAKE!!!!! Enjoy!!!


Green Chili Enchiladas

10 corn tortillas
1/2 rotisserie chicken or 2 - 3 fajita marinated chicken breasts
8 oz low fat cream cheese
4.5 oz chopped green chillies
10 oz mild green chili enchilada sauce
1/2 red onion diced
1 packed of sliced fresh mushrooms
shredded colby jack cheese

If using a rotisserie chicken skin and debone and shread the meat if using chicken breasts grill or saute in a skillet then shred or dice. Saute onions and mushrooms in a skillet until onions are translucent and the mushrooms have cooked down. Stir in cream cheese, chillies and chicken until well mixed. warm tortillas and fill them with 2 heaping tablespoons of cream cheese filling, roll and place in an 8x8 pan until pan is full. cover with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with shredded cheese. bake in the over on 400 until heated through and cheese has melted - approx 30 minutes. Very yummy!!! double the recipe to make a 9x13 pan.

ENJOY!!! Hope these recipes give you HT!!! (HT = HAPPY TUMMY)

Fail...

Fail… that is all I can say about it. What started out as a really motivating challenge ended up being a big, fat fail. For the first 3 or 4 days I did EXCELLENT! Really pushed myself in my workouts, stuck to the shakes and the calorie count, but around day 4 or 5 I just lost it and never got it back. I lost and gained the same 3 lbs over the course of the past 10 days. I got busy and skipped workouts; I did not feel well so I skipped workouts, I needed to do "whatever" so I skipped workouts. I would get up every morning thinking “I will make a shake…” and would never do it. Always running late and never MAKING TIME. (there is the key…making time.) Life goes on and I daily failed to make my workouts and my weight loss a priority. I am very disappointed in myself. I really thought this little 10 day self challenge would really push me out of my rut…but sadly no. SO – what do I do now? Well first I quit beating myself up about it and quit feeling sorry for myself. It is what it is and I can’t change it. So I dust myself off and get back up on that horse and try again. I press on in my journey, only this time I will be SMART about it.

S = Specific goals
M = Measurable goals
A = Attainable goals
R = Realistic goals
T = Timely goals

I’m going to go “old school.” The tried and true practices that helped me have a consistent, successful weight loss last year. Not shakes, no quick fixes – Simple calories in/calories out. I will keep a food/workout journal so I can SEE what I’m putting in my mouth every day and not just guessing. (Thanks to MyFittnessPal I have this great little ap on my phone that will help me with that.)

The biggest and most difficult challenge for me will be my workouts. The food is an easy fix; workouts are where I am really struggling. I got out of the habit of exercising and it has been the biggest, most difficult struggle to get back into the habit. I think I’m going to have to do something drastic like workout for 30 consecutive days without fail. I get off work everyday and head home and out of nowhere there are a MILLION other things I’d rather do than workout. There’s always laundry to do, dishes to wash, rooms to clean and my worst enemy - myself. "I’m tired!" Ugh - that angers me the most because I KNOW if I workout I will have more energy yet for whatever reason I just don't do it. Those things will always be there. I have to wrap my mind around this reality and find the motivation and grit within myself to make it a priority and get back into a realistic exercise routine. I hate to get up early so AM workouts are unrealistic for me. I’m going to have to make it a priority above any and all things to workout as soon as I get home from work. It has to be done – it’s as simple as that. I’m the only one that can do it and am the only one who controls it. This is a journey towards health and wellness and I can not achieve either of those without exercise. So… here I go… Beginning Easter Sunday (04/24/2011) I will exercise EVERY DAY in some way – cardio, yoga, weights – I will make time for at least one of them for at least 30 minutes over the next 30 days.

I can do this…I will do this…I have to do this. No more excuses Deb…it’s time to show up or shut up!

MY OWN MOTIVATION

This is my personal 14 day challenge. I'm chosing to put this on my blog so I'll be held accountable to something more than just myself. By publishing this it's not just an idea in my head. It's more than just words on paper. I'm trusting that people will read it and check back in a couple of week to see if I succeed or fail. I'm challenging myself in hopes of digging in and finding the "grit" to push myself beyond my comfort zone and into the next phase of my weight loss journey. This is for me, but as always I hope in some small way it inspires you too. The problem: 1 lb fluctuation over the past 3 weeks/plateau and need motivation to get into my routine of consistent cardio workouts again plus amp up the calorie burn during those workouts. The goal: lose 10 lbs in 14 days beginning 04/10/2011 ending 04/24/2011 The plan: kick up my cardio workouts by using my cardio plans from the BL Resort and Jillian Michael’s Jump Start in SELF magazine 5 days a week – no less. Workouts must be a minimum of 45 minutes. I will also limit my caloric intake to no more than 1200 calories per day using protein shakes twice a day (with a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter blended in or some healthy variations of fruit and veggies to help keep it from getting old and help make them more satisfying), eating a hearty balanced meal for lunch and enjoying one healthy snack or dessert each afternoon. All meals will be compiled of filling, fat-melting and metabolism boosting foods. How many calories do I burn a day to achieve this? 3500 calories burned = 1 lb of fat lost. 10 lbs x 3500 calories = 35,000 total that needs to be burned over the 14 day period. 35,000 / 14 days = 2500 calories need to be burned per day. My Resting Metabolic Rate is 1947 (which is the number of calories I burn on an average day w/o exercise). 2500 – 1947 = 553 . I need to burn approximately 553 additional calories per day. RMR 1947 + EXERCISE 553 – CALORIC INTAKE 1200 = 1300 CALORIE BURN PER DAY x 14 DAYS = 18,200 CALORIES BURNED / 3500 CALORIES = 5.2 lbs per week x 2 weeks = 10.4 lbs What workouts will I do to achieve this?

HARDCORE CARDIO BABY!!!

• Elliptical / Stair stepper combo


• Treadmill walk / jog combo


• Bike / Jump rope combo


• Treading


• Mountian

All workouts are 45 minutes long and are designed to maximize the calorie burn per workout. If you are interested I'll be happy to share my fat burning cardio workouts via email (too much to type in one blog).

So.... here I go ;o) Stay tuned....