Once November started I felt my energy shifting into "hibernation" mode. I was feeling kind of stuck and indecisive. Once the time changed, it just felt like the darkness was lingering longer and I am such a sun worshiper that it makes me a little sad. It's so easy to put yourself into a pit of fear and despair; so easy for me to do to myself. But thankfully I have some great resources to help me stay focused on my goals. I always turn back to my Magical Manifestor notes and training for guidance. I am also working with Laura Yamin of Joyful Shimmy on a 21-day "fear detox". She's such an inspiration, overall great listener and extremely supportive. I highly recommend working with her. I recently also began following one of the people from my MM class, Martine Holston, who wrote this powerful post on taking action when it seems like you have no control over a situation. It really hit home because sometimes it's so hard for me to make a decision, especially when it's something that worries me.
My job responsibilities will be winding down soon, so I'll have more ME time to focus on my goals. I am 100% focused and dedicated to "getting it done" as Shaun T would say!
Re-cap on my status:
1 - I know I lost weight but don't want to weigh myself until right before the new year. Last December I was at about 288 pounds (possibly more but I didn't weight myself frequently back then). Last time I weighed myself in July (of this year) I was at 266. I lost the weight by:
I've weighed myself a few times after July but my weight fluctuated and then plateaued, so I decided to take a break from weighing myself often for the sake of my emotional state. I discuss it in my October update post.
2 - From end of August until mid-October I did 10 weeks of Focus T25 at about 50% capacity. By 50% I mean some days I worked out, some I didn't. Sometimes I worked out but didn't give it my "all".
3 - I am CURRENTLY working on a physical and spiritual detox. With emotional/spiritual detoxing I am taking time to meditate more (I discuss the power of healing meditation here) and letting go of my old "destructive" habits such as feeling negatively about my life/situation. I also take time every day for gratitude and prayer. Plus with the "fear detox" I am taking, I am also working towards using fear to fuel my desires and actions.
With my physical detox I've been drinking a daily shot of AGRO LABS "Green Envy" Daily Detox. This is a high dose of tons of green goodies such as broccoli, spinach, kale, and much more. It's so potent you only need a shot per day.
I've been doing great in regards to a) cutting out white carbs, and b) avoiding fast food. Almost every day, after work, I feel too tired to cook. I live right by a "Jack in the Box" and it's such a temptation to just go and buy something. But thankfully my will power has been strong every since November started. I am super proud of myself! I've also been trying to eat the same meals/foods every day. My meals consist of:
Breakfast: 1 package of instant oatmeal with flax seeds, to which I'll add some dried fruit (such as cranberries), or a little peanut butter. I also have my daily shot and coffee. I don't really like black coffee so I add non-dairy creamer in powder form and typically 2 splendas or stevia (whatever I can find)...these are my only "whites". Flavor wise I am not a fan of Stevia or Agave nectar, but that doesn't mean I won't ever like them.
Lunch: Either leftovers from dinner, or I'll have a low-sodium Campbell soup with salad.
Snacks: mixed, roasted, unsalted nuts. I also have vanilla Greek yogurt (0% fat) or soy yogurt, and definitely fruits (usually apples or pears). I might have a granola bar once in a while. Sometimes if I'm craving something sweet I'll have some dark chocolate covered sunflower seeds (100 cal pack). If I'm craving something salty I'll have no salt, no butter popcorn and add some garlic powder and pepper. Please note I don't eat all these snacks in one day. I try to limit my snacks to 2-3 things (for example 2 apples and a small cup of yogurt), and they are for throughout the day.
Dinner: My favorites combos are -
Smoothie:
On my "cheat" day:
I try to be very strategic with my cheats. I don't drink soda, rarely alcohol (wine once in a while), don't drink juice; the only beverages I consume are coffee and tea on occasion. I mostly drink water. Once in a while I'll crave a cold coke and even though I'm not a fan of diet anything, I'll drink a "coke zero" because the taste is tolerable and I don't want the calories. But I rarely crave it.
I like to reward myself, usually on the weekends, with 1 cheat day (possibly a Saturday). My biggest weaknesses are bread (especially pizza) and french fries. On my cheat day I don't go crazy but I do indulge. On my most recent cheat, last week, I ate a big bag of nacho cheese Doritos with some coke zero. My cheat day allows me to treat my inner child without feeling guilty. I try to avoid eating out as much as possible because I have not yet mastered resisting that temptation. It's hard to go out with friends and order the "healthy" option when everyone's getting burgers. I incorporate healthy things when I do eat out, but for the most part I just try to avoid it. I'm especially avoiding it now since a) I'm saving up for the Holidays, and b) I really want to lose more weight.
Pretty much I'm now training my body to appreciate/crave nutrient dense foods with low calories (such as Kale for example), so that I can still keep up with my appetite but am consuming less calories (to lose more weight). I am really gonna give it my all before the new year. I have a trip coming up in December for the holidays and I really want to look and feel my best for it. I have been doing really good as far as food choices, and decent with exercise. I mentioned in a previous post about my progress with Focus T25 and I plan to take the challenge again, starting this weekend. I am going to put more effort, and be more physically active, even if by just taking long walks. One step at a time, I will get there!
Thank you for reading my updates!
What goals are you looking to accomplish before the new year?
By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps. Check it out!
Re-cap on my status:
1 - I know I lost weight but don't want to weigh myself until right before the new year. Last December I was at about 288 pounds (possibly more but I didn't weight myself frequently back then). Last time I weighed myself in July (of this year) I was at 266. I lost the weight by:
- About 10 pounds lost from December 2012 to mid-April 2013 just by drinking more water (no sodas or juices) and adding vegetables/salad to every meal, as well as walking at least 15 minutes per day. At this point I hadn't restricted food or tried to eliminate. I pretty much ate the same (50% processed/fast foods and 50% natural/whole foods and coking my own meals).
- About another 12 pounds from end of April 2013-mid-July 2013 by joining Team BeachBody and doing the "Hip-Hop abs" workout. I also drank Shakeology most days. I mostly incorporated the shake into my daily routine, hardly ever replacing meals with it.
I've weighed myself a few times after July but my weight fluctuated and then plateaued, so I decided to take a break from weighing myself often for the sake of my emotional state. I discuss it in my October update post.
2 - From end of August until mid-October I did 10 weeks of Focus T25 at about 50% capacity. By 50% I mean some days I worked out, some I didn't. Sometimes I worked out but didn't give it my "all".
3 - I am CURRENTLY working on a physical and spiritual detox. With emotional/spiritual detoxing I am taking time to meditate more (I discuss the power of healing meditation here) and letting go of my old "destructive" habits such as feeling negatively about my life/situation. I also take time every day for gratitude and prayer. Plus with the "fear detox" I am taking, I am also working towards using fear to fuel my desires and actions.
With my physical detox I've been drinking a daily shot of AGRO LABS "Green Envy" Daily Detox. This is a high dose of tons of green goodies such as broccoli, spinach, kale, and much more. It's so potent you only need a shot per day.
I've been doing great in regards to a) cutting out white carbs, and b) avoiding fast food. Almost every day, after work, I feel too tired to cook. I live right by a "Jack in the Box" and it's such a temptation to just go and buy something. But thankfully my will power has been strong every since November started. I am super proud of myself! I've also been trying to eat the same meals/foods every day. My meals consist of:
Breakfast: 1 package of instant oatmeal with flax seeds, to which I'll add some dried fruit (such as cranberries), or a little peanut butter. I also have my daily shot and coffee. I don't really like black coffee so I add non-dairy creamer in powder form and typically 2 splendas or stevia (whatever I can find)...these are my only "whites". Flavor wise I am not a fan of Stevia or Agave nectar, but that doesn't mean I won't ever like them.
Lunch: Either leftovers from dinner, or I'll have a low-sodium Campbell soup with salad.
Snacks: mixed, roasted, unsalted nuts. I also have vanilla Greek yogurt (0% fat) or soy yogurt, and definitely fruits (usually apples or pears). I might have a granola bar once in a while. Sometimes if I'm craving something sweet I'll have some dark chocolate covered sunflower seeds (100 cal pack). If I'm craving something salty I'll have no salt, no butter popcorn and add some garlic powder and pepper. Please note I don't eat all these snacks in one day. I try to limit my snacks to 2-3 things (for example 2 apples and a small cup of yogurt), and they are for throughout the day.
Dinner: My favorites combos are -
- Tilapia with beans and steamed vegetables
- Tilapia with sweet potatoes
- Tuna ceviche with beans and steamed veggies
- Tuna ceviche with sweet potatoes
- If I'm feeling lazy I'll just have a soup and steamed vegetables.
Smoothie:
- I don't have Shakeology every month but when I do I mix Vanilla Shakeo with Almond/Soy or Coconut milk (my fav is Soy), a tablespoon of peanut butter, and ice. Sometimes I mix it up by adding fruits (such as blueberries).
- When I don't have Shakeo: I mix in 1 heaping tablespoon of Organic Hemp powder (that's as much as I can stand; not a big fan of the taste or texture). I then include ice, Soy (or Almond milk), some soft tofu (or avocado but rarely), a tablespoon of peanut butter and sometimes I'll add fruit. If I'm out of tofu I'll use Kefir (love!).
I'll share some recipes (photos) with you soon!
On my "cheat" day:
I try to be very strategic with my cheats. I don't drink soda, rarely alcohol (wine once in a while), don't drink juice; the only beverages I consume are coffee and tea on occasion. I mostly drink water. Once in a while I'll crave a cold coke and even though I'm not a fan of diet anything, I'll drink a "coke zero" because the taste is tolerable and I don't want the calories. But I rarely crave it.
I like to reward myself, usually on the weekends, with 1 cheat day (possibly a Saturday). My biggest weaknesses are bread (especially pizza) and french fries. On my cheat day I don't go crazy but I do indulge. On my most recent cheat, last week, I ate a big bag of nacho cheese Doritos with some coke zero. My cheat day allows me to treat my inner child without feeling guilty. I try to avoid eating out as much as possible because I have not yet mastered resisting that temptation. It's hard to go out with friends and order the "healthy" option when everyone's getting burgers. I incorporate healthy things when I do eat out, but for the most part I just try to avoid it. I'm especially avoiding it now since a) I'm saving up for the Holidays, and b) I really want to lose more weight.
Pretty much I'm now training my body to appreciate/crave nutrient dense foods with low calories (such as Kale for example), so that I can still keep up with my appetite but am consuming less calories (to lose more weight). I am really gonna give it my all before the new year. I have a trip coming up in December for the holidays and I really want to look and feel my best for it. I have been doing really good as far as food choices, and decent with exercise. I mentioned in a previous post about my progress with Focus T25 and I plan to take the challenge again, starting this weekend. I am going to put more effort, and be more physically active, even if by just taking long walks. One step at a time, I will get there!
Thank you for reading my updates!
What goals are you looking to accomplish before the new year?
By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps. Check it out!
Wow sounds like you are really doing great! Keep up the food work. I am so excited to see you in December and I am sure you will be in a happy place :-) you are an inspiration.
ReplyDelete*good work but food work fits too lol
DeleteThank you! Can't wait to see you too!
DeleteLove your post!! lots of advice and information!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm glad you like!
Delete