Fat Girls Can Do Yoga Too

Presently, I am a Fat Girl.

However... Sooner rather than later, I will become a Former Fat Girl... Through hard work and dedication, proper eating and LOTS of exercise, I will no longer have the body that I am in today.

Which is good, because I hate it... Every time I meet someone new, my mind screams out... "I promise this isn't what I really look like!  But it's not like you could really say that to someone as you're meeting them for the first time without them thinking you were absolutely crazy.

It's just that I had the unique perspective of having already lost 100 lbs & now I get to do it again (yay for me... ugh)  It's not like I'm just a girl with a goal (a huge goal) that's off to lose a bunch of weight... I've already done it & now I feel like I'm stuck in prison, biding my time in a jail cell that I hate, waiting until my jail sentence is up.  But... Instead of having a pity party about it (like I did for the first few months after Kacie was born) I'm actually doing something about it & have started to see results... So now I just have to keep doing things (bootcamps, long walks (which will eventually become long runs), etc) until I've reached my goal weight & them I'll keep going with those things at a reasonable frequency as a part of a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my days.

So tonight, one of the things I did was a Hot Power Yoga class at Love Life Hot Yoga.  I am not a girl that looks like I can do yoga.  And a few weeks ago I wouldn't have had the courage to even go.... Because frankly, I look awful in yoga wear (for right now anyway)  ... Trust me, I know what I look like & I know it's a ridiculous sight to see... I am painfully aware.  But... Unless I get out and do things to work on changing my body, it won't change.

 And although I don't look like someone that can do yoga, man, can I ever do yoga.  There are some things that are more difficult because the excess that my body has right now won't let me bend or stretch as far as I need to (although flexibility wise I totally could) I can do quite a bit... And do it well.  And I love how it makes me feel.  Strong, powerful and peaceful too.  

So, although I don't look like I belong in there,  I totally do... And I'll keep going & it will just keep getting better and easier as time goes on. 

Can't wait for this jail sentance to be up!

p.s. No picture this time because a) I'm not willing to post a picture of me in my yoga wear quite yet & b) I did this whole post from my phone & can't upload a pic from here. 

Til next time, when I get around to talking about the things I said I would in my last post... Goodnight!

Strike Out Sugar...Paleo Style

http://toscareno.blogspot.ca/2012/01/sugar.html#.UFtrALJlS2a

Tosca Reno is encouraging everyone to Strike Out Sugar for the month of Sept... There's a really good post on the blog Powercakes ... I found it while searching for a "Strike Out Sugar" picture (thanks Google) & there's some really awesome info about natural vs. artificial sweeteners... I'm a fan of Stevia myself.  You should definitely consider eliminating (or reducing) white sugar from your diet.  I'm definitely a sugar addict, but so far I've been doing well without it... I feel so good!

Well...onto the "Paleo Style" part... Alex says I'm fickle.  That may be... I think it was my very last post that I was saying I "couldn't do Paleo because there were too many restrictions" ... & any of you that read my blog the last time around may remember that I tried EVERYTHING on the market (even hypnosis!) ... So...I thought I'd give Paleo a "go" again & I'm feeling really good about it.  (Isn't that always the way when you try something new?)  But I mean I feel REALLY good.  Last time I was just "dipping my toe in, checking the water out"...this time I'm all in... As in, "clearing out my pantry"-all in...  And I've been cooking Paleo for my family too.  Alex seems to be cool with it so far.

This is what I made tonight...

Here's the link to the recipe:  http://www.thefoodee.com/recipe/4835/

Anyway...all in all it's going very well & I'm loving it!  I'll post some links to some great sites I've found with info & recipes soon.  I'd be interested to hear if any of you have tried this way pf eating, or if you're going to be cutting out sugar!  Next time... my new favorite website for workouts.  And...why I think I've tried & failed so many times... stay tuned!

Salmon Sandwich (without the sandwich)

I've been trying to switch up my protein for each meal (so I'm not just having ground turkey & turkey breast every day, every meal).  I knew I'd need to be open to trying some new things.  I've had a 6 pack of Ocean's Wild Pink Salmon that I bought from Costco a while ago. I thought I'd give it a shot.  I haven't been eating bread lately (I'm getting most of my carbs from vegetables & fruit***) so I decided to come up with a way to make it bearable to eat without being in a sandwich.

***side note...that's basically the Paleo diet, which I thought I wasn't really going to be able to do, but it's how I've eaten for about a week now, & things have been fine.  A source of protein & veggies (salad or sauteed) at lunch, & the same at dinner with 1/2 of a sweet potato.  I think it's interesting that in the latest issue of the Clean Eating magazine, Tosca Reno admits that she's cut out all grains from her diet (due to a gluten sensitivity)...so basically, the founder of the Eat Clean Diet, without really saying it, has admitted that she's actually gone over the the Paleo way of eating.  I'm doing a blend of the two, I guess... I'm not so strict on the "No Dairy" thing (greek yogurt, etc) & I'm more conscious about making sure my protein choices are lean.

Anyway, back to the salmon...

I took a can of the Wild Pink Salmon & mixed it with about 1/4 finely chopped green onions, 2 (big) cloves of garlic (I LOVE garlic), 1 tsp Whole Grain Dijon mustard & 1/2 TBSP Light Miracle Whip.  Mixed it all up with a little freshly ground pepper & divided into 2 portions (one for lunch & one for a snack later).  I also had leftover veggies from last night's dinner (broccoli, cauliflower & beets)  & it was really good!  The whole thing was only 261 calories.  I love experimenting with new things & new flavors & I've been trying to buy one new vegetable each week... Speaking of which, does anyone know how to prepare an eggplant?

Despite eating super clean (I wasn't eating this clean when I was in the competition), I've gained a few ounces each day & I'm getting very discouraged.  I don't understand it... I daily calorie intake is really good & I've been working out A LOT... I just don't get it.  I don't think I've had too much sodium... I just don't know...Any ideas?

Anyway, I'm going to keep plugging along... It'll have to work sooner or later :)

Turkey Lettuce Wraps (In a Bowl) & Other Things That Are Working

Well... some of you may not know this (if you've just met me in the last year or so), but this...

is what I looked like at the end March of 2011... & then I gained some weight back...and then I got pregnant & gained A LOT of weight...& now I'm at the very bottom of a very large mountain that I feel like I was already at the top of, fell down & now I have to pick myself up & crawl back up it...one step at a time.  Most of the time I feel very defeated & depressed about it...which was leading me to eat the things I shouldn't & therefore prolonging the time it was taking me to "get on it", so to speak.

But lately, I've been more focused & dedicated & have realized a few things... a) This weight is not (as much as I'd like it to) lose itself... I did this to myself (well, partly, I did have a baby), & now I've got to undo it.  b) I've done it before, I can do it again.  I know I said that to myself all through out my pregnancy, nonchalantly saying it as I'd be downing Marble Slab or whatever, "Oh, I can lose the weight all over again", like it was no big deal.  But it is a big deal.  It's hark work & dedication.  It's wanting to succeed more than I want chocolate or ice cream or sweet potato fries (with double dip)...

So I've been working at it.  Day in & day out, trying to make more good choices than bad.  And wouldn't you know it, I feel better on the days I work out & eat well (DUH!)

I've been Eating Clean, (tried Paleo...just couldn't do that many eliminations from my diet on a consistent basis...but I do have a few "Paleo-esque" meals from time to time.)  Today I had a perfect Eat Clean Day.  I had a Green Smoothie & egg whites with fresh (low sodium) salsa,  snack was an apple with some almonds, lunch was my new fave invention...Turkey Lettuce Wraps (but in a bowl) (recipe below), 2nd snack was a Babybel cheese triangle & some cucumber slices & baby carrots.  Dinner was turkey breast "chicken nuggets" & sweet potato spears.  Got some time in on the elliptical this morning & managed to get lots of housework done too!  It was an awesome day!  Hopefully many more to come & I'll be in the 230's soon :)

Turkey Lettuce Wraps...in a bowl!

Turkey sausage (the kind I found at Superstore only has 1.5g fat & 80 calories) but you could also use ground turkey breast or ground chicken.  Seasoned & sauteed w/ 2 garlic cloves (minced), onion (I used red) & 1 jalapeno (1/2 seeded, 1/2 w/ seeds). 

Then, saute a variety of veggies (I did orange peppers, zucchini, & tomatoes (fresh from the garden!)).  If I was actually going to put them in lettuce wraps I would have diced them instead of just chopping them.  

I put all of that in a bowl & then topped that with about 1/4 of an avocado (healthy fats!) & then around the perimeter of the bowl, I put one of my fave "dressings" a mix of fat free greek yogurt & low sodium salsa.  On top to that I placed loosely torn pieces of butter lettuce. 

It was sooo good... I should've taken a picture.  Maybe next time!

Anyway...things are going well...just climbing back up that mountain, one good choice at a time :)