Keto: Just Say No

The noun form of the word "diet" has two meanings:

1. 1.

   the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.
2. 2.

   a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.
3. 
   

More often that not, when we hear the term we often are referring to the latter of the two. Over the years on my health living journey, I have researched or even tried various "diets" (definition #2). The one diet that really got me second guessing all of the information from the internet and what "they" say.  (Who are the elusive "they" anyhow?) After a lot of research and prompting from friends, I tried keto before my wedding last year. After a stint of hardcore keto (bullet proof coffee, sub 20 g of carbs a day, moderate protein, high fat, and even going so far as to log my vitamins) and peeing on a lot of keto sticks, I stepped on the scale. 

Within 1 month I had gained 5 lb. Aside from the weight gain, through out the month of keto I physically felt terrible. My reflux had returned, after it had subsided in 2012 after I nixed gluten from my diet (definition #1 :) ). I didn't feel healthy. You know that feeling when you eat something really greasy and that grease might as well be seeping out of your pores? Yeah, that's how I constantly felt. That's the best way to describe it!

I then decided to step back and evaluate popular fad diets. Aside from my experience with keto, I firmly believe keto is a fad diet with major long term health ramifications. How can aiming to eat 150g of fat a day be healthy? How can one think that eating blueberries will make them fat?

God created foods such as apples, blueberries, sweet potatoes, chicken, etc all for our nourishment as human beings. We often times act as though our brains know more than our bodies - our bodies that were designed so intricately to function in ways that our brains still can't even begin to understand. So, how arrogant or foolish are we to think that our bodies don't know anything and we need to trick them?

Your body was designed to take in food for sustenance and to function properly. As you step away from "diets" (definition #2), you should start to listen to the needs, signals, hunger, etc from your body. It will tell you when you need to eat and what you need to eat. Now, if your mouth is wanting twinkies every meal, then that is not nourishment. You can choose wise foods, while not following unhealthy diets. 

Body Image, Tips, and a giveaway!

If you're reading this, then don't expect me to have some incredible insight in to the topic of body image. This post is simply my rambling thoughts - fueled by some green tea and coffee. Clearly my caffeine is caffeinated today. :)

One of my lifelong friends has joined me on my fitness journey, and with that have come some very thoughtful conversations about fitness and all that it entails. First, I have to tell you that I've been friends with this girl since 6th grade! I'm 30-something, so that is a LONG time! We help keep each other accountable, helping each other reach our goals. One conversation the other day got my wheels turning. We were talking about body image and how it affects the way we think. I think pretty much everyone has had to deal with body image, as no one is perfect. I've noticed with myself that even when the scale goes down, the mirror and my thoughts don't see it. I'm not saying I have "body dis morphia" or anything like that. I am saying that it's simply hard to break the "fat girl" mindset. I'm sorry if that's a blunt term for it, but it's just the truth. In my head, I'm still a girl walking around in a size 12. When in all actuality, I'm just a girl walking around in a size 6.  I think it takes a lot of time for the mind to catch up with what the physical body does with respect to size and weight. For much of my life I was overweight, so I think it became ingrained in me. It was just a part of who I am, sadly. It will take time to truly see myself the way I am, the way God made me, and to break the mold of what has been ingrained in me.

I don't think that weight on the scale is a great judge or indicator of our health/image, as this can vary HUGELY! Depending on water weight, what's in your stomach,  and even whether you've gone to the bathroom or not can all be reflected during your weigh-in. It can be disheartening when you suddenly see a weight "gain." Always remember that you'd have to consume an extra 3,500 calories to gain a pound. It is unlikely that the bag of popcorn you had the movies last night literally made you gain 2 pounds (which would be 7000 calories!). It is more likely that the excess sodium in that popcorn is making you hold on to extra water.

All in all, as long as you are consistent with your nutrition and exercising regularly then you have NOTHING to worry about. You can't compare your progress to someone else. Comparison only hurts - either you or someone else. When you compare yourself, you're either making you feel less than someone else, or making yourself feel better than another person for their shortcomings. It's never good! Focus on yourself, your body, your health, your nutrition, and your fitness. You WILL get to your goal. Just be patient with your body. It takes a time to undo the effects of unhealthy habits and diet. Your body will adjust to your new lifestyle. Just love your body

Helpful tips
I am a fan of consistent weigh-ins for accountability-sake. For me, it helps me be more in-tuned with my body and makes me see how different foods affect me. Also, it's good to keep me in check so I don't stray. I weigh-in almost daily. Some people prefer a weekly weigh-in, to see the bigger losses, while others prefer daily.

I am also a fan of taking progress pics. It's hard to really see your own progress, since weight loss isn't overnight! It takes time, and the small changes can be harder to notice. I try to take progress pics every 30 days or so. That has been such a huge help for me so I can compare side-by-side over the past month or more. It really helps me see my progress and how my body  is changing! It really helps instill that since of pride in all of my hard work!

I have also learned to embrace measuring. I haven't measured much in the past, as I am a perfectionist and I worry I'm "doing it wrong." But, honestly it helps a lot! I'm not only able to see my own progress with my fitness journey, but I can also have a little bit of affirmation trying to ascertain what size I wear thanks to those little "sizing guides." Considering sizing can differ between brands, it's nice to get that "hey, I really do wear this!" It makes my heart smile. :)


Giveaway!

Now, for the giveaway. This isn't one sponsored by me, but it's from the AWESOME Jane.com. There are some awesome prizes and a lot of chances to win. There are three prizes - 1 bike, 1 $1000 gift card for amazon, and 1 $1000 gift card to Sephora. Awesome, right! You can enter here using this link.

Figuring out body fat percentage

I have to admit, I’ve been pretty frustrated lately. I’ve been working out, making better food choices, and seeing results in the mirror. But when I step on the scale, then I’m not seeing as much progress as I’d expect. I keep comparing where I am now weight-wise and how I look verses what I looked like weight-wise a year ago. It finally dawned on me the other day that when I initially started eating clean, I wasn’t using a regular workout program. I cut calories, but I was running (which doesn’t really build muscle). Now, I have cut calories, I’m eating (mostly) clean, but I am doing programs like T25 that are really building my muscles. I’m so thankful for apps like, A Beautiful Mess, that can show me side-by-side pics for my progress.

That being said, I decided to break out the calipers to measure my body fat percentage. I love these little gadgets! While the scale can’t tell you if you’re weight is from fat or muscle, these calipers can! I fell in to the “ideal” range, as a 31-year-old female, with a bad fat percentage of 25.1. I think I am definitely going to keep track of this measurement from now one, especially since I’m working on building my muscles. You can find calipers pretty much anywhere for very little cost. There are also several programs through Beach Body that include them in your order. I really like that, because it helps teach program goers a healthy assessment of their progress.

Work-out of the day:

T25 Beta – Speed 2.0

Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Trainer – Legs and Calves

Breakfast:

Cottage Cheese with Pineapple Chunks

Snack 1:

Plain Greek yogurt with pineapple chunks and cinnamon

Lunch:

Baked chicken, broccoli, brown rice, and a small bit of vanilla ice cream they had at school today J (Just being honest, here!)

Snack 2:

Almonds over a spinach salad, with a citrus vinaigrette

Dinner:

Chocolate Shakeology

My transformation story...

There is not much more personal to talk about for a woman than how she looks - more specifically her body. This may be the case for a man, but I'm not male so I really don't know! :) It's easy for me to talk about nutrition, how to feed my body, and the workouts that I love. It's not so easy for me to talk about how incredibly unhealthy I've been, and to point out my flaws and where I struggle. But, I think it's time for me to open up about my transformation story.

I've never been knows as the "skinny girl." As a young child, I was never overweight. I have always had a rounder face, and was always a little bit chubby. I thinned out as a cheerleader, but never lost my chubby cheeks. High school came, and so did the extra pounds. I went to an all-girl high school. I, along with the other girls, would get to school and grab breakfast. Breakfast would ussually consister of a Dr. Pepper and some powdered donuts. I remember a friend of mine driving me to school and we would each get 2 packs of Burger King's Cini-minis. (My stomach hurts just thinking about this!) Once lunch time came, if it wasn't pizza, baked potato, or chicken nugget day then I hit up the vending machine for chips, a candy bar, and another soda. Of course, I gained weight pretty rapidly. I had absolutely no clue how to feed myself properly. At home, my mom always cooked very healthy foods and refused to get any junk food. In my mind, all food was created equal. At this point I had done a few 5k's, but I was more of a walker than a runner.

Let's fast forward to 2011. At this point, I was going through a divorce. I needed something to embrace to keep myself busy. I wanted a healthy habit. I was fond of exercising at this point, but I still didn't know a lot about nutrition and I was definitely not a runner. I got the idea in my head that I wanted to be able to run a 5k. I started a training plan and much to my surprise I quickly was able to run the full 3.1 miles. I then decided I wanted to be able to run a half-marathon. Through out my training and dealing with injuries during training, I was able to learn so much about nutrition and how it affects my body. Along this journey I learned about my intolerance with gluten and about the power of protein.

Life got busy with being a single mom, graduate student, having a full time job, and having a parent that was sick with cancer. It was getting harder and harder for me to get to the gym and get a decent workout in. The kiddo had homework, and by the time that was finished it was just too late to get to the gym. A friend of mine was a Beach Body coach and introduced me to my first program - Slim in 6. I completed it pretty quickly, because I had been doing fitness boot camps. Next I did p90x, and finally I found (and fell in love with) Turbo Fire. If you've been reading PLPB for a while, then you know I just LOVE Turbo Fire! In a matter of about 5-6 months, I went from a solid size 12, to a very small size 6. Yes, it was due to Turbo Fire, but it was also due to MINDFUL nutrition. The following pictures show the transformation. The first one was in November of 2011. I was well in to my running at this point, but my diet hadn't changed. The second picture was once I started focusing on my nutrition, drinking Shakeology, increasing my protein intake, and using Turbo Fire. This is such a good remind to me that it doesn't matter where you are in your own fitness journey, as long as you are ON the journey then that's what counts. Respect the process, and love yourself enough to live a healthy lifestyle.

Turbofire: Day 1

I know I've raved about Turbo Fire for a couple of years now, because I've got incredible results in the past. Well, I'm back at it! I have decided to go through the full Turbo Fire program, again. Today was the first day, and I've got to say I feel AWESOME!

Over the past year, I made the decision to nix the scale. I've read a lot of blogs where women swore off the scale and have never felt better. They felt so attached to the number on the scale and the regular weigh-ins. Last year, I thought that just might be a great fit for me. So, over the year I've been slightly conscious of my foods and blissfully unaware of my weight. My clothes felt a bit tighter, but I wasn't quite sure if it was all in my head. After all, I had no frame of reference since I literally tossed my scale out the door. (Okay, I didn't literally toss it. I did, however, give it away.)

All of the questions about my weight and if this method "worked" well for me came to a head last night. Before beginning a Beach Body program (or a program of any type), it's best to take before photos, measurements, and your beginning weight. I had taken my "before" pictures and then stepped on the scale. Low and behold, over the past year I've gained about 15 lbs. That's so not cool and so not healthy. While some may see the scale is a ball and chain, I see it as accountability. Not only did my regular weigh-ins keep my in check with my progress, but it also probably (definitely) made me more conscious of the the kinds and amounts of foods I was eating.

That being said, I also think the past year of me just focusing on how I felt and not stressing as much was a good thing for me. I gained a healthier mindset about my body. Seeing a weight gain at any other point in life would have probably sent me to tears and in to mini-meltdown mode. Last night, there was not a tear in sight! I decided to just take the bull by the horns.

All of that brings me to today... at 5:15 my alarm went off. I dragged myself out of bed and grabbed my coffee. Yes, I drink (black) coffee before my workouts. :) I have to tell you, I hammered out the schedule workout today. It was awesome! I had to stop a few times, because I've been sick lately. I haven't worked out in a week and I had a chest cold that hit me pretty hard. Aside from starting Turbo Fire today, I also started a low carb/high protein meal plan. Weight loss is 80% diet, and 20% exercise (I've also heard 70/30, but you get the picture). "Abs are made in the kitchen." I am a girl that LOVES her some carbs. Granola, oatmeal, fruit, trail mix, muffins, more granola, etc etc. I don't believe in banishing the food group, but I do believe it's role in my diet needs to be downplayed.

So far today, everything has gone well. And I'm not tired from having far less carbs. I'm pretty pumped, actually.



Today's Workout

Turbo Fire: Fire 30
Turbo Fire: Stretch 10

Today's Meals

Pre-workout: Coffee
Breakfast: Coffee Protein Shake
Snack: Hardboiled eggs
Lunch: Baked chicken and veggies
Snack: Green monster protein shake
Dinner: Turkey chili and eggs
Snack: Sausage (took some off my son's plate... it hit the spot!)

My story

I joined Beachbody as a customer several years ago when a friend of mine asked me to join his Slim in 6 Challenge Group. I got my membership and ordered my Slim in 6 Challenge Pack. While I had already been on my fitness track, I gained so much emotional and mental strength from the challenge group. From my coach to my fellow challengers, I was primed and ready to tackle my nutrition and fitness!

Over the past couple of years, I've continued to use Beachbody programs like P90X and Turbo Fire. Our body compositions are based 10% on exercise, 10% on genetics, and 80% on nutrition. WOW! Along with my clean eating, I incorporate Shakeology in to my diet. It packs an amazing nutritional punch, and it's the healthiest meal of my day. I'm so busy, it's great to know I'm still fueling my body properly.

After boasting about Beachbody  products, I finally decided to become a Beachbody Independent Coach. This not only increased my own accountability, but it also helped fuel my passion to help others on their journey and get paid for it. What I love about coaching is that my assistance is completely free. I don't charge people to guide them along their journey, just like I provide my own tips and recipes on Piece Love and Peanut Butter for free. I have a passion for helping others and a passion for fitness.

I've lost about 25 pounds with the help of Beachbody programs like Turbo Fire and P90X. Being a single mom, it's hard to get to the gym. Thankfully, I can get a powerful workout at home and not have to worry about my little one. As a Beach Body Coach, I don't have to worry about childcare to teach others about taking control of their own health and reach their goals. I can do it from my home!

If you are interested in joining my Beachbody Team as a Coach or to get free fitness and nutrition advice from me, visit my Team Beach Body Coach page. Join with the free membership - there's nothing to lose!

Why don't you just live a little?

I get questions all the time about my lifestyle...

How can you log everything you eat?

Honestly, this seemed overwhelming to me at first. I've been doing it for several years now, and it has simply become natural for me to do. I use an app on my phone, and I know others who use the traditional pen and paper route. I do this for multiple reasons...

• I can easily see what I've eaten through out the day which makes me more mindful to make healthy decisions. It's not necessarily about the calories to me, but about my healthier choices.
• I can see my overall nutrition for the day, which allows me to see where I am deficient in my "high points" like sugar, protein, cholesterol, carbs, cals, and fat. I can have met my calorie goal for the day, but if I have very little protein and everything was loaded with carbs and sugars, then I know that's still not healthy!
• It's not just about me. Since my app allows me to create recipes, I can make sure they are well-rounded for my child, too.

It's just become second nature to log my food and I encourage everyone to do it too.

Isn't being gluten free hard and really expensive? Why bother?

Initially it was difficult, because I had to learn the various names for gluten and learn how to read food labels. I've been gluten free for almost 2 years now, so it is pretty easy for me at this point. 

If you simply buy gluten free cookies verses regular cookies, gluten free pizza vs regular pizza, and so on, then YES it's way more expensive. I choose items that are naturally gluten free, like fruits, veggies, chicken, nuts, etc. I don't mind buying gluten free versions of items, but those tend to not be whole, clean foods. I allow them in limited quantities and I have no problem letting my son have them. 

I'm gluten free because I have to be. I prefer not being sick constantly with various problems from chronic migraines to GI issues. Gluten free isn't suitable for everyone, but it is for my home. :)

You're gluten free. You must be so healthy!

Just like I said earlier, I'm gluten free because I have to be for my own health and my son's, too. Prior to being gluten free, I had chronic migraines (4-6 times a week) and numerous other issues like GI problems. Gluten free is not something I would advise someone to do unless I truly thought (in my completely unprofessional opinion) that they had an actual issue with gluten. Contrary to what SO many people think, "gluten free" doesn't necessarily mean "healthier." If your body cannot process gluten, then yes it's healthier for you to be gluten free. Don't just assume gluten free is the new fad, quick fix in diets. It's a lifestyle and something that people should take seriously if they truly have to. Those of you that aren't gluten intolerant or have celiac, then consider yourself LUCKY! You can get SO many nutrients from whole grains, whereas we have to find these elsewhere.

How do you workout so early and so often?

Just like focusing on my nutrition, exercise has simply become ingrained in to my everyday routine. I absolutely love it! Of course there are days where I don't feel up to a workout, or it's hard for me to get into my workout. I also remind myself of my "progress photos," and that is usually the best motivation I need. I went from a size 12 to a size 6 (see my pics below). I have come so far, why stop now?

Why don't you just live a little?

I like to answer that question with a question! 

Why do you think I'm not living? I LOVE chocolate and peanut butter, and I have many clean treats that I make with it. My favorite Shakeology recipe is the Vegan Chocolate Shakeology with PB2. Knowing that I'm fueling my body makes me happy and I feel like I am living well. I also have no problem indulging in the occasional cupcake, etc. I just have to remind myself to not fall off the wagon! I know how I feel when I've had too much sugar or carbs, and I had that feeling. I've discovered that when I eat clean, then when I have some not-so-clean foods it does a number on me! I can feel the effects of what those foods do to my body and it reminds me why I love my lifestyle.