As far as I know, the Lucky Seven are all doing very well since we returned. I believe that all of us have dropped more weight (I am down another 4 pounds as of last week) and we are adopting concepts and information that we have learned as a part of our daily lives. One word... granola cereal!!
I believe that there are several reasons that I am continuing to lose weight without really giving it much effort. I'll bullet point them below in a few minutes.
Before I get to that great info that will hopefully help each of you in your journey toward better health, I just want to take a few paragraphs to share some happenings in my life since I returned.
First, on a very sad note, my friend, Lynne, passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer and lung disease (from the chemo). Lynne will continue to be an inspiration in my life. She was a vibrant, driven, motivated, courageous and amazing woman. I met her many years ago around the same time I met my bestest friend, Trish O'Neill.
Lynne and Trish taught classes at American Fitness when I joined the gym at the 'height of my fat-assness' as I call it. They were both a vital motivating force in my journey toward better health and fitness.
Lynne was a crazy fitness guru and I adored her. She challenged me to be better. Over the course of the years of taking Trish and Lynne's classes, I got my ass in shape and decided to pursue fitness as a career. And as Trish and I look toward the future of partnering in and growing a business in the fitness industry, our Lynne is gone.
It reminds me that life is precious, that life is fragile, and even though we can do all the right things... it can be taken away without warning. Awake to each day with a joy in your heart that no one can take away from you. Celebrate breath. Have Gratitude for all things that are a part of your life, however small or big. And, even if you never knew Lynne, you know a small part of her now. Let her amazing zest for life live on through each and every one of us.
Some great news. We are adding to our four-legged family! Next month we will pick up our new German Shepard puppy. We haven't entirely decided on her name yet, but Maggie will be getting a new little sister soon. We thought long and hard about whether she should be an only child. There were pros and cons in both directions, however, we have so much love to give. I know Mags will make a great big sister! I still think about how amazing it is that she is ours! She went home with another family at 8 weeks old. They returned her for reasons that had nothing to do with her, and we are so thankful that she basically fell into our laps! She is the greatest dog ever. We love her so much!
And, last but certainly not least, I am so grateful for my husband. Frank and I have built a life over the past 12 years that is nothing less than a fairy tale set in reality. We set our sights on a goal and we achieve it together. Our relationship is rich with love, affection and mutual respect. There is nothing more that I could ever ask for in my life. There is not a material possesion that could possibly quantify the gratitude that I hold for having him in my life. I thank God every day for this gift.
Off with the mushy stuff and on with those bullet points I promised y'all.
So, why am I not a freak about what goes in my stomach anymore? Well, there are a few gimme's I took away from Utah.
- I am eating more carbs! Holy crap, never in my life would I ever think that I would ever make that statement! I started 'losing' weight back in the Atkins era of the late 90's. Carbs were not my friend, and before going to Utah I was eating a clean diet with a percentage of about 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. When we got to Utah and I realized how many 'whole grain' carbs we were eating (55-60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat) I was hesitant that I would actually lose weight in the week. It only took a day and a half to realize that it was happening. I can't remember the last time I consistently (or at all) ate cereal for breakfast. It was always protein protein protein. The fact of the matter is, and this is what I want you to take away from this bullet... our bodies prefer to burn clean, whole grain carbs as it's primary fuel! I eat granola cereal every morning now!!! I will post the recipe from Fitness Ridge soon, however, I have made my own easy fix from 1 cup of whole grain kamut puffs and 1 cup of kashi go lean and 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk - sometimes I'll add a banana. My breakfast is a 'whopping' 210 to 305 calories and I am full until lunch.
- Second, I eat WAY less! My snacks used to be 200-300 calories. Now I am happy with just an apple or peach or pear. I also have cut out late night snack.
- Third (and most importantly for me), I have stopped obsessing about every calorie I consume. Our dietician at Fitness Ridge reminded us that our bodies innately know what they need. I have just been paying attention to hunger signs and fullness signs and for the most part I don't eat more than I need. This particular eating method is known as 'intuitive eating'.
- And last, I made the conscious decision to stop beating myself up about my body. It turns out that I think I am actually pretty darn good looking and in pretty darn good shape. I did that! All my hard work has gotten me from there to here. Time to celebrate it, girlfriends!
Until later,
Trace
