Day #11 - Any ideas??

Hello.

Thinking about meals today.  I am kind of bored.  I was wondering if anyone had any great ideas for a clean eating dinner?  I am going to Wegman's this morning and would like to make something for the hubby tonight.  My friend told me about a turkey breast, bone-in with onion soup mix.  Maybe I will crock pot today.  Guess that means I have to get my butt on the treadmill so I can get to store, get crock started all before my day begins.

I am down 1/2 pound today, which makes me very happy.  The small losses daily add up to nice weekly numbers.

Been really busy with Inspire Fitness's website and newsletter (coming out tomorrow...let me know if you want to be on the list! you may already be).  So, I apologize if these have been short.  Lots going on.  I believe we have a closing date for the building so fingers crossed looks like Inspire Fitness will have a new home come March.  

So how about some of your ideas today, my friends???

Traci

Short One... Day#10

Hello!  Short one today.  Not a moment to spare.  Having a GREAT day, despite the 1 up on the scale this am.  This was one weigh in that didn't really have an explanation, however, so didn't yesterday's when I was down 4 in a 24 hour period.  I will chalk it to the body making an adjustment to a ridiculous loss the day before.  Still down 6 of 10 with 11 days to go!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day!

Breakfast was a protein shake with carrot juice and orange cream whey protein
Snack was a banana
Lunch was veggie ground and tofu stir fry with lots of veggies
Snack before evening training will be 1/2 of a larabar
Dinner will be light, I work late tonight and am working on newsletter/website w/Carrie after training, so maybe a small bowl of kashi heart to heart with almond milk.

Trace 

What is it that you WANT?

This is Day 9 of my 21 day challenge.

We are not quite halfway yet, but just about.  If you were someone who decided to play along and take this challenge, how is it going?  Are you where you hoped to be?  Or, are you where you expected to be?

Is this just another goal you have set in your life that you decide halfway through (or not quite) that you will give up because it is not working for you?

If you are where you hoped to be at this point, then kudos to you and keep up the work.  It is definitely worth it and by now you KNOW it.

If you are where you expected to be and this is just one of those 'diet attempts' that did not work for you, then I ask... why not?  Why is it not working for you?

Do you know the answer to that question?  If you are not sure or you know for sure that you don't, the answer lies in the simple question of What IS IT that YOU WANT?

For instance, if you answer that question by saying, "My goal is to lose 20 pounds and feel better", however, 9 days in you are struggling with this whole new concept of clean eating and you haven't lost much if anything; then something is NOT working for you.  And, I can guarantee that it has NOTHING to do with the diet plan.  IT works.  IT works with the simple mathematical equation of did I burn more calories than I consumed in any given day.  There are VERY FEW instances where that biology doesn't work in that exact way.

So where is the discrepancy?  I believe, based on personal and professional experience, that the discrepancy lies in the answer to this question... 'what do you want MORE?'  Do you want to keep the status quo daily diet (which has gotten you to where you are now), MORE than the GOAL?  It truly is that simple.  If you don't truly seek change, you won't get it.  I am not saying that to be negative, I am saying it because it is the cold, hard truth.

In order to achieve the goal of better health and fitness through weight loss, changes must be made to our diets.  We can exercise until we are blue in the face and it's not gonna make a damn difference unless we change the way we eat.  80% of the healthy life equation is our daily diet, 10% is exercise and 10% is what mother nature stuck you with (genetics).  

What has changed for you over the past 9 days?  Is it working for you toward achieving your goal?  This is possible, you just have to decide if it is WHAT YOU WANT.

Well, I guess that's that huh?  Haha. 

The skinny on the scale this morning:

DOWN 4 POUNDS!  Yippee!  I told you it was all that sodium over the weekend.  So, not only did I blast away the sodium trap from Sat/Sun, because I got myself right back on track I dropped some more.  So, total to date in 9 days of challenge... down 6.9 pounds.  Better yet?... my jeans fit! 

This is very obviously something that I WANT.

Share your stories my friends.  This is how we all learn and get inspired from each other.  You are not alone.

Until tomorrow,

EXPECT MORE.... ESPECIALLY FROM YOURSELF.

Trace 

 

 

Day #7 & Day #8..... The Sodium Trap!

Good Morning!  

I sacrificed my perfect weekend to prove a point to you.  Well, it really wasn't a sacrifice, and I wasn't anywhere near, 'Out of Control', like I have been and could be.   


I had a few 'frozen' foods over the weekend, like one of my favorites, Smart Ones Three Cheese Mac'n'Cheese!  and I also had pasta with low sodium pasta sauce among a few other items I normally do not indulge in if I am eating clean.  But it is football season and I have to have my pizza on football Sunday.  Usually it would be a Dominos feast!  However, this Sunday I bought myself a Kashi Margherita Pizza.  It  was yummy!


Lo and behold after the Saturday/Sunday I am up 2 pounds.  Am I worried, Hell NO!  Why?


Well, I will tell you why.  I have this neat little program app on my iphone called LoseIt!  My bestie, Trish, told me about it after Utah.  I looked at my sodium intake for those two days.  You won't even believe it!  over 8000 mg!!!  Isn't that crazy??


most of you are thinking 'she must have put a ton of salt on something!', right?  Nope.  Frozen foods, sauces, Pizza, anything 'prepared' is LOADED with sodium.  Sodium in our food supply is the 21st century evil that is equivalent to white sugar as far as what is ADDED into the foods we buy.


Don't believe me?  Look at the labels on your foods.  The recommended intake of sodium per day is like 2400 mg and I believe the gov is trying to lower that number too.   If you have access to LoseIt!  or any other program online or on your phone that shows you everyday foods and their sodium content, you will be SHOCKED!  Wanna be more shocked? Check out your favorite restaurant foods that you think are 'healthy'.  Salads can be the worst with the amount of dressing that is loaded with fat and sodium.


My point is that unless you educate yourself on what you are putting in your body, you will never know how to make the healthy weight equation work for you.


In order to be in control, you have to take control back from the food companies that taunt you with 'healthy this and healthy that'.  If a food label boasts any sort of 'health food' claim on its packaging or advertising, chances are that it is loaded with something that our insides really don't need.


Mean you can't ever have it?  Of course not! I do!!  But, every time I do it, I know what I am putting into my body and I have full control over it.  Don't be a foodie victim!  It is not a fun way to go through life.


Build your ARSENAL of FOOD knowledge my friends... it's the only way to survive the evil being dealt to us by Food, Inc.


Well, okay, I kind of went off on a tangent.  haha!!!  


Anyway, looking forward to ridding my bod of that sodium trap I put it in this weekend and talk to you 2 pounds lighter tomorrow!!


Take Care!
Traci
Oh yeah....


Breakfast - banana and tbl of natural pb
snack - granny smith apple
lunch - helen's veggie ground stir fry with 1/2 onion and mushrooms chopped and grilled in 1 tsp of olive; salt and pepper to taste
dinner will be kashi heart to heart with kamut puffs and a banana and 1 cup almond milk

Day #6 - Sometimes what you Expect is not what you GET...

So, it is interesting to me, weighing yourself everyday.  I fully expected that I would be up a bit after dinner out yesterday and a few glasses of vino.  However, I was actually down (.3).  So I am officially down 5 1/2 pounds in less than a week.

I know for a fact that I will be up tomorrow.  Today was a more 'lenient' day.  Had some pasta!  Yum!

Not a whole lot to say today, just been chillin' and relaxing, my evil step son would call that 'chillaxin'

More tomorrow my friends.  I would love to hear about your progress after 6 days!!  Please share!


Trace

Weekend Ahead....

Day 5....

What I had fully expected on Day 3 happened today, after a phenomenal loss of 5.3 lbs after just 3 short days, today was a wash... same as yesterday.  I also took the day off from exercise yesterday which could be the difference, however, even if I don't lose anything over the next few days, I am still well ahead of the 10 pound goal over the 21 day challenge.

Enter..... Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekend!  Ugh.  The key to getting through the weekends on the clean eating plan is to pick ONE (1) Uno... day... one meal... to splurge.  If you are just starting this stuff I suggest NOT, but if you have some control and can do ONE and jump right back on the 'I'm-not-so-fatty wagon', then go ahead and allow yourself that ONE.  I usually like it to be a dinner out.  But, here is the deal... you HAVE to weigh yourself the next morning.  Remember, whatever it says is probably just sodium and junka lunka retention that will go away quickly, but in the 21 day challenge we have to OWN UP!  Is it a deal??

Breakfast today was steel cut oats
Lunch was a chicken breast with grilled onions and red bell peppers with 2 tbl of salsa
Dinner will be at Outback Steakhouse - small ahi tuna appetizer, filet wedge salad hold the blue cheese dressing (I use  just the balsamic drizzle stuff on the side) but I do get the crumbly blue on the side.  Calories before holding that nasty dressing is 562 so I figure about 500 after I add the balsamic and that may be high end.  I will also have a couple glasses of cabernet!


Not expecting to lose today even though I worked out due to the 'dinner out', but my goal for the weekend will be to maintain my 5 pound loss!


Have a great weekend everyone!
Trace

 

And the Beat Goes On...

Well, folks, I anticipated having to give you a day where I said, 'great effort on day 3 but no significant loss'.

Well, I did say 'anticipated'... Hah!  (0.4) pounds yippee!  So one more day goes by of clean eating and exercise, I continue to feel more and more fabulous AND I lose almost a half a pound.  The best part.... NOT hungry at all!  That is one of the most amazing things about clean eating, you get to eat very often and you also eat volume in vegetables and fruits that make you feel full.  On my busy days, which lets face it....every day is a busy day, right?, I find myself looking at the clock saying 'ooops it is time to eat AGAIN!'  

So, if you have just been 'following along' and really have NO idea what this clean eating is all about, don't you want to know??  It is not a fad diet, it is not a liquid diet, it is a sound diet full of whole, healthy, natural foods.  What more??  Email me!  Ask for it!  Buy the book.  I think there is a link right here on this blog!!

Today for breakfast: (and it was VERY yummy)
6 Egg White Stir Fry w/
4 oz grilled chicken (chopped)
1/4 cup Muir Glen Garlic Cilantro Salsa 
1 oz Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alt (it is soy!)

I will have an apple for morning snack

Lunch plan is a Thai Tofu Wrap:
Thai style tofu (1 serving)
1/4 onion (chopped and grilled)
1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 tbl peanut butter (all natural of course)
1/2 whole wheat tortilla (if it is the big ones)
(spread peanut butter on tortilla and then combine all other ingredients and wrap 'em!)

Dinner will actually be a dinner tonight!  I am done early enough to prepare a nice dinner for myself.  Here is my plan:

1/2 of a Spaghetti Squash* see below for prep
1/2 cup of Seeds of Change Marinara Sauce
4 oz of shrimp (grilled in garlic and 1/2 tsp olive oil)
2 tbl fresh parmesan cheese

Okay, seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!.... tell me that that menu doesn't sound damn palpitating! (is that actually a word??) Hehe.

* To cook a spaghetti squash: 
1. cut it in half lengthwise so it resembles a boat not half a coconut
1.5 remove the seedy and stringy stuff, leaving the flesh
2. securely wrap the half you are cooking in saran wrap
3. microwave open side up for 8 minutes (7 if it is a smaller squash)
4. let it cool
5. remove saran wrap
6. take a fork and scrape the flesh from one end of the 'boat' to the other, it will come off like spaghetti strands!
7. Eat it like you would spaghetti noodles!


Until later my friends...
Get moving and put clean fuel in your engine!
Traci