AHH!!! I'm back!!! I went on vacation and it was awesome! Not as awesome as it could have been but pretty epic. I went snorkeling!!! And got toasted! (Not intentionally, unfortunately). I wasn't as excited as I had hoped because I wasn't where I wanted to be physically but... I didn't get stared at and scoffed at like a beached whale! Honestly, I felt pretty good once I got out there. But it's the best motivation because I felt disgusted at myself. Like, "You are decent to not scare the little children... But you are not in a good place right now. Go workout." and then, I check out the gym... It's $15 a day! Sorry, I didn't plan on paying for a gym membership on vacation. I was expecting it to be FREE (Since the condo stated it had access to the gym!). smh. So, I resorted to stumbling across the sandy beach, walking up and down the boardwalk/pier, and swimming. And I probably gained some weight (too scared to check) due to all of the good food. Mostly fish and veggies and fruit but there were a lot of yummy sweet fruity drinks, snacks and unhealthy food like burgers and ribs and fries! Not the best idea to say you're going to stick to working out and clean eating on the first real vacation you've had in years. lol
Joking aside, I got back in the gym today. Busted my butt on the elliptical and stairmaster (not literally) and had a killer ab & arm workout. Apple & yogurt for breakfast. Leftover Olive Garden for lunch. Hopefully, a yummy salad from Newk's for dinner. We usually do our meal prep on Monday's but since we haven't been grocery shopping yet, it will have to wait until tomorrow.
Tomorrow's workout... dundunDUNNNN... LEG DAY!! Whoohooo! I'm excited! Really. I am.
This time change is bring me down! I can't wake up on time and I can't go to sleep on time either! It's making me hungry too! I have some major cravings for unhealthy food. Luckily, it hasn't been too hard to keep up the healthy eating. The hard part is eating the correct portions! It's been like the for about 3 days and I've gained 3 lbs in the last week! It's very frustrating! I started my training for the 5K in July and that's been going pretty well... Like a fish on dry land more like! ;) I'm trying to get back into my rhythm, if you know what I mean. The pace, the breathing... At least I have more daylight when I get home from work now. I can go to the park and run and not feel like I'm being stalked. haha.
Grant & I are looking into finding a new local gym. The one I went to was great in terms of equipment & staff but the people and hours weren't so great. I'd have to work out by myself because Grant can't get home in time to work out... and he's not really supportive unless he has a similar goal. He helps a lot in the kitchen with the food prep and portions when we go out to eat. But in regards to exercise... not so much help there. But I can't force him to workout or eat healthy. I've tried and it just brings me down more.
The Iodine Protocol is going pretty well. I did gain 3 lbs in the past week but I'm not sure if that's due to the hunger/bad sleeping habits or if it's due to the iodine therapy. No telling right now. I do have a bit more energy and I can tell I still have detox symptoms (minor headaches, itchy skin, bad acne, mild nausea in the morning/night, etc) but I'm not as cold as I used to be, my skin is not blue white... more like a off white now (color returning - not flush or tan). Overall, I feel happier and less depressed than I used to. I feel like I can do a million things... I'm just still too tired right now. I feel more alert to what's going on but I still wear down fast.
My hair is really thick now and shinier than it used to be. I also switched some of my hair products to more natural ingredients. I use Ulta Sulfate free shampoo/conditioner (big difference there even though not organic or anything), 2chic leave in conditioner/split end remedy + 1/2 pump of treseme split end remedy. The combination stinks but once your hair is dry, you can't smell it. I've switched my deodorant from clinical strength to Crystal (all natural). Since I'm adopted, I don't know if I have a history of breast cancer or not but I decided to switch regardless. Just one less product made with harsh chemicals going into my body. Now if I can only find something to help clear up my skin!!!
I haven't posted near enough in the past week. I'm going to start taking screenshots of my 5K training stuff and posting them after my workouts. I recently bought an iPhone so I can do that now!!! I also have a pushup trainer app (created by the C25K guys) that I'm going to be using for upperbody workouts until I can get in a gym (along with kettlebells).
Goal for this week: GET BACK TO 225!!!
Motivation: 5K & PC Beach!
Week 3 on Iodine... Still at 2 drops a day. I found out the hard way that if I do not eat a good breakfast, I will get sick. I'm talking headaches, stomach aches, body aches, flu-like symptoms, dizziness, faint, etc. I was volunteering at the Special Olympics today and almost passed out of the field because I didn't eat enough food for breakfast with my Iodine. I was also severely dehydrated.
That being said... I ate some food and drank a LOT of water. I also drank a celtic sea salt solution (1/2 tsp + 8oz water) called Salt Loading to help reduce detox side effects (mentioned above).
I haven't shown detox symptoms except one the two days that I didn't eat a good breakfast. Since I am cutting out wheat, artificial & processed foods, refined sugars, etc... that means I have very few options for a good and fast breakfast. My breakfast used to consist of greek yogurt but I cannot eat anything with calcium in it with the iodine (which is taken in the morning) so there goes the other half of all breakfast foods. I still eat the yogurt for an afternoon snack along with berries and nuts.
The one thing I need to focus on my eating habits again... I've been travelling a lot the past 3 weeks so I'm out of my eating schedule. (3 small meals, 2 snacks) That has helped so much in the past and I can tell the weight loss has slowed down too. I'm picking it back up this week along with my workouts. Now that I'm home, I can actually use my elliptical again as well as continue my body weight exercises. I'm thinking about adding Bowling and Wii games to the mix... If I can get some friends to go bowling with me. lol
It feels great to be back home and in a controlled environment... I hope it's a long time before I have to leave again! Now, my goal for this week is to get to 220. My weight has been up and down this past week (probably due to travel) so I want to get it back to where it should be.. On track!!! My motivation for this week: This top and those bottoms for my beach trip... I bought them in my correct size which is a little snug so my motivation is to fit better in 3 months.
Detox Day 4: So far so good. Just some headaches but those were expected. Clean eating is actually really tasty if you know what to prepare and how to prepare it. So far, my favorite meals are organic whole wheat pasta and chicken cranberry salad. Those are very yummy. And of course, anything with hummus is great too. I noticed that I really do not have an appetite and I do not eat nearly as much as I used to. My portions are smaller and I still can't finish them! Working out is a chore though. Between the headaches and fatigue, it's hard to get up and run or workout with kettlebells. But I do!
Workout: Speaking of kettlebells, I LOVE working out with kettlebells. I get gym workout worthy routines at home! That makes the whole "working out at home" thing easier!. I need to find a DVD or YouTube video with some kettlebell routines that are different. I'm looking to expand my fitness movement knowledge with this.
Book: I'm still reading the Jillian Michael's book mentioned in one of my past posts. It's a good read for anyone who's truly interested in finding out why they're not losing weight after working out like a mad person. It's hard to focus on but I'm determined.
Motivation: Getting ready for the beach. All I can think about is swimsuits. I'm SO excited! I keep thinking about shorts and t-shirts. Flipflops and tank tops. It's enough to make a fat girl cry and the skinny girl inside her holler! I know I won't be "swimsuit ready" by then but I know I'll be close enough. It's my vacation and I'm going to earn it. Here are some pics that keep me motivated:
(My sister and I at PCB before I gained 50lbs. Still 40lbs overweight)
(PCB)
(Nichol Richi in Miami - Looking super gorgeous and healthy)
Guess what!?!?! I just found out that in 5 months, I will be going to the beach!!! My husband decided that the beach would be a great trip for our 2 year anniversary! I am so excited (and scared). I haven't worn a swimsuit since my honeymoon and that was in a private pool area! The last time I wore a swim suit was about 3-4 years ago when I was a camp counselor and I wore a t-shirt over my suit! OHMY!!! I know I won't be beach ready by then but I hope to have a little more tone and shape so I won't look like a beached whale. Talking about stress! So, with 163 days until my feet touch sand, I will be working out and adjusting my lifestyle a bit more than I expected. I want to look great for the beach. I want to feel confident enough to lay out on the sand and soak up some sun without feeling the need to cover up. I may not be a thin skinny girl but I will be a fit and strong girl.
