Change of Lifestyle! (AKA Nutrition) Part 2

OK back to Nutrition, and how it became more than just dieting, it became a lifestyle.  I think I got a little off track in my last post, but hopefully I got the point across that making these healthy choices should be LIFESTYLE and not about the "UGH  I'm on a diet" mentality.    So I'm going to share how I did it.  Keep in mind.  This ENTIRE post is about FOOD and the PROPER NUTRITION.   also, I might add that I am NOT a professional, just sharing what worked for me.  With making this change of eating habits, I slowly transitioned from point to point.  Other people may be an ALL or NOTHING change over mentality.  But this is what worked for me. 

I mentioned in my last post some suggestions.  Food Logging is one of the most important things you can do to get things started in the right direction.  Like I said before, you are less likely to eat that dessert knowing that you have to write down that you ate it!
Other suggestions I made before were to read all the ingredient labels, and AVOID High Fructose Corn Syrup, Enriched or bleached flours.   I found my very first food log the other day.  Here is what a typical day looked like for me

Breakfast--   1Whole Egg with 3 egg whites (4whites, 1yolk)
                     Oatmeal with cinnamon (I was bad and always did instant) or at first I didnt like oatmeal,                      ate brown rice in the morning intead.

Snack--         Protien Shake or half a large apple with natural peanut butter.

Lunch--         Baked Chicken with Brown rice and carrots

Snack--         Same snack as above  or half a peanut butter sandwich on WHOLE WHEAT

Dinner--         Salmon witch veggies/ or Chicken with Veggies

Snack--          Slice of cheese

Pretty simple switch over. All these meals were anywhere from 2-4 hours apart.  From this sort of menu, I was able to figure out ways to expand the menu on my own. In other words, I felt more successful being given a SPECIFIC menu, and then also knowing the guidlines so that I could make modifications.   for example witch Pasta I would use gluten free brown rice pasta.  If I would have been just given "guidlines" then I probably wouldn't have had the success I have had so far.  Now if this is a complete nutrtion makeover for you, like maybe you were eating out alot or fast food, etc.  This will probably work for you.  It worked for me for a little while, but when I reached a plateau, there needed to be adjustments.  So the first adjustment I made to this menu was NO FRUIT after Lunch time.  Yes fruit is good for you, but when you are at a stand still and want results, putting that little bit of extra sugar can make the difference.  Also same thing with the breads and rice, I would have them before lunch, but the dinner consisted of just protein and vegetable.    This helped kick start me again in the right direction!  And after food logging for 3 months I was on a good enough routine that I was able to keep myself on track, with my eating schedule, and it was just second nature to know what I was supposed to be eating. 

When I went back to school in the Fall 2009. I also got that job downtown, so I fell out of my routine, and gained some weight.  Jan2010, I started food logging again, and also made a few changes to my diet.  My trainer at the time had introduced me to Paleo.   Now this is not a word to be scared of.  And this change over was not 100% Paleo.  Just some small changes. I eliminated ALL grain.  so from the menu above I was no longer eating bread, oatmeal or rice.   Breakfast now consisted of the eggs, and Avocado.  Lunch was now Chicken with avocado and Raw broccoli.(you can have it cooked too)  And that was really the only "Paleo" changes that I made to my eating.  I still had cheese and milk as part of my routine.  I started journaling again to stay on track.  Eating with just those small of changes really prepared me for what was about to happen.  When I entered the world of Crossfit, I found out that the perferred nutrition is Paleo.    I was already half way there.  But what happened is that I was just given the guidelines of Paleo, and not a specific.  So like many people that enter the Paleo way of eating, they might get the thought of not having to use portion control etc.   So here were the some of the guidelines that were given to me.  No Dairy(cheese, milkk, etc)Protiens--Eat grass fed beef, Free range Chicken, and cage free eggs + the DHA omega-3s, and Wild caught fish, not farm raised.
Fruits and Veggies-  avoid tropical fruit, stick with local grown items. And then Nuts, seeds, berries, but not peanuts!!    Pretty simple guidelines, but somehow I ended up not quite feeling like I was doing it right.  Felt like I wasn't in control.  
 When I switched Crossfit gyms, my new coach took the time to explain ZONE eating to me.  Zone eating put me in control of my portions in terms of getting the proper amounts of Protien, Fats, and Carbs each time I ate.  And then I was able to apply those Paleo principles to how I ate in the ZONE.    Zone used the principle that you need 40%carbs, and 30% of each protien and fat.  And to make it easier to measure your daily intake you can count in blocks.  for example, 9g of Carbs is one block, and 7g of protien is 1 block, and 1.5g of fat is 1 block.   you don't have to be a Math wiz to figure this stuff out, because you can find the info anywhere.  My coach gave me a print out.  1 egg = 1 block of protien.etc etc  I need to eat a 3 block breakfast, so I would just follow the chart to pick out 3 blocks of each protien, fat, and carb.    Let's Make this simpler and I will just show you my typical food log now that I am IN THE ZONE WITH PALEO!  =)

Breakfast-- 3 eggs cooked with 1/4 cup of each onion, red bell, green bell, mushrooms
                   1cup of strawberries, 1/2 cup of blueberries
                   1/4 of large avocado(about 3 TBS)

Snack--       1 1/2 oz turkey
                    1/2 apple or pear
                    4 Almonds

lunch--         3oz chicken
                    2 cups broccoli and 1cup squash
                    1/4 of large avocado

snack--        boiled Egg
                    little cutie orange
                    4 almonds

dinner--       4oz of white fish(I like orange roughy)
                    6 spears of asparagus
                    2 cups of spinach with Olive oil and Red Wine Vinegar

snack--      depends on how late I eat dinner, but very important to eat b4 bed so that you keep yourself anabolic while you sleep.!

Here are some pictures of my current food eatings...

STOCK THE FRIDGE FOR SUCCESS!!

 This breakfast looks WAY more delicious than what I used to eat!

 Simple Snack

 Yummy lunch I think this was Cod fish

 A salad to go with the lunch.

Looks pretty delicious huh??   =)  

Aside from changing my eating habits, my coach introduced me to AdvoCare products.  My best suggestion about these are to do the 24 day challenge.  And see how you feel afterwards to decide if adding this to your nutritional regimine is for you.  After barely 5 days I was hooked on how great I felt.  And this was just the Cleanse Phase.  I couldn't imagine how I was going to feel once I actually started getting the rest of the nutrition.  Alot of people say "why take vitamins don't you get all you need from your food?"  yes we get alot from our food, BUT our food today isn't even the same as it was 30 years ago.  There are a number of factors that go into that, but how we farm, the soil things are grown in etc are just a few things that affect the nutrient depletion of the food we eat today.  Which is why it is critical to take vitamins to fill the nutritional gap. 
As I was saying I was hooked on these products that I started using, that I decided that I wanted to be able to share with everyone how wonderful they are.  So I became an AdvoCare Independent Distributor.  =)     I am currently on Day 21 of the 24Day Challenge. and after I finished the Cleanse phase on Day10, I also added in a few of the products from the Performance Elite Line since I do workout quite a bit.  From what I hear everyone at my gym has lost between 8-25lbs. or saw a significant decrease in body Fat.  And these were all sorts of people, older, younger, bigger, smaller, some that workout only once a week or some that go everyday. etc etc..  I'm getting measured again on the morning of day 23! YAY!   I will be sure to share what my improvements were! 
If you are interested in checking out the challenge or want more information visit my website, or email me!

Link to 24Day Challenge and Success!!

I hope any of this info about changing eating habits helps!  =)

Change of Lifestyle! (AKA Nutrition) Part 1

Obviously with losing weight, EVERYONE has to start somewhere. Some don't even start because they say they don't like to exercise or have time, people seem to think its all about working out.  But the truth is its WAY more than 80% about your NUTRITION!!!! 

Some people start with trying to figure it out on their own, but when most people try to "do it on their own"  It just does NOT work.  They start out saying they want to lose weight, or maybe just  be healthier, so they decide they need to go on a "DIET"  The problem with "dieting" is that the well known definition of diet is placing limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight.  LIMITATION??  WHOA! I think its just human nature that when we are told we can't do something we just want to do it anyway.  Like when you were a kid and your parents told you not to do something and you did it anyway!!  How about instead of looking at what we CAN'T eat, how about we focus on what we CAN??  Just makes eating healthy sound more bearable.  ha ha.

OK so back to people that try to do it on their own.  This has several meanings.  They could be trying to figure out what they should be eating. And maybe they are just going by what "sounds" healthy.  I can tell you after working in the restaurant industry for 10 years, the things that sound healthy, are sometimes the most unhealthy on the menu!  These people are the ones that are also more likely to end up gaining more because they are unaware of what they are actually putting into their bodies.  Then there are the people that are "dieting" that may actually be eating healthy, but they are truly doing it on their own, because they do not have a support system to back up their eating choices.  I think this happens alot to Moms.  They want to eat healthy but their husband and kids can eat whatever they want.  So then the moms just feel miserable because they are so limited compared to how the rest of the family is eating.  How do we change this?  Well first of all Do NOT DIET!   You have to change your LIFESTYLE.  This means your attitudes and habits that constitute a mode of living.  Things you do daily like eating is part of your lifestyle.  This does not mean you have to deny yourself things you like.  Here is how I changed my eating over the past 2 years,  Yes I am Single, so changing my eating in some ways was probably easier, but eating dinner alone, can be just as hard as eating in front of people. My trainer that I had gotten in 2009 got me on the right path, and my coaches that I have now in Crossfit have also helped me and held me accountable so that I can stay motivated toward my goals.

When you first start out on your new eating lifestyle, you may face some temptations to eat those things that should not be part of your lifestyle.  Cake or pie for example, should not be part of your lifestyle.  Although on special occasions it is perfectly ok to indulge. 
Keeping a food journal is a great way to stay on track until you get in a good routine of knowing what to eat and a schedule of when you eat.  I write down the time and what I ate.  You can even write down how much water you are drinking or times you took your vitamins etc.  If you are writing down everything you are eating, you are less likely to eat that piece of cake, because you won't want to write down that you ate it. 

As far as the things you like,  make these simple changes-- Read the ingredients label if you are going to buy packaged foods.  Avoid anything with High Fructose Corn syrup(some cereals, ketchup, chocolate milk are just a few things I've seen that use this) Stay away from Anything that says "enriched" or "bleached"  such as enriched flour in bread and pastas.  Stick with WHOLE GRAINS.  And also buy things with out preservatives(nitrates and nitrites these are cancer causing).  Deli meat is something usually has them.  Like I said.  Read the labels.

The ratio of what you eat.  Basically 40%   should be carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat(dietary fat such as avocado, almonds or olive oil)    Eating in these ratios will keep your insulin levels level, and eating small snacks in between meals will keep you from getting lethargic late in the afternoon.

I don't want to give too much info about changing your eating lifestyle.  It can be overwhelming!!  My next post will include the rest of how I changed MY eating lifestyle.  (Actually its way past my bed time so that's why this post is to be continued)

Here is some homework for you... so you can get a little more understanding.  Google these terms.
There will be a test!  just kidding.  These are just great terms to know. if you have time to look. 

Anabolic State
Catabolic State
Metabolism
Casein Protein
Whey Protein
Unsaturated Fat
Saturated Fat
Complex Carbohydrate
Simple Carbohydrate
High Glycemic Index

How Did I Get Here??

So getting to this point in my journey didn't just happen.  It all had several "detours"(some longer than others), but needless to say I feel like I am where I need to be.
Some of you may still be trying to figure out what I will be blogging about.  The majority of my posts will be about working out, nutrition, my goals, and how I deal with everyday life.  Ofcourse I am sure there will be posts about the "detours" I might take, as well as relationships, work etc etc. you get the point.  It's MY JOURNEY so I can write about whatever I want!
OK so back to HOW I GOT HERE.

Growing up I was always pretty active, but looking back at grade school pics I could see myself starting to get chubby around 3rd grade.  I think that was about the same time my mom started working, so brother and I were at home alot just eating whatever, and with having two working parents it was hard to always eat the best. 

In the Fall of 2002, I moved to Waco for school.  The first semester I didn't gain any weight, because I took at PE class at school.  But then over the next few years I continued to gain weight.   I weighed about 175lbs, before I decided to do anything about it.  In 2004, my brother had been going to school in Waco also, and introduced me to the Rec Center at the church.  And for even more motivation my mom wanted to go on a mother daughter cruise at Christmas time!  Of course I worked hard.  I didn't know anything about strength training, so I did a few things that looked easy, but the rest of the time I was a CARDIO MACHINE!  In just a few months I had gotten my weight down to 140lbs.  WooHoo!

That's not where it ends..  The summer of 2005, just after my 21st Birthday, I started travelling as a corporate trainer with my job, moved to Austin, and the travel became not just every now and then, but more like ALL THE TIME.  Gone 2-3 weeks and then sometimes only home long enough to do some laundry.(I did this until June2009) Let's just say with this lifestyle also came quite a bit of weight gain, in less than a years time.  Thanksgiving 2005 I found out my mom had cancer, and in March of 2007 is when she went to Heaven.  The next few months were pretty stressful, I was still travelling and living with my dad wanting to make sure he was going to be ok.  October 2007, I decided I needed to do something about my weight gain, and that I needed to be active again.  My brother had been into cycling for the longest time, and he had gotten his wife into cycling.  So I bit the bullet and dropped the cash for the all out set up with a Specialized Road Bike.(shoes, clip on pedals..EVERYTHING).  I loved riding, but wasn't losing weight.  

May 2008, my sister-in-law convinced me we should do this sprint distance triathlon together.  I think competing set something off inside of me.  Knowing that I could do better.  Once I moved back to Austin at the end of 2008 I joined Gold's Gym, and some how when talking to the membership coordinator(Those guys are sneaky) I also got a personal trainer!  This was probably the best thing that could ever happen to me. I got one that actually cared about his clients and getting them results.  This was me at the start of working with the trainer.

I can't beleive I just posted that for the world to see!  Just after a few short months of strength training and food journaling I was starting to see amazing results.  (I'll write about my nutrition in a seperate post.)  Once again I was still travelling, a little less often though. And I was managing to still get my workouts in even with working 55+ hours a week on an opening.  The last opening I did was June2009.  And I had worked back down to 145lbs at about 26% bodyfat.  

Fall 2009-- went back to school and started bartending downtown mid semester.  I slacked on diet, ate late at night, had shots, and even though I didn't get drunk every night, it was a lifestyle that didn't agree with my body.  January 2010--My weight had jumped to 161 lbs and about 30% body fat.  From there on my trainer measured me every month because he knew I liked to see my results. And we took progress pics. The last measures I took with that trainer were in August 2010.  I weighed in at 153 lbs and 25% body fat.(Going to keep you in suspense for the progression pictures!)

September 2010--I had been at my new job for 4 months and was making salary for the first time in my life instead of relying on tips.  But having a personal trainer was getting expensive.  I had always heard good things about Crossfit.  So when a friend invited me to a free Saturday workout I was more than ready to try it out!  I was hooked.  After seeing how phenominal these coaches were, and how strong.. I knew I needed to be doing this type of training.  I searched the Internet and found the "box" or "garage gym" that would be my home for the next 4 months.  After visiting another gym in December,  I realized that it should be my Crossfit home.  Within days the Head Coach had me journaling my food, workouts, starting this 24 Day challenge the day after Christmas, Pushing me and Cheering me on day after day through each of the WODs.  All the things I needed. Motivation and someone who recognized that I was working hard to get where I want to be.  We measured when I started at the new Crossfit gym... This is what I look like now..

I am still on my way to where I want to be but now I feel like my goals aren't just talk, and that I have an actual plan to get there.  I am currently doing the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. I am finishing up Day 9.  Stay tuned for a future postings about my Results, Nutrition and  Goals.   But now you have a pretty detailed background on me and know how I got "HERE", I hope that my determination and having to start over on my weight loss goals a couple times will inpire all of you to continue working toward your own goals, no matter what they may be! 

Welcome to my BLOG!!

Welcome to my Blog! I am so glad you have decided to follow me on my journey.  Just to start, I'll give a little history and insight to...hmm well ME.  =)  And then fill you in on the rest along the way!
First off, I decided to Blog because its a new year and I have BIG fitness goals for myself this year, hence the name "My Journey--With Life's Detours"  because as we all know, LIFE HAPPENS, and it may be good or bad, but either way things happen to get you off track.  I am writing this blog to hopefully inspire people that they can also acheive their goals even when everyday "detours" come up.