5 months later..

Posted in LAP-BAND, life, weight loss, working out by betty

oh hi! remember me? (i feel like i always start blog posts like this because i’m awful at checking in)

lets catch up, shall we?

work: work has been k i l l i n g me, lately. i knew my promotion to budget accountant was going to be a big step, but i didn’t realize QUITE how much more work was going to involved. in the last 4 months, i’ve been working weekends, anywhere from 6am-6/7pm, coming home, eating dinner, then working some more. its been stressful, but the brunt of the work is over, for awhile at least, so i’m breathing easy and trying to take some days off for mental health.

personal life: did i mention i’m gonna be a momma? EEEEEEEK! i want to scream i’m so happy! barbara was officially 15 weeks pregnant this past saturday! she has a little bump and its the cutest thing i’ve ever seen. i even got to feel a few flutters saturday night! her first trimester was KILLER. she had all-day sickness (not just morning) and had tons of food aversions. no weird cravings as of yet, really. the second trimester has been going good, so far! shes tired a lot, but i don’t blame her, SHE’S GROWING A HUMAN. she said the baby hates showers (he/she starts to kick and move around a lot as soon as the water hits her belly) and LOVES dessert 🙂 we already have names picked out, the initials will be T K M regardless of gender, and we’re using the same first name either way, just the middle name will change. our next appointment is august 10th, so hopefully we will find out the sex of the baby then! her due date is january 16, 2016 which is only a few days before her birthday on the 22nd!

also, i always thought it was so annoying when people would say they were “however many weeks pregnant” because then i would have to sit there and figure out how many months, but so much changes week to week, i get it now! whoops!

weight loss/banded life: weight loss has been sloooooow, which i’m totally OK with since work has been SUPER stressful. i’d rather maintain than gain, obviously, so the fact that my weight hasn’t changed much is fine with me. with long work hours, i used the excuse that i was too tired or didn’t have time to workout.. i’m not mad at myself, i just know my body could have been a lot farther than it is right now if i had stuck with it. my weight fluctuates anywhere from 226-231 depending on the time of day and time of month, currently. but, i have lost a pant size and now wear a size 14! i haven’t been able to say that since high school! my eating has been less than stellar, but as soon as i ‘slip up’ or let myself indulge, i try to get back on track and start fresh. i have to say, i’m in SUCH an AMAZING place mentally these days. my urges to binge have been non-existent lately, even with the life stresses and i think that speaks volumes. i’m excited at how much progress i’ve made mentally over the last few months, which i think, is even better than the physical.

i had a few issues with my band, which i talked about on instagram a little. my band was getting to be SO TIGHT that i couldn’t eat real food, only soft food like applesauce and soups/protein shakes. i went to my doctor and had everything checked out. come to find out, it was just stress that was causing the issues and there was nothing wrong with my actual band placement or anything. she did take the little-est bit of liquid out just to help with getting food down and i already feel ten times better!

here is an updated before and during:

i’m happy with where i’m at, but i would also like to see what else i can accomplish. i’m currently considering a whole30 in september just to see how my body reacts without dairy and added/fake sugars, since that’s the only thing that keeps the majority of my diet from being strict paleo/whole30 compliant! i know quite a few people who have done amazing with the program and seem to really enjoy it, so its a serious possibility.. but… i love cheese. haha

anyways, sorry for being so off and on with this blogging thing! i’m going to truly make a point to blog at least weekly, even if its just saying hi and sharing some pictures from my day! i’ll be stopping back in tonight or tomorrow to share a recipe that i plan on making tonight! so stay tuned!

24Feb2015

life update

Posted in advocare, clean eating, LAP-BAND, life, weight loss, working out by betty

GUYS! its been too long!

life has been chugging along, some good, some bad, but i’m still focusing on me to make sure i don’t let all of this hard work slip down the drain.

LIFE:

my last post was in NOVEMBER?! man, the holidays got the best of me. barbara and i got married, went to mexico, and are now in the process of trying to start our family. we’ve had some hiccups happen, but its nothing that is going to stop us from bringing a child into this world.

i’m still incredibly terrified of small, ‘fresh’, babies but i know that will change once it is my own child in my hands.

in january, i finally transitioned to my new role as budget accountant. this transition has been the main reason i’ve been so distant from my blog. instagramming little bits and pieces of my day is easy, but sitting down and writing a post takes a little more time and effort. this position definitely has its peaks and valleys as far as work load go, but i love the new work. i was SO BORED in my other position with all the repetitiveness, and this position switches it up perfectly.

i’m going to chicago next week! its for business (boo), but it’ll be nice to get out and travel some. hopefully i don’t freeze to death up there! i think virginia weather has been cold enough it wont be too much of a shock to my system.

LAPBAND:

my lapband is still doing its job! while i haven’t lost much since november, pounds-wise, my clothes have become a little looser, which is all that matters, right? i’ve never NOT gained during the holidays, so to maintain was a huge accomplishment in my book, because i will admit: i definitely indulged.

between work stress/working long hours/super emotional personal struggle my band got SO TIGHT 2-3 weeks ago that i had to cut it back to liquids for a few days so my band could take a break. i was on full liquids (cream soups, yogurts, pudding, broths, etc) for 5 or 6 days, then slowly transitioned back into soft foods, then normal solids. while it wasn’t the most pleasant situation, it was much needed and i feel a lot better now.

i was suppose to have a fill this monday, but i cancelled the appointment since i’ll be busy at work getting ready for chicago. i’m not sure if my doctor will give me another fill since my episode, but i guess i’ll see when i go back march 17th. i haven’t had a fill since august, so too much liquid in my band shouldn’t be the case and most of the time, i don’t feel restriction like i think i need, i just think all of life’s stresses caught up to me and it made for a not so fun band experience.

i’ll keep you all updated on that one!

FOOD:

i’m still low carbing it as of right now, but my body is craving changed. i’ve taken some serious thought into how to make this a smooth transition without my triggers coming back full force. i’ve been considering going back to body-for-life eating (i documented it before) which is basically balanced intake: 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% healthy fats. i also want to keep the foods i eat as non-processed as possible, sticking to carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, berries, and things like that. breads and other processed carbs are hard on my digestion.

i know its possible to lose weight while eating carbs, they just scare me. i don’t even mean that in a joking manner.. i’ve never known how to limit myself on carbs/sugars, which is why low carb usually works for me. i completely restrict them so im not even tempted to eat them.. but then i get bored.. and eat some dessert.. and you know the drill. i can feel little ‘cheats’ creeping in a little too much which is why i know i need a change.

i’m currently doing an advocare cleanse to give my body a little boost, so i’m going to try to make this transition while cleansing/after the cleanse. again, i’ll keep you updated!

WORKING OUT:

eh. not much to report on here.. i’ve been attempting but getting 2 days, AT BEST, a week. i definitely want to get back into the gym more because my body is starting to feel soft, which i hate. i have a great plan to follow so i just need to get on it! i didn’t lose 75 lbs to stop at this. i still have my dream body to sculpt here!

PROGRESS PICTURES:

here’s what about 75lbs down looks like:

i’m feeling better about myself every day and want to continue to do so. this is the longest i’ve stuck with a weight loss journey and i want to make it work. i’ve had a lot of curve balls thrown my way recently and i haven’t fallen off track like i normally would, so i’m taking that as a good sign.. and honestly, if i stayed at this weight (230 pounds) for the rest of my life, i wouldn’t be mad. i love my body right now, i just want it to be a little tighter. i don’t want abs or a thigh gap or whatever, but i want to be able to lift heavy weights and see some muscle definition in my arms and legs.

soooo.. that’s all i have for you today, folks! hope you enjoyed my update and i hope i wont take so long to post next time!

20Oct2014

my manifesta

Posted in product review, working out by betty

hey y’all! i have a light post for you today! i wanted to talk about a new brand of workout clothes that i’ve recently been introduced to: my manifesta!

so, i was recently contacted by rachel of my manifesta to see if i wanted to try out of their workout clothes. initially, i was hesitant because i had recently ordered some clothes from fabletics that were SUPER cute, but just didn’t fit my body well. the shirt continued to ride up and the pants gave me a muffin top, which is something i’m not used to, since i usually wear old navy fold over pants.

i went onto the my manifesta site and started to do my research and i have to say, i was pleasantly surprised! rachel was struggling with the same things i had felt when wearing my fabletics outfit in the gym. clothes just weren’t working with our curves like they were meant to, since most companies design their clothes based on a size 4/6 women and just add fabric for bigger sizes. she took action and got body measurements from women of all sizes and surveyed what women actually wanted. she didn’t base her sizes off smaller sizes, and used models sized 2/4 – 22/24 to make adjustments to fit every woman.

after reading that, i was sold. i also love that i could get the word out about a small business, since i come from a family that owns their own small business. when i received my outfit, i was ecstatic! it fit perfectly and emphasized everything i wanted, while camouflaging what i wanted to hide. the material is super silky, and i also love that the tank i received, the Sweet Angel Tank, had a built in bra. it gave me a little something extra that sport bras usually flatten out! i also can’t say enough about the Sorry Not Sorry capris. they fit all my junk in the trunk, perfectly, and i was able to move about during my workout without having to constantly tug at my pants. i went from rows to push-ups with no backside flashing!

i could probably write 3 more pages about how much i love this outfit, but i will spare you. if you’re looking for good quality workout clothes, i without a doubt recommend my manifesta! they’re also made in america, which i love! so, i’ll finish my rambling and leave you with a few pictures, pre-workout and during my workout!

annnnnddddd!!! my manifesta was kind enough to make a promo code for my readers! use the code SweatyBetty for 25% off your purchase! you wont regret it! i promise!

*disclaimer: i was sent this outfit free of charge for an honest review on my blog and instagram. all opinions are my own, i will definitely be purchasing items on my own!*

10Oct2014

5 months out

Posted in advocare, LAP-BAND, life, motivation, weight loss, working out by betty

hey there! worst blogger of the year award goes to me! oh well, just be happy you’re getting a post today, ok 🙂 so! i owe you all a update (if you even care)!

everything is going GREAT! i honestly have no complaints. my life has been crazy busy, filled with work, gym, events, weddings, new babies, planning for big thangz in my own life (!!!), so i haven’t had much free time to just hang out and type up a blog post.

so WEIGHT LOSS! this is a weight loss blog, so i guess i owe you an update on that! as of the 8th, i’m 5 months post-op from lap-band surgery. i’m currently down 66 lbs and feeling amazing! for some reason 66 lbs doesn’t feel like a huge loss for me, but i feel so much better physically that it’s crazy! i can move around so much better, clothes are actually comfortable to wear, and i can actually look at myself in the mirror without being disgusted.

i still want to lose 40-60 more pounds depending on how i look at those 2 stages, and i’ll re-asses my goals when i reach that point. as i’ve mentioned in the past, i’m not trying to be super skinny, just healthy. if i get somewhere between 170-200 i’ll be happy. i still have a stomach pooch, flabby arm skin, and some thigh fat that i’d like to go away, so 40-60 seems like a good number to me.

here is an updated before and after:

lets see, what else. i’m continuing to use a low carb diet as means of diet. i’ve incorporated more fats into my diet to help with satiety, and it really seems to be helping. i’ve done some research on the ketogenic diet and that is basically the plan i am following at this point. here is the diet explained better than anything i can give you, from this website:

A ketogenic diet is quite simply any diet that forces the body into a process called ketosis, whereby fats are burned instead of carbohydrates for use as energy. A proper ketogenic diet calls for the dieter to consume high amounts of fat, adequate amounts of protein, and very low amounts of carbohydrates. Our bodies are used to turning carbohydrates into glucose to send all over the body as energy. When we enter ketosis by sufficiently limiting our carbohydrate intake, our livers start breaking down fat cells into fatty acids and ketones, to be used as energy.

i enjoy the higher fat aspect, because i can still enjoy some things that i normally wouldn’t on your typical weight loss surgery diet which is low-carb, low fat. i get to eat avocados, bacon, butter, and all of the macadamia nuts i want (well, within reason) and still lose weight, which is awesome!

i did complete an advocare cleanse, and cut out higher fat foods and dairy for 10 days, which was torture to my cheese loving self, but i did well and lost quite a few inches! i’m continuing using the MNS products, but it has been a little hard getting the pills in since my last fill. i can take them all, i just have to take them one by one so they don’t get ‘stuck’. i do find a huge difference in energy when i take them and when i forget to take them, so i’m going to stick with those.

i’ve been really into seafood lately, so tilapia and shrimp have been on the menu quite a few times. i also found a sweet kale salad at costco that i’m obsessed with, but had to stop using the dressing, because it had too much sugar and kept kicking me out of ketosis.

pistachio crusted tilapia w. sweet kale salad:

bbq shrimp & cauliflower ‘grits’:

andddd i’ve also had my fair share of ‘treat’ meals. all along, i’ve mentioned i don’t want this experience to be just like every other attempt at weight loss. i’m trying to keep myself from binging on everything bad, so when i’m craving something, i’ll let myself have it. like chips and margaritas! & ice cream, obviously.

i’m still going to the gym regularly, which is great for me! i usually go 2-3 months, then get burned out and stop going. i had a little spout where i didn’t feel motivated, but i pushed through it and i average about 3-4 days in the gym, sometimes 5, but that’s definitely not always the case. i’m lifting heavy, incorporating a lot of superset/drop sets, and doing SOME cardio. not MUCH, but some! my workouts have been really intense with the new plan i’m doing, though, so i do keep my heart rate pretty high while lifting, so who needs cardio, right?

i can’t really think of anything else! fitness and eating, with work, take up a lot of my life right now! i’ll leave you with a picture of the baby, because i’m sure everyone would like to see his face versus mine any day.

xoxo

13Jun2014

life, lately.

Posted in LAP-BAND, life, motivation, weight loss, working out by betty

hey guys! hopefully you remember me! i would say sorry for not posting so often, but i’m not. i’m living my life and enjoying every second of it. i’ll give you a quick recap of how life has been the last couple of weeks!

30 lbs down!

life with my LAP-BAND has been great, so far! i have no complaints and my doctor thinks i’m doing very well! at this point, i’ve lost 34 lbs, and i’m sure plenty of inches (i need to measure myself, soon!). clothes are getting looser and i don’t feel awful in my skin anymore. it’s hard to keep perspective, sometimes, since i still have about 95 lbs until my first ‘goal’ weight, but the other day, when i was using 2, 15 lb dumbbells, i realized that was how much i lost so far. i really need to appreciate every pound i lose, as i lose it!

284 vs 272

i’ve been working out 5 days a week! i really don’t know who i am anymore! i had zero motivation to go to the gym for the last year and half or so, but i really have this spark right now and i’m pushing it as far as it will go! my workouts consist of lifting 5x/week (arms+shoulders, chest+back, and legs alternating throughout the week) and cardio 3x/week. i like to keep cardio short and sweet, so i’ve been trying my best to incorporate Body-for-Life HIIT routines in there. i can feel gains in my strength AND endurance, so it’s a nice feeling.

my go-to pre-workout

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

barbell chest press

i’ve also been trying to get my 10,000 steps in a day, with my FitBit, but it’s HARD! i walk a mile at 10am with a co-worker, but even with those steps, on days where i don’t do cardio, i’m only getting 6-7,000 steps. i need to get better at walking around the office. i get so busy, sometimes, i’ll only get up twice to use the bathroom and fill up my water!

food intake has been good, as well! i’m getting my proteins in first, then veggies. i haven’t been consuming many carbs because 1. i don’t really have room and 2. they seem to be a problem with most banders, so i’m holding off on them for awhile. i’d like to get closer to goal before i start introducing them back into my diet.

chipotle bowl (just barbacoa, sour cream, cheese & lettuce)

the hardest part of this journey so far, is LISTENING TO MY BODY. some days i feel SO HUNGRY, and after 4 bites, i feel full. i want to continue to eat, because i convince myself that there is NO WAY those little bites of food have made me full, but they do! if i feel hungry at work, i’ll pop in a piece of gum, and if i’m still hungry after 20 minutes, i’ll let myself eat a snack, if i’m not, i’ll continue chewing my gum and drinking my water. i had my first fill wednesday and know that now it’s more important than ever that i start measuring my food to 1/2 cup portions. i don’t want to risk stretching my pouch and ruining everything i’ve gone through over the last year because i was being mindless.

snack: 1/4 cup of mixed nuts

tuna salad + pork rinds

and yes, i had my first fill! and it wasn’t that bad! so, i’m a really big baby when it comes to needles. why i decided to get the weight loss surgery that included needles is beyond me, but i did good! i went into the hospital and checked-in. about an hour of waiting later, they were ready for my fill. my doctor does all fills under fluoroscopy, which is basically just a real-time x-ray. they insert the needle into the port, remove all the fluid, then insert however many CCs of saline they decide on, depending on how much restriction you need. this is followed by a barium solution (to show contrast) to see how much restriction there really is. well, while this was going on, they realized the needle they had inserted had a crack in it, so they had to insert another needle. after that, everything went fine, and i now have 4.4cc’s in my band.

after a fill, your stomach can swell where the band is attached, so my doctor put me on 2 days of full liquids, 2 days of soft foods, then back to solid food again, being careful to not get anything stuck! today was day 1 of soft foods and my 1 egg + 1 egg white, which i could only eat 4 bites of, has already kept me full for 2 hours at this point, so i’d like to think i can feel the restriction from the fill.

post fill, liquid phase: cream of chicken soup mixed + broth + unjury chicken soup protein

post fill, soft food phase: scrambled egg w. cheese & ketchup

so, i’m sure i’ve bored you enough by now! this has been my life, lately. wake-up, work, workout, cook dinner (& lunch for tomorrow), watch a show or two on tv, then pass out. i don’t hate it. i feel great and my attitude has been amazing, so no complaints here 🙂

Q: what have you been up to lately?

28May2014

life with lap-band

Posted in LAP-BAND, weight loss, working out by betty

hey guys! long time no talk! i’m 3 weeks post-op tomorrow and feeling great! i’ll give you a quick update, because i’m sure you don’t want to read over 3 weeks of details about my life.

so, surgery.. surgery went well thursday morning (may 8th). i’m not going to lie though, i was HURTING afterwords. i had read a lot about gas pains and discomfort from the gas they pump into you during surgery, but i didn’t have any of that. what i did have was some serious discomfort on my right side from my port. since they stitch your port (to fill the lap-band with saline) to your muscle wall, it can become pretty sore after surgery. getting in and out of bed and on and off the couch was excruciating the first 4 days. i also had a hiatal hernia repair, which could have contributed to the pain.

after a few days, i was feeling back to normal. i was thankful to have my sister there with me, even though i hate having people take care of me. as much as i want to get up and get myself every drink and protein shake, it was too unbearable, and she was there to help me out.

my post-op diet was full liquids once i left the hospital friday morning. while i was in the hospital, i sipped on little cups of water or broth, but wasn’t able to drink much at a time, because i was still pretty swollen from the surgery. my full liquid diet included 2 – 8oz protein shakes, i used protizyme peanut butter cookie (SO good), and 1 – 8oz creamy soup, mixed with protein. for the protein, instead of doing unflavored, i tried unjury chicken soup flavor and was pleasantly surprised! it had a really great flavor and didn’t get lumpy. i mixed it with both cream of chicken soup and golden mushroom. i stuck with the mushroom, because the cream of chicken hurt my stomach.

within the first week, i lost 7 lbs! i know, i was only drinking liquids, and had a very low calorie diet, but i was still excited with this loss. i had a one week follow-up appointment with my nurse practitioner and she was very happy with my results up until then. at that appointment she moved my diet from full liquid to stage 2 and 3 ‘mushy’ food. which is just easily chewed foods that aren’t dry. she recommended eggs, chicken/egg salad, steamed veggies, yogurt, and things like that, making sure i was still getting 60 g of protein in daily.

she also cleared me to exercise! well, not the fun kind of exercise, like lifting, she said i was allowed to swim and try out cardio. no heavy lifting or ab workouts. if you know me, you know i hate cardio, but i know i need to get active, so i’ve been in the gym every weekday for the last 2 weeks getting my sweat on. i started out with steady state elliptical and treadmill routines, but then tried some HIITs to change it up. i like HIITs a lot better because i don’t have time to watch the minutes drag by, i’m too busy changing the speed up.

here’s a comparison picture of the day of surgery and then 1 1/2 weeks later:

its not a huge transformation, but i was wearing the same outfit and wanted to see if there was difference. i can tell in my stomach area, some. also my work pants are fitting looser already, so its helping me remain positive.

as far as the band goes, i feel some restriction in the mornings, especially when i’m eating food, not drinking a shake, but as the day goes on, food doesn’t satisfy me as long. i’m trying to keep my portion around 1/2 to 3/4 cup, but sometimes, i’m hungry with an hour or two. i’ve heard some people refer to this as ‘bandster hell’ because you have the band inserted with no restriction, so you’re still doing all the work, eating very little, without feeling fuller longer. i’m determined to breeze right through this phase until my first fill in 3 more weeks.

all-in-all, everything is going REALLY good. i’m SO happy with my decision. this wasn’t an easy one for me to make. i was SURE i could do this on my own, but i just couldn’t make it work. i have my 3 week follow-up appointment tomorrow morning, so i’m hoping i will get moved to light lifting and a few less food restrictions.

and because i was feeling really good this morning, i took a picture to document my mood. 30 lbs down and feeling great!

highest weight: 303 lbs
current weight: 273 lbs
weight loss: 30 lbs
1st goal weight: 175 lbs

hope y’all are having a great week!!

5Sep2013

wordless wednesday

Posted in advocare, clean eating, life, working out by betty

22Aug2013

advocare cleanse recap

Posted in advocare, clean eating, weight loss, working out by betty

sooooo.. the cleanse is officially over! now it’s time for the max phase of the challenge! i can’t tell you enough how excited i am to complete this challenge. most ‘challenges’ i have tried in the past usually wind up with me getting bored before i actually finish. that’s what makes this challenge so different. 24 days will pass you by before you even know it!

grab some snacks, this could get long.

so, what’s the cleanse been like? i never really felt like i was actually doing a ‘cleanse’ because i was still eating great food and enjoying normal activities. the company suggests you cut out processed food, white flour, sugar, high-cal dressings, soda, and alcohol, replacing them with lean proteins, veggies, and complex carbs (beans, oatmeal, quinoa, whole grains). drinking plenty of water (they suggested half your body weight in ounces). and, they also suggest exercising regularly, which i ended up doing 1.5 – 2 hrs of lifting + cardio every morning. i cut out the cardio after work, because i quickly felt burnt out, and i wanted to complete this challenge strong.

(two 24 day challenge, only one is mine)

here’s a rundown of what my days looked like on average:

day 1-3:

4:14 a.m. – roll out of bed, moaning and groaning
4:30 a.m. – spark + catalyst pre-workout
6:30 a.m. – fiber drink + protein shake post-workout
10:00 a.m. – snack (almonds + hardboiled egg OR rice cake + almond butter)
1:00 p.m. – catalyst
1:30 p.m. – lunch (leftovers from night before, usually chicken/fish + veggies + quinoa/brown rice)
~3:30 p.m. – snack (almonds + hardboiled egg OR rice cake + avocado)
7:00 p.m. – omegaplex + dinner (chicken/fish/bison + veggie and sometimes complex carbs if feeling completely depleted, which only happened one day.)
9:30 p.m. – herbal cleanse caplets + catalyst + protein shake
10:00 p.m. – in bed

day 4-7:

same as day 1-3, except replace probiotic restore with fiber drink (!!!!)

day 8-10:

same as day 1-3, except take both probiotic restore and fiber drink, leave out herbal cleanse caplets at night.

it seemed a little intimidating, at first, and i carried my calendar around with what-to-take-and-when, but after the second day, i got the hang of it. i would double check just to make sure i was taking the right thing in the morning and at night, since those are the only things that change through the cleanse.

i, also, never felt any harsh ‘cleanse’ effects happening during the 10 days either. yes, it did make me regular, but i never felt like i was running to the bathroom, unless you count the bathroom breaks from drinking so much water.

the ONLY part of the cleanse i didn’t particularly enjoy was the fiber drink. i read plenty of reviews, beforehand, so i knew that it was just something i needed to mix, chug, and get it over with. it wasn’t the taste that was bad, either. it had a very gritty thick texture that wasn’t very appealing. i was happy it wasn’t on days 4 through 7, and i’m very happy it’s over with for good, now. as much as i didn’t enjoy the fiber drink, it wouldn’t be enough to make me not want to try this cleanse again down the road. advocare actually suggests doing this every 3 months.

so, how did i feel during the cleanse? i felt awesome. i cannot stress that enough. i want to be clear that i wasn’t eating terrible before i started this thing. no, i wasn’t working out, but i kept most of my meals clean, especially during the week. my downfall was late night ice cream, weekend eating out, and watching my portions. just because the meal is ‘clean’ doesn’t mean you can have 2 large servings. i was constantly tired. i felt groggy all the time. even if i wanted to workout, i felt so tired all the time i couldn’t seem to drag myself to the gym.

soooo, how were my results??? YOU GUYS, when i saw the numbers i was SHOCKED! i know i feel 10x better, but the numbers are making me glow with confidence! i knew my weight was consistently going down, because of that problem i have (which i’m working on). but, when i took my measurements and started comparing them with 10 days before, I WAS ESTATIC! so, here they are:

THAT’S TWELVE AND A HALF INCHES, IN TEN DAYS.

so, am i happy with the results so far? ummm, do ya think???!?! i’m really excited to finish this challenge strong. these results are proof of my hard work and dedication and i can’t wait to see what kind of results i can pull off after 14 more days!!

*i am not an Advocare distributor, but my fiancé is. all of my opinions on Advocare would be the same regardless of this.*

14Aug2013

late dinner

Posted in advocare, clean eating, working out by betty

hey there! yesterday was day 2 down in the books, 22 to go. okay, i might not keep doing that, cause it sounds a little discouraging. but i feel great and don’t have many complaints right now. this advocare 24 day challenge doesn’t seem like it’ll be too rough to stick with.

i switched yesterday up a little, moving the 2 hour portion of the workout to the afternoon, which meant ~45 mins of morning cardio. i did Just Dance – Just Sweat and felt like i got a really good workout. my HRM told me i burned 380 calories, so i’m going to stick with that. i seriously love this kind of cardio; i don’t feel like i’m working out at all, and the whole thing goes by really fast!

you see that squiggly line up top? the game incorporates different moves to lower/raise your heart rate. i think that’s a really cool feature.

after cardio, i got ready for work and off i went! my day was pretty much the same as day 1, with a few changes here and there. here’s what it looked liked:

6:15 a.m. – catalyst + spark pre-workout

7:00 a.m. – fiber drink + protein shake (GNC Pro Performance chocolate) post-workout

10:00 a.m. – 1/3 cup of raw almonds + hardboiled egg w. mustard/hot sauce

1:00 p.m. – catalyst

1:30 p.m. – leftover stuffed peppers topped with frank’s hot sauce.

3:00 p.m. – edamame (already kind of bored with this)

insert 2 hours of weight training (chest) and cardio here.

8:45 p.m. – omegaplex + 4 oz. seared tuna steaks w. bragg’s liquid aminos* & wasabi and some roasted broccoli with nutritional yeast sprinkled on top. (i’m really trying to keep dinner creative. i know 24 days is a long time to be bored with bland, tasteless food. so even if my snacks were lacking, this definitely made up for all of it!)

9:30 p.m. – herbal cleanse tablets + protein shake which consisted of GNC Pro Performance chocolate protein, almond milk, and ice cubes.

daily water intake: 150 oz.

*can i please talk about these liquid aminos for a second? i’ve never tried them before and i’m IN LOVE. i’ve tried other products from this company with no complaints, but for some reason, i had never picked up this product. i had pretty much stopped using soy sauce altogether because the taste was so salty i couldn’t stand it. this is the perfect balance and still tastes like soy sauce. i added some wasabi in there for an extra heat factor, and the combo was nothing short of amazing.

thoughts on the products? same as day one.. the plan is easy to follow, the fiber drink isn’t the greatest, the cleanse wasn’t too harsh.

thoughts on my day? did you happen to notice the time dinner occurred? that’s SUPER late for me. here’s why it happened: i don’t get off work until about 5:15, so by the time i was changed and ready at the gym, it was around 5:45 and then i didn’t finish until 7:30. then, i had to run to the grocery store and buy some stuff to make dinner for a co-worker (she’s undergoing chemotherapy right now, so we set up a ‘meal train’ and my food was due today). by the time i got home and put everything away, it was 8:15.. my dinner was simple, throw it on the pan to roast or sear, but i also had to make BBQ chicken and pasta salad. so, needless to say, i didn’t eat until 8:45. not only was i STARVING after that workout, i really hate eating so late; i’m old and like to get into bed by 10pm and i like to let my food digest before i lay horizontally for several hours. i think from here on out, i’ll be getting my long workout done in the morning, so all i have is quick cardio in the afternoons.

even though i wasn’t happy with how late dinner happened, the rest of the day was pretty good. i’m starting to get a lot more energy, i turned down a piece of Costco cake after lunch (progress), and i would still rather lift instead of cardio. i need to find something to replace my edamame snack, because i’m already super bored with it. any suggestions will be appreciated.

myfitnesspal daily summary:

sorry if this is all repetitive, and i wont get offended if you stop reading. this really helps me document everything so i can look back at what’s working and what’s not.

i also realize this is about documenting weight-loss and you haven’t heard anything about that. i’ll write something up at the end of the cleanse, then at the end of the burn phase. it’s going to take all i have to make those numbers public. the only person that knows that number right now is myself and my doctor. it’s actually giving me anxiety just thinking about it now, so i’ll leave it at that.

Q: Do you have a set dinner schedule or does it vary from hour to hour? i am a much happier person if i can get dinner in around 6:30 or 7p.m. anything after that, i start getting cranky and anxious.

13Aug2013

day one

Posted in advocare, clean eating, working out by betty

hi! so yesterday was the first day of my 24 day challenge. i’ve been following quite a few fitness people on instagram, lately, one of them being Jess, from TrulyJess.com. this girl is a total inspiration and i’ve been following her for a good two years now. she’s someone very relatable, because she does struggle, and she’s not afraid of hiding it. if she falls off the wagon, she gets right back up and pushes herself that much more. from there i found Keri and talked to her about my situation. she was more than supportive and told me about Advocare, which are the same supplements i had recently heard Jess talk about.

i ended up ordering the 24 day challenge for many reasons:

i have nowhere to go but down on the scale. i will not gain one more pound if it’s the last thing i do.
i felt like i needed something to kick-start my transformation. i’ve been sluggish, moody, and tired for a while now and i know its because i’m putting junk in my body.
24 days didn’t seem like a long time. most challenges are 90 days, maybe 60.. but 24 days seems really attainable. if what i’m doing at the end of the 24 days isn’t working like i think it should, i’ll reevaluate and go from there.

this challenge is broken down into two phases, a cleanse phase and a burn phase. the cleanse phase is 10 days, but you’re still able to eat real food, which i like. a lot of times, i fail miserably on cleanses because my body feels so deprived, i give up. the cleanse comes with a morning fiber drink, spark (a coffee replacement), before dinner, and before bed supplements. the plan suggests you eat 3 clean, balance meals (protein, veggie, complex carb) with 3 snacks in between (more on my eats in a second). the burn phase is an additional 14 days. this comes with a meal replacement shake (recommended for mornings), supplements called Metabolic Nutrition System (MNS®) geared toward your goals (mine have serious appetite control), and some more spark. again, same with the clean eating in the cleanse phase.

advocare

(two 24 day challenges. only one for me.)

i wont go into the daily breakdown now, instead i’ll sum those up in posts when i finish them. the program also suggests working out to maximize results. Keri gave me some insight on what she did during her challenge (which she had AMAZING results, btw), so i have mirrored my training after hers, with some of my own tweaks here and there. she was in the gym for 3 hrs/day.. um yeah. that sounds crazy, right?

well, i guess i’m crazy, too, because i worked out for a total of 2 hrs and 25 mins yesterday; broken into two workouts. i headed to the gym bright and early yesterday at 5:00 am. i did an hour of lifting, which included arms + abs, then finished with cardio. i tried hopping in on a spin class, but my tailbone hasn’t been right since i had surgery last year, so i dropped out during minute 16. then did a mix of the arc trainer + treadmill with mini-HIIT workouts. i felt like i got a lot out of the workout and my Puma HRM said i burned 1,062 calories. holla!

i got showered and ready at the gym, headed to work, and made sure to keep on track with my meals. here is what my day of eats looked like:

4:30 a.m. – catalyst + spark pre-workout

7:00 a.m. – fiber drink + protein shake (BSN – SYNTHA 6 Vanilla) post-workout

9:30 a.m. – 1/3 cup of raw almonds

12:00 p.m. – catalyst

12:30 p.m. – 2 grilled chicken tenders + cucumbers & tomatoes (definitely nothing too exciting here. i had some cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden that needed to be used up, so i just chopped those up for lunch.)

3:00 p.m. – edamame ( i picked up from Costco)

insert Just Dance – Just Sweat workout here. another 335 calories burned.

7:00 p.m. – omegaplex + bison stuff peppers & roasted okra tossed in some nutritional yeast.

9:00 p.m. – herbal cleanse tablets + protein shake which consisted of GNC Pro Performance chocolate protein, 1/2 a banana, almond milk, and ice cubes. i actually really enjoy this protein. its low in carbs and doesn’t hurt my stomach. it was nice to end the day with something sweet since i was on an ice cream kick there for awhile.. i’m looking at you sea salt caramel Gelato Haagen-Dazs. have y’all tried that stuff? if you haven’t, don’t… you wont know what you’re missing 🙂

daily water intake: i lost track, but i’d say somewhere in between 180-200 oz.

thoughts on the products? so far, so good! i don’t have any complaints. the spark really helped give me something extra at the gym. my 4:00 a.m. wake-up came early, but i didn’t really feel tired. the cleanse portion wasn’t harsh either. i had heard stories that the fiber was kinda rough, so i just chugged that down. it definitely wasn’t pleasant. my stomach got a little ‘girgle-y’ a little before lunch time, but that was the only effects i really saw of the cleanse.

thoughts on my day? all-in-all, i felt like i had a really good day. i felt like i was dragging at work from 4-5, but i’m going to say it’s because i had already been up so long; i may take some spark tomorrow if i feel like that again.. lunch was lacking in the flavor department, so i know if i’m going to stick to this i’m going to have to get creative. i’m adding a hard boiled egg to my almond snack for a little extra staying power, because i was pretty hungry going into lunch. dinner was amazing, i added some salt-free seasoning to the bison + green chiles + organic diced tomatoes and then stuffed some peppers. it had a lot of flavor going for it. my favorite part of the day was having something sweet to end with. i have a feeling those chocolate protein shakes will become a staple.

myfitnesspal daily summary:

that’s it for day one of my challenge! i’ll be back either tonight or tomorrow with a recap of day two! thanks for stopping by! and if i kept you this long, thanks for reading! not all posts will be this wordy.. promise!

Q: what’s your after dinner eating habits? is your night now complete without a sweet treat? do you brush your teeth right after dinner to curb snacking? i’m def a sweet-after-dinner kinda girl. like i said, the ice cream got a little out of hand there for awhile.

Sweaty Betty

..my journey to a healthy weight & happy life.

Category Archives: working out