Day 3: Who's perfect? My 4 minute workout

Hello there again! I've already missed a few blogging my 31 days and it's just the beginning! But who's perfect right? The weather up here has been pretty nasty the last few days. Cold, rainy, and even some snowy rain. I'm not going to call it the first snow of the year yet because it was more like slush, but it's coming soon!

The latest weather was definitely NOT motivating me to get my move on. Snuggling up with coffee and movies just sounded so much better :-) Yesterday we did end up getting out of the house a bit. The hubby is really into 'Jeeping' so we took the Jeep up north with some friends to hit the back trails and look at all the beautiful colors.

It was an amazing time, but I did spend the majority of my day sitting on my butt. We even hit up Applebees 1/2 off apps afterwards so by the time we got home I was SO ready for bed. But then I thought, "Crap, I made a goal to do SOMETHING everyday, and I can't miss two days in a row!?" and after missing the first day out of pure laziness (it happens right?) I decided to bust out my 4 minute Tabata Kettlebell workout.

I don't remember when I first heard about Tabata, but now it's become a regular for sneaking in a very quick workout at the end of the day. With any Tabata workout, you choose a high-intensity exercise, in my case I did kettlebell swings, work HARD for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat that sequence for eight rounds. I even use a Tabata app on my phone that tells me exactly when to start and stop. I love it. Even though it only takes 4 minutes, I really feel like I had a longer workout the next morning. If you're interested, you can learn a bit more about Tabata here.

Have a fantastic Sunday everyone!

Day 2: Group fitness classes

Yesterday marked day 1 of both the 31 days of writing challenge and my personal goal of moving my arse intentionally everyday.  I chose to go back to one of my favorite group fitness class called Core & More. Back when I was still a student I took the opportunity to get a bunch of punch cards at the student pricing before graduating. (score!) What I love about the punch cards is that they take a whole year to expire! This way I don't have to worry about paying for a full class with my variable schedule.  As you can see I don't go often, but it is always well worth it when I do.

I used to be SO intimidated by these classes!  It didn't take long to realize that I wasn't being judged, that my body was capable, and that it was a really fun way to get through a workout that I probably would have skipped otherwise. I tend to lean towards taking a class on days where I'm just not feeling that motivated. No one is going to know if I skip out on my treadmill workout early, but if I leave the group workout in the middle there are sure to be questions. (usually a kind instructor making sure I'm not injured). Plus, whenever I start to feel like I just can't do it anymore I look around and get super motivated by the other people sweating it out. In reality I'm sure it's the competitive side of me coming out. I'll push myself a little further and harder just to make sure I'm not the first one to drop the weights or a take a break.

If you're considering going to a group fitness class for the first time I'd highly recommend it! I am in no way an expert, but below are some tips that I would share to anybody interested!

1. Don't be nervous! In my experience the environment has always been very supportive. If you are nervous ask some friends who have gone before or recruit some to go with you! Don't worry that you won't be able to complete the workout. First check that the class isn't something like 'advanced only' and then any good instructor will suggest ways to modify the exercises to various abilities.

2. Arrive early. This way you can meet with the instructor and see if there is anything you should know before class. Explain that this is your first time and you want to be prepared.

3. Start with lighter weights and then move up if needed. There is nothing worse than shredding your muscles 10 minutes in and then feeling like a limp noodle the rest of the class!

4. When choosing what to wear, go with functionality over cuteness. Everyone is too busy working out out to care about what you're wearing. Might as well be comfortable!

5. Have fun! Enjoy yourself, get a good workout, and give the class a few tries before making a solid decision on if you like it or not.

Hope you all have a blessed day!
-Sarah

31 Days of Movement

October has to be one of my favorite months! Beautiful colors, comfortable weather, and usually the first snow flakes of the year. I don't know about you guys but I woke up this morning with the feeling that it was going to be an absolutely amazing month. The hubby and I have some exciting things coming our way as well! (No, it's not grand kids yet mom)...

I recently found out about this awesome 31 days of writing challenge through a few other bloggers I follow and thought why not join in the fun.  This challenge encourages bloggers to pick one topic to write about everyday in October. My topic of choice is directly connected to my single goal for October.

Move.Every.Day.

I'll be checking in each day to discuss and share with you all the ways I'm discovering to incorporate more movement into my everyday life. This will range from things like taking the stairs to the new exercise classes I'm planning on trying. My goal is to be intentional. Here's my catch. I can't just talk about how I could be moving more each day, but I actually have to get other there and do it!

It should be fun and motivating right?! Hope so!

Day 1: Introduction (you are here :)! )
Day 2: Group Fitness Classes
Day 3: Who's perfect? My 4 minute workout
Day 4: I joined a running club! 
Day 5: Goal setting + my 2014 goal updates!
Day 6: Moving day is MOVING day
Day 7: Project10 Challenge for Kids
Day 8: Feeling Accomplished
Day 9: My 1/2 marathon training plan

How many calories?! Learning from my mistakes

I'm sure you've all be there at some point. You sit down to a nice meal and thoroughly enjoy the whole thing thinking you've made a healthy choice. A couple of hours later you finally get around logging your meal in MyFitnessPal and your jaw hits the floor. I ate WHAT?!? To be honest I've had this happen quite a few times lately. I now know better, but here are some 'healthy' foods that I will think twice about ordering again!

**I was planning on adding some sweet pics of these meals, but I wasn't able to go out and take them all myself and I'm pretty sure it's illegal to post the pics from google, so I apologize about the lack of images! Time to start busting out my DSL ! 

1. Jimmy John's #12 Beach club unwich

You're skipping the bread so this should be good right? This unwich actually contains 470 calories, 37.5 grams of fat, 90mg of cholesterol, and HALF your daily value of sodium!


2. Applebees green bean crispers (appetizer) 

Sure they're deep fried, but they're mostly green beans right? They can't be THAT bad!? To most peoples credit, you probably wouldn't eat the whole appetizer yourself, but would you guess that a plate of these crispers has 900 calories, 86 grams of fat, 65 carbs and 1550mg of sodium?! Yeah, it surprised me too! If you're planning on eating the whole plate, you're better off going to the mozzarella sticks! 

3. Caesar salad with grilled chicken (applebees) 

Can you tell I like applebees? There aren't many restaurant options up north so we tend to visit the same few frequently. I've always heard that Caesar dressing was a huge calorie tank but I figured it wouldn't be too bad of a choice. The chicken was even grilled and not fried ! Lone be hold it came out to 800 calories and 56 grams of fat. Don't automatically think your salads are safe! If you went for the pecan crusted chicken salad you would have found yourself 1340 calories in the hole for the day! 

4. Vitamin Water 

The description just sounds healthy! Most flavors carry 120 calories and 31 grams of sugar! the Vitamin water now has a 'zero' brand that is much better if you're craving a sweet drink with less calories. 

5. Apple cider

It's that time of year! Apple and pumpkin everything. I've never thought twice about getting cider before, but this year when I checked into it I found it to be around 117 calories and 27 grams of sugar for one cup. As someone who is trying to limit my sugar intake this seasonal favorite is going to turn into a very RARE treat. (aka stealing sips from my husband's glass)


Yep, I've made all the above choices but now it is so nice to know better :-) My weight loss has been SLOW lately but I'm trying to keep my head up and push through. Time to plan a workout for tonight and get motivated!

With love,
Sarah 

A week without the scale

So every year my family goes out to Lake Ann, Michigan for a camping trip and it's always an amazing time! My dad is an incredible cook and is famous for his grilling. One of the food highlights this year was making homemade tomato sauce over the fire! The tomatoes came straight from my dad's garden and the results were SO GOOD!

During the 8 hour drive downstate I made the decision that I wasn't going to track my food for the week. I also knew that there wasn't a scale in the middle of the woods, so I had to focus on making good choices, but not obsessing over them.

My relationship with the scale has never been the healthiest. I weigh at least once daily and often allow that morning number to dictate my mood for the rest of the day. This is something I have been working on, but still have lots of room for improvement. So yes, camping! The week was amazing :-) It was so freeing not to be tracking my food at every meal! I tried my best to focus on healthy choices and had lots of fun teaching my mom about high protein foods. I followed my plan for the most part, but did have a 'treat' almost every evening (these indulgences included s'mores, icecream, and hard cider)!

For the most part I felt I was doing pretty good! I went with quest bars in the morning instead of the doughnuts and made sure to have protein at every meal. I even got some exercise in! Mentally I was in a good spot.

Then the last day came around and I started to have some serious anxiety. What if I gained weight? I didn't track, how many calories were in those s'mores? Did I get enough 'intense' exercise? All these questions seemed to hit me all at once until I had convinced myself I had gained 10 lbs over my trip and it would take weeks to undo all my bad choices. I was dreading getting back on that scale when I got home!

We packed up and went home. P.S isn't my puppy adorable! She didn't want us to leave!

So I got home and guess what? No weight gain! I even lost a little... So what did I learn?

• I have a lot of work to do mentally on this journey. The scale can't make or break me. I need to focus on how I feel, my energy levels, and my overall health! 
• I can actually lose weight even if I don't track my food! (I still will but won't freak out if I miss a day) 
• Little treats (on special occasions) will not undo all the hard work I have done
• I have the best support group ever :) Thanks guys for telling me to relax and just enjoy my trip! 

It was such an amazing trip and I already am looking forward to next year!

God Bless,
Sarah 

Talking about my (not so tiny) tummy - 9mth post-op

For the most part I haven't focused my blog posts specifically on my surgery because I knew going into this that the surgery could only get me so far. I knew I needed to focus on the total lifestyle change and not just my tiny tummy. Sometimes I do get the occasional person who misses that fact when just glancing through my posts and I find myself feeling really guilty. I mean besides the posts titled "Why I have decided to go through with bariatric surgery" or "Day of Surgery" I can totally see how my other references could be subtle enough to miss. I hope that everyone understands that I was in no way trying to hide that piece of information from you all. It just hasn't been my primary focus when moving towards my goals of achieving true health and fitness... vs just getting skinny.

With that being said I'm going to talk about my tummy for a bit. At this point I just need to get these fears and concerns out there because I know nothing good will come from holding them in.

My tiny tummy is not so tiny... 

I'm afraid that I have somehow either stretched out my stomach, it was made too large to start with, or I have something else going on. I know the comparison game is a dangerous one, but I can eat a whole heck of a lot more than other sleevers. Like a lot.  I brought this up with my doctor and got a lot of great advice and information. I'm going to share this information as it applies to my personal situation. My hope is that if you are also concerned about your capacity that this post can help you gain the confidence (and give you some questions) to bring up the subject with your own doctor. I am not a professional, so please make sure to consult one before making any major changes to your plan.

An interesting fact:

As many of us know the gastric sleeve is a fairly new surgery in the bariatric world and new research is coming in every day. According to my doctor (I wish I asked for the article he was citing) they are finding that even though the sleeve patient has a much smaller stomach post surgery, it can empty much faster than it used to. This doesn't happen to everybody, but can be a big problem with others and can cause increased hunger along with an apparent larger capacity.

Because it is difficult to stretch the sleeve, this could potentially be what is going on with me. Here are some things that he suggested to try for that.

• Stopping eating before feeling 'full' - This one is very difficult for me. I have almost always used full as my signal to stop eating. Now I have to learn to slow down, listen to my body, and stop eating when I no longer feel hungry. 

• Drink ice water - The cold of the ice water can cause the stomach to temporarily tighten up given you slightly more restriction 

In addition to doing the above things, I was also told to become much more consistent with eating. I am now supposed to eat 4 meals a day, around the same times each day with around the same number of calories and protein in each meal. My eating was all over the map and my NUT wants to avoid confusing my metabolism too much, which makes sense. I am also supposed to be more consistent with exercise, working out 5 days a week. Three of the days with 40 minutes cardio, and the other two days 20 minutes cardio and 20 minutes strength training. This more consistent exercise is preferred to what I was doing where I would go super hard and long for a few days then take a 4-5 days completely off. 

Hopefully you've found something useful or interesting above! I'm looking forward to taking all the above advice and continuing on in my journey. :-) As of now I have lost 62% of my excess weight. I have come SO far but still have a ways to go. Keep on keeping on!

With love,
Sarah 

Hydration

The benefits (and necessity!) of staying hydrated are almost too many to count! To be honest I was never the best at drinking water and almost never reached the recommended 64oz a day.  Now that I've been focusing on my health water has become a priority and it's crazy how much better I feel! Now that I've actually been keeping myself hydrated I noticed the effects of dehydration so much more... Headaches, fatigue, grumpiness... even increased hunger! Did you know that your brain easily mixes up the signals for hunger and thirst? So if you're feeling hungry when you know you shouldn't be chug some of that lovely H20! You may be surprised :)

Everybody is different, but if you struggle with getting enough water (like I did) here are the tips that I used in order to increase my intake.

1. Find a water bottle that you LOVE! For me I found that I drink so much more water when I drink through a straw. I love not having to worry about spilling all over my face at the gym or tipping the bottle in front of my face while driving. My personal favorite is the Camelbak Eddy Bottle <--- Amazon link here! I love that mine is completely leak proof! This allows me to take it everywhere *hint next tip!

2. Take it everywhere! My doctor hit this nail on the head at my three month post-op appointment. I was explaining to her how I was struggling to hit my water goals when she asked me "So where is your water bottle?" I didn't bring it with me into the doctor's office! Silly me! I literally take it everywhere now. In the shower, the car, my bed.... The leak-proof design makes it perfect for all of those things.

3. Measure out your water at the beginning of the day. I use a Pur water filter pitcher to fill up my Nalgene (yay race swag) . My Camelbak doesn't have good measurement markings on it, but I know I have to have at least two full bottles of Nalgene a day to hit my goal of 64oz. Here is a not so amazing pic of my set-up. I guess I'm a fan of the color blue.

I try to keep the pitcher full all the time and leave it in the fridge. Some days I'll throw some lemon slices in the bottom for some flavoring. Even though my tap water tastes fine I'm a fan of the filter pitcher because it make the water feel more fancy. (does that make any sense?) However there are definitely some days where I skip right to the Nalgene. I'll usually leave the Nalgene in the fridge as well and fill my Camelbak up from that. I could make things a lot simpler for myself and just mark my 64oz right on the pitcher, but I want to make sure that is available if we have any guests over and I don't want other people messing with my measurements :) 

4. Don't count anything with caffeine towards your intake. Caffeine has a diuretic effect which can actually dehydrate you!

5. Flavor it! Try out the sugar free powders and flavor squirt bottles. This is seriously the only way I can get my husband to drink anything. They also make some sweet water bottles these days where you can infuse your own flavors with real lemon or fruit. I haven't tried it yet myself but I am planning on getting one soon! 

6. Lastly, always have one cup of water before having any other type of beverage. I find that even if I'm craving that diet soda, if I have the water first I generally find I'm satisfied having just that. It's saved me lots of money going out to eat which is an awesome bonus! Plus, even if you are still craving that other drink afterwards, your one step closer to your hydration goal for the day so you don't have to feel as guilty about it! 

Hope you all have an amazing weekend and don't forget to drink up! You may be surprised how much better you feel with even just a little bit more of the good ole stuff! 

God Bless!