Lessons Learned from Eating No Sugar

For January, the husband and I decided to give up sugar. It's one of my biggest vices (prob. because I don't drink, or eat sauces/cheeses, or really do the soda thing), so I knew this would be a tough one. But it really was a great experience! I lost some weight, and I learned a few great lessons:

1. The first few days were the worst. Man, I really craved sweets and treats. I even got irrationally angry after a few days, and I couldn't handle the idea of not having my treats. But that passed, and it got much better.

2. I have to keep things interesting. I loooooove food. So the thought of only eating chicken breasts and veggies in an attempt to be healthy is a special kind of torture. Great flavors, quality ingredients, and switching things up are absolutely necessary so I don't get bored out of my mind and switch back to eating delicious (but fattening) treats.

(Turkey sweet potato chili - looks gross, tastes great)


3. Meal prep is a must. I'm just too busy to go grocery shopping, cook full meals, and then do clean up every day. So, once or twice a week, it really works for me to make some sort of protein (chicken, fish, eggs, etc.), cook up some sort of carb (quinoa, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc.), and portion out fruits and veggies (switching it up often to avoid boredom). I liked to prep breakfasts and lunches, then switch it up for dinners.

(extra delicious burrito bowl meal prep)


4. Veggies are the key. I like to eat, and I like to eat a lot. The whole, eat tiny portions and then be hungry the rest of the day thing just doesn't work for me. If I can't eat my fill and be satisfied, then I get so hungry that I just give up and snack like crazy later. So, if I can fill a meal with lots of veggies, I can still stay in the delicious-and-low-in-calorie zone without feeling starving afterwards.

5. Exercise has to go along with it. Not only is it so important for physical health and fitness, exercising kept me motivated to keep eating healthfully. Once I'd worked out, I didn't want to undo all my hard work by eating crap. Plus, the combination of healthy eating and working out helped me sleep better and feel better overall.

(skipped cardio at the gym, so getting it in on the mini trampoline!)


Overall, it was a great learning experience for me, to go without sugar. I'm not going to keep up the extreme rules forever, but it definitely taught me good lessons about moderation!

Is there anything you could give up for a while? :)

Little Red Riding Hood 2016

It’s funny, for every person who says, “that’s awesome!” when they find out that I have a road bike, there’s another person who says, “ugh, I would never do that!”

They have all kinds of reasons – they hate cardio, the seat is uncomfortable, they dislike physical activity, they think the spandex outfits are stupid, they think it’s boring, they think it’s scary…

But, how strange is it, that people’s initial reaction to something that someone else loves is instant negativity? I’m certainly not immune to this – my friends that do ultramarathons and other crazy-long running events get an, “oof that sounds AWFUL!” from me. So, why? Why can’t I just go, “wow, that’s truly amazing!?” When I tell people about my latest half-century, why are so many of the reactions negative? Why do we make it about ourselves at all?

Food for thought :)


Anyway… I did the Little Red Riding Hood last weekend! I have an amazing aunt who lives up in Logan, and I LOVE this ride and this distance! I chose the 50 mile event, and it was simply perfect – warm weather, pretty scenery, delicious food, amazing (cross-dressing) volunteers, attentive support, fun and supportive participants (all women!), and a great opportunity to socialize and shop after crossing the finish line (okay, okay, I bought all the things. Not even sorry.). It gives me an opportunity to spend time outdoors, be alone with my thoughts, encounter wonderful people, be extremely grateful for my life, and generally appreciate things :)

Hands-down one of the best races/events that I have attended, I’ll definitely do this one for many years to come!

My First Triathlon: Camp Yuba Sprint 2015

Guys. A triathlon has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I signed up for this sprint last year, but my car accident happened 2 weeks before the race, so this year was the year.

I wanted to test the waters with a sprint, and it was the perfect distance! 1/2 mile swim, 12.5 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run.



We camped down by lake Yuba the night before (so awesome!) and got a bright and early start. I set up my transition area and even got a spot at the end of the rack. People were so nice and encouraging, and I pretty much loved everything about it. They did consolidated age groups since it was a small race, and I got 4th place for women under 35! (technically I was the second woman 25-29, soooo I'll take it haha)



I had so much fun! I definitely learned a lot (don't start in the back of the pack on the swim, sit down to take my wetsuit off haha, go faster! :)) and I will definitely be doing more of these!

Eat all the things!

All this cardio got me eating like



For example, yesterday I woke up, ate a honey stinger waffle and sipped some gatorade (water in the morning makes me sick... is that weird?), and then headed out to my workout.

I biked 40 minutes and ran (jogged, I don't run haha) 40 minutes, and I had a gu and water along the way.

When I got home, I made an omelette (egg, frozen veggie mix of potatoes, onions, and peppers that is the best invention ever... I keep it in the freezer at all time) and ate a funfetti waffle (yes, that's a thing).

For first lunch, I had a southwest salad (spring mix, sweet peppers, crockpot chicken, black beans) and grapes.

For second lunch, I had an apple, chocolate hazelnut butter, and oatmeal with fruit and nuts.

For first dinner, I had a hamburger patty (I buy them frozen and pre-cooked for convenience), quinoa (half with hot sauce, other half with honey. this is delicious), and freeze dried bananas.

I swam some laps in the evening, and then for second dinner once I got home (see my problem? haha) I ate some peanut butter on toast and some greek yogurt. I was still hungry, but I didn't know what I wanted, so instead I went to bed :)



Because I'm so hungry all the time, I'm trying to eat higher-quality foods (instead of the doughnuts I'd rather be eating) to fuel my body. And I'm trying to hold back a little haha.

It's a rough life ;)

Renee Tote aka best work bag/lunch box everrrr

So six pack bags are a pretty big name in the lunch bag/meal management field, and I've coveted them for a while. My only problem was the size (and the cost, of course, but I always seem to find a way to justify fitness equipment). Most of those bags are huge, and adding that load on top of a gym bag, purse, and massive planner was just something I couldn't bring myself to do.

I tried other lunch bags and enjoyed them, but when I saw a friend on facebook with the Renee Tote, it was love at first sight.

As an anniversary present, my wonderful husband got me the tote in black. Part work bag, part gym bag, and part cooler, I now only carry one bag to work each day (can you say miracle?).

I seriously love this thing. It has plenty of room for the 2 meals I eat at work most days. It comes with 4 of the tupperware containers (and I found the glass ones that also fit at Walmart.. perfection) and 3 gel freezer packs that slide in there and keep things cold ALL DAY LONG. It's seriously amazing.




The outside has lots of little pockets, making it easy to organize all my things, and the inside pocket is just big enough for that planner (or a laptop), gym clothes, and whatever other random things I need to throw in there.

The bag does get a little heavy, but when you consider everything that's in there, I don't see any way around it (and I really don't mind it at all).

Overall? It's true love, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who works and tries to eat healthy/meal prep.

Whole30: We are quitters

So. Our Whole30 is over. After 2 weeks of loving it, and even surviving our anniversary, we just ran into too many obstacles.

The vacation to St. George happened, then my family came into town. We were sitting at a family reunion and realized we would only be able to eat the lettuce and carrots. We attempted to stick to it… but while we sat there, missing out on all the delicious food (and the socializing that comes with it), we decided that it just wasn’t working for us at this time.

We will probably try again in January, and we’re definitely keeping up with a lot of our good, Whole30 habits! I feel like I’ve learned a lot and broken some bad habits. Overall, it’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience, but I am glad it’s over, because I’m having a delicious, happy week with my family :)

give or take :)

Days 10-12 of the Whole30!

Well things keep on getting more and more delicious! Thank goodness, right??

On Monday we had mini burgers (beef, egg, seasonings) with a fried egg and mustard on top, wrapped in lettuce. So so good.



Yesterday was our anniversary (3 years! best ever!) and we wanted something extra delicious....so we did a crab boil!
Crab, shrimp, potatoes... heaven.



Tonight we did beef-stuffed bell peppers (last week was a lot of chicken, this week is beef... I buy and cook in bulk these days haha)



aaaand my new favorite breakfast/treat:
sweet potatoes, coconut, pineapple, and cinnamon.
I could seriously eat this all day.




Sweet potato deliciousness:
-Nuke some sweet potatoes for 5 minutes, allow to cool
-peel them and chop them into chunks
-sprinkle with ghee, cinnamon, and coconut flakes
-top with pineapple rings
-cover with foil, bake at 350 for 25ish minutes, die of happiness

Coconut Shrimp! Days 7-9 of the Whole30

9 days in! Whoo hoo!!

First thing's first: The most delicious, Whole30 compliant coconut shrimp.
Yes, yes, and yes.

We could eat this every day. I got the recipe here.



Coconut Shrimp with Piña Colada Dipping Sauce,
• 1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp, rinsed and DRY (the bigger the better)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Coconut oil, to fry
• 1/4 cup coconut cream
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
Mix together coconut cream and pineapple until you get a smooth sauce. Refrigerate for one hour, or while the shrimp cookSet up a dredging station with your flour, eggs and shredded coconut in separate containers. Dip the shrimp in the flour, then in the egg, and then in the shredded coconut. Set on a plate until you’ve finished all of them. Once they’re all coated, heat up a couple tablespoons of coconut oil. Add shrimp a few at a time and flip when the tails turn pink. The shrimp should be golden brown. Cook for another minute or so and serve with sauce.



not the best picture, but it smelled too good to wait. and it didn't disappoint.




In other news, yesterday was the Harry Potter 5k! Always a good time!

Bellatrix Lestrange... if she spent more time in the sun and took up running.



I also hit up the farm store for chicken bones (because bone broth is my new favorite thing), went on a bike ride with some friends up in Park City, and went to a beautiful wedding (where we couldn't eat anything haha)! A great day overall.


--------


So, confession, I almost quit the Whole30 today. I've been feeling super sick and puking my guts up, and I just about threw in the towel. I reallllllly wanted saltine crackers and ginger ale. Really really badly. Luckily I was too sick to get up from the couch to get some, and after several hours, I decided not to call it quits. But just barely.

Oh well, 21 days to go! :) :)

Whole 30: Days 5 & 6

Welp. I think I survived the hardest trial of the 30 days and came out on top…. So I’m golden from here on out, right??? :)

Today, I (1) went to Costco and (2) handled white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies (arranging them on a plate as a gift) without so much as a single taste.

I never knew I had it in me. Seriously haha.

In other news, a new favorite breakfast addition: sweet potato! I did this one in the microwave because I’m already burned out on cooking, but I just nuked it for 5 mins, flipped, repeated, peeled, chopped, and added ghee (clarified butter), cinnamon, and unsweetened coconut flakes. Soooo delicious.




Also, I usually make this as pasta, but I just left out the pasta part (recipe at the bottom). Yum, yum, and yum.




So far I think I'll live. It's definitely a sacrifice - treats get brought to work, Costco ladies offer you free cheesecake, you reaalllllyyyy want caffeine after waking up at 3:45 am for work - but I keep telling myself that my health is worth it :)




Pasta-less deliciousness (or sausage in spicy, fresh tomato sauce):
Ingredients:
-1 pkg compliant sausage (got mine at Whole Foods)
-grape tomatoes, halved
-a few cloves of garlic, minced
-onion, sliced or chopped
-fresh basil, torn
-salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes
-olive oil
-like ½ cup water

Directions:
Cook sausage until about halfway done, add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, cook until done.

My recipes are so fancy, I know.

Whole30: Days 2-4

Well, 4 days down.

In a lot of ways, it hasn't been as difficult as I expected: the hardest part (for me) of the Whole30 is saying no to things that are right in front of my face. At home, we got rid of most everything that isn't compliant, but in other places, people show up with WHOLE PIES. Jerks. :)



I try to be super-over-prepared, since I know that I make all my bad decisions when I'm hungry. So I cooked up some bone broth, bought and chopped a ton of veggies, cooked up a bunch of chicken in the crock pot and shredded it, and made sure we had tons of stuff we could just grab (like dried fruit, nuts, almond butter, etc. for snacks plus lots of meat, eggs, and produce in the fridge and freezer). I also pre-make salads (with leafy greens on top to prevent sogginess) that are ready to eat whenever. It's been sooooo nice, not having to spend a ton of time cooking each day (because helloooo ms. hangry!!). Hopefully I can stay on top of that each week.

For breakfasts I've been sticking to omelets or just finding stuff around the kitchen (this morning was a hard boiled egg, celery with almond butter, applesauce, and a mug of bone broth).

For lunches, I generally do salads or soups (chicken and vegetables in that broth) with various sides, and dinners I've been cooking at home.

Sunday, we did some superrrr delicious lemon salmon (recipe at the bottom) and had leftovers the next day.

On Monday we did steak (my husband about lost it when he found out his steak seasonings had sugar and he couldn't use them).

And tonight we did tuna salad (recipe at the bottom) inside of mini peppers.

We pretty much always have lots of raw vegetables as sides, plus whatever else we feel like adding. Tonight it was this concoction that looks disgusting but tastes delicious: sliced banana, unsweetened coconut flakes, and almond butter. So so good.

We've honestly enjoyed everything enough so far that we don't really feel like we're missing out. Except that dang pie. Sigh.

:)






Lemon Salmon:
You'll need:
1 salmon filet
olive oil (mine is lemon infused but you don't need it)
juice from 1/2 lemon (or to taste)
salt, pepper, dried parsley, oregano, Italian seasoning

Directions:
rinse the salmon, pat dry
drizzle olive oil in a glass baking pan, put the salmon on top
drizzle more oil on top, squeeze juice over the whole thing, add seasonings
cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35ish mins (depending on size)
you can make this more delicious by baking ultra thin lemon slices on top of the salmon




Tuna Salad Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers:
this is my version of this recipe:
You'll need:
mini bell peppers, seeded and cut in half
1 can of compliant tuna, drained
olive oil
1 hard-boiled egg, roughly chopped
1 tbsp green onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
mix everything but peppers and scoop it into the hollowed bells. Eat and be happy.

Whole30: Day 1

Okay. So the husband and I have decided to try out the Whole30 program. It's pretty extreme for us, but I think we're at the point where we need that... the strict rules and guidelines to help us get back on track with our nutrition.

It's basically 30 days of just eating whole, nutritious foods - which means no sugar, over-processed foods, dairy, grains, etc. That means no treats for me and no Mountain Dew for him. Rough, I know.

The book - everyone told me to read it first, and I'm glad I did - it explained a lot


So, yesterday was Day 1. It was, of course, a success, since eating healthy for one day is not all that hard. It's the days to come that I'm more worried about. I'm definitely lucky that my husband is doing it with me, because it would be way harder to stay compliant on my own.



So, for breakfast, I did an omelette (eggs, bell peppers, jalapenos, onion, spinach, a little coconut milk, salt, and pepper) and half a banana.

Lunch was pulled chicken and guacamole in a lettuce wrap (yum), lots of fresh veggies, and the rest of my banana.

I needed a snack, so I grabbed some almonds (I ate about half) and these dried apples.

And dinner was a salad with lots of veggies, chicken, and the rest of my almonds.

I felt totally great, and as long as I can keep eating food that tastes this good, I might actually last the 30 days!! ;)

Rolling with the punches...

When it comes to exercise, I’m a planner. I like to write out programs, planning out weeks or months ahead the systematic progressions I want to make.

This makes it hard when interruptions (inevitably) happen.

Like my car accident.

Like my surgery.

Like little things like invitations to go on trips or make evening plans or being extra-tired on the evening a workout was scheduled.

And once one day/plan/workout is interrupted, it can feel like a domino effect where suddenly the workouts for the rest of the week are thrown off. And if I don’t complete the workouts for the week, then the month is thrown off. And then I might as well cancel my plans/race registration/dreams and hopes.

Extreme, right? Well, yes, of course, and it’s not all that bad, but it can sometimes feel like that.

I’m trying to have a better, healthier attitude. Rolling with the punches is an important way to handle all of life’s ups and downs, and it definitely applies here. In the grand scheme of things, what is one workout? Will I really be ruined if I sleep in one morning? Will my whole training program be thrown off if I miss one run?

No. Of course not.

Keeping that in mind makes it a lot easier to say yes to fun dinner plans, scuba diving at the Crater with my love, and sleeping in on the mornings where I can tell me body really needs it. And I’m a whole lot happier for it :)

No one would ever lead you astray when it comes to your health and fitness....

It can be very overwhelming to sort through all the fads diets, nutrition advice, exercise programs, and general information out there. Just because something seems appealing or "studies prove" it, doesn't make it good advice.

In my latest Nutrition and Health class, I read something that really demonstrated this point:


“The study was done in 1000 adult men and women that were recruited to participate in the study examining the side effects of statin drugs. To assess the frequency of chocolate consumption subjects responded to the question: how many times a week do you consume chocolate? The energy intake was estimated using a so-called food frequency questionnaire that looked at total food consumption. What was interesting is that the researcher found that the more often people eat chocolate, the higher their energy intake, which of course makes perfect sense, but the lower their Body Mass Index or body weight. Let me repeat this, the more often people eat chocolate, the lower their degree of overweight.
The authors concluded that although frequent chocolate consumption increases energy intake it does not lead to weight gain.
Really? Do you believe it? The authors of the studies admit that their study has limitations which may explain their highly curious results.
Unfortunately, those new answers are completely lost in the press release of UC San Diego where the study was done, which among other things, says, I quote: “In the case of chocolate this is good news, both for those who have a regular chocolate habit and those who may wish to start one.” Those who may wish to start one? Are you kidding me? Is UC San Diego insinuating that picking up a chocolate habit may be actually a good idea? Because it may make you thinner? If the press office of UC San Diego was already doing such a bad job, how can we expect other news channels to be more accurate? Indeed, BCC news wrote that chocolate may help keep people slim. Whereas CBS news reported that eating lots of chocolate helps people stay thin. What is surprising is that Elle magazine, of all sources, was actually the most responsible by including the disclaimer "But before you reach for that Mars bar remember chocolate bars contains high levels of fat and sugar. It’s best to stick to a little dark chocolate now and again to reap these possible benefits." What I want to convey with this little story is that there is plenty of bad science out there.”


Basically, don't believe everything you read on the Internet or in a book. Use common sense, see if other studies back it up, and be wary of anything that seems too good to be true. Just because the media say it, doesn't make it true :)

Aligning values with actions

As I've stated time and again, I love learning. I loved college, I love reading, I love certification tests, I love everything about it (okay, except finals).

I found this really cool platform where you can take online classes on all kinds of subjects - you can learn Mandarin, learn to be more resilient, learn about nutrition, anything you want. You can pay for classes, or you can audit them! Best day ever! I signed up for a couple, and I'm loving it so far.

One thing I learned from a recent lecture was about aligning your values with your actions. Here's an excerpt:


"We identify specific behaviors that we want to engage in that enable us to live consistent with who we want to be. But it's another thing to actually stay committed to engaging in those behaviors. For example, we can take the love to be a volunteer. Many people believe and have a value of volunteer work, but when we really break down to it, people aren't spending time volunteering. They're not engaging in the behavior. So they're not committing to that action. So a really essential component to being a resilient person is to go from values to value statements identifying specific behaviors and actions you can take to living consistent with them. And it's the next thing to actually staying committed to doing what matters most. So we have to do commitment check-ins if you will. And that is reflecting on our core values, really self-reflecting on the behaviors we're engaging in, and looking at the alignment. Are our behaviors consistent with who we want to be or is there a disconnect? And if there is a disconnect, what types of things are getting in the way of you being the person you want to be in whatever value domain it is? So the next part that is really essential, and this is the make or break to becoming a resilient person, and that is the commitment part, not only clarifying your values and identifying the actions, but staying committed to them."


I really like that. Do my values (fitness, serving people, family, learning, etc.) drive my actions? Do I spend my time on those things, or do I spend my time on things that aren't as important to me (Facebook, anyone?)?

Definitely something to think about :)