Day 26 Update! And, Social Justice Activism REQUIRES spiritual, mental, and PHYSICAL efficiency!

26 days until the photo-shoot! :)

Exercise:
Kettle Bell Boot Camp (50 minutes)

Eating:
5:30am ¾ cup freshly squeezed OJ, ¼ cup h20, 2 tbsp gelatin
7:45am ¾ cup almond milk, ¼ cup h20, 1 scoop protein powder (24 grams protein), 5 frozen strawberries
11:45am Melon and 12 almonds
4:00pm 2 oz baked chicken, 10 almonds, and 12 grape tomatoes
7:00pm 3 oz baked chicken, 1/2 cup of Crystal's Sweet Potato Delight! [boil 6 sweet potatoes, peel, add cinnamon and nutmeg to your liking (I love NUTMEG), 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp of stevia, 2-3 splashes of almond milk for consistency, mash], green salad

Drinking:
142 oz h20
3/4 cup almond milk
3/4 cup fresh squeezed oj

How I feel:
It terms of eating, definitely too much time between meals 2 and 3 and 3 and 4. Four hours is usually the upper end of how long I want to go before eating again. 3-3.5 is a good range for me.

OooWeee, today’s workout was a DOUSY, y’all! It was a kettle bell, cardio, marathon! Oh so hard during, but felt so good after! Just a little description: Teams of two, 6 kettle bells per team (two 20lbs; two 15lbs; two 10lbs). Start at opposite ends of a long room, all kettle bells on one side with one partner. One partner starts with one kettle bell, both partners race to the middle of the room, kettle bell is exchanged. Both partners race back. Repeat until all kettle bells are on opposite side of the room. Do that for three rounds, as many times as you can in each round (one 5 minute round, one 4 minute round, one 2 minute round) WITH stair climbing (up and down 2 flights 3x) in between and what do you get: PURE MADNESS! Who gets up, willingly, at 5am, to do this? Uh, that’d be me. I’m officially crazy. It’s ok.

Today’s class, because of the celebration of the MLK Holiday was small. 9 of us in a class that’s usually nearly 30. My trainer jokingly said, “Dr. King would have wanted y’all to be working out!” Though she was joking, there is some truth to what she said. As a historian who studies civil rights movement history, I KNOW social justice activism is not for the weak—you have to be strong spiritually, mentally, and PHYSICALLY. In a biography of one of my favorite activists, Chana Kai Lee recounts the story of Fannie Lou Hamer, a leader in the Mississippi freedom struggle. Many know Hamer’s famous line: “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Hamer worked 40 years on a plantation before joining SNCC when they came to her town in the 1960s. For nearly 20 years, she worked tirelessly on behalf of poor people in Mississippi—at the expense of her health. Her life is an example of how this country NEGLECTS those who need them most—she couldn’t afford health care. There was no HMO for civil rights activists. Additionally, our health care system proved just how valuable African-American life was by sterilizing her against her will. Towards the end of her life, she decided to organize a farm, what she hoped to be a self-sustaining farm, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. Hamer passed away from breast cancer in 1977.

All that to say—social justice work takes a toll on you on many levels. This fact, coupled with the health care system we have in the United States, can make for a very lethal combination. So, on this MLK day, let’s not just recognize AND DO what we can do to make this society a better place for our children’s children, let’s try to make it a healthier place for us, too, WHILE we are living. The work is hard, no doubt, but who said sustaining a revolution would be easy?

Day 27 Update! And, Potluck vs. Me? Who Won????

Day 27 Update! And, Potluck vs. Me? Who Won???

Exercise:
Waking up, getting out of bed, and putting my clothes on! LOL—Sunday’s my day of rest.

Eating:
6:33am ¾ cup almond milk, 1 scoop protein powder (24 grams protein), 5 frozen strawberries
10:45 am 2 egg spinach and green onion omelet
1:15pm melon and 12 almonds
4:30pm Chicken veggie soup, salad with peppers, onions, tomatoes and 1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette (homemade)
5:30pm More salad (above), 3 bean chili (2 tbsp), and pear walnut gorgonzola salad (I hope I don’t get the bubble guts! LOL I think only two small pieces of gorgonzola ended up in the serving I had.)

Drinking:
128oz h20
3/4 cup almond milk

How do I feel?
Today, I went to a POTLUCK, y’all! Potlucks, to me, are usually synonymous with starchy carbohydrate overload! To prepare, I actually ate a small meal before the potluck and drank 16oz of H2O. At the potluck, to be quite honest, there were very few items that appealed to me enough to venture out although I was intrigued by the pear walnut gorgonzola salad and did have some. Of course, there was an over abundance of dips, chips, and desserts, but those really didn’t tempt me. I was a little nervous about the potluck and thought it would take me down, but it was actually o.k. Hehehee! I WON!

Plan recap AND ONE MORE THING I WANT YOU TO KNOW! :)

So after three days of an overflow of info, here's my plan, pint-size edition:
1) exercise—vary it up and make sure there is a good mix of cardio, weight training, core work, and stretching
2) eat—close to the source. Lean meats and veggies. Protein + carb + fat=fuel
3) drink—all-you-can drink h 2 da izzo fest!

Now, that you understand the three components of my strategy, I want you to understand one last thing. If I lose no weight or any inches, I am ok with that! I published my stats because if the numbers do change, that’s great, but that is not my sole intention. For me, this is about the journey. Also, I wanted to challenge myself to go a little higher/harder with my efforts. In the grand scheme of things, I only added one additional day of exercise and am COMMITTING to water intake and NOT EATING OUT. So, really no biggie, right? Right! LOL Let’s see what happens! Thanks for coming with me on this journey!

Day 28 Update! And, the Importance of H 2 da izzO!

28 Days until the photo shoot!

I need to apologize for the diarrhea of the mouth I experienced in the last two posts! Once I got started, I couldn’t stop! Today’s post is shorter. And, I decided to put the update FIRST so you don’t have to read the entire post (if you don't want to).

Day 28 Update

Exercise:
Pilates—25 minutes (core work)
Zumba —50 minutes (cardio dance class)

Eating
7:45am—Sautéed spinach and green onions in a two-egg omelet, 12oz herbal tea, ¼ tsp stevia
10:45—1/2 cup melon, 12 almonds
1:30pm— ¾ cup almond milk, 1 scoop protein powder (24 grams protein), 5 frozen strawberries
3:45pm—15 grape tomatoes, 12 almonds
8:45pm—2 Chicken Lettuce Wraps (lettuce wrapped around 3 oz baked chicken breast [about 1.5 oz of chicken in each wrap], cucumbers, red peppers, green peppers, green onion, avocado, cilantro with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper and garlic powder)

Drinking
128 oz h20
12 oz herbal tea
¾ cup almond milk

How do I feel?
Zumba was so much fun today! My trainer takes it really seriously--like we're in a dance class! She tapes the dances and posts them on youtube/FB. LOL In an upcoming post, probably Tuesday's, I will share with you one of the videos she has uploaded. It is pure cardio comedy! Other than that, I feel good, y'all! My body has come to expect to eat every 2.5/3 hours, so that's great. It can also so be not-so-great! This afternoon, I went out fully expecting to be home by dinner time, but you know what happens when a girl goes to a mall...Uh-oh. Though I packed my afternoon snack, I spent way to much time in the mall and as such, ending up having to eat a later dinner. On the bright side, I can now add another store to my "new-found favorites" list: EXPRESS! This was my first time EVER buying something out of Express that I could actually WEAR and that wasn't a purse. LOL Now, though I was ravenous, that made me feel good. Go Me! :) Oh, and I have to admit, because I was hungry, my sense of smell was heightened but I was never tempted to eat mall food. Interestingly, all I could think of was getting home and eating my chicken lettuce wraps. :)

Also, I have already planned AND went shopping for my meals next week. I will be eating chili (no beans), sweet potatoes, and chicken lettuce wraps, as well as oranges, bananas, and melon. Can you tell I really like the chicken lettuce wraps? They are so EASY and TASTY! I think its the cilantro, which is my FAVORITE herb. Also, I tried the almond milk in my smoothie today and it was alright. There was a sharp after bite from the almonds that I wasn't expecting, however it wasn't too bad.

On to today's topic: The Importance of H 2 da izzO!
Today, I will discuss the last part of my strategy to get “photo-shoot ready”: drinking--which is basically an "all-you-can-drink" water fest! Why so much water? I'm glad you asked! First, my general plan for liquid intake:

Drinking Plan
128oz of H2O (required)
Herbal Tea
Milk (now, Almond Milk)
Juice (Because I’m human, I’m changing the rules and allowing myself the option of ½ cup of fresh squeezed juice for my pre-workout energy blast. I FOUND a juicer, so I can juice my own oranges and not have to worry about additives like sugar, etc.)

No pop, kool-aid, or alcohol. Why? They = artificial sugar. Artificial sugar is a no-no. See my post on eating.

Why so much H2O?
“The body's need for water is second in importance only to the need for oxygen. In fact, humans survive longer without food than water.” From “The Importance of Drinking Water”

"A good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink at least 80 ounces of water per day. If you exercise, you should drink another eight-ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes you are active. If you drink alcohol, you should drink at least an equal amount of water." From “Drinking Enough Water”

Using the procedure above, I should be drinking:
½ my body weight—99.5 oz (I’ll round up to 100oz)
8oz for every 20 min exercise (I exercise about 70 minutes a day, on average)—28oz =128oz!

I plugged in my info into a water calculator, and got the following: 122 oz (taking into account the weather is extremely cold in Chi-Town and because of this, we need less water?) Also, got this “If you eat a healthy diet, about 20 percent of your water may come from the foods you eat. If you eat a healthy diet you can drink 98 ounces of water today, or 2.9 liters.” I’ll stick to 128oz, though! What’s an extra 6oz?

Supplements/Add-Ins

Gelatin—Gelatin is a protein source, which comes from collagen. The collagen is purified and what results is a soluble, flavorless powder that can be mixed in drinks, soups, etc., to give an extra protein boost. Gelatin is also proven to help with osteoarthritis—helping to rebuild cartilage that has been worn away, causing joint on joint contact. This product is NOT FOR VEGETARIANS as the gelatin is an animal product. I order gelatin from a company in Illinois, Gelatin Innovations. I use gelatin in my pre-workout energy blast drink as well as in tea when I need more substantial energy and when I buy store-bought soup, which usually doesn't have enough protein.

Protein Powder—After working out, you need to help the muscles you just used heal. Protein in an isolated form helps them heal and grow. There are vegetarian-friendly alternatives to try. I buy protein powder from GNC. I buy Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein (Isolated Whey Protein) which has 24 grams of protein per serving and very few carbs. It does have some artificial sugar—1 gram per serving. An even better alternative to the brands sold by GNC is offered by a company called pro/grade.

Stevia in the Raw—This is a natural alternative to sugar that comes from a plant. It has no carbohydrates, calories, and is extracted from the leaves of the stevia (rebiana) plant. I don’t usually sweeten things, but sometimes I do like to add ¼ tsp (this is about 10x as sweet as sugar) of stevia to tea.

So, that's it, folks! If you decide to drink as much water as you need to, please be aware that it WILL result in you going to the bathroom A LOT more. Do yourself a favor and don't drink 32oz of h20 right before going to bed. You'll be up all night. Trust me on that one, folks. :)

Day 29 Update! And, re-thinking my relationship with food!

29 days until the photo shoot, but who’s counting??? LOL

Today, I want to spend a little time talking about another piece of the strategy I am using to get “photo-shoot ready”: EATING!

First things first, I AM NOT ON A DIET! I can eat ANYTHING I WANT, ANYTIME! However, I CHOOSE to eat what is good for me and what will, ultimately, help me live longer. It took a long time to get to where I am, but the habits I have developed are sustainable for the long-run.

While beginning an exercise program brought me to the start line, it was changing my eating habits that have actually given me the strength to START and CONTINUE the race! However, for some of us, and for me in the past, my eating habits disqualified me before I even got to the start line. Before I committed to healthy eating as a LIFESTYLE, I would try to work out everyday at the gym but still go out to eat and rationalize it with, “well, I just worked out or I will work out, so that balances things out.” WRONG APPROACH! Also, I ate out way too much. Even if I chose healthy options, I was still eating out A LOT, using the excuse that I was too busy to cook. I had to TOTALLY RE-VAMP my relationship with and understanding of food. For me, food was eaten to satisfy a craving, to have some enjoyment, or to treat myself. While this is ok, every once in a while, it is this relationship that leads to overindulgence. Because, why should a hard worker such as myself not treat myself? I had to learn that food is FUEL—no more, no less. When I began to understand and ingest this concept, my relationship with food changed.

I need to eat. I need food. Why? Because I need energy. And, I need lasting energy so that my body can function properly as well as fight the toxins in this polluted environment we live in. I don’t want to go into a long dissertation on the kind of food that is best. Fact of the matter is that WE ALL KNOW what we should be eating. I didn’t lose 80lbs by eating potato chips and twinkies. I lost 80lbs by eating fruits, veggies, chicken, fish, eggs, yogurt, and whole grains—all in moderation. I don’t put restrictions on myself, either. If I want a piece of chocolate, I have it. If I want some fried chicken, I have it. The thing is, before, I used to crave these things, now I don’t, so it is a rare occasion when I feel like I HAVE TO HAVE a certain food. The only thing I feel like I HAVE TO HAVE is FUEL!

And, fuel for me can come in some weird and wacky combos because I have come to understand that in order to be fueled properly, I need the correct combination of macronutrients—protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Consuming these in the correct combination stabilizes my blood sugar, slows digestion (so I’m not hungry two seconds later), and provides me with the energy I need to LIVE! When I first began Fit Fun Boot Camp in January 2010, we were provided with a food plan that I have pretty much stuck to, with a few modifications. I do not count calories, instead, I count grams of protein, carbs, and fat and go by this general rule for daily totals: Total Carbs = 126 grams (Starch = 60 grams) Protein = 130 grams Fat= 40 grams. Another rule I live by: no starchy carbs after lunch (Starchy Carbs are the ultimate fuel and if they are not burned off, they turn into fat. Unless I plan an evening workout, I usually stay away from starchy carbs after lunch).

When I started. I measured EVERYTHING! Now, I know what I like and have memorized the nutritional value for various food items. For example, I know that 1 oz chicken breast has about 9 grams of protein. If I want about 26 grams of protein, I eat about 3 oz of chicken breast. Also, one regular size orange or apple, has about 12-15 grams of carbohydrates. 12 almonds has about 8 grams of fat. 1 tbsp of olive oil has about 14 grams of fat. I memorize these things and the correct quantities. When its all said and done, I try to get at least 25 grams of protein, 12-15 grams of fruit/veggie carbs, and 10-15 grams of fat in each meal—which usually totals to about 300 calories a meal, about 1500-1800 calories a day.

But for me, that gets to be too much math, so I like I said, I memorize things and just know that generally, my plate needs to be filled with more veggies (and fruit) than meat and that I can’t forget my good fat. If foods get too complicated, I don’t go for it, especially since I cook everything now.

Also, I have been gluten-free and dairy-free (mostly) since November, 2010. This means that I don’t do wheat products and I don’t do milk, cheese, and yogurt anymore (I used to LOVE GREEK YOGURT so this was especially hard.) Sometimes I will have yogurt or something with gluten and I will get bloated and feel icky inside. To remedy this, I just go back to gluten-dairy free and feel MUCH better. Prior to going gluten and dairy free, I had a good time at Trader Joes. They have the CHEAPEST 16oz container of greek yogurt and the BEST sprouted wheat bread that has only 7 grams of carbs a slice! Also, they have a wonderful low fat sliced white cheddar cheese –didn’t taste low-fat at all.

Things I avoid like the plague: SALT, SUGAR, AND FLOUR! I avoid salt because I have a history with hypertension and my doctor cleared me in October, 2010 to stop taking medication for this. I avoid sugar because really, who needs it? Fruit is naturally sweet and I’ve never had a sweet tooth really (although I LOVE BAKING, go figure!). Also, it leads to other bad habits. Processed white flour is a no-no as well. IF I HAVE RICE, it’s brown. And, since I am gluten-free, I don’t do whole wheat pasta, although I do understand there are awesome gluten-free pastas that, maybe, I will try one day, maybe.

Because, food is fuel, I eat about 5-6 small, no more than 300 calorie, meals a day. I try to eat high quality, non-processed foods. This may sound difficult and like I am restricting myself but really, I don’t feel that way. Also, though I am a person who abhors leftovers, I can eat the same combo of food everyday, as long as it’s prepared fresh that day. Something about reheating food (except for soup/chili) grosses me out. When I reheat, I like to re-heat in the oven.

So, that’s my “eating” in a nutshell (LOL, big nut, huh?) I feel like I left tons out and could go on forever, but I’ll stop here.

On to the daily update!!!!

Day 29

Exercise: Boot camp (50 minutes)

Eating:
5:30am Pre-workout energy boost: ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice, ¾ cup h2o, 2 tbsp gelatin (11 grams protein)
7:45am After workout breakfast shake: ¼ cup soy milk, ¾ cup h2o, 1 scoop protein powder (24 grams protein), 5 frozen strawberries, 9 almonds (not blended in shake)
10:45am Banana, 12 almonds
1:45pm Homemade Chicken Veggie Soup
3:45 pm 1 orange (This was not substantial enough because I was hungry a little while later. I was out and forgot to pack some almonds.)
5:45pm 2 Chicken Lettuce Wraps (lettuce wrapped around 3 oz baked chicken breast [about 1.5 oz of chicken in each wrap], cucumbers, red peppers, green peppers, green onion, avocado, cilantro with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper and garlic powder)

Drinking:
128 oz h2o
¼ cup soy milk
12 oz herbal tea sweetened with 1/4 tsp stevia in the raw