My Thoughts on Starting Monday: Day 6

   So this journal entry was actually made last Saturday, while SuperMom was reflecting on her "Monday" dilemma. I saved it for today, because I find it to be a very common issue on the weekends! During the week, its much easier to focus on dietary goals because weekdays are so much more structured! In my case, my husband is at work, the kids are on their routine, controlling what I eat is relatively simple. When the weekend hits, though, spontaneity and my spouse force dozens of poor diet choices in my face! I haven't conquered that, I don't think I ever will, but I do know that I've dramatically curbed its effects by giving myself Saturday to indulge! A beer at noon, pizza, doughnuts, Taco Bell (I have no idea when that came back into the craving list, but damn if it didn't!) etc. When Sunday hits, I feel sluggish, dehydrated from sodium and alcohol, bloated, and just yucky overall. I'm more than eager to resume healthy eating on Sunday because I just want to feel normal again. As SuperMom is starting to discover, eating healthy makes her feel better during the day. It gives her energy, confidence, and a more balanced state of being, but it took her time. I equate the feeling to quitting smoking. I was a pack-a-day smoker for 10 years. Quitting the habit was SO hard! I must've tried a dozen times before I got it right. It didn't feel good at first. Neither does the first few days of healthy eating. Exactly for the same reasons. Withdrawal symptoms. It wasn't the nicotine that was the hardest, it was the habits. This is the exact same with food. In a 2010 study by Nature NeuroScience, pleasurable eating of junk food and unhealthy foods triggered the same dopamine receptors as cocaine and heroine. Overtime, the receptors dulled, requiring greater stimulation to achieve the same affect. It wasn't just one kind of junk, either. Rats in the study were given either high fat or high sugar diets. Both had the addicting affects, but different areas of the brain were stimulated for fats than for sugar.

                            "The big one-two punch for defeating healthy eating might in fact be a  combination of neural effects from both of these ingredients. And, indeed, the sweet spot for the lab rats in Kenny's study seemed to be the food item that contained high quantities of both fat and sugar: cheesecake" (Scientific American, 2010)

 Huh, feeling awkward yet? I mean, did you ever think saying, "I'll try again on Monday" would be something you'd have in common with other addicts? There is not much difference between reaching for a cigarette when you're stressed and reaching for a doughnut. Both cause damage to your internal being, both stimulate the pleasure centers in your brain for all the wrong reasons, and both have aesthetically damaging properties. I'm not saying never eat a doughnut again, (especially since my mother owns a bakery! Please eat a doughnut every once in a while, lol!), I'm just saying think about why you shouldn't eat it five days a week. There is good news, though! After I quit smoking, I thought I would always feel the same about cigarettes; a deep, lasting longing for one. One night at a BBQ, I had one. It was disgusting. It made me nauseous, tasted bad, lost all its appeal. Many people I've worked with have reported the same affect. After a "cheat" day, they felt bad. Physically, their body wasn't used to the same amounts of fat, sugar, and salt it had once been, and reacted negatively towards it. So getting healthy gets easier. Physically, it gets easier! It's just a matter of kicking the habit, and getting through that initial withdrawal. Take heart, and stay positive, just like SuperMom!

"It's the weekend and once again I'm faced with the recurring personal mission of starting my diet on Monday. I always start on a Monday, and always start out strong. At some point a couple days in or a few weeks into it I fall off course and continue to go back to my old habits of unhealthy eating. I find myself asking these questions to myself often.

1. Why do I  always need to start my diet on a Monday?
2. Why don't I have enough will power in me to say to myself "I know you ate a bad lunch, so for dinner I'm going to eat a healthy meal" but I don't. I already ate bad why not continue ?
3. Why do I let a bad meal choice put an end to my healthy eating until Monday comes around again and I give healthy eating another whirl?

The first day is great and by mid week if I eat a few chips that the kids eat for lunch or have a slice of pizza for dinner and maybe an ice cream treat for dessert I automatically tell myself, "OK I guess I  will start again next Monday". I find myself not thinking about what I'm eating. All I think about is this stuff I'm eating tastes yummy, even though I am fully aware that those foods are doing nothing to help me with completing this weight loss mission of mine. I continue to eat them and don't like how I feel after I eat it.

Another frustration I find myself in is turning to fast food or sweets
when I'm stressed out . I feel like my emotions play a big roll in what I eat and when I eat it. I stopped as I wrote that and took some time to reflect about that statement. Geez I feel like I'm using that as an excuse! Wait yes that is exactly what I have done. I've convinced myself that it is OK to choose eating"bad" foods when I'm sad, mad, happy, celebrating, grieving, cheering etc.. It takes so long to see results, but if I continue to make excuses and reasons for choosing bad foods over good I'm never going to see them.

So this Monday is my day. I know there will be obstacles and times I will choose bad foods over healthy foods, but I'm determined to use my tools I already have within me to hold myself accountable and stop making excuses for what I know is wrong to be right. I have a good support network of family and friends and have let everyone know what I'm trying to achieve. Tomorrow is Sunday. My time to plan and shop for Monday! The beginning of many successes to come!"

- SuperMom

Citations:

Harmon, K. (2010, March 28). Addicted to Fat: Overeating may alter the brain as much as hard drugs. . Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/addicted-to-fat-eating/

Day 4&5: Ufta.... I Still Got This!

"The past day and a half have been terrible with meals. I know it's OK to have a cheat meal but how about a whole 24 hours of cheating? I guess I gave into my devil side and convinced myself that yes it is OK. Mostly because we were at the cabin and each family and friends brought dishes, desserts galore and of course I had a few adult beverages. After all I was invited to celebrate America's birthday today! It was a fun fourth but now I feel like all my hard week went down the drain.

My thought is this. Yes some hard work went down the drain. I'm not going to be hard on myself though. Those things and situations came up and I had a great time. Making memories with my family. We took an easy for a day to relax have fun in the sun. I wouldn't trade that for anything. I'm not going to let a cookie or some chips come between me and my goals come tomorrow. When I wake up I plan to continue with eating healthy and getting in my exercise and work hard for the rest of the week. I had a set back moment. Will this be the last time? Absolutely not. There will be many to come but what I think to be the most important is to check in with myself and remind me it's time to work again until next time. Life is short enjoy experiences as they come up. Always remember that I won't be able to enjoy those experiences if I don't take care of myself first! You get what you put into it and tomorrow I will put my time into getting me focused for achieving my goals for the week."

                                                                                                          - SuperMom

  So it happened, the inevitable falling off of the fruit wagon. I say inevitable because when healthy eating is treated as a "diet", that is exactly what will happen. Here's the loophole: turn healthy eating into a lifestyle, mentally. What I mean is that go about your day with the attitude that you have always and always will eat this way. Make it enjoyable. If someone hands you a piece of cake at the office, go "whoo hoo!" and eat that damn cake! If the rest of your day has been spent eating healthy, that piece of cake will not be the source of a 10 lb weight gain. If 80% of your day is healthy, than give yourself that 20% for your guilty pleasure. I myself had spent years and years filling my holidays with negative thoughts and reactions, clouding their memories, because I fell off the fruit wagon. When I read SuperMom's reaction to her lapse, I was so impressed with how she mentally handled it. She didn't feel remorse. That's the right thing to do. Why would she feel remorse for a wonderful memory? Life is way to short. SuperMom is on track to a truly healthy life, because she is taking care of herself mentally and physically. She truly is an amazing woman!

Day 3: And Then There was Mom's Dinner...

"I was invited to my parents house for dinner out of the blue last night. I said yes and I looked at my calories I had eaten so far and was doing OK. I wasn't sure if I was ready mentally to do this. Eating at home is so much easier. I still went. I freaked out in my head when I saw fried chicken, Texas Toast, cheese, bacon sandwiches. I took out my calorie counter and I started scanning away watching the numbers climb. I was amazed after that meal I still technically had more calories to eat. I didn't eat them cause I was proud. Though the meal wasn't on my meal plan for the week, I was able to stay within my goal of calories for the day and still have a fun dinner with family. Life is short and as long as I keep myself dialed into my goals both short I won't ever have to sweat these tiny situations.

Overall, day three went well! I had a lot of things to get done and by the late afternoon I noticed how hungry I was. I forgot to have my afternoon snack. Dinner couldn't come fast enough. Feeling stronger and good about myself today. Better then I did at the start of the week! I motivated myself to try a new fitness class and burned more calories again and that is a great feeling! Onto day 4 and also the start of my planning the first holiday weekend, 4rth of July! Oh boy, this is where I usually fall off course and tell myself I'll start back on Monday again!

Not this time! I put too much time, planning and sweat to where I got myself where I am today! I can do this because I really want this for myself."

                                                                                                         - SuperMom

Let's go ahead and call her Ridiculously Strong SuperMom. I mean, come on, that meal sounds fit for a last meal! Holy Toledo, her mom sounds awesome. Ok (wiping off the drool from my keyboard), quick note: She felt strong today. She feels in charge of her situation. She feels accomplished. Those feelings are only there because she made it through a challenge. Had she caved and "started Monday", she would have felt weak, remorseful, and at the whim of the world around her. A healthy meal extends beyond a full belly, it moves us into our day with happiness and strength. Remember that when you reach for a simple carb in the morning, will you move into your day with strength or with frustration?

Day 2: The Pull of a Rainy Day

  Day 2, and SuperMom faces a challenge we've all faced. The siren call of the couch on a rainy day!

"I was so tired last night. I don't remember my head hitting my pillow. My ears sure didn't go to sleep... My kids had a restless night. I feel like I was up more then my eyes were shut. I knew morning was going to be a rough start and it sure was. On top of just being tired from my motherly nightly duties I woke up to gray skies. I felt like I was a slug. Everything was working against me and as the clocked ticked away I was moments from giving up on my first goal of the morning, which was to the gym! My comfy spot on the couch snuggling with my kids with a cup of coffee in hand or get everyone dressed, fed and out the door in a half hour. Just when I was going to give into temptation the phone rang. My hubby called to see if I was getting ready for the gym? Well as much as I wanted to choose option #1, I found my motivation again with a help from a phone call and got everyone fed (including myself... Two egg whites and 1 whole egg scrambled with 3 sweet peppers, 1cup of spinach, cheese, and some salsa made into a omelet on a whole wheat tortilla), dressed and to the gym in time for a fitness class! Bonus I burned 500 calories doing a high cardio class.

So after my slow, sluggish morning I over came the easy route to stay home and be tired the rest of the day on my comfy couch relaxing. I pushed myself through a hard workout and took 60 minutes for myself and felt alert and ready for the rest of the day! I'm glad I went to the gym and stuck to my meal plan!

So far logging my food and calories helps me to see what I'm eating and where my food is coming from. Also, including friends and family in my goals for myself helps keep me on track so i do what I said I was going to do! Onto day three!"

                                                                                                                  - SuperMom

     SuperMom brings up a good point: the importance of a support group! We've all heard the conventional, but sometimes putting your butt on the line and airing your dirty laundry is the best way to stay accountable. So find a buddy who you can be mutually shame-free with (test this by divulging detailed birth stories or toilet habits, weeds them out every time) and hold each other accountable to your food logs, diaries, etc. for an allotted amount of time. Make sure its someone who will nag the crap out of you every evening for it! If you are interested in becoming a SuperMom on my blog, contact me at hleffingwell8@gmail.com, and get healthy the right way!

Day 1: And So it Begins!

   This blog starts out one week into the project. So SuperMom has been recording her daily events for one week and sending me updates. Each week of her project, I will give SuperMom one nutritional goal to work on. We work on one goal a week in order to establish habits instead of piling on everything at once and setting things up for implosion. The first week's goal is to switch out common sources of simple carbohydrates for complex carbohydrates. Examples of simple carbohydrates include white bread, white rice, sugar, honey, white flour pasta (the most common), soda, candy, juice, and most packaged cereal. Examples of complex carbs include fruits, vegetables, low-fat yogurt, skim milk, multigrain bread, beans, whole grains, brown rice, and soy. SuperMom focused this week on swapping out simple carbs, such as white flour tortillas, for whole wheat tortillas. These little differences make a huge difference over all, and the majority of the time, your family won't notice or care about the swap! Overtime, it becomes a strong habit. For example, white rice is very rare in my house, as well as white bread. No one misses it. A few tips to be aware of, most bread labeled "whole wheat bread" is only required to have 51% whole wheat flour. A way to avoid this is to look for 100% whole grain/wheat bread. Another tip, brown rice takes about twice as long to cook, so since I'm usually in a hurry I always buy instant brown rice. Ten minutes and its done! The major swaps SuperMom made today were whole wheat tortillas instead of flour tortillas, green tea instead of soda, avocado instead of mayo, and celery instead of crackers. So without further ado, here is SuperMom's first entry!




"The first day is done.... I think the first few days are the hardest. I seem to think about all the foods that I can't have and then I listen to my tummy talk to me even when I just finished my meal. Ha ha, well the most important thing is I did what I said I was going to today. I didn't tell myself next Monday or even next month to start working on me! I woke up and took care of myself! I made better choices with foods then I have done this month! That makes me feel good and I feel better about it all too!!! I also loved that I went to the gym and did a good whole body work out! I think it sets me up for even more success then if I ate well and stayed home. I found today I was a little more tired, but I'm blaming that on all the energy I put into listening to my tummy talk to me! Hopefully tomorrow the two of us have come to an agreement and for the rest of the week I won't hear a peep from it!

Today my family had whole wheat tortilla tacos for dinner. It went over well! I made myself a taco salad with one of them. Totally hit the spot! Also I tried avocado today and mixed it with my tuna fish and hardboiled egg and celery. Totally delish. Made a little extra for lunch tomorrow. I thought I always had to have mayo but nope, substituting avocado won me over.

Oh I almost forgot I made iced green tea! So good especially being outside in the WARM sun with the kids. Cooled me off after we played T-ball. Another first too!

Day one was good! On to day number 2, may I will be open to trying new foods and have the will power to take care of myself when hard choices come my way!"

   

                                                                                                    - SuperMom

The Sunday Before: Premeditation

"It's Sunday, one day before my diet officially starts. So I'm taking the steps to fully prepare myself for the week. Meal planning, shopping, preparing foods if I can. I'm already tired and only have begun the day just thinking about the imminent changes about to unfold in 24 hours. I don't know why? It's not like I haven't started a diet before. Maybe I'm already setting myself up to fail and don't even realize yet? I know I don't want this to be like any other diet. I know I want this to be a lifestyle change, but everywhere I look I see temptation! Those foods I enjoy seem to be more apparent then ever before! Cookies, ice cream, French Toast, Spaghetti, fresh bread with butter. Ha ha ok I get the point! I enjoy foods, maybe just too much of the wrong foods? As I say that knowing my husband brought home oreo cookies from the store and I will have a few before tomorrow cause eating healthy starts tomorrow. I'm not going to lie, this happens to me all the time. It's a cycle that is hard to break. This time though I'm determined to break it and keep telling myself this is not any old diet this is a life style change, for myself as well as setting good examples for my kids. I can still eat the sugars and breads I enjoy, just just not the same way  I have been doing. It's going to be a  learning process, mind game and experimenting with different foods/recipes until I find my new favorite foods that are actually benefitting my body to be healthier and stronger. What's the worst that could happen? I might actually like or do I dare say crave healthy foods over those I do today like my chips and  breads? For now I don't believe that could ever happen, but I do hope that I can learn to continue to eat foods that benefit me then hurt me.

With that being said I have been given the task of exploring simple carbs vs: complex carbs. I wasn't really knowledgeable about those terms and what foods were what. I had to do a quick search before going shopping here so I make sure I pick up the right foods. What I realized is my family eats more simple carbs: white breads, white rice, sugar and other sweets. I've been know  to make highly processed foods, even pasta's. What makes me so hesitant to eat foods that  are made with whole grain breads, legumes, cereals, whole grain pastas, vegetables, fruits, or brown rice?

I have always done a no carb or low carb diet because I was under the impression that all carbs are bad. How come no one talks about these healthy carbs? I'm excited to transition my family from eating simple carbs to more complex ones even though I feel like I'm already cheating on my diet before I've started. Why is this change so uncomfortable? I'm not really sure what the benefit of eating these  Complex carbs in my diet vs:cutting carbs completely out? I just hope it aids at helping me archive my ultimate goal of losing 40 lbs.. Here I go!"

                                                                                                      - SuperMom

   So, the reason complex carbs are good and simple carbs are bad is that simple carbs break down into sugar very easily in the body. They have almost no nutrients and vitamins, and because they break down so easily, they lead to spikes in insulin levels. When the insulin level drops, appetite triggers prompt you to eat something (usually sugary) again to raise it. So eating simple carbs causes a snowball effect of sugar cravings. The extra sugar not used for energy gets converted to fat for future energy use. 

  Complex carbs are nutrient rich, and not as easily broken down. They are high in fiber, so keeping you full longer, and because they aren't as easily broken down, they don't cause the spike in insulin levels. 

  Carbs are our body's main energy source. Cutting out carbs completely will cause a rapid weight loss for about 1-2 weeks because carbs absorb water. The rapid weight loss is no more than water weight. Once carbs are reintroduced, the body will horde them because it has gone into preservation mode. That's why people who do a carb cutting diet tend to gain it back and then some. 

  So switching to complex carbs from simple carbs keeps cravings away, aids digestion, and makes you healthier from the vitamins and nutrients. It takes your body about three days to adjust to the switch, but after three days you'll notice a marked difference in your energy level and reduced cravings. Also note, if you eat a sweet, you'll crave sweets all day. So if you crave a sweet, eat a fruit or a handful of nuts. It will fix your insulin levels without setting you up for another crash. I always have nuts in my car or some apples to keep me on track.

Truly, Sanely Fit. 30 Days of Reality

   I am excited to present a reality check! A real life mom working on becoming healthy by (wait for it) eating healthy food (holy crap) and (are you ready for this?) exercising (what!)! No, I didn't forget something. Nope, there's no flashy name. I mean, I guess we could call it the MV2G-30 (minivan to gym-30) or you could stick entire meals in a blender and call it the UberSmoothie System. Good luck with pizza night on that one. But if you're good without the flash, lets call it what it is; real life. I don't know about you, but I have neither the time nor the inclination to with hold a food group from my diet. I also possess the scholarly knowledge from research to know that that's always a bad idea. My kids won't touch a Paleo pancake to save their lives, and there's nothing worse than slaving over (and spending on) an organic, vegan dish to watch your family push it aside. So that was out as quick as it was in for my house. I swore off "processed" foods at one point (years ago) and then I had kid number two and my husband was back from deployment. One day, Disney Princess fruit snacks made their way into my cupboard and I never looked back. But I'm not the real life mom we're going to be focusing on. Yes, I've got two children and a hectic job, but my job puts me in the gym aalllll day and I've got a wealth of information on getting fit because of my profession. It gives me an unfair advantage.
  We call it real life for another reason as well. This mom will be embarking on her journey WITHOUT the use of supplements. THIS IS A BIG DEAL! My vendetta with the multi-level marketing scams that are plaguing society with their supplements, shakes, cleanses (ughhhh.... such a dirty word) could fill a book. Many of these programs cost hundreds of dollars, make scientific claims based off of observational research (experiments done without placebos or control groups that tend to yield much more favorable results), and lead to dangerous and long-lasting habits. "Some supplements that were found to have health benefits in observational studies turned out, with more rigorous testing, to be not only ineffective but also risky." (Harvard Women's Health Watch, Jan. 2013) Examples of this include Ephedra, excessive Vitamin E, and copious amounts of B vitamins. Our bodies are fully capable of extracting the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients we require from the food we eat and the world we live in as long as we provide nutrient dense foods and a healthy environment.  If you need Vitamin C, eat an orange. No fancy "immunity strengthening" supplementation required. Antioxidants, now there's a buzz word. Not surprisingly, when the actual, scientific research performed by actual scientifically accredited institutes came back on antioxidant supplements,  the results were overwhelming against its benefits in supplement form. Don't get me wrong, the power of antioxidants in antioxidant-rich foods is phenomenal. It is when it is put into a supplement that the benefits cease. Many reasons were blamed for this, ranging from differences in chemical make-up to the chemical reactions that occur in a  food because of particular reactions by substances in that food. Quick fixes (damages) will not be allowed in this adventure.
    Quick fixes also refer to hyped-out exercise programs. Our amazing mom will be partaking in intermediate level fitness classes, basic workouts, and programs accessible to anyone who can get to a gym or the great outdoors. Don't think that those exercise programs you see on TV promising a 25 minute, life changing workout or crazy machine that costs thousands have your best interest in mind. They dropped their liability to you with that 15 second waiver in the beginning of the DVD. They could tell you to hang from your feet from the ceiling and its your problem if you fall and break your neck. Those systems have claimed the knees and backs of both seasoned athletes and newbies a plenty. Consult an actual fitness professional if you need help with a workout, we don't want to be sued, so we'll likely tell you the right way to do things!
   So now the stage is set! In summation, a wonderful, real-life mom of young children is going to diary her next month for our reading pleasure! She has to deal with kids, illness, holidays, picky eaters, temptation, emotions, and life. She has agreed to be completely candid, and has even offered up a "before" photo for the world to see! (What a good friend!) We will call her SuperMom for the next 30 days, because she is! I will be guiding her journey with basic fitness and lifestyle tips that will be shared on each entry. So show your support, draw support from SuperMom, and learn a few tips and tricks along the way!

"I'm excited and once again have motivated myself to start losing weight. Ha ha, I laugh because I've lost track of how many times I have started this mission and have failed. I know the importance of having a healthy lifestyle and I want my kids to share and value making healthy choices for themselves too.

So I've decided that WeThrive Fitness would be a great opportunity to share my personal challenges with. My goal in the weeks ahead is to share my up's and downs, my accomplishments and road blocks and the importance of asking for help and advice on this mission. I will remain anonymous, but will share whole body pictures along with the number I see on the scale in hopes it will reflect the simple changes I will make in my everyday life. Each week I will have a goal to focus on and make it apart of my new life style.

Here is my plan of action cause every good mission that is worth fighting for deserves a well thought out plan of action. First, I'm planning on to make simple changes in my diet and my family's diet. Living on one income I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on supplements or the newest and latest weight loss program everyone is raving about. I am going to try new family friendly recipes with the food I will by at the grocery store. I am going to log my calories I eat and be aware of my meal sizes.

Secondly, I will commit to being active. I do have a gym membership so I am going to use Monday - Friday. I always feel better after a good work out. I want this to become a regular part of my routine and show my kids the importance of taking care of our bodies.

Lastly, I will share my thoughts along the way. I know I will start out strong like I do with every new goal of mine, but like anything, the novelty will wear off and I can either continue or quite. And this time quitting is not an option. There will be obstacles like birthday parties, vacations, sick kids, which for me have been reasons that I give up or need to start over. I want to learn how to make those obstacles a positive part of my life and not a reason to say, "I will start again on Monday".

I ask to share my missions with WeThrive Fitness in hopes to learn something new about myself and way to hold myself accountable so I can finally say the words I've been longing to say, "mission completed". "

                                                                                 - SuperMom