Intros are better late than never.

How's everyone doing. This is the first time I have contributed to the blog but I'm sure with constant "coercing" from Amanda it will not be my last. This week I started a new job, one that I can see being my career and I am very excited about that. Being a Veteran myself, I know the value of good knowledgable service relating to the specific needs of the military community. This job allows me to give back in that aspect and I am more than honored to be able to be apart of it. Also, one of the perks that this job has is allowing me to go back to school on their dime. So, ROLL TIDE people! That's right, I've registered for Fall 2015 at University of Alabama. I'm pretty stoked about going back to school but also a little intimidated because it has been a while. Who doesn't have that story though now-a-days and I'm motivated more than ever now so I think that it is going to be a good time. Well, hopefully I will be writing you all soon and give some good updates as far as the new job and hopefully it will be soon enough I will have nothing to update you as far as school is concerned. See ya later.

C.

"D" Word Conclusion

Good Morning and Happy Monday :)

 

If you're like me and you made a Dunkin coffee stop, you have a prayer of that at least happening till lunch time when you will absolutely have a caffeine crash! But until then....WOOOOOO!

 

Alright, so Friday was the last day of my 4 week jump start diet, if you didn't read the first post about this, and you want to know which plan I followed, you can check that out here. My total weight loss is 5.7lbs, which after four weeks isn't exactly exciting, but there is a lot to consider here.
 

First off, before this diet, I was feeling pretty crappy in the GI sense. I was feeling uncomfortably full after almost every meal (large or small) I was having really bad reflux and had an episode of abdominal pain intense enough for me to see a GI doctor and schedule a hida scan to check my gallbladder. Since starting this diet, I have not had the overly full feeling at all, my reflux is minimal and I haven't had any more pains like I did before seeing the Dr. I have been feeling so good that I considered cancelling my hida scan later this month, but because I have a very strong family history of gallbladder issues, I am still going to do it. For this alone, I feel like the diet was absolutely worth it. I do a lot of reading and listening to podcasts on my way to work, and I feel like I have a pretty broad idea of what a healthy diet looks like, but lets face it, there are so many opinions on this particular subject, sometimes it can be confusing and/or overwhelming. To me, this diet is common sense and basic, but it's structured and doesn't give you the option of too many choices, which for some is a drawback, but for me, made it easier. If for nothing more than to get your digestive system back on track, it's more than worth it.

Secondly, without realizing it, you are getting used to eating smaller portions, more often. I am a snacker, so this isn't a huge change for me, but the content was much improved. I never felt hungry while doing this diet. I do believe that to keep your metabolism running at full capacity you need to fuel it, and this diet does that. 

Lastly, I haven't been craving sugar nearly as much as I was in the first few weeks of this. I believe this is because I have definitely decreased my sugar intake. When you eat sugar, your body releases insulin which stimulates your cells to soak up the sugar and convert it to energy, any excess sugar is converted to fat tissue. So, by decreasing the sugar you ingest, your making your body function like it was intended, and you will certainly feel less sugar cravings after time.  

From here, I am going to continue eating a diet very close to what I have been doing for the past four weeks, with a little more variety. I am definitely going to stick to the overall structure though, and try to improve my weekends, which were sprinkled with cheats :) I decided to write about this on the blog, to keep myself accountable, but I hope it proves to be useful to someone else trying to make some improvements to their overall health.

Have a wonderful week!
A.

 

 

 

"D" Word Update

 

Happy Monday Friends....tried to type that sincerely, but it's hard because Mondays just suck. Mine has been alright in the scheme of Mondays, but I was not ready for the weekend to end..Are we ever?! Ok, let's get down to the nitty gritty...

 

Started the "diet" March 9th, so exactly two weeks down.

I have lost 3.5 lbs, technically 3.4 but who wants to get all specific ;)

This is frustrating to me, but I am also steadily working out, drinking a lot more water and occasionally cheating on the weekends, so maybe it's the ole "gaining muscle" story, water weight, the occasional slip up or maybe I am only going to lose an average of 1.7 lbs a week?! Not sure how it's going to happen but I am convinced it will, just gotta exercise the one thing I haven't in the past which is patience and consistency.

Not hungry. Reflux is significantly better. Energy is about the same. Still craving salty/crunchy/sweet, but not as bad as in the beginning. In general, I feel better, which I have found is a better motivator than trying to lose the weight. If I look at something like pizza, and think about the fact that after I eat it, I am probably going to feel bloated and have reflux later, it makes it much easier to walk away and not give in, so that's what I have been doing. Unfortunately, after canoeing all day Sunday, when I looked at the burger and fries that I ate, mysteriously I couldn't conjure all the feelings of discomfort I would probably experience after eating it...go figure?! Speaking of canoeing, check out the blog later this week for pics of our very eventful trip! Stay strong people, Monday is almost over :)
A.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Friends!

 

For a little historical tid-bit...St. Patrick's Day started out as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland. I am about to blow your mind, this saint that we now all hail as the so called "King of Green" was not even born in Ireland. His name was Maewyn, and he was born in Roman Britain. He was kidnapped and made a slave, and brought to Ireland. Mind = blown right? He then escaped to a monastery in France, only to convert to Christianity and return to Ireland as a missionary. He eventually went on to become a bishop, and after his death which is said to have occurred on March 17th, he was named the patron saint of Ireland. Celebrations didn't really take off until Irish immigrants landed in the US, at which point they used this day to connect with their history and show pride for their heritage. Interesting right?

 

Ok now that we have established roots, let's move on to some of my favorite St. Paddy's Day related things.

 

Let's start off with my favorite which is food! I am drooling and really wishing that I was not on the second week of a four week diet right now.

 

Irish Coffee

Who doesn't love coffee? Oh yea, well we aren't friends anymore! Add whiskey and homemade whipped cream, and I am your loyal servant for life. Again, The Pioneer Woman AKA Ree Drummond is my go to.

Here is her delicious recipe:

 

My Mom's Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe:

(Simple but delicious)

Take your corned beef and put it in a big pot with the flavor packet and fill it with water. Bring to a boil and let boil for a few minutes, then reduce to a simmer and let it do this until your beef is starting to get tender (3-4 hours depending on the size) Once it feels tender, take the beef out of the pot, add quartered potatoes and carrots, then put the beef back over top and continue cooking until the potatoes are fork tender. For the last half hour or so add cabbage sliced into eighths and cook till desired tenderness. This may sound overly simple but I can tell you from experience its fall apart tender and delicious!

 

River 'O' Green Festival

Festival in downtown Tampa at Curtis Hixon Park.

As you can see, they dye the Hillsborough River a bright lime green which is pretty impressive in person. Along the green river, there is also live Irish music, beer and food trucks! What could be better?

 

Now it just wouldn't be proper to leave you on this green themed day of Irish history, jade-colored beer and general celebration without a traditional Irish toast, so here goes...

 

 

Here’s to the wine we love to drink, and the food we like to eat.
Here’s to our wives and sweethearts, let’s pray they never meet.
Here’s champagne for our real friends And real pain for our sham friends.
And when this life is over, may all of us find peace.

 

Amen :)

 

A.

 

"D" Word Update

Hello friends and happy Friday! Some humor for you on this most glorious last day of the week.

You're Welcome ;)

 

So about that D word. Here's whats going down.

-I am down 3 lbs from Sunday

-I am seriously over raw unsalted almonds

-Reflux is about the same still which is a bummer

-Energy is the same

-Stomach is feeling good still

-I still hate lunch meat

-This is the weirdest one...I don't know if this is coincidence, but this week I have had this strange feeling of calm all week. My mood seems really tranquil and things that normally annoy me just aren't affecting me the same way this week for some reason. I am probably reading too much into this, but I am wondering if this is some kind of detox from the sugar and artificial crap I was eating before I started this thing?! I have no idea...but regardless I like it!

 

As for how my will power is doing..it has been a lot easier than I thought. I am not hungry and the cravings I was having earlier this week have subsided quite a bit. I still have moments where I would chop my own arm off for a Pepsi or salty/sweet snack, but I remind myself why I am doing this and it passes. Week one down, crossing my fingers for the weekend...it might be a doozy but I'll keep posting my progress.

 

Have a great weekend!

A.

 

Credit where credit is due

Everyone has heard that saying, but I'm guessing not a lot of people (including myself) exercise it. I wanted to write this because I think that it's really important, and not nearly as emphasized as it should be.

 

Yesterday I decided to sit down on my lunch break and write some reviews for the vendors we used for our wedding. It's one of those things that for some reason is really hard to make yourself do, and I am not sure why. It seems like a waste of time, do people actually read them, I could be taking a nap and etc... These were the things I was initially thinking, but I did make myself write them and here's why. I looked at reviews and based a lot of my decisions for the wedding on the words of random people, and simply put I felt like I needed to pay it forward and do my part to contribute. If you have read any of my earlier posts you will know that I am a die-hard planner/researcher/need to know 8 days ago type of person, spontaneity is just another foul word that I am trying resolutely to banish from my vocabulary (yes that's sarcasm) But seriously I relied heavily on these reviews and comments made by others who had already taken the plunge and put trust in these people. So off I was to add my own two cents to the random community of review-leavers. After I wrote a few I realized that a big part of why I think people don't leave them is because we are a people that love instant gratification and positive feedback and being the one leaving the feedback, you don't get any of that, usually. Here's where the inspiration for this post comes in.

 

I wrote a review for Frank Lebano & Co, which was our DJ and the review was sparkling because he was a fantastic DJ and person to work with in general. I didn't write the review on his website I did it on Wedding Wire mainly because it's where I read most of mine. Well, somehow Frank saw the review and emailed me yesterday afternoon. The email basically said that he had been having a rough few days and that it lifted his spirits to read it and thank you. I am not posting this to toot my own horn, but to say that we have no idea how seemingly insignificant things like wedding reviews can affect someone. I would be lying if I said it didn't feel good to get feedback on my feedback (head trip) and most times you don't get it, but it just reiterated to me that it's so important to "pay things forward" and give credit where credit is due. It may be a hell of a lot easier, and let's face it more fun to write a terrible review, but I think writing the positive ones that thank and show appreciation to the people who provide services for us hold so much more weight in the long run. Hump day service commenced!

A.

And.....we're back!

Well friends...it's been a little while, but we are back! I would make some kind of general comment about how planning a wedding is mentally draining and all consuming...but wait I just did..sooooo moving right along...

Trying a new "diet." I know, as soon as you read that it's like "Hello Amanda, I thought your new years resolution was to stop using foul language, like the "D" word, but people lets call it what it is...

I know exactly what the word diet means to me which is strife and anguish, but I looked up the actual definition and it's actually funnier than you would think.

      Ok so the noun "diet" means "the kinds of food that a person, animal or community eat" harmless right? For instance, (A typical zombie's diet consists of humans, specifically brains)

      Now here is where the humor comes in. Verb "diet" means "restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of foods in order to lose weight" For instance, (Dieting makes me want to become a zombie and eat my own brains) Seriously!

      So let's break this down:

Reasons why I feel the need to "diet"

   *Health

   *Self-esteem

   *Temporary Insanity (kidding..maybe)

Health: I would say overall I am a pretty healthy person, but I know that if I could just get my shhhh together and lose some weight I would feel even healthier. Also working in health care will definitely show you that you have nothing if you don't have your health, therefore I feel like it's time to start some lifelong habits and maybe save my grey-haired future self some grief.

Self-Esteem: This one is easy. I look in the mirror or at pics of myself and I am not happy with what I see, so time to seriously make a change. It's not fun when you don't feel good in your own skin and also not just for you, but the people around you have to hear about it too and well thats just annoying, and I don't wanna be that person, so I will diet.... :( I mean...yay! :) haha

"The Plan"

Chase and I started back at the gym, and are trying to stick with it Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Nothing special, just the good old fashioned cardio and weights. Light weights in my case. I would say it's to gain lean muscle and it is, but also because I am kind of weak lol

   Far as the "D" word, I am trying to stick to the meal plan that I found on instagram via @INSTAFEMMEFITNESS and you can find out more here. It is not expensive, I think I paid $10 or so for the "Four Weeks to Fit" pdf for my ipad. Basically it is lean protein, healthy grains (controversial I know) fruits and vegetables and lots of water. Seriously it is common sense, but if you're like me and you just need some structure in your life then just do it. Apparently, a healthy portion is a little smaller than I thought...;-/

Sample: "snack" sliced turkey and 1/2 avocado on gluten free bread

So far it's been a day and a half, waaaayyyyy early for any kind of true retrospection, but here's what I am experiencing thus far. I am not hungry. I am craving salt and sugar. I don't like lunch meat. I hate eating the same thing every day for a week. My stomach feels 100% better in the sense that I don't feel bloated or miserable after meals. I slept better last night than I have in a long time (this could be a fluke but I will let you know) Have not noticed any changes in my energy yet. Have not noticed any changes in my reflux yet.

Finally, why am I writing this on the blog? To whine? To vent? Yes! & Yes! But most importantly, accountability people! I don't want to disappoint all my followers...Ok Mom and Lindsey? :)

 

Happy Tuesday

A.