I heart lemons and limes.

Before I get into how awesome citrus fruits are, I wanted to thank Ali from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen for mentioning us in a recent post. I am currently on day 15 of their 28 day Elimination Diet. Check it out and find some great new recipes!

Back to lemons and limes. Pretty much, they are the fruit of the gods. Absolutely divine. Being able to eat lemons and limes for the past few days has almost been as good as Christmas and Easter combined. I am finally in Phase 2 of this Elimination Diet I am tackling. I had lemon water last night... so refreshing. I sat down with chamomile tea (with lemon!) this morning to look over my cookbook bible for dressings and sauces I can have now that I can incorporate some citrus. Over the weekend, Jenn made a delicious Lemon and Lentil soup that finally gave us the feeling that we were eating "real" food. As difficult as this trek has been at times, I know that my body loves it. I don't know if its the absence of alcohol, caffeine, processed sugar, wheat or what, but my skin has never looked this good, and I don't think I have ever slept this good in my life.

Prior to this adventure, I would classify myself as a crappy sleeper. It would take me hours to fall asleep at night (too much caffeine perhaps?!) and it was so difficult to get my booty out of bed in the morning. I always felt like I was in a fog, would wake up feeling like arthritis had attacked my hands, and perpetually had dark circles under my eyes. 15 days into this elimination diet and my skin is glowing, the dark circle are gone, I fall asleep moments after my head hits the pillow and able in a great mood in the morning. I don't know if this is all attributed to the change in my diet, but I am experiencing such great results, I am hesitant to go back to my usual ways.

I think that one of the best thing to come of this entire process thus far is I finally know my own strength. My work is littered with junk food. They stock the cupboard with Pop Tarts, chocolate chip cookies, cheese, fun sized candy bars, and my own personal Achilles Heel: peanut M & M's. Even back when I was on track and eating healthy, I was still unable able to resist a handful or two a day. I would rationalize that I ate less calories that day so it was okay. Or I logged an hour on the treadmill rather than my usual 45 minutes. This is all bullshit. An excuses. I was weak. I couldn't say no. I couldn't stop. While on this 28 day journey, I swore to myself I would follow it to the 'T.' No cheating anywhere. I am amazed at how easy it is to bypass the candy.

I have decided that even as this elimination diet runs it course, I am going to stick with a lot of it. I am going to view snacking on candy as cheating - not just cheating my diet, but cheating myself. I am better than that. I am going to limit my alcohol consumption... I think allowing myself a day a week to have some wine or go out and live it up is good. That's enough. I honestly cannot afford to do more than that - monetarily or health-wise. I am going to stick to the tea, maybe allowing myself an Americano every now and then, but by no means will I go back to my 6 or 7 cup a day habit. I am going to try to be dairy free. I am going to incorporate seafood back into my diet, but continue to avoid red meats, chicken and pork.

I am going to change my way of life. This elimination diet has opened my eyes to the way things could be. And they could be pretty damn good.

Are there any changes you could make today that will make life better? Try changing it -- its easier than you think. You may just surprise yourself. I did.

I want the sunshine. And to listen to Miley Cyrus again.

Sometimes I like to listen to Miley Cyrus when I run.

But only when I run outside.

The gym has taken Miley from me.

The fact that I actually enjoy a Miley song is unexpected. I had never actually paid attention to her music until I saw a YouTube video of a group of guys lip syncing to "Party in the USA." If you ever want to spend 3 minutes and 33 seconds smiling, just search YouTube for "Party in the FIP." It's an instant classic. Since I saw the video - whenever I run, I'm always noddin' my head like, yeeeaaahhhhh and movin' my hips like, yeeeaaahhhhhh.

This little tidbit is something Ally will totally judge me for. She pretty much loathes most pop music. As I do I. Usually. I miss spring time, sunshine, and the ability to run outside. The gym, though it is lovely, is nothing compared to a nice long run in the sun with Rodeo (and Miley). I guess I didn't realize how much I missed the chance to get outside, lace up my shoes, and run until I read a recent post on Meandering Bohemian, titled Why I Run! I completely agree with his sentiments about running. After reading his post, I wanted to take a half day off work, just for the chance to plug in my cheesy music and hit the pavement. And then I glanced outside, saw the gray that has encapsulated the Pacific Northwest, saw the trees bending in the wind as the rain pelted down, and I was reminded why I bought my gym membership.

Damn rain and the perpetual gray. I know this is the most beautiful place in the world. But I am done with the rain. I want to get outside and run. I want to leave the days issues and worries behind me on the pavement. I want to feel like the only sound in the world is the rhythmic beat of my feet hitting the ground. I want to run, then stretch out in the grass, and run back.

The gym, in all its shiny weights and fancy cardio machine glory, is lacking sunshine and light. Now, I'm not giving up on my weekday morning visits to cardio land, but I am realizing that I need to fit some outside workouts in on the weekend. Working out can be a social thing (which gyms are ideal for), but it can also be some solitary time for reflection. I get too distracted by everyone else in the gym, all the shiny machines, and the 50 TV's all playing at once to actually THINK about anything during my workout. A weekend run with Rodeo down by the lake would give me that ME time, time to reflect on the week behind me as well as the week ahead of me. Time to reconnect with Rodeo and give him some one on one time. Time to embrace my love of Miley (because, let's face it, its not super cool to rock out like that on the Stair Climber).

New goal: Attend my own form of church every Sunday. Weather permitting, I will get out, pound the pavement and pay homage to the rarely seen sun god.

Do you guys have any other ideas for fun exercise that will get a girl outside?

Do tell!

All you need is Posimicity!

Posimicity = a state of being when one is both positive and optimistic

Yes... I made this word up. But I like. So it works.

So, in a New Year's cleaning frenzy, I recently dismantled three bulletin boards that had graced the walls of every house I have lived in since sophomore year at EWU. It was like taking a brief jaunt down memory lane. I remembered afternoons spent skipping classes and sledding on the hill behind the dorms; 2 am trips to Zips; and many other typical small college town activites. At the end of my reminiscing, I put the majority of those memories into cute, brightly colored boxes. While those were amazing times that I will never forget, I am looking forward now. To whatever lies ahead of me.

The most intriguing part of the whole experience was gauging my own reaction to photos of myself that were 6-8 years old. What did I think of myself? If you are like me, you have that photo framed or pinned up somewhere in your house. You know, that one that you love the way you look in. Where your eyes are bright, your smiling and you radiate youthful exuberance. The picture we look at and think... I wish I could look like that again. Well, I am going to share mine with you all...

I remember the day - it was senior year in high school - at Girls State. When Alanna, Alice and myself took Ellensburg by storm. Or something like that. I have had this picture on my bulletin board for what seems like forever. Truthfully, its only been 8 years. What strikes me most about this picture is my reaction to it now. My sister saw it last weekend and commented how long and lean I looked. Do I remember ever feeling long and lean? Nope. Not at all. I wish I could have seen myself then through my eyes now. Because, rather than beating myself up for needing to lose 10 more pounds, and be a step faster on the basketball court, I would have embraced the following things about myself: My abililty to run a 7 minute mile; my ability to bench press my body weight (which was 160 at the time); the lack of bra bulge; the fact that I could see every muscle in my quadricep; and lastly, the minimal belly fat around my midsection. Ahhhh. Wasn't life a bit better when we were young and carefree?

Instead, I distinctly recall hating my body. It was NEVER good enough; and as such, I thought that I was never good enough. In the last 8 years, I have learned a lot. A big life lesson is that negativity breeds negativity. Its like a cancer of your mind, heart and soul. You need to be positive, otherwise, what else is there? I have a quote that I try to keep foremost in my mind when things get rough, or I start to get down on myself:

"Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't plan on
harvesting Golden Delicious." ~ Bill Meyer

It's so simple, and so true. Alice was my best friend for years throughout and after high school. She has since passed on to a better place in the universe, but I have held on to single piece of paper that used to hang on the inside of our shared basketball locker since sophomore year. I think she must have gotten it from seminary or something -- where ever it came from, it is faded piece of paper with edges that have gotten fuzzy over the years. It has a simple statement: Think a good day, Plan a good day, HAVE a good day. Each morning I try to embrace these words. Its reassuring to my subconscious. I convince myself that it will be a good day, and most of the time it is. There are mornings when I am too rushed to do this, and I feel like those are the days when get started on the wrong foot and everything goies downhill from there. I need to take these words, this mantra, and extend it to my fitness and weight goals. And to myself. A simple, 'You CAN do this. You WILL succeed,' can have a transforming affect. Its crucial to know that you are on your side. If I don't believe in me, who else will?!

How about you all? What do you do to combat the bad self talk and poor body image issues?Are there things you could change that would improve your outlook on you?

Hello? Hey, Legs! Yeah, I am sure you hear this all the time, but I wanted to talk about your muscle tone... What? No... the lack of it...

People are always complimenting me on my legs. Even strangers. Seriously. Sometimes, its a little weird - for example, this random guy approached me at Whole Foods last week to inform me that I had beautiful legs, and to inquire what my leg routine was. Really, I don't even have a leg routine, I just run a few nights a week and pretty much live in high heels. Plus, I spent the majority of my childhood alternating between riding my pony (Ginger, see photo) and playing basketball. In short, its a recipe for toned legs. Now, I am not trying to toot my own horn, but, I am going to own it as my best quality. I mean, I abhor my entire midsection, think my arms are like pudding stuffed in beige nylons, but have graciously been blessed by the gods of the genetic lottery with naturally muscle-y, toned legs. Well, the legs and my baby blues. **Thanks Dad!**

Lately, I am not believing these compliments. Well, Ally will attest to the fact that I don't take compliments well in general, but usually when I receive comments about my "nice stems" (ahhh.... Clueless. Classic.), I smile and say thank you, because deep down, I believe its true. The last two weeks - things have changed. I am trying skirts on and discarding them for pants - which never happens. I am a skirt girl. Above the knee skirts have a permanent place in my wardrobe through all seasons. Skirts with heels, skirts with tights, skirts with flip flops, skirts with boots.. you get the picture - I just love skirts.

Well, things have changed. No longer can I see two markers that I have always treasured on my legs, 1) The divot between the two heads of my gastroc, and 2) the outline of my vastus medialus and sartorius. Here's a little anatomy lesson for you (sorry, this comes from my extensive exercise science background... I know the names of all the bones, markers, and muscles in the body... in a weird, Special Ed-ish kind of way). The diagram makes up the group of muscles commonly known as quadriceps. I USED to have definition BETWEEN the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and my sartorius. Now, my leg is one big blog of muscle. The definition has been buried. Needless to say, its buried under a cozy layer of fat. While I have tried to convince my self my legs are just proactively preparing for winter by adding a layer of warmth, deep down in my heart of hearts, I know this is not true. They have gotten soft. Literally. Ew.

So, Ally's wake up call was blood pressure. Mine was the sudden disappearance of a particular divot on my leg. Vain? Yes. A bit perhaps. But the thing I owned as being my one redeeming physical quality no longer being as good as it should?! BIG PROBLEM! Time for some change. Time to de-fat. Time to add miles to the run, spend a couple hours a week on the stairstepper, start working on some lunges and squats and create a leg routine for myself. Time to take back the tone!

This is simply unacceptable. Period.

P.S. If you have toning suggestions, PLEASE throw them out there - I love trying new things!

Why running feels so good...

I remember while I still living in Boston and pre-Bambino I got sick one day. That day I felt like complete and utter shaz. But instead of going home to mope in the sickness I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. Before I stepped on the treadmill I did do some circuit training but I always enjoyed ending my workouts with a run.

I ran for a good 30 mins on the machine and was seriously high off of the endorphins. I didn't even feel sick anymore. Before that run it was only a nice warm shower, gallons upon gallons of water, and some chili peppers, garlic, & red onions in hot water were the only things that could make me feel better. After that run and workout I realized that sweating out the ick made me feel so much ebtter.

Another reason why I love to run? It helps me get out of my funky moods and for the past couple of weeks I've been in quite the foul disposition.

There's something about the pacing, the breathing, and I know this is all cliched but the harmony of my movements and breaths just put me in a different and better mood. It also helps that the Bambino loves it when I run and not just walk. He laughs and laughs when I run - he gets a real kick out of it.

So with the sweating out the ick, the putting me in a better mood, and getting to hear my son laugh - running really makes me feel good.

Now I'm on the hunt for a good 5K to train for and eventually work my way up to a half-marathon <--that will take some will power and good training though.

I'll be going for a run tonight. Who's with me?

10 things to Lose 10 lbs.

A little list of things to reach my 1st 10 lbs.
Let's see how I do...

Do you have a list? What's on it?

Wake Up Call Heard

Megs will confirm when I say that I've always been sort of a superstitious, believe in the signs kind of person.

Well today I not only saw the signs but had an actual wake up call.

I read a fortune today stating that I need a new workout routine.

And then I had a physical today for my company (drug test included...awesome! My first one...passed with flying colors of course). My blood pressure was 139/92. If you know anything about blood pressure then you will know that this is not good. But comparing to the time that I had a BP of 145/95 it's a little better but not much and it's still not good. Also, if you know about how I had pre-eclampsia then you will know that this really isn't good news. Anyway, the average BP is 120/80.

My weight being at 220 lbs and with a family history of heart problems and diabetes it's just time.

It's really time for me to get my ass in gear and not just lose weight but get heart healthy.

I really want to be around to witness my son's life.

So my workout routine of just working out 3 days a week will go to 5 days a week with an hour each day. I will stop eating local Hawaiian food. No more Spam (though I stopped that ages ago), no more pork! No more ramen noodles. No more pizza from my neighbor's house. No more, no more, no more bad/unhealthy foods.

Though I've been eating oatmeal everyday for breakfast, I will really have to start eating better lunches and dinners. Actually plan my meals.

So that's where you come in.

This week I have a budget of $100 for groceries.

Out of the $100 maybe $45 will be for me and the rest for my son. So with consideration of food costs in Hawai'i and how I like to eat local produce - what are you suggestions? Recipes? What groceries should I buy?

Seriously suggestions, recipes and words of wisdom are very much welcome here.

Thanks folks!

xoxo

Just a Little Bit Chubby ~ A 'Mudgetfish' Post

The following post was written by my little sister, affectionally dubbed Mudget by me (this was a nickname created in our childhood years. Mudget = midget + pudge... Yes. This was cruel. In my defense, she used to make fun of my legs by calling them frog legs. Ahhh, aren't sisters great? It's character building my dad always said.), known as Natalie to the rest of the world. For those of you that aren't familiar with my family, Natalie (see the knock out photo at right) has been an aspiring actress since, well, I cannot remember an exact date, its just always been a fact. Natalie wanted to be on the silver screen. She was born to be famous. So, after college, the girl saved up some money, moved to LA in January of 2009 and is working towards her destiny. She has always been just a little bit chubby (as her post title suggests), but has made some amazing lifestyle transformations recently. I asked her to share her story with us, and the Mudget was so kind to oblige. Enjoy her post. Hopefully we can get her to write a couple more with us...

Just a Little Bit Chubby

An easy way to sum up my struggle with the great weight battle is that I have always been just a little bit chubby. With 20lbs over my average weight, I started my college career and made it my goal to drop the excess poundage. I started slowly to become a morning runner. Then I became competitive in collegiate club sports. True, I lost the fat but gained the muscle making me look bulky in size and I was left feeling still “just a little bit chubby.”

After graduating, I made my move down south to California to achieve my dream of becoming a silver screen goddess. They say that size does not matter in the valley of the stars. But please let me be the first, if you don’t already know, to tell that that is a whole lot of B.S! So here I am starting a new chapter of my life and this time I need to get serious about shaping up but rather bulking down. I still had some fat around the muscle (too many nights at the Tav in the Burg), so I needed to start from square one.
Being in the land of the “Thin and Beautiful,” I started my research on all the Hollywood Fab diets, detox, new eating habits and lifestyle changes. I admit, most I tried, but who hasn’t been tempted? Honestly, I did drop the weight off of these quick fixes, feeling great for about a week, but always regaining. So on with new research!

Reading through REAL health magazines, meaning ones that do not supply the quick fixes but the long term fix, I began my quest for a healthier lifestyle. First the exercise plan. Every morning I get up and work out, some days up to three hours! I have routine that helps me burn fat and the excess muscle. I begin with cardio everyday then two days a week I do cross training (i.e. lifting light weights and calisthenics). However, most days I focus on abs and the core. The core for me is essential! I spend at least 15min a day on my core. Also, a great little fat fighting tip is, if you are every hungry, or in my case just bored, before I walk into the kitchen to find a tasty treat I do 25 crunches,10 lunges on each leg, drink a glass of water and then decide if I’m still hungry. More than likely I’m not, but if I am I just did a little mini workout to boost my metabolism and help burn those calories I will consume.

Now onto my eating habits! My favorite part, because honestly, I love to eat. Food and I have a long time relationship, plus I’ll admit it, I’m an emotional eater. My sister, aka Spunky Starfish, says I have a metabolism like a racehorse. I didn’t use to have this type of a metabolism. In the past, I would not eat because of my extra poundage, making my body hold on to everything. But after doing a LOT of research about how the stars eat, I learned its better to keep your body working like a machine and a machine needs fuel. So every 3 hours I give myself a little snack usually between 150-200 calories, mostly fruits or veggies, making my body WORK! Of course I up the calories for the normal meals of the day.

Having this change in my life I dropped 20 pounds in 4 months!! I was stoked. Now I’m at my healthy average weight. However, I’m still “just a little bit chubby” for the Hollywood scene. So on with my healthy lifestyle, to stay fit and just drop a little more to compete for the roles and my dream career. Be sure not fall into those fab diets and dangerous detoxs. They, like some of Hollywood fame, come into the spotlight then slowly fade out.

Be your own Starfish and SHINE ON, with a healthy lifestyle!
Best wishes,
Mudgetfish

Back from the hiatus

So we're back!  Things were a bit busy for us last month and well the first half of this month as well.

Though this won't be a very interesting post but it's a post.

What I've been up to lately in regards to our weight loss adventure:

• Lost 8 lbs only to gain it all back so I'm starting from square one again;
• Found an awesome book titled, The Art of Over Eating.  Check it out peeps.  It's hilarious.  Megs will be reading it soon and doing a review on it after she's finished reading;
• Started Baby Boot Camp again;
• Eating healthier;
• I've started a few posts that should be finished by next week; and
• Realized that I need to get over my body image issues if I plan on dating again.

Baby Boot Camp is having a monthly challenge - most improved gets a prize.  Well I plan on getting that prize.  My first challenge/obstacle course is tomorrow evening.  I'll be doing crab walks, push ups, lunges, hop skotch, jumping jacks, etc.  All of this to regain some agility.  The program is ok so far - they finally have an evening class but it seems that it's more of a personal training session since I'm the only attendee so far.  I'm going to ask the trainer to pump up the intensity - I may look like I can't handle a good run or challenge but looks are deceiving.  In fact I was able to do more push ups (the real kind) than the instructor. 

I've decided to take on more liquids throughout my day to help lose some of that water weight.  I enjoy a good matcha green tea and oatmeal for breakfast.  Lunch usually consists of whatever; rice and veggies, leftovers from a company event (usually veggies and some kind of meat), and dinner well that's where I'm lacking.  Though the other night I had a great dinner with my neighbors - ribs, cornbread, and black eyed peas.  Nothing like some southern comfort food.

Tonight I plan on practicing for the tomorrow's obstacle course so that should be fun. 

I'm also looking into some activities that the pacific islanders would do to stay in shape like paddling, surfing, canoeing, hula, etc. 

Think I'll be able to survive tomorrow's obstacle course?  It's supposed to be pretty intense and non-stop.

Wish me luck!

Mama's Diabetes Story

The following is a post from my (Ally's) mom and how she's reached a point to where she can control her diabetes with diet and exercise. My mom has always been a cute and petite lady but when she found out about her diabetes she did such an amazing job at controlling what she ate and getting back in shape. During my high school graduation everyone commented on how great she looked and how much weight she'd lost. One would think I was jealous at her attention - but she deserved it. She worked so hard.

We will be featuring more guest bloggers with their inspirational stories to tell.


My whole family has diabetes. I knew before I got married I would be a canidate for diabetes that's why I stress on you to always check your blood for diabetes (my mom's telling me to do this).

I found out six years ago about my Typ 2 Diabetes. My doctor set an appointment with a nutrionist, to set a goal and weight for my diabetes. Next we set up a daily menu with a 1,500 calorie a day. Then foods that I can have and foods with sugar like sweets & carbs. When it comes to carbohydrates it's wise to choose a certain amount of grams for the carb intake. I chose to have a daily intake of 15 grams of carbohydrates but to exceed 20 grams.

Pasta and rice product is your enemy! and must only be eaten in small portions.

My doctor prescribed some diabetes meds. So with the medication and daily menu I went from from 180 to 160. (Go mama!)

There are times that I did get tired of doing and sometimes I would slip but I always felt really guilty . Thankfully I had a great doctor that I consult with and he told me it's alright that sometimes it get stressed doing the same diet over and over but that I had to know it was for my well being. He told me he liked my numbers and I was doing a good job and that it was ok to go off on your daily menu but not make a habit out of it.

My husband and I returned from a 3 week cruise around Europe. I gained 10 lbs while on the trip from eat all of the delicious European cuisine but have lost 4 lbs. Just six more pounds to go until I am back to 160.

I'd like to lose another 10 lbs and this will be on steady point. I do find that exercise is big help with the diet, if I can exercise at least 30 min a day then I'm doing good. The long exercise routines aren't necessary - especially if they make you fatigued for the rest of the day. Just a nice enough workout with some sweat and increased cardio should suffice. That way one can still function for the rest of the day.

I am not the perfect diabetes patient but I am perfect for what I need to do for my diabetes problem. If I can help anyone in anyway who is having a problem with their diet I would gladly do it.