Expectations

Oh expectations, how you like to ruin me.  Remember when I said I was going to blog several times per week?  I even did it for a week or two.  I also was all gung-ho on keto.  I did that for a little over a week before tweaking my diet (still clean) to keep me sane.  When signing up for the Phil Heath, I said I wanted to do several shows this season.  As of now, I don't have any shows on the horizon.  At the start of each week, I have lofty aspirations of having an immaculate house by the end of the week...we all know that that has probably NEVER happened.  See a pattern here?  I set these expectations in the disguise of a goal quite often.  I would venture to say I'm not alone in this process.  To what degree you set these "goals" for yourself, I'm not sure.  I know that I shouldn't feel bad when things don't pan out the way I planned, but isn't that human nature?  Maybe it's the control freak in me...

I'm transitioning out of comp-mode with my eating and workouts, still.  I'd brainwashed myself that if I don't do/eat XYZ, then I'm not successful that day.  Lies, they're all lies.  Slowly, I'm changing that mode of thinking.  I've become a big fan of the "if it fits your macros" or as some half-jokingly call it - "if it fits your mouth".  IIFYM or flexible dieting is all about finding that sweet spot of balance.  There's nothing you can't have.  I am a HUGE fan of My Fitness Pal and use their app on my phone all day long.  It's the only way I can make sure I'm staying in my calorie range and percentages.  I've customized it for myself and play around with my percentages based on not only my goals, but how I'm feeling that day.  Am I run down because I stayed up past midnight on Pinterest?  I'll allow myself more carbs that day.  Am I feeling bloated because I ate chips and salsa the other night?  Bye bye carbs.  I typically stay in the range of 30-40% carbs, and split the remainder between protein and fat.  No need to count sugar for me as it all translates back to carbs.  I've also pretty much cut out all my fake sugars.  They weren't being very nice to my body anyway.

Ok, so now that summer is quickly approaching, and for me that means kiddos are out of school...I needed to start planning what my summer routine will look like.  *I had a friend joke about her making a 30/60/90 day plan for her family...but I guess that's kinda what I'm doing, isn't it?!*  In a perfect world, I would be lounging by the pool while the girls played and I wouldn't have to worry about them drowning or the pile of laundry waiting at home.  A girl can dream, right?  Instead, I know they will require me getting in the water with them.  This will be the perfect time to use them as little water weights and do some laps around the pool.  The park will also be a great place to get some plyos and HIIT in.  I'm planning on (without huge expectations put upon myself) doing this 12 minute AMRAP - as many rounds as possible - this evening from Kama Fitness :  

Whatever your goals are, set mini goals along the way.  No one is going to fault you for things not happening on an exact timeline.  Treat each day like a new day.  God willing, you get to wake up each morning and start over.  Maybe you had a kick-ass day the day prior, that doesn't necessarily mean today will be the same...it could be even more amazing or a complete let-down.  Pick your battles with yourself and above all else, just keep going.  Set your intentions and move forward!!  

Keto-whaaaa?

I found the cutest Mason jar frog lid (fancy thing for keeping your flower stems in place) on Amazon.com the other day that you can use on regular-sized mouth jars.  It makes me happy.  You don't need a lot of flowers to make it look pretty, either...and it's on Prime.  Score!

Enough about that.  Hey 80's & 90's, I'm sending your diet back, it made everyone fat sucks.  Remember the fads of high carbs, lowfat stuff (enter Snackwell's brand and commercials)?  Well, they're awful.  No one was meant to eat 100g of carbs in a sitting.  Ever.  Maaaaaybe if you're a huge bodybuilder and have a specific reason to.  Josh Thomas, if you're reading this, disregard.  I'm speaking to the rest of you.  Carb comas are far too prevalent in our society.  Mix that with the abundance of sugar and caffeine and you've got a righteous concoction for disaster.

I like love fat.  I don't necessarily love dairy, but I do love whole milk cheeses in extreme moderation.  Avocado and coconut oil are on the top of my fave fat list.  Eggs and I don't really agree, but whip up a spaghetti squash crust quiche and I'm all over it! Maybe even top it with some avocado...  See a trend here?  Fats.  Not all saturated.  The good stuff.  Real stuff.  I buy only the grass-fed butter from Costco and I am the proud owner of a red Fiestaware butter dish.  It's pretty AND functional.  Totally justified purchase.

When I was on my comp plan, I had limited fats.  That was part of what caused my irritability.  My brain wasn't ever truly satisfied.  Remember me saying how I curbed sweet cravings by popping extra fish oils?  Ya know what those are?  Fats.  Mmmhmmm.  This leads me to talk a bit about the title of this little diddy.  Keto, ketosis, ketogenic diet, familiar?  If not, lemme break it down right quick.  *horrible grammar was intentional*

Ketogenic diets are those that are high fat, moderate protein, and low carb.  The diet forces the body to use fat as fuel instead of carbohydrates.  It was originally used to help children with epilepsy become seizure free.  Amazing what our bodies respond to!  Be warned that if you decided to research and try the keto plan, you may become really carb sensitive.  I offically started it today and plan to cycle it so that my body doesn't explode when I take A bite of bread/rice/starch.  I played around with numbers, because I geek out like that, so that I can continue to build muscle while I shed fat.  In theory, it should work!  I'll report back in a few weeks pending me staying on it...ha!

My typical day will look like this:

Breakfast - lean meat (remember me and eggs don't mix), 2-3 strips of bacon, a slice of ezekiel sprouted bread with a smear of butter, 1/2 c or so of berries, coffee with coconut milk creamer.

Snack - scoop of protein powder, handful of almonds or spoon of almond butter

Lunch - turkey burger on a salad, mustard on top or turkey burger with 1c steamed broccoli, either choice plus one slice of ezekiel sprouted bread or 3 oz of sweet potato.

Snack - scoop of protein powder mixed with unsweetened almond milk

Dinner - tonight is flat iron steak on salad with cheese and ranch!  yummmm

I'm aiming to stay around 1800 calories and no meal to have more than 30g of carbs.  This isn't far from what my prep diet was like, I just wasn't given fats as an option.  I'm excited to see how my body responds to it.  The best part is cardio won't be a requirement to drop body fat!  Yes...that's what I said!  I'm still going to take a class here and there because that's what I like, but you won't find me on the treadmill.  My lifting crazy-heavy will be all that I need to get my heart pumping.

Are YOU hungry for a change?

Sugar is bad, mkay?  If you know a smoker or have ever been a smoker, you know how bad breaking that addiction can be.  Sugar is the same way and you know what...it's in EVERYTHING!  Well, it's in everything that's in a box or can on a shelf.  I'm sure there are a few things here and there that don't contain it, no need to call me out, I'm just making a point. ;)  It's the food industry's way of keeping us coming back for more like crazy sugar zombies.  

Watching Hungry for a Change today was pretty enlightening.  I've always been a proponent for clean and healthy eating, but there were plenty of science based statements that I know I'll carry with me forever.  Bye bye diet sodas, bye bye crazy (albeit sometimes delicious) sugary foods.  I don't need your crazy chemicals.  I truly believe that I can change not just how I look, but how I feel and how my body ages.  I want to feel and look young for-ev-er.  (catch that Sandlot reference?)

Once you understand that sugar is a drug, just like cocaine/weed/alcohol/meth, the better off you'll be.  It's addictive!  We're all probably addicted, if you're not, congrats!!  I am the first to admit that I have a sugar problem.  My sweet tooth is HUGE.  I'm not saying I will never ever put sugar in my mouth again.  Will it be a daily thing?  Hell to the no.  Weekly, maybe.  I'd like it to be even less often than that.  I've done it before, I can do it again.  There's plenty of ways to have a treat without compromising my health.  Seen those recipes on Pinterest for Avocado Chocolate Pudding or Sweet Potato Brownies? Yah.  Delish. 

Bread, pasta, soda, candy, chips, and ANYTHING processed has sugar in it.  Do yourself a favor and start eating real, whole foods.  Real food is delicious.  Very few Americans are eating real foods, we're eating food-like substances.  Don't just eat to look good, eat to feel good.  The looking good part will follow.  Eat to live.  Eat to nourish your body and soul.  Cheetos, though yummy, do not nourish your soul.  Mac & cheese used to be my drug comfort food.  Right now, I get that "ahhh" feeling from my brown rice and lean meat.  Tonight, I got that same feeling from my trusty baked chicken, asparagus, and sweet potato with a sprinkle of cinnamon.  

What's the easiest way to avoid sugar?  Don't buy it.  Shop the perimeter of a grocery store.  Fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, lean meats.  Better yet, find a co-op, grow a garden, shop local.  Two of my favorite quotes from Hungry for a Change was the tip of not thinking "I CAN'T EAT THAT" but "I can, but I DON'T WANT TO" and "People are overfed and undernourished".   Watch the first part of the movie here.

A scary fact was that a lot of the chemicals we're exposed to in our food are lipophilic (fat loving).  So here we are, sweating and trying to burn fat.  Unfortunately, we're not riding our toxins that have built up.  What can help?  Chlorophyll, think parsley and cilantro.  Both are great cleansers.  Cilantro detoxes heavy metals (think mercury) and parsley not only freshens breath, but cleanses your entire blood supply.  Make some homemade salsa and BAM you're cleansing!  Just don't dig into said salsa with chips...use it as your dressing on salad or in your morning eggs!  I also love drinking hot lemon water in the morning.  I LOVE coffee, but definitely feel better when I drink my hot lemon water.  I even just use a drop of my Young Living Lemon Oil!  Chia seeds and other gelatinous fibers will bind to those fat loving toxins and sweep them out of your system.  Chia seeds don't just have to grow on your terra cotta head/dog/other strange form from 1980.  You CAN eat them and even drink them!  Weight will come off when you cleanse.  It's more than that though, cleansing your body is like giving your car a tune up, it just runs better.

Try this chia seed recipe:   

Skinny Banana Bread with Chia Seeds

I'll be making a version using almond milk and a gluten free flour. :)  Enjoy!!