Some Days Are Like That...

Yesterday was a rough day in the motivation department for me. I went into Monday knowing my week would be a little thrown off due to a hair appointment, returning a favor to my sweet neighbor by hanging out with her little boy, and a doctor appointment for my youngest, so I had tried to kick up my weekend workouts to compensate. That was rough in itself. I usually reserve the weekends for family time and try to squeeze in exercise by taking family walks at the park or chasing the kids around, but I decided to go for it. Saturday I ran a few miles and then hit the cardio machines and Sunday I ran a couple miles and did a Body Pump class to get in some weight training.

So, back to Monday...The extra time I put into the gym over the weekend evidently kept me from putting clothes into the washer because all the workout clothes I was looking for were in the dirty clothes. My options are more limited these days. I'm happy that a lot of my workout wear is getting too big, but replacing it is expensive and hasn't quite made it to the top of my to-do list. Ordinarily I'd just pull on whatever still fits and get moving but I was planning on doing a Yoga Sculpt class. It's a new class I just started a month or so ago and I love it...or love to hate it, I'm not really sure. Basically it is sixty minutes of yoga in a 100 degree room with hand weights and three very intense bursts of cardio. During those bursts, I'm quite sure I may fall over dead at any second, but thankfully just when I think that moment has arrived, the burst is over. Since it is so dang hot in that yoga studio what you wear really does matter. I ended up in a pair of long, loose yoga pants which was basically the worst thing possible since they weigh ten pounds by the time you've sweated the kind of drenching sweat this class creates. So...I was off to a bad start.

After finally finding pants to wear, I got the girls in the car and listened to my older daughter give a full narration on who she would see at the gym today. She is always ready to go to the gym. In fact, she is usually my biggest cheerleader. I had already planned on getting in a short run, maybe a mile, before class so we headed out about a half hour before yoga started. Last week I ran a mile before class and felt like being a little more warmed up help me acclimate to the heat a little better and in that class I need all the help I can get.

We are lucky to belong to a gym that has really great childcare...like an indoor climbing maze, basketball courts and a staff that actually takes time to learn the kid's names and greet them personally. She loves going to play with her "gym friends" and today was no exception. When we got there I put the baby in the nursery and walked my older daughter to the basketball court where all the older kids were playing. I scanned the court and realized we were the first of her little group to get there, but usually that's not a big deal. I opened that gate to let her in and BAM. The switch flipped. She was a clinging, teary-eyed mess. It just wasn't like her. I got down on her level and looked her in the eye. She had huge tears welling up threatening to spill over at any second, but she couldn't tell me what was wrong. That's also not like her...this girl is never at a loss for words. She finally came up with, "I think I just feel a little tired." She looked down at her shoes and when she looked up her eyes finally overflowed and my heart sank. I wanted to cry too when I looked at her sad little face.

In the past I've been able to simply step out of sight and she moves right on. It was worth a try. One of the teachers tried to give her a little hug to distract her as I stepped out, but she erupted into full on hysterics and I knew it was time to go. As we headed toward the nursery to get the baby, one of the nursery staff stepped out of the room and saw us. She calmly talked to us and asked if maybe a few minutes in the nursery with little sister would make her feel better. Thankfully, she agreed that it would. I handed her over and stood outside the door waiting for tears, but thankfully none came. I left the childcare area fully expecting a phone call that she needed me and that my workout would be short today. By then I think I was actually hoping for that call. Those moments in the basketball area had drained me and left my heart heavy. I have always felt that choosing a healthy lifestyle is as much mental as it is physical and my mind was checking out for the day.

I walked to the locker room and contemplated quitting before I even got started, but after making it through that scene in childcare I knew I had to do something to make this trip worthwhile. I headed up stairs to the track, turned on my music and stop watch and started to run. The first mile went by surprisingly fast. As I was finishing my sister called. I knew I should stop if I was going to do that class, but as I listened to her talk I kept on running. Whoops.

When I got into the yoga studio class was just about to start and it was HOT. We weren't even through the warmup and I already knew I felt off. I moved into my first downward dog and something weird happened. As I moved into the pose with my head hanging upside down, I tried to swallow. You know, like you do 10,000 times a day. Except when I did, it was like gravity took over and it went to my sinuses instead of my throat. I could literally feel an air bubble or whatever it was traveling up my sinus cavity toward my eyes...and yes, I'm still hanging upside down in my downward dog pose. It was similar to the sensation you have when you accidentally snort pool water, except searingly painful. I was trying to blink away the pain but even after we stood up I had what I guess I would call a sinus headache. I went on with the class, the sweat dripping and burning my eyes..I was so ready to bolt out of there.

By the third cardio round I had about all I could take. As we squat jumped and burpee'ed our way through that burst I was suddenly so light-headed that I could only think one thought. I had to get out of that heat ASAP. Out in the hallway the relief wasn't instantaneous, but I could feel my pulse slowing down and I had, thankfully, lost that panicked feeling. As much as I shouldn't have, I felt a little better that two other folks had to take a breather the same time I did. I know, shame on me. I headed back in knowing the class was nearly over and felt like it would be a shame to quit with only a few minutes left. Class ended and as I tugged my saggy, soaking-wet pants up for the thousandth time, I realized I did feel better for having made it through. I didn't quit even when I really wanted to.

By the time I went to collect the kiddos, it seemed like the incident from earlier was long forgotten. I asked her if she'd had fun and she gave me a resounding "Yes!" and asked if we'd be back tomorrow. The answer was actually no, since momma needs a rest day and some fresh hair color, but I was relieved that she was over whatever had made her so sad earlier.

The rest of the afternoon was pretty smooth, but after dinner my sweet tooth kicked into overdrive and I knew I was going to eat something, so it might as well be fun for everyone. We headed down the the street to our favorite little frozen yogurt shop and had dessert. While we were there I decided to bite the bullet and find out how may calories I was really eating. I was pretty pumped when I found out the no-sugar-added vanilla I usually eat only has 80 calories per 3oz. I had it topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries, so all in all, not too bad as far as dessert goes. It hit the spot and I'm pretty certain after that yoga hell I endured earlier, I earned that fro-yo!

What I try to remember on days like yesterday is that everyone has an off day. You can choose to push through it or you can choose to start fresh tomorrow, but you can't choose to give up. There is some quote out there about how 80% of being successful is just showing up. Sometimes it only takes something as tiny as putting on your tennis shoes to spur you on to a good workout. The longer you sit on the couch and think about the other things you could do instead, the further you will be from your goals and the more overwhelmed you will feel. Everyday that you feed your body what it needs and get moving is a day to be proud of. Progress takes time, but the workout you do today will show one day soon. It took me months to get to a point where I could look in the mirror and see things changing, but I could feel them long before that. Give it time. Be kind to yourself. Think happy thoughts. And when you need motivation, lace up your shoes and get moving---even if it's only for five minutes. My guess is that once you get started, you'll finish and feel better for having stuck to your plan.

Sometimes it just takes a little reminder of what you've accomplished. Here is the picture that keeps me going right now. What a difference a year makes...

                                              April 2012 vs April 2013

Got questions? Comments? Let me know...I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Dinner in Gym Clothes

When I started posting a picture here and there of what I was eating for breakfast or had made my family for dinner on my Facebook page, I never expected to get the response that followed. That response is what inspired me to begin "Dinner in Gym Clothes." I hope to show you that eating in a healthy, nutritious way doesn't have to be hard, time consuming, or bland. And likewise, the gym does not have to be tedious, painful or boring. In my personal experience, making the time for both of these in your life will change more than your pant size. Although I would be lying if I said weight loss was not a major motivator in this journey toward a healthier life.

 Here is a little back ground: I have never been a particularly thin person. As a child I always remember being the "big" girl. Although I was athletic and kept busy with softball and bike riding, I more than made up for it in brownie eating and Dr. Pepper drinking. By junior high, I knew I wanted to make a change, but I didn't know how. It was so difficult, as a 13 year old, to be so proud to have made the cheerleading squad only to realize the very real fear that there may not be a uniform to fit me. I never felt the stinging words of bullies, but I did feel the shame of watching my mother sit behind a sewing machine trying to figure out how to move buttons and alter uniforms to get them to fit. I spent my junior high years always on the bottom of the pyramid but I was on the squad and that was what was most important to me.

In high school I lost weight and was finally happy with my body. What I failed to learn during that time of weight loss was how to lose weight in a healthy way. I ate a severely calorie restricted diet often consisting of one small bowl of cereal for breakfast, half a sandwich for lunch, and a can of green beans for dinner all while keeping up a hectic schedule of high school softball practice and games, cheerleading practice and games, and daily trips to the gym. I think I always knew I needed to be eating more, but I was constantly scared more food would mean I would once again become the "big" girl. If only I had known then what I know now, right?

After high school, I fully indulged in college life and loved every minute of it. I was able to keep my weight under control despite living in a sorority house with a cook whose favorite meals always included gravy. Hello, Chicken Strip Tuesday! Thankfully, I made good use of the university's gym facilities and long walks across campus to my classes.

The real problem began after I got married and became what many folks call "fat and happy." Except I was far from happy. I told myself I was being a good wife by putting three course meals on the table every night and making pancakes every weekend, but the truth is I wasn't doing either of us any favors. I had let my weight get to a point where I could no longer button my “fat-day” jeans. I couldn’t go on telling myself the pants in my closet were fresh-out- o-the-dryer-tight...these jeans were just too small. My husband and I went on the South Beach Diet, which was huge at the time, and quickly lost weight. It worked, but living la vida low-carb was tough and it wasn't a permanent solution for us. We both gained a few pounds back but we were both happy enough with our weight to try to go back to "normal" eating, whatever that is.

Fast forward four years to the birth of our first daughter. I gained 60+lbs by eating a steady diet of burgers and fries, cookies and my favorite custard ice cream filled with Oreos and heath bars. Was it delicious?...of course! Was it incredibly hard to lose?...absolutely.  I was able to keep my weight gain down with our second baby, gaining under 30lbs. Losing the weight the second time wasn't any easier, but with 30 less pounds to lose than the first pregnancy, it didn't seem as daunting.

Seven months after my second baby I had lost my pregnancy weight, but it was abundantly clear that my body needed a tune up. I had been back to the gym since the baby was 8 weeks old, but I wasn't putting much effort into my workouts. I would climb on a cardio machine, Kindle in hand, and do the minimum it took to break a sweat then go home and make a convenient dinner. These meals weren't completely devoid of nutrition, but we were eating far too much pasta, boxed/processed meals and fried restaurant dinners.  I was tired, stressed, hungry and worst of all, not getting the results I wanted.

The holidays and my birthday had the scale creeping back up but I refused to let it ruin the holidays. I did what so many of us do and vowed to make a change...after New Year’s, of course. I've made plenty of resolutions in my life, but this time I vowed to keep it…and you know what? I did.

That brings us to today. In the past months I have developed a passion for working out and a new love of cooking.  My number one goal is to raise a happy and healthy family, but I fully believe you cannot take care of the ones you love if you are not taking care of yourself. That has to include getting your body moving, but like I talked about before: getting a workout is important, but no amount of working out will take care of a bad diet. Eating Clean does require some effort, but the rewards are amazing. I rarely, if ever, need ibuprofen or Tylenol now which is a big change for me. I have far more energy which allows me to push harder in my workouts. I feel like I can handle stress better. And lastly, the little fact I am most proud of…I have lost 20+ pounds since January 1^st. I truly feel that changing my food intake has been the catalyst for all these changes and that motivates me to stick with it.

Now, the disclaimer: Am I a nutritionist? No. Am I a personal trainer? No. What I will share with you in this blog is simply what is working for me and my family right now. Will it change and evolve? I hope so. That being said, let’s be realistic. I am a mom of two little ones. Life can be crazy. It can get hectic. Kids get sick and I may eat an entire bag of Cadbury mini eggs. Life goes on. I start each day striving to do my best, but realize balance is the key. While I’ll try to give you the best advice I can, there will still be Easy Mac in my pantry and I’m sure there is a pizza somewhere in my near future.  Eating well and working out is something I strive to do, but it is not more important than being the best mom, wife, sister and daughter that I can be. This is my journey to living a healthy, happy life.  I hope you enjoy reading it. Welcome to Dinner in Gym Clothes.