Reflections on my Fittest Year (so far!)

Sept 7th, 2013 marked what I consider to be my 1 year Fit-i-versary:
On Sept 7th, 2012, I had my first fitness assessment at my gym. I had just joined the previous week, and I had barely begun my journey towards health and fitness.

Looking back, 2012 me would have been shocked by many of the things 2013 me has accomplished: 

• Picking up running & ENJOYING it
• Completing 9 fitness events/races including a 5k in under 26 minutes
• Finishing my first Whole30
• Hiking 13 miles in one day on the Appalachian Trail
• Loosing over 25 lbs (& maintaining!)
• Squatting 125 lbs

Even the fact that I've fit in a workout 4-6 days a week EVERY SINGLE WEEK for a year just blew the socks off my 2012 self. I've achieved lots of the short and long term goals that I set, and even knocked some things off of my 2013 "Bucket List".

Ringing in a new 'year'

I celebrated my Fit-i-versary of Sept 7th in a way I feel was very appropriate- giving a bit of my time to some truly inspiration athletes trying to achieve some of their own amazing goals. I spent the wee-early hours of Saturday morning at Run Woodstock, a weekend-long series of running events here in S.E. Michigan. I wanted to be a part of this awesome weekend, and I decided to volunteer as a Aide Station "Roadie" on the 50 K/50 Mile/100 K/100 Mile course. To see these incredible folks giving 125% effort was SO inspiring. 

Let me paint a quick picture:

I woke up, got dressed, made some oatmeal, and headed out the door around 4:40am on Saturday. I drove 40 minutes to get to Hell Creek Ranch, near Pinckney, Michigan, where the Run Woodstock weekend was being held. It was still dark when I arrived around 5:20am, and I could see lots and lots of stars in the sky! I parked, checked in, and drove with a new volunteer buddy to Gracie's Aide Station, where we'd be spending the next 6 hours helping race participants. It was really neat to see the runners, most outfitted with headlamps, trucking down the trails. At this point (6am), the 100 Milers and 100 K'ers had been going since 4pm!!! the previous evening, and the 50 Mile/50 K folks were just starting. 

Over the next 6 hours, I saw runners in elite form, and others who looked like this task was quite a challenge for them. I saw runners who looked amazingly unfazed by an 100 mile distance, and others who stumbled to the aide station and could not take another step. I saw a pencil-thin woman with a knee-gash get bandaged up and continue on the trail. I saw a father encourage his son, despondent by the distance he had yet to run, that he could and would finish. Many of the runners seemed to be over 40, if not over 50, which was an awesome surprise. 

I was really thankful to have had this experience, and to support fellow athletes in this way as I myself celebrated quite a year. As I drove home around noon, I spent some time reflecting on the key fitness lessons I've learned over the past 12 months.

Lessons from a year of Fit Living

Get Moving, and Keep Moving

It really is true- If you can make it to the gym, or to the start of your workout for the day, whatever it is, you're 90% there! Getting out 4-6 days a week and being active has been key for me; not only has it helped me to move to a healthy weight, but it's also been a stress-reliever, and allowed me to compete in 9 fitness events so far this year, a huge source of pride and accomplishment. If I feel like shit tomorrow, I'll still go to the gym. If I only do 30 minutes of cardio, no problem. 9 times out of 10, once I start my workout I feel better and I'm able to knock out a kickass session, whether that's 30 minutes or 90 minutes!

Eat to Fuel movement, not Move to justify Eating!

When you're looking to loose weight, you do need to create a calorie deficit somehow. This usually involves eating less calories than your body needs. Now that I am where I want and need to be, weight-wise, I have realized that I need to switch my mentality from working out so I can burn "enough" calories to one of "eating enough to fuel the awesome things I want to do". True athletes eat LOTS- enough so they can power through their practices, games, and events. There's no reason why it should be different for us everyday athletes; we need enough fuel to power our bodies and recover for another hard workout tomorrow!

It's all about Feeling Good

The biggest thing I've learned this year is that health and fitness are all about feeling good. Eat what makes you feel good. Occasionally, this could mean taking time for a cookie or a special treat. Most often, this means eating whole foods, saying no to processed junk, and eating until you're full; not less, and definitely not more. 

I learned that the same thing goes with weight- the weight you feel physically good at is better than the one where you look like a supermodel and can't make it through the day because you have no energy. In February, once I hit my goal weight, I just kept loosing weight. If I'm feeling and looking great at 110lbs, wouldn't 105 be AMAZING? I got down to 105 and found out that the answer is No; for me 105 or even 108lbs was not a sustainable weight. When I hit 106lbs and 17.5% bodyfat, I felt a little leaf, about to be knocked over by the wind. I was cold all.the.time, and I didn't really have enough energy to fuel myself. By all accounts, women can get down to 12% bodyfat and still be in a healthy range, but for me, this is not the case. I looked fit, I looked skinny, and I did not feel good. It wasn't worth it, and it took me some time to recognize those feelings.

I'm now at about 110-112 lbs, which is just fine with me. Not sure what my bodyfat % is, and I'm not sure that I care to know right now. I am learning to trust myself and my body. I have the knowledge and skills to make good food choices, to move and exercise in a way that will keep me at a healthy weight for me.

In Conclusion..

Lots of good things achieved, but I'm not done yet! This weekend, I'm headed to the Kensington Challenge for my first 15k, October 5th I have a "practice" Half Marathon at the Heroes on Hines race, all to prep for a MAJOR challenge- the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon on October 20th! I'd still like to take the Spin Instructor Certification this year- there's a class coming up in November so stay tuned for that! Thanks for your support and encouragement through my journey so far!

Post-Travel check-in: a Healthy Happy 5 year Anniversary trip!

We just returned from our Virginia vacation on Sunday, and it was amazing!! Don't have time for a long post here, but I did want to share a few thoughts and some pics. We had a GREAT time, and it was just what I was hoping for; Fun, active, lots of adventures, but a but of time to relax as well. 

As far as being prepped for clean eating/living on our trip, I consider it successful! When staying with our friends in Arlington, we made oatmeal + yogurt for breakfast each morning before we headed out to see sights. I had lots of snacks that helped to get us from meal to meal while out on the town. We visited two Farmers Markets, and when eating out at restaurants for lunch and dinner, I mostly had salads, lean proteins, etc. My splurges for the trip were scones and crepes for breakfast at the B n' B on Saturday and Sunday morning, as well as some greek Fro-Yo from Berry Berry on Saturday. Overall, what I ate gave me fuel to hike around all day, and feel good about my food choices all week!

I was able to get an intentional "workout" in every day except Wednesday (besides shlepping around DC):

Tuesday: Workout at gym before we left

Wed: Walked approx 4-5 miles around DC

Thurs: 1 mile treadmill run + 4-5 miles of DC shlepping

Friday: 2 mile treadmill run + 6-8 miles walking Monticello and Charlottesville

Saturday: 2-3 miles walking in Charlottesville + 5.6 mile hike in Shenandoah National Park trails

Sunday: 2.2 mile morning walk, 2-3 miles walked around Mt. Vernon & Olde Town in Alexandria

hubs and I about to visit the National Archives!

Awesome.

A thought-provoking conversation with TJ

Vegetables!! I basically make this face any time we were within 2 miles of a garden. :)

Grapes vines @ Monticello

City Market (Saturday) in Charlottesville

The Rotunda @ UVA (designed by Jefferson!)

Hiking in Shenandoah National Park (Jones Run 3.4 mile trail)

Turk Mountain Summit Trail in Shenandoah National Park- just beautiful.

An awesome trip- I'm glad to share more details of our adventure if you're thinking of planning a similar trip!

Day 15- Whole30 reflections at my Halfway Mark

I have been a bit of a Whole30 rollercoaster for the past several days. I had a few days (Days 11 & 12) where I was angry at the Whole30 program, and myself. I asked myself "Why did I decide to do this stupid Whole30 thing anyway!?" . Whole30 is tough in that way- it's an intense change from the Standard American Diet, even for those of us who were already eating a lot more healthily. Since it's a self-imposed diet & lifestyle change for me, at times it can feel ridiculous.

Om nom nom. Bacon!! and a Carrot-orange-ginger Juice

I quickly found out that I was also starting my period on Day 11, which that explains the over-emotional reaction as well as the 3 minute mini-breakdown I had where I whined to my hubs, "Whyyy-ah? Why can't I just have some breaad-ah?". He reminded me that I'm doing a really great job, and that I would be upset with myself if I "cheated" now. Thanks, man! :)

Other than that little break in confidence, and the occasional nightmare in which I consume non-Whole30 compliant foods and wake up thinking that I really ate those things, I have been feeling really great. I mean REALLY GREAT! You feel great when you regularly eat bacon for breakfast, I've found ;)

It's hard to describe the changes and improvements I've been seeing, because I think the main change that I see is the absence of certain symptoms of the foods I'm not currently eating; of stomach issues, irritation, or inflammation. The important thing to note about this change is that I do not have any (known) allergies, but despite that, I have definitely noticed these Things I am no longer feeling in my body: (These are not particularly gross but TMI warning if you can't handle normal human body functions):

• No more uncomfortably full feeling I would get at least 4-5 times a week after a meal
• No more need to run to the bathroom after eating cheese or dairy products
• No more inflated-stomach feeling I get when I eat most grains (esp. gluten)
• No more 3-4pm energy crash 

Other positive effects I am noticing:

Awesome Salad- Roasted Beets, Butternut Squash and Kale!

• More steady energy throughout the day
• More recognition of sugar cravings AS sugar cravings when they happen, and being able to re-direct them (sometimes!)
• Little-to-no bloating/water retention while on my period. Usually my weigh goes up by 1-3lbs while on my period, so I just stopped weighing myself for that week. I happened to weigh myself today, and I am down 1lb from my weight as of 2 days ago. That's the opposite of a typical period week for me!
• Feeling that my body is able to actually utilize the calories I am feeding it, rather than just storing them

It's Day 15 of the Whole30 Program, and I am feeling glad that I committed to this challenge. 
Here are my goals for my next 15 days of my first Whole30 program:

1. Continue to reduce my sugar intake, even though it's all from fruit
2. Make 2 new crockpot recipes per week 
3. Find two new breakfast options that are still "breakfast-y"
4. Cook something with turkey (roasted turkey, turkey burger, etc)

Thanks for reading! If you've done Whole30 before, please comment on this post and share your thoughts! If you're interested in knowing more about my Whole30 experience, send me a message!

Starting the Year off Right- My first day of 2013!

Today, being January 1st of 2013, was the start of many great health commitments in my life, and a renewal to my existing commitments. Some new things on my "healthy plate" this year that started today include:

• Whole30 Program- "Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food." Essentially the "Paleo Diet", but done for health reasons more than "this is what cavemen used to eat" reasons. A great focus on sustainable/organic meat products as well as fruits & veggies!
• 13 in 2013- I had set out already to do 12 in 2013 (that is 12 fitness events in 2013, or one a month), but found an entire group of folks doing 13 in 2013! A supportive virtual community is a big asset, so I've hitched my wagon with these folks.



Me and the hubs at #committmentday detroit

• StartClean2013 Challenge- Start Clean 2013 is not a diet, but does focus a lot on food. This challenge is about exploring food choices, get organized in the kitchen, and reflecting on food habits and choices. Includes Daily Prompts on Clean Eating & fitness!

Today, I took several big steps toward these commitments! The first of these was completing my 1st of 13 fitness events for the year: Mike and I ran the Commitment Day 5k in Detroit! It was chilly outside, but a lot of fun to start the year off running with my love :) Also, it was a pretty awesome experience to get to run through the tunnel onto Ford Field as a 5k Finish Line. This rally wasn't officially timed, but based on when we started and the time when we cross the finish line, we're estimating a 29m:00s run time, which is a PR for us both! Here's hoping that the other 12 races will be just as fun and inspirational.

The second big step was officially starting the Whole30 Program. I have been eating fairly "clean" for about 3 months now- little to no gluten, little to no dairy, a greatly-reduced amount of refined or added sugars, lots of fruits & veggies- but it is time to really double down for a month and see where clean eating can take me! There's a very extensive list of what NOT to eat, but I've summarized it here:

• Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, etc 
• Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking.
•  Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, etc. 
• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, etc.
•  Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. 
• Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
• Do not eat white potatoes. 

I am going to ignore the white potatoes line item. It's Winter, I live in Michigan, and I'm trying my best to be a local foodie and a seasonal eater. Potatoes are like half of the veggies we're got here in the winter, man! Not really, but they are a big staple, along with carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, onions, cabbage, kale, spinach, and so on.

Still figuring out how to make these tasty juices look better..

The biggest changes for me will be the No Added Sugar and the complete elimination of Grains and Dairy. I've already made great strides in these areas, simply because I feel better without these products in my system.

Dairy really bothers my stomach, and grains make me feel bloated and yucky. I used to be the "pasta queen", as my husband pointed out to me last week, so even the reduction I've been doing so far has been a big change! The nice part is, since both grains and dairy bother me, even if I love my heart loves eat them, my head is getting more used to saying, "No! Remember last time you ate that and felt gross for a day afterwards?" Ah, yes.

In 2013, I'll continue to maintain some of the goals I've been progressing towards in the past 4 months of my new lifestyle:

• Working out 5 - 6 days a week for an hour
• Logging calories on MyFitnessPal app
• Maintaining and even increasing my weight loss and Body Fat % improvements
• Juicing at least 1 time/day

Feeling great and off to a strong start here in 2013! I've found a great deal of support from friends, co-workers, family, and the online community as well, including greatist.com and my fellow Greatist ambassadors, the StartClean2013 folks, and the 13 in 2013 runners! The support I am seeing between these folks is just amazing!

What goals do you have set or in mind for this year, and how will you make them reality?