loaded with infectious goobers...

Holy crap. I've been a sick mess. And totally MIA (you could have found me at any given time in a five day period in my bed watching a ton of Dexter). Hope all has been well and you haven't given up on me.

I initially googled some tips & advice for first-time blogging and read that for the first month you should blog every single day, even if the content is small and just a simple paragraph. I really sunk the ship on that one, didn't I? Mighty big time. I have had a few questions and I am GOING to answer them. I also want to share these spices with you so I'm trying to play catch-up. And I promise to do that. But first I need to focus on, you know, work. Oh, work...

food, glorious food...

The list is short and definitely not sweet. You will not find cupcakes, granola bars (apart from the occasional protein bar that I introduced later on into my transition), or even apples on this list. I watch my sodium BIG time and a close second is sugar. My carbs consumed are only complex ones and even that list is small.

Again, I am not a skilled or certified nutritionist. This is just what worked for me. I came to my own conclusion that gluten is not my friend. It was the breads, the pastas, and crackers that kept the weight dangling from my body. There are a few exceptions to my rule, of course, but for the most part I had to kick gluten-packed foods. Here is my list.

Proteins (I serving size):

Egg Whites 4-5 per serving

Chicken Breast 4-5oz

Turkey Breast  4-5 oz

Tuna Fish (LOW SODIUM) 4-5 oz (keep in mind, most cans list a 2 serving recommendation)

Fresh Fish 5-6 oz

Red Meat 4-5oz

Ground Meat: 4-5oz (always as LEAN as possible!)

Carbs (I serving size):

White Potato 4oz

Sweet Potato 5oz

Rice (brown or white) (cooked) ½-3/4 cup

Oatmeal (dry weight) ½ cup

Cream of White (PLAIN) 1-2oz

Cream of Rice 1-2oz

Vegetables:

All fresh green veggies may be added to any/all meals. Avoid canned and frozen veggies due to excessive sodium content. Although now it’s pretty easy to find veggies that have been flash-frozen and contain no sodium.

Fruits:

During breakfast only. Initially fruits should be limited to 1 cup of either strawberries or cantaloupe due to high sugar contents. Avoid canned fruit…too much sodium and syrup.

Beverages:

Water, low-cal Powdered Beverage Mix (absorbs as water does), decaffeinated tea/coffee*, limited non-fat milk (morning only), and no-salt seltzer.

*I’m going to be honest. I NEVER gave up coffee. I couldn’t deprive myself of everything that I love. And besides, I only have about 2 cups anyways.

Condiments/Dressings/Seasonings:

Olive of Canola Oil (I like Safflower in my stir-fry)

Balsamic Vinegar

White Wine/Rice Vinegar

Red Wine Vinegar

Lemon Juice

No-Salt Ketchup (it’s actually pretty good!)

Low Sodium Salsa (less than 100mg – delicious on rice & ground turkey!)

Sugar-Free Maple Syrup (goes great with Cream of Wheat!)

Any Salt Free Herbs/Spices**

**I will soon take inventory of my 3-tier Lazy Susan spice pantry and make suggestions. I am certain I have the best spice recommendations pretty much EVER. I will later discuss my three favorite places to get these spices!

No-No List (it’s longer than the All-Systems-Go list):

Salt

Sugar

Breads

Fried Foods (duh, right?)

Dairy Products (except for non-fat milk)

Cheese

Yogurt

Deli Meats

Fruit Juices

Fruit (except strawberries & cantaloupe)

Canned Fruit

Canned/Frozen Veggies

Avocados (high fat content)

Corn or Peas (too starchy and no nutritional value anyways…)

Limit Tomatoes and Carrots – high in sugar

Salty Sauces/Dressings

Sodas

Sports Drinks

Alcohol (riiiiigggght…)

Processed Foods (another obvi, but they are high in sodium and degraded protein/carb values)

Ephedra, Ephedrine, Maun Huang, Caffeine, Green Tea, or any other stumlant based products.

I also added almonds, and a teaspoon of hummus (lowest sodium I could find) to various veggies for snacks. My list has had a few things re/introduced to it these days. In moderation I eat small(er than the recommended) servings for 0% Greek Yogurt with a handful of blueberries and every now and again, sprinkles of gluten-free granola. I eat a few bananas a week and I do eat various protein bars a few times a week for my 4:30 snack at the end of my work day before heading to the gym. And once again, hello to avocados. Again, in moderation.

For the first year I did this pretty much exactly how it’s listed. I cheated once or twice – around month five or six. I was very serious and very committed to my change. The first week I started this, I drank an entire gallon of water a day to flush my system. Sure, I waddled around like a bloated pig and had to pee every eight minutes, but in the first 14 days I lost 12 pounds. Then I believe the next few weeks were at around three pounds per week and then tapered off to two, and then down to a pound a week for the last couple of weeks until my body hit plateaus that I had to push through.

Any questions? Ask away!

Happy Wednesday :)

HB

here comes another challenge...

So, my company is doing a nationwide challenge. There are thousands of employees so it should be interesting. Over a 12 week period starting starting 2/6, teams (teams consist of min. 5/max. 11 members) will record their exercise time, steps taken (whether it be running, walking, etc.), and weight lost. They constructed an AMAZING website to help motivate and keep track. We get e-mails and text messages for reminders to log your workouts. I still have yet to enter my goals - I have to think about this over the next week - but I have started logging everything already. I admit I have never kept a log or journal, so it's pretty funking cool to see your accomplishments in one place. And maybe even win a nice trip (the prizes haven't really been gone over in detail but we get to go somewhere and get recognized at a ceremony as the fittest bunch of the bunch.)


From 1/23 thru 1/29, this website has helped me log the following stats:

Went to the gym	6 times
Did Aerobics	60 minutes
Boxed	60 minutes
Rowed	5 minutes
Weight Lifting	105 minutes
Sit-ups	355 reps
Push-ups	44 reps
Ran	11.3 miles

The aerobics I logged was an hour of Zumba (if you haven't done it...DO IT...it's so much fun and beats your butt IF you have a killer instructor like our Wednesday class does). Kickboxed for an hour on Thursday and did a "Strong" class on Saturday morning which consists of an hour of constant squats, lunges, and lifting. You use risers, bench press bar with plates, free weights (varied lbs.), and a resistance band. There are no breaks and you move fluidly from one exercise to the next. I could do without Bon Jovi blasting in my ear (I really loathe JBJ) and some other shitty music that's supposed to motivate us, but sometimes we just have to be our own motivators. Our instructor is very sweaty and if you sit as close to him as I did, you will get doused with his man sweatjuice. It landed on me and in my general direction multiple times. And if you can handle and moved passed all of the bizarre wooshing noises he makes, it's a really great class. I can hardly walk. The thought of sqautting down to pee is terrifying. But it did the trick. So he did his job, swooshing or no swooshing.


I know it sounds like a simple task and such a "duh" thing to do, but if you don't already do it...start journaling your weekly accomplishments. Looking back, you can really pat yourself on the back.


Have a happy Monday!
HB

how did the cat get so fat?

How the hell did I get so fat? I hate throwing the word 'fat' around. It can be cruel, it can be inaccurate, or completely dramatic and make you want to punch someone square in the tooth to referring to themselves as such. But that's actually what I was...fat...just a fatty fat fat, flabby, completely out of shape and clinically obese. I think I started noticing my body changing somewhere between the ages of 22 and 23. I had gained a few pounds. Nothing much but I started filling out. Gradual. I finally started getting real curves. I thought it was pretty sweet until my cheeks started getting chubby. I didn't think that was very fair. My cheeks are right up there with my knees. They're just weird'ish. Anyways, as I neared my 24th birthday I discovered I was preggs. I ate really, really well when I was pregnant. No (major) sweets, no sodas, no fast food, TONS of greens (I honestly craved the color green...it was strange, but it wasn't pica...I didn't take up eating of dirt and shredded paper towels so I had that going for me) and I allowed myself one cup of coffee a day in the morning so I could function. I needed it. As most of you who have been pregnant can agree...being pregnant is more like existing for those nine months and dying it for it to all be over as opposed to living and embracing. Bullshit. I have to say, as terrifying and horrendously complicated as my pregnancy was, I can say I only gained 14.75 pounds. But we must factor in that I only lasted 31 weeks out of the full 40. My oven burnt out. I had no excuse to gain that much weight. If you're wondering, Olivia is fine. She was just as impatient then as she is now at 7 and wasn't interested in waiting another 8 1/2 weeks to be born. Anywho, I lost most of that baby weight immediately. Yay for me, right? Sure.

It wasn't until about 26 the scale just kept tipping further and further in the opposite direction of my favor. As the next couple of years I just stopped giving a shit all together. I ate whatever I wanted, did nothing to work it off, and spent all my nites on the couch and on my ass. I look back and it makes me sad to think my favorite word to Olivia was always "No." No, we can't go for a walk. No, I really don't want to go to the park. No, I don't want to play in the snow. No, no soccer ball kicking in the back yard today kiddo...maybe next weekend. The nos go on and on. I considered myself not a bad mom, but just a tired one. I was tired because I was a lazy slob.

My turning point came on my 30th birthday. My mom and friends had planned a surprise birthday for me on the Sunday afternoon of October 11, 2009. I went to a movie with my friend Jessica while everyone else set the surprise up. I wore jeans, gym shoes, a hoodie. No makeup, hair in a ponytail, and no shower (showers are optional on Sundays) I walked in to all of my friends and some family excited to see me on a huge milestone birthday and I decided to look like this. Super cute:

 

I had friends from out of town, friends who just had babies, friends who were pregnant, friends I hadn't seen in a while, and even a friend who went furniture shopping after running a marathon...that all looked better than me. And this was my day. There are 60 pictures like this I could share, but you get the point. I was embarrassed. I had let myself go. Physically, emotionally, mentally - I was a mess. I was almost at 170 or so at one point. Remember...I'm only 5'1.

Until I enlisted outside help. The following picture is of the two men that I believe, saved my life.

(Sorry boys...it's the best one of the only two that I have). On the left is Scott (aka Scotteo) and on the right is my brother Matthew (aka Matteo) They both live in south Florida. I called Matthew in a crying panic and was desperate. I told him I would do anything. He said he was on it, he would talk to his friend and to sit tight for a day or two. Via electronic mail my brother introduced me to one of his closest friends, Scott. Scott was a personal trainer and my brother just practiced fitness and clean eating practically all of his life. Between the two of them, they ensured me they'd get me headed in the right direction. I owe them a lot. 

Scott provided me with a diet plan that was more like a 'this is the way you are supposed to eat because your body is only wired to process, break down and metabolize THIS food' than a diet. He also set up a workout plan for me to follow. Twice a week (for about six months) they both checked in with me via text and e-mail. Asking me my weight lost, asking me how I felt, what I ate and asking what kind of work outs I had been doing the last couple of days. If Scott didn't hear from me by Tuesday morning, I would get a "WTF where the hell are you" email. He was always on it. I got to visit them after the first 35-40 pounds came off and it was a weekend of gratitude, happiness and celebration. There aren't enough thank you's to go around. I don't think they could ever really understand what they did to my heart & soul. Their dedication to me changed me forever.

Present Day: I work out a lot. A lot-a lot. And people constantly ask how I could possibly have that kind of time. I work full-time, I commute about 10 hours+ a week. I have a daughter whom I share time with her father. I have a fiance, a wedding to plan, a dog to look after and a social life. There are student council functions and Girl Scout functions. She has gymnastics a half hour away. None of that is ignored. I have that kind of time because I MAKE that kind of time. I do my errands and my grocery shopping at lunch time during the week. I spend at least one lunch hour a week paying bills, making phone calls, and balancing my checkbook. I do chores late at nite. I do chores early in the morning. I have a mother who understands what an hour a day at the gym does for me so she'll watch her one nite a week. And even more so, I have an EXTREMELY supportive fiance (his name is Jason btw) who also does the same. He encourages me to go and to have fun and kick ass. And most importantly, an understanding daughter. She knows this is who I am now. She knows and gets why I have to be gone an hour a nite. She knows she used to have a sad and boring mom and now she has a happy and active one that likes to do things and go places. This is the mommy I was two and a half years ago vs. the one I am prouder to be today:

I would not give up the me on the right for a few more hours on the couch each week to go back to the me on the left:

 

This is why I make the time. I'm just a better me.

Have a happy Saturday!

HB

I come here in peace. and to work out.

Disclaimer #1: I’d like to start by saying I have no clue how to run a blog. I'm helpless at this very point, but not hopeless. I don't understand any of it. Hyperlinks are foreign to me. I wanted to reach out to people I know, people I don't know, and people who like to read endless babble that can help me and help each other. I want to know your challenges and want to share your victories. I want to swap stories, share tips, apps, alternative menu items at the local restaurants, share recipes, routines, good health articles and so on. Just don't count on me for grammar and proper punctuation. I LOVE speaking in fragments. I'm constantly being finger-wagged by Word documents for verb confusion and I enjoy parentheses & interjecting my own thoughts all too much. I probably won't get any better with time. So if you're a grammar freak, I'm your worst nightmare!

I will now scoop 60 more seconds of your time and introduce myself to the four people who will read this (hi, Mom!). I’ll keep the introduction fairly simple. My name is Heather Beck. I’m 32. I’m a Homewood lifer. I have regrettable tattoos. I quit smoking 465.04 days ago. I work out 5-6 days a week, but mostly 6. Sometimes twice a day. I’m a single mom to a cute little lady I gave birth to seven+ years ago. And two and a half years ago I was overweight. Not like five pounds. More like 50 pounds (plus)…I initially blamed the cute kid, but the older she got I could no longer use her as my scapegoat. That number is still hard for me to digest. (For those of you who know me at all, that pun was totally intended). Oh hey and I'm getting hitched in October (259 days to be exact). Just in time for my 33rd birthday. To a guy who also lost 50 pounds following my regimen. Cheers to us and a healthy life together!

Disclaimer #2: I’m not a nutritionist; I’m not a personal trainer. I have not taken any classes, have not gone to school to be a dietician, nor do I have any certifications under my belt (YET) but one day...hopefully sooner than later because let's face it...I'm not getting any younger. I still have plenty of cellulite left on my arse to share if there are any takers(?) and I have this weird chubby knee complex. My hips are placed unusually high for someone my height (5"1 3/4') and some may mistake them for love handles. Apparently my torso didn't get the memo to keep going. Ah well.

I still have a mountain of work to do. 

I’m someone who did this journey on my own, yet with the emotional support of an army. My Floridian-transplant brother (you better be reading this) was a huge inspiration. We didn't share the same genes for body composition awesomeness (literally - not an ounce of fat on this kid), but his drive for fitness his entire life inspired me (more on this later). I would look at him and wonder how the hell we could possibly share the same DNA. Moving on...I didn’t hire anyone…I didn’t pay anyone (p.s. if I had more expendable money, I would have) and I didn’t cut corners into my new size. No fads, no gimmicks, no pills. I earned this size like a champ. I practice “clean eating”. I listened to copious amounts of advice, read magazines (more on that later when I figure out hyperlinking) and articles til my eyes bled. I remained - and stayed - ridiculously dedicated to myself and kept myself motivated by my progress and my 'cheerleading squad'. Let's not forget my "HB's Workout Jams" playlist on my iPod. Songspiration.

I’m so curious what everyone else is into and what has worked for you. I'm a fitness sponge. AND a stalker. I’m always staring at other people’s food and I am that gym gawker. I’m the one that stares at you and steals your awesome moves. I have faith in other people’s knowledge and I use it for personal gain. Can we motivate each other? Anyone listening? (Is this thing on?)

Stay tuned, folks…

Sincerely,

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