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30 day Reset

5/22/2021

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It’s no secret I like to workout. However, I’ve struggled with over working out, too much cardio (how is that even possible?!?!) and forcing myself to take “rest” days. Why? My workouts are my therapy, it’s where I can go physically and mentally to get my Queen Elsa on and “Let it Go!” and forget about any stress, anger, sadness, or struggles to just focus on me. Working out is my safe place. Plus, I workout because I want to feel good and look good.  Even when the pandemic hit full swing and gyms closed, I never stopped working out. It just looked different, I didn't "let myself go" with my diet, yet I gained a good 15+ pounds.
So what in the world was going on??? The frustration set in, the depression set in, as did the realization that this might just be my life. I hit a rut.  Exercise became a chore and I just did it because it's what I always did and it was my routine. However, my workouts sucked because I fatigued quickly, recovery was slow, and the worst part, no matter how hard I worked, zero, zip, zilch, none...NO RESULTS. No weight loss, no toning up, jeans were tighter, shirts were snug, and the tipping point...One of my students asked me if I was pregnant. 
I've been here before, I've cleaned up my diet, switched workout routines, I've lost weight and felt better, felt healthier.  However, for some reason, this was not working this go-round. I broke down. I was at my heaviest weight I've ever been, I felt horrible physically, mentally, and emotionally. A few months prior to my breakdown, my amazing, long-time friend, Aimee Labrecque Whiteman told me about Arbonne's 30 days to Healthy living. I resisted, I've done "programs' ' before and they worked for the most part but were not sustainable. Primarily because of the following factors: it was financially a strain, cooking was a major component, from meal prepping to grocery shopping trying to find compliant brands, to the fact that I am not a cook and in fact I hate cooking or just too restrictive for what I like to call "life", I always struggled to “stick with it” even with results. 
But Aimee said some keywords that opened my eyes...She said, "THIS IS NOT A QUICK FIX. THIS IS NOT A DIET. THIS IS A LIFESTYLE AND YOU CAN DO THIS" 
And thus began my Happy Healthy journey with Arbonne's Nutrition products. It's been about 90 days and yes, I've lost weight but for me, it was more about developing healthy habits that are sustainable and fit into my lifestyle. Is it easy? No, and if it was then everyone would do it, but is it worth it? 100% Yes. Is there cooking? Yup, but it’s cooking 101 and even I can do it. But here is my biggest “win” with Arbonne, I’m back to my happy workout place with an added component: nutrition. My workouts were missing this key component. I am now fueling my body with nutrition that I need to maximize my workouts. I feel stronger, I feel energized, and I can complete a workout without fatiguing or feeling like I’m working out just to workout. Am I where I want to be? Nope but I know I'm on the right path. 
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click here for an overview of the 30 day Healthy Reset #thankyouArbonne  


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No Nuts, No Dairy, No Gluten - No problem

1/1/2020

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January 1st, 2019, the day I changed my diet. Check that, the day I threw out the playbook, started from scratch and completely revamped any and everything I had previously put through my digestive system.
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Let me drop some stats:
It's been 448 days (but who's counting?!?!) 
I've lost 23 pounds
I've had 0 Beers
I've had 2 slices of Pizza (and paid mightily for it)

Food Challenges: 
Here's something you cannot quantify: you can't put in a stat sheet the countless times I cried because I read a label and discovered, nope I cannot eat that, it has gluten. Then the times I wanted to throw a temper tantrum because I found the most amazing cookie but oh wait...it's gluten free, dairy free, but "may contain tree nuts".
And then  those times where it's nut free, gluten free, I'm almost home free but there's that dreaded "milk" ingredient.
I have the trifecta of food allergies: no nuts, no dairy, no gluten - no problem, ummm tell that to my sweet tooth!

Life Challenges: 
It's been a challenge. It's been a struggle. It's been frustrating. It's been eye-opening, but most importantly it's been life changing... for the better. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The dropped lb's has been sweet, but fitting into those jeans or shorts that I haven't worn in years is even sweeter.  I hate stepping on the scale, for me it's about how I feel mentally. And mentally, I'm a new person. Prior to this change, my safe place was no longer safe. My safe place being the gym. It became a chore because I was working out like a beast but did not relish in any results. In fact, I felt like I was getting fluffier with each squat, row, or deadlift. "it's just muscle" is what I kept hearing or "well, you are 40 something, it is what it is; hormones, pre-menopause, it's life." Or here's my favorite, "you are fine, you look great." If you could see me now, I'm rolling my eyes and doing an inappropriate gesture. I REFUSED TO ACCEPT IT.  And I didn't.

Fast forward to today and I've truly only just begun on this journey. I'm proud of how far I've come, but, despite, indulging in a few sweet treats, I'm far from done.
I truly believe, however, this cannot be done alone. I'm so thankful for a Crossfit community who supports it's members of all shapes and sizes, ages and genders, RX level or scaled. And for my dear friend Eat Thrive Move - Dawn Cameron, who provides AMAZING meals customized for my special diet. I'm thankful for my spin community and for those who loaned me cookbooks and provided guidance as to what I can eat beyond trees and branches.

I'm thankful for 45 days of Whole30.
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And of course, my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, my #rideordie who stands by my side through pizza cravings, cooking disasters, and grocery store tears, Markell Blount. I feel blessed to have such an amazing partner to be with me through the up's and down's of this journey.
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The Teacher Life Part I - Eating

11/1/2019

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Lunch duty, hall duty, first period planning, grading, collaborating, when on Earth is a teacher supposed to eat?!?!

Let's break it down
Lunch duty - sure you can eat your lunch while on duty but keep in mind you need to be on duty, on time, and alert. That eliminates the luxury of heating up your lunch if need be, so you must pack a lunch that is simple, quick and easy.
Which is one of the reasons why teachers tend to gain weight. Simple, quick and easy, is typically, not the healthiest.  It's much easier to grab that donut from the teachers lounge or that pizza slice from the lunch room. We don't eat healthy because it's just not conducive to the teacher life. We eat when we can, not when it's convenient or when our bodies tell us too. And let's be real, typically convenient means a candy bar or something that we probably should not be consuming.

How many of you eat while you grade? Guilty! In fact, I've had to explain to parents and students why there is a strange sauce or stain on their assignment. Yea, that's from my lunch. We eat on lunch duty, hall duty, we eat in between classes, barely chewing whatever it is we throw into our mouths, we eat when the students aren't looking and some of us just flat out eat while we teach. Again, not the healthiest way to eat. 


Culinary trained Chef and Nutrition Therapy Consultant, Dawn Cameron from Eat Thrive Move brought up a valid point; most people don't sit down and enjoy their meals. We eat on the run, we eat on the go, we eat when we can instead of sitting down and chewing our food, allowing our digestive system to do it's thing.  She said many of us eat under stress. Yikes! Guilty again!

How many of you eat during departmental meetings or faculty meetings or collaboration? Guilty! Again, we eat when we can, not when it's convenient.

How many of you have even forgotten to eat! Guilty! It's the end of the school day and you're cranky, tired, and need a snickers! You are hangry! That's not good for anyone!
Don't even get me started on the whole going to the bathroom deal! Another blog for another time!
Welcome to the teacher life where our superpower is the ability to hold our pee for hours upon hours, multi-task with the best of the best and eat a whole meal in less than :60 seconds.

Cheers to all the teachers out there who do what we do! I know how much time you spend taking care of your students and everyone else! Spend a little "you" time when it comes to your nutrition. You'll not only feel better but your body will thank you and you'll find yourself switching from surviving the school day to thriving the school day! 

Here are some of my favorite websites to help you meal plan:
Skinnytaste
Blog Post 50 Lunch Ideas for Teachers
Vegan Teacher Lunches
Teacher Trap Pinterest Board
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The String Bean Conundrum

10/11/2019

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The String Bean Conundrum

All of a sudden it happened...I had a hankering for string beans! Wait, what?!?! String beans, hold up, I have a wicked sweet tooth, why am I craving the goodness that is string beans!  Perhaps this plant-based life is working! 

It all started when I went to this one particular grocery store which is known for it's organic aisles for days, vegan choices galore, healthy salad bars, and all the Kombucha your heart could desire in every flavor imaginable! It was there, that the string beans caught my eye ...

Dawn Cameron of EatThriveMove
Let me digress with a little back story, I have become quite the reader...albeit I'm reading food labels, but I've learned about all sorts of goodies that find there way into our food. I call them goodies because boy oh boy do they make the food taste yummy, however, those goodies are NOT so good for your body. So, I've spent countless hours in  the grocery store reading labels and understanding that if you can't pronounce it, it's probably not good for you. Along this short journey thus far, I've learned a plethora of information thanks to the wisdom and sheer talent courtesy of Eat Thrive Move's Dawn Cameron,  Nutrition Therapy Consultant and culinary trained chef. 
Check out her expertise right here  → EatThriveMove

Back to the string beans, in my container they went after I read the label of course, the only ingredients: string beans, sea salt, and pepper. They were delicious! 

Then about a week later, it happened again, the string bean craving! Off to that same grocery store I went... and there they were again in all their glory- I started to put them in the container but noticed more ingredients! Last time it was just straight S-beans with a lil salt and peppa- this go round -  canola oil, some sugar crap I couldn't pronounce and some other ingredients that made me go "hmmmmm".  There were more "goodies"  I couldn’t pronounce without asking Alexa so I just walked away, tail between my legs, pouting, no string beans for me today, I mean C’mon "Grocery Store" it’s string beans why you gotta do them like that!

Moral of the story, reading is fundamental not just for your brain, but your body as well. 
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The #peelife

9/19/2019

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There’s #saltlife, #mermaidlife, #oceanlife, #huntinglife #woodlife,
#lakelife, you name it, there is a #life for it and probably a bumper
sticker too! Well, here’s one for ya, the #PeeLife and I’m clearly living
it hard core!
I have not slept through the night since I up’ed my water intake on
a daily basis and switched to the #plantbasedlife. Inevitably,  if my alarm is set for 5 am, the #peelife kicks in at
4:45 am. So much for
going back to bed. #nosleeplife.

Teachers are known to have super powers, one of those being the power to hold it for hours upon hours upon hours. In fact, I’m pretty sure I went a full school day without hitting the lavatory and I’m sure I’m not alone when it comes to the #teacherlife.

I had to relinquish that pee hold power. We have 90 minute blocks.There’s no way I can hold it that long!
And it hits me fast! All of a sudden I’m doing the #peelifedance.

It’s gotten so bad, that my students know what time it is...It’s Pee Pee Time. Sigh, it’s not something I’m proud of but I know it’s a direct correlation to all the water I’m drinking, and at times inhaling.  #waterlife
I’ve literally had to schedule my day around my H2O consumption. The other day day I had to go to the dentist. I knew I'd be in the chair getting that #toothlife" straightened out and there would be NO WAY in the middle of the suction and drilling, that I could get up and hit the restroom. So I made sure I slowed down my water consumption
at a certain point in my day.

#H2Olifelessons

What has my life turned into!?!?! It’s revolving around water and pee’ing. The good news is, I know how beneficial
water is for my body and I’m all about that #hydrationlife so happy pee’ing and cheers to your next glass of water!

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I can't even grow a plant let alone live the plant life!

1/7/2019

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Let me preface this blog post with one quick fact about me, I am a plant killer, not by choice; I've planted them in my yard, tried having plants in my house, received plants from friends to love and nourish with water and it's always an epic failure! I've killed plants that didn't deserve it, so I basically gave up, until now.

I'm going the plant based life! Yes, I know that doesn't mean I have to become
​a horticulturist! In fact that's not happening!
However, eventually, I'd love to grow a garden, but baby steps because I'm only on day 5 and this is not easy. 

I’ve had to overhaul my nutrition because I recently discovered food sensitivities and allergies to pretty much everything I was eating... basically I can eat grass! I  was flabbergasted with what my blood work showed, how my body currently looks, and how I feel physically and mentally which is like absolute crap.
So...enter the plant based life!

The picture is a Beyond Meat Burger (and it was scrumptious!)
mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli (already consumed at the time of this pic) eggplant, and string beans. It was not hard to cook and it was a really good meal! Oh, also, I’m not a cook. Let me repeat, I am NOT A COOK; but I’m learning. I have no choice and at times it’s annoying.
But I’m learning new things about the kitchen, reading a ton….of labels, and figuring out what I like and what I don’t like. I.e. kombucha - not a fan.

Follow me on my journey as I have jumped right into the deep end of the plant based life. I know I’m going to make mistakes, I know there will be setbacks, I know I’m not perfect, but I also know that is okay.
Cheers to plants!

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Challenge Accepted! #youarewhatyoueat

1/1/2019

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Glutamine, flaxseed and poop oh my! Welcome to the healthy habits challenge! This challenge is a challenge I’m participating in at my gym. I was hesitant at first because the challenge started after the New Year
and there is a lot of pressure on New Year’s resolutions and such.

However, let me preface this post with this little nugget of truth:
This is NOT a New Year’s resolution, this has been a healthy lifestyle adjustment.  It’s 6 weeks and has nothing to do with how much weight one can lose, or inches, or all the aesthetics that go with many of these challenges. It’s about incorporating one healthy habit each week. At the end of the challenge, you’ve incorporated 6 healthy habits into your life.

The challenge was created by Dawn Cameron, a professional chef, and nutritionist and owner of Eat, Thrive, Move. After reading and educating myself on what the challenge entails, my #rideordie #partnerincrime #accountabiltypartner #swolemate, #husband and I decided, let’s do this.

Here are the guidelines:
Every week for 6 weeks, add one healthy habit to your routine.  
My thoughts: I was reluctant because I didn’t know what the challenges were and I was thinking they would have to do with something that is not easily maintained. So often we go on diets or new exercise regimens and they aren’t sustainable and we wind up reverting back to what is comfortable. However, after receiving the challenges, I discovered this challenge is do-able and it's something you can maintain without upending your entire world!

Challenge #1
Upon waking up, drink 12 ounces of water. My thoughts: I would drink
water for the most part in the morning but not like this. Now I’m making sure I do;
I’m more cognizant of it. I make sure that before I eat anything, do any exercise,
even before I brush my teeth, I’m dropping some serious H2O into my system.
In fact, I even “water prep” the night before! #notjoking - To be honest, after a week, I’m digging this healthy habit. It’s simple yet I feel like before I even get my day started I’ve accomplished something! I know I drink water throughout the day but now for some reason, this means something. It’s kind of hard to explain. Crazy but it just feels good!

There are opportunities incorporated within the challenges to help you.

Opportunity #1 - Learning about poop...that’s right, poop. We attended a Digestion Seminar by Eat Thrive Move where we learned all about digestion and what you put in your body is integral to your overall health.  And your poop tells the story that you truly are what you eat; that can be a good thing and a bad thing! For me, it’s been bad!  I’ve always had a sensitive stomach, but I never really read labels or worried about what was “in” my food, until now. I’ve read more labels in the last two weeks that all told I’ve probably read a mini novel!

The Digestion Seminar taught me that digestion is key! I know that gut health is definitely a buzz word and it seems like wherever you look, commercials, social media, magazines, etc., there are pills, powders, and magic potions promising to get you healthy.  

What your poop is telling you
There is no quick fix, I feel like we all know this yet, we want instant results; I am included in that “we”. I’ve tried everything and anything. Shoot, the last year I didn’t eat “bad” I didn’t eat perfectly “clean” however, my body decided what I was eating sucked, for lack of better words. I couldn’t figure out why those pills or shakes that promised you would lose weight and feel better didn’t work. Why was I actually PUTTING ON WEIGHT!?!?  And how the hell is everyone else dropping pounds like it’s nothing yet here I am doing everything the program says and gaining weight! It’s because my body rejected it. I had to get to the root of my gut and by the root it meant drilling down into my digestion. My body wasn’t digesting food properly, it wasn’t absorbing the nutrients or using anything I was eating for what it was supposed to do which was provide nutrition. I’m talking about chicken, turkey, protein shakes, none of it! Enter the plant-based life and educating myself on digestion and nutrition.
Healthy Habit #2 starts Monday - Stay tuned!

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