A Look Back at Where I Have Been - It is NOT Pretty

I have been doing a lot of reflecting these past few days trying to convince myself I have come a long way and am ready for this weekend.  It was interesting/scary/outright terrifying to really take a hard look at where I have been in roughly the last 15 years.

I went from 150something pounds, less than 10% body fat, a size 6/8, training 3-4 hours a day (yeah, single, no kids!) and feeling like my body could handle almost anything that came my way (except for perhaps those 26.2 miles of a marathon!) to, at my heaviest, 225 lbs (ouch, I actually WROTE that), Lord knows HOW much body fat, a size 16/18, aching feet and knees even when I got up in the morning from carrying all that weight, not being able to hoist myself up on a wave runner when fell off (that had to be one of the MOST humiliating moments of my life), depressed and introverted.  It was at this time that I sat in a reproductive endocrinologist's office hearing her say "You know, if you just lost some weight, you might just get pregnant."  I got angry, I was humiliated, I thought to myself "I have PCOS you B***ch, that is why I am fat, that is why I can't have a baby!"  And, that night, I just cried.  Looking back, it was partially the PCOS, it was the fertility meds, but is also was just such a deep hatred of all that was going on and of myself that led to a whole host of poor choices that manifested itself in my obesity (WOW, I just WROTE THAT!) and poor health (and don't forget self-loathing).  There are so many things I can look back at and say "hmmmm, that was an issue" or "that was seriously a poor habit/choice."  Those individual items are all posts on their own, and will be forthcoming.

But that Dr's words haunted me.  I joined WeightWatchers at work and lost 22 lbs.  And, suddenly, I found myself pregnant with my first little girl.  I don't think it was purely a function of weight, but I do think it was one of the factors.  I gained 60 pounds with my pregnancy.  But once she was born, I focused on providing a healthy home for her.  We were active (not training type active, but "family" type active), we ate right because, well, what I ate fed her through breast milk.  And, surprisingly, by her first birthday, I was 12 pounds under where I started my pregnancy.  By the time she was 18 months old, I was down to 160-something pounds.  And, truly, it was all from a lifestyle change - not intensive training.  That was 4 years ago.

In the last three to four years, my weight has gone up and down with two more pregnancies.  But each time, for the most part, I have returned to the same lifestyle I had developed as a result of caring about my child's eating habits, and, for the most part, I have been able to control my weight within ten pounds. 

I started training briefly after my second daughter turned one year old, saw some results, but quickly became pregnant with my son.  Again, I picked up training when he was about 5 months old.  Today I am down to 160-something pounds, verging on the 150's.  I am once again a size 8.  And, I FEEL good.  But really, my training makes me feel great and strong, but is not the reason for my weight loss - in fact, I am gaining a bit as I gain muscle mass.  The key has been lifestyle changes.  Portion control, quality of food, looking at food as a fuel rather than a social event, controlling alcohol intake, cooking, and having a "family active" lifestyle.  These elements are all the things I hope to share!  All in good time, one post at a time.

For whatever reason, I felt it was time for me to put this out there.  I know I talk a lot about my triathlon training - that is MY thing.  It just IS.  But that is not what this is all about - you don't need to do a Tri.  [but if you want to learn more about it, bring on the questions, because YOU CAN do a Tri, just ask - and just believe it!].  But I want to share what I have learned, what I have seen, what I have suffered through and enjoyed, hoping that I can inspire others to have that "family active" lifestyles.  Frankly, training for an event can come and go, but your healthy "family active" lifestyle is forever.

So, in short, I confess:  all of the above.  Thoughts and comments are more than welcome.

(WOW, I can't believe I just WROTE all THAT!)

What I learned on my blog vacation!

It has once again been some time since I wrote here.  It has all been for fantastic reasons.  I have so many things I want to post and have been collecting a whole laundry list of items/ideas/information/resources that, frankly, I just don't know where to start.  I think I will start with just a recap of all I have learned the past 11 or so days.

Training with a friend (or even a stranger) is far superior to winging it by yourself.  I was fortunate enough to be included on an invite to swim with a group of awesome ladies at our local lake.  I had just gotten my new wetsuit and wanted desperately to get in the water but, for obvious safety reasons, didn't want to go by myself.  I jumped at the chance to swim with a group of experienced triathletes when that chance arrived at my inbox.  It was a fantastic experience.  We didn't swim far, but I got in the water, built confidence, and learned I could tolerate the cold (the water was somewhere around 59 degrees).  In addition to that, I met some wonderful people, gained some training partners, AND found myself registered as a two person relay team for an early race!

Then, this past Sunday, I set out for my brick workout by myself.  For those that don't know, a brick workout ties two sports together in sequence, the bike and run, and it lovingly termed the brick for that oh so lovely feeling in your quads as you switch from the bike to the run and the body fights to transfer blood out of the quads to the hamstrings and other valuable run muscles.  So as I set off for my 14 mile bike and then run I was actually dreading it.  Separately, they are fine - well, I LOVE the bike and tolerate the run (have I mentioned I am not a runner?  HA!), but transitioning is dreadful until your legs adjust.  About three minutes into my bike, I was entering an intersection and turned around to see a bike behind me.  Quickly I moved right thinking "where did they come from and did I just swerve into their path?"  As I was about to offer an apology I was met with a "Hi!"  I looked to see a rider wearing the same jersey as I was wearing, our team uniform!  She was out for her long ride and, long story short, we rode 7 miles together before my turnaround.  It was great, I shaved 4 minutes off my split time and got some great advice from a seasoned triathlete.  She had quite a story and long list of impressive accomplishments.  I was so thankful for her company and she left me with a lot of great things to think about on the remainder of my ride and my run.  It was by far my best brick workout.  One of the fringe benefits to wearing the uniform (and, for me, my ONLY long sleeved bike jersey) for a workout!

Even though swimming is easy on the joints and they say you can do it every day, three swim workouts in a row can throw my body way off.  On my plan, my typical swim days are Monday and Wed, with an occasional additional day, but not in sequence, thrown in.  So, last week I did my Monday workout (1300m in the pool) and then got the great chance to swim in the lake (see above!).  So, out I went on Tuesday night to swim.  We are not exactly sure of the distance, we *maybe* swam a 1/4 mile, so 400m?  It wasn't a distance type of workout, but rather acclimation.  Wednesdays are my coached workouts, which through last week were only swim workouts.  So, Wednesday night I headed to my coached swim which was a rough week.  I lost count at 1200m as to the distance and was getting my behind kicked in the workout.  Our final set were sprints against our lane partners.  I had been experiencing some minor cramping in my right foot, but that had subsided and although I was tired, I joked with my lane partner that he had better watch it because with fins my kick alone would power me through (we had put on fins as a means to mix it up for the sprints and focus on our arm strokes in a sprint situation).  So as the coach sent us off, I did a strong push of the wall and WHAM! - massive cramp in my left calf.  I kept swimming only to be in excruciating pain, and humbled by being beat by a full body length, at the wall.  And, in the true spirit of not wanting to look like a total idiot, I set up for the next sprint and did the same thing - the cramp just kept getting worse and worse.  By the time I finished the second sprint I was in tears and afraid I wouldn't even make it out of the pool without help.  With some stretching, however, I sheepishly swam 100m of breaststroke to move the muscles a bit to help with lactic acid buildup and got out.  Thankfully that was the end of our hour workout.  After a little nutrition and electrolyte lecture from my coach, along with the realization that perhaps three swim workouts in a row might not be the best idea, I literally limped home.  I also had the joy of waking up the next morning with a lot of soreness in my whole body. 

I need a little help and supplementation for adequate nutrition.  I hate sports drinks.  I hate the perception that in order to perform well you have to buy these expensive engineered products to guzzle, gulp, mix, and pop in your mouth to complete a workout or race.  I just don't didn't believe in the whole sports nutrition industry.  That was until my massive cramp episode and further research.  I still, frankly, believe that in most cases, for recreational athletes, most of the stuff on the market is crap unnecessary.  [but, read my disclaimer!  LOL]  I am leery of products until I learn more about their content and how much sugar/fructose is jammed into the drink/powder/gel/chew/pill.  But, for me, the bottom line is I don't think I can eat enough to provide some of the needs my body has.  First, I am still breastfeeding my huge baby boy.  I sometimes work long and crazy days, which can cause me to skip snacks and, on the very rare occasion, lunch.  I have also significantly increased my activity level over the past few months and built lean muscle mass that has higher demands for energy.  I also have a history of low sodium levels and have increased, dramatically, the amount of water I drink (for example, on a light workout day, I still consume 120-140 oz of water a day!)  So, nutrition right now is a crap shoot for me.  The cramping and other issues I have had (cravings, unusual fatigue, headaches) have led me to believe my nutrition needs to be re-balanced (and, no, I am not expecting a 4th baby!).  I am working on it through research and trial and error with some nutrition products designed for consumption during workouts.  I was recently provided with some samples of gels, chews, drinks and the like.  I tried them these last two weekends on my longer workouts with decent results, but not anything I can say is proof they work (although if you can get past the "snot like" consistency and fructose, Powerbar's chocolate gel is YUMMY!).  I am still hoping to learn some tricks that will allow me to provide the missing elements with whole foods, but that will take some time to "test drive."

There will always be Negative Nellies, critics, and those that, well, just would love to see you fail.  No matter what I do I have to realize there will be people in my life, whether I want them there or not, who will not have well wishes for me or my success.  It is a fact of life, one I cannot change.  It is not an indicator of a fault of mine, nor is it an indicator of their faults.  It JUST IS.  I need to remember to employ the patience and tolerance I try to instill in others around me when I hear them talk ill of others.  I always try to look at it from the other person's position, be in the other person's shoes.  In the case of those that are negative about my pursuits, goals, passions, or general lifestyle, I need to do the same thing and realize that they are never going to understand or be able to stand in my shoes and "get" my life.  While it appears they don't want to even attempt to just "leave it alone" because it would take away what appears to be a source of entertainment/amusement/gratification they get from remaining negative or judging me, I need to be the bigger person and just ignore it.  It is an energy suck.  They haven't been in my shoes, nor I in theirs, and they have no idea of the full suite of elements of my life, nor I of theirs.  The result is two-fold:  give them a break because they are not fully informed, and don't take it as true (the opinions or criticisms they put forth) because, well, they are not fully informed.  Basically, give them a break and give myself a break and just block it out - it is unnecessary noise.

Focusing some thought energy on those I admire is priceless.  I have been thinking a lot about people I admire.  For a variety of reasons, one of which is blog related, but mostly because I have been hearing about so many great things going on in my friends' lives.  Two families I know recently finalized their Forever Families after a long and uncertain time.  One friend has been committed to becoming more active in their lifestyle with things that interest them and their family and has successfully lost a whole bunch of weight, inches, and sizes!  Another friend trained for and ran a Warrior Dash and just appeared to have the greatest experience!  Another friend has lost 114lbs in less than one year and accomplished amazing fitness goals!  The list just goes on and on.  Thinking of my friends successes, their patience, their endurance, the unending perseverance has been priceless for my spirit and my strength!

I really would LOVE for people to share their ideas on topics I write about on this blog.  I know I can learn from those that read this blog, and I KNOW many of you are people I admire so I invite you to join in, even if you disagree with me.  It is all about learning for me, broadening my horizons, and hopefully providing at least one thing for someone to think about, ponder, or try!

Great and VERY QUICK AND EASY Chicken Recipe

A friend forwarded this recipe to me which I made last night:  Lemon-Apricot Chicken.  This was so simple, I made it in about a half hour with a side of rice and vegetables.  I did not use the curry powder as we don't keep that as a regular item in our pantry and I am trying to live by my pantry this week!  But this was so good and so easy and enjoyed by my four year old and my 18 month old.  I also pounded the chicken breasts a bit so it took less time to cook them and used very little salt.  I was concerned by the sodium in the dish, but overall the nutrition information was not bad when paired with high fiber rice and a vegetable.

I have a piece of chicken left over, so I may try this on Wednesday:  Chicken Taco Pizza.  I just need to locate either a healthy premade crust or find some alternative.  I will try to play with this to reduce sodium as well.

Do you have a quick and easy recipe you would like to share?  Please post it in comments or email me and I will be happy to share it.  One easy way to deal with the Money limit (it is cheaper to cook at home), the Knowledge limit (you know EXACTLY what is going into your meals), and the Time Limit (we need something quick and easy and, for me, that provides some sort of left overs to keep up with life at home!) is to cook healthy meals at home!

Where did YOU go for lunch today?

I know some of you are cringing at that question because perhaps your answer was "I hit the drivethrough on my way to run an errand during my lunch hour!"  Or maybe your answer is "What lunch? I had two screaming kids wanting to be fed and I ate cold spaghetti out of the fridge in between serving them!"  Hey, it happens right? 

I had an exceptional lunch today.  I am allowed an hour for lunch.  I don't always take an hour because I can shave off time at the beginning or end of my day by working through lunch, and sometimes that is necessary to care for my two children.  But today I ran the emergency stairwell in my building for 20 minutes (and, my quads don't like me very much right now!).  I can't do this every day, but every day I can is definitely ONE STEP (or several steps) in the right direction.  It is hard to find the time to workout, but if you think about it, I just made the time.  I brought my lunch (and many healthy snacks, but I will describe what works for me on eating at a later time).  I ate a healthy light snack about an hour before my "lunch."  Then I exercised, and followed that with a more substantial lunch.  In just roughly 40 minutes I exceeded my Time Limit AND my Money Limit.  The Time Limit is fairly straight forward - I fit in exercise, but instead of heading out to lunch, I also used the time I would take to go and get that lunch (drive time) and turned it into quality exercise time. 

I also saved a TON of money.  I typically, if I went out to lunch, would spend anywhere from $5 - $7 on a lunch.  If I make lunch and bring it from home I typically spend $2-$4.  So, I save anywhere from $1-$5 a day by bringing lunch.  Do that one time a week and you save roughly $4-$20 a month.  Or even $52 to $260 a year!  Do that two times a week and you save $104 to $520 a year!  And so on, you can do the math.  the numbers are staggering.  I almost NEVER go out to lunch, so I figure I save over $1000 a year!  And, when you bring your lunch, YOU control what you eat.  Furthermore, my workout was FREE!  I didn't need to go to a gym to hit the stairs in my building, both saving on a gym membership fee AND gas money!

Now if you don't work during the day and typically don't hit the drive through on a regular basis, your savings will obviously be less.  But planning a healthy lunch for yourself at the beginning of the day, maybe before the kids get up, to fit in between the "I want" and "I need" from your kids can help you be sure you are fueling yourself as well as you fuel your kids.  And, if the weather permits, maybe you can all go for a walk AFTER lunch.  I know my pre-schooler has a hard time sitting still long enough to eat a meal - but when I promise a walk if she eats a good lunch, well, it is amazing what that motivation can do! 

So, what is a healthy lunch?  I hope to bring you more ideas on that this week, but don't let that Knowledge Limit hold you back, I am sure you have some basic ideas of your own you can draw upon.  So, where are YOU going for lunch TOMORROW?  Leave a comment if you wish, it will help you feel motivated to do something other than the drive through if you post it for yourself, and others, to read!  (Hey, that is exceeding that Motivation Limit too!)

For now, my lunch break is over!

Eat Better America Coupon Book! Save AND Hit the Knowledge Limit Right on the Head!

I read about this on another blogs Facebook fan page, but thought I would pass it on - I registered for it tonight.  This web site looks interesting.  Perhaps one of the most valuable tools I found on it is healthier recipes with nutrition information.  I can't tell you it is 100% accurate, but to get the coupon booklet you have to sign up for the site.  I will keep you posted on what I learn from the site and update you on the results of my spot checks for accurate nutrition information!

You can go here to register and receive your $10.00 worth of coupons.

A BIG THANK YOU to a Facebook Fan of Thriftynorthwestmom.

Speaking of Facebook Fan Pages.....head on over to our Facebook Fan page to be up to date on all the best Healthy Deals!

What are your LIMITS?

Frequently what stops me from succeeding at a goal are what I like to think of as my Limits. I don't mean my physical limits, but the more practical, mostly mental, Limits that allow me have excuses or allow me to rationalize why I didn't take that first step towards success. We all have them, and they are very personal. But at the same time, I have found them to be very common, in a general sense, to every person. You can't move forward until you recognize what has held you where you are for however long you have been stationary in that one place. My theme has become "Exceed your Limits, one step at a time and one day at a time!" I want to start by sharing my Limits, and ask that you share yours.

1. Time. I am a mom of two kids under 5. I also work full time. My time is limited for finding time to work out, time to plan meals, time to think about choices (whether it be food, type of workout, or just how to spend the little time I have that is not accounted for by kids or work).


2. Money. Let's face it, times have changed for almost all Americans. I am no exception. Gone are the days of reckless spending. Gone are the days of not worrying about where the money will come from for next week's groceries, next month's mortgage, or that random purchase of some luxury item, big or small. Gone are the days of purchasing something without a small thought of whether your paycheck will be deposited next month. Now, I plan every purchase, from food to clothes, to the occasional fitness gear purchase, to a penny. I use coupons, I read money saving blogs, and, I forego a lot of things or find perhaps a less expensive, and usually a compromise in quality, alternative.


3. Motivation. This is always an issue. Sometimes it is about being selfish, because I can usually find a reason to avoid taking that first step because it takes away time or effort from my children, from my job, from managing the family finances, from whatever someone else needs from me. Other times it is just a plain inability to realize that even one little step (e.g. going for a walk even if it isn't a 5K run) is a step in the right direction. Motivation is also inextricably linked to accountability for me. If I am not accountable for taking those steps, day by day, to someone other than myself, I can rationalize letting myself down (perhaps another Limit is self respect?). I need to be accountable.


4. Confidence. This is perhaps, for me, where my current physical limitations factor in the most. I can't run 8 miles on a group run, so, I don't go. I am SLOW.....so I am embarrassed to let others see how slow I am. When I can overcome my own lack of confidence, though, and actually SHOW UP I find it was NOTHING to be worried about. There is usually someone I can maintain with, and even if there isn't, pushing to do what I can usually reveals I can do a lot more than I thought! It is a daily struggle, one step at a time, one day at a time.


5. Knowledge. Sometimes I examine my choices and I just don't know enough about each choice to make an informed decision. For example, I need to get out on my bike to train. I want to explore purchasing a used bike since my current bike is really undersized. I am paralyzed because I don't know where to start. I struggled and struggled, and actually avoided the issue because, well, I just didn't know how to even take the first step. I then had the opportunity to speak to a bike rep recently who, in 15 minutes, answered some questions and sent me in the right direction. I don't have a new bike, but just knowing the direction I want to head, has moved me past paralyzed and has me looking forward to getting out there on my current bike until I can find what I want (of course, I still need to exceed my money limitation, but that is the next step!)


It is from these Limits that this blog was born. I have learned many ways of dealing with these Limits that I believe, if shared with others, will be helpful to promote success in healthy living for others and, honestly, our children. I can predict that every post on this blog will somehow be related to how I exceed my Limits that I shared above. This blog is, itself, a way I deal with a Limit. By sharing and putting a burden on myself to share and help others with the same struggles in everyday life, I have added motivation to keep me moving forward and accountability to fuel that motivation. In addition, if we share money saving ideas, we can all exceed the Money Limit. I plan to share healthy deals on this blog either from my readers or from my own research.


So, here is where YOU come in. I need to know YOUR Limits. Why, you ask? I truly do want this to be a resource for my readers, not a personal story of my journey. Everyone has different Limits and I want to know yours so I can perhaps add to our collective community Limits and become a resource for exceeding Limits that perhaps are not on my main list.


So, Welcome! And Please Join In- leave a comment with your Limits and briefly describe them so I can see what Limits you, my readers, are facing. This is an open invitation to leave these comments at any time, it is an ongoing process. Not able to exceed the Confidence Limit yet and post a public comment, email me at brickstrainingmomma@gmail.com. I can't wait to hear from you and learn more about what Limits you will exceed, one step at a time one day at a time! 

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