If It Fits Your Macros....

For some time now I have been following some women on instagram that have lost a significant amount of weight and managed to seriously reduce their body fat % by counting macros. When I first saw the hashtag #IIFYM - my only thought was, what the heck are macros anyway? After some research I found a lot of useful information on this site: www.iifym.com, and realized that I was doing a pretty similar thing to counting macros, but not quite. After some general guidance and customizing of my macros, I decided to give this macro counting a solid try.

I started 10 days ago at 149.8 lbs and weighed in this morning at 146.2 lbs!! I think it's safe to say this is working. Though I do believe the initial 3.5 lbs is probably mostly water weight... but still.

Here is my one week progress picture.

I realize the lighting is different and I am wearing different clothing, but I can see a difference in definition in my abs, and my clothes are starting to loosen up as well.


Lessons learned from week 1 of counting my macros:

1. Drinking 1 gallon of water a day changes everything!!! I sweat more during my workouts, meaning I am able to flush out more toxins from my body, and I am more hydrated. I haven't touched my chap stick in 3 days!!!

2. Measuring cups work well with liquids, but with veggies and other awkwardly shaped items, weigh them. It is WAY more accurate.

3. There are days where I feel like I'm a little deprived, and then there are days where I feel like I am eating SO MUCH FOOD.... and it's awesome. I find that days where I try to keep the fatty foods (like almond butter and cooking oils) to a minimum, I have a lot more leeway with meals and how much I can eat.

4. Eggs, chicken and sweet potatoes are your BEST friend! Also, anything green!!

5. Carbs are NOT the enemy. This is probably my biggest eye opener. I was clearly not eating enough carbs... and I mean the good kind. I am still trying to eat mostly gluten and grain free, but I will have the occasional quinoa and brown rice pasta or whole wheat tortilla for my breakfast wrap. My workouts are so much better now that I am getting an adequate amount of carbs.

6. Cheats aren't the end of the world. If I go over my calories... I don't beat myself up. I log it and move on. I wake up the next morning like it's a fresh start.

7. 1 serving of 65% Cacao Chocolate chips in the evenings is my saving grace.

* * * * * * * * * *

I will warn any of you thinking that this is easy, it is definitely not. I had to buy a food scale and weigh all of my proteins and veggies.... I am supposed to weigh everything, but I'm still getting there. I've learned so much about how much something weighs and realized just how off I was when I was just eyeballing it before I got my scale. It's hard to weigh certain things, and I am still getting used to preparing ALL of my food, including snacks, coffee and dessert. Also, drinking that much water takes some serious thought for me... sometimes I forget and I end up chugging to catch up with where I should be for the day. It is so much to keep track of, but it's all going to be worth it. I can already tell it is going to be worth it.

Arms & Abs workout

Lately I've been really trying to build some shoulder and arm definition. In the past I had always been one of those women that was worried about looking too bulky and lifting too heavy, but after reading countless studies about how women physically CAN'T get bulky like males can due to the hormone differences in our physical make-up, I decided to give this "heavy lifting' a shot... and soon enough, some results started happening!

Now this is the muscle definition I was hoping for! Less jiggle, more tone... :)

Lately my workouts have been a little more weight driven, with a few cardiovascular exercises thrown in the mix, mostly to let my arms and shoulders recover (sort of)

Today, my workout looked like this:

Warm Up:

10 min Stair Stepper

Main Set:

4 sprints up 2 flights of stairs
(I happen to have these at work next to our company fitness center)

10 lateral dumbbell raise

10 frontal dumbbell raise

10 overhead dumbbell shoulder press

5 burpees

10 overhead tricep press

10 dumbbell bench rows each arm

10 dumbbell floor press – elbows in

5 burpees

20 step-ups on bench

10 dumbbell bench press

10 machine rows

10 machine pull-downs

  

30 second plank

  

REPEAT 3 times

(Finished up this by doing a few laps of walking lunges and kettle bell swings!)

* * * * * *

This workout had my arms feeling like noodles!! My legs didn't feel too shabby either. I am starting to separate out my cardio on different days so I can fit in more weight training on the days that I lift. So far, I'd say it's been a successful plan!

I followed up my workout with a delicious lunch: Chicken, sweet potato and cauliflower rice!! This was such a good lunch and I was so full once it disappeared. I'm kind of trying out a new eating style.... I've started counting macros, and it's got me eating a lot more food than I am used to in order to build muscle and lose body fat... I plan on doing a separate post about that!

Happy Wednesday!!

Super Bowl Weekend

This weekend went by in a blur - and I'm certain I'm not the only one that feels that way. Saturday I got an early start at my gym to take a 9:00 am Body Conditioning class. It was awesome!!! I love classes that are weight oriented, and we even used the weight bar!! My kind of class for sure!
And then it was Super Bowl Sunday. It happens every year when the Super Bowl is the main Sunday attraction. There's food, friends, football and lots of commercials to watch, and before you know it, the day is over and it's time to go back to work. :(

This year, we had our viewing area ready relatively early (as we were only having a couple of friends over for the game) and I decided that sitting by the snacks waiting for the game to start wasn't the best idea, so I decided to go on a quick jog at the park by my house. I took little Phoebe with me, because she too needed to get rid of some energy. She really is the best running buddy.

I also wanted to test out my new heart rate monitor. A new workout toy is always fun!!

We got a little over 4 miles in, which felt great. The air was cool and it was about to rain.... my favorite kind of running weather! I was mostly happy to burn off some calories to make up for the delicious Super Bowl food I was about to consume.

After I returned from my run, the game started. We had one serious Broncos fan and one serious Seahawks fan, and we were all a little worried there would be lots of unkind words exchanged, so I created a barrier between them in hopes to maintain the friendship! HAHA

Once the game got to the 3rd quarter all hope was lost for the poor Broncos, and the barrier was no longer needed.

All in all it was a good day, not necessarily a good game, but a good time with friends.

And now it's Monday, and I'm not ready for the week yet. It's been cold (for our California standards) and that makes it really hard to get out of bed. There will be a significant amount of coffee in my near future.

Happy Monday.

Thanksgiving weekend, workouts and a Frenchie

This weekend went by in a blur and I realized it had been way too long since my last post. My main goal this past weekend was to not focus the weekend too much around food, rather, focus the weekend on working out and getting things done.

On Thanksgiving Day, Dave and I got up early to run the Arroyo Verde hiking trail just a few miles away from our house. These photos were taken after the 4 mile run with our little fur-child, Phoebe. Below the trails is this beautiful little park. After our runs I always just want to lay down on a blanket in this park and take a long nap. 

We ate with my family later that afternoon at my Grandparents. Thanksgiving isn't the tradition it used to be because my grandparents aren't very mobile anymore, so we visit them in their retirement community, and it is usually over no later than 2:00 - which is always a little bit of a letdown. You know, since nothing is open on Thanksgiving, so there isn't much else for us to do. But we did enjoy a bottle of wine and some Lord Of The Rings.... I had never seen it, and Dave was appalled, so we watch it. Haha.

Friday morning (Black Friday) I decided to forgo the shopping experience and went to a 7:00 am boxing class at the (new) gym. Damn I love that class. It kicks your butt. Definitely worth getting up and going to. I need to remember that. 

 Olive was just being extra cute this weekend so I thought I'd post some photos of her squishy mug on here. In this photo she was very serious about me getting out of bed to feed her. Googly eyes and all. Girl loves her food. Hmmmmm I wonder where she got that from?

Later on Friday we decided to put up our Christmas decorations. Mostly the tree and the outdoor lights. I do love my little tree - covered in pinks and blues and starbucks cups and owls... It's my favorite night light. I wish I could keep it up for longer than a month.

 Olive and Phoebe were very curious about what the heck we were hanging on the house.

Saturday my parents held a non-formal Thanksgiving feast at their house. It was delicious, but again, I took no photos of the food. I guess I was really serious about not focusing too much on food that weekend. We did, however, get another workout in before the last feast of the weekend. My brother Shane invited us on a little hike up the trail behind my parents' house in Ojai. It was only a couple of miles but it definitely helped with all the food we had eaten over the weekend. It was also very special because I hadn't gone on this trail since I was in junior high, so there were lots of memories on this trail. Sometime soon Dave and I have agreed to do the FULL day hike to the top of the Topa Topa mountain (the top of the mountain in the photo below - I've heard its a cray hike but totally worth it)

And then Sunday was just another day of getting groceries and things in order for the week ahead. That concludes our crazy Thanksgiving weekend! I truly enjoyed the time off and all of the time we spent on exercise and getting outdoors. It was a great weekend.

Progress and Results

I was looking back at some of my old posts when I first began writing about my fitness goals. Man was I ever negative! I am so sorry if any of you who still read this ever had to bear those awful self loathing posts. I was so lost back then, and as much as it hurts to read those posts, they're a solid reminder of where I came from - and how far I've come. I am so glad that I have those to remind me, and humble me, when I am feeling like I've fallen off the wagon or feeling set back. Everyone has setbacks, and I know I am going to continue to have setbacks. Life is never perfect and there will be stresses, it's how you handle them that show how much you've changed. I know I've changed a lot. I'm not perfect, and I'm only halfway to my goal, but instead of feeling down and sorry for myself because "I'm not there yet" I am rejoicing because guess what.... there was a time where I told myself (or maybe even wrote on this blog) that I would have killed to be 20 lbs lighter.... just 20 lbs" – and here I am, 0.5 lbs away from reaching that inner wish. I did it. And now I want more.... I won't stop here because it's easier that way. I will keep going because I know I can. I know I'm not done... There are some beautiful muscles hiding underneath that ever-shrinking layer of the old me that is still longing to come out!

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming....

Never forget to appreciate how far you've come.... there is so much more work to be done. glorious work. Its going to be awesome!

CLEAN RECIPE: Beet Ravioli with Cashew Cream Cheese

On occasion, I find recipes that jump off the pages, as if to say Erin, you can make this, and it's going to be amazing... This recipe was one of those recipes. Probably because of my undying love for beets.

Fun nutritional benefits of beets:

1. Beets are a natural aphrodisiac. Enough said ;)

2. Beets are high in Potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorous, iron, and Vitamins A, B and C

3. Beets are a natural cleanser of the body - acts as a tonic for the liver, purifies blood and can prevent various forms of cancer.

4. Beets are a way to test your stomach acid levels: If you are eating beets or drinking beet juice and your pee turns pink.. guess what, you have low stomach acid! Wahoo!

5. Beets are an excellent source of energy - low in calories, high in sugar - however, the sugar is released into your system gradually, unlike things like chocolate. Very few foods found in the natural world are as beneficial as BEETS.

Do you see why I love beets so darn much??

Sorry.... back to the recipe.

Important Note: Make sure you marinate the beet slices!!!

Marinade:

1/4 Cup olive oil
1 lemon
sea salt - to taste
pepper - to taste

Marinate for 1 hour to overnight

Side Note: I roasted the marinated beet slices for about 12 minutes at 350˚ to soften the beets just a little to make them more ravioli-like... not mandatory, but recommended in my opinion.

I changed a few things here and there, like roasting the beets just for about 12 minutes at 350˚ to tenderize them ever so slightly, but the cashew cream cheese filling - it's what makes the dish.

Cashew Cream Cheese:

2 cups raw cashews - soaked in water for about 4-8 hours
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tbsp finely diced chives
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
1 1/2 tbsp finely minced shallots or red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Directions: Blend the Cashews with water and lemon juice in a high speed blender until smooth. Stop periodically to scrape the sides of the blender with a spatula.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients - OR you can do what I did and blend EVERYTHING in the blender.

Side note: I used garlic powder instead of onion powder, because that's what I had, and you know what? It was still delicious.

Happy Healthy Cooking!!

A few friendly reminders....

Some days {like today} I have a hard time motivating myself to lace up those kicks and get outside and run.... or go to the gym and sweat.

Sometimes, we all just need some friendly reminders to get our butt outta that chair and outside.

These lovelies got me thru 4.13 miles of running today {thanks pinterest}:

xoxo

Erin

Recipe: Cacao-Chia Energy Balls

I've battled hunger, I've battle fatigue and I've battled those persistent cravings. My main craving is like clockwork... every day, after a workout, after I have eaten my lunch - I get this major hankering for something sweet. I almost always want chocolate, and this doesn't go away easily with a simple apple or glass of water. Sooner or later I end up caving, getting some sort of sugary treat or drink, and then there is the inevitable sugar crash. So I decided to do some research to see if there were any healthy options out there that would satisfy the craving, and I hit the jackpot.

I found the perfect recipe, and just finished making them.

I had to try one once they were done being rolled into balls. They are AMAZING. This is a recipe I am going to rely on for years. I just have a feeling.

;)

love mud run 2013

On Saturday, my friends and I went down to Temecula, CA to run the Love Mud Run. I had done one mud run (a zombie 5K) before, but something about being chased the whole time by muddy/bloody people pretending to be ravenous un-dead folk distracts me from the actual FUN of crawling/trudging/swimming/running through mountains of MUD.

This run was all about love.

{before the run}

{after the run..... absolutely filthy and loving it!}

I'm gonna tell you right here and now, this is one of the funnest ways to work out and have some fun with your friends!! I am a big believer in doing workouts that distract me from the pain/fatigue because of all the fun that is being had!

Mud-running is my new favorite hobby, hopefully my wallet can keep up.

My goal for 2013 is now to train for an actual Tough Mudder!!!!

{that's 12 miles of this madness!! eeeeeeeeek}

The hike....

a few weeks ago, a typical saturday for me would have been going out to breakfast (after a long night of drinking) maybe doing a bit of shopping, and then A LOT of lounging around the house in sweats. then having lunch. lounging some more, then dinner.

lazy and full of calories.

saturday is my cheat day, but i don't want it to completely ruin my progress for the week, so on friday i invited all my friends to go on a hike in santa barbara, followed by a delicious lunch/dinner at Eureka burger - {which by the way is the most amazing restaurant to have a cheat day at.... EVER}

not a bad idea, huh? burn a boat-load of calories THEN have your cheat food.... i like it.

and, it was so much fun!!! {can you see the excitement on our faces?}

i think we have decided to make this a weekend tradition.

Vegetable garden...

last weekend I did a little work around the house.

I turned my overgrown side yard into a vegetable garden.

I can't even express to you how excited I am to have all these beauties growing in my own yard:

tomatoes

bell pepper

jalapeño

cayenne pepper

zucchini

cucumber

broccoli

green beans

green onion

basil

thyme

oregano

LOTS and LOTS of veggies and herbs!!

here's to having healthy foods right outside my door!