Not A Goodbye…

I created this blog almost a year ago. I wanted to use it as a way to document my journey to my healthiest life.  I posted a few entries and soon I had regular readers.

The one night, I responded to a Tweet about needing live bloggers at the awesome Fitbloggin conference.  And I got chosen.  So in September of last year, the hubs, daughter and I headed to Balitmore.  I spent 3 days meeting a group of seriously awesome, amazing, wonderful, loving, giving people – who I am now blessed to call my friends.  I also left on fire and ready to really crank up the dial on my blog.

So I kept posting, tweeting, Facebooking, creating features and weekly post series.

But somewhere along the way – I got lost.  The blog began to take time away from my family, and my pursuit of a healthy lifestyle failed.  I began to grow angry at those who experienced weight loss success while I struggled.  I’d blog about my healthy habits while eating ice cream.

I was living a lie in order to keep face on my blog….

So I stopped blogging.

And I learned two things:  1. Spending time with my family and friends is WONDERFUL and 2. I miss blogging.

I have struggled with what to do. How to continue to be a part of the blogging community without compromising my family, my friends, my healthy, and maybe my sanity.

After much prayer, I have decided to stop blogging here at “Redefining Kim”.  I have a family blog that I have written at for nearly 4 years. And for this season of my life, that blog seems a better fit.  I still plan to share about my weight loss journey, but that will be secondary to documenting my life with my handsome hubby and beautiful little girl.

I hope you understand.

I hope you’ll keep in touch.

This is not a goodbye.

Just a see you later….or around at Kim and Mikey Got Married.

Advocare 24 Day Challenge Check-In

I had every intention of documenting my progress on this challenge on a weekly basis. But life got the better of me – and blogging fell by the wayside.  However, I did want to share my results thus far (I am on Day 15 as of this morning).

The first 10 days  of the challenge were the  Cleanse Phase.    For me the cleanse phase felt like someone had pushed the reset button on my body. During this phase, I lost 6 pounds. I attribute the weight lose to the fact that I was eating Basically, clean, non-processed fruits, veggies, nuts and lean protein. I also drank half my body weight in water (i.e. 70-80 ounces.) I drank a fiber drink in the morning on the days the plan told me to.  When I needed a boost of energy, I would sip on water mixed with my Spark mix.  And I took the supplements per the plan.  During the first 10 days, I had the option of drinking a Meal Replacement Shake when I could not eat a real meal. This was especially handy when traveling for work. I would have a shake rather than a hotel breakfast bar. Loved the Chocolate Mocha Flavor!

Days 11 thru 24 are referred to as the MAX phase.  In this phase, I am continuing to eat clean. But my normal breakfast is replaced with a Meal Replacement Shake and I am taking a new supplement, MNS Max3. The supplements come in a strip of 4 packets joined by perforations so you can tear each one-off. The first pack should be taken 30 minutes before breakfast or your first meal, the second should be taken 30 minutes before lunch (I set an alarm for this so I don’t forget), and the bottom two packs can be taken with either breakfast, lunch, or one with each. My preferred method is to take the pre-breakfast pack with Spark right when I wake up, and then I have the two bottom packs with my Meal Replacement Shake for breakfast. Then the only thing left is the pre-lunch pack. By lunchtime there should be nothing left to take!

Six days into the Max Phase, I am down another pound. But more importantly I FEEL better. I have more energy, I am clearheaded instead of “fuzzy” feeling, and my residual tummy issues seemed to have disappeared.  And best of all, I have kicked the Diet Soda habit.

I am eager to see what my final numbers are – both in weight and inches lost – at the end of the challenge.  So check back in a few days for the final review.

 

 

Mama on the Move: Dubya Wife

Happy Monday Ya’ll! I’m back to blogging with a looong overdue “Mama on the Move” feature.  This week I’m happy to share with you the lovely and hilariously funny DubyaWife.  I met DW at Fitbloggin last year.  As I stood around talking to a few other attendees, she grabbed me and said “I heard your voice…you must be from the South.”  Her Louisiana drawl revealed a fellow Southerner and we spent the rest of the night entertaining our northern counterparts with our accents.

But enough from me, let’s hear from DW.

1. What was your turning point moment? Tell me about the moment/moments you realized you needed to make changes.

October 12, 2009 was the first day of my journey. I remember it well because the night before I had broken down in a slobbering depressive tear-fest. Essentially I was at a point in my life where I felt like I was trapped. I thought things were terrible and I didn’t really like who I was as a person. I kept pushing off losing weight and getting healthy as something I could only do if the timing was right. So on Oct. 12 I made a decision – just for today I’m going to be healthy. Then the next day I decided to do the same, and the next and the next. And over 3 years later I’ve lost at most 80 lbs and love the way I’m living.

2. What was the easiest healthy habit to adopt?

Breakfast. I didn’t use to eat breakfast at all when I was at my heaviest. In fact, most of the time it consisted of a high sugar latte from a coffee shop. But now I eat breakfast every morning and in fact I get hungry about 30 minutes after I first wake up. It’s become a necessity to have breakfast for me. If you’re not a breakfast eater I recommend starting it. It’s a small change that will affect your nutrition and metabolism drastically!

3. The hardest?

I have many but eating right and keeping up regular exercise is always tough, but funnily enough drinking enough water is still a challenge for me. I’ll go through phases of drinking enough but then I’ll have a day or two where I completely forget. Days that I drink water (especially in the morning) I feel great, so I know it’s good for my body. It’s just a habit that’s never really hooked. *takes a gulp of water*

4. Tell me about your favorite workouts.

I’m completely addicted to a High Intensity Interval Training at my local gym called “Art of Strength.” It uses kettlebells, plyometrics, lifting, core training, and more to give a full complete strength and cardio workout (very similar to crossfit). After an hour of the workout, I’m sweaty and tired, but I can feel how strong I am. I go about once or twice a week because I’m *always* sore after a workout. It makes me feel powerful. You can see me in a video about it here

5. Share your favorite healthy meal.

Goodness, I have so many! Recently I think I have fallen in love with Spaghetti Squash with meat sauce. I’ve recently changed to a “paleo” or ”whole eating” nutrition lifestyle and love it. But once that happened, my family cried at the notion of not having breads or pastas. So I’ve tried to do a good job of supplementing those cravings. Spaghetti and meatballs is one of the family’s favorite home cooked meal, so this is a great alternative – and we love it more than pasta! Other favorites are roasted brussel sprouts, mashed cauliflower, bacon wrapped asparagus… this list goes on.

6. How do you balance motherhood and healthy living?

To me – they go hand in hand. In order to *be a mother* I have to be healthy. For my husband, for my daughter, and most importantly for me. I think we’re all familiar with the feeling of being overwhelmed or having a loss of control. When I make my health (and the health of my family) a priority, everything else seems to fall into place. It’s like steroids for my life! I try to include my family in all my activities My daughter and I occasionally do yoga together. Sometimes my husband will go for a run or walk with me. They know how important it is to me and so they help out with support and love.

7. Do you have a personal mantra? If so, what is it?

“If you have a problem – do what it takes to solve it” It was something my
mother would say to me when I would whine and complain about something. I
didn’t really understand the depth of that statement until later in life. It’s empowering. Once we realize that we have the control and decision making to our whole lives, it gets better. It reminds me to drop the “I’m a victim” mentality and really take the bull by the horns. So when I feel like I’m slipping or depressed – I try to solve the problem. I keep moving forward. Everyday.

8. If you could share just one lesson you’ve learned with other moms, what
would it be?

In my early life I always felt like I was the victim and that it was impossible to really get what I wanted. Everything else came before myself because I felt like I needed to serve others before me – and I became resentful of that. It almost cost me my job, my family, and my life. It wasn’t until I took control of my actions and control of my health that things really started to change. Understand that your health journey is *so much more* than just weight loss and looking good in a bikini. It’s about who you are and getting comfortable with that person. Take the opportunity to really focus on how important your health can be and, trust me, you’ll change.
DubyaWife (Dub-Yah-Wife) is an blogger with a passion for all things Social
Media. Blogging for over three years DW startedDubyaWife.com (her weight
loss story and health blog). You will often find her on Twitter, Facebook,
or Instagram exchanging healthy living wisdom or posting a latest recipe after a great workout. In her spare time Christine enjoys running, all things nerdy/geeky (veideo games, Dungeons & Dragons), and LSU/Saints football. She is also an active participant in Toastmasters and a regular Fitbloggin Conference attendee. Christine’s wit and charm light up the “internet” with her story, healthy living knowledge, and snark.

Ya’ll go show this amazing Mama on the Move some bloggy love!

Advocare 24 Day Challenge

It’s no secret that I want to lose weight. I am not happy with the number on the scale.

But my desire to lose weight goes beyond seeing a smaller number on the scale.

I want to feel comfortable in my own skin again.

I want to feel energized, healthy – not tired and unhealthy.

Mikey and I want to start for baby #2 at the end of the summer, and I want to be at the same place that I was when I got pregnant with Joycie. And while that’s no guareentee for a healthy and easy pregnancy, I can’t help shaking the feeling that getting pregnant at my current weight would make for a more difficult time.

So I’ve ran, lifted weights, ate Paleo, ate low carb…..

And I lost 4 pounds.

BUT…..

I was still eating too much junk food. Not getting in enough water, skipping meals, and very few fruits and veggies were making into my body.

Then a co-worker mentioned the Advocare 24 Day Challenge.  She told me how she had more energy, no cravings for junk food, and how…um, things were “moving” thru her body. Not only was she seeing a loss of weight and inches, she FELT better. The challenge had her eating veggies with every meal, drinking her water, and moving.

I was sold.  So last week,  my products arrived.

So what did I get?

First: OmegaPlex soft gels. I will be taking two of these, twice a day with meals. . They are an omega supplement. S

Next is Herbal Cleanse.  I mix this with 4 ounces of orange juice and 4 oucnes of water, then drink it quickly.  I say quickly because hte drink gets a bit thick if you leave it sitting for too long.  I have had this drink each morning around 6:30 and have not wanted to eat my breakfast until 9:00 – because I was simply THAT full. T

The third part of my challenge is Spark Drink. It can be used 1-3 times a day. I have been drinking one first thing in the morning and another around 4:30 or 5:00 in anticipation of my workout.  The 24 Day Challenge pack gives two flavors, but when buying it there are many more choices. I have Mandarin Orange and Fruit Punch. Both are tasty.

I am on Day 3 of the challenge, and so far I have noticed the following things:

1. I am down nearly 3 pounds. Yes, I was bloated when I started the challenge.  But having the guidebook there to remind me to drink water has really helped.

2. I have not had a single cup of coffee or Diet coke….and I have even wanted one. Not even my usual 3 p.m. pick me up.

3. Committing to the challenge and argeeing to eat lean protein, veggies, fruits, and complex carbs has caused me to focus on food choices. I noticed that I am often tempted to finish off my daughter’s food even when I’m not hungry.  Overall, I am more aware of my food choices.

I’ll be checking in every few days to update you on how the challenge is going. If you want any more information, fee free to e-mail me or comment on the post.

Have a great day!

Wednesday Weigh In: Not Buying Into the Number

I have decided to play along  with the fabulous Roni and share my weekly weigh-in on Wednesday.  Basically, each Wednesday morning, I’ll snap a picture of my scale and then post it here for all the blog world to see.

While I don’t believe the scale is the end all be all, I think it is a good tool to provided me information about my progress. I huge swing up or down can indicate something is off, with my body long before other issues arise.

This morning the scale said 151.8 (I snapped a pic but my camera apparently ate the photo).

That number is down from where I started last week at…..155.

But, I did battle a NASTY stomach virus for nearly 48 hours, so I am chalking the big drop up to a bit of dehydration and lack of any real food.

I expect to see the number go back up next week, but hopefully not by too much.

Your turn:  Do you weigh yourself weekly? If not, how do you measure your progress?

Prayers for Boston

I have waited for more than 24 hours to post about the tragedy in Boston. I had hoped the time would give me the words to say…words that would somehow lessen the heaviness of my heart, to make sense of this senseless act of terror,

But there are no words….

No words can make my heart less heavy. No phrase can explain why someone would attack people in such a horrific manner.

All I can offer are my tears, my prayers for those affected, and a promise that I will remember Boston. Each time I lace up my sneakers – for a run around the block or a race – I will pause and remember Boston.

I will keep running….refusing to live in fear….but rather embracing my life. And I can only hope that in some small way that pays tribute to the victims.

Here I go Again….

The last time I blogged I had a plan. I was mapping out my daily lunches, creating meal plans for our family dinners, and vowing to train hard as to improve my 5K time.

I was riding high and feeling great.

And then I came crashing DOWN.

HARD!

I can say that I got busy….and that’s true.

I can say that I felt tired and run down……. and that’s true.

I can say that I was more focused on getting thru the day than making smart choices…. and that’s true.

But the real truth is – I just stopped caring.

I had spent nearly a year trying to lose 20 pounds – running, lifting weights, eating Paleo, trying workout plan after workout plan – and saw little success. I kept telling myself that it was hormones, or my thyroid, or my body being weird.  The truth of the matter is I’ve been phoning it in for 365 days. 

Once I moved past my eating disorder, I made living a healthy lifestyle a priority. I ate well, worked out, and really took care of myself.  But living a healthy lifestyle is filled with difficult choices. It is choosing to get up at 5:00 a.m. for your workout rather than hitting the snooze button. It is choosing to spend time meal planning, shopping for quality ingredients and preparing healthy meals. It is choosing to turn off the t.v. and skip the season finale of The Walking Dead so that you can get 8 hours of sleep.

And my inner brat was sick and tired of making the right choices all the time. So she decided that I could just do the right things…some of the time.   And some of the time soon became more and more infrequently.

And after a year of half-arsed efforts, I thought “I sick of this. Let’s just live!”.  I wanted to eat the chocolate, skip the workouts, hit the snooze button, and stop worrying about the scale, what my blog readers would say, or how my fitness goals stacked up to those of other bloggers.

So I did.

And I hated it.

After nearly a month of living life at the other end of the spectrum, I realize that I enjoy eating cleanly, I find pleasure in my workouts, and that phoning it in or not caring at all is NOT who I am or what I want to do..

So I’m back.  However, instead of trying to find that 1 great workout plan or the 1 magic diet that will change my body forever, I’m going back to the basics.  Or at least the lifestyle choices that made me feel my best.

1 aerobics class per week

3 runs per week

3 lifting sessions with my husband per week

Taking my lunch to work

Eating dinners at home that were Paleo or Paleo-inspired.

And while this list may  seem daunting, reading it leaves me feeling more energized and excited about the future than I have in quite some time. 

(Deep breath)

I’m ready now…let’s do this!

 

 

Sunday Launch: 3/17/2013

Sunday afternoons are probably my favorite time of the week.  My husband and I strive to make Sunday afternoon the time where we have absolutely no plans, no to-do lists – a time where we can just rest before the  business of the week settles in.  I really notice a difference on how I feel on Mondays now that I am using Sunday afternoons as a restful period.

This past week was pretty good.  I managed to get in all of my planned workouts, ate on plan 90% of the time, got a good amount of rest, and handled unexpected work stress in a healthy manner.  The highlight of the week was a phone chat I had with Amanda from Run to the Finish.  Amanda is hosting a Spring Challenge – part of which includes weekly group chats that are meant to encourage and empower.  During our chat, Amanda asked what 1 thing could I do to ensure that I was working toward my goals (lose 20 lbs).  I told her that for me my biggest key to success was planning ahead – specifically planning my lunches.

When I plan my lunches and bring them to work, I eat on plan the entire day. But on those days that I don’t plan ahead, I either make a run thru the drive thru or skip lunch altogether, which leads to mindless snacking before dinner.  Either way not good.  So Amanda challenged me to set aside time each Saturday afternoon to plan and prep my weekly lunches. She also suggested that I only bring lunch 4 days a week, allowing 1 day a week for eating out with co-workers.  She said that 1 lunch out would allow me to focus on enjoying the meal rather than worrying over “not blowing it.”

So I am taking her advice. I planned out my lunches yesterday afternoon, prepped them earlier this morning, and am planning on enjoying lunch out with co-workers on Friday. 

So what’s going in my lunch bag this week?

1. Frittata with honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and peach fruit salad

2. Applegate Farms sliced ham, avocado, and roasted almonds

3. Turkey meatloaf with roasted broccoli

4. Grilled chicken salad

In addition to planning out my lunches, I have mapped a meal plan for our family dinners this week. I am trying a few new recipes and will be sharing one of them later this week in another installment of “Inside Kim’s Kitchen”.

Last thing I’ll share in this post is my weekly training plan.  It is nearly identical to last week’s plan but I have added in a few extra runs. The hubby and I ran/walked a 5K on Saturday and finished in 36 minutes. Given that I ran/walk the 5K with minimal training and finished just 3 minutes slower than my personal record, I am motivated to try and train for a new 5K PR. The extra runs will allow me to build my endurance again and incorporate some speedwork.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. Time to go stretch out on the couch and catch a quick nap.

Your turn:   What lunches do you take to the office?  Workouts you are looking forward to this week?  Tell me about the workouts you’ve got planned this week?

 

Sunrise Circuit Workout

Good morning ya’ll!   It is Thursday and we are in the down-hill slide into the weekend!  While I look forward to every weekend, this one is extra exciting as the hubs and I will be having Part 1 of our 4 year Anniversary celebration.  This year we are celebrating our anniversary of the course of 2 weekends.  The first weekend consists of  activities that I planned and the second weekend will be all about the hubs.  This weekend we escaping to the neighboring town for an overnight stay at a hotel,  a 5k run for Charity on Saturday morning, and an afternoon of shopping.    How can I not love a guy who enjoys running and shopping with me?

I kicked off my morning with the Supreme 90 Day Tabata Inferno DVD.  The workout is 35 minutes in length and centers around Tabata - 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest. The various circuits consisted of either 2 or 4 moves that were repeated using the Tabata method until 4 total minutes had elapsed.   The workout was quick, but left me a hot, heavy breathing, sweaty mess.  So while I go shower and get ready for the day, why don’t you check out this circuit workout that I was inspired to create for you?

 

Your turn:  Do you like circuit style workouts? Have you tried the Tabata Method?  If you are married, how do you and your spouse celebrate anniversaries?

Weekly Training Plan: 3/11/13 – 3/17/13

Okay,so this post is a few days behind schedule. I normally post my weekly workouts – which I’ve now started calling my weekly training plan – on Sundays.  But I was so busy living life on Sunday that there was no time to blog about it.

Better than never, I suppose?

Last week, I told you that the hubby and I would be following an 8 week training plan from Men’s Health for our weight training.  But after a few workouts, we realized that while the plan was challenging, it didn’t fit our lifestyle at the moment.  To complete the workouts, we needed to be in our home gym from 45 minutes to an hour.  And when you’re the parents of an active 3 year old, it is hard to find that much time to spare – or to keep her occupied with other tasks for that long.  Frustrated with what I felt were less than stellar workouts, I suggested to the hubby that we commit to the Supreme 90 Days DVD series. 

The series is similar in style to P90 or P90X but only a fraction of the cost. I picked up my set for $20.00 at the local Dollar General.  The hubs and I have dabbled with the workouts in the past – and have gotten a good burn – but have never fully followed the suggested plan. Now we are.  I love the fact that the workouts can be completed in my living room and require minimal equipment.

Last night, we took the first DVD “Chest & Back” for a spin.   Our daughter was able to color and play in one corner of the living room – even opting to join us for a few of the moves. (i.e. sit on our backs while did push-ups).  At the end, she grinned and said “I love working out with you, Mama & Daddy”.

That alone is reason enough to follow the plan.  But the fact that my chest/back muscles are groaning in protest this morning means I got a great workout in – in only 30 minutes.  I’ll be talking more about the DVD’s tomorrow (as well as sharing the hubby and I’s before pics and stats).

Your turn:  What’s on your training plan for this week?