Transformation Tuesday-Easter Edition







Today I'm taking a minute to look back and recognize the progress I've made since this time last year.  At the beginning of this year I posted this quote to my Instagram page, "Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same."  While that may seem to be pretty obvious, it's actually easier said than done.  But it's the truth.  I have been on a journey to lose the 60 lbs I gained while pregnant, and a few more on top of it.  But I grew complacent along the way, and by the holidays was pretty much on a plateau, gaining and losing the same few pounds over and over again.  One of my New Year's goals was to lose weight, and I started out by making some important changes.  I've started working out 5-7 times a week, drinking only water, counting calories and eating less processed foods.  Since the beginning of the year I've lost 12 lbs!  The great part is, that I've done this without really depriving myself of the foods that I love.  I really like to eat, and I like food, so cutting things out just hasn't worked for me in the past.  But by really watching portion sizes, exercising and not drinking my calories every day, I'm seeing results without depriving myself of the things I love.

Easter 2014

This is me last Easter.  Even though I had lost all of my baby weight, I still was overweight, and truly not happy with myself.  Looking back at this picture now is an embarrassment to me, but it's also a great testimony of how far I've come! 

Easter 2015

I'm down 13 lbs from last Easter, and while I still have a few more to go to reach my goal weight, I'm really happy with my progress so far.  I feel like a new person!  I don't feel self-conscious any more when I'm in a crowd of people.  I don't feel the need to pull and tug at my clothes hoping to disguise the lumps underneath.  I'm even starting to see some ab definition!

Before I lost this weight, I didn't take pictures like this!  I was more comfortable in a crowd than by myself.  But now, looking at this just makes me happy!  It gives the encouragement to keep working and fighting.  I've changed a lot, but my desire to change is still here.  I don't want to be the same--I WON'T be the same!  I have proven to myself what I'm capable of, and I refuse to give up.  The journey isn't easy, but it's worth it.  And it's about so much more than being skinny.  It's also about being strong and healthy.  It's about feeling good, and feeling good about myself.   

Now I'm staring out on a new journey to lose the rest of my weight to reach my goal.  I read a great book called The No More Excuses Diet by Maria Kang and it's given my a great plan to get where I want to be.  I've got a review of it coming later this week.  You don't want to miss it!  I'm also starting a new workout program.  My husband and I bought Focus T25 from BeachBody.  I'm loving it so far. 

So here's to spring, new beginnings and changes!  I can't wait to see how far I can go!

21 Day Fix: What I Learned and How I Did

Well I officially finished up my 21-Day Fix on Saturday.  Unfortunately for me (or at least for my diet plan!) Saturday was also my fifth wedding anniversary, so it included some celebrating and eating out.  Can you legally eat out on your anniversary and not have a little dessert?  I think not.  However, I learned some really great things during my 21 Days, and I ate very sensibly on my anniversary date.

First, here's what I learned:

1. Eating tons of fruit and veggies really makes me feel good!

Who knew that eating three cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit every day could make you feel so much better?   I certainly didn't, but now that I know, I try to have a salad or a stir fry for a meal every day.  Luckily for me there's nary a vegetable I don't like to eat in one form or another.  Vegetables contain so much fiber, and eating them helps me reach my goal of 25 grams a day much faster.  One great bonus has been how much smoother my whole digestive process is.  (TMI, I know, but it needed to be said.)

2.  Exercise really does make a difference.

I have never exercised for seven days in a row in my whole entire life--until now.  I have now officially worked out every day for the last 26 days in a row!  That's big for me, people!  Other exercise programs I have been on have always encouraged 1-2 days of rest every week.  But for me, missing one day just throws me off my game, and makes it easier to skip the next day, and the next and the next and the next, until I realize I haven't done so much as a jumping jack in a month. It's also helpful that this program has a different workout for every day.  Not only does that add variety (the spice of life, you know), but it also keeps me from wanting to throw off my schedule.  For instance, I know that Monday is for upper body, Tuesday is for legs, Wednesday is pilates, Sunday and Thursday are cardio,  Friday is a total body workout and Saturday is my active recovery day--also known as yoga.  If I miss just one day, I've thrown myself off for a week.  It helps that each workout is only thirty minutes long, so I'm not committing a huge amount of time to it each day.  I still don't love working out, but I respect it and the changes it has made in my body. 

3. Processed food is out--mostly.

My main reason for doing this program was to learn to eat healthy, less processed food.  I have cut out most processed foods now, and I really feel better.  That doesn't mean that I will never eat another potato chip or candy bar, but it means I have realized they really aren't that important to me.  Since going on this plan, eating chocolate, or even taking a drink of soda just doesn't satisfy me.  My body just doesn't need those things any more.  It has been a little tougher to let go of my favorite pasta dishes, though.  Let's just face it; a piece of grilled chicken with Dijon mustard sauce will never be as tasty as a starchy pasta in a spicy cream sauce.  But when I've worked so hard to get where I am now, that big bowl of pasta just isn't worth it to me.  I'm totally amazed that is the truth of my life.  Other than a few small sips of sweet tea and milk, I have only drank water for the last three weeks.  Now it's truly the only thing that satisfies my thirst.  While I have cut out most processed foods and fatty meats, I do still eat brown rice, whole grain pasta and bread, and quinoa.  I don't have these things every day, and when I do, I try to limit myself to less than a cup.

If you had told me before I did this plan that I would make all these changes and be totally happy with them, I probably wouldn't have believed you.  But it's true.  I have seen great results, and I'm committed to keeping these changes in my life.  I did not follow Autumn Calabrese's food plan to the letter.  I'm sure I would have seen even better results if I had.  While I liked the basic principles, I found it to be a bit more restricting than I liked.  So, I've decided to use the things I learned during these 21 Days, and apply them to my life, while continuing to count calories.  Counting calories really works for me.  I like being able to keep track of everything I eat in my "My Fitness Pal" app that syncs with my Jawbone Up band.  I don't regret using this program, because it really helped me to make habit changes like I'd wanted for a long time.  I plan to stick with the workouts for the foreseeable future, although there are several other Beachbody programs that I'm dying to try!  I'm also still drinking my Shakeology every day, and still love it.

So, HOW DID I DO ON MY 21-DAY FIX?

I lost 4.5 pounds and 7.25 inches during these three weeks!  That brings my total weight loss for the month of January to 8 pounds!  I did it without starving myself or really feeling deprived at all.  My clothes fit better, my skin looks better, and I feel generally better about myself.  I'm so motivated to keep going!  I weigh about the same as I did when I got married five years ago!  It's a wonderful feeling and I can't wait to see how far I can go!

Lyndsie  

Winds of Change

I have to admit my life has been really comfortable lately.  I have a wonderful husband and son that make me really happy.  We have a pretty great routine, that would seem crazy to others, but that really works for us.  But something inside me is ready for a change.  It's time to step out of just the comfortable and take some risks.  Now, let me tell you that I am not a risk taker.  I'd rather sit safely on the side of the pool than risk diving off the board.  I can't even tell you the number of times I've missed out on something I really wanted to do because I was afraid to fail, or not do well.  For instance, you may think from this blog that my only hobby is reading--a lot.  But the truth is I spend most of my spare time these days sitting at my sewing machine and creating beautiful quilts.  I never write about it here because I'm afraid that no one will like what I've made, or that they won't be as good as someone else's.  I also love to bake.  Cookies are my specialty, but I can whip up a mean pie and sometimes cakes, too.  But they aren't always pretty or perfect, so I usually keep them to myself.  Isn't that silly? 

One of my favorite Bible verses says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7)  I think I'll be quoting that one a lot in the next few weeks and months.  I'm planning to make some big changes in my life, and I'm really scared about it!  What if I fail?  What if it doesn't go as well as I hope?  What if people don't get it and laugh at me?  The truth is, though, I'll never know unless I try. 

I'm still working out some of the details, but I'll give you a little sneak peak.  So far this blog has been mostly about the books I read, but I really want to expand that.  I want to show you my projects and recipes and life--even the stuff that doesn't work out like I plan.  I want to expand my reader base, and encourage everyone to join my quest to try things that scare them, and not be afraid of the results.  After all, can we learn if we never fail?  Since I always have, and always will love to read, I'll still post plenty of book reviews, just a few things in between.  You may notice a few changes to the blog format already.  I'm testing out some new ideas to get ready for the big changes that are coming mid-January, including a new name and URL.  I'd love your feedback about what you think.

Thanks to all of you who read the little things that I write here.  I really hope you like my new stuff, too.  I'm very excited to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.  I'll keep you updated on my plans as I work them out.

Happy Day!

Lyndsie