Holding myself accountable...I got weighed today.

I need to do this post to hold myself accountable...especially after today.

Remember when I started this lifestyle change of mine?  It was in July...we started eating paleo and then 6 weeks ago, I started a Couch to 5K.  Before this, I was eating TERRIBLE and working out ZERO days per week.  The big things that I was doing differently this time (unlike when I had started dieting/exercising in the past) were I was not doing a "fad" diet. I was just trying to eat clean, not processed foods.  I gave myself cheats on occasion after the first month of being strict.  Also, I tried to be realistic this time.  I was making these changes mostly to FEEL better (eliminate headaches, digestion issues, etc.), but obviously knew that in doing that, I would lose weight which I also wanted to do.  So I threw out the scale.  I decided I would NOT weigh myself...at all.  And I haven't...until today.

I had to get weighed because of an annual health screening through Sean's work for a health insurance discount we can get if we participate.  And as expected, I was disappointed.

"The scale is the devil" ~Cassie Burback

Yes, it is.  It puts thoughts into your mind...

"I'm not doing a good job"
"What is wrong with me?"
"I should give up."
"This hard work isn't worth it"
"I can't do this anymore without better results"

It is the devil...he is getting into my head through the scale.

I lost 14lbs since mid July.  That's it.  Ugh...so disappointing!  That number, it made me forget about the fact that I can run 2 miles straight now, without stopping.  It made me forget that I have gone down 2 pants sizes since then, that I no longer get migraines or have indigestion.  It made me forget that my blood pressure went WAY down and I am clearly a much healthier person.

I have a before and after picture, but honestly, I am too embarrassed to share it!  Plus, it's not my "after" picture.  My after picture will be when I meet my goal...and I don't even know what my goal is.  I will share it someday.  I am still too insecure with myself and how I look.  I am so proud of the progress that I have made, but damnit, I want to like how I LOOK!

So after speaking with several encouraging friends (one of whom actually makes a career out of fitness...thanks Tesi!!!) on the phone and getting some tips, I am going to step it up...start some new things.  I hope to join the Y to assist me in that!  Going to add a little something different in along with my running.  Excited to change it up a bit and hopefully see some more results!

Vegetable Soup Recipe

I posted this picture on Facebook of the vegetable soup I made the other night because it just looked so pretty!  Apparently it looked yummy to all of you as well because I got lots of comments and requests for the recipe.  The thing is that I made it up with all of the veggies in my fridge and on my counter so this is going to be a rough recipe because as far as seasonings go, I just kind of threw stuff in without measuring.  It was so delicious though and I will definitely make it again!  Oh, and it is EASY!

Ingredients:

1 container vegetable stock (you could use chicken or beef stock though)

1/2 head of Cauliflower

4 stems of Kale

2 Sweet Potatoes  (I leave the skin on)

1/3 bag (the smaller bags) of baby carrots (cut in half)

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 can Stewed Tomatoes (or a few fresh tomatoes)

1 can diced tomatoes with olive oil and garlic (I used the HyVee brand)

3-4 small yellow onions (I used 4 small ones)

3 garlic cloves (chopped)

butter (ghee if you want it to be paleo)

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

red pepper flakes

Badia Complete Seasoning (this is what I use and LOVE, but I have to get it in Florida)

First, I chopped all of the veggies (except for the sweet potatoes and kale) very course.  Since there was not meat in this soup, I wanted big chunks of veggies.  In a big soup pot, I used approximately 1 TBSP ghee (or you can use butter or evoo or coconut oil) to saute all of the veggies (except for the canned tomatoes, the sweet potatoes and kale) and the chopped garlic cloves.  I just sauteed them to make them a little tender...maybe 5 minutes or so.  While doing that I seasoned with salt and pepper.  Then I poured the vegetable stock and canned tomatoes in and added some more salt and pepper as well as approximately 1 1/2 TBSP Badia and approximately 1 TSP red pepper flakes.  I let this simmer while I cut the sweet potatoes and took the kale off of the stems and chopped it into smaller chunks.  I added in the potatoes (I leave the skin on) about 30-60 minutes before serving because they can get pretty mushy.  I added the kale about 15 minutes before serving.  Throughout the cooking I was constantly tasting and adding salt and pepper as I went.  I did feel like when I was making it that I was putting in a lot of sea salt, but it needed it to get it to where the flavor was right. :)

It was SO GOOD, but just for fun when I make it again, I would maybe also add celery and even maybe mushrooms.  It would be really good with some sort of meat in there too!  If I didn't have Badia Complete Seasoning, I would probably put extra garlic in it, some extra salt (because Badia is salty), a bay leaf, basil or some other fresh herbs you like.  You could also probably just throw everything in a crock pot (and just skip the sauteeing of the veggies in butter) in the morning and then an hour before serving, add the sweet potatoes and kale into the crock pot to complete it.

I know this is not a very "official" recipe, but that's because I just made it up on a whim to get rid of a bunch of veggies I had in our fridge before they went bad! :)

Hope you all like it!

Paleo and Running

So I started a Couch to 5K with my friend Sam 5 weeks ago.  Day one we were huffing and puffing and tonight we ran and after 2 miles and my best pace yet, I was still able to carry on a conversation.  I don't want to be braggy or go on and on, but you guys, this is a big deal for me and Sam and I am so proud of us!  Sam just had a baby 2 1/2 months ago and I was just so out of shape it was embarrassing!

I want to be healthy.  I started with changing my diet to paleo...and I am proud to say that I am still going strong.  Sean is too!  And I have a meal once every week or two that is not paleo...and that's ok.  I am back at it the next day.  I only cook paleo and only have those "cheat meals" when we got out.  And I feel good...the running has really helped that as well.

It has been so amazing to have a running partner and I could have never done this without her.  We were in the same place...we both are running at the same pace and we motivate each other.  It's such a blessing!  We balance each other out...it seems as though when I am not feeling it, Sam is there to push me.  And when she isn't feeling motivated, I am there to push her.  It's incredible how far we've come in 5 weeks!  We can't wait to run our first 5k together!

As far as an update for our Paleo diet.  There isn't a whole lot to report aside from the fact that we're still going strong! :)  I made the most amazing Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola the other day which we are enjoying and we are thrilled that it is now "soup season" because there are tons of yummy paleo soup recipes that I am looking forward to making!  I am trying 2 different soup recipes in the next week or so.  Can't wait!

And I STILL haven't weighed myself!  I have no desire to.  I am noticing a difference in my clothing and honestly, the number doesn't matter to me.  I want to be healthy, I want to FEEL good and I want to feel good about myself and how I look...and I want to look better.  Not going to lie...I want to feel good in my clothes...and I want to decrease the size of my clothes!  I am working on it hard and get so excited when I notice in a piece of clothing, but I have a long way to go!

I am going about this so differently than I ever have before though and I attribute much of that to the fact that I'm not weighing myself.  It's a marathon, not a sprint.  I want to lose weight the right way...the healthy way.  I don't expect to be 3 sizes smaller in one month, but I would LOVE to be 3 sizes smaller in one year! :)  And rather than my goals being a number on the scale, I am goaling myself in other ways...a quicker pace on my mile, working out that extra day in a week than I want to, fitting into the jeans I wore LAST winter, this winter.  Realistic goals I think.


Right now, I am feeling motivated, I am feeling more motivated than I even did in the beginning of trying to get healthy.  I am determined to do this.  I don't even really know what my ultimate goal is...and I like that I don't have a final goal.  I guess I just don't want to stop, I want to keep pushing myself.  I am running 2 miles a few times a week now, so once I am running 3 miles a few times a week, I want to start trying to go farther.  Maybe I'll try and do a 10k next year.  Who knows!  Once I get bored with the food I am making, I will find new clean, healthy recipes.  This is my plan.  I have always struggled in the past to stick with my healthy kicks and make them a lifestyle change...I want to do it this time.  I want to succeed!  Pray for me...I don't have the best track record! ;)  Ha.