Busy writing, but not here

I've been on a bit of a break here, mostly for lack of time and also because of this little guy:

He's found a secret access point to my computer, so he loves to sneak up ninja-style and grab my mouse and keyboard while I'm trying to work. So if I have time and can get him away from this temptation, I spend all my time working and not so much blogging.

However, some things I have been writing for work at very applicable here. So instead of writing a new post, I'll share my most recent articles on ksl.com.

First:


Break your diet? Don't feel bad

So you cheated on your diet. You caved in and had a second (or third) piece of birthday cake, got a super-sized combo meal, or dug out that chocolate bar you've been hiding in the back of the pantry. Now what?

Using the internet for exercise motivation


How do you merge the addictive power of the Internet with the unsurpassed benefits of an active lifestyle? Here are a few success stories of Utahns making it happen.



Enjoy!

The scale! It's moving!

After two weeks of this new meal plan, all was going well... Until my baby got the cold that I had, and slight chaos reigned in the Maxfield household. By the end of week two, I was back to my old ways and not even caring. Even my blasted soda habit was back—one can, sometimes two, a day—and I had the bloated belly to prove it.

I had one minor victory, which was that I fought the fast food urge and haven't had any in two weeks. Still, I was pretty mad at myself yesterday that I've slipped so far and I vowed to begin again, AND kick the Coke to the curb once and for all. The craving was really strong this morning (at 9 a.m.! How pathetic is that?) but I'm proud to say that I resisted the urge and made myself a green smoothie instead.

About an hour and a half later, I got back on the scale out of curiosity, since I haven't weighed in over a week. I was kind of expecting a gain, but lo, such was not my fate. On the contrary: I lost weight!!!

I lost a total of 3 pounds in about a week and a half, I'm now almost 5 pounds below my pre-baby weight: I'm now at 151! 

HUZZAH!!!

So, even though I didn't stick to the plan 100%, it is definitely working. With my renewed dedication and the mental boost from the movement on the scale, I am psyched and ready to keep going.

Who's with me???

Food as fuel

It's been a little harder than I thought getting into this new meal plan, but not in the way I expected. I've been really good at eating the oatmeal and veggie wraps, but it's been really hard for me to eat on schedule and get the juice/smoothie in. Not sure why this is exactly, other than the fact that time is always an issue when you have a baby. But I keep working at it, and it's getting better every day.

The main thing I really love about this plan is that it helps me remember that food is for fuel, not for pleasure. OK, it kind of is for pleasure, and it should taste good or else we wouldn't want to eat it. Also, there's nothing wrong with a little snack or dessert every now and then. But the day-to-day business of food is not about satisfying our junk-food lust; it's about giving our body what it needs. When you do this, you do feel satisfied—not to mention full of energy.

This is the concept behind Tres Hatch's book, as I mentioned earlier this week. With this regimented plan that takes the body's dietary needs in mind, and is created to keep the metabolism working at max capacity, it's been really easy to keep in mind that food is for fuel.

I still have intense cravings for fast food every now and then, especially soda and large fries, but hopefully those cravings will subside the more I stick to this plan. Though I was skeptical that I'd be satisfied with a veggie wrap for lunch, I actually am. That's how I know that my food is working for me and I'm getting the nutrients I need to keep going.

That's the update. Is anyone else doing this plan or something similar? Share your experience and tell us what you like about it!

Eat what you want

This may seem like backwards advice for someone trying to be healthy and lose weight. Actually, it's not—at least not when you add this clarification: Eat what your body wants.

My mom has a friend who has lost 110 pounds and discovered the great "a-ha" for making it happen. The friend wrote a book, and my mom wrote a great article about it all:

What the diet industry doesn't want you to know - ksl.com

I've been to a class by this friend, Tres Hatch, and what she teaches is so intuitive. It's not an earth-shattering concept, yet for some reason it's a message that's too often lost in the mad dash for weight loss. There's really no secret combination for healthy eating; it's simply a matter of fulfilling your body's needs. While it can be tricky to learn to listen to what your body wants, it's a skill worth having.

Some things I've realized after listening:

• When I'm craving salt, I'm actually dehydrated and thirsty.
• When I'm craving sugar, I've had too much salt and not enough fruit.
• When I'm craving carbs, I'm in need of an emotional boost (it's my sad day, PMS go-to).

Take a few days and listen to yourself. I know it's hard to ignore the screaming-for-chocolate cravings, but this is a skill worth developing. Though it's not 100 percent easy to stick to this method—especially if your cravings are raging out of control—it's a wonderful natural blueprint to follow for learning how to fuel your body properly and getting it to function at its highest levels.

This is perfect for me now, as I start my new regimen. I started halfheartedly yesterday but didn't have all the necessary ingredients. So today, it's on. Wish me luck!

Sicky

Bleh. Today is not wonderful.

I got sick over the weekend—a nasty cold in the middle of the summer. I was improving and thought I'd be better by now. Alas, I am not. I'm still sicky.

I was all set to start my new plan, but I'm not sure if that's the best idea when I probably should be swilling OJ and chicken soup. It will have to wait.

Until then, I'm going to go lay on the couch with a box of tissues and a stack of chick flicks. I hope Evan likes "Pride and Prejudice."

It's on like Donkey Kong

OK, done with moping and feeling stressed. Now that Evan sleeps and has a consistent schedule, it's time that I work on mine. I have no more excuses for stagnating here. It's time to get back on the horse. And I have a plan.

First, I've gone back to putting on my workout clothes first thing in the morning. My son has become quite the mama's boy and has a lot of separation anxiety, so even if he's happily playing, when he catches sight of me he whines and scurries on over and starts climbing me until he has my full attention. I'm working on easing that, but until then, if we're in the same room and I'm not occupied, I'm going to be doing strength training exercises. That way, at the very least he'll get the message that he can't climb on me and expect the desired result, and if it works, I'll be motivated to keep it up.

Now, on with the healthy eating. My dear friend Melanie messaged me a while ago about juicing. Since it's essentially the same thing as my green smoothies and she has a structured daily meal plan that I desperately need, I'm going to give it a whirl. Here's her basic daily rundown:

• 7:30 a.m. - Cooked oatmeal and fresh fruit: As much fruit as you want, like grapefruit, apples, berries, oranges, etc. Oatmeal must be the kind you cook, not instant.
• 9 a.m. - Water (always 8 oz.)
• 10 a.m. - Juice (always 8 oz.)
• 11 a.m. - Water
• 12 p.m. - Veggie wrap: Fill with spinach, cilantro, fresh basil, tomatoes, cucumbers or anything else that's fresh and tasy. You can also add brown rice or beans in the wrap, but no meat or dairy.
• 1 p.m. - Water
• 2 p.m. - Juice
• 3 p.m. - Water
• 4 p.m. - Juice
• 5 p.m. - Dinner: Eat small portions of the family meal, which should be light and healthy with plenty of steamed veggies, good carbs and other wholesome foods.
• 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Juice

This isn't too far off from what I already do, except for two notable differences: No meat at lunch, when I usually eat dinner leftovers, and I'm substituting my smoothies for the juice and will split it into four servings instead of two.

For those of you who want to try juicing, here's her basic recipe for an 8 oz. juice:

• 7-10 carrots
• 1 apple
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 beet wedge
• 2 leaves of greens
• 1 orange
• A few berries

My fridge is all but empty right now, which is good. I've purged the junk (and the moldy leftovers of dinners gone by) and I can start over with just the good stuff. Tomorrow I'm hitting up the farmers market, and starting Monday this meal plan IS ON.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I'm the queen of big motivated starts and slow fizzling out. I hope this time is different. Maybe it will be because of Melanie. She's one of the most driven people I know, and it's contagious. Not only that, but she used to be my running partner years ago and she had me awake and jogging faithfully at 6 a.m. every day, even though I didn't have to be awake for hours. That is an enormous accomplishment! So Melanie, if you're reading this, keep pushing me!

And that goes for all of you, especially if I see you in real life (or if we're friends on Facebook). Please PLEASE push me to keep it up! If not this specifically, help me stay on the wagon in general. That's why I started this blog after all, so don't be shy. I can do this, but I need help.

And here I go...

In a haze

Ho-hum.

That's how I've been feeling about this whole healthy living thing. The main reason is, we've been sleep training our very obstinate, very vocal child. At the beginning of this process, the time he spent shrieking and throwing toys (and even throwing himself out of the crib, once) has surpassed the time he's been napping. At one point I'm sure I shed more tears than he did. Needless to say, it has not been a good week.

But the sleep gods have finally prevailed upon us, and lo, he slumbers! Though the night! And during naptime! We are at last a happy family.

But here's the irony: Just as he's learned to sleep, I've forgotten. My insomnia is back, and I've been up until 1 or 2 a.m. every night. I just can't catch a break.

So even though he now has a consistent schedule and he's keeping to that schedule, I'm having a hard time doing what I need to do. Maybe it's the lack of sleep. Maybe it's this heavy heat. Maybe it's because the newness of being at home all day has worn off and a little melancholy has settled in. Maybe it's all of the above, and something else I have yet to identify. Who knows.

Whatever it is, progress it not being made on this project, or really on anything other than my now-happy baby. The sacrifices of motherhood.

So, now that his major hurdle has been crossed, it's time to focus on me for a bit. It's time to bring back the personal goals as well as the fitness goals. This should not only get me back on track exercise-wise, but pull me out of the stay-at-home funk. I hope.

Here we go...

For the week of August 15 - August 20:

Personal goals: Laugh every day, "clock out" and relax every evening, try a new activity (big or small) with Evan every day

Physical goals: Crunches daily, drink 64 oz. of water a day, walks 3 times a week


That will get me started. Until then, carry on, my friends.