New Year, New Me

Happy New Year!  Can you believe it's 2016 already?  Time flies.  This year, I'm determined to make it a great one.  Since finding out I had hypothyroidism, I gained a few extra pounds despite going to the gym 4 or 5 days a week.  I tried to eat healthier but I still wasn't losing any weight.  At least I didn't really gain much, only 4 pounds over the holidays.  I lost inches from working out even though my weight stayed even.

This is crazy!  At least I only gained 4 pounds.

Over the holiday break, I decided that I was going to make a lifestyle change.  I've never weighed this much, so I need to make a change.  I've gained about 30 pounds in the last two years.  Thanks to working out, at least I lost some inches despite the scale not changing.  Well they said losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise.  I have the exercise down thanks to having a personal trainer for the last year.  My contract ran out the end of December but I know what I need to be doing in the gym now.  I'll just have to push myself harder than I normally would on my own.  Maybe I can find myself a gym buddy to keep me motivated!


I'm going to exercise at least 3 times a week, hopefully more than that.  I'm also going mostly paleo or some may say primal, at least for now.  I've done a lot of research about hypothyroidism and because it's also associated with autoimmune diseases, many people have felt better and lost weight on gluten-free diets.  I decided to go paleo to kick start my diet.  I'll eventually allow some gluten-free grains back into my diet, but I want to see some results before I do that.

I started my lifestyle change on January 4th, 2016.  So far I've lost some of my holiday weight gain and I've had no grains whatsoever.  I think I could have lost more, but I had many lattes from Starbucks last week (I know - not so healthy).  This week I'm cutting out all dairy products to see what the effects will be.  I had many salads last week from Salata, Chick-fil-a, and Chipotle.  I learned how to make seared Ahi Tuna at home - so good!  I had apples or banana chips as snacks....but I had quite a bit of peanut butter with my apple.  I know the peanut butter isn't paleo, but it was so good.  I'm cutting out the peanut butter this week too.  I'm kind of playing trial and error with this diet.  That's why I said I'm doing mostly paleo.  I want to see how my body responds to different foods and adjust accordingly.

Last week's menu (1/4/16)
Breakfast - apples and peanut butter OR Advocare White Chocolate Peppermint Shake (not paleo)
Lunch - salads from Salata, Chipotle, Chickfila (no cheese, no croutons, no sour cream) OR Chicken Protein Plate from Zoe's Kitchen (no slaw sub roasted veggies).
Dinner - Seared Ahi Tuna, arugula mix, avocado, and sweet potato fries.
Snacks - apples (sometimes with peanut butter), banana chips, lots of 2 pump whole milk Chestnut Praline Grande lattes no whip no topping from Starbucks
Dessert (if needed) - dark chocolate, Dibs (almond milk ice cream covered in chocolate)

This week's menu (1/11/16)
Breakfast - Cantaloupe, hard boiled egg, apples
Lunch - not sure yet.  probably similar to last week.
Dinner - Chicken, side of homemade bbq sauce (for light dipping only), green beans and sweet potatoes. OR soft boiled eggs, paleo granola with almond milk.
Snacks - Cantaloupe, apples, banana chips, carrots

I'm on a mission to be in the best shape of my life and I will find a way to make it happen.

So for those of you who may just be starting or looking into a paleo/primal lifestyle or gluten free lifestyle, here's some information that may help you.

http://primalpalate.com/menus/30-day-paleomeal-plan/

I found the following information on SavingDinner.com

• Similarities between paleo and primal lifestyles include:
• • Eating tons of veggies
• • Eating lots of protein
• • Avoiding grains
• • Eliminating gluten
• • Doing away with corn
• • Avoiding high fructose corn syrup
• • Avoiding sugar
• • Eliminating processed foods
• • Enjoying the occasional wine and beer
• • Exercising regularly

I am by no means an expert, nor am I strictly following any of these diets.  My purpose is to find a lifestyle in which I feel my best and I'm at my idea weight.  In December, before the holidays, my BMI was 32.8, which categorizes me as Obese.  Ugh.  Hate that word.  "Normal Weight" BMI is 18.5-24.9.  So my goal is to hit in between those numbers.

Hypothyroidism and the Weight Struggle

November 1st, 2015

Since my last post about getting back on track, I only half way got back on track.  We all do this sometimes, we say we will start tomorrow, then things come up, events happen, excuses come or we just plain get distracted by life and months later, we are still in the same place.  It's been a stressful few months.  I work full-time, I'm taking 3 college classes and I workout.  Sometimes it's difficult trying to juggle everything.  I signed up for a personal trainer in Jan 2015 because of that.  It forces me to go to the gym and get in a tough workout.  My trainer is great, I feel stronger, I'm lifting heavier, he gets my heart rate going.  My sessions end the end of December and to save money, I'm going to try working out on my own, or finding a gym partner to hold me accountable.  I love working out, but hate cardio.  Because of this, when I lift weights, I give myself little rest in between sets to keep my heart rate up.  Currently, I lift weights 3 times a week, but I want to step it up to 4 days a week.  I do at least 20 to 30 minutes of cardio when I'm at the gym.  I recently started doing the air stepper or stair machine.  They make me work harder than any of the other cardio machines.   Currently I don't last very long, but I'm working on getting better.  Even with all my working out, I haven't lost anything, in fact I've probably gained a few pounds.  Sometimes this can be very disheartening and discouraging.  Even after trying many different diets and still losing nothing, I just couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.

I made my yearly physical appointment in early September, not thinking anything of it, and I got a startling result from the bloodwork.  I had hypothyroidism.  I wasn't sure what this was, but I had heard about it.  My TSH number is a little over 6.  My doctor prescribed me 50 mg of Synthroid and told me to return in 6 to 8 weeks.  My follow up appointment is this coming Thursday.

So what is hypothyroidism?  It's a gland in your throat that isn't working probably.  When hypo, it makes you sleepy, gives you brain fog, you can gain weight unexpectedly because it slows your metabolism down.  When I read this, I was like wow! I wish I had figured this out sooner.  Two years ago, I gained 20 pounds in a month when I wasn't doing anything that different than what I normally did and I've been struggling to lose the weight since.  I've done research on this, but I can still do a lot more research.  From my readings, I would like my TSH level to be between 1 and 2.  I also read that autoimmune conditions like hashimoto's can cause hypothyroidism.  Once you have this condition, you will always have it.  Now I'm working on figuring out how to lose weight with this condition.  I've read that going gluten free has worked for many people.  I'm not opposed to trying that.

Tomorrow I put myself on a strict diet.  I need guidelines for myself so it will be easier to follow.  No grains except for small amounts of brown rice and oatmeal.  No soda.  No refined sugars.  No cake, candy or cookies.  No fried foods.  Limit dairy products.  So what can I have?  Meat, vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, brown rice, protein shakes, Spark, black coffee and water.  Sounds kinda bland, but I can use spices and Pinterest to make things more exciting.

Wish me luck!  I'll let you know how everything does.  I'm determined to get in better shape.

Getting Back on Track!

Me after 2 months of Crossfit.
5'6" 176 lbs.  Sept 2013

Wow, it's been over a year since I've posted anything. Probably because I've been trying to figure out how to lose the 20 pounds that I gained.

So as most of you know, I've been trying to get into awesome shape for a while now.  I was doing pretty well, I even got into pretty good shape while doing crossfit for a few months.  I had to quit crossfit because my knees were always killing me.  I think all the lunges did me in, otherwise, I love the sense of community, the new people I met and how hard I pushed myself even though I was nervous before every workout.

When I stopped crossfit, I stopped all fitness activity, not because I didn't like exercising but I'd tell myself to rest my knees, or that I should focus on my college classes.  "I'm too busy with work and school", was my typical excuse.  Well let's just say, I didn't change my eating habits, that plus no exercise....equaled a 20 lb weight gain.  Ugh!  I was mortified, I'm still mad at myself for letting it happen.  I was doing so well and then boom!  It felt like I gained the weight over night.  At least I stopped myself from gaining any more weight.  Now I need to find a way to get back into better shape.  I wouldn't say that I'm huge or anything, but I'm definitely not happy about the size I am right now.  I don't feel comfortable in my own skin.

Me at 19 years old.  5'6" 140 lbs.
May 2002

I'm 5'6".  In high school, I weighed around 140 lbs, and a size 10/12.  I've never been tiny, I have curves that aren't going anywhere, and I'm totally fine with that.  Looking back, I think I looked pretty skinny and in shape, although I remember thinking back then that I needed to lose weight.  Funny how our perceptions of ourselves change.


Well this past January 2015, I signed up for a personal trainer.  I was doing well, losing inches, and gaining speed.  Although I didn't lose any weight.  I feel in somewhat better shape, but still not where I want to be.  Right now, I weigh 197 lbs.....20 pounds heavier than when I stopped crossfit.

Weeks 1, 2 and 3.  Feb 2015.
With a personal trainer and using Visalus.

I tried Visalus shakes and supplements for a about a month or so.  I just couldn't keep it up.  I felt like I had no energy.  They wanted you to have a shake for breakfast and for lunch, then a normal dinner and maybe a snack or two if you were really hungry.  Well I was ALWAYS hungry.  I did see little improvements though, I got down to 191 lbs but that didn't last very long.  Below is my progress after 3 weeks of intense workouts 3 times a week and using the Visalus program.  I think you can see the most difference in my back.  The shake flavor tasted great and I still used it for breakfast until I ran out.

Weeks 1, 2 and 3.  Feb 2015,
with a personal trainer and using Visalus.

They say losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise.  I think I'm proof of that!  I kicked up and worked super hard in the gym, but I only slightly changed my diet.  I have a sugar tooth and I like snacking.  Big no nos.  So I need to make a life style change.  I also need to get into the gym more often.  I've been slacking a bit on that too.  LA Fitness let my last trainer go, whom I really liked, but I was stuck in a contract for another 6 months so I had to switch trainers.  Shyrell, my original trainer, focused a lot of lighter weights and cardio.  I hate cardio but I was getting faster at running.  My new trainer, Rick, is focused more on heavy lifting and only 15 seconds of rest in between sets.

So I'm back from vacation and gotta get focused on getting into awesome shape......

The Paleo/Crossfit Challenge: Week 1

So how did the first week of the challenge go?

Okay, I'll admit.  I was NOT 100% paleo.  :/  Paleo fail!  I had bread 3 times, beans once and a pumpkin spice latte once the first week.  I feel so guilty about that and I can't cheat like that anymore.  Gotta clean it up more if I wanna see bigger/better results.

My purse: looks like a kitchen pantry. So many paleo snacks so I don't go off track and buy a candy bar if I'm hungry. Apple, baby food mush, mixed nuts (no peanuts), banana, carrots.

Life Savers
Trader Joe's Cold Brew Coffee.  Add unsweetend almond milk and daily allowance of Stevia. Yum!  Not really sweet, but the stevia makes it less bitter.  It also prevents me from getting sugary coffee from starbucks.


Frozen grapes.  They are so good and they totally satisfy my sweet tooth after dinner.





New Obsession
Brussel Sprouts - cook bacon in EVOO or Coconut Oil.  Add brussel sprouts, let crisp/brown - about 5 mins.  Add balsamic vinager (not vinagrette) and water to pan.  Cover and let steam for 5 mins.  So good!















WOD 1 - Level I

I started CF mid-July of this year so I'm fairly new. I completed my first challenge WOD on 9/18/2013.

WOD 1, Level I was as follows:
18 min AMRAP
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
8lb Wall Balls
55lb Deadlifts
12" Box Jumps

OMG, this WOD totally kicked my butt!! The wall balls were tough! The line was higher than I normally use and I almost had to jump a little to get the ball up to the line. I felt light headed at times during the WOD and my legs felt a little shakey during the box jumps. I felt pretty solid with the deadlifts though. My coaches and other crossfitters were cheering us on, which helped me push harder. I almost made it through the complete WOD! I made it further than I thought I would. My score was 18:14. Which means I made it through 81 Wall Balls, 81 Deadlifts, and 76 Box Jumps...all in 18 minutes. WOW. That's a lot! I think I did well for being a beginner and now I have something to work for....COMPLETING the WOD when it comes back around at the end of this challenge.

WOD 3 - Level 1

WOD 3, Level 1 - The Hang Power Clean Sprint
5 min AMRAP

The Rep Sequence

Round 1
10 45lb Hang Power Cleans
20 Meter Sprint

Round 2
8 45lb Hang Power Cleans
40 Meter Sprint

Round 3
6 45lb Hang Power Cleans
60 Meter Sprint

Round 4
4 45lb Hang Power Cleans
80 Meter Sprint

Round 5
2 45lb Hang Power Cleans
100 Meter Sprint

 

I finished at 4 minutes 10 seconds.  I'm just happy I finished under the 5 minutes!  I was definately out of breath by the end of this WOD.  I just went hard though.  My legs felt a little shakey when running and I had a few no reps.  When I got tired, I forgot that I had to deadlift it and then do the power clean, and another time I just didn't get the bar up all the way.

 

 

EIGHT week Paleo/Crossfit Challenge has started!

So the 8 week Paleo/Crossfit Challenge has started!!! 

About the Challenge:  Track your food which has to be paleo, or it's considered a 'cheat'.  Complete a total of 10 WODs posted by LuRong Living during the 8 week challenge.  To see more of the rules click here.

Day 1
I prepared myself for the challenge by cleaning out my kitchen of foods I'm not suppose to have.
I forgot to bring my lunch to work so I picked up a Wendy's chili......which later I remember NO LEGUMES!  So that meal had to be counted as a cheat.  I was great the rest of the day though.  I even made myself pork chops and brussel sprouts with bacon.  yum!  I think I'm newly addicted to brussel sprouts.



I went to my box to get my 'before' picture and my measurements taken.  I had a killer headache so I didn't WOD afterwards.  I think my body is adjusting and I didn't have any caffiene that day.  Bad idea!  At the end of the day, I started to have some cravings for something sweet....luckily I had some frozen grapes in the freezer that managed to keep my cravings at bay.

My measurements:
Waist - 36 1/2"
Hips - 47 7/8"
Thighs - 27 1/2"
Upper Arms - 13"
Chest - 33"

I'm not thrilled with these measurements and I'd like to say that maybe they are worse than normal because of my epic cheat weekend.....  or atleast that's what I'm gonna say.  :)  Let's hope these measurements are lower at the end of the challenge!  I haven't recieved my 'before' picture yet.  I'll post the before and after pictures at the end of the challenge. 

The first 3 WODs have been posted.  I plan on doing my first one Wednesday evening.  Wish me luck!  I'll keep you updated as things progress.

So what do I think of Crossfit after a month in

So I've been Crossfitting (is that a word??) for about a month now and I couldn't be happier.

It's been about a year since I started hearing stuff about Crossfit.  I dated a guy (Chivo) who is really into crossfit, and I am definately not one to complain about that - he had a great body.  He talked about it all the time and would even bust out crossfit moves all the time - like in the mall, my place, parking lots, etc.  I found it amusing and we soon started taking pictures of him doing pistols in random locations. 
All this talk of crossfit kinda felt like a foreign language and the moves he was doing, just didn't make much sense to me.  Like why do they do it that way, why is he squatting back down before bringing the weight up.  I found it interesting and totally terrifying.  At first, I'd think to myself, I don't want a huge upper back and arms like some of these chicks - like Miranda.  I envisioned a bootcamp type class where there was no way I could do half the stuff that Chivo was talking about.

After I decided that I wanted to try crossfit I thought I'd up my endurance before trying crossfit.  I started a C25K (couch to 5K) program and started lifted weights again at the gym.  Chivo laughed when I talked about it being "leg day".  Apparently, at his 'box' they made fun of leg day or arm day, that the people at globogyms did.  I also wanted to get in better shape for my friends wedding in September in Florida.  I was getting better at running and I can lift a lot with my legs...my arms on the other hand, were wimpy!

So why did I decide that I didn't need to have awesome endurance BEFORE starting Crossfit?

• Pictures of older women, like in their 70s, going to Crossfit. 
• Transformation pictures of people who started Crossfit. 
• Pictures of women who are really into Crossfit, and have great looking bodies, not huge or manly looking.
• Testimonies of people who said Crossfit changed their lives.
• Clutch Crossfit owners quote - "Decide you want it, more than you're afraid of it".  I love this quote.  I think my endurance thing was just an excuse because I was afraid to try something new.
• Chivo and I broke up (great guy, bad timing) so I wanted something to get my mind off the breakup, even though he was the one that taught me what Crossfit was.

So I sent out an email to some of my friends, hoping to get at least one of them to sign up for the Intro class with me.  It worked!  SW signed up with me.  :)  You can check out my earlier blogs to see what the On-Ramp classes were like.

Saturday Buddy WOD

So what do I think of Crossfit after a month in regular classes?

I love it.  Every class totally kicks my butt, but I feel great afterwards.  After class, I'm in such a better mood, kinda feel like a bad ass, almost on a fitness high. 

The classes totally wipe me out though.  I'm super tired the day after classes, but I have noticed that while doing outdoor activities (like kayaking) and other general stuff, I don't get as tired as I use to, I still have energy to do more. 

I feel slower compared to others in my class, and I can't lift as much, but I'm new and working on all that.  I don't feel judged by anyone at all.  They encourage you and after you finish, they tell you what a great job you've done.  I've met some pretty cool people there.

I'm starting to notice changes in my body.  Small changes, but still they are changes.  I can't wait to see what I look like 6 months from now.  I've signed up for the LuRong Living Paleo Challenge, so that should really help make a difference on my body.

I've gotten my fair share of bruises from Crossfit, which I expected.  A week or so ago, my left knee started to hurt going up and down, and sometimes it felt kinda stiff.  One of the coaches suggested I get the Rehband Knee Sleeve from Rogue.  It's a $40 knee sleeve, but he said it has great reviews.  I saw someone wearing them the other day at class and I asked them if they liked the sleeve.  They did and had the same type pain I have in my knee.  I gotta go buy this ASAP!  Lunges and squats hurt right now!  They also suggested I take Fish Oil and Glucosamine - which I am.  I also have the LuRong Living supplement, which I need to check if it's okay to take with the other supplements.

Anyways....

I love Crossfit and I suggest you just jump in and give it a try!
 

LuRong Living Paleo Challenge 2013 - Are you in??

Registration has opened for the LuRong Living Paleo Challenge!!  The challenge starts September 16th and ends November 10th.  I know I know, a two month challenge!  That seems like a long time, right?  The longest I've stuck to paleo is three weeks, with no real cheating.  Well I had some snack size protein shakes because I felt a little weak sometimes before a workout, but I didn't have any grains, beans, etc.  It was really hard for the first week but gradually get easier, until I cheated one time and had rice.  Then it was all down hill after that. 

What is the challenge?

• Eat a paleolithic diet for 8 weeks.  Add points for eating right.  Subtract points for cheating.
• Complete 10 WODs over the course of 8 weeks.
• Before and after body measurements.
• Making and tracking goals.
• Trying new paleo recipes.
• Submit a video and written experience.

What are the benefits of doing this challenge?

• Prizes
• Improved performance
• Better health
• Weight loss

Why am I doing the challenge?

• I want to get into awesome shape!
• I'm held accountable for what I eat.
• I'll get to see how much I've improved in two months through measurements, and WOD performance.
• More energy, and happier!

So how am I going to make it through two months??  I'm going to plan plan plan.  I start school in less than a week and this will probably be a crazy semester because I'm taking Statistics.  All I hear about this class is the amount of work and time that has to go into it.  My advisor and my ex suggested that I start studying for it over the summer.  A friend at Crossfit told me to use the tutoring center.  So while I'm going to school part-time (2 classes), and working 32 hours a week, I'm still going to take on this challenge.  That is why I need to plan plan plan!

My plan:

• Meal prep Sundays!
• Cheat meals - plan them.  Don't just let them happen because you are being lazy.
• Crossfit atleast 3 times a week.  Sunday class, Monday class, then a morning class on Wed, Thurs and/or Friday.

Haven't heard of the paleo diet?  Check out one of my previous blogs about it.

The challenge starts in less than a month so I'm already trying to prep myself by eating mostly paleo right now.  I'm hoping it will make this easier once the day comes.  I'm hoping to see awesome results and to continue living a paleo/crossfit lifestyle.