You Think You Know......But You Don't

everyday everyone struggles with something.  sometimes it's the same thing day in and day out.  i'm one of those people.  i was diagnosed many moons ago with an eating disorder; binge eating.  who knows how or when this happened but it is part of me and i must embrace it, or it could very easily destroy me.  for as long as i can remember, i have always had negative thoughts and feelings when it came to food.  i remember feeling like i had to hide how much i ate from my mother as a kid/teen, and even from my husband as a newlywed.  i always thought that this compulsion was some what under control and was a "normal" relationship with food.  it wasn't until i went through our first deployment (hubby is Navy) did it become apparent to me that there was something wrong.  i could eat normal for months at a time, and never give a second thought to binge eating.  then something would set me off and it would begin!  my binges would last for days/weeks on end.  i would start hiding food and eating in secret.  my normal tendencies were/are to hide chips and chocolates around the house (often in my closet) so i can eat after everyone is asleep; i was married for close to 5 years before hubby even knew i did this!  i guess i am good at hiding things lol  i remember when he was night check (1900-0700) i would go on a binge at least once a week.  he came home around 11pm for dinner.  i would serve his dinner, watch him eat and then clean up while he was home.  once he was back to work i would then sit and eat as much as i possibly could (bowls of ice cream, chips, 3 or 4 sandwiches) and then clean up so he would never know.  i was ashamed of this.  i have never openly admitted to any of my friends i have this issue.  some of my (in real life) friends know because i have become more comfortable with this issue.  it's part of who makes me who i am.  this is another reason i am so passionate about health and fitness!  i am much more aware of my patterns now and i try not to let myself get into them.   primarily it is because i don't want my kids growing up with a mother like that.  i want my daughter to grow up with something i never had; a positive role model, and learning the right way to have a relationship with food.  i now know what my triggers are and when i notice them i take control of the situation, rather than letting it control me.  one of my triggers with binge eating is my actual weight.  see when i'm over weight i get upset with myself for following in my mother's footsteps and then the cycle begins.  i noticed towards the end of my pregnancy i was hiding chocolate around the house again and then bags of chips.  i rationalized it "it's just pregnancy cravings" but i knew better.  then the behavior continued after BabyL was born but i rationalized; i need the extra calories since i'm breastfeeding and then i got caught!  we were grocery shopping and i went to grab a bag of chips and chocolates to throw into the buggy.  C looked confused and asked why they could never find those chips and stuff *BUSTED*  i put the temptations back and started to regain control of my eating habits that very day!  that was over a year ago and i'm glad to report i have not had any slip ups since then.  though some days are struggles. 
so you may be asking, how i am able to control/curb this issue?  well that's where food journaling comes in.  i almost always am logging my food.  i've used many different programs and websites through the years.  right now i am using MyFitnessPal and i think it's great (for the most part).  i'm not trying loose weight just keeping accountable for what i'm eating, even if i get up in the middle of the night i still log it.  the physical act of writing/typing it out and seeing the totals at the end of the day has really helped keep from binging.  i will admit, i do become a bit obsessed the first few weeks but it does get my mind of binging :-)  i don't journal to loose weight.  i journal to keep control.  

i suggest MyFitnessPal but with a word of caution;  i recommend you do some research on how you want to eat, and figure out your calories for yourself.  i was living a primal lifestyle for a while before i got pregnant with BabyL and LOVED it.  so, i'm eating like a cavewoman (for the most part) again and loving every second of it!  so is the fambam!!  what does eating like a caveman mean.......the short version.........everything is as close to nature as i can get it, lots of good fats and no grains.  it also means living with a different food pyramid too.  look at that baby!  how can you NOT be happy with all those fruits and veggies?!?!  i mean i get to eat things like steak, butter, avocado, spinach, salads, onions, apples almonds, greek yogurt (i don't get rid of dairy like some primal purists do), and oh so much more!  we all feel so wonderful living like this; so much more energy and happiness. the hardest part is cutting grains out (bread, noodles, rice, beans) but i feel so much better doing it.  BabyL is on a bread kick and i'm ok with that, I just stay away from it lol  there is less bloat in all of us and we all have so much more energy eating like this.  i'm keeping my carbs around 100-120gms since i'm nursing and i did see a difference in my production when they've dipped below 100gm.  i only push for 80% of my diet to be primal because i know that's what my body needs.  understand that the PrimalBlueprint is a lifestyle; just like any nutrition plan should be.  it encompasses every aspect of your life not just what you put in your mouth.  if you have any questions about this please feel free to ask.  

hope y'all have a TERRIFIC TUESDAY!!

Excitement is in the Air!!

do you feel that?!?!  can you feel the electricity in the air today?  oh i can!!  see today is the DAY people!!  today is the day Asylum 2 comes out!  i am super excited about this for so many reasons but the biggest being this has launched the day for 2 new Challenge Groups i'm hosting!  they are filing up FAST too!

what is a Challenge Group?  well, simply put is a great support group!  it's a group of 5-10 people all starting a fitness program and lifestyle change all at the same time.  i help motivate y'all and we talk about our daily challenges; wether they be eating right, drink enough water, finding time to workout, issues with a certain workout, or whatever.  we all go through the program day by day with one another.  everyone is working towards a common goal; becoming a fitter person and a healthier person!  there is no success without support :-)

i am running 2 Challenge Groups that start in November.  the first one is a 120 Day program i've named "The Road to the Asylum!"  we will start by loosing our minds with 60 days of Insanity.  this is a great program that helps you on your road to becoming an athlete! if you are just starting to workout this program is for you!  just as we think we are sane we realize it was all a joke and batty, so we must bust out of the Asylum for 30 days!  Asylum is a hard core workout and a great way to just see the fat peel off of you.  after Asylum you will be a new person but soon realize that you still have one more wing in the Asylum to get through with Asylum2!  Asylum2 is a hardcore workout and a great advanced program that comes out TODAY!!  ShaunT is a hardcore motivator and a wonderful person to invite into your home to help you train.  for a special treat, Apolo Ohno is in Asylum2!

my second Challenge Group has been dubbed "Busting out of the Asylum" and is a 60 day program consisting of Asylum and Asylum2.  this group is for those who are in a little better shape (maybe you've already done Insanity, P90X or have been working out for a while) or those who just like to jump in for a challenge from day one!

either way each of these Challenge Groups are going to be a BLAST but they are filing up FAST!  do one of these groups call out to you?  let me know via Twitter, Facebook or here and i would be glad to give you more information.  but don't wait to long because i have less than 5 slots between them both!!

have a thrilling thursday y'all *waves*

Why I Decided to Become a Beachbody Coach

i  realize many of you don't really know me in real life, so you haven't seen my struggle with weight, and figuring out a healthy lifestyle through the years.  so i decided to do a quick video to tell all y'all just WHY i decided to become a Team Beachbody Coach.  it's not about the money.......it's about helping people.  helping YOU figure out what it takes to be fit, healthy and happier in your daily life.

enjoy and i hope y'all are having a terrific tuesday!

Why Diet?

oh that very word DIET; doesn't it just send shivers down your spine?  well it does mine as it should yours!  i don't like the word diet, not one little bit, and i will explain why.  i've seen it time, and time again.  when you use that word to describe your eating habits you are setting yourself up for failure.  see that picture over there; over toward your left?  yep, that sums it up!  you start of by saying "i need to loose some weight," and deiced that a diet will help you do that.  first you limit yourself to grapefruit and saltines, or cabbage soup, or shakes and salads every day for a month.  then it gets boring, bland, unsatisfying so you decide to "cheat."  you "give in" and have that steak, or piece of chocolate, or piece of fruit.  then you start to hate yourself for cheating.  next you are going to get down on yourself.  all of these negative thoughts start swirling through your mind.  you start to tell yourself that you're a failure, stupid for "cheating," and how disappointed you are in yourself.  you start to beat yourself up over being fat, and unhealthy until you finally get to a breaking point.  "That's it!" you say one morning looking into the mirror "tomorrow I'm going on a diet!"  so now you start the viscous cycle all over again!  can you relate to this?  i know i've done this cycle more times than i'd like to admit.  so, no i do not like diets.  diets set you up for failure.  do you know what sets you up for success?  having healthy eating HABITS!!  what's the difference?  well a habit is something you forge over time, it's a part of you.  an example of a good healthy eating habit is eating clean, and this is how i eat.  what does it mean to eat clean?  that's a question i've been asked a lot over the last few years, and there is a simple answer to this.  if it doesn't look like it cam from nature then don't eat it!  so that means no fruit chew snacks, no pre packaged meals, and nothing should be unpronounceable on the label.  easy enough right?

now you can take it a few steps further and look into paleo, raw, vegan, or even primal eating styles.  personally, i fall in-between a paleo and primal eating style and LOVE IT!!  i feel like poooooo when i don't eat this way.  i have NO energy, am bloated, and just don't feel like me.  i like eating clean.  i enjoy the benefits of it too.  i've notice a bigger energy boost (great for the hard workouts i put myself through).  i also have no issues with my IBS (thank you Shakeology) or with my skin now that i've cut out all the gunk from my eating plan.  yes with primal eating you tend to stay away from; grains, beans, and gluten but there are SO MANY things that i eat that i am not deprived.  i can go any where anytime and get good food to fuel my body!  granted; i don't eat the twinkies, sodas, fast food, preservative landed meals that i used to but i don't think of it as a punishment.  rather i have been able to get the biggest reward possible from eating clean...........i have found health and energy!  i have found happiness in myself and my lifestyle.  have you landed into a healthy eating habit that you'd like to share?  or, have you found yourself in the diet vortex?  or have you found yourself plop in the middle of preservative land and are looking for a way out?

i hope y'all have a terrific thursday and don't forget to drink your water!!

Get Up and Dance

is it just me or does everyone have a love hate relationship with wednesday?  i mean, when we wake up we realize "hey it's almost the weekend" and then you go "oh, but the day is JUST beginning so i'm really no closer to the weekend" *sad face*  these thoughts don't just go through MY mind now do they?

wednesdays are traditionally busy around here and this month is no different.  i refer today as hump day because i always seem to be busting hump to accomplish all on my "to do" list each week.

for instance; here is today's schedule--i have several clients to call, skype, email and check into (so happy to add this to my list of things); the big kids are working on Geometry, Science, Current Events and Spelling today; i have YogaX to get in; bills to pay; work on my business some more; studying to get in; a hour long seminar to get in; it's the beginning of my school week; dojo for the big kids; basic cleaning; diapers to wash.  i know when i type it out it doesn't seem like a lot but i started running around 5 and i will be going until 10, 11 tonight!  the only thing that kind of bothers me is my seminar because the professor is a stickler.  you MUST stay the entire 60 min or you get a big fat zero!  wouldn't be a big issue if it wasn't at such a bad time.  see, i asked for class on any day/time other than a few and of course i received both classes and very inopportune times/days.  today's class is the worst though because the big kids have dojo at 5:45 and my class starts at 5 *ugh*  we may just switch their dojo to Sun instead of Wed but then i run across the same issue but on the tail end of class. it would be easier if hubby was home, but he's not.  such is life as a navy wife right?  i don't like being overbooked; especially when it's not my fault, and beyond my control.  i know it will all work out one way or another.

despite knowing i am slammed with stuff today i am in a FAN-FREAKI-TASTIC mood!!  i've been jamming to Swedish House Mafia since 5 (it's almost 7).  i even received a text message at 430 from hubby so it's a GREAT day <3  what's that???  you don't know who Swedish House Mafia is!!  well let me share one of my fav groups with you today.  hopefully it gets you up and dancing around the room like it does me :-)

have a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY y'all!