Thursday, May 9, 2013

The semester is over.
I am free!!
Summer is here and I am going to kick my own ass... I am going to bury myself in good habits, forcing them to stick for the rest of my life. :)

One thing I am doing is the Insanity work out (I am not paying a ridiculous amount of money for it though... I found links online... >.>) haha
I am continuing to eat super healthy as well; no gluten or dairy products for me! (I do enjoy the glass of wine or a beer more often than I should, but I am allowed my guilty pleasures)

Overall, things are going quite well... I am able to visualise my goals, and I will achieve them. These things go hand in hand, and I find myself motivating each part (eating healthy makes me want to work out, working out makes me want to eat healthy) and they just stack... propelling me forward toward my ultimate goal: Permanent good health. 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

I woke up at 7am this morning (unusual for me, I am one of those people who love their sleep and HATE mornings).
I was able to watch the sun rise, and am listening to the birds outside me window. It's a lovely Spring day (for Michigan; aka we're still expecting snow) and all I can think about is the end of the semester and looking forward to days spent on the beach~ ah...

Also, I lost 5 pounds! It was the best feeling in the world! I couldn't believe it... Most days when I weigh myself, I expect the number to be the same, or a pound or two in either direction... but five pounds?! I just could not believe it!

And, to be totally honest... I haven't had the time to "work out" or even get any exercise for the past two weeks... imagine what I could be doing (and will be doing) with cardio added!! I am ecstatic right now~ haha

I have class today, and exams Monday and Tuesday... after that, I am free and clear of the winter semester... time for summertime and a suntan XD
(I also turn 21 this year... uh oh.. really gonna have to watch those high-calorie drinks~ lol)

Post Diet Cleanse

I spent the past week eating no gluten/wheat and no dairy.
So, when I actually jumped back into the habit (maybe with a little too much gusto) I was greeted with a road block: I felt so sick afterward.
I ate two slices of whole grain bread, and I thought I was going to die. Not only that, but I got ridiculously tired; exhausted at work. I couldn't wait to get home and sleep.
I am thinking that this may have been the reason why I always craved carbs before I went to bed: because my body couldn't handle them, and I had grown into the understanding that it would make me tired.
Weird to think about, isn't it? so many things in your life revolve around simply what you eat.
I had also eaten dairy products, so today I am only not eating any dairy products, but still ones with wheat/gluten. Tomorrow I'll  cleanse and then not eat wheat/gluten, seeing if dairy is my issue. It's amazing what foods can do! haha
I was also really gassy, the day I ate gluten and dairy, so I am assuming that has a connection as well.
We'll see how it goes :)

Feel free to post comments or suggestions on this, if you may have a clue (I am still learning about all this) or you can send me a message on Tumblr or tweet me!

~Meegs

Detox

Green Living: Detox Your Body

Found a wonderful little website about detox and keeping the goods inside healthy :) check it out!

Saturday, April 20th, 2013

So last night at midnight (after I got home from work) my boyfriend and I celebrated the end of our trial/cleansing diet with pizza (not the best decision).
You would not believe the cravings I had all week. All. Damn. Week.
So many times I wanted to buy a bag of chips and eat the entire thing. I wanted to bathe in cheese.
But I was able to hold out for a week.
Knowing that I can do that, makes me feel more confident in myself. I believe in myself; I know I can totally change my lifestyle (mainly my eating habits).
My eating habits are what I am focusing on right now. Exercise is just as important, but I am a creature of habit-if I can develop healthy eating as a habit, then I can introduce exercise as the next step (in a few weeks, when school is over and I am not so stressed and pressed for time).

I decided after last night not to use food as a reward. I ate that pizza and enjoyed a glass of wine with frozen berries, but I think that food as a reward is part of my problem. So, it's the next step. :)

I love learning as I go; I started this with the idea that I was going to be stuck eating celery and spinach for the rest of my life, doing endless push ups and sit ups and running for miles every day, but I realize now that this is a rich and variant lifestyle. I spend (probably too much) time online looking up things and blogging (Tumblr) and it's amazing how much you can learn just from picking up those little things that people know. If everyone knows two different things, and they all collaborate, the amount of information exchanged is astronomically high.

I found this photo on Pinterest the other day, and I thought I would share it with you all... I think it definitely puts some things in perspective :)

It's Been Difficult

I have decided that I am not going to consider my days well spent, unless I have the time to update this blog.
I made it for a reason,
And I have been neglecting it.

I began a gluten and dairy-free diet this past week (starting 4.13.2013) with my boyfriend.

It has been difficult, but I have been feeling incredible.

I found a website with diet tracking and exercises, recipes, and inspirational stories. The website, admittedly, is difficult (I hate when everything opens in new tabs -.-) but it helps.

I spent a good chunk of my day looking at before/after pictures, and reading stories. People, just like me, look exactly the way I want to: glowing, radiant, happy, and healthy.
I don't advise doing the same thing someone else did. Don't do the same things I do, or the next, or the next.
Do want is comfortable for you. That's what I have been doing.
I work 40 hours a week and I am in college. Juggling time to work out, do homework and cook healthy  meals is unbelievably hard. But I am making due with what I have and what I can do. And that's all you can really do.

~Meegs

Monday, April 15, 2013

I spent time with Monica today. She is definitely one of the people I can talk about this whole thing with.
We first took Bruce (her adorable little Vizsla puppy) to the dog park, walking there and back and the entire time we were there. I have no idea how long we were actually there, but I was pretty tired when I got home.
I wore the new shoes I bought a while ago (the black and pink ones), and they helped with my hips, legs and back. I love talking to Monica about things concerning health and fitness because she is so adamant about it herself, that she just infects people.
We came back to my house and watched Hungry For Change together. I had already seen it, but she hadn't. Every time I watch it, it scares me.
I realize that my old lifestyle, and my old eating habits have got to leave; Monica asked me what spurred my sudden drastic change, and I couldn't really come up with one. It sort of just clicked this morning, when I was getting dressed. I looked in the mirror and saw that the 45 pounds I had gained since graduating high school were not attractive at all, ribbed with stretch marks from the most recent 30 of that 45 pounds being within the last year with my quitting smoking and excessive emotional eating.
I understand that I am making a change for the better; for the rest of my life.
I also find that talking to people (usually my mother) about health and nutrition solidifies the idea that I need to be strong. I need to keep with this, no matter how bad I want to eat that bag of chips (my ultimate weakness) or that cheeseburger from McDonald's, or anything from Burger King, Buffalo Wild Wings, anything like that. I understand my limits, and I am trying my hardest to keep within them.
The hard part comes when my boyfriend is in the picture.
I cook almost all homemade foods now; and I am okay with that and so is he. I started the gluten and dairy-free diet of my own will, not for medical reasons or anything like that. I told myself I will do it for a week, to see how I feel. I feel infinitely better, but I don't think that my boyfriend understands that I am making permanent healthy changes. I don't know if I will continue this diet once my one week is up, but one thing for sure: I have already thrown out everything that I do not (not cannot) want to eat anymore. All unnatural and unhealthy foods. I buy fresh meat, fruits and veggies at the store. I buy chips made out of rice, which I would never have done in my past life, and eat them with delicious black bean dips and salsas. I don't feel deprived; the only thing I miss are those thick chocolate shakes sliding down my throat, or that melting cheese on those burgers, the crispy coating and sticky sauces of chicken wings. But I don't miss the heartburn, the weird texture of those burger patties, or the toothaches I get from too much sugar. I am not removing foods from my diet: I am replacing them. I am eating all the same things, just with healthier ingredients.
I have been slacking in the exercise department, but I will get there.
One stepping stone at a time.

April 3, 2013

Today... has not been going well. :/

These past few days have been really stressful; I had a mental and emotional breakdown before work... ended up a hot mess express (tears galore) when I got to work.
Quite tragic~
But, once you hit rock bottom, it's only up from there :) I had quite a few people be very nice to me today while at work, both guests and friends, which definitely helped my mood...
I stood for eight hours at work today -.- my knees are KILLING ME.

Working out has been tough because I had a lot of Narrative Writing homework, so I haven't been able to work on my Illustration homework... and I have been neglecting working out, and when I don't work out, my diet goes to pot... and the whole thing crashes around my head... haha

But, I have a friend who started a Get Fit! Page on Facebook, and so daily reminders that I should be working out. It's a mental war; so if I continue to think about it, I will want to do it more and more.
I just need to find the right dedication and motivation.

Things are lookin shiny, cap'n... realllll shiny.

A few weeks now into my working out and eating healthy phase.
No.
Not phase.
It's my new lifestyle.
I am adapting to a more healthy, a more active lifestyle.
It's been difficult to stay on track... but I am going to try my hardest to get through the first few months until it becomes a necessity and a hardcore habit.

So, officially, this will be week three from when I originally started. I have been recording the days that I do and do not work out on a Vanity Fair Calendar I have. ( super helpful; super motivational)

So I can watch and see month to month how I am really doing

As you can see, March isn't going so well... I hope to improve A LOT more by April :) 
(The black marks are days I did NOT work out, and the reds are days I DID) 

I have also been developing a wall of inspiration and involving people in my life, such as my boyfriend and one of my coworkers, Monica (I love her!)

My boyfriend is going to be moving in with me within the next month or so, so I am really pushing to establish a much better lifestyle so I can influence (bully) him into being healthy with me. :)

So... this is an intro post (I have been trying to come up with some sort of reason to have this blog after making the page forever ago... haha) so I will begin with the very next post. :)


BUT... To catch you all up on the recent happenings: 

I am hoping to be 120 lbs OR fit into one of these fabulous dresses (yes, same dress, different colors) by my birthday, which is July 19th. Challenging, yes, but I can do this!

My birthday! July 19th~

So, I have motivation and constant reminders... next, a few choice purchases to further inspiration and dedication (and who doesn't like getting new things??)

New pair of running shoes was my first purchase (a little spendy, but totally worth it)

Brand new yoga mat!! (In a wonderfully spectacular color~ I love mustard orange!)
For Pilates and yoga in my small, small townhouse.

POP Pilates DVD Workout: Cassey Ho~ I ADORE HER. I love her attitude, and she always makes me burn... Can't quite keep up just yet, but I am getting there. :)
Hungry For Change: An extremely educational movie... I love it. I have been enlightened! A way I described it to a friend in class the other day: "Pretty much, you can't eat anything or else you'll die..." Maybe not THAT drastic, but it's definitely moving. Recommended! I know they were hosting free showings on their website until March 31st. RUN! 

Binder of workouts to take to the gym; including mat workouts and timed workouts for the elliptical, stairmaster, etc.
(also a place I will be recording my monthly progress) 

Internet Memes and other inspirations I am going to make a wall collage out of :) 

Random Instagram shot of my lovely rountine :) 

[and yes, I am totally a nerd; that is a quote from Firefly up there as the title~ shut up... I am cool. XD]