Weight loss Day 1 + Nordstrom Giveaway

Another day, another Monday, another diet day!

I say this in my head 100 times a day, “I’m going to start eating healthy tomorrow”.  I make excuses for myself, “you deserve that piece of cake, btw, tomorrow’s a new day”.  Thankfully, I’m human, I’m a woman and I know this is a common trend for SO many of us, right?

I’ve given myself plenty of grace over the years and especially the last few months, but it’s time I get my act in nutrition together.  Honestly, I feel the worst than ever.  Even during all of those years of doing hormone stimulations (infertility drugs) I never felt as bad as I do right now.  My energy level is at a low, I can’t fall asleep – let alone stay asleep, my anxiety is worse than it’s ever been and I contribute 100% of this to the poor daily nutrition choices.  It’s nobody’s fault, but mine.  While, I’m going through some major hormone shifts, which is a huge contributor to a slower metabolism (more on that later), right now is the time that I should be paying attention to exactly how I’m fueling my body.

Currenlty, my fuel is coffee, coffee, coffee (now I’m on an ice coffee kick) a salad at lunch and then whatever the heck I can pull from my toddler-snack-filled-pantry starting at the 3pm hour until bedtime.  I have zero willpower.  I know I’ve talked about my struggle to lose weight in the past and if you followed me on Snapchat then I’m sure you’ve seen my Sunday night food prep in the past.  I’ve tried a personal trainer and various workout classes/ facilities – with the time and amount of money that I’ve invested in my fitness and workouts, you’d think I’d be a stick by now.

So… that’s why I’m bringing it here.  To my blog, where all of my people can hold me accountable.  I’m ready for change and I know that a little reset with my nutrition will have me feeling more confident which will then translate into my business, how I mother, wife and friend.

Someone join me?  I’m not doing crazy other than giving myself a 20-day reset.  Basically, I have to go cold turkey… I’ve tried to gradually eliminate things from my everyday diet, but it’s not working.  I’ve done this before and it’s worked, so I’m praying it works and resets my metabolism and the foods I crave this time around.  *please note: I’m not a nutritionist, I’m simply sharing what has worked for me in the past.

So, what am I doing??? 

No coffee

No refined sugar

No processed foods

No carbs

No alcohol

Limited fruits

No dairy

*Lots of veggies, lean meats and protein shakes*

Aggressive, YES it is (100%), but I need this and so does my body.  It’s only 20 days.  I (we!) can do anything for 20 days, right?  My goal is to workout 6 days a week, even if it means just a simple 45 minute walk while pushing the stroller and using some weights in our bonus room.

I will be active!

We’re going on a little beach trip on July 29th and I just want to rock a one-piece with confidence.  I want to be able to run and keep up with my 3-1/2 year old boy on the beach all.day.long (this requires a lot of energy b/c he’s a runner!).  I want to be able to do 20 burpees in a row, run 1 mile at a 9 minute pace, I want to crave grilled chicken and water again, energy, sleep and less anxiety.

In order to want all of those things that I mentioned above and accomplish them, I have to start with what I’m eating.  So, there you have it.

The questions you probably have?! 

1.) No coffee? Correct!  I did zero coffee for 45 days and lost a good amount of weight.  Right now, I start drinking coffee at 6am and normally continue to drink it until lunch time.  It’s replaced water (which is awful!)… I’m lucky if I get 16oz of water in (an entire day!) because of my coffee consumption.  Key to weight loss is to drink your weight in ounces of water.  You can see it in my skin too, water is SO good for your skin and right now, mine is looking old!

2.) You need some carbs? Nope, not me… I’ll get my carbs through veggies, 1/2 sweet potato and the little fruit that I consume.  If I eat a carb, even brown rice, I’ll crave it for days.  Like I said, cold turkey for 20 days!

3.) Are you counting calories? No, too much to keep track of and honestly I feel like if I fixate on a calorie count, I’ll fail.  Since I plan on eating so clean, I’ll fuel my body when I’m hungry.

4.) Will I weigh myself? Yes, daily!  I’m not one of those who can’t not weigh myself.  I know they say not too, but again, I’m doing what has worked best for me in the past and seeing even a little bit of progress is all that I need in order to stay determined.

5.) Why 20 days? Because I feel like it’s a good amount of time (less than 3 weeks!) to stay 100% on track and not cheat.  Obviously, once my 20 days is up, I’ll crave less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff.

6.) Wait, no dairy? I don’t like milk, but cheese is just bad for my tummy and makes me bloated.  As yummy as it is, I can do 20 days without it and if I’m craving it once my 20 days are back I can gradually add a few cheese sprinkles on my salad.

What will I eat??? 

5:30am Pre-workout: 1 hardboiled egg

6:30am Post-workout: protein shake (water + protein powder)

9:00am Breakfast: eggs + veggies (typically I pre-make egg poppers: egg whites, veggies, ground turkey and cook at 350 for 20 minutes)

10:30am Snack: small red apple + 1 slick of turkey bacon

12:00pm Lunch: spinach, raw veggies, grilled chicken, oil + vinegar (I pre-cook chicken on the grill, bake in oven or even on the stovetop on Sunday’s for the week)

2:30pm Snack: almonds

4:00pm Snack: any protein like some egg poppers, hard boiled egg or chicken OR protein shake

6:30pm Dinner: fish, chicken or ground turkey with a veggie and 1/2 sweet potato

Obviously, that’s just an example of what I’ve had in the past that worked for me.  I’ll get creative and do lettuce wraps, egg roll in a bowl, etc. to change it up a bit and add some “excitement” (lol!).

My workouts? 

I’m so thankful that I had a flexible job where I can incorporate a workout into my day.  Everyday is different (I really need to do a ‘day in the life’ post), but it’s easy for me to fit some sort of physical activity into my day.

I stay more motivated, on-track and determined if I start each day with a workout.

1.) 5:30am Burn Bootcamp 

2.) Runs/ Power Walks:  through the neighborhood with the kids

3.) 9:30am Body Pump Class: 2-3x per week (ok, that might be pushing it!) per week of Body Pump.  It’s a class that works for my body – it’s a weight training class that targets all of your major muscle groups.  Plus, the gym offers childcare so I can take Olive along and my membership is only $19 per month there (no brainer!).

My 20 day goals? 

1.) Weight-loss: I’m not putting a number on this, but I know that with cleaning up my diet and committing to working out consistency, I’ll drop a good amount.  Ideally, I’d love to drop 7lbs and I think that’s totally doable.

2.) Burpees: I hate them SO much, but I know they’re so good for you.  I want to do 20 burpees in a row.

3.) Run 1 mile: in under 9 minutes.  My husband and I used to be big runners, I know that this is doable, but it’s going to take some training.

4.) Drink Water: at least a gallon of water per day

5.) Workout: get at least 6 in per week

6.) Rock a one-piece: with confidence

Ok, y’all!  I’m excited to share this journey with you!  My hubby is doing it with me, but he can’t fully give up coffee or carbs.  He eats pretty clean as it is though.  Hopefully, by doing all of this I’ll gain energy and sleep better too.  But more importantly, I’ll be able to keep up with my VERY active.

I’ve been dreaming about these days… kiddos, summertime, beach trips, park and pool dates, active, running and being involved and active with my kiddos.  And I don’t want them to slip away from me… I know happiness starts within, so it’s time to get this crazy-train healthy (and happy!).

Xo!

ps… there’s a giveaway too!

Now…it’s time for a fabulous giveaway!
I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers to give YOU a chance to win:
a $1,000 Nordstrom Gift Card, just in time for the Anniversary Sale!

Simply enter below by completing the rafflecopter.
You’ll receive one entry per completion.
This giveaway is open internationally and runs until 7/24.
Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!

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