Protein. Pee. Priorities. That covers it....

Here we are two weeks into 2014 and I have to ask, have you stuck with those resolutions you proudly proclaimed a couple of weeks ago?  Things are humming right along with 2014 in our household.  We aren't really resolution setters because we adopted this lifestyle many moons ago so it's kind of just back to business as usual.

After one week of being back on track I am happy to report that I am down 5.5 inches overall and 2.5 of those are from my waist and hips, where it really matters right?  I already feel so much better!  Notice how I don't mention how many pounds I lost?  That would be because the scale is a lying SOB whose purpose in life is to mess with people's minds about how they should feel in regards to their bodies.  I swore off the scale a couple of years ago and honestly it's the best thing I ever did for myself.  I allow myself to weigh 1-2 times a month to make sure there are no drastic fluctuations.  This works for me so I go with what I know!  For anyone that I work with in regards to weight loss my main goal at the beginning is to get them to take inches measurements.  Inches matter more!  (I'll refrain from my jokes here)  Measuring inches and basing your success on that as well as how your clothes fit is key.

Getting "back on track" for me and our lifestyle consists of three main things:

1) Cleaning up our food selections and going back to the 80/20 rule.  We eat clean and choose the healthy options 80% of the time, and the other 20% we eat whatever we want.  The key to this is if you do NOT get your 80% in, then you don't get your 20%.  That's life.  #eatcleantraindirty

2) Protein shakes ,vitamins, and tracking water intake are back in the daily mix.

• Protein protein protein!  Many people, especially women, grossly underestimate how much protein they need on a daily basis.  It varies person to person and your activity level, etc. but it plays a huge role in weight loss!
• Water intake.  I'm a little notorious for "how much water do you drink?" being the first thing that comes out of my mouth when people complain about not being able to lose weight.  Drinking half your weight in water is a great place to start.  However, you have to factor in your activity levels, caffeine intake (caffeine can have diuretic effects) etc. when calculating how much you need.  For example, I weigh 135 lbs so by the general guidelines I should drink 67.5 ounces of water.  In reality because of my activity levels I drink 120 - 150oz of water per day and this over time has proven to meet my hydration needs.  Again, this varies person-to-person.  If you've never paid attention to the color of your pee then you should.  Here's a handy dandy chart that serves as a good guideline!

3) Workouts are back on track!   I took a few days off to recover from the New Year's Double and started back with the routine on January 6th.  Remember how I said that one of my goals for 2014 (and in general) is to become a stronger runner?  One of my biggest faults as a runner is not showing the love for strength training.  I don't like lifting weights, I am not a fan of traditional gyms, and after a year of valiant effort the home gym just wasn't doing it for me.  It was time to get serious so I started doing some research and wanted to fine someone local to help me.   I knew that by paying someone there was more on the line and I'd be more committed to it and would make it a priority.  I found Z Fit Training and started with them on Tuesday, January 7th!  Two days a week for 45 minute sessions, my body is being challenged in ways it hasn't been in years!  The focus lies primarily in strengthening the core, glutes, hips etc.  ALL the areas that I have so selfishly neglected as a runner are now feeling the love.  Stepping outside of your comfort zone is where the magic happens and this is a HUGE step out of my comfort zone!  Waking up at 4:15 on these days isn't exactly magical, but it's all worth it once I've gotten a major sweat session done and I'm back home by 6am to start the day.        

Overall, I'm really happy with the way things are moving along so far and this is what works for us.  I need to vent just for a quick sec, okie dokie?  Remember that in your journey to weight loss and better health that this is something that isn't going to happen over night.  You didn't develop bad habits over night and they're not going to go away that quickly either.  They say it takes three weeks to develop new habits and that is SO true!  Be realistic with your goals and be honest with yourself about what you're willing to sacrifice in order to achieve those goals.  There are a plethora of methods to choose from and I've seen people use them all:  clean eating, smoothies, shakes, low carb, vegan diets, no sugar, etc.  I have opinions on just about all of it but whatever path you choose make sure it is something you can stick with.  I am a big fan of everything in moderation and see no need to cut anything completely out of your diet, but I'll end that opinion there.   

Making a change for 30 days and then going back to your old habits is a waste of time, money, and effort.  Choose something that you can stick with because this is about a lifestyle change.  Every morning from here until eternity you will wake up and face a new day that will present a new set of challenges and not every day is going to be on point.  Be honest with yourself and do what works for YOU!