When what you DO isn't working

Over the past nearly five years, I have been focused on my journey towards health and wellness.  It's been a total transformation of body, mind and spirit.

This means, when what you've been doing isn't working anymore, you really have to sit down and say, "What's wrong?"

Back up.  Like thirty steps.

I haven't posted anything in months, so I feel bad jumping in like this without some background.

In June, 2016, I hurt my shoulder.  I continue to struggle with the pain which comes and goes.  That October, I had surgery on my varicose veins, from which I developed several superficial blood clots that kept resurfacing.  To correct that, had more extensive surgery in December.  That was 2016.

In February, 2017 I hurt my back.  In March, I slipped on black ice at work and re-injured my already compromised back.

The pain was so bad, I had to go to the e.r.  I could not walk.

Followed by MONTHS of recovery...
For days, I pretty much just laid flat on my back on the floor.

Fast forward to November, 2017 and I was feeling frustrated by the lack of progress in my training, my now significantly weakened body, and a slow increase in my weight and change in body composition.  My pants weren't fitting anymore.  I was still watching / counting my calories and macros, but I wasn't seeing any results.  In fact, I was going backwards from where I wanted to be.

I was introduced to my trainer, Pat who is AMAZING.  A completely new focus on my training meant injury recovery and strength building, which meant I had to EAT!  And so I ate... pretty much whatever I wanted.  Days went by where I would log my food, but I didn't care if I went over my calories.  On days when I splurged (which became far more frequent), I logged breakfast and lunch, but left dinner and snacks out.  MyFitnessPal kept telling me I'd be super thin in 5 weeks, but the reverse is what I witnessed.

Come spring and the weather finally turned warmer and my bike came out of hiding.  And I struggled.  Pat would say something like this:  "Tracey, you have to eat.  You can't lift heavy, ride your bike for 30+ miles and lose weight without a compromise.  Something has to give."  Uggh.  I don't want to get fat again.  I want my clothes to fit.  I want to ride my bike and I want to lift heavy weights.  I want it all.

Literally, I wanted my cake and eat it too!

When I started this journey, one of my goals was to complete the Ride to Remember.  This year was my 4th year doing the ride.  Each year has been a unique experience.  I trained so hard for it the first year that I actually felt easy.  That said, in the years that followed, my training waned slightly each year, on top of struggling with chronic pain.  This year was going to be different.  I was NOT going to let pain interfere with my ride.  And, I was determined to train hard for the ride without obsessing like I did the first year.  This new mindset and focus paid off.  I will write more in another post about the day, but to sum it up, this year's Ride to Remember was an amazing ride!!!

BUT...Friday night when I was packing my clothes for the ride home on the bus, I was looking for a comfortable t-shirt to wear.  I took out both of my favorite Wonder Woman shirts and neither fit.  Too tight.  I took out another Wonder Woman shirt and IT didn't fit.  WHAT THE HECK!

While I could put them on, they looked tight and I looked ridiculous in them.

Now, I had already been talking to Pat about changing the focus of my training after the Ride to Remember.  And I knew that clearly, while counting (and eating) calories and macros had been helping me to build strength and train for the ride, it wasn't helping me to stay lean.  I asked him what he thought about the Keto diet.  It scared me.  I am carb dependent.  I really am.  I've tried low carb before and it's always been a complete disaster.  I am such a fan of flexible dieting that I really struggle with the mindset of restricting / eliminating food groups.  Flexible dieting allows you to eat cake!  Not all the time, but on occasion.

In all seriousness, I knew that was used to work for me wasn't working anymore.  I'm getting older. At 49, the pre-menopausal hormone fluctuations mess with my body and ability to sleep.  I live with fatigue and have aches and pains where there were none before.  Sleep often daunts me, so I live with fatigue.  I have aches and pains where I didn't used to have them.

I knew change is necessary and I believe it starts at the core.  Nutrition.  This is why keto intrigued me.  I had read how good it is for people who have certain medical conditions, as well as for burning body fat.  And that is key to me.  While the numbers on the scale haven't changed that much over the past year or two, my body composition has changed and I want to lean out.  To see definition in my muscles, even on days when I don't work out!!

This week, I jumped off the cliff, into the deep and and began my KETO journey.  The keto diet is a way to transition your metabolism from using carbohydrates for energy to using fat.  Today is Day 7 with my new food plan.  It has NOT been an easy initial transition.  I am carb-dependent, so the severe cutback really got to me for the first several days.  AND I still want to ride my bike, so I am going to have to figure out how to carb-cycle on days when I ride.  I tried to ride yesterday and it was not a good ride.  Despite the rocky start, I am committed to make this work.  I know seven days is not enough time to fairly say this is or is not working for me.

I am focusing on the positives.  I don't feel or look bloated anymore.  I don't look like I'm pregnant anymore!!  I still feel like I'm in a caloric deficit, I'm already past the cravings and the feeling like I have to eat all the time.  The scale is not the sole guideline for success, but I have lost 5 lbs. so far.  And Pat put together a new training plan for me that focuses on both strength building and fat burning.  I start that today, so I'm looking forward to that! 

I'm also taking some risks with my cooking, like these pan-seared scallops and roasted asparagus.  The scallops don't look "seared" because I'm new to this and figuring out how to blacken them without them sticking to the pan is a work in progress, but they were SOOOO good!

I'll be writing more as I endeavor to be successful on this new segment of my journey.  I'm looking forward to sharing with you both the ups and the downs.  The measure of success for will be how I feel mentally and physically, as well as how I look in the mirror / how my clothes fit.  Stay tuned.

I want to look good in a sports bra and short shorts again!

This was taken yesterday.  It's my new before shot!

Stay tuned for more, including all about this year's Ride to Remember! 

Meanwhile, be the champion of today!

Questions for you:  (Answer in the comment section below.)

How is your nutrition going?  What food plan do you follow?  Have you ever tried keto?  Any tips to share, let me know!!

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Want information about personal training?  

Contact Pat!  He's AWESOME and you will really like working with him!

How to Beat the Munchies

Out in the real world, a lot of people ask me questions about how to lose weight and various other ideas.  One I seem to be fielding the most lately is, "How do you deal with snacking?"

So, let me ask you...

Do you find that you eat well all day, only to come home and want to eat everything in sight?

Do you go searching for anything you can have to satisfy that need to munch?

Is night time or after work the hardest time for you?  

Or is it resisting the goodies everyone brings into the office to "share"?

I'll be honest, I love to eat and the more I think I've got snacking figured out, the harder it is to control.

There are a few tips or strategies you can follow to help with the munchies, but they require a little forethought.  Failure to anticipate your needs will lead you to self-sabotage, so the trick is to know what will satisfy your cravings, while simultaneously satisfying your needs.

The first trick is to plan healthy snacks.  Think about it, if you eat breakfast at 6, lunch at about noon and dinner at 6, or so, that's a long time between meals.  So, to keep yourself satisfied, you really should have mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.  Nothing crazy, but a couple healthy snacks on hand. Planning basically means you have the food accessible.  Most of my snacks don't require any prep, just making sure the fridge / shelves are stocked.

Here are some suggestions:

Almonds (1 oz. = 160 calories, 6 g carbs, 14 g fat, 6 g protein)

A protein bar (depending on the brand = 200 calories, 16-23 g carbs, 6-7 g fat, 20-21 g protein

An apple with peanut butter (270 calories, 29 carb, 16 g fat, 8 g protein)

Greek yogurt with 1/2 serving granola (I use Bear Naked granola)  (195 calories, 22 g carbs, 4 g fat, 18 g protein)

A protein shake with a frozen banana (235 calories, 30 g carb, 2 g fat, 28 g protein)  I use left over cold coffee for my liquid and it makes a great pre / post-workout snack! (Not pictured)  Leave it in the blender a little longer than normal and viola!

Note one common thread: these just about ALL have a decent amount of protein AND healthy fats.

Things to avoid:

• Trigger foods (for me, that's raisins, chocolate, cookies). What do you eat that makes you want more and more?  You may want to keep these kinds of things OUT of the house completely.
• High carb foods with little to no protein or fat - while an orange or baked potato chips may taste good, they may not sustain you.  Try some fruit with cottage cheese or nut butter instead. (That's why I'll have an apple with peanut butter.)

If you are truly hungry, make sure you are eating enough for breakfast and lunch.  Skipping meals, or not eating enough, lends to hunger.  If you find that nothing satisfies you, binging is a potential hazard, which is an entirely different problem in and of itself.

When you feel hungry, but you know you shouldn't be hungry, ask yourself if you really are thirsty.  Chances are a glass of water will take care of your need to munch.  I just had a handful of almonds and two glasses of water and I feel much better.

I keep water in the fridge all the time, with sliced lemon.  It taste much better than straight from the tap and is a lot less expensive than drinking bottled water all the time.

When all else fails, try gum.  Yep, sugarless gum might just satisfy your need to chew and your need for something sweet.  One slice of Extra gum is only five calories.

If it's ice cream you love, try Skinny Cows.  I recommend you keep them out of reach, so one is enough. I keep these in the freezer in the basement and save them for my night time snack.  It satisfies my need for ice cream without a ton of bed time calories.

160 calories:  28 g. carbs, 3.5 g fat, 4 g protein

Thought I'd start sharing my favorite workout tunes with you.  Share yours in the comment section.  Here is my absolute new favorite workout song:

Chained to the Rhythm by Katy Perry, feat. Skip Marley

Questions for you: (answer in the comment section below)

How do you beat the munchies?  Do you prefer sweet treats of salty treats?  What's your one major trigger food?

Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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I want to look like THAT

Happy Sunday!  Another week gone by and what a week it was... On two separate occasions, my colleagues said to  me, "I want to look like that."  They both made my day.  Seriously, this was a real morale booster for me.

This is what I was wearing on Monday...my new green leggings with a navy blue top.

I have been feeling overwhelmed and blue lately.  TimeHop recently told me it's been a year since I posted, Mike Made Me Do It.  (I have a love / hate relationship with TimeHop.)  This brought back a lot of emotions, "I still miss him, I do.  I still can't believe he's gone.  It's just not right.  What I would give to have him back.  It's just not right."

I came home one day not feeling well, which turned into a migraine, knocking me off my feet. 

Me and Princess Leia after my nap the other day.

All of this has been affecting my motivation.  It's everything all together.  Fighting the blues has zapped my inspiration.  I'll tell you, feeling down and stressed makes motivation hard to come by, but I keep on keeping on.  Add crazy weather to the picture and ...   

Is it spring yet???

So let me ask you this, what is your motivation? What inspires you? 

For me, it's riding my bike.

Our friend Joe, me and my hubby Brian

I am so looking forward to the warmer weather so I can get out and ride.  It's been so long and I feel out of shape, but I know it will be good for my bones.  It promises to be close to 70 degrees on Wednesday.  I am going to clean up my bike, get my gear together and take her out.  The anticipation is almost more than I can handle.

My friend, Vicky & I

Until last March I never really even rode a bike and now it's my source of motivation. I want to challenge you to find that thing that pushes you, whatever it may be, and use it to drive you.  If you are in a rut, it may be difficult to find inspiration.  So go out and grab something.  Seek it out, reach for it.  You will find it.

If you are dissatisfied with the results you are seeing with your fitness goals, here is a three step recipe for you.

Step One:  Be patient.  Don't give up.  Trust the process.

Step Two:  Examine your nutrition.  Take a hard look at what you are eating.  Are your macronutrients balanced?  Are you eating enough protein?  Enough carbohydrates?  Enough fat?  Too many saturated fats?  Too many carbohydrates and not enough protein?  Too many simple carbs and too much sugar?  Are you eating too much food?  Are you not eating enough?  (That could truly be the bottom line.)

The only way you can honestly examine your nutrition is if you are keeping track of everything you eat.  I use MyFitnessPal.  Check it out!

Step Three:  Change your exercise routine.  Are you doing cardio every day?  Is it the same thing day in and day out?  Your body gets used to the excess demands and after a while, you won't see the same results.  Add weight training to your routine.  If you already do weight training, switch things up.  Make it more challenging.  For the people who say, "I want to look like that," this means you need to both watch your nutrition AND lift weights.


Lifting weights helps to build muscle, burn fat, improve your metabolism and strengthen your bones.  Just to name a few benefits!

Take some time to strategize your meal plan, seek a new hobby or activity.  I so enjoy riding my bike because I get to move my body and clear my mind at the same time.  There is an addictive renewal that takes place.  It's hard to explain.

One more thing...I got this in the mail this week.  Apparently I have a secret admirer.

This little note really made me feel blessed.

Question for you:  (Answer in the comments below.)
What do you do to fight the blues?

Now:  Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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Carbs 2

For the month of January, I dedicated several posts to nutrition.  This is part two in my series about carbs. In the first post, I talked about what carbohydrates are and why we need them.  In this post, we will look at:

WHY are carbohydrates such a struggle?  

What are good carbs? 

What's better? 

What's best when consumed sparingly?  

I will also share with you my story about what happened when I had too few carbs.

I asked Instagram what they think when they see or hear the word "carb" or "carbohydrate"...

Here's a little refresher from last week's post.  Carbohydrates are the sugars, starches and fibers found in food.  When you consume carbohydrates, your body converts them to glucose, which it uses for energy.  Your pancreas releases insulin to help absorb glucose and lower glucose levels.  You body uses insulin for other metabolic functions.

So, if we need carbohydrates to be healthy and for energy, why are the low carb diets so popular?  Why do we think carbs are bad?  Why do we crave them?

Yummy!!!

Carbohydrates are not bad.  They get a a bad rap because our diets are often full of simple carbs, including a lot of refined sugars.  Our bodies immediately convert these to glucose, which is converted to energy.  Too many simple carbs cause your body to release too much insulin, disrupt your blood sugar levels, cause weight gain, as well as a litany of other problems. It's not the carbs themselves. It's too many and too many of the wrong kind.

Let's talk about simple carbohydrates for a little bit.  Simple carbs are those types of food and beverages made of simple sugars (such as sucrose, fructose, and maltose), which your body digests quickly.  These types of foods include donuts, muffins, cake, ice cream, candy, soda, beer, and white breads.  My cousin Jamie calls them, "calorie bombs."  You eat them, they are tons of calories, and 1/2 hour or less after you eat them, you are hungry for more.  For me, eating this type of food early in the day makes me hungry all day long.  I can't seem to get enough, and it's sweet, sugary foods I crave most.  Thus the term, "Calorie Bomb."  When you are trying to lose weight, you want to avoid this kind of food as much as possible.  You don't want to eat calorie dense foods that will leave you hungry and craving more all day.  It's okay to have them once in a while, sparingly.  For example, if you have a party to attend on the weekend or you are itching for some Fig Newtons, just be sure to include them in your nutrition, whether you are tracking points or macros.  Be aware of how you respond to this kind of food.  Does it make you even hungrier after?  Can you stop with one serving?  Do you feel satisfied or wanting more?  Depending on how you respond, and at what time of day, makes a difference as to how often you want to "splurge" on that kind of treat. 

I don't know about you, but I LOVE carbs.  I struggle with the kind that aren't so good and I always want more.  I love waffles.  I would kill for a Belgian Waffle, smothered in butter and syrup.  But I know that kind of food is best left as a special treat...maybe breakfast out or a baby shower.

To be truthful, most carbohydrates are wonderfully delicious and nutritious!  The "best carbs" are what would be considered "complex carbohydrates," or anything high in fiber, such as most vegetables, legumes, oatmeal, and whole grains.  Complex carbs take longer to digest and do not tend to spike your blood sugar levels.  If you are tracking calories and macros, you want these kinds of foods to make up the majority of your carbohydrates.

Except for the turkey burger and cheese buried under those mushrooms, this plate is a carb feast.  Probably not what you would think of when you think, "carbs," but vegetables are carbohydrates!

Fruit is what I wold consider the "next best" carbs.  While fruits are considered simple carbs, due to the natural sugars they contain, they are full of vitamins and can often satisfy your need for something sweet.  I like to say, "berries are best" because they are plentiful in Vitamin C and rich in fiber.  If you are craving ice cream, try some low fat vanilla yogurt with some berries (fresh or frozen) or a frozen banana in the blender with 1/2 c. almond milk and 2 tbsp. chocolate syrup.  You'll be surprised at how well these kinds of substitutions satisfy you.  All fruit is good, but different fruits affect people in different ways.  So, listen to your body and see how you feel after you eat a banana versus how you feel after a cup of strawberries or a grapefruit.

Here's my story...

A 41 mile ride shouldn't have beat me down as much as it did.  I thought I was eating enough, but I was not.  Proper nutrition and plenty of carbs literally fueled my training.  I needed carbohydrates.

Last summer, when I really started riding my bike a lot, I experienced a nutritional crisis, which I wrote about it in Staying the Course.  While doing research for this blog entry, I realized that what happened to me was a direct result of not eating enough, and specifically, not having enough carbohydrates.  I had ALL of the side effects, specifically the "brain fog" and fatigue, that typically accompany a low-carb diet.  Your body converts carbohydrates to glucose, which it uses as energy. I was eating carbohydrates, even tried carb-cycling (increasing carbohydrates on riding days).  Furthermore, I was eating 500 more calories per day than I usually ate.  But it was not enough and physically I started to shut down.  I can clearly remember how I felt.  It was a valuable learning lesson for me.  I know now that during riding season, I have to eat a LOT more, and that it's okay.

I started eating a PB&J sandwich on white bread before a ride.  I learned that half a sandwich was best because I got stomach cramps with a whole one.  But it was the perfect combination of simple carbs my body needed to get me through a ride.

If you are trying to lose weight, don't skip the carbs.  Yes, make sure you are eating enough protein.  You need protein to build muscle.  Eating enough protein will help manage your appetite and keep your blood sugar levels in check.  But skipping carbohydrates or eating too few is not only unhealthy, but it is also a poor way to sustain your weight loss.  What will you do when you reach your "goal weight" and start eating spaghetti and potatoes?  Learning proper portions and looking at how to manage your macros are the best way to both lose the weight and keep it off.  This is a journey, not a sprint.  Be smart.  Cut out the sugary and fried foods, replace them with better options and make your new way of eating your lifestyle, not your diet.

Here are links to other posts where I discuss nutrition.  They are worth a second (or first) view if you are serious about flexible dieting as an option.

Carbs:  The first post about carbohydrates.  Make sure you read this!!!

Nutrition Hot Topic:  Is it bad?:  Thinking about food choices.  What's good?  What's not?

Fabulous Fiber:  A brief discussion about the benefits of a high fiber diet.

Successful Secrets:  Two simple strategies I practice every day which helped me to lose weight and to now keep it off.

Successful Secrets: Part Two:  How planning my week's meals helps me to stay on track.  Menu and recipe ideas.

Nutrition 101, I talk about meal prep and provided you with several recipes and meal suggestions to get you started.  Check it out!

Flexible Dieting Basics:  A basic explanation of flexible dieting...how tracking calories and macronutrients has been the most successful way for me to lose weight and keep it off.

Tracking Calories with MFP:  Some features of MyFitnessPal (MFP) explained.  This post has some tricks of the trade.

Foods to Try:  These are foods I try to always keep on hand and a couple recipes too.

Cravings:  Some tips on how to stave off and handle cravings when they hit.  

Wonder Woman:  I explain how I got the nickname "Wonder Woman" by tracking all my calories and macronutrients.  I give a brief explanation of macros here.

A Calorie is Not a Calorie:  This post talks about the different effect foods have on you.

Questions for you: 

(Answer in the comment section below.)

What did you do this weekend?  What's your biggest food weakness?

Now:  Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

Follow me on Instagram:  @tracoleman99

Carbs

I have written a lot about nutrition this month. Proper nutrition is key to losing weight or maintaining it. Every time I change a vitamin, or tweak my calories or macros around, I learn something new. I used to think carbohydrates are "bad." I was stupid. Really, I was.  For whatever reason, I continue to struggle with carbs.  I think this is a common issue.  My Facebook friends had some hilarious answers to my question:

When you hear or see the word "carbs" or "carbohydrates", what do you think?

I think, "Ice cream!"

What a completely AWESOME collection of responses!!!

This is part one of a two part series dedicated to carbs. What are they?  Why do you need them? What's good? What's better? What's best when consumed sparingly?  and WHY are they such a struggle?

What are carbohydrates? 

Carbs are the sugars, starches and fibers in food.  They are most often found in fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products. Carbohydrates can be classified as simple and complex, which is determined by how fast the body metabolizes them.  Simple carbs are most often found in fruits, some vegetables, dairy products, beer and anything made with refined sugar. Complex carbs are most often found in beans, peanuts, lentils, corn, potatoes and whole grains.  Because they take longer to digest, they provide more sustained energy and are better for your blood sugar levels (glycemic index).

Why do you need carbs? 

With so many different diet programs out there, carbs have become Enemy #1 to so many people. As a result, many of us are completely misinformed about them.   In the next post, I will share with you my story about the effect of carbohydrates and what happened to me when I didn't have enough of them.  

ENEMY #1

I swear, this is my most favorite ways to eat toast.
Smothered in melted butter and completely covered in mounds of cinnamon sugar.
The thought makes my mouth water.  Carbs...sinfully delicious!

You need carbohydrates!  Your body breaks carbohydrates into glucose which your body uses for energy.  Additionally, the neurotransmitters in your brain use glucose to synthesize information, helping with our ability to think, learn and remember.  Carbohydrates help your body to produce serotonin, which helps to stabilize your mood and to sleep properly.  Most carbohydrates are rich in fiber and vitamins, which you need to be healthy.  

When you consume carbohydrates, your body converts it to glucose.  Your pancreas releases insulin to help absorb glucose and lower blood sugar levels.  Insulin is a hormone which is needed for proper functioning of most major health systems in your body, including your hypothalamus, your thyroid, your immune system and women's reproductive system.  You need carbohydrates.

In the next post, I will discuss "good carbs," "better carbs," and "sometimes carbs."  Why do we struggle so much with carbohydrates?  And I will share a story with you about what can happen when you don't eat enough carbs.  Stay tuned!   Carbs 2 released!

Can I have some cinnamon toast for breakfast, please?

I've worked so hard...please, pretty please?

Here are links to other posts where I discuss nutrition.  They are worth a second (or first) view if you are serious about flexible dieting as an option.

Carbs 2:  The second part on this series on carbohydrates.

Nutrition Hot Topic:  Is it bad?:  Thinking about food choices.  What's good?  What's not?

Fabulous Fiber:  A brief discussion about the benefits of a high fiber diet.

Successful Secrets:  Two simple strategies I practice every day which helped me to lose weight and to now keep it off.

Successful Secrets: Part Two:  How planning my week's meals helps me to stay on track.  Menu and recipe ideas.

Nutrition 101, I talk about meal prep and provided you with several recipes and meal suggestions to get you started.  Check it out!

Flexible Dieting Basics:  A basic explanation of flexible dieting...how tracking calories and macronutrients has been the most successful way for me to lose weight and keep it off.

Tracking Calories with MFP:  Some features of MyFitnessPal (MFP) explained.  This post has some tricks of the trade.

Foods to Try:  These are foods I try to always keep on hand and a couple recipes too.

Cravings:  Some tips on how to stave off and handle cravings when they hit.  

Wonder Woman:  I explain how I got the nickname "Wonder Woman" by tracking all my calories and macronutrients.  I give a brief explanation of macros here.

A Calorie is Not a Calorie:  This post talks about the different effect foods have on you.

Questions for you: 

(Answer in the comment section below.)

Any big plans this weekend?  What's your favorite carb?

Now:  Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

Follow me on Instagram:  @tracoleman99