What did you have for breakfast today? I had an egg white frittata with spinach and tomatoes and some Kashi oatmeal with almond milk. It was delicious and satisfying! I love eggs!
This morning's frittata was spinach and tomato. This is one has steamed broccoli.
When I first started dieting in the 1980s, I remember eggs were "bad for you." They are high in fat and cholesterol. I liked them well enough, all kinds of ways: egg salad, hard-boiled eggs, scrambled, soft boiled, poached, fried, deviled eggs, and omelettes. Whether I was trying to lose weight, I've always thought of them as fattening, so I avoided them.
Since I've been on this journey, I realize that they are actually quite healthy: full of nutrients and protein. Contrary to what we once believed, the cholesterol in eggs does not affect the blood cholesterol of most people*. Eating two-three eggs a few times a week is definitely reasonable.
So, how do you like your eggs? Me? I like them over easy and I don't really mind if the yolks crack. I kinda even like them broken sometimes. If I want to be truthful, it doesn't even bother me if they're a little overcooked.
Anything at all but sunny side up.
Look at sunny side up eggs, they are too pretty to eat. I know people like them, but they are too neat and clean for me.
You probably are thinking that this post is all about eggs, don't you?
The truth is, it's more about being real. It's hard to trust people who always serve their eggs sunny side up. I want someone who's going to be honest, who will serve things the hard way sometimes (albeit with love). Over-easy or over-medium...sometimes they come out perfectly and sometimes they're messy.
I really have a hard time with people who always serve their eggs sunny side up.
If we are really friends, then you're going to be honest with me.
From time to time we might even hurt each other's feelings, but we always makeup and share the love after. We don't just mask over things and pretend nothing ever happened.
I'm going to share your hardships and you're going to share mine.
That's what friendship really is.
Thanks for being my friend...no matter how you serve your eggs, especially if they come out messy sometimes.
*Studies are not conclusive about how eggs effect the cholesterol levels of diabetics. It's the yolk that contains the cholesterol, so whites are fine.
Questions for you: (Answer in the comments below.) What did you have for breakfast today? How do you like your eggs?
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Have you ever studied the phases of the moon? Doesn't it seem like the full moon lasts for just a day or two? Yet the new moon, when the dark side of the moon faces the earth, seems to last forever? This week we are in the new phase, when there is very little light to brighten the evening skies.
With a new puppy in the house, I spend a lot of time outside with her, training and playing with her and Koby. This week, I couldn't help but think about how the darkness of the night compares with my emotional state.
Leia LOVES all of Koby's toys. She takes every single one of them out, throws them around his bed and lays on top of it, like she's the Queen Bee. He doesn't mind too much, she's growing on him.
Since I've lost the weight, I can't help but look inward, so I can identify what contributed to my obesity (and being stuck there for so long). I know I struggle with anxiety, which grips me at times. There is a feeling like a vice grip is wrapped around my chest. It wakes me up in the middle of the night, not being able to turn my brain off. It's horrible. I spoke to my doctor about it last fall and he gave me some medication to help deal with it. It took about a month for me to feel better. Now the vice grip is gone and I am able to sleep much better now. I still struggle with it. I can't turn my brain off sometimes.
Now I can see more clearly that my anxiety is like the phases of the moon. I am currently in the New Moon phase, the dark side of the moon. For the past several weeks, maybe months even, I have had a hard time seeing any light. I feel down. I lack energy and motivation. My inspiration is zapped. There is a name for this and it's not anxiety. It's depression.
Yesterday I went to the doctor for my annual checkup. Before I saw him, the medical assistant asked me, "In the past two weeks, how often have you felt down, depressed, or hopeless?"
Ummmm...every day.
"Has it prevented you from doing things you normally do." Ummmmm...yes, most definitely.
The doctor increased the dose of my medication. I go back to see him in a month.
This got me to thinking about not only my journey these past two+ years, but my life's journey.
The dark side of the moon, my depression, has affected me just as much as my anxiety. Losing weight has helped me overcome it to a point, but when life kicks in, you cannot change your chemical makeup. I used food as a coping mechanism. This only backfired, leaving me feeling guilty after.
I have to be honest with you, I feel like this is a tremendous breakthrough for me. I am embracing it, embracing the depression. It's me. It's who I am and I am okay with it. The change in my medication will help. But now I have the skills I need to turn on a few internal candles, instead of allowing food to be my source of comfort.
Last night it was difficult. I wanted a Friendly's Peanut Butter Sundae Cup. If there had been any in the house, I would surely have eaten all 450 calories of one and snuck in a second one for good measure. Instead, I had a Skinny Cow, an orange and some peanut butter. Still was probably 450 calories, but it was controlled. The Skinny Cow satisfied my need for ice cream, the orange satisfied my need for sugar and the peanut butter staved off any additional cravings and hunger I might have for the rest of the the night.
This morning, I don't feel guilty.
I realize that I am in the New Moon Phase. Food will no longer rule my world.
Even though the gym is the last place I want to be ...
"Has it prevented you from doing things you normally do?"
I will go, I will work through this.
Now that the weather is warmer, I will ride my bike more often, which will kick my adrenaline back up. Feeling the sunshine on my skin will boost my energy.
I went out twice this week. My first ride was a quick 13 mile ride to make sure the bike was working and that everything checked out okay. Wednesday it was 80 degrees out and I went for a 30+ mile ride with ladies from the Competitive Edge Cycling club. It was amazing. No pictures from that ride, though.
Do you struggle with anxiety or depression? How do you manage it? Or does it manage you? Do you use food to comfort you? If you can relate to this, my prayer is for you to see there is hope, even in the darkness. You can learn strategies to help you work through the dark times so that food, alcohol or drugs don't rule your life. Even when you are feeling down and hopeless, there is always hope. The sun will come out. The moon will start to shine again. The light will fill you.
Happy Friday! The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 3:18 NIV
Questions for you: (Answer in the comments below.) What plans to you have this weekend? Are you excited about spring?
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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?
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I started this journey more than two years ago. TimeHop keeps reminding me of where I was one and two years ago. This has me really thinking about what transformed my weight loss journey most.
The first seven months of my weight loss journey were pretty much a crap shoot. Once I started focusing on my fitness goals, things came into much better perspective. I finally got the courage and self esteem I needed to keep going.
With the first two months of 2016 just about over, if one of your goals for this year is to lose weight, I challenge you to come up with some additional fitness goals to boost your motivation. Chances are you will have to go outside your comfort level, you might think you can't do it, you may question, "Why am I doing this?"
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
Luke 14:28
I started to see the best results in losing weight when I actually improved my nutrition. Equally important was my focus on achieving measurable fitness goals...the Rugged Maniac (a 5K mud race), doing push ups, pull ups and training for the Ride to Remember. Endeavoring to accomplish these goals shifted my focus from weight loss to fitness and helped to motivate me unlike trying to lose weight alone. I would call it fuel for my journey.
One of my biggest challenges was doing push-ups. I was determined to do them and was so discouraged at not seeing immediate progress. Then one day, for ha has, I tried to show the girls at work what I was trying to do and I did two of them. That tiny little boost kept me energized to keep working at them and eventually I met my goal to do three sets of ten push-ups. (Now I do them like it's nothing, but looking back to last year makes me smile.)
April 20, 2015: I was finally able to do three sets of 10 push-ups! (This is only one set, but still...)
After that, Dmitriy challenged me to do pull-ups, I didn't think I'd be able to do them, and surprisingly it didn't take long. I can now do three sets of 3-7 of them. The guys at the gym sometimes stop and comment, "Wow, that's impressive." Because apparently a girl being able to do pull-ups is cool.
This was at the Marines Challenge after the Rugged Maniac in 2015. I did 5 1/2.
Then he shifted my goal to doing tricep dips. I could not do them. My overall strength had improved significantly and the pull-ups came relatively easily, so I was discouraged at the lack of progress. I used to try them and think, "You're never going to be able to do these. This is stupid. Why is he making you do these?" Seriously, that's what went through my head. Then one day, when I had a session with him, he had me tweak what I was doing ever so slightly and BAM, just like that I could do them. It was remarkable. Now I can do three sets of 5-8 dips. They aren't easy and they probably never will be, but I can do them.
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all thins are possible." Matthew 19:26
If you are trying to lose weight, and you find yourself wavering in your motivation, I challenge you to shift your focus from the weight loss to a couple of measurable fitness goals, like running a 5K, hiking, push-ups, or whatever else peaks your interest. If you want some help coming up with some, check this website: Top 25 Fitness Goals to Get in Awesome Shape.
Setting separate fitness goals is a strategic way to help you lose the weight you need to lose. Come up with a plan to make what you want happen, act on it! Then celebrate bench marks along the way, even the small ones. Consistency
To do this, you must be consistent, this is key to progress, both in weight loss and achieving your goals. Dmitriy gave me exercises to improve my upper body strength and I did them about twice a week. As part of my "pre-work out," I tried push-ups just about every other day, with my goal always to do one more push-up. When I hit a plateau and got frustrated, I'd take a couple days off from trying them. I'd go back in a couple days and suddenly I could do two more than I could the time before. I kept trying. I did not give up. I was consistent.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
Flexibility & Mobility
A big part of my story is the debilitating pain I had in my left knee as a result of arthritis. To deal with this pain, my training concentrated on strengthening the muscles in my leg, but also in flexibility and mobility. Every day I spend several minutes stretching and foam rolling whichever part of the body I am planning to workout. If I'm doing legs, I stretch and foam roll from my feet to my lower back. Better than physical therapy, this is why I was able to overcome the pain I lived with 24/7, and why the surgeon cancelled my surgery.
When I am doing upper body workouts, my pre-workout includes stretching my arms, shoulders, back and chest (not pictured). When I take a day off from the gym, I make sure to do some stretching and foam rolling at home (even if it's only for 10 minutes). Where do I feel tight? Where and I stiff? What is sore? That's where I focus.
Improving your flexibility and mobility is key to developing your overall fitness level. If you're not sure where to start, try with a beginner yoga class.
Training for the Ride to Remember did so much for me...not only did I accomplish the impossible, which gave me a huge boost for my self-confidence. But now I love riding my bike more than anything. It's given me something to look forward to and helps keep me focused on nutrition and fitness.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
Don't forget to HAVE fun!!!!
It should not be a chore. Take pride in your accomplishments. Enjoy the process.
Question for you: (Answer in the comments below.) How are you doing with your goals for this year?
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In the North East there are two school breaks before Summer Vacation. One in February and another in the spring, usually in April. The February break coincides with President's Day and depending on where you live, the spring break coincides with either Easter or Patriots' Day. Patriots' Day commemorates the start of the Revolutionary War and is an official holiday in several states in the USA. I need both breaks.
The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Exodus 33:14
My week off has been largely focused on the puppy, Princess Leia. I knew it would be a lot of work and tiring, but I forgot how draining it is to get up every night at 3 a.m. because she has to go out. Wednesday night she didn't wake me up and had an accident in her crate.
She can go up the stairs, but needs help going down.
Koby is getting used to her. Look how tiny she is compared to him.
She is so adventurous and curious. When I was vacuuming the other day, she followed me up the stairs and got stuck about half way up.
She is absolutely adorable, especially when she's sleeping. I am spoiling her rotten. It's cute now when she's tiny and I let her sleep on me, but when she's 70 lbs. and expects to do the same thing, it won't be cute! It's hard to resist her though.
I have been spending time with my friend and classmate, Cindy. We both have to finish our field experience and do our portfolio in school administration so we can graduate in May. We are in the same shoes, dragging our heels about doing the journal. I really abhor writing about what I do every day and how it relates to the standards of a school administrator. If it weren't for Cindy, I don't think I'd do it at all. I hate it that much.
Cindy loves the puppy. She doesn't mind coming over to work together so she can get some puppy love.
I started reading this book:
Stronger Than You Think: Becoming Whole Without Having to Be Perfect
by Kim Gaines Eckhert
I was hooked right away. In looking back at my life long struggle with weight, I can see how instead of taking care of myself, I used other things to try to be the perfect mother, perfect wife, perfect counselor and perfect Christian. This resulted in high levels of anxiety and depression which I dealt with by doing even more things to keep me busy. Now that I've taken time off from everything to focus on a new career pathway and to seek a healthier lifestyle, I am more acutely aware of how my "busyness" interfered with my wellness. As time allows (with the new puppy), I think I will really enjoy this read. This paragraph describes most of my adult life:
Lillian, in her longing for wholeness was trying to make herself complete through a flurry of activities that were leaving her exhausted. Jesus gently calls Lillian and us to be joined to him, and to let go of our futile attempts to make ourselves whole. Instead, we can rest in the work he has already completed in us. "Come to me, all you who are wearing and burdened, and I will give you rest," Jesus invites us. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)*
I met some classmates for breakfast the other day.
I am trying to learn how to eat like a normal person again. I did skip the potatoes, but the French Toast and eggs were phenomenal. Bringing balance back to my life is a slow process. If my lifestyle has truly changed, I need to be able to eat "normal foods" once in a while. As long as I keep track of what I am eating and stick to my calories, it's okay to eat food like this on occasion.
My mother's birthday is February 22, so I typically take her shopping and out for lunch during winter break.
We went to the mall and had a lot of fun! I picked up a bunch of things at the Christmas Tree Shops, got these leggings at New York & Company. The "gray" ones are actually green. I don't have anything to wear with them yet, but it will be fun to find something.
I also got fitted for a new bra at Victoria's Secret. Remember, I was complaining about the floating boobs. Well, now my bra really fits. AND I was surprised that I was right about my 34B's. I thought I was smaller than that, but it's probably just the style bra I've been wearing. As expensive as Victoria's Secret is, it's worth the investment.
I hate that my bras are bigger than my breasts. Now I think my new bra will solve that problem.
New leggings with my new bra. No more floating boobs.
Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my blog. Tracey's Getting Fit started February 18, 2015.
My very first post was entitled, "It's About More Than Just Weight Loss" and that holds true today. My journey towards fitness has become a journey to health and wellness. Now I seek to give back, to inspire others.
Anxiety in a man's heart weights him down, but a good word makes him glad.
Proverbs 12:25
With that said, I am at a point now in my education where I have to buckle down and complete my degree. I need to use the same discipline it took to lose the weight and to train for the Ride to Remember and channel that into my studies. Instead of writing a blog entry every time I get inspired about something, I am going to take my inspiration towards journaling about my Field Experience and compiling everything I need for my portfolio. Writing my blog makes me happy, so I've decided that new entries to Tracey's Getting Fit will be a reward for completing a benchmark. I expect to complete approximately one entry per week, I appreciate your support and encouragement.
So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.
2 Corinthians 8:11 ESV
Stay tuned. Check back weekly for a new post. And be sure to catch up with some of my older posts as well.
Here are a couple of my favorites from the past year:
Question for you: (Answer in the comments below.) How do you stop procrastinating?
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I'm exhausted! Our lives have turned completely upside down with our newest family addition. I'll write more about her and how the rest of the family is (or is not) acclimating to her. Here's a sneak peak:
I really am in love! She is so sweet and so beautiful. I know it looks like we have more than one puppy, but we only took home one. The second puppy is one of her litter mates, taken at the breeder's house on puppy pick up day.
Do you have any idea how cold this is? Try training a puppy in this weather. She's doing great, though!
This is Koby's bowl. Look how little she is!!!!
With all the excitement of the new puppy, my blog has been neglected. Bear with me. I have a couple ideas brewing. Speaking of ...
Amen! Especially with the puppy waking me in the wee hours.
In the mean time, I had the opportunity to write a guest post on Dee's Blog, "Break Out the Skinny Girl." I first started reading her blog in September. She shares her journey to Skinny Town in a charming way which is both honest and humorous. I can so relate to her. This weekend, she featured me in a guest post, where I shared my thoughts, "Do you really want it?" Check it out! Question for you: (Answer in the comments below.) What's your favorite hot beverage? How do you take it?
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I have some really exciting news to share! Our family is growing!! On Saturday we will be going from a family of four plus one dog and one cat to a family of four plus one dog, one care and a PUPPY! Yes, a puppy!!!
Introducing to the world, our newest addition:
This is our newest baby: Leia
Yes, as in Princess Leia.
She is 7 weeks old, born on Christmas Eve. We get her on Saturday. I am so excited. Koby's world will be turned upside down.
This is Koby
Ok, so that's exciting family news, but there's MORE!
My journey over the past two years has been rewarding in more ways than I can begin to express. And it's in ways I never anticipated. Around the time that I did the Ride to Remember last fall, I started a Facebook Group, "Wonder Women, Fitness For Life" where we encourage each other with our weight loss and fitness journeys.
In January, I sponsored a weight loss challenge at school, "Commerce Biggest Loser Competition"
It's so rewarding to give back, to help others with their journey.
Yesterday, a student came to my office and told me he has lost 37 lbs. over the last 5 months, which I was super proud of him for that. When he came down to our office, I saw him and I noticed he looked a lot thinner, but I can't say things like that to students. So when he came in to talk to me, I was like, "That's so awesome! I'm so proud of you!" I asked him how he did it and he told me that he's been working out, he cut out junk food and has been drinking a lot of water. But the best part is that he said, "You are my inspiration."
How I Feel
That's it! That's exactly it! I inspired him. I am so overwhelmed with pride AND joy, it's hard to even explain the emotions. My job is an incredible job. A ton of paperwork and very frustrating sometimes. But when I have a chance to make a difference in a student's life, that's when I get the biggest reward. Usually I am helping students with personal or academic problems, or I am assisting a student with their college and career goals. The rewards are countless. But for the first time in my life, I have inspired someone to change their life in a positive way. I can't begin to tell you how that feels.
There's more!
For the past year I have been sharing my journey with you on my blog. I shared my story with my school district, who published an article about me. But the scariest thing is about to happen. Like, sharks in the ocean scary...
Next month, I am speaking at my church about my journey. I won't be talking so much about how I lost weight, but more about the journey I have had towards wellness, the impact body image has had on my self esteem and how taking time to work on me has helped me become more of what God wants me to be. Obviously I will be talking about my weight loss, but I will also be sharing some of the darker things, like how I've had to deal with my anxiety and depression and the inner transformation that has occurred as a result of this journey.
If you are in the area, I would soooo love for you to join us. We have two amazing speakers. Our very own, Pastor Christan Causey will be speaking on Friday night and our keynote speaker is Rose Hinton. In the afternoon we will have several different breakout sessions and I will be one of the speakers for those. The theme of the event is, "Come Awake," which really spoke to me and is why I felt like I needed to share my story.
Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
Psalm 96:3 NKJV
That's it for the news, folks. Stay tuned for more exciting adventures from the Coleman household. I'll tell you all about Leia and how Koby and Sam the kitty respond to her.
Question for you: (Answer in the comment section below.)
What's the most exciting thing happening in your world right now? 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.
