Yes, this post is about food and exercise. No, I promise I haven't tricked you or led you astray. As I hinted at in my previous post, We DO have really fun, exciting news to share, but I must hold you in suspense just a little bit longer... It's worth it! :)
Now, back to the topic at hand.
As many of you know, I take health and fitness very seriously. Some of you might say I take it too seriously -- but hey, no one is perfect. ;-) Chris and I are very particular about what foods we bring into the house to eat, and we are both very consistent in our workout routine.
This being said, I really try hard not to impose my personal diet and exercise beliefs on others, rather share as I am asked, and merely suggest articles or items I find to be interesting or useful. I've learned the hard way in the past that no one likes a pushy food critic as a friend. (Can I get an amen!?) We all have to research and choose for ourselves what is right for us and our families, as it should be.
Although I grew up appreciating good nutrition and the preciousness of health -- thanks to my wonderful family -- it wasn't until I went through a very chunky stage of life that I began to take diet and exercise very seriously.
Many of you know exactly which time frame I am referring to: the summer after I returned from living abroad in Europe, in 2004.
That particular year of my life was unforgettable as far as traveling experience and relationships go, but very forgettable when I think of the extra weight I was carrying around. Due to the extreme lifestyle change I experienced while living in Germany (where I rarely exercised and freely enjoyed every German "brezel" (pretzel), pastry, and dish of schnitzel -- all delicious -- that came my way) I began to pack the weight on until I reached my peak.
As much as it makes me cringe to look through those old photos again, and relive how unhealthy I was, I thought I would share before and after photos to give you an idea of where I was then, and where I am today -- having dropped a good 30 pounds.
Before (taken in Warsaw, Poland)
After (taken in Norfolk, VA)
Weight is a hard thing to struggle with. I know, I've been there. But I also know that my health is no one else's responsibility but my own. I made the choices that allowed me to get to the unhealthy point that I reached, and likewise, I also had to choose to make a change, and to learn how to stick with that change.
The beginning will always be hard as you establish a new routine, but the key is it stick with it and not give yourself any opportunity to regress. Find an exercise routine you enjoy doing -- that is so key! For me, running brings me joy like no other form of exercise, and it made my journey to health so much more enjoyable. Not that it didn't take a lot of work and dedication, but I discovered how much I loved it and therefore it made staying consistent much easier. If you haven't found an exercise you really enjoy yet, keep searching. Perhaps you'll want to recruit friends to join you and keep you accountable! Everyone can use an excuse to be more healthy. :)
There are so many reasons to guard our health; spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally -- none more important to me than honoring my Lord and creator. As a Christian, I want to be honoring to God by respecting and taking care of this body He has given to me. This means not obsessing, but prioritizing correctly the health of my body that I may be ready and able to serve Him more effectively. A sick and sluggish body limits us from work, family, and the ability to serve others.
Regardless of how busy we are, Chris and I always keep our health and fitness a priority. Prior to moving to Charlotte, we belonged to a pretty fabulous gym in Ghent, and enjoyed getting workout time in 4-5/week, mixing outdoor runs in between. This exercise (combined with our whole foods diet of predominately local, organic fruits and veggies, raw milk, and homemade grains) kept us in good shape.
Then we moved.
During this time of transition -- as apartment dwellers living on a different side of town than where we plan to permanantely settle in Charlotte -- we decided to temporarily nix a new gym membership, and instead begin P90X.
If you're not familiar with P90X, it's basically a 90-day, video fitness program that specializes in muscle confusion (continuously switching up your workout with cardio, weights, yoga, plyometrics, etc.) to help you tone and strengthen your body in a very efficient and effective manner.
I first heard of the program while on the elliptical machine one day at the gym, and totally got sucked into their infomercial. (In fact, it was only until I'd watched the whole commercial twice that I decided I should change the channel in order to not look like a weirdo.) I can't stand to feel bored with my workout, so I was really drawn to the whole concept of the program.
As of yesterday, Chris and I successfully finished week one of the program (yay!) and will begin week two this evening. So far, I've done more push-ups and pull-ups in the last seven days than I probably have done in the last year combined. And I'm ready for more! ;-)
Since my initial weigh in-last week before beginning the program, I've already dropped 1.5 pounds. My overall goal is to gain super tone, not weight loss, however, I'd be very happy to drop 2.5 more pounds by the completion of this program to be at my most ideal weight.
Have I convinced you yet to give this program a try? :)
To give you an idea of what items are needed to complete the exercises in your home, I've taken a picture of our equipment. As you can see, the equipment is fairly minimal: weight bands, yoga mat, pull-up bar -- and I've included our stretching ball. Bet you can't guess which yoga mat is mine. ;-)
Side note: I highly suggest heading first to T.J. Maxx (over the sporting goods store) to get your equipment. Our yoga mats alone cost us half of what they would have cost at Dick's Sporting Goods. I do believe I finally made Chris realize just why I love T.J.'s so much after that trip. He's now a believer of the savings to be found there. :)
Ladies, I also suggest picking up a pair of these little guys if you're doing to do this -- or any other -- weight program. I signed on for the muscle, not the callous, thank you very much. :)
So far I've just touched on the exercise aspect of fitness. Now it's time to discuss food. :) While Chris and I have maintained a very pure, natural diet, we have recently made the decision to make a BIG change. Well, a "kind of" big change: we've gone PALEO!
That's right, we've moved from a diet of organic veggies, fruits, whole grains, and raw milk, to a gluten-free, dairy-free diet. We are still eating just as many raw and cooked veggies -- if not more, while going much lighter on the fruit (our new carbs), heavier on the grass-fed, organic meats and wild-caught fish, and completely eliminating dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) and grains (wheat, soy, corn, rice, etc.) We also have fully-eliminating all processed foods (not that we ate many anymore to begin with), and sugars (outside of honey and coconut nectar.)
Why the sudden change? I've heard and read about the Paleo diet in the past, but more recently Chris brought it up, and ordered a book written by the Paleo king (and former vegan), Robb Wolf, called "The Paleo Solution."
After tearing through the book in two days -- which completely reinforced my positive feelings from previous research toward this food lifestyle -- I was really excited to begin. I can really relate to Robb in that I too have been completely vegan, and then completely vegetarian in my past, moving to a more balanced diet -- incorporating meat -- in more recent years.
Knowing how supportive and excited Chris was about this new eating plan only urged me on further. As you married folk know, it is so much easier to be gungho about something when you and your spouse are both on board with it.
I could write and explain the reasons and benefits behind this food lifestyle, but if you are interested, I highly suggest the above book, in addition to checking out the slew of websites and blogs available on the topic, including: robbwolf.com, thepaleodiet.com, and everydaypaleo.com.
While this is a significant change, and will affect my grocery shopping -- namely, buying considerably more meat than I normally would -- it's also not that difficult of an adjustment for our family. If you're already on the whole foods journey like we have been, you'll find it a fairly easy transition to make.
Here is a snapshot of our fridge, stocked with our "paleo" food. (Nothing scary). :)
Here is a picture of our protein for this week. For me it's important that as much of our meat as possible is wild caught (for seafood) and grass-fed and organic (for beef/poultry).
This part hasn't changed. We'll still solely be using coconut oil and olive oil for cooking and baking.
As far as meal diversity goes, with so many great paleo recipe blogs online, it will be very hard for us to get bored with our meals. In fact, it's already been a fun adventure coming up with our menu, including easy, healthy items to pack for Chris's lunches.
We are by no stretch of the imagination experts in the field of nutrition, nor are we perfect eaters. However, by passionately embracing this new lifestyle, we hope to take our health to a new level. I look forward to sharing some fun, new paleo recipes with you in the future!
I hope you're having a beautiful start to your weekend and enjoying the gorgeous, spring weather. :)
