Healthy Choices, Healthy Changes
One of my goals this fall is to make healthier choices. Here are a few goals I have:
A) Choose whole foods (healthy, unprocessed foods) more often than not
B) Drink more water (at least 32 ounces a day but ideally 64 ounces)
C) Exercise at least 3 times a week
D) Sleep 8 hours every night
After trying unsuccessfully to achieve these goals on my own for a few months, I decided to try a fitness program called Faster Way to Fat Loss (FWTFL). I learned about this program through following Anne Snow, one of the adorable FWTFL coaches. I’ve known Anne since preschool and after hearing that she was an influencer and coach, I had to find out exactly what this program was. At first, I hesitated to join because my one attempt to fast for 24 hours on a mission trip was abysmal (ALL I could think about for those 24 hours was food!), but after looking into the program some more, I decided to give it a go. And you know what, 2 weeks in, and I am LOVING IT! The fasting element has not been too difficult because it’s a 16 hour fast which means I fast through breakfast and eat my meals between 11:30am-7:30pm.
What I love about the program is the structure helps me make healthy choices, eat whole foods, drink water, exercise, and get a good night’s sleep. The Faster Way to Fat Loss app has effective and short workouts (the key here is short. 25 minutes! I’m a fan). The app also has a weekly meal plan that I can download and save to my computer for future use and a library of recipe ideas. In addition to this, my coach, Anne Snow, sends her weekly meal plan with links to really delicious recipes. Check out this Mexican Chicken and Zucchini recipe she shared. Another aspect of the program is using MyFitnessPal to track macros or macronutrients-the basics of any healthy eating plan-Carbs, Protein, and Fats. What appeals to me about this program is that I can eat the foods I want, but I have the guidance of hitting certain macro percentages to motivate me to eat good protein, healthy carbs, and healthy fats. Within the structure, I still have leeway to eat a chocolate chip cookie or some french fries within moderation. It’s all about the balance.
For example, last night I grabbed dinner at Aplos, one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Typically, I would order ALL my favorite things as if the apocalypse has come, and I will never be able to eat them again: Greek fries, pita mozz, falafel, Lebanese cheese rolls, Greek frozen yogurt, and a slice or two of pepperoni pizza if my husband orders that. This is a lot of carbs for a petite person to consume in one sitting…but I will if given the opportunity!
Yesterday, I ordered the Aplos Greek Salad with chicken shawarma with spicy feta dressing, Greek fries (that I for the first time ever split with my husband: You’re welcome Matt!), and Greek frozen yogurt with strawberries. I had to make a choice between the Greek fries, pita mozz, falafal, and Lebanese cheese rolls in order to stay with the macro percentage of carbs and fats, but honestly that’s good! Next time, I can get a different item instead of the Greek fries. I felt much better after this meal then I used to after eating ALL the things. I like that I am eating in a way to be healthy and get the nutrients I need. The way FWTFL is set up keeps my focus on fueling my body with healthy nutrients, not losing weight. Of course, even though I’m not fixated on weight loss, one will lose weight when eating whole foods, exercising regularly, getting good sleep, and drinking water. So this is a win-win.
Like many brides, I was in the best shape of my life when I got married. I was thinner and fitter than I probably will ever be again, but the way I got there wasn’t sustainable. A combination of daily high intensity interval training workouts and a low-carb diet definitely worked to lose weight and get into “great shape”, but this lifestyle was not healthy. I felt tired and hungry. I was not eating enough nutrients through healthy carbs, fats, and proteins to work out that intensely. I did not (could not) keep up that lifestyle beyond my wedding and gradually reverted back to some unhealthy habits.
*On a related note, if you are someone who has struggled with health and fitness, particularly overexercising and under-eating and body image issues, check out Jessica Clarke’s blog: Coffee Shops Talks. Her willingness to be vulnerable about these issues is absolutely beautiful and powerful. It has blessed me, and I bet it will bless you too.
There are two phrases that Anne Snow emphasizes which encapsulate why I love this program:
1) Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes [truth. You gotta make lifestyle changes to see the changes you want.]
2) Progress over Perfection. [Everyday does not have to be perfect. IT IS NOT GOING TO BE PERFECT. Enjoy your life. Eat Healthy. Try to Balance. And enjoy a chocolate chip cookie and French fries!]
Over the years, I’ve eaten healthy and exercised in phases, but not consistently. I think I’ve finally found a fitness lifestyle that is both healthy and realistic. Let’s face it. I like food as I should! The Faster Way to Fat Loss emphasis on eating a healthy balance of carbs, proteins, and fats helps me both make healthy choices and also find room for those treats I love! This has been a great program for me so far, and I’ll keep you posted as the weeks progress.
So here’s a snapshot of my food today:
Coffee with Half & Half (I am also going to try Nutpods creamer soon!)
Egg Whites
Avocado Ranch Chopped Salad (kit from Kroger)
Deer Meat Kitchen Sink Casserole
Mango, Strawberry, Banana, Organic Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie with Protein Powder
Tilapia with roasted Brussels sprouts, and Long Grain & Wild Rice
I am pumped to be eating so healthy and to still be full and energized! I am so encouraged to be learning to cook well-balanced meals that benefit myself, my husband, and a future family. Win-win!
My Cactaki water bottle, with guidelines for how much water to drink throughout the day, helps me reach my goal of drinking 64 ounces a day.
Here’s a recipe to still eat healthy and use what you got in the kitchen:
Deer Meat Kitchen Sink Casserole
In order to avoid wasting the various vegetables I had at the end of the week, I created what I’m lovingly calling Deer Meat Kitchen Sink Casserole.
Ingredients:
1 pound of deer meat (any ground meat works)
1 onion
1 spoonful of minced garlic
1 zucchini
3 potatoes
3 tomatoes
1 yellow bell pepper
1 can of dark red kidney beans
Spices: garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and crushed red pepper
(Midway through, I decided not to use the diced tomatoes can because the mix had enough tomato for my taste)
Directions:
Brown the deer meat in a large pan or soup pot while chopping the vegetables.
Strain the deer meat and set aside. Wipe the excess fat and oil from the pan (you could leave this in for the vegetables, but it could leave the mixture tasting oily).
Pour olive oil into the pan and let it heat for a minute. (I pour about 2 tablespoons. I just eyeball it.)
Cook the onions in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes until they turn a light, translucent yellow.
Top with a spoonful of minced garlic and mix throughout.
Pour the chopped vegetables into the pan and mix. Let cook for 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Drain the kidney beans, rinse with water, and add to the mix.
Add spices and mix them into the vegetables: I love garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and a dash of crushed red pepper (I honestly added enough to distribute throughout the mix).
Originally, I had planned on making soup, but I did not have beef or chicken broth. Instead, I took a portion of the mix, added it to a casserole dish, and spread some cheese on top! I made half of the casserole for Matt (he loves cheese), and half for myself with bits of Mexican shredded cheese. I baked this at 350 degrees for 10 minutes then turned off the oven. I left the casserole dish in the oven to let it keep baking until we were ready to eat lunch. It turned out delicious, especially with sour cream and tortilla strips! This recipe used whole foods (non-processed foods such as zucchini, potatoes, and tomatoes), tasted great, and fit within the macronutrient counts of Faster Way to Fat Loss.
Tomorrow, I am excited to bake this pumpkin bread recipe using honey and almond milk. Mmm I love pumpkin!
My Final Goal: Stress Less.
My final goal is difficult to achieve but is life-changing. Stress actually increases the symptoms of my voice condition, so it is a no-brainer that I should try to stress less, right? Well, that’s pretty difficult for a perfectionist like me. So here’s the “mantra” I’ve adopted:
Remember that whatever is causing me stress IS NOT WORTH THE STRESS. By this, I do not mean that I should stop trying to do well at my job or other commitments. What I mean is, I cannot let stress (caused by work, volunteer projects, friendships, family, marriage, pets, church, house, car, failures, decisions, or whatever) rule my life.
Let me reiterate that again. I CANNOT LET STRESS RULE MY LIFE.
The lesson I have learned is: If you let the thing that causes stress dictate your life, you will feel miserable until that thing resolves. Everything does resolve in time (in one way or another), but why not NOT be miserable in the process? For example, even though I’ve got papers upon papers to grade at the moment, I am not going to let that hang over my head and affect me RIGHT NOW. I will PLAN a time to accomplish that (hmmm how about tomorrow??) and think about it THEN. Although this is a relatively insignificant example, the concept can be applied to anything in life. Stressing and worrying just doesn’t do any good. It doesn’t help. So here are a few ways I have learned to handle stress when I feel overwhelmed:
1) Make a checklist of everything I need or want to accomplish
2) Put the items to accomplish in order of importance, make a schedule, and work through them in that order
3) Take a break and celebrate once I make some progress (then get back to work where I left off when I can)
4) Be in the present
5) Talk to a friend
6) Distract yourself and find a way to laugh (watch a youtube video, a show, a podcast, or just sing and dance)
7) Play Worship Music
8) Talk to wise people and get advice if it’s a life question or big decision
9) Journal
5) Pray
If I’m being honest, I am not great at praying. This has been a struggle my whole life, but my experience this summer with my voice really changed my perspective. When I finally prayed about my voice condition in June, and by this I mean went to God in desperation, He provided. I had prayed about it some throughout the year, but more so because it was the type of thing one prays about, a need. When I reached a breaking point though, I gave Him that need; I could not carry it anymore. I reached out to friends, family, and co-workers asking for prayer. I believed that God could provide answers and help, and He did. This has changed my whole approach to my relationship with God. This prayer thing really worked here right…so why not keep doing it? Recently, I found myself saying to someone, “I know it feels like there’s no way this could ever turn out for good, but I know it will somehow. Everything will be okay. God will work this out for good in some way, somehow.” And I believe it. I believe it for me, and I believe it for others because of this experience this summer (See the My Story page for more details).
I don’t view God providing answers from the doctors at Vanderbilt as a reward for my prayer. I view this as God providing answers in the best possible timing; he did not provide those answers a year prior when I saw a specialist at University of Mississippi Medical Center (the best doctor in Mississippi who is trained to diagnose my condition). I completely believe the timing was what God planned all along. He allowed the pain and struggle to lead me to a place of brokenness and vulnerability so that I would reach a level of trust, love, and closeness with Him that I have never experienced before. For this, I am deeply grateful. Although growing older will certainly bring challenges and sorrows I cannot foresee, I feel more capable of handling whatever the road entails with this gift, prayer.
I know that the treatment for my condition works (my voice is as good as new going on two + months after my Vanderbilt appointment), but there are still road bumps (I’ll call them) ahead with this diagnosis. IF YOU’RE WONDERING, what in the world does she have? She’s being incredibly vague about this…well, I promise a blog post specifically about my voice condition is in the works. Answers will be provided! We grow through facing challenges with prayer, faith, and perseverance. Whatever challenges this diagnosis brings, I hope to never forget the power, the freedom, and the lightness found through prayer.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to reach out if you have a story to share!
Always,
Catherine
