Vacation...Alternately Titled: I Ate My Way Around The Island

This is my happy place...sun and palms and warm breezes

In a minute I'm going to talk to you about something healthy, but first I gotta tell ya about the glorious, decadent, OMG (I don't care if that's uncool anymore: It's a perfectly good phrase to use here!), and drool-worthy food I managed to cram in my pie hole. Lawd have mercy, I ate GOOD!  (Or 'well' for my grammar peeps!)

We usually just pick up stuff at the grocery on the first night, which is what we did this year.  Nothing fancy, just some shrimp and, for me, lemon pie.  Who doesn't love lemon pie in summer?  Night 2 usually brings us pizza from Guiseppe's.  I get an eggplant sub just because I can, but then I pilfer a piece of pizza off some other (un)lucky soul.  After this, it's just a randomness of whatever mood strikes the group. 

After a few "off" years, Hudson's on Hilton Head Island has come back, ya'll! So much so that we ate there twice.  Well, we actually ended up there the second time because the other restaurant we'd chosen was too full, but we all agreed it was even better the second night.  I ate LOTS of food.  Gluttony would probably describe it best:  I had fried green tomatoes that were quite possibly the best ever, and I've eaten my weight several times over in fgt.  Four perfectly sliced and golden fried slices o' tart 'mater perched on a rectangular mound of crispy bacon then topped with just-sweet-enough tomato and onion jam and drizzled with balsamic reduction.  I only ate two, and the leftovers were even better (dare I say it?!) the next day.

My entree was just as good:  Fish coated in a spinach and parmesan crust over a grit cake with roasted red pepper coulis.  I only ate half because I didn't want to totally push myself over the edge, but it was just as awesome the next day for lunch.

Remember that edge I didn't want to push myself over the first night?  Well, I heaved myself over it in a embarrassing display of "this is my last meal ever and I'm gonna do it right, dammit!!"  She Crab soup?  Yes, please.  Amazing spinach salad with goat cheese, spiced pecans, and poached pears?  Sure!  Why not?!  Beer-battered fish and chips?  Bring it on, most awesome server!  Are you done?  Do you know me at all?  Why, yes, I'd love that 6 inch tall piece of s'mores cake with the graham cracker crust and three layers of chocolate and topped with melted marshmallows.  Can you make that a to-go serving so we can pick up some milk on the way home?  That is so sweet of you, server with the mostest! 
So. Damn. Good. 

And now I'm home.  Home where I am certainly not going to be cooking anything like I consumed last week because my GI system is about to declare a mutiny if I even remotely shove another gram of sugar or another drop of gloriously breaded bread deep fried to perfection and slathered in butter. ("Hushpuppies, daddy.")  (You know you just said that all Smokey & the Bandit style.)

I loved eating last week.  Being honest, I don't ever NOT love eating.  What I don't love is how I feel after going all "I'm 7 years old and have $20 to spend at Hello Kitty!!!! WOOOO-HOOOOOO!!!!!" My head hurts and my tummy gurgles and I don't sleep well.  I have brain fog and I am sluggish.  I remember now why I started eating cleaner and exercising:  This feels like the bowels of hell.  

Today I am back to not eating like a teenage boy going through a growth spurt.  I had coffee because, well, coffee.  I had fresh fruit for the first time in a week, and I was reminded how sweet it is and how much I love it.  I had my first Shakeology shake (Vanilla w/ PB and banana) in a week.  I am on the mend, people.

(Don't judge:  There was a REAL French bakery down the street with honest-to-God french pastries and fresh squeezed OJ.  It was even named The French Kiss!! I was doing my part to shop small and local while on the vacay and it just so happened to be in the form of a perfect peach tart for breakfast.  Oh, wait, so maybe that means I did have fresh fruit last week...just wrapped in layers of cream and pastry!)

I drowned myself in all things wonderful about vacation: family, sunshine and food.  I had an abundance of all. (My kids may or may not have learned how to play various types of poker. Future vacations may or may not take place in Vegas.)  But now it is time to drown myself in the things that keep my body running happily and my mind clear and focused.  It's back to fresh fruits and veggies and it's definitely time to get the old body moving.  Time to dust off my favorite kicks and go push play.  

Life is about balance.  When we swing too hard in one direction, it knocks everything else off kilter.  It takes a little bit of this and a little bit of that to make it all work out in the end. Find your balance:  Save the money to buy the bucket list concert tickets; Skip the dessert on Monday so you can indulge with friends on Saturday; Walk up the stairs so you can enjoy the latte with your better half the next morning.  Be your best you.

How Much Are You Worth?

Forty dollars.  

That's what I was spending a month on a multi-vitamin and probiotics. If I had to take additional Vitamin D, add another five bucks or so.  I unconsciously decided I was worth $40 each month because I was spending that to take care of my health.  

If you are a member of a gym (and use that membership!), you have decided you are worth at least the cost of the membership, right?  We invest in shoes that prevent our backs from hurting all day at work.  We invest in pillows to help our necks while we sleep.  We invest in "things" meant to make us better, but do we invest in what we ingest? 

I hear people say Shakeology is too expensive.  By the time you add the shipping & handling and tax, it is probably going to cost you around $120 each month, or about $4 per day.  Am I worth that much money each month? Do I deserve that? 

Consider this:  I have my Shakeology as my breakfast. Mainly because most mornings I'm on the struggle bus and I can manage to do this quickly and get out the door.  It takes me less than 5 minutes start to finish and that's with my ADHD in high gear.  I no longer skip breakfast or run through McDonald's for $10 worth of biscuits and coffee.  (Gotta feed the kiddos, too, if I'm eating there!)  There is no mid-morning crash where I run to a drink machine or dig around for chocolate left behind. (Which is kinda gross when you think about it.  I mean, really?  How long has that Twix bar been there?)

Remember that $40 I was spending on the vitamins?  I don't have to do that anymore because those needs are being met by my Shakeology.  If you take that savings away from the cost of the Shakeology, it now costs me $2.67 each day.  Is my well-being worth $2.67 a month?

For me, the answer is yes.  By the time I added up the $40 plus the co-pays for bloodwork, I was already spending half what I spend on Shakeology.  Take the savings from skipping fast food and sugary snacks, and I'm pretty much breaking even.  

If you have talked yourself out of trying Shakeology because of the cost, ask yourself what are you worth? One of the best decisions I've ever made was finally deciding to put my health first and take control of it.  I am worth it.

SIR! I Challenge You To A Duel!

Be honest:  Right now you're picturing men with swords and long coats with excessive facial hair (although well-groomed facial hair...)

Good news!  That's not what this is about, at all!

When you are cruising through facebook and you see a Beachbody coach inviting people to a challenge group, it can make you a little nervous...especially if the person being invited is YOU!  A lot of that reaction is based in our history with exercise and how we feel about our bodies.  My first thought was, "That chick just called me fat!  Must be nice to have a personal chef and be able to sit at home and just workout all day!!!!"  

Whoa!  Dial it back a notch, right?

Most of that emotion came from my history (or lack thereof) with exercise.  Namely, I didn't do it. Ever.  Not, like, ever in the history of evers.  I hated it because it was a reminder of gym class and being picked last.  It was a reminder of holding the entire class up because they had to wait for me to finish that stupid 600-yard walk/run.  Yes, I said it:  STUPID!!

Again, being the supportive friend (till the end, yo), I joined the challenge group.  This is what a challenge group REALLY is:  It's a support group. It's accountability.

Each day, the coach will post a challenge, tips, and/or motivation.  What kind of challenge?  You might rate your workout that day or tell the group how much you like (or dislike) the workout program you're using.  The coach might want you to post how many ounces of water you've had that day or a "sweaty selfie" when you finish your workout.  Not scary, right?  Entirely true.

What it's not?  No one will berate you or belittle you or yell "QUITTER" through the computer.  No one will glare at you menacingly if you skip a workout or eat a doughnut.  There is encouragement and empathy.  There is a funny meme about falling off the wagon.  

The only challenge in these groups is you challenging yourself to be a better version of you.  It may have absolutely nothing to do with weight loss.  It doesn't have to.  It might be just getting some movement into your life.  It might just be cleaning up your eating plan.  Whatever "it" is, a challenge group is for YOU to meet and exceed the goal you have set for yourself.

Set your goal.  Find a challenge group.  Surround yourself with positive energy and then crush those goals.  It's happening every single moment of every single day.

Dee-Da-Dee-Da-Do-Da-Deeeeeeee! (Alternate Title: Vitamin D is Darn Important)

Remember that ad slogan "Milk. It does a body good." But why?

Let me tell you why.  The D.  Yep.  Vitamin D.  

I have battled a deficiency with the lovely vitamin D for several years.  My mother and grandmother were also chronically low.  Thanks, ladies.  I would've preferred some other (BETTER) genetic inheritance!  Mine has been as low as 15. Now, depending on who you ask, that is mildly low. Some recent guidelines have set the minimum at 20.  My doc likes the 20-40 range, and I like that she likes that range.

What does low Vitamin D feel like?  For me, it was being sluggish, my words would get jumbled (ordering a snake instead of a steak...), my hair was getting thinner, and I had headaches.  Within a short period of starting prescription strength supplements, I would be great until they ran out (4 pills/1 per week).  Then I was back in the downhill slide until I was diagnosed again.  The merry-go-round of blech.

How is the world can one little vitamin cause such an uproar? Vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means you gotta have the good stuff in your gut to break it down.  My gallbladder was kind enough to not have stones, but it just slowly died.  When it finally was evicted from its warm, comfy home (my guts), it was functioning at 28%.  My gut was not full of happy goodness, but sluggish yuck.  The Vitamin D was not being absorbed like it should have been.  Lucky me.

Vitamin D is naturally present in few foods, so we mainly get it through sun and supplements.  With the precautions against skin cancer (which are legit!) sometimes we don't get it through sun exposure, either.  D promotes calcium absorption, which helps make STRONG bones.  Think Osteoporosis...not a good picture.

We should be getting 600 IU or 15 mcg per day.  To give you an idea, 1 cup of milk had 100 IU.  So, to get your 600 IU, you need to drink 48 ounces of milk.  (8 ounces = 1 cup, so 48 ounces = 6 cups)  Other great sources include the flesh of fatty fish (say that 3 times fast!!), fish liver oils, beef liver, and a little bit found in egg yolks.  Think about your diet.  How many times do you find those things on your plate?

Here's where my Shakeology comes into the picture.  

One scoop of Shakeology contains 200 IU of Vitamin D, which meets 1/3 of your daily needs.  If you add 1 cup of milk to your shake, which my husband does daily), that adds another 100 IU.  That bumps you up to 300 IU total, which in now half!!!  You haven't even left the house and you are halfway there...No brainer.

If you have seen the infomercials (which you probably have unless you don't have television), you have heard how much weight you can lose.  Here's news:  YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOSE WEIGHT!  I know people who are perfectly happy and comfortable with their bodies as they are.  You can still benefit from Shakeology.  

Shakeology is NOT a weight-loss shake.  It is not a meal replacement shake unless you choose to make it that.  It is a powder superfood.  By the time I open the door to walk into work, I've already had 100% of my Vitamins A, C, B6, and B12.  I've also gotten 100% of my Thiamine (B1) and Manganese. 

(Manganese?  What the crap is that?  Do you mix it in your salsa?  No, but it helps your body form connective tissue and bones, has blood-clotting factors and affects sex hormones.  It also plays a role in fat and carb metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation. It's also necessary for normal brain and nerve function.) 

So that is my knowledge droppin' for the day.  If you're curious about what your day REALLY looks like, record every single thing you put into your mouth and then research how many of your required vitamins/minerals you are getting.  Don't think about fat and calories!  Lose the idea TODAY that this is a diet.  It is far, far from that.  It is a lifestyle change designed to promote health and wellness.  The support system is beyond anything I've experienced and that's what makes it easy to keep going when all I really want is a Mocha Frappe from the Mickey D's.  Leave me a comment or email me at mymidlifegroove@gmail.com and I'll be more than happy to share the crazy goodness with you.

Have an amazing week and be kind to yourself!

Find Your People

No, not scrub the toilets, although that has to be done sometimes, too.  What I'm talking about is holding me (and you!) accountable.  Like, putting my feet to the fire and calling me out when I'm slacking or hiding from our group.

I have tried exercising, working out, eating healthy, and all the other code words for getting myself together many times throughout my life.  It has pretty much ended in failure. Sometimes little failures; sometimes epic ones. Here's what made this experience different for me:  I had people looking out for me to catch me when I started to fall weak.

I have been fortunate enough to have a large circle of friends, but a very small circle of girls who are like my sisters. One of those girls is the one who started us all on this road. And she is awesome.  When she put out the info she had become a Beachbody Coach, I thought, "Why not?"  So I joined her.  Several other women I know joined as well. Some of those were lifelong friends and others were newer friends.  Now we are all a great support system for each other.

Everyday we have some sort of conversation related to what we're eating or what workout we did or how much water we've forgotten to drink.  Some days we are all praise and cyber high-fives.  Days where we curse workouts and profess our unnatural love of chocolate are also part of it.  If I'm moaning about what I've eaten, someone in the group reminds me of how well I've done the other six days of the week.  If someone just can't workout that day, I will remind them they can pick it back up tomorrow.  We talk about our lives outside of this, but the thread of building each other up is always there.

We want each other to be the best possible person we can be.  That means the health of our bodies, the thoughts in our heads, and the words out of our mouths.

If you are wanting to start a healthier lifestyle, find someone or a group of someones who can be that support network.  If no one knows you're eating your 3rd box of Oreos, no one can help you put away that box.  If no one calls to ask you how your exercise plan is going, no one will know when you quit.  That's how we stay stuck in the cycle.

Find your people.  Find your posse.  Find your tribe.  Find your squad.  Whatever you want to call them, find them. Cheer each other on when things are great and help silence the negative voices when they clamber too loudly.

Our group is a closed Facebook group, and you are welcome to join us!  Comment on this post or send me a message and we'll be happy to be your own personal cheerleading squad!

My Story

Disclaimer
Let's be honest:  I signed up as a coach for the discount.  But then I changed my mind.

And this is long.

Now that we both know the truth, let me give you the "rest of the story."

I started drinking Shakeology at the very end of November of 2016.  Again, full disclosure:  One of my oldest and dearest friends had started coaching and I was being a supportive friend.  That was the whole story.  If it worked out for me, well, that was great.  I had no expectations other than it was chocolate and I really, really like chocolate.  I could be a good friend AND have something chocolate.  Win and Win.

Then it started working.

Backstory  
Two years ago I began having excruciating and annoying nerve issues in my left jaw.  I described it to my doctor as having ice cold water injected into the nerve and then a million flaming hot spiders running around my cheek.  I would have tiny spasms in my lip.  My head would tingle for long periods of time.  ALL ANNOYING!  My words would be jumbled and I was tongue-tied.  If you know me, you know I love to talk.  Except now I was afraid of what would come out when I spoke. 

I ended up with a lot of -ologists:  Endocrinologists, Neurologists, Rheumatologists...  There was lots and lots of bloodwork...lots of needles and "just a little pinprick."  A few MRIs (did I mention I am HIGHLY claustrophobic? Open MRI's only and then there's lots of self-talk and medication when they put that stupid neck thingy on me.)  All my test results were good, which is great.  The only things anyone could pinpoint was the rheumatologist who found a rare autoimmune liver condition that may or may not develop and the neurologist who found excessively high inflammation levels in my body.  The plan was to eat healthy and monitor it with bloodwork every 3 months.  So that's what I did while praying the symptoms would lessen.

That one paragraph does not sum up the hell I was trudging through in that time.  I missed out on trips with friends.  I fought anxiety like a beast.  I planned on what I would do if this was something terminal.  I had to tell my kids it was really okay and try to make them believe it.  I tried to make myself believe it.

Backstory to the Backstory
All my life, I've been the bigger girl among my classmates.  Always in the back row of class pictures.  Among the first to need "foundational undergarments" in my grade.  And I've always craved sugar.  My mother-in-law once took two bites of a dessert and said it was enough because of how rich it was.  I thought to myself that was something I'd never experienced.  There was no such thing as too much sugar.  Blasphemy!

In my 20s, I started researching hormonal issues because I was a wreck.  My doctors diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in my late twenties, which wasn't a surprise to me but still left me wondering how I would ever get control over it.  It's an ugly monster that wrecks your hormones.  There is no treatment other than treating the symptoms with a list of meds that have names I can't pronounce and don't really trust to put into my body.  

Fast Forward to December of 2016
I had been using Shakeology and exercising for about two weeks when my grandmother got sick.  I grew up with all four of my grandparents, and they loved me just about to the point of being criminal.  Like, they doted on me at a ridiculous level.  My Maudie was 92 years old and diabetes had finally worn her down after 40 years of finger pricks and insulin shots. Do that math:  4 pinpricks for 365 days over 40 years.  Let me help. 58,400 pinpricks to her fingers.  That doesn't include the shots multiple times per day.  Diabetes had robbed her of her sight.  My heart broke when I would leave her house and she'd tell me to leave the door open so she could she the cars pass by, but I knew she couldn't really see them. And as I watched her grow weaker by the day, I realized how easily that would be me if I didn't step up and do something.  

My Maudie

Diabetes and PCOS are related, and Diabetes is a hearty, poisonous vine suffocating my family tree.  I couldn't imagine losing my sight and not being able to watch my future grandbabies play as I had watched their mommy or daddy.  I was scared to death in those moments when I held her hand and realized where my road could very well lead. 

Last month, my Maudie passed away and my family all said, "Thank God she doesn't have to worry about those damn needles anymore."

Bloodwork, you say?
I am not perfect at this.  I miss days exercising. (Like yesterday.  And maybe Tuesday.) Friday night I ate a ginormous cheeseburger with mayo and the whole bun.  And it was good.  I don't beat myself up and I start each day with the mindset I will do better, and most days I do.  Some days I whip Shaun T's sinewy tail all over the basement.  Some days I limp to the 25 minute mark.

But.

My most recent bloodwork (remember, to check my liver?) was proof that I am doing something right.  For the first time in 5+ years, my vitamin D level was within normal range. Several times I have had to take prescription strength vitamin D because my level was between 12 and 15.  My glucose was awesome.  My inflammation levels were NORMAL! Those liver tests?  My bloodwork was sent to the main lab to confirm them because, after two years of positive tests (According to the docs, it takes two different tests both with positive results to confirm this diagnosis.), one test was negative and the other was barely positive.  

Did I cure myself?  No, but I made changes that allowed my body to be in control of itself and gave it the stuff it needed to fight for me.


Today...and tomorrow and the tomorrow after that
I know, you don't want to give up Unicorns from Starbucks.  That's okay.  I get my vanilla latte every Sunday because I have to go buy the groceries for my tribe, and I've earned that reward.  You are not sacrificing yourself to the Gods of Lettuce in exchange for a thigh gap.  (Which, I'd like to point out, is highly overrated.  I need thick thighs with muscle when the zombies come a'chasing me.)

I have a shake for breakfast.  It is divine and tastes like a chocolate milkshake.  Mainly because I'm hurried in the am and I don't have time to whip up some gourmet feast.  You're on your own at this house for breakfast.

For lunch, because I'm a creature of habit, I'll have rice with chicken or tuna and some kale or brussel sprouts.  Why?  Because I love that stuff.  Always have.  Sometimes I eat a salad.  Sometimes soup.  I always have either cottage cheese or yogurt with it.  Yes, full fat with fruit mixed in for fun.  That said, I only have about 22 minutes to eat lunch, so you gotta pack something fast and filling.  

I have snacks in the am and afternoon.  Apples or almonds mostly or Kind bars.

Dinner is whatever.  Some people plan this.  Those people are better than me.  My current favorite is roasted sweet potatoes with black beans, fresh salsa, some sour cream, and shredded lettuce.  If I crave the ground beef, then I add that to.  I eat spaghetti and bread and potatoes.  Just in moderation.  That is the key.  

I NEVER STARVE OR WANT FOR ANYTHING!!  Why am I yelling?  Because I know that looks like I should be starving, but I'm not.  My body is getting what it needs, so it doesn't make me crave things.

I hardly ever, ever crave sugar.

No sweet tea, soft drinks or sweets.  That is a huge deal for me because sugar has always been my addiction.  I don't use the word addiction lightly:  My cravings for sugar were that severe.  

But shakes are NASTY!
I get that. Some are chalky.  Some are yucky.  Truth is I know some people who didn't like Shakeology.  That's okay, too.  You'll probably be a little gassy 😉 for a few days from all the good probiotics cleaning out your gut.  Use that to your advantage:  Trap your significant other or your kid under the covers and let it goooooo.

Here's my shake:  One scoop of Shakeology, 1 banana, 1 cup flaxmilk (regular milk and I can't seem to find a happy place.), 1 Tablespoon raw, local honey (helps with my allergies!), 2 Tablespoons PB powder, 3 shakes cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Throw it in the blender to mix, then add ice at the end to make it milkshakey. It's about 400 calories, which is what breakfast should be.  No fake stuff.  All goodness.

Exercise?  NOT THAT WORD!
I know, I know.  You don't have time.  You don't like to sweat.  You don't like the gym where all the skinny people stare at you.  Me, too.  Then I did it.  And I grew a little baby muscle in my bicep.  I'm pretty sure I've got a little ab trying to come out below my ribcage.  There's still neighboring fluff below it, but I'm working on that, too.

This is my gym, aka, the basement.
It is not glamorous, but it's MY space.
Nobody else's sweat to clean.
No manners to follow.
That's my stereo (Hello, 1988!)
where I listen to MY music.
What's not to like?!

When I signed up for the Shakeology, I already had the Hip Hop Abs and T25 videos so I used those.  In January, I decided to go ahead and buy the yearlong access to Beachbody on Demand for $99.  Best money ever spent.  I now have access to all the Beachbody videos whenever and wherever I want them.  Shaun T is my main dude, but sometimes I need Faith's Gentle Release Yoga.  Other days I need that stupid 21-Day Fix Extreme video to kick my tail.  (I say stupid because it always leaves me aware that I can work harder.  Oh, and sore.  It makes me sore.)

If it's 5 am and I feel like a rockstar, I can head down to the basement and be done.  If it's the weekend and I feel like a rockstar, I do two workouts.  If it's 9:30 at night and my kids have been the spawn of Satan for the evening and I'm just now getting around to it, I'll exercise in my kitchen.  That's some irony right there. I don't have to wait for the gym to open or for some sweaty stranger to get off the machine.  It's my pace at my time.  

Girl, I ain't rich enough to buy this!
Me, either.  (Remember why I signed up to coach?!?!?)  When I added up how much I was saving by replacing breakfast (You don't have to replace anything.  It can be a supplement to what you are doing; just remember to watch calories.) and by not going out to get ice cream or stopping by for a quick coffee, it really worked out to be an even exchange.  Also, I have fewer copays to the doctor's office! It works out to about $3.50 per day.  That's a coffee (and probably not really even a good one!)

In Summation...

This is my workout partner.
If a cute rescue kitty doesn't tug
at your heart, what will?
Her name is Mokie, but we sometimes call
her Parking Lot Kitty because
that's where she was found.
She came from Alabama,
but we still love her.

Here's the bottom line:  This helped me.  The only thing that will not help you is if you don't make a change.  It doesn't have to be this.  It can be whatever you choose it to be.  You don't have to work out with Shaun T; you can go for a walk with your family.  This is what has worked for me.  Twenty pounds have liberated themselves from my body.  Over 14 inches are gone. Buh-bye.  I GOT TO BUY NEW CLOTHES!!  

I wrote this blog because at my core I am a writer and a storyteller (not a liar 😇).  It's how I teach in my classroom and how I relate to my children.  I can't post pics of myself with my latest workout because that's not who I am.  This is.  But I wanted to share my story because I realized we all have only one shot at life and it should be the best ride ever filled with adventures and joy and happiness.  That wasn't what my life was being filled with, but I'm consciously moving my needle in the other direction.  I changed my mindset to reflect what I dreamed of life being.

So, that's it.  If you're interested in joining me, send me a message. No lies:  I get a small amount of $ if you sign up for Shakeology with me as your coach.  But I don't have to be your coach.  I'd just love to see all my friends who are struggling with weight and health issues have the chance to feel as good as I do right now.  Don't get me wrong ~ it's work!  You have to be committed to doing the work and not quitting even when it sucks.  But it's the best work you can do for yourself and your family and there is a whole world of people (literally, Americans and Canadians and Frenchians and all sorts of people!) waiting and willing to support you.