Thursday, January 9, 2014

Wednesday Weigh-in Day!

Okay, whoops.  It's Thursday.  But shiz gets crazy.

So!  I've been maintaining a vegan diet, mostly low-fat other than some EVOO and avocado, two things I cannot give up.  Juicing, smoothies, vegetable soups, salads and veggie stir-frys.  :)

Numbers:

Dates:      Jan 1 /  Jan 8
Weights:  180.3 / 174.6
Chest:        41" / 41"
Waist:        34" / 32"
Bootie:       43" / 43"
Hips:       41.5" / 41"
Thighs:      26" / 25.5"


I haven't gotten much back into exercise yet because I have been sick this past week (feeling better the last couple of days.) -- Add to that how insanely cold it is, leaving the house is not so desirable, and neither is the treadmill in my basement where it's equally freezing.  BRrrrrrr!

And I should also say:  THANK YOU for all the sweet comments on my return to blogging!  I missed y'all too.




So, here are a few photos of my juicing / blending station and a bunch of the produce I have on hand right now.

 




So, tips on falling back in love with fruits and veggies?  That one is simple.  Cut everything else out of your diet for a while.  If you want to reset your tastebuds, you have to stop eating the things that make you feel like those foods aren't delicious.  The culprits for me are animal products and salt, primarily.  For a lot of people sweets would be included in that.

Take time off of processed foods and animal products.  Seriously.  You'll sit down to some cherry tomatoes, spinach and avocado with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and think, "HOLY SHIT, this tastes freaking amazing, where has this BEEN ALL MY LIFE?"  (I know, because that happened to me last week.)


Veggies have plenty of protein.  Add in some beans and or tofu, and you're set.  If it's cold and you're hungry, eat some oatmeal.  (Not the sugary flavored crap.  Plain + some cinnamon.  Add some agave nectar or a few slices of fresh fruit if you want a little sweetness.)  Drink some vanilla soy or almond milk.  It's *delicious.*


And hummus.  I can't say enough about hummus.  HUMMUS.  Did I mention I love hummus?  Because:  HUMMUUUUUUUUUS!

/ahem





On that note I enjoyed some "chocolate milk" juice this morning.  (Pictured first above; romaine lettuce +carrot in the juicer.  Seriously.  Tastes like friggin' chocolate milk.)  The 2nd juice there is a zippy snappy tangy juice made of:  2 oranges, 1 lemon, 1/2" ginger root, 2 carrots, 1 cucumber.  YUM!

So how are you guys doing?  New Years Resolutions?  Recommitting to healthy living?  New eating plans?  Tell me all about it.


xo,
~J

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Holy crap. I'm back.

Hello my darlings.

It's been ***EIGHTEEN*** months since my last post.  Holy crap, indeed.

As you can imagine, it's been the same virtual roller coaster of the same 20 pounds.  And naturally, it's a new year and I am coming off of a multi-week bender of food and alcohol and whateverthefuckIwant.  Funny how the things I want in the moment only lead me to feeling the absolute worst as a result.

Prior to the last month or so, I was maintaining a pretty healthy lifestyle, though was still not achieving the body I really want.  On chase trips Skip and I will hike and eat veggies and hummus and mostly maintain a really healthy outlook.  It helps that he's vegan.

 



I have been reading back through this blog, an amazing chronicle and account of what I've gone through in weight loss and fitness and such over the last several years, and I was even finding myself ... inspired by myself.

My husband and I have chatted about this Ex Hot Girl blog thing several times over the last 18 months while I've been absent here.  (Meanwhile chasing and working like crazy,) and he encouraged me to come back but I never did.

Well, I'm back.

I'm back to blog more, to share with you my fitness and health goals, food issues and all of the things that I used to share with you.

Hopefully you'll run along with me and we'll renew our focus on ourselves together.


For me, it's back to low fat vegan / raw juicing and smoothies.  I had a great deal of success on this (You don't have to scroll too far back to find this, but it was at the end of 2011,) and I'm ready to reset things to where they should be.  Fall back in love with fruits and veggies again!



A quick update then, on what I've been up to and where I am.  Like I mentioned, up and down between 160 and 180.  Currently:

Weight:  180.3 (fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck)
Chest: 41"
Waist: 34"
Bootie:  43"
Hips: 41.5"
Thighs: 26"


I actually started running in the late summer and found myself running 5k distances regularly.  I wasn't losing weight during that time, but felt really good.  I really was blown away that I had the need, the pull, the actual (wtf?) desire to run.  It baffled me.




 
 
But, as soon as the weather turned bad, I joined a gym to tide me over during the winter... and it just wasn't the same at ALL.  I discovered I absolutely loathe running on a treadmill.  I do enjoy the weights and the elliptical for some reason.  But, as of right now, I haven't been in about 3 weeks.  When I started I was there several times a week but lapsed over the holidays and not feeling well.  The sub zero temperatures in Milwaukee have also succeeded in keeping me in my house.  /sadface.


SO!  Here is a photo of my husband and I on New Years Eve this year, and a current shot of me before going out.  HElloooooo, MAC makeup.





SO.  Here we go.  Day one.  :)

xoxo,
~J