#fitnessfriday | this week's weigh-in

i am super excited to share my progress for the week! if it seems like i am only posting hair and fitness stuff, you're correct. i'm still getting my china posts together! #soonandverysoon

anywho, i met and surpassed my dietbet game goal (156.9 by april 8) and i am 22.4 lbs down since i began my anti-candida journey on march 1!

beyond weight loss, my body is actually feeling like it's starting to like me. i haven't gotten sick despite the disrespectfully drastic weather changes, which ALWAYS made me sick in the past. my bloating has decreased immensely and i feel much, much lighter. my feet also feel much better, and i can finally stand to be barefoot for around 30 minutes before the pain comes. i can breathe much better, and i am less winded when i take the stairs.

in pairing the diet with weigh down/intuitive eating principles (and now intermittent fasting! more on that later), i finally feel in control of my eating. even though the diet is really hard, i will eventually be able to reintroduce some old foods back. if i get the go from my doctor, i can start on april 15!

i also randomly took this quiz and a few others to verify, and i found out i am mostly mesomorphic (62%) and less endomorphic than i thought (38%). i always thought i was an endomorph based upon pictures, but i've actually been reading the descriptions for and viewing pictures of fit mesomorphs. both have been spot on for me when i'm in shape with the exception of a few characteristics i possess that are definitely endomorphic. the workout plan for promoting lean muscle mass for mesomorphs includes light cardio, yoga, and regular resistance training, which is absolutely perfect for me!

so my goal from now until the end of april is to walk 30 minutes in my fat-burning zone once per week; i will increase it to twice in may. this doesn't seem like much, but i haven't done any real exercise since my injury, so i want to ease into it.
slow and steady!

in pursuit of:

adopting a healthy way of eating that will heal my body

how is your journey coming along?

linking up with jill

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#fitnessfriday | the post-china weigh-in

ni hao!
i am back from china and still recovering (rather slowly) from the time change, crappy sleep schedule, and 8-hour drive home from new york.
just popping in to announce that i won my first diet bet game (yay!) and entered a new one that ends on april 7.
since i am still in rest and recovery mode, it totally slipped my mind that it was friday and that i was supposed to take a new weigh-in pic!
oops!
here's a screenshot from my dietbet game instead.

i am officially 16 pounds down today and very happy!
happy fitness friday!

in pursuit of:

adopting a healthy way of eating that will heal my body

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#fitnessfriday | the pre-china weigh-in

today's weigh-in after strictly following my doctor's prescribed, personal anti-candida/leaky gut diet* since sunday:

isn't my little travel scale so cute?
it makes my size 5.5 feet look godzilla-sized. now i know how all you larger specimen feel!
but beyond that, i've almost lost 10 pounds since the start of the dietbet game, and i am below my goal! the key will be keeping it off when i travel and hopefully not gaining my usual 3-5 TOM pounds.

the deets:
every morning or night, i have 1/4 tsp of bee pollen granules. i also have a tbsp or two of apple cider vinegar in warm water with or without cinnamon pretty often.
from there, i focus on getting meat (everything but beef and cured pork) and mostly green vegetables. i avoid nightshades as much as possible, though i did have some bell peppers with last night's fajitas. i've been craving and eating a lot of avocado lately, which is perfectly fine since i LOVE them!
i sometimes end the night with a cup of bamboo tea that i often cry into because i miss my nightly glass of red (i don't really cry... most times).

i can introduce other foods back in eventually, but i am focusing on healing for now, and i am willing to wait. i may never get back to daily wine again *tears*, but my doctor thinks i may be able to have a few glasses per week once I'm completely healed.

my doctor warned me that china is definitely not ideal for maintaining my diet, but that if i really focus on finding good options, i could be okay.
i plan to get most of my food on the street so that i can watch its preparation. i've seen lots of posts on chinese street food that includes meat and vegetable skewers, so those will likely be my bread and butter (ha) for the trip.

with that said, i will be mostly MIA from the blog until i return on march 17, but i will be back with lots to share!
love you all, and i will see you soon!

*my diet was prescribed particularly for me by my particular doctor. if you think you have symptoms of candida overgrowth and/or leaky gut, please seek out medical advice!


linking up with jill

in pursuit of:

adopting a healthy way of eating that will heal my body

how do you keep the pounds away during travel? any tips for TOM bloating?

An InLinkz Link-up

#fitnessfriday: fitness confessions 2.0

so... remember how i started the simply filling technique with weight watchers?
oh, i filled up alright....

i have been a binger for pretty much the last 21 years of my life, so i don't know why i thought things would be any different just because i was eating brown rice and beans.
sike.
i was still binging, and once i did that enough times with "health food," i eventually got bored and started binging on everything.

i'm tired of dieting!!!!

i love FOOD, and i need variety!

and i loved how "free" i thought i was on low carb because i got to binge as much as i wanted and not gain weight. but as soon as i looked at a potato, 5 lbs packed on immediately.
i literally just do not know how to eat like a normal person. changing the food to low carb only worked for so long before i got bored. 

so, in thinking about the ONLY time i was successful eating anything i wanted and keeping it off, i remembered weigh down. it's what i followed back then, and it not only improved my relationship with food (food wasn't this thing i constantly thought about - i wake up immediately thinking about what i want to eat now!), but also my relationship with god. 

i tried intuitive eating, which is based upon the same principles as weigh down, but i think the lack of the spiritual aspect is what really kept me from being successful on IE. 

i am a firm believer that the mind, body, and spirit work together. and so, i confess that my ideas of food and health are completely jacked. moreover, i confess that i need help, and i am not too proud to pray about it!

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#fitnessfriday #fail | check-in #3

happy new year!!!!


i hope your celebrations (if you had any!) were as phenomenal as mine was with my favorite ladies!

unfortunately, as far as fitness and health goes, i honestly have nothing good to report minus the fact that i tried a bunch of new clean eating things in the kitchen.
and then i went crazy in the nature's marketplace at wegman's.

seafood "alfredo" with gluten-free spaghetti and asparagus

#allseasaltcarameleverything

                                                                                     
                                                                                         
                                                                             
                                                                           since i was struggling so much with being stopped up, i spent most of this week trying out a bunch of natural home remedies without counting a single thing. i needed relief so badly.
i finally gave in and took a dose of magnesium citrate and things seem to be ok for now, but i definitely didn't follow my plan.

this week's stats
daily bites: ???
pounds lost since last week: ??? i totally didn't weigh today because i overslept massively, and i likely gained.
pounds lost overall: 8.6 (from last week)
pounds to go: 45
workout completed: 1-hour 4-mile power walk

cocoa-glazed walnuts

what i'm trying this upcoming week:
*a more intuitive approach to eating. i know that i am satisfied after 20-24 bites depending upon what i am eating and the size of my bites, so instead of setting a daily limit, i am going to wait until my body tells me i am really hungry, and then eat 20-24 bites at that meal. and then i will wait for hunger again.
*lots of fish and other omega 3-rich foods!
*no red meat EVER again!


any fitness journey updates?
fitness resolutions for 2015?
let me know below!!!

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#fitnessfriday | workouts for lower body injuries

fitness friday is BACK!!!!
i am super duper excited to be back with the new and improved link-up dedicated to fitness and overall wellness.

as i mentioned in my last post, i fractured my foot running and just found out today that i've also developed planters fasciitis and metatarsalgia! this means no to running and other high-impact exercises and yes to shoe inserts.

while i am healing, i am still determined to get healthy. i've definitely gained weight since starting grad school and i am not going to let these feet hold me back! here are a few of the workouts i've been doing to keep myself active even from a chair!

swimming:
swimming is one of the best total body workouts you can do and there is literally no ground impact! i've begun swimming at least once per week, and i will move that to two to three in the next few weeks. it's amazing being in the water again!

chair workouts:



this workout is short but it is NO joke! if you're big into lifting like i am, grab some weights and a chair, and be prepared to get your booty kicked!



this fitness blender workout is a challenge as well!

yoga:
yoga can definitely be beneficial for injuries, particularly if your doctor suggests lots of stretching and activating certain body parts like the achilles tendon, heels, and legs. definitely make sure you're studying under an experienced yogi that will ensure your form is perfect to prevent further injuries. i love yoga and i do it as often as i can, and i will definitely continue!

as always, check with your doctor before trying anything!

how do you stay fit when you're literally down and out?
let us know!

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6 easy diys for natural, vegan, and gluten-free products

since developing a milk and wheat allergy, i am always on the hunt for vegan and gluten-free products to ensure i don't take chances with suffering from a reaction.

while surfing on etsy, i came across just the goods, which is this amazing mecca of vegan handmade products. sadly, she ships from canada and the cost was too high to justify the purchases. and that's when i decided to go ahead and make my own!

i am transitioning away from commercial products with the intention of starting 2017 using all homemade products for myself and my home. it's a transition because i am on a serious budget and i can't bring it to myself to get rid of absolutely everything in order to start from scratch! so for now and the rest of 2014, i am focused on hair and skin products.

here are the products i've begun using that i think are pretty simple to make!

shampoo
          note: i use bentonite clay instead of rhassoul, water instead of aloe, and jojoba instead of the oils in the vid. basically, i just used the measurements...

leave-in
          note: i'm using #2!

deodorant

face and body wash
          note: leave out the honey for a vegan product - it still works well!

body spray
          note: i used raspberry extract instead of vanilla and a mix of sweet orange and peppermint EOs for mine!

dusting powder
          note: i used 100% arrowroot powder!

i'm using avocado oil as my conditioner, coconut oil as my "lotion," and argan oil as my facial moisturizer. the next products i tackle will be a super thick moisturizer for the freezing winter weather, a protein treatment (i plan on trying bragg's aminos mixed with kombucha for the time being) and toothpaste/powder (i am currently using now solutions xyli-white).

what are some of your favorite diys? any experience making natural products?

in pursuit of:

drastically reducing my carbon footprint

linking up with tuesday pretties

four reasons why i've [finally] become a vegan

... because i believe that the Divine spark we revere within us is also within all living creatures.

... because i cannot justify the death or discomfort of any living creature for the sake of luxury or cosmetic research.

... because i believe that my body is a temple and deserves to be fed in a manner that will ensure it operates at its best according to my needs.

... because i am only one person, but i can make a difference.

in pursuit of:

drastically reducing my carbon footprint

adopting a healthy way of eating that will heal my body

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