You deserve a break!

National Break You Make Day is coming up on June 3rd. Chobani Flips and I want to recognize those deserving of a break.

I am blown away lately by the strength the preserverance of family members, both blood and chosen. They are gracefully fighting health issues, burning the midnight oil, and putting themselves last while working toward future goals. While they all deserve recognition and a break, there are three who stand out the most right now. This trio I have in mind fought to find balance between school and family and had to start over from scratch. It’s hard to decide which of this three deserves the break the most, so I’m giving them all a shout.

There may or may not be misty eyes right now.

H, you are one in a million. Not only are you my baby brother, you are one I’d hand pick as family. I’m watching you juggle
classwork, homework, projects, church, wife, daughter, and family. You’re trying to give everything to everyone and everything because you know what the end goal is. You have so got this! You’ve found your calling and the people you work with will benefit tenfold because you are you. You deserve a break.

Lolo, I’m watching you, from the bushes outside your window. 😀 You’ve had a craptastic couple of years and are rising above the crap and then some. The long nights of studying are worth it. Your patients and their familes will love you. Enjoy your summer! Sleep, swim, read for fun, laugh, and love like no one else. You rock, mama! You deserve this break.

A; my twisted sister. You’ve also had a craptastic year. You survived part one and will survive part two. You have all kinds of opportunities ahead. Breathe and focus on them, not the past (no matter how recent the past). Congratulations, grauduate! Welcome, neighbor! You deserve this break.

Breathe and remember how amazing you all are. If you don’t believe it. just look at yourselves the way the people who love you look at you. You all rock and I love you.

Until next time, be well.

Book review: Rachel Pires’ Diet Enlightenment

I received a free copy of this book to review via Tomoson.com. My views are my own and I do not recommend anything if I don’t believe in it.

There are certain times of year when the diet season kicks into full gear. You know, pre-beach season, pre-holiday party season, ‘New Year, new you’ promotions, and so on. Many, me included, look for the magic button that makes weight loss easy and helps the healthy living mentality stick. I don’t know about you, but the struggle is especially hard when my body rebels in some way (thanks Fibro and spinal arthritis). It’s not always about the popular method used for weight loss, but the right method that makes it work and stick. Rachel L. Piers has been there and came out on the other side. She found the magic button and it made all the difference. In Diet Enlightenment: The Real Secret to Weight Loss, Pires shares her story and hopes to help the rest of us find it, too.

Rachel Pires is a wife and new mother, dancer, scuba diver, and second degree black belt in Taekwondo. She writes for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and is a weight loss advisor and blogger on Livestrong.com. What does an education writer know about dieting? Quite a bit, actually. She’s traveled down the weight loss road a few times and did not achieve the success she sought until she found the right one.

Like many experts say, almost any plan can help one lose weight at first, but plans that involve removing certain food groups don’t always work long-term. Pires wrote Diet Enlightenment with the voice of one who’s been through it. She focuses on calorie counting as the basis for diet success and explains how to calculate what you need and how to stick to the plan. While she isn’t a nutritionist or dietician, she does seem to have a handle on the diet industry (Chapter Two), calorie counting (Chapters Six and Seven), successfully sticking to a plan while eating out (Chapter 10), and listening to one’s body (Chapter 9). She also explains how healthy eating isn’t always the road to Thintown (Chapter 3). Pires’ writing style is friendly and encouraging. She explains that it can be easy and simple to lose weight and keep it off with the right mindset.

I nodded my head or agreed aloud as I read this one, which amused my dogs. Chapter Three is my truth – I either gained or maintained while focusing on healthy foods without thinking of calories. I also gained weight after my initial loss on Atkins. Since my diagnoses, listening to my body is required and I can see how listening when it comes to hunger and satiety is equally important. While I’m not a strict calorie-counter these days (thanks to the 21 Day Fix eating plan), I can appreciate the information in this one. A book like this one might have saved me from a few missteps in my weight loss attempts. The chapter on listening to your body makes this one a great read.

Diet Enlightenment was released last April. Pick up a paperback ($12.99 suggested retail) or PDF copy ($10.99 suggested) directly from Tate Publishing or find it at your favorite bookseller. Connect with Pires on Facebook or Twitter to ask questions or let her know what you think of the book. Have you read it? Let me know your thoughts.

One week into 21-Day Fix

Thank you, Autum Calabrese! The 21-Day Fix is legit!

I’m proof that just about anyone can do the workouts and I had a good first week even with the modified moves and schedule! You know by now that I have to modify any program I’m on thanks to the crumbling spine. I cannot (but can) belive I still had a successful week as far as weight and inch loss.

I made sure I ate my reds, greens,and blues every day without fail. Greens went into my smoothies along with fruit – even cabbage and broccoli. I ate Soy Curls, tofu, beans, hemp seeds, and Gardein. I counted oranges and teaspoons with nuts, nut butter, flax seeds and touches of oil in salads, oatmeal, and on bread. (Note: Sherrie needs garlic bread with pasta!) Starchy yellows included bread, rice, and oats. When I ate Gardein as protein, I ate half to three-quarter sized yellows. When I used beans as protein, I measured them in yellow containers and added more green to my meal. My blues included homemade hemp and coconut milks. I didn’t cheat last week. I also didn’t eat on schedule thanks to a couple of crazy days.

For training, I alternated Upper, Lower, Total Body, and Cardio Fix with PIlates Fix and Yoga Fix to aid in my recovery. I had a bad day on Thursday, so I did two short sessions with Tony Horton and a short walk. Ten Minute Trainer is a great one for people short on time.

My results? 1 pound down and lost inches in my waist and hips. Yes, inches plural. I lost two inches off my waist and one off my hips. I’ll take it! I don’t usually care that much about the scale, but weighed in to prove that modification still yields results.

I cannot wait to see what the next two weeks brings! I’m checking out Team Beachbody Club and Beachbody on Demand and will substitute a workout from 21-Day Fix Extreme, Focus T-25, P90X, P90X2, P90X3, Insanity, Asylum, RevAbs, Turbo Fire, or any of the other streaming workouts available on BOD. If you like mixing it up or want to try a program before you buy, BOD rocks!

Here’s to another week of eating clean and training. It doesn’t matter how you train – be consistent and go as hard as you can. If you want to join me, just give me a shout. I’ve got your back.

Note: The images link to my Team Beachbody Store. If you want or need support or accountability and don’t have a coach, pick up 21 Day Fix or any other program and I’ll be your coach. You can join for free if you’re not ready to commit to a program yet and just need some help. I’m here for you.

Entering my 46th year

Howdy, y’all. I’m 46 now. I’m now six years older than my father was when he died. In some ways, I’m healthier. In others, well, you know the deal.

At my last appointment, my rheumatologist said she didn’t know what else to try because various meds did not have much of an effect. She also joked that I’m one of the rare types who lose weight on Cymbalta rather than gain. Ha, ha. (Note: I went off Cymbalta and gained everything I’d lost. I’ve since tweaked my menu and am back on the losing track.) she also had no answers for me about my swelling hands or glands on my neck. I am not amused. I have an appointment with my primary later this month. Maybe she’ll have answers for me since I had blood tests a few weeks back.

I’m tired, frustrated, and still fighting. Going more natural in conjunction with some meds to find the optimal balance and solutions. I’ll always have arthritis and Fibromyalgia. How my body handles them is what will change. I’m listening to my body more and found the ideal training schedule. I wear my pedometer every day and strive to get in more steps each week. I eat more leafy and non-starchy plants than bread and other starchy goodness. I eat less sugar. I drink lots of water and herbal teas, especially those containing adoptogenic herbs (Organic India’s Tulsi Teas are my favorite). I’m getting more sleep and taking Melatonin for help on bad days. I nap when necessary.

I will get better. I will improve my quality of life. It’s getting better every day. Cheers!

How are you celebrating the newest year of your life?

See ya, January! Happy February!

I’m glad to see January 2015 go. It was a craptacular month and I don’t think I could easily handle a second month of it. An annoying reason I hated the month is the setback. Grr, the setback. But, January is over and February is here. I’m ready for it.

I tried to post this yesterday, but the January Kick Ass continued for an extra day. My saved pots disappeared three times. I was not amused.

My goals this month are to get my eating back on track and learn more about what ails me. Research might drive some people crazy, but it helps me feel like I have more control. The Fibromyalgia quirks and tummy issues don’t bother me as much since I have an idea what to expect. I hope that makes sense. I wonder sometimes if it does. If it doesn’t, I blame Fibro Brain. 🙂

And speaking of research, I picked up this goodie a few days ago.

Ricki Heller‘s blog is one of my favorite stops and I know the advice in this book in my hands will make a huge difference. I’ll share more about the book and recipes here and in my Examiner column. If you need sugar-free, gut-healing whole food recipes, take a look.

I was advised to consider the possibility of candida overgrowth a little over a year ago. I took the assessment and scored in the top range before I completed the whole thing. Oy. Overachiever, I am. These recipes work with my eating plan. I just have to tweak things here and there.

For fitness, I’m starting another round of 21 Day Fix starting on February 8. 21 Day Fix Extreme drops today, but I am not ready for that one. Both 21DF and 21DFX are designed to get you on track with 30 minute workouts (yes), an easy clean eating plan, and quick results. All moves include a modifier front and center and only minimum equipment is required. I’ll use resistance bands and my favorite exercise mat. If you’d like more information on either program, give me a shout or visit my store.

30 minutes a day, clean eats, and modified moves that even I can do. Love it!

Do you have specific plans or goals for February? If you need or want support and encouragement, give me a shout. If you’re following a different program, it’s all good. This is all about support for whatever your goals are. Swing by Facebook and say hi.

Until next time, be good to yourself. Remember that you are not alone and that you are your competition.

Peace!

How was your 2014?

It’s the time of year when people make grand resolutions after looking back at the current year. I’m not making any grand resolutions myself. Goal setting seems to work better for me. I’m happy to have reached the majority of goals I’d set for myself and plan to do more of the same in 2015.

I’m ending this yer on a healthier note than I started it. I have more answers than questions about my health and am on the healing track. I’m not 100% there, but I am much better than I was. I still hurt daily, but I hurt a lot less.

I’m still working on my fitness. Yes, Beachbody programs play a huge rule, but walking and flexibility training are in the mix. I plan to take on Body Beast in 2015 and hopefully hubs will join me.

Body Beast works for men and women. Muscle burns fat, baby! Sherrie Thompson photo.

To train like a beast, I must eat like a beast. Yes, I will be plant-based because that is my way. Sherrie Thompson photo.

As for family stuff, I plan to keep doing what we do. I’ll love and accept them for who they are as people and not just because of ties. and I’ll beat the girl in her games, dammit. I can’t help it that I’m a dedicated PS person and shen bounces around.

As for swearing, that’s not going to change. I know when to reign it in and when to let loose. Letting loose is when I’m lifting heavier or tripping over the dogs.

Here’s to you. Set goals, work toward them, and live well. Do your thing. Compete only with your former self. Love yourself as you would anyone dear to you.

Peace.

**The link will take you to my Beachbody page. If you need a coach, suggestions on a program, or just want to hear from someone who gets it, give me a shout.**

How not to go vegetarian

Switching from an omni to vegetarian way of life can be easy, but if you want to keep it healthy, don’t do what I did. Let my mistakes be your guide.

When I first made the switch, I replaced all meat with additional bread, cheese, and fat. I thought I could eat anything I wanted in large quantities because I wasn’t eating meat. Unless the cheese is made with vegetable rennet, it might as well be meat. And those calories add up. I lost weight because I was working out five days a week. The minute things slowed down, the weight came on.

Another big mistake I made was not eating more vegetables. I ate the same handful of veggies I’d always eaten, but most of them were either starchy or smothered in cheese or butter or both.

And don’t get me started on the sweets. I feel into the ‘woah, this is vegan?’ trap and tried everything. Lots of everything. I still try lots of vegan sweets, but not all at once.

If you have any questions about my missteps, feel free to ask.

Until next time, peace and good eats!

Happy Halloween!

Have a fantastic night! Boo!

Good and bad days

We all have days when we feel pretty dang good. Our moods are good. We sing along with the radio and maybe dance, too. We hit our workouts with enthusiasm and leave it all on the floor. The workday flows smoothly and the kids go to bed without a fuss. Those days rock.

Oy, bad days. We feel like there’s a rainstorm overhead. Work is a mess, the kids fight and whine about everything, and you cannot stop dropping or tripping over things. We burn dinner. We feel overwhelmed and fall into bed only to stare at the ceiling most of the night. Those days do anything but rock.

Today is in-between for me. I’m singing and dancing in my seat, but there is no dancing. I’m barely coordinated enough to walk. And don’t get me started on cooking. My mind and body are not on the same page and a fibro flare is around the corner. But it’s okay. This will pass. I will survive and thrive. And dance.

What kind of day are you having?

Throwback Thursday

How do you get your fitness on? If you’re like me and not a big fan of traditional workouts, get more active in general. Play a team sport, dance, actively play with the kids and dogs, or get out and do more. Hubs and I are spending our free time on weekends going around and playing tourist. Sometimes it involves longer car rides, but we make up for the time seated with time walking around the sites. The sheer number of historic sites in Charleston makes it easy to find something to see.

We visited the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial