Living With Someone Who's Not So Healthy

This post is doing exactly what I hoped to do way back when I started this thing, answer questions! For the last three years, MANY people have asked how I maintain the healthy eating when I live with someone who is the complete opposite, my mom. The answer is quite simple, actually. We have to have separate cupboards and sections in the fridge or freezer. If I see the snack cakes or the ice cream, I'm going to want it. "But Katie, isn't that hard?" Absolutely. I think the hardest part is grocery shopping. Since I'm living there rent free, I do all the shopping. If it were up to me, I would buy fruits, veggies and protein. Nothing else. I wouldn't look at cookies, ice cream, bread or anything else fun. But I do then I'm more tempted to buy something bad for myself and, I hope this doesn't hurt her feelings, but I get embarrassed sometimes when I run into people who know me or even at the checkout lanes because I've got my healthy stuff and her bad stuff. I feel like some stuck up snob in front of me is judging me by the cookies I put on the belt and automatically assuming that they're for me. Wrong. The other hard part, which isn't even me being worried anymore, it's me being annoyed, is that she's had a lot of health issues but she doesn't want to change. Not even after watching me go through this physical and mental transformation. It's upsetting that she just seems to have given up but the more I push her, the more insulted she feels. So I give up. I do always use ground turkey or grass fed beef on occasion when I make dinner for both of us and I don't eat whatever she's having on the side. I eat veggies instead of french fries, A salad with greens instead of mac & cheese and so on. I make my healthy swaps, yes, it is more work, but worth it for me. She eats ice cream.. That is by far the biggest challenge for me, if you read my first or second blog, you know that I'm fully capable of eating a gallon or two of the good stuff. So, I leave and walk the dog when she pulls that out of the freezer. I keep Angies Boom Chicka Pop and frozen berries close if I need something or on a rare occasion, a greek yogurt. When you decide to take control of your health, there are always going to be people who question you, make fun of how much you post about it and try and tempt you, but be stronger than them in every single way! It's going to be hard and annoying, but always remember how you felt before starting, keep a picture close, have a goal and look at it every day. Then, those people won't matter and it'll go in one ear and out the other. As far as them making fun of you for posting on facebook, twitter and insta. They don't have to follow you, if they don't like it, there's a button they can click, right!? Hope that answers that question for you! I end with this amazing salad that I had last weekend in Stillwater, checkout the Dock Cafe if you're ever there. It's right on the river and delicious! This salad had apples, pecans, butternut squash and more tossed in an apple vinaigrette. YUM!

28, Feelin Great.

My Birthday was last week and I had what everyone should have, a Birthday weekend! I know you've all been sitting at the edge of your seat to hear all about it, so here you go! Two of my closest friends had a Birthday on Friday and I knew I'd want to celebrate with me, so we had our mutual friends over at My friend JT's house and had a barbecue with some drinks and a fire. Did I follow my diet that night? No! I ate really good for most of the day, ran 5 miles and then I allowed myself to eat whatever was at this gathering. Let me tell you, I'm still not to the point where I don't hate myself for indulging a little. I took one bite of our ice cream cake and instantly felt guilty and I continued to do so until the next day at the gym. It's okay that I splurged, I know that. I'm better today about it because I got right back to the foods that do my body good. I'm over it! Friday was a day of catching up with friends over lunch and coffee, one was Steph, I met her through the gym and she never fails to motivate me to keep going. We talked about how life has been going, how out fitness is going and yes, Our dogs. Love her! Another was my friend Jason, I met him about 10 years ago working at Caribou! No, he didn't work there, our friendship is a reminder of why you should always strike up a conversation with someone you don't know, it could turn into something great! Saturday was AMAZING! My wonderful friend, Amanda, got tickets to the Twins game from work and took me with her!

The game was on a rain delay, so we wandered around and along the halls there, they have names of the lakes on Minnesota, I had to stop and take a picture of the white bear lake name. I spent weekends there as a kid with my grandma and grandpa. My grandpa was my hero, he still is even though I don't get to call him or see him anymore.

After the game, we met up with ladies from the gym and they were determined to make sure I was happy and having fun. They succeeded. I'm so lucky to have met this group of girls, and to think, I never would have met any of them had I not started working out with our trainer. That's crazy to me! My birthday felt incomplete until I celebrated with them, it was a night that will forever put a smile on my face!

They aren't in that picture, but my friends Mike and Kallie came out with us, Kallie joined in on the fun to find me a "Tommy" (listen to Trisha yearwood to know what that means.) They didn't succeed, but they will, I'm pretty confident in that. I love you all, thank you for making it an Amazing weekend and thanks to everyone who reached out to wish me a happy birthday, I felt the love that day and that feeling is still around today!

The First Two Weeks Suck

I met a new friend over the weekend at a housewarming party for one of my best friends and she mentioned that she loved going to farmers markets. 

As I got to talking to her more, I learned that she was getting ready to change her life! She's starting the whole 30 diet on Monday. 

Talking to her, reminded me a lot of my self, she said she's scared, she doesn't like he way she feels anymore and just doesn't feel good. 

Even if she didn't want it, I offered up some advice and this is what I said:

The first two weeks blow. They suck. There's no sugar coating that. You're not eating all the things you want, you feel tired and you're always hungry, they suck! 

I remember my first week of workouts after going hard core paleo, I was tired, crabby, dizzy and I always had a headache. My body was going through major withdrawals, but Kirk kept promising it would get better and it did. 

I started seeing the weight drop again and I felt, for lack of a better term, cleaner. 

She also mentioned that she had never really had a good support system, you can't do this without someone or a group of people backing you. No way!

I started making friends at the gym because I knew I didn't have support at home so I had to find it elsewhere and some of those people are now people I couldn't live without! 

We talk to eachother when we want to eat a big bowl of ice cream, have a bad day on the scale or when we just need a simple "you're amazing" text message. Everyone needs that, regardless of what you want to succeed at, right? 

I'm so happy I met her and I can't wait to watch her crush it! Just get through the first two weeks, girl. You've got it!

Dealing With Cravings And How I Resist

I asked and someone delivered! 

 I asked you to let me know what I should write about and someone listened! 

Rachel, she use to come into Caribou all the time and I became close to her and her daughter, Kelsey. She asked a question I get all the time! 

"I would love to know about how you work through days when eating healthy is tough for you. How did you cross that threshold? Any specific strategies that you use?"

That's a great one, considering the other night I had a dream that I was at a birthday party where I ate a half a pizza, two muffins, a cookie, a donut, a cupcake and ice cream all in about 30 minutes. I woke up pretty hungry! 

The truth is, I never get over those cravings, especially in hard times, but I never give in. 

Right. But how!? 

I think of how I use to be, how I ate, how I felt and how I looked or how about the fact that walking made it hard to breathe? What got me there? Giving in to those bad cravings to have a gallon or 5 of ice cream. I use to feel slow and greasy and sweaty all the time, I like how I feel now! And, I know that if I give in to a pile of cupcakes, I will hate myself for a long time afterwords. 

Oh, and I can hear my trainers voice in my head saying "so, how's that nutrition going for you?" (Thanks, Kirk, you're haunting me.) 

I'm not always perfect, either. I do allow myself a sensible cheat every now and then, but I don't do a cheat day... Usually it's a cheat item. My metabolism still isn't in a place where it's use to healthy eating, my body still holds onto a lot of crap if I allow it into my system.. So I choose to avoid it if possible. 

Another tip is to find substitutes! Here are some of my favorites:

-Frozen Blueberries! I CRAVE ice cream daily, hell, hourly. These are a great sweet tooth fix! One cup is 100 calories or less!

-Almond milk, one of my favorite cheat items is to heat up organic dark chocolate almond milk. Boom. Hot chocolate!

- Angie's boom chicka pop popcorn. It's gluten free and free of chemicals and such. I may be addicted to it, but a handful is more than satisfying. But, confession time, I'm not perfect and I have enjoyed a full bag in one sitting. Oops. 

 

-Almonds. Great for energy, buy the emeralds 100 calorie packs and keep them in your purse or desk. (NOT THE FLAVORED ONES!!!) 

-Sweet Potato.. Ever had a craving for a hamburger but don't want the carbs of the bun. Slice a sweet potato into thin, round pieces, roast them. Put your burger between two of those pieces. You're so very welcome ;). 

Another tip, load up on protein and healthy fats. Carbs make you crave things, protein fills you up! 

I also eat more smaller meals throughout the day, not three meals. That's a load of crap. If I only ate three times a day, not many people would like me. You'll be hungry less if you eat 6 smaller meals a day. Try eating a little something every two hours! And it's true, never skip breakfast!!!! I'm absolutely miserable if I don't eat before 9am!

I'm not an expert, I've gone through the lifestyle change and I know what it's like. I'm here to share with you what worked for me and that's all! 

Hope that answered your question, Rachel!