Weightloss with an Iron Deficiency

Earlier this year I decided to get a physical since it has been years since I have had one. So after everything is done and I get blood work done I get a call from my doctor to come back in. She starts asking me questions about am I always tired and other things. Now I start to get nervous because I'm like Oh God something is wrong with me. I tell her being a single mom of 3, working full time, and running two businesses would have anyone tired. I was truly tired though. Extremely exhausted almost everyday, but when your as busy as me you don't think twice about it.

Turns out I am severely anemic to the point she was very concerned and even asked me about my menstrual cycle which coincidently was horribly heavy beyond words can describe (sorry for the TMI). So she puts me on iron pills which I have to take three times a day and sends me to my OBGYN to get checked out. My doc there put me on birth control to help out. But, here's the thing....I am a horrible pill taker. The only time I have taken pills consistently is when I was pregnant. Definitely not good and this time was no different. I have completely stopped taking my birth control because I kept missing days and I take my iron pills sporadically. I may do good for a whole week and then I may not take them for a whole month.

The Battle of the Binge

When I tell y'all I am so happy the holidays are over.... I am so done with it! In the last post I did about hitting the reset button, I said it wouldn't be difficult to get back on track, but I was wrong. It actually got worse over the weekend. I wasn't that I didn't prep the right foods, it was that my body was still craving sugar and salt. So I gave in and started to eat more foods I shouldn't have.

Saturday wasn't so bad and the beginning of Sunday started out great. For this whole Christmas week I barely drank water and never had any vegetables. That was my first mistake! Not only do I hold on to water weight like it's going out of style but not having ANY vegetables messed up my digestive system. Its crazy how your body will alert you when you are eating the wrong things but after a while it will just adapt be it in a healthy or unhealthy way.

The Holiday Reset

Soooooo I am sad......Not really! I started out strong with maintaining my indulgences through December, but I caved. Not the whole month, just this past week. It started with my companies second holiday feast which was way better than the first. We had so much food it lasted for days and we eventually shared it with the other company here. That day was fine, but I found that the busier I became the worst I ate.

It was hard to food prep, but I did a little. It was very hard to eat the food I prepped though because I was always on the go. I started to eat out, which in the beginning I was making good choices but the closer it got to Christmas the good choices became not so good choices. While this was not planned and I have been working out when I had the time, I decided to enjoy this holiday, sweet and all.

First Week Down...My First Impression of P90

I have completed my first week of the Beachbody's new P90 workout and I am not completely sold on it yet. I chose the Sweat Schedule which will have you doing more cardio than strength workouts since I need a good amount of cardio to help with my weight loss. So for one day you will do Sweat A and Ab Ripper and the next day you will do Sculpt A. These days will be rotated until Saturday which you will do the Saturday Special workout and Sunday is a rest day.

The first day I started I did get my sweat on and my abs did feel it but I was surprised the Sweat A session isn't a full 30 minutes and the Ab Ripper isn't even at least 10 minutes. Now day two for Sculpt A I was feeling muscles I have never worked before and I was definitely sore the next day, but this workout isn't a full 30 minutes either. the Saturday Special is the most intense workout of the week, but once again it isn't a full 30 minute workout.

My Beachbody Shakeology Review

When I ordered P90, they gave a few things I could add to my order for free. One of those things was a 7 day supply of Shakeology. I've heard a lot of great things about Shakeology from people who drink it. Some people even live by it and the benefits from it. According to Beachbody, Shakeology will help you lose weight, gain energy, reduce cravings, and help with digestion. It also claims that the nutrients you get out of one serving is more than you would be able to eat in one sitting. So I said sure why not give it a try.

On the directions it says to add 2 scoops into 8-10 ounces of water and add ice for you desired consistency. A card came with it with recipes to try different smoothies combinations. It also suggested to replace either breakfast or lunch everyday with a smoothie.

Ok so here is what I did with it:

I never tried any of the recipes mainly because I wanted to try it by itself. I wanted to compare it to other protein smoothies I have made before. I never replaced my breakfasts or lunches with it. Dinner time is the busiest time for me so making a shake instead of a meal worked out better for me. I also never added ice for two reasons, the first is I don't use ice trays or have an ice maker lol. My fridge keeps my water cold enough for me. And second I wanted to compare it to other drinks I've had like I said previously.

Wednesday Workout Mix Playlist

Enjoy!

My First Fitness Challenge P90

I will be starting my first fitness challenge. I ordered the new P90 (released this past September) and it is finally here. P90 is supposed to be a less intense version of the P90x series and I thought I would be a great option since I have an issue with my right knee. I figured it can ease me into higher intense challenges. I also wanted a switch up in my workout routine. I usually do Zumba, but will do Tae Bo from time to time. I want to incorporate more strength related exercises also. Toady I will starting and I will keep you posted along the way. Below are my starting numbers and pics. I will update my numbers at the 30, 60, and 90 day mark as well.....

My Stomach Betrayed Me

The holiday season is hated by many due to the never ending foods that are shuffled from house to house and we can not forget all the people bringing things into work. I work in an office that houses two companies and each year they both have a holiday feast. Everyone cooks a dish and we enjoy it for the whole day. I'm not talking about no finger food tray, I'm talking about ribs, fried turkey, mac-n-cheese, rice dishes and so much more. This does not even include all of the desserts, soda, and wine that is also in attendance.

This year was the first time have been able to control my food intake around the holidays. Thanksgiving was a breeze and I'm sure Christmas will be a cake walk too. To stay on track I do not and I mean DO NOT EAT OFF TRACK. I don't have a cheat anything simply because I know I am going to indulge on a later date and I don't want to keep eating junk which will make me fall off the wagon. Even though this is the most I have ever been disciplined with my eating, I did not think what happened at the first company's holiday feast would happen.

You Are The Most Important Person In Your Life

I received an email yesterday and at the bottom of it that is exactly what it said. "You are the most important person in your life." I read it again and again.....and again. When I think about 2014, I am not pleased with a lot of things. I repeat all of the should've, could've, would've and you know what? I don't get upset like I used to. There are a ton of things I could have changed or avoided this year but then would I be this strong right now?

I firmly believe in what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I am strong because I remember where I came from and what I went through. As 2015 is approaching quickly (Xmas is 14 days away...yay), I am excited to start a new and fresh year, but I am also scared of the unknowns. We never know what will happen in our lives until it happens. Should we worry about though?????

Wednesday Workout Mix Playlist

It's that time again! I hope you enjoy this week's workout mix and as a reminder some songs does have explicit lyrics.

Dealing with Temptation While My Children Indulge

Quick Update: My 2 week bootcamp to get right for my job's Christmas party was excellent. I was able to buckle down on my food and incorporate weight training into my workout routine. I am actually seeing faster results now that I have added weights. My starting weight was 292 (see post here) and on Friday I weighed in at 286, but I am more focused on seeing the changes in my body and boy are they happening! The picture on the left is from Friday.

Now back to the topic! I have three little nuggets that I have to chase around everyday and while I am incorporating this healthy lifestyle into the whole house, I don't want to deprive my daughters from things kids should have. I think all children should be able to have snacks, chips, and other goodies in moderation, but I definitely cannot have them in moderation.

Wednesday Workout Mix Playlist

I am designating Wednesday to share with you guys the music I like to listen to while working out. I think my playlists are a little weird lol. You know how they say the music you listen to while effect the intensity of workout? Well that's not me! I like some of everything. Majority of my playlist will consist of what I call twerk music lol. That's where there's a nice beat with a lot of bass. I also love to include some sexy slower paced songs because they have me wanting to be sexy and what is more motivation than wanting to look and feel sexy. Lastly I like a lot of rap music. I always have to some thought provoking lyrics to get my mind focused.

Why I am Giving Up Love to Be Healthy

I have shared many times my up and down relationship with my daughter's father and how our last break up was just horrible. This was almost eight years of stress and hurt that I couldn't take anymore. After the break up earlier this year, it took me a long time to get myself together. You spend so many years with someone who at some point did make you happy to having to let that person go because the relationship has become toxic. It was very hard to accept that I was better off without him even though I still loved him.

After finally collecting myself and picking up the pieces I was more than ready to get out there and begin dating again and I really didn't have an issue meeting men. My issue was more so of the men I had met. Now after all these years of drama I have a pretty clear cut picture of what I want in my future mate and what I will and will not put up with. Needless to say I found I had to cut more men off than I thought I would do to many reasons that I did not want to deal with.