Dear Fat Girl

Good evening Fit-Fam!!! Tonight I thought I would share a letter with you all. I was always told at the beginning of this weight loss journey, to write a letter to my future-self for when I need motivation, and so I did. Over one year ago, I wrote to myself. Tonight, I will share that letter with you and also write a reply letter to my past self. If this doesnt touch your heart, you might need to check your pulse.

Dear Sarie,

I come to you tonight to offer a memory. It is March 20th 2013, and I currently weigh 240.2 pounds. Is it silly to write myself a letter when I am not even sure that I will ever change? Maybe... I want to lose weight. I know I have said that a thousand times, and I always give up. I am still not even sure that this will be any different, but tonight I had to buy new underwear because my other underwear are cutting too tightly into my hips. They are a size XXL. I honestly don't know how I let this happen... I don't understand why when I look in the mirror, I dont feel "THAT BIG." I am completely in denial. 240 pounds isnt THAT bad...right? Wrong. I am so miserable. If I ever follow through with this weight loss thing, and should ever NEED to read this, I guess the  truth is better motivation than anything. I am miserable. I hide it well with a smile, but I still cry in the fitting rooms, and thats IF I even go clothes shopping anymore. They dont make cute clothes for "fat girls." I have a lot of "fat" friends who are absolutely as happy as can be with themselves. Why can't I be like that? I swear I fake it so often but I don't even look in the mirror anymore... I spend more time hiding from the camera, than I do actually enjoying myself. I rarely even go places anymore because I dont want to be seen like this... I hate when people watch me look through the clothing racks. It is absolutely humiliating to be seen grabbing the very last hanger in the back because I need size "whalephant." If by some act of God, you are reading this letter for motivation to keep pushing forward, hear me out. I am not happy. Underneath it all, I swear to you, I am not happy and I beg you to please not let me live my life like this. My husband and kids deserve so much better than this.....

Sincerely, Fat Girl.

Dear "Fat Girl,"

I come to you tonight to offer you a much needed lift in your spirits. The year is 2015... I first of all, want to say, that you are a STRONG WOMAN. Absolutely every broken piece of you has been held together because you have a heart of gold. I hope that you knew somewhere in your heart that you had it in you, all along. I know this because I am you, over one year later. You are not a "fat-girl" anymore. You are not miserable anymore. You have fought against the wind, and walked uphill in the dark, backwards, blind, to fight your way to this point. NOTHING about the last year was easy, but every triumph shook off a few of those demons that used to hold you back. You ran a 5k without stopping. You can officially go clothes shopping without crying, and you certainly do NOT have to pick from the back of the racks anymore! You have lost 100 pounds! You went from someone who knew NOTHING about nutrition, to a Certified Elite Personal Trainer! You are certified in Fitness Nutrition, Personal Training, Strength and Conditioning, and Group Fitness! You never stop smiling, and you walk with your head held high. It is amazing to be able to be around people and for once NOT wonder if they think you are fat. It is amazing to be able to get dressed, and NOT have to change clothes because of the way things fit. Nothing hugs too tightly, and nothing fits your shape awkwardly anymore. Yep- thats right! You have a shape! I know you were a broken soul before, but I need you to know that you were still able to succeed. I come to you tonight, proud. I am here to prove you wrong, because I always said one day I would. One day I would beat the odds; I would lose the weight. I know that behind that chubby smile was a LOT of depression, and today, both the depression and the chubby smile have packed up and left. You, are worth it. You were ALWAYS worth it, dearest fat girl. You just needed to prove it to yourself, because after all, you were the only one who didnt believe you could do it. Congratulations on your success, hot-stuff! Now lets go change lives!

Sincerely, Sarie. the NOT-fat-anymore-girl. xoxoxoxoxo

Change Your Life in One Week Challenge

Hey there fitness friends!!!

With all of the challenges circulating through social media recently, I decided to offer up a challenge of my own. So if you are reading this, you have probably witnessed my own life transformation, which was certainly not easy, and is certainly not done yet. I have lost 70 pounds! I get email after email each week from people I don't even know, who just want to know where to start, and I am always thrilled to help someone with the desire to better themselves.

Here is my challenge to you, all of you! I challenge you, to dedicate ONE week to your health. A single week, dedicated to getting a little more active, and following in my footsteps. Just one little week, of looking a little closer at your nutrition, and reaping more benefits than you knew possible. I challenge you, to put your health first, for just one week!

Why just a week? There is certainly a lot of thought behind this challenge, and while you will not lose 70 pounds in one week, the amount of change that will happen is tremendous.  A week is easy to commit to. when you ask someone to dedicate the rest of their lives to a new change, they crawl back into that shell because that is a scary request! I believe wholeheartedly in taking things one step at a time. What actually happens in that week is amazing though! You start to ask questions, and to learn how to track your macros. You start to move your body a little more, and you enjoy that accomplished feeling you are left with after each workout, no matter how small (even just a walk!) You start to get into a routine, where your life no longer revolves around food and eating, but around your kids, your spouse, your goals, etc and you learn what it really means to eat to live, not live to eat! At the end of that week, imagine how it will feel to see a few pounds fall off of the scale, and to be able to understand how you did it!

One week turns into 2, which turns into 4 which turns into more and more. If you have the desire to make a better and healthier you, and you are willing to learn and willing to try, there is no way you can fail. So what do you say, can you give me one week?

xoxoxo
-Sarie

If it Fits Your Macros (Part 2 of Macros Blog)

Good afternoon fitness nation!


I just wanted to pop in for a quick post, since I have quite the audience now! In a previous post, I explained what macronutrients were and how you can track them and adjust them to work for your weight loss. (if you havent read that post click this http://crazymomgettingfit.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-heck-are-macros.html ) I really just wanted to expand on that a little bit since I have had people ask me how it is that I lose weight and still enjoy some of the yummier foods in life. I promise, I am not a wizard with a magical metabolism (But hey, I can dream right? No harm in pretending to be a wizard lol. )

It's called IIFYM, and that stands for "If it fits your macros." Basically, look at your macros like you look at money. If you have $40, you aren't going to try and spend $50 right? If you do that, your debit card gets declined (and that is like a nightmare when there are people in line behind you lol. Look at your macros like you look at a budget (which can be a scary word, I know.) I know that I need 170 grams of carbs in a day (I eat 1700 calories per day and 40% of those calories are reserved for carbs.) If I get a craving for frozen yogurt, I simply look at the nutrition panel of the fro-yo. Frozen yogurt is pretty much all fats and carbs, and that's not always a bad thing! You need carbs remember? I need 170 grams a day, and if I decide that I want to spend 40 grams out of my 170 total grams on fro-yo, well then I'm going to do it! mmmmmmmmmm fro-yo!!!!!!

WAIT! Here's the thing... Yes, you technically CAN eat pizza an fro-yo and ramen noodles and make it fit your macros, but that doesn't mean you should. What I like to do, is a healthier modified version of this. Instead of fro-yo, I'm going to eat Halo-Top protein ice cream, or Atctic Zero protein ice cream. I still get my ice cream fix, but I made a better choice than traditional ice cream. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog.

So say I log my Halo-Top into my fitness pal, and I've eaten it. Now if I click that "nutrition" button on MFP, it is going to deduct all of those Halo-Top macros from my "daily balance." This means for the rest of the day, as long as the foods I choose fit into my "balance," I am free to enjoy them. The tricky part, is trying not to overspend in any category. If you notice you can  ALMOST fit something in to your macros, but not quite, simply eat a smaller amount of it, problem solved because you still get your treat, and it fit into your macro-budget for the day. Once you get the hang of this, it is amazing! There is absolutely no one out there who couldn't make this work for them for life! Make better choices, and find space for the things you want on occasion. No cheat day needed when you can make your favorite things fit right? Enjoy spending your macros, and get to it!

Feel free to share this with your friends and family!!

Why Do People FAIL in Weight Loss?

Good morning fitness nation!! I decided this morning was a good time to bring up the reasons why most people fail in their journey to a better body. I see these everyday from countless people, and they drive me nuts! I should admit though, there was a point in time when I was failing as well. If any of these sound familiar, dont take it personally, just understand that most of us see right through  it :)

Dishonesty:
So you're on a "diet." Your Facebook status says so, and you're always going on and on about how you are excited to be on this new "diet." Here goes.
"I've been good all day, I can eat this WHOLE pizza to myself and then have 5 gallons of ice cream for dessert." That food you just devoured as a reward, has calories. LOTS of calories! You are not supposed to reward yourself everyday, that defeats the purpose of having a caloric deficit. In turn, you will be 2 weeks into your "diet" and have probably gained weight.
"Oh my gosh Becky, I will never try that diet again! Dieting made me GAIN weight!!" No sweety, it was the lack of discipline that made you gain weight. What you eat in private, you wear in public.


Excuses:
Lets name off every excuse I can think of. Then I'm going to bust them.

1) I am just big boned/curvy. If you took an x-ray of your bones, you would discover that your bones are not a size 20. Being 300 pounds has NOTHING to do with your bones, it has everything to do with how you eat.
2) I dont have a workout buddy, so I cant go to the gym. Since when did losing weight on YOUR body become someone elses job? They aren't going to do it for you, learn to be independent, because in the end, you will learn that others HOLD YOU BACK. Stop relying on others for you to succeed in YOUR tasks.
3) I cant afford the gym membership. So go outside! Do you know how many times I've taken my kids to the park and did bench dips, squats, sprints, lunges, etc on the park equipment while they played? Easy.
4) I'm fat because my parents are fat, it's genetic. No, Your parents are fat because of the food they choose to eat. You are not them, you can choose to eat better, and move more. Weight loss is simply calories in versus calories out. Eat less calories than you burn and you lose. Boom. Its not mommy's fault.
5) I'm on a medicine that makes me fat. Really, youre 280 pounds because of the medicine? Not because of the 6 doughnuts and soda you just posted on Facebook as your "Breakfast of Champions?" I call B.S.!
6) I have kids, so I wouldn't have time. Well, I have 2 kids (3 if you count my husband) and they're both under the age of 5. As I mentioned above, I take them to the park! I improvise! I go on walks with the stroller. I dance in my living room. My kids dont have to eat the foods I eat, no fight needed.
7) I work all day and then I'm too tired. Did you know you can do 5 minutes of intense cardio to create up to a 200 calorie after burn? Do you REALLY not have even 5 minutes? Yep. That's what I thought.
8) I found a new diet pill that says I dont have to eat right or workout. Really? Guess what I just found? I found a magical penny that grows a money tree if I plant it. I'ts not working, I dont know what I'm doing wrong!!! Oiy. Seriously, don't you think the WHOLE WORLD would be thin and fit if it was as easy as taking a pill? Stop relying on other things to do the work for you. YOU have to put in the work.

So I'm sure there's a thousand other excuses out there, but my point in all of this, is that there really is no excuse. I can negate anything you throw at me, because I got over the excuse phase. I have lost 60 pounds so far, and I did that by admitting that I was overweight, and being HONEST with myself about why I was overweight, and then sticking to my plan to lose it! I was accountable for my mistakes (which DO happen) and I suffered the consequences and moved forward. I ALWAYS MOVE FORWARD!!!

What the Heck are Macros? (Part 1 of Macros Blog)

I remember sitting on my computer in June of 2013, thinking to myself, "What the heck are Macros?" At that point in my life, I was at my heaviest. I was 240.2 pounds, and hearing people talk about macros, and IIFYM, and percentages freaked me out. I've been there, but I swear to you that it really isnt as scary as it seems.

Your Macros are basically just categories. All of the food you eat, fits into these categories. Protein, Carbohydrates, Fats, Sodium, etc, are all Macros. A slice of cheese has about 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of carbs, and maybe 5 grams of protein. See how one food has individual categories?  Your body needs a healthy balance of all of these macros. How can you lose weight and be healthy if you eat 1700 calories of pure sugar? That's pretty silly, right? This is why people track their macros.

Each body type has its own needs. My body for example, (in a weight loss state, not a maintenance state) functions best with 1700 calories a day. (I am a woman and need less calories than a man does naturally, and these numbers depend on your workout intensity as well.) So out of 1700 calories, 40% of those calories are carbohydrates. That is the sweet spot for my body, but some people need more. These are your percentages. I have 40% of my daily calories reserved for protein. this leaves 20% left for fats.Your percentages will be different because they are based on what you do, weight lifting, running, sitting at a desk all day, etc.

My Fitness Pal and Macros: If you have an account with myfitnesspal, you can track your macros! This is the app I use daily to make sure I am on track. If you are on the mobile app, you can click menu in the top left corner and click on "goals." (if you are on a computer, goals is under the button that says "my home"). From goals, you want to scroll down to where you see the calories that MFP has set for you. You should adjust your calories first, (I recommend staying around 1700 for women and 2000 for men.) You are welcome to use my percentages and numbers above as you enter the percentages below the calories and adjust them as you see progress if needed. Save the changes and restart the app to refresh it. The app will automatically convert your percentages into grams for you. All you have to do now from our phone to track your macros, is click on the left menu icon, and click "nutrition" (if youre on the computer click on "food"). You will see where your macros are listed on the left, and on the top it will show you your goal for the day in each category, and how many you have used, and how many you have left. This is a great tool!! Pre-plan your day, and then check to see where your macros are! :)

Tracking Macros definitely takes commitment, but I can assure you, it is not time consuming though it sounds like it. It took about a week to get used to it, and then it was second nature to do it. It takes me 5 minutes in the morning to plan out what I will eat for the day and make sure it fits into my macros. From there, I dont have to worry about food. I eat what I planned out, and I lose weight. If I start to stall out on weight loss, I look over my macro percentages and make minor adjustments as needed. When you're ready, youre ready. I hope this helps to alleviate some confusion or questions. This is to my knowledge, the HEALTHIEST way to lose weight, because you actually focus on each nutrient individually before looking at calories as a whole.

For part 2 of this blog that helps you learn how to use these, click here:
http://sarieland.blogspot.com/2014/08/if-it-fits-your-macros-iifym.html

My Grocery List For Fat Loss!

So I get asked all the time what sorts of foods I eat to have lost so much weight. I decided it was time I posted a HUGE list of everything I have bought so that you all can pick through it and decide if these work for you! These foods are all able to be bought in person, and none require special ordering online. I have not listed certain products that require online ordering.

Fats: (though some of these are also protein)
Extra Light Flavor Olive Oil (you can do regular too, I just like the lighter flavor)
Avocados
Almonds
Cashews
Provolone Cheese
Swiss Cheese
Cheese sticks
Mozzarella Cheese (I really like cheese, ok?)
Butter (Sounds too good to be true right? Trust me!)
Heavy Whipping Cream

Protein: (Natural meats and my FAVORITE protein powders included)
Ground turkey
Chicken thighs
Chicken Breasts
Steaks!
Pork Chops
Cottage Cheese (dont worry about the fat percentage, you NEED fats to survive.)
Canned Tuna
Salmon Fillets Frozen or Fresh
Tilapia Fillets Frozen or Fresh
Natures Purest ZERO Carb Isopure protein powder (GNC) in banana creme, mint chocolate, etc
QUEST Bars, Cookie dough flavor and cookies and cream flavor (Quest.com or GNC or Commissary)
Pure Protein ready to drink cans, banana creme flavor (Possibly GNC, I bought at the commissary)
Adkins dark chocolate Royale protein shakes, ready to drink
EAS Carb Smart Ready to Drink shakes (there is also a 100 calorie sugar free version)
Beef Jerky (Doesn't this rock?)
Imitation crab meat, flaky style
Morning Star Veggie Patties - Grillers original flavor
PB2 (If you're unsure what this is, google it. it's peanut butter, but pressed into powder form. amazing)
Eggs
Egg whites in the carton


Carbs: (only 20% of my entire daily calorie intake is carbs, so I may eat 1 or 2 of these a day.)
Mission Whole Grain tortillas (the ones that say 3 grams net carbs)
Plain instant oatmeal (it gets flavored later, no worries)
Brown Rice (which I'll be honest, I dont eat often.)
Cream of Wheat (the plain kind, not the chocolate kind haha)
Honey
Black Beans (also a protein, lots of foods provide dual nutrients like that)

Carbs come from veggies too, so load up on ANY AND ALL veggies you want. I eat a ton of Cauliflower, Broccoli, and even certain canned stuff like Rotel (chili's and tomatoes all diced up in a can).

Misc stuff that is hard to categorize:
Almond milk - UNSWEETENED vanilla flavor
Seasonings and Flavor Extracts (But choose ones without added sugars, those carbs will haunt you!)
Buffalo Sauce (choose a carb-free sauce, you are already getting carbs elsewhere)
Stevia packets (the sweetener that helps with those plain oatmeal packets)
Food Scale (like $20, and trust me, its way easier than guessing! Accuracy is key right?)

I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of things that I have used in this process successfully, but this is a start. Remember, this is not a one-time shopping list, this is foods I have bought and used over the last YEAR that I can recommend when youre unsure where to start. Keep an eye out for the coming blog on how to USE these foods to shed your pounds. :) Happy shopping my friends!!

The High Class Life

Hello out there fitness nation! I realize it has been quite some time since I have updated you all with the shenanigans of my life.I have joined Gold's Gym's national 12 week challenge (that chooses 3 winners from each gym to compete nationally) and I have been working hard for that since you all last read! Since I have to work harder, I decided that 2014 was the year of branching out for me. I have been solo in this journey thusfar, and it does get lonely! I started by dedicating my cardio time to the classes that they offer in the gym (which explains my silly title.) I have learned a few things about each and I wanted to fill you in on the deets. :)

Spin class!
I am going to be honest here, spin class burns a TON of calories, has great music, awesome instructors, and goes by fast! What could possibly go wrong in a class so perfect right? Wrong. I did my very first spin class a few weeks ago and spent most of the class adjusting my butt on the bike seat to avoid that terrible awkward pain you get when you are new to the class. I survived however, and was proud, but I spent the next 5 days feeling like my inner thigh/crotch area had been beaten with a steel bat. You shouldve seen me trying to sit down, it was quite comical (unless you were me of course, that shit hurt!) After a few times going back, the pain subsided and now it doesnt hurt to do spin class, but newbies, prepare yourself, and dont give up!

Zumba class!!
I honestly expected zumba to be this big dance party that I would love and rock at. I was expecting latin glitter to fly off of me as I shimmied and mumbled spanish songs (without knowing what I was mumbling.) I was having fun, feeling like Shakira until I looked in the mirror and saw how UNCOORDINATED I looked. Ha! It's amazing I had no idea I was that aweful until I watched myself, and then I realized that zumba is harder than it looks! Hips dont lie? No sweetheart, my hips DID lie, because had I known I was dancing like a cat on catnip I wouldve stopped lol.

Body pump class!
I have a hard time getting over to the weights section of the gym because of the "big-scary-gym" factor (see previous blog titled "big scary gym.) I decided that body pump class would be a good alternative to that, since it is done with weights and an instructor. I must have underestimated the amount of work that is done in that hour, because the next day, I could barely move. HOLY FREAKIN SORE BATMAN. Have you ever dropped something on the floor when youre sore and had to have your kid pick it up for you because you felt like your muscles just went through a meat grinder? Yeah, that was me! VERY EFFECTIVE class, thats for sure, and I will be attending it 3x a week from now on!

Sh'Bam class!!!!!!!!!!
There is a reason I have Sh'Bam listed last, and there is a reason that it has so many exclamation marks. This is single handedly the most fun I have EVER had in a class before. I showed up to this class to find 3 instructors dressed in capes, masks, and tights - I was already sold before we even started dancing!! Sh'Bam is easier than zumba, and the moves are bigger and more fun to do. I am pretty sure Im going to show up in a mask and a cape at some point too at this rate! I always leave that class with an enormous smile (borderline creeper smile actually, with the really wide eyes and full teeth showing) and in a great mood! I decided that 2015 would be my year to become a certified Les Mills instructor for Sh'Bam class because I have never felt such a passion for anything like I have for that class. Do it!!!

I have many more classes to try out, but for now, I am enjoying the time I have spent in these ones. Between the creepy smile, the sore crotch, and the inability to move, these classes have made my life just like a sit com for the people who get to watch. I am loving trying new things, and I have learned that with every thing in life, there is good, and there is bad. You get to decide whether the bad outweighs the good, or whether the good outweighs the bad. Have a good week peeps, and as always, GO HARD OR GO HOME!