Archive for Challenges

We did it! Final No Added Sugar/Fake Sugar Challenge Update! {DAY 30}

This is what I woke up to today:

funnyoscarHaha, good morning to you too Oscar!

Final No Added Sugar/Fake Sugar Challenge Update

We’re still going strong. Today is officially Day 30!!! We decided to extend the challenge to the day we leave for Arizona, but technically, this is the final day of the 30 day challenge and will conclude my updates for the challenge!!! (You can find the others here, here, here, here, and here)

Feelings: I feel really good. I’ve said this before, but I feel better than I have in a long time. My head is clear and I don’t feel intense hunger pangs like I used to. I’m usually pretty even keeled when it comes to hunger and I don’t need to eat being satiety.

Cravings: It’s strange, actually. I’m not necessarily craving any one thing. I look at cookies and go “meh”. Same thing with cakes, candy, etc. At the same time, I do feel like I’m missing something. Like there is something out there that I am craving, but I can’t figure out what it is. Never thought I’d say that!

Body: As you can see, I lost a lot of fluff off of my stomach through this challenge. I cut out diet soda and the minocycline I used to put in my coffee. Those were the hardest to cut out, but have made a huge impact on my body, in my opinion.

Final Thoughts

This challenge was definitely one of the most eye-opening challenges I’ve ever done. It’s amazing how much sugar is added to so many foods and sauces that you wouldn’t even imagine could have sugar. Avoiding it was tough at times, but since I eat pretty basic foods anyways, it didn’t throw me for too much of a loop. Someone that has a diet including lots of processed foods would likely have a much bigger change in what they could/couldn’t eat. The biggest change for us was that we couldn’t really go out to eat anywhere. Since we didn’t know what ingredients were in the foods, it was tough to go out. We were able to have Chipotle (certain items) and eggs/potatoes at our local breakfast joint, but other than that, we basically ate at home or brought food with us.

It was interesting to see the different stages that Charlie and I went through.

The 2nd day of the challenge, I had a huge headache. The kind of headache you get when you don’t drink caffeine for a few days. It was definitely a withdrawal from either regular sugar or fake sugars. My guess is fake sugars because of how much I was consuming.

The next weird thing happened about 2 weeks into the challenge and was something that both Charlie and I experienced: insatiable stomachs. No matter how much we ate, it always seemed that we were still hungry. There was a day that both of us ate almost constantly throughout the day and by the evening, were still not full. It was very odd. We aren’t sure exactly what that was, but likely a result of sugar cravings that weren’t being satiated.

The last week of the challenge has been the easiest. I actually don’t feel like I miss sugar all that much. The thought of sweet treats and desserts kind of hurts my teeth. I have no interest in diet soda (and am glad to rid that habit), and Splenda is a thing of the past. I’ll be sticking with stevia.

Thanksgiving will be an interesting day. I have a feeling that when we do ingest food with sugar, we’re going to feel it pretty quickly. I wouldn’t be surprised if we got sick from it. I’ll definitely make sure to report back about that.

We both plan to stick to this as much as we can going forward. We aren’t going to completely cut sugar out of our lives, but we are going to avoid it much of the time. We definitely aren’t going to go back to our old habits. The impact this has had on both of us is much greater than we expected and they are habits that we’d like to try to keep a majority of the time.

Favorite Things We Had to Cut Out

Lizzy:

-Splenda in my coffee

-Diet Soda

-Coconut Ice Cream

-Candy

Charlie:

-Reese’s PB Cups

-Haagen Daaz Ice Cream

-Starbucks Egg Sandwiches

Both:

-La Victoria Hot Sauce

-Weekly frozen yogurt date

-Ketchup

-Most breads

Progress

progressI need to take a final photo, but I didn’t have time this morning. I’ll post that this week as well.

Question of the Day

1. If I hosted a 30 Day No Sugar Challenge, would you want to be a part of it?

2. What is your favorite dessert? Maybe this will spark my cravings a bit! LOL

What’s a Pummelo?! + No Sugar Challenge Update: Day 14

Today is busy, busy, busy. Mondays always are, aren’t they? Let’s get right to it.

I was walking through the grocery store Saturday afternoon, and something caught my eye that I had never seen before. It was a pummelo. I’m guessing I’m about 1,000 years late to the party, but I had seriously never seen this before!!! And of course, I needed to get one and see what it was all about.

pummelo1It looks and feels like a grapefruit, but I’ll be honest, I had my doubts…..

pummelo2The closer I got, the more it did seem like a grapefruit. As I peeled it apart, I actually was thinking about how upset I’d be if it ended up tasting just like a grapefruit…

pummelo3The verdict? OMG, It’s delicious!!! Why did nobody ever tell me about these before? It tastes like a grapefruit without the bitterness. It also has a lemony taste to it as well. I’m officially in love and want to eat #allthepummelos. Thanks mom & dad for keeping me in the dark all these years. -_-

No Added Sugar/Fake Sugar Update: Day 14

Almost at the halfway point! I’d love to say it’s getting easier, but it seems much harder lately! Maybe it’s just because there is halloween candy and desserts everywhere I look, but I definitely eyed the shit out of these babies for an ungodly amount of time over the weekend.

cupcakesDon’t worry, I resisted. Not without shedding tears, though.

Feeling: I am hungry ALL the time, all day long. I eat and then I’m hungry again. And the cycle repeats. It’s kinda wild, actually. I think my metabolism is working much better without all the fake sugar I was consuming. I still feel clear-headed too!

Cravings: I don’t actually have any cravings, I just feel like I want a little something more. I for sure wouldn’t mind a donut right about now. 😀

Body: I’m feeling tighter and still, no bloating. It’s actually sad how much time I spent feeling bloated when I was taking in fake sugar and eating foods with added sugar. I truly think giving up the fake sugar has had the biggest impact, but taking both of those away has been truly wonderful in terms of how I feel.

Progress: I’m definitely seeing changes. They are small changes and hard to see on a daily basis, but looking over the past 2 weeks, it’s pretty obvious something is working!

progress13I think Charlie and I are actually going to extend the challenge a few days (we leave for AZ about 5 days after our original end date), so we (okay, really I made this decision) decided to just wait a few more days and then enjoy the holidays right! 😉

That’s all I’ve got today! Have a fabulous afternoon and I’ll see ya tomorrow!

Day 9: No Sugar Challenge Update {w/ Progress Pictures!} + Funny Dog Costumes

Hey guys!

Happy *almost* Halloween!! I’m probably not dressing up this year (I haven’t in a few years), but I always love seeing all of the funny costumes people come up with (especially for their dogs and babies)! These are some of my favorites:

Dogs-Carrying-Box Top-Paw-Basketball-Player-Costume-for-VznIvT-DogsS2 Khloe-Kardashian-Dog-Costumes 100-silliest-pet-halloween-costumes-large-msg-134764278367 animalhlwn1Haha!!!! There are SO many more…but I’ll stop there.

Workouts: Week of Oct. 27th

Monday: Sprints + 20 min. HIIT on Stairmill + Legs

Tuesday: Shoulders + Abs

Wednesday: Chest/Triceps + Sprints

Thursday: Boxing (or possibly a rest day)

Friday: Sprints + Legs

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Hike?

As you can see, I’ve recently started doing sprints at the track a few days a week! I started doing it to support my friend who’s competing, but I’ve been loving it and plan to keep it up. We keep it short and sweet while we’re there. We sprint the italia-meds (100 yds) and walk the curves. We have been doing about 3 laps each time, which equates to 6 sprints.

No Added Sugar Challenge Update

Today is officially Day 10! We’re 1/3 of the way there! Here’s how it’s going:

Feel: I feel good. I’m a bit more tired lately, but I think that has more to do with my workouts than with the challenge. I definitely feel more clear-headed.

Cravings: At first, the cravings for diet soda were really strong in the evenings, which is when I would usually drink it. I think it had more to do with the habit than anything else. That has gone away for the most part and I don’t really miss diet soda. I’ve definitely been wanting “something” lately and can’t pinpoint what it is. I guess just being able to have a bite of something sweet or having Maple Almond Butter instead of plain is something I didn’t realize I would miss, but totally do! Overall, I’m handling it fine. I’m eating better than I have in a long time, and fruit is tiding me over when I’m craving something extra.

Body: I’m wayyyy less bloated and less hungry. I didn’t realize how much fake sugars were affecting me, but as I said in my last update, the extremes of hunger and fullness aren’t as extreme. Sure, I get super hungry, but it’s different. I also don’t get as full because I think my body is better able to tell when I’m truly full as opposed to just craving more.

Progress: (I’m taking photos as I go through this challenge to see what happens. I’m not changing my diet at all aside from cutting out added sugar and fake sugars, so I wanted to see what effect that would have on me.)

I can definitely see the changes between Day 1 and Day 9. I’m excited to see what I look like on Day 30!

day1 day9Well, that’s all I’ve got for now! I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween! Eat some candy for me please!!!!!! :'(

Questions of the Day:

1. Do you incorporate sprints into your workouts?

2. Do you take in fake sugars? If so, in what form?

 

 

My Weekend + Monday Thoughts {not sugar-coated}

Hey guys!

Anyone else feel like the weekend just slipped right past them? I remember it being Friday and then all the sudden I was waking up to an alarm on Monday.

Friday night Charlie and I took a boxing class at Iron Boxing. Once again, it was a TOUGH class and I was sweating actual 12 mm bullets by the end. (Ok, so maybe I’m over exaggerating. They were more like 9mm. Also, I know nothing about guns, so 12mm might not even make any sense and that’s a-ok with me! :-))

armsMy arms are also looking extra awesome lately. I think boxing is a HUGE part of that. Anytime I’ve done boxing for an extended period of time, my arms start to shape up pretty well. They’re still a work-in-progress, but I’m happy with the changes I’m seeing!

After boxing, we decided to go get massages (genius idea, by the way) and relax for the rest of the night. The massage hurt so good. He definitely got some of my knots out, but I still feel like there are about 4,000 more. Guess I should get another one. 🙂 We spent the rest of the night watching reruns of The Office. Michael Scott for President.

michaelscottSunday, we headed over to a bar to watch the Chief’s win! Go Chiefs! After the antihistamine-meds, we did a back/biceps workout at the gym and I filmed some workout videos for Charlie’s mom.

plankI spent the rest of the day working on my new e-book that’s coming out in a few weeks! It’s completely FREE to download. It is the first of several “Missions” I’ll be releasing. This first is Mission #1: 10 Day Sexy Slimdown. A 10 day plan designed specifically to jump start your body into losing fat & inches + working out! It includes 10 days of workouts, a full 10 day meal plan, a complete shopping list, and a full exercise demonstration guide. I’m so excited to release this to you all!

sexyslimdownRandom Thoughts for your Monday            {not sugar-coated}

I say not sugar-coated because I haven’t had any added sugar in 6 days! Today is Day 7 and I wanted to give you my thoughts so far. It’s only been a week, but the changes are fo’ real.

1. I don’t feel so bloated and full. I think Splenda & Aspartame were the real culprit here. As I mentioned, I used to have 2 Splendas in my coffee (and about 2 coffees per day) + 1-2 diet soda cans with dinner. Since giving that up, I don’t feel like I get so full and my stomach feels better overall.

2. My head seems clearer. Again, I think the fake sugars were the problem. I feel much more level-headed.

3. I don’t feel the extremes of fullness and hunger as much. This sort of ties in with #1, but I feel like in addition to not feeling super full, I never feel super hungry either. Sure, if I don’t eat all day like I accidentally did last Thursday, I get HANGRY, but I don’t feel like I get so “starving” in between meals like I used to.

4. I’m drinking way more water. I drink it all day long and all evening long. The only other beverage I’ve been drinking is coffee (sans-fake sugar) and Kombucha (it has pure lemon & raspberry juice, but no added sugar).

5. I feel determined. This could just be because I’m in a good place with my workouts and nutrition, and therefore feel more determined, but I do think that giving up some of the toxins in my life has helped me to be more motivated.

So that’s how I’m feeling so far! Things are getting easier as the days go on. Saturday was tough because I did really want something with sugar in it (besides fruit), but I persevered and it went away. (Imagine that.)

I will keep updating you guys on the No Added Sugar Challenge that Charlie and I are doing. I’m so excited to see what 30 days of this does, seeing as just 6 has already been eye-opening. I’ll have Charlie check in with a post this week as well so you guys can see what changes he is noticing.

Take care guys!

Questions of the Day

1. Have you ever given up added sugar?

2. Do you use fake sugars on the regular? If so, how often?

No Sugar Challenge Update + Leg Workout!

Holy mackerel. That’s about all I can say about yesterday!

Yesterday was one of those days that I call an Unintentional Fast. Basically I was completely unprepared for the busy-ness of the day, that I didn’t eat anything for most of the day. For the record, I am NOT pleasant to be around when I haven’t eaten!

The day started innocently enough. I knew I had a bunch of things to do, but thought for sure I’d have time in between to get some eggs or something at my favorite coffee shop. Umm, no. I grabbed a coffee and a banana at around 8am and that was the last thing I ate until about 3:30pm. Can I tell you what happened in between those hours? NO. Because it was mostly a blur. I remember packaging things up, getting signatures for a boatload of documents, and hitting up a FedEx store to ship off said documents, but I’m not sure what else happened.

Lesson of the Day: FEED LIZZY.

hangry_grande

(This shirt seems appropriate)

Wednesday Glute/Ham Workout

Charlie met me at the gym on Wednesday and did a leg workout with me. We focused a lot on glutes and hamstrings in this workout. I list my weights for reference, but you know your body and strength, so choose the appropriate weights for YOU.

3 Supersets: Barbell Squats (95×12, 115×10, 11510) & DB Reverse Lunges (3 sets using 20’s x 12 per leg)

3 Supersets: Leg Extensions (drop sets: 10 reps @ 70, drop weight to 50, do 10 more reps) & Supinated  Hamstring Curls (50 x 15)

3 Sets: Thick Banded Hip Thrusts (used thick green band)

3 Sets: 45 Degree Hypers w/ 25lb plate

As always, check with a doctor before starting a new exercise program. You know yourself better than anybody, so always remember to honor your body.

Update on No Sugar for 30 Days

So Charlie and I are officially on Day 5 of 30. So far, it’s going well. I definitely miss diet soda, but it’s getting easier each day and I’m drinking way more water (score!). I also haven’t been just grabbing a protein bar on the go as a sad excuse for a meal (see above), so I’ve had to definitely plan a bit more. It’s definitely for the better, as I’m eating much more REAL food. I ate really well before with the occasional treats, but now I’m eating REALLY, REALLY freaking well. I definitely feel better overall.

How I Feel: I woke up Day 2 with a headache that reminded me of a caffeine headache. I attribute it to the fact that I hadn’t had any artificial sweeteners. Seriously, that’s crazy. I didn’t realize that my body had built up such an addiction to it, but I guess two coffees (with 2 splendas each) and 1-2 diet sodas per day will do that.

Sleep: I’ve been sleeping, but I’ve been EXHAUSTED this week. That could partially be from a busy work schedule and a jam-packed weekend, but I also think there could be some withdrawals happening for me with the artificial sweeteners. As I said, I didn’t realize how much this was affecting me, but it’s becoming clear that maybe it has. I’m definitely feeling better on Day 5 than I was on Day 2!

Workouts: I’ve been kicking ass. I haven’t noticed a difference here, other than I feel more determined.

Progress: Not a huge difference here, but I feel like my stomach seems flatter. I definitely feel less bloated.

photo(18)

No Sugar for 30 Days + Weekly Workouts

Woah! 2 posts in one day!

Don’t get used to it. 😀 ….At least not now. Maybe someday!

I’m working away and getting ready for boxing tonight. I can’t wait! There’s nothing quite like the crack of hitting the mitts. Until then….

No Sugar for 30 Days

So Charlie read an article over the weekend about a family that stopped eating anything with added sugar for a year. They had amazing results in how they felt and Charlie said it was something he was interested in trying. When my man wants to do something healthy, I always jump on board. (I’m usually the one dragging him into this kind of thing!)

We decided that we want to test this out, so for the next 30 days, we’re going to completely give up any added sugar or fake sugar. This means natural sugar (like fruit) is okay, but any type of added sugar (sugar, corn syrup, Splenda, Sugar alcohols, etc.) is a no-go. Stevia IS allowed, but in moderation. I.e. I had a stevia in my coffee this morning, but not in my oatmeal (like I usually do). This also means I have to give up my beloved diet soda. I know, I know, that shit is terrible for you anyways, but I’m going to miss it!

So far, the first day went well. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this affects me mentally, physically, etc. I’m going to take some  pictures along the way to see if/how my body changes as well. I’ll be checking in here from time to time as well so you can see what I’ve noticed. We’ll finish up the challenge just in time for Thanksgiving so that we can fully enjoy desserts (cuz….I’m not givin’ that up!).

Anyone else feel like joining us in no sugar for 30 days? (leave a comment…we can support eachother!)

Workouts Week of Oct. 20th

Monday: 20 min. Stairmill + Shoulders/Chest

Photo on 10-20-14 at 6.40 PM #4(my shoulder pump was out of control last night!)

Tuesday: Boxing

Wednesday: Legs

Thursday: Boxing + Back/Biceps

Friday: 20 min. Stairmill + Shoulders/Abs

Saturday: Full Body

Sunday: REST

Questions for the Day

Have you ever given up sugar? How did it make you feel?