3 and 4 years...and going strong

This month marks a few anniversaries for me in my health and fitness challenge. This lifestyle change came with many adjustments in my life. Once I gave up prescription medications, meat, and adopted a regular fitness routine with progressive loading, much changed. Did my colitis and C.O.P.D. magically go away? No. As auto-immune disorders go, they have a resting/dormant or remission. Just when you think "I've got it" the bell is rung and you're symptomatic all over again.

I am grateful however, that although I still have flair-ups, acceptance was the biggest obstacle. Once I declared this battle I would fight for life, the moment came when any think non-traditional was open for inspection. A large part of this change was adopting a physical exercise program that help maintain healthy fat/muscle percentages. I am stronger, more flexible, and run with greater endurance than ever. Considering that we age in time, I think that is a good place to be.

Regular exercise is only about 30% of the battle. The other 70% of maintaining a healthy body composition is eating a nutritious diet. I started with a transition to Pescatarianism then to a full vegetarian. I increased my vegetable, fruits, and legumes. Whole grain breads, rices, and pastas ensure an optimum fiber content.

Many skeptics believed that I would fall. There was no way I could survive on this plan, because after all one needs meat to live. Really? Ask the gorilla. In short, it's 3 years as a non-meat eater and 4 years of physical exercise planning. Life could not be better. It certainly is better now than ever before.

I still see re-starters. I still get asked the same questions by the same people who have watched my physical transformation. I hate to say it but I hide from now...literally. It is not rocket science. I am living proof that change works. My diet is not so strict that it does not allow for cookies, cakes, and pies.

I follow the 80/20 rule. At least 80% of the time I am flying at regulation altitude. My diet and exercise is on point. The other 20% of the time, I am coasting, maintaining, and simply enjoying the foods that I have grown to love over this lifetime. Once I gave up dieting, everything else fell into place.

I encounter many arrogant first-timers who read a few magazine articles, leap on the bandwagon of the latest diet craze, and puff their chests out like they are pros. Until you have practiced it for a few years, then you cannot know what a veteran knows. There is nothing wrong with embracing a lifestyle change, but you cannot live your life on a diet, punishing and berating your entire plan because you ate four cookies, polished off a pizza, or ate cheesecake for lunch.

A lifestyle change means that you have found a way to make allowances for the comforts and rewards in the work and grind. For anyone who has trekked through a year and has come out on the other side, I salute you!

Here's to you as well...

2-year pescatarian-versary

It is official. Exactly two years ago this week I made the conscious decision to cleanse my body of meat proteins through a juice fast. Before the end of the week, I had set the plan in motion to become a pescatarian.

The first year was pretty much a transition that surprisingly went very smooth. This year is even better. I am still amazed that I can look at people eat these proteins and think “How can I make that vegetarian-like?”

The first year I was scrambling seeking out every food item of a vegetarian-meat-like variety. Last year I moved towards preparing my own foods, and cooking more from scratch. Not only does the food taste better, but I am convinced that it is large part of my why my body recovers at a faster rate from muscle strains and sprains.

This year, I am moving more towards healthy snacks, in hopes to quench my desire for ice cream. I will occasionally indulge in Healthy Choice Greek Yogurt. That vanilla bean is amazing. If it is ever on sale, which very often it is, I will definitely purchase. Part of the reason I am departing from 'cream' is because I believe my intolerance for dairy has returned.

In the effort to move towards healthier snacking, I opened a subscription to Nature Box. A few YT gurus subscribe to it and recently I discovered a link to receive 50% off the first month’s subscription. Raisins and nuts are a regular snacking staple in my house. They keep me satiated for a good three hours. I am therefore expecting Nature Box to provide me the same or better nutrition.

Let’s go!

it’s my Juneversary!

Singing: It’s my party and I do what I want to!

By the end of the first week of June, it will be my 3^rd year anniversary of the new, lifestyle living me!

By the end of the month, it will be my 2^nd year anniversary of a pescatarian lifestyle.

The two milestones are two things I am most proud of and I continue to share the benefits of these changes with anyone who asks.

I tell people all of the time that I may eat squarely four times a day (most days in equal hours between), I do not have perfect nutrition.

To celebrate this month of mileage, I will be reducing my workouts. Yep! It’s a maintenance month where I will work the bare minimum of days: Two (Cardio + Cardio/Resistance) on then one day off. 

This schedule became a reality when I realized that it was a month of celebration. There is no better way than to celebrate my journey by showing the best, with more focus on nutrition.

I feel so blessed to be sharing this post. I am proud of the work I have put forth, and I’m thrilled that I not only learned from this journey, but that I can celebrate both the failures and the gains.

If there is anything that you want to do, surround yourself by the people that can motivate you to accomplish your goals. If you cannot find a single person to lean on, lean on your own energy. Sometimes the best influence is self. I know that the best thing that ever happened to me was my God given independence. I was blessed to be able to do the work I need to do to achieve my goals.

challenge for May...

Run every day!

Yes. That's right! We're half-way through this month and this challenge should have been posted at the beginning of the month. The only cardio machine allowed in this month's exercise program is the treadmill. I am increasing the speed of my runs and shortening the distance. This is the usual. Only in the fall/winter do I stretch out that speed over distance. With that said, on the three days that I am doing resistance training each week, I will fire the engine with a one mile run on a higher incline than the running days.

In addition to running six of six days, which do include a 30 minute yoga stretch, I have returned to the beast of yoga, Lewis. I attend his class on Sundays at LAFIT. I have returned to eating my pre-workout snack, although some days I feel that it's causing me to drag on start, but flourish mid stream and go on forever. This is setting me up for some new ideas for the June and July programs.

Next month I will hit my 3rd year anniversary of living well and the 2nd anniversary of being a pescatarian. Both journey's have taught me so much about my body and how it uses food for fuel. Keep it moving!