Do you need Supplements for Weight Loss & Running

Do you need Supplements for Weight Loss & Running?

If you are generally healthy and eat a wide variety of foods as apart of a well-balance diet it's unlikely that you would need a supplement. A balanced diet includes fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains, legumes, lean meats and fish. and healthy mono/poly saturated fats.

If you eliminate whole food groups (vegans or vegetarians), pregnant or planning to become pregnant, over the age of 50 you may want to consider taking a supplement to help support your dietary needs and this is why there are dietitians out there!!

I'm often asked If I took anything in my weight loss journey. The answer is no.  I needed to see if I could be healthy and still lose weight. I wanted to ensure that I could eat and gain all my nutrients through food. Being diligent with nutritious foods kept my focus without any desire to lean on supplementation and I still feel the same way about my food and it's nutritional value.

I'm often asked if I take anything now that I've been maintaining and my Answer is Absolutely Yes and here is what I take *on occasions*

• on a day when I've accidentally eaten less than 1200 calories due to sickness I might take a multi-vitamin
• Vitamin C to prevent sickness - most especially as I peak in intense training periods. I usually take 1,000mg every other day for two weeks in peak training to help prevent sickness or perhaps I'll take one if a family member has become ill
• Vitamin B Super Complex just before/after an endurance run (anything more than a half marathon distance) B Vitamins are known to support the production of energy in your cells, but the benefits don’t stop there. They have also been linked to the immune and nervous systems, as well as healthy muscle, skin, blood cells, and more.
• Fish oil (controversial at times as to the true effectiveness of the pill vs eating fish) as to aid in reducing body inflammation before/after long run days
• Cinnamon- if I eat a meal that is high in carbohydrates I will take Cinnamon as it's known to help promote stable glucose levels.
• Protein- I believe in protein supplements as a great option for those that are on reduced calorie diets and running/weight lifting to ensure proper torn muscle repair. I do not believe in any form of health benefit from whey protein and definitely do not promote using soy protein. For greatest health purposes I believe in active enzyme type proteins like all pea and vegan proteins as well as hemp protein. These will actually be be permeated into your digestive system and not cause Whey bloat and do not have estrogen based properties like soy.

I just want people to know that you do NOT need to buy into the Supplement Industry. I know I don't need to take any supplements and I can live very healthy without anything. It's not at all that often that I do supplement and know if I do I use verified supplements and only taken upon planned thought on rare occasions. Nothing that I take costs more than a few cents either.

Ingredient Lists that are Unhealthy!

Now for the Ingredient List! This is Where I have so Much to teach you!

Artificials
Preservatives
Sugar Alcohols
unbleached
un-natural
MSG

It's a lot of work to eat clean out of a box. With that said- you really don't need to worry about any of that ↑ if you eat as clean as you can. You can purchase fresh and clean and never out of a box and eliminate the need to even learn all this stuff.

I know- I know we live in a world of convenience and If I can get you to at least eat better in a box and maybe steer you toward a cleaner way of eating (cause it's cheaper and easy and quick!) then I'll be happy!

Besides even as a clean eater I still buy frozen goods and even some some shelved products and I like to learn what it all means and even products like breads/pastas/flour etc they all require purchases on my part so it's hard to not buy something that has been prepared for me!


Artifical Sweeteners: I don't use them- They are Not natural- they are man made and our body ooes not recognize it!http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/13/artificial-sweeteners-more-dangerous-than-you-ever-imagined.aspx
Sucralose, Splenda, Saccharin, Aspertame, NutraSweet, Equal, Acesulfame K, Sunette, Sweet One


Sugar Alcohols: They can be partially broken down by the body, they are derived through real sugar however- they are mechanically derrived and the alcohol portion can cause intestinal/bowel problems.
Maltitol syrup, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Maltitol, Xylitol, Isomalt, Sorbitol, Lactitol, Mannitol, Erythritol


UnSafe- Unhealthy- Un-Natural Preservatives:
Sorbic acid (preservative)
Sodium sorbate (preservative)
Potassium sorbate (preservative)
Calcium sorbate (preservative)
Benzoic acid (preservative)
Sodium benzoate (preservative)
Potassium benzoate (preservative)
Calcium benzoate (preservative)
Propylparaben or Propyl-p-hydroxy-benzoate (preservative)
Methylparaben or Methyl-p-hydroxy-benzoate (preservative)
Sulphur dioxide (preservative)
Sodium sulphite (preservative)
Sodium bisulphite (preservative)
Sodium metabisulphite (preservative)
Potassium metabisulphite (preservative)
Potassium sulphite (preservative)
Potassium bisulphite (preservative)
Nisin (preservative)
Natamycin or Pimaricin (preservative)
Dimethyl dicarbonate (preservative)
Potassium nitrite (preservative, colour fixative)
Sodium nitrite (preservative, colour fixative)
Sodium nitrate (preservative, colour fixative)
Potassium nitrate (preservative, colour fixative)
Propionic acid (preservative)
Sodium propionate (preservative)
Calcium propionate (preservative)
Potassium propionate (preservative)
Calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate or calcium disodium EDTA (preservative, antioxidant)
Lysozyme (enzyme, preservative


ok, ok, ok, I get it- hard to remember huh? Well not really I just want you to memorize 4 words and don't buy em'!!
1) Benzoates
2)Nitrites
3)Sulphites
4)Sorbates
5) Butylates

BHA, Caramel

The only Natural preservatives out there is: Salt, Sugar, alcohol, citrus acid, absorbic acid

Additives:

Are You a Mindless Eater?

How to stop Mindless Eating.

Do you think you mindlessly eat? I bet there are many of you that think you don't. Yet most of actually do so and not even realize it. Perhaps you do but it's not at all that much of a concern to you in the grand scheme of your day and fit life. What if that eating is exactly what is holding you back from shedding those last few pounds so you can move beyond a plateau. What if that mindless eating is exactly what is sabotaging any weight loss at all?

I'll pretend for the sake of staying on topic that what you are in fact eating is healthy and clean. I'll keep focus on helping you determine what might be trigger times for mindless eating just for the simple gaining of self knowledge for future growth in your personal health.

• While you are cooking- how many times did you taste test something? How many spoonfuls or bites did you take in eager anticipation for the food to be ready? If you really sit back and add up the calories you consume while cooking you really just amaze yourself. Of a healthy 300-500 calorie meal you might be eating an additional 100-300 while cooking. Do You?
• While you Sitting on the Computer- We all lose time while on the computer. Whether you are a gamer or a social net- worker or your business is online much like myself it's easy for an hour to go by feeling like it was just 20minutes. Now ask yourself if you are eating during this time? How many handfuls of something did you eat when placed a bag of chips or even healthy snack in front of you?
• While Watching Television- Exact same concept- losing track of time. How many of you can handle watching even just an hour of tv without food in your hand? Do you find the association?
• While doing Study or Work at home- Where is the food...at your desk? Are you forcing yourself to get up and walk into the other room to prepare a food? Are you keeping food in a drawer or in a drawer- easily accessible for entertainment and joy?
• While in the car- No greater time to catch your breath and relax and most often we all want to associate Food with that feeling- so how often are you?
• While Visiting with friends- It's custom, it's our society- we visit and eat! Ok, Fine- but how much? Are you planning it out and paying attention or does the conversation take over and before you both know you conquered through a pie or a bag of chips?
• While out socializing in restaurants/bars- Exact same concept as Visiting with friends in each others homes- we lose focus and we mindlessly eat.
• Reading
• On Lunch Breaks or work breaks (how many of you feel like you eat to stay busy while on break?)

These are trigger 'places' . So what if you self discover here that you are in fact likely eating way more than you should be.  We can also quickly point out trigger times; stress, boredom, frustration, sadness, anger .......AT NIGHT ....and most often some of us think it's time for a reward for a hard days work! You have placed food into your reward system and therefore it's of great value to you.

Well first we can put the word "Mind" back into the equation. When we mindlessly eat we do so without thought. So now that you know that you are doing it; lets use our mind to fix it.  So how?

• Plan ahead~ There is no greater measure of success to alter a negative behavior pattern like being pro-active and planning ahead. First we identified when you mindless ate so one option would be to remove food from the equation till are you able to learn self control. If you feel you can handle moderation you can certainly plan ahead with mini snacks to keep with you with that will be of moderation for you.  I'm not talking 100 calorie packs by Nabisco (hey don't shoot me I want you healthy!) I want you snacking on healthy food options, Greek yogurts, nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, veggies and a low fat dip and make a complex carb of some kind  or maybe even fresh pan popped popcorn.

• You will determine before you meet a friend how much you will eat and when the time comes you will be in the mindful thought to follow through with your plan.

• You will learn to be uncomfortable as the change takes place. No one says that breaking habits that made you feel good (but made you unhealthy or overweight) would be easy. It's gonna suck and so I ask that you find was to cope that work for you. Meditation, walk, pray, exercise, maybe get a hold of support network (come to my page, or go to our group page about weight loss and share a thought or feeling!)

• Create "No Food Zones" - I know this may sound unrealistic for many but if you are visual person like me then you can place notes next to your work station or on your remote control next to your tv that say empowering messages that remind you that you are creating a new healthy habit and changing yourself for health and success. Remind yourself why you are on your journey and how much it means to you that YOU WIN THIS BATTLE NOT FOOD!

• Chew Gum- Don't under estimate the power of a piece of gum. This trick really does help!

• Fill Up on Fiber- Fueling up on High Fiber foods before you get to your mindless eating trigger spots can really help deter at the real pang of actual hunger (although c'mon most of are going to admit if we are eating mindlessly we are really probably NOT truly physically hungry! - do you know the difference?)

• Fill Up on Protein- going to eat- grab your Protein- make a shake- eat a 4oz pc of chicken & veggies (less than 200-300 calories) yet very satisfying

• Use this Opportunity to focus on Hydration - most often we are actually thirsty and not hungry

• Close down the kitchen during certain trigger times (again we are going on fueling off of emotion and not true hunger) and may people will actually refuse to enter the kitchen at all after a certain time. If it's after the kids go to bed is your trigger time then you can before the kids go to bed eat a snack together in the kitchen in quiet as a family and then grab your water and close the kitchen down till breakfast! Kitchen Closed!

• Take Food out of your Reward System. You do this by learning what rewards you can give yourself at the end of a long hard day that you will find comfort in. Surely Food is NOT the only reward you have. Certainly likely is the top of your Reward List "I did real good today so I'll have a bowl of ice-cream" which might lead to toppings and seconds (mindlessly) and 500 calories later you have now negated the 5 mile run you did this morning (calorie wise ;-) What will your new reward be? Hot bath, soothing music, a little extra sleep, a romantic swing on the porch with your husband? Maybe night time is a great time to reflect and give yourself the best reward possible- verbal praise. Self affirmations that you are Amazing! You are living a GREAT Life blessed Life!

• Fuel up on God- Make Your Body a Temple through him. Fueling on Faith and not Food series has begun in my Blog please have a look. It's really possible to remove food from your addiction list. I believe in all my heart that fixing your body begins with you head and now I even further believes it also happens in your heart. Love Yourself as God Does ~ Reward Yourself as God does! With Love~ Counting Blessings and Remembering whats most important is the Victory in your day in all that you did! That my friends will build your self love!

I'm NOT telling you NOT to eat, I love food and it's good for us and our body's need energy. We need it to keep mental focus at work and we need it for Life. I ask that you plan ahead, eat in moderation and choose healthier options. Food Is the Enemy. Our Thinking (or lack there of can be!)

~ CCRG

My Affiliate Black Friday Deals

Great Deals from my Affiliates and I just have to Share!

Brooks Running!

Black Friday deal: Free Run Happy tech tee with $100 purchase!

(expires 11/26)

 

 

Moving Comfort Running/Sports  Bra's

 

Free ''Support Your Girls' tee and free shipping with $85+ order!

(while supplies last)

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5k

Wayne Mason & Family held their traditional Thanksgiving Day Run. They raised well over 1,000 dollars for Warm the Kids in our Community and the run was free but we all show up, donate some money, meet up with friends and enjoy some refreshments!

 

This is What a Community Can Do ~ what a Beautiful thing!

I'm sick this week with an onset of a cold, all 3 my kids had it. I started to get it, started to beat it and with an onset of stress...BAM it came back to bite me big time!  It slipped quickly into my upper bronchial tubes and it was phlegm city from there out. (consequently spending 3 days under the weather in a big way)

Anyways!

My Husband had to work but he was with us in Spirit as the Sun shined Brightly!

 

Bundled Up the kiddos as it was a little crispy! But I was feeling mighty blessed for Sunshine and blue Skys on this Most Amazing Day :)

 



The first Mile the 3 kids did run/walk and even Austyn & Allyssa did run/walk/ride!  After the first mile Mommy said "Kiddos either run or ride" cause I really wanted to sweat and breath deeply a little bit and they were content!

Whitney is training for her first 5k and she was sick for ten days and she should of been up to 2 miles by now but today was going to push her into saying "Mommy, I don't think I want to train for and run a 5k anymore"  Can You Blame the 7 year old! it's training and it's hard but I told her nothing and let her ride for a bit. I love her, I don't want to push her I want her to enjoy herself. After she rode for a couple minutes she was back out and running and I can say she likely ran/walked almost 95% of the 5k and for that I'm proud!  So was she when we were done! it really was her first 5k!

To My Ultimate Surprise Both Austyn & Ally ran about 65-70% of the course! It was VERY Hilly but Ally's Preemie Lungs held up just GREAT!

SO VERY MOMMY PROUD AND BLESSED THIS THANKSGIVING ♥

Fresh Look- Lots of Changes

Well most of you have noticed and been following me the last week as I adventured into a new direction with my Blog & CCRG.

God has propelled me into this direction. Full of old insecurity and doubts I cast them away with this some how subliminal strength that he will take care of me. He leads me and I must follow. God is gifting me and guiding me. I must trust him. He has my back.

I have now taken CalorieCountingRunnerGirl which started just as a small blog to help me write about my journey and softly guide others became much larger than I ever anticipated in just 16 months.

Starting this blog just after reaching my goal weight; I knew I had this ability to at least reach out and share my story. I wanted to reach out and keep growing and self exploring. I went through so much last year and the blog was an amazing outlet to sort through my feelings. I am thankful for that ability to self express and sort. Many of you attached to my story, became attached to what I felt and shared.

I thank you for that support ♥

In that time I spent likely thousand hours sharing so much on the Internet. Pictures, motivation, support, e-mails, in person contacts. I grew, my outreach became world wide and I was blown away at the amount of people that need motivation and inspiration. I found what people needed was guidance and support. I became a Coach in an instant. I coached hundreds since my start with goal setting, working through emotional eating issues and online coaching with running etc. I answered questions and any ounce of giving made me incredibly humble.

What I needed to do is to keep going! Once I became born again at the End of July my life forever Changed! God grew in my heart and I began to live a life that would show the world that God & Jesus Lives Inside Me!  Even as a New Christian I can't (and don't) want to stop speaking how much God has always been apart of my life even when I was close minded. How he has been waiting for me. How I can be forgiven for all my mistakes and sins. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice and washed away all my sins. God Forgives me each and every day. I'm not a perfect person but I'll aim to live a Great Christian Life. I read my bible and pray all the time. Much like my health & fitness; spirituality needs to be fed every single day!

I changed my name from CalorieCountingRunnerGirl to CCRG Coach on Facebook www.facebook.com/ccrgcoaching and made a new website offering my services (actually this is my second website so please forgive me it's not finished yet) but I'll link you anyways www.CCRGCoach.com  my new email is ccrgcoach@hotmail.com 

Online you can find my services via the web. I already have experience coaching women around the world with running, weight loss and now I can do that on a deeper and personal level with more contact, phone calls and get deeper in coaching you in developing a healthy lifestyle.

What I'll be doing now is offering my services locally. I want to touch MORE people in community. I can do that with Weight Loss Coaching & Personal Training & Running. I am Beyond Glorified in this direction! It feels so perfect and right for me. I'm eager, excited and I know that God will bless me and my clients! In order to do that I need drop the status quo of just being known as Calorie Counting RunnerGirl.  Yes Calorie Counting & Running is a GREAT , EASY way for me but I honor all cardio and I know that moderation with food with food can be done with more than just calorie counting. They are both just tools and methods and I use all sorts even for myself and when I coach others! So it's time I remove that box I put myself in and go more main stream with my true beliefs ♥

I ask that you help me make the switch by going to my old facebook page and unliking me there and liking me at the new one! I know it's so hard to make a change when it took 16 months to get over 4450 followers and have just 1200 so far switched over. I don't want to get hung on numbers; it's not about the number is about making sure all my faves come over to hang out with me!

My services are up and going! if you need me I'm here! I do answer quick questions so don't hesitate to drop me messages :)

~CCRG
God Bless Us.

Holiday & Binge Detox

 

 

Are you Detoxing from A Holiday or Emotional Eating Binge or perhaps you are just starting your journey and want a place to begin?

 

Detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health. Here are some key ways to get to your best self.

• Sleep- Ensure you are are getting optimal rest so your cells can rejuvenate this happens during sleep. Research suggest that 7-9hrs of sleep a night is necessary for optimal health.
 
• Hydration- Flush your System. Do not just drink what you always do. Pay close attention to your water intake and up it a bit more. If you typically drink 70 oz a day aim for 90 to help flush out toxins.

• Green Tea- Stimulate the liver to drive out toxins with Green anti-oxidant tea. Green tea is best consumed 3x daily for greatest detoxification. Research suggests that you must let the tea brew for several minutes in very hot water ensuring you dip the tea bag up and down several times get out the flavenoids and antioxidants. Research also suggest that you drink the tea hot to get it's fullest benefit.

• Leafy Green Veggies-  Refueling with healthy nutrients. Find creative ways to add into shakes and all your meals. You can add fresh spinach to almost anything with no real impact on flavor (only color) Kale & Spinach are your power foods in this department.

• Cardiovascular Sweat Session- Whether you run, bike or speed walk it's time to get sweating. Extra sodium gets stored and it retains water. Most especially if you are a new person in the journey the more you sweat in your first week the greater your weight loss that week. You can lose as much as 5-25lbs in just one week if you do it right! If you are losing and maintaining and coming off your bender/holiday then simply get back to your normal routine the very next day. The water/sodium may take 1-4 days to come off but ensure the rest of this list and you could return in just one day.
 
• Eat Lighter - cutting your food intake rests your intestinal system so it can process all the extra food you ate. Do NOT starve. Don't NOT eat. Do not startle and scare your metabolism from binge to starvation. You will slow your metabolism quickly and the rebound weight will hold on tightly. Instead go back to your normal eating with small cutbacks on the little things you would normally have. (For example you have a popcorn every night, perhaps this time you skip the popcorn and eat nothing)
 
• Concentrate on Protein- Most everything that people tend to over eat on is simple, refined sugars. Take special note to drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake for 1-2 days and then resume back to complex carbohydrates.
 
• Reduce the Sodium in your diet- Improve the circulation of your blood; you likely ate enough in your Holiday or Binge to hold you over for a couple days.
 
• Avoid the scale for up to 3-5 days- that is if you can't handle the truth. Most often as much as the number dismays you it's also great to see how eating like that impacts your body. Being tuned into exactly how your reacts is actually integral part of your journey. Learn your body
 
• Take a Hot Bath - Soak away the toxins with Rest. Not only will you reduce the stress levels in your body you will purify your skin. Hot baths can actually help speed up your metabolism as well.
 
• Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fat
 
• Cut your Stress ~ Reducing Stress will lower your Cortisol Levels which promotes fat storage
 
• Yoga or Gentle Exercise to open up your lymphatic system cleansing your insides

• Herbs like dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle can aid in detoxing the liver
 
• Sweat in a Sauna-

• Meditation-

• Prayer- Nothing will trump the power of God. Rest yourself in his arms and Glory. Ask him for Strength in your journey to maintain control and keep the power of anything unto him only. 

 

Healthy Ways to Indulge on Thanksgiving

How to cut Calories & Portion Control on ThanksGiving

Turkey & Gravy:

• If you use butter spritz it on the skin of your meat for color or BEST yet use some low sodium broth to coat pour over your skin or maybe some white whine
• Roast Your turkey, avoid deep frying your bird this year
• Skip eating the skin and avoid the extra fat
• Aim for lean white meat but don't hesitate to grab some dark meat that yields more iron for your body and well worth the few extra calories for the added nutrients
• Use a fat separator for your gravy! (if you don't have one try putting your stock in the freezer to help freeze up the lard and get to the stock with less fat)

Cranberry Sauce:

• Make Your own Cranberry Sauce and you'll consume less sugar and get added antioxidant boost that you just can't get from the canned jelly stuff!
• Instead of taking fresh cranberries and adding table sugar add an apple juice concentrate

Stuffing:

• Stop making the boxed version (Stove Top...NO MORE!) Time for authentic healthy version!
• Make Your Own using whole grain bread
• Cook outside the bird so they grease does not soak into the bread stuffing
• Bake your stuffing in Muffin Tins for great portion control, further avoid using all the butter in most recipes and replace with more low sodium chicken broth
• Reduce the Carbs in your stuffing by adding more fillers like onions, celery, vegetables and dried fruit

Green Bean Casserole:

• Use Low Fat cream of mushroom soup
• Ditch the idea of the casserole and exchange the indulgent dish for a simple baked, broiled green bean spritzed with olive oil and dashed with seasoning!

Candied Yams/Sweet Potato's:

• Time to start thinking of Sweet Potato's and yams like a vegetable and not a Dessert! That means recipe rehab is needed!
• Skip the marshmallows on your sweet potato's! Trust me you won't miss it! While you are at it skip the maple syrup and just add some ginger or cinnamon for a bit of flavor

Pies:

• Make your own healthy version of any recipe and enjoy your indulgence!
• Use Low fat Ice Cream or Low Fat/Non Fat Whipped Cream on top your pie
• Ditch the top/bottom crust to save the calories (do you really love it anyways?)

Whine:

• Moderate your Alcohol Consumption by planning ahead how many drinks you will have.
• Choose light beer, wine, or drinks made with no calorie mixers
• Alternate between alcoholic drink and water to stay hydrated and keep calories lower.

When You are Cooking:

• Recipe Rehab! That is be diligent to find healthier versions of your most favorite foods.
• Avoid the Butter. Not everything has to be covered in lard.
• Use plenty of herbs/spices to flavor up your side dishes (think ginger, cinnamon etc)
• Roast, bake your dishes and avoid frying them in unhealthy oils
• Oils and butter in these recipes can be substituted with apple sauce, prune puree, or bananas.
• Add fresh veggie & olive trays to your dinner table before the meal so that you snack on healthy fruits/veggies instead of breads, dips
• Use low fat/ non fat cheese and spreads
• Use Greek yogurt in replacement of sour creams
• Use Egg Whites instead of full eggs
• If a recipe ask for  1/2 cup of sugar for example try making it with just 1/4 cup to save on calories and to reduce carb overload

While You are Eating:

• Portion control your carbohydrates (how many carbohydrates will be on your plate at Thanksgiving?
• Make just enough side dishes for the meal (you really don't need side dish left overs!) the greatest left over is turkey which is a Great source of lean protein
• Use a smaller dinner plate
• Stick to one plate of food (no seconds! or Thirds!)
• Use portion control on the easy to digest sugars (refined sugars) like sweet potato, potato, bread rolls. should be about 1/4-1/2 cup size!
• Dedicate which foods you will "indulge" on ahead of time and ration your sides accordingly.
• put the fork down, clear the table, put the food away, wash the dishes right away!
• Fill up half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables like salad, green beans and 1/4 of your plate with turkey and the other 1/4 with your enjoyment

Giving Thanks & Keeping Mental Perspective:

We Give thanks not through Food, We are Not Celebrating what's at our Table! We are to Remember why we are gathered around and take time to celebrate each other and to give Blessings for our tides and offerings. Enjoy your bounty of food with moderation. Take pride in control.

Remember if this time of the year is tough for you and you are struggling emotionally then being diligent and pro-active by reading and using these small steps can help you maintain control during a vulnerable time of the year for you.

Letting Go & Moving Forward

Letting Go & Moving Forward. ....... → ........ yet sometimes we back track ......←...... then other times we stand idle.....↨......


As woman we are built as often highly emotional, incredibly complex and we try to organize our thoughts, analyze or feelings. Or maybe that's just me. I've written a hundred times here on this blog about letting go and moving on. It's the freakin' story of my life!

So what's this time so different? When you back peddle out of curiosity, when you challenge a thought/feeling and see if you've changed .....have you?  I do that and I freakin' hate when I fail. Just when I think I've moved on, let go I test myself to see my growth, to see if I've learned my lessons. I apparently have yet to fully let go and move on. God you built me this way and it's a beautiful gift to have such deep raw emotion but it hurts really bad when they feelings are not clean, pure and good for me.

And before I pray can I just say it freaking sucks that people can try to destroy my life and they move on like it's no big freakin' deal! sucks, hurts, painful truth .......eating me up tonight!

Please Pray with me ♥

Dear God, help me to let go fully and move on. Please remove all those that have ever spent time in my heart that don't deserve to be there and make them be gone forever. Let them toil in their continued transgressions and release me of mine. I've worked hard to move forward and lead my life in your Great Glory, to make you proud of me. I ask that you help me Dear Lord to keep focus on whats most important and I ask that you lay your hands upon my heart and remove these feelings that backtrack my progression toward you & your purpose for me. Love You, Amen.

Fueling on Faith Not Food Series #2

 

 

There is this passage in Corinthians that sticks out to me. It's addressed in different subject; a topic about how we treat our body. Corinthians 6:12 - 20

What if I took the same principle about sexual immorality and applied it to food & unhealthy addictions?  After all what is being said in this passage is a deep message that we must treat our bodies with respect.


¹² “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

¹³ You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”

¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?

¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor  (Glorify) God with your bodies.

Do you think you Glorify God with your Body? Do you honor him by treating the temple of his beautiful creation (you) with healthy clean food?  I desire to Glorify my body for God, showing him that it is him inside me and that through him I can do everything. If food controls me then he has lost all control and I have idolized food instead of him.  Jesus paid the price not so that we can indulge and fuel our fears and suppress our feelings (hurt, loneliness, anxiety) through food.  If you live with the deep idea that through God you can do everything then you will learn to relinquish the control you let the food have and you hand it over to God.

Let's Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father please stay patient as we work through you to control our food and work through our faults toward perfection. Please work earnestly through us to help us build a Temple that shines brightly with your Holy Spirit. Let our healthy foods reflect a glow upon our skin that shines just as bright as our love for you and all that you have done for us. Please work through us as we honor our bodies so that we can continue to Glorify you! Thank You, Amen

                                                                             

                                                                                      Treat Your body like a Temple and honor God.
                                                                                                       ~CCRG

How to Increase & Track Your Water for Weight Loss & Performance

How to Track & Increase Your Water for Weight Loss & Athletic Performance

• Add Lemon
• Filter your water it will taste better
• Use a Water Bottle that is Fun to Look at & use 
• Tape Mantras to your Water Bottle to keep you drinking
• Set water next to your bed
• keep a water glass on hand next to your sink/stove and drink a full 8oz just before any meal (helps you keep full longer)
• drink 16 oz just before bed
•  Keep water in your car/work/school
• Drink water at least 30min before you run, during your run and after (for every pound of water weight you lose during cardiovascular activity you should drink 20 oz to replenish and flush oxidants & toxins from your body)
• Make sure you go BPA Free and go one better and stop using disposable water bottles that DO break down and aim for aluminum bottles!
• Don't ever drink stagnant water that has been sitting in old water bottles for too long; why risk the unknown leaching of any chemical into your water bottle. Want to purify our body not toxify it!
• Create a schedule for yourself that you can work with everyday of your life~ that is find your own water schedule.
• Avoid Soda pop but aim for high hydrated fruits, teas, coffee to aid in hydration

 

Tips to Track

Take a Rubber Band and wrap one around each bottle of water you drink!

 

 

 

Find and APP to help with that!



 

CCRG Michelle shared this with me when she was preparing for her Race and because she works and is very busy she tracked her water by time!




 

Water Bottles that track & time you....WOW! COOL!

Goal Setting for Weight Loss & Running

I am going to Coach you to Identify Your Ultimate Goals! What is Your Big Picture and where do you want to go in your life? I talked a little about your ultimate purpose in life and I coached you to find out where you are with your BMI. We identified your BMR and spent a while going over Calorie Counting Tips, Do's & Don'ts!  Now we need to form the BIG picture! Where do you want your health, body and spirit to be in the next month, 6 months and years ahead? Ultimately I think we all want the same things which include a healthy body reflective in looks of how hard we work, an acceptance of our body that leaves us content to put deep focus on other areas in our life. We want healthy body's for a long and Vivacious Life!


Now lets work together to set some formal goals. Goal setting is a powerful way to motivate yourself turning your visions into reality. We will identify precisely what you want to achieve and where to concentrate your efforts (in doing so we also identify the 'distractions' that keep us from cycling with goal failures). I am really excited for you and what I hope you find is the self confidence that comes from hitting your goals.

Let's time time to brainstorm. We are all here for the same Purpose and maybe we can even identify even greater life goals but for the sake of this Blog/Page/Journey lets stick to health & fitness & spirituality.

Now that you have "Life Goals" lets break that down into smaller goals. Take your Lifetime Goals down into a 3-5 year plan.  Then a One Year Plan. Then a One Month Plan. Then a One Week Plan. Then daily Plan.

For example:

 

Lifetime Goal: Get to & Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

 

3-5 year plan: Lose 150lbs and learn to maintain

 

Year Plan- Lose as much weight as I can, learn to how to control my food, learn to get more active, increase my self esteem

 

Monthly Plan- Calorie Count./ Portion Control my Food. Increase my Physical Activity, work through my emotional eating

 

Weekly Plan- Work-out xx times per week, stick to healthy eating every day of the week, plan my indulgent meal/snack for the week, increase my support system, write goal cards

 

Daily Plan (Your Daily to Do list) - access supports, identify food triggers, identify why I eat emotionally, work on increasing my self esteem with daily positive mantras. Record my food & water. Work-out and stick to portion control/calorie count. Take time to rest when I'm stressed. Get extra sleep tonight.

 

Rules & Tips:

• Upgrade your Daily Plan every day! Periodically review your weekly/monthly goals and trim down the unimportant and upgrade your goals as life changes.
• Make sure your goals are set in a positive spin~ Be kind to yourself this is supposed to be motivating. Try to avoid the words like "stop/don't" and instead use words like "control, I will"
• write them down in a index cards and write down your daily or weekly goals and keep them on hand. read them daily, keep it attached to your trigger points in your home/work/car. A place to remind you of your goals
• along with your goals I want you to write down why you are doing this and how you might work through any obstacles. these will be your coping skills.
• make sure your daily goals are attainable and take humbling pride for accomplishing your goal each and everyday! come and celebrate with me or the support network on the CCRG Facebook page or group!
• set performance goals not outcome goals: what I mean is that I don't want you to expect your day to be perfect and that means that you can set a calorie goal for yourself for the day but you allow the performance to be not that you hit that calorie count but that you tried, that you wanted to, that you worked through temptations and you coped with the stresses that either put you under or over and you look at how you handled your day (we are keeping this not on calories but your mental fortitude & growth!)
• Enjoy & Celebrate achieving your goals (not with food ;-) but with great thought, with sharing, with a special purchase, a new outfit, a massage.
• Once you have achieved your goals then it's time re-evaluate! Keep setting the goals to keep growing & learning!

 



Here is my Example: I like to write daily list for myself and here is my Weekly List. Don't mind my scribble; it's for me ;-p  But this is my weekly Goals for Food & Fitness & Faith!
At the bottom are mantras to help me keep on track. This is posted on my fridge and they help me! My daily lists help even more! I write down what I eat, what I'll be doing and I cross off my list throughout my day!

How to Dress for Cold Weather Running

I know all about Cold Weather Running Living in Central New York!



I train as much as I can outside in the winter; my first winter Running I spent a lot of miles inside (I was still a wuss!) LOL



Enjoy the Beauty of our Winters & Cold. Few & Far between when they can be this Pretty!

THEN......THERE ARE NASTY WINTRY DAYS LIKE THIS....UGH

RUNNING A HALF IN A FULL ON BLIZZARD...WOW!!!

We Ran a Half in a Blizzard and WOW~ What A Warrior Memory!

 

So Lets Talk about GEAR!!!

 

What to Wear Head to toe!

Head: Fleece Hat, head wrap, or Ninja Mask (the Head mask is GREAT for those with asthma and very sensitive lungs to the cold, you breath through a neoprene fabric and it will warm the air before you breath and will help keep you out there longer!

Columbia Fleece Hat $9.97

Body: Triple Layers for anything below Freezing
Wicking base layer (pulls sweat away from your skin)
Warm Layer (trap moisture, adds layer for warmth
Outer Protection Layer (keeps your middle layer dry from Elements) cuts the wind

Base Layer at Sports Authority~ Free Shipping

Be Economic Try the Asics Base Layer for Half the Cost! Free Shipping at Sports Authority Here!

Cold Gear Under Armour Outer Layer $64.99 Free Shipping

Legs:
Thermal Compression Pants
Outer Protection Layer (keeps the compression thermal base layer dry) Cuts the wind

Be Economic and go with Effective Lower Name Brand Compressions Like Asics for Half the cost! Free Shipping Here with Sports Authority

Brooks Thermal Compression Pants ~Free Shipping $85

Hands:
Gloves: Two pair in Deep freeze- neoprene thin and fleece outer protection glove

Nike Running Gloves $18

Feet:
Cold Gear Socks- Wicks the water away from the foot
Smart Wool- Keeps your feet Warm & dry
Goretex Running Shoes- the protective shoe keeps your feet dry in wet rain/slush/snow
(plastic bags) you can place your socked foot in a plastic shopping bag and then put in running shoe to keep your feet dry & warm! (trust me it works!)

Ghost 4 GTX just $78.98 with BrooksRunning! RunHappy!

Traction:
Screw Shoes-  http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm
Yak Tracks-

Tips for my Thrifty!

• Shop Outlet Malls for Greater Discounts
• If you are Military or Law Enforcement ask them if they take discounts
• Shop Liquidation stores  like "Marshalls" for discounted gear
• Shop Thrift stores for gently used gear
• check E-bay or your local craigslist
• Don't freak out when you are investing in your expensive Running Gear it will keep for YEARS! 
• Don't get caught up int he notion that you 'have' to use stereotypical running jackets (they are so expensive!! upwards of 200-300 hundred dollars) I use a Cold Gear Under Armour wind/rain proof Hoody with a base layer and Love it! $65!
• I use not so fancy wool socks from the hunting section at Wal-mart ;-p  yep, so sexy but they work!

 

 

Tips for my Bigger RunnerGirls

 

 

I can really value and understand the deep desire to not purchase high quality running clothing when you know that you are working toward outgrowing them quickly in your journey. So here are some quick tips to help you and keep you warm without huge investments. Go with at least a great base layer and use a large hoody as an outer layer. Use inexpensive thermal layer for pants with a pair of sweats as an outer layer. 



 



Fueling on Faith Not Food Series #1

^{Mathew 11:28-29
28} “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.


How often do you find yourself feeling weary (as you hunger emotionally?) I think weary is a great adjective to describe all sorts of emotions.  If you know you are hungry emotionally I want to teach you to become hungry "spiritually" instead! One of the greatest things I love to coach is how to handle our emotions. I've always suggested to my girls meditate, take a hot bath or shower, read a good book, go for a walk, listen to appealing music, chew gum, find healthier low calorie alternatives etc to treat emotional eating & binge eating. Now I can offer the greatest coping strategy of all; turning it over to God! Get out a Great Book is Right~ our Bible!

Jesus said he would give you rest! What you need to do instead of going toward the food to fuel your emotions you need to find a quiet a place and fuel your spirituality with the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray to God and he will help you lift your wariness and  burdens. Our Lord can calm you with his everlasting presence. You just got to take the time and you have to ask for it. Ask & you Shall Receive.

Isaiah 40-31
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 Learning to fuel your spirituality instead of your body when you are emotionally hungry will help you grow toward our Lord. He will renew our Strength. Your hunger will subside and you will gain spiritual fueling from God. He will fill your body with fuel and you will have strength (just like Isaiah said .......to run and not grow weary....to walk and not be faint)

John 4:34
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

What will Your Fuel Be?

Nourished on the Truths of the Faith ♥

~CCRG

Week #2 Holiday Challenge

Hello Friends! Welcome Back to Week #2 and I'm happy to still have you here. I'm reading great triumphant posts in the Holiday Challenge. You Ladies are persevering even some of you that are struggling here and there are finding your way. The drive is seen and I commend you for staying "Your" healthy course! There are no easy ways to change your life. The beauty is in the design of your own individual lives each with very unique and sometimes wildly experiences. Trust that as so long as you keep your heart open and your mind on the right purposeful thing you will do Amazing in all things that you adventure toward!

Quickly I want to re-cap and link you to Week #1 in case you are joining us or missed out on the chance to get all this done!

Week #1 Recap
Record Weight, Measurements, Pictures
Identify BMR, BMI
How to Calorie Count (do's & don'ts and tricks and tips)
How to Prepare Your Pantry
http://www.caloriecountingrunnergirl.com/2012/11/week-1-holiday-lose-or-maintain-holiday.html



Last week I wanted to keep it simple. I wanted you to get a chance to take a deep look at where you are at. This week let's talk about where you want to go (Identifying Your Purpose & Goal Setting)! Let's talk about what obstacles might hold you back (including Emotional Eating) and tips on how to really "overcome" this for the rest of your life. I want you to learn to what it's going to take for you to let go, move on in your own way. What will work for YOU! Quickly I'll do a Video on the Importance of Hydration for Fitness and Weight Loss and some quick tips on to keep track of your Hydration!

Week #2

• Identifying Your Purpose *In Life, With your Health, with your Body* http://www.caloriecountingrunnergirl.com/2011/09/what-is-your-purpose-in-life.html
 
• Goal Setting:Identify Long, Short Term Goals *Make Goal Setting Cards*
• What is Emotional Eating & how to cope (Along with Video)
• Hydration Video: Importance of Proper Hydration & Tips on How to Keep Track

 

I want you to work on checking in daily in the group, declaring with me or someone what you will do that for food & fitness. Make yourself accountable. Learn to open up and be supportive and get support. Often we all think we have to do everything all alone and this is so FAR from the truth. (Most especially Truthful for those that Believe that Our Lord Almighty never forgets us!)

 

As I build the links I will come back to this page and fill it! The very First Link you can go to today is the Identifying your Purpose!

http://www.caloriecountingrunnergirl.com/2011/09/what-is-your-purpose-in-life.html

One Squash 3 Recipes~ spaghetti squash, squash cake, squash soup

I bought one Squash for like $2.00 at the Farm. It was a nice size Squash probably about 4 lbs

I cut it in half after cleaning it and baked it till soft at 350' degrees in my oven.

I took the entire insides of the squash and pureed (tedious for me I used my magic bullet)

Once I had my squash pureed I took 3/4ths of the squash and added 6 oz organic tomato paste, onion powder, onion powder, sea salt, pepper (pinch to your liking)

Took 1 cup of the mix and used it as Butternut Squash sauce for my Spaghetti Squash. I took a small spaghetti squash and cooked it with my Butternut Squash and that fed myself and my husband.Creating 1 cup of Spaghetti squash & 1/2 cup of the Butternut Squash Sauce on top.

 

Took the remainder of that sauce mix and started to blend some non fat milk into it (could use any source of liquid to loosen the sauce) and then added some whole wheat clean crackers to it.

Then I took that remaining 1/4 pureed squash that was still plain, I started to add stuff to it to make a baked goody from it! how can you go wrong? Well I could of gone super clean avoided sugar but I went ahead and rationed table sugar and added.

 

2 cups of Squash

1 cup of Raw Organic Cane Sugar

1 tsp of Cinnamon

1 tsp of nutmeg

2 egg whites

2 cups of unbleached flour

1 cup of stone ground whole wheat flour

tsp of baking soda

 

 

Drizzled Honey over it and topped with a couple of walnuts!





 

I want to encourage you all to experiment in the kitchen. It does not take amazing culinary skills or even any at all to blend all natural food products together for a great taste (or even just a modest taste) I'm always creative, some flump, some flop and for exmpale how many times have you heard or ate squash cake? lol I have not but I did it anyways! where is the rule book? There are none!~ So I dare you to buy a veggie and explore!

 

 

 

More About ButterNut Squash, Loving Information borrowed from WholeLiving.com

Health BenefitsLow in fat, butternut squash delivers an ample dose of dietary fiber, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice. It provides significant amounts of potassium, important for bone health, and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems. The folate content adds yet another boost to its heart-healthy reputation and helps guard against brain and spinal-cord-related birth defects such as spina bifida.
Squash's tangerine hue, however, indicates butternut's most noteworthy health perk. The color signals an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. In particular, the gourd boasts very high levels of beta-carotene (which your body automatically converts to vitamin A), identified as a deterrent against breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration, as well as a supporter of healthy lung development in fetuses and newborns. What's more, with only a 1-cup serving, you get nearly half the recommended daily dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C.
As if this weren't enough, butternut squash may have anti-inflammatory effects because of its high antioxidant content. Incorporating more of this hearty winter staple into your diet could help reduce risk of inflammation-related disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

How to Count Calories ~ Do's & Don'ts

This is 2 videos of 3 part video grouping. Once I get the 3rd video up, I'll share that.

I spend a half hour talking about Calorie Counting! Is there that much to say? Yes! These are how to's, do's & don'ts. You really want to Give this "tool" a try to see if you can at least change your perspective, give you more education about what foods you eat (you'll actually be reading labels, be honest do you do that now?)

Speaking of labels I promised you on the video to give you information on how to read

http://www.caloriecountingrunnergirl.com/2012/04/how-to-read-food-label-to-lose-weight.html

Video #1

 

 

Video #2

 

 

Locker 105

I've finally been able to Breathe! I feel like I can finally let go of October and Pray for a Healthy & Positive November with at least a little bit less stress and difficulty. Here was the last 4 weeks of my life!

• Sept 30th~ I ran Wineglass Marathon
• October 8th~ Lost my brother in Law
• October 12th- Funeral & Photographed a wedding
• October15th- 2 photo shoots
• October 21st ~ I ran Empire State Marathon
• October 26th- Lost my Father in Law
• Started a run streak
• Started my Faster 5k Training program online
• Started to work on putting together our 8 week Holiday Challenge and opened it up a little bit earlier
• Throw in 4 separate family member meltdowns that caused lots of personal stress and even trauma for me I had some serious emotions to deal with.
• Created a Home Photography studio in an unfinished basement area. So after painted walls, new floors and ceiling, lighting and electrical, heat etc my Studio is UP!
• Trunk or Treat at the Church and have gone to all Sunday Services or Night Worships

Then Entire Month of October I was with my Amazing Husband & Kids. My husband on bereavement and then Vacation I spent the whole month with no time alone.
Needless to say my Husband just went back to work done with his vacation on Friday. I love my Family with all my heart but all people deserve to have some alone time that does not include modest run days. I need more time to do "everything" that is not just about the family, my kids or for other people.

So I was eager! Day #1 I would head to the gym but then I followed it up with about another 10 hrs of  worth of stuff that needed to get done (I'm seriously always busy~ I have not watched TV in weeks, I have not done any meditating, lounging, relaxing ~ nothing extra for over a month) when I got to the gym Locker 105 Greeted me! My Faithful Gym locker! I've been using locker 105 for years and it's not mine but I love to use it. Each time I open the door to stuff my gear in I give Thanks to myself for sticking to my routine. Thankful for being able to work-out and giving thanks to my routine.

I need routine. I need REST. I need an open mind and clear heart so I can pray and stay focused. I've declared my vision and goals and I feel I need clarity so I can keep working toward my Dreams. Great Thing I'm so Driven but I find so much more now the ability to sustain it all because I have God on my side!

I learned in October all the classes were Full for November and I'm working quickly to get set up for January for College, getting my acceptance letter was Nice (all be it expected)

My Studio is exciting. This space is ALL MINE. I'm nervous and blown away at this space I'm creating. With so Much credit to my Amazing husband for all his hard work & money! Although my wedding money was sure nice to help out a little!  Not only will this space serve as an indoor photography work space but it's also a place where I will expand my Coaching. I'll be working on getting my business license before the end of the year for CCRG and then begin to carry liability insurance once I officially open. What I'll be doing before I open up is getting my certification to become a personal trainer and continue working on my program. My Community Services will Include all Areas of Transforming the Mind/Body/Soul. One on One, in their home even! Taking my clients grocery shopping, out running, doing personal training in their home and teaching them everything they need to know in the first 3 months to transform their lives for good! I'm so excited! there are not many Places out there will come to your home and help re-shape how you think, move and eat! I'll be networking with all my resources for my clients as well for extra nutritional support, chiropractic care etc. My Studio is my office and my work space! Meet with clients there and train them and talk to them there! 

So this is my Personal check in with you all~ So when you see that I'm not always around that I'm busy living my chaotic & Amazing & Blessed Life! I value you all for being here with me, giving me a safe place to come talk, my non judgement free zone!

I want to start blogging more but I'm apprehensive and I shouldnt' be but what I'll try to do is share with you what I eat and maybe more pics again! Not giving you my quantity of calories or tell you my exact calorie count because we are all created different! But my ideas can help you in your journey so I hope I can inspire you.

what I hope to share from all this too as you can see I've been through a really traumatic month and I managed to maintain my weight. I even ran very little between the two marathons (OMG_ a sad 21 miles in two weeks) but it shows I can adjust my life as needed and I can manage through with success. Maintaining does not need to be difficult if I stick to the principles I learned when I lost and that is moderate my food intake, eat healthy & energetic foods and stay busy!

I'm overflowing though so I'm declaring Sunday 11/4/2012 my Entire Day of Rest. God Rested on the Seventh Day and I feel compelled to follow that lead as well today!

I hope you all are hitting your goals, I see from my blog that the posts are not getting read~ got to love technology so feel free to get in there, learn your BMI, BMR and how to set yourself up for success! How to Eat Clean & how to Calorie Count!