Rotisserie Chickens

So I have been traveling lots with the family and my husband.  One of my greatest trials at keeping on track with weight loss and staying health is to fail at eating well and exercising are when I am away from home and out of my routine.  I am proud to say...not this time! Hubs and I have discovered the answer to all that travel...at least for us!  Rotisserie chickens.  

Ha Ha.  It's really more than just chickens... but that is how it started.  We take a cooler with us and have learned along the way to find grocery stores to purchase our snacks and even some meals!  I'm a small town girl and we don't have big city healthy food stores or amazing healthy grocery stores.  On this last trip we found a Whole Foods.  

<Pause sunbeam and angelic singing>

Whole Foods is THAT good.

Here is our hotel fridge after our trip.  Top left is a smoked chicken with barbeque sauce.  Top right is a ginormous salad that we will share.  Bottom left are two soups (local yumminess creole, seafood kind of soups), shrimp cocktail in the center and fruit on the bottom right.  Almost all hotels have microwaves these days at least in the lobby if not in your room.  You can also use the gas station microwaves if you need to!

That's another love of mine!  The Jimmy Johns Unwich.  No bread, lettuce leaves to hold in all the goodies.  I know the meat is processed and not "clean" but in a pinch it's a good choice and easy to eat while driving.

This little gem travels well too.  At the start of my trip I might eat it out of a paper cup (mixed it up at a rest stop) with some celery sticks I brought along.  At the hotel I mixed some up and then broke off hunks of banana to get that goodness into my mouth for a snack so I wouldn't over eat at dinner.  

I paid $7.50 for this bottle of water and cup of fruit!  Dang.  If I was smart I would have refilled my water bottle and stuck some of the fruit they served at breakfast in our fridge.  Sometimes the ambiance of purchasing a snack is worth it.  See the live Jazz band in the back ground?

Other snacks we take along?

bags of baby carrots-sometimes I need to mindlessly eat and they are crunchy and I don't have to feel guilty

cocoa roasted almonds-although a 1 oz serving is only about 20 nuts.  

microwave popcorn -pop it at a gas station microwave!

bananas, oranges, apples

I also cut up strawberries and cantaloupe before we left the last time.  

Having the containers was handy after another grocery stop too!

And back to the chickens.

Well, we have learned that the ones at Walmart are actually VERY yummy.

Hubs drives while I eat half.  Their Barbeque sauce is good (smokey) and we share a little cup of it.  They have napkins, forks, knives, everything.  Then when I am done we switch and I drive.  We remove the skin and I sometimes don't eat the wing or leg and leave it for him-he can have more calories than me.  Once we did this two days in a row lunch and dinner trying different chickens...Target, Walmart, Kroger, local grocers ha ha ha

I know. It's weird.  

We bought a bottle of BBQ for $1 that was pretty good actually and had like four meals for $25 for two people.  See...weird and cheap.  I'm winning ya'all over aren't I?

All in all at the end of vacation, I gain .4 (not even a half pound).  That is a victory.  In the past I would have gained 5 lbs and probably stopped all my healthy ways.

I enjoyed my meals while out on the town knowing I had done well on the trip down and back.  I continued my workouts.  I am learning to LOVE running in new places.  It has mixed up my training.  I have adopted some weight lifting strategies that allow me to do strength training with no weights if I need too.  

Does is seem humid here to you?  I think it's a bit humid.

Holy headbands that's gross.  I forgot my pony tail holder and there I am in foggy, humid, damp New Orleans running along the river.  It makes me laugh to look at it.

It's not a diet.  It's life.  Indulge if you want. 

But keeping the weight off and the work it takes to plan and do it is far worth the work.

Vacation shopping.  Honey can I get this?

9 days later

It has been exactly nine days since I started supplements and probiotics.  

On that day I met with my chiropractor for a routine adjustment.
My voice was hoarse and soft and crackly (is that even a word).
I had had the effects of vocal cord paralysis for 6 weeks.

My history with a chiropractor goes back about one year.  I had plantar fasciitis and was having trouble running.  I had orthotics, was taking anti-inflammatory medications and a list of physical therapy exercises that didn't seem to help much.  I wanted so badly to lose the weight and I knew running and eating healthier would help that but it was such a viscous circle.  Weight loss would help me run without so much pain.  Running would help me lose weight.  Lose the weight so I could run. Run to lose the weight.  

That's me and hubs at my cousin's wedding in the Summer of 2011. Probably 15+ lbs heavier.

Upon my very first visit, I was told that I had lots of things going on.  She adjusted me and we worked out a plan to work towards maintenance.
After two adjustments things felt better and after at third my foot pain was gone for longer and longer stretches-as well as the hip pain that always started after I ran any measurable distance at all.
I was hooked and I maintained my chiro visits faithfully about every 6 weeks.

Now fast forward to 9 days ago.

I walked into the office of the chiro for that maintenance adjustment as usual she asks "How's it going?"

She means what do I need adjusted.
When she hears me speak she asks about my voice and I tell her it's a paralyzed vocal cord.

She tells me that she can fix it.
Reluctant and stunned I say.
"What? My voice?"

"Yep" she says confidently.  "How do you feel about acupuncture? "  

"Uhhhhhh (freaky!  That stuff is crazy.  Needles randomly jabbed into my body is crazy talk!) why?"

"Well I am working with another patient who had no voice and she is starting to sound more like you."

She lists off supplements I need to take and I make a mental note.

I get adjusted and head to my local health food store for the goods.

That night, my husband and I catch mere seconds of a glimpse of a voice after one adjustment. 

It's Thursday.

I have an adjustment and acupuncture on Friday.  Occasional moments of a voice off and on.

Monday I am adjusted and have acupuncture and my voice has more good moments than bad.

Wednesday I am adjusted and have acupuncture and all Thursday and Friday I am doing well.

Friday I am again adjusted and have acupuncture.  Sunday I sing in church!

Now my voice sounds a bit like I just talked to much or maybe am getting over being hoarse from yelling.

She will be gone for 10 days on vacation so I am curious what will happen.  Will I continue to improve as the probiotics and supplements wash all those nasties out of my body?  Will it go back to the way it was?

I also do not want to count out the enormous amount of prayer that has taken place for me and by me. 

I know that God put each person in my path and all these circumstances lined up just perfectly according to HIS will.

I am still not sure what I God wants me to learn from this but I have learned:
 the importance of taking care of my body in a more natural and healthy way.
 the power of prayer.
 to appreciate my health.
 to be a little more open minded.
 to take charge of my health.
and most importantly to reduce the drama.

At first when this happened I cried.  HARD.  I was alone when I got the news and the prognosis was devastating. 75% chance of getting a more normal voice back someday-maybe in a year.
I should be tested for cancers.

God led me to learn that it was just my voice.  Other people endure much harder things in life than this.
He helped me to draw more near to my husband who kicked the supportiveness into ultra high gear.
He helped me to ask for prayer and rely on Him and his timing.
Once I did, things changed and I am changed.

That's hubs and I about a week after I lost my voice.  Ice Climbing.  I did more picture taking but hey I tried.

Oh and by the way.  The gas is pretty much gone too.  Don't run from me anymore!

Hunger and Temptation

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

There are times I am so hungry or having a craving so badly I go to great lengths to appease it.

Like when I really want something sweet and chocolaty but we don't have it OR I am fighting it.

Then I am basically an addict in a crack house.

I'm serious.

I do things like this:

This is my attempt to make a healthy brownie or breakfast bar that has a chocolate taste.

It was gross.

The good news is that I wasted time and took my mind off my quest for chocolate.

Yesterday, I ran 10 miles.  My longest run this year.... and maybe even last year.

I got up at 4:30 which meant by 10 am I was hungry for lunch then at 2 pm I was hungry again.

(I might tell you about this every post for a while.  I am pretty happy with myself.)

I tried  everything!  This was a lunch concoction.

IT. WAS. SO. HARD.

Here's a little back ground on tracking my food intake and activity output to get you to speed...

On Weight Watchers I can eat 26 points a day.  I get 49 weekly points.  I also get extra points for activity.

My run gave me 18 extra points.  I can use any or all of those weekly and activity points through the week.

Yesterday, I ate all my daily points then 21 more.  That's a lot.

Most days I go over 3 to maybe 10 points.

It felt like a fail.

Because of feeling icky, losing my voice, and gaining weight I have come to believe that most of what you put into your body should be for the purpose of fueling it.  

The "Eat to Live" mentality.  

Finally,  after thinking about this from about 2 pm until 8 pm I ate a peanut butter (Smart Balance not PB2) and jelly (Fruit spread) indulgent sandwich (White whole wheat bread) that measured out to 10 WW points.

It was my crack at that moment.

I then settled down and fell asleep.

In reading the verse at the top, at first, I couldn't think of a way in the world that God provided me a way out of that temptation.

Then I realized it was probably the run itself.

That over eating yesterday was offset by the run itself.

God gave me the strength to run that run and I have no shame at all in eating like I did yesterday.

I only hate the amount that I thought about the food.

That brings me shame.

Sometimes when I think back I hate this obsession with food.  

It causes shame to me to take up so much of my time to count points, plan, shop, research and find recipes.

I feel like it's not Godly to be so fixed on something.

So many people in the world are just trying to live until the next day!

But I also know from that verse that everyone in this world has their vice. Maybe more than one.

My struggle is not unique.

My struggle is my own and it IS BIG to ME.

And God wants me to learn to trust in Him and lean on Him.

I shouldn't hide these struggles AND I SHOULD give him glory in the victories.

So I am thankful today that I could run those 10 miles with the man of my dreams.

I am thankful today that I am not sore because I had the right food, clothes and equipment to run.

(sorry love these shoes)

I am thankful today for the Chiropractor God put in my path that is helping me to heal.

(those are the acupuncture needles)

I am thankful today to be surrounded in prayer by my church, family and friends.

I am thankful that I have the courage to write these things on my mind.  

The greatest satisfaction would be that they might be a testimony to someone in a similar situation someday.

Praise God for all that I can do and all that I have in this life.

Please help me to concentrate more on that than on what I don't or can't have in the moment.

CAN I GET AN AMEN?!

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

(I wish I had a picture flexing here.  That would have been so funny!)

Gas

No I don't mean the kind for your car either. 

This is not a blog post about gas prices or the Alaskan pipeline.

It's about my gas and it smells right now...bad.

Stop reading if you want. I'll never know.

But if I know you, I might wonder why you won't come talk to me when we see each other.

Look at me.  How can I smell so bad!?

Probiotics that's how.

Here is what probiotics are if you don't know.

So I started these guys because my chiropractor and the health food store guy believe that my immune system is deficient.  Some of my situation with my vocal cord believe it or not is because I have an unhealthy gut.  

That's an understatement.

For as long as I can remember I have not been...regular.

For real this even runs in my family.

Apparently it's okay to have gas but if it smells then something is not right.

You're not kidding something isn't right.

Farting in our family is something that invokes sheer horror in my teenage daughter yet

extreme laughter in my 10 year old son.

So I did some research on if this new probiotic could cause excessive smelly gas.

It's excessive.  My poor girl.  She thought the normal me was too much.

So candles lit, I found out this:

The light blue highlights are my random thoughts.

paleohacks.com

Now you have started to replace the bugs and the rumbling in your gut is the bugs having a turf war. They are actually fighting each other and when they die they putrefy and give off gas and smell. This will only last one to three weeks. 

One to three weeks is a looooong time.  It's been a week already.  

I might need to have the carpets cleaned and send the curtains to the dry cleaner if spring isn't here soon.  

This funk is poisoning my family. Literally.

I tell my patients to ride the wave and it will end and you will have a healthy gut.

We used to tell our patients to only take a multi-probiotic after an anti-biotic BUT now we tell them to take them all the time. Our food supply, unless you have supported the soil yourself and allow the fruit and veggies to vine ripen yourself, you are not getting what you need.

When first taking a multi-proboitic (and acidophilus is only one of the many bugs you need) one of two things will happen. You will having gas, bloating and likely foul smelling gas. or nothing will happen and you will go on about your business as usual.

Guess which one is me?

All the good stuff happens to THIS Girl

The first case you already had bugs in your gut but not the proper balance and the little guys have a turf war and fight each other, die and putrefy. Eventually the good guys win and the balance is restored.

YAAAAAY!

The second case you had NO bugs in your gut at all and they set up their little colonies and live happily ever after in their own little ecosystem.

There are products out there that have reproduced the bugs that were in the soil back in the cave-man days and those are the multi-probiotics I recommend to all my patients.

NORMAL GUT HEALTH consists of daily or multiple times a day bowel movements. 

(WHHHHAAAATT???  I need to show this to my family!) 

You should have gas, but healthy guts don't have foul smelling gas. 

Please.  

I rode in the car for approximately 34 hours with my mother to Florida and back.  

This might be her birthday present this year.

You should sit on the stool and evacuate in a few minutes without pushing or struggling. 

And that little gem if information would be nice to have known with the kids were little and bowel movements could ONLY take a couple of minutes.

If you don't have this you can if you take the proper multi-probiotic and I have seen some folks with really sick guts have healthy guts in one to six months depending on the severity.

For more Paleo Diet hacks: http://paleohacks.com/questions/48119/probiotics-causing-gas-flatulence#ixzz2MuWT88Y3
Follow us: @PaleoHacks on Twitter | PaleoHacks on Facebook

Leprechans on the toilet!

I feel like I live in a cave and that I am just trying these things and hopefully on the path to being more healthy at the age of 41. 

Happy bowel movements everyone!

Weight Loss

This weight loss roller coaster is never easy. NEVER.

It takes planning and time and sweat and MONEY!

It's rare that I am able to pull it all together so that I can have success.

This time it helps that:
the hubs is on board,
my mom works at her weight,
my sister joined weight watchers and is eating healthier
and I am surrounded by friends at work who also watch their weight!

Planning & Time

 I probably spend $150 a week on our groceries for a family of 4. Maybe more.

The leanest cuts of meat, fish, and chicken breast.

Fresh produce.

Natural and organic at times.

It takes me some time to figure out a dinner menu, make a list, and then go to 2-3 stores to gather it all.

I used to use more coupons and price match.

I need to make time for that again.

That's a snack at work. Half a gallon bag full of veggies.

I had this day off.  

I planned and made these yummy stuffed peppers with turkey sausage and quinoa for my lunch.

So good and filling on a cold winter day.

I like variety.  Variety is not budget friendly either.

SWEAT

So I have been getting up early.  

First at 4:45 to get to the body pump class at 5:30.

But I usually hit snooze twice and went there without a very happy heart about it all.

This morning I set the alarm for 4:30 (that is AM).

I got up-no snooze.

I had coffee.

I pooped 

(running or lifting when you need to take a dookie only causes embarrassment, pain and is a bad look for your cute gym outfit).

I got dressed and was at the gym in time to set up the weights and warm myself up.

I ran around 3 miles and lifted at body pump for almost an hour today.

Home around 6:45 in time to shower and start the circus of our morning routine.  

I love it.  I love the days I stay at home with the kids. Love.

MONEY

Money for weight watchers. 

Although, I am three weeks from maintenance which will mean I don't have to pay anymore.

Plus I really think it was worth every penny. 

I hunkered down and did what they said and it worked.

Money for the groceries.

I wish I had a picture of my shopping cart.  Maybe I can edit to add that in later.

Money for the gym fees.

Not my best but I'll take it.

Money for the clothes.

I know I posted that one but I seriously am in love with these shoes.

I get to wear them tomorrow.

The benefits?

My hope is-

less medical problems

That I won't yo yo and need to keep buying clothes

All the time I spend with the hubs working on this positive goal together.

positive recreation for me

a positive image for my kids

Energy

Hallux limitus

Not to be confused with I am Spartacus!   

Ha Ha stole that from the hubs!

Hallux limitus

That's not my x-ray but it might as well be.  Mine looks very close to that.  Basically, it's arthritis in my big toe joint.  I still run but I can't wear heels (GASP!) and I can't do plyometric workouts or even lunges very well.  Jumping-that's out.

I have had for maybe 9 months.  The  Chiro took a stab at it but she says I need a podiatrist.  That makes her super awesome too.  I just love when people can say. "I don't know." I think that's classy.  You don't have to know everything and I respect you more for admitting it.

So I went to the podiatrist.  She explained that I need the orthotics but they might need adjusted.  Since I no longer have plantar Fasciitis problems I thought the orthotics started this whole toe thing.  Apparently I need a rigid surface underneath that toe.  I also have to get the inflammation under control with a stronger anti-inflammatory.  I tried a natural anti-inflammatory for the last four days but I don't feel like it did a darn thing.  Lastly, I need to put some biofreeze on that nasty thing before I go on a run or whenever it hurts.  

I might need stock.

I'm still running and doing body pump and all those goodies. That's me with the trainer at the gym.  That girl is due in May....with a baby.  She is amazing!

Acupuncture

So I didn't look like the character from Hellraiser.  It looked a little more like this. 

The size of a wire. Ha.  And there was only one. Ha Ha Ha Ha.

So I was thinking this is nuts.  It is totally not going to do a dang thing!  I felt almost embarrassed that I was trying it.  I know people do this stuff all the time.  It seems nuts to me that doing that could work. I mean seriously it would save insurance bundles of money to do this rather than pay for collagen injections in my vocal cord, medications, or even surgery!

Well friends I am living proof that this Chiropractor lady knows a thing or two. My voice is much stronger!  I made some phone calls today.  I didn't feel as exhausted or breathy and my voice is more hoarse-a good hoarse.  Like maybe I yelled a little much at the soccer game.  

I also had an adjustment-my second in 3 days. I started supplements and vitamins.

Here's the list-

A multivitamin like One A Day (was taking before)

A probiotic (recommended for gut health)

Vitamin D3-5000mg (recommended by Chiro-auto immune health)

B complex (recommended by Chiro-auto-immune health

Magnesium 500mg (already taking for menstrual migranes)

Vectomega-Omega 3's (was planning to take so picked it up too)

Emergen-C (at least one packet a day)

I will get acupuncture two more times in this week (3 times in one week).

Stay tuned for magic.  

Vocal Cord Paralysis

Those are vocal cords. Yes, I know what they look like sicko.

Tee Hee

Anyway, I have a paralyzed vocal cord.  It's the right one. In January I would have some troubles after my cold winter runs with runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and hoarseness.  Then mid January my voice distorted and became horse and just never came back normal.  

Sometimes I sound like a wookie, or an electronic device, or Stevie Nicks.  The best I've gotten is Rachel Ray but that's a rare day.

I went to an ENT specialist after having it for three weeks and he did a scope and diagnosed the vocal cord. He also suggested a cause could be from tumors or nodules but CT scans all proved to be normal. Praise God!  That was a long weeks wait.

Since then (with the help of some educated and wonderful friends) I have switched ENT's and am currently waiting to be seen by a new one at the end of March. 

A routine trip to my chiropractor got me started on a more natural course of action in the meantime.  She did my routine adjustment and decided to continue to do more but suggested some supplements and other natural treatments including acupuncture.

Yep, that's what I envision.  

So today I am going to try acupuncture.  It takes 30 minutes and I am willing to give it a whirl.  She tells me she can have my voice back before I even go to see that ENT.  I prayed for her last night that she would be a wise and talented lady and that this would work.  

I only started seeing a chiropractor last year.  I have to admit I was convinced they were like voo doo or something.  I mean I thought life with medicine was the better life.  Well after she totally cured my plantar fasciitis-a very painful foot problem making it impossible to run-I am convinced.  And, she did this in literally a week.

I miss my voice.  I miss talking to people on the phone.  I missed talking at the wedding I attended last weekend to friends I hadn't seen much.  Not sure if Hubs misses it.  There we are all ready for the wedding.

So I am taking a gajillion supplements, probiotics (not to be confused with ebonics I learned), vitamins,  minerals and drinking lemon and honey and avoiding processed foods as much as I can.  I am working out and running and just trying to be healthy.  It's good.  I feel good.  I enjoy the time with husband and friends as they try to do the same.  Welcome to 42.  Woopidy doo!

Trail Running

Ahhh the outdoors.  I just love it.  It's weird because I hate being cold and I have this crazy wavy hair that makes me look like Einstein when it's humid.  But for whatever reason let me run outside and it's a good and satisfying day.

So this is a picture of the Hubs.  We went to a trail near our home to scout out a race course for a trail race coming up in May.  It build my confidence up this way...running the course several times so I know it's something that I can do.

So, we come to this spillway and there is NO other way across.  I tip toed out to that huge concrete block.  Hubs tried throwing other rocks to make a path across...no luck. Then he hoists me up before I can argue and carries me fire man style across the way.  With soaked shoes we had to run over 2 miles and I was so worried but we ran-cutting off a bit and he said he warmed up just fine.  I can't imagine. He's my hero tho.

I got these new kicks this week just for trail running and I super love them!  I tried on some much more expensive Solomon's but they were just too narrow for me.  I got these at Kohl's for $70 but used Kohl's cash so can you say FREE!  I need a wide toe box because they swell and I get blisters and what not.  I bought these puppies a whole size and a half bigger but they grip great and I feel so legit!

Trail running is new for me these last two months but it really makes me feel like I am incorporating strength training and running. The pace is great as we often walk the hills and it gives me time to recover.  There are tons of runners in our area that just say when they are going out and you can join them and we've done that a couple times to learn the courses.

Looky what I got at my first race....a 4 miler in January

That's no participation medal folks.  That was 3rd in my age group (sure there were only 6 of us who cares). Next time I shoot for....actually just finishing.  I'm not very competitive like that.  Ha Ha