The Kat Files

Greetings on this fantastic Friday afternoon, dear reader! I officially completed the Fast Burn Challenge on Sunday evening. On Monday morning, I weighed in at 148.5 pounds, losing 2 pounds in Week #9 and ending the nine-week challenge with a total weight loss of 13 pounds. I also lost 3″ in my waist, 2″ in my hips, 2″ in both thighs, and 1″ in my left arm (weird, I know).

I learned a great deal about myself on this challenge, and I’m pleased with my overall results. I surpassed my goal of losing 10 pounds, ramped up my exercise, tried new recipes, planned and prepped meals (most weeks), increased my water intake, ate lots of fruits and vegetables, and incorporated intermittent fasting. At the beginning of the challenge, I chose a TRF schedule of 12:12. Midway through the challenge I increased my TRF schedule to 14:10. I finished the challenge with a TRF schedule of 16:8.

What are my takeaways?

First of all, the Fast Burn nine-week program is NOT a diet, but a roadmap to a healthier way of eating. It is a lifestyle that incorporates clean eating, intermittent fasting, and regular exercise. Second, it is an effective plan IF I put in the work. I will get out of it what I put into it. Third, making good choices through planning is the key to successfully becoming a healthier version of myself. Fourth, it helps to have people in my life who support my healthy lifestyle changes. My hubby is supportive and even helped prep and prepare many of my meals during the challenge. Being a member of the Fast Burn Challenge Facebook group has been beneficial. Also, blogging weekly about my journey on this challenge held me accountable, and quite a few of my dear readers cheered me on each week.

For me personally, starting a journey to better health requires the right mindset. And, my mindset is naturally affected by external factors. I am an emotional eater. Sugar, junk food, fried food, and processed food are what I reach for when I’m stressed, overwhelmed, or unhappy. I have been down this weight-loss road numerous times as an adult and have tried many plans and programs to lose weight and get physically fit. I am successful for a little bit, but at some point I fall back into my bad eating habits and abandon regular exercise. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed me this last time. I had adopted clean eating habits and lost 13 pounds back in September 2019 after reading Dr. Ian K. Smith’s book, The Clean 20. He had been a guest on Molly Kimball’s podcast, Fueled: Wellness + Nutrition with Molly Kimball, and they were talking about the benefits of intermittent fasting and his Clean & Lean program. Weeks after listening to that podcast episode (“Intermittent Fasting, Explained: 18 July 2019), I bought his book Clean & Lean and joined the Cleaner Get Leaner Facebook group. Instead of starting that program, I opted to read The Clean 20 first to develop better eating habits with the intention of adding intermittent fasting at the beginning of 2020. Then, the pandemic hit, the world shut down, and I ate my feelings. I gained back my 13 pounds plus some.

On 23 March, I started walking daily for at least 20 minutes per day. Many days it was longer because there just wasn’t much to do with everything shut down. In April 2020, Dr. Ian published another book called Mind Over Weight which I read in May and completed the written exercises with the intention to start my weight loss journey using the Clean & Lean program on the first of June 2020. June came and went, as well as the rest of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, and I never started my journey. I did NOT have the right mindset. Try intermittent fasting using the Clean & Lean book found its way on my 21 for 2021 List. I was determined to try it during the second quarter of this year; however, Dr. Ian published Fast Burn: The Power of Negative Energy Balance in April, so I bought it, joined the Fast Burn Challenge on Facebook, and started my journey to better health on 19 April 2021. And, here I am now, 13 pounds lighter with the desire to lose more. My mindset has shifted, and I’m determined to stay on this path to better health. It is a choice, and my future self will thank me.

There are so many benefits to eating clean. I have more energy and no longer feel sluggish throughout the day. I do not crave sugary, fried, or processed foods. There are days now that I crave a veggie plate with a cup of brown rice. That’s not to say that I will not indulge from time to time. However, planning for that occasional “treat” works best for me.

I have proven to myself that I can make good choices when dining in a restaurant. If I want to eat chili cheese fries once in awhile, I will eat them and enjoy them. Dr. Ian states on page 250 of Fast Burn: The Power of Negative Energy Balance, “It’s completely fine to have a good steak and French fries and even a slice of double chocolate cake (my mouth is watering just writing that!), but it’s important that you add these foods back in moderation, not just in their frequency but also their quantities.” Basically, make good choices the majority of the time, so you can periodically enjoy your favorites without guilt or negative consequences.

What’s next?

I have decided to complete another nine-week round of Fast Burn. I love this program! I love the variety it offers as well as its flexibility. Currently, I am on Week #1 and doing the 16:8 TRF schedule. That schedule may change the week in July when I am in Utah and possibly when I return to school in August. I will continue biking a couple of days a week and walking daily (at least 20 minutes). I would also like to add a day or two of strength training each week.

I’m excited about my new goals for this leg of the journey. My weight loss goal is to lose another ten pounds which I hope I can exceed again this round. My fitness goal is to start running again when I return from my trip to Utah. I follow a run/walk schedule for about 10-12 weeks that eventually allows me to run for 30 minutes. I bought a running magazine for additional motivation. When I can run for 30 minutes, I can run a 5K race. If my 52-year-old body can handle it and with more COVID restrictions dissapating, there may be a 5K road race in my future.

Well, that’s a wrap, dear reader! I won’t be writing every Friday about the second round of Fast Burn; however, I’ll update my progress every so often. Once I start my run/walk schedule, I’ll include that information for anyone who may be interested in starting a running habit of their own. In the meantime, many thanks to everyone who has cheered me on during my journey to better health. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Happiness!

“You now know what it takes to win. Take the lessons learned, keep your mind focused, and be confident as you stay in the fight!” ~ Ian K. Smith, M.D.

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Happy Fast Burn Friday, dear reader! I am currently in Week #9 of the Fast Burn Challenge. On Monday morning, I weighed in at 150.5 pounds. I lost .5 of a pound in Week #8 with a total loss of 11 pounds since 19 April. I attended a scrapbooking event last weekend and did very well with both my eating and exercise goals. My friends and I did not go to Bud’s Broiler, so I did not splurge on chili cheese fries. I am only a couple of days away from completing this challenge, and I could not be more excited about my progress.

This week has been much easier than the past two weeks. I can eat three meals and three snacks (100 calories or less) per day. Last week was tough with only two meals. Thankfully, my hotel room had a refrigerator, so I packed healthy foods for my scrapbooking weekend.

My friends and I ate at a restaurant together only once while at the scrapbooking event. We went to Mano’s where I ordered grilled fish with veggies and a side salad. The meal also came with french fries, rice, or mashed potatoes, but I did NOT get any of the three sides. Honestly, I didn’t miss the additional side.

Drinking one cup of lemon water per day has been added back to the guidelines for this week. I drink my cup of lemon water in the morning. My IF schedule has also changed to 16:8, and surprisingly, it has not been hard adjusting from 14:10. Frankly, I kind of prefer it.

Now, I will be totally transparent. I did splurge this week, and I do NOT feel one ounce of guilt. It is the first and ONLY time that I have splurged on the Fast Burn Challenge. Two of my fabulous friends, Michelle and Maria, drove to Hammond on Wednesday to visit with me. We went to Streetside Market for lunch, and I ordered the Sautéed Beef with Broccoli (sautéed beef stir-fried, mushrooms, broccoli, onion) on a bed of Golden Rice along with an eggroll. IT WAS SCRUMPTIOUS! And, I ate every bite.

Needless to say, I did not need to eat a third meal or two of my snacks on Wednesday. I felt totally content with my decision because I knew that one “treat” would not derail all of my hard work on this fast burn journey. It was a conscious choice that I had planned for ahead of time. I think it is perfectly fine to indulge from time to time. Key words, “from time to time.”

Kudos to Me for…

• meeting my daily water intake goal.
• meeting my TRF 16:8 goal.
• continuing to eat more veggies.
• meeting my daily exercise goals.
• planning my meals and snacks for the week.

Challenges

Well, this week I made a poor decision concerning dinner on Tuesday night. I had planned to eat black bean soup for dinner, but did not have time to consume it before leaving for my improv class. Since my class is an hour away, I packed two Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts with half a pint of milk and ate my dinner on the way. My meal was planned; however, my time was not planned very well. This also happened to me once during Week #3. As I have mentioned before, planning is the key, not only the meals and exercise, but also my time. I woke up late on Tuesday morning and fiddle-faddled for a couple of hours even though I had plenty of tasks to complete on my to-do list. When I have a scheduled evening activity in the future, I need to get up on time and not procrastinate or postpone a task until the next day. Another solution could have been to pack a turkey and cheese sandwich to eat on the way to my class.

It is hard to believe, dear reader, that my nine-week journey participating in the Fast Burn Challenge is coming to an end. While the challenge may be ending, my journey to better health is really just beginning. I’m eager to see my total weight loss when I weigh-in on Monday morning. I’ll publish a post next week revealing my total weight-loss, any changes in my body measurements, my overall thoughts about this plan, and my future goals concerning my health and wellness journey. Happiness!

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” ~ Greg Anderson

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It’s Friday, dear reader, and we know what that means! I am currently in Week #7 of the Fast Burn Challenge. On Monday morning, I weighed in at 152 pounds. I lost 2 more pounds in Week #6 with a total loss of 9.5 pounds. I am literally .5 of a pound away from reaching my weight loss goal of 10 pounds which I realistically set when I started down this path to better health. Of course, I will certainly be happy with losing more by the end of the nine week challenge.

To be sure, my weight loss journey will NOT end when the Fast Burn Challenge ends. This challenge is just the beginning of a healthier me. Truthfully, I would like to lose 30-35 pounds by the end of the year which I feel is doable if I continue following Dr. Ian’s guidelines. His programs are effective, easy to follow, and focus on choosing a healthier lifestyle that emphasizes clean eating, intermittent fasting, and daily exercise.

Even though Week #7 is proving to be a challenging week, I am still managing to have some success in most areas of the program.

Kudos to Me for…

• meeting my daily water intake goal.
• meeting my TRF 14:10 goal.
• continuing to eat more veggies.
• meeting my daily exercise goals.
• choosing wisely (Vegetable Sandwich) when eating at a restaurant.

Despite not planning and prepping my meals on Sunday evening, I am doing pretty well overall with my food choices. Actually, on Tuesday morning I made Sumptuous Strawberry Shakes for Andrew and me for breakfast and prepped Burner Smoothies for me for the remainder of the week.

Since I’ve been out of school, meeting my TRF 14:10 goal has been much easier. And, I’m having no problems following the guideline of waiting two hours after waking up to eat breakfast.

Yesterday, I had lunch with my friend Kimberly at Brady’s in Hammond. She recommended the Vegetable Sandwich which consists of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, red cabbage, and cheddar/swiss cheese with mayo on a special oat wheat bread. I decided to try it minus the alfalfa sprouts, light on the mayo, and added avocado. It was perfect!

Challenges

My biggest challenge this week is having NO snacks. Unfortunately, I cannot make it through the day without snacks. Now, with that being said, I do not need to consume three snacks per day. For the most part, I am choosing healthy snacks and keeping them between 100 and 150 calories. It is too hard for me to skip them, especially on the days I need to reach 12,000 or 14,000 steps.

My other challenge this week is not getting enough sleep. I am going through menapause which makes it difficult to sleep through the night in general; however, my geriatric dog Sophie (13 years old) and my cat Puar have also contributed to disrupting my sleep this week. Since Monday night, Sophie has woken me up at least once during the night to use the bathroom, and Puar keeps waking me up 1-2 hours before my alarm. They have both done this in the past, but not the two of them consistently in one week. Naturally, I know they are not being nefarious. Needless to say, I am dragging this morning. Today will definitely be a REST day (20 minute stroll after dinner). Thankfully, I am on summer break, and I can always take a nap.

Well, dear reader, another week of the Fast Burn Challenge is wrapping up. Only two more weeks to go until this part of my health and wellness journey is complete. Every week, I have learned new health and fitness related information, have tried new recipes or foods, and have gotten plenty of inspiration from the Fast Burn Challenge community. Happiness!

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” ~ Arthur Ashe

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Happy Friday, dear reader! I am currently in Week #6 of the Fast Burn Challenge, and I’m flying by the seat of my pants. On Monday morning, I weighed in at 154 pounds. I lost 1 pound last week with a total loss of 7.5 pounds since starting the Fast Burn Challenge on 19 April. My week has been a bit fractured and all over the place since officially starting my summer break. I’m already out of my routine which entails going to bed late and waking up later in the morning Thankfully, I have been on this program long enough to know what to eat and when to eat, so all has not been lost.

Week #6 begins the third and final part of the plan (Acceleration) with four weeks left to complete this challenge. While my week feels slightly willy-nilly, I am still hitting most of my goals for the week. I tried two new recipes that were both delicious. One saving grace for me is having the right kinds of foods in the house. If all else fails, I can throw together a salad or fix a veggie plate with a serving of brown rice.

Kudos to Me for…

• meeting my daily water intake goal.
• trying the Sumptuous Strawberry Shake. Yum-Yum!
• trying the Gramma’s Old-Fashioned Scratch Pancakes. Delightful!
• continuing to eat more veggies.
• meeting my daily exercise goals.
• choosing wisely when eating at a conference.

Challenges

Unfortunately, I did not plan or prep my meals this week. So far, Monday has been the only day that I followed the food plan for the entire day that is outlined in the book. On Tuesday, I attended a Teacher Leader Summit in New Orleans. While I ate the catered lunch (salisbury steak, green beans, small lemon square; declined mashed potatoes and bread), I packed water and healthy snacks to consume throughout the day and ate a decent dinner.

My TRF for this week has not been consistent. I have either been on the IF schedule of 14:10 or 16:8. My body feels the inconsistency. For the remainder of this week, I will stick with 14:10. Fortunately, I am waiting two hours after waking up to eat breakfast and going to sleep at least two hours, if not more, after eating my last meal.

Earlier this morning, I felt a slight twinge of disappointment in myself because I had the expectation that this week would be perfect because I am out of school for the summer. Thank heavens, those feelings dissipated quickly, so I can get back on track and enjoy this beautiful day. My family and I do not have any set plans this weekend, so my hope is to reorganize, finish this week strong, and plan for next week. Happiness!

“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” ~ Voltaire

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Happy Friday, dear reader! I am currently in Week #5 of the Fast Burn Challenge and at the halfway point of the challenge. Even though there are guidelines to follow this week, it is less restrictive. On Monday morning, I weighed in at 155 pounds. I lost another .5 pounds with a total loss of 6.5 pounds. This week’s weigh-in followed another Mother’s Day celebration. My hubby, youngest son, and I took my mother-in-law out to lunch at Murphy’s Seafood Restaurant to celebrate Mrs. Billie, and YES, I made another wise choice. I thought this would be harder than last week since my favorite meal and the only one that I order at Murphy’s is Eggplant Sarah (fried eggplant medallions over angel hair pasta topped with crawfish cream sauce). Instead, I ordered Grilled Catfish with a baked Sweet Potato which was quite tasty. I only ate one piece of catfish and my entire sweet potato and saved the other piece of catfish for dinner with veggies on Sunday. Except for this meal, I followed all my guidelines outlined for that day. Planning and moderation working well together.

Kudos to Me for…

• meeting my daily water intake goal.
• meeting my TRF 12:12 goal.
• trying the Blustery Banana Shake. Yummo!
• trying the Knockout Brussels Sprouts. Delicious!
• continuing to eat more veggies.
• meeting my daily exercise goals.
• planning my meals and snacks for the week.
• choosing wisely when eating at a restaurant.

This week, Dr. Ian allowed you to choose your IF schedule, so I went back to the 12:12. It is my last week to report to school before breaking for the summer, and the 12:12 schedule allows me to eat breakfast before leaving for work which is more convenient for me. Since this week is less restrictive, I ordered a Michelle Roll for dinner on Monday evening. It consists of snow crab, crabstick, boiled shrimp, avocado, asparagus, and cucumber wrapped in soybean paper with NO rice. I had a serving of the Knockout Brussels Sprouts left over from Sunday night’s dinner, so I ate that as well.

It’s a good thing that I am in this less restrictive week because I ate out again on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate my friend and co-worker’s retirement with my team. We went to a Mexican restaurant where I consumed a few chips with salsa, a scoop of guacamole, and a shrimp quesadilla. The only stumbling block is I ate the entire quesadilla. I should have eaten half and taken the other half home because I felt a little uncomfortable. Thankfully, we ate earlier in the evening, and I walked when I got home, so by the time I retired for the night, I felt much better. However, I did have a little tummy trouble the next morning. I suspect the salsa may have been the culprit.

Challenges

My only challenge this week is managing my stress. I’ve been a bit overwhelmed at work trying to wrap up my duties before summer break, and feeling a bit overwhelmed at home dealing with my geriatric dog Sophie. She is not sleeping well at night which is causing me to not sleep well. When I’m tired, stressed or feeling overwhelmed, I want to eat all the wrong foods. I have been VERY good and have not caved, but it has not been easy. I keep reminding myself that this is temporary and will pass. I keep reminding myself NOT to undo my progress. I keep reminding myself that the bad food choices will only make me feel better for a moment, and then immediately afterwards, make me feel worse. Therefore, I feel my feelings until the overwhelming moment passes. I’ve also had to take quite a few deep breaths and drink more water.

All in all, dear reader, I am proud of how far I have come on this Fast Burn journey. I am making progress, eating better, and exercising more. I really think being a part of the Facebook Fast Burn community has helped me stay on track. The people in the group, along with Dr. Ian, provide so much valuable information, support, and inspiration. My summer break officially starts this afternoon, so I am looking forward to stepping it up a notch in the exercise department and finishing this challenge on a high note. Happiness!

“At the end of the day, the rule of moderation is still the cord that can tether us to a food life that is well lived and positive, a vital part of who we are.” ~ Ian K. Smith, M.D., Mind Over Weight

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Happy Friday, dear reader! I am currently in Week #4 of the Fast Burn Challenge, and Dr. Ian’s words rang true for me at the start of this week. On Monday morning, I weighed in at 155.5 pounds. I lost another 2.5 pounds with a total loss of 6 pounds since I started the Fast Burn Challenge on 19 April. I am both proud and delighted with my progress, especially since this week’s weigh-in followed Mother’s Day weekend. My hubby and I took my parents out to lunch at Perrin’s Restaurant to celebrate my momma, and I am happy to report that I chose my meal wisely and absolutely enjoyed it. I ordered a Grilled Shrimp Wrap with Sweet Potato Fries. I ate half for lunch and the other half for dinner. Except for this meal, I followed all my guidelines outlined for that day. Planning ahead is the key!

Kudos to Me for…

• meeting my daily water intake goal.
• meeting my TRF 14:10 goal.
• continuing to eat more veggies.
• meeting my daily exercise goals.
• prepping most of my meals and snacks for the week.
• choosing wisely when eating at a restaurant.

One of my favorite meals to eat is a veggie plate with a cup of brown rice. This veggie plate had sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts that I air fried. I sautéed the mushrooms and spinach in olive oil with minced garlic. For the brown rice, I buy a package of Minute Brown Rice that contains two microwaveable cups. Since I do not really enjoy cooking, this is one of the easiest, quickest, and tastiest meals to prepare.

Challenges

So far, I have NOT encountered any challenges this week. On Sunday, I created my weekly schedule which included attending the 8th Grade Graduation at my school on Wednesday night. Next, I scheduled all of my exercise for the week. Then, I planned all of my meals. Afterwards, I made my Burner Smoothies. I already had prepared food in the freezer from last week thanks to my sweet hubby, who also grilled me some carrots and broccoli. It is also terrific that three of the seven days called for plant-based meals. I happen to love salads, so prepping for this week was pretty easy. Again, planning is the key!

My Fast Burn journey continues to not only be exciting, but also enlightening. I am learning new ways to challenge myself physically through exercise. I am learning new ways to properly fuel my body. I am ultimately learning how to transition into a healthier way of living. Furthermore, I am not missing the sugar, processed foods, or that pregnant whale feeling that comes from overeating. Better choices make for a better me. Happiness!

“To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep the mind strong and clear.” ~ Buddha

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Happy Friday, dear reader! I am currently in Week #3 of the Fast Burn Challenge, and I am continuing to do well with my diet and fitness goals. On Monday morning, I weighed in at 158 pounds. Although I did not lose any additional weight in Week 2, I did maintain my weight loss from Week 1. I would be remiss if I did not mention that I was a little bit disappointed.

Thankfully on Tuesday, Dr. Ian posted a live video session on the Fast Burn Challenge Facebook page addressing the rate of weight loss. This is what he had to say, “Good weight loss is considered to be anywhere from 1 to 1.5 pounds a week, on average. What does that mean? That means that you may lose 3 pounds one week, 0 pounds the next week, 1 pound the following week, 2 pounds the next week. Your numbers are going to vary from week to week. Most people do not lose consistently for all kinds of reasons. But, we’re taking the average. The average of what you should go for is 1 to 1.5 pounds per week. So, if you look at a four-week average of your weight loss, and it says you lost between 4 and 6 pounds in a month, that is considered to be very good weight loss.” Once I heard that information, I felt much better.

Kudos to Me for…

• meeting my daily water intake goal.
• trying the Honey Glazed Chicken. Delish!
• continuing to eat more veggies.
• meeting my daily exercise goals.
• eating mindfully at my crawfish boil.
• making wise breakfast/lunch choices during Teacher Appreciation Week.

This past Saturday, my hubby boiled crawfish with all the fixins. I had one tray of crawfish with a potato, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and a piece of sausage. I drank a cup of water before eating and throughout the meal. While I enjoyed my mudbugs immensely, they were salty and had a lingering effect of sodium overload on my body. Mercifully, it was temporary.

Challenges

• Making poor eating decisions due to poor planning and emotions.
• Making the time to plan meals for the upcoming week.
• Changing my TRF to 14:10.

Well, this week I made a poor decision concerning dinner on Monday night. I had prepared salmon for dinner, but did not have time to eat it before my evening activity. When my activity was over, I ate a quick snack (string cheese and 10 pretzels) before riding my bike. I felt it was too late to eat my salmon and veggies, so instead I ate two Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts with a glass of milk. I should have drunk a Burner Smoothie before my activity. Then, on Tuesday afternoon after having a funky day and feeling blue, I consumed six donut holes. Ugh! Of course, it made me feel worse, not better. I need to feel my feelings not eat them.

This past weekend I ran out of time and did not plan my meals for Week 3 as carefully as I did for Week 2. I am definitely a work in progress in this area. Fortunately, I had the staples I needed for my meals and snacks, and my hubby cooked the Honey Glazed Chicken on Sunday. I also prepped my Burner Smoothies for the week. In addition, this happens to be Teacher Appreciation Week, and the Home and School Association provided breakfast and lunch every day. I have been SUPER good all week and only ate the healthy offerings. NO desserts! I made sure to avoid the boardroom and any foods that would tempt me. Out of sight, out of mind!

Lastly, I was supposed to change my IF schedule from 12:12 to 14:10. This means a 14-hour fasting window and a 10-hour feeding window. I was successful Monday-Wednesday, but not Thursday or this morning. Because of my work schedule yesterday and today, I needed to adhere to the 12:12 IF schedule. I should not have any issues on Saturday and Sunday with following TRF 14:10.

In general, I physically and mentally feel better. I continue to do my best which looks different each day. Adding more exercise to my daily walking routine has been nice, and I now look forward to riding my bike throughout the week. I keep reminding myself to enjoy the journey which I am not doing alone. Dr. Ian has created a fabulous community page on Facebook where he gives us lots of tips, support, and encouragement, and we (the challengers) can encourage and support one another. And for that, I am grateful. Happiness!

“At the end of the day, remind yourself that you did the best you could today, and that is good enough.” ~ Lori Deschene

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Happy Friday, dear reader! I am currently in Week #2 of the Fast Burn Challenge, and I am holding my own. On Monday morning, I weighed in at 158 pounds. I lost 3.5 pounds in the first week of the challenge. Go, me! As I mentioned last week, I will be happy if I shed 10 pounds by the end of the nine weeks. Becoming a healthier version of me is what I am striving for over the course of the next two months.

Kudos to Me for…

• meeting my daily water intake goal.
• adding ground flaxseed to smoothies and oatmeal.
• meeting my TRF 12:12 goal.
• trying the Tender Baked Pork Chops. YUM!
• continuing to eat more veggies.
• meeting my daily exercise goals.
• prepping most of my meals and snacks for the week.
• choosing wisely when eating at a restaurant.

My hubby bought me some Mason Jars at the grocery store, so I could prep my smoothies for the week. I made a couple of extra smoothies for my friend Julia who I work with at school. It took me about an hour to prepare the Burner Smoothies on Sunday morning; however, it was a game changer and made life easier for me this week. Since my husband enjoys cooking more than I do, he cooked the pork chops for our Sunday dinner. I also asked him to grill a bunch of turkey burgers for me. He used a turkey burger recipe from Dr. Ian’s The Clean 20 book. This was great because I got a dinner and a lunch out of them, fed my youngest son, and froze a few for future weeks.

Challenges

• Drinking a cup of water before lunch during the work week.
• Situations that interfere with eating schedule or menu.
• Making the time to plan meals for the upcoming week.

I think I need to write a note (drink cup of water FIRST) and attach it to my lunch, so I do not forget to consume a cup of water before eating my lunch. I have forgotten EVERY day this week. This is weird to me since I have not forgotten once to consume the cup of water before breakfast or dinner.

I had an unexpected situation crop up at work on Monday morning that required me changing my breakfast at the last minute and caused my snack times to be slightly off throughout the day. Thankfully, I had an extra Burner Smoothie in the fridge to save me some time and get me to work earlier than anticipated. I also had to remind myself to be flexible. In addition, my mother-in-law cooks dinner for my family on Fridays. I found out Wednesday evening that she was making hamburgers (beef) this Friday, so I swapped Thursday’s and Friday’s lunch choices because I originally had a turkey burger on the menu for Friday’s lunch.

As for meal planning, I did better than the previous week and wrote everything out. However, I did not do it prior to my husband grocery shopping, and I discovered after the fact that I needed ground flaxseed for this week. Lucky for me, he had another errand to run near the grocery store, so he swung by and picked it up for me. Kudos to Barry, Sr. for being so kind!

Overall, I am doing pretty well. There is a learning curve when doing anything new for the first time. I must be patient with myself, flexible when life happens, and appreciate the journey. I want this experience to be enjoyable not stressful. It is not about being perfect. It is about showing up and doing my best. Happiness!

“Regardless of how big or small, savor and appreciate your victories. When you build the excitement that comes with success, you build momentum to keep going and achieve results.” ~ Ian K. Smith, M. D., Mind Over Weight

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Happy Friday, dear reader! Each Friday for the next nine weeks, I will update my progress on the Fast Burn Challenge which is a plan outlined in Fast Burn: The Power of Negative Energy Balance by Dr. Ian K. Smith. This new plan includes intermittant fasting, clean eating, and exercises. I have completed four days on the Fast Burn Challenge, and I am feeling pretty good about my progress, so far.

On Monday morning, I weighed in at 161.5 pounds. I would love to lose at least 10 pounds; however, my goals for this challenge are to try intermittent fasting, create weekly meal plans that incorporate clean eating, and maintain a regular fitness regimen. Basically, I am striving to be a healthier version of me. I have been following the food plan pretty well with the exception of eating a handful of pork rinds on both Tuesday afternoon AND Wednesday afternoon. Also, for lunch on Wednesday, I ate 15 Lay’s Sour Cream & Onion potato chips with my sandwich. Not good, but also not the end of the world.

Kudos to Me for…

• meeting my daily water intake goal.
• meeting my TRF 12:12 goal.
• making The Burner Smoothie. Twice!
• continuing to eat more veggies.
• meeting my daily exercise goals.

Challenges

• Eating two hours after waking up.
• Drinking a cup of water before each meal.
• Preparing meals during the week.

I am not too concerned about not being able to wait two hours to eat after waking up. The only three days that I cannot follow this guideline is on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings because I have carpool duty and need to be at school by 7:00. I do not want to eat my breakfast in the car or at school, so my plan is to drink the Burner Smoothie for breakfast on those three mornings about 1 1/2 hours after waking up. I can follow this guideline and eat something different on the other four mornings.

Drinking a cup of water before each meal will eventually become a habit. I do not anticipate this being a challenge for very long. Since Monday, I have only forgotten twice.

Preparing meals during the week is time-consuming. It would be better for me to meal prep for the work week over the weekend for a couple of hours than to meal prep each evening for a couple of hours. Creating a weekly meal plan is great; however, it needs to go hand in hand with meal prepping. When I go to the grocery store this weekend, I will buy some mason jars to make a week’s worth of the Burner Smoothie.

I know it has only been four days, dear reader, but I feel like I am off to a terrific start. I am energized, optimistic, and excited. Happiness!

“The more you move, the easier it is to keep moving. Maintain the momentum.”     ~ James Clear

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