What Doesn't Kill You

Oh yeah, I have a blog.

I honestly didn't mean to neglect my blog for two months, but I've been sort of busy and sort of not busy.  I guess not concentrating so much on running also put less emphasis on the need to blog, since my blog tends to center around running.

Here's what I"ve been up to while not running as much:

Beach Body Ultimate Reset

As a lot of you already know, I've been dealing with bouts of fatigue for over a year.  I knew I needed to become more proactive since medical tests were coming up inconclusive.  I needed to clean up my nutrition, but I really needed a fresh start with guidance. I did a 21 day cleanse.   I did a little research and decided to take on the Beach Body Ultimate Reset -- UR for short.  I was a little skeptical at first, and was concerned that the kit I purchased would have some sort of stimulant in it.  As far as I can tell, there were no stimulants in any of the provided supplements.  If anything, I was weaned off of any kind of stimulant, including caffeine and alcohol.  I selected UR because I was able to eat real real food through out the entire 21 days.  I know jucing is the big thing right now, and a lot of people have great success with it, but I have this thing about enjoying what I'm eating, and enjoying crunch and certain textures, which is something that I couldn't get with juicing.  The UR kit came with 6 different supplements, a guide book with recipes, a guide to cooking DVD (for those who never really cook) and a "motivational" DVD.  Oh, also included was a macrame hemp string bracelet as sort of a "belonging to the club" thing (I guess), which I never wore or even took out of the package.  Week one was all about not eating any processed foods and gently being weaned off of animal proteins.  I did have some fish, chicken and eggs that week, but most of the foods centered around fresh fruits and vegetables/legumes, certain whole grains such as quinoa and brown rice, and a lot of water.  Week one is also about eliminating dairy, but I'm already dairy free and have been for years.  Week two was no animal proteins and a lot more vegetable based proteins.  Week three was a lot more fruit and vegetables, but less plant based proteins.  Before you get bent out of shape about the lack of proteins*, I did supplement not having protein with Braggs liquid aminos, especially that last week.  The supplements included with the kit also coincided with each week and the elimination of certain foods, so I wasn't taking all 6 supplements at the same time.  

I began UR the day after the 4th of July food fest holiday.  On the 4th of July I ate Slutty Brownies as if I were never going to have another ever, ever again, and I also had a few celebratory beers and a lot of junk food.  Everything changed the next day, and I was committed.  I did have a couple of days with being extremely tired and had headaches --  probably from no caffeine and no processed sugars, but I did OK after that, and never once felt deprived or super hungry.   The goal of the UR was to feel better and figure out what could be the possible culprit of my fatigue, but in the process I lost 9 pounds.  Weight loss was never the goal, but I knew I would drop some weight, maybe 3 or 4 pounds.  I'll take the 9 pounds weight loss, and that's reasonable and healthy weight loss for me.** Now that I've been almost 4 weeks post UR,  and eating relatively clean with a once a week free day, I've discovered that foods made with processed white flour may be the culprit. I had a few big bites of my husband's carne asada burrito, (which, by the way, was ridiculously delicious and made with one of those ginormous flour tortillas) and felt as if I had a hang-over the next morning.  I had carne asada without the tortilla from the same restaurant, which is why I think it's the processed white flour causing some of the fatigue. 

In addition, there was supposed to be no strenuous exercising during UR. I did run twice, which was difficult at best and probably not the best idea, but I did go for walks and had a few easy sessions at Rehab United.  I also had a few home projects that kept me busy.

PS:
This program will probably not be easy for people who have never set foot in a kitchen.  There's a lot of prep involved,  and some of the recipes require marinating for a few hours.  After the first week I made sure I prepped food a few days in advanced, especially on the days I had to work.  Who wants to grate carrots every day?  The food processor was my best tool and such a time saver.  I did discover that a lot of important information was not included in the material I received.  I had to find information on Facebook, such as shopping lists, where to buy certain foods,  substitutes, how much to eat of certain foods, and general support.  I understand that the Beach Body company is rewriting the book to accommodate these needs.  The participant portal on the Ultimate Reset site was also impossible to access, until I contacted tech support --  but I never used it.  I'd give the program itself an A, but the way the book is written and the lack of information readily available, I'd give that part a B-/C+.  I shouldn't have to search several sites for basic information, it should be provided.

Home Projects

We didn't rent the big, industrial sander.  It took several weeks to sand one floor with a small belt sander and a small vibrating sander.  Good times.

The floor is done, but that pink has got to go!

Hubs painting the first coat.  It took three coats.

It's not pink any more, but it sure looks naked!  Color might come back, just not as intense.

Another room.  This was my grandson's room.  It was white, had a car bed and car decals on the wall, plus a zillion Legos and Hotwheels cars everywhere.  Now it's a guest room.  It's reeeallly blue, but with white curtains up it looks pretty   and tranquil -- now everyone want's to hang out in there.   We threw an air mattress in there to make sure a queen sized bed would fit, and that will be the next purchase.  I'll post a picture when it's complete.

My Dad's House

I know I had mentioned about an intervention regarding my dad's living conditions.  My sister and her husband put everything in motion and the process has begun.   Last week was the big exterior clean up with a team of gardeners to clear the over growth, and hubs and my brother in law worked on getting the old junk out of the back yard and garage, which was hauled away while my dad was at baseball game with friends.  My sister and I worked on clearing off the family room floor.  There were enough yellow and white pages phone books, magazines and newspapers to fill up a jumbo sized curbside recycle bin

This is just a fraction of the junk taken out of my dad's back yard.  There were old lawn mowers, broken patio furniture, termite infested wood, etc...

I didn't take a before picture, but his floor area was COVERED with newspapers and magazines.  We stood and marveled at the floor for a while because it was so clear.  Even my sister's dog noticed since there was now a place for the dog to lay.

 This week the house was power washed, and this weekend the exterior painting begins.  After the painting is finished, we're going to see about getting the kitchen remodeled.  Oy vey.  That kitchen NEEDS an overhaul.

Song from Thursday, June 21, 2012:
Thicker Than Water - Cobra Skuls

PEACE



*People are funny.  You go without any kind of animal protein for any length of time and people are suddenly concerned with your protein intake, or act as if you're doing illegal drugs.  Sheesh.

**  I wasn't counting on such a significant weight loss, so I didn't take before and after pictures.  This was a very healthy weight loss and I do feel better. My clothes certainly fit better.