REVIEW: Funeral of a Carb Junkie - and Rebirth as a Protein Vamp

In my parental home and childhood I only had very healthy food. We bought a lot of foods and milk directly from a regional farmer, baked our own bread, had our own small vegetable garden and there was no sweets in our house.

Additional I did a lot of sports: 6 years of ballett, apparatus gymastics, aero wheel, badminton and advanced swimming. In my other spare time I was a very agile girl with playing twister or tag in my next neighbourhood.  

I was a really fit, healthy and lean girl. The word "overweight" was unknown.

When I got older and spreaded my own wings, I moved in my own flat. I ate everything what my taste liked. This paradise of sweets, chips, other unhealthy stuff (smoking) and unlucky relation ship in combination with no ambition of continuing the training weren´t without serious consequences: My sport level decreased to a less minimum.

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I gained weight (slowly but consistently), my skin looks unhealthy and sallow and I felt myself flabby....very flabby! I arrived in the doom loop... without any energy of doing some sports.

I recollect to a spontaneous rollerblade event a few years ago: The first half of these 20 km I got help by colleagues with pushing/pulling of my body .... the other 10 km I gritted my teeths and labor to the finish line. I gasped for breath while entering the finish, a restaurant. The other finished their meal at this time. My lung hurts as a 50-years-old chain smoker although I was just 22!!

This was a real remarkable point in my life. I was really sad, how far I ruined my own health and condition. And I figure out, that I have to change extremely something in my life.

I tried to change my entreched habits but when you do the same wrong things over a long period of time, you can´t change everything from one day to another. 

I bought a lot of fitness books and fitness magazines with their "ultimative plans for weight loss"... I tried a lot... really a lot! But no of them was right to involve it in daily business for a full-working lady like me.

I changed my nutrition from fast-food to "normal" food. But unfortunately I didn´t realize, that I ate too much carbs a day. At the highest point I ate 2-3 big rolls only for breakfast, some candys before lunch, a normal to big size lunch at the canteen, coffee with sugar, in the afternoon also cookies and also a warm dinner and -finally- some snacks in front of the TV in the evening.... that was round about over 3000 kcal a day!!!!

I was fixed at the sugar maelstrom: every time, when I ate a few days low-carb I got edgy and nervous and was really looking to satisfy my hunger for sweets and carbs.

Two or three times I get away from this addiction and feel astonishing changes: my energy came back and my gastrointernal system works also better. But the cut to low-carb was too quick, so I felt back into my old habits.

In October 2012 I reached a inacceptable limit on my scale, which I promised myself, never to pass.
I HAVE TO CUT THE RELEASE CORD!!!

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Additional to my many existing fitness books I dig the whole internet after right nutrition and training plan for me. But that was less easy than I had thought. The author A says: "Do this!" and the author B says: "No, try that!". After reading so many books and magazines I got really confused, what´s right or wrong.

Shortly before I gave up my research I found the amazing transformation of Kelsey Byers, the plan of Jamie Eason and a detailed customer review of Tosca Reno´s book: The Eat-Clean Diet. All three girls gave me the right portion of motivation and information for a complete restart. 

To keep trying and not to fail anymore I decided to create this blog for my own motivation.

I changed completely my nutrition (start to involve peux-a-peux clean eating and low-carb into my daily life), did a food diary (since 1st January 2013) for monitoring the calories and went regularly to the gym. Although my weight fluctuate, I feel today myself more healthier: I feel myself more lean, have more energy - also in the afternoon, and my skin looks even better. It´s getting better and better.... and I never want to come back to the point as a Carb Junkie!!

My goal is to loose 20-25 kg (40-50 lbs) and to shape and strengthen my body with low-carb clean eating and doing sport with consistence. I´m in the right way to my purpose.

P.S.: Here is a summary of my important links of my internet research:

• LABRADA - Goal: Burn Fat and Tone Up
• Manual of the LABRADA Lean Body Challenge Program 2013 (pdf)
• Templates of Training and Nutrition Journal of the Lean Body Challenge 2013 
• Manual of the Challenge Program of Kelsey Byers (pdf)
• Jamie Eason´s LiveFit 12-week Plan
• Receipes of Jamie Eason´s LiveFit

 
P.P.S: Some of you may wait for pics of me. I´ll post the traditional before-after pics, when I see huge results. I give you my word.

Stay healthy and keep your fingers away from candy :o) !! 

My Progress so far of Clean Eating

First, sorry for my long absense....but my new year started very busy. 

Today I want to give you a status quo of my progress.

Since Middle of December I started to eat clean. A few of my reader will probably wonder, why I started this in the 'most difficult part of the year', while you can get sweets and christmas cookies at every turn. So, my answer is: Therefore. 
This was one of my secret to came healthy over Christmas holiday. :o)

I don´t need a 'New Year' to start clean eating.

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So, the half of January is over and I want to give you a short feedback.

NUTRITION
Since January 1, I do a food diary at Myfitnesspal.com. (You can also find a link of the left side of my blog). This will also keep me in progress and give me the right motivation not to fail. I hope, the most of my posted food is known - but here in Germany are some differences than in the States.

For sure, at the beginning it won´t works for 100 percent to change completely your nutrition from one day to another, but I try to involve peux-a-peux the rules into my daily life. And I see, that it works from day to day even better. For example, I did a few days ago this yummy receipt: Turkey Meatloaf Muffins from Jamie Eason. Marvellous!!

When I started my food diary, the presettings of myfitnesspal was 1300 kcal a day. And I was really full. But when I started my work on January 7, I needed more kcal due to more mental and physical work.
So I changed the settings from 1300 kcal up to 1800 kcal with a spread of 25% Carbs, 45% Proteins, and 30% Fat. I didn´t raise up from one day to another - so I ate every day a litte bit more to my new goal.

Furthermore, I try to drink every day not less than 2 liters of water and tea.

In the first week of January I lost only 400g (1 lbs), but in this second week I lost 1,1 kg (2.4 lbs).
Please keep your fingers crossed for me for continuing this success.

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HEALTHY 
Besides my happiness of loosing weight I see further changes. In the past I ate, when I was hungry or bored or stressed: When I feel my empty stomach, I ate something. I changed this habit completely.
I have now fixed times, when I eat: 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 7pm and 10pm. (see also the schedule in one of my last post).

The advantage of this fixed times is, that your body knows exactly, when he´ll gets the next meal and the energy. And you can avoid all foods/snacks/candies besides these stated hours. I also try to eat no Carbs after 4 pm.

Since I ate regularly, my indigestion problems has blown off (in the true sense of the word). I didn´t feel myself like I ate a balloon. Furthermore, my skin is more clearly and looks healthier than before my clean eating.
Finally, I have got really more power and I didn´t have a 'low point' at the afternoon.

MOTIVATION
As announced above, I post my food diary - every day! This is real a high motivation, because you know, that the whole world can take a closer look to your plates. 
Additional, I´m a member of a very nice facebook group called 'New year - new Rear', in which we motivate us each other and give us some advices.

I also bought this week a new bikini for the upcoming summer. It´s a obligation to fits like a glove. :o)

It´s normal, that the weight will sway at the beginning. To push my progress, I met this week an regional personal trainer Timo Schmid (sorry, link is only in german) asking for feedback of my training and nutrition plan and for giving me some further advice. It was a really nice evening of an exciting discussion of generals fails of nutrition and training.
I´m anxious of his response of my plan. I´ll keep you up to date.

For me, another motivation is to finish successful my sporty cornerstones: I´ll participate in three competitions of a 10K-run: on May 5 (Cityrun), on July 28 (as a relay in a triathlon team of three girls) and on September 22 (Cityrun along the river).

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This is my progress so far - certainly, I´ll keep you in the loop.

If you want to read further information of clean eating I warmly recommend you this book.

Stay healthy and eat clean! 

The eat-clean principles – Part One

As already announced, since a few days ago I started to eat clean. For sure, at the beginning it won´t works for 100 percent to change completely your nutrition from one day to another, but I try to involve peux-a-peux the rules into my daily life. And I see, that it works from day to day even better.  

The following information are some excerpts from the book:  The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged: Lasting Fat Loss That´s Better than Ever! http://www.amazon.com/The-Eat-Clean-Diet-Recharged-Lasting/dp/1552100677/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355309548&sr=8-1&keywords=the+clean+eat+diet+recharged

But, what does eat-clean exactly mean?

So, let´s start with the basics: To get a beautiful and healthy body, there´s a simple rule: You have to focus on the right nutrition (80%), clean and regularly training (10%) and have the right genetics (10%). You are certainly wondering, why 80% nutrition and only 10% training instead of 80% training and 10% nutrition? A popular quote is: “Abs were made in the kitchen, not in the gym!”

In some ways you do have to live with the genetic package your parents gave you, but nutrition is far more responsible for creating your shape and your health than you ever could have imagined.

Eat poorly and you become sick and overweight. Eat well and you become a glowing example of health and vibrancy.

I need to recognize that some “foods”, which I ate are “anti-foods” - and I  must work hard to avoid these. The improved food choices I make along with moderate amounts of exercise, mostly in the form of strength training, should be the catalyst for change.

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What to do:

• Eat more – eat six small meals each day (at the end of this blog you´ll find a sample schedule)
• Eat breakfast every day, within an hour of rising
• Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal (55% complex carbohydrates, 27% lean protein and 18% healthy fats)
• Eat sufficient (2-3 servings) healthy fats every day
• Drink 2-3 liters of water each day
• Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes
• Adhere to proper portion sizes (use your hands for the right portions)

What to avoid:

• Aviod all over-processed foods, particularly white flour and sugar
• Avoid chemically charged food
• Avoid foods containing presercatives
• Avoid artificial sugars
• Avoid artificial foods (such as processed cheese slides)
• Avoid saturated and trans fats
• Avoid sugar-loaded beverage, including colas and juices
• Avoid (or do your best to limit) alcohol intake
• Avoid all calorie-dense foods containing little or no nutritional value (=anti-foods)
• Avoid super-sizing your meals

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These principles are as easy to follow as brushing your teeth or combing your hair. If you decide right now to embrace just one of these principles you will be immediately living a healthier lifestyle. That’s because each one of these steps is empowering and entirely doable. Imagine what could happen if you cement in your mind that you will accept them all right now! Look out world – here you come!

Another catalyst for change is the right food at the same time with the right frequency: Eat six meals a day (every two-and-a-half hours to three hours). 

As promised, here´s a sample schedule:

7 am – First Meal = Breakfast
10 am – Second Meal = Mid Morning
1 pm – Third Meal = Lunch
4 pm – Forth Meal = Mid Afternoon
7 pm – Fifth Meal = Dinner
10 pm – Sixth Meal = Evening

You´ll get more information in one of my next posts!!

Stay healthy!