Why isn't my Body Changing?

Good Morning! I am currently in Arizona laying in bed at 4 am unable to sleep after my dog woke me up so I decided to do a little writing about something that is quite frustrating for me and after looking online I see that other people suffer from this same problem. Many people hate their scale's, sure in the beginning stages of weight loss people will fall in lust with their scales. These wonderful informative devices share such wonderful news with them every morning, the sacrifices they made the day before paid off with a reduction in that scary number that had been ever increasing for many years. But like many relationships based purely on lust this relationship begins to sour quickly and one of the partners becomes obsessive in the relationship within a very short period of time. You know what I mean the weighing after every meal, every exercise routine, every treat. It becomes such a horrible habit that a hatred begins to form and you start to wonder how you could ever love this lying contraption.

So what happened in this relationship for it to turn sour after such a short period of time? Neither of you really lied, cheated or spoke ill of one another, so how did this happen. Because their are several things that the scale does not tell you about the workouts you are doing and how they are reforming your body. Don't worry he never lies, but it just isn't able to share the whole truth about what is happening when you keep making all those right decisions in eating, exercising and sleeping.

The scale is unable to tell the difference between bone, fat, water, organs and muscle. All this is grouped into one number which means if you are doing a workout consisting of cardio and strength training you are gaining muscle which may weigh more than fat, but is more compact.

A more accurate way to determine if your workouts have been successful is through measurements. So when you start your workout routine you should measure your chest, waist, hips, thighs calves and arms. Fat does not just come of the body in one area at a time. This will help you see with a number where your body is tightening up, even if you hit a month where you feel like nothing you are doing is helping. You know any amount of inches lost is a wonderful accomplishment. I also recommend taking pictures of yourself when you start wearing a bikini or your underwear and bra. This is another great resource to look at when you are feeling down, take pictures every 30 days so you can  compare how your body has changed. Do you feel like your booty is bigger? If you look at a picture when you start to where you currently are you may find that it has lifted and become a more defined shape. For a visual person like myself this is one way I enjoy tracking my progress, because I know it is all me up there, just the cold hard facts and not a number which can be deceptive. When I first started doing this I was concerned with people seeing the pics, but you know even if you are embarrassed to show them you no longer have to. With the invention of affordable digital cameras  you no longer have to take them to be processed and wonder if that young thing behind the counter recognized you from the picture of you standing around in your skivvies. Plus if you do take pictures and are a  member of WOWY you can meet people and share the success you have had with people similar to yourself.

The scale is also unable to tell you the health benefits that you have made to your life. Had you previously been to the doctor and been prescribed medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, nocturnal apnoea, or any other disease directly related to your weight?  Well the scale can't tell you if your blood pressure is lower, or if you are producing the right levels of insulin to sustain your body. So you need to look at these factors as well. If you were able to reduce or completely quit any of your medications then you have been a success.

Remember why you started on this journey. Did you write goals for your weight loss, do you have a dream outfit that you purchased and have hanging on the door, do you just want to move easier so you can enjoy your friends, family or community more? Then don't let that number on the scale get you down, that number does not determine the level of effort that you have put into your goals, it can't tell you are doing.  So look into another way to track your progress because you are not that number on the scale you are a wonderfully made person who has more potential than you can ever imagine.

Remember above all else you are a beautiful woman and this can't be taken away or changed by weight loss. You are beautiful no matter at what size you are and you have made it this far on your journey and can conquer any obstacle in your way.

Penny Lane
I would love to help you with your goals, I am a coach here and would love to hear from you.

I'm too fat to work out!

I wanted to talk to you about some of the excuses that I posted in this post. The first one that really got me thinking is I'm too fat to work out, Let me say it again This is False! You may not be ready for P90x or Turbo Fire, but there are many things that you can do to get you started.

When I get down about my weight is when my excuses start to tumble out. This is one that no longer prevents me from working out, but that negative voice will be there when I am out walking, jogging or hiking. You know what the secret to this voice is? This isn't what people are thinking and if they are then there is something wrong with them and their internal thought process.
As proof that this excuse is false I taped myself working out. I am a visual learner and sometimes need to see that I am not as fat as I think. I know everyone has a different road to tow and when I was having troubles breathing I talked to my doctor about the exercise I was doing and with an inhaler she said it would be fine. So on with the show and see that at whatever size you are at you can workout.
This is part of my second workout back after spraining my ankle. I am sharing part of the 30 minute Shred It with Weights by Jillian Michaels.  Enjoy!

If you are ready to get moving, contact me and we can talk about the opportunities that BeachBody has. If you read about the workouts I have done you will see it is not all about P90X and Turbo Fire. This company has done a wonderful job creating workouts for whatever level you are at. Lets talk about it and get moving together.

I am Absent today.

Siren Song

This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:

the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see beached skulls

the song nobody knows
because anyone who had heard it
is dead, and the others can’t remember.
Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?
I don’t enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical
with these two feathery maniacs,
I don’t enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.

I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This song

is a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can,
you are unique

at last. Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time. 


>Margaret Atwood


I am absent today because I have been captured by the Siren's Song and am currently trying to untangle my bones from the jagged rocks. I will return on Friday without bruises or bumps and free of this Siren's song. 

Meatless Monday

I didn't do a meatless meal post this weekend on Sunday when I generally prepare my Meatless meal I was so hungry when I prepared my Socca Pizza that I didn't even think about taking pictures of the steps. I was so consumed with getting it done that I didn't care that I wasn't preparing for my first blog post of the week. Thankfully I have a recipe that I have been sitting on for a few weeks along with Pictures to share.

A few weeks ago I really wanted enchiladas, but Super Target was sold out of our go to sauce and I am pretty picky when it comes to my store bought sauces. I was then struck my genius or psychosis and decided to try my hand at Mole Enchiladas. After returning home I began scouring the internet for someone else who had tried this interesting combination. One of the things that I found was adding squash to the sauce which sounded interesting so I dug out my last can of Pumpkin puree with the intention of creating something delicious. So on with the show, My version of Mole Enchiladas

 

 I started with this store bought Cocoa Chile Mole sauce and mixed the Pumpkin Puree and heated over the stove. 

 When it was warm I tried it out and then added some more chocolate to attempt to cut the taste of store bought sauce. I didn't get it quite right, but it wasn't as tangy as it had been when I opened it. 

 Layer the tortillas on the bottom. I didn't picture this, but I ended up cutting the tortillas square so it covered the bottom of the pan completely. 

 To fill the enchilada casserole I used Broccoli, Carrots, Green Beans  and Pinto beans on the bottom layer for a little protein. 

 Topped with Sauce then some Daiya Meltable Cheese. It is wonderful if you can't eat cheese, but miss the texture of the wonderful food of the gods. (I love cheese, but gave it up to kiss the acne good bye)

This is the final product. My verdict is it was quite good and a good start, but I should have followed my instincts and waited for a better Mole sauce. I don't know what is in store bought sauces that leaves such a strange taste in my mouth, but if I make this again I will either be buying a better sauce or making my own. Adding the Pumpkin was good it added some much needed moisture to my dry rice tortillas. I think you should try this, it is a change from what I normally eat, but a welcome one. 

So on with the recipe!

Mole Enchilada Casserole 

1 Jar Mole Sauce

1 15 oz Pumpkin Puree

2 Cups Pinto Beans

1 bag Daiya Meltable Cheese

Choice of steamed vegetables

Onions and Peppers (Which I forgot)

Extra Chocolate to taste

Instructions

Mix and heat the Mole and Pumpkin Puree and steam the vegetables while heating the sauce. If you need to this is the time to add more chocolate or other seasonings to make the sauce the way you like it. Once the vegetables are ready you can begin layering the tortillas, then beans, then vegetable and top it with sauce. Continue doing this until you run out of ingredients or the pan is filled. You can also roll the stuffing in the tortillas as you would traditional enchiladas then cover the pan with the Mole Mixture. 

Back in oven at 350 for approx 20-30 minutes. 

If you do decide to try this let me know how it goes, let me know of any changes you make so I can try them myself.  Sorry to cut this short, but I have to head off to write a 5 Journal Pages for class and work on a rough draft for my essay.  Not to mention I want to play a little bit of Half-Life 2 which I have recently become obsessed with beating. Darn Video Games!

Happy Monday!