Amazing start to 2017!

It's been a while since I posted - time flies through the holidays!

Very happy to report that StrongerU has been working well for me! In the 12 weeks since starting in October, I lost 22.5 pounds, and brought in the new year in the 180s for the first time since my late teens! Granted, that 22.5#did include a bit of bloat right at the beginning, but it was still a solid 16+ pounds of loss. My last day on the program was to be Christmas Eve, although I stopped tracking the day before to enjoy the holidays. Overall, I was very good about following my assigned macros. There were only a handful of days that I went over by a bit, or chose not to track (Thanksgiving, 3 Christmas parties, and one other day that my head just wasn't in the game - chalk it up to PMS!). And I only had alcohol 3 times during the whole 3 months (including a few dry nights of socializing)! But despite those days, I'm still so pleased about my loss. Toward the end, my macros were 130 carbs, 40 fat, and 130 protein for 1400 calories, which was still enough to keep me full most days. I had a little struggle to stay within the fat goal, but found some ways to cut some fat out of my meals to meet it (primarily cutting out whole eggs at breakfast, and eating more chicken & pulled pork than steak).

What really impressed me was that I continued to lose even after a knee injury just before Thanksgiving. The same knee that has occasionally given me grief since my Zumba days 5 years ago started acting up on the Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving, despite feeling fine during my first 9 mile training run on Sunday (my longest yet). However, I was just starting to feel like I was getting back into the swing of CrossFit after taking a couple months off during the summer from my toe sprain, so I decided to hammer through the WOD of deadlifts and DUs anyway. Big mistake. I limped out the gym, and could not bend my left knee behind me to walk in the morning. I dragged my foot behind me for 5 days until I could get a PT appointment on Monday with the same therapist who worked on my toe. Krista at Integrated Rehab is a miracle worker! She got me walking after one session! My knee was very sore for a while though, so I was still doing limited walking (nevermind CrossFit or my half marathon training!) for a couple weeks. But even while I was just going to PT appts 2 days/week and doing limited walking, I was still losing weight! Eventually, I was able to do some short runs outdoors on nice days (I joined the YMCA to use a treadmill, but it really hurt to run on a treadmill vs the road - weird). I worked my way back up to a 6 mile run, and had to call that enough training for the half marathon.

Celebrating at Hollywood Studios
after the race!

One crazy day
for my Fitbit!

I took a break from Christmas Eve through 1/16/17. The main reason for prolonging the break was my trip to Orlando to run the Disney Half Marathon with my friends - it was finally time! We flew down on Thursday morning and hit the parks hard Thursday and Friday...and then found out our race on Saturday morning was cancelled due to thunderstorms in the area. I was devastated after all that training and working through injuries, and feeling so guilty for what was turning into just an indulgent girls' weekend in Disney without my family - we were supposed to earn the weekend by running the race! Then Disney announced that they would allow half marathon registrants to transfer in the the full marathon on Sunday instead, so after much internal debate (and trying unsuccessfully to get all the girls to join me), I decided to do it - I came there to run a half marathon, and I was going to do it! I woke up at 3:15 am and waited in 39 degree weather until my corral finally got to run at 6:30am - brr! But once I started, it went by quickly! I could definitely feel the effects of my training trailing off after my injury, but I was still able to jog intervals of 3:1 jogging/walking through the whole race (although I tended to walk a little longer toward the end, and stopped to take a lot of quick pictures of all the entertainment along the route). I was so excited to reach the 13.1 marker in the middle of Animal Kingdom! Except that it was a little anti-climactic since there was no finish line or anything...just another 13.1 miles ahead. So I hopped on the Everest roller coaster to celebrate. I thought I might try to walk to the finish line, but my legs and feet was just too fatigued by 16.5, so I caught a bus back to the staging area at mile 17. However, I was so happy that my knee held up perfectly - no pain at all! They gave me a full marathon medal when I walked off the bus, which I felt a little silly accepting (although I did walk the length of a full marathon by the time the day was over). So, while I'm happy I ran the race and completed my goal, the "first half marathon experience" itself was a little unfulfilling. My friends are all going back in November to run the Disney Wine & Dine - not sure yet if I'll be joining them. However, I am planning to run the Hartford Half Marathon in October.

So, back on the StrongerU program this week...until my legit Girls' Weekend in Cancun in 4 weeks! I'm going to be super strict until we leave to make as much progress as possible (would love to see 179 on the scale!), and maybe get up the nerve to wear a (skirted) 2-piece on the beach! I'm taking a break from running until the weather improves in the spring, so I'm focusing back on CrossFit. Once again, I've lost a lot of strength and stamina from being away for almost 2 months while I focused on rehab and running, but I'm determined to get back at it! I registered for a Festivus competition that's right after this 2nd round of StrongerU wraps up, and to be in the intermediate division, I will need to master toes-to-bar...another challenge to overcome! Also started a pull-up progression program - I'd really love to finally get that strict pull up this year!
So, thrilled with how 2017 is starting, and looking forward to some amazing progress this year!

3 weeks down at StrongerU

Three weeks in, and I'm not seeing the amazing results I'd hoped for...yet. I think my body is still reeling from the crazy bloat I put on before starting this program (compounded with a head cold that relegated me to the couch for a few days). I was able to lose all that bloat within a week or so, but the has scale just kept flirting with 200# since then. Frustrating. However, my measurements show that I have lost inches, so that is progress. I do feel like I look leaner in the mirror. Hate the scale.

The second week, my StrongerU coach kept my macros the same since all the bloat loss made it hard to judge my body's response to the macros. The third week, he just cut back 5g of carbs/day - not a big deal since I've still been feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the carbs anyway (but I'm ALWAYS crashing into the limit on fats). For the fourth week, he's having me cut back on everything to see if we can get the scale to budge. New macros for 4th week:

1558 calories (lost 100 calories)
165c    42%   (lost 10g of carbs)
42f      24%   (lost 3g of fat!!!)
130p   34%    (lost 5g of protein)

Still struggling with CrossFit too. Trying not to get down about my loss of mobility and strength - just gotta keep at it to get back to where I was. Although I was pleased to feel my old row pace of 2:200 250m splits starting to come back - I feel like it's been a while since I rowed that well. One coach really wants me to work on mobility in my hips and ankles, and prescribed hanging out in wall squats a couple times a day - ugh, that's so uncomfortable (which, of course, just reinforces my need to do it). And I haven't gotten the urge to show up for Open Gym on Sundays like I'd been planning yet - really need to get in there and start working on some Wendler squats and pull up progressions. Maybe this will be the week (if I'm not too sore from my long run on Saturday). But I've still been battling soreness too - last week, my forearms were SO SORE that I could barely straighten out my arms...not sure what caused that - low bar pull ups? Still easing myself in, and not attempting stuff RX so I don't kill myself. Stupid sprained toe is still bugging me too, although I didn't break my heart to not be able to do burpees in a WOD last week. ;) Split jerks and lunges are still out.

I have been keeping up with my running program though. My hip flexors were crazy sore during and after my last long run - first time running 8 miles. But on my last 5 mile run, I stretched them out a bit beforehand, and they didn't get sore at all. So I'll have to remember to incorporate some stretching beforehand each time. I've got my first 9 mile run ahead of me this weekend - time to expand my route another neighborhood or two! 

So, pressing onward. I'm still going to stay dedicated to this program in hopes of shedding at least 10 pounds before the half marathon in January, although I'd really like to get back to the low 180s. Really hoping this coach can find the sweet spot for me to make some big progress.

Kicking off with StrongerU, and my first timed 5K in 2.5 years

On the CrossFit Masters group I follow, several people were raving about a nutrition program called StrongerU Fitness & Performance (the first time I saw it mentioned happened to be on a post complaining about Eat to Perform making someone gain weight - of course THAT caught my eye). I finally had to bite to see what it was all about. It's another macros coaching program, but this one teams you up with a 1-on-1 coach who reviews your daily macro log, weight, and measurements, and adjusts your macros accordingly each week based on your goals (fat loss, muscle gain, etc). Although I was planning to do to keto thing on my own until the half marathon in January to try to drop some weight, I like the idea of being accountable to someone. And so many of the success stories are so impressive and inspirational! So, I took advantage of the 1/2 off deal the owner offered to me when he reached out after my posts about ETP killing my weightloss - much appreciated! It was still $150, but at someone else's suggestion, I asked ETP to refund my lifetime membership since I stopped following it, and they did give me my $100 back. So, StrongerU was really only $50, right? 

My coach Jason Falcon gave me macros of 185 carbs, 45 fat, and 135 protein, for a total of 1665 calories (and no flexing according to WOD/rest days). According my my Fitbit burns, that should average a 1,000 calorie deficit/day, which is a much bigger deficit than ETP ever prescribed - that alone gives me hope for some good fat loss! After mostly adhering to low carb diet since May, this seems like a CRAZY amount of carbs. At his suggestion, I had a "practice week" before officially starting, and I really had to get used to eating all those carbs - it it actually a struggle to eat them all while keeping my fat to only 45g).They also stress the timing of carbs around workouts - I'm still trying to work that out so I don't have a crazy amount of carbs to put away for dinner after an evening WOD, especially since I'm just not accustomed to eating carbs at breakfast and lunch (but I do like having some fruit, rice, and sweet potatoes again - I missed those).

I made a bad decision to have one last big hurrah before officially starting. I was good while practicing for a few days and actually lost a couple pounds, and then I indulged in some dairy in the form of Doritos and a piece of fudge at 6 Flags (and a night of drinking gin & tonics), and my stomach was pissed off for several days - so uncomfortably bloated and gassy. I GAINED 7 POUNDS! So crazy how my body reacts to dairy. So, I started StrongerU at 208.5, and after almost a week, 5 pounds of the bloat has gone away. I'm disappointed that my splurge started me off with such a setback, but it just reinforces that I REALLY can't have dairy! Looking forward to getting back into ONEderland in a couple weeks. I would REALLY love to get into the 180s again by the end of this 12-week program, which will wrap up just before our race in January. I took some before pics in the 2-piece bathing suit that I bought 2 years ago and have never worn - I would really love to rock that bathing suit when my book club goes on a special girls' weekend to the Caribbean in February!!! And I am definitely committed - at a book club meeting last night, I didn't have ANY booze, and only ate the snacks that I had pre-measured for myself to fit my macros. #dedication

I've resumed my half marathon training schedule now that my sprained toe is 90% better, and felt pretty good on my 7 mile run last weekend - my longest yet, doing intervals of 4 mins running and 1 walking. Lately, at the end of every run, I've been running the last mile or so without stopping to try to increase my stamina. My half marathon friends convinced me to sign up for the 5K race at the Hartford Marathon - how could I say no when it's free since my company is the head sponsor?! Go Team Eversource! So I set a goal to try to run the entire thing without stopping. And, this morning, I did it! I was pretty proud of myself for pushing through it! And my time wasn't bad - I was impressed that I kept a pace just under 11 mins/mile since MapMyRun always says my pace hasn't gotten below 12 in all the last miles I've run. And, I must say, I was happy to finish in the top half of all of my female divisions, and really happy with top 23% of the Athena division! Who knows, if I keep this training up, maybe I'll try the half marathon next fall.

We joked that we should crop out the first 1 since we only ran 3.1, not 13.1. ;)

Getting back to CrossFit has been tough though. The first WOD I did had thrusters and wall balls, leaving me crippled for several days. And what was in store for me when I finally returned a week later? MORE THRUSTERS! UGH! But, I was only sore for a couple days that time, so I guess that's progress. But I feel like I've lost so much strength and mobility, not to mention stamina that was already on the decline all year. At this week'ls Oly class, 65# snatches felt like such a struggle - seems impossible that I've snatched 115#! But I'm committed to keeping at it, and trying to get back to where I was (and hopefully better!). I'm hoping some weight loss and all these added carbs with give me the boost I need. Time will tell!

Time to buckle down after a crazy summer

This was my craziest summer in a long time! It kicked off by starting the long-awaited renovation on out kitchen. Everything got torn out in mid-July, and it wasn't finally all put back together until the end of August. Between all the dust of sanding new wood floors and refinishing the ceiling, and the clutter of all the kitchen's contents being piled up on the dining room table and living room (under plastic sheets), the house wasn't very conducive to eating healthfully. So, we ended up taking a lot of vacations in those 6 weeks to get out of the house (and a lot of dinners at Pancho Loco). Needless to say, I took quite a break from tracking my macros and keto. 

• ~week at Old Orchard Beach
• long weekend at Brialee campground in our camper
• ~week in upstate NY and Six Flags Great Escape
• long weekend at Six Flags Great Adventure and water park
• 10 days in Orlando (mid-Sept)

While camping, I had a freak food poisoning accident resulting in a major sprain of my right big toe, leaving me barely able to walk around (and with quite a limp).  I was really bummed out because I had been very good about doing the Couch to Half Marathon program and really felt like I was making progress - I was already half-way through! After 3 weeks of waiting for it to feel better, I finally went to the podiatrist, and was prescribed a couple weeks of PT and a regimen of ibuprofen. Remarkably, my toe felt so much better in those 2 weeks that I was able to run my first 10K at the Lake Compounce Roller Coaster Race. I was a bit out of practice after not running for 5 weeks, so I did intervals of 4 mins running/2 mins walking, and finished in 01:19:42. After the run, we did the "Ride" race where we had to ride 5K of roller coaster track - that was actually pretty brutal since the coasters were not very smooth! But I got both of my medals. ;)

After spraining my toe, I also stopped going to CrossFit. Although I've run a few times since the sprain, I still haven't been to CrossFit in a full 2 months. I just don't seem to have the zeal for it that I had a couple years ago. But I do want to go back and hit some weights again. I just dread all the soreness!!! And I dread lacking the stamina I used to have. Hoping that will return once I am fat-adapted.

However, despite all this summer craziness, I'm happy to say that I didn't really gain much weight. I was trying to listen a little more to my body, skipping meals if I wasn't really hungry. I did quite a bit of intermittent fasting in the few days before Labor Day while painting the house like a madwoman (so much trim work all throughout the kitchen, living room, and hallway!), but I still felt fine, and was amazed at how much leaner I felt in just those few days. I'm planning to incorporate some IF regularly once I'm fat-adapted.

For the next few months, I intend to follow the following macros, which were recommended by a moderator on the Facebook KETOGains group. So many people have reported great success in that group. I think I was still eating too much previously, so my weight loss was very slow. So, cutting the calories back a bit to see how I do - hoping for some good progress. I really want to drop 20 pounds and get back into the low 180s for the race in January!

1540 cals: 20C (5%) 100F (68%) 141P (37%)

One month of keto down - progress!

It's been 4.5 weeks since I began eating very low carb/high fat/moderate protein, and it's working! My body has been slow to give up the pounds, but it's happening slowly. I had about 3 weeks where I bounced back up a little, and just finally, in the last 2 days, I dropped down another 1.5# to 197.5. However, I'm seeing big changes in my body! Muffintop is gone, tummy is shrinking, arms and legs are leaning out a bit...had to buy smaller undies since my old ones were getting too big and giving me wedgies! ;) 

I'm also finding that I think my body is finally adapting to running in ketosis. My stamina was completely shot in WODs while I was cutting on Eat to Perform, and the first couple weeks of keto. But the last couple WODs have felt better. I think my body has remembered that there's plenty of fuel to burn if it just looks around a little!

Two of my friends from work, with whom I've run a couple 5Ks and obstacle course races, convinced me to do the unthinkable...register for a half marathon in January 2017! YIKES! Of course, I will admit that part of the draw is that it is at Disney World for a Girls' Weekend. One of the girls has a week at the Old Key West resort to use, so I'm looking forward to staying on Disney property for the first time, but I have to EARN that fun! Although, worse case scenario, I can still finish the race within the 3.5 hour time limit even if I just have to walk at a pace of 3.8 mph, which is certainly doable. But I think I can do a little better than that.

So, I found a 20-week Couch to Half Marathon training plan and got moving. I took the first 3 runs a couple weeks ago, and much to my chagrin, the old issue with my left knee started cropping up again, after being fine all winter. The same thing happened last spring - I started running, and after a few runs, it started bugging me enough that I stopped since rest seems to be the only thing that makes it go away. Except for a couple CrossFit classes, I've rested for a week since I went away to a conference last week (with one very NOT keto evening of delicious gin & tonics), and I'm trying to tape it to see if that helps at all. So we'll see how it goes after a run today. 

I did a consultation with one of the trainers from my old YMCA who is an avid runner to see if she could give me any pointers. She is betting that I have poor glute engagement, and she is probably right (I know they aren't engaged nearly as much as they should be when I squat)! And she also pointed out some definitely flexibility issues. So, she gave me a plan of exercises and stretches to do that should help. I also set a goal for myself to be able to sit back on my feet - my legs quads don't let me do that currently (it REALLY pulls at my knees when I try). So I have some running and mobility goals to focus on right now while I keto on!

Day 11 of keto - Back to ONEderland!

FINALLY!!!! Back in ONEderland!!! Thank you, keto!!!

SOOO happy to finally be out of the 200s again. I've been very disappointed in myself about breaking my self-promise to never get over 200 again. So, recommitting now, and feeling optimistic that I've finally found a way of eating that works for me! 

So far, keto is really agreeing with me. It definitely seems like a more natural way to eat to me. I enjoy meals with more fat, and missed having the extra fat when I was trying to keep to ETP's low fat goals. I am so much more satiated eating this way. While on ETP and trying to hit my carb macros eating mainly fruit, I wanted to snack constantly. Now I barely feel the desire to snack at all since my meals are so much more satiating. 

Since I started keto, I've been keeping my net carbs under 25 grams/day (averaging 21), and net carbs have been 4-5% of my macros. However, yesterday, I splurged a little. I fasted through breakfast, finally eating lunch around 11:30am (I was a little hungry toward the end, but tolerable). I made a steak curry for lunch, and had my customary snack of a couple tablespoons of SunButter when I got a little hungry in the afternoon. Then I brought the kids to Pancho Loco... I had 4 tortilla chips - I was pretty proud of that self control! And I got a chicken fajita with guac, and ate it our of the pan like I have been doing for years. And I had a small skinny margarita - I asked them not to put ANYTHING sweet in it because I brought a long a packet of True Lemonade to sweeten it up, which has very little carbs (and they're all natural agave and stevia). I only put in maybe 1/3 of the packet, and it was good! I won't lie - I missed my normal big 16oz Ultimate Margarita that's loaded with sugar and Grand Marnier, but I could definitely get used to this skinny margarita. Maybe the margarita stimulated my sweet tooth a little, because I also indulged in a little square of the Ikea Chocolat Mork bar - but I was satisfied after only 1 square! In the end, I had 44g net carbs (64 total), which was about 10% of my ~1900 calories (30% protein/60% fat). I was a little bummed that my keto stick right after dinner didn't show any ketones (must have been burning off that alcohol!), but it showed ketones again around 10pm and this morning.  Phew. 

I'm hoping that's a sign of a slightly higher tolerance for carbs for me! My hubby just shared an article by Chris Kresser stating that you probably don't need to be SO strict with the carbs - 10-15% (50-75 grams on a 2000 calorie diet) should still keep you in ketosis and losing weight. Chris's theory pretty much lines up with Mark Sisson's Carbohydrate Curb too. I think that's probably about where I fell back in late 2013/early 2014 when I was losing steadily. And this makes me feel better about enjoying some berries each day, and not having to swear off sweet potato fries forever!

I was looking back at my MFP history for the past year, and I definitely see some patterns here. 

• From last April - May, I was following the Eat to Perform PFFL, when I was cutting back calories, but still eating over 100g of carbs most days. 
• Then from May-October, I was eating my full TDEE according to my FitBit, eating upwards of 250-300g of processed and sugary carbs some days - I'm surprised I didn't gain more weight! 
• Then from Nov-Dec, we took our big vacation, and the holidays hit. I was experimenting with adding more dairy into my diet, and eating lots of gluten-free backed goods - this lead to a 15 pound weight gain in only 2 months, although I figure about half of that was water gain from inflammation (my stomach was NOT happy about the dairy). 
• So in January-March, I swore off the processed foods and sugar, and followed a Whole30 version of the ETP PFFL, eating over 100g of carbs/day mostly from fruit and sweet potatoes. And I was hungry, and wanting snacks all the time. Granted, I did lose some weight, but I think it was a lot of inflammation getting back in check. 
• Finally, in April, I started keto, and have dropped 4 pounds in 10 days. Thinking I'll stick with this for a while!

I keep reading about how fabulous life will be once I'm keto-adapted (less hungry, more sustained energy in workouts, stead fat-loss, etc), but I'm a little afraid I might not get there. I just can't see myself maintaining less than 50g of carbs EVERY DAY forever! I have a conference in Washington DC next week (with a friend that I'm known to have a few drinks with), so I'm afraid I won't be able to find the right foods if they are providing meals for us. I also have a couple other celebratory occasions coming up (a birthday party, and a night out with my hubby). And then, at the end of May, a nice little getaway to Orlando with my hubby while he's at a conference (and I am totally having Mickey waffles, tapioca and all! Not to mention some vacation margaritas - and not the skinny ones!). But if I've learned anything on this journey, it's that there is no finish line. I might take a detour here and there to enjoy life's special moments, but I just need to get back on track right afterwards. Hopefully, if I stick with this long enough, I'll finally reach my goal weight and can be a little more lenient in maintenance. 

My Food

Breakfast: slice bacon 3 eggs scrambled topped with Red Hot sauce  6 oz sausage
Lunch: Chipotle bowl with double meat (steak & chicken), and just peppers, onions, salsa, and guac
Dinner:
Snacks: 3 TB SunButter a little Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk

4% Net Carbs / 32% Protein / 64% Fat

Day 7 of keto - 1 week down!

Week one is in the books!

Sadly, no more weight loss since those initial 3 pounds. Frustrating. But I do feel leaner. And it has been pretty easy to eat the keto way all week. I haven't even missed all that fruit I used to eat too much.

I've been in hard core ketosis now Saturday and Sunday, according to the dark pink keto test strips all day (although I wouldn't be surprised if I'm a but dehydrated too). This is despite indulging in an alcoholic on Saturday (well, two). Saturday was my first big keto test day: we spent the day in New York City to attend my niece's baptism. I had told myself I wasn't going to have a drink, but the English Margarita at Ditch Plains caught my eye: cucumber water, tequila, and lime juice. I figured it should be pretty low carb. Although when I asked the bartender how she made it, she said there was some simple syrup in it - oops. But with the exception of the 2 drinks (which didn't seem to kick me out of ketosis), it was just fine:

• 2 egg patties and 2 sausage patties from the Dunkin Donuts at the train station
• a deviled egg and buffalo wings for lunch (including carrot and celery sticks)
• a couple slabs of beef and some veggies from the Tri Tip Grill at Grand Central
• a little bit of SunButter on the train while riding home 

I roller skated for 3.5 HOURS with my daughter today. Sundays are LONG days at the rink. I have a lesson at 8:30, then she has one at 9:30, then we have a group lesson from 11-noon, and then she always wants to skate around a little more afterward. I was ready for a nap by the afternoon. It really is tiring to maintain proper form while doing all the figures and dances with proper form (arms out, core tight, knees bent, pointing legs flexed...). I'm still mad that FitBit totally robs me of the zillions of steps I take while on skates, but the heart rate monitor tells a story that I was in fat burning mode for a long time!

My Food

Breakfast: bacon 3 eggs scrambled topped with Red Hot sauce
Lunch: Blackened pork chops sauteed in coconut oil with some coconut milk/chicken broth gravy Broccoli
Dinner: Chicken nuggets w/ arrowroot powder
Snacks: 3 TB SunButter a little Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk

4% Net Carbs / 32% Protein / 64% Fat