Countdown?

May 27, 2015Victoria Elizabeth 3 Comments

Uh oh. It’s that time of year again. I’m just six weeks away from my birthday, and the nudging voice inside my mind has begun its annual bleating.

This is the time of year I normally commit to a rigorous exercise regime, an über strict diet, and a nearly fanatic pursuit of the “ideal body” to flaunt on my birthday.

I’ll be turning 31 this year. Yikes. The years have flown by, haven’t they?

Last year, I was at the lowest weight of my [adult] life on my birthday: 123.8.

This year, I’m sitting around 132-134 (I haven’t weight myself in over a month, so I’m not sure) and I feel good. Yes, I’d like to get rid of the pooch of my waist and the chub on my thighs, but I feel strong, well-rested, and self-secure.

Since quitting my second job in mid-April, I’ve spent the last two months focusing on repairing my health from the ill effects of sleep deprivation, and I’ve finally reached a point where I feel my body has gained balance. I feel like I’m repaired, though not fully 100% just yet. The scars are healing nicely, though.

Even though the alarms in the back of my mind are sounding, I’m choosing to ignore them this year. If I weigh 120 or 140 on my birthday will not matter: what matters is spending the day with the people I love, and celebrating a life being lived to the fullest.

On that note… bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

Best Paleo Shake, EVER!

May 21, 2015Victoria Elizabeth Leave a comment

In an effort to eat clean (i.e. as much natural and fresh fruit/veggies as I can) as well as stick to a mostly Paleo lifestyle, I’ve been making myself a fresh Paleo protein shake for breakfast every morning.

I’ve become such an ADDICT to this particular flavor concoction, I just had to share it with my fellow yo-yo dieters. 🙂

Tori’s Fruity Paleo Protein Shake:

1 scoop Paleo Protein Powder (pictured below). I prefer using a MIX of both the Vanilla Almond and Triple Chocolate flavors, but you can do a solid scoop of either flavor if you don’t have both options!
2 cups raw spinach. (I promise, you won’t taste it once blended!)
1.5 cups of mixed frozen fruit. (I use a blend of mango, strawberries, pineapple, and peaches, but you can use a berry blend or bananas, too!)
2 cups unsweetened cashew milk.
1 tbsp chia seeds (optional, but it’s great for digestion).
1 tbsp bee pollen granules (great for boosting immunity and energy).
1 cup of ice (to make it both large and extra thick).

I start by putting the spinach into the blender first. This ensures it’s chopped VERY well, and guarantees there’s no green chunks floating in my smoothie.

Next, I layer on the fresh fruit. Again, I use a pre-mixed bag of peaches, mango, pineapple, and strawberries, but you can use any mixed blend you prefer. I really like blueberries and strawberries when I use just the Triple Chocolate protein powder.

I add a full scoop of protein powder on top (I blend my Triple Chocolate and Vanilla Almond), then add a tablespoon of chia seeds and a tablespoon of bee pollen granules. We happen to have a farmer’s market that sells local bee pollen granules (best for combating allergies!), but you can find it at Whole Foods or any health food shop if there isn’t a convenience farmer’s market nearby.

On top of the powders, I add roughly 1 cup of ice (make sure you still have about 2 inches from the top of your blender to ensure proper mixing), and then I pour 1.5-2 cups of unsweetened cashew milk on top. I like Silk’s unsweetened cashew milk, as it’s just 25 calories per cup and has added calcium.

Blend until well mixed, which is about 2 minutes for my crochety old blender.

It tastes so good, I often just toss a straw right into the blender and drink it straight:

Nom, nom, Paleo goodness!

And, yes, I do drink the entire thing… over 36 ounces and roughly 350 calories! I stay full for HOURS thanks to this baby!

Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

Injured Wrists?

May 19, 2015Victoria Elizabeth 1 Comment

I’ve been overdoing it at the gym lately. Well, not at the gym, per se, but actually on the stairmaster.

I’m obsessed with the machine, as it provides such an intense workout (I’m pouring sweat after just 15 mins) and it allows me to Netflix binge without guilt.

The downside to all of this intense cardio, though, is not the toll on my body …but rather the damage to my wrists.

To prevent myself from hunching over, I invert my wrists while I walk on the machine …basically turning them semi-backwards… and what was originally just uncomfortable is now a pretty severe pain.

My wrists are perpetually swollen, and I have a dull-ache that persists 24/7 from both wrists. I’m hoping I haven’t caused any permanent damage, and that a good icing tonight will undue any harm I’ve caused from repeated use.

The bad part? The aching wrists aren’t stopping me from going on the machine again and, inevitably, inverting my wrists as I find my groove on the machine. Can anyone recommend a wrist brace or, better yet, a position I can hold that won’t cause so much pain and spraining to my wrists?

As always, bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

“Savages, Savages, barely even human!”

May 12, 2015Victoria Elizabeth Leave a comment

I did it! I finally did it!

I managed to convince my husband to run in the Fall Savage Race with me in Florida! Wahoo!

I’ve done it two out of the last three years (missed 2013 due to work commitments) and it has been one of my favorite events: a true test of strength, perseverance, and willingness to get filthy.

In 2012, I ran it just to say I did it:

I don’t remember what my final time was, but considering it was 25 insane obstacles and over 6.5 miles (and I wasn’t in peak shape), my guess is that I was over two hours.

When I did it again in 2014, I had dropped about 15 lbs and trained significantly more. As a result, I did the race in about 1 hour, 38 minutes – and completed all but two of the grueling obstacles!

This year my weight is a bit up (about 8 lbs more than last year’s weight), but I’ve also been doing significantly more strength training and I’m finally working to shed the “sugar weight” I gained from my 9+ months of working two jobs and not sleeping. I didn’t gain it overnight, so I can’t expect to lose it overnight. I’m hoping to be back around 125-127 by the time October rolls around and it’s time to compete.

Fortunately, regardless of my weight, this time I’ll have MY HUBBY to support me on the course! I’m so excited and we’ve committed to train together, so we’re going to finish and finish strong. Will this be the year I beat 1:30? We shall see!

Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

Moving on UP!

May 11, 2015Victoria Elizabeth Leave a comment

I’ve been absolutely in love with the stairmaster lately, watching 90-120 minute movies on it 5-7x per week.

I know it’s terrible to do the same cardio machine every day, but I love how intense the workout is (I’m literally drenched in sweat and have to towel off multiple times during the session), but also how strong and sore my legs feel after.

I feel like I’m getting an intense lower body (and back, and core) workout from balancing on the machine, and I alternate between single steps, lunge steps, swing steps, and others to keep the exercise diverse and challenging.

As a result of all of my stepping, my UP band reports that I’ve set a new personal record for steps taken in a single week:

You saw that right: I walked over 83 miles in a single week!

YOWZA!!

That’s a little over THREE FULL MARATHONS worth of steps taken in just seven days. WHOA!

I’m going to try to take it a bit lighter this week, though, as I recognize that 83+ miles is a bit obsessive, especially for someone who is NOT training to be a pro-athlete. Still, though… I can’t help but be proud.

On that note …I think I’ve earned a snack. Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

Paleo …maybe?

May 5, 2015Victoria Elizabeth 5 Comments

A former classmate of mine (and a good friend) recently posted on Facebook that she has been sticking to the Paleo diet (which I introduced her to) religiously for two weeks and dropped 16 lbs.

SIXTEEN POUNDS!

Mind you, she was not large to begin with, and I honestly thought she looked fantastic, but I could relate to her desire to lose weight and tone up.

She took my advice and tried Paleo, committing to it 100% (I typically cheat with trace amounts of soy/peanuts and lots of cheese/dairy) and had tremendous results.

In just two weeks of eating clean, she shed 16 lbs and has more energy, clearer skin, and is overjoyed with her success.

Looking back, when I first learned about Paleo in August 2013, I went all-in for 90 days and dropped almost 22 lbs. I didn’t count a single calorie, and ate as much as I wanted. I used Paleo alternatives for bread, candies, etc and never once felt deprived. It took a lot of planning, but for 90 days I completely lost my taste for grains (I honestly can’t tell you the last time I had real bread or pasta) and learned to really enjoy cashew and almond milk.

To be honest, I’m not sure why I went back to non-Paleo foods. I know the holidays were a temptation, but I could have prepared Paleo alternatives to everything I craved. I think I just got tired of the pre-planning required, and eventually let all of my good habits fall to the side.

I have no idea why I did that.

Sticking with a Paleo diet honestly didn’t require much more energy than any other lifestyle. I had to plan meals, yes, but shouldn’t we do that anyhow to avoid living on vending machine junk throughout the work day? Yes, I had to seek out specialty foods, but haven’t I driven 30 miles out of my way to get a gourmet treat now and then? Yes, Paleo foods were a bit more expensive, but won’t I spend more in the long run treating diabetes, hypertension, and other health issues from lack of a nutritious diet in the future?

Seeing my friend’s success and how energized it has made her as urged me to recommit to the Paleo lifestyle, and invest more energy and time into nurturing my body and my spirit.

Recognizing that I’m human, I’m aiming for a 90-95% commitment to Paleo: it’s nearly impossible to avoid ALL soy/dairy influences, but I’m going to go out of my way to purchase Paleo wraps and do some baking this weekend of my favorite Paleo desserts, muffins, and breads.

I do have a bit of an obsession with Rockstars (or “death juice,” as I call them), so I know I can’t make myself give them up entirely. I’ve weaned myself down to 1-2 per week, and I’ll set a cap of 1/week moving forward.

I already have a fridge full or almond milk, cashew milk, lean meats, and veggies, so this transition shouldn’t be too difficult… really, I just need to control myself around candy (there are so many fun Paleo alternatives!) and CHEESE (seriously, why isn’t there a Paleo brie yet??)!

Wish me luck, dear friends! On that note …bon appetit!

~ Tori

Monkey Bars!

May 4, 2015Victoria Elizabeth Leave a comment

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve spent the last few weeks focusing on eating whole, clean foods and getting exercise (and sleep!), but not watching the scale.

It has been weird walking past the scale every morning and not hopping on, but after nearly a month of not weighing myself …it feels pretty satisfying to not feel the desire as heavily as I used to. I don’t feel guilty any more when I walk by, and I quickly forget about my weight once I leave the bathroom.

My husband and I spent the weekend very active, hitting the theme parks on Friday night (walked over 6 miles in three hours), and then the gym on Saturday. Sunday was such a beautiful day, I rode by bike all over Orlando, catching an independent book fair down the street and a lazy ride around the lake. In fact, between taking walks and riding my bike, I logged almost 11 miles outside moving around. Add to that nearly 2 hours at the gym (I got lost in a movie) and I torched over 3,000 calories just being active. Wow!

But here’s the major accomplishment this weekend:

I did a full set of monkey bars without falling.

While that may be a small achievement for 90% of active adults, that’s HUGE for me. I was overweight as a child and I was never able to complete a row of monkey bars. Ever. I’d always try and fall off after just one or two bars.

Last night my husband ran sprints in the field at the local elementary school and, while waiting for him, I decided to play on the playground. A few slides, a few runs on the bouncing bridge, and then I spotted the monkey bars.

I was sweaty, and I knew that my grip wouldn’t be strong. I tried to build up the consolation phrases in my mind for when I failed, since I knew it was going to happen. Right?

I decided to test my luck, drying my hands on my shirt and grabbing on the slightly sticky (Elmer’s glue?) bar and swinging my weight off of base.

The first two bars were purely the result of momentum, and I could immediately feel my shoulders tighten and my grip get loose.

Well, here’s where I fall, I thought. But no. I made it another bar. And then another. And then another.

Harder and harder to fight my moistening grip, but I used my body weight and my shoulders to propel myself forward. Before I realized it, I had made it to the other side.

What?! I made it to the other side!

For the first time in my life – childhood and as an adult – I had made it across an entire row of monkey bars. WOOOHOOOO!

My upper body was strong enough to lurch me across twelve feet of treacherous “lava” below (isn’t that what you called the mulch on the playground) and land safely on the platform on the other side.

I don’t know about you, but that was better than any weigh in I’ve ever had.

Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

Sleep is the Cure

April 23, 2015Victoria Elizabeth Leave a comment

For the past two weeks, I’ve been on a “normal” schedule.

And by normal, I mean I have not balanced two full-time jobs and graduate school simultaneously. I’ve worked just ONE full time job and attended my two graduate classes, which has allowed me to do something I hadn’t done in nearly a year:

SLEEP.

Not nap, but SLEEP. Full, deep, nightly sleep.

For two whole weeks, I’ve averaged no less than six hours of sleep per night. Last night, I got a solid eight hours. EIGHT HOURS!

My mind doesn’t even know how to grasp the concept of “eight hours of sleep.”

Now that I’m well rested, I’ve found controlling my appetite to be substantially easier. Yes, I’m still working to get over the sugar cravings (seriously, I’d created a severe addiction the last nine months while working at the TV studio), but I can control my portions and stop after a few bites (versus the murdurous rampage I’d go in before, like a shark smelling blood in the water).

Seriously, this was my life for the entirety of the last year balancing the two jobs. I had -100% will power.

I’ve also noticed my skin is nearly perfect again, no pimples or dark spots from lack of sleep and raging hormone fluctuations. Woohoo! I’m no longer the pubescent 30-year-old!

I’ve been hitting the gym 5-6x per week, not because I need to, but because I want to. I’m energetic and excited, so I feel even more motivated to exercise than I did before.

I have NOT been weighing myself (I’m trying to allow my body to get back into a healthy food/sleep cycle again before I tackle weight concerns), but I can feel my clothing getting back to its normal fit: loose where it should be, not as constrictive as it was just a few weeks ago.

Huh.

Funny.

Sleep truly was the cure to most of my problems.

Appetite control? In check now that I’m not a walking zombie.
Skin problems? All gone.
Lack of energy? Nope, not anymore. I’m high on life.
Cranky? Depressed? Amazingly, I feel like I’m happier now than I’ve been in years.

While I absolutely miss working at The Daily Buzz, I have to admit that I was sacrificing a lot –too much, honestly– and I finally feel like I’ve got my life back.

On that note… bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

Last Week

April 7, 2015Victoria Elizabeth Leave a comment

This is my last week working two full-time jobs, and it couldn’t be better timed.

My body is officially calling it quits, with a full-blown case of Strep throat knocking me out cold right after the Easter holiday. I only have to endure three more shifts of double-duty, and I officially go back to 9-6pm, Monday through Friday. I couldn’t be happier!

I’ve been eating very clean and not counting calories, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that my weight balanced back out at 131.2 after two weeks of just focusing on whole, clean foods and nutrition. I wasn’t weighing myself (and hadn’t planned to weigh myself again for a few weeks), but I accidentally kicked the scale and my curiosity was on fire. Good to see that my body responds to proper nutrition and good care.

I’ll have more to write later, but the antibiotics have me exhausted (and nauseated), so I’m going to take a little nap and check back online later.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Bon appetit, my friends,

~ Tori

Whole Foods = Health

March 30, 2015Victoria Elizabeth 3 Comments

For the last week, I’ve really been putting my focus on whole, natural foods. Fresh fruits. Raw veggies. Minimally processed, organic when possible.

And, though I haven’t been weighing myself, I’ve noticed some differences already.

Skin is clearing. I don’t need my morning coffee. Hair feels softer, and more manageable.

Just by reducing my consumption of processed foods –especially sugars– I’ve noticed a major improvement on my physical health. My nails are growing faster, and the bags under my eyes are finally starting to recede.

Even if my weight never moved an ounce, I think I’d still feel confident that this is the way I’m supposedly to eat for life.

On that note… bon appetit!