Friday, December 5, 2014

Friday Favorites #3

Happy Friday everyone! 

I didn't have any problems remembering to post this one today, maybe I'm making some improvements? Probably just wishful thinking but we'll see. 

1. Hebrews 12:1


I found this Bible verse the other day and it really stuck with me, especially since I'll be starting my official marathon training plan in a little under 2 weeks. I'm so excited but at the same time I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty intimated! 26.2 miles is double the longest I've ever run in my life, and when I actually think it all out sometimes it's like "WHAT DID I GET MYSELF IN TO?". And then I remember my goals and my passion for running and then I'm excited all over again! 

I'm also nervous that my shin might not hold up throughout the next 18 weeks and all the long runs buuuuut Jesus and ice are gonna get me through it! I have no plans of letting anything get in my way or stopping me from achieving this dream, but of course, I'll still be smart about it and listen to my body. I know for a fact that this Bible verse and among many others are going to be my mantra during all those long runs when my legs will probably want to give up. 


2. Caffe Mistos

I discovered this yesterday as a recommendation from another one of my coach's clients and let me tell you, they're amazing!! I never go for Starbucks plain coffee because it's too dark for my liking and just tastes burnt to me. I would normally get some kind of specialty drink but once I started tracking and with macros especially, it can be hard to fit those drinks in.

These caffee mistos are super macro-friendly, and also delicious! It's basically just coffee and steamed milk. I get mine with sugar free vanilla sauce and put a little stevia in it, and it's ah-mazing! I got a grande and it was only 10g carbs, 7g protein, and 0g fat since I got it with skim milk. You can get it with any milk you like or any sauce to flavor it but I just happen to like skim and vanilla! Obviously, the macros might change depending on the milk and flavor but that's not too shabby especially compared to 25-30g of carbs that the other skinny drinks can have! 


3. Investing in others

This has truly become my saving grace in the past couple months. I realized before just how much I had cut myself off from others when I was in the middle of restricting. I would cancel on dinner plans or anything that might involve food or if the plans meant I wouldn't have time to workout. I was completely consumed with myself and after last week's Bible study lesson, I figured out that the number on the scale had become my idol. Meaning, it had taken over significance in my life above God. In fact it had taken over significance above everything in my life-- not only with God but my family, friends, school, my happiness, and my future as well.

I believe that we were created to love and to crave love. I was denying myself self-love but more importantly, I was not spreading love to others. Once I opened my heart to other people, I've been getting it back ten-fold in my life. I absolutely love making those connections with people, and make it a priority over my macros and workouts. I'd now rather spend time with someone, answer an email, comment on someone's post in my fitness group on Facebook, or just show someone that I care about them and have genuine investment in them rather than worry about working out. Sometimes it can be hard to fit it all in but not only is it about finding balance with food but with life and people as well! 


4. For King & Country


I listen to a wide variety of music ranging from country, contemporary Christian, rock, and pop. I mean anything really, except rap. Out of all the music I listen to, they are by far my favorite! I went to their concert in September and LOVED IT! They have two albums out: Crave and Run Wild.Live Free. Love Strong, as well as some Christmas songs.

I have all their music and listen to it constantly. If I ever need encouragement, comfort, strength, or to jam out they're my go-to! Some of my favorite songs they do are Matter, Middle of Your Heart, Fix My Eyes, Steady, To the Dreamers, Long Live, Proof of Your Love, Shoulders...I just realized that I pretty much want to list all their songs so I obviously can't pick out my favorites as it's all of them! 


5. Reverse Dieting

This has been a lifesaver for me. It's a topic that has a lot of debate going on in the health world but it's slowly gaining popularity as more people find out about it. For the sake of keeping this post short and since I'm no expert on this topic, check out this post by my lovely coach as she explains it!

It's a very gradual and slow process but it's worth it! The first time I tried a reverse, I went with a giant company and was just treated as a number rather than an individual with goals. Katie is amazing and coaches me each step of the way, this time around has been much more successful! I've been working with her for over 2 months and have been increasing my carbs and fats without any weight gain. I've actually lost a couple pounds but it honestly doesn't matter to me because now I only check my weight every few weeks for check-in purposes to make sure that my body is adapting properly with the process. My weight and measurements are just for the sole purpose of communicating to Katie so she can make sure she is helping me in the best way she can. Everyone is different, though, and some people might lose or gain a little bit of weight. But as we know, that darn scale doesn't matter!

I chose to reverse diet for two main reasons: I was not eating anywhere near enough what I needed for maintenance with my activity level, even when I was done restricting and binging. It wasn't intentional but simply lack of knowledge. Secondly, my metabolism was in poor shape after two years of wreaking havoc on my body. I wanted to repair and heal my body, and I knew I wanted Katie to help me. So I reached out to her a few months ago, and she has been an answered prayer! I highly recommend her to anyone who asks :)

With the love of Friday favorites, I hope you all have a great weekend!

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