Grit & Glimmer » Weight Loss

Resolutions in Reverse: 23 Pounds and Counting

snarkypants — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:11:23 +0000

If you had asked me in June if I thought I had 23 pounds to lose, I would have said no. Everyone probably would have said that. 10, sure. 15? maybe.

I carry weight well. I get curvy. I know what to wear. Short summer dresses with good drape. A shoe with a heel. It’s not rocket science, it’s camouflage – and they teach that shit in the fashion military. I’ve been through basic training – I know how to get by. People say, “Oh – you’re fine! You look great!”

They’re lying. Or else they’re totally content with mediocrity. A lot of people are. It’s not a crime.

The whole “you’re fine” thing started to get to me.

Fine is a C+.

Fine is just ok.

Fine is getting by.

Fine is average.

Fuck fine.

Dresses may cut a flattering figure but I’ll tell you one thing for sure – the bike never lies. And here is what the bike told me in June: you are not ok, Swift. You’re not fine. And, besides, you shouldn’t want to be fine. You should want to be on fucking fire.

Where’s your fight, Swift?

I mentioned a few days ago that every day is a good day to make a plan, start a goal or make a big decision and I think that’s really important to remember. You can change your life at any moment. You make a choice and then you change your actions. Right now. What are you waiting for, anyway?

On some day in June I got on the scale and snapped. It was a number that did it for me. For some people it’s a pair of jeans or a bad ride on the bike or getting winded going up the stairs. It doesn’t matter what pushes you over the edge – what matters is that when you hit the open air, you learn how to fly. And fast.

I’m decent at fitness. I understand nutrient timing, I get stoked about the science and I love to learn. I also know my body pretty well and there’s one thing that works better than any other for me – weight lifting and super dialed nutrition. (I’ve never had much luck on the bike – even after two solid months of non-stop training in Arizona last year).

So I went back into the gym and hit it. I went back to my nutrition basics and realigned my diet with my goals. I found a trainer who I believed understood and supported my aggressive personality and made a deal with him.

I ate a lot of goddam lean protein.
And broccoli.
And spinach.
And oatmeal.
And nuts.

I cut back on beer and booze and bacon.
I reinstated fish oil supplements and dialed in my pre and post-workout nutrition.
I paid attention.
I focused.
I fought.

The first ten pounds disappeared almost overnight because the truth was, my body hated that weight. It didn’t want it. It was begging me to get rid of it. After the first month of hard work I water-dunked my bodyfat at 17%.

“That’s actually really good, Heidi.” my trainer said to me.

“I’m done with good.” I said. “Let’s get to great.”

The cyclotour in August kept me lean even on a one-cheeseburger-a-day (or sometimes chicken-fried steak) regimen. I lost some lean muscle mass, but generally maintained the same fitness level. I came back and started training for cyclocross and felt like a new person. By then I’d lost 18 pounds. Eighteen pounds! That’s a fucking toddler!

Do you know how amazing it is to race a bike with 18 fewer pounds? It’s mind-blowing. Incredible. It’s a whole new world. It changed everything. I mean that.

This is the secret those lean assholes have been keeping! I thought to myself. And all this time they were telling me I was “fine”. No wonder!!

I did this all in the background, without telling many people or making dramatic waving motions with my hands. I never even mentioned a word here on this blog. You know why? Because the “show don’t tell” rule is just as powerful in life as it is in writing. You’re going to make a big change, Swift? You’re going to drop a toddler’s worth of weight? That’s nice. I’ll believe it when I see it. Even a wordy girl like me gets tired of the talking sometimes. Shut your mouth and work.

So here I am on December 31st surrounded by a culture of crappy resolution making. When I go back to the gym on Monday it’s going to be crowded with new faces. I hope in my deepest heart of hearts that every single one of them sticks with it. That they get what they want and reach their goals.

But most of them won’t.

And you know what? It doesn’t matter. Because January 1st is March 18th is June 29th is October Fucking 5th.

The date doesn’t matter.
And they can recommit at any moment.
And so can you.
And so will I.

Don’t settle. You’re worth so much more than you will ever know.

A few weeks after the breaking point.

A wish made at Thump Coffee in Bend, Oregon. They hang these from the ceiling. There are hundreds.

Toddler on board in July. Denim doesn't lie either. I'm just saying.

Meatball!

Drumstick.

Cannoli!!

2009 racing. At least 15 extra pounds on board. You can bet your ass I was fucking slow.

August cyclo-touring. Lean and rabid for top ramen.

Cyclo-tour lean, but not very strong.

Late October. No room for extra toddlers in this fucking skinsuit!

Washington County Fairgrounds in mid-November. Photo: Victor Duong

State in late November. Getting some muscle mass back. Photo: Dave Roth

Feeling strong in November! Photo: Dave Roth

*****

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In the O: Weight-obsessed? Lighten up.

snarkypants — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:16:43 +0000

Looking for the Recipes?

If you’re looking for the recipes mentioned in yesterday’s Oregonian column, look no further.

Pecan-Crusted Salmon and Roasty Toasty Kale at your fingertips!

This week’s column for the Oregonian is a humorous (and personal) look at cyclists’ obsession with weight and weight loss with a few winter tips thrown in for good measure:

Read it at the O here 0r read the full “director’s cut” version below.

The Director’s Cut

The party’s over.

It’s the middle of January. The holidays are long gone, cyclocross season has been done for more than a month, and the beer and Belgian fries have taken their toll.

I’m fat.

My mother (bless her heart) disagrees, of course: “Oh, honey, for heaven’s sake, you’re not fat!” But she’s only half right.

In the world of levelheaded human beings with balanced lives and normal body images, I’m fit. In the world of data-aggregating, gram-counting, mile-tracking competitive cyclists? Fat. Or at least definitely not fit.

This was made clear to me when I went out for my first winter training ride with the team a few weeks ago. I hadn’t done long miles in months and, when the grade turned up, the little girls moved around me to the front and rode away like they were filled with helium — effortless and happy. Meanwhile, I gritted out the ascent with the grace and speed of a Mack truck on a mountain pass.

It’s a simple matter of science. The more you have to carry, the more energy it takes to go uphill. If you’re a physiological freak of nature cranking out mega-wattage, then it might not matter if you’ve got a 10-pound beer belly strapped to your waist. Unfortunately, mega-wattage isn’t part of my repertoire, so when the weight goes up, the Swift goes backward.

It’s time for winter training. It’s time to do the dirty work of the off-season. To lay the foundation for the coming year’s goals that will the body into some kind of respectable form.

It’s time for lose-the-fat camp. Long hours in the saddle, weekly dates with the bathroom scale and a healthy dose of mindful eating and high-quality nutrition.

It’ll be a long road, but least I’m not alone.

Performance-driven weight loss is nothing new to my Sicilian boyfriend, Sal, who often curses his cannoli heritage as he’s getting whipped by whippets up the local slopes. For years he’s been striving for the perfect T. rex silhouette: crazy big legs for mashing pedals and a little bitty upper body designed to be as light as possible. So concerned with maintaining correct proportions was Sal that when we first met he often requested I move heavy boxes or furniture lest he develop muscles in his arms.

“The only reason I have arms is to keep my face from hitting the bars,” he would say.

For better or for worse, ours is a sport that favors the lean and gristly.

After years of “working out” for the sake of weight loss or a skinny pair of jeans or an unrealistic magazine ideal, I can tell you this much: Training in the name of the bike is a heck of a lot more rewarding.

Mean, lean eating machine: tips to get you going

Let’s get one thing straight: You don’t need to diet; you need to optimize your intake. You’re a cyclist, not a supermodel — the goal is to drop pounds without losing power. Give your muscles what they need to grow, focus on high-quality nutrition and exercise a little old-fashioned self-control.

Be present: Avoid multitasking when you’re eating. Instead, focus on the flavors and truly experience your meal. When you eat while you’re watching TV or using the computer, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re putting in your mouth.

Plan and prepare: Carve out a little time to do food prep on the weekend. Chop vegetables, make meals you can reheat or easily grab when the week gets busy. Never cook only one meal at a time — make multiple portions and store leftovers for later.

The most important meal of the day: Eat breakfast and make it count. Not only will you fuel your active day (and burn off what you put in), you’ll also help minimize afternoon and evening hunger pangs.

Eat smaller meals more often: Eating five or six small meals a day instead of the traditional Big Three helps prevent the kind of intense hunger that can often lead to overeating when you wait five or six hours between meals. If it helps, think of it as three small meals with two or three snacks.

Remember lean protein, healthful fats and fiber: All three take longer than carbohydrates for your body to digest and will help curb cravings throughout the day. Essential fats can be found in salmon, flaxseed and most nuts and are powerful allies in achieving your ideal performance weight.

Measure something: The old saying goes, “What gets measured gets managed.” Track your caloric intake or commit to a weekly weigh-in. Keep notes to monitor your progress.

Smart workout fueling: As a cyclist, you need fuel for long rides, but be careful not to overdo it. You should aim to replace about 25percent of the calories that you will burn during your effort with on-bike nutrition (like bars, gels or sports drinks). Any more and you invite gastrointestinal disaster, less and you might bonk. Also, try to avoid the post-ride urge to pig out. (We’re notorious for overeating after a hard ride because we tend to feel that we’ve earned it.) Instead of gorging, be sure to get a quick hit of nutrition like a recovery drink within 15 minutes of stopping and then eat another high-quality meal in the next two hours.

Trust me, exercise won’t make you fat.

snarkypants — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:01:31 +0000

I almost titled this post “If you’re reading Time Magazine, you already have a problem.” That’s how much I despise that rag.

Last week they released a story about how exercising makes you fatter. Or something like that. By the time I finally felt compelled to see what the hell was going on, I was so disgusted with it all I could do was skim through. There are two really important points that we should get out of the way up front.

Why are you reading Time Magazine unless you are trapped in a doctor’s waiting room and it’s the only thing available? Seriously. There is nothing good in Time Magazine. Stop it.
Why is anyone paying attention to what Time Magazine is saying about nutrition and exercise? Their nutrition articles are as watered down as the rest of the garbage they print. It’s a tabloid magazine for national news. It’s written at a 6th grade reading level. It’s not making anyone smarter.

I could end this post right there, but I’ll expand a little becuase it seems like a good opportunity to review the basics.

Common sense, right?

Don’t overeat. Do exercise because it makes you feel good. Eat vegetables because they’re full of vitamins and fiber and crap that’s going to help you live a long time. Enjoy your food. Enjoy your life. If you want to take it further, read John Berardi’s Ten Rules for Good Nutrition. Or someone else.

There are so many people out there sending good messages about food and exercise. You know it when you see it. But if they’re telling you you’re going tlose 11 pounds in 7 days, they’re pedaling bullshit. It’s not hard to sift through.

You know what you’re doing. Stick to your guns, get through the garbage, and do what you need to do.

The Compensation Factor

The one thing that I did find interesting in Cloud’s article, was the bit about compensation which has been my number one complaint about cycling. When I get home from a long ride in the cold winter weather, I am filled with the sense that I can EAT THE ENTIRE WORLD. Really. I’ve written exactly that way before.

It’s a hunger beyond all hungers.

This doesn’t happen to me after a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session or a good, brisk run (even a long one). There’s something about cycling that brings out the Eating Monster in me and it’s baffled me from the beginning.

There’s nothing quite like a big, delicious burger after a 4.5 hour ride in the rain, right? Right. Every once in a while, that’s ok. Every day? That’s a problem.

It comes back to common sense (which is not always so common, eh?) Just be smart.

Enjoy your rides. Enjoy your burgers.

More information from people who are smarter than me

I was prompted to (finally) weigh in on this Time Magazine because Tom Venuto finally did. He may be overly orange and scarily muscly, but he knows his nutrition and he’s articulate.

Read Tom Venuto’s rebuttal here: “Why Time Magazine Owes the Fitness Industry a Big Fat Apology”

Jonathan Ross also had a pretty thorough dissection of the piece over at Discovery Health, though you’ll have to deal with looking at an ugly page (I hate ugly pages!)

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Kale Krazy: Roasty Toasty Roughage

snarkypants — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:37:32 +0000

Yesterday’s kale post opened my eyes to the bountiful Kale Love that exists in the world. I was so happy that I spent the day in a sundress skipping through overexposed kale fields with white light wrapping around me, singing kale songs.

Then I came home and found two sweet recommendations.

The Hen Waller (a great blog by friend, talented designer, and chicken expert Patrick) came out swinging with a link (via Twitter – follow me, it’s fun!) to this fantastic Savory Bread Pudding with Winter Greens recipe.

The recipe called for roasting the kale, which got me thinking…

Cue to long-time blog reader Michael (aka MtMann) dropping his favorite roasting method into the comments.

That was the tipping point. I had to try it. I literally walked away from the computer straight into the kitchen and starting cutting my kale into strips. The result? Unreal. Really. I don’t know how else to put it.

A little crispy. Nice and light. An excellent earthy, roasted flavor.

I shot off a string of photos and then ate the whole batch.

Here’s how I did it:

Cut kale into very narrow strips (almost shredded).
Toss with 1tbsp olive oil to coat.
Spread evenly over a baking sheet and put into an oven that it pre-heated to 375.
After about 5 minutes (keep your eye on them, they’ll begin to wilt a little) remove, turn all the greens over and return to oven.
Roast for another 5-7 minutes just until it starts to get a little crispy.
Toss with sea salt (I used my favorite Oak-Smoked Chardonnay Sea-Salt because I am all about the sea-salt trend, yo)
Enjoy!

Super easy, stupid-simple and seriously savory. This is going to become a regular snack around here for sure.

As scary-good as kale is for your health, you should give it a shot, too. You may even be able to convert some non-believers.

Thanks to Patrick and Michael for the roasting tip! There were a few other recipes mentioned that I plan to try in the next few weeks. Stay tuned, Kale Komandos.

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Kale that Doesn’t Suck

snarkypants — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:12:32 +0000

I love kale. There, I said it.

But I know that not everyone gets as into dinosaur food as I do. Usually, I just chop it, steam it, salt it and eat it, but tonight I decided to put a little effort in and see if I could make it palatable for Sal.

It worked.

This is simple – and would be great for spinach or chard or other leafy greens, too – but I swear it’s good. Sal-tested, Sicilian-approved.

Get this stuff:

Kale (two big bunches oughta be enough – eyeball it, and remember it shrinks)
2 tbsp Olive oil
Garlic (two cloves, mined)
1/2 cup chicken or veggie stock (or just water, but I recommend the stock)
Salt
Pepper

Do this with it:

Heat the oil over medium heat (slowly)
When you start to smell the olive oil (when it’s getting warm), add the minced garlic and cook slowly on low-medium so you don’t burn said garlic, just get it nice and warmed up and yummy-style.
While the garlic is infusing the oil with heaven, give your kale a good, coarse chopping. It’s been a bad, bad kale – punish it!
After five minutes of heating the garlic, turn the heat up to high, throw the kale and the chicken stock into the pot and toss to coat.
Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes (cue kale shrinkage)
Take lid off and assess. Continue cooking on medium to evaporate any remaining liquid or until kale reaches desired tenderness.
Finish with salt and pepper to taste (if you want to, I found the chicken stock provided enough flavoring and I didn’t require any more)
If you’re feeling sassy, throw on a little red wine vinegar (I’m not a huge fan of vinegar so I didn’t do this part)

Enjoy as a side dish with your favorite protein.

9 out of 10 dinosaurs agree: this kale does not suck!

Next up: Juicing recipe for the yummy drink shown below.

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Better Whey of Life Protein-Fortified Yogurt Review

snarkypants — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:55:34 +0000

I’m a protein freak. If you’ve read any of the nutrition-related content on this site, then you already know that. So, I was pretty stoked when B etter Whey of Life contacted me to see if I’d like to sample some of their new protein-fortified yogurt.

I wasn’t at the studio when the shipment arrived and Sal called me in a tizzy, “A big refrigerated package arrived for you! What is it??!” I think he thought I joined a gourmet cheese club.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t very excited when I broke the news about the actual contents of the box.

Onto the Yogurt at Hand:

Better Whey of Life yogurt addresses two of my long-standing issues with other yogurt options: too much sugar (and corn-syrup crap to boot!) and not enough protein.

In the past I’d solved the dilemma by eating plan yogurt (greek if I was feeling spendy) sweetened with agave syrup and mixed with whole, raw fruits – so I was curious to see if Better Whey of Life could compete with my work-around.

The Nitty Gritty Numbers

15-17 grams of protein per serving (whey protein, which is way good for you)
About 14g of sugar (less than most brands)
Mutliple flavors including: Strawberry banana, French vanilla, Acai mixed berry, and Peach mango
6oz containers

The Real Dirt

It tastes good. Very good. (I’ve sampled Strawberry Banana, French Vanilla, and Peach Mango).

Does it taste better than my plain-yogurt-agave-fruit concoction? If you’re used to the sugary single-serving grocery-store style yogurt, then yes. If you’re me and you’ve been eating the Swift Fruit Yogurt Workaround for 3+ years, then no. Call me stubborn, but I still like mine better (and since I use whole fruit, mine probably has more fiber, but that’s kind of splitting hairs.)

That said? In order to match the protein content of Whey of Life, I have to add a half scoop of protein powder to the Swift Concoction and I’m going to be honest with you – no matter which fabulous protein powder I add, this combination does not taste good. And certainly not anywhere near as good as the Better Whey of Life option.

So, protein-to-protein, Better Whey has me whooped.

Is it Right for You?

If you’re currently eating previously mentioned sugar-loaded grocery store fruit yogurt options then YES. Better Whey of Life yogurt blows that crap out of the water. No contest.

Also, unlike the Swift Fruit Yogurt Workaround, the convenient Better Whey of Life yogurt containers are much easier to pack into lunchbags and picnic baskets.

Or, if you’re a late night snacker, this could be the perfect fix for your last meal of the day. Protein ingested before bed helps prevent the protein breakdown that occurs naturally when you sleep.

Find It.

Currently, Better Whey of Life is only available at health food stores and Whole Foods Markets (though it’s not in all Whole Foods yet, hence the refrigerated box delivery). Check the Where To Buy link on their website for more information.

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Nutrition Nutrition Nutrition: Keeping it Simple

snarkypants — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:44:48 +0000

I haven’t been following any super strict or regimented nutrition plan for the past few months, but I am feeling really great about how I’ve been eating. This is mostly due to the fact that I’ve spent the last 12 months doing some serious work at researching food plans and clean eating. I’ve tried a number of different self-created programs with some really great success.

When it comes to going on nutritional auto-pilot, however, I like to keep in mind the three simple steps I outlined earlier this year. It’s amazing what a massive difference eating clean makes in terms of both the results I get from my workouts and my energy level in general.

A few months ago, I ponied up and bought the Precision Nutrition program. In case you’re unfamiliar, John Berardi is a world-class nutrition and exercise expert, with a Ph.D. in exercise biology and nutritional biochemistry. I have been reading his articles for the past year, and I can say without doubt that he absolutely knows what he is talking about.

The PN program is pretty amazing. What I found revolutionary about the product was that it basically took all of the super-effective nutrition strategies that I’d been researching on my own, and put them all into one, consolidated set of resources, structured in a manner that makes it easy to put together your own strategy.

The other thing I love about the program is that you can pick it up, read just a section or two, and immediately start following a really great nutrition plan that is pre-mapped. Alternately, you can pick it up, read the whole thing like the nutrition-freak you are, and then use it to make a plan that is custom-tailored to your specific needs.

Perhaps most impressive is the cookbook that comes along with the package, which you can also get as an eBook for just $29.99: Gourmet Nutrition. I’ve been using the cook book for the past few months to put together phenomenally healthy meals that are “true meals” in the sense that even my “food-is-love” Sicilian boyfriend considers them to be top-notch and worthy of a candlelit dinner table.

The cook book has been a huge source of insipration for me – I’ve used many of the tips and tricks contained in it to create my own recipes, and have already stumbled across some family favorites.

Over the next few days I’ll be posting some sample PN and PN-inspired recipes, including three casseroles that are honestly and legitimately healthy as well as easy to pre-make and freeze for later use.

I’ll also be covering some tips and tricks for handling mass food preparation, which is a huge part of eating clean. Preparing a week’s worth of meals in advance is a surefire way to guarantee you won’t find yourself without dinner or lunch one day and decide to eat out instead.

In the meantime, I encourage you to check out the Precision Nutrition offerings and keep your eyes peeled for more detailed reviews about specific aspects of the PN package, as well as other great resources for healthy recipes and clean-eating tips.
*

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snarkypants — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:45:04 +0000

Don’t have time to deal with all the crap I wrote in “The Super Basic Five Steps You Can Take to Begin to Eat Smarter“?

No problem.

I boiled it down into three handy-dandy guidelines to give anyone a jumpstart on improving their nutrition.

Eat every 3 hours, no matter what.
Eat a serving of lean protein and a serving of vegetables at every meal and snack, no matter what.
Make sure at least 2 of your vegetable servings are green and leafy.

If you follow these three rules and nothing else, I guarantee you that the quality of your diet will improve. You can build from this base in whatever way you’d like – just make sure these three criteria are met. I’m not saying that this is going to get you any sort of specific results, but it will immediately improve your overall diet. Vegetable consumption for most Americans is abysmal at best. Most don’t really even eat *any* and those that do almost never eat enough. The insoluble fiber in leafy greens helps keep the body free of toxins and has been shown to play a hand in preventing cancer.

If starting a nutrition program feels overwhelming and time-consuming, start by making a goal to follow these three guidelines and you’ll be pointing yourself in the right direction.

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More Top Ten Foods! Wa Hooo!

snarkypants — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:12:28 +0000

I couldn’t help but post this.

A little while ago Tom Venuto posted a few top ten lists and they are excellent. Seeing as how my Top Ten Super Foods post was so popular, I figured I’d share his as well. They’re listed here but you should really, really, really go check out his blog and then go read the entire site. Seriously – talk about a wealth of information! He is Smart Man with Big Muscles! Listen good, ya hear!?

Top Tens A la Tom Venuto:

Tom Venuto’s 10 top starchy carb and grains

1. Oatmeal (old fashioned)
2. Yams (almost same as sweet potatoes
3. brown rice (love basmati, a long grain aromatic rice)
4. Sweet potatoes
5. Multi grain hot cereal (mix or barley, oats, rye titricale and a few others)
6. White potatoes (glycemic index be damned!)
7. 100% whole wheat bread
8. 100% whole wheat pasta
9. Beans (great for healthy chili recipes)
10. Cream of rice hot cereal

Tom Venuto’s Top 10 top vegetables

1. broccoli
2. asparagus
3. spinach
4. salad greens
5. tomatoes
6. peppers (green and red)
7. onions
8. mushrooms
9. cucumbers
10. Zucchini
Tom Venuto’s top 10 lean proteins

1. Egg whites
2. Whey protein (protein powder supplement)
3. Chicken Breast
4. Salmon (wild alaskan)
5. Turkey Breast
6. Top round steak (grass fed beef)
7. Flank Steak (grass fed beef)
8. Cod Fish
9. Bison/Buffalo
10. Rainbow Trout

Tom Venuto’s top 10 fruits

1. Grapefruit
2. Apples
3. Blueberries
4. Canteloupe
5. Oranges
6. Bananas
7. Peaches
8. Grapes
9. Strawberries
10. Pineapple

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How I Dropped my Body Fat by 5% in Just Two Weeks

snarkypants — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 05:28:54 +0000

Ok, ok. You were right.

Well, at least some of you were. When I threw down the gauntlet the week before last, some of you said, “Heidi, there is no way you have 24.5% body fat!”

I admit, I was a little bit skeptical too, but I figured it could very well be possible. What the hell do I know?

Anyway, because of the determination with which I wanted to approach my goal of hitting sub 20% by my thirtieth birthday on August 23rd, I decided to go and have a my body composition tested with a method that had a better margin of error than Ye Olde Calipers. I wanted an accurate starting point for the finishing sprint to the big day.

I made an appointment to be tested with a Bod Pod at a local fitness facility. The Bod Pod works the same way a water dip test does, only it uses air instead. Unlike the lovely fitness model on that web page, I did not wear a yellow swimsuit and blue cap. I chose my favorite color scheme instead: black on black.

The trainer who administered the test warned me that caliper tests often give you a body fat percentage that is lower that your real number. “Great.” I thought, “This stupid thing is going to tell me that I am twenty-seven percent and then I’ll really be pissed.”

“Well,” I sighed, “Let’s just see what it says.” I got in, sat down, and waited as I was hermetically sealed inside and then analyzed.

And what did that weird Mork-and-Mindy pod say?

It said 19.5%.

NINETEEN POINT FIVE PERCENT, punk! You heard me right!

Booyah!

I was so freaking elated that I called Daniel The Boot Camp Guy to tell him my good news. And here is the coolest part about Daniel – he picks up his phone – always. He’s there for you. He cares about your goals. He is sincerely and genuinely excited for your life accomplishments.

Of course, I still felt like a complete tool for calling him but I couldn’t stop myself. I needed a wireless high-five and I needed it right away. I knew that Daniel, more than anyone else, would really understand how much it meant to me.

And I was right.

So consider the gauntlet picked up and ass-whooped. Now, as victory celebrations (protein drinks and chicken breast for everyone!) come to a close, I’m trying to settle on the next prize. I think it’s going to be 17% but I need to do some check-ins to make sure that’s not totally overboard.

Standby for The Gauntlet Redux, coming soon to a blog near you.

Bonus Content!

Handy Tip for Tricking Yourself Into Drinking Enough Water:

Drink out of a cool cup. Does this sound dumb and childish? Yes. Does it work? Yes.
Does it possibly work for me because I am dumb and childish? Probably.

Here are my top three cool-cup strategies for making water more fun:

Freezer-Chilled Glass Beer Stein: I keep extremely thick glass beer mugs in my freezer. Sal uses them for beer, I use them for water. They work great for both and I love how the chilled glass keeps my water nice and cool. I can put room temperature water into it and it will cool to a perfect temp – not icy as with an ice-filled glass, but just slightly cooler than room temp.

Wine Glass: I use a big, crystal Bordeaux glass and fill it with ice. This makes me feel sneaky, like I’m getting away with something.

Crazy Straw: Hello!! Crazy straw. I do not need to explain this. Nothing is better than water that comes via the triple-loopty-loop super straw!

Go play. This is the first day of the rest of your life.

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