June 25th Update

Hello everyone. So it looks as if i haven't really updated everyone on whats been going on for the past couple of weeks. It been crazy over here with all the weddings, graduations, birthday parties etc. 

So as the weather gets warmer this just means that it is the start of race season! My first (but certainly not last) mud race was the Ruckus run in Marshfield, Ma a few weeks ago. I did it with all my co-workers which was a ton of fun for everyone. This race is four miles long (the challenger) and has obstacles throughout. 

A super unflattering photo but i find it hilarious that i have daisies in my hair.. as you can tell i don't take these things too seriously...

I took some time to enjoy the nice weather and hang out by some pools.. (and that sushi in that container was awesommeeee. The sushi chef at Whole foods made me some rolls for myself without rice! Pretty sweet huh?)

Tequila lemonade and sushi poolside 

And then i spent some more time in a pool...

And somewhere in between there i remembered i needed to update my picture for bodybuilding.com and took this gem. 

June 21st, 2013 (174ish)

So as of a few days ago i weighed 173.8 which is pretty awesome. Although lately i've been getting frustrated that i'm not seeing as much progress as fast as i would like.. i do have to remind myself that this is all a process and that it takes time. And of course the universe sent me this gem so i can sit back and relax and see the progress take effect.

My goal is to be another 5 pounds down by the 4th of July or at the very least under 170 which would be the first time since high school. But if it were to mean that this is where i top out and that i'm healthy i would be totally happy. 

And sorry for the sort of lame post today i'm totally scatter brained!

Katie <3

Hot sweaty hot yoga

So with the diagnosis of Leaky Gut also comes with restrictions on types of exercise. Because i have an overactive adrenal gland i need to focus on more low-key exercise like yoga, walking and hiking. So it turns out that there is a yoga studio that does hot yoga near my house, so i figured i would give it a try tonight!

So being so SUPAH SMAHHT i decided to google some tips on things to do before/after or bring with me to the class. The interwebs people recommended that i bring a small towel, lots of water and to not eat before class.

"Power Vinyasa Yoga is a dynamic combination of strength, sweat and spirituality. It detoxifies, heals and electrifies. This accessible, challenging and flowing form of yoga will lead you to a state of transformation. It will sculpt, tone and hone the muscles of your body and your mind."

Well let me tell you something. I have seriously never sweat that much in my life.95 Degrees in a room with twenty other people. Literally sweat dripping off of my everything. And of course trusting the internet led me to some inconveniences.. Well next time i will bring a full size beach towel to go over my yoga mat. It was like a slip and slide except instead of landing in a nice pool at the end my foot would end up in some girl's face. No bueno. 

Mhhhmmm sweatyy

My instructor was really cool and we started off our 90 minute class with some breathing and light stretching then moving into some power vinyasa. Somewhere in between there we did some funky handstand things and then my favorite part was when we ended (but seriously) because we had a nice few minutes of meditating and laying down relaxed. The ending makes you forget all about that hour and half of slipping all over the mat, sweating your ass off...literally, and my personal favorite my clothes being soaked in sweat falling off of myself. So naturally i signed up for an unlimited month... :X

In the end i felt amazing after i left class.


And on another note i am officially under 175 and have lost 21 pounds! Stoked!!

live and die by the scale

So i've had a lot of people ask me about how often i weigh myself. If this were a normal circumstance of trying to lose weight and i was on (insert diet method here) and had no issues i would say any more than once a week is excessive.  In my particular case i use my weight as a health tool. I use it to track my body's response to foods, drinks or new exercises that i try to incorporate. I know that there are factors that determine your weight more than just body fat i.e.: when you last used the bathroom (1 & 2), what you recently ate, how much water you drank etc.

For me i personally go by the same rules for when i weigh myself. Right after i wake up in the morning i us the restroom and make sure that i am wearing light clothing (obviously if you are wearing a sweatshirt or other heavy clothing it will how on the scale) and then i step on the scale. I do this before eating or having any medications to try to get the most accurate reading.

Personally for a person having leaky gut i found this to be a helpful tool for incorporating new foods into my diet. I know that tomatoes and salsa aren't on my okay to eat foods list after having salsa one day. I found that i was bloated after i ate and the next day my weight went up half a pound. Although this is not the most scientific way of proving that i just know this method works for me.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at phillips.katie@live.com

:)