The Tami Way

Mornin babes! :) 

I am happily drinking my one coffee of the day. I think the benefit is as much mental as it is physical. I love the whole process. I grind my beans fresh and make the quick pot of coffee. I think the ritual has a comforting feel for me and the smell wafting through the air as well. My mom was a coffee drinker and the smell was and still is a great start to the day. 

I am generally wiped out on Tuesdays. With my busy work schedule and other factors, getting to the gym is so hard so I do a really good burn on Sundays and Mondays when I have off. I burn about 3,000 calories in those two days. I know that seems nuts right?? I would love to spread it out more throughout the week. One day when my boys are older and I can go earlier before work. :) But that leaves me sort of pathetic on Tuesdays! haha! And ravenous! I munch on a lot of nuts and seeds at work. My body is saying "Feed me, Seymore!!" (Little Shop of Horrors reference there!)

That kind of cardio does make me feel pretty badass though!! haha! And I did say I broke the machine once by pulling too hard and snapping the resistance!!! So funny! 

I have been going completely smoothie crazy lately. Probably because it's hot out. If it was the middle of Winter, I would not be making something cold to drink every day. Or maybe I would as it makes me feel so great! Perhaps I'll use my Ninja for nutrient packed soups then. :p

So how does nutritionist in training eat? On average? Very healthy. I do have my splurges. I had some treats over the weekend. And now my body is in complete nourish mode. It pretty much lets me know when I need to balance things a bit. 

Here is an easy go-to list of things I incorporate regularly if you are starting out or just need a few new ideas. 

The Tami Way of Eating.

I eat plenty of veggies. Leafy greens rock! 

Fruit. Especially berries. I buy a lot of frozen berries to have on hand. They are generally more affordable (especially when it's not in season) and don't go bad as fast. Plus the frozen part make for excellent smoothies. 

Lean protein with occasional red meat. (Maybe once every two months I will have red meat) 

Dairy in small amounts (Usually in the form of Greek yogurt)

Almond milk

Avocado

Herbal and Green teas

TONS of water 

Herbs

Spices

I have been experimenting with gluten-free products. Slowly incorporating them in place of other foods to see how my body responds. I do generally feel a lot better and less bloated without a ton of wheat. 

I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and small snacks throughout the day. My snacks are usually nuts, seeds and berries. I have a smoothie or banana and Greek yogurt for breakfast. I am usually running out the door so it's something I can eat on the way. Lunch during the work-week is usually a big salad of spinach or field greens with a ton of veggies on top. Dinner varies really. Sometimes chicken, veggies, and sweet potato, sometimes salad. Sometimes it all depends on what my boys eat. Sometimes it's another smoothie. Sometimes I snack on the nuts later and when I get off work I'm just not hungry for a big dinner. 

Some rules I follow. 

Eat until 80% full 

Eat majority of fats from good sources like nuts, avocado, etc

Always eat some sort of breakfast. Protein is so important at every meal but definitely in the morning to rev up your system. 

Keep it clean and simple as often as possible. If I can't read and pronounce the ingredient list, I generally don't buy it. 

Indulge in some fun things a couple of times a week. It really does help to stay on track the rest of the week. 

WATER! All the time!

DON'T STRESS OUT! If you are stressing about it, you are not doing it the right way. Living a healthier lifestyle can happen without causing stress. I am less stressed than I was before. And now I don't feel like complete crap after a meal. The choices I make keep me going throughout the day and I don't crash as I used to. 

I am going to end there because that's enough food for thought. Try to incorporate a few of these into your day/week if you're just starting. Don't worry or stress about it. Know that the better you treat your body and the more you nourish it, it will reward you. 

Leaving you with a little humor! I love Jimmy Fallon! And this 2012 Do Not Read list had me in tears laughing!! Enjoy! :) 

"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same" - Carlos Castenada

xoxoxo

Tam

Epiphany Time.

Hello there! Happy Tuesday! 

I hope you all had a good start to the work week. Random but there are two movies coming out this month I am very excited about. Man of Steel and World War Z!! I have a bit of a crush on Superman this time around. The last one was a bit....I don't know....but not for me! This one is a hunk of manly man! Rawr!! 

It's back to the grind for me today. Working today through Saturday. It's so nice out. Sunny, low humidity and breezy. Supposed to be a lovely high of 76 here. All together now, ahhhhhhh! :) I have had two super workouts the last two days and my body is waving the white flag today, needing a break. 

It's interesting. I've been thinking of two ailments I had suffered from most of my life that *knock on wood* have not caused me significant problems in recent years. One is migraines. I have gotten them from the time I was little. I remember missing school, having them make me throw up, being in such pain and I had no idea what it was. Heat would often bring them on too. The other is Hypoglycemia. I would get shaky and sweaty and dizzy when my blood sugar dropped. I did have it during my pregnancy with Sammy too. They actually instructed me to eat more. Every two hours. 

I had a big of shaky, Hypoglycemia feeling yesterday after my workout. I can't remember the last time I felt that and it suddenly hit me...I had some small waffles with peanut butter in the AM. They were ogranic ones for the boys. I had forgotten to buy some yogurt and ran out of bananas, etc. So I needed something before the gym. But I think the white flour...then a great workout..left me out of whack. I was feeling very light-headed while running errands. I bought some nuts and an Odwalla Green Monster smoothie and downed it and felt better. I normally have a Greek yogurt with a banana or peanut butter or something like that which sustains me longer and keeps my blood sugar level. 

But I started thinking about the lack of bad migraines and low blood sugar attacks. I still feel the feeling of a migraine start to come up but I'm able to control it before it gets too bad. I cannot remember the last time I threw up from one or had to lay in bed for hours. I think it was when I was still married years ago. I had wondered if my body chemistry changed from pregnancy. Or if it's related to my complete lifestyle overhaul. They happened around the same time. I got away from the stressful marriage, I changed the way I eat and cut out soda and other sugary drinks and drink mostly water and keep hydrated and exercise a lot. I have cut out white flour products and other items that are modified and have no nutritional value as often as possible. There are experts that say the problems with blood sugar are caused more by the bad carbs than by sugar. Our systems were not made for this horrible stuff we are ingesting and consuming that stuff and not having anything nourish our bodies from it has caused it to protest. Makes sense to me! 

I think I am living proof that living a different way can help you feel better and improve your health in ways other than a lower number on the scale. I nourish my body with a lot of complex carbs, fiber, lean protein, fruits and veggies. Tons of water, green tea too! I splurge occasionally but make my "norm" the good stuff. And the sudden occurrence of a low blood sugar reaction yesterday following waffles.....and a workout...seems like proof as well. I do my 1500 calorie burns a lot and I feel sweaty and hungry afterwards but never that shaky, lightheaded, ick feeling I felt yesterday. 

I am having a sort of epiphany today so bear with me! I hope you're all having one with me because I think it is important and I am happy to be the "guinea pig" of sorts to prove to you that your diet and activities really do matter so much more and even if the number on the scale isn't going down as you'd like, you are improving your health immensely and will reap the benefits in other ways. I certainly have! 

Time for me to get ready for the day. Have a good one!! 

Check this out. I do love my avocados!! Eat one a day???? If I must, I must!! :p 

Remember, no matter how slow you go you're still lapping everybody on the couch! 

Watch and listen. The amazing Neil Diamond!! Ahhhhh!  We all know I love him so! I don't know about you but talent like this and nature like this is very humbling to me! 

xoxoxoxo
Tam

Short n' Sweet!

Good morning! Happy Monday!

I know, it's the beginning of the work week. But find something to enjoy. It's not too difficult! I laugh with my co-workers a lot. Life is too short otherwise. :) 

I had a nice day yesterday. I had a great workout in the morning and then made a smoothie afterwards. I am so happy I have that Ninja blender now. It is amazing. The smoothie was unsweetened almond milk, banana, frozen blueberry and spinach. Having something be frozen and cold is soo refreshing in the smoothie. Also, I've been keeping my bananas in the fridge too because of fruit flies...and I am discovering I actually like them cold! They have a "banana pudding"" kind of flavor to them when cold and it just adds extra cold refreshing goodness to the smoothie. Bananas are one of my favorite pre-workout foods too. The natural sugars, potassium, etc..are so good. I will have that and a Fage 0% yogurt and I am fueled!

Yesterday afternoon I attended the communion party for my friends son. It's always fun to spend time with friends. And I came home to get my boys by 5:30. And all was right with the world upon their return. My home is just too quiet and empty when they're gone. I bought them new goggles to use when swimming and they were excited about them. Had to try them out immediately!! They're so funny!! 

I had been so excited to watch Game of Thrones last night. It was off for two weeks due to a movie last week. And I fell asleep five minutes before it started!! I woke up about 20 minutes into it. I did this once before. I just said "I will watch tomorrow!" Clearly my body needed to rest after the workout I had in the morning and busy day. 

I think I am going to try this smoothie today. It can be called the "flat tummy" smoothie. Cucumbers hydrate the body and flush out toxins from the kidneys. Looks refreshing, eh?? Keeping frozen berries on hand makes for an easy base for smoothies and again the frozen part makes the smoothie especially "ahhhhh" 

1/2 a large cucumber

1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

8 oz coconut water or unsweetened hemp/rice/almond milk

1-2 Tbs flax or chia seeds

Tbs raw organic honey to taste (optional) 

Ice (optional) 

I am keeping it somewhat short and simple today. My oldest has a half-day at school otherwise today is all about them. I am back to work tomorrow! Hope you all have a lovely day! 

"Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious" - Bill Meyer 

xoxoxoxo

Tam

Metamorphosis.

Happy Sunday! 

It's been a beautiful weekend here in Connecticut! I have felt warm the entire time. That's a rarity. :) I complain about being cold so much that I have no right to say a word when it's hot. So I won't. No matter what. I will just complain about the humidity! :p

I received an email yesterday on My Fitness Pal that makes every single word I write worth it. It's so humbling to read these things. But it really makes my success so much sweeter knowing it is helping like this. If my words only help this one lady reach her goal and health success then I am happy! If it can help others, then amazing! :) 

This is the email. I can't really put into words how much these emails mean to me. I truly love hearing it! 
I needed to read that post today- the one that everyone loves about what worked for you. I was SO discouraged today and feeling like I would never get there and NEVER be what I want to be with my weight. I honestly considered giving up. Your post was awesome and inspiring and SUCH GOOD ADVICE! I didn't want to post in the thread in case you wouldn't see it and I wanted you to know that your words have given me the positive push that I desperately needed. I thought that was worth sharing. I have a weekend ahead of "food events" and I was so stressed out. Now, I plan to take them one at a time and remember that it doesn't define me. I can still "have this". I have 40 lbs to go which seemed daunting this morning. Now? It all seems so possible. 

I have tears in my eyes as I write this- it is truly amazing that your words have impacted so many people. Thank you so much.


I had a complete splurge meal last night. And it was awesome! :) I didn't really eat fried which is helpful. Too much grease is not great for my system. And not labeling foods as "off limits" is a good thing. I eat healthy by choice as my "norm" but an occasional not so healthy treat is fine in my book. We ate at Longhorn Steakhouse. I had a filet with the sweet potato. And the salad I chose had some bacon on it, etc. And I did have some of the bread with the honey butter. I think that's the first red meat I've had in two months. It was delicious! And by choosing a filet it was definitely leaner which is just easier for me to digest. Success! I don't feel too crappy today. Though I am hitting the gym shortly to sweat my butt off! :)  But just remember that finding that balance and having the confidence in yourself to enjoy yourself once in awhile is a huge part of success. 

I cannot wait to see my boys later. I need to get my snuggle fix! I am the mother who snuggles and hugs them in their sleep too. Sometimes that's the only time I can with J.T. He is a lovey dovey guy but he is getting to the age where he doesn't show it in public! When walking him to his school, he pulls his hand out of mine when he sees his friends. Nooooo! :( But then at home, he sits, arm to arm with me on the couch with his little head leaning on me. 

I have made several smoothies including the tart cherry one about three times. It really is so good. It's such an easy and refreshing way to nourish your body. I am intending on more smoothies for my boys that contain spinach hidden! haha! My oldest is OK with vegetables but Sammy it's like pulling teeth to get him to eat them! I keep on tryin! His favorite foods are granola bars and dessert! I do give them vitamins but I'd love for them to learn healthier eating habits. 

I just saw this! I think I need to get it for their wall. So cute!! 

Have a lovely day. Get out and enjoy the weather. Hopefully it's nice where you are! If it's not, still enjoy the day!! :) Look at this photo of Barcelona! The colors are just gorgeous. 

Leaving you with a little Roy Orbison. This is my favorite song of his. I don't get my music taste either. It's so eclectic! haha! It comes from having two parents who love everything as well. This song is beautiful. What a voice! 

"There is a nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly" - R. Buckminster Fuller  

I love that. And the transformation is as much mental, health and inner peace as it is physical. Keep that in mind during the journey. If the scale doesn't move as you like, there are so many more ways to determine success with the better choices and healthier lifestyle. 

xoxoxo

Tam

You have learned well, grasshopper!

Good morning!! (I always say morning because it's that where I am..but it might be afternoon or evening where you are!)

Welcome to the weekend. Today is my "Friday". My boys are with their father this weekend. I hate that so much. I miss them. But I will just make the most of the time as I always do. Grabbing a bite with friends tonight and tomorrow will hit the gym hard, maybe get a pedicure and attend the communion party for my friend's son. Yayyy Dylan! :)  And then my boys come home!! Woooo! I love Sundays! 

Let me focus on today now, lol. Drinking my coffee. It's a beautiful thing! I read a quote as soon as I woke up this morning. "Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you" - Hafiz.  Woah. Isn't that the truth? It seems so many are in the process of trying to find and be happy that they remember to just BE happy. It really is up to you. Of course there are certain things people want in their lives to enrich it but you can choose to be happy and enjoy life despite them. 

I know first hand the process of losing weight and what that entails. I know the information out there can drive you crazy as it constantly changes. This is a bit crass but there's a quote from Steel Magnolias. "He doesn't know whether to scratch is watch or wind his butt". So true when it comes to health, fitness, weight-loss! And I think it's done on purpose as it is a HUGE business. Keeping everyone confused and looking for answers makes certain companies profit. 

Yes, my endeavor to be a health coach would help me profit but I would be doing a job that would help  people be able to do it on their own eventually. That is my goal anyway. I want to prepare plans for each individual based on their own needs. Everyone is different with different metabolism, body chemistry, genetics, etc. So really one plan is not going to work for everyone. It takes getting to know each person and what is the best plan to incorporate into THEIR life. I want to go shopping with people, help them prepare dishes. Having someone guide you to the right place is so helpful!

My Fitness Pal is a great site and if you want a place to track your calories or exercise, definitely check it out. There is an APP for it too. There is also a community of message boards with people constantly posting about problems, questions, success, all of it. It is a free website too. Can't beat that!! 

Here is a link to the site. You see little pictures with testimonials flashing by on the sign in page..and I am one of them! :) 
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

And here is something I wrote THREE years ago. This is why I created this blog finally. The thread has 18 pages of replies. And continues to help to inspire. It makes me feel so proud to know my success and words can help others reach their own goals. 
The Keys to MY success. :) One of my favorite responses on there is "You have learned well grasshopper" I love that!! hahaha! 
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/81336-the-keys-to-my-success?hl=The+keys+to+my+success+

Time for me to get up and around for work. Hope you all have a great day!!

"Three things in life are important : The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind" - Henry James 

I do love Queen so. My favorite part is from 2:49 on. It gives me chills! lol! I'm such a dork. 

Posting this too for good measure. This one makes me all teary eyed. This version is amazing!! 

xoxoxoxo

Tam

What goes around, comes around. Always keep that in mind. :)

Good morning!

I hope you've all had a great week. Friday!!!! And it would appear the heat is on! It was a HOT one yesterday. That's the thing about the Northeast. It goes from Winter to Summer pretty fast! haha! I think there is about a week of Spring. :) It's good though. I will feel warm!! 

My son is making me laugh because he brought up a video on his Nintendo D.S. and is lip syncing to the song and putting on a performance. Hahaha! He's awesome. My kids are just hilarious. I'm watching him and he says "Don't watch me!" lol OK. When does the air guitar start?? haha! My brother was great at that. 

Yesterday morning I had a great smoothie. I put a ton of spinach in too. It tasted like a slightly green banana smoothie. What a way to start the day. :) It was delicious. Had an interesting color with the frozen blueberries too! lol! My "To go" thingie I got with my Ninja is nice too. I sipped it on my way to work. Niiice, especially in this heat wave. 

I had an interesting day yesterday. There are some people in our lives that only know how to bully and lie. That's the only way they can accomplish anything. Big, mean bullies! Is having things your way 24/7 really that big of a deal? Breathe! Let go of the control!! :) I am living a peaceful life filled with love and hope. I work very hard, focus on my boys spend time with great friends and write this blog hoping to inspire and help. I now know this person will always try to cause problems for me. It's just in his nature. Rise above the nonsense, I shall. He can wallow in his own nasty misery. I am sharing because I know there are many people dealing with difficult people and constant issues. And you can remain calm, happy, healthy and peaceful despite these headaches in our lives. 

There are better ways to go about getting what you want. You don't have to be a big meanie and lie about everything to accomplish that. Meanies have far too much time on their hands it would seem. I just don't have time to think in such a vindictive nature. 

First of all, take care of yourself. You are not going to be much good to anyone if you don't. Eat right, move your body, stimulate your mind and body. 

Also, work hard. You aren't going to get anywhere if you don't. Figure out a way to get things done that works within your life. We parents have to figure out a way to incorporate certain things in without disrupting our children's lives. Without them having to sacrifice. It's tricky but it can be done with patience and time. 

Be nice to people. This is a biggie. It's difficult some days but being nice to everyone will bring karma back around in a great way. I'm a firm believer in karma and that it will take care of things. It's all about energy and truth. Being nice to those who can't do a thing for you is especially powerful. It will fulfill you and you will feel more connected. 

Trust your instincts. Intuition is a powerful tool! By turning your brain off and allowing your gut to guide you, you will end up down a path that is right for you. I have mentioned my gut instinct before. It always leads me right. 

Have patience! This is a toughie, I know. We all want things to happen at a certain time but sometimes things take time. Patience can lead to things happening the way they should. A better way perhaps. Especially if you have your priorities in order then karma will help things fall into place as they should. 

Also, surround yourself with a great support group. Those that want to see you succeed. No, not enable. None of us need that! Especially the mean bullies. ;) But support. Be there for you. Come over at a moments notice. 

Time to get up and around. I work 11-7 today. Shout out to my awesome friends today!! Adrienne, Katie, Shellie, Jessie! Love you guys! There will always be those that want nothing more than to see you fail and do what they can to help. Silly people. They should be focusing their energy on more positive, productive things. 

This is for you!! I get by with a little help from my friends! :)  

"This above all, to thine own self be true" - William Shakespeare 

xoxoxo
Tam

Ninja Antioxidants!

Happy Thursday!

Today's post is dedicated to my son J.T. who lost another tooth. It happened at about 3am. He woke up and said "Mommyyyy!! Mommmy!!!"....Me "Wh what?? What's going on??"....J.T. "I lost another tooth!!" Me "Ohh yayyy, give it to me. Now lets go back to sleep!!" haha!  He also got a haircut yesterday and I can see his handsome face better. I heart thee!! :) 

I have coffee again. And all is right with the world :p Yesterday was so nice and hot! Today is supposed to be in the 90s. And it's not super humid yet. I love it! I think some put A/C on immediately. I just enjoy feeling warm for once. Haha! A/C is on at work a lot (as with most offices)and it feels like The Arctic! I do have a ceiling fan right above my bed and that's enough for me to sleep well in heat. Humidity is another thing altogether. When I first came out from Oregon at 18 and stepped out of the airport in June, my naturally curly hair instantly frizzed and I couldn't breathe and said "What is this??????? How do I make it stop???" Not good at all! Humidity is like kryptonite for curly haired girls. So is the mullet my mother gave me in the 7th grade. A mullet on a chubby girl with curly hair is NOT good. I would have to say that was my most awkward time in life! lol! And pictures will never surface!!! I'm sure your imagination can summon up enough! :) 

Most of you are almost done with your short work week in the U.S. Just keep going!! I am back to work for three days after having yesterday off. It's cool. Ready to go. As I've mentioned before I think work is good for us.

I made the tart cherry smoothie last night. I substituted unsweetened almond milk for the soy and used some frozen raspberries instead of ice cubes to add some "cold slush". Plus extra goodness from the raspberries can never hurt things. The tart cherries have the highest antioxidant potency of any fruit and once consumed is followed by an uptake of antioxidants into the body to fight off tissue destruction (or oxidative stress) that can cause aging and disease. The scientists at the USDA give each food an ORAC level or "Oxygen radical absorption capacity". And tart cherry juice concentrate has the highest levels at 12,000 followed by dried tart cherries at 6,800, prunes at 5770, blueberries at 2400, blackberries at 2036, frozen tart cherries at 2033, canned water-pack tart cherries at 1700, strawberries at 1540, raspberries at 1220, plums at 949, oranges at 750 and red grapes at 739. 

Look at that, 12,000 ORAC value in the tart cherry juice! It's like Ninja antioxidants! I really liked the taste of it too. It wasn't too tart either. Easier to drink than cranberry juice. Kind of tasted like a tart grape juice to me. Check it out. It's a thing to behold. Gorgeous color! :) 

I am trying the non-dairy versions of milk though I am not convinced a little skim or 1% milk is bad necessarily. I don't forgo it completely. Though dairy is one of the foods consuming in moderation is a great idea therefore I may keep it for my cereal and ice cream and use the almond milk for smoothies. Balance, yo! 

I really like the idea of incorporating more smoothies into my diet. I don't think having them replace every single meal is a great idea however I tend to not want to eat a lot in the Summer. Humidity just makes me lose my appetite and with my work hours by the time I get home, I just don't want a huge meal all the time. So making a smoothie chock full of goodness to nourish my body is sweeeeet!! And they fill me up! 

For this morning's smoothie, I may use the almond milk (I got the Blue Diamond unsweetened that has 45 calories per cup), or green tea. I am going to throw in banana, kiwi, two big handfuls of spinach and frozen blueberries. YUMMMM right?? Spinach does not tend to be the dominant flavor when thrown into a smoothie so it's a very easy way to get a ton of badass nutrients first thing in the morning without even thinking about it. And as I've said before, starting the day off in such a healthy way will set the tone and make you want to continue the nourishment of mind, body and soul throughout the day. I need some protein too. Hmm, might put a bit of Greek yogurt in. I need to experiment a bit. 

I hope you all have a great day. Eat a lot of fruit and veggies. They are magic. There are no quick fixes for things but the Earth provides an abundance of food to aid in our quest to look and feel healthy. Don't waste them. :)

One of my favorite Queen songs. I love them so much!!! Listen to this and be in a bad mood. I dare you!! lol! It's impossible.

Peace out!
xoxoxoxo
Tam