Category personal growth

“Little” Things

Melanie Leave a comment

Today’s read was Kings (17-19), introducing the prophet Elijah. At times, Elijah was confused and afraid, in the company of some very ruthless people, but, nevertheless, he remained focused on doing the Lord’s work. Elijah’s steadfast consistency and determination inspired me this morning, reminding me of our purpose.

Doing what is right and good does not always mean easy, nor will it garner accolades or outward praise. Rarely is it glamorous, sexy, or even fun to do the things that matter most for yourself or others, like showing up, being consistently kind, patient, organized, accountable, and present. The rewards are internal, not external. It’s in the legacy you leave and the way others feel, having been in your presence.

A wise friend once told me, after a huge blow-up (among many) between me and an ex-boyfriend, “if you cannot respect each other and the boundaries you set, you may not need to be together.” At that time (just over 2 years ago), I was not in a place to receive that little nugget of wisdom. After feeling a failure at marriage, I’d found someone who accepted the parts of me that my ex-husband couldn’t, so I was holding tight to a relationship that, in itself was very toxic. Emotionally, I was very immature, in regards to relationships. It would take another year and a half and an even bigger argument (this time involving Rankin County Sherrif’s Office deputies), for me to actually leave that situation.

Upon reflection of that relationship, which left me confused and mistrustful of my own sound judgement in choosing partners, I realized that I allowed myself to compromise in areas of the relationship, in hopes that the good parts of it would somehow compensate for the bad. That simply didn’t work. Boundaries, basic compassion and respect, as well as open and safe communication were missing – on both sides. Every fight taught me a little more (mostly what NOT to do). With each brutal altercation the relationship began to wither – at least from my end. I quickly learned that for it to survive, we needed to understand and honor each others’ needs, adhere to agreed upon boundaries, and show compassion to each other on the most basic level. Unfortunately, my partner, despite my efforts to convey this new-found and hard-gained knowledge to him, was not capable of rising to that level of emotional intelligence, that I’d so rapidly and chaotically had to attain.

My only advice in the arena of relationships is this: pay kind attention. Learn to read and understand people, especially your partner. Honor boundaries. Communicate clearly and allow your partner to feel safe in openly communicating with you. Be as compassionate and respectful as possible, especially when angry. If your partner cannot do the same, chances are, he or she is not able to grow with you, and stagnation is fatal to a relationship.

Ive struggled the most with anger. Typically, when I’d feel hurt or wronged by someone, my first move was plunge the knife straight to the jugular, without restraint, my only goal to inflict 10x the amount of pain and emotional anguish on him, as what I’d felt. I never paused and considered the costs of such an approach. These days, I do. Contrary to the “sticks and stones” school of thought in regards to words, things spoken in anger CAN really cut deep, impact a relationship in ways that forever change it. Irreparable damage can be done. One fight may not cause an end, but many, over time and fueled with intentions to cause pain (instead of resolution and repair), can cause a relationship to die a slow death.

Accept and attempt to understand yourself so that you know what you will accept in a relationship and from a partner. Be honest and kind to yourself and your other. Love always wins.

Death By a Thousand Cuts…relationship advice from someone great at failing

Melanie Leave a comment

Hold on, I’ll Find You – a note to Self

Melanie Leave a comment

Ive often wondered what the world would be like if everyone lived out some self-actualization. It’s a brave act. To endeavor to do so requires not fitting in, going against a grain of social and societal or cultural norms on some level, since each person’s fulfillment of potentialities looks different. As a mom, my hope is for my children to discover early in life that being your true authentic self and responding to the call of your life’s purpose is the only way to happiness. Not sure who needs to read this but, it’s not your responsibility to make someone (even your partner) happy. Your job is to do the life’s work and purpose God set on your heart. You are called to be kind, demonstrate compassion and exhibit empathy to others. Happiness will happen to you and those who share your values will gravitate to you. That is a life fulfilled. Of course, it comes with costs, as anything of value does. Setting boundaries with those whose intentions and actions don’t align with yours is difficult.

4 years ago, I had to walk away from a relationship where I’d been unhappy for a long time. Wrongly, I didn’t recognize my responsibility in creating a space for myself where I felt loved and appreciated. I threw the entire task to my partner. It was unfair. I was “too much” yet I felt as if I wasn’t really enough. I wasn’t the person my partner needed- he voiced it in little ways, “why can’t you be like the other baseball moms” or when eyebrows were raised at my desire to pursue interests of my own. The way I dressed, the music I enjoyed, my approach to parenting – somewhere along the way (or maybe the issues were present the entire time) – we lost the connection that initially was enough to sustain the relationship. We just were not on the same path. Nothing was done at the expense of my children, but I do firmly believe that in order to fill others’ cups, you must fill your own. And I knew that to be the hallmark of an exemplary mother was to embrace my own self-actualization. If you are still struggling with finding a balance, or if you’re surrounded by people who don’t appreciate you for you, these words from one of my fav songs are a beautiful reminder:

“fight a little longer, my friend. It’s all worth it in the end. ” Tell yourself, “and when you have no one left to turn to, hold on, and I’ll find you.”

I’ll Find You by Lecrea (featuring Tori Kelly)

Here’s to finding yourself so that happiness finds you, my friends.

Where Did 2016 Leave You? Random highlights of my year…

Melanie 1 Comment

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I realize it’s  almost December 10, (I should be ordering our Christmas cards) and we still have Christmas to survive but I’m trying to do better with writing my thoughts as they occur to me and I happened to wander into the territory of looking back over the year at all the incredible -ness that has happened in 2016.   Some of my deepest thoughts come to me while doing HIIT on the stationary  bike at Club 24 Flowood watching Connor McGregor fight highlights and interviews.

Speaking of UFC,  I’m at a place in life where Im feeling like the thicker version of Ronda Rousey.  You know the one- when she’s training but the next fight is months away so she hasn’t leaned out yet to make weigh-in.  We still love her, because she’s Ronda.  But there’s work to do before getting to that sexy pre-fight state of physical nirvana.  We all know it’s gonna happen and we love it when it does, but in the mean time, we must be patient with the process.  (Obviously, I’ve spent a lot of time in this place.  In case that wasnt enough Ronda for you and you want to know the latest, here ya go!)   2016 was full of greatness but I’m definitely looking forward to all of the new and exciting adventures that await me in 2017!

Here are 10 highlights from my year 2016:

1. MIDDLE SCHOOL-  Gia moved from a small elementary school to a large middle school, where she cheers on the Northwest Rankin Middle School squad as well as continuing to competition cheer for Dynamite.  I’m basically a groupie/chauffeur/investor for this child.  She gives me her schedule, packs her own lunch, snacks, practice clothes, reminds me of games and events, arranges for fill-ins, if needed.  I think she could run a Fortune 500 company and she’s only 12.  And boys?  She’s not interested. Not even in the one who asks her to go out EVERY WEEK.  Bless that Will Holbrooks’ persistent little heart.

2. 5TH GRADE-  Fifth grade hit us hard. Like, Katrina- on- a- wrecking -ball hard.  I’m not sure what happened to Jack during the months of June, July, and August, but I’ve never in my life had to correspond so much with teachers about a child’s assignments.  It’s as if he doesn’t have a clue about what he does at school (because he doesnt, when asked). On October 11, I found papers in his book bag from early September that he claims he didn’t know existed.  He would rather take an incomplete in homework than bother with remembering to do it.  I was forced to adopt an entirely different approach to parenting than I’d previously used.  If you enjoy debating the correct pronunciation of the word ‘elementary’ and trying to explain why alligators are classified as reptiles, not amphibians to a 10-year-old who, clearly, is well-versed in the characteristics of both categories, I highly recommend having children.

3.   The Netflix app ON MY PHONE!!  I’m one of those people who would like to say I watch the latest Netflix sensations but I never seem to make the time.  Now, I can and have watched Black Mirrors, Mako Mermaids, and other stuff I wouldnt have previously while food prepping or putting on my make up.  Its like Jetsons around here and its fabulous!

4. BLACK BELT WORKOUTS – After over 4 years of training, this year, I finally earned my black belt in taekwondo!  Official.  Name on belt and errrythang!  But the fun had only just begun.  I now have the opportunity to train 1-2 times/week with Mr. Griffin, my instructor’s instructor and other higher-ranked black belts in incredibly tortuous, cardio-arrest inducing, grueling workouts.  I’ve cried, pondered death, prayed to the Lord and nearly vomited at least once during the past 10 months while attending these but the benefits far exceed those risks.  I always leave the mat with motivation and excitement at learning how to be a more skilled martial artist, how to grow in MY potential.  I look forward to the times I get to spend training.  Each instructor/teammate brings something unique, challenging, and valuable to training .  I learn from every session and later, once feeling returns to my legs, the results are amazing!   I can’t say enough good things about the entire experience!   Even as an adult, training in taekwondo has pushed me to improve in other areas of life, off the mat.  My instructors are my people.  This is my happy place.

5. WALMART GROCERY PICKUP– I really don’t think I need to elaborate on this one. (Get $10 off your first order by clicking here)

6. MILLENNIALS- According to Wikipedia, I missed being a millennial by a few years.   I may be a Gen-X -er, but V says I think more like a millennial.  Maybe I’m divergent.  Either way, millennials have gotten a bad rep lately – especially after throwing those tantrums (peaceful riots) after the presidential election. (Btw, I felt the same way earlier this year when I learned that I am, in fact , 4’10 and a half, not 4’11.5″ like I’ve been led to believe most of my adult life.  I’m still offended.)

Recently, at a staff meeting, an administrator mentioned attending a seminar about them… us(?)  Really? A seminar.  About Millennials.  And how to “deal” with them.  Seriously.  A full color printed flyer and everything!  What’s next?  National Geographic documentary?   Apparently, a Millennial trait is no job loyalty.  They change jobs frequently for more pay and better hours.   So what?  Can you blame them?  Companies don’t promote loyalty in their employees any more.  There is no recognition of tenure.  When I see nurses with 10, 20, 30 years experience, some retired and return- not given preference on things like scheduling and parking?  What does that company expect?  I’m not naming any hospitals here, but when you’re the largest facility in the Jackson area and going for Employer of Choice, this is how NOT to do it.  And stop picking on Millennials.  I’m praying 2017 brings positive changes for everyone!

7. Coconut Rice– I discovered this Heaven on Earth on a recent girls’ trip.  In the spirit of love and in this season of giving, I now share this gift with the world here.  The best-tasting version of this recipe can be found at Shaggy’s near Ocean Springs and should be enjoyed while visiting with friends during a 5 -hour dinner without the interruption of kids and husbands, but if that’s too extreme, go with adding it as a side for dinner one night.   Pineapple for desert. You’re welcome.

8. ALL THINGS HEALTH-  The ususal,  I’ve attempted to coerce my family into a healthier way of life.  This year, V started joining me on my 4:30 AM forays into the gym 2-3 days a week.  This is progress!   One of the ways I stay motivated and accountable to my fitness is via my 2nd IG acct.  Its and easy and free way to keep track of progress, much like a photo journal.   None of my pics are photo shopped, so haters don’t even start! Ha ha!  I found out that I have a genetic variant (along with 40% of the population) that predisposes me to cardiovascular disorders because of the inefficient way my body processses folate.  I’m so #unbothered.

Also….hip thrust: 190#.  My current weight is 105.  Even though I didn’t hit my goal to thrust 200 by the end of 2016, I still feel really proud and a little bit like Ant Man, to be honest.   That’s almost twice my body weight.  200 pounds will be a goal for 2017!

9. MINI MARSHMALLOWS IN COFFEE- Total coffee game-changer.  Life is too short not to experience this.  And this is exactly why having Amazon Prime and inviting your best friend over for coffee and conversation are good for the soul.  I love you, Amazon.

10. THE 2016 HATER’S GUIDE TO THE WILLIAMS-SONOMA CATALOG   Hilarious!

Well, there it is!  A random, tip-of-the-iceberg list of stuff that touched our little corner of the world over here at 250 Franklin Drive.  Best wishes to all and may our 2017 days be merry and bright!

 

 

 

Before you judge me, make sure you’re perfect

Melanie 9 Comments

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When Gia was born, I envisioned myself being the perfect mom to my daughter.   I would be kind, understanding and communicative at all the right times.  The terrible 2’s would not rattle me,  the years following would be a breeze.  I’d fill her full of life’s best advice while she listened eagerly as we snacked on fresh lemonade and home made cinnamon rolls whilst wearing matching pajamas (even though it’s not Christmas).     It was difficult to imagine that the child I loved so fiercely could ever show anything other than the same love and appreciation for me, her mom.  I had all the confidence in the world that my steadfast self control coupled with knowledge and razor sharp mommy skills would see me through any obstacle.  I was meant to be a mommy.  God’s plan, it was.

I planned to teach my daughter everything I knew- then more.   She would be like me, but with lots more of the good stuff.  Stronger.  More intelligent.  More beautiful.  Taller. More athletic.  Godly. Successful.  More well-rounded.  Just more.  I prayed for it.  I worked for it, too.  I read books.   And then one day, my taller (than me), more beautiful, athletic, Godly, intelligent daughter turned 12.

I had began to notice some moodiness, some borderline back -talk recently but I felt I was doing well, keeping my composure during these times,  reminding myself that she is under the influence of pre-teen hormones.  I met each push for independence , every challenge of my authority with what I hoped was firmness, understanding, and compromise.   That’s when “it” happened-  what’s known now in our family as “that day mom went Pootie Tang at the ballfield”.

“Everyone Has a Plan Until He Gets Punched in the Face”

It was a series of unfortunate events.   We were midway through a hot, 12 hour day of select ball.  Even for an energetic 9 y/o boy (Jack,  Gia’s brother) that’s a long day.  There had been multiple game time changes, losses, and a close friend’s gender reveal party that we were surely going to miss.  I had computer work I needed to do but no wi-fi at the complex, and despite the cooler full of healthy, money-saving snacks I had taken my personal time to prepare, I’d still shelled out $20 on concessions and the day wasn’t even over.  It didn’t help matters that I had just began cutting my calories in an attempt to drop some body fat. (At this point, you may need to refer to the title of this blog post.)

Gia had been verbally testing limits all morning so it should have come as no surprise that it would only get worse.  Perseverance is her strong suit and she is my daughter, after all.

Crazy that an Orange Crush Twizzler would spark such remarkable events, but such is life.  Gia had asked to try one, took one minuscule lick, then declared its disgustingness loudly.  She moved toward the trash can, ranting about how awful it was, which she couldn’t possibly know since, her tongue just only grazed the air above the Twizzler.  It was complete insanity!

Me: “Wait!  Don’t throw that away!  That’s wasteful.  I’ll save it for your brother, and, besides, I’d like a bite.”

What happened next can only be described as epic defiance in its rawest form.   Taking the Twizzler between thumb and middle finger and looking me right in the eye – DEAD IN THE EYE- Gia licked that Orange Crush Twizzler from one end to the other, and with one smooth flick of her wrist, plopped it into the trash can.  It was a performance worthy of at least an Emmy nomination.  I stood there, mouth gaped open, simultaneously appalled and impressed by her brazenness, while all the pretty thoughts of motherhood left me.

I heard and felt the rush of blood to my head, neck, then ears, felt the climb of color as it made its assent to my face.   I then had an out-of-body experience.  I felt my right arm snap out in a movement toward the bag of sunflower seeds Gia grasped in her left hand.   It was immediate, no deliberate thought involved, a grabbing reflex.  I watched the bag fly out of her hand, nail one of Jack’s coaches (also a friend of ours) perfectly center in he chest.  I saw eyes grow big,  Gia’s jaw drop, and heard my husband say, “Walk away, Gia.  Just walk away right now.  Give mom some space.”

Peace Like a River

I stood there, a bizarre peace about me.  Once the anger found its expression, it dissipated.  I then heard clapping behind me.   It was my husband.  I awaited the reprimand that likely deserved for losing self control over an Orange Crush twizzler.  Instead, he said, “Well, that needed to happen about 3 days ago.”

Faith Over Fear

Gia’s attitude improved remarkably after that- for a little while.  As common with children, there are easy times and difficult ones.  We were in a difficult time that day. Gia is a blessing of a daughter -exactly the “more” that I prayed for.  I was never promised (nor did I ask for) “easy.”

I think Gia and I both learned something that day at the baseball field.   I was reminded of my purpose.  See, Gia is trying to find her place in this world, just like all of us.   God entrusted me to be her guide. My job is to give her a safe place to test limits.  It’s also my job to set and teach her about boundaries.  My calling for my daughter is not friendship, which I see so many moms strive for with their daughters these days.  My purpose is to provide Gia with my presence,support, food, water, shelter and love.  Most importantly, I’m called to show her faith- in God and in her.     So, as we brave the upcoming “tween” years and beyond, I am holding fast to this prayer: “Lord, into your hands, I commend my spirit.”

 

 

Who Else Wants to Be a Champion at Life, Work, and Taekwondo Tournament??

Melanie 2 Comments

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“Hard work beats talent, if talent doesn’t work hard.”

Do you understand the meaning of this phrase?  I asked my 9 year old, Jack.  He didn’t, so I explained: “you can have talent the size of a mountain, but if you don’t work to improve, you can still be beat by someone with less talent, who works harder.  You should always be the hardest working person in the room, no matter how much or how little talent you have.  Champions work hard.”

Jack: “Well, mom, then it’s a good thing I have both!”

I love his modesty.

Our district taekwondo tournament is this week, which prompted this conversation on our way home from class one night.  Tournament is a great opportunity to practice performance improvement and test prep under tension, a character-building event that grows you into a better martial art athlete.  Even if you don’t bring home a medal, you bring back knowledge and experience- true gold.  Medals break, get lost, wind up in the backs of drawers.   Knowing you’ve pushed yourself, tested your fortitude by entering a tournament- that feeling of accomplishment will never be lost.

The Champion’s Mind by Jim Afremow has some great nuggets of advice for those who want to improve in any area of life, especially athletics.  Here are four suggestions from the book and ways I’ve found to apply them.

  1. Stay focused on the here-and-now.  Ive used this a lot, especially with kids and schedules.  It’s easy to keep the mind distracted with all that needs to be done, meanwhile what is currently happening is missed: life.  Also, as a taekwondo student, this has helped me to approach each class with the attitude of “Ive got one shot and it’s now, so it needs to be the best you’ve got today.”  No complacency.  I strive for this with every class because I want to gain the most out of each, make it really count toward my improvement.  Im not talented, I just work really hard.
  2. Control what you can.   Working in a busy NICU is chaotic and there are many situations beyond my control.  It is a highly emotionally and mentally intense vocation, but focusing on the things I can control has served me well for years.  You likely will never have a perfect tournament situation.  Bad calls, poor judging, an unexpected injury or your performance is just “off” that day are things you cannot control.  But you can control how much time/effort you put into preparing for tournament, your rest, fueling your body with healthy food, having a positive outlook. Your job is to do what you have been coached to do with the right attitude and to the best of your abilities.
  3. Take what you do seriously, but take yourself lightly.  Earlier this year, I got into weight-lifting.  By “got into”, I really mean addicted!  I love it, for so many reasons!  Ive gotten really serious about keeping track of my progress, learning about how to eat, train and sleep to change the body composition. I even started a 2nd IG account to track it all (mel_e_instafit) Serious!  But I do take myself lightly.  Im the first one to laugh at myself when I mess up trying a new exercise (hip thrusts!) or attempt a healthy diet change and don’t succeed well (asparagus- blech!).  As a tkd tournament competitor, work hard to be the best, but remember that tkd is what you do, not who you are.  Enjoy the opportunity to test yourself.  If the worst thing happens, you feed the “good wolf” by learning what to do different next time, and you move forward.
  4. Train like you are #2, but compete like you are #1.  The first half of this is my entire tkd life story.  Having very little athletic background, I have always felt like I needed to train harder than anyone else.  I feel a hunger to prove that I can do better EVERY time I take class.  I hope that never goes away because it drives me to keep standards high for myself. When it comes to competing, accept that you are prepared and focus on what you WANT to happen, not on what you fear.  I am using this visual imagery now, with my board breaks, which are the reason I have no-changed twice.  I am putting in extra practice (thanks to my lovely board-holding husband) but also focusing on me breaking my boards at testing, instead of thinking about how awful I will feel if I don’t break.  The mental image of me smashing my foot through that plastic blue board is so much more satisfying to think about. BAM!  Just writing this makes me want to practice!

Being a champion is a mindset that you must adopt on a daily basis, in order to become one.  Its that whole “dress for the job you want” sort of philosophy.  I hope these suggestions benefit others as much as I feel they are helping me.  Best wishes to everyone competing in tournament!  You are one step closer to becoming a champ, just by showing up.

If you’d like some really great tips on motivation, tournament, test prep, or just taekwondo in general, head over to this very cool blog by my instructor, Mr. David Dear.

Girl Meets Macros – In Pursuit of Strength

Melanie Leave a comment

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 “The tiny ant has a strength advantage because of the ratio of surface area to volume. An ant need only lift a small measure of its own weight relative to the strength of its muscles. ”  When I think about physical strength, I think of ants.  Their strength is relative to their size.  They may be small, but they are strong!  The more I strive to gain physical strength, the more I have come to believe that strength is beautiful and personal and achievable. 

Who doesn’t want to be a stronger person- in every way possible? Admittedly, I’m super impatient when it comes to myself and health/fitness results.  That whole slow and steady wins the race malarky? Sounds great for everyone else, except me.   I make a decision, set goals, create plans, and wanna see results.  

As 2015 approached, the desire to see measurable change in my physical strength gained momentum.  I, like so many others, vowed to see a physically stronger Melanie staring back at me from the mirror, come 2016, someone who could balance marriage, family, career, health, and recreation- and lift my body weight.  It’s 6 weeks into the new year and I am still just as fired up about all the wonderful things 2015 promises!

3 years ago, I embarked on a fitness mission:  drop some pounds, tone a little, enjoy the process.   At best, the goals were a place to start, albeit not specific enough, and, thus not well-suited for carrying out.   What happens after the pounds are dropped and muscle is toned?  Thankfully, my aspirations evolved and I began to look beyond mere aesthetics and ask myself what, precisely, do I hope to gain from my fitness endeavors? (Besides an excuse to make Nike capris part of my daily wardrobe-which I have).  What is the one MOST important outcome I hope to achieve? Strength. My answer is strength.

I tend toward the side of obsessive when I decide to take on a new goal,  so to gain strength, I started extreme:  workouts were tailored for increasing strength, meaning heavier weights, fewer reps, longer rests (so that the nervous system can recover), more consistent gym sessions.   I documented everything (I am a nurse, after all), from the food I ate, the amount of water I drank, and everything else that had to do with seeing results.  I weighed weekly, and even took pictures and measurements (that no one will ever see).   Doing all of these things- I just didn’t feel like I was getting the results I wanted:  little more muscle and lots more strength.  I felt I’d hit a wall.  Until…

Enter the Macros

I came across a great article about food intake and growing muscle.  Perhaps my diet, while healthy, just was not able to do what I wanted it to do.  I needed to make my food work for me.  I decided to track macros.  I thought it would be fascinating to see what MY body, MY muscles could do. Macros, simply put, are the main nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates.  I’m no stranger to macros.  I calculate them daily for my patients.  I know that it takes 80-120 cal/kg per day, 3-4 g/kg/day  of protein, and 2-3 g/kg/day of fat to induce weight gain in an infant.  What I needed to learn was how to grow muscle in adults. I started by choosing a daily calorie goal (something I had not been tracking) and a macro ratio:  60/30/10.  This means that 60% of my calories would come from protein, 30% from carbs, 10% from fat.  I soon discovered that this was an extremely low fat intake goal in comparison to my total caloric intake and a bit unrealistic for someone just starting out and after 4 days, changed my ratio to 50/30/20.  Once I calculated my goal calorie, protein, carb, and fat intake per day.  I wrote the daily goal in a small notebook to toss into my purse and proceeded to log macros.

Soon I was reading labels like crazy and found that I needed to a good source to find nutrition info on various foods (like veggies and fruits, which should be consumed in mass quantities).    More ingredients and a complex recipe, I realized, meant spending a little extra time and effort to tally the macros. I followed some advice from various articles and don’t “sweat the small stuff”-  in other words, I round numbers.  The  entire experience has been an eye opener.  Although I was eating “healthy,” I was eating more fat than I recognized- it’s hidden in so many foods.

Advice from a newbie:

1. Make goals specific and know your purpose for doing this- you can remind yourself of what you want to accomplish when you are tempted to stray from the plan.  Expect times of decreased will- power and make plans to counter those times.  I found that acknowledging the fact that I’m tempted to eat “just to taste” the food makes the food less attractive, especially when I think about how temporary the pleasurable taste will be.

2. Calculating and meal planning takes extra time and effort but that’s ok.  Make it work.  I remind myself that busy people do it all the time and feeling strong and healthy is worth the investment.

3. Expect to fall outside the limits of your intake, at times, but be mindful of how often this happens.  Eating meals out, I found, was the biggest saboteur of staying within the limits daily goals. It’s difficult to measure macros from food not cooked oneself.  Eating most meals at home is my solution, which is both healthier and saves money- a win-win for our family!

At just over 6 weeks into macro-counting, these are the tips I have to offer so far, based on my humble and limited experience. I have tailored my counting, to accommodate my schedule. I log every other day and am often able to gauge approximate fat/calorie intake without writing everything down.  The process continues to evolve as I learn more about building muscle, my work with weights becomes more consistent, and balance it all with cardio.

Progress on the Horizon

“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”

Frank Zappa

Progress, too, is unique to the individual and happens in many little ways. lt may come in the form of being able to increase on weight squatted or a change in a measurement or even someone noticing the increase in muscle tone.  All these things have happened along the way and serve as motivation to continue.  These little goals are part of another, larger reason to gain strength, and keeping that thought close at hand helps me to stay on track.

To Infinity and Beyond

I may not do this for life, but I’m certainly learning lots and looking at food differently, these days.  Im seeking to learn more about the entire process, asking questions of others who have been there, done this.  In time, I hope to gain a better understanding of what MY body needs for energy and strength and to find a balance with it all.  It’s a dynamic process and quite exciting to discover what wonderful things this little pile of muscle and bone can be pushed to achieve.  I’m most thankful for my health.  Truly, it’s a blessing and worth the investment of both time and effort, because, I believe, it equates to a happy, long life, serving the purpose for which God intended.