Persnickety Fitness by Mandy Jo

Low Carb Crack Slaw

Mandy Jo — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 17:08:33 +0000

So last night I decided to make crack slaw. I changed it up a bit from recipes that I found and it was delicious! The whole family loved it and I do believe it will become a staple food in our home. The recipe was simple and easy to put together. I used ground beef 80/20 but you can use ground turkey if you like for fewer calories and or fat. I made a double batch, cut in half for one.

Ingredients you will need: (Cut in half for single batch)

2 lbs. Ground beef or turkey (your choice on meat)
2 bags Dole (or other brand) Classic Cole Slaw Mix
4 Green Onion
3 tsp minced garlic (I used real garlic and cut up just a few slices, adjust to taste)
3 tbsp Soy Sauce (I used light soy sauce to taste, doesn’t have to be exact)
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp ground ginger

*Optional add a single serve packet of splenda. I did not but see that some do.

Instructions:

Ground hamburger in pan as you normally would.

In separate pan I put sesame oil, soy sauce, chopped up green onion and chopped up garlic together and stir fried it until tender. I then added the cabbage (cole slaw mix) , crushed red pepper and ground ginger and cooked until mostly tender, it still had a slight crunch to it which I prefer over super soft cabbage. Once that was done I drained the excess fat off of the hamburger and added it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients and stirred. I did add a touch more soy sauce for flavor but not much. Turned out awesome. The hubby and son loved it. Low carb, moderate fat and moderate protein, perfect!

Nutrition info is approx. based on the brands and amounts of foods you use. Our approximate nutritional info is below for the 2 batch recipe I made.

Servings: We split the batch up into 10 services. Below is based on 10 services of large batch above.

Calories per serving 116.6
Fat Per Serving 13.2g
Carbs Per Serving 2.85g (Net Carbs 1.95g)
Fiber per serving 0.9g
Protein per serving 8.4g

New Info, New Plan!

Mandy Jo — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 17:06:24 +0000

I guess this would be as good a time as any to kick-start this blog again. Past attempts did not work out, probably because what I was trying was not working. In fact I went totally out of control and ended up quitting everything, no more watching my food..no more exercise, nothing! I stopped taking my thyroid medication and my mental state went drastically downhill. I ended up gaining back everything I lost plus some! Currently at my highest weight ever it is time for a real change.

Anyway I am doing this blog because I need accountability and support and a place to journal my day-to-day ups and downs. Putting myself out there like this is difficult but I need to do it, for myself and if I help someone else along the way then that is fantastic.

Recent findings at the doctor’s office have made this more of a priority now then it was before. I have been down this road so many times and failed and at this point I cannot fail so I am asking all of you to please help me. I need the accountability so that in my mind I feel like I would not just be letting myself down but I would be letting you down too. I will be posting progress, struggles, sometimes accountability for water drinking as I am horrible getting my daily water intake. I will also occasionally post food I am eating or random images of things I find motivating. I also need a place to just get out my feelings and try to get to the route of my addictions and issues surrounding food and mental well-being.

With that said here is what is going on with me right now. I do have Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. I have recently been diagnosed with dangerously low vitamin d which is being treated with high dosage vitamin prescribed by the doctor and I feel so much better already. I recently also found out I am pre-diabetic and insulin resistant as I have had abnormal glucose. It has been abnormal for years, since I was pregnant (I did have gestational diabetes with pregnancy apparently did not go away) but doctor did not bother to tell me that I was pre-diabetic and with diet changes I would be able to reverse it and prevent developing type 2 diabetes. It was getting worse and worse as the years have went by. Apparently just waiting until you have full-blown type 2 is more their style and then they treat it…sorry that is not working for me. I would like to treat it now before it gets that far. It could have also saved me sooooo much stress and failure knowing that what I was eating even when I thought I was eating well was working against me and everything I ate even a damn carrot would turn into sugar and store as fat, boy would that have been nice to know! Lots of years wasted.

Well that is the facts regardless so I am going on a low carb, moderate fat, moderate protein plan to reverse the insulin resistance and stabilize my blood sugars and get this weight off once and for all. I started over on April 5, 2016 with low carb eating and I have lost 17 pounds and my blood sugar levels are now in normal ranges. I feel less swollen and I can tell some of the inflammation has went down. Some of the pain and tingling in my leg has subsided as well, some days I have not felt it at all. I cannot be more happy about that, it is working! I plan to keep at it and continue to do what I am doing. That is enough for now..will keep you all posted on progress. I am going to be doing everything I can to stay positive and stay motivated! Sugar is my enemy it’s gotta go!

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The day is here!

Mandy Jo — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 11:42:55 +0000

Well today I turned 39 years old. Its my day of change. Tomorrow will start my year-long journey. I am nervous but ready. My plan for now is to go one day at a time so I do not get over-whelmed with the year ahead. I have to think days ahead so I do not lose my momentum. I will be recording my weight and measurements in the morning when I get up, that will be just awesome I am sure. (sarcasm inserted here) My immediate plan is to stay positive, try to find the good in myself and fake confidence. Hey fake it till you make it right?!? One day it may be real confidence. I will be focusing on my portion control, water intake and moving more. I know it will take time to get my body re-adjusted to exercise. I will do what I can do even if its only a half of a mile walk, whatever it is will be better than nothing. This is going to be a long year full of ups and downs, success and failures but I will not give up. I owe it to myself to make this change. I need to love myself, it is time for me to stop dwelling on the past and own my life. I pray that in a year I can look back on this post and be proud of myself and my accomplishments. Stay tuned…..it is going to be a long bumpy ride!

Jump! Why is that a terrifying word?

Mandy Jo — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 05:37:12 +0000

It has been a while since I have posted. I had a serious setback both physically and mentally. After working through some of my issues the past year I come to realize my real “issues” are more mental than they are physical. While it is quite obvious that I have physical issues, I am starting to learn they stem from my mental issues. It’s funny because anytime you read a success story one to the main lines you always hear is..I found myself or I dealt with my emotional issues head on and over came or are overcoming them or the best of all..I learned to love myself. While none of that made sense to me before because I always thought I don’t have any issues I need to work on, I am not an emotional eater, I do not have an issue with food etc. Wow what a load of crap I have fed myself for years. Time for truth, time for understanding and time for healing and forgiveness. It is time to be brutally honest with myself.

Here it is August 1st and I will be turning 39 on Aug, 3. One goal I had set for myself was to lose my weight and get healthy before my 40th birthday so that I can live and enjoy my 40’s and not sit back and watch my life pass me by. Well guess what its crunch time now, I have exactly a year to lose at least 100 pounds. I know that sounds like a lot of weight to lose in a year but it is not impossible to do, people do it all the time. Its time for that person to be me. I am going to blog this year so that I can get my feelings out to learn and try to understand who I am, what I want and most of all to love myself again..or maybe for the first time.

I was telling a friend that I started this blog to chronicle my journey so I can gain a better understanding of me and to help keep myself accountable but that I was afraid..ok not afraid, more like terrified of putting myself out there for all the world to see and judge. Her response….You will be surprised the support you’ll find Jump! That word stuck in my head all day and had me quite bothered for some reason. It’s just a word JUMP but it’s what it means that scares the crap out of me. What I heard was DO IT, put yourself out there, get out of your comfort zone, stop making excuses, don’t under-estimate yourself, commit and make a change. I know it’s just a four letter word but to me it was almost a challenge but one I am terrified to accept. I am not going to even pretend that this will be easy but what I do know is I don’t have a choice. What I am doing now is not working. I HAVE to make this change. It will be hard, probably one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. This year will be long and I will feel like giving up, I will feel like I am not worth this effort, I will mess up, I will have setbacks but I need this, I need to save myself. I am secretly praying she was right, I will receive more support then I think because I have a feeling I will need it. I am starting my journey on my birthday August 3 and am giving myself a year to change my life. I know it will be a lifetime change but this year will be the kickoff to get me going. I will be back Monday and may be posting daily for a while until I get into a more secure and better place in my head so please bear with me. Until then…

October Goals

Mandy Jo — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 22:15:58 +0000

Well September has come and gone. Lets recap my goals and see how I did!

► To track my food everyday this month (I track at myfitnesspal.com)

SUCCESS!! I tracked every meal, every day in September (this really helps you keep on track)

► To complete every day of this months AB challenge

SUCCESS!! I completed every day of September’s Ab Challenge. Some days were a challenge but its done and I am happy to have completed it!

► To complete my step count everyday for the 12 week walking program I am doing

This one I did not complete. I got to week 6 of the program and took a break. After upping my steps so high my legs starting hurting and swelling and scales started going back up. I am not ok with scales going up yet so I decided to take a break, back it back down to around step count from week 4 and do this a little longer until my body gets more used to the extra steps and then progress forward with more steps.

► To drink more water

SUCCESS! I upped my water for the month of September!

► To reach my first goal of losing 10% body weight. I am almost there..6 more pounds!!

SUCCESS!!! I finally reached my 10% body weight loss goal. I am so excited about this. I know it’s not a lot compared to how much I have to lose, but setting smaller goals and achieving them is a great step in the right direction. One day all small goals will turn into the big ones!

Now on to my October Goals!

► To drink more water

►To track my food everyday again this month

►To hit the 50 lbs lost mark-this one may be tough as I have slowed down in the weight loss department for some reason lately. I will still try!

►To try to incorporate some form of exercise at least 3 days per week, even if its small every bit helps.

What are your goals for October?

My September Goals

Mandy Jo — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 22:12:32 +0000

As we have officially said goodbye to August and hello to September I thought it was time to set my goals for the month. This month I would like to do the following:

► To track my food everyday this month (I track at myfitnesspal.com)

► To complete every day of this months AB challenge

► To complete my step count everyday for the 12 week walking program I am doing

► To drink more water

► To reach my first goal of losing 10% body weight. I am almost there..6 more pounds!!

Come on September, I am ready!!

What goals are you setting for this month??

30 Day Ab Challenge September

Mandy Jo — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 21:45:52 +0000

Starting September 1st, 2013 I will be doing a 30 day ab challenge. I am linking a printable calendar you are welcome to download and print and take part. You can check back in on this tread each day and comment that you completed the challenge if you like or just track for yourself. Feel free to change it up, if you need to do less that’s fine, if you feel like doing more try doing each days goal twice every day. You can even break it up and do some in the morning and more in the evening, just try to get the days crunches done!

The below pdf file is in a zip folder to compress size. Be sure you are able to open a zip folder. If you cannot you can use the link below to download an image instead

DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE PDF FILE HERE!!!

If you have trouble with the above PDF file I have uploaded a jpg image file that you can try to save and print instead.

VIEW PRINTABLE IMAGE HERE!!!!

Prints best in landscape mode. (If the file takes to long to download you can contact me with your email address and I can email you the file)

NOTE: As always consult a physician before starting any exercise program.

Body Media Band vs. FitBit Zip

Mandy Jo — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 17:33:49 +0000

Ok so as you know I have purchased a couple of tools to help along this journey. I have tried out both the BodyMedia Band and the FitBit Zip. I like both of them for different reasons, however the one for me is the FitBit Zip. Why? A few reasons actually. Number one there is no monthly fee to use the website or the app and BodyMedia charges a monthly fee to use their service and track your information, not cool considering the cost of the BodyMedia is enough already priced over $100 then to add-on an extra $7 per month to use the service. I would not mind this if the media band were more of a fit for me. I do like the tracking during activity and sleep but when getting sweaty the arm band tends to cause a rash and its also kind of pain to wear all day and hide it so people don’t see. The FitBit zip however does not track sleep (they do have models that do) but it does do an excellent job of tracking my steps, calorie burn and letting me know how many calories I can eat per day based on my calorie burn for the day. It is also extremely small and I hook it to the inside of my bra and no one but me knows it is there. I wear it all day except for when I shower and sleep. I sync it to my phone using the fitbit app a few times per day so I can see where I am at any given time. If you don’t have a phone for apps it also comes with everything you need to sync it to your computer and you can track on their website. I do not however use the fitbit food database to track my food. I use MyFitnessPal (which fitbit can sync to) to track my food. I also use my polar FT4 heart rate monitor anytime I do exercise as I tend to burn a little more than the zip says I do during my exercise sessions. It is worth the price at approx. $60 with no monthly fees. Keeps me in line with my steps and pushes me to move more everyday. If you want an easy to use, easy to set up tool to help with your weight loss journey the fitbit zip may be just what you need too!

5K Walk Boomer Lake

Mandy Jo — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 17:27:15 +0000

Finally was able to do the 5K walking track at Boomer Lake. It’s a beautiful walking track that I have wanted to do for a long time. It was on my “list” of things I wanted to carry out, now I have..TWO days in a row!!!

Power of Support

Mandy Jo — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:17:44 +0000

I just wanted to write a little message about the power of support. I have a wonderful support system at home with my husband and son, other family and close friends but recently I have signed up and started “tweeting” at Twitter and have also been tracking my progress at MyfitnessPal and have gained a few friends and followers through both. A lot of people out there are struggling with their weight just like me, some have not started their journey, some are just starting and some have already went through it. I am personally finding it quite motivating to see and hear the stories, good experiences and struggles of going through this process. It’s inspiring to see so many people accomplishing their goals and losing the weight, getting healthy and changing their lives. I can completely see how social media, tracking your food and weight can really make a difference along with your diet and exercise. Support really makes a difference. There is a whole world out there of support along the way, you just have to come out of your comfort zone and open up and allow people to support you, cheer you on and give you advice. It’s also very important to support them and cheer them on as well. We can all do this, one pound at a time. I can honestly say that when I get up and check my twitter feed every day it is so great to see others are making their days great and staying positive. It definitely motivates me to do the same. So thank you to all of the new friends I have on MyFitnessPal and Twitter. Here is to all of us losing weight and keeping it off!