Ready to Get Stripped!

In March, weighing in at 168 lbs, I decided to take back control of my health and fitness and push toward my goal of finally getting to approximately 143 lbs (the weight a physician told me was ideal for me when I started a weight loss journey in 1999 while in law school; I got to about 150 back then, but of course gained all the weight back, plus some).

I was super motivated in March because in a year since the Fitter and Finer Challenge of 2010, I had gained about 15 lbs. Ridiculous! I fine tuned my clean eating habits and cranked up my strength and cardio training routine. I was disciplined and consistent. AND IT WORKED!

I am now maintaining around 143 (even with summer vacations when I would typically gain 7lbs!). I'm in a legit size 6---I THOUGHT THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE!! I didn't wear a 6 in middle school, and frankly it was not the goal! I was very pleased with a fit size 8, but my body had other thoughts. Now, I am the leanest I have EVERY been.

All this sounds fantastic, right? Right! I am proud of Shay Shay. But, I know I have not reached my FAT LOSS potential. This is what this blog is about--LOSING FAT! So while my weight is in a pretty good place, I am still not pleased with my body fat percentage--now about 23% (in 2007 I think I was closer to 40%! YIKES--being really honest with you here!). Even with all the progress I've made, I still won't wear a bikini. Friends say, "of course you can," but I have pretty high bikini standards!

Anyhoo, I still have a goal of getting to 18-21% body fat. However, the last couple of months I have been physically and mentally in maintenance, not fat loss mode.

So now it is time--TIME TO GET STRIPPED!

I picked up another Tosca Reno book--The Eat-Clean Diet Stripped. While I am a HUGE Tosca Reno fan--her books, magazines, and websites have been my primary resources on this Fat Loss journey--I was not completely convinced that I need another resource, especially a Eat-Clean Diet book (I have this eating clean thing down!) to kick me in gear.

Well, I was wrong. I picked up Stripped and was delighted to find fresh fat loss tips, meal plans, and recipes to help me shed the fat I want. And once again, the recipes look DELICIOUS! No deprivation--just tasty, clean meals with lots of variety (something I've been missing because I've been a little lazy in the kitchen!).

Tomorrow I start the 28-day Stripped plan. I've been in planning mode the last few days. Planning and organization is key to success on this journey.

So, here's goes my pre-Stripped weekend:

Yesterday I started my day by running 7 miles on the Chattahooche River in preparation for the Savannah Rock 'n Roll/Race & Relax Half Marathon in November. Thanks Reesey Cup for introducing me to this wonder trail!

Then I detoured to the Atlanta Greek Festival--yummy, non-diet busting foods there--roasted chicken breast, green beans and tomato, small spanakopita triangle--no bread, no rice. Thank goodness the pastry line was too long for me to even think about trying. smiles. I did share some of those yummy Greek fried potatoes with my festival mate Reesey Cup. As My Sweetie knows, I love potatoes! So, I had to try a few (although I thought they were roasted when I ordered them. Hey, I tried!

Hooray for some will power because I really could have eaten them all, but sharing was the smart thing to do, and I felt good about indulging, but in a sensible way. I love food, and I no longer want to make such poor decisions that I am overcome with guilt later. What's the fun in that!

Then I made the trek with Reesey Cup and Queen Bee to Your Dekalb International Farmers Market. I absolutely love this place! I picked up Buffalo, tilapia, leeks (a first for me), asparagus, apples, pears, lemons, bananas, all sorts of spices, greek yogurt, almond butter, wheat germ, oats, red potatoes (yes--potatoes are on the Stripped plan!). Forgot to get quinoa though--arrggh! All these yummy things were added to the apple cider vinegar, eggs, egg whites, tomatoes, green peppers, and low-fat cottage cheese I had picked up earlier in preparation for my Stripped meals.

Once I got home, I cleaned and organized my refrigerator and pantry. An organized refrigerator and pantry is also essential to meal planning. It also saves money so that I don't buy duplicates or things I don't need.

Today, I have tennis and then back home to finish up meal and workout planning.

I am excited to see what the next 28 days of Stripped will bring!

Stay tuned!