Hello There...

Welcome to my blog. I'm a full-time mommy of a 4-year-old & a 0-year-old, part-time waitress and a rookie blogger. Living on a farm with my son, daughter and husband among dogs, chickens, ducks and other various wildlife keeps life interesting and anything but normal!



Friday, July 29, 2016

Inside Out: My Transformation, Part 2

Well, as promised, here is Part 2 of my transformation. It's funny because I had wanted to blog about this whole thing real-time, as it was happening (like, as in the past 2 years) but I just didn't know enough to feel confident to give advice to other people....I just knew what was working for me (and quite honestly, I still don't know enough to be considered "qualified" to give advice on this matter). But I'm glad I waited until now, because rather than have broken pieces that at first seemed to be mismatched, I can stand back now and see the whole picture and it all came together, and it makes sense.

After a solid 6 months of reforming the way I ate by cutting out processed foods, sugar (natural and artificial) and focusing on eating clean, nutrient-dense foods, I was feeling great. But I wasn't getting where I wanted with my weight and so I added regular exercise. That was helping a little bit, but slowly I was starting to realize that it wasn't only what I ate, but also how much I ate. Up until last summer (2015) I had it in my head that I didn't need to count calories and I didn't need to keep track of how much I was eating, so long as the food I was eating was whole and clean. To a certain extent, I still feel that way and I will never restrict myself food if I am hungry and "out of calories" - if I am hungry, I eat. I have not wanted, nor do I ever want to have that kind of unhealthy relationship with food. That being said, I try very hard not to emotionally eat, because that is just as unhealthy as restricting caloric intake. But, I digress - unhealthy relationships with food is seriously at least one post on it's own, and I'm sure the blogosphere is full of them. So anyways...

I have a couple friends and family members who have had wild success using a program called 21-day Fix, and it had me intrigued. However, my whole point in this endeavor was to do it myself without the programs and the expensive gadgets and gizmos and workout plans, etc. So I started reading. I used Pinterest and Google and all the informations available on the internets everywhere and learned as much as I could about 21-day Fix without actually buying the program.

And I feel like I need to add a disclaimer here: I have nothing against the 21-day Fix program, in fact, of all the MLM companies out there, I personally think Beachbody is the only one I could actually get behind. I won't, because I do not support MLM anything (again, another post for another day) but I just want to make it clear that I am not here to bash any programs or discount them, because as I mentioned before, I have seen the results in friends and family first hand. If you are dedicated and stick to their plans, IT DOES WORK! But, I am also here to tell you that I am living, breathing proof that you don't need to invest hundreds of dollars into a program to get the same type of results.

You can absolutely do it yourself. You need a little bit of time to plan your meals and a little bit of research to find workouts that will work for you. But, I read and pinned and printed and planned and I geared up for what I simply called, "21-days". Listen, I personally know 4 Beachbody coaches and I didn't even want to insult them by asking them questions and expecting answers for free. I have more respect for business people than that, I don't let customers wash their clothes for free at my laundromat, so I would never expect them to give me advice about a program that I had no intention of buying for free, either.

The general idea here is that for 21 days I dedicated myself to perfectly clean eating (no cheat meals, processed foods or sugars at all) in certain portion sizes and to complete at least a 30 minute workout once a day. So  that is what I did. I did not keep stats, other than my weight. In hindsight, I wished I had taken measurements, but oh well...ya live, ya learn (well, not really because I still don't take measurements). I lost 7 lbs in 21 days and about a week after completing my first round, I started another. This, for me, and I think for anyone is such a great way to get your foot in the door. Who can't commit to something for a mere 3 weeks? If you just sit down and think it through and have it all planned out, you really can't go wrong!

In all my research and studying about the 21 day fix (which, btw, Pinterest has TONS of 21DF recipes, tips and tricks - I even have a board dedicated to stuff I used for my 21 days, check it out here: 21 Days) I kept seeing/hearing this term "MACROS". And I was all like, what the....?? I tried reading more about macros and my brain would just get confused. I'm really not a smart sciencey person, so anytime people try to explain things using science, I get completely overwhelmed and my brain basically turns to mush. So, I took a break from trying to figure out macros and I just kind of put it in the back of my brain for later. I did use an app to help me keep track of calories, though...which eventually kind of helped me figure out macros. I started using an app called Lose It! - it's free and worked pretty well. Turns out, though that I should have listened to my bro-in-law all along and just started with My Fitness Pal, it's pretty much the bees knees.

As it turns out, if I wanted to really shed the pounds, I needed to watch what foods I was eating, and how much I was eating, exercise regularly and drink lots of water. That's the non-secret secret, friends. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to eat well, exercise, drink water and repeat, for eternity. Haha, that sounds so simple, doesn't it!? But when you start to see and feel results, you will not want to stop. I promise. Getting started is the hardest part!

And so that brings us to 2016. I had wanted so much more for myself in 2015, but what is most important is that I got started. And now I feel unstoppable. This whole thing started with a non-new-years-resolution-resolution. I make changes on December 15th each year. My birthday is December 14th and I always give myself a good 2-week "it's my birthday" celebration where I eat and drink and buy anything I want, and on December 15th I generally create my "resolutions" for the coming year. This year, was different in-that I had already come so far, but not different because I still resolved to be a better version of myself. I resolved to keep going on this journey and to not stop.

A big one was increasing my water intake this year. I started by just carrying around a gallon jug with me and drinking it whenever and wherever. That way I knew how much I was drinking. These days, I just carry a 20 oz refillable bottle around with me and be sure to get 5-6 of them in a day. I also started BBG in February. Bikini Body Guide is an eBook or an app by Kayla Itsines. Now, I know what you're thinking..."but you said you didn't do this with any fancy programs or buying anything, blah blah blah"  and yes, you're correct. But I was able to get my hands on a copy of Kayla's first eBook for free. And I mean, if you've ever seen the before and after photos of the girls who do her program, you would do it too if you got it for free. And if you're not already following @kayla_itsines on Instagram, you need to...like 10 minutes ago. I'll wait......are you following her yet?

Kayla's workouts are hard, but totally do-able. You can modify if you need to and they were the perfect bridge to get me into a higher intensity workout. There is very little equipment needed to do the BBG workouts and I did a lot of improvising. I don't own a weight bench, so I used coffee tables or chairs. I don't have a medicine ball, but I have a kettle bell so I used that. I joined a Facebook BBG accountability group which was awesome for support or ideas on how to modify exercises when having limited equipment. I completed all 12 weeks of BBG by May of this year and I have started and re-started a few times, but haven't been able to finish my second round yet.


February 2016 >> July 2016

I took the photo on the left on my first day of BBG. It's hard to see because the lighting sucks in my house, but I have way more muscle definition everywhere. BBG helped me gain so much strength and helped me finally do things like a proper push up. I cannot say enough good things about BBG, Kayla is an  awesome role model and I'm thankful that the world of Instagram introduced me to all the wonderful that is BBG and the BBG Community. 

Well, that about wraps it up - I am currently working on completing a program called body beast (also by beach body) that I borrowed from a dear friend and brotha-from-anotha-motha. I am almost done with week 4  of 12 and y'all, Sagi Kalev is not joking around. I still do Kayla workouts here and there, but I have been focusing on training with heavier weights and building more lean muscle mass. 

I have finally figured out how macros work for me, but again, the sciencey stuff. I don't think I could explain them well enough, but if you want me to try, you can email me at spielman6125@gmail.com and I for reals would love to tell you what I think I know. And I'll just close with a couple quick words about what kind of "equipment" I use. 

There it is, in all it's glory. My "equipment"

I haven't really had to invest much into this kind of stuff because Sworkit and BBG didn't really require a whole lot and the things it did require, I could improvise with things I had on hand. I asked for a kettle bell for Christmas, I found the little purple 3 lb weights at T J Maxx on clearance for like $4.99. The two rusty adjustable ones were in my basement...the farmer helped me clean them up. The silver 5 Lb dumbbells I found at a rummage sale for $2!! That was pretty exciting, because as I have come to find out, used weights go for like $1/pound. If you can find them for $0.50/pound then you have found a great deal! Finally, I just added the black and blue ones to my collection yesterday. I picked them up off craigslist for $18 (a set of 10 lb and a set of 8 lb) and I have arranged to pick up a 12 lb set on Sunday for $12. If you include the 12 lb set that I don't have yet, my total investment for these is roughly $37. Did it require patience and a little bit of savvy shopping? Yes, of course. But it all depends how bad you want it.



Well friends, this transformation has been 7 years in the making. Thanks for sticking around...if you take nothing else away from this post, please know that I honestly never thought I was capable of a transformation like this. You might feel like it's too hard, or you just can't. It's going to be hard, and there will be days when you want to quit. But I promise, if I can do this, YOU CAN DO THIS. ANYONE  can do this. You just need to start. Stop making excuses, stop putting it off. Make your health a priority and give yourself the chance you deserve to be great!

{End motivational speech}

Good luck and good night, from the farm,
The Farmer's Fit Wife

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Inside Out: My Transformation, Part 1

Well hey!
Welcome to my second post of 2016...it only took me 6 months to write another. 
I started thinking about resurrecting my blog yesterday, when this popped up in my Facebook memories:Before & After - a post I proudly wrote on the heels of a little bit of weight loss back in 2011. I was 2 years postpartum and I was super excited about finally getting off the baby weight. LOL. Way to go, Ange. 

August 2009 >> August 2011

But seriously, I was so proud of being active again. I started running and basically just ate less. In hindsight, I was actually still pretty unhealthy and I was only concerned with seeing a certain number on the scale. I didn't care about being strong, I didn't even concern myself too much with having abs or muscle definition. Fast forward to 2016 and so many things have changed about how I look at my body. From what I fuel it with to how I strengthen it. I haven't cared about the number on the scale in quite some time, I eat more than I ever have and I fit in smaller sizes than every before in my adult life. Like, literally ever. 

Recently, I have been so encouraged by many friends who send me messages me DMs telling me how I "inspire them". They want to know my "secrets" and I haven't ever been more flattered. Thank you, really! I'm so happy to share my successes with others because my whole goal this entire time was to get fit and be healthy without expensive pills, shakes, exercise programs, gym memberships, etc. I wanted to prove to the world that I could, in fact, do this myself. Armed with Google, Pinterest and a few inexpensive pieces of equipment that I have literally picked up at rummage sales and even borrowed from other people, I am on my way to attaining the body and the level of health that I've always wanted. I am so excited to let you in on my not-so-secret "secrets". 

My first non-secret is that you have to want it. I mean really WANT IT. I used to want to be skinny, weigh a magical number that would put me in some "skinny" girl category. I wanted it, but I wasn't willing to put in the work, and so as it turned out, I didn't really want it, that bad. Once I made up in my mind that I was going to do this "healthy" thing, and like, really do it, it was like a switch flipped. I started slowly, with my diet and removed one unhealthy thing at a time. Once I had mastered not having X, Y or Z in my diet, I moved on to the next thing. After about 6 months (yes, it took that long) I was eating totally clean, whole, nutrient dense foods, with the occasional cheat meal here and there. The key, though is to not have too many "cheats" in the beginning. It is important to get your brain and your body weaned off of these processed-sugar-laden foods. Once the cravings stop you won't really want it, and if you do indulge occasionally, you'll be taking a lesser risk of a "relapse" or binge. 

For your reference, I started with gluten. I went gluten-free, then I cut soda and juice. Then I cut out candy and sweets (which for me weren't that big of a deal, but still needed to be addressed). Finally, I cut out any other processed foods/snacks. My biggest weakness was (and still is) potato chips and salty snacks. So that was my last thing, I let myself hang on to it for as long as I could. By the time I had cut everything else out, my body started to feel so good, that cutting those last things out wasn't really that big of a deal. And let me tell you, when I do indulge in Doritos every once in a while - they are so, so yummy. But I can stomach like 8 before I have had enough. I have found balance, and therein lies the key to your success - BALANCE. 

Once I had mastered the eating, I began slowly to add regular exercise to my daily routine. My goal at first was to exercise for anywhere from 15-30 minutes a day for 4 days a week. I used an app called Sworkit  - free on Google Play or iTunes. You can pick which area of your body you'd like to target and how long you'd like your workout to be. Pair this with your Pandora radio and you've got yourself a home gym! Have kids? You also have free weights. I would throw my kiddos on my shoulders when doing calf raises or squats for added resistance. This app was such a great way to get started. I wasn't in any shape to be doing the kind of high-intensity workouts that I do nowadays, but it was a perfect way for me to get my toes wet!

In review, if this type of lifestyle is so far from what your norm is, it's important to take things slowly. For perspective, I started my clean eating journey in December of 2014...so we're coming up on 2 years. I began adding exercise in June of 2015 and in July of 2015 I began my own version of the 21-day Fix. This is where I started to see some serious results. 

....More on that soon - I can't give you all the good stuff in one post! 

I promise it ends well - I'm almost 2 years into my journey and I look and feel better than ever. I'm so happy to know that my story has resonated with so many of my friends and helped them work toward a healthier version of themselves. 

I started a dedicated fitness Instagram account, give me a follow! @farmerswife_fitlife where I post food, progress photos and more! 

I can remember a post hoping to one day sign off as "the Farmer's Fit Wife" - and well, I'm happy to report that day has come!

Good night from Spielman Farms,
The Farmer's Fit Wife


Inside Out: My Transformation, Part 1

Well hey!
Welcome to my second post of 2016...it only took me 6 months to write another. 
I started thinking about resurrecting my blog yesterday, when this popped up in my Facebook memories:Before & After - a post I proudly wrote on the heels of a little bit of weight loss back in 2011. I was 2 years postpartum and I was super excited about finally getting off the baby weight. LOL. Way to go, Ange. 

August 2009 >> August 2011

But seriously, I was so proud of being active again. I started running and basically just ate less. In hindsight, I was actually still pretty unhealthy and I was only concerned with seeing a certain number on the scale. I didn't care about being strong, I didn't even concern myself too much with having abs or muscle definition. Fast forward to 2016 and so many things have changed about how I look at my body. From what I fuel it with to how I strengthen it. I haven't cared about the number on the scale in quite some time, I eat more than I ever have and I fit in smaller sizes than ever before in my adult life. Like, literally ever. 

Recently, I have been so encouraged by many friends who send me messages me DMs telling me how I "inspire them". They want to know my "secrets" and I haven't ever been more flattered. Thank you, really! I'm so happy to share my successes with others because my whole goal this entire time was to get fit and be healthy without expensive pills, shakes, exercise programs, gym memberships, etc. I wanted to prove to the world that I could, in fact, do this myself. Armed with Google, Pinterest and a few inexpensive pieces of equipment that I have literally picked up at rummage sales and even borrowed from other people, I am on my way to attaining the body and the level of health that I've always wanted. I am so excited to let you in on my not-so-secret "secrets". 

My first non-secret is that you have to want it. I mean really WANT IT. I used to want to be skinny, weigh a magical number that would put me in some "skinny" girl category. I wanted it, but I wasn't willing to put in the work, and so as it turned out, I didn't really want it, that bad. Once I made up in my mind that I was going to do this "healthy" thing, and like, really do it, it was like a switch flipped. I started slowly, with my diet and removed one healthy thing at a time. Once I had mastered not having X, Y or Z in my diet, I moved on to the next thing. After about 6 months (yes, it took that long) I was eating totally clean, whole, nutrient dense foods, with the occasional cheat meal here and there. The key, though is to not have too many "cheats" in the beginning. It is important to get your brain and your body weaned off of these processed-sugar-laden foods. Once the cravings stop you won't really want it, and if you do indulge occasionally, you'll be taking a lesser risk of a "relapse" or binge. 

For your reference, I started with gluten. I went gluten-free, then I cut soda and juice. Then I cut out candy and sweets (which for me weren't that big of a deal, but still needed to be addressed). Finally, I cut out any other processed foods/snacks. My biggest weakness was (and still is) potato chips and salty snacks. So that was my last thing, I let myself hang on to it for as long as I could. By the time I had cut everything else out, my body started to feel so good, that cutting those last things out wasn't really that big of a deal. And let me tell you, when I do indulge in Doritos every once in a while - they are so, so yummy. But I can stomach like 8 before I have had enough. I have found balance, and therein lies the key to your success - BALANCE. 

Once I had mastered the eating, I began slowly to add regular exercise to my daily routine. My goal at first was to exercise for anywhere from 15-30 minutes a day for 4 days a week. I used an app called Sworkit  - free on Google Play or iTunes. You can pick which area of your body you'd like to target and how long you'd like your workout to be. Pair this with your Pandora radio and you've got yourself a home gym! Have kids? You also have free weights. I would throw my kiddos on my shoulders when doing calf raises or squats for added resistance. This app was such a great way to get started. I wasn't in any shape to be doing the kind of high-intensity workouts that I do nowadays, but it was a perfect way for me to get my toes wet!

In review, if this type of lifestyle is so far from what your norm is, it's important to take things slowly. For perspective, I started my clean eating journey in December of 2014...so we're coming up on 2 years. I began adding exercise in June of 2015 and in July of 2015 I began my own version of the 21-day Fix. This is where I started to see some serious results. 

....More on that soon - I can't give you all the good stuff in one post! 

I promise it ends well - I'm almost 2 years into my journey and I look and feel better than ever. I'm so happy to know that my story has resonated with so many of my friends and helped them work toward a healthier version of themselves. 

I started a dedicated fitness Instagram account, give me a follow! @farmerswife_fitlife where I post food, progress photos and more! 

I can remember a post hoping to one day sign off as "the Farmer's Fit Wife" - and well, I'm happy to report that day has come!

Good night from Spielman Farms,
The Farmer's Fit Wife