SugarFree

Well today was my first official full day going sugar free.  And this blog is more for my record, so if anyone reads it I apologize for lack of photos, or pazzazz.

For a variety of reasons, I have decided to cut processed white sugar out of my life.  Armed with the book "Salt, Sugar, Fat," listening to a few youtube clips on the detriments of sugar and getting pumped about the new movie "Fed Up" coming out May 9th I have a lot of positive hype on my side.

Within 2 minutes of walking into work I was confronted with brownies.  I love brownies, and could easily devour a pan in a day.  I politely said "No thank you" and that was mistaken for "not right now".  About 2:00 pm the brownies came back around and with some explaining about why I couldn't have any,  I survived-brownie free!  Yes, I did have to say even half or just a bite, was not Ok.  They looked so good.  However I am really proud of myself for making it through my first test. 

I was a bit bummed to find added sugar in my salad dressing, but once we finish our stash I will start making my own. 

Eventually I will start experimenting with some home made treats but the first two weeks are as sugar free as possible.  In case you are wondering my interpretation of sugar free does not include cutting good carbohydrates such as whole wheat flour or fruit, right now it only counts processed and refined foods. Also, I am not cutting alcohol off completely but will limit to 2-3 drinks a week after the initial 2 week "cleanse" I am going through.  

Happy end of day 2!!!

When the going gets tough....

...the tough get going. Whatever the goal may be, there will be a time when progress slows down or reverses.  Your actions at that time will be what define your success in reaching your goals.  At that point it may be easy to give up, slack off and find "reasons" as to why your goal is not achievable. 

 

Whenever you get to that point, that is when you really need to dig in.  Remember why you want to achieve the goal that you set.  The WHY is what will get you past all the HOWs.   A surface level why like wanting to look good, is not as strong as a deep why like wanting to be healthy enough to play with your kids.  That Why will carry you through all the hard times.

 

 If all else fails, just remember what Dory said....

 

 

What is BellotteFit?

BellotteFit: (noun) a form of fitness that is brought on by major household projects, encompassing shoveling, swinging a pick-and-mattock or sledgehammer, and moving up to 15 cubic yards of sand by wheelbarrow. 

BellotteFit is not for the faint of heart, and if done daily for three months you will see some INSANE arms and back muscle.  You may be asking yourself, why would anyone choose to do this?  Great question. Let me explain. 

It all started when we bought our house.  The house had been poorly maintained and the backyard was a combination of dirt, weeds and a random brick grill that was falling apart.  In essence it was an empty canvas, for eager, young and naive home buyers. 

So after months of saving money and discussing what we were going to do we narrowed it down to:
1. Remove the brick grill (sledgehammer and wheelbarrow)
2. Insert a 600 square foot patio with 6 inch support depth of gravel and sand (shoveling, wheelbarrow, moving lots of concrete patio pavers)
3. Trench 200 feet of french drain pipes to allow for proper drainage (shoveling, pick and mattock)
4. Build a 10x12 foot shed with a concrete pad to keep the fire ants at bay (shoveling, wheelbarrow)
5. Sod and Sprinkler System installed (THANK GOODNESS WE HIRED SOMEONE FOR THIS!)

There were days when I didn't think we would make it.  On those days we had to find something to laugh about, so we came up with calling it BellotteFit and only we could be "Bellotte Strong." Trust me after literally shoveling for at least an hour a day for 3 months straight, it is easy to go a bit crazy. Unfortunately I am missing some of the really good during photos, but you can use your imagination with the information above.

Despite all the work, it was so worth it!  Not only did I get infinitely stronger, I have the gratification of knowing a job well done!  I cannot wait to buy amazing patio furniture and hang out in my backyard all winter and spring while the weather is fabulous in Texas. 

 

I wish I had a better photo, but when I swapped my iPhone for a Samsung, I lost all my photos.  If it weren't dark outside I would go take one from a different angle.  Oh well... In the end I would have to say I <3 BellotteFit, and I am so happy it is over!

First Steps

I never thought I would write a blog, but after finding inspiration, advice and fun new ideas from other blogs (shout out to SkinnyMeg and OhSheGlows), I thought maybe, just maybe, I can provide those same to someone else. 

My life so far has been very fortunate.  I grew up as the youngest of three in Northern California, spending hours upon hours on the soccer field.   After high school, I was fortunate to play soccer in college with the highlight of my career being able to play Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament.  It was our program's first NCAA appearance, and Notre Dame were the reigning national champions!  We got destroyed, but I will never forget that night! 

After college I went to graduate school and coached soccer while I earned my MBA.   During that time, my boyfriend popped the question!  A month after I graduated from my Master's program, we got married in California and I moved to Texas where he had started his career.  Three years later we are still in Texas, bought our first house and have a dog and cat that keep us busy! 

Thank you for letting me share my story and I am so excited to blog about life, fitness, nutrition and what daily choices we make can shape our lives!