What? I did not see that, I promise!

I was so proud of myself. I had found a delicious Quinoa cereal that was keeping me from eating that toast and peanut butter I have been dreaming about.

So, of course wanting the approval of my dear trainer, Igor, I emailed him a picture of the box and the ingredient list. I thought that not only would he be so proud of me, but he could share it with others to help them stay away from the lure of hot and crunchy toast in the mornings...Or so I thought.

This was Igor's very polite response (via email) 

"I hate to tell you this, but reading the ingredients, I don't think it's the best thing for you right now."

WHAT?

It turns out there was an ingredient in there that I did not see when I checked the ingredients: Can you guess what it is?

 (Left) Cocoa Quinoa Cereal ingredient list.


I saw the "Organic" part and honestly did not see the RICE. OOPS!


Note to self:
DO NOT eat half the box before asking your trainer if it is an approved nutritional choice.


Let me also clarify that this cereal is very low in sugar, only 1g per serving. So, I thought it would be ok...I did not see the "rice" part.


At least it was ORGANIC!

Although Igor has been training me really hard in the gym, the biggest challenge I face is staying positive and motivated when I am not in the gym. When I am at the gym I know that if a thought like "I can't lift this weight," or "I can't do another repetition," comes into my mind then I have to immediately laugh it off and ignore it. It is not the truth, I usually prove myself wrong, time and time again. I ignore that voice and go ahead and do that one more rep or lift that inconceivable weight. I know that if I entertain that negative thought for even a moment it drains my strength. I am not talking about the body's natural signals which prevent injury, I am talking about motivation and trust in what your body can do.

In the gym environment it is easy for me to know what is expected and to deliver.

What is not so easy, for instance, is when the family is having bagels or toast...well I have to have something else. The challenge is when you go to the grocery store and try to find a nice snack and you look at the labels, and there is sugar and starch of some form in everything! It takes thought to prepare meals, you can't just grab a slice of pizza. If you do not have a good reason as to why you are making healthier choices then you will give up. You have to have that reason before you and constantly remind yourself of your goals until good habits become second nature and there is no longer a struggle. Bear in mind everyone's nutritional plan is different, so if your trainer says you can have carbohydrates, then go ahead, enjoy your toast!

Today my workout was awesome. Last time we did this particular set of exercises, on Monday, I struggled through the exercises and they were hard, today we did more reps and I could not believe the strength my core and abs had gained.

Valentines day is coming up and I have a date with my husband. It feels good to know I am healthy and in shape, and I am not thinking, "Urgh! What am I going to wear? Nothing fits!" Instead I am looking forward to getting dressed up because I have worked hard, eaten right (okay except the cereal...) and I can tell that my body has responded to these 7 weeks of training.