I am a huge commitment-phobe. Not with it comes to things like relationships or people, but when it comes to having to be somewhere at a certain time on a regular basis. I do some volunteer work and it's about once a month or so and even THAT is hard for me. It's, like, 4 hours a month and I choke up with having to go. I don't like being obligated for the most part.
So strangely enough, I have made a commitment to doing a boot camp class. It's about 65 blocks away from my house, it's at 7am and it's 4-5 days a week. I made the commitment for SIX MONTHS. Oh dear lord. I've been sick with anxiety for two days since I made the commitment. I've also been scared b/c this kind of regularity with my work outs AND the fact that it's first thing in the morning, meaning I'll be burning more fat and not sugars.... I'm bound to drop weight. And there is a little demon inside of me that is freaking out. B/c I've held onto all this weight for some reason or another all this time.
Today was day one. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting and I think the WillPower and Grace class I took 2 weeks ago at 24 hour fitness was infinitely harder. Not that it wasn't challenging. I can't believe I woke up so early and dragged myself ANYwhere and actually had FUN during the work out. The group seems nice and the trainer is no nonsense, but kind.
I intend to have some pics and results up as time goes by. Until I have any semblance of an "after" I'm afraid I'm to shy to share my "before" but I will at some point.
On top of this commitment to working out at 7am 4 days a week, I make the following commitments to myself:
1. To eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. To pause and reflect the best I can on satisfaction level.
2. To have one meal a week that I really want, but not go all out on a "free day". To continue to eat whole foods as a core part of my daily diet.
3. To show up.
4. To blog more regularly.
5. To take it easy when I need to, to push when I can... to not worry about other peoples' judgments.
6. To make every day the best I can and wish the same for all of you!
Stay tuned for more next week!
P.S. As I start to blog again more regularly (which I intend to), if there is any topic you'd like me to write about, let me know!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
With singlehood comes motivation
It's so true what they say that when you are in a relationship and you're comfortable, you tend to put on a few pounds. While I've vacillated up and down 20 pounds all year (my weight is VERY volatile), I put on 10 pounds over the summer after a 20 pound loss just because my sort of boyfriend wanted to eat hot dogs and hamburgers all the time. So we did. But he has a different metabolism than I and I pack on the pounds just by THINKING about it while he stayed an even 175.
Well, possibly the only good thing that comes out of a break up is that I have more time to do other things, namely exercising, and less pressure to eat out or eat poorly. I can go back to my breakfasts of steel cut oats and turkey bacon. A salad every day for lunch. And chicken and rice for dinner instead of burgers, hot dogs, beer and other miscellaneous goodness that Special K liked to partake in. Of course I'm terribly terribly sad so the eating better and working out serves to make me feel better and more put together. Helps me relieve both my stress and my sadness. Give me something to focus on other than how much I want to call the now ex or how much I miss him.
PLUS, I'm going to Maui for New Year's so it sure would be nice to drop a few pounds and be feeling good while I'm prancing around an island in a swimsuit in January. :)
So I'm here to say I'm back... and pushing through harder than ever.
Well, possibly the only good thing that comes out of a break up is that I have more time to do other things, namely exercising, and less pressure to eat out or eat poorly. I can go back to my breakfasts of steel cut oats and turkey bacon. A salad every day for lunch. And chicken and rice for dinner instead of burgers, hot dogs, beer and other miscellaneous goodness that Special K liked to partake in. Of course I'm terribly terribly sad so the eating better and working out serves to make me feel better and more put together. Helps me relieve both my stress and my sadness. Give me something to focus on other than how much I want to call the now ex or how much I miss him.
PLUS, I'm going to Maui for New Year's so it sure would be nice to drop a few pounds and be feeling good while I'm prancing around an island in a swimsuit in January. :)
So I'm here to say I'm back... and pushing through harder than ever.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
*ugh*
I haven't been the gym in nearly a month and I ate an entire half gallon of ice cream in two days.
That's all I have to say for now.
*sigh*
That's all I have to say for now.
*sigh*
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Waving at the wagons
I've fallen off the wagon in a big way.
Does anyone even know how that saying came about and why it means what it means?
ANYway... My life has been chaos. And one wants to think that they are consistent and motivated when under duress, but that has not proved to be the case. I only have the intellectual and emotional capacity to do so much. It has turned that I cannot focus on eating well and working out every day and getting enough sleep when my house is a demolition zone and the stress of my job and money issues has put me in the only space I know how to be in ... Auto Pilot.
I flooded my house, dropped my phone in the toilet and lost my diamond ring (found a few days later, thankfully) all in one day. I have the entire contents of my storage closet along with other furniture and doors, sitting in the middle of my living room. I have no bathroom floor or carpet padding in spots throughout the house. It's chaotic and messy and it makes my mind just as chaotic and messy to have my environment be such.
In said auto-pilot, I can't seem to make it to the gym b/c I spend 1-2 hours a day dealing with contractors or carpet people or whatever and the rest of my day I'm slammed at work so I really do have to try to pay attention. I go to the store and all I buy is salad and rice and still all I eat is away from home. I stayed the weekend in a hotel and while I did manage to have 2 home cooked meals while there, it didn't stop me from drinking heavily and having a delectable burger one of the nights.
I don't WANT to beat myself up about it. And I don't want to jump on the scale. I want to get through this and then refocus. I want to get my home in order and have a sense of peace and then maybe my head will be less full to have the rest of it in there. In the mean time, I wave at the wagons that pass me by every day when I make the choice to not eat a salad or not go to the gym.
And trust me, I really am doing the best I can right now. The very best I can.
Does anyone even know how that saying came about and why it means what it means?
ANYway... My life has been chaos. And one wants to think that they are consistent and motivated when under duress, but that has not proved to be the case. I only have the intellectual and emotional capacity to do so much. It has turned that I cannot focus on eating well and working out every day and getting enough sleep when my house is a demolition zone and the stress of my job and money issues has put me in the only space I know how to be in ... Auto Pilot.
I flooded my house, dropped my phone in the toilet and lost my diamond ring (found a few days later, thankfully) all in one day. I have the entire contents of my storage closet along with other furniture and doors, sitting in the middle of my living room. I have no bathroom floor or carpet padding in spots throughout the house. It's chaotic and messy and it makes my mind just as chaotic and messy to have my environment be such.
In said auto-pilot, I can't seem to make it to the gym b/c I spend 1-2 hours a day dealing with contractors or carpet people or whatever and the rest of my day I'm slammed at work so I really do have to try to pay attention. I go to the store and all I buy is salad and rice and still all I eat is away from home. I stayed the weekend in a hotel and while I did manage to have 2 home cooked meals while there, it didn't stop me from drinking heavily and having a delectable burger one of the nights.
I don't WANT to beat myself up about it. And I don't want to jump on the scale. I want to get through this and then refocus. I want to get my home in order and have a sense of peace and then maybe my head will be less full to have the rest of it in there. In the mean time, I wave at the wagons that pass me by every day when I make the choice to not eat a salad or not go to the gym.
And trust me, I really am doing the best I can right now. The very best I can.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Weekend full of food
For the fourth of July I spent the weekend at a friend's cabin on a river. There were about 16 people total so needless to say, there was A LOT of food. I have been to these events before and the sheer amount of food and booze is outstanding! So this year I did things a little differently in order to try to stay moderately on track.
I volunteered to make a quinoa salad that I make often and is chock full of vitamins and veggies (granted, and olive oil). This way I had a healthy snack whenever I wanted. I brought baked and sun chips instead of regular chips. I DID bring a package of Oreo cookies which was, with my help, polished off in the first several hours of arriving at the river.
But otherwise, I kept my eating under control mostly. I was never hungry when it was meal time and one breakfast I ate WAY more than I should have and needed to, but it was just so good! I snacked on a couple cupcakes and a few handful of chips, but otherwise, didn't do a ton of mindless grazing, which made me proud.
I think next year, I'll prepare even more and bring more salad goodies. It was amazing how, at the end of the weekend, all I wanted was a salad and there wasn't one to be had. Guess I miss my roughage when I don't get it.
In other news, I definitely feel off the wagon. I have only been getting to the gym 2 days a week instead of my normal 5. The hot hot hot weather and my body being totally swollen from bug bites hasn't provided much motivation, either, but I need to get back on track. I feel bloated and I'm never going to reach my goal by sitting here and waiting for it. I'm on my rear end all day at work. All. Day. I need to make a conscious choice each and every day to move my body on purpose ... to sweat and pant a little bit (or a lot in my case). And to prepare meals even when it's so hot here all I can do is LOOK at the kitchen.
I'm not liking what I see in the mirror these days and every time I drop some pounds and am so happy I'm going in the right direction, I seem to put it right back on again. I need someone to come and just hover over me and count calories FOR me! I need a chef. hahaha!
What are you doing to eat well and work out during the summer heat?
I volunteered to make a quinoa salad that I make often and is chock full of vitamins and veggies (granted, and olive oil). This way I had a healthy snack whenever I wanted. I brought baked and sun chips instead of regular chips. I DID bring a package of Oreo cookies which was, with my help, polished off in the first several hours of arriving at the river.
But otherwise, I kept my eating under control mostly. I was never hungry when it was meal time and one breakfast I ate WAY more than I should have and needed to, but it was just so good! I snacked on a couple cupcakes and a few handful of chips, but otherwise, didn't do a ton of mindless grazing, which made me proud.
I think next year, I'll prepare even more and bring more salad goodies. It was amazing how, at the end of the weekend, all I wanted was a salad and there wasn't one to be had. Guess I miss my roughage when I don't get it.
In other news, I definitely feel off the wagon. I have only been getting to the gym 2 days a week instead of my normal 5. The hot hot hot weather and my body being totally swollen from bug bites hasn't provided much motivation, either, but I need to get back on track. I feel bloated and I'm never going to reach my goal by sitting here and waiting for it. I'm on my rear end all day at work. All. Day. I need to make a conscious choice each and every day to move my body on purpose ... to sweat and pant a little bit (or a lot in my case). And to prepare meals even when it's so hot here all I can do is LOOK at the kitchen.
I'm not liking what I see in the mirror these days and every time I drop some pounds and am so happy I'm going in the right direction, I seem to put it right back on again. I need someone to come and just hover over me and count calories FOR me! I need a chef. hahaha!
What are you doing to eat well and work out during the summer heat?
Friday, June 25, 2010
Social Eating: how to manage your eating at buffet-style dinner party
Despite my outgoing nature, I actually have a bit if social anxiety at events where I don’t know nearly everyone. And because I have a bit of that anxiety, I usually make sure I eat myself into comfort. Tonight I had a huge accomplishment and didn’t fully realize it until after it was over.
Tonight I was invited to a dinner party where I didn’t expect to know many people. Turns out I did know a handful of folks, which was nice, but the point is, I didn’t want go to the party and overeat, as I'm apt to do. I’ve been eating pretty lightly and trying to eat only when I am hungry and I wanted to stick to that. I tend to grossly over indulge at buffets and community eating situations.
So today I had a snack about an hour or so before leaving for the party. My contribution to the party was a caprese salad which is super yummy and healthy. And off I went.
I started by not drinking. Mainly because I drank too much last weekend and it’s still too soon for me to have another after that bender. But it helped because oftentimes, with the social lubricant of alcohol, it’s easy to not be mindful of what goes in one’s mouth. ANYway, I stuck with water and ended up visiting with people away from the dining area where the food was laid out. I made note of when I saw people starting to spoon up appetizers, but I was enjoying my conversation and saw no reason to interrupt that in order to spoon up just yet. At one point someone passed around some bruschetta, of which I had a slice, and I noticed, just then, that I was watching him, wondering if he would make it to where I was sitting. Which he did, but I made a note to only be present with my conversation and not worry about anyone else or what was going in their mouths.
When I decided I was ready, I helped myself to one piece of my Caprese, a piece of another Caprese and a small hunk of cheese. I savored each bite and was perfectly happy. I had small spoonfuls of what they served for dinner and enjoyed each of those bites as well and didn’t go back for seconds as I was no longer hungry. When I finished, I threw away my plate so I would not be tempted to go back for more food for the simply sake of going back for more.
And as I left, I thought “wow, I did really well at that!” I practiced what all the experts say to do at things like this… don’t go to the event hungry, start with small servings, stay away from the food table when socializing and be mindful and enjoy your food. I feel VERY happy! And now, an hour later, I’m going to indulge in a single serving skinny cow ice cream cup. GO ME!!
What do YOU do to get through parties/ social events to enjoy the food and the people without stuffing yourself full?
Tonight I was invited to a dinner party where I didn’t expect to know many people. Turns out I did know a handful of folks, which was nice, but the point is, I didn’t want go to the party and overeat, as I'm apt to do. I’ve been eating pretty lightly and trying to eat only when I am hungry and I wanted to stick to that. I tend to grossly over indulge at buffets and community eating situations.
So today I had a snack about an hour or so before leaving for the party. My contribution to the party was a caprese salad which is super yummy and healthy. And off I went.
I started by not drinking. Mainly because I drank too much last weekend and it’s still too soon for me to have another after that bender. But it helped because oftentimes, with the social lubricant of alcohol, it’s easy to not be mindful of what goes in one’s mouth. ANYway, I stuck with water and ended up visiting with people away from the dining area where the food was laid out. I made note of when I saw people starting to spoon up appetizers, but I was enjoying my conversation and saw no reason to interrupt that in order to spoon up just yet. At one point someone passed around some bruschetta, of which I had a slice, and I noticed, just then, that I was watching him, wondering if he would make it to where I was sitting. Which he did, but I made a note to only be present with my conversation and not worry about anyone else or what was going in their mouths.
When I decided I was ready, I helped myself to one piece of my Caprese, a piece of another Caprese and a small hunk of cheese. I savored each bite and was perfectly happy. I had small spoonfuls of what they served for dinner and enjoyed each of those bites as well and didn’t go back for seconds as I was no longer hungry. When I finished, I threw away my plate so I would not be tempted to go back for more food for the simply sake of going back for more.
And as I left, I thought “wow, I did really well at that!” I practiced what all the experts say to do at things like this… don’t go to the event hungry, start with small servings, stay away from the food table when socializing and be mindful and enjoy your food. I feel VERY happy! And now, an hour later, I’m going to indulge in a single serving skinny cow ice cream cup. GO ME!!
What do YOU do to get through parties/ social events to enjoy the food and the people without stuffing yourself full?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Good food under emotional diress
This isn't one of the things I was going to talk about, but I do suppose it's relevant now. Things in my life have changed since my last post. My relationship of 6-9 months (depending on how you look at it) has ended. Things are still up in the air in regards to possible reconciliation, but at this time, we are not really in touch until our next talk date which is Friday. But that's a side note.
The point is... I'm sad. You know... like break up sad. I cry all the time, I reach for him in bed, I pout when I drink my morning coffee alone, and all songs, no matter what they are about, break my heart. A few hours after Special K left my house on Sunday, I went out with my best girl and had 12, count them TWELVE chicken wings. They were gooey, hot and fatty goodness. Except, when I think back on it, I really only enjoyed the first three. The others, I just shoveled in and didn't really notice. Wow, what a thing to realize.
So even though my eyes are leaking and I'm totally confused and sad, I have continued to eat my salad every day along with my rice, beans, fruit and seeds, and to do my work outs... No matter what. And honestly, having gone through breakups before, I feel way different. I feel like... I'm sad... but not broken. I'm crying but I'm not poisoning my body with loads of empty calories and fat. I'm still fueling and my energy is still maintained despite my emotion and that is... REALLY powerful stuff.
I can honestly say I have always taken advantage of going on an emotional eating bender. B/c fast food and ice cream comforts me. Right? Wrong. It makes me feel bloated and full and I don't even taste it. Now I am saving my fast food and ice cream moments for when I really want to enjoy it instead of using it to numb out. At least... for now. This is a huge, HUGE accomplishment and it goes to show you (ok, me) that mindless emotional eating doesn't have to occur at every emotional turn in one's life.
What a big revelation!! *as I sit here and munch on my salad* :-)
The point is... I'm sad. You know... like break up sad. I cry all the time, I reach for him in bed, I pout when I drink my morning coffee alone, and all songs, no matter what they are about, break my heart. A few hours after Special K left my house on Sunday, I went out with my best girl and had 12, count them TWELVE chicken wings. They were gooey, hot and fatty goodness. Except, when I think back on it, I really only enjoyed the first three. The others, I just shoveled in and didn't really notice. Wow, what a thing to realize.
So even though my eyes are leaking and I'm totally confused and sad, I have continued to eat my salad every day along with my rice, beans, fruit and seeds, and to do my work outs... No matter what. And honestly, having gone through breakups before, I feel way different. I feel like... I'm sad... but not broken. I'm crying but I'm not poisoning my body with loads of empty calories and fat. I'm still fueling and my energy is still maintained despite my emotion and that is... REALLY powerful stuff.
I can honestly say I have always taken advantage of going on an emotional eating bender. B/c fast food and ice cream comforts me. Right? Wrong. It makes me feel bloated and full and I don't even taste it. Now I am saving my fast food and ice cream moments for when I really want to enjoy it instead of using it to numb out. At least... for now. This is a huge, HUGE accomplishment and it goes to show you (ok, me) that mindless emotional eating doesn't have to occur at every emotional turn in one's life.
What a big revelation!! *as I sit here and munch on my salad* :-)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Results and detaching from the outcome
Do you think it's even remotely possible to do something for ourselves for the sake of doing it? Something that is good for our minds, our bodies and our hearts (both figuratively and literally?) without expecting more noticeable results?
A couple of months ago, when I started down this journey of healthy eating and exercise, I told myself it was energy related. And it was. I was tired every day, barely able to keep my eyes open in the afternoons and I'm a pretty high energy person naturally so I just was not feeling like myself. And if you don't feel like yourself, then who are you? I continued to have very low energy even after being treated for hypothyroidism and that's when I started the basic diet my naturopath gave me with the whole grains, beans, leafy greens, nuts/seeds and fruit. That DEFINITELY helped. And then I decided to kick up my workouts that I was doing at home (thank you, Biggest Loser DVDs and P.S. I love you, Bob Harper) and bought some personal training sessions at my gym and committed to doing whatever he told me work-out wise.
And now, I feel like a million bucks. My energy level has picked up and is consistent throughout the entire day. My body is fueled much more efficiently and my metabolism has got to be revved up a bit from the additional cardio and weight training I'm doing. So yay!! Goal achieved. Right?
One would hope. But I haven't lost any weight. I found out today I've lost 5 inches in 5 weeks (mostly in my lower body) and while that is not an achievement to scoff at, my scale holds steady and my clothes almost feel tighter. So what's a girl to do?
Well, I could sit here and feel sorry for myself and binge on ice cream (which, trust me, sounds like a mighty fine option). Or I can stand up straight, pat myself on the back for my diligence and trust that whatever is meant to be, will be. If I am meant to weigh this weight, then I must learn to accept that the best I can. If I'm not, then I am learning some seriously awesome building blocks to make those changes happen; and they will happen, in their own time.
It's easy to become attached to an outcome/result and be disappointed when it's not what you want, especially when it comes to weight. It's harder to just trust and accept and do your best all the while. Today I'm going to put my energy into appreciating the body I have the best I know how, keep fighting the good fight and let the Universe do what it will with the rest.
A couple of months ago, when I started down this journey of healthy eating and exercise, I told myself it was energy related. And it was. I was tired every day, barely able to keep my eyes open in the afternoons and I'm a pretty high energy person naturally so I just was not feeling like myself. And if you don't feel like yourself, then who are you? I continued to have very low energy even after being treated for hypothyroidism and that's when I started the basic diet my naturopath gave me with the whole grains, beans, leafy greens, nuts/seeds and fruit. That DEFINITELY helped. And then I decided to kick up my workouts that I was doing at home (thank you, Biggest Loser DVDs and P.S. I love you, Bob Harper) and bought some personal training sessions at my gym and committed to doing whatever he told me work-out wise.
And now, I feel like a million bucks. My energy level has picked up and is consistent throughout the entire day. My body is fueled much more efficiently and my metabolism has got to be revved up a bit from the additional cardio and weight training I'm doing. So yay!! Goal achieved. Right?
One would hope. But I haven't lost any weight. I found out today I've lost 5 inches in 5 weeks (mostly in my lower body) and while that is not an achievement to scoff at, my scale holds steady and my clothes almost feel tighter. So what's a girl to do?
Well, I could sit here and feel sorry for myself and binge on ice cream (which, trust me, sounds like a mighty fine option). Or I can stand up straight, pat myself on the back for my diligence and trust that whatever is meant to be, will be. If I am meant to weigh this weight, then I must learn to accept that the best I can. If I'm not, then I am learning some seriously awesome building blocks to make those changes happen; and they will happen, in their own time.
It's easy to become attached to an outcome/result and be disappointed when it's not what you want, especially when it comes to weight. It's harder to just trust and accept and do your best all the while. Today I'm going to put my energy into appreciating the body I have the best I know how, keep fighting the good fight and let the Universe do what it will with the rest.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Diets don't work
Dieting is all the rage and has been since well before my time. It is a katrillion dollar industry… selling based on our “trouble spots” or sense that something is wrong with us because we don’t look like the women we see in magazines. Well, you’ve heard all that before, so why be redundant, but you know… it can really get ya down!
I have tried it all. My mother put me on a 600 calorie a day diet when I was 11, determined to make me fit into the doctor’s ideas of what an appropriate weight is. (more on this later, as I’ll NEVER fit into that range). I was a normal girl and more chubby than fat, but here I was eating turkey deli meat and dill pickles and yogurt all day to starve myself to make my mother proud. And thus it started.
Since then I have done the zone, the grapefruit diet (I hate grapefruit!), Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, LA Weight loss (for 1 whole day before I asked for a refund), herbal diet pills, Dexatrime, Xenadrine (only stopping when I went on a hike in college and started having heart palpitations). I’ve done Body for Life, more and more and more Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. I’ve done fasting and cleanses and macro vegan. The only thing I haven’t done is low carb/high protein because that just never made sense to me. But you get my point. I’ve been there and done that. It’s exhausting. And expensive. I bet if I had all the money I ever spent on diets and slim fast shakes and protein bars and frozen boxed diet food, I’d probably be rich.
So finally, at 31, I’ve realized something. A light bulb has gone off. Diets don’t work. There is no miracle cure for being fat. But there is the math. And it seems so very very simple. Ingest fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. Take in 3500 calories less than you expend and you have just lost one pound.
But counting calories is tedious. And diets don’t work because we feel deprived or because they are bad for your body long term (or straight out gimmicks). So how does one manage their calories without having to be obsessively thinking about it but still get some of the foods that make them happy from time to time?
Well, this is the age old question and I’m still figuring it out. For me, lately, I’ve done my best to eat really healthy whole foods with less processed ones, less sugar and less hydrogenated oils. I try to eat what’s been recommended for me to eat every day by my naturopath. In case you’re wondering, that includes ¼ cup unroasted nuts or seeds (peanuts don’t count), 2 servings leafy greens (iceburg doesn’t count), 1 serving fruit (not banana), 1 serving whole grains (millet, steel cut oats, brown rice, quinoa, bulgar) and drink plenty of water. And I’m working out 5 days a week mixing cardio with weight training. I’m not losing weight drastically, but my body is changing and I feel great. I love my body for keeping up with me the best it can and I love myself for feeding it well. I have more energy and am better able to manage stress. As for the details, I suppose those will either sort themselves out or I’ll see how this goes and adjust accordingly. But as for the diets… I am boycotting. :-)
I have tried it all. My mother put me on a 600 calorie a day diet when I was 11, determined to make me fit into the doctor’s ideas of what an appropriate weight is. (more on this later, as I’ll NEVER fit into that range). I was a normal girl and more chubby than fat, but here I was eating turkey deli meat and dill pickles and yogurt all day to starve myself to make my mother proud. And thus it started.
Since then I have done the zone, the grapefruit diet (I hate grapefruit!), Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, LA Weight loss (for 1 whole day before I asked for a refund), herbal diet pills, Dexatrime, Xenadrine (only stopping when I went on a hike in college and started having heart palpitations). I’ve done Body for Life, more and more and more Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. I’ve done fasting and cleanses and macro vegan. The only thing I haven’t done is low carb/high protein because that just never made sense to me. But you get my point. I’ve been there and done that. It’s exhausting. And expensive. I bet if I had all the money I ever spent on diets and slim fast shakes and protein bars and frozen boxed diet food, I’d probably be rich.
So finally, at 31, I’ve realized something. A light bulb has gone off. Diets don’t work. There is no miracle cure for being fat. But there is the math. And it seems so very very simple. Ingest fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. Take in 3500 calories less than you expend and you have just lost one pound.
But counting calories is tedious. And diets don’t work because we feel deprived or because they are bad for your body long term (or straight out gimmicks). So how does one manage their calories without having to be obsessively thinking about it but still get some of the foods that make them happy from time to time?
Well, this is the age old question and I’m still figuring it out. For me, lately, I’ve done my best to eat really healthy whole foods with less processed ones, less sugar and less hydrogenated oils. I try to eat what’s been recommended for me to eat every day by my naturopath. In case you’re wondering, that includes ¼ cup unroasted nuts or seeds (peanuts don’t count), 2 servings leafy greens (iceburg doesn’t count), 1 serving fruit (not banana), 1 serving whole grains (millet, steel cut oats, brown rice, quinoa, bulgar) and drink plenty of water. And I’m working out 5 days a week mixing cardio with weight training. I’m not losing weight drastically, but my body is changing and I feel great. I love my body for keeping up with me the best it can and I love myself for feeding it well. I have more energy and am better able to manage stress. As for the details, I suppose those will either sort themselves out or I’ll see how this goes and adjust accordingly. But as for the diets… I am boycotting. :-)
Monday, June 7, 2010
Day One
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Or so they say.
I have given the 'ole blog a face lift. Food, fitness and health are big issues for me. Always have been, and likely always will be. We have all "been there and done that" in some respects. I know I certainly have and I'm know I'm not alone. That many of you have these issues on your mind as well on any given day. This new space will be about my struggles and successes through the world of fitness, food and the constant quest to be healthy and love myself just as I am. I hope you will share your story with me in this venue as well as time goes on.
Buckle up, ladies and gents, it's going to be an awesome ride!
I have given the 'ole blog a face lift. Food, fitness and health are big issues for me. Always have been, and likely always will be. We have all "been there and done that" in some respects. I know I certainly have and I'm know I'm not alone. That many of you have these issues on your mind as well on any given day. This new space will be about my struggles and successes through the world of fitness, food and the constant quest to be healthy and love myself just as I am. I hope you will share your story with me in this venue as well as time goes on.
Buckle up, ladies and gents, it's going to be an awesome ride!
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