“Well, I’m just gonna get started in January, you know, once the holidays are over.”
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it, yeah, a lot.
The New Years Resolution.
The New Years promise to finally “get in shape”, to “lose weight”, and to “get healthier”.
What it might amount to is a fairly guiltless free for all of eating for weeks like a man condemned to the gallows never to see good food again.
Then with a rigid determination come the official first of the year and a stoic do or die approach, you set out to finally lose weight.
All the good foods are gone ( you might have helped eat them to “get them out of the house”) you’ve stocked up on celery and rice cakes and pulled out the Jillian Michaels workout video that you will overdo on and hurt like heck the next day ’cause your body is protesting all that activity. You will hop on the scale looking for it to show some “loss” to reward you for your first hard day of labor and suffering.
Ha.. ok.. I’m messing with you, but maybe you see yourself in there somewhere.
I do. I used a lot of my past to kinda make fun of the predictable behaviors so many go through each year.
Sad thing is, those good intentions, almost never last past that first month.
I just want to encourage you to not wait for the New Year to start focusing on taking care of yourself. Each day is a new opportunity to eat well, and get in some good purposeful movement. I was talking with someone and again the conversation came up that exercise is something our bodies require for health and wellness, not just to be used as a tool to lose weight ( although it helps with that too).
Exercise is crucial to our overall well being! And needless to say, eating well, gives us good energy to move through our day.
I want to challenge you to not wait for 2016 to start making changes, but begin today.
Taking small steps each day will position you to continue forward movement after the holidays are over towards permanent healthy changes.
Can you think of a better way to start off your New Year ?
Why hello December! November certainly was a whirlwind, wasn’t it ? Here in the States we just wrapped up Thanksgiving last week… which is always an amazing overload to the senses.
A day full of delicious food and tasty treats… how can you go wrong with that ??
Thanksgiving is like this seque into Christmas with it’s plethora of delights.
Candy. Cookies. Rich meals. Cakes and treats.
I grew up with a grandmother and mom who were baking queens during the Christmas season. I will share more on that in another post, but it’s safe to say, I learned all my tricks from them. What a wonderful heritage to be given.
I love baking and I love giving it away. The week of Thanksgiving I took a variety of treats to my local Starbucks ( ’cause I love all my little baristas there 😉 and I want them to know I appreciate them. One of the comments I got was…
“How do you stay in the shape you’re in, and bake like that??”
My response, ” I bake, but I don’t eat much of it” 😉
Then comes something I’ve gotten used to hearing from people.
” I just don’t have that kind of will power”
Ah yes, the illusive “will power”. It’s defined as control of ones impulses and actions, self-control.
Often when I’m talking with people that subject comes up. They are struggling, wanting to lose weight and move into a positive lifestyle change yet feel their willpower is lacking.
Can I say at best, it can fail us ? Oh we will be “good”. We will decline treats and special foods and maybe for awhile feel successful. We will drastically alter all of our eating and feel like we are finally getting somewhere. After attempting to keep rein on our willpower we can even begin to feel angry with it.
“Why can’t we have that treat?”
“Why can’t we enjoy the things we really love?”
And then… one day.. we snap.
Everything that’s been off limits, is now far game. If it can run, it better get outta the way. You’ve held on to your willpower for as long as you can and now it’s anything goes. You deserve to enjoy things too, right ?
And then… you’re back at square one. You might have feelings of failure, discouragement and frustration that once again, you just don’t have the willpower to control things and you’ll never get your goals.
May I offer an alternate suggestion ? One that you slowly, simply, build into your life?
Habits. You begin to build new habits, day in and day out until it’s seamlessly a part of your life and willpower doesn’t really have to do with what you eat. You begin to develop comfortable boundaries with what you eat and when.
I shared on my Facebook page this past Monday that I was ready to get back to “normal” and by that I meant I was ready for some serious exercise and lighter eating. You see, I was able to enjoy my Thanksgiving celebrations, but I’ve built habits into my life that I naturally want to return to.
For me, getting back on the road for a run and having a big colorful salad for lunch was normal for me. Over the past few years I’ve made exercise and eating well, in moderation, habits for myself. Once these things are ingrained in you, it’s not hard to return to them.
When I talk with people I try and stress the importance of building new habits to make the journey to a lifestyle change. I believe it’s ultimately, the only thing that will stick.
Understand this: habits aren’t built over night. They are built from a purposeful and intentional desire to do things differently. So many things we do in our lives are habit, good and bad.
Know you will bomb some days. You’ll feel frustrated and wonder if it will ever stick. It will. Get up and start at it again.
When I first started out walking I was so worried if I missed a single day I’d fall off the proverbial wagon. If I didn’t get my walk in the morning due to scheduling, when I got home, the first thing I did was grab my shoes and hit the road. ( this was before days where I was all super athletically haha) I wore what I had on, changed my shoes, and got it done.
You know what that was doing ? Building a habit in me that said “purposeful, daily exercise is important and necessary. You make time for it. ”
Food. In slow, daily, and steady changes I taught my body to appreciate eating healthy food. I also allowed it Peanut M&M’s if it wanted a few. When you KNOW you can have something, it really removes the power from it, because you know it’s there… if you really need it. In time, certain foods and treats honestly began to have less of a draw. I recognized how good I felt eating well, eating appropriate amounts and feeding my body in a healthy way.
Again, I had days I bombed, and days I felt like super woman. No matter what, I kept a forward moving mentality. Each day gained, got me that much closer to making those things permanent habits for me.
Not my amazing willpower. Not my superior strength of being able to say “no”.
New habits that were leading to a lifestyle change.
I’ve heard it can take 21 days for a new habit to be set in place. Depending on what it is, some things might take more or less time based on our personalities.
My suggestions if you want to build new positive, life changing habits?
Don’t try and change everything all at once. Pick one or maybe two things.
Slow and steady is best.
Do have a journal to write down your progress in the beginning to hold yourself accountable. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to ask you how you’re doing.
Focus on the day your in. Move through it making good choices. Allow yourself a measure of grace if you fall, but get up and get back at it.
No throwing in the towel!
Do not allow yourself to make excuses to not do what you’ve set out to do. You are more than capable of success.
Make a realistic goal sheet of habits you want to form.
Understand you have to practice your new habit daily to make it a um…. habit 😉
Seeking to build habits instead of having “willpower” will lead you to a new freedom and your healthier lifestyle.
What good habits do you have in place already? What habits do you need to work on and build to live a healthier lifestyle ?
Happy Monday! Did you have a good weekend? Speaking of such, I read a humorous article, ( while I was off relaxing) that is driving todays post.
It got me to thinking I’d share my experience with the whole Paleo movement. Yes, that’s what the article was on and her thoughts about it… so funny… but best read while you’re not eating or drinking 😉
But first, the weekend. I did a quick little field trip up to The Woodlands and while there decided to go check out their not so little mall. Lots to see and do… lot’s to buy if you’re in the mood. I was such a good girl and only came back with this fun little denim jacket that I can hardly wait for fall to break it out.
The bonus? it was only 12.00 on the clearance rack. Score.
Add some jeans, a tank, and Converse, and it will be perfect for my lazy rocker chick look kinda days 😉 Fashion… my other hobby 😉
This jacket…. yeah I’m fully aware it’s loaded with holes…. I love fun clothes =)
Now on with the show….
I do get asked if I know things about certain trending “diets” or food plans. I like it when I do and I can share my insights and hopefully that guides the person making that choice.
A few years ago I was invited to be a part of a local fitness challenge. I was excited ’cause for 90 days in the challenge we would do Crossfit so I’d have a new experience to add to my list. On that topic, in brief, I did enjoy it, I learned how to take things home and put my own “WOD” (work out of the day) together. I learned how to handle weights more, and a lot of them. I learned that my glutes really let me know they were there the day I back squatted over 200 lbs…several times 😉
I met some cool people, made a friend that I still have a close friendship with, oh, and I was doing this while I was also a couple months out from my third half marathon… extra calorie burn 😉
Did I continue ? No. I found it to be very pricey especially since I’m a pretty self motivated person who could go back to her routine and add what she had learned into it. I couldn’t justify the $$$.
Part of the fitness challenge that they had given us a heads up on, was in our last 30 days everyone would participate in this “whole 30/paleo” eating plan. We would weigh in and have body fat assessed and then do it at the end to check our losses.
Ok… I wasn’t crazy about what was coming… all the “Not haves” associated with it. But hey, I’m a team player, I had signed on for this, and figured I could do anything for 30 days. And as usual, I looked at it as a learning experience.
The day came, we did our weigh-ins, got our numbers and were given a list of “no” foods.
It was huge. It was daunting. I thought… “omg I’m gonna starve”
If you don’t know, major food groups are left out. No dairy products, no grains/pasta/rice/breads/bagels, no legumes, beans, peas, no sugars etc.
You do get unlimited veggies, meat, (bacon is heavily promoted?) some fruit, nuts and oils.
In my opinion, after a few days, this isn’t a lot.
I traveled with my own “natural” trail mix of raw almonds/cashews and some craisins thrown in (to ward off starvation)
I missed my Greek yogurts.
Yeah and I did mention I was also half marathon training….one day out on a 7 mile run I felt so fuzzy and light headed I wondered if I’d be able to make it home. It was later suggested to me to eat a sweet potato before I ran. I’m not sure what my daily caloric intake was, but between Crossfit, running, and greatly reduced dietary options, let’s say, it was easy to drop a few pounds.
I remember at one point walking in my pantry and thinking… ” I cannot have the majority of what’s in here” 😦
Ok so I’ll cut to the chase and give you my “pros/cons” on this food movement.
At the end of 30 days I had lost 9 lbs and dropped 2% body fat. On an already lean physique, I was definitely a well cut athlete.
I already enjoyed veggies but when they are what you can eat wheelbarrow loads of, you learn to eat them at ALL meals, and snacks (to prevent total death and starvation) This definitely carried over with me and it’s something I still do…. I eat tons of veggies and that’s not a bad thing. It taught me how to implement that into my daily nutritional plan.
I did learn, some foods, I didn’t miss. Some carb foods left me feeling bloated and I realized I felt better and it definitely kept my tummy flatter.
Abs truly are made by what and how you eat. A diet high in veggies, fruits and lean protein will help drop body fat revealing them more. When I want to really have them look more defined… I stay away from most breads/pastas etc.
I did do a new PR with my half marathon, but was that from my increased running training? Crossfit? Less body to haul down the road? A combination of all? Not sure….
The not so positive …
I don’t ever think entire food groups should be eliminated from your daily food plan unless you have health reasons to do so. It’s never cool to follow “a trend” ’cause someone tells you to do something. Women need calcium and in my opinion to toss dairy, is foolishness. Yes, you can get calcium from certain foods, but most probably won’t eat like that.
It’s all a bit cultic and has a high following…something which I couldn’t get completely comfy with.
Pricey: they encourage buying grass fed beef, butter, bacon etc. I still have a house payment so I had to make do with other fed beef and butter.
What defines Paleo is as broad and changing as the sunset at night. Some think one thing, others another. What’s the reality ?
Baking… I attempted Paleo “baking”. Sorry, nothing compares to a real cookie made with flour, sugar and other tasty ingredients. I grew up on total made from scratch baked goods so this was a super hard sell for me. My take? If I make real cookies and have a couple, I will really be ok. Even with Paleo “cookies” anything eaten in excess has calories and will contribute to weigh gain.
It puts you into this rigid diet category which, as you know, I’m not down for.
I didn’t understand the “eat in the Paleo way” then go have a day of “back to old eating” for fun…like why ? if the new way is awesome, why go back to pizza and beer ?
I do have concerns with the “eat lots of butter and bacon” thing that’s promoted.
Overall, what I took away was, I can handle a lot of weight(lifting) and I know what to do with it. I can do without some foods and its ok, especially if I feel better. An over load of veggies has tons of good benefits so that’s a big win. Maintaining a diet that is high in fruits, veggies, lean protein and healthy carbs is a good way for me to cut body fat, stay lean and feel good and energetic. Some sugar in moderation won’t send me off the edge. Coffee should never have butter in it.
So to each their own. I know there are huge supporters of the movement. I tried it, made my own educated decision on it, and have found a happy medium.
That’s what it’s about friends, right? A happy place we can sustain, be healthy, not starve, and live our lives to the fullest.
So tell me… have you ever tried out or participated in the Paleo movement ? What are your thoughts ?
So as life goes, and as I mentioned to you in yesterdays post on Motivation, I get inspiration and ideas from you, my 1.5 readers, and as mentioned, I love the fact that through my journey I’m able to motivate and hopefully inspire others to make lifestyle changes.
Yesterday, it presented me with a perfect opportunity for a new post.
But first, this disclaimer on how this inspiration occurred.
I’m gonna have to reveal I was in a store, in pursuit of a dress, I had seen the day before and I was back after it.
Like a hunter pursuing it’s prey.
You see when I’m not in full blown athletic mode, I delight in being totally feminine and have a weakness for cute dresses 😉
How cute and summer fun is this ?? I don’t usually care for orange…but it’s the right…orange… and plays up my tan. Not to mention the style is a homerun in my opinion =)
Hubby will now know I have a new dress 😉 Oh well…. I’m confident he will like it too haha 😉
Now….on with the show…..
After I had apprehended the dress and was ready to legally wed it, I wandered to the counter to make the transaction that would make us a permanent couple. The sales lady was one who has waited on me often and she is around my age.
She has often asked me what I “do” to look like I look. I’ve freely shared with her… and when I led a fitness challenge last Fall with 4 people she kept up with my stories I wrote in a little local magazine that tracked everyone’s progress.
I haven’t honestly seen her in awhile… till today… and I noticed she was remarkably thinner.
Of course I commented and told her I hadn’t seen her in awhile and noticed that she had really lost some weight.
She told me…. “when I talked to you during the time you were leading that fitness challenge it made me really think about things. I saw everything you had been doing and what you were doing with those people and I decided one morning that today was the day. I was going to do it!”
I commended her and said she looked good… and she responded “well I’ve lost more than…. a little weight… I’ve lost 42 pounds in 15 weeks.”
Ok… so at that point…. I kinda paused a bit……
That’s a good bit of weight to drop in such a short time…
One red flag showed up in my lil head.
She proceeded to tell me her doctor ( one locally in town) had this “diet” through her spa clinic and she had decided to follow that .
I listened as she rattled off things like no fruits, only certain veggies, “high” protein (8 oz. meat a day) using “their” products, no natural or refined sugars, ( limited artificial sweeteners??) no breads, no carbs etc…
( red flag 2 is going up in my head)
Till I finally blurted out…. “What do you eat??”
She pulls a small bag of chopped cucumber out of her drawer.
“well, I snack on things like this” (like….there are almost zero calories in that)
Ok I’m all for veggie snacks…. but I wanna eat whatever the heck kind of veggies I want….not only certain ones.
She tells me she has “their” oatmeal for breakfast, one of their protein bars for lunch (eek that’s it ??) and some chicken and veggies for dinner… “and then there’s some supplements…..those….help. It’s amazing how little food you need.” ( I feel my breathing getting shallow….)
Now…. that third red flag is up.
Hey, I get that. I’ve learned it doesn’t take tons of food to deal with your hunger and satisfy your bodies needs. But then there is a point where you’ve crossed that line of not enough food.
Then she deals the final blow……
“Well, they really discourage exercise for awhile”
I am pretty sure at this point……. my eyes…..were bugging…..out. In fact, I know they were.
All the bells and whistles were now going off in me. I wondered how many more warning flags were gonna fly before my head exploded. I was kinda chewing on my tongue at this point….
I guess I was looking a bit blankly at her and she said….. almost whispering…. “well, the calories are so low, they want you to conserve your energy”
Seriously. The times I deserve an Oscar. Or an Emmy .Or some kinda statue for keeping control of my face… or the things that threaten to fly outta my mouth.
I hear myself ask…. “How many calories a day are you eating?”
To which she responds…… “I was afraid to count them in the beginning…. I’m not sure it was even 1,000.”
WHAT? WHAT?
I felt my head getting light just imagining it…. I said…. ” How did you manage to work? or do anything?”
She admitted in the beginning it was difficult… I cannot even imagine.
I couldn’t help it…. I told her to be careful dipping her calories that low it didn’t mess with her metabolism.
She looked kinda blankly at me…. maybe it was the lack of carbs to supply energy to her brain…. and I knew she didn’t get it.
She said she wanted to get to exercising but that she hadn’t had the energy to do so.
I bet…..
With calories that low I’m surprised she could work and think all day long. Actually she probably couldn’t. Your brain can get very foggy with a serious lack of carbs.
She did look good. She probably doesn’t need to lose anymore weight. I hope when she comes off their “program” she keeps it off.
Can I say this ?
First, I’m surprised a doctor would honestly put someone on such a restricted, low calorie diet. This lady was not horribly over weight, or into the “obese” range where they sometimes do drastic things for quick loss. I think of this as hocus pocus weight loss… now you see it… now you don’t.
Please hear me that I’m not shooting down her efforts. I applaud her for wanting to make changes. But if you’ve learned anything about me at this point it’s how much I hate this stuff.
Things that cost people money…a lot of it. Losing weight shouldn’t cost you a lot of money. Go buy honest food.
She also paid for the privilege to starve and buy their “supplements” and “food”.
I do hope when she’s off the program she will be able to keep her weight off eating normally again. This is the BIGGEST problem with these types of “diets”. Once you start adding real food back in, your body responds accordingly, especially when it’s been deprived.
This ( to me) falls into the category of those weight loss hype things. You pay big money, for their stuff, and yeah she lost weight, but she could’ve done it safer, and been more comfortable doing it ( not starving and dealing with all the consequences that come with drastic food deprivation) even if it took her a little longer to reach that goal.
Along with this program, they’ve not taught her about sane nutrition or allowing exercise to be a part of her fitness regime. I’m assuming as she is allowed more calories, she will have the energy to exercise.
Please….please tell me… I’m not the only one horrified that you aren’t taking enough food in during your day that you can’t even workout???
Hocus Pocus weight loss programs abound right now in this country. Most are simply after your money. Lots are sold by your next door neighbor….who knows nothing of nutrition or weight loss….or what’s in the products she/he is selling you. In this case, a doctors office offered up this great program….yikes.
Anyway, I’ll save my rant on Multi Level Marketing trends for another post.
Weight loss….slow….steady…sane….eat real food….toss in some physical activity… the only way to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
Have you ever participated in a rapid weight loss program? What were your results? Did they last ?
So I’m gonna tackle a topic that might be a lil off my usual stuff, but one that is definitely in national attention as well as making local news stories too. It’s something I believe seriously needs addressed.
I promise to resume my normal athletic(y) antics soon 😉
Childhood obesity.
It affects 30% of children making it the most chronic disease of childhood. This number has tripled since 1980.
Childhood obesity is a health issue.
More children today are diagnosed with diabetes, hyper tension and other co-morbid conditions associated with obesity and morbid obesity.
Obesity is defined as more than 20% above the ideal weight for a particular height and age.
The physical complications can be great for over weight children. Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma, sleep disorder, non-alcoholic liver disease, and early puberty or menstruation.
Besides the over arching problem of physical effects on these children, the social and emotional complications are huge. These children can often suffer from low self-esteem, bullying behavior, learning problems and depression.
The risk factors know no economic boundaries. Poor diet, lack of exercise, family factors, and socioeconomic all can contribute to children being overweight.
I’m gonna play the bad guy for a second and break up this word.
Child…. the first part of childhood. Meaning they are the children who are dependent upon the adult to provide food, provide boundaries and provide guidance.
Parents are the ones who shop for food and provide for their child. Good nutrition is so important, but often, parents feel they need to provide empty calorie snacks and drinks for their child. I’ve also watched in my world at times where the children have been allowed to eat unchecked with no reminder “you’ve had enough” or maybe ” 2 cookies is plenty” .
It’s really ok for parents to say “no” to kids when they’ve had enough. To teach proper portions. The “no” word isn’t just ok for some things, it’s ok when it comes to teaching children balance and moderation on food too.
Children will eat what we bring into the home. If they don’t have junk food to graze on, they won’t eat it. Oh I’m not the totally evil mom, I do have cookies and treats, but when my kids were in school they were the weird ones who had water bottles in their lunch instead of “juice” boxes which are often no more than glorified high fructose flavored drinks.
Although my 23 yr old wandered in one day and proclaimed “when you stated getting all healthy the good stuff went away!” ha that’s not entirely true as I still make a mean batches of cookies 😉 but I really keep the snack foods to a minimum.
As I’ve shared in previous posts, I grew up in a family with many family members being over weight. We were taught to clean our plates. I never made my kids do that, allowing them to eat till they were satisfied. My Mom flipped the first time I let my son leave the table with food still on his plate
I allowed them to learn and listen to their bodies natural signals. Alongside treats they learned about eating good foods too.
We teach our children so many things in life, shouldn’t eating well should be at the top of the list of what we teach them?
How do you help if you have an over weight child?
→ Improve daily diet making small gradual changes.
→ Offer water instead of sugary drinks.
→ Encourage exercise and outdoor activities. Let your child brainstorm fun ways to exercise.
→ Focus on the entire family eating healthy and exercising.
→ Teach balance and moderation in eating. If your child is old enough, encourage them to read the labels, looking at serving size, and measuring it out to help them understand what that serving looks like.
→Offer rewards and treats that aren’t food related.
→ Allow them to have input on the types of healthy snacks and foods they want to try.
Encourage their efforts and keep the focus off numbers with the goal of being healthy and fit =)
They abound everywhere, do they not ? There are the ones that seem to have been around forever, there are the ones that are major “companies” where you get support systems and eat their food, let’s not forget the current trendy ones all over internet, or ones that your neighbor is hawking.
All of them structured plans with the ultimate goal, to get you thinner, and more fat free.
In my past life when I participated in the diet games I’d find whatever might look promising in a magazine and give it a try…..for a week…or two… if I could grind it out that long.
You know what I finally realized ? I really HATED being told what I had to eat, when, and how much I could have. I HATED the idea that foods I loved were “off limit”. And I really HATED the whole feeling of deprivation and lack of fun that went along with it.
Why did something that was supposed to help me feel so…. life sucking ? Confining? Annoying?
I finally got it. I think it’s important to really understand yourself, how you roll, what makes you tick. Sometimes it might take awhile, but you get it.
I’m a total free spirit and a self confessed often rebel at heart…. no wonder conventional structured “diets” worked against everything in me.
I rebelled against being boxed into someone else’s food plan and ways of eating. I didn’t want to be nailed down to “a plan”.
When I decided to take control of my life and not be locked into a structured system of eating, here’s what I realized.
Taking away things I loved, or even things I randomly ate if I felt like it, made them way more powerful in my life than they needed to be ’cause it made me think of it more than I needed to… like “I can’t have these things…therefore…I want them”
Seriously, who wants to spend their mental energy thinking of food ?
That’s when I took my power back. That’s when I realized I really was a grown up and declared nothing “off limit”. If I wanted a piece of chocolate, I’d eat it and move on. I trusted myself that I really wouldn’t eat a whole bag if I wanted a piece ( disclaimer… I never ate a whole bag of anything 😉 haha
I remember about a month in to my experiment. The fam wanted to go out for a burger. My previous “diet girl” mode would’ve been to scope out a salad, eat it, and feel deprived and left out. No… I got my burger…and fries… and enjoyed myself… and kept rolling with my plan. I got up the next morning, business as usual. No beating myself up or over crazy workouts to “compensate” for it (as if).
A couple months went by and I was losing weight AND happy at the same time ( what a concept) overall I was making good food choices, eating normally, and allowing occasional treats …. those are the things that allow you to still feel normal while your in the process of becoming more fat free 😉
Then, along the way, I came across this verse from a man named Paul, who was an apostle I the Bible.
It said “All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial”
That really resonated with me and my current thoughts on eating and losing weight. All food was permissible, it just wasn’t all beneficial for me to reach my health and fitness goals.
It’s still a reminder to me. I don’t like labeling foods “good” or “bad”.
However…… I choose to examine it in the context of is it beneficial for me? For my overall health? for my fitness goals? for how I feel ?
I’m not sure where you are on your fitness and health journey. Maybe your doing just fine or may these words might be helpful to you in your process to lose weight.
All (foods) are permissible, but not all (foods) are beneficial. (mine)
I have two special friends, male and female, who have been extremely successful in their quest to lose weight and get into living a healthy lifestyle. Like myself, they have done it the plain old fashioned way of taking it slow and steady, losing weight and allowing their minds to be transformed along with their shrinking bodies. They have had good days and bad on their journeys to get where they are now. Nothing happened over night, but it did happen.
Now a much, much slimmer version of their former selves they have learned skills along their journey to stay successful. Eating better, eating less, building in their favorite “treats”, exercise and a positive attitude. These things all contribute to permanent success.
As things go in life, all of our paths have intersected and I now have enjoyable relationships with each of these people.
I found it interesting that in totally separate conversations, they voiced to me what I’ve often pondered myself on this journey.
“Why do some people get started and quit? Why do some start, re-start and start again and then something happens and it “takes”?”
All three of us have used the illustration of crossing over the bridge. Funny, because we each had this same thought and shared it within our conversations.
Maybe, perhaps, because we get it.
I think most people would agree, it’s fairly easy to put weight on, but requires a lot more from us to remove it.
Discipline to say “no” to things we want to eat. Discipline to pass on seconds, or foods we know won’t best support our health and wellness goals. Sacrifice to make room in our schedules for exercise or to get up earlier. Dedication to a new way of living that at first feels unfamiliar, foreign, and down right uncomfortable. Willingness to finally get real with who we are, where we are and how we got there. Not to mention a certain amount of tenaciousness to hold onto wanting to be successful like a bulldog with a favorite toy.
You see that ? All those things, they start in your head.
Discipline.
Sacrifice.
Dedication.
Willingness.
We tend to think of weight loss as just a body thing….” I’ll just stop eating to much and lose weight and it will all be fine” without realizing the huge part our minds play in the process of truly becoming successful.
Why do you think people who are going to undergo major weight loss surgeries are encouraged to go to counseling classes to help them process not just weight loss but what will be required of them from a nutritional stand point? Sadly, so many of these will go back to gaining all that weight again because even though their bodies are changing, their minds haven’t made a connection to a new way of living, they are still thinking about all the food that got them to that point in the first place and wanting to eat in the same ways.
Like many others, they will not have “crossed over the bridge”.
It’s that place where it all connects together and you understand exactly what has to be done, that it will be a process, and you simply settle in for the journey. You take a single day at a time. You strive to make the best choices (nutritionally) you can. You stop viewing eating good foods as a form of punishment. Exercise becomes just as valuable as brushing your teeth each day. You allow your body to slowly and steadily go through the losing part just like it did the gaining part. You get that there will be days that will bomb and you dust off and keep going.
You love yourself on the journey.
The journey, that crosses you over the bridge into freedom and into a new way of living.
A permanent lifestyle change. Welcome to the other side.
That’s all that can often consume our minds when we’ve got some weight to lose, isn’t it ? Which one to do ? Which might offer the biggest bang for our time and investment of energies and most of all yield the biggest rewards?
As you read in part two of my series, sometimes the idea of starting a diet was a better idea than well, actually DOING the diet. And the best part was when I painfully struggled to the end and cried “Uncle” when I finished… or when the diet finished me…. whichever came first.
Losing weight isn’t easy. It requires work and sacrifice and determination to make it happen.
Often though we go about it by trying to fit into a plan that isn’t made or designed for us. We try to adapt and follow a set of rules someone else has made with food choices they have selected and we try and be good and make it work…. we do. Some of us might be successful, but for the most, it’s a reverting back to our old ways of what we know, and what we eat.
What if perhaps, there was something that was more made for us as … gasp… individuals ? Something that took in to account our unique likes and food preferences ? Could we, maybe then, have success ?
When I started on my health and fitness journey, there was one thing I determined early on. I was not going to make any food “off limits”. I understood that I was an adult and quiet capable of controlling myself and not splurging on the whole carton of ice cream. Somehow doing that took the power out of those foods. Knowing they were still there IF I wanted them seemed to put them in a proper place. No one was taking anything away from me. I could completely have that chocolate shake….. if I wanted it.
Now I was in control. Those foods were there but I didn’t have to eat them.
Imagine my delight years later finding out that even high level fitness trainers didn’t restrict themselves from occasional treats. If I had a moment I wanted something, I allowed myself a little, and moved on. Doing that didn’t cause binging or make me feel deprived or majorly crater my day…. and I moved along like that every single day.
Along the way I’ve learned that my body has specific caloric needs to sustain life AND specific needs for my athletic life. Every single day can be different depending on what I’m doing.
You, my faithful reader, are no different. If you’ve done your homework from the past two parts of my series, you’ve assessed the WHY of wanting to lose weight, and you were also to consider your daily life and activities as well as foods you enjoy eating. You will have set out some short and long term goals for your journey.
Because now you’ll need to figure the calories YOU personally need on a daily basis to do the things you’ve listed.
How? You might ask ? We’re gonna use a calculator to help determine your needs for daily living and any purposeful exercise. Be honest with yourself. If you don’t do any physical activity (yet) don’t plug in that you are moderately active. I’ve found the link below very helpful for figuring my daily caloric needs
Calculating your caloric requirement will then allow you to build your own nutrition plan based on your daily needs.
To lose weight, take your total daily number and reduce by 20%.
Keeping a food log for a few weeks will help you assess where your strengths and weaknesses are. What nutritional dense foods do you eat ? What is more empty calories? What do you need to let go of ? Where can you make improvements ?
I think it’s also important to think about that “thing” or two that you absolutely love and build a small portion of that into your weekly plan. If you don’t want it, fine. But if you have a craving, allow yourself and move on.
With practice you will begin to figure out what foods you can eat and stay within your daily calorie intake. Don’t get all crazy and think you have to keep it an exact science.
The goal is to build a sustainable plan you can keep at day in and day out and steadily, consistently lose weight. Enjoy foods you like while making intentional changes to remove or reduce foods that are not as nutritionally beneficial.
In time you will train your body to want healthier foods making it easier to maintain your new lifestyle =)
Hey! welcome back to the next part of my little series =) I thought this would work better than writing a novel you’d be reading for days…. if you missed part 1…. scamper over and check it out first.
I wanna set the stage here for you… since we’re talking about diets…. maybe you’ll relate. This was my strategy for success years ago.
* determine I was tired of being fat (yes, I’m using that word)
* decide that, “Monday was gonna be it…time to start”
* proceed to eat all random, crappy, junk type food I could shovel in to “get rid of it” over the weekend ( because all that food would never, ever be available to me again. Ever.
* decide which seriously calorie deficient diet I was gonna do, and there were LOTS to choose from.
* start on Monday with lofty expectations of being slimmer by the next weekend. Engage some furious exercise. Think of all the foods I was gonna miss.
* Tuesday… hunger is my new best friend. Food is always on my mind and I have fantasies about my next meal more than a teenage girl does Justin Bieber. Get on scale and check for weight loss. Get mad when it hasn’t changed.
*Wednesday hop onto scale… first thing early… naked… carefully balancing and holding my breath. Yay… a pound or two gone. It’s gonna be a good day. I can do this. When do we eat again ?? Weigh again later in day hoping for more good news…think about when it’s over…
* Thursday no new change in the weight. I’m getting kinda sick of a piece of fruit, an egg and water for breakfast and similar things rest of day. Hunger sticks closer than a bee on honey. I think about…cake… and cheeseburgers… and all things fat.
*Friday almost have a week down. I’m getting used to the light headedness from not enough food… besides the scale told me another pound was gone… I can handle being hungry…. I’ve been thinking about “when this is over” and getting back to normal.
* Saturday… I’ve been good! I deserve a treat, or two, or three… right ?? And the whole day turns into a happy eating feast of all things that have been banished in the past week. OMG… it all tastes sooo good.
*Sunday… I’m not realllyyyy needing to lose weight, am I? I mean, I never will be able to anyway…so… I might as well just do what I’ve been doing…. maybe I’m supposed to just be like this. I just don’t have the will power or strength to be successful.
* Monday…. resume my old ways. Resolve to try again another day.
Do you relate ? Have you done things like this ? You can tell me in the comments section.
I’ve since learned a lot. There were several flaws with my plan for weight loss.
→ Not understanding my needs or exactly how many calories my body required to just be alive on a daily basis. At the time 1200 calories was standard diet fare ( sadly it still is today) If you were living large, 1500. Imagine my shock when not to long ago I learned that my daily BMR (basal metabolic rate which we’ll talk about later) was actually 1500 calories. This is if I were to sit on sofa doing nothing and to support the normal functioning of my body. No wonder I was hungry all the time! There were no extra calories for my daily living or exercise built in.
→ Removing, depriving and taking away everything I perceived as “bad” Giving power to foods and not keeping them in a proper perspective. We are living life and have to allow for it even as we pursue our weight loss goals. Occasional treats keep us on target and cut off binging. Putting foods on a banished list only made me think of them more.
→ Not treating my body with respect by giving it adequate food for health and living. Being hungry is a God given signal to feed our body.
→ Not having realistic goals for myself. I would not reach a slim status in one week. That set me up for failure…. as if not enough food wouldn’t.
→ Not setting long term, permanent, life goals instead of just weeks out goals.
→ Trying to fit my body into that standard diet and not knowing my own needs.
When you and I began to grasp and understand that we should be focused on all of our lives and not just a few weeks or months, we’ve made huge progress. Eating well and movement are, or should be, what we do all our life.
Now, remember your homework you had from last post ? You were supposed to set a goal and determine what your weight loss fitness goals are
Now along side that I want you to consider what your needs are. Could you relate on any level to my story above ? What mental changes do you need to make for success ?
Finally, think about your life. Your work , activities, hobbies, exercise etc. and consider what kinds of food will give you energy and help you on your weight loss journey.
In our next post we will look at how to figure how many calories you personally need to reach your goals and most importantly how to make it your plan for success.
sassyfitnesschick 