Just skip this blog... unless you really do want a change!!!!!
This summer, from the end of the school year in June, 2011, to today, September, 2011, I have lost 13lbs. I must preface this by saying, prior to this I watched what I ate, most of you know I have been a regular exerciser, and I do feel like I was making healthy choices, BUT I had been stuck at my weight for several years with no progress what-so-ever!! Hummm, have any of you ever felt this way?? One of my secret goals has been to get a body that could do bikini or fitness competitions. Not those beefed up girls that look like men with frog legs ~ bikini good ~ ya know what I mean? But at my age (and total lack of progress) I never dreamed it could really be possible (no I don't look that good... yet!). Yet, suddenly, viola ~ progress! What changed? My willingness to listen to those who have done it~!!!! A good friend of mine who is a couple of years younger than me (40 something) had recently participated in a, yes, bikini competition. She is one inch shorter than I and weighed pretty close to my "stuck" weight when she started to train. And there she was participating in a bikini competition, and yes, she rocked it! I couldn't imagine how she'd done it, so of course, me being me, I started asking her all kinds of questions!! Not too long after that, I was added to a private fitness group on Facebook started by this friend of mine. Well, this group consists of women of all ages, sizes, fitness levels, knowledge levels and they were and are willing to share, encourage, console, and cheer each other on in the journey to becoming healthier and fitter. Not everyone has the secret wish to be competition ready, and that is fine. We all have our own goals which, of course, should begin with being as healthy and strong as we can be for ourselves first, then our families next, and maybe even a fitness competition ~ ha ha!
So as I began to participate in this group, I would take in the amazing, FREE, information and advice so graciously shared with me. And of course, me being me, I still did not want to change certain (a lot) of things that were suggested to me... I guess I'm really hard headed, and actually, looking back now it's really laugh out loud-able how hard headed I was (and probably still am). The truth is you are not going to lose weight UNLESS YOU CHANGE YOUR EATING HABITS ~~ As I mentioned, I was pretty active, running, working out, etc., but the eating is KEY. You must clean up your diet. We call it "eating clean", and at first you think it's impossible to live without this or without that, but it IS possible, and you will feel 100% better than you do now, and you will lose those extra pounds that have crept up over the years! The old adage (or maybe it's new) is "abs are made in the kitchen!" And it absolutely could not be any more true! So, with a balk here and a whine there to the suggestions given by the ladies, I slowly started to change the way I ate. They were so patient with me....! You know what? I started to see results which in an of itself was a complete miracle. I had not budged below a certain number, my super skinny number (hee hee, we all have one of those, right?) in years!! Then one day I got even lower, and on and on until at the end of summer I'd lost 13 lbs, and Mark said to me, "you looked really good in your bikini today." I almost fell over! This can happen to you too, gals. It is possible, you really are not stuck ~ I promise!
First things first... some things I've learned and implemented. NO processed crap. It's not food, it's crap with NO nutritional value at all. All of the processed crap you eat will leave you unsatisfied, and therefore hungrier, and thus in a vicious circle of not getting proper nutrition and eating more. Get rid of white. I've said this before, but it is so true, most white food is processed. Yes, this includes sugar too!! You are going to want to switch to brown rice, oats, sweet potatoes, yams, green leafy veggies, chicken, fish... think protein! Oops, I'm getting ahead of myself, sorry. So no processed "fake" food, period!
Next thing, up your water intake. Try to get in (I can feel it, some of you are going to balk here) at least 100 ounces of water a day, and if you can do a gallon, then for sure do it!! Oh, I can hear you now ~ excuses as to why you can't do that. You're actually saying out loud "that isn't healthy!" You're reasoning that you have tea so that counts. Thinking, I hate having to go potty all the time ~ no excuses ~ 100 ounces to 1 gallon ladies. You will be absolutely amazed at the difference this will make in your energy, how full you feel, your skin, and more importantly how hydrated your muscles are. This is important because if you are dehydrated your body will pull water from your muscles first in order to protect your vital organs. This is bad because our muscles are what burns our fat. If your muscles cannot burn fat properly because you haven't been drinking enough water, then your metabolism gets slower. Slow metabolism is no bueno. So drink up! Start this right now, and think good thoughts about me every time you take a potty break ~ lol.
Next, log your food!! This is another must do. This has the potential to really making a difference in accomplishing your weight loss/fitness goals. How can you make the necessary changes unless you know what you're consuming???? My favorite tool for this is http://www.fitday.com/. Once you start logging, it becomes quicker and easier because you can just click on recent foods and also add your own custom foods. What I find works best for me, and I highly recommend this habit, is to log what you plan to eat for the day at the beginning of the day. This sets you up mentally for not getting off track, it ensures that you have planned your meals for the day, and you don't have to have a computer with you or try to remember what you ate for that extra snack you didn't plan for.
More changes ~~ (yikes). You must eat enough calories, you must eat often, and you need to focus on the amount of protein consumed daily. Let's start with eating enough calories. Many of us tend to go for a very low cal diet for obvious reasons. This is not good. If you are not giving your body enough calories (fuel), then it will not let that fat go. This can be a scary thing; needing and wanting to lose weight, eat more? Yes. If you are one of those ladies on a very calorie restrictive diet, please up your calories to at least 1700 calories a day. Yes really, 1700. You will know what you're calorie intake is because you're going to be logging your food, and http://www.fitday.com/ will track those calories for you! I can tell you that myself and several of the ladies in the fitness group have jumped up in calories and seen good results because of it ~ it works. If you are on the opposite end of this problem, and you over eat, fitday will let you know that too. A calorie range of 1600-1800 daily is a good healthy amount. Please try to cut down to that range. The next tip is to eat often. For many years I've had people tell me to eat 5 or 6 small meals instead of 3 regular ones. Well, I don't like to cook, and I've been lazy in the past about planning (very lazy). This is where "you just have to change" comes in. Once you get in the habit of preparing for the next day (and not just winging it), you will start to see results. My daily meals go something like this: A hardy protein smoothie (by hardy I mean I throw in a big scoop of protein powder .5 frozen banana, .25 cup milk, I use goat's milk or almond milk sometimes, ground flax, and sometimes natural peanut butter or honey). This is around 7am while getting ready for work (and after I've exercised). I also have my coffee with my shake. If you prefer you can cook your breakfast, but I find this is what works best for me. The key to this meal??? PROTEIN. Get your protein in with each meal starting with breakfast!!!! Oh and duh, you do have to eat breakfast. Don't load up on just carbohydrates. If you like cereal or oatmeal or fresh fruit (please don't tell me you're eating sugary cereal), add a couple of eggs. Toast? Have hard boiled eggs with it, and make sure it's a good hardy healthy bread with no added sugars or enriched flour in it ~ definitely no white bread or white bagels. Yogurt is good too, but check the sugar!! Greek yogurt is higher in protein, but watch the sugar, please. Next I eat one of my 2 "lunches" that I've pack the night before, and this is somewhere between 10 and 11am depending on my schedule that day. This 1st lunch is often .25 cup brown rice with 4 ounces of chicken or fish and veggies, or it may be a couple of meatloaf muffins (turkey), or if I am really really in a pinch it may just be a protein bar, or a couple hard boiled eggs with 3 ounces of yams or sweet potato. The point is, it is something high in protein (about 25 - 30 grams of protein per meal). The second lunch is the similar, contains 25 - 30 grams of protein, and that is around 12:30 or 1pm. Keep in mind, it's one small starch (brown rice not to exceed .5 cup per day, sweet potato not to exceed 3 ounces, etc., with those meals). When I leave school, somewhere between 3 or 4pm I have a scoop of protein powder that I've packed in a shaker cup with just water. I chug that down and I've just taken in about 26 grams of protein and only about 130 calories. Do you see a pattern here (protein, protein, protein)? You can also eat a small snack as well ~ I just find the scoop of protein to be easy and convenient. For dinner, once again, I have a lean protein, chicken, fish, bison, turkey meatloaf, lean beef as a treat once in a while, or a salad with grilled chicken and lemon juice with olive oil and a teeny pinch of dressing for the salad... but with this meal, only veggies with it ~ no starches at dinner. Have as many veggies as you like throughout the day. If I am still hungry, I love a protein shake made with just water/ice at bedtime, or egg whites are good too at bedtime. I know it seems odd to eat at bedtime, but if you're hungry your body needs the fuel. So protein is very good to go to bed on. You'll sleep like a baby! So, in the example of my daily meals above, you may have noticed I eat a lot of protein. This is the next thing you need to start doing. Eat at least 120 grams of protein daily. 120-150 is a good range to be in on a daily basis. Protein helps to build muscles. Protein keeps you full longer. Protein helps in keeping your blood sugars level. When logging your food (again in fitday), it will track the protein grams you've consumed for the day, and it will also have a pie chart to see the quantities of protein, carbs, alcohol, and fat. My goal for my pie is 40% protein (120-150 grams), and the fat and carbs in the 30% range. Sometimes my fat intake is higher than my carbs... that is okay as long as you are using healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados, flax, nuts, etc. Good healthy fats are good for you and really do help in losing weight. However, be careful because even though we must eat healthy fats, they are very caloric, so log them and stay within your calorie range. I'm no cook, but I'm a fan of easy healthy recipes (emphasis on EASY). Check out this website for some high protein, healthy meals and snacks, http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/get-lean-eat-clean-with-jamie-eason-main-page.htm. I posted a link below as well (WHfoods.com), and there are great recipes on that site, and you may also just google "recipes for clean eating" or something along those lines for more information.
A very helpful tool (and yes I whined and complained about doing this too) is to measure and weigh your food. That way you can log accurately so you can tweak and adjust your eating to have success. I bought a cheap scale at Savemart, and of course, we all have measuring cups and spoons. Just do it ladies, it works.
Here we go and oh dear, this is a hard one for some of us ~ NO alcohol. Totally empty calories and sugar from alcohol is not good for your body. I know, many of you are saying (I've said it too), a glass of wine is good for my heart! Maybe so, but it isn't good for your belly fat or your fanny. If you want success, cut the alcohol. This doesn't mean never have another drink. It means cut the alcohol until you've reached your goal, then you may have an occasional drink.
Now, doing all of this tomorrow would be fantastic, but I imagine your head is spinning and you may be having a minor meltdown. As I heard, learned and re-learned a lot of this information, little by little I bought in totally and just did it. For today, start increasing your water consumption (100 ounces minimum). Also, set up your fitday account. It's free. Then sit down and really think about how you can start to implement all of this information. What really turned things around for me was an 8 week challenge that began July 15, and went to September 9. It was a challenge where we all set our own personal goals, and encouraged one another along the journey. This is when I really got serious, and the last 4 weeks of the challenge I was very very diligent. The progress was amazing. For the entire 8 weeks, I did not have ONE cheat day, not ONE cheat meal, not one beer or glass of wine... So on the topic of cheating, if you totally deprive yourself, you will set yourself up for failure. As you consider how you'd like to go forward with this advice, think about what you'd like to do considering "cheating." Many ladies have a weekly cheat meal. Did you hear that? A cheat meal ~ not a cheat day!! Too many cheat meals are not cheats, they are bad eating habits!! I have had bites of dessert, or a little tiny something. If you cannot handle that right now, then stay away from what triggers your poor eating choices. Did you read that? AVOID what triggers your poor eating choices. I would think you should stay clear of your weaknesses until you no longer crave them because your tastes and body will start to crave the new clean food you are eating. If you must, allow one cheat meal a week, yes, that's one meal a week. See, along with the benefit of losing weight and getting fit, eating clean actually makes you FEEL better. No more tummy aches, bloating, that uncomfortable feeling after you've eating something bad for you, or worse yet, jeans that keep getting tighter and tighter as the day or evening progresses. Just wait, you'll see. It is true. You are going to feel great and energized. So that covers a lot in regards to food. I'd like to give you one of my favorite websites to go to for fantastic food choices ~ www.whfoods.com. Look on the left hand column and click on "how to select over 100 WHfoods." This site has a ton of great tips and healthy recipes too. Start to use as many of these foods as you can, make sure you're getting in your 120-150 grams of protein a day, drink lots (100 ounces at least) of water every day, stay within a 1600-1800 calorie range by logging your food, and you will be on the right track for great success.
I know you know you must be exercising. Ladies, get out of bed an hour earlier if you "think" you don't have time (oh wow, I can really really hear you now!). I know ~ I'm not a morning person either!!! But if you want a change.... You have many options. Walk or jog ~ it's free. Find a nice hill in your neighborhood, and walk up it a couple few times! All you need is time (get out of that bed). Join, or start going to the gym you've been paying for for the past 3 years. Here's an excuse, "I get bored" or "I don't know what to do once I'm there." Okay, here's the answer ~ This link http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-1.html will help the very most beginner in lifting weights, or someone who's been lifting for years. This program is free, and a video of every exercise is available so you know what to do and HOW to do it when you get to the gym ~ yep, NO excuses. And ladies, you are not going to get bulky and man-like. Just watch Jamie in the link above, she is far from man-like. More muscle burns more fat!! Another option is to do videos at home. You can do push-ups ~ full blown push-ups, "girl" push-ups from your knees (I've seen boys do them too). Or even do push-ups standing up and leaning on counter tops. You can do squats or lunges for legs, and you can also do abdominals all from home. Google "work outs from home" and see what pops up.
If you eat like like my friends have taught me to eat ~ eating clean, and you start to move your body, you will find, you are NOT stuck. You will see progress. You will feel amazing. You will be strong. You will be healthy. And you will be confident. I began this blog stating that in three months I lost 13 lbs. It has taken me a few days to complete this writing, and I am down another 2 pounds. So in three and a half months, I have lost 15 lbs. Last night Mark said to me when I walked by, "Wow, your biceps are bulging!" I, of course, responded by telling him not to tease me. He then looked at me and said, "No, I'm serious. I can totally see your biceps." Then when I told him to check out my horseshoe triceps, he just laughed and said, "no horseshoe yet, babe." lol. I know this is a ton of information, and you may think it cannot be done. But I promise, if I can do it, anyone can. Eat clean and be healthy ~ I hope this has been more encouraging than overwhelming. Please feel free to contact me via Facebook or email if you have any questions. I would love to encourage you, and hopefully motivate you to better health.
Shannon
