So. Today was my 1 year 11 month monthly weigh in and measurements. And this month hasn't been the best work out wise - there was a week I couldn't move off the couch. And I haven't been staying to eating healthy too well - I skipped the Halloween candy, but did eat cookies and split some other yummy foods. SO I wasn't expecting the best results ever, but was hoping for a small minor miracle. Not to be received - I gained 2 pounds and some inches. Is it the end of the world? No. Does it mean I'm sliding backwards and going back to where I used to be? No. In the grand scheme of things, 2 pounds isn't bad. I have to remind myself this is a lifestyle change. I also have to remind myself that my weight does not define me. But it's hard for me to remember that sometimes after years of low self esteem and high self hatred. I burned myself cooking my meat for the week this morning - and all this happened before noon. Interesting way to start the weekend. So I'm feeling the need to spell out who I am in order to remember who I am. Some of it you've seen before, because I put it as a facebook status, but it's a good place for me to start.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
How group exercise classes help the weight loss journey
As I sit here unable to feel my legs after starting out my weekend right with a fast paced high calorie burning boxing boot camp class I decided that my next blog should be about how classes help with the weight loss journey. I've had a couple people tell me that they are a little scared of classes - especially the cycle classes - so here are 5 reasons and tips on how to make it through any workout class.
1. Reason to go to workout classes: plain and simple your competitive spirit comes out. As you work through the class you tend to focus on what you are doing, but a small part of you looks at the person next to you and says well if they can do this, I can definitely do this. It's easy when you are working out on your own to say, you know I think it's ok if I only do a few less pounds on these lifts, or a few less reps cause I didn't really eat too many calories today. But if you are in a group setting you tend to push yourself beyond what you think you are capable of.
2. Tip: Make friends with the teacher. When I go to a class for the first time I tend to tell the instructor it's my first time to the class and ask questions. It lets them explain the setting and structure so I get a better feel for what's to come. And a bonus is they tend to keep an eye on you and make sure you are keeping up and give you some extra encouragement (and who doesn't like that to help make it through the tough sweaty hour?).
3. Tip: Keep moving. You might not be able to keep up full force and high intensity but keep moving and do what you can. For example: in class tonight he wanted us to squat and then jump and tuck our knees up - at the end of the class when I was exhausted. So I did a low impact version of squatting and then lifting one leg up into a tuck position while balancing on the other leg. In cycle class if you don't want to cycle in the standing up position then stay seated and increase the resistance.
4. Tip: Stay at least half the class. If I can make it to the half way mark, my thinking is I made it half way I might as well stick it out and finish the class. I've walked out of a class after 15 minutes once because the teacher was so boring and I was so mad at myself. Which brings me to the next tip -
5. Tip: try different teachers. If you are a member of a big gym (like 24 hour fitness, or LA fitness) then the odds are good that they offer the same class at multiple times. For me it's about the music and the teacher. So if you aren't thrilled with the teacher, try another time and teacher. Usually they have the same structure but each person puts a different spin on it.
And speaking of spin - here's a word to the wise - when the instructor says "add a gear" or increase resistance, but your hand on the knob so that your forefinger is at noon and then turn until it is at 1, 2, or 3 depending on your level. Because some instructors tell you to add a gear 16 times in a row like they forgot how many times they told you and if you add too much you won't be able to move the peddles at all.
Hope this helps and have fun in class!
1. Reason to go to workout classes: plain and simple your competitive spirit comes out. As you work through the class you tend to focus on what you are doing, but a small part of you looks at the person next to you and says well if they can do this, I can definitely do this. It's easy when you are working out on your own to say, you know I think it's ok if I only do a few less pounds on these lifts, or a few less reps cause I didn't really eat too many calories today. But if you are in a group setting you tend to push yourself beyond what you think you are capable of.
2. Tip: Make friends with the teacher. When I go to a class for the first time I tend to tell the instructor it's my first time to the class and ask questions. It lets them explain the setting and structure so I get a better feel for what's to come. And a bonus is they tend to keep an eye on you and make sure you are keeping up and give you some extra encouragement (and who doesn't like that to help make it through the tough sweaty hour?).
3. Tip: Keep moving. You might not be able to keep up full force and high intensity but keep moving and do what you can. For example: in class tonight he wanted us to squat and then jump and tuck our knees up - at the end of the class when I was exhausted. So I did a low impact version of squatting and then lifting one leg up into a tuck position while balancing on the other leg. In cycle class if you don't want to cycle in the standing up position then stay seated and increase the resistance.
4. Tip: Stay at least half the class. If I can make it to the half way mark, my thinking is I made it half way I might as well stick it out and finish the class. I've walked out of a class after 15 minutes once because the teacher was so boring and I was so mad at myself. Which brings me to the next tip -
5. Tip: try different teachers. If you are a member of a big gym (like 24 hour fitness, or LA fitness) then the odds are good that they offer the same class at multiple times. For me it's about the music and the teacher. So if you aren't thrilled with the teacher, try another time and teacher. Usually they have the same structure but each person puts a different spin on it.
And speaking of spin - here's a word to the wise - when the instructor says "add a gear" or increase resistance, but your hand on the knob so that your forefinger is at noon and then turn until it is at 1, 2, or 3 depending on your level. Because some instructors tell you to add a gear 16 times in a row like they forgot how many times they told you and if you add too much you won't be able to move the peddles at all.
Hope this helps and have fun in class!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Weight Loss road blocks
Ok, first of all, sorry it has been so long since I've written a blog - I got a new computer and couldn't log in when I was ready to and then I got busy. But I'm back! And it seemed like a good time to post because to be perfectly and brutally honest, I have been ready to give up and go back to my old ways. I was tired of always being hungry. Tired of the gym. Tired of always being sore or worse, in severe pain. And I was sick and tired and frustrated and disgusted with myself for gaining and losing the same 20 pounds over and over again for the last 6 months. That's right for six months I haven't lost any weight. In fact I gained weight - in the past 30 days I actually jumped from 185 pounds to 203 pounds. I ate more chocolate, went to the gym less, found every excuse I could to cancel my sessions with my personal trainer....cause that was going to help right?
For the math person in me - in order to gain 20 pounds in 30 days I would have had to have eaten 70,000 calories - that's about 3800 calories a day with absolutely no exercise. I was going to the gym 5 days a week or more and while my eating wasn't the best it wasn't that bad. Or so I told myself. But since I've been trying to go back to my old healthy eating habits, I must have been doing not that great cause it's hard to go back.
Anyway, it turns out that my thyroid was bad. I have hypothyroidism caused by goiters (growths on my thyroid, or enlargement of my thyroid). Don't google it - they show the worse case scenarios and it's very scary looking. Hypothyroidism causes your metabolism to slow down next to nothing. I could have eaten absolutely nothing, exercised 8 hours a day and still gained weight. So that is a relief. Now we have my medicine dosage increased and it should help. Now I have to do my part. But I figure since I was on the verge of totally giving up and walking away from it all that others might get to that place too. So here are five tips I've come up with that will hopefully help:
1. Listen to your body and stay on your doctor to figure out what is wrong. I had seen the doctor in February and she said my thyroid level was low but probably nothing to worry about. Instead of asking her to do more tests I thought it would correct itself - by June I was gaining weight faster than I could process the thought of how to start losing again. Here are the symptoms of hypothyroid that I was having: rapid weight gain (biggie), hair loss, cold hands and feet (they would be frozen even when I was dripping sweat from working out), dry skin, depression, and constipation. Another sign that I didn't realize - I would get dizzy or vertigo randomly from time to time - where even when I was standing still I felt like I was swaying a little and the room was spinning. I thought it might be from a sinus infection or allergies but turns out it can be due to the hypothyroidism. I get tendinitis easily - where my joints such as wrists and knees get hurt more easily. Also - and guys you might want to skip the next few sentences - I hadn't had my period since December but had been regular like clock work up until then.
OK Guys you can continue reading.
2. Remind yourself that this is a lifestyle now. Diet is no longer a four letter word (even though it feels like it sometimes). Diet is now the way you eat to stay healthy. More protein, more fresh fruits and veggies, and indulgence every once in awhile because you have earned it. Gym and work out is a way of life. You workout to maintain what you've done. Change it up when you want to lose more body fat. There is no giving up and no going back - there is adjusting to accomplish what your goal is.
3. Speaking of adjusting - change up your workout routine. Now I will be the first to admit that this is the hardest part for me. I love my routines and schedules. I function well in them. Apparently, so does my body. God made our bodies to be amazing machines. They adapt quickly so that they expend the least amount of energy. So pay attention to your cardio - when it gets too easy switch machines. Now if you are like me, you want to know what "too easy" means. Basically when it takes longer to get your heart rate up then it's too easy for your body to go at that rate/resistance. So you will need to change your resistance, incline or switch to another machine all together. Try taking different classes with different instructors. This one terrifies me I will admit but I have some tips on this one - I'll blog about it next.
4. Have a goal. Have a long term goal and then make short term goals to accomplish the long term goal. Enlist the help of others to reach those goals. It doesn't have to be a personal trainer. It can be a friend or relative that has the same struggle so that when you are having one of those cravings that overwhelms you and it's all you can think of - they know what you mean. Or you don't want to go to the gym but know you have to but would rather be anywhere else, they can motivate you to go kick some cardio booty. Or even join you in a class. Don't underestimate the power of a gym buddy or the competitive spirit.
5. Recognize a plateau vs injury vs burn out. Plateaus are where it's getting harder to lose the weight. It means it's time to change it up - change your workout routine. Change your eating. If you are eating 3 times a day try eating 6 small meals instead. If you are eating mostly carbs try eating more protein. For injuries vs being sore. This one is hard because I tend to push myself beyond sore into injury. Here's a rule of thumb: if you feel your muscle/tendon/ whatever is sore when you work out but it tends to go away as you work out, it's just sore. If it goes from feeling it as you workout to pain. Stop. Take a few days off and go back. If the pain continues, go to the doctor. I tend to wait until I can't stand it anymore which is why I've had to take weeks off from the gym and that is like starting over. Burn out is where you are just tired of working out. You don't want to go and when you do go you don't want to be there. That means it's time for a break. It's time to stay out of the gym for a few days or a week. I hate the feeling of just going through the motions - to me, that's almost as bad as not going at all. Most of the time even though I don't want to go, once I get there I'm fine - I have fun on cardio and then I love working out. So burn out is something to keep in mind but not an excuse.
Hope these helped in some small way. Happy Saturday!
For the math person in me - in order to gain 20 pounds in 30 days I would have had to have eaten 70,000 calories - that's about 3800 calories a day with absolutely no exercise. I was going to the gym 5 days a week or more and while my eating wasn't the best it wasn't that bad. Or so I told myself. But since I've been trying to go back to my old healthy eating habits, I must have been doing not that great cause it's hard to go back.
Anyway, it turns out that my thyroid was bad. I have hypothyroidism caused by goiters (growths on my thyroid, or enlargement of my thyroid). Don't google it - they show the worse case scenarios and it's very scary looking. Hypothyroidism causes your metabolism to slow down next to nothing. I could have eaten absolutely nothing, exercised 8 hours a day and still gained weight. So that is a relief. Now we have my medicine dosage increased and it should help. Now I have to do my part. But I figure since I was on the verge of totally giving up and walking away from it all that others might get to that place too. So here are five tips I've come up with that will hopefully help:
1. Listen to your body and stay on your doctor to figure out what is wrong. I had seen the doctor in February and she said my thyroid level was low but probably nothing to worry about. Instead of asking her to do more tests I thought it would correct itself - by June I was gaining weight faster than I could process the thought of how to start losing again. Here are the symptoms of hypothyroid that I was having: rapid weight gain (biggie), hair loss, cold hands and feet (they would be frozen even when I was dripping sweat from working out), dry skin, depression, and constipation. Another sign that I didn't realize - I would get dizzy or vertigo randomly from time to time - where even when I was standing still I felt like I was swaying a little and the room was spinning. I thought it might be from a sinus infection or allergies but turns out it can be due to the hypothyroidism. I get tendinitis easily - where my joints such as wrists and knees get hurt more easily. Also - and guys you might want to skip the next few sentences - I hadn't had my period since December but had been regular like clock work up until then.
OK Guys you can continue reading.
2. Remind yourself that this is a lifestyle now. Diet is no longer a four letter word (even though it feels like it sometimes). Diet is now the way you eat to stay healthy. More protein, more fresh fruits and veggies, and indulgence every once in awhile because you have earned it. Gym and work out is a way of life. You workout to maintain what you've done. Change it up when you want to lose more body fat. There is no giving up and no going back - there is adjusting to accomplish what your goal is.
3. Speaking of adjusting - change up your workout routine. Now I will be the first to admit that this is the hardest part for me. I love my routines and schedules. I function well in them. Apparently, so does my body. God made our bodies to be amazing machines. They adapt quickly so that they expend the least amount of energy. So pay attention to your cardio - when it gets too easy switch machines. Now if you are like me, you want to know what "too easy" means. Basically when it takes longer to get your heart rate up then it's too easy for your body to go at that rate/resistance. So you will need to change your resistance, incline or switch to another machine all together. Try taking different classes with different instructors. This one terrifies me I will admit but I have some tips on this one - I'll blog about it next.
4. Have a goal. Have a long term goal and then make short term goals to accomplish the long term goal. Enlist the help of others to reach those goals. It doesn't have to be a personal trainer. It can be a friend or relative that has the same struggle so that when you are having one of those cravings that overwhelms you and it's all you can think of - they know what you mean. Or you don't want to go to the gym but know you have to but would rather be anywhere else, they can motivate you to go kick some cardio booty. Or even join you in a class. Don't underestimate the power of a gym buddy or the competitive spirit.
5. Recognize a plateau vs injury vs burn out. Plateaus are where it's getting harder to lose the weight. It means it's time to change it up - change your workout routine. Change your eating. If you are eating 3 times a day try eating 6 small meals instead. If you are eating mostly carbs try eating more protein. For injuries vs being sore. This one is hard because I tend to push myself beyond sore into injury. Here's a rule of thumb: if you feel your muscle/tendon/ whatever is sore when you work out but it tends to go away as you work out, it's just sore. If it goes from feeling it as you workout to pain. Stop. Take a few days off and go back. If the pain continues, go to the doctor. I tend to wait until I can't stand it anymore which is why I've had to take weeks off from the gym and that is like starting over. Burn out is where you are just tired of working out. You don't want to go and when you do go you don't want to be there. That means it's time for a break. It's time to stay out of the gym for a few days or a week. I hate the feeling of just going through the motions - to me, that's almost as bad as not going at all. Most of the time even though I don't want to go, once I get there I'm fine - I have fun on cardio and then I love working out. So burn out is something to keep in mind but not an excuse.
Hope these helped in some small way. Happy Saturday!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Getting over emotional eating habits
.....is a battle you are always going to have to fight. Sorry but it is true. I still walk out of stressful meetings asking where is the chocolate? Tax season - a tad stressful trying to meet all the deadlines. I will admit that I walked away from desk to sneak some Tootsie Rolls from the front desk. Or scarf down some cookies or chips that were sitting around from some group lunches before anyone could catch me. Which is why while fighting this uphill battle we need accountability. I've said it before but accountability is very important. One tip for an accountability partner - pick someone who will call you on it. Depending on your personality, you can choose someone who will politely tell you not to but says it's ok if you go for that cookie. Or you might want someone who will be strict and brutal. Somewhere in the middle is good. For instance, my trainer will definitely call me on my eating. He will be brutally honest whether I like it or not. Which is not - because the way he goes about it I feel judged and like such a failure and leave the gym in tears. And being the emotional eater, I go for the frozen yogurt. Which makes total sense right? I eat cause I'm stressed, I get called on it because it's not helping my goal of losing these last 40 pounds and I go eat some more cause I'm upset again about my eating. So it's back on track for me. And as a reminder to myself and maybe to help you, here are some tips for emotionally eating:
1. Instead of going to the kitchen when you are upset, go to the gym. Or better yet walk around outside. The fresh air will make you feel so much better.
2. Drink a glass of water. Sometimes when you haven't drunk enough water you are thirsty but you think you are hungry.
3. Wait 10 minutes and just breath. Deep calming breaths in and out. Eventually the urge does pass. Honestly, it's mostly mental. It's just hard to get out of the habit. They say that it takes 14 days to form a habit but 6 months to break it.
4. Have an accountability partner. Someone who will be honest with you and who you can be honest with. Sometimes it's hard to admit when we slip because we are so afraid people judging us. But true friends don't judge you. They'll be honest and give you a kick in the butt when you need it.
5. Get over it. You will slip. We are only human. We have bad days we have good days. Don't dwell on the past. Try your bestest best to get back on the right track. It's a lifestyle change - we are going for the marathon not the sprint.
I hope this helps in some way - big or small. Hopefully I'll be able to get more blogs written now that I have a little more free time. That should help keep me out of the kitchen too. :)
1. Instead of going to the kitchen when you are upset, go to the gym. Or better yet walk around outside. The fresh air will make you feel so much better.
2. Drink a glass of water. Sometimes when you haven't drunk enough water you are thirsty but you think you are hungry.
3. Wait 10 minutes and just breath. Deep calming breaths in and out. Eventually the urge does pass. Honestly, it's mostly mental. It's just hard to get out of the habit. They say that it takes 14 days to form a habit but 6 months to break it.
4. Have an accountability partner. Someone who will be honest with you and who you can be honest with. Sometimes it's hard to admit when we slip because we are so afraid people judging us. But true friends don't judge you. They'll be honest and give you a kick in the butt when you need it.
5. Get over it. You will slip. We are only human. We have bad days we have good days. Don't dwell on the past. Try your bestest best to get back on the right track. It's a lifestyle change - we are going for the marathon not the sprint.
I hope this helps in some way - big or small. Hopefully I'll be able to get more blogs written now that I have a little more free time. That should help keep me out of the kitchen too. :)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
5 tips to get back your healthy eating habits
Right, so since I'm stuck inside because there is ice everywhere, I figure it's the perfect opportunity to finally write a blog because it seems like time goes by way too fast lately. Anyway, my problem lately has been getting back on the strict diet I used to be on. Part of it I believe is the fact that it is so easy to go back to old bad habits - so with the holidays it was an easy excuse to eat bad here and there as I celebrated with friends and family. Not that I'm complaining. Because the good news is I still managed to lose 4 pounds so now at least I know I can "maintain" in the future. But yesterday as I was huddling under my electric blanket and munching on some protein bars I had in the pantry I realized how easily I had fallen into bad habit. You see, I wasn't really hungry. I was bored. I'm an emotional eater - when I'm sad, mad, frustrated, stressed, bored I turn to food. Something with taste or texture to soothe, calm, or excite me. So here are five tips for getting back to eating healthy:
1. Don't watch tv while you eat.
This is one I have trouble with - my apartment, while cozy, is small and there is no room for a dining room table. So I tend to eat and watch tv. The problem with that is you become like Pavlov's dogs. I'm not calling you names, I'm just saying Pavlov would ring a bell everytime his dogs were eating so that eventually he would ring the bell and the dogs would start salivating because they associated the bell with food. So if you eat in front of the tv, it becomes natural to eat something regardless of whether or not you are hungry.
2. Be cautious of the commercials when you watch tv.
If you can't tell, I watch a lot of tv and movies. It's usually because I'm so tired after hitting the gym that I don't want to do much else. But we'll talk about me watching too much tv later. The problem is that every other commercial is for fast food or some kind of junk food. For example, there was a commercial for Pizza Hut, followed by a commercial for Long John Silvers, followed by a commercial for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. So all of a sudden I wanted pizza, fish with french fries, and peanut butter cups, and not necessarily in that order.
3. Drink plenty of water
Sometimes when you are thirsty your body thinks it's hungry. So if you are hungry between meals drink a tall glass of water - it will fill you up. I know it sounds silly or like it won't work but it does. Yesterday I had the munchies and I realized in the evening that I hadn't drunk that much water. I've had alot of water today and haven't been as hungry.
4. Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day.
Be sure and eat breakfast - there is a reason they say it's he most important meal of the day - it kick starts your metabolism. And eating a small meal every 2 to 3 hours will keep your metabolism up. Plus it will keep you from going very hungry so that you don't overeat during a meal. Also, I've found that if I do get hungry, I think forget this I'm getting my eating on and I'll eat whatever I can find without thinking about portion control or nutrition.
5. Treat yourself once in awhile and moderately
Have a "treat" meal, not a "cheat" meal - if you call it cheat meal you tend to think of it as something bad, and should feel guilty about. Make it once a week or once a month. I was going to Sweet Tomato on Fridays after my workout to get me a good soup and salad. Now I'm waiting because I'm going to a gathering every other Saturday and I like to have a good meal while I fellowship with my friends. And do it moderately. Sometimes I treat myself an go a little overboard. I'll say just one piece of dessert - but I'll have 2 or 3 if I'm honest. But now I know that when I do treat myself I also will be doing extra cardio.
So. There are five tips I've found helpful. I hope they help you. And remember to take it a day at a time. This is a lifestyle marathon, not a diet sprint.
1. Don't watch tv while you eat.
This is one I have trouble with - my apartment, while cozy, is small and there is no room for a dining room table. So I tend to eat and watch tv. The problem with that is you become like Pavlov's dogs. I'm not calling you names, I'm just saying Pavlov would ring a bell everytime his dogs were eating so that eventually he would ring the bell and the dogs would start salivating because they associated the bell with food. So if you eat in front of the tv, it becomes natural to eat something regardless of whether or not you are hungry.
2. Be cautious of the commercials when you watch tv.
If you can't tell, I watch a lot of tv and movies. It's usually because I'm so tired after hitting the gym that I don't want to do much else. But we'll talk about me watching too much tv later. The problem is that every other commercial is for fast food or some kind of junk food. For example, there was a commercial for Pizza Hut, followed by a commercial for Long John Silvers, followed by a commercial for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. So all of a sudden I wanted pizza, fish with french fries, and peanut butter cups, and not necessarily in that order.
3. Drink plenty of water
Sometimes when you are thirsty your body thinks it's hungry. So if you are hungry between meals drink a tall glass of water - it will fill you up. I know it sounds silly or like it won't work but it does. Yesterday I had the munchies and I realized in the evening that I hadn't drunk that much water. I've had alot of water today and haven't been as hungry.
4. Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day.
Be sure and eat breakfast - there is a reason they say it's he most important meal of the day - it kick starts your metabolism. And eating a small meal every 2 to 3 hours will keep your metabolism up. Plus it will keep you from going very hungry so that you don't overeat during a meal. Also, I've found that if I do get hungry, I think forget this I'm getting my eating on and I'll eat whatever I can find without thinking about portion control or nutrition.
5. Treat yourself once in awhile and moderately
Have a "treat" meal, not a "cheat" meal - if you call it cheat meal you tend to think of it as something bad, and should feel guilty about. Make it once a week or once a month. I was going to Sweet Tomato on Fridays after my workout to get me a good soup and salad. Now I'm waiting because I'm going to a gathering every other Saturday and I like to have a good meal while I fellowship with my friends. And do it moderately. Sometimes I treat myself an go a little overboard. I'll say just one piece of dessert - but I'll have 2 or 3 if I'm honest. But now I know that when I do treat myself I also will be doing extra cardio.
So. There are five tips I've found helpful. I hope they help you. And remember to take it a day at a time. This is a lifestyle marathon, not a diet sprint.
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