fitness

Over the last few years, the numbers on the scale were creeping up.  Especially with the arrival of three beautiful girls in a short amount of time.  After baby three I checked in for my postpartum, acknowledged my weight and moved on.  Three months later I weighed in again and realized I was gaining.  The numbers are going the wrong way!  So this is where i got motivated.

I'm realistic.  I know what I look like.  I accept my age, the fact that I've had kids, that I have an over-active and insatiable sweet tooth, etc.  It's not that bad.  But it's not what I want.  and I also know that if I work on it now, I can prevent it from getting worse.  So I began working out, researching and developing better eating habits.

I'm now down 25 pounds (which is 8% for me) in about 4 months.  It's not earth shattering but it makes me happy.  I feel fantastic and motivated.  It's going to keep getting better.  My goal "weight" is 10 pounds away.  But I use the quotes because it's not about the numbers on the scale, it's how my clothes fit.  So the pounds give me a way to track it and see progress but the real goal is to have smooth lines in my size 8 jeans.

So this soon to be excessively long post is about what works for me.  and I didn't intend to post any of it except that I've been asked about it.  I'm not an expert and the more I learn, the more I know every one is different and the rules change depending on age, abilities, body type, time, etc.  I don't want to be one of those people that try something for a month and then write a book about it, assuming they know everything.  But here's some things I've learned...

1. There's no great secret.  And any program, book, website, etc. that tries to sell you "the secret doctors don't what you to know", is just trying to get money.  Weight loss is the simple math of balancing calories.  A calorie is a measurement of energy.  So it's an amount of energy taken into our bodies through food and out of our bodies through exercise.  To lose weight, the output must be greater than the input.

2. calorie counting and food journal.  I met with a trainer and using their fancy program, determined that for my age and height (and that I'm a nursing mother) a goal caloric intake should be 1750-1900 per day.  That means I can eat 1800 calories of junk and still lose weight but I won't be healthy or satisfied.  If I go under that goal range, I risk pushing my metabolism into a starvation zone and it will latch onto all the calories it can get, rather than burning them properly.  So skipping meals or eating less than you should does a lot more damage than good.  I need to eat 1800 ish healthy calories a day to meet my weight loss goal of 2 pounds a week (the trainer I spoke with stressed that's my limit for healthy weight loss.  Slower than that and I may get discouraged but faster than that and I'm more likely to gain it back.  Remember, slow and steady wins the race.)  I started a food journal to help me track it and learned to pay attention to the number of calories in the foods I eat. Plus, if I'm forcing myself to write it down (I use an app for my smartphone called "calories counter"), it makes me think twice about if I really want to eat it enough to write it down.  Or at the end of the day, if I've got more calories available to eat, then I don't feel guilty having a snack.  If I'm at my limit and still hungry, then I know I need to be more careful in choosing foods that will keep me satisfied.

3. when to eat.  The idea of small meals more frequently is true.  At night we are going several hours without eating and our metabolism shifts into a "starvation mode".  To end this, eat within an hour of waking up.  And then space smaller meals throughout the day every 3-4 hours.  For me, this looks more like breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, evening snack. 

4. what to eat part 1. portion control.  I'm definitely guilty of over eating--I like food and I'm a fast eater.  I've tried to limit my portions by being aware of the calorie count, eating more slowly (taking a drink of water after every two bites--for some people this will upset their stomach but it's something that works for me) or being more aware of portion sizes.  For example, instead of my plate being half pasta, a quarter chicken and a quarter vegetables, switch it around so I have the biggest helping of vegetables.  or try to make more than one vegetable.  This is especially important to boost fiber intake (the average intake is 10 grams/day.  the recommended intake is 25 grams/day.  If you have digestion issues, this may be your culprit.)  Snacking is good but that's especially when I struggle with portions.  It was recommended to me that I never eat from the bag/box.  Put appropriate portion sizes into zip lock bags and put the rest away!  Don't eat absent mindedly which means forgetting to enjoy it or eating more than you should.  So I only eat sitting in the kitchen (not walking around the house/on the phone/on my computer/etc.  I need to work on not snacking while i drive and chew gum instead.).  I also try to always drink a full glass of water before having a snack.

5. what to eat part 2.  I've increased my veggies and reduced (not eliminated) my starch carbs. here's are some of my favorite superfoods:
a. oatmeal (carbs is what gives you long lasting energy, especially important if exercising.  So this has become my favorite breakfast.)
b. whole grain goldfish crackers (it's human nature to snack! so have good snacks around.  the reason whole grain is always better for you is because it will last longer in your body, so you feel satisfied and because it's less processed, it's cleaner eating)
c. string cheese (also a good protein snack)
d. yogurt (I prefer carbmaster because of the bonus protein or greek)
e. salads (dark green lettuces have more nutrients and I always add grilled chicken and dried cranberries.  Instead of dressings, I usually squeeze an orange over it.)
f. fruit (watermelon and cantaloupe has the fewest calories.  I also like keeping a bowl of grapes in the fridge.  Position your good snacks in front on the higher shelves, where you are more likely to see and reach for it.)
g. spinach smoothies (about a cup of frozen fruit, half cup milk, cup of spinach and a cup of yogurt--you can't taste the spinach!  So I'm getting bonus vegetables and I love smoothies.  It's not as healthy as some recipes I've read but it's something I like and feel like is a treat.  I drink one almost every day.)
h. protein shakes. (my favorite is the chocolate Premier Nutrion brand from Costco.  watch closely for sugar content in other brands.  This is my "go-to" if I need something quick.)
i. baby food veggies.  (even though my family is pretty good about eating vegetables, we can always use more.  I've started mixing baby food squash or sweet potatoes into our favorite recipes for bonus nutrients.  I use those two because they don't affect the favor of most recipes.  I've heard cauliflower is another good veggie but I'd have to cook and puree it myself and I already have baby food in the pantry.)
j. water water and more water. 

6. clean eating.  I researched cleanse diets and found them to be bogus.  They are based on the idea that we take toxins into our bodies (through processed foods) that our body, in order to protect itself, wraps them in fat.  But if you lose weight, you have to cleanse to get rid of the toxins.  This is not true.  Our body comes well equipped with its own toxin-filtering system as long as we don't bog it down (the worst culprit is soda--8 oz can prevent your kidneys from functioning properly for 2 days--or so says articles I read.  I don't know the science behind it but it makes sense to me.)  Most cleanse diets work because they are done on a limited calorie intake, which is obviously cause weight loss.  But if it's not healthy, it won't last.  (For example, HCG has been phenomenally successful.  Of course! It's a 400-600 calorie a day program!  Most people lose a huge amount and then when they return to their normal diet/calorie intake, they put a portion of the weight right back on.  My personal opinion, HCG can a good way to kickstart if you have a lot to lose but it's very risky to your metabolism and won't work on it's own.)  Back to cleansing, the way to do it is eat clean and drink a ton of water.  by "clean eating", I mean avoid processed foods and ingredients.  which segways well into...

7. make good choices.  Last week, I turned my back on my heath consciousness and indulged in my favorite desserts, candy and treats.  and by "indulged", I mean went crazy.  We were on vacation and then celebrating.  And then this week, full of guilt and depression, I got on the scales.  Guess what?  I didn't gain.  If my body is healthy and active, I can have occasional desserts, especially if I choose wisely.  For example, instead of a crunch bar, I'd rather have a homemade cookie.  Instead of a snickers, I'd rather have molten cake.  "clean desserts" are made without fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated-anything, etc.  If I made it in my own kitchen with good ol butter, sugar, eggs, etc. then I know it's clean and healthier than something full of ingredients I can't pronounce.  All in all, I think I lucked out last week with my sugar binge (which has made me disgustingly sluggish) but it was encouraging to realize that if I'm healthy and active, I can have my favorite (well chosen) desserts.

8. fresh breath.  I've got a killer sweet tooth and a serious "pop and I can't stop" problem.  so one of my little tricks is to have a snack and then brush my teeth or chew gum.  I have to get the taste out of my mouth and replace it with that wintery freshness or I will just keep craving the sugar or salt.

9. working out. I started going to the gym as a way to deal with my postpartum anxiety.  It's slowly addicting though and is an essential part of my fitness plan now.  I'm lucky because I have the time to dedicate to it and not everyone does.  I prefer classes because it gives me a certain time to be there, rather than a "I can fit it in later" and because I like getting to know the trainers.  I find teachers and trainers that I like because they help me stay motivated.  I've found three in particular that I feel drawn to their personality, I like their teacher style and class format and I know their encouragement helps me keep going.  Plus, then I feel more accountable to them.  They notice when I miss a class.  So I found these three teachers and I go to as many of their classes as I can.  I go to a weight lifting class twice a week (building muscle for that toned, well sculpted look.  plus for every pound of muscle, your body can burn an extra 100 calories in a day), pilates twice a week (love the anxiety release I get from it, plus the toning) and my real push is my cardio (that's the way to lose weight).  I do to zumba and dance trance, step aerobics and spin classes.  I love to dance so that's just fun.  It might not be as effective as pushing out seven miles on the treadmill but I enjoy it more so it helps me stick with it.  I didn't like spin at first, after my first class I was concerned I wouldn't be able to sit for two days! But it's growing on me.  And I've finally come around to my arch enemy of fitness--running.  I've always hated running because it's boring and hard on my joints.  But I pushed myself to do it anyway on days that I can't find another cardio based class and slowly, hate melted to dislike and what's this?  now I might actually...like... to run?  *gasp*  don't tell anyone okay? 
as a side note about eating: carbs after cardio and protein after weight lifting to feed your muscles properly.

10. healthy goals.  I read several articles on different body types which broke down what the types are called, the challenges of each, etc.  But most important, is to have realistic, healthy goals.  A girls built like Beyonce is never going to look like Taylor Swift (and be healthy).  So I find trainers that look like the same body type as me and I ask them about their calorie intake and fitness regime.  I thought it would be awkward but they're always happy to share (especially since that is, in fact, their job.)

So I'm not an expert.  I'm always looking for new recipes, trying new classes and working to keeping myself motivated. (when I hit my goal weight, I'm buying a new swimsuit.  I'm also trying to hit that goal because then I will qualify for a better rate on life insurance.)  But I'm trying.  I'm better than I was when I started and I feel great.