I've actually lost a few pounds over the last week, so I'm in kind of in a good mood...getting away from that damn 230 number that was creeping up on me and scaring my increasingly tighter pants off.
So last week was one in rare form; I was actually bored at work. I had free time to read others' blogs, apply for jobs elsewhere, and write a bit for myself. And to stop my boredom in its tracks, I had my iPod containing the fabulous Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone podcasts, and was listening to some old downloads to keep myself from falling asleep at my desk.
And then I got inspired!
In the podcast labeled "Farewell to the Noughties," Diet Girl Shauna says something around the lines of figure out what your life would be when you're ready to maintain your weight. What exercises would you do, what foods would you eat if you were in the phase of life that isn't dependent on temporary dieting. Because the difference between what you do while dieting and what you should do to maintain is not that significant at all.
This inspired me, got my brain waves going.
What do I want? What do I want my life to be once I reach my goal weight? What do I see in my crystal ball as a normal day/week in the life of skinny me?
Because there is no reason (other than the job I really REALLY don’t want, but currently have) that I shouldn’t be living that life.
So here’s what I came up with:
Eat a breakfast that is satisfying and has at least one vegetable (I find that veggies in the morning make all the difference)
Start each morning with a workout (5 out of 7 days I would like it to be circuit training, weightlifting type of workout, the weekends could vary between yoga, Pilates, or running)
Walk, or run, each day (I should run 3 days a week, twice after work, and once on the weekends) for at least 15 minutes
Do yoga at least once every day, and end each day with a yoga session…now I know this isn’t really realistic, so I think that if I at least have one yoga session a day, I should be good (a little bit of yoga is something the body is able to handle every day, unlike weightlifting and running)
Eating out should be a treat. I ate out this weekend on Sunday and a little bit on Saturday, but I refused to eat out the 4 days before, and the food I ate tasted even better because I wasn’t used to eating that food on a daily basis. So, if I have to eat out, save it for the weekend.
Wake up early everyday INCLUDING WEEKENDS. I like the idea of being able to get my ass out of bed every morning by 6:15AM…doesn’t always work, but I very much want my body to want to.
Be ready for bed by 11:00PM. Now this does not mean I’m asleep by 11PM, but my jammies are on, my teeth are brushed, my face is washed, and my night guard is in…in other words, I’m ready to fall asleep in front of my TV.
Go grocery shopping once a week. I have the habit of doing all my grocery shopping at once every 2-3 weeks and buying what I think I have a taste for at the time, but then I’ll lose interest in half of the items (usually a fruit or veggie item), and it spoils before I can cook it. Enough wasting food and money!
I want to fit in no exercise things into my normal routine, short 5 - 30 minutes stints of meditation, preferably on a daily basis
Music lessons - If I can fit in 30 minutes 4 times a week on my guitar and my keyboard, I think my lessons may take off.
OK, that’s all I’ve got for now, but I’m sure this list will grow too. I think my next step would be to come up with a planned schedule for all of these activities!
So, here's the TOPIC OF THE WEEK (I know! I haven’t had one in a long time!!!):
What is your dream you? I’m hoping you love yourself, so I’m not talking about personality, or even weight, but what about your dream normality of living? How would you like to get through a typical day every day (or week)?
(OK, I saw this image & couldn't help myself)
OK gang, hit the showers, and I'll see you next session!
I think I need a place I can turn to as a reminder of what eating out does to my body:
T2R - RESTAURANT VERSION
Steak and Shake =Milkshakes make my stomach feel like crap, and my digestive system go wonky, plus they always forget the ranch dressing for the onion rings...yeah, and the onion rings are just too much for your belly too.
Applebee's = No matter what you order, it always makes you feel bloated, plus, they somehow find a weigh to mess up your order when it's just a salad.
Wendy's = A burger AND a salad is too much for your stomach (See Steak and Shake), just get the big salads they have, and you'll be fine, don't touch the flavored boneless wings.
QDoba = They always get your order right, but the shell of their salads, while tasty, is way too heavy, take a break and get the salad naked, Chicken is the only decent meat they have.
Chipotle = The chips upset your stomach, provide your own or just get the burrito bowl without chips, and the barbacoa meat is WAY too salty...YUCK! Tacos are occasionally fine if you need something crunchy.
Taco Bell = You better be extraordinarily drunk cause there is NO REASON you should be eating here...you only like the stuff that's bad for you here.
Aladdin's = You should only eat here for dinner, and only if you have 600 extra calories for the day, you know you like the tabouli and the chicken mishwi salad with the hot sauce and yogurt dressing...maybe the shish kabob salad, that's a lot of calories, and ask them to give you less pita bread to stop you from eating or wasting it
Starbucks = Ok, anything you order should be NONFAT NO WHIP, and for pastries, you have no reason to order anything that isn't reduced fat...don't want the few things they have that are reduced fat? Then don't order any pastry, also Grande is the biggest size you should ever order...Venti is WAY too much.
TIPS FOR ANY OTHER RESTAURANT NOT LISTED HERE:
Just get fish and vegetables, or a salad of some sort...even if they make it with added calories, you still get some nutrients you probably wouldn't with something else.
Here we are on another Monday. Mondays are the days people tend to start their diets, right? Well...
"Here I go again on my own..."
And yes, I am going down the only road I've ever known...that is, if I keep doing what I've been doing in order to get through my diet days. Every day I've failed to stick to my nutritional plan, I keep thinking about the phrase: we are what we repeatedly do.
So what have I been doing? I overthink what I'm going to eat all day. My breaks from the day happen when I get to eat, and that's all I give myself to look forward to. My days have been eat, work, hopefully workout, watch TV, and then fall asleep. This needs to change because there is little to no room for growth. At least in the other areas of my life.
No need to grow in size, thank you very much.
So here's the plan, on days when I don't have to go shopping for groceries, or anything else I need, my debit and crdit cards stay at home...no need and no money to keep eating out, and my pants will thank me.
I will focus on a few of my personal goals and set myself up a weekly schedule to achieve them. These goals are as follows:
Continue my spiritual development (and my spirituality is...NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, just know it's important)
Continue to develop my pianist skills ( I said pianist...dirty-minded sons of...)
Continue job hunting with a fiery passion (or sales will be the death of me)
And that list will probably grow from here.
T2R...An Ongoing list
Starting over is always an option...try not to have to do it so often, cause it makes you crazy.
Alrighty, it's after midnight, I've had a really REALLY long day at the office (which you know if you're following my tweets - @RainmakerRoxy). So, let's make this short and sweet.
Not a horrible day. I ate over 1400 calories by the end of the day. Less than last night, but more than my 1200-1300 limit. I would also like to report that I dropped a couple of pounds between yesterday and today. Let's hope for deja vu tomorrow morning.
Got my workouts in. 30 Day Shred in the morning. And let me say how happy I am that it's the weekend. My body needs a break to recover. This weekend, it's all about the running and yoga. Taking it a little easy. Monday, we'll pick it back up again. Also got in 30 minutes of intense jogging on the elliptical at an average of 3-5 incline.
Effort + Cleveland humidity = one very sweaty lady. Felt great!
I gave in to eating out today. All in the name of "I HAVE TO GET THE FREAK OUT OF MY OFFICE!!!" Instead of my smoothie, I had a coffee nonfat Frappucino at Starbucks and arrived late to work by 15 minutes. My boss was out, so of course I was going to take some advantage. Joke was on me though. I had tons to do, and didn't want to plant my but in my seat all day, so I was forced to leave and grab lunch late (2:30pm), and then stay past 8PM. Lunch, by the way, was Chipotle. Delicious!
Sorry, I guess I'm just in complaint mode today. I think that's a sign to get to bed. Running in the Garfield Heights Metroparks in the morn, followed by yoga, and hiking with friends in the afternoon!
T2R The List Continues:
If I'm going to cave and eat out, go to the Chipotle at City View...they just hired someone cute!
Must catch up on my podcasts. I love to listen to them while I run on the elliptical. Maybe I'll try that at the park too
More to come...
And just because I can't get this image out of my mind, here is a vision of what I hope to avoid:
Yeah, this is that woman who is trying to gain weight to make it up to 1000lbs! I'm too tired to go into how incredibly wrong this is on several different levels, but I'm sure we'll eventually get to it.
Workouts = 30 Day Shred Level 2 (owie, owie, owie), walking the dog (about a 30 minute walk), and 20 minutes on my mini bike pedals (love 'em)
I really wanted to go to Curves today, but of course my job got in the way. And I know what you're thinking. Something like, "Don't make excuses, blah, blah, blah."
Hey guess what. You need to get to Curves by 7:00pm in order to get a workout in, or else they lock you out. Didn't get out of work till 7:20pm. Course, I'm suppose to get out around 5:30pm, but when you're in Sales, you don't get to have much of a life.
Seriously, once I get a better grasp on my health, I'm getting out of Sales. Thank the gods for my morning workouts.
Nutrition = 1545 calories...not as great as I was hoping it would be. Definitely went over calorie-wise. Ate, watermelon, blueberry smoothie, 2 servings of Kashi crackers (spread out through the day, but I could have cut 130 calories if I only had 1 serving), oatmeal, banana, 1 pack organic chocolate cookies (had a chocolate craving, should have ignored it), egg beaters with spinach, onions, and grilled chicken, 1 slice wheat bread, 2 Babybel cheeses, and 1 serving of Lindt chocolate (another craving I shouldn't have fulfilled).
Early, almost expected, setback. Luckily, just to maintain weight, I need to eat about 2000 calories. So, I'm not worried about the scale. If anything, I should be looking forward to more energy at work for my Friday.
BONUS! HOLLA!!!
T2R The List Continues...
Ok, I hate taking pills. If I take too many, my throat starts to tense, and the pills start to get hard to swallow (ha, ha, ha swallow, we're all 12 years old). So, I need to remember to split up when I take my Vitamin D and Multi-Vitamin pills. I'll take the multi at lunch and the D at dinner...decision made!
Tea, remember tea dag nabbit! Makes me happy.
Kids are nice and all, but if I want a really good workout when I'm walking the pup, I have to avoid residential areas...I had around 8 different kids stop me to pet Buster...of course, he's so cute, why wouldn't they?
Alright, I had a good & healthy day today. Only 1215 calories consumed today. I woke up in enough time to get Level 2 of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred done before work. I also had yoga-at-work class...and for future reference, Shred + yoga = dead arms! And to close my day, I did 20 minutes on my itty bitty bike pedals. I really wanted to hop on my elliptical, but got out of work late, and needed to eat before it got too late. So I took advantage of some phone time where I would usually just be sitting on my butt, or laying on my back relaxing.
Let's keep this trend up, shall we? Tomorrow is day 2! Usually the hardest of the days.
T2R List Continued:
Vitamins are highly important. Must take my multi, Vitamin D, and Multi-Enzyme.
Water is my best friend, but I need to mix it up more with tea, especially if I'm stuck at work...gets tiring really fast.
To be continued...
Not really a light-hearted note to end on, but pretty much a good thought to keep in mind.
Ok...my discipline has sucked, just plain sucked as of lately. I've been eating out just about everyday, and skipping workouts. I haven't even been to Curves in over a month. I've been staying at my crappy job late, and sleeping in till 7am each work day (Shut it! 7am is not near early enough to take a shower, shave my legs, do my hair, put on makeup, and dress myself to get to work by 9am, not to mention try to add a good workout into the mix).
I'm feeling extra weight, and I'm scared. I'M SCARED!
So, it's time to toughen up and bring some damn structure into my life.
* Up during the work week by 6:25am
* Morning workout until I say it changes for the weekdays will be Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred
* Up during weekends by 8am (earlier if I have plans to adjust for)
* Morning workouts during the weekends will be running
* Starting TOMORROW (06/09/10) is the Curves diet 1200-1300 cals 4 a week
* Home-made Smoothies for breakfast (working on keeping it under 300 cals)
* Lunch oatmeal and fruit
* Dinner...well, I need 2 do some shopping 1st to figure that out, but I really want eggs
* Evening workouts??? If I'm doing the Shred in the mornings, I think I'll switch between walking my dog (while it's still nice outside), going back to the Wii Fit, running on the elliptical, Curves (let's go for Mondays and Thursdays) and a yoga DVD
*I want 2 check in daily, nothing huge...maybe once a month or every other week...on this blog. Something to keep my head in the game.
Things to Remember (T2R) - A Continuously Growing List
If I miss a workout, there is always tomorrow. In fact, I'll need at least 1 day a week to recuperate. Let's make that Sundays.
When I have a food craving, I'm usually not hungry. I usually am craving something else. Pause and think.
I'm wasting my 20's being in a body I'm not proud of, and hiding myself from people who potentially love me, and the way I look.
I'm hotter than I give myself credit for, and there are people in my life right now that remind me of this...even if I'm not into them...sorry dudes.
Exercising isn't a chore, so look forward to it. Yes, it takes time, but you feel great after, and the world goes away...LOOK FORWARD TO IT!!!
However, don't forget that it is ok to miss a workout every once in a while if you get a chance to have a life.
You have a bridesmaid dress to fit into (Let's give me a deadline of size 10 by November...not to far away from that size now).
Summer's just about here, so it's time to bring out the sexy, confident you.
Fit meditation into your life...before bed, light the incense, breathe deep, find peace...get more connected with myself and with the world around me.
To be continued...
Ending on a light note...this picture just makes me smile.
Welcome back to the tenth, and incredibly long-awaited installment of "Workout Buddy Needed," where your input matters.
So much to catch up on, but I’ve decided to keep my entries a little shorter than the previous nine…or at least I’m trying to.
In fact, for this, the TENTH blog I am posting, I have a special topic to post, and it all centers on this greeting card:
The fine ladies at my local Curves, who were outraged to say the least, brought this card to my attention.
Now, when I first saw this, I was pissed off. I mean, imagine if you were the artist’s inspiration for this card…yeah, doesn’t feel so good, does it? And then I thought, “If I got this for my birthday at any age, I would slap the person who gave it to me, especially as someone who is overweight and losing weight where arm flab & sagging boobs are a huge possibility. And that thought scares the crap out of me!
Hey, I may be vain, but it’s my body, and I’ll think what I want!
So, here’s the part where I do a complete 180 on you…what if I’m being too sensitive?
I know. Shocker! But seriously, I’ve seen those motivational posters where they poke fun at fat woman, old men, and everyone who looks different and laughed my butt off…and those feature REAL PEOPLE!!!
(Ok, that last one still cracks me up)
So, who am I and the ladies at my local Curves to get mad at a photo that doesn’t even feature us in person, but pokes fun at people like us (or the possible future me)?
So, here's the TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
Has the American public become too sensitive about fat because the majority of us are fat? Shouldn’t we be able to poke fun at ourselves? Does this greeting card make you angry???
Lots to think about…
OK gang, hit the showers, and I'll see you next session!
Your Workout Buddy,
Roxy!
p.s. I’m still working on the blog itself, and all Video Moments will be featured on a separate page…and my WoBN [= Workout Buddy Needed] YouTube Page once I fix some of the uploading issues I’ve been having. Patience is a virtue ; )
Welcome to the FINAL Pre-Session!!! From here on out it is all new material! YAY!!! And boy do we have some catching up to do!
It's...alive...
It's ALIVE!
IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! And by it, I of course mean me!
Welcome back to the ninth, and long-awaited, installment of "Workout Buddy Needed," where your input matters.
The last month and a half, or however long it's been, has been hell. I've fought two bouts of the dreaded sinus infection. I even had to **GASP** TAKE OFF FROM WORK!!! Then after all that shit went away, my stomach decided to get all flip-floppy on me. I believe I've already mentioned my little trip to the emergency room in the beginning of April. Well, my stomach issues did not end after that. I thought I was eating fine at the time, but my stomach got so used to eating crap for years before that it isn't used to eating the good stuff anymore, so my whole digestive system is going crazy.
I'm starting to feel better now...I've even been drinking prune juice from time to time to get my system back on track (and yes, I know how gross that sounds).
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to stick to the intense workouts I've been doing Since late February. I also haven't been drinking enough water. This has led to the return of some of my bad eating habits: Snacking on foods I know I shouldn't eat. Eating late-night snacks. You know, the usual. Luckily, I have not started gaining the weight back. In fact, my last Curves weigh-in a week ago showed that I still dropped two pounds, and almost two inches on my body. YAY ME!!!
All this crap, as well as all the other emotional issues going on in my life, has made it almost impossible for me to stay motivated. It's almost like I've been just going through the motions.
Writing this blog is my first step back in the right direction.
This brings me to my newest MINI-GOAL: To get myself back on track, I have to connect with myself on a deeper level than just my health...it will take a deep connection on a mental and spiritual level. So I've decided that my mini goal is to add Yoga back into my life in a regular routine. My goal is to shoot for at least three sessions of yoga a week.
Wish me luck, and don't forget to share your mini-goals and success stories with me and the rest of us!
I have had some time during my sick period to gather my resources. See what could inspire me to write again. And in my spare time, I have read "The Biggest Loser: Success Secrets." I had to fill the void of not having the show on air for the season...
DAMN YOU NBC FOR MAKING SUCH AN ADDICTIVE SHOW!!!
I really enjoyed the book, and could relate to the stories inside it...a lot.
In fact, I really enjoyed chapter 7: "Support or Sabotage? The Powerful Influence of Family and friends."
I have had to deal with sabotage my entire life. Yeah, ok, because of free will, all sabotage in weight loss is really you sabotaging yourself by saying yes to eating and no to working out...but just as it is easy to do the healthy thing when you have supporters, it's a hell of a lot easier to do the wrong thing when you have bad motivators.
While she may not agree, or like me saying this, my mom has been one of my biggest saboteurs. Don't get me wrong. She is a great person, and I love her very much! We usually get along very well...but she also happens to be the kind of person who prides herself on being a good cook...a very good cook.
And how was I supposed to stand up and say "I can't eat that cause it's bad for my body" when I was 10 years old? I'm 22, and it's still hard to look my mom in the eye and say that I don't want to eat her food because I'm afraid it'll be my downfall.
Of course, the sabotage goes beyond her spectacular cooking.
Thanks to my wonderful pediatrician, Dr. Shaw (the bastard), I developed emotional issues about my body at a very early age...and my mom got it in her head that I was already obese long before I ever was. I wonder, if Dr. Shaw didn't ridicule me about my baby fat the way he did, if he didn't convince my mom that I was just a little piggy, would I have had more confidence to be more active with all the other kids my age? Would my mom not have dealt with my weight issues in the way she did?
After years of thought and rage, I believe I've drawn the conclusion that Dr. Shaw is the root of all of my weight issues. I think I really hate the man.
Strong words? Strong issues.
Now, my mom is one of those saboteurs that doesn't know that she is being one. It's not like she meant for me to eat my emotions...but every time she asks me if what I'm about to eat is on my diet...every time she stands in the kitchen watching me prepare a meal or grab a snack...every time she compares her healthy habits to mine (although that last one only happened when I was in high school and junior high), I wanted to eat out of spite.
I wanted to show her that she had no control over my life, but it turns out she was a bigger influence than I realized.
I think over the last year, now that I'm at an age where she has to start taking me seriously, we have made some progress in this emotional area of my life.
The key? Constructive discussion. You can't attack the person. I used to get so angry talking to my mom about my weight issues. She couldn't see past what I'm sure she thought of as just teenage anger fueled by hormones to see that I was really hurting and that I needed her to change in order for the hurt to go away. Now I see that I need to look her directly in the eye and calmly tell her why I need things to be different this time around.
She's getting it. But she still gets a little twitchy during the discussions. She thinks I blame her for my weight. I think she blames herself. But as I said, in the end, I sabotaged myself.
My point? That everyone out there trying to lose weight, whether it's 5 or 500 pounds, is going to have someone trying to ruin their success. Don't let them. Some of them will do it without even knowing it. Some of them will do it on purpose.
I know the first time I lost a good amount of weight in high school, I had people close to me that were saying really hurtful things about me behind my back, like that I was becoming anorexic, and that I wasn't making a pretty skinny girl...of course I had other people that I could trust to tell me the truth about what was being said. I'm thankful for knowing then, but I let my anger set me back, and I wasn't able to develop good eating and fitness habits before college got a hold of me.
Me and this person, or people, are cool now, but I don't think I'll ever be able to forget how betrayed I felt back then. "The Biggest Loser: Success Secrets" says that people might act this way out of jealousy, or they could have felt threatened by my weight loss...like I wouldn't treat people the same as my skinnier version.
This makes a lot of sense to me.
So, here's the TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Let's unleash some pain. Feel free to leave out, or substitute, names. But what story of betrayal do you have in relation to reaching your goals, weight-related or not? What do you think about saboteurs who don't know they are? How about the ones that do? How do you deal with them?
Wanna know how I deal? Check out this week's VIDEO MOMENT:
Welcome back to the eighth installment of "Workout Buddy Needed," where your input matters.
Ok class, it's time to break out your vocabulary books! We need to look up some definitions...actually, just one definition...
What is the definition of the word FAT?
What defines FAT in your vocabulary books?
What does FAT mean to you? (Pause for Dramatic Effect)
Don't worry class. This pop quiz does not count for a grade...for there is no right answer to this question. The meaning is in your own head and heart based on your experience with FAT.
The last week and a half has forced me to re-examine my relationship with FAT over the last 22 years or so.
I watched the "The Biggest Loser" a couple of days ago, and all of the remaining contestants had cardboard cutouts made of themselves from before they started losing the weight.
What a change!!! And each contestant had something different to say about their FATter selves. One came to the realization that losing the weight helped him become a better person on the inside. Fitness made him less angry and more open. One came to the realization that she was hiding behind her weight from a sea of emotion and decided she was ready to stop hiding and face her fears. One realized that she had more strength in her than she knew and is ready for the challenge at the finale. The last contestant came to the realization that he is still the same amazing person he always was; just smaller. Now, he can share his fabulous-ness with his family for a longer amount of time, and he can continue to experience their greatness as well. I keep wondering what my reaction would be to seeing my cardboard cutout a year or so from now...right now, I don't feel I'm far enough away to get a solid reaction. I've felt a lot of different things about myself and my weight since I've been FAT.
So...and I know this can be scary, but let's take a look at the inside of my brain, shall we? Here are the five categories I could come up with for how I, and many others, feel about FAT.
With the exception of the last example, I have been in each of these categories at one time or another.
For some, FAT is FABULOUS. Big is beautiful. Some people are lucky enough to have curves of a goddess and know how to work them. In some countries, the bigger the person, the more power they have. Rent the movie "Phat Girlz." You'll see what I mean.
To get to this category, you have to love yourself...It took me all the way until college to get to this category. Even though I was losing weight in high school, I had so much pressure and negativity coming at me at that time that I couldn't take the time to love myself (no not in the dirty way you perves : ) ).
That's why I gained back the weight in college. But once you love yourself, all of yourself, it becomes easier to take care of you. Then, you are really ready to lose the weight.
For others, FAT is UGLY. Beauty on the inside is not as important as beauty on the outside, and how could anyone ever know that you're beautiful on the inside if your FATTY outsides block them from seeing your true beauty?(I grew up for many years hating these people, but then I just grew into pitying them because I realized they are so wrong! And now they'll probably never know how amazing I and others they've insulted really are.)
When I started gaining more weight as a teen, I was often told how pretty I would be...if only I was skinny. Nothing like comments made with good intentions to make a person feel crappy.
For some, FAT is COMFORTING. This is just as harmful as seeing FAT as ugly. In this mind set, we turn to FAT to hide from the world. We block the unpleasant feelings of life by indulging in the temporary highs of eating (the sugar rush, the euphoria of chocolate, etc.). Of course, all this indulging leads to greater emotional pain, which just leads to more indulging...it's a vicious cycle. Oh yeah, I am definitely an emotional eater. I know I eat to silence the pain...which just brings more pain. Now, I try to talk things out with myself and anyone involved. Blame cannot come into a dieting situation because people become too defensive when they think you are trying to blame them for your being FAT.
Bottom line: you made every last decision for what you ate and what activity you didn't do. You have to teach yourself to say NO to bad eating habits and YES to good workout habits before you can teach others to let you say NO and YES.
I have had many conversations over the last couple of years with my own mom about what goes through my head when I eat. What emotional things cause me to overeat. What comments I don't need to hear that I keep on hearing. She recently came to the conclusion that it's her fault I'm FAT...But it's ultimately not, and this led to a whole nother conversation. Now, as two determined females with summer approaching, we have taken up walking outdoors and stretching weekly together. I hope to come up with a strength training program for my mom to start as well. Helping her get fit inspires me to keep going.
For others, FAT is CHALLENGING. You either accept the challenge to lose it, or you challenge yourself to never get it. This can be harmful and good at different times. Challenging yourself to lose weight when you have the weight to lose is obviously in the good column. However, challenging yourself to lose weight when you shouldn't be losing it, or setting your goal for a weight that is too small can lead to unhealthy dieting habits like anorexia, bulimia, smoking to lose weight, and taking harmful diet pills.
I am definitely in this category right now. Staying motivated is the biggest challenge of all. But I have my Women's Health magazines, my Biggest Loser (for one more episode of the season), my fitness friends on myspace to turn to, and I have my readers...that's you guys! In fact, if you want to get some more inspiration, check out Taisha Juanita Hayes's myspace page for THayes Fitness. It's a whole myspace page dedicated to fitness. I read an article on her in the latest issue of Women's Health. Her story is truly inspiring.
One tip she has that really makes sense to me: "Don't cheat just to cheat." If you're going to have a cheat day, or just a meal, make sure you're cheating with food you actually crave. I do this once a month with Chinese food.
Finally, for some, FAT is LIFE. Now, what I mean here is that FAT is unavoidable due to medical reasons, such as thyroid issues, and family reasons, meaning genetics.
Luckily, I'm not genetically predisposed to being FAT. I just happen to eat a lot of the wrong things...which I'm working on that right now. My mom has had some thyroid issues that she takes medication for, but my thyroid is normal...so sayeth the doctor!
And who can you trust if not your doc? I know that FAT, whether I am or not, will always be on my mind. I know what damage I have done to my body because I let FAT take over my life for so long. Some of these damages were brought to my attention not too long ago...
Don't worry class, I'm fine, alive and kickin' harder than ever!
I just need to make sure that vitamins, supplements, and healthy living stay a major part of my life.
Some good news!
I have made it to a weight loss milestone!!! I am super excited and want you all to check out my new "award ceremony" in this week's VIDEO MOMENT:
So, with all this talk about the big "F-Word," I can't help but wonder what role FAT plays in your lives?
So here's the TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
FAT, your thoughts, your opinions. If FAT was a being, and you saw it walking down the street, what would you do? With so many overweight people in the world, is FAT still another "4-letter word," or is it more acceptable now like the word "pissed" (thank you to the band Chumbawamba)?
How do you feel about FAT in your life?
This could get ugly, but I want you to be honest. You can't get past the psychological issues FAT can cause until you realize and admit what they are.
UPDATE:
So, it looks like I've broken through another plateau for now. My sinuses are almost completely clear, and I'm losing weight again! I think the little added exercise each day has helped a lot. I'm still falling asleep on my own bed...however, sometimes I fall asleep before I really want to.
My mini-goal this week is to be prepared for bed. This means, washing my face before the initial sleep, not when I wake up in the middle of the night, and sleeping with my night guard in...I gotta protect my teeth more! This should increase the quality of my sleep. I'll let you know!
Don't forget to fill me in on your mini-goals for the week!!!
OK gang, hit the showers, and I'll see you next session! Your Workout Buddy, Roxy!
Remember that extra jolt you were feeling this morning after your early morning trip to Starbucks, or Arabica, or Duncan Donuts, or McDonalds, or Caribou Coffee, or wherever you go to grab a "light" mocha and a "fat-free" muffin?
(For those of you eating a real breakfast at home, I give you mad props...depending on what you’re eating...)
A few hours after breakfast...did you suddenly feel like you were dragging your feet? Did the day seem too heavy for you to carry on with? Did you go from being ready to face the day to being borderline depressed? Did you feel as if you were suddenly climbing up hill, or falling down a never-ending hole?
Ha ha! You were struck by the blood-sugar gremlins! And not cute gremlins like Gizmo...I’m talking about the ugly, slimy lookin’ ones (and if you haven’t seen "Gremlins"...well then SHAME ON YOU!!! Go rent it! But read the rest of the blog first).
Welcome back to the seventh (lucky number seven) installment of "Workout Buddy Needed," where your input matters.
So, I’ve been feeling like crap for the last month...maybe more like the last three months. My weight has been fluctuating between the same five pounds. When I get to my Curves weigh-in in the middle of the month, it looks like I’m losing weight (well, I am), but now I’m only losing, like one to three pounds a month.
I want to say that I’ve hit a plateau, but I know it’s more than that. I know, and those of you who have been reading know, that I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster for the last couple of months. Crap has been happening, like always, and when crap happens, I return to my old, bad habit of eating crap that makes me feel good temporarily... And what makes me feel best in the moment???
My frenemy, if you will...I know, I couldn’t sound more preppy or lame if I tried.
I know that eating sugar does me harm, and knowing is the first step...I just wish that all the steps that need to come next could be that easy.
I was reading an article in the latest "Women’s Health" magazine that was all about sugar addiction. Turns out that sugar can go by over 100 different names on nutrition labels...in fact, the article names 100 of the most common names used.
1.) The only way to break a sugar habit is to go cold turkey. You have to give up the sugar culprits that give you the most up and down feelings in your life. I already gave up soda...actually, for some reason, even though I was drinking about a can or two a day, giving it up was really easy for me. Ice cream and candy are my biggest threats. Luckily, the article offers low sugar ideas. I’ve tried the "Skinny Cow" ice cream...best tasting ice cream I’ve ever purchased in store...which is saying something for being not only a low in sugar product, but also a low in calorie product.
The article warns that people with a sugar addiction will go through signs of withdrawal, just like a drug junkie, but the signs disappear after about five days...however three of those days will feel like hell.
2.) Sugar substitutes are crap! For example, Splenda, which for many people causes headaches, does not help in weight loss. Sugar substitutes trick your body into thinking it is getting more calories than it actually is, so when your body does not receive those calories, it actually feels hungrier later on than it would have (in the case of diet soda, not only have you put in all that bad carbonation into your body that makes you bloated, but now you want to eat more a couple hours later than if you had just drank regular soda, or juice). So don’t take it!!!
So here’s the TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
Let’s be a little less general this week. I wanna know your fitness and health weakness, but I wanna know just about your weakness in food. What is your guilty pleasure?
Before my focus turned to sugar, when I was in high school, I used to have an addiction to mayo (eeeewww gross I know). I kicked that habit by substituting mayo for mustard, which is so much better for your body and almost calorie free.
But what is it in your eating and drinking habits that breaks you down? Can you substitute it for something better? Or do you also have to go cold turkey? Let me know!
UPDATE: I have been successful in my mini-goal. I have set up my life so that it focuses on my own bedroom, which means that I have fallen asleep on my own bed every night since I set this goal. Already, I feel more energized at work...even though I’ve been sick as a dog.
My new mini-goal for this week...get at least 15 extra minutes of exercise (cardio) in everyday, preferably in the morning...how am I going to do this? With my new gear being stored in my room. Curious as to what new gear I’m talking about? Then check out my VIDEO MOMENT of the week:
OK gang, hit the showers, and I’ll see you next session! Your Workout Buddy, Roxy!
p.s. I usually wouldn’t promote anything specific, but I highly recommend checking out that sugar article in this month’s "Women’s Health," which you might be able to find online!
