I have written about my exercise ADD and my avoidance of any restrictive diets here, so when my husband came home 7 months ago completely in love with this "new" workout Crossfit the first thing I said to him is "I'm not doing Paleo". At this time he had no clue what Paleo was, but I had done enough research on diet and exercise to know that most crossfitters eventually try Paleo. Fast forward 7 months and the hubby comes home and says..."I think I'm going to do the 6 week Paleo challenge at the box". My response "ok I guess we can try it"
I know right, I was completely shocked at myself that I was even willing to consider it and even more shocking is the level of research and preparation that I took on (I did eventually get tired of him relying on me for info on a diet he initiated and had to force him to do some research of his own). But a few thigs were different...last year my approach was everything in moderation also known as IIFYM (if it fits your macros) combined with moderate exercise. And while I managed to lose 13 lbs and keep it off, I still have and additional 25-30 lbs to lose. I know that counting calories is not a long term solution to weight maintenance for me. There is only so long that I can deal with the torture of daily food logging before I rebel (even with all of the convenient apps it is still a PAIN!!). So I was starting to look or a way of eating that would allow me the freedom to eat tasty food without the need to strictly count calories.
Paleo has been that way of eating. Now I am not currently a die hard Paleo fanatic and I'm not sure that I am convinced of the whole ancestral, evolutionary, grains are poisonous aspect of it, but I do think the focus on eating real foods is a good one. From the beginning I gave myself permission to be 75-80% compliant (my husband is doing very strict paleo for the challenge). I didn't want to obsess over the fact that my salad had conventional dressing or whether I shld use cream in my coffee so making room for 20-25% "non-Paleo" insured that I wouldn't drive myself crazy and quit.
We are now entering week 4 of the Paleo challenge and I can say that I can see continuing to eat in this way. I have tried soooooo many foods that would never have crossed my mind and I feel good about the foods we are eating. When I am eatig mostly real food, I don't get that super hungry feeling so many "diets" leave you with and when I feel deprived I take a while to determine what I'm truly hungry for and then I have it. I have become that elusive "healthy" consumer who shops the perimeter of the store. I am easing the kids into it - introducing them to one new food while keeping some of their kids favorites (mac and cheese...chicken nuggets) and they have been fairly receptive so far.
The weight loss aspect has been interesting - TMI warning - the first week I lost 3 lbs. It was mostly water weight as I noticed I was in the restroom a lot more but not drinking extra. The 2nd week I gained those 3 lbs back but that was also my period bloaty week. The 3rd week the period bloaty weight started to subside and I was down 2 lbs. Then finally this week - week 4- I am more bloaty and up almost 4 lbs. Well week four did start with Superbowl Sunday and a pretty epic non Paleo day and of course there were leftovers and that damn delicious maple nut fudge...but not 4 lbs worth. (oh yeah then there was the return to weight lifting...even more water weight) So the rest of this week will be a little more strict with the real foods and see if I can get back to that lovely low weight I saw in week 1.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
2013
2012 brought about some healthy changes and a little weight loss as well. In 2013 I will build on the foundation that I laid to bring me closer to my 40 and Fabulous.
2013 Goals
That's it as far as fitness. I do have an idea of what I'd like to weigh...around 150 lbs. I don't want to put a time limit on it. Time limits stress me out and lead me to either drastic measures or completely quitting. I learned a lot about myself last year and building on that this year is going to be interesting. I'm so excited!
2013 Goals
- Focus on the Food
- Weights, Weights, and more Weights
That's it as far as fitness. I do have an idea of what I'd like to weigh...around 150 lbs. I don't want to put a time limit on it. Time limits stress me out and lead me to either drastic measures or completely quitting. I learned a lot about myself last year and building on that this year is going to be interesting. I'm so excited!
Thoughts on 2012
For most people a new year inevitably brings one to reflect on the year that has just ended. I am no exception.
2012 was a pretty good year for me. It was a little slower than normal with work which allowed me more time to focus on the health and fitness side of things. Although I haven't posted here in a while I have continued my journey to a better me. So with that I would like to reflect on what worked in 2012, what habits I was able to establish and what things I want to focus on in 2013.
2012 Accomplishments
I also added a few healthy habits...more water, taking fish oil, taking probiotic, drinking Vitamin C Juice. These are things that I may fall off for a few days but I always pick them right back up.
I'll outline 2013 goals in my next post...
2012 was a pretty good year for me. It was a little slower than normal with work which allowed me more time to focus on the health and fitness side of things. Although I haven't posted here in a while I have continued my journey to a better me. So with that I would like to reflect on what worked in 2012, what habits I was able to establish and what things I want to focus on in 2013.
2012 Accomplishments
- Lost 13 lbs.
- Completed Diva Dash, Renegade Playground Challenge and DJ Henry 5K.
- Became an exerciser
I also added a few healthy habits...more water, taking fish oil, taking probiotic, drinking Vitamin C Juice. These are things that I may fall off for a few days but I always pick them right back up.
I'll outline 2013 goals in my next post...
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Diet Break
I have a pattern with dieting and exercise. The bad news is this pattern is responsible for me carrying an extra 25-35 lbs around for the past 5 years. The good news is I recognize the pattern (acknowledging the problem exists is half the battle) and I am putting things into place to change it.
I think I have gotten there with exercise...weightlifting is awesome. NROLW (New Rules of Lifting for Women) is super awesome. The first phase is kind of boring (8 weeks of the same, very simple workout makes me slightly batty - which is why I cut 2 weeks off this stage). But all the other stages are 4 weeks, which is PERFECT for my easily bored, exercise ADD self. Increasing weight is insanely encouraging for me and makes me want o do the workouts. I meet with the trainer every other week, which gives me my much needed accountability (this has to come from an external source-I suck at being accountable to me). The trainer thing has been good on so many levels - he encourages me to increase weight ( I wouldn't do this on my own), he helps me push through those last reps where it gets really hard and my brain is telling me to stop, and I work harder in my just me workouts because I know I will have to give an update the next week. It is expensive, but as I previously discussed - If we can spend $350+ on cell phones, cable and internet, then I can spend money on getting healthy and getting the body I want!
The diet part is a little more tricky. I know myself well enough to know that doing anything restrictive is a recipe for failure (hence the only diets I have ever done are WW and CalorieKing where I can eat whatever I want as long as I count the points/calories for it). The hard part for me isn't really the eating less...it is the tracking. But I also know that I MUST track during my fat loss phase. I am actually pretty good about maintenance (except in the winter - I really underestimate how much less I move when it's cold outside), but to lose requires me to see the numbers. So the problem..I get tired of tracking. I can be super gung ho and disciplined for about 2 months and then I fall of the tracking wagon.
I have been reading about planned diet breaks. Some studies have shown that if people implement a planned diet break (1-2 weeks) they have better long term results. It can also help with the dreaded plateau. The thought is it works because it gives you something to look forward to in those lower calorie weeks and that having a plan break makes it easier to get back on track after the break. It also helps combat the adjustment that your body makes when it gets use to the same level of calories and activity. There are a couple of things to keep in mind to make a diet break successful 1.) Plan the break - have a set start date and end date and stick to it. 2.)Try to eat at a maintenance level. This means don't use the break to eat everything in the pantry. 3.) If you have a lot of weight to lose, plan several breaks over the course of your fat loss journey.
So my diet break extends to not only upping the calories a bit, but also not tracking. My time period for break is one week. The current break ends on Sunday, April 29th. My next break will begin on Friday June 22nd and end on June 29th. Hopefully these breaks will help me continue tracking for the long haul. I think it might actually work I took an impromptu break at the end of February and was able to get back on track after that so it shouldn't hurt!
I think I have gotten there with exercise...weightlifting is awesome. NROLW (New Rules of Lifting for Women) is super awesome. The first phase is kind of boring (8 weeks of the same, very simple workout makes me slightly batty - which is why I cut 2 weeks off this stage). But all the other stages are 4 weeks, which is PERFECT for my easily bored, exercise ADD self. Increasing weight is insanely encouraging for me and makes me want o do the workouts. I meet with the trainer every other week, which gives me my much needed accountability (this has to come from an external source-I suck at being accountable to me). The trainer thing has been good on so many levels - he encourages me to increase weight ( I wouldn't do this on my own), he helps me push through those last reps where it gets really hard and my brain is telling me to stop, and I work harder in my just me workouts because I know I will have to give an update the next week. It is expensive, but as I previously discussed - If we can spend $350+ on cell phones, cable and internet, then I can spend money on getting healthy and getting the body I want!
The diet part is a little more tricky. I know myself well enough to know that doing anything restrictive is a recipe for failure (hence the only diets I have ever done are WW and CalorieKing where I can eat whatever I want as long as I count the points/calories for it). The hard part for me isn't really the eating less...it is the tracking. But I also know that I MUST track during my fat loss phase. I am actually pretty good about maintenance (except in the winter - I really underestimate how much less I move when it's cold outside), but to lose requires me to see the numbers. So the problem..I get tired of tracking. I can be super gung ho and disciplined for about 2 months and then I fall of the tracking wagon.
I have been reading about planned diet breaks. Some studies have shown that if people implement a planned diet break (1-2 weeks) they have better long term results. It can also help with the dreaded plateau. The thought is it works because it gives you something to look forward to in those lower calorie weeks and that having a plan break makes it easier to get back on track after the break. It also helps combat the adjustment that your body makes when it gets use to the same level of calories and activity. There are a couple of things to keep in mind to make a diet break successful 1.) Plan the break - have a set start date and end date and stick to it. 2.)Try to eat at a maintenance level. This means don't use the break to eat everything in the pantry. 3.) If you have a lot of weight to lose, plan several breaks over the course of your fat loss journey.
So my diet break extends to not only upping the calories a bit, but also not tracking. My time period for break is one week. The current break ends on Sunday, April 29th. My next break will begin on Friday June 22nd and end on June 29th. Hopefully these breaks will help me continue tracking for the long haul. I think it might actually work I took an impromptu break at the end of February and was able to get back on track after that so it shouldn't hurt!
Scale Drama
I pride myself on being all engineery and anaytical, but the scale reduces me to an obsessive moron. I have never cried over the number, but obsess and worry and eat cookies (or cupcakes) because of the number that pops up on that horrible little contraption, yup been there. That is why I swore off the scale last month...and then promptly reneged, not just because I have ZERO willpower, but because I keep reading fitness books that say you need that little number (or big number in my case) in your arsenal of measurements. Of course this is supposed to be taken in with the context of body measurements and how your clothes fit, but that number was my undoing last week.
So back to engineery me...I am the chick that reads the "oh my god I gained 1-2 lbs this week, this diet isn't working" and rolls my eyes. Don't they know that scale weight means everything that your body is composed of, including the water and the poo. Don't they know how many extra calories you need to consume to actually gain a pound of fat. Well I have been doing NROLW (New rules of Lifting for women) and I LOVE it. Lifting heavy weights is awesome!!! But lifting weights can also make you retain water as your muscles repair themselves (chemistry stuff about glycogen and water ratio's and what not). So it probably wasn't a good idea to set my weighin date for Thursday when I lift on Wednesday's. Moral of the story, up 4 lbs at weighin. The analytical me said "it's just water weight, you didn't eat nearly enough to gain 4 lbs in one week" however crazy obsessive me said "OH MY GOD THAT'S INSANE, you need a crash diet right now, how about a cleanse, you just undid 2 months of work, you suck, weightlifting sucks- you must stop" and I proceeded to hop on the scale every 16.5 minutes to see if it went away.
By Sunday I still carrying my lovely extra weight around and still freaking out about it when I noticed that although I had only had 1 cup of coffee, I was heading to the bathroom every 30 minutes. This made me completely estatic!!! Yay, my analytical brain was right, the water is finally leaving and the next day my weight was exactly what it should have been. Lesson 1. Don't weighin after weight lifting. Lesson 2. Ditch the scale - let the trainer measure body fat and weight once/month.
I still struggle with ditching the scale. I mean how else would I have known that the crazy CATZ workouts that left me sitting in my car wondering how I could possibly drive home, resulted in zero fatloss (not just based on the scale-my measurements didn't change either). No point in nearly killing myself for no gain. I also would never have known that I lost 1.5 pounds while on a cruise (which brought about my new move more movement). I think now that I can see a consistent downward trend (omitting the 4 lbs of water debacle from last week), maybe now is a good time to really let go of the scale for a while.
So back to engineery me...I am the chick that reads the "oh my god I gained 1-2 lbs this week, this diet isn't working" and rolls my eyes. Don't they know that scale weight means everything that your body is composed of, including the water and the poo. Don't they know how many extra calories you need to consume to actually gain a pound of fat. Well I have been doing NROLW (New rules of Lifting for women) and I LOVE it. Lifting heavy weights is awesome!!! But lifting weights can also make you retain water as your muscles repair themselves (chemistry stuff about glycogen and water ratio's and what not). So it probably wasn't a good idea to set my weighin date for Thursday when I lift on Wednesday's. Moral of the story, up 4 lbs at weighin. The analytical me said "it's just water weight, you didn't eat nearly enough to gain 4 lbs in one week" however crazy obsessive me said "OH MY GOD THAT'S INSANE, you need a crash diet right now, how about a cleanse, you just undid 2 months of work, you suck, weightlifting sucks- you must stop" and I proceeded to hop on the scale every 16.5 minutes to see if it went away.
By Sunday I still carrying my lovely extra weight around and still freaking out about it when I noticed that although I had only had 1 cup of coffee, I was heading to the bathroom every 30 minutes. This made me completely estatic!!! Yay, my analytical brain was right, the water is finally leaving and the next day my weight was exactly what it should have been. Lesson 1. Don't weighin after weight lifting. Lesson 2. Ditch the scale - let the trainer measure body fat and weight once/month.
I still struggle with ditching the scale. I mean how else would I have known that the crazy CATZ workouts that left me sitting in my car wondering how I could possibly drive home, resulted in zero fatloss (not just based on the scale-my measurements didn't change either). No point in nearly killing myself for no gain. I also would never have known that I lost 1.5 pounds while on a cruise (which brought about my new move more movement). I think now that I can see a consistent downward trend (omitting the 4 lbs of water debacle from last week), maybe now is a good time to really let go of the scale for a while.
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