Why Small Victories Matter!

Hello friends! Back on the wagon after a long hiatus and ready to dish my feelings, current exercise faves, as well as some diet tips and healthy food alternatives, too!

Near the end of what I've been calling "Hardcore Cardio Week" (which, by all means, is probably puny to fitness buffs and the like), I hit an emotional stumbling block. So, here goes -

I've been doing at least an hour of high-intensity cardio per day since Monday, which is big for me because I live at a very high altitude and my lungs are wimpy from lack of heavy-duty cardio. But enough excuses, I have actually done four straight days of 1-2 hours of heart-spazzing cardio each day, paired with healthy diet, and have seen nearly 3 pounds come off in just 4 days. To me, this is BIG. This is exciting! I just started getting back on the wagon after an 8-pound weight gain and three pounds is like WAHOO! Right?

Wrong.

When I said to a friend this morning, "Guess what?? Another 1.6 pounds today!", I got a snicker and a smirk and a look that crushed all my good feelings, followed with a "weight fluctuates" kind of statement.

Weight fluctuates?? Really?! I had no idea...

Guess what? Weight may fluctuate from day to day, but it can also set a standard for you. If you step on that scale tomorrow and have a higher weight than the day before, it tells you to maybe lay off that midnight slice of cake and cup of whole milk. It tells you that maybe you need to try harder, it HELPS YOU BE MINDFUL. If you get on the scale and see you are a pound lighter, then freaking CELEBRATE! You are a pound lighter, even if it may be water-weight or a fluctuation. It makes you feel better, it makes you strive for one more pound, then one more, and one more!



SMALL VICTORIES MATTER, so celebrate them! You can do it, and I can too!

Gym-A-Phobe

That's me.

Five weeks into my first ever diet/weight-loss regime (with a few failures along the way), and I have yet to go near the gym. Which is really very sad. I'm sure that if I had been exercising regularly I would have lost a whole lot more than just 7 pounds. Sure, I've got constant calisthenics going on and random bouts of jumping jacks, but it's just not really cutting it. What I need is something that will push me hard - something I'm going to absolutely hate...but love afterward.

Le gym.
...The very same gym I've had a paid membership at for months now.
...The very same gym I've never ever used.

A bit pathetic, I know, but Monday morning at 5:30 AM is going to change everything.

Hello, Bootcamp! I am SO scared to meet you!

Even so - I'm going to do it. And I'll probably be so out of my comfort zone that I'll want to cry, I'll look awkward and weak, but hey - I've got to start somewhere right? Plus, I've been afraid of gyms for so long that it's about time I cross that barrier once and for all. It's just that...in my head all women at the gym look like this:

...And actually know how to use the machines and whatnot. Then there's me, in my loose t-shirt and too-huggy stretchy pants, somehow getting my head stuck in a leg machine. Lol. (Just an example - but it wouldn't surprise me) But then I heard about our local Crossfit-inspired training, aka "Bootcamp", and I was intrigued. It's comforting to know that there are no weight machines, no mirrored walls, and that everyone goes their own pace - albeit, you're supposed to crank the workout as quickly/efficiently as possible with minimum to no resting. Still - there's no one hovering over you - you have to push yourself.

Taken from the Crossfit Draper website:

What is Crossfit? It’s an effective fitness program consisting of constantly varied, functional movements executed at high intensity.

That said - it's a given that this thing will kick my trash, but that's the point. I need a serious dose of motivation and Bootcamp is guaranteed to make me work harder than I do on my own.

So...time to just suck it up and jump in.
(Wish me luck.)

Links about Crossfit!
http://crossfit.com/
http://www.crossfitdraper.com/about/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzD9BkXGJ1M

Getting Started

Attitude: You want to be fit and healthy? Great! Only you can do this for yourself, no one will do it for you. So take a big breath, a shot of determination and jump on in. It may get harder at first, and cravings will most likely be fierce, but if you stick with it things will get easier. It will become second-nature, it might even become an obsession but as long as you're using all that motivation to better yourself, I say bring it on! And most of all, if you really want this - don't give up. So you messed up and ate like a pig this weekend; who cares? You know that's not how you want to roll any more and you can give it a better shot tomorrow. Have a good attitude about healthy eating and exercise, be open to change and don't be afraid to try something new. This is within your power to achieve, and with the right attitude I know you can do it!

Grocery List: It's a good idea to start here. On your next big grocery trip, take that list of things you need to get and strike out anything that's going to be a challenge for you. Also strike anything that can be substituted with a healthier alternative, such as: soda, white bread, fatty dairy milk, snacks, sweets, flour tortillas, processed foods, fruit juices, etc. Add things like unsweetened almond milk, whole wheat or whole grain bread, wheat or corn tortillas, oatmeal, lite salad dressing, dark greens, sweet potatoes, lemon pepper, chicken and fish, whey protein powder, flax, low-sugar yogurt, raw almonds, a scale, etc. Fill your home and pantry with healthy foods, and not only will your diet have more success, but the entire family will benefit from it.

Keep It Handy:  Say you had a bowl full of M&M's on the kitchen counter all day, chances are that by the end of the day they'd be gone. The same principle applies with healthy snacks. If you had a de-boned rotisserie chicken and celery sticks at-the-ready in your refrigerator, and being mindful that you want to change, chances are that you'd reach for something healthy and handy over a handful of chips or candy. Keep your healthy snacks ready-to-eat because when those cravings hit, I know, things get crazy. Instead of caving, try reaching for a handful of air-popped popcorn, a stick of sugar-free gum - and chase that snack down with a full 8 ounces of water! Keeping water handy not only increases you chances of getting that "8 cups per day" recommendation, but it tricks your stomach and decreases appetite.

Track It: I have had a lot of success tracking my calories online and I would highly recommend everydayhealth.com. There's not always time in a day to fill in all my foods and beverages ingested - but it's eye-opening and it keeps you mindful, both of what you eat and how fattening/healthy it is for you. If you're too busy to track your calories with a caloric calculator, at least start paying attention to calories, fat and (the biggie) sugar. Scribble notes about your eating patterns and how you're feeling - all this knowledge will only help you achieve your goals.

Be Healthy:  Because that's what it's all about, right? Sure, we all want to be skinny, but loss of longevity and health is no substitution for cheating your way to being thin. Eat healthy foods, eat when your hungry (not when your bored - which was a biggie for me) because hunger comes from your body's need for food! We all know what's good for our bodies and what's bad, so use your knowledge as a roadmap and try to stay on course. Make your muscles work, make your heart pound, sweat - feel alive. This is what your body was made for, so make dieting and fitness decisions based on what's best for you and don't get too extreme about it.

Treat Yourself: I would absolutely die if I could never have a slice of cheesecake again because I'm now a healthy-eater. Lol. It's okay to treat yourself, it's okay to cave in - even when dieting! While I don't believe in having a "free-day" each week like some regimes justify, but I think there's no harm in having a little of what you love if you really, really want it. Not every day and not in massive portions, of course, if you're trying to lose weight or trying to train your palate - but once in a while it's okay to give in to a craving. Don't beat yourself up, just take it for what it is - enjoy every moment of that small indulgence and then move forward.

Be Happy: Celebrate those small victories! Did you come in under your sugar and calorie limit? Awesome! Tell someone about it! Did you weigh-in .4 pounds less than yesterday? Sweet! That's a change for the better, even if it is small. It's proof that something's working, and it's motivating to no end! Be happy that you are taking control of your life, changing your habits and becoming a better you!

Fail

What is it about 4pm? 


4pm takes all my motivation and throws it out the window. And also, what is it about grocery stores? Really. Before you know it you've bought two dozen donut holes and a bag of deep-fried jalepeno poppers, then you're home shortly after and have justified eating all of it. I wish that was just an example, but that's what actually happened yesterday. In fairness, I ate about a dozen and my boy ate the rest. 


...See what a good example I am to him?


SNACKY. Why do I have to feel so snacky all day? And why are the afternoons so brutal? I can hold off and do fairly well all day - and then late afternoon hits and I turn into the human equivalent to a wood-chipper, just shredding through the food and the fat and the calories.

I went over my calories yesterday and so, in regular fashion, I didn't track any foods from 4pm on - and that helped me justify my poor eating habits. "I already ruined my diet today, so I might as well eat what I want." Why do I do this? Do I not realize in the food-frenzy of the moment how absolutely stupid that line of thought is?

And so, I resolve to TRACK. When I track I'm more mindful. So yes, even if I go over by a dozen donut holes - I will freaking TRACK it, then feel gross and be determined not to EVER have a dozen donut holes in one sitting again. Everything in moderation - that's my new motto.

So here comes day 2 of the new me - and let's hope that I can keep things under control. 

Diving In

I guess this first post requires an explanation, no? I'm an all-around food lover and eater-of-much. I'm a thirty-something spunky mother of one. Yes, I'm private about my personal life, so there will be no details about my home life, no pictures of my kiddo with a macaroni-orange-face, no bragging about how my hubby and little fella are the most amazingest ever (though they are, which maybe ought to be stated just this once, lol), and no mushy-gushy emotional goop. If you're looking for that, then I'm sorry, too-personal how-my-day-went blogs are a dime a dozen and I'm sure you'll find one that suits you just wonderfully.

As for my blog, though, I intend to stack it with helpful, motivating and fun ways to not only get fit, but get healthy overall. This blog will also track my progress because, shoot, it motivates me to write my feelings, accomplishments and even failures all down. To keep myself accountable, you will be hearing if I ate an entire cheesecake (which, oh my gosh, I hope never happens). I resolve to be a healthier version of myself, to lose a little weight through diet and exercise, to get tone, and to take pride in my reflection - and not just because I look smokin' (which I intend to, for sure), but because I know I have made good changes in habit and attitude!

Here's to a better me, and a better you! Here's to a healthier lifestyle!
Ready? Set? Go!