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Eating Habbits

I have been planning to write this blog for a while but every time I start I seem to get lost in what I am saying, so this may take more than one post. In my first session with my nutritionist I was shown a very complex program I would be using to record what I have been eating.  This program was absolutely amazing, and really easy to use, but what it showed me was where I was lacking in my diet.  As I mentioned before I was not eating enough calories, I had been eating around 1,600 calories a day and I should have been eating between 2,100-2,600 calories a day for maximum effectiveness. 2,100 calories would help me loose weight, 2,600 would maintain my weight (which I definitely didn’t want) so my goal was between 2,100 and 2,200 calories every day.  My second mistake eating three meals a day…I should have been eating three meals and three snacks a day.  Third I was not eating enough fat!  Fourth I was definitely not eating a balanced diet, I can’t even begin to explain how many of my vitamin counts for the day were off. 

My first question was why eating too little fat and too little calories was not allowing me to loose weight; eat less loose more, right?   Wrong, eating to little calories and fat actually forces your body to store fat and burn muscle, at least that is what I was told, and in theory it made sense.  Not eating enough calories and fat also makes you feel tired, worn out, and week.  That part made sense to me, because I was definitely tired and felt week.  Eating too little also makes you hungry more often, and when you eventually give in you over eat to compensate, and since your body still doesn’t trust that you are going to feed it correctly it stores the excess as fat. 

Eating more often can actually help with many of the problems discussed above, it will help with the feeling of being hungry, because you won’t be hungry, you will be eating.  Eating 6 times a day also allows you spread the number of calories you eat throughout the day so you can burn them off throughout the day, and will keep you from storing excess fat, because your body knows its going to get fed.  And the food you are eating will give you energy and help you make it through the day in good spirits.

Ok so now we know why we need to eat more and eat more often, and this probably sounds like a recipe for weight gain, and a successful one at that, so how do we make this into a weight loss program?  We eat smart.  I was lucky I had access to a very well equipped program when I started this, and I have learned a lot, but since slim down Columbus has ended and I don’t want to spend money to continue I am now doing it on my own.  Using a simple food pyramid can help you go a long way in realize what you should be eating each day.  I will try to find other sources and post links when I do.  Overall you want to eat a well balanced diet, which includes all of the following, fruit, veggies, grain, protein, diary and yes fat.  But we don’t want to over do any section.  The way it worked out for me I would have a source of protein with each meal, a veggie, and either a fruit or a grain with each meal, sometimes both.  I would also have one grain, one fruit and one veggie for my snacks.

Meal planning goes a long way in helping with success.  If you are like me it is really easy to eat healthy if you know what you are having for dinner, if I have to throw something together at the last min, I am more likely to grab what ever is the easiest and the closest and not care what it is. I would spend one day a week and make a plan for the next week.  I usually planned it so that I made enough to feed Elizabeth and I for dinner and I would have enough food left over for at least one lunch portion, where possible I would actually make enough that I could freeze some and eat it the following week when I knew I wouldn’t have time to cook.  Then I put my OCD to good use by measuring EVERYTHING.  If  my meal plan said I was going to have carrots for a snack X days of the week and as part of my meal X days a week I measured my carrots and put them in baggies, I used tape to mark the bags so I could re-use them, and I put them in the fridge so they were ready to go when I needed them. I probably looked like a crazy person but planning and preparing are key.  This was a huge part of my success, I don’t have time to spend a bunch of time every night to get things ready, but I could find time once a week.  I packed my lunch 95% of the time, and where possible I had things prepared in advance so I didn’t have to find time in the morning.  Find a plan that works for you and think ahead, it really does make it easier and the easier it is the more successful you will be. 

I would also look into a vitamin supplement; it is really hard to get all of the vitamins you should have in a day.  Going to a complete nutrition or GNC and talking to someone will help you find a supplement that is right for you and your goals. 

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Working Out

Getting exercise is an important part of becoming a healthier version of you, but not all of us are cut out to lift weights or go for a run, some of us just don’t like those things and some of us have injuries that may prevent us from certain activities. Before you start or commit to an exercise program please consider the following:

1.       Do a self evaluation:  What are you realistically able to do right now, both time wise and physically, be honest with yourself, you probably are not where you want to be but you can work up to it.

2.       Consider what type of work outs you like to do: Running is a great source of cardio and a great workout, but personally I hate to run…and I do mean HATE to run, and it is really hard to talk yourself into do doing something you hate to do.

3.       Will you be going to a gym or do you need a workout you can do at home? Going to the gym just isn’t an option for everyone and there are great workouts and videos you can do from the comfort of your own home even without equipment. ( my intent is to post more on these options later)

4.       Would you get more out of it if you worked out with a buddy or do you prefer going solo? This can be a huge part of success in a workout routine,  working with the correct partner can push you and keep you on track, just as easily as it can distract you and make it harder to stay on track.

If you find that going to the gym, running, or any of the typical workout solutions are not for you here are a few other ideas:

1.       Go for a walk-this can be a good excuse to get some time to yourself, or a great time to socialize with a friend.  You can make this what ever you want it to be.

2.       Consider doing a 30 day challenge, you can find them all over the web and they range from a sit up challenge to squat challenges, and don’t take too much time out of your day to accomplish

3.       Hula hoop! Surprisingly enough studies have shown that one minute of hula hooping can burn as many calories as step aerobics.

4.       Go dancing, dance at home, or take a dance class. 

5.       Canoeing or kayaking, this can be a fun family event or simply a girls day out, again its all about what you make of it.

6.       A good winter activity-Ice skating!

7.       Not a fun activity but  a calorie burner none the less-House cleaning or yard work