Ahh, finally the last of the 'pig out' holidays are behind us...well except New Year's Eve but that one shouldn't be too bad. Truth be told, I didn't really do so bad on Christmas Day. I had my Shakeology, I did my Insanity, and with the exception of the key lime cheesecake and a few cookies and snack items, I made good choices and didn't overdo it. Then came yesterday....I started off with a veggie omelet and a tangerine but it was all downhill from there. I somehow got on a mission to eat any and all leftovers from Christmas -- the cookies, the cheesecake, the cheese and crackers, the chips and dip, the lasagna...um yeah, it was not pretty. Worst of all I didn't workout and I even missed my Shakeology! I woke up this morning at 5 a.m. feeling really ill. :( The good news in all of this -- there's nothing bad left to eat today! Hehe
Seriously though, I'm not worried about what I did yesterday. Sure, it was bad but it was one day! This one day is not going to cause the 80 lbs I lost to magically tack back onto me! I'm learning to break that all or nothing mentality I've had for the last few months because I'm tired of feeling guilty every time I eat something I know is not good for me. No one can eat perfectly all the time! What fun would that be? I'm not saying we should all go out and order everything off the McDonald's value menu but once in a while it is OKAY to have a cookie or a piece of cake or both... ;-D I know I will never let the one bad day turn into a week or a month or a year. I am always able to get right back to the healthy choices and exercise because I enjoy it and want to do it! It's not a chore to me, it's a lifestyle. This is what works for me. I have goals and plans and I will keep working toward them! You will never see me throw in the towel...I'm too stubborn for that! ;-D
So, it's on to my plans for 2011! I'm ready to start out strong with a Shakeology cleanse and a new program - TurboFire!! I've surrounded myself with a ton of accountability partners who are doing the cleanse and TurboFire with me so I will not fail! I'm going to reach my goal weight and I am going to get rid of the rest of the goo on my belly and see that six-pack once and for all! I'm going to take my beachbody business to the next level! I've got my eye on becoming diamond and I'm not taking no for an answer!! These are my goals and I'm not letting anything stop me! I didn't pick the name 'determinedlady' for nothing! :-D
P90X
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Some people just have all the luck...or do they?
Why is it some people have all the 'luck' and success with losing weight and some people 'try' over and over and never seem to get anywhere? I was pondering this last night while trying to get to sleep at 1 a.m.! I used to be in the latter category. I would cut calories and force myself on the elliptical a few times a week and yes, I would typically lose about 10-15 lbs but it would never stick! I always reasoned that I was just one of those people who wasn't meant to be thin; my metabolism was slow; I don't know how to exercise; I liked food too much...blah blah blah, excuse after excuse! So what changed? Why after all the failed attempts did I finally succeed this time? Obviously there are multiple factors but the key to all of it was my attitude! In the past I always went into trying to lose weight thinking it wouldn't work or that I would never get past my 'wall' of 185-190 lbs. I was setting myself up for failure before I even started! Why? I think it's a defense mechanism we all put into play - expecting the worst so we'll be less disappointed when our fears are confirmed. This time I decided that I wasn't going to think that way. I went into it thinking "I will" instead of "I can't." Once I had made this decision, I realized I couldn't go into it blindly just hoping it would work. I knew I had to take the time to learn and do things right!
So what are the biggest factors in weight loss aside from having the right attitude? Well, duh! Exercise and diet! Everyone knows that but if it were really that easy, 2/3 of America wouldn't be overweight or obese now would they? Here's one thing I've noticed in a lot of people - they think of exercise as torture! Now I'm not saying exercise is the most fun thing in the world but you should enjoy it when you do it! It should make you feel ALIVE! All your endorphins start flowing and you feel like you could take on the world! All of these feelings are what keep you coming back for more, kind of like an addiction. If this does not sound like how you feel about exercise then you should ask yourself these two things - is my exercise exciting and is it challenging? If you are dragging yourself onto the elliptical or treadmill everyday or you do the same 20 sit-ups and push-ups everyday, you are going to get bored and you're not going to feel challenged. This was my first 'A-ha' moment when I was figuring out why my previous attempts never worked. The first few days, I looked forward to getting on the elliptical or treadmill but as the days progressed I started to dread it more and more. It was BORING! Not to mention, my body was getting used to the movements making the exercise less and less effective. This led to my plateau; my 'wall,' and is where I would give up.
So now I know, I've got to change it up! Okay great, but what do I do? I don't know about you but I have trouble just randomly coming up with exercises to do or figuring out how to maximize my time on individual muscle groups. I knew I needed some guidance - basically to be told what to do and when to do it! Lol I started Jillian Michaels online program for just that reason. She broke it down by exercise, day by day, and I didn't have to think -- just get up and do it! Every day was different and I looked forward to seeing what was in store each day. It was great and I loved it but after about a year, I was starting to get a little bored. I had to change it up, find a new challenge and get excited about fitness again -- but what should I do? Flipping through the channels one day, I saw the P90X informercial. I had my usual skeptical feelings about it - most of the 'miracle' exercise things advertised are nonsense! The thing about P90X, though, was that they weren't advertising some crazy gadget. Instead it was about hard work getting you great results. Based on what I had just done with Jillian the last year, I knew this was legit and the idea of working with a live video rather than pictures on a computer screen was definitely more appealing. I was all set to get it until an Insanity infomercial came on right after that! After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I thought "now that looks like a challenge!" P90X would have to wait because Insanity was MINE!! I did Insanity and loved it but after awhile I, again, wanted something new. I went on to P90X for a new challenge and will be going onto TurboFire for the same reason. To summarize my entire crazy story, you have to keep your exercise interesting. Find something that challenges you and go for it! When it starts to get old, do something different! It's kind of like everything else in life -- you wouldn't read the same book over and over or eat the same meal night after night. Your body and mind crave something new and different, so change it up!
The other factor I mentioned is diet. I could write an entire book about this! Fortunately, other people have already done this! In fact, I just read through a great book that basically took all the things I've learned over the last year or two and put it all in one place! Go figure! The book is called The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged by Tosca Reno. If you are serious about getting your eating under control and understanding how different foods affect your weight loss, get this book! Here's a couple of the basic principles -- you have to eat to lose weight and you have to pick foods that are going to fuel your body. When I was cutting calories so many times in the past, I would skip meals and eat a lot of empty calories that didn't keep me full. I had the mentality that skipping meals would save me calories, not realizing that I was instead lowering my metabolism and making the calorie cutting pointless. I also fell victim to all the 'low calorie' snacks that had little nutritional value and always left me hungrier than when I started. When I changed over to eating meals every few hours and picking foods that were nutrient dense (i.e. fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats) I felt satisfied, energized, and the weight was flying off! This was my second 'A-ha' moment!
Now I know, there are no secrets to this weight loss thing. It's not that some people are 'lucky' and others aren't. It's just a matter of educating yourself and doing the work. All of those excuses that I used to have about not being meant to be thin, having a slow metabolism, not knowing how to exercise, not being able to resist food...that was just me not wanting to really try because it was easier that way. When has taking the easy way ever really led to anything great? With that in mind, I challenge you to start challenging yourself and take the time to learn!! I assure you it will be worth it -- it definitely has been for me! :-D
So what are the biggest factors in weight loss aside from having the right attitude? Well, duh! Exercise and diet! Everyone knows that but if it were really that easy, 2/3 of America wouldn't be overweight or obese now would they? Here's one thing I've noticed in a lot of people - they think of exercise as torture! Now I'm not saying exercise is the most fun thing in the world but you should enjoy it when you do it! It should make you feel ALIVE! All your endorphins start flowing and you feel like you could take on the world! All of these feelings are what keep you coming back for more, kind of like an addiction. If this does not sound like how you feel about exercise then you should ask yourself these two things - is my exercise exciting and is it challenging? If you are dragging yourself onto the elliptical or treadmill everyday or you do the same 20 sit-ups and push-ups everyday, you are going to get bored and you're not going to feel challenged. This was my first 'A-ha' moment when I was figuring out why my previous attempts never worked. The first few days, I looked forward to getting on the elliptical or treadmill but as the days progressed I started to dread it more and more. It was BORING! Not to mention, my body was getting used to the movements making the exercise less and less effective. This led to my plateau; my 'wall,' and is where I would give up.
So now I know, I've got to change it up! Okay great, but what do I do? I don't know about you but I have trouble just randomly coming up with exercises to do or figuring out how to maximize my time on individual muscle groups. I knew I needed some guidance - basically to be told what to do and when to do it! Lol I started Jillian Michaels online program for just that reason. She broke it down by exercise, day by day, and I didn't have to think -- just get up and do it! Every day was different and I looked forward to seeing what was in store each day. It was great and I loved it but after about a year, I was starting to get a little bored. I had to change it up, find a new challenge and get excited about fitness again -- but what should I do? Flipping through the channels one day, I saw the P90X informercial. I had my usual skeptical feelings about it - most of the 'miracle' exercise things advertised are nonsense! The thing about P90X, though, was that they weren't advertising some crazy gadget. Instead it was about hard work getting you great results. Based on what I had just done with Jillian the last year, I knew this was legit and the idea of working with a live video rather than pictures on a computer screen was definitely more appealing. I was all set to get it until an Insanity infomercial came on right after that! After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I thought "now that looks like a challenge!" P90X would have to wait because Insanity was MINE!! I did Insanity and loved it but after awhile I, again, wanted something new. I went on to P90X for a new challenge and will be going onto TurboFire for the same reason. To summarize my entire crazy story, you have to keep your exercise interesting. Find something that challenges you and go for it! When it starts to get old, do something different! It's kind of like everything else in life -- you wouldn't read the same book over and over or eat the same meal night after night. Your body and mind crave something new and different, so change it up!
The other factor I mentioned is diet. I could write an entire book about this! Fortunately, other people have already done this! In fact, I just read through a great book that basically took all the things I've learned over the last year or two and put it all in one place! Go figure! The book is called The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged by Tosca Reno. If you are serious about getting your eating under control and understanding how different foods affect your weight loss, get this book! Here's a couple of the basic principles -- you have to eat to lose weight and you have to pick foods that are going to fuel your body. When I was cutting calories so many times in the past, I would skip meals and eat a lot of empty calories that didn't keep me full. I had the mentality that skipping meals would save me calories, not realizing that I was instead lowering my metabolism and making the calorie cutting pointless. I also fell victim to all the 'low calorie' snacks that had little nutritional value and always left me hungrier than when I started. When I changed over to eating meals every few hours and picking foods that were nutrient dense (i.e. fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats) I felt satisfied, energized, and the weight was flying off! This was my second 'A-ha' moment!
Now I know, there are no secrets to this weight loss thing. It's not that some people are 'lucky' and others aren't. It's just a matter of educating yourself and doing the work. All of those excuses that I used to have about not being meant to be thin, having a slow metabolism, not knowing how to exercise, not being able to resist food...that was just me not wanting to really try because it was easier that way. When has taking the easy way ever really led to anything great? With that in mind, I challenge you to start challenging yourself and take the time to learn!! I assure you it will be worth it -- it definitely has been for me! :-D
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