So I was just running a little test on how much of an influence food makes on weight loss results! (actually I was just really hungry and out of whack and couldn't stop eating for 3 weeks straight)!!! I have been exercising 6-7 days a week for 30-120 minutes a day (most days were 30-50 minutes) at a medium to high intensity (still following my RevAbs plan plus Turbo Kick and PUMP). I have been eating good food (very little processed food, minimal added fats or sugars) just LOTS of it! I have been constantly hungry and I was finding myself searching through the freezer, fridge and pantry for snacks. I found nuts (unsalted), cookies (whole wheat), low fat vanilla and plain yogurt, cereal, P90X protein bars, fruit! My saving grace has been that I don't have a plethora of unhealthy foods in my home. I have been drinking my Shakeology plus having salads and lots of veggies too.
What has eating large volumes of even healthy food for 3 weeks done to me?
I have gained back the 4 pounds I lost in the first week of RevAbs plus an extra 3 pounds (and I think it is all on my belly)!
I have felt tired and lethargic (yet when I force myself to exercise I have plenty of energy to get it done), I just don't FEEL my usual energetic self.
I have been moody and grumpy (although that could have something to do with my daughter being very temperamental lately).
It has set me back from where I want to be!
People see me as a fit person who eats well, exercises and has no challenges to be that way! The truth is, I have many challenges! I love cupcakes, I love chocolate, I love pizza, but do you know what I love more? I LOVE my clothes fitting nicely without being tight around my belly, I LOVE wearing a dress without control top pantyhose underneath, I LOVE being proud of showing my arms in a sleeveless dress or shirt...and most of all I LOVE feeling strong, healthy and powerful! I love how I feel after a good workout because I have found workouts that I truly enjoy!
So yes! I make sacrifices to be and feel healthy, and writing this has actually inspired me to refocus back on my nutrition because dang, my pants were snug this morning and I HATE that!
Please read my posts, join me on Facebook and on my Get Fit With Nicola page on FB! I will be following some nutrition plans on the Beachbody site which you can find by joining as a club member, or you can just join for FREE and contact me through the site and I would love to help you too! I will also be posting some of my favorite meals I uncover in the nutrition guides from some of the Beachbody programs I have at home! March is well under way and summer is right around the corner! I am ready to bring it, will you join me?
It is amazing that a mere 20 minutes of hard exercise 6 days a week can help you reach your physical peak in 60 days! No added weights, no equipment...just plain hard work! This is what I am learning while doing Insanity.
I think this shows that people typically don't work to their potential when they exercise! A walk on the treadmill, a short run, a few weights...sure that is OK on a rest day! Or if you are just trying to add a touch of fitness to your world! A great way to judge how hard you are working is not the number on the treadmill, not the number on the weight, not the number on the scale, but the number, on a scale of one to ten, that you feel you are exerting energy- your Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). One being sitting on the couch, 10 being very high heart rate, can't catch your breath...over the top exertion. In the same activity one person's RPE may be 5 while another's is 8. It is very dependent on your fitness level, your endurance, your health! So don't look at how hard the person next to you is working and think that will work for you...think about what you are doing and how you feel and if you can push yourself that little bit harder. If you get exhausted you can stop and take a little break...you will recover and carry on...if you don't push yourself to a point you need a break, maybe you didn't push yourself far enough!
Slow and easy can definitely get you results, there is no doubt about that, but for most people time is an issue! I don't have time to spend an hour and a half exercising 5 days a week! So my choice is to work as hard as I can for the time I have allotted in my calendar for that day! Planning ahead to meet your goals!
Sometimes it is at different times each day as I have a specific class I would like to attend or a friend I would like to work out with! That goes in the calendar! Right now I have dedicated myself to a program which is approximately 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week. I will also have Turbo Kick and my Bakersfield Loser class on Wednesday night! For me, that is a lot!!! But you just need to find what works for you "right now" to reach whatever goals you have set for yourselves! Then you adjust again when you need to.
If you would like any personalized encouragement, please contact me through my beachbody site or would like to ask questions on my message board, I would be more than happy to help you figure out what will work best for you!
So January 2010 is about to wrap up...have you accomplished what you had hoped to in the first month of the decade? Did you have some goals or resolutions you made on January 1st? Maybe you are well on your way to conquering them...maybe you have slipped up a bit along the way, but there are still 11 more months to go! It is difficult to adjust to change. Whether it is fitness, nutrition, behavior, habits...we like to do what we like to do. So the trick is to change what you like to do! Sounds easier than it is!
You need to find new things that you like that help you work towards your new goal or resolution! If running isn't your thing, maybe you can manage the elliptical at the gym? Maybe if step class isn't your thing you can try TurboKick (had to plug myself ;)). Is there a sport you loved in highschool? Look for a team to join.
Eating is a similar predicament. You love french fries? Try baking thinly sliced sweet potatoes, add a touch of olive oil and salt and bake in the oven...even better, try zucchini baked this way! You love the convenience of drive thrus? Find out what your safe options are. These aren't only salads (btw if you get a salad go easy on the dressing they provide). Do you hate vegetables? Try Shakeology.
You may have to work a tiny bit harder but aren't you worth it? Isn't your health worth it? Try a little harder now, soon it will become habit, and you are well on your way to a happier and healthier lifestyle. Learning to love to eat healthy will add years to your life, learning to love to exercise will add even more! And these will be quality years!
The only person who can decide to do it is you, the only person who can keep you accountable is you, the only person who get you out of bed every morning is you! I can help encourage you, I can help push you at the gym...but only if you make the choice to help yourself!
So keep going, you are on your way to the finish line :)
If you would like regular encouragement sign up with beachbody and make sure nicolabx is your coach that's me). Let me know what you need and I will be more than happy to help you!
I am going to focus my blog on good nutritional choices this week as what goes into your body can effect 70% of your results if you are exercising regularly!
