Trans4ming my eating as I’m trans4ming my body,
trans4ming my mind, and trans4ming my life
Diet vs exercise---bottom line:
No exercise or diet program = 0 pounds lost/probably gain
Exercise only programs = 4.4 pounds lost
Diet only program = 15.8 pounds lost
Both programs combined= 19.8 pounds lost
It may look like exercise is not as important as diet in weight loss. However, there’s a lot more to the story than that!
No exercise or diet program = 0 pounds lost/probably gain
Exercise only programs = 4.4 pounds lost
Diet only program = 15.8 pounds lost
Both programs combined= 19.8 pounds lost
It may look like exercise is not as important as diet in weight loss. However, there’s a lot more to the story than that!
I affirmed the usual statistics way back when I tried to lose weight for my daughters’ weddings. I exercised my tail off—not exactly the right kind of exercise I realize now---- but I worked hard on it at the gym every day! My big mistake? Not changing my eating habits. Thus, I put on muscle under the layers of fat and my body just got bigger!! Not what I had hoped! Pretty discouraging at the time trying to fit into my mother of the bride dresses!
The other side of the coin---all diet and no exercise has resulted in baggy saggy skin or lots of wiggle-jiggle for some of those who have lost the weight! --- Not to mention lack of muscle tone, strength, and stamina to name only a few missing results. I've heard it called the skinny-fat! When someone is thin and looks great in clothes, but is all flabby underneath.
For me, the diet was critical, but I do not discount exercise at all. Both the diet AND the exercise SHOCKED my body those first few months. Over the past 10 months as I have taken off over 60 pounds, the shape of my body has changed dramatically. I’ve never had narrow hips and thighs even at my smallest. I had this very small waist---23” when I got married, but hips that were way out of proportion to it! I believe they call it a pear shape! lol
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| Best boot camp ever!! Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance 1222 Bronson Way N, Suite 250 |
I mention all of this because my focus in this blog is on diet and I don’t want to minimize the importance of the boot camp workouts. That said, we will get to the point of Trans4ming our eating!
I followed a plan called ‘green faces’—a high protein/low carbohydrate eating plan. NOTE: This is not an easy eating plan because of the difficulty of compliance. It worked for me, but I am now branching out to add more carbs and even more variety to my eating. What really worked for me at the time is that it is simple and easy for me to use. It was trial and error for me when I started. I had a list of foods to eat and ones to avoid. I had the verbal and a bit of written instructions concerning some of the how-to’s, but for the most part I had to figure out how to get it to work for me.
My daughter Rebekah was helpful in making some suggestions and others I just had to find out for myself. This trial and error process helped me learn how to personalize the plan for my needs and my lifestyle. Following are four key factors that after 3 different Transformation Weight Loss challenges have made a big difference for me. You can learn from my mistakes & successes and avoid some of the struggles I experienced!
The biggest challenge for many in following ‘green faces’ is that of being 100% compliant during the first 21 days of the plan. There is such a mind shift needed and the potential for slip ups that totally cancel the good of those 21 days. Some of the instructions I read told me to start over on the 21 days if I didn’t stay 100% compliant. 100%--not even a single bite outside the plan! Can you imagine getting to day 15 and having to start over???? That in itself was pretty motivating to do it right!
I had to be a bit gentle on myself since that first 21 days I unwittingly included items not allowed! But I did my best staying very compliant even while on a 2 ½ week trip. The next time I did the 21 days a couple of months later, I was totally compliant!
I have heard it said that if you do not see results in those 21 days you are not doing it right! You may swear up and down you were 100% compliant and you feel that you just happen to be the exception to the rule! We all want to be special don’t we??? !!! LOL The following suggestions will work for any good eating plan. They are basic to what we should be doing anyway!
One big question: “Did you write down EVERYTHING you ate??? Usually not. Did you ask someone who would tell you the truth to hold you accountable? I’ve been told “I can’t journal—I can’t write it down.” My response? Then you’re not serious about regaining your health and fitness—you’re not desperate enough yet. Sorry—but that’s just the hard truth! You needed to hear that!! And, by the way, just how has doing it your own way worked for you so far?
By this time in my life, I was desperate. I didn’t have much hope left and if this didn’t work, I felt like I was relegated to a life of obesity! Yes obesity! That is a hard word for me, but my weight, even with my tall stature had crossed over into OBESITY. Yes, I was desperate! And I was willing to do whatever was required to make it work whether it was convenient or not; whether I liked it or not; whether it made sense to me or not!
So here are 4 Trans4ming factors that helped me start my new way of eating--the diet component of loosing weight:
1. I learned that frequency of eating is as important as what I eat. In the first days of adjusting to my new way of eating, I set a timer so I would eat every 3 hours. If I didn't, it would be 5 hours later and I was busy doing something else! This is a total deal breaker in resetting the metabolism and getting on track to take off pounds! Once my stomach got used to regular eating, it now tells me when it's 3 hrs!
2. I make a point of eating something within the first hour of getting up. Since I need to take a thyroid med on an empty stomach, I have those set out with water in the bathroom so that when I get up I take those meds. This makes it possible for me to eat pretty quickly upon rising for the day.
3. I drink LOTS of water. I started with at least 8/10 cups daily and this last weight loss challenge I kicked it up to 16 cups—I keep track with a check off system in my food journal.
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| Glass of water ready on the window sill |
· To get these in, I drink a quart of water first thing in the morning. On boot camp days--M-W-F and Sat. I drink my 3 cup water bottle during and right after boot camp as well.
· I drink 2 cups before each meal/snack! Limit my water after 8 pm to not have myself up all night!! LOL--NOT funny at 12, 2 or 3 AM !
· I drink 2 cups before each meal/snack! Limit my water after 8 pm to not have myself up all night!! LOL--NOT funny at 12, 2 or 3 AM !
· I keep a full 17 oz. glass on the kitchen window sill. It’s easier for me to drink a filled glass than to stop and fill it first. As soon as I empty the glass I refill it immediately! Leave it full last thing at night as well.
· I use glass. There’s something about plastic that just makes it hard to drink all the water I need.
4. Plan, Plan, Plan! I have been most successful when I have written out my menu for the week. For me, simple is better.
· I develop my shopping list from the menus. These menus can be repeated every other week or so. I shop one day and cook the next day, packaging everything for easy access. When I'm hungry, I might grab whatever is handy whether it’s healthy or not!
· I zip loc package a peeled hard boiled egg with some cucumber slices or snap pea pods and store in the frig. I can grab it very fast if I have to run out the door quickly. It's amazing what can suddenly require me to go someplace on the spur of the moment and derail my plan!
· I always have my water bottle full for the same reason.
· During a contest I record my food intake. It’s good for me to do this whether in a contest or not because I find it pretty easy to lose track of what I'm eating if I don’t record. My journal is very visible on the kitchen counter!
I hope these first 4 points will make a difference in your success.
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| Water bottle ready to go!! |
Next time I will share the following:
- What do I actually eat?
- What's on my grocery list?
- How do I shop?
- What recipes work for me?
- What are my steps of preparation?
On second thought, I probably won’t be able to share quite all this at once!!! But keep checking back in and I will continue showing you how this baby boomer grandma is making it work. Until next time, may God richly bless YOU!
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