Snack Attack!

It's 8:45pm and I just had strawberry yogurt with a few chocolate chips stirred in. (Okay, a few more than a few.)

It's not a terrible snack choice. But after three fun-sized candy bars throughout the day (leftovers from our bridal shower over the weekend), I probably didn't need the extra chocolate.

Somehow, though, I just couldn't resist. It's a habit I've created over the past 23 years. It doesn't matter that I had a very filling, very nutritious dinner at 7:00. It doesn't matter that I'll be getting up to have a protein-packed breakfast in less than nine hours. The before-bed snack is one habit I just can't seem to break.

I do so well throughout the day--an hour long workout, pre-planned meals and snacks, loaded with fruits, veggies, protein, and whole grains. But when B and I settle in for the evening with an episode of Dexter on Netflix, all I can think about is my evening snack. And just the yogurt wouldn't do--the chocolate chips are a must.

Katie, you're not even hungry, I tell myself. That backfires, though, as I spend the next thirty to forty minutes convincing myself that I am, in fact, hungry. However, as my spoon scrapes the empty plastic of another defeated yogurt container, I think to myself, Dang it.

Do you have a vice? A habit you just can't seem to break? Any suggestions for how to calm the urge?

Sticking with the Plan

"Unfortunately, everything the experts tell us about diet is aimed at the whole population, and we are not all the same."

~ The Scientist magazine

 

I thought I'd give you a quick update on my new fitness plan. Since my original blog post, I've met with my trainer twice more, and attended two more small group training sessions. Although I can definitely see an impact on my bank account, I've decided that trading two random clothing purchases for two personal training sessions is probably a pretty good swap--and definitely a healthier one.


I always thought that if I hired a personal trainer just once, then I could use the workout they created, well... forever. But, besides getting just plain bored, I would now insist that variation and progression is the key. Every time I do a workout, I try to tweak one thing--at least one thing--to make it a little more difficult. Maybe squeak out an extra push-up on every set, or increase the weight on a machine by five pounds. Or maybe I do an extra minute or five of cardio. This is all well and good, but it gets to a point where you're cranking out 5,000 reps of each exercise and running for 3 hours. And, personally, I like to change it up before getting to that point. That's exactly why I'm continuing to work with my trainer. Every two weeks, I get a brand new workout to try--and, again, one created for me, with my goals (wedding arms and Hawaii abs) in mind.

I've also tracked my food in my own food journal fairly regularly. If you're not a fan of calorie counting and tedious number crunching, I challenge you to just keep a food journal. It can be as simple as jotting down what you eat each day on a Post-It note. Or, you could keep it in a Word document. Or, heck, create a private blog and record your feasting. Somehow, just writing it down holds me enough accountable that when I spy a plate of Oreos in the teachers' lounge, I can pass it up.


Another thing that's helped me a lot is to set a goal each week (P.S., I don't think you should ever make your goal weight loss related, i.e. "Lose 2 pounds." Our bodies do crazy things when it comes to weight. You don't want a little water weight or salt retention to kill your motivation. Your goal should be something you control, not a little electronic box). Two weeks ago, my goal was to plan ahead. I actually went through my food journal and wrote in my "splurges" for the week ahead of time. Then, I could keep in mind when a certain event, occasion, or trip to Orange Leaf was coming up, and it would help me keep focus. Last week, my goal was to get my eight servings of fruits and veggies in each day. Alongside my journaling, I just numbered each serving to keep track. Plain and simple.


This week, my goal is back to plan ahead. That's one I have trouble with. I'm always happy to splurge, so if I work them out ahead of time, I have an easier time turning down other tempting goodies.


So far, I'm loving this easy-going plan. The scale is showing good news (I've lost about four pounds since the beginning of the year) and I've shrunk by a few inches (about 1.5 from my waist and hips at last measurement).


I'm not going to lie to you. I do have weight goal in mind for the wedding day. But, even more so, I want to feel like I'm at my best. So, if I'm not quite down to my secret number, I know that by continuing to be health-conscious and do what I know is right for my body, I'll feel strong, sexy, and confident as we start our married life.

Fit Bottomed Girls

I read this post (click on it, click on it!) on one of my favorite daily reads, and couldn't resist passing it along, as it's so in tune with the fitness posts I've been pounding out.

Those of you interested in all things diet and exercise should definitely add Fit Bottomed Girls to your list of surfable websites. I've just started reading them, and I'm hooked.

The Value of Co-Exercising

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. 

~ John F. Kennedy

Last week, you (my blog readers) got your first glimpse into the fitness-induced coma that has become my life. I explained to you that my life has not always been this way. Although I played a multitude of sports growing up, the Squeeze-Its and orange slices at the end of the game were by far my favorite part. And you can bet I'd never come home from a game sweaty or dirty; I quit softball as soon as we were expected to slide and get mud on our shorts. Being active was just not something I valued.


However, in high school I started doing Yoga at my church twice a week. Then, my freshman year of college, I started elliptical-ing almost regularly. But it wasn't until my WeightWatchers revelation in 2007 that I really made exercise a priority.

An interesting tidbit about my past is that I started WW exactly 3 weeks before my first date with B. I like this fact for a few reasons: one, I like that B was attracted to be before my "thin" days, and two, I view WW as a new chapter of my life--one filled with confidence and health--and I love that B has been a part of it since the beginning.

When B started visiting over weekends in Kirksville, we started going to the campus rec center together. I think back to those times and laugh a little inside, simply because we really had no idea what we were doing. I remember specifically B saying to me, "Okay, I'm going to go run a mile," and then taking off around the track at break-neck speed, toes turned out wide, nearly horizontal to the floor. Needless to say, 100 yards later, he was gasping for breath. "See?" he complained, "I just don't see how people run that far."

Slowly, we learned better. I started taking classes at the Student Rec Center, and B took some boot camp classes at our gym at home. We started swapping fitness advice and exercise ideas. 

In June 2009, I completed my first half-marathon, with B there to cheer me on. (In case you're interested, here's the training plan I used.)

 

In June 2010, he completed his first half-marathon, where I met him at the finish line (I ran the 10K).

We have yet to run a half-marathon together, but that's coming up in our first year of married life.

All of this rambling leads me to my points (Finally! you're thinking). B and I have an awesome thing going here. We're one another's motivators, supporters, and accountability partners. When we agree to meet at the gym before work at 5am, you can bet we don't stand each other up (right B???). And when one of us is tempted to be a couch potato on a Saturday afternoon, the other gets their butt up for a run. I drag B to Yoga classes, and he sometimes convinces me to give CrossFit a try. On days when we haven't seen each other all day, we meet at the gym with a killer ab workout to try together. We've found the best running routes or free gyms at any vacation spot we've ever visited.

I'm so grateful to have fallen into a partnership in which health and fitness are a priority. As long as we have each other, I have no doubt that B and I will continue our healthful habits.

Out with the Old, In with the New

You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance.

~ Lee Iacocca

I laughed when I chose this quote, because I thought about how it also applies to how B and I met (read more about that here)...

One of my goals before the wedding is to be at my optimal weight and in tip-top shape. Don't worry--this blog is not going to turn into a woman's bitter diatribes on calorie-counting and weight loss. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty turned off to calorie-counting.

About four years ago, I joined WeightWatchers, and was very successful. I still highly suggest WW to anyone who is just getting started on a weight-loss journey, or who needs a little guidance about what, exactly, makes up a healthy diet. Pre-WW, I would literally eat a Chipotle burrito as an after-school snack. I honestly just didn't know any better; I wasn't raised in a family where calories were ever talked about, and I had no concept of what was enough and what was way too much. WW was an eye-opening experience for me, and I was able to completely overhaul my eating habits. I'm proud to say I made a lifestyle change, and will never go back.

Before

After

Recently, however, the scale has slowly crept back up. As soon as I noticed an increase, I got right back in the door at WW--and gained four pounds. WHAT?! I was so frustrated. I was doing all the "right things"--sticking to my PointsPlus goal, working out, tracking all my food. But every time I'd step on the scale at a meeting, and the number was higher than the week before, the receptionist would give me a sympathetic look and whisper, "Rough week?" "NO!!!!" I wanted to scream, "I did everything perfectly."

Come January, after the holiday season, I decided I needed a new approach. So far, it's been working for me, so I'd like to pass it along.

Step One: Kick up my workouts

When I tell people I love to workout, they look at me like they know I'm lying. For the past four years, I've worked out five or six days a week without fail. Running, Yoga, Pilates, Spinning, Boot Camp, Zumba--you name it, I've done it, I've loved it. However, one thing I'm not so great at is pushing myself during a workout. I generally just make things up as I go along--a few bicep curls, a round of squats, run a few laps, 60 minutes on the elliptical... I lack direction. 

So, my first decision was to shell out the big bucks for a personal trainer. I was a little skeptical at first. What would she tell me that I didn't already know? I taught fitness classes in college, was certified in group exercise, and have devoured Shape magazine every month for three years. But what I gained from Lucy was a new mindset when it comes to working out: "If you're going to commit the time to working out, why not give it your all?" I know, I know. It's so obvious. But, honestly, it completely changed my attitude toward activity. I used to hop on the elliptical and move along at a moderate pace for an hour and call it a workout. Now, Lucy has me super-setting, running intervals on an incline, climbing the StairMaster, and more. She designs custom-made workouts that target my own personal needs (like toned arms for a wedding dress and a flat belly for Hawaii!). Let me tell you--it totally beats anything I ever did on my own or from a magazine. And, I'm seeing results already. It's been a month, and though the scale has only moved a couple of pounds, I've narrowed my waist and my hips by 1.5 inches.

Step Two: Consider my eating habits

I use the word "consider" here, because I don't believe in a complete overhaul of my diet, cutting all carbs, or follow some crazy "cleansing" fad. But I once read (don't ask me where) that maintaining a healthy weight is 20% exercise, 80% diet. Personally, I'd like to talk to whoever made that rule and see about reversing it.

My second decision was to stop counting points. Like I said before, I am not knocking WeightWatchers. It is a fabulous program that has taught me so much over the years. I just think I've outgrown it. I'd like to think of myself as a WeightWatchers graduate. Just like I wouldn't go back to high school and re-take all of my classes, it's time for me to go out into the world and put my knowledge to work.

So, what am I going to do now? I'm going to listen to my body. I'm going to eat when I'm hungry. I'm going to eat until I'm satisfied. I'm going to treat myself to that rum & Diet on a Friday night, and I'm going to go out for fro-yo with B--just not every night.

However, one key that I've learned from WW that I will continue to do is to track my food. For the past four years, every morsel I've put in my mouth, I've then written down, and I'm going to continue to do that. I'm not going to count calories, or points, or carbs, or grams of fat--I'm just going to write it down. For me, it's the accountability that is the key. My mantra will continue to be: "If you bite it, write it!" 

I put together a new tracking tool that I'd love to share with you. You can download it by clicking here (if this format doesn't work for you, shoot me an email and I'll get it to you). You'll notice that if you print the tracker front/back, each page is one week. You'll also notice that I choose to have my week start on Wednesdays. This is because I've found Wednesday mornings to be a good time for me to weigh in. I've given myself some time to "recover" from the weekend, and I can gear up with a healthy start before the next weekend. You might find that this doesn't work for you, so by all means, change it! Start your week on Monday, or Friday, or whenever you'd like.

I'd love to hear any questions, comments, suggestions you have on what's worked for YOU in the past!

Oh, and by the way, I totally believe in reward systems. So, what will my reward be when I get back to my feel-good weight?? An iPhone. Yay, Verizon, for finally jumping on the bandwagon!