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.