But I'm So Hungry!

My biggest issue post-workout is to not grab the most readily available food in my path because while I try extremely hard to keep fresh fruits and veggies in the house at all times; I'm a mommy on a tight budget. And as grocery day nears you are less and less likely to find the good stuff—or much of anything that doesn't have to be cooked—in my golden pantry. 

That said, I've tried to make sure I always have a low-calorie protein shake available so I don't launch myself towards that granola bar, or worse, that box of Cheez-Its because I know that would be like a giant eraser to my theretofore productive exercise day. 

Most of us who have hit the dreaded plateau are always looking for ways to continue progressing in the healthiest way possible, but I've often found that it's the simplest of solutions that can sometimes offer you the best way out of a doldrum. 

For instance, do you know how many calories you're actually burning? Sure, there are calorie-counters on bikes and ellipticals and the Fitness Pal app has plenty of guesstimates at what you burn doing everyday tasks as well as actual exercises, but the truth is neither you nor I are likely burning anything close to what we think we are:

..."People grossly overestimate how many calories they burn during exercise, especially when they think it's high intensity," says Eric Doucet, Ph.D., a human kinetics professor at the University of Ottawa. It doesn't help when your boot-camp instructor says each class blasts 1,000 calories (a total exaggeration) or you check the counters on cardio machines (ellipticals have been reported to overestimate expenditure by 42 percent).  

"Estimating calorie output can be an inexact science," says Georgie Fear, a registered dietitian for Precision Nutrition. That's because it involves factors like age, weight, body temperature, metabolic rate, and hormonal changes (to name a few) that are complicated, difficult to track, and ever fluctuating. Many cardio machines, for example, factor in just age and weight—and are calibrated for men. What's more, at higher intensities, or as the machines get older, the readouts may become less accurate. 

So basically what you're likely doing by eating big after going big is negating every calorie you've burned in the process—and possibly tacking on a few unkind ones in the process.

The safest bet is to keep it simple. Prepare your post-workout snack before you actually workout and try to increase your training efforts as much as possible; really challenge your limits and see where that takes you.

We are always capable of more than we think and if progress is what you're looking for, you're going to have to work hard to get it.

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Be Realistic

I have a pet peeve and some people might call it a rather obnoxious pet peeve, but it's a pet peeve nonetheless; I hate impatience where losing weight is concerned. People always seem to forget getting fit and losing weight is a process, and look opt for the easy way out; but that's the worst approach to fitness you can take because fit takes time.

While I continually strive for my own version of a goddess body, I have never in my life ingested a supplement (outside of vitamins) or subscribed to a fad diet—no Atkins, no Grapefruit Diet, no South Beach, no Zone...nothing, Nathan, nada—I simply don't believe in any of that stuff.

Now, I know what some of you might be saying, "good for you, but you've probably never lived outside of a size six in your life"; not true.

Despite maintaining an exercise regimen and a fairly decent diet, I still managed to gain better than 40lbs with my first child. And after he was born, I did not dive back into my routine right away  because I was too busy and overjoyed being a new mommy. I didn't have the time or the motivation to do anything more than a little yoga—and not even that was on a regular basis.

That said, once I finally did find the motivation to get things going again, I knew I had my work cut out for me because not only had I gained weight, but I'd lost muscle tone and definition. All the hours spent in gyms and on great eating habits officially went down the drain between my son's birth and the birth of our second child—a span of roughly 2 1/2 years.

However, once I got going again, I did so with one very important fact in mind: it took you three-years to get here, it'll take you at least that long to get back. And trust me, that wasn't an easy fact to accept. I certainly wanted to reach for that quick fix—I won't lie, it crossed my mind for a nano—but I knew that would be temporary and, as you know, my personal philosophy is "fit is forever". So I started slow and set realistic goals along the way and now, three-years removed from that personal pep talk, I am further along than if I'd never started.

You cannot be discouraged about what you're not losing. You have to be real with yourself and set reachable goals. That's the only way you'll stick with it.

And remember...take your time.

 

You Mean It Doesn't Matter When I Eat?

I love reading informative fitness articles, even when they touch on things that I already know after years of self-study, and the link below should be a bookmark on everyone's laptop because it is an invaluable resource to anyone who is either just starting out or considers themselves to be somewhat informed. 

It speaks of the "26 Myths..." of fitness and two in particular are heard by me on a regular basis:

...Myth #1 – If you eat after 7 p.m. you will gain weight.

Truth: Energy balance determines your bodyweight. If your energy intake (food and drink) is greater than your energy expenditure, then you will gain weight. If your energy intake is less than your energy expenditure, then you will lose weight. What time of night you eat does not make you gain weight!

G-Tip: I would suggest decreasing your carbohydrate intake later in the day and into the night when you are less active. Eat lean proteins, fiber and fats.

Myth #2 – If you are a woman and you lift weights, you will get bulky.

Truth: Women do not have enough natural testosterone to build large muscles. You will only get harder, leaner and firmer! Lifting weights will also help you burn calories and fat— during and after your workout.

G-Tip: Lifting weights is an essential component in any fitness program. No matter what your goals are, lifting weights will help build not only an amazing, well-sculpted, firm body, but keep you strong and build overall confidence and self-esteem!...

...Myth #10 – The best time to exercise is in the morning.

Truth: The best time to exercise is based on you. Some people are “morning people” and find they are most productive before noon. If this describes you, then you should exercise in the morning. However, others, whether through personal preference or due to their schedules, find it easier to work out in the afternoon or evening. This is what they should do. You will build the same amount of muscle in the morning or in the evening.

G-Tip: There are theories about when is the best time to do this or do that and everyone has their beliefs. For everyday lifestyle living, the bottom line is to get in your daily workouts no matter if that means you do so in the morning, afternoon or evening. Everybody's lives and schedules are different so you have to do what is best for you.

And that's just a few of the common misconceptions.

Personally, I've always heard the one about when to not eat and wondered how much sense it made simply because, like the article states, just because it's past 7 doesn't mean your day has ended. You could conceivably burn just as many calories in your nighttime activity (dancing, playing a sport, swimming, running, or otherwise) as you did during the day.

Quite frankly, during the summer months, when the days are longer, it's not unusual to find me in the yard or out and about.

So it makes sense that you would eat according to what your body needs but just resolve to eat smart. 

I highly suggest giving the link a look if you're even a little curious as to how many of those tried and true "facts" of fitness you might still be hanging onto for yourself. You might be surprised what you find.

26 Fitness Myths Revealed

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Abs: They Take Time and Patience

If I could take a pill that would take my mid-section from what it is to what I intend it to be—minus the 1,000's of crunches and pain-inducing planks and ab workouts—believe me I would. However, even I know that these things take time and a lot of patience.

Keep at it, you'll get there if you stay the course and keep working hard.

Source: google.com via Kimberley on Pinterest

Don't Listen To That Negative Voice In Your Head

The question I get the most from family and friends is, "how do you stay so fit after having had two kids?". My answer is a simple one, "I work hard to look the way I do".

I don't diet, I don't take weight-loss pills, and I don't starve myself. My methods are the tried and true ones that continue to be the most effective of any diet I've ever heard or read about, "I eat right and exercise". Period. And though I always consider myself to be a work-in-progress, I know I am a lot further along than I was several years ago, and I'm proud of that fact.

So the advice I give to those who tell me they don't know that they can stick with a program long enough to see the results they'd like is they are their only roadblock.

It's not about being skinny, it's about being healthy, and being healthy is about changing the things about your life that contribute to your feeling bad about yourself—food and all.

The first step is to overcome that voice in your head that keeps saying "you can't" and replace it with the one that you've buried deep in your subconscious. The one that knows "you can".

Go find that voice and let it out. It's time for it to be heard. 

Source: google.com via Kimberley on Pinterest

Make A Resolution to Live Healthy, Not Lose Weight

Diets aren't my thing. I mean, living healthy can seem a bit like dieting but, when you're talking about making a lifestyle change, it's not exactly the same as someone who has signed up for Jenny or Weight Watchers for as long as they can pay the fees and afford the foods. No, a lifestyle change is simply a decision to "eat this, not that" and that's as simple as I can put it for those who like simplicity.

That said, every day can be a challenge for even the healthy minded because there is always new information about food and some new definition of "healthy". It's a challenge that I have trouble facing up to, from time to time, I must admit. But, eating healthy and preserving this God-given body of mine is something I am so passionate about that I am willing to make the effort to do what I can to remain informed and not succumb to whatever information is force fed to me through less reliable sources with an agenda.

Even so, I am not perfect.

I enjoy a slice of cake every now and then, and it can be difficult to turn down a piece of chocolate when the craving hits me but, for the most part, the mantra for me remains to "eat this, not that" and keep up my regular exercise/stretching regimen and that is something that has always worked for me. 

Many people, I feel—and if this sounds arrogant or short-sighted, please trust that is not my intention—complicate the process too much by subscribing to one dietary plan for some random extent of time. The only plan that has ever worked, consistently, is to eat right and exercise. It's not now, nor has it ever been, rocket science.  That's the tried and true way to remain healthy and lose weight—if losing weight is your goal.

You have to commit to this not for 30, 60, or 90-days, but for a lifetime, anything less is futile.

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Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back

Plateau. That's a kind way of saying your body has reached the point where you are no longer able to make any changes to it physically. You try in vain to lose that last five or ten pounds and you consider looking into that fad diet you keep hearing about because you're desperate to lose one last inch or two off your waistline.

It's a cruel joke, really. You push yourself and remain dedicated to the cause of being and living healthy and your body, inexplicably, decides that what you're doing is good, but not good enough. So, what can you do about it? How do you reach that next level of fit without driving yourself absolutely bonkers?

Well, one way is to change your regimen. This is something that I have suggested before and feel very confident is a great way to get over that proverbial hump. But, more than that, you have to get over the drama of the new attitude you've acquired from becoming so fit—your ego changed right along with your body. Trust me.

You have to reconfigure your goals once you hit that plateau (or wall as some say) and ask yourself what you want for yourself and your body now? Are you still simply trying to live a healthier life or are you looking for the physical manifestation of all your efforts—fitting into that size "whatever you want" pair of jeans or cocktail dress? It's an important question to ask because, quite honestly, the vast majority of us can always be fitter and eat healthier—these are things that are rarely overdone in today's fast food society.

So you have to look at yourself in the mirror and ask what's next? If you want to get over the plateau, that's easily done, change your workout and/or add something more to it that will challenge you and re-energize your bored body.

On the other hand, if you are looking for something deeper—perhaps an answer to why you are so obsessed with looking perfect or losing that last few pounds—then that journey will take a much more introspective approach and you will need to tap into the side of you that isn't satisfied with being what you are right now.

The only way to do that is to meditate, relax, journal, and seek out the memories that scare you to death. Find out where it was in your life that you first began to feel those inadequacies and make it your mission to correct the negative thoughts so that you can finally focus on the present.

In the meantime, expect setbacks as you tackle new obstacles and try not to get frustrated by the process of making adjustments to what was working so well before now—if you can. Being fit is only half the battle, the bigger challenge is in staying fit and being aware enough of your inner self to understand why that matters so much to you.

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'GMA's' Diet Food Challenge Emphasizes A Common Problem With Weight-Loss Programs

Good Morning America (or GMA as some have come to call it) did a diet food contest in hopes of finding out what both chefs and everyday people thought of the foods most often associated with the three major diet programs—Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and NutriSystem.

You can click the link above to see the results, but here is my overall opinion of all of those programs: they work so long as you are using them in a manner that suits your lifestyle, but it seems counter-productive to only use pre-packaged food items to reach your goals.

As much as frozen and shelf-stable (which is what brands like NutriSystem are considered) can be a great way to start getting acquainted with portion-control and and calorie counting, they can also become health hazards if they are not appropriately monitored by the user.

For instance, if a meal states that it is under 500 calories, be sure that it offers enough vegetables to help you reach your dietary goals for the day. If it doesn't, plan to add to your meal by preparing a small salad or adding a side of steamed veggies. Furthermore, be cognizant of the nutritional label of every frozen or shelf-stable food item you choose to purchase—how much sodium does the item contain? How many grams of dietary fiber does it offer?

While it's easy to get addicted to eating frozen meals as a means of losing weight, you should really begin working towards the preparation of your own—fresh food based—meal planning. In the end, a diet based around pre-packaged snacks and foods is not one which will be valuable over the long haul because what happens when buying 15-21 meals a week (at $4-6.00 a pop) is no longer viable?

In most cases, if a person has not learned to prepare his or her own meals, they will revert to the old way of doing things—much of the time resulting in unhealthy purchases.

My humble advise, as always, is to use whatever plan you choose to follow in a sensible way by taking advantage of the supplemental services each offers (i.e. personal coaches, chat rooms, and weight-loss support meetings) but start working towards becoming your own personal chef and finding great, naturally grown, foods that will both enhance your life and your health.

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Being Healthy Isn't The Same Thing As Being "On A Diet"

I cannot tell you the number of times I have made this statement since I embarked on my quest to become healthier.

People often misinterpret my decision to not partake in the potato salad at a barbeque, or eat a slice of pizza at a party, as a sign that I am "on a diet". So, when I respond that I've simply made a decision to not allow those foods into my body on a regular basis—if it can be helped—they respond in a perplexed manner.

Some say, "good for you, but there's no way I could do it", or the more flattering version, "if I had you're figure, I wouldn't worry about a slice or two of this or that". Well, as nice as the latter statement is to hear,  it belies a common misconception about living a healthy lifestyle—that it's a temporary fad, and not a life decision.

It's easy to latch on to a fad diet, a miracle pill, or a detoxification program and say that you're making a move towards losing weight, but being healthy is not about weight-loss, it's about choosing to make your body into something more sustainable over the long haul.

Personally, I stay away from red meat, eschew caffeine and coffee, and eat a diet that is as plant-based as possible (meaning lots of fruits and veggies, and very little—if any—processed foods). That's how I've chosen to live my life at this point—that works for me.

Is that a diet? No...it's my lifestyle choice.

The one thing I always hope to do when someone honors me with a question about what I do to stay fit is try to educate them with the things I've learned along the way first. And while I am by no means an expert, I try to give the most accurate information I can.  In the end, however, it's about what works for you.

My family isn't forced to eat what I eat—mostly because they still don't dig soy as a substitute for chicken or almond milk as a better option than a cow's—but I do make sure they get the best of my world and theirs by offering them whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, and the healthiest snack options available—with a few treats here and there.

In time, as they are introduced to more and more of the foods that pepper and sustain me, they come to enjoy them as much as I do—albeit accompanied by what they call "real food" as well.

It all goes back to making choices.

Diets are temporary. They're great for looking good at your class reunion or fitting into a great outfit for a special occasion but, in the end, to live healthy you have to be committed to something bigger. And once you are, your life will change—hopefully for the better.

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Take Control of Your Day

It's not always easy to stay cheerful and focused—as a matter of fact, it's hard work—however, as a wife, mother, and superwoman (yes, I am), I find that it's a much harder thing to allow the negative forces of life to rule me. I simply don't have time to add those demons into a day that already has the potential to be a challenge.

Let's face it, there are multiple reasons to get up in the morning and say, "this day will mirror the rest of em'—poorly planned and poorly executed—so why bother making the effort to be productive?" Well, if you're like most, you make the effort based on the possibility that the day could turn out to be special.

My advice is to focus on the latter point more. Stop making it tough for yourself to find the positive spaces within the harried levels of your daily life. Wake up and take five minutes to imagine the day as a success—visualize yourself getting something done and being a productive piece of this overwhelming puzzle—not a failure.

You have a responsibility, to yourself, to be more than just an instrument utilized improperly by someone else. Take control of your day and make something good happen.

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