Monday 3/28
I ran a 5K in 34 minutes.
Tuesday 3/29
I walked Emma to and from school. We also walked to a friend's house to drop off some things, and over to another friend's house to contribute to her scentsy order. I think in all we probably walked close to 2 miles since we took the long way home all three times.
While Emma was at pre-school, I ran 2 miles in 22 minutes. I couldn't get the last 1.1 miles in because Jack woke up from his nap earlier than I anticipated.
Wednesday 3/30
I played with the kids in the park behind our house. I didn't do any running or formal exercise. I was feeling tired and yucky.
Thursday 3/31
I walked Emma to and from her piano lessons and pre-school, so that is 1.5 miles. While Emma was at her piano lesson, Sara and I walked to a different park so we could have some fun together in the sun while Emma was at her lesson. I would say it added on at least another .5 mile.
I ran a 5K in 34 minutes while Emma was at pre-school.
Friday 4/1
This was Ross's day off, so we went shopping and did some fun walks with the kids. I have no idea how far we walked but my feet sure hurt!
Saturday 4/2
I didn't do anything. It was a lazy conference day.
Sunday 4/3
This was another lazy conference day- only I ate a whole lot of stuff today so it was even worse than yesterday. :(
**Weigh In**
I started the year at 155
Last week I was at 140
This week I am at 140
No change- I blame it on my heavy eating low moving weekend. At least there was no gain. . .
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Work-Out Record for 3-21 through 3-27
- Monday 3/21 I did a 5k in 30 minutes. The first mile was an 8 minute mile that almost killed me. After an emergency potty run, I did a 10 minute mile. Then I took a quick break to switch the Friends disc followed by a 12 minute mile that was a slow jog/ fast walk deal. It was a good run and I feel awesome and relaxed even though dinner was later than usual which means bedtime was later than usual. Oh well.
- Tuesday 3/22 I walked Emma to pre-school and back, so that is 1 mile. I ran 1 mile on teh treadmill.
- Wednesday 3/23 I didn't do anything today. I had a migraine all day due to lack of sleep. Jack is in a growth spurt or something right now, so I was up a lot feeding him.
- Thursday 3/24 I walked Emma to pre-school, and then took a detour over to a friends house to let her borrow our book club book, and then over to another friend's house to drop off some frozen meals for RS. The detour was probably a good half mile, which means I did a good mile. That was good since Emma's piano lesson was cancelled, and then I had to drive to pick her up because it was snowing. I did a fast walk for 2 miles on the treadmill.
- Friday 3/25 I ran a 5k on the treadmill switching around between 5 mph and 6 mph. My asthma was bugging me a lot, but I pushed through. Now I feel yucky. oh well.
- Saturday 3/26 I did some pushups and lunges with my girls while Ross was working an overtime shift.
- Sunday 3/27 I walked to and from choir. That is probably all I will do. I have a really bad headache again today. I plan to curl up and die/nap while Ross goes home teaching.
**Weigh In**
- I started the year at 155
- Last week I was at 142
- This week I am at 140.
2 pounds! Yay! I hope to do a 5k every day this next week, so hopefully it will be more than that next Sunday.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Work Out Record for 3-14 Through 30-20
Monday 3/14
I felt gross today and was literally busy from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. I just had a lot going on- you know, the perfect storm of deadlines and children and church responsibilities.
Tuesday 3/15
I walked Emma to and from school, so that is a mile.
When Ross got home from work, we went on a 5 mile bike ride on the trail near our house. I had the trailer on my bike, so that hill was killer on me with 90 pounds of children weighing me down. It was fun, and I am SOOOOO glad the weather is allowing us to do those fun outdoor activities again.
Wednesday 3/16
I did 2 miles of fast walk/ slow running at 5 mph. I love that I can speed walk this now.
Thursday 3/17
I walked Emma to and from her pre-school and piano lessons, so that is 1.5 miles.
I ran 2 miles in 24 minutes on the treadmill.
Friday 3/18
Ross had the day off, so we spent the day playing and hitting up some good coupon deals in the area. We didn't do any real exercise, but there was a lot of walking and lifting.
Saturday 3/19
We did some Spring Cleaning in the basement and our closet. Lots of lifting and sorting.
I walked Emma to and from a birthday party. Her friend lives a few houses past her pre-school teacher, so it was at least 1 mile.
Ross and I did the 15 minute Ab workout together.
Sunday 3/20
I walked to and from choir practice. If the snow melts, I might make Ross go on a walk with me. If not, I will probably walk on the treadmill or do the P-90x yoga video or something.
**Weigh In**
I started the year at 155.
Last Week I was at 144.
This Week I am at 143.
Actually, it is 142.5 or something, but I choose to round up. I have got to get past this 1 pound a week thing. I need to go farther than 2 miles. That is getting too comfortable for me, which is GREAT as it means I am getting stronger and my asthma is under control.
I felt gross today and was literally busy from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. I just had a lot going on- you know, the perfect storm of deadlines and children and church responsibilities.
Tuesday 3/15
I walked Emma to and from school, so that is a mile.
When Ross got home from work, we went on a 5 mile bike ride on the trail near our house. I had the trailer on my bike, so that hill was killer on me with 90 pounds of children weighing me down. It was fun, and I am SOOOOO glad the weather is allowing us to do those fun outdoor activities again.
Wednesday 3/16
I did 2 miles of fast walk/ slow running at 5 mph. I love that I can speed walk this now.
Thursday 3/17
I walked Emma to and from her pre-school and piano lessons, so that is 1.5 miles.
I ran 2 miles in 24 minutes on the treadmill.
Friday 3/18
Ross had the day off, so we spent the day playing and hitting up some good coupon deals in the area. We didn't do any real exercise, but there was a lot of walking and lifting.
Saturday 3/19
We did some Spring Cleaning in the basement and our closet. Lots of lifting and sorting.
I walked Emma to and from a birthday party. Her friend lives a few houses past her pre-school teacher, so it was at least 1 mile.
Ross and I did the 15 minute Ab workout together.
Sunday 3/20
I walked to and from choir practice. If the snow melts, I might make Ross go on a walk with me. If not, I will probably walk on the treadmill or do the P-90x yoga video or something.
**Weigh In**
I started the year at 155.
Last Week I was at 144.
This Week I am at 143.
Actually, it is 142.5 or something, but I choose to round up. I have got to get past this 1 pound a week thing. I need to go farther than 2 miles. That is getting too comfortable for me, which is GREAT as it means I am getting stronger and my asthma is under control.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Work-Out Record for 3-07 Through 3-13
Monday 3/7
I ran 2.25 miles in 23 minutes. It was one 8 minute mile, and the next 1.25 miles took 15 minutes. I went up and down from 4.5 to 6. It wasn't consistent as I was trying to keep my asthma down. The fast mile at the beginning brought it on, so I tried to push myself without letting it get too bad.
Tuesday 3/8
Emma's pre-school was cancelled, so when we would have normally walked her over, I ran 2.1 miles in 23 minutes. I did a 8.5 minute mile, and the rest at 4.8, which I can now fast walk at. :) I think we will try to go for a family walk or bike ride later as I have some VT routes to deliver and it is such a pretty day outside. If not, I will do my soft weight ball workout or something.
I should stop saying what I hope to do on here, as that always seems to bring on sick children or bad weather, or other such distractions. We didn't do a family walk, but Ross and I did get a short ab and aerboic workout in. The one Ross chose was only aout 15 minutes, but it was pretty intense, and I am feeling it!
Wednesday 3/9
I ran 2.5 miles in lap lengths at 7mph. I had to do quick bursts because my baby refused to nap. It is easier to sneak away 2 minutes at a time rather than take a full 25ish when I have a little shadow who wants me attention and/or food source at all times.
Thursday 3/10
I walked Emma to her piano lesson and back, and then to her pre-school and back. I also made a detour to return some items to a woman in my ward. I'm not sure how much the detour added, but I know it was at least 1.5 miles without it.
I walked to the RS president's house, to the church, back to the RS President's house, and then home. I had to get the church keys and post the VT report. That added at least another half mile, most of that holding Sara.
Friday 3/11
I ran 2 miles in 24 minutes.
Saturday 3/12
I was sick today, so I didn't get anything done exercise-wise.
Sunday 3/13
I haven't done anything yet except walk to choir and back. I hope to get Ross and the kids out for a walk in this glorious weather, but now that I wrote it here, someone will get sick and a storm will roll in. . .
We actually did get outside for a good stroll today. We went over to a nearby park and did a lap of the running loop there. We probably only went about 2/3 of a mile in all, but it was a good little outing.
**Weigh In**
I started the year at 155.
Last week I was at 145.
This week I am at 144.
One more pound down. I'll take it. I am going to try and shoot for at least 2 next week.
I ran 2.25 miles in 23 minutes. It was one 8 minute mile, and the next 1.25 miles took 15 minutes. I went up and down from 4.5 to 6. It wasn't consistent as I was trying to keep my asthma down. The fast mile at the beginning brought it on, so I tried to push myself without letting it get too bad.
Tuesday 3/8
Emma's pre-school was cancelled, so when we would have normally walked her over, I ran 2.1 miles in 23 minutes. I did a 8.5 minute mile, and the rest at 4.8, which I can now fast walk at. :) I think we will try to go for a family walk or bike ride later as I have some VT routes to deliver and it is such a pretty day outside. If not, I will do my soft weight ball workout or something.
I should stop saying what I hope to do on here, as that always seems to bring on sick children or bad weather, or other such distractions. We didn't do a family walk, but Ross and I did get a short ab and aerboic workout in. The one Ross chose was only aout 15 minutes, but it was pretty intense, and I am feeling it!
Wednesday 3/9
I ran 2.5 miles in lap lengths at 7mph. I had to do quick bursts because my baby refused to nap. It is easier to sneak away 2 minutes at a time rather than take a full 25ish when I have a little shadow who wants me attention and/or food source at all times.
Thursday 3/10
I walked Emma to her piano lesson and back, and then to her pre-school and back. I also made a detour to return some items to a woman in my ward. I'm not sure how much the detour added, but I know it was at least 1.5 miles without it.
I walked to the RS president's house, to the church, back to the RS President's house, and then home. I had to get the church keys and post the VT report. That added at least another half mile, most of that holding Sara.
Friday 3/11
I ran 2 miles in 24 minutes.
Saturday 3/12
I was sick today, so I didn't get anything done exercise-wise.
Sunday 3/13
I haven't done anything yet except walk to choir and back. I hope to get Ross and the kids out for a walk in this glorious weather, but now that I wrote it here, someone will get sick and a storm will roll in. . .
We actually did get outside for a good stroll today. We went over to a nearby park and did a lap of the running loop there. We probably only went about 2/3 of a mile in all, but it was a good little outing.
**Weigh In**
I started the year at 155.
Last week I was at 145.
This week I am at 144.
One more pound down. I'll take it. I am going to try and shoot for at least 2 next week.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Work Out Record 2-28 through 3-6
Monday 2/28
I ran 1 mile at 6.3 mph. I had to take 2 10 second breaks when my asthma started acting up. I then did a fast walk/ slow jog at 4.8 for another 1.1 miles.
We walked as a family to my friends house so I could drop something off. It is just past Emma's pre-school teacher's house, so I know the walk was at least half a mile.
Tuesday 3/1
I walked Emma to and from school. 1 mile. That's it. Lazy Mama day, I guess.
Wednesday 3/2
I didn't do anything today. I didn't feel good, but that is a lame excuse. I have run far when feeling much worse.
Thursday 3/3
I walked Emma to and from her piano lesson and to pre-school. I would have walked her home as well, but it started pouring right when we were about to leave. That makes 1.5 miles walking- most of that carrying Sara.
I ran 2.1 miles in 22 minutes.
Ross has tomorrow off, so I am hoping to ride my bike if the sun makes an appearance at some point.
Friday 3/4
We left the house at 11:30 and didn't get back until after midnight. I didn't work out, but I sure as heck did a lot of walking and a lot of clapping and a lot of carrying children.
Saturday 3/5
I ran 4.2 miles. I was trying to make up for the days I have missed this week. I did an 8 minute mile followed by a 12 minute fast walking mile followed by a 10 minute mile followed by a 15 minute walking mile. I feel awesome. It was a good little workout.
Sunday 3/6
I walked to choir and back, but I took the short cut so it was probably less than 1/3 of a mile. We wanted to walk to church, but it was all rainy.
I went 2 miles on the treadmill. One mile at 7 mph, and the other at a fast walk/slow jog at 4.6 mph.
**Weigh In**
I started the year at 155
Last week I was at 146
This week I am at 145
1 more pound down. That means I have 20 left till my goal. At this rate it will only take me 5 months to get there. . . :(
Aside from my issue with the scale, I feel really good. My clothes fit better, I am noticing more toned muscle mass and less jiggling in my legs and arms (which could be the problem with the scale), and I know I am getting stronger as I can run faster and longer without my asthma kicking in. I am also able to fast walk at paces that I could only run at when I first started. Moral of the story is, I feel good, and I hope to feel better by continuing to push myself and find time for working out.
I ran 1 mile at 6.3 mph. I had to take 2 10 second breaks when my asthma started acting up. I then did a fast walk/ slow jog at 4.8 for another 1.1 miles.
We walked as a family to my friends house so I could drop something off. It is just past Emma's pre-school teacher's house, so I know the walk was at least half a mile.
Tuesday 3/1
I walked Emma to and from school. 1 mile. That's it. Lazy Mama day, I guess.
Wednesday 3/2
I didn't do anything today. I didn't feel good, but that is a lame excuse. I have run far when feeling much worse.
Thursday 3/3
I walked Emma to and from her piano lesson and to pre-school. I would have walked her home as well, but it started pouring right when we were about to leave. That makes 1.5 miles walking- most of that carrying Sara.
I ran 2.1 miles in 22 minutes.
Ross has tomorrow off, so I am hoping to ride my bike if the sun makes an appearance at some point.
Friday 3/4
We left the house at 11:30 and didn't get back until after midnight. I didn't work out, but I sure as heck did a lot of walking and a lot of clapping and a lot of carrying children.
Saturday 3/5
I ran 4.2 miles. I was trying to make up for the days I have missed this week. I did an 8 minute mile followed by a 12 minute fast walking mile followed by a 10 minute mile followed by a 15 minute walking mile. I feel awesome. It was a good little workout.
Sunday 3/6
I walked to choir and back, but I took the short cut so it was probably less than 1/3 of a mile. We wanted to walk to church, but it was all rainy.
I went 2 miles on the treadmill. One mile at 7 mph, and the other at a fast walk/slow jog at 4.6 mph.
**Weigh In**
I started the year at 155
Last week I was at 146
This week I am at 145
1 more pound down. That means I have 20 left till my goal. At this rate it will only take me 5 months to get there. . . :(
Aside from my issue with the scale, I feel really good. My clothes fit better, I am noticing more toned muscle mass and less jiggling in my legs and arms (which could be the problem with the scale), and I know I am getting stronger as I can run faster and longer without my asthma kicking in. I am also able to fast walk at paces that I could only run at when I first started. Moral of the story is, I feel good, and I hope to feel better by continuing to push myself and find time for working out.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Work-Out Record 2-21 through 2-27
Monday 2/21
I started at 6.3 mph and moved it down .1 mph every minute. It gave me a 10 minute mile followed by a 12 minute mile.
Also, last night I was still hurting on my left shoulder from sleeping weird while holding Jack, so I did the X-Stretch disc from the P-90x program.
Tonight when we got home from the store, Ross did the plyometrics video from the p-90x program. I joined after the first 20 minutes when I got the kids all happy and entertained. Even missing the first third- it was pretty intense, and I can tell my legs are gonna be burning tomorrow!
Tuesday 2/22
I ran 2.25 miles at 6.3 mph. I did it in lap lengths with quick breaks in between.
I walked Emma to and from pre-school, so that is 1 mile of walking outside.
Wednesday 2/23
Ross and I did the Kenpo disc from the P-90x program.
Thursday 2/24
Last week I got this 2 lb soft weight ball set and it came with a workout dvd.
I did 20 minutes of the dvd. I am not sure how long it goes- Ross made me stop so he could watch the Big Bang Theory. . . In all honesty, I was dying by the time he stopped me. I was ready to stop. It worked all kinds of muscles that are now mad at me.
Friday 2/25
I started at 6.4 mph and moved down .1 mph every minute or so. I wasn't as exact today. I did 2.1 miles in 21 minutes.
I did the full soft weight ball disc. I was just curious how long it went. Turns out it is only 25 minutes, so I only missed the last 5 minutes. It is such a good workout. I love it. I don't think it is meant for back to back workouts though. I will definitely space it out a day or two next time.
Saturday 2/26
I have a dvd with 5 10 minute yoga workouts on it. I did 3 of them when I got home from a full day of partying for Emma's birthday tomorrow.
Sunday 2/27
I walked 2 miles at 4.7 mph
**Weigh In**
At the beginning of the year I was at 155.
Last week I was at 146.
This week I am at 146.
No change. :( I think I need to just stick to running. I like the other workouts and they give me variety- but running is really what sheds the weight for me. I need to focus on that first, and add to it rather than the other way around.
I started at 6.3 mph and moved it down .1 mph every minute. It gave me a 10 minute mile followed by a 12 minute mile.
Also, last night I was still hurting on my left shoulder from sleeping weird while holding Jack, so I did the X-Stretch disc from the P-90x program.
Tonight when we got home from the store, Ross did the plyometrics video from the p-90x program. I joined after the first 20 minutes when I got the kids all happy and entertained. Even missing the first third- it was pretty intense, and I can tell my legs are gonna be burning tomorrow!
Tuesday 2/22
I ran 2.25 miles at 6.3 mph. I did it in lap lengths with quick breaks in between.
I walked Emma to and from pre-school, so that is 1 mile of walking outside.
Wednesday 2/23
Ross and I did the Kenpo disc from the P-90x program.
Thursday 2/24
Last week I got this 2 lb soft weight ball set and it came with a workout dvd.
I did 20 minutes of the dvd. I am not sure how long it goes- Ross made me stop so he could watch the Big Bang Theory. . . In all honesty, I was dying by the time he stopped me. I was ready to stop. It worked all kinds of muscles that are now mad at me.Friday 2/25
I started at 6.4 mph and moved down .1 mph every minute or so. I wasn't as exact today. I did 2.1 miles in 21 minutes.
I did the full soft weight ball disc. I was just curious how long it went. Turns out it is only 25 minutes, so I only missed the last 5 minutes. It is such a good workout. I love it. I don't think it is meant for back to back workouts though. I will definitely space it out a day or two next time.
Saturday 2/26
I have a dvd with 5 10 minute yoga workouts on it. I did 3 of them when I got home from a full day of partying for Emma's birthday tomorrow.
Sunday 2/27
I walked 2 miles at 4.7 mph
**Weigh In**
At the beginning of the year I was at 155.
Last week I was at 146.
This week I am at 146.
No change. :( I think I need to just stick to running. I like the other workouts and they give me variety- but running is really what sheds the weight for me. I need to focus on that first, and add to it rather than the other way around.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
My Take on Dieting
Whenever people find out I am working on losing weight, I get two responses. The first is of good wishes and encouragement, and the second is a question as to what diet I am following. Most people are surprised at my response.
I don't diet. Ever. I don't believe in diets.
I don't want to offend anyone who has found success in following diets, or who are working to follow a particular eating plan. I think it is great for anyone to try and make healthier lifestyle choices, and to try and change bad habits. Eating copious amounts of unhealthy food is definitely a bad habit that should be curbed.
The truth is, though, I don't believe in diets. I don't think they work. I think they can make temporary changes in a body's build and size- but those changes only ever last as long as the diet does, and I have yet to meet anyone on a diet who plans to stay on that diet forever.
Furthermore, I find the idea of dieting rather unhealthy. That might sound strange, but hear me out.
Food is a good thing. It is nutritious and delicious, and a way to bring people together and share experiences. I hate when people say food should be used only for nutritional purposes. I am certain that is not true nor what God intended.
I think there is a huge problem in having to quanitfy and evaluate every item you put inro your body. I don't see how anyone can be happy while tracking calories, filling out charts, and making eating a chore or a guilty pleasure.
There is a woman in my ward who swears by Weight Watchers- and she looks great. Really, she is stunning. She talks about it constantly and is like a walking advertisement for the program. That is very persuasive until you watch her habits. She carries around a tally card to mark down everything she consumes. At ward parties she talks about denying herself food all day so she can splurge on the goodies without going over her allotment for the day. Calories and points are on her mind all day every day. I doubt that she has just taken a bite of anything just to enjoy the beauty of well made food in years without first calculating the ingredients and point value of it.
All of that is enough to discourage me from such a practice, but add to that the fact that her daughters have taken on the sam habits, and it just disgusts me. At a primary activity, I heard her 10 year old daughter say that she never drank rootbeer because of all the calories in it, and that she wouldn't be able to eat lunch if she had her share of cookies at the event because it would use up all her points. 10 years old, and she can't enjoy a cookie. Not cool.
When I started looking into losing weight and exercising, I did my fair share of research on the subject. Reading about all the new (and old) diets just worked to reinforce my negative views about diets. Low Carb, Weight watchers, Nutrisystem, HCG, The Zone, all of them were based on self denial. You constantly DENY yourself things you want. This sends a message to your brain and body that there are things you want that you can't have. I don't know about you, but the minute I tell myself I can't have a piece of cake, all I want is a giant piece of cake. The second I say I am no longer going to drink carbonation, all I want is a 2 liter of Dr. Pepper all to myself.
Our bodies don't like be denied things- especially things it really wants. When you start that process of denial, the body generally responds by going into pseudo-starvation mode. It makes you feel hungrier than you are, and holds onto calories it doesn't really need. That is not healthy or useful or conducive to healthy habits or attitudes.
So, back to the original question- what diet am I using?
While I am not dieting, I have taken on a new habit concerning my eating habits that has made a huge difference for me. I think my body is super smart and it knows what it needs to do, and what it needs to have for it to accomplish all of those things it has to do. So, before I eat anything, I ask my body if it wants that.
I know that sounds weird, but think about it. How many times have you gorged yourself on food you thought you wanted only to feel sick, bloated, and regretful afterwards? How many times have you worked to clean your plate and ended up wishing you had just stopped when you first felt full?
Right now, I let my body tell me what it wants, and it does a pretty good job. I let it tell me when it is full, and I stop. When I have a choice between water and soda, I ask what will I enjoy most. Ususally it is water. Usually I choose not to eat a large portion of chips, cookies, or other unhealthy items not because I am dieting and am trying to keep from going over my calorie limit, but because when I really think about it, it doesn't sound good. I don't feel like I am denying myself anything, so I don't feel unhappy about any choices I make. I feel great!
I only have cake when cake sounds good, and surprisingly, steamed broccoli ends up sounding good a lot more often than cake when I ask my body about it, and when I do eat cake, I don't ever regret it, because it was something my body really wanted.
Please don't think I'm crazy. I'm not crazy- I'm just happy to be eating what I want to eat when I want to eat it, and am still losing weight and inches on a regular basis.
I don't diet. Ever. I don't believe in diets.
I don't want to offend anyone who has found success in following diets, or who are working to follow a particular eating plan. I think it is great for anyone to try and make healthier lifestyle choices, and to try and change bad habits. Eating copious amounts of unhealthy food is definitely a bad habit that should be curbed.
The truth is, though, I don't believe in diets. I don't think they work. I think they can make temporary changes in a body's build and size- but those changes only ever last as long as the diet does, and I have yet to meet anyone on a diet who plans to stay on that diet forever.
Furthermore, I find the idea of dieting rather unhealthy. That might sound strange, but hear me out.
Food is a good thing. It is nutritious and delicious, and a way to bring people together and share experiences. I hate when people say food should be used only for nutritional purposes. I am certain that is not true nor what God intended.
I think there is a huge problem in having to quanitfy and evaluate every item you put inro your body. I don't see how anyone can be happy while tracking calories, filling out charts, and making eating a chore or a guilty pleasure.
There is a woman in my ward who swears by Weight Watchers- and she looks great. Really, she is stunning. She talks about it constantly and is like a walking advertisement for the program. That is very persuasive until you watch her habits. She carries around a tally card to mark down everything she consumes. At ward parties she talks about denying herself food all day so she can splurge on the goodies without going over her allotment for the day. Calories and points are on her mind all day every day. I doubt that she has just taken a bite of anything just to enjoy the beauty of well made food in years without first calculating the ingredients and point value of it.
All of that is enough to discourage me from such a practice, but add to that the fact that her daughters have taken on the sam habits, and it just disgusts me. At a primary activity, I heard her 10 year old daughter say that she never drank rootbeer because of all the calories in it, and that she wouldn't be able to eat lunch if she had her share of cookies at the event because it would use up all her points. 10 years old, and she can't enjoy a cookie. Not cool.
When I started looking into losing weight and exercising, I did my fair share of research on the subject. Reading about all the new (and old) diets just worked to reinforce my negative views about diets. Low Carb, Weight watchers, Nutrisystem, HCG, The Zone, all of them were based on self denial. You constantly DENY yourself things you want. This sends a message to your brain and body that there are things you want that you can't have. I don't know about you, but the minute I tell myself I can't have a piece of cake, all I want is a giant piece of cake. The second I say I am no longer going to drink carbonation, all I want is a 2 liter of Dr. Pepper all to myself.
Our bodies don't like be denied things- especially things it really wants. When you start that process of denial, the body generally responds by going into pseudo-starvation mode. It makes you feel hungrier than you are, and holds onto calories it doesn't really need. That is not healthy or useful or conducive to healthy habits or attitudes.
So, back to the original question- what diet am I using?
While I am not dieting, I have taken on a new habit concerning my eating habits that has made a huge difference for me. I think my body is super smart and it knows what it needs to do, and what it needs to have for it to accomplish all of those things it has to do. So, before I eat anything, I ask my body if it wants that.
I know that sounds weird, but think about it. How many times have you gorged yourself on food you thought you wanted only to feel sick, bloated, and regretful afterwards? How many times have you worked to clean your plate and ended up wishing you had just stopped when you first felt full?
Right now, I let my body tell me what it wants, and it does a pretty good job. I let it tell me when it is full, and I stop. When I have a choice between water and soda, I ask what will I enjoy most. Ususally it is water. Usually I choose not to eat a large portion of chips, cookies, or other unhealthy items not because I am dieting and am trying to keep from going over my calorie limit, but because when I really think about it, it doesn't sound good. I don't feel like I am denying myself anything, so I don't feel unhappy about any choices I make. I feel great!
I only have cake when cake sounds good, and surprisingly, steamed broccoli ends up sounding good a lot more often than cake when I ask my body about it, and when I do eat cake, I don't ever regret it, because it was something my body really wanted.
Please don't think I'm crazy. I'm not crazy- I'm just happy to be eating what I want to eat when I want to eat it, and am still losing weight and inches on a regular basis.
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