Getting Started: My Plans

Figuring out a diet is a hard thing to do--and figuring out what works for you is even harder. I've dieted in the past--three major times and I've done it the same all three times, but each time I learn a little bit more about how I work and how I lose weight. Hopefully this will be the last time!

Previously, I have focused a lot on counting calories. I use a free online website and it works for me. Counting calories does a few things for me. I tend to go big on portion sizes and this really helps me control it--especially if I've counted the calories before I eat the actual meal. It also gives me a sense of accomplishment--I may have been hungry, but by golly! I hit my calories for the day.

Exercise has also been included in the plan, but it has been spotty exercise and here and there. Then, when something changes in my life or I get too stressed or it has taken too long and I've hit a plateau I tend to start slipping and before I know it I'm not exercising anymore and I'm eating way too much--fast food, chocolate, chips, chocolate, large portion sizes at dinner, chocolate, donuts, chocolate, cookies, chocolate, ice-cream, chocolate. Did I mention chocolate?

So here is my new and improved plan. Are you ready? I go back to counting calories. Right now I'll aim for 1400-1600 calories a day. Before I've been hitting between 1200-1400 calories and I think that may be a little low. You do not want to lose weight too quickly. If you are losing too much then you are also losing muscle mass. Muscle mass helps you lose weight--A TON OF WEIGHT--and if you lose muscle mass that can really hurt you in the long run. From everything I've researched you should not lose more than two pounds a week--if you are doing what I'm doing. There are some diets out there such as HCG, which is supposed to prevent that muscle loss. But I'm just counting calories.

I also focus on keeping my fats down and eating vegetables and fruit. I don't need to worry about the protein side of things, because I'm always a little TOO good at getting my protein! And, just a side note. I do NOT deprive myself of my favorite treat of all time--chocolate. I just do not eat very much of it. And when I limit myself like that, I tend to appreciate the little I get much more than the bagful I eat when I'm not being good. I also will take multi-vitamins to help make sure I'm getting everything I need.

Exercise, which has never been huge in my plan before is now taking a larger part. I'm now attending taekwondo twice a week. In addition, I will be biking to and from work which is around 5.5 miles total. Not too much, I know, but still it is better than nothing. Plus, I'm hoping that working hard on the way home (all uphill) will help me snack less when I get home.

My husband and I usually manage to watch something--a movie or hulu--for at least an hour or two in the evening. During that time I'll get on my rowing machine and exercise for fifteen minutes. I know that isn't much and I'll see about building that up later, but for right now I feel pretty good about the cardiovascular side of things and biking, taekwondo, and the rowing machine will also help me gain some muscle mass. I'm planning on doing pushups and situps. Later, I'll try to incorporate more muscle building exercises into the plan (and yes, I'm going to do them every other day to give my body the chance to heal). Oh and stretching, but that isn't so much a diet goal as a taekwondo goal. I NEED to be more flexible!

Now, for something that may sound a little strange. SLEEP. Unfortunately, this is part of the plan that I will not be able to incorporate as much as I want to. Sleep helps you lose weight. If you are trying to lose weight, get PLENTY of sleep. If you are the kind of person who needs 8 hours, make sure you get AT LEAST those eight hours. I lost weight so much faster when I was sleeping 9-10 hours a night. I'm one of those people who needs more than eight hours. Sigh.

My diet starts full force next week. That's when I start school back up and get onto a schedule. I'll blog more then and weigh in (eek, I so don't want to do that) and also include my measurements. One of the things I'm focusing on is measurements versus weight. You can lose inches, but not lose weight. Even though muscle mass weighs more than fat, it also takes up a lot less room than fat. So doing both--weighing and measuring--can give you a truer picture of what is going on with your body.

What works for me- Own It

Shauna asked if I would tell what life style changes I made. As I thought about what I did and how I did it, I decided that once a week I would try to post a step that I have taken or plan on taking in my journey to a healthier me.

The first thing I did was realize that I and I alone was responsible for the shape I was in. Run down, tired, overweight and out of shape. It had nothing to do with the amount of time I was spending at work, at school, being a mom and had everything to do with what I was doing. Or not.

So I did the hard thing, I sat down and took a long look at my life and took inventory. Not enough water, too many trips to the vending machine, not enough moving, blah, blah blah. But I owned it. It was my behavior and therefore my choice for my life to be like it was.

The second thing I did was to start paying attention to my body again. When babies are born, they know how to listen to their bodies. Hungry? Cry till you are fed. Stomach full? Stop eating. Tired? Sleep. And we as grown ups don't try and stop a child from a nap (unless it is two hours till bedtime, then...) Or tell a baby to wait until the clock says time to eat, or try to make them drink one more bottle of formula. No, we trust them to know what they need/want. But when it comes to our own bodies, we quite listening. So I started listening again.

Now, I am going to tell you right now that I am one of those people that espouse the theory that processed foods, sugar, white flour, aspartame, et al are not good for you. But I will not shove it down your throat or preach it to you or try to make you see it my way, because I also believe that we all have our agency and we all have to decide what is right and best for ourselves.

So, in paying attention to my body, I noticed that if I ate certain foods, then the next day (or in some cases hours later) I would have a headache, back pain, stiff and/or swollen joints and I would be crabby and would have to take pain pills. But when I ate more healthy alternatives- I felt well, moved more and got a lot more accomplished.

So I decided to cut out all sugar and processed foods from my diet. But I didn't know how to do it. I had tried in the past and failed.

Next week- how I did it.