I haven't been posting mys stats lately, and I've got to confess why- stalled progress. I've been going back and forth between 131 and 134 pounds for ALL OF 2011 and managed to shave about 3/4 inch off my waist, but that's it. With summer here, it's time to try and get those last 10-12 pounds off ( hopefully for good!) and I want to invite you all with me.
The "hints" I'm going to share are ones we all know but often find it challenging to put into effect. I'll post one action item from each of three areas: eating. moving and headology . Hopefully remembering what I know I need to do will help me meet my goals : 123 pounds and solid size 4 by my 39th birthday- that's September 3rd- and I'd love to know if any of my readers make progress too.
Eating : You need to eat fat, but reasonably.
For many years, the low fat diet was thought to be the way to do. Don't eat fat and you'll lose fat, right? We know now that's fallacious. We need fat to think, to move, and yes, to maintain a healthy weight. Back int he day, I tried to lose weight by eating a low fat diet- beans, rice, poached chicken breasts, dry toast. By mid afternoon everyday I wanted to kill everyone around me and tore through the kitchen looking for some, any fat. Humans were evolved to use fat as fuel and very few of us can sustain a low fat diet for long. Avoid reduced fat foods, eat good fats in conjunction with naturally low fat foods. You know those teeny tiny "100 calorie snack packs" ; made with fillers. Did you know a 6 oz bag of spinach has 60 calories and no fat? And it's real food.
Of course, the more omnivorous you are, the easier it is to get some reasonable amount of fat in your diet (note : reasonable means bacon cooked in butter is STILL a treat, not an every day thing!). Everyone buy vegans can and should eat eggs- one large egg has only 70 calories, they're full of protein and Omega 3s, and the yolks provide choline. Eat whole eggs, not just whites. Even vegans have wonderful sources for good fats- avocado, coconut, seeds and nuts/nut butters- all good things to eat a little of everyday.
Moving: Walk
We all know walking is the best, most accessible, low impact form of exercise we can do. But we don't, and we usually blame lack of time. I try to walk most days but I am sitting here right now, typing this, instead of walking, because I am waiting for kids to finish school work. Poor excuse, I know and as soon as I'm done here we're out whether they're done or not. It's getting nice, folks. make time for an evening walk instead of watching TV, park at the far end of the lot, and do whatever errands you can on foot. If you are really time crunched, do like my very Type A, works on commission I HAVE TO BE WORKING ALL THE TIME friend, and walk around while talking to clients on the phone. He even has a treadmill in his home office for that purpose.
Headology : Pantsology
I think spandex and sweat pants are right up there with high fructose corn syrup in the " inventions that make people fat" category. Sure, they're great for working out in, and for showing off when you're in awesome shape, but more often in North America, they are just too damn comfortable it's way too easy to eat a little more and not notice when they get tight. Save the sweats and yoga pants for working out ( I sleep in mine because I work out to a DVD right after breakfast) and wear jeans or slacks that fit well- but won't if you eat too much. When a pair gets loose enough to slip off your hips without unbuttoning, get rid of them RIGHT AWAY. Don't give yourself an "out" for overindulging- make it uncomfortable. Always keep a pair of pants one size below what you're wearing (until you hit your target size) you you can feel the encouragement of them fitting better and better.
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