At the outset of my Health Journey I set certain rules for myself. I wanted to start a lifestyle that I could easily continue forever. That meant I was not going to do anything that I wouldn't be able to do long-term. So, that meant no 3-hour workouts. No way I can do that very much with a baby to car for. I was not going to do anything that interfered with my being a great mom and wife. I wasn't going to do anything to lose weight that wasn't healthy. THIS IS A HEALTH JOURNEY, NOT A WEIGHT-LOSS JOURNEY. So no pills, so starving, etc; because that is not healthy.
There are many theories about what to cut, what to include, what to avoid, what you might be allergic too, etc. If you sincerely think you have an allergy to something, get the blood-test to check. I ruled out a thyroid issue before starting. Otherwise, you are going to just have to pick what makes sense to you, because you can't cut out every single thing that might contribute to health or you'd have nothing left to eat. Here is what I focused on:
1. Portion control (I tend to eat as much as I can before exploding)
Read labels do you know how big a serving is. A lot of things look healthy till you realize a serving in a tablespoon, a half a bottle, 6 per bag, etc. You need to learn how much of a food is considered a portion.
2. Having a routine time for meals
I tend to either eat a lot because I'm home doing nothing and bored, or forget to eat till 5 PM and then eat till I can't possibly stuff another bite in my mouth. Turns out, it freaks your body out and your metabolism. According to articles I can't find right now, if you eat later than usual, you body will go into starvation mode. If you eat at regular intervals, your body will expect the food to be there the next time and won't hoard anything.
This was easier for me when I started because I had my kiddo to feed, so I would feed him and eat with him and I didn't forget to eat. Also, since I was fixing something healthy for him, I was more likely to eat healthy and not just grab whatever was grabbable.
Now, I have my body programmed to be hungry at meal times and I am HUNGRY at meal time. It is much harder to forget to eat when your stomach is growling.
3. Eat breakfast, and focus your carbs there.
Another article I read but can't find to link to, said that you want to put your carbs in the morning. The carbs are what your body uses for energy, so it makes sense to eat them before you start your day. Everything says it's better to eat ANYTHING at breakfast than nothing. One article even said a donut was better than nothing. So, eat in the morning and pack in all the nutrients you can. Before, I was one of those people who didn't eat breakfast. I wasn't hungry, it made my stomach hurt, whatever. Force yourself to do it, start out small and build up. My body got used to eating in the morning and I can't imagine not eating breakfast now.
4. Exercise 5 days a week
And by exercise I mean jog, swim, aerobics, etc; has to get your heart-rate up for the duration of the activity. Also, you want some sort of muscle-building too. Weight lifting or using your body to do the same thing, but SOMETHING. Muscle is what burns calories. Weight-training is what builds muscle. Cardio is what enables muscles to burn the calories. You won't get the best results unless you do BOTH. What I do is jog a mile, then do a work-out with hand-weights and a stability ball. It takes about 30 minutes to do BOTH. That is ALL I have done. Ever. No 3-hour work-outs, no Insanity. I am literally done by 7 AM and on to the rest of my day.
5. Drink Lots of Water
Seriously. A LOT of water. Like constantly. Carry a gallon jug of it in your car. Take a cup of it with you to work. Keep one at your computer desk. Have a water glass over the sink. DRINK WATER ALL THE TIME.
6. Act like the person it is my goal to be
One thing I realized was that there were things I thought to myself, "If I were thin I would ____ right now". I would hop up and run over to grab something I left in the kitchen. I would dance to this song on the radio. I would run across the parking lot. Then it occurred to me, if I plan to be a thin person, I guess I should be doing those things! I may look silly doing a dance, be out of breath running, or too lazy to go back to the other room, but by golly I'm gonna do it, because that's what a thin me would do, and that's who I plan to be!
7. Be Genuine
This may not be one of your goals, but it was a big one of mine. I didn't realize how big until I started implementing it. I didn't realize how much I censored myself to be what I thought other people wanted. Screw other people! If you are silly, be silly! If you like to sing commercial jingles while you grocery shop, just keep it to an 'inside-voice'. Be who you are and you won't have to remember who you're trying to be.
I am a person who does little dances and sings little songs and is silly. I have to face that. I am professional, but I am an elementary teacher, maybe there's a reason I chose that profession? Kindergartners love silly little dances, just saying.
8. Eat to live, not live to eat
People who overeat generally do so because they are either emotional-eaters or boredom-eaters. I thought I was an emotional-eater, but by the time the first day of my journey was over I realized I am actually a boredom eat. Instead of eating because it's fun or makes you feel better, you want to think of food as fuel that helps your body run at it's best. If the food you are holding doesn't improve your body's ability to function, you don't want to put it in your body.
9. Limit salt
Adults NEED salt. We need 1,500 mg a day for our nervous system to function. That is less than a tablespoon. You have to remember this number when choosing your food for the day or you'll meet it by the end of breakfast. Choose foods that don't need salt, or that you make at home and so have less salt, or that are low-sodium. You will become more sensitive to the salt. I promise. You won't miss it forever.
10. Get enough sleep
Sleep is essential is being and staying healthy, losing weight, and not killing people. Also, your sleep BEFORE midnight counts for more than the sleep AFTER midnight. So go to bed at 9 PM and get up early, not go to bed at 1 AM and sleep till noon (Annie!).
And the big, scary one;
11. No added sugar
Okay, so this is pretty much the decider in whether you'll be successful or not. Sugar is not your friend. Sugar hates you. Sugar said really nasty things about you to that person who didn't even need a reason to dislike you, and now they hate you even more! Okay?
I must add that by "sugar", I mean the kind of sugar in cookies, candy, Carmelizer's, Icee's, birthday cake, cupcakes, pastries, and everything else that makes my mouth water thinking about it. Sugar that occurs naturally in a food, like apples, is fine! In a fruit, sugar is paired with nutrients that tells your body what to do with it. It uses it for energy and makes you happy. In a milkshake, it just turns into fat in like 5 minutes (obvious exaggeration). This does not make you happy. This makes you cry in the dressing room while trying on bathing suits.
So; Fruit=Good, Candy=Bad. When I started my journey I didn't pay attention to calories at all. I just followed the above list. When I plataead after a couple months, THEN I added in paying attention to calorie intake. I don't count calories, but I will do an estimate in my head when putting together my meal.
I will elaborate on these in the next posts. This is the basic list. Don't get overwhelmed! The big things are exercise every day and avoid sugar.
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