Progress Update

I have been meaning to check in with my progress on the subject of my previous post, but I just haven’t done it yet because I felt that I wasn’t making any. I’m still struggling with shaking off these winter blues. I’m still having a hard time developing any desire to go to the gym and lift. I still feel utterly exhausted, body and mind, ALL THE TIME.

But then when I really sat down and thought about it, I realized that I have indeed made a little progress. I have proactively taken some steps in the right direction, and that’s what matters, right? Even if they are slow, tiny baby steps… 

Also, I’ve recently been approached a bit more than usual by several different people about some things in particular that sort of forced me out of my own misery in order to really think about the question and be able to provide a factual, helpful answer. So I’m going to write about those things in this post because they are really good questions and I want to share the answers with everyone! I wouldn’t be surprised if there are many more people out there wondering the same things. Some of these might be repeats of things I’ve written before, but just consider them friendly reminders if that’s the case.

          Q. How do I stay motivated?

A. Simply put, I don’t necessarily “stay” motivated. It isn’t a constant, uninterrupted thing that I turn on once and the motivation just feeds into my mind and body like a consistent current. Not at all. In the last several months I have been hit hard with a debilitating case of seasonal depression, something I’ve never experienced before and am struggling to overcome as I write this. As a result, I lost all interest in working out, which is, if you’re reading this blog, you already know, something I normally LIVE FOR. I lost interest in other things I love too, that don’t necessarily have anything to do with fitness so I won’t go into detail there. But the point is, I lost all interest in things I once loved and it was like it happened overnight. I also feel totally exhausted for no apparent reason and I have zero energy, which makes the prospect of working out seem even more bleak. I know how hard I push it when I lift, and I know how much energy is required to lift the way I do and I simply did not have it. I couldn’t find it anywhere.

So now you’re probably wondering when I’m going to get to the real answer to this question. Here it is: You think I’m this fitness rock star that never has a bad day and never eats anything unhealthy and never bats an eyelash at temptation. All you have to do is take one real, honest look at me to see that that is obviously not true. I have cellulite. I have a good amount of padding around my stomach. I have soft, fleshy arms. I know you don’t believe me. That’s ok. I know I look good in clothes. But I don’t care about that. What I care about is the way I feel and my body composition. For me it isn’t about the number on the scale, or the way my clothes fit. Really. It’s about feeling strong enough to lift a bus! It’s about seeing muscle definition. It’s about being able to crank out high-intensity cardio for 60 minutes without having an asthma attack. Motivation to change these things has to be sought anew EVERY DAY. You have to decide every single day what is going to motivate you. Here are some of my favorite techniques for finding motivation:
  
1. Buy new gym clothes/gear and get "dolled up". There's no reason to go overboard, of course. After all, you're about to sweat everything off and ruin your look, but feeling like I look cute instantly boosts my mood. Yes, I wear makeup to the gym. Yes, I go there with delightfully manicured nails. I twist up my hair in a fun ponytail or even pigtails sometimes. I always have earrings on. Laugh if you must, but looking good on the outside makes me feel good on the inside. The truth is that if I wore a ratty, baggy old t-shirt, ill-fitting pants, torn, unsupportive shoes, frizzy, messy hair and my teeth not brushed, I'd be hiding in the corner like a troll. And I'd feel like a troll. And there's no way in hell I'd want to be seen out on the floor bench-pressing, so I wouldn't do it. Maybe that's shallow or superficial, but whatever. It works for me. 

Also, I’m always dying to go to the gym and try out any new thing that I just got, even if it’s just a cheap little headband. I make a rule with myself that I’m only allowed to wear it if I’m working out. And I really want to wear it, so I work out so that I can. And this doesn’t have to break the bank! I’ve never paid full price for any of my gear. I paid less than $9 each for my ten pairs of Nike Pro Combat compression shorts (Ross, TJ Maxx and the clearance rack at the Nike Outlet). And Old Navy has my favorite sports bras. Go bargain hunting. I also use new gear as a reward for reaching a goal. It could be as simple as a new camelback water bottle for exercising 5 days that week. (Do not use food as a reward! Ever! You’re not a dog!) But also know that it’s ok to splurge and spoil yourself every once in awhile. My personal treat is Athleta. I bought a gorgeous swimsuit from there last year and I do not regret the money I spent on it because it’s the only swimsuit I have and it’s FABULOUS. 

2. Hang up inspiring pictures someplace you’ll see them a lot. I love Pinterest for all the inspirational posters I can find. Yoga poses I’d like to be able to do someday, positive mantras, images of defined abs that I’d like to work toward… all these things motivate me to choose carrot sticks and hummus over chips and tuna over a bagel. I make these images the background on my phone, the wallpaper on my work computer, and the decorations on my mirror at home. Follow my Pinterest board   Beauty=Fitness=Beauty

3.       Choose a favorite television show on Netflix or DVD and make a rule with yourself that you’re only allowed to watch it if you’re exercising while doing so. Or, make a game out of watching it. Every time a character says or does a certain thing, assign a certain exercise to do, like a drinking game, but much healthier! 

4.       Exercise first thing in the morning. It will set a precedent for the rest of your day that you will feel guilty for ruining. 

5.       Cardio sucks. Let’s just be honest! I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who says they love it, especially fitness buffs! So, try a whole bunch of different types of cardio until you find something you do like! It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it gets your heart rate up and makes you sweat. There is no magical “best form of cardio”. MYTH! Do what you like. If you like it, you’ll keep doing it. If you get burned out, try something else for a while until you’re ready to go back to it. I discovered that I HATE running but I LOVE cycling. So I don’t run. I cycle. Simple.

 6.       Go outside. Even if it’s bitter, miserable cold. Bundle up and go outside. The air and the natural light are instant mood lifters. Plus, if it’s cold, you’ll be more likely to get moving and go faster in order to warm up, which will burn more calories. 

7.       Play a sport or take a group class. I’m going to use Nate as an example. He really isn’t into lifting like I am. He doesn’t necessarily hate it and he’ll do it, but it bores him and it’s painful and uncomfortable. Some people thrive on that discomfort, like I do. Others simply do not. But he loves basketball, so the majority of his physical activity revolves around his basketball games. He plays 2-3 times per week, probably for about 2-3 hours each time. He also made a lot of like-minded friends doing this and it always helps to have friends who are interested in the same things you are. He plays church ball and he signs up for men’s rec leagues. Go online and research what’s available in your area! 

8.       Read fitness magazines! I love this one because the artist in me is mesmerized by big, bright, colorful pictures. And you don’t even have to pay for a subscription if you don’t want to, there’s so much online for free! My favorite by far is called Oxygen because they do not mess around with make-up ads or fashion tutorials. They are all about women’s fitness and nutrition and they NEVER use a tabloid celebrity as their cover model. They use real fitness models, figure competitors and athletes! And most of these women are working professionals who fit fitness into their busy lives just like me. You can find clean-eating recipes that are made with ingredients you recognize and know where to find at the grocery store and are NOT EXPENSIVE. There is a plethora of meal plans and workouts set up for you. All you do is follow the plan. 

9.       Nutrition is my biggest challenge when I’m trying to live healthy. I found a FREE app (it’s also online if you don’t have a smartphone) called “Lose-it!” and I SWEAR by this app. All you have to do is input your goals, whatever you eat and whatever exercise you do and it automatically calculates your calorie budget to get you there, and also your daily nutrient percentages so that you can tell if you need to get more protein and fewer carbs, for example. I LOVE this app. Having everything visual really makes me think twice when I’m tempted by someone’s red velvet/ cream cheese birthday cake. 

10.    Wear your sweat like a badge of honor. Do not be embarrassed by it, but it’s a good idea to have a towel handy! Anyone who has ever worked out with me knows that I sweat like nothing you ever saw. 10 minutes on the treadmill, and the back of my shirt will be totally sopping. No joke. I can drink 3 full bottles of water in a 90 minute lift sesh. But the sweat tells me that I’m working as hard as I should be and therefore effecting change, which motivates me to do it again tomorrow. 

11. There is some merit in the phrase "Fake it till you make it." It doesn't always work and that may be a sign that there is a deeper problem that needs to be addressed professionally. But for the most part, I have personally found that if I put on a smile even if I don't really want to and act cheerful and excited, then pretty soon I'm smiling genuinely and I really am psyched. Tell yourself what a waste of an opportunity to better yourself it would be if you miss your workout. Remind yourself how good the endorphin rush feels.Tell yourself it's ok that you had a donut at the office, but one was enough and now you can stop and put it in the past and have a hearty, crunchy salad or turkey sandwich for lunch. Banish your negative, self-hating thoughts. Your brain will believe what it's told. This is certainly easier said than done, but if you commit to really putting in an honest effort, you'll see that it works.

12. Download some new music or listen to an upbeat Pandora station. Music moves you, plain and simple.

Q. What do I eat? Healthy food is so expensive!

A. All you really need to know about nutrition boils down to this: Refined white sugar and artificial sweeteners are the enemy, not fat! Of course you should ideally keep your fat intake below 30% of your diet (the Lose-It! app keeps track of your percentages for you, remember!) The body is only able to metabolize a certain amount of sugar at a time. When you eat in excess of that amount, your body stores the excess sugar as fat. Did you read that?? YOUR BODY STORES THE EXCESS SUGAR AS FAT. Artificial sweeteners are not any better. Sure, they boast about having zero calories but at what cost? Increased cancer risk for one. If that isn’t enough to freak you out, I don’t know what is. I could go on and on about this but I’m not a doctor and you’ll learn better if you do your own research. There is a wealth of information online in medical journals and fitness/nutrition forums. Educate yourself. Get the facts. If your health is important to you, you’d already be doing these things. If your health wasn’t important to you, you wouldn’t even be reading this measley little blog.  Here's another link to an article about artificial sweeteners on a health blog if you're interested: Artificial Sweeteners 

Read nutrition labels! And if you're already doing that, start reading the ingredient list as well. Words like sucralose, fructose, maltodextrose, and any other strange word ending in "ose" means sugar. I am always shocked to learn how many people don't know that carbohydrates are sugars. Carbs = Sugar. Sugar is nothing more than calorie-laden emptiness. Your body is incapable of using all the sugar you eat, and sugar does not make you feel full. In fact, it's addictive and only causes you to crave more.  Don't misunderstand and start thinking that carbs are the bad guy because that is untrue. Refined, white carbohydrates are the bad guy. White bread. White rice. White potatoes. Enjoy these things in moderation. Try to get the majority of your carbohydrates (sugar) from whole grain sources and real, natural fruit (i.e. NOT canned or packaged "fruit" cocktails)

That being said, it’s perfectly ok to indulge once in a while. In fact, it’s even good to give yourself a break now and then; doing so helps to prevent binging. But I’m talking about regular excess. Having a giant bowl of ice cream every single night isn’t going to do you any favors. Having a bowl of ice cream once a week is better. Not keeping ice cream in the house and only having it on a special occasion where you have to go out and put forth a lot of effort to obtain it is best. Never having it? Impossible. For me, at least. 

As to the expense, that’s simply not true. I have personally found that if I stick to the purest, most natural form of a food the better it is for me, the more satiated I feel and it really doesn’t cost any more money than other options, and the less I feel like I’m on a restrictive “diet”. Compare buying whole wheat pasta in bulk, tomato sauce and spices, ground turkey and a block of skim cheese and preparing your own pasta dish for a family of 4 people to buying a frozen tv dinner pasta dish for one. You’ll be shocked at how expensive convenience is. For produce, buy and eat what’s in season. In the middle of January, blueberries are going to be very expensive, so eat something else instead! In the summer when the price of blueberries drops, eat blueberries. Buy 90% of your groceries from the perimeter of the store. Do your best to steer clear of the middle aisles. That is where the toxic, processed, convenience foods are kept. Make a meal/recipe plan for the week or month and from that, compose a grocery list of the ingredients you’ll need. Do not stray from the list. Keep a water bottle on you at all times and sip from it regularly. You'll likely need to pee a lot, but that's good for you, even if it is a nuisance. I've worked up to drinking about 80-90 oz of water per day and now it's just a habit.

And now for my progress update:

I’ve lost 3 lbs and about a quarter to a half inch from each area. I’ve gone from not working out at all to going to spinning 1-2 times per week, walking my dogs, and doing my favorite workout DVD Turbo Fire (get it from Beachbody) at home 3 -4 times per week. Like I said… slow, small baby steps. I feel a little better each day. Some days are worse than others. A dear friend has helped me with more ideas on how to overcome this thing and so for the next few months I am going to implement her suggestions. For the next post I am aiming to be back down to 135 lbs, an inch lost from each area and get back to lifting. I’ll also measure my body fat percentage then. Hopefully I’ll be down a few points.

I welcome your questions. Bring them on!

Until next time.