I know this is an unusual topic to see on this blog, but recently with much encouragement from my family I decided to tackle the beast – that dreaded weight I’ve put on over the years and pretended to ignore. I did try to diet, and exercise before, but always stopped after a while when the number on the scale refused to budge. And then I ate more, and gained more.
My husband and I got married almost 4 years ago, and since our wedding day I’ve put on 35 extra pounds. I know it was food and my own laziness paired with inability to resist sweets and pizza. My goodness, I love pizza! But I digress… So how do I know that this time I’ll stick with it and actually get back to my perfect weight, you might ask? Truth be told, I don’t know, but my gut feeling tells me that “this is it”, this is the time I will finally be able to do it!
Since this is my first update, let’s talk about things that got me started on my journey. First of all, I’m sure you’ve all heard of MyFitnessPal, a free fitness app that lets you track your calories, nutrition, goals, measurements, progress, and offers many other useful features. According to the app, based on my age, gender, current weight, and activity level, the optimal number of calories I have to eat daily to lose up to 1lb a week is 1250. It’s not a lot, but not as bad as I thought it would be.
For the first week of my diet I didn’t exercise at all, making sure that I can actually sustain my body with those calories. As it turns out, after eliminating common offenders, like sugary sweets, enriched pasta products, breads, and pizza, and instead loading up on healthy alternatives, I ended up feeling full while consuming even less calories. But that’s a no-brainer, after all, good food will make anyone feel better.
I switched to organic food where it matters – for produce, I was recommended to choose organic vegetables if they’re tubers, because the soil absorbs all of those pesticides, which later end up in the root of the plant. I’m sure, organic produce is healthier in general, but a complete switch is just not financially sustainable for me at the moment, considering how many fruits and veggies we eat in this family. I also started buying organic eggs from free-range chickens, and meat from grass-fed livestock, that wasn’t treated with antibiotics. I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but the taste really is superior [and so is the price tag, unfortunately].
By the end of Week 1 I successfully lost the promised pound without feeling like I’m starving myself, so I moved on to exercise.
Do you have a gaming console? If you do, then you should totally check out EA Sports Active and see if it’s available for your device! Designed by certified fitness trainers this interactive fitness program adjusts to your needs and helps utilize the equipment you already have at home. It’s like having a real pro coaching you and giving you tips in real time!
It comes with three body sensors, including a heart rate monitor, that will register your movements and alert you if you are doing an exercise incorrectly. They are also used to send information to the TV screen, so you can see your virtual self doing the reps. So fun!
Anyhow, at this point I completed the 21-day “starter” fitness program on Easy difficulty level, and it was sooo not easy at times! I feel like my heart is much healthier now, and my muscles are stronger, but on several occasions I felt too tired to cook dinner, so hubs and I had to eat out [we both don’t really like eating out]. So far I’m down about 3.5 lbs, and sounds like it’s going to be quite a challenge getting to my Wedding Day weight, but at least I’m losing it at a faster pace than I gained it 🙂
In my next update I will talk about the supplements I’m currently taking and post-workout recovery.
Any tips on how to stick with fitness resolutions long-term? Share in the comments below!
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