Making a life change…

So it hasn’t been that long but I’m pretty happy with how I’ve been getting back on track.

I’m eating well and getting back to routine exercise.  Saturday is always my weak day but tonight’s dinner is roasted butternut squash and apple panko coated chicken fillets.

January 1st and I see a LOT of people on Facebook talking about their lifestyle changes.  And many of them are doing it wrong.

Who am I to tell them it’s wrong?  Well I’m not.  But I do have some experience and some success so this is what I want to talk about – and if it isn’t valuable to you, feel free to ignore me!

First let’s talk about exercise.  Obviously I believe exercise is vitally important for ultimate physical and mental health.  BUT stupid shitty shows like The Biggest Loser and others like it give you the idea that the best way to lose weight is to exercise for HOURS a day and push yourself until you puke. 

That is insane, dangerous and counterproductive.  If you have been a sedentary person, planning on exercising balls to the wall 6 days a week for an hour is not realistic.  You likely to hurt yourself and burn out immediately.

Make realistic goals.  And remember that exercise does not always mean doing Insanity or running for an hour on the treadmill!  Clean out that extra room that you’ve been piling crap in for years.  Take the dogs and your kids for a walk.  Get your girlfriends together and find a local Zumba class! 

Move more then you used to!  Build up to more formal exercise. 

Now how about food?  If you are making this life changed you may have joined a site like My Fitness Pal.  And if you are a woman you going to put in the you want to lose 2 pounds a week.  And they’re going to tell you to eat 1200 calories a day.

Forget it.  If you are overweight, you’ve probably been eating around 2500 calories a day.  Will you lose weight faster by radically cutting your calories?

Yup.

But it won’t stick.  You’re going to be starving.  And miserable.  You’re going to go on a eating frenzy before too long.  And then you’re going to hate yourself.  And give up.

Eat less.  Eat healthier.  Give up or cut way back on small things – like soda.  Stop eating out so much.  Buy fresh foods and COOK THEM YOURSELF. 

Engage your kids and spouse.  Have them help you make a salad.  Teach the kids to make their own lunches.

Learn about what foods make you feel full.  Eat large quantities of veggies.

Drink water.  And then drink MORE water.  Find a way to get at least 7 hours of sleep at night.

And remember – slow and steady wins this race – not gigantic leaps.

Can’t do these things?  TO WHAT LENGTHS ARE YOU WILLING TO GO????  If it was easy EVERYONE would be thin. 

It will be hard.  It will suck at times.  It will be two steps forward and one back.  And then one day, like me, you’ll step on the scale and burst into tears because you’ve hit your goal weight.

For me it was 119.  And I will never ever forget that day – when I stepped on the scale and instead of 300 or 200 or 150 or even 120 it said 119.7.  It was fucking glorious.

Imagine it…