Happy first day of summer!!

Since I’ve been on this health & fitness journey, I’ve used the scale as a measure of my overall progress. However, I’m learning to find small victories everywhere.  When the scale doesn’t cooperate, there are many other things I can rely on to tell me when I am improving:

• How loose my clothes fit.
• How fast I can run before feeling winded.
• How many minutes and/or miles I can run before I need a walk break.
• How much weight I can lift before my arms are weak from exhaustion.
• How many crunches I can do before feeling like I’ve been in a fist fight.
• How many days/week I exercise.
• How long I exercise during each session.
• How quickly I can walk up the metro escalator.
• How much water I can drink in a 24 hour period.
• How often I crave or give in to the cravings for junk food.
• The number of daily fruit/vegetable servings I eat with ease.
• The gradual transition and substitution from old eating habits to healthier alternatives.
• The strength of my heart as measured by my resting heart rate.

I’m sure there are many other non-scale measures of improvement, but these are obvious to me everyday.  As for the scale measurements? I plan to be at my “happy” weight by end of summer.

Woot!

How do you know if you are achieving your health & fitness goals?

I’ve lost close to 40 lbs and recently purged my closet of everything I can’t fit or haven’t worn in the past year.  The purge was done in two parts and resulted in 8 full sized trash bags of clothes and coats.  Now…my closet looks like this:

Work Wear

• 2 suits
• 3 dresses
• 5 cardigans
• 4 blazers
• 10 tops and a few tanks
• 2 pair of slacks
• 2 skirts

Weekend Wear

• 6 sundresses
• 16 tops
• 5 bottoms
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 sweat suit
• 5 jackets

Special Occasion Wear

• 3 dresses
• 1 skirt

Something tells me I shouldn’t complain, but my closet looks sooooo empty.  I have another ~20 lbs to lose before I can go shopping again.  :-(

Ugh!  I have nothing to weeeeeeeeeeeeeear!

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Monday was a run day and I did 3.1 miles.  See.

I shared my thoughts about Monday’s run in my dailymile update.  I plan to run 3.1 miles until the race.  For now, building endurance is more important to me than improving pace.

My nutrition was the usual, oatmeal for breakfast with a banana. Lunch was a chicken salad sandwich with baby spinach and a side of cucumbers and grapes. Dinner was a protein shake, no appetite after running. Snacks were wheat thins and a wedge of laughing cow cheese.  Oh, and I had about 5-6 frito lay chips from the snack table at work.  When I realized how much fat I was eating, I felt disgusted and gave the bag away.

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Until recently, as in 5 months ago, I had never run a day in my life.  Now I can run 3 miles.  Wow!

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Until recently, I wore plus size clothing.  Now I am comfortably in a size 10 and still losing. Woot!

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I only have 19.6 lbs to reach my happy weight. Yay!

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I purged my closet this weekend and removed every single thing that was too big, except 1 pair of jeans.  You know, I need to keep 1 pair for the obligatory picture when I try them on to remember how far I’ve come.  I have no reason to hold on to those things because I will never go back.

I packed up 10 suits, 4 slacks, 3 skirts, 3 tops, 2 blazers, 2 coats, 7 jeans – all tailored because they were my favorite – that will be donated to Dress for Success.  This is in addition to the 4 bags of stuff that I took to my mom’s house last month AND the 2 additional bags of non-work clothes that I’ll donate to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

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All of this is a result of the choices I make every day.  Choices that are NOT perfect by any means. But the most important choice is that I don’t give myself an option to quit.

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On a run day, I burn 2,722 calories in 24 hours. Pretty cool to know.

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I read this on a message board and it feels like it was written specifically for me:

“Running won’t be enjoyable for you until you kind of forget that you’re doing it.  Here’s an analogy. Have you ever tossed a ball in the air and tried to catch it while tracking its movement very closely with your eyes? It’s hard to do! It’s much easier to catch the ball by NOT looking at it and letting proprioceptive tell your hand where it’s going to fall.

Running is essentially just a faster version of things you’ve done naturally your whole life (walking and breathing). If you try to pay too much attention to the mechanics of those things, you are making it too hard.”

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My rent for June is $2,285. Sheesh!

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We’ve spent almost the exact amount in senior year expenses so far.

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BG was fitted for her prom dress and we pick it up on Friday. The alterations cost almost as much as the dress.  Hmph!  We bought her shoes and clutch last week.  All we need to do now is to find accessories and the corsage.  Her complete look is going to be simple, yet elegant.

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This summer is going to be a big blur. Prom is 6/4, my race is 6/5, graduation is 6/18, my fam wants a party but she doesn’t care so I’m not sure if one will go in between here, college freshman orientation is 6/24, we move to a new apartment 6/28, we leave for Paris 7/1, BG’s born day is 7/2, marching band camp begins 7/24, college freshman check-in is 8/14.

After that final day, when I return to my empty nest, I have no idea how I will feel. I just pray that God holds me close in His arms.

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BG found a job!!  That is great news all by itself. Praise da lawd!

Yesterday was another run day and I was actually looking forward to it.  I hope I can maintain this momentum throughout the entire month.

Exercise

I ran 2.11 miles doing intervals – 3 minutes running at 5mph and 2 minutes walking at 3.5 mph for 30 minutes.  It wasn’t exhausting like Monday’s run and I felt pretty good afterward.  Today’s pace was 14:14, slightly better than Monday’s pace of 14:18.  Still slow, but I’m committed to continuous improvement as long as my legs will carry me.

Time: 30 minutes + 8 minute warm up & cool down

Calories Burned: 253 according to the machine + ?? for WU & CD

My Polar FT4 heart rate monitor was paid for ($58!) and will be ordered today. Yay!

Nutrition

Breakfast: maple & brown sugar (reduced sugar) oatmeal

Lunch: tuna with green & red pepper strips, onions, and baby spinach on a whole wheat wrap

Dinner: again, no appetite after running, but forced myself to drink a protein shake

Snacks (morning, midday, and evening): 2 bananas, 2 clementines, 2 mini babybel light cheese, and 8 Godiva dark chocolate pearls (healthy snack and only 25 calories per serving (8), yum!).

Drink: water all day

My meals aren’t usually this repetitive but I’ve never worked out 5 days/week, so I had to shift my focus from meal planning to fitness.  To keep things in the “sorta healthy” range, this was the end result.  On Sunday, I made a big bowl of tuna salad, cut up a bunch of green and red peppers, grilled and chopped two packs of chicken breast, bought a bunch of fruit, a bag of baby spinach, and viola! – my meals for the entire week.  I can’t wait until Saturday when I’ll have time to make something different.

Mr. EC has offered to run with me on two training days per week.  There was a little drama behind the decision (*ahem* alpha competition with another male friend LOL), but I appreciate the support I’m receiving from all of my friends. Friday is our first run together.  He’s a weight lifter, not a runner, so this should be interesting. LOL

I’m so glad today (Thursday) is a rest day. Whew!

Alright, your turn. Report the deets on your finance and fitness challenge! Are you finding anything difficult to maintain?

Beginning the week of December 20th – 17 weeks ago – I decided to change my lifestyle.  You’ve read about my old routine.  Since then, I’ve made small, consistent changes.  As a result, I’ve lost 30 lbs and intend to lose another 27 lbs before the end of this year.  Here’s what I’ve done to get where I am today and will continue for the rest of my life:

1) Mental Preparation:  I had to admit that I was overweight and then make peace with myself.  This was probably the hardest thing for me to do because I have a healthy dose of confidence, but it was a double edged sword.  I was genuinely happy and you couldn’t tell me that I wasn’t FABULOUS, yet I was in denial.  Despite having low energy almost daily, I thought I looked good just the way I was and I carried my “assets” very well.  I liked it; men loved it!  However, as I became more aware of my environment and the people surrounding me, I began to question myself.  You see, I live in a neighborhood where you will find health food stores and fitness centers on every other block.  I pass runners every morning/evening on my way to/from work and I was intrigued with their commitment.  My immediate environment was enough to plant a seed, but I continued life as I’ve always lived it – eating whatever whenever, working, being mommy, socializing with more eating , and then sleeping.  That was pretty much the bane of my existence.

But one day, something clicked.  There was no life altering event.  I was looking at a picture of myself on vacation, which prompted a look at myself in the mirror.  *sigh* I was NOT happy with what I saw.  When I finally decided that *I* was not happy, I admitted to myself that being overweight obese is not what’s hot in the streets.  I began writing about my feelings in a journal, praying to God about my desire to change, and seeking information related to health and fitness.  There were a series of other related events that followed, but most importantly, this was a decision that I made on my own.  I didn’t listen to anyone telling me that I needed to change, what to do, or how to do it.  After many years of (self imposed) abuse, the fire was ignited within me and I decided to change…for the better.  It also helps that I surround myself with like-minded people and have an amazing support system (online and in real life).

This entire process took between 6 months to a year.

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2) Exercise: I began exercising 3x per week for 20-30 minutes each session.  At the time, my exercise of choice was walking/running on the treadmill.  I didn’t care about the intensity of my workout or how many calories I burned, I just wanted to get through it.  Hell, simply making myself go to the gym was a chore and I hated it.  But I was motivated to continue because I challenged myself to complete the C25K program, which took 11 weeks.  Since then, I’ve incorporated other forms of exercise – Wii fitness games for strength training and the elliptical to give my body a break from the physical stress of running.  Regardless of what exercise I choose, I now commit to exercising at least 4x per week for 30-45 minutes each session.  Because I still hate working out, I now make sure every workout counts.  I push myself HARD during those few minutes.  If I’m not sweating, I’m not working.  I also track calories burned, miles, pace, etc.

Eventually, I’d like to workout 5x per week for one hour each session, but I’m not there…yet.

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3) Nutrition: This is probably THE most important change I’ve made in my life.  I don’t follow a diet plan or count points or calories.  I still eat whatever I want, but I make healthier choices and prepare almost every meal at home.  I began with simple modifications and added to them gradually.

• I stopped drinking juice and soda – cold turkey.  My fluids were limited to water or fresh brewed green tea only.  I was never a big soda drinker so this was an easy change.
• Then I began replacing my regular foods with healthier substitutes (e.g. white rice and pasta for brown, white bread for whole wheat, vegetable oil for olive oil, ground beef for ground turkey, frosted flakes for cheerios, sweet snacks for fruit, 2% for no fat milk, etc.).  These were easy changes that required a conscious decision but had little or no impact.
• The hardest part of this change was cutting back on junk food that I was accustomed to eating – Twix, Oreos, Doritos, McDonald’s, pizza, fried chicken, etc.  I eliminated all of this junk food from my diet because there is no such thing as moderation in the early stages.  Think about it, a recovering alcoholic in AA can’t have just one drink.  I needed to recondition my mind (and body) before I reintroduced those things, if ever.
• To tackle this problem, I learned that preparation is key.  I forced myself to create meal plans in advance for the entire week – including breakfast, lunch, dinner, AND snacks.  When I shop,  I buy only what is on my list.  When I cook, I make enough for lunch or dinner the next day so that I’m not scrambling to cook every day.  I make sure there is always a healthy option available if I want a snack or have a craving.  It is hard, damn hard, and I’ve slipped a few times.  But I don’t consider it a failure.  It’s part of the process.  I still have cravings for junk food but they are few and far between.
• Now when I want pizza, I make it myself with whole wheat dough and vegetable toppings or buy a Kashi vegetable pizza with a thin whole wheat crust.  When I want fried chicken, I remove the skin and bake it in seasoned bread crumbs.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had a Twix, Oreos, Doritos or McDonald’s but it doesn’t mean I don’t think about them.
• Recently, I’ve begun to eliminate some processed foods and certain meats.
• I also buy more organic and try to introduce more fruits and vegetables that I’ve never tried before.  In fact, my weekly groceries are now 80-85% fresh produce.
• For other things, I’m more selective than I used to be.  I don’t necessarily focus on things that are advertised as “low fat,” “low sugar,” “low sodium,” “low carb,” etc. because the “low whatever” is usually made up with a “high” something in one of the other areas.  I take the time to read and compare labels with a focus on the calories, fat, sugar, sodium, and the first 5 items listed in the ingredients.  If I doesn’t meet my ‘not to exceed %’ or if I don’t understand the ingredients, I don’t buy it.
• I dine out 2-3x per month (max), either a special occasion or to maintain my social life.

When I began changing my eating habits, I tracked everything that went into my mouth on SparkPeople and focused on limiting my calories to 1500 per day.  Now that I have a pretty good handle on how to create well balanced meals, I don’t track calories anymore.  Instead, I listen to my body and eat when I’m hungry.  I begin my day with breakfast every morning and drink lots of water.  At the end of the day, I usually eat 5-6x per day with meals that include a mix of whole grains, lean meats, fruits, and/or vegetables.  I also take vitamins to make up for specific nutrients that I can’t get from food for various reasons.

I still eat some junk food but in moderation.  For example, I make a trail mix that includes pretzels, raisins, peanuts, cheerios, and chocolate chips.  If BabyGirl brings something home, I may have a small taste that satisfies me.  Occasionally, I buy new snacks (e.g. Vita-top brownies) that have been a flop so far.  I also eat Kashi granola bars, graham crackers, flavored yogurt, zucchini bread, banana muffins, etc. – not every day or even every week, but it satisfies my sugar craving or need to feel rebellious.

Lately, I’ve been reading and learning more about nutrition from healthy food/eating blogs – Kath Eats Real Food, Healthy Tipping Point, and The Front Burner, just to name a few.  Eventually, I’d like to be a 100% “clean” eater – a person who only eats all natural food that is fresh from the earth without processing.  I have no desire to become a vegetarian, but I’d like all of my meat, eggs, and dairy to come from grass fed cows or live stock that is raised naturally and in a healthy environment.  Obviously, I’m not there…yet, but it’s all just a matter of time.

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4) Doing the Math:  They say 3500 calories equal 1 lb of (mostly) fat.  So to lose 1 lb, you must create a 3500 caloric deficit.  I’ve learned to do this through the gradual process described above and summarized below:

• Mental (the hardest) – You have to be mentally ready and committed to overcome challenges and achieve long term results.
• Exercise – We all know the importance of exercise; it builds muscle, makes our heart/lungs strong, increases our metabolism, and helps to prevent some diseases.
• Nutrition – If you are what you eat, I want to be clean and healthy.  In my opinion, no matter what you do, if you don’t change what you put IN your body, you’re fighting a losing battle with yourself.  What’s the point of exercising 5+ hrs per week and eating crap almost every day?  You may get results, but it’s like taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back – a whole lot of energy expended for nothing.  After a while, you will either get tired of dancing the 2 step, burn out from exhaustion, or get pissed with the small, inconsistent results.

I estimate that I previously ate at least 2000 calories per day but now I eat approximately 1500 calories per day.  This is a -500 caloric deficit per day or a -3500 caloric deficit for the week.  Just by changing my eating habits, I can lose -1 lb per week (-3500/3500) from food alone.

But my focus isn’t only on weight loss.  I want to be healthy and physically fit.  So I exercise 4x per week and burn approximately 400-500 calories each session.  This is a -1600 to -2000 caloric deficit for the week.  Do you see how all of that effort from exercise results in only a -0.4 to -0.6 lb weight loss per week (-2000/3500)?  I’d be mad too!

With a combination of healthy nutrition AND exercise, I create a total caloric deficit of -5100 to  -5500 per week (-3500+-2000), which equates to approximately -1.4 to -1.6 lbs per week   (-5500/3500).  This is a more respectable number that I can live with, but I need the mental commitment to maintain it consistently.  See how all three elements are connected? :-)

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As my body adjusts to the changes, I will have to adjust the strategy to avoid a plateau.  But the point is, there are no shortcuts or easy solutions for a permanent, healthy lifestyle change.

I understand the fascination with diets because they are easy to follow and provide immediate results, for most people.  However, instead of teaching you how to correct poor behavior and establish/maintain new habits, they are a temporary fix to a long term problem.

Similar to my personal finance approach, the path I chose is simple but not easy because it requires discipline and consistency.  Also, the results may be slow, but the true reward is a healthy body that will treat me well for the rest of my life.  I still have a long way to go, but I know that I’m well on my way.