~* Ash *~
I'm scheduled to pick up my wedding dress in a few days, and I'm pleased to report that I've lost four pounds and 2 1/2 inches since my first fitting a few weeks ago!
These are my two "secrets" (or you can just watch the MadTV clip for the basic summary):
1) Eat Less but Eat Regularly: When I'm stressed, I tend to "eat" coffee for breakfast, have an apple or banana for lunch, grab fast food for dinner, and have a glass of wine and/or some ice cream before bed. Everything adds up to about 1000 calories -- the minimum anyone should go to stay healthy is 1200.
This means I'm simultaneously starving my body, and filling it with fat, carbs, caffeine, and nothing green in sight. On the opposite end, when I'm bored, I just sort of graze all day. Some fruit here, some chips there, half a frozen pizza -- why not?
My goal for these last few weeks was to aim for around 1500 calories/day of small, regular meals. Oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, soup and a sandwich for lunch, yogurt and nuts for a snack, a healthy dinner (protein, carbs, and veggies), and a small dessert.... That's it. No counting calories, no "forbidden" foods, and no special diet. In fact, I've gone to happy hours and barbecues, and I've baked and eaten brownies. I really haven't changed much, but I've just been more cognizant about what and when I eat (or not).
2) Move More but Not at the Gym: When people want to lose weight fast, the first place they head is to the gym. They go cardio-crazy or max out on weights.... You can't go from sedentary to Richard Simmons and think your body will respond in a positive way.
Although it's definitely important to have a good exercise routine, you have to be healthy in "normal" ways, too. [Pet Peeve: The person who drives around the parking lot at the gym looking for the spot closest to the door. Hello?! You're going to work out! Who cares if you have to walk 20 more steps to the door!]
I've boosted the effect of the gym with little things -- taking Maggie the long way for our walks, parking at the end of the lot, using the stairs instead of the elevator, and getting a hand basket instead of a cart when I'm picking up a few things in the grocery store.
One of my favorite things to do is to give my car a few days "off." Ann Arbor has a great bus system. With a little planning, I can get from Point A to Point B in about the same time as I would if I'd driven and parked. It doesn't seem like much, but all of this physical activity adds up. By the end of the day, I can literally walk about an extra mile -- sometimes more.
Even though I was already a healthy weight, making these few changes helped me to reach my goal on the scale and shed a few inches. If I stay within 1-2 pounds of this weight, then my dress should fit perfectly and I'll be able to breathe easy (literally) on October 16th -- less than a month away!
These are my two "secrets" (or you can just watch the MadTV clip for the basic summary):
1) Eat Less but Eat Regularly: When I'm stressed, I tend to "eat" coffee for breakfast, have an apple or banana for lunch, grab fast food for dinner, and have a glass of wine and/or some ice cream before bed. Everything adds up to about 1000 calories -- the minimum anyone should go to stay healthy is 1200.
This means I'm simultaneously starving my body, and filling it with fat, carbs, caffeine, and nothing green in sight. On the opposite end, when I'm bored, I just sort of graze all day. Some fruit here, some chips there, half a frozen pizza -- why not?
My goal for these last few weeks was to aim for around 1500 calories/day of small, regular meals. Oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, soup and a sandwich for lunch, yogurt and nuts for a snack, a healthy dinner (protein, carbs, and veggies), and a small dessert.... That's it. No counting calories, no "forbidden" foods, and no special diet. In fact, I've gone to happy hours and barbecues, and I've baked and eaten brownies. I really haven't changed much, but I've just been more cognizant about what and when I eat (or not).
 |
| The grocery store is FULL of 100-calorie snacks: popcorn, crackers, chips, ice cream, mini-cakes.... The trick is to just eat one pack! |
2) Move More but Not at the Gym: When people want to lose weight fast, the first place they head is to the gym. They go cardio-crazy or max out on weights.... You can't go from sedentary to Richard Simmons and think your body will respond in a positive way.
Although it's definitely important to have a good exercise routine, you have to be healthy in "normal" ways, too. [Pet Peeve: The person who drives around the parking lot at the gym looking for the spot closest to the door. Hello?! You're going to work out! Who cares if you have to walk 20 more steps to the door!]
I've boosted the effect of the gym with little things -- taking Maggie the long way for our walks, parking at the end of the lot, using the stairs instead of the elevator, and getting a hand basket instead of a cart when I'm picking up a few things in the grocery store.
One of my favorite things to do is to give my car a few days "off." Ann Arbor has a great bus system. With a little planning, I can get from Point A to Point B in about the same time as I would if I'd driven and parked. It doesn't seem like much, but all of this physical activity adds up. By the end of the day, I can literally walk about an extra mile -- sometimes more.
 |
| Why, people? Why?! |
