My last post sparked a lot of support from friends and family, for which I am so grateful. There were a couple of comments that I wanted to highlight because I found them to be really helpful. The first is from Megan, a kick-butt trainer from the resort who has continued to support me beyond my stay.
"You will have CRAPPY DAYS and you will have AWESOME DAYS!! It's HOW you bounce back from your crappy days that will make or break you.....So GO MAKE YOU!!!" First let me just say, Preach It Sister! You know the saying, "Old habits die hard." Well, my habit of letting one "crappy day" of binging turn into months is dying a slow, agonizing, painfully hard, just won't let the hell go death. This reminder was so important for me...I put on the brakes, screeeeeeeeeeeech, and got focused on getting back on track. This has meant meal planning, getting rid of the junk, incorporating a couple of low cal treats to have on hand, and so far two days of 500+ calorie burn at the gym. I was so scared that those 4 lbs gained meant that I had lost everything else (i.e. my endurance and strength)...ummmm so NOT TRUE...I rocked the shit out of that spin bike. So here I am with my gym confidence back...making me!
The other comment that I wanted to share came from my sister-in-law (well as close to a sister-in-law that I'll ever have given that I don't see the state of Texas changing its stance on same-sex marriage any day soon...but that's a different soapbox for a different day.) Anyway...Crystal who balances being a lawyer, a mother to a handsome 4 month old boy, a wife, and staying on top of her weight shared this practical advice with me...."1.There are some foods and drinks that are just off limits because I know I can't take just one bite or one sip. Like french fries and margaritas. I know this doesn't work for some people because they feel deprived, but for me I just don't think of those things as an option. And now it's not even hard to say no.
2. Make exercise a habit. I find that if I work out at the same time every day it starts to feel like my routine, and I even miss it if I can't do it. Crazy, I know.
3. Find a distraction. When you feel like eating and you know you shouldn't really be hungry, go shopping, show your dog some love, or do something that gets your mind off of it. And most of all, picture yourself at your goal weight. Really get into the details. What do you arms look like, your abs, etc.
4. Get lots of sleep. I feel STARVING when I am sleepy.
I hope these help! You have already proven you can do this, so let your frustration motivate you!"
Brilliant right? So what this has meant for me....
1. Because I have given in to certain trigger foods, I am now miserable with cravings. The 90/10 rule that allows me to eat for pleasure 10% of the time (every 10th day) is important to making this change sustainable; unfortunately, those trigger foods aren't ready to be a part of that 10%. So here and now I am saying goodbye to:
2. I have downloaded the 24 Hour Fitness ap that tells me my gym's class schedule for the day, instructors, and class descriptions. I have created a schedule for myself ensuring that I'm able to hit up the stuff I like. Who knew that I would love spinning?!
3. I just need to start taking some ME time everyday to do what I find enjoyable and/or relaxing that is not centered around food. The imagery technique that Crystal mentions above is a good one I think, and it sparked the idea that maybe I needed a good reality check on where I am now. Pulling out old pics and comparing them to where I am today, was a great reminder that in the grand scheme of things that 4lbs is almost undetectable.
4. Lastly, I've been working on that sleep thing for a while. I have also heard that lack of sleep will cause you to hold belly fat. I decided to create a sleep routine that relaxes me an gets me into bed at a decent hour.
Well...I'm tapped out with the typing, and I'm sure your tapped out with the reading. Until next time!
Love & Sparkles-
The Sparkly Queen
A couple of Saturday's ago, Emily I went hiking at Stephen F. Austin State Park. I never got around to posting the pics, so here they are...
"You will have CRAPPY DAYS and you will have AWESOME DAYS!! It's HOW you bounce back from your crappy days that will make or break you.....So GO MAKE YOU!!!" First let me just say, Preach It Sister! You know the saying, "Old habits die hard." Well, my habit of letting one "crappy day" of binging turn into months is dying a slow, agonizing, painfully hard, just won't let the hell go death. This reminder was so important for me...I put on the brakes, screeeeeeeeeeeech, and got focused on getting back on track. This has meant meal planning, getting rid of the junk, incorporating a couple of low cal treats to have on hand, and so far two days of 500+ calorie burn at the gym. I was so scared that those 4 lbs gained meant that I had lost everything else (i.e. my endurance and strength)...ummmm so NOT TRUE...I rocked the shit out of that spin bike. So here I am with my gym confidence back...making me!
The other comment that I wanted to share came from my sister-in-law (well as close to a sister-in-law that I'll ever have given that I don't see the state of Texas changing its stance on same-sex marriage any day soon...but that's a different soapbox for a different day.) Anyway...Crystal who balances being a lawyer, a mother to a handsome 4 month old boy, a wife, and staying on top of her weight shared this practical advice with me...."1.There are some foods and drinks that are just off limits because I know I can't take just one bite or one sip. Like french fries and margaritas. I know this doesn't work for some people because they feel deprived, but for me I just don't think of those things as an option. And now it's not even hard to say no.
2. Make exercise a habit. I find that if I work out at the same time every day it starts to feel like my routine, and I even miss it if I can't do it. Crazy, I know.
3. Find a distraction. When you feel like eating and you know you shouldn't really be hungry, go shopping, show your dog some love, or do something that gets your mind off of it. And most of all, picture yourself at your goal weight. Really get into the details. What do you arms look like, your abs, etc.
4. Get lots of sleep. I feel STARVING when I am sleepy.
I hope these help! You have already proven you can do this, so let your frustration motivate you!"
Brilliant right? So what this has meant for me....
1. Because I have given in to certain trigger foods, I am now miserable with cravings. The 90/10 rule that allows me to eat for pleasure 10% of the time (every 10th day) is important to making this change sustainable; unfortunately, those trigger foods aren't ready to be a part of that 10%. So here and now I am saying goodbye to:
- Alcohol: It makes me a food-slut.
- Pizza: It leads to more pizza...then more pizza.
- Tex-Mex: God I want nachos, tacos, and enchiladas just thinking about it.
- Restaurants where I never make the healthy choice ie. Chuy's
2. I have downloaded the 24 Hour Fitness ap that tells me my gym's class schedule for the day, instructors, and class descriptions. I have created a schedule for myself ensuring that I'm able to hit up the stuff I like. Who knew that I would love spinning?!
3. I just need to start taking some ME time everyday to do what I find enjoyable and/or relaxing that is not centered around food. The imagery technique that Crystal mentions above is a good one I think, and it sparked the idea that maybe I needed a good reality check on where I am now. Pulling out old pics and comparing them to where I am today, was a great reminder that in the grand scheme of things that 4lbs is almost undetectable.
4. Lastly, I've been working on that sleep thing for a while. I have also heard that lack of sleep will cause you to hold belly fat. I decided to create a sleep routine that relaxes me an gets me into bed at a decent hour.
Well...I'm tapped out with the typing, and I'm sure your tapped out with the reading. Until next time!
Love & Sparkles-
The Sparkly Queen
A couple of Saturday's ago, Emily I went hiking at Stephen F. Austin State Park. I never got around to posting the pics, so here they are...
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| Emily, The Rabbit, and a Cliff Bar. |
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| The start of our hike. |
