Getting ready for my 10 day Shakeology challenge...

I don't write much about healthy eating. Like a lot of people, I think we generally eat pretty well, especially when we're at home. I make sure we have fresh fruits and vegetables, I cook mainly from scratch and avoid most processed foods, and my kids are pretty good eaters. All in all, not too bad. That said, I like to eat out from time to time, and when I do I'm not that careful. To some degree, I work out because I like to eat, and I don't want to be constantly restricted. When I was losing weight, I mainly did it through portion control, rather than cutting food categories ( like carbs) out of my diet.

However, in November I'm doing an experiment - I'm going to try and stick to a clean diet for 10 days straight. I've never, ever tried to follow one of the meal plans that come with my workouts. Since I'm now a Beachbody Coach - and I'm actually helping people find the motivation to stick to their programs - I think it's time I practice what I preach.

So starting on November 11, some other coaches and I are leading a "10 day Shakeology challenge". Shakeology is a nutritional shake that I already use. We'll be working with our customers who are either trying the product for the first time, or who want to improve their overall nutritional plan.

As for me, I've decided to follow the Focus T25 nutrition plan that came with my workout package. During the challenge I'll drink Shakeology for one of the five small meals a day called for in the T25 plan. I'll probably aim to eat 1800 calories a day, and the recipes will be made up of good whole foods, leaving out the junk.

This means I'll really need to plan my meals. No more fly by night shopping. I'll need to design them so they are suitable both for me and for the kids. If I eat out, I'll really have to think about the menu and not blow through my calorie allotment. Hopefully the challenge will make me more disciplined in my food choices, which will ultimately benefit the whole family!

Why do people gain weight in the first place?

Everyone knows that there's an obesity epidemic in the United States. Walk through any shopping mall or airport in America, and the evidence is as plain as day.

One common view is that obese people are lazy, that they'd rather lounge in front of the TV with a pizza box and a beer than get off their duff and exercise. OK - no doubt there are a few people like that in the world - you can always find one or two people to cram into a general stereotype. But in the vast majority of cases I reject that view. Don't get me wrong - at the end of the day, you have to take personal responsibility for your health, find the time to exercise and make healthy food choices. Yet typically, people who struggle with their weight aren't lazy at all. There are a lot of factors at play which can lead down the path to obsesity - I'm going to talk about two which have impacted me personally.

1. SCHEDULING

A lot of people gain weight because they have a million-and-one tasks they have to do each day. No matter the reason - kids, career, juggling multiple jobs, health challenges or a combination of things -  stress stops people from taking time out for themselves. These people are the opposite of lazy - if you're working two jobs, or balancing career and family, or running around all day chasing the kids, it's hard to find the energy to schedule that workout.  If you work late, it's hard to wake up early and miss out on precious sleep.

When lost in the fog of a stressful schedule and overall fatigue, it's almost impossible to accept the fact that exercise ultimately gives you more energy - not less - to cope with the challenges of the day. I freely admit that I fell into that trap, which was why I had 25 pounds to lose when I finally got my act together. I wasn't lazy - I was working, juggling three kids and managing a household. But by denying my body its daily exercise, I allowed my stress to build up - which sometimes made me a grouchy mom and wife. By carving out time for myself and devoting it to exercise, I'm better able to to handle my day to day challenges because I feel confident in my own skin, and I have the energy I need to tackle each day. Once you make a commitment to fitness, the sky's the limit!

2. PORTION CONTROL

This is my nemesis. Over the years, I became a big fan of seconds. When you live in the US, the world is stacked against you in this regard. Want to eat some cereal for breakfast? Don't eat more than a handful, otherwise you'll accidentally eat a 700 calorie breakfast. Want a Caesar salad for lunch? You can easily consume up to 1,000 calories.

It takes a lot of work to figure out what you're eating. Never forget - the calories listed on a package often undershoot (by a lot) the amount of an average serving.  A lot of folks simply don't realize how many calories they're eating - even if they read the nutritional information.

It's important to avoid processed foods as much as possible, so that you know exactly what you're putting into your body. If you have a busy schedule, cook on the weekends and freeze food ahead of time, Learn to love the slow cooker and make healthy stews and casseroles. Keep lots of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand. And when you serve yourself dinner, keep it to one plate.

END THE TREND...

At the end of the day, we're each responsible for our own health and fitness. But it's important not to blame people when they've fallen off the fitness wagon. There's a lot of temptation out there, and a lot of ways to lose focus on staying in shape. Feeling guilty about weight gain is a tremendous waste of energy, and can drain away the motivation you need to make good choices about the future. Take time to find the right workout program for you, make a commitment to follow your chosen workout schedule, and focus on making healthy food choices as you reclaim your health. Some days will be easier than others - and if you veer off track, don't spend any time feeling guilty. Just brush yourself off and recommit to your program. If you'd like to find the right fitness program and aren't sure where to turn, don't hesitate to contact me - I'll be happy to help match you with the perfect Beachbody workout.



 

Counting calories - Where to start?

I first want to say that I do not religiously count calories. I do not track every bite I take in myfitnesspal.com or any other calorie tracking program. However, over the past six months I've taken a much greater interest in the number of calories in my food, along with the amount of fat, carbs, proteins, vitamins and other content. While I refuse to obsess over the caloric content of every bit of food that crosses my lips, I think it's useful to know how many calories I should consume to maintain, and how many I should consume to lose. I'm currently trying to maintain my weight (over the summer), but come fall I want to lose the last 3-5 pounds, so I'll need to be more careful.

So, to figure out my baseline, I've used the Harris Benedict-Equation, which determines a target caloric intake based on your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The Insanity program uses a calculator based on this. BMR is basically the number of calories your body needs to stay alive and healthy. Once the BMR is calculated, you add an "allowance" for physical activity to determine the number of calories you should consume to maintain your current weight. From this number, determine a healthy caloric deficit based on your weight loss goals (this will vary greatly from person to person; you may want to chat with your doctor to determine the right level for you).

As a rough estimate, healthy weight loss is approximately 1-2 pounds a week, requiring a caloric deficit of around 3,500 calories to lose one pound. So, a deficit of 500 calories a day is probably a reasonable target if you're trying to lose weight. Like I've said in the past, I'm entirely opposed to diets. For me, it's all about eating healthy food in the right amounts, and permanently changing your approach to food.

THE HARRIS-BENEDICT EQUATION:

1. Calculate your BMR:

        Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

        Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )

2. Multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

           Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2

           Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375

           Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55

           Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725

           Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training): BMR x 1.9

NOTE: For Insanity, most people choose to apply "Very Active" or "Extra Active". I think that for T25, "Moderately Active" is probably more accurate (though if you do other physical activity during the day, that will bump you to a higher category).

3. Your final number is the approximate number of calories you need each day to maintain your weight. For weight loss, determine the mild to moderate caloric deficit that is right for you.

So in my case:

Female, 148 pounds, 70 inches, age 42: 655 + (4.35 x 148) + (4.7 x 70) - (4.7 x 42)= 1429

Multiply 1429 x 1.55 (moderately active) = 2,215 calories a day to maintain my weight. With this information, I will probably aim for 1,900 over the summer, since I'm basically maintaining until fall (though dropping a pound or two wouldn't be unwelcome!)

 

How not to eat right...

I haven't written about healthy eating and nutrition on this blog. I will at some point in the future, when I'm actually eating healthy. Right now, I'm on summer vacation ... enough said.

When I started Insanity back in March, I spent a lot of time looking at what (and how much) I was eating. I was absolutely floored by the number of calories that were crossing my lips, so I cut back my food intake significantly. I didn't diet - I don't believe in diets because that word implies a temporary solution, as if you could later go back to your old ways and all will be well. But I put a lot of thought into what I eat, adding in what is healthy and eliminating what is not. I also learned a great deal about which foods pack a ton of fat and calories.All in all, I've developed a healthy approach to eating and food selection.

Now, up to this past week I've been diligently applying this new approach. I plan accordingly if I occasionally want to treat myself, and it's gone very well. But now we're at the river. I'm eating a healthy breakfast and lunch, but then I have a beer (or two) in the afternoon, a bit of wine in the evening, then pulled pork, mac and cheese, crab dip (all homemade, of course!), and it's all really good. Basically, in the evenings I fall off the rails.

I've debated whether to feel guilty about this, and I've decided not to bother. I could choose to forego these things, but instead I've chosen to relax and enjoy. Instead of guilt, I realized that I've been maintaining my exercise program like a champ (Focus T25! I really like it), that we'll be here for less than two weeks, and that I'm staying active. Before I know it, summer will be over, then we will head off to the UK, and I will get myself back on track immediately. Untill that time, I'm going to enjoy my Northern Neck cuisine.

To justify all of this, I have a theory. It has absolutely no basis in scientific fact, but here it is: I've been at a plateau with my weight since early June. I only have 4-5 pounds to go, but they must enjoy my company. So, according to my theory, so long as I don't completely overdo, a few weeks of eating less than healthy foods (and in somewhat higher quantities) will prime my body to drop the additional weight once I restart my eating plan. Of course, this won't work if I pack on 10 pounds over the next two weeks, but so far I think I'm ok.

Come September, I promise to report back on whether this "theory" shows any promise... I hope so, because I really don't want to give up my crab dip altogether.

Happy summer!