16 Comments

  1. Sandy,
    I think what is hard is how easy it is to fail at fitness because you don’t have a plan. I for a long time was naive and thought my plan was I would exercise several times a week and would decide what to the do each particular day. I failed time and again. It was a tremendous help when I finally planned what I would do over a longer period of time. If I planned what exercises or program I would do for the next 30, 60, or 90 days then that went a long way towards me sticking to whatever it was I was attempting to do. “Just get up and exercise” was a recipe for disaster for me. It helps also to write your plan down and keep notes on how you do each time you exercise.

    1. Mark, the think I like about following a plan is that you do things you normally would not do and you do them on days you may not have done them. It forces the “variety” factor. I’m with you…when I don’t follow a plan, I don’t do very well. I’m in between plans right now and it’s just too easy to say “forget it” when the schedule gets tight.

  2. I’m still working on the “slower metabolism, less food needed” thing – ha! It’s so hard to reconcile in my mind that though I THINK I have the metabolism of a 12 year-old girl still, I actually HAVE the body of a 39 year-old.

    Sigh.

    I will have to go back and read about the hunger issue, but what did you do when you would have an entire “hungrier day?” There are some days I am content with a moderate intake, then after a couple of days I’m just so HUNGRY! Don’t know if it’s just cravings partly, or working out too hard, or are my calories over all are too low? (have you tried some of those “calculators?” They range anywhere from “exercise 90 minutes a day and eat only 1300” to “the average woman burns 1863 calories just sitting.” Never sure what to believe – though I know the one I WANT to believe;)

    Also, I know I have built up more muscle over the past year – while I wouldn’t trade it, it does make the scale higher and my jeans fit differently. I can’t tell how much is “muscle weight” and how much is “cookie dough and buttercream” weight.
    Sorry this turned into such a long comment! Have a great Friday!

    1. Mindy,

      I think you need to constantly adjust your diet to accommodate your goals. I think there is a big difference between “yeah, I’m a little hungry” and “I feel shaky and sick to my stomach and can’t think-hungry.” A lot depends on the food I eat (when I tried a Paleo diet for a month, I was hungry all the time) and the workout program I’m doing (Insanity made me very hungry). But when my goal was to lose this stupid, stubborn weight, I had to get to the place where I ate what my body needed, and ignored the hunger pangs until my next meal. If you are trying to lose weight, you have to create a calorie deficit. And you will probably feel a little hungry when you do that.

      If you are building muscle and you are a woman–which you are–your scale might get higher, but your jeans should be getting looser. I’m guessing your jeans issue is “cookie dough/buttercream.” 🙂

  3. I learned that your eating habits when in your teens can really screw up your metabolism later. I did fall in to the cycle of eat little as possible workout as much as I could end each day with negative calories. I was probably 11 when that cycle started and continued off and on until I was 19. Well marriage and two kids and 9 years later I need to lose weight and now that I am trying to do it the right healthy way I still struggle and find that my body don’t respond like others my age do. I know its from my past eating/non eating cycles. I also find that its very easy to slip back to those old habits of wanting a negative calorie balance when bedtime comes.

    1. Shelley,

      I wish you could talk to every 11 y/o girl and tell her what you told me. Keep doing the “right way.” It will pay off in so many ways–your heart, bones, overall quality of life. I’m proud of you!!

      1. At that age I didn’t have a clue that what I was doing was wrong or would affect me later. I have two boys and I am very cautious about what I tell them in regards to weight I don’t want them to feel like I did that you have to be skinny etc to fit in. Soiciety is cruel they lead us to beleive that the people on tv and in books are the way we “should” look and its not. I’m still learning and trying and falling down and getting back up.

  4. Wow, love this post. So insightful. I actually have to think about the judging part because even when I am not trying hard, I am sometimes guilty of judging others of “not trying hard enough”. Didn’t think about it until I read it here. So thank you for that. The most important thing I have learned the hard way has been that I have to listen to my body. It is how I’ve found out I had thyroid problems (which caused me to gain weight), its how I knew I had to try harder to lose the weight, but also how I knew I was overtraining. We have to get really in tune with the body, and it will let you know when it is not well-oiled and will avoid worse problems down the road. So glad I found your blog!

    1. I agree about listening to your body–especially with the over-training! So many people miss the signs of that! When i started listening to my body, I realized that sugar and chips make me really groggy. Chips!! Of all things.

  5. Here’s what I learned (repeatedly) the hard way: you can really never eat just one of anything… one whole cake maybe but then the next day you’ll want and need two cakes! 🙂

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