It's Just A Number!

At the risk of looking foolish in your mental images ...

I try to incorporate exercise into my whole day. While I cook, clean, and even brush my teeth, I keep my tummy tight, with a healthy posture through my back and shoulders. When I'm standing still, I do mini leg lifts, or rise up and down on my toes. Is that too dorky? Here's one of my favorite ab strengthening exercises: I stand straight, with my belly tight. Then I lean to the side (like you would if you were playing "I'm a Little Teapot"), but lean from the waist, so your hips stay in the same place, and your upper body bends over. As I lean over, I inhale through my nose, and then, exhaling with exertion, I rise back up straight, using only my ab muscles to lift my body. Does that make sense? Don't make me post a video of myself doing it! :)

I don't know how much of a difference this actually makes in my overall health, but it feels good, and when I feel like my body is "tight," I'm less likely to eat poorly. Just a thought.

Comment from John on my last post:

I always hated running. I would finally commit, head out, and run some randomly selected distance. Inevitably, I would feel horrible for the next couple of days.

Finally, it dawned on me that maybe I needed to be smart about it. That's when I found Couch to 5K on-line. By the end of the 9 weeks, I was running 3 miles, 3 times a week and I loved it. I felt accomplished, capable, in-shape etc. I went on to run a half-marathon later.

I am a big believer in exercise plans. People tend to believe they are stronger and more fit than they really are. Whatever exercise you pick, work into it slowly and it'll work better.

Most of my posts so far have been about food choices, but another important key to health and fitness is exercise (oh, and sleep is the other element to health and fitness, but since I'm up way too late writing this, maybe I'm not the best person to talk!).

About 10 years ago, when I still wasn't exercising regularly, I had a doctor comment to me that, in order to thrive, our bodies require: food, water, sleep, and exercise. It was a sort of epiphany moment for me, since I'd always considered exercise optional, like a hobby.

Sports: hated them.
Aerobics: someone else's hobby. Not mine.
Walking: only if I didn't have a car.
Dancing: I liked that, but it was just a casual hobby.
Running: makes my head and lungs hurt. John swears it gets better with practice.
Swimming: No, thanks.
Biking: mmm... maybe.

After I had babv #1, my dear friend and fitness buddy Lucy encouraged me to come try out her "hobby": a dance aerobics class at the gym. I was extremely skeptical, but after trying it a few times, and thinking about it a lot, I finally did it! Within a couple of months, I was in the best shape of my life.

Joining a gym is generally a big commitment. And not a cheap one. Lucy taught me that our health is an investment. I can either invest the time, money, and effort on exercise now, or spend it later on medical care.

The trick with exercise is to find something you genuinely enjoy, and then schedule time for it. Make a standing appointment with your exercise of choice, and do everything you can to keep it. (I'm such a hypocrite with this one, by the way! I'm working on it...)

After baby #2, I joined Curves and actually quit several months later. It wasn't the kind of workout I needed or enjoyed, but I know a lot of people I met there swore by it (in other words, try it, if it's something that appeals to you).

After that, I bought several Firm videos, and those are actually pretty good. However, I personally can't exercise at home. My kids interrupt me, I see dirty dishes I "should" be washing, etc. etc. For me, I need a complete change of scenery, with other people cheering me on, challenging me to do just a few more sit-ups! But that's just me. My friend Caryn works out at home every morning, super early, and that works for her (so in other words, try it before making a commitment to a gym).

I love the gym. I love the friends I make there. I love how it challenges me to do just a little more. I love how I feel when I come home. It's my way of pampering myself with time away from my kids and housework. Love it.

I would easily put my decision to join the gym six years ago in the top 5 best decisions in my life.

That said, it might not be your thing. What is your thing? What has worked for you in the past? What appeals to you now?

¿Te Gusta Mueve, Mueve?

I did it! No cheesecake or pumpkin bread for me yesterday. However, there is still more of both left (guess what you're having for lunch today, Jenna and Alisa!)...

None for me! Thanks for all your fabulous support!

I consumed way too much sugar (yet again) this past weekend. argh.

We still have chocolate chip pumpkin bread and pumpkin cheesecake in our fridge. Now, I want you all to listen to me:


I am saving myself for fudge. Do you hear???

Telling someone a goal like this has always helped me to have better restraint. Anything you'd like to publicly state that you won't eat today?

I don't count calories, or track what I eat in any way. I'm too lazy, and not obsessed with losing weight enough. Probably more lazy than anything.

My Fitness Pal is a tool I found that makes it easier for me to track what I'm eating. I tried it almost two years ago, and was very interested to see that I only really went over my suggested calorie intake on days that I ate treats of any kind.

My suggestion? Track what you eat for a couple of days. You might be surprised by what you're eating. It has helped me make better food choices.

Several people have commented to me that this is the worst time of year to be off sweets. I say that this is the best time of year to go off sweets, because there are so many to partake of!

Flylady talks a lot about perfectionism and how it literally cripples us. For example, say your house looks like a post-tornado/war/toddler-zone. You know that you'll need an hour of uninterrupted time, not to mention mental and physical energy, to get everything cleaned up. Because you don't have the time or energy to tackle it all right then, what do you do?

Nothing? I have often thrown in the towel in moments like these, because I know I can't make my house "perfect" right then. If I can't do it all, why do anything? Why even start if I can't finish?

Flylady's point is that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Wouldn't five minutes be better than nothing? This all-or-nothing-perfectionism revelation has changed the way I think about a lot of things.

That's how I look at being off sugar during the holidays, too. Refusing even just a little sugar is better than nothing, right? So what if you can't do it "perfectly" sugar-free! Wouldn't it be better to only consume 2,000 calories worth of fudge this holiday season, rather than 5,000? ☺

For me, eliminating sweets completely makes me feel bitter and rebellious. I don't want to give them up for life. But I do want to cut way, way down. For lots of reasons. For the rest of my life, I will probably be "off" sugar, but still enjoying them a little now and then.

My comfort food of choice is sugar. Salty things don't tempt me, but sugar? That's my vice. Whenever I throw myself a piti-party because I'm tired, or my kids are cranky, or I'm feeling busy or stressed, etc., I turn to sugar because "I want/deserve/earned/need a treat." But not just any treat, it has to be worth-it-yummy. And I put a lot of thought into what's considered "worth-it."

For me, there's a sugar hierarchy, from stuff like Smarties and jelly beans at the very yucky bottom, to packaged cookies, then ice cream, pies, and candy bars as you go up. At the top are things like homemade ooey-gooey brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Finally, above it all, as if it's floating in the air, with a glowing halo of light around it, is plain, chocolate fudge. No nuts necessary, forget the frill, just give it to me plain. Mmm...

In a weird way, thinking about it this way helps me choose to not eat any sweets at all. Because if I'm going to splurge (and suffer the "fluffy" consequences), then I want it to be the tastiest thing ever, and that's nothing I can buy on a feeling-pitiful-impulse. It has to be homemade (which can't be impulsive). Or fudge. And lucky for me, you can't get fudge from a drive-thru.

What's your vice? Can you replace it with something less impulsively-accessible?

So, you know how I went off sugar? Yeah. I didn't do so well over Thanksgiving. My mom made two pumpkin rolls! And I made pumpkin and blackberry pies! And my friend made pecan cheesecake pie! The fork practically shoveled itself into my mouth.

And after all was said and eaten, I felt "fluffy" again. argh.

So this is my thinking: sure, it tasted good while it was in my mouth, and even for a few minutes afterwards, but eventually, the taste goes away, and all you're left with are the calories. And yes, the pies and pumpkin rolls were yummy, but not that yummy. Not worth-it-yummy, for sure.

I'm back off sugar, and feeling less fluffy, now that I don't have any treats in the house.

I mentioned in a previous post that thin is a choice and a lifestyle. I don't want to have to think about my eating choices (i.e. be on a diet) every day for the rest of my life, in order to stay at a size I feel comfortable in. I want to have healthy habits in place so I don't have to think about it. For example:

• Have a plan: a substitute food or activity for a weight-gaining behavior. For example, low-fat popcorn instead of chips. Brush your teeth to avoid night-time eating. Chew gum, go on a walk, take a shower, etc.
  
• Allow yourself that occasional splurge. I ate pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. And not just one piece. If I never splurge, I get bitter and then I rebel. This is not a diet. This is my life, and I want to eat sweets. They just need to be in moderation. I'm still working on the moderation thing. And probably will be forever!
  

Most importantly, don't try to tackle it all at once. Pick one habit you want to implement, and work on that until you're pretty good at it. Then pick another one to work on. If you try to take on too much, you'll get burned out and discouraged.

Scribbit wrote a fabulous post about her healthy-lifestyle tips here.

I'm a fan of Dr. Phil. I was even on his show once. Well, I was in the audience and they showed my picture twice, and that's as close to being on his show as I ever hope to be. Unless, of course, he's giving me a week-long spa vacation in Hawaii for being such a wonderful person.


His book, "The Ultimate Weight Solution Food Guide" has what I consider the most reliable Body Weight Guide I've ever seen.


Most Body Weight Charts I've seen say that as a 6' tall female, I should weigh around 150-160. After I had JuJu, I worked hard and got to what I felt like was a great size and weight for me: 170 and a loose 12. That's my goal now, and even though I'm 6 pounds from that weight, I'm a size 14, so I still have several inches to lose.

What's your Get-Real Weight?

Erin asked for my unsweetened granola recipe. A few months ago, when I was trying to find things to eat that didn't have sugar, I looked online and found recipes made with apple juice concentrate, dried fruit, and artificial sweeteners. On a yeast-free diet, at least in the beginning stages, you aren't supposed to eat sugar in any form, including fruit. So I just made my favorite granola recipe and omitted the sugar. I posted my two favorites here and here. In the end, I started adding just a little sugar, up to about 1/4 of the total sugar. I will never make it with all the sugar again, though, because I prefer it with less.

Lara the Lazy Organizer suggested we go off sweets together. Which I was already sort of planning on doing, thanks to the thrush symptoms I've felt the last few days. Blech. Ick. Ugh. Argh. Grrr.

I hate being off sweets. I feel so deprived. Then I rebel, and it's not pretty. The thing is ... I feel so in control when I'm off sugar. It's almost like I can think more clearly. So why I wouldn't want to feel this way all the time, is beyond me.

Anyway, I thought I'd post a list of some of the foods I ate that helped me make it through the 2 months I was off sugar this summer.

• Celery and natural peanut butter - yum
• I learned that when I was craving sweets, it was usually because I was hungry. So I would eat a sandwich, or a breakfast burrito, or any type of substantial meal (not snacky) and then I wouldn't be hungry, and the craving was more or less gone.
• If I felt really deprived, I would "splurge" with a Whopper Jr. It filled me up and was tasty, so I felt like I was spoiling myself.
• Plain Cheerios with vanilla soymilk. When you aren't eating sugar, the 1 gram of sugar in Cheerios tastes plenty sweet. And the vanilla soymilk tastes sweeter than regular milk. (I'm slightly lactose-intolerant, and I just prefer soymilk now.)
• Almonds
• Rice Crackers with Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese

The thing is, I was eating lots of things considered "high-fat," and maybe not recommended for weight-loss, but because I had to cut out so many things (thanks the yeast-free diet I was on) I was losing weight like crazy.

From the middle of July to the middle of August I lost 10 pounds. In the second sugar-free month, I lost 8 pounds. And then, the thrush was gone, and I more or less plateaued for 2 months. Because all of a sudden I allowed myself to eat all the usual snacky things that I enjoy.

The trick is to have foods that you love on hand for when you get a sugar craving. Drink some water. Eat some real food. Take a shower. It will pass. At least that's what I'll tell myself as I dive head first into a yeast-free diet again. Argh.

I struggle to remember that even when I have a rotten weekend such as this last one, that it's not as if all my efforts for the past several months are lost. So I ate a few hundred extra calories. Maybe even 1000 extra calories. So what! I don't beat myself up, I don't even try to "make up for it" at the gym. I just keep on keepin' on. Measuring myself tonight was very encouraging. Even though I ate like a not-thin person this weekend, I have worked hard and am still slightly smaller than I was a few weeks ago.

Keep on keepin' on!

Just based on how I feel in my clothes, I think I've probably gained a few pounds this week. I weighed myself on my grandpa's scale today and that said 183--with my clothes on and mid-afternoon, but like I said, my clothes don't lie. Neither does my momma belly.

That said, I have turned down a lot of treats this week. I also ate a lot of treats, but that's not the point.

One more week -- and I can start exercising again. Yee-haw!

The other day I weighed Lucille on our bathroom scale. Then she told me it was my turn, so I stepped on. I do this every morning, so no big deal, right? What I saw made me heart stop for a minute. 202?!? What?? Oh yeah, I'm holding Evy. She weighs 15 pounds, and I was wearing shoes. Phew! Funny.

That night I measured myself and my waist measurement was up 1/2 inch or so. Argh! I love sugar too much. And I only went to the gym once last week. Back to taking this more seriously...

After going to the Naturopath last week, I slowly eased back into eating sugar (and I've quite enjoyed it, I might add). I had one day of the breast sensations, attacked them with extra acidophilus, and though I'm still eating a little sugar, I've felt really good since that day.

Here's my issue: I really like losing weight. But giving up sugar just to help lose weight? Has never worked for me. I'm actually a little "bummed" that I've been able to eat sugar, just because I'd done so well off of it, and I'd seen so much progress! Funny how ridiculous I am sometimes.

I'm technically at my pre-Evy weight now. I'm not the same size yet, but that's coming. However, I was about 10 pounds up when I got pregnant with Evy, so my goal is 175-ish.

I want to set a goal to have one treat a week, and make it so I have something to look forward to. But I feel so deprived and rebellious right now, like I "deserve" to make up for all the lost treats, that I don't think that would work! Ridiculous? Yes.

But I really want to shed these last pounds. Really, really want to.

My goals:

• Go to the gym 3 times a week.
  
• Three days a week John and I do push-ups, and the other 3 days we do side planks and sit-ups. I love that we're setting a good example for our kids. JuJu and Lucille usually exercise with us. JuJu is actually pretty good! She does her push-ups on her toes, even. She's a trooper.
• As always, no soda, candy bars, pre-packaged cookies, etc.
• Lose the last 8-10 pounds in my sleep. :)
  

Two pounds in three days! My secret? Go running. Sweat like a wild pig, weigh yourself before you have anything to drink. I'm such a cheater.

John

I have done really well at no-sugar since Sunday. When I'm off sugar, I feel so in control and in charge. I love the feeling.

But it has happened a couple of times now, where I give up sugar so well for 3 or 4 days, and then I have a day or two of horrible fatigue, vicious sugar cravings, depression, and apathy about not eating sugar.

I read online that sometimes when the yeast is dying off from lack of sugar to feed on, that it gives off gases, or toxins that make you feel so crummy, almost flu-like. And the yeast is begging for something to eat, so you crave sugar like mad!

Supposedly it goes away after a while, but I haven't successfully made it through one of these times without giving in just a little. I realized that I was sabotaging myself by having sweets on hand to consume. Today, I'm fine and am not tempted in the least by the chocolate chips in our pantry. But on the days when I feel so rotten, I give in to just a few ... or not just a few, as the half a dozen chocolate chip cookies I consumed two weeks ago will testify.

I have tried to prepare myself as well as possible this time around. I have rice crackers and garden vegetable cream cheese to eat. I made unsweetened granola -- which is actually pretty good, by the way -- that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I have tried to think of "allowed" foods that are a little "splurgy" for me, so I don't feel so deprived and rebellious. I am making a hot spinach and artichoke heart dip later today that I love. (I've never actually made it, but I've had it at restaurants and at other people's houses.) I am going to have John hide the chocolate chips, so those can't even tempt me.

I took a little break from my sugar-free diet, but I'm back at it again, thanks to the painful sensations in my breasts, and a very fussy baby.

As much of a pain it has been to fight thrush, it has been a blessing, in that I'm consistently losing weight because of the sugar-free diet I've been on. I eat pretty healthy meals; it's all the sweets I eat that normally keep me from losing weight. And for whatever reason, I have a very hard time not eating sweets in order to lose weight. I'd rather exercise more, than cut out sweets.

Tomorrow John and I are starting a program to work up to doing 100 push-ups in six weeks. Buff arms here we come. I'm excited about doing this. And it's especially fun to have this goal together. We have also been doing side planks every night together.

We have "before" pictures of us, but I can't bring myself to post them until I get to that glorious "after" place.

I am loving the gym! I have been rotating 3 classes, and I enjoy all three of them: Body Pump, Body Jam, and step aerobics. The Body Pump is probably my favorite of the three. It's a strength-training class, that works all major muscle groups. So fun! The Body Jam is similar to Lynette's class (back in Provo at Gold's Gym), in that it is a dance aerobics. Step is my least favorite, but I like it because it gets my heart rate up and keeps it up the best. I feel pretty uncoordinated in Step and Body Jam, but the teachers are way fun and encouraging, and it's getting better each time I go. The other thing I do at the gym is the elliptical. I measured myself again today, and my measurements were all down! What a great feeling to see the rewards of all my sweat!

I got the idea to weigh myself every day from Flylady. Her thought is, that if your "number" is down a little from the day before, celebrate with a glass of water. If it's up a bit from the day before, you can use that as motivation to take an extra walk that day.

She said that once she started weighing herself daily, she found that each week, her numbers would go down slowly, until Sunday, she would eat a big brunch and she would be right back up each Monday, when she weighed herself. So once she found this out by her daily weighing, she modified her Sunday brunch and kept the trend going downward, instead of stagnating overall.

In reality, the day-to-day numbers don't really mean much. The important thing is the overall trend: up or down. For me, I like the daily report card. This doesn't work for everyone.

Even though I weigh myself every day, I will only post a couple of my numbers each week.

I think there's a balance between resigning yourself to being overweight by buying a whole wardrobe, and refusing to have anything decent to wear because you can't stand buying that bigger "number."

I understand being frugal and all that, but you have to love the skin you're in -- where you are today. I am doing everything I can to change my "number," but in the meantime, I bought 2 pairs of size 16 capris and 4 larger shirts that I feel cute in.

Most of my pre-pregnancy shirts are form-fitting, and not flattering because they show my postpartum padding. Instead of continuing to wear my maternity tops and ill-fitting, frumpy clothes, I rotate these few items of clothing that fit me so I can feel cute every day.

I think that people who wear clothes that are too small, actually look overweight because of it, whether they are actually overweight or not. Muffin tops are all the rage, it seems, and I'm not into that fad. And someone who might be a little overweight, who wears clothes that fit well, looks better in the end because of it.

Happily, my size 16 capris are way loose on me now, and my 14s almost fit right. Woo-Hoo!

I had a great workout last night. I went to step aerobics for the second time this week and loved it! I felt so selfish, in a good way, if that's possible. I was doing something good for me, and enjoying every minute of that sweaty hour. Monday was my first day back at the gym and I over did it. I came home and felt tired, irritable and sluggish the rest of the evening. I was just so excited to be back and I gave myself too much credit for how in shape I am (not).

Last night I used John's Couch to 5K program and exercised for 60 seconds, walked for 90 seconds, alternating for 20 minutes. Then I went and lifted weights for 20 minutes and did abs for 10. Fun stuff!