14 May 2012
It’s happened to pretty much all of us at some point: We eat well, meet our exercise goals, and yet, when we step on the scale, the number is higher than it used to be. And not just a few pounds higher — pretty significantly higher. It’s super frustrating, I know. But there are five questions you should ask yourself before you assume that something’s wrong (or that your scale is broken!).
- Am I really eating what I think I’m eating? Turns out, we’re really bad judges of quantity/portion size. You may think you’re eating a certain amount when you’re actually eating 25 — or even 30 — percent more. If you really want to figure out if your eating is the issue, you need to spend a week tracking your intake pretty precisely. Measure when you can, look up nutrition facts, and do everything you can to get a very accurate picture of your weekly menu. Then, and only then, can you be sure that you’re eating what you think you’re eating.
- Am I eating the wrong stuff? If your diet is full of processed, high-sugar/high-carb junk, it can be tough to lose weight. I know what you’re thinking: “But Healthista! It’s just calories in, calories out! Even the dude who ate Twinkies all day lost weight!” I just don’t believe that calories in/calories out is the whole story. Plus, I have some other problems with that little experiment.
When you eat carby processed junk, your insulin resistance increases. When your insulin resistance increases, you have to product more and more insulin to process sugar, which in turn prompts fat storage. That’s a really crude explanation, so read this book if you’re interested in the science. I don’t think it’s impossible to lose weight if you’re keeping calories low but eating junk, I just think it’s really tough.
- Am I over-exercising? Any of my clients will tell you I firmly believe in an exercise “sweet spot.” That is, not too much and not too little. Over-exercising can stimulate hunger, cause you to burn off muscle, and make you feel generally worn out and crappy. It can also cause your body to hold on to calories (because it rightly feels it needs them!).
So what’s the right amount of exercise? It’s different for everyone, but a good guideline is 20-45 minutes of INTENSE exercise 3-4x/week and an additional couple hours of non-intense activity (walking, leisurely bike rids, running after kids, etc.). In my experience, doing lots of slow, steady-state cardio is a recipe for weight stagnation.
- Am I eating enough? This is generally the LAST question you ever think to ask when you’re gaining or not losing weight, but I’ve seen this problem plague people who can’t seem to drop lbs. You can be eating over 1,200 calories and still not be eating ENOUGH if you’re exercising a lot (see #3). Generally, people who exercise need at least 1,400-1,500 calories (but this is dependent on a number of factors, so you’ll need to find your perfect number!). Just like exercise, I believe in a caloric sweet spot. Fewer calories does not necessarily equate to more weight loss.
- What else is going on your life? If you’re super stressed, it can cause weight gain in a variety of ways. Just because you’re not ingesting a ton of calories doesn’t mean your hormones aren’t working against you. Take a good look at your sleep patterns, stress level, and any other medications you’re taking that might have a hormonal or physiological impact. Your body is an uber-complex organism, so there may be factors outside of eating and exercise that are working against you.
If you’ve checked in with yourself about all those things and the weight just isn’t coming off (or you’re consistently gaining), it’s time to see your healthcare professional. There’s absolutely no shame in that! Your doctor can play detective and help you figure out what’s going on.
19 March 2012
While it may not be such a great thing for our Earth, this unseasonably warm spring (or early summer, depending on how you look at it), it’s actually kinda awesome for your health/fitness goals. Even though I’m a little worried we might have a crazy summer, I’m grateful for the beautiful March days we’ve been having lately. Here are just a few reasons why.
- Two words: Outdoor workouts.
- Seasonal produce! Find a farmers’ market near you here and check out our tips for shopping at the farmers’ market here.
- Salads once again sound appealing. I don’t like standard lettuce-based salads (SNOOZE), but I do like hearty salads with plenty of healthy fats like avocado and hard-boiled egg. Learn how to create a more satisfying salad here.
- More daylight means waking up is (relatively) easy.
- Cliche as it is, warm weather reminds us that we may need to be seen in a bathing suit soon… which is motivating, to say the least.
- Ambitions to train for races are at their highest. Even my boyfriend, who’s never trained or attempted to train for any kind of race, is contemplating an Olympic triathlon. Curious about training? Read about my experience training for a half marathon here.
- Weather-induced couch potato guilt. Crashing on the couch after work when the sun is still blazing and it’s 70 degrees outside seems a little less acceptable.
- One word: Walking! Walking is SO underrated as a form of exercise, so let’s change that, mmk? I’ve been taking a couple walks a day (lunch breaks, tagging along with my friend who walks her dog, etc.), and it’s been great.
- Air-conditioning means eating soup is still okay. I’m going to be honest: I’m not going to make my Season of Soup goal, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped eating soup! This week, I’m reviewing two of my favorite store-bought varieties.
- The dreariness of winter is gone. Lack of light and warm weather can be dreadful, but sunshine and warmth are like instant mood boosters. Take advantage!
5 March 2012
Sometimes I feel like I have two identities. Sometimes, I’m a foodie who will try anything, who appreciates hole-in-the-wall restaurants with the best [insert type of cuisine here] food around, who doesn’t think that whether or not a food is “healthy” should have any bearing on whether or not I eat it. The only criteria I use to decide what to eat as my foodie self is level of deliciousness, not level of health.
My other identity is a health buff who will talk to you for hours about why sugar is indeed as bad as they say, and why processed food will make you sick and leave you wanting more. The criteria I use to decide what to eat as my health buff self is how the satisfying the food is, what it offers nutritionally, and how that food will work in my body.
Obviously these two identities aren’t always in conflict. There are tons (and I mean TONS) of foods that make me feel amazing and also happen to taste amazing. In fact, those foods comprise most of my diet. But sometimes, being a foodie AND a health buff is tough.
As a health buff, I don’t see any reason to include most white bread/pasta/etc. or sugar in my diet, but as a foodie, I think those foods are some of the tastiest and most special.
As a health buff, drinking anything except water or unsweetened tea seems pointless, but as a foodie, flavorful and fun juices, mixed drinks, and coffees are pretty great.
As a health buff, eating at restaurants can be tough because it’s hard to know exactly what goes into a dish — do they cook their veggies in canola oil? Is the meat grass-fed? — but as a foodie, restaurants are pretty much my mecca.
So how do I reconcile my two identities? Well, first of all, I accept both of them as MINE.
I make sure my foodie self knows that not ALL desserts, breads, and pastas are worth it. Some just aren’t that special. And I make sure my health buff self knows that eating dessert once or twice a week, having some delicious homemade bread or pasta when it’s available, and indulging in a few mixed drinks when I’m out isn’t going to cancel out all the healthy choices I make the rest of the time.
I don’t want to spout the “moderation” cliche because that’s not exactly how I feel. Moderation implies that I regularly incorporate unhealthy foods into my diet, and I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s the case. I eat foods for taste and uniqueness when it makes sense. I might go a week or two without eating a single dessert, and then have the opportunity to try a bunch of awesome treats on one weekend.
Other ways I reconcile my two selves: I try to apply the Here and Now Concept whenever I can to satisfy my foodie self. And I try to use the 80/20 mentality when I do indulge in something that wasn’t worth it. I also make lists of foods I absolutely adore and foods I feel “meh” about, so I’m reminded of what I find worth it and what I can skip.
All those things help me accept both my foodie and health buff identities. What about you? Would you say you’re more of a foodie or a health buff when it comes to your food choices? If you’re a little of both, how do you handle it?
2 March 2012
It’s happened to all of us. We’ve been eating well, working out, feeling good, and then all of a sudden, we have a bad day. It’s tempting to just say screw it and let yourself go for the rest of the day, week, month, whatever. But how you handle those “mess ups” will really determine how successful you are on your road to health. The people that don’t punish themselves, who accept that the day wasn’t perfect and move on, are the people who ultimately succeed.
- Because if you got a flat tire, would you slash all your tires?
- Because in the future, you WILL mess up, have bad days, eat things that make you feel like crap, and skip workouts, so why not figure out how to deal with it now?
- Because it will help you learn how to prepare for those kind of off days in the future.
- Because if you get back on the horse right away, you’ll feel infinitely better.
- Health is what you do 80% of the time, so worrying about what you do 20% of the time isn’t always productive.
- Because it’s only a “mess up” if you let it have any influence on the rest of your life.
- Because you’re not perfect in any other aspect of your life. Why would you expect to be perfect in your quest for health?
- Because learning to focus on the long-term results instead of on short-term gratification is a valuable skill.
- Because as we know, being healthy can be exhausting. It’s okay to be tired sometimes.
- Because you’ll be so proud of yourself if you just keep swimming (literally or figuratively).
29 February 2012
Reblogged for the complete and utter truth bomb that is this post. This is what happens when you’re trying to lose weight sometimes, and (to use an expression I normally hate) it is what it is.
jennabee:
I wouldn’t say I’ve always struggled with my weight. There was never a battle. There was always an awareness of my size, always a back-of-my-mind wish for a different body – but never a struggle.
But now, there is a struggle.
Now, there’s measuring. And math. And torturous Mondays to undo careless Fridays & Saturdays. There’s anxiety that sets in at 4:30; I hope nothing urgent comes across my desk so I can make it to my workout class. I log everything that goes into my mouth. I wonder if I should be counting my gummy vitamins. I always thought shopping would be suddenly be a superfuntimespartymontage, but my fingers get sore from walking around a store holding 50 hangers with 6 sizes of everything I want to try on – just in case I happened to shoot back to a size 12 overnight. Most irritating of all, there’s mental energy I used to spend on my relationship, my writing, my friends – and I spend it all on this. I get that this whole thing is a selfish endeavor and something’s gotta give – the people you see sobbing on the Biggest Loser blame their unfortunate clothing and their weight on their tendency to always take care of others and never give themselves anything — but still: this is gross.
Then there is the crap and contradiction on these blogs, in my newsfeed, on my dashboard, from the dipshits on Pinterest. Eat food that nourishes you. It’s all about portion control. No, it’s all about cutting your sugar. Do Crossfit. Nix the dairy. Try marathoning. Grains are bad. No beans or legumes on Paleo. Yoga is everything. Get more protein. Eat these foods for flat abs. Try kale. Drink green tea. Bake fucking brownies with black beans (THIS IS FOUL, by the way – in case you’re compelled to try it). Tabatas. High intensity intervals. Overnight oats (also: ew!) Live your best life, and all that shit.
It never stops.
I hit my goal weight, but it feels like the war has just begun. Okay. Cooling it with the dramatics, but: It’s enough to make you fucking nuts.
And I am exhausted.
