I am far from a health guru. I really try to eat healthy and exercise, but I am constantly struggling. For example, I can't tell you how many times I've seen a bag of the new flavor of Doritos and think to myself, "I could easily eat that entire bag in my car before I arrived back home."
It's a constant struggle that I'm sure I will fight for the rest of my life.
There have been, though, a few things that I have learned with this. Things about diet. Things about exercise. Things about myself.
Here are a few things that I would like to share with you.
The first one is more of a pet peeve than it is something I learned. I'm sure you've all heard (or said) the phrase, "A pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat, so if you're not losing weight it's because you're gaining muscle."
While I understand the point, it's not entirely true. You see, a pound of fat and a pound of muscle weigh exactly the same: a pound. Now, if you were to replace your fat with muscle, then yes, you may not see a change in the scale because muscle is more dense, but it also takes up less space.
The next thing I've learned has to do with eating.
I have read many books, websites and articles that state that the best way to eat is to have 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day, instead of the three big meals.
I totally understand the concept behind it and I agree with it to a point. Where I don't agree - and remember this is my opinion and I am not a doctor - is that you shouldn't eat, just to eat. Sure, if you are starving at that three-hour mark, then by all means, eat a Power Bar or something. But if you had a big breakfast and still feel full from it, you do not need to have a snack between breakfast and lunch.
Don't just eat to eat. Eat when you're hungry. If that means that you eat lunch later, so be it. That will probably make you eat less for dinner as well, meaning that you will eat less calories during the day, thus losing weight.
On a related topic, you need to eat. Too many people starve themselves in an attempt to lose weight. And yes, less calories is the way to lose weight. But starving yourself is not the way to go. Eat lots of good food - salads, whole grains, water - and you will get the nutrients you need, feel full and eat less. (There's a whole science to it, but I'm not the person to describe science to anyone. Besides math, science was my worst subject.)
Finally, I've said this before and I'll probably say it a few times more. You are not me. I am not you. We are not _________ (insert name of favorite fit celebrity)! Whatever works for me may not work for you. Sure, it's nice to have a basic idea of what to do, but we all eat different foods. Our bodies are all made differently. We all have different schedules.
Find some good food that you like and make it a part of your daily routine. Me, I like Brussels sprouts.I know that I'm a minority with this - and you can keep your comments about how much you hate them to yourself - but if I'm going to have to eat greens, that is one I could eat daily. I actually like the flavor of them, plus, they can help lower cholesterol, prevent cancer and are filled with all kinds of vitamins and minerals. (Not to mention that they fill you up quickly.)
Once again, I'm not asking you to eat sprouts, but find something healthy you like and eat it often. You will feel so much better.
It's a constant struggle that I'm sure I will fight for the rest of my life.
There have been, though, a few things that I have learned with this. Things about diet. Things about exercise. Things about myself.
Here are a few things that I would like to share with you.
The first one is more of a pet peeve than it is something I learned. I'm sure you've all heard (or said) the phrase, "A pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat, so if you're not losing weight it's because you're gaining muscle."
While I understand the point, it's not entirely true. You see, a pound of fat and a pound of muscle weigh exactly the same: a pound. Now, if you were to replace your fat with muscle, then yes, you may not see a change in the scale because muscle is more dense, but it also takes up less space.
The next thing I've learned has to do with eating.
I have read many books, websites and articles that state that the best way to eat is to have 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day, instead of the three big meals.
I totally understand the concept behind it and I agree with it to a point. Where I don't agree - and remember this is my opinion and I am not a doctor - is that you shouldn't eat, just to eat. Sure, if you are starving at that three-hour mark, then by all means, eat a Power Bar or something. But if you had a big breakfast and still feel full from it, you do not need to have a snack between breakfast and lunch.
Don't just eat to eat. Eat when you're hungry. If that means that you eat lunch later, so be it. That will probably make you eat less for dinner as well, meaning that you will eat less calories during the day, thus losing weight.
On a related topic, you need to eat. Too many people starve themselves in an attempt to lose weight. And yes, less calories is the way to lose weight. But starving yourself is not the way to go. Eat lots of good food - salads, whole grains, water - and you will get the nutrients you need, feel full and eat less. (There's a whole science to it, but I'm not the person to describe science to anyone. Besides math, science was my worst subject.)
Finally, I've said this before and I'll probably say it a few times more. You are not me. I am not you. We are not _________ (insert name of favorite fit celebrity)! Whatever works for me may not work for you. Sure, it's nice to have a basic idea of what to do, but we all eat different foods. Our bodies are all made differently. We all have different schedules.
Find some good food that you like and make it a part of your daily routine. Me, I like Brussels sprouts.I know that I'm a minority with this - and you can keep your comments about how much you hate them to yourself - but if I'm going to have to eat greens, that is one I could eat daily. I actually like the flavor of them, plus, they can help lower cholesterol, prevent cancer and are filled with all kinds of vitamins and minerals. (Not to mention that they fill you up quickly.)
Once again, I'm not asking you to eat sprouts, but find something healthy you like and eat it often. You will feel so much better.
we LOVE LOVE LOVE the brussel sprouts! There is a great recipe for roasting them and then tossing them with apples (and bacon, but you can omit the bacon), I could find it for you if you want.
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