Hello teammates! As I continue to make progress on my journey, I like to keep looking at tips and tricks on various websites. Greatist is my favorite because they actually use scholarly-reviewed journals to write their articles. I also loves me the Health and Fitness boards on Pinterest. Let's be real, for the past 6ish months, I've soaked in basically anything that had any intention of helping me get healthier. When I look forward to my last 25 pounds (yep! I hit the 75lb mark!) I know I'm going to need all the help I can get!
I try a LOT of different things. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes, I don't listen to the suggestions, and I do okay! It turns out, like I've said before, weight loss is about calories. How many you eat and how many you burn. I gain and lose from eating too much sodium, not drinking enough water and building muscle too, so it's not an exact-exact formula. However, I find that as long as I exercise hard and keep to my calorie limits, everything else is kinda moot in the long run.
The other thing I know about weight loss is that it's an intensely personal journey. Everyone does it in their own way and in their own time. I don't get to tell anybody else how to do it, and nobody gets to tell me how to do it. Even experts, because I sure do like to ignore their advice!
So, without further ado, 4 Healthiness Tips I Completely Ignore and a BONUS!
1. Eat Small Amounts of Dark Chocolate to Curb Sweetness Cravings.
It seems strange, now that I think about this, that the writers of fitness blogs and articles accept that most people will need to have something sweet on occasion, but insist that it is this one special thing... dark chocolate. I have never liked dark chocolate. As a matter of fact, as a kiddo, I didn't even really like milk chocolate. I chose white chocolate or vanilla of whatever I got a choice for. I'm fairly certain even Tiny-Fatkid-Lizzy turned down chocolate ice cream, which I just straight up don't enjoy.
But, health gurus (self-proclaimed or otherwise) repeat this tip ad nauseam. Skip milk chocolate they say, it often has cream and other additives that make it more caloric. Plus, they add, dark chocolate provides antioxidants! Well, there's just one problem with that, folks. I hate dark chocolate. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate just makes me sad and miss coldstone's cake batter ice cream.
So I straight-up ignore this rule. I do eat chocolate. I eat very small amounts of milk chocolate,on ocassion. Furthermore, I don't see the problem with eating other bite-sized candies, as long as you're able to keep yourself under control, have a beensy amount of whatever candy you want. I have caramel-apple Werthers AND Hershey's kisses in my desk right now! I eat one about every other day and it is AWESOME.
2. Have a Cheat Day
Whoever invented this tip had not studied up on binge-eating and the folks who struggle with it. Sir or Madam, you clearly have no comprehension of the amount of calories I am capable of consuming in a 24 hour period. I understand that for people avoiding certain foods, or people who don't struggle with binge eating, this makes the rest of the week bearable, and only messes with your calories a little bit. For me... well, it could be disastrous.
Let me explain to you the damage I could do with a cheat day. Let's take yesterday for instance. Yesterday, according to my FitBit, I burned 2941 calories-- that's a lot, I ran 1.4 miles and shopped and went on a walk. That means if I wanted to stay the weight that I am today, I could have eaten almost 3000 calories. I do not want to stay this weight, I want to lose weight, so I ate around 1200 calories.
On a bad day in 2010, 2011 or 2012, I could eat upwards of 6000 calories. On a good day, I probably ate around 4000. I struggle with binge eating. If I had a day each week I could eat whatever I wanted, you can bet that I would have several slices of pizza, breadsticks, cheese, probably a burrito, pasta (with more cheese), 4-5 tacos (with yet more cheese) french bread, macaroni and cheese with extra butter--- you get the idea. Then we could get started on dessert! A 6000 calorie day would put me almost 2 full pounds back.
I lose about 2.5 pounds a week and I work hard to do that. Basically, if I had a cheat day... well, I wouldn't lose any weight at all. So, I am on my "diet" almost all the time. When people ask me why I don't just "calm down," or "relax," or "treat myself," I shove another piece of gum in my mouth and say "I can't be trusted." Because I can't. Others are able to do this-- to enjoy a day where they don't count calories and end up just a few hundred over. That is perfectly awesome, okay and legitimate. As I have said, weight-loss is intensely personal. Having a cheat day each week will never work for me.
With that said, I am not an ascetic. If T gets dessert, I get to eat a bite. As I said above, I've worked approximately 4 hershey's kisses a week into my food-plan. I eat a ridiculous amount of protein bars, which to me taste like candy. Also, I do have one Cheat Meal every month. Each month I make T take me out to Indian food. I eat Saag and basmati rice and 1/4 of a ... slice? piece? circle? of naan. I almost always gain a little the day after this happens, but I gave up burritos and pizza-- I wanted to keep saag. A day every week would wreck me, a meal every month is just a bump in the road. This works for me.
3. Work Out in the Morning
This doesn't work for me. It just doesn't. Although I have been advised that I am a "morning person," because I drive everybody nuts by being chipper without coffee at 8am, I would like to advise you all that, no, I'm really not. I wake up at the absolute latest moment possible and do the most minimal amount of doing and preparing in the mornings. (Sidenote, I'm not really a night person either! I'm really more of a 4 year old who needs like 10 hours of sleep and gets cranky if she doesn't get it).
So the idea of actually waking up to work out-- well, I'd never ever go. I go to yoga on Saturday mornings because it happens after 9 and since my schedule is so consistent, my body wakes me up around 6:30-7 even on the weekends. On Sunday mornings I've gone for a Zombie Run (more on Zombie Runs later) almost every week for the past few weeks. However, In general, I can't make myself workout before work. Not only do I not want to get up that early, I get really stressed out about getting to work on time. I work out at night, and this works great for me!
4. Don't Weigh Yourself Every Day
Man, if I had a quarter for every time I heard this one. I weigh myself every single day that I have access to a scale. For realz. I know, scientifically, I can't put too much stake in the numbers. But I find knowing the number to be incredibly motivational. If I'm down even a little bit, I feel good about myself, and have reason to give a little extra. If I'm up a tick or two, I feel motivated, and make sure I stay dedicated all day. Basically, every morning I have to be honest with myself about how I did the day before, and how I'm going to do today. It's a re-dedication, a check-in and a time of commencement. My day has started when I accept my weight and get in the shower or get dressed. I straight-up refuse to change this practice, because (are you noticing a pattern?) it works for me! I won't go into my whole sociological/therapy thing about rituals and created meaning and blah blah blah, but know that it's really important to me.
Bonus Tip:
I hope you're getting the theme here. I had to figure out how to make healthiness work for me. I had to find a way to convince myself to move more (Hello, FitBit!) I had to find a way to work through my binge-eating (Hello, strictly controlled calories and small indulgences!) I had to find a way to make exercise enjoyable for me (Hello iPad, Yoga Class and the Zombies, Run! app!). That's the only way I was/am successful.
Let's take the Zombies, Run(!) app as an example. I'm fairly certain I have said (along with tons of other people) "I will run if something chases me." Well, problem solved. Now I'm part of a crazy pseudo radio-show/fitness tracker/online game. When I go out for what I call a "trek," I'm not aimlessly navigating my neighborhood anymore (not that people can't have fun doing that, I just don't). I've got Zombs at six o'clock at 40 meters and they're closing in fast! If I don't reach the supply shed in time, we won't have fuel to run the generators! Complete with Zombie noises, gunfire, alarms and startled British people, the Zombies, Run(!) app changed the way I felt about running. It made it an adventure and motivates me to push myself. It made it work for me. Plus, if you recall, one of my first posts was about being the heroine of my own life. Well, if saving lives in a zombie apocalypse isn't being heroic... I just don't know where I'ma find dragons to slay!
So my tip-- find what makes it all work for you. Please feel free to ignore it! ;)
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| I'm seriously obsessed with these people. |
The other thing I know about weight loss is that it's an intensely personal journey. Everyone does it in their own way and in their own time. I don't get to tell anybody else how to do it, and nobody gets to tell me how to do it. Even experts, because I sure do like to ignore their advice!
So, without further ado, 4 Healthiness Tips I Completely Ignore and a BONUS!
1. Eat Small Amounts of Dark Chocolate to Curb Sweetness Cravings.
It seems strange, now that I think about this, that the writers of fitness blogs and articles accept that most people will need to have something sweet on occasion, but insist that it is this one special thing... dark chocolate. I have never liked dark chocolate. As a matter of fact, as a kiddo, I didn't even really like milk chocolate. I chose white chocolate or vanilla of whatever I got a choice for. I'm fairly certain even Tiny-Fatkid-Lizzy turned down chocolate ice cream, which I just straight up don't enjoy.
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| It makes my teeth hurt just looking at it. Bleck. |
But, health gurus (self-proclaimed or otherwise) repeat this tip ad nauseam. Skip milk chocolate they say, it often has cream and other additives that make it more caloric. Plus, they add, dark chocolate provides antioxidants! Well, there's just one problem with that, folks. I hate dark chocolate. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate just makes me sad and miss coldstone's cake batter ice cream.
So I straight-up ignore this rule. I do eat chocolate. I eat very small amounts of milk chocolate,on ocassion. Furthermore, I don't see the problem with eating other bite-sized candies, as long as you're able to keep yourself under control, have a beensy amount of whatever candy you want. I have caramel-apple Werthers AND Hershey's kisses in my desk right now! I eat one about every other day and it is AWESOME.
2. Have a Cheat Day
Whoever invented this tip had not studied up on binge-eating and the folks who struggle with it. Sir or Madam, you clearly have no comprehension of the amount of calories I am capable of consuming in a 24 hour period. I understand that for people avoiding certain foods, or people who don't struggle with binge eating, this makes the rest of the week bearable, and only messes with your calories a little bit. For me... well, it could be disastrous.
Let me explain to you the damage I could do with a cheat day. Let's take yesterday for instance. Yesterday, according to my FitBit, I burned 2941 calories-- that's a lot, I ran 1.4 miles and shopped and went on a walk. That means if I wanted to stay the weight that I am today, I could have eaten almost 3000 calories. I do not want to stay this weight, I want to lose weight, so I ate around 1200 calories.
On a bad day in 2010, 2011 or 2012, I could eat upwards of 6000 calories. On a good day, I probably ate around 4000. I struggle with binge eating. If I had a day each week I could eat whatever I wanted, you can bet that I would have several slices of pizza, breadsticks, cheese, probably a burrito, pasta (with more cheese), 4-5 tacos (with yet more cheese) french bread, macaroni and cheese with extra butter--- you get the idea. Then we could get started on dessert! A 6000 calorie day would put me almost 2 full pounds back.
 |
| I dare to you guess how many calories this is. Hint: More than I eat in one day. |
With that said, I am not an ascetic. If T gets dessert, I get to eat a bite. As I said above, I've worked approximately 4 hershey's kisses a week into my food-plan. I eat a ridiculous amount of protein bars, which to me taste like candy. Also, I do have one Cheat Meal every month. Each month I make T take me out to Indian food. I eat Saag and basmati rice and 1/4 of a ... slice? piece? circle? of naan. I almost always gain a little the day after this happens, but I gave up burritos and pizza-- I wanted to keep saag. A day every week would wreck me, a meal every month is just a bump in the road. This works for me.
3. Work Out in the Morning
This doesn't work for me. It just doesn't. Although I have been advised that I am a "morning person," because I drive everybody nuts by being chipper without coffee at 8am, I would like to advise you all that, no, I'm really not. I wake up at the absolute latest moment possible and do the most minimal amount of doing and preparing in the mornings. (Sidenote, I'm not really a night person either! I'm really more of a 4 year old who needs like 10 hours of sleep and gets cranky if she doesn't get it).
 |
| Yeah, this is not how I roll. |
So the idea of actually waking up to work out-- well, I'd never ever go. I go to yoga on Saturday mornings because it happens after 9 and since my schedule is so consistent, my body wakes me up around 6:30-7 even on the weekends. On Sunday mornings I've gone for a Zombie Run (more on Zombie Runs later) almost every week for the past few weeks. However, In general, I can't make myself workout before work. Not only do I not want to get up that early, I get really stressed out about getting to work on time. I work out at night, and this works great for me!
4. Don't Weigh Yourself Every Day
 |
| I love/hate my scale so much. |
Man, if I had a quarter for every time I heard this one. I weigh myself every single day that I have access to a scale. For realz. I know, scientifically, I can't put too much stake in the numbers. But I find knowing the number to be incredibly motivational. If I'm down even a little bit, I feel good about myself, and have reason to give a little extra. If I'm up a tick or two, I feel motivated, and make sure I stay dedicated all day. Basically, every morning I have to be honest with myself about how I did the day before, and how I'm going to do today. It's a re-dedication, a check-in and a time of commencement. My day has started when I accept my weight and get in the shower or get dressed. I straight-up refuse to change this practice, because (are you noticing a pattern?) it works for me! I won't go into my whole sociological/therapy thing about rituals and created meaning and blah blah blah, but know that it's really important to me.
Bonus Tip:
I hope you're getting the theme here. I had to figure out how to make healthiness work for me. I had to find a way to convince myself to move more (Hello, FitBit!) I had to find a way to work through my binge-eating (Hello, strictly controlled calories and small indulgences!) I had to find a way to make exercise enjoyable for me (Hello iPad, Yoga Class and the Zombies, Run! app!). That's the only way I was/am successful.
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| Look, it's me!!! |
So my tip-- find what makes it all work for you. Please feel free to ignore it! ;)
You are awesome Lizzie!
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