For a year or so, I was fat. There, I said it. My husband and I were newly married and LOVED going out to eat and then, out to eat some more. I discovered things like Alfredo sauce and handmade tortillas. We both gained weight, but I put on a larger percentage of weight than my husband.
After gaining about 12-15 pounds, not feeling well, not looking how I wanted to look and getting sick frequently, my husband and I both made a commitment to regain our health. I wanted to be sure that as I approached my new life that I kept everything Up, In and Tight!
When I was not as disciplined as I am now, I made an attempt to gain willpower through external reminders. I cut out some magazine pictures of women with healthy, toned bodies and stuck them on the fridge. My husband was (shocker!) OK with this. It gave me a visual reminder of my goal, however what needed to be changed was deeper. Simply put, I needed to decrease the amount and change the type of foods I ate.
We started running. These first few runs were short and peppered with huffing and puffing. Slowly, running became easier. Over the years, I went from an occasional runner to a marathoner-in-training. I now look forward to running; heck, I even get a bit cranky when I can't stretch my legs. I added circuit training, swimming, bicycling and yoga to my workout schedule.
Of course, no description of my transformation would be complete with out a discussion of diet. Simply put, I changed what I ate, how I ate and where I shopped for food. I stopped eating meat (other than fish) and processed foods, I became aware of proper portion sizes. I even purchased a food scale as to measure exactly how much I was eating. Also, I did the bulk of my shopping at Trader Joe's; I still do :) TJ's was/is great as it allowed us to get healthy while not breaking the bank. It became so much easier to avoid foods with preservatives and chemicals.
The message I hope that comes through is simply to START regaining your health today. Don't feel as if you are a failure if you aren't able to go from eating junk food and not exercising to a fit, toned, I-only-eat-organic everything in a matter of a week. I sure didn't. It took me a while and am still learning what works to keep me on track.
Start by doing one or two health-positive actions now. Drink more water. Take a 20 minute walk on your lunch break. Buy whole grain or sprouted grain bread instead of white bread. Easy-peasy? That is how these first small changes need to be in order to be successful in the long run.
What small changes can you make to keep UpInAndTight?
Cathleen
or giving up Diet Coke....10 months sober for me ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear Nan! I struggle with the Diet Coke addiction...
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