At that stage: how to start it up! Workout and dieting tips.

I have had so many ask: how do you do it? What is your secret?

I always think of those Jenny Craig ads. Of the women who are like "I've lost 80 pounds with Jenny Craig! It's as simple as calling the number below!"

One thing I've learned in the past couple of months is it's not as easy as the number, or finding meal plans. I find it almost amusing because people seem to want an easy answer. Like, "I've found this really cheap diet that makes me forever thin and fit!" But reality is not that way. We have to fight for every inch and pound.

I still have a few more pounds to go, and a couple more months of strength and cardio training. But I thought to write this for a few friends who need help or are discouraged.


Firstly: It is not as easy as the number below. As I stated, you have to fight. That day where you just don't want to get up? Get up anyway. You're sick? find an easy work out that won't overdo it. You're injured? Find a workout that you can do to accommodate. Notice, I am not emphasizing diet. Diet is just as important, but getting up is vital. The first month of workouts, my ankles and knees acted up, so I would switch running with the bike. It was an easier fix than I had thought. But once you have the mindset of getting up every day, you will find a change.

This leads me to the second point. You will only get out what you put in. It's really the law. If you workout 3 times a week, you will get less than say, 5 times a week. Or just a higher intensity rate. I'm not saying to overwork yourself, if anything, ease into it, so your body can adapt. But thinking you will lose a tremendous amount of weight on 3 days a week of a 30 minute class or walking for years to come (after becoming fit) is inaccurate. You should always look to up the workout and time. You will get more out of it.

Third: It is all in your mind. I'm not saying to ignore injuries. But one thing a marine once taught me: we convince ourselves out of what we can actually do. I use to think that I wouldn't ever be able to run under 10 minutes a mile. Until I found myself saying, "I will," I made little progress. Now, I can run a 9 minute mile.

Which leads to our fourth idea. DO NOT ignore injuries. Ever. I mean it. It is one thing to have the burn of workouts, but when it becomes pain, and to the point of tearing and breaking, STOP and SLOW DOWN. One issue I find with people starting out or trying a new program is that they ignore their body's pleas for rest and they end up straining or breaking. I found that I had the beginnings of shin splints, and the closest way to get rid of them was to rest and find a balance while stretching (and I didn't want to rest, trust me). Did you know that shin splints can eventually cause stress fractures? I didn't.

This is very related to point number five. Make sure every part of the body is rested. If your legs are in pain, stretch. If you are feeling sick, get your proper amount of rest. You can't expect to run a marathon on a 102 degree fever. Don't try to push to hard. You can always try yoga, or just stretching to accommodate a bad day.

Leading into point number six, which is helpful for different individuals. Look at your body type. There are three basic body types: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. Ectos tend to be very thin, with a fast metabolism. They're your "greyhounds" so to speak. Mesos are known to be the muscular, ideal body type when at the peak of health. Endos are a little thicker and stockier. Ectos generally have a natural inclination to cardio, but need much strength training to keep them healthy looking and ideal. They have a hard time gaining weight. Mesos are the muscular type. They need a healthy combo of strength and cardio, but don't have an unnatural incline to either. They can gain weight or muscle easily, it all depends on a lifestyle. Endos are very strong, but need a lot of cardio to stay fit. They gain weight very easily, but have a hard time losing. I found in my ventures that I'm mainly a Mesomorph, with a couple of endomorphic tendencies. It was interesting, because I thought I could get away with only cardio. Then I began to plateau and discovered that I needed strength training as well. I got back on track with losing weight.

This is very good to point seven. Doing only one thing will eventually leave you at a dead end.
Try swimming the next day. Or maybe lifting weights. Don't just run every single day. Your body will get use to it, and it will plateau faster than you can say "lose weight." Change it up! To help, don't seclude yourself to a gym, but go outside (I know it takes courage, but you can do it! :) ).

All this to say, you cannot make a change in your mind without changing the food. Drinking diet soda, eating slightly better fast food, and sugar free chocolate will not get you anywhere. But, only eating like a rabbit will not get you anywhere, either. There's always an alternative. Instead of Macdonalds, think of Subway. Instead of chocolate, get some strawberries. Let me tell you, the first month is awful, especially with food addiction. I was a sugar addict. For the first month, cut out the obvious bad. On the second month, allow yourself little treats here and there (not every other night, but like once a week). If you like a whole bunch of chips, get some veggie sticks, or something similar to munch on. My saving grace was trail mix and odwalla bars. I love goldfish and chocolate, so I found the few things that changed it. Snack on veggies. Find foods that are like the ones you like, but are obviously healthy. AND CUT OUT SODA AND JUICE. Believe it or not, they can dehydrate. Juice is okay at a moderate level (but it tends to be pure sugar. why ingest?). If you cannot handle no flavor, get the flavor squirters to put in your water. Plenty of people do it as an alternative. Just do not drink soda or juice. I've met too many people with issues caused by soda.
Lastly, watch food allergies. Some weight gain is caused by allergies, lactose intolerance, and gluten intolerance. Watch these! They can also lead to fatigue and pain, which deters from working out. If you suspect allergies, get tested! So then, you know what you can eat. I found that I was lactose intolerant, and switching regular milk with almond milk helped me along. BUT don't get hyper sensitive. Just because your friend is gluten intolerant doesn't mean you are.
Another thing that is very common: Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (a thing I have) is very common among women with weight gain. But recent studies show that these women produce twice as much insulin as a regular person. So, if I eat a candy bar, and a normal person eats a candy bar, I will produce twice as much, causing me to gain weight faster. This applies to carbs, because it turns to a sugar! Don't assume any excess weight means you have PCOS, but if you have other symptoms like not menstruating, hair loss, facial hair (sometimes), weight gain, etc (it varies per woman), go check it out! Knowing means you can take hormones or natural supplements, which is helpful and can eat better.


ANYWAY. I know this is a lot of information. But it is what has helped me along the way.

What is my secret? This stuff. And it takes work, but once put in, you'll find a huge reward at the end of the tunnel.