30-Day Transformation: Diet

Getting motivated to, and actually working out has never been a problem for me. Well, since leaving high school and losing all the weight it hasn't been a problem. So I have that (significant) portion of the weight management and fitness challenge under control.

 

One thing that has forever plagued me (in terms of being as healthy and "in shape" as I'd like to be) are my eating habits. I subscribe to the "I work out hard so I can eat what I want/when I want" philosophy, which isn't a terrible way to live, but it's also not super productive when it comes to achieving goals once you reach a certain point in you fitness evolution. Goals like cutting body fat, gaining muscle mass, and generally being less "mushy" become very difficult to achieve when you eat brownies/cake/ice cream/chocolate every night (and at all times of the night). And yes, "mushy" is an official term.

 

Caveat: I'm a happy person. I'm not too obsessed with anything, I don't think. My muffin top does not make me feel like a bad human.

 

I eat, therefore I muffin. However, I am still a good human.

 

 

I'm also a person who loves a challenge, especially when it comes to something that has dogged me for so long and stands in the way of achieving a goal. So, here we go ... yes, it's bit gimmicky and yes, in naming it this way it sounds like an ABC reality show, but allow me to introduce my "30-day Transformation: Diet" undertaking.

Before I dive in, I learned in my fitness education that when setting goals, one always needs to be sure they are SMART goals. SMART = Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Time-bound. (You will see different variations on the acronym/words, but the approach is always the same). So, I am going to try and structure this project in the SMART fashion.

 

It's not going to be easy. I am not 100 % sure where to start. And, because of that, I'm not going to try and fix everything at once.  But, I am going to try and fix a few things in the next 30 days... and here they are:

• Achieve a significant drop in refined sugar. It's disgusting how much of it I eat, and how big of a portion of the "bad" calories sugar accounts for in my diet. Mostly it comes from desserts, which is where I have to start. How can I make it measurable? Dessert no more than twice per week, no candy during the day, milk instead of creamer in coffee.
• Stop eating at night. This will be - by far - the most difficult part of this process. I can't begin to describe how long I've done this, or all the different things I've done to try and stop it. Like, basically, everything on this list. However, I'll try again, and I think the focus this time needs to be on the water, the hard candy, and the "warm beverage" approaches. With a lot of the "psyche yourself for the battle" worked in there.
• Eat a bigger lunch. I know one of the reasons I eat so much later in the day/night is because I'm not eating enough during the day. So, with the start of my new full-time job, I can see no better time to work on eating more well-rounded, filling lunches. A meat, whole grain and vegetable will be the goal at least 3-4 days per week.
• Drink more water and less soda. I already drink a ton of water everyday, but I also drink more soda than I would like. One can or glass of soda per day, period.

I could probably put another 2-3 goals on this list, but I'm going to do what I advise to clients and that is to keep things (relatively) simple in the beginning and adjust as things progress. I'll be tracking my progress on the blog for a while; hopefully my process/insight will help you achieve your fitness goals!

 

If you have any tips for me on any of the things I talked about above, please share them. And thanks for reading my blog and being a part of my fitness education and improvement!!

 

 

 

 



ResolActions!!

I'm a fan of NYE resolutions. I don't necessarily believe that they really motivate people, but I do think the process of evaluating/critically thinking about life is a good exercise for the brain and soul. If you decide you want to make a promise to yourself after that, all the better.

Millions of people will make a fitness-related resolution this year. Lose weight, drop a dress size, run a marathon, touch their toes, etc. Of course I support this too. I do, though, have some advice for those of you contemplating a fitness resolution - make it ACTION-based. A "resolAction" if you will.


You may be familiar with the SMART anagram when it comes to goals. I won't go through the whole thing with you (although you can check it out here) but I do want to draw your attention to the "A" in "SMART," which stands for "action-oriented." (You will also sometimes see the "A" used to define "Attainable").

Basically, the theory is that if you make your fitness-related goal based on action (work out for 30 minutes three times a week; run 4 times a week for an hour or more, etc.), rather than quantitative values (lose 30 lbs by March, shrink your waistline 3 inches), it is much easier to "succeed," which will keep you motivated, help you progressively increase intensity, and you will see the results you desire naturally.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to have the quantitative goal as more of a long-term objective, but when you're planning your New Year's resolution, think ACTION.

Do you have a New Year's resolution related to fitness? What is it? If you want a suggestion, let me know and I'll help you come up with something that fits you, motivates you, and will help you succeed!!