Change Is Good
I've come to the conclusion, after all these years, that change is definitely good for me. At least on the fitness and weight fronts. I seem to have a body that adapts incredibly well to routine. It's incredibly efficient at maintaining if I try to do the same old, same old day in and day out. So, the real secret for me is to almost constantly be mixing things up. I've been doing the Weight Watchers CORE plan for about 3 weeks now, and it still makes sense to me. Non-starchy veggies are my friends. The starchier ones, like corn, lima beans, sweet potatoes and white potatoes are not my enemy, but I do make a conscious effort to monitor how much of them I eat and how often. Lean protein is a good thing. I've been eating lots of chicken (the rotisserie chicken, plucked of its skin, is still a very good thing), lean pork and beef cuts, and both fresh and canned tuna and salmon. Whole grain products, like whole wheat pasta and whole wheat couscous and cereals with 5+ grams of fiber per serving, are also things I include in my diet, but I do keep a real close eye on how often I eat them and how much. Usually, they are a once a day thing and kept to the smaller portion of the meal. I've been able to consciously experience just how much I actually LIKE eating this way. There's so many things that I actually find very appealing. I love fresh apricots, and this year has been very good for them. I really enjoy fresh tomatoes and peppers of all colors. Fresh parsley and cilantro add new dimensions to just about anything you stick them in. I've made a really good Moroccan-spiced chicken breast. From a Weight Watcher recipe. Mind you, I changed the technique a little bit, but it still came out very good. Instead of just plopping a mix of ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon on the boneless chicken breasts and then sauteing it in a couple tsp. of oil, I mixed the dried spices with the oil and rubbed that on the chicken, which I then cooked in a non-stick pan sprayed with high heat PAM (btw, throw out all your other cooking sprays as this high heat version of Pam is well worth it!). I browned the chicken on both sides and then tossed it into a murderously hot (450 F) oven for about 10 minutes, until the juices ran clear. I wound up with deliciously moist chicken that paired nicely with some whole wheat couscous that had been cooked in chicken broth and that I stirred chopped fresh apricots and chopped cilantro into. I've decided that for weight loss, I should actually listen to my hunger levels (which is part of the CORE plan), and eat somewhere between 1200-1600 calories most days. Because there actually ARE whole days when I'm just not very hungry. Especially if I am good about taking in fluids.
When it comes to exercise, I need to average 45-60 minutes of something in addition to my "normal" activities. Now, sometimes, that's vigorous housework or carrying stuff up and down the stairs at my apartment (I have an ungodly amount of stuff that I donate to charity when I get into my "purge" modes and it all has to be toted down to my car to get hauled off. And, yes, I do know there are charities that would come get the stuff, but that would defeat the point of me hauling it down the stairs. Going down stairs means you have to come back UP them, see?). Lately, I've dragged out my modest array of fitness tapes and begun to work my way through them depending on my whims. I've been using a couple of The Firm tapes. Discovered that I am hideously uncoordinated at step aerobics, but my solution is to just keep moving my butt up and down the step when I get lost or to keep marching in place or squatting or lunging for stuff that is on the floor that I get lost trying to keep up on. Eventually, I'll get the moves but right now, it's important to just keep moving and sweating, IMHO. I like the whole CORE plan because it does encourage activity, diet alone not being enough. You get to earn a few extra weekly points to spend on stuff that isn't part of the CORE foods list, for things that might surprise some people. I like to "earn" my daily low-fat, artificially sweetened yogurt every day. That means I need to do at least 2 points worth of activity every day. I also find it both interesting and appropriate that WW seems to give you the most points for an activity in the early going of that activity. I think that makes sense, especially when dealing with a group that, for the most part, is unaccustomed to regular physical activity and who, given the chance, will overestimate their efforts. I know. Been there, done that. Keeps people from thinking they can earn 10 points a day for indulgences by exercising every day for hours on end. It encourages the efficient use of time for maximum fitness benefits, near as I can see. I mean, I can find 45-60 minutes to do something physical most days. That's reasonable. I mix it up between core training, cardio (like stepping and walking), yoga (I have a tape) and vigorous cleaning (moving boxes, gardening at my dad's, moving furniture around).
Currently, I've lost about 8 lbs., which is pretty reasonable. I am aiming for 1-2 lbs. average per week. Knowing my body as I do, I expect it to do this in fits and starts. I mean, I'll loose 4-6 lbs. one week and then somewhere between 1/2 lb. to 2 lbs. for several weeks. In the end, though, I know it works out to 1-2 lbs. average over time. Which is healthy and which is the measure of doing stuff that becomes a permanent way of living. And I am NOT a fanatic about anything. I reorganized my pantry/dry goods earlier this week. I put canned fruits and veggies, vinegars, healthy oils, sauces, dressings and whole grains where they are easily accessible. Things I absolutely cannot resist for the most part got tossed out. There was surprisingly little of that stuff in my house. The top shelf, the one that is above eye level and that I actually have to reach for holds the graham crackers, the two boxes of Girl Scout cookies, the jar of mini raspberry Three Musketeers, and the jar of mixed jelly beans. Believe it or not, I can actually have these things in my house and not gorge on them. But I want them up high and mostly outta sight so I am not tempted by them constantly being in my face. I also threw out my takeout menus. All of them.
Well, that's enough rambling on. I think I'll go clean something. I'm sure the tub could use a swabbing down.
When it comes to exercise, I need to average 45-60 minutes of something in addition to my "normal" activities. Now, sometimes, that's vigorous housework or carrying stuff up and down the stairs at my apartment (I have an ungodly amount of stuff that I donate to charity when I get into my "purge" modes and it all has to be toted down to my car to get hauled off. And, yes, I do know there are charities that would come get the stuff, but that would defeat the point of me hauling it down the stairs. Going down stairs means you have to come back UP them, see?). Lately, I've dragged out my modest array of fitness tapes and begun to work my way through them depending on my whims. I've been using a couple of The Firm tapes. Discovered that I am hideously uncoordinated at step aerobics, but my solution is to just keep moving my butt up and down the step when I get lost or to keep marching in place or squatting or lunging for stuff that is on the floor that I get lost trying to keep up on. Eventually, I'll get the moves but right now, it's important to just keep moving and sweating, IMHO. I like the whole CORE plan because it does encourage activity, diet alone not being enough. You get to earn a few extra weekly points to spend on stuff that isn't part of the CORE foods list, for things that might surprise some people. I like to "earn" my daily low-fat, artificially sweetened yogurt every day. That means I need to do at least 2 points worth of activity every day. I also find it both interesting and appropriate that WW seems to give you the most points for an activity in the early going of that activity. I think that makes sense, especially when dealing with a group that, for the most part, is unaccustomed to regular physical activity and who, given the chance, will overestimate their efforts. I know. Been there, done that. Keeps people from thinking they can earn 10 points a day for indulgences by exercising every day for hours on end. It encourages the efficient use of time for maximum fitness benefits, near as I can see. I mean, I can find 45-60 minutes to do something physical most days. That's reasonable. I mix it up between core training, cardio (like stepping and walking), yoga (I have a tape) and vigorous cleaning (moving boxes, gardening at my dad's, moving furniture around).
Currently, I've lost about 8 lbs., which is pretty reasonable. I am aiming for 1-2 lbs. average per week. Knowing my body as I do, I expect it to do this in fits and starts. I mean, I'll loose 4-6 lbs. one week and then somewhere between 1/2 lb. to 2 lbs. for several weeks. In the end, though, I know it works out to 1-2 lbs. average over time. Which is healthy and which is the measure of doing stuff that becomes a permanent way of living. And I am NOT a fanatic about anything. I reorganized my pantry/dry goods earlier this week. I put canned fruits and veggies, vinegars, healthy oils, sauces, dressings and whole grains where they are easily accessible. Things I absolutely cannot resist for the most part got tossed out. There was surprisingly little of that stuff in my house. The top shelf, the one that is above eye level and that I actually have to reach for holds the graham crackers, the two boxes of Girl Scout cookies, the jar of mini raspberry Three Musketeers, and the jar of mixed jelly beans. Believe it or not, I can actually have these things in my house and not gorge on them. But I want them up high and mostly outta sight so I am not tempted by them constantly being in my face. I also threw out my takeout menus. All of them.
Well, that's enough rambling on. I think I'll go clean something. I'm sure the tub could use a swabbing down.
posted by Mel at 11:26 AM
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