Monday, February 21, 2011

Keep Going!!!

Last week I felt all out of whack and it seemed like I was  making all the wrong choices.  I can admit that I was discouraged thinking that instead of losing I would gain.   Sort of felt like my next goal date was inching closer and my progress did not seem enough.
Instead of giving up I stayed on plan, I worked out when I could. I ate what I was supposed to and treated myself (within  portion size). I look back now and see that I was just in a funk but instead of resorting to old habits I kept going.
I kept working out, eating right and resisting temptation. The result was a light bulb moment,
I lost my goal amount for the week. I also gained  a new perspective on perseverance.  To keep going even when it seems like you may not receive your desired out come is true perseverance.
As I push my self through this journey, I am learning more about myself and what it takes to change. Change is not easy  and it does not happen quickly. It is slow, painful and rewarding.  The rewards don't come when you want them but they creep up slowly and surprise you.  

As you can see from the ticker on the side I am creeping up on 60lbs lost!!! I know that change is hard but it feels so good!!!!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

A Myth or Two Will Derail You!!!

When you've been working out and you have small gain instead of a loss. People always tell you that muscle weighs more than fat.  WRONG!!!   When you work out with weights, the muscle tissue breaks down and has to be built back up. The process of healing causes fluid retention in the muscle tissue, which causes a minor gain( ounces).
Muscle is leaner and does not take up as much room but fat will take up more room and will look bulky.  So a person with 2 pounds of muscle will look leaner than a person with 2 pounds of fat. They will however weight the same.

top is  fat / bottom muscle 
 A pound of muscle weighs the same amount as a pound of fat. They just look differently. Fat does not turn into muscle. You can lose fat and gain muscle but fat can not turn into muscle. You can however have muscle under fat but you will have to lose the fat in order to see the muscle.
If you stop exercising your muscle will not turn into fat but it will be covered with fat. Thus making the muscle less visible.  To lose fat you must burn more calories in a day than you consume.

Losing weight is all about balance,if you are trying to lose fat then you need to do more cardio than strength training. But you still need to include some strength training in your routine.  I currently  do cardiovascular training five days week and resistance training two days a week. When I have lost my desired amount of fat,I will decrease my cardio and increase my weight training.

There will be ups and downs on this journey but don't buy into myths. It is important to spend some time learning about fitness and your body.That way you understand the process your body is going through, further you wont be discouraged  due to a lack of information.

Friday, February 4, 2011

The Dressing Room



Last night I spent some time in the dressing room at our local mall. If you remember one of my earlier posts, you know that I love to shop. One of the perks of losing weight is that I get to shop frequently.   Anyway, I was in the dressing room when I heard a woman outside the door crying to her husband. She’d taken ten dresses into the room with her and none of them fit. She was asking him why he didn’t tell her she was getting fat.  He of course was floored and had no response.
This little encounter made me think, are we oblivious to weight gain or are we just lying to our selves.   Every time you have to purchase a larger pair of pants, you know you have put on a few pounds.  Then you lie to yourself and say “but I still look good”. Every time you go through the drive through and consume a day’s worth of calories for one meal, you lie to yourself and say “it’s ok”. Then one day we are in the dressing room, with the huge mirrors, unflattering light and you can’t lie to yourself anymore.   So you blame someone else instead of looking in the mirror and realizing that YOU did this to yourself.
I used to be that woman and I am sure that some of you are still that woman or man. Being angry will help you if you use that anger to change. Anger won’t help if you direct it at the ones you love and place the blame on them.  I am fortunate that my husband won’t lie to me,  if  ask him a question he will tell me the truth.  So the age old question ” Do you I look fat in these jean?”, I have never asked to my husband. I am sure he would have told the truth in a nice way.
Last night while I was in the dressing room  in front of that big mirror and the horrible lights.  I was smiling because I could see everything  that I accomplished and what  I needed to work on.   I Found four  fabulous dresses  for  my date tonight  with my husband.  For the first time in a while, I had to decide  which one to purchase because they all fit well and looked fabulous on me. 
I don’t know about you but  Getting  Off The Couch  has been wonderful for me!!!!