Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
When you feel ready to change your body, or just the way you feel on a daily basis, then you have to change what you do and what you eat. The best way to be able to do that consistently is to understand what you currently do and what you currently eat.
The Food Log
The first thing I recommend to people who come to me for advice is KEEP A LOG. Write down everything you eat and the exercises that you do. Sure, it sounds tedious, but how else are you going to see how what you eat impacts your day? When you write down everything you eat, you immediately hold yourself accountable.
"You mean, if I eat this bite-sized candy bar, I have to write it down?" Yep. And not only do you have to write it down, you have to find out how many calories & how many grams of fat, carbohydrates & protein that little bite holds. Pretty soon, you'll realize how quickly all those little bite-sized snacks and cans of soda add up to LOTS of calories!
To get a good understanding of what you should be eating, you can consult www.mypyramid.gov for lots of nutritional advice. All in all, it's not so hard: lean meats (or other form of protein), vegetables, fruits, & whole grains. Put a little of each in every meal and you're golden! For even more specific nutritional guidance you should consult with a Licensed or Registered Dietician. Find one near you at www.eatright.org.
Not only do I like to write down WHAT I ate, and WHEN I ate it, I also like to make a note of HOW I felt at the end of the day. Did I have lots of energy that day, or did I feel sluggish? How was my mood? Did my stomach or intestines disagree with me that day? It's amazing what you can learn about the foods you eat when you start seeing patterns. Because of my food log, I have switched to soy milk instead of cow's milk. I noticed after having cow's milk my throat got phlegmy and I felt bloated later. I switched to soy and noticed those feelings went away. Occasionally, I will have a dairy product, but now I make an informed decision about it.
The Activity Log
When you keep track of what you eat, you'll also want to keep track of what you expend -- you know, those calories you burn by exercising! Whether you are an athlete or you get your exercise only when you have to get up and look for the remote control, your body burns calories. The more calories you burn, the more you'll need to eat! That's why it important to know what you are burning.
Write down the weights you lifted & how many sets and reps you did. If you have a trainer, then s/he'll keep track of that for you when you train together. Write down the cardio training you did: running on a treadmill or outside, elliptical, stairmaster. It's Autumn: did you rake the leaves today? Write that down. There are a number of online tools that will estimate your caloric burn for nearly any activity. Plus a lot of the cardio machines will do it for you. I recommend that you enter your personal statistics into the machine to get a more accurate estimate. Better yet, buy a heart rate monitor that will track your calorie expenditure based on your heart rate. Coach Adam recommended this for me and now I don't work out without it. I can easily see if I'm not working as hard as I thought I was! Not to mention it let's Coach Adam see when I really am close to my limits! Only then does he give my whining credibility!
Again, be sure to make a note of how you felt after you finish exercising. Heck, write down how you felt before AND after. You'll begin to see how exercise really does release stress and improve your mood. You'll begin to notice how you dreaded going at first, but then felt great once you were done...probably tired, but great!
Making New Habits
The main purpose of logging everything is not to keep you busy, not to embarrass you, but to help you understand your true habits and to create accountability for your NEW habits. If you want to look differently, then you have to behave differently. Starting a log is an easy first step.
In fact, if you keep a log and then decide that you want a personal trainer, take your log to him/her on your initial appointment. S/He will be able to take a quick look and from there create a successful plan for you. I guarantee that your trainer will be impressed that you've been keeping track, plus s/he'll know that you are serious about making a lifestyle change!
Food & Activity Log Resources:
There are nutrition logs and exercise logs to fit any person's needs. Here are a few that I have used.
www.mypyramidtracker.gov - They will analyze your diet against a recommended diet. They'll even show you pretty charts when you have a little history created! Who doesn't love graphs?
www.getfitbook.com - A great little notebook that you can easily carry to the gym and it comes with its own adorable pen. It also gives you space for goal setting and weekly re-assessments. (This is the notebook that I prefer).
iPhone apps like Lose It! and Daily Burn are free apps that have nutritional databases for lots of restaurant and supermarket foods, making the calorie counting go a little faster.
www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner will show you caloric estimates for many activities (including standing in line) based on your weight and the duration of the activity.
www.polarusa.com is where you can read about a popular brand of heart rate monitors and find a retailer near you. Generally, your personal trainer can make sure you get a quality monitor at a reasonable price. Coach Adam did!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Assessment
First Workout
Assessment is defined as an appraisal; evaluation. And so it was at my first meeting with ADAM (not Andy, remember?).
Feeling like I'm in relatively good shape I'm not too scared of this whole "assessment." He puts me through a full workout along with two other ladies who have been seeing him for some period of time.
We run. We lift. We jump. We run. We climb mountains. We squat. We run. We snatch. We sweat. We whine. Well, I do anyway. But I'm proud of myself. I pretty much keep up with the others.
Adam also does a full ASSESSMENT on my body composition. Weight. Bodyfat percentage. Waist circumference. And chest and hips and biceps and thighs and calves.
He asks my goals (like every good trainer should). I want to be stronger and leaner. "Do you want to BE stronger or LOOK stronger?" Good question. "Both," was my reply.
Then he tells me that my upper body is pretty good (fat-wise) but my thighs are killing my percentage. Great. But I knew that was my main problem area. Then he proceeds to push a bunch of buttons on a calculator and scribbles numbers on a photocopied paper with handwritten descriptions. All the while he talks about my schedule and how often I can fit exercise into it. I explain that I'm in school and I work full time and I have to take my 9-year-old daughter to her theater lessons, and I find that I start making excuses for why I haven't been working out regularly.
Reality Check
He shows me my Assessment.
Current Weight: 133 lbs.
Bodyfat: 23%
Waist: 27"
They aren't the worst numbers in America, but they are glaringly ugly to me.
He asks how many calories I've been eating each day. "I don't know." I didn't. But I failed to mention that I eat half a pepperoni pizza & several cheesesticks every Wednesday. How I love online ordering!
He explains that initially I'll need to lose 11 pounds so that I don't get discouraged when I workout to BE and LOOK stronger. BEing and LOOKing stronger means I'd need to put on mass, which means I would need to eat a significant amount of calories.
The difference between fatties and meatheads is that meatheads work out. Calories are the same.
In order for me to lose 11 pounds in 11 weeks, the hand scribbled numbers told me (with interpretation from Adam) that I'd have to eat 1100 calories daily and burn 425 calories 5 days each week. * "Wait, wait wait...." I had to clarify this: I'm going to NET just under 800 calories a day?? I thought he misstated it and that I really needed to eat 1525 calories daily and burn the 425 for a net of 1100.
His reply: "Net 800. How else do you expect to lose the weight?" Right. Gotcha. I begin to wonder how many calories are in half of a thin crust pepperoni pizza and several cheesesticks (1,410 calories, just so you know). Rats. That's over my daily limit.
I guess I'll have to start keeping track of this stuff. "Keep a food log and wear this heart rate monitor when you work out so you know how many calories you're burning," he says. "See you Monday."
Here I go.
*Disclaimer: these numbers were customized for ME by a professional. In other words, don't follow my diet/exercise plans without conferring with professionals about your specific situation. I have the number for a great one....
Assessment is defined as an appraisal; evaluation. And so it was at my first meeting with ADAM (not Andy, remember?).
Feeling like I'm in relatively good shape I'm not too scared of this whole "assessment." He puts me through a full workout along with two other ladies who have been seeing him for some period of time.
We run. We lift. We jump. We run. We climb mountains. We squat. We run. We snatch. We sweat. We whine. Well, I do anyway. But I'm proud of myself. I pretty much keep up with the others.
Adam also does a full ASSESSMENT on my body composition. Weight. Bodyfat percentage. Waist circumference. And chest and hips and biceps and thighs and calves.
He asks my goals (like every good trainer should). I want to be stronger and leaner. "Do you want to BE stronger or LOOK stronger?" Good question. "Both," was my reply.
Then he tells me that my upper body is pretty good (fat-wise) but my thighs are killing my percentage. Great. But I knew that was my main problem area. Then he proceeds to push a bunch of buttons on a calculator and scribbles numbers on a photocopied paper with handwritten descriptions. All the while he talks about my schedule and how often I can fit exercise into it. I explain that I'm in school and I work full time and I have to take my 9-year-old daughter to her theater lessons, and I find that I start making excuses for why I haven't been working out regularly.
Reality Check
He shows me my Assessment.
Current Weight: 133 lbs.
Bodyfat: 23%
Waist: 27"
They aren't the worst numbers in America, but they are glaringly ugly to me.
He asks how many calories I've been eating each day. "I don't know." I didn't. But I failed to mention that I eat half a pepperoni pizza & several cheesesticks every Wednesday. How I love online ordering!
He explains that initially I'll need to lose 11 pounds so that I don't get discouraged when I workout to BE and LOOK stronger. BEing and LOOKing stronger means I'd need to put on mass, which means I would need to eat a significant amount of calories.
The difference between fatties and meatheads is that meatheads work out. Calories are the same.
In order for me to lose 11 pounds in 11 weeks, the hand scribbled numbers told me (with interpretation from Adam) that I'd have to eat 1100 calories daily and burn 425 calories 5 days each week. * "Wait, wait wait...." I had to clarify this: I'm going to NET just under 800 calories a day?? I thought he misstated it and that I really needed to eat 1525 calories daily and burn the 425 for a net of 1100.
His reply: "Net 800. How else do you expect to lose the weight?" Right. Gotcha. I begin to wonder how many calories are in half of a thin crust pepperoni pizza and several cheesesticks (1,410 calories, just so you know). Rats. That's over my daily limit.
I guess I'll have to start keeping track of this stuff. "Keep a food log and wear this heart rate monitor when you work out so you know how many calories you're burning," he says. "See you Monday."
Here I go.
*Disclaimer: these numbers were customized for ME by a professional. In other words, don't follow my diet/exercise plans without conferring with professionals about your specific situation. I have the number for a great one....
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Communication is Key
Days go by. Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months. I'm not really sure how long it was before I ever called Andy The Trainer. In fact, I know he called me once, at Heather's insistence.
Those who are close to me (and some who aren't) know that I am terrible at using a telephone. It causes me a great deal of anxiety when I call someone. Please don't ask me to even order a pizza over the phone. What if I say the wrong thing??
I feel a great deal of pressure to 1) have something interesting to say, 2) not stumble over my words, and 3) not talk over the person on the other end. And then, of course, I get so focused on accomplishing those 3 things, that I end up not focusing on the conversation and ultimately failing to meet my telephone conversation goals. It's a vicious cycle, I know. But it is what it is.
As a teen, when I visited my dad's house, we'd always have pizza for dinner. We both knew the Domino's number by heart. But he likes using the phone about as much as I do. We'd wait each other out. I figured if he got hungry enough, he'd call. He'd say, "Whenever you are ready to eat, just call." I knew what he was trying to do....trying to stimulate my hunger. Cheater! I wasn't about to fall for it. Sometimes I won by leaving the room for long periods of time. That way he'd never know when I was coming back and he'd have to call. Sometimes he won by saying, "Call them." Dang! Got me again, Dad...got me again.
So I avoided calling Andy The Trainer. Nothing personal. But I have gotten into shape on my own before...I could do it again. Never mind the fact that I wasn't really motivated to do so (friends said I looked good), and I was enjoying the taste of pizza again. Hey - it had been a long time since I regularly ate that. Gimme a break.
However, when my "fat" jeans were getting too small, I realized it was time. But I really didn't want to call. Thank the Stars for texting. Texting must have been invented by someone like me. And online ordering. Technology is great.
9/9/09: "Hi Andy, this is Heather's friend Debbie. Let me know what your rate is and if you have availability on Monday Wed & or Friday late afternoon or evening."
His response: "Ummm Debbie....I know you were trying to get Adam!!!"
Oh geez. His name is ADAM. I can't even text right!
My response: "Dang. Andy, sorry about that."
Are you kidding me? I did it AGAIN. At this point I was ready to give up on all human communication. It's painfully obvious I was not genetically predisposed to two-way communication. But listening: that I can do...when I'm not worried about talking, that is.
Those who are close to me (and some who aren't) know that I am terrible at using a telephone. It causes me a great deal of anxiety when I call someone. Please don't ask me to even order a pizza over the phone. What if I say the wrong thing??
I feel a great deal of pressure to 1) have something interesting to say, 2) not stumble over my words, and 3) not talk over the person on the other end. And then, of course, I get so focused on accomplishing those 3 things, that I end up not focusing on the conversation and ultimately failing to meet my telephone conversation goals. It's a vicious cycle, I know. But it is what it is.
As a teen, when I visited my dad's house, we'd always have pizza for dinner. We both knew the Domino's number by heart. But he likes using the phone about as much as I do. We'd wait each other out. I figured if he got hungry enough, he'd call. He'd say, "Whenever you are ready to eat, just call." I knew what he was trying to do....trying to stimulate my hunger. Cheater! I wasn't about to fall for it. Sometimes I won by leaving the room for long periods of time. That way he'd never know when I was coming back and he'd have to call. Sometimes he won by saying, "Call them." Dang! Got me again, Dad...got me again.
So I avoided calling Andy The Trainer. Nothing personal. But I have gotten into shape on my own before...I could do it again. Never mind the fact that I wasn't really motivated to do so (friends said I looked good), and I was enjoying the taste of pizza again. Hey - it had been a long time since I regularly ate that. Gimme a break.
However, when my "fat" jeans were getting too small, I realized it was time. But I really didn't want to call. Thank the Stars for texting. Texting must have been invented by someone like me. And online ordering. Technology is great.
9/9/09: "Hi Andy, this is Heather's friend Debbie. Let me know what your rate is and if you have availability on Monday Wed & or Friday late afternoon or evening."
His response: "Ummm Debbie....I know you were trying to get Adam!!!"
Oh geez. His name is ADAM. I can't even text right!
My response: "Dang. Andy, sorry about that."
Are you kidding me? I did it AGAIN. At this point I was ready to give up on all human communication. It's painfully obvious I was not genetically predisposed to two-way communication. But listening: that I can do...when I'm not worried about talking, that is.
Friday, November 13, 2009
In The Beginning....
I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Debra. Those who are close to me (and some who aren't), call me Debbie. Or Deb. Or Zubie.
I'm known for being a bit of a health nut. I try to eat lean meats and vegetables and whole grains. I have worked out on my own for several years and had good results: toned arms and back, flat belly -- on good days you could see the ab muscles.
Then my back started hurting.
At first it was only a little, so I worked through it. Then it hurt a lot. I'll spare you all the details of what I did and who I saw over a period of a couple of years to figure out what was wrong. Skip ahead to the diagnosis: herniated disks - two. Prognosis: Good. According to the orthopedic surgeon, surgery is an option, but not a required one. He said, "You're only limited by your own pain." Great! I think.....
Being a health nut and hoping for a "natural" solution, I visited my chiropractor on a regular basis and completely avoided weight-lifting for 8 months! Guess what? I was free of pain!
...and fatter.
Those who are close to me (and some who aren't) would say, "You look fine! You are still so skinny!" Ugh. I hate the word "skinny." Brings to mind visions of zombies - minus the rotting skin and unquenchable desire to feed on brains....
My friend Heather, who looks AMAZING with her toned arms and muscular legs, saw my disappointment and invited me to join her on a "Burner Club" workout that her trainer offers. "We'll probably just be running this time." Ugh. I hate the word "running." Brings to mind exploding lungs and burning legs and the embarrassment that I can only go 40 yards before having to bend over and catch my breath....
So I go.
I "run," if that's what you want to call it. Heather's in the pole position and I'm the caboose - minus the cool engineer hat and kids waving as I pass by. Her trainer says, "You're doing great. But I saw you bent over at the top of the hill." I tell him I was there only to give the stragglers some moral support.
I end up being the last one back at Base Camp. I WAS the straggler. Somebody had to be...right? And Heather gave me her trainer's phone number. Stored in the phone under Andy The Trainer.
I'm known for being a bit of a health nut. I try to eat lean meats and vegetables and whole grains. I have worked out on my own for several years and had good results: toned arms and back, flat belly -- on good days you could see the ab muscles.
Then my back started hurting.
At first it was only a little, so I worked through it. Then it hurt a lot. I'll spare you all the details of what I did and who I saw over a period of a couple of years to figure out what was wrong. Skip ahead to the diagnosis: herniated disks - two. Prognosis: Good. According to the orthopedic surgeon, surgery is an option, but not a required one. He said, "You're only limited by your own pain." Great! I think.....
Being a health nut and hoping for a "natural" solution, I visited my chiropractor on a regular basis and completely avoided weight-lifting for 8 months! Guess what? I was free of pain!
...and fatter.
Those who are close to me (and some who aren't) would say, "You look fine! You are still so skinny!" Ugh. I hate the word "skinny." Brings to mind visions of zombies - minus the rotting skin and unquenchable desire to feed on brains....
My friend Heather, who looks AMAZING with her toned arms and muscular legs, saw my disappointment and invited me to join her on a "Burner Club" workout that her trainer offers. "We'll probably just be running this time." Ugh. I hate the word "running." Brings to mind exploding lungs and burning legs and the embarrassment that I can only go 40 yards before having to bend over and catch my breath....
So I go.
I "run," if that's what you want to call it. Heather's in the pole position and I'm the caboose - minus the cool engineer hat and kids waving as I pass by. Her trainer says, "You're doing great. But I saw you bent over at the top of the hill." I tell him I was there only to give the stragglers some moral support.
I end up being the last one back at Base Camp. I WAS the straggler. Somebody had to be...right? And Heather gave me her trainer's phone number. Stored in the phone under Andy The Trainer.
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