In the last 3 years I have spent and insane amount of time studying, researching, pouring over articles, and blog posts, and books searching for information on nutrition. There is so much conflicting information out there, and it is difficult to figure out what you should be doing. There are diets that are low carb, no carb, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and the list goes on and on. They all promise if you just follow THIS you will see the results you want. But how on earth are you supposed to figure out which one is right?
In 2014 I was at a standstill with my weight loss. I couldn't figure out why. That was when I met a friend who was doing something called the 21 Day Fix. I was immediately intrigued because it came with an eating plan that made it super simple to see what size portion you needed and how much you needed every day. It seemed like the answer I was looking for. All I wanted was a silver bullet answer, something to just tell me in layman's terms what I was supposed to eat! I attempted it for 1 week, and then gave up. I was starving following the plan and I felt like it just couldn't possibly be the answer I was looking for. Surely I wasn't supposed to be so hungry all the time.
So I did more reading, more research, and found so many resources that were in direct opposition to the eating plans that come with most "get thin quick" plans. I love Beach Body workouts, but you must keep in mind when doing them that the eating plans are meant to be used to lose weight quick. They are not meant to be sustained over long periods of time. The Beach Body programs do work. If you follow it you will see results. If you need a jump start they are a great way to get yourself going. BUT if you are looking to make changes long term, do not rely on these programs solely. Quick fixes are not sustainable over time, especially if you are not a personal trainer, or a fitness model. You can see more about my feelings on restrictive eating programs here . The programs are a great guide. They are great way to retrain your brain and change your eating habits, but you have to figure out how to keep those changes going once the program ends.
When you begin a Beach Body program you must think about where you are. If you are someone who regularly consumes over 2300 calories a day and you suddenly cut that down to 1500 a day and add in intense exercise you are setting yourself up for failure. You will be tired and hungry and could potentially screw up your metabolism ( Read more on this here , here , and here ).
I found a great book "Strong is the New Skinny" about a year ago and I started following their eating plan which allowed me to eat 1800-1900 calories a day 3 days a week, and every 4th day I upped it to 2300. I followed this for over a month with no variations, I was consistent and I lost weight! My body started to change. I saw definition, and I saw results, and I wasn't hungry. I didn't have to starve. I was finally feeding my body enough that it could work efficiently and make the changes I wanted (read about more on that here) . If you want to see more about this plan and the calculation I used click here . Or buy the book, it is great!
This last year my journey has been about finding out what my goals really are, what is really sustainable for me, and what is realistic. A little advice on what I have learned...
These bodies, are A LOT of HARD work, all the time. These people live fitness. They always think about what they eat. Their life is their body.
And that's ok, but that is not me. And it's probably not you either. Chances are you need to find a way to make health and fitness a part of your life, but maybe not your entire existence. I am guessing you want to lose weight and feel good about yourself. You want to make changes, but you still want to live and have cake and wine sometimes.
As much as I would love to be fitness or swim suit model, I just don't have the energy or time to devote. Now that I know what it takes, I realize that is not how I want to live my life. I want to be healthy, happy, confident, and feel good. But I also want to enjoy a burger with my husband, eat cake on my birthday and get a beer with my friends. I want to live a life of balance. Back in August of 2014 I was the smallest I had been in years, my waist (measured just under my belly button, the widest section) was 33 inches today it is 39 inches. Would I like to go back to that smaller midsection, heck yes! But that wasn't a sustainable life for me.
I want you to challenge you to think about what you really want, and what you can really achieve while still living a life you enjoy.
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