Fitness cycle, May-June

Tomorrow kicks off the beginning of another one-month fitness cycle after which I will post before and after pics.  I would have some for you today documenting from February-March, March-April, and April-May, but I was monkeying around on my Google account and accidentally deleted all of my pictures (ALL of them).  I was quite excited about them not because of how fantastic they were (they weren't) but because of the transformation they showed with extremely little effort.

Over the winter I had behaved as most other people do - indulging in all manner of unhealthy food and general (physical) laziness. February was the month I set to start getting things back in order.

I do not advocate massive changes at once unless you are absolutely mentally ready to follow through.  That has rarely worked for me when refashioning my eating habits.   It was more of an overwhelming, grandiose proposition that set me up for failure.  It may have been partly due to the fact that I followed the miracle cure diet(s) to a T for a lot longer than they directed and still felt as bad or worse than before.  Either way, if you're making a positive change, your body should respond positively in a reasonable amount of time.

There is, however, one revision that has had a profound effect on my health and my ability to follow through with other healthy choices - giving up soda.  For me, this was huge, and didn't happen overnight, exactly. 

There was a time when I drank nothing but Big Red and Coca Cola Classic.  I knew it wasn't the best, but it wasn't THAT bad, was it?  One year I gave it up (sort of - I would allow myself 4oz in an emergency) for Lent.  It's the only year I ever gave anything up for Lent. It wasn't easy, but there's no denying it was more tolerable when I considered the suffering of others around me from self inflicted abstinence of something they enjoyed.  By the end of the forty days, not only did I no longer crave soft drinks, I really didn't even want them, at least not regularly. 

It was some time afterwards (months) that my body became more balanced and my mind tuned in.  I would get a Coke and could tell that my body didn't want it, yet I would still drink it.  Afterwards I would feel sluggish and blah.  This realization was monumental because I was becoming conscious that my body was trying to tell me what it wanted, so I started listening!
 

"But, Sarah, that's so easy!  Doesn't everyone do that?"

Obviously not, otherwise our culture would be a lot healthier. I still have a Coke from time to time, but it is rare (btw, it was several years ago that I gave up soda).

This is what mainly governs my diet now - listening to my body.  Your body will tell you what it wants.  Beware of the sugar craving, though!  In fact, that's going to be our focus from today to the middle of June - reducing added sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup, the reason being that your liver treats it differently from glucose and converts it directly into fat - specifically visceral fat (on your belly) and triglycerides, meanwhile your brain is still begging for more glucose (meaning, it's not getting the sugar it needs and tells you to eat more).

I don't believe (with good reason, both from experience and working with my doctor) in totally cutting out or severely restricting carbs.  It's not sustainable, it's really for temporary dieting, will likely weaken your immune system, and will leave you grumpy.  If you feel a sugar craving, get your sweet treat but stop at one or two bites - those first bites are usually the most satisfying anyway.  Keep grapes on hand (those are loaded with the kind of sugar your brain and muscles need).  Go ahead and eat your potatoes and pasta (they get converted to the kind of sugar your brain and muscles need) - that may curb the sugar cravings.  Everything in moderation, of course.  You won't get healthy sitting in front of the TV or computer eating all day or evening. 

Identifying cravings and getting them under control and getting your body balanced is the first step.  Once you have that down you can tackle other dietary goals you may have.

Onto exercise.  My goal is to walk 1-2 miles 2-3 times a week and do light resistance training on my arms and abs 2-3 times a week.  Likely these will overlap as I plan to do no (purposeful) exercise at least two days a week.  There are several reasons for this which I will be covering in the coming days and weeks.

In mid June we will examine the results from light exercise and reduction in sugar and see if the results are worth it (I believe they will be).

Be encouraged to make your own goals.  Make sure they are realistic and attainable - maybe something you've been meaning to do but haven't had the motivation.  Mid June we'll celebrate any progress we've made. :D

Warm regards,

Sarah