Do it like the GUYS!

So I was reading an article in Self's November 2010 magazine titled, Lose Weight: like a guy. I think the whole article had some great ideas, but the one that stuck out to me the most was to have a one-track mind. Men tend to focus on one issue at a time. If he is at work, he tends to focus on work. If he's at a party, he tends to focus on having a great time. Women multi-task. It is something we do so well. For example, I listen to music, write, and think about things that I need to do later either in the day or in the week. My life is full of doing many tasks at once.

This tip makes me ponder though, what if when we worked out, we focused on our work-out? If we focus on our run and what muscles are being used and how we feel, I wonder how much better we might do. The author, Tula Karras, suggests doing one thing to lose weight like removing soda from our daily diet. Men typically focus on one thing like removing beer from their diet. Women typically do everything at once like eating less, going to the gym daily, cutting out soda, and etc.

Karras feels this is why women typically fail. I agree with her. When I was student teaching, my focus was not on losing weight, but I did. I made two changes and I saw results. I was moving all of the time instead of sitting and I ate a lot less than I use to.

So she challenges us, and now I am challenging you, pick your worst diet habit (eating out all the time, drinking soda, etc.) and a challenging fitness goal that you can do (zumba, spinning class, running, etc.) for 4 weeks. What are your results?

I am going to to the challenge with you!
The 4-week challenge

My bad diet habit: drinking 3-5 cans of diet soda daily. :(

The challenge: Drink 1 or no cans of soda daily!

My challenging fitness goal: Work-out 240 minutes (4 hours) a week!

I am starting this Wednesday, December 29, 2010.
After 4 weeks, Wednesday, January 26, 2011, I will let know how great I feel and see if there are any results!

Miracles Do Happen!

So much has happened since March 22.

I did really well with the Flat Belly Diet until finals came. I tried to start it up again, but life was so hectic. After school ended, I helped my mom move, broke-up with my boyfriend (who I thought I would be spending the rest of my life with), went on vacation and then I moved to the other side of town. It was overwhelmingly crazy! Once I moved in and settled my own life just a little, I attempted to do the Flat Belly Diet again. I couldn't. I tried, but I couldn't stick to the regimen.

So I went on vacation to FLORIDA over the 4th of July. I booked the tickets just 3 weeks prior and I decided to work-out five days a week and eat healthier that way I would lose some weight before I was at the beach in my swim-suit. I ended up not working out 5 days a week like I wanted, but I still lost weight. I was down to 210 lbs when I left. :)

I came back and gained some weight. I told you my story above about reattempting to do the Flat Belly Diet. Then school started for me on August 25th and I was student teaching. This meant I was on my feet for 6 hours a day, constantly walking around. I lived one hour away from the school so I was running out the door without much to eat. Lunch was whatever I grabbed out of the freezer. After school, I would then go to work. I usually ate something frozen for dinner as well. Let's just say after about 10 weeks, I was sick of frozen food. So between eating less and constantly moving around, I lost weight.

I lost so much weight and I lost it fast. I am now down to 194.5 lbs. I am a size 16/18, depending on who makes the clothes. To me that is a miracle. I was losing 1 to 2 lbs a week which is nice because I've struggled so much with my weight in the last few years!

This holiday season, I've managed to maintain which makes me very happy. Since I am not in school any more I can work-out and focus on my health a lot more in 2011!


Weight Loss Over the Months
March 22: 220-225
June ?: 216
July 3: 210.5
July 6: 212
Aug 23: 215
Oct 29: 201
Dec 3: 196
Dec 27: 194.5

Flat Belly Diet

I am amazed at how much dedication one must have in order for a life style change to work. It is difficult when there are a million other things happening in your life.

I have been fluctuating between 220 and 225. I know this weight is not healthy for me, but what am I suppose to do? I can't completely forget about school and work. Something wasn't clicking, and I was starting to fall behind and not care about school and work. So I decided for the last two weeks, I am taking me time. That me time was not very productive and I felt myself slipping into a depression.

So I am making a change to be active in my life. If I focus on me I do not feel as stressed, but I do feel guilty for not spending the time on school work. A way to focus on me that is productive is getting healthy. My mom decided to try the Flat Belly Diet and in two weeks, her belly is much smaller. I am jealous!

I do not know if it will work for me. I gained 3 lbs overnight, which I know is just water retention... but still... a little discouraging. The plan starts with a 4-day anti-bloat plan. 2 items I have had so far makes want to gag, but surprisingly I love the food. I was leary about putting flax seed oil in my smoothies, but it actually makes them taste better. This whole program is focused on eating healthier including eating MUFAs (MonoUnsaturated Fatty Acids). It takes your attitude and changes it because there is a connection between your belly and your mind that I do not comprehend just yet.

Anyway the Flat Belly Diet takes just 32 days, which is enough time to create new habits. So my configurations, I will be done on Wednesday, April 21. I will see if any weight and inches have been lost by then!

Amazing!

I am amazed! Because of how tight money is getting, I have decided to eat out less and eat in more. I have been eating in for 2 weeks now. I have lost four pounds. I am seriously amazed. Now I am back down to 221 lbs. I had gained weight after school started throughout the first 4 to 6 weeks.

Now I have decided to eat in a lot more, though it will be difficult.

I also went and worked out today. It has been about a month since I worked out last. I need to work out more often!

It's been a while

Life has been busy! School has me so stressed that I can not seem to concentrate on anything else.

I went and worked out today probably for the first time in a month. I feel exhausted, but I think it is good to feel that way.

I weighed myself and I weigh 228 lbs. Of course, I did that with shoes and workout clothes on, which I normally do not do. But still 228... I haven't seen that number so I need to start taking better care of myself!

Anyway, I have plenty of homework left to complete so I will be back later.