The changes in my diet were subtle to the naked eye. I started eating every two hours everyday started with a banana or apple and my cup of coffee, two hours later I would have my cereal or oatmeal something that would have enough carbs to fuel my work out, after I worked out I ate again normally protein shakes with egg whites, and so on and so forth. Another thing I noticed was that I ALWAYS ate before bed. Every entry had me having yogurt, cottage cheese, or some form of low fat high protein snack before sleep. As far as my work outs went I did an hour to an hour and a half a day of cardio and resistance. It varied a lot with what I did but something that I stand by is you can not do just cardio and you can not do just resistance. You also can not continue to do the same thing repeatedly. By this I mean if you are doing the same DVDs, same work out machine, same reps and muscles your body is not going to be confused and thrown into "work it" mode because this is something that is routine, so your body doesn't have to react in the way it would if you threw it a curve ball. Here is a picture I keep on my phone and use very frequently when i feel like I may not always see the fruits of my labor as quickly as i would like
One thing I will repeat until I am blue in the face, I never counted calories. The whole science of plugging in numbers can work for some people, for me it does not. I may only eat 1500 calories a day but if it all stuff that does not benefit my body A- I can feel it through out my work out and my day I am sluggish and B- my body is used to me feeding it every few hours so when I "starve" my metabolism hates me and clings to whatever I put in my mouth.
There has been much research that belly fat is much harder to get rid of as a woman the older you get. Our hormones change and everything gets haywire after having children. The best form of true fat loss is interval training. Moderate work outs to Intense for thirty seconds or more is what is going to make that difference. Once you push your heart rate to its limit is when you are going to start using that stored up fat and shaping those muscles as they use up the carbs in your body. If you walk do 3 minute normal pace 30 second jog. My husband has been running most of his life from playing in competitive soccer leagues and one thing he taught me was when I run for time, keeping my moderate pace around the bends and straight path and sprinting up the hills can make all the difference in your performance and building your endurance. When it starts to burn don't quit that is when you need to push yourself just a little bit longer to see that difference. When you start to feel that pain is when the lactic acid is starting to flood that muscle so if you give up then what difference have you made? Use that pain to motivate you until you reach the breaking point. Here is something to prove my point that I found on none other than Pinterest :)
When it comes to the mid section I have been asked by many friends why I do not do ab exercises. The thing is I do core work, 80 percent of that tummy area is made in your kitchen so while I swear by plank variations, and twisting moves to bring your muscle in ward, I do NOT believe in crunches or old school ab exercises that cause the muscle to bulge, leaving us feel discouraged and unmotivated.
Maintenance once you have reached where you want to be can be one of the more confusing aspects of weight loss. I personally started my weight loss journey with onc cheat meal a day once I got to where I waned to be I either extended it to a cheat day if I was working out that day and if I was not keeping it at one meal. I now work out six days a week normally and on Saturdays I have my higher fat meal because i have worked out and Sunday on my off day I may have a treat like a cookie or something of that nature but I do not get out of hand. I continue to keep my work outs regular because I want to be strong, plus when I come back after more than a few days of a break I often feel like I am struggling and then remind myself why I hate skipping work outs.
Moderation is key to everything. If you push yourself too hard to be perfect with what you eat or how you look, I promise you will eventually fall off the wagon. I keep my measurements on hand to remind me where I have come from and where I want to go. Each day you wake up remind yourself that here is another chance to do something different and new. Turn it into an adventure! Hell two years ago I could not do one push up now I do all sorts of variations because I found out I didn't need to be skinny I could be STRONG :)
One thing to always keep in mind is you are only going to get the results from the work you put in. If you go to the gym and do some light cardio for thirty minutes, yes that is definitely better than nothing BUT it is not going to get your fat burn to where you want it. I am a sweater by nature, I always have been, so I do not base my work outs solely on how much I am sweating.I know when I have pushed myself because my face gets super hot and my insides are on fire. If I feel like I am weak or my muscles are shaking I know i have reached a good work out. You know your limitations and you know when you are pushing yourself, HOWEVER do not use that as an excuse to be lazy. Use that to power yourself to work as hard as you can and set goals so you can work even harder three months down the line. Where I am today is no where close to where i began, I didn't sweat scream and swear because I had nothing better to do, I did it because I wanted a change, I wanted to prove I could do what I though I could NOT do. You were not born with cellulite, and rolls ladies we all made decisions to get to where we are. Skipping a work out when we were tired, eating because we were upset, or drinking that whole bottle of wine in one night because it was SO good and I was SO stressed. Small decisions turn into a lifestyle, one step at a time, one day at a a time. :) Hang in there you are doing great Life isn't a destination but a journey and your body is going to be the same thing. It may never be perfect but it is a story and it is up to you how you want it to be told. God bless until next time- Amanda
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