Mon, 1 March: Time to suck up my commitment phobia & start.
It's Monday. It's the first of a month. It's a sign, I've decided. So today I will take some measurements, already "officially" weighed in & I'm tracking food & H2O today. I've decided I'm breaking with form and not measuring. I think that too much emphasis is part of what drives me to just stop trying. I just finished some light exercise, having my snack & checking in here. Night is no longer a big "binge" time for me, so long as I don't allow myself to order out. This is why having food in the house is rather critical. I'll do a proper shopping tomorrow with a list and everything. Meanwhile, I'm off to work more. And I'm gonna make some doctors appts for stuff i never do (ie, mammograms.) Feeling sort of down and also sort of like this is a low point from which I will go up. I feel more invested in myself than I have in a few years. That can't be a bad thing. I also have no delusions that getting these pounds off will be easy. In fact, I'm gonna do "metabolism rehab" for a month before I actively try to lose: eat a proper amount of calories daily, without fail -- never less, for a month. Move my fat ass more often and hopefully I can turn this into a real march toward loss. I'd like to see me at goal weight for my 43rd birthday. This past birthday was really horrid, and I don't want to feel like that again ever. I'm taking back my birthday and holidays. Part of what I need to take away from them is the food issues. Yeah. I'm starting with baby steps, but I'm gonna keep walking right over to the new goal weight of 135, which may be a few lbs too small, but that can be redone at any time. For now, it's a good goal. And I'm pleased I didn't gain back all that weight I took off a few years ago. For those of you who eat far too little or have done the yo-yo thing for most of your life, I found a nice (if very basic) article on making your metabolism "wake up." I'll post that next.
Be talking to you daily -- Ella
PS: On her site, she answers a question about getting rid of stretch marks. We all know they don't go away, and she's very honest about that. Instead she reframes them as a badge of honor -- they are a reminder of when she was unhealthy and not taking care of herself. I like that idea quite a bit. Sort of like scars that remind you that things weren't always rosy. Nice.
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A:
This is such a good question — I'm so glad you asked! Many people suffer from the backlash that can result from years of yo-yo diets. What happens is this: When people let their calorie levels drop too low, their body's survival mechanism kicks in, lowering their metabolic set point (or basal metabolic rate). When they go off that crash diet and begin to eat normally again, they gain back any weight lost — plus. And what follows that? Yup, another crash diet.
The cycle is often very frustrating, but it CAN be reversed with time, consistency, and patience. What you'll need to do is the exact opposite of what we call shocking the metabolism; you have to allow your body time to adapt to a new metabolic set point — by being consistent, you'll force your body to adapt.
Okay, here's the game plan: First, set your daily caloric intake at 12 calories per pound of body weight. (For example, my weight is 117; 117 x 12 = 1,404 calories a day.) Then stick like glue to that calorie allowance for at least one to two months, depending on your metabolism. This will allow your body time to readjust your metabolic set point accordingly.
Now, here's the other part of the equation: The absolute best way to pump up your metabolism is to EXERCISE. You'll be burning calories not only during your workout but also up to 48 hours after — all the while increasing lean muscle tissue, which speeds the metabolism over the long term. Aim for five hours of exercise a week if possible, but no fewer than three hours a week.
Get more fitness tips from Jillian Michaels.
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