So yesterday I overheard some snippy comments and got some dirty looks from a coworker about what I was eating for lunch. I am 5'8" and 125lbs, curvy, toned, and everyone thinks that I look fit because I was "born lucky". Yes, everyone in my family is pretty much the same. Most of which is because we were taught how to eat right and make appropriate lifestyle choices. Now, I might have been asking for these comments by eating 3 slices of pizza with the works, but who's to say?
First and foremost, I would like to clear up that I cannot eat anything I'd like and never gain a pound. This is completely untrue and physically impossible. Now after my lovely co worker's initial "You're sooo lucky you don't have to work so hard at dieting like the rest of the world." comment, I started to wonder if people actually think that being fit is no work at all (excluding troubled women with eating disorders). I quickly defended myself by explaining that I do, in fact, have to work hard and diet. Everyone does, I just think the definition has changed through the years.
Diet: Pronunciation:\ˈdī-ət\ Function:noun
a: food and drink regularly provided or consumed b: habitual nourishment c: the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason d: a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight.
I eat well. I never starve myself, and truth is I eat more than most people because I eat 3 healthy meals and 2 small snacks a day. Imagine your metabolism is like a camp fire, if you throw a bunch of huge logs on it, the fire dies down a significant amount and takes a while to build back up. But say you put smaller logs and kindling on more frequently, the fire can burn at a more continuous and efficient rate. I know that I can have 3 slices of delicious pizza because a) it’s my cheat day, b)I walked an extra mile at 5am, c)I had a very healthy and well-balanced breakfast, followed by a fulfilling snack of my pick of superfoods (there are several of these lists, with only slight variations), and d) I have a simple salad planned for dinner.
My advice to women is:
1. Go to your physician and find out your trouble areas. Do you have a slow metabolism? Is it a thyroid issue? These are important things to learn about your body and once you know, you can work with it instead of against it.
2. Learn about healthy eating and try out some new recipes. It doesn't have to be about rice cakes and bland food; health food can be extremely delicious.
3. Fat free and sugar free can be worse for you. Check out what has balanced out what is missing. Typically if it is fat free it has more sugar, and if it is sugar-free it has more fat. Also, low sugar usually means it contains a sugar substitute.
4. Get moving! You HAVE to work out, but you don't have to kill yourself doing it. The most important things about exercise is:
a. increase your heart rate
b. build muscle (muscle burns more calories than fat)
c. start slow, build up, then cool down
d. push yourself, if you can to 2 more reps, do 4
5. Don't take the easy way. Yes it's hard work, but if you want it bad enough it will be worth it. And remember ladies, you can treat yourself. It’s not called cheating, I swear. It’s all about creating balance and being happy. If you do well, you should get a reward. I nice dinner out, or a favorite home cooked meal is perfect. Just don't eat a whole cake or anything :)
This is actually some pretty good advice! You have a great blog :)