Fat burning

[kerribilliot1]

I recently read an article that stated limited cardio was enough because true fat burning is the result of strength training. I always thought in order to burn fat you needed cardio. Which is the real fat burner, or is it a combination of both? I currently do 3 1hr sessions strength training and 3 1 hr sessions of cardio, along with abs/core 3 days per week. What is THE best way, or ways, to burn fat?

 

[kryptychyck]

I can only answer from my experience

Hello,

This has been such a hot debate for a long time it seems. I have asked the same question to many trainers. If you ask a lot of people, most people will say that cardio burns fat better. I have done a lot of reading on this as well. The weight trainers would say weightlifting and the cardio-dominant people would say cardio. I decided to experiment on my own.

In my experience, ever since I started STS back in Feb. and kept it in rotation for the past 9 months, my body has been like a furnace. I am burning fat more than ever before. I do cardio 3x per week for endurance goals and heart strengthening goals, but not to burn fat or calories. I do HIIT and mix in some steady state running. I have recently started back doing the IMAXs at the gym (portable DVD player on the weekends when the aerobics room is empty).

How do I know I am burning fat? Well, my muscles are showing without me having to flex them. They were hiding under the fat. So that is my proof lol!

So, from this experience, I would say weight training burns more fat. Apparently the latest research also states that it creates a longer afterburn period than cardio. That is really awesome because you are still burning up energy during your recovery from a good strength training session.

One key thing that the research never mentions, but is probably should: diet. I think what people eat also plays a big role in getting results. Plus a good diet will help with muscle building and recovery.

I also just wanted to add that I really push it in every workout. I go to the max and sometimes beyond. I don't risk injury, but I go until I fail. I think this also has really been a big part of my transformation too.

Hope that helps!

 

[krassymira]

Becky, since we are on the topic of fat burning I'd like to share my experience.
I am curently finishing my first 3 months STS rotation - I am on week 4 of meso 3. I did NOT skip a single workout for those 3 months. I worked to my max. I lifted as heavy as I could. I tried to stay consistent with my cardio as well but could have probably done more. I did not lose ANY weight an my body fat % did not change at all so I am still as high as 37%. I know -dangerous. I guess the only thing I can blame is my eating. Just another proof that you cant outtrain a poor diet.
I honestly feel very discouraged because I worked very hard and did not reach my fat loss goals. I think my fitness level improved - I can lift heavier than before and can last longer. But what is the point in being able to lift heavier if my body fat is still 37%??......
Any thoughts?
Thank you in advance: Krasy

 

[kryptychyck]

Don't be discouaged!!! You can do it!!

Becky, since we are on the topic of fat burning I'd like to share my experience.
I am curently finishing my first 3 months STS rotation - I am on week 4 of meso 3. I did NOT skip a single workout for those 3 months. I worked to my max. I lifted as heavy as I could. I tried to stay consistent with my cardio as well but could have probably done more. I did not lose ANY weight an my body fat % did not change at all so I am still as high as 37%. I know -dangerous. I guess the only thing I can blame is my eating. Just another proof that you cant outtrain a poor diet.
I honestly feel very discouraged because I worked very hard and did not reach my fat loss goals. I think my fitness level improved - I can lift heavier than before and can last longer. But what is the point in being able to lift heavier if my body fat is still 37%??......
Any thoughts?
Thank you in advance: Krasy

Ugh!!!! I know how frustrating that is!!! It is good that your fitness level improved though. That is a positive take away from this experience! You are building a good foundation. Now you need to keep going with that momentum.

Couple of questions:

1. What method of body fat measurement are you using: hand held body fat device, body fat scale you step on, caliper testing?

The only reason I ask is because the most accurate body fat measurement test is the hydrostatic testing where you are submerged in water. I know in the Philadelphia area they do it at Temple University's athletic department. The scales are basically useless. The one at the gym that one of the trainers had me step on last month said I was at 31%. That is not right. No way. The hand held device said about 24%. That is a little more realistic, but still not accurate. I recently hired a body building coach b/c I want to get into the sport more and she is going to do caliper measurements in the next few weeks and she did recommend doing the hystrostatic test. Anyway, the scales and hand held devices can be skewed depending on how strong the signal is that goes through your body, how much water you drank and how much you are retaining, etc. It was also explained to me that the scale may only send a signal that reaches through the lower half of your body - wow that is just great b/c we, as women, store most of our fat in the lower half of our bodies!!! Bottom line - unless you do the skin fold test - not compeltely accurate, but better than the scales etc - in multiples spots (have a professional do it for you and calculate it) or do a hydrostatic body fat test, you are most likely not getting even close to an accurate measurement.

2. Did you take before and after measurements of your bicep, chest, waist, hip, thigh areas?

This is another way to measure your progress. Scales don't reflect muscle mass, see #1 for electronic bodyfat monitors. But tape measures can quantify how many inches you have lost over your body. I weigh 150. If you saw me you would not think I weighed more than 130. I wear a size 6. I lost a lot of inches but only 8 pounds the 9 months I have been doing STS.

3. How much weight/fat are you trying to lose and are your goals realistic to your timeframe?

I put on about 65 lbs the first year after I finished school. My activity level had dropped and happy hour kicked in!! One morning I had had enough of being fat and I decided to do something about it. It took my over a year to healthfully lose all 65 pounds. My first transformation was slow. I didn't even notice it. But other people did. It took about 6 months of consistent exercise and healthy eating habits and then people started to make positive comments about my weight loss.

Unfortunately due to an undetected insulin problem, I gained 40 lbs back after 4 years of being a size 4 and could not lose it. That was until I found out about the insulin issue and cut out ALL sugar and refined carbs from my diet. I had already done 2 months of STS, but I was not really seeing results. When I found out about the insulin problem and then stopped all sugar and refined carbs - the extra fat has started to come off. It is a work in progress.

I do not have a specific deadline either. It will happen when it happens. The only thing I can control is what I eat and my exercise regimen. The one thing that I hate hearing the most from people is "oh you can take a break from all that healthy stuff." or my personal favorite "once in a while won't do you any harm." Guess what - it does do me harm. So I just don't do it. It is not so much that act of having that piece of junk, but the attitude and mindset that is unhealthy. I think this whole process has taught me that being healthy is more than just losing some fat and gaining some muscle. It is a state of mind and a total 100% committed lifestyle change. I really don't think there is a way to "half" it. I have tried believe me - it didn't work out too well for me.

4. Do you have any health issues that could inhibit fat loss?

See #3 above. I have an insulin issue. That is bad for weightloss. My hormones are out of whack too. The clean eating and exercise seems to help keep things in check so I make sure I do that consistently no matter what. Perhaps a physcial and a full metabolic panel workup by your doctor could shed some light. If not, a nutritionist and a dietician can help with meal planning. There is a wealth info from the people in this site about clean eating - everyone here is really helpful.

The other thing I had to do was be honest with myself about my diet. And boy, was I brutally honest lol! I had to think about the fact that although I considered myself a healthy eater - I wasn't. I had the whole "moderation" thing in my head. Well, define moderation! Apparently my version of moderation was more than moderation!!! haha! Also, I was eating out at different places. Sure I was eating salads and what not, but the portion sizes and all the other stuff in those things were not helping with losing fat. Then after the insulin issue was discovered and I actually had to stop eating sugar and refined carbs and watch how much I was eating, it became very clear that I really was not doing what I needed to be doing for weightloss. That cookie here and that brownie there and treat with this, dessert with that - it ALL adds up and then coupled with the insulin problem = gaining weight for me.

The final part of getting real with myself was accepting my body as is. Once I stopped worrying about it and started to enjoy the journey of getting healthy and lean again, then it became easier for me to be motivated to eat clean and work out hard. It gave me confidence too. I stopped looking at other people in the gym or thinking I was going to look like Cathe or her crew. Now that does not mean I can't get cut or ripped. I already have achieved great results. However, I am turning into a cut/ripped version of me. I am starting to see what that looks like for my body.

5. How do your clothes feel?

My clothes are huge on me. The scale says I am heavy at 150. The body fat thing said I was obese - which is so not true. Well, my clothes beg to differ. They HANG on me! I look good in smaller sizes. To me, that is the best measure of success of this program. I was a size 12 when I started and now I am a size 6!!! Need I say more!!!

I know you can do it. Slow and steady will win this race for you. Be honest to yourself about your eating habits. Make the changes you know you need to make slowly. Give your self a break and don't be too hard on yourself. You just bought and completed one of the toughest, if not the toughest workout on the market. I put one of the trainers at my gym though Disc 3 legs and he could not keep up. He struggled with the endurance. He was sore for a couple of days too.

I hope that helps - sorry it was so long!

Good luck and keep me posted!

 

[krassymira]

Dearest Becky,
You are so wonderful! Thank you! You posted such a terrific response, and I feel so guilty for not answering you for so long, but I gotta tell you - every time I was on the site I came back to this and read it and re-read it over and over again. Your post is so motivational for me - you have no idea! Really -thank you again!!
Now to try to answer your questions:
I think I lied to you afterall. I think I have lost a little weight, but since it goes up and down all the time (I'm guessing caused by water retention - I am very influenced by the moon phases, as crazy as this sounds) - I think I have lost about 4 lbs for the 3 months I've been doing STS. I was around 168 when I started and now I hover between 164 and 165. So that IS a progress. I measure my body fat with a scale and I know everything you said about the scales is true and the measurement may not be accurate, but since I measure the same way every time I am hoping to get a downward reading, to get a tendency. So far the body fat has dropped about 1.5% (from 38.5 to 37-ish). I followed your advice and bought calipers but cant quite figure out how to masure yet. My attempt with the calipers showed a little less than what the scale gives, but still around 33% which is NOT healthy. I want to get down to 25% and I told myself I would not fret about how much I weight, as long as my body fat gets down to 25. This is more important, I think. Just like with you - being a size 6 at 150 - I think that is terrific! My measurements improved slightly, too. I lost 1 inch from my hips, 1 inch from my waist and 1/2 inch from each thigh. I didnt measure my chest or arms. My pants fit slightly looser, even though I am not down a whole size yet.
I dont have any health issues, I think. I recently checked my thyroid function twice and it was normal. I have diabetes in my family but I dont have that issue personally. I agree with everything you said about the "eating in moderation". Aparently that is my undoing, too. I guess this has to be the thing I change the second time I start STS, which is next Monday. I just finished meso 3 and am now on my recovery week, but next week I'll re-start, this time with a 6 months rotation. What I will do is increase the intensity of my cardio, instead of the length. Somehow my intuition is telling me to do that. Also, I didnt do any abs training the first time around, and I'm gonna change that now.
Becky, your success is really huge! I heartily congratulate you for going from size 12 (which I am now) to size 6 (which is also my goal) - this is absolutely fantastic! This is a great, gret accomplishment! You must be proud of yourself!
I thank you again! I hope we stay in touch. Tell me where in the program you are now and what do you intend to do after you finish STS.
Best wishes to you: Krasy

 

[nclncl]

Becky,

What was your diet like in the last 9 months? Are you eating at a deficit? How much of a deficit? How clean?

Nancy

 

[whiskey]

Just because they say your thyroid is normal it doesn't always mean they're right! It might be normal compared to the rest of the world but it may not be your normal, hope that makes sense. The other thing is diet foods, get rid of them! If you have an insulin problem your body will treat it just like sugar, even diet sodas can sabatoge your efforts.

Abs aren't made entirely in the gym, alot of it starts in the kitchen darlin'. Don't get discouraged, just keep learning and putting one foot in front of the other, you will get there.

I often ask people if they had those kids in school that could get A's in their sleep, well then there are those who could barely make C's and B's after studying all night. In the school of SKINNY JEANS some of us just aren't A students so we have to work that much harder to get there. I think it makes the victory sweeter and the more we learn the more we can help others.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[JodelleFitzh20]

Just wanted to put in my two cents as a personal trainer on the fat burning subject...

Bottom line from my research and progress with my clients is that nutrition is the most crucial element of fat burning. When it comes to calories in versus calories out, calories in do matter the most. The amount of food and the kind of food you eat matters. When it comes to calories out, cardio is what is known for burning the unwanted fat, but strength training plays it's own role in that too. Strength training builds the muscle so that your metabolism gets revved up so that (while your calorie intake is accurate for your body and activity level) you burn fat more efficiently. Cardio puts you in an "immediate fat burning zone", strength training helps you stay in the zone and prolong it, and your nutrition determines the major outcome of how much fat you will lose depending on how disciplined you choose to be.

And I highly agree with those who say that a workout needs to "to the max". Many people think they will lose the fat by going to the gym and doing their same old tired routine and never changing up the exercises or wieghts, and they fail to recognize that to "see changes" in the body, you have to "make changes". And you do that by upping the intensity, and the workload, and by keeping your muscles guessing through different exercises and routines. HIIT is really where it's at when it comes to pushing your body into fat burning mode.

Just my two cents..

 

[krassymira]

Jodelle, Whiskey, thank you so much for our input and for your motivation! I truly agree with you about nutrition and I do realize that this is my weakest link. When it comes to training I would say I am pretty much on target, even though it is always arguable how much a person can do. I am not doing it a 100% but probably at least a good 80%. Eating is what I need to change and I'm gonna do that, starting next monday, when I am also restarting STS for a 6 month rotation. I hope STS Cardio comes along pretty soon and hopefully it will help rev things up, too. I am relying on Cathe.
Anyway, thank you again for your encouragement!
Best to you all: Krasy

 

[kryptychyck]

Hi Krassy!

Dearest Becky,
You are so wonderful! Thank you! You posted such a terrific response, and I feel so guilty for not answering you for so long, but I gotta tell you - every time I was on the site I came back to this and read it and re-read it over and over again. Your post is so motivational for me - you have no idea! Really -thank you again!!
Now to try to answer your questions:
I think I lied to you afterall. I think I have lost a little weight, but since it goes up and down all the time (I'm guessing caused by water retention - I am very influenced by the moon phases, as crazy as this sounds) - I think I have lost about 4 lbs for the 3 months I've been doing STS. I was around 168 when I started and now I hover between 164 and 165. So that IS a progress. I measure my body fat with a scale and I know everything you said about the scales is true and the measurement may not be accurate, but since I measure the same way every time I am hoping to get a downward reading, to get a tendency. So far the body fat has dropped about 1.5% (from 38.5 to 37-ish). I followed your advice and bought calipers but cant quite figure out how to masure yet. My attempt with the calipers showed a little less than what the scale gives, but still around 33% which is NOT healthy. I want to get down to 25% and I told myself I would not fret about how much I weight, as long as my body fat gets down to 25. This is more important, I think. Just like with you - being a size 6 at 150 - I think that is terrific! My measurements improved slightly, too. I lost 1 inch from my hips, 1 inch from my waist and 1/2 inch from each thigh. I didnt measure my chest or arms. My pants fit slightly looser, even though I am not down a whole size yet.
I dont have any health issues, I think. I recently checked my thyroid function twice and it was normal. I have diabetes in my family but I dont have that issue personally. I agree with everything you said about the "eating in moderation". Aparently that is my undoing, too. I guess this has to be the thing I change the second time I start STS, which is next Monday. I just finished meso 3 and am now on my recovery week, but next week I'll re-start, this time with a 6 months rotation. What I will do is increase the intensity of my cardio, instead of the length. Somehow my intuition is telling me to do that. Also, I didnt do any abs training the first time around, and I'm gonna change that now.
Becky, your success is really huge! I heartily congratulate you for going from size 12 (which I am now) to size 6 (which is also my goal) - this is absolutely fantastic! This is a great, gret accomplishment! You must be proud of yourself!
I thank you again! I hope we stay in touch. Tell me where in the program you are now and what do you intend to do after you finish STS.
Best wishes to you: Krasy

Hello! Now it is my turn to apologize for not writing sooner - no worries by the way! It sounds like you have acheived some really good results after all. No matter what - any result in my book is an accomplishment.That is great! I am really happy for you. Thanks for your kind words too- I am so glad I could help you out. It sounds like you are on the right track too. Sometimes we just need a little motivation is all!

The increase in cardio intensity will help greatly as well as the change in diet and portion control. Glad to hear you don't have any serious health concerns - that is one less thing to worry about! the nice thing about HIIT cardio is that you don't have to do it very long to get the results you want. You work really hard for a short amount of time. Cathe's IMAXs are a great example - plus Drill Max and the one blast section in the Body Max 2 DVD. You can mix these up too for a nice variety. You can also run sprints and do sports conditioning drills on your own. It is all about the variety of intensity.

I am actually preparing myself to enter into the world of bodybuilding competitions. I selected a show in June 2010 in Delaware - it is all natureal bodybuilding. They do drug testing. So to that end, I have put away my STS for now and I am working out with a trainer to achieve my bodybuilding goals. The workouts are TOUGH!!! But I know I can do it. STS got me this far and now I am going to go all the way!

Keep me posted on how you do. I'll bet anything that if you make those two changes and keep doing STS, you wil see more results!

Good luck!

 

[kryptychyck]

I love this analogy

Just because they say your thyroid is normal it doesn't always mean they're right! It might be normal compared to the rest of the world but it may not be your normal, hope that makes sense. The other thing is diet foods, get rid of them! If you have an insulin problem your body will treat it just like sugar, even diet sodas can sabatoge your efforts.

Abs aren't made entirely in the gym, alot of it starts in the kitchen darlin'. Don't get discouraged, just keep learning and putting one foot in front of the other, you will get there.

I often ask people if they had those kids in school that could get A's in their sleep, well then there are those who could barely make C's and B's after studying all night. In the school of SKINNY JEANS some of us just aren't A students so we have to work that much harder to get there. I think it makes the victory sweeter and the more we learn the more we can help others.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Whiskey - I love your analogy!!! I am such a B and C student when it comes to fat loss!!! I really do have to be extra vigilant and work hard to get results. Ironically I was an easy A student with regards to my studies!!! hahaha!

Thanks for posting - I am using this analogy to explain that concept to people now. It is perfect!

 

[kryptychyck]

Hi Nancy! This is a bit long, but I wanted to be thorough for you

Becky,

What was your diet like in the last 9 months? Are you eating at a deficit? How much of a deficit? How clean?

Nancy

Hi Nancy,

My apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I was at the Daytona Road Trip and I am just now getting back into the swing of things.

My diet in February through August became cleaner and cleaner. I was eating pretty healthy (protein, fruits, vegetables, brown rice and whole grains) but I still had the occasional deserts and drank some beer on the weekends. I was also eating out a lot more - almost 3x per week. Once I found out about the insulin problem in April, I cut way back on all of that. I basically weaned myself off until September when I became fully clean. I kicked my cheese addiction too. I was really over eating with that as well. I don't eat dairy anymore. I take a lot of supplements and vitamins. I get the vitamins from my doctor. He created this brand and they work great. I have a ton more energy.

Supplements:
Sulis complete vitamins (from doctor)
Selenium (for thyroid health - recommended for me by doctor)
Gymnema - helps insulin issue
Primrose Oil - helps insulin issue
Biotin
Flax Oil
Fish Oil
Calcium
Vitamin D
Glucosamine/Chondroitin - help with joints

I need to find a good immunity booster and a good aide for quicker recovery.
I am still researching those two supplements.

I don't count calories so I don't know if I am at a deficit. I am watching my portions and making sure each meal is balanced. The nice thing about eating clean is that you can eat a ton of vegetables and the calorie count remains low. I also avoid soy and corn at all costs. they are filler ingredients. I do not anything prepackaged except for my Shilo Farms Salt free bread.

Here is my menu for a typical day. This will probably change after I meet with my trainer on Saturday. I am training for a bodybuilding competition in June. Most people would consider this boring, but I like it and it fuels me up for my workouts and I think it is working to lean me out. The trainer is probably going to cut my caffeine though.

My new training schedule has me at the gym 2x per day - once for weights in the morning and once for cardio in the evening. Prior to this week, I was alternating STS and cardio days. It will be interesting to see what happends.

Also I ONLY drink water or hot tea. I have good ole H20 all day long. I can drink anywhere from 1 - 3 gallons of water in a day. It just depends on how thirsty I am. I only use Olive Oil spray for cooking in pans or baking pans.

Breakfast 1 (before weightwork early in morning)
1 scoop 100% whey protein powder.
I use Optimum Nutrition on bodybuilding.com - not advertising this, I just use it! I am going to check out another brand that was recommended to me by some of the Cathletes on the Daytona trip.
1 hot tea: 3 bags - green tea, black tea, and a flavored tea for fun

Breakfast 2 (after weightwork)
4 egg whites/1 yolk with spices (sometimes I kick it up with hot sauces or add some capers)
Vegetables: peppers, mushrooms, onions (green and red)
2 pieces of Shilo Farms bread - expensive, but it has no fillers in it like soy and corn. This is probably going to be reduced though once my trainer see it hahah!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - I don't measure this, but I am going to guess I eat 2 tablesspoons. thatis probablt too much, but I love it! I dip my toast in it. This will also probably be reduced by my trainer lol!
If I make some power pancakes then I eat one of those with a special syrup - sugar free and no chemicals. It has a sugar alcohol in it. I am sure my trainer will be eliminating the syrup as well!
1 small orange
Vitamins and supplments
1 hot tea: 3 bags - green tea, black tea, and a flavored tea for fun

Snack
Piece of fruit (apple/pear/plum etc) 10 almonds and 10 pecans

Lunch
4 oz chicken (approx) or some other protein
2 piece toast with olive oil OR brown rice
green vegetable of some sort (spinach/broccoli/asparagus)
supplements/vitamins

Snack
1/2 can tuna with 1 cup spinach

Dinner
4 oz (approx) protein usually chicken sometimes steak or fish
2 piece toast again with olive oil OR brown rice OR sometimes I just skip this carb - it depends on how hungry I am.
Green vegetables LOTS! YUM!
supplements/vitamins

If I get hungry again later on, I may have another piece of fruit or I may mix up another protein shake or sometimes I make an egg or may have more toast. Usually I don't though. I typically start the day around 4:45/5:00 and I don't get home until 7 or so. After I get showered/settled/ready for tomorrow and have dinner, it is late and I am tired and ready to go to relax and then sleep!

I listen to my body. I eat when I am hungry. I can usually tell hungry versus thirsty/bored because I get sleepy when I am hungry and my head starts to hurt.

I only use spices and hot sauces to kick up my food with flavor. No butter, no dairy, no sugar or sugary ingredients (honey, molasses too!). I only use stevia to sweeten things.

I agree with the other person about calories in versus calories out. My diet is pretty lean so I don't worry about that. I just keep an eye on the portions and eliminate all chemicals, dairy, sugar, forms of sugar, soy, corn, corn products, refined starches and carbs - including starchy vegetables.

I have to do this for my insulin issues. I weaned myself toward this change and took my time with it so I would not hit a wall and binge. Yes, it is boring for most people, but I have accepted it. Plus I am sooooo digging the results that I am motivated to keep going! It gets easier and at this point, I don't miss any of the other things I eliminated.

I hope that helps! Let me know how things go for you!

 

[wadejen]

Hello! Now it is my turn to apologize for not writing sooner - no worries by the way! It sounds like you have acheived some really good results after all. No matter what - any result in my book is an accomplishment.That is great! I am really happy for you. Thanks for your kind words too- I am so glad I could help you out. It sounds like you are on the right track too. Sometimes we just need a little motivation is all!

The increase in cardio intensity will help greatly as well as the change in diet and portion control. Glad to hear you don't have any serious health concerns - that is one less thing to worry about! the nice thing about HIIT cardio is that you don't have to do it very long to get the results you want. You work really hard for a short amount of time. Cathe's IMAXs are a great example - plus Drill Max and the one blast section in the Body Max 2 DVD. You can mix these up too for a nice variety. You can also run sprints and do sports conditioning drills on your own. It is all about the variety of intensity.

I am actually preparing myself to enter into the world of bodybuilding competitions. I selected a show in June 2010 in Delaware - it is all natureal bodybuilding. They do drug testing. So to that end, I have put away my STS for now and I am working out with a trainer to achieve my bodybuilding goals. The workouts are TOUGH!!! But I know I can do it. STS got me this far and now I am going to go all the way!

Keep me posted on how you do. I'll bet anything that if you make those two changes and keep doing STS, you wil see more results!

Good luck!

Good luck on your competition. I find them fascinating. I think women look best with muscle. I am interested what your trainer suggests and your workouts. Keep us posted. I am on my first round of STS and loving it. Already down 5 lbs and finishing up meso 1.

~Jennifer

 

[ladubose]

Hi Becky,

I just read this post and I am so inspired by you and the changes you have made in your eating habits in particular to get the results that you have achieved. I am in the same boat with Krasy with diet being my weak link and preventing me to get the results I want. I am so inspired by hearing real woman's stories of success in this department because sometimes it seems like something that only Super-Woman can do and that I won't be able to achieve...maybe I am a C person in the realm of diet/nutrition! LOL!

Anyway I am wondering if you get a chance if you could recommend some websites to help me do what I need to do considering Clean Eating, books, articles that helped you? Also if you could take the time to share what the 'transition' period from where you started from to the diet you now eat that you mentioned in your last post helping you avoid bingeing or failure?

Thanks so much!

 

[whiskey]

Hope you're all staying out of the Halloween candy! Whenever you hit a place where you feel that you aren't progressing, split your cardio in 1/2. You'll see that scale move! Do 30-45 minutes in the morning and then do 30-45 minutes at night.

I use this method on people who have injuries or are elderly and it works great. They not only lose weight more efficiently, they often progress more quickly and stay more on target with their diets because it helps kill the munchy monster! And we all have one of those!

Hope this helps!

 

[kryptychyck]

Hi and thanks!!!

Hi Becky,

I just read this post and I am so inspired by you and the changes you have made in your eating habits in particular to get the results that you have achieved. I am in the same boat with Krasy with diet being my weak link and preventing me to get the results I want. I am so inspired by hearing real woman's stories of success in this department because sometimes it seems like something that only Super-Woman can do and that I won't be able to achieve...maybe I am a C person in the realm of diet/nutrition! LOL!

Anyway I am wondering if you get a chance if you could recommend some websites to help me do what I need to do considering Clean Eating, books, articles that helped you? Also if you could take the time to share what the 'transition' period from where you started from to the diet you now eat that you mentioned in your last post helping you avoid bingeing or failure?

Thanks so much!

You can do it!!! It is just one day at a time and if you end up "falling off the wagon" lol - don't beat yourself up over it. Just start again the next meal or workout.

I read Tosca Reno's Clean Eating to get some ideas - love those pancakes she has in there and I came up with my own version and varied the ingredients and added some tasty spices. I read all of the Dr. Oz "You" books just to understand the physiology behind why it is important to make these changes. Doing that basically motivated and reinforced my goals. Then I read Jillian Michaels book about eating right - the name escapes me right now and I am not at home to look at it! I read her book for the motivation. She has a lot of good resources/websites in there too. I like her tone and the way she talks, but other people might think she is harsh. I think that was my favorite book out of all of them. I also picked up a stevia cook book and some books on low glycemic indexes and low glycemic cookbooks to get an idea of how to make food flavorful and how add some variety.

That leads me to my next point - you have to find what works for you. In my opinion, Jillian Michaels is straight to the point without any fluff. I like that approach. I felt like she spoke to me. But other people might think she is harsh/rude/obnoxious etc. So if you like a softer approach the Dr. Oz "You" books are good. They are full of info and written in a conversational style. It might be good to go to the book store on a Saturday or when you have some free time and peruse the health section. There are a ton of books out there. You just have to find the one that speaks to you and you can make that connection and internalize the motivation.

I don't have any websites other than this one. Sparkpeople.com was one that I used to use, but I stick to books. Periodically, I will go to the store and peruse the health section and read through to see if anything jumps out at me. I have also consulted with 2 dieticians/registered nutritionists, my GP, and my endocrinologist. Additionally, for the body building contest, I work with a trainer who is very knowledgeable on nutrition and who is also very realistic about goals and proper nutrition to support those goals. So far, all of this has worked for me.

The Transition Period (I liked the way you put that!)

Good description! It was a transition too! Well, I tried cold turkey and that did not work -I went back to my old habits every time. It was just too much too soon - psychologically.

The transition period, in my opinion, is a psychological change. I had to change my perceptions about food and what I do with it. I was never an emotional eater so that was one big thing I had in my favor, but I really had to sit down and think about what I was eating and why I was doing it everytime I had an urge or a craving. I would ask myself: why do I want to eat that cookie or that muffin? Even after I found out about the insulin issue - I still had to mentally change my outlook. You would have thought that I would have stopped with the sweets and beer instantaneously, but that is just not true. It took me time to change my attitude and a lot of patience to accept that I was going to give in from time to time. But those times needed to be reduced and ultimately, eliminated.

Here are the three questions I asked myself when I had basically had enough of not achieving my goal:
1. What do I want?
2. How badly do I want it?
3. Am I willing to do what it takes to get it?

Here were my answers:
1. I want to be fit and healthy. I want to lose weight. I want to look good and feel good about myself. I want achieve my goals. I want to get into competing
2. I want it so bad and I am tired of not doing it. I want it more than anything else right now. The only thing stopping me is...ME.
3. YES. It is time to do it. Let's GO!

The only acceptable answer for question number 3 is YES and yes alone. If you hesitate for even a second, then you are doubting yourself. If you are interjecting the word "but" after the word "yes", then you are justifying your bad habits or making excuses for when you do things that take you away from what you want (the answer to question number 1). That may sound harsh, but in another post I already mentioned that I got REAL with myself. I faced the fact that despite stress and all the other things going on in my life, I was in charge of achieving my goals. I was in control. It was up to me. I had a choice: keep eating the sweets and be fat or don't and get fit. Period. I simplyfied it to an either/or scenario. And that is basically what it boils down to - you either will do it or you won't.

Now, I often hear about how I don't have kids and I don't run a household, and I have more time in my day. This is true - I don't have the extra demands on my time or other people who rely on me. I also won't tell someone how to run their household or how to parent - I wouldn't even do that if I were a parent. I will acknowledge that this certainly does add a some dynamics for the parents out there. However, it all does come down to choices. You have 100% control over those choices - go back to the 3 questions anytime you start to doubt yourself and remind yourself why you are doing this in the first place: what do you want, how badly do you want it, and are you willing to do what it takes to get it? Make that mental connection and own your choices. You get to reap the rewards for your successes too - not just the bad stuff for when you falter.

I may not have a family to raise and a house to manage, but I am single and actively dating. The typical dating protocol involves going to dinner or meeting for drinks. I don't drink and I eat clean - this can be quite a challenge when picking out food from a menu or showing up for "water". The guys always ask about it. It usually leads to a fitness discussion and either they are cool with it or they aren't. At least it helps me weed out the ones with whom I am not compatible!! hahahaha! Some guys even get intimidated about what I do know based on my experiences...anyway, the point is that we all have external stuff going on that if we let it, can take us away from our goal. We have control! (And I no longer explain myself to guys. They either accept me or they're out!)

Once I made that mental commitment to myself, I did what it took to get to my goal. I eliminated that sugar, cut out bad carbs, and moved toward a clean eating lifestyle. I wanted to do it - and perhaps for no other reason than because I made a commitment to myself and why break that?

After I made the connection to myself with my food, only then could I change it. I was able to take the info from the books and apply it to myself and it actually felt like it meant something to me. Before I would read books and feel like I was full of knowledge for about 5 minutes. I felt inspired for about a day and then the knowledge escaped me and I was back to my old habits. Now I just was actually living the information - if that makes any sense.

There were times when I passed the bakery section at Whole Foods and I wistfully wanted a cookie or a muffin or brownie, but I asked myself those 3 questions and that desire went away. I kept reinforcing myself: eating that stuff will not get me to my goal. Before I finally made that connection, I would have eaten that food. I don't remember what those things taste like anymore. I was told that your tastebuds can actually reset themselves and you can forget how something tastes. I was told it takes about 90 days or so. I wasn't trying to reset my tastebuds, but if that is what happened then hooray! That works for me!

I also just want to point out that some people might have an emotion associated to a food and not just a taste. If that is the case, then professional assistance might be a good idea. Someone with emotional connections to food might need to solve for those emotional issues before they are able to make that connection. But I am not a professional so I won't speculate on that.

I did make some food replacements too along the way. I started to bake with stevia, whole wheat flour or other flour. Yes it was weird at first and yes my cookies are not like mom's, but the ingredients don't hurt me either. I traded in chocolate for carob. I think my kitchen became a laboratory with all those baking experiments. It was fun though! I also take gymnema 3x per day. I had read that it helps with metabolizing sugar in food and cures sweet cravings. I think that helped out big time too. After a while, I stopped buying the carob and got along with out it. Now I don't eat anything sweet. Fruit is super sweet to me now. It makes my jaws hurt it is so sweet sometimes!!!

I guess for me, the whole journey is mental. I just need to make that connection with my actions and my goals and take responsibility for the good and the bad.

Sorry that was so extensively long - just wanted to share and help out. Hope it did help you! Keep me posted on how you are doing and good luck!