At the Mid Point of the No Crap Diet
For the past few weeks as my weight loss has become more noticeable, I have gotten questions on what I am doing with my diet/exercise plan. Here are some answers.
The Numbers
In eleven weeks, I have dropped from 170 pounds to 149. That 21 pound loss has usually been a pound or two a week, but I have had two weeks where I lost three and one week (the first) where I lost four pounds.
I have also dropped from not being able to button my size 14 jeans to wearing jeans that are size 8.
What I am Doing Foodwise
First off, here is what I am not doing. I am not starving myself. I am not counting calories. The basic plan is one inspired by Michael Pollan's credo: "Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants."
So, what does that mean? For the "eat food", it means that I pretty much gave up all heavily processed foods. Nothing with high-fructose corn syrup. Nothing with partially hydrogenated anything. No empty calories in the form of soft drinks, chips or snacky junk foods.
Here's the "not too much" part of the plan: I also gave up second helpings, and mindless snacking. I will allow myself a second helping or a healthy snack if I am truly hungry, but I make myself wait 20 minutes and drink some water first. Usually by that time I can tell if I am truly hungry or just bored.
As for "mostly plants," that part was easy. I am a vegetarian who right now is getting a weekly box of CSA vegetables. Our meals have to be centered around in-season produce, because we have so much in-season produce to use up.
I do allow myself a once-a-week treat. This is usually some kind of wonderful dessert that is worth the calories. Since I only get one of these a week, I am pretty picky about desserts, but I don't obsess over them the way I would if I was not allowing myself any desserts.
What I am Doing with Exercise
I am trying to get in some exercise every day. Usually this is in the form of 45 minutes or so of biking, but I have also swam, walked, and done other things too. For the last three days, I have been jogging.
Since biking is also transportation for me, getting the biking time in is easy. I have been doing lots of biking with my kids this summer to go to lakes and playgrounds with them, and spend some quality family time.
In addition to the cardiovascular exercise, I have also made time to do a weight lifting routine three times a week. This is not fun, but it is meditative and I cannot argue with the results. The weight lifting is probably one of the biggest factors in my weight loss and in being able to fit into smaller clothes.
Factors in my Success
I already had a few good habits before I started. For the last three years I have always biked or walked to work. This was because of a vow I made at the start of the Iraq War to minimize my personal petroleum consumption as much as possible. We're a one-car family, and that means my transportation plan has always included a lot of walking. I'm a vegetarian, and I cook.
As I was starting this weight loss plan, other factors fell into place. My son learned to bike, allowing me to make fun outings with the kids part of my exercise plan. It was the start of summer, and we had great weather that made exercising a joy. Our deliveries of farm fresh produce from the CSA started. I discovered that I was lactose-intolerant, which cut out the fattiest part of my diet as I stopped making meals covered in cheese or sour cream.
I also made Facebook my personal diet support network, helping me out in times when I was tempted by bad foods, and cheering me on during times of success. Having you guys commenting, reading and liking my diet entries has been very helpful to me.
Challenge Factors
My husband and kids love junk food. They have junk food all over the house. Jars of m&ms, bags of chips, a big plastic bin filled with individually wrapped oreos, and a freezer filled with girl scout cookies and homemade chocolate chip cookie dough.
I have tried to make certain that these foods are not in my direct line of sight, but they are all over my house. Other than being ambushed once by a container of homemade chocolate frosting in the fridge, for the most part I have succeeded.
Another challenge is that my daughter has suddenly discovered that she enjoys making homemade desserts. She has made brownies, chocolate chip cookies and key lime pie from scratch. So far, I have channeled this new cooking habit so that it is aimed at parties and pot lucks where most of her wonderful creations will get eaten by other people. Still, this is harder than avoiding the junk food, because I have to smell them when they are baking.
Recommendations for Others
If you want to do this, or something like it, find some forms of exercise that you love. I adore bicycling. The reason why it has to be an exercise you love is because you will be doing it a lot. Once you have made it a regular habit for a few weeks, you will start wanting to exercise because you enjoy the feel of the workout.
Don't change too much at once. I waited four weeks before starting with the weight lifting, partly because I wanted to get the other habits in place first.
Lastly, find a support network. I highly recommend using Facebook or your blog as a way to keep others posted and yourself accountable. Knowing that I have to report my weekly weight each Monday has been a powerful incentive to keep me out of my family's stockpile of junkfood.
My Inspirational Reading
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.
A surprisingly informative and interesting read.
Getting Back in Shape by Bob Anderson, Bill Pearl, Ed Burke, and Jeff Galloway
This book contains plans to help you stretch, lift weights and add cardiovascular exercise back into your life. It's aimed at beginners, and the weight lifting routines are shorter than those in "Getting Stronger."
Getting Stronger by Bill Pearl.
My weight lifting bible. I love this book, but it is written for those with athletic sport or bodybuilding goals. The routines are a bit on the long side to do, but I cannot argue with the results.
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman.
Delicious meatless meals. I've used this book to help me figure out what the heck to do with unfamiliar CSA produce. (I've also heard good things about his Food Matters book, but am still on a waiting list for that one from my library.)
That's it. What are your inspirational reads? I'd love to hear them.
Reprinted from Facebook.