Holidays: Sure to sabotoge weight loss goals

Maybe it's just a human nature, but for some reason, we love to use holidays and special occassions as an excuse to go ickey baloockey. Around holidays we tend to give ourselves "get of diet free cards" and use these annual celebrations as an excuse to eat how much of whatever we would like. And this time of year, the Easter bunny comes calling with all of his sweet treats. But the truth is, Easter is one of the WORST holidays to splurge because of its timing. With swimsuit season leaking just around the corner, early spring is no time to lose ground with so little time to make it up.

I am in my own personal struggle right now to get my bikini body just in time for summer. I tried it one on shamelessly in front of my full-length mirror. I must say, I was impressed with my progess, but still scoffed at the annoying fat around my sides and belly. I thought to myself, "Must stay away from Easter candy!"

This is a time when we weight loss hopefuls must stay focused with our eyes on the prize. Tell yourself, that candy won't fill me up, offers no nutritional value and will inhibit my weight loss. Here's a helpful hint for avoiding mindlessly stuffing your face with Easter candy. When the temptation arises (such as someone comes to work with a basket of treats) chew a piece of gum instead. This works for me in almost any situation. It gives me that sensation that I am eating something, without all the calories.

But the one good thing about Spring, is the weather really opens the doors for when, where and how we can work out. I jumped at the chance to run outside on a newly discovered trail today. Take this opportunity to visit nearby trails and parks to liven things up a bit. Move your squats and jump rope routines outside. Hey, you may even get a headstart on your summer tan. Wow, what a bonus.

Don't let these holidays and special occassions sabatoge your weight loss, let the weather enhance them.

Happy Easter, Happy Losing,
K

keep on keepin on

So today I had a very challenging workout with my fill-in trainer Gary. I only work with him a couple of times a month and his training style is very different than Amy's style. He comes from a background of training professional athletes, so his training sessions are more cardio intensive without the boundaries of a set amount of reps for each exercise. I typically like to know how many of each is expected of me, but in this case I don't mind. The truth is, if I were doing the same workout on my own, sans the trainer, I wouldn't do as many reps or work as hard. That's why personal trainers are so wonderful. They push you outside of your comfort zone, often making you do things that you otherwise wouldn't do because you didn't think you could do them. Now I know that trainers are very expensive, but I contend that mine are worth every single penny!

Not only do they push me beyond my limits, thus making me stronger, faster and skinnier, but they also help me pool together my resources and make better use of my time at the gym. By already knowing what machines and excises do what, and how to do them properly, I am saving myself time that would otherwise be used to figure that out. Not to mention how I have probably saved myself from several injuries by having my trainer show me how to do something properly first, before doing it on my own.

The trainers also have a lot to offer in terms of nutrition. Simply ask them and most of them are more than willing to share their knowledge. Trust me. Trainers love to talk about food and fitness. It's their life. Working out with trainers also allows you to learn new excericises and types of workouts for specific parts of your body that you may have otherwise never thought of. At least once during EVERY session I have with Amy, we do something that I never would have thought to do on my own.

So let's recap: Personal trainers are a great way to jump start or keep your weight loos journey/maintenance. Although costly, they help expand your horizon, push you to your limits, offer great nutrition advice and show you how to workout properly to avoid injury.

And not to sound like an advertisement, but of all the gyms I have worked out in, Just Fitness 4 U is the best one in terms of trainers! They have very little turnover and their trainers don't push the sale on you either.

I met a new guy last week and things are going so far. He hasn't known me long enough to find out that I am pretty much a workout queen, but he'll know soon enough. Our official third date is tomorrow night and we are having Mexican. I know, I know. Great date idea, but horrible for my diet. Oh well. I have to have a little fun, so I will workout extra hard to make up for it, even though this weeks has been a killer week in the gym. I will keep you posted on the new guy. Until then,
Happy losing,
K

Think like the skinny girl ... become the skinny girl

Hello all! Sorry for my hiatus. Does four days actually count as a hiatus? Well either way, I'm back. My excuse for the short hiatus is actually a pretty good one. I have been working so hard to work off the pound and a half I gained last week. I have been running, at least 2 miles at a time. And today, I had a killer workout with Amy. By "killer," I mean the 30 minute session included suicides, jumping from hula-hoop to hula-hoop and some intense arm work with the resistance bands. I got to a point in the workout, as I usually do, when my body was telling me to stop. Then a few minutes later, my body was yelling at me to stop. I was out of breath and my muscles were stinging. But I got mental and thought, "Come on Kayla. YOU GOT THIS! Just a few more. YOU GOT THIS! The skinny girl does it!" Ah, and thus the topic of today's installment. Think like the skinny girl (or boy) and become the skinny girl or boy).

It goes back to the old mantra, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right." I generally don't like common sayings. I find them to be cliche and preachy, but in this case, I find it relevant.

I try to think of myself as a skinny girl. And as of lately, I am pretty close. But when you think of yourself as something, you have to include all the traits that come along with it. The skinny girl doesn't eat bar food very often, and when she does, she eats it in small portions. The skinny girl drinks plenty of water but drinks sugary soda and juices sparingly. The skinny girl portions out her food and aims to eat wholesome, nutritious meals. And most importantly, the skinny girl works out hard, even when it gets tough. She pushes herself through! Well after thinking of yourself as the skinny girl, you start to become her because you are doing all things she does, all the things you do.

I know it sounds simple. But with weight loss and maintenance, or healthy living as a whole, it's 50 percent physical. The other 90 percent is mental. That's an old joke my dad used to repeat over and over. He got it from legendary University of Alabama head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. But there's a reason The Bear won all those championships, and was feared throughout college football. He got into people's heads. Get into your head. Tell yourself what you want and visualize it over and over. Go back to that image of what you want to look like as many times as you have to in order to get through workouts or walk away from temptation.

Think like the skinny girl ... and you will become the skinny girl.

In the next few weeks, I will training to increase my speed and endurance of my runs. After all, that's what the skinny, fit girl would do, right?

Think skinny, be skinny!
Happy losing,
K

Silencing the voice of temptation

Wow! Welcome back. That welcome back is to me, as I took a few days off from working out and following my eating plan. I got a little lazy, but I snapped out of it before causing any real damage. It was only three days off, more than I usually take, and honestly, I think it was good for my body to get some rest.

I got back in the gym, absolutely dreading it, but I did it anyway. It's so weird. On my way to the gym, it feels like working out is the absolute LAST thing I want to do. It is the first real thing I do in my day. But once I am done, I feel so great. Which brings me to today's topic: Quieting the voice that tells you it's OK to slack.

We all have those little voices: "It's OK, one piece of cake won't hurt." Or, "So what if you already at dinner? A midnight snack of nachos isn't as bad as it seems." And of course, my favorite, "Missing a day at the gym isn't so bad." And the truth is, those little voices aren't completely wrong. One piece of cake won't hurt, so long as it really is ONLY ONE piece of cake over a period of a few weeks or even months. A late snack isn't so bad, so long as it isn't nachos, and so as it doesn't become a habit. And, no, missing one day at the gym won't hurt. As a matter fact, many trainers and fitness gurus will tell you that it's just as important for your body to rest as it is to engage in physical activity.

My general rule is to not miss workouts spontaneously. I plan ahead the day or two days of the week that I won't work out. This way during the other days, it becomes part of the day, not an optional activity such as getting my eyebrows waxed or going to the mall. Once I have taken "choice" out of the equation, the little voice no longer has a say. And as far as food temptation goes ... I know all about that. I find that when I am faced with the option of eating something really bad that I absolutely love, I almost lose my breath because I want it so bad. But here is where reframing comes in. I am borrowing this term from the Weight Watchers context. Over at WW, they talk about reframing in the sense that by looking at something differently, we can psych ourselves away from temptation. Really all it involves is changing perspective. For example: John B., the sports editor at my office, brings in a homemade pound cake that his wife, who just so happens to own a bakery, made. The cake is for everyone to share. I walk over to it. It's sweet aroma tickles my nose. I can almost taste the icing. But then, I take a deep breath, and think, "Wow, eating high-calorie, high-fat cake would pretty much cancel out my training session with Amy today. And damn, she worked me really hard. I would hate for my sweat to be for nothing." Then I walk away. Does this work every time? Not always, but at the very least, it gets me to think outside the food about the consequences, and puts that in perspective. Try it next time you are faced with temptation. See if you can't find another way of looking at something Delicious. Other perspectives are: "XYZ food won't feel me up, so why bother snacking on something unhealthy if I will still be hungry?" Or, " I am going to XYZ restaurant next week. I was planning on splurging a little there, so I don't want to get ahead of myself by eating this."

Just remember, if you can silence that little voice in your head, then you have control. So tell that voice to shut up because you have some weight to lose!

Happy losing!
K

Things I love, love, love

So I thought I would start compiling a list of foods, drinks and other helpful weight-loss items that I just love, love, love. I will add to it as time goes by, so here is just a start.

-- Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt: Only 80 calories per cup and they come in so many great flavors including Orange Dream (tastes like an orange popsicle), Strawberry Cheesecake and my personal fave, White Chocolate Raspberry. They are great as a snack, part of a sandwich lunch or even a dessert. They are great for those of you who, like me, I have a sweet tooth, minus the calories of course!

-- Kellogs Fiber Bars -- This is Kellogs' version of the Fiber One bar, and it tastes better. They have about 120 calories and 5 grams of fat, but they are loaded with fiber, about 40% of your daily need. And the chocolate ones serve as a great "dessert" or a mid-day sweet tooth fix.

-- Special K Cereal -- Low in calories for a cereal (about 120 per serving) but still a little high in sugar, so watch your portions. But a bowl of the Chocolately Delight flavor will cure a dessert craving and it's pretty filling.

You say potato, I say, don't eat it!

I broke my own rule today. I don't feel bad about it though because I had one of the toughest workouts I have ever had with Amy, which I will get to in a second.

My rule on complex carbs: Don't eat them. And when I say don't eat something, I mean don't eat it often. My general rule of whether I should eat a baked potato for example, is if I can remember the last time I ate one, I should skip it. The sister of the white potato, the sweet potato, isn't as bad. The general rule is WHITE -- in meats -- GOOD ... in anything else -- BAD. This goes for rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and so on. But my other rule, which is not related to just weight-loss, but to life in general, is if you are a guest in someone's home, you eat what they serve you. In my book, it is considered rude to not at least try a little. As you may guess, sometimes these two rules get jumbled up together. So I made a third rule: Rule #2 always trumps Rule #1. So when I went to a friend's house today for lunch I had some potatoes, and they were good. On a side note, the rest of the meal was simply baked chicken and corn, so it wasn't an altogether junk food fest or anything, but I thought I should bring it up.

Like I said, I had a great workout later on the day that I am sure canceled out the very small portion of potatoes I ate. I bring this up to point out the importance of balance in life. It goes the same for weight loss. Losing weight and maintaining it isn't about entirely cutting out certain foods, it's about balancing them with healthy foods and excercise. And don't forget, while too much carbs are a bad thing, your body actually needs carbs, the good and the bad, especially if you are excersicing regularly. Your body uses those carbs for energy, and if you are doing it right, your excersize will take care of the carbs for you.

Now onto this killer workout I had with Amy. From time to time, Amy will bring equipment from the school she works at to supplement the gym's stuff. Today she had an armful of miniature hurdles. And you guessed it, I had to jump over them through a course she set up about 12 times. In between jumping sets, I was alternating among an array of excercises including bicep curls with bands, lunges with bands, alternate sit ups, regular sit ups, push ups and so on. And boy was I sweating. Before I started my workout with Amy, I did the difficult stair stepper for 13 minutes, as a means to get a little extra in to burn off the potatoes.

Well, I hope you get some workout tips from the routine I shared with you today. And don't be rude: Always eat what hosts serve you. They won't be offended if you only have a little. Typically hosts are so busy doing the entertaining that they don't have time to be food police, monitoring how much of each food dish each person has consumed. There is no need to explain to a host that you are trying to lose weight and so on. When they ask if you want more, a simple "no thank you" will suffice. If they ask why and badger you to eat more, then they are the ones being rude.

Happy losing,
K

New twist

Hello! Studies show that people who track what they eat and their activity lose more weight and are more likely to keep it off. Now that some of the ladies from my weight loss group at Just Fitness 4 U in Marietta have said they were interested, I decided to take "tracking" to a new level and journal my weight loss journey here on this blog. At the very least, I will have something to look at and see my own struggles and accomplishments.

WHERE I STARTED: Two years ago, I was at my heaviest weighing in at a whopping 170 pounds. That was at least 20 pounds overweight for a female my age, then 23. Since then I had been on and off of Weight Watchers, yo-yoing from weight loss to weight gain. Then about 8 months ago, I decided NO MORE! I went back and forth then too. First joining Just Fitness and sticking to a strict eating and fitness plan, only to go off of it every few weeks and undo all my hard work. Then, I was blessed to meet a wonderful lady who would change my outlook on weight loss and physical fitness forever. Her name is Amy Whatley. By day she is an elementary school PE teacher, by night she is a personal trainer.
I figured, 'What the hell!' I need to get in shape, so I will spend the money for a trainer. My first workout with Amy was by far the hardest I had worked out in a long time. I couldn't walk right for a few days.
Fast-forward three months. I was working out with Amy once a week and doing cardio on my own, but I hadn't changed my eating habits much, so not much was changing.
Then Amy persuaded me to participate in the weight loss challenge at the gym and be a member of her team.
WHERE I AM NOW: We started in January. Since my first weigh-in at 163 pounds, I have lost 11 pounds. Now, that may not seem like much. But my body composition has completely changed. Muscle building explains that low actual weight loss number. But I see the difference. I know work out with Amy twice a week, run twice a week and do some other from of cardio on days 5 and 6. I track what I eat (which I have been making much better choices) and must weigh in once a week. Once a month, we get measured and get our BMI taken. I am proud to say that my waist, thighs, neck and shoulders are all down. My arms are getting bigger, but muscle-big, not fat big and my BMI is in the healthy range for the first time in 3 years.
While the numbers don't always show on the scale, measuring yourself every couple of weeks is very telling.
Believe it or not, those 11 pounds off makes me look and feel differently. My clothes are looser, my face is thinner, my skin is clearer and my gut doesn't hang over my jeans. Why? Because I eat sensibly and work out regularly.
But I know, weight loss is so much easier said than done. That's why I am grateful to have a support team. I have Amy, my other "part-time" trainer Gary, the girls from the weight loss group. other acquaintances from the gym and my friends and family.
But believe me, it's not always a a walk in the park (well, that is a good way to get some physical activity in.) So stay tuned for my trials, tribulations and tid bits I have learned along the way.
Don't lose your keys, your phone or your mind. But by all means, LOSE THE FAT!
Happy losing,
Kayla