After the big New Orleans trip and a bit of indulging, I realized it's time for me to get back on track. Summer is around the corner yet again, and I need to shape up or ship out!OK, not really ship out, but you know what I mean.
My ultimate goal is not necessarily to be "thin".... although losing a few extra pounds would definitely be a welcome bonus! I really want to be the healthiest version of me that I can possibly be, and believe it or not in these photos I was NOT at my healthiest.
These pics were snapped about 6 or 7 years ago on a family vacation to Pawley's Island, SC. I had a few less tattoos then. ;)I was working out (running, the elliptical machine, light weight lifting) about 5-6x a week, and eating a very strict diet.
I was also smoking regularly (YUCK), and the "very strict diet" I referred to was Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet (no vegetarianism or veganism back then for sure). If you've ever done this diet, you know that this is the strictest phase, and that you're supposed to slowly start incorporating the other healthy things back in during Phases 2 & 3. Well, I got PSYCHO about my tummy pooch, and refused to leave Phase 1.
All I ate 3x a day was a serving of meat (chicken, fish, or steak) and a side of vegetables, with as much salt & butter as I wanted.
Sure, I lost a lot of weight! I wasn't having ANY sugar at all - but that included the sugar from fruits, and I wasn't having ANY carbohydrates at all - even the good whole grains!I may look happy in these pictures, but I wasn't healthy that's for sure.
SO - although I would LOVE to get to the fitness level that I obtained when these photos were snapped, I never want to go back. I've quit smoking, quit meat & dairy, am eating tons of fruits & veggies & whole grains every day, and much more aware of what is a healthy diet, and what is not!
What I DO need to change though is my workout routine. Although 2 hours, 3 days / week of derby practice ain't too shabby, it's still not enough. Especially at the very sedentary stare-at-a-computer-all-day job that I have (as a lot of people do).
So this is my way of proclaiming that it's time to step it up a notch! Gym: hellz yeah! Workout buddies: come & get me! Pump class: Why the heck not!
Summer, here I come!
Vegetables are carbohydrates--the good ones. Also, by depriving your body of fast carbs, it is forced to burn fat for carb fuel. That's why you lose weight on a meat-veg-fat diet.
ReplyDeleteI am not like you--I can't give up the meat. But I've had great success with the food plan I'm on now, which is meat/eggs, veg, and beans every meal, 6 days per week. The beans are AWESOME. And so are my farts.
Beans are SO good for you, I completely agree. Have you ever read "Eat to Live" by Joel Furhman? It's a great book - you should check it out! I think once you get a different perspective on meat it is easier to give up... I can't even walk through the meat section at the grocery store anymore without gagging! Ha!
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