Healthy Eating...

Lifestyle Change...

Lately, I got on this health kick (refer back to my older posts under the "Fitness Labels").

Since then, I went from 180 pounds down to 150 (as of today).

There wasn't much to the first 20 pounds other than cutting out all fast food, soda and candy bars. So I figured that if I was blessed with losing all of this weight (which I had wanted to for many years), I needed to do something to ensure it STAYED off.

Then, in October 2010, I picked up running. I ran and ran and ran. Burning well over 1,000 - 1,500 calories per work out. Almost DAILY. BUT... my calorie intake was only about 300-500 per DAY. I was also under quite a bit of stress and that had much to do with my initial weight loss.

So, I met with a dietitian who educated me on proper eating habits. He explained the food pyramid to me since it had been many years since I studied it. And, to my amazement, I learned A LOT. Since that day, I have met with several friends & family and have done my own research about weight loss, physical fitness and diets.  Below are some things I have learned. I want to share them with you because it is crazy how bad most of us eat. I, honestly, did not care what I ate earlier in the year and years leading up to this past summer. Stopping by McDonald's and ordering a #1 with Coke was the norm at least 3 times per week. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED chocolate! Hershey's chocolate and I were TIGHT, I tell 'ya! "Homies, we were!" And don't EVEN get me started on trips to the mall, out of town, etc. What do you MEAN it is not right to eat a deep-fried turkey leg with a large milkshake?! I mean, I have to wash it down with SOMETHING. Right? PLUS it IS protein and dairy... part of the "food pyramid" groups... no? We ALL do it. Justify JUNK food as "healthy" in a round-about, food pyramid relation, as in next door neighbor's, cousin's, best friend's, nephew's, cousin's, cat... sort-of-way. Yes?

I NEVER knew this...

- if you starve your body (um... like only eating 300-500 calories a day when you burn 10 times that amount!), your body will take ANYTHING you put into it and turn it IMMEDIATELY into FAT! Hello?! HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS?! YES! Even HEALTHY foods are turned into fat. Hear me clearly... EVEN HEALTHY FOODS ARE TURNED INTO FAT!  The human body is AMAZING. The REASON it does this is because it does not know when it will be fed again so it stores it for energy.

Literally, OVERNIGHT, I bumped up my calorie intake to what my dietician recommended... 2,500-2,800 calories PER DAY. YES. OVERNIGHT. I went to the local GNC and picked up a box of "meal supplement" packages (each one contained a powder you can use to mix with water or milk and make a shake). Inside each one was enough to kick start my daily diet. I say diet, but in a most inverse meaning of what one would think of the term. Diet usually means LOSING weight... to me, at least. But, in THIS case... I am going to eat 10 times the amount I have been used to??? I have, since, switched from a meal supplement shake to a protein shake (since I am eating all the foods I need now).



For one solid week, I tracked my food intake via an online tool which SHOWS you via a bar graph exactly how much you are consuming. It even separates bad calories from good. There are several websites you can use. The one I used was www.mypyramid.gov which is endorsed by the 1st Lady, Mrs. Obama. If you go to their website, on the left, go to MyMenuPlanner. Registration is free and easy. It took me only two days to "get it right." On Day 1, I met my calorie count; however, I had too much of the Dairy and Fruit categories and not enough Grains, Vegetables and Proteins. Day 2, I was SET. BUT, my bad calories were off the charts. So, I cut out my jelly, butter, cream cheese, etc. And now, I will periodically check my daily progress but I KNOW what I can and cannot have. This was very hard to stick to...

BUT. IT. WORKED. PEOPLE.

My weight stabilized. I have not gained a pound since then and have seen a transformation in my physical being.  I am able to run farther than ever before, completing my first half marathon with a GREAT finishing time. AND I have a LOT more energy.

In addition to the meal supplement shakes, I also started taking a daily multivitamin (twice a day). It's one thing to eat the calories you are supposed to, but another to ensure you have the daily recommended nutrients that your body needs. Just by taking my daily multivitamins, I am now getting all of the vitamins and minerals I need in order to keep up with my physical training lifestyle. The reason for two pills is because these are on a time release formula for better efficiency (keep in mind that your urine might turn light green since your body is purging itself of bad chemicals - this is normal).

I also changed my diet - completely.

On any given day, this is what I normally eat:

BREAKFAST:
- protein shake mixed with a glass of skim milk (sometimes add a tablespoon of peanut butter)
- 1 bowl of whole grain cereal with skim milk
- 2 packages of oatmeal (often add banana slices, granola mix, or various fruits)
- 2 slices whole-grain, wheat toast w/peanut butter (good source of protein)
- glass of 100% orange juice
(breakfast is usually a lot but it makes a HUGE difference in your energy levels and your mental focus throughout the day)

LUNCH:
- salad (raw spinach leaves (not as boring as lettuce and MUCH tastier!), cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, honey roasted pecans or other nuts, dried fruits (cranberries, oranges, etc.), bell pepper slices - NO DRESSING. The mixture of these items is a nice blend. They compliment one another very nicely, too.
- Gatorade/Powerade, or some other form of drink to replenish electrolytes which I will burn off during my workouts
- yogurt (Light) (with granola)

DINNER:

- turkey sausage or chicken are great, quick sources of protein
- more salad
- fruit
- 1 glass of skim milk
- 2 more protein shakes within 30 minutes of post-workouts

SNACKS IN BETWEEN MEALS:
- almonds (GREAT protein)
- rice cakes
- whole grain crackers
- fruits
- vegetables

OUT OF MY DIET:
- fast food
- butter
- extra salt (some sodium is good for you since it acts as electrolytes to help maintain water retention when exercising)
- jelly
- cream cheese
- soda
- sugar (table type)
- caffeine
- and pretty much anything else that tastes good

Bottom line; BORING! Right? Yeah, maybe. But, I have learned so much. About food. Diets. Health & fitness. And, as I navigate through this phase in my life... well, hopefully, I have created a new, LIFE-lasting culture of healthy eating and there IS a brighter side. For one, my palette has changed. I ate a candy bar the other day and it was TOO sweet. Yuck. About halfway through it, I wanted to toss it. But, told myself to eat it all to see how it would affect me. I felt a short-lived rush but the DOWN is what got me. Hated knowing I had consumed so many FAT calories and had not used it during a workout. It just sat there and would take so much longer to burn it than healthy calories would.

Now, my body KNOWS it will be fed daily. And the great thing? I am eating around 2,500 calories daily, burning at least 1,500 just sitting around living my life (basal metabolic rate) AND I burn at least another 1,000 daily during my workouts. Calories in/Calories out = the SAME! Hence the reason I am not gaining or losing weight. Plus, the minerals, nutrients and vitamins I am consuming NOW help my muscles heal faster, healthier and stronger. My heart is stronger and my blood pumps more efficiently.  I can run for over an hour at under a 7 minute per mile pace and my heart rate does not go over 165. Before, it would sky rocket to 185 after 5 minutes!  And I have also incorporated resistance training to my workouts. I FORCE ALL of my muscles to pick up the load that my heart had been carrying all this time.

I'll leave you with this...

Lots of people have asked where I get this motivation... will power... but the day that I TRULY realized that God created us. I also accepted the fact that we NEED to take care of this physical body he gave us. We are only on this planet for such a short time and...

I. Love. ME.

So, is there really any other way TO live?

PS... here is some GREAT input I received from a friend after I submitted this original post... (thank you)!

This is great! The only thing I would add is to try to grow your own vegetables and fruits. Plant a garden and do some canning. Also, buy your food locally from a market or a locally owned store that sells food from local farmers. It is also easy to make your own bread :)