Diet or Exercise?

Recently, I have become a certified personal trainer, and with almost no effort I have obtained a few dedicated clients, all because they saw the changes and improvements I went through and they too want to follow in my footsteps. For years I had been going to the gym and with no particular plan to execute I was just aiming to lose the last 20 LB’s I was carrying around for the past 4 years. These past few years have been somewhat challenging in the weight loss department. I would lose 10 LB’s and gain it all back within a few weeks. You have heard this cliché before “for a healthy body you have to change your entire life style”. True, but not easy! Just adding 5-6 hours of exercise time in your weekly plan is a challenge onto itself. I am sure you are busy being students, moms, daughters, full time or even part-time employees, not to mention all your social and family obligations. In our fast and busy lives in modern America all this can take a toll on a person’s health, wellness, not to mental health. Gees, I’d rather be shopping and drinking lattes and meeting my friends for lunch! This was my schedule with my beautiful baby girl for the first 3 years of her life. But, Venti latte’s at star bucks ain’t cheep so for this life style; you need a sack full of money.
Being a busy mom, Therapist and Realtor, makes it even more difficult for me. I just don’t have enough time in the day. I am meticulous about eating most of our meals at home where I have better control on our meals. Don’t get me wrong I love food and a glass of wine once in a while that’s why it has been so hard keeping the weight off. Its funny when people see me eat they are surprised at how healthy it is. They can’t believe why I have a hard time losing the weight. I am not your average cake and chocoholic person. I just love great food, and dining. The fancier, the better. My Favorite evening starts with a good baby green salad, olives, olive oil and dipping bread (I am so in lala land now), salmon, steamed asparagus, a dry glass of Cabernet, followed by chamomile tea, and Ferrero Roche for dessert.
Now, that I have studied personal training and have spoken to many trainers, I have realized to lose weight and keep it is 30% exercise and 70% diet. Exercise alone will not make a difference. I repeat EXERCISE ALONE DOES NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE! You heard me. First you have to calculate the amount of calorie intake needed for one’s body and eat 300 calories less each day. For me based on my height and weight I am supposed to eat about 1450 calories a day –300 would only leave me with 1150 calories a day. If I did that I would lose 1-2 LB’s per week! You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s Bull! I love salads, but sometimes that doesn’t even help, the dressing sometimes is up to 300 calories. So you’ve got to watch what goes into your salad. You basically have to become one of those snotty women who order a salad like this: “no crotons, no oil, no egg, and don’t forget to put the dressing on the side” and deep down you are hoping the waiter doesn’t spit in your water or worse!
I eat fish and chicken, GRILLED! It’s great for a while, but eating the same types of food everyday gets boring. At one point I decided that I had an issue eating flesh, so I decided to go on a vegetarian diet and eat lots of veggies and grains. I get my protein from beans since I heard soy might be cancerous. Based on some harsh and unpleasant experiences I’ve come to realize I cannot be a vegertian. Why are they so gassy? Let me tell you a little story about a recent experience. My trainer/nutritionist tells me to eat protein shakes after a work out, but since I am not a fan of protein shakes I tried eating a homemade black bean burrito using whole grain tortilla, and yogurt instead of sour cream with lots of hot sauce! (My favorite) Needless to say that day ended up being the most embarrassing day of my life. NOT A PRETTY SIGHT. That night and the following night I spend the entire night sleeping in the guest room. My poor husband couldn’t take it anymore. Sorry, honey! Both my jobs of being a therapist and Realtor entail working with people. I couldn’t have any more gassy days like that! I will go broke! No one wants to hire the walking stinker. Everyone hates skunks, even though they are so pretty! So girls no matter how cute you are, gassy girls are not so cute!
All this negative talk, you’re probably thinking get to the point. The point is I still want to look Hot, and feel light, and I want to lose those pesky last 20 LB’s and being aware of these roadblocks may help you keep going. You have to be stubborn in your purist for a thinner, healthier body. You may experience different incidents like family visiting from out of town, and daily chores like: having to cook dinner almost every night, take your kids to school, and help them with their projects and on and on. If you work then you go to lunch with co-workers and it’s always someone’s birthday or anniversary so you are forced into those stupid office parties with cheap Costco cake. You’re better than that. Don’t eat it! Throw it in the trashcan where it belongs.
Another roadblock for me is that I had to make 3 different meals every night, one for every member of my family including my self! No, I am not kidding you. I did it, but not anymore. I am finally drawing the line so now my husband and I eat the same meal; I am still working on getting my 4 year old to eat the same things we do at every meal. The best thing to do is to make it as simple as possible. Find out what foods you and your family can have that are healthy, yet tasty enough that it doesn’t taste like diet food. Like bringing home a package of Tilapia fish from Costco. One good recipe for fish that is healthy and easy: Cover it with seasoned bread crumb throw it in the frying pan with very little oil 3-5 minutes on each side and you’ve got yourself a meal. Both my husband and daughter love this meal. As someone who is willing to change my life style for a healthier body not to mention a goddess figure you end up with a lot of experimental food and hope it tastes good, until you find out what works. I use the same recipe with chicken breast. It’s like homemade chicken nuggets. Makes a little rice on the side and some steamed broccoli and you’ve got yourself a complete meal. Portion size does matter so make just enough so you cannot have seconds.
In a nut shell dieting and exercising are not very easy, but you have to do it so make it fun. When you have to have gassy foods like beans invest in a bottle of beano! I wonder if there are other foods you can eat with gassy foods to somehow compress the gas. No matter, whatever you do just don’t give up and keep going to the gym and keeping eating 300 calories less than what you are supposed to, until you reach your weight loss goal. Trust me its been done before and I am hear to tell you “YES YOU CAN!” WE ALL CAN! So don’t give up, and be persistent. No more Atkins dieting. Just remember Dr. Atkins’ died because of doing his own diet over and over again. But that’s a whole other story. Until next time, keep trim and be merry!