Taking Care of Myself - Part 2 (Results)
My last post was acceptance of my post-pregnancy body; acceptance that it will never be quite the same again. I think anyone who wants to live a healthier lifestyle, whether it's for weight loss or health reasons or otherwise, should accept their body just the way they are in the present. Get some new clothes and dress your body the way it is NOW and find confidence.
This post is what has happened SINCE then.
Since I had completed step 1, body acceptance, I was ready to move on to step 2, analyzing my goals. My goals were:
1. Eat a healthier diet
2. Get toned
After I thought about those two goals, I added a WHY to eat goal:
1. Eat a healthier diet so I can feel good and pass good nutrition onto my son
2. Get toned so I could have a clean look for the beach when we go to San Diego at the end of September
Goal 1:
One thing that is hard for me is sweets. I LOVE sweets, chocolate, ice cream, cookies...and I needed to find a way to control that as a first step. So, what I did was buy 100 calorie snack packs and 90 calorie Snicker's Ice Cream Bars. At first, I would allow myself 1 snack pack and 1 ice cream bar a day. It was hard at first, and sometimes I would eat 2 snack packs. But, I slowly weened myself to the two treats a day. Then, I started feeling like I needed them less and less, and eventually I went to just 1 treat a day (either 1 snack pack or 1 bar). By changing the rest of my diet, slowly, I didn't crave the sweets nearly as much and started having some self-control.
The other dietary changes were small. I cannot restrict calories because I'm breastfeeding. It was simple, I just ate less processed food and incorporated more fruits and veggies in my diet. I will also now eat slower, chew my food slowly, and really try to taste and enjoy the food instead of just putting it in my mouth. I used to watch TV while I ate, and now I eat every meal at the table. When I'm full, I stop.
Goal 2:
I purchased all 5 of Sarah Ivanhoe's 20 min yoga videos. I do each video once every week for the past 3 weeks. Since they are 20 minutes I can very easily squeeze one into my day. The videos are abs, lower body, upper body, and then a couple of total body videos. After 3 weeks of doing these videos, I've noticed my abs are firmer and I'm more toned overall. What also helps too is in addition to the videos I also do exercises like running, biking, and walking. Doing these depends on my day and how Dante is doing, but nothing else I can push Dante in the stroller. I made a new "workout mix" on my iPod so doing the cardio is more fun.
Other Sources of Motivation:
I've been watching the Biggest Loser. This show is motivating because it's fun to watch the competitions and workouts. The other show I watch is You Are What You Eat. This show is on BBC America. It's about nutrition and takes people from eating bad food to wholesome nutritious food. I learn alot about what to eat and how certain foods effect the body.
How I Feel:
So far, I feel pretty good. I feel like I have more energy. I look in the mirror and I think I'm looking good too. And, I've lost 2 lbs, as a side effect. We'll see how this new approach keeps treating me. So far, so good.
This post is what has happened SINCE then.
Since I had completed step 1, body acceptance, I was ready to move on to step 2, analyzing my goals. My goals were:
1. Eat a healthier diet
2. Get toned
After I thought about those two goals, I added a WHY to eat goal:
1. Eat a healthier diet so I can feel good and pass good nutrition onto my son
2. Get toned so I could have a clean look for the beach when we go to San Diego at the end of September
Goal 1:
One thing that is hard for me is sweets. I LOVE sweets, chocolate, ice cream, cookies...and I needed to find a way to control that as a first step. So, what I did was buy 100 calorie snack packs and 90 calorie Snicker's Ice Cream Bars. At first, I would allow myself 1 snack pack and 1 ice cream bar a day. It was hard at first, and sometimes I would eat 2 snack packs. But, I slowly weened myself to the two treats a day. Then, I started feeling like I needed them less and less, and eventually I went to just 1 treat a day (either 1 snack pack or 1 bar). By changing the rest of my diet, slowly, I didn't crave the sweets nearly as much and started having some self-control.
The other dietary changes were small. I cannot restrict calories because I'm breastfeeding. It was simple, I just ate less processed food and incorporated more fruits and veggies in my diet. I will also now eat slower, chew my food slowly, and really try to taste and enjoy the food instead of just putting it in my mouth. I used to watch TV while I ate, and now I eat every meal at the table. When I'm full, I stop.
Goal 2:
I purchased all 5 of Sarah Ivanhoe's 20 min yoga videos. I do each video once every week for the past 3 weeks. Since they are 20 minutes I can very easily squeeze one into my day. The videos are abs, lower body, upper body, and then a couple of total body videos. After 3 weeks of doing these videos, I've noticed my abs are firmer and I'm more toned overall. What also helps too is in addition to the videos I also do exercises like running, biking, and walking. Doing these depends on my day and how Dante is doing, but nothing else I can push Dante in the stroller. I made a new "workout mix" on my iPod so doing the cardio is more fun.
Other Sources of Motivation:
I've been watching the Biggest Loser. This show is motivating because it's fun to watch the competitions and workouts. The other show I watch is You Are What You Eat. This show is on BBC America. It's about nutrition and takes people from eating bad food to wholesome nutritious food. I learn alot about what to eat and how certain foods effect the body.
How I Feel:
So far, I feel pretty good. I feel like I have more energy. I look in the mirror and I think I'm looking good too. And, I've lost 2 lbs, as a side effect. We'll see how this new approach keeps treating me. So far, so good.
