This statement has been said to me numerous times when someone finds out that I exercise regularly. And it's almost always followed by an eye roll. My response is always the same: "Well, if I didn't exercise, I wouldn't look like this." Duh. Do you think Jillian Michaels doesn't need to exercise? Because a body doesn't get much better than that. Maybe she should just stop right now. I'm sure she'd look exactly the same in a few months.
Another favorite: "You're so skinny. You can eat whatever you want."
First of all, no, I'm not skinny. I may be smaller than today's average person. But I'm well within a normal BMI, and trust me, I have plenty of fat. I think a lot of people don't realize that being called "skinny" can be offensive. It doesn't necessarily offend me, but I don't want to be described as skinny. I'd rather be "in shape" or "fit" or "healthy." Just because I'm not overweight, it doesn't mean that I'm skinny. Okay? Okay. And just because you saw me eat a piece of pie at lunch today, that doesn't mean I can eat whatever I want. I mean, yes, I can, but I don't. If I did, I'd double my weight, no lie. I love food, y'all. Food is life.
But seriously, it doesn't matter what you look like, we all should do some form of physical activity as often as possible. I totally get that a lot of people have zero interest in exercise, and that's fine. To each his own. But for those who have any interest at all, I'm going to share my experience with you, and give you some realistic advice for real people. But first, I want to discredit some myths.
Spot Reducing Fat
I often see people sharing posts on Facebook saying something along the lines of "Get a flat belly with these simple exercises." A huge misconception is that you can spot reduce fat by exercising a certain group of muscles. It's not possible. While you can obviously increase muscle mass by concentrating on a desired muscle(s), fat burns evenly over the entire body. Now, if you're dieting properly, you may see fat disappear from your problem areas before the rest of your body. But that's not because you're only losing it in that area. It's because you have more fat there, so that's where it's going to be noticeable first. So don't waste your time doing 200 sit ups a day, because it's not going to flatten your belly if you need to lose weight all over.
Exercising Alone Is Enough To Lose Weight
You can exercise all you want, but unless you improve your eating habits, you're probably only going to lose a few pounds quickly and then plateau. You have to consistently burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. So if you're eating exactly the same as you ever have, and you add routine exercise to the mix, yes, you'll probably lose a little weight. Maybe you'll even lose a lot. But then it becomes so easy to throw in that extra snack or second/third helping and think, "It's okay, I'll exercise later." And then there will be some excuse to not exercise that day. And having that "I'll exercise later to make up for it" kind of attitude is basically viewing exercise as punishment. So you're going to need to make some changes to your diet.
That being said, a drastic diet isn't necessary to lose weight. Near the end of this post, I'll list some simple ways to reduce your caloric intake, without making huge changes to your diet. It's just as important, if not more important, as exercising. And my best advice about exercising is to start slow. Try exercising 2 or 3 days a week. Even if it's walking 30 minutes above what you normally do, that's a start. And walking is something your whole family can enjoy together. And only aim to lose 0.5 to 1 pound a week. If you find that amount to be easy, then go for more. But 2 pounds should be the max.
I Have To Do Cardio
If I had to do cardio with every workout for exercise to be effective, I'd have given up a long time ago. If running or other aerobic exercises aren't your thing, that's perfectly okay. As long as you're moving and burning calories, that's all that matters. I've realized that even strengthening and flexibility exercises rev up my heart rate. I may or may not reach that target heart rate that's recommended by professionals to get in a true cardio workout. But I don't really care, because it still works for me. My point is just make sure you do something, anything, to get your body moving outside of your normal routine and increase your activity as tolerated.
Find the type of exercise that you enjoy. You're more likely to stick with it if you enjoy it. And don't choose something that's too challenging. Work your way up. I've tried everything from Zumba to using a Bowflex to HIIT circuit training exercises. Personally, I enjoy just about anything as long as it's not too repetitive. And it's important to switch it up. If you're always doing the same exercises, your body is going to get used to it and you'll stop benefiting from it.
If I Use Weights My Muscles Will Get Too Big
Don't even worry about this one, because it's not true. Unless you're doing some heavy duty weight lifting, you're not going to bulk up. I only use 2 and 5 pound hand weights during some of my workouts. And yes, I noticed some tiny growth in my biceps and forearms in the beginning, but barely enough to give me a little definition. The same happened with my legs just by using my own body weight. But that's a good thing! You're not going to look like a bodybuilder unless that's your goal and you workout accordingly.
Weight Is An Indicator Of Progress
Stay off of the scales. Seriously. Especially if your goal is to lose weight, stay off of the scales for a while. I do think it's important to weigh yourself when you begin your journey, if you're trying to lose weight, because obviously you need to know your starting weight. But it's even more important to take measurements. A simple internet search will give you all kinds of suggestions on the best ways to do measurements. Write them down, along with your weight, or log them into a fitness app, whatever. Then forget about it for a while.
Unless you're only doing cardio, such as running, what's likely going to happen when you first start exercising is this: You're going to lose fat, but you're also going to gain muscle. So in the beginning, you're not going to see the pounds drop, and that can be super discouraging. Much better indicators of progress are measurements or noticing how your clothes fit. For example, when I completed the most recent program that I participated in, I only lost 1.6 pounds. My goal wasn't to lose weight, but that was still such a disappointment. All that work those 12 weeks was for 1.6 pounds?! That was my first thought. But then I reminded myself that I no longer had to struggle so much to fit into my skinny jeans. And then I took measurements and compared them to when I first started the program. I'd lost 5.75 inches! That may not sound like a lot, but on my frame, it made a difference. And best of all, I felt better. I had more stamina than I'd ever had, plus I slept better and didn't feel so tired all day. Not to mention, it was a confidence booster. I'll share a review of the program I did in another post soon, complete with before and after photos.
Tips, Tidbits, And Tricks To Improve Your Diet
So this is the part where I'll share some advice that works for me.
First of all, don't expect overnight results. In this world today, it's all about instant gratification. But it's unrealistic to see a difference after a week or two, plain and simple. Besides, it's healthier to lose weight slowly anyway. Plus, you're more likely to keep the pounds off if you lose it gradually. Even if you're not trying to lose weight, but want to tone up, or whatever your goal is. It takes time. I'm talking two or three months, not weeks.
Crash diets are no good. One of the worst things you can do is drastically reduce your caloric intake. Your body will go into starvation mode and cling onto every bit of fat that it can. I highly recommend using a fitness app to keep track of your calories if your intention is to lose weight. I know there are tons out there, but I've always used My Fitness Pal. Even if you're not trying to lose weight, but want to get fit, I still think it's a good idea to keep track of what you're eating. It'll help you see where you may need to improve your eating habits.
Pay attention to portion and serving sizes. Measure your food if you need to. What you think is a cup may really be almost 2 cups. And you'd probably be surprised to see what 1 serving of some foods actually is. Pop Tarts probably aren't the healthiest example to give here, but I remember the first time I looked at the nutritional value on the package, and realized that 1 serving is actually 1 pastry, not 2, which comes in 1 package! So that 200 calories is actually for only half of the package. That's crazy!
I don't believe it's necessary to become obsessed with the nutritional content of everything you eat. For beginners, I think it's far more important to concentrate on portion sizes and maybe making a few substitutions to the diet you're used to eating. I mean, if you want to go cold turkey from an eat-what-you-want diet to 100% clean meals, then more power to you. That's awesome, and realistic, actually. But it takes a lot of willpower to do something like that. When I first got serious about making changes to my diet, I pretty much ate the same foods I always did, but with changes. What worked for me were these things:
-Don't eat second helpings.
-Eat slowly and stop when you start feeling full.
-Have a treat now and then, just don't over-do it. If you deprive yourself, you're more likely to cave and overeat. I treat myself to something sweet not every single day, but most days. I just make sure that I only have a little of it. If it's cookies I'm craving, I'll have 1 or 2 instead of 3, or whatever the full serving is. If I want ice cream, I'll have a Yasso frozen yogurt bar. They're only 100 calories.
-There are a lot of snacks that may not necessarily be "healthy," but they can be "healthier" substitutions. Chips are a good example. I recently discovered Terra chips, which are real vegetable chips, and they taste every bit as good as Doritos and such, but they're not as bad for you.
-Skip the bread. I often have a hamburger with all the toppings, but without the bun, and eat it with a fork. Want a turkey sandwich? Forego the bread and roll up all the toppings inside the turkey.
-Use salsa instead of ketchup.
-Switch to unsweetened almond milk. I only recently did this, and I love it! Unless I'm drinking it straight up, I can't even tell the difference.
-Cut down on carbonated beverages. This was the hardest thing ever for me. But what worked was first switching to a diet soda once a day, then weaning myself down to one every other day, and so on. I'll still drink diet soda sometimes if I'm eating out. But the best way to avoid it is to not buy soda in the first place.
-And that brings me to this: If you know you shouldn't be eating something, don't buy it!
-Instead of sweet drinks or fruity drinks, have water with a low/no calorie flavor packet added.
I promise if you take control of what you eat, after a while you won't miss what you're not having.
The most important thing you can do is educate yourself. There are endless articles on healthy eating and making lifestyle changes out there.
As for exercising, you can always find time to fit in 15 or 20 minutes most days. How much time per day do you spend looking at your phone for no particular reason at all? Most of us do that for several minutes, if not hours, every day. Put down the phone and throw in an exercise DVD. Or don't put down the phone, but pull up a workout on YouTube that looks interesting. You don't even have to do the whole 30 minute workout or however long it may be. Just do as much as you have time for.
This is all my own personal advice. I'm not a doctor or fitness expert by any means. I'm just sharing what has worked for me. I'm a very busy single mom of 4 kids and I have very little free time to workout or even cook healthy meals every day. I know if I can do it, so can you. Just do the best you can. What works for me may not work for someone else. We're all different. And we all have different goals. It's very important to find what works for you personally, taking baby steps if you need to. There may be some trial and error involved. I know there was lot of that for me.
If you have something you'd like to share, I'd love to hear all about it. And I'd also like to share a couple programs that I've completed that have made a huge difference for me, both mentally and physically. Stay tuned for that future post.
Spot Reducing Fat
I often see people sharing posts on Facebook saying something along the lines of "Get a flat belly with these simple exercises." A huge misconception is that you can spot reduce fat by exercising a certain group of muscles. It's not possible. While you can obviously increase muscle mass by concentrating on a desired muscle(s), fat burns evenly over the entire body. Now, if you're dieting properly, you may see fat disappear from your problem areas before the rest of your body. But that's not because you're only losing it in that area. It's because you have more fat there, so that's where it's going to be noticeable first. So don't waste your time doing 200 sit ups a day, because it's not going to flatten your belly if you need to lose weight all over.
Exercising Alone Is Enough To Lose Weight
You can exercise all you want, but unless you improve your eating habits, you're probably only going to lose a few pounds quickly and then plateau. You have to consistently burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. So if you're eating exactly the same as you ever have, and you add routine exercise to the mix, yes, you'll probably lose a little weight. Maybe you'll even lose a lot. But then it becomes so easy to throw in that extra snack or second/third helping and think, "It's okay, I'll exercise later." And then there will be some excuse to not exercise that day. And having that "I'll exercise later to make up for it" kind of attitude is basically viewing exercise as punishment. So you're going to need to make some changes to your diet.
That being said, a drastic diet isn't necessary to lose weight. Near the end of this post, I'll list some simple ways to reduce your caloric intake, without making huge changes to your diet. It's just as important, if not more important, as exercising. And my best advice about exercising is to start slow. Try exercising 2 or 3 days a week. Even if it's walking 30 minutes above what you normally do, that's a start. And walking is something your whole family can enjoy together. And only aim to lose 0.5 to 1 pound a week. If you find that amount to be easy, then go for more. But 2 pounds should be the max.
I Have To Do Cardio
If I had to do cardio with every workout for exercise to be effective, I'd have given up a long time ago. If running or other aerobic exercises aren't your thing, that's perfectly okay. As long as you're moving and burning calories, that's all that matters. I've realized that even strengthening and flexibility exercises rev up my heart rate. I may or may not reach that target heart rate that's recommended by professionals to get in a true cardio workout. But I don't really care, because it still works for me. My point is just make sure you do something, anything, to get your body moving outside of your normal routine and increase your activity as tolerated.
Find the type of exercise that you enjoy. You're more likely to stick with it if you enjoy it. And don't choose something that's too challenging. Work your way up. I've tried everything from Zumba to using a Bowflex to HIIT circuit training exercises. Personally, I enjoy just about anything as long as it's not too repetitive. And it's important to switch it up. If you're always doing the same exercises, your body is going to get used to it and you'll stop benefiting from it.
If I Use Weights My Muscles Will Get Too Big
Don't even worry about this one, because it's not true. Unless you're doing some heavy duty weight lifting, you're not going to bulk up. I only use 2 and 5 pound hand weights during some of my workouts. And yes, I noticed some tiny growth in my biceps and forearms in the beginning, but barely enough to give me a little definition. The same happened with my legs just by using my own body weight. But that's a good thing! You're not going to look like a bodybuilder unless that's your goal and you workout accordingly.
Weight Is An Indicator Of Progress
Stay off of the scales. Seriously. Especially if your goal is to lose weight, stay off of the scales for a while. I do think it's important to weigh yourself when you begin your journey, if you're trying to lose weight, because obviously you need to know your starting weight. But it's even more important to take measurements. A simple internet search will give you all kinds of suggestions on the best ways to do measurements. Write them down, along with your weight, or log them into a fitness app, whatever. Then forget about it for a while.
Unless you're only doing cardio, such as running, what's likely going to happen when you first start exercising is this: You're going to lose fat, but you're also going to gain muscle. So in the beginning, you're not going to see the pounds drop, and that can be super discouraging. Much better indicators of progress are measurements or noticing how your clothes fit. For example, when I completed the most recent program that I participated in, I only lost 1.6 pounds. My goal wasn't to lose weight, but that was still such a disappointment. All that work those 12 weeks was for 1.6 pounds?! That was my first thought. But then I reminded myself that I no longer had to struggle so much to fit into my skinny jeans. And then I took measurements and compared them to when I first started the program. I'd lost 5.75 inches! That may not sound like a lot, but on my frame, it made a difference. And best of all, I felt better. I had more stamina than I'd ever had, plus I slept better and didn't feel so tired all day. Not to mention, it was a confidence booster. I'll share a review of the program I did in another post soon, complete with before and after photos.
Tips, Tidbits, And Tricks To Improve Your Diet
So this is the part where I'll share some advice that works for me.
First of all, don't expect overnight results. In this world today, it's all about instant gratification. But it's unrealistic to see a difference after a week or two, plain and simple. Besides, it's healthier to lose weight slowly anyway. Plus, you're more likely to keep the pounds off if you lose it gradually. Even if you're not trying to lose weight, but want to tone up, or whatever your goal is. It takes time. I'm talking two or three months, not weeks.
Crash diets are no good. One of the worst things you can do is drastically reduce your caloric intake. Your body will go into starvation mode and cling onto every bit of fat that it can. I highly recommend using a fitness app to keep track of your calories if your intention is to lose weight. I know there are tons out there, but I've always used My Fitness Pal. Even if you're not trying to lose weight, but want to get fit, I still think it's a good idea to keep track of what you're eating. It'll help you see where you may need to improve your eating habits.
Pay attention to portion and serving sizes. Measure your food if you need to. What you think is a cup may really be almost 2 cups. And you'd probably be surprised to see what 1 serving of some foods actually is. Pop Tarts probably aren't the healthiest example to give here, but I remember the first time I looked at the nutritional value on the package, and realized that 1 serving is actually 1 pastry, not 2, which comes in 1 package! So that 200 calories is actually for only half of the package. That's crazy!
I don't believe it's necessary to become obsessed with the nutritional content of everything you eat. For beginners, I think it's far more important to concentrate on portion sizes and maybe making a few substitutions to the diet you're used to eating. I mean, if you want to go cold turkey from an eat-what-you-want diet to 100% clean meals, then more power to you. That's awesome, and realistic, actually. But it takes a lot of willpower to do something like that. When I first got serious about making changes to my diet, I pretty much ate the same foods I always did, but with changes. What worked for me were these things:
-Don't eat second helpings.
-Eat slowly and stop when you start feeling full.
-Have a treat now and then, just don't over-do it. If you deprive yourself, you're more likely to cave and overeat. I treat myself to something sweet not every single day, but most days. I just make sure that I only have a little of it. If it's cookies I'm craving, I'll have 1 or 2 instead of 3, or whatever the full serving is. If I want ice cream, I'll have a Yasso frozen yogurt bar. They're only 100 calories.
-There are a lot of snacks that may not necessarily be "healthy," but they can be "healthier" substitutions. Chips are a good example. I recently discovered Terra chips, which are real vegetable chips, and they taste every bit as good as Doritos and such, but they're not as bad for you.
-Skip the bread. I often have a hamburger with all the toppings, but without the bun, and eat it with a fork. Want a turkey sandwich? Forego the bread and roll up all the toppings inside the turkey.
-Use salsa instead of ketchup.
-Switch to unsweetened almond milk. I only recently did this, and I love it! Unless I'm drinking it straight up, I can't even tell the difference.
-Cut down on carbonated beverages. This was the hardest thing ever for me. But what worked was first switching to a diet soda once a day, then weaning myself down to one every other day, and so on. I'll still drink diet soda sometimes if I'm eating out. But the best way to avoid it is to not buy soda in the first place.
-And that brings me to this: If you know you shouldn't be eating something, don't buy it!
-Instead of sweet drinks or fruity drinks, have water with a low/no calorie flavor packet added.
I promise if you take control of what you eat, after a while you won't miss what you're not having.
The most important thing you can do is educate yourself. There are endless articles on healthy eating and making lifestyle changes out there.
As for exercising, you can always find time to fit in 15 or 20 minutes most days. How much time per day do you spend looking at your phone for no particular reason at all? Most of us do that for several minutes, if not hours, every day. Put down the phone and throw in an exercise DVD. Or don't put down the phone, but pull up a workout on YouTube that looks interesting. You don't even have to do the whole 30 minute workout or however long it may be. Just do as much as you have time for.
This is all my own personal advice. I'm not a doctor or fitness expert by any means. I'm just sharing what has worked for me. I'm a very busy single mom of 4 kids and I have very little free time to workout or even cook healthy meals every day. I know if I can do it, so can you. Just do the best you can. What works for me may not work for someone else. We're all different. And we all have different goals. It's very important to find what works for you personally, taking baby steps if you need to. There may be some trial and error involved. I know there was lot of that for me.
If you have something you'd like to share, I'd love to hear all about it. And I'd also like to share a couple programs that I've completed that have made a huge difference for me, both mentally and physically. Stay tuned for that future post.
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