Friday, November 13, 2009

The slippery slope of holiday eating

I recently heard (I think it was Dr. Oz, so it must be true) how eating the amount traditionally expected at Thanksgiving gets one's stomach so distended and digestion system so out of whack that it takes six weeks for the stomach to recover.  And what lies just six weeks after T-day?  Christmas.  And six weeks after that, it's my 49th birthday!  Good God!  How much eating can one body take?!

Okay, so, with all that overeating, it's normal to gain 5 to 10 over the winter months.  I do NOT want to go down that road.  By my 49th birthday, I am determined to break the 300 lb barrier!  It's just 13 lbs away!

My body has been highly resistant to shedding weight for the last year. I had scaled back the calories, often, plus cut way back on the carbs, but nothing was budging.  Or if the scale did dip down below 310, I quickly rebounded.  I recently experienced a series of three days when it seemed to be my mission to eat out the whole planet, as well as single-handedly ridding the world of carbs by eating them all.  I was eating nearly 3000 calories a day (but there was absolutely no junk or fast food involved).  And I didn't gain a single ounce!  This morning, my weight popped up to 315.  I think I just needed to re-fuel my machine, get the engine burning again.  So today, I'll get my calories back down to 1800 and see where we go from here.

I'm not waiting till New Year's Day to make a new fitness resolution.  It starts now...15 lbs. by my birthday.  That's just 12 weeks.  I hear my divorce should be finalized by my birthday too.  Damn!  That's going to be an awesome week!

So, here's the plan...

Take my meds and vitamins, religiously.

Daily caloric intake: 1800 Calories
Nutrient mix for fat burning: 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat
Eating clean...no sugar, no processed foods, NO SOY!!!  Lots of veggies and plenty of water.

60 - 90 minutes aerobic activity, 6 days a week (rowing machine, elliptical cross trainer, walking and Fit Ball)
2 - 3 days a week core DVD work
6 days a week weight training, split routine (upper or lower plus abs)

Since I haven't exercised in awhile, I'll spend this weekend with gentle walking, getting used to my equipment again, and lots of bouncing on the Fit Ball.

Maintenance of sleep hygiene: Go to bed by 10, get up at 6...no excuses on this one!  I've found that adequate sleep is the make-or-break for me with regards to exercise.

Get outside for an hour everyday for sunlight.

Remember to laugh and spend time with my boys, friends and to spend my one day off from exercise doing something fun.

Weekly massages.

Okay, that's enough for now.  My first action is to drink water and take my meds and vitamins!

2 comments:

screaming fatgirl said...

Your regimen is much stricter than mine! Good luck! :-)

Georgia said...

I am determined to drop below 300 lb by my birthday. I haven't been exercising, I've been lax on the food, and I've been letting a lot of things slide lately. And my weight has been maintained, within the same five-pounds, for months, without trying too hard. That tells me my basic maintenance is working to do just that. So I have to push to get to the next level.

I think I'd be happy to drop around another 10% of my weight and coast for a little bit. That would put me at 280. Actually, at 275, I'd have exactly 100 lb. left to lose. I'm hoping getting there will make moving my body that much easier and I'll have a good bit more energy and enthusiasm to stay focused for the next 100 lb.