The science behind the theories.
During my time at BYU-I, I chose my minor to be Health Education. Through this degree I learned much about the human body and how to look after it. I was a trainer at the gym over 5 semesters, and 3 of those, I trained groups of students/faculty in the "biggest winner" program. It was set up much like the Biggest Loser on TV. Through educating those on how to exercise properly and eat right, they were able to see results, which was very rewarding for me as well. I never really had to lose any weight myself, but enjoyed exercising and eating whatever I wanted. Now that I'm a bit older, I have an office job, I've grown some hips and my metabolism isn't what it was at 20, I was also diagnosed with PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome- Many women with this condition gain weight easily and often become insulin resistant- I was BOUND on not letting this happen to my body and let the PCOS win.... But alas, I gained some unwanted weight.
Let me tell you how I got rid of it:
Losing weight is a daunting task and it takes A LOT of energy, planning and will power. It's a whole different mind set, that only you can get yourself into. Try starting slow.
First: Hide/throw away/give away ALL sugar, soda, snacks, chips and crackers and SALT in the house- if they are not accessible, there is less chance of you indulging. Now start going for walks and bike rides.
If you are serious about losing weight now and keeping it off later, you will need to learn to go without and PORTION CONTROL.
In a gospel perspective, we are told to bridal our passions. Alma teaches: (Alma 32:12) "Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness."
Ok, so here I know that this scripture is for me because I LOVE food and snacks and I can get lazy about exercising. In the church, we are told that we need to learn to control our bodies and minds, we practice this from abstaining from sexual indulgences before marriage and going without food and water once a month for Fast Sundays-to name a few.... well, then we need to be able to control what we are putting into our mouths and bodies too. Learning to apply this helps me meet my fitness goals.
NOW
Go here: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm
and figure out your BMI or your Body Mass Index
This basically tells you how fat you are...
By putting in your height, and weight, the number you get provides a reliable indicator of body fatness in adults. For both men and women
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = 30+
Now since the majority of weight loss happens in the kitchen, you will need to find out how many calories your body needs to live.
Calculate your BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate here:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
This is the number of calories you would use up if you just stayed in bed all day long.
BMR decreases as you age (unfortunately) so as you get older, this is where exercise comes in and helps you out a TON!
Now: Say your BMI is a bit high and you need to lose a few lbs to get it down to a normal/heathier number. You will take your BMR number and start counting your calories.
The best way to count your calories is to write them down on a piece of paper- (not in a phone app or online), that is handy and that can be seen- or you will forget.
I keep all my papers inside my food cupboard with a pen, so I can jot down everything I'm eating. When I see that I'm close to my allotted calories for the day, I adjust my meals... and drink lots of tea and water... You will need to plan out how you will eat your calories throughout the day in order for you not to starve yourself... DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF...it messes your body up, and also your BMR goes way down, which is no good.
Next: You will need to cut some foods out that are super high in calories, and not nutrient dens.
Say your BMR is 1,400 Calories per day. I would suggest eating 200 calories less than that, and also exercise until you burn 500 calories. Thats a (-) 700 calories per day WIN!
You need to have a deficit (that's negative) of about 3,500 calories in order to lose 1 lb of fat.
This does not happen through miracles, it's just science and how our bodies work.
Also, don't try to do this in 1 day...duh, it's not possible- you'd probably have to go without any food for 3 days to lose 1 lb- NOT worth it. If you don't eat all day and you DO lose lbs, then it's just water weight and it will come right back the next day BTW.
Follow this!
If you are eating less/ burning off an extra 500 Calories each day (which is totally doable) after 1 week (7 days of doing this) you will have had (-) 3,500 calories. (500X7=3,500) and you have lost 1 pound of fat.
WAHOO! Now do this for 1 month, and see how you do!
Here is how I track my calories throughout the week: I write down what I'm having, and at the end of the day I see how many calories I ate, and then I write down how many I burned off at the gym.
After 1 week, I take my daily BMRX7,
subtract My calories eaten each day over the 7 days and then
subtract my calories burned over those 7 days.
Then I will see a number around 3,800 which means i've lost about a pound.
Then on to week 2: REPEAT.
Now, you've lost some weight and have plateaued out and seem to be stuck: Eat more calories for a few days so your body gets used to that, and then go back down. Very sneaky.
I have loved having a garden and keep lots of fresh fruit and vegetables in the house. I expecially love making smoothies/juice with my Nutri-Bullet!
In terms of exercise, find what works for you. Maybe you love running, or taking classes at the gym, or weight training, or at home workout DVD's like Insanity, P90X, beachbody, Jillian Michaels etc... or maybe you LOATHE working out...well I'm sorry to say it, but we need physical exercise- so find something you like and do it every day; Hike, walk, play tennis-whatever, just GET MOVING and balance the cardio with a good amount of weight training.
Our muscles keep our bones strong, and strong bones (and muscles) are necessary to keep our bodies upright and moving. We get older, and so do our bodies, so we need to make sure we don't turn into useless couch potatoes!
Find things your body does not agree with and stay away from them. For me I should stay away from sugar, gluten, soy and dairy to have the best results. That's when I follow the Paleo Diet- this is not for everyone, but I really like this girls blog about Paleo, it includes what she ate over 1 week. I did the 30 day Paleo challenge, it was hard, but I lost 6 LBS and have kept them off :)
robinssweetconfessions.com/wp/paleo-challenge/
There are thousands of books, magazines, shows, documentaries, articles, diet pills and everything under the sun about weight loss... find something and stick to it... like I said before, you can't just THINK about losing weight and it will happen- you need to actively work at it, every single day.
Exercise benefits:
Controls weight
combats health conditions and disease
(reduces LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure)
Prevents Osteoporosis
Improves Mood
Boosts Energy
Promotes better sleep
an Excellent de-stresser
Promotes healthy pregnancies
Anti-aging effects
promotes brain health
Improves oxygen and nutrient supply to all cells in your body
Improves muscle strength, joint structure and function
There are 24 hours in a day... Find 1 hour to dedicate to the overall wellness of your health and body. Our bodies are MIRACLES, and we MUST look after them through using the science and knowledge that we now have on HOW to do so.
I am so grateful for modern technologies, and research. Gone are the days where we are washing our clothes by hand, gardening and walking everywhere.
I'm still not exactly where I would love to be in terms of my weight and body appearance, but I will keep trying and I promise to always MAKE THE TIME to get moving and be healthy.
One last thing- I'm grateful for my gym/running buddies, diet pals and supportive husband that help me with my goals.
All questions and comments are welcome :)
