Peter and I have been determined to get in shape, but last semester was so intense that it was difficult to stick to any kind of plan...then the holidays were upon us, etc., etc. Long story short, Peter and I are more resolved than ever to be more healthy. We decided to totally overhaul our eating habits. We bought a food scale, and have been carefully watching our portion intake. We have also been making sure that we are eating the right amount of proteins and carbs (carbs including simple and complex), and ruling out as much salt and sugar as possible. It's been rough, to say the least. I have had so many cravings it's insane. I'm not necessarily hungry because I eat about five times a day...it's just that my meals are rather bland. I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate more flavor into my meals without sabotaging my nutrition plan. Some of my favorite things are big no-nos. Like cheese. I love cheese, but it has a lot of sodium and saturated fat in it, so it's out. Chocolate, too. I can't tell you how much I have wanted chocolate recently...and a big greasy hamburger. I don't even like hamburgers that much, but for some reason I have really wanted one. Going to the store on an empty stomach is torturous...watching television is worse though. Peter and I have had to stop watching the Food Network because it makes us salivate like Pavlov's dogs. I am proud about how well we have been sticking to our plan, though, despite how hard it's bee, and our food isn't all boring wholesomeness. Peter has become very good at adding spices to meat and veggies that help kick up their flavor without adding any salt, and we do get to have one "cheat meal" per week where we can eat whatever we want.
In addition to trying to eat well, we've been going to the gym about 6 days a week. Three days are spent doing cardio and three are spent doing weight training. It's somewhat easy for me to make the time for exercise because I'm taking a course this semester called Dynamic Fitness. My class meets once a week where we discuss the various applications of fitness, and then I have a lab three times a week at 7:30 in the morning where I go work out with a group of 15 others and a trainer. The trainer is just a senior in the exercise science program, but still a trainer. It's pretty awesome, but I get the feeling that it's going to kick my butt. The very first day our warmup consisted of four laps around the track, after which we stretched and then ran 12 laps around the track. I'm not much of a runner so I had to walk periodically, but I still did it. We then had our flexibility tested and body fat measured followed by how many pushups and sit ups we could do in 60 seconds. It was a rough start but I'm excited to actually have semi-professional instruction on exercise and nutrition. The only annoying thing is that I'm sweaty and gross after my class and I don't have time to go home and shower, so I actually rented a locker at the fieldhouse, and I just shower and get ready there. I get to have the joy of showering in front of other people since there aren't any private shower stalls in the locker room. I kind of feel like a self conscious 13-year-old in junior high all over again, but I can deal with it.
The desire to be healthy is something Peter and I have had for sometime, but we have a few motivations right now that will help us in our efforts. For Peter, he wants to be in great shape for when he graduates this spring, and I want to be in shape to hike this summer. I want to finally hike the narrows and I don't want to be totally beaten up from it. I just want to be active and not feel tired and energyless anymore. So far, our efforts have reaped some benefits. This week Peter lost two pounds and I lost three. Measuring pounds lost isn't the best way to measure fitness, though, considering we both want to build up muscle and bone mass. It's mostly a matter of body fat percentage. I'd eventually like to get down to 15%, but I know that's going to take time and a lot of effort, and it's going to have to be a life-long commitment.
...and I'm going to have to lay off the cheese and chocolate. Boo.
3 comments:
Wow good for you guys! I have seen you and peter around campus a couple times riding your bike....your a good example!
We're big cheese eaters, too. It's hard to lay off of it, but I just try adding less to things. Way to keep trying to stay fit for life. I think the most important thing to remember is to make changes that you can pretty much stick with the rest of your life, or you won't keep doing it. We've cut out a lot of salt and our tongues get used to it. In fact, if we eat recipes with the normal salt content we think it's too salty. Keep it up!!
Weighing your food?! You amaze me. Good luck!
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