Day 5

Round two of the carb cycling. Going good.

I realized at dinner tonight that I completely forgot to eat my afternoon snack today. This has like, never happened to me before in my entire life. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration but it's very rare that I skip a meal. Then, I couldn't even finish my dinner (sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and a chicken brat). Weird.

I'm taking my first measurements on Monday morning. I'm so excited to see what they are even two weeks from now!

You know, if I could share the most important bits of information that I've learned during the past 4 years of my whirlwind obsession with fitness and nutrition, I would say this:

1)You can't be one-sided when it comes to exercising. What I mean by this is you can't be all "weights are the only way to lose weight" or "cardio is the only way to lose weight". And I've been guilty of this myself. So what does work? A combination of weight training, cardio, & diet. It's only when you get these three things together, will you see the results you are after. Trust me, I know. That being said, diet alone is not the way either.

2)Losing weight depends LARGELY upon what you are eating. Sorry folks, you just can't scarf down fried food and sugary desserts all the time and expect to get anywhere with your fitness regimen. No amount of training is going to undo a poor diet. It's sacrifice, but if it's that important to you, you'll do it.

3)You can't say you don't have time. Everyone is busy, ok? I'm busy, you're busy, we're all busy. You always have time to set your alarm clock one hour earlier if that is the only way. If your health and appearance is important, you'll do it.

I could probably write a book about what I've learned and what I've done in the past, what has worked, what hasn't, etc. But I narrowed it down. I say those things because, like I said, I know from experience. I've gone months at a time, exercising my butt off consistently and not seeing my measurements budge one iota. Why? Because I wasn't caring about my diet. I tried eating healthy for the most part but I was cheating too much. I found out that for me, exercising this way will at least help me maintain. But if I want better, I need to eat better. Simple as that.

I don't have a job outside the house, but that doesn't mean that I'm not busy from time to time. I have three kids in school and activities, a huge house to keep up, a giant shedding slobbering dog, laundry for 5 people, etc.. My days can get hectic. But I've learned when the best times for me to get my workouts done are and I make it a point to "schedule" them in. I even schedule other appointments around it if I can. It's important to me so I make time.

You will hear my go on and on about how much I prefer weight lifting to cardio and that is just my personal preference. I would so much rather do 30-45 minutes of weight training than running at a steady state on a treadmill for the same amount of time. But even so, I know that to maximize my results, I need to get that cardio in. Not just for heart health, but for fat loss. But running alone isn't going to cut it either. Again, I could go on and on into the whys but I won't. Just trust me.

I'm no professional, but I have learned through 4 years of trial and error what works for me and what doesn't. So who am I? I am a woman who has never had weight problems except for after pregnancy. I am skinny and don't weigh very much, yet I have pockets of fat on my body that are awful. Trying to get rid of it has been more than a challenge. Way more than I ever expected. I have tried and failed many times simply because I haven't been able to stay motivated to stick to a way of eating that I know will work. It's hard. I am SO confident that this time, it will happen. Something just switched inside me, I'm more driven than ever. This is going to be my year. I hope it is for you too!