"Be Like Mike"/Sunday Confessional

I've seen on other blogs a feature called Sunday Confessional. I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce this to our blog. Use it for what ever you want to confess, report or discuss.

Like I said before, I am not an expert in weight loss. I am a stay at home Mom. I worked for 10 years in Cardiac Rehab. Now don't judge, (I promise I will do the same.) I don't exercise regularly. But....other than driving the 100 mile commute to school for the kids and being on the computer, I never stop moving, and even at that, my car is stick shift, so that counts for something, and I get interupted so many times on the computer its a wonder I can even complete a sentence! I am fidgiting my foot as we speak.

I am 32 years old. I am 5'6", 125-130lbs. Size 4-6. I have a slight baby pooch but it doesn't prevent me from wearing a bikini and I am actually quite proud of my "badge of honor". I don't love my butt. I not telling you this to brag, there is no way I'm entering the miss fitness contest any time soon. I too would love to look more like the ladies in Hollywood. I don't need to lose weight, but there are plenty of improvements in my body composition to be made.

Some things about me that I think are key to my weight:

I don't love any particular food and I centainly don't fear or manipulate it. Food is not a reward or a comfort. It's something your body needs to be healthy and strong. Ask my kids, they can repeat that verbatium. Early on my Mom gave me these tools. I never had to correct bad habits. It's just the way I am and hope to raise my kids the same way.

I don't drink soda, coffee or alcohol and I avoid processed foods and chemical substitutes. I haven't researched this, but I feel it in my gut. If your body is full of chemicals and toxins, it can't function properly and by that I mean get rid of excess waste/weight. There is more out there about this, and I'm sure you will learn the same if you looked.

That being said,
I eat what ever I want, when I want. Sometimes an A&W is just so refreshing or I am too lazy to make popcorn so I eat the microwaveable stuff, and licorice is such a yummy treat! Nothing is off limits.

I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I don't care what the clock says. Usually every couple of hours. Small frequent meals. I don't skip meals, especially breakfast. I barely ever eat dessert. If I do, I wait 30 minutes or so until I have digested my meal. Who can pass up birthday cake or Baked Apple Pie in a bag with Ice Cream!

I see a chiropractor when I am feeling achey or unwell. I know how I feel after an adjustment and can confidently say this keeps me from getting sick. My kids also go and they have rarely been sick. They were adjusted days after being born and my daughter was even done in-utero. This may seem extreme to some, but this is how strongly I believe in the practice.

I don't take vitamins regularly, but wish I did. I just can't develop the habit. When I do, I take a super-multi (vitamins and minerals with a bunch of other herbals). I do think for digestion and enhanced immune function, probiotics are important.

These are just some of the things I think make me healthy and keep my weight from being an issue. I'm sure I've got some good genetics and metabolism. I believe the other things help too.
You don't have to "Be Like Mike(Me)", but it might help.

Let's Get Physical, Physical, I wanna get....

PHYS-I-CAL!!! 'Little Olivia Newton-John for ya. One of the tapes I used to listen to in my basement while dancing around with my sister.

Everyone knows they should exercise. I'm sure you know why, but I still feel compelled to list them: Disease prevention, Stress Management, WEIGHT LOSS, Strong Bones, Improved Quality of Life, on and on.

There is so much information out there, and so many ways to be physically active. Any time you move your body you are burning calories: Sit instead of laying down. Stand instead of sitting. When you do strength training (lift weights) you make your muscles better calorie burners so you can burn even more calories by moving your body.

Find little ways to be more active. Sneak it in: Ditch the TV remote, Leave your phone on the charger....in the basement, then pace while talking on it, use the bathroom on a different floor; and everyone knows about taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking in the furthest spot from the door!

Research has shown the best method for losing weight is a caloric defecit. Expending more calories than you consume. Combining diet and increased physical activity is the most effective way to create a defecit.

There are some technical ways of figuring out the exact numbers, but I hate math. Here is the bottom line. You are already losing weight by changing what and how you eat. Lets add the physical activity in for even more weight loss. This will be especially important for weight maintenance, when you start adding some of those calories back in.

Here's the good news: Every little bit counts.

Here's the bad news: To be most effective you need to accumulate 280 minutes a week at moderate intensity.

Now that I freaked you out. (Yes that's 45 minutes on 6 days a week!)

There's more good news. Modest weight loss can be achieved with only 150 minutes. (30 minutes on 5 days a week.) But more importantly significant health benefits can be achieved.

So remember, every little bit counts. Start by doing those little things, and just moving your body more. This is physical activity. Add them all up. Then there is everyone's friend, exercise. Exercise is done continuously, it involves large muscle groups, it gets your heart rate going. When you're ready to step it up. Add in some exercise. Walking, biking, swiming, jumping rope, rollerblading, playing sports, pick one.

What can you commit to? One day? Two days? Three 10 minute segments? Two 15 minute segments?

Start slow and build up. Your body will adjust. It may be hard, tiring, sweaty, painful, (not if you do it right, blame Jane Fonda for that one) but little by little it will become easier and you might even (gasp!) like it! (I'm still waiting for that one.) Pick a starting point and add on. Add time, increase your intensity. Experiment. If you go too far, pull back. Slow down, cut back til you find a comfortable level and then try again.

So how 'bout a little dance....

Sing with me - "Let's get physical, physical....

Can't believe my Mom let me listen to that song. I was so naive!