Fitness questions

Poledanceromance had some great tips. I also love the idea if "high end of my weight" vs. "low end of my weight," I haven't thought about it like that before. It's so easy to get hooked onto that low number that I want and not an acceptable range!

CloSmo I just had a suggestion for you re: soft drinks. Have you tried flavored seltzer water? It's carbonated, so it satisfies that part of the soda itch (I don't know about you but I've found what I usually crave is the bubbly texture of a soft drink, not so much the sugar or flavor). It has some flavor to it but the flavor is really subtle, like someone just barely squeezed a lemon into the water rather than made lemonade, but still enough that you can taste it. And there's no sugar or artificial sweetener, and very low sodium. So really, it's a no-guilt drink, and good for people like me who don't like drinking just plain water and don't want to drink soda but still get the craving. 

Your typical meal seems pretty sound to me – I would recommend that you do try to get those snacks in as often as possible, to avoid blood sugar dips and spikes (which lead to energy dips and spikes, and cravings for simple carbs like sugar) and to make sure you're not *too* low on calories.

The foods you're choosing are good – look for ways that you might shave off a little here or there, like low-fat or low-sugar yoghurt, whole grain bread/rolls/tortillas, vinaigrette salad dressing vs. creamy styles, fruits that are high in water (melon, citrus fruits, grapes for example) rather than starch (bananas are main culprit). I believe we really can eat pretty much what we want, but there are ways to make every choice a little healthier. 

One thing I like doing is making a DELUXE salad. I noticed I was getting pretty bored with just greens + dressing as a meal option, and I'd be hungry again in no time if that's all I had for lunch. But I've started copycatting some of the salads I've had at restaurants, adding strips of meat, fruit, nuts, goat cheese (not a health food but mmmmmm so good), extra veggies, homemade dressing, etc. So I end up with this huge and satisfying meal that's still pretty healthy, easily packed to take to work, and I don't really have to cook or clean up or do anything special to make it. (When I use meat, it's usually leftovers from dinner.) 

I do need to get more cardio in, though, and this thread has been a helpful reminder that I've been slacking on that part of my exercise. Ugh. I really dislike most cardio activities. I take no joy in getting sweaty and worn out, and my mind usually goes to really negative places when I try higher-intensity things ("Oh my god, this so sucks. Why are you doing this? Let's go home. This is the opposite of fun. Get me out of here. I never want to do this again." etc.). So, not exactly motivational. :\

Glad to give you a new tip! 

Everyone has their horrible days, I think. For me, I start getting crabby when I've been dining out too many days in a row, because I always eat more at restaurants than I would at home, and then the food I bought to make at home goes rotten while I'm out spending MORE food money on restaurants. 

But you're talking to a girl who will eat Nutella right out of the jar if she has a chance 🙂 I think we can all relate to being horrible eaters at least some of the time, and I think it's pointless for anyone to beat themselves up over it. I'm generally not an emotional eater, but I do eat when I'm bored or feeling lazy, and I'm an expert at talking myself into eating things I know I shouldn't have. One of my worst faults is that if I do have something "bad" in the house, like brownies or sweets, I will scarf the whole thing at once using the logic "I'd just have eaten it anyway, it's the same amount of calories whether I spread it over a week or eat it all right now, might as well get it over with and get it out of my sight." And my brain never second-guesses such reasoning. 🙂 

I envy people who enjoy things like Zumba. I've tried so many times to like it, but never had as much fun as the commercials promise. Maybe because, other than pole, I'm not really a dancer in general, dancing around my house in my undies is not something I'm prone to do, with or without Afro-Latin music, haha. There's something about the "let's party" vibe of Zumba that actually turns me off. My cynical side comes out, all the enthusiasm and THIS IS FUN RIGHT??? seems so fake to me and I just can't get into it.

I used to do the elliptical for all my cardio but ever since I discovered pole, you couldn't pay me to get back on a cardio machine. SO. BORING. The only trouble is, I'm not poling often enough to make up for the time I used to spend ellipticalling, and I don't get as much of a calorie burn from  my typical pole workout – I used to burn 500-700 calories on the elliptical each time. My other main exercise is yoga, which also isn't a calorie-burner, though I've started going to hot yoga so I at least work a LITTLE harder at it. I'm just a low-intensity person in general so it's tough to find something that actually makes me WANT to dial it up. I have options, I'm just not taking advantage of them. 

Closmo, 

I do lift kettlebells, I walk/jog, aerobics, and pole. As far as diet, I lost 50 pounds switching to just serving sizes. I just to have pretty big portions or second helpings of things. This is no longer working. I'm told my diet needs to change again. I just don't quite know how to change it more than I have. Any thoughts?

Cheers Vixen, same to you 🙂

Well, you look to be training a good amount, and eating real foods, it may be to a point with you where you need to really individualize your food intake. Making everything yourself is a fantastic start, but with the regular exercise you are doing, you may find you aren't getting enough calories in, or in the right way. Over the next couple of days, write down everything you eat – no cheating! – and if you like, email it to me. I can have a look and see whether there is anything easy to pin point. 🙂 You have already made some fantastic gains, so it might be that you have plateau'd (don't we all hate that word) and you need to shake it up a bit.

CloSmo, I would say at the moment you aren't eating or exercising enough – very tough with an injury I know! 🙂 But the biggest thing that will help you is fixing up your food intake, especially if you are injured as you might have to take it easy for a little while. It isn't always about cutting food down – eating more 'good' food, more often, and a variety of it, will do a lot more than eating small portions of high sugar content food.

I am very pro-resistance work, and would suggest that even over cardio – but then, that is what has worked for me 🙂 For me, the biggest results go – diet, resistance/weight training, cardio, in that order.

I don't like 'health' foods either. You can have burgers and macaroni and cheese and all of that, in moderation, with better ingredients than comes out of a packet. Make a burger yourself with whole meal bread, lean beef, and add lots of vegies and salad in it as well. Make the mac and cheese with rigatoni pasta and a white sauce with some real cheese, not the weird fake stuff that comes out of a tin 🙂 Try this – eat low sugar, balanced food for the week, then one meal every week – only one, eat whatever your heart desires. Cheat meals are really important, both for physical and psychological reasons 🙂

Cutting bread (and compex carbs) doesn't work for everyone, it never worked for me. But just be aware of when you are eating them – complex carbs are a slower burning fuel, so eating them early in the day will be better than at dinner before bed.