Whats Your Secret?

I'm often asked what my secret to being fit is, or what diet plan I'm on. Here's the biggest secret of all; I'm not on a diet.

When I first decided to slim down, I was very careful about what I ate. Despite all that I know about nutrition, I was trying to lose weight so I went fat free, carb free, sugar free (and taste-free and fun free). Dieting made me grouchy, irritable, listless and constantly hungry. I found that when I dieted, I cheated more, binging more on sweets and constantly craving things that were on the "no" list, which in turn made me feel guilty if I gave into my cravings. The day I decided to stop dieting and get healthy was the day I made the best decision of my life (other than saying "yes" to my wonderful husband that is). When I made the conscious decision to stop dieting and to change my lifestyle I no longer craved fatty and sugary things, and I no longer felt guilty about food. I found I had more energy to workout, to be active and to be happy with. I found that my days no longer revolved around the scantly meals that I was allowing myself to have, and that I could actually focus on myself, rather than on counting calories. I lost weight more effectively, and have been able to keep the pounds off. More than these small feats, I love myself more, and embrace the new me (I know, I know that sounds cheesy and cliche).

I think for anyone trying to lose weight, you need to focus on being healthy first, rather than just trying to shed pounds. Learn about your body, learn about food and learn about exercise. You can't expect to run a marathon the first day you lace up your shoes, nor can you expect to drop 5 pant sizes in a week. Bring healthy should be a long term goal, with short term changes. You don't have to make huge leaps and bounds, start small, and make changes that are manageable, rational and something that you are capable of following. Make changes that make sense for health, not for shedding weight. If you can learn to be healthy, you will lose weight; end of story.

Here are my secrets to being healthy:

1) Eat real food. The less processed, the less salt, and preservatives and bad things there will be. I've never done a shake diet, or meal replacements or anything like that. I eat fruit and vegetables and whole grains. The less packaging the better, because it means real food. I always put vegetables on my plate first, and try to make sure they take up half the plate.

• Some of the added bonuses of real food
• Its WAY cheaper than pre-packaged food (see what your grocery bill looks like if you buy everything fresh; compare the price of canned goods to produce)
• Its low in sodium, refined sugars and chemicals
• Its better for the environment (in many ways, no packaging = less garbage in landfills, and fresh foods also take less energy to produce than packaged ones)

2) Drink water. And lots of it. I think the only thing I drink is water (with the exception of herbal tea or decaf coffee some mornings). We shower to clean our outsides, but what do we do for our insides? I drink about 3-4L of water a day - which is twice the recommended 8 cups, and more if I'm exercising. I constantly have my water bottle with me, and find that if its there, I'll drink, you can train yourself to get in the habit too. And although it makes you have to pee more (hey heres a chance to get away from your desk and stretch your legs for a few minutes!!) it is definitely worth it!

• Bonuses of drinking water
• Its a lot cheaper than buying soda, juice, crystal light etc, most of which are either empty calories, high in sugar or full of artificial chemicals to make them calorie free. If you want some taste in your water, squeeze some lemon or lime in, or add mint leaves and cucumber for a refreshing drink.
• It helps you lose weight. Cold water helps you to digest food, boosts your metabolism and burns calories. Your body can digest things more efficiently when it is hydrated and it doesn't have to pull water away from other pertinent processes. If you're hydrated your body digests food more efficiently. Cold water needs to be warmed up by your body before it can be absorbed, which means you expend energy to heat it! 
• Its like a shower for all your cells. Think about it like taking a shower on the inside! It helps to wash away dead cells, rejuvenate blood flow and keep your body going! It helps to keep your kidneys working properly, and staying hydrated lowers your risk of bladder cancer! 

3) Be aware of what you eat. Its very very easy to snack idly, and not remember what you put in to your body. As much as our society is about efficiency, and go, go,go, take time to either plan your meals ahead of time (if you plan on eating while doing another activity, like working, studying, driving, etc) so that you don't over eat without thinking about it, or sit down and make eating your only activity. A lot of us over eat simply because we aren't paying enough attention to eating.

4) Be active. I spend about 40-60 minutes every day walking. I walk to and from school every single day, so even on days when I don't make it to the gym, I've been active. Take the stairs, so what if it takes 5 minutes to get to the 10th floor, did you really need to rush there? I sure didn't! Many people say I take transit to work/school, well how about getting off a stop or two early? Then you get a good walk in, get some exercise and I find walking gives me time to just be by myself. I look at the walk as enjoyable, time to think rather than an inconvenience. I certainly could take the bus every day, and I'd get there faster too, but then I wouldn't have that precious time to myself either!

 5) Hit the gym, and work it! If you really (really!) want to be fit and healthy, you'll have to work for it. I workout 3-4 times a week, and I don't resent it! So many people day they don't have time, or are too tired or whatever, but those are excuses. If you care about it, you will MAKE time for it. Rome wasn't built in a day, but one day, someone laid the corner stone, and it grew. I always think of my mom when thinking about  people being healthy and making time for the gym. She is such an inspiration. She lost over 60lbs, going from someone who got winded walking up the stairs to running a marathon just after her 50th birthday. If she can find the time and inner strength, so can you.

6) Don't limit yourself (too much). Healthy eating doesn't mean you can't ever eat dessert, or have a glass of wine, or go out for wing night. The trick is to learn to not want those things. I find that the healthier I eat, the less I want to put bad things into my body. My biggest craving at the moment is a fruit & veggie smoothie. I also let myself have bad foods when I want them, because I find its not all that often. I think that is the difference between dieting and being healthy, I no longer crave junk food, and I no longer have to "cheat" on my diet. I mostly eat good things, and then when I want, I have a cookie (because now I only feel like I want one, not the whole bag). And party my perspective on junk food had shifted, I don't want it or need it in my body, and would much rather eat a delicious meal than binge on a bag of chips.

And that is my secret.