It's all about the game plan

"Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised."

- Denis Waitley

There is no cookie-cutter approach to a healthy lifestyle.  If there was, the fitness magazines would only have to publish one issue!  I firmly believe in customizing an approach that works for the individual.  There are some basic fundamentals that every plan includes, but it's all in how they're implemented.  "Cardio" can mean treadmill, elliptical, stairmill, rowing machine, step class, hip-hop, swimming ... I could go on and on with the options out there.  I know that step class is not a great choice for me because of the strain it puts on my knees, whereas I'll risk a bit of strain for the enjoyment of a hip-hop or Zumba class.


Here are some of my strategies I use that help me be consistent with my efforts:

• Writing out a grocery list IN ADVANCE of going shopping and sticking with it
• Yes, there's an app for that and I try to use it every time I shop.  If it's not on the list, it's probably not going in the cart.  My grocery shopping is so routine, I'm generally selecting the same items each time (chicken, eggs, almonds, veggies) with a few extras thrown in (maybe a steak this week).
• Preparing food IN ADVANCE so I'm not making decisions about what to eat when I need to eat
• When I'm measuring out my food for dinner, I'll measure out a second meal so that lunch is already set aside.
• There's usually a tupperware of cooked chicken in the fridge, so I can reliably reach in and pull out a good meal choice.  Fortunately, I don't dislike cold chicken and actually like it when it's accompanied by a delicious mustard.
• I even do this for my vitamins and supplements, putting them into a weekly pillbox so that I can "grab and go" in the morning when I'm invariably running late.
• Packing food and taking it to go
• I carry food around with me all the time.  I even pulled out chicken and almonds while getting a pedicure once when I knew it would overlap with a scheduled meal.  If I've got my "clean" food on me, I'm less likely to choose other foods that would undermine my efforts.
• My husband will tease me about this - "We're going to my parents' house, not Siberia."  I know there's going to be food there, but I don't know what food is going to be there.  While it's no guarantee, I'm more likely to make "clean" choices when I have clean food on me.
• I've taken food to restaurants, movies, even weddings.  As long as it's done discretely, it shouldn't be a problem.
• Weighing out my portions
• I CAN'T eye-ball serving sizes as I routinely dole out more than intended.  I've tried "testing" myself before, setting out what I thought was a serving and then checking to see how close I was.  I'm getting better, but I serve out more food and those extra calories can add up!  I have a digital scale in the kitchen and just about everything goes on it or in a measuring cup - egg whites (since I use the kind in a carton), almonds, chicken, ground turkey, even my husband's spaghetti and M&Ms (no, he's not on the same eating plan that I am).
• Similar to preparing my meals in advance, I'll weigh out servings in advance.  The pantry is filled with containers and bags of portioned-out almonds, protein powders, and other foods. It helps to calibrate the perception of a serving size as well as to know how many servings remain before needing to head to the store.
• Weighing myself on a regular basis
• I tend to weigh myself on a daily basis, but wouldn't necessarily recommend this for others.  It's possible to get too attached to the number.  If it's up, does that mean I'm a failure?  If it's down, does that mean I'm a good person?  The number on the scale can fluctuate for many reasons - a salty meal, an intense workout, "that time of the month" - and it can fluctuate greatly throughout the day, as much as 5 pounds!  I find it's important to contextualize the number on the scale and to use it as one of many tools in tracking my efforts.
• Writing out my food log
• Seeing what I've eaten makes the choices more real.  I'm less likely to eat 4 PopTarts for lunch when I know I'm going to report it and see it in writing before me.  When I don't log what I eat, it's much easier to minimize or discount.  "I didn't eat that poorly" when I actually ate PopTarts and gingerbread for lunch and a whole Papa John's pizza for dinner.  (See why I wasn't surprised by the starting number on the scale?)
• Exercising with a heart-rate monitor
• I find that this helps me gauge my effort or intensity and keeps me accountable.  Regardless of the pace I've set on the cardio machine, I'm not done until I've reached at least 600 calories.  Whether or not this is an accurate measure of the actual calories burned, it's a consistent measure across activities.  I don't rely on the subjective perception of how tough my body's working - some days are going to be easier and some days are going to be tougher.  This removes the guesswork.
• Scheduling exercise
• If I plan to exercise EVERY DAY, I'm much more likely to exercise on a consistent basis.  Sometimes life happens and I'm not able to get a workout in, but that's okay because the overall pattern is regular exercise.  It also allows me to choose to take a day off toward the end of the week if I want to, because I've been structured enough to get my other workouts in.
• Get dressed to sweat!
• Once I'm wearing my workout clothes, I'm much more likely to go ahead and workout.  It's the first step in the commitment to climb on that elliptical.  I haven't tried sleeping in workout clothes to help get ready for an early morning workout... yet....
• Being accountable to someone else
• I workout with a trainer on a weekly basis.  I send him my food logs.  I report my cardio sessions and my weight to him.  I don't do this FOR him.  Rather, I've enlisted his support in helping me do this for myself.  He'll ask me the uncomfortable questions I don't always want to ask myself.  Where's my weight at?  How have I been eating?  Am I getting a little more fluffy?  It's not intended to make me feel bad (and it doesn't). Rather, it gets me to stop and reflect on my choices and the consequences of those choices (Hello, PopTarts!).

These are all behaviors.  If I engage in them regularly, they're going to help me reach my personal goals.  There's no quick-fix.  It's not sexy.  It's the same thing, day in and day out.  That's why it's hard to stick with it - boredom sets in.  However, when the strategies are paired up with motivators and rewards, there's a greater chance of sticking with it and seeing that success.

Food Log:

• Breakfast
• 4 egg whites and 2 eggs with salsa
• Snack
• Asparagus
• Tablespoon of peanut butter
• Dinner
• 4 oz chicken with Sweet & Hot mustard
• Sauteed baby spinach with garlic (I use Pam in a non-stick skillet)
• 20g almonds
• Snack
• Generous tablespoon of peanut butter

Exercise: 

• 64 minutes on the elliptical
• Levels: 2 minutes at level 1, 60 minutes at level 4, 2 minutes at level 1
• Calories: 700+
• Had a slightly slower pace today (4.8 as opposed to 5.2) - feeling tired, tight, and sore.  Not sure if this was the result of Sunday's workout or Monday's massage.  But I got my calories and distance in!

Today's Weigh-In: 147.7