This week on Wellness Wednesday I’m addressing the numerous diet and exercise plans out there. If you’re like me you have spent years trying to get into shape with some success but no lasting effects. The problem for me, and I’m guessing for many of you out there is finding a diet and exercise plan that you want to follow for the long haul. So with that in mind I came up with this as the plan that I am following for the next couple months to find the balance of diet and exercise without reaching that burnout.
1. Follow the exercises prescribed…kinda:
The Abs Diet is a fantastic resource for me. I have followed this particular diet plan before, and it worked out well in the past. I like the diet plan, but find it hard to follow because I was constantly eating. So I’m doing away with that and I’m keeping the exercise plan. The wonderful thing about this book is that most of the exercises in this book are able to be completed in the comfort of your own home with a few lightweight dumbbells (I use 10lbs). I will continue with this exercise plan as much as possible but the diet plan is more or less out.
2. Know how you need to diet:
Even if I don’t follow the Abs Diet “diet” itself, I know from past experience what I am and am not able to eat and how it effects my body. I’m not planning on starving myself or drastically altering my food choices, just being more aware of what I eat and why I eat it. With some diets they might say to totally cut out a certain type of food, but usually I fail at those because I then ONLY want that type of food. So instead I am going to still eat things that aren’t necessarily good for me (like cookies) but I’m going to watch how much I eat. Rather than eating a whole plate of cookies like I might want to do, I limit myself to one or two to fulfill that satisfaction as well as limiting my intake. I am also now eating more fruits and vegetables. I love them but don’t get nearly as much as I should. That is something that is being addressed though.
3. Proof is in the pudding:
Although pudding isn’t in my scope of indulgences, I am keeping a track record of how far I’ve come with some proof. I have taken photos of my “before” self, and will take them again along the way. Since I have 5 months left in Korea I will be taking my progress photo at the 2.5 month mark and before I leave here to see how far I’ve come. I may find that I haven’t gotten far at all or I may surprise the crap out of myself both in photo and on the scale. As for the dreaded scale, I have a rough estimate at 195 (about a week before I started), so that is my starting number. I will NOT be looking at the scale everyday, but instead look at it when I take my photos. Again this may not show a huge fluctuation, but the goal is a healthier balanced life and not just numbers and looks.
In the end I would have to say that whatever diet and exercise plan that you choose, you seek out a doctor first to make sure that it is right for you, any conditions you may have when it comes to foods, or any limitations you may have when it comes to exercises. Find the one that works for you and your goals to help keep that balance.
