Exercising & Losing Weight: A Non-New Year Resolution

The end of April marked 121 days of the year so far and I wonder how many New Year's resolution are still being observed. I don't do resolutions. It has been awhile since I last did. I'm talking probably 15 yrs. The reason? I use to beat myself up when I couldn't keep them or just fooled myself by thinking "Well, it wasn't really a resolution, more like wishful thinking." So I finally stopped. Last Christmas however, I requested an exercise video "Get your body ripped in 90 days" and resolved to myself that 'eventually' I'd do the exercises and stick to them for two reasons. I needed to lose some weight (about 15-20 pounds) and since I had to exercise, why not try and prove if this works or not. Basically, to see what all the buzz is about. You see every time they advertise a weight losing program, they only use models that are perfectly fit, six packs and all so you'd think that can be you "EASILY". Well, at least this program starts with the host saying, "It is not easy; that's why it is called 'workout'. You have to push yourself but once you do, you will have changed your body." I have always exercise and used to walk 5 miles. But for a while I have completely stopped. Time, busyness, just plain lazy sometimes. Well, again, I was going to do this, and since not as a resolution - I kept telling this to myself - I waited until I felt "ready". Basically, having a place set - the bedroom or my office, mentally prepared, etc. Sometime by the end of January, I started. First, I sat and watched the first in the series of about 10 DVDs, to see how difficult they would be and what did I need (weights, exercise ball, a mat) and there was a DIET PROGRAM included! See, I knew it! No one says anything about dieting when they advertised the program. Is all about getting 30 minutes of workouts each day. I read through the diet plan. A 5-meal a day program with lots of items I never heard of like "Ezequiel 3:39 Cereals". Well, I decided that if I was to prove if the program works, I had to do the diet thing. After spending two days thinking all day about food - you know eating about every two hours - I realized I couldn't live like this. Thinking of food have never been a big part of my day and I wasn't going to start now. My husband and relatives tease me about eating like the birds, small portions and only when I'm hungry. Except for my love with coffee that is defined by my sister-in-law as "a relationship" (referring to her habit) I would control what I ate. I also found myself eating more than what I was used to during those two days and in a way I did not like that. After all, I needed to lose weight. I kept with the exercises but decided I wasn't going to become a 'health-nut' but I would watch what I eat and also incorporate some of the principles like: not eating sugar (except the one in my coffee, I wasn't going to sacrifice that), eat whole wheat whenever possible, avoid sugar-filled cereal (sorry, Lucky Charms, see you in 90 days), eat more vegetables and fruits, eat the egg whites, have a breakfast that did not consist of cinnamon rolls and coffee, etc. Well, I found out it is extremely expensive to eat healthy. Fruits and vegetables have to be purchased almost daily as they go bad too fast so I purchase small portions. Whole wheat bread (the real thing) cost about $3 more than the advertised as 'whole' but not 100%. I also learned to read labels. I educated myself on calories and decided to watch what I ate and count calories as I wasn't going to submit to the program's diet (the cereal mentioned above costs about $7/box! and the taste is not great at all). I learned a lot about food. But as I said, I wasn't going to become a health-nut nor criticize my friends for eating greasy food or empty calories. I was going into this with a purpose and ended up with more benefits that I had imagined. I'm not a fast-food person so that was not hard to give up but I did have to change my eating habits. I discovered a whole new world of flavors I have been depriving myself of since I limited my eating to cakes, cookies, and coffee with some Puerto Rican food whenever I craved some. (I used to describe myself as a steak and potatoes but I also do love Italian food.) Now, I was not eating any of the things I was used to eat and had to plan and look for recipes to accommodate my strength training exercises. I became an expert in soups, creamy soups that is. I used to say, "I don't eat soups" as I like my food to be sort of crunchy not bland. But soups were part of the diet program and I needed to come up with some I would enjoy. Tomato soup, avocado soup, bean and pumpkin soup are some of the few I cooked and my family loved. I learned there are green onion (yeah, I did not know about these) and that these make the soups tasteful along with cilantro and crushed red pepper. Things I never used before to cook as I limited myself to what I felt was 'safe' for my taste buds. The green onions thing was kind of interesting/funny. My husband said to me once he tasted the tomato soup, "those green things, do you buy them already chopped?" I said, "yes, Amarilys (daughter) bought them." and I showed him the container which he looked at to remember to buy (he cooks when working out of town). Later, I went to Kroger and Alberton's looking for the green onions on the see-through container. Couldn't find it. I thought these supermarkets do not sell green onions :) Then in another occasion, while looking for cilantro, it occurred to me to look for then non-chopped version. And I found them! That was how much I knew about veggies and spices as I limited my cooking to yellow onions, garlic and peppers. I started looking for new recipes which were flavor-full but low in calories and I did find quite a few. Not only did I discovered a new world of flavors, I started drinking more water (already drank 4 bottles a day now I'm up to 8) since the program required two bottles after every meal and before breakfast. As a consequence, my three - four cups of coffee per day were reduced to one except for weekends when my husband was home. I did not even crave it. Sweets was the hard part as this was my weakness. I truly believe in eating desert first (in case after dinner I wouldn't have 'room' for it. I went for three weeks without cookies and cakes. Then I started counting calories and decided to use my sister-in-law's method of allowing myself to eat desert only on weekends. Candies, which I used to snack on or keep in the car for those times I did not have time to eat, completely disappeared from my shopping. I would pass by the aisle and not even felt tempted to buy. I found out that the least you eat something (like cakes and candies) the least you miss them. We get used to things. We adapt. And that helped a lot. Bread was hard as we use to have bread every day. But that too is now under control. I always felt I have good self-control but this program really reaffirmed that. As a Christian and teacher, am always reminding my disciples that this is one of the fruit of the Spirit and we have to exercise self-control in every area of our lives. We are not guided by the pleasures of the flesh nor by every desire but by the Spirit. One thing though I never got. I did not feel better after exercising; like more energetic, ready to do more on my day. I felt like lying on the floor and resting; taking a nap or just lie there. I have always exercise before and I remember feeling energetic. Not now. And every day was a struggle to do them. Even when I started seeing the results. My husband noticed one day when I was changing, "you have a six-pack!". I said, "No, I have four. My belly is still covering the other two." But my fat was being reshaped. That's for sure. But again, even to this day, I fight getting that DVD on and exercising. My end results after 90 days in addition to all I learned about food and changing my eating habits (I do go back every now and then to surviving on coffee depending on the circumstances, but hate it) is that I lost 20 pounds! All around my belly. So, I can say the program works and I must say there were about 4-5 days that I did not follow the program (not in a row though). Whether because of traveling or just got involved in other things, or did not want to do it, I did not exercise all 90 days but did lose the weight. I don't think it would have been as effective without the eating right. It definitely has to be a combination of moving more and eating right. I will continue the program to get my other 2 missing packs, got too! At first, I told myself I did not care for the muscle reshaping thing. I'm 54 yrs old and don't wear 2-piece bathing suits or wear short shirts showing my belly around. But as I started seeing the forms coming along, I started wanting to see if for the 1st time in my life and at this age I can have the body I never had. Well, will see. One of the motivation for me to exercise after 40 was not to get osteoporosis and I was just diagnosed with it. So much for that. But one thing I know, going back to my normal weight makes me feel so much better I even bought new underwear!