Ok....So I'm going to make things simple for you! One thing for you to know about me is that I have had my ups and downs with weight loss, so TRUST ME I know where your coming from!
Up to this point I have been a swimmer most of my life...pretty much over half of it. When I swam I was invincible when it came to diet. I went to swim practice for at least 2 hours five days a week and some times more. Not to mention later in my swimming career I added weights to my after swimming routine, and cycling and running on the weekends. So I was a fat-burning machine! I could down plates and plates of pasta, cookie after cookie and my weight never changed. I used to put teenage boys to shame...my mother can attest to this. I needed it, and I was growing. Then my interest faded in the sport of swimming and I found myself interested in long distance running and cycling. All I saw when I went to training events and races was that I was "the big girl". This started my roller coaster of diet and exercise. I started my Freshman year of college and was scared to death of gaining the dreaded Freshman 15! So I watched everything I ate...not to mention I hadn't dabbled in the likes of alcohol before (a wastebasket of calories, and not nice to the waistline). My eating and strict exercise regimen came to a screeching halt when I found out about Mocha's and cocktails, and with cocktails comes all of this not so waist-friendly drunk food (nachos, pizza, pita pit, Taco Bell, pretty much anything fatty and cheesy and carb loaded I could get my hands on). As the year went on I continued this poor diet, and was still getting regular exercise, but nothing compared to swimming 2 hours a day and weight training (the key here is diet). Toward the end of my Freshman year, I can remember the day that I got out of the shower and looked at myself in the mirror, and it was like I gained 20 pounds overnight. I was tipping the scales at about 160 lbs. I am 5'5" (athletic build), so I'm a little muscle bound and my weight is usually on the heavier side...I had gone from a size 2 to a size 8.
That summer I decided I was going to train for a triathlon. Long hours on the bike, running and swimming but me right back at my ideal weight (for me...about 135...I go more by how I look in the mirror to myself) by the end of the summer. Later my Sophmore year I found out that I had a stress fracture in each leg from over training the summer before. I was devastated, and by doctor's orders was told not to run until they healed...also it was too painful to try to run. I began to eat myself into oblivion coupled with binge drinking and generally poor diet. Through that summer and into the beginning of my Junior year I was so disgusted with myself that I marched my overweight behind to the gym and hired myself a personal trainer (mind you I was working on my Health and Exercise Degree but sometimes even the best of us need a swift kick in the behind). I regained my zest for life, exercise and well-being. I continued to struggle with my weight until the most recent years. My weight fluctuated +/- 10lbs frequently. I dabbled in the bodybuilding and figure, and the strict diets and outrageous workouts left me burnt out, out of balance, and usually overweight. After college I decided to join the Army and suddenly my weight became part of my job. I knew I would have to keep it under control. I tried to make a conscious effort to eat as many veggies as I could each day. I got some good carbs in the morning with some protein. Lunch was some more carbs and a protein, and dinner was usually light, protein and some veggies, maybe a bite of carbs. I kept tweaking this until I am where I am today. I have successfully controlled my weight within a 2 or 3 pounds for 2 years now. I had to add too and take away from my diet to find the right concoction for myself. I cannot stress enough that each person is so different. I eat as whole food as I can and I get regular exercise. Nothing crazy, just a 20 or 30 min walk and a quick bodyweight circuit workout (check out BodyRock.tv, or traceyandersonmethod.com, or sadienardini.com). I eat when I'm hungry and I DON'T when I'm not. BUT AGAIN I say that everyone is so different. You have to learn to listen to your body, come to know it inside and out. Sounds funny, because I'm sure your like "Well of course I know my body, its me", but do you really?
So enough about me...let's give you some tools to help you begin finding your equilibrium.
Breakfast: Good rule of thumb have some good whole grain carbohydrates (breads, grains etc) 1 serving and a little bit of protein (doesn't have to be complete, milk, yogurt, eggs). So your breakfast will be something like yogurt and granola, milk and raisin bran, a scrambled egg and whole wheat toast, toast with peanut butter...you get the idea, if you need some more ideas leave me a comment or send me an email.
Lunch and Dinner: Now this is a piece of cake (not really but really ;)). Grab your plate and look at it like a pie chart. Half of your plate should be covered in veggies, maybe some fruit. Take the other half and divide it in half (so quarters). One of the quarters should be a protein and the other a carbohydrate (potato, whole wheat pasta, rice etc). If you need meal ideas leave a comment or send me an email.
Snacks: You can have two...one between breakfast and lunch, and the other between lunch and dinner. Piece of fruit, rice cakes, veggies and hummus, apple and peanut butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, granola bar, etc. Again if you need ideas leave a comment...I'll try to start getting some recipes up on the blog.
AND WATER,WATER, WATER!!!!!! It's really that simple! Check out choosemyplate.gov for a customized meal plan. On the main page click on the green tab in the middle that says SuperTracker and other tools. Then on the left hand side click the link that says Daily Food Plans. A paragraph will pop up. In the first sentence click the blue letters that say Daily Food Plans and bingo. Plug in your information the it asks for and you will have a personalized food plan. Not to mention...when you have a few minutes look around the site. They have recipes and lots a good nutrition information.
Keep a journal of what you find and your progress...find YOUR balance!
Exercise options up next!!!
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