For Your Health, Your Family, Your Life

I’m three weeks in to my fitness endeavor already!?

Here’s a quick update: I signed up for Chicago’s 8K Shamrock Shuffle (anyone else running it?) and am following Hal Higdon’s 8K training program in addition to yoga 4-5 times per week. I had an honest discussion with myself and decided that as of now, Crossfit isn’t something I want to pursue. I discovered Nike Training Club, an app akin to torture through medicine ball maneuvering (in such a good way). As far as total cost analysis, I’m finding that $120/month and 6-7 extra hours/week of workouts is well worth the time and money: my clothes fit better, I’m sleeping like the dead, and I have a noticeable boost in energy. Thing is, I haven’t lost any weight. Not an ounce.

Why? I’ve been putting anything and everything I want to eat and drink into my mouth. Giant bowls of cheesy pasta. Giant bottles of delicious red wine. My true weakness in this world: ICE CREAM. For now, I’m ok with this: after all, one habit to form at a time, right? But as of February 1, something’s gotta change with my eating habits or I’ll never see the results I want. Question: how extreme do I want to go, and what will I spend getting there?

I’ve never been one for no-carb diets. They make me mean and dizzy, plus they inevitably lead to an all-out guilt-ridden carb binge followed by eating an entire bag of spinach to “cancel out” the “mistake.” Dukan may work for Kate Middleton, but no thank you for me. I also can’t stand programs like Weight Watchers, mostly because of: a) the constant calorie (point) counting; b) the push toward “low-fat,” ridiculously processed food; c) they actually have Weight Watchers brand ridiculously processed food, which disgusts me. Coming from an extremely French family, I like scraping dirt off vegetables, putting effort into a real meal, and indulging in Camembert from time to time. So beyond consuming “100-calorie packs” of crap or 8 chicken breasts and bacon for three meals a day, where do I go? Caveat: I also don’t eat meat, which throws a giant wrench into the whole “consume your weight in animal protein” thing (I do eat fish).

Yum! Paleo breakfast!

I found two interesting options that can be modified for lacto-ovo-pescatarians. I have a friend who started 2012 with the Paleo Diet. Basically you eat what the cavemen ate: protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and nothing processed/no sugar or dairy. For protein, I would probably supplement this diet with some powdered whey shakes, along with seafood/fish. My fellow ROW coach Jenn Gibbons has been eating like this since the beginning of the year, and I like two things specifically she had to say on her blog:

“I feel funny calling it the Paleo “diet.” You do lose weight doing it, but it’s not a “diet”, it’s more like a lifestyle shift. It’s a way of life-I think that’s why it’s easy to get “in” to.  You’re being conscious of what you’re putting in your body so that you feel good. Who wouldn’t want to do that? I don’t feel like I’m starving myself at all-I eat when I’m hungry. With that being said, I’ve lost 7 lbs in 7 days.”

and…

“My body is repairing itself (post workout) far better with the added protein in my diet. I don’t hurt in the morning (used to be the worst!), and I don’t feel like I need to “take it easy” in yoga to keep energy for Crossfit. I still get tired, don’t get me wrong-but it happens much later in the day.  I also feel like I’m mentally prepared for each workout-before, during and after. I don’t get as overwhelmed or negative in my mind. My body has what it needs to perform, which puts my mind at ease.”

Option two? The 4-Hour Body “Slow-Carb” diet. I loved The 4-Hour Body, and the diet is basically Paleo (except no fruit) but with an added weekly cheat day. Interestingly, the author says “I recommend Saturdays as your Dieters Gone Wild (DGW) day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. If I drank beer, I’d have a few pints of Paulaner Hefe-Weizen. I make myself a little sick each Saturday and don’t want to look at any junk for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat-loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function and conversion of T4 to T3, etc.) doesn’t downshift from extended caloric restriction.”

There are a bunch of supplements/vitamins the author recommends to go with the diet, but I think for now, I might just try the eating plan. My boyfriend’s brother (a former college football player) has been following this diet for close to 6 months now, including the supplements, and looks like a different person — down 40 lbs and drastically reduced body fat.

So which will I choose? I’m leaning toward the 4-hour body version — you can have a glass of red wine every day. Decisions, decisions, but something will start on February 1, and I’ll report back on results and my grocery bill a couple weeks in.

Five short days of ice cream left…siiiiiiggghhhh…

- Sheena Moore

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