Getting (Re)Fit 2015

Lots of people are working toward getting fit this new year. Lots of people usually do, including me. I tend to do really well for a couple of months, then taper off some until summer when we start to get more outside exercise walking and riding our bikes, then completely shut down in fall and early winter. I also go in spurts (always starting at the first of the year) of eating healthier. I get in a groove of doing all of those things that just make me feel better. I am in that groove right now. I don't know how long it will last but I hope it lasts for a long time because I feel great! I am only a week into my new plan, but it is working well and I haven't once been tempted to "skip a day" or cheat a little. The first week I lost almost 2 pounds of my 11 pound weight loss goal and I have felt energized and happy.

What am I doing exactly?

Well, it all starts with a good schedule. I am waking by 6:30 a.m. and getting my exercise done first thing! Since it's been too cold to get outside to run, I have been doing 25 minutes of Tae Bo. It certainly gets my heart beating and the sweat pouring.

Then I have a cup of coffee and sit down with my Bible, devotional and journal and have some quiet time. It's not all about getting physically refit.

Then I shower ... and get dressed ... and put on makeup ... and make the beds ... unload the dishwasher ... and get my daily household chore done right off the bat.

Then I am ready to tackle the bulk of my day. (Starting a week from today that will include our regular homeschooling schedule.)

I developed an eating plan that combines the philosophies of Trim Healthy Mama while tracking all of my foods, drinks, and exercises on My Fitness Pal. Basically I eat 5 small meals a day so that I never get hungry. I eat a protein at every meal. I alternate between higher carb meals and higher fat meals. And I try to eat low glycemic foods. Basically this has me eating lots of fruits and vegetables and healthy fats with lean proteins. The pastas and breads are almost non-existent. In fact, I just realized I haven't had a slice of bread all week, nor any kind of pasta.

Yes I count every calorie and measure my food. But My Fitness Pal makes it a cinch because I just scan the bar code of my foods and enter the serving size and it's just there. I have been eating the same meals pretty much all week. I baked a bunch of 2 oz. boneless pork sirloin chops (for breakfast), a bunch of 6 oz. chicken breasts (for dinner), and made a large pot of vegetable soup and some honey pecan chicken salad. That way I can just heat things up with my sides when I am ready to eat.

I am eating about 1450 calories per day, but burning off 260 calories per day exercising. This gets me to a net calorie intake each day below my goal of 1200. And I am full and satisfied. In fact, I have to make myself eat my two snacks a day because I am usually not hungry. But it helps to keep me from being famished at my regular meals and overeating.

So far, so good.

The thing I really like about this plan is how much healthier I am eating. My Fitness Pal allows me to track the nutritional values of all that I eat. I check on it several times throughout the day to try to stay within my goals. I am a carboholic and this plan allows me to eat 50% of my daily calories in carbs (so I'm not doing without), 30% in fats, and 20% in protein. At the end of the day I am usually a little under 50% in carbs, a little under 30% in fats, and a little over 20% in protein. This gives me an immediate slimming of my stomach, hips and thighs. And the exercise is helping me to firm up those areas.

If you are interested in knowing specifically what my meal plan looks like, shoot me a comment and I'll get back with you. I do know that every body is different, and experience has shown me that this plan that I am on happens to work for me. I don't know that it would work for you. I guess my point is to just try something. My Fitness Pal is an amazing tool. It provides me with the accountability I need and the visual resources to succeed.

Here's to you and your goals for this new year.

** This is not a formal review of My Fitness Pal and I have not be contacted by them to do a review nor received any compensation for writing positive things about them. I just love My Fitness Pal and wanted to share my experiences with it.