Friday, 02 January 2009
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I Let Myself Go
Guest blog by StylishMuddI'm not athletic nor am I involved in any of my school's sporting teams. I'm simply a musician trying to find ways to lose weight. I'm about to be a high school graduate, so I plan on pursuing performing arts in college.
I have no time to participate in any sporting events (believe me, I've tried many times to join my cross country team). So I just push myself to run as much as I can on my treadmill during the night after I'm done with practice. I prefer running outside during the fall, spring and early summer.
I run about everyday for at least an hour which takes, give or take, 6.5 miles. I started this routine early this year and stuck with it until the summer. I lost a tremendous amount of weight. People thought I was sick because I looked fatigued and way too thin.
When I started 11th grade, I was 117lbs, by February, I was 103lbs. Being 5'3", I was below average weight for my height but I didn't care because I thought I looked skinny. But that was my lowest weight I've ever been since elementary school.
Then summer began and my schedule was PACKED with music festivals and concerts. Unfortunately for me, I had to stop working during camp because of the practice time and what not. I started eating more and it wasn't even "healthy." Since I was never home during the season, I was surrounded with greasy, oily, fatty foods.
I basically let myself go. By the time school started, I gained a good amount of my weight back. I was seriously depressed about my weight and instead of running every night, I ate until I couldn't breathe.
I still ran but I stopped the obsessive 6 miles a day routine. Now, 4 months later, I'm struggling more than ever to recover the weight I've put on. It is pretty damn hard, trying to run every night and eat right.
I know that there are hundreds of methods of losing weight and eating right, but are there any recommendations that will really help me to lose weight while staying healthy.
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- From: StylishMudd@xanga
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Comments (9)
Swimming is great (but don't overdo it). I found that yoga helps for flexibility and it's super fun, too!
As far as diet goes, I found that snacking on raw fruit/veggies really helps. If you're into counting calories, I'd recommend only keeping track of cooked foods' calories, but eat as much raw veggies/fruits as you want if you're hungry between meals. I know fruits/veggies have calories, but it's not like you can really overdo it and bingeing on like 1000 calories worth of apples or anything (that would take a lot of work.) By only keeping track of calories for cooked foods and meals (and not raw "snacks") you won't feel guilty and you will be healthier and not inclined to lose weight unhealthily fast.
Weight loss is quite simple...expend more calories than you take in. Just start running again and try to eat about 300-500 calories than you normally would. I bet you'll see results!
Making healthy choices is key. I'm working on it too. I've seriously let myself go since high school. I'd like to blame the baby weight, but I let myself go before then. Just please try to do it for your health, not for vanity sake. Good luck!
A good idea would be to meet with your doctor and devise a plan with him/her. It sounds like you might have a little bit of a body issue, so your doctor may be able to help you focus on healhy weight loss goals. Eat lots of fruits and veggies and lean meats, and get in atleast a half hour of exercise daily, and that will be a big start.
if you cant do excercise everyday, just move more throughout the day. if you dropped you pen somewhere, dont ask someone to pick it up. you walk there. thats a BIT of excercise. LOOOL.
if you want to eat ALOT. then eat VEGETABLES AND FRUITS. thats what im aiming to do right now. hehee.
put vinegar in your food too. not too much just a tad bit, enough to taste it, enough for it to be sour. the vinegar breaks down the fat. lime, also.
ive been eating alot too. but i used to excercise. since now i have more homework and stuff, i cant go swim ):
what i also do when i know ive been eating enough and i should stop is i go floss my teeth and brush them LOL. i dont knwo if that will help you. but it does for me. i know when my mouth is cleaned, i shouldnt eat. LOLOLOL. then i just eat in the morning hehehe.
hope it helps ! <3
in high school, i was in band and cross country, so i can relate to your time issue. it IS really hard to balance exercise and music without becoming obsessed and losing too much, or letting yourself go.
one suggestion is to make sure you are drinking enough water- sometimes you might think you're hungry, when you might just be thirsty. also, fruits and vegetables will help you feel full faster, so you don't reach for the greasy, oily stuff. you could bring a bag of carrots or grapes, a banana or apple, or if you go out to eat, get a salad. there are lots of options.
as for running, i guess it depends on your weight loss or exercise goals. if you don't have time to run every day, adjust your eating accordingly, since it really does all come down to whether you eat more or burn more.
if you were depressed about your weight, i would talk with your doctor about body image issues. 6.5 miles a day in high school just to stay in shape sounds like a kind of extreme measure.
good luck!
nobody's perfect. and it takes time to go back to where you were before. but it sounds like you are motivated to do it. i was a musician throughout high school too and i tried running track! but i never did distance, just sprinting. you should always stick with your running because of how beneficial it is. just don't skip meals and plan your meals if you aren't going to be home. try not to buy a lot of takeout foods. make your meals at home. this is what helps me most.
The cycle of extreme deprivation associated with fast weight-loss dieting will only lead to a rebound of your weight later on, kind of like what you described happening. It has a lot to do with the psychology of it all....you label certain foods as "bad" and "good", and if you're like I was once upon a time, you go a long time eating the "good" ones. Until you fall off the wagon, and then you let it all go, eating too much of the "bad" foods because you want to seize upon the chance to eat them after having deprived yourself for so long. Anyways, I've come to believe that the success is permanent, balanced, lifestyle change in moderation. You want to eat a piece of cake? Eat it...but a smallish piece. You want to eat healthy food? Strive for eating a balanced diet with a little bit of everything. Strive to excercise a few times a week. Yes, everything in moderation... This will not lead to a rapid weight loss. For me, the loss was about a 1/2 to 1 pound a week, over a long period of time. However, I was able to maintain that in the end, which usually doesn't happen. Most people who diet and excercise with the only purpose to lose weight don't keep it off long term. Make the committment to being healthy and having a long-term positive lifestyle change. It will be a longer path to your goal, but will likely "stick" in the end. Good luck.
don't kick yourself. be proud whenever you make a healthy choice for your diet. rest and sleep more. the overeating is a sure sign of stress, so i'll say, drop everything and sleep. it might keep you from eating.