- Cardio in your THR (target heart rate) is important!! Monitor it closely. No slacking. And change it up once in a while!! I do biking and power walking. It is good to change up the routine - this takes to boredom factor away too...like what you are doing and you will continue to do it!]
- Strength training is important. No slacking here either!! Really..a little goes a long way..make your workouts fit your goals! Rest and recovery periods are necessary so don't overdo it. Start with bodyweight exercises like planks, mountain climbers, bird dogs, and pushups! No extra equipment required.
- SCALE WEIGHT IS JUST A TOOL. NOT THE BE ALL END ALL!!! I have decided that being fit and having a healthy body fat percentage is more important to me than a number on the scale. Hence, I only weigh occassionally and go more by my body fat calipers and how my clothes fit. Both are better indicators than the scale number!
- Limit off plan(aka nonclean) meals/foods as much as possible. I know I feel better when I eat clean. Too much, too soon can cause problems. Crazy days aren’t an option. Maybe a crazy meal, once a month – OR LESS! Once I fired up that old metabolism, I NEEDED TO EAT EVEN MORE!! Staying POP, I was not consuming enough calories and I got myself back into starvation mode!! And considering how much I ate already, this was a real shock!!! But, since adding the required calories (thru healthy nutrient dense foods - NOT ICK) and also some healthy fats and EFA supplements, I feel and look a LOT better. You really do need to eat to lose!]
- Once you are at goal size - you can add things you have refrained from eating while reducing back in SLOWLY. Again, too much, too soon causes problems. Monitor but be brave - More is better (see comment above), but too much healthy food can be bad for the body too!
- Try new healthy foods. Search out new flavors now that your taste buds are finely tuned!! You will be surprised at what appeals and doesn’t appeal to you anymore. This blog has LOTS of healthy recipes that I make and eat most of the time...good for reducers and those at goal...A lot of them are made with foods I never even thought of eating 5 years ago. Once you can taste the real flavors of real food (nonprocessed) it is amazing what you will like now!
- Drink plain water, 100+ ounces per day! Helps to flush out all the yucky stuff..Most people don't even come close to doing this on a daily basis...a simple fat loss tip that you can start doing NOW!!
- Always be prepared!! Keep plenty of healthy on plan (healthy) foods on hand and take your cooler and water jug with you everywhere!! No reason to stop now!! And purge all the ICK out of your house...if not readily available to eat, you probably won't eat it!!
- Eat 5-6 meals per day and journal your food and exercise. Helps you see trends and head off problems before they get out of hand. Also keep track of other things in your life. TOM, stress issues, physical ailments, lack of sleep, cardio, and weight training can all impact your weight almost overnight!
- Recheck your bodytype once in a while. If you start gaining while remaining POP (including cardio and toning), maybe you are not eating what your body needs [probably NOT ENOUGH!!!!!]. Snacks are the key. Too many starchy carbs, even healthy ones, can cause problems. They do for me...But the addition of some healthy fats and nutrient dense food is definitely a necessity in a healthier lifestyle!! Nuts and olive oil are not the enemy! Just don't go crazy....
All you learn while reducing should help you live lean for the rest of your life! Don’t let life get in the way. YOU are important FIRST – then everything else. Be selfish. Keep healthy food and exercise as priorities! Their importance has not changed just because you lost all the weight. Habits – both good and bad - can be hard to break and/or relearn. Why go back? Don’t let Easy Street tempt you!! The longer you stay in a healthy mindset, the easier it ALL gets. It does become your lifestyle – make it work for you!! Finding the balance is the key. And this doesn’t happen overnight. Just because you are Living Lean doesn’t mean you can eat/do anything you want. If you do, you will be right back where you started and that should NOT be an option. It’s NOT FOR ME!!
Also, rethink your goals once you have been Living Lean for a while...your body and you are worth it!
Jenny,
Thanks so much for your recipies. Thanks even more for your tips on Living Lean. I am going to print those out and remind myself by reading them from time to time. They make perfect sense and obviously have worked for you. You look FABULOUS.
Larry57
Hey Jenny,
I love your web site. I am pleased that you have started a living lean blog. I know I will be there soon enough and it comforts me to know that you are paving the way. Thank you and you do look totally fab!
MrsKaren