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Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Setbacks Happen
It's A Setback
Time for a reality check. According to my time hop app, this time last year I was celebrating being down in pounds and down many many dress sizes. And then I added how I couldn't wait to see where I'd be in a year.
Well it's a year later. And honestly? I didn't want to share this. My husband encouraged me to do so. To be transparent. To be honest. Chances are good I'm not alone in this. So maybe is good for some of you to hear too. I hope so.
It's a year later. And..... I gained weight and went up in size...
Sure, I have a good reason. A good excuse. Or do I?
I injured myself a few months back, just after the new year. Finally had surgery to fix the injury and then I had a hysterectomy. Oy vey! While I'm trying my hardest to stay on track with my eating, my exercise has totally stalled.
It's messing up my mood and my figure. I really need to keep moving forward and also allow myself time to heal.
Will I have to start over? Heck no! This is a set-back. And a reminder that I'm human too. Flawed and everything.
I'm sharing because I want you all to know my struggle is real too. It's important to me to keep moving forward. To accept my present limitations and to know I'm going to kick butt as soon as my body tells me I'm all systems go.
So stand back and watch out!!!
Let's see where I'll be THIS TIME next year. I'm pumped and ready. Are you??
#bereal #thestruggleisreal #begentle #itsasetback #stillunderconstruction
Follow me on my Facebook page: fb.com/UnderConstructionWithBwarsh
Join my Ladies MFP Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyFitnessPalLadies.
Time for a reality check. According to my time hop app, this time last year I was celebrating being down in pounds and down many many dress sizes. And then I added how I couldn't wait to see where I'd be in a year.
Well it's a year later. And honestly? I didn't want to share this. My husband encouraged me to do so. To be transparent. To be honest. Chances are good I'm not alone in this. So maybe is good for some of you to hear too. I hope so.
It's a year later. And..... I gained weight and went up in size...
Sure, I have a good reason. A good excuse. Or do I?
I injured myself a few months back, just after the new year. Finally had surgery to fix the injury and then I had a hysterectomy. Oy vey! While I'm trying my hardest to stay on track with my eating, my exercise has totally stalled.
It's messing up my mood and my figure. I really need to keep moving forward and also allow myself time to heal.
Will I have to start over? Heck no! This is a set-back. And a reminder that I'm human too. Flawed and everything.
I'm sharing because I want you all to know my struggle is real too. It's important to me to keep moving forward. To accept my present limitations and to know I'm going to kick butt as soon as my body tells me I'm all systems go.
So stand back and watch out!!!
Let's see where I'll be THIS TIME next year. I'm pumped and ready. Are you??
#bereal #thestruggleisreal #begentle #itsasetback #stillunderconstruction
Follow me on my Facebook page: fb.com/UnderConstructionWithBwarsh
Join my Ladies MFP Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyFitnessPalLadies.
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| Me and my Parents |
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Why I Bought my Children Fidget Spinners
My son has ADD. The fidget spinners is not for that, for him. For him, the spinner is 100% a distraction. And THAT is why he got one.
His hyper focus and hyper sensitivity can be such a challenge. Giving him a spinner engages his attention when I need to distract him; waiting for a meal at a restaurant, being poked at a doctor appointment, and much more.
The spinner works as motivation to get him to focus on the task to earn the reward.
My daughter is a budding engineer and is fascinated with the construction and physics of the toys design. Less than a minute of owning hers it was taken apart to examine the inner ball bearings and it's functionality.
For her it's a STEM toy.
Physics Explains WHY fidgets are so much fun!
For both, it's a TOY. it's not to go to school. It's not an aid for their ADD or whatnot. It's a toy. It's fun. It's interesting. It's sparking an interest in physics and engineering.
So with all the controversy.... I say know your child and make a sound choice. Under 3, maybe no. Small parts could go in mouths. But for an older kid... sure.
First thing I said to the kids... keep it out of your mouth. They both looked at me with the expression of "well obviously mom"...
I know my kids. You know yours. Make your decisions based on your knowledge of your kids.
Does your child throw things? Bury in the sand box? Put things in their mouths.... maybe this isn't the toy for them.
Know your child.
Would you buy your child a different toy? Maybe a Paw Patrol car? Or a shopkins set? Maybe tsum tsums?? Or a blind bag?
I see this as basically the same. It's a toy. AND It's helping my kids in ways it was never intended to do. So for me, that's an upside and win!
And for our family... sure... the kids can have the spinner. We are all for it.
Rule: keep it out of school
Rule: keep it out of your mouth
Rule: mom and dad get to play with it too!
#fidgetspinner #STEMtoy #physicsTOY
For both, it's a TOY. it's not to go to school. It's not an aid for their ADD or whatnot. It's a toy. It's fun. It's interesting. It's sparking an interest in physics and engineering.
So with all the controversy.... I say know your child and make a sound choice. Under 3, maybe no. Small parts could go in mouths. But for an older kid... sure.
First thing I said to the kids... keep it out of your mouth. They both looked at me with the expression of "well obviously mom"...
I know my kids. You know yours. Make your decisions based on your knowledge of your kids.
Does your child throw things? Bury in the sand box? Put things in their mouths.... maybe this isn't the toy for them.
Know your child.
Would you buy your child a different toy? Maybe a Paw Patrol car? Or a shopkins set? Maybe tsum tsums?? Or a blind bag?
I see this as basically the same. It's a toy. AND It's helping my kids in ways it was never intended to do. So for me, that's an upside and win!
And for our family... sure... the kids can have the spinner. We are all for it.
Rule: keep it out of school
Rule: keep it out of your mouth
Rule: mom and dad get to play with it too!
#fidgetspinner #STEMtoy #physicsTOY
Friday, May 26, 2017
It's NOT a ONE SIZE FITS ALL Solution
Lately I've been reading a lot of online group posts about calorie goals, and talk of TDEE and “What is YOUR calorie goal?” Some of you are at 1200 a day. Some are higher. In my MY FITNESS PAL group, you are there because you’re using the My Fitness Pal app.
My Fitness Pal uses NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) not TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) to calculate your net calorie goal. BOTH basically do the same thing, just provides the info to the user slightly differently. Think of it like an apple computer vs. an IBM. Both will get you the same result, but will work the calculations out a bit differently.
When you’re brand new to MFP or to losing weight in general, these styles of calculations or programming can be confusing. In fact, when I was new to all of this, I just put my trust into my Registered Dietician and the MFP app to guide me along the way. I had a calorie goal and just stayed as close to net goal as possible, and I lost weight. Wonderful! It was working. Essentially I was doing IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros), but didn’t realize it at the time. I only dug in deeper to learn more about how it all worked (food and nutrition science) and ventured into the world of macros after the first year.
I suspect for the majority of us, using the NEAT format is likely working great.
If you want to learn more about more advanced techniques, WONDERFUL.
I’m all for it.
But also try to remember, when it comes to weight loss, it really, truly is NOT a one size fits all solution. We are all on this journey because we want to become healthy. For some of us, that means gaining weight. For some it’s maintaining our current weight. For some it’s losing weight. For some it’s building muscle. For some its doctor ordered and managed (yes, sometimes our health providers actually tell us to eat a specific number of calories for a plethora of reasons that is right at 1200 calories a day or even LESS…) for a reason known to them and you, their patient.
So when I see YOU HAVE TO EAT MORE, or YOU CAN’T SURVIVE ON 1200 CALORIES stated, it drives me crazy. How do you know what that person brings to the table? You don’t!
Totally cool to say, this is what I did and this is the result I had. Please do share.
Do I recommend eating 1200 calories a day? Or Less???
Absolutely NOT.
When I started out with this whole weight loss getting healthy stuff, I skipped breakfast. I ate a late lunch and dinner would come around 9 or 10 at night. Usually my lunch was light because I wasn't hungry (caveman survival mode). And dinner was a huge meal. I probably gave myself a total of 900-1000 calories a day and most from late night dinner.
I didn't lose. I maintained my nearly 300 lbs size 3XL body for years. I thought if I wasn't hungry I didn't need to eat.
I was wrong.
Once I changed how much I ate and when I ate I noticed something happen. I got hungry. My stomach growled. What was happening? I was changing my metabolism. Now my body was working with me.
MFP suggested at a 1 lb a week loss rate, I needed 2400 calories a day. Remember, I was around 300 lbs. The bigger you are, the more calories you will need.
Guess what? After a few weeks of eating a LOT more I lost 11 lbs. I wasn't even exercising. I was eating better. I was eating MORE.
It's all about eating better.
What does that even mean? It means learning what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat. It all comes into play here.
Today my calorie goal is just above 1400 a day.
Please be gentle. Please remember there are multiple ways to accomplish a goal. Please remember that we are NOT all going to be eating the same calories each day and we are all going to have different factors that are driving those goals.
When you ask “HOW MANY CALORIES ARE YOU EATING?” are you factoring that the others in the group are different ages, different heights, and different weights? Because ALL of that will drive the calorie goals. Plus additional notes such as daily activity levels and how much additional exercises one is getting in.
I get asked OFTEN what kinds of foods I eat. The thing is that’s not an easy question to answer because what I’m eating today is so much different than where I began. To ask me today what I eat, well the food I now eat, took these three years to build up to. I would never have been willing or able to eat the way I do today, when I started. I slowly made changes to my diet, so what I ate then vs. what I eat now is dramatically different, and it’s okay to take the baby step approach. Little changes along the way add up over time. Also, the exercise I did then and do now is different.
Maybe you’ll see something here, some little nugget of inspiration; an aha-moment, a thought bubble… whatever! Maybe by sharing my process, you’ll see something that you connect with and see how you can tweak things up on your own journey.
Or maybe you’re doing great, and just enjoy reading how someone else did things.
It’s NEVER a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s about trying a variety of things and finding what works best for you. Be it with nutrition, or exercise, or BOTH! So please know that in my posts, I’m sharing what “I” did. And I’m in no way saying this is what “YOU” should do. I’m just sharing MY journey. Take anything you’d like from these stories. Maybe share with others. I’m all for sharing the journey! xoxo
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Thursday, December 22, 2016
Fitbit - Yay or Nay?
Here's how I answer that one:
I have owned two kinds of Fitbits; the flex and the one. I am a big fan of the fitbits in general. The company has excellent service and they make a good product. A high level overview... a fitbit is a pedometer. That's basically it. Some of their newer and more pricey models have a heart rate monitor as well, which makes those an activity tracker. The prices range from $50 to around $250; all fitbits though.
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Join my Ladies MFP Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyFitnessPalLadies.
I have owned two kinds of Fitbits; the flex and the one. I am a big fan of the fitbits in general. The company has excellent service and they make a good product. A high level overview... a fitbit is a pedometer. That's basically it. Some of their newer and more pricey models have a heart rate monitor as well, which makes those an activity tracker. The prices range from $50 to around $250; all fitbits though.
So is it worth the price? Well that will depend on which one you get and if it does for you what you need/want it to do.
Is is accurate? Also depends on how you use it and wear it. The clip on version may be more accurate for counting steps vs. a wrist wearing version that's dependent on you swinging your arm to get a step count.
BUT... it's pretty darn close. And all models WILL get you moving more. Which at the end of the day is the goal here.
If you need more accurate data points, look at finding an activity tracker vs. a pedometer that will monitor your heart rate. THat will give you a more detailed calorie burn count.
Scenario: I wear my fitbit one daily. I clip it to my bra and go about my day. I let it count my steps. I let that sync automatically to myfitnesspal. Go me. When I take time to do a focused workout; let's say I pop in my Turbo Fire Kickboxing DVD... then I'll put on my polar watch with chest strap. That's my HRM (Heart Rate Monitor). That will give me an accurate calorie burn based on my own heart beat and my specific to me data points pre-entered into the algorithm.
I had the chest strap HRM long before Fitbit came out with their version of one, and now that they have one, I'd love to hear from those that have one too!
YES I think it's worth the price and YES I think it's accurate enough for me. AND When I first bought my fitbit, I was hitting around 2000 steps a day. After I owned that fitbit for a year, I was hitting 10,000 and up steps a day. Was it "accurate"? Maybe, maybe not. But I was losing weight and feeling wonderful and accomplished every day I went over that 10k. So WORTH it in many many many aspects.
If you're new to pedometers in general and not sure where to even start, I wrote about those here: http://bwarsh.blogspot.com/2014/08/need-pedometer-but-not-sure-which-one.html. Feel free to check it out. Maybe it'll be helpful to you. :)
Is is accurate? Also depends on how you use it and wear it. The clip on version may be more accurate for counting steps vs. a wrist wearing version that's dependent on you swinging your arm to get a step count.
BUT... it's pretty darn close. And all models WILL get you moving more. Which at the end of the day is the goal here.
If you need more accurate data points, look at finding an activity tracker vs. a pedometer that will monitor your heart rate. THat will give you a more detailed calorie burn count.
Scenario: I wear my fitbit one daily. I clip it to my bra and go about my day. I let it count my steps. I let that sync automatically to myfitnesspal. Go me. When I take time to do a focused workout; let's say I pop in my Turbo Fire Kickboxing DVD... then I'll put on my polar watch with chest strap. That's my HRM (Heart Rate Monitor). That will give me an accurate calorie burn based on my own heart beat and my specific to me data points pre-entered into the algorithm.
I had the chest strap HRM long before Fitbit came out with their version of one, and now that they have one, I'd love to hear from those that have one too!
YES I think it's worth the price and YES I think it's accurate enough for me. AND When I first bought my fitbit, I was hitting around 2000 steps a day. After I owned that fitbit for a year, I was hitting 10,000 and up steps a day. Was it "accurate"? Maybe, maybe not. But I was losing weight and feeling wonderful and accomplished every day I went over that 10k. So WORTH it in many many many aspects.
If you're new to pedometers in general and not sure where to even start, I wrote about those here: http://bwarsh.blogspot.com/2014/08/need-pedometer-but-not-sure-which-one.html. Feel free to check it out. Maybe it'll be helpful to you. :)
Follow me on my Facebook page: fb.com/UnderConstructionWithBwarsh
Join my Ladies MFP Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyFitnessPalLadies.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Consistency
I get asked whether health shakes were my solution to weight loss. Maybe as a good kick-start, if only for a short time, while I was getting used to getting back on the dieting path. But did I lose weight because I had a shake? N.O.P.E.
I was asked what I could suggest to lose weight.
I suggest being CONSISTENT!
Truth time.... make a plan and stick to it. Be consistent.
Shakes alone won't do it.
Exercising and eating badly won't do it.
Shakes alone won't do it.
Exercising and eating badly won't do it.
Taking a magic weight loss pill won't do it.
CONSISTENCY WILL DO IT!
If you're consistent you'll find success with weight loss. Start and stops will derail you every time.
Do you think you'll eat/drink/use Product-X every day moving forward? If yes, then it's an option. If no... make a different plan.
Before you say... "but you drink health shakes"... well yes... I do, on occasion, but I don't for weight loss, and it never was part of my big loss of over 100 lbs. I didn't start drinking them until after I had lost my weight and was in maintenance mode.
Consistency will win out every time. I consistently log my food. I make choices based on my calorie budget. I meal prep and make sure I have a plan in motion ahead of each week.
I won't get derailed for lunches because I made a weeks worth on Sunday. I won't get derailed for dinner because I made a weeks worth on Sunday.
If you like to grab toast in the morning... keep grabbing toast, but make the toast better for you. A slice of Ezekiel bread is going to take your further than a slice of wonder white.
Look for the complex carbs to enhance your diet. Try to avoid/skip the simple sugars. This will keep your body busy digesting the whole grains and in turn keep you fuller longer. Having foods with higher protein will help keep you fuller longer. You can find protein in MANY plant foods too (for those of you that are vegetarian...
http://bwarsh.blogspot.com/2015/08/carb-talk.html
It's hard because it's overwhelming.
Break it up into smaller bits. For 2 weeks... JUST log your food. Everything. Just stay consistent with logging it. For the next 2 weeks, see where you can make healthier swaps and keep logging it. Then for the next 2 weeks... play with macros... see how you can add more proteins and see how you can jump start/reset your metabolism. Set meal/snack alarms. For breakfast... even if you're not hungry... have something... even a glass of milk would be something. For snack, have a banana. Play with your calories... maybe have more, or less... (not sure where you are starting...), Make mini goals, and when you obtain them, reward yourself... new barrette, new bangle, new ear rings... new something small and pleasant.
Take a step back to move forward.
Follow me on my Facebook page: fb.com/UnderConstructionWithBwarsh
Join my Ladies MFP Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyFitnessPalLadies.
Do you think you'll eat/drink/use Product-X every day moving forward? If yes, then it's an option. If no... make a different plan.
Before you say... "but you drink health shakes"... well yes... I do, on occasion, but I don't for weight loss, and it never was part of my big loss of over 100 lbs. I didn't start drinking them until after I had lost my weight and was in maintenance mode.
Consistency will win out every time. I consistently log my food. I make choices based on my calorie budget. I meal prep and make sure I have a plan in motion ahead of each week.
I won't get derailed for lunches because I made a weeks worth on Sunday. I won't get derailed for dinner because I made a weeks worth on Sunday.
If you like to grab toast in the morning... keep grabbing toast, but make the toast better for you. A slice of Ezekiel bread is going to take your further than a slice of wonder white.
Look for the complex carbs to enhance your diet. Try to avoid/skip the simple sugars. This will keep your body busy digesting the whole grains and in turn keep you fuller longer. Having foods with higher protein will help keep you fuller longer. You can find protein in MANY plant foods too (for those of you that are vegetarian...
http://bwarsh.blogspot.com/2015/08/carb-talk.html
It's hard because it's overwhelming.
Break it up into smaller bits. For 2 weeks... JUST log your food. Everything. Just stay consistent with logging it. For the next 2 weeks, see where you can make healthier swaps and keep logging it. Then for the next 2 weeks... play with macros... see how you can add more proteins and see how you can jump start/reset your metabolism. Set meal/snack alarms. For breakfast... even if you're not hungry... have something... even a glass of milk would be something. For snack, have a banana. Play with your calories... maybe have more, or less... (not sure where you are starting...), Make mini goals, and when you obtain them, reward yourself... new barrette, new bangle, new ear rings... new something small and pleasant.
Take a step back to move forward.
Follow me on my Facebook page: fb.com/UnderConstructionWithBwarsh
Join my Ladies MFP Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyFitnessPalLadies.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Advice for the Overwhelmed - My 2¢ as a person that was morbidly obese...
That's TOTALLY OKAY and it's TOTALLY NORMAL!!!!!
My 2¢ as a person that was morbidly obese... TAKE BABY STEPS for sure.
TOP 3 THINGS YOU CAN DO NOW!
1) START WALKING. I encourage folks to get a pedometer, perhaps join my step challenge, or my Ladies MFP support group. Depending on your condition, step goals probably should be like 1 mile a day and we build off that.
2) START A FOOD DIARY. Myfitnesspal is excellent and free. Connect with me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/profile/bwarsh73
3) DRINK MORE WATER. 1/2 body weight is the goal in ounces. But with baby steps, do 8 cups a day to start with.I strongly encourage you to meet with a Registered Dietitian to help with getting your eating set up correctly.
Most people set up mfp incorrectly. Try setting yours up for 1/2 lb loss a week. Note, that would be 26 lbs in a year, which is brilliant. You will have to eat more then you think you'll need. Working with a dietitian and/or setting up mfp correctly makes a huge difference.
If you're trying to eat 1200 cal or less a day you may not lose. When I weighed 288 lbs I had to eat around 2000-2400 calories a day. BUT every time I lost 10 lbs, mfp dropped how many calories I could eat. Don't Panic! Realistic goals will yield you SUCCESS.
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Join my Ladies MFP Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyFitnessPalLadies.
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