Learning Discipline to Reduce Belly Fat

After a sleepless night filled with tossing and turning, partly worried about why my college aged daughter wasn't home from the movies and trying to will myself to get off the couch and and into my own bed, a familiar thought formed in my mind: I'm tired of this damn fat stomach. Like I said, the thought isn't one that I haven't had before. I don't think a year--a day, actually--has passed over the last 20 years that I haven't had that thought. But what's different is that now I have 20 years worth of information stored in my head along with a made-up mind that surgery is not an option. Only consistent exercising--not just cardio-- and cleaner eating is going to do for me.

When I finally got of the bed I had a determined mind to start make morning with healthy breakfast--egg white and spinach omelet.

"Why can't you do this everyday?" I asked myself. "Why is disciplining my eating so hard?"

I'm not alone in this struggle. Later that day, I Googled, "how to get discipline with healthy eating." I sure did. And I was glad I did. One of the first articles that came up was a runner struggling with the same thing as me. Check out the problem followed by the responses that I found the most useful or motivating.

Problem: I've been running 9 months. I'm 50 years old, 6'0",  205 lbs, same as when I started running. Currently running 30+ mpw in a spring marathon training group.

I'm stunned at the discipline I've been able to bring to my running, as I've never been very consistent at anything. I wake up 5AM, 5 days a week, and do whatever is on my schedule for running that day. I always finish every run, every time. I never miss a day, never slack off. I'm really, really serious about finishing a marathon and feel like I bring a determined resolve to the training.

So why can't I eat right? It makes no sense. I literally can't control myself with regard to what I eat. In fact, the more I run, the worse I eat. It's like my one weakness over which I have no control.

 If this sounds familiar and you overcame it, what did you do? It's really starting to bother me that I wake up every day, do my run like I'm suppose to, tell myself "eat right today, eat right today, eat right today ...", and by 11:45AM I'm down at the BBQ joint rationalizing that I deserve some ribs and sausage and that I should just enjoy life. Like an alcoholic, but with food.

  

Response #1 It sounds like the reason you are able to maintain discipline with your running is because you have a plan and a schedule - you know exactly what you are supposed to do each day and you do it.  Are you planning what you will eat each day, or are you just leaving it to chance? Telling yourself to "eat right" is too vague - you need to plan ahead, decide in advance what you will eat, and have it prepared and ready to eat before you get too hungry.   Oh, and there's no reason you can't have ribs & sausage every now and then.

      

Response #2 What worked for me was setting out a day to cook food for the week--meaning, I try to prepare a few dishes of lean meats, hard boil eggs, buy cottage cheese, cook some vegetables, chop up raw vegetables for salad, and put it all into containers to grab-n-go during the week. The easier the access, the more likely you will choose to eat the healthy food.

Response #3 Studies of folks who have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off over the course of many years show that they tend to eat a lot of the same things- similar breakfast, lunches, and dinners. As a previous poster said, having a schedule (i.e. breakfast is toast with PB and eggs or oatmeal and ..., lunch is sandwich, nuts and fruit, or soup and ...) might be helpful. Replacing your "go-to" meal of take-out with a different set of options (just like you have different running workouts you choose from) is a way to give you some control over what you're eating. Hope this makes sense

Well first of all, attitude means everything.

Response #4 Stop saying "I cannot control it". Yes you can. To say you cannot is a lie. Do you not control your own actions? You have control over your body and what you chose to eat or not eat. So if you are asking for advice based on what each of us personally does, I don't ever make excuses and say I can't do something when I very well can. I say "I don't want to".

Response #5 It isn't about having motivation, or reward, or the desire or enjoyment of doing it. You just DO IT, no excuses. You want to eat right, then do it. Don't complain, just do. I believe that your lifestyle is largely about habit. Just focus on making a new habit. Again doesn't have to be fun nor do you have to have motivation, you just do it.

Want to read the entire thread, click here. 

One Zumba Doesn't Equal Another

No amount of exhaustion could have kept me away from a free Zumba class. I love free even more than I love Zumba! After staying up until the wee hours of the night watching the election results, exhausted doesn't begin to describe how tired I was. Still I wasn't turning down free. And of course I didn't need to be turning down the exercise either.

For those reasons and the fact that I wanted to check out a different instructor, I pressed my way to the class with my cozy bed not far from my mind. Long story short, what I liked most about the instructor was her long thick twists. Yep, she's a naturalista too. Other than that I wasn't impressed with her. Maybe this is because my regular Zumba instructor, Diamond, has the energy of a fireball that anyone else would pale in comparison. Before Diamond I thought no one could top the first Zumba instructor I had. Then came Diamond. Nevertheless, I think Amber--the latest instructor--is worth another shot.

Why? She's young. And according to her bio she's educated in exercise science. Also during her introduction, she mentioned that she was a hip hop dancer, too. So I figure that maybe she held back a little because there was a considerable amount of older participants in the class.

What makes one Zumba instructor better than another to you? Would you give the new instructor another chance?

As Insane as I Get

Finally a night without late night binging--for lack of a better term--on my favorite cereal of the month, Honeycombs. Ironically I awoke the following morning to the Insanity infomercial.

Yes, you know the one. You've seen it. It's the one where a young woman proudly proclaims to have thrown up after the workout. Uhh...that's too insane for me. Yet, on this particular morning, I found myself being lured in.

"Get results that would normally take one year in 60 days!" It claims.

"I'm in the best shape of my life!" Many participants claim.

Working out to that level of insanity, one can't help but be in the best shape of their lives. I know this. I've always known this. And no matter how much I want to be in the best shape of my life, the fact still remains that "Insanity" is too insane for me. While my fitness level is closer to 3, folks need to be like 10 + for that kind of workout.

So, for me, I'll choose my own version insanity, which is any physical exerting exercise program that makes me sweat. Chris Freytag 10lb Slimdown, Jeanette Jenkins Beach BodyWorkout, Denise Austin Blast Away the Fat, or even a brisk walk or jog on the treadmill.

If, and when, I do any of these workouts on a consistent basis and clean up my eating, I do see results. No throwing up needed!

Have you tried Insanity? How is it working for you?

Black Coffee--Can it help my belly fat?

After yesterday's wardrobe malfunction, today I got a jump start on casual Friday, sporting black yoga pants, a black thermal top, with a denim vest. Of course, black for its slimming qualities after feeling like a straight up rollie pollie yesterday.

What a difference a day makes? While preparing my morning coffee, I found myself seriously considering no additives. Perhaps a test run of two weeks and see what results occur. Since I'm not one of those coffee-with-my-cream-and-sugar types, I've never believed that enduring black coffee--UGH--would be beneficial for my belly goals.

But everything I read says otherwise.

Check out these articles I recently read:

Coffee: Can it Affect Your Weight Loss

Bellt Busting Tips

Which is Better for Losing Belly Fat

What say you?

Today's Exercise Motivation

Today I'm showing solidarity for Domestic Violence Awareness Day with a group of employees at my place of work. We're wearing purple. The choices in my closet were limited to a purple sweater that has a bothersome hole in the shoulder that I conveniently forget about after I take it off and a purple wrap dress. From my outfit selections the past couple of days consisting of dresses, I decided to keep with the trend.

Unfortunately, the timing couldn't be worse. Not only am I bloated, I've been indulging in cookies, cupcakes, and pizza over the last few weeks. Of course not everyday. But enough. Too bad I hadn't planned on wearing this dress two weeks ago. Maybe I'd have done things differently.

I'm as disgusted by that attitude as I am about how my belly is bulging in this dress. And I'm sad about it too. After 17 years of unsuccessfully trying to get a flat stomach I've come to realize that, while I want it, I don't want it bad enough to make the necessary sacrifices. Life is too short and unpredictable to spend so much time worrying about everything that I put into month. Coffee vs Tea. I prefer coffee with light cream and sugar substitute. Pizza. I no longer eat it 1-2 times per week and indulge maybe twice a month. Sweets. Okay. They're a BIG problem for me, I'll admit. Still there has been great improvement . It's been years since I took down an entire pack of break and bake cookies while the kids were away. Now I might have a naughty treat too many days in a row before I finally pump the breaks.

I prefer to spend more time doing the things I enjoy like reading, writing, blogging, spending time with family. Exercising belongs on that list too, believe it or not. I'm just not trying to get my Jillian Michaels or Tae Bo on. Until today, that is.

Today I'm motivated to intensify my exercise regimen, if not just for today. If nothing else it'll make me feel better. You know it's been reported that no matter ones size, exercise makes you feel better & sexier. I could use a little bit of both.

What motivates you to kick start your fitness regimen?

Oldie but Goodie

I still got it!

This VHS tape has been collecting dust for at least five years! Being older, extra top heavy,weakening knees, and an injured foot, I didn't think I could hang with my old fitness buddy Denise Austin. She and I go waaayyy back to my first pregnancy 17 years ago when I called myself doing the right thing and exercising during my pregnancy. Although I didn't reap any visible benefits--at least none that mattered to mr--from exercising during my pregnancy, Austin's high energy and positive reassurances throughout her videos was addicting. Over the years I've purchased several of her videos. I always loved her, like "You can do it!" attitude!

Truth be told, I was in better shape when I using her videos. Today marks a new beginning. Maybe now with my improved eating habits, I'll actually lose some of this belly.

Who is your favorite fitness personality! Share in the comments below.

Will a Flat Belly Make You Happy?

"It would?"My friend asked quizzically when I exclaimed how happy I would be if I could get a flat stomach. For me, that's the truth and nothing but the truth. She and I were talking about getting out flat stomachs through plastic surgery.

I was surprised she looked at me so crazily. Who wouldn't be happy for a flat stomach after years trying to get one? Especially when you're considering to go so far as to have surgery to get it.

What's the point if you're not going to feel any differently?

Now don't get your panties in a bunch! I'm not, by any means, saying that a flat stomach will solve all problems in my life--not that I have so many. Nor do I mean to insinuate that a flat stomach will really make me happy. Because I know where my happiness comes from and that's not from anything tangible. That's on the inside. In fact, I already possess it.

However, getting a flat stomach--or something close to it--would be a dream come true! And who wouldn't be happy realizing a dream???