*disclaimer- I am not a trainer, I am not a doctor. I am a kindergarten teacher. I'm just sharing what I have learned and what has worked for me for fitness and weight control (not that anyone asked, hahaha). Please always consult a physician, and do your own research. Make your plan *your plan*!
ON FITNESS AND WELL-BEING
I have been active all of my life, in one form or another. But I have found in the past few years, being active just isn't enough. I'm "of a certain age" and now, more than ever, it has to be more than just how much I move my body.
I was one of those "lucky ones" who could eat pizza every night and not gain an ounce. I lived that way up until I was about 35. That's when my metabolism said, "Your turn!". So I discovered I needed to up the fitness ante. And that worked great- until I hit 50. Then menopause started looming large, and it didn't matter how much I moved or lifted, I had to start being conscious about what I put into my body too.
So I have had a long road to get to this point in life, but I feel like I've finally hit my stride, both with fitness and nutrition. I'm a kindergarten teacher, not a fitness guru, but I do like to look and feel my best.
Here's what I do:
I work out every day. I do some form of cardio every day. I count my calories every day. It's that simple. As a teacher, my schedule changes by the season. In the summer months I can do my workout and my cardio one right after the other. During the school year, though, it's a bit more tricky. Right now I do my workout first thing in the morning, and I do my cardio on the way home from work. Sometimes that might change, but I find doing cardio at 5AM really tough- and we have some aggressive coyotes here, so I am kind of paranoid they will eat me if I am out running or walking at that hour.
Let me break each one down further:
1. I work out every day
Thanks to women like Pahla B. from Pahla B. fitness and Dr. Stacy Sims and her book Roar, I have learned that cardio alone isn't going to do it for me anymore (But Carrie! you say. You have a whole step on cardio! Yep, but more about cardio in the next step). I must workout with weights or with body weight every day (ok, I might take off one day- Saturday or Sunday). And, thanks, again, to Pahla B, I know that I need to push one day, work moderately the rest, and do a mini "abs focus" for core strength once a week (10-15 min).
What that means is one day a week, I lift really heavy (for me) things. The other days I lift moderate or light (for me) things, or I do yoga. Because of the beauty of the internet and YouTube, there are so many videos we can follow along with- even if it is just to get to that point where we know what we need to do. On the days I run, I will do a yoga flow video from Yoga With Adriene on YouTube. On the other days, I will do 1 push day video with Pahla, and 3 moderate day Pahla videos (or some dvd's that I already own). I like to follow a video because I know exactly how long I am doing something, and I don't have to think about what to do next. Someone else has already done that work. My life as a teacher is busy enough, I don't want to add more work. Thank you 21st Century! Thank you technology! In the words of that epic rock group Styx: Domo arigato Mr. Roboto. So, thank you very much Adriene, Pahla and Stacy- my three internet best friends.
That's my first step. Pretty easy- put on YouTube, find a fitness instructor I can relate to, press play.
2. I do cardio every day
Yes, according to both Pahla and Stacy (I have listened and read so much from these ladies I feel like I am on a first name basis with them), I do not need to do cardio to lose weight. And, in fact, too much cardio and not enough weights will actually hinder my fitness and weight gain/loss. That statement hurts me to write because I LOVE cardio. I love to walk, hike, run, you name it! I love that feeling of accomplishment I have when I do these things. And that's why I do them every day. Dr. Stacy says, "if that's your soul food, do it!" And it is. My day is not complete without at least a 5K walk. It clears my head and keeps me mentally grounded, especially after a tough day in the classroom. Nothing helps get me back to me then a brisk walk or run.
Here's my daily plan- I run 3 days a week: 1 5K, 1 8K, and on Sunday a 10K. I used to run half marathons, and that was fun, but it isn't fun for me anymore. I can't even bear the idea of training for another half. But 10K- that's my jam. And, since I am a woman of a certain age, that fits quite nicely into my fitness and well being regime. I know that my cardio is for me and for my headspace. On the days I don't run, I will walk 5K or I will hike. In the winter, when we have enough snow, I will snowshoe, or if it's a run day I will either run on a trail that goes through town (and is plowed on a regular basis) or I will run on my treadmill. 5K on my treadmill is good though, anything over and I am bored! But I have come to love running that 5K when I must run inside.
I do try to plan out my fitness for each week. Below is a sample calendar of what I do, you can see that I don't fill it all in at once. I plan one week at a time. Whatever works best for you, though, I say do it. Maybe even planning like this is more than you want. You do you, Boo. I try to find videos I want to do in advance, if for no other reason than I don't want to sit going from video to video looking for the "right" one. But, if I get to the day and don't like the video I have pre-chosen, I can find another. Nothing is set in stone in this cut and paste world.
August Fitness
3. I count my calories:
This is the simplest and most boring bit of advice, and never the one we want to hear. In the end, though, it comes down to only putting into my mouth so many calories a day. I don't even really worry too much about what kind of calories they are, just sticking to a certain number helps for me. I do find if I drink alcohol too many days, even if I am under my calorie count, it will impact my weight. So I try to only drink on the weekends, and then only a drink or two. I like to have fun, but I don't like the after-effects.
There are plenty of plans on the internet to follow if you are interested. I noticed my weight was getting into a place that made me not feel so good about myself, so I wanted to jumpstart some weight loss. I found a 1200 calorie plan that I did for 2 weeks just to get going. Now I am trying to stick to 1500-1600 calories a day (still trying to lose just a few more pounds). If weight loss is something you're interested in, I suggest finding out what your ideal weight should be, and finding a plan to help you get there. I don't have too many health considerations like others may have, and I would never want to speak for anyone! But the research is there, and a simple google search will point you in the right direction.
I don't like breakfast, never have. I like brunch though! So I usually have a cup of coffee first thing, but rarely eat food before noon (unless I'm out for said brunch). That's me. You may need that morning meal- eat it! I find it isn't so much about when I eat, just how much, and I'd like to save my calories for food I enjoy. There are times, especially in the winter months, when I will make some oatmeal for breakfast- I put in apples and cinnamon, but no sugar or butter. In the summer months, I'm definitely fine with waiting until noon for my first food of the day.
Extra Points:
- I drink my water. For me, that's 90 oz a day. There are sites on the net that help you figure out how much water you need each day, just like they help with your calorie count. I have a big jug I fill up every morning, I slice some kind of citrus fruit to put in for "flavour", and I stick it in the fridge (when I am at work, I fill it up there and stick in in the fridge). And that's what I drink all day. I will also have some coffee or tea, but I don't count those towards any water intake. The days I don't get it all in, I can tell the next morning! People often say they love diet pop, etc. What I discovered is, it wasn't the flavour I missed, it was the bubbles. So I bought a Soda Stream- this made a huge difference, not only price wise and can wise, but it gives me a little extra zing for my water when I need it. It's also nice to have a fizzy water with supper, especially after drinking plain water all day. And on the weekends I can use it for a scotch and soda or a vodka and soda.
-I try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Not always easy to do, but sleep does matter.
-Getting in 10,000 steps a day doesn't really matter, except it kind of does. In other words, steps alone aren't going to help, but it is a part of having an active life. So I don't worry too much about how many steps I take, but I do keep a mental note.
-Work on your balance now! Whenever you get the chance- doing dishes, cooking, emptying the dishwasher, try doing it on one foot- and switch feet! Work on your balance now, so that you will have it when you are in your 70s and 80s and beyond!
-I add vegetables to pretty much every meal. If I am having pasta, I will add some zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash to the pasta (because I still love me some carbs!). I find it never hurts to add another vegetable to anything.
-I use the health app on my phone to count my calories, my steps, my water, and my sleep. I don't need to track my activity, because I know I will get that in each day. It's nice to see how many steps I've had (but see my point above about getting in steps).
-Just because you run/walk/hike every day doesn't mean you don't need to strengthen your glutes and legs. Actually, you need to focus more on these in order for your body to do what it needs to. I didn't and ended up hurting my knee. After a couple of months of physiology, I was able to get back to running, but the importance of strengthening my legs was not lost on me. My knee is almost back to 100%, and I've learned that when it comes to knee injuries, it's really weak leg injuries. So, do the leg work.
That's it! That's what I do. I hope you can glean something from this for yourself. It isn't about weight loss, it isn't about how much we can lift. It's about feeling good, and looking our best. It's about longevity in life, and being ready to seize every day!
Carrie
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