nomnom's Journal

Blog of a Crazed Canadian - SUCCESS
May 13 2009 13:17

I started using Calorie Count on February 22 of this year with the intention of getting an overview of my own eating habits; my goal for the future is to work as a personal trainer, and with that in mind, I knew that needed to start acknowledging my own habits and working to improve them, lest I fall into the irony of being a dietician on a diet.

At 21 I always fancied myself as the sort who ate healthily but I was stunned when I discovered the quantity of processed foods in my diet and moreover I was shocked by the amount of sugary drinks I would have on a daily basis, to get my caffeine fix. 

Worst of all, I barely ate any vegetables.  Shock.  Horror.  I must admit I was also moderately impressed that I was still functioning on a diet of coca-cola and white pasta - one would think my insulin levels would have me in a drooling, vegetative (ironic in itself, yes?) state.

When I first started (this was just before using CC, back in January), I did something extreme (after extensive research, mind you) and I went on a Raw Food diet for three weeks as a detoxification program - it was one of the wilder things I've done, but I did it only very briefly with the knowledge that its not something I could do long term.  For the first three days, I had the worst headache of my life, as I didn't allow myself any refined sugars, processed foods, and most of all, no caffeine; I only drank water, no other fluids.  My diet consisted of piles of raw fruits and vegetables (as many and as much as I wanted, no going hungry), a reasonable amount of nuts, and I allowed myself a can of tuna once each week for the protein.  I did not exercise during this time, because I simply didn't have the energy at first, but before that I had always been decently active (Goju Ryu karate 3x a week, plus weight lifting). 

After a week on the Raw Food diet, I found my energy slowly coming back, and I began to look at the foods I previously ate with a new perspective.  By the end of the second week, fruits and vegetables had started to taste like the best thing in world, when before they had just been a neccessary evil. 

By week three, I found I no longer wanted or needed caffeine; this was something of an accomplishment for me, since i'd been trying to kick the habit for years.

I gradually reintroduced breads and meat to my diet, but refrained from returning to the processed foods.  Once this was done, I began working on building my knowledge about what would be a proper caloric intake for myself, and it took some trial and error, and I spent a lot of time on the Weight Loss forum, reading everything I could and erasing all of my misconceptions about fitness and and weight maintenance.

I have personally never been overweight, I've always been within a healthy BMI range, but I had been spurred by my knowledge of family history - looking at my family, obesity is common, as is poor nutrition and yo-yo dieting.  Most of my family members have heart conditions and joint problems that come as a direct result of their weight, and all of them have acknowledged their diet/lack of exercise as the cause, but have not sought to change it.  It is, ultimately, easier to ignore the problem. 

At 5'8" I was weighing 155 lbs, which is a reasonable weight, but I had noticed that despite my intense karate classes and frequent weight lifting, I was not firm, but rather slightly doughy.  I have the luck of always having a lean torso, but around the hips/rear/thighs I've always had the beloved wobbly bits that I could never seem to make budge.

It took about a month of experimentation, a lot of frustration, and days where I had to force myself to eat more than I was hungry for, but eventually I found a nice range in around 1600 calories.  Soon after, I began to add exercise back into the equation, which initially consisted of 20 minutes on a treadmill, 15 minutes lifting weights, 10 minutes of sparring/boxing, 15 minutes of karate basics, and up to an hour of weapons training.  I did this routine for about 6 weeks - the results?

Shin splints. 

There were, of course, other developments - new muscle on my shoulders and upper arms, a sudden and significant change in my rear (there was, so to speak, less junk in my proverbial trunk) - but at the time, I was more focused on the agony in my shins.  I was walking like John Wayne, but let me tell you, my bum looked fabulous.

So, note to anyone who has never run before; I suggest, um, not diving head first into it, and perhaps investing in a good pair of shoes rather than using the runners you got from Wal-Mart 2 years ago.  It turns out it's not a good combination, and sometimes you really do need to learn to walk before you run.  Or at least jog.

But, after the first 2 months of new diet + exercise, I dropped a quick five pounds; I begrudgingly acknowledged that the majority was probably water weight. 

For March, I began a new exercise program to work around my own stupidity as I could no longer run, so I moved to the exercise bike; 30-45 minutes on the bike, 20 minutes on weight lifting, 15 minutes of sparring, followed by an hour of weapons training (note: I like to listen to music while spinning a bo staff around, it makes me feel epic.  I am a nerd; it makes life more fun).

The months of March and April had me focusing on increasing my calorie intake (up to about 1800-1900/day, sometimes up to 2200 if I'm still hungry), ensuring I got more fats in my diet, and being a good listener to my yammering body, which was telling me it quite liked the new treatment. 

I have never had a problem with binging or overeating, but I did notice that I seem to have an issue with going overboard at the gym; this is something i've had to take pains to change, because for a period of time, I was spending up to 4 hours in the gym and not giving myself a chance to recover.  I paid for it when I got sick from overworking myself - so, one must also note, if one has become so tired that one nearly concusses oneself with their own bo-staff, it's likely time to call it a day.  Do your best not to use the gym as an entirely emotional thing, because just like with emotional eating, it can become detrimental after a while.

I'm pleased to say I've found a good balance for exercise now, and that as of today (May 13) I've reached a healthy 143 lbs, for a loss of 12 lbs.  I'm aiming to lose anywhere from another 3-8 lbs for vanity purposes, mind you, I didn't really come into this planning to drop weight, merely to firm up and lose inches - which I have also done.  I'm proud to say that this endeavor has also improved my athsma, increased my stamina, and allowed me to be a more effective fighter and karate student - this is the best thing I've ever done for myself.

I would love to have a chat with anyone on CC who has any commentary/suggestions/questions. 

Stay classy, CC.

- Nomnom