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| oh... it's my baby's 21st birthday today. =) | | |
| I had completely forgotten about xanga.
oops.
Life is so different now. I'm a college student now, not some mere high schooler addicted to blogging about sports and health. Also, i threw my knee out during my Senior year, and after 7 weeks on crutches, and 8 months of not being able to do anything on it except walk, i gained 30 lbs. Talk about a poor body image. I was used to eating all day long because I simply burned it off by running consistently. When you're not allowed to run, and your metabolism slows down because you haven't been exercising, but you still have the appetite you did when you were running at least 5 miles a day, you just pack on the pounds. Story of my life. So i've tried to start running again more recently, and am rather shocked at how out of shape i am.. Whereas i could run 8-10 miles at the drop of a hat, i struggle to run three. My legs burn, my chest hurts, and even though i'm still rather built because i still tried to hit the gym with a gimp knee, i feel like I no longer belong in the realm of the beautifully chiseled exercise freaks. =) I'm trying though. I think i need to change the way i eat too. I never paid all that much attention to anything I consumed, although I've never liked junk food, I've noticed I now eat things like the occasional ice cream, cream cheese, and WAY too much sugar.
so here's the plan of action.
1. Run consistently every day, starting out small, at least 2 miles a day. Do a full body workout every other day.
2. Cut back the calories, but in a healthy fashion.
3. Stop eating junk. I actually enjoy whole wheat better, and i love vegetables. I just wish the healthy, organic food didn't cost more. I'm a college student here!
4. Stop eating if I'm not hungry. I have a tendency to snack when I'm bored or studying. Bleh.
5. Be meticulous and a perfectionist when it comes to my body, because if I take care of it now, at age 18, i'll be healthier as I age.
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 166.
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| Guidelines for being Healthy.
Be active:
A good 1/2 hour per day helps to boost your metabolism so you burn off extra, unwanted calories a whole lots faster.
~ Run, Jog, Bike, Go for a brisk walk with your dog, go hiking, play soccer with the neighborhood kids, or even hit the gym and run a few miles on the treadmill.
Eat in Moderation:
Overeating is such a problem here in America with so much food in front of us all the time. Hunger pains occur when your body is running out of fuel for it's cells in the muscles and organs. It's best to eat when you feel honest hunger pains, not before. If you overeat, you feel tired and sluggish, easpecially when you eat mostly carbs, which is the majority of the average American's diet. Carbs, which are actually quick energy, in excess will make you drowsy.
Stop Starving:
Skipping meals is a common occurence for me, not because i try to cut calories, but because I'm a very busy person, always in the go. But when I skip meals, my body goes into starvation mode, and my metabolism comes to a screeching halt and begins operating on fewer calories, limiting my bodily functions to save fuel. My heart begins beating slower, and my muscles don't use as much energy. Eating too little has the same effect. Eating too few calories a day will actually hinder your efforts to lose weight and get fit.
Drink Water:
Water is essential for life. Dehydration can kill you. Water also plays a huge part in your diet and metabolism. If you get even the slightest bit dehydrated, your bodily processes can slow up to 3-5%. Freaky right??? Water also helps fill you up, making you fuller faster and feel satisfied longer.
Eat Breakfast:
After not eating for over eight hourse, your body goes into starvation mode so you burn fewer calories. Giving you body a boost by eating a light, healthy breakfast is better than letting your body continue in starvation mode.
Snack:
Eating smaller, more frequent meals allows your body to burn calories as you go instead of storing a huge meal as fat to use later.
Cardio:
Cardiovascular exercise boosts your metabolism, allowing you to burn calories all day long. And remember: Muscle burns more calories than fat. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even while at rest. Lifting weights to build muscle is a must for a fabulous body.
Chew Your Food:
Chewing your food triggers enzymes in your stomach to help digest faster. Inhaling your food also isn't very healthy.
~Please let me know how you are doing... I'll start posting how far I run and what active things I do. Anything i can do to help, just let me know.
Thanx.
Gracie
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| Here's some stuff i found about metabolism- a huge part of being healthy.
This is what not to do.
Dehydration: Caffeinated beverages, alcohol, lack of water -- they all cause dehydration. When you’re dehydrated, your body temperature drops and causes you to store fat. Avoid this by easing up on the liquid vices. If you must imbibe, down more water –- and make it cold (cold water burns more calories going down the pipe than water at room temperature).
Cardio-loading: While heart-pumping workouts will burn calories, it's your body’s level of lean muscle mass that has the biggest impact on metabolism. Since energy is required to maintain muscle tissue, the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn –- even at rest.
Fueling up With Carbs: Eating and digesting food requires energy, and protein boasts the greatest food-generated calorie burn. “RMR increases two to three times more after eating protein than it does after eating carbohydrates and fat,” says Safir.
Skipping Breakfast: Your body slows down when you sleep and it doesn’t speed back up until you put fuel in it. In fact, skipping any meal is a recipe for metabolic disaster. If you allow yourself to get hungry your body will start to conserve energy by burning fewer calories.
--Amy Paturel
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| I know everyone struggles with thier body image. At least many of us girls do. So i decided to set up a site to help people stay fit and healthy.
It will also be a site as to how my progress is going with recovering.
I'll be putting tips up, along with healthy foods to eat, body type, bpi information, and everything you need to know about improving your self image.
Please comment on what you want to know, and any ways i can help.
Gracie
PS... I biked around 5 and 1/2 miles this morning, and ran 5 this evening. | | |
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