Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Bikini Mentality

Now that I know JT is just fine, and my lumbar tumor has miraculously stopped swelling, its time to take this blog back to its original purpose! I have been walking a fine line with my fitness, throwing in runs only once or twice a week, adding seafood to my previously vegetarian diet, and munching whole boxes of cookies at 9pm while watching tivo. I glanced at my calendar yesterday and realized I have just over 3 weeks until the CTF Patient Forum in Las Vegas!

The header of the event's website is a gorgeous gold with palm trees swaying on the horizon, an obvious reminder to expect gorgeous weather that weekend. Gorgeous weather in Vegas means one thing: Bikinis. Yes, after having 2 kids and countless surgeries I, with every other woman my age, still yearn to rock an itty bitty teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini! Well, maybe not yellow, ew. Last summer I came so close! I even sported a tankini with minimal anxiety. This is my summer, and I started my plan yesterday.

Several people have asked what my plan is, and I wish I had some magical secret, but the truth is when I want to get fit I just focus on the goal and control myself. I have a handful of rules that work for me:

1. No coffee! It is dehydrating and addictive, makes your teeth yellow, and causes a crash at midday that tends to lead to a carb binge. Get up, splash ice water on your face, and get moving!

2. Hit the gym for cardio, weights, abs, then yoga at least every other day. In between workouts stay busy and on your feet! I try to have my workouts and all chores done by noon, its a great feeling!

3. Drink tons of water, and nothing else. I carry a big refillable sipper bottle with me at all times. The ones with the straws seem to make it the easiest to consume larger amounts.

4. Eat something small every 3 hours. Today I am spreading out: 1 packet of oatmeal with almond milk and flax seed, a rice milk and whey protein smoothie, an activia yogurt, a green smoothie, and whatever I want for dinner, but only a small salad plate worth. (and when I say whatever I want it means: vegetarian, nothing fried, avoid extra sauces and dressings)

5. No food after 7, allow ONE glass of red wine! I'm only human people!

6. No TV or couch time til after 8. Daytime TV is a brain drain anyway. Schedule a lot of social & volunteer activities.

7. Be flexible... we have pizza every Friday and I always order veggie pizza and have it cut into squares to maintain portion control. On donut day Paul always grabs me a blueberry muffin. If I really want something, I have it, but not the whole box. If you don't allow for tiny cheats you wont make it, you will freak out and binge within a week. This is not a diet, it is a mentality and lifestyle. No counting calories, just use common sense!

That's it! Its not so hard, I promise. Once you are used to it it just feels natural. I followed this for a long time and was in great shape, but I fell off the wagon. Well I am climbing back on!

2 comments:

Rebecca said...

LOL! I don't know if I will ever get there!!!! I never really have been either, at least not to my satisfaction and comfort.

I do not have any kids nor had any spinal surgeries and still the bikini body continues to elude me. I like chocolate to dang much and it wins over me everytime! As a matter of fact I had a chocolate truffle this morning, some chocolate chips with pretzels, nuts, and craisens while making a snack mix for my trainer, and then I helped myself to a bite of a dark chocolate strawberry balance bar. My obsession with chocolate and sugar cannot escape me no matter what I do! That south beach phase 1 did not work. As soon as I got through 2 weeks without sugar the cravings did not go away. When I hike and run it gets worse and I get hungrier!!!!

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