Learning from the past

I spent the weekend camping, so going on a hard diet/exercise campaign was next to impossible. Instead, I decided to think back over the last couple of years.

I have been trying to lost weight/get toned for two years now. Yet here I sit, weighing as much as I did when I got started. True, I am definitely more fit than I was then, but I am nowhere near where I want to be.

So, what did I do wrong? A lot of things, I think. I still get a bit confused on certain things. But, I'll start with what I know I do wrong.

1- food choices
I can easily keep my calories under 1500. The problem is, I can cheerfully get half of those calories from a Mountain Dew and candy bar. Portion control isn't an issue, it's making wise food choices. While on paper, 1500 calories a day SOUNDS good, if it's not 1500 GOOD calories, I won't lose weight. Trust me, I've tried. Many times.

2- MOUNTAIN DEW
I love the stuff. Absolutely adore it. I'd go so far as to say I'm addicted to it. I go back and forth as to whether or not I should quit altogether. I have very few, if any vices in life. What is the problem with a 12 oz can a day? The quit part of me reminds myself that I am genuinely addicted, and do I want to go through life addicted to ANYTHING? Secondly, I have quit it several times, and each time I think that having a can every once in a while is ok, I quickly backslide to a 24 oz bottle a day. There's also lots of research out there that soda, even diet soda, is bad for you. Mountain Dew is loaded with high fructose corn syrup, which also has an extremely bad reputation. On the plus side, having a vice makes me more sympathetic to addicts because I have a glimpse of how hard it is to quit something you love.

3- Consistency
I'm good about exercise (well, I was til this summer). I go to the gym at least 3 times a week, but usually, it's more like 4-5 times a week. However, when I decide to start eating a particular way, I don't have staying power. I tend to backslide into my high sugar ways within a few days. I think I need to find a happy medium that allows for some indulgence. Or maybe, I need to just go through sugar withdrawals and adjust.

4- Exercise
I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I obviously am doing *something* wrong. I am definitely in better shape than I was two years ago. I notice quite a bit of muscle definition. I can go on a 3-4 mile hike with the two year old on my back and do ok. I did a 26 mile bike ride on a whim when my SIL asked me to go with her so she wouldn't be alone. I try to do weight training 2x a weeks, and then cardio (either walking, elliptical, bicycle, or kickboxing) 3-4x a week. However, my heart rate is still really, really high. I did a health assessment through Hill Air Force Base a couple months ago. I did extremely well in the strength and flexibility sections (I was 90th percentile for my age/size). However, in the cardio section, I had the ability of a much older SMOKER who never exercises. I nearly cried. How could all that hard work not show up? I got a heart rate monitor, and sure enough, my heart rate skyrockets when I just start out. It tends to then settle back down in a little bit, but the test ended before it could do that. I don't FEEL like I'm pushing myself that hard, but my heart seems to think so. I am confused here. The cardio machines at the gym think that for me to lose weight, my heart rate should be under 130. To be in the "cardiovascular training" area, I should be between 130-160 or so. If I'm under 130, I don't feel like I'm working.

When I watch "The Biggest Loser", they seem to be killing themselves. Are they drama queens, or are they working over their target heart rate? I feel pretty good until my heart gets into the 180s. I can be in the 180s for a while, but not forever.

So, here are my goals:

1- I WILL cut back on mountain dew. I don't know that I'll quit altogether, but I think that only having a can once or twice a week is ok.

2- Instead of going on a diet where I focus on all the things I can't have, I am going to focus on what I can have. I will make sure that I get at least 6-8 servings of fruits/veggies, 2-3 servings of dairy (through yogurt or cottage cheese), 25 g. fiber, and at least 60 g. of protein a day. I think if I am eating all that, I will probably not be hungry enough for much sweets. If I have eaten all the nutrients I need in a day, and I want ice cream, then I'll have a sensible portion. I refuse to be one of those people that giggles about how badly they "cheated" on their diet because they had a strawberry and a piece of white bread.

3- I will take vitamins. There are several studies out there about how people who are nutrient deficient tend to gain weight and have trouble losing weight. I'll take a multivitamin, fish oil supplements (because I think fish is NASTY), and calcium.

4- I will continue to exercise. In fact, I think I'll actually consult a cardiologist on my heart rate issues and see what he/she thinks is my issue.