Happy Canada Day!
Today is not only Canada Day, and the start of a new month and the second half of 2020 (which I’m hoping will be a whole lot better than the first half!), but it also marks 90 days of my healthy eating plan! No flour, no sugar, no junk for 90 days. And the result? 25 lbs lost, and a whole bunch of NSVs!
I can put on my running shoes easier. My knees don’t hurt. My skin doesn’t feel stretched and tight.
My clothes are looser and my shorts are now too big at size 16.
As of this morning, I weighed 197.0 lbs on the dot.
This was my starting weight several years ago. Back then, I began this eating plan on December 26th, after all the delicious, over abundant, indulgent Christmas feasts. My husband and I had decided to tackle our family room over the holiday break – painting not only the walls, but also the wainscoting and the fireplace. It was a good distraction from junk food. By the end of our Christmas vacation, our family room had been transformed and I was well on my first weight loss journey.
So that is why 197 is important to me. I’m back at square one. But I’d like to think a bit wiser this time around. And of course, a bit older. It took me 8 months last time to lose 53 lbs. I’m at the 3 month mark now and making great progress, although to be honest, there are some days when I feel like I’ve completely stalled. It’s tough at times to stay motivated. That’s when I distract myself with a good book or some fresh air.
I feel like my carbs are under control. And my cardio right now is walking or biking almost every day, in the evening usually, when it’s cooler (my local 5 Star gym is currently cleaning and setting up for re-opening, but I’m not sure how comfortable I will feel going there. Stay tuned!). I was struggling with feeling motivated to do weight resistance, which I know is important both for losing weight and for retaining bone density. I just didn’t feel like setting aside the prescribed 30 minutes, 3 times a week. Yaaaawn…….So I decided to try something a little different.
After every time I go to the bathroom, I do 20 slow, quality squats (with the big squeeze at the top). That way, I’m adding a new habit to an existing (essential!) one. By association, I figured I could fit in weight resistance effortlessly. That is, until 1pm on the first day, when I had already done 60 squats and needed to pee again. Now I was trying to hold it in because my legs were tired! So I modified things a wee bit: 20 squats each time I go, up to 80 squats, working up to 100 squats in a given day. That’s better!
The largest muscle in the human body is the gluteous maximus (AKA the glutes, or your booty muscles). These are targeted when you do squats. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. So do your squats and get a toned booty and burn more calories! A win-win!
Side note: do you know what the strongest muscle is? Some argue it is also your gluteous maximus, but others argue it’s the masseter, the main muscle in your jaw because it can exert so much pressure. No wonder I can eat and talk so much! LOL!
Cheers to getting healthier, and cheers to Canada Day!