Diet Deadlines: Getting Past The ‘Yo-Yo’ Trap
I desperately want Jessica Simpson to keep winning. I don’t know if it’s that the New York Magazine cover girl has been on pace for Jennifer Aniston heartbreak record or that she makes some of the comfiest five inch pumps ever, but whatever it is, I love that girl.
It’s why I got more than antsy hearing about Jessica’s new wedding countdown diet and routine. According to US Weekly, Jessica has hired Gwenyth Paltrow’s trainer, Tracy Anderson, to help her get in shape for when she walk down the aisle later this year. So far, Anderson has Simpson doing 75-minute sessions four times a week to get in shape for her big day.
According to friends, Jessica is loving the results of the new routine and is happy to be slimming down. But for long-time fans Jessica’s latest kick signals danger. It’s no secret the singer-actress-designer has struggled with weight throughout the years. And while her yo-yo escapades may not be comparable to say a Miss Jackson-if-you-nasty, Jessica’s has seen her ups and downs.
I can’t quite fault her though. I mean, with the days slowly getting warmer, I’ve been thinking more and more about what my spring wardrobe and eventually, yes, the summer body. While I have no wedding coming up, I (and every woman I know) has bikini season to look forward to. And though my most pressing concerns remains getting myself into shape, the harder challenge really is maintaining it.
As someone who has struggled with her weight and knows the pressure of trying to fit into a sample size or two-piece come a certain date, getting caught up in hype of the deadline is too easy to do.
One of my latest resolutions (President’s Day, I know but never too late for self-improvement…) is to build as best I can a healthy lifestyle. This is far harder than just getting to the eventual target point because really the goal is developing a smart path along the way.
So what about you Clutchettes? What are some of the healthy patterns you are trying to develop not just for now, but for the future?
Vegetables,fruits and healthy drinks…I don’t know how nutritional Arizona Iced Tea is.
DO cardio and strength training ALL year round, that keeps weight gain to a minimum if you do pick up a few pounds.
Most folks do fluctuate a bit, but by working out all year and watching what you eat for the most part, you keep the weight flux to a minimum, making it is easier to get slinky in the months leading up to summer. Strength training is key, you want tone and strengthen muscles, muscle mass burns fat even when you are chillin.
Get stricter with healthy eating habits and rev up the intensity of the work outs late winter into and throughout the spring, GO HARD. Simple really, it’s just a matter of discipline. Fitness is for life not a season.
Staying healthy is something you have to incorporate into your everyday life. If you start to think of it as a task on a already long to-do list, chances are it will never take priority.
Be mobile: try not to drive as much, if you can help it. I take public transportation so everyday, I’m walking (or sprinting) to catch my train or bus. Then trekking up flights of stairs coming from the subway underground.
Eat healthy: You can’t eat chips, cookies, and drink juice and soda on regular basis and be surprised you’re overweight. Stick with water and tea (add lemon or cucumber for flavor)
Check out the nutrition labels (and ingredients for that matter) for everything you put in your shopping cart. You’ll be astonished. Don’t just look at calories. Look at percentages and ratios of macro nutrients (fats, carbohydrates, sugars). Calories are not your enemy, the content of your calories is whats important.
e.g. A cup of juice may only have 120 calories, but it has 46 grams of sugar. Yikes. Avocados and nuts are high in monosaturated fats, but those fats are good for you.
I find eating healthy is cheap too! If you buy a ton produce, you can chop it up and add rice and/or beans, herbs, and other seasonings and it will go a long way. And nothing satiates a sweet tooth like a pineapple or mango!
BOTTOM LINE: you don’t have to restrict everything, just be conscious of what you’re putting in your body and how it affects your body’s performance. Its not rocket science.