by EM2WL | Jan 15, 2014 | Fat Loss / Cutting, Testimonials, The Journey
I am so much stronger, mentally and physically than I ever realised I could be, and so much of that I credit to trusting the process of Eat More To Weigh Less and challenging and trusting myself. I’m the lowest weight I’ve been since my mid 20s (I’m now 31) and my heart is lighter too.
I’ve lost over 29kgs / 64.3lbs in the last year. I now buy clothes in “straight sizes” instead of “plus sizes.” I lost most of that weight in the six months since I’ve been following Eat More To Weigh Less. I’m not at my “goal weight” yet but that has become less important over time, especially as I reflect on how I’ve changed my relationship with my body and food over the last year to a healthy one. For me the main reason to care about the number on the scale now is because one of my goals for 2014 is to be able to deadlift my own body weight. I focus on small weight loss goals at a time with no “ultimate” number in mind. I now celebrate muscle and strength gains more than I celebrate a loss on the scale. Eat More To Weigh Less has taught me how much the diet industry and women’s media has failed us, and lied to us. When I reflect on the knowledge I have now and share it with others who ask how they can be successful with weight loss like I am, this process feels like a radical truth.
Ten years ago I was thrown against a wall by an ex and suffered from what was probably undiagnosed whiplash. I spent the next decade in chronic and debilitating pain and experienced frequent migraines. The pain was so bad a neurologist said the reason I spent a year throwing up multiple times a day was “stomach migraine.” I was really fit and slim before the injury but now in pain, I became afraid of movement, my body got fat and tired and my anxiety and depression got worse. I had a couple of years of intensive physiotherapy for my neck, which didn’t help. I lived like a victim. This man wasn’t the last abuser in my life, but he was the one who did the most mental and physical damage.
I worked so hard over the years to heal from this trauma and made some progress, but never got there while overwhelmed with other chronic health issues and battling with my weight. Over the last couple of years I have followed my intuition to release that trauma, making unconventional choices in the right “therapies” or “treatments.” I focused on relationships of love and trust in my life, and learned to love myself past the body positivity I tried to practice. I finally decided that body positivity could also mean it was okay to want to change my body. When I joined MyFitnessPal earlier in 2013, I wanted to lose weight but realised I needed to stop crash dieting, because I would lose only to regain. I’d been doing a lot of cardio and resistance training, but I didn’t feel balanced, and I was still binge eating. Overcoming disordered eating is possible, but it took me months of mindfulness and vigilance, and realising that instant gratification wasn’t helping or satisfying me.
I was lucky that some of the women on my friends list were following Eat More To Weigh Less, and I was encouraged to check out the forum and website. I had been eating my BMR (and not eating back any exercise calories) and losing weight, but with all the exercise I was doing I was hungry all the time. In June I took a leap of faith and upped my calories slowly. Since then I have a better grasp of my TDEE and eat a 10-20% cut which is around 2000 calories a day to lose weight. When I started eating more was when really started to make strength gains and lose more weight, consistently. There were times when I doubted the process, but Eat More To Weigh Less has allowed me more freedom with food and my lifestyle.
I eat sweet treats in moderation (almost daily)
I love food and I’m a great cook, and much of my social life revolves around sharing food with friends. I don’t eat diet foods. I don’t believe food has a moral value and while I enjoy it in moderation, I don’t feel guilty about the choices I make. I don’t punish myself by exercising more just because I ate more on a given day. I’ve always known how to eat healthily (I was brought up vegetarian though I’m no longer one) with a focus on fruit, vegetables and whole grains. My problem was eating too much (sugar especially) with emotional and hormonal binge eating, taking different medications for my health that made me gain even more weight, and not exercising enough. I haven’t cut anything out while counting calories, in fact I’ve probably added more, but with a greater balance. I’ve never liked soft drink and I don’t drink a lot of alcohol either, but still enjoy it on occasion. I could never eat low carb because I love carbs. My main focus is my protein macro and eating over 100g of protein a day, to help in building muscle. I find if I focus on protein all my other macros fall in line. I break so many of those stupid “dieting rules” and eat late dinners, snack late at night (I hate going to bed hungry) and I eat dessert nearly every day. Something so important I learnt when overcoming disordered eating was learning to listen to my body and hunger again, and trust it. I now know when I need to eat more and I’m not afraid to.
This process needs patience and the results will come. Be kind to yourself and nourish your body and mind with good food and new challenges. Celebrate the changes in your body and improvements in fitness and strength. Honour your body for how hard it works for you even with all your perceived imperfections, how you can love and move with it. Reach out to the compassionate, sensible and wise EM2WL team and forum members when you’re struggling or unsure.
I made 2013 my year of focusing on getting other chronic health conditions I had under control. Eating more and being fitter and stronger helped me find the courage and energy to pursue treatments I needed, because I didn’t want anything holding me back with my fitness goals! I grew bored with the cardio and resistance training I was doing. A girlfriend of mine loved lifting and talked about it all the time and I was in awe of her, but still afraid of further injuring my neck and being in more pain. I saw all the inspiring women from Eat More To Weigh Less on my friends list lifting and I wanted to start. Your encouragement made me feel braver. I paid a trainer for a few sessions to teach me how to correctly and safely do compound lifts, and then started StrongLifts on my own.
I include Pilates just for “kicks”
I’m always looking for ways to challenge my fitness rather than staying still physically (and mentally). Kiki recently helped me reflect on how my relationship with cardio has changed. I used to do more cardio so I could burn more and lose more, and that worked because I was eating well. That approach is boring and exhausting though. I even used to do cardio and lift weights on the same days, I’d hate to contemplate doing that often now! My cardio goal for next year is to find more opportunities and time to go on hikes with local groups, because it’s nice to get out of the city and the hikes are challenging. I get a lot of NEAT because I don’t have a car and I walk a lot. I’ve never been a runner but I’ve started doing C25K. I really look forward to it and love that it’s only a half hour commitment three times a week. I LOVE how efficient my workout is when I concentrate on compound lifts three times a week. Something Kiki wrote that resonated with me about designing her workout schedule: “some things are included out of necessity, and other just for kicks.” For me, lifting and doing some cardio is necessary, and Pilates is my kicks when I find time for it, or yoga. I change my workout routine as I accomplish goals or get bored and need variety. I’m never doing hours of cardio again though, unless it’s outdoors. I even want to do Park Runs next year – the old me would have shied from running outdoors with people I don’t know.
When I started lifting heavy weights and got strong it all came together. Today I have a strong back and shoulders and can hold my neck up without exhaustion or pain. My posture has improved. My chronic pain is gone and I rarely get migraines. I’ve never felt as feminine as I do now with curves and muscle (I joke that my body type is now “muscular hourglass”). I thought there’d be a point before now where I’d look at my body and think, “That’s enough muscle.” I now know I’ve got a long way to go until that point, because I love celebrating more muscle! I’ve become a more confident woman in the last year. I wear sleeveless clothes outside the house now, and even wear a bikini to the beach.
I’m centred and I feel so powerful, and that feeling comes from challenging my strength and building muscle. I never thought I’d want my body to lift weights, and I didn’t know how much I’d enjoy it. Mentally I am calm and I feel like no one could (or should) mess with me. Family, friends and strangers remark on how happy, healthy and strong I am and look. I am less defensive and I don’t live in fear every day. If I ever have a daughter I will encourage her to do a martial art or lift weights, because I believe these are powerful practices to create a mental and physical posture to shield from potential abusers, and live with confidence and strength. To live with power. The real “secret” to my success so far has been getting strong!
I make sure to get in enough protein, & the rest falls into place!
Have an EM2WL transformation to share? Willing to let us tag along on your journey? We’d love to see it! Be featured on our Transformation/Journey page by submitting your story to Success@EM2WL.com
by | Jan 6, 2014 | Consistency, Fat Loss / Cutting, Motivation, Nutrition, Self Acceptance
Challenge:
Now that you have your list of fitness goals, look deeper into the reasons why you want to achieve them. What is really driving you to make this change? Maybe you want to set a better example for your kids or something similar. Willpower is an exhaustible resource and having that emotional tie in to your goal will help pull you through the tough times. Referring to this list regularly will help reinforce your commitment.
By now, you should have a clear-cut idea of the goals that you want to accomplish for this year. Hopefully you have a list of some outcome-based goals that you intend to work towards in accomplishing your main goals. And you’ve framed those goals in such a way that you are working on building positive habits, rather than eliminating negative ones.
Now it’s time to get personal and dig deep into the reasons for your motivation. Why is it important for you to reach your goal? There are a number of reasons why you might set fitness goals. Maybe you want to set a better example for the little ones who are watching your every move, do away with high blood pressure, or feel more confident when you wear that bikini for your upcoming beach vacation.
As you think about the factors that are motivating you, remember that ultimately YOU are your best motivator and it is YOU who needs to own this journey. You need to determine what will motivate you to keep going when your willpower runs out. Others may be able to encourage you, but it is YOU who must make the hard choices and remain consistent when you feel like giving up.
Remember to continue to cast your goals in a positive, not negative light. If you begin your goal setting process from the place of feeling disgusted with the way you look, it is highly likely that you will approach developing healthy habits as “punishment.” This is the wrong way to approach lasting lifestyle changes! If you view fitness and nutrition as punishment, you are far less likely to remain consistent. Change your mindset! Remaining consistent in the behaviors that will help you succeed in reaching your goals is an incredibly rewarding, not punishing experience.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be proud of the way that you look. However, placing too much emphasis on attaining a certain look can drain the joy out of life. Try to keep the focus of your goals on performance and outcomes. This can be incredibly difficult for us, particularly as women living in a culture that places so much emphasis on how we look. It is easy for us to become obsessive about the way we look, and often the truly important things in our lives suffer as a result. Self-loathing, body shaming, anxiety, depression, and perfectionism often are present in those who are overly concerned with their physical appearance. Unable to attain to this impossible standard of perfection, it is easy to temporarily stop caring, which unfortunately leads to more self-loathing, and the cycle continues.
Regardless of where you are right now in your journey, be proud of who you are and do not subject yourself to body shaming as a way to motivate yourself. Don’t wait until you’ve accomplished your goals to feel great. Make sure you have plenty of options to look and feel your best, right now!
You may want to answer some questions in your fitness journal to help you think about the reasons for your goals. Jotting down a a few thoughts will give you something to refer back to and remind you of why this is important when you feel your willpower diminishing.
- What goals do you have?
- Why is it important for you to accomplish these goals?
- What drives you?
- What makes you feel happy?
- How will you feel when you reach your goals?
Images courtesy of: stockimages, Stuart Miles, Maya Picture of freedigitalimages.net
Becca is a busy wife and homeschooling mother to five children ages 5 to 13. About three years ago, she embarked on a journey to health and fitness that resulted in the loss of approximately 100 pounds. Today, she is a competitive powerlifter and strongwoman who loves ice cream and deadlifts. As an ISSA certified personal trainer, she is passionate about helping women to get started on a lifestyle of strength and fitness.
by EM2WL | Jan 3, 2014 | Fat Loss / Cutting, Tracking Progress
Water Weight Gain.
Words that seem to strike fear in the hearts of dieting women across the globe. When did we start giving water so much power and authority?
Oh yes…that second word: WEIGHT. More specifically, water weight gain, has women everywhere constantly searching for solutions on how to “solve” it.
Sure, when it’s that time of month, and we can’t squeeze into our “good” clothes, it can be annoying. Or we have a sodium fest, and feel like our jewelry is cutting off our circulation…not fun.
But is water really our nemesis?
Typical concerns of Water Weight Gain
Retained water becomes contaminated because your kidneys can’t filter out contaminants properly when you’re dehydrated. The liver is then called upon to help process these waste products, which interferes with one of its main functions, breaking down body fat. So without sufficient water in your body you’re likely to end up water-logged and bloated.
This is also said to lead to a problem with sodium. When you’re dehydrated, sodium can’t be adequately flushed from the body, causing further water retention, and any additional sodium ingested in your diet simply aggravates the problem.
Water and your muscles
Sometimes it feels as if water is working against us when we develop that “soft” look to our muscles. This is because diets or activities that cause excessive fluid loss have a significant effect on muscle size. Without sufficient water you become dehydrated. Your body begins to retain water to protect itself, and much of this water is stored subcutaneously, which smooths out muscle definition dramatically. This is why you hear of bodybuilders drinking up to a gallon or more each day to offset their higher sodium diets and intense workouts, in attempt to keep their muscles “hard” and visible.
Water weight gain during new workout phases
Gaining weight (~5 lbs) when starting a new exercise program is completely normal. If you are changing up your program every 4-6 weeks, then expect a jumpy scale. Period. It’s all good. Just let your body do it’s thing and stop depending on the scale ONLY for progress reports.
This is important to remember if you are in a program that uses “phases” that change regularly (such as LU app, STS, CLX, P90X, etc). You may experience a jump with every phase, and the scale could take up to three weeks to “equalize.” This means that you may only see the scale weight drop ONE week out of the four, then see it shoot back up again when you change something up. Don’t stress about it. What’s the alternative? Doing the exact same regimen (in attempt to avoid water weight gain) and seeing NO results because your body has adapted?
Not the wisest choice.
That water retention/scale increase/DOMS combo is your sign that your body is still being challenged by the current workout, which means that changes are on the way. We just need to learn not to shun it (water retention) so much.
Constant water retention from strength training
Many ladies get so caught up in that scale number that they feel like “Why bother lifting? I don’t want to carry extra water all the time”…but we are SUPPOSED to carry that water.
Blood = 92% water, the brain & muscles = 75% water, and bones = 22% water. Yet, on the flip side, obesity decreases the water in the body, to as low as 45% (as fat weight is only about 20-25% water).
You do the water math.
Women typically have less water than men (as a percentage), because they carry more fat. But think about it, men typically have an easier time with fat loss because they have more muscle.
The more muscle you carry, the higher your percentage of water will be. All. the. time.
To put it plainly, HEALTHY, and FIT bodies SHOULD carry water!
Coming to terms with a jumpy scale
Sometimes I feel like my weight only ever goes UP. But…when I focused on staying a number on the scale, I NEVER progressed, and actually started looking WORSE. Once I let it go, the floodgates opened and my body begin to FINALLY transform. It really is a hindrance to put so much emphasis on scale weight.
If you know that a jumpy scale will depress you, stay OFF. Let the mirror, pics, the way your clothes fit, and the constant compliments dictate your progress.
And while you’re at it, give poor water a break.
References:
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding
Scienceclarified.com
Waterinfo.org
by | Nov 19, 2013 | Building Muscle, Fat Loss / Cutting, Motivation, Q & A, Strength Training
If you are new to strength training, you may be confused by some of the terms that get thrown around. Questions that we frequently get asked is about the difference between compound vs isolation exercises.
- What is the difference between compound and isolation movements?
- Are compound or isolation exercises preferred?
- When should I incorporate these movements into my strength training regimen?
In general, compound exercises are those weighted movements that involve multiple major muscle groups and involve movement at multiple joints of the body. Generally speaking, they promote “functional fitness” by simulating real life activities. Examples of compound exercises would be the squat, the deadlift, the row, and the bench press. There are multiple versions of each of these exercises.
In contrast, isolation exercises generally work only one muscle group and involve movement at only one joint. Often, isolation exercises are performed on machines. Typical examples include the biceps curl or the quadriceps extension.
A prime example of a compound exercise is the deadlift. Although many people think of the deadlift as a lower body exercise, a number of other muscles are used as stabilizer muscles in this exercise. The biceps, abdominal muscles, and trapezius are a few of the upper body muscles which are targeted. Deadlifts are a prime example of one exercise working nearly every muscle fiber in the body!
Compound Movements have a number of benefits:
- Because more muscle fibers from large muscle groups are being recruited, these movements burn more calories
- Are often seen as a more effective use of time, since a full body workout can be completed with only a few exercises.
- Mimic movements that are used in daily life, thereby enhancing functional fitness.
- Provide cardiovascular conditioning and benefits
- Provide sport-specific benefits such as improved mobility, coordination and balance
- Trigger greater release of muscle-building hormones
- Reduce risk of over-training since fewer training sessions are required to target muscle groups
If your primary goal is fat loss, doing moderate to high repetitions of compound movements will provide a great calorie burn and target your large muscle groups, thereby stimulating the metabolism. It should be stressed that compound movements do prevent a greater risk for injury if done incorrectly. Learning proper form should be a major consideration. If you have access to a personal trainer or someone who is an experienced lifter, perhaps ask them to demonstrate proper form or watch your lifts. Another good idea is to video your lifts and check your form. If you are very new to lifting, checking out examples of exercises on YouTube is a great idea.
For those seeking to gain muscle or increase strength, heavy compound movements in the lower repetition range (3-8) will provide an environment for this as well. However, both those seeking to lose fat or gain muscle will benefit from including some isolation exercises.
Benefits of Isolation Movements:
- reduces risk of injury -increases blood volume to muscle
- initiates growth
- correct imbalances which may result from or lead to injury
- increases size and bulk of muscle, and provide shape to the muscle
After fast-twitch muscle fibers have been depleted through heavy compound work, isolation exercises can be used to maximize blood volume to the muscle, thereby initiating the growth process.
Heavy Lifting Makes us happy!
If you are new to strength training, you will probably want to structure your program around some good, basic compound exercises such as the bench press, row, deadlift and squat. Start light, learn proper form, and gradually increase the weight being lifted. Generally speaking, a well-structured lifting program will focus on compound movements first and then add in complementary isolation exercises to correct imbalances and provide an opportunity for hypertrophy. Even beginners will benefit from adding in some isolation exercises to their strength training program. These exercises should be ones that are directly related to the compound lifts.
Below are some examples of isolation exercises that will have the most carryover to your main lifts.
Bench Press
- triceps extensions
- front raises
- side raises
- rope pull downs
Deadlifts
- bicep curls
- hip thrusts
- leg extensions
- glute ham raise
Squats
- leg extensions
- reverse hyper
- leg curls Rows-bicep curls
For the majority of people looking to lose fat, gain muscle and improve functional fitness, a well rounded lifting program will focus first on compound lifts and then add in isolation movements to increase hypertrophy, prevent injury, and correct imbalances. Using both compound and isolation exercises will get you the results you are seeking! The following example should provide a good idea of how to combine both compound and isolation exercises for an effective workout that will provide an environment for building muscle, burning fat, and increasing strength and overall conditioning. These workouts should be able to be completed in about an hour. For best results, find a weight that challenges you. If you can complete more than the prescribed number of repetitions, you will want to increase the weight.
Monday: Legs and Glutes
Wednesday: Upper Body
Friday: Legs and Back
Becca is a busy wife and homeschooling mother to five children ages 5 to 13. About three years ago, she embarked on a journey to health and fitness that resulted in the loss of approximately 100 pounds. Today, she is a competitive powerlifter and strongwoman who loves ice cream and deadlifts. As an ISSA certified personal trainer, she is passionate about helping women to get started on a lifestyle of strength and fitness.
by Trish Adams | Oct 24, 2013 | Motivation, Stress, Troubleshooting
Guest Post by Trish
I am a huge advocate for stress management and ridding your life of stress whenever possible.
Have a stressful relationship? Get rid of it. Have a stressful job? Quit. But there are times when you can’t eliminate the stress, for example, when something tragic happens to you or a loved one, or in my case, you actually enjoy the thing that is wreaking havoc on your life.
For the better part of this year I have lead a project that was under staffed with an overly ambitious timeline. To keep my sanity, I’ve had to make a few adjustments to my normal routine.
Get all the sleep. As the project started to heat up, I made sleep my priority above all other activities, aside from the care of my family. When my sleep is off, everything is off. I start making bad decisions and am truly just rotten to be around. I have even had occasion to fall asleep during a meeting – my colleagues have the pictures to prove it! While 8 hours (or more) of sleep is ideal, I find I can get by on 6 when necessary, getting an additional few hours on the weekend. To ensure that I get my sleep on, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
- Tea in general is relaxing for me. I prefer a mint or jasmine green tea, but also drink chamomile when it’s bedtime. Yogi Bedtime seems to do the trick if I’m feel particularly wound up.
- Melatonin. I don’t use it often, but when I’m having trouble staying asleep, I find that I get 8-10 hours of solid sleep and don’t wake up groggy. Usually the following night’s sleep is just as good.
- When I have several ideas and/or to-dos bouncing around in my head right before bed, I know it’s a recipe for broken sleep. So before going to bed, I do a brain dump by either writing down or creating a voice memo of all these things. This way I’m not worrying that I won’t remember them and waking up hours earlier than I should.
Let it go. Don’t be afraid to let things go. My training regimen is down to one strength session per week. Yup, just one. I could push myself and ‘get it in’, but I know myself well enough to know that I’d be risking injury. In order to get in more training sessions, I’d have to rob my sleep and that is not an option at present. As an alternative, I make sure I maximize my NEAT throughout my day, walking to work, taking the stairs two at a time, etc. It’s what I can manage at the moment and it helps me to still feel active.
Find something that relaxes you. A friend turned me on to Ultimate Yogi over the summer. Of the 14 or so classes, I really only do one – Gentle. This routine relaxes my body and mind like nobody’s business. If I could, I’d do it daily. Whether it’s yoga, meditation or a soothing bath, find something that helps you to unwind, both mentally and physically.
Eat good. Don’t let stress be an excuse for a poor diet. While I’m not tracking my food currently, another one of those activities that I had to let go, I still manage to eat to my plan…most days. Under normal circumstances, I prepare about 80% of my snacks & meals. Nowadays, it’s closer to 50%. However, I keep some prepared foods on hand, such as Trader Joe’s lightly seasoned grilled chicken, pouches of tuna and salmon. Simply add some veggies, salsa, and avocado for a great meal in minutes. Similarly, when ordering in, I order something similar to what I might have prepared. For snacks, I keep fresh fruit, turkey jerky, quest bars and other protein supplements within my reach.
My project is in the home stretch, as they say. I’m rounding third and can almost taste the normalcy. For the past few weeks or so my work days have averaged between 12-15 hours, but amazingly, I don’t feel stressed. I miss my normal, but I’m practicing patience knowing that it is not far away.
In the past, I would have been consumed with not gaining weight during this time, ‘working out’ at the same level to maintain a scale number and keeping my cal intake low. Even though my training volume has been reduced substantially, my calorie intake has not changed. My strength is good and I am even hitting a few PRs. My mind is clear and focused. So much of my ability to get through this period is simply due to a better understanding of how my body works and what its needs are. After two years of EM2WL, it still proves itself to me over and over again. I miss my beloved iron that I only visit once a week, twice if I’m lucky, and my EM2WL peeps. It has been a roller coaster of a year, but I’m still thriving!
by EM2WL | Sep 12, 2013 | Fat Loss / Cutting, Motivation, The Journey
Guest Post from Nicole
Recently I went on a girl’s overnight backpacking trip in the mountains. Well, my weekend did not go as planned…but it was a reminder of how much EM2WL has improved how I think about weight, fitness and my fitness goals.
I went hiking with two friends. My specific goal focused training this summer paid off in spades…
I was able to do the hike with ease. I was even running hills and jumping logs with my 35lb pack on all through it. I had a little DOMS in my calves the next morning but that’s about it. My other friends had a little more trouble. One of them hadn’t trained or exercised as much as she usually does and found that her quads, glutes, and hip flexors were pretty sore and she had to push through the hills (but she’s still in pretty good shape and was doing just fine). However, my skinny friend who doesn’t exercise regularly and thinks cutting out carbs is a good way to drop weight, started having trouble within the first km of easy hiking. 
Her toes cramped, she was winded, needed breaks on any little hill. When we got to a bigger hill, she could only go about 10-15 steps before doubling over on her pole to rest. By the time we got to 10km we were moving at a pace of 0.2km per half hour because she had to stop so often and couldn’t move fast (she was completely exhausted). And this was on a long, rather flat section.
Needless to say, we did not get to our destination. We stopped and camped for the night, got her back down the mountain. The next day, we settled her into a campsite and my other friend and I went on a 12+ km day hike along a rocky river bed/canyon. All together I hiked 32+ km up and down the mountains in 2 days with my fitter friend. I am the most overweight person of my 2 friends. I am about 25lbs OVER my goal weight since doing my reset, but I trained and ate for what I wanted to do, not to lose ‘x’ amount of lbs and it paid off…plus, the weight/fat is still dropping slowly (12lbs lost over the summer training).
Pick fitness goals, not a weight goal…If you chose a weight goal as your focus, you might not reach a fitness goal, but if you pick a fitness goal as your focus, the weight just kinda falls off too!!
Share your success, no matter how large or small. You never know who you may inspire to hang on just a bit longer. We love featuring results and journey stories in REAL time, not just before/afters. If you have a victory (scale or not) let us know and allow us to share with the fam, by submitting to success@EM2WL.com
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