What's your story?
Fitness story? Go here: My Fitness Journey
I wish I had the willpower you do. Where do you get it?
It's a big myth that getting fit takes willpower. Some days you have a force of will, sometimes you don't. Maybe there are some people out there who are strong every moment of every day. I'm not. I've been on this journey most actively over four years now, and it still took me that long to lose a total of 58 pounds. (Nearly 100 if you include what I regained and then lost again.) The times I've been successful were the times I had a goal and a plan. I've added a lot of online support this time, which is also going to be key for me.
What are you doing to lose the rest of the weight? Diet healthy eating and exercise. I love barre, ball, and yoga because they help my back issues. Right now I'm doing 21 Day Fix workouts. Healthy eating and exercise may sound cliched, but it works. My goal is to get to 150 by the end of the year. That way I can say it took me 5 years to lose 100 pounds. :) I'm nearly 5'6, so 150 is at the higher end of my healthy weight range. I put on muscle fairly easily, so I set my goal there to make it reasonable. Once I get to 150, I'll evaluate my fitness levels, and from there it won't be about weight loss so much as increasing muscle and decreasing fat. Health is what matters. Weight is just a number on the scale. Though I admit to being excited to see that number go down to a healthy range.
Do I personally think protein powders or supplements are necessary for losing weight/getting in shape? No. I lost the first 70 pounds rarely ever using a protein shake. There are a lot of companies out there claiming that their shakes/powders/supplements are the golden ticket to wellness. Some of those shakes/powders/supplements have great ingredients and can be a helpful tool for weight loss, but the truth of it is, if you are eating a very healthy diet, full of lots of greens (read some of Joel Fuhrman's books to learn about the importance of those), and unless you are a hardcore body builder or have a need for extra or specific vitamins and minerals, you generally won't need other supplements. But if your body has been really mistreated, there are good vitamin supplements out there that won't cost as much as one really nice outfit per month. Or a dozen workout DVDs. Or a pile of e-books. (I'm also a writer, which translates to avid reader.)
In my opinion, healthy eating plus exercise is really all that is vital unless you have a specific condition or your doctor says otherwise. The truth of the matter is that a lot of people eat terribly, and then attribute their sudden good health to powders and supplements, when the real key is that they're finally feeding their bodies with something that contains nutrition. If they gave their bodies healthy food, they'd notice a lot of the same changes.
That said, there are some products that I like and use regularly. They're aids on my journey, but if I couldn't get them I would still be successful. I choose to use plant-based protein powders only. My current favorites are over on the "Products I Love" page. I am not affiliated with any company except the one I hold my fitness certification from, AFAA.
Are you following a special diet?
I'm using the 21 Day Fix container system to help me with portion control and variety, but I use all my own foods. I am a life-long vegetarian for personal reasons. I use sugar rarely now, but still allow treats now and then. I get most of my calories from leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, some eggs, plain Greek yogurt, some vegan protein powders, and now and then cottage cheese.
21 Day Fix is a Beachbody program, right? Are you using Shakeology?
Yep, 21 Day Fix is a Beachbody program. Shakeology looks like a great protein powder that also works as a meal replacement. It's plant-based, uses stevia, all things I like. Lots of healthy other ingredients, too. However I don't use Shakeology for one specific reason: my religion prohibits drinking tea, as in the tea plant. Shakeology contains a small amount of the tea plant, so I personally don't feel comfortable using it. They used to use extract (which I don't feel comfortable using either), but they recently changed the formula to use the actual powdered leaf. If they took out the tea leaf, I would buy a bag in a heartbeat. The company Sunwarrior also recently reformulated their Warrior Blend to include green tea extract, which now means I only buy their classic rice-based formula.
What are your favorite workout DVDs?
Coming soon to a clickety tab near you.
