Sunday, July 27, 2014

Getting into shape isn't just about working out.

It is a life style change.  I never believed people when they said that to me.  I was always under the impression that all I had to do was work out and eat okay and everything will be fine.  And that is way I wasn't successful before.  Trying to get into shape requires you to change one's lifestyle.  Before I committed to this program, I probably cooked once, maybe twice a week.  The rest of my meals consisted of take out or microwavable meals.  To give myself some credit, I have also tried the cooking of a week's worth of food in a day.  Lots of stews, spaghetti sauces, and grilled meat.  This is all great, except when I would put in the calories for these recipes, I am shocked by how many calories I was eating.  Also restaurants are depressingly caloric.  Even salads seem like a ridiculous amount of calories (hint: it's mostly the dressing, so if you don't mind dry salads, it's doable).  The microwavable meals in the supermarket seem to provide a decent solution.  They are convient, and they are packaged in pre-set calorie amounts, but they are full of chemicals and the processing them go through greatly reduce their nutritional value.

Working out is a huge part of trying to get fit, but the nutrition aspect is just as important.  I'm not going to lie having to prepare five meals a day is a bit of a drag, but I'm starting to develop a rhythm between prepping food (mostly dividing things into portions so I don't have to do it each time), preparing, and cleaning.  Shopping for food also eats up a lot of time.  Because my diet has transitioned from lots of processed foods to a lot of grilled meat and fresh fruits and vegetables I feel like I have to go to the grocery store way more often.  I also really don't want to overbuy the fresh food because it's a waste of money and good food, so planning is key.  Mike said he is going to join me on this fitness journey starting tomorrow so now we will definitely eat through the fresh food supply.  We have limited refrigerator and freezer space, so managing those spaces will be the next challenge!

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