Fitness Challenge

Dieting, to me, should not be some torturous plan to make life miserable. Plans that include protein shakes, nutritional yeast, and wheat bran really don’t make me excited about eating. Dieting is hard enough as it is; there needs to be a way to make it “fun.”

So far, the hardest part of this challenge has been sticking to a healthy, low calorie diet. I have a hard time resisting the temptation of sweets, and basically anything delicious. As a result, my weight loss has not been what we would have expected.

Here’s my newest plan, developed by myself and the master-mind trainer, Steve. Every day, I am going to eat a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. The menu will be the same day to day for a few weeks just to reset my thinking and my body. The best part: I like every food in the diet! It does not feel like torture to eat a turkey sandwich on 9 grain bread with avocado, lettuce, and tomato. Actually, it’s delicious enough that I might go have one now…

Thing I learned this week: You do not have to go to extremes to diet effectively.

I hit the 40 pound mark! I am very excited about that and motivated for the next 40 pounds. I had a very stressful week as my husband had to have emergency back surgery for a herniated disc gone bad. He is recovering well. I was very excited though, cause even through the stress I did not eat bad food or consume too many calories. I could have justified eating fast food about 4-5 times this week but did not give in. I took the extra few minutes to pack healthy lunches or snacks, and hit the salad bar at the hospital. Instead of turning to "comfort" food, I turned to healthy food for energy and strength. This really is miraculous because that is not the 'old' me. Onwards I march!

Erin Brittain

As May approaches, so does the end of the school year, and luckily for me, graduation. But, with graduation comes parties, and lots of them.

Social events pose a particular difficulty when it comes to maintaining a diet plan. Even if I plan out my entire day, full of my wonderfully protein packed, calorie minimized goodies, I am faced with the unknown of what will be available from my gracious host.

Tonight for example, I had a reception to go to in honor of the scholarship that I earned during my program. Luckily, I had reserved a healthy amount of calories for this evening as a “just-in-case.” I was pleasantly surprised to find a buffet table filled with fruits and vegetables, small bits of cheese, and “healthier” appetizers like asparagus spears wrapped with ham and a touch of cream cheese. Even so, I enjoyed just enough to participate in the social aspect of the reception, but left myself hungry enough to eat a small, healthier and more thoughtfully prepared meal when I got home.

Thing I learned this week: 1) Social events are not solely about eating. Eat enough to participate but rely on your own planning to make up the bulk of your diet.

Another week of working hard. It was my week to weigh in and measure. I have lost close to 10 inches off my waist, 10 inches off my hips, and some off my arms. I am very encouraged by those results! I am close to hitting the 40 pound mark. My pounds dropping have slowed down and Zach is trying to tweak my calories to get it back up there. He actually increased my calories, which defies all logic, but I will trust him. That's why he is getting paid the big bucks! (not!) We'll see how it goes.

I noticed something miraculous this week. Sugar no longer has a strong pull on me. I have not had any for the last 4 months, and I can now pass it up pretty easily! Sure, I would like a piece of chocolate now and then, but it is not such a difficult battle to sit and watch others eat dessert and not have any. This comes from a prior MAJOR sugar freak! Now, if only those chips could not be such a mental battle! (I don't eat any, but the battle in my mind is somewhat funny!) I will continue marching on, week by week, day by day, and meal by meal.

Erin Brittain