Diet:
Dieting has always been challenging for me due to a number of health issues. For one, I have had hypoglycemic episodes regularly for my entire life. This means that blood sugar spikes and lowers rapidly, leaving me a shaky mess when it is low. Every 3 to 4 hours I find myself cranky, shaky, weak, confused, and light headed. Sometimes the episodes get so bad I am left dizzy and afraid to drive. That being said, I attempt to avoid this instances whenever possible by eating regularly. This can sabotage my diet by putting me in situations where I NEED to eat, but might not be around anything healthy. It has happened more than once where I am feeling faint, driving around on errands, and the only thing around me is fast food restaurants. Obviously I need to be more prepared through carrying snacks with me, packing lunches for work days, etc. But I'm a fuck up, and somehow this extremely simple task seems to have been beyond my capabilities over the years. Hopefully I can change that with this new found dedication.
Not only do I have hypoglycemia, but I also have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, eosinophilic esophagistis, and IBS. All of these conditions have specific connections to diet, and all of them seem to call for a low carb, low sugar, low processed food diet.
It won't necessary be "low-carb", because I will still be eating carb-laden fruits and vegetables, like potatoes, however it will be whole and healthy. I want to aim for 100 carbs a day.
I will be monitoring my diet on the Android phone app Calorie Counter.
The Calorie Counter app calculates my daily total in fat, carbs, protein, and calories.
What I am aiming for:
I will be using the Calorie Count website to estimate my caloric needs. According to this site, when I plug in 155 lbs current, with a goal weight of 130 lbs, it estimates that I should eat no more than 1,400 calories a day with a "light activity level" (I chose just light because my work is so sedentary).
Exercise:
The routine will include:
- 1 hour cleaning every day
- 1 hour yoga a week
- 1 hour a week using my exercise bike (this is mainly so the purchase of the bike doesn't go to waste)
The cleaning routine will have the following stipulations:
- I will get dressed in work out clothes and sneakers for the cleaning period. I feel that cleaning in my nightgown, barefoot, liking I normally do when inhibit my ability to really lunge and dance and push the workout further. Not only physically, but psychologically.
- I will set a timer for the cleaning period for exactly one hour. The point of aerobic exercise is to keep the heart rate elevated, so 15 mins here, and 15 mins there won't do. Not only that, but it's a much easier way to monitor my progress, and provide myself with a challenge.
- I will play high energy music through the house, and when alone, I will dance while I clean. It will be fun and burn extra calories at the same time.
- I will always squat to pick things up, I will never cut corners when lifting, stretching, or moving in any way. I will consciously work at using my body.
