Things are starting to change
I'm sure that everyone has been stoked on this weather, I certainly am. This very short Winter has been welcomed and has provided ample opportunity for everyone to get outside earlier than usual. I have even rode in shorts a few times although I still wear booties since my feet have the worst circulation ever. As you start to ride and run outside please remember basic safety protocols. Cars haven't seen you in awhile so make sure to take caution, wear bright clothes, rock your Road ID and always assume drivers don't see you. Also make sure that your bike is in good working condition. Swing by your LBS (local bike shop) to have it tuned and given the once over. If you ride as much or more than I did outside this winter than you know that your bike is an absolute mess. Make sure you give it some TLC otherwise you might have to deal with the consequences.
On a personal note my legs are becoming stronger. This has been most evident on bike rides that have involved climbing. I by no means am flying up the hills but my speed has increased as my effort has decreased. Hills that once demanded maximum effort now only require 75% effort. One of my goals this season for cycling is to become a better climber and I'm finally taking steps to achieving that goal. Looks like I will continue to chase my friends up hills until I reach my goal. SIDE NOTE: anyone can go fast on flat land, a real cyclist is a beast on the climbs.
Its been almost two months since I decided to clean up my diet. I by no means eat unhealthy but I do have my guilty pleasures and tend to indulge in them for extended periods of time. For the longest time ( a few years) I loved the .99 cent Arizona iced tea cans. These were the best bang for your buck where I worked and tasted amazing. It got to the point where I was drinking a few a day. Now, drinking iced tea isn't then end of the world but when you check out the amount of sugar in one can and then multiple it by the amount of servings in one can than again by how many I was consuming . . . YIKES. Besides my iced tea indulgence which I put an end to, I have also gone on binges of Poptarts (one package daily for almost a year), Coffee Cakes (on going), and Redbull (on going). I can happily say I haven't had a Poptart in two years and I'm putting in a solid effort of cutting out Coffee Cakes and Redbull.
For these past two months I have made smarter, healthier choices of what I have been putting into my body and I'm finally reaping the rewards. I have become more toned in the mid section, which is where I tend to hold my fat. It is very exciting and rewarding to see one's body transform.
Regarding my diet I'm often asked by my friends an entire slew of questions; should I eat this? Is this bad for you? What do you eat? Do you eat meat? How much should I eat? Is this diet good? Will I lose weight if I stop eating ________ etc, etc.
Here is my take on "diet"
1. Any of the those famous "diets" out there usually work for the short term. Most of these "television" diets have you eliminate some type of nutrient from your body be it carbs, proteins, etc. However once you fall off the wagon, you more than likely will put the weight back on. Television diets take your money and leave you in the same place you started, hungry and over weight.
2. I don't like to think of a diet as a temporary quick fix. People should think of diet as a life long commitment to eating healthy and properly. I certainly don't consider myself on a diet. I make healthy, conscious decisions on what I consume.
3. If you are dieting properly, eating and exercising, be aware that its easy to lose weight in the beginning but then it becomes difficult. Also be cognizant of the fact that muscle weighs more than fat so that will impact your numbers.
4. THROW OUT YOUR SCALE. Judge yourself based on how your clothes fit.
On a personal note my legs are becoming stronger. This has been most evident on bike rides that have involved climbing. I by no means am flying up the hills but my speed has increased as my effort has decreased. Hills that once demanded maximum effort now only require 75% effort. One of my goals this season for cycling is to become a better climber and I'm finally taking steps to achieving that goal. Looks like I will continue to chase my friends up hills until I reach my goal. SIDE NOTE: anyone can go fast on flat land, a real cyclist is a beast on the climbs.
Its been almost two months since I decided to clean up my diet. I by no means eat unhealthy but I do have my guilty pleasures and tend to indulge in them for extended periods of time. For the longest time ( a few years) I loved the .99 cent Arizona iced tea cans. These were the best bang for your buck where I worked and tasted amazing. It got to the point where I was drinking a few a day. Now, drinking iced tea isn't then end of the world but when you check out the amount of sugar in one can and then multiple it by the amount of servings in one can than again by how many I was consuming . . . YIKES. Besides my iced tea indulgence which I put an end to, I have also gone on binges of Poptarts (one package daily for almost a year), Coffee Cakes (on going), and Redbull (on going). I can happily say I haven't had a Poptart in two years and I'm putting in a solid effort of cutting out Coffee Cakes and Redbull.
For these past two months I have made smarter, healthier choices of what I have been putting into my body and I'm finally reaping the rewards. I have become more toned in the mid section, which is where I tend to hold my fat. It is very exciting and rewarding to see one's body transform.
Regarding my diet I'm often asked by my friends an entire slew of questions; should I eat this? Is this bad for you? What do you eat? Do you eat meat? How much should I eat? Is this diet good? Will I lose weight if I stop eating ________ etc, etc.
Here is my take on "diet"
1. Any of the those famous "diets" out there usually work for the short term. Most of these "television" diets have you eliminate some type of nutrient from your body be it carbs, proteins, etc. However once you fall off the wagon, you more than likely will put the weight back on. Television diets take your money and leave you in the same place you started, hungry and over weight.
2. I don't like to think of a diet as a temporary quick fix. People should think of diet as a life long commitment to eating healthy and properly. I certainly don't consider myself on a diet. I make healthy, conscious decisions on what I consume.
3. If you are dieting properly, eating and exercising, be aware that its easy to lose weight in the beginning but then it becomes difficult. Also be cognizant of the fact that muscle weighs more than fat so that will impact your numbers.
4. THROW OUT YOUR SCALE. Judge yourself based on how your clothes fit.
Comments
Post a Comment