Non-weight loss goals

I used to be like: "Do a proper push up? Me? Chea, alright!!"

When I first started out, my main goals were to live healthier (being able to make healthier choices) and lose weight. But as time progressed and I started seeing results in every way possible, my focus shifted. I started getting stronger, fitter, my stamina has increased tremendously. Instead of focusing on weight loss, I set other amazing goals for myself:

1. When I started, I couldn't do a single push-up on my toes. Sure I could do tons of reps on my knees, but holding a plank was already shit for me. As weeks progressed and I lifted more and more, I (obviously) got stronger. I loved noticing how not only my endurace increased, my strength did too. Before I knew it, I could do 3 push-ups on my toes, then 6. My goal now is to be able to do 15 push-ups full on. I don't have a deadline set, because I simply don't know how long it is going to take.
2. Just being able to wear whatever I want! I love shopping for clothes, but I can tell you it is terrible when the first thought on your mind is: is that going to fit me? How is that going to look on me? I am tired of that. Even though I can shop at normal stores and don't have to look in the plus-size department 90% of the time, I am not always happy what clothes look like on me, simply because I imagine them looking different.
3. Long-term goal: being able to run 5k. I know this is a goal that is nowhere in the near future. I can hardly do intervals for 3km. I have pretty good stamina, but somehow, running has never been my thing. I want to start off slowly and see how far I get. 5k would be great. The only problem I have: I just can't be bothered running when it is cold. My nose gets runny 3 minutes in.
4. To prove people wrong. I am sure that there are people that are doubting me. Yes, I have tried losing weight many different ways. Some with success, some without, but I have always gained the weight right back. I am going to be honest and say that anything I have ever tried was terrible. Unhealthy, for my body and for my mind. Therefore, I am now doing it the healthy way. The way you're supposed to do it, if you want long-term results. It is a lifestyle change, for real. I will show people that this is the best way. Not the only way, but the best way.
5. Hiking up Runyon Canyon is probably the biggest goal I could accomplish. Every time I go to LA, I want to hike up here. It is the most amazing spot in LA (or so I have been told). It is quite a tough hike but at the top, the view is absolutely priceless. I think when I get to the top I will feel like I have reached the ultimate dream :)

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Beating the scale addiction

"My name is Noelle, I am 27 years old... And I am addicted... to my scale."

Yeah, not anymore. I started this journey to healthy with one main goal: getting healthy. The fact that weight loss would be a part of that, was ay-ok with me, of course! I took a before picture, for myself, because I did not want to solely rely on the scale.

I started eating healthy, working out and weighing myself daily. Bad. Really bad. I educated myself a lot throughout the years about this topic - I know that the scale does not reflect fat loss. And it doesn't reflect how well you did the day before. It reflects how much you ate, water weight, muscle, fat. Everything! I would step on the scale and see a loss of one ounce, but I'd be disappointed, because I ate 100% clean and worked out the day before. The stupid thing is that, rationally, I knew very well that I built muscle, and that that extra glass of water also reflects back on the scale. So shouldn't I have had that glass of water? Uh, duh...

I wasn't losing weight as fast as I wanted to, but Jesus Christ, I was burning fat and building muscle like a mofo. What's not to like about that? My clothes became so loose, my body was changing (I had the pictures to prove it), I had so much energy, but still I would step on the scale every single morning and be disappointed to see the number (a lot of times I was also very happy!).

I had to change my way of thinking. I had to realize that losing 2 ounces, didn't mean losing 2 ounces of fat. Society is so incredibly hooked on weight and weight loss instead of fat loss. Isn't it more important to track weight loss over a few week's time, and as long as the number is going time, isn't that great?

My goals have shifted - I am now more interested to see how my body has changed, how I can't wear those jeans anymore because they are way too big for me (and I could barely get them past my hips 3 months ago!) and even better: when I started, I couldn't do a single pushup on my toes, and now? I can do 6 - 10. It is nuts, but this really showed me more important developments rather than weight.

My BMI? Fuck that shit, seriously. BMI is the most retarded invention of the 20th century. Because it does not take into consideration your muscle mass, your bone structure or your overall health. A "healthy weight"? Fuck you. According to your stupid calculator, 90% of the top athletes in the world are obese. Oh no, it's an epidemic!!!

I still weigh myself a few times a week, because I feel like overall it does reflect how you are doing (when you take muscle into consideration!) and it keeps me accountable and will tell me when to switch up my diet and/or workout but I don't focus on my goal weight anymore, but more on other changes: I still take pictures to see the change, I notice my endurance increasing more than I could have ever dreamed of. I do still have a goal weight in mind, and according to the BMI calculator, that is still considered "overweight". And if I feel like I am completely happy with where I am earlier on, I will stay at that weight. Do I care? No, not at all, because I know I will be healthy as shit :)

How I broke my plateau

2 weeks later and I hadn't lose or gained a single ounce...

I knew about plateaus and I was hoping it wouldn't happen to me this time around, but the plateau came sooner than expected. What is a plateau? Well, after about 2 months of losing weight, my weight simply wouldn't move. I was eating well (hadn't change anything about my diet), I worked out every single day, but nothing happened, no gains and no losses. For two weeks straight. Frustrating to say the least, especially being a slave to the scale, like I am.

I had taken pictures before and after those 2 weeks and saw a difference, I got smaller but damn it, why wasn't the scale moving?

I knew some tricks to break a plateau but I needed to refresh my mind and read up about it. There are a few reasons a plateau occurs:

1. You are not tracking calories and they are slowly sneaking back into your diet.
2. You are not eating enough; your body goes into starvation mode, storing all the fat, because it needs the fat for energy (as it is not getting any calories for energy).
3. Your body is getting used to the exercise routine. You're getting better at it, so your body is not challenged anymore.

I knew number one wasn't true, because I kept track of my calories all throughout those months. If anything, I was trying to limit my calories. That takes us to number two. Yes, guilty as charged... We always underestimate the amount of calories we need. There is something called your BMR, which is the amount of calories your body needs just to get through the day. We burn thousands of calories just by doing our daily activities.

So why has 1,200 calories become the norm for people that try to lose weight? Because it is a quick fix and we like to see fast results. Me being one of them, even though I knew better. But I also knew, that plateau is going to come and I will know why. I consumed between 1,200 and 1,300 calories on a daily basis. And that was easy for me, I was never hungry.

1,200 calorie diets were used in starvation studies. Scientists would put focus groups on 1,200 calorie diets to see what the effects were. Starvation. So when you stick to 1,200, at one point your body is going to go: "hey, feed me?" and if you don't, it'll go all "alright, bitch, I will hold on to your fat. Muahaha!" There is a more scientific explanation, but this blog is about keeping things simple.

So what did I do? I simply upped my calories. I know, terrible right? ;) I added 300 more calories. I also switched up my routine. I quit my 90 day program (on like, day 77) and decided to do Insanity - a program that challenged me more than the other program did. And lookey what happened - after 1 day of change, my weight dropped 1 whole kg (that is about 2,2 lbs!).

Breaking your plateaus is all about keeping your body guessing and feeding your body enough so your metabolism will keep going and you will burn fat along with the calories.

How to lose weight, the healthy way.

"But, aren't you on a diet?"

A sentence that I hate hearing. "How is your diet going?" "Oh does your diet allow you to eat that?" Here's the thing: the word "diet" has been accepted by society as something people do to lose weight. When they are at their goal weight, they stop their "diet". And you know what happens 80% of the time? They gain the weight right back.

Guess what, let's recondition your brains a little here: a diet does not mean eating less, restriction. Diet: the sum of food consumer by an organism or group. Every single person on this planet has a diet, because every single person on this earth consumes food. They are not "on a diet", but neither are people that are trying to losing weight. I think the verb "dieting" is the most retarded verb in the English language.

I am not on a diet, I eat healthy. Big difference there. Being on a diet, referring to it as a diet and thinking of it as a diet (which is temporary), will lead to gaining the weight back. So how do you approach it?

First step: educate yourself. This is something everyone that wants to be healthy and/or lose weight should do. You can't lose weight, maintain it AND be healthy if you aren't telling yourself the truth.You need to know what is truly good for you and what is not. Which foods do you need on a daily basis? What are proteins, carbs and fats? What should I add to my diet when I work out? These were all things I read up on. A lot. For example, I knew I had to up my protein, so I got protein powder. I learned about complex and refined carbs. I now know that complex carbs are good and simple carbs are bad (blog coming soon!).

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Second step: do not restrict. So, you are a human being and you most likely love eating cake, cookies, pizza, rice, potatoes, spaghetti. Are these good for you? Hell no. Should you never eat them again? Hell no! Confusing, huh? I believe that moderation is key. I believe that 1 or 2 cookies a week isn't going to make you fat. 1 pizza a month is not going to live on your hips. There are 21 meals in a week. If only one of those is a cheat meal (pasta, potatoes, rice, PIZZA), that is 5% of your meals. Nothing, right? It is not going to make you fat. As long as your brain is strong and is able to tell you: get back to eating healthy. You can enjoy anything you want. In moderation.

Third step: experiment. "Oh no, lettuce, not again!" Sure, you can mix a bowl of lettuce with tomatoes, carrots, sprinkle some low-fat dressing on there and have that as your diner... The thought of it makes me want to die. I will never, ever, eat like that. And you don't have to. Experiment with your food! Don't be afraid of olive oil, garlic powder, salt & pepper, throw in some lean beef, chicken, pine seeds and for the heck of it, why don't you take a table spoon of honey and mix it in? Already sounds better, huh? Just like the protein shakes that I have for breakfast every single morning. How many times have I not heard people say, protein powder is nasty. Yes, I have tried the powder with some milk - not good. So, here is a tip that will make you go whaaatt? (or maybe not) Throw in a banana (whaaatt?), some frozen berries (whaaatt?) and a tablespoon of (preferably natural) peanut butter (omg, for real, Noelle?). I will bet you a thousand bucks you won't mind drinking THAT shake for breakfast every day.

Fourth step: create a routine. Your body works best on a routine, and you will be more likely to stick to a pattern if you make it a routine. I, for example, eat 5-6 times a day - 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and diner) and 2-3 snacks. I try to eat at set times, even though that doesn't always work because of classes or whatever. I try to keep 2-3 hours between every meal/snack. You have to keep your metabolism up and running in order to burn fat, so you better not starve yourself. Never, ever skip a meal!! And also, try to never skip your snacks, again your body needs food in order for you to lose weight. As weird as it sounds, isn't that good news, though? ;)