Breaking the cycle

Some of you may remember my post from about a month ago when I was so dissapointed that I was not eating properly or working out enough during my travel. Well since I have been back I have been binging out of control. I have picked my workouts back up but instead of 6 days a week that I had been doing its now averaging 3-5 days just depends. You guys may remember that i have been trying to lose this same weight for years and I just cant reach my goal. I know that 80% of the problem is my diet. I eat clean for several months and then something will break my routine like travel, a family emergency, working long hours,getting sick and I get off my routine of clean eating and exercise. Rather then jumping back in I seem to go on for WEEKS of binging just eating everything in sight. I gain back whatever weight I have lost and then when I am absolutley disgusted with myself I go back to eating clean that will last several months I'll lose weight (about 9lbs, never gets to 10 and I need to lose 20) and then something will happen and it all starts all over again. I know how I am supposed to eat and why and I love healthy foods and I know how to prepare them. I have all kinds of knowledge about the body and how losing weight and getting healthy works. I guess its just that I enjoy the bad foods too and they are easier to come by so if I am not feeling well, working extra hard, traveling or something has come up it is just easier to get the bad stuff. I am just not sure why I continue this cycle. It is really driving me nuts. I feel like I am 2 people, the health nut that my family always calls me and the junk food junkie that no one really sees. If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Kim on March 13, 2010 at 5:50am: Renee,

As I was reading this I was thinking this sounds exactly like me. It goes to show we are all alike and have the same issues. I'm trying something different that I've never heard of. Some may agree or disagree, but I'm going to try it anyway. I am putting myself through a 13 week cycle. I have several books I love that are similar in a lot of ways, but enough differences that makes them unique. I plan on following Body for Life 3 weeks out of the 13 weeks. I'll follow his recipes exactly in his Eating for Life cookbook and 1 day a week you can eat anything you want to. I try to center this day around a social event. Another 3 weeks I'll eat totally clean following recipes from Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno / Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle by Tom Venueto / Muscle Chow cookbook. These recipes follow the eat clean plan, already balanced, so I figure if I follow those recipes I will be eating clean. During these 3 weeks I will allow myself 1 free meal a week. This will consist of 1 plate of regular food - no seconds - single serving sizes of anything that will fit normally on the plate without heaping up and no dessert, just regular food. For 3 weeks, I plan on following the ABS diet. This is my favorite. I have a ton of there recipes that I printed online, there is 6 minute cookbook, and cook this not that book I use. I'll follow any of there recipes and allow myself 1 free hour a week or if I get full before the hour is, STOP EATING! Again, center this around a social event where it is hard to stick to plan or if you go to a buffet. Another 3 weeks I plan on following Muscle Chow Get Ripped recipes. This is the strictest of all plans, this will hopefully clean out my system and give me that ripped look. The recipes are totally clean. No extras during these 3 weeks. During these weeks I will eat only 5 times a day, the other meal plans are 6 times a day. The final week, I'll follow ABS DIET recipes, and allow myself 8 free meals that week. This week is great for vacation. 1 plate of regular food or single dessert = 1 meal / 1 plate followed by single dessert = 2 meals / 1 free hour = 4 meals / 1 free day = 6 meals. I'll choose how I want to mix it up, depending on the week. Once the 13 weeks are, start the cycle over again, the order doesn't matter and you don't have to follow them in consecutive order. I'll try to, but mixing it up will probably be better, I'll just keep up with which plan I have done.

All of this is to try and eat as clean as possible most of the time and at the same time give me some freedom, so I can keep my sanity. No matter how hard I try or make up my mind to stick with a plan I eventually get off track. So I figure if I make not so healthy foods part of my plan, hopefully I will not get off track. I do drink 100 oz. of water a day and I exercise pretty hard 6 days a week. I have a 6 week exercise plan I follow and then repeat. During the relaxed week of eating, I'll take that week off and skip exercise to recover from all the hard work.

My exercise plan consist of all of Jari's dvds, Weight dvds from discount workouts, Cathe gym style series and muscle max, Taebo Extreme, and Denise Austin boot camp. All of these for weights. For cardio, I do Taebo, stationary bike ( I do this between weight exercises on 3 of Jari's workouts.), treadmill for walking / jogging / running -Hiit, step aerobics, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, Cathe Cardio Core and Hiit series, Body Rock or Extreme 1000 cardio only. Pilates sometimes as well. A lot of variety with exercise and my eating plan. I'm excited about trying all of this, so I hope it works. Exercise is not a problem for me, I love it. Eating is my problem, because I love it too.

These plans can be followed in any order. I'll decide which one suits that week, depends on what I have going on. This week I am following the eat clean recipes with 1 free meal, my first week. Will see how it goes. Anyone interested in keeping up with how I am doing, let me know and I will keep it posted.

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Permalink Reply by Renee Hughes on March 13, 2010 at 1:08pm: Hi Kim I would love to hear how this goes for you and keep up with your progress. You guys have been so encouraging, I knew that a lot of us struggled with these issues but I didnt know that fit people struggle as much and so this is an eye opener and really helpful. It makes me feel like I can reach my goals even though its not easy it can be done. It also makes me feel SANE :). Thanks and please keep me posted.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jari Love on March 18, 2010 at 11:02am: I am so inspired and touched by all of you :) It is so nice to know that we all have a safe place to come and and share out thoughts without feeling judged. I feel the same way as all of you guys - I crave things, I fall off track and I have slip ups - but we all do, we're all human and the best thing we can do is be there for each other. I can't thank you all enough for being so supportive of one another - it's really touches me :) When I read your posts I am reminded that I'm not alone either and that we all share similar battles with food, sugar, diet, exercise - the whole enchilada!

Anyway - I encourage you to keep sharing and keep coming back to re-read these - it's truly a great motivational tool :)

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Permalink Reply by Renee Hughes on March 18, 2010 at 4:52pm: Thank you Jari. You have created a warm environment for us and this community is different than any other online fitness community I have been a part of. Thank you all for that.

Kim, sounds GREAT! Good idea to wait on the weighing. I might try that too. Good job, we're happy for you.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim on March 18, 2010 at 1:22pm: Hi,

I finished my first week of my new cycle. I followed eat clean recipes all week. I ate 6 times a day, every 2-3 hours. I drank 100 oz. of water a day. For exercise, Thursday - walked on the treadmill @5% incline for 1 hour and 6 minutes of Pilates. Friday - heavy weights 1 hour with plyometric moves between. Saturday - 1 hour of step aerobics. Sunday - rest. Monday - heavy weight 1 hour with plyometric moves between. Tuesday - 1 hour step aerobics. Wednesday - Denise Austin boot camp with extra weight exercises.

I have not weighed. I plan on doing that at the end of the 13 week cycle. My clothes are looser. I will keep you updated each week if you would like.

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Permalink Reply by Aimee Stefanski on March 18, 2010 at 1:57pm: That's so awesome!!! Keep it up you will see the benefits. Please keep us updated so we can offer support.; ▶ Reply to This