The Skinny Code
The numbers on the scale do NOT tell the whole story.
Make sure you have more than ONE way to measure your progress. I don’t own a scale, and my results & focus have never been better. For many women, the scale serves as a de-motivator: if they aren’t seeing the numbers they want (despite other evidence of change), they become apathetic, sabotaging, less enthusiastic and feel hopeless. Nothing kills results faster than those 4 bubble bursters.
Scales aren’t all bad, but they are also NOT the end all, be all of fitness & results. Other ways you can & SHOULD measure your progress include;
- Fitness level (can you do more pushups, squats, lift heavier etc). Even if you go from 1 rep to 3, that’s 300% progress.
- Inches & measurements. Have you lost inches? Do your clothes fit better? A pair of ‘tester’ jeans might be a better indicator than a scale.
- Body fat percentage. Probably the biggest indicator that you’ve made significant change. More so than weight.
- Skill. Are you getting better at something? That”s AWESOME.
- Confidence. Are you feeling better about yourself? Don’t let the scale tell you otherwise!
One of the easiest ways to measure progress is by using YOURSELF for comparison. Take a before pic! (It’s not too late). We get used to seeing ourselves every single day: you may not notice if you’ve made significant change until you visually see it. (Imagine the woman in the picture above? Would she have anticipated such a body transformation while watching the scale go UP?)
Note: perfectionists often feel like they should only celebrate once they hit their goal. Not true! There are opportunities for celebration at EVERY STEP along the way. Take ‘em! Trust me, it’s much more fun. If you hear that voice in your head telling you that you shouldn’t celebrate yet, KICK THEM OUT. As many times as it takes. :)
Unlike our after photos, before pics should be fugly (a little dramatic, but it”s true). Use some of the guidelines before to help take the ‘perfect’ imperfect before pic.
Guidelines For Taking The Perfect Before & After
- Show some skin! A proper before & after will show you ALL the changes you’ve made. If you cover up your body with a T-shirt, or long pants, you won’t be able to see the changes in your after photo. Wear a swimsuit, bikini, bra & undies/shorts, or something that shows off your body. The more you show now, the more you can show off later.
- Go LIGHT on the makeup & pull your hair back. When you’re taking comparison pics, it will be hard to replicate exact makeup/shading etc. (plus tans). Do your best to keep it natural. This isn’t Tyra.
- Remember that the pic is for your eyes only. Many people who take before shots don’t share them until they’re pleased enough with the after to show how crappy they looked before. I would have NEVER posted the awful day one photo I had from my Asylum challenge, had the after shots not been so worthwhile.
- Wear the same clothes for your before & after shots. Even if they don’t fit 100% properly, you’ll really see the difference. If they start to REALLY not fit? Time to restart your before and afters with a new workout outfit. And, YAY you!
- Despite your inclination to do your ‘skinny pose’ or suck in your tummy, don’t. Face the camera head on, arms by your side, at approximately eye level. Why cheat? The thinner you appear in the before, the fewer results you’ll notice on the after. That’s de-motivating, you deserve ALL those results! And for those of you looking to GAIN muscle, don’t push it OUT. Same rules apply. Be you as you are.
- Use a plain background, that’s well lit. This just makes for a better picture in general, but also doesn’t distract from your body.
- If you want, ZONE in on certain areas, but do this EVERY time you take pics. Thighs, bellies, arms, back. It’s good to get before and afters from all angles. This is especially true for your back, which you usually don’t see in the mirror.
- Take pics on Day 1, then every 2-4 weeks afterwards. The fitter you are, the more time you should take between shots. Don’t take pics every week. Unless you’re turning this into some kinda stop animation film, every 30 days is fine.
xo
I just loved this post via Summer Tomato and had to repost it here. It lists the 10 most overrated health foods. While I do eat bananas regularly (mostly to make 1 ingredient banana ice cream which is way better than regular ice cream…way better), I agree with her entire list. Right on, sister, right on.
1. Yogurt
There is nothing innately wrong with yogurt, the natural product. But the real stuff is not nearly as easy to find as the hyper-sweetened dessert versions filling supermarket shelves. Though yogurt can contain beneficial probiotics, friendly bacteria are also present in other fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and miso. And if you are worried about acne, dairy is probably not your best choice. Oh, and the overratedness is doubly true of frozen yogurt. If you’d rather keep yogurt as your breakfast staple (something I’m certainly not opposed to), go for plain yogurt that is either full or low-fat. Don’t fall for the vanilla trap, it is not plain and has even more sugar than most fruit versions. You need some fat in your yogurt so you can absorb the fat-soluble vitamin D added to most milk-based products.
2. Soy
Soy is another one of those foods that can be perfectly healthy, but can also be processed into oblivion until it’s an unhealthy product. Hydrogenated soy oil is among the most common sources of trans fat. Processed products are often touted as healthy just because they contain soy, but evidence suggests soy is not exactly the health panacea it is often made out to be. For a healthier version, stick to fermented soy products like miso, natto or tempeh.
3. Egg whites
It baffles me that Americans continue to vilify the most nutritious part of the egg while glorifying the less impressive half. Sure egg whites are a good source of protein on their own, but you’re probably not lacking protein and would likely benefit from the rich nutrients of the entire egg.
4. Margarine
Why we need a man-made source of processed oils when there are so many naturally healthy sources of fat is beyond me—that is assuming you can even find margarins that do not contain hydrogenated oils/trans fats. If you really want more stanols and sterols in your diet try eating more nuts, avocados and vegetables.
5. Bananas
Though I have a bit of a reputation for picking on bananas, I really don’t think they’re all bad and they definitely taste yummy. My biggest problem with them is that they are one of the most calorie dense fruits you can buy, and most of us don’t need all that extra sugar from a “health” food.
6. Fake meat
Next time you get a chance, check out the ingredients in your favorite meat substitute. It’s usually a lot of gluten, some processed soy, canola oil, corn starch, and a few bizarre ingredients like “natural vegetarian flavors” (mmm…. vegetarians). Call me crazy, but real meat sounds a lot more appealing.
7. Protein bars
Remember back in the day when PowerBars tasted like crap? Well they would all still taste that way if manufacturers didn’t fill them with sugar or fake sugar substitutes. Look at the ingredients, the vast majority of protein bars are the same processed junk that’s in everything else, just with a few more vitamins, some added soy protein and possibly some added fiber. Adding nutrients to junk food does not a health food make.
8. Whole grain flour
Ah, whole grains, how controversial be thy name. Though I’m not as anti-grain as some folks, I don’t pretend that highly processed “whole wheat flour” is actually good for me. Grains that don’t look like grains are not your friends.
9. Low-fat salad dressing
Fat is good for you. Yes, fat contains more calories than protein or carbohydrates, but it also enables you to absorb more vitamins from the foods you eat and makes your meals more satisfying. Fat-free dressings do not make you healthier, they make your salad less nourishing.
10. Fruit juice
I’ve explained before how I’ve warmed up to vegetable/green juices (not daily, but on occasion), but I still have trouble condoning even fresh squeezed fruit juice as a health food. Juicing fruit concentrates the sugar while stripping out the filling fiber. When you remember that one 450 ml bottle of orange juice is equivalent to six whole oranges, you can start to see where the problem is.
What are your least favorite health foods?
Want to end picky eating? Especially when it comes to vegetables?
Take this advice directed towards mom’s trying to get their kids to eat better and more variety of foods and try the Rotation Rule.
The Rotation Rule: Don’t serve the identical food two days in a row
And that applies to more than just veggies. This is a simple simple approach to get more variety in your diet and try new things.
Try it!
- Organic means cruelty free. There are absolutely NO laws or guidelines that say that organic foods must come from humane operations. For example, there is nothing that states that organic eggs must come from hens who are happily roaming about a large, idyllic farm, getting plenty of sunshine and fresh air. In most cases, organic eggs come from hens in factory farming situations, who may be denied antibiotics when they are ill, because the antibiotics will render their eggs unsellable. Ditto for organic meat and dairy. Organic does not mean cruelty free.
- Organic foods are healthy. Unfortunately, I can make you a fully organic cheeseburger with fries that will clog your arteries and set you up for heart attack just like any McDonald’s burger could. Unhealthy foods are bad for you, no matter whether they come from an organic source or not.
- Organic foods are lower in calories. Again, unhealthy food raised without chemicals is still unhealthy food no matter how you cut it. A study from the University of Michigan found that people ate more organic cookies than non-organic cookies, thinking they had fewer calories. This is not the case, so don’t make the same mistake!
- Organic seafood is a good choice. There are currently no rules governing organic seafood, so using the organic label on seafood is not endorsed by the USDA at this time. Ironically, when and if it is endorsed, wild fish will not be allowed to be called organic because their environment cannot be controlled! Knowing that farmed fish live in a veritable cesspool of excrement and disease, it is hard to imagine that “organic” fish from farmed fishing conditions will be a better choice than line-caught fish from northern Alaska, for example … or no fish at all.
- Organic foods are less likely to have salmonella, E. coli and other harmful bacteria. Organic foods can still have these same bugs, and Consumer Reports said that 57% of organic store-bought chicken tested positive for Campylobacter. Much food poisoning happens through food handling, so you need to make sure you handle organic food just as carefully as you would conventional food by keeping a clean kitchen, washing your hands and produce carefully, not letting meat juice run into other foods, etc.
- Organic foods have more nutrients. Nutrient levels in our produce depend on many things, such as soil content, how the food is stored, cooked, etc. But whether we put pesticides on it or not does not affect its nutrient content. Having said that, many organic farmers are careful to use high-quality soil and aim to use other practices that might affect nutrient quality, but studies results disagree on whether organic foods have a higher nutrient content than non-organic foods.
What organic actually means:
Organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.
It’s a good choice, especially for items where you eat the skin (like apples and potatoes). But know what organic can and can’t do for you.
Over & out
