My story of finding a life-changing program of fitness & nutrition I can sustain for life.
A couple of weeks ago I promised to share the 30 minute interval training workouts I do 3 times a week to achieve full body toning, strengthening and cardiovascular endurance. Taken from the book, The Gold Coast Cure's Fitter, Firmer, Faster Program, by Andrew Larson, M.D. & Ivy Larson, the workouts are "a prime example that you absolutely do not need to jog or do any kind of high-impact cardio exercise to burn fat and stay lean"1. - a point crucial to my own story.
Finding a series of light workouts that deliver and can be done anywhere was beyond awesome. However, for me, it's just one part of the equation. Discovering a nutritional program that fuels my body without leaving cravings behind is the other important element to a sustainable lifestyle of fitness and nutrition I can maintain easily for the rest of my life.
My experience is the two components work together beautifully. I don't count calories. I don't dread or struggle to find time & energy for fitness. Neither do I spend 2 hours a day working out (a la Gwyneth Paltrow) to maintain my ideal weight/shape. It feels like a dream come true. Plus it's delicious and fun.
Fitness has been integrated into my life for as long as I can remember- with the exception of my college days which were FAR from exemplary:-) My childhood consisted of years of gymnastics, dancing and an overall extremely active lifestyle. Post college, my fitness routine was generally 3o minutes of cardio (running courses) 4 times a week, plus strength training, rotating through 4 primary muscle groups.
The post-college program sounds pretty good and far from excessive, right? And, yes, it was effective for a while. However, it fell short in two crucial ways:
A) The program wasn't designed for longevity, which I learned 5 years ago when I suddenly began experiencing hip pains, knee pains, pains in the balls of my feet and in the little joints of my toes. As sensible as my fitness program seemed, it had clearly stopped working for me.
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B) It didn't incorporate the 3 key fitness & nutritional secrets which eliminate insatiable post-workout hunger that easily offsets any workout.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I now realize these two ideas work hand-in-hand. However, it was the former, the pain, that first got my attention.
It was very confusing! I wasn't lacking determination or commitment, yet my body was suddenly trying to tell me something. Once your cartiledge is gone you can't get it back, so I wasn't going to ignore the messages. I began experimenting... feel free to read the details of my journey below, or just skip to my solution:-)
First, I visited a foot doctor to be sure the issues didn't stem from my stride. After purchasing a set of custom inserts for my running shoes, no relief. Next I switched things up, signing up for a slew of group classes including kickboxing at a local gym, but being so fast paced, the ability to stay conscious of proper alignment to protect my joints was virtually non-existent. I started yoga, at which I excelled easily due to my gymnastics background, however it exacerbated my hip issues and caused a new set of neck and shoulder problems. I began to feel at a dead end. We purchased an eliptical, but still, the same hip issues. Then a bike. And finally, I found a decent reduction in pain by rotating between the bike, eliptical and treadmill (eliminating running altogether) so as not to overexert any one part of my body. I continued with the strength training. While this plan worked quite well for alleviating the joint issues, I still hadn't figured out how to deal with the post-workout, seemingly insatiatable appetite response. Was I working out too hard? It turns out, for me, yes, that was part of it. I reduced to only twice weekly workouts- my appetite plummeted along with an extra five pounds! However, I wasn't sure that I was conditioning my body as thoroughly I wanted- then I stumbled across the Fitter, Firmer, Faster workout (& Dr. Fuhrman's Nutritarian lifestyle) and lived happily ever after:-) It's truly a great workout, but sometimes I'll do ballet or pilates or just catch up on a TV show while riding the bike- the key is, I keep it light and fun, rotating between activities so as not to overstress any part of my body. And...
5 years of experimentation later I'd learned 3 valuable keys to staying lean, fit and healthy for life.
1) Less can be more. Working out excessively can put unecessary, irreparable wear and tear on the body over time while fueling an unsustainable "Eat-to-Workout" cycle.
A light, full-body workout 3 times a week does the trick for me. Sometimes I don't get to all 3 workouts and it's still ok! Keeping the workouts efficient and gentle means I'm not fueling the "Eat-to-Workout" cycle to which so many of us fall prey... A killer workout results in an insatiable appetite ~> requiring even more hours of fitness to offset ~> the accompanying time/energy committment become impossible to sustain resulting in burnout ~> or leading to injury/wear & tear on one's body ~> which inevitably catches up with us (as happened in my case).
Again, I highly recommend the 30 minute workouts in the book, Fitter, Firmer, Faster, by Andrew Larson, M.D. & Ivy Larson. Ivy's story is incredibly inspirational- check it out here. No matter one's level of fitness, the workouts in this book are a fantastic way to start getting back in shape or to refine one's routine to a more sustainable level. Today I look back with gratitude at the 'hints' my body provided to get me to adjust my lifestyle. And, I'm SO much happier having taken it's advice. My workouts are fun, not grueling. I work out less and I love my weight and shape.
Did you know in the areas of the world with the greatest numbers of centenarians, the populations don't "work out" at all? However, they do incorporate light, natural exercise into their daily lives via living on hills, walking daily and staying active throughout their elder years: "It’s interesting to note that the communities that live the longest in the world (average age is over 100yrs), don’t exercise like the way we think of exercise, they don’t get anti-aging procedures and they aren’t alcohol free. Counter intuitively, they are still sexually active into their later years, are quite mobile and live with a sense of purpose and vigor. When they pass away, the research shows that it’s not due to a chronic disease like heart disease, cancer or diabetes. Rather, they pass quickly and naturally usually in their sleep. In this article we take lessons from the centurion communities of the world to gain priceless insight into how we too can live the longest. The solutions are much simpler than one may think…" -Dr. Isaac Jones (Click link for full article)
2) Eat clean and eliminate foods which contribute to cravings. Consumption of grains and sugar, or high-glycemic foods, create cravings. It also happens they do a lot of other unhealthy things in the body too (check out www.DiseaseProof.com.) Consumption of nutrient dense G-BOMBS (Greens, Berries, Onions, Mushrooms, Beans & Seeds) satisfy the body and decrease cravings. I'll continue to post my favorite Nutritarian recipes, using G-BOMBS, here on StyleNectar. Look forward to my delicious Roasted Quinoa stuffed Peppers with melted 'Pepper-Jack' in the next day or so!
"If we turned the American diet upside down so that 90% of calories come from produce, we would put an end to dieting, resolve our health-care crisis, win the war against breast cancer, and save millions of lives from heart disease and diabetes. See an example of my food pyramid, which starts with foods high in micro-nutrients as the base." -Dr. Joel Fuhrman, from www.DoctorOz.com
3) Meditation. I'll write a post on this shortly. This daily practice is immeasurably beneficial in my life.
Please let me know if you have any questions on any part of my journey. Each person is different so the key is to learn what works for you. I wanted to share some of what has worked so well in my experience so that any of you sharing similar challenges might benefit. The greatest gift we can give to the world is our own happiness and well being.
Much love,
~Juliane
| 1. Ivy Larson. “Clean Cuisine & More” Newsletter. 2012 Oct 24;(3). |
I am not a healthcare practitioner or provider. To the extent that any information is provided through this website, it is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute or substitute for medical advice or counseling, the practice of medicine including but not limited to psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy or the provision of health care diagnosis or treatment, the creation of a physician-patient or clinical relationship, or an endorsement, a recommendation or a sponsorship of any third party, product or service by me. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements available on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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