Easy Does It

 A Snapshot of My Day

Sitting in a Mexican restaurant with a friend, I ordered water with lemon and a burger, no bun. The meal came with french fries, but I kept them with the intention to eat a couple and offer the rest to him. When the server dropped off our meals, I set aside four or five steak fries and asked if he wanted the rest.

"Oh yeah, you're part of that cult that won't let you eat potatoes."

I laughed.

We began talking about our respective diets and issues we were trying to solve: me combating psoriasis and IBS, he weight loss and low energy. I told him I hadn't set out to lose weight, but that I had lost about thirty pounds in the last two months.

"Of course you have. When you cut out half the food you normally eat, you're bound to lose weight."

It's true. I cut out a laundry list of foods: potatoes, tomatoes, most nuts, all seeds, all grains, beans, soy, corn, peppers, etc. I eat primarily meat, fish, eggs, a handful of vegetables (broccoli and asparagus) and a handful of fruits (apples and berries). But I never went hungry. I ate heaping platefuls of food two to three times a day, snacking between meals some days. But people can't, don't, or won't believe me when I say that I eat fewer foods, but I don't eat LESS food. However, I never count calories or measure out my food in grams, no measuring or portioning at all, so how could I know if I was eating less. I could only swear that I never felt hungry, never refrained from eating if I felt hungry.

So I decided to do the calculations.

A typical day:

Nutrition:

4 eggs - 312 cal, 24 g of protein

1 Ribeye - 700 cal, 69 g of protein

Sardines - 180 cal, 22 g of protein

1 cup macadamia nuts - 900 cal, 11 g of protein

2 slices of bacon - 80 cal, 6 g of protein

1 cup fruit - 60 cal, 1 g of protein

1 “other” - 100 cal, ? protein

Total calories and protein for each day is 2,500+ cal, 135+ g of protein

Every time I tried to lose weight in the past, I listened to the calories in, calories out advice, read that a woman my height and age should be consuming 1,200 calories a day in order to lose weight and then keep it under 1,800 calories to maintain it. I lost weight eating 2,500 calories and I have maintained it eating the same.

Counting calories is not necessary to lose weight. It’s not really about how much you eat but what you eat. Eating nutrient dense foods will keep you satiated and eating high fat and protein foods will keep your body burning energy rather than storing it (as it does with sugars and carbohydrates). 

I'm not saying it's easy. I didn't eat Hostess cakes because I was hungry. I ate them because I craved the sugar. I didn't munch on popcorn because I was hungry. I did it because I was bored. These were habits I had to overcome. I ate a LOT more fruit in the beginning to satisfy those sugar cravings. Over time they dissipated, some. I ate less fruit. But they haven't gone away. I still crave sweets. But I have found great alternatives (fat bombs, flavored protein powder shakes and mousse, Rebel ice cream). What I did not and do not experience, however, are the stomach grumbles, the shaky hands, and hanger that I did when I was restricting my caloric intake. And that made a world of difference.

I used to think exercising meant spending at least an hour at the gym. I thought if I wasn't doing 30 push-ups, running on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and doing many other exercises for an extended time, then I wasn't really accomplishing anything. I also hated the added time of changing clothes, driving there, driving home, showering and getting dressed again. I had too much I had to do and wanted to do to commit that kind of time. After moving onto a homestead and finding myself too weak to do some of the tasks needed, I asked my partner, Caleb, to help me get stronger. He had been a personal trainer and created a program for me: Morning walk (5 to 10 minutes), 12 reps and 3 sets of two simple exercises (squats without weight, bicep curls with 8 lb dumbbells, etc.) every other day.

"That's it? How will I be able to lift a bag of concrete doing that?"

His reply, "The best exercise is the exercise you'll actually do. Start simple. We'll increase things later."

He was right. It was simple enough I could do it at my house, in my pajamas in under 15 minutes. I began seeing muscles and noticing tasks getting easier. I now do more exercises with heavier weights, but I still only spend 15 to 30 minutes a day doing them.

Exercise: 2 mile walk every day (this one takes about 40 minutes and is more important to my overall health than any other exercise) and 15-30 minutes of weight lifting four days a week.

That’s it. When I first began my health journey, I walked about a mile or less. Gradually my walks got longer, in part because I would send video messages to my friends, making the walk more enjoyable and giving me something else to accomplish during my walk (building and maintaining relationships). The walks started as a bit of a chore, but now I relish the quiet time with my thoughts. It also helps that I live in the country and often get to pet a horse or a cow along the way.

6:00 pm, I'm on the couch struggling to stay awake. After the papers had been graded, dinner made, lunches prepped, and kitchen cleaned, it was finally time to go to bed. I drag myself up the stairs. Eyes heavy, I brush my teeth, change clothes, and slide between the sheets with a sigh. Without fail, my eyes would close and my brain would turn on, all the way on. Suddenly I was wide awake, mind racing. I would listen to my husband snoring before his head even hit the pillow. I was so envious. No matter what time I woke up that day, no matter how busy, how tired, I had trouble falling asleep.

Sleep came a bit easier when my diet and exercise changed. I'd fall asleep a little sooner and wake up less often, but I would still toss and turn, frustrated. Information shared with me from The Huberman Lab podcast gave me some knowledge to help, and, for me, cutting caffeine was key. (Probably the hardest of the changes I've made. I loved my morning coffee ritual.)

I still struggle with sleep occasionally, and that's usually because I stray, for one reason or another, from the routine below.

Sleep:

Wake-up with the sun if possible

Spend 10 to 30 minutes outside with the sunrise (before 10 a.m.)

No screens after 7 or 8 o’clock

No artificial light after sundown (I do keep fairy lights on in my bathroom; warm, dim light)

In bed at or not long after sun down

This is probably the part of my routine people would find the most difficult. When I was a teacher, I had to be in my classroom before 7 a.m., which would have prevented me from being about to be in the sun in the morning. I would often stay up later than was healthy because my and my family’s day was so busy, evenings were our only time together, and I would feel guilty for going to bed “early”.  Knowing what I know now, I would have worked to rearrange my life in little ways to come as close as I could to the routine I have now. Perhaps I would stand in the courtyard between classes or take my first period class outside for part of the class. I would keep the lights dim in my house and try to schedule a quality time activity that would allow me to go to bed sooner without the guilt.  This up with the sun, down with the sun isn’t easy in our societal structure, but the benefits are tremendous, so it’s worth trying to get as close as we can.