80% Diet: 20% Exercise

Nobody's lying when they give you a stat somewhere around there. I'm living proof. Since I've completely turned my life around and been an exercise fanatic AND spinning instructor, I've discovered some interesting things. I still have super-pudgy sections after over 10 MONTHS of regularly, and vigorously, exercising 4-7 times per week. At first, I lost about 15 lb, then gained back a few (probably muscle), and I've now plateaued around about 10lbs lower from starting weight. The old me would say, "Great, my body doesn't want to lose any more and I'm stuck here because of genetics and such..." W. R. O. N. G.

"As a good rule of thumb: for optimal health and longevity, a man should not have more than one-half inch of skin that he can pinch near his umbilicus (belly button) and a woman should not have more than one inch. Almost any fat on the body over this minimum is a health risk." 

-Eat to Live

I have beyond that^, and that is what scares me. I think there is a lot that goes into it for me, so I'm going on a structured 6-week plan/experiment to see what I can do to that inner-tube around my mid-section. I don't think this will be too difficult for me, because throughout Lent, I did do a lot of this (fruits and veggies), but I still included whatever I wanted on many occasions... however, when I was on a total Eat to Live day, I felt AMAZING. I just think I need some structure and a goal to really commit to developing the good habits. I'm in this for longevity and quality of life, and to adopt healthy habits NOW, as opposed to my 40's and on when I'll truly be paying for all that pizza and sugar.

6 Clean Weeks Start TODAY:
-As many fruit & vegetables as I can possibly consume
-No animal products (meat or dairy)
-NO BEER.

I think my new-found taste for beer has something to do with this too, so if I do want a drink, I'm gonna stick to my old-fave, red wine, but I'm still not drinking very much AT ALL on this. I have a lot to say about all of this, but I clearly have time to share (42 days!). For now, if you'd like to understand what it is I'm so adamant about, you can begin by watching this:

It's easier than asking you to read a whole book because... it's 90 minutes on Netflix instant. Just watch it to understand some things about food, I promise I'm not trying to make anyone into a crazy health-nut (unless you want to be), but I do think everyone deserves to know the truth about how these daily decisions affect your life and your health. It will give you the gist, so if you do become super-interested in this stuff like me, you can head on over to Eat to Live (and/or numerous other books) and read your little heart out!

More to come on my food journey...

♥AshPiece