Philosophy on Diet and Fitness

I had a reader ask me to write a post on diet and fitness and I've been contemplating for the longest time if I should really write one just because I'm not an expert on either subject. So this is definitely not "advice" on how to lose weight or become fit, this is simply a post on my philosophy on diet and fitness and what works for me.

When I was in college, my roommate and I took a couple of nutrition classes together and got really into health and fitness. I remember being kind of obsessed about it and eating so healthy and working out 4-5x a week. We'd count calories and read every nutrition label of the food we ate. This type of restrictive lifestyle eventually just got to be too much and made me a very unhappy person. So from that experience, I just know I'm not that type of person that can be on a strict diet or exercise regimen ever again.

Fitness

I've been going to the gym pretty regularly now for the last 4-5 years. I have taken 3-4 month breaks during winter time and gotten back when spring season rolls along. It's not for any reason, but just the mere fact I get bored and lazy during the winter because it's so cold in SF and all I want to do is snuggle up with a blanket.

So I go to the gym 2x a week and I keep my routine super simple and easy!

• I run 4 miles on the treadmill (takes me about 40 mins at a speed of 6.0 mph) or 
• I go on the stairmill for 40 mins (on level 10-13)
• If I'm not too tired after my run or being on the stair-mill, I'll do 3 set of crunches (15 each set) on an incline chair.

That's pretty much it! I switch between the treadmill and stairmill because running can be so hard on my knees. If I run too much, my joints will start to hurt! I've noticed that running really helps tone the calves while the stairmill is great for toning and giving the illusion of a nice bubbly lifted butt! I know I could do more, but I don't want to push myself too much. I know myself, and if I push too hard and overdo it I'd eventually stop going to the gym. I've had trainer say to me, Ping 2x a week at the gym will not do anything. Maybe it doesn't do much for me physically, but it makes me feel good mentally. 

In terms of weight, I've been 95lbs for the last 4-5 years. I used to be a few pounds skinnier before working out. I'm happy being my weight and personally don't think I need to loose or gain at this point.

Diet:

If you follow me on instagram, you probably get a good idea of what I eat on a regular basis. I don't put any restrictions on what I eat, but I do eat everything in moderation and keep my portions relatively small. I remember a friend approached me years ago and said I am eating so healthy, but why am I not losing weight? I said it's because you are eating too much of it. Just because something is healthy, fat free, or low calorie, doesn't mean you can eat as much as you want.

To give you a better idea of my diet, here's what I eat and I never skip a meal!

For breakfast:

• I normally eat 1 piece of wheat toast with peanut butter or 2 pieces of toast with butter. I like the peanut butter or just butter because both food items have fat to it and it keeps me full for hours. If ate things like cereal, oatmeal or just drank a smoothie, I'd be hungry in no time. So I do like to eat things that have fat to satiate my hunger.

For lunch:

• I normally eat udon noodles (with an egg or 2) or a lean cuisine frozen entree just because it's quick and easy. It's also very light and doesn't make feel sleepy or tired. I also try to incorporate a piece of fruit like nectarine, apricot or mango just because it's good for my digestive system. ;)
• I do eat out too sometimes, but really depends on my mood and if I feel like going out to get food.

For dinner:

• Dinner is when me and my bf eat together! We just eat whatever we feel like that night. It depends on where we go, but if a restaurant offers big portions we'd just order an appetizer and 1 entree to share between us. If I feel like dessert, I will order it too and make my bf share it with me. Go check out my instagram for a better idea of what we eat!

To give you an idea of my portion size, anytime there is an option for a small size I will order it over the normal size. For example, I always opt for a small latte with soy milk rather than the venti latte with regular milk. Or I'll get a small bowl of noodles instead of the large and save room for dessert or a boba drink afterwards. If me and my bf go to McDonald, we'll share a double cheeseburger meal and a side order of 6 pieces nuggets and we always opt for non-sweeten ice tea instead of soda. Although I like sweet things, I'm just not a fan of soda (I know, it's weird). Another food item I don't eat is corn, but I eat everything else. I'm not a big snacker through out the day, but I do like items like chocolate, candy and ice dream after dinner.

Like I've said in the beginning, I'm not an expert on diet or fitness! My doctor will probably yell at me if she knew what I ate, but at least my vital stats are great! :)