my method after the madness

Madness.
That’s what I call Tracy Anderson’s 30 Day Method.
Result producing madness, but nevertheless, madness.
A lot of you have asked, would I go back and do it again knowing what I know now?
And the answer is, Absolutely!
But would I ever do it again, the full 30 days diet and all?
Um, absolutely NOT!
Who am I, if not truthful?
The only reason I say that is because I’ve realized and then forgot,
and then just recently realized again….
that total deprivation = failure.
For me.
When I was pregnant with Taylor, I developed gestational diabetes and had to endure 5 months of pregnancy eating barely any carbs and absolutely NO sugar.  Can you even imagine???  Your first pregnancy and you aren’t allowed to indulge in the slightest???
Torture is what it was.
And while all’s well that ends well, the diabetes went away with delivery and Taylor was born healthy and happy colic…still there was the whole cranky baby’s mama who had gone without carbs and sugar for far too long and it was time to self soothe.
Woah, the self soothing!
Hello fast food restaurants!!
Hello chocolate cake and pizza!!!
Hello Mikes Hard Lemonades!!!!
{okay, so that last one was more to numb the breast feeding pain* I was enduring at the time…but still, 4pm every day I indulged!}
*click that link if you ever endured breast feeding trauma, you won’t be sorry!
And to be honest…the same sort of thing happened after I ended the 30 Day Method….except instead of Mikes Hard Lemonade, I discovered an old love of Pinot Noir.
Because even with the choco chestnut pudding, the entire month of the diet, I couldn’t help but still feel slightly deprived.
And when all was said and done, while I had a few new recipes and a bunch of new taste buds for healthier things, I still had not in the slightest lost my desire for carbs and sugar.
Maybe it will be different for you.
Maybe IT WAS different for you….but for me, I don’t think any diet can cure those kind of genetics.
{my mom used to hide red licorice in drawers and you should have SEEN the amount of sweets my grandma hid in her basement freezer!}
I’m telling you, we get these “lindley arms” for a reason.
Genetics.
Anyway….all that to say….
I’ve been searching high (in the cupboards) and low (at little ceasars) trying to figure out where MY balance is.
How can I incorporate the things I love, yet find a way NOT to go overboard and still manage stay healthy and fit?
You always hear about the 80/20 rule, and I think that’s fair, and most likely doable.
And I know there are a ton of ways to make that work.
Two days on, one day off…five days on, two days off….all days on, with one cheat per day…
The trick is finding what works for you, and what will guarantee your success.
Before I went all “holiday eating” on my a$$ back in October, I had found some success in eating healthy Monday through Friday, and allowing my weekends to be free.
The problem became that I never defined “free.”
And free soon became, eat as much as you can of what you love and then spend the next week working all that off….
Eventually that caught up with me.
And my a$$.
So.
Here I sit, three weeks post 30 Day Method, trying to figure out what will work and trying to set healthy limits for myself.
While I’m content-ish with where I am physically, I would also be okay with a little more improvement…something a little closer to the boot camp success perhaps.
Although, I don’t think I can ever live up to and keep up with a size 2….
I’m pretty sure size 2 girls don’t eat pizza once a week…and if you do and you are, please don’t tell me.
My heart can’t take it.
So.
I’m still pondering…
but I think until things “smooth” out body wise, my best bet is to stick to healthy Sunday night through Friday Night (because that’s generally easy for me), and allow one free meal (ahem, pizza) and one cheat dessert (winchell’s you won’t ever lose my business!) on the weekends.
Once all feels right again in my clothes and I’m comfortable with my progress, I may go back to allowing two full free days…within moderation.

And I’ll need to find a good definition for moderation when that time comes.
{ideas?}


In addition to that, I’m super excited because I’m getting ready to begin a new supplement regimen (per the mood cure, which i just finished reading and HIGHLY recommend!), and from all that I’ve heard, it should provide some amazing results!
{Not so much in achieving the perfect body, cause that’s definitely not my goal…but more in finding a balance within my life as well as my cravings.}

And finally, to answer a few of the questions you guys had:

For my workouts, I just started Tracy Andersons Metamorphosis program today (omni) and am planning to do that in addition to a dance cardio dvd (in place of the omni cardio) 5-6 days a week.
And no, I still have yet to step on the scale.
I have no plans as to when that will change, but should it change, you will most definitely be the FIRST to know!

Anyway, enough about me…

What about you guys?
What have you found works for you in finding balance in health and nutrition?
Share with me all your secrets, trials, and tribulations…
© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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Comments

  1. The only thing that works for me is counting calories but “rewarding” myself with a treat every night. Sometimes it’s was a cup of ice cream or some chocolate every day. And the occasional take-out {fast food, of course!} The whole X days on, X days off never works for me because on my day off? I practically binge 🙂

  2. Hey Summer! You’re still doing SO good!!! I totally understand where you’re coming from. You know I love Tracy and am a huge fan, but I didn’t agree with the pretty much no carb at all thing. I think if you don’t ever plan to eat a carb ever again, then it’s great! But totally unrealistic for most people. I’ve been eating clean all week and I have complex carbs 2x day and never after 4pm. I also allow myself a cheat meal on the weekend. Because I know that certain foods are triggers for me I can’t allow myself to go and have a plate of cheese fries or a bunch of bread because then I’ll want to go and eat the entire pantry! But I do make a healthier version of something I really like, that way I can indulge without feeling guilty. I read Jackie Warner’s book and I loved it. I’ve been combining her principles with TA’s 30 day method diet and principles as well. I also like this new cookbook called Pretty Delicious. I’ll be reviewing some recipes on my blog soon! You’ll figure it out 😉 Sorry for my novel! lol

  3. i eat healthy & workout all week long! then on the weekend i allow myself one cheat meal & this is usually when we go out to eat. it does get tough, and sometimes i just have to give in otherwise, you’ll end up eating even more of it!

  4. Sounds like we have similar eating patterns. I’m noticing when I remove carbs I have terrible cravings. I also remember meeting with an nutritionist specializing in eating disorders who said our bodies and brains need carbs to function. Apparently it’s a natural response for the body to crave and then want to binge if deprived. I’m trying to focus on sticking to whole grains for carbs with the occasional pizza here and there. : ) Sugar cravings are my worst issue. Just received blood work back from doc and my glucose level was 104. Right on the edge so I better be careful! Not sure what was going on since my cholesterol was higher than it usually is as well. I’m going to read the Mood Cure next. Good luck with new supplement program and keep us posted!!

  5. Hi Summer, I love reading your blog because I can relate so much to you on SO many levels. I am in recovery from an eating disorder and am without a doubt a yo yo dieter. I would count calories, make eating plans, and attempt to follow any dieting plan I couild get my hands on. The result? PURE and TOTAL frusteration. I struggle with rules and having constant food thoughts every single day, but what is working for me is getting rude of those rules. I have a new mantra that I say every time my mind becomes filled with food thoughts about how I am going to eat the rest of my life.. what I say and what may help you is, “I am capable of eating healthy.” When I allow myself to have what I want (in portion of course and I eat it slow and I remind myself that I know how to eat without gaining weight), I am finding that the obsession with diet and weight is starting to diminish. I no longer am feeling the urge to binge and suprisingly my weight is dropping WITHOUT A DIET PLAN. Focus on the moment and TRUST YOURSELF not a TA diet plan that you know how to eat without depriving yourself and without overdoing it. Its all inside of you, you just have to trust it!

  6. If I could go back to December 31st knowing what I know now I would definitely do it again too. Will I ever do it again? I really hope not! (Never say never). I have this as a backup plan for losing pregnancy pounds if we ever decide to procreate. I’d do the diet again too… I just can’t argue with the results.

    You know my plan now. 1 cheat meal (sometimes stretches to a day)and I need to lose it before I get another. Really hoping I never have to enforce that rule but time will tell 🙂 I hope eventually to up my calories some once I’m happy with my final results, we’re just not quite there yet.

    Hang in there, we can figure this all out!

    Jen

  7. As the majority of us I’ve had my own journey when it comes to nutrition, health, weight, self confidence…etc… I love TAM workouts but not so much her diet, I have no doubt it works but that’s not what I consider important, what’s really important is if its sustainable and to me it is not!
    You should read Jackie Warner’s book” “This is why your fat” Trust me the book is a lot better than the title, it explains how easy it is to eat right, be healthy and look good and most important eat what you love and it goes with your week/weekend point of view.

    xoxo
    Ia

  8. when are starting the mood cure? that looks interesting…might get the book and go along with ya 🙂

  9. I had gestational diabetes both times. It sucked fo sho.