This past weekend my worst fear was realized. Tim Haft, the 14th Street Y’s beloved Punk Rope instructor and fitness enthusiast emailed my weight and body fat percentage to a group of strangers. The fact that I gave him permission to do this beforehand did not make it any less torturous, as I have spent most of my life going to great lengths to hide and avoid these numbers. It took me several days to decide whether I would share these numbers here as well, but finally my feminist self convinced my vain and insecure self that women like me should not be shamed into hiding our weights and our bodies by a culture that places increased value on diminishing sizes. I have never been small, but I have been healthier than I am right now, and this blog is the beginning of my trip back to a healthier body, or as Tim would say, a body that works.
At the first session of our start of the Clean Slate in 8 group (one week ago), I weighed 171 lbs, with a body fat percentage of 30. Over the course of the last week I followed Tim’s advice and the suggestions of some of my fellow clean-eaters, making small but impactful changes to my diet.
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I added fresh fruit and vegetables to every meal, and a lot of them.
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I chose to “eat clean” (eating whole, unprocessed foods) 80% of the time,while allowing myself a little wiggle room the other 20% .
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I ate slowly, without the distraction of a TV, computer or handheld device.
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I observed how different type of foods affected my mood, energy level and digestive health.
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I tried to limit less clean foods to reasonable portions.
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I did not count calories.
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I did not cut out favorite foods altogether.
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I did not change my normal exercise routine.
One week later, at our second session, I am weighing in at 167 lbs, and my body fat percentage has gone down to a little less than 28%.
A few years ago I wrote this blog about my first stab at weight loss. At that point i was 28, and it came to me easily. Now at 30, I have less time to work out, due to the adorable new addition to my family, pictured above (yes, I am talking about a dog, not a child). For the remaining 7 weeks of the Clean Slate program, you can follow my progress here, as I try to get back to the weight, and more importantly, the healthy mindset I was at when I wrote that first blog. Wish me luck!
Roxanne Lane is the Communications Manager for the 14th Street Y. Her dog’s name is Puppy.
Thoughts + Happenings 