Hi Guys! How is everyone?  Life is good here!  I’ve been busy but happy!  I’m sporting a new haircut, a bob and side bangs for spring which has me feeling flirty! My focus for this month has been on enjoying life, tackling my life’s to-do list but never feeling overwhelmed or stressed out by what needed to be done.   Getting back to yoga and finding a balance between yoga and running has been another goal.  I’ve fully gotten back in to yoga, it is continuing to kick my butt as I build my strength back and I love feeling sore! Sore muscles are proof that I am working hard.  I’ve been running about three days a week.  My mileage has been low but I have been enjoying the runs and  the shorter distance so I’m OK with that for now.  My goal has been to keep moving everyday.

In the month since the Boston Marathon I have been enjoying drinks out with friends, dinner out with Michael, and satisfying my cravings.  I’ve enjoyed all of it!  But all good things must come to an end and it’s time to focus on my eating.  I’ve been so used to eating what I want, when I want.  Carbohydrates have been completely necessary for fueling over the last year.  Indulging in sweets had not been something to think about, I was running 30 or more miles a week.  Now that I’m hitting the yoga mat more and cutting back on my running miles I need to adjust my diet and eating.  Bowls of pasta, loaves of bread, sweets and snacks all day is just not necessary for my body.

Between carb loading for the marathon and indulging for the last month I’ve put on about 3 or 4 pounds.  While that is certainly not a lot of weight or anything to be concerned about it, it is a good reminder to cut back and refocus on healthy foods.  Michael has been wanting to lose a few pounds as well and hopes to reach his goal weight before our vacation in early July.   Here’s how we plan to refocus:

• Cut Back on Carbohydrates.   We won’t cut them out completely but we will try to avoid them.  We will forgo the extra bread with dinner, replace our rice or potato with greens and other vegetables.  We already buy sandwich thins and bagel thins for our lunches, or breakfasts on the weekend so we will continue to do that.  I’d like to have more lean protein and fruit with breakfast rather than cereal, oatmeal or waffles like I normally do.
• Focus on Portion Control.  I am a big eater and always have been.  Michael is that way too.  Luckily we both have the metabolism to keep up!  I tend to eat more than I need to because I’m not full yet or feel like I have room for more.  I’m constantly worried that I’m going to be hungry in an hour.  I want to focus on larger portions of green vegetables, salads and lean protein and smaller portions of carbohydrates and fats.  I also plan to eat until I feel satisfied and not until I am full.  It will take some work but is something I want to learn to do.
• Cut Back on Sweets.  Michael and I both have a ridiculous sweet tooth.  On the weekends we always have some sort of dessert after dinner.   We need to cut back on this.  I usually avoid sweets during the week but need to make more of an effort to stick with fruit when the tray of cookies is out at the office.  Ultimately I’d like to indulge once or twice a week with dessert.
• Make Smart Choices.   Losing the weight is all about refocusing and making good choices.  I plan to replace my afternoon granola bar with a Greek yogurt and reach for fruit rather than the box of crackers or a cookie.

I also want to focus on drinking more water.  When I was training I was so focused on hydrating, I always drank 2 big water bottles a day.  Lately, my hydration has been slacking so I want to make more of an effort with that.  Water always makes me feel better and leaves me feeling cleansed.

I’ve been wanting to try a gentle cleanse for months.  I just bought the Skinny Girl Daily Cleanse by Bethenny Frankel. I’m hoping that it will leave me feeling “lighter” and less bloated. I plan to try it for 30 days and see how I am feeling at the end.  If all goes well I may try a true juice cleanse in July.

The plan is all about moderation, refocusing and incorporating more of the good choices I already make!  Like, I said, I’m not looking for dramatic weight loss.  I just hope to lose 3-5 pounds and maintain that weight.  I held that weight for training during both Chicago and Boston Marathons and felt great.

I’m off to go make some healthy choices!

How do you adjust your diet for your activity levels? What has made you successful in losing a few pounds and keeping it off?  Do you do a daily cleanse?  What are your thoughts?