I'm not fat, I just have a lot of body fat

I've been in some sort of "trying to lose weight" mode much of my adult life, and yet I don't really consider myself "fat" or at least I try to not let that hamster on the wheel in my head use those words.  There have been moments when I've been content with my body, but mostly I've ebbed and flowed a few pounds, a few inches, here and there throughout my 20's and 30's.  When I hit my 40's, and had another baby, things really started to come to a screeching halt in terms of my ability to shed the holiday pounds, the vacation weight, the over-indulged weekend L-Bs.  And it's been SUPER frustrating.  I workout more consistently and more intensely now than I ever have in my life, I eat pretty darn healthy almost always, I drink way less alcohol, there are very few toxins and hence obesegens in my home (occupational perk), and yet the muffin top just keeps on keepin' on.   

I recently attended Eudemonia a conference boasting some of the greatest thought leaders in holistic heath care, wellness, nutrition, and beyond.  And I had the great fortune (?) of getting a complimentary body composition analysis done.  I knew it would be very humbling to see my body fat percentage, but I also figured what is more motivating than knowing my body fat percentage? 😳  And humbling it was!  It turns out I'm not "fat" if you are categorizing fat as someone who has an unhealthy BMI or is at risk for a chronic condition like diabetes, but let me tell you the parameters classifying those things have been super-sized right along with the average American, AND therefore I am not fat, but I have WAY more body fat than I want to admit.  I'm not going to tell you my body fat percentage (too embarrassing) but what I will tell you is I need to drop ~ 10%!!!!  That's kind of A LOT when we are talking about pounds of fat.

Now up until this past weekend I felt that my mom-bod was kind of hopeless and I was thanking my lucky stars that while a crop top may not be in the cards, I am strong, fit and healthy enough to do the things I love and that yoga pants are still completely acceptable for 99% of my work & extracurricular life.  Until.... I spent a weekend listening to some of the greatest minds studying longevity and healthspan as it relates to lifespan.  It turns out I've been doing quite a few things wrong, and while I do some things right, I'm also not doing some things at all.  So there's hope!

Here's the Hope...

Movement

I workout plenty - most days my wrist buzzes with all my rings "complete" - but my current job is much different now than it was in my 20's and 30's and I spend a lot more time SITTING at a computer.  Which means my overall movement throughout the day has decreased substantially.

Strength

I do yoga and pilates and HIIT workouts because I love them.  But, I learned, they are not enough when it comes to strength!  I really need to incorporate heavy weight training with the sole purpose of increasing my muscle strength and muscle health!  I don't enjoy lifting weights, but it's non-negotiable.

Nutrition

I eat super healthy, plant-forward most of the time, and I've even dabbled with vegan-ism.  And, I am WAAAAYYYYY under-proteined and creatined and other important macros that contribute to satiety, muscle, and brain health.  

Stress

Stress is an obvious bi-product for anyone who is an entrepreneur, a mom of a teen, a mom of a girl, a mom of a toddler, or a woman in their 40's, and I am all of those things.  I dabble with breath work and I enjoy it but it just doesn't find its way into my routine, I'm a total meditation poser, and yoga is either at 5am or in 100 degree heat neither of which prove to mediate stress (for me).  I need to manage my stress more effectively.

Community

I think I am an extroverted introvert, meaning I like to be social, I definitely enjoy interacting with people, heck I like to throw parties and plan group outings, but I am also super content to do things on my own.  I have lots of amazing friends across many states but when it comes to day-to-day, especially as an entrepreneur, there are lots of days I don't have meaningful interactions, in-person, with people outside of my immediate family.  I need to find regular and focused time to have fun with friends who lift & inspire me.

Self Love/Mindset

I've always been one who cares about what others think of me, assume there is disapproval or judgement, and as a result have been even more critical of myself.  I need to audit the thoughts in my head and finds ways to re-wire those pathways, releasing some of the assumptions, self-criticism, and direct my headspace towards more constructive thoughts.

SOOOOO - since there are all sorts of new things to try behind doors #1-6, I'm positive I can drop the 10% body fat and add years, maybe decades, to my healthspan, if all those Eudemonia experts and their data are correct. My instinct is to quietly put all these puzzle pieces into place and report back when I can confidently post one of those before and after photos.  However, I've watched those insta-boasters (sorry if that is a little harsh) and I always think to myself, it would have been much more helpful to watch your journey than just hear about all the amazing things you did.

So since it is national voting day, lets put this to a vote! And I need every.single.one of your VOTEs:  Do you want to watch & follow along in this journey, step-by-step, the highs the lows the everything in between?  Perhaps join me for portions of it? Or would you rather just get an executive summary once I'm rivaling Heidi Klum? 

Please vote! 

YES:  While it is somewhat mortifying to an extroverted introvert to make their 10% body fat reduction plans public, I'm willing to stretch my comfort zone for the sake of being your lab rat, testing some of the "simple" tips and tools the health & longevity experts are advocating.   Lets see what really works on a not-fat-but-too-much-body-fat-mom-bod 🤷‍♀️

NO:  If you are thinking "duh, I knew all that - look at my 6-pack", or are more of a Cliff's Notes person and like those before & after insta-boasters, or you just want to save me from being completely mortified... feel free to vote no.

IN an effort to crack open door #5 lets get the community party started, forward this to a friend who may want to join in this VOTE!

Here's to life less (fat?) toxic!

Live free,
Dana

🫶

Favorite Product Du Jour

Well since I am WAAAAYYYY under-proteined, the Just Ingredients Protein Powder + Creatine are my new best friends.  The protein comes from 5 different sources including whey which has all the essential amino acids plus collagen plus it tastes great, and I add 2 scoops (10g) of creatine which is great for muscle health and brain function!

Products I'm testing

As part of my stress reduction plans behind door # 4, I plan to experiment with "Good Stress" as coined by Jeff Krasno, the founder of Wanderlust and author of the aptly named book "Good Stress".  Cold plunges & infrared sauna are part of the plan.  Check out Higher Dose for at home sauna experiences!

Podcast Check Out

If you hate weights, hate the gym, see no benefit to lifting weights, just listen to this podcast  with Andrew Huberman & Gabrielle Lyon, and I'm pretty sure your mind will be changed.