Help Me Not Completely Suck At This, Por Favor

[SaraBenincasa]

Hi. My name is Sara Benincasa. I'm a comedian and a writer and a human. I played a lot of King's Quest when I was a kid. I was in marching band for two years, and I was actually on a competitive baton and flag squad. On purpose. I spend a lot of time on Twitter and Facebook when I ought to be a.) working on my novel b.) working on a script c.) eating healthy foods or d.) exercising.

 

I try fad diets and then stop them. I always sucked at sports and so I react to the thought of exercise by whining and running in the opposite direction (generally straight to bed to take a nap).

 

I'm here because I'm a nerd and I want to get fit and I'm not sure what to do about it. I love bread and pasta and ice cream and I'm pretty sure I'd love a cronut if someone put it in front of me. I'm not good at denying myself the nomz.

 

I like yoga, but I don't go. I even like lifting weights, but I don't go to the gym. I spend a lot of time napping and avoiding the great outdoors, and I'm tired of it.

 

I also -- and I wrote a memoir about this, so I'm comfortable posting about it in an open forum -- deal with depression and anxiety, and take medication to help. Recently I tried to blame my weight gain on the meds, but my doctor said nope -- it's not the meds. It's the fact that I'm sedentary and that I loves me some carb action. And he's right!

 

So I'd love to hear your inspiring tales, even if you've only lost five pounds. Five pounds sounds amazing to me right now!

 

Good luck to you. I hope you are having an awesome day.

 

Best,

Sara B.

[Jetikus]

Hey there and WELCOME!

My inspiring tale comes with pictures (see links below) and guess what: 90% of my success was the Paleo Diet. Now, you said denying yourself is torture. I get that, seriously. I growled in frustration grocery shopping when I saw a milky way bar... I was craving chocolate all the way home. That being said, you'll never stick to something if it makes you miserable. You don't have to go 100% Paleo, you can gradually cut them out. Breakfast and Dinner - no grains, Lunch - eat what you want.

I can go on with some nice tips to help you, so if you have questions or want advice then hit me up. =)

[Polaris]

Haha, are you me? I also always sucked at sports and ate crap and avoided sunlight like a vampire. Okay, I'm still not good at sports, but I only started my fitness journey like two weeks ago. I've gone about 80% Paleo/Primal since then, and I can tell you, after the first few days when the cravings are horrible and you're like "baaaaw, I can never eat anything good again!!1!" - it actually gets really easy. Carbs are sneaky and addictive, but once you get off the hook, you realize they're not even that good really. I mean, bread and pasta don't taste like much by themselves, nobody would eat a hot dog bun without the sausage.

 

And you should really go do yoga or lift weights or do whatever exercises you like. I went running yesterday for the first time ever, and I thought I'd absolutely hate it, but it turned out to be awesome. I deal with depression and anxiety too, and while proper diet and exercise don't make them go away, they do help.

 

Anyway, welcome! Oh and by the way, what kind of novel are you writing?

[pro§pect]

Welcome too the rebellion

[Idamaria]

Hey Sara, just like you I used to be addicted to pasta and bread. I've been on a mostly paleo diet for 8 months and my cravings are gone. Its not a problem at all anymore. So what I wanna tell you is that there is hope

Also, I used to be depressed as well. Medication didnt work, but clean food and exercise did. Im sure youve heard it before, but its true.. And the change doesnt have to be over night. Just make a small goal and youll feel amazing when u achieve it. Even if its just getting out of bed without hitting the snooze botton

Im a new nerd here at the rebellion but I love it! Im educating myself with all the articles and stuff. So cool!

/ idamaria

[Flick]

Hiya Sara!

 

I completely understand about the sugary carb cravings and avoiding the great outdoors.

 

I'm new to this too, hoping to give myself a kick up the ass by publicly holding myself accountable

 

Fingers crossed the rebellion gives us both what we need! Oh and please let me know if you find a decent paleo substitute for icecream, in this weather I would murder for some frozen goodness

 

All the best,

Flick

[NicoleCanoes]

I took baby steps with eliminating grains. No more grains for snacks, then dinner, then lunch, etc. You should join a class and get in on the next challenge. It's a great way to keep yourself accountable through out the craving period. You can work on it over 6 weeks and at the end you won't even like the taste of white bread anymore. Plus you don't have deprive yourself. There are some really good paleo recipes on the internet. If constantly thinking that you can't have pasta is hard try reframing it. "I will try 2 new paleo meals this week and 4 next week" That way it is more exciting.

 

Good luck and welcome

[Yuen]

Hi there Sara,

 

I would just like to mention that you share the same surname as one of the great chinning and bodyweight legends. Jasper Benincasa - a man who was stronger at 89 years of age than most of us are now.

 

 

You may have greatness in your genes!

 

Have a great day

[SaraBenincasa]

Thanks gals and guys! I'm back belatedly...but I'm back.