By Sarah Schmermund

 

Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you the two main facets of a healthy lifestyle are diet and exercise.? And by diet, of course, they don’t mean cut out everything for a limited time and hope the weight stays off after the fact.? They mean making conscious, healthy choices on a daily basis that reflect the healthy body and mind you would like to maintain.

What they probably won’t mention is that, for some people, the healthy lifestyle ratio isn’t entirely 50/50.? Often times, one of these two components weighs more heavily than the other in determining our weight loss or maintenance success.? And it can go either way, with diet playing a bigger role for some and exercise for others.? So how do you know what your ratio for success is?

When I joined Arena, I was mid-way through my second semester of my master’s program.? I had been previously warned that second semester would be the worst semester, as it would be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining.? On top of more intense course work, we were also beginning our clinical practicums, assuming another 15-20 hours of (unpaid) work a week.

Thank goodness I had the Arena.? At the end of a long day or week, there was nothing better than strapping on my gloves and boxing it out with the usual crew.? I was working out at least 5 times a week, often with back-to-back sessions just to keep sane.? Two-for-Tuesdays was my favorite night of the week.

But a funny thing was happening – I was gaining weight.? And not the “muscle weighs more than fat” weight.? It was all just fat.? And I was baffled.? I was working out more than I ever had, but I was moving farther from the rewards of the “healthy lifestyle” I had envisioned.? Thankfully, my mama didn’t raise no fool, and I wasn’t baffled for very long.? Could my weight gain possibly be from the rolls of cookie dough my roommate and I were consuming on a weekly basis?? Or maybe the tubs of ice cream I couldn’t seem to keep in the fridge for longer than a few days?? Or maybe the bottle(s) of wine we would unwind with at the end of another exhausting week?

Full disclaimer: I’m a stress eater.?And I mistakenly thought that the increased intensity of my workouts would counteract my fruitless attempts to fill the bottomless pit that had become my stomach.? At the end of the day, the “math” worked out; I was working off as much as I was taking in, so the scale shouldn’t have tipped either way.? Alas, I was wrong.? My body was fully aware of the abuse I was putting it through by trying to manage my stress with food, and it was asserting its disapproval by struggling to fit into my jeans.

Once I was aware of the problem that had become my diet, it was not easy to ignore.? So I challenged it head on, using a food journal and mindfulness and self-acceptance and all the other tools and tricks we think will never work (but usually do) to help myself become more aware and in control of what I was consuming.? And as I got better at self-regulation and my diet improved, the weight gain began to reverse itself.? Eventually, final exams time came, and I was swamped with school and studying and work.? I didn’t have the time for 5 killer workouts every week, but I had time for 3-4, and I had a better handle on not succumbing to my stress eating behavior.?? I was secure that I could maintain my weight?through finals and then reboot my weight loss once it was all over.? But to my surprise, even though my physical activity had decreased, the weight loss continued.? As it turns out, my ratio is indeed not 50/50.? Lesson learned: my diet mattered more.

The year and a half following this revelation provided numerous stressful opportunities to test the theory (thanks, graduate school).? And while I didn’t always come out the winner in the battle with my stress eating, it wasn’t as intense or for as long, and it was easier and easier to return to my healthy diet.? The healthy lifestyle became the norm, not the exception.? By the time finals came around the following year, I had dropped 10 pounds and a jeans size.? The great workouts in the Arena helped keep me toned and energized, but my diet allowed for the weight loss.?? The key is finding the combination that best works for you to provide you all the benefits of a healthy lifestyle you find most desirable.? More energy?? More toned?? Weight loss?? Gain muscle?? Define your goals, and then work with your body to find the ratio that best serves you.