4 weeks and no progress. None. Zip. Zilch. I’m still at 141 this morning. I’m more than disappointed in myself. I’m mad and frustrated and embarrassed.
Yesterday I tried on a couple pairs of jeans at Kohls and none of them fit, you know, like the ones I have in my closet. I was not happy with myself. The temperature is getting ready to drop and though I have a bunch of pants, I cannot wear them. I’m picturing myself in December, in the 2 pairs of capris I can fit into right now. I foresee that I will have chilly ankles. And yet, I’m not sure I want to shell out any money for more clothes when I HAVE clothes that are perfectly fine, except for the fact that I’m too fat to wear them. It’ll remind me every time I put my pants on that I have work to do. (And yes, I’m aware of my negative self talk right now).
So, it’s obviously time to move on and try something that works. I’ve really just been doing the t-tapp workout, and though it’s pretty powerful, I’m not seeing the results I want. I think I’ll sideline it as a toning exercise, though the program says not to do that, and get on with some other things. I don’t feel like I have time to mess around anymore.
So, I’ve started up again with Mr. Wii. He worked for me before. I’m using the EA Active 30 Day Challenge, this time. I’ll also be interspersing some Pilates, T-Tapp and walking in there. No, this is not “moderate”, however, I KNOW that for ME to start losing, I have got to move a lot more to jump start some weight loss and get the copious amounts of junk outta my trunk. So yeah, I guess it feels like I’m starting over. Again.
I’ve also fallen off the food journaling bandwagon. Again. This week, I’m going to try to keep up with 2, the food pyramid tracker and my My Fitness Pal tracker. I’d like to see how they compare.
And that’s where we go from here. I hope it actually leads somewhere.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Update Week 3
After my last sulky post, the rest of this week has gone pretty well. I’ve been eating much better, and feeling better as well. I’m on day 12 of my 14 day T-Tapp boot camp. I think I’m improving in my form and feeling like I’m getting a bit more out of it.
As of yesterday, I’m back down to 141, so I’m down a pound.
I haven’t been walking as much this week, but I’m ok with that. I still feel ok. Once, the T-tapp stuff is done, I can go down to working out every other day and can mix in some walking. Frankly, I was pretty sore from the workouts. The book recommends alfalfa for helping with this, and though initially skeptical, I’ve been taking it and it seems to work. I feel less sore.
This week, I consciously cut back on salt. Not that I add a lot of salt to things, but I cut back even more and watched the products I was eating. I read more labels when I grocery shopped last weekend and deliberately chose things with the lowest sodium. I’m not sure what my actual sodium counts have been, but, it’s been noticeably lower. When I went out for lunch yesterday, I had a burrito and then a few tortilla chips. To me they tasted very salty. I was so thirsty last night I drank double the amount of water I have normally been drinking in a day, but in one night. I felt ill. I did a quick search to see what else I could do, as the water was didn’t seem to be helping much, or rather, wasn’t helping fast enough. The recommendation seemed to be potassium, so I ate a banana. I did feel some relief within about an hour after that. It was a very interesting experience and means that I will continue to watch my sodium intake.
Sweet cravings didn’t seem to be as big of a problem this week. I didn’t abstain completely, but I was fine to just have a few bites of chocolate or something and then to say “I’ve had enough” and truly leave it alone; to feel like I was “done”. I didn’t have that gaping hole where I felt like I just had to have “MORE”. I haven’t had my real “dessert” this week, but we’re going to a birthday party today, so I’ll get to have cake there. I’m looking forward to it. Again, it was a very interesting experience.
So despite not having a whole lot of real, measurable progress, I feel like this week ended more positively than it started, which is a very good thing.
As of yesterday, I’m back down to 141, so I’m down a pound.
I haven’t been walking as much this week, but I’m ok with that. I still feel ok. Once, the T-tapp stuff is done, I can go down to working out every other day and can mix in some walking. Frankly, I was pretty sore from the workouts. The book recommends alfalfa for helping with this, and though initially skeptical, I’ve been taking it and it seems to work. I feel less sore.
This week, I consciously cut back on salt. Not that I add a lot of salt to things, but I cut back even more and watched the products I was eating. I read more labels when I grocery shopped last weekend and deliberately chose things with the lowest sodium. I’m not sure what my actual sodium counts have been, but, it’s been noticeably lower. When I went out for lunch yesterday, I had a burrito and then a few tortilla chips. To me they tasted very salty. I was so thirsty last night I drank double the amount of water I have normally been drinking in a day, but in one night. I felt ill. I did a quick search to see what else I could do, as the water was didn’t seem to be helping much, or rather, wasn’t helping fast enough. The recommendation seemed to be potassium, so I ate a banana. I did feel some relief within about an hour after that. It was a very interesting experience and means that I will continue to watch my sodium intake.
Sweet cravings didn’t seem to be as big of a problem this week. I didn’t abstain completely, but I was fine to just have a few bites of chocolate or something and then to say “I’ve had enough” and truly leave it alone; to feel like I was “done”. I didn’t have that gaping hole where I felt like I just had to have “MORE”. I haven’t had my real “dessert” this week, but we’re going to a birthday party today, so I’ll get to have cake there. I’m looking forward to it. Again, it was a very interesting experience.
So despite not having a whole lot of real, measurable progress, I feel like this week ended more positively than it started, which is a very good thing.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Book Reviews - Version 1
So I promised book reviews, and book reviews you will get!
I love the library and I love learning new things. Diet/fitness/excerise/food books always seem to draw my attention. The library is a great place to find some interesting books. I like having the option to preview something for free before committing financially.
When I started this program, I decided to just start grabbing books that pique my interest, read/scan them and report back on what seems informative to me and see if I can find some tips/information that fit into my developing “program”. I think there’s a lot of bunk out there, but hey, there’s some good information as well.
This round, I’ve found 2 very interesting books.
The first one is Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes by Teresa Tapp. Anything that promises results in 15 minutes draws my immediate skepticism, and so I smugly walked out thinking, “Oh yeah. This is going to be ridiculous”. However, as I read the book, I really liked what she had to say. I respect that that she had a lot of research behind her, took 20 years to develop her program and I was really impressed by how therapeutic her program is. It incorporates a lot of Pilates principles which I can relate to, and yet, has a cardio element as well.
So, I tried the exercises in the book. They’re very detailed and yet, I still couldn’t get the flow down. The book came with a short DVD that had a few exercises on it, so I tried them. I could feel how well my muscles were working and really appreciated that she focused so much on alignment.
The book goes into a LOT of detail describing not only the benefits of each portion of the move, and how it helps the body (not just muscles, but lymphatic and cardiovascular systems as well). I had a hard time getting the flow the movements from just the book. So, still a bit skeptical, but intrigued, I decided to order her 15 minute workout DVD. 15 minutes fits in my schedule. I’m not expecting miracles, but figured that it couldn’t hurt for me to give it a try. So, I’m on day 7 of the 14 day “boot camp”. I refer to the book when I want a bit more detail to fine tune my alignment. I’m sweating by the end of 15 minutes and can feel my muscles working. I’m already feeling stronger and will give it the 6 weeks, (after a 14 day boot camp) and see how I feel after that.
Like any good fitness guru these days, she also had diet recommendations. Her program recommends eating 2 Days of God Made foods, those as they are in nature, which does include meat, whole grains, fruits and veggies, etc, followed by a relaxed day allowing Man Made foods. This sounds very “moderation-ish” to me, in a way that has a bit more structure that just “winging it”. I don’t think “winging-it” is working for me right now. And though I haven’t had time to explore this as much as I want to, I may give it a try and see how things go.
So, all in all, a very informative book and time will tell whether or not the program actually works. Many people swear by it (and you can see many reviews here).
The second book I read is called Apples and Pears: The Body Shape Solution for Weight Loss and Wellness by Dr. Marie Savard. Again, I didn’t read much of the preface of this book; I just kind of grabbed it. And again, I was rewarded by a book packed with some really interesting women’s health information.
The premise of this book is that a woman’s body shape greatly determines her health risks. For example, women who are “apple” shaped, those who gain weight around the middle of the waist and have relatively thin limbs, are at a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, breast and endometrial cancer, stress and irregular menstrual cycles (and are higher risk for PCOS). “Pear” shaped women, those who gain weight around the buttocks and thighs tend to have a higher risk for varicose veins, osteoporosis, low self-esteem, problems with body image, eating disorders and menopausal problems. Though our “saddle bags” seem to protect us (it’s a different kind of fat) from heart disease, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic issues. However, excess weight can turn women who are pear shaped, into “apples” and that opens the whole disease risk can of worms.
Not that it’s any surprise, but I’ve determined that I am a pear shape. Compare me to my grandmother, aunts, mother and you’ll see we’re all the same shape. My grandmother had osteoporosis and varicose veins. I definitely have body image issues, low self esteem (it’s hard to be a pear in a toothpick world, especially as a teen) which is better than it was but still present and I definitely struggled with eating disorders (though, not any more). I already know that I’m very sensitive to hormones and am concerned about menopause. But the good news is that my maternal, genetic family had/have great hearts and no diabetes and very little cancer. I’m as grateful for their health as I am for mine. My grandmother lived into her 90’s. My grandmother and aunt on my paternal side both had breast cancer, so that does actually put me in a slightly higher risk category.
So, what does all of this mean? Well, for me it means I have to accept being curvy. No amount of dieting is going to give me long skinny legs. I’m always going to have a butt and thighs and a curvy figure. I’ve pretty much accepted and to a degree embraced that. I’m grateful that more pants/jeans are being manufactured for short/curvy figures. It makes it easier to like my body when I can find clothes that fit me properly.
Secondly, Dr Savard recommends specific diets for maximum health benefits for each body shape. For me, being a pear, that means: eating calcium rich foods to combat osteoporosis, reducing my salt intake to reduce my risk for varicose veins, and a high carbohydrate/low fat diet to decrease thigh fat. She definitely recommends walking as a good cardiovascular AND weight bearing exercise to burn calories and fat, encourage strong bones and work the heart. Hey! At least I’m doing something right!
One thing I gleaned that seemed particularly pertinent, is that regardless of any shape-related risk factors, we need to protect our hearts. Heart disease and its’ related cronies is the #1 killer of women in North America. #1. Not cancer, not even breast cancer. So we all, including myself, need to take better care of my heart. Move more, eat less (esp salt), eat healthier foods and Dr. Savard recommends losing not just pounds, but 2 inches off our waists. Any of us doing that alone will greatly decrease our risk of serious disease, heart and diabetes.
So, all in all, I found this to be a very informative book, especially in terms of my long term health potential. Her information was well presented, relevant and her advice practical and easy to follow. You can learn more about Marie Savard here.
And you know, it all boils down to moderation, right? Eat less of the crap, more of the good, move more, and get strong.
I love the library and I love learning new things. Diet/fitness/excerise/food books always seem to draw my attention. The library is a great place to find some interesting books. I like having the option to preview something for free before committing financially.
When I started this program, I decided to just start grabbing books that pique my interest, read/scan them and report back on what seems informative to me and see if I can find some tips/information that fit into my developing “program”. I think there’s a lot of bunk out there, but hey, there’s some good information as well.
This round, I’ve found 2 very interesting books.
The first one is Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes by Teresa Tapp. Anything that promises results in 15 minutes draws my immediate skepticism, and so I smugly walked out thinking, “Oh yeah. This is going to be ridiculous”. However, as I read the book, I really liked what she had to say. I respect that that she had a lot of research behind her, took 20 years to develop her program and I was really impressed by how therapeutic her program is. It incorporates a lot of Pilates principles which I can relate to, and yet, has a cardio element as well.
So, I tried the exercises in the book. They’re very detailed and yet, I still couldn’t get the flow down. The book came with a short DVD that had a few exercises on it, so I tried them. I could feel how well my muscles were working and really appreciated that she focused so much on alignment.
The book goes into a LOT of detail describing not only the benefits of each portion of the move, and how it helps the body (not just muscles, but lymphatic and cardiovascular systems as well). I had a hard time getting the flow the movements from just the book. So, still a bit skeptical, but intrigued, I decided to order her 15 minute workout DVD. 15 minutes fits in my schedule. I’m not expecting miracles, but figured that it couldn’t hurt for me to give it a try. So, I’m on day 7 of the 14 day “boot camp”. I refer to the book when I want a bit more detail to fine tune my alignment. I’m sweating by the end of 15 minutes and can feel my muscles working. I’m already feeling stronger and will give it the 6 weeks, (after a 14 day boot camp) and see how I feel after that.
Like any good fitness guru these days, she also had diet recommendations. Her program recommends eating 2 Days of God Made foods, those as they are in nature, which does include meat, whole grains, fruits and veggies, etc, followed by a relaxed day allowing Man Made foods. This sounds very “moderation-ish” to me, in a way that has a bit more structure that just “winging it”. I don’t think “winging-it” is working for me right now. And though I haven’t had time to explore this as much as I want to, I may give it a try and see how things go.
So, all in all, a very informative book and time will tell whether or not the program actually works. Many people swear by it (and you can see many reviews here).
The second book I read is called Apples and Pears: The Body Shape Solution for Weight Loss and Wellness by Dr. Marie Savard. Again, I didn’t read much of the preface of this book; I just kind of grabbed it. And again, I was rewarded by a book packed with some really interesting women’s health information.
The premise of this book is that a woman’s body shape greatly determines her health risks. For example, women who are “apple” shaped, those who gain weight around the middle of the waist and have relatively thin limbs, are at a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, breast and endometrial cancer, stress and irregular menstrual cycles (and are higher risk for PCOS). “Pear” shaped women, those who gain weight around the buttocks and thighs tend to have a higher risk for varicose veins, osteoporosis, low self-esteem, problems with body image, eating disorders and menopausal problems. Though our “saddle bags” seem to protect us (it’s a different kind of fat) from heart disease, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic issues. However, excess weight can turn women who are pear shaped, into “apples” and that opens the whole disease risk can of worms.
Not that it’s any surprise, but I’ve determined that I am a pear shape. Compare me to my grandmother, aunts, mother and you’ll see we’re all the same shape. My grandmother had osteoporosis and varicose veins. I definitely have body image issues, low self esteem (it’s hard to be a pear in a toothpick world, especially as a teen) which is better than it was but still present and I definitely struggled with eating disorders (though, not any more). I already know that I’m very sensitive to hormones and am concerned about menopause. But the good news is that my maternal, genetic family had/have great hearts and no diabetes and very little cancer. I’m as grateful for their health as I am for mine. My grandmother lived into her 90’s. My grandmother and aunt on my paternal side both had breast cancer, so that does actually put me in a slightly higher risk category.
So, what does all of this mean? Well, for me it means I have to accept being curvy. No amount of dieting is going to give me long skinny legs. I’m always going to have a butt and thighs and a curvy figure. I’ve pretty much accepted and to a degree embraced that. I’m grateful that more pants/jeans are being manufactured for short/curvy figures. It makes it easier to like my body when I can find clothes that fit me properly.
Secondly, Dr Savard recommends specific diets for maximum health benefits for each body shape. For me, being a pear, that means: eating calcium rich foods to combat osteoporosis, reducing my salt intake to reduce my risk for varicose veins, and a high carbohydrate/low fat diet to decrease thigh fat. She definitely recommends walking as a good cardiovascular AND weight bearing exercise to burn calories and fat, encourage strong bones and work the heart. Hey! At least I’m doing something right!
One thing I gleaned that seemed particularly pertinent, is that regardless of any shape-related risk factors, we need to protect our hearts. Heart disease and its’ related cronies is the #1 killer of women in North America. #1. Not cancer, not even breast cancer. So we all, including myself, need to take better care of my heart. Move more, eat less (esp salt), eat healthier foods and Dr. Savard recommends losing not just pounds, but 2 inches off our waists. Any of us doing that alone will greatly decrease our risk of serious disease, heart and diabetes.
So, all in all, I found this to be a very informative book, especially in terms of my long term health potential. Her information was well presented, relevant and her advice practical and easy to follow. You can learn more about Marie Savard here.
And you know, it all boils down to moderation, right? Eat less of the crap, more of the good, move more, and get strong.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Sulking
This was a really busy weekend, and I didn’t get a chance to post my update. I also didn’t “make” time.
As of Saturday, I’ve gained 2 lbs. I’m 142.
Insert major sulk here. (mature, I know) And anger and a smidgen of self disgust. All things that strike fear into my heart. I don’t want to go down this path.
Last week, was not a bad week. I walked pretty much every day and I’ve found a new workout I’ve been doing. I wish I could say that I think the weight gain is from muscle and I would believe that if I had gained weight, but felt like my clothes were looser.
They are NOT looser.
In fact, I went to put some jeans on the other day, and ALL my jeans were tight. Now, I haven’t worn jeans/pants in over a month, probably more like 6 weeks, so it could be that they were just as tight a few weeks ago. I don’t know. It was depressing as all get out, let me tell ya.
So, what is going on? Good question. Obviously, I’m not doing something right. In fact, I think I’m trying TOO hard to make sure I’m getting enough “servings” of things that I’m probably eating more than I need. So, I’m going to work on downsizing my portions. I also need to slow down when I’m eating. I think I’m eating too fast because usually I’m in a hurry. And while I’m not eating a lot of junk food, snacking in the evening is sneaking in and maybe right now, I seriously need to limit any sweets to say weekends only and then take the time to have a nice dessert then.
After some research, I’ve also determined that I need to cut down on my salt. I don’t eat a lot of it, but it does sneak in. So I’m going to work on being more conscious of that.
I’m going to keep walking, keep working out and work on the salt/sweets/snacks this week and see what happens.
So, doom and gloom aside, here’s what IS working for me. The cold water is definitely working. I have a container that is exactly the amount I “should” be drinking and I fill that up the night before and I’m set with cold water for the next day. I’m definitely drinking a lot more than I was a few weeks ago. It’s been hot here so I’ve been drinking more than I calculated, but that’s ok. If I’m thirsty, I drink. Even on the days when I don’t feel “thirsty”, I try to drink at least the one container.
I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I thought it bore mentioning. Once or twice a week, after I do groceries, I make a huge bowl of salad and keep it in the fridge. I mix in baby greens, spinach, romain lettuce and green onions. This way I always have fresh salad ready to grab as a side or even as a whole meal. I’ll often add other fruits/veggies or nuts later on (they don’t keep in the bowl well). If I add some leftover meat/beans I’ve got a whole meal that only took me 3 minutes to prepare and I don’t have any excuse not to eat some salad. (Not that that is a problem. I love salad). And I think this is cheaper than buying just prepared salad. Several servings for multiple people for a whole week (if not a bit more) costs under $6. (My local Aldi rocks for produce prices).
A tip that Carmen over at The Elff Diet (she’s my hero) shared a while ago is to have small bowl of dressing on the side of your salad and to dip your fork in the dressing before loading up with veggies. You’ll use a lot less dressing, but still get the flavor.
I found some flavoured applesauce by Motts at the grocery store a few weeks ago. I initially bought them for the girls snacks, but I found that I really like them. They have no added sugar or artificial sweetners and the extra fruit mixed in doesn’t have that weird “doesn’t really mix well” taste. The peach one is really good, and I normally don’t like peach flavoured stuff. They have been working well when I feel like I want something sweet but don’t want to overdo it. And it counts as a serving of fruit as well!
Ok, so that’s where I stand/slump, whatever. I’m not giving up. I will figure this out.
So for tomorrow, I’ve been working on some book reviews and hope to get those finished up and posted. It’s good stuff, trust me.
As of Saturday, I’ve gained 2 lbs. I’m 142.
Insert major sulk here. (mature, I know) And anger and a smidgen of self disgust. All things that strike fear into my heart. I don’t want to go down this path.
Last week, was not a bad week. I walked pretty much every day and I’ve found a new workout I’ve been doing. I wish I could say that I think the weight gain is from muscle and I would believe that if I had gained weight, but felt like my clothes were looser.
They are NOT looser.
In fact, I went to put some jeans on the other day, and ALL my jeans were tight. Now, I haven’t worn jeans/pants in over a month, probably more like 6 weeks, so it could be that they were just as tight a few weeks ago. I don’t know. It was depressing as all get out, let me tell ya.
So, what is going on? Good question. Obviously, I’m not doing something right. In fact, I think I’m trying TOO hard to make sure I’m getting enough “servings” of things that I’m probably eating more than I need. So, I’m going to work on downsizing my portions. I also need to slow down when I’m eating. I think I’m eating too fast because usually I’m in a hurry. And while I’m not eating a lot of junk food, snacking in the evening is sneaking in and maybe right now, I seriously need to limit any sweets to say weekends only and then take the time to have a nice dessert then.
After some research, I’ve also determined that I need to cut down on my salt. I don’t eat a lot of it, but it does sneak in. So I’m going to work on being more conscious of that.
I’m going to keep walking, keep working out and work on the salt/sweets/snacks this week and see what happens.
So, doom and gloom aside, here’s what IS working for me. The cold water is definitely working. I have a container that is exactly the amount I “should” be drinking and I fill that up the night before and I’m set with cold water for the next day. I’m definitely drinking a lot more than I was a few weeks ago. It’s been hot here so I’ve been drinking more than I calculated, but that’s ok. If I’m thirsty, I drink. Even on the days when I don’t feel “thirsty”, I try to drink at least the one container.
I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I thought it bore mentioning. Once or twice a week, after I do groceries, I make a huge bowl of salad and keep it in the fridge. I mix in baby greens, spinach, romain lettuce and green onions. This way I always have fresh salad ready to grab as a side or even as a whole meal. I’ll often add other fruits/veggies or nuts later on (they don’t keep in the bowl well). If I add some leftover meat/beans I’ve got a whole meal that only took me 3 minutes to prepare and I don’t have any excuse not to eat some salad. (Not that that is a problem. I love salad). And I think this is cheaper than buying just prepared salad. Several servings for multiple people for a whole week (if not a bit more) costs under $6. (My local Aldi rocks for produce prices).
A tip that Carmen over at The Elff Diet (she’s my hero) shared a while ago is to have small bowl of dressing on the side of your salad and to dip your fork in the dressing before loading up with veggies. You’ll use a lot less dressing, but still get the flavor.
I found some flavoured applesauce by Motts at the grocery store a few weeks ago. I initially bought them for the girls snacks, but I found that I really like them. They have no added sugar or artificial sweetners and the extra fruit mixed in doesn’t have that weird “doesn’t really mix well” taste. The peach one is really good, and I normally don’t like peach flavoured stuff. They have been working well when I feel like I want something sweet but don’t want to overdo it. And it counts as a serving of fruit as well!
Ok, so that’s where I stand/slump, whatever. I’m not giving up. I will figure this out.
So for tomorrow, I’ve been working on some book reviews and hope to get those finished up and posted. It’s good stuff, trust me.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Water.
Elemental. We need to drink water every day. It keeps us healthy and keeps our bodies functioning properly. There are lots of great reasons to drink it.
I never used to have issues with water, however, lately it seems I do. (I'm just FULL of issues these days). We live in an area with hard water and though we have a water softener, the water from the tap still tastes bad. I used to use a Brita filter with great success. However, I recently replaced my Brita jug, and since then, the water just hasn’t been the same. The tap water used to be just fine after it was filtered, and though I’ve been through several new filters, the water STILL tastes bad. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say it tastes WORSE after it’s been filtered. It tastes like plasticy-over-mineralized water. How that is possible, I have no idea, but it does. Nasty.
I refuse to buy bottled water for daily consumption because in this country, I don’t think we should have to PAY for drinkable water. And environmentally with all the waste the bottles/jugs can generate, recyclable or not, it’s not responsible. And no, I don’t have any room (nor do I want to make room) for one of those big refillable water jug dispenser things. (I can picture the mess my kids would make with that. Oy).
I’m also CHEAP and so I don’t want to pay for water, but do believe in the benefits of filtered water. I think that the filters are a good, generally cost-effective and an environmentally friendly option. However, it’s hard to take that to heart when the filtered water tastes like old plastic and I’ve just thrown $20+filter costs down the tubes. And while it’s not a huge amount of money, it still sticks in my cheap, little craw.
And since I’m already somewhat dehydrated, apparently, it’s staying there a long time.
So, I’ve been trying to play around with our tap water, to see if I can make it palatable. Strangely, enough, though it doesn’t usually bother me, having the tap water very cold makes a difference. Most of the time, I’m fine to drink water at room temperature. I recently made some ice for a meeting and on a particularly hot day this week, threw a few cubes into my glass. I was pleasantly surprised at how much better it tasted. So, the cold water/ice thing is working and I find I’m not trying to convince myself to drink more water, while trying to hold my nose and choke it down.
Also, though I’m not in danger of over-hydrating right now, I’ve been curious to see just how much water we really need. It’s WATER, it should be simple, but apparently, it’s not. It’s complicated and convoluted. There is a lot of advice out there about drinking 8 glasses of water a day. But what is the definition of a “glass”? Is there a number of ounces? Apparently most people don’t agree. There’s the whole 8 LARGE glasses, which could be between 12-20 ounces. Not overly helpful. Most single-serve bottled water is in 20 ounce bottles. Other recommendations say 8 ounces (1 cup).
Others say to rely on thirst, but I think so few of us are actually in tune with our “thirst”, and often mistake thirst for hunger or use caffeinated or sugar-laden beverages to “quench” our thirst. Both of these do the opposite for our bodies and make us thirstier and more dehydrated. So do we really know what “thirsty” means? No, I don’t think most of us do.
And again, I go back to “what’s best for ME”? How much water should I drink? What is a reasonable average to aim for most days, with the assumption that when weather is hot/dry, I’ve exercised heavily or I’m sick, I should drink more?
I’ve come across this little information tid-bit and it seems just about right to me. Drink half your weight in ounces. What the heck does that mean? Well, I weigh 140 lbs, so I should drink about 70 ounces of water a day. My household drinking glasses hold about 12 ounces, so I need about 6 of those glasses in a day.
I like this formula because it customizes water consumption recommendation based on weight/size. Though there are days when I may need to drink more than a 6’2 man, I would think that generally speaking, my needs are quite a bit less.
And mostly, it’s do-able. I like do-able.
I never used to have issues with water, however, lately it seems I do. (I'm just FULL of issues these days). We live in an area with hard water and though we have a water softener, the water from the tap still tastes bad. I used to use a Brita filter with great success. However, I recently replaced my Brita jug, and since then, the water just hasn’t been the same. The tap water used to be just fine after it was filtered, and though I’ve been through several new filters, the water STILL tastes bad. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say it tastes WORSE after it’s been filtered. It tastes like plasticy-over-mineralized water. How that is possible, I have no idea, but it does. Nasty.
I refuse to buy bottled water for daily consumption because in this country, I don’t think we should have to PAY for drinkable water. And environmentally with all the waste the bottles/jugs can generate, recyclable or not, it’s not responsible. And no, I don’t have any room (nor do I want to make room) for one of those big refillable water jug dispenser things. (I can picture the mess my kids would make with that. Oy).
I’m also CHEAP and so I don’t want to pay for water, but do believe in the benefits of filtered water. I think that the filters are a good, generally cost-effective and an environmentally friendly option. However, it’s hard to take that to heart when the filtered water tastes like old plastic and I’ve just thrown $20+filter costs down the tubes. And while it’s not a huge amount of money, it still sticks in my cheap, little craw.
And since I’m already somewhat dehydrated, apparently, it’s staying there a long time.
So, I’ve been trying to play around with our tap water, to see if I can make it palatable. Strangely, enough, though it doesn’t usually bother me, having the tap water very cold makes a difference. Most of the time, I’m fine to drink water at room temperature. I recently made some ice for a meeting and on a particularly hot day this week, threw a few cubes into my glass. I was pleasantly surprised at how much better it tasted. So, the cold water/ice thing is working and I find I’m not trying to convince myself to drink more water, while trying to hold my nose and choke it down.
Also, though I’m not in danger of over-hydrating right now, I’ve been curious to see just how much water we really need. It’s WATER, it should be simple, but apparently, it’s not. It’s complicated and convoluted. There is a lot of advice out there about drinking 8 glasses of water a day. But what is the definition of a “glass”? Is there a number of ounces? Apparently most people don’t agree. There’s the whole 8 LARGE glasses, which could be between 12-20 ounces. Not overly helpful. Most single-serve bottled water is in 20 ounce bottles. Other recommendations say 8 ounces (1 cup).
Others say to rely on thirst, but I think so few of us are actually in tune with our “thirst”, and often mistake thirst for hunger or use caffeinated or sugar-laden beverages to “quench” our thirst. Both of these do the opposite for our bodies and make us thirstier and more dehydrated. So do we really know what “thirsty” means? No, I don’t think most of us do.
And again, I go back to “what’s best for ME”? How much water should I drink? What is a reasonable average to aim for most days, with the assumption that when weather is hot/dry, I’ve exercised heavily or I’m sick, I should drink more?
I’ve come across this little information tid-bit and it seems just about right to me. Drink half your weight in ounces. What the heck does that mean? Well, I weigh 140 lbs, so I should drink about 70 ounces of water a day. My household drinking glasses hold about 12 ounces, so I need about 6 of those glasses in a day.
I like this formula because it customizes water consumption recommendation based on weight/size. Though there are days when I may need to drink more than a 6’2 man, I would think that generally speaking, my needs are quite a bit less.
And mostly, it’s do-able. I like do-able.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Week 1. The Update
While the coffee is brewing this Saturday morning, I thought I’d write up an update.
So, this week has been, um, interesting. I didn’t do as well as I wanted to. I had some really great days and some not so great days. I feel better from walking regularly again, already, which is a big plus, but didn’t manage the eating so well. It was another week of non-stop action with the girls, school meetings and birthday parties. Food for me was kind of on the back burner and I didn’t always make very good choices. And I didn’t get in the exact strength training in that I wanted to, but I have started a different exercise routine that I’ll talk about more later.
I haven’t plugged my info into the USDA counter in a few days either, because by the end of the day, I’m just done with a capital D.
And again, I spent most of this week in a fog of exhaustion. With all of my energy going into the girls and keeping things moving throughout the day, there’s little left for me at the end of the day and again, I’m scrounging, looking for any kind of energy boost to get me through.
Earlier this week I was down a pound, but as of today its’ back on there. Sigh. The same pattern. I start of well and then it all goes downhill after a few days.
So, I’m left wondering what to do.
Last night, I went to bed earlier than I normally do and I slept in later than I would normally during the week, as I get up to walk early before Hubster leaves for work. I slept for 8 solid hours and the girls slept through as well, so I’m feeling less exhausted today.
I’m thinking that I going to spend this week getting myself to bed a bit earlier, though it will mean cutting some time with Hubster, which always makes me feel bad.
I don’t want to give up the exercise because that is just too important. I’m committing almost an hour to myself with walking and a bit of toning work. That seems to be ok.
I would say that the food this week was kind of like the “toddler diet” my pediatrician talks about. She said that the days will not be balanced, but the weeks will be. And it’s true, my 2 year old will one day eat nothing but fruit, another day is all carbs, then it’ll be meat and veg. I wonder how she can get through the whole day, but when I look at the week, I see she’s done ok.
Now, as a grown adult, I don’t know if this is such a good idea.
So…. Balance. How do I find that? And how can I make it NOT be a production. My brain wants to “obsess” about it (and I’ve had eating issues in the past, and so this alarms me), but I don’t have the time or energy to obsess about it. Do other people do this? To me, many other people make it seem easy. I want it just to “be” and feel confident that I’m getting what I need, but not have it consume my free waking moments, of which there are so few. It does feel as though all I think about is FOOD: what to feed the girls for breakfast and then me, then someone asks for snacks (or we go out and I have to make sure I have snacks), what to make for lunch, snacks, get dinner ready, snacks, what to make for dinner the next day… what am *I* going to eat/not eat… have I eaten enough xyz, had too many calories, not enough veggies. It goes on and on. And then I have to grocery shop and plan for the next week all over again.
Does there come a point when it’s easier? What can I do to MAKE it less complicated?
Maybe if I come up with a “formula”, as in eat abc for breakfast (combination of something), def for lunch and then xyz for dinner. Ack.. I don’t know. That seems just as complicated.
So it’s back to the drawing board this week. I knew this would be tough, and it is. This time, I’m going to break through it and find a way to just make this be a part of my life and not a “diet”. I don’t know HOW yet, but I will.
And that’s the update on week 1. Depressing. Ha.
Now, time for some coffee!
So, this week has been, um, interesting. I didn’t do as well as I wanted to. I had some really great days and some not so great days. I feel better from walking regularly again, already, which is a big plus, but didn’t manage the eating so well. It was another week of non-stop action with the girls, school meetings and birthday parties. Food for me was kind of on the back burner and I didn’t always make very good choices. And I didn’t get in the exact strength training in that I wanted to, but I have started a different exercise routine that I’ll talk about more later.
I haven’t plugged my info into the USDA counter in a few days either, because by the end of the day, I’m just done with a capital D.
And again, I spent most of this week in a fog of exhaustion. With all of my energy going into the girls and keeping things moving throughout the day, there’s little left for me at the end of the day and again, I’m scrounging, looking for any kind of energy boost to get me through.
Earlier this week I was down a pound, but as of today its’ back on there. Sigh. The same pattern. I start of well and then it all goes downhill after a few days.
So, I’m left wondering what to do.
Last night, I went to bed earlier than I normally do and I slept in later than I would normally during the week, as I get up to walk early before Hubster leaves for work. I slept for 8 solid hours and the girls slept through as well, so I’m feeling less exhausted today.
I’m thinking that I going to spend this week getting myself to bed a bit earlier, though it will mean cutting some time with Hubster, which always makes me feel bad.
I don’t want to give up the exercise because that is just too important. I’m committing almost an hour to myself with walking and a bit of toning work. That seems to be ok.
I would say that the food this week was kind of like the “toddler diet” my pediatrician talks about. She said that the days will not be balanced, but the weeks will be. And it’s true, my 2 year old will one day eat nothing but fruit, another day is all carbs, then it’ll be meat and veg. I wonder how she can get through the whole day, but when I look at the week, I see she’s done ok.
Now, as a grown adult, I don’t know if this is such a good idea.
So…. Balance. How do I find that? And how can I make it NOT be a production. My brain wants to “obsess” about it (and I’ve had eating issues in the past, and so this alarms me), but I don’t have the time or energy to obsess about it. Do other people do this? To me, many other people make it seem easy. I want it just to “be” and feel confident that I’m getting what I need, but not have it consume my free waking moments, of which there are so few. It does feel as though all I think about is FOOD: what to feed the girls for breakfast and then me, then someone asks for snacks (or we go out and I have to make sure I have snacks), what to make for lunch, snacks, get dinner ready, snacks, what to make for dinner the next day… what am *I* going to eat/not eat… have I eaten enough xyz, had too many calories, not enough veggies. It goes on and on. And then I have to grocery shop and plan for the next week all over again.
Does there come a point when it’s easier? What can I do to MAKE it less complicated?
Maybe if I come up with a “formula”, as in eat abc for breakfast (combination of something), def for lunch and then xyz for dinner. Ack.. I don’t know. That seems just as complicated.
So it’s back to the drawing board this week. I knew this would be tough, and it is. This time, I’m going to break through it and find a way to just make this be a part of my life and not a “diet”. I don’t know HOW yet, but I will.
And that’s the update on week 1. Depressing. Ha.
Now, time for some coffee!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Marginally derailed. Already.
Argh.
Well, firstly, a meal plan really only works if you actually DEFROST the meat you’re supposed to cook with. However, my improvised back up turned out pretty well. So it was a pretty good save.
Yesterday, we had a day of really bad storms yesterday but I did manage to beat them and get my walk in. The girls and I spent the whole day inside, which kind of worked out well as we were hosting a big meeting here so I needed to get things ready. It’s crazy how much time that takes.
Anyway, I did well all day, but have found 2 shortcomings that keep coming up for me. First, I had a hard time last night restraining myself from snacking at the meeting, even though I’d already had a good dinner. I’m not sure what to do about that, so that I can process it mentally in a way that doesn’t leave me beating myself up.
And the second issue is when I’m tired, and today I’m so exhausted I’ve been yawning alllll day. I didn’t walk this morning because I went to bed late and then slept badly. I decided to sleep an extra hour instead, which hasn’t helped much that I can tell. So today, I dragged through the day, fighting myself from snacking through it, looking for the energy boost, no matter how little, food/sugar would give me. I felt even more tired from the stopping myself from eating.
So, tonight, I will not be walking. I’m going to sit on my butt for a bit, and then I’m going to go to bed early and hope that tomorrow is a better day.
Well, firstly, a meal plan really only works if you actually DEFROST the meat you’re supposed to cook with. However, my improvised back up turned out pretty well. So it was a pretty good save.
Yesterday, we had a day of really bad storms yesterday but I did manage to beat them and get my walk in. The girls and I spent the whole day inside, which kind of worked out well as we were hosting a big meeting here so I needed to get things ready. It’s crazy how much time that takes.
Anyway, I did well all day, but have found 2 shortcomings that keep coming up for me. First, I had a hard time last night restraining myself from snacking at the meeting, even though I’d already had a good dinner. I’m not sure what to do about that, so that I can process it mentally in a way that doesn’t leave me beating myself up.
And the second issue is when I’m tired, and today I’m so exhausted I’ve been yawning alllll day. I didn’t walk this morning because I went to bed late and then slept badly. I decided to sleep an extra hour instead, which hasn’t helped much that I can tell. So today, I dragged through the day, fighting myself from snacking through it, looking for the energy boost, no matter how little, food/sugar would give me. I felt even more tired from the stopping myself from eating.
So, tonight, I will not be walking. I’m going to sit on my butt for a bit, and then I’m going to go to bed early and hope that tomorrow is a better day.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Small meal or power snack
This has been a favourite of mine, since before I started with my new program. I've ressurected it because it's just so good. It works well especially when I'm hungry for more than an apple, but don't want to overeat.
This makes a great as a breakfast too. I'd do 1 cup of yogurt if I was going to have this for breakfast. Usually as a snack, I only have a 1/2 cup.
It does help me get some more dairy in, which I have a hard time with. It's about 300 calories, so it's a bit substantial, but still worth it if you have the tendency to munch on snackies.
Power Snack:
1/2 to 1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt (I don't do artificial sweeteners, but you could cut the calories with that if you wanted to.).
1 cup mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries,blackberries... whatever works)
1/3 cup Allbran Bran buds (gotta get that fiber in)
1 tbs chopped nuts (I like walnuts)
It's yummy, crunchy, tangy and a bit sweet. Very satisfying and loaded with good stuff too. I usually have a bit of a smaller lunch and then have this around 2-3 pm to hold me over until dinner time.
Enjoy!
This makes a great as a breakfast too. I'd do 1 cup of yogurt if I was going to have this for breakfast. Usually as a snack, I only have a 1/2 cup.
It does help me get some more dairy in, which I have a hard time with. It's about 300 calories, so it's a bit substantial, but still worth it if you have the tendency to munch on snackies.
Power Snack:
1/2 to 1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt (I don't do artificial sweeteners, but you could cut the calories with that if you wanted to.).
1 cup mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries,blackberries... whatever works)
1/3 cup Allbran Bran buds (gotta get that fiber in)
1 tbs chopped nuts (I like walnuts)
It's yummy, crunchy, tangy and a bit sweet. Very satisfying and loaded with good stuff too. I usually have a bit of a smaller lunch and then have this around 2-3 pm to hold me over until dinner time.
Enjoy!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Day 1 and Day 2
Day 1
140.
That’s the weight I’m at now. There it is, for all to see. It’s not a “bad” weight and I’m not “obese”. But I’m just over the max I should be for my height. And I know it. And I feel it.
So, yesterday was supposed to be my first day. Despite not getting up early to walk after a night of horrible allergies that kept me up for 3 hours, I did walk before breakfast at a good pace for 30 minutes.
And then it all went downhill from there. We had a birthday party to go to, and though I didn’t overindulge, I certainly didn’t feel good about having that temptation in front of me on my first day. I was exhausted, didn’t have enough groceries in the house and though I had a meal plan laid out and we did go grocery shopping, we still ended up eating crap for dinner.
Yesterday was a write off.
Today, day 2, was better. I walked this morning and ate pretty well all day. I measured my food when I needed to, and took less than I thought I would eat. I felt I had plenty as was glad at each meal that I didn’t eat more than I did. I put my information into the tracker today and got almost all “smiley faces”, which means I met my recommended intakes for everything. I did exceed the amount of sodium I took into today and I didn’t eat enough dairy (which is going to be a problem for me). I was right around 1500 cals, which is about what my doctor recommended for me a few months ago, and that was with a little dessert tonight. I feel satisfied, definitely have more energy already and didn’t have to think TOO hard about what I was going to eat today.
I have to say that I think the tracker is pretty neat. I like that it breaks all the nutrients down so I can see what I've been eating. It would be nice to have a better selection in the food list, and have sugar and fiber totals included in the dietary breakdown. It's still not a "smooth" site to use, but it's ok so far.
Day 3, bring it on.
140.
That’s the weight I’m at now. There it is, for all to see. It’s not a “bad” weight and I’m not “obese”. But I’m just over the max I should be for my height. And I know it. And I feel it.
So, yesterday was supposed to be my first day. Despite not getting up early to walk after a night of horrible allergies that kept me up for 3 hours, I did walk before breakfast at a good pace for 30 minutes.
And then it all went downhill from there. We had a birthday party to go to, and though I didn’t overindulge, I certainly didn’t feel good about having that temptation in front of me on my first day. I was exhausted, didn’t have enough groceries in the house and though I had a meal plan laid out and we did go grocery shopping, we still ended up eating crap for dinner.
Yesterday was a write off.
Today, day 2, was better. I walked this morning and ate pretty well all day. I measured my food when I needed to, and took less than I thought I would eat. I felt I had plenty as was glad at each meal that I didn’t eat more than I did. I put my information into the tracker today and got almost all “smiley faces”, which means I met my recommended intakes for everything. I did exceed the amount of sodium I took into today and I didn’t eat enough dairy (which is going to be a problem for me). I was right around 1500 cals, which is about what my doctor recommended for me a few months ago, and that was with a little dessert tonight. I feel satisfied, definitely have more energy already and didn’t have to think TOO hard about what I was going to eat today.
I have to say that I think the tracker is pretty neat. I like that it breaks all the nutrients down so I can see what I've been eating. It would be nice to have a better selection in the food list, and have sugar and fiber totals included in the dietary breakdown. It's still not a "smooth" site to use, but it's ok so far.
Day 3, bring it on.
The Plan
So what’s my plan?
Well, I’m still working on that. This has been my downfall in the past. None of the plans out there really FIT me.
This time, it's going to be different. I started by checking out the US Food Pyramid. I figure, there’s a place that’s done a lot of research and should be the "well of information" I'm looking for. What could be simpler than a pretty triangle, right? Well, initially, I found the website information poorly laid out and confusing, so I dismissed it. Then I checked out the Canadian food guide, which had good information, but it didn’t seem to be customizable.
While I was at library the other day and I happened upon a whole series of “books for dummies” (basically) explaining the food pyramid, which is kind of crazy as, as I understood it, the food pyramid was a tool that was supposed to make nutrition easier to understand. However, in reality, it’s as I assumed. Finding the right balance for each individual is not a simple task and certainly not as simple as a colored coded triangle.
My opinion, for what it’s worth, is that while the premise of the food pyramid is good, they don’t make it very clear that there’s more, way more, to it than that. Everyone PUSHES it as a simple tool, but it’s not. It’s a decent start, but in reality, there are just too many variables to consider. And we all know this and but we want it to be simple anyway.
But, I read the book I picked up at the library and have gotten some useful information from it. I have also been puttering around on the US food pyramid web site. It’s not an easy website to use, but I’ve decided to try out their (USDA Food pyramid) food tracker for a few days to see what kind of information it gives me. I like the fact that the website will modify the amount of food recommended if you are trying to either maintain or lose weight and considers weight/height/age/gender into the equation. It all matters. And well, it’s all about me, Me, ME right now, so this is what I was interested in. (ha)
It makes sense to me that not everyone SHOULD be eating 7 portions of vegetables, 3 of protein, etc. I’d certainly GAIN weight if I ate all of that; good for me or not. However, the way that the pyramid defines portions is not clearly written in an easy to find manner. You have to dig wayyy down in the website to find that. Generally, it just tells you in “ounces” how much of certain things to eat. From a math perspective, it makes sense, from a person trying to figure out how much to eat, it’s confusing. I did find measurements that make it simple to define a portion (using measuring cups/spoons). It may not be 100% accurate, but at least it’s easier.
I’m going to give this a shot and see how it goes. I’m still working through the details of getting things loaded in, but I’ll report back later on with my experience.
So I guess my general plan for now, is to watch what I’m eating for the next week or 2. I’m going to walk 30 minutes every day and do strengthening exercises twice a week (likely on the Wii). I’ll be teaching Pilates again starting this week as well (I hope!) and I’ll count that as a bonus.
As I said before, this will be an evolving process, but I do need a place to start and this is where I’ll start.
Drop me a line or leave a comment if you’d like to share your journey. I’d love to hear from you!
Well, I’m still working on that. This has been my downfall in the past. None of the plans out there really FIT me.
This time, it's going to be different. I started by checking out the US Food Pyramid. I figure, there’s a place that’s done a lot of research and should be the "well of information" I'm looking for. What could be simpler than a pretty triangle, right? Well, initially, I found the website information poorly laid out and confusing, so I dismissed it. Then I checked out the Canadian food guide, which had good information, but it didn’t seem to be customizable.
While I was at library the other day and I happened upon a whole series of “books for dummies” (basically) explaining the food pyramid, which is kind of crazy as, as I understood it, the food pyramid was a tool that was supposed to make nutrition easier to understand. However, in reality, it’s as I assumed. Finding the right balance for each individual is not a simple task and certainly not as simple as a colored coded triangle.
My opinion, for what it’s worth, is that while the premise of the food pyramid is good, they don’t make it very clear that there’s more, way more, to it than that. Everyone PUSHES it as a simple tool, but it’s not. It’s a decent start, but in reality, there are just too many variables to consider. And we all know this and but we want it to be simple anyway.
But, I read the book I picked up at the library and have gotten some useful information from it. I have also been puttering around on the US food pyramid web site. It’s not an easy website to use, but I’ve decided to try out their (USDA Food pyramid) food tracker for a few days to see what kind of information it gives me. I like the fact that the website will modify the amount of food recommended if you are trying to either maintain or lose weight and considers weight/height/age/gender into the equation. It all matters. And well, it’s all about me, Me, ME right now, so this is what I was interested in. (ha)
It makes sense to me that not everyone SHOULD be eating 7 portions of vegetables, 3 of protein, etc. I’d certainly GAIN weight if I ate all of that; good for me or not. However, the way that the pyramid defines portions is not clearly written in an easy to find manner. You have to dig wayyy down in the website to find that. Generally, it just tells you in “ounces” how much of certain things to eat. From a math perspective, it makes sense, from a person trying to figure out how much to eat, it’s confusing. I did find measurements that make it simple to define a portion (using measuring cups/spoons). It may not be 100% accurate, but at least it’s easier.
I’m going to give this a shot and see how it goes. I’m still working through the details of getting things loaded in, but I’ll report back later on with my experience.
So I guess my general plan for now, is to watch what I’m eating for the next week or 2. I’m going to walk 30 minutes every day and do strengthening exercises twice a week (likely on the Wii). I’ll be teaching Pilates again starting this week as well (I hope!) and I’ll count that as a bonus.
As I said before, this will be an evolving process, but I do need a place to start and this is where I’ll start.
Drop me a line or leave a comment if you’d like to share your journey. I’d love to hear from you!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
My Story
This July I turned 35. For some reason, while I don’t feel OLD, I feel more… mature. I looked in the mirror and wasn’t really happy with what I saw or how I felt. I decided it’s time to do something about it. I feel a responsibility to myself and an urgency to get it together. Though I’m not at my worst health, I’m certainly not at my best. I decided that this would be the year for me to really get this figured out.
Last year, I lost 30 lbs following the Weight Watchers program and felt great. However, last summer we: moved to a new state; were trying to sell a house long distance in a sinking real estate market with a moronic and corrupt real estate agent; were stuck in a stinking, nasty rental where we got to experience gunfire at our front door and were struggling financially. It was a horrible, stressful time. I ate my way through it and then when the dust settled and all turned out peachy (and it really did), I’d gained back 15 lbs and still needed therapy to deal with what had happened.
At my last check up earlier this year, my doctor told me that my bad cholesterol was a bit high and that I should be able to lower it by losing a few pounds.
I took that advice to heart, but since February, I’ve been gaining and losing those same “few” pounds.
I’ve tried getting back into Weight Watchers but, frankly, I just don’t have the same drive that I did last time. I feel as though it worked to help me lose the weight, but that when push came to shove, it didn’t work for me long term, especially when the going got rough. And it seemed to take so much time.
I’ve also tried a few online tools that allow me to count my calories. Again, it worked for a while. It wasn’t rocket science, but it still took time and there wasn’t enough accountability to make me stick to it.
At the same time, a group of my good friends, who were also trying to get healthier; got together and started a support email group. It only lasted about a month before we all wandered off in our own directions.
After my first daughter was born, I used to get up every day and walk/jog. I maintained a good weight with very little effort for years. I was great with exercise last summer when I lost all that weight. But, then it lost its’ priority, and *I* lost my priority when a crazy schedule and a toddler who frequently still wakes a night eroded my ability to get up early enough to do squeeze in a workout and still function as a productive human being for the rest of the day.
And I know they’re all excuses. All laziness. All cop-outs.
I’m not stupid. I know nutrition. I’m a certified Pilates instructor. I know exercise. I KNOW how to be healthy. So why am I not doing it?
I don’t believe in fad diets. I believe that there is a proper balance for each person, but that that balance is different because we’re all different. Yes, there are some general truths to nutrition that apply to most, but I don’t believe that EVERYONE should eat low-carb, saturate their diet with whatever the hip new vitamin/supplement or miraculous mystery “extract” or whatever the current trend is.
While going for a rare walk while on vacation a few weeks ago, right after my birthday, I was feeling a bit down on myself for not being able to just GET IT GOING, ALREADY. I started to think. (I do my best thinking when I’m walking.) I felt like I’d been over-thinking this weight-loss thing. Did it have to be so complicated and require hours of my time and energy? I’m a strong believer in moderation, and often say “everything in moderation” but as I thought some more about it, I realized that I’ve never figured out what moderation means. What DOES it mean? And more importantly, what is MY moderation?
So, I decided that I would look it up and try to figure out what moderation was. I decided that I would see how long it took me to lose 10 lbs using “moderation”, once I figured out what it was. And then further to that, I challenged myself to keep it the weight off for at least a year. Then I had the thought to blog about it to increase my accountability and to share my experience. And then “Operation-Moderation” was born.
The thing is; I’m trying to think long term. Yes, my brother is getting married next year and I’d like to look nice for his wedding, but it’s not about LOOKING nice. It’s a perk for sure, but I want to be healthy and strong and have energy. I’m not going to be a “supermodel” or have the body I had when I was 20, and I don’t want to. But I do want to be the better than I am now.
I can do any intense program for a while. Most people can, but it’s not realistic in the long run. I know this as a truth. I want something that doesn’t require me to count every calorie or carbs or calculate points or whatever. I want this to be my life. Something I just “do” and don’t have to think so hard about.
Yes, I get the contradiction. I’m going to be researching and documenting my progress etc. That’s all going to take time and work. And I’m ok with that. It’s like studying for a test, but it’s not just about passing the test, it’s going to be about KNOWING the information. That’s where I want to be.
So this will be my journey. I’ll put myself on the line for better or worse. I hate failure, especially public failure so this is huge for me. I hope I don’t fail, but I don’t expect that it’ll be all sunshine and low numbers on the scale every day. I don’t expect this to be a “smooth” process. It’s going to be about trial and error and learning. It’ll be about finding what’s right for me. And maybe it will help you too.
Last year, I lost 30 lbs following the Weight Watchers program and felt great. However, last summer we: moved to a new state; were trying to sell a house long distance in a sinking real estate market with a moronic and corrupt real estate agent; were stuck in a stinking, nasty rental where we got to experience gunfire at our front door and were struggling financially. It was a horrible, stressful time. I ate my way through it and then when the dust settled and all turned out peachy (and it really did), I’d gained back 15 lbs and still needed therapy to deal with what had happened.
At my last check up earlier this year, my doctor told me that my bad cholesterol was a bit high and that I should be able to lower it by losing a few pounds.
I took that advice to heart, but since February, I’ve been gaining and losing those same “few” pounds.
I’ve tried getting back into Weight Watchers but, frankly, I just don’t have the same drive that I did last time. I feel as though it worked to help me lose the weight, but that when push came to shove, it didn’t work for me long term, especially when the going got rough. And it seemed to take so much time.
I’ve also tried a few online tools that allow me to count my calories. Again, it worked for a while. It wasn’t rocket science, but it still took time and there wasn’t enough accountability to make me stick to it.
At the same time, a group of my good friends, who were also trying to get healthier; got together and started a support email group. It only lasted about a month before we all wandered off in our own directions.
After my first daughter was born, I used to get up every day and walk/jog. I maintained a good weight with very little effort for years. I was great with exercise last summer when I lost all that weight. But, then it lost its’ priority, and *I* lost my priority when a crazy schedule and a toddler who frequently still wakes a night eroded my ability to get up early enough to do squeeze in a workout and still function as a productive human being for the rest of the day.
And I know they’re all excuses. All laziness. All cop-outs.
I’m not stupid. I know nutrition. I’m a certified Pilates instructor. I know exercise. I KNOW how to be healthy. So why am I not doing it?
I don’t believe in fad diets. I believe that there is a proper balance for each person, but that that balance is different because we’re all different. Yes, there are some general truths to nutrition that apply to most, but I don’t believe that EVERYONE should eat low-carb, saturate their diet with whatever the hip new vitamin/supplement or miraculous mystery “extract” or whatever the current trend is.
While going for a rare walk while on vacation a few weeks ago, right after my birthday, I was feeling a bit down on myself for not being able to just GET IT GOING, ALREADY. I started to think. (I do my best thinking when I’m walking.) I felt like I’d been over-thinking this weight-loss thing. Did it have to be so complicated and require hours of my time and energy? I’m a strong believer in moderation, and often say “everything in moderation” but as I thought some more about it, I realized that I’ve never figured out what moderation means. What DOES it mean? And more importantly, what is MY moderation?
So, I decided that I would look it up and try to figure out what moderation was. I decided that I would see how long it took me to lose 10 lbs using “moderation”, once I figured out what it was. And then further to that, I challenged myself to keep it the weight off for at least a year. Then I had the thought to blog about it to increase my accountability and to share my experience. And then “Operation-Moderation” was born.
The thing is; I’m trying to think long term. Yes, my brother is getting married next year and I’d like to look nice for his wedding, but it’s not about LOOKING nice. It’s a perk for sure, but I want to be healthy and strong and have energy. I’m not going to be a “supermodel” or have the body I had when I was 20, and I don’t want to. But I do want to be the better than I am now.
I can do any intense program for a while. Most people can, but it’s not realistic in the long run. I know this as a truth. I want something that doesn’t require me to count every calorie or carbs or calculate points or whatever. I want this to be my life. Something I just “do” and don’t have to think so hard about.
Yes, I get the contradiction. I’m going to be researching and documenting my progress etc. That’s all going to take time and work. And I’m ok with that. It’s like studying for a test, but it’s not just about passing the test, it’s going to be about KNOWING the information. That’s where I want to be.
So this will be my journey. I’ll put myself on the line for better or worse. I hate failure, especially public failure so this is huge for me. I hope I don’t fail, but I don’t expect that it’ll be all sunshine and low numbers on the scale every day. I don’t expect this to be a “smooth” process. It’s going to be about trial and error and learning. It’ll be about finding what’s right for me. And maybe it will help you too.
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