100 Pound Loss

I’m sure this post will mean that tonight I’ll hear the dreaded “moo,” but I think sometimes I’m one of the only fat women I know who doesn’t get nasty remarks thrown at her by unevolved jerks. These jerks (and they are everywhere– on the streets, in the line at the grocery store, and of course, online in droves) make it their life’s mission to make sure that, if they think you’re fat, that you know it.

“Moo!” you might hear, walking down the street some day. It’s a far cry from the horn-honking a slender pretty girl might get (or the horn honking I used to get in college when I had lost my freshman 15 and was walking 3 miles a day).

“Move it, fat-ass” in the grocery store. Because heaven help you if you’re taking your time to read the labels, right?

And the countless sneers and side-ways looks…. well, fat women know them all, don’t we?

Sort of. See, I know them, but not recently. I have all the symptoms of being fat– the scale doesn’t lie, although I haven’t looked in a mirror recently enough to know if that does (another symptom!) I wear a size 22 jeans (and am gladly out of the 24s!) But it’s been a very long time since I heard any snarky remarks from strangers. In fact, the closest thing I’ve had was my grandmother, quietly informing me that I’d gained some weight and should try not to gain any more.

Instead, I’ve noticed myself filling them in instead. “Oh, I can’t do that,” I’ll say out loud, in public, referring to diving off the diving board. “I’m too fat!” My niece giggles, but she insists I try. “Well, if that isn’t a skinny girl’s outfit!” I’ll exclaim pointing to a baby-doll T shirt.

I was out to dinner a couple of weeks ago with a woman who is funny and nice and has that zing! sense of humor that I love. We were talking about some activity, and she all of a sudden said “yeah, but have you seen my ass? You can’t miss it!” And I paused, suddenly uncomfortable, because, yeah, I had seen her ass. You really can’t miss it. It’s… well, she has the unfortunate “bubble butt” going for her. Her butt probably looks awesome when she’s at her ideal weight, but when she’s heavy, it balloons outward and you can rest a soda can on her backside.

Me, I have the opposite problem. No matter how much weight I gain, my butt retains the roundness of your average plank of wood. I round out sideways, through the hips, down the thighs, and plenty in the front (both up and down). But I’m draggin’ nothing in my wagon.

But my discomfort over her remark made me realize how uncomfortable I’ve probably made other people when I baldly embrace my fatness. I’m not trying to do that, nor do I think I’m fishing for compliments. What I think I’m trying to do is acknowledge my own reality, to say “yes, this is who I am, and I am not afraid of it.” As I am comfortable with my height– a physical feature which I cannot control, would like to be different, and which will never change– I want to be comfortable with the rest of my size. This doesn’t mean I don’t want to change my size. But I want to be it. I want to feel that I own my fat. If I don’t own it, then I can’t really get rid of it, can I?

But then I wonder if I don’t say these things because nobody else will. Nobody says to me “you’re fat” when I’m in the grocery store. Or perhaps they do, and I don’t realize it. I think if someone said something bald-faced like that that wasn’t, taken literally, insulting, I would just reply “Yes. Yes, I am.” Because I know my own truths. But something genuinely hurtful? Like “moo?” Well, for “moo,” I would giggle and reply “Baa!” because (a) if we’re playing barnyard games, let’s play, and (b) anyone who thinks mooing at a fat woman is funny is probably a mindless sheep.

So, either I don’t hear these comments because I make them myself, or maybe I don’t hear them because I don’t project that sense of vulnerability that these monsters need to poke at. I suppose if I were slender and felt insecure about my fashion sense, they would attack that, instead. Or my glasses. Or my age. I know these kinds of remarks are a reflection of the person making them. So what does it say when that person is me?

Last week, I gained 3 pounds after a 5-day trip for personal and business. I spent three of the five days inside airports, so I fluctuated between bad food and dehydration. I was up 3 lbs. upon my return.

Thankfully, I’ve lost that weight as of this week, despite not getting back on the “wagon” really much at all.

So, today I’m back to 209.8 lbs. Which is… not bad, I guess.

Lost weight.  I am now down about 11 pounds, but this week was putting one foot in front of the other. I wish weight loss was like the program bewitched and I could blink it off. I asked myself how did I get so fat.  Why did I let myself go?  Illness was part of it.  But I am really good at procrastinating.  I felt like this summer I woke up. The Weight Watchers core program makes it pretty mindless, but is hard if I get too hungry and not to want fast food. I think it is terrible though that the country is blaming the corporations for obesity.  They don’t put it in your mouth.  Though I am fat, I don’t blame anyone else.  I take responsibility for myself.  I do think they have an obligation though to offer some good healthy things to eat, but too much control by the government is not a good thing even if it is for health. No transfat has not made me thinner. Find of the week: I discovered non fat Pringles chips this week–not bad.  Goal: to be nice to myself and keep going!

Jane of the Jungle

Week 2, I lived through it.  A small loss.  The numbers go down so slowly.  But they went down in spite of a weekend in Reno at Hot August nights.  I had to have the hotel room with mirrors everywhere in the bathroom.  There is no stronger image to keep in mind why you need to lose weight than the image you get seeing yourself naked from all sides. I played video poker with virtual dealers who changed just like real ones.  One of them had a shapely figure.  The juxtaposition with my image was pretty humorous now that I think of it.  I am trying to take the whole thing serious but have a sense of humor about it too.

I found a good fat free dressing: Maple Grove Farms of Vermont Fat Free Poppyseed Dressing. I wish someone would work on making better fat free cheese.  Most of them taste like plastic.  One time I left fat mayo on  a knife and it hardened like plastic.  Oh well.  I am determined to make it this time.  It is hard though when the pounds come off so slowly.  I do feel better though.

I need to exercise.  Walking would be a good start, but it is difficult to put on a pair of shoes and walk around the block. Just kidding.  But I need to motivate myself more.  Energy comes from exercise.  I know that from my long distance running days.  So I am determined to get back to it.

I heard that Phelps, the gold medal winner,  eats 12,000 calories a day.  Yikes!!!

Well I keep going anyway.

Jane of the jungle

We find it motivating to read other weight loss blogs, so I’d like to invite anyone reading a lot of real weight loss blogs (or posting your own) to post in the comments your favorites. Yes, I know comments are moderated to fight spam, but I do check them out and approve genuine messages daily.

I’ll pick the five best/favorites and put them in my blogroll by next Thursday, so spread the word!

And this time, they actually did average it, at least temporarily, because I got this little helpful reminder: “However, we notice that you’ve lost more than an average of 2 pounds per week over three or more weeks. This rate is too rapid — it may be unsafe or unhealthy.” This is further punishment for losing almost 5 lbs. in one week after my spectacular plateau.

I actually got that reminder once or twice before, when my weight loss averaged 2.2 pounds per week– once again, WW needs a little more intelligence in their algorithm.

Anyway, yesterday I did really well and stayed on plan all day, which was no small feat. We ate pretty late for breakfast and lunch, which helped pull me to dinner, where I had a taco salad. Also, Jane called yesterday to chat about food and dieting and so forth, which kept me talking about food for an hour, but at least I wasn’t eating.

Jane will hopefully post today about her results this week. She had a really interesting weekend!

The Best Weight Loss Plan

By Nathalie Fiset

Loosing weight had been one of the most discussed topics in today’s world. Ever since being thin had been the trend of being noted as beautiful, men and women alike had obsessed about getting thin for the shortest time possible.

Weight loss pills and surgical interventions had been introduced to attract individuals to try such strategy. What most people don not see are the side effects that can be the onset of preferring such methods over the natural and healthier way of loosing weight.

Among the side effects of diet pills may be nausea, loose stools/constipation, trembling, dry mouth, urinary tract disorders, heart palpitations and headaches.

Surgical intervention, aside from being expensive, is not for everyone. This is only usually being performed to individuals who are classified as being morbidly obese and had failed at medically restricted diets.

On the other hand, various books had been published and many articles had been written on various weight loosing schemes. From the no carbohydrate diets to water therapies which all vouch for the ability to help reduce weight at a certain period of time.

Diets, which concentrate on eating only a certain type of food, might not be a good idea since an individual might be deprived of the other needed nutrients.

Being thin does not necessarily mean that one is much healthier. Weight much be in proportion with one’s height as can be measure with one’s body mass index.

Loosing weight should only be considered to minimize health risks and to attain the ideal body mass index.

Below are some weight loss diet plans that are healthy, safe and relatively easy to follow. It is always best to consider that the best weight loss plans are those that promote healthy eating habits that would result to loosing and maintaining one’s ideal weight.

Medical consultation. Before starting any diet plan, an individual must always consult a physician to determine if the intended diet plan suits the person involved.

Healthy and appealing eating. Some weight loss diets focuses on eating from a specific food group only. This usually leaves an individual deprived of some other nutrients.

It is best to choose a weight loss plan that includes ingesting food with all the nutrients in the food pyramid.

Eating frequent but smaller meals would make an individual feel much fuller for a longer period of time. Skipping meals only promotes the urge to eat more during the following meal.

By adding more fruits and vegetable to the diet, an individual may feel fuller during every meal, minus the calories.

Do not deprive one self of sweets, for example shakes. Healthy shakes are made of low-fat milk or juice (about 12 fluid oz.) with fruits and ice.

The idea is to eat everything in moderation. This would inhibit binging and would encourage an individual to stick to the plan.

Exercising. Healthy eating should always be accompanied with the proper cardiovascular activity. Exercising at least 30 to 60 minutes for at least five days in a week is advisable.

Gradual weight loss. A weight loss plan that would result to a slow but steady loss of weight (which is about ¾ to at least 2 pounds a week) is ideal. During the start of the plan, it is normal to lose weight at a much faster rate, but this should not be more than 3 pounds a week.

Behavior. This mean understanding oneself before starting on a weight loss plan. This includes determining which food one craves the most and the situations which triggers him or her to eat (for example, being nervous or stressed causes one to indulge in sweets etc).

The individual must be able to will himself or herself to say no when the urge to binge strikes. When he or she can do this, there is a must bigger chance that the person would be able to stick with the plan.

Maintenance plan. Once the desired weight had been achieved, the work does not stop there. The individual must have a plan as to how to maintain the new healthy weight and what physical activities to pursue.

It is best to continue with the regular healthy eating diet one had been used to at the start of the program, only gradually or ingesting “unhealthy” foods in moderation, so as not to necessarily deprive oneself of life’s simple pleasures.

About the Author

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.reachyouridealweight.com http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathalie_Fiset
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Best-Weight-Loss-Plan&id=363891

I did. Last night, hubby really didn’t want to wash the dishes and make something healthy, and I am, well, an indifferent cook. Plus it rained all day, and frankly, I think we were ready to get out of the house.

I must inform you of this now, before we go any further in this reader-blogger relationship. Pizza is my Kryptonite. I cannot resist its siren’s song. The worst world for me is one in which I develop both celiac disease and lactose intolerance and can have neither cheese nor pizza dough– I would cry great buckets of tears.

Last night, we had pizza.

I ate half of a small pizza– Hawaiian.

It’s about the most non-Core food you can get– bready crust, layers of cheese, deli meat (ham)– the only thing on it that’s a Core food is the pineapple.

I loved every second of it– totally decadent. And this time, unlike the last couple of times I’ve overeaten since returning to the plan, I didn’t feel horrible afterwards. I wasn’t bloated and my stomach didn’t hurt.

On the one hand, I want to kind of curl up and flog myself with a wet noodle (al dente, please). On the other hand, I want to run around and yell “I ATE PIZZAA!!!”

But more than that, I want to find something to do with the other half of the pizza. Because I did that thing you’re supposed to do at restaurants– I got a box and put away half of my pizza before I even started eating it.

What we should have done, in retrospect, is split the pizza between the two of us. Because he only ate half of his, too. And then I wouldn’t be sitting here thinking that I should take the pizza out to the pond and feed it to the ducks (they probably don’t like cheese as much as I do!)

Well, tomorrow is the day of reckoning, also known as weigh-in day, so we shall see how much damage a half a pizza can do. In the meantime, today is a good day for me to stay completely on plan, not eat the leftovers, and, if the rain stops for a few minutes, go for a nice long walk.

Penance is a bitch.

I better journal this now before I conveniently forget my sins….

A glass of wine with dinner on Wednesday night (3 points), plus a small piece of bread with butter (2 points).

A glass of wine tonight (3 points), plus a small piece of bread with butter (3 points– larger piece of bread). Plus (now watch the slide, shall we?) half a baked potato (not normally a problem, except it was my second potato today, so while it’s no points, it is still a no-no!), a small scoop of low fat frozen yogurt (3 points), and a vanilla cream cookie (1 point). My dad came into town to fetch my stepmother, so we were kind of having a family farewell dinner night.

Total flex points used this week so far: 15 out of 35. With 4 more days to go this week.

Actually, when I count it up that way, it doesn’t seem so awful, does it? Am I cheating? Forgetting to write my sins? My guess is that I am, but I don’t realize it.

Also: taco salad night last night was good, but I’ve got to stop after 1 salad. The second one gave me a tummy ache!

Also: I really wish I could eat half a box of cookies. I would do it, right now!

Also: I’m really glad I don’t have any cookies in the house.

Health Plan: A ‘Healthy Business’ Plan

In business, owners create business plans and marketing plans for the New Year to help set their course for success. This becomes their template to make their dreams and business goals come true. They can then track their progress and make adjustments when necessary to keep themselves on track.

But, why not do the same thing if your goal is improved health? Just imagine setting up a real action plan to address what you want to achieve and how you will go about making those goals happen. Let’s look at some of the parts of a business plan and see how they can be adjusted into a ‘health plan’.

Mission statement

According to Stephen Covey, all individuals should have a personal mission statement. Do you have one? Ok, so you probably don’t. But what about creating a personal health mission statement? What would you want that statement to say? It should include what your health would ideally look like and why you would want it to look that way. You may want to include what your primary goal is for creating a health statement, too.

An example may be, “I am committed to becoming a healthy example for my family so that they learn healthy habits and never have to suffer from disease caused by lifestyle. I will do this by avoiding unfavorable health habits and eat a healthy, whole diet most of the time and stay active on a regular basis.” So, here are the questions to ask yourself in order to create your health mission statement: 1. What do you want your health to look like? 2. Why do you want this health result? 3. How will you accomplish this goal?

Vision statement

What do you want your health to look like in 10 years? What will you feel and look like? How will you know if you have succeeded in your goal?

Answer each of these questions to create your ultimate vision for your health. Perhaps you have been struggling with great amounts of weight for years. You have tried every diet known to man, with limited success and then ultimate failure. So, your 10 year vision may be to weigh your ideal body weight, feel great, look fantastic and be off all medications.

Do not allow doubts or limiting beliefs voice their opinion. If you allow yourself to believe this can happen, you can make it happen.

Goals

Now it’s time to break down that big vision; what will you have accomplished in one year, three years and five years?

You have an ultimate 10-year vision, above. That is your ultimate destination. Now is the time to create the rough plan for how you will get there. Again, never mind what the limiting thoughts say. What would you like to accomplish in these milestone time frames? Examples may be that in one year you will be walking every day, five to six days a week, for a total of at least 60 minutes. Or maybe in a year you will be ready for a 5 K walk/run race. Another example may be that in 1 year you will have lost 10 pounds or are off your diabetic medication. Then for three years and five years, allow yourself to open up and dream.

Strategies and Tactics

What will your biggest challenges be? Determine these first, then brainstorm how you can overcome these challenges. Then list what it will take from you to make overcoming these challenges a reality. What techniques will you use? List seven - these are your strategies and the tactics you’ll use while using these strategies.

Examples of challenges may be; not enough time in your day, too tired, can’t find anything you like to do, hate vegetables or cooking from scratch. But, as you consider your challenges, there are always strategies you can use to determine how to overcome these challenges. A few examples are to find pre-packaged foods that are low in fat and sodium but healthy and tasty and add a salad or vegetable to it, join a health club such as Curves, where you can run in and run out and fit in a workout in just 30 minutes. Find a buddy to walk with at lunchtime. Buy a stationary bike and put it in front of the TV. Set up a vegetable challenge at work, where everyone can keep track of how many veggies they eat each day, with a prize at the end of the month for the person who is eating the most. What else can you think of?

Next you have to address what tactics you will use to make these strategies actually a reality. Come up with at least five for each strategy, because there will always be times that the situation will call for a different tactic to overcome the challenge. A few examples are to tell your friends and family that you are now walking every day after work, set up a back-up plan when you can’t walk, or each time you go food shopping you buy a new fresh, frozen or canned vegetable to try, not limiting yourself to just one form of the food. Or buy a new cookbook and commit to yourself to prepare one new, healthy meal per week, or spend some time on websites such as http://allrecipes.com/ to research something new and healthy for the family. Again, I’m sure you can come up with some tactics that sound good to you.

Values and Beliefs

Although your health may not be what you would like, this does not mean you do not value health. You may value other things more, though, or feel other things in life have taken priority over health, and, before you know it, your health has suffered as a result. What is meant by health values? To clarify, what value do you put on health; yours or the health of others? If you are reading this article, you probably do value health as something to attain or maintain. If you are concerned with maintaining your health, chances are it has held a high priority for you through your life. Everyone has a different value of health; for some, it may be the absence of disease, for others it may reflect an inner calm and serenity. Some people may consider health as physical or mental capacity or the weight they are at. The belief may come from what you believe a particular health condition (good or bad) represents. For instance, some people may consider an ideal body weight as health and something that represents inner strength or the lack of health a weakness. For others, a sign of good health is a healthy attitude towards life and others and themselves. None of these values or beliefs are right or wrong; they are just how you feel and what you believe.

List at least five personal values you have around your health and life and the beliefs that go along with each value. Spend some time on this, because many times people who are struggling with health issues don’t want to address the true beliefs or values around their health, which can be the biggest reason they are unable to overcome conditions that limit achievement of a particular health goal, such as losing weight.

Then answer these questions to see what areas need attention: How do these values relate to your health? How are these values reflected in the way you live currently? Are your values and beliefs in sync with your lifestyle? Spend some time with these questions and write down what you come up with.

Branding and Imaging

When friends and family think of you, how would you like them to describe you and your health? When you consider what you would like others to say about you when talking about health, are you currently living up to that vision you have? If not, what needs to change to become that person? How will you feel when you are that person you imagine them talking about? How will you feel if you do not become that person? List five things you would like people to say about you and your health and lifestyle.

Action Plan

Now it’s time to create a real plan to make all of this happen - your action plan. For those of you in business reading this, you already knew what was coming. Do you see the parallels? Look at your goals, and then ask yourself how you will plan to accomplish those goals. Use your strategies and tactics as the templates for your action plan. I have business clients create a calendar from their strategies and tactics, setting up a specific plan from month to month. You can do the same thing for health goals. Set small goals on your calendar; maybe a goal of walking five minutes every day, or avoid that morning doughnut at least three days a week. You may have a goal that by the end of the first month you are eating four servings of fruits and vegetables a day; you can start by setting a goal of two servings per day the first week, three servings per day the second and third week, and then four servings by the 4th week. Look at where you would like to be in a year, but then break that year into more manageable chunks by looking at just one month at a time and what you would like to have accomplished by the end of that month. The purpose of an action plan is to make what you need to do more real; to put legs on the ideas and intentions you came up with earlier in the process. In other words, how can you change from just thinking about what you want, in the abstract, and make it something that really happens?

Budget and financing

All business plans must have a budget plan. What is necessary to fund your new health plan? Can you do this on a small budget or will it take a big financial commitment? How will you cover the expenses your health plan will require? For some people, bypassing certain expenditures, such as eliminating the morning muffin at work can pay for the extra fruits and vegetables at the market. Or avoiding an afternoon snack can add up to enough to buy a new pair of walking shoes. Everyone can decide where they want to prioritize how they will make health a priority and how to make it fit not only their lifestyle, but also their budget.

Many people envision a healthier day, someday. For those who create a plan, and then develop strategies to stick to their plan, tend to see success. As an example, read from participants in the National Weight Control Registry, a group of over 5,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and have successfully kept that weight off for at least one year, http://www.nwcr.ws/stories.htm . Reading some of these examples proves that even if you have over 100 pounds to lose, it is possible; you have to have the desire, the awareness that it will take dedication and determination, and that you have to create the strategies and plan to make it happen. Just as with business, failure to plan results in planning for failure. Make that plan and enjoy success this year!

About the Author

Marjorie Geiser is a nutritionist, registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, and now helps other health professionals start up their own private practice. To learn more about the coaching services Margie offers, go to her website www.marjoriegeiser.com or email her at margie@megfit.com.