Why, you ask?
- I have reached a weight and size where I am comfortable enough to run in just my jog bra and running skirt without having to wear a shirt! If I have any northern readers, they're probably scratching their heads and saying, "what's the big deal about that?!"
It's already hot in Texas for us runners/ and will only get Hotter, before we move on to HOTTEST! When running, the less clothes the better!!
- I was doing a fast mile workout this morning. 1 mile warm-up, 1 fast mile, 1 mile cool-down. I was REALLLLLLY hoping to run at least a 9:08 mile since that's the fastest mile I've run in recent times...since the beginning of the year.
I was actually hoping for faster...would LOVE to run a sub-9 mile since I haven't run one of those for close to a year or maybe even longer. But I didn't want to expect too much, get my hopes up, then be disappointed for the rest of the day...so I told myself as long as I was sub-9:20, I would be satisfied.
8:45....YAY ME!!!! Very surprised to have run that...and pleased...until...
I remembered the time when that was an easy-run pace = ( And when I ran a mile at the same effort I ran this morning, my time was a 7:08 mile. And how horrible that I made the wrong choices that led to gaining back weight I'd worked so hard to lose thinking that I would never be that size again = (
And then I zoned in on the "positive voice" and listened to all the nice, encouraging things it was saying = )
- I had pretty much given up on getting to harvest any brussels sprouts that I'd planted last fall. The plants grew big and tall all through the winter. The little buds started forming just as it was warming up. We've been running close to 90* or above for several weeks so I figured I'd just pull the plants up.
So when I was out working in the garden today, starting to pull the plants, I discovered that there were plenty of sprouts that were eating-size! Then I started harvesting them...2 BIG bowl-fulls!!!!
And now I'm going to bed...good-night!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A Pound is a Pound is a Pound...
....or is it???
Well, obviously not = ) But that's what I've been thinking about since last Friday.
We drove up to Texas A & M to watch my nephew graduate. I kept remembering holding him when he was 3 months old and soon I would be watching him walk across the stage in his Corps uniform and receive his BS in aerospace engineering!
But before the graduation...the graduation party! I was SO thankful that I joined Weight Watchers and have been going to a meeting every week. I've learned how to handle these situations.
I planned my "work" and I worked my plan! I knew there would be homemade yummy jambalaya and also hoped for white cake with buttercream frosting. I'd planned on having a small serving of jambalaya (1/2 - 2/3rds cup) and a normal sized piece of cake as long as it had my beloved buttercream. If it doesn't have that, it's not worth it to me to eat it!
I packed a cooler full of healthy fruits, veggies, some canned salmon, nuts and a small container of pretzels. I wanted to fill up on my healthy things first, then have the special things, then eat more healthy things if I was still hungry.
It worked GREAT! I totally enjoyed my treats but was not tempted to eat more than I'd planned. The buttercream frosting cake from Sam's was just about the best I've ever had = ) And I didn't feel guilty since I'd planned and portioned my points.
But that's what got me thinking about a pound. I was wondering if the scale would go up any and if it did, when would that be? That night, the next night, 2 nights later?
A pound is 16 oz. of weight. To gain a pound, one must consume 3500 extra calories that one does not burn off. In a day? A week? A month?
I could drink 16 oz. of water and "gain" a pound...at least temporarily = ) But at zero calories, it's certainly not a TRUE gain of a pound. What about black beans? If I ate 16 oz. of black beans, the scale would show one pound higher... but 16 oz. of black beans does not equal 3500 calories.
16 oz. of butter might be more than 3500 calories...does that mean I've gained 2 pounds??? hahahahaha
And how does my body treat these things as different substances to be metabolized. Well, I know how my body treats 16 oz. of water = )
But think about 16 oz. of black beans vs. 16 oz. of buttercream frosting cake. Or a better comparison would be 3500 calories of black beans vs. 3500 calories of buttercream frosting cake...
First of all, it would be much harder and take much longer to eat 3500 calories of beans over cake. But after I've consumed them, how are they different inside my body? Is it harder to burn off the cake compared to the beans? Do the beans get stored more in my muscles and the cake goes mostly to my fat?
I've already experienced the difference in my hunger level and energy and attitude when eating "junk" calories vs. healthy calories. I KNOW there's a very real difference! And I'm so thankful that God created our bodies to be constantly regenerating so it wasn't very long after changing my diet until my engine was running on premium vs. cheap, dirty, 10% ethanol, pinging-every- time-I-step-on-the-gas gas!
Anyhow, I don't have answers for you...just wanted to share what I've been thinking about. In a related topic, I read Scott Jurek's article in Runner's World today and that got me to thinking about how my body might run on a vegan diet compared to my mostly lacto-ovo-fisho-vegetarian diet.
If I metabolize every food substance differently, what would the results be? For Scott that meant losing more fat, feeling much better and running MUCH faster. Would the same be true for me? The book comes out on June 5th and I will definitely be reading it!
In other news, I was walking the dogs tonight and realized that the tops of my thighs were not brushing each other!!!! Now, they still did a little on my run yesterday morning, so I'm not there yet but I can see (and feel!) a definite improvement!
Well, obviously not = ) But that's what I've been thinking about since last Friday.
We drove up to Texas A & M to watch my nephew graduate. I kept remembering holding him when he was 3 months old and soon I would be watching him walk across the stage in his Corps uniform and receive his BS in aerospace engineering!
But before the graduation...the graduation party! I was SO thankful that I joined Weight Watchers and have been going to a meeting every week. I've learned how to handle these situations.
I planned my "work" and I worked my plan! I knew there would be homemade yummy jambalaya and also hoped for white cake with buttercream frosting. I'd planned on having a small serving of jambalaya (1/2 - 2/3rds cup) and a normal sized piece of cake as long as it had my beloved buttercream. If it doesn't have that, it's not worth it to me to eat it!
I packed a cooler full of healthy fruits, veggies, some canned salmon, nuts and a small container of pretzels. I wanted to fill up on my healthy things first, then have the special things, then eat more healthy things if I was still hungry.
It worked GREAT! I totally enjoyed my treats but was not tempted to eat more than I'd planned. The buttercream frosting cake from Sam's was just about the best I've ever had = ) And I didn't feel guilty since I'd planned and portioned my points.
But that's what got me thinking about a pound. I was wondering if the scale would go up any and if it did, when would that be? That night, the next night, 2 nights later?
A pound is 16 oz. of weight. To gain a pound, one must consume 3500 extra calories that one does not burn off. In a day? A week? A month?
I could drink 16 oz. of water and "gain" a pound...at least temporarily = ) But at zero calories, it's certainly not a TRUE gain of a pound. What about black beans? If I ate 16 oz. of black beans, the scale would show one pound higher... but 16 oz. of black beans does not equal 3500 calories.
16 oz. of butter might be more than 3500 calories...does that mean I've gained 2 pounds??? hahahahaha
And how does my body treat these things as different substances to be metabolized. Well, I know how my body treats 16 oz. of water = )
But think about 16 oz. of black beans vs. 16 oz. of buttercream frosting cake. Or a better comparison would be 3500 calories of black beans vs. 3500 calories of buttercream frosting cake...
First of all, it would be much harder and take much longer to eat 3500 calories of beans over cake. But after I've consumed them, how are they different inside my body? Is it harder to burn off the cake compared to the beans? Do the beans get stored more in my muscles and the cake goes mostly to my fat?
I've already experienced the difference in my hunger level and energy and attitude when eating "junk" calories vs. healthy calories. I KNOW there's a very real difference! And I'm so thankful that God created our bodies to be constantly regenerating so it wasn't very long after changing my diet until my engine was running on premium vs. cheap, dirty, 10% ethanol, pinging-every- time-I-step-on-the-gas gas!
Anyhow, I don't have answers for you...just wanted to share what I've been thinking about. In a related topic, I read Scott Jurek's article in Runner's World today and that got me to thinking about how my body might run on a vegan diet compared to my mostly lacto-ovo-fisho-vegetarian diet.
If I metabolize every food substance differently, what would the results be? For Scott that meant losing more fat, feeling much better and running MUCH faster. Would the same be true for me? The book comes out on June 5th and I will definitely be reading it!
In other news, I was walking the dogs tonight and realized that the tops of my thighs were not brushing each other!!!! Now, they still did a little on my run yesterday morning, so I'm not there yet but I can see (and feel!) a definite improvement!
Monday, May 7, 2012
I Haven't Felt Like This Since...
...last fall!
On Friday we were out and about helping my nephew find an apartment near his new place of employment. I kept seeing my reflection in the glass doors of the leasing offices. I didn't look chubby...plump...overweight...fat!! I just looked normal...average = )
Then I laid my hand on my stomach...it wasn't sticking out! I felt for "love handles"...just a bit! Even my legs looked trimmer...my face, thinner. A little thrill of joy rippled through my being!
Almost 9 years ago when I first embarked on losing the major chunk of weight, I started a list of all the benefits that happened as the scale came down and the inches came off. I've been trying hard to find that list so I could share it with you all but haven't found it yet.
But that got me to thinking about the non-number related goals that I have for my body and fitness at present...listed in order of importance (or what's bugging me the most!) (and I realize that my openness and honesty is putting me in a position of embarrassment and humiliation):
#1 - lose enough weight so the tops of my inner thighs aren't rubbing together making the under-shorts of my running skirt bunch and ride up...SOOOO irritating!!
#2 - lose the extra fat on my stomach so it doesn't jiggle and bounce as I'm running...or when I poke it while laying down...or sitting on the couch...or in the shower...I HATE that jelly-jiggly-ness!
#3 - lower my per-mile pace back down to what I feel is a respectable time...for my age and ability
#4 - get back into all the neat shorts and skirts I bought last summer! The Eddie Bauer store at Fairfield Outlet Mall was having a mega-sale and I stocked up = ) How sad to not have them fit as the weather warms up = (
So...all of these areas are improving but they're not there yet. And I don't know whether the goals will be reached when I hit my goal weight number but I keep remembering my running-bud, Deanna...
I'm SO thankful to know healthy runners! Deanna is also a mountain climber and several summers ago was working on lowering her fat ratio and raising her muscle mass.
I had a scary thought a few days ago..."what if I reach my goal weight but I'm not happy with my size or current running condition?!" That's when I remembered Deanna! I will just do what she did...concentrate on lean proteins, lower fat, healthy foods and strength training! Maybe not as much as she did but enough to help me change the fat/muscle ratio without losing more weight.
Another interesting thing to tell you all is that I've been tracking my food digitally on my iPad, iPod and cell phone. It's working well...I'm not missing writing the food down in a paper journal and I'm staying on track. Now if I could just handle my calendar and to-do list digitally!
My rate of weight loss has slowed down and I struggle to not have that bother me. I usually get discouraged for a bit and then do that "positive self-talk" and cheer myself back up!
I'm still CONSTANTLY telling myself that this is for the rest of my life...it's the long-haul...working through this learning phase will only help me in the maintaining phase.
And I'm also still having to squash that "negative voice" telling me that I won't be able to do it...I'll fail again, just like last time and the time before that and the time before that.
In one way I'm looking forward to the fall and winter to have the chance to apply all that I've learned and prove to myself that I CAN DO IT! In another way I'm quite apprehensive about the fall and winter and possibly discovering that I CAN'T DO IT!!!
ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!! And for the person who commented about "why do you need to do Weight Watchers?" this is the EXACT reason why!!!
On Friday we were out and about helping my nephew find an apartment near his new place of employment. I kept seeing my reflection in the glass doors of the leasing offices. I didn't look chubby...plump...overweight...fat!! I just looked normal...average = )
Then I laid my hand on my stomach...it wasn't sticking out! I felt for "love handles"...just a bit! Even my legs looked trimmer...my face, thinner. A little thrill of joy rippled through my being!
Almost 9 years ago when I first embarked on losing the major chunk of weight, I started a list of all the benefits that happened as the scale came down and the inches came off. I've been trying hard to find that list so I could share it with you all but haven't found it yet.
But that got me to thinking about the non-number related goals that I have for my body and fitness at present...listed in order of importance (or what's bugging me the most!) (and I realize that my openness and honesty is putting me in a position of embarrassment and humiliation):
#1 - lose enough weight so the tops of my inner thighs aren't rubbing together making the under-shorts of my running skirt bunch and ride up...SOOOO irritating!!
#2 - lose the extra fat on my stomach so it doesn't jiggle and bounce as I'm running...or when I poke it while laying down...or sitting on the couch...or in the shower...I HATE that jelly-jiggly-ness!
#3 - lower my per-mile pace back down to what I feel is a respectable time...for my age and ability
#4 - get back into all the neat shorts and skirts I bought last summer! The Eddie Bauer store at Fairfield Outlet Mall was having a mega-sale and I stocked up = ) How sad to not have them fit as the weather warms up = (
So...all of these areas are improving but they're not there yet. And I don't know whether the goals will be reached when I hit my goal weight number but I keep remembering my running-bud, Deanna...
I'm SO thankful to know healthy runners! Deanna is also a mountain climber and several summers ago was working on lowering her fat ratio and raising her muscle mass.
I had a scary thought a few days ago..."what if I reach my goal weight but I'm not happy with my size or current running condition?!" That's when I remembered Deanna! I will just do what she did...concentrate on lean proteins, lower fat, healthy foods and strength training! Maybe not as much as she did but enough to help me change the fat/muscle ratio without losing more weight.
Another interesting thing to tell you all is that I've been tracking my food digitally on my iPad, iPod and cell phone. It's working well...I'm not missing writing the food down in a paper journal and I'm staying on track. Now if I could just handle my calendar and to-do list digitally!
My rate of weight loss has slowed down and I struggle to not have that bother me. I usually get discouraged for a bit and then do that "positive self-talk" and cheer myself back up!
I'm still CONSTANTLY telling myself that this is for the rest of my life...it's the long-haul...working through this learning phase will only help me in the maintaining phase.
And I'm also still having to squash that "negative voice" telling me that I won't be able to do it...I'll fail again, just like last time and the time before that and the time before that.
In one way I'm looking forward to the fall and winter to have the chance to apply all that I've learned and prove to myself that I CAN DO IT! In another way I'm quite apprehensive about the fall and winter and possibly discovering that I CAN'T DO IT!!!
ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!! And for the person who commented about "why do you need to do Weight Watchers?" this is the EXACT reason why!!!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Step by step with Weight Watchers...
...for the rest of my life!
I made an interesting/bummer-ing discovery last night. The meal from Outback Steakhouse that I carefully chose for lunch yesterday...looking up the nutrition info on the internet over my cell phone, then figuring the points on my WW app on my iPad...was hiding a nasty little secret!
Last night when I went to journal my food for the day, I'd forgotten exactly how many points my lunch was so I got online on my big computer to look up the same information. Oh boy...I did not see the fine print on my cell phone "serves 4" on the nutrition info for the quesadillas I ordered. I only ate half the meal but that was still DOUBLE the points that I thought I was eating!
So today I was visiting with my neighbor, Shari...AWESOME neighbor!! We sit outside to visit nearly every day. She is a wonderful living example of choosing what you value and then keeping that in focus...letting nothing deter you from your goal.
Shari had gastric bypass surgery last October...not to lose weight, not to have a smaller body... but to drastically improve her health and chances of living longer without the effects of diabetes. She researched the surgery, understood the risks, accepted the changes that would be required for the rest of her life and moved forward keeping her goal front and center.
That's exactly what I'm trying to do! Every day...multiple times a day, I'm reminding myself that this is for the rest of my life. Every day is another lesson in learning what to do, how to manage eating...REAL LIFE eating...because this is it...I'm not allowing myself "summer eating", "holiday eating", "marathon-training eating" and the ups and downs in my weight that go along with that kind of eating!
So...I ate double the points that I thought I was eating. How do I handle this? And here's where the Weight Watchers system really works for me...and millions of others! I have 49 points per week that I can use however I want...plus points that I earn for activity.
Now I have a strong feeling that if I ate those 49 points every week, I would not lose weight...possibly even gain. So I generally avoid using any of those points. I feel better about eating my activity points because they represent something...calories burned.
Anyhow, I'd already earned plenty of activity points to cover the extra I ate at lunch and I didn't have much for supper because the lunch filled me up good. So I only had to use 2 activity points after all.
But the big picture is that I handled it! Well, after a few moments of freaking out...hahaha And I even ate my leftovers for lunch today, knowing exactly how many points they were but making adjustments in the rest of my eating for today.
And that FEELS GOOD! That's real life!! I handled real life eating thanks to WW teaching me that IT'S OK...I can go to parties and cook-outs and out to dinner and still maintain a healthy weight long-term.
I'm making a list of go-to foods that fill me up for the fewest amount of points...pure nutrition foods...WW calls them Simply Filling = ) If you follow the Simply Filling plan, you don't have to measure or log your food...it's so healthy you can eat to satisfaction and still maintain your weight. I'm not ready to do that yet but I want to print out a list of those foods and keep them handy in the kitchen.
So I just wanted to share my new eye-opening, confidence-boosting experience with you... and now good-night = ))
I made an interesting/bummer-ing discovery last night. The meal from Outback Steakhouse that I carefully chose for lunch yesterday...looking up the nutrition info on the internet over my cell phone, then figuring the points on my WW app on my iPad...was hiding a nasty little secret!
Last night when I went to journal my food for the day, I'd forgotten exactly how many points my lunch was so I got online on my big computer to look up the same information. Oh boy...I did not see the fine print on my cell phone "serves 4" on the nutrition info for the quesadillas I ordered. I only ate half the meal but that was still DOUBLE the points that I thought I was eating!
So today I was visiting with my neighbor, Shari...AWESOME neighbor!! We sit outside to visit nearly every day. She is a wonderful living example of choosing what you value and then keeping that in focus...letting nothing deter you from your goal.
Shari had gastric bypass surgery last October...not to lose weight, not to have a smaller body... but to drastically improve her health and chances of living longer without the effects of diabetes. She researched the surgery, understood the risks, accepted the changes that would be required for the rest of her life and moved forward keeping her goal front and center.
That's exactly what I'm trying to do! Every day...multiple times a day, I'm reminding myself that this is for the rest of my life. Every day is another lesson in learning what to do, how to manage eating...REAL LIFE eating...because this is it...I'm not allowing myself "summer eating", "holiday eating", "marathon-training eating" and the ups and downs in my weight that go along with that kind of eating!
So...I ate double the points that I thought I was eating. How do I handle this? And here's where the Weight Watchers system really works for me...and millions of others! I have 49 points per week that I can use however I want...plus points that I earn for activity.
Now I have a strong feeling that if I ate those 49 points every week, I would not lose weight...possibly even gain. So I generally avoid using any of those points. I feel better about eating my activity points because they represent something...calories burned.
Anyhow, I'd already earned plenty of activity points to cover the extra I ate at lunch and I didn't have much for supper because the lunch filled me up good. So I only had to use 2 activity points after all.
But the big picture is that I handled it! Well, after a few moments of freaking out...hahaha And I even ate my leftovers for lunch today, knowing exactly how many points they were but making adjustments in the rest of my eating for today.
And that FEELS GOOD! That's real life!! I handled real life eating thanks to WW teaching me that IT'S OK...I can go to parties and cook-outs and out to dinner and still maintain a healthy weight long-term.
I'm making a list of go-to foods that fill me up for the fewest amount of points...pure nutrition foods...WW calls them Simply Filling = ) If you follow the Simply Filling plan, you don't have to measure or log your food...it's so healthy you can eat to satisfaction and still maintain your weight. I'm not ready to do that yet but I want to print out a list of those foods and keep them handy in the kitchen.
So I just wanted to share my new eye-opening, confidence-boosting experience with you... and now good-night = ))
Friday, April 27, 2012
Practice What You Preach
So...I was out running with Piper and Dingo this morning. Run/walking to be exact...which is perfect because it allows me to run with my dogs (which I LOVE) and allows them to be running with me (which I think they really like alot) and none of us get over-heated or over-tired!
Not to forget Buddy, he gets special mama-time after I get back with the younger boys. He and I walk several laps around our dead-end street...each lap is 1/4th mile. We did 3 laps today and he really seemed to enjoy himself...nice to see that familiar prancing step again after several days of dragging behind and maybe limping...
Anyhow, one of the great things about running is that my mind is free to do all sorts of neat things. Mainly, praising God for His glorious creation and sharing what's on my heart. But also: day-planning, problem-solving, day-dreaming and the like.
Of course, thoughts of my current Weight Watchers adventure are high up on the list of what sifts through my mind while running.
Remember that voice I told you about yesterday? The negative one that we're not supposed to listen to??? I heard it today while I was running. The positive one chimed in a little but the negative one was certainly dominating the conversation. Here is what they said...
Positive - "you've lost 8 pounds! that's GREAT!! you're halfway there! we see a difference in your running already!"
Negative - "sure, you've always been good at LOSING weight, but you stink at keeping it off... you'll probably fail this time too"
I felt that sinking feeling in my stomach. Negative voice was telling the truth and I knew it.
Positive - "no, maybe she can do it this time...she's making some changes in her thinking and planning...I think she can do it...maybe...well, I hope she can do it...but..."
Negative - "remember when you weighed 98 pounds for a year and a half and you thought you had the weight thing conquered and you'd never be fat again...yeah, RIGHT! You'll do good for awhile this time too but come fall and winter, you'll be hungry all the time and you KNOW you don't have the will-power to continue eating this way".
Then I realized what was happening...the exact thing that Kim (WW leader) taught us about yesterday! So I shut that negative voice up and me and Positive joined forces and started listing specific things that I can do to have a better chance of maintaining a healthy weight, long-term.
I've got to practice what I preach...especially to myself!
Not to forget Buddy, he gets special mama-time after I get back with the younger boys. He and I walk several laps around our dead-end street...each lap is 1/4th mile. We did 3 laps today and he really seemed to enjoy himself...nice to see that familiar prancing step again after several days of dragging behind and maybe limping...
Anyhow, one of the great things about running is that my mind is free to do all sorts of neat things. Mainly, praising God for His glorious creation and sharing what's on my heart. But also: day-planning, problem-solving, day-dreaming and the like.
Of course, thoughts of my current Weight Watchers adventure are high up on the list of what sifts through my mind while running.
Remember that voice I told you about yesterday? The negative one that we're not supposed to listen to??? I heard it today while I was running. The positive one chimed in a little but the negative one was certainly dominating the conversation. Here is what they said...
Positive - "you've lost 8 pounds! that's GREAT!! you're halfway there! we see a difference in your running already!"
Negative - "sure, you've always been good at LOSING weight, but you stink at keeping it off... you'll probably fail this time too"
I felt that sinking feeling in my stomach. Negative voice was telling the truth and I knew it.
Positive - "no, maybe she can do it this time...she's making some changes in her thinking and planning...I think she can do it...maybe...well, I hope she can do it...but..."
Negative - "remember when you weighed 98 pounds for a year and a half and you thought you had the weight thing conquered and you'd never be fat again...yeah, RIGHT! You'll do good for awhile this time too but come fall and winter, you'll be hungry all the time and you KNOW you don't have the will-power to continue eating this way".
Then I realized what was happening...the exact thing that Kim (WW leader) taught us about yesterday! So I shut that negative voice up and me and Positive joined forces and started listing specific things that I can do to have a better chance of maintaining a healthy weight, long-term.
I've got to practice what I preach...especially to myself!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
I Was SOOOOOOO Wrong!!!
Weight Watchers meetings are GREAT! hahahaha
I attended my 4th meeting today...I also got another sticker...a BIGGER sticker... so I guess that means Petey will get to laugh at me even more! I still don't mind = )
I got my 5% sticker today...meaning I've lost 5% of my starting weight...8 lbs. total. (7 pounds was my 5%)
I will only get 2 more stickers before I hit goal weight...a 10 lb. one and a 10% one. The stickers are really fun...it's fun cheering for the others who have reached these milestones and hearing them cheer for you too.
I also declared my goal weight today...124 pounds, like I mentioned to you last week. I also learned that you don't get penalized for going under but you are encouraged to try to maintain in that 4 pound range...122 to 126 for me.
I also learned that as long as I am maintaining, ALL the benefits are free! I knew that I would have free access to all the eTools but I didn't realize that all the meetings would be free also. And I DO really enjoy the meetings!! Have I mentioned that???
The information that the leader gives us (and I LOVE my leader, Kim!) is so interesting, motivational and especially useful. Just like I feel that all these things I've learned over the years are tools that have been added to my "healthy living toolbox", I get another tool or two each week to add to my collection.
This week we talked about what kind of person we like as a friend. We listed characteristics that draw us to a particular person and then we listed qualities that repel us from someone.
Kim (leader) then explained how that voice in our heads is like a friend who is always there. If we've had a bad week and maybe gained weight instead of losing, which kind of person would we call...the positive, encouraging one or the negative one?
Of course we'd call the positive one! So why do we listen to that negative voice in our head telling us how bad or weak or lazy or dumb we are for messing up?! If we had a person in our life who only beat us down when we failed, it wouldn't be very long before we decided to not be around that person.
Kim also listed several phrases that the voice might say that we were all familiar with...
- you'll never lose the weight, you might as well give up!
- you did all that work to lose 2/10ths of a pound?! what a waste!
- you're nothing but a big fat slob and you'll always be a big fat slob
- yeah, you might've lost 2 pounds this week but I know you can't keep it up, sooner or later you'll start gaining again and end up fatter than you started
Unfortunately, we can't "escape" the voice in our head but we CAN decide to listen to the positive one...
- that's ok, it's perfectly normal to have ups and downs...you know what to do, you're good at doing it, just keep on doing what you know is right!
- you're strong and capable... you've lost this much weight already, I KNOW you can keep it up!
- it's 1 pound...tomorrow let's take an extra long walk and choose lower-points healthy foods
I have that negative "friend" in my head and it's said those things and worse to me over the years. The worse comes in usually when I'm standing in front of the mirror = (
So this week I'm going to work on squashing that negative voice and listening to the positive one...and I hope you do too!
I attended my 4th meeting today...I also got another sticker...a BIGGER sticker... so I guess that means Petey will get to laugh at me even more! I still don't mind = )
I got my 5% sticker today...meaning I've lost 5% of my starting weight...8 lbs. total. (7 pounds was my 5%)
I will only get 2 more stickers before I hit goal weight...a 10 lb. one and a 10% one. The stickers are really fun...it's fun cheering for the others who have reached these milestones and hearing them cheer for you too.
I also declared my goal weight today...124 pounds, like I mentioned to you last week. I also learned that you don't get penalized for going under but you are encouraged to try to maintain in that 4 pound range...122 to 126 for me.
I also learned that as long as I am maintaining, ALL the benefits are free! I knew that I would have free access to all the eTools but I didn't realize that all the meetings would be free also. And I DO really enjoy the meetings!! Have I mentioned that???
The information that the leader gives us (and I LOVE my leader, Kim!) is so interesting, motivational and especially useful. Just like I feel that all these things I've learned over the years are tools that have been added to my "healthy living toolbox", I get another tool or two each week to add to my collection.
This week we talked about what kind of person we like as a friend. We listed characteristics that draw us to a particular person and then we listed qualities that repel us from someone.
Kim (leader) then explained how that voice in our heads is like a friend who is always there. If we've had a bad week and maybe gained weight instead of losing, which kind of person would we call...the positive, encouraging one or the negative one?
Of course we'd call the positive one! So why do we listen to that negative voice in our head telling us how bad or weak or lazy or dumb we are for messing up?! If we had a person in our life who only beat us down when we failed, it wouldn't be very long before we decided to not be around that person.
Kim also listed several phrases that the voice might say that we were all familiar with...
- you'll never lose the weight, you might as well give up!
- you did all that work to lose 2/10ths of a pound?! what a waste!
- you're nothing but a big fat slob and you'll always be a big fat slob
- yeah, you might've lost 2 pounds this week but I know you can't keep it up, sooner or later you'll start gaining again and end up fatter than you started
Unfortunately, we can't "escape" the voice in our head but we CAN decide to listen to the positive one...
- that's ok, it's perfectly normal to have ups and downs...you know what to do, you're good at doing it, just keep on doing what you know is right!
- you're strong and capable... you've lost this much weight already, I KNOW you can keep it up!
- it's 1 pound...tomorrow let's take an extra long walk and choose lower-points healthy foods
I have that negative "friend" in my head and it's said those things and worse to me over the years. The worse comes in usually when I'm standing in front of the mirror = (
So this week I'm going to work on squashing that negative voice and listening to the positive one...and I hope you do too!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
You Say To-mah-to, I Say To-may-to...
Here's what I've been thinking about lately...
A friend requested prayer in her struggle to maintain a healthy weight. She knew I would understand and support her!
In addition to praying for her, along with praying for myself, I rattled off a list of things she could start doing.
After looking over the list awhile later, I realized that I'd given her the list of things that work for ME...not necessarily the things that will work for her. How presumptive of me = (
That got me to thinking about all the little bits and pieces of advice I've read and/or received over the almost two decades that I've been battling the war on over-eating/over-weight.
There are things I know that DON'T work for me...things I know I MUST do to maintain a healthy weight...things that I tried but didn't like...things that worked but are not sustainable over the long-term...things I consider unhealthy that I wouldn't even try...things that work for others that I WISH worked for me.
Some of these things were the opposites of each other. For instance, weighing every day for me is a MUST. I cannot rely on "how do my clothes fit?" I need that daily check-in and accountability. I understand and accept that my daily weight will fluctuate but it doesn't take too many days in a row of gains to realize that I'm off track somewhere.
On the opposite end of the line are the people who MUST NOT weigh every day! Once a week, once a month, once a year or never is what works for them. And you can observe this with every aspect of diet/nutrition/weight-loss/weight-maintaining.
So, Friend, I apologize for giving you MY list without even asking you what you've discovered works and doesn't work for you. It comes from a great desire to help and support you...offered with good intentions but not the best understanding.
Review your list of things that you know work for you and get back to doing those... I know you are strong and determined and will be successful because you are getting back on track!
The only time you will fail in the struggle to maintain a healthy weight is the day you GIVE UP. As long as we are trying, working, learning, growing, and even struggling, we're succeeding!!
A friend requested prayer in her struggle to maintain a healthy weight. She knew I would understand and support her!
In addition to praying for her, along with praying for myself, I rattled off a list of things she could start doing.
After looking over the list awhile later, I realized that I'd given her the list of things that work for ME...not necessarily the things that will work for her. How presumptive of me = (
That got me to thinking about all the little bits and pieces of advice I've read and/or received over the almost two decades that I've been battling the war on over-eating/over-weight.
There are things I know that DON'T work for me...things I know I MUST do to maintain a healthy weight...things that I tried but didn't like...things that worked but are not sustainable over the long-term...things I consider unhealthy that I wouldn't even try...things that work for others that I WISH worked for me.
Some of these things were the opposites of each other. For instance, weighing every day for me is a MUST. I cannot rely on "how do my clothes fit?" I need that daily check-in and accountability. I understand and accept that my daily weight will fluctuate but it doesn't take too many days in a row of gains to realize that I'm off track somewhere.
On the opposite end of the line are the people who MUST NOT weigh every day! Once a week, once a month, once a year or never is what works for them. And you can observe this with every aspect of diet/nutrition/weight-loss/weight-maintaining.
So, Friend, I apologize for giving you MY list without even asking you what you've discovered works and doesn't work for you. It comes from a great desire to help and support you...offered with good intentions but not the best understanding.
Review your list of things that you know work for you and get back to doing those... I know you are strong and determined and will be successful because you are getting back on track!
The only time you will fail in the struggle to maintain a healthy weight is the day you GIVE UP. As long as we are trying, working, learning, growing, and even struggling, we're succeeding!!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Right Thinking
Had a chance to test myself today on several areas of my thinking where I've been working.
We took Petey's old college roommate up to a church in Cleveland, Texas where he was sharing his testimony. Amazing hearing all that God has done in Dave Porter's life. He spoke on "not my will, but Thine be done". Dave and his family have suffered numerous MAJOR tragedies...just hearing about some of them left my heart in my stomach...but they've been able to say "not my will, but Thine". Good lesson, good reminder, lots of conviction!
The church had a time of fellowship before Sunday School...doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, sausage biscuits (I love!), and cookies were served. I had eaten a meal bar on the drive up to the church and knew I didn't need any more food so I stayed in my seat and didn't even go over to the tables.
It gave me an opportunity to think through the situation:
- am I going to stay away from treat tables for the rest of my life? no, but I'm fine with staying away TODAY
- how will I handle these kinds of situations for the rest of my life? well, I will think each one through, make my conscious choice to either eat or not eat...if I choose to eat, I will decide on what I want to have and how much...I will decide how I'm feeling as far as resistance goes...can I handle eating a certain amount and then stopping or will eating SOME lead to overeating MUCH?
- I REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY want to learn, thoroughly, a way of living that is do-able, in the real world, meeting every day situations, testing situations, a way to handle foods that commonly lead me to overeat
- meal replacement and protein bars are not as satisfying as real food...what are some solutions to "eating healthy on the go"? I didn't know they would be serving food here, it caught me off guard. I was hungry but they didn't have any fruit or any other thing that was healthy = (
- should I have some sort of cooler packed with REAL food to take with me whenever I leave the house? is that practical?
- should I eat when I'm hungry and then cut back the next day or do extra activity?
- what are the steps involved for me to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life??? there are so many different situations that I can't even dream up to try to be prepared for ahead of time!
Anyhow, I just wanted to share with ya'll...and get them down "on paper" for me to remember and ponder. If anyone has words of wisdom or practical advice, I'm all ears = )
We took Petey's old college roommate up to a church in Cleveland, Texas where he was sharing his testimony. Amazing hearing all that God has done in Dave Porter's life. He spoke on "not my will, but Thine be done". Dave and his family have suffered numerous MAJOR tragedies...just hearing about some of them left my heart in my stomach...but they've been able to say "not my will, but Thine". Good lesson, good reminder, lots of conviction!
The church had a time of fellowship before Sunday School...doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, sausage biscuits (I love!), and cookies were served. I had eaten a meal bar on the drive up to the church and knew I didn't need any more food so I stayed in my seat and didn't even go over to the tables.
It gave me an opportunity to think through the situation:
- am I going to stay away from treat tables for the rest of my life? no, but I'm fine with staying away TODAY
- how will I handle these kinds of situations for the rest of my life? well, I will think each one through, make my conscious choice to either eat or not eat...if I choose to eat, I will decide on what I want to have and how much...I will decide how I'm feeling as far as resistance goes...can I handle eating a certain amount and then stopping or will eating SOME lead to overeating MUCH?
- I REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY want to learn, thoroughly, a way of living that is do-able, in the real world, meeting every day situations, testing situations, a way to handle foods that commonly lead me to overeat
- meal replacement and protein bars are not as satisfying as real food...what are some solutions to "eating healthy on the go"? I didn't know they would be serving food here, it caught me off guard. I was hungry but they didn't have any fruit or any other thing that was healthy = (
- should I have some sort of cooler packed with REAL food to take with me whenever I leave the house? is that practical?
- should I eat when I'm hungry and then cut back the next day or do extra activity?
- what are the steps involved for me to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life??? there are so many different situations that I can't even dream up to try to be prepared for ahead of time!
Anyhow, I just wanted to share with ya'll...and get them down "on paper" for me to remember and ponder. If anyone has words of wisdom or practical advice, I'm all ears = )
Friday, April 20, 2012
Have you heard of intermittent fasting?
Howdy all...been a busy week! I'm doing just fine with my eating and still enjoying abundant energy.
After forcing myself to eat more food when I wasn't hungry at the end of the day because I hadn't consumed my 26 points, I made the decision this week to not do that. I feel much better! Some days I have points leftover, some days I eat them all, a few days I've used some of my earned activity points.
Weight Watchers tells you to "be sure" and eat all your points for each day. They've determined the point system based on meeting minimum nutritional needs for each weight range. They feel that if you don't eat your full points allotment, you're not meeting minimum nutritional needs and your health may suffer.
I'm thinking that perhaps because I've been making such wise choices and my food is nutritionally dense, it's filling me up more and leaving me satisfied. In any case, it was uncomfortable to eat extra when I wasn't hungry so I'm not going to do it anymore!
I went to my 3rd Weight Watchers meeting yesterday. I'm shocked and amazed at how much I enjoy the meetings! It's truly hilarious to me after so many years of disparaging them...hahaha
So more "hahahahaha"...I got a sticker for losing 5 lbs. so far...it's actually 6.4 lbs... and I was so proud to show Petey my sticker that he thinks it's super-funny and is getting lots of teasing-time out of it. I don't care...I AM proud of my sticker! Oh, I should post a pic = )
Anyhow, what I really wanted to talk to ya'll about is a very interesting article that I linked to through an email I got from the Livestrong Foundation...Lance Armstrong's foundation.
Here's the link...http://www.livestrong.com/blog/the-end-of-dieting/
It's a discussion on something called "intermittent fasting". I've heard of other people using scheduled fasts to help with weight loss. Of course I've read about fasting many, many times in the Bible. But this article validated the way I most like to eat!!
I've often told people that I'm hungriest between 10am and 4pm and then not hungry at all before and after those hours...that is, as long as I consume God-created-awesome-nutritional foods. If I eat junk during those hours, then I just stay hungry, all the time!
And also, if I ran long or hard that morning and didn't consume enough calories during those hours, then I will get hungry later in the evening. But for the most part that's how I'd like to eat.
But...I've read SO much info on how important it is to keep your metabolism revved up by eating 5 or 6 small meals spaced throughout the day and never go more than 4 waking hours without eating something, that I've been following those guidelines. And obviously over-eating = (
My two-fold problem has always been portion control and staying away from junk. I have a tendency to eat larger portions of healthy food than my body really needs and I am tempted by junk, which then tempts me more, and more and then my energy level drops because I'm feeding my body junk and I don't feel like moving, then I gain more weight and I don't have the energy to cook my healthy foods...the vicious cycle...which I KNOW exists and I'm determined to not fall prey to it again!!!
"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17 Yes, I acknowledge that I am sinning when I do not feed my body in a way that pleases God.
So, the house is stocked with healthy foods, I'm measuring my portions, I'm stopping when I feel full, I'm staying away from junk, I'm allowing myself small portions of treats that really mean something to me, such as ONE block of white chocolate after lunch or dinner. Petey brings this chocolate home from Germany...it's the perfect way to finish off a meal...seems to signal to my brain that I'm done and satisfied...just 2 points = )
And now, I have scientific studies that back up my desire to eat for 6 hours and fast for the other 18! I've naturally done this for most of my adult life, forcing myself to eat alot of times when I wasn't really hungry because I thought I was hurting myself somehow if I didn't.
I certainly won't TRY to do it...if I'm hungry outside of those times, I'll eat healthy food. But if I'm not, I'm not going to force myself to eat.
What say you?
After forcing myself to eat more food when I wasn't hungry at the end of the day because I hadn't consumed my 26 points, I made the decision this week to not do that. I feel much better! Some days I have points leftover, some days I eat them all, a few days I've used some of my earned activity points.
Weight Watchers tells you to "be sure" and eat all your points for each day. They've determined the point system based on meeting minimum nutritional needs for each weight range. They feel that if you don't eat your full points allotment, you're not meeting minimum nutritional needs and your health may suffer.
I'm thinking that perhaps because I've been making such wise choices and my food is nutritionally dense, it's filling me up more and leaving me satisfied. In any case, it was uncomfortable to eat extra when I wasn't hungry so I'm not going to do it anymore!
I went to my 3rd Weight Watchers meeting yesterday. I'm shocked and amazed at how much I enjoy the meetings! It's truly hilarious to me after so many years of disparaging them...hahaha
So more "hahahahaha"...I got a sticker for losing 5 lbs. so far...it's actually 6.4 lbs... and I was so proud to show Petey my sticker that he thinks it's super-funny and is getting lots of teasing-time out of it. I don't care...I AM proud of my sticker! Oh, I should post a pic = )
Anyhow, what I really wanted to talk to ya'll about is a very interesting article that I linked to through an email I got from the Livestrong Foundation...Lance Armstrong's foundation.
Here's the link...http://www.livestrong.com/blog/the-end-of-dieting/
It's a discussion on something called "intermittent fasting". I've heard of other people using scheduled fasts to help with weight loss. Of course I've read about fasting many, many times in the Bible. But this article validated the way I most like to eat!!
I've often told people that I'm hungriest between 10am and 4pm and then not hungry at all before and after those hours...that is, as long as I consume God-created-awesome-nutritional foods. If I eat junk during those hours, then I just stay hungry, all the time!
And also, if I ran long or hard that morning and didn't consume enough calories during those hours, then I will get hungry later in the evening. But for the most part that's how I'd like to eat.
But...I've read SO much info on how important it is to keep your metabolism revved up by eating 5 or 6 small meals spaced throughout the day and never go more than 4 waking hours without eating something, that I've been following those guidelines. And obviously over-eating = (
My two-fold problem has always been portion control and staying away from junk. I have a tendency to eat larger portions of healthy food than my body really needs and I am tempted by junk, which then tempts me more, and more and then my energy level drops because I'm feeding my body junk and I don't feel like moving, then I gain more weight and I don't have the energy to cook my healthy foods...the vicious cycle...which I KNOW exists and I'm determined to not fall prey to it again!!!
"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17 Yes, I acknowledge that I am sinning when I do not feed my body in a way that pleases God.
So, the house is stocked with healthy foods, I'm measuring my portions, I'm stopping when I feel full, I'm staying away from junk, I'm allowing myself small portions of treats that really mean something to me, such as ONE block of white chocolate after lunch or dinner. Petey brings this chocolate home from Germany...it's the perfect way to finish off a meal...seems to signal to my brain that I'm done and satisfied...just 2 points = )
And now, I have scientific studies that back up my desire to eat for 6 hours and fast for the other 18! I've naturally done this for most of my adult life, forcing myself to eat alot of times when I wasn't really hungry because I thought I was hurting myself somehow if I didn't.
I certainly won't TRY to do it...if I'm hungry outside of those times, I'll eat healthy food. But if I'm not, I'm not going to force myself to eat.
What say you?
Saturday, April 14, 2012
What's In a Number?
I've had numbers on the brain for several days now. I've been reviewing the food journals that I kept 8-9 years ago when I first did Weight Watchers "unofficially" = )
They are encouraging (I lost it once, I can do it again, maybe I'll run faster too!) and discouraging (I worked SO hard to never weigh this much again and now, here I am, weighing this much and having to work hard again when I never thought I would) and shedding light on what went wrong and what I need to get back to doing.
For instance, my last entry in the food journal was September 30, 2005. Why did I stop? I have ZERO memory of that time. I don't know whether I decided:
- I've done this long enough (nearly 2 years), I know the system, I don't have to write stuff down anymore
- from my notes I see that I was discouraged because I was weighing 100 pounds consistently and I had convinced myself that I would be double-digits for the rest of my life...I was REALLY bothered by this! so maybe I decided I wasn't going to weigh myself consistently and keep a food journal
- did life just get busy???
I really wish I could remember = (
I also found another food journal with tracking for a few days in 2007 and a few months in 2008. I know I have other notebooks around that were used in 2009, 2010, 2011. I know deep in my heart that journaling is necessary for me to maintain a certain weight...that's why I keep going back to it.
But for some reason, which I still haven't identified, I allow myself to stop journaling my food! Usually followed by my weight creeping up and then I stop weighing myself too.
But here are some things I've decided about that time:
- weighing double-digits is an unrealistic expectation and not the best guideline to shoot for
- I must must must MUST keep a food journal! I'm telling myself over and over that just like I plan on reading my Bible every day and I can't imagine going to bed without brushing my teeth every day, I WILL keep track of what I eat, someway, somehow, EVERY DAY.
- I will not stop weighing myself if the numbers creep up and I get discouraged. I must figure out some other way to deal with this instead of telling myself lame excuses and believing them all the while gaining more and more weight = (
- I need to somehow get it sunk deep into my brain that I do not need "treats" every day or every couple of days. Treats are treats because they're meant to be special. If I want to include something I consider a "treat" in my eating every day, I need to account for it with my WW points...so I can eat it and not feel guilty OR treated.
Something else that was amazing was seeing the paces I was running for training runs...lots of sub-8:00 stuff! I wasn't racing as much because we lived out in the country but man oh man...I had one training run of just over 10k distance that's faster than my racing 10k PR!
I'm pretty sure I won't be able to run that fast again but I'm also pretty sure that I can run a whole lot faster than I can right now! hahahaha
So, here's another area of numbers that I've been thinking about: how numbers motivate us to lose weight or get more fit.
- some want to weigh a certain number of pounds
- some want a certain BMI or body fat percentage
- some (Junebug!) are aiming to lift more weight or do more sit-ups or move higher in their CrossFit competition = )
- some want to wear certain size clothing...either based on the size they wore when they remember feeling the healthiest or some other size that is personal to them as a goal
- some are aiming for a certain waist size...medical doctors have told us that below a certain waist size for men and women, the health risks decrease dramatically
- some have been told to lose weight to get their cholesterol, A1C, blood sugar level, or blood pressure down to a certain number
- we can have our metabolism tested to see how many calories we burn at rest... we have nutritional information on most foods and drinks...we have watches and techy things to tell us how many calories we are burning
{My Nike FuelBand will be arriving soon! I believe it will be another tool to remind me to stay active and make it more fun}
- and now with Weight Watchers, I am counting points instead of calories, which I believe to be a better system...but that's information for a future blog post = )
But the biggest reason I've been thinking about numbers, specifically a goal weight, is because I have to decide on one before too long. To become a Lifetime Member in Weight Watchers, you maintain your goal weight, plus or minus 2 pounds, for 6 weeks. That is my goal...to "reach Lifetime".
And to maintain Lifetime, you do a once a month weigh-in where you are still required to be within 2 pounds, plus or minus, of your goal weight. So deciding on your goal weight is a BIG DEAL.
So here's my dilemma...if I make the weight too high, I will lose to that amount and then I WILL NOT be able to lose beyond that for 6 weeks, at least, and then will have to try to maintain that monthly.
If I make my goal weight too low, it might possibly be a struggle to maintain that weight long-term. And I know myself well enough to know that if it's too much of a struggle, I'm likely to fail = (
The problem I have is that my weight fluctuates (or I ALLOW my weight to fluctuate!) over the course of a year. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I have no trouble maintaining 115-119 during the summer but come winter, that gets harder and harder to do.
But if I set my goal weight based on my winter weight, I will have to stop losing pounds before I'm at a happy point for this summer and then eat extra food, or at least more calorie dense food, next summer when my weight naturally drops due to a higher activity level and a lower appetite level due to more sunshine.
The number that I'm feeling the most comfortable with is 120 pounds...allowing me a range of 118 - 122. We weigh with our clothes and shoes on so that would translate to a 115 - 119 body weight.
Hmmmm...that's just what I told ya'll is my easily maintained SUMMER weight. I didn't think about my "nekkid" weight.
So if I'm comfortable with 118 - 122 clothes-less weight for year-round, that would mean 122 - 126 fully dressed with shoes for weigh-in at the meetings...so a declared goal weight of 124. That actually sounds do-able long-term = )
Now maybe you're beginning to understand why I've been thinking about these numbers so much!
The other reason I've been thinking about numbers...and this is the last thing, I promise...is that some people are able to never weigh themselves. They have a certain pair of pants that they use as a gauge...when the waist starts getting tight, they cut back. If it gets too loose, they eat a bit extra for a day or two...A BIT EXTRA FOR A DAY OR TWO are the operative words!
I've tried the "I'm not going to weigh myself, just keep this pair of pants handy" and it does not work for me = ( For some reason, I need to see that NUMBER on the scale to prove to myself that I need to go lighter for the day or fit in extra activity.
So just like I plan on keeping a daily food journal, I also plan on weighing myself every day. I weigh at night because I'm checking my hydration level and it gives me the most accurate body fat percentage.
Also because weighing first thing in the morning is not accurate due to multiple trips to the bathroom before heading out to run...my fellow running-buds will understand!
And now I'm off to weigh myself and go to bed. But I already know my weight will be higher than normal because I just ate a big bowl of cottage cheese and beets and drank 16 oz. of water for a very late supper since I was bathing 5 kittens... who desperately need good homes...PLEEEEEEEEASE!!!!
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