WLW - Think positive

Good morning!

It's Weight Loss Wednesday and I'm pleased to report I've hit a milestone. Drum Roll Please...

I've lost a total of 45 pounds. BOOYah. :)

Let me tell you that every single pound has been a struggle. If I have to fight this hard to lose a pound at my current weight, I don't even want to think about what it will be like 145lbs from now. :(

Lately I seem to be on a seesaw from hell. Last week I hit the 45th pound and was working on number 46 then WHAM - gained three pounds. There is no reason that I can discern. I didn't do the candy bar polka or dive face first into a cake. So I'm still working on getting those three pounds back off and outta here. The best part is people are now noticing I'm losing - myself included. I have some shirts that were tight around the belly - my zone of HELL - and now they are loosening up. My old sweat pants are about to hit the charity bag because...well...they fall down. :)

So how are you doing?

Many people have emailed me to ask what I'm doing to lose the weight. First is what I call, Intentional Exercise. I go to the pool three days a week for one hour each day. This week I've added one more day of intentional exercise and my plan is to finish my bedroom this week. (I've been redecorating - don't ask).

Food - my calorie intake varies from 1400 to 1800 depending upon what I'm doing that day. Most doctors will tell you to pick a calorie level and stay there but it doesn't work well with me. It almost feels like my body gets used to that calorie level and wham - I stop losing. So I try to mix it up a bit and that usually helps. I might spend a week at 1400 then increase to 1600 for a few days then back to 1400 - might not work for you but it does for me. Then again I have quite a bit to lose so I have that luxury.

Breakfast - For me I need to keep it as simple as possible. A protein shake and fruit. I use a powdered shake with skim milk and on pool days I use Slim Fast. My fruit is a banana when I have them in the house - they keep me full. I usually have breakfast around 7:30 am - gotta hit the pool early. No fruit? I eat yogurt. I'll be honest, I don't like the light stuff so I stick with the 6oz yoplait line.

Snacks are a little tricky and this is when I'm most likely to go astray. My snacks vary from granola bars to yogurt, fruit, cheese and crackers - my only guideline is to keep it around 150 calories or so. I usually try to avoid sweet things as they will trigger you to eat more.

Lunch - High protein! My favorite lunches are Big, Big salad with lean meat, strawberries, feta cheese, pasta on occasion, chicken, steak, fish - something like that. I will have a small amount of bread or crackers but this is the end of my bread for the day. This is also my biggest meal of the day.

Snack time is around 3 - did you know your metabolism dips around this time every day? This is what drives you to the snack machine. My afternoon snack is usually protein or fruit.

Dinner - small meal. Usually meat and two veggies. No carbs.

Snack - same as above. I will allow myself to have a little something sweet here. Check out the Weight Watchers desserts or low fat ice cream, pudding etc.

Emergency snacks - My emergency snacks are low fat cheese, granola bars or those 100 calorie packs. I'm still ingesting more sugar than I'd like but that seems to be the hardest thing for me to break. I can leave the chips alone but sugar? It's my kryptonite.

I'm off to the pool - wish me luck!

WLW: Updates

Yes, I know it isn't Wednesday...but I didn't manage to post yesterday so git over it. :)

It was a good week - I lost two more pounds. Even more exciting is that is, right now, as I type I'm wearing a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to fit into in more than a year. Now THAT is what I call progress.

So far I've lost a grand total of 38 pounds but honestly, I don't see it. I know I feel much better, have less pain in my knees, have more energy, but I don't see it when I look in the mirror. A friend said my face was thinner and my response was 'That's nice but a smaller face will only make my belly look even BIGGER." LOL!

That's why I'm excited about wearing the jeans. I could wear them this time last year, but breathing was optional and if I was bending over - it was impossible. Now I'm not going to say they are totally comfy now - but I can breathe this time around so I'll take that as a victory.

So who caught Oprah on Monday? One of her guests was Erik Chopin from The Biggest Loser 3. In total, he lost 214 pounds and now, three years later, he's gained 107 pounds back. IMO, Erik is the reality of weight loss.

Statistics say that 95% of people who diet and lose weight will gain it back. In most cases, they will gain what they've lost and thensome. That's certainly been the case with me. I've lost at least 600 pounds in my lift and I'm still 200 pounds overweight. Did I weigh 1000 pounds? Nope but sometimes it feels like it.

It started in high school. I was around 230 and I was 5 foot 11 inches. (I say that because I'm SHRINKING DAMMIT!) I lost 70 pounds by not eating and taking diet pills. Three years later I was in the mid two hundreds...went to Weight Watchers and back then the scales only went to 250 and they made me feel like crap because they had to jump through hoops to weigh me. I'm still not a WW fan but if it works for you - go for it. :) Lost weight...gained more back... In my early thirties I went to Jenny Craig...lost 90 pounds...gained more back...I think you get the picture. I think I'm like most people when it comes to weight loss. We're of the idea that once we get 'it' and we lose the weight then we're done - the problem is cured. Oh how wrong we are.

After watching Oprah and Erik's conversation I have finally (well hopefully its the LAST time) decided that weight is something to be managed like a serious illness. People can live with AIDS or Lupus or CFS because they work their lifestyle to take their illness into account. They actively work to be healthy, to stay healthy, to get enough rest, take vitamins etc.

Weight loss is something to be managed, not overcome. I will never be free of needing to watch what I eat and chances are neither will you. Sucks doesn't it? But here is the deal - embrace it now because if you wait until after you've lost weight then gained it back plus another 15 - you'll be kicking yourself hard like I did. And that really sucks.

So how was your week?

WLW - Victory is mine!

Greetings Readers - yes, it's Wednesday again. I know it's painful and I feel for you. So put down your Snickers bar and strip down to your bare skin - it's scale time. Since I started up WLW again, I've lost a total of six pounds.

Well - I think it should be 6.2 pounds because I was wearing my socks on the scale. :)

It's been a struggle - no lying here. And we're heading into the most calorie laden time of the year. Some of my tricks to keep my butt from taking over my zip code are:
- Water, it's all about the water. The more you drink, the more you'll lose. It keeps you hydrated and it helps you to feel full sooner.
- Going to a friend's for dinner? Volunteer to bring a fruit or veggie plate.
- Don't deprive yourself. I'm not a fan of stuffing so I'm safe there, but I do love mashed potatoes and gravy. My trick is to take a smaller portion and for every bite of that decadent dish, take two bites of veggies and big water.
- Desserts - did you know pumpkin pie has the least amount of calories of all pies? 1/8 of a pie sans whipped cream, is about 300 calories. Light whipped cream (in a moderate amount!) can add 25 - 50 extra calories.
- Snacking - think raw and avoid processed. Veggies w/ cream cheese are tasty and filling.

What are your strategies for watching the calories?

WLW - Victory is MINE!

Yes, it's that time again. Time to hop on the bathroom scales and wish you'd weighed yourself before chugging a 32 ounce glass of water. The bill is now due for that one little cookie you snitched from your kid's lunch.

No, I haven't been looking in your windows. LOL!

My total for the week is...two pounds. Yes, I actually LOST this week. LOL. I wish it had been more but then again, I always wish it was more. I have to admit that I haven't been on my best behavior either so I'll take my two pounds and run with it.

Some of you have emailed me to ask what I'm doing to lose weight and my answer is simple - eat well and exercise. I know - not nearly as exciting as you'd hoped...but there it is.

Exercise - I have some physical limitations that prohibit me from doing standard exercises. Thanks to my craptastic knees, I can't run (wouldn't want to) and my walking is limited. So instead I go to the pool.

First off - I would live in the water if I could. It is the best thing you can do exercise if you have joint pain - the arthritis foundation recommends water aerobics.

I took a few classes then figured out I'm not a team player. So now I go to the gym (its pricey but you have to ask yourself - aren't you worth x number of dollars a year?) three days a week and I do my workout for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Basically my goal is to be in the water and move all of my limbs for that length of time without stopping.

According to my weight calculator (www.keyoe.com) it burns about 400 calories.

I think the trick to exercise is to find something you really enjoy that doesn't include having a couch strapped to your butt. I love to walk and years ago I would walk every morning. Now with my knee degenerating - if I walk then I pretty much have to take it easy the rest of the day. And if I overdo it, I run the risk of not being able to walk for a couple of days - so its the water for me.

How did you do this week?

WLW: I'm not surprised!

For many months I put off resurrecting my Weight Loss Wednesdays because I had a secret fear that the moment I told people I was trying to resize my butt that I'd gain weight. So I started up the WLW last Weds and what happened...

I gained a pound.

LOL! The universe has a really sick sense of humor.

I have a tendency to be private about some things and weight loss in one of them. Seeing that I'm an emotional eater, I honestly don't know how I will do from one day to the next. I know - all you skinny people are thinking "well if she'd just step away from the donuts" but I'm here to tell you that it just doesn't work like that...and I'm not a fan of donuts. :)

Emotional eating stems from being unable to express your feelings. The reasons for this is as varied as snowflakes, child abuse, child neglect, domineering relationships, feeling ignored, low self esteem, alcoholism, drug abuse - you name it, someone is suffering from the inability to embrace and express their emotion side. Most obese people have some sort of issue that plays into their obesity - people don't just sit down one day and say wow, think I'll gain two hundred pounds - that will REALLY make me happy.

There are also medical reasons for obesity, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome has a side effect of obesity. There is something called Insulin Resistance which means that the body doesn't handle insulin properly so instead of burning calories it takes them and turns them into fat. Some hormonal imbalances can be a cause of obesity - the list goes on and on.

So anyway - emotional eaters stuff our feelings by stuffing our faces. Big calories = Big emotional relief. We've all heard the term Comfort Food - these foods are usually high in fat, sugar and carbs (mac & cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, ice cream, snickers) that the moment we ingest them we are assailed with feelings of safety, security, familiarity - you get the picture.

Unfortunately broccoli, carrots and rice cakes are not comfort foods!

So one of the reasons I don't discuss weight loss with friends is because inevitably I'll have a bad week and someone will say, "How's the weight loss coming?" I'll mumble something appropriately noncommittal but their innocent question only reinforced the fact that I've been slacking. Then I'll dwell on that...you get the picture. No, I won't rush out and molest a Krispy Kreme truck but I don't want the negative thought in my head. I know when I'm slacking and I don't need to be reminded! (Do I sound psychotic yet)

So there are two choices. I can continue the downward spiral of emotional eating (It's only a potato chip, I'll only eat one...then you wake up with salt on your face and chip crumbs in your bra) or I can say no, this isn't the path I want to go down.

The difference between those who fail to lose weight and those who succeed is...pay attention...this is a huge secret...those who succeed go back onto their plan after they screw up. Wow, who knew? They don't kick themselves and load up on McDonald's, they promise to do better and then they follow up by walking the walk. Kicking yourself for eating badly at lunch doesn't help you achieve your goal. It doesn't help how you feel about yourself and your body. Why are you beating up on yourself so much?

Let's face it - the cosmetic, weight loss and diet industry makes billions each year by making you hate the way you look. They put unrealistic images of beauty in front of you and promise that if you buy this then you can look like a prepubescent girl once again.

Not a wrinkle will mar your skin if you put sperm whale urine on your face.

Your husband will never leave you if you lose just ten more pounds...

Lose the love handles by spending 399.00 on Suzanne Somer's Love Handle Destroyer...

We can all look better with some effort, weight loss, exercise, eating right - but must we hate ourselves during the process? Not all of us were meant to look like Demi Moore. Hell, even Demi wouldn't look the way she does without tens of thousands of dollars in plastic surgery, personal trainers and chefs. So how about we take all of the self-hated the beauty industry heaps upon us and toss it out the window for a change?

No matter what you see in the mirror each morning, I think you're beautiful both inside and out.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Its time to get serious and face the music. My butt is so big...(how big is it)...it now requires its own zip code. :)

Seriously - I've been fighting the battle of the bulge since the day I was born. Its only in the past few years that I've come to understand why I am overweight and why I eat emotionally - more on this later.

But let's start from the beginning. In August of 07 I decided its time to take off the gloves. I've always been a haphazard dieter. Nother ever lasted more than a few weeks with the exception of Jenny Craig. I think the only reason that worked for me was because I was forced to invest Big Money to stay on the program. I lost about 72 pounds then gained all of it back plus 48 more.

The lesson learned? Diets don't work. There, I said it. That 700 million dollar industry that claims you can lose weight IF you use their product...is lying to you. If some pill really worked don't you think everyone would be all over it? That was a tough realization because I kept thinking that it was something *I* was doing wrong. Instead I forgot the prime rule of advertising - they want your money and they will lie to get it.

So would I say that Jenny Craig worked? Yes, using any calorie / fat restricting food plan will work BUT you have to do the homework and find out why you overeat. Simply resticting calories will cause you to lose weight, but you won't keep it off until you understand HOW you got there in the first place.

But before we go into that I want to share with you the life changes I've made to lose 27 pounds so far! :)

1 - Change of Attitude - Success starts with a healthy dose of 'I Can Do This'. There was a study done in the Netherlands which found the people who had the confidence in their ability to control their weight lost more than those who doubted themselves.
Be realistic in your goals and think in small portions. Set a goal of 5lbs rather than 25lbs. The more goals you reach, the more focused (and successful) you'll become.
Got a pair of pants or a dress that is too tight? Hang it up on your bedroom door so that you see it day in and day out.

2 - Clean up that Kitchen - This is a key to success. Get rid of the junk food - just having it in the house will entice you to overeat when you're having a weak moment. Heck - even when you're feeling strong you can stray from your life plan! I know I do.

3 - Get cooking - The more you cook the better you'll be at doing it. People who eat at home are more likely to stick to their eating plan. (raising hand) Me too! I try to eat out only 1 - 2 a month.
When you come home from the grocery story, clean and cut up your veggies (celery, carrots) and put them into baggies where you can grab them quickly.
Research new, light recipes at www.allrecipes.com - get a subscription to Cooking Light Magazine and Weight Watchers Magazine. I have both subscriptions and they're great!

4 - Make Friends - If you have friends that are trying to lose weight also, get together or join an exercise or weight loss program. Another option is to join a weight loss group online. Heck - comment on this blog - I'll keep you company. :)

5 - Get Ready to MOVE! - Research indicates people who move more, lose more. Yeah - sitting on the couch watching movies doesn't burn nearly as many calories as walking. (I hate math too)
Find an exercise you enjoy. For me it was swimming / water aerobics as I absolutely LOVE being in the water. The best part is that I go to the pool and join up with a group of health-minded indivduals and I'm the youngest! :)
Make a scedule for your exercise. It is as important as going to the doctor or taking your car into the garage. Those activities are scheduled - shouldn't your exercise be scheduled too?

6 - Drink - Bring on the water! I've found the more consistent I am with my water intake the more weight I lose. Also, I'm less likely to retain water which is important.
Bored with water? Add some lemon or mint, chunks of fruit, cucumber - anything to add a little flavor.

7 - Be Honest - Math doesnt lie. If you eat too many calories and don't burn them off with exercise you WILL gain weight. No ifs ands or big butts about it.
Keep a food journal - yeah, I hear the groans already. I hated doing this until I discovered a little program at http://www.keyoe.com/ - and it tracks everything for you. Woot!
The scale really is your friend. Keep track of your weight and the above program does that too.

8. It's all about Habits - This is not a diet - this is a Life Plan. Either you manage your life or it manhandles you, its as simple as that. Plan ahead and keep foods on hand that will enable you to stay on track. Yogurt, cheese, high fiber cereal, fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter, whole grain crackers - those are staples in my kitchen.

9. Forgive yourself - If you slip it isn't the end of the world. Losing weight is is a long term goal - it isn't something that happens overnight. If you have a small slice of cake, you won't gain all your weight back but you have to remember to get back to reality the next morning.
I allow myself snacks - I'm a sucker for chocolate cake. Do I eat cake? Yes, in moderation. I will bake a cake (no icing - not a big fan of it) and freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic. How do I keep from eating the whole thing? I keep telling myself that eating the cake will not enable me to reach my goals. I want to feel better, look better and move more easily.

10. Learn from your mistakes - Keep a journal for emotional support. Write down WHY you want to eat that cake. What is going on inside of you? What are you trying to fill with that cake? Keep doing this and you will, over time, see the pattern to your overeating.

Now, ready...get set...GO!