Excuses, excuses

I recently had the opportunity to read Tim Ferriss's The Four Hour Body.  His book is worth a look - quite an interesting viewpoint.  The diet he promotes is low carb, but he encourages beans or lentils - a lot of them. 

What interested me, though, was the excuses I read:

"This is obviously written for a bachelor/young man who eats out twice a day."
"I can't follow this because I'm a woman and this was written for a man."
"I can't do this because I'm a mother with young children at home and I'd have to prepare two meals."
"I can't....
"I can't....

See the pattern?

Honestly, darn near any weight loss program you choose to follow will work over time.  Watch your calories, up your protein (ladies especially), eat lots of vegetables, easy on the fruit, no processed foods.

If you want something, you will find a way.  If not, you will find an excuse.

Working Out

I've posted before about exercise being a key to fat loss.  With the warm weather, I've begun interval training outdoors again (I just couldn't manage treadmill running over the winter - I was overwhelmed).  Running is wonderful for those with little time - you can accomplish a lot, and you get started just by putting on some shoes and heading outdoors. 

Even just an easy walk is a great way to start.  Work up to 30 minutes of walking, and then start adding in some interval running.  Right now (and I'm still just a beginner myself) I do a 5 minute walk to warm up, then I run for 1 minute and walk for 2 minutes for 6 rounds, and then walk for 5 minutes to cool down.  That's 28 minutes, 6 of which are running.  I'll do that until it begins to be easy, and then I'll adjust the rest time down and increase the rounds, or adjust the running time up.  You really can fiddle with it anyway you want, so long as you increase the time you're actually running. 

I'll also stay on a 1:2 interval, but push harder during the runs - I'll try sprinting for a minute, or at least going faster. 

Within the next couple of months, I plan to head back to the gym and start lifting weights again, but for now, I'm just creating a routine of starting the day with exercise.  That will help keep the weight off long term.

Too Cold to Run

You gotta love Utah weather.  We went from 75 degrees yesterday, to cold today.  I am sensitive to cold, so I chose to postpone my run till tomorrow.  (It should warm up.) 

I'm also thinking that I should switch the time of my run to mornings rather than evenings.  I get too tired and overwhelmed in the evening. 

We'll see how it goes....

Reviewing HCG

I am beginning a new round of HCG (today was my 2nd load day) and realized that not only am I nearly out, I don't know if I can get more from my supplier in time.  So I've been  looking at other brands of homeopathic HCG to see what my alternatives are.

I've been getting some good laughs reading the reviews.  Remember - Homeopathic HCG has a vibrational fingerprint of HCG, so everyone who is used to the shots is screaming "Oh my hell, there's no HCG in that!"  Of course not.  And I don't care!  I want to know one thing, and one thing only.

Does it work in conjunction with the Simeons Pounds and Inches protocol?  

After reviewing several sites and brands, I have decided that nearly any brand will work.  Don't freak out if it says "hormone free" - homeopathic does not contain anything but water.  And that's OK, because it still works.  I don't care if it's a placebo effect, I care if the scales are going down and my clothes are getting too big - and if I still feel good through the process.

Tomorrow I begin the diet itself.  I've got chicken breast, apples, cucumbers, and lettuce waiting for me.  After gorging for two days, I'm looking forward to eating what I know will work.  Cucumbers are delicious sliced up with salt and maybe some hot sauce - just as good as chips!  Apples with a dusting of cinnamon, perhaps a dip of stevia, strawberries dipped in a little stevia for a treat.... I am never hungry on HCG, in fact often the salad and protein are plenty.

I'd tried to do a few more rounds before, but just could not stick to the diet, mostly for emotional reasons,  and ended up quitting within a couple of days.  This time I have firmly decided that the last 40 pounds are coming off.  I should reach that by Easter.

So far as the running, I'm struggling to get that done.  I have come to enjoy running, but the added step of getting to the rec center seems to be more than I want to do right now.  I did go yesterday, and I plan to go today.  Last week I was so exhausted for some reason that I was sleeping 12 hours or more a day and just felt like I couldn't function.  I don't know what the challenge was - last time that happened I was on vacation in Central America and fell asleep every time I was in the car, in addition to nights and siesta.  I must have been pushing myself way too hard (which would also explain the shoulder injury).

I will report back tomorrow!

No running today....

Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with me.  And I've been exhausted all day.  Ugh.  Tomorrow, I will go to the city rec center and run there.  (I hope they have treadmills.)  At least it will be warm. 

I noticed yesterday that I was a lot more winded than I had been after running.  It will take some time to build up conditioning and shock my body into releasing the weight.

I also plan to do a salt water flush in the morning.  Sounds pretty nasty, but if it helps me lose weight, I'm all for it.

Getting back to workouts....

I injured my shoulder about 6 weeks ago.  After 3 weeks of trying to work through/around it, I finally had to let it rest.  It was bad enough that working was agony - and I work at the computer!

It's starting to get better, so I decided to start running again.  I do interval runs only, 5 minutes of warm up walking, then 6 rounds of running for one minute, walking for 2.  Then a 5 minute cool down.

Interval running burns more fat than "steady state" cardio does, and gets you into shape faster. I don't know if it's desirable to do the hard, hard, intense workouts - I know trainers who promote them, but I believe I can reach my goals with a much gentler approach.  What good does it do me to work out hard if I keep hurting myself?

My plan is to maintain my nutrition, plenty of vegetables and fruit, lean protein,  a gallon of water a day, and stay off the Diet Coke.  I'm using this weekend to start easing myself into it.  Then I'll do the "hard core" dieting during Lent, appropriately enough.  :)  Actually, 40 days ought to be enough time to take the bulk of the weight off and get used to a new eating plan.  I will also do the interval runs every day except Sunday.  I may run tomorrow anyway to establish the habit.  (There is a major winter storm supposed to be coming in tonight, so the weather will be a factor in running tomorrow.)

So, anyway, I just finished my run, and it was very difficult this time.  I was winded - I hadn't been winded during an interval run in ages.  The lack of exercise has been showing up in a tighter (almost uncomfortable) fit to my jeans, not just on the scales.  But since I know what to do, I'll keep up the hard work and know it will come back off.  Then it will be a matter of working off the rest of the extra weight....

Headed the wrong way....

My weight is edging back up, partly due to a shoulder injury (can't work out without re-injuring myself) and eating too many processed foods.  Evidently cheddar-jalapeno Cheetos are not good for weight loss, lol!  I am finding myself unable to stick to my diet plan - any diet plan. Too much emotional eating....

 I'm still anxious to reach my goal weight of 125, though.

I did get my interval run in this morning and last night.  I run intervals because I hate running, and because spiking the heart rate burns more fat.  I think for me, activity is almost more important than nutrition - partly because when you're more active (at least for me) there's less tendency to eat junk.

Changing tactics

Well, it seems that I have to be very careful about exercise.  I have injured my shoulder trying to do heavy workouts requiring a lot of focus early in the morning (when I'm honestly not yet awake).  I have decided to stick to interval training in the evenings for now.  I'm also watching what I eat very carefully.  The weight is coming off more slowly, but it is coming off, and that is what counts!

Tips?  Guess what, there's an app for almost anything you want to do!

The top thing I've found for weight loss is water.  Lots and lots of water.  Temperature doesn't seem to matter.  I found a "Drinking Water" app for my android phone that allows me to keep track of how much water I'm drinking. 

I'm also using "Lose It" for tracking food and exercise.  I don't know how accurate it is, but it does help keep track of approximate values, so I'm not scarfing down everything in sight and wondering why I don't lose weight!

Back to Working Out

I am re-starting my exercise program tomorrow.  Boot camp on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Couch to 5K on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  This is going to take a lot of self discipline.

I've looked hard at my nutrition and eating habits.  I eat fine, plenty of veggies and protein, easy on carbs.  Nothing extreme, which I think is how nutrition should be.  I should have a healthy relationship with food, not worrying about everything I ever put in my mouth.  I've eliminated sugary foods and most carbs, focusing more on fresh stuff.

Now I need to get back to exercising.  When I have lost a lot of weight before, I worked out every day, sometimes twice a day.  I'm going back to that.  Couch to 5k, developed by coolrunning.com, is designed to help a non-runner (like me) work up to running 3.1 miles a day (5k) comfortably in a 9 week program.  It's interval training, which should make my trainer, Mat, happy - he preaches intervals and tabatas. 

I've been injuring myself a lot (shoulder, hip, knees), so I will probably take longer than 9 weeks. 

One of my challenges with working out is simply that I have so much to do, I need to get up early in the morning to do my workouts, and I don't like getting up early.  However, my alarm is set, and I'm planning on a 6:30 wakeup every day to get this in. 

And, she's off.....

Nobody's Perfeckt.

Not even me.  Today has been  a struggle for me.  I've been dealing with some emotional baggage - almost always emotional eating or boredom is what derails my dieting.

It's so easy to think, "Well, I had that piece of cake today, I guess I'll eat everything in sight and go on a huge binge!"

Self-forgiveness works better.  OK, so you went off the diet at 8:15.  Go right back on it at 8:25!  It's ok.  Forgive yourself and move on.  There's nothing magical, it was just one little cheat, don't do it again, and keep moving forward.  Don't get discouraged.  It's just one occurrence.  It's only going to hurt your diet if you don't get right back on the diet and keep going. 

Onwards!  And let the scale move downwards!

Dealing with Special Occasions

Today is my youngest child's birthday.  He's 8.  Guess what that means, dieters?

Cake and ice cream.

(Dun, dun, DUNNNN!  Cure horror music.)


Let's face it.  food is at the center of most of our social occasions and holidays.  We really can't get away from it.  No one wants to hide in the closet.  We all want to have a social life!   How do you stick to your diet or P2 protocol when you're celebrating? 

Well, since I'm in charge of food, the first thing I'm going to do is make sure there are foods there I can eat.  Sliced apples, strawberries, celery sticks, grilled meat or a salad.  If you're attending a function where you're not in charge of food, ask if you can bring something.  Your host will appreciate it. 

At a restaurant, tell the server you're on a special diet, and they'll bend over backward to help you.  I had servers at Texas RoadHouse bring me an extra salad since I couldn't have any of the other sides on the menu - once I said "I'm doing HCG" the girl perked right up and told me she would take good care of me.  And she did, too! 

If you can, eat before the party so the tempting foods aren't so tempting.  Fill up on lots of water.

And, most importantly, if you do have a slice of cake, forgive yourself and move on.  It's not an occasion to eat the whole cake and all the leftovers.  Just accept the stall, and keep moving forward.  Really, it's not the end of the world.

You can stick to it with a little preparation!

Headachy And Still Want Sweets! More on Emotional Eating (VLCD Day 2)

Yup, I'm still dealing with the emotional eating aspect.  I want to go on a monster binge - and that has nothing to do with hunger, but everything to do with sadness.  I'm still using EFT to manage the emotional process. 

Eating is such an emotional activity.  We eat when we're happy, we eat when we're sad.  We eat to celebrate (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day), and to commiserate.  We tend to eat more when we're with others (not me, though, as a binge eater I eat more alone).  Staying on a diet like this brings the emotional component of eating right up front.  I can't sit down and binge when I'm trying to lose weight, I have to feel my feelings.

Which usually isn't fun.  When I want to binge, I'm trying to fill an emotional void, which means I'm just not very happy.  I don't like being not happy, and I don't like feeling sad or blue, so I have a tendency to stuff those feelings right down.  Usually washed down with a half gallon of ice cream, eclairs, cheesecake, frosting right out the can....  Somehow salad doesn't quite work as a comfort food. 

Give me Southern fried foods, mashed potatoes loaded with gravy, and sweets any day. 

But for now, I need to forgo the comfort and remember the discipline.  I know what I want to look like.  I know what I want to feel like. 

I can do this. 

Too Many Carbs!

I am going to pay for this meal tomorrow! 

My brother in law works as a chef at Brick Oven here in Provo, Utah.  Delicious food - very high carb, though.  Pizza, pasta, and bread.  My body loves carbs - so much so that releasing them is a challenge. 

I wouldn't have gone there at all except Brick Oven really is delish, and my parents are in town visiting me and my sister Denise - and Cody gets a discount. 

So tomorrow, it's high protein and apples.  And salad. 

Perhaps the trick is not to scarf down everything in sight, but to remember that it's one meal and not a sign of poor willpower.  Eating is a very social activity, and it would have been impolite at best for me to squawk about the food choices for this one meal.  Now that the meal is over, I'm back on my eating plan.

Will you gain it back?

Possibly.  It depends on whether you choose to.  And it doesn't matter what diet or diet supplement you use.

Will you gain it back?

If you go back to your unhealthy eating habits, if you stop weighing in regularly, if you scarf down chips and dip? Yes. 

If you continue with a nutrition plan that works well for your body, and you eat lots of veggies, and keep your carbs down?  Not likely.

Will you gain it back?

Will you choose to?

So far, so good!

I've recommitted to releasing the last little bit of weight.  It's been too easy lately to eat a bunch of foods that I know are going to pack on pounds (ice cream sandwiches, chocolate eclairs, and Nilla wafers have been my comfort foods of choice lately). 

So I'm back on protocol, and much to my surprise I released 4 pounds the first day. 

I've printed out my low-carb menu from Saving Dinner's Menu Mailer, and I've chosen my veggies.  I'm heading to the grocery store tomorrow.

I'm getting cucumbers that I can salt well for a crispy treat instead of potato chips.  Apples - trying different varieties.  Honeycrisps are delicious!  And a terrific treat is an apple dusted with cinnamon, perhaps with a little stevia.

I'm stocked up on yerba mate and herbal teas.  They are delicious with stevia to sweeten them and help me relax before bed. 

And I'm doing the acupuncture and EFT to help me control my cravings. 

So far, so good - I just have to take things one day at a time.

Returned to Boot Camp

Yes!  I'm back to boot camp after 3 weeks off.  (No, not the military type - Mat the Trainer is an amazing trainer - no one else around does what he does!)  It felt so good to be using my muscles again.  I'd been stressed to the limit with Tim's hospital stay just before Thanksgiving and trying to get all my clients caught up for the end of the year.

I am a firm believer in the importance of exercise.  I always feel better all over after I work out (even if I do squawk and complain before and during)!  I sleep better, the weight drops off faster, the little black cloud that follows me around lifts. 

My weight is up, largely from uncontrolled emotional eating.  Remember the stress I was telling you about?  Couple that with the holidays - and I ended up with a gain.  That's OK though - I can take it off!  I've already proven that to myself. 

I'm excited to be back to boot camp, and excited about the possibilities 2011 brings!

Holiday Break

I am taking a break from active dieting.  I'm sitting at 155 right now.  My goal is to be about 135, so I still have about 20 pounds to go.  My boyfriend thinks I'm thin enough (although he said that 30 pounds ago, too, bless his heart!) and is actually concerned about my losing too much weight. 

I'm a size 4 jean according to the jeans I just bought at the thrift shop, a size 7 in designer (stretch denim).  Overall I'm very happy with my size.  I'm getting compliments all over the place. 

After the holidays (probably after my birthday in February) I plan to do another round to release the last little bit of weight.  Right now, I'm maintaining very happily.

Stress and weight loss

For several months, I've been concerned about a relationship, and very stressed out about it.  For over nine months - my weight loss has been stalled, I haven't been able to stick to the protocol, and I've been very stressed out.

Lo and behold, he comes back into my life with a commitment to make it work this time - and I've lost 7 pounds this week. 

Hooray!

Current weight: 150.4, goal weight 125, waist measurement 27.8 inches.

Discovered a new favorite salad dressing!

Mmm.  Asian dressing.  I have eaten plates and plates of fresh homemade salad (NEVER buy bagged salad, it's nasty, and it always goes bad in my fridge) dressed with a little Asian dressing. 

And apples!  I've rediscovered apples.  Fresh, sweet, cold, juice apples.  Sometimes I forget how good real food is!

Working at Home - A Mixed Blessing

Yup, I'm back to my home office.  Hurray!  (I like change.)  And as I continue my journey to 125 pounds, I can see that this is a mixed blessing.

Up in Alpine, there were no close restaurants.  So at work, either I brought food from home, or I was stuck in the office with my Diet Coke and bottled water.  At home....well, the fridge is right there. 

On the other hand, it's stocked with healthy food choices.  I've got my leftovers from last night waiting for me.  I'm close to the grocery store - and it makes more sense for me to purchase there and choose better foods. 

All in all, I'm having better success (so far) at home, since all my cooking stuff is here, and with a little forethought, I can choose better lunches that I might have when I was in the office.