tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51362911859447650472024-03-13T04:56:33.421-06:00Diminishing ReturnsA blog about weight loss in the real life of a very average (vegetarian) Jane.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-33710666966238940272013-02-01T09:58:00.000-07:002013-02-01T10:00:57.020-07:00It's those gentle reminders we love so well.Here I am eight months after <a href="http://eatblogeat.blogspot.com/2012/06/in-praise-of-eet.html">the last post</a>, and I had to re-learn what I had already learned there. I knew from the feel of my clothes and from having to buy a new pair of jeans that I was near or at my highest weight ever, which is the same weight as full term pregnancy but without a baby. I decided it was time to not do that anymore, and I started food journaling at Sparkpeople. It worked, it worked great. But my calories were low enough that I was, in effect, cutting out most breads and other carbs of that nature, and eating mostly veg and [vegetarian] protein—which is good, but two days ago after my morning shower I was so depleted of energy I couldn't even lift my arms to blow dry my hair. Really truly.<br />
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So again I remembered EET, and yesterday I ate a much more substantial and carb-heavy lunch, and the day went so much better. Sparkpeople is going to be an important tool in making sure that my intake is very balanced between fats and proteins and carbs, but I am going to incorporate the "treat meal" concept that belongs to Jon Pearlstone, along with many other things I learned back when I was actively EETing, especially delaying the first meal a few hours after waking and exercising. I [re-]learned that planning my meals is especially important these last couple of weeks: if I have a plan in place I don't really deviate from it, but if I don't have a plan I scramble all day long eating whatever I want and trying to make the calories (but not the nutrients or essentials) fit into the mold. Planning is important, and I'll keep doing it.<br />
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I've decided to weigh on the first day of each month. So I lost 4.4 pounds in the last two weeks of January. :) I'll take it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-5327504089648640662012-06-06T10:22:00.000-06:002012-06-06T14:17:37.286-06:00In praise of EETThe story so far:<br />
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1. Once upon a time, I birthed my seventh baby a year and a half before my 20-year high school reunion. Knowing how long it can take to lose baby weight, I started right in on the efforts. Mainly used calorie counting at <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/register.asp?from=friend&ReferredBy=835333">sparkpeople.com</a>. Benefitted from breastfeeding: was able to eat plenty of food every day and still create a calorie deficit. Succeeded. Weighed my pre-seven-babies weight six months before that reunion. Maintained it for well over a year. (See all posts having to do with my experiences with sparkpeople.com <a href="http://eatblogeat.blogspot.com/search/label/sparkpeople">here</a>.)<br />
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2. Gained a little weight. Counting calories didn't work quite as well for me when I didn't have those extra breastfeeding calories. Tried a different method, <a href="http://www.eatstopeat.com/5th.html">Eat Stop Eat</a> with periodic fasts. The first few fasts were difficult, but once my body was used to going without food for a period, I didn't even feel hunger pangs on fasting days. Could lose up to 4 pounds in a single fast, but once I resumed eating I'd have two-and-a-half or so of those back. Was maintainable because I could eat the foods I loved, in portions. Lost 2 or a little more pounds a week. Got back to pre-seven-babies weight. Maintained it for probably 4-5 months. (See all posts having to do with my experiences with Eat Stop Eat <a href="http://eatblogeat.blogspot.com/search/label/eat%20stop%20eat">here</a>, and there are a lot since this blog was started to chronicle my progress through it.)<br />
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3. Hub got laid off. Stress. Gained a little weight, then more. Tried fasting, but the emotions and stress were too high so my fasts were shorter and my eats were bigger. Didn't really lose.<br />
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4. Didn't want to count calories or fast; didn't see any real results when I was counting calories or fasting. Nearly a year had passed, hub's work was steady, stress was much lower. Tried something new: <a href="http://eetfit.com/">EET</a>, which is all about the timing of meals. I did have limited success, even though I insisted that the program conform to me rather than me conforming to the program. I absolutely insisted that I must be able to eat the same foods that I made for the family for dinner in the evenings. Wanted to be an example for those beautiful seven children. Mr. EET Jon Pearlstone worked with me, trying to tweak the plan, and we did see slow and small progress. I never reached my goal weight because I had to drop out when finances became tight. (See one more post on my prior EET experience <a href="http://eatblogeat.blogspot.com/search/label/EET">here</a>.)<br />
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5. Floundered on my own, trying parts and entireties of everything I'd done before. Lost a little, gained. Gained a bit more, lost a little. Worked out faithfully for a bit, took a while off. Ended up, nine months after dropping out of EET, at my highest adult weight ever, exactly equivalent to my full-term pregnant weight.<br />
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6. Beloved sister began losing weight. Fast. Taking names and kicking it to the curb. And I thought, I have to do this now, so that I can get small while she gets small. Pride wouldn't let me be the bigger sister. <a href="http://eatblogeat.blogspot.com/2012/03/having-bit-of-success-so.html">So I started exercising, eating less carbs. Cut out virtually all sugar, thanks to a challenge from a friend who had begun the Paleo diet.</a> (See my prior struggles with sugar <a href="http://eatblogeat.blogspot.com/search/label/sugar">here</a>.) Ate very healthy meals, lots of veggies and protein for breakfast and lunch, family meal for dinner, fasting 2 meals 2-3 times per week. I was dropping a pound a week or so. Sister was losing 4-5/week. Lost about 12 pounds of the 30 I wanted to lose. After months of watching sister and Paleo diet friend shed pounds very quickly while I went slow as a snail, I decided: there is something about this eating dinner with my family that isn't working. Something about my carb intake that isn't working. I borrowed my sister's book, The 17-Day Diet.<br />
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(Thanks for sticking with me! We're almost to present day!)<br />
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7. Began the first 17 days of very low (for me) carb diet. Did I lose weight? Yes. Multiple pounds per week, which felt like a miracle because my loss had been so slow and full of stalls and tiny fractional regains. Also, I was hungry all the time—hungrier by far than when I fasted and ate nothing. (True story.) I lost all energy in the afternoon—after about 2 p.m. I was all wrung out and exhausted and had nothing left to give, and even food didn't recharge me. Cooking dinner for the fam felt like a monumental energy expenditure. In the first 10 days I lost another 6 pounds, though, so the loss made the low energy and the hollowed-out hunger doable. But then I ran out of steam. I had to add in some carbs. <br />
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The first two days of eating carbs were like a free-for-all. I was just downing everything I could get my hands on. Of course the number on the scale crept up a couple of pounds, both from actual intake of too many calories and from retained water. I went back to the very low carbs for another 5 or so days. Then I realized several things:<br />
<ul><li>I was not eating what my family ate for dinner, and the kids were surviving. Most often they didn't even notice what I had on my plate.</li>
<li>Not eating carbs at night was working, in terms of losing weight.</li>
<li>Not eating carbs ever was NOT working for me, and would not be sustainable in the long term. Or even really in the short term—it took all my willpower and a few cheat days to get through the first 17-day cycle.</li>
<li>All my objections to the EET program had been done away with. I could, in fact, eat something different than the fam at night. I could, in fact, eat very low carbs at some meals. If I could eat carbs for lunch and maintain my energy through the day <i>and still lose</i>, I could do EET. Long-term.</li>
</ul><br />
So for my second 17-day cycle, I decided to skip right over the info in the book and try EET again.<br />
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And you know what?<br />
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MIRACLE.<br />
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I have energy now, all day long.<br />
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I am not hollowly hungry, ever. One step further, I am satisfied! Because I am eating the foods that I love at lunchtime. I no longer look at food and think, "Looks delicious. Can't ever have it."<br />
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If something crosses my path that I shouldn't eat, I can resist it fairly easily. Because I can eat it tomorrow at lunchtime. No deprivation, just timing.<br />
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I am literally just three days into this. This isn't my final check-in or anything. But this morning I had my lowest weigh-in since item #2 up there, and that's after having eating literally the most calorie-laden food I cook for lunch yesterday.<br />
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Suddenly eating is fun again. And whereas my upcoming anniversary weekend (married 20 years on Monday 11 June! yeah!) was going to be a drag without any of the foods I loved, now I look forward to having a couple of special meals.<br />
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Will report back on how it goes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-83696080689308753252012-04-27T08:08:00.002-06:002012-04-27T08:08:41.372-06:00I spent a lot of weeks this month at pretty much the same weight. I was glad not to see any gains, and this week I finally lost a bit again. Still plugging toward my goal. Have lost 12 pounds total, and the clothes do fit just a bit differently. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-39663570439179698402012-03-30T09:16:00.000-06:002012-03-30T09:16:22.650-06:00Having a bit of success, so...How many different things have I tried and documented in this space? How many times have I cleared out that sidebar with week-by-week weight progress, and started anew?<br />
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I'm experiencing moderate, measurable weight loss, so I guess it's time to clock in again. What am I doing?<br />
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(1) One of my very good friends, who is following a paleo diet, challenged me to cut out sugar. Like, all sugar. Unbelievably, I did it; it took a few days or a week to reprogram myself, but the sugar cravings finally went away. However, even 15 or 18 days into my no-sugar streak I was still making the decision individually, every time sugar was in front of me. Am I going to eat this? Or not? I knew that plain old no sugar was not an answer for me. I purposely chose to eat and savor a Krispy Kreme doughnut over spring break with my children (and honestly, though it was very good, it wasn't as good as my brain told me it would be, and that tought me a lesson). And then I went right back to sugar-free without problems. So I've decided on a long-term plan, I think. Once a week I will either make or purchase the sugary treat I'm wanting most, and I will eat a single serving of it and I will feel it dissolve in my mouth and I will enjoy the heck out of it. And this will give me the strength to avoid other sugary things just because they're in front of me, I hope. This decision has relieved me of the decision making process, at least; I no longer have to decide with each and ever treat whether I'm still sugar-free or not, because I know my treat is coming on Saturday and it's going to be fabulous. However, I can't argue with the results. Not eating sugar has helped me.<br />
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(2) I've gone back to food combining for most of the day. For all meals and snacks before dinnertime, I eat only foods that digest well together. This means fruits absolutely alone, grains alone or with veggies, proteins alone or with veggies. I've tried to cut down my carbs during this period, and increase my proteins. I think this has helped a lot, too.<br />
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(3) Most importantly, I still eat the dinner I prepare, exactly as I prepare it, with my children. I think it is important, essential even, for me to set an example for my kids. Why would I make them something so unhealthy that I can't eat it? Why would I teach them that our diet is not a diet I can healthily loose weight on? So this is my stickiest point, and I'm very dedicated to it: I eat dinner with my family, and I eat what they're eating. (So during this meal, I often do combine proteins and grains, veggies and fruits, etc.)<br />
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(4) I am also fasting twice per week, breakfast and lunch only.<br />
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My goal is to lose about 5 pounds per month. I have 30 pounds to lose, and this will let me be goal weight by the end of the summer. Start of the summer would be better for swimsuit wearing, obviously, but I don't think it's realistic.<br />
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Happily, I exceeded my goal for March. I lost about 8.2 pounds. And I feel like I'm on a roll, like things will only improve from here. Wish me luck!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-57724336131114049742011-08-01T10:56:00.000-06:002011-08-01T10:56:35.350-06:00Counting caloriesI've spoken here before about <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/register.asp?from=friend&ReferredBy=835333">SparkPeople</a>. Counting calories was never manageable for me until I discovered SparkPeople, but now it couldn't be easier.<br />
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Here's a truth about me, and maybe about many other people as well: if I eat something sweet or unplanned, I mentally tend to say, "I've screwed up now, I may as well eat anything I want." I feel bad about eating it, and my guilt and feelings of failure push me toward emotional eating as a band-aid for the unplanned eating. It can be vicious.<br />
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Here's a truth about calorie counting: when I own up to eating those two lemon cookies (as I did yesterday at lunch, unplanned) and factor them into my calories, it's so much better than my mind made it out to be. An extra 220 calories? This is manageable. It means I have to eat a little less at my following meal, and it means I might go over my daily calories by 100, but it is so much less a catastrophe than my mind tried to convince me it was.<br />
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Counting calories and being honest on my food log helped me to avoid going overboard on food yesterday due to guilt. Writing it down, looking at it, and honestly assessing the damage is a great tool. No wonder food journaling has been such an important weight loss tool to so many people for so long!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-52946763550614311532011-06-02T08:47:00.000-06:002011-06-02T08:47:41.481-06:00Back and forth. Up and down.I'll start by saying this: I'm at peace with me. I bore seven babies, I love food, I move my body, I am what I am.<br />
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I have gained and lost 10 pounds quite a few times now. I start, I think I'm on a roll, I level off, I maintain, eventually I gain. I probably have more starting over posts in this sad little blog than I have anything else.<br />
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I have a goal, an actual goal. I've never set one of those before, to lose X by date Y. I went to a number of BMR calculators to see how many calories I should (theoretically) eat in a day to accomplish it. But I made my goal reasonable, 1.5 pounds per week, and it's going to be a long haul to get where I'm going. Anything worth doing is worth doing over the long haul; but though it may be simple, that doesn't mean it is easy.<br />
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I've removed exercise from the equation. That doesn't mean that I don't do it—on the contrary, I love exercise. It just means that I don't expect it to affect the scale. A good exercise week will not equate to a bigger loss, a specific kind of exercise will not be more magical than other exercise. So I do what I feel like doing every day. I move, I watch the sun inch up over the mountains, I saunter around my neighborhood, I do push ups and lift weights. However much, whenever I want, without the compulsion that this will contribute to a big loss on the scale. As long as it contributes to my feeling of well-being, that's all I want.<br />
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And I <i>do</i> feel well. I feel happy, healthy, and balanced.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-90159847877450278792011-02-04T11:28:00.000-07:002011-02-04T11:28:39.072-07:00My new jamMy current weight loss comes courtesy of <a href="http://eetfit.com/">EET</a>, which is personal online coaching. I'm in frequent contact with "Mr. EET" Jon Pearlstone—he goes over my weekly schedule with me, my forecast of what I'm going to eat/when, and when and what I'll do for exercise. He makes suggestions and tweaks based on what he knows from his own experience and from coaching others. This is new to me; I've never had a coach before. But it has been valuable, because for the first time ever all food is allowed in this weight loss plan. <br />
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I've been all over the map with weight loss. I've counted calories. I've counted fat grams and fiber grams. I've done intermittent fasting. I've done food combining, which is basically not combining foods that don't digest well together, like carbs and protein, in the same meal. I've refused to count calories, and instead counted food exchanges or portion sizes. I've gone off sugar. I've limited my sugar. I've denied myself. I've rewarded myself. I've sneaked. I've eaten whatever I wanted, thrown my hands up, and said, "To heck with today, I'll start again tomorrow."<br />
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With every previous diet, a treat or a day of big portions would usually throw me into a tailspin of sorts; I'd "punish" myself for my slip and be all the stricter in the days following. <em>Usually</em>, that would end up being the kiss of death for that particular weight loss effort. I have a hard time living with perpetual guilt, and an easy time living with eating chocolate whenever I want. Strict is disheartening, and it is difficult to maintain in the long run. And if I just quit weighing myself, I don't even know what the chocolate is doing to me.<br />
<blockquote><font color="red">Side note on my psychological make up:</font> if I go all strict on myself, and I stick with it and do perfectly and deny myself, and <em>then</em> don't see a measurable loss by the end of the week, I go a little wee bit nutso. If all that denial and difficulty didn't yield a loss, then my brain gives me no reason to continue. In fact, my brain gives me no reason to not go inhale without mastication all the delicious foods in my kitchen.<br />
</blockquote>The good part about EET is that the treats are built in. Mr. EET insists upon them! Every day I <em>must</em> eat something that I consider a delicious treat. I get to eat my favorite foods all the time, there's nothing that I need to save for special occasions, or that I have to deny myself and think, "Maybe when I've lost the weight I can eat that again." Everything is allowed. Which is the key to <strong>sustainability</strong>. And treats are the key to <strong>fun</strong>. It is magical, knowing I don't have to deny myself of anything; I may not be able to eat something that tempts me right then, at that very moment, but I never have to feel desperate because I can easily build whatever I want to eat into my meals sometime within 24 hours, and I can enjoy it just as much as I think I will. :) It takes Herculean self control to say, "I'll never eat my favorite chocolate chocolate doughnut again!" And it leads to failure. But it doesn't take nearly as much will power, almost none in fact, to say, "Mmm, delicious! I'll eat this after lunch tomorrow!" and just wait a few hours, knowing I get the whole yumzers thing.<br />
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So that's my new jam: internet coaching, and eating all my favorite foods every day. And so far, it's working out. I lost 10.2 pounds between 7 November and 31 January, and 7 of those were with the help of EET. I'm in a groove again, and really excited about it. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-37895938937954559032010-11-08T11:33:00.000-07:002010-11-08T11:34:05.774-07:00Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds<blockquote>Haub's "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his "good" cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent.<br /><br />"That's where the head scratching comes," Haub said. "What does that mean? Does that mean I'm healthier? Or does it mean how we define health from a biology standpoint, that we're missing something?" <br/><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html?hpt=T2">Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds - CNN.com</a></blockquote><br /><br />An interesting article, though it can't be called a "study". I did read the results of a study last week that directly contradicted this one, that found that the composition of calories was very important. If I can relocate it, I'll add it below.<br /><br />But I still find this interesting. This should <i>definitely</i> serve as proof that no form of calorie reduction is more valid than another, that any way of cutting calories can give a good outcome. (!)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-17062739078451410802010-11-08T09:04:00.004-07:002010-11-08T09:29:26.935-07:00Support groupMy eldest daughter got her driver's license at the end of August. It was a game changer for me. Now instead of having my morning schedule revolve around getting her <i>to</i> school and my afternoon-making dinner schedule revolve around getting her home, I have a lot more time to myself. I don't have to wake up early enough to get in strength training + cardio before I take her to school/make breakfast/start homeschool; it's like a miracle how I just have to wake up early enough to do strength training before getting the other kids up, and then just before I make breakfast I can go out for a really quick run while they clean their rooms, and then in the afternoons I can go out for a longer uphill walk.<br /><br />I've been doing this since the beginning of September, and I feel incredible. My running endurance has increased. (I don't have high aspirations in the first place, I probably only want to be able to run 2 miles or so.) I run every day instead of taking rest days. I have hardly missed a day of strength training.<br /><br />But I haven't dropped a single pound. In fact, weighing myself yesterday, I may have gained one. Sigh.<br /><br />So I found a couple of weight loss support groups on LiveJournal. My old one no longer exists so I have to start out with a new group and try to get to know people and make a place for myself, but hopefully it will become something good. And I signed up for a challenge—between now and 31 December to lose weight rather than gain it. I'm hoping that little bit of accountability to a group outside of me will help nudge me in the right direction.<br /><br />I already have good exercise habits established, and I'm making progress. This morning I ran a little farther than my minimum and still felt amazing; the only thing that made me stop was that I had to get home to the kids and make breakfast. This is really exciting to me!<br /><br />But I need to work on my intake. So my goal is to track food @ SparkPeople for the next six weeks. I'm really out of the habit so it will be something new. And hopefully it will shine a light on what I need to do to make this all work.<br /><br />Starting weight: 169.4 pounds. Good luck me!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-57593643918187387802010-08-11T09:07:00.001-06:002010-08-11T09:09:09.499-06:00I made it through!First fast (in the current series) behind me! Breakfast this morning was scrumptious. Food always tastes better after I've fasted. And I tell you what, when I'm skipping up to six meals per week, I'm always certain that the ones I eat are <i>good</i> and worth the calories.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-25684121910719746932010-08-10T08:55:00.002-06:002010-08-10T09:03:39.857-06:00Always on square one...is better than never starting at all?<br /><br />Sometimes I look in the mirror and I say, “I look all right. I look okay. For a woman who has had seven children, I’m not bad at all.” I am pretty average.<br />Other times, I remember when I weighed 140 right around the time of my high school reunion, I look at those pictures, and I’m not nearly so contented with my current state.<br /><br />Sometimes it’s so easy for me to adhere to smaller portions, to counting and reducing calories, to periodic fasting.<br />Other times, I get a twinge of hunger and my brain starts to shout YOU’RE REALLY HUNGRY! EAT! FOOD ISN’T BAD! and I think, that’s true, food <i>isn’t</i> bad. And I eat. And I’m usually pretty empty from fasting or eating tiny portions so I eat a <i>lot</i>.<br /><br />Sometimes I get a little jealous about all those women in Hollywood who have a lot of money and can just plastic surgery their way through the 25 pounds I want to lose.<br />Other times, I get a little angry that I feel like I want to look like them at all, that I’ve bought into the arbitrary and unrealistic body standard they portray.<br /><br />Sometimes I’m so glad I bought a Spanx body shaper, and figured out how to modify it so it worked for me. It goes from right beneath my bra to my mid-thigh, and it does wonders! But it didn't stay up very well. So I sewed on thick elastic straps, and now it’s perfect.<br />Other times, I wish I’d had this Spanx body shaper at 140 pounds, for my reunion. I only had a tiny bit of tummy then. Holy cow, I bet I would have looked great.<br /><br />Sometimes I am beyond faithful with exercise—pushing myself to improve, not content with doing as much as I did yesterday. Sometimes I focus on cardio (jogging and walking), sometimes on strength training. For the last four months of the school year and hectic kid schedules I thought, “I can’t wait for summer I can’t wait for summer I can exercise every day!” <br />Other times, I wonder what the point is. Or I want sleep more than I want exercise. After more than a month building up to a really good speed and distance, for the last three weeks I haven’t exercised at all. This morning I got dressed for it, but here I am writing instead. And I’d sort of like to go back to bed.<br /><br /><hr><br />Last night I decided I’d give a 24-hour fast a shot. Eat Stop Eat has worked for me before, and I know it can work again, if I can get around my sabotaging brain. If I can just train my brain to remember that food is merely fuel for my body, and that I’m not the meanest thing ever for not eating. If I can push past the few early first fasts, that are filled with hunger pangs, and get to those later fasts where skipping food is no big deal.<br /><br />So I didn’t eat dinner, and made it just fine. This morning my stomach is protesting, and once again I didn’t exercise. So many excuses. But even if I don’t do everything, I can do <i>something</i>. Fingers crossed I can be strong.<br /><br />----------------<br />Now playing: <a href="http://blip.fm/profile/alysonell/blip/51505177/The+Muse%E2%80%93Resistance">Muse - Resistance</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-56635468032595473802010-05-27T09:48:00.002-06:002010-05-27T09:53:14.159-06:00A beginning is a very delicate time*It strikes me this morning that the beginning is the hardest part. It's hardest to cut back on portions and step up exercise in the very beginning stage, when it's all deprivation and no reward. Later with some pound loss under your belt (so to speak, ha ha) it can kind of self-perpetuate, success begets will power which begets continued effort and continued results. But those first steps, where you're doing it and there's been no payoff yet, that's the part where it's hard not to eat the theoretical PopTarts in the cupboard.<br /><br />* A line spoken by Princess Irulan in the movie <i>Dune</i>. I'm such a nerd.<br /><br />----------------<br />Now playing: <a href="http://blip.fm/profile/alysonell/blip/45377093/Neutron+Star+Collision+%28Love+Is+Forever%29%E2%80%93Muse%E2%80%93Full+Version">Muse - Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-49536480497694684322010-05-26T17:43:00.002-06:002010-05-26T17:46:37.362-06:00Keeping onI think all is going pretty well.<br /><br />The plan: to fast breakfast and lunch three days a week (six meals, that's the same as fasting two 24-hour periods, right?). Physiologically it might not be quite the same, since different hormones are secreted with longer fasts; but in terms of calorie-reduction I think it works out the same. And it has the benefit of allowing me to eat dinner with my family every night. Fasting dinners was somewhat difficult to explain to my children.<br /><br />Fasted two yesterday, eating today, fasting two tomorrow. Exercising. Hoping for good things. Not weighing until Sunday, because I don't want to go "WHAT?!" and have it sabotage me.<br /><br />New goal: to be able to run 1.5 miles without any walking. Did a mile yesterday, so excited about that. Trying to build.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-19071252218942979512010-05-21T06:12:00.002-06:002010-05-21T06:15:04.117-06:00limping alongI should be exercising.<br /><br />I fasted two meals yesterday, which I thought would make a measurable difference in my weight this morning. But I weigh about .8 pound more than the last time I weighed. Funny how that stupid number—and I <i>know</i> how sketchy weight is as a measure of progress—has taken the wind out of my sails this morning.<br /><br />So stupid.<br /><br />Because I feel great! I'm doing so well!<br /><br />This is why I should weigh in no more than once a week, ever. And also! I should not care! Seriously, what is the big deal about .8 pounds?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-44450133306503079662010-05-20T16:27:00.002-06:002010-05-20T16:30:19.873-06:00Hungry todayNot unmanageably so, but my stomach is making its empty presence known. Still, I feel great about how the week has gone—not eating sugar, not craving sugar, subsisting on controlled portions, lots of great exercise. It's a good beginning.<br /><br />Hope like crazy it's sustainable. Going camping tomorrow—can I resist the smores and keep my portions low? I'd love to see a loss at the end of week one, and not gain back whatever I've managed to lose thus far.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-39264343590866092162010-05-19T07:48:00.002-06:002010-05-19T07:51:30.195-06:00Life I love you. All is groovy!Feeling insanely good this morning. Did 35 minutes of cardio before I woke the kids up, and then went out and ran a half mile afterward. Half mile isn't much, but there was a light rain falling and it just felt so <i>good</i> to push myself a wee bit harder than I already had. Abs work yet to come.<br /><br />Down about five pounds since Sunday morning's weigh in.<br /><br />----------------<br />Now playing: <a href="http://blip.fm/profile/alysonell/blip/44726377/Feeling+Groovy+by+Paul+Simon+and+Art+Garfunkel">Simon & Garfunkel - The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-34038628658455562502010-05-18T18:38:00.004-06:002010-05-18T18:44:11.451-06:00Finding my limitsSo I fasted two meals Sunday (total calories ~500) and walked about a bit, expending more than sedentary would.<br /><br />I fasted two meals Monday (total calories a bit less than 500) and exercised about double what I usually would. My energy level, despite the previous and current day's fast, was fantastic yesterday.<br /><br />I was going to eat only fruit leading up to my evening meal today, as a sort of cleanse. Tried to exercise, but could only do about 30 minutes of cardio and really pooped out during strength training. And I got light-headed around 3:00 and decided I needed to eat a meal.<br /><br />Lesson learned: Just barely over 1000 calories is not enough nutrition to sustain me into the third day.<br /><br />Lesson number two: I lost a total of about four pounds in two days. That's a good beginning. Am weakish right now, and looking forward to a good, filling dinner.<br /><br />Oddly, am not struggling with hunger pangs or cravings. No sugar three days now, though the cupboard is full of it. *shrug* I never know why things go well, I'm just glad they do.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-90842506968004935602010-05-17T21:01:00.004-06:002010-05-17T21:09:17.430-06:00So I guess I feel like writingWeighed myself Sunday morning, the result being the most I have ever weighed non-pregnant: 167 pounds. This exceeds my previous highest high by four pounds. <br /><br />Yesterday I fasted two meals, with nary a problem. Took a long walk with the kids after church.<br /><br />This morning's weigh in: 165.6. Today I also fasted two meals, no problem. Did more than an hour of cardio, plus upper body weight training.<br /><br />So excited for summer, when I get a little more time to myself. I can't maybe keep up that much exercise, but I can be more consistent.<br /><br />Hopefully, hopefully this is the beginning of something long term and subtractive. I feel amazingly good this evening, really full of energy though I've had less than 1000 calories in 48 hours.<br /><br />Wish I could predict. Would love to get back down to 140; 130 feels like a pipe dream at this point.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-52941619721944797472010-05-04T11:15:00.001-06:002010-05-04T11:15:59.898-06:00How Sugar Ages Your Skin - Prevention.com<blockquote>...Experts now believe that a lifetime of overeating sugar can make skin dull and wrinkled<br/><a href="http://www.prevention.com/health/beauty/natural-beauty/face-facts-about-sugar/article/be6fc5bd0d115110VgnVCM10000013281eac____?cm_mmc=MSNBC-_-AAC-_-9%20Most%20Aging%20Habits_SS-_-Face%20facts%20about%20suar">How Sugar Ages Your Skin - Prevention.com</a></blockquote><br /><br />Dag nab it. I sugar is still pretty much my favorite food group. Guess now I have to kick my cravings for the greater good.<br /><br />----------------<br />Now playing: <a href="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/broken+bells/track/the+high+road">Broken Bells - The High Road</a><br />via <a href="http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/">FoxyTunes</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-86164618206373753582010-03-16T20:02:00.004-06:002010-03-16T20:26:12.422-06:00It's always a roller coaster, isn't it?<ul><li>I'm at my highest non-pregnant weight. I've been here once before, and my body likes this weight. Loves it, maybe. I'm very stable here, I can eat a lot and not gain; but I can also eat a little, and not lose.<br /><br /><li>I have, therefore, 20 pounds to lose, to get to a good weight for me. My deepest desire would be 30 pounds, but I've never accomplished that weight, ever, for all my trying.<br /><br /><li>I've been exercising faithfully for about six weeks now, after a fairly long hiatus. My aerobic capacity is slowly increasing, and my strength is increasing as well. Just bought a few new strength training DVDs to help me mix stuff up a little.<br /><br /><li>Have been doing quite well in recent weeks on portion control, and eating less.<br /><br /><li>Made the mistake last week of weighing myself to see if all this exercise and careful eating has had any effect. I haven't budged so much as an ounce after more than a month of effort.<br /><br /><li>So Friday and Saturday I ate pretty much everything in sight, indulged in all my favorites. Delicious!<br /><br /><li>And then I realized what I was doing. Same old thing; if I don't see the results I think I should, I don't have the willpower to keep going. I inhale the baby, the bathwater, and everything else edible; since eating less didn't work, why not eat all I want?<br /><br /><li>So I'm back in the saddle more or less, and I'm not going to weigh myself. Because it's all a mind game. I want to eat well and exercise no matter what the results, and I don't want to lose control if there's no obvious difference on the scale.<br /><br /><li>Back when I started Eat Stop Eat and I didn't see results as quickly as I wanted, I determined that a 24-hour fast (say, from 6pm Mon - 6pm Tue) wasn't working for me. I was basically only fasting two meals because I'd begin my fast after eating lunch one day and end it before eating lunch the next. Wasn't working. So I started fasting calendar days instead, e.g. fasting all three meals on Tuesday.<br /><br /><li>The that ceased to work for me. Fasting became almost as much of a mind game as weighing was—me negotiating mentally with myself, or breaking down after two fasted meals and saying, "But food isn't bad!" while I consumed an entire day's calories.<br /><br /><li>I don't know why it took me so long—more than a year!—to remember the original form of Eat Stop Eat, but I decided yesterday after lunch to try again. So I fasted last night's dinner, this morning's breakfast, and today's lunch. Three meals. It was easy! I didn't even actually get hungry, though I wanted food.<br /><br /><li>The best part was, as Brad Pilon says, I got to eat on each day. I knew I could start yesterday because I'd already had two meals I really enjoyed; I knew I could make it through today because I could look forward to a delicious dinner. So perhaps, perhaps, I'm back in ESE business. We'll see.<br /><br /><li>Husband can't do Eat Stop Eat well at all, he gets migraine-level headaches when he fasts. He kept trying, did like 20 fasts with this debilitating head pain. (Going without food isn't an issue at all, in fact he finds it a relief not to have to think about meals. If only he could see through the blinding head pain.) Finally I told him that <i>I</i> certainly wouldn't do something that made me suffer so terribly, if it was only one of many options to accomplish a weight loss goal.</ul><br />----------------<br />Now playing: <a href="http://blip.fm/profile/alysonell/blip/35029326/Muse%E2%80%93Easily">Muse - Easily</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-58248807777487435552010-02-08T12:40:00.003-07:002010-02-08T12:56:28.126-07:00Excellent articles<a href="http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2010/01/snacks-now-account-for-a-quarter-of-daily-calories.html">http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2010/01/snacks-now-account-for-a-quarter-of-daily-calories.html</a><br /><br />This is a fantastic article about how we should be eating, and the two articles linked within it are even better. For ease:<br /><br />Eating frequently does <b>not</b> rev your metabolism: <a href="http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/metabolism-myths.aspx">http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/metabolism-myths.aspx</a><br /><br />Go longer between meals: <a href="http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/eating-frequently.aspx">http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/eating-frequently.aspx</a><br /><br />----------------<br />Now playing: <a href="http://blip.fm/profile/alysonell/blip/34586450/This+Too+Shall+Pass+by+OK+Go">OK Go - This Too Shall Pass</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-63288373836470766802010-01-23T12:42:00.005-07:002010-01-23T15:31:03.454-07:00This is everything it's cracked up to be!Weighed myself for the first time in months and months this morning. Was within one pound of where I suspected I was.<br /><br />I'm giving two thumbs way, way up for food combining so far. I'm staying full between meals, I'm eating less, and I have no cravings. I have cookies and chocolate in the cupboard, and they are <i>so</i> not an issue, which is nigh unto miraculous considering how I binged on sugar last weekend and the beginning of this week. I should still be having to muscle through withdrawals. Nope.<br /><br />Onward!<br /><br />----------------<br />Now playing: <a href="http://blip.fm/profile/alysonell/blip/32990158/a+fine+frenzy+you+picked+me">A Fine Frenzy - You Picked Me</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-59552779080614105832010-01-21T19:49:00.004-07:002010-01-21T20:01:19.858-07:00Even on day one, it worked.Quite a bit more energy today. Even after completing entire arms workout this a.m., I was able to go out and walk/jog just before lunch. Felt full all day. No cravings to speak of until now; now I want a little sugar, but it's so slight I can resist. Drank lots of water.<br /><br />Successful first day; of course, the success could all be in my head. But the head is half the battle, right? Hope I can spin it into successful longer period. :)<br /><br />----------------<br />Now playing: <a href="http://blip.fm/profile/alysonell/blip/32806143/Muse+Hyper+Chondriac+Music">Muse - Hyper Chondriac Music</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-30694821168400841962010-01-21T08:48:00.004-07:002010-01-21T10:26:49.122-07:00Would that my electronic life were easily portable!This weight loss blog has been around since <a href="http://eatblogeat.blogspot.com/2008/10/introduction.html">18 October 2008</a>, but my efforts have been going on a much longer time than that. Over on my LiveJournal (which is my main blog, and not publicly accessible because I protect many of my entries) I've been talking about weight loss for a very long time. Two of my seven babies were born while I have been blogging, so naturally there's some weight loss discussion there. I had a 20-year high school reunion. And I had, just the regular maintenance and mini-battles with the three pounds I kept gaining and losing.<br /><br />In fact if you read my LJ, you might see how much I fixated on a certain number, how my spirits fell if I didn't lose after a week of being good, how I struggled, how I succeeded. There are three things that really made me lose weight: Eat Stop Eat with the periodic fasting, counting calories at SparkPeople.com, and food combining.<br /><br />I haven't talked about food combining at all in this blog, because it's a thing of my past. When I had just barely birthed baby #7 and was looking to drop that weight, I was really cautious about how I went about it. I wanted to be sure that I fed him properly and gave him all the nutrition he needed, without giving myself too much nutrition. I'd fallen into that trap before, eating too much and gaining weight in the name of feeding the baby.<br /><br />So I downloaded an e-book called <a href="http://www.breastfeedyourwaythin.com/">Breastfeed Your Way Thin</a> which turned out to be one of the best things I'd ever done. It was a sensible plan anyone on any diet (even a vegan, like I was at the time) could follow, because it's all about food combining—eating foods in certain combinations.<br /><br />That's the flash back. Here's the present day.<br /><br />I've been half-heartedly counting calories for a few weeks now, and trying a little bit to fast now and then. Neither has been terribly effective because I kind of jump ship and eat without recording or break my fast. But what has been effective, is that I'm in my third week of consistent strength training. It's just a tiny little routine, Mondays and Thursdays I work arms, Tuesdays and Fridays legs/butt, and Wednesdays abs. But the consistency is what's important.<br /><br />For two full weeks and M-W of this week I <i>struggled</i> with energy levels. I just could hardly make it through half of a decent workout before I was exhausted. Gradually my muscles have been less sore after workouts, but always I lifted or squatted or whatever to the point of shaky and fatigue.<br /><br />(The good news is, this morning I was finally able to finish the entire arms workout. Here's hoping I get the same thing tomorrow with the legs/butt!)<br /><br />Anyway, energy has been a huge struggle for me. I'm tired because I'm getting up a lot earlier to exercise, and I'm exhausted and fatigued after strength training.<br /><br />And this morning, I remembered an entry I'd made years ago when I was faithfully following Breastfeed Your Way Thin and combining my foods. This is from January 24, 2006—almost exactly four years ago today. Hmm, interesting.<br /><br /><font color=green><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote>From <a href="http://www.breastfeedyourwaythin.com/"><i>Breastfeed Your Way Thin</i></a> by Shannon Crawford, regarding food combining:<br /><br />"One thing I do know from direct experience is that many of us have a tendency to rely on food for emotional support: we eat to feel better. Before I came upon food combining, this was a recurring theme for me. I would feel bad, eat junk food to distraction, then feel bad about that and repeat the cycle. But when I started my program, within a few days my moods had improved significantly. I really couldn't believe how much happier I felt. <br /><br />"Many people who have adopted food combining have stated that they feel much happier with life, they experience less stress, and feel better overall. I am not clear as to why we experience this, but it might have something to do with the increased energy we feel. Or perhaps with better nutrition and health our hormones are better regulated, resulting in improved, more stable moods. Regardless, the direct result of this is very clear; when we feel better, we turn less to food and more to life."</blockquote></blockquote><br />I had noticed over the last, say, half a week or perhaps more, that I was having a startling lack of food cravings and temptations. All I've been wanting is my healthy food, and I haven't been foraging through the treat cupboard for leftover Christmas candy or anything. I haven't heard the doughnuts calling me from inside the convenience store when I go to gas up the car. And then I thought, "Not only am I not having cravings, my mood is incredibly stable." And <i>then</i> I thought, "Hmm, and my energy level is good, too."<br /><br />And then I reread this part in the book yesterday. Can I blame it <i>all</i> on food combining? I don't know, but I do feel remarkably peaceful and content, even though I'm eating slightly smaller portions and making an effort to avoid treats.</blockquote></font><br />In fact, that was more positive things than I remembered, I was just thinking about the energy levels. It knocks out cravings too?<br /><br />So I was thinking about this this morning, and decided to go for it. I'll brush up on my food combining this morning—it's been years, after all—and I'll see if I can get that boost in energy, mood, and the ability to withstand cravings that I need right now. Just had a huge glass of fruit smoothie for breakfast. I can eat a couple of pieces of toast between breakfast and lunch. Crossing my fingers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136291185944765047.post-77052711464391409692010-01-04T19:02:00.002-07:002010-01-04T19:03:14.629-07:00Not bad for a first day.Portions: controlled.<br /><br />Calories: very acceptable.<br /><br />Exercise: also went walking and jogging for about 20 minutes.<br /><br />Not much, but it's a start.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0