I'm still in San Francisco. Not a whole lot to say tonight. I'm very tired, frustrated, not exactly happy. More tired than unhappy though, so I guess that's a good thing.
Eating isn't perfect. I'm missing meals then eating too much when I do get to eat. I worked out Monday and Tuesday, but overslept today. Tomorrow I'll go to the hotel gym.
I still want to go home. Maybe tomorrow.
Rabu, 30 September 2009
Day 273 - My Most Common Breakfast
I have a serving of this each morning with milk. It's filling, and it tastes good. Sometimes I will have some fresh fruit on top too. Gives you 50% of your daily fiber without feeling like you are eating the cardboard box. It really surprises me that it tastes so good, no need for sugar to get it down. Often it will hold me until lunch, but sometimes not. On those days, I will have a handful of nuts to hold me over.
Low resistance
I am so tired today. It's like I am half drunk or something.
I rushed around this morning cleaning up and doing bits and bobs, and then made a beef and onion pie from the last of the Sunday beef joint. I minced the beef and onion and added mashed sweet potato to it.
I bunged that in the fridge and then DH has a call from TB's DH about getting a new computer. So we shelve our plans of cinema, day of chilling out etc to traipse to the city and look at PC's. I semi wanted to get a pressure cooker, so decided - what the heck - I'll go too.
So, DH, TB and TB'sDH and I all went of the the city in the big red fun car. DH and TBDH went to PC world, and me and TB went to Argos.
I honestly didn't think that we would be out long, but things take time and we didn't get home until gone 5pm. I hadn't had a single thing to eat all day.
I had been so busy getting things done this morning, I hadn't had time for my protein shake, and I had only managed a coffee and some health pills - the black cohosh tablets I was going on about a few weeks ago remember?. Then of course, we hadn't been around at lunch time, so no shakes there either. We stopped at Aldi and I bought some orange juice, but couldn't drink it. I puked it up when we got back to TB's house.
I sat around there, and had to put into action the 'sip a minute' thing for the first time this week. It works really well. It really makes you think about what you are doing, and slows your processes completely. I managed a coffee before we came home which was good. When I got in I quickly made shake, but I was so tired and stressed even after that.
I made the pie and used the new pressure cooker to do the spuds and carrots, and it was all great. I had lots of gravy too. I managed a 2 finger sized portion of the pie, 1 half potato and about half a carrot with gravy. This was totally enough. Thank goodness my band didn't decide to be fickle this evening.
I am finding that the restriction is really mega in the mornings, and is still there in the evenings, but still nice enough to be able to eat a sensible dinner. I am not starving myself that's for sure!
I never did get to watch atonement, so I am off to watch it now - looking forward to it after the comment, so bye for now.
I rushed around this morning cleaning up and doing bits and bobs, and then made a beef and onion pie from the last of the Sunday beef joint. I minced the beef and onion and added mashed sweet potato to it.
I bunged that in the fridge and then DH has a call from TB's DH about getting a new computer. So we shelve our plans of cinema, day of chilling out etc to traipse to the city and look at PC's. I semi wanted to get a pressure cooker, so decided - what the heck - I'll go too.
So, DH, TB and TB'sDH and I all went of the the city in the big red fun car. DH and TBDH went to PC world, and me and TB went to Argos.
I honestly didn't think that we would be out long, but things take time and we didn't get home until gone 5pm. I hadn't had a single thing to eat all day.
I had been so busy getting things done this morning, I hadn't had time for my protein shake, and I had only managed a coffee and some health pills - the black cohosh tablets I was going on about a few weeks ago remember?. Then of course, we hadn't been around at lunch time, so no shakes there either. We stopped at Aldi and I bought some orange juice, but couldn't drink it. I puked it up when we got back to TB's house.
I sat around there, and had to put into action the 'sip a minute' thing for the first time this week. It works really well. It really makes you think about what you are doing, and slows your processes completely. I managed a coffee before we came home which was good. When I got in I quickly made shake, but I was so tired and stressed even after that.
I made the pie and used the new pressure cooker to do the spuds and carrots, and it was all great. I had lots of gravy too. I managed a 2 finger sized portion of the pie, 1 half potato and about half a carrot with gravy. This was totally enough. Thank goodness my band didn't decide to be fickle this evening.
I am finding that the restriction is really mega in the mornings, and is still there in the evenings, but still nice enough to be able to eat a sensible dinner. I am not starving myself that's for sure!
I never did get to watch atonement, so I am off to watch it now - looking forward to it after the comment, so bye for now.
Now on YouTube! What Next?
Hello Neighbors!Where will the social media revolution end? First it was Blogger and I've been here since 2005. And of course there is the premier destination for all weight loss surgery friends: the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood.This year I hooked up with Facebook and Twitter to extend my networking. Now I can keep up with all my weight loss surgery friends no matter where I go on the Internet.
Where are YOU?
In a dark hotel room, somewhere near the San Francisco airport, my cell phone rings at 12:37am. I awake from a sound sleep to answer it.
Me: "Hello?"
Husband: "Hi!"
Me: "Why are you calling me?"
Husband: "I wanted to me make sure you're okay."
Me: "Of course I'm okay. I'm home. I don't understand why you're calling me."
Husband: "You're not home, you're in San Francisco."
Me: "I AM home and I don't know why you're calling me. Just come talk to me. "
Husband: "Diana, you're not home."
Me: "Yes, I'm home! Where are YOU?"
Husband: "You're NOT home."
I try to look around to see where I am. It's pitch black in the room. Then I realize it's not my bed and I'm not home. It dawns on me, I'm still in San Francisco! My husband is home and calling me in San Francisco.
It's very disorienting to wake up and not know where you are, or to think you're in one place and find out you're in another place. It's happened before, but this time I was positive I was at home and was puzzled my husband was calling me.
I want to go home.
Me: "Hello?"
Husband: "Hi!"
Me: "Why are you calling me?"
Husband: "I wanted to me make sure you're okay."
Me: "Of course I'm okay. I'm home. I don't understand why you're calling me."
Husband: "You're not home, you're in San Francisco."
Me: "I AM home and I don't know why you're calling me. Just come talk to me. "
Husband: "Diana, you're not home."
Me: "Yes, I'm home! Where are YOU?"
Husband: "You're NOT home."
I try to look around to see where I am. It's pitch black in the room. Then I realize it's not my bed and I'm not home. It dawns on me, I'm still in San Francisco! My husband is home and calling me in San Francisco.
It's very disorienting to wake up and not know where you are, or to think you're in one place and find out you're in another place. It's happened before, but this time I was positive I was at home and was puzzled my husband was calling me.
I want to go home.
Selasa, 29 September 2009
Malocclusion: Disease of Civilization
In his epic work Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Dr. Weston Price documented the abnormal dental development and susceptibility to tooth decay that accompanied the adoption of modern foods in a number of different cultures throughout the world. Although he quantified changes in cavity prevalence (sometimes finding increases as large as 1,000-fold), all we have are Price's anecdotes describing the crooked teeth, narrow arches and "dished" faces these cultures developed as they modernized.
Price published the first edition of his book in 1939. Fortunately, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration wasn't the last word on the matter. Anthropologists and archaeologists have been extending Price's findings throughout the 20th century. My favorite is Dr. Robert S. Corruccini, currently a professor of anthropology at Southern Illinois University. He published a landmark paper in 1984 titled "An Epidemiologic Transition in Dental Occlusion in World Populations" that will be our starting point for a discussion of how diet and lifestyle factors affect the development of the teeth, skull and jaw (Am J. Orthod. 86(5):419)*.
First, some background. The word occlusion refers to the manner in which the top and bottom sets of teeth come together, determined in part by the alignment between the upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible). There are three general categories:
Over the course of the next several posts, I'll give an overview of the extensive literature showing that hunter-gatherers past and present have excellent occlusion, subsistence agriculturalists generally have good occlusion, and the adoption of modern foodways directly causes the crooked teeth, narrow arches and/or crowded third molars (wisdom teeth) that affect the majority of people in industrialized nations. I believe this process also affects the development of the rest of the skull, including the face and sinuses.
In his 1984 paper, Dr. Corruccini reviewed data from a number of cultures whose occlusion has been studied in detail. Most of these cultures were observed by Dr. Corruccini personally. He compared two sets of cultures: those that adhere to a traditional style of life and those that have adopted industrial foodways. For several of the cultures he studied, he compared it to another that was genetically similar. For example, the older generation of Pima indians vs. the younger generation, and rural vs. urban Punjabis. He also included data from archaeological sites and nonhuman primates. Wild animals, including nonhuman primates, almost invariably show perfect occlusion.
The last graph in the paper is the most telling. He compiled all the occlusion data into a single number called the "treatment priority index" (TPI). This is a number that represents the overall need for orthodontic treatment. A TPI of 4 or greater indicates malocclusion (the cutoff point is subjective and depends somewhat on aesthetic considerations). Here's the graph:
Every single urban/industrial culture has an average TPI of greater than 4, while all the non-industrial or less industrial cultures have an average TPI below 4. This means that in industrial cultures, the average person requires orthodontic treatment to achieve good occlusion, whereas most people in more traditionally-living cultures naturally have good occlusion.
The best occlusion was in the New Britain sample, a precontact Melanesian hunter-gatherer group studied from archaeological remains. The next best occlusion was in the Libben and Dickson groups, who were early Native American agriculturalists. The Pima represent the older generation of Native Americans that was raised on a somewhat traditional agricultural diet, vs. the younger generation raised on processed reservation foods. The Chinese samples are immigrants and their descendants in Liverpool. The Punjabis represent urban vs. rural youths in Northern India. The Kentucky samples represent a traditionally-living Appalachian community, older generation vs. processed food-eating offspring. The "early black" and "black youths" samples represent older and younger generations of African-Americans in the Cleveland and St. Louis area. The "white parents/youths" sample represents different generations of American Caucasians.
The point is clear: there's something about industrialization that causes malocclusion. It's not genetic; it's a result of changes in diet and/or lifestyle. A "disease of civilization". I use that phrase loosely, because malocclusion isn't really a disease, and some cultures that qualify as civilizations retain traditional foodways and relatively good teeth. Nevertheless, it's a time-honored phrase that encompasses the wide array of health problems that occur when humans stray too far from their ecological niche. I'm going to let Dr. Corruccini wrap this post up for me:
* This paper is worth reading if you get the chance. It should have been a seminal paper in the field of preventive orthodontics, which could have largely replaced conventional orthodontics by now. Dr. Corruccini is the clearest thinker on this subject I've encountered so far.
Price published the first edition of his book in 1939. Fortunately, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration wasn't the last word on the matter. Anthropologists and archaeologists have been extending Price's findings throughout the 20th century. My favorite is Dr. Robert S. Corruccini, currently a professor of anthropology at Southern Illinois University. He published a landmark paper in 1984 titled "An Epidemiologic Transition in Dental Occlusion in World Populations" that will be our starting point for a discussion of how diet and lifestyle factors affect the development of the teeth, skull and jaw (Am J. Orthod. 86(5):419)*.
First, some background. The word occlusion refers to the manner in which the top and bottom sets of teeth come together, determined in part by the alignment between the upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible). There are three general categories:
- Class I occlusion: considered "ideal". The bottom incisors (front teeth) fit just behind the top incisors.
- Class II occlusion: "overbite." The bottom incisors are too far behind the top incisors. The mandible may appear small.
- Class III occlusion: "underbite." The bottom incisors are beyond the top incisors. The mandible protrudes.
Over the course of the next several posts, I'll give an overview of the extensive literature showing that hunter-gatherers past and present have excellent occlusion, subsistence agriculturalists generally have good occlusion, and the adoption of modern foodways directly causes the crooked teeth, narrow arches and/or crowded third molars (wisdom teeth) that affect the majority of people in industrialized nations. I believe this process also affects the development of the rest of the skull, including the face and sinuses.
In his 1984 paper, Dr. Corruccini reviewed data from a number of cultures whose occlusion has been studied in detail. Most of these cultures were observed by Dr. Corruccini personally. He compared two sets of cultures: those that adhere to a traditional style of life and those that have adopted industrial foodways. For several of the cultures he studied, he compared it to another that was genetically similar. For example, the older generation of Pima indians vs. the younger generation, and rural vs. urban Punjabis. He also included data from archaeological sites and nonhuman primates. Wild animals, including nonhuman primates, almost invariably show perfect occlusion.
The last graph in the paper is the most telling. He compiled all the occlusion data into a single number called the "treatment priority index" (TPI). This is a number that represents the overall need for orthodontic treatment. A TPI of 4 or greater indicates malocclusion (the cutoff point is subjective and depends somewhat on aesthetic considerations). Here's the graph:
Every single urban/industrial culture has an average TPI of greater than 4, while all the non-industrial or less industrial cultures have an average TPI below 4. This means that in industrial cultures, the average person requires orthodontic treatment to achieve good occlusion, whereas most people in more traditionally-living cultures naturally have good occlusion.The best occlusion was in the New Britain sample, a precontact Melanesian hunter-gatherer group studied from archaeological remains. The next best occlusion was in the Libben and Dickson groups, who were early Native American agriculturalists. The Pima represent the older generation of Native Americans that was raised on a somewhat traditional agricultural diet, vs. the younger generation raised on processed reservation foods. The Chinese samples are immigrants and their descendants in Liverpool. The Punjabis represent urban vs. rural youths in Northern India. The Kentucky samples represent a traditionally-living Appalachian community, older generation vs. processed food-eating offspring. The "early black" and "black youths" samples represent older and younger generations of African-Americans in the Cleveland and St. Louis area. The "white parents/youths" sample represents different generations of American Caucasians.
The point is clear: there's something about industrialization that causes malocclusion. It's not genetic; it's a result of changes in diet and/or lifestyle. A "disease of civilization". I use that phrase loosely, because malocclusion isn't really a disease, and some cultures that qualify as civilizations retain traditional foodways and relatively good teeth. Nevertheless, it's a time-honored phrase that encompasses the wide array of health problems that occur when humans stray too far from their ecological niche. I'm going to let Dr. Corruccini wrap this post up for me:
I assert that these results serve to modify two widespread generalizations: that imperfect occlusion is not necessarily abnormal, and that prevalence of malocclusion is genetically controlled so that preventive therapy in the strict sense is not possible. Cross-cultural data dispel the notion that considerable occlusal variation [malocclusion] is inevitable or normal. Rather, it is an aberrancy of modern urbanized populations. Furthermore, the transition from predominantly good to predominantly bad occlusion repeatedly occurs within one or two generations' time in these (and other) populations, weakening arguments that explain high malocclusion prevalence genetically.
* This paper is worth reading if you get the chance. It should have been a seminal paper in the field of preventive orthodontics, which could have largely replaced conventional orthodontics by now. Dr. Corruccini is the clearest thinker on this subject I've encountered so far.
Malocclusion: Disease of Civilization
In his epic work Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Dr. Weston Price documented the abnormal dental development and susceptibility to tooth decay that accompanied the adoption of modern foods in a number of different cultures throughout the world. Although he quantified changes in cavity prevalence (sometimes finding increases as large as 1,000-fold), all we have are Price's anecdotes describing the crooked teeth, narrow arches and "dished" faces these cultures developed as they modernized.
Price published the first edition of his book in 1939. Fortunately, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration wasn't the last word on the matter. Anthropologists and archaeologists have been extending Price's findings throughout the 20th century. My favorite is Dr. Robert S. Corruccini, currently a professor of anthropology at Southern Illinois University. He published a landmark paper in 1984 titled "An Epidemiologic Transition in Dental Occlusion in World Populations" that will be our starting point for a discussion of how diet and lifestyle factors affect the development of the teeth, skull and jaw (Am J. Orthod. 86(5):419)*.
First, some background. The word occlusion refers to the manner in which the top and bottom sets of teeth come together, determined in part by the alignment between the upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible). There are three general categories:
Over the course of the next several posts, I'll give an overview of the extensive literature showing that hunter-gatherers past and present have excellent occlusion, subsistence agriculturalists generally have good occlusion, and the adoption of modern foodways directly causes the crooked teeth, narrow arches and/or crowded third molars (wisdom teeth) that affect the majority of people in industrialized nations. I believe this process also affects the development of the rest of the skull, including the face and sinuses.
In his 1984 paper, Dr. Corruccini reviewed data from a number of cultures whose occlusion has been studied in detail. Most of these cultures were observed by Dr. Corruccini personally. He compared two sets of cultures: those that adhere to a traditional style of life and those that have adopted industrial foodways. For several of the cultures he studied, he compared it to another that was genetically similar. For example, the older generation of Pima indians vs. the younger generation, and rural vs. urban Punjabis. He also included data from archaeological sites and nonhuman primates. Wild animals, including nonhuman primates, almost invariably show perfect occlusion.
The last graph in the paper is the most telling. He compiled all the occlusion data into a single number called the "treatment priority index" (TPI). This is a number that represents the overall need for orthodontic treatment. A TPI of 4 or greater indicates malocclusion (the cutoff point is subjective and depends somewhat on aesthetic considerations). Here's the graph:Every single urban/industrial culture has an average TPI of greater than 4, while all the non-industrial or less industrial cultures have an average TPI below 4. This means that in industrial cultures, the average person requires orthodontic treatment to achieve good occlusion, whereas most people in more traditionally-living cultures naturally have good occlusion.
The best occlusion was in the New Britain sample, a precontact Melanesian hunter-gatherer group studied from archaeological remains. The next best occlusion was in the Libben and Dickson groups, who were early Native American agriculturalists. The Pima represent the older generation of Native Americans that was raised on a somewhat traditional agricultural diet, vs. the younger generation raised on processed reservation foods. The Chinese samples are immigrants and their descendants in Liverpool. The Punjabis represent urban vs. rural youths in Northern India. The Kentucky samples represent a traditionally-living Appalachian community, older generation vs. processed food-eating offspring. The "early black" and "black youths" samples represent older and younger generations of African-Americans in the Cleveland and St. Louis area. The "white parents/youths" sample represents different generations of American Caucasians.
The point is clear: there's something about industrialization that causes malocclusion. It's not genetic; it's a result of changes in diet and/or lifestyle. A "disease of civilization". I use that phrase loosely, because malocclusion isn't really a disease, and some cultures that qualify as civilizations retain traditional foodways and relatively good teeth. Nevertheless, it's a time-honored phrase that encompasses the wide array of health problems that occur when humans stray too far from their ecological niche. I'm going to let Dr. Corruccini wrap this post up for me:
* This paper is worth reading if you get the chance. It should have been a seminal paper in the field of preventive orthodontics, which could have largely replaced conventional orthodontics by now. Dr. Corruccini is the clearest thinker on this subject I've encountered so far.
Price published the first edition of his book in 1939. Fortunately, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration wasn't the last word on the matter. Anthropologists and archaeologists have been extending Price's findings throughout the 20th century. My favorite is Dr. Robert S. Corruccini, currently a professor of anthropology at Southern Illinois University. He published a landmark paper in 1984 titled "An Epidemiologic Transition in Dental Occlusion in World Populations" that will be our starting point for a discussion of how diet and lifestyle factors affect the development of the teeth, skull and jaw (Am J. Orthod. 86(5):419)*.
First, some background. The word occlusion refers to the manner in which the top and bottom sets of teeth come together, determined in part by the alignment between the upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible). There are three general categories:
- Class I occlusion: considered "ideal". The bottom incisors (front teeth) fit just behind the top incisors.
- Class II occlusion: "overbite." The bottom incisors are too far behind the top incisors. The mandible may appear small.
- Class III occlusion: "underbite." The bottom incisors are beyond the top incisors. The mandible protrudes.
Over the course of the next several posts, I'll give an overview of the extensive literature showing that hunter-gatherers past and present have excellent occlusion, subsistence agriculturalists generally have good occlusion, and the adoption of modern foodways directly causes the crooked teeth, narrow arches and/or crowded third molars (wisdom teeth) that affect the majority of people in industrialized nations. I believe this process also affects the development of the rest of the skull, including the face and sinuses.
In his 1984 paper, Dr. Corruccini reviewed data from a number of cultures whose occlusion has been studied in detail. Most of these cultures were observed by Dr. Corruccini personally. He compared two sets of cultures: those that adhere to a traditional style of life and those that have adopted industrial foodways. For several of the cultures he studied, he compared it to another that was genetically similar. For example, the older generation of Pima indians vs. the younger generation, and rural vs. urban Punjabis. He also included data from archaeological sites and nonhuman primates. Wild animals, including nonhuman primates, almost invariably show perfect occlusion.
The last graph in the paper is the most telling. He compiled all the occlusion data into a single number called the "treatment priority index" (TPI). This is a number that represents the overall need for orthodontic treatment. A TPI of 4 or greater indicates malocclusion (the cutoff point is subjective and depends somewhat on aesthetic considerations). Here's the graph:
Every single urban/industrial culture has an average TPI of greater than 4, while all the non-industrial or less industrial cultures have an average TPI below 4. This means that in industrial cultures, the average person requires orthodontic treatment to achieve good occlusion, whereas most people in more traditionally-living cultures naturally have good occlusion.The best occlusion was in the New Britain sample, a precontact Melanesian hunter-gatherer group studied from archaeological remains. The next best occlusion was in the Libben and Dickson groups, who were early Native American agriculturalists. The Pima represent the older generation of Native Americans that was raised on a somewhat traditional agricultural diet, vs. the younger generation raised on processed reservation foods. The Chinese samples are immigrants and their descendants in Liverpool. The Punjabis represent urban vs. rural youths in Northern India. The Kentucky samples represent a traditionally-living Appalachian community, older generation vs. processed food-eating offspring. The "early black" and "black youths" samples represent older and younger generations of African-Americans in the Cleveland and St. Louis area. The "white parents/youths" sample represents different generations of American Caucasians.
The point is clear: there's something about industrialization that causes malocclusion. It's not genetic; it's a result of changes in diet and/or lifestyle. A "disease of civilization". I use that phrase loosely, because malocclusion isn't really a disease, and some cultures that qualify as civilizations retain traditional foodways and relatively good teeth. Nevertheless, it's a time-honored phrase that encompasses the wide array of health problems that occur when humans stray too far from their ecological niche. I'm going to let Dr. Corruccini wrap this post up for me:
I assert that these results serve to modify two widespread generalizations: that imperfect occlusion is not necessarily abnormal, and that prevalence of malocclusion is genetically controlled so that preventive therapy in the strict sense is not possible. Cross-cultural data dispel the notion that considerable occlusal variation [malocclusion] is inevitable or normal. Rather, it is an aberrancy of modern urbanized populations. Furthermore, the transition from predominantly good to predominantly bad occlusion repeatedly occurs within one or two generations' time in these (and other) populations, weakening arguments that explain high malocclusion prevalence genetically.
* This paper is worth reading if you get the chance. It should have been a seminal paper in the field of preventive orthodontics, which could have largely replaced conventional orthodontics by now. Dr. Corruccini is the clearest thinker on this subject I've encountered so far.
Day 272 - Additional Goal
Here it is. I am putting it out there. A new goal I have is to have some "after" pictures by the end of the year. This is going to be a challenge, but I have faith! I need to not only get through the holidays by not gaining, but I need to do it while trying to loose the "stubborn 10." I'll try to post more as a motivation for me to be accountable! I can do it if I can keep focus...
Tonigh
t's dinner was something new and I had to share. I made mini meat loaves. One whole pound of lean beef made 8 the size of my palm. They were so satisfying!! I served them with a scoop of broccoli mashers. Basically you make homemade mashed potatoes with the addition of broccoli to the pot. Drain when tender and proceed to make as you would regular mashed potatoes. (I added a little garlic to them too.)
I ate two loaves for dinner with a healthy scoop of mashers since I had a very small lunch. You could easily just eat one loaf with a regular portion of taters and be satisfied if you needed a lighter dinner.
Tonigh
t's dinner was something new and I had to share. I made mini meat loaves. One whole pound of lean beef made 8 the size of my palm. They were so satisfying!! I served them with a scoop of broccoli mashers. Basically you make homemade mashed potatoes with the addition of broccoli to the pot. Drain when tender and proceed to make as you would regular mashed potatoes. (I added a little garlic to them too.) I ate two loaves for dinner with a healthy scoop of mashers since I had a very small lunch. You could easily just eat one loaf with a regular portion of taters and be satisfied if you needed a lighter dinner.
Losing Weight for the Wedding
One year ago Regina set a goal to lose 60 pounds. She wanted to be in great shape for her wedding. At that point she weighed 195 pounds at 5'1" tall.
She has succeeded in losing 43 pounds so far. She's done it via exercise and a high protein diet.
Her fiancé is an ER nurse and "has seen some horrible situations with young girls overdosing on diet pills and other things like that. I made it a point to not do anything like that to my body. The only pill I take is a multivitamin.”
And she likes her new lifestyle and energy level so much that she says “This is forever for me. I like the way it (exercising and eating healthy) makes me feel and I don’t plan on giving that up.”
See her story here.
She has succeeded in losing 43 pounds so far. She's done it via exercise and a high protein diet.
Her fiancé is an ER nurse and "has seen some horrible situations with young girls overdosing on diet pills and other things like that. I made it a point to not do anything like that to my body. The only pill I take is a multivitamin.”
And she likes her new lifestyle and energy level so much that she says “This is forever for me. I like the way it (exercising and eating healthy) makes me feel and I don’t plan on giving that up.”
See her story here.
Good food for tight bands
I have had to create some nice mushy, healthy and nutritious foods to eat whilst very restricted.
The first is an especial favorite of mine - Bubble & Squeak. I used the cabbage from Sunday's Roast dinner and some mashed potato. I fried some garlic in a little olive oil and then mixed it into the plain mashed potato, added black and white pepper for a good 'ole kick, and then chopped the boiled red cabbage into small bits and dry fried it all in a very heavy pan.
Here's the mixture:
Now then, I know that we are to stay clear of mushy foods... but not when you are on a mushy diet on purpose! I am very restricted after infamous fill #13, and am NOT going to work with it. this means that I have liquids most of the day - protein drinks, soup, yogurt, jelly etc. then in the evening, I have a little soup to start my band off and let my tummy know food is on the way, and then a mushy meal cooked low fat, and in a healthy way. This is a lovely tasty dish that gets the taste buds watering, is easy to chew thoroughly and always stays down.
So here is the golden, lovely result:
Now, this concoction makes about 20 bandster portions, and i froze them all ready. it defrosts beautifully, and also purees with ease, so if you feel its not going down, then puree away and its gorgeous. It also means you can add a little water and it makes a good soup too!
So there we go, some little things to try. I will update this a bit later and I am off to work now.
Bye for now
The first is an especial favorite of mine - Bubble & Squeak. I used the cabbage from Sunday's Roast dinner and some mashed potato. I fried some garlic in a little olive oil and then mixed it into the plain mashed potato, added black and white pepper for a good 'ole kick, and then chopped the boiled red cabbage into small bits and dry fried it all in a very heavy pan.
Here's the mixture:
Now then, I know that we are to stay clear of mushy foods... but not when you are on a mushy diet on purpose! I am very restricted after infamous fill #13, and am NOT going to work with it. this means that I have liquids most of the day - protein drinks, soup, yogurt, jelly etc. then in the evening, I have a little soup to start my band off and let my tummy know food is on the way, and then a mushy meal cooked low fat, and in a healthy way. This is a lovely tasty dish that gets the taste buds watering, is easy to chew thoroughly and always stays down.
So here is the golden, lovely result:
Another of my favorites at the moment, the ultra healthy, low carb, Ratatouille. everyone makes it differently, but here is my recipe for yumminess:
4 or 5 courgettes, 3 aubergines, 1 red, 1 yellow & 1 green pepper, 20 pitted olives, 1 can of chopped plum tomatoes, 2 large white onions, 3 veg stock cubes, salt and pepper and 1/2tsp chilli flakes. Add 2 litres of water and simmer for about 2 hours. The water reduces, and the onion and aubergine kind of disappear making a thick sauce. This made an absolute vat of ratatouille, prompting my lodger Sue to ask "Did you happen to work in an army kitchen in a former life?". I do tend to be able to produce MASSIVE portions of meals, and my freezer is stocked full of little plastic bags of leftover something or other! It's great if you ask me!
Now, this concoction makes about 20 bandster portions, and i froze them all ready. it defrosts beautifully, and also purees with ease, so if you feel its not going down, then puree away and its gorgeous. It also means you can add a little water and it makes a good soup too!
So there we go, some little things to try. I will update this a bit later and I am off to work now.
Bye for now
Understanding omega-3 fatty acids
Our body can’t manufacture certain kinds of important fats, so you have to rely on dietary intake to provide them. Because it’s essential that we get these fats in our food, they’re called essential fatty acids. The hardest kind of essential fatty acid to come by is a type of polyunsaturated fat called omega-3 fatty acid.
The most important nutrition in omega 3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
The benefits
Omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development and may be helpful in treating a variety of health conditions. The indication is strongest for heart disease and problems that contribute to heart disease.
Omega-3 fatty acids can also help prevent cancer cell growth, lower the amount of lipids (fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides) circulating in the bloodstream, maintain the fluidity of your cell membranes and decrease platelet aggregation (preventing excessive blood clotting).
Omega-3 sources
Only certain plants synthesize omega-3 fatty acids, mainly leaves, grasses, and algae. Because we don’t eat these kinds of plants, we get most of our essential fatty acids from the meat of animals that do. So, Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in all fish, but they are more concentrated in fatty fish such as mackerel, tuna, salmon, sardines and herring. Omega-3 is also found in vegetables such as Green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, and flax seed
Some eggs can also provide us with omega-3 fatty acids. We can increases the omega-3 content of the eggs by feeding chicken insects and greens, added fish oils to their food to increase the amount of fatty acid concentrations in eggs.
A few generations ago, we may got enough omega-3 in the meat we ate. However, these days, instead of allowing cows and sheep to graze on natural foliage, ranchers confine them to feedlots and fatten them up with grain, which contains little omega-3 fatty acid. Our animal fats were once derived away from leafy greens and as a result, our diets are becoming increasingly deficient in omega-3 fatty acids.
Nowadays Omega-3 is also found in softgels (like a vitamin E capsule) or as bottled liquids in pharmacies. Try to choose a supplement that contains vitamin E. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, which is added to the oil to prevent the fatty acids from becoming oxidized (or rancid).
Omega-3 fatty acids and weight loss
Recent studies suggest that overweight people who follow a weight loss program that includes exercise tend to achieve better control over their blood sugar and cholesterol levels when food rich in omega-3 fatty acids is include in their low-fat diet.
Researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of becoming obese by improving the body's ability to respond to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism, and is expressed primarily by adipocytes (fat cells)
The most important nutrition in omega 3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
The benefits
Omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development and may be helpful in treating a variety of health conditions. The indication is strongest for heart disease and problems that contribute to heart disease.
Omega-3 fatty acids can also help prevent cancer cell growth, lower the amount of lipids (fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides) circulating in the bloodstream, maintain the fluidity of your cell membranes and decrease platelet aggregation (preventing excessive blood clotting).
Omega-3 sources
Only certain plants synthesize omega-3 fatty acids, mainly leaves, grasses, and algae. Because we don’t eat these kinds of plants, we get most of our essential fatty acids from the meat of animals that do. So, Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in all fish, but they are more concentrated in fatty fish such as mackerel, tuna, salmon, sardines and herring. Omega-3 is also found in vegetables such as Green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, and flax seed
Some eggs can also provide us with omega-3 fatty acids. We can increases the omega-3 content of the eggs by feeding chicken insects and greens, added fish oils to their food to increase the amount of fatty acid concentrations in eggs.
A few generations ago, we may got enough omega-3 in the meat we ate. However, these days, instead of allowing cows and sheep to graze on natural foliage, ranchers confine them to feedlots and fatten them up with grain, which contains little omega-3 fatty acid. Our animal fats were once derived away from leafy greens and as a result, our diets are becoming increasingly deficient in omega-3 fatty acids.
Nowadays Omega-3 is also found in softgels (like a vitamin E capsule) or as bottled liquids in pharmacies. Try to choose a supplement that contains vitamin E. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, which is added to the oil to prevent the fatty acids from becoming oxidized (or rancid).
Omega-3 fatty acids and weight loss
Recent studies suggest that overweight people who follow a weight loss program that includes exercise tend to achieve better control over their blood sugar and cholesterol levels when food rich in omega-3 fatty acids is include in their low-fat diet.
Researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of becoming obese by improving the body's ability to respond to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism, and is expressed primarily by adipocytes (fat cells)
Senin, 28 September 2009
The scar
I'm in a hotel in San Francisco, alone. I'm here for work. I am not having fun. Major problems with my project at the airport. Back at it tomorrow for another long day.
I wrote the post below a few weeks ago but never posted it. Tonight, after removing my makeup, and staring at myself in the mirror, I could see the scar is really noticeable. It's because I'm tired and stressed. But when I smile, the scar disappears.
Yesterday's pictures are there now, not sure why they weren't there yesterday. You can see the hooker shoes that I don't own anymore. And yes, I actually wore them a couple of times. Sometimes I'm stupid like that.
I wrote the post below a few weeks ago but never posted it. Tonight, after removing my makeup, and staring at myself in the mirror, I could see the scar is really noticeable. It's because I'm tired and stressed. But when I smile, the scar disappears.
Yesterday's pictures are there now, not sure why they weren't there yesterday. You can see the hooker shoes that I don't own anymore. And yes, I actually wore them a couple of times. Sometimes I'm stupid like that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Scar
There's a scar on my lower lip. It's just a little vertical mark that crosses my lower lip line. It's not really noticeable to most people. When I get really tired, it becomes more pronounced.
The scar is a reminder of a very bad time in my life. I was 22 and had fallen in love with a man 16 years older than me. He was a "recovering" alcoholic. I moved from Alaska to Oregon with him for what became the worst three months of my life. I had dropped out of my junior year of college to go live with him. I worked a menial job while he stayed drunk. I didn't have any friends or family in Oregon. I was alone, with my alcoholic boyfriend.
One day he hocked my TV and stereo to get money to buy alcohol. These were things I had brought with me from Alaska. Then he stole a check out of my checkbook and cashed it at a bar, forging my name on it. It was for $50.00, which left me with almost nothing in my checking account. I had to go through my coat pockets to find 35 cents for bus fare so I could go to work. I still didn't leave. I thought I could save him. It was a very dark time in my life.
One night we had an argument and he threw his dinner plate at me. It hit me in the face and cut my lower lip, leaving me with the scar that is still there to this day, some 32 years later. After this happened, I realized I couldn't save him. I realized he was a lost cause, and for my own safety and sanity, I had to get out.
I called my mom and was on a plane back to Alaska the next day. I left everything I owned and didn't even give notice on my job. I didn't even call them to tell them I was leaving, I just left.
I never spoke to my boyfriend again. He came back to Fairbanks but I refused to talk to him. He went to see my mother and said he was leaving Alaska for good. He gave my mother a letter to give to me. I remember it was in a very thick envelope. I never opened it. Instead, I stood at the kitchen sink and burned it.
Why am I telling you about this? Because whenever I look at that scar on my lip, like tonight, I remember that horrible time in my life. I remember being scared and feeling hopeless, but I also remember pulling myself out of that horrible mess I had made of my life.
It's like gaining 100 pounds. I remember feeling scared and hopeless then too. It seemed so insurmountable to lose 100 pounds. I felt trapped. The difference between the alcoholic boyfriend and me gaining the 100 pounds is this time it was me abusing my body. It was me beating myself up, being cruel to myself. I was making a mockery of my life. I would say horrible, cruel things to myself. I would call myself a fat ass, a fat pig, stupid and ugly. All the awful things that a mean alcoholic might say to me.
Just like I wouldn't let my alcoholic boyfriend ruin my life, I decided to not let me ruin my life with my weight. It's strange how when I look at that scar that this is what I think about. I don't really think of him, but I think of the situation, how similar it was to what I did to myself.
It makes me feel a bit sad that I was so cruel to myself, but it also makes me feel strong and invincible now. I'm reminded I'm capable of anything. Surviving an abusive relationship or losing a lot of weight. In a way, they're a lot alike, it's just that in the latter case, the abuser was me.
Who would have thought that a tiny little scar would have so much meaning behind it?
Diabetics on a Low-carbohydrate Diet, Part II
I just found another very interesting study performed in Japan by Dr. Hajime Haimoto and colleagues (free full text). They took severe diabetics with an HbA1c of 10.9% and put them on a low-carbohydrate diet:
Here's a graph showing the improvement in HbA1c. Each line represents one individual:
Every single patient improved, except the "dropout" who stopped following the diet advice after 3 months (the one line that shoots back up at 6 months). And now, an inspirational anecdote from the paper:
Diabetics on a Low-carbohydrate Diet
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes
The main principle of the CRD [carbohydrate-restricted diet] was to eliminate carbohydrate-rich food twice a day at breakfast and dinner, or eliminate it three times a day at breakfast, lunch and dinner... There were no other restrictions. Patients on the CRD were permitted to eat as much protein and fat as they wanted, including saturated fat.What happened to their blood lipids after eating all that fat for 6 months, and increasing their saturated fat intake to that of the average American? LDL decreased and HDL increased, both statistically significant. Oops. But that's water under the bridge. What we really care about here is glucose control. The patients' HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin; a measure of average blood glucose over the past several weeks) declined from 10.9 to 7.4%.
Here's a graph showing the improvement in HbA1c. Each line represents one individual:
Every single patient improved, except the "dropout" who stopped following the diet advice after 3 months (the one line that shoots back up at 6 months). And now, an inspirational anecdote from the paper:One female patient had an increased physical activity level during the study period in spite of our instructions. However, her increase in physical activity was no more than one hour of walking per day, four days a week. She had implemented an 11% carbohydrate diet without any antidiabetic drug, and her HbA1c level decreased from 14.4% at baseline to 6.1% after 3 months and had been maintained at 5.5% after 6 months.That patient began with the highest HbA1c and ended with the lowest. Complete glucose control using only diet and exercise. It may not work for everyone, but it's effective in some cases. The study's conclusion:
...the 30%-carbohydrate diet over 6 months led to a remarkable reduction in HbA1c levels, even among outpatients with severe type 2 diabetes, without any insulin therapy, hospital care or increase in sulfonylureas. The effectiveness of the diet may be comparable to that of insulin therapy.
Diabetics on a Low-carbohydrate Diet
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes
Diabetics on a Low-carbohydrate Diet, Part II
I just found another very interesting study performed in Japan by Dr. Hajime Haimoto and colleagues (free full text). They took severe diabetics with an HbA1c of 10.9% and put them on a low-carbohydrate diet:
Here's a graph showing the improvement in HbA1c. Each line represents one individual:
Every single patient improved, except the "dropout" who stopped following the diet advice after 3 months (the one line that shoots back up at 6 months). And now, an inspirational anecdote from the paper:
Diabetics on a Low-carbohydrate Diet
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes
The main principle of the CRD [carbohydrate-restricted diet] was to eliminate carbohydrate-rich food twice a day at breakfast and dinner, or eliminate it three times a day at breakfast, lunch and dinner... There were no other restrictions. Patients on the CRD were permitted to eat as much protein and fat as they wanted, including saturated fat.What happened to their blood lipids after eating all that fat for 6 months, and increasing their saturated fat intake to that of the average American? LDL decreased and HDL increased, both statistically significant. Oops. But that's water under the bridge. What we really care about here is glucose control. The patients' HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin; a measure of average blood glucose over the past several weeks) declined from 10.9 to 7.4%.
Here's a graph showing the improvement in HbA1c. Each line represents one individual:
Every single patient improved, except the "dropout" who stopped following the diet advice after 3 months (the one line that shoots back up at 6 months). And now, an inspirational anecdote from the paper:One female patient had an increased physical activity level during the study period in spite of our instructions. However, her increase in physical activity was no more than one hour of walking per day, four days a week. She had implemented an 11% carbohydrate diet without any antidiabetic drug, and her HbA1c level decreased from 14.4% at baseline to 6.1% after 3 months and had been maintained at 5.5% after 6 months.That patient began with the highest HbA1c and ended with the lowest. Complete glucose control using only diet and exercise. It may not work for everyone, but it's effective in some cases. The study's conclusion:
...the 30%-carbohydrate diet over 6 months led to a remarkable reduction in HbA1c levels, even among outpatients with severe type 2 diabetes, without any insulin therapy, hospital care or increase in sulfonylureas. The effectiveness of the diet may be comparable to that of insulin therapy.
Diabetics on a Low-carbohydrate Diet
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes
Day 271 - Still Going Strong Even During Vacation
Last week my husband got the news that one of his uncles passed away unexpectedly. He decided he needed to go visit. Last minute we decided to go as a family. 5 days and nearly 2000 miles later, I am so excited to say that my efforts to make my goal are still on!!
Luckily most the hotels we stayed in had gyms with elliptical trainers so it was easy to hop on in the evenings after a full day. There was one challenge though. One night, the hotel we stayed in didn't have a gym! It's so easy to keep a habit when there is some sort of gym equipment nearby. So what did I do? I took a brisk walk along a jogging trail with my sister-in-law. Unfortunately it got late which meant it started to get dark and we were unable to walk as far as we would like to have gone, but we did enough to get all warm, limber and a mildly sweaty. Next time I find myself on vacation without a gym, I simply need to plan my time better.
I am excited to say too, that while gone from home and out of my habitat, I maintained even though we ate fast food at every meal. I am SICK of fast food!! The worst part about travelling is not having a kitchen. The whole week after we got home I was craving veggies like an herbivore! It's crazy to think that you don't have to gain weight by eating fast food all the time, you really don't. Just eat smaller portions. I ordered 1 small thing from the menu and if I wanted fries, I ate a couple from someone else in the family. One thing for certain, if your diet is largely made up of fast food, you might be able to stay thin with the proper food choices, but you are SEVERELY depriving your body of necessary nourishment!! You get the macronutrients with fast food (Fat, Carbs, Protein) but you are missing out on the micronutrients (Vitamins and minerals). You need both to be healthy so your body will function properly.
For the last couple of months I have maintained my weight, and I am happy about that. If I am forever a size 10, I won't complain. But I have to say, I would really like to loose 10-15 more pounds. I want to be far away from the "Obese" category I was in the beginning of the year at a BMI of 30.5. Right now I am in the "Normal" category with 24.2. But that is on the upper end and I don't want to dance with that line! Here is the site if you would like to figure your BMI (There is also a place where you can figure your child's BMI if you are curious)
I have recently been getting ready to ramp up my efforts to see if I can drop a few more pounds. Our baby has been transitioning his naps and without proper sleep, it's hard to keep focus on personal goals! So I have been maintaining, which is a good thing. But I know I can do better. Logging onto this site today and noticing the number of visits, that is a really big motivator too! THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT!!
Luckily most the hotels we stayed in had gyms with elliptical trainers so it was easy to hop on in the evenings after a full day. There was one challenge though. One night, the hotel we stayed in didn't have a gym! It's so easy to keep a habit when there is some sort of gym equipment nearby. So what did I do? I took a brisk walk along a jogging trail with my sister-in-law. Unfortunately it got late which meant it started to get dark and we were unable to walk as far as we would like to have gone, but we did enough to get all warm, limber and a mildly sweaty. Next time I find myself on vacation without a gym, I simply need to plan my time better.
I am excited to say too, that while gone from home and out of my habitat, I maintained even though we ate fast food at every meal. I am SICK of fast food!! The worst part about travelling is not having a kitchen. The whole week after we got home I was craving veggies like an herbivore! It's crazy to think that you don't have to gain weight by eating fast food all the time, you really don't. Just eat smaller portions. I ordered 1 small thing from the menu and if I wanted fries, I ate a couple from someone else in the family. One thing for certain, if your diet is largely made up of fast food, you might be able to stay thin with the proper food choices, but you are SEVERELY depriving your body of necessary nourishment!! You get the macronutrients with fast food (Fat, Carbs, Protein) but you are missing out on the micronutrients (Vitamins and minerals). You need both to be healthy so your body will function properly.
For the last couple of months I have maintained my weight, and I am happy about that. If I am forever a size 10, I won't complain. But I have to say, I would really like to loose 10-15 more pounds. I want to be far away from the "Obese" category I was in the beginning of the year at a BMI of 30.5. Right now I am in the "Normal" category with 24.2. But that is on the upper end and I don't want to dance with that line! Here is the site if you would like to figure your BMI (There is also a place where you can figure your child's BMI if you are curious)
I have recently been getting ready to ramp up my efforts to see if I can drop a few more pounds. Our baby has been transitioning his naps and without proper sleep, it's hard to keep focus on personal goals! So I have been maintaining, which is a good thing. But I know I can do better. Logging onto this site today and noticing the number of visits, that is a really big motivator too! THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT!!
A good day
So, even though the weighbridge were totally WRONG, I have had a great day.
2 USN Diet Fuel protein shakes
1 hot smoked salmon fillet with tinned tomatoes
1 McFlurry Mint Aero Bubbles flavour
YUM.
Had some lovely posts from people, and feeling good. DH was totally shocked at the 1.5lb gain and said it was rubbish before I had even said the same thing. So that has made me feel a lot better. As we were cuddling on the couch last night he was saying "you're feeling slimmer", so feeling very pleased with myself even if HORRIBLE SLIMMINGWORLD SCALES want to kill my enthusiasm.
You didn't - so YAH BOO SHUCKS!
Geoffrey has eaten a bottle of aquapet sludgebuster... wondering if this will cause him any ill effects at all. On the packet it says 'If swallowed seek medical advice and show this container'. Not a lot of point as the rest of the package is unreadable and there doesn't seem to be any sludgebuster anywhere on the floor... guessing he consumed it. Its 10pm however... so a trip to the vet might have to wait until morning to be honest. He's such a dumb dog.
He was actually sitting on the spare dining chair whilst we were eating dinner this evening. None of us noticed until DS gave his head a nuzzle and whispered sweet nothing to him and we were all like "The dog is at the table!" He is so bad. the thing is, with those long ears he looks like he has a bad perm. You kind of forget he is an animal.
We hired another 5 DVD's this evening, hence the McFlurry. so i am off to watch one of them now. Atonement. Hope its good.
2 USN Diet Fuel protein shakes
1 hot smoked salmon fillet with tinned tomatoes
1 McFlurry Mint Aero Bubbles flavour
YUM.
Had some lovely posts from people, and feeling good. DH was totally shocked at the 1.5lb gain and said it was rubbish before I had even said the same thing. So that has made me feel a lot better. As we were cuddling on the couch last night he was saying "you're feeling slimmer", so feeling very pleased with myself even if HORRIBLE SLIMMINGWORLD SCALES want to kill my enthusiasm.
You didn't - so YAH BOO SHUCKS!
Geoffrey has eaten a bottle of aquapet sludgebuster... wondering if this will cause him any ill effects at all. On the packet it says 'If swallowed seek medical advice and show this container'. Not a lot of point as the rest of the package is unreadable and there doesn't seem to be any sludgebuster anywhere on the floor... guessing he consumed it. Its 10pm however... so a trip to the vet might have to wait until morning to be honest. He's such a dumb dog.
He was actually sitting on the spare dining chair whilst we were eating dinner this evening. None of us noticed until DS gave his head a nuzzle and whispered sweet nothing to him and we were all like "The dog is at the table!" He is so bad. the thing is, with those long ears he looks like he has a bad perm. You kind of forget he is an animal.
We hired another 5 DVD's this evening, hence the McFlurry. so i am off to watch one of them now. Atonement. Hope its good.
DEEP BREATHING
In
Out
In
Out
Nope... doesn't work. I feel like absolute turn-out.
Went to the weighbridge this morning gleeful and bouncy of step.
I put on 1 and a half sodding pounds this week.
I am sorry, but how is that physically possible????????? Hmmm????
No, so it just cannot be true, so i am just ignoring the fact and i am not even going to register it on my blog weight chart as its a pile of steaming sauteed horse humus.
I was amazed to put on my shorts this morning (for the pointless trip to fat git club) and find that they were loose and flappy at the front and over my bum. These are the same shorts that I wore on holiday and was uncomfortable because they were on the tight side. they are now relatively loose around the waist and definitely the right fit. They are so comfortable that i actually wore them on a mammoth bike ride this afternoon with DS. We set out with no particular place in mind, but ended up riding around the road past the shop, through the cut to the lake, around the lake, down the old railway track and out down the hill, out of the village, along the road for a few miles, watched the farmers harvesting beets for a bit, round the fen tracks and back through a long drove back onto the top of our road. Probably about 6 miles in total. We were out for a good hour and a half and it was great fun.
So I was impressed with my weightloss, or body loss this week and its been a good band day so far again. A nice bowl of home made celery soup, a protein shake and a few coffee's. I have definitely noticed if I get stressed or am in a rush, I cant eat/drink. That's really good to know as it means I have to get up in time on Saturdays in future and eat my breakfast first before I bother with my hair, or emails or whatever. give myself maximum time for eating.
So, as I have obviously lost weight that is tangible, even if it doesn't show on the scales, I am going to carry on in the same vein. It has been a pretty easy week, food wise, band wise and emotional stress wise. I am miffed that the result wasn't visible, but at the end of the day if I weighed 19 stone but was a size 10, I couldn't care less... its what you look like isn't it. I DEFINITELY look smaller in just one week. People have commented, DH has said, TB has said, our lodgers have said and I KNOW I have, so I am going to try and remain positive.
I am thinking that really last weeks weight loss of 6 and a half pounds was due to dehydration from the swine flu and being generally ill, so it probably wasn't a true weight loss.
I am going to consider it as my weekly goal for the moment is - I lost 2 and a half last week, and 2 and a half this week. There we go. That feels better already.
Calm.
Out
In
Out
Nope... doesn't work. I feel like absolute turn-out.
Went to the weighbridge this morning gleeful and bouncy of step.
I put on 1 and a half sodding pounds this week.
I am sorry, but how is that physically possible????????? Hmmm????
No, so it just cannot be true, so i am just ignoring the fact and i am not even going to register it on my blog weight chart as its a pile of steaming sauteed horse humus.
I was amazed to put on my shorts this morning (for the pointless trip to fat git club) and find that they were loose and flappy at the front and over my bum. These are the same shorts that I wore on holiday and was uncomfortable because they were on the tight side. they are now relatively loose around the waist and definitely the right fit. They are so comfortable that i actually wore them on a mammoth bike ride this afternoon with DS. We set out with no particular place in mind, but ended up riding around the road past the shop, through the cut to the lake, around the lake, down the old railway track and out down the hill, out of the village, along the road for a few miles, watched the farmers harvesting beets for a bit, round the fen tracks and back through a long drove back onto the top of our road. Probably about 6 miles in total. We were out for a good hour and a half and it was great fun.
So I was impressed with my weightloss, or body loss this week and its been a good band day so far again. A nice bowl of home made celery soup, a protein shake and a few coffee's. I have definitely noticed if I get stressed or am in a rush, I cant eat/drink. That's really good to know as it means I have to get up in time on Saturdays in future and eat my breakfast first before I bother with my hair, or emails or whatever. give myself maximum time for eating.
So, as I have obviously lost weight that is tangible, even if it doesn't show on the scales, I am going to carry on in the same vein. It has been a pretty easy week, food wise, band wise and emotional stress wise. I am miffed that the result wasn't visible, but at the end of the day if I weighed 19 stone but was a size 10, I couldn't care less... its what you look like isn't it. I DEFINITELY look smaller in just one week. People have commented, DH has said, TB has said, our lodgers have said and I KNOW I have, so I am going to try and remain positive.
I am thinking that really last weeks weight loss of 6 and a half pounds was due to dehydration from the swine flu and being generally ill, so it probably wasn't a true weight loss.
I am going to consider it as my weekly goal for the moment is - I lost 2 and a half last week, and 2 and a half this week. There we go. That feels better already.
Calm.
Minggu, 27 September 2009
I give up
I give up on ever wearing these size 7, slim fit jeans. I've had these jeans in my closet since 1997. That was the last time I weighed 124 pounds and had a 27" waist. I remember I was shopping with my mom and when I tried on these jeans, they fit. I looked skinny, really skinny. I was ecstatic to finally fit into a size 7.
I also remember I felt like hell. I was weak and tired and hungry. It was my vegetarian, starvation phase, and eating less than 10 grams of fat a day. When I'd bend over and stand up quickly I'd see stars.
I never wore these jeans. I was only at the 124-pound mark for about three weeks. I proceeded to gain 120 pounds over next two years. These jeans have remained on a hanger in the back of my closet all this time. I pull them out every year or so when I'd start a new diet. They were my goal jeans.
Today I was putting away my summer clothes when I came across these jeans. I've finally accepted it, I will never weigh 124 pounds again. I'm 5' 6 1/2" and 54 years old. It's an old dream, one from when I was 14 years old. It's time to give it up and accept my size 10 body. I can live with that, I can't live with feeling sick just so I can wear size 7.
I'm also giving up on these shoes. What the hell was I thinking? I have a few 3-inch heels, but 4-inch heels are just a little too much for me. Both the skinny jeans and the red 4-inch heels went to Goodwill today. They'll probably make some hooker very happy.
Although I'm giving up on the jeans and the shoes, I'm not giving up on me reaching a healthy weight. I'm almost there, it's within my reach. Maybe it's not a size 7 or even an 8, maybe it's just a loose-fitting size 10.
~Diana
162.2
Getting excited
I am sooooo looking forward to Slimmingworld tomorrow. I can hardly wait. I have been such a virtuous little lap-bandster I am looking forward to hitting my 30lb down goal - so I need 2 and a half pounds to meet that. I reckon I will have done that for sure.
Funnily enough I actually feel thinner in myself. I was lying in bed and thinking how strange it was to have a flat tummy. Its not so puffy or pudgy as it was just a week ago and to have actual noticeable size changes in just a week, means that things must be going well. I know muscle weighs heavier than fat, so the loss might not be great, but things are shifting around underneath my clothes alright! Its wonderful.
Yesterday I had a little treat for being good all week. I get two omnibus editions of my favorite shows - Home and Away and Neighbours. So I sat down with a pint of squash, a coffee, a glass of wine and 2 slices of cheese to last me the mammoth session! Both were serious tear jerkers this week with two main characters dying... talk about emotionally draining for the viewers, but very good. I was crying my eyes out for 4 straight hours!!
It was a great evening and we didn't get to bed until 2:30am. We followed that by a long lay-in this morning until 11am which was just Brill!
Yesterday actually started off not too good on the band front. When I am stressed or rushed it doesn't work. I got up with plenty of time to get ready for work & have a coffee and a shake, but things didn't go right. As I sat down to drink my coffee, I was thinking "gotta get this down and then go... I have 10 minutes bla bla" and the coffee just would not be told! Because I knew I had to drink it quickly, it did not want to perform... my band obviously doesn't like to perform under pressure. So I had half a cup of coffee and it sat there on my band ALL DAY from 11am until I came home at 5pm. When I got in I did the "1 minute sip rescue plan". This is a plan I have devised to get things back on track.
If you cant drink, eat or are a bit sore, then you have a teaspoon of water and wait a full minute and then have another teaspoon. then repeat until you are sure its not building up in on the band and going to come back at you. Then you reduce the time to 50 seconds and 40 seconds and 30 seconds and then take sips from the glass.... bigger and bigger until you are drinking ok. At the first sign of any pressure, you have to stop and wait.
This works every time for me. It just makes sure you are giving yourself time to sit it out and do it properly. I could then drink my protein shake and about an hour later I served the family lasagna and salad and I had a coffee, some soup and followed it with pureed ratatouille.
So yesterdays food was a lot less than other days. I had been hungry most of the day, and it interesting to me to find that I wanted to eat something in the evening that was high in calories for the first time this week. So maybe this is the key to success for me. Keep full during the day, take time out to have meals and then the hunger/cravings don't start in the evenings. well, it's something to think about.
Anyway, off to help DH hang a new door in our porch. Yay!
Funnily enough I actually feel thinner in myself. I was lying in bed and thinking how strange it was to have a flat tummy. Its not so puffy or pudgy as it was just a week ago and to have actual noticeable size changes in just a week, means that things must be going well. I know muscle weighs heavier than fat, so the loss might not be great, but things are shifting around underneath my clothes alright! Its wonderful.
Yesterday I had a little treat for being good all week. I get two omnibus editions of my favorite shows - Home and Away and Neighbours. So I sat down with a pint of squash, a coffee, a glass of wine and 2 slices of cheese to last me the mammoth session! Both were serious tear jerkers this week with two main characters dying... talk about emotionally draining for the viewers, but very good. I was crying my eyes out for 4 straight hours!!
It was a great evening and we didn't get to bed until 2:30am. We followed that by a long lay-in this morning until 11am which was just Brill!
Yesterday actually started off not too good on the band front. When I am stressed or rushed it doesn't work. I got up with plenty of time to get ready for work & have a coffee and a shake, but things didn't go right. As I sat down to drink my coffee, I was thinking "gotta get this down and then go... I have 10 minutes bla bla" and the coffee just would not be told! Because I knew I had to drink it quickly, it did not want to perform... my band obviously doesn't like to perform under pressure. So I had half a cup of coffee and it sat there on my band ALL DAY from 11am until I came home at 5pm. When I got in I did the "1 minute sip rescue plan". This is a plan I have devised to get things back on track.
If you cant drink, eat or are a bit sore, then you have a teaspoon of water and wait a full minute and then have another teaspoon. then repeat until you are sure its not building up in on the band and going to come back at you. Then you reduce the time to 50 seconds and 40 seconds and 30 seconds and then take sips from the glass.... bigger and bigger until you are drinking ok. At the first sign of any pressure, you have to stop and wait.
This works every time for me. It just makes sure you are giving yourself time to sit it out and do it properly. I could then drink my protein shake and about an hour later I served the family lasagna and salad and I had a coffee, some soup and followed it with pureed ratatouille.
So yesterdays food was a lot less than other days. I had been hungry most of the day, and it interesting to me to find that I wanted to eat something in the evening that was high in calories for the first time this week. So maybe this is the key to success for me. Keep full during the day, take time out to have meals and then the hunger/cravings don't start in the evenings. well, it's something to think about.
Anyway, off to help DH hang a new door in our porch. Yay!
Sabtu, 26 September 2009
The best dinner ever!
I've been following Lia's blog for over a year. She's an amazing young woman. She reminds of someone with an old soul in a young person's body. She's figured out things about life that I'm still trying to figure out.
Lia is attending a Swiss hospitality school. When she wrote about her sprialized zucchini with cashew afredo sauce, I asked her to post the recipe. In the meantime I ordered a spiralizer from Amazon.com, and it came today.
It was so much fun to spiralize the zucchini, and it was really easy to use. I'm a nut for kitchen gadgets and this thing is great.
Tonight I made Lia's recipe for spiralized zucchini with cashew alfredo sauce. It was absolutely the best thing I've ever eaten in my life. Seriously, it was that good. As I was making it I said to my husband you can sure tell she's a chef because there were no amounts in her recipe, so I winged it. It turned out fantastic!
My husband, who never says something is really good unless he really means it, said it was one of the best meals he's ever eaten in his life. I have to agree, it was really good. Thank you so much Lia!
I have no idea of the calorie count in this recipe. I used three tablespoons of the sauce and mixed it in with the zucchini, carrots, some roasted butternut squash and cherry tomatoes, a few shrimp on top and a little shaved parmesan. It's been three hours since I ate and I don't feel hungry.
Good eats for sure!
Cat on a hot tin roof
Not really a hot tin roof, but it is a cat on a roof. That's Mickey Mouse, my cat, on top of our roof. That's where he was when we came home Thursday night. My husband left the ladder up against the roof when he was cleaning out the gutters last weekend. Mickey figured out how to climb up (and thankfully down) the ladder. Really nothing to do with this post, but this post really doesn't have anything to do with much of anything.I have a very busy weekend to get ready for a business trip to San Francisco on Monday. Today it's Weight Watchers, gym, haircut, mani/pedi, and buy a new suitcase. I'm going to check a bag for this trip. My old bag was destroyed on the last trip. I rarely check a bag but it's a necessity for this trip because of the stuff I have to take with me. This time I'm going to buy the wildest color I can find, definitely not black. If I can find zebra stripe, I'm buying it. I'm tired of looking at a hundred black bags trying to find mine.
I'm still counting calories and it really seems to be working. I've been binge-free since I started with the calorie counting on Monday and writing it in my journal. That's five whole nights of not mindlessly stuffing my face like a maniac. I consider it a victory of sorts, but I know I can't let my guard down for a second. I must remained focused or I could slip and slide right back to where I was a couple weeks ago, or worse yet, nineteen months ago.
It's strange to go back to calorie counting because it's what I did 40 years ago when I started my first diet when I was 14 years old and wanted to lose ten pounds. I was a whopping 135 pounds and wanted to weigh 125 (I was 5' 6" and still am). I was an idiot. I never did lose the ten pounds. I remember getting down to 130 and feeling like I was starving to death. Some things never change.
I hope everyone has a really great weekend, and like Ron says, remember to make healthy choices.
~Diana
161.6
Happy Weekend Neighbors
Greetings Neighbors & Happy Weekend!'Tis another working weekend for me -- hopefully the last working weekend for a spell. You know, September is my absolute favorite month of the year and I have been in the office every single day but two this month. What's up with that? Note to agent: No more September book deadlines! What's wrong with a March deadline? Nobody wants to be outside in Wyoming in
Obesity, alcohol, depression interlinked for women
Obesity, alcohol, depression interlinked for women
By Anne Harding
Dr. Carolyn A. McCarty of Seattle Children's Research Institute and her colleagues also found that almost half of the men and women in their study suffered from at least one of these problems between the ages of 21 and 30.
"That's big," McCarty told Reuters Health, and is likely only "the tip of the iceberg," because she and her colleagues used fairly stringent definitions of alcohol abuse, depression and obesity in their study.
The young men and women in the current study have been followed since 1985, when they were in fifth grade. McCarty and her team looked at data from interviews conducted when the study participants were 24, 27 and 30 years old to understand the interrelationships among depression, obesity and alcohol use disorders.
At age 21, 8 percent of women and 12 percent of men had at least two of the three problems. Over time, having more than one of the problems became more common for women, but less so for men.
For men, the only association the researchers saw was for obese 27-year-olds, who were less likely to be depressed at age 30. But women who were depressed at 27 were more than three times as likely to meet criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence at age 30.
Women who had alcohol use problems at 24 were nearly four times as likely to be obese at 27, while being obese at age 27 more than doubled the risk of depression at 30.
And lower-income individuals of both sexes were at greater risk of depression and obesity.
A tendency to "ruminative coping"-in which a person replays and obsesses about negative events-may be one of the traits that links alcohol abuse, obesity and depression, McCarty noted in an interview.
Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksma, a psychologist at Yale, has referred to the three as a "toxic triangle" of "eating, drinking and overthinking," the researcher added, and has shown that women-and men-who ruminate are more depressed and more likely to drink or to binge eat to cope with emotional problems.
There are interventions that target all three legs of this toxic triangle, McCarty said, including physical exercise, mindfulness training, and stress management. Strategies for treating depression, alcohol use problems, and obesity-all of which are characterized by problems with the brain's "reward system"--also need to help people find alternatives to rewarding themselves with food or alcohol, she added.
"We have to think about how people can start to build in naturally rewarding experiences in their lives," she said.
SOURCE: General Hospital Psychiatry, September/October 2009
Jumat, 25 September 2009
Doin' the Puallup!
We went to the Dave Koz-Brian Culbertson-Peabo Bryson concert last night. It was at the fair. Puyallup is where the fair is held, their slogan is "Doin' the Puallup!". That makes two things I kind of hate, jazz and the fair. At least I thought hated them.
Surprisingly, I was wrong! Turns out I can appreciate good jazz. The crowd was so into the performers and the music that it was contagious. Completely different crowd than P!nk. About half African American and almost everyone was our age or older.
My husband loves jazz so he was in heaven. I'd never heard of Peabo Bryson, but all his songs were top forty songs. He sang If Ever You're in My Arms Again along with some of his other hits. The concert was outside and it was extremely romantic.
Dave and Brian were awesome musicians, and if you close your eyes jazz actually sounds pretty good. So it wasn't torture at all and I had a really good time. Not as good as at my girl P!nk's concert, but still good.
This is what was torture, and where I really wanted to eat, deep fried twinkies and chocolate covered bacon. Yummo!
There were two rides I really wanted to go on but my husband won't do rides with me. Long story but he almost fell out of a roller coaster when he was seven. He won't go near a ride. That's why when we go to Disney World or somewhere like that I take his mom. She'll do every ride with me, nothing too scary for her.
This one had a huge line and looked really scary.
~Diana
162.6
Surprisingly, I was wrong! Turns out I can appreciate good jazz. The crowd was so into the performers and the music that it was contagious. Completely different crowd than P!nk. About half African American and almost everyone was our age or older.
My husband loves jazz so he was in heaven. I'd never heard of Peabo Bryson, but all his songs were top forty songs. He sang If Ever You're in My Arms Again along with some of his other hits. The concert was outside and it was extremely romantic.
Dave and Brian were awesome musicians, and if you close your eyes jazz actually sounds pretty good. So it wasn't torture at all and I had a really good time. Not as good as at my girl P!nk's concert, but still good.
This is what was torture, and where I really wanted to eat, deep fried twinkies and chocolate covered bacon. Yummo!
Or here, the world famous 1/2 pound hamburgers at Earthquake Burgers:
But I was good girl and ate at the Mongolian Wok where I had a super healthy dinner of a ton of grilled fresh veggies and a tiny bit of chicken breast. No oil, it was all steamed. No rice. It was really good. Probably not as good as anything at the "Totally Fried" place, but it was healthy.
I had a scoop of Nitro ice cream for dessert. It was okay, not great. I only got it because I saw a show on the Food Network where they made ice cream with Nitrogen and it looked wonderful (it wasn't). Calories for the day was 1535 (estimated on the fair food, but I think I probably over estimated).
My chef, who gave me a ton of extra vegetables and "cleaned" the grill so there wouldn't be any oil on it and just used water. Now that I look at the picture of the grill it kind of grosses me out. Click on the picture to enlarge it and you'll see what I mean (nasty!).
There were two rides I really wanted to go on but my husband won't do rides with me. Long story but he almost fell out of a roller coaster when he was seven. He won't go near a ride. That's why when we go to Disney World or somewhere like that I take his mom. She'll do every ride with me, nothing too scary for her.
This one had a huge line and looked really scary.
It was a fun afternoon and evening. We walked around a lot after the concert and got home around midnight. Too late for a work night and second time we did something like this in two weeks. Thank goodness it's Friday!
~Diana
162.6
ka ching... interest ing
Was just thinking about the word ka-ching.
I used this word to describe the veritable clunk of gold pieces in my palm... but think about it a bit more...
Ka = spirit or god.
Ching = beautiful or bright
Hmmm. Ponderous.
I used this word to describe the veritable clunk of gold pieces in my palm... but think about it a bit more...
Ka = spirit or god.
Ching = beautiful or bright
Hmmm. Ponderous.
Hideously low in ka-ching
Getting a little desperate now. At least I am eating nothing I suppose. All the meals and things I have in the freezer amount to unfriendly band food, so that's a good thing. I can cook it all up and serve to my un-banded family of 4 and leave myself out.
Having not worked for 8 weeks over the summer, starting back to term a week late, having to have a Saturday off from work with swine flu (£150 down the Swanee) and shelling out £100 for the fill means that Bunny has few beans in the warren.
We are currently £337.04 overdrawn. I have about £60 coming in in a few days, so that will bump that up a bit, but it's rubbish. We have absolutely no capacity to go overdrawn. We don't own a single credit card or loan, and we don't have an overdraft facility either because of the temptation of credit. It's like heroin to me.
so £337.04 overdrawn is the current state of play in MY working out, but in reality we are not. We have one of those accounts where you have all your money in one place... mortgage, savings (pfuh!) and current account. The only thing saving us is the fact that my pupils pay for their lesson in 10 week blocks, so I have a kind of buffer thing going on. There is about £700 in my account, but its not mine... yet... It works out quite well. They pay me for 10 lessons, I put it in the bank and then each month I draw off payment for however many lessons they had and that's how we do it.
The only thing is that sometimes I think "that's ok... there's £700 buffer in there" and buy things (like Fills!) when I really should wait. Hence no credit cards or I would be a £Gazillion in debt no worries.
So its a bit squeaky bum time. I don't know if any of you know, but I am wanting to get to a point where I can stop work and just run the house and do DS homeschool full time. It seems like the light might be getting brighter at the end of the tunnel... its just times like this that makes me think hmmmm....
I might make a concerted effort to save all my money I earn over the next year and see if its a possibility to live on DH's money alone. That would be awesome. I assume he will get a pay rise in January anyway, so that will be all grist to the mill. Anyway, its not a big issue, but just something I would really like to do.
So, the band has been good and I have been fantabulous. Yesterday saw me consume under 1000 cals again and not be hungry. WOW. 2 protein shakes, couple of yoghurts, and 2 special things: 1/2 a cup of curry and rice & a diet ice cream pot.
The diet ice cream pot was from Eismann. They come around every 4 weeks of so and ply their wares. They sell loads of frozen food and its all really lovely, especially their puddings. I am not a fan of ice cream, but occasionally its nice to have something. I buy them primarily for DH and DS, but this time I bought Diet Cups. 16 pots of ice cream for £5. They only have between 70 and 80 calories apiece! Brilliant. So I have limited the boys to one each a day as usual, but they are getting a diet one without knowing it as the packaging is nondescript and in German too!
Secondly the 1/2 cup of curry and rice. A loooong time ago I bought some measuring spoons. I bought them because I have a few American cookbooks, but never knew how to measure the stuff in the recipes because it was all in quarts, and cups and stuff like that. Its do-able, but was so annoying converting everything, that I used to leave the book in the cupboard, or guess, or whatever. So I got these metal spoons. They measure liquids or solids, but give ounces and also cups. They have been in the back of my bakery drawer for years and hardly used. I came across the largest one of these spoons which is like a little itty bitty saucepan - like a Dolly's saucepan - and is the equivalent to 1 cup. So I got to thinking - this is perfect for measuring my portions with. So I put some rice in, and curry and then put it on a plate. I only ate half of this. I didn't feel that crummy throwing the rest of my dinner away as it wasn't much to begin with, so I think another little bit of the lap band jigsaw has slotted into place.
I went down to a tea plate quite a while ago, but I am considering a saucer. Its getting ridiculous, but there is something about having a plate in just the size you need it to be. I guess that is why we have tea plates, diner plates and serving plates... if no one cared then you would get a slice of cake on a great big dinner plate wouldn't you. So I am going to look for an extra special Bunny plate just for me.
Have you ever wondered why we write ounces ounCes... so why do we write it in the shortened form do we write oz?
- answer: It comes from the Old Italian word Onza, meaning Ounce. Ounce in Italian is now spelt Oncia.
Or why pounds is shortened to lbs... ?
That comes from the Latin Libra meaning scales. Libra Pondo - Pondo is where we get the word pound from.
Always wondered that myself.
Having not worked for 8 weeks over the summer, starting back to term a week late, having to have a Saturday off from work with swine flu (£150 down the Swanee) and shelling out £100 for the fill means that Bunny has few beans in the warren.
We are currently £337.04 overdrawn. I have about £60 coming in in a few days, so that will bump that up a bit, but it's rubbish. We have absolutely no capacity to go overdrawn. We don't own a single credit card or loan, and we don't have an overdraft facility either because of the temptation of credit. It's like heroin to me.
so £337.04 overdrawn is the current state of play in MY working out, but in reality we are not. We have one of those accounts where you have all your money in one place... mortgage, savings (pfuh!) and current account. The only thing saving us is the fact that my pupils pay for their lesson in 10 week blocks, so I have a kind of buffer thing going on. There is about £700 in my account, but its not mine... yet... It works out quite well. They pay me for 10 lessons, I put it in the bank and then each month I draw off payment for however many lessons they had and that's how we do it.
The only thing is that sometimes I think "that's ok... there's £700 buffer in there" and buy things (like Fills!) when I really should wait. Hence no credit cards or I would be a £Gazillion in debt no worries.
So its a bit squeaky bum time. I don't know if any of you know, but I am wanting to get to a point where I can stop work and just run the house and do DS homeschool full time. It seems like the light might be getting brighter at the end of the tunnel... its just times like this that makes me think hmmmm....
I might make a concerted effort to save all my money I earn over the next year and see if its a possibility to live on DH's money alone. That would be awesome. I assume he will get a pay rise in January anyway, so that will be all grist to the mill. Anyway, its not a big issue, but just something I would really like to do.
So, the band has been good and I have been fantabulous. Yesterday saw me consume under 1000 cals again and not be hungry. WOW. 2 protein shakes, couple of yoghurts, and 2 special things: 1/2 a cup of curry and rice & a diet ice cream pot.
The diet ice cream pot was from Eismann. They come around every 4 weeks of so and ply their wares. They sell loads of frozen food and its all really lovely, especially their puddings. I am not a fan of ice cream, but occasionally its nice to have something. I buy them primarily for DH and DS, but this time I bought Diet Cups. 16 pots of ice cream for £5. They only have between 70 and 80 calories apiece! Brilliant. So I have limited the boys to one each a day as usual, but they are getting a diet one without knowing it as the packaging is nondescript and in German too!
Secondly the 1/2 cup of curry and rice. A loooong time ago I bought some measuring spoons. I bought them because I have a few American cookbooks, but never knew how to measure the stuff in the recipes because it was all in quarts, and cups and stuff like that. Its do-able, but was so annoying converting everything, that I used to leave the book in the cupboard, or guess, or whatever. So I got these metal spoons. They measure liquids or solids, but give ounces and also cups. They have been in the back of my bakery drawer for years and hardly used. I came across the largest one of these spoons which is like a little itty bitty saucepan - like a Dolly's saucepan - and is the equivalent to 1 cup. So I got to thinking - this is perfect for measuring my portions with. So I put some rice in, and curry and then put it on a plate. I only ate half of this. I didn't feel that crummy throwing the rest of my dinner away as it wasn't much to begin with, so I think another little bit of the lap band jigsaw has slotted into place.
I went down to a tea plate quite a while ago, but I am considering a saucer. Its getting ridiculous, but there is something about having a plate in just the size you need it to be. I guess that is why we have tea plates, diner plates and serving plates... if no one cared then you would get a slice of cake on a great big dinner plate wouldn't you. So I am going to look for an extra special Bunny plate just for me.
Have you ever wondered why we write ounces ounCes... so why do we write it in the shortened form do we write oz?
- answer: It comes from the Old Italian word Onza, meaning Ounce. Ounce in Italian is now spelt Oncia.
Or why pounds is shortened to lbs... ?
That comes from the Latin Libra meaning scales. Libra Pondo - Pondo is where we get the word pound from.
Always wondered that myself.
Kamis, 24 September 2009
Another Fatty Liver Reversal, Part II
A month ago, I wrote about a reader "Steve" who reversed his fatty liver using a change in diet. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a truly disturbing modern epidemic, rare a few decades ago and now affecting roughly a quarter of the adult population of modern industrialized nations. Researchers cause NAFLD readily in rodents by feeding them industrial vegetable oils or large amounts of sugar.
Steve recently e-mailed me to update me on his condition. He also passed along his liver test results, which I've graphed below. ALT is a liver enzyme that enters the bloodstream following liver damage such as hepatitis or NAFLD. It's below 50 units/L in a healthy person*. AST is another liver enzyme that's below 35 units/L in a healthy person*.
Steve began his new diet in November of 2008 and saw a remarkable and sustained improvement in his ALT and AST levels:
Here's how Steve described his diet change to me:
* The cutoff depends on who you ask, but these numbers are commonly used.
How to Fatten Your Liver
Excess Omega-6 Fat Damages Infants' Livers
Health is Multi-Factorial
Fatty Liver Reversal
Another Fatty Liver Reversal
Steve recently e-mailed me to update me on his condition. He also passed along his liver test results, which I've graphed below. ALT is a liver enzyme that enters the bloodstream following liver damage such as hepatitis or NAFLD. It's below 50 units/L in a healthy person*. AST is another liver enzyme that's below 35 units/L in a healthy person*.
Steve began his new diet in November of 2008 and saw a remarkable and sustained improvement in his ALT and AST levels:
Here's how Steve described his diet change to me:I totally eliminated sugar, heavy starches, and grains. Started eating more whole, real foods, including things like grass-fed beef and pastured pork and eggs, began supplementing with good fats and omega-3 (pastured butter, coconut oil, cod liver oil). Ate more fruits and vegetables instead of refined carbs. Also completely gave up on the idea that I had to eat only "lean" meats. After my last results, the GI doc said that I wouldn't need the biopsy at all, that things were great, and that if I kept it up I "would live forever."He did experience some side effects from this diet though:
My triglycerides also went from pre-diet measures of 201 and 147 to post diet 86, 81, and 71.The liver is the body's "metabolic grand central station". It's essential for nutrient homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, detoxification, and hormone conversion, among other things. What's bad for the liver is bad for the rest of the body as well. Don't poison your liver with sugar and industrial vegetable oils.
The added bonus, of course, was that my weight went from 205 pounds to 162 pounds and my body fat percentage from 24% to 12% in the matter of five months--all without the typically excessive cardio I used to try unsuccessfully for weight loss.
* The cutoff depends on who you ask, but these numbers are commonly used.
How to Fatten Your Liver
Excess Omega-6 Fat Damages Infants' Livers
Health is Multi-Factorial
Fatty Liver Reversal
Another Fatty Liver Reversal
Another Fatty Liver Reversal, Part II
A month ago, I wrote about a reader "Steve" who reversed his fatty liver using a change in diet. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a truly disturbing modern epidemic, rare a few decades ago and now affecting roughly a quarter of the adult population of modern industrialized nations. Researchers cause NAFLD readily in rodents by feeding them industrial vegetable oils or large amounts of sugar.
Steve recently e-mailed me to update me on his condition. He also passed along his liver test results, which I've graphed below. ALT is a liver enzyme that enters the bloodstream following liver damage such as hepatitis or NAFLD. It's below 50 units/L in a healthy person*. AST is another liver enzyme that's below 35 units/L in a healthy person*.
Steve began his new diet in November of 2008 and saw a remarkable and sustained improvement in his ALT and AST levels:
Here's how Steve described his diet change to me:
* The cutoff depends on who you ask, but these numbers are commonly used.
How to Fatten Your Liver
Excess Omega-6 Fat Damages Infants' Livers
Health is Multi-Factorial
Fatty Liver Reversal
Another Fatty Liver Reversal
Steve recently e-mailed me to update me on his condition. He also passed along his liver test results, which I've graphed below. ALT is a liver enzyme that enters the bloodstream following liver damage such as hepatitis or NAFLD. It's below 50 units/L in a healthy person*. AST is another liver enzyme that's below 35 units/L in a healthy person*.
Steve began his new diet in November of 2008 and saw a remarkable and sustained improvement in his ALT and AST levels:
Here's how Steve described his diet change to me:I totally eliminated sugar, heavy starches, and grains. Started eating more whole, real foods, including things like grass-fed beef and pastured pork and eggs, began supplementing with good fats and omega-3 (pastured butter, coconut oil, cod liver oil). Ate more fruits and vegetables instead of refined carbs. Also completely gave up on the idea that I had to eat only "lean" meats. After my last results, the GI doc said that I wouldn't need the biopsy at all, that things were great, and that if I kept it up I "would live forever."He did experience some side effects from this diet though:
My triglycerides also went from pre-diet measures of 201 and 147 to post diet 86, 81, and 71.The liver is the body's "metabolic grand central station". It's essential for nutrient homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, detoxification, and hormone conversion, among other things. What's bad for the liver is bad for the rest of the body as well. Don't poison your liver with sugar and industrial vegetable oils.
The added bonus, of course, was that my weight went from 205 pounds to 162 pounds and my body fat percentage from 24% to 12% in the matter of five months--all without the typically excessive cardio I used to try unsuccessfully for weight loss.
* The cutoff depends on who you ask, but these numbers are commonly used.
How to Fatten Your Liver
Excess Omega-6 Fat Damages Infants' Livers
Health is Multi-Factorial
Fatty Liver Reversal
Another Fatty Liver Reversal
Why Middle-Aged Men Gain Weight
About age 30 to 35, most men (and some women) notice they are gaining weight around the middle (Belly fat/Beer Belly). This sort of fat accumulation greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular and other diseases.
Most people realize that excess fat is unhealthy, but the key is where the fat is distributed. People with apple-shaped bodies (fattest in the abdomen) have a greater risk of heart disease and diabetes than those with pear shapes (fattest in the hips, buttocks, and thighs).
Does age play a role in gaining belly fat?
As you age, your levels of free testosterone decrease, and levels of estrogen and insulin increase. This is partly because aging men convert much of their testosterone into estradiol, a form of estrogen.
How does Low Testosterone cause obesity?
It is already known that obesity decrease testosterone levels and that low testosterone levels cause obesity, creating a vicious cycle. It is also known excess weight will overwhelms both leptins and testosterone.
What should you do?
Firstly, you will need to be more active. Remember, fat is stored energy. To get rid of it, you need to burn more energy (calories) than you eat. Get out of bed earlier, turn off the TV, walk to your office if possible, etc.
Secondly, you'll also need to eat the right foods ( healthy eating habit). I know it's a cliché, but a flat stomach is made in the kitchen and not the gym.
To lose belly fat, eating right and be more active, needs to become a habit, not just something you do when you have the time.
Most people realize that excess fat is unhealthy, but the key is where the fat is distributed. People with apple-shaped bodies (fattest in the abdomen) have a greater risk of heart disease and diabetes than those with pear shapes (fattest in the hips, buttocks, and thighs).
Does age play a role in gaining belly fat?
As you age, your levels of free testosterone decrease, and levels of estrogen and insulin increase. This is partly because aging men convert much of their testosterone into estradiol, a form of estrogen.
How does Low Testosterone cause obesity?
It is already known that obesity decrease testosterone levels and that low testosterone levels cause obesity, creating a vicious cycle. It is also known excess weight will overwhelms both leptins and testosterone.
What should you do?
Firstly, you will need to be more active. Remember, fat is stored energy. To get rid of it, you need to burn more energy (calories) than you eat. Get out of bed earlier, turn off the TV, walk to your office if possible, etc.
Secondly, you'll also need to eat the right foods ( healthy eating habit). I know it's a cliché, but a flat stomach is made in the kitchen and not the gym.
To lose belly fat, eating right and be more active, needs to become a habit, not just something you do when you have the time.
If I could bottle this up for later
You know the feeling, the feeling that nothing could make you eat something you shouldn't or eat too much or eat late at night. That super-human strength that comes from somewhere, that saves you from yourself.
I've been binge-free for four nights in a row. I think this must be a record. Last night I was hungry around 11pm (late night), but I told myself breakfast was only seven hours away. I could last seven hours without eating. I think I read that tip in Dr. Beck's Diet Solution, or maybe someones blog. It worked.
Writing down my food in a regular journal, adding up the calories is really helping me. Maybe it's because it's different or because I can see all the food I've eaten during the day, written in my handwriting. The calories have been between 1100 and 1500, the Points between 20 and 30. It's really working out to 1 Point equals about 50 calories, every single day.
Whatever it is that's working for me, I wish I could save it for when I'm feeling weak. I'm trying not to over-analyze the situation as I tend to do in all areas of my life, which can ultimately ruin it when I overthink stuff. I'm trying to just let it be what it is...a good feeling.
A big thank you to Miz Fit. I watch these video answers she did a couple days ago. The one about improving an area of your body that you know is going to be difficult really hit home with me. I hate ab work. In fact, I'll do anything to avoid it. Which explains why I hate my abdominal area so much.
After watching MizFit's video, I added ab work to my routine. I've tried before but it's so hard and I hate it so much, I always give up after a day or two. I know it's really important to keep the body in balance. My back is very strong, my abs are very weak. A bad combination and could cause an injury when I lift heavy weights because my abs can't support what my back can lift. I need strong abs to support my back.
For three days I've added ab exercises to my workout. Old fashioned sit ups on a slant board, crunches with an 8-pound weight, with a twist to the side on the up move, the prone bicycle knee to opposite elbow (killer!). A few others I found in magazines and books. My abs have been so sore each morning I can barely roll out of bed.
Thanks MizFit! As usual, you inspired me!
~Diana
162.4 <----going the right direction!
I've been binge-free for four nights in a row. I think this must be a record. Last night I was hungry around 11pm (late night), but I told myself breakfast was only seven hours away. I could last seven hours without eating. I think I read that tip in Dr. Beck's Diet Solution, or maybe someones blog. It worked.
Writing down my food in a regular journal, adding up the calories is really helping me. Maybe it's because it's different or because I can see all the food I've eaten during the day, written in my handwriting. The calories have been between 1100 and 1500, the Points between 20 and 30. It's really working out to 1 Point equals about 50 calories, every single day.
Whatever it is that's working for me, I wish I could save it for when I'm feeling weak. I'm trying not to over-analyze the situation as I tend to do in all areas of my life, which can ultimately ruin it when I overthink stuff. I'm trying to just let it be what it is...a good feeling.
A big thank you to Miz Fit. I watch these video answers she did a couple days ago. The one about improving an area of your body that you know is going to be difficult really hit home with me. I hate ab work. In fact, I'll do anything to avoid it. Which explains why I hate my abdominal area so much.
After watching MizFit's video, I added ab work to my routine. I've tried before but it's so hard and I hate it so much, I always give up after a day or two. I know it's really important to keep the body in balance. My back is very strong, my abs are very weak. A bad combination and could cause an injury when I lift heavy weights because my abs can't support what my back can lift. I need strong abs to support my back.
For three days I've added ab exercises to my workout. Old fashioned sit ups on a slant board, crunches with an 8-pound weight, with a twist to the side on the up move, the prone bicycle knee to opposite elbow (killer!). A few others I found in magazines and books. My abs have been so sore each morning I can barely roll out of bed.
Thanks MizFit! As usual, you inspired me!
~Diana
162.4 <----going the right direction!
Fat caused 124,000 cancer cases in Europe: experts
Fat caused 124,000 cancer cases in Europe : experts
By Kate Kelland
BERLIN (Reuters) - More than 124,000 people in Europe developed cancer last year because they are overweight, and rising body fat levels threaten to add tens of thousands more to their ranks, experts said on Thursday.
A study of cancer among overweight people in Europe showed the proportion of new cases of the disease caused by people being fat was highest in women and in central European countries like the Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.
The most common cancers linked to excess body weight were endometrial, breast and colorectal cancers.
"It is possible that obesity may become the biggest attributable cause of cancer in women within the next decade," lead researcher Andrew Renehan, of Cardiff University in Britain, told the ECCO-ESMO European cancer congress in Berlin.
Renehan used data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer to estimate that in 2002 some 70,0000 new cases of cancer in 30 European countries were caused by people being overweight or obese.
The study used WHO definitions, classing overweight as having a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30, and obese as having a BMI of 30 or more.
They then projected the figures forward to 2008, taking into account the steep decline in women's use of hormone replacement therapy from 2002 after it was linked to increased risk of breast cancer, and the wider use of prostate cancer screening.
They found that the number of cancers that could be attributed to excess body weight increased to 124,050 in 2008.
In men, 3.2 percent of new cancers were attributed to being overweight or obese and in women it was 8.6 percent, and at a country level, obesity-related cancer is a greater problem for central European countries like the Czech Republic, but less of a problem in France and Denmark.
The largest number of obesity-related new cancers was for endometrial cancer (33,421), post-menopausal breast cancer (27,770) and colorectal cancer (23,730). Together, they accounted for 65 percent of all cancers attributable to fat.
Renehan stressed that his numbers were "very conservative estimates" and urged health authorities to take note.
"In the face of an unabating obesity epidemic, and apparent failure of public health policies to control weight gain, there is a need to look at alternative strategies, including pharmacological approaches," he said.
Obesity has long been known to raise the risk of cancer, and the evidence continues to mount. Swedish researchers said in June that women who had weight-loss surgery were 42 percent less likely to develop cancer during a 10-year study.
Although European countries are taking some steps to tackle the obesity epidemic, the study emphasized the "urgency of the task and the scale of the problems" caused by fat, Renehan said.
(Editing by Diana Abdallah)
By Kate Kelland
BERLIN (Reuters) - More than 124,000 people in Europe developed cancer last year because they are overweight, and rising body fat levels threaten to add tens of thousands more to their ranks, experts said on Thursday.A study of cancer among overweight people in Europe showed the proportion of new cases of the disease caused by people being fat was highest in women and in central European countries like the Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.
The most common cancers linked to excess body weight were endometrial, breast and colorectal cancers.
"It is possible that obesity may become the biggest attributable cause of cancer in women within the next decade," lead researcher Andrew Renehan, of Cardiff University in Britain, told the ECCO-ESMO European cancer congress in Berlin.
Renehan used data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer to estimate that in 2002 some 70,0000 new cases of cancer in 30 European countries were caused by people being overweight or obese.
The study used WHO definitions, classing overweight as having a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30, and obese as having a BMI of 30 or more.
They then projected the figures forward to 2008, taking into account the steep decline in women's use of hormone replacement therapy from 2002 after it was linked to increased risk of breast cancer, and the wider use of prostate cancer screening.
They found that the number of cancers that could be attributed to excess body weight increased to 124,050 in 2008.
In men, 3.2 percent of new cancers were attributed to being overweight or obese and in women it was 8.6 percent, and at a country level, obesity-related cancer is a greater problem for central European countries like the Czech Republic, but less of a problem in France and Denmark.
The largest number of obesity-related new cancers was for endometrial cancer (33,421), post-menopausal breast cancer (27,770) and colorectal cancer (23,730). Together, they accounted for 65 percent of all cancers attributable to fat.
Renehan stressed that his numbers were "very conservative estimates" and urged health authorities to take note.
"In the face of an unabating obesity epidemic, and apparent failure of public health policies to control weight gain, there is a need to look at alternative strategies, including pharmacological approaches," he said.
Obesity has long been known to raise the risk of cancer, and the evidence continues to mount. Swedish researchers said in June that women who had weight-loss surgery were 42 percent less likely to develop cancer during a 10-year study.
Although European countries are taking some steps to tackle the obesity epidemic, the study emphasized the "urgency of the task and the scale of the problems" caused by fat, Renehan said.
(Editing by Diana Abdallah)
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