Jumat, 30 April 2010
Meatball Ravioli Soup
Today's weather has been more winter than spring and I cannot get warm. So that means its soup time! Here's one of my favorite recipes because everything comes the freezer or pantry. Dinner is ready in a snap! I wish warm weather could be had so easily! CHEERS!Ingredients:1 package Tyson Fully Cooked Chicken Meatballs1 tablespoon olive oil1 large onion finely chopped1 garlic clove minced1 (28
Obesity ups risk of painful fibromyalgia
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - To help guard against the pain syndrome fibromyalgia, best to maintain a healthy weight and stay active, according to a new study from Norway.
The study in women found that being overweight or obese was associated with increased risk of fibromyalgia, especially among women who weren't all that physically active.
It is well established that maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including staying fit, trim and active helps prevent several chronic conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure, Paul J. Mork, who led the study, noted in an email to Reuters Health.
"Our study indicates that a similar association also exists for development of" fibromyalgia," writes Mork, from the Human Movement Science Program, Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating pain syndrome that affects an estimated 2 to 4 percent of the population. It's characterized by chronic pain, often in the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms and legs. Fatigue, depressed mood, and difficulty thinking and sleeping are other common symptoms. There is no clear-cut cause.
Mork said while an association between fibromyalgia and being overweight or obese has been shown in prior "cross-sectional" studies, his is the first forward looking, or "prospective" study to document being overweight or obese as independently raising one's risk of developing the pain syndrome.
The findings, published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research, are based on nearly 16,000 physically able, fibromyalgia-free women who were followed for 11 years. During this time, 380 developed fibromyalgia.
Overweight and obese women had a 60 percent to 70 percent higher risk of developing fibromyalgia over the study period, relative to their normal-weight counterparts, the researchers found.
They also found that women who said they exercised 4 or more times a week had a 29 percent lower risk of developing fibromyalgia compared to inactive women. A look at the number of hours exercised each week revealed that women who said they got 2 or more hours a week had a 23 percent lower risk of the pain syndrome.
In looking at the combined effects of exercise and body weight on risk of fibromyalgia, the researchers found a greater than two-fold increased risk for overweight or obese women who were either inactive or who reported exercising for 1 hour or less each week. There was no clear relationship between exercise and risk of fibromyalgia in normal-weight women.
Overall, this study found a "weak protective" effect of leisure time physical activity on future development of fibromyalgia, Mork noted. "This was somewhat unexpected and needs further exploration," he admitted.
However, Mork said it's important to note that his team was not able to differentiate between different types of exercise "and it might be possible that some exercise types are more beneficial than others in protecting against future development of fibromyalgia."
He and his colleagues conclude, based on their study and others, that maintaining a healthy weight and regular exercise are important for reducing the risk of fibromyalgia.
SOURCE: Arthritis Care and Research, May 2010.
The study in women found that being overweight or obese was associated with increased risk of fibromyalgia, especially among women who weren't all that physically active.
It is well established that maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including staying fit, trim and active helps prevent several chronic conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure, Paul J. Mork, who led the study, noted in an email to Reuters Health.
"Our study indicates that a similar association also exists for development of" fibromyalgia," writes Mork, from the Human Movement Science Program, Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating pain syndrome that affects an estimated 2 to 4 percent of the population. It's characterized by chronic pain, often in the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms and legs. Fatigue, depressed mood, and difficulty thinking and sleeping are other common symptoms. There is no clear-cut cause.
Mork said while an association between fibromyalgia and being overweight or obese has been shown in prior "cross-sectional" studies, his is the first forward looking, or "prospective" study to document being overweight or obese as independently raising one's risk of developing the pain syndrome.
The findings, published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research, are based on nearly 16,000 physically able, fibromyalgia-free women who were followed for 11 years. During this time, 380 developed fibromyalgia.
Overweight and obese women had a 60 percent to 70 percent higher risk of developing fibromyalgia over the study period, relative to their normal-weight counterparts, the researchers found.
They also found that women who said they exercised 4 or more times a week had a 29 percent lower risk of developing fibromyalgia compared to inactive women. A look at the number of hours exercised each week revealed that women who said they got 2 or more hours a week had a 23 percent lower risk of the pain syndrome.
In looking at the combined effects of exercise and body weight on risk of fibromyalgia, the researchers found a greater than two-fold increased risk for overweight or obese women who were either inactive or who reported exercising for 1 hour or less each week. There was no clear relationship between exercise and risk of fibromyalgia in normal-weight women.
Overall, this study found a "weak protective" effect of leisure time physical activity on future development of fibromyalgia, Mork noted. "This was somewhat unexpected and needs further exploration," he admitted.
However, Mork said it's important to note that his team was not able to differentiate between different types of exercise "and it might be possible that some exercise types are more beneficial than others in protecting against future development of fibromyalgia."
He and his colleagues conclude, based on their study and others, that maintaining a healthy weight and regular exercise are important for reducing the risk of fibromyalgia.
SOURCE: Arthritis Care and Research, May 2010.
What's so bad about Fried Food?
Here's an interesting discussion from the Neighborhood about fried food after Weight Loss surgery - take a look and link to the Neighborhood to add your thoughts and ideas!Question from deb728: "Now I know fried food is bad for you in general. But is there a specific reason that we as weight loss people can't eat it? I would never eat a cheesteak or anything super greasy again, but sometimes I'm
Kamis, 29 April 2010
Happening in the Neighborhood
Good things are happening in the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood - Our weight loss surgery safe haven circle of friends. Check out some of the great conversations we are enjoying today and join us!Celebrating our Neighbor's Hard Work!Diana is down 17 pounds in two weeks following the 5 Day Pouch Test & Day 6 way of LIVING!Unofficial Sleep SurveyKim wants to know how all of the Post-Ops are sleeping.
Bookworm Bundle - Save 20% at LivingAfterWLS Store
Build your LivingAfterWLS Library with our Best Selling Books and save 20% with a Bundle Purchase! Bookworm Bundle includes: 5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual by Kaye BaileyList: $24.95 Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test by Kaye BaileyList: 29.95 The Neighborhood Cookbook edited by Kaye BaileyList: $20.00
Rabu, 28 April 2010
Day 17/365 Push-ups
I hit 100 push-ups today! Now, the goal isn't to do 100 push-ups in a workout, the goal is to do 100 in 1 set, right in a row, no breaks.
For instance, today's workout had 5 sets with 120 second break between sets. The first set was 20 push-ups, the second had 25, third 15, fourth 15, and the final set at 25. Every day, the numbers of push-ups in each set increases with the final goal of being able to do 1 set of 100 push-ups by week 6.
Today I started to feel some soreness in my shoulder joints. Never a good sign to have joint pain. Luckily, by the time evening came and I started the workout, I didn't notice anything.
This is a lofty goal. I am not sure if I can do it in 6 weeks, but I am going to try my best. I have nothing to loose, so why not!
More information on the 100 push-up training: http://hundredpushups.com/
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 15
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 3 Day 2 (100 push-ups)
For instance, today's workout had 5 sets with 120 second break between sets. The first set was 20 push-ups, the second had 25, third 15, fourth 15, and the final set at 25. Every day, the numbers of push-ups in each set increases with the final goal of being able to do 1 set of 100 push-ups by week 6.
Today I started to feel some soreness in my shoulder joints. Never a good sign to have joint pain. Luckily, by the time evening came and I started the workout, I didn't notice anything.
This is a lofty goal. I am not sure if I can do it in 6 weeks, but I am going to try my best. I have nothing to loose, so why not!
More information on the 100 push-up training: http://hundredpushups.com/
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 15
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 3 Day 2 (100 push-ups)
Grains as Food: an Update
Improperly Prepared Grain Fiber can be Harmful
Last year, I published a post on the Diet and Reinfarction trial (DART), a controlled trial that increased grain fiber intake using whole wheat bread and wheat bran supplements, and reported long-term health outcomes in people who had previously suffered a heart attack (1). The initial paper found a trend toward increased heart attacks and deaths in the grain fiber-supplemented group at two years, which was not statistically significant.
What I didn't know at the time is that a follow-up study has been published. After mathematically "adjusting" for preexisting conditions and medication use, the result reached statistical significance: people who increased their grain fiber intake had more heart attacks than people who didn't during the two years of the controlled trial. Overall mortality was higher as well, but that didn't reach statistical significance. You have to get past the abstract of the paper to realize this, but fortunately it's free access (2).
Here's a description of what not to eat if you're a Westerner with established heart disease:
The term 'fiber' can refer to many different things. Dietary fiber is simply defined as an edible substance that doesn't get digested by the human body. It doesn't even necessarily come from plants. If you eat a shrimp with the shell on, and the shell comes out the other end (which it will), it was fiber.
Grain fiber is a particular class of dietary fiber that has specific characteristics. It's mostly cellulose (like wood; although some grains are rich in soluble fiber as well), and it contains a number of defensive substances and storage molecules that make it more difficult to eat. These may include phytic acid, protease inhibitors, amylase inhibitors, lectins, tannins, saponins, and goitrogens (3). Grain fiber is also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, although the minerals are mostly inaccessible due to grains' high phytic acid content (4, 5, 6).
Every plant food (and some animal foods) has its chemical defense strategy, and grains are no different*. It's just that grains are particularly good at it, and also happen to be one of our staple foods in the modern world. If you don't think grains are naturally inedible for humans, try eating a heaping bowl full of dry, raw whole wheat berries.
Human Ingenuity to the Rescue
Humans are clever creatures, and we've found ways to use grains as a food source, despite not being naturally adapted to eating them**. The most important is our ability to cook. Cooking deactivates many of the harmful substances found in grains and other plant foods. However, some are not deactivated by cooking. These require other strategies to remove or deactivate.
Healthy grain-based cultures don't prepare their grains haphazardly. Throughout the world, using a number of different grains, many have arrived at similar strategies for making grains edible and nutritious. The most common approach involves most or all of these steps:
In the next post, I'll explain why these processing steps greatly improve the nutritional value of grains, and I'll describe recipes from around the world to illustrate the point.
* Including tubers. For example, sweet potatoes contain goitrogens, oxalic acid, and protease inhibitors. Potatoes contain toxic glycoalkaloids. Taro contains oxalic acid and protease inhibitors. Cassava contains highly toxic cyanogens. Some of these substances are deactivated by cooking, others are not. Each food has an associated preparation method that minimizes its toxic qualities. Potatoes are peeled, removing the majority of the glycoalkaloids. Cassava is grated and dried or fermented to inactivate cyanogens. Some cultures ferment taro.
** As opposed to mice, for example, which can survive on raw whole grains.
Last year, I published a post on the Diet and Reinfarction trial (DART), a controlled trial that increased grain fiber intake using whole wheat bread and wheat bran supplements, and reported long-term health outcomes in people who had previously suffered a heart attack (1). The initial paper found a trend toward increased heart attacks and deaths in the grain fiber-supplemented group at two years, which was not statistically significant.
What I didn't know at the time is that a follow-up study has been published. After mathematically "adjusting" for preexisting conditions and medication use, the result reached statistical significance: people who increased their grain fiber intake had more heart attacks than people who didn't during the two years of the controlled trial. Overall mortality was higher as well, but that didn't reach statistical significance. You have to get past the abstract of the paper to realize this, but fortunately it's free access (2).
Here's a description of what not to eat if you're a Westerner with established heart disease:
Those randomised to fibre advice were encouraged to eat at least six slices of wholemeal bread per day, or an equivalent amount of cereal fibre from a mixture of wholemeal bread, high-fibre breakfast cereals and wheat bran.Characteristics of Grain Fiber
The term 'fiber' can refer to many different things. Dietary fiber is simply defined as an edible substance that doesn't get digested by the human body. It doesn't even necessarily come from plants. If you eat a shrimp with the shell on, and the shell comes out the other end (which it will), it was fiber.
Grain fiber is a particular class of dietary fiber that has specific characteristics. It's mostly cellulose (like wood; although some grains are rich in soluble fiber as well), and it contains a number of defensive substances and storage molecules that make it more difficult to eat. These may include phytic acid, protease inhibitors, amylase inhibitors, lectins, tannins, saponins, and goitrogens (3). Grain fiber is also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, although the minerals are mostly inaccessible due to grains' high phytic acid content (4, 5, 6).
Every plant food (and some animal foods) has its chemical defense strategy, and grains are no different*. It's just that grains are particularly good at it, and also happen to be one of our staple foods in the modern world. If you don't think grains are naturally inedible for humans, try eating a heaping bowl full of dry, raw whole wheat berries.
Human Ingenuity to the Rescue
Humans are clever creatures, and we've found ways to use grains as a food source, despite not being naturally adapted to eating them**. The most important is our ability to cook. Cooking deactivates many of the harmful substances found in grains and other plant foods. However, some are not deactivated by cooking. These require other strategies to remove or deactivate.
Healthy grain-based cultures don't prepare their grains haphazardly. Throughout the world, using a number of different grains, many have arrived at similar strategies for making grains edible and nutritious. The most common approach involves most or all of these steps:
- Soaking
- Grinding
- Removing 50-75% of the bran
- Sour fermentation
- Cooking
In the next post, I'll explain why these processing steps greatly improve the nutritional value of grains, and I'll describe recipes from around the world to illustrate the point.
* Including tubers. For example, sweet potatoes contain goitrogens, oxalic acid, and protease inhibitors. Potatoes contain toxic glycoalkaloids. Taro contains oxalic acid and protease inhibitors. Cassava contains highly toxic cyanogens. Some of these substances are deactivated by cooking, others are not. Each food has an associated preparation method that minimizes its toxic qualities. Potatoes are peeled, removing the majority of the glycoalkaloids. Cassava is grated and dried or fermented to inactivate cyanogens. Some cultures ferment taro.
** As opposed to mice, for example, which can survive on raw whole grains.
Grains as Food: an Update
Improperly Prepared Grain Fiber can be Harmful
Last year, I published a post on the Diet and Reinfarction trial (DART), a controlled trial that increased grain fiber intake using whole wheat bread and wheat bran supplements, and reported long-term health outcomes in people who had previously suffered a heart attack (1). The initial paper found a trend toward increased heart attacks and deaths in the grain fiber-supplemented group at two years, which was not statistically significant.
What I didn't know at the time is that a follow-up study has been published. After mathematically "adjusting" for preexisting conditions and medication use, the result reached statistical significance: people who increased their grain fiber intake had more heart attacks than people who didn't during the two years of the controlled trial. Overall mortality was higher as well, but that didn't reach statistical significance. You have to get past the abstract of the paper to realize this, but fortunately it's free access (2).
Here's a description of what not to eat if you're a Westerner with established heart disease:
The term 'fiber' can refer to many different things. Dietary fiber is simply defined as an edible substance that doesn't get digested by the human body. It doesn't even necessarily come from plants. If you eat a shrimp with the shell on, and the shell comes out the other end (which it will), it was fiber.
Grain fiber is a particular class of dietary fiber that has specific characteristics. It's mostly cellulose (like wood; although some grains are rich in soluble fiber as well), and it contains a number of defensive substances and storage molecules that make it more difficult to eat. These may include phytic acid, protease inhibitors, amylase inhibitors, lectins, tannins, saponins, and goitrogens (3). Grain fiber is also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, although the minerals are mostly inaccessible due to grains' high phytic acid content (4, 5, 6).
Every plant food (and some animal foods) has its chemical defense strategy, and grains are no different*. It's just that grains are particularly good at it, and also happen to be one of our staple foods in the modern world. If you don't think grains are naturally inedible for humans, try eating a heaping bowl full of dry, raw whole wheat berries.
Human Ingenuity to the Rescue
Humans are clever creatures, and we've found ways to use grains as a food source, despite not being naturally adapted to eating them**. The most important is our ability to cook. Cooking deactivates many of the harmful substances found in grains and other plant foods. However, some are not deactivated by cooking. These require other strategies to remove or deactivate.
Healthy grain-based cultures don't prepare their grains haphazardly. Throughout the world, using a number of different grains, many have arrived at similar strategies for making grains edible and nutritious. The most common approach involves most or all of these steps:
In the next post, I'll explain why these processing steps greatly improve the nutritional value of grains, and I'll describe recipes from around the world to illustrate the point.
* Including tubers. For example, sweet potatoes contain goitrogens, oxalic acid, and protease inhibitors. Potatoes contain toxic glycoalkaloids. Taro contains oxalic acid and protease inhibitors. Cassava contains highly toxic cyanogens. Some of these substances are deactivated by cooking, others are not. Each food has an associated preparation method that minimizes its toxic qualities. Potatoes are peeled, removing the majority of the glycoalkaloids. Cassava is grated and dried or fermented to inactivate cyanogens. Some cultures ferment taro.
** As opposed to mice, for example, which can survive on raw whole grains.
Last year, I published a post on the Diet and Reinfarction trial (DART), a controlled trial that increased grain fiber intake using whole wheat bread and wheat bran supplements, and reported long-term health outcomes in people who had previously suffered a heart attack (1). The initial paper found a trend toward increased heart attacks and deaths in the grain fiber-supplemented group at two years, which was not statistically significant.
What I didn't know at the time is that a follow-up study has been published. After mathematically "adjusting" for preexisting conditions and medication use, the result reached statistical significance: people who increased their grain fiber intake had more heart attacks than people who didn't during the two years of the controlled trial. Overall mortality was higher as well, but that didn't reach statistical significance. You have to get past the abstract of the paper to realize this, but fortunately it's free access (2).
Here's a description of what not to eat if you're a Westerner with established heart disease:
Those randomised to fibre advice were encouraged to eat at least six slices of wholemeal bread per day, or an equivalent amount of cereal fibre from a mixture of wholemeal bread, high-fibre breakfast cereals and wheat bran.Characteristics of Grain Fiber
The term 'fiber' can refer to many different things. Dietary fiber is simply defined as an edible substance that doesn't get digested by the human body. It doesn't even necessarily come from plants. If you eat a shrimp with the shell on, and the shell comes out the other end (which it will), it was fiber.
Grain fiber is a particular class of dietary fiber that has specific characteristics. It's mostly cellulose (like wood; although some grains are rich in soluble fiber as well), and it contains a number of defensive substances and storage molecules that make it more difficult to eat. These may include phytic acid, protease inhibitors, amylase inhibitors, lectins, tannins, saponins, and goitrogens (3). Grain fiber is also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, although the minerals are mostly inaccessible due to grains' high phytic acid content (4, 5, 6).
Every plant food (and some animal foods) has its chemical defense strategy, and grains are no different*. It's just that grains are particularly good at it, and also happen to be one of our staple foods in the modern world. If you don't think grains are naturally inedible for humans, try eating a heaping bowl full of dry, raw whole wheat berries.
Human Ingenuity to the Rescue
Humans are clever creatures, and we've found ways to use grains as a food source, despite not being naturally adapted to eating them**. The most important is our ability to cook. Cooking deactivates many of the harmful substances found in grains and other plant foods. However, some are not deactivated by cooking. These require other strategies to remove or deactivate.
Healthy grain-based cultures don't prepare their grains haphazardly. Throughout the world, using a number of different grains, many have arrived at similar strategies for making grains edible and nutritious. The most common approach involves most or all of these steps:
- Soaking
- Grinding
- Removing 50-75% of the bran
- Sour fermentation
- Cooking
In the next post, I'll explain why these processing steps greatly improve the nutritional value of grains, and I'll describe recipes from around the world to illustrate the point.
* Including tubers. For example, sweet potatoes contain goitrogens, oxalic acid, and protease inhibitors. Potatoes contain toxic glycoalkaloids. Taro contains oxalic acid and protease inhibitors. Cassava contains highly toxic cyanogens. Some of these substances are deactivated by cooking, others are not. Each food has an associated preparation method that minimizes its toxic qualities. Potatoes are peeled, removing the majority of the glycoalkaloids. Cassava is grated and dried or fermented to inactivate cyanogens. Some cultures ferment taro.
** As opposed to mice, for example, which can survive on raw whole grains.
Fast, Easy Recipes for Weight Loss
Here's a funny video showing five fast and easy recipes you can make for dinner from Monday to Friday.The famous Gordon Ramsay shows a guy who's never made a meal for his wife in 18 months, how to cook them. See more of his cooking tutorial videos here.
Do I need a lymphatic massage?
Lately you may often hear about lymphatic massage. What is Lymph Massage? Lymphatic massage is a body massage designed to promote the healthy flow of lymph, which is done with light pressure combined with a gentle pumping motion in the direction of lymph nodes. Lymphatic massage may become essential for the person having problem with their body's drainage system.
The lymphatic system is a system in the body that secrete interstitial fluid, which collects debris such as dead cells, bacteria, inorganic materials, waste products, fats, protein, toxins and water. Therefore it is essential for the lymph to be transported well in the system, to maintain healthy bodily functions.
Today, lymphatic massage can be found in many modern salons and day spas. Most spas proposes manicures and pedicures, facial, various massage, and body treatment. And they are even provides you bikini wax phoenix or brazilian wax scottsdale. Hemm..... Many women who enjoy and love waxing and said they would look sexier after wax process. A little pain is not a problem. But don't want to be forced to adjust to an aesthetic that embraced by the porn industry about pubic hair. Do it if you enjoy it and tell your spouse “take me as I am”.
Finally, lymphatic massage is also useful for people with sports injuries such as joint pain help your body to heal and recover from injury. Lymphatic massage can be a valuable complement to your regular wellness program.
The lymphatic system is a system in the body that secrete interstitial fluid, which collects debris such as dead cells, bacteria, inorganic materials, waste products, fats, protein, toxins and water. Therefore it is essential for the lymph to be transported well in the system, to maintain healthy bodily functions.
Today, lymphatic massage can be found in many modern salons and day spas. Most spas proposes manicures and pedicures, facial, various massage, and body treatment. And they are even provides you bikini wax phoenix or brazilian wax scottsdale. Hemm..... Many women who enjoy and love waxing and said they would look sexier after wax process. A little pain is not a problem. But don't want to be forced to adjust to an aesthetic that embraced by the porn industry about pubic hair. Do it if you enjoy it and tell your spouse “take me as I am”.
Finally, lymphatic massage is also useful for people with sports injuries such as joint pain help your body to heal and recover from injury. Lymphatic massage can be a valuable complement to your regular wellness program.
Selasa, 27 April 2010
Day 16/365 Rough day=chocolate?
Today I absent-mindedly took my crew with me to the grocery store. My hubby wasn't home before we had to leave so I took everyone with me to drop one of the kids off at a Boy Scout event. Having some time to kill and needing a few groceries I thought I would hop over to the local store and grab a few staples. For only having to grab a few things, it was one of the most difficult trips I have had yet to date with kids.
My two girls wanted EVERYTHING, pointing at this, grabbing at that. It wasn't too terribly distracting, I have learned to just ignore their pleas and press forward. It wasn't until we got to the end of the trip where I just about lost it.
We got to the whole foods isle. You know, the area where you fill up your own bags from the bulk bins. Each daughter had an idea what they wanted and I was letting them get one item. Suddenly, just as I noticed one of them reach in and grab a peanut butter malt ball thingy with her bare hand (I am a germ-o-phobe. So it was grossing me out to think that others probably do the same) and I was telling her that you can't do that and to put it into a separate bag so we could buy it, my baby decided to shot put a jar of grape jelly out of the cart!
Dumbfounded, I started to pick up what I could have of this shattered, sticky jar with a handful of plastic bags. I picked it up the best I could and then grabbed a clerk to get a mop to do the rest. Frustrated, and realizing that I may have a shard of glass in my finger, I marched over to the chocolate section. After a day like that at the store, I surely deserved some seriously yummy chocolate.
So we went over to the section with varieties of chocolate, the GOOD chocolate. I looked at the different flavors and realized that I really didn't want to eat it. I didn't want to thwart my plans, just because I was a little (okay a lot) frustrated. So the idea came that I should tweet about the frustration and walk away. So I snapped a shot of my two most favorite flavors, tweeted on Twitter, walked away and I felt a whole bunch better.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 15
My two girls wanted EVERYTHING, pointing at this, grabbing at that. It wasn't too terribly distracting, I have learned to just ignore their pleas and press forward. It wasn't until we got to the end of the trip where I just about lost it.
We got to the whole foods isle. You know, the area where you fill up your own bags from the bulk bins. Each daughter had an idea what they wanted and I was letting them get one item. Suddenly, just as I noticed one of them reach in and grab a peanut butter malt ball thingy with her bare hand (I am a germ-o-phobe. So it was grossing me out to think that others probably do the same) and I was telling her that you can't do that and to put it into a separate bag so we could buy it, my baby decided to shot put a jar of grape jelly out of the cart!
Dumbfounded, I started to pick up what I could have of this shattered, sticky jar with a handful of plastic bags. I picked it up the best I could and then grabbed a clerk to get a mop to do the rest. Frustrated, and realizing that I may have a shard of glass in my finger, I marched over to the chocolate section. After a day like that at the store, I surely deserved some seriously yummy chocolate.
So we went over to the section with varieties of chocolate, the GOOD chocolate. I looked at the different flavors and realized that I really didn't want to eat it. I didn't want to thwart my plans, just because I was a little (okay a lot) frustrated. So the idea came that I should tweet about the frustration and walk away. So I snapped a shot of my two most favorite flavors, tweeted on Twitter, walked away and I felt a whole bunch better.
Baby shotput a jar of jelly-I think I have glass in my finger. Nothing this stuff http://twitpic.com/1iztxf can't fix. Seriously. :0)
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 15
Day 6 Birthday Dinner Triumph!
This is my plate from Jim's 68th Birthday Dinner April 26, 2010. I served Jalapeno-Salmon Burgers on whole grain buns (I went topless - bun wise, that is!), Baby Romaine Salad with tomatoes, avocado & Parmesan; Long Grain & Wild Rice Pilaf (from a box-Near East); fresh strawberries and German Chocolate Cake for Dessert. Total cost per plate was $8.05 and I enjoyed 1/2 my salmon burger for lunch
Senin, 26 April 2010
Day 15/365 Sugar is Addictive & Artificial Sweeteners Kill
I know I have blogged about this in the past, but it's worth repeating. I love the taste of sugar. Who doesn't? But if we eat it all the time, we pay dearly for it. Diabeties, weight gain, cravings and cavities, are some of the most common side effects when we consume too much sugar.
Sugar is one of the reasons why I had a hard time getting it in gear at the first of the year. During the holidays, I enjoyed more sweets then I usually do. Once it's in your system and you are getting regular "fixes" it's really hard to stay ahead of the cravings without a lot of hard work. And the harder it is to get into a routine, the more likely the routine will never solidify.
So the beginning of last week, I wasn't feeling very good. I felt slightly nauseated so I didn't eat much. I drank a lot of Pero with milk and just enough peanut butter filled pretzels so I wasn't hungry. Light on the stomach, a little protein and a good number of carbs. It kept my stomach calm and I was able to do my daily routine.
So at the end of the week, when I started to feel better I noticed I wasn't craving a thing. My appetite came back, but the craving for something crunchy, sweet, salty, smooth, savory, gooey, etc.wasn't there. It's ALWAYS there, so I thought about what was different?
For the whole week, eating like a bird, I didn't have anything sugary. It reminded me that when we can get the sugar out of our system (which takes a few days) we don't have that pull to get more. Why can't I just remember such a thing and ward off sugar for the rest of my life? Weight control would be a cinch! Because life is made up of sugar moments. That's how we celebrate, through sweets.
Some say, "Well that's easy. You can have your sweet without the effects of sugar by consuming sugar-free foods." Yes, that is a solution, but not one I am willing to take. Sweet chemicals are worse on your body than the real thing. They're chemicals and there are many ramifications for putting such gunk into your body. A great article HERE that shows the positive/negatives of many artificial sweeteners.
When I was in school studying Holistic Nutrition, one of our texts was: "Excitoxins:The Taste that Kills" by Russell L. Blaylock. After reading this book, I was convinced to NEVER touch another artificial sweetener again. It explains that certain additives in our food excite our brain so much, that it kills the neurons. Makes sense when the sweetener you are consuming is 160-220 times sweeter than sugar.
So if you want something sweet, by all means, choose something made with sugar! Just know that it will cause cravings and that to rid yourself of cravings, you'll have to avoid it for a bit until you get control of your system. You don't get something for nothing, everything has consequences. You just need to be responsible with it like anything else we consume, and you'll be fine. Understanding our bodies and how sugar effects our efforts, is half the battle in the weight lost journey.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 10
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 3 Day 1 (80 push-ups)
So the beginning of last week, I wasn't feeling very good. I felt slightly nauseated so I didn't eat much. I drank a lot of Pero with milk and just enough peanut butter filled pretzels so I wasn't hungry. Light on the stomach, a little protein and a good number of carbs. It kept my stomach calm and I was able to do my daily routine.
So at the end of the week, when I started to feel better I noticed I wasn't craving a thing. My appetite came back, but the craving for something crunchy, sweet, salty, smooth, savory, gooey, etc.wasn't there. It's ALWAYS there, so I thought about what was different?
For the whole week, eating like a bird, I didn't have anything sugary. It reminded me that when we can get the sugar out of our system (which takes a few days) we don't have that pull to get more. Why can't I just remember such a thing and ward off sugar for the rest of my life? Weight control would be a cinch! Because life is made up of sugar moments. That's how we celebrate, through sweets.
Some say, "Well that's easy. You can have your sweet without the effects of sugar by consuming sugar-free foods." Yes, that is a solution, but not one I am willing to take. Sweet chemicals are worse on your body than the real thing. They're chemicals and there are many ramifications for putting such gunk into your body. A great article HERE that shows the positive/negatives of many artificial sweeteners.
When I was in school studying Holistic Nutrition, one of our texts was: "Excitoxins:The Taste that Kills" by Russell L. Blaylock. After reading this book, I was convinced to NEVER touch another artificial sweetener again. It explains that certain additives in our food excite our brain so much, that it kills the neurons. Makes sense when the sweetener you are consuming is 160-220 times sweeter than sugar.
So if you want something sweet, by all means, choose something made with sugar! Just know that it will cause cravings and that to rid yourself of cravings, you'll have to avoid it for a bit until you get control of your system. You don't get something for nothing, everything has consequences. You just need to be responsible with it like anything else we consume, and you'll be fine. Understanding our bodies and how sugar effects our efforts, is half the battle in the weight lost journey.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 10
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 3 Day 1 (80 push-ups)
Day 14/365 Sunday - Oops!
Went to the computer last night to blog my day, and I must have been distracted by something...
Later today, I am going to blog about the addictive pull of sugar and how it effects our healthy efforts.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 10
Later today, I am going to blog about the addictive pull of sugar and how it effects our healthy efforts.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 10
Minggu, 25 April 2010
Ham & Egg Casserole for Dinner
A wonderful dinner casserole that sneaks in some extra veggies but still very high in protein. Delicious fresh or reheated the following day.Ingredients:1 pound zucchini, sliced (about 4 medium)1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced1 clove garlic, minced6 eggs1 cup (8 oz.) low-fat (1%) cottage cheese1 teaspoon dill weed1/4 teaspoon pepper4 ounces cooked lean
How to get in shape without doing any exercises
Is it really possible? How to get in shape and have the perfect body without even going to the gym. I am sure this is not for you... Moreover, this is not going only to make you feel exhausted, but you also need weeks of hard workout in order to lose fat. Is there any solution to this problem? I am sure there is one. If you want to lose weight
very quick, you need to try Proactol. Don't think: "I don't need this."I am sure that offers like this happens only once per life, if you want to change your life, you need to do anything. Everything depends on you...
A week off helped get my head back on straight
I took last week off...from everything weight loss related. I didn't post anything, I didn't track or weigh and measure any of my food. I read very few weight loss blogs and commented on even fewer. I worked out three times last week instead of my normal six, and they were light workouts.
After a fitful night of sleep last Monday (I'm sleeping the sleep of the damned again), I woke up up exhausted. My first thought that day was "I'm so tired I just can't do it today." Normally I ignore these thoughts. Exercise has become a habit after two years. That morning I decided maybe it was time to take a break.
I got up and looked at my exercise calendar and realized I hadn't had a day off from exercise since Easter. Fourteen straight days of exercise. My body was sore and tired. My left elbow and shoulder had been aching for days. An old injury that happened about six months ago when I was trying to lift 25-pound dumbbells when I wasn't ready to move up on weights.
My previous week's workouts had been pathetic. Each day was a struggle. Each day I'd written in my exercise journal something negative. "Too hard today!" or "Just not into it." or "Worst workout ever!" I was going through the motions but my heart wasn't in it.
I decided last Monday maybe it was time to ease up on myself a little. In the NRWL4W it says you should take a recovery week between stages. It talks about the necessity of letting the body recover, the connective tissues, nervous system and bones need a week off every once and a while. I've ignored this advice for over two years for fear of falling into another one of my long term bouts of not exercising at all and gaining back weight like it was my job (history repeating itself).
The previous week I lost four pounds and was down to 164.8. If you want to lose one pound you need a 3500 calorie deificit. Multipy that by four and that means I had a 14,000 calorie deficit the previous week. No wonder each workout had been tortuous and miserable. I was starving. I wasn't tracking my food, just eating a lot less.
Last week I was in the mood of "to hell with all of it". The one thing I continued was my ban on sugar. I ate good, healthy food. The cravings are still non-existent, the night-time binges are a thing of the past. I still get hungry, but nothing like when I was hooked on Weight Watcher ice cream bars and other "healthy" junk foods that are full of sugar.
My weigh in yesterday showed I was up 1.4 pounds. I'm not upset or worried about it, I'm not freaking out over the small gain. I needed the added calories. I needed to eat and take a break. I'm finally learning to listen to my body.
Yesterday my workout was probably one of the best workouts of my life. During my hour and forty-five minutes of cardio and strength, I was energized. I felt much stronger than the last several weeks. Taking a week off was probably the best thing I could have done for myself.
Yesterday I was back to tracking my food, making sure I eat enough, but not eating too much. It's a fine line I walk these days between not starving myself and making sure I'm getting in the calories I need, yet still lose weight. It feels good to be back, back in control, back to exercising. Back to being me.
After a fitful night of sleep last Monday (I'm sleeping the sleep of the damned again), I woke up up exhausted. My first thought that day was "I'm so tired I just can't do it today." Normally I ignore these thoughts. Exercise has become a habit after two years. That morning I decided maybe it was time to take a break.
I got up and looked at my exercise calendar and realized I hadn't had a day off from exercise since Easter. Fourteen straight days of exercise. My body was sore and tired. My left elbow and shoulder had been aching for days. An old injury that happened about six months ago when I was trying to lift 25-pound dumbbells when I wasn't ready to move up on weights.
My previous week's workouts had been pathetic. Each day was a struggle. Each day I'd written in my exercise journal something negative. "Too hard today!" or "Just not into it." or "Worst workout ever!" I was going through the motions but my heart wasn't in it.
I decided last Monday maybe it was time to ease up on myself a little. In the NRWL4W it says you should take a recovery week between stages. It talks about the necessity of letting the body recover, the connective tissues, nervous system and bones need a week off every once and a while. I've ignored this advice for over two years for fear of falling into another one of my long term bouts of not exercising at all and gaining back weight like it was my job (history repeating itself).
The previous week I lost four pounds and was down to 164.8. If you want to lose one pound you need a 3500 calorie deificit. Multipy that by four and that means I had a 14,000 calorie deficit the previous week. No wonder each workout had been tortuous and miserable. I was starving. I wasn't tracking my food, just eating a lot less.
Last week I was in the mood of "to hell with all of it". The one thing I continued was my ban on sugar. I ate good, healthy food. The cravings are still non-existent, the night-time binges are a thing of the past. I still get hungry, but nothing like when I was hooked on Weight Watcher ice cream bars and other "healthy" junk foods that are full of sugar.
My weigh in yesterday showed I was up 1.4 pounds. I'm not upset or worried about it, I'm not freaking out over the small gain. I needed the added calories. I needed to eat and take a break. I'm finally learning to listen to my body.
Yesterday my workout was probably one of the best workouts of my life. During my hour and forty-five minutes of cardio and strength, I was energized. I felt much stronger than the last several weeks. Taking a week off was probably the best thing I could have done for myself.
Yesterday I was back to tracking my food, making sure I eat enough, but not eating too much. It's a fine line I walk these days between not starving myself and making sure I'm getting in the calories I need, yet still lose weight. It feels good to be back, back in control, back to exercising. Back to being me.
Cold Turkey on Processed Foods
Angela has lost 110 pounds since she changed her lifestyle in January of 2009.She used to weigh 250 pounds at 5'5''.
She lost the weight by joining a gym and exercising regularly. But she says “You can’t out-exercise a bad diet”. And so she also went cold turkey on Day 1 in terms of throwing out all sweets and processed foods and switching to lean protein and fresh fruits and vegetables. Her kids (age 4 and 7) have learned to love sushi.
Check out her weight loss success story and before and after photos here.
The photo here shows a Sushi-Sashimi Combo. 7 pieces of nigiri, 13 pieces of sashimi and a spicy tuna roll.
Sabtu, 24 April 2010
Day 13/365 A Habit
I am grateful. My daily routine is a habit again. I don't have to think about it, I just do it. It feels great to feel in control again. It amazes me how creating a positive habit in your life can change your outlook.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 30 min @ level 10
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 30 min @ level 10
Poached Eggs over Sauteed Spinach Greens
I like this recipe simply because it is a change from the same old hard-cooked egg. It is easy to make and showy to present - a great weekend brunch dish.Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutesIngredients:4 chicken eggs1 tsp light vinegar (rice, apple cider, or white wine)about 4 cups water1 cup thinly sliced green onion6 medium cloves garlic, sliced4 cups fresh baby spinach4 tablespoons chicken broth (
Birthday Gift for You in the General Store
Yesterday was my 44th Birthday and I'm sending a big cyber-hug of THANKS to all my LivingAfterWLS Neighbors and Friends who have taken the time to wish me Happy Birthday! I am simply overwhelmed with your love and kindness. Thank you!We have made it possible in the LivingAfterWLS General Store to give back this weekend as both my husband and I celebrate our birthdays. I'm personally including
Jumat, 23 April 2010
Day 12/365 Illness
The family has been sick so I spent most of the day doing what moms do when their family is sick. I also had a chance to start a new book that really make the time fly while on the elliptical. It's called MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner.
So far it seems like a guys version of Hunger Games. Lots of questions, a fight for survival, suffering, death, teenagers and certainly a page turner because the book keeps you wondering what is going on.
A little food for thought here. I also got the virus that attacked my family. The others in the family that came down sick, were very sick. Me on the other hand, only got a touch of it. I contribute this to the fact that I am working out everyday. I have noticed that when I regularly workout, my immune system is stronger. This is another motivation to create a regular routine.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 30 min @ level 10
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 2 Day 3 (81 push-ups)
So far it seems like a guys version of Hunger Games. Lots of questions, a fight for survival, suffering, death, teenagers and certainly a page turner because the book keeps you wondering what is going on.
A little food for thought here. I also got the virus that attacked my family. The others in the family that came down sick, were very sick. Me on the other hand, only got a touch of it. I contribute this to the fact that I am working out everyday. I have noticed that when I regularly workout, my immune system is stronger. This is another motivation to create a regular routine.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 30 min @ level 10
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 2 Day 3 (81 push-ups)
Have Seed Oils Caused a Multi-Generational Obesity Epidemic?
In 2006, Drs. Gerard Ailhaud and Philippe Guesnet hypothesized that industrial seed oils such as corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower and cottonseed oil are at least partially responsible for the current obesity epidemic (1). These oils were not a significant part of the human diet until very recently, yet they have been promoted due to their supposed ability to prevent cardiovascular disease. The Western world has been living a massive uncontrolled experiment ever since.
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that makes up a large proportion of seed oils. It's a very bioactive molecule, in part because it's the precursor of two classes of signaling molecules (eicosanoids and endocannabinoids), some of which influence the development of fat tissue and regulate appetite.
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that makes up a large proportion of seed oils. It's a very bioactive molecule, in part because it's the precursor of two classes of signaling molecules (eicosanoids and endocannabinoids), some of which influence the development of fat tissue and regulate appetite.
Dr. Ailhaud and his colleagues pointed out that not only are people eating far more linoleic acid than ever before; that very same linoleic acid is accumulating in our fat tissue and showing up in breast milk. Here are a few graphs to illustrate the point. The first graph is of PUFA consumption in the US over the last century, primarily reflecting seed oil intake (based on USDA food disappearance records):
Here's a graph of added fat intake based on USDA data. Added animal fats such as butter and lard have remained stable since 1970 (although total animal fat intake has declined), while seed oil consumption has gone from high to higher:
The following graph shows linoleic acid accumulation in human body fat over the last few decades in Western nations (mostly the US). I put this together based on two references (2, 3). I didn't find any data from the US past 1986. Linoleic acid, unlike most other fatty acids, accumulates disproportionately in body fat (4):
And finally, linoleic acid in the breast milk of US mothers, from Dr. Ailhaud's 2006 paper (the black dots):
In 2009, Dr. Ingeborg Hanbauer published a paper showing that when mice are fed a diet with a poor omega-6:3 balance (77:1), after three generations they develop adult obesity (5). Mice fed the same diet with a better omega-6:3 balance (9.5:1) did not develop obesity, and remained smaller overall. This shows that PUFA imbalance can cause multi-generational effects resulting in obesity and excessive tissue growth. Cmdr. Joseph Hibbeln, a collaborator of Dr. Bill Lands, was an author. The thing I don't like about this paper is they didn't quantify the obesity by measuring fat mass, so we have to take the authors' word that they had more fat.
This week, Dr. Florence Massiera and collaborators published a similar paper titled “A Western-like fat diet is sufficient to induce a gradual enhancement in fat mass over generations” (6). Drs. Ailhaud and Guesnet were both on this paper. They showed that a 35% fat diet with an omega-6:3 ratio of 28 caused obesity that progressively increased over four generations of mice. Although this study was more detailed than the study by Dr. Hanbauer and colleagues, it lacked a comparison group with a more favorable omega-6:3 balance to show that the obesity was specifically the result of omega-6:3 imbalance, rather than the fact that the diet was higher in fat overall or some other aspect of its composition.
If this is true in humans, it would be a straightforward explanation for the obesity epidemic that has plagued the Western world in recent decades. It would explain why the epidemic began in children around 1970, but didn’t show up in adults until about 1980. It would explain why the epidemic is less severe in Europe, and even less so in Asia. And of course, it correlates well with trends in seed oil consumption. This graph is based on US NHANES survey data:
We already know that a number of prenatal factors can have an effect on adult body fat levels in rodents, and observational studies have suggested that the same may apply to humans. If a mother’s body fat is full of linoleic acid, she will pass it on to the fetus as it grows, and after birth in breast milk, influencing its development.
As long-time followers of Whole Health Source know, I suspect industrial seed oils contribute to many of our modern ills. I can’t say for sure that seed oils are responsible for the current obesity epidemic, but the evidence certainly gives me pause. In any case, seed oils are an unnatural part of the human diet and it won’t hurt anyone to avoid them. The half-life of linoleic acid in fat tissue is about two years, so reducing it is a long-term prospect.
Have Seed Oils Caused a Multi-Generational Obesity Epidemic?
In 2006, Drs. Gerard Ailhaud and Philippe Guesnet hypothesized that industrial seed oils such as corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower and cottonseed oil are at least partially responsible for the current obesity epidemic (1). These oils were not a significant part of the human diet until very recently, yet they have been promoted due to their supposed ability to prevent cardiovascular disease. The Western world has been living a massive uncontrolled experiment ever since.
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that makes up a large proportion of seed oils. It's a very bioactive molecule, in part because it's the precursor of two classes of signaling molecules (eicosanoids and endocannabinoids), some of which influence the development of fat tissue and regulate appetite.
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that makes up a large proportion of seed oils. It's a very bioactive molecule, in part because it's the precursor of two classes of signaling molecules (eicosanoids and endocannabinoids), some of which influence the development of fat tissue and regulate appetite.
Dr. Ailhaud and his colleagues pointed out that not only are people eating far more linoleic acid than ever before; that very same linoleic acid is accumulating in our fat tissue and showing up in breast milk. Here are a few graphs to illustrate the point. The first graph is of PUFA consumption in the US over the last century, primarily reflecting seed oil intake (based on USDA food disappearance records):
Here's a graph of added fat intake based on USDA data. Added animal fats such as butter and lard have remained stable since 1970 (although total animal fat intake has declined), while seed oil consumption has gone from high to higher:
The following graph shows linoleic acid accumulation in human body fat over the last few decades in Western nations (mostly the US). I put this together based on two references (2, 3). I didn't find any data from the US past 1986. Linoleic acid, unlike most other fatty acids, accumulates disproportionately in body fat (4):
And finally, linoleic acid in the breast milk of US mothers, from Dr. Ailhaud's 2006 paper (the black dots):
In 2009, Dr. Ingeborg Hanbauer published a paper showing that when mice are fed a diet with a poor omega-6:3 balance (77:1), after three generations they develop adult obesity (5). Mice fed the same diet with a better omega-6:3 balance (9.5:1) did not develop obesity, and remained smaller overall. This shows that PUFA imbalance can cause multi-generational effects resulting in obesity and excessive tissue growth. Cmdr. Joseph Hibbeln, a collaborator of Dr. Bill Lands, was an author. The thing I don't like about this paper is they didn't quantify the obesity by measuring fat mass, so we have to take the authors' word that they had more fat.
This week, Dr. Florence Massiera and collaborators published a similar paper titled “A Western-like fat diet is sufficient to induce a gradual enhancement in fat mass over generations” (6). Drs. Ailhaud and Guesnet were both on this paper. They showed that a 35% fat diet with an omega-6:3 ratio of 28 caused obesity that progressively increased over four generations of mice. Although this study was more detailed than the study by Dr. Hanbauer and colleagues, it lacked a comparison group with a more favorable omega-6:3 balance to show that the obesity was specifically the result of omega-6:3 imbalance, rather than the fact that the diet was higher in fat overall or some other aspect of its composition.
If this is true in humans, it would be a straightforward explanation for the obesity epidemic that has plagued the Western world in recent decades. It would explain why the epidemic began in children around 1970, but didn’t show up in adults until about 1980. It would explain why the epidemic is less severe in Europe, and even less so in Asia. And of course, it correlates well with trends in seed oil consumption. This graph is based on US NHANES survey data:
We already know that a number of prenatal factors can have an effect on adult body fat levels in rodents, and observational studies have suggested that the same may apply to humans. If a mother’s body fat is full of linoleic acid, she will pass it on to the fetus as it grows, and after birth in breast milk, influencing its development.
As long-time followers of Whole Health Source know, I suspect industrial seed oils contribute to many of our modern ills. I can’t say for sure that seed oils are responsible for the current obesity epidemic, but the evidence certainly gives me pause. In any case, seed oils are an unnatural part of the human diet and it won’t hurt anyone to avoid them. The half-life of linoleic acid in fat tissue is about two years, so reducing it is a long-term prospect.
Kamis, 22 April 2010
Rabu, 21 April 2010
Day 10/365 - The Power of Perception is Underestimated
It's been 10 days. I feel like I am back in a solid habit again and it feels GREAT!!
I noticed in the mirror today and I noticed something had changed. I looked at my self from all sorts of angles and I swear there was a huge difference. Seriously. It looked to me like I lost about 10 pounds in my thighs alone. Could that be possible in only 10 days?
My reflection had changed, I was sure of it. So I hopped on the scale, there was a little difference in numbers, but nothing to declare yet. So I looked at myself in the mirror again, and I wasn't repulsed by my reflection in my jeans, I was actually surprised that I was pleased. What had changed??
In 10 days, my body couldn't have changed that much, it's impossible to have great physical change in such a short period of time. But 10 days can make a HUGE difference in perception. After having 10 positive days, my self image is changing. I am feeling confident, strong and positive. I have faith that I am going to have an "after" picture sometime this year to be proud of. The power of perception is certainly underestimated. Perception is powerful and it can also work in the other direction as well.
When we have a negative perception of ourselves, it works the same way. We feel inferior, weak and unable to do anything positive. How can we ever expect to be successful in our weight loss/health efforts, or anything in life, if we are working against ourselves? We can't.
How is the perception of yourself? Is it working for you, or against you?
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 10
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 2 Day 2 (71 push-ups)
I noticed in the mirror today and I noticed something had changed. I looked at my self from all sorts of angles and I swear there was a huge difference. Seriously. It looked to me like I lost about 10 pounds in my thighs alone. Could that be possible in only 10 days?
My reflection had changed, I was sure of it. So I hopped on the scale, there was a little difference in numbers, but nothing to declare yet. So I looked at myself in the mirror again, and I wasn't repulsed by my reflection in my jeans, I was actually surprised that I was pleased. What had changed??
In 10 days, my body couldn't have changed that much, it's impossible to have great physical change in such a short period of time. But 10 days can make a HUGE difference in perception. After having 10 positive days, my self image is changing. I am feeling confident, strong and positive. I have faith that I am going to have an "after" picture sometime this year to be proud of. The power of perception is certainly underestimated. Perception is powerful and it can also work in the other direction as well.
When we have a negative perception of ourselves, it works the same way. We feel inferior, weak and unable to do anything positive. How can we ever expect to be successful in our weight loss/health efforts, or anything in life, if we are working against ourselves? We can't.
How is the perception of yourself? Is it working for you, or against you?
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 10
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 2 Day 2 (71 push-ups)
Selasa, 20 April 2010
Day 9/365 - Feeling lame but doing it anyway
This is where a goal really helps a lot on one's journey. I think there may be a bug in the house and I haven't been feeling 100%. My stomach is off and I feel a little weak. You know how you feel when you aren't eating or drinking enough? I know I made a goal, but when you aren't feeling well, you should rest. It's a great excuse (I mean reason) to take a break and then get back to it, right?
NOPE.
Listen to your body in times such as these. I did't feel good, but I wasn't bed ridden. I didn't feel strong enough to go all gusto, but I got on my elliptical anyway. I didn't really have a plan on how long I would go, just thought I would play it by ear. So I grabbed a book, and got to it. I got into the book, checked the timer, and it said 15 minutes, so I ended it there. No. More. Excuses.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 10
NOPE.
Listen to your body in times such as these. I did't feel good, but I wasn't bed ridden. I didn't feel strong enough to go all gusto, but I got on my elliptical anyway. I didn't really have a plan on how long I would go, just thought I would play it by ear. So I grabbed a book, and got to it. I got into the book, checked the timer, and it said 15 minutes, so I ended it there. No. More. Excuses.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 10
Senin, 19 April 2010
Day 8/365 - Pictures are certainly deceiving
So I was looking at my blog today and I noticed that my head shot doesn't really show my weight issues, it actually hides them quite nicely.
My toughest weight challenge starts at my belly button and goes down to my knees. If you would like an idea of what I look like today, just add 5 pounds to that area in the "during" photo on the side.
Although I did my last challenge 40 pounds heavier, it's often harder to get the last bit off and so this time around, I will have some great challenges to blog about I am sure.
Evenings are the best time for be to workout for so many reasons:
I haven't been sleeping well and I am exhausted right now. I could crash if I went to bed, but I have a challenge to attend to...
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 20 min @ level 10
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 2 Day 1 (63 push-ups)
My toughest weight challenge starts at my belly button and goes down to my knees. If you would like an idea of what I look like today, just add 5 pounds to that area in the "during" photo on the side.
Although I did my last challenge 40 pounds heavier, it's often harder to get the last bit off and so this time around, I will have some great challenges to blog about I am sure.
Evenings are the best time for be to workout for so many reasons:
- It's the toughest time of day to stick to my goals, because at the end of the day, I am tired and I start to not care.
- I am an evening snacker.
- Exercise curbs my appetite and my cravings.
- The kids are in bed so I can do it without any distractions.
I haven't been sleeping well and I am exhausted right now. I could crash if I went to bed, but I have a challenge to attend to...
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 20 min @ level 10
Hundred Push-up Challenge: Week 2 Day 1 (63 push-ups)
Carbonated Beverages & Weight Loss Surgery
As seasonal temperatures climb it is tempting to reach for a cool refreshing carbonated beverage. Kaye explains why as weight loss surgery patients we are discouraged from including carbonated drinks in our diet.
Fresh Strawberries with Creamy Lime Custard
This is a terrific company-worthy dessert that makes great use of springs ruby jewels: strawberries. You can substitute lemon or orange for the lime if you prefer.Ingredients:8 oz fat free sour cream1/2 cup fat free sweetened condensed milk1/2 tsp lime peel zest1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice3 cup fresh sliced strawberriesDirections:1. In a medium size bowl, combine the sour cream, milk, grated lime
Minggu, 18 April 2010
Sunday - THIS.IS.IT.
This is the day. The day I am laying it all out. The day that I am making the commitment to:
WORKOUT 365 DAYS IN A ROW & BLOG ABOUT IT!!
- I am going to be open and share what I am doing/eating/learning.
- I am also going to get the "after" picture that I have been promising.
- I am feeling strong, positive and pretty much ticked that I haven't done this already.
- No amount of stress or illness is going to get in my way.
- This.is.going.to.happen!!
For those who have been following me, you know that I did this goal last year and that I succeeded in working out for 365 days in a row. I lost 40 pounds in the process by exercising daily and eating real food in smaller portions. Last year though, I only started to blog about it mid-way through, after most the big challenges of getting started had passed.
After my goal was met, I found that I slowly slipped back into the behavior that I had prior to the goal. (Didn't help that it was the holidays) Excuses aside, I am human, with human tendencies, habits and behaviors.
Even this time around, I wasn't quite sure I could make the commitment and that is why I am making this commitment on day 7 and not day 1, I had to prove it to myself first.
I originally wanted to take Sundays off, but that just doesn't work with my perfectionist personality right now. I will try to do something different on Sundays, but I may have to work up to that.
I welcome you to follow me on this journey of mine.
I welcome you to follow me on this journey of mine.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 15 min @ level 10
Dinner with Taubes, Eades and Hujoel
Gary Taubes gave a lecture at UW last Thursday. Thanks to all the Whole Health Source readers who showed up. Gary's talk was titled "Why We Get Fat: Adiposity 101 and the Alternative Hypothesis of Obesity". He was hosted by Dr. Philippe Hujoel, the UW epidemiologist and dentist who authored the paper "Dietary Carbohydrates and Dental-Systemic Diseases" (1).
Gary's first target was the commonly held idea that obesity is simply caused by eating too much and exercising too little, and thus the cure is to eat less and exercise more. He used numerous examples from both humans and animals to show that fat mass is biologically regulated, rather than being the passive result of voluntary behaviors such as eating and exercise. He presented evidence of cultures remaining lean despite a huge and continuous surplus of food, as long as they stayed on their traditional diet. He also described how they subsequently became obese and diabetic on industrial foods (the Pima, for example).
He then moved into what he feels is the biological cause of obesity: excessive insulin keeping fat from exiting fat cells. It's true that insulin is a storage hormone, at the cellular level. However, fat mass regulation involves a dynamic interplay between many different interlacing systems that determine both overall energy intake and expenditure, as well as local availability of nutrients at the tissue level (i.e., how much fat gets into your fat tissue vs. your muscle tissue). I think the cause of obesity is likely to be more complex than insulin signaling.
He also offered the "carbohydrate hypothesis", which is the idea that carbohydrate, or at least refined carbohydrate, is behind the obesity epidemic and perhaps other metabolic problems. This is due to its ability to elevate insulin. I agree that refined carbohydrate, particularly white flour and sugar, is probably a central part of the problem. I'm also open to the possibility that some people in industrial nations are genuinely sensitive to carbohydrate regardless of what form it's in, although that remains to be rigorously tested. I don't think carbohydrate is sufficient to cause obesity per se, due to the many lean and healthy cultures that eat high carbohydrate diets*. Gary acknowledges this, and thinks there's probably another factor that's involved in allowing carbohydrate sensitivity to develop, for example excessive sugar.
I had the opportunity to speak with Gary at length on Thursday, as well as on Friday at dinner. Gary is a very nice guy-- a straightforward New York personality who's not averse to a friendly disagreement. In case any of you are wondering, he looks good. Good body composition, nice skin, hair and teeth (apologies to Gary for the analysis). Philippe and his wife took us out to a very nice restaurant, where we had a leisurely four-hour meal, and Dr. Mike Eades was in town so he joined us as well. Mike has a strong Southern accent and is also a pleasant guy. Philippe and his wife are generous and engaging people. It was a great evening. The restaurant was nice enough that I wasn't going to be picky about the food-- I ate everything that was put in front of me and enjoyed it.
* I'm talking about prevention rather than cure here. I acknowledge that many people have had great success losing fat using low-carbohydrate diets, including two gentlemen I met on Thursday.
Gary's first target was the commonly held idea that obesity is simply caused by eating too much and exercising too little, and thus the cure is to eat less and exercise more. He used numerous examples from both humans and animals to show that fat mass is biologically regulated, rather than being the passive result of voluntary behaviors such as eating and exercise. He presented evidence of cultures remaining lean despite a huge and continuous surplus of food, as long as they stayed on their traditional diet. He also described how they subsequently became obese and diabetic on industrial foods (the Pima, for example).
He then moved into what he feels is the biological cause of obesity: excessive insulin keeping fat from exiting fat cells. It's true that insulin is a storage hormone, at the cellular level. However, fat mass regulation involves a dynamic interplay between many different interlacing systems that determine both overall energy intake and expenditure, as well as local availability of nutrients at the tissue level (i.e., how much fat gets into your fat tissue vs. your muscle tissue). I think the cause of obesity is likely to be more complex than insulin signaling.
He also offered the "carbohydrate hypothesis", which is the idea that carbohydrate, or at least refined carbohydrate, is behind the obesity epidemic and perhaps other metabolic problems. This is due to its ability to elevate insulin. I agree that refined carbohydrate, particularly white flour and sugar, is probably a central part of the problem. I'm also open to the possibility that some people in industrial nations are genuinely sensitive to carbohydrate regardless of what form it's in, although that remains to be rigorously tested. I don't think carbohydrate is sufficient to cause obesity per se, due to the many lean and healthy cultures that eat high carbohydrate diets*. Gary acknowledges this, and thinks there's probably another factor that's involved in allowing carbohydrate sensitivity to develop, for example excessive sugar.
I had the opportunity to speak with Gary at length on Thursday, as well as on Friday at dinner. Gary is a very nice guy-- a straightforward New York personality who's not averse to a friendly disagreement. In case any of you are wondering, he looks good. Good body composition, nice skin, hair and teeth (apologies to Gary for the analysis). Philippe and his wife took us out to a very nice restaurant, where we had a leisurely four-hour meal, and Dr. Mike Eades was in town so he joined us as well. Mike has a strong Southern accent and is also a pleasant guy. Philippe and his wife are generous and engaging people. It was a great evening. The restaurant was nice enough that I wasn't going to be picky about the food-- I ate everything that was put in front of me and enjoyed it.
* I'm talking about prevention rather than cure here. I acknowledge that many people have had great success losing fat using low-carbohydrate diets, including two gentlemen I met on Thursday.
Dinner with Taubes, Eades and Hujoel
Gary Taubes gave a lecture at UW last Thursday. Thanks to all the Whole Health Source readers who showed up. Gary's talk was titled "Why We Get Fat: Adiposity 101 and the Alternative Hypothesis of Obesity". He was hosted by Dr. Philippe Hujoel, the UW epidemiologist and dentist who authored the paper "Dietary Carbohydrates and Dental-Systemic Diseases" (1).
Gary's first target was the commonly held idea that obesity is simply caused by eating too much and exercising too little, and thus the cure is to eat less and exercise more. He used numerous examples from both humans and animals to show that fat mass is biologically regulated, rather than being the passive result of voluntary behaviors such as eating and exercise. He presented evidence of cultures remaining lean despite a huge and continuous surplus of food, as long as they stayed on their traditional diet. He also described how they subsequently became obese and diabetic on industrial foods (the Pima, for example).
He then moved into what he feels is the biological cause of obesity: excessive insulin keeping fat from exiting fat cells. It's true that insulin is a storage hormone, at the cellular level. However, fat mass regulation involves a dynamic interplay between many different interlacing systems that determine both overall energy intake and expenditure, as well as local availability of nutrients at the tissue level (i.e., how much fat gets into your fat tissue vs. your muscle tissue). I think the cause of obesity is likely to be more complex than insulin signaling.
He also offered the "carbohydrate hypothesis", which is the idea that carbohydrate, or at least refined carbohydrate, is behind the obesity epidemic and perhaps other metabolic problems. This is due to its ability to elevate insulin. I agree that refined carbohydrate, particularly white flour and sugar, is probably a central part of the problem. I'm also open to the possibility that some people in industrial nations are genuinely sensitive to carbohydrate regardless of what form it's in, although that remains to be rigorously tested. I don't think carbohydrate is sufficient to cause obesity per se, due to the many lean and healthy cultures that eat high carbohydrate diets*. Gary acknowledges this, and thinks there's probably another factor that's involved in allowing carbohydrate sensitivity to develop, for example excessive sugar.
I had the opportunity to speak with Gary at length on Thursday, as well as on Friday at dinner. Gary is a very nice guy-- a straightforward New York personality who's not averse to a friendly disagreement. In case any of you are wondering, he looks good. Good body composition, nice skin, hair and teeth (apologies to Gary for the analysis). Philippe and his wife took us out to a very nice restaurant, where we had a leisurely four-hour meal, and Dr. Mike Eades was in town so he joined us as well. Mike has a strong Southern accent and is also a pleasant guy. Philippe and his wife are generous and engaging people. It was a great evening. The restaurant was nice enough that I wasn't going to be picky about the food-- I ate everything that was put in front of me and enjoyed it.
* I'm talking about prevention rather than cure here. I acknowledge that many people have had great success losing fat using low-carbohydrate diets, including two gentlemen I met on Thursday.
Gary's first target was the commonly held idea that obesity is simply caused by eating too much and exercising too little, and thus the cure is to eat less and exercise more. He used numerous examples from both humans and animals to show that fat mass is biologically regulated, rather than being the passive result of voluntary behaviors such as eating and exercise. He presented evidence of cultures remaining lean despite a huge and continuous surplus of food, as long as they stayed on their traditional diet. He also described how they subsequently became obese and diabetic on industrial foods (the Pima, for example).
He then moved into what he feels is the biological cause of obesity: excessive insulin keeping fat from exiting fat cells. It's true that insulin is a storage hormone, at the cellular level. However, fat mass regulation involves a dynamic interplay between many different interlacing systems that determine both overall energy intake and expenditure, as well as local availability of nutrients at the tissue level (i.e., how much fat gets into your fat tissue vs. your muscle tissue). I think the cause of obesity is likely to be more complex than insulin signaling.
He also offered the "carbohydrate hypothesis", which is the idea that carbohydrate, or at least refined carbohydrate, is behind the obesity epidemic and perhaps other metabolic problems. This is due to its ability to elevate insulin. I agree that refined carbohydrate, particularly white flour and sugar, is probably a central part of the problem. I'm also open to the possibility that some people in industrial nations are genuinely sensitive to carbohydrate regardless of what form it's in, although that remains to be rigorously tested. I don't think carbohydrate is sufficient to cause obesity per se, due to the many lean and healthy cultures that eat high carbohydrate diets*. Gary acknowledges this, and thinks there's probably another factor that's involved in allowing carbohydrate sensitivity to develop, for example excessive sugar.
I had the opportunity to speak with Gary at length on Thursday, as well as on Friday at dinner. Gary is a very nice guy-- a straightforward New York personality who's not averse to a friendly disagreement. In case any of you are wondering, he looks good. Good body composition, nice skin, hair and teeth (apologies to Gary for the analysis). Philippe and his wife took us out to a very nice restaurant, where we had a leisurely four-hour meal, and Dr. Mike Eades was in town so he joined us as well. Mike has a strong Southern accent and is also a pleasant guy. Philippe and his wife are generous and engaging people. It was a great evening. The restaurant was nice enough that I wasn't going to be picky about the food-- I ate everything that was put in front of me and enjoyed it.
* I'm talking about prevention rather than cure here. I acknowledge that many people have had great success losing fat using low-carbohydrate diets, including two gentlemen I met on Thursday.
My weigh-in and my best weight loss advice
First the weigh-in:
Weight April 10: 168.8
Weight April 17: 164.8
Loss for the week: -4.0
Total loss: -74.6
I credit the success of last week to one thing:: NO ADDED SUGAR
It's been six weeks since I've eaten a Weight Watcher ice cream bar or anything with added sugar. Removing sugar from my diet has completely changed my life.
I know this won't work for everyone because:
a.) not everyone is addicted to sugar.
b.) for those people that are truly addicted to sugar, you might not be willing to give it up.
If you have a problem with binging and eating massive amounts of food at one sitting, if you love sweets, and candy, cookies, cake and ice cream are your trigger foods, then you probably have a problem with sugar.
If you want to become normal and live a life free of that insatiable desire for more sugar and more food, then I strongly suggest you start right now and ban added sugar from your life. It's in everything so it takes a little work to eliminate it from your diet, but it's not that difficult.
Start by reading the labels on everything. I was shocked by some of the places I found sugar hiding. Remember my frozen bell peppers that had corn syrup in them?! Weight Watchers products are some of the worst offenders for hiding added sugar in what they promote as a "healthy" snack. Read the ingredients on their snack bars. Several of their products list the first ingredient as sugar, sand the second ingredient as corn syrup.
For me, eating things with added sugar brings on strong, almost uncontrollable, insatiable cravings. Sometimes I had the willpower to fight it, most often I would cave in and eat the entire box of whatever it was I thought I could eat just one. There were times when I ate an entire two-pound box of See's chocolates, or a box of six Weight Watcher ice cream bars, or an entire cake in one sitting (yes, I did this). Even as little as six weeks ago I bought a package of six dark chocolate 100-calories bars at Trader Joes. I know better. I ate the entire box in my car before I even got home.
That's when I realized I had a problem. That's when my weight, on March 2, reached 181.2 pounds (from my low of 154 last summer). I was freaked out, depressed, and realized I was less that twenty pounds from the 200-pound mark. Fortunately, I realized drastic times required drastic measures.
I'd just finished reading The End of Overeating and Change Your Brain Change Your Life. Both books talk about sugar and how some people (not all) have problems with sugar. This also includes fructose, the sugar in fruits.
I recently read an article regarding fruit. Although it's really good for us, with necessary vitamins and minerals, too much of it isn't good for us. When eating five to seven fruits and vegetables a day, it really should be five to seven vegetables and fruits a day. We should be eating more vegetables than fruit (I was doing the opposite). I've gone from five fruits a day to two or three maximum.
I'm not sure which book recommended this, but it's old advice that I've recently incorporated into my daily life. My snacks are always a complete snack. For example, I try to never eat just a piece of fruit. I always add some protein. A few almonds, an ounce of turkey, a small piece of cheese, some Greek yogurt. Something to make me feel satisfied. Never just a carb, but always a carb and a protein.
My night time binges have practically stopped. Sometimes if it's late and I'm truly really hungry I'll have a Greek yogurt and a tangerine, or something similar. Usually around three Points. Then I floss and brush my teeth (again, which annoys me and usually will stop me in the first place). This has been recommended by many people, but now it's a habit for me. Once my teeth are clean, it puts up a red light in my head. No more food. I'm done for the day.
A word about artificial sweeteners
Yes, I eat artificial sweeteners. I've tried everything. Stevia, Agave syrup, Truvia, Xylitol, Splenda. I always come back to the Splenda. It has the fewest calories (zero) and the least offensive taste. I'd rather not eat it, but I can't eat things like Greek yogurt without some sort of sweetener. I can't afford the added calories of honey and maple syrup.
I figure at this point in my life, a few more chemicals in my body aren't really going to matter. Perhaps if I was twenty I could get more into the clean eating routine. Let's face it, I'm 54. I've probably eaten enough chemicals in my life to kill a laboratory full of lab mice. A little Splenda in my diet over the next 20 or so years I have left is probably not going to kill me. I usually only eat one packet, sometimes two, a day.
Picture
Sorry, no picture of my hair. I'm not liking it very much, and I'm going through a phase where I don't like how I look. Maybe it's because my hair is too blond, or maybe it's because I'm almost 55 and the wrinkles seem to be jumping out at me when I look in the mirror. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll pass. I'm just not feeling photogenic and not in the mood to have my picture taken.
About my lack of posting
I can't believe I let a whole week go by and didn't post. I'm not sure what happened or why. I started several posts, but just didn't publish them. My goal this week is to post every day. Even a short post just to let every know I'm still alive and more determined than ever to get to goal (by my 55th birthday in 16 weeks!).
Sabtu, 17 April 2010
Saturday - Feeling in Charge
So it's been 6 days in a row that I have worked out. Week 1 is completed on the push-up challenge. This has been a good week and I feel like I am in control of things again.
When having a hard time with my weight, I can tell that I am, not just by the obvious signs of the scale, but by how I feel. It's harder to pass buy the things I really shouldn't eat and hard to get the things I should. Often times, out of frustration I may even eat more just so I can do better the next day. What has recently been the saboteur for me is thinking, "If I can just get rid of it today, I can have a better day tomorrow." So I find myself eating "one more bit of ice cream" or "another half of cookie." I can safely say my eating habits hadn't returned to what they were, but they had gotten to a point that I would have slowly gained back every bit of weight I lost last year.
I am feeling like my head is back in the game. That I am able to think before I eat. Just taking that moment to really THINK about what you are doing before you do it can make the difference between feeling on top of eating, or feeling consumed by it. It really is that simple, although sometimes it doesn't feel that way. You have to have faith in yourself and know that you can do it if you choose to do it. Really CHOOSE to do it, not just passively agree to do it. That's not a strong enough conviction, and without real conviction, you can't permanently make change.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 30 min @ level 10
When having a hard time with my weight, I can tell that I am, not just by the obvious signs of the scale, but by how I feel. It's harder to pass buy the things I really shouldn't eat and hard to get the things I should. Often times, out of frustration I may even eat more just so I can do better the next day. What has recently been the saboteur for me is thinking, "If I can just get rid of it today, I can have a better day tomorrow." So I find myself eating "one more bit of ice cream" or "another half of cookie." I can safely say my eating habits hadn't returned to what they were, but they had gotten to a point that I would have slowly gained back every bit of weight I lost last year.
I am feeling like my head is back in the game. That I am able to think before I eat. Just taking that moment to really THINK about what you are doing before you do it can make the difference between feeling on top of eating, or feeling consumed by it. It really is that simple, although sometimes it doesn't feel that way. You have to have faith in yourself and know that you can do it if you choose to do it. Really CHOOSE to do it, not just passively agree to do it. That's not a strong enough conviction, and without real conviction, you can't permanently make change.
This is what I did today:
Elliptical: 30 min @ level 10
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