Followers

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Full disclosure here...

I went for my yearly check up today at my endocrinologist office.  Just wanted to share a few specs with ya.

2015-  BEFORE I STARTED ALL THIS

WEIGHT-  230 LBS
           A1C-  5.5 (5.7 IS PREDIABETIC RANGE)
           CHOLESTEROL- 186  NOT TOO BAD, STILL LESS THAN 200 WORRY RANGE
           GLUCOSE- 93- BIT HIGH, BUT IN RANGE

2016- 9 MONTHS INTO THIS

WEIGHT- 190 LBS
           A1C- 5.10 ( NO LONGER PREDIABETIC)
           CHOLESTEROL- 169 (COMING DOWN)
           GLUCOSE- 87 (COMING DOWN)

TODAY 9/27/17

           WEIGHT- 168.6
            A1C- 4.8 (COMING DOWN)
           CHOLESTEROL- 178-  A LITTLE UP, BUT STILL GOOD
           GLUCOSE-  59 (WOW WAY DOWN!)

My doctor was over the moon.  She said whatever I was doing to keep it up.  We discussed my diet thoughts and she said "All diets work, it's basically calorie in calories out" and she's right, but here's the thing.  All diets work if you can stay on them.  We did agree on this and that is that 1200 calories of real food keeps you filling fuller longer than 1200 of diet food.  She also told me that protein can help suppress appetite.  Good to know.  Also she stated (so my thoughts on artificial sweetener are no longer anecdotal)that artificial sweeteners can trigger your brain to crave sugar!


Then to top off the day, I went with my mom to Costco to get some groceries and while there bought a pair of jeans without trying them on and took them home.  The surreal part of this is the fact that they are a sz 14.  WOOHOO!



Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Curve balls

I don't do cheat days, and I'll tell  you why.  Life is already pre-programmed with cheat days already included.  You get those curve balls thrown at you where it is hard to follow your eating plan regardless of what plan you're on.  Case in point.  When Irma came through Georgia just recently as a Tropical storm, we lost power for 2 1/2  days.  That meant not only did I not have Spark people to record what I ate, but we also were relegated to eat what was already in the fridge in order to keep from opening the freezer.  I shrugged it off.  I did the best I could do to mitigate the damage, but other than that, just got through that bump in the road.

Holidays, evenings out with that special someone, family emergencies, etc.  There are times when you won't be able to eat how you should.  Shrug it off.  Allow it.  With full knowledge that once this is past, it is right back to taking care of yourself.  Then get back on!  regardless of the number of days this curve ball has, don't wait til the following Monday; "I'll start then my weeks blown anyway".  Immediately after the curve ball is past get back on track.  Your week may be blown, but the damage doesn't have to be added to.  Many times, by getting right back on track, you can lessen the blow.  I gained .8 pounds back that week.  That is much easier to lose than the weight I used to be adding back in the day.  For example,  it used to be the holidays would just be a free for all with the idea that Jan 1st I would start over.  I could put on 6-8 pounds just in those 2 months.  Now, I still have the party days, but I am right back on the next day.

TIP:  I've found that many times at a party or event, just a taste of something to try it has been enough for me.  This helps during the holidays.

The point is to remember You are in charge.  Not the food.  You are in charge of these curve balls.  The decisions you make during these times are the ones that control what happens.  You are not helpless in the presence of cookies, or in times of stress.  You are still in control of what goes in your body.  If you want it, have it with no regrets, realizing there are consequences, but knowing you are gonna accept and reverse those consequences.




TIP:  The stricter the diet plan, the farther you will go before getting back on track.  If you know what a sling shot is, then you will know this analogy.  The further back you pull that band, the further your sling shot will shoot.  Same with a diet plan.  If you are on a really strict diet with severe limitations:  no carbs, fat, beans only (yuck) etc.  Once you open the flood gates, it's gonna be hard to close them back.  That's why it's so important for minimal disruption in your life.  Your eating needs to be on a level where you are eating anything you want in moderation.  Don't deny yourself anything, just eat less of it!

Monday, September 25, 2017

I HATE, yes I said Hate Treadmills

Before you start, no this is not a "You don't have to exercise with my plan" post.  Activity is vital.  I don't believe God created us to be sedentary.  We may like nothing more than to be slugs, but our bodies need more.  We may eat like our ancestors here in the south, but many times we don't work as hard as they did.  Great Grandma might have had ham and biscuits with gravy and all the fixins (yea that's a word here in the south), but then went out and washed the weeks laundry with a wash board and a cast iron pot(those things are heavy).

Now I'm not going to say do THAT!, but you have to move.

In my case I would rather do anything other than get on a treadmill or other type of exercise equipment.  Well I take that back.  There is one thing that comes after getting on a treadmill.  Cutting the grass with a push mower.  I've done this all season as part of my "workouts".  After a complete spring and summer of constantly getting bitten by ants EVERY.  TIME.  I CUT THE GRASS!.  I've determined a riding lawnmower would be nice and I'll just do a workout routine instead.  But if you don't have ants in your yard, have at it!  Here's some other examples of movement (exercise) that burns calories!  Digging a raised bed with a shovel (or just digging), Heavy duty house cleaning, Hiking, joining your kids on a bike ride.  Anything that causes you to move and use energy.  Uh making the bed doesn't count.  FYI.


That's me and my grandson in the pic above.  My workout that day was a trip to Tallulah Gorge in North Georgia.  DH is taking the picture.  It is 1062 steps down to the bottom of the gorge.  That means it's 1062 back up to the top.  Needless to say both my workout and my prayer life increased that day.  My rambunctious grandson RAN up the steps and at each landing would...ahem, encourage his grandma with wonderful phrases like "NO MERCY GRANDMA!".  This was about 20 lbs ago.


My main problem with having to do a structured workout is the fact that I'm accomplishing nothing for 45 minutes.  I know "but your accomplishing health!".  That doesn't work for me as a motivator. For you guys who work a 40+ hour week and your trying to decide between being healthy and having well adjusted kids or a clean house; it's even less of a motivator.   Let me say it doesn't have to be a choice.  You have housework that needs doing?  Set a timer and move around the house for 45 minutes; sweeping, mopping, cleaning the bathroom, whatever as long as you are moving at a good pace.  Want to spend time with the kids?  Do something physical either outside or inside depending on weather.  Play tag with your kids, hide and seek, etc.  You are substituting these tasks for a workout.  Look for ways to move.  You don't have to have a gym membership to be successful.  I stopped trying to make myself an athlete a long time ago.

 If you're at a desk job, it's good to get up and walk around every 15-30 minutes.  Not necessarily for weight loss as much as aiding in circulation.  And not for a long time, just enough to aid blood flow.  They say sitting is the new smoking.

If you're already in an active job with a lot of walking, lifting etc, then you're ahead of the game, just watch your calorie intake.

There are days where I'm not cleaning house or working in the yard.  In those times I know I need to add something to continue moving.  By the way, days off from work are a great time to do a structured workout, just to hush up all the nay Sayers.  Lol.  I do get on the treadmill some, but my favorite thing to do is step aerobics.  I've learned enough moves over the years of dieting that I just downloaded very upbeat music to my MP3 player and worked out a routine.  Even if all you can do is step up and down on a step to your music, it counts.  My point is to choose what YOU like best.  What you can look forward to.  I have discovered this as well; walking beats nothing, but walking in and of itself doesn't burn many calories.  The only way I'm burning a significant amount of calories on a treadmill is if I'm on at least a 5% incline.  Whatever you choose to do, make sure you get the most calorie burn for your time.

Remember for this to work for the long haul, your life needs to be minimally disrupted.  Additional costs for a gym membership or special foods, can derail a healthy eating plan.  Having to find time in an already busy day to add a workout, can derail a diet plan.  You need to be able to easily adapt to the fun changes (ahem sarcasm here) life throws at you.


Saturday, September 23, 2017

Food as an investment

I will be the first to stand up here and say I do have the occasional junk food.  M&M's are a weakness, and I do snag a chip here or there.  As a general rule, though, my outlook on food has changed over the last 18 months.  I should say improved over the last 18 months.  With the knowledge that "I need to get my protein,  get my veggies, fruits, etc"  came the need to get more bang for my buck.

I know if I eat something with white flour, as good as it tastes, it won't last.  I will get hungry sooner.

 If something is going to have a lot of calories, I want to make sure it has more nutrition as well.  For example:  Sometimes I'll substitute peanut butter on toast as opposed to just butter.  Not always, but sometimes.  Gram for gram, peanut butter gives me a little more protein, a little less fat, and a few less calories.  Along those same lines, if I'm gonna pay for something, I don't want any fillers in it.  Hence I buy all natural peanut butter.  Have for years, even before the weight loss journey.

 I stay away from highly processed foods.  I try to eat as close to the natural form of food as I can.  Now as stated in the beginning of this post, I do periodically have my candies, and such, but as a general rule I eat unprocessed.  Even though I have my occasional bite here and there, there are things I stay away from:  Sodas, ramin noodles, lunch meat, boxed cereals(boxed anything except maybe pasta), american cheese, margarine, anything hydrogenated, anything made of soy, etc.

Fat is important for body functions.  Fats help with the absorption of certain vitamins, help with brain development, workouts, etc.  Check out this article from Medline.  You need fat!  Good fats; butter, olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, (real) lard (not the hydrogenated stuff).  I don't care what the diet gurus say, natural fats, which include saturated, are the best.  Your body knows what to do with it.  Trust me on this.  Just, as in everything, In moderation.  That doesn't mean frying chicken all the time or deep fried Oreos.  It means a little is good.  It also means it will help you get and stay fuller.  Stay away from ANYTHING hydrogenated.  I don't care if it says organic, all natural, etc.  Out it goes: corn oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, shortening, margarine.  Say BYE!  Also say Bye to whatever foods have these types of fats in them.  Cooking sprays, I don't use them.  It makes whatever oil you're using waaaay more expensive.  Just coat your pan or cookie sheet with one of the above good fats and off you go.  I usually use butter, lard, or bacon fat to coat my pans.  Yes I have bacon.  I brush the oils on with a pastry brush, or toss my veggies in a little (bout 4 gms)olive oil or sesame oil before I roast them (just about all veggies are good roasted).

Full fat dairy is AWESOME!  Even before I started losing weight, I had switched to whole milk.  I'm on the verge of trying raw whole milk.  Just have to go get it, but for now I use whole milk.  If calories are a concern, dilute it half and half with water.  It will still taste like 2% but only have 75 calories per cup which is less than skim.  FYI, Skim milk is a product of processing milk.  It's naturally blue in color.  Ummmm Ewww.  I use only full fat products including cheese (american cheese is not cheese.  Just sayin), Eggs (the whole thing.  Egg whites are nasty alone).  I'm not saying go organic or any of that stuff, but I do read my labels to make sure I'm only getting sour cream, or yogurt, and not a lot of filler.  See?  So try this.  Instead of a 6 oz carton of fat free/ sugar free yogurt for 90 calories.  Have 2 oz of french vanilla whole milk yogurt (57 calories) and 1 cup of berries or other fruit.  Mix it all together and voila!  The amount of calories will depend on the fruit, but it's way more food than a 6 oz carton of yogurt and the calories are still only around 130 at the highest.



SUGAR.  Yes, I do eat sugar.  I have sugar in my coffee.  I have sweets.  I like sugar.  I also use molasses, and maple syrup.  Raw honey is only used when making cough syrup or in unbaked items.  Raw honey not only loses it's benefits when heated, but it's glycemic index changes and it becomes no better than table sugar.  Molasses and maple syrup retain their goodness in baking.  I make my bread with molasses now.  While I do like my sugar, I have reduced it's use in my scratch baking.  I love my sweets, but In Moderation.  What I don't use is anything artificial.  No splenda, sucrolose, nutri-sweet, aspartame, etc.  Zip, zilch, nada.  Bad, very bad stuff AND studies are now showing that using products that contain this stuff can make you GAIN weight.

In the midst of all this great stuff you fill in with meats, veggies and fruits.  Find ways to incorporate them into your diet.They are the most important part of this.  If you just eat the fun stuff, it doesn't work see?

Portions and calories are important.  Don't let anyone tell you different.  Find your calorie range and stay there.  If you use these tips, I promise you, you will be satisfied.  Like I've said before, getting your calories from real food is way more filling and satisfying than the same calories in empty processed foods.  So what do you think?





Thursday, September 21, 2017

Come over to the dark side. We have cookies!

Hi!  Got a minute?  Have a seat.  Want coffee?  Go ahead.  I'll wait.....

So yea, Hello.  Nice to see you.  Can we talk?  Really talk?  I have to share something.  That's what this blog is about.  What I have to share isn't the latest diet program.  It isn't the latest fad, or the latest product on the market to force your body to go against its programming and allow you to drop pounds.

What I have to share is freedom.  Freedom from feeling like a failure.  Freedom from tasteless food.  Freedom from artificial "fisher price" food as my mom calls it. I used to be there.  Seriously.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page.  On the left you will see the "success" of what the world said I should do to lose weight.  On the right you will see the real success of lost weight when I started to do things in a way that works with my body.  It's not a special plan.  It's not a big secret except the powers that be keep saying I'm wrong.  You see that woman on the right made a decision about 18 months ago to never diet again.  If I lost weight it would have to be on my terms, eating real food, and it would need to fit my life and not the other way around.  You see I'd spent the vast majority of my then 48 years dieting and gaining weight.  I had reached the point where I never wanted to try again because each time I tried, I failed to keep it off and then beat myself up.  Every time.  I couldn't face that again, so I didn't try.  Finally I gave it one more shot, on my terms.  Funny thing is, "on my terms" went against everything the diet gurus said.  I don't eat sugar free/fat free anything unless God made it that way naturally.  I eat sugar!  I eat butter, full fat dairy, any type of meat I want (or can afford), Chocolate!!!!!  I have coffee with cream and sugar (bless it).  I eat out, I have snacks, cookies, etc.  I eat whatever I chose.  Here's the thing.  In moderation.  It really is calories in vs calories out.  It's portion control.  News flash guys.  No diet will be successful if you aren't learning portions.  You have to weigh and measure, I don't care what the diet companies say.  It's become such a habit now that it's second nature to me to measure what I eat and record it.  I use sparkpeople to record my food for the day.  It's a little labor intensive to get everything in initially, but once that's done, it's a breeze to use.  Lest you think I only eat junk, I should say I eat real food, just less of it.  I get 1200-1550 calories.  1200-1550 calories of real food is way more satisfying then the same calories in highly processed diet food.  I eat all of the things I listed above, but I also make sure to get plenty of fruits and veggies too.  Here's some examples :

Breakfast:

2 eggs cooked in 2-4 gms of butter
2 oz whole milk french vanilla yogurt
1 cup blueberries
Coffee with 2 TBS whole milk and 1 tsp sugar

Snacks (I have one in the mid morning, and one either mid afternoon or after dinner ((or both if I have the calories))

Medium apple/ 3/4 oz cheddar cheese or
Medium apple/ 1 tbs peanut butter
Strawberries with yogurt and chocolate syrup

Lunch

4 oz chicken breast
7 oz roasted carrots in a little olive oil

Dinner

Taco salad with taco meat (ground turkey or beef whatever is on sale), tortilla chips, salsa, cheddar cheese, sour cream, lettuce (or fresh spinach), and tomato.

Dessert

Smore
chocolate chip cookie

I don't get as much pleasure from eating bread products.  At least not enough to warrant the calories used.  I do eat bread, rice, pasta, etc, just when I'm in the mood and want to count the calories for it.  I had a small slice of homemade bread with a little butter on it this morning in fact.  Pick and choose your battles.  Eat what you enjoy the most, but make sure you get your veggies and fruits in first!  If you can't tell, I try and get a lot of protein each day.  That helps me stay satisfied longer.  If I have oatmeal, muffins, etc for breakfast, I'm starving in a couple of hours.  I do have those things, but very rarely.  Usually on the weekends when we eat breakfast later.

  It's about real foods, real activity, real success that is available to everyone.  You don't have to buy anything.  No supplement, no program.  Just life.  I'm hoping this can become a place where we all can share whats working or not working for us.  I'm tired of being thought of as less because I weigh more.  I was tired of feeling like I had no will power when in fact the problem was the food I was putting in my body.  I will share articles here as well as my own story.  I hope you tune in and feel free to add to what I'm saying.

As a parting remark, if you have Netflix, they have a documentary called "Hungry for change" that is very eye opening when it comes to the diet industry and weight loss.  Very Eye opening.  Funny thing is I started my weight loss journey before I ever saw this.  It just reinforces what I have discovered.  Thanks for reading.