Friday, August 31, 2012

An idea.....

After the suggestion of one of my readers, I looked into calorie counting.  I compared my weight watchers points allowance (which, if you google, is approximately 50 calories per point) to what my suggested calorie range is, it was about equal.  It was a range between 2350 to 2400 per day.  During my Internet search I found a really great article about how to keep your calories low without having to count calories.  I thought that you might enjoy reading it.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/dos-donts-counting-calories

After reading it I see that it basically has all of the same suggestions in it that Zonya Foco's Diet Free program offers.  So, I guess I will just keep going and do my best.  Wish me luck!

Problem to figure out.....

This weight loss process has been quite a journey for me.  I can honestly look back and feel proud of all of the changes that I have made.  I can honestly say that I have given up sugar, chocolate, junk food, and over eating.  And, this week I confirmed this by tracking my food in terms of weight watchers (WW) points.  My daily WW point allowance is 47 points.  I tracked my points daily and the range I am eating in is between 40-45.  So, I should be losing weight.  Sadly, I am not. 

So, what is the issue?  I am frustrated and upset but it goes beyond my emotions. Part of me would love to have a big emotional tantrum, throw my hands up, and pig out.  But, where would that get me?  I still have a problem that is keeping me from what I want.  I am following the Zonya Foco "Diet Free" program and doing everything that she suggests.  This program 100% fits into WW and this was proven by my tracking my points this week.  So, I just don't understand what is going on.

As I said I am so frustrated.  Every time I weigh myself and the scale doesn't go down I feel that is another day away from Karate.  But, with a 100% clear conscious I can tell you I am doing everything right.  I am eating lean protein, healthy fats, tons of vegetables, tons of water, a piece of fruit and that is it!  No sugar, almost no dairy, no junk, and what I believe to be appropriate portion sizes (I used WW points to prove if I was eating too much or enough).  The only thing that I can come up with is that I am allowing myself to have more carbs.  I've been having some carbs at lunch and dinner.  Maybe that is the problem?

So, if anyone has any ideas I would LOVE to hear them!
Thanks

Friday, August 24, 2012

Happy accident

This week has been another crazy one for me.  In addition to some additional new responsibilities I've recently taken on, I added two sick dogs to the equation.  My dogs both got sick with different things and both of them needed some pretty intensive care.  And, with that came a lot of extra cleaning up.  So, it has been a busy and stressful week.  To top that off I've personally been feeling awful all week.  Mostly, I've been feeling depressed and very low energy.

Lack of energy has been a problem for me all of my life.  I struggle most days to push myself to get things done.  Both my parents have thyroid issues and I have all of the symptoms but my test results say I am fine.  I wish I could figure out why I feel so tired but what can you do?  Well that is, until yesterday.

I found this in the grocery store.  I was excited because I am suppose to drink Kefir since it contains all sorts of good probiotics.   I haven't been able to due to my milk allergy.  Since this brand "So Delicious" is made from coconut milk it is gluten and milk free.  I had some yesterday and within a half hour my energy levels started coming back.  Today, after having some for breakfast, I was able to clean my entire house and get the laundry done (and run out to get my husband lunch-lol).

As some of you may know, coconut oil is the new super food.  I've taken it in the past with wonderful results.  I had forgotten how good it makes me feel.  Part of this weight loss journey is as much about finding out what makes me feel healthy as it is to get the weight off.  Now I know I have to make coconut oil part of my daily routine.  I really hope that you will consider giving it a try.  It can do some amazing things!!  Here is a link to a page that can give you more information.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

quiet week

I have been quiet for a few days and may be for a few days more.  Both my dogs are sick and are requiring a lot of care (mostly someone to clean up after them).  So, I will come back when things settle down.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Longer Friday Update

So, I got through my crazy week having complained a little but none the worse for wear.  As I wrote earlier today, I even managed to lose 5lbs.  Getting through this week was a big victory for me.

How I managed to do this was simply by making sure all my meals were cooked ahead of time.  This became a lot easier for me this week since I am now using the cookbook that came with my Diet Free program.  The cookbook is called "Lickety-Split Meals for Health Conscious People on the Go!"  The recipes are easy to make, cost effective, and chuck full of vegetables.  Oh, and they taste good.  I got my husband to eat veggies and he didn't even complain.  I just ate each meal as it came, knowing it was wholesome and healthy. 

I also practised the 8 healthy habits that the program promotes.  I am working through them a week at a time but it isn't too hard to try to generally keep them in mind.  This is also easy since the Slimpod I've been listening to all these months fully supports these habits.  The Slimpod prepared my mind to be able to easily implement the 8 habits.

Best of all, I am still not eating sugar.  I decided to allow myself to have one sweet treat per week.  Tonight I ate a gluten free donut.  I threw half of it away.  It wasn't as good as I remembered it being.  I take that as a huge success as well.

The only thing I have to do is up my exercise.  This week I only worked out every other day.  I really think if I want to go back to karate and lose weight, I need to be consistently working out 5-6 days a week.  That is my big goals for next week.

Friday quick update

I will write more tomorrow when I have more time.  This week has been crazy busy for me.  But, I had to share one item....I lost 5lbs. this week!  I waited to share that information untill I had weighed myself for two day in a row to make sure it was real-lol.

Tomorrow I promise to write more of what is going on.  Till then, have a great day!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Emotional overload

OK, I give.  I will admit it, I am total emotional overload right now.  There is so much going on in my life right now.  Family stuff that started last week, taking care of people I know who need a little help, teaching English as a second language, trying to finish some of the stuff that I am writing, trying to keep my workouts consistent, trying to eat healthy (i.e. lots of cooking) and keep going with the 8 healthy habits, trying to keep a tight rein on the budget because money is still an issue, and all of the emotional stuff that comes from not giving into eating due to emotional reasons........I am about to crack.

Well, not crack.  A better way to say it is that I am feeling really emotionally fragile.  And, I also feel like right now I can't handle one more thing.  Maybe I just took on too much at one time.  The best thing I can do is just focus on what I am doing now and get used to all of it.  Maybe in September I will be able to do more.

Not sure if this post is really making sense.  Sorry if it isn't.  Like I said, I am feeling really overwhelmed.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Quick end of the week update

I am taking this week as a success.  We had a family health crisis to deal with and I was able to stay consistent with the changes I am trying to make in my life.  Usually family issues throw me off my game.

I was able to exercise every day but one this week.  I did not eat sugar.  I ate a very healthy diet with only one or two very small indulgences.  And, I lost about 1.5lbs. this week.  All and all this week has really proved to me I can do it.

I am also starting something new.  For a long time I have been a fan of the nutritionist, Zonya Foco's way of looking at dieting.  She has a "No Diet" approach which works really well with the Slimpod that I listen to daily. I guess I am using her ideas to give me some structure which I feel I am lacking.  Zonya  encourages you to use 8 healthy habits which can help you naturally change your diet towards a more healthy one and lose weight.  Her list of 8 habits can be found on her website.  So, I am now trying to work one of her habits every week or so until it actually becomes a part of my life. 

This week I am working on drinking enough water.  For someone of my weight, I should be drinking 10 glasses of water a day.  I often don't even feel thirsty so I forget to drink anything except for at meals.  So, this week I am keeping track of how much water I am drinking and aiming for that magical number of 10 glasses (so far today I've had 3). 

 Here is one point I have to explain, One of her habits bothers me.  She is from the very low fat school of nutrition.  I know from personal experience that if I ate as low fat as she would like I would feel sick.  She does encourage people to eat healthy fats (yes, I know in some circles like the paleo world there really isn't a bad fat except for transfats and too much omega-6 fatty acids).  I am on the fence about this whole arguement.  I think this is one of those things that people have to figure out for themselves.  I am going to experiment and see if I can cut my fats a bit and still feel OK.

So all and all, this has been a very good week!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

quick update

Just a quick update.  We have some family stuff going on this week (some family illness and a little bit of family drama).  I am still doing well with eating properly, back to not wanting sugar, and getting exercise in (just not as much as I would normally like).  I am really working hard not to let the personal stuff throw me off of my routine.  Wish me luck!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

The problem with all or nothing thinking part 2

I had a really good response to my posting from yesterday about to eat sugar or not to eat sugar.  I just wanted to give a quick follow up.  So, it is the day after I had my first sweet treat in over 40 days.  I had less than a whole cup of ice cream. 

This episode has really taught me what a mind game this all is for me.  I debated eating a treat yesterday for over 6 hours.  Finally, with some prompting from my husband, I ate that ice cream.  The first thing I noticed is that it didn't taste nearly as good as I had imagine it would.  I ate the whole portion because I knew if I didn't my husband would start to wonder if I was developing an eating disorder.  But, I would have been happy to throw it away after the second bite.  After thinking and obsessing over the decision to eat sugar the end result was a huge let down.  Sugar isn't that big of a deal to me any more. 

I was fearful that if I ate a sweet treat again it would then spark a binge in me.  It has not.  In fact, the opposite has happened.  I am craving healthy foods more today.  I am grateful that there were no negative physical consequences to allowing myself a sweet treat.

For me the lesson learned was all about the problem being in my head.  I was taught a certain way to think about food as a child and now I am unlearning it.  As Bethenny Frankel says, "Food is not your friend or your enemy."  The problem isn't food, it is the way you are thinking about food.  If you (OK, me) make a bigger deal out of it then it can cause huge problems in your life.  But, if you take a more relaxed approach it can be a great tool.  Don't stress over eating the wrong thing every once and a while.  Just learn from each time you have a food issue and move on.  I have more to write about that but I will save it for tomorrow.  Have a great night!

Saturday, August 4, 2012

The problem with all or nothing thinking

As I have mentioned in the past, both my mother and grandmother were anorexics.  Being raised by two woman with this condition seems to have shaded how I relate to food.  I've been so proud of myself for giving up sugar that I have lost count of how many days I have gone without it.  It is well over 40 days now.

The program that I used to give up the sugar was a very good hypnosis program by a company called Thinking Slimmer.  It is meant to give you control over having sweet treats so you can easily give them up.  But, it is also meant to give you greater control over the issue so that you can have them if you want them in moderation.  Today I really wanted a treat.  I saw some nice items at the grocery store today and thought that it would be nice to have something.  But, it became a huge issue for me.

I sat for several hours today going back and forth about if I should break down and allow myself a treat or not.  So far, I haven't given in to the desire for a sweet treat and I am not certain if this is a good thing or not?  The fact that I have had to sit and debate it in my mind like this tells me that I now have a problem.  This has become for me another example of the "all or nothing" thinking around food that being raised by an anorexic can create.

On one hand, I am grateful for how much better I feel since giving up sugar.  My blood sugar is stable and I am have lost some weight.  But, to live in fear (as I now seem to) of eating a sweet treat seems ridiculous.  Yet, I do.  In fact, I have even felt guilty for even imagining eating a sweet treat.  So, as you can see, this has gotten out of hand.  Time to figure out a solution.

Update
So, I broke down and had a small container (5 oz. mini-container) of Edy's ice cream.  I don't even believe it was a full cup's worth of ice cream.  It made me realize that I had made a huge thing out of nothing.  The ice cream didn't actually taste that good to me.  After I had eaten it I thought that I would have rather had a baked apple.  I am now happy to return to not eating very much sugar.  It feels better knowing that I can decide for myself when and if I really want a sweet treat.  And, that I have one it won't spark a binge.  I feel much happier now.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The next step......

Given up sugar.......check
increasing exercise.......check
working on perfecting my kata.........check
and now, keeping a food journal .....

I never thought I would be willing to do keep a food journal.  I absolutely hate doing that when you joining Weight Watchers.  Measuring and counting make me nuts.  But, I have been doing so well with not eating sugar and generally eating healthier that now I am ready to just write down what I eat.  I am NOT counting or measuring anything.  I may never be able to get myself to do that.


I found these "Diet Free" food trackers I had purchased from Zonya Foco's website last year.  I just couldn't make myself use them last year. But, since they are focused on tracking fruit and vegetable consumption they are perfect for me at this time.  The structure of the tracker is less intense then what I remember doing at Weight Watchers.  It feels much less stressful.  Hopefully, it will really help and speed up my weight loss journey.  Wish me luck!!