Showing posts with label medical stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medical stuff. Show all posts
Read the new entry at the new blog:
It's Not Just Cancer that Medical Research Helps, aka as Thank You, Big Pharma, that I can breathe!
Please update links/follows. THANKS. Have a trimming Tuesday!
Read the new entry at the new blog:
Face the Truth Fridays: Late Posting-- Some Loss, Sick and Sleepless in Miami
Read the new entry at the new blog:
I feel boring today; Portion creep; Salt Overload; Cytomel and my progress; Dismissive Doctors; Plugging Along...
Please update links/follows. Happy Wednesday full of Wellness...
Sloth is one of my major besetting "deadly" sins. And I've been really slothful this week. No exercise at all. Lots of sleeping. (Medication may need tweaking.) And, weirdly, though I'm menopausal, I've had a crampy "period". I think it's cause I lost 10 pounds in the last couple months and may have a reaction to the estrogen release. Not sure, prolly. At age 50, I'm not thinking I've starting popping out eggs again.
So, I had to scrounge in the back of the linen closet for a box of unused tampons leftover from my last Aunt Flo visit...
But I'm happy to update my ticker and stats with another slow downtick. I weighed in at 256.6 for a total of 42.4 lost.
And I'm very happy to see the slow, consistent progress.
The sloth is not so great. I'm glad I'm seeing the endo in a couple weeks, and I got blood taken out yesterday. It may or may not be the thyroid/med change. It may be the killer heat of August. 97 degrees yesterday with triple-digit heat index.
Whatever.
Appetite is good and NOT binge-y. I still am feeling calm about food, though I certainly could eat plenty if I don't watch it. I'm happy with a 1 to 2 pound loss a week and not feeling at all anxious. Whether that's related to the slothful lethargy, who knows.
I think if I can get past the sleepies and move more, I can up my loss.
Then again, moving more can up my appetite, too, so I worry about that.
I'll be back to Pilates next week (my trainer was on vacation last week), and that should help, too.
I'm eating pretty normal (though lower quantity) meals and less fruit than I was used to eating in a quest to have lower carb--not low, lower carb--meals. I had raspberries with my breakfast of caprese salad with EVOO and teriyaki wings. Yeah, teriyaki has carbs, but my mouth wanted it, so it was nicer to feel satisfied on a small bit of it. I have some pretty peaches I can have with supper. I find if I have my WonderSlim protein stuff between meals, the meals themselves tend to be normal (not my usual pig-out). And if I have something late at night, say 3 hours before bed, I feel a huge reduction in nightly food cravings and wake up feeling less crazy to have breakfast like usual.
So, while I am not a low-carber, I do seem to be a lower-carber (I have pasta, I have bread, I have potatoes, and I like fruit), meaning just cutting back on the quantity of my starch/fruit eating and increasing the protein (and fat) to compensate. This really does seem to be calming me...so far.
Hope your weekend is lovely. Mine has been restful and full of Japanese manga and a comedy flick and smooching hubby so far. Tomorrow is a family event, so I'll have to deal with the "how to face temptation" issue at the birthday party for my brother. I can see myself having to tote some lower-carb options or just saying NO to the rice and YES to the "ropa vieja" and salad. (Though it's really tough for a Cuban-born gal to have "ropa vieja" sans rice, I tell ya.)
Later, y'all....
So, I had to scrounge in the back of the linen closet for a box of unused tampons leftover from my last Aunt Flo visit...
But I'm happy to update my ticker and stats with another slow downtick. I weighed in at 256.6 for a total of 42.4 lost.
And I'm very happy to see the slow, consistent progress.
The sloth is not so great. I'm glad I'm seeing the endo in a couple weeks, and I got blood taken out yesterday. It may or may not be the thyroid/med change. It may be the killer heat of August. 97 degrees yesterday with triple-digit heat index.
Whatever.
Appetite is good and NOT binge-y. I still am feeling calm about food, though I certainly could eat plenty if I don't watch it. I'm happy with a 1 to 2 pound loss a week and not feeling at all anxious. Whether that's related to the slothful lethargy, who knows.
I think if I can get past the sleepies and move more, I can up my loss.
Then again, moving more can up my appetite, too, so I worry about that.
I'll be back to Pilates next week (my trainer was on vacation last week), and that should help, too.
I'm eating pretty normal (though lower quantity) meals and less fruit than I was used to eating in a quest to have lower carb--not low, lower carb--meals. I had raspberries with my breakfast of caprese salad with EVOO and teriyaki wings. Yeah, teriyaki has carbs, but my mouth wanted it, so it was nicer to feel satisfied on a small bit of it. I have some pretty peaches I can have with supper. I find if I have my WonderSlim protein stuff between meals, the meals themselves tend to be normal (not my usual pig-out). And if I have something late at night, say 3 hours before bed, I feel a huge reduction in nightly food cravings and wake up feeling less crazy to have breakfast like usual.
So, while I am not a low-carber, I do seem to be a lower-carber (I have pasta, I have bread, I have potatoes, and I like fruit), meaning just cutting back on the quantity of my starch/fruit eating and increasing the protein (and fat) to compensate. This really does seem to be calming me...so far.
Hope your weekend is lovely. Mine has been restful and full of Japanese manga and a comedy flick and smooching hubby so far. Tomorrow is a family event, so I'll have to deal with the "how to face temptation" issue at the birthday party for my brother. I can see myself having to tote some lower-carb options or just saying NO to the rice and YES to the "ropa vieja" and salad. (Though it's really tough for a Cuban-born gal to have "ropa vieja" sans rice, I tell ya.)
Later, y'all....
Wow. I've been absent again. I missed the SUMMER SLIMMIN' check-in. I've been carbing it up at family gatherings (one day chicken and rice with sugar-topped plantains, the other a lo mein and steamed dumplings feast, and a pizza backslide last night).
I have been feeling off. My face feels a bit "masky", and since we changed my regimen a month ago, I think my previous thyroid med status has now sequed to the new one (lower dosage) and it's NOT helping. I have felt like sleeping more, and I've craved carbs (and been indulging, though until yesterday, not bingeing), and my attention is hard to focus. The scale is up. Yeah, something's off. I have an appot to see doc in August, so I gotta do something until then to not lose all traction.
I will say that despite feeling groggier and carb-happy, I only big-time overate twice in the last week plus. And even though I wanted to binge last night, it was a minor binge (and weighted in less than day before). I did NOT eat enough to gain 4 pounds, and the scale showed me up to 263.8. I know the carbs and sodium mix is mostly to blame.
Yesterday, it was pizza. Damn the Dominos 2x Tuesday. I had not been shopping (due to feeling lethargic) and so there was NOTHING in the house to give hubby. So, I fell into the order-crap hole and got the 2 pizzas for one price. I ate 3.5 slices and a salad and stopped. I wanted more. I wanted the whole fricken pizza. But I took the slices, bagged them, froze them. I wasn't gonna throw them out, as hubby can take them for lunch (as he did today, two slices).
I haven't had an all-out, stuff until I hurt binge in a while. In fact, even when I wanted to eat MORE at the family functions, I didn't. I avoided cakes and sugary snacks for the most part. I didn't have more than one mojito (and that has sugar), and ended up having half of it. I took my own beveraged. I ate something before showing up.
Even the late night eating (the other night I overate), I ordered HALF of what I would when I binged.
I like to think the sense of calmness on most days is progress. Even with the regain.
So, I'm not stressing overly.
I am taking a different tack until I can see the doc (it's too coincidental that I feel off when we're trying a new combo, which I researched after and found was LESS strong than the original one, though should be better absorbed.)
I have watched with good cheer and interest, Lyn of Escape From Obesity's progress on MediFast. (She has a coupon code for those wanting to use the plan. See her blog post on the MediFast winners.)
I can't do that--first, saw too many reviews of the horrible taste of the stuff and, second, too much soy. I am not euthyroid, and I don't want to take in THAT much soy every day and then have to worry about rejiggering my medication all the time. Nothing worse than unstable thyroid levels when you're hypothyroid. Sucks bigtime. And makes losing weight virtually impossible for me when I"m out of my limited "happy range."
And I wondered about all the folks who have seen our Lyn do so well and want to try something like Medifast, but without soy or with LESS soy. Who worry about soy or are just sensitive or allergic to it. What are their/my options?
So, I did googling. hahah.
Then, I ordered stuff from Diet Direct. Stuff related to WONDERSLIM (though I'm not doing the plan.) I heard about Wonderslim from two sources within one week: 3FatChicks.com's forum and Impatient Dieter. And I saw that soy sensitive folks have used it as an alternative to MediFast (though MediFast seems to work better, it tastes worse and is more expenseive). Trade-offs for people to research.
I am not doing "the program". I simply feel too draggy and demotivated by that dragginess to want to shop/cook/plan, etc. I want simple stuff here that is high-protein, low-to-medium carb, easy to fix, so I don't have to think about food some days (or several days in a row). So, that's my rationale--just holding on and maybe make some progress until we fix me up medication-wise.
BUT..you can use the Diet Direct WONDERSLIM stuff for your "cheaper and tastier alternative to Medifast" regimen if you choose. Others have done it (check 3FatChicks forum to see). You can read up on both plans and see how to work it. In truth, if you have the patience and bucks, you can order stuff from both and see which flavors you can handle before you choose a plan.
For those following Impatient Dieter--who used a regimen of 7 Wonderslim shakes of 100 calories each and two lean/green meals a day of 250 calories each with full fat dressing to lose an astounding amount of weight FAST--and who were curious to try that regimen, I'll happily post reviews of the drinks and meal equivalents for you.
WonderSlim has some soy items, so you do need to read ingredients and decide how much you think you can handle. The shakes and drinks are not soy-based. They are whey-based. You can read nutritional info on their products here: WONDERSLIM
From what I understand, MediFast has more fiber and probably a higher nutritional profile than WonderSlim. It has fewer carbs in its entress. (WonderSlim offers some pasta dish options). WonderSlim's oatmeal is supposed to taste LIKE OATMEAL, unlike the MF weird one. The shakes are supposed to be tastier and without aftertaste like MF. BUT..the WS stuff uses in many cases aspartame. So, some folks don't do that.
So, I do recommend you compare ingredients and carbs, etc, and also if you do WS, to get a fiber supplement. Not a biggie, really. Everyone should review ingredients in what they eat, anyway.
QUICKIE REVIEW: I had the protein WS Hot Cakes for breakfast with two eggs with cheddar and some Almond Breeze. (All stuff I still had at home and easy to prepare). (I'll revise this post with a pic when I upload and rescale. I'm feeling draggy, remember?)
Lots of protein!
The hot cakes would not be confused with regular pancakes, but I found them pleasant--nicely vanilla-ey and with some sugar-free syrup and cinnamon sprinkled on top, satisfying. (One packet makes 3 very small hot cakes. Cute, too.) Don't overcook. Easy to prepare. Add 1/4 cup water to one packet, stir, let stand for 1 minute (it thickens and becomes frothy), scoop onto pan that's been preheated low-medium heat. I spritzed Pam for the "greasing". I added a tiny dollop of Smart Balance over each pancake (like a pea sized drop) for some healthy fat.
SparkPeople's Nutrition Tracker lists my breakfast as 491 cals, 27g carbs, 35g protein.
It's now 4 hours since I ate--yeah, yeah, I'm not eating every 2 hours, that's up to you if you do the whole plan, which I'm NOT doing--and I"m not remotely hungry, but plan to eat anyway to keep me from GETTING to the point of hunger.
This is not CLEAN EATING. You see that, right? :) It's not "wholesome" eating.
MediFast and WonderSlim are what I call Frankenfood Diets (although others define it differently)--foods that are not what nature makes or near-natural. Processed, reconfigured, "isolated" this, added vitamins, removed THAT, preservatives, all sorts of stuff in there that's hard to pronounce. If you prefer to stay close to nature--as I generally do, but man, I'm zapped right now and justt balk at the idea of toting bags full of produce and proteins home and chopping and cooking... aaaaaarrrgggghhh-- this is not for you.
If you can get tired of flavors easily, this is not for you. Shakes and drinks have limited flavors , there's lots of chocolate , sure. Most of the entrees seem to be similar in spice structure. But your lean meal can be whatever you want that fits the parameters, so make that one happy for your mouth. Lyn has great recipes. See her site for that. Make the most of your REAL FOOD. (I have some frozen asparagus, some fresh Spinach and zucchini, but no meat or poultry at home right now. Dang.)
I plan to add stuff I have in my pantry to use them up, like my nice FiberGourmet high-fiber, lower-carb version of pasta. I like the fiber in that and the texture. I have many soups that I can easily heat up (most are veggie-based). I have frozen Diet-To-Go suppers that can fill in a pinch (though not low-carb, they're vegetarian and lowfat).
I didn't want to ditch the challenge, though exercising is really hard--and I have been tempted to cancel Pilates, but dammit, I refuse to give in THAT much!
If anyone has tried a MediFast alternative (for folks who can't afford/don't like taste of/can't do all soy), please post a link to any post you've done so others can see the resources you have. I don't mean SPAM or PR. I mean YOU use it and it works well for you.
If you've used WonderSlim, do you blog about it? Please comment and link.
If you've done Medifast and found a way to construct your own using more accessible ingredients from your supermarket/health food store--post and link.
So, right now, I was up 4 lbs from last weigh-in, then today down a bit, but still up 3 lbs. Let's see what next weigh-in brings.
On the plus side my natural hair journey has yielded nice results. Here is hair on Saturday on way to one of those carby family gatherings:
Happy week to you all.
WONDERSLIM / DIET DIRECT NOTE: If you spend more than $79, shipping is free. Spend 99 bucks, get 10% automatically off. I got my stuff IN FIVE DAYS via FedEx, and would have gotten it sooner, but I ordered on a Saturday night.
Legal Note: I did not get any free products (other than usual few samples added to orders). I bought these products on my own dime and my review is my own. I am NOT at this time an affiliate. I am considering becoming one, and it depends on if I enjoy the products.
ETA: Okay, as of Thursday afternoon, I am an affiliate. Just updating.
GHHCDSV15446258
ETA: Okay, so I just changed my mind and emailed them to remove me as an affiliate. I feel dumb. hah.
I have been feeling off. My face feels a bit "masky", and since we changed my regimen a month ago, I think my previous thyroid med status has now sequed to the new one (lower dosage) and it's NOT helping. I have felt like sleeping more, and I've craved carbs (and been indulging, though until yesterday, not bingeing), and my attention is hard to focus. The scale is up. Yeah, something's off. I have an appot to see doc in August, so I gotta do something until then to not lose all traction.
I will say that despite feeling groggier and carb-happy, I only big-time overate twice in the last week plus. And even though I wanted to binge last night, it was a minor binge (and weighted in less than day before). I did NOT eat enough to gain 4 pounds, and the scale showed me up to 263.8. I know the carbs and sodium mix is mostly to blame.
Yesterday, it was pizza. Damn the Dominos 2x Tuesday. I had not been shopping (due to feeling lethargic) and so there was NOTHING in the house to give hubby. So, I fell into the order-crap hole and got the 2 pizzas for one price. I ate 3.5 slices and a salad and stopped. I wanted more. I wanted the whole fricken pizza. But I took the slices, bagged them, froze them. I wasn't gonna throw them out, as hubby can take them for lunch (as he did today, two slices).
I haven't had an all-out, stuff until I hurt binge in a while. In fact, even when I wanted to eat MORE at the family functions, I didn't. I avoided cakes and sugary snacks for the most part. I didn't have more than one mojito (and that has sugar), and ended up having half of it. I took my own beveraged. I ate something before showing up.
Even the late night eating (the other night I overate), I ordered HALF of what I would when I binged.
I like to think the sense of calmness on most days is progress. Even with the regain.
So, I'm not stressing overly.
I am taking a different tack until I can see the doc (it's too coincidental that I feel off when we're trying a new combo, which I researched after and found was LESS strong than the original one, though should be better absorbed.)
I have watched with good cheer and interest, Lyn of Escape From Obesity's progress on MediFast. (She has a coupon code for those wanting to use the plan. See her blog post on the MediFast winners.)
I can't do that--first, saw too many reviews of the horrible taste of the stuff and, second, too much soy. I am not euthyroid, and I don't want to take in THAT much soy every day and then have to worry about rejiggering my medication all the time. Nothing worse than unstable thyroid levels when you're hypothyroid. Sucks bigtime. And makes losing weight virtually impossible for me when I"m out of my limited "happy range."
And I wondered about all the folks who have seen our Lyn do so well and want to try something like Medifast, but without soy or with LESS soy. Who worry about soy or are just sensitive or allergic to it. What are their/my options?
So, I did googling. hahah.
Then, I ordered stuff from Diet Direct. Stuff related to WONDERSLIM (though I'm not doing the plan.) I heard about Wonderslim from two sources within one week: 3FatChicks.com's forum and Impatient Dieter. And I saw that soy sensitive folks have used it as an alternative to MediFast (though MediFast seems to work better, it tastes worse and is more expenseive). Trade-offs for people to research.
I am not doing "the program". I simply feel too draggy and demotivated by that dragginess to want to shop/cook/plan, etc. I want simple stuff here that is high-protein, low-to-medium carb, easy to fix, so I don't have to think about food some days (or several days in a row). So, that's my rationale--just holding on and maybe make some progress until we fix me up medication-wise.
BUT..you can use the Diet Direct WONDERSLIM stuff for your "cheaper and tastier alternative to Medifast" regimen if you choose. Others have done it (check 3FatChicks forum to see). You can read up on both plans and see how to work it. In truth, if you have the patience and bucks, you can order stuff from both and see which flavors you can handle before you choose a plan.
For those following Impatient Dieter--who used a regimen of 7 Wonderslim shakes of 100 calories each and two lean/green meals a day of 250 calories each with full fat dressing to lose an astounding amount of weight FAST--and who were curious to try that regimen, I'll happily post reviews of the drinks and meal equivalents for you.
WonderSlim has some soy items, so you do need to read ingredients and decide how much you think you can handle. The shakes and drinks are not soy-based. They are whey-based. You can read nutritional info on their products here: WONDERSLIM
From what I understand, MediFast has more fiber and probably a higher nutritional profile than WonderSlim. It has fewer carbs in its entress. (WonderSlim offers some pasta dish options). WonderSlim's oatmeal is supposed to taste LIKE OATMEAL, unlike the MF weird one. The shakes are supposed to be tastier and without aftertaste like MF. BUT..the WS stuff uses in many cases aspartame. So, some folks don't do that.
So, I do recommend you compare ingredients and carbs, etc, and also if you do WS, to get a fiber supplement. Not a biggie, really. Everyone should review ingredients in what they eat, anyway.
QUICKIE REVIEW: I had the protein WS Hot Cakes for breakfast with two eggs with cheddar and some Almond Breeze. (All stuff I still had at home and easy to prepare). (I'll revise this post with a pic when I upload and rescale. I'm feeling draggy, remember?)
Lots of protein!
The hot cakes would not be confused with regular pancakes, but I found them pleasant--nicely vanilla-ey and with some sugar-free syrup and cinnamon sprinkled on top, satisfying. (One packet makes 3 very small hot cakes. Cute, too.) Don't overcook. Easy to prepare. Add 1/4 cup water to one packet, stir, let stand for 1 minute (it thickens and becomes frothy), scoop onto pan that's been preheated low-medium heat. I spritzed Pam for the "greasing". I added a tiny dollop of Smart Balance over each pancake (like a pea sized drop) for some healthy fat.
SparkPeople's Nutrition Tracker lists my breakfast as 491 cals, 27g carbs, 35g protein.
It's now 4 hours since I ate--yeah, yeah, I'm not eating every 2 hours, that's up to you if you do the whole plan, which I'm NOT doing--and I"m not remotely hungry, but plan to eat anyway to keep me from GETTING to the point of hunger.
This is not CLEAN EATING. You see that, right? :) It's not "wholesome" eating.
MediFast and WonderSlim are what I call Frankenfood Diets (although others define it differently)--foods that are not what nature makes or near-natural. Processed, reconfigured, "isolated" this, added vitamins, removed THAT, preservatives, all sorts of stuff in there that's hard to pronounce. If you prefer to stay close to nature--as I generally do, but man, I'm zapped right now and justt balk at the idea of toting bags full of produce and proteins home and chopping and cooking... aaaaaarrrgggghhh-- this is not for you.
If you can get tired of flavors easily, this is not for you. Shakes and drinks have limited flavors , there's lots of chocolate , sure. Most of the entrees seem to be similar in spice structure. But your lean meal can be whatever you want that fits the parameters, so make that one happy for your mouth. Lyn has great recipes. See her site for that. Make the most of your REAL FOOD. (I have some frozen asparagus, some fresh Spinach and zucchini, but no meat or poultry at home right now. Dang.)
I plan to add stuff I have in my pantry to use them up, like my nice FiberGourmet high-fiber, lower-carb version of pasta. I like the fiber in that and the texture. I have many soups that I can easily heat up (most are veggie-based). I have frozen Diet-To-Go suppers that can fill in a pinch (though not low-carb, they're vegetarian and lowfat).
I didn't want to ditch the challenge, though exercising is really hard--and I have been tempted to cancel Pilates, but dammit, I refuse to give in THAT much!
If anyone has tried a MediFast alternative (for folks who can't afford/don't like taste of/can't do all soy), please post a link to any post you've done so others can see the resources you have. I don't mean SPAM or PR. I mean YOU use it and it works well for you.
If you've used WonderSlim, do you blog about it? Please comment and link.
If you've done Medifast and found a way to construct your own using more accessible ingredients from your supermarket/health food store--post and link.
So, right now, I was up 4 lbs from last weigh-in, then today down a bit, but still up 3 lbs. Let's see what next weigh-in brings.
On the plus side my natural hair journey has yielded nice results. Here is hair on Saturday on way to one of those carby family gatherings:
Happy week to you all.
WONDERSLIM / DIET DIRECT NOTE: If you spend more than $79, shipping is free. Spend 99 bucks, get 10% automatically off. I got my stuff IN FIVE DAYS via FedEx, and would have gotten it sooner, but I ordered on a Saturday night.
Legal Note: I did not get any free products (other than usual few samples added to orders). I bought these products on my own dime and my review is my own. I am NOT at this time an affiliate. I am considering becoming one, and it depends on if I enjoy the products.
ETA: Okay, as of Thursday afternoon, I am an affiliate. Just updating.
GHHCDSV15446258
ETA: Okay, so I just changed my mind and emailed them to remove me as an affiliate. I feel dumb. hah.
If you haven't watched it yet, and if you are a fatfighter who has felt out of control and ravenous, like you're always hungry, well, watch the video I link to at the end of this post. It's 90 minutes, but on a lazy evening, leave the TV alone and watch it.
It's got a lot of science (but trust me, it's relevant and it's eye-opening). In fact, I'm glad this physician--Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco-- took the time to go through each of the metabolic processes. It makes so much sense by the time he's done, it's like an epiphany. It's one, interestingly, that you can see manifested in Lyn from Escape from Obesity as she did MediFast (which is not a program I'm crazy about on paper, as the caloric level is really low and the food is overprocessed and is not like a real-life plan that's livable, though certainly it gives quick results). I think she eats BETTER when she makes her own lower carb meals chockablock with nice and colorful veggies. :)
What's important is what it does to the appetite (calm it) when sugar/fructose/HFCS are eliminated or reduced drastically.
I also like how he exlains WHY exercise is beneficial to weight loss, and it's not about "calories out." I really, really like how incrementally he shows how Metabolic Syndrome can be traced to the ingestion of fructose/sucrose/HFCS in increasing quantities.
And even if you think you already know all this stuff, maybe you haven't seen it presented just like this:
Sugar, The Bitter Truth
This response to the video is critical of it, so I offer the link as a counterpoint.
This post has a very nice summary of the video and its own conclusions.
So, tomorrow, I'll eat the orange instead of juicing it. :D
It's got a lot of science (but trust me, it's relevant and it's eye-opening). In fact, I'm glad this physician--Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco-- took the time to go through each of the metabolic processes. It makes so much sense by the time he's done, it's like an epiphany. It's one, interestingly, that you can see manifested in Lyn from Escape from Obesity as she did MediFast (which is not a program I'm crazy about on paper, as the caloric level is really low and the food is overprocessed and is not like a real-life plan that's livable, though certainly it gives quick results). I think she eats BETTER when she makes her own lower carb meals chockablock with nice and colorful veggies. :)
What's important is what it does to the appetite (calm it) when sugar/fructose/HFCS are eliminated or reduced drastically.
I also like how he exlains WHY exercise is beneficial to weight loss, and it's not about "calories out." I really, really like how incrementally he shows how Metabolic Syndrome can be traced to the ingestion of fructose/sucrose/HFCS in increasing quantities.
And even if you think you already know all this stuff, maybe you haven't seen it presented just like this:
Sugar, The Bitter Truth
This response to the video is critical of it, so I offer the link as a counterpoint.
This post has a very nice summary of the video and its own conclusions.
So, tomorrow, I'll eat the orange instead of juicing it. :D
I do NOT have a handle on my eating. Just as the scale started going downwards with the combo of delivery meals and raw meals, I got sick. Allergy season is kicking my crappy respiratory and immune system to the curb. I've been congested and wheezy (I have bad asthma since childhood) for two weeks, but last week was really bad and I haven't been able to leave the house. Sitting still lets me breathe. Moving means I need more oxygen and I feel gaspy. It's like a fat person is pushing a knee against my sternum and strangling me at the same time.
Sucks.
So, hubby has been bringing in soups and meals, and I've been eating comfort foods and the scale is up to 269...again. Crap.
I visited iHerb (love this site, my newest online discovery and addiction). I have ordered a bunch of powdered raw and green supplements from Healthforce Nutritionals (just got them a couple days ago) and Madre Labs (should arrive in a week or so).
I was pretty much an invalid 20 years ago and had to quit work due to my immune and respiratory issues. I began to supplement big time back then and found it actually helped. When my blood sugar started soaring, I avoided getting on pills for it by switching the composition of meals (didn't really lose much weight, just didn't eat carbs or sweets without a full meal with protein, fat, and fiber) and adding cinnamon supplements and alpha lipoic acid and beta glucans. Worked. My labs came back great within a few months. And although I didn't lose weight until several years after (and only 30 since my high), I've pretty much kept the habit of not eating carbs by themselves and taking cinnamon when I cave to sweets.
The combo of whey protein, barley grass, acai/berry juice, and amazing grass has given me a bit of extra perk for working out, especially when I don't sleep well. So, I know that these things do work for me to some degree.
I've used Green Magma and Berry/Acai Splash for years and added Amazing Grass recently to my pre-workout regimen, but I decided to try some new "more packed" powdered nutritionals. I saw the link for the Healthforce Nutritionals raw food supplementary powders on The Skinny Online and the website for the products piqued my curiosity. I do find the taste has that mild freshness to it, but it's not great tasting. I pretty much gulp the stuff down fast. :D
From Madre Labs products, I'm ordering a bunch of free powder and beverage samples (like an instant coffee and mushroom, cocoa and mushroom, vitamin c, etc). From the superfoods, I got the Midori Greens (redundant as, being a Japanese manga fan, I know "midori" means "green") and the Eureka Berries. The former (Midori) has some superfoods not already in my rotation. The latter includes chokeberry, and after reading about it in a blog at Diets in Review, I decided I want to add it to my supplement line-up.
The other things I'm getting from iHerb I had never heard of until I watched a video linked from Melting Mama. The info wasn't on THAT video about a woman who was on her own reducing plan that included multiple 100 calorie shakes per day plus two very light meals and a lot of New Agey spirituality. Her loss is impressive. But what was MORE impressive to me was her lack of loose, hanging, stretch-mark-riddled flesh. Her belly looks amazing for someone who's lost like 100 pounds. She posted another video, with some of her own humor added, where she theorizes on why her skin handled the loss well. I figured it was worth trying the MSM (sulfur supplement and moisturizer with the stuff). I ordered capsules and the cream.
You might wanna check out this article, too. It mentions other vitamins and zinc along with MSM. After Sparking earlier this year, I learned I'm continually deficient dietarily in zinc (and zinc in those multivitamins tends to be poorly absorbed), so I purchased ionic liquid zinc. It tastes AWFUL. But now that I see it relates to skin health/elasticity, I need to be more diligent. I already have saggy skin, and if MSM and superfoods and zinc can help in any way with skin, general immune health, and weight loss, why not?
If you've used any of these superfoods or the MSM products with some good result (or no result or bad result), do let me know.
So, there it is and here I am, just plain NOT doing well due to an assortment of reasons mental and physiological and seasonal, but not giving up. Nope. Uh-uh. Hanging in there.
Hope this spanking fresh week we've been given to live is a fat-reducing, health-producing one for us all...
So, hubby has been bringing in soups and meals, and I've been eating comfort foods and the scale is up to 269...again. Crap.
I visited iHerb (love this site, my newest online discovery and addiction). I have ordered a bunch of powdered raw and green supplements from Healthforce Nutritionals (just got them a couple days ago) and Madre Labs (should arrive in a week or so).
The combo of whey protein, barley grass, acai/berry juice, and amazing grass has given me a bit of extra perk for working out, especially when I don't sleep well. So, I know that these things do work for me to some degree.
If you've used any of these superfoods or the MSM products with some good result (or no result or bad result), do let me know.
So, there it is and here I am, just plain NOT doing well due to an assortment of reasons mental and physiological and seasonal, but not giving up. Nope. Uh-uh. Hanging in there.
Hope this spanking fresh week we've been given to live is a fat-reducing, health-producing one for us all...
See it here, if you haven't already.
When I first heard about it while reading a blog post today, I thought, Ooh, lemme see, lemme see. Sounds great. After all, I'm the gal who has wanted to go to one of those weight loss program places since ages ago--like Green Mountain or Structure House or the Pritikin in Aventura (near to me, but just not affordable) or "insert name of cool resort for weight loss here". Since I was old enough to read VOGUE and other women's magazines and see gorgeous pics and recipes and articles touting the beauty/wellness benefits of these places, well, it's seemed right up there with my dream of going to Tuscany.
Sadly, when I was healthy enough to travel, I was poor. And when I had enough money to travel, I was too sickly and would get terribly ill at hotels, any hotel. (I went deaf after a three day stay in one, my chemical sensitivities went haywire. And it was not a cheapo hotel, either.)
So, of course, I hadda see TBL resort.
Er...not impressed.
I'm sure the results are great and, were I to win a trip there, I might even risk it, on the hope that it's fresh and new and maybe not too toxic on me.
But, er...I find it ugly. I find the scenery ugly and the buildings ugly and the rooms uninspiring. It strikes me as...well...institutional, not resorty. (Note: Zion Nat'l Park has lovely vistas, as I've seen in photos, but around the resort itself, it looks bare and stark and kinda lonely.)
If I'm gonna be away from my beloved hubbypoo and my family and my comforting belongings, I at least want beautiful scenery. I guess I'm too firmly in the "I like trees and flowers" catgory, being the daughter of a gardening-mad mom born in the mountain boonies of Cuba, having spent most of my life in the subtropics (though born in the Caribbean), and the owner of a yard chock full of hibiscus, bougainvillea, a really nifty pink flowering bush whose name I don't know but that makes me so happy, palm trees, a resilient gardenia that bursts into white fragrant blooms twice a year, assorted little "don't know what they are" bushes, and one humongous Royal Poinciana that burns with orange-red blossoms in June (and shadows my front yard, kinda killing my grass, but, oh, well). My mom used to plant anything she could in our yard when I was a teen/twenties--flowers, herbs, veggies, fruits.
I'm used to being surrounded by lots of green with punctuations of bright colors and white.
I'm just not a desert girl. Although Sedona always looks cool to me on television (maybe the color or something).
Now, put a resort near the Yosemite Nat'l Park--or just put it right in the Ahwahnee--or in the highlands of North Carolina or in the Pacific Northwest and I'd be okay. :D I's gotta see some green.
So, there it is. I really am not feeling the beauty of TBL's resort's aesthetic.
Anyone out there find it beautiful?
A couple years ago, for an extended period of time, I researched WLS--banding and bypass. I was heading toward the big FIVE OH with morbid obesity still dragging my body down.
Reading about complications scared me, but the clincher was this: regain.
I didn't want to risk my life and health (some people die from WLS, some develop serious infections, some get chronic problems like anemia and bone depletion and seizures, etc), and then find that the weight comes back eventually. Some regain is the norm--look at Carnie Wilson and Randy Jackson. I've seen it in IRL, a friend of the family who, once his pouch stretched a bit, gained back weight, though, happily, thankfully, not all. Even one of the most interesting of the WLS bloggers, Melting Mama, with all she's already suffered healthwise post-surgically, is having regain issues.
I think keeping even half of a huge loss off is a victory. So, I'm not gonna say that I think WLS doesn't help. Plenty of folks keep 1/4 or 1/3 or 1/2 or more of the original loss off. If you lose 100 pounds and keep off 50, that's still progress in my book.
Let me repeat: Even keeping off part of a significant loss is a type of triumph.
Let me clarify: I am not dissing any person who chose/is choosing WLS. Hey, I know just what goes on in the mind of the desperate obese. That's me.
However--and this is coming from my little corner of the world, a totally subjective offering--I couldn't help thinking I'd be the one who gains nearly all back in five or 7 years. Forget that. I'm too scared of anesthesia, infection, and chronic malnutrition issues (not to mention super-saggy skin and loss of hair, ah, vanity still pricks the soul). I don't want to get chopped up inside if I'm gonna be back at 275 or 300 lbs down the road.
Still, it's tempting. Whenever I read good reports about issues resolved by WLS (diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, cholesterol, joint pain), it's still somewhat tempting. When I read that some people lose their huge appetities, I sigh with envy. I want to stop being hungry and stop bingeing.
But I keep seeing regain stories and say, "Um, let me try diet and exercise yet again."
If WLS patients end up, a year or more down the road, still having to resort to diet and exercise, then why not just work on that from the start, I tell myself? I mean, if the appetite returns for some, if the weight regains for many, if the overeating desires do not resolve, and they have to be worked on in traditional methods anyway, then isn't that kinda ending up at the beginning?
Of course, I say again: If the surgery helps folks keep a percentage off permanently, then it's still an option.
How long before longterm studies of the masses having WLS gives us a clearer picture of the lifelong trajectory?
I started this blog after I nixed WLS for myself a couple years back. I have an online friend who got banding and lost 100 lbs. She has kept most of it off, as far as I know. I don't ask, though I know she plateaued and got frustrated. Still, being closer to 200 than over 300 is great. Who wouldn't want that? (I just don't want to mess with my esophagus as I already have GERD and asthma which is exacerbated by acids). There's regain with banding, too,unless you plan to keep the band forever. I suspect as years go on, we'll find out people can't keep the band on forever, or erosion becomes a serious health issue. (I would worry about cancer, too, as repeated acid refluxing and erosion may cause those cells in the esophagus to go wonky.)
See, I worry too much about surgery. I even almost backed out of LASIK in 2007, making the doctor say, "Well, you'd be the 2nd person whose left while on the threshold." I almost did leave. And shoot, that wasn't even my insides.
I keep the option open, though, and hope that science refines things and maybe comes up with a chemical cure that is not worse than the condition. Yes, I dream for the pill that solves the appetite issue. I'd rather avoid the scalpel.
If you had WLS several years ago, how's it going? Regain? Success? No chronic issues? Disappointment? Regret? Strategies?
Considering it, like I did, and, like me, did you get scared, skeptical, worried?
Let me know.
I've been sick for 3 weeks and one day. This swine flu is fiendish. But I can sleep nearly normally now and the lung goop and coughing is minimal. My energy level is pretty low--I had trouble reading the paper earlier in the week, cause keeping my arms up was exhausting. Amazing, huh?
Anyway, I may be able to return to my Pilates next Wednesday (have an appt). I've gone without for three weeks, and I can fear reverting to mush. :P I had missed some appts in Sept due to asthma. So, this season has been rough on me, my respiratory system, and my exercise regimen.
Eating a lot of restaurant takeaway crap for almost 3 weeks means I gained weight (yeah, others lose when they're sick, I gain. Comfort food a la Princess is really fatty.) I got up to 276.8 (maybe higher, but that was when I remembered to weigh in). Today I was at 273.6. So, a few days of eating fruits and veggies and lean protein again helped oodles.
I have been in the low seventies for ages, so I feel stuck. But with a glimmer of returning mojo, I hope to make progress.
To that end, I revamped my Diet Blog Royalty list. Blogs that were moribund or just no longer inspirational got removed. New blogs--quite a few--have been added. Scroll down on the left sidebar and see what's new.
I hope y'all do not get this flu. Sucks hard. Granted, I have chronic conditions (respiratory and immune) that means I am at higher risk and recover more slowly, but still, I had the luxury of being prepared (my doc made sure I had my Rx's just in case), a hubby who took days off during the worst of it to make sure I didn't asphyxiate on my own lung goo, and who made sure I had plenty of food and juice and water, and who regularly swapped out my puke/spit bags. I could wholly concentrate on recovering and didn't have to freak too much about several sleepless days in a row cause I simply would not stop coughing/spitting up/struggling to breathe. So, I thank God for provisions, a great hubby with a flexible schedule in these rough times, and for being past the worst.
Be well and lose weight and get fit. I want that for me and for all of you.
Anyway, I may be able to return to my Pilates next Wednesday (have an appt). I've gone without for three weeks, and I can fear reverting to mush. :P I had missed some appts in Sept due to asthma. So, this season has been rough on me, my respiratory system, and my exercise regimen.
Eating a lot of restaurant takeaway crap for almost 3 weeks means I gained weight (yeah, others lose when they're sick, I gain. Comfort food a la Princess is really fatty.) I got up to 276.8 (maybe higher, but that was when I remembered to weigh in). Today I was at 273.6. So, a few days of eating fruits and veggies and lean protein again helped oodles.
I have been in the low seventies for ages, so I feel stuck. But with a glimmer of returning mojo, I hope to make progress.
To that end, I revamped my Diet Blog Royalty list. Blogs that were moribund or just no longer inspirational got removed. New blogs--quite a few--have been added. Scroll down on the left sidebar and see what's new.
I hope y'all do not get this flu. Sucks hard. Granted, I have chronic conditions (respiratory and immune) that means I am at higher risk and recover more slowly, but still, I had the luxury of being prepared (my doc made sure I had my Rx's just in case), a hubby who took days off during the worst of it to make sure I didn't asphyxiate on my own lung goo, and who made sure I had plenty of food and juice and water, and who regularly swapped out my puke/spit bags. I could wholly concentrate on recovering and didn't have to freak too much about several sleepless days in a row cause I simply would not stop coughing/spitting up/struggling to breathe. So, I thank God for provisions, a great hubby with a flexible schedule in these rough times, and for being past the worst.
Be well and lose weight and get fit. I want that for me and for all of you.
Man, this is scary stuff. If risk of stroke and heart disease and diabetes were all not enough, add the increased risk of cancer to the worries of the obese--like moi.
Yeah, read it and weep:
I go in for an endometrial biopsy in three weeks. I think this finding will be weighing on my mind until I get those results.
And for a while after.
It may be what I needed to make a good choice for supper tonight, too.
Have a healthful weekend, folks!
Yeah, read it and weep:
A new report released yesterday by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research states that most cancers are preventable.Full post on the study is at Dr. Sharma's blog.Poor diet, lack of exercise, obesity and smoking account for the vast majority of cancers; the role of genetic factors is by far overrated.
Indeed, the dramatic impact of obesity on cancer is now increasingly appreciated – one in three cancers may be caused by obesity (or as a result of lifestyle factors that promote obesity). It is therefore perhaps not surprising, that large prospective studies have shown an almost 60% reduction in deaths from cancer with bariatric surgery.
I go in for an endometrial biopsy in three weeks. I think this finding will be weighing on my mind until I get those results.
And for a while after.
It may be what I needed to make a good choice for supper tonight, too.
Have a healthful weekend, folks!
I updated my weigh-in at left, sidebar, and it's not good news.
The lethargy continues. I did see my new endocrinologist on Tuesday, and I need to get to the lab for the blood test. I'm still feeling muffled, damped down, apathetic, though I'm self-talking like mad, trying to get my spirit revved up. And on top of all that, I gotta get my uterus biopsied after getting ultrasound results. Lovely. It's been the year of the medical appointments. Four so far with three docs.
But seeing the increase on the scale is always that little shock to the system, and it doesn't help the mood. I want to feel angry enough to get the mojo back, but all I feel is defeated. I won't wallow too long, but it's the emotion of the moment.
As if I didn't already know, I read an article today, which says what a lot of us already know by trial and error--it's the calories. The rest plays an assisting role--exercise, group support, journals, green tea, supplements--but it's all about the calories. Whether it's via self-control and strategy and planning, or via gastric bypass or via gastric banding or via stomach stapling or via diet pills: The reason people lose the weight is cause they EAT FEWER CALORIES.
The benefit of surgical/medical intervention is that it offers an escape from hunger. Doing it the old-fashioned, low-tech way means you really do have to learn to live with some or a lot of hunger, which, frankly, sucks monkey butt.
Here's an excerpt from "It's Not What You Eat, It's How Much," but you might wanna read the whole thing over at ABC News:
So, off to see how well I manage the hunger and food choices today. I'm telling myself to be good, to nurture the optimism, to find my inner warrior.
My inner warrior now needs to get my outer wimp over to the kitchen, where a whole papaya sits on the counter, waiting to be prepped for breakfast--yeah, breakfast. I woke up today at 12:30 and I've moped around feeling like I didn't sleep at all. Lack of energy sucks monkey butt, too.
I want to have eggs and toast and papaya and coffee. I have a mango I can have with lunch, which will probably be a light soup (I took the cans out of the pantry last night and put them on the counter, so I wouldn't ignore them.) A tiny bit of conscious effort to remedy the sad upward course of my weight since late last year.
I could do so much better, I know, if I didn't feel this pressing lethargy. I feel like I'm walking through concrete, like my face is this flat, expressionless mask. I wish I could give up feeling sucky for Lent.
Now, off to get this day going. With some hope, some prayer, and a papaya. :)
Have a great Thursday.
The lethargy continues. I did see my new endocrinologist on Tuesday, and I need to get to the lab for the blood test. I'm still feeling muffled, damped down, apathetic, though I'm self-talking like mad, trying to get my spirit revved up. And on top of all that, I gotta get my uterus biopsied after getting ultrasound results. Lovely. It's been the year of the medical appointments. Four so far with three docs.
But seeing the increase on the scale is always that little shock to the system, and it doesn't help the mood. I want to feel angry enough to get the mojo back, but all I feel is defeated. I won't wallow too long, but it's the emotion of the moment.
As if I didn't already know, I read an article today, which says what a lot of us already know by trial and error--it's the calories. The rest plays an assisting role--exercise, group support, journals, green tea, supplements--but it's all about the calories. Whether it's via self-control and strategy and planning, or via gastric bypass or via gastric banding or via stomach stapling or via diet pills: The reason people lose the weight is cause they EAT FEWER CALORIES.
The benefit of surgical/medical intervention is that it offers an escape from hunger. Doing it the old-fashioned, low-tech way means you really do have to learn to live with some or a lot of hunger, which, frankly, sucks monkey butt.
Here's an excerpt from "It's Not What You Eat, It's How Much," but you might wanna read the whole thing over at ABC News:
In terms of dieting, community support can be critical but choosing a plan is up to an individual, and the hardest part of losing weight may be accepting the hunger factor.
Past studies have shown that calorie restriction is the biggest determining factor for successful weight loss, even greater than exercise.
"There are those with unrelenting optimism, who think [dieting] is going to get easier," said Marlene Schwartz, deputy director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. "But if you are eating fewer calories than you are burning, you are going to be hungry."
But the study's findings encourage experimentation, Sacks said, and the flexibility to find the best balance of calorie restriction and satisfaction for individuals.
"The hardest thing, having been born and raised in America, [was that] I thought I was entitled to eat as much as I wanted whenever I wanted and I would stay the same weight," Termini said. "But you can't do that. And it's not healthy."
So, off to see how well I manage the hunger and food choices today. I'm telling myself to be good, to nurture the optimism, to find my inner warrior.
My inner warrior now needs to get my outer wimp over to the kitchen, where a whole papaya sits on the counter, waiting to be prepped for breakfast--yeah, breakfast. I woke up today at 12:30 and I've moped around feeling like I didn't sleep at all. Lack of energy sucks monkey butt, too.
I want to have eggs and toast and papaya and coffee. I have a mango I can have with lunch, which will probably be a light soup (I took the cans out of the pantry last night and put them on the counter, so I wouldn't ignore them.) A tiny bit of conscious effort to remedy the sad upward course of my weight since late last year.
I could do so much better, I know, if I didn't feel this pressing lethargy. I feel like I'm walking through concrete, like my face is this flat, expressionless mask. I wish I could give up feeling sucky for Lent.
Now, off to get this day going. With some hope, some prayer, and a papaya. :)
Have a great Thursday.
Well, something is off in my body.
I'm glad I have an appointment with the endocrinologist in 3 weeks, just in case it's that. But who knows. When one has multiple chronic issues, it can be an assortment of causes for fatigue.
And I've been really fatigued. I've been sleeping between 12 and 14 hours. I haven't washed my hair in 8 days cause blow-drying it feels beyond me. Always a sign that, whether a temporary hitch in the chemicals or time for a reassessment of meds, something's up. Or down. I normally don't have dark circles under my eyes (ie, no more than normal coloration), but I look ashen and my circles are purpley-grey. I have no pep.
I feel like it's work to keep myself upright.
I had promised my trainer I'd do at least 10 minutes of aerobic activity per week. I totally never got into it last week. I decided to push myself through the 10 minutes before today's session. I put on my heart monitor (to make sure I was in range) and I just marched/walked in place until I could keep my heart in the 130's bpm.
It's pathetic that it took so much self-talk and mental prep to do TEN FRICKEN MINUTES of THR aerobic activity.
But, fine, it's done.
In a couple hours, I have my Pilates. And it's been hard getting through that since I got sick. I just have to push mentally and physically. I so want to get the vim and joy back, ya know?
Because I felt so lethargic, no, I didn't do my shopping or my cooking. I did make better choices for dinner and lunch a couple times, less ideal others. In the end, though, even with two binge days last week (Wednesday and Thursday, and yes, it was BAD), I ended up being able to change the weight stat and finally be lower again than January 1. (I had been running HIGHER than my year-start weight.)
I so envy people who have lovely energy and good health and wake up feeling that revving engine. I'm sputtering. Hate that.
Whether it's the Metabolic Syndrome, the hormonal issues of middle-age, the Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, or something else, it truly sucks feeling tired all the time and having no interest in enjoying the beautiful Miami winter weather. Sucks.
But, one hour at a time. I made it through the 10 minutes of marching, I'll make it through Pilates, and, with enough mental rah-rahing, I may make it to the grocery store before I doze off.
Hope liveth in my pooped body.
~
I'm glad I have an appointment with the endocrinologist in 3 weeks, just in case it's that. But who knows. When one has multiple chronic issues, it can be an assortment of causes for fatigue.
And I've been really fatigued. I've been sleeping between 12 and 14 hours. I haven't washed my hair in 8 days cause blow-drying it feels beyond me. Always a sign that, whether a temporary hitch in the chemicals or time for a reassessment of meds, something's up. Or down. I normally don't have dark circles under my eyes (ie, no more than normal coloration), but I look ashen and my circles are purpley-grey. I have no pep.
I feel like it's work to keep myself upright.
I had promised my trainer I'd do at least 10 minutes of aerobic activity per week. I totally never got into it last week. I decided to push myself through the 10 minutes before today's session. I put on my heart monitor (to make sure I was in range) and I just marched/walked in place until I could keep my heart in the 130's bpm.
It's pathetic that it took so much self-talk and mental prep to do TEN FRICKEN MINUTES of THR aerobic activity.
But, fine, it's done.
In a couple hours, I have my Pilates. And it's been hard getting through that since I got sick. I just have to push mentally and physically. I so want to get the vim and joy back, ya know?
Because I felt so lethargic, no, I didn't do my shopping or my cooking. I did make better choices for dinner and lunch a couple times, less ideal others. In the end, though, even with two binge days last week (Wednesday and Thursday, and yes, it was BAD), I ended up being able to change the weight stat and finally be lower again than January 1. (I had been running HIGHER than my year-start weight.)
I so envy people who have lovely energy and good health and wake up feeling that revving engine. I'm sputtering. Hate that.
Whether it's the Metabolic Syndrome, the hormonal issues of middle-age, the Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, or something else, it truly sucks feeling tired all the time and having no interest in enjoying the beautiful Miami winter weather. Sucks.
But, one hour at a time. I made it through the 10 minutes of marching, I'll make it through Pilates, and, with enough mental rah-rahing, I may make it to the grocery store before I doze off.
Hope liveth in my pooped body.
~
If you are obese, your risk of diabetes is not insignificant. Right now, the epidemic of obesity and the crazy rise of type II diabetes go hand in hand. Has your doc told you you have insulin resistance or Metabolic Syndrome (previously known as Syndrome X)? Then you're at risk for diabetes. Is your BMI through the roof? Yep, you might get diabetes. If it runs in your family (and your family runs large, to boot), watch out.
But you can take one very non-time-consuming step--or steps--to improve the odds you DO NOT get this nasty disease.
Got three minutes?
I gotta say, almost no one has an excuse for not exercising THREE INTENSE MINUTES every or every other day. None. Not one. I don't care how busy we claim to be, we can find 3 minutes a day. If you can't, you're just lazy. If I can't, I'm just a layabout sloth-monkey.
It's the truth. Everyone has there minutes. EVERYONE. If the busiest man in the country (President Obama) can find time to exercise, the rest of us got no excuse not to for at least a few minutes a day.
Come on. Who're you kidding if you say no? Yourself. Only you.
So, why do I keep saying THREE MINUTES?
Here's why:
As little as three minutes of high-intensity exercise every other day may help sedentary people ward off diabetes, results of a small clinical study suggested.--from the article "Brief But Intense Exercise May Thwart Diabetes" (Do read the whole article for context.)
Two weeks of brief episodes of high-intensity training led to significant (P<0.01 to P<0.001) improvement in multiple parameters of blood glucose and insulin action in healthy volunteers, James A. Timmons, of Heriot-Watt University here, and colleagues reported online in BMC Endocrine Disorders.
The six training sessions lasted a total of 15 minutes.
"The efficacy of a high-intensity exercise protocol, involving only about 250 kcal of work each week, to substantially improve insulin action in young sedentary subjects is remarkable," the authors concluded.
"This novel time-efficient training paradigm can be used as a strategy to reduce metabolic risk factors in young and middle-aged sedentary populations who otherwise would not adhere to time-consuming traditional aerobic exercise regimes," they said.
Here is how the exercise was structured, from a different article, emphases mine:
.
Timmons and his team showed that just seven minutes of exercise each week helped a group of 16 men in their early twenties control their insulin.
The volunteers, who were relatively out of shape but otherwise healthy, rode an exercise bike four times daily in 30 second spurts two days a week.
After two weeks, the young men had a 23 percent improvement in how effectively their body used insulin to clear glucose, or blood sugar, from the blood stream, Timmons said.
The effect appears to last up to 10 days after the last round of exercise, he added in a telephone interview
In the study, the interval training at that intensive level was supervised. But what it proves is that in a very short time, two weeks, people improved their sensitivity to insulin. If they can do that in two weeks with about 15 minutes TOTAL of exercise in those fourteen days, what can you do with 15 minutes of vigorous exercise daily, or thirty, even when broken down into spurts of minutes? Say, five in the morning, five in the afternoon, five at night. Or ten, ten, ten?
Think about it. Wow.
If it seems overwhelming to start being active, then take heart from this study--and start with THREE MINUTES a couple times a week. Try every other day, if daily makes you wary. Start there. Work really hard (if it's intensive, we're probably talking in the upper range of your target heart rate, not just slightly breathing hard. We're talking breathing really hard!) Get your heart rate on an online calculater (read up on it and figure your best range for your age and resting rate). Try this one or this one.
You really need to learn your THR, so you know when you're up in a zone that's "intensive" and aerobic.
Anyway, consider this new study a clarion call to activity if you've been sedentary and are a overweight/obese/superobese. NOTE: Talk to you doctor FIRST, ALWAYS, to make sure you're okay to start an exercise regimen, especially if you already have some condition. That's very important. Get the A-Okay.
But even before you get the A-okay, start learning what you need to ONLINE, so that when the doc says "Go!" you really can GO. :)
Happy (active) Wednesday!
~
~
I hadn't had a period since August of last year. So, I made an appt for my first gyno exam in YEARS--I know, my bad--for next Tuesday.
Guess what?
Yah. My errant period decided it wanted to come...yesterday. With major killer cramps. It was like being 17 all over again, back when each month brought is day or two of weeping and taking painkillers and lying in the dark with a heating pad. With the occasional rush to the bathroom for all the Number Twos that those cramps push out.
Even my husband got spooked from all my moaning, and tried to comfort me, only to have me holler at him, "I NEED ALLEVE! NOW!!!"
He had to go out at 9 PM last night to CVS and buy some. Why? I'm not someone prone to bad enough pains to warrant keeping track of analgesics. The lone bottle of Tylenol had expired in 2006 and the Motrin I got after dental surgery a couple years ago was nowhere to be found.
I am now the owner of a bottle of Motrin, a big one of Alleve, and one of Tylenol. I'm set for next month or whenever Aunt Flo wants to come be a fricken b*&^% again.
So, lovely. I'm about to head to Pilates with a squishy uterus and a sore abdomen (both from Monday's workout, which was a toughie, and from all that cramping). But I am going. I missed too many workouts those weeks I was ill, and if we have to work around my ouchie ladybits, so be it.
Now, to a happier subject: The organic foods delivery service that I was using last year--and that got hit with economic woes and shut down--well, the lady who ran that is starting up an organic food co-op. A box of 35 pounds of fresh, organic produce will be about $45. I decided to sign up. While I prefer choosing what I get (instead of a "surprise"), and while I miss the convenience of having my groceries brought to me, this is an option that at least makes sure I get a certain amount of really good quality organic fruits and veggies. I did much better in my eating when I had the organic groceries delivered. This is one step to getting back to that.
I'm also committed to trying more of the farmer's markets around town. Josh's in Hollywood was great, but they are a Sunday market, and Sundays are tough when there's church and family stuff. Saturdays suit me better. I have a few I can check out.
Anyone have experience with a CSA or an organic food co-op? How about in South Florida?
Let me know how it went or how it goes. :)
Guess what?
Yah. My errant period decided it wanted to come...yesterday. With major killer cramps. It was like being 17 all over again, back when each month brought is day or two of weeping and taking painkillers and lying in the dark with a heating pad. With the occasional rush to the bathroom for all the Number Twos that those cramps push out.
Even my husband got spooked from all my moaning, and tried to comfort me, only to have me holler at him, "I NEED ALLEVE! NOW!!!"
He had to go out at 9 PM last night to CVS and buy some. Why? I'm not someone prone to bad enough pains to warrant keeping track of analgesics. The lone bottle of Tylenol had expired in 2006 and the Motrin I got after dental surgery a couple years ago was nowhere to be found.
I am now the owner of a bottle of Motrin, a big one of Alleve, and one of Tylenol. I'm set for next month or whenever Aunt Flo wants to come be a fricken b*&^% again.
So, lovely. I'm about to head to Pilates with a squishy uterus and a sore abdomen (both from Monday's workout, which was a toughie, and from all that cramping). But I am going. I missed too many workouts those weeks I was ill, and if we have to work around my ouchie ladybits, so be it.
Now, to a happier subject: The organic foods delivery service that I was using last year--and that got hit with economic woes and shut down--well, the lady who ran that is starting up an organic food co-op. A box of 35 pounds of fresh, organic produce will be about $45. I decided to sign up. While I prefer choosing what I get (instead of a "surprise"), and while I miss the convenience of having my groceries brought to me, this is an option that at least makes sure I get a certain amount of really good quality organic fruits and veggies. I did much better in my eating when I had the organic groceries delivered. This is one step to getting back to that.I'm also committed to trying more of the farmer's markets around town. Josh's in Hollywood was great, but they are a Sunday market, and Sundays are tough when there's church and family stuff. Saturdays suit me better. I have a few I can check out.
Anyone have experience with a CSA or an organic food co-op? How about in South Florida?
Let me know how it went or how it goes. :)
While I totally believe that stress screws your body and mind up, and destressing and learning to do things that involve quietness and meditation are healthful (they prove so to me), I can't get too excited about that study recently reported all over the diet world online. You may have heard about it, the one that says that destressing with meditation and Yoga and such is better for weight loss than diet and exercise.
The destressors kept off the five pound weight loss for two years, while the nutrition info and the diet/exercise groups didn't lose or keep off.
When you're big like me and five pounds barely registers, this is not big news. If the women in the study had lost and kept off 25+ pounds (just with destressing), I might perk up.
But I've struggled to keep off 25 lbs. I had lost 29, then regained, then lost, then regained a bit, then lost. After my last bout with asthma (3.5 weeks of ickiness), I'm up again. For me, 25 pounds is an ongoing battleground. Makes me nuts. So, excuse me if a five pound loss after two years doesn't make me go yippee for Yoga.
Five pounds. This is gonna solve the obesity epidemic? I think not.
I still think that it's a holistic thing that's gonna get us there--ie, dealing with sedentary habits and moving into movement; dealing with excess calories and outsized portions and learning to eat less; cutting down or out the junk and non-nutritive foods and snacks and focusing on whole and clean foods; working with internal/emotional issues and learning how to tap into the self-control we all have to some extent; tapping into our spiritual power (if we believe in such); creating support systems in and even beyond our family/friendship circles; committing to a lifestyle change that is lifelong; changing the societal landscape so that it is fashioned and structured to support healthful living; encouraging employers to make room for exercise at work and offer healthful snacks instead of junk on the jobsites; incorporating stress management techniques; eliminating all junk from schools; adding penalty taxes to junk foods and using that money to offset health care costs for obesity; tax deductions for gym memberships and buying at-home health gear (bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, etc); making health a top family and personal priority for life.
Destressing, as you see, imo is part of that holistic approach. But without diet and exercise and support, etc, I'm sorry, the very overweight and obese and superobese can't be satisfied with losing five pounds doing yoga. That's not gonna cut it.
So, I'll take the study for what it's worth. Yes, I'll continue to incorporate mind-body/destressing times and activities into my life. But that will not solve my obesity problem--or the nation's. Or the world's. Life is stressful, no matter what we do. Destressing helps, but when you'r mom is dying or your husband leaves you or your kid gets a major illness, or your car is totalled or your country is at war or your house is foreclosed on or someone robs you at gunpoint or a hurricane is coming--stress is hard to eradicate. I think the researchers who de-emphasize or pooh-pooh (or seem to) the role of diet and exercise ain't helping us as much as they might think.
They probably just make us worry about destressing enough. :)
The destressors kept off the five pound weight loss for two years, while the nutrition info and the diet/exercise groups didn't lose or keep off.
When you're big like me and five pounds barely registers, this is not big news. If the women in the study had lost and kept off 25+ pounds (just with destressing), I might perk up.
But I've struggled to keep off 25 lbs. I had lost 29, then regained, then lost, then regained a bit, then lost. After my last bout with asthma (3.5 weeks of ickiness), I'm up again. For me, 25 pounds is an ongoing battleground. Makes me nuts. So, excuse me if a five pound loss after two years doesn't make me go yippee for Yoga.
Five pounds. This is gonna solve the obesity epidemic? I think not.
I still think that it's a holistic thing that's gonna get us there--ie, dealing with sedentary habits and moving into movement; dealing with excess calories and outsized portions and learning to eat less; cutting down or out the junk and non-nutritive foods and snacks and focusing on whole and clean foods; working with internal/emotional issues and learning how to tap into the self-control we all have to some extent; tapping into our spiritual power (if we believe in such); creating support systems in and even beyond our family/friendship circles; committing to a lifestyle change that is lifelong; changing the societal landscape so that it is fashioned and structured to support healthful living; encouraging employers to make room for exercise at work and offer healthful snacks instead of junk on the jobsites; incorporating stress management techniques; eliminating all junk from schools; adding penalty taxes to junk foods and using that money to offset health care costs for obesity; tax deductions for gym memberships and buying at-home health gear (bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, etc); making health a top family and personal priority for life.
Destressing, as you see, imo is part of that holistic approach. But without diet and exercise and support, etc, I'm sorry, the very overweight and obese and superobese can't be satisfied with losing five pounds doing yoga. That's not gonna cut it.
So, I'll take the study for what it's worth. Yes, I'll continue to incorporate mind-body/destressing times and activities into my life. But that will not solve my obesity problem--or the nation's. Or the world's. Life is stressful, no matter what we do. Destressing helps, but when you'r mom is dying or your husband leaves you or your kid gets a major illness, or your car is totalled or your country is at war or your house is foreclosed on or someone robs you at gunpoint or a hurricane is coming--stress is hard to eradicate. I think the researchers who de-emphasize or pooh-pooh (or seem to) the role of diet and exercise ain't helping us as much as they might think.
They probably just make us worry about destressing enough. :)
Sorry, y'all. I am trying hard here to face up to and battle another slide into the blue. Ironically, it was one year ago this month that I came out of a roughly 5 year long depression. I couldn't believe how good it felt to feel normal. It made it possible for me to start Pilates with some vim and hope.
This month, I'm feeling that flatness come again. Damn.
My head feels like it's full of fog, my joy has taken a dive, and I find it hard to do simple grooming. (I didn't wash my hair for 8 days just cause the prospect of blow-drying it was daunting.) Perhaps the weeks of allergies and asthma are the cause, and it's not really so much a clinical depression looming, but just my body stressed by illness. Could be. I hope. That means I'll return to normal soon.
I have no desire to do anything, not even blog, to be honest. I just want to go sleep--which is not good.
So, I went by the pool that's a block away to find out about water aerobics, hoping that adding more exercise (though I don't wanna) will help with the mood thing. Of course, it was closed. Holiday. Stupid me. :-/
Maybe I'll drop by tomorrow. I don't want to just sink into another dark epoch. Had enough of that.
But really, just typing this is making me feel tired.
Sucks.
This month, I'm feeling that flatness come again. Damn.
My head feels like it's full of fog, my joy has taken a dive, and I find it hard to do simple grooming. (I didn't wash my hair for 8 days just cause the prospect of blow-drying it was daunting.) Perhaps the weeks of allergies and asthma are the cause, and it's not really so much a clinical depression looming, but just my body stressed by illness. Could be. I hope. That means I'll return to normal soon.
I have no desire to do anything, not even blog, to be honest. I just want to go sleep--which is not good.
So, I went by the pool that's a block away to find out about water aerobics, hoping that adding more exercise (though I don't wanna) will help with the mood thing. Of course, it was closed. Holiday. Stupid me. :-/
Maybe I'll drop by tomorrow. I don't want to just sink into another dark epoch. Had enough of that.
But really, just typing this is making me feel tired.
Sucks.
I only slept about 4 hours total last night--broken into 2 hours and 1.75 hours, with a restless break in-between when I read and stretched.
And I had to go to the doc. I am waiting for EIGHT prescriptions to be filled--and that's not all the prescriptions she gave me, just the ones I need now. One of my meds got switched for another.
I don't even know if I'm making sense. Heh.
:::slaps face to wake up:::
The cold front moved in (rain yesterday, glorious day today), so driving was nice in the lovely sunshine and cool air. My hair looks great with the low humidity--shiny and no frizz. Better yet, the change eased my breathing a bit. I'll take it. I did have to wear a mask from the house to the car, as The Door Guy is here fixing our broken front door. The paint smell, I don't need. I'm staying away from the yard and front areas.
My Pilates instructor has been so encouraging, despite me missing 3 weeks already. She said once I'm breathing okay and back at it, I'll regain strength fast. I choose to believe this. :) It keeps me hopeful.
Oh, and I ate too much Chinese at lunch. This is what comes of eating a too tiny breakfast (200 cals/4 points) out of fear of busting the scale at the doc's office. (I knew I'd weigh in heavier due to not sleeping enough--always happens.) I usually don't eat before I go to see my doc, but I was hungry. That'll teach me to go too long on too little fuel. Temptation is harder to fight.
But I'm gonna have my protein shake and fruit for a light supper and go to BED!!!!!!!!!! SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!! SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
Sleep is such a gorgeous, gorgeous thing.
So, until tomorrow, I wish you all a lovely "what's left of Thursday"... :)
~~~
PS: I keep getting this box asking for user and password as requested by Twitter.com. Anyone else getting that on Blogger. It's annoying. I removed my twitter widget.
And I had to go to the doc. I am waiting for EIGHT prescriptions to be filled--and that's not all the prescriptions she gave me, just the ones I need now. One of my meds got switched for another.
I don't even know if I'm making sense. Heh.
:::slaps face to wake up:::
The cold front moved in (rain yesterday, glorious day today), so driving was nice in the lovely sunshine and cool air. My hair looks great with the low humidity--shiny and no frizz. Better yet, the change eased my breathing a bit. I'll take it. I did have to wear a mask from the house to the car, as The Door Guy is here fixing our broken front door. The paint smell, I don't need. I'm staying away from the yard and front areas.
My Pilates instructor has been so encouraging, despite me missing 3 weeks already. She said once I'm breathing okay and back at it, I'll regain strength fast. I choose to believe this. :) It keeps me hopeful.
Oh, and I ate too much Chinese at lunch. This is what comes of eating a too tiny breakfast (200 cals/4 points) out of fear of busting the scale at the doc's office. (I knew I'd weigh in heavier due to not sleeping enough--always happens.) I usually don't eat before I go to see my doc, but I was hungry. That'll teach me to go too long on too little fuel. Temptation is harder to fight.
But I'm gonna have my protein shake and fruit for a light supper and go to BED!!!!!!!!!! SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!! SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
Sleep is such a gorgeous, gorgeous thing.
So, until tomorrow, I wish you all a lovely "what's left of Thursday"... :)
~~~
PS: I keep getting this box asking for user and password as requested by Twitter.com. Anyone else getting that on Blogger. It's annoying. I removed my twitter widget.
My first day using my eTools Points Tracker. There's an activity tracker, but my activities today have pretty much been drinking water, doing nebulizer treatments of albuterol, making healthful meals, and watching tv/reading/peeing from all that water. And blogging. Lots of that.
It's sorta fun. Maybe in a week, it will seem like a drag. But for now...a toy!
I put in all my food, and I've had 19 points so far (which is like 950 cals). I had two moments today when I almost gave in to bad food--a wild 7 minutes of pizza craving, where I finally said NO enough times to mean it; and another wild moment when I almost called to have Chinese food delivered, and I don't mean steamed chicken and veggies, neigther. That "no" stuck, too.
So, I have a grilled balsamic chicken on an endive and watercress salad as the plan for dinner. I have 12 points left according to my tracker; though I will allow myself more, as 31 points can leave me hungry a lot of days, nuts hungry. 31 pts = about 1550 cals. I have no guilt issue with going up to 1800 or 1900. I just don't wanna go over 2000, really. If I can keep it to 1800 (36 pts), I'd be pleased as many fruit punches.
If you don't like doing WW in real life, try the online one. The tools are cool.
Anyway, my meals thus far:
Bkfst: I made my fave Easy Cheesy Eggie Veggies that I mentioned in a post earlier this week, but I put them in sprouted corn tortillas (organic) and added a bit of fire-roasted salsa on top. YUM! And only 7.5 points total, including a half cup of cranberry juice cocktail (those mini containers like in hospitals) that I had leftover from some Diet-To-Go meal from a few months back. Lots of water. Coffee. (I drink it not just for taste, but for the asthma benefits.) I saved part of the eggie veggies for a proteinish snack, but I never got hungry enough for one. Might just heat it up for tomorrow's brekky.
Lunch: A double-Gardenburger on Ezekiel bread sandwich with 2 slices of 2% cheddar. I had half of one of those glorious organic grapefruits I got Sunday at the farmer's market. Man, never had such yummy grapefruit. or at least, it feels that way in my mouth. :D Lots of water. Coffee. An ounce of tart cherry concentrate mixed with water (mmmm, nice and anti-inflammatory).
So far, not feeling ravenous. I am peckish now. It's clearly dinnertime. But I'm waiting on hubby.
Tomorrow, I see my doc (need more meds and an Rx for a mammo, for which I'm a tad overdue). And after my appointment, I plan to zip by the Fresh Market or, if I don't mind driving a bit farther (depending how the breathing goes and I feel) Whole Foods to replenish some of the veggies/fruits I ate up (zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, papaya, berries) and buy some chicken breasts and sliced cheese. Also need some egg whites.
Hope your Wednesday was healthful and happy. Toodles.
~~
It's sorta fun. Maybe in a week, it will seem like a drag. But for now...a toy!
I put in all my food, and I've had 19 points so far (which is like 950 cals). I had two moments today when I almost gave in to bad food--a wild 7 minutes of pizza craving, where I finally said NO enough times to mean it; and another wild moment when I almost called to have Chinese food delivered, and I don't mean steamed chicken and veggies, neigther. That "no" stuck, too.
So, I have a grilled balsamic chicken on an endive and watercress salad as the plan for dinner. I have 12 points left according to my tracker; though I will allow myself more, as 31 points can leave me hungry a lot of days, nuts hungry. 31 pts = about 1550 cals. I have no guilt issue with going up to 1800 or 1900. I just don't wanna go over 2000, really. If I can keep it to 1800 (36 pts), I'd be pleased as many fruit punches.
If you don't like doing WW in real life, try the online one. The tools are cool.
Anyway, my meals thus far:
Bkfst: I made my fave Easy Cheesy Eggie Veggies that I mentioned in a post earlier this week, but I put them in sprouted corn tortillas (organic) and added a bit of fire-roasted salsa on top. YUM! And only 7.5 points total, including a half cup of cranberry juice cocktail (those mini containers like in hospitals) that I had leftover from some Diet-To-Go meal from a few months back. Lots of water. Coffee. (I drink it not just for taste, but for the asthma benefits.) I saved part of the eggie veggies for a proteinish snack, but I never got hungry enough for one. Might just heat it up for tomorrow's brekky.
Lunch: A double-Gardenburger on Ezekiel bread sandwich with 2 slices of 2% cheddar. I had half of one of those glorious organic grapefruits I got Sunday at the farmer's market. Man, never had such yummy grapefruit. or at least, it feels that way in my mouth. :D Lots of water. Coffee. An ounce of tart cherry concentrate mixed with water (mmmm, nice and anti-inflammatory).
So far, not feeling ravenous. I am peckish now. It's clearly dinnertime. But I'm waiting on hubby.
Tomorrow, I see my doc (need more meds and an Rx for a mammo, for which I'm a tad overdue). And after my appointment, I plan to zip by the Fresh Market or, if I don't mind driving a bit farther (depending how the breathing goes and I feel) Whole Foods to replenish some of the veggies/fruits I ate up (zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, papaya, berries) and buy some chicken breasts and sliced cheese. Also need some egg whites.
Hope your Wednesday was healthful and happy. Toodles.
~~
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