Herbal Life Reviews: weight loss

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....

MILESTONE: Lost 40 Pounds, finally!

Okay, I thought yesterday was Sunday. hahahahha. I got ahead of myself with the SUMMER SLIMMIN' CHALLENGE check-in.

But that's fine. At least I did check in.

Today, I hit a milestone I've been so looking forward to. I've lost 40 pounds. Yay.

I weighed in at 258.6.

So, 40.4 pounds to be exact.

The extra protein is totally helping.

Today, hubby wanted a burrito, so we did a LIME takeout. I was afraid I'd do my bingey thing like I usually do with Italian or Mexican (my two major bingey fave cuisines). Nope. I ate a good amount of the lower carb South Beach beef burrito I ordered. But I didn't finish it. This is a RARE occurrence, having leftover burrito. Me loves burrito!!!

I left about 1/4th, which I wrapped for a leftover snack. I didn't finish the guacamole (I usually do) or the salsa (I usually do) and I didn't have a single tortilla chip. I had a few mouthfuls of refried beans, and have plenty for high fiber snacking.

Really happy I didn't go nuts.

Hoping my last two SS Challenge weigh-ins are satisfying ones.

This is a new week. Let's be very good to our bodies....

Summer Slimmin' Check-in Week 7: Damage Repaired, Momentum Back

Whew. Adding extra protein mini-meals worked. the 4 pounds I had regained during the "Carb-Wild Week of Family Festivities and Pizza Pig-Out" are bye-bye:

259.6

I wasted SS Challenge time when I lost my way, but I find my appetite is calmer adding those protein snacks (the pudding shake, oatmeal especially, since they're easy to make and eat, so no hassle for me).

I have not been eating at lower calorie levels I'd wanted. I'm eating at about 2000 calories average. My goal this week is to keep it under 1900 and to keep up the nutrition tracking and water (which I had totally slacked off on).

So, this has been the challenge progress (and backsliding):

Starting Weight: 267.6
End of week 1= 265.6
End of week 2= 263.2
End of week 3=264.8
End of week 4= 262.6
End of week 5: 259.6
End of week 6: 263.8
End of week 7: 259.6

So, basically I lost two weeks, cause I'm back to where I was at the end of week 5. There's only TWELVE DAYS left in the challenge, I don't see making my goal of 250. But I'm still hanging in and seeing that number as my objective. :)

I did get some help with my water intake in the last couple days when I went and got some cucumbers (Kirby's), fresh mint, and limes, and I added all that to a container and chilled in the fridge for a few hours. It was amazing. If you like Persian mast o' khiar salads (the minty cucumber yogurt salad you get as an appetizer at Persian restaurants), and I'm wild about the stuff, this tastes like it (sans yogurt). Love it. So refreshing this crazy hot summer.

Anyway, more reviews on the WonderSlim (alternate Medifast sorta) I tried along with my regular foods:

Oatmeal: Ya know, there were sooo many reviews about how much better this was than MediFast oatmeal, so like real oatmeal, five-star reviews, that I'm thinking that MediFast oatmeal must be incredibly awful, cause this was passable. Now, if I had been eating the world's ickiest oatmeal and had this, I'd give it 5 stars, too, I guess. I had the apple n cinnamon. It did have a nice apple and cinnamon taste and the rolled oats were REAL and so the texture was nice (if not overcooked, like my first batch. Use less time than the directions and increase as needed). But like so many of the higher protein, lower calorie diet stuff I've tried over the years, there is this aftertaste, this bitterish undertone. So, side by side with REAL oatmeal, it would get no more than 2 out of five stars (and that for the nutrients/low calorie/appleyness). If you compare it to some other diet protein/soy oatmeals I've tried, yes it fares better. I will say it fixes fast, is easy to eat once you get used to the aftertaste, and is filling for its portion. I like it as a side to eggs to quell my voracious appetite in the am, and as a snack between meals. Worth trying, especially if you are an oatmeal lover who has tried other diet/protein oatmeals and found them wanting.

Cheesesteak Macaroni entree: I cooked this stovetop since other reviewers recommended that. I watched it the whole time to avoid overcooking. It was all right. The final serving is about a cup. The "meat" has a slightly odd texture, but not totally offputting (chewy). The pasta was okay. The cheesiness was adequate. It's not something that made me gag and it's not an entree that made me go "Oh, that as fun." It's merely adequate. Although the cheese-addict in me was satisfied by having the cheesy flavor.

I am not sure at this point if I'd reorder this entree. I'd have to wait and see how it grows--or doesn't--on me and how the other entrees strike me. BUT...it does have a nice filling quality given the quantity. I had it with a side of sauteed spinach, a boiled egg, a small wedge of cheese, and had a creamy pudding for dessert. I was full and got plenty of protein. By itself, I would not be satisfied, but I do think adding veggies as sides--or a salad--or adding some extra low-carb pasta would help oodles. If you LOVE cheesesteak, then definitely try it. There aren't that many entree options, and this seems to be one of the more highly regarded WonderSlim ones. I'd recommend it to those who know it's special high-protein diet food and are willing to base their taste expectations on that basis.

Creamy Pudding/Shake: I almost didnt' try this as a pudding, cause the reviews at the WonderSlim site tend to skew towards this as a shake. But I think the problem is that this is NOT puddingy. This is like a mousse consistency--airier and less creamy than pudding. I like it. I took one star off cause it does have a bit of an aftetaste, but I expect this from high protein diet foods, so no biggie, really. Four to 4.5 stars (based on experiences with other lowcarb dieter foods).

Here's what I did: I prepared it with refrigerator-chilled water (really cold), a bit less than 4 ounces, and let it sit while i ate my soup. Afte 10 minutes or so, this has set quite nicely. I added a tablespoon of Bob's Red Mill Shredded organic coconut (smells good, low carb, about 30 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1.3 carbs per tbsp) and about 6 ChocoPerfection dark chocolate baking chips (sugarfree, lowcarb). Almost negligible calorie-wise, really. Just for appearance and to give a shot of chocolate. I found it to be a really nice high-protein QUICK dessert after soup (or even salad or a veggie joe bowl with veggies). I definitely will reorder this. I got the chocolate cream, which I will get again. And I want to try it with some fresh berries, too.

Really, don't be put off of it as a pudding. So quick, no blender to clean, slower to eat, which is always good for dieters. And you can pump it up with low-carb or fruity goodness. Mixes easily with a spoon. Nice "moussey" texture (and I like mousse). A tad gritty, but not horribly so. Just differently so. If they could find a way to rid it of the aftertaste, this would be pretty perfect diet fare.

I've also been enjoying the utterly wonderful bounty of avocados and donut peaches (my fave, fave among peaches) out there. Been eating berries and LOTS of spinach. The arugula has been a bit sad, which makes ME sad, in turn. Love that best of all salad greens. Watermelon has been faboo, too.

I'm still only exercising 2x a week, and part of that is that I'm just having my endocrine issues, and there's not much I can do about that. I just gotta hold on until my status can be worked out with medication tweaking.

So, that's my check-in. Glad to have "backtracked" to the 250's, glad to be back on the momentum wagon, though, as usual, I suck at challenges, since giving it my all just seems to never work out with these things. I'm such a slacker. ; )

Anyway, I wish you all a happy week with losses! Of the fatty kind. And all sorts of beneficial health and joy and love gains!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summer Slimming Challenge: IN THE 250's! But totally lapsing with the elements of challenge

Okay, so I suck at challenges. I didn't journal this week. I didn't drink all my water on all days. And I only exercised 2x. I did some blog support. I had some bad meals (bad meaning ate too much, period, and caved to some sweets.)

But I still did better portion control on the majority of my meals this week, and that was enough to get me into the next decade down with a nice loss, even with chocolate every night. :)

Starting weight for challenge: 267.6
(End of week 1= 265.6, end of 2= 263.2, end of 3=264.8, end of week 4= 262.6)

Today's Weigh-In: 259.6

Loss since last Sunday 3 lbs.

Total Loss for challenge so far: 8 lbs.

So, while I do suck at challenges (ie, I really don't go 100% at it with steely discipline), this one has helped me not stagnate like I had for a year, and for that, I'm really grateful and happy.)

Can I make my goal in 3 weeks and 5 days? Well, yeah. If I'm really good and don't go bonkers, I don't see why not. (Even though I gotta stay indoors cause this summer heat is LITERALLY making me sick.) Barring a hurricane or someone kidnapping me and force-feeding me, it's all on me, right?

My goal was to get to 250. So, that's nearly ten pounds...ten pounds. I'd have to lose a bit over 3 pounds a week. For me, that's radical. I don't tend to lose that much (this week being kinda flukey). But it's not impossible. So, I'll stay gently optimistic.

Let's have a good week full of sound and healthful choices.

Dieter Tolerance: Letting People Do It Their Way Without Neener-Boos

Let me say up front that, like most human creatures, I have a critical streak and a judgmental birthmark. We all have it--fess up, you know it!

But one thing I wish we could have more of in this fatfighting microcosm online is tolerance for the way each person feels they need to journey toward a better weight and better health.

Not every body, every mind, every emotional situation is the same. Some people will never understand those of us who do emotional binge eating. I will never understand people who can tolerate liquid protein fasts or, egads, puke up meals. (I have a serious pukephobia. I'd lay in bed trying hard to not puke even as a kid with stomach flu. I hate the sensation of food and bile coming right back up my throat. How do bulimics do that???)

But I can UNDERSTAND that we got fat--and STAY fat-- for more reasons than just "ate too much". Ate too much is fundamental--more calories than our bodies can handle and we gain weight. That's the basic layer, the thick heavy poured-out root of the structure.

But physiologically, some people handle sweets and carbs better and others are absolutely sent off on highs and lows and binges by them. Some livers handle things better than other livers. Some of us have non-functional (or minimally-functional) thyroid glands, and others have normal or hyper ones. Some of us got put on appetite-increasing (but essential) medications, and maybe others got on needed (or elective) medications that revved up metabolism or reduced appetite. Some folks are tall and some short, some male, some female, some mushy and some muscular, so some can eat more than others even with activity rates factored in. Some of us have moral issues for or against eating meat --or how animal products are raised and butchered--and some of us have environmental concerns about pesticides or responsible farming and others don't. Some have tight budgets and some lavish ones. Some of us suffer from depressions that, rather than curtailing appetites (gee, why couldn't I have THAT version), have depressions that send us self-medicating with food to raise mood. Some of us had parents who took effort to make healthful, low-caloric meals. Some of us had moms and grandmoms who were food pushers. Some of us were abused and castoff, some of us were nurtured and valued. Some of us thrive on exercise, love it like some love a glazed donut; others hate to sweat and would rather have dental surgery than go to the gym. Some of us have terrible joint pain upon movement, so moderate to vigorous exercise can prove excruciating. Some of us have high-stress cranking out the cortisol, others have more leisurely lives. Some of us have to cook for various people in a household with various tastes, some only need to cater to a couple, or just to ourselves.

I was reading Lyn's excellent blog, and she's apparently getting grief about Medifast as a diet choice and its sustainability lifelong.

Well, I'll say this: I am leery of packaged foods diets a la Nutrisystem, MediFast, Jenny Craig, ONLY cause I really do think that natural food is generally better for us and fresh organic even moreso, and because I am concerned about hefty caloric restriction causing metabolic issues (which I suspect is at the heart of some gastric bypass folks regaining weight on much lower caloric levels than normal).

But ya know, we're different and we gotta try different things to learn how we handle stuff. And we gotta realize none of us is the expert about another person's life and body.

I would even try something like Medifast or Jenny Craig in order to LEARN about my body and self and nutrition, etc. I might not keep doing it or like it, but I think every diet can teach us something. Lyn has learned a lot on MediFast, and while the pics of MediFast food grosses me out, she's losing weight and feeling great and she realizes she does better on low carb. Period.

For people to start harping about sustainability isn't going to help. And what we fatfighters want is HELP, not the critical gallery. If Lyn had been doing, say, old Kimkins, with 500 to 800 calories and minimal fat and not enough nutrients, I'd say, "Hey, girl, you're damaging your body with starvation levels of calories and not enough nutrition. You're gonna go bald and have metabolic slowdown!"

But as long as she is well-nourished (and she is) and she's feeling health and emotional improvements, who the hell am I to neener-bo her?

No, I am too busy neener-booing myself. :)

What I need from you , what I really want, if you're willing, is the good word that's gonna be the wind at my back to move me along, even if just a little, towards my goals.

If you don't have that good word: move along. I don't need a downer.

Please, when you visit assorted blogs, even if you have misgivings about the ultimate success of A, B, or C diet or weight loss technique (and let's all laugh through our tears together at how ineffective just about all of them have been for most Americans so far in terms of sustainable losses), as long as the person is not anorexic, bulimic, or doing something patently nuts, let's give them a cheery "I wish you well; I'm rooting for you." And if you have a good, solid, positive tip in your own successful journey, go for it.

If a plan or technique fails for someone, it will be evident soon enough. That's life. But it's really kinda a bummer, not to mention not at all helpful, to be told "Oh, you can't keep that up. You're gonna fail."

How does that help? Hmm?

Let people try stuff. Let people ride their wind. And if they fail, then help them get back up.

The world has enough neener-booboos.

Now, that's not to say we shouldn't HAVE DISCUSSIONS in general about this stuff--what we see might be dangerous, fallacious, ill-advised. I do believe in informed consent re lap bands and gastric bypass. But as long as people know the pros and cons (of diets, of training equipment, of particular supplements or foods, etc), if they wanna go ahead, then let's give them the cheerleader's rah-rah. We should want EACH OF US TO SUCCEED. We should wish for it. Pray for it.

And we should want the dieting odds to be beaten to a bloody pulp in every case.

So, like so many others are doing for the summer, I'm taking on a summer slimming challenge. Do challenges help ultimately? I dunno. Maybe to refocus us on good habits for weight loss and to get support. But I know it's better to keep fighting and trying than to just look at the bad odds (98% of dieters fail) and say, "Oh, well, might as well order a double-meat pizza."

Here's to everyone trying to get healthier and slimmer. I want you to win, and I want to win, too.

Need a bit of inspiration today? Read some successful weight loss stories...and gasp at the huge breakfast I ate (confession time)

Here are some big loser-winners over at Good Housekeeping. To see some success stories of ladies who lost 100 pounds or MORE, go here. Here's a snapshot of the eating plan of someone who lost 122 lbs (no big surprises here on what she ate, right?).

This lady lost 227 lbs. Here's a quick summary of her eating and exercise plan. Her after picture is amazing. Whoa.

No big revelations. It takes work (ie exercise) and planning (ie lighter meals) and consistency.

Okay, so I'm a bit jealous. :)

I had a HUGE, HUGE breakfast. (Woke up ravenous after missing dinner due to sheer pooped-out-edness.) It consisted of healthful stuff, just TOO much of it:

1. Greek scramble made with fresh chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes (about a cup and a half of veggies) with 2 large eggs and 2 egg whites scrambled in EVOO and then sprinkled with some feta cheese (a bit over a quarter cup). Oregano liberally sprinkled on top.

2. Mushrooms, 1.5 cups, sauteed in a bit of Smart Balance.

3. 1.25 cups fresh squeezed orange juice (man, the oranges were great this week).

4. 2 slices of Ezekiel Bread (the one with sesame seeds which I adore), toasted, with Smart Balance spread and some Nature's Hollow sugar-free apricot jam (amazingly fresh-tasting stuff, love it, and 20 calories per tablespoon, made with xylitol).

5. 2 cups of coffee made fresh from Rwandan Buf Mills beans (soooo good).

6. 10 ounces of organic coconut water (to counteract the salt in the feta) and hydrate me. (I'm getting over a mildish case of food poisoning I got from a take-out moussaka a couple days ago).

Lotta food, huh? It totals 1128 calories (so says SparkPeople's nutrition tracker). That's two-thirds of my daily intake if I wanna lose weight.

Doesn't leave me much to work with for the rest of the day, even if I aim for 2000 instead of 1800. But it's certainly not impossible, and I got tons of nutrition from what totals five servings of fruits and veggies in one meal. I ate what for some dieters is their day's calorie count.

I guarantee those success stories gals don't have 1200 calorie meals anymore. But there it is. I went breakfast hog wild.

But it sure was pretty--all colorful and flavorful. And I love, love the taste of EVOO on my tomato. Mmmm. One of the best things on earth: a tomato with EVOO and a pinch of coarse sea salt. AHHHHHH.

Lunch will be soup (preferably some legume) and something on the side, not sure what yet other than cherries and watermelon (which are both lovely now, too). Maybe some greens?

I was gonna make a super-high-fiber/lower-carb veggie lasagna for dinner. I might still. Not sure. Will recheck fridge for options that hubby will accept.

Please have your fresh produce and lean proteins and whole grains today. And please don't have a 1200 calorie meal like me. Okay? :)

Happy Thursday, folks...

And again, I Step on the Scale After a Week of Delivery Meals, some Raw Food meals, and some cheating snacks...

Better news this time: 3 lbs down and back firmly in the 260's in last two weigh-ins this week. It was really a shock to have seen that higher number last week.

So, the ShapeLovers meals, combined with some raw food meals--and I won't deny it, some extra snacks, some not diet-friendly (Godiva chocolate, Holey Donuts)--helped. The Shapelovers meals have been generally very tasty, a few coming close to "mom's old cooking" flavors (ie, Cuban food). The salisbury steak, though, was hideous beyond words. I threw both mine and my hubby's serving away. Horrible. But the chicken fricasse and the tortellini in a creamy sage were great, as was the very low calorie Aloha Coconut dessert (like a coconut flan with some pineapple bits, sugar free and yumsy). It's nice not cooking and having some low-cal, low-fat, low-salt meals handy (soup, entree, side, dessert). If you sign up for it, just totally skip the turkey meatballs and salisbury steak. gross....

Raw foods from Veggiemunn: The corn chowder was really, really good. I may even like it better than my previous "raw corn soup" fave from them, the corn and leek. The pear and watercress was too fibrous for my taste, but the flavor itself was quite nice. The unstir fry had good flavor, but I got crazy gas from all that raw cabbage. :P The zucchini pasta alfredo was okay. Something about the zucchini has been less than stellar the last two weeks (ie, texture wise, not tastewise. I like it really firm to sub for pasta).

I'm considering another order from Glaser Organics--I love their nut butters, spinach pesto, hummus, and fresh coconut water. Their raw pies are yum, too, but I'm not ordering any, preferring to rely on fresh fruit.

I did order a lot of citrus from Cushman's, so I can have a nice orange or ruby red grapefruit with breakfast. The tangerines locally have been lovely and are amazing juiced.

I have had pizza cravings, but haven't ordered any. I think I'm gonna get me some whole grain pita and just make one at home with part-skim mozza and marinara and some mushrooms.

I really don't feel like cooking or food shopping (hence the healthier delivery options), but I need to get back making some meals. I can only really successfully lose when I plan and control my own meals and snacks according to my own eating desires (not some pre-made menu's).

Hope everyone out there is happy and getting healthier and finding ways to meet health goals. I'm still fumbling, but at least the scale is moving properly downwards, making up still for eating booboos that had me regaining...

Bad sleep, salt bender, and more depressing research on how women's bodies hold onto fat....

Well, I've been struggling to stay on a normal schedule, and my nite owl body is resisting like mad. I was so happy when I was up early and to bed early, but that only lasted like 2.5 weeks and then I started having sleep issues as my body wants to be a vampire again.

When I don't sleep well, I am hungrier and more prone to want those fast food baddies. Don't know why, but it's true. If I sleep well and deeply and at least 8 to 9 hours, I do better with my eating and exercising. When I sleep poorly, I crave salt and I crave sugar and I can barely get through a training session. Yesterday's Pilates class was a struggle punctuated by cramps and having to stop and start several times, whereas the ones when I was getting up earlier were hard, but doable. And I've been practically sucking on the salt shaker.

Disgusting.

So, today, I'm gonna go get some veggie and fruit smoothies and try to mitigate some of the damage from all the sodium. I feel bloated and I have dark circles under my eyes. Not nice.

Of course, to add insult to bloaty injury, I read this: Weighing the Evidence on Exercise. This is a really interesting article, and I recommend any of you who are struggling with diet AND exercise to read it. It's not the happiest news for us ladies, though, because, as we already knew, when it comes to weight loss, biology favors the gents and royally screws us. The article highlights how, especially in women, exercise increases ghrelin which increases appetite. (I can attest to this. I'm always FAMISHED after a hard workout and hit Starbucks for a sugarfree latte posthaste.)

But it's not all grim news in the article, though it is still grim for those of use with BMIs higher than 25 (and if you're obese, yeah, your BMI is way over 25). (see page 2 of article).

If you plan to lose the weight and keep it off, you (and I) better learn to either love to exercise A LOT or just buck up and do the exercise, love it or hate it. Why? Cause exercise isn't just about calories out. It seems to do something to your very physiology:

Scientists are “not really sure yet” just how and why exercise is so important in maintaining weight loss in people, Braun says. But in animal experiments, exercise seems to remodel the metabolic pathways that determine how the body stores and utilizes food. For a study published last summer, scientists at the University of Colorado at Denver fattened a group of male rats. The animals already had an inbred propensity to gain weight and, thanks to a high-fat diet laid out for them, they fulfilled that genetic destiny. After 16 weeks of eating as much as they wanted and lolling around in their cages, all were rotund. The scientists then switched them to a calorie-controlled, low-fat diet. The animals shed weight, dropping an average of about 14 percent of their corpulence.

Afterward the animals were put on a weight-maintenance diet. At the same time, half of them were required to run on a treadmill for about 30 minutes most days. The other half remained sedentary. For eight weeks, the rats were kept at their lower weights in order to establish a new base-line weight.
Then the fun began. For the final eight weeks of the experiment, the rats were allowed to relapse, to eat as much food as they wanted. The rats that had not been running on the treadmill fell upon the food eagerly. Most regained the weight they lost and then some.

But the exercising rats metabolized calories differently. They tended to burn fat immediately after their meals, while the sedentary rats’ bodies preferentially burned carbohydrates and sent the fat off to be stored in fat cells. The running rats’ bodies, meanwhile, also produced signals suggesting that they were satiated and didn’t need more kibble. Although the treadmill exercisers regained some weight, their relapses were not as extreme. Exercise “re-established the homeostatic steady state between intake and expenditure to defend a lower body weight,” the study authors concluded. Running had remade the rats’ bodies so that they ate less.

As someone whose fat is primarily that dangerous abdominal adiposity, this is actually something that offers a bit of comfort. I may really hate aerobic exercising (though I enjoy Pilates), but the fact that it might have an effect on my worst fat issue--that deadly abdominal fat--is something of a spur.

I'm gonna go check Netflix and On Demand for doable aerobic exercise for big me. I hate to sweat, but I hate this huge, deadly belly more.

It's not good news. Good news would be, "NewsFlash: We've found the magic bullet and you can all be trim with one daily pill with no bad side effects that also happens to make you look younger." :D

Until then--we know, we know--eat wholesome food and move, move, move.

So, let me finish watching THE DOCTORS (they have the Eat This, Not That dude on today, and he's kinda cool), finish my second cup of java, and then do a shopping list for debloating and defatting this week.

Later...from the bloated Princess...

ETA: Well, I found this on sleep and weight loss in a Washington Post article:

What do we know? Scientists have an idea for how lack of sleep might contribute to obesity. In two studies, lack of sleep was found to influence two hormones that help control hunger. Leptin, made by fat tissue, tells your brain when it's time to stop eating, while grhelin, which is made in the stomach, signals that you ought to eat more. Both studies -- one involving 11 subjects, the other more than a thousand -- found that restricted sleep led to suppression of leptin and increased grhelin activity, two states that could make you want to eat more.

At least one doctor is willing to take the leap and recommend that people who want to lose weight should get a handle on their sleep. Michael Aziz, author of "The Perfect 10 Diet" (Sourcebooks, 2010), writes, "Getting enough sleep is the cheapest and simplest advice I can give for losing weight."

Dr. McDougall's Vegetable Soup and...Down Again!

I've had a loss on the scale every day for about a week now, and it's really encouraging. I started fiddling with my eating almost there weeks ago, but until I got my caloric intake UNDER 2100, I didn't see movement, and until I got it under 1900, I didn't see daily downs.

Yesterday, my body was "off" from the sleep interruption posed by the flooding--see previous post--and I ended up eating two meals and a snack, instead of three with two snacks. My calories were lower than usual at just over 1500. I figured it would be a minor change (possibly even upward, as I ate a very salty dinner and had salty feta with breakfast), but I was nicely surpised:

266.0

That's 1.2 lbs less than the previous day.

Yes!

It's still so cheering to see the different "decade" on the scale. I'd wanted to see it for so long, and there it is. Now, I want it to be a very brief visit and be in a new decade by New Year's Day.

Now, the soup:

I was beyond lethargic last night, so, being hungry, I looked for the easiest thing to fix. Ended up with reduced-fat kosher hot dogs and veggie soup with fruit and Amaretti cookies and cinnamon milk for dessert. I didn't make it to 11 f/v's yesterday. Only made it to 7, but the lack of a third meal made up for it, I guess.

The veggie soup was one of the ready-to-serve from Dr. McDougall's. It's only 75 calories for one cup, 150 for the whole package.

I love this soup. I will be buying this soup as a staple 'hunger control/get veggies/get fiber" diet tool. It had a lovely, satisfying texture (not overly brothy, not overly thick). It had lentils and rice (for complete protein), and that made the texture shine. I didn't find the taste overly salty. The broth was tomatoey, but not aggressively acidic. Chunks of potatoes, bits of peas, carrots.

I liked this soup very much for a packaged soup (nothing's as nice as homemade). One can't quibble with the calories. I had one cup and sprinkled imported parmesan and it was great.

I like the Hebrew National reduced-fat beef franks. I cut off one-third of the hot dog bun to reduce calories, and I don't miss it. Since I'm not a piler at home (ie, lots of stuff on top of the hot dog) I don't need the extra height of bun.

We try not to eat these often. Just when I get a craving. I don't consider hot dogs a healthful food, but they do make me feel like a kid again. Can't deny that.

I'm planning to make a veggie lasagna for supper today....

May we all have a health-advancing day!

Sweep/Bend/Push/Haul for Three Hours: Lose Almost a Pound

Well, I didn't make it to Pilates.

Our water heater burst during the night. Hubby noticed it, then I woke up to find water up nearly to my ankles in the kitchen and our carpet soaking on both sides of the closet that holds the water heater.

A plumber agreed to come first appt (said 7:30, came about 9).

Before that it was 2.5 hours of almost consistent sweeping of water out the door into the yard, while hubby tried to think of where the main water switch was (this is an apt building, and i had no clue). He found it a round 5 am, and the water mercifully stopped tsunami-ing. We swept out the last pile of it, got oodles of towels to mop out worst of soaking from carpeting, threw out a bunch of stuff that got wet in the pantry closet (boxes with dried goods).

My feet and back hurt some.

I got a few hours of sleep after the plumber arrived, and I woke up to find I was...

267.2

So, it only cost $850 and sore feet/back to lose almost a pound "overnight". :)

We have a shiny new water heater, a smaller checking account, and some damp carpeting I'm worried over (mildew, mold). Any suggestions on how to treat them welcome (they are still drying). Fortunately, the weather during the night was cool and dryish for Miami, so things ARE drying out.

I'm happy with the weigh-in, but I wish I could have lost that 3/4 of a pound in a much easier way.

Oh, and I just realized I'm more than 10 lbs lighter than New Year's Day of this year. I had wanted to end the year lighter. Now, I want to end the year at least 15 pounds lighter than I started.

Okay, time to have something to eat (I haven't eaten since 8:30 pm last night). My Dr. McDougall's ready to serve soup (vegetable) arrived minutes ago via UPS (I bought on the recommendation of various online fatfighting bloggers). I hope it's good. :D

Have a healthful, not appliance-disastrous day, guys, ok?

One Nice Step Forward, One Small Step Back, and Redeeming Poor Choices

Well, I had another happy weigh-in this morning: 268.0

So, about a half-pound less than the day before. I'm firmly in this "decade", hooray.

But it was a family get-together, and I had 4 hours sleep. Not a good combo. When I feel tired, my brain interprets it as: hungry.

I was in a rush (hairdresser appt way down south, a 45 min drive), so I had a small breakfast (I had to eat SOMETHING). I didn't have time to make my veggies or any other fruit than a quickly scarfed orange. I took protein mix to have mid-afternoon to ward off a binge.

Unfortunately, I made some bad choices, but not as bad as I normally would have. I only took a couple bites of the dessert, though I wanted it ALL.

When I tallied my calories (in a notebook, as I was away from a puter for tracking), I knew I only had a couple hundred calories left for dinner. Trouble.

So, I made a smart decision. Not to skip dinner, but to have a lighter one. I was afraid if I tried skipping or just having fruit or another protein mix, I'd set myself up for a late night binge.

I stopped at Chicken Kitchen and got grilled chicken breast on a garden salad. I carefully measured out 2 TBSP Italian dressing and mixed in lemon juice to expand. I used lots of pepper for flavor. And I ate that huge salad, which wasn't a lot of calories. Because I still had a yen for something sweet (due to that taste of cake), I had a sugar free vanilla Jello for 60 calories.

In the end, I went over 200 cals of my target. Not too bad, really. I stopped and made conscious choices rather than "going with the food flow" and blowing my calories all to hell. I'll pat myself on the back for that.

It's a lesson: It's never too late to stop, think, plan, and make adjustments in order to minimize damage. A day is not done until you hit the sack.

But, okay, I didn't exercise and I'm too pooped now to do it.

Tomorrow, Pilates and another day to do better with food choices and movement. :)

I still feel very good and full of hope....

Feeling..."Down" :)

Oh, yeah, baby. It's not a fluke. Today's weigh-in:

268.6

One less than yesterday.

The lowest weight I've been since I began this blog in May of 2007. That's right--my lowest weight in 2 1/2 years of blogging. And, better yet, my lowest weight since 2003, when I was 266. So, lowest number in 6 years.

Woohoo!

I'm officially more than 30 lbs below my highest weigh-in at home (299) in May of 2004. (I probably went over 300, just didn't get on the scale to find out back in 2004, the year my mom was in excruciating pain dying and I was eating, eating, eating to stifle the vicious emotional pain. I gained 33 pounds in 8 months.)

Now, to the weird stuff: I had to force myself to eat yesterday.

Let me clarify: this is supremely abnormal. I was hungry and eating even when I had raging, agonizing appendicitis. I was hungry and overate even in the midst of the flu.

Normally, I have to force myself NOT to eat.

But yesterday, around 10:30 pm, I was looking at my SparkPeople Nutrition Tracker (online food journal) and realized I was UNDER the recommended caloric intake. I was at about 1300 when I should be at a minimumish of 1500+. I was low on Calcium, Magnesium, Folate, and some other nutrients and not at the best place protein-wise (despite making a lower fat version of Shepherd's Pie for supper, with extra lean ground beef).

I don't like to eat too little.

Stop guffawing. Really. It's true.

I know, I know. Dieters will think 1300 is fine. But I like the metabolic roll I'm on (I was at 276.8 just 3 weeks ago, and I'm down 8.2 lbs). I don't believe eating too little (and robbing myself of nutrients) is a good idea.

So, I made a protein shake with half a cup of skim milk, a packet of Amazing Grass Chocolate Superfood (great stuff), two teaspoons of raw cocoa powder (organic, healthful), and a scoop of BSN Syntha-6 chocolate protein powder (I use the BSN protein powders in assorted flavors to fuel myself pre-workouts normally). Shake, shake, shake. Drink. Add a Vitamin D and Magnesium supplement. Done for the day. Stayed in my goal calorie range (two days in a row, dang, another miracle). Got in my crucial nutrients.

My energy has been really, really good for a few days now, which I appreciate. The weather is turning magnificent in Miami--winter is paradise down here, so I want to be able to do lots of stuff, go to museums and festivals outdoor with hubby. I want to have the oomph to take advantage of it this year, for a change.

Oh, and yet again, with food journaling, I confirmed my personal theory of what works for me weight loss wise (as it has in the past): When I balance meals and hit 11 fruits and veggies a day, I get movement on the scale. That's a big number, but all my food journals bear it out over the last decade. 11 is my magic produce number. Get below that and I seem to compensate with non-produce eating that is, inevitably, higher in calories.

It's not easy shopping and planning to have enough f/v's on hand to satisfy that target of 11. It's not easy for me to cook (I hate cooking). But when I eat at home and shop religiously, I have a better chance of losing.

For me, it's when I slack off the shopping/cooking/11 f/v's that I regain and regain.

Wish it were easier, but for me, it's not. Dang.

Okay, I've gotta happy dance on a Saturday for a good week of eating and moving. Yay!!

:::shimmy, shake:::::

Happy Saturday!

PS: If you haven't yet taken my wee survey, please help out by letting me know which fat fighting tool works best for you: See this post. Or just...click here to take survey

HAPPY DANCE! Broke 270 at last!

You regulars know I've been agonizing over being stuck in the 270's, up and down, in this "decade".

Well, I got on the scale today and it said....

269.6

Granted, that's just BARELY outta the 270's, but I haven't seen a 260-something since a brief blip in April of 2008. Two and a half years of solid 270-somethings. And just last month I was up at nearly 277 after the flu-comfort-food binge-fests.

I credit the motivation and accountability I'm getting over at SparkPeople. Now, I'm feeling pretty hopeful. Yessss!! I want to see lower numbers in the '60s. And then...tada, I wanna get out of this decade before New Year's Day.

That's the goal.

So, off I go to ingest lots of those lovely veggies and fruits I bought yesterday.

For those weighing-in today, I hope you love your scale today.

Happy Friday!

Note: The "Happy Dance" art is by Maria Mercado, who I think did a great job. Makes me smile to look at it.

Finally, I can put a new lower weight on my update!

So, I think I mentioned I joined SparkPeople a little over a week ago. I felt very demotivated, and I thought that might be a place to help me get back in the right frame of mind to restart a diet and fitness plan.

I spent the first few days just getting used to the site--it's got a lot of tools and stuff. I was still feeling the flu, so didn't dive in. But now, I'm starting to find my groove.

The first two weeks (I'm not done with those) is a sort of "start slowly" phase there, and you really are asked only to track three things you start changing. But for a few days, I've been tracking all I eat and all my exercise. I had been eating pretty much whatever I wanted for a month while ill, so let's say about 4000 or so calories a day, or more. I had regained a few pounds. But I started SparPeople with the intent of beginning the cutback.

I've logged meticulously in my nutrition journal for a week. It really reminded me how easy it is to lose track of what goes in the mouth.

My first week of logging and consciously eating less, I have been doing about 2400 calories, some days a bit more, some less, but never under 2000 and the highest was close to 2800. I started to make little changes--skipping fruit juice and eating the fruit at breakfast, for example.

For the first time in, what, a year and a half, I'm drinking water purposefully. It's REALLY hard for me to drink water. Just don't like doing it. But since I have to track water, it reminds me to drink. I feel the benefit of it.

Cardio has been a sticky issue for me. I have had asthma my whole life, and bad enough to require many medications daily. I start coughing and spitting up goo when I breathe really hard during cardio. So, I tend to avoid it. This past week, after more than a year of not doing any sort of movement like that, I did cardio twice. Not for long--I'm still flu-impaired and I'm so cardio-out of shape--but twice. Once on my own with music for 10 mins, and once for 15 minutes with a Leslie Sansonen DVD (a one miler at a good pace).

And so, I can change the number at left to 271.6.

I had bobbled around between 275 and 273 last week, so I expected 273ish again today. Seeing a number that hadn't been on my scale since, I think, Novemberish of last year (see stats on sidebar, scroll way down).

My goal is to work myself down to 1800 to 1900 a day. I should lose at a moderate pace at that level. It's still hard for me to eat below 2700, which seems to be the low end of my "I can be pretty satisfied and have some treats" level of eating (not my "eat whatever I desire", though). But I know that to get under 200 lbs, I can't have what I want. To get unde 200 lbs, I have to do without and feel some pain.

Anyway, if your mojo is long gone, maybe SparkPeople can give you a little kick in the pants. It's free and it's useful, but it does take time and has a bit of a learning curve (not much). I'm "PrincessDieter" over there. If you're already there, friend me. :)

This week, my goal is to stay closer to 2000 than I have, in order to eventually work down to 1800 cals a day. And my goal for next week is to be in the 260's. Gosh, I've waited for that one a while.

Let's not give up...ever.

Happy Tuesday, peops!

Onward and DOWNward...

TBL's ALI VINCENT--How She's Keeping the Weight Off, Advice To Those Starting Weight Loss Journey

There's an interesting interview with THE BIGGEST LOSER'S female winner Ali Vincent over at That's Fit dot com that's worth visiting to read in its entirety.

Here are two Q/A snippets that I found of special interest.

The first tells us how Ali is keeping off her huge weight loss--and it's not easy, not for lazybones, shows focus and strength of will:

TF: What was your daily calories in/calories out goal on the road to winning Season 5 compared to today? (Ali was initially voted off, but did win a spot to return to the ranch.) In your book you share you still keep a food journal, but do you still strap on a bodybugg?

AV: I've got it on my arm right now. Yeah I do, I love it, love it, love it. People are like, "Do you still have to wear that?" I don't have to wear the bodybugg, but for me, it's the best tool I've found to track the calories I've burned every day. For me it's liberating. As long as I burned it, I can eat it. Now I'll stay on about 2,000 calories and I'll just make sure I burn 2,000 calories. It was hard for me to do before, but now I have an active lifestyle. I never go more than three days. On that third day, if I haven't done a workout, then I go.

When we first went to the ranch, my calories [in] were 1,200, but they didn't use the bodybugg [for the burn] like they do it now. On Biggest Loser we had one day of rest with higher calories, so I added 800 calories on my rest day for a 2,000 calorie day. [After being voted off the show] I stayed on a 1,200 calorie budget and I had to burn 3,750 a day to get me in a 50 percent [weight] loss range at the finale. When I returned to the ranch, Jillian asks me, "What in the hell are you doing?" I told her, "I go to bed when my bodybugg tells me to go." I relied on a mathematical equation. When you win the Biggest Loser, you live and die by the bodybugg. There's other tools out there, the bodybugg was the tool that I was given and that I use.

The second is advice for those starting a journey to lose fat and gain fitness:

TF: What do you tell people who are obese/overweight and don't know where to start?

AV: A, you gotta tell the truth of what you are. I didn't even know I weighed 234 lbs. You have to know where point A is before you can get to point B. Then think about what point B looks like. How much weight do you want to lose? Get clear on what your goal is going to be, then break it down in between. Start journaling everything that you do throughout the day. Go online, get support groups, get a trainer or a friend. If you want to be healthy, find the healthiest person you know and start hanging around them. Start watching them. You have to take action.

It never gets easy. Not the start, not the middle, and obviously not the finish--which is no such thing. It's just the ongoing....

Ali's Book, BELIEVE IT, BE IT releases tomorrow. Previous TBL winner Matt Hoover also published a book. I'd like to see Kai Hibbard write a tell-all, frankly, of the manipulations behind the scenes and how the pressure of TBL seems to lead some pretty close to eating disorders, exercise addiction, and dangerous diet behaviors for the moolah.Wonder if they invited her for the "Where Are They Now" type of show coming up soon?

Prolly not?

Ali, Matt and Suzy, and Eric Chopin (who has regained, btw) will be in it.

Anyway, the special airs November 25.

Herbal Life Reviews

Search

Tags

Archive

New Blog Updated: I am officially no longer MORBIDLY OBESE! Even exacerbated asthma can't bum me out today!!!

I am officially no longer MORBIDLY OBESE! Even exacerbated asthma can't bum me out today!!!

New Blog Updated: Day 1 Son of Double Dare You: My minimum/optimum water intakes, what I should weigh on Dec 8 with each eating "goal weight maintenance", and investing in pantiliners....

Day 1 Son of Double Dare You: My minimum/optimum water intakes, what I should weigh on Dec 8 with each eating "goal weight maintenance", and investing in pantiliners....

New Blog Updated: Today I sent off my swabs for that genetic test for weight loss compatibility...and some links to others who've done the test!

Today I sent off my swabs for that genetic test for weight loss compatibility...and some links to others who've done the test!

New Blog Updated: Face the Truth Fridays: Face the Truth Fridays: Late Posting-- Some Loss, Sick and Sleepless in Miami

Face the Truth Fridays: Late Posting-- Some Loss, Sick and Sleepless in Miami

New Blog Updated: I Wanna Be A Member of the 5% Club!

I Wanna Be A Member of the "Five Percent Club!"

Please update your links and follows. THANKS.

Happy Thursday!

Being Slothful Is Not Good, But Sometimes Is Therapy