One of my favorite lines that we as plus size people use from time to time is this one... When confronted with the question "Are you eating again?" We reply "No, still..." I think it's ingrained into every person who struggles with their weight to use humor to deflect scrutiny. I'm not only a member of this club, I'm also the president. That being said, I'm trying to get out of this mindset. I'm a firm believer in "You get what you put out there." If you are putting out negativity, you are certainly bound to attract it. On the flip side, if you're walking like Marky Mark and putting out "Good Vibrations", positivity and great abs are surely headed your way. Right now in my life, I'm working on not just losing weight, but being positive and staying positive. That means I'm coming after you Mr. Wahlberg. Do you hear me coming? You and your Funky Bunch don't stand a chance...
Since my earlier posts regarding my thoughts on health and weight loss, a few things have changed. If you would allow me, I would like to share with you some of the new processes and attitudes I have toward my health, wellness, and journey forward. Let's take a look...
EXERCISE ******************
"Do What You Can Do"
In regards to weight loss and life in general, I still believe in the notion of "Just do what you can do." However, over time and hard work, your body does get stronger and you gain the ability to do more. I now work out everyday and usually twice a day on weekends. I know this flies in the face from what I've said in previous posts regarding that odious chore we call "working out". My disdain for this cursed activity is well documented, but as I've said earlier, your body does and will progress. So with my new found ability, I was now looking for an activity to push my body further. While that might sound pro-active on my part, it really wasn't. The True Hollywood Story is that my weight loss stalled, actually, it came to a grinding halt. My existing weight loss plan had taken me up to this point, but seemingly no further. I needed to change things up if I wanted to continue on my journey. I needed a New Direction...
Previously, my only exercise regimen was walking for an hour each day. That has served me well thus far, but now I was at the point where something else was needed. What to do? When searching for wisdom on a wide variety of topics, the obvious place to look is... of course, late night television. I had seen the infomercials for P90X on TV, and while they looked intriguing, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't for me. But that was then and this is now... Now, I was looking for something new, and like that Sizzler commercial from years past, "I don't have a lot of time and I don't have a lot of money." It was then that I decided to look into this P90X thing. Using the information super-highway, I did a little research, and garnering from the reviews on Amazon, the program does seem to work. However, many of the reviewers cautioned newbies like me that this program is indeed EXTREME. For us newbies, the reviewers recommended the earlier version of P90X called Power 90. Deciding that it was worth a try, I bought a set from Ebay and I'm now on day 46.
This program has been very good for me so far. I haven't yet seen a super dramatic amount of weight loss, but I do know that I'm getting more exercise in a shorter amount of time than I was spending walking the neighborhood. Plus, with it being a DVD based video, it was super easy to incorporate into my schedule. Transitioning to Power 90 has been a cinch. The workouts are 45 minutes long and the beginning levels are hard but not overwhelming. I used Level 1-2 for the first 30 days and at first the scale wouldn't budge, but slowly it started to move in the right direction. I transitioned to level 3-4 about 10 days ago and I think I'm starting to see some of those results I was looking for. So far I'm happy with the switch and I feel like the train is finally back on the track and moving quite nicely down the road.
Previously, my only exercise regimen was walking for an hour each day. That has served me well thus far, but now I was at the point where something else was needed. What to do? When searching for wisdom on a wide variety of topics, the obvious place to look is... of course, late night television. I had seen the infomercials for P90X on TV, and while they looked intriguing, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't for me. But that was then and this is now... Now, I was looking for something new, and like that Sizzler commercial from years past, "I don't have a lot of time and I don't have a lot of money." It was then that I decided to look into this P90X thing. Using the information super-highway, I did a little research, and garnering from the reviews on Amazon, the program does seem to work. However, many of the reviewers cautioned newbies like me that this program is indeed EXTREME. For us newbies, the reviewers recommended the earlier version of P90X called Power 90. Deciding that it was worth a try, I bought a set from Ebay and I'm now on day 46.
This program has been very good for me so far. I haven't yet seen a super dramatic amount of weight loss, but I do know that I'm getting more exercise in a shorter amount of time than I was spending walking the neighborhood. Plus, with it being a DVD based video, it was super easy to incorporate into my schedule. Transitioning to Power 90 has been a cinch. The workouts are 45 minutes long and the beginning levels are hard but not overwhelming. I used Level 1-2 for the first 30 days and at first the scale wouldn't budge, but slowly it started to move in the right direction. I transitioned to level 3-4 about 10 days ago and I think I'm starting to see some of those results I was looking for. So far I'm happy with the switch and I feel like the train is finally back on the track and moving quite nicely down the road.
"Soundtrack to our lives"
Everyone knows that music is always with me, and it's been a very important piece in my workout regimen as well. I have some 10 different workout playlists that I use daily and they help me push through the wall that is certainly coming. Burning calories is much easier when you are pumping your fist in the air and imitating Billy Idol while listening to "White Wedding". You have to purse your lips and sneer as well to get the full effect.
EATING ***********************
I am still eating the way I've outlined in earlier posts, but I've made a few changes and I have a few different thoughts regarding food and the way I eat. I will try to keep this as brief as possible.
"Eat every 3"
I now eat something every 3 hours. All the research I've read tells me that this method is the best way to eat. It's basically grazing. Whether I'm hungry or not, I have a little to eat every 3 hours. This prevents the body from entering Starvation Mode and keeps the body in Optimum Calorie Burning Efficiency Mode. It also keeps your blood sugar levels at an even keel.
"Zone Bars to Full Bars"
For snacks, I still use my Slim Fast shakes, but cost became an issue so I switched to the Costco version of Slim Fast. I've also switched from Zone Bars to Full Bars which are also available at the aforementioned warehouse store. Full Bars are bigger, less calories, and seem to curb your hunger better than Zone Bars. A big plus for Full Bars is that they are more portable. Zone Bars are often chocolate or creme coated so they'll melt if left in the car, Full Bars don't have that problem. I keep a box of them in the van so I always have something healthy to eat whenever I want it. To be honest here, Zone Bars taste better than Full Bars, but I'm not looking for taste here, I'm looking for effectiveness. I'm not a Costco-aholic like my friend Annie, but another product I use there is called "EcoDrink" It's basically a calorie free, vitamin infused drink mix that I add to water and drink all day. It ain't cheap, but it's certainly cheaper than buying Vitamin Waters or Gatorades and it has decreased my daily Diet Coke tally by a significant amount.
"Eat in the morning. Don't worry about eating at night"
I read an interesting article the other day regarding whether it was better to eat a Jelly donut or to not eat anything at all during breakfast time. So Family Feud fans, do you know what the research said? The research said to go ahead and eat the Jelly Donut. Isn't that interesting? When you sleep, your body's metabolism slows down and you are basically fasting. That's what Breakfast means. By eating in the morning, you are breaking your fast. Eating in the morning tells the body to start burning more calories and wake up from the "fast" or "sleep" mode it was currently in. On the flip side, I eat past 9 PM all the time. The research I've read simply doesn't support that eating after 9 is bad. Your total calorie allotment should be your only concern. If I eat dinner at 7, I often eat again at 10 to keep up my "Every 3" concept. Your body heals and regenerates during sleep. Having fuel for these processes is not a bad thing.
"Eating a big lunch so you can eat a small dinner is a fallacy"
I've proven this concept over and over with my own body. It simply doesn't work. From what I've seen, Food begets Food. When I eat a big meal either for breakfast or for lunch, I'm basically telling my body to expect that same amount or more for the next meal. By the time dinner rolls around, I'm just as hungry or probably more so than what I would have been if I had eaten a light lunch. Women sometimes tell me that they aren't hungry for dinner cuz they had a big lunch. I believe their statement to some degree, but I feel it has more to do with the amount of time elapsing between meals than their actual hunger. When you eat a big meal, yes, you will feel full for a while, but beware... The Reaper awaits, usually around dinnertime. I'm not saying you can't go out and enjoy yourself. By all means, go ahead. Falling off the wagon and hitting the Kogi truck is OK and even encouraged, but don't have the mindset of binging, then eating like a bird the next meal. It doesn't work.
"Just Breathe"
If you watch enough workout videos like I have in the past 46 days, you will keep hearing the instructor harping on you to keep breathing. I get it. Your muscles and your brain need oxygen, especially during exercise. However, I believe this concept can also work well with how you approach eating your meals. When I eat, I often stop and take 2-3 cleansing breaths in between bites. This accomplishes a few things. It slows you down. It appeases your hunger. It feeds your brain the oxygen it needs. By "just breathing" it makes every bite seem like more than it is. Consequently, you get fuller quicker and with less. There is a reason the term for eating your food quickly is called "Inhaling". When you are shoveling double doubles down your throat, you barely have time to stop and breathe at all. By taking these breaths, you're feeding your brain with oxygen at the same time you are feeding your face. This works, it's just up to you if you want to use it. I like to use this method at home, friends sometimes make fun of me when I do it out in public.
"Before you determine if you are hungry, first make sure you are not thirsty"
One of the items I always cross off my checklist before I sit down to eat is making sure I take care of my thirst before I take care of my hunger. So before any meal, I drink enough water to satisfy my thirst until I'm good and satiated. Once that is done, then I can go ahead and address my hunger. By using this method, I will guarantee you this, you will not eat as much as you would have if you had not satiated your thirst first. The body often times confuses thirst with hunger. By tackling your thirst first, the confusion is removed.
"Outro"
So that's the new stuff I've recently implemented into my life. Is it working? Maybe not as fast as I would like, but since my last post, I've lost another 10 pounds. I'm still very much "Pooh" sized, (That's what plus size Disney Fans refer to themselves as) but I'm moving along. OK, it's time for my last and best weight loss tip I can give you. This tip is super awesome and completely foolproof...
Whenever you are weighing yourself and before you get on that scale, make sure to... Pee first.
Be well my friends, hope this helps somebody...
K
