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Showing posts with the label Talk Diet

Let’s Talk Diet and Perseverance: Today is my Weight Watchers’ One-Year Anniversary

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Jennifer, a Shadow Selfie Hilton Head, South Carolina, April 2017 __________________________________ Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other. – Walter Elliot ______________________ If 5 May 2016 was the day I decided to lose weight, then May 11 of the same year was the day I acted by going back to Weight Watchers and committing to losing 66 pounds. I have been known to make promises to myself and then not do the difficult work of following through, but this time I did. Today, I celebrate my one-year of perseverance, and, so far, a 62-pound weight loss. I have attended 52 meetings in a row, some of them away from home. I didn’t always feel like going, especially when I had a less than stellar week and/or was on vacation, but I have come to realize that the lousy weeks were precisely the times I really needed those meetings. In my 5 May 2017 post , I outlined some of the strategies I used to help me through my weight-loss journ

Let’s Talk Diet: Celebrating An Important Anniversary, a “Rejourney,” I’m at Goal, AND I’m Close to Goal (???)

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Jennifer (Before, 2010) and Jennifer (After, 2017) But it's not just about "looks" -- That's just superficial stuff. It's also about  physical and psychological health. ___________________ I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest. – Venus Williams __________________________ Back in 2011, I started this site as a diet and exercise space, but then I gained my weight back (and then some). It was as if my arrogance, self-importance, and faux expertise brought me down a few notches, so I decided to broaden the site focus; I began writing about other topics of personal importance. So, for the most part, I have backed off on diet topics. But now I return to the topic of Diet Talk for a good reason: today, May 5, 2017, is the first anniversary of my decision to attempt, once again, losing weight and, most importantly, keeping it off. I remember that day well: as I was being fitted for a CPAP mask, I made

Choices Beyond the Treadmill...

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In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. – Eleanor Roosevelt _______________________ My life has taken a dramatic turn, and it all began with a hinky treadmill. No worries and definitely no treadmill accidents – this is a positive turn of events. Let me elaborate by beginning with how I handled my Sioux City vacation this year. For the first time ever while visiting family, I did not fall completely back into bad eating habits. Yes, I did step off program slightly (mostly planned, sometimes not so much), but never to the extent that my stomach hurt and felt bloated. And I did not need one stinkin’ Zantac – a first for a “back home” vacation. For the first time ever , I returned home from vacation with a significant weight loss, despite the fact that I wasn’t always on track with mindful eating. I can point to four possible reasons: I conti

Close to Goal

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Close to Goal ______________ Do not be in a hurry to succeed. What would you have to live for afterwards? Better make the horizon your goal; it will always be ahead of you. – William Makepeace Thackeray _________________ I am always close to goal because I have set small achievable goals that can be reached quickly. I may have a large goal in mind, but if, on a day-to-day basis, I concentrate on the small goal, the big goal will eventually be achievable. When it comes to weight loss, setting a large goal is a fool’s mission. For example, saying, “I’m going to lose 100 pounds in six months” is unrealistic, and sets one up for failure. Even setting small weight loss goals can be frustrating, given the day-to-day scale variables. But saying, “For one week, I will eat in such a way as to facilitate good health and sensible weight loss. I  can  control what I feed my body, but I  won’t  worry about the number on the scale. If I eat well and use fewer calories than

I Set a Goal, One Goal at a Time

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I Set a Goal _____________ It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live . – Marcus Aurelius What keeps me going is goals. – Muhammad Ali _____________________ Let’s set one thing straight: I may be “old,” but I’m not yet ready for “God’s Waiting Room.” This wasn’t true two months ago. I felt like crap, my weight was up, and I was tired all the time. But, now, with the CPAP therapy, much improved diet, less weight on my frame, and light exercise, I feel great and much younger than my real age. In fact, I don’t remember feeling this vibrant since the early 1990’s. On June 20, 2016, I wrote about Leptin Resistance and how sleep deprivation can contribute to obesity (although this potential causal effect is still scientifically inconclusive). Having to go on CPAP therapy (also explained in the Leptin Resistance post) was more than a wake-up call. In fact, the very idea of it was almost insulting: “How dare my body

I Have a Goal: CPAP Therapy + Diet + Exercise = Appetite Control – Say What?

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How Leptin and Insulin Signal Satiety  Source for Graphic: Wiki.Brown.edu ____________________ I have been stamping my feet and complaining for the last six weeks because of having to wear a CPAP mask ( Continuous Positive Airway Pressure , a therapy designed for people who stop breathing during sleep, and, therefore, wake up several times during the night. Sleep-deprived people can experience serious medical problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity, among other ailments). I grumble every single night. My better half must be sick of my constant kvetching... But for the first time since I can remember, I’m getting good sleep and waking up energetic and exercising regularly. About four weeks into the CPAP therapy, I also noticed something else: my appetite has started to regulate itself, which has been a total surprise to me because I have always had an out-sized appetite. I never really knew the difference between hunger and satiety – I would go fr

Talk Diet: Part of My Brand (Such as It Is), and Let’s Try Again (With More Realistic Expectations)

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Background: * “Soy-whey-protein-diet” by Peggy Greb _________________________      My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people. – Orson Welles ______________________ In late July, I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst acid reflux that I have ever experienced in my life – so bad that I could barely breathe. If you have ever experienced acid reflux, you know how unpleasant and scary it can be. Well, multiply this event by 10. I was on vacation and had (ahem) eaten some things I had should not have eaten so close to bedtime – at least without taking my Zantac 75. But I got cocky. You think I would have learned by now, but evidently not. Sooooo... When I returned from my vacay, I decided to (once again) start taking better care of myself and watch what I eat and, most importantly, when I eat it. Now I don’t want to rebrand this site back into a “diet” blog – I do have varied interests, and I want

How to Make a Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg

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Brown Egg Photographer: Sun Ladder Wikipedia __________ “The vulgar boil, the learned roast, an egg.” – Alexander Pope. Are you tired of eating rubbery hard-boiled eggs that have that yucky-looking gray ring around the yolk? The hard-boiled egg is one of the easiest foods to prepare, but if you want your egg to come out perfect, you have to cook it the right way. Here is the fail-safe recipe for tender and grayless hard-boiled eggs: 1.   Fill a medium-size soup pan with cold water. 2.   Place 4-6 eggs in the pan, making sure that you use enough water that the eggs will float without touching the bottom of the pan. 3.   Bring water to a boil, but don’t allow the water to actually boil. 4.   Just before the boiling point (you’ll see bubbles beginning to form), take the pan off the burner, cover, and allow to sit for 20 minutes. The steaming, hot water will cook the eggs the rest of the way. 5.   After 20 minutes, immediately drain the water from the pan and

For Just 20 minutes, I Can Wait For Anything...

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Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. --Ralph Waldo Emerson It is well documented that one of the major secrets to losing weight and keeping it off is waiting at least 20 minutes after eating a meal or snack before eating anything else. It takes at 20 minutes for the brain to catch up with the stomach (or is it the other way around?). I have talked about this before, but I have never really lived it until now. I always tended to eat desert right after dinner, and it seemed that I was never completely full. Now I'm trying something different: setting a timer for 20 minutes and waiting before reaching for that extra something. It DOES work because in the greater scheme of things, 20 minutes is not very long and waiting for a short period of time helps me figure out if I'm still really hungry or just hungry FOR something specific. If I'm really hungry, a carrot will taste good; if it just tastes blah, then I'm not really hungry. And it's o

Summer, the 20-Minute Rule, and Republicans

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One swallow alone does not make the summer . --Cervantes, Don Quixote It's hot today, thunderstorms expected later. Summer is not my favorite season, and this summer seems particularly brutal. Global warming? I don't know, though I wouldn't rule it out... This, too, will soon pass. I'm back on my program, after a rather long lapse. I'm not sure what has happened--I suppose my head has been in the wrong place. Certainly, my fork and spoon have been dipping in the wrong places. I am trying something a bit different: waiting 20 minutes after dinner before eating desert, and waiting at least 20 minutes after a snack before reaching for another one, even an on-points snack. It's very simple to do, and I figure I can wait 20 minutes easily enough ("I can do anything I want after 20 minutes"). I simply set the oven timer and go off to do something else. Sometimes I forget (so, no, I'm not hungry), and sometimes I wait impatiently for that

BMI (Body Mass Index)

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Knowledge is Power! _______________________________________________ Do you know your Body Mass Index (BMI)? If not, be sure to use the handy BMI calculator on this site, courtesy of the CDC . Just scroll down past the comment section and then plug in your height and weight. What do the numbers mean? If your BMI is below 18.5, you are underweight. If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, you are normal weight. If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you are overweight. If your BMI is between 30 and 34.9, you are considered to be class I obese. If your BMI is between 35 and 39.9, you are considered to be class II obese. If your BMI is 40 or above, you are considered to be class III obese (also known as "super obesity," a medically dangerous situation.) --From Obesity (Wikipedia) If you fall into one of the three obesity categories, then you should consult with your doctor for a plan of action. Your physician can refer you to an obesity specialist who can

Five Reasons Why I Decided to Lose Weight

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Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward. --Victor Kiam This week at Weight Watchers, the leader asked us to note five reasons we decided to join Weight Watchers and lose weight. My impromptu list (from most to less important): 1. To improve and, now, to maintain current good health. 2. Increase and maintain current mobility-- I have this fear of ending up in a motorized scooter because of decreased mobility due to obesity . 3. Increase self-esteem--always an issue. 4. Cultivate a nicer body, not necessarily an uber-skinny physique, just one that's reasonable for someone my age. 5. Able to wear more attractive clothes that fit well. Now we are supposed to use these reasons to help us keep motivated by visualizing our reasons for joining Weight Watchers in the first place. I have always contended that I would never go on a diet based on deprivation, and I never will, ever again. I have been down that road before and don't want to be the

The (Non) Dieter’s Prayer

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Tempt us. Lead us into temptation. Embrace all that is good for our bodies, And good for our souls. Eat well, eat healthy, eat for pleasure and love. Eat foods we love. Chocolate, Cherries, Cheese, Pasta, Nuts, and Seeds... Tomatoes. Temptations for our palettes. The secret? Moderation in all good things. Enjoy delicious, high-octane food; But plan for these special occasions: Births, baptisms, weddings, holidays, and more. Moderation in all good things. In our daily lives, We learn sleight of menu: We create healthy pizza, low-fat spaghetti and meat balls, And corn on the cob– Add a dash of spice to the palette– And cut the saturated fat. And don’t forget the skinny ice cream. Lower fat, lower sugar, lower refined carbs Can equal delectable. Never be hungry, Do not go hungry Most of all: Enjoy life, Enjoy all.

Fat Fetish Industry

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I have always been under the assumption that no one would choose to be morbidly obese. Evidently, I was wrong. Yesterday (September 22, 2011), Dr. Oz featured Susanne Eman , an obese woman vying for the fattest-woman-in-the-world title who embraces all 728 pounds of her body. Why? Because she, known as a "gainer," earns her living via her paid fat fetish website that caters to "feeders," men who indulge in fat fetish websites, sometimes even sending food to their objects of desire (hence, the term "feeder"). On her website, Eman eats and poses in various activities for the subscribers who pay to gawk at her. She also weighs in to show off her weight gain. According to Dr. Oz, fat fetish websites are right behind porn sites in terms of popularity and revenue. Seriously? Men pay obese women to watch them eat and parade around in skimpy clothes that emphasize their rolls of fat? I'm shocked. Hey, I'm someone who is flummoxed by intern

Eating Well--and BIG and Tweaking Weight Watchers

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Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. --Mark Twain Last year, on September 11, 2010, when I began my healthy eating regimen, I was certain that eating smaller portions was the way to go. And for a while, concentrating on smaller portions worked very well: I was rarely hungry, and I lost about 25 pounds in less than three months. Life was good, or so I thought... Around Christmas time, I started to feel hungry all the time. At first, I thought, perhaps, that all the holiday goodies were just stimulating my taste buds. But even after the holidays, I was still hungry all the time. Then I heard about the Weight Watchers' new PointsPlus program and 0-points fruits. I had tried the previous WW points program, and I really didn't like it too much; it still felt too much like a diet, and calculations were too cumbersome, but I thought I'd give the new program a try. My plan was to pick up program materials and then not return for meetings

Pizza! Pizza! (But Without All the Calories, Fat, and "Bad" Carbs)

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Eating healthy does NOT have to be boring. In fact, healthy "substitute" foods are pointless if they don't taste good because we won't eat them, at least more than once. If I'm going to sacrifice real-deal full fat pizza for something healthy, I want to enjoy it. I also want it to be easy to fix, and I don't want to make my own pizza dough. Cooking, I'm afraid, is not my passion. Eating is, though. Thanks to Kevin and Shari, "Monday Masters" Weight Watchers' members at the York, Pennsylvania, chapter (Commerce Plaza), I have discovered a product so amazing that building a tasty, low-cal, low-points pizza is a cinch: Flatout Flatbread (pictured above, straight from my refrig to my scanner). The recipe is fast and easy: from refrig to plate, about 30-35 minutes, depending how fancy you want your pizza. I'll just give you a basic 5-point recipe (200 calories), and you can tweak it to your own tastes (for example, I like more spi

Memoir Madness: Driven to Involuntary Commitment