Well, I haven't lost a ton, but I actually stepped on the scale and have lost a few pounds despite limited exercise and eating based on instinct rather than counting calories. I am realizing that you really can get to a point where you sense how much to eat, though I would still recommend counting once a week or so to make sure one keeps on track.
Interesting note: Last week I commented to Scott "There weren't this many walkers last year..." noting that we seem to pass more and more people as the weather has improved and we see the same people quite often. Yesterday, we got distracted by a morning garage sale. The homeowner came over and said "You both look great!" Awkwardly, we said thanks. Came to find out in conversation that they had noticed us walking all year and noticed the weight loss! Turns out, also, that they became friends with my brother at one point, but that wasn't known at first.
As we finished our walk we chatted about possibilities and it occurs to us perhaps, just perhaps, there were others in the neighbourhood who noticed us as well. I don't want to take any credit, but it might be nice to know if people thought "Hey, if they can do it, so can I!" I mean, when we started at such high weights, can others really have an excuse? Interesting thought...
We aren't really "neighbourhood" people. I mean, we're nice to people when we see them on the street and we try to respect our immediate neighbours, but we don't exactly get terribly involved. I suppose I would just like to think we're touching our neighbours, but without having to get into those heated debates over lawn care and politics...
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Help, Advice, and things better left unsaid...
So I have taken a slight cut back on the diet and exercise recently, but I have been maintaining my weight.
I have a gentleman at work that keeps checking in with me on my progress once to twice a week.
I explained to him that I wasn't really losing and that I was maintaining my weight just fine.
BTW this is a person that has given me advice that I "should" follow the entire time. I have usually just ignored him, because what I am doing is working for me and as long as it is working I don't really need the advice on things that I need to change. A helpful suggestion on a tasty low cal meal is one thing (really appreciate those), but trying to design my methods for me is completely another.
Any how, when he finds out that I am not significanlty trying to lose weight he starts to tell me that I can't give up, what I need to do to keep focuses, and what my end result weight should be.
Now I am trying to figure out when I appointed him and my goal setter, cheer squad, and dietition. Still can't.
Enough was enough, I and finally asked him "When did my target weight become your desicion? When were you appointed to be the person to make my health habits? Finally, when can I have that responsibility back to me all me?" (He hasn't talked to me for over a week).
Morale of the story, be supportive of those that you care about and have made the choice to change the health and diet, but resist the urge (strongly resist) to worry about our diets. We don't expect you to change your meals when we're coming over to dinner. We can figure it out if we have a high cal meal or eat too much. Please continue to be who you are that is why we love you. It's when you become over bearing and start worrying for us or think that you have the right to make our choices for us that it crosses a line.
I sincerly mean this in the most loving way that I can, but sometimes the lines have to be defined so we don't offend you and you don't offend us!
I have a gentleman at work that keeps checking in with me on my progress once to twice a week.
I explained to him that I wasn't really losing and that I was maintaining my weight just fine.
BTW this is a person that has given me advice that I "should" follow the entire time. I have usually just ignored him, because what I am doing is working for me and as long as it is working I don't really need the advice on things that I need to change. A helpful suggestion on a tasty low cal meal is one thing (really appreciate those), but trying to design my methods for me is completely another.
Any how, when he finds out that I am not significanlty trying to lose weight he starts to tell me that I can't give up, what I need to do to keep focuses, and what my end result weight should be.
Now I am trying to figure out when I appointed him and my goal setter, cheer squad, and dietition. Still can't.
Enough was enough, I and finally asked him "When did my target weight become your desicion? When were you appointed to be the person to make my health habits? Finally, when can I have that responsibility back to me all me?" (He hasn't talked to me for over a week).
Morale of the story, be supportive of those that you care about and have made the choice to change the health and diet, but resist the urge (strongly resist) to worry about our diets. We don't expect you to change your meals when we're coming over to dinner. We can figure it out if we have a high cal meal or eat too much. Please continue to be who you are that is why we love you. It's when you become over bearing and start worrying for us or think that you have the right to make our choices for us that it crosses a line.
I sincerly mean this in the most loving way that I can, but sometimes the lines have to be defined so we don't offend you and you don't offend us!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Update
Things are going okay. I'm able to go for walks again and have been eating the best I can whilst keeping up my iron, protein, vitamin B, etc. I feel better which is great, but I haven't stepped on the scale for several days.
Sometimes it's better not to do so. I would gauge from my body that I could not have gained more than a a few pounds. Clothes fit okay so maybe very little at all. I'm not worried. I intend to give myself a week to cleanse and get back on the activity scale, and then I'll worry about pounds.
The main point is that I feel active again! I went out and about to run errands yesterday. Sadly, I didn't judge well and by the time our evening plans rolled around, I felt terrible and had to go home early. Well, I have plans for today that will hopefully be easy enough and tomorrow I can rest again. It's difficult to find balance, but it will be so much easier to feel like myself now that I can leave the house. Having said that, I probably just cursed myself into having problems. {sigh} oh well. Have to take chances!
Sometimes it's better not to do so. I would gauge from my body that I could not have gained more than a a few pounds. Clothes fit okay so maybe very little at all. I'm not worried. I intend to give myself a week to cleanse and get back on the activity scale, and then I'll worry about pounds.
The main point is that I feel active again! I went out and about to run errands yesterday. Sadly, I didn't judge well and by the time our evening plans rolled around, I felt terrible and had to go home early. Well, I have plans for today that will hopefully be easy enough and tomorrow I can rest again. It's difficult to find balance, but it will be so much easier to feel like myself now that I can leave the house. Having said that, I probably just cursed myself into having problems. {sigh} oh well. Have to take chances!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Plateaus (or trouble getting started)
I know it seems crazy for me to put more advice out there while I'm cutting back on exercise and only barely able to keep from gaining (none so far, but I feel like it's just around the corner...The longer I go without exercise, the easier it is to skip it.)
If you are stuck on a plateau, however, or if you are starting a regimen and not seeing results, there are a few things you can try. I have found some of these to be very helpful, but I would recommend trying them in the following order.
1. Reassess:
A. Look again at what you are eating. Are you counting all calories? Mayo added to a sandwich must be counted along with all the incidentals we sometimes forget. A lot of seasonings are zero calories, but check those mixtures. A packet of onion soup mix added to your yogurt dip is 50 calories. "I'm just going to have a couple of my kid's french fries" turns into 6-10 fries? Count it. I am pretty lax about counting calories now (I will eat 2 fries and not count them), but in the beginning or when re-booting your eating habits, it is important to count every little item. If you haven't changed your caloric intake, but you've lost a few pounds, it might also be time to cut another 200 calories. Just remember; according to most medical advice and nutritionists, you should eat at least 1200 calories a day. If you were eating 1200 calories and you think that's the problem, you may have to skip to the last resort (below).
B. Are you still exercising the same as when you began? We started going for walks, but have slowly increased speed. At one point, we both slowed weight loss so much that it was practically stable. That meant it was time to add distance. If you've become accustomed to your workout, it might be time to push a little harder or add a little more. Second idea, change it out. I also found that by adding some strength training into my routine 2-3 times a week, it jump started me back onto the path.
2. Stress:
Easier said than done, that's for certain, but try to reduce stress levels. Sometimes this requires looking over aspects of your life and reminding yourself not to worry about the things you cannot change. At the very least, if you are worried about a plateau, then you may be covered in stress you can control. Relax and just start over with your thoughts on why you started, what your goals might be, etc. Look at how far you have come and find joy in simple things.
3. Last resort:
If you still cannot seem to boost things along, you may have to take a break. Keep counting calories, only eat more. Add a few hundred to your allowance and make sure you eat that much for 3-5 days and no more. If you have been eating 1800-2000 calories, bump up to 2500. If you have been with us and only eating 1200, bump up to 1800-2000. After that time, cut your calories again and push your exercise routine just a little.
It can be frustrating at times, but I do believe results are possible. I used to think I was one of those people who couldn't lose weight because I did try diet and exercise as well as a few other fad tactics, but either it wasn't successful or it was impossible to sustain. It takes great commitment and sometimes you have to repair your body and mind in order to be ready to lose weight, but I now believe it can happen. Whatever method you choose, make sure you can maintain and sustain.
If you are stuck on a plateau, however, or if you are starting a regimen and not seeing results, there are a few things you can try. I have found some of these to be very helpful, but I would recommend trying them in the following order.
1. Reassess:
A. Look again at what you are eating. Are you counting all calories? Mayo added to a sandwich must be counted along with all the incidentals we sometimes forget. A lot of seasonings are zero calories, but check those mixtures. A packet of onion soup mix added to your yogurt dip is 50 calories. "I'm just going to have a couple of my kid's french fries" turns into 6-10 fries? Count it. I am pretty lax about counting calories now (I will eat 2 fries and not count them), but in the beginning or when re-booting your eating habits, it is important to count every little item. If you haven't changed your caloric intake, but you've lost a few pounds, it might also be time to cut another 200 calories. Just remember; according to most medical advice and nutritionists, you should eat at least 1200 calories a day. If you were eating 1200 calories and you think that's the problem, you may have to skip to the last resort (below).
B. Are you still exercising the same as when you began? We started going for walks, but have slowly increased speed. At one point, we both slowed weight loss so much that it was practically stable. That meant it was time to add distance. If you've become accustomed to your workout, it might be time to push a little harder or add a little more. Second idea, change it out. I also found that by adding some strength training into my routine 2-3 times a week, it jump started me back onto the path.
2. Stress:
Easier said than done, that's for certain, but try to reduce stress levels. Sometimes this requires looking over aspects of your life and reminding yourself not to worry about the things you cannot change. At the very least, if you are worried about a plateau, then you may be covered in stress you can control. Relax and just start over with your thoughts on why you started, what your goals might be, etc. Look at how far you have come and find joy in simple things.
3. Last resort:
If you still cannot seem to boost things along, you may have to take a break. Keep counting calories, only eat more. Add a few hundred to your allowance and make sure you eat that much for 3-5 days and no more. If you have been eating 1800-2000 calories, bump up to 2500. If you have been with us and only eating 1200, bump up to 1800-2000. After that time, cut your calories again and push your exercise routine just a little.
It can be frustrating at times, but I do believe results are possible. I used to think I was one of those people who couldn't lose weight because I did try diet and exercise as well as a few other fad tactics, but either it wasn't successful or it was impossible to sustain. It takes great commitment and sometimes you have to repair your body and mind in order to be ready to lose weight, but I now believe it can happen. Whatever method you choose, make sure you can maintain and sustain.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Health problems affect healthy habits.
It seems as though this is turning from a weight loss blog into a weight stable, self-indulgent, complaint blog.
Friday I had a procedure that was supposed to help my problems so that I didn't have to throw away the entire summer. Instead I got slapped in the face.
I was feeling great on Saturday, went to my mother's and did a little sidewalk sweeping while my daughter mowed Grandma's lawn and hubby worked in the yard a bit. Sunday, I started bleeding just a little. Monday, more bleeding, heavy cramping, and general discomfort. I'm keeping close tabs on how I feel, but when I tried to go walking tonight, I felt sharp pains and more problems. I've been told it could take up to 3 months to know how things will be after this procedure, but it sucks! I am going a bit stir crazy, I'm already eating so little that I can't cut my calories more so that I don't gain weight without the exercise, and now I am wondering if I will be able to do any of those things I planned this summer.
I still think this may be relevant information because I think if I eat more calories and reboot my metabolism, maybe I can cut the calories back down in a few days and manage to lose weight without exercise? I don't know. It has never worked for me to do only one or the other before. I do know some people who have been able to lose weight with just diet. I realize the focus is supposed to be health, but I just got all these new clothes, see, and I want to continue to fit into them. Aside from that, the last thing anyone wants is to make all this progress and then to backslide.
I suppose this doesn't help in the advice category. No recipes. No substitutions. No tricks of the week. Just frustration.
Friday I had a procedure that was supposed to help my problems so that I didn't have to throw away the entire summer. Instead I got slapped in the face.
I was feeling great on Saturday, went to my mother's and did a little sidewalk sweeping while my daughter mowed Grandma's lawn and hubby worked in the yard a bit. Sunday, I started bleeding just a little. Monday, more bleeding, heavy cramping, and general discomfort. I'm keeping close tabs on how I feel, but when I tried to go walking tonight, I felt sharp pains and more problems. I've been told it could take up to 3 months to know how things will be after this procedure, but it sucks! I am going a bit stir crazy, I'm already eating so little that I can't cut my calories more so that I don't gain weight without the exercise, and now I am wondering if I will be able to do any of those things I planned this summer.
I still think this may be relevant information because I think if I eat more calories and reboot my metabolism, maybe I can cut the calories back down in a few days and manage to lose weight without exercise? I don't know. It has never worked for me to do only one or the other before. I do know some people who have been able to lose weight with just diet. I realize the focus is supposed to be health, but I just got all these new clothes, see, and I want to continue to fit into them. Aside from that, the last thing anyone wants is to make all this progress and then to backslide.
I suppose this doesn't help in the advice category. No recipes. No substitutions. No tricks of the week. Just frustration.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
It's May, it's May, the lusty month of May
Or, at least, this post encompasses the month of May in an overall view.
First, May is the month of my birthday and our anniversary. I didn't have high hopes for weight loss to begin with. Additionally, the stress of my health issues made eating well very difficult. Temptation all around and stress made me weak - very very weak.
Overall I've lost only 5 lbs the entire month, but I think that's pretty good considering all factors. The reason it's noteworthy, though is because I went up and down a lot throughout the month.
I ate amazing food from Winger's where I learned something. Their wings and wraps are still savory. The asphalt pie was as delicious as ever, but after just a few bites, I had enough. I've had people tell me that after a while, you don't even want those "bad" foods. In a few cases that is true, but mostly I find that now my taste buds are sensitive enough and my brain is focused enough that just a few bites of those foods we love are enough. After all this time, I can go to a party and see all those dishes I love and, because it's a rare occasion, take just a small spoonful of each item and not see it on the scale.
Reminder: dieting is not about taking things away! It is about enjoying the smaller amounts of things you love. Just keep that in mind.
As for exercising, it's been hard. Several days I was in too much pain or bleeding too much to go walking. I tried to push through walks on several occasions, but I felt sluggish and thought I must not be doing enough. I tried to push through a 5K with my husband and his mom, but barely made it to the 4K marker. From there it got worse. I thought I needed sleep. Maybe it was allergies? Maybe I needed to exercise more in order to get more energy throughout the day. Maybe... Oh. The doctor called. Normal hematocrit (blood levels in the body) is 40. They start transfusions at 25. Mine was 15. THAT is when everything clicked into place.
The point of that story is to remind you to take care of yourself. Eating differently can mess up certain levels. I was playing it loose with my supplements and iron pills. I had trouble exercising and that is something that has become important to me. The fact that I couldn't go for a walk should have been a clue. If you are starting out and exercise is hard, that's just more reason to do it. If you've been doing well for a while and now it's hard, it's time to re-evaluate or see a physician. That's my advice anyway.
When I left the ER, my hematocrit was still just 23. I was given a stern warning that while my levels would increase slightly over the next few hours and that I needed to take iron pills and boost myself, I had no reserves so I had to be careful. Well, since I spent the whole day in the ER, I felt I deserved another break from reality so we went to Chuck A Rama. I devoured anything and everything with protein and iron. I did include beans and lean beef so that I wouldn't gorge on that delicious fried chicken I love, but I still ate a lot. Next morning I jumped out of bed early, got Jane off to school,cleaned the kitchen, then did an energetic mile and a half in less time than we've ever done the route. The whole weekend we walked quite a bit extra, quickly, and got a lot of work around the house done that I hadn't had energy to do lately. I feel pretty normal now - normal for myself, but those first few days I was just burning energy like a bunny because I felt better than I had in months.
Challenge: workout every day for at least 20 minutes if physically possible. Find the time. Even if you have no energy, get outside and enjoy the fresh air with a casual pace. Go to a party or event and don't count calories. Just take a small amount of the foods you like and enjoy yourself. While we are counting calories and minutes of exercise, then justifying everything as trying to be healthy, we can lost focus of ourselves. It's not worth it if you can't enjoy life.
First, May is the month of my birthday and our anniversary. I didn't have high hopes for weight loss to begin with. Additionally, the stress of my health issues made eating well very difficult. Temptation all around and stress made me weak - very very weak.
Overall I've lost only 5 lbs the entire month, but I think that's pretty good considering all factors. The reason it's noteworthy, though is because I went up and down a lot throughout the month.
I ate amazing food from Winger's where I learned something. Their wings and wraps are still savory. The asphalt pie was as delicious as ever, but after just a few bites, I had enough. I've had people tell me that after a while, you don't even want those "bad" foods. In a few cases that is true, but mostly I find that now my taste buds are sensitive enough and my brain is focused enough that just a few bites of those foods we love are enough. After all this time, I can go to a party and see all those dishes I love and, because it's a rare occasion, take just a small spoonful of each item and not see it on the scale.
Reminder: dieting is not about taking things away! It is about enjoying the smaller amounts of things you love. Just keep that in mind.
As for exercising, it's been hard. Several days I was in too much pain or bleeding too much to go walking. I tried to push through walks on several occasions, but I felt sluggish and thought I must not be doing enough. I tried to push through a 5K with my husband and his mom, but barely made it to the 4K marker. From there it got worse. I thought I needed sleep. Maybe it was allergies? Maybe I needed to exercise more in order to get more energy throughout the day. Maybe... Oh. The doctor called. Normal hematocrit (blood levels in the body) is 40. They start transfusions at 25. Mine was 15. THAT is when everything clicked into place.
The point of that story is to remind you to take care of yourself. Eating differently can mess up certain levels. I was playing it loose with my supplements and iron pills. I had trouble exercising and that is something that has become important to me. The fact that I couldn't go for a walk should have been a clue. If you are starting out and exercise is hard, that's just more reason to do it. If you've been doing well for a while and now it's hard, it's time to re-evaluate or see a physician. That's my advice anyway.
When I left the ER, my hematocrit was still just 23. I was given a stern warning that while my levels would increase slightly over the next few hours and that I needed to take iron pills and boost myself, I had no reserves so I had to be careful. Well, since I spent the whole day in the ER, I felt I deserved another break from reality so we went to Chuck A Rama. I devoured anything and everything with protein and iron. I did include beans and lean beef so that I wouldn't gorge on that delicious fried chicken I love, but I still ate a lot. Next morning I jumped out of bed early, got Jane off to school,cleaned the kitchen, then did an energetic mile and a half in less time than we've ever done the route. The whole weekend we walked quite a bit extra, quickly, and got a lot of work around the house done that I hadn't had energy to do lately. I feel pretty normal now - normal for myself, but those first few days I was just burning energy like a bunny because I felt better than I had in months.
Challenge: workout every day for at least 20 minutes if physically possible. Find the time. Even if you have no energy, get outside and enjoy the fresh air with a casual pace. Go to a party or event and don't count calories. Just take a small amount of the foods you like and enjoy yourself. While we are counting calories and minutes of exercise, then justifying everything as trying to be healthy, we can lost focus of ourselves. It's not worth it if you can't enjoy life.
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