Things that make you go Hmmmm....

So I'm sitting here, after a wonderful supper of pork cutlets, mashed potatoes and peas, and realizing that I don't feel hungry. Odd only because before, I could eat almost an entire large pizza by myself. Tonight I had a serving of meat, 2 of starch and 2 of veggies. And I'm not hungry.

It reinforces what all people who need to lose weight are told: portion control and eating properly is the way to go. Yes, exercise is a big factor, but proper nutrition is also key.

Take that pizza, for example. I can eat pizza and keep eating it, even knowing that later on, I'm going to be nauseous. It doesn't matter that I KNOW I'm going to be nauseous later, I will still eat until there's no pizza left. It is not filling and it leaves no satisfaction. Mashed potatoes and peas are filling, and left me satisfied. The pork cutlets were divine (have I ever mentioned that I married a chef??) and yet after that single serving, I was good.

In thinking back, when I am eating healthy, I am rarely hungry, my complexion is good and I have more energy. When I start eating junk food, I eat MORE, I feel ill more, I have no energy and my complexion bites.

I wonder why it is that people don't always realize this? Is it because we're so focused on the short-term "feel goods" we wipe out the long term "feel bads" when we eat junk? And we wipe out the long term "feel goods" from eating properly? Does anyone out there have any insight for me on this one? In the meantime, I will work better on my long term "feel goods". :-)

~~Heather

I have turned in my resignation!!

I have turned in my resignation. It read something like this:

Dear Boardmembers of the Clean Plate Club;

I am hereby resigning my position in your club. It has been a pleasure to have been a member for these past 32 years, however the Club is going down a path that I no longer believe in, and thus I do not feel I can fully contribute any longer.

I do not believe that the starving children in (insert country here) will care whether my plate is empty, and since I have no way of sending the food to them, it is a moot point.

I do not believe that I won't grow big and strong if I don't clean my plate. In point of fact, as a result of constantly cleaning my plate, I have grown far bigger than I needed to, and not nearly strong enough.

I also no longer believe that I am required to completely fill my plate at buffets and return for more several times.

Also, I have noticed that the size of your plates have increased over the years. You told me that since I was a big girl, I could eat off an adult-sized plate now, but I realize now that that is just a ploy used to help me eat more. I am definitely a big girl now, thanks.

In fact, over the past few months, I have realized that being a member of the Clean Plate Club has been detrimental to my health and well-being. I don't think you meant to be, but it just sort of happened. In fact, it happened around the time "portions" and "veggies" and "you are what you eat" were banned from the Club. You may want to re-think that rule.

Again, I want to thank you for the last 32 years. The last few months have taught me what not to do, and as such, again, I no longer feel I can be a contributing member of your Club. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Following is my new mailing address:

Heather
c/o Healthy Living Club

What leaps of faith are you going to take?

The following is a quote from SparkPeople that I really liked:

Trying new things can give you a real zest for life. Pushing beyond your comfort zone in a responsible way helps you grow confidence and creativity that you can apply to your everyday life. Do not let fear control what you do (or don't) do? While taking risks can be scary, doing nothing is a big mistake, as it produces nothing fruitful within you. There is a direct relationship between the things that we achieve and the effort we put forth to obtain them. To reach the fruit, you have to climb the tree first!


How many times, in looking back, do you wish you had tried something new when it came your way? For me, a few stick out. Learning to make artificial flowers from my godmother because for some reason I didn't want to learn from my mother (my brother and I , I guess). And now, I wish I had learned to knit from Mom. I want to knit, I know I can do it, but it would have been a lot easier to learn from her. For those who don't know, she passed away unexpectedly in November, and so naturally I have a lot of regrets/lost chances. (She was only 54.)

I'm a newlywed (little over 1 year!) and I'm also trying to lose weight/get healthier. I'm very self-conscious, and so even the thought of telling my DH "I'm going upstairs to use the treadmill" is scary for me. Not because he's not supportive (he's VERY supportive!) but because I just know he's picturing me on the treadmill and the thought of that is almost as scary to me as getting up on stage would be. Generally, I'm home alone, and so I do it whenever. But on his days off, it's trickier for me. I don't want to take time away from him, but we both want me to be healthier. So I've been trying to be a lot better about just doing it. Climbing the stairs to get to where the treadmill is certainly feels like climbing a tree to get the fruit!

So...which trees will you climb today?

Heather

A funny thing about diet/self-help books

**Disclaimer** I'm just surmising what I've read, I'm not a doctor, nurse or any other type of health care provider. Take what I am typing with a grain of salt, but do not hold me responsible if you didn't consult with a medical provider and hurt yourself in some way shape or form. Thanks!!

OK, so after my Mother's death, I decided that I needed to get healthier. In the process, I've been doing a lot of reading. I've read most of "You on a Diet", most of Bob Green/Oprah Winfrey's book, the Curves book, Leslie Sansone's 6 week book, 2 of Jorge Cruise's books. You get the idea. I've noticed a very prevalent theme to these books. If I could sum them all up, this is how I would do it.

Really, this should have been #1, but I'm letting it stand alone: Talk to your doctor. Get yourself tested for thyroid issues, iron levels, vitamin levels, gluten-intolerance or other food allergies, diabetes, cholesterol, the whole gamut. If you don't have insurance, then look for an income-based health care provider. Over the years, I've found that the staff at the income-based clinics treat me far better than the ones at the "power" clinics. They take the time to listen and make sure I understand what it is I need to know.

1. Eat better. If that means eating less, fine. If it means changing what you eat to a healthier version, fine.

2. Move more. Walk daily. Even just for 15 minutes a day, it's better than nothing.

3. Drink your water. Yup, all 8 glasses of it. It helps flush the fat out of your system, as well as any other impurities/toxins/not-good-for-you things.

4. Take the time to determine WHY you are eating the foods and amounts that you are eating. Did you eat that entire cake because you were really really hungry or did you eat it because your significant other just dumped you for the annoying next-door neighbor? Are you starving yourself because it's what you saw your parent do growing up? The same parent who is still overweight because they've blown their metabolism?

It's interesting that I've paid for 5-8 books on weight loss, quite a few little "booklets", checked out dozens more, and they all essentially say the same thing.

Get up and move. Eat healthier. Work through your issues instead of eating through them, and drink your water. What's on your plan for today?

Heather

The next installment of The Trouble with Fat

She woke up that morning not wanting to get out of the warm bed into the cold air. That was a problem with the big farmhouse they had bought, but it was one she was willing to contend with. She loved the house, even though she hated how she felt after climbing the stairs. Winded, and definitely not sexy. Her husband still calls her "One Hot Mama" though, and she feels confident she will become what he calls her. It's a far cry from being called "chappa" by her ex. He later broke it to her that it was Cherokee for "fat". Whether that was true or not, at a size 12 her "love of her life" should not have called her a nickname he understood to mean fat. She was glad to be rid of him, that's for sure. And hopefully she will be that size 12 again. But a 14 or 16 would work too!

She made her way downstairs, to see her husband making coffee. She made herself a smoothie, making sure she added the flax seed. It kept her appetite stemmed and was a good source of fiber. Inside, her fat cells were crying. They wanted peanut butter, and lots of it. "Sorry guys," she murmured, "not until I decide that's what I really want."

As she curled up under the blanket on the couch, her fat cells began their daily banter. "You know, with more of us, you're better insulated for the cold. Have you ever seen a SKINNY Eskimo?" "Hmph. I've never seen an Eskimo period, and it's not going to work, guys." She told her husband she would do her 15 minute walk at 4PM, so that he wouldn't be surprised when she got up and did it. Also, in the hopes that he would help hold her accountable.

She went to SparkPeople and logged her foods for the day, after breakfast and lunch. Then she had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a snack, on 2 slices of small gluten-free bread. The fat cells were sending up complaints, not enough peanut butter. "Ah, but that's an advantage to small bread...less peanut butter will fit, guys." YIKES! She cringed when she finally entered the snack. GF bread has twice as many calories as regular bread! The fat cells rejoiced at her slip-up.

Their celebration didn't last long. The battle had started to go downhill for them when she made it to the treadmill at 4, and felt so good that she did 30 minutes instead of only 15! They tried to retaliate by jiggling madly, but she had worn jeans...no jiggle there! That night at work she researched GF tortillas and lefse. Low-calorie and perfect for the peanut butter and honey sandwiches she craved. Slowly, the fat cells began to wither. They began to plan for the next day. And soon, as midnight hit, they defeated her walls for a little while: 7 peanut butter cups. 613 of her precious calories down the drain.

She chuckled and reminded them that it would be a low-calorie day anyway, since she would sleep through most of it. A smoothie when she woke up, and then a small supper. Cursing at her, the fat cells crawled away in defeat and to plan another line of attack.