The Diet Naked Blog

Hey, it's June! Let's exercise!

People, oh, people.  May wasn't so good on the exercise front.  I kept track on my bathroom calendar.  I exercised the last three days of April and I was so optimistic, so proud of myself when I made it four days in a row, then . . . but after that?  Dismal.

In fact, during the month of May, I managed a grand total of EIGHT days of exercise.  Eight.  (Better than "ate," I suppose, but not good.)  I had all kinds of great reasons: 

1)  I was too tired.
2)  I was too depressed.
3)  I didn't want to.
4)  I'd rather walk than ride the exercise bike, but I couldn't get away from my house, so I did nothing instead.
5)  I was too lazy.

So, putting that behind me, I've decided to turn that frown upside down, to atone for my failure, to simply start over.  And so I issue this challenge to you as well as myself . . . how about exercising every day in June?  Yes?  (Oh, you might not get this until tomorrow, June 2, so you are excused for June 1.)

I exercised today, though I did not want to, though I could think of so many other things to do (reclining on my bed, reading a novel, for instance). 

Will you join me?  I'm not making any promises about July or August, but I think I can exercise for the whole month of June.  All it takes is commitment and a little creative scheduling. 

About relapsing

This blog is neglected much like my motivation.  I fully admit to being in tatters.  However, my recent reading of The Incredible Shrinking Critic: 75 Pounds and Counting: My Excellent Adventure in Weight Loss has bolstered my faltering belief that I can stop this free-fall and regain my footing.  The author started her weight loss journey at 230 pounds (similar to my own starting point).  She lost 60 pounds . . . then has a chapter called "Relapse" where she recounts gaining 10 pounds . . . or more.  She says she was afraid to check and that she had to go up a size.

And then, after that, she lost more weight.  She overcame her relapse--IT IS POSSIBLE--and was successful.

I also found it interesting that so many of us start our weight loss journeys with an arbitrary number in mind.  The "Incredible Shrinking Critic" wanted to lose 100 pounds.  That was her publicly stated goal.  She lost 75 pounds and decided that was more realistic.  Jennette Fulda (aka PastaQueen of "Half of Me" blog fame--link over there on my blogroll) intended to reach 160 pounds.  She got to 180 and decided that was enough.  She told me it was a weight that was realistic for her to maintain while enjoying a splurge from time to time.

So many of you told me that perhaps 170 pounds was where my body wanted to stay, that perhaps my stated goal of 150 was unrealistic for this time of my life, for my age, for whatever reason.  I refused to accept that idea.  I wanted to weigh 150 pounds. 

Now, after having a relapse, after struggling for these past five months, I just want to weigh 170 pounds again.  I promise I'd never complain again! 

(Well, maybe.)

Anyway, the beauty of reading blogs and weight-loss memoirs is that you find you are really not alone in the struggle. I really liked this memoir.  (I have a stack I'm working my way through.)  So does Kristin.  She recommended it to me long ago. 

Official Thursday Weigh-In . . . on Friday

I didn't weigh in yesterday (the logistics of weighing in, in the kitchen, with a neighbor boy still here have me stumped).  But I weighed myself today. 

Still 187.  ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN POUNDS!

What gives me comfort is the fact that both weight-loss memoirs I have recently read both have fluctuated 10-15 pounds . . . one even has a whole chapter called "Relapse" (which I intend to talk about sometime soon--but right now I have to start working).

I am not exactly freaked out, not even resigned.  But I am not satisfied with this weight--and now I'm looking fondly on 170 pounds . . . I complained about weighing 170 pounds for that whole year and now I wish I could just stay steady on that particular weight again.

Will you check in now?

Food too expensive?

Check out the Healthy Hillbilly Housewife.  Oh, that seems to be her "old" website.  Here's her new blog, Frugal Abundance.   

Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir

Jennette, aka PastaQueen, of “Half of Me” blog-fame (seriously, check out her rotating progress photos) and Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir book-fame, has answered some questions you proposed a few blog posts back.  (And later, when I have a chance, I’m going to pick a winner of a copy of her book, drawn from those who left a comment on the other post.)

 

What is your favorite weight loss book (memoir or otherwise)?

 

Oh, geez. I'm friends with several weight-loss memoirists, so I can't pick just one or else the others will hate me. I guess I'll pick The South Beach Diet because that was the book that taught my ignorant soul about basic nutrition and health.

 

How long was your longest plateau (if you had one) and how did you deal with the mind game of the scale not moving?

 

I had a 6-week plateau at 260 and I was in the 220's for at least 12 weeks. When I hit plateaus I tried to mix things up because what I was doing obviously wasn't working anymore. I would try new activities, like Pilates or weights. I read some advice that said you should splurge a little to let your body know it was okay to lose weight, so I used that as an excuse to eat a Big Mac and a milkshake J I think it worked too.

 

As for the mind game, I had to tell myself this was something I was doing for the rest of my life anyway. Living healthy was more important than seeing the number go down every week. The lifestyle has to be its own reward. You'll have to get used to it eventually because once you lose the weight you have to maintain the loss. Then you'll actually be happy to see the same number every week.

 

Have you regained any weight over the last few years and again, if so, how did you deal with that issue?

 

I've basically been maintaining my weight for the past year and a half. It's fluctuated within a 10-15 pound range in that time. I gained several pounds just recently because I've been spending so much time on my book tour talking about all the exercise that I've been doing that I haven't had time to do all that exercise I've been talking about doing. Like with the plateaus, I remind myself that healthy living is something I'll have to do for the rest of my life and just keep trying to exercise and make good choices. What's the alternative? Giving up? Not an option.

 

How do you help encourage the people who either don't see the need to get healthy (in other words, how do you communicate the truth about their situation in a loving way to those who truly don't know,) and/or have circumstances like being poor that make it VERY difficult to afford to eat healthy.

 

I think everyone has to save themselves. If someone genuinely doesn't care about living healthy, nothing you say is going to convince them. The best thing to do is provide a positive example. I started to change my eating and exercise habits because I saw my brother succeed in doing it. I know other people have said they've been inspired to do the same because of my success. Actions speak louder than words a lot of the time. As for being poor, I really wish I had an answer to that, but I don't. It's much more difficult to eat well when you're poor and potato chips are cheaper than veggies.

 

I wonder how she dealt with sabotages. You know, the people who say, "Oh, you can have that this once." I mean, some people are down right confrontational about it!

 

Luckily, no one has literally tried to shove cake down my throat. However, I am often tempted by bagels at my workplace. Blueberry bagels. With whipped blueberry cream cheese. Mmm…*drools* It helps if I have healthy alternatives around, like fruits, veggies and string cheese. But honestly, sometimes I eat the bagels, particularly if I'm stressed. My new strategy is to start bringing in fruit and veggie platters for my coworkers. I figure if they can push me towards the carbs, I can try pushing them towards the carrots.

 

But if you do have a confrontation, it's important to remember that it's your responsibility to look out for your health, no one else's. Believe in your own power, the power to say no. Sometimes at a party you can be tricky, take a piece of cake to avoid a confrontation, and then set it down and leave. No one will notice!

 

Did you ever hit a time during the weight loss process that your mind was just not in the game in the sense that you just didn't feel like eating right for a week or two? Were you afraid you'd give up before the goal was reached?

 

Oh, hell yes. I tend to get SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), so I get depressed in the winter and tend to eat more. I've also gone through a tough period lately where I've been dealing with a chronic migraine that has led me to overeat and not exercise as much. There have been nights I've been in so much pain that I haven't cared what I'm stuffing down my throat. But even when I have massive failures like this, I don't see a point in ever giving up. Life is never over until I'm dead and I can always start fresh tomorrow. Even when you reach your goal, the process is never over. You still have to eat well and exercise to maintain it.

 

I'd like to know what that "goal outfit" for her was. You know, the one piece of "skinny clothing" she was so excited to wear? Or maybe what she bought and wore once she had lost the weight that she would never have considered wearing when she was fat.

 

I wore a shimmering, green, sleeveless dress to my brother's wedding. I got it for a deal on ebay and it looked fabulous. I felt stunning in it and I danced so hard I broke the spaghetti strap!

 

I've now lost 65 pounds and am finding myself in the normal size department when shopping for clothes. Does that get less weird? How long did it take you to figure out how to shop?

 

It does get less weird, however women's clothing sizes make absolutely no sense, so figuring out how to shop will probably never get easier. I've noticed that I'm slightly less excited about clothes after a year of maintaining because I'm used to fitting into the size I'm in. It's simply a relief that I don't have to buy a new wardrobe every 6 months. I do feel like I belong in the Misses section now, whereas a year or two ago I felt like I was visiting a foreign country where I'd just learned to speak "thin."

 

What has become a favorite food for you. That you always thought sounded gross before?

 

I like rutabaga. Who knew? It's an ugly, grey root vegetable that looks like a bowling ball, but it's tasty sautéed with olive oil, a smidge of butter and brown sugar, and other seasonings.

 

I am curious -- Now What??? Seems like this weight loss/life style change has been all consuming for the last few years. She trained and ran the half marathon, but quipped that she wouldn't have to run that far again. SO... What's the new focus? Any new challenges (aside from making sure she doesn't become one of the many who re-gains the weight)? Will she continue to blog? What will HALF OF ME become?

 

Good question! It's one I've been thinking about for at least the 6 past months since I finished writing the book. My immediate goal is figuring out how to deal with my chronic headache and to not eat 10 gallons of ice cream while I'm in constant pain. I've got a couple ideas for other writing projects brewing, but I don't want to mention anything yet publicly. I am certain that I will always be blogging in one form or another. Any announcements about the future of "Half of Me" will appear on that site. I've also got stuff going on in my personal and professional life that I've never mentioned in my blog that keep me busy.

 

I would love to ask her how she gets through the bad days? Cause I know we've all had em. ;)

 

Just think about tomorrow. I don't live in the future and I don't live in the past. I just exist in the here and now. Try to do the best you can right now. Don't suffer future pain or dwell in past regrets.

 

I would like to know what she thinks is the most common myth about dieting. What do people believe or do that they think is helping that really isn't?

 

I think people focus too much on food. I've had people request a list of what I eat or ask me if I count calories. In reality, any nutritionally sensible diet that results in you eating less calories than you burn will result in weight loss. For me, it was more important to change my behaviors, my attitude towards food, and to pave the path of least resistance so it was easier for me to eat well and exercise. The food was important too, but it's not the only thing.

 

I would like to know how she handled rude comments made by strangers, when she was fat.

 

I know this is weird, but people weren't all that rude to me when I was fat. Rude comments tend to stick out in my mind because they were so unusual. If someone is rude to you, whether you're fat or thin, stick up for yourself. I never stuck up for myself and it only made me feel powerless and pitiful.

 

I'd love to ask Jennette how those closest to her have reacted to her dramatic transformation.

 

My family has been very supportive. My mom bought me flowers when I hit several of my mini-goals. My brothers have told me they're proud of me. My cat still licks my face when we're curled on the couch even though he has less of a cushion to lie on while he does that.

 

How much do you think exercise played a role in your weight loss success? Do you think you could have done it with just eating alone?

 

I might have been able to do it with just eating alone, but it would have taken longer. My health is much better for being fit. Plus, the muscle tone I've built up by exercising allows me to eat more and still maintain my weight. It almost never hurts to exercise.

 

My question for her is this - is there a lot of excess skin? If so, do you have plans to have it removed? Is that something insurance will cover?

 

I've got some skin, but not that much. I wouldn't go outside in a bikini, but I don't think I'd qualify for a spot in the circus side show either. I don't think I'll have it removed because the surgery is very painful, takes a long time to recover from, and would cause me to lose fitness because I wouldn't be able to exercise. It's also somewhat expensive and if it's cosmetic, insurance usually won't cover it. As I understand it, insurance sometimes covers skin removal if it is severely disabling, like if it prevents you from walking or is causing a severe rash.

* * *

Thanks, Jennette, and good luck with your book!

Sleep and appetite

I remember hearing a long time ago that lack of sleep can increase your appetite.  A study done in 2004 seems to confirm this theory.  (You can read about it here.)  

I believe it.  As the mother of very small children, I often found myself wandering through the day in complete exhaustion, grabbing cookies in an misguided effort to perk myself up.  When you are really tired and you can't sleep and can't fit a quick work-out into your life, either, what are you to do?  I am here to tell you that eating sugar and fat doesn't really help.

Now my children are no longer so small and my nights are generally uninterrupted.  However, I have a job that requires me to stay up until midnight three nights a week . . . and the rest of the week, I find myself staying up that late as well.  I am more geared towards being a night-owl than a morning lark.  And I can not sleep when I got to bed early, even if the opportunity presents itself.  I like the quiet of late nights, I admit.

I sort of sleep in, though my daughter wakes me early with a myriad of questions and requests, usually starting at 7 a.m.  And when school is in session (as it still is, until mid-June around here), I stumble downstairs and sign planners and comb hair and shoo the children out the door to catch their ride.  Even though I doze through the rest of the morning, sometimes falling into a deep sleep filled with weird dreams, I am sure that my requirement for sleep is unfulfilled.

So I must remind myself that eating will not make me feel more rested.  The only thing to do is persevere and look forward to that summer day--soon approaching--when I am not required to wake up by 8 a.m. and can sleep long enough, despite the occasional interruptions.

Cookies do not equal nap-time.  I've got to remember that.

Late Weigh-In

I weighed in today at 187.  That's a gain of almost three pounds, but I have to say that when I peered at my face in the mirror, puffy little pillowy eyelids looked back at me.  I have lately been so puffy when I wake up.  I'm going to make a much procrastinated appointment with a doctor just to make sure everything is fine and dandy inside this body of mine.

I decided to get my increasingly chubbier butt onto the exercise bike after that weigh-in and rode while reading The Incredible Shrinking Critic:  75 Pounds and Counting:  My Excellent Adventure in Weight Loss. 

And so then I felt better. 

I don't really think I gained three pounds last week . . . I didn't eat nearly enough for that, but there's always room for improvement in my diet. 

Also?  I'm going to come up with a strategy to handle my late nights at the computer.  (I work online until midnight three nights a week.)  I really do feel like if I can just hang on until fall when my youngest goes to school, I can carve out a little time to focus on my body.  The trick will be hanging on until then and adjusting to reality.  And reality right now is super busy. 

Delay

No weigh-in today for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that I feel so fat that I am afraid to step on the scale.

And while I am being forthright, let me admit that I haven't exercised in over a week. 

I wonder if I really will get it together at some point?  Will a switch turn back on?  Did a switch somewhere turn off?  Do most people have this much trouble adjusting to a big life change?  (My full-time job started in January which coincides with my weight loss troubles.)   Honestly, between mothering my four children, home-schooling two of them and working forty hours from my desk, I am floundering.

But if I want my size 12 shorts to fit properly this summer, I must figure out a solution to these challenges.

And I'll weigh in tomorrow. 

Healthified Carrot Cake (and more)

Check out this "healthified" Carrot Cake recipe.  This website also has a lot of other recipes and helpful information. 

Half of her

Hey, I'm sure you all read Half of Me, right?  Jennette has lost half of her body weight and not only that, but she talked about it on the Today Show last week. 

Cool, right?  Well, next week, I'll be giving away a copy of her brand new weight-loss memoir called Half-Assed, a weight-loss memoir and posting an interview with Jennette.  And this is no canned interview.  No, sir-ee-bob.  I'm going to ask her actual real questions.

And that's where you come in. 

Do you have any questions you'd like to ask?  Post them in the comments below and I'll try to work them in.  Oh, and to make it even more interesting, how about I choose the winner of her book by random drawing of those who comment on this post?  How about that?   Want to win a free book?  Leave a question for Jennette or just a comment for me (something like, "Mel, you are so pretty!" will do). 

On your mark, get set, go!

(Oh, and yeah, I'm half-way through the book and I love it.  So will you.)