On Spring, Bliss and Throwing Out All My Diet Books!

Before I get to the part about throwing out my diet books, I'd like to focus on bliss for a moment. Bliss, according to my Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition, is defined as complete happiness. Which pretty much sums up what I experienced this morning -- bliss on a bike.

I dusted off my bike seat after a long winter, put the dog's harness on and went for a short ride up to my parents' house. Annie, my three-year-old Golden Retreiver/German Shorthair mix, loves going for bike rides. When she saw me put on my bike helmet and reach for her harness, I had her complete and devoted attention. Once I'd checked the tire pressure, adjusted my rear-view mirror and secured my pant leg with a band, we were read to go.

And go we did! At the start of every ride Annie has oodles of energy. I encourage her pulling efforts by ringing my bike bell like crazy. I'm sure some hapless observer would think we were nuts, but really, I've got her under control.

I've been riding my bike with Annie since she was about 7 months old. It was a lot slower and more cautious in the beginning. I also taught her some important commands. To slow down I say "whoa." My command for left is "left." (Propper mushers use haw for left and gee for right.) For right-hand turns I say, "this way," as she's following my lead.

I didn't read any articles on bike mushing like this one. I just did what came naturally. We don't use genuine musher equipment, but we both have a great time. In fact, I think that part of what makes the whole experience blissful for me is watching Annie completely enjoy herself. It's as if her enthusiasm is contagious, and I can't help but smile and whoop for joy.

Bliss on a bike -- the most fun I've had in weeks!

And now onto those old diet books. . .

About a year ago I read a book called Health at Every Size: The surprising truth about your weight, by Linda Bacon, PhD. I even wrote a couple blog entries about it such as this one and this one. At that time I was going to give up on dieting, but my anti-dieting resolution didn't last long. I've tried both low-carb and WeightWatcher's momentum plan since then. With little results.

But this time I'm serious. This time I bought the book Live a Little: Breaking the rules wont' break your health, by Susan M. Love, M.D. and Alice D. Domar, Ph.D. Once again, it confirms what my body has known all along -- everyone's body is different, and no one is completely in control of their own health or weight either. These two authors have anazlyzed the research on health, wellness and living a longer life, and they report what is and is not really going to help women live longer, healthier, happier lives. (This really is a great book!)

One of my favorite parts debunks the calories in, calories out myth. They write, "According to this theory, big people are big simply because they eat so very much more than their slender counterparts--and weight gain is inversely proportional to the amount of a person's self-control. But Sims's studies, and other like it, suggest this is not necessarily the case. It's far more likely that each of us has a genetically programmed weight range of about ten to twenty pounds. One person's natural range might be from 160 to 180 pounds, while another's might be from 115 to 130. Yet both people may eat the same amount of calories and perform roughly the same amount of exercise." (emphasis added)

There it is in black and white -- what my body has been trying to tell me for years. I am not genetically programmed to be thin. Yes, I'm bummed about that. (Literally.) But just because I carry more weight than others my height, it doesn't mean that I can't be healthy. On the contrary. After a discussion about BMI (Body Mass Index), Love and Domar state, "A study by the Centers for Disease Control found that overweight people tend to live longer than those in the obese or normal categories."

So live a little! And love the body you're in.

Instead of focusing on my weight, I'm going to do what I can to be healthy and be more appreciative of my body. It may not be January, but these are my resolutions.
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Side Note: I just went on Amazon.com to buy Health at Every Size. Apparently it's out of print. A USED paperback copy (only two available) goes for $124.00 or more. I guess it's time to issue a new edition. I'd buy one! (But not for $124.)

Help me, I'm eating again . . .

I need the Lord’s help to conquer my over-eating, but I need to be humble and ASK. Pray at the fridge – or better yet – flee the kitchen like Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife. (Do you think it would help to post a photo of an Egyptian looking woman on my fridge to remind me to flee from food temptations as Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife?) When I’ve fled the kitchen, I can pray and ask for inspiration to distract me from emotional eating.

While I’m on the topic of emotional eating, I’ve been thinking about what roles food plays in my emotional well-being.

I’ve been using food to provide:
Comfort
Fun
Pleasure
Distraction

Those are all things that I need in my life, but food is NOT an appropriate outlet for those needs. (Reminder to self: food is fuel for my physical needs.) If I am to overcome emotional eating, I need to seek to have my emotional needs met by something other than food. Here are some ideas I’ve come up with.

I can find COMFORT through:
The Lord (praying to Him, being grateful for all He’s provided for me to enjoy as I go for walks).
Writing.
Talking with a family member or close friend.
Hanging out with my dog.

I can have FUN without food by:
Focusing my attention at social gatherings on people – interacting with them, learning more about them, listening to their funny stories, laughing with them.
Observing the children at family gatherings (watching as they make a mess while eating, listening in on their innocent conversations) and by playing with them too.
Playing more games with my kids and hubby.
Doing crafts with the girls.
Playing with the dog. Teaching her new tricks. Going on hikes/outings with her during the day when the kids are at school.
Being sure to have a date each week with my sweetie.
Having game nights and inviting other couples.
Working on projects that are just for fun – my chalkboard, the tree mural and birdhouses.
Writing goofy stuff (Annie entries, Chicken Scratch)

I can find PLEASURE by
Walking with the dog
Arranging for Hubby to come home for lunch more often.
Listening to Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, Sting and the tracks on my PlayFour playlist on my i-pod.
Spreading a blanket on the grass and lying in the sun!
Buying wonderful smelling body lotion
Investing in nice leg shaving tools and using sunless tanner, then buying clothing that show off my nice smooth legs.
Wearing clothing that makes me feel WONDERFUL! (And not putting off buying the clothes in the hopes of losing more weight.)
Getting a pedicure and then maintaining it with kicky nail colors.
Taking a long, quiet soak in the Jacuzzi.
Doing yoga at the Rec. center on Thursday mornings.
Visiting local art galleries and savoring the emotional response the pieces generate.

I can counter-act boredom and find DISTRACTION without eating by:
Going for a walk.
Blogging or writing in a journal.
Tackling a job that needs doing (like sorting and putting away the winter hats and gloves).
Taking some outdoor photos to use as desktop wallpaper or for blog posting.
Working on making a music/photo DVD.
Updating my books at goodreads.com.
Adding songs / deleting dumb ones on my i-pod. Downloading ones that I’ve been wanting.
Reading a book (but NOT munching). Instead, I can read outside or at the library, or even drive to a bookstore/cocoa shop and read there.
Cutting up old jeans for future sewing projects.
Playing the piano.
Trying to write poetry.
Practicing new songs on my penny whistle or recorder.
Using one of the girls’ digital recorders and cackling like a witch, then posting it on my blog.
Whistling and recording a few classics to post.
Looking for publishing opportunities on-line.
Calling Lauri or another girlfriend.
Trying to sketch something.
Selecting a quote to have Angie do in vinyl.

Latest and Greatest Dieting Techniques

Hubby and I started a “biggest loser” contest on Monday. So far so good.

I may not win, but I’m having lots of fun! On my birthday Hubby was vacillating between two dishes at the restaurant. I encouraged him to get the 3-cheese fettuccini alfredo . . . and he did! (It had approximately 16 W.W. points per cup – 800+ calories. And he thought I was just guiding him in his ordering so that I could sample his plate. Ha! I didn’t have a bit.)

Then yesterday I made chocolate chip cookies for the student council that Loula Belle is on. I did not have one lick, snitch or bite of dough during their baking, and only ate ½ a cookie much later in the afternoon. Even though they were still available this morning, I resisted. (I think Hubby has had at least six cookies.)

Sure, men may have an advantage when it comes to weight loss because of their muscle mass, but I’m finding ways around that . . . SABOTAGE!

In other weight loss news, I’ve taken to wearing a loose rubber band on my left wrist. When I’m about to eat a treat or goodie – something that my mouth likes but that’s hurtful to my weightloss efforts – I give the rubber band a couple really good snaps against the inside of my wrist. OUCH!

It’s a very physical way to remind myself that eating junk really can be painful for my body.

The consequences of eating too many sweets could . . .

Lead to diabetes – a disease that already runs on both sides of my family.

Contribute to heart disease – another health problem that plagues my mother’s side of the family.

Cause even more pain in my already touchy weight-bearing joints.

Elevate my cholesterol. And after I’ve finally been able to get it into the healthy range – after 14 years of being a bit above recommended levels.

Hit me in the pocketbook. I’ve loved not having to buy clothes from the plus-size section anymore. Plus, smaller clothing sizes usually cost a bit less. Not to mention that if I gain much more weight I’ll have to buy an entire wardrobe of bigger clothes. (Note: This would also cause pain and suffering for my family as I’d be extra grumpy every time I thought about my growing thighs.)

So there you have it. I’m hoping my new rubber band technique snaps me back to the reality of my choices. I’ll let you know.

Patience Report #6: Endless Weight Loss Plateau

Last night before I fell asleep I thought about my plan to learn patience this year. By and large I’ve been doing well. In fact, I’ve discovered that once you choose something to work on, to focus on, all sorts of solutions, ideas and lessons present themselves.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned from trying to be more patient is that it helps not to focus entirely on the here and now. When I try to view life with the end in mind, the little day to day annoyances don’t seem to niggle at me quite so much. Maybe that’s what Scarlett O’Hara meant when she so famously said, “Tomorrow is another day.”

I’m finding that I don’t lose my cool with my kids quite as much as I used to. I don’t obsess about what I can’t wait to purchase, and I’ve reduced the amount of expectations I have for almost everyone. (On really good days, that includes me.)

But I haven’t fully conquered impatience yet. Especially as it pertains to my weight loss goals. I’ve been on a plateau – meaning my weight has hovered right around the same weight (or gone up) -- for a full year. Plus a few months. I’m finding it difficult to stay motivated. Part of me wants to throw up my hands and say, “See. I told you my body couldn’t do it.” But then I’ll attend a Weight Watchers meeting and listen to others share how they’ve dealt with their struggles, and I decide to persevere.

A thought that seems to help me stick it out is, “Weight Watchers is like church for my body.” And since I’m getting a bit tired of paying $7.00 per week for the last 14 months, I’ve added a new clause: “I’ll never even come close to paying as much for Weight Watchers as I pay in tithing.” (Don’t analyze that last phrase. It just works for me.)

Part of patience, I’m discovering, is doing what you can do and living with, even accepting, what’s not in your power to change. I have a body that doesn’t function perfectly. It affects my weight loss efforts. It does not good for me to dwell on my health problems. Instead, I’ve come up with a list of “can do” phrases that I’ve written on a stack of cards. I try to review them once a day. Here’s what they say . . .
I can do this . . .

Take my dog for a walk instead of snacking.

Take the time to prepare healthy meals.

Be stronger than my carbohydrate cravings.

Forgive myself.

Make healthy choices a part of who I am.

Ask the Lord to help me transform my weaknesses into my strengths.

Pray for strength.

Eat less to feel better.

Write what I bite.

Enjoy being active in the great outdoors!

Play!

Be happy now. (Don’t put if off until I reach my goal weight.)

Ask for what I need.

Believe other when they say I look great.

Call a friend when I’m bored instead of snacking.

Look for ways to burn more calories.

Push myself further – especially at aerobics.

Become a fit woman!

Keep at it until I become a Lifetime Member at Weight Watchers.

Ask for support from family and friends.

Stay for weekly W.W. meetings.

Play with my husband and kids. (Basketball with Bug)

Plan out my day’s menu (what/quantity/points values) in the morning

Think positively and then listen and follow the voice inside my head.

Thoughts of Disney during spin class

First of all, let me just say that I warned the women at aerobics class this morning that I was on one. Actually, I just told them that I’d taken an Excedrin for a headache at 4:30 A.M. I figured that some sort of warning was in order. Something that would say, “Caution, Christie will be smiling more than usual. Talking more than usual. And may begin bouncing off the walls.”

Tuesdays are ½ step class and ½ spin. Basically we’re all die-hard step fans, but our instructor knows spinning is a great workout. It’s just that the ½ class of spin seems like at least an hour all by itself. So I’ve taken it upon myself to provide a little distraction during our workouts. In the past I’ve thrown out amusing scenarios along the lines of . . . Pretend we’re contestants on the Biggest Loser, and the camera is doing a close up on you. . . Or . . . Look! It’s Matt Damon ahead of us on a bike. Let’s catch up. . . Or. . . We’re only a few feet away from the Summit of Everest. Keep pedaling!

Today’s caffeine fueled spin distraction started off in Switzerland. “Velcome to our climb up zeh Matterhorn. Vee vill be seeing zeh men in zoze nice leather breeches -- zeh Lederhosen.” But that was about all I could think of to say about Switzerland. Probably because the mention of the Matterhorn took me to Disneyland. So we stayed at Disneyland.

Ladies, welcome to behind the scenes at Disneyland. You’re the little squirrels on the wheels that provide the electricity that drives everything here at the Magical Kingdom. We’re depending on you to keep the rides running. . .

We did the Tower of Terror. Thunder Mountain. It’s a Small World (during our cool down). We almost caught up with George Clooney at Tarzan’s treehouse. Orlando Bloom also offered to ride Pirates of the Caribbean with the spinner who won the sprint contest. (I was winning. Orlando took off. He looked scared.) We talked about Soaring Over California but didn’t end up fueling it. I was, however, distracted by the memory of the orange-scented flight over the orange groves. And that’s when I became aware of a marketing niche that Disney has overlooked.

Disney could sell Soaring Over California air fresheners. I’d love to buy some spray that would smell like the orange groves from the ride. Or some pine-scented spray just like the breeze wafting through the evergreens beside that beautiful California river. And maybe, just maybe, a little puff of air that smells just like Disneyland will bring some residual magic from the Magical Kingdom right into my home. (Glade home fragrance commercials are ubiquitous. Just think what the Disney marketing team could do!)

So if you’ve got a Disneyland Marketing connection, pass along my suggestion.

What do I think about Weight Watchers?

In the last week I've had two different friends ask me what I think about Weight Watchers. Seeing as how I've lost 36 lbs. on their program and have been an active member for 18 months, I think I'm qualified to give my opinion.

I have loved weight watchers! I always told myself that whenever I got desperate enough to pay money to lose weight I'd go to Weight Watchers first. After joining I wish I hadn't waited so long. Their program is wonderful! After joining I felt like I was living the Word of Wisdom for real. More fruits and vegetable than I'd ever eaten. Oh, and whole grains too.

I think the two biggest things Weight Watchers has going for it is accountability and support. When you have to fork over funds, it really makes you committed. (WW has done experiments in the past and offered "scholarships" for qualifying dieters. But they found that people who didn't have to pay their own fees weren't successful at losing the weight.)

Weight watcher meetings are fabulous! It's good to hear that other people have my same struggles but are still committed to better health. When someone hits a big weight loss milestone (25 lbs., 50 lbs., etc.) it's fun to celebrate with them, and it motivates me to hang in there.

If you're a person who is burned out on keeping a food journal, you'd probably like the Core plan at WW. Instead of tracking, you eat from a list of core foods: fruits, veggies, whole grains (but not bread), non-fat dairy, and lean meats. Then you just listen to your hunger signals. That's the way my sister-in-law lost 30 lbs. and reached her goal weight.

About fixing family fare that's healthy . . . I'm afraid I don't have a magic bullet. My family doesn't always like the ultra-healthy stuff I fix, but they still try it. I like to serve something that I can eat, but also round out the meal with a couple things that I know my kids will eat -- like bread and fruit. Also, I try not to keep tempting sweets in the house, but sometimes I break down and buy cookies for the kids. Or my daughter makes homemade cookies. I've found that if I don't make the cookies I don't eat the dough and do better at resisting the baked product too.

I wish I could say that my weight loss journey has been smooth sailing, but it hasn't. I've been stuck at a plateau since this time last year. (I joined a gym in October of '06 and think that I've gained muscle mass. But the scale bounces up and down and averages the same old number.) My original goal weight with WW is at the top of their scale (150 lbs.). It's what I weighed when I got married and wore a size 7/8 -- it's about 18 lbs. less than what I've been stuck at. Because I'm also a walking hormone problem, just yesterday I had my doctor sign a new goal weight for me -- 168 lbs. Now I'm optimistic that I can FINALLY reach Lifetime status at WW. (Once you reach lifetime status you can go to meetings for free as long as you weigh in at least once a month are are within 2 lbs. of your goal weight.)

Lifetime members are successful 75% of the time at maintaining their weightloss. I want to be a part of that 75% statistic.

Another friend asked me if I have lots of new healthy recipes. I have a few new recipes, but for the most part I eat the same stuff, just less of it. (I've done the Flex point system at WW.) I often wonder if I could reach the WW goal weight of 150 lbs. by being more strict with my eating habits. But after trying to eat like that for less than a week I always come back to sane, simple, moderation. I don't want to lose weight by becoming a member of the food police or joining over-exercisers anonymous. Like everything else in life good health is a balancing act.

If ever I'm feeling a little frumpy, I like to really do my hair and make-up well, put on some loud earrings and give people a nice big, distracting smile. I figure that if I can keep them looking at my head, maybe they won't notice my hips! :) It seems to be working.

Quote of the day: "Never eat more than you can lift." -- Miss Piggy's Guide to Life

For the Strength of Mothers . . .

Don’t look now, but yesterday I emptied our truck of 36 bags of sand. They weighed 50 pounds each. And, because I wanted to really challenge myself, I started my stopwatch. Are you ready for this? I moved 1800 lbs. of sand in 9 minutes 26 seconds! (If there had been just four more bags, I would’ve moved a ton of sand. Whew!)

You might be asking yourself why I was moving sand in the first place. Because it’s crunch time for my son’s Eagle Scout project. He’s putting in a set of horseshoe pits at our local park, and we kind of jumped the gun when we purchased the sand. (We should have waited until later today.) As it was, my husband didn’t figure that leaving 1800 lbs. of sand in the back of our truck for 30 hours would be a very good idea. And since Bug was up at the park staking out where the rest of his troop would help him dig the pits, the sand emptying fell to me.

You’d better believe that I got good and sweaty toting all that sand. I even wondered if I’d regret it today, but I’m happy to report that I’m feeling great! In fact, this morning at aerobics I only felt a little bit of tightness in my lower back. Nothing too bad. I guess that all these months of aerobics and weight training has really paid off. It just goes to show that fitness can’t always be measured with a scale. ‘Cause the scale still says what it did at the end of October of 2006, but I definitely feel a whole lot more fit.

On a different note, I must gush about my favorite watch. It’s a Timex Ironman Triathlon slim design. Although I don’t use it much for exercise, and I’d never dream of trying to train for a triathlon, I use it all the time in my motherly activities. It has three different alarms. I set one to go off on Tuesdays at 2:50 P.M. to help me remember to pick up Bug from piano lessons. (Prior to setting the alarm I’d forget half the time.) The others I use for similar purposes. They’re great as reminders.

I also use the timer feature a lot when cooking. The self-frosting chocolate zucchini cake my family likes takes 40 minutes to bake. I simply set my watch timer and then wander. That way I don’t have to be in the kitchen listening for the oven timer. If you have small children who sometimes have a hard time sharing their toys with siblings or friends, you could set the timer on your watch for 5 minutes and at the end of the time have your child swap toys with the other child. (I’ve found that after both kids have had a chance to play with the toy they seldom need a trading timer again.)

Last of all I use the stopwatch as a motivational tool. Like yesterday’s sand moving. Only sometimes I use it with the kids. I say something like, “We need to clean this bathroom. Let’s time it and see how fast we can get it done.” Nothing like a time incentive to get them moving.

Well, that’s it for today. Tomorrow the kids head back to school, and I hope to be a more diligent blogger. Ta-ta for now.

21 Benefits I Hope to Gain By Losing Weight

Now that I’m 36 pounds into my weight loss journey, sometimes I skip the diet and exercise articles when I’m thumbing through magazines. But not yesterday. I think it was the title that grabbed my attention – "What’s My Motivation: Identifying Why Weight Loss Matters," by Caroline J. Cederquist, M.D. in the May/June 2007 issue of LDS Living.

You could say that my motivation to lose more pounds has evaporated. I guess I’ve been telling myself that 36 pounds is enough. My goal weight at Weight Watchers is 150 pounds, but four or so years ago when I was doing T.O.P.S. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) my family doctor and I arrived at 168 pounds as a reasonable weight for me to shoot for. And I’ve been stuck right there at 168 pounds since October. (I have dipped down as low as 163, but went right back up.)

I can’t honestly say that I’ve been strictly following the Weight Watchers guidelines. I’ve been fudging a bit. But after reading that article yesterday, I’m reviving my motivation.

I followed Cederquist’s advice to take a pile of index cards, think about what benefits I hope to gain from losing weight and reaching my Weight Watcher’s goal, and then write as many benefits as I can think of on the cards – one benefit per card. I came up with 21 benefits. Next, Cederquist advised organizing the cards in order from most motivating to least. Then once they’re in order, write the top five reasons on another set of cards to keep in your wallet or purse, on the fridge, at work, in the kitchen, etc.

Here is my list of what I hope to gain by losing weight and reaching my Weight Watcher’s goal (in reverse order).

21. I will have eliminated my risks for diabetes and heart disease.

20. When I hear about the obesity epidemic on the news or in the paper, I’ll know that they’re not talking about me.

19. My clothes will take up less space in the suitcase when I travel. (More room for souvenirs.)

18. Just imagine how I’ll look shwooshing down the ski slopes this winter. (Hot! Hot! Hot!)

17. I’ll get to buy a "wonder bra" at Victoria’s Secret. (As in, I wonder where my bust went.)

16. My rear end will look really great while I’m sitting on my bicycle seat.

15. I’ll have legs that look great in heels.

14. I can get a new driver’s license with a cute photo and an honest weight.

13. I’ll get to buy a cute, new swimming suit from Land’s End.

12. I’ll need to acquire a stylish new wardrobe.

11. My knees and hips will thank me, and toned legs will help prevent future knee injuries.

10. I’ll buy cute square-neck shirts to show off my clavicles.

9. I’ll live a loooooong, happy and healthy life!

8. I will have firm, fit, tones and muscular arms, legs, abs, and . . . well . . . buns.

7. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to generate a story or two and some publicity for my blog and future website.

6. I won’t have rolls on my stomach when I sit down.

5. I’ll have a great reason to smile, laugh and encourage others to follow my lead.

4. I’ll be qualified to work for Weight Watchers. (Not a possibility with a doctor prescribed weight goal.)

3. I will have set a good example for my family of determination and commitment.

2. I’ll look like I did when I got married . . . maybe even better!

1. I’ll have gained an iron will and the knowledge that I can do ANYTHING!

Now, here comes the beautiful part – what I think will really help me stay motivated. Cederquist counsels readers to review the large deck of personal motivators daily, perhaps starting your day by flipping through the cards or even reading them aloud sometimes.

I took her advice a step further. Yesterday I glued old buttons to the tops of empty Altoid mint containers. (It’s a multi-layered, kitchy sort of look.) Anyway, I selected my favorite button box and cut my cards to fit inside it. Now I have a cute container to keep my cards in to boot!

I’ll keep you posted regarding my efforts. I have high hopes that they’ll succeed!

Fun Ways to Get Fit (for kids and families)

jump rope

have a hoola hoop contest

play hopscotch

have a relay race (we like the "old clothes" relay)

have a hippity hop race or obstacle course

run through the sprinklers

go for a family bike ride

put on fun music and dance like crazy!

go for a listening walk

jump on a trampoline

rollerblade at a park

play tag (freeze tag)

go for a hike as a family

play kickball

walk your dog (or your neighbor's)

play night games

have a water fight

play frisbee

go for a bug hunt

play with a balloon--don't let it touch the ground

go swimming

play catch

practice your favorite sport with a friend

play laser tag

make a village in a sandbox

Not so fun activities, but good for fitness
(to add an element of fun to the below activities, have participants wear comical hats or gender-bender accessories -- i.e. have Dad wear a woman's hat or a feather boa)

work in the garden

vacuum

wipe mirrors or windows

sweep the garage