Another Book

Today I started reading "The End Of Overeating."--"Taking Control Of The Insatiable American Appetite" by David A. Kessler, MD.  What have I learned so far?

1.  The 3 food groups are salt, sugar, and fat.  (Of course Rex has been telling me this for years)
2.  The concept of palatability, scientifically speaking.
3.  Homeostatic system--in humans.

As of this moment I am on page 18.  Since there is 251 pages, I have a very long way to go but I am going to try and paraphrase what I have learned so far so I feel I am comprehending information that is essential to my success. 

The 3 food groups are pretty straight forward and I understand them.  The tricky part about them is recognizing these  (ingredients?) in foods that you would not expect to find them.

I always understood the definition of palatable as something that is tasty and that one would enjoy eating.  But, as I learned, in scientific terms, it means the capacity of a food to stimulate the appetite and prompt us to eat more.  Doesn't that just suck??  All I can say is, now I would really appreciate a perfectly working homeostatic system!  Handy tool that would be....

The homeostatic system was believed to be a biological mechanism to create a balance in our bodies between calories consumed and calories burned.  Well hell yes, something biologic that would control our caloric balance.  Wow that sounds like the perfect trait to naturally have within us.  We would all be the weight we were meant to be if that homeostatic system worked as it was believed it was suppose to.

So what happened?  Keep in mind that I have only read 18 pages of this book, but as I understand it, this system worked for centuries, until the 1970's and 80's. That is when food manufactures started adding fat and sugar to a lot of prepackaged food.  It also is when many cooks stopped making everything from scratch.

I will keep reading this book and pass along information that I find useful and important. 

Have I found part of "THE ANSWER"?  I sure hope so....I am running out of time!!

Back With Internet

I am back in the land of daily Internet access.  Got here yesterday and have been doing a lot of catching up with all the bloggers I like to read.  Now I am ready to write one.

I grew up with a calendar (actually more than one) hanging on the wall.  I still like having a calendar hanging on the wall.  The one I bought this year has a theme:  "Live With Intention".  Every month there is s simple, but cool drawing of a plant and words of wisdom.  The words of wisdom  for September are: "At each stage of learning we must give up something, even if it is a way of life that we have always known".  This quote is credited to Ginevee an Austrailian Aboriginal.

As with other months, I found these words  speaking to me and providing me with food for thought.  To me it means that as we gain knowledge, if we accept what me learn, it sometimes makes it us realize our current behavior might not be in our best interest.  Although I must admit sometimes even after we learn something, making behaviorl changes isn't always easy.

For example, I started smoking as a teenager and just quit 8 years ago.  Now of course, I understood that smoking was not in my best interest health wise but it was very tough to give up that behavior.   I also understand that being overweight or obese is not in my best interest health wise either  and losing it is just not easy.  It is a way of life I have always known---and at this stage of learning not easy to correct. 

This stage of leaning and changing is definitely a work in progress.  Hopefully I am making progress!

Dear Diary-5

September 1.2010

Dear Diary….I recall mentioning that I was going to weigh myself on Sept. 1.  I did and this is the result 183.6#.  I have kept off 15.4# and I am thrilled with that.  It could have been so much worse.  I have not weighed myself since June 1 and I weighed 180.8#. I gained 2.8#….I am so lucky.

I didn’t measure my waist but will in a day or so.

Good thing it is fall and summer is over…seems to bring about renewed commitment. 

Dear Diary-4

August 21, 2010

OK so this is as far as I got with this post…and today’s actual date is September 1, 2010.  Do I really remember what happened on Aug. 21?  Maybe not everything, but I do remember a binge, in  fact I remember that it was the start of a THREE day binge.  It just sucks that i HAVE these binges on a way too regular schedule.  Why can’t I eat 1500 calories a day and be done with it.  I just shovel in food.  Doesn’t even have to be something I like.  It seems to be a quantity issue—just shovel until I just physically can’t anymore.  Does this make any sense?

Dear Diary-3

August 20, 2010

Today I took my waist measurement….not going to weigh myself until Sept. 1 but I did want a way to see if I am making progress.  So my waist is 2 inches bigger than it was on April 9th.  Just love waisting (I know this is not the correct spelling) the last 4 MONTHS!!  But there you go…I did waste it.

I also got in my hour of exercise…Wii and walking.  I am so disgusted with myself.  Why do I drop out of exercise when it makes me feel so great?  No sane reason for it.  I feel confident, strong, and powerful when I exercise daily.  What is wrong with me??  Getting back in the exercise groove the last three days has been amazing.  I just don’t understand why I drop the ball so much.

Eating….so how was eating today?  It was good except for the chocolate strawberry piece of cake I had, but even that was better.  It was better because I ate it mindfully, I really took my time and savored each bite.  A vast difference from my usual habit of stuffing it in as fast as I can. Another difference, I enjoyed it instead of feeling guilty….I also stopped with one piece instead of having more.

Progress in my estimation!

Quinoa

I have been trying to incorporate new (to me), healthy foods into my diet.  Quinoa came to my attention, so I decided to try it.

 

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) was called “the mother grain” by the ancient Incas.  It has protein in it,  5 grams in a 1/4 cup serving,   highly unusual for a grain. 

It has a bland flavor which makes it perfect to “doctor” up.  I put onions, red peppers, tomatoes, celery, garlic, and ginger in mine.  Mostly I was using up foods in my fridge-but I thought it tasted great.  It is very versatile and can be used in soups, salads, breads, puddings or as a breakfast cereal.  I have used it as a substitute for rice in a stuffed eggplant dish and also mixed with chicken and mushrooms for another dish. 

Quinoa is something that  will find it’s way to my plate more often.

Dear Diary-2

August 19, 2010

Today I did 30 minutes using the Wii and walked for 30 minutes meeting my goal of an hour of exercise a day for 5 days in a row.  Two down 3 to go…..there will most likely be a day between day 4 and day 5 as we have a wedding to go to on Sunday and other errands that have to be done.  I know that sounds like an excuse and, of course, it is but Saturday night I work until 4 AM on Sunday so getting up before errands and the wedding will be tough.  I don’t know maybe my workout can be in little 10 or 15 minutes bursts throughout the day.  I’ll have to think about it and see what I can come up with.

My eating was within the guidelines I have set up so that wasn’t a problem today.

Dear Diary…..keep me honest and on course…PLEASE!!

See you tomorrow.

Dear Diary

August 18, 2010

Dear Diary,

Today I worked out with the Wii for 30 minutes and walked for 30 minutes.  My Wii informed me it had been SIXTY TWO days since my last Wii session.  Well I can confirm that it was pretty damn accurate.  Damn, why am I back to this point again?  I sort of quit exercising when the temps got to 105 and I just couldn’t whip up the energy although I did walk sporadically.

The last time I was on a scale was June 1 and I weighed 180.8#.  I will not weigh again until September 1 and pray that I don’t weigh 190 something.  That is one reason I am waiting 2 weeks to weigh, because I want a little time to get a head start and not be totally depressed about the number I am sure is there.  To that end I am committed to working out an hour a day for the next 5 days.

So how about the other component of this never ending battle?  My eating for the last couple of days has been between 1200 and 1300 calories.  My goal for the next two weeks (and beyond) is to not exceed 1500 calories on any one day.   This is always the problem part for me and it isn’t that I don’t eat extremely well with lots of vegetables and fruit.  I also usually have fish two or three times a week.  So what is the problem?  I have a sweet tooth that doesn’t quit.  I know a cookie won’t tank my diet but the whole bag will and I don’t seem to be able to stop with one. 

Anyway Dear Diary……help me stay the course.  I know how, it’s just the action part that I have a problem with.  See you tomorrow.

Will You Be Nice To Me?

I am a table games dealer in a casino in Nevada so here is something that I deal with on a daily basis.

WOW…”will you be nice to me”?  I hear that question a LOT.  It always flusters me.  What is really being said?

Do you really mean will I be polite to you?  Of course…why wouldn’t I be?

Do you really mean “will I let you win every hand?  Of course not!!  Anyway you you already know you won’t.  And even if you did, that would be boring and would totally defeat the purpose of gambling.

Quite frankly, if you win OR lose overall, has a lot more to do with you and the other players at the table than it does with me.

This   is what I do…make sure you make your bet correctly and place the proper cards in front of your bet. I also read the hands and correctly determine the winner and of course, pay that winner the right amount.

So if you come to a casino and play at a table game, do yourself a favor.  Know how to play he game and give yourself the best chance of winning by following the guidelines.  It will make your gaming experience better and just maybe profitable……but always remember being lucky really helps and so does a positive mental attitude.

Makes Sense To Me

I have been reading “WOMEN FOOD AND GOD” by Geneen Roth.   I first heard about this book when the author was interviewed by Oprah. The following paragraph from that book is something each and every one of us that struggles with weight or any other obsession needs to read.  Here it is:

“The bottom line, whether you weigh 340 pounds or 150 pounds, is that when you eat when you are not hungry, you are using food as a drug, grappling with boredom or illness or loss or grief or emptiness or loneliness or rejection.  Food is only  the middleman, the means to the end.  Of altering your emotions.  Of making yourself numb.  Of creating a secondary problem when the original problem becomes too uncomfortable.  Of dying slowly rather than coming to terms with your messy, magnificent and very, very short—even at a hundred years old—life.  The means to these ends happens to be food, but it could be alcohol, it could be work, it could be sex, it could be cocaine.  Surfing the Internet.  Talking on the phone.”

That is so profound I have spent all day thinking about it….I do a lot of eating when I am not hungry especially at night.  Wow what a concept ONLY EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY or at the very least, to be honest enough with myself to pinpoint the real reason I am  stuffing cookies I don’t even like in my mouth as fast as I can without choking.  This is something I will be working on A LOT.

Summer Without Internet: Part 2

The other day I mentioned some of the things I have been doing to occupy myself this summer without internet, today I want to think about what I miss.

I miss reading other blogs.  I always learn something and sometimes they give me ideas for content on my blog.  For example, I wrote why I exercise because one of the  bloggers did a poll asking that question.  I don’t know why, but for some reason the answers  they give you to choose from don’t apply to me.  So a post with my reasons for exercising makes sense to me.

I find I like concise blogs that give me food for thought.  Sarah Jio is one of my favorites,  she writes a lot for Glamour magazine.  I read a lot of blogs on “Shine” too.  I enjoys Jen Emmert at www.priorfatgirl.com, although her posts are pretty long.   I actually quit reading a few because they were just too long, too much.  Although I do find that I miss the bloggers themselves and do check in on them, just not as often.

I also feel that I have let myself down with this blog.  I could use livewriter as I am today to write one, but I have not been updating my blog as often as I would like to.  Just seems more difficult to me withort that instant gratification of having it published.  I need to work on that.

I miss the news or I should say the news that interests me.  I am pretty selective about what I want information on.

Otherwise, I am sort of glad I have time to do other things and enjoy the physical space I have available to explore this summer.  I am so lucky!!

Summer Without Internet

So what does one do without Internet  service for the summer?

Number 1 on the list:  Spending A LOT more time outside.  This is pretty easy when you live on 40 acres in the Southwest.  Did I mention that summer temps here can be, and frequently are, over 110?    On the BIG plus side, I get to experience beautiful landscape, very rugged  and with a degree of danger…so far I have had 4 encounters with snakes…..2 rattlers and 2 red racers.  Burros also run  wild around here,  as do jackrabbits, lizards, coyotes, quail, several types of rodents, and a lot of stuff I don’t even know about. Yup I have been spending a lot of time enjoying this place.

Another thing I have been doing is putting together puzzles.  It is a great mind vacation.  They are challenging and allow you to use your eyesight, your ability to recognize complex shapes, and your patience level!!  If you focus on finding the pieces,  your mind clears and it is so nice to get thoughts to go away for a while.    Of course, studying pieces and be tedious and frustrating, but really fun when your find that long sought after piece.

Lean, Strong, Healthy, and Rich

Ever think about what  adjectives you would like used to describe yourself.  For me, I would like lean, strong, healthy, and rich.  At the moment two of them apply: strong and healthy.  Actually healthy is the most important and I am grateful that I am a healthy person.  I am doing whatever I can to stay healthy-exercising, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and fish.  The lean part is getting more attainable due to working out.

Don’t get me wrong, there are other adjectives I would like people to think when the see me--kind, good hearted, generous, and just plain nice but those four are my goal.

Rich—not yet but I keep buy Power Ball tickets!!  Maybe someday!!  Got my fingers crossed.

A Plan For Summer

Now that my vacation is over, I am working on me again.  This weeks goal is to do 20 minutes of yoga every morning when I first get up.  Actually a few months ago, I did do 20 minutes of yoga poses when I first got up--so what the hell happened?  Don't really know, just got lazy and complacent I guess.  Tomorrow is Monday and the traditional day of new beginnings. 

I can, I will!!

P. S,  For the summer I am staying at a place without Internet so my postings will be somewhat sporatic, but they will be made when ever I can.

Is This Old

Does it mean you are old when you have no clue who most of the people are that appear on most red carpets?  Apparently I have lost touch with the young famous people.  I just don't recognize any names.

Today Oprah had on a 16 year old Justin Bieber and 18 year old Charice.  Had no clue who he was but did recognize Charice the minute she sang-who could forget a huge voice like that coming out of that tiny girl?  I had seen her on Oprah's show a couple of years ago.

Anyway-today I am feeling very, very old and out of touch!

A Week!!

Once again I have let a week go by without blogging....

My only excuse, I am on vacation and have not had Internet access everyday.  We have been having a great time, but I am positive the scale will not be happy with me when I get home.  I have been working out though, but it is tough not to eat stuff I shouldn't. 

When I get home I have a plan to get back on track......

I can, I will!

Having Children Is Not About You..

Having children is not about you, or at least not ALL about you.  Does anyone ever wonder if the child you are thinking about having will be emotionally nurtured and physically cared for, in the situation you will be providing?  I know I sure didn't before I became a parent.  Will that child you want be raised in an atmosphere where both parents like and respect each other?  Mine sure weren't. 

I can't believe that this soceity does not find a way to put a stop to this indescriminate population explosion.  This is such a dis-service to  children.  Too many children are being born to children.  My 21 year old grandson has a daughter that is 4 or 5.  HE is still a child and he is not alone, multiply this by hundreds of thousands. 

What a difference it would make if we would all wait to bring a precious life into this world until becoming an adult ourselvers.  I know I would have been a totally different parent.  And I would have tried to be wise in selecting the person to share this experience with.

I was a terrible Mother and since Mother's Day is coming up, I decided to be honest about my experience as a Mother and to try and make people understand that MY CHILDREN are paying a price  because I didn't have a clue about how to care for them.    I never required anything from them and I never taught them to do anything.  I cannot even begin to express how sad I am about this.  We all missed out because I was way too immature.  Needless to say, I do not have one maternal instinct in my body. And I became a single parent at a young age.  These are all facts.

To all of these people that say:

I want to have a baby, I want to have a baby....

Consider what the baby (toddler, preschooler, grade schooler, middle schooler, teenager  because they don't stay a baby),  might want.....

Having a CHILD is not ONLY about YOU!!

Tatoos Are Forever

Tatoos, like daimonds, are forever......UNLESS, of course, you have a LOT of cash and a HIGH tolerance for PAIN.

I sincerely hope all of these pretty young people I see with tatoos on their necks, arms, legs, boobs, and just above the crack of their ass, asked themselves one question first:

If this was a blouse would I want to wear it THE REST OF MY LIFE?

Before giving a tattooist permission to tattoo your skin , (your largest, and most visible organ),  please consider the life long relationship you will have with it.

The Thursday, March 11,2010 post on http://www.msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/ addresses, in a very personal way, the issue of tattoos and tattoo remorse. 

Be sure, be VERY sure if you choose to get a tattoo......because....

TATTOOS ARE FOREVER!!

Free Form

We all have them, days that we just don't make it to the gym and the expected walk around the park didn't happen either.  Today was one of those days.

So here I sit thinking: What I can easily do right here and right now?   I want to something that feels GREAT and something I don't have to think about.  Something that "opens the door and flows through the whole place".

I LOVE body movement. Especially moves that stretch my muscles.  Taking a stretchy band and starting with it in my hands held apart and stretched to the point of very firm tension.  I just move my arms back and forth as much as I can without relaxing the tension.  I can make the band one or two layers, it just changes the effort it takes to engage your arm muscles.  Then I just move my body with the idea of "stretching" your muscles until it feels wonderful.  Your workout follows your imagination - which makes it "free form".  Just try it, I found moving with my stretchy band was really relaxing- nothing is right or wrong-just move and stretch.  Your body will let you know what feels good.

Wow...it really felt great!!  Good idea Mary!!

I can, I will!!

P. S.  In all honesty, I have found  stretching with a stretchy band  is a real "turn on"  if you do it front of your loved one.  I don't necessarily mean right in front of....the same room works!!

I really can, I really will!

Stuck

I am stuck and feel like a fraud!!  I have been going up and down the same 2 pounds for about 6 weeks.  Have you ever heard this definition of insanity:  Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.?  That is me.  What is my problem? 

I feel comfortable now, even though I know I would feel even more comfortable 10, 15, 20 pounds less.  One thing, my knees have been bothering me and I am sure it is arthritis in them.  I know that each pound you lose will take 4 pounds of pressure off your knees so what is my problem?  I know that my knees need the relief and I would be much happier. 

So here I am and feeling like I am spinning my wheels, but I have to look at the bright side because I have told myself that 2010 is the year I am going to improve myself and be more positive overall.  So in the past I know I would have just thrown in the towel by now and given into all of my cravings.  I am only talking 2 pounds here not 10 or 20 (which is easily doable for me).

The last two day I have taken to carrying around a piece of paper with the following quote from Jen at http://www.priorfatgirl.com/:

One day at a time
One decision at a time
One bite at a time

STAND UP AND FIGHT!!

I am reading this often and it has helped me not to overindulge.

I can, I will!!