New Start, Clear Goal: A move to a more clear-sighted, targeted blog. Please change links and follow me there!

Hi...Please follow my fatfighting journey at a new blog. I wanted a clearer goal and I wanted it reflected in the blog title. "Once" is too amorphous for me. Yes?

I've added a blog post there explaining the new blog and linking to the two fatfighting bloggers who inspired my move.

Please support me in my new "place". And have patience while I add links over there.

New Blog:

Two Years to Happy Weight After

THANKS...

Princess Dieter

What Do You Eat Before Working Out?

I've been experimenting in the last month and a half on what helps me get through an hour-long Pilates workout best.

Heavy meals. No.

Just a piece of fruit. No.

An egg or egg whites. No.

Before I tell you what gets me--a middle-aged fat gal whose been sedentary for years--through a hard set of exercises without totally feeling a sinking fatigue, let me pass on what Duke Diet & Fitness experts suggest:

The best preworkout snack is one that includes carbohydrates, which provide an energy boost, and protein, which sustains the energy boost and helps you feel satisfied longer. Here are some ideas:

* Half a bagel with low-fat cream cheese
* An apple with reduced-fat cheddar cheese
* A banana with peanut butter
* Yogurt with berries
* A few crackers with tuna
* One slice of bread with turkey

The key is to keep your portion small — around 50 to 100 calories. Eat your snack 30 minutes to an hour before you work out, keeping in mind that the body takes a little longer to absorb the energy from foods containing fat.

And before you stock up on energy bars or other products that promise to give you a boost during your workout, take note: While these products can be a convenient option, they can also be high in calories. If you do choose a sports bar, look for small ones that contain 100 calories or less.

Okay, so, with trial and error, I've noticed that what I have approximately 1 hour before a workout DOES make an energy difference (pooping out and working less hard versus feeling more zing and putting in more effort, hence, getting better exercise and results).

This is the combo that works for me:

*Something with caffeine (a shot of espresso, a cup of regular drip coffee, a cup of green tea, or a glass of iced green tea).
*something with about 20 grams of carbs: a nice-sized banana, some fruit juice that isn't overly acidic (orange juice gives me reflux, which is an obstacle in positions where you put pressure on the tummy).
*some protein: to keep it fast, I go for something super-easy, like a protein mix that I can shake up fast in a plastic shaker cup. I've used DESIGNER WHEY, which is low-carb. I've used the Melaleuca brand mix. Now, thanks to Gym Rat's recommendation about the flavor, and my own review of its nutrients, I'm using Syntha-6. I got the strawberry flavor, and it's reminiscent of the strawberry milk of my childhood. It's nice.
*Something with potassium. If I use milk with the protein mix, that covers it. If I have a banana, that covers it. If I don't have time to eat a fruit, I just guzzle down some coconut water. That has carbs and a LOT of potassium (about 600 mg for 11 oz). This has cut down on my propensity to have cramps in certain moves.

The Starbucks Vivanno in chocolate banana flavor works for me, too--it's got the nonfat milk and banana(for the potassium double wham), the protein mix, and I request a shot of espresso for the caffeine.

It's easy to make a smoothie, too, just add the ingredients together at home in a blender: skim milk, some protein mix scoop, a banana or strawberries, and a shot of espresso in there (or a bit of green tea powder mix).

So, there ya go: caffeine, some carbs, some protein, and potassium. I try to keep clear of added fats.

So far, this has been the BEST combo for me.

What works for you?

I Wanna Be A Diet Marine!

I totally loved this slogan in a photo posted by that ever-delightful fatfighting warror, Jennette of Half of Me:



In case your monitor doesn't show it clearly, it says:

The few. The proud. The ones who stick to their diets.

Lord, help me be one of the Diet Marines!

Ooo-Rah!*

~~

*(as my former-Marine pal spells it.)

~

What We Can Accomplish in a Year...

...if we do the work. If we stick to eating plans. If we move. If we don't lose heart or faith or let our attention flag.

Take a look at what we can do in a year by checking out the blogs (and archives) of these successful fatfighters:

Heather--at goal

Lyn--getting there, eloquently

Jennette--who got a book deal out of it and has been on TV

Roni--who's posted great "one year later" shots

Let's do some visualization--what CAN we look and feel like in one year?

Nice, huh?

And even though I didn't have a perfect day yesterday, I still was able to weigh-in 1.2 lbs less. Hurrah.

Let's take a healthy step toward next July 31. Let's become that visualized "me."

~

Diet Blog: Why Diets Fail

Good blog entry over at Diet Blog called "Why Do Most Diets Fail?". If you're on a weight-loss quest, I suggest STRONGLY that you drop by and read it. And maybe weep a bit before getting on with the tough work.

Sniff.

12 Week Goal-Setting?

Well, I had my lengthy bit of a reality check in my last post, onto something a bit more concrete:

Diana at Scale Junkie has left Denial, FL. She's headed toward a series of 12-week blocks of time during which she makes plans and, at the end of each 12-week block, takes measurements and is bloggily accountable.

Twelve weeks. About 3 months. A quarter-year.

It's a good block of time for short-term, achievable goals. Short enough to focus. Long enough to establish a good habit, or more than one.

If you don't believe me, check out these books that use the 12-week block for changing one's body and life:




More HERE.

I'm gonna sit down with a note pad and see if I can shape up something of a 12-week plan. If I get to it and complete it, and if I decide I want to go with it, I'll post it and, like Diana, become accountable.

Anyone else like the idea of a 12-week goal-setting, weight-tracking, measurements-taking, accountability blogging challenge? :)

And check in at amazon.com for some great deals on weight loss tomes in the Bargain Books section.

The Princess Does Pilates

Yep.

I did it.

I finally decided that, unless I wanted to risk actually sprouting roots into my sofa, it was time to move.

I signed up for personal training in Pilates.

Yesterday was my first session.

It was hard.

Real hard.

I worked out on a classic Cadillac:



And I stretched on the Barrel:




The exercises were not painful in and of themselves. At one point, I was feeling some pain and stiffness in my lower back in a position, and Liza immediately got a pad and adjusted it and I was good to go. So, no agony.

Just hard.

As you gals with huge bellies know, doing some moves are amazingly tough, because the belly is an obstacle. So, bending legs up toward chest is, well, not possible. Bending over is impeded. Any good trainer, though, knows how to adjust, modify, and work around limitations.

And, upbeat as she is, Liza just kept saying about the big belly o' mine: It can be eliminated. It will be gone.

I need to hear optimism, since by nature, I tend to be broodily cynical about such things.

My instructor (Liza) is fabulous (and thin, and lithe, like all the instructors. What physiques!) and patient and encouraging and positive and really nice. (That's "Liza" like lee-za, not like Ms. Minelli.) She's co-owner of The Pilates Room in North Miami Beach, FL. She is certified in and teaches Stott Pilates (one of several modifications of the original technique created by Joseph Pilates.)

I had called ahead to ask if they had experience with the morbidly obese and could accomodate such a body type. And, Liza did. You can see her here.

I'm mildly sore EVERYWHERE, mostly in the sides, inner thighs, upper abdominals, back, upper arms, and butt. That's good, no?

This is not cheap, private training. I consider it an investment. I figure I'll try to go 3 times a week until I learn enough about the technique to cut back to 2x a week private and one class a week. Then once a week private and 2 classes a week. We'll see.

It's a nice workout space. Small, mind you (yes, one room), but clean and--very importantly in our subtropical summer--cool. See pics at their site.

Hubby and I discussed the investment aspect (moolah for health), and decided it was worth straining the budget.

I'll let you know how it goes. I'm working to keep a positive attitude, though it's hard to be in a room where you're twice the size of everyone else, sometimes nearly THREE times the size!

Wearing tight, movement-allowing clothing in public (my upper arms bare, egads!) while everyone else looks like a dancer takes a certain sort of courage. I almost chickened out. But I didn't. And that's my victory for the week!

If you are quite heavy, consider Pilates--also called Contrology--as it's low-impact and the focus is on strength, control, and flexibility, integrating mind and body for health. I'm interested in health--not looking like some fashion plate. I just want to move fluidly and tone and feel more in control of my body. This seems to be one of the best ways to get there.

And don't be afraid of the weird equipment. It's there to help you get well.

As I said, I'll let ya know. :)

To learn more about Pilates:

Pilates.com
Pilates at Wikipedia (including a pronunciation guide)
Stott Pilates
Positives and Negatives
Types of Pilates
Overview of The Cadillac
Youtube.com Video of Leg Spring on The Cadillac
Demonstration of The Barrel
Joseph Pilates himself

Canada Day and New Blogs To Read

Happy Canada Day to all the Canucks out there! Now that hubby works for a Canadian tech company, well, I guess he'll keep me abreast of Canadian holidays. :D



For those wanting more fatfighter blog links, I happened upon a couple new enjoyable ones out there:



Thinking Thin--who's struggling like so many of us
A New Decade--with Manuela at the helm
Weight Loss Guru
Marc--who I'm sure wouldn't mind y'all coming by to encourage him as he starts anew
Shanna at Battle of the Bulge 2008, who's sore, like me.

Remember that if you look down my sidebar (at left), going down past the Royal Toolbox and the Magic Links, you'll come to my list of Diet Blog Royalty. Check 'em out!

And for those who are struggling to stay on/get back on the healthful eating/exercising wagon, read the June 27th entry from Diet Girl.

Mal's Cobb Salad Has Me Salivating

Ack, I ate crap today. Been craving salty crap, sweet crap, crap.

So, I went browsing to find healthy food ideas to get my mind out of the crapper. :)

Tina of CarrotsnCake.com left a comment, so I dropped by. (Hey, congrats on the upcoming nuptials!) At her site, I came across a recipe for Mal's Cobb Salad.

Oooh. Now, I have a craving! MMMmmmmm. Some of my fave fats and proteins--egg, chicken breast, avocado, bacon. (I really like the Applegate Farms Sunday Pork Bacon, though I keep it to a rare treat, given it's, well, BACON!) I guess I'll get the fixings this weekend and make some.

So, for those of you who like Cobb salads, too--and why wouldn't you? Nummy!-- drop by and get the low-down on how to make your own, including the dressing recipe. This is low-carb friendly, even!

MANGO MADNESS: Amazing Raw Fruit Pie!!!

I had bragged in a previous post about the Glaser Organic Farms raw fruit mamey pie.

Well, yesterday I had a delivery of their fresh, raw products (shipped next day in a cooler), and the mango raw fruit pie is UNBELIEVABLE!!! I wish I had ordered a whole bunch to have one EVERY DAY~~~!!!

Mango is my fave fruit. Unfortunately, it's not good every day and the crops seem to be iffy in the past years. Also--expensive. But it was a delight to have it made up in a raw pie. Gosh.

I had wanted to order a raw cake for my birthday party (this Saturday, though my b.d. is during next week), the chocolate banana tiramisu, but it wasn't possible to have it shipped. I'd have to get it at their farmer's market event. Oh, well. Maybe some other Saturday.

I also have tried their chocolate pudding (no dairy, raw, vegan, fabulous, but pricey) and their Spinach Pesto (soooooooo yummy). I wish their farm or farmer's market was close by. I'd be dropping by weekly for stuff. They sell out fast at Whole Foods.

If you're ever in a place with Glaser Organic Farms mango fruit pie (or mamey, or pineapple), try it. Especially if, like me, you go nuts for mango.

Mmmmm.

Easter Challenge: Pretty Much Holding

Last week was 272.0.

Today was 271.2.

Essentially, I'm still in the holding pattern. Yeah, that's .8 lb down, but that's still in fluctuation/maintaining range.

But, better that than up, I say.

So, along with some other bloggers who have stuck around the same numbers for weeks, I'm struggling to recapture momentum.

But I'm not gaining. And that's a plus in my book. Any week of a little down or the same is a minor victory.

This is my birthday month, so I'd really like to get some fire in my belly over weight loss again. I'll be praying on it.

I've been doing a lot more cooking, which is good. It was one of my goals to learn to make stuff both that I liked and hubby would eat. (I'm a pretty crappy cook.) Hubby was very happy with the boneless blackened pork chops I made last night. It was a nearly 100% organic meal--the meat, the potatoes, the apple, the carrots, and the onions and cajun spices were all organic. The extra-virgin olive oil was not. (Although I have purchased an organic one, the one I've used for years is Goya, a Spanish EVOO that has great flavor and terrific low price, not the high-priced gourmet sorts.) My iced tea was from "fair trade" tea. So, hey, a pretty virtuous meal in various ways. I had papaya and blueberries for dessert, with a homemade "specialty" coffee. (I love that sugar-free caramel syrup from Starbucks. I add some quality cocoa powder with the caramel syrup in the coffee, and some milk, and it's just yummy.)

Obviously, I have not been going hungry!!!

I have some organic spinach soaking for degritting. I'm in the mood for a spinach-strawberry salad for lunch. What protein, not sure. Maybe I'll add some sort of cheese. I have an organic Vegan bento box meal in today's grocery delivery that I can have for my supper.

I may make a pizza for Tuesday, when hubby and I watch American Idol (he's hooked on it, I could take it or leave it.) I have an organic crust, organic mozzarella, and organic tomato sauce and veggies. So, yeah, that's an option.

With the economy being really shaky, and hubby's employer being VERY VERY shaky, I figure I had better start learning to make things we enjoy and that can be easy on the budget. So, more "home economics" sort of thinking will be going on round here.

I suppose eating LESS is economical and would please the scale, too. :)

Happy week and FEBRUARY to all. And for those of you who follow the Christian tradition, enjoy your feasting tomorrow, since Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, and the start of Lent. Easter is getting close!

Onward and (one hopes) DOWNward!

Going Red For Women...and their Hearts

My hubby wore red to work today. Why? Cause he's married to a woman at high risk for heart disease (ie morbidly obese with Metabolic Syndrome). Today is Go Red For Women Day, and my man went red. And looks hot in it, too.

I haven't showered or dressed yet, but I have red lipstick and a red tee ready to go. And red shoes.

I love wearing red--on lips, on toes, in jewelry. RED ROCKS! And I recently bought the most comfortable loafers..and they come in red. Heh. Red cheers me up. (The image is of a tunic I bought last year that I wore for Christmas. And it's great for a Ren Faire.)

Why is awareness-raising necessary? Behold:

Statistics indicate women's risk of breast cancer is trivial compared to their risk of heart disease. Forty-three percent of deaths in American women are due to cardiovascular disease, leaving women six times more likely to die of a heart attack than breast cancer. And a 2003 study by the American Heart Association found only 13 percent of women felt heart disease was their biggest health threat.

If you plan to go shopping today--hurry, time's running out--wear red and you get 15% off at MACY'S. But before you head out, take the Go Red Heart Check-Up.

Here's some heart-healthy reading:



And for the very young woman-to-be in your family (or for the collector, or just for plain fun):



(She also comes in a blond version.)

And if you want to read an interesting book that is contrarian to the common guidelines, get a copy of this dense tome. I found it really intriguing, and if nothing else, it points to the need for a helluva lot more research on what is ultimately the best, heart-healthiest way of eating:

Kimkins Wins Naked Mole Rat of Marketing Award; Plus Heidi & Tippy Have a Falling Out--AGAIN; & Other Kimkins Updates

I've been a bit on the lurky side, but there have been developments in the Kimkins Scam saga:

1. Kimkins is the maybe-not-so-thrilled recipient of the Naked Mole Rats of Marketing Award for the Week. She deserves it, too.

2. Speaking of moles: There's some cool spywork going on. Check out the particulars at Medusa's place, where the ads to hire moles were first placed:

Quite a few applicants were "hired" and are relaying important information to me from inside Heidi's fold.

However, one of the mole prospects who contacted me, pledging to do some serious digging, immediately set off alarm bells for me. And what that particular mole did not realize is that I knew from the outset that he/she was a double-agent, working for Heidi Diaz/Kimmer.

Read the rest of that blog entry, and enjoy some classic film posters, too. :)

3. Jimmy Moore bagged up his sugar-free marshmallows and left Camp Carbaway, unable to recommend the paying site to low-carbing dieters. He wrote:

Since my simple posting about some questions that came up recently regarding the ongoing relationship between Heidi Diaz and Jeannie Battinger was described as "accusations" by me, then I no longer feel welcomed by Camp Carbaway. I was given a free membership to this forum for the distinct purpose of seeing that it is different than LCF and even my own forum, LowCarbDiscussion.com. But this place doesn't offer anything different than what you can find elsewhere for free. Again, I appreciate the invite and request to blog about this new venture, but I'm gonna have to take a pass. There's nothing new under the sun here. BEST WISHES TO EVERYONE!
(Posted by Gibster #13 WTFWK thread, #81 post dated 1/4/07)

Tippy's reply was slightly snarky, with echoes of Her Heidiness peeping through:

We wish you well Jimmy. It is my hope that you will NOT blog about things that may not be true... That would be called gossip and I would hope you would not go there. One more thing, Jimmy. I never posted on your site for valid reason. I did not want to cause drama and have LCF follow me to your boards. I did not post out of respect for your forum. I gave you the interview you asked for. And I offered you a free spot in my forums. You may have had some concerns here. I really didn't mind you addressing any concerns but to be honest I did feel under attack with the implications of Kimkins. And it is my understanding that even you followed Kimkins with success. However, I did listen to your points of concerns and have decided to make some changes. If you feel you need to leave--well, best wishes.
(Thanks to the Gibster for that, too.)

Tippy seems to want to pre-empt any criticism by calling it, before the fact, "gossip." Of course, gossip (intimate chit chat, often of a negative nature, not always or necessarily untrue) can be negative AND true. Still, Jimmy's main point is one others have made: Why pay for the site when others offer the same (or better even, I'll add) for free.

4. Join the Lawsuit: http://kimkinslawsuit.wordpress.com/
Bring the Kimmer down, folks. If you've been a member of Kimkins, join the lawsuit. Maybe you'll get your money back, but you'll definitely be adding to the cause of good and right in getting that scamming liar who lies in the red (financially speaking).

Don't be intimidated. It's easy. Here are step by step instructions from the fab Avenue Girl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zxURudcNes

5. Heidi Diaz must not really be doing her own diet, cause the stats on her own website show that she isn't losing weight all that fast. Not Kimkins fast. Not faster than one would, say, on a reasonable diet (whether low or high carb or in between). You know, a big loss at first, and then anywhere from 2 or so pounds a week. Her right hand soprano has only lost 2 pounds her first week back on Kimkins (the week one would expect a huge water loss). Guess both the top dogs at Kimkins are just not really working that plan!

Where's the promise to lose nearly a pound a day? Where's the 100 lbs in five months?

Heidi "Kimmer" Diaz touted her diet as THE FASTEST EVER AND ANYWHERE. Well, yeah, I suppose, if she actually did it--which clearly she ain't--it might work fast for a spell, cause the real diet behind the diet had people eating zero to 700 calories a day. It's called starvation. You'll lose weight that way. People do it all over the globe, only not voluntarily. You'll also lose your hair, damage your thyroid, snap your metabolism, deplete your bones, stress your body, and maybe fall into ongoing disordered eating. But hey, what's health when you can look like Heidi Diaz!

Um, hang on a second there...let's not even think about THAT.

Go take a look at her sporadic FitDay entries. Clearly, Heidi's either psychotic when it comes to food, or she's putting us on. I'd bet on the latter. She's having a joke with her food journal--with one day only coffee and creamer, one day only veggies, one day only meat and chicken, one day only booze. Freaky. (And freakier if that's her real diet.)

6. Theories are bouncing around that Queen Heidi and her adoring Kimkinsland subject GentleFawn (who has perfected the art of sycophancy) seem to have set up Tippy Toes/Typo Toes/J Baitinger/headmistress of Camp Carbaway to look like a Kimkins collaborator even after her exodus (well, duh). It started with a blog post by Fawn (now gone from Blogger) and an internet comment more recently by Heidi. All speculation, I reiterate. However, with a track record like Heidi's, it's the sort of speculation one can readily believe. Fawn comes across as someone who, in her burbling passion for "Kimmer" and Tippy, would just want to fan the flames of love between Queen Diet Fraud and Princess P.R. Plan Switcher.

Fawn posted (in her now defunct blog) about how tight Tips and Kimmer still were, praising those superlative role models of compassion and diet brilliance. This as Tippy was setting up her own for-profit haven for Kimkinites and cooperating with the lawsuit (in exchange for immunity, natch). Hmmm. (What? You think Heidi was gonna take that whole cooperating thing gracefully and benevolently?)

Then, just a couple days ago, Heidi writes to Diets in Review about how Camp Carbaway is just Kimkins CTF in Campwear and how Tippy is still doing Kimkins' plan and always will be her staunch supporter and right hand henchwoman. Er, I'm paraphrasing. Tippy took offense and posted about how she was stunned and made aghast by Heidi's comment, and how now she has asked for a cease and desist on her success story and picture over at Kimkins. (The link takes you to the entry with the comments section that has two posts from Tippy.)

Hmmm...so all those sick Kimkins Survivors didn't move Tippy's heart away from Kimkins and her fraud, all the pleas from folks uncovering Heidi's lies didn't budge Tippy from pushing a dangerous diet she didn't even follow cause she was switching diets every other week; but Heidi trying to suck Tippy back into the lawsuit vortex--that did it. Yeah, CMA is a strong motivator, ain't it Headmistress B. Moreso than human empathy for Kimkins victims.

7. Wanna read 140+ pages of legalese regarding Kimkins? Well, you can. The semi-snarky correspondence between Heidi's and the Force For Good's lawyers is entertaining. The timeline also makes clear that Heidi was doing an awful lot of money spending right before she got deposed. Smells like a strategy to keep the cash out of the hands of the plaintiffs to me, but I'll leave that to judge/jury to decide. Let's hope they do a better job than O.J.'s judge/jury.

(If you click the link, just type GUEST where it says "operator code" and ignore the password box. Just "GUEST" gets you in. When you do a name search for Heidi Diaz, you'll get a choice. Pick "Fenderson vs. Diaz." That's the Kimkins lawsuit. The ones with little camera icons on the right hand side of the grid have viewable documents. The one with the snarky letters is the motion to set aside right to attach etc dated 12/21. Enjoy.)

8. Heidi may have been an Avon Lady, and, interestingly, a fervent allegation of scamming going on even with Avon were made by a commenter at Slamboard calling him or herself "NotAHeidiFan". This is part of the comment:

She has conned the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the foster care people, her own brother and anyone who will give her money. She has ripped off her ex-husband, impersonated his wife at their bank and many other scams. She made up an internet story years ago about how someone stole her Avon products and money from orders. She made this up along with a sad tale of being a single disabled mother, blah, blah and got people to give her money all while her district manager was sitting in the hospital with her young son who died of cancer. There was no theft.

Avon should look into that allegation, methinks. It warrants investigation given the evidence (including Diaz's own admission under oath) that Kimkins website was a hotbed of marketing fraud (re success stories and photos and Kimkins own weight loss claims).

Avon, why don't you go calling on Ms. Diaz.
~~
Folks, if you want to stay up on the Kimkins developments, you can always do a blogsearch with Google with "Kimkins" to get updates (click on "last day" or "last week"). Please, try to stay away from the actual diet site or the junk sites of online marketing promoting Kimkins. It just raises their profiles. And you can find good updates at places like:


http://kimorexia.blogspot.com/
http://yustyucky.wordpress.com/
http://notmakingnicetokimkins.blogspot.com/
http://2medusa.blogspot.com/
http://mariasol-mariasol.blogspot.com/
http://kimkinsdiettruth.wordpress.com/
http://kimkinssurvivors.wordpress.com/
http://www.kimkinscontroversy.com/

Scroll way down on my sidebar (left) to see a collection of links to places with information on the Kimkins scandal and scam, some summaries, some investigative, some round-ups, some ongoing blogs.

But the wisest thing of all: Don't do Kimkins. Don't pay to join Kimkins. And don't let your friends do Kimkins. Warn people about VLC diets and scammers who lie about their weight loss and make up stories with fake dieters who are actually Russian models and bride-wannabes. Don't put more dollars in Diaz' s pockets.

It's hard enough to lose weight healthfully. We don't need exploiters to muddy the waters for those desperate about their weight.

Onward and Downward!

PRAYER REQUEST: Christin, former Kimkins poster girl and staffer, who is now a staunch and vocal anti-Kimkins crusader, one who has appeared on television shows countering the falsehoods of Heidi, was in a terrible car accident. (Her car was totaled, and I saw the pic, scary. I had Princess Di Paris accident flashbacks!) She's been in the hospital with brain swelling and bad pain and nausea. She's stable as of the last update, but still needs your prayers. Please pray she heals up totally and can go home to her children and hubby (who all, thankfully, survived.)

EDITED TO ADD: Christin has updated her blog. The entry includes her own warning against Kimkins and a horrific photo of what her car looked like AFTER the crash. She's recovering, thank God, but I'm sure she covets your continued prayers.

Using Dr. Beck's Tools To Cope With Cravings and Emotional Eating

I've just added a new member to my Diet Blog Royalty set of links: Beck Diet Girl. Since some of my blogging pals have struggled--as I have--with cravings, binges, emotional eating and other out of control food uses, I thought it would be good to focus on those psychological tools out there. In this case, Dr. Beck's tools.

Beck Diet Girl posted this back in August, and it will help when cravings hit (if implemented, of course):

Dr. Beck offers two kinds of anti-craving strategies: Mindset Techniques and Behavioral Techniques.

There are 5 Mindset Techniques:

Label It. Tell myself this is only a craving, not a true need.
No problem.


Stand Firm. Tell myself I am absolutely not going to eat the food I'm craving.
Easier said than done.


Don't Give Yourself a Choice. Tell myself NO CHOICE.
How is this different than standing firm? Apparently I'll find out on Day 16.


Imagine the Aftermath of Giving In. Think about giving in to the craving, but focus on what happens after I swallow: feeling weak and out of control and hopeless.
This is a great idea!


Remind Myself Why I Want to Learn to Withstand Cravings. Read my ARC.
Another great idea!

There are 4 Behavioral Techniques:

Distance Myself from the Food I Crave. Leave the room or throw away or give away the food.
This could be difficult since it calls on will power again.


Drink a No- or Low-Calorie Beverage. Satisfying thirst masked as hunger can erase cravings; have a glass of water or another low-calorie drink.
I already do this, drinking almost a gallon of water a day, and it does help.


Relax. Focus on my breathing, in through my nose for 4 counts and out for 4 counts.
This can be helpful in stressful situations of any kind.


Distract Myself. Perform another activity instead of giving in to the craving.
A definite winner!

The idea is to practice these techniques when a craving hits so I'll be able to ignore it until it goes away.

In this other post, she uses the same tools to address emotional eating.

The tools worked for her, cause until this past week, she had not had a weight gain/regain. She's pulling out her Beck set of tools to address it.

I know that weeks when I do better (when I look at my records) are when I instinctively did some of these techniques (remember, I haven't read the book.) The distraction. The water. The distance. The low-cal beverage or snack. The firm self-talk. Thing is, I really have slacked off. Like Beck Diet Girl, it's time to bring the tools back to the forefront. Which means putting the weight loss as priority one. Something's got to give. I let dieting go to the back burner, and as a result, I spent most of the last month not losing. (I wish I could multi-task with greater ease and balance, but I can't. I suck at juggling in my middle age. Did better at it when I was younger.)

If you want to use Dr. Beck's tools, I recommend her book. (I have it, but need to read and implement it!) Also, her blog, with links to bloggers using her method.


More books for those who need to get free from emotional eating:

Book the Princess Wants...

A Stroll From Blog To Blog

So, what's happening out in Fat-Fighting Blogdom? A few things:

1. Zanitta has a new, gorgeous, red, Asian floral lay-out. Go see the purdy new Cakehole.

2. Over at Escape from Obesity, another terrific, insightful, human-interest post that break your heart just a wee bit. "Little Things." That Lyn can write. Once she reaches goal weight, I hope she puts together a book proposal and follows the path of the Pasta Queen (ie. writes a book based on the bloggy and weight loss journey.)

3. Chubby Chick is having a rough time with some stress from visitors and etc, so drop by and hug her a good one.

4. Teale's stressful car accident revealed that she really has changed a bad habit and her new way of eating is becoming a smart way of life.

5. Scale Junkie's a fan of The Pasta Queen, like me. What's more. The Pasta Queen's a fan of Scale Junkie. I'm jealous!

6. Heather's plateau broke, and she's been "set free" of another 2.4 lbs. Good news!

7. The Pasta Queen experiences the horrors of McDonalds salads. (Oh, I'm not even going there, or a rant will ensue.)

8. Lady T, who I am imagining in a majestic and very sexy twirl of joy, has made purchases and is ready for her road trip. May the Lord be generous with traveling mercies. (And may the new sweater bring much hotness.)

9. CCC's going to Paris. Yes, don't I look lovely in this particular shade of green?

10. The Grumpy Chair Dieter is learning from the past. That's one good reason to keep dieting blogs: We can go back, look at where we were, learn from things we'd already gone through, remember what got us spurred to make changes for the better.

11. Lisa learns how painful age regression can be, but it also has a lesson for all of us who've been treated badly in our pasts: We deserved better. And we still do.

12. Connie Jean embarks on her weight-loss journey with a painful weigh-in. We know what that's like, don't we? Let her know she's got good company on the trip. We are NOT alone!

KTLA Does Part 2 of Kimkins Expose & LCF Regulars Find More Kimkins Fraud

Make sure to catch part two of the KTLA expose on the Kimkins diet and Kimmer aka Heidi Diaz. It's up online.

And visit the major anti-Kimkins sites (see my sidebar, far down left) to get the latest, which includes the discovery by several LCF Forum regulars of the pics that Kimmer/Heidi used as after pictures, including the one that was "Kim" in the WW article last June. (It's at HotRussianBrides.Com and she's number 169503.)

Also, at least SEVEN (so far, as of this post) of the "success stories" after pics have turned out to be photos of women/models on Russian bride sites.

Yes, Kimmer/Heidi trolled foreign bride/dating service sites in order to get pictures of attractive women for her after pictures.

I'm guessing she did this because those sites have search databases that let you choose age, weight, height, hair and eye color, etc. That means if she needed, say, a 130 pound brunette with brown eyes and long hair, it would be easy to search for one.

Evil people are crafty, ain't they?

The hunt for the Red Dress Pic continues. We know it wasn't Kimmer's image. And, you know, something about that pic always bugged me. I never could put my finger on it. The answer may lie in the eyeballs. One of the LCF ladies blew it up and the eyes are triangular. Either they were photoshopped to make them look this way for some odd reason, or the original eyes were replaced with a particular set of brown eyes to seem more "Kimmerish." We don't know. But something is definitely odd about those triangular irises when seen in extreme close-up. See below to compare unfreaky eyes on the left and the triangular irises on the "not Kimmer after" pic right:



Maybe it's just a trick of the pixellation, but hey. You decide.

I suspect many people will be using their spare time to hunt down which Russian bride/model was the one Kimmer chose to be her online representation. (Oh, and there is artwork on a t-shirt at one Russian Brides site that is clearly the inspiration for the Kimkins site logo. Heidi Diaz hasn't got an original bone in her body, it seems. She just pilfers the ideas of others.) If you go hunting and find the red dress pic, go to LCF and let them know. The evidence is being compiled.

Another success story that is highly suspect is brought to light at Kimkins Circus. See the before and after, and, if you have any information on the veracity or falsehood, please notify an appropriate anti-Kimkins warrior:



And yes, tis a jest. But hey, it's not that far from what Kimmer herself did. Honest.

As expected from a con artist, Kimmer continues to do the denial thing, insisting she's not Heidi Diaz, even though all doubt has been removed about that matter. And her admins are standing by her side, which means she must be offering them some juicy bonuses. Some Kimkinettes continue to support their scamster leader, which just makes them look like utter nincompoops in my eyes. Sorry, but dang!

~~

The Princess is...A BLOGGING STAR!

Well, that's not an egotistical decree from the royal throne here. That's Chubby Chick's assessment. And I am cheered to bits and honored to accept.

I get to pass along the honor--hey, paying it forward is alive and well in blogdom!--and so, herewith, her royal highness, The Princess Dieter, bestows the grand blessing and title of BLOGGING STAR to the following two bloggers:

Lady T, who is pretty, has cheekbones to die for, is sassy, has lost oodles of weight, and who has the good taste to like "Shackles" by Mary, Mary. Plus, hey, she made a frittata that made my mouth water. She's also very honest about her diet foibles and her life journey booboos and her addiction to sherbet. Honesty is a virtue much admired in the the blogdom of Once Upon a Diet. Lady T--who already has an aristocratic title, so I needn't endow her with one--is a Blogging Star of the Diet Domain. Everyone, bow and curtsey toward her direction, please.

Zanitta, who has a smile that lights up her bloggy world and who has bravely ventured forth into adventurous travels to lands far and full of sodium. She is not foiled by the inability to read labels. She forges on, cooking with courage and trying new foods with good cheer. I bet she can face down a platter of sea urchin without gagging. (urp) Not even laundry disasters can knock her off her mighty steed. Plus, she's lost more weight than me. (bow, bow) I hereby dub thee, Lady Z, fair maiden of Albion and dieting travel guide to the Far East.

And if you want to see some other Blogging Stars, just visit my sidebar for Diet Blog Royalty. There they are...some of my faves--Teale, Andrea, CCC, Lady Rose (hey, she's got a title and all!), Flabuless, Pasta Queen, Heather of Setting Her Free, Lisa of the Skinny Online, Lyn who's escaping obesity, and on and on and on. Click the links and meet them--if you haven't already.

We're all blogging stars, BABY. We're all PRINCESSES!

Well, except for the guys. Um. You're princes. :)

~~

INSPIRED: The Movie

I know this sounds like something *I* want to see! Visit their site and see. (Note the link to a blog, too.)

Banshee Wails...at the Entertainment Industry

Once, interviewing C.C. DeVille, the guitarist for Poison who’s known for his over-the-top antics, I was asking about his comeback from rock ’n’ roll excesses: Drugs, alcohol and weight gain.

“You can be the biggest drug addict in the world, and they will still like you in this town. But if you’re fat, they treat you like a leper,” he said to me. “You know what I’m talking about, right?”

--Chelsea J. Carter, "From 'Morbid Obesity' to 'Wow!'