What Tool Helps You The Most in Your Fight Against Fat? Take A Survey, Please!

I was wondering what tool aids you fatfighters most. So, if you would, kindly take a few seconds to choose one from the list in my survey:

Click Here to take survey

For me, it's food journaling. Now, I can't wait to see which is the top pick.

THANKS.

Links to Informative Comparisons of BodyBugg vs GoWear Fit

Here.

Another here.

The comment thread HERE has good info from actual users of both products.

A critical review of Bodybugg by Coach Dean Anderson.

A couple posts by a GoWear user. Another user talks about her first 24 hours with it.

I'm considering one of these. The price makes me go "YIPES!" I'm leaning to the GoWear Fit only because of the sleep monitoring function, as I have sleep apnea. Because my thyroid went kaput over 15 years ago, I suspect I don't burn as much as a "normal" metabolism person.

Plus, gadgets are kinda fun.

Anyway, still mulling it over. Reading that Ali Vincent still uses her Bodybugg makes me interested, but, well, it's a pricey purchase, so I gotta ponder.

If you're using (have used, plan to use) one of these devices, let me know how it worked/is working for you, or which one you plan to get. Did it motivate you to burn more calories or eat fewer. Did it show you sleep disturbances (GoWearFit) or help you be more meticulous about food logging?

And if you want to look into a less techy/cheaper alternative that's like a revved up pedometer, maybe the FitBit?
See ya...

ADDENDUM 11/10: I found this blog whose GoWear user actually screencaps her reports, in case you are curious what they're like...

Bloggy Recommendation: Heat Eat Review

I was browsing diet blogs for inspiration --so that I can stay on plan today, when, quite frankly, I want to eat a whole fricken pizza by myself. I ended up by circuitous route at a site that reviews convenience foods: frozen, canned, packaged.

Heat Eat Review

The reason I like it so much is that you can search by particular labels: by number of stars rated, by the brand name, by special type of diet (like Vegan or Kosher or corn-free), by Weight Watcher points (they start at 2 points and go up to 8 points), or by ingredients. Very cool. User friendly.

I really recommend you check them out if you're someone who incorporates convenience foods into your diet.

~~

Regain, Recommitment, and Retracing Steps to Better Habits--aka/WHERE IS MY FIRE?

The news is not good. But, hey, I knew it was coming for weigh-in day.

I've never been big on consistency when it comes to things like diet and exercise. I was always one of those, "Oh, let me go on a diet," then last no more usually than two days or two weeks or, at most, two months. Then, blam, back to old habits.

Well, I've managed to exercise regularly for nearly six months now. But the food consistency is eluding me. And for dieters, that is the NUMBER ONE issue. If the food isn't controlled, exercise away, but the loss will be negligible to nil. Eat enough, and exercising can't stop regain. We've seen that even on The Biggest Loser. It's the calories, stupid. :)

Well, I got on the scale after a month plus of just being a slacker. The result: 276.4.

Holy crap. I regained like 5 pounds. In a month. I wasn't even all-out bingeing. Just not vigilant.

Shit.

Okay, enough of the potty mou--er, keyboard.

I wish I could find the internal button one pushes to get to that BLAM moment that makes on commit intensely. I haven't. So, I've been semi-committed, half-heartedly in the fatfighting game.

And it shows. While I don't LOOK bigger, and in fact, look smaller due to the exercising, I am still firmly stuck in the 270's, which is making me a crazy woman. Really, I'm so sick of being here.

So, why don't I get out of here in the downward trajectory?

Cause I am not on fire. It's all about having this ongoing flame inside that ignites whatever is in a person that makes them consistently do something--be it pursue a career, keep a marriage going, train for a marathon, etc.

This week, I'm gonna be all about rescheduling the activities that got me down from 299 to begin with, cause these activities have gone by the wayside:

1. getting fresh groceries
2. preparing meals at home instead of getting take-out
3. keeping a food journal
4. drinking lots of water
5. praying about my weight journey

Every single one of those has gone kaput one by one over the last couple of months. And the results show it.

What works, works. When you stop working it, it stops working, and regain results.

The same sort of slack happened to Oprah:

In Oprah's case, she admits to stopping her exercise sessions, her meditations and going back to eating higher calorie foods.

Oprah regained 40 pounds.

I'm guessing the same thing happened to Kirstie Alley--stopped the Jenny Craig regimen, started adding her own comfort foods, gave up the working out, vigilance diminishes bit by bit until, what, all gone. She was looking big again this past summer. I have no idea if she's up or down as of this post. But she probably has regained as much more pounds than Oprah.

I had a setback when my organic grocer closed their business (temporarily, I hope, but who knows with this economy). I sort of just started doing delivery and takeout--which means DANGER.

So, that has to stop. Tomorrow, I have to go shopping (which I hate) and get the produce I need to make better food choices.

I have to start making meals again, the way I was when I was losing and holding on. I can control the ingredients at home. I can't in a restaurant.

I've totally slacked on water. I have actually had says when I had NO WATER AT ALL. This is bad. It's too easy to confuse thirst with hunger. Plus, not enough water contributes to bloat and makes number twos uncomfy. Ya know what I mean?

I do notice that when one domino goes, like a food journal (which is a tuchis-painer, but so necessary for me, anyway, to be accountable and aware), the others follow. It's like this cord connecting all the good strategies, and if one part topples, the pull on the others is nearly irresistible. Boom. Boom. Boom. All down.

Weight up.

I have had the BECK FOR LIFE book lying around for weeks. I was supposed to review it for amazon (got it free). So, I want to start into that and apply the system. I don't FEEL like it. I FEEL like napping rather than working out. I FEEL like shoving a pizza in my face instead of an egg white veggie omelette. But we obese folks don't do well following our feelings. They are often self-destructive.

So, here I go again. Five pounds up.

My mood is not dark. It's just a big sigh of frustration that I didn't nip this closer to the bud. So much easier catching 2 pounds than 5, right?

I really need to get my fire mojo back. Where is it? Where did it go? How do I find it again?

Ah, well. The quest starts again this week.

I'm getting to the point of trying the Portion Doctor's plates.
Although, really, how overpriced are those? And kinda homely.

Let me go find my food journal. It's buried under a pile of unfolded laundry, I think?

Focus on FIVE: The Power of FIVE--in current and upcoming books for dieters

~~The 5 Factor Diet

~~The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscle, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight

~~~The Complete Beck Diet for Life: The Five-Stage Program for Permanent Weight Loss

~~Never Say Diet: Make Five Decisions and Break the Fat Habit for Good

~~The Raw Food Detox Diet: The Five-Step Plan for Vibrant Health and Maximum Weight Loss






~~

Once Upon A Diet A-Store

I've set up a Once Upon A Diet A-Store, for those who like shopping at amazon.com.

Enjoy browsing and, maybe, buying.

~

Take Advantage of Weight Loss & Exercise Assistance Your Health Plan Offers

We're switching health plans (AGAIN) come January. This time it's Cigna.

We got a brochure that interested me: Member discounts from Healthy Rewards.

Here are a few of the areas where discounts (up to 62%) may apply:

Weight Management and Nutrition

* Healthyroads Weight Management Program
* Registered Dietitian Network
* Jenny Craig
* Weight Watchers®
* Weight management scales

Fitness

* Fitness Club and Equipment Discounts
* Just Walk 10,000 Steps-a-DayTM

Alternative Medicine

* Acupuncture
* Chiropractor
* Massage

Mind/Body

* Healthyroads Mind/Body Program
* Yoga Journal (subscriptions, DVDs, yoga conference discounts)
* SpaFinderTM

Vitamins, Health and Wellness Products

* Drugstore.comTM
* ChooseHealthyTM (discounts on natural supplements)

Healthy Lifestyle Products

* Mayo Clinic Books
* Magazine Subscriptions

Make sure to check your policy. Find out if you qualify for any discounts or services that will help you in your fatfighting and fitness quest.

Wish I'd checked into this with my old plan before buying all that stuff I got last year--scale, blood pressure monitor, body mass analyzer, exercise dvds and equipment, etc.

Hope you find out good stuff and save loads.

Happy Halloween--Boo!--and Happy Weekend, y'all.

~

Royal Fatfighting Tools-- #5: Managing Thoughts

As if it weren't hard enough to manage food and manage time and manage movement, one thing that can't be left out of the fatfighting arsenal is...managing thoughts.

I don't know about you--I can only guess!--but I know that I can have a slew of pessimistic, defeatist thoughts.

"I never finish anything, I won't finish this."

"I'm weak."

"This is too much to handle."

"I can't resist pizza!"

"I hate exercising."

"I don't have the energy to do this."

"I want X. I want X. I want X. I gotta have X."

But to win at losing, managing thoughts is the only way to manage actions, because all actions begin with a desire, and all desires find form in some thought, no matter how basic. Even if it's only a mental "yes" to something to which we need to give a mental "no."

Ultimately, we are what we think and think and think again. So, to become who we want to become, managing thoughts is essential, whether it's about one's spiritual path, one's marital unity, one's artistic endeavors, one's politics, one's relationships...or one's weight loss success or failure:

Identify self-sabotaging thoughts. Pay attention to your negative thinking. Are you saying to yourself "This is too difficult," "I'll never be able to lose this much weight," or "I'm too tired." Remember, the goal is to MANAGE these thoughts when they pop up.

--from Life Coach Lorri Molinari

To defeat my fat, I have to defeat my fat thinking.

I'm getting slowly, slowly better at it. I do notice that I talk more positively to myself (a big difference than in times past). And as a result, I feel more positive these days. When I make bad choices, I don't spend the rest of the day in a funk, telling myself off in nasty terms. I forgive myself and say, "I'm not giving up. My next choice will be better."

It's a hard process to change the internal thoughtscape. It's really hard when one is middle-aged and has spent a life with a lot of self-criticism and even self-loathing.

But it's happening. Little by little, I'm thinking differently. I'm befriending my brain and spirit. I'm being kinder to myself, and I'm taking a new perspective as a habit.

It's still not automatic.

I do think I will invest in professional cognitive behavioral therapy. Right now, I'm spending so much on good, organic food and personal exercise training, that there's no moolah for therapy. But it's on my agenda for, I hope, next year. I have to find a good, solid practitioner and have the focus for it, but I do believe it's a necessary next step for my own healing of habits.

I don't want to lose a significant amount of weight only to regain it because I didn't learn the skills necessary for long-term success:

It is widely recognized that the development of behavioral and cognitive skills learned during weight loss is critical to successful maintenance. Indeed, lacking coping and problem-solving skills appear to be important factors in weight regain after a loss.

--from the Weight Watchers article "Mind Skills for Lasting Weight Loss."

One of the thoughts I'm "losing" is the, "Oh, well, I pigged out already today, so might as well have whatever I want. The day is shot."

That's defeatist. That's a bad mental habit.

Another thought I'm working on losing: "I feel low. I feel blue. I need to feel better. Pizza makes me feel better. I deserve a pizza."

That's self-indulgent. That's a bad mental habit.

When I feel blue (as I have had periodic depressions since childhood), I need to replace eating with exercise (which elevates mood) or singing (which gets oxygen in there and can elevate mood) or calling a sister or praying or reading an escapist novel or anything that's not fattening and can help me through the blues.

But the thought must come first: "No, eating will make me feel better for a little while, but going for a walk or doing some Pilates moves will make me feel better all day." or "No, eating will only add to my problems, not solve them. I need to do something creative with my blues. I'm gonna write a poem. I'm gonna write a song. I'm gonna express my feeling with a collage."

It takes time to learn new rituals of thought, healthful ones. It's worth it, no?

Identify your self-sabotaging thoughts and stop them from entering your head. The best way to do this is to stop being overly critical of yourself. When you think you can not do something, you probably will give up before you even try. If you do not think you can do 30 sit-ups, then do 10 and feel good that you did 10. You can probably do one extra sit-up each day until you reach 30. Identifying why something makes you feel bad can help prevent those situations in the future.

--from "7 Methods to Lose Weight by Thinking Yourself Thin"

Pay attention to your thinking today. Have you said unkind things to yourself? Have you been harsh? Have you been self-indulgent? Have you fueled your tempting thoughts? Or have you been positive? Have you used mental strategies to avert overeating today? Have you used mental affirmations to get your body moving? Did you congratulate yourself heartily when you chose well?


How are you managing your thoughts today?

Royal Fatfighting Tournament Tools: #3 Water, Water Everywhere...So let's DRINK IT!

Confession: I suck about water intake.

I have always sucked about water intake.

I am not a natural water imbiber.

I have to plan for it. I have to force myself. I have to think about it. I have to account for it.

Maybe one day I'll be a natural water-girl, craving the crystalline stuff.

yet.

So, does anyone not believe water helps?

Well, notice this: All those skinny models and actresses tend to get photographed a lot carrying around the liquid sustenance. Every diet plan I've seen says, "drink lots of water." One I saw a couple years ago (a faddish one) says just drinking a lot of water alone will normalize your weight.

I'm gonna admit that on days I drink a lot of water before meals (3 and more glasses), I do get more of a sense of fullness early on in the meal. The problem is I'm NOT consistent. Unless it's to consistently forget to drink water.

So, strategy time: How can we get more water in, besides adding a water harness to every item of clothing we own?

I bought these recently to help in my watery quest:


I use this Netrition shaker bottle for workout class, and I got it for free when I placed a largish order last year:


These things help. Interestingly, the pitcher helps more than the water bottles. I keep it on the counter, taking up very valuable, in-short-supply counter space in my teeny-tiny kitchen. But seeing it there when I prep foods reminds me to drink several glasses while I chop veggies or pound chicken or wash fruit. And if I haven't refilled it at least once a day, it's a warning that I'm slacking.

So, really, having purified water on hand is cheaper than bottled water, more eco-friendly than bottled water, and I can fill my own bottles with it!

I'm still far from perfect, but instilling new habits takes time.

Besides, I like salt. I'm bad, I know, but I do. Love salty foods, especially salty eggs and salty potatoes an salty tomatoes. (I don't use salt on most veggies, though, but meats need it, and soups!) A saltaholic like me needs to keep hydrated and eat potassium-rich foods to balance the sodium. Lots of fruit and water (especially coconut water, you know) keep the bloat down or wash it away (if you're lucky).

Warning: There is such a thing as Water Intoxication. It can be deadly. Don't drink TOO much water, ever. No one needs massive amounts. If you're tempted to drink GALLONS a day: Research it and be smart. Ask a professional for guidelines. Life is about balance, and too much water is definitely not balance.

So, barring abuse, this third tool for the Royal Fatfighting Tournament is indispensable, and it's one you already have on hand! Straight from the tap, filtered, or, if you must, bottled spring or chichi European brands. Just drink it. Take advantage of the no-calorie, essential aid to your weight loss effort.

I intend to.

Glug, Glug!

~~

Time To Get Serious In the Kitchen & on the Move! & A Tasty Microwaveable Soup!

What I ordered minutes ago:



And what helps with Mexican cravings at lunchtime:


~~~

Calculate the Calories You Need to Eat to Maintain and to Lose

How many calories do you need to maintain your current weight, depending on your activity level?

Get an estimate (and remember that no two bodies are the same, so it's a rough number):

Caloric Needs Calculator

To lose about a pound a week: cut 500 calories a day.
To lose about 2 pounds a week: cut 1000 calories a day.

Depending on if my activity is light or moderate, I need between 2600 and 2900 to sustain my bulk. To lose a couple pounds a week, I need to cut back to 1600 to 1900. That's in the general ballpark I expected, and 1600 is often recommended (anywhere from 1200 to 1600 is very usual) for gradual weight loss, an intake level of calories that leaves sufficient room for adequate nutrition from various food groups.

Unless you really wanna risk damaging your metabolism (or damaging it more), don't go under 1200 calories. You'll be skimping on nutrition and your body may think, "famine, famine!"

Remember that as you LOSE weight, you need to recalculate, to see where you need to tweak.

If you prefer: Put in the number of the weight you'd (realistically) like to be. Calculate it based on a (realistic) activity level you'd maintain for LIFE. That's the calorie count you need to STAY at that weight. If we eat at a calorie level that MAINTAINS a certain weight, we could learn how to eat the way we'd have to for maintenance, and lose as well. It's not a bad idea, but it means slower weight loss, which makes some folks nuts.

I calculated 1900 or so for my desired weight (the goal). What that means is that the generous "dieting" caloric intake is actually the "maintenance" caloric intake.

My sister (who's normal weight) maintains at between 1800 and 2000 and she exercises nearly every day. She has no thyroid disorder. So, realistically, I'd need to eat less or exercise more. I might maintain at 1700 or 1800. Either way, for the weight to go away and stay away, I can never eat OFF diet.

It's a lifetime diet, a lifetime of caloric awareness. It can't end. The vigilance can never end. The restraint can't end. The deprivation is permanent if the weight loss is to be permanent.

Hard to take truth, sometimes.

That's just how it is.

Pause and consider.

What are your key numbers?
~

Checklist for Fatfighters

Did you drink lots of water this morning?
Are you drinking lots of water this PM?

Did you exercise at least 20 minutes?
Did you stretch and breathe deeply?
Did you stop and consider your goals?
Did you weigh in and write it down or blog it?
Were you accountable to your diet buddy(ies)?

Did you eat a satisfying, diet-friendly breakfast?
Did you get enough protein in breakfast and lunch?
Did you include veggies/fruits with every meal?
Did you avoid refined carbohydrates?
Are you getting enough fiber to fill you up?
Did you plan a healthful, diet-friendly supper?

Did you tell yourself positive words to self-encourage?
Did you say something encouraging to another fatfighter?
Did you read an informative article online or in a magazine or a chapter in a book to increase your knowledge of nutrition or exercise or about emotional and psychological issues that affect weight loss?

Did you tap into your spiritual support (if you have one)by praying, meditating, reading holy writ, or uttering praises?
Did you do something kind to yourself today, even if it's just forgiving yourself for a mistake?
Did you deny yourself some treat for the sake of your health?

Did you remember to be thankful for all the people and things in your life that are good and beneficial and joyful and nurturing and pleasurable and supportive and beautiful?


~~~

The Odd Comfort of Statistics...and of Good Company

It will soon be a year since I started this blog. My initial weigh-in was 289. That was after already losing 10 pounds from my 299 high. (I probably did go over 300, but since I was avoiding the scale some weeks, can't confirm this. I did weigh over 300 at the doctor's twice, but with clothes and shoes on, well, that 303 was probably 299. Hah.)

Since May 9 of 2007, I've lost 20.2 pounds.

Not a whole lot measured against a year.

It's a lot measured against previous efforts.

Normally, I'd lose a bit, dieting for 3 months, then I'd have regained it by the end of 8 or 12 months.

I may have only lost a total of 20 in the last year, but I haven't regained it in that year. And that makes me feel good. I have a long way to go, but if I lose 20 pounds a year, I'll be at goal weight in 5.5 years. I see that as something positive, not negative. A year of loss, instead of a year of gain.

I got a critical comment some months back about my statistics box in the sidebar. I considered whether it was a good thing or a bad one. Today, looking at it, I find it comforting. I really do. It shows how I made progress, had setbacks, made progress, had setbacks, but ultimately ended up consistently making progress, no matter how slowly.

I read the story once of a woman who reached her goal weight from obesity. It took her a long time, losing at a rate of roughly 6 pounds a year. SIX. A year. But that snail's pace of hers added up. The time it took allowed her to gain new habits in eating and exercise, and ingrain them. (It probably allowed her skin time to adapt, rather than a zooming fast weight loss leaving a bunch of saggy skin, too.) She was mighty patient, but it worked.

Maybe I'm not a rabbit. Maybe I'm a tortoise. It'll take me a while to shed some really bad habits and gain new healthy ones (I'm still avoiding exercise, which is nuts, I know, but I'm slothful when it comes to the sweaty stuff.)

But I'm keeping my stats sidebar. It shows me that progress is not impossible, even for someone with decades of bad habits to shed. And if putting up your own stats bar helps you, don't let naysayers stop you. I find it's an accountability thing. When I don't want to post numbers, I know I'm doing badly, want to hide. Simple as that. A little alarm. (Lately, I just haven't been around, but I had some good days and didn't post.)

Posting the good and the bad are part of seeing my path and facing up to my weaknesses. So, I do it. I leave it there, to the left, for all to see where I moved forward and lost my way and regained for whatever reason (salt bloat, overeating, PMS).

Use the tools that help you. And keep at it. Find new tools as you need them.

It's like getting a degree. We just keep reading, trying, working. I see that learning process in some of your blogs--how you're dealing with buried emotions, with problem foods, with childhood traumas, with learning to cook, with learning to exercise, with friends and family who set landmines in our dieting fields, with adapting to changes in diet and in one's own body shape. A lot of things come into play when we face up to where we've gone wrong, and how to get it right.

For those who are zoom-losers, I do envy you a bit, but I'm just not one of you. I wish I was. To those who are snails like me, let's keep at it. We'll take longer, but we can get there. Whether it's 2 years, four, five, ten. If we keep at it, don't give up, keep open to learning and changing, we can do it.

And if blogging is a tool you can use, use it. Really. It's free.

If other bloggers inspire you, take advantage of their wisdom, their stories, their successes, even their setbacks. We need one another. It's hard. It's worth the effort, but it's damn hard.

But it's possible. The bloggers making great progress prove it. Case studies, right there, taking our questions, offering us wisdom. We can do it. Look at all the successes lighting the path before us.

For those of us with a lot of weight to lose--forty pounds, 100, 200, 300, more--it's a daunting marathon ahead. Gosh, some days, it's enought to make a gal weep.

The Bible talks about the life of a disciple as a race--we run to win, to achieve our purpose, our mission, and give glory to God in doing so. We want the winner's crown, the proof we completed our work.

The benefits of winning the weight loss race are many: becoming healthier, looking better in clothes, gaining mobility, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, improving diabetes, improving our chances of a good job, diminishing the social stigma we deal with, improving our social life, saving money on food and medicines, living longer with better quality of life, etc. So many reasons to run the race.

Mostly, though, I think it's about finding our best selves. It's about becoming who we are, really are, who we're meant to be when not trapped in adipose tissue, that fat that hinders our ability to do what we need to daily, yearly, in a lifetime. Yes it's a long, long race. A marathon.

With all the blogs around us, those fatfighter blogs, we can start our journey like this:


Lots of company. Lots of excitement at the start of the race. All spiffy and motivated.

But we know that doesn't (usually) last. We get tired. We get injured. This is why I refuse to ditch the blog, because, sometimes, I need the support of other fatfighters, like Heather, Lyn, ScaleJunkie, Honi, Grumpy, CCC, Teale, Lady, T, CC, and others. I need to be in the company of folks who know what I'm going through. Because, sometimes, we're like this:



While each runner is at times uniquely alone in the struggle towards their prize, and can even enjoy days of being someplace quiet and fine and full of peace of mind and deep breaths...



It's good to know that a fellow runner is right at hand when needed.

That's why I blog. That's why I have tools here. Why I keep my sidebar. Why I had a total loss, not gain, for the last year. I'm not doing it alone.

There's good company on the internet.

Thank you. God bless you all.

Onward and downward.

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:

Journaling the Good & the Bad

Gosh, don't you hate having to physically memorialize your off days?

I've had some struggles this week. some days were great (at or below points goals) and some days sucked. Yesterday I went over by about 200 calories. I woke up ravenous, but have been trying to stay on.

But I'm writing it down. Every morsel, each ounce, all the points.

I've had two meals so far, and I've used up almost two-thirds of my caloric allowance without any snacks yet and without my last main meal. Hmmm. I need to be cautious of the rest of my food intake. Can we say salad?

Dinking my water. Check. Focusing on the goals. Check.

But, man, was it hard limiting myself to ONE meatball at lunch. The Italian market down the street makes the BEST, the BEST meatballs. In the past, I'd have two, sometimes three. But today... just one. And just one cup of pasta, instead of the my past usual three to FOUR or more.

Limitations suck. BUT...limitations will help me be healthier.

Are you food journaling? Just about every expert I've read say it's a very good idea, at least until you get down to maintenance. If you haven't--try it.

It's not easy, but it's eye-opening and, sometimes, it's motivational.

If only this was easier...

^

New Scale Adjustment Stress

Well, my lovely new, wide-platform, easy-to-see readout, memory-function, .2 pound increments scale is here. It feels really good and stable stepping on it, unlike my previous Tanita, which just was too narrow, high, and caused me to wobble.

I compared the numbers on the new scale to to my old scale (ie, went from one to the other), and, sadly, the new scale runs higher than the old.

Bummer.

I'm assuming the new scale is more accurate. Yeah, sure, I could assume the OLD scale was more accurate, but I wasn't feeling like PollyAnna today. I'm choosing to believe that the higher weight is my actual weight. (I could be wrong, and neither could be totally accurate, just sorta accurate, considering how finicky calibration issues are.)

But, since I love the comfort of the new one--lower to the ground, my middle-aged eyes can read it easily, and my fat feet and big girth aren't unstable on the wider and closer-to-the-ground platform--this is the one that will chart my weight loss journey for now. I'll live with the uptick in exchange for all the great benefits of my new Tanita.

Flexibility. Gotta get used to that.

Any of you one through the "new scale adjustment stress"?

FALL FREEDOM CHALLENGE at eDiets

I decided that since I've done okay for four whole days now--heh--that I'd take advantage of my current state of solid motivation and add more energy into that motivation battery by participating in a structured challenge.

So, I signed up for the eight-week Fall Freedom Challenge over at eDiets.com.

Watch out, dragons! The Princess has got a new sword.

I'm in a team called FallN2Fitness. A cute name. (I didn't come up with it.)

There are guidelines about how many challenge points you can earn by eating on your plan (eDiets has various plans, such as for Diabetes, Heart Smart, South Beach, etc.), by exercising according to their suggestions for cardio and toning (how many times, how long, at what target heart rate), by doing the challenges (journaling, sorting through your closet, etc), even for posting so many times per week in threads with your teammates. If every member of the team meets their points level, the whole team gains bonus points.

I'm not a hugely competitive sort. Minimally competitive, actually. But I lost fifteen pounds the last time (years ago) that I did an eDiets challenge, and it got me exercising after mucho sendentariness. If I can do the same this time, well, I'll take it! Only, my goal is to continue to use the tools and not go off backsliding again. (Hope, hope, hope...my word!)

I see it as a behavioral modification tool. That's all. Some camaraderie. Some support. A system for developing habits.

Wish me well, would ya?

One Point Down in Body Mass Index!

I couldn't resist getting on the scale this morning: 283.5

I couldn't resist doing the BMI calculation: 46

Hey, that's down 5.5 pounds and down one BMI point. Weee!

Here's hoping that the weekend is not stressful and next Wednesday's Weight-In shows more downward progress.

BTW, note on the sidebar where I've added the model of Princess Dieter--or as close at that site would let me get it to how I look, since I tried getting it to make me a little bigger in the boobies and shoulders, no avail. Click on it and you'll go to the site where you can make your own model. Happy personalizing!

And may your weekend be full of healthful foods in modest caloric portions. :)

I wave my royal scepter at you all for luck and blessing!


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The Villainous Hard Crust and the Binge

Well, I bit into a really hard bit of roti crust a couple days ago, and it hurt. Then I bit into a crunchy plantain chip yesterday, and it REALLY hurt. Something felt "not right." I got this bad throbbing pain. Took a ginormous strength Motrin, which helped loads. Put in an emergency message to the dentist. (I've got an appt today.)

Like a fool, I went into comfort, creamy, don't have to chew food binge. Boston Market mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, gravy overload, mac'n'cheese. Yeesh.

So, while the scale said down 2 pounds Saturday, today it says one. All that salt didn't help, either. Egads.

But, the correct approach when one screws up is...?

Yes, you got it. You pick yourself, dust yourself off, and get BACK ON A SANE PLAN. (I hadn't immediately cut back to "dieting" calorie counts last week. I just began scaling back from my usual feasts. I'd say, according to my diet/food journal calculations, I brought my consumption down from about 3500 calories to 2600 calories Wed-Sat. Yesterday, It was higher. Hey, it's progress of some sort.)

So, today, after my scrambled eggs, apple juice--I prefer fresh-squeezed grapefruit and orange, but those give me a little itchy in the throat feeling, at times, and I can't have that at the dentists's. Especially since my allergies are already icky. Spring pollens!--and ginger peach tea with Splenda, I calculated how many calories I need given my height, weight, age. I came up with 2397. Huh. I thought it would be more, given I'm barn-sized. I remember seeing a chart a couple years ago, and it had the "maintenance" calories over 3K. Surprise me!

I used an automatic online calorie needs calculator, and that gave me 2391. So, really, pretty close to the one I did by hand with pen and calculator.

Note that your needs go down as your weight goes down. And your need goes up as your exercise level goes up. I put in the "sedentary" level, cause I'm still not gung-ho on the exercise. So, if you're a movement enthusiast, you get more calories. If you're sedentary and slim, you get fewer. Makes sense.

My goal for this week is to stay at 2000 or fewer, as I work my way to a daily quota of 1600 dieting calories. Let's see, that would be about 40 points max for this week (using WW system). (Note: WW wouldn't approve of 40 points, that's way over what my weight category would permit on the Flex system. I'm just using it as a quick mental way to calculate my allowance in a 2000 calorie limit.)

Okay, so, the Princess Dieter needs to get her dental thing sorted out. Meantime, I'm going to keep to healthier non-chewing options: organic unsweetened applesauce and cottage cheese for lunch, protein drink and yogurt for snacks, maybe a nice soup for supper and some carrot juice.

I hope you calculate your caloric needs today, and subtract from it so you're on your way to less of excess and more of the real, healthy Queen that you truly are.

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Sparkly Factoid: Food Journals Work

Studies show that people who keep food journals lose more weight and keep more of that weight off in the long run. The National Weight Control Registry-–an ongoing research project tracking more than 3,000 people who’ve lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for five years– found that keeping a food journal is the one strategy used by the majority of successful dieters. In fact, in a study of 685 dieters conducted by a health insurance company, the best predictor of weight loss throughout the first year was the number of food records kept per week.

--Rebecca Pratt, staff writer at SparkPeople.com

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