Information Overload

It seems like every time you pick up a magazine, go to the bookstore or turn on the TV, someone is talking about the latest greatest way to lose weight. There will be promises of "new" breakthroughs or eating whatever you want, with testimonials by people who swear this is the only program that ever worked for them. Here is just few examples of how they all can contradict on another and confuse us...

Atkins = fruit, bread, sugar, potatos, bad. Fat,protein,good. Fat Smash = Fruit, all you want, yogurt, oatmeal, good! Susan Powter = Eat what you want like a big stack of pancakes with syrup just forgo the butter, very low fat, sugar ok. Gorge Cruise = fruit yogurt, bad, burger fries, good,very low sugar. Carb Addicts diet = eat whatever you like, potatos ,fruit, pasta ,dessert but fit it in only one hour of your day the rest of the day is salad, protein and diet soda. Gwen Shamblin's Weigh Down Workshop = eat whatever you would like only when you are truly hungry, pray through when you are not! Cabbage Soup diet = self explanatory plus a lot of gas! Some say watch only your fat, some say only your calories, others say get all of your food groups in, exercise till you drop, just walk, exercise is not necessary. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day is one most agree on, although I am sure I heard recently that is starting to be disputed! Only organic is also very popular right now. This is just the tip of the iceberg and some of these diets may have changed since I did them. There are thousands more to go ..based on body type, blood type, age ,hormones etc. Is it any wonder I can't decide what exactly to do? I can tell you that all of these have worked to some degree for me, probably because no matter what, you are eliminating something to cause a deficit in calories, some work faster than others but usually those are the one that the weight comes back on pretty fast with a little more tacked on. Oh, I forgot glycemic index foods like brown rice versus white, sweet potatos versus white potatoes and how about vegetarian? Does anyone have a headache yet? I kid you not... a bunch of hair just fell out of my head! Bald AND fat is the look most of us 40 something women pull off so well!

Put One Foot In Front Of The Other...

So it's my day off and I just don't want to step on the scale. It seems like I am seeing the same results...up 3... down 2,down 2... up 1 and I know it's my fault, behaving through the week and then loosening up on the weekend. Looks like I am not going to see an 8 lb weight loss like I planned this week.(Shocker right?)

I have a cool job and I am really enjoying it so far, it is as a Receptionist for a Pet kennel in an arty community near the water and I am a big animal lover along with being a people person so I am really blessed. I have talked about my health issues throughout this blog but some things I kept to myself because they are pretty personal and in fact are part of what make me change and try to refine my diet often. Two disorders that I have problems with effect my bladder and bowel function and what I eat and drink can make the symptoms worse or better, so a lot of times what is suggested as good for weight loss, is not actually good for these conditions. Take coffee for instance a low calorie treat that is actually good for you in many ways but the acidic content can cause problems at times, as well as citrus, yogurt, artificial sweeteners and chocolate, the times I eat can effect whether I am going to have tummy problems and of course drinking much of anything can cause a lot of issues for the bladder. Stress, nerves,(getting nervous about getting nervous) new things, good or bad, can wreak havoc on my immune system. As you can imagine, starting a new job even a fun one, has presented some challenges with this. My very first day I had such bad stomach problems due to nerves, I was in fact late... I chose to just be honest I basically just called and said I was so excited about the job, I got a little sick to my stomach and I was on the way. What else could I do? Luckily, my boss is really mellow and seemed ok with it, though a hundred different imaginary conversation scenarios between her and the co owner ran through my head about the new girl they had hired but I just dismissed them to my over active imagination. This is me ...this is who I am, it’s not who I want to be, it’s pretty embarrassing and a big pain but there must be a reason. Once again this calls for a diet change, one that I know to some is not considered that healthy but unless you have walked in my shoes... So this is what I have to do... lots of a pro biotic supplement, a small probiotic yogurt, peppermint tea,water,a few nuts throughout the day and a low calorie protein shake and banana equaling about 470 calories and then pretty much a normal sized dinner and dessert and coffee. My calorie limit to lose is supposed to be around 1900 so I am going to try to keep in mind calorie counts for dinner and not go under 1200 or over 1900.Do I get hungry and fuzzy throughout the day? Yes! But do I want to spend my work day camped out in the bathroom? NO! Sorry if this is TMI but quite frankly it is just another element of life for me and many others and learning how to deal. Soooo, my stomach has been on good behavior and I just can't imagine with the cut back in calories NOT losing, now as I adjust to working, I will add exercise and my goal is just 15 minutes a day of some sort of concentrated movement, doesn’t sound like much but it's more than I am doing at the present time!

This has become rather long, drawn out and definitely not amusing, so I am going to bid adieu. I have already picked my next topic and it's going to be about the information we are overloaded with concerning dieting and how they all seem to conflict and drive us crazy! Until then I am going to just keep trying, you never know when a victory could be right around the corner as I heard a recent speaker say(Joel Olsteen) and if you don't put one foot in front of the other. You won't arrive!

Victories

So I am four months into this process and I am going to take a victory wherever I can find one. I would have hoped for more of a loss by now but I can say I am learning what works for me and saying no to foods that used to be my friend has not been so hard. I walked a mile with my dogs yesterday and didn't even realize it...Victory one! Pizza dinner at my church ...took my iced coffee and was fine without a slice, although I had to look at a beautiful piece of cake for an hour as the meeting progressed, it was set right in front of me and the only reason I did not move it is I thought the person next to me was going to eat it, the important thing is... I didn't...Victory 2! Going to the Doctors weighing in and actually seeing a loss on THEIR scale...Victory 3! I also was blessed enough to snag a job which I start tomorrow, I am sure that will offer new challenges, so I am putting myself on alert and taking healthy snacks. Technically with "The Fat Smash Diet" you are only supposed to weigh in after the first 9 days and then you are supposed to lose up to 9 lbs but I was back down those yo yo 3 lbs that keep coming back when I last checked. I did keep a few foods from the last plan that really helped me to feel less deprived…iced coffee and a little bit of dark chocolate but I haven’t had any meat in a week and I am a little tired of lentils and beans but I’ll live.

I am breaking down the weight loss into smaller goals. There is a big function 13 days from now at my husbands work, so my goal is to lose 8lbs by then. For me, that is a pretty big goal considering it has taken me 4 months to lose 15. I have been watching "Ruby" on style network and she inspired me by losing 13lbs on an Aussie vacation. It has been suggested to me before that I should take things a little bit at a time so I don't get overwhelmed with such a big task.

My new job is a receptionist position so it requires me to be the "face" of the company and look and feel good so maybe that will help keep me in line as I pull away from stay home "Mom" mode and add to my wardrobe. Hope you can find some "Victories" in your life this week.

Never Be Afraid To Try Something New

New eating plan Number 3 began as my oldest daughter wanted to do"The Fat Smash" plan, totally different from the last one which included lots of meat, healthy breads and dark chocolate. This one is all the fruit and veggies you need, low fat, no meat or bread and very low fat among other things in the induction period of 9 days. My daughter broke her foot and is in a cast, she has had a considerable difficult time getting around and is not messing around anymore she wants to lose,so I am willing to do whatever plan she is comfortable with. I did learn that artificial sweeteners of any kind really cause digestive problems for me after cutting them out this last plan so its only Stevia based sweeteners or a little occasional sugar I am using.

Did I behave during Spring Break ? No.Was it worth it? No,I am back up a couple of lbs. Trying on clothes is always a wake up call for me and I know if I get a job I need a new wardrobe. Just coming down a couple of sizes would make a big difference.

So to recap a rather boring update… I am in this since January 4th, I have lost a total of 12 lbs as of today and I am trying plan 3. I feel better, people say they can tell I have lost, now my daughter has thrown her hat in the ring and I am not giving up!