Yesterday I began "day one" with Herbal Magic. Brett's Christmas gift - a promise of accountability, perseverance, and success! Weighing in at 311.6 lbs (I'm ashamed to admit) I suddenly found myself promoted from fat to obese.
"Cheer up!" Natalie said, "We're here to help you - you won't be this size forever!" I know this is true. Two years ago I lost 95 lbs on Herbal Magic. Due to financial complications I was forced to leave the program. I always regretted it. Had I stayed on program I wouldn't be writing this blog today. Then you'd be deprived of this fabulous alternative to sleeping pills. Even though it's midnight, try to stay awake.
At the start of the program, it's essential to be measured - neck, breasts (or as Natalie says, "the ladies"), stomach (2 fingers above the belly button), abdomen (two fingers below the belly button), hips/buttocks (apparently measuring tapes do come in yards), thighs, calves and ankles.
Next comes the humiliating photograph that far surpasses any of those school photos you used to dread. This time around, just for fun, I decided to look pregnant for the side view. My posture blown to hell I figured I was about 9 months along, maybe 10. (What can I say? I'm practically carrying another person inside of me.) Of course I did show off my dazzling smile. You never know when the next Herbal Magic television commercial opportunity may arise.
Natalie and I sat down and talked over my goals. I definitely want to lose 50 lbs by Easter weekend. Terri, one of my very best friends (since Grade 10) is getting married in Niagara on the Lake. Brett and I booked a hotel room for two nights. I really, REALLY want to look nice for Terri...no, that's total crap. The truth is I want my husband to throw me on that Prince of Wales four-poster bed and ravish me - the NEW me. (Sorry Terri...I still love ya!)
Breakfast
1 large tortilla, toasted
1 tblsp almond butter
4 oz almond milk with coffee
2 1/2 oz turkey
Lunch
1 cup cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup green grapes
4 oz almond milk with coffee
Snack
1 medium orange
Dinner
2 cups lettuce
2 tblsp fat free dressing
2 1/2 eggs
8 oz steak
1 cup asparagus
1 cup mushrooms with pepper
Snack
1 1/2 cup strawberries
8 x 8 oz Water
Exercise
Goal: 45 minutes on the exercise bike
Actual: 4.8 minutes on the exercise bike (leg cramp)
15 minutes stretches / hand weights
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Season's Eatings
There comes a time when we simply have to admit this wild roller coaster ride we call "diet" is simply a continum of highs and lows. Like Thomas the Tank Engine we try to be a really useful engine and keep on track, but eventually we run out of steam or accumulate too many buffers.
Sometimes we need a little assistance; someone to help us reach our goal. I managed to lose 20 lbs before Christmas. I'd love to say I kept it off, held my own in the constant sea of stuffing, turkey, gravy, shortbreads, chocolate, and all of the other goodies the holiday season brings. The truth is, I was drowning...
until my husband Brett threw me a life preserver.
Sometimes we need a little assistance; someone to help us reach our goal. I managed to lose 20 lbs before Christmas. I'd love to say I kept it off, held my own in the constant sea of stuffing, turkey, gravy, shortbreads, chocolate, and all of the other goodies the holiday season brings. The truth is, I was drowning...
until my husband Brett threw me a life preserver.
Trust Your Angels
I love to weigh in on Fridays. Some may greet this moment with depredation. However, I remember one particular Friday when I was very confident in a positive outcome. For you see, earlier in the week an angel whispered in my ear, “You will lose 7 lbs this week!” I have a gift for connecting with guardian angels. I’m sorry; did I forget to mention this? Knowing divine intervention was on my side, I confidentially stepped up on the scale. 5 lbs! FIVE POUNDS? Was there a malfunction? Perhaps if I move the scale towards the incline in the bathroom tiles, this will suffice in giving me a more accurate calculation? 5 lbs.
Brett poked his head around the corner in response to my consternation. “What’s up?” I didn’t appreciate the humour or the assumption I’d gained weight. “I lost 5 lbs!” I cried, utterly destroyed. “What’s wrong with that?” He chuckled, “That’s great!” “No it’s not great! I was supposed to lose 7!”
Convinced the universe was out of alignment, I did the only rational thing I could do. I trudged down the stairs and poured myself a coffee.
Is Caffeine a Diuretic or Not? - What You Should Know
To further quell the 'is caffeine a diuretic or not?' debate, initially it was said that caffeine had no significant or alarming impact on the final urine output of a person. Subsequent studies have further shown that the mechanism of caffeine diuresis is dubious in nature, as caffeine containing beverages did not impact urinary output any differently, when compared to other beverages that do not contain caffeine. However, this does not mean that caffeine does not increase your need or urge to urinate. One's reaction to caffeine intake can depend on the amount he consumes, the type of product that he consumes and his tolerance level to caffeine. And it varies from person to person.
All said and done, water is the best source of hydration, so be sure to include it as a part of your daily fluid consumption, irrespective of whether your body reacts to caffeine diuretic properties or not.
'Is caffeine a diuretic?' was your question. I hope this article has removed the 'caffeine diuretic myth' from your minds.
To further quell the 'is caffeine a diuretic or not?' debate, initially it was said that caffeine had no significant or alarming impact on the final urine output of a person. Subsequent studies have further shown that the mechanism of caffeine diuresis is dubious in nature, as caffeine containing beverages did not impact urinary output any differently, when compared to other beverages that do not contain caffeine. However, this does not mean that caffeine does not increase your need or urge to urinate. One's reaction to caffeine intake can depend on the amount he consumes, the type of product that he consumes and his tolerance level to caffeine. And it varies from person to person.
All said and done, water is the best source of hydration, so be sure to include it as a part of your daily fluid consumption, irrespective of whether your body reacts to caffeine diuretic properties or not.
'Is caffeine a diuretic?' was your question. I hope this article has removed the 'caffeine diuretic myth' from your minds.
It is important to understand that coffee and almost any beverage that contains caffeine, does lead to a mild amount of diuresis. However, it has also been seen that regular consumers of coffee and caffeinated drinks have a higher tolerance to the mild diuretic effect of caffeine and other beverages. Thus, in the end it can be concluded that the diuretic effect of caffeine is something that varies from person to person and is dependent on many factors. Dr. Sumaiya Khan.
Suffice to say after drinking my coffee I felt a sudden shift compelling me to run back upstairs to the bathroom. Once nature had taken its course I jumped back on the scale, smuggly yelling out to my husband, "7 pounds baby!!!" Which only goes to prove I speak the truth about angels, even if I am full of shit.
Magic Mondays
To clarify, I always start a diet on a Monday. Why this is I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s as simple as Monday being the start of a new week, signifies a fresh start. Isn’t that what we all want, a fresh start? It could also be true that I prefer indulging a little more on the weekends, in moderation. To totally deprive yourself of the foods you love will guarantee failure. I weigh in on Friday mornings, have a couple of treats on the weekend (in moderation) and start fresh again on Monday. You may not agree, however, feel free to stick around and see if it works. At the risk of stating the obvious, today is Wednesday.
Breakfast: 4 oz low fat ham
½ slice whole grain English muffin (toasted)
1 medium orange
Lunch: 2 cups lettuce
¼ cup celery
¼ cup cucumber
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 ounce cheddar cheese
¼ cup crunchy oriental noodles
1 tbsp fat-free salad dressing
Snack: 1 cup strawberries
Dinner: 5 oz fish filet, grilled
1 cup broccoli, steamed
Pepper to taste
Snack: 1 medium orange
Caffeine & Lemons
Breakfast: 5 oz turkey bacon (approx. 4 strips, microwave until crispy)
1 small flour tortilla (toasted)
1 tbsp almond butter (spread on tortilla – yummy!)
½ pink grapefruit
Lunch: 2 cups lettuce
¼ cup celery
¼ cup cucumber
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 ounce cheddar cheese
¼ cup crunchy oriental noodles
1 tbsp fat-free salad dressing
Snack: 1 cup strawberries
Dinner: 5 oz fish filet, grilled
1 cup broccoli, steamed
Pepper to taste
Snack: 1 medium orange
Did you know that by placing an ice pack on the back of your head, just below the skull, you can alleviate head pain? It’s true. A cold compress constricts the nerve endings, giving almost immediate relief! This also is true of nose bleeds. In my early twenties I used to suffer from chronic rapid bleeding & clotting. Subjected to various remedies such as iodine packing and cauterizing, I was thrilled when someone introduced me to this simple solution.
It’s common at the beginning of a diet to experience headaches, as your body detoxifies. Caffeine is the main culprit, or lack thereof. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, however I only indulged in a Starbucks latté on the first day, and then I moved on. You should move on too.
A soothing alternative is hot lemon water. It’s known to aid in digestion, is a natural laxative, and ultimately is believed to help promote weight loss. Of course you could skip the water, suck the lemon, and pucker up. After that, no food is getting in there anyway.
Starbucks, Red Wine & Chocolate
At the start of a diet, one must decide, “To weigh in or not to weigh in?” It’s a good question. By weighing in, you can get depressed, binge, and simply give up. By not weighing in, you risk the chance of cheating; telling yourself that one tiny morsel of chocolate won’t make a difference. Experience has taught me, that it’s always best to weigh in, and face your fear. At the break of dawn, before that first cup of coffee, devoid of clothing, step up to a new and better you. As I jumped on the scale, I could almost hear Dorian’s disapproval, “Mommy, don’t break the scale!” In the era of everything electronic, I was thankful the scale couldn’t talk.
“Get off! Get off! Get off!” is what it would say.
311.6 lbs later I found myself in the heart attack zone. I could turn to my old friend denial for comfort, or I could do something about it.
Breakfast: Starbucks low fat tall latté with cinnamon powder.
Starbucks low fat turkey breakfast sandwich.
I believe it’s best to ease yourself slowly into your diet, as not to shock your system. I’m also a great believer of Starbucks to start your day! As I wait patiently in the cue of cars, my mind wanders back to 1972.
I spent the first 20 years of my life in Georgetown, Ontario; a small unassuming town where for a 10 yr old girl, walking was not only an option, it was a necessity. I recall two 8 year old boys down the street who didn’t agree with my philosophy and managed to steer their family car to the end of their driveway. Boys!
Back then, the notion of a drive-through would consist of a drunken partygoer crashing into someone’s living room. Therefore, it was extremely exciting when a new Dog & Suds opened up along with roller-skating waitresses with trays on the side. Unfortunately, after a bout of food poisoning the owner of Dog & Suds were in the proverbial dog house. With its doors permanently closed, our 50’s style diner was forever affectionately known as the Arf & Barf.
I trace my first struggle with weight loss back to my mother, a survivor of World War II in London , England
Perhaps this is when the term “waste not, want not” was invented? I recall reading an article about enterprising housewives trading recipes for baked hedgehog and carrot fudge. It’s no wonder my mom thrives on meat and potatoes after that experience!
Mom lived by that, not only expecting, but enforcing the rule of clearing off your plate as though it was immoral to do otherwise. Had she not piled my plate as high as my father’s, I may have trusted her judgment. However a ten year old stomach can only pack in so much food. So began the 10 p.m. stand-off. I refused to finish my meal, and mom declined my request to be excused from the table. Stubbornly, I sat alone at the table until bedtime.
After a few weeks of this post bedtime war I searched for alternate solutions. After all, it wasn’t much fun sitting on a hard, slightly foam-filled, cushioned chair with its cold chrome exterior. One might say that poking holes in its thin plastic coating was an effective way to pass the time. However, I like to think it was my ingenuity that led me to stuff the chair with unwanted leftovers. Peas, mashed potato, gravy, and what could only be described as scraps of dried up mystery meat miraculously disappeared. With severe allergies and no dog around to entertain my conspiracy, this seemed the only resolution to my problem. It was great in theory, until one Saturday evening when it all blew up in my face; literally. The chair was not the only explosion heard that day.
With low fat latte & breakfast sandwich in hand, I continued on to work, reveling in my decision to drop unwanted pounds by Friday morning’s weigh-in.
Lunch: 2 cups of iceberg lettuce ½ cup mixed peppers (green, red & yellow) 5 oz grilled, sliced skinless chicken 1 tbsp low fat salad dressing
I often wondered why my mom felt the need to give me man-sized portions at every meal. My sister’s theory is that mom, slightly overweight at the time, wanted us to be overweight too, so she could feel good about herself. I never bought into this. Mom seemed genuinely pleased when I phoned to tell her I’d started my diet. In fact, it was mom who constantly pointed out my extra pounds whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Arrived at home by 3 p.m. only to find mom’s signature strawberry rhubarb pie (my absolute favorite), warm from the oven, sitting on my kitchen counter.
Snack: 4 pieces of celery 1 ounce cheddar cheese, a touch of strawberry rhubarb aromatherapy.
My slightly older, and much wiser sister, may be on to something. I quickly tucked the pie in the freezer, locking the door behind me.
During my teenage years I took to escaping to my bedroom with a plate of light-hearted fare, consisting of cheese, crackers, celery, carrots and radishes. As long as I could eat with one hand, and turn the page of a book with another, I was happy. Reading
My favorite form of exercise was Barbie Allen’s Dancercise, an aerobic workout set to music. It saddens me that in 2010 no one seems to remember Barbie Allen. (For those of you interested, Barbie was Ed Allen’s wife. Ed Allen had a following of millions of viewers and fans, from all over the world. His exercise Show was still being distributed in the early 90’s. Ed wore a distinctive one-piece polyester jumpsuit while he did his calisthenics.) I preferred wearing spandex with leg warmers. After 45 minutes of physical conditioning involving exercises, I ran around the block (a distance of ¼ of a mile), then jumped in our swimming pool where I completed a succession of vigorous laps. To my great joy, I found keeping a daily regiment allowed me to eat whatever I wanted without gaining a single pound. It seems those days, along with my beloved Barbie Allen, have long since faded away. Now if only the pounds would follow suit!
Dinner: 4 oz filet mignon ½ cup onions & peppers, grilled 4 bacon-wrapped scallops & bacon 1 glass red wine
Granted, scallops with bacon may not sound dietary, but it definitely adds a little flare. After all, what’s a turf, without surf? Questioning my choice, I posted a query to all my friends on Facebook .
From the diet front:
Scallops & Bacon for dinner, with no sides...
good for a diet, or bad?
Deborah: Scallops good... Bacon, not so much, unless it was low sodium turkey bacon(from Butterball).Jennifer:I would be ok with that, I’m doing no carbs, but Deborah is right, turkey bacon is good.
Jessica:You need to be eating everything. Portion control is the main objective. Not deprivation, as that creates binges.
Christine:Oh, I'm balanced, just eating the carbs earlier in the day. I knew you were going to say something about the bacon. Unfortunately, this came on the scallops.However I do have the Butterball turkey bacon. I never diet without it!
BBC News, UK
Drinking a glass of red wine not only guarantees a longer life, it improves brain function, ensuring I’m smart enough to know that the more wine I drink, the longer I’ll live. Living longer gives me more time to drink wine. It’s really a very pleasant win-win, don’t you agree? Forgoing cancer is a definite bonus. I definitely do not want cancer.
When I first decided to start this diet or “lifestyle change” as many of my friends prefer, I had an epiphany. How many times (once spring arrived) did I chastise myself for letting things go during the winter? Quietly, almost trance-like, I envisioned travelling to the future to visit springtime me. Springtime me begged wintertime me to lose weight NOW, so that by spring I would in pretty decent shape. At best, I could wear capris without embarrassment. This was an intensely spiritual moment, without the “out of body” experience. Of course, being out of body may have been another option had I acquired the insight as to how to accomplish this. So wintertime me made a promise to springtime me that I would do my very best to lose 50 lbs by Easter weekend. It’s all very Shirley MacLaine and Echo Bodine-like with a chubby Christine thrown in the mix.
Having a support group is mandatory in keeping on the weight-loss path. By alerting my Facebook friends to my weight loss intentions I had no choice but to stick to the program or face public humiliation.
Snack: 2 cups strawberries 1 ounce raw almonds
Throughout the day I drink water. It’s from a water cooler. I’m a bit nervous about drinking water from a bottle ever since the toxic chemicals in water bottles fiasco. However, missing the convenience of said water bottles I decided to do a little research.
Bonzabuy, AU, claims a lot of plastics these days have a chemical known as BPA. This substance has been declared ‘safe’ by governments from research funded by the companies who make BPA plastic! There is enough evidence to suggest that BPA is not safe and harmful to humans. On a more logical and down to earth level, when you drink from plastic water bottles - you can taste the plastic. My logic says that if you can taste it, it is leaking into the water and going into your body. This can not be good. Have you ever seen the toxic smoke fumes when plastic is produced? Thick black YUCK!
For me, this is cause for concern. Six months after Dorian was born, I alternated between breast feeding & bottled formula. Sterilizing nursing bottles on the stove was a daily ritual. One summer’s eve, Brett (my husband) suggested we take the boys for a drive. Sleep deprived, I forgot all about the boiling water. We returned to find thick smoke throughout the house. Remnants of plastic bottles were melted to the burner. After opening all the windows we left to find accommodation for the night. It took weeks to rid the house of the smell. The morale of this story is breast feed longer, get more sleep, and avoid drinking from plastic bottles whether you’re a newborn or a 47 year old fat person on a diet. More importantly, make sure you drink 8 x 8 ounces of water a day. (My pen pal in England
“MOOOOOO-VE OVER!” says Brett, wondering why his side of the bed is suddenly constricted.
Being a morning person, I have no problem arising in anticipation of each day. I wonder how many calories you can burn simply from jumping out of bed. These days, exercise is a luxury I can’t afford. I’ve worked it out in my head that I actually work 5 jobs; a Sales Representative for ClubRunner, selling software that helps Rotarians manage their clubs; a Puppeteer with Patty Cakes Puppetry (my own business); a Secretary for the CDC (Casting Directors of Canada); a Psychic for Ask Your Angels (my hobby); and a Stay-At-Home Mom (1/2 days only). Who has time for Barbie Allen these days? I did manage a liaison with Richard Simmons one summer, but that quickly fizzled out when I broke my ankle.
With so many responsibilities a little creativity goes a long way. Compromising, I’ve worked out a pretty good system. Counting calories may be your preference. I’m not a fan myself, but for sport, I’ve worked out my own calorie-burning exercises.
Chasing naked 7 year old around the house, with bathwater waiting = 145 calories plus.(As we have a turnabout, this can take hours.)
Lifting laundry baskets of clean or dirty clothing to and from the laundry room = 65 cal. /load. (As this is a good exercise to improve your pecks, I give this responsibility to Brett. I’m still waiting on some sign of appreciation.)
Flipping the Queen-sized mattress in the master bedroom = 220 calories (750 calories with dust mites.)
Walking down the street to have coffee with neighbour Isabel = 35 calories one way.(Isabel bakes fresh cookies = 0 calories for the walk home.)
Vacuuming the entire house, all 1575 square feet of it = 396 calories.(Removing Dorian’s Bakugan from vacuum – maximum upper arm strength = 1524 calories.)
Carrying garbage to the curb = 87 calories per bag.(Bag breaks = 0 calories if you leave it for your husband to pick up; 174 calories if you do it yourself.)
Carb resistance = calories unknown.(Fighting urge to eat salty chips, fresh bread, pizza dough = 0 calories. Life can be unfair.)Carbohydrates are the enemy or so I’ve been told. To confirm this I went on the internet (what did we do before the internet?) This is what I found:
Most carbohydrates are either a common sugar or a long chain of sugars linked together. The body's digestive system works to break the chains apart into simple sugars so the body can absorb them. Thus, most carbohydrates can turn into sugar.
Researching further I found CNN’s website, and found this information very insightful:Much confusion surrounds the topic of carbohydrates, thanks to fad diets that promote fat and protein over carbs. But, "as with fats, it is the type of carbohydrate that is most important," says Walter Willett, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School
Milk chocolate is my absolute favorite however; it is rich in sugar and calories. Although I’ve never acquired a taste for dark chocolate, I felt it worth a second glance. Denningers is a little European shop around the corner that prides itself on exceptional quality food. It’s in this quaint little store that I found numerous varieties of chocolate. An old friend once told me if you’re lucky enough to find a chocolate bar with 90% cocoa, try it! I did find one with 85% cocoa. Hesitantly I took a small bite. (At this point I should mention that I did in fact purchase the chocolate bar first, otherwise my reasons for hesitance may be misconstrued.) I found that one tiny square was all I needed to satisfy my chocolate craving. I was pleasantly shocked to find this satisfaction carried me for weeks thereafter. Up until then, milk chocolate merely increased my cravings. The more chocolate I consumed, the more I wanted. Like anything new, dark chocolate is an acquired taste. You’ll find it will alleviate your cravings, and also give you a sense of well-being. Known for its powerful antioxidants, dark chocolate, in moderation, can slow down the aging process and protect you against heart disease and cancer.To sum up, both chocolate & wine contain phenols, which are said to prevent fatty substances in the blood stream from oxidizing and blocking the arteries. A nice glass of red wine with an 86% (or higher) square of chocolate on the side is the perfect way to end your day!
Introduction
It had finally arrived, that day every respectable overweight mom dreads. Bryce, my then 8 year old son arrived home from school with an announcement.
Bryce: “Mommy, my friend Daniel says you have a big bum.”
I knew it was only a matter of time before my son’s friends starting teasing him about his chubby mother. Of course, I had great plans to lose the weight before that day came. I spent the next ten minutes explaining to my son that it was wrong of Daniel to say hurtful things.
Mommy: “The next time Daniel says something like that about your mother, you tell him it hurts your feelings, and it’s not nice.”
Yet there it was; the proverbial pink elephant in the room that no one is suppose to notice. Apparently it was me.
I’ve fought with excess weight most of my grownup life. There followed all the fad diets; the Watermelon Diet that turns your stool pink, the Cabbage Diet that creates a disconcerting sulfur fog at every bowel movement, doctor prescribed pills that created miniature oil spills floating in the tank, the cleansing diet that’s end result gave you a reprocessed bird’s eye view of what you’d eaten that day, only to name a few. It occurred to me, why are we so concerned about what comes out of our bodies, and not what goes into them?
Dorian: “Mommy, don’t break the toilet.”
Mommy: “Why would I break the toilet?”
Dorian: “You’re so big!”
Dorian, my very observant 7 year old son cautions me. I would have laughed, had I not been mortified. “Dorian, what do you want to be when you grow up?” How many times have we asked our children this? “I want to be a rocket scientist, a brain surgeon or President,” is the anticipated response. A more accurate response is “I’d like to be a train conductor for Thomas the Tank Engine, mommy!” So, what does mommy want to be when she grows up? She’d like to be 155 lbs lighter! Like that blue #1 train travelling down the rails, so began my journey.
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