Kessler, Fat2Fit : Friday! Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

Today I am recapping some of my favorite tips because these are resources I depend on regularly:

I continue to be inspired by the book,  The End of Overeating (Kessler).   What amazes me is that months after reading it, I am still constantly thinking about and pondering things I read there.  I have read a lot of books on nutrition -- the fact that this one made such a huge impression speaks to its power.  It is a  fascinating story of what makes a craving tick and how "big food" is contributing by working hard to feed my cravings. I am working on a thorough book review on this so I don't forget what I learned.  I'll post it if I ever finish it! 

Here is a PBS Documentary, "Fat, What No One is Telling You." It's very thought provoking and full of news from research, but don't watch it if you're feeling hopeless. It's food for thought but not edited in an encouraging manner. Therefore, I'm recommending it with some reservations.

I have a favorite podcast - Fat 2 Fit Radio -- which segues perfectly with my sensible eating, moderate loss rate plan. They have a good BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator. I found instructions for calculating this in lots of places on the web, but the simplest way was to follow the instructions I found at Fat 2 Fit. 

They have a very inspiring podcast.  When I start losing my vision, I listen to these down to earth and inspiring guys.  If Spark had a podcast -- it would sound like this one.  You can find it on iTunes or here.

Finally, here is my inspiration for the day; I am paraphrasing "Gabriella" from MTV's "I Used to be Fat:"  I can be mad and then eat something and feel better for two minutes and then turn my anger on myself and feel guilty.  Or I can be mad and deal with my feelings and really get my anger out - and keep losing weight.

Happy weekend everybody!

Eating Low on the Food Chain

(This is a "replay" of my March 19, 2009 post, edited for relevancy!)

I was so proud of myself as I checked out at the grocery store tonight. In my cart were two processed foods for me: tomato soup that I occasionally eat as a treat, and sugar free/fat free pudding mix for that occasional need for dessert. It sounds kind of offbeat to be proud of my grocery cart but, oddly, I was. Because with the exception of the aforementioned extravagences, everything in the cart was as close to it's natural state as a city-dwelling busy gal can get it. My cart contained canola oil, dry beans, brown rice, chicken, and produce. That's it.

Obviously I want to lose weight and I want to use the expert knowledge accumulated over the past few decades to empower that quest, hence the name of the blog.  I want to lose weight. And there is more.

I want to be healthy. Truly, robustly, undeniably healthy. I want to eat the foods that serve me and avoid the foods that do not. I am making lifestyle -- aka permanent -- changes. So these days, I am eating low on the food chain and also choosing selections that are thought to be less inflammatory, like collard greens, for instance.

I mentioned recently that I have been tracking my food on the NutritionData site. Their tracking program analyzes the macro nutrients in my food. It is very affirming. When I'm eating food as close to natural as I can, I get most or all of my essential nutrients every day. Imagine that! There has also been a fabulous unintended consequence. My 12-year-old has IBS and lately she has been suffering far fewer painful bouts. We both attribute this to the uncomplicated and beautiful home-cooked meals.

If you want to try eating simpler and more healthful foods, here are a few tips:

• Shop primarily in the outside aisles of the supermarket
• Relegate canned or boxed --processed-- foods to occasional treats
• Avoid foods that contain high fructose corn syrup; it has many deleterious affects, not least of which is stimulating your appetite
• Teach your whole family to chop vegetables and you will always have a soux chef handy
• Try a locally grown produce delivery service for fun, freshness and variety
• Cook ahead when possible, eg., the week's worth of brown rice, oatmeal, and soup
• Utilize your freezer; buy in bulk and repackage to your family's size; do big projects (like meatballs) in massive batches for time and money savings
• Make pretty food. Somehow, it tastes better.
  

Snowy Friday Tips, Tricks and Inspiration -- Bronzer and Spark

In the past 6 days, 14,500 PLUS people have joined Spark People in search of support for a healthier life style!  I racked my brain but could not come up with anything more inspiring than that!

SparkPeople is essentially a free weight-loss website.  Not my first.  However, I have never found a site with more helpful articles, more videos, more support, more recipes and all for free.  It includes a calorie counter, a food tracker, an exercise tracker and a way to set your own personal goals.  The online community (organized into message boards and teams) is helpful and kind-hearted.  In 15 months, I have seen no mean-spirited posts.  Please check it out.  The only thing it will cost you is time!  (If you do check it out, please "friend" me.  My Spark name is DreenaMT)

My tip of the week is about water.  We all know we need it but hardly anybody gets it all in during the day.  I have discovered that I can "chug" a full glass or even two when I first get up and I am very thirsty, so it seems easy.  Then I'm 1/4 of the way there!  Try it.

Finally, my "trick" is for my lady friends.  If you are having one of those days where you think your face looks fat  -- even though this is probably in your mind -- you can sweep a tiny bit of bronzer just under your cheek bones and then blend it in a bit with a sponge.  Instantly slimmed.  I swear, EVERY time I do this, someone asks me if I've lost weight.

It's snowing here in Round Rock, Texas; this is a rare event and the kids are chuffed!  I'd better get my warm clothes on - although after getting the 1, 2 and 3 year-olds dressed, I'll probably be well warmed up!

USDA Finally Catches with New Guidelines!

Well a day late and a dollar short, the USDA finally reveals it's 2010 dietary guidelines.

They are good guidelines.  Actually helpful.  And simpler than in the past.  Could they simplify them more?  Yes, of course.  But all the common sense things we know from Spark or almost any reasonable plan out there, are just now coming into focus in the guidelines.  Okay -- it's never too late, right?

Here are the highlights and following, a link so you can watch the long boring stuff yourself.

Have half a plate of vegetables and fruit and eat a variety.
Limit your fatty acids (they give guidelines no one will understand)
Have under 300 mg of Cholesterol
Reduce your sodium to 2300 mg for most, 1500 for high risk groups.
Limit refined grains, sugar and solid fats.
Alcohol limits to one drink a day for us girls, two for men
Drink water and not sugary drinks.

There is more but that's what stood out to me.  I think it is a big improvement because these guidelines are taught in schools, followed by dietitians and recommended by doctors.  Thank goodness the USDA is finally catching up to the science!
This is the link in case you want to see it for yourself!

Makeover Day

Sometimes a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

Here's a link to a silly video  I made during the photo shoot.

And for something completely different, a couple of seconds of Bennie saying Cock-a-doodle-do.

Jello cups and other interesting tidbits

Sometimes an idea is so weirdly cool, it just might make it to market.  Take Jello Cups, for instance.  I am not as environmentally conscious as I think I "should" be, but even so, I have a once-a-year limit on those disposable plastic cups.  They are so ridiculously unfriendly to the ecosystem.  Now a design team in New York has come up with a solution -- jello cups.  They are just what they sound like:  disposable, biodegradable and edible.  Weird and wonderful.

Now in the "common sense" department, why is fiber such a big deal?  Simple.  Because we don't eat enough whole foods, especially whole grains, vegetables (not necessarily raw) and legumes.  If you choose whole grains most--or even much--of the time, you will eat plenty of fiber.  It's a double-edged sword and I mean that in a useful, swashbuckling way.  (If I'm yeilding a sword, I'll take it double-edged, please).  If you concentrate on eating more fiber, you will also be getting in a good dose of whole grains, fruits and veggies and legumes.  But in case you don't believe me, here's a little scientific evidence for you!

Finally, here is some "food for thought" I've been noodling for a while:  Is obesity endemic in our society?  And, if so, should we then be treating the entire population?  I'd love to hear what you think about this topic, as it is sure to be political fodder at some point. 

Now a little update on me.  I actually gained a little weight over the holidays, so I have made a gut-wrenching (pardon the pun) decision to buckle down in a serious way and truly commit to getting off the last half of my excess weight.  More to come.

Thoughts on a New Year

It's almost a New Year!  I can't believe it!

 I am a resolution-ist -- my own word for people who make resolutions at the start of each year.  Unlike most of the folks I will meet at the gym, however, I actually keep most of mine.  I wrote about my six-word resolutions in my coaching blog; click those green "coaching blog" words if you'd like to read it!  I am going to get to goal in 2011.  My 2012 resolution will not need to include losing weight!

Speaking of New Year's -- I read some pretty interesting advice on holiday eating; I think it works pretty well with my earlier post about maintaining on the weekends.   This author has a radical suggestion -- indulge!  Check it out! 

Here's shocking good news in case you are planning your summer vacation:  Disney World is changing their food image,  introducing more healthful and vegetarian choices, including a gluten-free cupcakeria!  If they stick with it long enough for their consumers to make the shift, it could make a real difference in the world of "family" entertainment!     

Since I am limiting my "screen time" over the holidays,  I do want to take advantage of the opportunity to say, Happy New Year.  I hope 2011 is your best year yet!