Fun Friday: Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

Happy Friday! Here are your Tips, Tricks and Inspiration!

Get Off Your Bottom and Save Your Life!

There was a very thorough and helpful article in the March/April 2015 issue of Weight Watchers Magazine on how sitting is the new "smoking." Your life can be seriously shortened by a sedentary lifestyle, even if you are regular exerciser. I cannot find a link to the Weight Watchers article -- which is excellent and worth your time to track down and purchase -- but here is a link to a shorter article on the same theme.

The crux of it is this: your desk job may be killing you! If you have a desk job, see if a standing desk can be made available for you. Get up at least once an hour for 5 minutes; this can have a huge positive impact on your health. Even better is getting up every 20 minutes.  The Weight Watchers article has a whole page of ways to implement this lifestyle change.

Tricks

We all know movement and exercise are crucial to weight loss and maintenance. But the trick is to keep ourselves motivated. 5 or 6 years ago, I started wearing a fitbit, intrigued by the accelerometer and more accurate (than a pedometer) step-tracking. There are several competing products out there now, too. It doesn't matter which product you use, these activity trackers are amazing. They make you aware of how active or sedentary you are and they are practically work-free. You just put them on with your clothes each day and charge them every few days. They sync by blue tooth so all you have to do is walk near your computer. All the products have mobile apps, of course. Most sync with the Weight Watchers app and other popular weight loss apps.

These products are a perfect example of something you don't technically need but once you start using them, you won't know why you waited so long! In the interest of full disclosure, I read a study that said half the users lose interest in the product over time. Fair enough. For the other half, though, these simple devices can lead to long-term lifestyle changes.

Start small. Simple devices like the fitbit zip are under $50. (Full disclosure: I am just a fitbit fan. I am not getting anything out of this free and unsolicited endorsement for their products!)

Inspiration

As I said recently, friends help with the challenges of ongoing weight loss. Sometimes they help without even knowing it! The fitbit app allows you to "friend" other fitbit users. One of my friends, Anne, gets tons of steps every week. Last night she had over 84,000 for the week! I asked her, "How do you always get so many steps?" Her answer: "I told myself there will be NO MORE days under 10,000 steps." So simple, right?  She totally inspired me! I took up the gauntlet for myself and I went from being in the middle of the pack of my friends to consisently in 2nd place, right behind Anne, of course! 

What this means in real terms is that I am now moving through my weekends instead of sitting through them. Last Saturday, I knew I'd be scorekeeping at 3 games and watching 1 or 2 more ballgames. I decided to leave my chair in the car. I stood up and did some jogging in place in between batters. I ran all over that ballpark. I never sat down! I'd have never done that without my 10K/day commitment. Sunday, I cleaned my house from top to bottom. Okay well I didn't get it all done but it was my most productive weekend in ages. 

Connecting with other fit-minded individuals is such a boost. Yes, it's exposing too, but transparency is a great thing. It's so freeing to be an open book and in so doing, you may inspire someone else. Allow yourself to be inspired --or be an inspiration -- this week!

The Hard Part

I haven't reported in for a while, so here goes:  I have committed to perfect attendance at Weight Watcher's this year. It's going to take some planning, but I have checked in every week so far. If we take our planned cruise in November, I will have to figure that one out! Do cruise ships have Weight Watchers meetings (ha, ha.). They do have AA though in case you need to know that!

 I have lost 7.6 pounds in 2015.  My goal for the year is 50 pounds, which I figure means I need to lose about a pound a week, so I am right on track technically.

I know I'm not on track though. I'm not getting in the exercise sessions I committed to and for the last 2 weeks, I haven't tracked my food. I have enough experience to know where that will land me, so I recommit right now!  Pre-tracking -- logging all my food in order to plan my meals -- seems to work best for me, so I will do that for the remainder of the week.  I have been taking salads for lunch and eating healthfully for the most part, but if I don't sharpen up on activity and tracking, the whole house of cards will fall down.

This is the hard part. The hard part -- and I don't think I'm alone in this -- is not sabotaging myself. Yesterday I did not get all my steps in. I knew it. I considered watching TV from the treadmill, but I didn't do it. There is a "you deserve a break" tape playing constantly in my head. It isn't logical but it's alluring and quiet and constant.

The hard part is making myself weigh in when my friends can't make the meetings. The hard part is weighing in when I wasn't tracking. The hard part is believing I deserve better than what I'm giving myself. The hard part is having faith in me.

I do deserve it so I am going to act like I believe it until I do. You are worth it too.

Frigid Friday: Time for Tips, Tricks and Inspiration!

Finally it's Friday. I have fallen off on my Tips, Tricks and Inspiration for some months now, but we're back, Baby!

Tips

Want a tip to get your new year of weight loss or maintenance started strong? Get a group and get a support partner. Research shows that the components that add up to a successful weight loss or weight maintenance equation include:

• Tracking food and exercise daily
• And, having set goals for same
• Regular (at least weekly) weighing
• Using meal replacements on a regular basis (this includes frozen food like Lean Cuisine)
• Written contracts for goals
• Group sessions to discuss progress and/or work with a health coach, nutritionist, etc. ("Interventions")

Interestingly, on that last bullet point, face-to-face meetings were significantly better at providing successful support. Individuals who signed up for on-line only weight loss groups did little better than the control group which only received a written newsletter.  That in-person, real-time support is very important. The more frequently study participants attended such meetings, the more successful they were in reaching their goals.

Tricks

Way back during my PRT Challenge, I wondered why I run so slowly. I'm fat but I'm not that fat, you know?  No matter how I tried, I was not able to make significant gains in my running speed. Then I read a study by Weyand that explained it all: Running speed has everything to do with force which is a direct result of leg strength.  They tested bunches of runners and found that the big difference was in the push off the pavement. Almost nothing else, including running style, mattered.  What??? I do have weak legs. I have had years of chronic knee trouble and I cannot do typical strengthening activities like squats and lunges. The article suggested the trick to increase running speed was the simple and safe leg press. Yes, weight is a factor because the force is diluted by mass. Nonethless, I'm committed to trying it and see how it affects me. Now you know why I listed those machine-free-at-home leg presses last week.  Maybe there is another PRT challenge in my future!

Inspiration!

This week's inspiration came straight out of the teacher's lounge at school.  I was talking to a friend about exercise and she said, "It's so much easier to lose weight if you add in exercise and  not only put your effort in what you eat. It's really hard to justify cheesecake when you just spent 40 minutes sweating off 305 calories!"

Isn't that the truth?  When I am consistently on the treadmill, bike or elliptical, my desire for non-healthy foods is greatly diminished.  Suddenly a 1/2 cup serving of ice cream is plenty, or all-together unnecessary. A banana or apple will cure that sweet tooth. There is nothing like being able to equate the ease with which the calories go in the effort with which they go out!

Studies bear this out. Exercise has so many benefits in addition to burning calories, including a release of endorphins, stress reduction and a general strengthening of resolve. Inspire yourself with a good walk today and see if it helps!

3 Weeks In

January 24.  This month is flying by. I thought I'd better take a minute to check in on my goals for the year:

I am still not tracking my food so I also don't know if I'm staying in my points allowance. Okay, I admit it, I'm resistant. I will plumb the depths of that resistance a bit later and see what's driving it. Similarly, since I'm not tracking, I'm missing out on the opportunity to see what is behind the eating choices I'm making. Okay, I've convinced myself. I will track today!

I do have perfect attendance at Weight Watcher's so far, and it is paying off, in spite of my lack of attention to tracking. So far, I've lost 4.8# of my 50 lb. goal for this year. 49 weeks and  45.2# to go.

As far as my exercise goals, I'm getting in my  60K steps and then some; now I need to focus on my minimum 1 hour of strength training and working up to 30/min a day of structured exercise.  I got 20 minutes of Dance Party yesterday. I will get 30 minutes of structured exercise today.  My fitbit week starts on Sunday, so that exercise will be strength training plus about 8000 steps to get in today.  I found some great leg presses without machines I will try. (Here's another. And one more.)

My glaring "miss" so far is I still have not gotten my official support partner on board. It's because there's been an awkward silence between us for some time so I need to break that silence. I will do so with an email today. I know that if I had more accountability, I would be hitting more of my goals!

I'm working on my first every self-made workout playlist. The last thing I had that was even close -- try not to laugh -- was a mix tape I made in the early 90's and played on my Walkman! Oh I am so old!  I think getting my playlist will help me get those weekend steps in. 

How is YOUR year going? Are you meeting your goals? What do you think is helping you succeed or getting in your way?

2015 Goals and a Plan to Succeed

Hello, out there.

Yes, it has been a long time.  Yes, I've been busy but honestly, not that busy!  I have not posted frequently here because . . . quite honestly . . . it's hard to keep up a weight loss blog when there is almost never any weight loss to report.  There, I said it!

I have my list of "reasons" too -- some real, most excuses -- but that isn't the point, is it?  The point is, I have a commitment to myself to reduce my weight, and by golly, I am going to.

The good news is, I haven't given up. I have managed not only to maintain, but to lose another 12 pounds since school started. I have lessened my effort at times since Thanksgiving but am still on a losing trend.

I have made a big commitment for this year: To lose 50 pounds. For me, that's a lot, as a typical loss ratio for me is about 1/2 pound every two weeks. What I have learned since September, however, is that increased muscle tone and activity can give me the metabolism boost I need to sustain a higher rate of loss.

Frankly, it's going to take a higher rate of loss for me to ever get there since -- and I know some of you can relate to this -- every time I get sick or for some reason lose my focus, I immediately gain 2 pounds.  That's four weeks of work at my normal rate of loss! I can't afford to lose at such a low rate when gaining is as easy as breathing for me!  Okay, that's a little dramatic, but you get the picture.

Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows -- no one ever lost a pound by "planning" to lose. It takes real and concrete action.  Here is my action plan to get those 50 pounds off:

• Re-vamp my daily schedule with planned exercise periods (done);
• Get back to tracking my food to give me the opportunity for course correction;
• Stay within my Weight Watcher's Points Plus allowance;
• Have perfect attendance at Weight Watcher's this year;
• Notice the life-shocks that precipitate poor eating choices and deal with them;
• Get 60K steps a week, plus a minimum of one hour of strength training and work up to at total of 30 min/day (6 days a week) of structured exercise;
• Get a strong support partner on board and keep working with my WW partner.

I think this will be the recipe for success for me. The trick -- as always -- is sticking with it and believing in myself. My last list-item will help with this.

The elephant in the room in all this is this: My last post on this blog was in June; over 6 months ago. At that time I was in a self-made PRT Challenge.  Needless to say, I did not complete the challenge or reach my goals. I allowed myself to get distracted, especially when it got hard.

All I can do from here is forgive myself, learn from my mistakes and move on. That's what it's all about right?  I know I have re-started a thousand times, but what is the alternative? If I'm not forgiving myself and trying again, then I'm giving up -- and that is not an option.  I am quite certain if I hadn't been fighting all these years, I'd weigh 300+ pounds now. I gain weight so easily.

There is some science to help me:  Research shows most people give up their weight loss efforts within a few weeks. Other studies show that people who participate in a weight loss or accountability group are twice as likely to succeed at weight loss.  Additionally, losses of more than 44 pounds are more likely to be maintained than losses of 24 pounds or less. I am planning to get all of these things working for me this year.

What about you? Where are you in your weight loss efforts? What is your New Year's plan?

PRT Progress Report

So all my months of lackluster training compounded by illness certainly set me back in regards to my PRT training. (I wrote about my Physical Readiness Training Challenge (PRT) here).   I am not giving up by any means but I am going to have to work very hard to hit my goals.  They are ambitious goals for someone who needs to drop about 60 pounds, but I do believe they are reachable.  I will push hard until my July 31 deadline and then I will know if I need to push the deadline out few months.  It's the way of the warrior, right? Seven times down,  8 times up.

Today, I ran a half mile in 8.25.  It gets worse as I go farther.  I need to go 38% faster. That is a lot faster. Today I ate breakfast too close to my workout. I'm sure that did not help! I'm not sure if I can run that much faster but I am working toward that perfection in the half mile. Hence forth, I will finish running my goal distance later in my workout at an easier speed for me. Once I get my half-mile time under control, I'll step up to 3/4 mile.

I am up to 3 sets of 10 high incline wall push-ups. Tomorrow I graduate to the arm of the sofa. It's an intimidating prospect because last time I tried it I could not -- do -- it--at -- all.

My goal for my curl-ups was 17 by now, but I can do 12. I am happy to celebrate that progress because imagine my shock (and disgust) when I started all this and realized I could not do any of them in the way the Navy prescribes.

Finally, the swimming. I can fairly easily swim half the distance required but I have not had anyone officially time me. That's "on the list" for next week.  The younger children have been really good about entertaining themselves in the shallow end while I swim my laps which has made this less painful then I thought it would be. Next week I'll be ready for a time check.

So how about you? Are you PRT ready?  

The Warrior's Way

It's been a bit since we've spoken. In those four weeks I've managed to witness the graduation of my oldest, host a lovely Smorga-salads-bord for 24, get 3 more kids out of school and into camps and summer home-life, almost quit my job . . . and gain 5 pounds.

That last is an estimate; I'm avoiding the scale until my Weight Watchers weigh-in Wednesday night. I didn't eat terribly during these weeks nor did I fail to exercise, but I let go of my disciplines regarding refined carbs, particularly sugar, and every calorie I ate seemed to stick to my gut. Whoopsie.

Such is the Warrior's way:  Fall down, stand up, get knocked down, stand up, retreat, advance . . . keep going. I refuse to give up on myself. I am worth every minute of work and struggle. Hence, I'm back at it again.

I have been working on a meal time regime in which I eat a serving of whole grain foods or sweet potatoes (etc.) at one meal each day and the rest of my meals and snacks are primarily protein. I am using a lot of the Dukan principles mixed with Trim, Healthy Mama principles.  This hybrid plan also fits well with an anti-SIBO diet in case I need to be doing that!  I've written about Dukan before but Trim Healthy Mama tweaks the science in this way:

All meals center around protein. If you are eating a meal higher in fat, then your carbs must be very low. If you are eating a meal higher in carbs, then your fat must be minimal (i.e, lean meats and only 1 tsp. per meal of added fat). They have many other guidelines but I like the idea that you can just start with this simple principal.  It's a pretty harmless principal too, so  . . . why not?

If it seems like lately I am constantly tweaking my eating plan . . . you are correct. It has become very clear that straight Weight Watchers or calorie counting does not result in net loss for me over time. I did very well years ago on a medical weight loss -- aka protein shake -- diet and that is the last thing that has really worked.  So . . . I am now working to find a plan that will result in a net loss over time . . . but is sustainable for the rest of my life. I want a plan that can move to maintenance and can just be how I eat.  That explains, I hope, my need to marry Dukan to the Trim Healthy Mamas. (Sorry husbands of those two Mamas!)  Dukan is too rigid for my life; I have a husband, 5 kids and a job. Mama cannot eat a different meal than everyone else!

So far, so good. I am not hungry, I feel balanced, I am not having sugar-swings; I'm happy. I sub in some "zoodles" or cauliflower rice for the grains I serve my peeps and don't even miss the grains. I am also committed to trying new recipes and refining old ones to keep my cooking self satisfied. Today I made Tomato Soup with inspiration from Zesty Zucchini Soup. It was so lovely I am sharing it here with you. Happy supping!

Cream of Tomato Soup - Speedy

This is a speedy soup for waistline watchers! It has tons of goodness for very little in the way of calories. It is suitable for most higher protein plans. It is a bit high in sodium but you could drastically change that by buying low sodium tomato sauce.

4 hearty servings, 5 or 6 for a starter.

1 pint chicken broth, 99% fat free, low sodium
1 pint tomato sauce
1 tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp minced basil
4 oz. Neufchatel cheese
2 packets Truvia
(Sea salt, if desired)
(Pepper if desiered)

Parmesan cheese or hot sauce for garnish

Combine chicken broth and tomato sauce in saucepan. Heat to a simmer.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil and garlic together in the microwave, just until you can smell the garlic.
Whisk into the soup. When soup is simmering well around the edges, turn off the heat.
Set aside the basil.
Place the Neufchatel cheese and Truvia into a blender
When the soup is hot, transfer about 1 cup to the blender.
Remember to leave the center lid ajar, and be careful!
Blend on medium until no chunks of cheese remain. Pour back into saucepan and whisk to combine.
Stir in the basil.

Top with Parmesan cheese or hot sauce, as desired.

NOTES: 
If the soup is too acidic for you, try whisking in 1/2 to 1 tsp. baking soda near the end of cooking time. You can also replace the Truvia with sugar if you are not watching your sugar intake. It will take 1 tablespoon or more.

You can also replace the Neufchatel Cheese with 3 Tbsp. heavy cream for a more authentic tasting cream soup.  You lose calories and fat but also protein; I opt for the higher protein version for a meal.  The adjusted nutritional values are listed below.

Estimated Nutritional Values for 4 Servings:
4 Weight Watcher's Points Plus139.25 kc
7.9 g fat
1.8 g fiber
10.9 g carbs
759.8 sodium
4.8 g protein

Estimated Nutritional Values for 4 Servings with Cream Substituted:
4 Weight Watcher's Points Plus
108.25 kc
5.8 g fat
10.65 g carbs
658.55 sodium
2.8 g protein