Please feel free to input your own answers to my questions. These are just situations that have happened to me some more recently then others and I just had to vent and share.
Why is it that when you are tell someone you are having a bad food day they tell you that tomorrow will be a better day or that you have to have willpower?
I don’t care about tomorrow I want to not have eaten whatever I ate, but in my mind I am thinking O.K. but it really doesn’t matter because you are big! And who the hell is Will because obviously he has a lot of power sorry I missed that memo!
Why is it that when you are at the gym getting ready to put your weight into the machine that all eyes are on you?
Mind your business, and try to guess it.
Why does it take so long to lose weight!!!
I mean really, it’s been 2 weeks one would think I would lose 20 pounds! If I can gain 3 pounds in a day I should be losing 21 pounds in 7 days. See the odds are against me already ugghh!!
Why is a thin person always trying to prove to people that they eat?
I don’t care! Eat the tuna tartar and keep it moving!
Why is it when you start an aerobics class at the gym the instructor comes over to you and say you can work out at your own pace?
Um hello I know this, did you really think that my big tail can get down like the rest of you let’s think about that….... NO!!!
Why is it that when you start something people want you to promise them that you will do this and that and try to hold you accountable or it?
I am an adult either I do it or don’t. Please don’t try to back me in a corner to do something I already said I will do.
(that is not directed at any one)
Why is it that when people see that I have a ring on my left hand they say oh your engaged?
No, I got this from my crackerjack box! Big girls need love too!
Why do we beat ourselves up when we do not work out, eat right, journal, etc.?
As I told my other teammates as much as I wish this was the Biggest Loser where the contestants are on the ranch with no real outside influence until a challenges comes along. This is the real world of weight loss outside distractions, your enemies trying to keep you fat, working out when you can fit it in, office parties, bbq’s, carb’s, family. Stuff happens and anyone who has lost weight and said they never had slip up days are lying because it happens we just need to dust ourselves off and keep it going forward instead of backwards.
Why is it that I am in a rut! I am have been at the same weight for the pass week!!! I want to see 219!!!
Why is it that I have to do 2 more weeks or SB!!???
Because I did not give it my all and I told myself I would. So now I am going to reset my system to be free of carbs!
Why is that people think fat, overweight, obese, unhealthy, whatever you want to call yourself people are either happy or angry because “we are either mad at the world or trying to prove we like how we are?”
O.K. 1- If someone is this way oh well if you can’t be you find new friends, if you like what you are doing then cheers to you! I am an easy going happy person until you mess with me then I’m not! and I do not like my body but this is what it has been for the pass for years and I have been trying to change it. I say love me or leave me!
Do you feel that there is an underlying reason why you eat?
Yes, I have figured that out about myself. So I have to face my demons before I can push on! I also realized that it’s comfort I am with someone who has seen me at 145 and 238. And he still loves me.
All in all folks I feel that I am doing the best that I can and yes I know I can do better but it takes 6 weeks to kick a habit. I/We are only on week 2. Cheer for us don’t criticize us! We do it enough to ourselves outside input isn’t helpful just harmful! (Harmful because we will eat.)
Happy Easter! Until next time.
Well folks, as I said in my last post, I set out earlier this week to find a way to bust through my weight loss plateu. I found an accidental solution.
The flu.
I’ve been fighting it since Tuesday night during band practice. I’ve had absolutely no appetite for the past five days. I’ve also lost about 5 pounds.
Sure, it’s not the safest way to drop weight. I also know that it will be back as soon as my hunger returns, but for the time being, I’m hovering at just above 200 pounds—200.8 to be exact.
But, seeing the scale at its lowest point in years has given me so much motivation. Even if this loss does prove to be temporary, at least I’m seeing the possibility.
I should be well after the weekend. Come Monday, I’ll pick up the slack and get out there again. Maybe I should turn to weight training. Or switch from jogging to running. We’ll see.
Have a great holiday! AND LAY OFF THE PEEPS!
...photos of orangutans eating hard-boiled eggs at the Lowry Park Zoo:
They do this every year at the zoo right before Easter. Dee Dee is the one pictured above. The top two photos are of the dominant male, Rango.
Rachel Nelson, the P.R. director at the zoo, writes:
The primate keepers hide about 2 dozen hard-boiled eggs, along with a few “peeps†and some of their regular diet (produce). Most of the orangs (all but the baby) go for the eggs right away. They usually pop the whole egg into their mouths and chew, then spit the colored shell back out. (We use non-toxic dye, of course.) At one point this morning, Rango had 5 eggs in his mouth at one time – right about the time of the earlier photo I sent. Then he spit them back out and played with them for a while. All the eggs are gone at this point, but Easter baskets, bonnets and some toys remain. Like children, some like the “packaging†better than what’s inside.
17 hours on an airplane.
A friend of the family is headed to Africa and that’s how long her flight is from Atlanta. For me, that’s 17 hours of bliss, especially if it involves night flying; for just about everyone else it’s something to dread.
It doesn’t have to be that bad.
Simple steps can help make a red-eye more tolerable. Here are a few suggestions from my personal arsenal of travel tips:
+ Bring your own mini-pillow, even if it’s a silly looking blow-up model. Most airlines have cut pillows and blanket to save money, so you’re really on your own anyway.
+ Pack eye covers. Sleeping goggles are a god send. It never fails that the guy next to you is an insomniac who’ll keep his reading light on from take-off to touch-down. Plan accordingly to block those unwanted rays.
+ An extra pair of clean socks in your carry-on is a great way to refresh your feet at 30,000 feet. Get them from the dollar store so you can ditch them if they get too dirty in the cabin.
+ Moist towelettes. The next time you eat ribs at Sonny’s, ask the server for a handful of extras. Stick them in your bag. Eight hours into the 17 hour flight you’ll be delighted to have something handy to wipe your hands and face. The alternative is frightening; you really don’t want to use an airplane’s lavatory water to wash anything on or near your body.
+ Lotion. This suggestion comes from my wife Nicole. She’s a voracious proponent of bringing lotion, even if it is relatively heavy and potentially messy. Let your dry skin make the call.
+ At first, I thought earplugs were a waste of precious packing space. I’m now a believer. They’re cheap and extremely effective when two people who can’t control their voices successfully overpower the roar of the engines with an absurd conversation about annual sales figures of laminate flooring samples. In a pinch, I’ll use large headphones as a substitute.
Even mini headphones are better than nothing.
+ Get good headphones. As is the case with on-board blankets and pillows, airline headphones stink too. A personal pair of noise cancelling headphones would be best, but they can be pricey ($40-$300) too. Even the least expensive ones you can find will be better than the things Delta will give you for $5.00.
+ Music & movies. There’s a reason airline movies are so bad: The good ones are expensive, and airlines are generally stingy. Bring your own entertainment. Take a portable DVD player or computer and check with your airline to ensure your seat has a power port.
This list could go on and on. Yours will too.
Business class passengers get an ‘amenity kit’ with their $6,000 seats. For a few dollars you too can enjoy the little comforts that help them arrive refreshed.
Think about the things that make you relax at home and consider those items for your flight… Just try to choose small and lightweight items so you can keep your carry-on load to a minimum.
Did you catch Karla Jackson’s Five Minutes With .. Jessica Denay, Author And Founder Of The Hot Moms Club this week in Baylife? I have never heard of the Hot Moms Club and my first thought was ‘do we really need anymore pressure?!’ We are already inundated with photos of these celebrity moms weighing 105 pounds, wearing Dolce & Gabbana and Jimmy Choos with their oh-so stylish babies on their hips. And none of them have nannies, personal trainers or chefs, of course.
But Jessica Denay says the Hot Mom concept is less about being a size 2 and more about energy, attitude and confidence. She also says moms are “multitasking goddesses.” Now, that is hot.
Ok…I think I blew it.
It started yesterday. I was in a funky blue mood. I had a strange depressing little cloud hanging over me for most of the day. So what did I do to feel better? Yep, that’s right. I hit the ole refrigerator. You know, peel open the door and stare down all that food inside. Well, lucky for me that I’ve ditched most of the bad (think chocolate) foods in the house. So finding some comfort food was pretty tough!
Here comes the snacking. I started with a mini bag of popcorn…then a few mini snickers bars…then I topped it off with a healthy handful of grapes. I was supposed to feel better now.. right? I was supposed to get rid of that depressed mood..right? But guess what? The GUILTIES crept up on me. No..that’s not the immigrant family down the road. The GUILTIES are the little voice that you hear inside your head saying….“You blew it…You really blew it!”
I felt even worse knowing that this was the day I chose not to exercise. I had a pretty tough workout on Tuesday night (thanks Vick) so I decided my body needed rest. Actually, my body decided I needed rest. I can hardly lift my arms today… due to too many bicep curls.
That was yesterday. Now the hardest part about today is taking that first step in the right direction. The OLD me would say ” It’s Thursday..I might as well blow the rest of the week and I’ll start over Monday. The NEW me says ” It was only a little oops. Keep heading in the right direction. Don’t beat yourself up”.
I realize that each day I must do the best I can, if just for that one day. It really helps that my Angels, Gina and Tenisha, are in the background cheering me on. Thanks ladies for the tough love today. Good luck to both teams at the ‘weigh in’ this Friday.
Whoever said sleep is overrated couldn’t have been sleep deprived. Saylor turned 8-months-old this week. And eight months ago is the last time I slept eight hours straight. I really only have myself to blame.
I broke the cardinal rule – I let her sleep with me. It started innocently enough. When I nursed her in bed, I was so over-tired that I end up falling asleep instead of putting her in the crib. One night turned into another and another and eight months later we’re still struggling. She falls asleep in her crib but still wakes up for a feeding.
Well this week, the nights got worse. She’s been waking herself up by trying to sit up or rolls to her belly and decides at 2:30 a.m. it’s a good time to practice crawling. Frustrated, she screams and screams some more. There was a baby boom here at the News Center and all the other moms tell me their babies are sleeping through the night. I tell Saylor this, but apparently she doesn’t care to succumb to peer pressure.
I keep reminding myself this is only temporary. Next month (hopefully next week!) she will be on to something else, but still what I wouldn’t give for a good night’s sleep.
Not content to honor the observance with one story in the paper today about tonight’s seder, I contributed a story about vegetarian Jews and the carnivorous bondage from which they seek to free themselves.
Mad Hebrew vegetarian props go out to Kate at Out In Left Field for the help she provided for the story. Heck, she was the inspiration for it, for crying out loud.
A side note: If you ever get a chance to speak with Kate in a consensual phone conversation, take her up on it. She’s one funny shiksa.
Kate is already anticipating the calls I’m going to get. My favorite suggestion:
“A hundred Jews in the Bay area. This is the best you could do?”
So far, I’m good, but the day is early. I did get one voice mail wishing me an aziz pesach [a sweet Passover].
Then again, think about what would have happened if I would have followed up this P.R. pitch with a story:
Sent: Tue 4/11/2006 5:02 PM
Subject: New Holiday: Gassover
Dear Jeff,
Those big family Seders and stacks of matzo we enjoy at Passover have an unspoken dark side—one that’s among society’s last taboos: the flatulence that results from gastrointestinal distress.
Instead of reflecting on the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt, we end up struggling to contain the exodus of gas.
Flatulence, irritable bowels, heartburn, indigestion, and growling guts are common Passover conditions that can be treated without polluting our bodies with antacids and other over-the-counter drugs that, for many people, don’t even work.
Interview Bill Downs, one of the world’s foremost experts on diet and digestion, and find out how Jewish families can avoid Passover eating hazards—especially certain holiday foods and treats that have seriously adverse effects on dieters and diabetics.
In a word: Oy.
I’ll pass(over).
I’m still not walking daily—as prescribed by Erin, our trainer—but this is the week I’m going to turn that around. I’ve got the time, I just need to push myself away from the desk and get to the track. That perfect 1/4-mile oval of asphalt is waiting for me, just 50 paces or so from my desk. So I’ll let you know how that works out.
As for the diet, I had a minor setback Saturday (half-price appetizers at the local watering hole) and did endulge in some Mac & Cheese today at the Devil Rays game (but no hot dogs, no beer, no Cracker Jack. Still, I’m proud to say the last two weeks have been pretty much by the book. I’m mixing up the lunches between Smart Ones and sandwiches…and going for fruit when I can. Breakfast is Honey Nut Cheerios (an indy box, during my 45-minute morning commute), though today I enjoyed a great fruit smoothie on the road.
My wife, Miriam, is super-supportive during this entire process. She did get me walking on Sunday morning to pick up the paper at the front of our little subdivided neighborhood, and she’s keeping the house stocked with healthy snacks.
Over the course of the last couple of months, I’ve learned you just can’t argue with science. In terms of trying to lose body weight, it’s simply a matter of expending more than you take in. Step one is determining your daily Total Energy Expenditure (TEE), which is the amount of calories your body burns every day. It’s the sum of your resting metabolic rate (the amount you would burn if you sat on your couch all day) + normal daily activity + exercise. Everyone’s metabolic rate is different, and the easiest way to accurately determine your own TEE is to undergo a calorimeter test. No big deal, you just breathe in a tube for 20 minutes attached to a machine that calculates the amount of oxygen you are using at rest. It’s quick and relatively inexpensive. If you are interested in getting it done, I highly recommend Dave Peters at Lifespan Fitness, Inc. (727) 422-4236.
Think of the TEE as your baseline. If you ingest total calories to a range just below (10% to 30%) the baseline every day, you WILL LOSE WEIGHT, at a healthy rate of 1 to 1 ½ pounds per week. You don’t go into starvation, and you remain satisfied and calm. Many people try to restrict caloric intake way below the baseline, and the body reacts by going into starvation mode by slowing down metabolism…not good! The idea is to “trick†the body into burning at the same rate with slightly less daily fuel intake.
My TEE is 2,800 calories per day…that’s figuring exactly1,990 for resting energy expenditure, around 600 for “normal daily activity†and an estimated 200 for exercise (for the avg. person). I swim 3 or 4 days a week, at around 3800 yards per workout. Dryland days have me running 4-5 miles on the treadmill and/or weight training. So, I figure I’m burning 3 to 4 times the estimated daily exercise level than the average bear.
The law of thermodynamics holds that if I consume anywhere between 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day, I should be good to go. I’m feeling OK with somewhere around 2000 calories per day, maintaining a good balance of protein, complex carbs and “good†fats (like almonds) And, skipping the alcohol is good for saving another couple of hundred calories per day (on average). You know what, it’s working for me! My weigh-in yesterday was 198.6 lbs. That works out, since Y Nationals are about 6 weeks away…I can lose a pound to a pound and a half a week and get to my 190 lb. goal!
Oh yeah, the first competitive event for the season was over the weekend at the St. Pete Masters Short Course Championships. Took the 50 in 22.8, not a bad time unrested & untapered at this time of the year. Going to have to go .8 second faster to break the National Y record of 22.06…but, you know, I did feel a little lighter in the water, so anything is possible!
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