Dieting Adventures
This morning, I wrote a bit about why calories are king.
And today in some forums, there were more postings about eating more and suddenly losing more too! Check out:
I think the reason why some folks can’t wrap their minds around this fact is that the ‘eating more’ means nutritionally-dense foods like fruits and veggies, and not white chocolate covered macademia nuts! 
What’s been your experiences?
Enjoy,
Barbara
Morning,
One of the toughest things dieters have to realize is that eating less junk food is GOOD! But eating too few calories is BAD!
It certainly sounds counter-productive!! There are folks on weight loss forums who will declare they’re eating 1,200 calories or so…but the weight just doesn’t come off. Why oh why oh why oh!
The answer is actually pretty simple (not to mention horrifyingly maddening). Your body has a baseline requirement of calories for daily functions. You know those things, right? Breathing, heart beating, body digesting, liver liverizing, right?
Well! Put in too few calories, and your body will say, EEEEK! I don’t have enough fuel to be efficient!! I need to regroup and hunker down and slow down the metabolism (and hence, your weight loss) as much as possible!
There are some excellent postings about this such as:
I have personally experienced a success in breaking a weight loss plateau by eating more….so for me, it definitely does make sense!
Remember, when you craft your own personal weight loss plan and things “stop working”, don’t be afraid to research and test out different ideas. The world (ideally!) won’t end in a day…you should have plenty of time to always tweak your plans to optimal performance.
Enjoy,
Barbara
ps – want some nifty ideas about calories? Consider:
Well! Yesterday was a rather fascinating workout in one of my favorite activities. To make a long story short, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I’d be utterly decimated, that knowledge caused a massive upwelling of fear, and yet I found it within myself to push past it and challenge my own boundaries of personal courage.
Sounds dramatic, no? But wow, once I had recovered, I realized….never before in my life had I had to deal with such a thing. I was shown (blatantly shown!) that even if you want to give up/run away, you CAN muster up the fortitude to continue…and that’s a gift that’s mighty precious indeed.
There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts. — Richard Bach
I think people also seek challenges because they want to test themselves to the utmost; I know that’s one reason why I throw myself whole-heartedly into karate.
This is gold to teach your kids!! On the way home yesterday, my kids commented how I was obviously not myself (they were quite worried actually), so I took advantage of that to explain everything that had happened to me internally (ie, all the internal discussions, the fear, the courage, etc.). That led to a conversation about how you must never give into fear (because you might your own sole survival tool) and how you must always give yourself permission to break your own personal preconceived boundaries of self.
Everything is a teaching moment!! ‘course, I’d much prefer my teaching moments to be when I’m actually alive and coherent…but hey. It made a huge impression on my kids (if my what-used-to-be-big-and-fat mom can do it, I can too!).
I am grateful to the Universe and my guardian angels to give me these experiences in my life.
Time to start the morning,
Barbara
ps – do you like guardian angels? Here are some neat ones:
Morning all,
Well! After karate kendo yesterday, I weighed myself at home and found I was 133.1 . This means I’ve lost about 2 pounds in the past week….which, given the fact I’ve been at 135 now for more than a month, is absolutely a newsworthy event!!
I broke my plateau by promising myself I’d really eat more than the usual 1,400 or so calories apparently I have been consuming. Since I just don’t scarf down food faster than vacuum cleaner on steroids anymore, it’s actually a bit difficult for me to get my calories up! I added in more fruit and nuts and ate more small meals throughout the day.
Speaking of kendo, as always, it was great fun. Yesterday was mainly kata but today, ah, today, I shall be utterly pummeled by (most likely) a 16 year old with wicked skill without mercy! I have to admit – I really enjoy testing myself out to the farthest reaches of my own abilities. Pretending to be Luke Skywalker is great for fantasies, but let me tell you, in reality, defending AND striking at the same time requires far more coordination than one would imagine.
And so starts the day,
Barbara
ps – What’s that? You want to know about kendo gear? Why of course! Look at:
Have you ever heard of the Kimkins diet?
Touted by Women’s World Daily as an awesome way to lose huge amounts of weight, it turns out that this low carb, low calorie “diet” turns out to be the product of a massive amount of, well, untruths. It really brings home how easy it is to be fooled by voices loud enough to drown out sanity.
Do yourself a favor and learn more by reading:
Kimkins ‘Cover Girl’ Passionately Declares Diet ‘Dangerous’ After Health Issues Emerge
Kimkins cover girl: “I was wrong…Kimkins is not the way to lose weight”
It takes a very special person to publicly admit when they were wrong about something even after multiple warnings and concerns shared by those around them. And yet that is exactly what has happened this week when Kimkins Woman’s World cover girl Christin delivered an impassioned video apology at her blog along with a detailed explanation of the health complications she and others have suffered since beginning the risky low-carb imposter diet scheme devised by a morbidly obese woman named Heidi Diaz.
I blogged about my concerns over the Kimkins fiasco that culminated earlier this week when this beautiful young woman had to be rushed to the emergency room because of some pain in her chest and heart complications. When you hear something like this happening that was brought on by such an extreme low-fat/low-calorie diet like Kimkins, it should make you angry. AND I AM ANGRY ABOUT IT!…MORE….
Scary, isn’t it? People are so desperate to lose weight, they’ll risk their health to buy the dreams that the scammers are selling.
Remember! There are no quick fixes to weight loss! Smart, safe get-healthy routines will let you lose between 1/2 a pound to 2 pounds per week (unless you’re on a plateau of course)….it took you years to pile on the weight, and it will require time to shed it all off again.
But the good news is, you CAN do it. I’m living proof.
Enjoy,
Barbara
ps – low carb can actually work rather well; that’s been my general plan of health for the past many months. Here are some low carb goodies:
Oh wow oh wow oh wow!
I lift weights and become one with the iron 2-3 times a week. Last Sunday, I was inspired to be quite meticulous about my weight-lifting routine (having had my rear neatly handed to me in various self-defense moves the day before).
Well, this morning when I exited the shower, I could see the actual delineations in my biceps, deltoids, triceps, lats, etc. Not only that, but I could even see the shadows created by said muscles!
There’s no denying it – I’m one hot mom! I had my husband take pictures which I’ll put up on my site.
You know, it’s all part of giving yourself permission to reach for the stars and witness the magic. I’m beyond words with regards to how grateful I am to have been given this chance of crafting the ME that’s always been inside of me.
Enjoy,
Barbara
ps – Buff people can wear designer jeans like!
I just returned from 50+ minutes on the treadmill at my local gym. Generally my workout is a nice simple:
It’s a rather challenging workout that keeps my heartrate between 140 and 178, depending upon what I’m doing. I end up drenched in sweat, mind you, and red as a tomato, but hey…I feel quite buff when I’m done.
Anywhos, I noticed something in the locker room today. When I first started back in 12/2006, I could barely cover my middle with the towel. But nowadays, there’s at least a 10 inch overlap whenever I wrap myself in said towel!
I’m also noticing that there are far more clothing choices for me at the department stores as well. No longer do I have to browse in the Big and Hefty Wench area – I can actually wear average to small sized clothing and don’t have to look like a full ship at sea when trying on different outfits!
Reality. It can really be a super thing to experience.
Barbara
ps – and for those folks who love gym towels, consider:
You know, I never knew the following would happen until I peered in the mirror last night and realized it!!
One of the great benefits to losing unhealthy weight is your proportions generally start to look, well, proportional!! While my measurements have decreased from a 42-41-42 to a 36-29-35.5, my chest has (dare I say it) become far more, ahem, perky than it’s been in years!
That makes sense, I suppose – all that weight does tend to become one with gravity. But wow, it’s nice to look at my figure and say, you go girl!
Enjoy,
Barbara
ps – and when proportions finally stabilize, look at all the goodies awaiting you!
Morning,
You know, every person has their own mental picture of who they are, and what they can accomplish, generally all neatly wrapped up in personal boundaries and static impressions.
The problem with this is you might be laboring under delusions that are no longer true! Certainly, years ago…the way you viewed yourself and your own abilities might have had a grounding in reality. You knew you’d never lose your breath in a dash across the marching band field, you knew you’d be able to handle a full day at 6 Flags with nary a whimper, you knew what your body could do.
But as the years advanced and the weight piled on….and your identity became solely SuperParent or SuperSpouse or SuperCommunitySaveTheDayer, etc.,…..there’s a good chance you honestly lost the real essence of what you are truly capable of achieving.
I’m here to say you MUST NOT let your pre-conceived notions of your own personal limitations crowd your inner self. Sure, you might not be in your 20s any more, and yes indeed, the word ‘perky’ might have waved a hysterical bye-bye to you after your first child!
But just because you’ve been SuperParent for the past 12 years doesn’t mean you should forget SuperSelf. Before you’re a parent, before you’re a spouse, before you’re a soul friend…you’re YOU….with your own superb abilities and gifts and insights.
Have you honored that lately?
During the summer, I was slammed in the face with this blindingly precious fact. I had taken my kids to see a revival of Fiddler on the Roof at a local theater. Now, back in the Dark Ages, I adored musicals and dancing and singing and simply enjoying the sheer sensual thrill of being alive. But in the years that followed, I neglected that aspect of me….I was too busy being a mom, being a wife, and being an entrepreneur to bother about such flighty things.
Well, at the final curtain call, as I was cheering in the standing ovation with the rest of the crowd, I realized….my gosh, I had forgotten to honor those joys that had provided magic in my life, all the years past.
I had forgotten to witness the magic, whatever it might be! I had forgotten to simply wonder at the beauty around me…I was too busy fulfilling my other life roles.
And then and there, I made a promise to myself – never again would I neglect this aspect of myself. I will make certain my kids never lose their ability to wonder at magic in their lives, be it voices that lift in song, viewing artwork that causes the soul to sing, or simply watching the early morning sunrise tint the clouds pink.
I’m pleased to announce that ever since that day (2+ months ago?), I have constantly challenged myself to uncover the ‘real me’ and the ‘real me’ abilities. I have slammed shut the little voice that says, you’re too out of shape to consider such and such an activity….and I’ve taken my kids white-water rafting, dove headlong into kendo/sword fighting, and even fought mock-scenarios in self-defense.
I might have ended up bruised and pummeled in some of the activities, but….I held my own to my best abilities and redefined just what I’m capable of achieving. And let me tell you, it’s ‘way more than I would have thought possible.
And that knowledge is something that helps bolster my confidence even more, for the days ahead.
So! I now challenge you, dear reader – are you set in your ways because mentally you view yourself so out-of-shape, you won’t even consider breaking your boundaries?
Has your exercise/get-healthy regime faltered because “you’ve never been able to get to a higher level before in your life?”
If so, remember, you’ll NEVER ascend there….unless you muster up the courage to actually try. Honor yourself and your hidden abilities! After all, you DO deserve the rewards.
Enjoy,
Barbara
ps – Do you like Fiddler on the Roof? If so, look at:
Morning everyone,
The sun is shining, the birdies are mooing and the cows are tweeting and life is going along rather well!
Today I read a rather insightful posting over at 3FatChicks.com . The title of the thread is, When does this become “normal”? My contributions included:
…I realized this way of life became normal to me last weekend when I gave myself permission to cheat (and put 4 Reeses peanut butter cups in the freezer, waiting for me!) and at the appointed time realized, gosh, I really had no desire for them.
At first, believe it or not, it was a let-down, because I had been planning that cheat all week! And then I realized, omigosh, I must have turned the key in my mind that my current eating style is now normal for me ….MORE…
However, there are many more posts that have equally if not more so, insightful glances into ‘when this becomes normal. I just read:
…I’m one of those who has lost hundreds of pounds over the past 20 years or so only to gain it back and then some. This time around, I’m not doing anything I can’t live with for a lifetime. Basically I’m eating a balanced diet and exercising and the weight is coming off. I can honestly say I’m not eating in a manner that I can’t continue with for the rest of my life, I haven’t really felt deprived this time around.. …MORE….
I think communities like the above really help show dieters and people on a get-healthy journey that they’re not alone! No miracle weight loss cure exists….it’s truly a hero’s journey for each person who successfully manages to change their lifestyle and turn the key ON to HEALTH.
Enjoy,
Barbara
ps – Some people swear by DDR! Look at these goodies: