Because of the good weather, I can get out and about more. I have an incredible backlog of gardening chores (to confess, its really two years worth of projects on top of the chores). Saturday was rainy, but Sunday was out in the yard. Saturday was active with housework and then a big walk. So it was the most active weekend so far this year - more than 2500 calories burned each day.
I'm trying to keep the motion going.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Irony
You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you'll get what you need. (Rolling Stones)
I took a walk tonight after dinner. I had been thinking about ice cream as the weather has gotten better, and I decided I could have an ice cream cone as long as I walked to go get it. I contemplated part of a beer instead, but the idea of ice cream won out. So after dinner I grabbed the iPod and headed out.
I'm listening to "Packing for Mars", a book about space exploration. It's a chatty gossipy book, not heavily scientific. This is the kind of book I like listening to lately, non fiction, slow paced, but amusing enough to keep me interested. I've been through sections on psychological profiles, intercultural relations, space suit construction and plumbing and weightlessness.
This last section ironically led to a very graphic analysis of space and motion sickness. As I walked about a mile and a half towards the ice cream shop, I heard how weightlessness translates into motion sickness, what it is like to ride on Nasa's "vomit comet" airplane that allows 22 seconds of weightlessness in 60 repetitions, which Apollo astronauts puked when, what happens to vomit in a weightless cabin and how hard it is to dodge, what happens to vomit inside a sealed space suit, how researchers induce motion sickness to study it, and how the author nearly barfed all over Tom Cruise when he took her flying in his acrobatic biplane. By the time I was approaching the ice cream shop I was turning a bit green around the gills myself. I pressed fast forward on the iPod and went on to the next chapter about sleeping in space.
And the ice cream shop was closed. Still on winter hours. As it turns out, I was actually relieved.
- iPhone uPdate
P.S. hint: keep your eyes closed, keep your head as still as possible relative to your body, no turning or movement, and do mental arithmetic problems.
I took a walk tonight after dinner. I had been thinking about ice cream as the weather has gotten better, and I decided I could have an ice cream cone as long as I walked to go get it. I contemplated part of a beer instead, but the idea of ice cream won out. So after dinner I grabbed the iPod and headed out.
I'm listening to "Packing for Mars", a book about space exploration. It's a chatty gossipy book, not heavily scientific. This is the kind of book I like listening to lately, non fiction, slow paced, but amusing enough to keep me interested. I've been through sections on psychological profiles, intercultural relations, space suit construction and plumbing and weightlessness.
This last section ironically led to a very graphic analysis of space and motion sickness. As I walked about a mile and a half towards the ice cream shop, I heard how weightlessness translates into motion sickness, what it is like to ride on Nasa's "vomit comet" airplane that allows 22 seconds of weightlessness in 60 repetitions, which Apollo astronauts puked when, what happens to vomit in a weightless cabin and how hard it is to dodge, what happens to vomit inside a sealed space suit, how researchers induce motion sickness to study it, and how the author nearly barfed all over Tom Cruise when he took her flying in his acrobatic biplane. By the time I was approaching the ice cream shop I was turning a bit green around the gills myself. I pressed fast forward on the iPod and went on to the next chapter about sleeping in space.
And the ice cream shop was closed. Still on winter hours. As it turns out, I was actually relieved.
- iPhone uPdate
P.S. hint: keep your eyes closed, keep your head as still as possible relative to your body, no turning or movement, and do mental arithmetic problems.
Friday, April 8, 2011
The First Taste
Almost always, the first taste of anything is the most satisfying. This is especially true of ice cream and beer, but also works for most sweets and many other dishes. Never-the-less, I can't be trusted around certain kinds of sweets and I will simply keep on until whatever-it-was is gone.
I've learned that I have to plan treats into my eating. I'm not going to completely change my diet and eliminate all forms of treats. So instead, I need to work on planning them in, and then portion controlling them so they don't throw me completely off.
This may have been some of what worked for me in the Big Loss several years ago. The eating plan I was following was basically no carb during the day, but an evening meal that could contain any food, in balanced portions and consumed within an hour. That one-hour limit also really worked to keep out the late night snacking.
Portion control. Allow a taste. Allow a few bites. But what are the strategies to make it only a few?
If buying something, buy things that only come in small sizes. A single tiny candy bar. A single mini-cupcake. This works for treats I keep at my house, but doesn't work for family treats. Buy only enough for everyone to have that evening's portion, with no left-overs for picking at later.
If serving something, use the smallest bowl or plate I can find, and eat it with the smallest spoon or fork.
Share a beer, or pour the other half down the drain.
No eating ice cream from the container while standing in front of the freezer!
Buy incredibly expensive treats that only come in small portions. There is a pie shop down H Street from the pharmacy that sells individual pies for - I kid you not - $28 each. (My boy the pie fan gets one when he turns 16 next month, and probably never another till he can vote!) Cupcake shops are also ridiculously priced.
Today was an ooky day overall. Feeling dissed and taking the whole government shut down thing very personally. Little work done as everyone cleaned the fridge and watered the plants and worried about when they would be able to get back to doing what needs to be done. I stopped at Whole Foods to pick up supper for just me because the kids were off doing things with their friends. I cruised the bakery shop and eyed many many good things, but rejected everything that required buying more than a single thing. They didn't have any blueberries - must finally be out of season in the southern hemisphere - and none of the other off-season fruit looked good. I ended up with a single "jumble" cookie - raisins and chocolate chips and different nuts all together in one. Sadly, it was a medium (but not enormous) cookie. I could have been satisfied with half, but I ate it all. So kudos for me for all the things I didn't buy (carrot cake donut holes! cinnamon swirls! my absolute favorites - apple turnovers!) but its a shame there wasn't a single smaller option. Look for the small, good treat.
I've learned that I have to plan treats into my eating. I'm not going to completely change my diet and eliminate all forms of treats. So instead, I need to work on planning them in, and then portion controlling them so they don't throw me completely off.
This may have been some of what worked for me in the Big Loss several years ago. The eating plan I was following was basically no carb during the day, but an evening meal that could contain any food, in balanced portions and consumed within an hour. That one-hour limit also really worked to keep out the late night snacking.
Portion control. Allow a taste. Allow a few bites. But what are the strategies to make it only a few?
If buying something, buy things that only come in small sizes. A single tiny candy bar. A single mini-cupcake. This works for treats I keep at my house, but doesn't work for family treats. Buy only enough for everyone to have that evening's portion, with no left-overs for picking at later.
If serving something, use the smallest bowl or plate I can find, and eat it with the smallest spoon or fork.
Share a beer, or pour the other half down the drain.
No eating ice cream from the container while standing in front of the freezer!
Buy incredibly expensive treats that only come in small portions. There is a pie shop down H Street from the pharmacy that sells individual pies for - I kid you not - $28 each. (My boy the pie fan gets one when he turns 16 next month, and probably never another till he can vote!) Cupcake shops are also ridiculously priced.
Today was an ooky day overall. Feeling dissed and taking the whole government shut down thing very personally. Little work done as everyone cleaned the fridge and watered the plants and worried about when they would be able to get back to doing what needs to be done. I stopped at Whole Foods to pick up supper for just me because the kids were off doing things with their friends. I cruised the bakery shop and eyed many many good things, but rejected everything that required buying more than a single thing. They didn't have any blueberries - must finally be out of season in the southern hemisphere - and none of the other off-season fruit looked good. I ended up with a single "jumble" cookie - raisins and chocolate chips and different nuts all together in one. Sadly, it was a medium (but not enormous) cookie. I could have been satisfied with half, but I ate it all. So kudos for me for all the things I didn't buy (carrot cake donut holes! cinnamon swirls! my absolute favorites - apple turnovers!) but its a shame there wasn't a single smaller option. Look for the small, good treat.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Got out
I managed to get out of the building at lunchtime, first time in a while. I hustled through a mile walk, that went through two Smithsonian display gardens (Ripley and National History) and two different sculpture gardens (Hirchshorn and National Gallery). Just exactly a mile, enough to clear my head. How can I not do this? That quick turn was less than 20 minutes and totally worth it.
My Walk
- iPhone uPdate
My Walk
- iPhone uPdate
Monday, April 4, 2011
Credit Where Credit is Due
A lot of the advice in Beck's Diet Solution I had forgotten. And some of it is hitting home. She writes something along these lines: Many unsuccessful dieters focus too soon on what they are eating, and beating themselves up for eating too much. Instead, focus on the skills and techniques for how to think about this. Only when they are mastered should you move into actual dieting. (Sounds like the Karate Kid.)
So one of the techniques is giving yourself credit. I did somethings right today:
- I took a long and quite brisk walk at lunch today.
- I had appropriate snacks and drinks already in my desk and ready to go when I got the 4 pm munchies.
- I involved my girl in making dinner.
- I got up and started moving after dinner.
- I'm writing here.
- iPhone uPdate
So one of the techniques is giving yourself credit. I did somethings right today:
- I took a long and quite brisk walk at lunch today.
- I had appropriate snacks and drinks already in my desk and ready to go when I got the 4 pm munchies.
- I involved my girl in making dinner.
- I got up and started moving after dinner.
- I'm writing here.
- iPhone uPdate
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Pearls of Wisdom
Things re-learned from re-reading Beck:
It's important to find a diet or eating plan that allows your favorite foods, at least occasionally and in small quantities. It's vital to know you can plan to have them. This is a problem with Atkins.
Sit down to eat. No spontaneous eating, and no unconscious eating. Be conscious of every bite. See your food, and satisfy your eyes.
Give yourself credit. You need positive reinforcement for doing things right, not more negative reinforcement against slip-ups. This is the only way to train a dog. It works on kids. So why not focus on positive reinforcement?
Today, I creatively found a good lunch instead of an easy sandwich. I treated myself to fancy water at the right time instead of dessert. I took a 3 mile fast walk. I blogged. I stayed on my feet along the soccer sidelines while cheering. I read Beck. I signed up for Yoga.
Yes, it feels juvenile and awkward to praise myself for small normal things but again, it works on dogs, why not me?
- iPhone uPdate
It's important to find a diet or eating plan that allows your favorite foods, at least occasionally and in small quantities. It's vital to know you can plan to have them. This is a problem with Atkins.
Sit down to eat. No spontaneous eating, and no unconscious eating. Be conscious of every bite. See your food, and satisfy your eyes.
Give yourself credit. You need positive reinforcement for doing things right, not more negative reinforcement against slip-ups. This is the only way to train a dog. It works on kids. So why not focus on positive reinforcement?
Today, I creatively found a good lunch instead of an easy sandwich. I treated myself to fancy water at the right time instead of dessert. I took a 3 mile fast walk. I blogged. I stayed on my feet along the soccer sidelines while cheering. I read Beck. I signed up for Yoga.
Yes, it feels juvenile and awkward to praise myself for small normal things but again, it works on dogs, why not me?
- iPhone uPdate
Looking for Motivation
I am very happy with how much better I look and feel this year versus last. The twenty-five pounds I've lost is really the difference between obesity and merely plump. My BMI says I'm still overweight, but with the growth of our people, I'm now in a much more average range. The re-shaping my body has been through, to grow muscles in my shoulders and arms (fifteen full pushups!) while tightening the abs and butt (bridges are my friends) means I also have a much better shape. I can go clothes shopping now without grossing myself out with how I look. (I once said to my mother in a changing room, "Of course it's not flattering! I'm fat and none of these clothes are going to totally disguise that fact!") I am stronger, and move with better balance and confidence. I still have knee issues and back issues, but all the muscles are so much stronger that I'm in a better place to deal with them as they come up.
I am now fifteen pounds from my goal weight. When I started out, I didn't have a goal, I just needed to go down. But now I have a conscious goal in mind. But I'm totally stalled, and not making any progress. I'm bouncing back and forth over the same four pounds - since February. There is no real mystery why. I am eating too much of the wrong stuff and not moving enough. Every night I vow to get moving in the morning. Every morning I start out eating right but not doing any optional exercise (sticking with my gym appointments only). Every evening, after it's too late to exercise, I vow to get moving in the morning, while I have just a bit of a snack treat before bed. Or more than just a bit. My self control in the evenings is terrible. I been over and over this same ground for two months now. I've got to get off this cycle, and I don't think just trying harder in the same way to make myself disciplined is the answer.
I could just settle for being where I am. It's so much nicer than where I was a year or more ago. But, I really don't want to do that. I'm also not really sure I could do that. Trying to coast over the holiday season meant losing a great deal of progress (or, stated more directly, gaining a great deal of weight). I don't know how to do maintenance. I would still need to track, and plan, and exercise. If I have to do these things, I ought to figure out how to do them well enough to get down to where I want to be in size and weight. Eventually, I'll need to learn maintenance, but that's a different issue for a different day.
So what can I do differently? I'm going back to basics mentally. I'm looking at the books I used when I first started this blog, in January of 2010 especially this one: The Beck Diet Solution. (See my sidebar for a link). This is all about self talk, cognitive behavior therapy. I need a mental refresh on what I am doing and why.
I'm also going to try a completely new "fitness adventure". I thought about signing up for a zumba class at the local rec center, but instead I'm going for yoga. My town is a very brown rice and granola kind of place, so I had no trouble finding a class, just some work sorting through the many options. I've signed up for a twelve week class starting in a couple of weeks - once a week for twelve weeks. We'll see how it goes, and if it is truly beginners or not. That's my big worry. Also, I am both a skeptic and a believer when it comes to eastern philosophy and mental and physical training. I believe that yoga and meditation have real physical and mental benefits. I don't need to get metaphysical and mystic about it because the science is there to show me it is so. At the first sign of mysticism or hocus pocus, I'll be too busy scoffing inside to keep my balance on the mat. The place I signed up with is a whole business built around yoga, not the Y or local rec center, but hopefully not too weird.
Also, I hate being a total newbie at things. What do I wear? Do I have go buy a mat before the first class? Do you go barefoot? So I should wear slip-on shoes, not tied sneakers? One class, not the one I signed up for, said to wear shorts or tights "so the instructor can see your knees". Not sure what that's about. The class starts at 8 pm. Can I stay awake till the end? How many people will there be? And, mostly, will any of the others be truly beginners? Or will everybody know everybody and what the routine is so I'll be feeling stupid and far behind? Stay tuned, updates to come in a few weeks.
Time now to read a bit of Beck's Diet Solution, and to plan the first part of the week's meals.
I am now fifteen pounds from my goal weight. When I started out, I didn't have a goal, I just needed to go down. But now I have a conscious goal in mind. But I'm totally stalled, and not making any progress. I'm bouncing back and forth over the same four pounds - since February. There is no real mystery why. I am eating too much of the wrong stuff and not moving enough. Every night I vow to get moving in the morning. Every morning I start out eating right but not doing any optional exercise (sticking with my gym appointments only). Every evening, after it's too late to exercise, I vow to get moving in the morning, while I have just a bit of a snack treat before bed. Or more than just a bit. My self control in the evenings is terrible. I been over and over this same ground for two months now. I've got to get off this cycle, and I don't think just trying harder in the same way to make myself disciplined is the answer.
I could just settle for being where I am. It's so much nicer than where I was a year or more ago. But, I really don't want to do that. I'm also not really sure I could do that. Trying to coast over the holiday season meant losing a great deal of progress (or, stated more directly, gaining a great deal of weight). I don't know how to do maintenance. I would still need to track, and plan, and exercise. If I have to do these things, I ought to figure out how to do them well enough to get down to where I want to be in size and weight. Eventually, I'll need to learn maintenance, but that's a different issue for a different day.
So what can I do differently? I'm going back to basics mentally. I'm looking at the books I used when I first started this blog, in January of 2010 especially this one: The Beck Diet Solution. (See my sidebar for a link). This is all about self talk, cognitive behavior therapy. I need a mental refresh on what I am doing and why.
I'm also going to try a completely new "fitness adventure". I thought about signing up for a zumba class at the local rec center, but instead I'm going for yoga. My town is a very brown rice and granola kind of place, so I had no trouble finding a class, just some work sorting through the many options. I've signed up for a twelve week class starting in a couple of weeks - once a week for twelve weeks. We'll see how it goes, and if it is truly beginners or not. That's my big worry. Also, I am both a skeptic and a believer when it comes to eastern philosophy and mental and physical training. I believe that yoga and meditation have real physical and mental benefits. I don't need to get metaphysical and mystic about it because the science is there to show me it is so. At the first sign of mysticism or hocus pocus, I'll be too busy scoffing inside to keep my balance on the mat. The place I signed up with is a whole business built around yoga, not the Y or local rec center, but hopefully not too weird.
Also, I hate being a total newbie at things. What do I wear? Do I have go buy a mat before the first class? Do you go barefoot? So I should wear slip-on shoes, not tied sneakers? One class, not the one I signed up for, said to wear shorts or tights "so the instructor can see your knees". Not sure what that's about. The class starts at 8 pm. Can I stay awake till the end? How many people will there be? And, mostly, will any of the others be truly beginners? Or will everybody know everybody and what the routine is so I'll be feeling stupid and far behind? Stay tuned, updates to come in a few weeks.
Time now to read a bit of Beck's Diet Solution, and to plan the first part of the week's meals.
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