Ready for the Kick-Off

One thing I think the Great American Eat Right Challenge aims to do is to each people how to eat healthy in order to maintain a healthy body weight. Losing weight isn’t necessarily about eating less – it’s about eating healthy.

I was talking to my boss the other day and we were comparing stories of friends who have been unsuccessful at losing weight because of some of their methods – only allowing yourself one food group, not eating much throughout the day and instead relying on diet soda or water to keep them full. I fell into this trap once, relying mostly on Diet Coke to keep me satisfied throughout the day. It didn’t work so well. (But you will be happy to know this is my third day without having a pop. That’s a pretty big step for me!)

What’s scary is that lately I’ve seen my sisters friends losing weight by not eating. I hate that. Yeah you can see results, but is it really healthy? What are you doing to your body? Are you really out of other options?

To be honest, the thought of not eating lunch on a daily basis has crossed my mind on more than one occasion. But then I remember I like food too much. There has to be a better (and much healthier) way to lose weight. I’m not about to be miserable as I eat next to nothing in an attempt to hit a goal weight. Especially since once I hit that goal weight, I’d probably put all the weight back on. It’s a vicious cycle.

Well, tomorrow I’m hoping to start fresh and hopefully break off some of those bad habits of mine as I kick off on the Eat Right Challenge. I’m hoping that by limiting (if not eliminating) pop, turning down seconds and getting more fruits and veggies into my diet, I’ll see results and embark on a healthier lifestyle.

Feel free to take on the challenge, too. And keep me posted on your progress! The more feedback we get, the better.

Priorities, Priorities

Want to know my biggest problem with trying to lose weight? The constant effort it takes, all day, everyday. It really is exhausting. You think you have a great day, and you realize tomorrow is a whole new day, with new temptations and possibilities for new excuses.

As a young woman carrying some extra weight, one of my biggest frustrations are the stereotypes that you can hear all around. I hate the comments that fat people can lose weight if they would just eat right and exercise more. I may not hear them personally, but they’re all around. “If only you would eat less and exercise more…”

That’s partially true. But you have to admit that the task is not nearly as easy as so many people want to make it out to be. They make it seem so damn easy, and if it were really that easy, anyone could do it. But we’re not seeing that in our society.

I’ve struggled with weight and body image for a few years now (mostly because I’m an emotional eater, which I’ll go into in another post.) What’s tough is that while it’s something I want to do, sometimes it gets tough to make it a priority in life. Criticize if you must, (“there’s your reason for not losing weight; make it a priority and maybe you’ll see results”) but weight loss needs constant attention in your life – you really have to examine what you’re putting into your body, how you’re working it off. I just don't know if I have the mentality and patience for it.

Ultimately, good weight loss stems from lifestyle changes. But when you’re changing your lifestyle, it’s not something you can just have in the back of your mind. It takes constant monitoring – but the last thing I want to do is become obsessive. I don’t want to examine every little bite that goes into my mouth or count calories to the nearest decimal point. It’s hard to deal with people like that and I don’t want to be the next in line. I enjoy life too much and have too many other things to worry about.

But how much attention should weight loss take? What does it take to give healthy living a valiant effort? Monitoring every meal? Just ensuring you’re eating a balanced diet? And how do you know what takes priority – can I afford to spend an hour at the gym when I have a test or big project due the next day? What does it take? Maybe someday I’ll find the answer…

Helpful Pointers

This is probably one of the most beneficial websites I’ve seen in awhile for tips on healthy eating. What I enjoyed about them was that they didn't forbid you from eating fast food or banning dessert for the rest of your life. They're little tricks that you can incorporate into your day. Other tips I've found lately aren't as practical, so it was refreshing to find some that I could actually use.

What I love about tips and tricks is that you can find what works best for you. My sisters are lucky in that when they want to drop a few pounds, all they really have to do is hit the gym a bit harder. If only I were so lucky... But some of these tips are simple things I can do to at least limit my calorie intake and increase the health benefits.

I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you. There'a quite a few more on the website:

Always order your pizza with double tomato sauce and light cheese. Men who eat a lot of tomato products tend to have less prostate cancer—probably because tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, a type of carotenoid that's believed to cut your risk of cancer. If you double the sauce on your pizza, you get double the lycopene. Reducing the mozzarella by just one-third (you won't miss it) will save you 20 grams of fat. That's as much as in a McDonald's Quarter-Pounder.

Whenever you eat fast food, drink two glasses of water afterward. Big Macs, subs, fries, and pepperoni pizza are all loaded with fat and sodium, which can be hellish for your heart. You can't do much about the fat once you've eaten it, but you can flush away some of the excess sodium by drinking plenty of fluid afterward, says Tina Ruggiero, R.D., a New York City dietitian.

When the waitress asks what you want to drink, always say iced tea. The more we learn about tea, the more healthful it looks. A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study found that a serving of black tea had more antioxidants—crucial to your body's defense against heart disease, cancer, and even wrinkles—than a serving of broccoli or carrots.

Whenever you have salad, keep the dressing on the side. Here's the drill: Dip your fork in the dressing first, then spear a piece of lettuce, then eat it. Sound dumb? In fact, it's one of the smartest habits you can have. Four tablespoons of, say, honey-mustard dressing can have 60 grams of fat—nearly an entire day's worth for an average guy.

Whenever you eat broccoli, put a little margarine, olive oil, or cheese sauce on it. This is our kind of nutrition advice. Broccoli is a rich source of beta-carotene—one of the major antioxidants your body needs. But beta-carotene is fat-soluble, which means it has to hitch a ride on fat molecules to make the trip through your intestinal wall. Without a little fat in the mix, your body won't absorb nearly as much beta-carotene.

Do a fat analysis before every meal. It's tempting to go fat-free at breakfast and lunch so you can indulge in a high-fat dinner. Wrong. Studies show that, for several hours after you eat a meal with 50 to 80 grams of fat, your blood vessels are less elastic and your blood-clotting factors rise dramatically. William Castelli, M.D., director of the Framingham Cardiovascular Institute, says, "The immediate cause of most heart attacks is the last fatty meal." Spread your fat intake over the whole day.

Always eat (a little) dessert. Here's why: Sweets such as cookies and low-fat ice-cream bars signal your brain that the meal is over. Without them, you might not feel satiated—which might leave you prowling the kitchen all night for something to satisfy your sugar jones.

An Apple a Day...

I have to admit, I feel very guilty blogging about weight-loss and eating right efforts when it will be at least six weeks before I’m up and walking again (thanks to my knee injury). But that just drives home the point I want to make today – watch what you put into your mouth.

I was looking around the internet today and found a study reported by CBS News that stated that only one in seven adults eat healthy and exercise regularly. And then we wonder why we can’t lose weight.

“U.S. dietary guidelines call for adults to get five or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day. Government health recommendations also urge at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days per week or vigorous-intensity exercise at for least 20 minutes three days per week.”

What I’ve found interesting, at least in my case, is that I’m generally pretty good about getting in the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. Before my injury, I’d get out on walks 4-6 days a week. Even during the school year my roommate and I were in the habit of going to the gym at least 4 or 5 times a week. And for some reason, I still wasn’t seeing results. It really bothered me, but then I found the culprit – my eating habits.

I reread the guidelines and did a double take on the five or more servings of fresh fruits and veggies per day. I’m definitely not getting that. Or what even feels like close to that. In my head I’m eating balanced meals, but in reality, I think it’s a very different case. (Isn't it funny how you can justify things you eat and fool yourself into thinking it's healthy?) I’m lucky if I get in 2 servings of fruits and veggies a day, which is sad.

I started to think about why I wasn’t eating them. Is it because they don’t keep as long and therefore aren’t around the house as much? Are they more expensive? Do I just not crave them? What’s weird is that I would rather have a fruit salad than a poptart or some other sugar-induced food. And yet here I am, still falling short on the requirement.

Maybe that should be my goal for next week – striving to get in my five servings of fruits and veggies everyday. After all, Wednesday marks the first day of my official Eat Right Challenge.

Diet Dilemma

I’ve heard many people talk about losing weight by giving up pop. I think it’s a wonderful idea and have seen people benefit from it. My own friends have suggested I give up my pop, but because I only drink diet pop, I thought I was okay.

It’s weird because both of my sisters refuse to drink diet sodas. They don’t understand why people would settle for diet when they could have the real thing. I always roll my eyes and think, “Like I could really have those extra calories.” Why drink regular soda when you can drink all the diet soda you want without the guilt of calories?

Turns out that might my thinking might not have been entirely right. I found this article when I was trying to figure out if my Diet Coke addiction was doing more harm than I thought. As the article points out, “For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person's risk of obesity went up 41 percent.” I'm in trouble.

I’ll admit this: I’m a Diet Coke addict. I wouldn’t be surprised if I drank 2-4 cans a day, everyday. And what’s really bad is that one of the gas stations in town has a thing called Fountain Pop Friday. All fountain pop drinks are a penny an ounce, so I can get a 42 ounce drink for $0.42. Not bad. Well last Friday I went a little overboard…and I ended up drinking 150 ounces of Diet Coke. That ridiculous. It's completely ridiculous. No one should drink that much diet soda.

I didn’t realize how much my diet soda habits affected my ability to lose weight. From here on out, you can bet I’m going to be watching my pop intake much more closely. Water, anyone?

The Search Continues

I don’t know about you, but I’m a big fan of looking for the easy way out. I’ve noticed this more and more as I’ve been trying to lose weight in the past few years.

Losing weight seems simple enough. It all boils down to calories. If I eat 500 calories less a day than I normally eat and burn off 500 calories a day through exercise, I could lose 1-2 pounds a week – which is the healthy way. When I was searching the internet earlier today I found a website that really just laid it out as simple as that.

Despite knowing this, I’m always searching for another gimmick or quick fix. I’m always looking on Amazon for new dieting books, reading the reviews in hopes of finding “The Book” that’s going to help me finally lose weight. Almost every time I go to Barnes and Noble, I have to hit the dieting section. I subscribe to THREE fitness/dieting magazines.

This is ridiculous. I know how to lose weight the healthy way. I know what has to be done. And yet it always feels like I’m looking for that one secret that’s going to help me lose weight. And after years of dieting, I’m still searching. The search of it never stops, though.

Why do you think that is? Are we just wired to try to find the easy way to do things? Is it our society? The way we were raised? What is it?

Maybe it’s just because despite knowing this, I haven’t been able to apply it consistently and religiously. I allow myself exceptions on a daily basis, or so it seems. It scares me that losing weight seems to rely solely on myself – if I can’t do it, it’s my fault. It’s a big responsibility to take on. But hopefully by educating myself more and looking for support from friends and family, I’ll be able to find success.

Needing a Pick-Me-Up

Yesterday I was officially diagnosed with a torn MCL (I say officially because the MRI showed a tear in my ligament). Because of my injury, I’ve been placed in a new leg brace and I’ll start physical therapy next week. The expected recovery time? Five to seven weeks. Ouch.

I think the hardest part about not being able to walk is the fact that I just don’t feel good about myself. I’d always know that there was some correlation between working out and how you feel about yourself, but I didn’t realize just how much exercise really affects my mood and my self-confidence.

The last time I was able to go on a walk was last Monday – 10 days ago. Since then I can just feel myself growing increasingly moody and disgusted with myself. I know it’s silly – I’m stuck in a full leg brace and have small pains just walking down the hall. No way could I get out and walk my usual 2.5 miles. But all this time for thinking has left me with plenty of time to ponder just how much this could affect my weight and fitness level. I’m just so worried that I could really pack on the pounds from this injury. Not a good thought.

But perhaps small things will help me feel better about myself – drinking more water and less pop, starting some of the exercise recommended for physical therapy, lifting weights for my arms, really monitoring my portion sizes. There are ways that I can work around this injury. There are things I could be doing, and my weight surely isn't dependent on exercise alone. It's about finding the right combination of healthy choices. I just need to pull myself out of this pity party and realize I am still in control of my health. No way can I let this completely ruin my outlook on dieting and fitness.

Anyone have any suggestions?

A New Attitude

My time on the couch has given me plenty of time to really reassess my dieting techniques, and I think I may have stumbled upon something that just might work.

Tonight a friend and I were brainstorming what it would take to get us to really take dieting seriously, and so on our own we’ve developed a list of rules and rewards to (hopefully) get us to start on the right track. Instead of being over ambitious and trying to change a dozen things at once (like I normally try to do), instead I’ve decided to take on one change in a given 10 day period. I’ll focus on getting that healthy habit down, and then I’ll move on to the second habit.

I’ve figured out that I have exactly seven weeks left of my summer vacation before I head back to school. That gives me seven weeks to really nip this thing in the bud. Having the healthy habits going into the school year will make it easier for me to follow when I start getting busy with classes, homework, organizations and everything else that comes my way.

So, to finish off my summer on top, I’ve developed a list of my rules and rewards. For every day that I follow through with the rules, I get a sticker.

Rules

0-10 days --- No eating seconds or unnecessary snacking before or after dinner
10-20 days --- Eat at least one fruit and one veggie a day
20-30 days --- No eating after 8 p.m. and aim to drink at least 6 glasses of water
30-40 days --- No fast food or ice cream. If I must, opt for healthier options (salad instead of fries, frozen yogurt instead of ice cream)
40-50 days --- Increase walking time by 15 minutes

Rewards

5 stickers --- Give myself a pedicure
15 stickers --- Have a photo developing party of a majority of the photos on my computer
25 stickers --- Buy a new pair earrings
35 stickers --- Buy a new shirt
45 stickers --- Dye hair

And there you have it. There are my goals and the rewards I’m working toward. Some of the rules may seem somewhat silly or simple, but they're things I've been lacking on in previous months that I really think can lead to a healthier life.

Hopefully some of you find this helpful. I’ll let you know in the coming weeks if it works.

Down it Goes

I have a somewhat embarrassing story to share.

Tuesday night I went to see the new Harry Potter movie with my sisters. We’re Harry Potter freaks and wanted to see the midnight showing. About an hour before the movie started, my sister and I went to go get a Diet Coke (you’ll soon find I’m a Diet Coke addict. It’s quite sad, actually.)

Unfortunately, after I filled up my soda I slipped on some pop and went down. I don't even remember how I landed, but I do remember reaching for my right knee and found that it had popped out of place. I think the mental picture of my knee being off to the right was more painful than the actual physical pain. Thankfully my youngest sister was there to calm me down and eventually my knee went back into place. Being a Harry Potter fanatic, I stayed through the movie, keeping it elevated and iced.

Fast forward a trip to the ER the next morning and my knee popping out four more times. I’ve been diagnosed with a torn MCL (medial collateral ligament) and will be in a leg brace and on crutches for at least a week. I’m just thankful it wasn’t something more serious, but it certainly puts a damper on things.

Given that I’m going to be spending the next week on the couch, it becomes even more vital for me to watch what I eat. Just as I was getting into the habit of going on two mile walks in the evening, this has come to an abrupt stop. It feels like I really have to examine everything I eat (and unfortunately yesterday that included a milk shake for breakfast thanks to my wonderful dad who felt bad for me and Cold Stone Creamery ice cream after dinner, compliments of a close friend.)

What’s tough is the guilt I feel for not being able to really make a valiant attempt to lose weight, which is silly. I’m holed up on the couch and it’s painfully obvious I can’t go out and walk three miles. But it’s still tough knowing that whatever I put in my body will most likely not be worked off.

Here’s to hoping this injury doesn’t completely blow my efforts at being healthier.

The Buddy System

I think one of the best strategies I’ve found when trying to embark on a healthy lifestyle change is finding a good support base. Over the last few weeks my mom and I have been trying to go out on daily walks to trim down, and it helps to have someone hold you accountable. But more importantly, it gives you someone to lean on.

Sometimes we underestimate the power of the buddy system. Sometimes I tell my sisters to stop me anytime I try to snack for no reason other than sheer boredom, but what I need isn’t someone dictating what I should and shouldn’t put into my body. What I need is someone to relate to, someone to share my struggles with.

What’s hard for me is that my two younger sisters are athletes and thus have athletic builds. They have no problem going on runs or fitting into cute jeans. If they think they have tummies, they can work in off in a matter of a few weeks because of their training ability. I would pay big money to have their bodies.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t born with that athletic gene, so it’s tougher for me. I’ve found in the last year, though, that having a workout buddy does wonders. Last semester because my roommate and I were members at the same gym, I went twice as much as I would have gone. When I didn’t want to go, she would drag me to the gym and vice versa.

Being at home this summer, my mom and sisters have given me the motivation to get on more walks than I would have. During our walks, we talk about anything under the sun. But mostly we talk about the struggles in trying to lose weight and make healthier lifestyle choices. What’s worked for them in the past? How do they feel about their bodies? What seems to be their biggest challenge right now? If nothing else, it helps you realize that other people are going through the exact same thing. It helps that my mom understands when I’m upset that I don’t fit right into my favorite pair of jeans, or that I feel bad eating that second helping of pasta.

I just hope I can give my readers someone to relate to. You’re not alone. I promise.

Last year during walks with a friend of mine, we always talked about what people have to do to eat right and stay healthy. On one of our walks I remember her telling me that it’s hard to lose weight simply because we listen to other people instead of our bodies. She said when you ask whether you want something to eat, women will typically always tell you to eat more.

Since then, I’ve really noticed that. When I would ask my roommate or sister, “Do I really want popcorn for the movie?” or “Do I want a bedtime snack?” the answer would almost always be “yes.” Even when I’m not hungry, I’ll take their answer as a legitimate reason to dig in.

I don’t know that they’re purposely trying to sabotage my diet, but rather we all want to feel like we’re all on the same playing field. If person X eats a bedtime snack, then it’s okay for me to eat something, too. Or we feel better about the slip-up we had earlier in the day. Men, it seems, don’t worry

I noticed this theory in practice yesterday during the Fourth of July festivities. While watching fireworks from our deck, my sister decided to bring out more potato salad. A friend brought out a bratwurst. The other brought out a piece of corn on the cob. I asked if I wanted something to eat, and they all said yes. After all, it was the Fourth of July.

Why did they all say yes? Why did I even ask? I knew I wasn’t hungry and had my fair share of fatty yet oh-so-good food all day long. Why do we ask, and why do we always want the answer to be yes? Is it a way to justify it to ourselves? Is it a way to take the guilt and blame off ourselves and onto our friends?

My three roommates have high metabolism and are fairly thin. For some reason, when they eat, I think it’s okay for me to eat too. After all, they’re thin. But what I fail to realize sometimes is that our bodies respond differently. While my roommate can eat three brownies and not gain a pound, mine will invariably end up in my thighs or stomach.

So next time you wonder if you should be eating, don’t ask people. Ask yourself. Listen to your body and see if you’re really hungry. Don’t rely on other people’s opinions or have them justify what you’re eating. They don’t know what your body needs. Only you can be the judge of that.

On second thought...

Ouch. I was working on our state newsletter trying to figure out what to write for the Great American Eat Right Challenge. While I was looking through a few printouts of the website and came across a page in the newsletter called “I’ll Walk It Off.”

I’ll admit I’m a huge victim of this. I’ll see something that looks good and I’ll justify eating it by telling myself I’ll go on a walk later and work it off. Late last week it was chocolate chip ice cream. This weekend it was popcorn from the movie theaters, among other things.

But according to this newsletter, I would have to walk 12 miles to work off that large movie theater popcorn. Yikes. The small chocolate milk shake I had Sunday night? I’d have to walk 3.6 miles. Not terrible, but since I only went on a 2-mile walk that evening, I didn’t work it entirely off. And that was just the shake.

That’s the hard part of dieting and eating right. Temptation can be a pain, and it’s something that most people struggle with everyday. Should I have that second helping of spaghetti? Can I have that brownie without it going straight to my thighs?

I know I said I hate counting calories, but that seems to be the only real way to monitor what I put into my mouth. I need to start being more conscious of what I’m putting into my mouth, or more importantly, how much I’m putting in.

I think what it boils down to is balance between what you eat and the amount of exercise you get in. I can have some of that movie theater popcorn, but it doesn’t have to be a huge portion, and I can get on a walk later that night. I don’t need to eat ice cream every night, but I can have it once in a while.

I’m trying to change my mentality so it doesn’t feel like I’m depriving myself. I don’t want to monitor what I eat and how much I exercise just to see if it results in weight loss. Instead I should focus on being healthy and how great I feel when I eat right and exercise. If I automatically tie it to weight loss, it isn’t going to be as beneficial and I’ll be more likely to give up.

So from here on out, I eat and exercise for my health, not for the number on the scale.

…remind me of that after the Fourth of July festivities and food..

Counting Calories

I hate counting calories. I’ve tried dieting in the past, and the only thing counting calories has done for me is leave me with a splitting headache. There’s too much measuring and estimating when you’re trying to figure out how many calories you’re consuming.

Just to see where I should be at, though, I took the daily calorie needs test on the website and found that even if I just have a sedentary lifestyle, I need almost 3,000 calories to maintain my weight. That surprised me.

Too many of us, I think, see food as the enemy. We tend to forget that calories are actually energy, and in order to get through the day, we need to eat. Off the top of my head, I can think of a handful of people who have lost weight by not eating meals or by cutting their daily calorie intake to dangerously low levels. It worked, but at what expense?

To be honest, skipping meals and essentially starving myself has cross my mind on quite a few occasions, but it’s always just a passing thought. I don’t know about you, but I like food too much. I enjoy cooking and being able to try new recipes. I love being able to go out to dinner with family or friends and making it a social event. Movies wouldn’t be the same without popcorn. Sometimes regret follows as I look down at what I ate, but I try not to let it ruin my day or evening.

My mom has always said that nothing is bad for you as long as you eat it in moderation. As long as I follow that rule and listen to my body to know when it’s satisfied (and not stuffed), it will pay off. No one is saying you have to be perfect or get your calorie intake down to 800 calories. You need food, so enjoy! Just remember, moderation is key. Don’t use this as an excuse to consume all the calories you want today. Just know that food is not out to get you.