This Is My New Plan.... #679 probably

I've been planning to do something about getting more weight off since the first of February. February 1 was an arbitrarily chosen date based on my normal yearly schedule.

Holidays over.

Fellowship meeting behind me.

Inventory done.

But this year other factors contributed to the demise of my good intentions.

I've been watching a number of folks I go to church with get slimmer and slimmer. They are not all using the same method.

One chose the Idiot-Proof diet. Others are counting points. Others are just watching their portions. But a number of them are LOSING. And here I am still trying to decide what to do to start.

Last night I came up with an idea that I thought might work for me.

I lost the weight I did last year counting calories. I like that method but it really did take a lot of time to count up everything I had eaten every day and right now I just don't want to take that much time to count calories every day.

I have been trying to think of something that will work with my changing schedule. And I came up with this plan:

MY NEW PLAN

Get a three ring binder. (I bought a small one and the paper for it.)

Divide it into sections of Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks.

Then divide each section into calorie levels, say of 200, 300, 400, 500 calories.


If I choose a 400 calorie breakfast, then I'll have to choose a lower calorie lunch. Or if I have a low calorie breakfast and lunch, I can choose a higher calorie supper. But I will have handy right there in my notebook the right calorie size choices that I need so that I won't have to be doing a whole lot of counting EVERY day. Meals with precounted calories. And I will have CHOICES to look at so that I'm not trying to figure out what I can eat as I go.

And, I will have a list of snacks to choose from that fall into the 100-200 calorie range and I won't be trying to figure out what I can eat that will be the right amount of calories.


All I'll have to do is go to my "handy-dandy notebook" and find something of the right number.

I can write my recipes for anything that is good down and put it right there in my notebook.

So, at least I've taken the first step.

I bought the notebook and paper.

It's HARD to be overweight.

It's HARD to lose weight.

It's HARD to maintain weight loss.

You just have to pick your hard!

Good Habits

This post was taken from a Spark Message Board written by Tango5617 (Her post precedes all the comments so if you go there to find it, you have to go to the first entry.)

"Well, I've just checked, and as of April 4th, I've been a member of Spark people for over two years now. What has changed?

I've lost nearly 40 pounds so far, most of it in the first 7 months with Spark people. Then, I maintained that weight loss through about 7 different major life stressors (ended an engagement, quit a job, moved, death in family, serious illness in family, moved again, started new job). It's been an interesting year or two.

What helped?

My new good habits that Spark people taught me.



1. Start small. Every little bit counts (both in exercise and in nutrition).



2. Track everything. This helps you control what you can, while forcing you to realize what you can't control.



3. Develop good habits and it's harder to be derailed. If you're consistently tracking everything, it's easier to see that occasional off moments don't have to mean sliding completely off track. Just because I overate at one meal doesn't mean I've "blown it" and might as well take the rest of the week off. Tracking shows that all it really means is that you can start fresh the next day, or the next meal.



4. Take it one choice at a time. When I started, I didn't even know what I didn't know. Looking at my life now, I've changed in so many ways that it would take a LONG essay to even list them all. None of it happened overnight; all of it happened one choice at a time.



5. Be gentle with yourself. You can only do your best. Some days your best isn't as good as it is other days. Realizing that this is ok, and that it's a natural cycle has made such a difference. As I've learned to be more forgiving of myself, I've found my manner towards others also becoming more gentle. I like who I'm becoming.



6. Sharing with others really helps. It's scary to ask for help sometimes, and it can even be really intimidating to realize you need help. The positive community of all the Sparkers has really made a difference to me. I know that many times, logging on and chatting with team members made a difference. The accountability factor can be incredible. Most impressive? In my darkest night, when I was ready to throw in the towel completely, feeling that if I couldn't track everything every day then I should probably just quit and try again once my life settled down, I posted on the "Help!" thread. Almost immediately, two strangers took me to task in the most loving way possible, and called me on my behavior. Just because I couldn't do everything perfectly didn't mean I had to give up. Such a valuable lesson, and delivered at just the right moment. (I kept tracking as I could, despite my crazy travel schedule, and now I'm delighted to realize that I can estimate fairly accurately how much I've eaten. This, for a non-mathematical English major, is a substantial accomplishment, and one I would never even have aimed for otherwise!)



7. Scaffolding really works! The idea is that you can take success in one area and use it to build success in other areas as well. For example, my new awareness of nutrition in the grocery store has led to greater awareness of cost, which has led to better budgeting than ever before. Learning how to break down huge goals, such as "lose weight," into manageable chunks has helped me to begin breaking down another huge goal, "keep a tidier house." It all ties together!



So, on my second anniversary, Sparkpeople, I just wanted to thank you again for saving my life. My habits are much healthier and I've learned how to succeed. I'm lighter in body, stronger, and more able to tackle everyday challenges. I'm happier and more able to choose my happiness. I'm even a nicer person.



Thank you. I look forward to seeing what the next two years bring!"

-Tango

SPARKpeople is a weight loss website which provides community support, a nutrition tracker, fitness tracker, and weigh-ins FOR FREE.

Interested? Check them out.


A 15 minute "desk workout" from Sparkpeople

The Core Plan

The following is excerpts taken from an article About.com published on Sept 3, 2004

The Core Plan controls calories by focusing on a core list of wholesome, nutritious foods without tracking or counting. The list includes foods from all the food groups -- fruits and vegetables, grains and starches, lean meats, fish and poultry, eggs and dairy products -- to ensure that all nutritional requirements are met. People can also have occasional treats in controlled amounts on the Core Plan.

More Satisfaction, Fewer Calories
The Core Foods List was created to provide maximum eating satisfaction without empty calories. It emphasizes foods that have low-energy density, or few calories per unit volume.

"One of the key things scientific research has shown is that from a very young age, people are trained to eat a volume of food, not a certain amount of calories.

"To lose weight, people should eat foods that have low-energy density, that is, foods that are high in volume, but low in calories," said Weight Watchers Chief Scientific Officer, Karen Miller-Kovach.

"We also identified foods that are linked with overeating and removed them from the Core List. Once the Core Plan was developed, we tested it until we were convinced it allowed people to achieve healthy, effective weight loss, with no counting or tracking.

To learn more about Weight Watchers services, products and publications, visit WeightWatchers.com. To find the nearest Weight Watchers meeting location, call 1-800-651-6000 or click on the Find a Meeting link at the top of the homepage. Weight Watchers offers subscriptions for people wanting to follow Weight Watchers online.

This article was adapted from a news release provided by WeightWatchers.com.

I've been looking around at various "diets" to decide what way I want to lose more weight. I am thinking strongly about trying out this plan simply because there is not so much involved in trying to put some kind of number value on everything you eat. Whether it's counting points or counting calories, I just don't want to figure all that out right now.

The essence of the core plan, for those who aren't familiar with it, is that you can eat as much of the following foods as you wish (as long as you don't stuff yourself), while following some basic "good health guidelines", (which require you have a certain minimum daily intake of water, fruits and vegetables, dairy, and 2 tsp of "healthy oils" --olive, canola, flaxseed oil. Also, a multi-vitamin)

Here's the list of "allowed" foods:
~lean meats, fish, poultry
~nonfat dairy products, eggs
~whole grains (not whole grain products, just the whole grains themselves)
~sweet potatoes, potatoes, whole wheat pasta, brown rice
~beans and legumes, tofu
~more or less all fresh, frozen, or canned fruits or vegetables as long as they aren't in syrup(but not juices or dried fruits/veggies)
~coffee, tea
~most condiments (I've interpreted "most" as "all") and all herbs and spices, of course

"Limited" foods are:
~"healthy fats" 2 tsp required per day
~potatoes OR brown rice OR whole wheat pasta limited to one meal per day

Also, you get 35 extra "points" per week (more if you exercise) to spend on "non-core" foods at your discretion, if you want an occasional pat of butter, or a glass of wine or bump up your dairy from "non-fat" to "low-fat", etc.

Got 10?

"Where did the day go?"

Is this a common question in your life? Many of us jam-pack so much stuff into our daily routines, seemingly there's no time to relax for just one minute, let alone exercise. Lack of time is one of the most common excuses for not having a decent fitness regimen. But do you realize that in the time it might take you to go through your e-mail, you could fit in a good workout? We're not talking about giving up 60 minutes either; all you need is 10.

Just 10?
Forget the "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to exercise. Fitness does not live or die by 60-minute workouts; there is middle ground. Short spurts of exercise, when they accumulate, have been shown to share similar benefits of longer workouts.

Your body will reap numerous benefits just by becoming more active. This approach is perfect for times when you don’t have time for a regular workout, or when you want to start off slowly and build up a routine.

Easier Than You Think
Treat these 10 minutes like you would a regular workout. Take 1-2 minutes to warm up and get the muscles ready, including stretching. Follow with at least 7 minutes of exercise at a medium or high intensity. Then make sure to include a 60-second cool down.

Since it’s brief, it’s important to work at a fairly high intensity to obtain all of the benefits. Work at raising your heart and respiration rates. Just like regular workouts, try to include cardio, strength training and flexibility work in your shortened routine. Either knock out all three during the 10 minutes, or plan a 10-minute segment for each area.

Example: Push out 10 cardio minutes on the stationary bike. For strength, do push-ups, wall sits, or lift dumbbells. For flexibility, it’s helpful to just stretch every day. Work different muscle groups and keep it simple. After 10 minutes, you will feel healthier and be on your way to developing solid fitness habits.

But I Still Don’t Have Time
It only takes 30 minutes a day, broken up into manageable chunks of 10. Start with a quick exercise when you wake up. The second session? A lunch break is possibly the perfect time to re-energize and get the blood flowing again. The last 10-minute blitz could come in the evening, even while you are watching TV. It’s an ideal way to involve the family as well. Go for a power walk after dinner with your spouse or ride bikes with the kids.

It is all about convenience; if you try, you can fit exercise into your schedule no matter where you are. Do it at home or at work, outside or in the living room. Start building exercise spurts into your daily routine and you’ll start feeling better.
Article created on: Spark Small Bits of Fitness Add Up
Exercise Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
-- By Liz Noelcke, Staff Writer 5/14/2004

Small Changes Can Make Big Differences

Taken from an article found at Healthlink

"Most physicians and, I believe many of our patients, find the challenges of dealing with obesity overwhelming. Sadly, approximately 127 million adults in the US are overweight. Of those, 60 million are obese, and 9 million are severely obese. As the entire population of the US is just under 300 million, over half of all Americans weigh too much! When looking at the adult population over 20, the figures are even more disconcerting with just under 65% overweight or obese.

One common response is to go on a "diet." For most people, this implies an attempt to abruptly change one's eating habits and/or exercise patterns, often all at once and at great expense. Americans spend more than $33 billion annually on weight loss products (books, programs, pills, etc.).

The sad fact is that while some of these may yield impressive results in the near term, virtually all of the people who experience that first flush of success gain back all of the weight they lost within one year. Maintaining the needed discipline is just too hard for most people. In addition to the frustration that failure can bring is the accumulation of all of the weight loss stuff that you bought. They seem to end up in the trash or some dark corner in the cupboard. The equipment is stored only to emerge again at some future yard sale.

While I understand the desire for people to want to quickly lose weight, the reality is that just doesn't make sense. There is not one obese person in the world who went to bed one night thin and svelte and awoke the next morning to find themselves grossly overweight. If we didn't put the weight on overnight, why do we think that we can lose it that fast? Besides being unrealistic, it is also unhealthy and creates a cycle of failed attempts that result in profound discouragement.

My hope is that people would focus on the development of a healthy lifestyle as opposed to losing weight. If getting healthier is what you really want, you will lose weight as a byproduct. This means making small and sustainable changes that you can weave into your daily routine over time. It also is an opportunity to create a pattern of small and sustainable successes that build confidence through progress instead of undermining it.

I will list just a few things that you can do that will make a difference. Pick just one, and to start with, pick the one that will be the easiest for you.

1. Make an appointment to see your doctor for a brief physical exam to look for high blood pressure, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol as well as to get an accurate baseline weight and some initial counseling.
2. Have a healthy breakfast every day. People who skip breakfast often snack throughout the morning and are likely to eat a much larger lunch, thereby actually increasing their calorie intake.
3. Look carefully at the beverages you drink. Many people wrongly think that fruit juices are a useful when trying to lose weight, when in fact they are sources of extra calories. The same is true for sweetened ice teas and some "athletic" drinks. Water or diet sodas are preferable.
4. "Sneak in" some exercise. Stairs instead of the elevator, a daily walk after a meal or parking further from the door are all easy ways to begin.
5. Moderate your alcohol intake. One glass of wine or one bottle of beer per day is more than enough.
6. Slow down your eating - you will develop a sense of fullness that can reduce the amount that you eat.

In addition, weigh yourself no more than once per week and always at the same time. Don't get upset with yourself if you fail once in awhile - just keep going!! There are many more first steps out there - check out the website of the American Obesity Association for other ideas and strategies."

I emphasized the words in bold and did the strikeout.

The person responsible for writing the above article was not identified.