WTF?!

This may very well be the first of a series of these WTF  posts...because just when I think I have everything figured out, my body decides to do something unexpected. So, this blog post will not really provide any brilliant insights, this one is just more of a vent.

I have been sick for a few days. Not on death's doorstep sick, but generally miserable, missed-a-couple-of-days-at-work sick. I had a sore throat, ear ache, headache, fatigue, and felt crappy. So all I've been eating for three days is oranges, minestrone soup (with a little cheese on the soup - about 0.5 ounce of Parmesan), veggies, and Robitussin Oh, and I had a bit of stir fry yesterday with about 2 oz. of chicken, veggies and 1/2 a cup of brown rice. I didn't get my usual workout for three days - but I've been tracking my calories, and I've been well within 1200-1400 calories / day. I should not be gaining any weight. I generally know what to expect from the scale and today, I was expecting to maintain or be slightly down. But low and behold, I stepped on the scale this morning and was UP FIVE pounds from Monday. sigh. WTF?! I do not get it and I'm really frustrated at the moment. I'm at another one of my stupid plateaus, I've been back and forth within this five pound range for like a month and a half. Gah!

Okay, that said, I know how to do this and I am going to keep plugging along. This has happened before and it will probably happen again. Generally when I bounce like this, it is right before I lose another couple of pounds. My clothes are not tight, in fact, the skirt I just had altered 6 weeks ago is a bit loose, so that is a good sign. As long as I don't keep on gaining, I'll be fine....breathe.....okay. I feel much better, thanks to lots of rest, and I'm back to the gym and my routine tonight, and I have a really active weekend planned. So, I'll see where I am on Monday and go from there. This can be a frustrating process, but the rewards are worth it. I've been at this for a year and a half now, and I'm still learning.

1/18/2013 Update: I still have no idea why I was up so much yesterday morning, but I'm back down to within a pound of my low weight again today - whew!

The Big BMI Freak Out

This month, the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study done by Dr. Katherine Flegal. The study looked at data related to BMI and mortality.  The study looked at data from studies worldwide which examined the link between BMI and any cause of mortality. The Flegal study found that, while people who were considered to be "class 2" (BMI between 35 and 40) or "class 3" (BMI >40) levels of obesity did indeed have higher levels of mortality for any cause, those with a "normal" BMI (between 18.5 and 25) actually had a higher risk of dying (of any cause) than those in the overweight category (BMI between 25 and 30). And in fact, those who weighed in at a "class 1" level of obesity had no higher risk of dying than normal weight individuals.

Okay, I just spent all kinds of time and energy losing weight and now this #%^@$ study is telling me that I'm not increasing my chances of living longer. And this opinion piece in the New York Times seems to agree! Gah! I'm calling Pizza Hut right now!

I am kidding, of course. Actually, I found this article in Forbes that breaks it down nicely. I find that I really agree with the level-headed, analytic approach that the author takes to the Flegal study.

The problem with obsessing about BMI is that it is not the only indicator of health (note that the study looked at ANY CAUSE of death) Frankly, I hate the BMI. It has been the bane of my existence during this weight loss process because, even though I have lost over 125 pounds and even though I look great and I feel great, my numbers are spectacular (my cholesterol, my blood pressure, my triglycerides...), and I am healthier than I've been my entire adult life, the BMI still says that I am "overweight." Blah! And a big middle finger salute to the BMI.

Though the BMI is useful as one tool to determine a healthy weight, I don't think that one should obsess over it. As the author in the Forbes article points out, there are several other factors that are just as, if not more, important. Cardiovascular fitness, losing fat around the midsection, cholesterol, and blood pressure are all important. Being a non-smoker or quitting if you are a smoker is important. Exercising regularly is important. So, we should not ignore the BMI entirely, it is important as one measure of health.

The danger I can see with the Flagel article and in articles like the New York Times opinion piece is that people who really do need to lose weight will look at these things and decide that they are not really unhealthy enough to make the difficult changes they need to make. Why go through the hard work of changing your lifestyle if the payoff is not going to be a longer, healthier life?  That mindset is dangerous. One thing that I have learned on this journey is that weight loss is a complicated and, surprisingly, controversial issue. Oversimplifying data that shows a relationship between obesity and health risks to the point of overemphasizing the importance of BMI in one's health profile is dangerous. So is oversimplifying data showing that mortality risk is lower for people who are "overweight" according to the BMI.

In my experience, losing weight (and lowering my BMI) has improved my health in more ways than I can count. I used to get migraines, I don't anymore. I used to get winded WALKING up stairs or up hills, now I can run up several flights of stairs without getting winded and I can walk 15-20 miles in a day. I used to get tired quickly and had no energy to do anything by sit on the couch at night - now I am active and go out nearly every night. I'm happier. I have more energy. I look better. I'm more confident. I don't get heartburn anymore. My cholesterol (and my risk of heart attack and stroke) is WAY down. My blood pressure is fabulous. My blood glucose levels are normal (no more borderline diabetes)....and on and on..... So, in the end, regardless of what the BMI says, I'm way more healthy. And it was / is totally worth the effort. So, while the experts are arguing about the importance of the BMI, I'll be enjoying my time learning to swing dance with my husband, hiking (Iron Mountain this weekend!), swimming, and kayaking...all thanks to my weight loss and the health benefits that came with it.

Post-Holiday Debriefing

Well, I have officially maintained through the Holidays. Huzzah!

I stepped on the scale this morning, and I am actually a couple of pounds down from just before Thanksgiving. Yay! Now, to be fair, there were ups and downs. I seemingly gained about 5 pounds over three days surrounding Christmas, but I'm thinking a lot of that was water weight, given all of the salty food I ingested (tasty, but salty), because it dropped right off after a couple of days back on my normal routine of diet and exercise.

I quite enjoyed the Holidays, and I can say honestly that I do not feel like I missed out on anything at all. I got a helping of all of my favorite foods, and I even had some sweets. I balanced the heavier eating with more physical activity (and I only ate "heavier" on a few of the days, most of the time, I stuck to my routine diet ) Instead of filling my time off with lazy days on the couch, I enjoyed San Diego with my husband. We went on several beautiful long walks and hikes along the coast and we went to Disneyland a couple of times. If you can avoid the junk food, Disneyland and the area surrounding it provides a nice place to walk around and get some exercise on a day off. It did rain quite a lot, and I went to the gym on those days and did Zumba or got a workout on the elliptical.

There were days when I went over my calories, but I didn't beat myself up. I think it is important to learn how to weather days when your diet and exercise routine doesn't go like you had planned without feeling horribly guilty. Hey, it happens. Learn from it and move on. My attitude is that tomorrow will be better. I have successfully gotten rid of all of the excess weight from 20+ years of terrible eating and exercise habits, one day is not going to kill me. That said, the second part is important too - learn from it.  I don't beat myself up, but I try to take note of what went wrong, so that I can avoid it happening again.

Example: I went on a really long walk (17 miles) on one of my days off. After the walk, I had some pizza, WAY too much pizza. It was delicious and I enjoyed it. Had I stopped at 1 or 2 pieces, it would have been perfect - but I could not get full, I was absolutely famished and I had 4 pieces (blushing) of pizza. ouch.  Okay, so crud...that was not the most healthy or productive thing I've ever done. I think my problem was that I did not have a proper lunch because I knew I was going to have pizza, so I didn't pack enough food for my little picnic lunch at the half-way point of my walk.  I just had fruit and a half a cup of cheerios. Um, yeah, not enough sustenance, I'm lucky I didn't hurt myself.   Next time (1) I will pack a proper healthy lunch, with appropriate nutrients (2) I will have a few veggies BEFORE consuming my pizza to help alleviate some of my hunger and to start to fill my stomach before I dive face-first into said pizza, and (3) I will drink a good amount of water with my pizza (or with the veggies before my pizza) to help me feel full faster. These things should help in the future, on the rare occasion that I decide to treat myself to hideous junk food after an intense, exhausting day of exercise. In the end, my calories were not so far over the goal I set, but calories are not the only thing on which to focus. I consumed WAY too much salt and the cheese and pepperoni are not great for my cholesterol. So, lesson learned. Am I going to deny myself pizza forever and ever - no. But, I'll be more reasonable next time I decide to treat myself. This weight loss thing is all a big learning process...and I'm still learning and adjusting.

Happy New Year!

Moving through Life

I read an article by Denise Austin the other day called Keep Moving.  It is a great article and I would highly recommend it. Actually, I have written about the issue the article addresses before, but I think that she describes what I have tried to convey perfectly. She advises her readers to "Try to think of exercise as movement rather than a strict regimen."  She is exactly right. Just move, that alone will make an enormous difference in your life. 

Before my husband and I decided to lose weight and ultimately changed our lifestyle dramatically, I would have balked at the idea of "changing my lifestyle." I quite liked my sedentary ways. Loved to go out to eat, go to the movies, go to the theatre, cuddle on the couch and watch TV with my husband all night. I really liked my lifestyle, and the thought of giving it up was just depressing to me. I was having fun. I was quite content with everything but my weight. That said, I was wrong. I love my new, more active lifestyle and it has the side effect of making me feel better - physically and emotionally - my mood is better, just generally speaking. I am not a mental health expert, but I really do believe that living a more healthy lifestyle is good for your mental health as well as your physical well-being.

 

When my husband and I started this diet and exercise thing, we had to make an effort to get out and exercise, we had to build it into our day and consciously make sure that we were moving. Now, it's almost second nature, the things we love to do require us to move. It's the difference between observing life and living it. Before, we would watch T.V. and movies and go to the theatre and sit through life and let other people entertain us. It was and still is, on occasion, enjoyable. Now, we do it on occasion, not every day - we wouldn't want to. It is far more enjoyable to live actively, and experience things, which requires movement - than to watch other people doing them. It is far more fun to be a participant in life than an observer. This is what moving does. So, it is not a regimen for me or for my husband, it is a part of our lifestyle, it is fun - it's how we experience life now. I wouldn't trade it or go back for anything. 

Anyone can do this. Try new activities, you will find something you like. Then keep adding to it...and, as the article says, Keep moving. 

Balancing the Checkbook

I always get carried away over the Holidays. I have a huge extended family including lots of wonderful, adorable nieces and nephews, so Christmas gift buying and travel can be expensive.  Every year, I have to make a budget and stick with it over the Holidays or I will be paying for it until July.

The same concept holds with how I eat. I have to budget, just like with my finances. And just like with my bank account, if I overdo it, the repercussions will last for quite a while. Budgeting my diet is something that I do all the time.

I have written before about how I track everything that I eat, and I am careful to track EVERYTHING and to be honest about it. Before I started this habit (and even as I attempted to get the hang of it), it seemed like a huge monotonous pain in the behind.  Now that I am in the habit, I cannot imagine being successful without doing it. Put into perspective, it makes sense, I would not think of going out and spending money without tracking how much I was spending. I need to balance my checkbook. If I don't track how much money is going into my bank account and how much is coming out, I will most certainly be in for a very unpleasant surprise (very likely when I 'm at the front of a line at a busy store with my luck). My bank account always empties much faster than I would prefer.  I learned at a very young age that I absolutely cannot track these things in my head because I tend think wishfully about how much money is actually in my bank account. Small, forgettable purchases add up, and pretty soon I'd be running on empty without realizing it.  Thus, attempting to successfully do my finances without writing everything down would be ludicrous and it would end badly. Obviously. So, why would I treat budgeting my diet any differently? It's just as simple (and, at times, as frustrating) as budgeting my money. It has to be done, even when it isn't pretty and even when it isn't fun. If I do not track what I eat, small, forgettable snacks can add up without my realizing it and lead to unpleasant surprises on the scale or when I try to button my pants.

Each day, I wake up with a specific, set number of calories "in the bank," I generally know what I am going to eat, and how many calories I am going to "spend" on my regular meals and snacks throughout the day. These are the bills I have to pay to be healthy. I have to spend calories on fruit and veggies and on protein and carbs in the appropriate proportions.  I can start my calorie budget, just like I do on a regular basis with my paycheck when I calculate my bills, with the calories I know that I need to "spend" on meals and snacks. Then I have an idea where I stand. I'm usually "overdrawn" by a few calories - generally this is not a huge deal. My calorie budget is under what I need to maintain because I'm still trying to lose a little weight, so a couple hundred calories once in a while isn't the end of the world.  That said, I try to exercise every day.  My calorie budget usually looks fine once I put the calories I plan to "earn" through my daily planned exercise into my calculation.  I usually have a few calories to spare after all of this. This way I know how calories I have left over to "spend" throughout the day on, for example, one of the cookies at the office or a piece of cake for desert. When it comes to these extras and treats, I will only eat what I love. If I am going to treat myself and "spend" the calories, it better be beyond good. No more fast food, no more mediocre deserts or ordinary candies. If I am going to spend calories, it needs to be extraordinary... I need to love it or I'll leave it.

Calorie budgeting also works if I am going to have a huge Holiday meal or if I know that I am going out to a restaurant. I just go with lower calorie meals and make sure that my snacks are lower calorie fruit and veggies on the day I'm going to the restaurant, or the week before I know I'm going to have a high calorie day or two due to the holidays or another event. I'll also make sure that I get a couple of heavy exercise days in to bank calories around these days.  This is the same kind of thing I do with my finances before the Holidays or before I go on vacation, I save and plan for the financing.

"Balancing the checkbook" with my diet took some getting used to, but it has worked well for me.

The Rain on My Parade

First, let me say that swing dancing class with my hubby last night was AWESOME. I had a great time with my husband and my sister and brother-in-law. Even if you think you are the most uncoordinated person in the world (well, the second-most-uncoordinated person in the world, I am the most uncoordinated, believe me) - Anyway, even if you think you are uncoordinated and have no rhythm, this is a ton of fun and it is a huge stress reliever. Loved it. Highly recommend it. It is a fun, fantastic way to get exercise.

Today, though, I'm a bit stressed because of the rain. Well, the rain, my cozy bed, and the Holidays. This unfortunate confluence of timing, weather, and exhaustion led me to sleep way too long this morning and miss my "only opportunity" to work out today. It is raining, hard, today and I got to bed late last night, so I did not go to the gym to do my cycling class, and I did not drag my behind out of bed on time to do a DVD / Tae Boe work-out this morning either. The pouring rain coupled with the fact that I am organizing a Holiday party tonight means no lunch walk. I am attending said Holiday festivities tonight, and will likely not get home until after 9pm. WHEN do I get some exercise? I'm a little stressed.

All that said, I have come up with a plan that I think will work. My plan is to do dance practice with my husband after we get home tonight. We can practice the swing dancing moves we learned last night for about 1/2 an hour. It's not going to be a huge exercise day, but at least it is something.

This brings me to an issue I think many people run into, is a tiny bit of exercise even worth it? Yes. Yes it is. Many people feel like there is not enough time in the day to exercise. I think this is because often, exercise is viewed as an activity that must be done to the point where one is a breathless, sweaty mess before it will be effective.  I have a different opinion here. A couple 15 minute walks every day, for example, will certainly not lead to sudden and dramatic weight loss but the benefits certainly make it worthwhile, even if it's not the vigorous workout many people envision when they think about exercise. For me, a short walk in the middle of the day will clear my head, help me to feel more alert and awake, and lift my mood. The same is true for half an hour of dance practice with my husband - it will help to relieve stress at the end of the day, I will sleep better, and hey- I burned a couple of calories. So there is always time in the day to get exercise, just move a little more, even if it is only taking one extra lap up and down the three flights of steps at work or taking a 15 minute walk.

Holiday Activities that won't add calories

Happy Holidays!

The Holidays are always challenging diet-wise. In addition to staying vigilant so that stray chocolates and other goodies don't fly unexpectedly into your mouth, there is the whole exercise thing. It's cold outside (well, chilly in San Diego anyway), and who wants to drag themselves out of their warm house to exercise? Seriously. Ba-humbug! To help with that, here are a couple of fun ideas about how to get exercise or physical activity in over the Holidays:

1. Go for a walk to see the Christmas lights in your neighborhood or in others around your area. Here is a listing of San Diego's Christmas light displays http://www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/san-diegos-best-map-of-christmas-lights (warning, if one address is listed, that means it's just one house - nice to drive by, but not really a walk) Walking through these will take a matter of minutes to an hour or so depending upon the display you go see. One word of caution, some home owners have a generous spread of goodies out to go along with their beautiful lights, just ignore the goodies, enjoy the lights and have a nice walk. If you must have hot cocoa to go along with your walk, Swiss miss makes a good diet version that is only 25 calories.
   .
2. Learn to dance! My husband and I have been learning ballroom dancing, and this Holiday season we are putting it to use as we are going to a couple of dinner / dance Christmas parties. It is great fun and it is great exercise. And it is a fun excuse to buy cute new clothes for your smaller self :-)
   Wednesday, we are starting to learn Swing, and I am looking forward to it!
   Here is where we Ballroom Dance. And here is where we are going to learn Swing. 

Try these, and enjoy the Holidays!