Give and Then Take Away At Your Peril

My dad had his teeth cleaned today. He's a chatty guy, always talking with people. So he learned a few things about this dental hygenist, a woman. Apparently, she lets her kids go trick or treating, then throws away most of the candy they recieve because she doesn't want them getting cavities.

And I'm like...what?

1. If a kid...or anyone else brushes their teeth, they will not get cavities.

2. Why let the kid go trick or treating at all if you're just going to throw away all their treats???? I can just imagine the anger and resentment that builds up in these kids as they happily bring home a bag full of candy only to watch their parents take it from them, and give them back...what...an apple?

Most people give away bite sized pieces of candy - so no one gets a whole candybar, they get those half-size or even quarter size bars. And what kid doesn't eat their candy all in one sitting? (I know I did.)

I suppose it could be an excellent training in willpower. Tell your kid they can have two pieces of candy each day until the candy is gone... the kid knows there is candy in the house but that he/she can only have two pieces... excellent training in how to be patient, and makes a helluva lot more sense than to throw the candy out all together.

Now...are you - as a giver outer of candy - going to have any candy left at the end of the night. Time for you to exercise your own willpower. Can you eat just two snack size pieces of candy a day, or will you eat it all up in one sitting.

An excellent test of your own willpower!

Beware added ingredients, or why the heck does mozarella need cream cheese?

I was shopping for spaghetti today. I don't like parmesian cheese, so I wanted to get grated mozarella.

I saw a bag that was "new" - Mozarella with cream cheese added for creamier taste.

I looked at the calories - 90 per serving.

Normal mozarella - 70 calories per serving.

Now you know me -I want food to have the ingredients in it that its supposed to have - none of this "low fat" or "sugar free" nonsense. [Unless you like the flavor of it...go for it. But you need fat, and sugar, and carbohydrates in your diet - just in moderate portions).

However, I don't want food to have what it shouldn't have, as for example cream cheese in mozarella cheese! Mozarella tastes just fine the way it is, and for an extra 20 calories per serving is it really necessary to have it "creamier."

In the same way, fruit juice for kids. If you want your kids to drink fruit juice - and you should - have them drink real fruit juice, with no sugar added. There's enough sugar in them to begin with without adding more.

There are always hazards... for example oatmeal... who can eat oatmeal plain? No, you have to add brown sugar to it! But beware how much you add...just a tinge to make it sweet, not several spoonfuls to not only make it sweet but also calorie-ridden.

Water, water everywhere

If you feel hungry all the time, and that's why you snack uncontrollably, try this simple solution - drink water (but not within an hour of eating time. Drink it afterwards.)

If you drink water - or coffee - or even pop (but not alcohol because, really, it would be best to forego alcohol. Yes it has no more calories than pop, but it also effects your mood and your ability to think!) it fills up your stomach and you are not as hungry. It dulls the appetite.

If you drink a glass of water 30 minutes before you eat supper, you won't eat as much...which may or may not be a good thing - but if you have a large glass of water an hour or so after you eat, and another one a while later, those hunger pains won't come or if they do come they'll be dull enough to deal with with a carrot stick rather than a candy bar.

Give it a try.

The Horrible Holidays....

It is too bad that Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all come within 3 months of each other, and all at the coldest time of the year. It's no coincidence that people do gain the most weight over these 60 days (end of October to Jan 1).

But do not despair!

You can enjoy all that good food - just in small portions.

And if things do get out of hand (but this will only happen a little bit! Because you've been working on your willpower) and you step on a scale on Jan 2 and find you've gained 5 pounds...don't worry about it. You do not want this to happen, but if it happens, so what? You'll have 10 months to lose that 5 pounds,along with the rest of the weight you want to lose, and you'll have learned that you must not let things get out of hand, so you'll have more experience and knowledge about your eating habits for what not to do next year when October rolls around again.

And it might be time to get interested in winter sports - skiing...even sledding...or just indoor mall walking!

Dire Warnings for Halloween Already Starting

so I may as well get into the act as well.

Do you have a co-worker at work who likes to share a candy bowl on their desk at all times? Don't worry, candy bowls in the office space will shortly go the way of "Merry Christmas" signs - it offends people and people must not be offended, so they will either not be allowed at all, or those who bring them in will be instructed to hide them in their desk drawer - no sharing allowed!

Kind of takes all the fun out of it.

Don't get me wrong - little chocolate treats can be insidious - few people can eat just one....but come on!

You've got six more days to exercise your willpower muscles, so that when Halloween party bowls start appearing at work (assuming they're allowed) you can take one or at most two little goodies a day.

No need to feel guilty about it, and no need to make folks hide the candy as if its something to be ashamed of.

Scrabble superseded Jigsaws...at least for a week!

I just put on a Scrabble tournament yesterday here in Cheyenne - not as successful as I'd hoped. There are 8 people in my club - they showed up, and that was it. Despite the fact that we'd gotten a nice write up in our Wednesday paper - it generated no new people and no new spectators. Very disappointing.

But preparing for the tournament had taken up all my time, and that's why I've been lax here.

Regular posting starts tomorrow.

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle

As a kid, I used to do jigsaw puzzles, then got away from it. Now, age 50, I'm back into them again.

I don't work on them full time - indeed I've just now started the second of three puzzles I bought a while ago, a series of sea turtle artwork puzzles. Typically I work on them on Sundays when I'm watching football, and during Monday night football.

And occasionally when I've been working hard on my lil ol' computer, I take a break, go upstairs, and give it a few minutes...

And since I've been working on these jigsaw puzzles, philosophical thoughts come into my head.

For example - life is like a jigsaw puzzle. So is work. So is losing weight.

When you do a jigsaw puzzle, the first thing any sensible person does is sort out the edged pieces and put together the frame, and then work inward from there. [I say, sensible people, because I've been reading up on people who do jigsaw puzzles and there are folks who like to make things difficult for themselves. For example, they won't even look at the box while they're doing the puzzle!)

In addition, as you sort through your pieces, you also group together all pieces that have the same colors, or the same matching design, and so on, and put those together next. Once you've got those easily identifiable portions complete, you start working around the rest of the puzzle until voila, you've completed the puzzle.

And that's exactly what you do with life in general, with your job (in particular if you own your own business) and in losing weight.

How does this relate to losing weight?

Well, in a jigsaw puzzle, the first thing you do is put together your frame.

In losing weight, you also have to put together a frame - and accept your body frame, as well.

There are 3 main body frames for women - small, medium, large. (Other frames include big hips and small top (pear shaped), hour glass shaped (big hips and big breasts) and Twiggy like - small hips, small breasts.

Each of these frames dictate what your healthy weight will be. A woman who is pear shaped or hour-glassed shaped, with the same height of a woman who has a Twiggy frame, is simply going to weigh more. A woman with those two shapes simply must not try to achieve the same weight as a Twiggy framed woman - it is nothealthy.

Embrace your body frame!

That's one kind of frame. The other kind of frame is your framework for losing weight.

You need to put that together, before you can actually start to lose weight.

Framework, program, plan - those are all the same words - you must have a plan. (Fail to plan, and you plan to fail.)

I'll continue this analogy tomorrow, never fear. ; )

Winter is coming

Winter doesn't officially start until December, but it starts to get cold in various parts of the country about now.

And that may or may not play havoc with your exercise routine, if you hate the cold. It certainly always played havoc with me.

But there are plenty of indoor sports to take advantage of if it's ever too cold to go biking or play outdoor tennis.

If you've got a flight of stairs in your house, run up and down that a few times to either increase or maintain your cardiovascular fitness. A "step up" step will work too.

If you haven't gotten your weight bench with leg attachment yet, now is the time to start saving for it - or get your significant other to buy it for you for Christimas. ; )

Performing leg curls and leg extensions on a suitably equipped weight bench will pay benefits right away.

There's another thing about winter. Days are shorter, nights are longer. Do you suffer from seasonal effective disorder? IN other words, without sufficient light, many people become depressed. If you regularly find yourself depressed during the winter months, that may well be the case. THere's ways to combat that. Special light bulbs, etc - and more importantly just the knowledge of what is causing your depression.

With knowledge comes power!

The Big Year

The title of this post is sort of a pun...there's a new movie comng out...about three birdwatchers who spend the year competing to identify as many birds as possible.

And of course, the three birdwatchers are men.

Are there every any movies in which women get to do fun stuff like that??? No relationship drama, just three women competing against each other in a good natured fashion to find birds, or compete in an air race - or any kind of a race, or just go out and have adventures?

No! It's always guys who are the heroes/stars of those kinds of films.

So annoying.

I will go to see it...although I think it's sad that Steve Martin has apparently gotten his face either botoxed or plastic surgeried into almost unrecognizability! But I wish I was watching a buddette movie rather than a buddy movie.

Anyway, the other pun of the title of "The big year" is that you were perhaps big at the start of the year, or whenever you began my weight loss and maintenance program.

So, how are you doing now?

If you are losing weight..slowly but surely...then you are on the downward trend and you need to keep going.

And at all times while you are working hard to lose weight, you need to keep a journal - as detailed as you can possibly make it, on your exercising, your eating, and your emotional state at any given time.

Why emotional state? Well, certain foods can cause depression, and should be avoided. Certain other foods or drinks are addictive, and you can get depresse dor irritable if you start cutting back on them in any significan amount - anythign with caffeine like coffee or soda pop, for example.

It's important that you know yourself, and know your body, and know why you're irritable at any given moment.

(One thing I've never really discussed is a woman's time of the month - I haven't had to worry about that for a few years!) But during your period you can gain water weight - it's important to realize that that's what that weight gain is and not to get stressed out about it!

Move It...Move It

I just got back from 4 days of staying at a relative's house. My cousin had flown in from California to be with her sister and parents (who live within a mile of each other, very cozy family). This cousin has MS, which she developed at age 30 - she has been in a wheelchair for many, many years.

With MS it's more than being in a wheelchair because she can't move her legs...she has to take drugs to prevent spasms... which of course has side effects that does things to her eyes which makes it difficult for her to read...

Long story short...living in a wheel chair is no fun whatsoever.

And the moral of the story...if you can move... get up and move! Go for a half hour walk, or a bike ride, or a job. Play tennis. Go swimming.

You're free...appreciate that feeling.

On travel til Wednesday

I'm visiting elderly relatives in Box Elder, SD who do not have internet.

Will try to sneak out now and again to an internet cafe to post, but more than likely will not be posting until Wedneday.

Fasting: What it is and why people do it

Fasting is a practice that should NOT be used for weight loss, but rather for health reasons, for "detoxification" of the body.

You should NEVER fast for more than 24 hours.

One of the dangers of fasting, for those trying to lose weight, is that once you come off your fast, you may start eating uncontrollably - your body will trigger cravings for foods its missing.

So fasting should be incorporated into your weight loss program - if at all - after you've already made significant progress, and your "willpower muscles" have developed - not just to fast, but to come off the fast sensibly.

From an article called "The Health Benefits of Fasting
" at Serendip: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1834
The Health Benefits of Fasting
Will Carroll
There has been much contention in the scientific field about whether or not fasting is beneficial to one's health. Fasting is an integral part of many of the major religions including Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Many are dubious as to whether the physiological effects are as beneficial as the spiritual promoted by these religions. There is a significant community of alternative healers who believe that fasting can do wonders for the human body. This paper will look at the arguments presented by these healers in an attempt to raise awareness of the possible physiological benefits that may result from fasting.

Fasting technically commences within the first twelve to twenty-four hours of the fast. A fast does not chemically begin until the carbohydrate stores in the body begin to be used as an energy source. The fast will continue as long as fat and carbohydrate stores are used for energy, as opposed to protein stores. Once protein stores begin to be depleted for energy (resulting in loss of muscle mass) a person is technically starving. (1)

The benefits of fasting must be preceded by a look at the body's progression when deprived of food. Due to the lack of incoming energy, the body must turn to its own resources, a function called autolysis. (2) Autolysis is the breaking down of fat stores in the body in order to produce energy. The liver is in charge of converting the fats into a chemical called a ketone body, "the metabolic substances acetoacetic acid and beta-hydroxybutyric acid" (3), and then distributing these bodies throughout the body via the blood stream. "When this fat utilization occurs, free fatty acids are released into the blood stream and are used by the liver for energy." (3) The less one eats, the more the body turns to these stored fats and creates these ketone bodies, the accumulation of which is referred to as ketosis. (4)

Detoxification is the foremost argument presented by advocates of fasting. "Detoxification is a normal body process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph glands, and skin." (5). This process is precipitated by fasting because when food is no longer entering the body, the body turns to fat reserves for energy. "Human fat is valued at 3,500 calories per pound," a number that would lead one to believe that surviving on one pound of fat every day would provide a body with enough energy to function normally. (2) These fat reserves were created when excess glucose and carbohydrates were not used for energy or growth, not excreted, and therefore converted into fat. When the fat reserves are used for energy during a fast, it releases the chemicals from the fatty acids into the system which are then eliminated through the aforementioned organs. Chemicals not found in food but absorbed from one's environment, such as DDT, are also stored in fat reserves that may be released during a fast. One fasting advocate tested his own urine, feces and sweat during an extended fast and found traces of DDT in each. (5)

A second prescribed benefit of fasting is the healing process that begins in the body during a fast. During a fast energy is diverted away from the digestive system due to its lack of use and towards the metabolism and immune system. (6) The healing process during a fast is precipitated by the body's search for energy sources. Abnormal growths within the body, tumors and the like, do not have the full support of the body's supplies and therefore are more susceptible to autolysis. Furthermore, "production of protein for replacement of damaged cells (protein synthesis) occurs more efficiently because fewer 'mistakes' are made by the DNA/RNA genetic controls which govern this process." A higher efficiency in protein synthesis results in healthier cells, tissues and organs. (7) This is one reason that animals stop eating when they are wounded, and why humans lose hunger during influenza. Hunger has been proven absent in illnesses such as gastritis, tonsillitis and colds. (2) Therefore, when one is fasting, the person is consciously diverting energy from the digestive system to the immune system.

In addition, there is a reduction in core body temperature. This is a direct result of the slower metabolic rate and general bodily functions. Following a drop in blood sugar level and using the reserves of glucose found in liver glycogen, the basal metabolic rate (BMR) is reduced in order to conserve as much energy within the body as can be provided. (2) Growth hormones are also released during a fast, due to the greater efficiency in hormone production. (7)

Finally, the most scientifically proven advantage to fasting is the feeling of rejuvenation and extended life expectancy. Part of this phenomenon is caused by a number of the benefits mentioned above. A slower metabolic rate, more efficient protein production, an improved immune system, and the increased production of hormones contributes to this long-term benefit of fasting. In addition to the Human Growth Hormone that is released more frequently during a fast, an anti-aging hormone is also produced more efficiently. (7) "The only reliable way to extend the lifespan of a mammal is under-nutrition without malnutrition." (5) A study was performed on earthworms that demonstrated the extension of life due to fasting. The experiment was performed in the 1930s by isolating one worm and putting it on a cycle of fasting and feeding. The isolated worm outlasted its relatives by 19 generations, while still maintaining its youthful physiological traits. The worm was able to survive on its own tissue for months. Once the size of the worm began to decrease, the scientists would resume feeding it at which point it showed great vigor and energy. "The life-span extension of these worms was the equivalent of keeping a man alive for 600 to 700 years."

In conclusion, it seems that there are many reasons to consider fasting as a benefit to one's health. The body rids itself of the toxins that have built up in our fat stores throughout the years. The body heals itself, repairs all the damaged organs during a fast. And finally there is good evidence to show that regulated fasting contributes to longer life. However, many doctors warn against fasting for extended periods of time without supervision. There are still many doctors today who deny all of these points and claim that fasting is detrimental to one's health and have evidence to back their statements. The idea of depriving a body of what society has come to view as so essential to our survival in order to heal continues to be a topic of controversy.

Well, well, well... Russell Crowe criticized for his paunch!

It's a British newspaper as opposed to an American one which may be why the reporting is a bit harsh...

But a male actor has actually been criticized for being "paunchy!" More than that, the article actually shows two photos of the guy standing sideways, just so we can see how paunchy he is!

I thought this kind of weight-scutiny and mockery only happened to female actors!

The guy is Russell Crowe, by the way, playing Jor-el, Superman's father, in the new "reboot" of the series, which sees Superman wearing some kind of stupid mesh suit - the same material that the reboot Spiderman's suit is made of. Looks stupid.

Don't Try To Predict How Much Weight You'll Lose in A Week

You are not concerned with that with this program. You are going to lose gradually - it may take a whole year for all the weight to come (depending on how much you're trying to lose) and once it comes off you're going to be able to keep it off.

So don't open yourself up for the pitfalls of counting your calories, and counting how many calories you burned on your treadmill or your walk, and add 'em all up and expect to have lost 3 pounds...only to find out that you've actually gained a pound!

The above is what happened this week to this guy whose blog I've been following for so long - the one who is 60 years old, eats one meal a day, and goes for 4 mile jogs every day.

He'd been on travel, he was very careful what he ate, eating his one small meal a day, he did his jogs on the treadmill, and he comes home to find out that he's gained a pound.

Everyone on his message boards - which he very rarely reads - points out that his problem is with the 1 meal a day. He whines in his blog about how it's taking him so long to lose weight "this time" - people on his message board point out that it's because he eats one meal a day - he pays no attention - and so he continues to either not lose weight or in this case, gain a pound.

Who knows why he gained that pound? It's probably just water weight or something.

But let's move on from that guy and think about you.

If you eat only one meal a day, and that a small one, and jog 4 miles a day, why don't you lose weight?

Well, there could be a myriad of reasons. First off, eating one meal a day triggers your body into starvation mode. That means you're body thinks you're starving, it's duty is to keep you alive, so it slows its metabolism down and conserves all that fat you're trying to lose.

Second, how old are you? The older you get, unfortunately, the slower your metabolism gets (even if you eat a reasonable three meals a day). It just takes longer to lose weight, period.

Third - how much working out have you been doing. Remember that muscle mass weighs more than fat, so if you've been lifting weighs, you may initially gain a bit of weight before you start losing it. But since a toned musculature feels better than flab, believe me you want those muscles!

Fourth - water weight. Salt retains water, so if you've eaten something particularly salty, and drunk a lot of water, that water may take an extra day or so to filter out.

Bottom line, don't worry about it!

What you're looking for is a general trending downward of your weight. If you only lose one pound a week - that's still 52 pounds in a year. If you only lose a pound every two weeks - that's still 26 pounds a year!

Once you reach your desired weight - then you have to use a bit of discipline. You need to maintain your same exercise schedule, but you can have slightly larger portions at each meal. Easy to do since you're used to eating a balanced diet.

So again, don't step on a scale every day. If you must step on a scale, do it once a week.

You'll be happy, and your weight loss program will be successful.

Your period

For my female readers out there - and the vast majority of my readers are women, one thing I've neglected to mention is the woman's period.

When it's period time, that's a week in which you're going to gain about 5 pounds worth of water weight - on average. There is nothing to get excited about here. As soon as your period id over, the water goes away. So don't get your knickers in a twist!

Do you have problems with cramps? Way back when I did have cramps - like 20 years or so ago, there was only one day when they were so bad that I'd have to take Tylenol or something for them. But I soon discovered that going for a brisk walk or bikeride would ease those cramps pretty quickly - and help dissipate any irritableness!

So give some physical exercise a try next time you are cramping or feeling irritable for no reason - except that you're in pain from those cramps!