Yes I know you come to this blog to learn how to lose weight, but sometimes I just can't help but go off on rants. My goal is to help people - mostly women - achieve a healthy weight and then maintain that weight.
That goal is not helped by the plethora of gossip magazines lining supermarket checkout aisles that focus on women's weight - only verrrrry rarely does a male actor have to worry about having his flab on display for all to see. Bad for the women who have to look at it, worse for the girls and boys who are subliminally taught that girl's bodies are for being looked at.
You all know what I'm talking about. The People magazines, the Us, the Enquirer, the Star - all of them always show photos of, for example, women's fat bodies with their heads cut off, with headlines like, "Who looks this flabby now?" Then we've got other crap like 20 actresses without their makeup - almost as bad.
Anyway, what do these covers typically always say? Look how skinny this actress is. Can she have anorexia? The next week? Look how fat this actress is! She should lose weight.
Women can just never, ever win. The only solution would be to boycott these mags and write letters to them requesting, or demanding that they cover something more interesting and important than the weight of actresses and personalities.
A boycott would work...hit a business in its pocketbook and they will change their ways - but will women institute one? These mags wouldn't show this crap unless there was a market for it, unfortunately.
Monday, January 9, 2012
The Obsession Continues
I live in Cheyenne. Despite the fact that it's the capitol of the state, it's a small town, only between 50,000 and 60,000 people. So there's not a lot of news that goes into the newspaper.
Today, I was annoyed to see that on the front page was the headline, "Why are we fat?" And then something about scientists trying to figure it all out.
I have to admit this annoys me. If a newspaper must focus on our weight (and it's always women's weight they focus on), do it in the Arts & Entertainment section, not on the front page of what is supposed to be a newspaper giving us news.
But there's no getting away from it. We're bombarded with weight loss commercials on TV (there's one with Charles Barkley in which he's all dressed in black, talking against a black background. Has he lost any weight? Hard to tell.) But for the most part of course, this weight loss crap is aimed at women. It's interesting what the new slogan is for ....I'm blanking on the name - senior moment - "Lose weight like a man." Very macho.
I get my newspapers in batches from my parents...yesterday I was going through several weeks of papers leading up until Christmas and New Year's Day, and of course the Arts & Entertainment section (a whole 2 page section, in the Cheyenne paper) was given over to worries that people might gain weight over the holidays, and provided tips, over and over again, to prevent this from happening.
And I'm not saying that there weren't some good tips. Indeed, I'm going to share some of them in my next post. It's just the over-arcing thought....no one can just enjoy themselves anymore. We're always being told - don't overeat, don't overeat, don't over eat.
Personally I think they should be telling people not to do drugs and not to drink to excess and to study hard in school, but that's just me.
Today, I was annoyed to see that on the front page was the headline, "Why are we fat?" And then something about scientists trying to figure it all out.
I have to admit this annoys me. If a newspaper must focus on our weight (and it's always women's weight they focus on), do it in the Arts & Entertainment section, not on the front page of what is supposed to be a newspaper giving us news.
But there's no getting away from it. We're bombarded with weight loss commercials on TV (there's one with Charles Barkley in which he's all dressed in black, talking against a black background. Has he lost any weight? Hard to tell.) But for the most part of course, this weight loss crap is aimed at women. It's interesting what the new slogan is for ....I'm blanking on the name - senior moment - "Lose weight like a man." Very macho.
I get my newspapers in batches from my parents...yesterday I was going through several weeks of papers leading up until Christmas and New Year's Day, and of course the Arts & Entertainment section (a whole 2 page section, in the Cheyenne paper) was given over to worries that people might gain weight over the holidays, and provided tips, over and over again, to prevent this from happening.
And I'm not saying that there weren't some good tips. Indeed, I'm going to share some of them in my next post. It's just the over-arcing thought....no one can just enjoy themselves anymore. We're always being told - don't overeat, don't overeat, don't over eat.
Personally I think they should be telling people not to do drugs and not to drink to excess and to study hard in school, but that's just me.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Choose Your Sport
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you add exercise to your weight loss regime.
Biking is fun, but walking will work as well. Jogging can cause shin splints, depending on what kind of you surface you jog on.
Since it's winter now... think about cross country skiing or even snow shoeing.
Whatever exercise you choose - jogging, biking, walking - the important thing is to keep track of what you do every day - how far you jog/bike/walk, and how long it takes you. In this way, you're able to measure your progress every day. It's also fun to see your distances and times increase.
As far as bikes are concerned, the best thing to do is get a man's bike, rather than a woman's bike - men's bikes are simply sturdier built because of that top bar. Go to your local bike store, rather than to a Walmart (have you seen the furniture put together there? Do you really want to trust them to put a bike together properly?)
Biking is fun, but walking will work as well. Jogging can cause shin splints, depending on what kind of you surface you jog on.
Since it's winter now... think about cross country skiing or even snow shoeing.
Whatever exercise you choose - jogging, biking, walking - the important thing is to keep track of what you do every day - how far you jog/bike/walk, and how long it takes you. In this way, you're able to measure your progress every day. It's also fun to see your distances and times increase.
As far as bikes are concerned, the best thing to do is get a man's bike, rather than a woman's bike - men's bikes are simply sturdier built because of that top bar. Go to your local bike store, rather than to a Walmart (have you seen the furniture put together there? Do you really want to trust them to put a bike together properly?)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Willpower is a muscle: Exercise it
Diet Tip: Don't use the excuse that you have no willpower to stick to a diet. Of course you do. Willpower is like a muscle. You have to exercise that muscle until it become strong enough to see you through the tough times, when you'd really like a bowl of icecream but you're going to bed in 5 minutes!
I was feeling a bit depressed today. As a freelance writer, I had spent a couple of weeks working on a project that I was very enthusiastic about, and which I wrote well, and I anticipated it being a big hit when I debuted it to the readers of my aviation blog (one of many blogs I have.)
Well, my work went over like a lead balloon. Very depressing. I'd gone from the heights of euphoria to the depths of despair just like that.
And when that happens, I want chocolate.
I didn't have the right kind of chocolate in the house - I keep Oreo cookies and Nabisco Chocolate chip cookies for my dessert, because they satisfy my craving for chocolate, but I can eat two for dessert and not be "called" to them again until the next day. But freshed baked cookies - no, can't have them at all. I'd eat them all in a single sitting.
Well, that's the kind of chocolate I felt like having today. So I drove to the store to pick up some cookie dough.
On the way into the store, however, I got to thinking. We'd had cold weather for two weeks, and I had been extremely inactive, so I tried to exercise a little will power. I finally settled for a single candy bar. 180 calories as opposed to 1,000 or more - not too bad.
So I had my chocolate, and took a long hot bath, and bought a book for my Kindle, and now I've recovered from my depression and will start working on yet another writing project.
How To Strengthen Your Willpower
If you have the willpower to resist eating after dinner, or to exercise and run/jog every day without missing once, then you probably aren't reading this blog because you don't need to.
But what if you hate feeling hungry, and so give in to hunger pains every might? Isn't that how those commercials for weight loss products suck you in - eat less and never feel hungry!
Well - you are going to feel hungry on occasion. Tell yourself, so what! You're not "depriving" yourself of food, you're just ensuring that when you do have your three square meals a day, you'll enjoy them all the more.
If you do eat decent meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, chances are your hunger pangs won't be bad in the evening...they probably just occur from force of habit...you're bored and you always eat when you're bored. Get up, then, but instead of heading for the refrigerator, perform some stretching exercises, read a book for a few minutes, go outside for a walk. Drink water while you do so, that will satiate the hunger pangs. If you still can't prevent yourself from eating, wean yourself away by eating a few carrots, or an apple. NO POP! (Not even diet pop - it has stuff in it that is worse than real pop.)
Work on your resistance. No snack for the last half hour before you go to bed. Extend the time. No snack for the last hour. Then, for thelast hour and a half. Finally, get it down to where, after you've had dinner and dessert, you don't eat at all for the rest of the night.
I was feeling a bit depressed today. As a freelance writer, I had spent a couple of weeks working on a project that I was very enthusiastic about, and which I wrote well, and I anticipated it being a big hit when I debuted it to the readers of my aviation blog (one of many blogs I have.)
Well, my work went over like a lead balloon. Very depressing. I'd gone from the heights of euphoria to the depths of despair just like that.
And when that happens, I want chocolate.
I didn't have the right kind of chocolate in the house - I keep Oreo cookies and Nabisco Chocolate chip cookies for my dessert, because they satisfy my craving for chocolate, but I can eat two for dessert and not be "called" to them again until the next day. But freshed baked cookies - no, can't have them at all. I'd eat them all in a single sitting.
Well, that's the kind of chocolate I felt like having today. So I drove to the store to pick up some cookie dough.
On the way into the store, however, I got to thinking. We'd had cold weather for two weeks, and I had been extremely inactive, so I tried to exercise a little will power. I finally settled for a single candy bar. 180 calories as opposed to 1,000 or more - not too bad.
So I had my chocolate, and took a long hot bath, and bought a book for my Kindle, and now I've recovered from my depression and will start working on yet another writing project.
How To Strengthen Your Willpower
If you have the willpower to resist eating after dinner, or to exercise and run/jog every day without missing once, then you probably aren't reading this blog because you don't need to.
But what if you hate feeling hungry, and so give in to hunger pains every might? Isn't that how those commercials for weight loss products suck you in - eat less and never feel hungry!
Well - you are going to feel hungry on occasion. Tell yourself, so what! You're not "depriving" yourself of food, you're just ensuring that when you do have your three square meals a day, you'll enjoy them all the more.
If you do eat decent meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, chances are your hunger pangs won't be bad in the evening...they probably just occur from force of habit...you're bored and you always eat when you're bored. Get up, then, but instead of heading for the refrigerator, perform some stretching exercises, read a book for a few minutes, go outside for a walk. Drink water while you do so, that will satiate the hunger pangs. If you still can't prevent yourself from eating, wean yourself away by eating a few carrots, or an apple. NO POP! (Not even diet pop - it has stuff in it that is worse than real pop.)
Work on your resistance. No snack for the last half hour before you go to bed. Extend the time. No snack for the last hour. Then, for thelast hour and a half. Finally, get it down to where, after you've had dinner and dessert, you don't eat at all for the rest of the night.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Day 3: Stretching Exercises
For those newbies here, you should spend the first week of the new year keeping a journal, keeping track of everything you eat and drink, and the time you do so, and how you feel afterwards.
Know yourself and your tendencies - then you can modify them.
In order to lose weight and maintain your new weight once you've obtained it, you need to continue your exercise routine.
And stretching exercises should be part of your exercise routine.
There's controversy about this. Some experts say that stretching should be done BEFORE working out, others say that it should be done AFTER working out.
For myself, I stretch before and after.
Stretching exercises are very simple, and require no equipment like balls or ropes (although I suppose if you want to invest in those things to do things "different" now and again, it's okay, but you really don't need them.)
Sit down, placing both legs straight out in front of you. Then bend forward and try to touch, or touch, your knees with your forehead. (If your belly gets in the way..well, that's why you're wokring to lose weight.) If you can touch your forehead to your knees, try to lower your whole upper torso onto your thighs for a good stretch. Do this ten times.
Then, spread your legs wide apart, and try to touch your forehead to the floor, in between your two legs.
Then, bend from side to side to try to touch your forehead to each knee.
Then, bring the soles of your feet together, so that your knees stick out to the side, and again touch your forehead to the soles of your feet.
Stand up, and try to gradually slide into the splits position. Don't bounce or try to force yourself down. Only go down as far as is comfortable.
Finally, standing straight with legs at shoulder width, reach up with your hands as if you were trying to climb into the sky. Then, bend down from this standing position, and try to touch your forehead to your thighs or knees.
Then, just to finish off, rise up and down on your toes between ten to twenty times. This stretches out the Achilles tendon at the back of your ankles, and shapes the calves.
Know yourself and your tendencies - then you can modify them.
In order to lose weight and maintain your new weight once you've obtained it, you need to continue your exercise routine.
And stretching exercises should be part of your exercise routine.
There's controversy about this. Some experts say that stretching should be done BEFORE working out, others say that it should be done AFTER working out.
For myself, I stretch before and after.
Stretching exercises are very simple, and require no equipment like balls or ropes (although I suppose if you want to invest in those things to do things "different" now and again, it's okay, but you really don't need them.)
Sit down, placing both legs straight out in front of you. Then bend forward and try to touch, or touch, your knees with your forehead. (If your belly gets in the way..well, that's why you're wokring to lose weight.) If you can touch your forehead to your knees, try to lower your whole upper torso onto your thighs for a good stretch. Do this ten times.
Then, spread your legs wide apart, and try to touch your forehead to the floor, in between your two legs.
Then, bend from side to side to try to touch your forehead to each knee.
Then, bring the soles of your feet together, so that your knees stick out to the side, and again touch your forehead to the soles of your feet.
Stand up, and try to gradually slide into the splits position. Don't bounce or try to force yourself down. Only go down as far as is comfortable.
Finally, standing straight with legs at shoulder width, reach up with your hands as if you were trying to climb into the sky. Then, bend down from this standing position, and try to touch your forehead to your thighs or knees.
Then, just to finish off, rise up and down on your toes between ten to twenty times. This stretches out the Achilles tendon at the back of your ankles, and shapes the calves.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Day 1 of 2012
I am going to write this blog in chronological order, so that you can follow along with me and in one year, be well on the road to reaching your optimal weight.
Yes, you heard me, it's going to take you a year, perhaps more to reach your optimal weight (depending on where you're starting from, of course).
Why? Because you are not going to diet. You are going to gradually, gradually, gradually cut down on your eating, so much so that you won't even miss it. You're also going to increase your exercising gradually.
By the end of a year - 12 short months - you will have learned all you need to know to achieve your optimum weight, and you will have gotten started on a lifetime of fitness via your exercise program.
Why am I emphasizing the gradual nature of this program?
Because I am assuming that everyone reading this blog is someone who has failed at all their attempts at weight loss. Either you've failed entirely, not losing a pound, or you lost a lot of weight and have now gained it back and are in despairr.
I'm assuming that because it covers 70% of all dieters!
(The other 30% are, unfortunately, women who have already reached their optimum weight and keep dieting because they're overly concerned about their appearance. These are the women who obsess about every ounce of "overweight" they have. These women (and there some men in this category) need professional help to overcome this obsession.
****You want to be at your optimum weight not because of your appearance, but because of your health.****
This blog can help people who are healthy (no chronic diseases like diabetes) but are overweight because they can't control their appetite and have never acquired the habit of exercising.
I beeive people with mobility issues can benefit from this blog as well, only it will take twice as long. But by taking things slowly, you will succeed also.
Yes, you heard me, it's going to take you a year, perhaps more to reach your optimal weight (depending on where you're starting from, of course).
Why? Because you are not going to diet. You are going to gradually, gradually, gradually cut down on your eating, so much so that you won't even miss it. You're also going to increase your exercising gradually.
By the end of a year - 12 short months - you will have learned all you need to know to achieve your optimum weight, and you will have gotten started on a lifetime of fitness via your exercise program.
Why am I emphasizing the gradual nature of this program?
Because I am assuming that everyone reading this blog is someone who has failed at all their attempts at weight loss. Either you've failed entirely, not losing a pound, or you lost a lot of weight and have now gained it back and are in despairr.
I'm assuming that because it covers 70% of all dieters!
(The other 30% are, unfortunately, women who have already reached their optimum weight and keep dieting because they're overly concerned about their appearance. These are the women who obsess about every ounce of "overweight" they have. These women (and there some men in this category) need professional help to overcome this obsession.
****You want to be at your optimum weight not because of your appearance, but because of your health.****
This blog can help people who are healthy (no chronic diseases like diabetes) but are overweight because they can't control their appetite and have never acquired the habit of exercising.
I beeive people with mobility issues can benefit from this blog as well, only it will take twice as long. But by taking things slowly, you will succeed also.
Welcome to the new year
I've got a lot of new subscribers. I was expecting this. Everyone has made a New Year's resolution to lose weight.
Well, this is the blog that will help you to do it. Not quickly. Slowly = easily. And more importantly, you'll be able to keep the weight off.
So stick around for the ride.
Well, this is the blog that will help you to do it. Not quickly. Slowly = easily. And more importantly, you'll be able to keep the weight off.
So stick around for the ride.
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