I'm fat

[theworm[$]]

and honestly, I don't care that much.

I'm tired and stressed and overweight. I may never fit back into my size 6 clothing, but if I become obsessed with that it would be bad.

I do want to be healthy though. I wasn't able to work out for a month, and just got clearance from the cardiologist to start again. I met with my trainer this morning, but because I have to keep my heart rate in normal zones (ideally 140-160) there is only so much I can do. We did some crunches and stretches, then he put me on the bike and elliptical for 90 minutes :yawn:

I have 2 training sessions left, and my gym membership is paid until mid Sept. I think I'm not going to rejoin. Money is tight, an if I'm going for crunches and walking, I can do that for free. My trainer is focusing on my diet, and while I agree that I need to make changes, I think I can just do WW again. I lost weight on Weight Watchers, but he wants me to cut out ALL carbs. It's not going to happen. I'm a vegetarian and he wants no rice, potato, pasta, fruit, nuts, etc. He said I can have 2 bites of rice cheese twice a week and oatmeal for breakfast once a week. He wants me living on salad w/ vinigrette and tofu (sans rice).

I can get serious with my diet, but I'm not going to stick to that strict prescription. I'm not signing up for more training for him to watch me do crunches, stick me on a machine and tell me about my diet.

I'll do my last 2 training sessions (one tomorrow), and I'll use the gym for the summer months for the treadmill, bikes and yoga classes. If I love the yoga, maybe I'll re-join. Otherwise, I think I should control my diet (WW) and walk and bike on my own.

Am I being foolish? Money is tight and for what I'm getting for my money, I don't have to pay....

[hadassahchana[$]]

Um, so what physiological basis does he have for totally eliminating carbs from your diet? That would worry me. You don't have to eat Ding Dongs, but whole grains, fruit? Those are all healthy things. I'd lose weight, but I'd start with the trainer and work on just getting healthy.


And speaking of that, can we start with the logging food/exercise again? I think I hit something. Today, we threw out problem foods, bought much healtheir choices for snacking and I am making out a menu for a week at a time for this summer. Everyone around here is having trouble staying at an ideal weight, except for #3 and Libby.

I want to make myself stay away from all of the yummy junk and relearn to choose healthy things over chocolate. Most of the time. I still haven't come up with a way to have a total personality transplant, although catching a glimpse of my south side heading north was great incentive.


So- can you and Lynn get the log thing up and running again? I'll be merinded when I see that every day, I think. And I also want to make this all about getting healthy again, too, instead of just losing weight.

[theworm[$]]

I will log daily, and I'll be glad to start it, but since I can't log into EA until after work, if any of you want to start it in the am, that would be GREAT! I'll participate, but if ya'll wait for me to start the log it'll be after dinner.

I don't think I'm at my all time fattest, but I am at my all time heaviest. I should lose about 40 pounds, I think. Brian doesn't think my diet is bad, but I know it is. I know that when I was on WW I could indulge but that I was eatting a lot less comfort and convenience food and eating more veggies and balance meals.

Trainer says that since my exercise abilities are reduced right now, I have to get the weight off by eating better (and I agree). He says no carbs so that my body will burn the fat instead. NO carbs is not reasonable for me. I told him that. I can't live by what he wants (well, I can, but I won't) Tell me no cake and chips and I'm there, but if I can't have a little rice with my tofu and veggies - that's not easy. Tell me no sandwiches, but let me have a whole wheat wrap and I'm happy. I'll use egg whites instead of eggs - no problem. I'll cut back on treats - no problem, but if I can't eat balanced foods - including an occasional sweet (like stawberries) I'll cheat and that does no good for anyone.

I should join WW again, but I'm trying to save money, so I think I'll start logging points based on the old system from years ago - it worked for me, and I'll try to do my walking and stretches and I'll try this yoga.

I want to go to the health food store this weekend. I want to make a tofu spread for lunches and buy some healthy options, but I know that sensibility will work best for me. It won't be the fastest option, but he options that he lays out are not realistic. I'm under too much stress to deprive myself of things like fruit, but I CAN start using moderation and better choices for a more balanced and healthy diet.

[thinkerlady[$]]

Well, I am game too. Only this time, would somebody with strength and will power go after those of us who slack off? I am a big slacker, and I admit I avoided posting because I didn't want to lie. So, if somebody would be strong to "hound" some of us, namely me, maybe it would work again.

Some of us at school were doing the no flour no sugar thing, occasional whole grain, but lots of fruits and veggies and lean meats and fish. It does work, it is sensible and if you do have flour now and then it isn't a big deal.

I need to focus on the exercise. Big time. That is where I need someone to bug me.

[lynnzop[$]]

Logging food online is hard for me, but I need to get back in the habit of doing it on a paper and carrying it around with me. Every Bite, Lick, Taste.

My biggest sin for the last couple of years has been exercise, I really like to take the dog out for a walk, and he loves it too, but when I'm home, it seems there is so little time. Now that Jer is out of school, maybe I can do in the a.m. before going to work.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Delia, don't forget stress leads your body to hold on to all the calories you consume - and plop it right in your midsection. Even if you cut out the comfort foods and reduce calories, the biochemical effects of stress (cortisol I think?) will lead your body to hoard all the calories you DO eat.

I have to increase my activity level - I used to walk up and down the stairs several times in the course of a normal business day at the old job, and now I never do, for example. Maybe I'll finally break down and get a pedometer. Hubby and I are doing our summer walking up and down the mile now, which helps, but I keep edging up to 140. (I was 125 when you first met me.)

[theworm[$]]

MJ, I learn so much from you!
I would think that stress should make you lose weight. It raises my heart rate and blood pressure - I figured it at least should burn a few calories. I never had a problem with my stomach, but I do have a bit of a pooch there that pisses me off. That was never a problem area.
I don't want to put my weight number down because its not a happy number, but when you came to Fl the first time I weighted about 36 pounds less than I do now.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Belly fat may be body's way of coping with stress

Your blood pressure and heart rate accelerate to get ready to run or fight - but then you end up doing neither, since modern society doesn't give us much chance to hunt wooly mammoths or run from sabre-toothed tigers. So while things are speeded up, you don't do the real calorie-burning running and instead the stress hormones and adreneline just float around your system for a while. But it's another reason to do the yoga and other stress-coping stuff

[theworm[$]]

Wow, MJ. That article was very interesting and sort of scary.
Getting fat makes us feel better but ruins our health.
I know that last weekend that artery clogging mac and cheese hit the spot. I was craving it and it was darned good, but the idea that stress makes us crave these unhealthy foods and store more fat, and that the stored fat helps reduce our stress levels - well thats like a scary catch-22. I hope yoga is the answer.

I am also actively trying to reduce my stress at work - things like not working 12 hours, but I am really immature when it comes to stress management. I seem to have missed those lessons in grade school.

[mtomm[$]]

Carbs do not make you fat. Fat doesn't make you fat. Protein doesn't make you fat. Too many calories make you fat.

Protein and fat are filling and sustain feelings of fullness longer.

As a person diets your body uses your fat and muscle for energy. You want to keep the muscle and lose the fat.

Making sure you have 1 gram of protein for each pound of lean body weight helps your body keep the muscle. Fill in the rest of the calories with fats and carbs.

Your body treats all carbs the same. It can't tell the difference between Captain Crunch and strawberries. Health wise we know that one is better for you than the other but in the end the only thing that will make you lose weight is fewer calories and more energy expenditure.

[mtomm[$]]

And some other things about low-carbing that I've learned as of late.

Eating very low carbs puts you in ketosis (your body burning more fat than carbs for energy) which often reduces a person's appetite. That can be a real advantage to eating low carb. But so many healthy foods are carbohydrates that it isn't particularly healthy to eliminate them.

Carbs are great for energy boosting and eating fast acting carbs before exercising is a good way to keep your energy up for a work out.

Just a couple of things to keep in mind about carbs.

I could go on and on.

[theworm[$]]

Ketosis is the whole basis for the Atkins diet. I read the book WAY back before the diet was popular, and some of it made sense, but for a vegetarian it wasn't practical, and I didn't like that Doc Atkins had his patients taking so many supliments. I'm all for a multi-vitamin, but we should strive to get what we need from our foods.
And then there's the whole - I can eat bacon an mayo but no bread. A bit of common sense goes a long way.

[mtomm[$]]

I've never done a true Atkins. I've low-carbed a little but prefer balancing my meals around getting enough protein and let the fats and carbs fill in the rest. Successful dieting is about managing hunger effectively on fewer calories.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

I'm way too interested in getting fiber to elminate carbs from my diet. But I try to make sure my carbs aren't pure sugar, at least.

[theworm[$]]

I thought about that too.
We can get a lot of fiber from veggies, but high fiber carbs are important too.
Of course we can channel Melanie and use fiber powder in burgers.

[hadassahchana[$]]

UC Berkely Wellness Letter on ATkins and why ketosis is not healthy.

I was on Atkins before it was called that, and I ended up in the hospital for a few days. I am so not a fan.

Angie, I am with you there. I think we need to figure out the division of labour thing- those who need their butts kicked, and those who can kick.


I nominate Margo to kick, and hard. I go on the ' kick me if I haven't posted' group.

[theworm[$]]

We need Naomi back too! Between Margo and Naomi we can get some good ass-kicking done around here!

[phoenixx]

I have been approved for light weight training. I can not lift ANY weight at all over my head, doctor's orders, but any other direction I can carefully use up to ten pounds. Anyone want to help me develop a broken collarbone friendly light upper body routine?

[mtomm[$]]

Sure, but why only upper body?

Squats, deadlifts, bench press, bent over rows. 5 sets, 5 reps, rinse repeat 2-3 times a week.

Don't bother with crunches, biceps, triceps or shoulders because they'll get hit with all of the above lifts. Maybe when you are more strong you can add shoulder work.

[thinkerlady[$]]

Margo, please kick--Me first, then Cindy.