Take the Day Off.

Today I went to buy some cat food for our starving 13-pound cat. As I was getting ready, I put on a shirt that I hadn’t worn in months and much to my surprise, the think swam on me. Yes, I used to fill this shirt out; I mean there was no spare room at all. Now, there is almost room for another person (but I won’t go there, as I try to maintain at least a PG rating on this blog).

This put me in such a good mood that I celebrated by trying to come up with an excuse not to exercise. I tried and tried and then it came to me: I have to but cat food. The time that I leave to go do that is, coincidentally enough the same time that I exercise. Well, that’s my excuse. However, there is a small problem: I always guilt myself if I don’t workout. So, I also had to find a way around this, and I think I did. I decided to do some work in the backyard. Yes, I know that it is not as intense a workout as my usual strength training, but it’s better then nothing.

Have you ever been in this situation? You decide that “today I just don’t feel like exercising.” Then, you start thinking that if I skip one day I’ll gain all my weight back or that I’ll feel like never exercising again. I have to say that those things come into my mind each time I take a day off. This is especially true when I take a week off in order to help break a plateau.

But don’t worry, these things won’t happen. You have made it this far and one day off now and than will not do any harm. It will actually help you, since it will allow your muscles an extra day to heal. I also think it’s a good thing to take a day off, because it helps break the monotony of the routine. So, give yourself a treat every once in a while. You’ve worked hard and you deserve it.

Support Forum

Last week I wrote an article about getting support during your diet. Since then, I actually joined one of the forums I discovered while researching the article. I have been nosing around and have found that the people there are supportive and knowledgeable.

If you are like me, you may not go for those structured support groups. I know that I hate to have to get dressed (yeah, this is difficult) and have to go to a meeting. I spent half my time looking at my watch and waiting for the meeting to be over, so I can go home. Well, with forums you can come and go as you please. If I have a question or concern, I simply leave a message and someone, or in most cases, several people will respond with their advice. The great thing is that these people have already been through what you are now going through.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that if you are still trying to find some advice, support, or just want to vent, please come and visit. Take a few minutes and just look around. As always, if you have any questions, I am here to help. Just leave a comment and I will get back to you. Good Luck.

obesitydiscussion.com

Playing the Weighting Game

This post has been moved to... My Almost Exercise-Free Day

Weight-Loss and Support

Feeling alone and left out when everyone is settling down to a nice meal and your stuck grazing on a salad. To quote the X-Files, you are not alone. There are millions of us out there that are going through the same thing. We are having the same feelings that you are. Unless we all wear a sign that say, “Please don’t feed me, I’m Dieting,” then there is no way to tell who we are.
There are many of us, who are currently on diets that may need to have the extra motivation and support that a group can give us. There are many difficult times during a diet and I find that most of these times occur when we are awake. There is no shame in needing additional support during a diet. Firstly, you need to know that you have taken a very courageous step in deciding to lose weight. Believe it or not, most people do not have the same strength of will as you do. Secondly, dieting is very difficult, why make it more difficult by going through it alone?

Being able to talk to someone who has been through the same trials and tribulations as you are presently going through is a very helpful thing. The feelings and cravings you are experiencing, have in fact been experienced before. To actually know that you are not alone in your quest, is a very empowering feeling. To know that you can ask someone a question at any time can be just what you need to get you through those difficult times. Here are a few online forums where you can go to share your stories and experiences with others. I have viewed them all and they seem to be very helpful:
mydietbuddy.com/

www.momsview.com



If you like to have a more structured type of support group, then you could try one of the following:

www.weightwatchers.com

http://www.jennycraig.com/

www.consumersearch.com

As always, if you need further assistance or would just like to talk, please leave a comment and I will get back with you. Best of success:)

Weight-Loss and the Scale of Doom: Part-Two

Now, you can go to the one extreme and purchase the type of scale that your doctor uses, but unless you have several hundred dollars to spend just to purchase the scale (add-in the cost of annual calibration as well), than I would opt for one of the less expensive models. Of these, there are two types: Analog and Digital. Now, I have a prejudice against the digital (my current model), so I prefer the analog variety. First, I like the idea of actually seeing the numbers on the dial and second, I like the idea of not having to buy batteries. If you do go Analog, try to find a scale that has a big, easy to read dial.

Before buying your scale, do some research on the web. Pick three or four different scales that you like and then read the customer reviews on each one. Amazon is a good source of customer reviews. Little by little you will narrow down your choice and hopefully purchase the scale that is right for you.

I hope that this article has given you some useful information. As always, good luck in your pursuit of a thinner and healthier you. If I can be of any assistance, please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

See also...

weight-loss-and-scales-of-doom:part-1

Weight-Loss and the Scales of Doom: Part One

As you begin your fitness routine, you may want to invest in a valuable resource. This item will not only help you to assess how well you are doing, but it can also act, during certain times, as a great shot-put. What type of multi-tasker can do this: the dreaded bathroom scale.Although you may already own one of these devices of torture, it is imperative that you have one that is accurate.

The best way to test the accuracy of your scale would be to weigh an unopened bag of cat food or dog food several times. If you don’t own a cat or dog, just weigh something that has a known weight. If your scale accurately displays the correct weight each time, you’re good to go. If however it does not, I would suggest investing in a new scale.

I have an old digital scale that stretches to new heights in inaccuracy. For example, I step onto the scale and I weigh 233 pounds. I step off and step back on, and I weigh 238.5. I try it again and I weigh 235.5. So, have I lost 3 pounds or gained 4? There’s no way of knowing, so I spend the rest of the day thinking that I gained weight. Losing weight is hard enough without having to worry about the accuracy of the scale.

Tomorrow: Part Two

See also...

weight-loss-and-scale-of-doom-part-two

Dieting and Eating: The Battle Rages, Part Two

I eventually hit a weight-loss plateau, overcame that, and continued on with my same eating schedule. It wasn’t until my wife shared her medical knowledge with me, that I discovered why my weight was staying pretty much stable. My body was in, what she called, a Starvation Mode. Yes, I was still working out. Yes, I was still maintaining my low caloric intake. Yes, I was still drinking like a fish (again, water). Yes, I was still only eating once a day. Yes, my weight stayed the same.

Starvation Mode is when the body feels that it is starving (big surprise there) and starts to hoard any food that is taken in and stores it as fat. It’s afraid to burn any calories, because it thinks it needs them in order to survive. Therefore, any food I ate during my one meal, went directly into fat storage and I was going through the pain of dieting for nothing.

This didn’t really apply during the first several months of my diet, because I had an excess of fat for the body to draw from. However, as I lost that fat and my body had less fat in reserve, it started to hoard what was taken in and use that to survive. Now that I know why I haven’t being losing weight, I need to correct this problem and continue with my Die with a T.

The way to rectify this problem is to let your body know that it isn’t starving, so it won‘t find it necessary to hoard fat. You do this by eating a number of small meals throughout the day. You still continue to maintain the same caloric intake as before, but you spread it throughout the entire day. This way your body will get used to the fact that it is being fueled on a regular basis and thus there is no fear of starvation and no need to save any fat in reserve.

How many meals you choose is up to you. Some feel that 5-6 meals a day is what you should eat. I personally feel that this is kind of excessive. Who has the time to eat that many times a day? For myself, I'm going to eat the usual 3 meals a day, with the largest eaten during the beginning or middle part of the day.

Good luck with your diet and if there is anything you have a question on, or would like to share your experiences, please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

See Also:

Dieting and Eating:The Battle Rages, Part One

Dieting and Eating:The Battle Rages Part-1

There is a common belief amongst us dieters that states, “The less you eat, the more you lose.” For the most part, I agree with this statement. However, the problem arises with how you define “eat less.” Does this mean you eat less food throughout the day, or does it mean you eat less food by having only one meal during the day?

When I started my diet over 10 months ago, I subscribed to this belief and I became a strict one-mealist. What I did was hoard my allotted calories and used them all at once. The reason behind this strange behavior, was it gave me something to look forward to later on in the day. If I had that “carrot” dangling out there, it helped me fight any depression I might feel by being on this diet in the first place.

I must say that this worked, for the most part. I would exercise in the morning and reward myself with an icy glass of water...Yum. I drank like a fish, water that is, and would eagerly await the time when I could actually put solid food in my mouth. Yes, I did snack on carrots and celery throughout the day, but I don’t count that as real food. As time went on and I lost more and more weight, I noticed that the amount of weight that I lost each week declined. I went from losing 4-5 pounds a week, which is typical at the beginning of a diet, to only 1-2 pounds per week. However, soon even this weight-loss stopped. What was happening?

Tomorrow: Part Two.

See Also:
Dieting and Eating:The Battle Rages, Part Two

Fitness Tips: Exercise Combo

Now that you have chosen your preferred type of exercise, ask yourself whether it is a strength training or cardio workout. Whichever one you have chosen, you will need to add the other to your workout routine as well.

Why, because they complement each other and by combining the two, you will not only lose weight faster, but you will be able to add that lean muscle mass we all want. Now, you don’t have to do both types each and every day. I would suggest that you do, for example, cardio Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and then do strength training on Tuesday and Thursday. Then the next week, flip the order around. This way you will hopefully not get into a rut and become bored.

Fitness Tips: The Exercise of Choice

Have you decided to exercise, but you don’t know what type of exercise to do? As you know, there are hundreds of different types of programs and machines out there all calling your name; hoping that you will pick them. I have a suggestion, which will help you in this all-important decision. Ask yourself one question: What do you enjoy doing?

Yes, it’s that simple. If you enjoy walking or running (cardio), that will be your exercise of choice. If you enjoy lifting weights (strength training), then do that. Why, because if you do something that you enjoy, then you are apt to stick with it longer. If you spend each day dreading working out, I can guarantee that your exercise program will run aground before six weeks are up.