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Fit, Fit, Fit, Fit, Fun!

I recently attended a small workshop with the lovely, vibrant fitness expert, Sonni Tallant. Although she shared a number of tips with us--including how to change or emotional state on the count of three--the one that has really stuck for me is the "fit-fit-fit-fit-fun!" nutrition guideline.

Just in case it's not obvious, the "fits" and the "fun" refer to the quality of the food that you need to eat in order to maximize health (including weight loss if you're heavy and weight maintenance if you're not). According to her model, 80% of what you eat should be good for you (or fit foods), whereas the other 20% should be fun. Fun, of course, is a matter of taste.

This approach to eating seems a little more forgivable and sustainable than programs that cut all of one thing (say fat) or all of another thing (say carbs).

It's also easy to remember: fit, fit, fit, fit, fun!

80% fit (which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.) and 20% fun (which can include steak, fish, an ice cream sundae, or, if you're lucky, more fruit, vegetables and whole grains). I happen to think most fruits are heavenly, but, then again, I also happen love brussels sprouts!

Anyway, give it a try. All you need to remember are the proper proportions (fit, fit, fit, fit, fun) and have more than a passing awareness of what you're putting in your mouth!

Words Matter

So, how many times a day do you think to yourself, 'I'd really like to lose some weight.' Or when someone offers you a bagel and cream cheese, how often do you say, "No, I'm trying to cut back." Or when someone asks you what you're doing tonight, you respond, "I hope to go work out."

Well, I'd like to be the Queen of England, I've been trying to be a nicer person for years (my sister can tell you how well that's working for me), and I hope that I'll win the lottery!

Try this on for size. I am going to lose weight. Feel different? I am cutting back. I am going to the gym.

Words matter. Choose the ones that serve you, not the ones that perpetuate your struggle.

Trigger Foods

When I was a teenager, I had friends who went to OA (Overeaters Anonymous) meetings. The premise there is that you are powerless over certain foods and, like members of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), you make the decision to abstain from a particular food, for life. At the time I thought, 'This is ridiculous--I am more powerful than any food!'

As I have aged, I realize that during periods of my life, I am powerless in the face of certain food. Last season it was Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies. This season, it's Once Again Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter (no salt added).

"It's organic, how bad can it be?" you ask. Pretty bad when you're eating it off carrots, fingers, spoons, knives, or anything else to which you could get it to adhere!

It was to the point that every time I walked by the counter, I would have to have a bite (or two). And when Michael (my partner) would empty a jar (leaving at least a tablespoon around the edges), I would oh so generously offer to clean it out for him. My tool of choice was usually a spatula.

Once I admitted that I was indeed powerless in the face of this particular food, things got better. With much chagrin, I asked Michael to 1) put the peanut butter away in a cabinet that I rarely use and 2) put dish soap in the pseudo-empty peanut butter jar and fill it up with warm water.

Fortunately for me, Michael is wonderful and agreed without even so much as a smirk.

I have other triggers, but this season peanut butter is the killer. It's deadly not because it's lacking in nutritional value, but because we keep it in the house. Most of my other trigger foods are easier to avoid--such as the "healthy cookies" that I made 36 batches of (and ate) last year when I was going up for tenure, the Dark Chocolate Dove pieces that I would occasionally keep stored in in my desk, or the chocolate croissants at the Dirt Cowboy.

A trigger is not a certain type of food (although most of mine involve lots of sugar and/or fat), but any food that you feel like you have to have whenever you see it. In fact, whenever you have to have anything, you are out of control. And when you are out of control, you are--effectively--powerless.

My first step, like my friends from OA, was to identify the foods not only that I ate uncontrollably, but also triggered the overeating of other foods. The second step was to avoid the ones that I could--that is, I stopped making cookies, I walk down the other side of main street when going into town, and I steer clear of the candy isle at CVS--and make contingency plans to help me deal more effectively with those that I couldn't. The third step, which was probably the most difficult, was realizing that when I couldn't manage it on my own, it was perfectly okay to ask for help.

Water - How Much is Enough?

The conventional wisdom on how much water you need to be healthy and hydrated is 8 cups (or 64 ounces) a day. But it's important to note that that's for the average person. Think about it, wouldn't it make sense that someone who weighs 120 pounds would probably need to drink less water than someone who weighs 220 pounds? If you think yes, you're right. Basically, you should drink 1/2 of your weight everyday in ounces. If you weigh 120 pounds, that means you need to drink at least 60 ounces of water a day. If you weigh 220 pounds, you need 110 ounces a day! Big difference.

The good news is that herbal tea (not decaf tea) can count towards your daily water intake. You can also add flavors to your water, such as a splash of lime, lemon, raspberry, mint, or even cucumber! And the jury is now out (again) on whether carbonated water actually leeches calcium.

The bad news, however, is that soda, alcohol, caffeinated beverages (and even decaffeinated beverages) actually dehydrate you!

So, figure out what you weigh, do a couple of quick calculations, and drink up!

Note: according to some scientists/nutritionists, drinking cold water actually burns more calories than warm water, as your body has to work harder to warm it up!

A New Spin on Accountability

I'm not sure how it works, but it might be interesting for those people who need a little bit of incentive, in any area of their life: StickK.

A Little Vindication Goes a Long Way

Last night at a family dinner, I mentioned my new blog topic. Almost immediately, Women 1 said something along the lines of, "The last ten pounds are really challenging. I've been having real difficulty with it." Then, Woman 2--who has one of the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known--said, "Do you really need to lose 10 pounds, (insert Woman 1's name here). I just don't see it." Woman 1 simply nodded and looked away.

Score.

Consignment Shopping

I went to a consignment store today and tried on clothes that I would never have picked out in a traditional department store. There was something easy about picking up something that I figured was too sizes too small for me and slipping it on in a consignment store that I don't typically find in your name brand chains--The Gap, American Eagle, Talbot's, etc. However, because this store (located in the middle of a college town) had many of those brands on consignment, it gave me the opportunity to try on things without the experience (real of not) of being gawked at by anorexic teenagers.

Guess what? Gap pants aren't as intimidating as I thought they were! In fact I bought my first pair. I must admit that they are a tiny bit snug in the hips, but I bought them that way on purpose. AND they were only $12! They are, in effect, a quick and inexpensive way to get leverage on myself. That is, every time I put them on, I'll remember to pay closer attention to what I put in my mouth. They are also my new markers of success, so I can be less tied to the scale.

As I was striking up a conversation with the owner, she also mentioned that she was taking spring and summer consignments; did I want a consignment agreement? I hesitated and then thought about it. Yes. Yes, I do want a consignment agreement.

Another point of leverage: get rid of the two largest sizes in my closet. This seems like a total win-win. I may make some money. I won't have any open invitations to gain weight lurking in the dark corners of my closet. And even if they don't sell, she'll take them to the same community center that I would have done, saving me not only the trip, but also the hassle.

Anyway you look at it, consignment stores are ideal for people who are changing sizes and also styles. When I go to a more conventional store, I tend to stick with what I know (if I go at all). In consignment stores, there are a plethora of styles from which to chose. There also is a conspicuous absence of fluorescent lights and overly helpful sales people who have only seen cellulite in pictures.

For example, I tried on a Chinese-style orange dress with pink embroidered dragon flies. It was fitted and very sleek. I loved it. I loved the way I looked in it. I would never have tried that dress on anywhere else. (I probably never would have found that dress anywhere else, but that's not the point!) Although I felt like a queen while wearing it, I left it there. But maybe next time I a see a long fitted dress I won't automatically scoff, "That would look terrible on me" or, even worse, "That's just not me."

Spiru-tein Shakes

One of my daily staples is Spiru-tein. Spiru-tein is a soy based powder that you can get at any health food store or on-line vitamin house. Depending on the flavor, the powder has approximately 100 calories per serving. I blend it up with two trays of ice, a banana, and a cup of soy milk (usually chocolate or vanilla). Yum! In total it yields you about 24 grams of protein in the form of something that looks and tastes suspiciously like a milk shake! When I'm feeling truly decadent, I also throw in half a cup of frozen wild blueberries. It's heavenly, not to mention multi-purpose. It gets me my protein and it's close enough to the real thing that it breaks my urge for ice cream. It also contains a full regiment of vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids. My current favorite, made with Chocolate Silk, cookies and cream spiru-tein, bananas, AND blueberries makes a great breakfast for under 400 calories. And sometimes, depending on how much time I spent at the gym, they also make a wonderful dessert. So although you're eating more calories, the quality of those calories are better than any you'd get out of a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Further, your shake will yield approximately 32 ounces! When's the last time you sat down and ate a quart of Ben and Jerry's for less than 400 calories?

Caveat: While Spriu-tein comes in a variety of flavors, I would avoid anything that has fruit in the title, such as Blueberries and Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, or Peaches and Cream. I'm not sure what it is about the fruit flavors, but the taste is funky and the smell is even worse.

Having said that, the vanilla, the chocolate, the chocolate peanut butter swirl, and the cookies and cream are stellar. The Double Fudge (if you can find it) is also quite tasty.

It's Not the Pounds, It's the Fat that Matters

Though I have my own personal reasons (psychological more than physical) for hitting and sustaining my goal weight, it's important to note that I don't want to lose ten pounds, period. I want to lose ten pounds of fat--not ten pounds of muscle and certainly not ten pounds of water. I just thought I'd clarify.

A Little History

When I was fifteen years old, I joined Weight Watchers for the first and only time. I weighed in at 232.5. I was 5'7" and my only form of regular exercise was trying to wiggle out of P.E. class. It was difficult to walk up stairs and I remember walking up a slight incline from the high school parking lot and being completely (and embarrassingly) out of breath.

Over the course of a year, I had lost 90 pounds. I went from a size 40 (purchased at Catherine's Stout shop) to a size 7/8.

During my Weight Watcher's career, I hit my first big plateau at 165. I hit another at 156. My goal weight was 140 and I left Weight Watchers when my weight was 142.5. The reasons that I left were complicated. Suffice it to say that I never hit goal and, somewhere along the line, developed the limiting beliefs that I would never hit goal and--more importantly--that I couldn't. Last year, at age 37, I got to 141.5 and promptly gained six pounds. I was close, but not close enough. And though I looked and felt great, I ended up reinforcing the belief that I couldn't do it.

In the 23 years since my decision to leave Weight Watchers, I have fluctuated between 155-165, with a few spikes to 175 and fewer dips into the 140s. I currently weigh 146.8 And most of that maintenance was achieved not by diet, but by exercise.

So I lost the weight originally by diet alone (this was before Weight Watchers promoted exercise as a supplement to weight loss) and I kept it off (more or less) with exercise.

Over the last two years (following the biggest weight gain I'd seen), I started losing weight the old way: by counting calories and combining diet and exercise. But before I could even start, I realized that I was missing some key information. First, I had no idea how many calories I really needed! I originally found this information in Jillian Michael's book, Winning By Losing. But the short version is this: your BMR x 1.1 (if you have sedentary life style like most Americans). You can figure out your BMR here.

My BMR x 1.1 = 1561 (so I should eat 1561 calories to sustain my current body weight)

Essentially, I can eat 1561 calories and not gain weight.

My next problem was that I didn't know how many calories I burn a day in exercise. My sister remedied that! I love my polar watch; not only does it make sure that I'm exercising within my range, it also keeps track of my daily, weekly, and monthly burns. It's great. I refuse to exercise without it! Thanks Laura!

So, I knew how many calories I could consume in order to sustain my weight and I could figure out how many I need to burn if I wanted to lose weight.

A pound is 3500 calories, so when I wanted to lose two pounds a week, I burned 1,000 more a day than I consumed.

Now that want to lose a pound a week, I burn 500 a day more than I consume.

Because you NEVER want to eat less than 1,200 day (if you are a woman), this means that I typically try to burn 500 calories on the days that I exercise, in exercise.

There are obviously a number of ways to exercise (and to count calories); I'll return to both of these topics in depth later.

Releasing the Last Ten Pounds

Like many people, I have struggled with my weight my entire life. Sometimes those struggles were merely tussles; others were all out wars. Sometimes I lost. Sometimes I won. I am currently within ten pounds of my desired goal weight.

Ironically, when I mention that I'm still trying to lose ten pounds or pass on a dessert, I typically get responses such as, "But you look great!" "That's too thin." "You're too skinny." "You don't need to lose another ten pounds." "X% body fat is too low."

Hmph. Thanks for noticing, but no thanks.

There are many so-called challenges to losing the last ten pounds, not the least of which are the well-meaning concerns of friends and family.

However, the bigger culprit may be the deeply held cultural belief that the last ten are the hardest. Are they really? And more importantly, do they have to be?

This blog is dedicated to my the last, final, wonderful weeks of being above my desired goal weight. I tend to experience them fully and fondly, as I never intend to be here again. It's not going to be hard. It's going to be what I make it. I plan to have fun, eat well, and exercise within my means. To do otherwise would set me up for failure and failure--this time--is no longer an option.

But more importantly, what I do these last few weeks will set me up--finally--for a lifetime of sustainable health, fitness, and vitality.

And just so there is no misconception, I am on the high end of normal weight by official recommendations and/or standards and will remain "normal" after the release of 10 pounds of excess fat.