Things that cause failure.

I was listening to a radio show today starring RObert Ferguson and he listed 6 things people/dieters do that will ultimately result in failure to lose weight. I remember saying in a previous blog that failure to someone like me who yoyo's and diets all the time becomes familiar and after a while it isn't really seen negatively. Which of course it should be. So for the next few blog entries I'm going to go over a few of the reasons why dieters fail ( according to Ferguson.)

The number one reason he states is because people tend to take shortcuts. This manifests itself in many ways. The most obvious one is in fad dieting. You know the type: I'm going to my high school reunion and need to lose 150 pounds by next Friday! So, if I drink nothing but slim fast 3 times a day for the next 10 days, I will be skinny.

No you won't. YO'll be sick to your stomach, probably have diarrhea from all the liquid fiber, and after a few hours you'll be so hungry you'll eat whatever is within your reach. End result: you'll be fatter than ever at the reunion.

Situation number two is the deprivation diet. These are the diets that eliminate an entire food category or dietary necessity, like protein or fat. God constructed our bodies in such a way that in order for us to live and survive we need basics like carbs, proteins, and fats on a daily basis. Yes, eliminating a group over time will definitely result in weight loss, but it's not good weight. It's probably muscle wasting weight and the first time you go off a diet like this you will gain back real weight immediately because your poor body has been deprived and robbed of a nutrient for so long.

Skipping meals is another way people think they can lose weight, and for some reason skipping breakfast is the favored meal to eliminate. DUMB! Your body needs fuel to make it run, just like a car needs gas ( or in some cases, like the Prius, electricity!) If you don't gas up the car it won't run. If you don't fuel your body it will go into survival mode which means it won't metabolize anything you've got in your body stores and you will shut down in order to save your life ( metaphorically speaking!)

Bulimia is another shortcut and just as stupid and dangerous as full out anorexia. I was bulimic for over 30 years ( good GOD, I'm old!) and I have always thought that getting rid of food before your body naturally eliminated it, sounded like a good idea. Isn't it funny how we can trick ourselves into thinking something so stupid and bad for you is really good for you??!! The real problem with bulimia is that after a while your metabolism never knows what is going to happen next so it just basically shuts down and your are forced to externally get rid of the food you've eaten because your body doesn't know what to do and basically stores everything that goes into you.

Shortcuts. They may work to get you someplace faster when your drive. They don't work when you diet.

More thoughts...

I tried to think of some more reasons why I overeat and came up with too many to name. So I figured I'd just put down the ones that were REALLY wacky.
In college I once ate 7 Entenmen's chocolate donuts in a row ( 8 come in a box) because I was so stressed out for a nursing midterm, and then got sooooo disgusted with myself I threw the 8th one out the window and into oncoming emergency bay traffic at Bellevue. I swear I hit an ambulance! This is true story. You can ask any of my college dorm mates. They saw me do it!
Also in college, I once ate an entire Pepperidge Farm's Chocolate layer cake as a reward for acing a Nursing midterm!! Two extremes of motivation: same outcome - overeating.
I had a fight with a co-worker once when I was a nurse and was sooooooo furious I stopped at a Chinese food restaurant and bought 2 full combo dinners, ate them and then went to Friendly's for ice cream.
Sick to my stomach doesn't begin to describe the hell I went throught gastronomically that weekend!
The first time I saw BEACHES in an actual movie theather(!) I ate a gigundo popcorn with buckets of butter, a real soda - I think it was a pepsi - and a theater sized box of Junior mints. When Barbara Hersey died, I remember running out to the concession stand and getting Hersey's kisses. Get it?! Hersey dies so I needed some of her namesake chocolate to get through the emotional termoil.
I wasn't even sick that time because I ate all that over the 2.5 hrs of the movie.
The main theme here is that I overeat due to some sort of emotional flux.
So the theory would seem to be: if my emotions are stable, would me eating habits be too?
Something to consider and ponder for the weekend.

Why we eat

Yesterday I asked you to consider all the reasons you eat. And really, the only true reason we should eat is to fuel our bodies. We shouldn't eat because we're depressed, having a bad hair day, or because we're worried we'll pass a test. We shouldn't eat just because we're watching television or a DVD. We should never eat because we've had a bad day, the cat died, or a great pair of pumps got ruined in the rain or snow. I've eaten for all these reasons and hundreds more. There have been times in my life that food was my one and only friend. It was always available, never gave me any grief about stuff, and willing to share my day/year/life with full flat-out committment. Food has comforted me, tormented me, emboldened me and disgusted me. It's made me happy, sad, depressed, joyful, orgasmic ( just mataphorically!), satiated and satisfied. I've used food; abused food; delighted in it and purged it from my body. It's made me fat, thin, bulemic and for one brief time, anorexic. It's always been a part of my life and sometimes the only reason I liked living. I've used food to forget, to remember, to pass the time and to waste it ( or is that waist it?!). The longest relationship I've ever had is with food. It's been the most satisfying realtiohsip and the most destructive.
So, this is why I started this journey. I not only want to lose weight - don't we all?! - I also need to get this dysfunctional relationship fixed. For the past 5 weeks I've been very motivated and had success with looking at food the correct way - as food only. I am determined to keep plugging along so that one day soon I never look at or use food for any other reason but fuel, again.
Wish me luck and please pray for me!!!

Up and running.

I listened to the hour long webcast from Robert Ferguson last night and actually did learn a few things. I should be eating every 2-3 hrs, regardless of how many snacks that would make for me. If I eat breakfast at about 430 am - which I do , and then lunch at 12, dinner at 7, using his program I need to snack before 730 am, 1030 am and then 3 and 6. That's alot of eating! But his theory is that you need to keep your body in fat burning mode and not fat storing mode, which is what happens naturally after about 3 hrs of not eating. Your body doesn't know where it's next meal is coming from, so it starts to protect the stores you have by going into storing mode. If you eat consistently, your body is "tricked" into thinking it will always be getting food at a prescribed time, so it doesn't worry about your starving to death ( not gonna happen to me ,regardless!), and starts to rev up metabolism-wise. This must be what has been happening to me because I am ALWAYS hungry after about 2.5 hrs and I am still losing weight. Where has this man been all my adult life??!! I can eat and lose instead of not eating and not losing - or worse, gaining, which is what ususally happens to me.
Yippie.
So for breakfast today I had oatmeal and protein powder at 430. A banana at 730. A yogurt at 10am and then lamb salad at 12:30. I have a snack left for 3 and then I'll nibble on a clementine when I get home. Dinner will be at 7 like always. Unbelievable amount of food for me.
Tomorrow I am going to start exploring the psychological reasons why I eat - or ATE - the way I did ( do!) I have a new mindset now so I have to get the right tense too when writing.
Here's a thought-plan for tomorrow: Think about all the reasons you eat. Not when you eat, but why. List them and then compare them to mine when I list them here tomorrow. Should be interesting.

The 8 Week Challenge begins

But first, another pound gone for eternity! So happy that the scale is still on the downward trend. This week the exercise gets pumped up a little more so I expect to see good results for next week too.

The first webcast of Ferguson's 8 week weight loss challenge is tonight at 7. I intend to be in front of my computer for it, so any pearls of wisdom I will send along. Five weeks into this weight loss journey and I am thrilled to admit I am still motivated. No slips or slides yet, and I hope none will come. I really think the main reason I have been able to do this without "cheating" is because I am eating real food for the first time in a very long time. No diet foods, no zero fat zero carbs zero taste things just to fill up on. Real, honest food that I am enjoying cooking. Healthy food, as well, cooked with thought and attention to flavor details. The fact that I got into some jeans I haven't slid across in a while over the weekend prove that the scale can sometimes be a poor indicator of weight loss, too. Along with the weight coming off, some readjustment and redistribution of my body fat is taking place and THAT is a very good thing!

Off to exercise now. Keep watching me and I'll keep delivering the negative numbers on the scale.

And thanks again for keeping me honest!

Yippie!

Yippie because yesterday I got into a pair of jeans that had not seen my skin in a while! Something's working on this plan.

I saw an amazing movie last night that I want to share: FOOD, INC. If you were a fan or Supersize Me, you will want to see this movie. It details where your food comes from from seed to supermarket, travel to table. I found it fascinating and very disturbing. Watch and you will see why.

Had lunch out yesterday with Erin. First time I've had a meal out since starting the plan. I did well. No overeating and ate a balanced meal, so it can be done! And even by me!

Tomorrow morning starts the Ferguson 8 week challenge, so I'm looking forward to that. It will keep me motivated and on track.