Sooooooo...
I apologize to everyone for sorta vanishing for a bit. Two things happened: I got pretty depressed that my laptop couldn't be revived, and somehow I ended up sleeping during the day and being awake at night. Both not entirely fuzzy things. I really do love the night, but it's hard when you're the only one awake and you can't do anything because nothing is open. So, I have finally gotten myself back on a decent schedule.
As for the detox... okay, I'm human. I DID do the detox, but I haven't been around a scale recently because I haven't been to the gym in two weeks because my sleep cycle was opposite of what the world's is. I know, excuses, excuses. I'm back, though. (Do I hear groaning?)
So the detox... and I have a confession to make. I am a baby when it comes to headaches. Since I was eating only 800 calories a day, I had constant headaches, and since I wasn't allowed to take aspirin I suffered for the first couple days. Finally, I said, "screw this!" and took aspirin. But it still didn't work. The next day I ended up going off of the detox, though not binge-eating, just adding some meat and whole grains back to my diet, and I automatically felt better. My blood sugar was low and apparently my body is wimpy when it comes to that. But that brings me to a question... is a detox diet like that even healthy for you? All the research I've ever done says NOT to eat less than 1200 calories a day, and yet this detox diet is way under 1000 calories.
I don't know... this is an area I'm pretty much a newbie in. This is my first ever try at a detox diet. What do you guys all think? I'd love to hear from everyone about this!
A bit confused,
Steph
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Detox time!
Well, I'm having a bit of problem with my laptop (whom I have so aptly named "Pierre" due to his fiery nature and habit of fainting at the sight of beautiful things). Pierre took a dump on my hard tile floor and is suffering from a cracked hard drive. A bit of an irritation since my desktop is frequently occupied by siblings and Pierre's hard drive has a lot of the books I'm writing on it. My dad decided to help me out and we're going to get Pierre a new hard drive. Time for emergency heart transplant for my baby... My writing can't live without him.
Anyways, back to business.
So, I have decided to do a detox diet. Detox diets are strange things... they flush out your system of toxins and help clean out your bowels as well. I would recommend finding a good one if you have bowel movements one or less times a day. You're supposed to have bowel movements more than once a day... Once a day means you're fine, but you could still be healthier. The way to get your bowels moving is to eat less processed foods and sugars and salts, and eat more whole grains and a lot more fiber. Also, adding a lot of vegetables and drinking eight glasses of water a day helps.
Now, the detox diet I chose is part of a plan to help me lose fifty pounds in about five months. Supposedly, I should shed about ten pounds in seven days for this particular diet, though I'm sure it really depends on how healthily I've been eating before. I don't expect to lose much in the next seven days, but I'm hoping it'll empty out my system. The plan I'm following is to drink eight glasses of water a day (at least) and over the eight glasses squeeze two lemons into the water (pure lemon juice helps with digestion), in the morning I'm eating one fruit and thirty minutes later a cup of whole grains, at lunch time I'm eating four cups of vegetables which have been boiled or steamed (and I have to make sure to drink the juices created when boiling or steaming, because they whole essential nutrients that have boiled/steamed out of the vegetables), and then four more cups in the evening. The diet I'm following says to eat four ounces of protein in the afternoon if I'm feeling exhausted and hungry then... something like lentils or organic chicken, but try to stay away from actual meat if you can. Then you're not supposed to eat two-three hours before you sleep. If you get a headache or hungry in the evenings, sip peppermint or chamomile tea (nothing with caffiene).
This is day one of my detox... I've only lost about a pound since I last posted, but least it's another pound. Here are my measurements for the week!
Waist: 48"
Chest: 51"
Hips: 55"
Neck: 16 1/2"
Upper arm: 18 1/2"
Thigh: 30"
I'm not entirely sure why I gained two inches in the hips... It could be that I'm on my monthly. Periods can always make your body bloated and add some weight. I'm excited to see what my weight and measurements are next week after this detox! I did lose a half an inch in the neck and arm, so there's another good thing.
Look forward to my first video this week! Well, if I can get my camera working, that is. I'm going to teach everyone how to make vegetables delicious without adding anything unhealthy and keeping the calorie count low!
Here's hoping,
Steph
Anyways, back to business.
So, I have decided to do a detox diet. Detox diets are strange things... they flush out your system of toxins and help clean out your bowels as well. I would recommend finding a good one if you have bowel movements one or less times a day. You're supposed to have bowel movements more than once a day... Once a day means you're fine, but you could still be healthier. The way to get your bowels moving is to eat less processed foods and sugars and salts, and eat more whole grains and a lot more fiber. Also, adding a lot of vegetables and drinking eight glasses of water a day helps.
Now, the detox diet I chose is part of a plan to help me lose fifty pounds in about five months. Supposedly, I should shed about ten pounds in seven days for this particular diet, though I'm sure it really depends on how healthily I've been eating before. I don't expect to lose much in the next seven days, but I'm hoping it'll empty out my system. The plan I'm following is to drink eight glasses of water a day (at least) and over the eight glasses squeeze two lemons into the water (pure lemon juice helps with digestion), in the morning I'm eating one fruit and thirty minutes later a cup of whole grains, at lunch time I'm eating four cups of vegetables which have been boiled or steamed (and I have to make sure to drink the juices created when boiling or steaming, because they whole essential nutrients that have boiled/steamed out of the vegetables), and then four more cups in the evening. The diet I'm following says to eat four ounces of protein in the afternoon if I'm feeling exhausted and hungry then... something like lentils or organic chicken, but try to stay away from actual meat if you can. Then you're not supposed to eat two-three hours before you sleep. If you get a headache or hungry in the evenings, sip peppermint or chamomile tea (nothing with caffiene).
This is day one of my detox... I've only lost about a pound since I last posted, but least it's another pound. Here are my measurements for the week!
Waist: 48"
Chest: 51"
Hips: 55"
Neck: 16 1/2"
Upper arm: 18 1/2"
Thigh: 30"
I'm not entirely sure why I gained two inches in the hips... It could be that I'm on my monthly. Periods can always make your body bloated and add some weight. I'm excited to see what my weight and measurements are next week after this detox! I did lose a half an inch in the neck and arm, so there's another good thing.
Look forward to my first video this week! Well, if I can get my camera working, that is. I'm going to teach everyone how to make vegetables delicious without adding anything unhealthy and keeping the calorie count low!
Here's hoping,
Steph
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Help is just 'round the corner: choosing a diet!
So, getting started with a serious blog is about just as hard as starting a serious weight loss plan... But I'm here again, and I plan on coming back. You can't get rid of me that easy!
I've been having a rough time with my long term plans for a healthier lifestyle. No one ever said it would be easy, so I'm adjusting to the dedication it's going to take me. Having to balance career, social life, home care, family, and weight loss is pretty hard, but it's definitely do-able. Everyone's different in the area of organizing, but I find it helpful to make a daily list of things to do and mark them off as I go. I can't stand schedules... they make me feel very closed in, but if I don't have anything to organize me, I pretty much just do whatever.
Well, I promised everyone measurements, and measurements you will have. I have lost a mere pound I last posted here; it's a bit discouraging, but I also haven't been going to the gym as religiously as I should have.
Weight: 260
Dress size: 20W
Pants size: 22W
T-shirt size: L-XXL
Waist: 48"
Chest: 51"
Hips: 53
Neck: 17"
Upper arm: 19"
Thigh: 30"
Okay, so there it is. I laid it all out in public for everyone to see. My promise to give everyone measurements weekly or bi-weekly (if life gets in the way) so that I'm held accountable for my weight loss and for the things that I share with you.
Now that that business is taken care of...
I wanted to talk to everyone about choosing a diet plan that's right for you. Now, it's no secret amongst any of my friends that I'm a huge promoter of Weight Watchers. I think it works for everyone, as long as you make yourself work with it, and that it's the healthiest and encouraging ways to diet. If you just follow their system without paying for online access or going to the meetings, that's perfectly fine, as long as you can make yourself stick with it. If you're like me, then you need lots of support and something to hold you accountable, so the meetings are wonderful and inspiring and you see people just starting, people struggling, people succeeding... They give you all sorts of wonderful tips and the leaders are always there to help you out. The online program is great, as well, because you have access to the online community as well as tons and tons of recipes with the points allotments, an online journal that tracks your progress with all sorts of neat little charts, and a database that tells you how much basically any sort of food is worth (as well as a recipe maker that will let you put the ingredients in and tell you how many points per serving it is).
If you're interested at all, visit the Weight Watcher's Official Website and get some information! I really do suggest something similar to Weight Watchers, because it's based off of a healthy diet, exercise, and just living a healthier lifestyle. You don't feel like you're starving yourself but you see results. If you're not so keen on Weight Watchers, then either find another diet plan that appeals to you (as long as you're not starving yourself, i.e. eating less than 1200 calories a day).
If you just want a suggestion on what you eat, this is what I'll tell you:
- Drink eight or more glasses of water a day (and try to get one whole lemon in there a day, I suggest squeezing it in your water over the eight glasses).
- Stay away from store-bought juices and try to drink either Crystal Light if you're craving something other than water, or make your own juices. It's much healthier, because you still have all the raw nutrients in the juice you made as well as the fiber.
- Either cut soda out of your diet (except for when you feel like treating yourself) or take to drinking diet sodas. I don't suggest having any soda, as even the diet ones are pretty bad for you, but if you're just after pure weight loss and you really can't do without your fizzy beverages, then do the diet soda thing.
- Try to eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day. Only up to 2 of those servings should be fruit, because fruit is still full of sugar and carbs and it'll give you pretty bad teeth problems if you do too much of it. Try to eat a lot of green, leafy vegetables like spinach, but honestly, just eating more vegetables will help.
- Find delicious ways to prepare your veggies. Eating salad all the time can get really monotonous and make you feel like a rabbit. One of my favorite ways to prepare veggies is to grill them on my George Foreman with a little bit of salt and pepper and a tablespoon of olive oil. It brings out the flavor and makes the veggies way less boring and a lot more delicious. You can add whatever herbs or spices you want without sacrificing flavor or adding calories. Basil has become one of my favorite things about life.
- Eat less meat. Try to have at least one or two meatless meals a day. Try to eat less protein in general; most people get more than enough protein a day. To find out how much protein you need a day, try this: weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg, THEN weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm. That should tell you how much protein you need a day. Generally, a person needs 40-70 grams a day depending on weight and age. Try to eat way less red meat and more poultry and fish.
- Cut back on the carbs. Carbs are definitely good for you, but Americans eat way too many carbs. 200-250 grams a day is a decent estimate. Try to start getting your carbs from more nutrient rich sources such as whole grain bread, cereals and pastas, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Avoid unhealthy carbohydrate-rich foods, such as sugary snacks, pastries, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, candy, cookies, greasy chips and most processed, packaged snack foods. Those particular foods hare high in calories while offering hardly any nutritional value and are often laden with saturated fats.
- Aim to lose 1-2 pounds a week. It's the healthiest way to lose weight, and any more than that you risk rebounding and gaining the weight back when you stop dieting.
- Do NOT eat less than 1200 calories a day unless you're on a medically supervised diet.
- Use a calorie calculator to see how many calories a day you should eat, like this one.
- Take at least one day off of dieting. Don't go overboard, but let yourself eat some foods you won't let yourself eat on the diet. It helps psychologically for long-term goals by reducing the feeling of punishment your body might acquire and it keeps your body from getting used to the new calorie intake you have. Also, if you go out a lot on the weekends, it's almost impossible to eat healthy if you go out to eat; even salads at restaurants can have more calories that a Big Mac.
- Stay away from fried foods and start grilling and broiling. If you like to saute, stay away from butter and use alternatives such as a little bit of olive oil, flaxseed oil, or substitute butters like Smart Balance.
Whoo! That was a lot to share, but I hope it helps some of you who feel pretty lost starting a diet. These are the main things you want to remember when you're dieting, because not only will they help you lose weight, but you'll start feeling better, you'll get better bowel movement, and you'll generally live a way healthier lifestyle.
So to end this week, I will leave everyone with a couple of questions that I'd love for you to comment on:
1. Would you like for me to open up a weight loss forum to share tips and strategies and support?
2. What sort of recipes would you like to see me start posting up? Desert foods and snacks, lunches, dinners, breakfasts, or more quick and easy?
I'm going to start including recipe videos, as soon as I get my webcam fixed!
Bon appetite,
Steph
I've been having a rough time with my long term plans for a healthier lifestyle. No one ever said it would be easy, so I'm adjusting to the dedication it's going to take me. Having to balance career, social life, home care, family, and weight loss is pretty hard, but it's definitely do-able. Everyone's different in the area of organizing, but I find it helpful to make a daily list of things to do and mark them off as I go. I can't stand schedules... they make me feel very closed in, but if I don't have anything to organize me, I pretty much just do whatever.
Well, I promised everyone measurements, and measurements you will have. I have lost a mere pound I last posted here; it's a bit discouraging, but I also haven't been going to the gym as religiously as I should have.
Weight: 260
Dress size: 20W
Pants size: 22W
T-shirt size: L-XXL
Waist: 48"
Chest: 51"
Hips: 53
Neck: 17"
Upper arm: 19"
Thigh: 30"
Okay, so there it is. I laid it all out in public for everyone to see. My promise to give everyone measurements weekly or bi-weekly (if life gets in the way) so that I'm held accountable for my weight loss and for the things that I share with you.
Now that that business is taken care of...
I wanted to talk to everyone about choosing a diet plan that's right for you. Now, it's no secret amongst any of my friends that I'm a huge promoter of Weight Watchers. I think it works for everyone, as long as you make yourself work with it, and that it's the healthiest and encouraging ways to diet. If you just follow their system without paying for online access or going to the meetings, that's perfectly fine, as long as you can make yourself stick with it. If you're like me, then you need lots of support and something to hold you accountable, so the meetings are wonderful and inspiring and you see people just starting, people struggling, people succeeding... They give you all sorts of wonderful tips and the leaders are always there to help you out. The online program is great, as well, because you have access to the online community as well as tons and tons of recipes with the points allotments, an online journal that tracks your progress with all sorts of neat little charts, and a database that tells you how much basically any sort of food is worth (as well as a recipe maker that will let you put the ingredients in and tell you how many points per serving it is).
If you're interested at all, visit the Weight Watcher's Official Website and get some information! I really do suggest something similar to Weight Watchers, because it's based off of a healthy diet, exercise, and just living a healthier lifestyle. You don't feel like you're starving yourself but you see results. If you're not so keen on Weight Watchers, then either find another diet plan that appeals to you (as long as you're not starving yourself, i.e. eating less than 1200 calories a day).
If you just want a suggestion on what you eat, this is what I'll tell you:
- Drink eight or more glasses of water a day (and try to get one whole lemon in there a day, I suggest squeezing it in your water over the eight glasses).
- Stay away from store-bought juices and try to drink either Crystal Light if you're craving something other than water, or make your own juices. It's much healthier, because you still have all the raw nutrients in the juice you made as well as the fiber.
- Either cut soda out of your diet (except for when you feel like treating yourself) or take to drinking diet sodas. I don't suggest having any soda, as even the diet ones are pretty bad for you, but if you're just after pure weight loss and you really can't do without your fizzy beverages, then do the diet soda thing.
- Try to eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day. Only up to 2 of those servings should be fruit, because fruit is still full of sugar and carbs and it'll give you pretty bad teeth problems if you do too much of it. Try to eat a lot of green, leafy vegetables like spinach, but honestly, just eating more vegetables will help.
- Find delicious ways to prepare your veggies. Eating salad all the time can get really monotonous and make you feel like a rabbit. One of my favorite ways to prepare veggies is to grill them on my George Foreman with a little bit of salt and pepper and a tablespoon of olive oil. It brings out the flavor and makes the veggies way less boring and a lot more delicious. You can add whatever herbs or spices you want without sacrificing flavor or adding calories. Basil has become one of my favorite things about life.
- Eat less meat. Try to have at least one or two meatless meals a day. Try to eat less protein in general; most people get more than enough protein a day. To find out how much protein you need a day, try this: weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg, THEN weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm. That should tell you how much protein you need a day. Generally, a person needs 40-70 grams a day depending on weight and age. Try to eat way less red meat and more poultry and fish.
- Cut back on the carbs. Carbs are definitely good for you, but Americans eat way too many carbs. 200-250 grams a day is a decent estimate. Try to start getting your carbs from more nutrient rich sources such as whole grain bread, cereals and pastas, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Avoid unhealthy carbohydrate-rich foods, such as sugary snacks, pastries, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, candy, cookies, greasy chips and most processed, packaged snack foods. Those particular foods hare high in calories while offering hardly any nutritional value and are often laden with saturated fats.
- Aim to lose 1-2 pounds a week. It's the healthiest way to lose weight, and any more than that you risk rebounding and gaining the weight back when you stop dieting.
- Do NOT eat less than 1200 calories a day unless you're on a medically supervised diet.
- Use a calorie calculator to see how many calories a day you should eat, like this one.
- Take at least one day off of dieting. Don't go overboard, but let yourself eat some foods you won't let yourself eat on the diet. It helps psychologically for long-term goals by reducing the feeling of punishment your body might acquire and it keeps your body from getting used to the new calorie intake you have. Also, if you go out a lot on the weekends, it's almost impossible to eat healthy if you go out to eat; even salads at restaurants can have more calories that a Big Mac.
- Stay away from fried foods and start grilling and broiling. If you like to saute, stay away from butter and use alternatives such as a little bit of olive oil, flaxseed oil, or substitute butters like Smart Balance.
Whoo! That was a lot to share, but I hope it helps some of you who feel pretty lost starting a diet. These are the main things you want to remember when you're dieting, because not only will they help you lose weight, but you'll start feeling better, you'll get better bowel movement, and you'll generally live a way healthier lifestyle.
So to end this week, I will leave everyone with a couple of questions that I'd love for you to comment on:
1. Would you like for me to open up a weight loss forum to share tips and strategies and support?
2. What sort of recipes would you like to see me start posting up? Desert foods and snacks, lunches, dinners, breakfasts, or more quick and easy?
I'm going to start including recipe videos, as soon as I get my webcam fixed!
Bon appetite,
Steph
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Ready, Steady, Go! Getting started with your weight loss journey...
Motivation is defined, according to m-w.com, as "a motivating force, stimulus, or influence : INCENTIVE, DRIVE." We also know it as ambition, inspiration, encouragement, desire, or even the catalyst to our goals. I'm going to be talking a lot about motivation, as it happens to be one of the most key words in weight loss, whether you have a few pounds to lose or a hundred (the latter being my case).
Now, think hard - what is your motivation? Are you doing this mainly for the health benefits? Do you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or do you just want to feel better? Is it because you're unhappy with how you look?
I know what my own motivation is: I'm borderline diabetic, I'm tired of not fitting into the clothes I like, and I really want to do some sexy cosplays. I've been overweight since I was a youngling and I've had self image issues for most of my life. Some motivation isn't as healthy for you, psychologically (and sometimes physically), as other motivation can be. Keep this in mind, because I've found it to be a very important factor. I think the difference between my motivation in high school and my motivation now is that I finally realized all of my problems won't be solved when I drop my weight.
If you want to lose weight because your boyfriend told you that you're fat, then alarms should be going off. It's important to feel secure about your motivation before beginning and to perhaps consult a doctor or a personal trainer. Don't do this for anyone else; this is something you do for yourself and not some jerk who thinks you're not worth their time because they can't wrap their hands around your waist. The same thing goes for guys, too. Not all girls find muscle heads attractive and you don't need to work out to be more macho. If you let other people - girlfriends, boyfriends, family members, friends - tell you how to live your life, then you're going to be unhappy even if you lose the weight. Don't starve yourself for someone's approval, because in the end, self-confidence begins in you... not in anyone else. So begin with your motivation; find a reason to do it for yourself and you'll find that you're feeling more confident already, even if it's just a little.
Now that we have our motivation, let's move on...
Getting a "before" picture is a great way to motivate yourself. Dig up a recent picture of yourself or take one with your camera phone, web cam, or camera. Put it somewhere easily accessible - maybe even somewhere visible. Weigh yourself. Take your measurements (chest, waist, hips, arms, neck, legs, and whatever else you want). Write this all down somewhere, along with your dress size, shirt size, pants size, etc. Make a journal out of this, if you'd like, and make sure you keep track of all of this throughout your weight loss. This is a wonderful way to encourage yourself to start and if you keep track of it, it will help push you forward.
Here's my "before" pictures:
I will definitely be updating pictures from time to time, along with my measurements (which I will give everyone next time when I get around a scale and tape measure). I know two weeks ago when I weighed myself I weighed 261lbs. More to come on that.
Motivating yourself to actually get up and go is one of the hardest parts of anything - term papers, small businesses, cleaning your room - but the most essential part of the process (obviously). Many people seem to sweep the importance of motivating yourself under the rug. Personal experience has taught me that telling yourself "I'll start tomorrow" or "this is my last fatty meal" is only going to hurt you in the long run. Why not start now? Just take baby steps! I'll give you a three-step method to moving into a diet.
1. Stop drinking so much soda!
Soda is one of the most major causes of obesity in the U. S. It has so much sodium and carbs that your body can't help but retain weight. I'm not saying never drink it again, but if you start holding back on the sodas, you'll immediately start to notice a difference. Trust me. If you're an avid soda drinker, or even juice (because a lot of juices are just as bad for you as soda is), say, drinking it with every meal... start cutting it back to once a day for the first week. Reduce it little by little every week. If you have it down to once a day, try once every other day. I would say a good goal is to work up to maybe two or three times a week. You're welcome to cut it out completely right now if you'd like, but if that doesn't sound appealing, then try it slowly. Also, while I don't recommend diet sodas, they're a decent alternative. They don't taste quite as good as the real thing, but it'll help stave off your cravings. If you're a juice drinker, invest in some Crystal Light. It's only five calories for a glass and most of the flavors are really delicious. They've come a long way in some diet foods since I started dieting back in high school. This leads me to my next dieting jump start...
2. Drink plenty of water.
The last thing you want to make sure you do is to drink plenty of water. I will stress again, DRINK WATER. I know so many people who "hate" water. How can you hate water? You need it to live. Most Americans don't drink enough water these days. Did you know that doctors recommend drinking eight 8oz glasses of water a day? That's for a healthy human being. If you're overweight and dieting they recommend drinking more like nine or ten glasses. People like to argue and say that if you drink a lot of water, you'll retain "water weight," but if you're eating a healthy diet, you won't retain that water weight. Water helps flush sodium out of your system. Too much sodium in your system will actually hold what little water you do drink in your body and also help hold on to fat. Also, if you're exercising a lot, you need to replenish the water that you've been losing through sweat.
3. Start moving more.
Even if you don't join a gym immediately, you need to get up and start moving. Americans are so used to instant gratification and driving themselves everywhere; this is another one of the main reasons I believe obesity rates in the U. S. have skyrocketed. If it's nice outside, go for a thirty minute walk. Do you enjoy bike riding? Get yourself a bike and take it out at least five times a week. Do you have Netflix? Search up exercise videos in the watch instantly section and you'll be surprised what you find: zumba, belly dancing, yoga... It's pretty much a goldmine for exercise videos. You need to get your heart rate up for thirty whole minutes if you're going to start burning fat. The very best method for exercise is coupling weight training and cardio, but for now, just get yourself moving for thirty minutes, three to five times a week or more.
So that's about it for now. Next week I'll be talking about finding a diet plan, food journals, good recipes to start out with, and my own measurements.
Ciao,
Steph
Now, think hard - what is your motivation? Are you doing this mainly for the health benefits? Do you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or do you just want to feel better? Is it because you're unhappy with how you look?
I know what my own motivation is: I'm borderline diabetic, I'm tired of not fitting into the clothes I like, and I really want to do some sexy cosplays. I've been overweight since I was a youngling and I've had self image issues for most of my life. Some motivation isn't as healthy for you, psychologically (and sometimes physically), as other motivation can be. Keep this in mind, because I've found it to be a very important factor. I think the difference between my motivation in high school and my motivation now is that I finally realized all of my problems won't be solved when I drop my weight.
If you want to lose weight because your boyfriend told you that you're fat, then alarms should be going off. It's important to feel secure about your motivation before beginning and to perhaps consult a doctor or a personal trainer. Don't do this for anyone else; this is something you do for yourself and not some jerk who thinks you're not worth their time because they can't wrap their hands around your waist. The same thing goes for guys, too. Not all girls find muscle heads attractive and you don't need to work out to be more macho. If you let other people - girlfriends, boyfriends, family members, friends - tell you how to live your life, then you're going to be unhappy even if you lose the weight. Don't starve yourself for someone's approval, because in the end, self-confidence begins in you... not in anyone else. So begin with your motivation; find a reason to do it for yourself and you'll find that you're feeling more confident already, even if it's just a little.
Now that we have our motivation, let's move on...
Getting a "before" picture is a great way to motivate yourself. Dig up a recent picture of yourself or take one with your camera phone, web cam, or camera. Put it somewhere easily accessible - maybe even somewhere visible. Weigh yourself. Take your measurements (chest, waist, hips, arms, neck, legs, and whatever else you want). Write this all down somewhere, along with your dress size, shirt size, pants size, etc. Make a journal out of this, if you'd like, and make sure you keep track of all of this throughout your weight loss. This is a wonderful way to encourage yourself to start and if you keep track of it, it will help push you forward.
Here's my "before" pictures:
I will definitely be updating pictures from time to time, along with my measurements (which I will give everyone next time when I get around a scale and tape measure). I know two weeks ago when I weighed myself I weighed 261lbs. More to come on that.
Motivating yourself to actually get up and go is one of the hardest parts of anything - term papers, small businesses, cleaning your room - but the most essential part of the process (obviously). Many people seem to sweep the importance of motivating yourself under the rug. Personal experience has taught me that telling yourself "I'll start tomorrow" or "this is my last fatty meal" is only going to hurt you in the long run. Why not start now? Just take baby steps! I'll give you a three-step method to moving into a diet.
1. Stop drinking so much soda!
Soda is one of the most major causes of obesity in the U. S. It has so much sodium and carbs that your body can't help but retain weight. I'm not saying never drink it again, but if you start holding back on the sodas, you'll immediately start to notice a difference. Trust me. If you're an avid soda drinker, or even juice (because a lot of juices are just as bad for you as soda is), say, drinking it with every meal... start cutting it back to once a day for the first week. Reduce it little by little every week. If you have it down to once a day, try once every other day. I would say a good goal is to work up to maybe two or three times a week. You're welcome to cut it out completely right now if you'd like, but if that doesn't sound appealing, then try it slowly. Also, while I don't recommend diet sodas, they're a decent alternative. They don't taste quite as good as the real thing, but it'll help stave off your cravings. If you're a juice drinker, invest in some Crystal Light. It's only five calories for a glass and most of the flavors are really delicious. They've come a long way in some diet foods since I started dieting back in high school. This leads me to my next dieting jump start...
2. Drink plenty of water.
The last thing you want to make sure you do is to drink plenty of water. I will stress again, DRINK WATER. I know so many people who "hate" water. How can you hate water? You need it to live. Most Americans don't drink enough water these days. Did you know that doctors recommend drinking eight 8oz glasses of water a day? That's for a healthy human being. If you're overweight and dieting they recommend drinking more like nine or ten glasses. People like to argue and say that if you drink a lot of water, you'll retain "water weight," but if you're eating a healthy diet, you won't retain that water weight. Water helps flush sodium out of your system. Too much sodium in your system will actually hold what little water you do drink in your body and also help hold on to fat. Also, if you're exercising a lot, you need to replenish the water that you've been losing through sweat.
3. Start moving more.
Even if you don't join a gym immediately, you need to get up and start moving. Americans are so used to instant gratification and driving themselves everywhere; this is another one of the main reasons I believe obesity rates in the U. S. have skyrocketed. If it's nice outside, go for a thirty minute walk. Do you enjoy bike riding? Get yourself a bike and take it out at least five times a week. Do you have Netflix? Search up exercise videos in the watch instantly section and you'll be surprised what you find: zumba, belly dancing, yoga... It's pretty much a goldmine for exercise videos. You need to get your heart rate up for thirty whole minutes if you're going to start burning fat. The very best method for exercise is coupling weight training and cardio, but for now, just get yourself moving for thirty minutes, three to five times a week or more.
So that's about it for now. Next week I'll be talking about finding a diet plan, food journals, good recipes to start out with, and my own measurements.
Ciao,
Steph
Friday, January 21, 2011
A little introduction, before setting off...
So here I am, twenty-three years of age, lost in a world of plummeting economy, technological advances, increasing media pressure, and reality television. It's really no surprise that the obesity rates for the United States have dramatically increased. By 2009, only Colorado and the District of Columbia retained obesity rates of less than 20% (http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html).
Our rapidly advancing society makes it all too easy to expend less energy and eat foods that eventually lead to serious health complications, and yet we gather arms so vigilantly against obesity and idolize models who wear clothes that should fit a twelve year old. Depression rates in the United States have become more and more prevalent over the years as the media has become a prominent presence in our lives - depression itself affects more than 21 million Americans and is the cause of 30,000 deaths a year (http://www.nmha.org/go/state-ranking). Studies have linked much of this depression to body image issues, specifically in teens and young adults (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060606224541.htm).
What's the point of this exercise, you ask? Call me motivated, age twenty two, borderline diabetic, two-hundred and sixty one pounds, size twenty, and I have fallen into this trap. This is my journey to break free, seek truth behind the media's influence, beyond the diet fads and pills, and into a realm where living healthy doesn't mean sacrificing my identity and becoming a slave to the image that the media has imposed on me.
My self image issues stem far back into my childhood. A combination of discovering the glories of the internet, wandering into the world of piano performance, and eating quick and easy meals has affected my health negatively. I remember, at the age of eight, looking at a picture of myself standing outside of my best friend's house, bearing an arm-cast from a Halloween accident, and thinking, "Wow, I'm fat." People close to me have constantly barraged me with little comments like "You shouldn't eat that, put it back" or "You're a fat, ugly, jerk, and you'll never be loved." These comments, coupled with the constant flashes of beautiful women on TV and in advertisements has slowly chipped away at my self-confidence. I tried so many diets, all of which failed miserably because my motivation slips away the moment someone accuses me of "cheating on the diet," and realizing that I would have to stick to celery and water until the day I died, or else gain the weight back.
Now, I'm not trying to point the blame all at the media and external influences. I am a firm believer that the power to your own confidence lies completely within yourself, but I also think that too many Americans as a whole need to get up and move. The media likes to emphasize eating healthy and dieting; how many fad diets have you tried, yourself? While Americans need to start eating healthier, I don't necessarily agree they should eat less. Too many people try to starve themselves and resign to depressing meals of salad day and night, week after week. Food is there to enjoy, and how can anyone do that when you feel guilty every time you crave a potato with sour cream?
As I said before, Americans need to get up and move. They think that losing weight means diet pills and two weeks of Slim Fasts. What they don't realize is that their entire lifestyles are in serious need of change and that keeping your body clean and healthy is a task you have to dedicate yourself to. This truth is something that I have come to realize through my weight loss journey, and I am finally ready to commit and help others like me along the way.
So here I am, standing at the beginning of the longest part of my weight loss journey, yearning to break free of media-imposed images of beauty, ready to cast off the burden of my health complications, and discover the person that I was meant to become. My highest hope is that my journey through weight loss will be a guide to others like me, whether they find help in the recipes I share, the tips I post, or the support that my words may give them.
Over and out,
Steph
Our rapidly advancing society makes it all too easy to expend less energy and eat foods that eventually lead to serious health complications, and yet we gather arms so vigilantly against obesity and idolize models who wear clothes that should fit a twelve year old. Depression rates in the United States have become more and more prevalent over the years as the media has become a prominent presence in our lives - depression itself affects more than 21 million Americans and is the cause of 30,000 deaths a year (http://www.nmha.org/go/state-ranking). Studies have linked much of this depression to body image issues, specifically in teens and young adults (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060606224541.htm).
What's the point of this exercise, you ask? Call me motivated, age twenty two, borderline diabetic, two-hundred and sixty one pounds, size twenty, and I have fallen into this trap. This is my journey to break free, seek truth behind the media's influence, beyond the diet fads and pills, and into a realm where living healthy doesn't mean sacrificing my identity and becoming a slave to the image that the media has imposed on me.
My self image issues stem far back into my childhood. A combination of discovering the glories of the internet, wandering into the world of piano performance, and eating quick and easy meals has affected my health negatively. I remember, at the age of eight, looking at a picture of myself standing outside of my best friend's house, bearing an arm-cast from a Halloween accident, and thinking, "Wow, I'm fat." People close to me have constantly barraged me with little comments like "You shouldn't eat that, put it back" or "You're a fat, ugly, jerk, and you'll never be loved." These comments, coupled with the constant flashes of beautiful women on TV and in advertisements has slowly chipped away at my self-confidence. I tried so many diets, all of which failed miserably because my motivation slips away the moment someone accuses me of "cheating on the diet," and realizing that I would have to stick to celery and water until the day I died, or else gain the weight back.
Now, I'm not trying to point the blame all at the media and external influences. I am a firm believer that the power to your own confidence lies completely within yourself, but I also think that too many Americans as a whole need to get up and move. The media likes to emphasize eating healthy and dieting; how many fad diets have you tried, yourself? While Americans need to start eating healthier, I don't necessarily agree they should eat less. Too many people try to starve themselves and resign to depressing meals of salad day and night, week after week. Food is there to enjoy, and how can anyone do that when you feel guilty every time you crave a potato with sour cream?
As I said before, Americans need to get up and move. They think that losing weight means diet pills and two weeks of Slim Fasts. What they don't realize is that their entire lifestyles are in serious need of change and that keeping your body clean and healthy is a task you have to dedicate yourself to. This truth is something that I have come to realize through my weight loss journey, and I am finally ready to commit and help others like me along the way.
So here I am, standing at the beginning of the longest part of my weight loss journey, yearning to break free of media-imposed images of beauty, ready to cast off the burden of my health complications, and discover the person that I was meant to become. My highest hope is that my journey through weight loss will be a guide to others like me, whether they find help in the recipes I share, the tips I post, or the support that my words may give them.
Over and out,
Steph
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