Knowing that today would be the first day of my weight loss for life plan, I enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger and fries at "Five Guys" yesterday as my last unhealthy meal. Oh, and a few desserts and beverages.
Last week was final week at school. For extra credit in my "Total Body Fitness" class we were asked to read an interesting article on obesity in America, "Obesity -- How We Grew So Big," by Michael D. Lemonick. It was written in 2004 and is still applicable today. The article talks about how eating habits have changed over the years and what is contributing to obesity. I'm sure you can guess. The last paragraph talks about how successful campaigns against smoking and drunk driving have been in raising "national consciousness about these public-health issues...There is no reason to think an anti-obesity campaign can't do so as well..." I agree.
The article speaks about a loss of amino acids, vitamins and minerals as a result of a diet of cultivated grains and a higher fat content in domesticated animals than the wild animals consumed in the past. With the invention of agriculture food became abundant and inexpensive. Portion sizes must not have been the problem they are today in 2004 because the article doesn't mention that.
Which brings me to supplements. Today, they are necessary, because of toxins in our air, preservatives in our food, and as mentioned in the article diets high in cultivated grains. One of the best resources I've found that explains supplements, spices, and topical anti-aging products is The Perricone Promise, by Nicholas Perricone, MD. On page 137 there is a helpful supplemental chart broken down by their benefits. Dr. Perricone explains that inflammation in the body is a major cause of health problems. In the past, I had taken a multi-vitamin. After reading this book, I decided I wanted to take a more targeted approach. I made a decision to focus on anti-inflammatory supplements, along with foods, spices, vitamins and minerals that would help my individual symptoms. Since reading The Perricone Promise I have added Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA), Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), CoQ10, and Omega-3 Fish Oil. According to Perricone, ALA has multiple benefits including cell protection and cellular energy. CLA has many benefits, including anti-cancer/anti-obesity effects. CoQ10 has antioxidant and energy benefits, plus more. One of the benefits of Omega 3 Fish oil is it help for the brain and heart. I also take a B-Complex vitamin that helps convert food into energy and a calcium/zinc/magnesium supplement. Calcium is best absorbed when taken in this combination. Vitamin C and Vitamin D are others I would recommend. This may not be what you need personally. Vitamin C, D, Calcium, and Omega 3 Fatty Acids can help everyone. The others I take because they are anti-inflammatory and they resonated with symptoms I have. It is very important that you research recommended dosages and know whether or not a vitamin/mineral is water or fat soluble. Taking too much of a fat soluble supplement can be harmful to your health. Consult your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise routine and ensure that your doctor is aware of which supplements you are taking to avoid any drug interactions when prescribing medications.
Other resources available to you are the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website, where you can find food pyramids. (Note: Ironically, the article referenced at the beginning of this post says the invention of agriculture was the "humanities worst mistake." Also be aware that the USDA website does not speak highly of the use of supplements. That is the rub. There is a lot of conflicting information out there, and scams.) Dr. Oz's website has great recipes, information on supplements and a different tracking tool called, "Personal Health Plan". He also has a page dedicated to various health challenges. Find the techniques and tools that are right for you. The main thing is that it must be sustainable, not extreme, or unhealthy. A simple thing to keep in mind when shopping for food is to shop on the outer section of the store where the fresh and frozen foods are. Highly processed foods are located on the interior shelves.
In summary, there are various resources and techniques we can use to reach our healthy eating plan goals. Supplements are necessary to combat the lack of nutrients and preservatives in our over processed foods, and various toxins in the modern world. For the first day of my journey, I used My Health Tracker to list what foods I ate, included my measurements, starting weight, and focused on increasing water intake. The foods I chose were fresh fruit and egg whites for breakfast, a can of tuna with garlic powder and pepper for lunch, and frozen vegetables for dinner. Before bed I will eat an apple. In total I ate less than 1,000 calories. I was probably consuming closer to 2,000 the past few weeks. I weighed myself this morning and logged it in my notebook. The key here is to have some sort of plan in place.
I am on a journey to help stop obesity - in myself.
"Be the change that you want to see in the world."
Mohandas Gandhi
Have you been inspired to set your own healthy eating plan goals?
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
It's a Start
Okay. So, there's a tool I've tried before that was useful in making me aware of how many calories I was burning and how many I was consuming, so I'm going to start with that. It's encouraging to realize how many calories we burn doing daily tasks. It's called "My Health Tracker" and it's found at Prevention.com. It helps track overall health and is pretty easy to use.
A logical place to start is with a goal in mind. A friend of mine once told me a goal written down is a plan. That's why lists are helpful. We tend to accomplish things we write down. It is also commonly known that the more detailed the plan the better. Small steps are easier to take than large leaps. If the leap is too large, a person becomes overwhelmed. The other thing that tends to happen is discouragement. How many times have you set a goal and then when you had a set-back you felt horrible, beat yourself up, or went overboard in the opposite direction because, "What's the use? I've already blown it!"
In keeping with the healthy eating for life idea, the day-to-day process must be sustainable. That's why, in my opinion, fad diets don't work. Anything that causes rapid weight loss usually means a person has done something unhealthy to get there or has denied themselves of so many things that when the weight loss goal is reached the weight comes back on pretty quickly because old habits die hard.
That brings me to why someone would want to lose weight in the first place. That should be part of the plan. The other thing to consider is what triggers the set-backs. Is it emotions, bordom, or what? What time of day is hardest? These things are important to write down. A notebook to write down goals, triggers, daily weight and measurements (I recommend doing both because when weight doesn't change inches will and vice versa) and a journal to write down whatever comes to your mind are important tools for success. In my opinion, the hardest time is during times of high stress. The part of our brain, the frontal cortex, that keep us disiplined and makes rational decisions all day gets tired. It shuts down when we are exhausted and under heavy stress. To combat this we need to take better care of ourselves. One way to do this is with stress relieving techniques like massage and exercise. Another is to just politely say no if you find yourself overcommitted.
Who, what, when, where and why? I'm thinking a good place to start formulating a plan is to start with answering these questions.
My answers:
Who: I'm doing this for me. If I'm not strong and healthy it will affect everyone around me.
What: I'm setting a goal to lose two pounds a week. That's healthy weight loss. I'm going to set my weight loss goal at 130. If I weight 155 now, I have 25 lbs. to lose. At 2 lbs. per week it will take me 12.5 weeks. That is a little more than 3 months. I am going to use "My Health Tracker" and maintain a journal and notebook. I plan to work out vigorously three times a week. That is going to be a challenge with class three nights a week and working 40 hours.
When: Because of the holiday events next week if I try to start 100% now I am setting myself up for failure. I'll start working towards my goal next Saturday.
Where: Everywhere
Why: Because I'll be happier and have better quality of life.
What has worked for you in the past? Is that a good place to start?
A logical place to start is with a goal in mind. A friend of mine once told me a goal written down is a plan. That's why lists are helpful. We tend to accomplish things we write down. It is also commonly known that the more detailed the plan the better. Small steps are easier to take than large leaps. If the leap is too large, a person becomes overwhelmed. The other thing that tends to happen is discouragement. How many times have you set a goal and then when you had a set-back you felt horrible, beat yourself up, or went overboard in the opposite direction because, "What's the use? I've already blown it!"
In keeping with the healthy eating for life idea, the day-to-day process must be sustainable. That's why, in my opinion, fad diets don't work. Anything that causes rapid weight loss usually means a person has done something unhealthy to get there or has denied themselves of so many things that when the weight loss goal is reached the weight comes back on pretty quickly because old habits die hard.
That brings me to why someone would want to lose weight in the first place. That should be part of the plan. The other thing to consider is what triggers the set-backs. Is it emotions, bordom, or what? What time of day is hardest? These things are important to write down. A notebook to write down goals, triggers, daily weight and measurements (I recommend doing both because when weight doesn't change inches will and vice versa) and a journal to write down whatever comes to your mind are important tools for success. In my opinion, the hardest time is during times of high stress. The part of our brain, the frontal cortex, that keep us disiplined and makes rational decisions all day gets tired. It shuts down when we are exhausted and under heavy stress. To combat this we need to take better care of ourselves. One way to do this is with stress relieving techniques like massage and exercise. Another is to just politely say no if you find yourself overcommitted.
Who, what, when, where and why? I'm thinking a good place to start formulating a plan is to start with answering these questions.
My answers:
Who: I'm doing this for me. If I'm not strong and healthy it will affect everyone around me.
What: I'm setting a goal to lose two pounds a week. That's healthy weight loss. I'm going to set my weight loss goal at 130. If I weight 155 now, I have 25 lbs. to lose. At 2 lbs. per week it will take me 12.5 weeks. That is a little more than 3 months. I am going to use "My Health Tracker" and maintain a journal and notebook. I plan to work out vigorously three times a week. That is going to be a challenge with class three nights a week and working 40 hours.
When: Because of the holiday events next week if I try to start 100% now I am setting myself up for failure. I'll start working towards my goal next Saturday.
Where: Everywhere
Why: Because I'll be happier and have better quality of life.
What has worked for you in the past? Is that a good place to start?
It's That Time
Blogging at work has become a common occurrence. It's almost as common as my fight with weight control. So, I'm going to try something new. I'm going to try blogging about my journey to get control over my weight, body image, and overall health.
Like so many others, I've tried various things over the years. Many have worked for periods of time; however, LIFE happens. An illness or injury, a particularly stressful time, the holidays (from Halloween through New Years when we finally make a "resolution" to exercise and eat right again), all take us on a healthy eating plan for life detour. We all know what we need to do. Doing it is what is difficult.
So, I'm going to start blogging about my journey. It's just after Thanksgiving (which I spent in Las Vegas eating and drinking too much) and before Christmas. My holiday party is this weekend and team holiday happy hour is next week. We had a holiday pot luck this week and there is a holiday cookie exchange next Thursday at another team meeting. I've spent the last four months at a circuit training class two days a week and have hiked for close to two hours most Saturdays. At the beginning of my class I weighed 148. Now I'm at 155. My body fat and inches have increased too so I can't use the muscle weights more than fat reasoning. LIFE is in control right now and I need to take my power back.
What I plan to share is the supplements I take and why, the exercises I'm fitting into my schedule (work, college, and CEO of my life), what I am eating, valuable books I've found useful, the tools I use on my quest, and provide progress updates.
If by being accountable to friends, family and those who read this blog - and putting myself out there - helps me and inspires someone else, or uncovers techniques that improve quality of life this endeavor will be successful. When I attend conferences, training or meetings, if I come away with one thing of value I consider it worthwhile. The hard part is putting what we learn into practice. There is so much good information out there and so many things that require our attention. We get pulled into two many directions. Focus. Balance. Accountability. Sounds like a good place to start.
Like so many others, I've tried various things over the years. Many have worked for periods of time; however, LIFE happens. An illness or injury, a particularly stressful time, the holidays (from Halloween through New Years when we finally make a "resolution" to exercise and eat right again), all take us on a healthy eating plan for life detour. We all know what we need to do. Doing it is what is difficult.
So, I'm going to start blogging about my journey. It's just after Thanksgiving (which I spent in Las Vegas eating and drinking too much) and before Christmas. My holiday party is this weekend and team holiday happy hour is next week. We had a holiday pot luck this week and there is a holiday cookie exchange next Thursday at another team meeting. I've spent the last four months at a circuit training class two days a week and have hiked for close to two hours most Saturdays. At the beginning of my class I weighed 148. Now I'm at 155. My body fat and inches have increased too so I can't use the muscle weights more than fat reasoning. LIFE is in control right now and I need to take my power back.
What I plan to share is the supplements I take and why, the exercises I'm fitting into my schedule (work, college, and CEO of my life), what I am eating, valuable books I've found useful, the tools I use on my quest, and provide progress updates.
If by being accountable to friends, family and those who read this blog - and putting myself out there - helps me and inspires someone else, or uncovers techniques that improve quality of life this endeavor will be successful. When I attend conferences, training or meetings, if I come away with one thing of value I consider it worthwhile. The hard part is putting what we learn into practice. There is so much good information out there and so many things that require our attention. We get pulled into two many directions. Focus. Balance. Accountability. Sounds like a good place to start.
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