Six Secrets to Staying (or getting!) Slim

I know what it's like to feel, well, chunky. I gained a lot of weight with each pregnancy, only to have to work hard to get back into my clothes. It's no surprise to anyone, I'm sure, that it's easier to lose the weight when you haven't held onto it for years and years. But I'm posting how I succeeded in losing the weight, and the key to how I've kept it off.

Like everyone, I gain and lose a few pounds week to week. Our bodies are adept at knowing when we need to pad our bodies (for cold winters, preparing for ovulation, etc.) and when to let it go. But I have pretty much stayed the same size and weight since high school, and that's over twenty years, folks! I've had to change my strategy over the years, though, because what I could eat in my twenties is vastly different from what I put into my body now. My metabolism isn't the same, and that's biological. Sure, I exercise. But when I was twenty-two, I didn't have to exercise regularly and with such intensity.

That said, let me move on to my rules. They're the ones that work for me, and they might work for you, too. Some I've mentioned on my blog before. Some are new.

1) I do not consume soda. Why? Extra calories, for one thing. Calories I don't need. If I want a punch of caffeine, I have coffee or tea with very little added sugar (about a half a teaspoon). Twenty years ago I was dumping three heaping teaspoons into my tea. I gag thinking about that now. But what had happened was that I slowly became addicted to the sugar. I began drinking tea in my teens, and I started out with a teaspoon of sugar. But then I became used to it and no longer could tell if it was sweetened or not. In order to taste it, I needed to add a little more. When I was in my early thirties, I decided to break that habit. I started out by going cold turkey. No sugar at all. After awhile, I added a little bit of sugar (the half teaspoon). I could taste the sweetness! I never looked back. Before I was pregnant with my first child, I drank soda regularly. But I was told to avoid caffeine, so soda was out of the question, except for the occasional caffeine free Coke. Eventually all carbonated drinks gave me heartburn. Water and tea was all I could drink. After a few months, I didn't miss it. Today I believe it's one of the reasons I have been able to keep my weight down.

2) I eat cheese and crackers as a snack once a day. I know, I know. What's a gal with high cholesterol doing consuming cheese? But the truth is, I detest milk, and cheese is the best way to get a little calcium in my diet. Why is it on my list of weight tips? Because the protein in the cheese fills me up. I might eat eight low-fat Ritz crackers and a small block of cheese, and I'm good for hours. Not a lot of calories, but keeps me sated.

3) I make sure I get my exercise. Three times a week (four if I'm highly motivated), at least an hour each time. It's my "me" time. I go to the YMCA and watch TV (I don't watch it at home). I sweat and push myself. I do weights (Very important tip here! Building muscle helps to keep weight off! Spend twenty minutes three times a day on your arms...you will not regret it.)

4) I rarely eat out. I cook at home. Even chowing down on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is better than diner or fast food. Why? Salt. Restaurants fill food with salt and it a) makes you thirsty so you drink more (terrible if you're drinking the soda) and b) makes you eat more. Eating salty foods makes you want to eat MORE salty foods. Think about it this way: when you're eating movie popcorn, how hard is it to put that bucket down and stop eating it? Even when you know you are full! Your taste buds love salt. They crave it. The more salt in your food, the more you will want to eat. Plus, when you eat at home, you know what fats are going into your body, and you won't be enticed by french fries and fried chicken. Most of us don't have fryers at home, and if we do, they're a pain to clean so we don't fry our food every night. Which brings me to my next point.

5) I avoid all fried food. Oh sure, occasionally I'll steal a french fry from my son's plate at Chili's, but I order soup and salad or a veggie burger when we go out. Once in a while I will treat myself to something fattening, but it's rare. And we don't hit up fast food places when we go out except for a special treat for the boys. And I order the salad and a small order of fries. Oh, and I do love their fruit and oatmeal. Get it without the maple and brown sugar topping, and you cut out calories without skimping on too much taste.

6) The last thing I do to stay slim is I snack on fruit. Ravenous? Eat a banana or an apple. It will help you eat less when you have your next meal. Filling up on blueberries is better than grabbing a handful of mini Oreos. Oh, and I try not to keep cookies around. If I want cookies, I have to make them from scratch. Makes me think twice about how badly I want them. Keep fruit available, not store-bought sweets. But keep ingredients for making cookies available. If you deprive yourself, you will be miserable and eat to feel happy.

Okay, that's it in a nutshell. Six simple secrets. Try these for a month, see what happens. I'll bet you'll find it's not so hard after all.

Keeping Up with Goals

I've seen a lot of miserable people at the gym lately. I'm guessing they aren't thrilled with their daily routine. Maybe not happy with the rate they've been sloughing off pounds or building up muscle.

Me? I am at a good weight, thanks to The False Fat Diet, and I've been working out regularly. That could change at any minute. There are three people in this house who, if they catch a cold or flu, will derail me on my routine because I will have to stay home with two of them. And the third? Me. I believe I've mentioned if I'm out, I'm out for a while.

Yesterday I ran 4 miles. That's right. Ran. In February. No snow on the ground. Who would thunk it? I just hope we don't get a blizzard in June. Something's up with this weather. Don't get me wrong...I love it. 50 degrees in the middle of winter is considered a heatwave here in upstate New York. My kids? Not liking it one bit. Their boots and snowpants? I'm just happy my youngest can fit into the hand-me-downs.

Tomorrow is a half-day of school for my oldest, so no gym workout since I have to be here to see him off the bus. But I recently purchased four nicely priced DVDs with Yoga and Pilates exercises. I will try them and rate them here so you can decided whether or not they might be useful to you as well. Here's to warm days and snowless nights! Get happy, people.

Put a Fork in Me...I'm Done

So much for the elimination diet. I just ate a Celeste Pizza For One and topped it off with two rice pancakes (which are actually very yummy. Plus I used real maple syrup, which is delish).

I did learn something through this experience, although I had an inkling about it even before I started this diet. I have a problem with corn and with food derived from corn, such as canola oil.

I will now softly sob in a corner because corn chips are one of my favorite foods...especially when used as scoops for my favorite confetti salsa (recipe on this blog).

I also learned that any diet that tells you to abstain from consuming chocolate cannot possibly be a diet a chocoholic can stick to. (A duh moment here, folks.)

So I'm taking back my chocolate. I'm taking back my pasta. Give me my coffee with artificial powdered creamer. And where the heck is my Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese?

True, I slimmed down some and I like that. But maybe I can find a happy medium in here somewhere. I do believe I mentioned earlier that I don't do well on diets.

So will look for a happy medium and report on it. I do love my juicer, however. And I'll give you its merits in a later post.

More on the False Fat Diet

Okay. We are hungry people, my husband and I. But we started this False Fat Diet on Tuesday and he has already lost about three pounds. I lost almost one pound. Of course, I'm not doing this for weight loss. I'm a size 2 or 4 (depending on the manufacturer), and it's hard enough to find clothes that fit. (Plus, I'm short, but too tall for petite sizes, and apparently most petite sizes are meant for great grandmothers anyway).

But I digress...I am doing this diet to help me get off my sugar and carb cravings, and end the bloat. Also, I hope the side effect of this new diet will be the lowering of my cholesterol. The last time I had it checked it had zoomed up, and I believe it's because I ate too many refined sugars and consumed too many carbohydrates. AND (I will admit) I was eating a lot of cheese. Daily. Saturated fats galore.

I have also been adding vitamins. B complex, D, E, Calcium, MGM supplements, and Omega 3s that make burps taste like salmon. I will be retaking my cholesterol test in March, and following up with a visit to my doctor (whom I see annually for physicals anyway).

My goal is to continue eating more fruits and vegetables and eat less saturated fats and sweets. A lot less. So far I'm doing well. I haven't made a batch of cookies yet!

Now I have amended this diet plan. I added Cheerios because, frankly, I'm sick of Rice Squares cereal. Which is ironic because last week I was bemoaning how sick I was of Cheerios. I have to admit, though, I really liked the Cream of Rice cereal with maple syrup (the real maple syrup, not the kind I usually buy that is mostly high fructose syrup).

Oh, and this diet cuts out high fructose syrup, too. I'm especially interested in seeing what happens to my LDL levels if I avoid it completely. I will, of course, keep you posted.

But right now, I'm hungry. I will eat a banana. I will not break down and shove cookies in my mouth. (New mantra.)

Wish me luck!

Dr. Haas's False Fat Diet

I am not a dieter, per se. In the distant past I've taken diet pills, tried to live off only fruits and greens, attempted the Atkin's diet, and considered fasting for detoxification purposes.

May I just say all of that really, really sucks? People aren't meant to live like this.

Long ago, after these methods were either tried and dumped or never tried at all, I decided dieting was not a great option for me to lose weight or control my cholesterol.

I am telling you this because someone recommended a book to me, since I have one of those annoying "sensitive stomachs." Elson M. Naas, M.D. is the author of The False Fat Diet. The idea behind this book is that excess gas and bloat make us look bigger than we really are. Gas and bloat can be caused by food reactions. Food reactions are when we eat something our bodies have trouble processing.

This book enables the reader to discover what foods he or she is sensitive to so that he or she can eliminate it from their diet. There are different ways to go about this, some ways are much stricter than others. I will be honest by saying I planned to go the strictest route, and then chickened out and took the least strict route instead.

I'm glad, because I am only on Day 2 and I am HUNGRY.

I chose the "Sensitive Seven Elimination Diet." It eliminates dairy products, wheat, corn, eggs, soy, peanuts, and sugar.

Do you see the last item? That's a biggie for me. I love sweets. Love 'em so much I want to marry them. (Or at least marry the Pillsbury Dough Boy.) So instead of avoiding sugar altogether I sprinkle a half teaspoon of raw sugar in my tea. I have sweetener already in my almond milk. (I tried to go with unsweetened. Blech. I dealt with it for ten days and didn't get used to it.) It's also in the pear butter Dr. Haas recommended for my rice cakes (very yummy, to be honest.) But I am eliminating cookies, cake, my beloved Dark Chocolate Chex Mix, and anything else that makes me have sugar cravings all day long.

Excuse me while I brush the drool from my chin.

My husband, the trooper, is joining me on this journey. I figured 1 week will be good, and if I still feel hungry and miserable, I will re-modify my modified diet.

While discussing this diet with my husband, I learned that it's highly possible that I normally consume more calories than he does in a day. Yet, he has gained weight over the last year, and I have remained stable (with mild fluctuations during that "time of the month," if you know what I mean).

How can this be? he wondered. Here are possibilities:

1) He miscalculates how many calories he eats per day (most people believe they consume a lot less than in actuality).
2) I exercise at least three times a week. He does not.
3) I ALWAYS eat breakfast. He rarely does. (Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast consume less later in the day).
4) I snack, something he thinks should make me weigh more. But the body needs energy throughout the day.
5) I am a stay-at-home mom who does daily housework and sometimes runs around with the kids. He sits at a desk at work much of the day.
6) I get at least eight hours of sleep. He gets less; sometimes much, much less. Again, studies have shown that people who do not get sufficient sleep tend to gain weight.
7) If he doesn't consume enough calories, his body might think it's in starvation mode and hang on to every calorie it can.

I don't know the reason, but I do know that going on this elimination diet should be an interesting topic of conversation at his holiday party coming up. Will this diet help my husband lose weight? Will it make me heavier? Will I be able to keep it up? Only time will tell. I will keep you up-to-date!

Getting Started in Running

I realize that with the start of a fresh new year comes the potential for hamstring injury. Why? Because people decide they will take up running.

Here's what I did to prevent injury and exhaustion, both of which usually lead to giving up this potentially life-changing form of exercise. First of all, let me state that I went about it the wrong way for years. I was also in my twenties and recovered much quicker than I do now in my forties. When I began running again, I knew I had to be smarter.

It was spring, maybe April or May. I walked to warm up my muscles. Music pumping through my ears helped me stay motivated because let's face it, walking is boring. Okay, maybe the first few times you see nature at it's best, birds singing from trees, squirrels dashing up tree trunks. If you go at night, there may be a few houses with lights on, and the inhabitants have left their drapes open, exposing the beauty of their homes. All of that is interesting the first few times. But then it becomes blah, same old same old. So music can be helpful.

Next, I jogged...which is different from running because it's more like bouncing. Jogging is slower than running. The heart doesn't pump as fast, the lungs can get used to exertion little by little. I jogged about an eighth of a mile. That's pretty much when both my legs and lungs gave out. So I walked the rest of the way...an estimated total of 2 miles.

Two days later, I did it again. And a few days after that, I repeated this. Finally, I felt ready to jog a little further. This slow progression prepared me for my final goal: to run 3 miles straight by the end of summer.

I slipped into running mode and ran, then walked, ran, then walked. Eventually, I was able to run 1 1/2 miles straight, then walk the last 1 1/2 miles. By end of summer, I had stretched it to three miles. When winter kicked in, I stopped running. Sure, some people love ice crystals in their throats and slipping across patches of ice. Not for me. So the next spring? I had to start all. Over. Again.

Man, that sucked.

Exercising regularly at the gym changed that irritating pattern. This year I ran 4 miles by April. Of course, if you've been loyal to my blog you know I had Achilles heel pain by fall, so I took it easy. But yesterday I ran those 4 miles again, no problem.

*so proud*

Moral of the story? If you aren't running, but you want to do so, get on a regular exercise program at the gym or at home. You might be able to start off your first run surpassing that 1/8 of a mile mark. But don't overdo it! Other things to consider if you're running in neighborhoods:

1) Bring a phone in case of emergency...unusual shortness of breath, pain in left arm, anything that may be a symptom of a heart attack.
2) Avoid dogs. Even when there is an Invisible Fence. If someone is walking their dog on the sidewalk in front of you, move across the street until you've passed them. Same goes for a barking or watchful dog in a yard. Avoidance is the best policy.
3) If you are a beginner or intermediate runner, stretch halfway through your run. Your legs will thank you later.
4) If you feel exhausted, walk. You can always run again later. Take care of yourself.
5) You might want to bring a water bottle in hot weather in order to stay hydrated.
6) Don't run in thunderstorms. Even if you don't get hit by lightning, you will worry about it.
7) ALWAYS stretch after a run for at least five minutes.
8) Don't reward yourself afterward with a giant hot fudge sundae unless you have normal cholesterol and are trying to gain weight.

Happy running!

Favorite Salad

Getting back into the swing of things here. Did 20 minutes of cardio at the gym followed by 20 minutes of weights and another 20 minutes of cardio after that. Got out of there feeling as if I could eat a triple decker veggie burger. (Now, now. No salivating over that image, ha ha.)What I did? I made myself my favorite salad.

Here's what I use:

Romaine Lettuce (a lot of people prefer field greens, but I always think that unless it's coated in dressing, it tastes like pond muck.)
Canned Mandarin Oranges
Craisins
Feta Cheese (I prefer Mediterranean herbs in mine)
Sliced Almonds, roasted (I LOVE the brand Almond Accents in cracked pepper flavor)
Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette (my personal favorite if I'm too lazy to make my own which means I always use it for this recipe.)

This comes with a story, lucky you.

Years ago, my husband I went on our honeymoon. We are both very practical people and did not want to start out our married lives in debt, so we sent our honeymoon driving around New England, visiting museums. BEST vacation ever. In Rhode Island, we stopped at a restaurant called The Red Parrot. (http://www.redparrotrestaurant.com/)

I was always very careful about my diet. If I was going to eat a lot of food, it would at least be chock full of vitamins and come from the ground. So I ordered a Caribbean salad. Can I just say that each bite I took was ecstasy? Sure, I loved visiting the Vanderbilt Mansion and entering Mark Twain's abode, but that salad? Still remember it vividly. Since then I've found similar ones at local restaurants, Chili's being one of them, but nothing holds a candle to that first taste of the real deal in Newport, R.I.

I've tried to recreate the salad, and I have to admit, mine can't compare either. Still, it's a pretty darn good try.

And slipping a few Hershey's kisses afterward doesn't hurt, either.