Archive for April, 2009|Monthly archive page
So, people are begining to ask…
Filed under: affirmations/in-CAN-tations, identity, self-image, social construction of reality, the power of words |
Leave a Comment How did I do it?
This is actually a long story and I’ve been trying to figure out how to parse it. I could just give you diet plan (that is, what and how much I ate), but it’s the same one that I have been following for the last two years, more or less. I could also just give you the bit of free advice that was given to me. But if I did that, I’m afraid that you wouldn’t get the full impact of the change.
Essentially, there have been a lot of psychological changes that I have undergone in the last month that have been highly related to my identity.
Again, as someone who is immersed in the study of social psychology, I knew that one of the strongest drives or desires that people have is be consistent. This is what’s going on when people regain their weight, when lottery winners are broke two years later, or why people end up in the same types of abusive relationships over and over. They see themselves as fat, they see themselves as poor, or they see themselves as someone who is deserving of abuse. There is a whole theoretical perspective that is based on the idea that individuals create events to confirm their realities. I have contributed to this literature (which is sort of sad if you think about the fact that it took me this long to apply it to my own life)!
It is true that it’s been a long time since I’ve viewed myself as fat. But I did see myself as someone who struggled with their weight–someone who happened to be a size 12 on most days and a size 10 on good days. And as long as I saw myself this way, I created events to confirm that identity, or that view of myself.
So before anything changed about my weight, I created a new identity. More importantly, before anything would change, I had to create a new identity!
Although I knew, academically, about the construction and the power of possible selves (and even their relationship to weight!), I had never thought about using those seemingly dry social psychological concepts as a means to bootstrap change. Those days are over!
I essentially used an exercise that was presented by author and coach, Loren Slocum. Loren essentially had us write down several positive adjectives and nouns related to several domains of our lives the way we wanted them to be. Not how they actually were, but how we envisioned them! That’s very important.
So, for instance, she had us write down a list of nouns and adjectives associated with our fitness identity and them put them together in a possible identity. Although I had a page, I eventually decided on “lean, strong, sexy, minx.” And everyday, I looked at that sentence and repeated it several times: I am a lean, strong, sexy, minx. I also varied my intonation: I am a lean, strong, sexy, minx; I am a lean, strong, sexy, minx; I am a lean, strong, sexy, minx; I am a lean, strong, sexy, minx; I am a lean, strong, sexy, minx; I am a lean, strong, sexy, minx!
Now, did I feel like a lean, strong, sexy minx when I started? Not really. Actually, I think it’s fair to say absolutely not! But now, not only do I see myself as a lean, strong, sexy, minx, I also see myself as a lean, strong, sexy, six! You may think it’s silly, but this is my story and it worked for me!
If, by chance, you do decide to come up with your own fitness identity, I would love to hear it! Or, if you have a better strategy to motivate positive identity shifts, bring them on!
p.s. I have more to say about people who ask you how you did something only tell interrupt you to tell you why it’s not going to work, but I’ll save that for another day! 
Mission Accomplished!
I stepped on the scale this morning after an hour of aerobic conditioning and bingo! Since that fateful date four weeks ago with the lovely weight loss coach, I have lost 10.8 pounds! I still have 1 more pound to go before hitting my old Weight Watchers goal (the one that I had at age 17), but I am certain that it will be no problem. I guess I’ll have to change the tag line of the blog: everything you wanted to know (and then some) about losing the last ten pounds and keeping it off!
I took another load of clothes to the local consignment store and bought a pair of jeans and then returned two pairs of 10s to Talbot’s. It was great!
Easter Brunch
I typically hate family holidays. Not because I hate families or holidays, but because of the food. The endless, gluttonous parade of food. And people are funny about food–probably because of all the symbolism that gets packed into it. There has recently been a ton of sociological research on the social meaning of food and the types of emotion work that goes into feeding a family. Marjorie DeVault’s excellent book, Feeding the Family, is but just one example.
So when Michael’s family invited us for brunch, I was torn. Go? Not go?
Then I started thinking about it; the last time we ordered pizza at their house, Michael’s step-mom made herself a salad. And, in fact, I took a couple of serving of Lentil Soup, which his sister-in-law also enjoyed in lieu of a second slice of pizza! So why not take my own breakfast? The idea seemed shocking, on a couple of levels. First, it was breakfast that they had prepared, not takeout pizza from the Cornish General Store. Second, I didn’t have enough to share. Third, it was Easter!
Then it came down to go and not eat (which, in some ways, seemed worse), go and take my own food, or go and break my commitment to myself regarding my health and fitness goals. I packed up two Fiber One Whole Wheat English Muffins, 3 tablespoons of hommus, and some baby carrots. I washed all that down with a little ginger tea. Yum! It was tasty, I got to spend time with people I care about, and there was more monkey bread, french toast, bacon, and roasted vegetable quiche for them! It was a win-win for everyone.
But more importantly, I got to eat what I wanted, I wasn’t worried about my calorie intake for the day, and I enjoyed myself all the way around while still keeping my commitment to myself and my body.
The only weird moment was when someone started to razz me about not eating the quiche, but before I could utter a word, Michael’s step-mom stepped up and said: X, you do not get to make comments about anyone’s choices about food.
Right on, sister!
Losing vs. Releasing
Filed under: social construction of reality, the power of words |
Leave a Comment In my very first post, I used the term “releasing” when it comes to my physical fitness goals. I plan to release the pounds, not lose the pounds. Release? Lose? What’s the difference?
The difference is we have been socialized to look for (and find) the things we lose. You lose your car keys and the first thing you do is look for them. You lose your wallet and the first thing everyone says to you is, “Well, you’d better find it!”
In addition to our desire to find what we lose, most humans seem predisposed to avoid pain. And, rightly or not, we tend to associate loss with pain. When someone dies, we grieve. When we lose anything (whether it’s a dollar or a pet or even something as trivial as a game) we’re unhappy.
So instead, I’ve decided to release my weight. When I think of the word release, I think about people releasing animals into the wild. Or someone releasing rehabilitated birds of prey to the skies. You release them, you celebrate their departure and you hope against hope that you never see them again.
I am going to release my weight. I will do it proudly and happily. I will not look for it and I certainly won’t miss it or grieve it in any way, shape, or form.
Now I realize that “release” might not work for everyone. Some might prefer more potent words like annihilate, obliterate, destroy, or burn or melt off. Whatever works for you, that is, whatever works for you besides lose! In fact, if you have any better suggestions I’d love to hear them just in case I’m ever feeling less expansive about my goals and release just isn’t quite doing it for me.
So, how do you talk about achieving your ideal outcome? Is it an opportunity or a challenge? Do you lose unwanted fat (only to find it three months later) or do excommunicate it forever? Let me know.
Talking Myself Back Down From the Edge (or at least from a chocolate croissant)!
Filed under: challenges, exercise, meaning, social construction of reality, Tony Robbins, triggers, weight loss |
Comments (3) Today was interesting. Today I realized why I am writing a blog. At first I thought it was just public accountability (assuming anyone’s reading). Second I thought it might give me a creative outlet so that I’m not always rattling on to Michael about nutrition, exercise, and weight loss. Today, however, I realized that I am writing a blog to remind myself of what I know is true.
While I was crewing a Tony Robbins event in New Jersey in March, I struck up a conversation with this gorgeous woman who just happened to be a weight loss coach. She gave me some free advice on how to lose ten pounds and told me to call her (in six weeks) when I’d done it. I have more to say about her and our conversation in future posts. Feeling a little skeptical (but hopeful, as she certainly looked like she knew what she was talking about), I wrote it down word for word. I even drew a little chart. I shared it with Michael. I shared it with a couple of close friends. That was March 18.
Today, after teaching a spinning class, I stepped on the scale and realized that in less than a month, following this woman’s advice to the best of my ability, I have dropped 9.6 pounds. It hasn’t even been four weeks! And these are technically 9.6 pounds of the “hardest” ones to lose!
Unfortunately for me, the number that I saw on the scale this morning just happens to be the one that in the past has always been a stumbling block. And this time was no exception. Immediately I started thinking about new blog post titles: This is Where the Rubber Hits the Road. Or thinking, ‘Wow! This is going to be a really short-lived blog! Bummer.’ I also started thinking about all of the other times that I got to this number and promptly put on 5 pounds (it’s happened at least twice before, why would this be different?) I started wondering if I was too skinny, ignoring the fact that I thought I looked great yesterday, before I stepped on the scale.
If I were going to be analytical about this situation, I would have to say that this particular number is a trigger for me and, like Pavlov’s dogs who always salivated whenever the bell rang, I started running my old patterns–you know the ones. The ones that we all have that, for whatever reason, work against us, rather than for us. If you don’t think you’ve ever been triggered by anything, you’re wrong. So, when you’ve been triggered and you didn’t know it, some of the key signs are that 1) your breathing gets more shallow, 2) your thoughts get louder and faster, and 3) your thoughts start repeating themselves. And we can get triggered in any domain in our lives–work, relationships, friendships, holidays, Mondays…. You name it, you can get triggered by it. The trick is to notice when you’re triggered before you do something you regret (like quit your job, walk out on a lover, or, my personal favorite, go to Dirt Cowboy and get a chocolate croissant).
So, in the middle of my triggered state, the thing that pulled me out of it was that random thought about my blog. And when I thought about my blog, I remembered why I started in the first place. I also remembered that these two pounds are not going to be any more difficult than the last 9.6. I remembered that I don’t need to change my behavior. I don’t need to eat less. I don’t need to exercise more or at a breakneck speed that might lead to injury or binge eating. I don’t need to do any of the things that will set me up for failure. And now that I have recognized that, I won’t.
What I am going to do instead is stick to the plan. I am also going to enjoy every healthy, nutritious, and delicious bite. And, assuming I can find her address, I may send that weight loss coach a big bouquet of flowers!
Product Recommendation – Food
For those of you who love sandwiches, Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins from Arnold’s Bakery may be right up your alley! These little gems are much more satisfying than most sliced bread that you can get at the store, but way less filling than a bun or a bagel. Further, they are only 100 calories each and have only 1 gram of fat! They also pack in 5 grams of dietary fiber and 4 grams of protein. They are great toasted (or not); I tend to eat them with a little hummus and veggies or, truth be told, plain. Available at most grocery stores. Yum!
This might be worth lifting my ban on reality T.V.!
Tony Robbins takes to the airwaves! No matter what you think about the guy or how many infomercials you’ve seen, he gets the job done! If you’re not familiar with him, check out his recent TED talk! Who knows, you, too, might become a fan!
Be Careful What You Ask For (or at least how you ask it)!
Over the last few days two very good friends of mine–on two separate occasions–made the following statement: Sometimes I just look at myself and ask, ‘How did I get here?’
For the first friend, her focus was on weight. She had previously identified herself as a jock and an athlete; however, as she’s developed her professional identity, which is for the most part sedentary, she has put on a few pounds. She’s been struggling with this for at least five years.
For the second friend, her focus was more on life in general; though, she too, also struggles with her weight.
One of the things that I have learned through my studies as a social psychologist, as well as listening to coaching programs, is that when you ask yourself a question, your brain will provide you with an answer, even if it’s only subconscious. Try it. What day is it? You automatically know: it’s Friday. What color is the sky? Without looking, the brain supplies the answer: it’s blue. However, the brain is like a computer, or a really basic search engine: the quality of the answers it supplies are dependent upon the quality of the questions you ask!
And why is this important? When you’re unhappy about the state of the world (or your body) and you ask, “How did I get here? Or what happened to me?” your brain will provide you with the answer. And if you’re disgruntled about where you are, inevitably the brain will start cataloging all of the setbacks, all of the mistakes, all of the bad decisions, it may even provide you with a couple of new labels, which is the last thing you need.
So instead of asking, “How did I get here?” I would challenge my friends, and whoever else might be in the habit of asking themselves bad questions to try the following: Instead of asking “How did I get here?” ask “How do I change this?” Instead of asking “What did I do wrong” ask “How do I make this situation better?” Instead of “How could I have done this to myself?” try “How can I reach and maintain my goals?” or better yet, “How can I get the body or the life that I really want?” Because just as your brain searches for the answers about what you did wrong, it also has (or will find) the answers on what you can do right.
The Office Candy Jar
Most of us have them; they’re typically perched on a desk in the main thruway. I must walk by ours every day at least two dozen times. In the good old days, I used to grab a piece (or two, or three). Luckily, we have hard candy now (as opposed to the mini-Hershey bars that I used to delude myself about) and it’s easier to resist. But I still would pick up my requisite handful (some days one at a time, sometimes two at a time).
I started thinking about it and ran a couple of quick calculations.
The candy in our office candy bowl has approximately 24 calories per piece. Not so bad, right?
If you had one piece of hard candy every work day (252 work days a year), you’re consuming 6,048 calories of refined sugar a year; that’s 1.73 lbs.
But who just eats one? Two pieces a day is 12,096 calories a year: 3.47 lbs.
And my personal favorite (and I’ll stop here)–four pieces a day: 6.91 lbs a year! And that’s from the hard candy–butterscotch, peppermint, cinnamon disk variety that no one really likes. That’s all from stuff that you eat just because it’s there!
I cringe when I think about the years that we had mini-snickers, for example.
Again, let’s look at the numbers for those:
1 a day: 3.24 lbs a year
2 a day: 6.48 lbs a year
4 a day (because they’re really not that big, right?): 12.96 lbs a year!
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t eat them, but just think about it before you pop one into your mouth!
A Salad a Day….
One of my favorite classic movies is Sidney Poitier’s, “To Sir with Love.” Ironically, the one scene that has remained most poignant for me is not Lulu’s delightful rendering of the title in dulcet tones, but rather when “Sir” teaches his students about making salads. He says something along the lines of, if you’re like most Brits, your idea of a salad is a little lettuce (he throws a wilted head of lettuce into a large bowl), a little tomato (which he tosses in carelessly), and a little mayonnaise. He then mixes it all up with wooden spoons. Yuck!
Once his class stops laughing, he then shows them how to make a real salad–one with greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.
Growing up, I did not like to eat salads at home. Although they were several steps above Sir’s rendition, they weren’t particularly inspiring. But more to the point, I just didn’t like making them before every meal. Essentially, I was lazy.
Since then, however, I have developed a great fondness for salads–eating them and making them. In fact, I tend to eat salad–that I make myself–at least once a day.
So what happened? One day one of my colleagues asks, “Would anyone like a salad spinner? I realized the other day that I have two.” Bingo. If you don’t have salad spinner and you like salads, get one! You don’t know what you’re missing.
Salad spinners are revolutionary, because if you use it correctly (that is, you repeat two or three times, making sure that you empty the water out of the bowl between spins!), you can get nearly all of the moisture out of your ingredients. When you get the water out, the salad stays good! Now, instead of making a salad before every meal, I only have to make one big salad on the weekend and another on Wednesday. It’s wonderful. Typically, I start with a spinach base and add whole grape tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, quartered baby carrots, and broccoli. I also keep mushrooms in the refrigerator to be added to my individual salads (Michael can’t stand them), as well as sliced cucumber or sprouts.
The reason you don’t put the cucumber and the sprouts in the salad is because the water content is too high and it makes your spinach (which lasts longer and has more nutrients than lettuce) get all gooey. That’s also why you use whole grape tomatoes instead of tomatoes that have been chopped.
Neither one of us use salad dressing; instead, we spritz on the juice of a fresh lemon! Yum. It’s easy, fast, delicious, and good for you. What more could you want?
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 our 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
Filed under: meaning, social construction of reality, the power of words |
Leave a Comment 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.
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
Filed under: calories, exercise, weight loss, Weight Watchers |
Leave a Comment 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.
