Join me on a journey of weight loss and self development, to find happiness under layers of fat and insecurity » Food Habits (not diets)

Starting Another Diet

blogadmin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:49:46 +0000

How many times have you started a diet in your life??? I would have to say I’ve started about a million (could be a slight exaggeration, but probably not much)…….next question – how many have worked?????
Is tomorrow the day I start another, or is it today, or do I wait till that party in 2 weeks???
The reality is, if you are waiting to start another diet, then when you have finished said diet, you will probably head back on up the scales.
Why is it I know this, yet, it has been the path that I continue to take?
Do I really want to stop being overweight??? Am I used to it being the security blanket for my self loathing?? Do I just use being overweight as the perfect excuse go not achieve what I want out of life? I don’t know the answers to any of these questions, and yet I
keep asking more. That’s my problem, I am so busy intellectualizing my life and waiting for it to be perfect in order to do anything, that I have stopped actually living it to it’s fullest!!! It’s such a sad state of affairs, and one that I will stop.
Historically speaking most of the great weight loss masters have become just that after having ‘the’ moment. That look in a shop window, that comment from a 4 year old, a health scare, a death, a marriage etc etc etc……how many of those reasons are about just the person??? Not many.
So tomorrow is another day, and the day after….continue till fade. I will live my life to it’s fullest, I will get to 75kgs and I will do it for me. I won’t wait till Xmas in July has finished, I won’t wait till I finish that bottle of red….I will just see how I go day by day, step by step.

Does Caffeine Hinder Weight Loss??

blogadmin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 02:46:08 +0000

A friend of mine recently gave up coffee and I wondered why. I drink 2-3 cups a day, and drink the VERY occasional diet caffeinated drink. I was interested in his reasons and here is the reason……

Does caffeine hinder weight loss?

Studies have shown that caffeine (as in coffee and some sodas) contributes to insulin resistance (thus making it harder to lose weight), increases appetite (again making it harder to lose weight) and contributes to food cravings (making it difficult to adhere to a weight loss diet). In those studies, even decaffeinated coffee is shown to be detrimental to weight loss.

Caffeine also interferes with GABA and prevents it from performing its calming duties in the human body. This then increases physiological and psychological stress (often associated with both overeating and difficulty adhering to a weight loss diet). Those who are trying to lose body fat (weight) would do well to avoid caffeine.

Many overweight people, particularly those who have frequently ‘dieted’ and lost weight only to regain it later, are insulin resistant. Unfortunately, many people who are insulin resistant are unaware of it. If you have insulin resistance, using caffeine will further affect your metabolism.

It will have the opposite outcome of what you want. In the long term, avoiding caffeine will help to boost your metabolism. Naturally increasing your metabolism by combining correct eating (replacing or strictly limiting refined/processed carbohydrates with natural ‘fat burning’ foods) and (unless unable to exercise) cardio exercise, plus, if possible, weight training, will lead to fat loss and increased lean muscle. Lean muscle is your metabolic furnace that will burn extra calories/energy 24 hours daily and not just when you are exercising.

Even if you are unable to exercise, increasing metabolism and maintaining it long term will enable you to avoid future weight gain. For more information about fat burning foods that speed up metabolism see the related pages, further down this page, listed under Related Questions.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_caffeine_hinder_weight_loss

The Jon Gabriel Method

blogadmin — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:39:45 +0000

Has anyone tried The Gabriel Method???? I have recently seen this clip and looked up his sites and yes let my fingers do a bit of walking – what did we do before Google – I just can’t imagine life ‘back then’.
It’s a bit sales pitchy etc but man if it’s works why not give it a go. I’l be buying the book to read and add to my collection. I firmly believe that if you read / hear /see enough, one day something will sink in. I feel that about everything in life really. It just takes that one word or action to make something click.
Anyway, check out the clip and his sites.
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Surviving the weekend

blogadmin — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 08:44:53 +0000

Planning, planning, planning. That’s how to do it. If you plan your meals for the week and weekend, it’s easy to stay on track.. If you don’t plan, it’s SOOOO easy to fall off the yellow brick road.
I didn’t plan that well for this weekend – oops, and it shows.
Started off well with porridge for breakfast, lunch was protein and vegies…..then it all went wrong.
My daughter was bitten by a dog (she’s ok) and I just couldn’t face organising dinner when she just wanted to be hugged – so I picked up the phone and got take away. Doesn’t matter what I got, it’s nearly all bad when you can ring it and get it delivered or picked up quickly!!
Had I already had something ready to go, it would have been ok.
Lesson learnt. Plan weekends too. I plan the weeks ok, as I’m so busy, but I have been falling over on the weekends.
No gym.
Must try to do some more outdoor exercise with my daughter – maybe a bike that she can ride on the back of.
We did go to an indoor play centre and I went down the slide with her. That was a BIG first, I didn’t actually feel like people were staring at me thinking what’s that porker doing on the slide. Yeah, maybe confidence is rearing it’s gorgeous head.

Has it shrunk yet?

blogadmin — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:33:36 +0000

Ok, so it’s day one of War On Waistlines and I don’t think my war has been successful yet. You know what, that’s not true. I made it to the gym, exercised for 20min then had my first FPT Session.

So I have had a good day. Emotionally, a terrible day. I just take everything so personally. I was crying my eyes out when the carpet man came to fix something – he listened for a while and truly made me feel a little better. I think talking to someone outside your circle, sometimes makes a difference.
Food wise – OK day. That is, I haven’t been an angel, but my devil wings didn’t appear either.
No Alcohol
No chocolate
I did have a piece of cake that was at work…oops…but I can’t live my life never eating anything deemed to be ‘naughty’ again. All things in moderation.

We need to do a food and exercise diary as part of the competition. I think this will be good for me. So many people say when you write down everything it really starts to make the difference. My plan had been to use this blog for that purpose, but I thought people would get bored reading about it. But then I ahve found blogs that contain pages of every rep that someone does at a gym and they have loads of readers, so obviously some people are interested.

Memo to self. You feel fantastic after winning the Fernwood War On Waistlines competition!!!!!!

War on Waistlines

blogadmin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:33:03 +0000

At Fernwood they have just launched War on Waistlines. I aiming to win. There is a great incentive….shopping trip to Melbourne.
I have a pretty hefty (all puns intended) goal. I am aiming for 100kgs by the end of the comp (end of April). I know that is faster then I have been going so far, but it is do able and I would LOVE to win.
We have the launch tomorrow night, so I’ll keep you updated.

It’s party time!!!

blogadmin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:29:16 +0000

Ok, so the day comes when you have to go to a childs birthday party. No amount of willpower of little voices inside your head can stop you reaching for a chocolate crackle (they were mini ones). You say to yourself, it’s ok, it’s only 1 (or 2) and they are made with a breakfast cereal, so surely there is atleast one good thing under all that copha.
I came away feeling fairly good – I’d only been tempted by a couple of things – I know extra 10mins on the bike tomorrow.
We wonder why we have an obesity problem in the 1st world…..everything we give our kids as a ’special treat’ is loaded with sugar. Even the fruit juice is now labelled ‘fruit drink’, gotta be careful of those, it’s like straight cordial in a bottle.
So after years of parties with sugar loaded treats as kids, is it any wonder we grow up and reach for a sugar loaded treat when we want to feel special, or happy or fun?
That’s not me laying the blame on all the parties I went to as a kid – it’s my brain that has kept me in that cycle. It’s just like always reaching for a glass of champagne when I have something to celebrate. They are all just habits. Habits I am working on breaking.
Here’s to a future of carrot sticks in party bags!!! OK, no way – what would happen to our kids if they didn’t get the odd chocolate. We just have to remember that it is the odd one.

What is the perfect size???

blogadmin — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:12:45 +0000

Even with the weight I’ve lost so far I’m been getting more smiles – it’s so odd. I’m not different. I’m still me. I’m still obese. Yet already service is getting better in shops. It’s crazy. I keep thinking – what is the perfect size? How small do I want to be? If I didn’t have curves I think my personality would vanish.
We are all so intense when it comes to weight. I confess that I contribute to the media madness – I buy some of those trashy mags with covers like best bikini bods, stars without makeup and who gained 10pounds over the holidays.
They say all the media hype about skinny celebs is making the youth of today more likely to have eating disorders etc – well, it didn’t happen to me and I’ve read just as many mags as the next chick. We can’t blame the celebs or the magazines, it’s our own inner belief that allows us to overeat or starve ourselves to illness.
We all just take in different messages. I always thought I would never look that good – even though some days I thought I looked great. I always believed being thin was not achievable for me and sometimes being fat was almost comforting – it’s an excuse for so much.
I found this on Youtube – it’s kinda interesting.

Back in Skinny Jeans

blogadmin — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:19:42 +0000

I found this great article on the blog I love….check it out. Steph’s journey, is funny, inspiring and even educational.

Back in Skinny Jeans

How slow is too slow

blogadmin — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:00:37 +0000

There have been far too many articles/ studies etc done over the years that say losing weight in a slow and consistant way is the best method – bored now. Would like to see results.
I’m exercising at least 4 times a week.
Eating well.
Only consuming a couple of glasses of alcohol once or twice a week.
Why is it not going quicker???
Is this good?? Does it mean my body is getting rid of it for good??
I’m going to start doing some research about different methods and rates of loss etc and see what I can come up with.