Fasting

Okay. Fasting.

"Intentional deprivation of something (almost always food) for the purpose of humbling yourself before God, repentance, spending more time with Him, seeking His will, and/or asking Him for something. It is meant to be uncomfortable and to emphasize our ultimate dependance on Him." -Rev. W. Jordan Richmond

Ummm, nope...most certainly didn't read "powerful weight loss and cleansing tool". Physically speaking, fasting is a deliberate abstinence from food. It doesn't magically clean out your system (that's why we poop - technical term), it doesn't rid your body of toxins (that's why God gave us a liver) and it's not a great weight loss tool (although you will lose weight if you don't eat). None of the listed "benefits" of fasting have been proven by medical peer-reviewed research.

Physically/technically speaking (feel free to skip ahead if you don't care much for this explanation):

The body gets its energy primarily from glucose and fat (in the blood) from the carbs and fats you eat. Both your brain and nervous systems use blood glucose for energy and proper functioning. Your body also stores energy in both the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen.

Within hours of starting a fast, when you run out of the glucose you've eaten, your body goes to its glycogen stores (these don't last very long). Your body then goes into an altered metabolic state = starts using protein and some fat (some... very little... okay I've lost most of you... SOME fat and PROTEIN did you miss the PROTEIN part or the SOME part, the protein you're desperately trying to increase with your exercise, the protein that will help BOOST your metabolism and help you look smokin' hot!!!) I digress, where was I... Oh... It uses PROTEIN and SOME fat to make more glucose for the brain and nervous system. Resulting in a considerable breakdown of lean muscle tissue and SOME fat tissue and the production of ketones. Ketosis, that state those of you that tried the Atkins diet strived for (and I do mean tried because none of you stuck with it - bacon-birthday-cake anyone?). This is NOT healthy and in fact over time the brain's consistent use of ketones for energy can be damaging. In the short-term, you may lose weight, but its mostly water loss, dehydration, muscle tissue wasting, hgm hgmmm - muscle tissue waisting, and you will be tired, fatigued and dizzy (downright unpleasant to be around and cranky in every sense of the word).

Your body craves proper nutrition. Ignoring hunger cues, or cutting out any essential food group completely in an effort to lose weight or "cleanse the system" is not a good idea. That aching growl you get when you're starving is not your body eating your love-handles, as much as you'd like to convince yourself of this phenomenon.

Back to the biblical:

There are 3 types of fasting referred to in the bible: ""Normal fast" or total abstinence of food (Luke 4:2), "Absolute fast" or no water and food in which it almost always lasted for only 3 days (Ezra 10:6, Esther 4:16), and the "Partial fast" in which diet was restricted (Daniel 10:3). The purpose of all fasting is to get to know God better--done privately (Matt 6:17-18)." --Rev. Samuel S. Rainer III

Let me repeat that last part - The purpose of all fasting is to get to know God better. An excellent thing. Highly recommended for this purpose. In fact, if you've never done it, DO IT, its powerful. But, not for the purpose of fitting into skinny jeans or "cleansing the system"... please.

Also, beware of the tendency to make biblical fasting a weight loss tool. You'll have to learn to lose weight and be healthy the "hard way" which also may be the slower way - there are no short cuts. Suck it up. Deal with it. Get to work.

Do.

So... futile things annoy me - and somehow they seem to comprise most of our lives. Laundry gets washed, folded, into the drawers (baaahahaha yeah okay, still working on this one) only to be taken out, dirtied and back in the pile - and the pile keeps growing. I don't know about you - but if I got paid hourly for the time I spent doing laundry, folding, putting away (or not, whatev'), collecting from every floor in the house - wow - I'd be a wealthy woman. Making the bed, thats another one, its made all of what? 15 hours a day when NO ONE but ME is here. Please. Futile. How about meetings you sit in FOREVER daydreaming of all the OTHER things you need to be doing. Few things bother me more than meetings that take place with no actions following. We are a nation of talk. Talk talk talk talk. We dream big, but boy we talk a whole lot. When do we do? Even baby steps. What's that saying? Rome was not built in a day. But they HAD to start SOMEWHERE. Somebody in that planning meeting said, HEY, I'll bring a chisel next time and we'll get to work! I digress...

I have no problem firing clients in my nutrition coaching. No money is worth that headache. You will NOT see results if you actually Don't Do anything - shocker. I wish we were somehow healthier simply by reading about nutrition or intending to eat better. I meet with clients to discuss bight-sized things you can do immediately for better nutrition or weight loss and you either choose to do them or not. Its that easy. I'm not here to listen to you moan and groan about how you CAN'T lose weight or eat healthier. What special occasion came up to keep you from eating better for the next 3 months. How your college injury has somehow caused you to gain 500 pounds because you can't work out. News flash, you can be in awesome shape and lose weight simply by adjusting your calories. LIFE happens. I am happy to lend my expertise, in fact, I love it. I want to help anyone who is willing to be helped. But I can't put in the work for you. I can't put your fork down. I can't take the doughnut out of your hand every morning. I can't keep the food journal for you. I can't make all of your nutrition decisions for your family. I'm here to equip you with the knowledge to do so on your own and for your family.

Learn about nutrition. Look at labels. Try new things. Experiment with what works for you and your lifestyle to help you maintain a healthy weight and be in the best shape possible. But DO! Stop talking. Cause I don't want to hear it, and I doubt anyone else does either. Dream big. There is no reason you can't be in the best shape of your life RIGHT NOW. Shut up. Do.

Tomorrow's a new day. Decide to DO.

YOUR cookie diet

The Cookie diet, LA juice diet, Slimfast, Nutrisystem - the list goes on. Its simple math, yet someone's convinced you that their cookie is magic. There is nothing in the cookie or bar or shake that somehow makes you lose weight. Someone has found an appealing way to control your calories and make a TON of money in the process. You'll lose weight eating 1200 calories worth of ANYTHING consistently. Some things are better choices than others, but calorie control is the only requirement.

Do you need a jump start? Perhaps a re-group? The concept of a food journal is overwhelming you so as a result you've let the "eating healthy thing" go by the wayside. Now you're back to being mad at yourself - STOP IT! Nothing I haven't heard (or experienced). My husband and I need little re-groups occasionally. Not just re-groups, but NO-BRAINERS. August has been a crazy month of birthdays, traveling and state-fairs. And next month I'm sure it will be something else (hint hint - it ALWAYS is and I can guarantee there's a holiday that involves eating just around the corner). You need a "no think" menu, a no-brainer. You need a "cookie diet" for the in-between times or to simply get you started in the right direction, especially if weight loss is your goal right now. Is there something you could eat every day? Surely there is SOMETHING. The sky's the limit. Would I like this "menu" or "cookie diet" of sorts to contain whole grains, good fats, no processed foods, low sugar, high quality and lean proteins? Sure, but I also live in reality, and I'm a firm believer in baby steps. Remember calorie control, simplicity and consistency is the goal.

Here's my husband's "cookie diet":

1) Breakfast - Kashi peanut peanut granola bar, apple, coffee with Amaretto creamer and splenda

2) Lunch - Loaded natural peanut butter and black currant jelly on whole wheat with 1 snack bag of Fritos and berries (or other fruit) Coke Zero

3) Snack - Starbucks double shot with 2% milk, classic syrup and splenda

4) Dinner - Amy's Bowl (these are calorie controlled, whole grain, lowER sodium pre-packaged meals - my personal preference and we both like them) or 450-500 calorie meal of my making (which would involve cooking - not always an option in our household - don't know about yours ;) ) Coke Zero

5) Desert - 3 oreos (or 6 if he felt he got in a good workout this day) 8oz skim milk

He works out 3-4 days a week entailing 45 min cardio or weight training (He's into P90X - whatev')

So that's approximately 1500 calories. For a 5'7" average built man this is weight loss range. He lost 20 pounds in 3 months eating this most days of the week. Is this for everyone? NO. Him? YES. When life gets a little carried away and your eating starts to veer down that slippery slope or you just need a jump start in this eating healthier thang, take a couple of weeks (or so), dumb it down and re-group. If you're at a healthy weight, tweak your current diet with healthier options and keep tweaking. We are all a work in progress. Remember, Its YOUR "cookie diet". Make it doable for YOU (and your family). Just another tool in your toolbox.

Its a life thing, not a fad. So, what's your "cookie diet"?

A Dietitian's rant.

No joke, a nurse I used to work with - overweight smoker - called me out in a crowded hospital office for drinking a diet coke. Saying "You should know better, that aspartame will give you a tumor." Yes, well, I pray my hypothetical and supposed tumor doesn't take me before your eminent lung cancer and complications from obesity do. Being overweight and smoking are two things that have never been proven beneficial to your health in moderation. I hear this kind of craziness all the time. I get into more uncomfortable situations with friends and family alike over artificial sweeteners, unpasteurized milk, to organic or not to organic, hormones, soy milk, wild vs. farm raised, honey vs. sugar vs. brown sugar vs. stevia blah blah blah. Nutrition is HUGE - I could go on and on. You don't really want to know the facts I may have to offer - you want to prove a point and validate a life-choice you've made typically based on unfounded information or opinion. If all there was to nutrition was "googling" your questions and swallowing the first reasonable answer that's spewed at you, then I'd be out of a job. Yes, nutrition is always changing based on new research. But first thing's first. If you're weight and calorie consumption is not under control, I don't care how granola, whole grain, natural, fortified or organic you may be - there is no "healthy obesity" no matter how you slice it.

Don't try to take on the nutrition world all at once - one bite at a time - truly. Get those calories under control and learn to deal with life stressors in ways that don't involve cramming food in your face. THEN from there you can make minor adjustments little by little. After you have a handle on your calories, you can tweak your food choices for more nutritional "bang for your buck". I choose not to get calories from my drinks in a continued effort to keep my calories in check. My hatred for bland beverages (i.e. water) coupled with my love for sweets leaves me consuming diet beverages and constantly looking for ways to reduce sugar and calories in baked goods on an everyday basis. This is simply one of my methods. Artificial sweeteners aren't for everyone and not all artificial sweeteners are for me, and thats okay. What works for you?

Am I an Emotional Eater?

Aaaaaaabsolutely. I've met very few who would deny being such - and they're probably lying. Being human and having emotions go hand in hand. Its nothing to be ashamed of. It IS however something you have to recognize and deal with. Most people "fall off the eating healthy wagon" when stressful times come up. We eat "comfort foods" whatever those may be to you (typically loaded with grease, sugar, preservatives and long ingredient lists we can't pronounce half of) and we eat way too much of them. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but stressful times will always come up. For some of us, daily. If they de-rail you every time, then you HAVE to find another way to deal with it. You just have to. Eating until it "goes away" is just not going to work anymore. (ask yourself, has it ever worked?)

I've had a rough day today. In fact its been a rough and stressful couple of months. I birthed a child, I have a 2 year old, we moved out of state, my husband started a new job, I have a 2 year old, I quit most of my job(s) and am re-directing my career due to the move, I have a 2 year old, we are trying to purchase a home and are currently living out of boxes and off of dixie and oh yeah... I have a 2 year old. To name a few. Its only by the grace of God I'm not the size of a house. Its in these times more than any other to be consistent. Turning stressful times into an eating frenzy will only make it worse - always. Now not only do you have the stress - but you have the guilt of eating enough to feed a third-world country. Take these times to maintain control in the area of nutrition - if you never journal - journal during these times. Go to bed early, you will be glad you got the extra sleep. Bingeing on rice cakes is not gonna cut it either. If you can't find a way to deal with the stress, at least pick something you enjoy - good grief - make it good. For me, I choose different things to help, but most of the time I've learned what works best is simply turning off the TV and going to bed. I do admit, I'm not 100% successful. But every difficult day that doesn't end in a binge, puts you that much closer to your goal. And if you can learn ways to deal with these stressful times in your life without eating (again, MOST of the time), your that much closer to making this a LIFE change that will stick.

Its NOT a diet. Tomorrow's a new day with a fresh set of calories. Make them count!

Such is life.

So my son's 2 year old birthday party was this past weekend and my 4 month old's dedication was this past Sunday. We had a celebration kind of weekend. Oh, and by "weekend" I mean Thursday thru today ;) I have no idea how many calories I had - and frankly I don't care. I made a cake for my little guy with white flour, processed sugar, real butter and yup...I used vegetable oil...aaaaaahhhhhhh! Grab the panels, my husband is down! Sometimes things just have to be made "how mamma made 'em". Life happens and lets face it, special occasions revolve around food. Its our culture, its what we do...a little too well. My son's birthday comes around once a year. My little guy is dedicated once in a lifetime. Family is not always here. Its a special time. There are times in our lives where things are more important than making sure we got in enough of a workout, kept our calories in the "maintaining" or "losing" range, or incorporating whole grains, lower sugar, better fats, and on and on. I can pretty much guarantee you that at some point in the past "weekend"'s celebrations I had a "gaining day" (perhaps a few). I wouldn't know, and yup, you guessed it, I simply don't care either. Few things in my life warrant such behavior. Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Anniversaries top the list in our home. Now. Some things have to be remembered during said "special occasions":

1. It's not a binge. Common mistake. Bingeing brings on unhealthy feelings and excessive eating with thoughts that "my diet starts back tomorrow" cut it out. Have you ever realized your diet always "starts tomorrow" - how's that workin' for ya? We're not dieting. Enough of that type of thinking! This time should be simply a lack of writing down or caring so much - particularly about getting your greens, whole grains, specific calorie range or sufficient exercise. You're just living, celebrating, eating what you eat at birthdays and such without feeling bad about it.

2. Set a start date and an end date. "Lack of caring" can set people into a tail-spin making it difficult to get back on track after the event is over. Set a start and end date and stick with it. The shorter the better.

3. It will happen again. You will have more times like these. In fact, set a date right now for the next one. Do not use this time to single handedly finish off the cookie dough because you don't know when you will have such liberty again. If you want a cookie TOMORROW, you can have it. Make room for it in your day! If you feel the need to squish as much fun foods as possible into these special occasion days, you need to re-evaluate your every day eating. Make more room for fun foods in your week - in a controlled calorie setting to curb this feeling of deprivation and bingeing (see #1)

4. Special occasions can't happen with regularity. The concept of a "cheat day" just doesn't work. You cheat Thursday because its almost the weekend, Friday because its the end of the week, Saturday is always a cheat day (I guess because most of us are off of work), Sunday is a free-for-all (did I mention I was Baptist)? Hopefully by monday we're "back on track". That gives us 3 days of healthy eating... not gonna cut it. We should almost always "be on track." If birthdays occur bi-weekly - then every birthday cannot be a "special occasion" with your eating. You'll have to find ways to maintain your calories during those times.

5. They may or may not include regular exercise. Especially if getting in a substantial workout takes me away from the celebration or family, I don't. But, I'll leave this one up to you.

6. The number on the scale may go up. I highly doubt this is legitimate fat gain over a long weekend. But I don't know how much you can pile away either (see #1). Typically the types of foods enjoyed during this time incur water weight (highly processed, perhaps higher salt and sugar). You would have to eat an additional 3500 calories in excess over this time period to gain 1 pound during this time - possible, yes (see #1). Plausible, I think no. If you find the number has gone up - no worries. The water will go away when healthier eating is resumed, exercise is incorporated back in your routine, and/or you work in a couple of losing days (or weeks) in to shave it back off.

Remember, this is a healthy life, NOT A DIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a good weekend. ;)

Elliptical

The elliptical...just happens to be one of our best purchases after having Kal (my 2 yr old). I learned early on that getting to a gym was just not going to happen like it used to - childcare alone was just impossible. I tried a company in Sarasota where Kal could go to workouts with me in his stroller 3 mornings a week. Right about the time I was tired of enduring the embarrassment of a screaming child at every workout, Kal almost made up for said embarrassment by sleeping in most mornings until 9 a.m. I could only work out on days that I wasn't working, so on my mornings off, of course I woke him up to go work out...baaahhahahahah. Are you kidding me? I am a BIG fan of sleep, and I am definitely NOT a morning person. So alas. The elliptical and p90x was purchased and gym memberships were dropped. We have gotten so much use out of both and are now saving money without a gym membership.

Do what it takes to get some physical activity in your day and make it fit your lifestyle, because like changing your eating habits, if it takes too much effort you won't stick with it. Exercise puts you in a "healthy mindset," people generally make nutritious choices when they exercised that day. If you can't work out, don't stress, do what you can to stay as active as possible and remember - weight loss goals CAN be achieved by simply modifying your calories even if you never lift a barbell or jog on an elliptical.

(So far all maintaining days this week, and I'm okay with that).