The Other Side of Thin ..Part Two

According to an article in Business Weekly by Rebecca Reisner in 2008 Americans spent $40 Billion on diet products and programs. Marketdata  noted in an article posted January 2012, their research found $61 Billion is spent by Americans each year on fad diets and programs.  

At 5' 2 1/2" having been a healthy size 2-4, maintaining a consistent weight between 110 lbs - 117 lbs most of my adult life, it is difficult to grasp that the 145 lbs size 8-10 and still 5' 2 1/2" image staring back at me is actually me!

So, like most people looking to loose weight I have set off in search of the QUICK GREAT FIX! With the help of friends I have been looking into all sorts of "diet options" I've labelled them diet options, as after careful examination that is what they really are promising ... a quick fix. Although most of these diet options will initially deliver on their promise to help you lose weight and/or go down a dress size or two - maintaining the "diet option" long term is next to impossible.  Many have food restrictions that leave out necessary nutrients, which can be harmful to your body causing a whole new series of problems to deal with along with all the weight that returns, once you stop.

I asked myself :

"what was I doing at that time I felt healthy and happy with my weight and self?"  

~ was in the peak of my career
~ ate quality portion size food
~ didn't really snack between meals
~ was very active
~ barely took an Aspirin
~ wore heels
~ had a full social life
~ I was very happy in my skin

"What is my life now?"



~ Helping my body to heal is my career
~ still eat quality food (though portions are not always clear)
~ snack between meals and not always healthy choices
~ am definitely less active
~  5 years older
~ Flats are my go to shoes
~ Medication (pain, mood, etc.)
~ Everything I have gone through in the past 5 years has left me numb and uncertain, overwhelmed and lost most of the time

As I sat in took in what each of these items on both lists represented, I realized that the items on the first list barely reflected the person I am now. What struck me was that both of these lists are reflective of the life I lived and the one I live now. Noting a definite relation between life style and how it affects our bodies, exists.

This realization perhaps explains why "diet options" (if ) they work, the results are short lived. The key is to live life ... something that before came so easily that I never connected it to my body's appearance. Also, I have been so wrapped up in what I am no longer able to do that I'm not looking at what I am able to do.

Yes, there are some things I may not be able to change on my list (of the life I now live) such as taking medication or wearing heels. But I think if I can manage to work on things like being more active, snacking less, look for things that bring me enjoyment outside my comfort zone (home) things will change!

Have you found a new way of eating that has now become a way of life, to maintain your healthy weight?

Is there a "Diet Option" that you have used to help in the short term (i.e used to slim down for a special function) or to jump start your life long eating habits ?

I have recently come across something that I will be trying starting next week, so check back regularly over the next few weeks - where I will share my findings , with first hand experience.

You can read Part One Here

P.S. Thank you to everyone who has been visiting and leaving encouraging comments and special thank you to those who have email me to see where I have been. I promise I will share all in future posts, as I regain strength.




Joining:

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When Life gives you Lemons,

Give'm a little squeeze...

Part of my new Healthy eating LifeStyle includes starting each morning with warm water and a squeeze of lemon , my Nutritionist also has me adding 1/2 tsp. raw honey and a pinch of grated ginger (both optional).


This past week has been extremely hectic around Chateau HHL, with renovations (kitchen and family room , you may recall from previous posts) so, with Mr. G's attention being focused on the project~ my healthy eating LifeStyle has taken a bit of a detour. The lack of structure has even resulted in slacking off with my morning  warm water & lemon sipping routine.

You may be thinking , OK .. don't worry tomorrow's another day. But , I'm not here to say how awful I feel for going off the LifeStyle eating, I'm here to say how wonderful! OK now that I have you totally confused, let me try to explain. Without having gone off my healthy eating LifeStyle, I would not have discovered just how important something so simple as warm lemon water can be and  the huge impact it may have on your daily eating habits. What I started to notice is my system actually seems more sluggish and affected by my Meds, without kick starting my day with warm lemon water.

So, after doing a little more exploring on this beverage, I was surprised to learn:

Lemon water is considered to be one of the best alkalizing drinks available. While lemon is very acidic, it turns to alkaline ash in the body, making the entire body system more alkaline. Many alternative health experts claim that an alkaline body is healthier and that most disease happens when the body is acidic. For this reason, drinking lemon water is attributed to better overall health.

So, my friends if you are looking to change/add just one thing to your daily routine, I would say add warm water w/ a squeeze of lemon each morning before you start your day. My Nutritionist also has me adding a pinch of freshly grated ginger and ½ teaspoon raw honey to my morning warm lemon water cup. Who knew something so simple, could be so beneficial to your health.

Say NO to DIEting & YES to LifeStyle Eating

I have never been a fan of the word "DIEt", perhaps its the small~big word that makes it up or the word it spells if one should accidentally forget the "t" at the end. This so called "DIEt" thing comes with many restrictions and in case no one has ever told you, life can be short lived, so why would you want to deprive yourself the odd glass of wine?

After I finally started being able to wear (or on some days remembering to wear ~ [post or another day] ) regular clothes, the cold~ harsh reality that the scale was not broken and that I had indeed gained 20-25 lbs post accident smacked me right in the zipper and buttons not wanting to close. Its amazing the truth a pair of Juicy Couture sweat pants or Lulu Lemon yoga pants can conceal.

My health care team tried to comfort me by explaining the Meds I need to take really play havoc with one's system and ability to quickly put on weight. This only being part of the challenge ~ I started to look at what  was eating, It was all fairly healthy, or so I thought. In any case not wanting to give in and "DIEt", I needed someone to examine the situation. Enter my knew best friend the Nutritionist.  After our initial meetings, she prepared a plan for eating that would represent foods I was already consuming, only with better choices and a couple of new introductions.

I was already eating oatmeal, yogurt, nutritional cold cereal and bread.

But my choices were not helping my bottom line.

The above items are made from natural ingredients, which offer many health benefits. Take a look at how many ingredients the yogurt or oatmeal you consume contains? You will be surprised...

New discoveries...

Coconut water, Flax seed, Ryevita and Almond milk were the only new things

which were not part of my everyday eating.

 

Actual foods I eat...

A Sample Day of eating for HHL

Start each day with hot water,squeeze of lemon,1/2 tsp raw honey and grated ginger

Breakfast

1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, add 1/2 tsp raw honey, cinnamon for flavour (optional)

1 scoop protein powder (mix into oatmeal or have with water) OR have small handful nuts

1 tsp ground flax seed sprinkled on top

Snack

4oz yogurt (plain, with active cultures)

1/2 cup berries

1/2 tsp agave nectar or raw honey to sweeten (optional)

Lunch

3-4oz grilled chicken

large green salad OR minestrone soup

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil with lemon and sea salt

Ryevita Crisps (1 serving)

Snack

7-10 whole almonds

1/2 large or 1 small apple (Granny Smith are best)

Coconut water is a great substitute for coffee, as is herbal tea.

If you don't feel like food for a snack - try these ideas instead.

Dinner

3-4oz meat (lamb,chicken,pork or veal)

Steamed broccoli or other green vegetables (1 cup)

Salad (2 cups) -optional , especially if you had salad for lunch.

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil dressing (oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, pepper)

I know you are wanting to know... after a week how did I feel. Overall, I did not feel hungry between meals (often not having a snack or only part of the suggested snack ). Mr. G was happy that he had a plan to follow for meal preparation for me (this made things quite pleasant around meal time ~ instead of the "I don't know what I want, make what you want" followed by pasta again??? and the usual discussion of .......between couples). I know ! I know! Ok the scale went down 3 lbs.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing additional discoveries and insight to a healthier way of LifeStyle eating. Meals are based on the Mediterranean style of eating ~ which was my choice.

NEW YOU ~ Healthy Eating Part 1

I chose fitness (physical & emotional) as a kick start to my re-invention ~ to read first post click here.

Unfortunately fitness alone will not get me to where I would like to be, enter nutrition plan. To keep me focused on my goal I have enlisted the help of a Nutritionist. First we reviewed a list I had kept on my food intake for over a 3 -4 day period. The nutritionist utilized this information to determine my eating habits and required adjustments. Oh … you want to know the results!! ~ smiling~

Based on what I ate it was determined, that I needed to increase my protein and fiber intake and decrease my carb and fat intake. Part of the challenge is my ability to use the stove independently. I have been relying on no-stove required meals = carbs and fatty foods (mainly for lunch) for both ease and maintaining some independence. The meds also are not helping with the weight challenge.

Nutritionist is currently working on a meal plan tailored to my needs, yet using foods I like; I can’t wait to get started. In the meantime here are some tips that I found useful:

- Start the day with water and lemon, w/ ginger (optional) . Water and lemon will get your system moving and ready for the day. Remember to drink water throughout the day.

- Gradually modify your eating habits. This will help you transition to healthier eating, but also reduce the cravings of the not so healthy foods = you are more likely to completely transition without giving up.

- Eat more vegetables and fruits. I really need to work o this.

- Eat your food as close to its natural state as possible. The less ingredients the better ... i.e yogurt: milk ingredients,bacterial,culture ~ if your yogurt has more than these try looking for something else.

- Reduce the amount of processed food you eat. Home cooked is best.

- It is important to know what a portion size is. You may be eating the right healthy foods but your portions may be doing all your hard efforts a disservice.

So what exactly is a portion? Hopefully the image below will help you to streamline your eating.

Remember eating properly is a lifestyle choice not a DIET!!!

What are your eating habits like?

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be healthy and fit?

Get Fit ~ No Diet or Exercise

Getting back into shape is not about dieting and exercising !

It's really about LifeStyle - for any fitness program to work it must be able to easily be incorporated into your daily life. An overall fitness program address physical, mental, emotional and nutritional fitness. Here is what I am planning to incorporate into my life to achieve my overall fitness goals:

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Gym - increase my Cardio and build up my strength - 2-3 times per week

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Restorative Yoga ~  bring my body back into balance - 1-2 times per week

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Meditation ~ still my mind - at home  upon waking up and before going to sleep -daily. Instructor led meditation - 1 per week (still looking for a local class to attend).

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Nutritionist ~ establish proper eating habits - intial consult and follow ups as required


What are your suggestions for staying fit and healthy?

Getting Fit “one Day at a time” OR “one Outfit at a time…”

One of the big challenges I face each time I go to put some pre-accident clothes on I think the laundress or dry cleaner must have “shrunk” them on me! Then I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror – and I realize nope, the clothes aren’t shrinking, I have expanded. This is usually followed by a good cry and wonderment of where my body went? How is it that I went from a size 3/4 (sometimes 2), well toned 113 lbs, to now a size 8 (sometimes 10) and not so toned 130lbs.

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The answer is not rocket science, I know, but it does not make it easier to digest. It’s been almost 4 years since the accident and the only source of fitness I have been able to keep up with is the stretching experiences that are mostly completed in a laying position. Last year Rehab Girl and I tried the gym route, I was up to 6 minutes on the recumbent bike (a far cry from the 45 minutes/1hour I was use to) and the exercises Physio had set up on the machines was going well. Rehab Girl even managed to get me in the pool (I’m not a swimmer – probably because I do not know how to swim) - but I gave it a try, and it wasn’t too bad, until I got a glimpse of me in a bathing suit (one piece of course – my bikini days are gone now) and couldn’t believe I was going in the pool. The fitness was interrupted by some surgery and it’s been difficult to get back to it on a regular basis.

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After an inspiring conversation with an old shopping friend a couple weeks back , N- suggested that I take a new approach and to start with a trip to Winners and lululemon for some new work-out clothes. Her theory that if I look good – I will be more inclined to make it out the door. Not being one to argue with a “Well Heeled” fashionista (Gosh I miss those days) - After some discussion this is what we agreed would be appropriate:

- Two sport bras and two T-shirt bras (nude, black, and white)
- 6 workout Ts – some tank
- 2 pairs of flared bottom yoga pants
- 2 pairs of Capri style work-out pants
- 2 warm sweat suits – to go to and from the gym

- 2 light weight sweat suits – to go to and from the gym

- Comfortable workout shoes

- A smart tote to carry my stuff back and forth to the gym

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I will go through my existing wardrobe and make a list of missing items from list above. I’m liking this already!!!

This week I’m going to start back – I’m preparing myself – I’m not setting any expectations or making any specific goals other than building up my visits to the gym 3-4 times a week by the end of August. Rehab Girl will accompany me the first few times to get me back on track.

I'll check keep you posted on my progress!!!