My Weight Loss Tips
This is a post for those of you who opened my blog this morning, saw "Aquinas", thought "it is too darned early for this krep" and decided to go read something else. FWIW, I don't blame you. That post was borne out of caffeine, insomnia and that long-dormant college rumination gene.
So, on to lighter fare. Literally.
I'm not officially dieting, but I've--as of today--lost 36 pounds. I was talking about this with some friends of mine at church, and decided that I'd do a brief post on my non-diet diet tips.
I am 36 years old. The first diet I went on was when I was 11. I've been on any number of diets since then, but last July I decided I'd never diet again.
I still wanted to lose weight if possible, but more than that I wanted to be healthy. The drawback to this gig is that I don't have the dramatic "Hey! I lost 8 lbs. this week!" types of victories, but I do finally feel as though I've internalised healthy thinking. In other words, I can live my life like this.
So here, in a nutshell, are the few things I have done over the course of the last 6 months.
1. Cut out caffeine
I went from about 6 cokes a day to none. Since they were regular Cokes, this also helped with the calories in a big way.
2. "Tithe" my food.
No, I don't offer it to idols, so there's not that danger. But I figured that if we're supposed to give 10% of everything to God, it might help me shape up if I left at least 10% of my food on my plate. Some meals this goes up to 50%, but I generally don't clean my plate anymore.
3. Go to the bathroom on a different floor.
I counted one day and realised that this burned an EXTRA 200 CALORIES each day. Of course, I have a kidney disease so I go to the bathroom a lot. But whatever. It's still a good idea.
4. Do ONE healthy thing each day.
I've been on enough diets to know that they tell you to eat the pyramid, get an hour's intense exercise, cut out caffeine and basically forego all of life's minor pleasures in pursuit of some nebulous goal called "health". Unlike the good people in this world, I have no desire to be 'healthy' if it means I've spent my entire life enslaved to a treadmill and a pile of carrots. So I decided to just do ONE healthy thing each day. Eat an extra serving of vegetables. Skip dessert. Exercise. I pick one. Some days I pick two or do all three. But I don't force myself to be ruled by my health regimen. I know me. I'd never stick to it otherwise.
5. No carbs before 3:00pm unless eaten with protein.
6. Rules were made to be broken
I will have the very occasional coke, or spend a day now and then not doing anything healthy. If you put the world's best lasagne in front of me, I'll eat it all and forego the 10% rule. But it's only occasionally. I figure that's the price to pay for staying on track.
This is the most fun I've ever had, and the best I've ever done on any weight control/health control thing. I highly recommend inventing your own thing.
posted by Kat Coble @ 12:10 PM
16 comments
16 Comments:
Congratulations. These are great tips. Having lost the weight of a couple of fourth graders (that still freaks me out) your advice is very hopeful.
Just one add from me, I cut out a ton of fried food.
I'm southern. Yikes. But it helps and when I want something fried these days, I count it as a "treat" but I find it sort of grosses me out now.
I was read the riot act by my doctor early in December. I had one bad blood sugar reading -- it's not officially diabetes until you get that second test, and so I'm trying to get some things to change between now and my followup appointment in March.
Like you, I'm trying to use guidelines rather than a hard-and-fast diet, and, like you, I'm trying to give myself permission to splurge when the occasion calls for it.
My parents gave me a year's membership to our local rec center for Christmas. I thought I'd hate it, but I've actually enjoyed it. I work out for a while in the fitness room, listening to MP3s, and then I go and goof off in the pool. I'm really not active enough to count the swimming as exercise, although that may come in time; right now it's just my reward for what I do in the fitness room.
So far, I seem to be losing at a slow, responsible pace. Hopefully, I can keep this up.
I've just recently started beginning each day with a "green drink." I've never been one to eat breakfast so the fact that I'm getting morning nourishment is a great improvement already. I take some soy milk, a whole banana, about a tablespoon of flax seeds and a serving of "super greens" powder (there are several different brands out there, can't remember off the top of my head which I got but it was the only one the local health food store had, just google "supergreens" to see the health benefits), and blend it all up. All you taste is the banana so it tastes good and it's fast and easy. I'm not trying to lose weight (I could stand to lose just a little around my belly, but I look slim to anyone who sees me with a shirt on), just benefit my health in general, but one of the many benefits of the supergreens is that they make your body more alkaline (like it's supposed to be) which in turn reduce the amount of excess fat produced (one reason the body produces fat is to protect itself from acid). We'll see how it goes.
That's awesome progress. Please tell me... how on earth did you kick the Coke habit??? That's killing me at the moment, and I just can't seem to quit. Caffeine isn't the issue - I can drink the decaf version, but just can't seem to stop drinking the stuff.
"1. Cut out caffeine..."
BACK! Spawn of Satan!
Seriously, these are wonderful ideas (except for the caffeine part). I could do many of them.
I don't want to alarm you, but the "tithe" is straight out of Gwen Shamblin's book.
You'll have to explain the science of number 5 to me, I don't understand.
I am the king of weight loss; just wait what happens the next few weeks. I've also been able to keep it off for years at a time. Where I run into trouble is when I go on vacation. The "rules" go out the window, and I continue this behavior when I return home. It happens EVERY time.
So, no more vacations for me, unless you want to tag along and help me behave!
ohmygosh!!! that's so fantastic!!!!! I like your 6 tips, and I have to keep to them, especially the "Rules are meant to be broken one" which I wholeheartedly agree with you on - depriving yourself of an occasional treat is worse than catering to cravings now and then. Your body stays satisfied and therefore doesn't seek out even more ways to overcompensate.
Congratulations, SO awesome!!!!!
Kat,
I am so happy for you!
It isn't just the caffine, it is the sugar and sodium in the cokes that causes weight gain.
Yay! Keep it up... and I think I'm going to add 'tithing my food' to my plan.
wow. Great job Katherine. I salute you for giving up the caffeine. That's a hard thing to do, but I think you'd find that it represents a big chunk of your caloric intake. Good other tips, too. I like the "food tithe" idea. Erin and I pack the food away to the fridge before we eat dinner. This discourages after dinner munchies and second helpings (and makes sure we have leftovers). Kudos!
jason
How did I quit caffeine? I cheated.
If any of you have to quit caffeine, I highly recommend being hospitalised for three days on high doses of morphine and anesthesia.
With that stuff in your system, kicking the caffeine is comparatively easy. ;-p
Slarti,
That doesn't surprise me about Shamblin's book. I did read it once upon a time, and it probably hung around my brain from then. I hate that she turned out so darned wicked.
Good job, Kitty.
I especially like how you've done it on your own terms.
Hello, my name is sara and I am a sugar addict.
You can have all the caffiene and carbs and large portions, but you will have to pry the processed sugar and high sucrose corn syrup from my cold dead hands.
Seriously, the sugar monkey is holding me hostage. Congratulations on making your own changes and your own rules!
For those of y'all "rolling your own," I would also highly recommend adding fiber (or as K-Co would say, "fibre") to your diet however you like... whether in fruits or Kashi bars or my all-time new favorite Fiber-One Bars - they're like candy, only under 150 calories and NINE grams of fiber. For those of you counting folks, that's two points.
Anything high fiber a)keeps you feeling fuller longer after you eat it and b)gives you less time to read and more time to exercise (if you know what I'm saying.)
great job kat!
Though I am with slart on the caffeine give up, lol. I don't think I'd be able to give up my coffee...ever. You're a stronger woman than I. Wait, crap, I mean...
I really like the tithe idea. I've lost some weight - enough to feel more comfortable in my clothes now - but I'd like to lose some more. Your post was inspiring and I thank you :)
Congrats on your weight loss!
I stand in awe! : )
The thing with Shamblin is that her weight loss method was reasonable as that, a weight loss method. The problem came when she got all obedience driven and so focused on the loyalty of her "followers". She went way off the deep end.
I've said it once, and I'll say it again...don't be surprised to find the Brentwood police, TN state patrol, and FBI all hunkered down around her church in Brentwood one of these days. Sooner or later, the sh!t is going to hit the fan over there. It'll be Waco - Brentood style.
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