Category Archives: Weight Goals

Lunch time fake-out: One Lunch IS enough


Posted by katiebird

Once again, it’s lunchtime and I finished eating about 1/2 hour ago. So why am I still hungry?

I have a pseudo-belief that my body wants to hang onto every ounce it’s got. And so, whenever it gets the chance it settles on a plateau and hangs on for all it’s worth. And it’s frustrating, discouraging, to hit one. It just doesn’t seem fair to put so much effort into watching what I eat and get (what seems like) nothing in return.

So, I was thinking about my diet plateau this morning — but in a good way for once. It occurred to me that this 3 week plateau isn’t such a bad thing to experience: Now I have a pretty good idea how much I have to eat to maintain my weight. That there isn’t room for deep fried treats like apple fritters (650 calories!) But there is room for the odd slice of bread with dinner.

And I was thinking about those numbers I wrote about yesterday. And that if I want to listen to what they’re trying to tell me, I’ll get a pretty good idea of what I need to do to jump-start my weight loss again.

Because it just wouldn’t be that hard to make significant changes:

  1. Walk 1 extra mile (for almost 100 calories)
  2. Don’t eat that piece of bread with dinner
  3. No more graham crackers

pseudo-belief

That’s it. If I just do that everyday, I’ll start to lose weight. Except that my body REALLY doesn’t want to give up a single ounce.

What is your lunch time fake-out?


Commitment by the Numbers


Posted by katiebird

The first number is 165 — I haven’t gained or lost any weight to speak of for weeks. Every morning this number is one of the first things I see. And, in a sense, I’m getting sick of it. On the other hand, it’s not 170. That would make me much more than sick.

1,750 the next number — the number of calories in 1/2-pound. When I was gaining that 1/2-pound a week, this was the critical number. That or 250, the number of calories I was overeating every day.

And those are seriously puny numbers. Tiny, tiny mistakes that added up to 15 pounds over those 30 weeks when I wasn’t being quite as obsessive about my eating habits.

Hanging on

0 — not such a bad number, all things considered. Not great — but I see it as a reasonable compromise. And a reminder that this weight control thing is possible. I mean, zero pretty much proves I’m controlling something. Doesn’t it?

So today I had lunch. It was a tasty sandwich (with piles of romaine lettuce & tomatoes) and baby carrots (from Aldi — not woody in taste or texture) and you’d think it would be filling. But, I’m still starving. It shouldn’t be possible. But, I’m really (even after typing all this) really hungry.

After dithering around for a while, I went out to find a little something (maybe a roll?) to eat. But, as I walked up the street, I thought about the number of calories in a roll (not even a pastry) — and it could easily be a couple of hundred calories. It would certainly be over a hundred calories.

And I started thinking about the power of small numbers. And the cost of those tiny numbers. And whether I had lasting pleasure of any of those other snacks I had during the months when my weight was creeping up 1/2-pound a week.

I turned the corner — away from the bakery and the tempting shops.

And I kept walking.


Weighty political considerations


Posted by katiebird

Have you noticed that politicians in general, and several in particular, are getting a whole lot more careful about their weight ?

The former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, unloaded a whole lot of weight, and even campaigns for president on the idea that his single-mindedness on this issue presages an ability to concentrate on what’s really important for the country.

Panting for Power?

Bill Clinton took flak for years about jogging– to Micky D’s. And then there’s Al Gore, who is said not to be planning to run next year because he’s let his weight go up again. Barack Obama is seen on the beach, and his pretty well-developed pecs noted. Governor Richardson is running, but deemed not quite ready for prime time because he’s packing a few too many pounds. A lot of people think Newt Gingrich’s face is too round for a president. Even Hillary, rumor has it, covers up legs that are not as shapely as she might like with those pantsuits. And Dennis Hastert probably lost his position as much because of being super-sized as anything else.

So, what does this mean ? The American people seem to have become down-right tolerant of plus-size people– as long as they aren’t major politicians. No more Wm. Howard Tafts ( http://www.doctorzebra.com/prez/z_x27fat_g.htm ) on the horizon, EVER.

It’s all about body image and self-esteem, isn’t it ? But does that mean we’re shallow ? No, I don’t think so. Perhaps inately we know that people who are to have weighty responsibilities need to have better health to withstand their stresses. We here also understand that the “heroin chic” or “Twiggy” looks of yesteryear are simply unhealthy. No bulemics or anorexics need apply. [Read More . . .]  Continue reading →