Another Wasted Year

I've said this before I know, but one has to wunder why I keep this blog. Well I guess because I keep hoping that eventually I will get that motivation again to try and get this weight off of me and, besides, I like blogging.

And I will say I did so much better this year blogging than all the other years put together, so I am kind of proud of myself in that aspect...even though in the end it was the blog about nothing. haha

But there is always 2017 and those 50 tips I blogged about. So bring it on.

This Month

Yeah...this hasn't been one of my better months blogging wise. Probably because I haven't even tried, blogging or losing weight. Still, considering all the years I've been blogging this, I have done much better this past year than ever, even if I have nothing to show for it. Ah well...there is always 2017.

And I do need to do something about my weight, for numerous reasons.  This past Friday night found me in the ER for pain in my abdomen.  They did a CT of it and while it didn't show why I was having the pain (like non-stop labor pain!), the CT did show other things that I want my PCM to look at and see what I need to do, besides lose weight of course. Interesting all the things a CT shows...I was kinda surprised the doctor in the ER didn't point them out and suggest I go see my doctor. 

Anyway, it was enough to get me to make an appointment. 

Only 4 more days until another new year.

Last But Not Least, Diet Tips #41 - 50 (With An Extra Thrown In)

41) Enlist your family. (He's actually the worst sabotager of it...)

You're about to embark on a major project, and you will need the help of those closest to you. If your kids and your spouse love junk food, plan with them how they can store it and eat it away from you, says Platkin. Also, plan with your family how to make meals healthier.

 

42) Anticipate setbacks.  (Like every week?)

There will be weeks when you don't lose any weight. There will be weeks when you gain. "You will reach a plateau as your body continues to adjust and adapt to the change," says Platkin. "This is normal. This is OK." If you expect this to happen, you'll be better able to stay on track. Forget what the needle says today: Focus on your long-term goals.

 

43) Eat more. (I do believe this.)

Yes, that sounds crazy, but denying yourself a food will only make you crave it more. Studies show that overweight people who add healthy fiber from leafy greens, beans, and sweet potatoes ended up reducing their calorie intake by 18% and lost over 5 pounds in a few months. So instead of depriving yourself, add in healthy foods first and your desire for junk will decrease.

 

44) Choose the right starch.

Throwing an under-ripe banana into a smoothie, eating cold potatoes, or putting a cup of lentils in your soup will add so-called resistant starch to a meal. This special starch is a type of fiber the body can't convert to calories. Research suggests that resistant starch reduces belly fat, makes you feel full, improves insulin function, and helps lower the risk of diabetes.

 

45) Spice up your life.

Capsaicin, a compound found in hot peppers like cayenne, helps boost metabolism, and that will help burn calories (and also help with asthma). Studies also suggest hot spice in food can tamp down your appetite.

 

46) Sip some green tea. (Which tastes like grass. Yuck. No thanks.)

Like chilies, green tea helps you feel satisfied and sates appetite. Plus, it keeps you hydrated and alert. One study found that obese study participants who did nothing but add green tea to their diets lost an additional 11 pounds, compared with a control group, after just 8 weeks—plus they burned 183 more calories per day. The researchers suspect that green tea helps boost metabolism and burn fat throughout the day.

 

47) Don't clean your plate. (This is really something I do...not cleaning my plate I mean.  And I have two willing accomplices, aka Bob-the-Bulldog and CaliGirl, that are more than happy to take my leftovers.)

Many of us grew up learning not to waste food. "That's a difficult thing to forget," says Bainbridge. "But it doesn't mean you need to be the family garbage disposal when your kids don't finish their dinner." If tossing out food is anathema to you, wrap it up and put it away, she suggests. "Tell yourself you'll have it tomorrow. When tomorrow comes and you take it out, chances are it will be unappetizing and you won't want it," she says.

 

48) Sip between every bite.

Bainbridge suggests slowing everything down so your body has time to feel satisfied. You can put your fork down and count your chews—which some research suggests helps shed pounds. Or take a sip of water (or wine) every few bites.

 

49) Back away from the table.

Finished your serving? Get up and go refill your glass. Throw your napkin over the plate. Push your chair back and engage in conversation. Fullness will set in—just wait and watch.

 

50) Choose fun that isn't food-based. (Sure because knitting sounds so much more fun than eating.)

If you like baking, trivia at the pub with grub in front of you, or dinner out with friends, try to find new activities minus the food, suggests Bainbridge. "If you find something that keeps you busy, like knitting, bird-watching, walking, or talking to friends on the phone, you'll find that you can engage in something and not need to eat," she says.

 

51) Take a break.

Food is a great distraction, especially junk food. (This is what happens to your body on junk food.) Sometimes instead of taking a break, we reach for candy or something sweet and comforting. Heather Bainbridge asks her clients to take a break from work, go for a walk, and ask yourself, do you really need the convenience food or do you just need a break? "More often than not, they just need a break. They don't need the food, and they perform better both at work and on their weight loss plan."

And there you have it.  Most of these really are doable...just have to get in that mindset.

Diet Tips 31 - 40

31) Eat protein for breakfast. (If I could talk myself into even making myself breakfast.)

A study in the Journal of American Clinical Nutrition found that a high-protein breakfast made people feel more satisfied and fuller for a longer time than a high-carbohydrate breakfast did.

32) Don't forget protein at lunch or dinner.

Try spreading your protein intake throughout the day—it's better for your metabolism and will help you feel full for a longer period of time, according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition. Put chicken or turkey in your salad at lunch, and have a palm-size piece of meat at dinner.

33) Eat strategically.

"The order you eat your food matters much more than you'd suspect," says Aronne. His advice: Eat produce and protein before you eat carbs. He and his research team recently published a paper in Diabetes Care that found blood glucose levels were 36% lower an hour after eating when people followed this pattern. Plan your meals accordingly.

34) Choose al dente carbs.

When you prepare high-carbohydrate foods like pasta or rice, cook them slightly underdone. "This will slow down absorption into the body," says Aronne. "You won't have the blood-sugar spikes, which means you'll feel full longer."

35) Understand food labels.

"You need to look at serving size versus container size," says Cheskin. For example, a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola contains 2.5 servings. "Stick to the serving size when you snack rather than eating the whole package, and you'll be a lot better off."

36) The kitchen closes after dinner. (One of my biggest problems)

After a long day of making decisions, your brain is whipped by nighttime. That's when you're likely to sabotage your weight loss efforts with poor food choices. "Snacking after dinner is a problem," says Aronne. "In general, we should try not to eat after dinner and just aim for a good night's sleep." A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that late-night eating often leads to weight gain. In fact, the nighttime eaters gained nearly 14 pounds in the study.

37) Brown bag it. (Another problem. In the mornings I am just not thinking food; I am thinking: get dressed, get dogs outside, put on make-up, make coffee, get to work. Once in a great while I might remember to bring leftovers (which, come to think of it, I could have today. Dang it!) )

Bringing lunch (like one of these quick lunch recipes) means you're in control, says Platkin. In a year-long study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietics, overweight women who went out to lunch weekly gained, on average, 5 pounds more than those who ate out less frequently.

38) Stop skipping meals. (Another problem because usually in the mornings I'm not hungry. And I do skip lunch a lot.)

While it seems that not eating would equal fewer calories, the opposite is true. The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics study found that dieting women who skipped meals lost, on average, 8 fewer pounds than women who ate consistently. "When you skip meals, the body goes into starvation mode," says Aronne. "It not only holds on to fat, it primes the brain to seek out high-calorie foods to protect itself."

39) Purchase snack-size baggies.

If impulse control is a problem when you open a bag of snacks, try portioning out single-serving containers, suggests Bainbridge. That way when you reach for a snack, you won't overdo it or suffer a setback.

40) Take a long hard look at yourself. (This is something I really do need to do. Really.)

When Lawrence Cheskin sees patients in his clinic, he asks them to look at their lifestyle, their habits, and their history of weight loss. He encourages them to consider their happiness, relationship to food, stress, and patterns of eating. (Here are 8 helpful tips from nutritionists that you should know.) "It's important to understand what works for you," he says. "Weight loss is a very individual thing, and only you know exactly what's happened that caused success and failure in the past."