The Other Side of The Twinkie Diet

I sincerely hope everyone reading this understands that my posts are random thought processes- not, I repeat NOT, the end-all-be-all of diet advice. I do not advocate going on an all junk food diet.

I just finished reading this article, one person's professional opinion of the long-term effects of a junk food diet:

http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2010/11/the-twinkie-diet-caution-toxic.html

I agree with the vast majority of the article. If you don't want to read it (you should, it's got some great points), then here's a brief summary:

She basically says that junk food is not food- it's chemicals and sugar and colorings- and that consuming such a diet on a long term basis will wreck havoc on your poor body. She agrees with the basic point the professor was trying to make- that losing weight is all about reducing calories. But, she (and I) want to make sure that people understand that being healthy is not just about "losing weight". It's about creating sustainable habits that will help you live a long, full, happy life. As I mentioned in the last post, how many of us could truly live on just twinkies? Bleah. And, if we could, how long would it take our bodies to start reacting to the fake non-food chemicals we're pouring into it?

The main point I want to hammer home is that we should be smart. Oh, be wise, what can I say more? Don't be afraid of junk food. If you truly want a Twinkie, then by all means, eat a Twinkie. Enjoy it, love it, then move on. Teach yourself to love healthy, wholesome food. The more you truly enjoy eating something, the less of it you will need to feel satisfied. And that's what it's all about- eating less, enjoying more. :)

The Twinkie Diet

I promise I don't get all my facts and opinions from Calorie Count.com. I do, however, get their daily newsletter, and most of the main articles I find very interesting and thought provoking. Here is a link to their featured article for today:

Caloriecount.about.com/

The article features the latest diet craze- the junk food diet. There have been professors and professional people who have lost weight and inches eating only junk food. I find much hope in this kind of research. Not because I want to justify eating nothing but junk, but because it proves that the main component of losing weight is cutting caloric intake. Yes, these guys ate only junk, but they ate reasonable portions of junk. They didn't have a whole box of doughnuts, they had one. Now, I personally, think the idea of eating only junk sounds revolting. Yes, I love junk food. But, have you ever eaten nothing but junk for a while? It makes me feel horribly yucky. After Halloween and Christmas (big candy and sweets time of year) I find myself craving a good, hearty, warm bowl of soup, or maybe a salad. I actually hate the idea of eating nothing but... anything. I crave moderation and variety.

My point is- you can eat anything you want and lose weight, you just have to focus on portion size.

Food for Thought

There was a very interesting article on Calorie Count today. It's all about how food affects our brain, and how our brain controls our food cravings.
What I found the most thought-provoking is the idea that what is "good" for our brains isn't always good for our bodies. The doctor featured in the article believes that we should learn to think of all food as drugs. Some foods give our brains better stimulation than others. So our brain "asks" for those foods, by way of cravings. Which makes me think of my brain as a very young child- no, I don't want carrots, I want candy! I guess then that I can teach my brain that the sugars in carrots will give it the happy feelings it's looking for, it just takes a bit longer than candy.
I don't know, maybe I read it completely wrong. Read the article, decide for yourselves and then tell me what you think. :)

http://caloriecount.about.com

Fleur rants

I think I can. I think I can. We all know the story of the little train, hauling a heavy load up a big mountain. He made it, even though there were some who doubted him. And why was he successful? Because he thought positive.
Our society tends toward negativity. We even go so far as to make fun of people trying to be positive. ("I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog-gone-it, people like me") It's not cool to think nice things about yourself. If you're cool enough, others will think nice things about you, and you can coolly acknowledge them. Do you see what's wrong with this picture?
So, here's my soapbox: You can't take good care of yourself if you don't like yourself. You can't like yourself if you're not nice to yourself. Do you like other people who are mean to you? I thought not.
How does a person learn to like themselves? Start by being grateful. Even if you hate your body, even if looking in the mirror makes you cringe, you can still find something to be grateful for. This is a good time of year to practice, but keep it up all year long. Can you walk? See? Hear? Taste? Smell? Do you have pretty skin? Do you have nice hair? Everyday tell yourself at least one thing about your body that you are grateful for. If it feels too prideful to tell yourself, tell your Heavenly Father. He gave you this body after all. It was a tremendous gift. Ever heard the saying about looking a gift horse in the mouth? Even if you don't believe in God, believe that your body is a gift. You didn't make it, you don't get to slander it.

Once you find that gratitude, it will make it easier to quit saying mean things about yourself. I very much believe in the need to laugh at ourselves. But, don't say ANYTHING about your body that you wouldn't say about your best friend's body. You might laugh about your best friend accidentally dyeing her hair orange, but you would never bad mouth her skin problems. Would you?

Get out of the habit of putting yourself down. When people give you compliments, learn to say "thank you" instead of arguing with them. It may feel totally insincere, and prideful, at first. But, you will get used to it, and then you may just start to believe their compliments. I know that if I build up my courage enough to say something nice to someone, I would much rather hear "thank you" than "oh, you're wrong and here's why".

Losing weight is not going to make you suddenly like your body. Well, maybe for a little while. :) But, then life goes on, and you will start noticing flaws again. It goes back to Forrest Gump- losing weight is just "one less thing". Conversely, if you like your body, it actually makes it easier to lose weight. Go figure.

Living in the moment

Yesterday two of my kids were home sick with fevers. So, of course, we had to have McDonald's for lunch. They don't get McD's very often, so sick days are kind of special.

I was sitting there eating my chicken nuggets and fries and had a realization. I realized I was paying attention to what I was eating, BUT, I was paying more attention to the food that was coming rather than the food that was already in my mouth. It seemed like such a small thing. But, it had a huge impact on me at the moment. If I'm constantly paying more attention to what is coming, rather than what I already have, how much satisfaction can I really get out of life? I was chewing and swallowing quickly so that I could get more in, sooner. I believe that's commonly referred to as "wolfing it down". Didn't satisfy. Go figure.

Not every meal has to be a totally zen, enlightened experience. But, I do need to focus more on what is happening right now. Anticipation can be a wonderful thing. However, the present is all we really have.

Exercise

I realize I haven't said a whole lot about exercise on here, yet. My relationship with exercise is rather rocky, dysfunctional at best. We bought an exercise bike back in 2008, when I started this journey. I would use it religiously for several weeks, then it would sit and gather dust for several more. I also own a treadmill, a fitness ball, several different sizes of weights, running shoes, a handful of workout DVDs. You get the picture. I try really hard to get into a routine. I do great for a little while, maybe a week or two. Then, I get burnt out, get tired, get bored, and so on.

But, I figured something out. I may never get into a set "routine". That's okay. As long as I'm doing something most days of the week, my body will get stronger and healthier. I honestly don't think there's a thing wrong with running some one week, riding the bike the next, using weights a little bit here and there. I'm not trying to become an athlete. I don't want to be a body builder. I just want to be healthy. If that's your only fitness goal, then don't worry about learning to stick to a routine. Heck, all the experts say you have to change your routine up periodically anyway; otherwise your body will get used to it and it won't be as effective.

So, here are the things I like to do. Keep in mind I don't do all these things regularly.

Zumba- My Mom bought me the Zumba DVDs for my birthday and I love them! I look like a totally dorky white girl trying to do latino moves, but it's so much fun. I especially love it when my three little kids do the dances with me. They like to exercise with me, and the dance DVDs are their favorite.

Fitness Ball- This thing is awesome. Mine came with a DVD with several different workouts on it. I also bought a book detailing some different exercises you can do. My kids also love to get out their toy balls and sit on them and do the workouts with me. It makes it all the more fun when somebody falls off theirs. :)

Stationary Bike- Great for watching TV or movies with my hubby.

Treadmill- I haven't quite gotten the hang of this one yet. We bought it at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago. I am trying, but I have a hard time finding the right speed. I keep feeling like I'm going to fall off the thing. I'll keep working on it.

Running- I discovered that I can run. Who knew? I ran my first mile without stopping just this morning. It felt great. I am working my way, slowly, up to a 5K (which is 3.1 miles).

Weights- I use the weights by themselves, and with the fitness ball. They're just good, general tools to have around.

I do not believe you absolutely must exercise in order to lose weight, at least not in the beginning. Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Exercise is wonderful. It lifts your mood, it makes your body work better and look better. But, if you don't learn to eat healthy, all the exercise in the world isn't going to give you the body you want. So, start with your eating habits. Then start in on exercise. Take it slow. Work in some activity here and there. Try different things. You never know, you may find a form of exercise that you really love!

Food Pushers

It's been a fact of life since Eve pulled that first locust and honey casserole out of the fire: Food=Love. Women, especially, are programmed to want to feed the world. We put our hearts and souls into dinner for our family and feel so gratified when they clean their plates and ask for more. Historically, it makes sense. People out working the farms all day felt loved and cared for when they came home to a warm fire and a hot meal. Food is magical. It can warm, comfort and cheer.



In modern times, we have an abundance of food. It's every where! Yet, we still think of it, and use it, the way people did in ancient times. We are gradually learning that there are other things that can warm, comfort and cheer. And we are learning that food really isn't the magical ingredient anyway. The magical ingredient is (and has always been) home, love and safety.

Having realized that, now we are trying to develop a more appropriate relationship with food. So, what do we do with the people around us who still have "old-fashioned" ideas of the magic of food? What do you do when someone insists you try this, that, or the other? Well, for me it kind of depends.

If the pusher is someone in your family, or someone you will encounter frequently, it may be worth it to take them aside and talk to them. Tell them that you are trying to eat healthier and would really appreciate their support. Ask them point blank if they will please stop insisting you try things. If it's someone you don't really know, or will never see again, then stand firm, be as polite as possible and don't worry too much about whether they choose to get offended.

Whatever the situation you can try some phrases like:
"Oh, it looks delicious, but I'm so full from that wonderful (insert food) that I couldn't eat another bite!"
"I would love to, but I've already had your (insert food) and I promised myself I would keep it to one treat tonight!"
"Do you mind if I take it home instead?"

Trying just a little bitty bit and then being very vocal about how great it is often satisfies the pusher. If it's something you know you can't just eat a little bitty bit of, you might have to get a little rude. If they keep insisting, stand your ground. Look them in the eye, say "No, thank you" and go find someone else to talk to. I find that looking people in the eye tends to have the most impact. Then, they know you're serious. If it's someone you really can't afford to offend- like your boss's wife or whatever- you may just have to try some of whatever they're offering. Then, go home and do an extra 20 minutes on the treadmill. Asking to take some home is often the best method for getting out of sticky situations. They are usually thrilled to send some home with you, and you don't actually have to eat it. If it's something you really want, but know you shouldn't eat, it would be best to drive by a dumpster on the way home.

Isn't that terrible? Why do we sometimes have to stoop to deceiving people in order to stay healthy? I honestly think it is rude to insist someone eats something when they have said no. If someone truly cares about you, they should respect what you are trying to do for your body.

People do tend to be more respectful of medical-sounding reasons. "I really shouldn't have that cake, my blood sugar was a little high this morning." or "My blood pressure has been worrying my doctor, I think I'll pass on the chips" etc. I don't advocate lying, but a little creative stretching of the truth is sometimes necessary for getting out of pushy situations. Find out if anything runs in your family. High blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and so on. Use those as reasons for passing on unhealthy food. (side note: you really should find out if you are at risk for any of those things anyway)

What do you think? Anybody have any suggestions or tricks that have worked for them?