Routine Maintenance

I recently was reading some comments on dietgirl about the difficulty of maintaining weight loss, and most of the people were expressing a great deal of frustration and resignation. Its totally easy to understand where these folks are coming from -- the lack of support and information about healthy weight maintenance is definitely a pet peeve of mine. At the same time, a lot of what the bloggers were saying had to do with the fact that its 'easier' to lose weight. So, let me posit something here. My guess (based on personal experience) is that sometimes we think (at least some aspects of) weight loss are easy because we feel we're doing something that's temporary. So saying no to that donut, turning down Mom's special stuffing, skipping the office outing -- these are all things that we can do... at least once. Going for a mile run, taking the stairs, parking the car farther away -- again, things that we can do... at least for now. Joining a program, keeping a food log, participating in a support group -- definitely doable ... for this week, anyway. Skipping dessert? Pushing your exercise boundaries? Engaging in new introspective meditation? Well, you get the picture. But what happens the first time you wake up really tired and cranky and are hankering for a chocolate sundae? What happens to that exercise program when the weather goes bad, our ankles start to hurt, or we miss watching our favorite TV program. How many times can you say no to food offerings, especially from relatives, especially during the holidays? Can we really practice that kind of discipline for ever and ever and ever? Well, maybe YOU can. But not me. I don't have the heart (or the stomach) for cutting out all of my favorite foods, and while I like taking stairs, there are times when I'd rather ride the escalator. I enjoy biking to work, but I'm not above using my car when necessary. Last week, I skipped my regular LONG weekend run because, well, because I just FELT LIKE IT! This morning at Peets, I gave in to scone-mania and just HAD one! My food journal, meticulously kept from November to March, has all kinds of gaps and holes and missing days in April. But STOP! I have good news. No. Really. The fact is, that we don't have to be perfect. We don't have to always turn down food, and we don't have to always say yes to exercise. In fact, to be a maintainer, we don't actually have to MAINTAIN! Here's what I'm driving at. If you do temporary things to lose weight, you might lose weight temporarily. To lose weight and maintain that loss for the long haul, you don't have to keep doing everything you did at the beginning, so long as you continue to introduce new behaviors. Let's face it, until the 'cure' comes along, all we really have to do for maintenance is find a mixture of things that we can stick with, one day at a time, who's effect is to balance our caloric intake with our caloric expenditure. Its not only impossible to keep 'dieting' forever, its not worth it! So the food and/or exercise that works for you today, only has to work for you today. It might work tomorrow, and the day after, but I can pretty much guarantee it won't work forever. So each day, we just have to be open to the idea of something different. We might only end up adopting one or two new things every month or so. But week after week, year after year, we need a variety of strategies that help us feel free, in control and successful. Its a tall order. But life isn't a still photo. Its an organic, ever-changing process. So stick with it, keep an open mind, and (most of all) send in your suggestions!

Hurry Up, Relax!

Over dinner tonight my friend Richard and I talked a little about guided imagery and the value of using one's mind to its fullest potential. Now I can't vouch for the science of visualization, but I can say from my personal experience that it has helped me immensely. Our conversation even reminded me that I have some tracks on my iPod that I haven't been listening to enough lately. When I got home, I clicked on my iTunes to look at the playlist, and realized that every one of the visualizations I've downloaded is about anxiety! I guess that says a fair amount about what I'm focused on these days. Richard's a fan of Belleruth Naparstek, who's "Guided Imagery for Anxiety" I checked out of the library a few weeks ago. When I returned that one, I searched through the card catalogue and grabbed another audio from Susie Mantell , who's mantra is to "give yourself a present" of a half hour's peace. Both of these are pretty good, although I have trouble creating a quiet, peaceful, gently lighted space in which to listen. Also for free, I also downloaded through iTunes something called "Meditation Station" which I like because its short and sweet (about 8 minutes.) It seems that so much of my overeating stems from being anxious and tired that the two best things I could do for myself in the coming week would be (1) to listen to these tracks a few time while (2) resting up. Heaven knows, I've been trying to stuff down my anxiety and sleepiness with sweets and crackers the past few days, and that hasn't been terrifically effective. In fact, that kind of eating generally just leads me to feel even more stressed out. The irony, of course, is that relaxation isn't something that comes naturally to me, but rather is something I have to plan for and practice. Its just as unlikely that I'll take the time to be calm and collected if I don't schedule it, as it would be for me to eat healthy if my fridge didn't have the right stuff in it. In fact, there's no time like the present. Ohm.

Energy In, Energy Out, Result

The other day Devin wanted to stop in to Jamba Juice to grab a smoothie. I wasn't hungry, but since that never stops me, I decided to keep myself busy by looking around the display shelves while he placed and waited for his order. That's how I came across a binder which displayed all of the nutritional information for their various smoothies and snacks. Wow. Back in 1999, I used to take a very rigorous step aerobics class at a gym in Silicon Valley that I enjoyed a lot. The instructor was very motivational, the class was 50 minutes long, the music and moves were a lot of fun, and it was HARD! Every day after class, I would stop across the street at Jamba Juice and get a smoothie ... always the same one. Often I would accompany the smoothie with a protein bar. It was a long and annoying drive home, by which point I would always feel 'hungry' again and then would proceed to eat a big dinner (after all, I had just worked out!). So, as you've probably guessed, in looking at that book the other day, what I discovered was that my favorite large smoothie turns out to have 490 calories! And along with a 250 calorie protein bar, I was essentially eating within about five minutes about half of my daily caloric needs! Now, if I was working out, clearly I was offsetting some of that. But thinking back, even weighing over 200 pounds, doing 50 minutes of cardio was probably not 'earning me' 750 calories. (And yes, I've used those cardio machines at the gym that have a calorie readout. But personally, I don't really believe those things.) My general rule of thumb is this -- I run a mile in about 10 minutes. And I probably burn about 75 - 100 calories max to run that far (I know, you'd think it was more). Being generous then, I was 'earning' 500 calories .... and then eating/slurping 750. Amazing. A SURPLUS of 250 calories! No wonder that I kept thinking I was gaining weight by exercising! But I have to hand it to Jamba Juice. That nutrition book is right out there in the open. Its not like I couldn't have checked before. So now, after a nice, long workout, I enjoy a big, tall, glass .... of water.

An Apple is Not a Popsicle

Last night when I got home from my second job, I immediately thought about grabbing something sweet from the fridge for a little post-work comfort (it wasn't about hunger, because between shifts I'd had a delicious mixed green salad and a small container of fat free cottage cheese). As I was walking in the door, my mind first set upon the popsicles that I had bought the other day. But as I reached the kitchen, my eyes came across the 'pink lady' apples that I had piled in the fruit bowl next to the sink, and I thought 'well, that at least would be something healthy and nutritious.' Here's the thing -- that apple was delicious. I don't know where a fresh, organic apple comes from in April (South America?) but it wasn't like some of the mealy, stale apples I had been getting from Costco. But I swept through that apple like the mongol hordes and made short work of it. It had a crisp, sweet taste, a pleasing texture and was just the right size. Very satisfying. And then I had the popsicle. Because this is the reality -- not all food choices are about 'healthy alternatives.' Sometimes, there is a comfort factor in food that is completely apart from the nutrition facts of protein, fat and carbs. I wish I could figure out how to know when I 'need' a little comfort food, versus when I could make a different kind of choice (a healthier food, going for a walk, petting the dog, etc.). But I'm still on the learning curve. Even after doing this for four years. Now, I realize that having an apple AND a popsicle isn't the end of the world, and isn't what's caused me to gain more than a pound this week. In all likelihood, the popsicle may have had less calories than the pink lady! But I AM aware of the fact that in order to maintain my weight loss I need to balance my energy-in, energy-out equation and any time I am eating food that isn't satisfying my 'needs' I risk putting that measurement out of kilter. Its crucial for me to figure out what things I can eat that will work for me, what alternative activities other than eating will work for me, and when I need to simply go for the chocolate without regrets. Because no matter how hard I might try to think otherwise, an apple is NOT a popsicle.

Cooking with Gas

I have always loved eating, as long as I could remember. But I have never gotten the great pleasure from assembling and preparing food that I hear others so often express. My kitchen does not feature a single cookbook or recipe card. I have relatively few cooking 'gadgets' and my cabinets contain no spice rack. My refrigerator contains no less than four bottles of cooking sauces, as yet unopened, that I received as Christmas presents. As a result, I have a limited and somewhat repetitious reperetoire of foods. Fortunately, most everything I make/assemble/cook has some nutritional basis, as I at least pretend to include a proper mix complex carbs, proteins and healthy fats. But I'm not sure I could entice anyone with the daily salads, veggie burgers, and veggie stir frys that I throw together. I'll admit that it occasionally leads to boredom and disatisfaction. But the for the most part, my pattern of 'cooking' fits my lifestyle because I do things that are quick, easy and involve very few ingredients. I can't say just why, but every time I see a list of ingredients, their measurements and a paragraph about cooking times and temps, my eyes glaze over. Even (or perhaps especially) when accompanied by a mouth-watering photograph, these recipes just turn me off. (Even the most delicious meal I've ever prepared looked nothing like anything I've ever seen in a cookbook). Perhaps this is a prejudice I need to get over. There's a whole host of experts who say that variety is key to sustaining one's interest in anything (exercise, work, family life, etc.) and food is no different. I do have set of measuring spoons (somewhere) and a decent assortment of pots and pans and cutting utensils. If only I knew where to find patience and inspiration.