Fitness Update: Diet Excess Causes Weight Gain

[This article was first published as Meow the Fat Cat Fares Better on Diet on Technorati. Sadly, Meow died after this was written from respiratory complications due to his weight. I was not going to re-post, but since I haven't given a fitness update in two weeks, I thought I would go ahead and run it.]

It's a bit sad when a cat does better on his diet than I do.

Meow the Fat Cat from Santa Fe, New Mexico, has dropped about two pounds since he was dropped off at the Santa Fe animal shelter a few weeks ago where he weighed in at nearly 40 pounds.

Not only that, but he's become somewhat of a celebrity in the last two week traveling to the Big Apple for  guest appearances on the Anderson Cooper show and an appearance on the Today Show where he even met Hugh Grant.

Hmmmm, let's see how my last two weeks have gone–I traveled to Austin, Texas, with a group of high school students for a journalism convention, managed to completely blow my diet by eating Amy's ice cream, some rather excellent salt water taffy from an old timey candy store and topped all that off by some very tasty kolaches from the little Czech Bakery in West, Texas.

As you can see, no weight loss there. Instead, let's post a disappointing one pound weight gain.

I sort of feel like the character Dominick in the Dom DeLuise movie, Fatso when the Chubby Checkers arrive for a food intervention. Called to stop Dominick from blowing his diet, the Chubby Checkers and Dominick manage to go from drinking hot water to hot water with just a touch of honey to a full-fledged, five-alarm food binge.

I think I'm still trying to get all the sugar out of my system.

Perhaps I don't need to be too overly concerned. A recent New York Times article notes that sugar "is enjoying a second act, dressed up as a natural, healthful ingredient" since high-fructose corn syrup is now the new "devil."

OK… so  I figured that was a bit of good news until I finished reading the story that noted that experts found sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are equally bad in excess.

Somehow I think those experts would view the ice cream, taffy and kolaches as excess.

And, I suppose, they would be right since I have that extra pound back to prove them right. Maybe I need to check in to the shelter.

The Skinny About The Fat Cat

[This article was first published as The Skinny About The Fat Cat on Technorati.]

Meow weighing in at the shelter

 

By now many of you have either chuckled over or been mortified by the news stories about Meow, the 2-year-old fat cat at the Santa Fe animal shelter who weighed in at nearly 40 pounds.

And while he doesn't hold the record as the fattest cat on the planet--that dubious distinction goes to Himmy, a tabby from down under, who checked in at almost 47 pounds--Meow is still way over the seven to 12 pound average weight for a cat.

So now he's with a foster family on a special diet, and he's supposed to shed 10 pounds before he can be put up for permanent adoption. His first weigh-in was quite public being duly recorded and photographed. And, as if that wasn't enough, the shelter people said they would post Meow's progress on their Facebook page. So Meow sort of has his own "Frying In His Own Fat" Weight Loss Challenge with public accountability for his weight loss.

10 pounds.

 I still have about 7 1/2 pounds to go, but in solidarity with Meow, maybe I'll make that 10. I think it will be quite a challenge since this week netted zero weight loss, but no weight gain either. Just don't expect me to record my exact weight or photograph the weigh-in process. No siree, Missy.

Howie before going into hiding to avoid weigh-in

However, I did take a gander at my own shelter cat, Howard. He's always been a tad "rubenesque" shall we say (translation: plump) and could stand to lose a few pounds.

I think I'll make Howie join us in this weight loss endeavor and document his progress as well. His weigh-in may have to wait just a bit until I can locate him. I think he caught wind of this latest challenge and promptly hid.

Weight Loss Challenge Nears Goal If Sleep Doesn't Interfere

[This article was first published as Weight Loss Challenge Nears Goal If Sleep Doesn't Interfere on Technorati.]

Since my last fitness challenge update was put in another spot on technorati, some of you may have thought I had given up and jumped onto the bandwagon instead of walking beside it.

Fear not. I'm still at it although weight loss has slowed to a snail's pace with just under a half a pound duly recorded this week. The good news is that I am just 1.5 pounds shy of my original weight loss goal since I started my "Frying-in-my own-fat" Weight Loss Challenge on Aug. 15. Even better news is that I think I'm going to try and lose an additional 5 pounds after I knock off that last 1.5 pounds.

Of course that means I'm going to have to pump it up a notch and be more vigilant. Sadly, Howard the Shelter cat is not helping at all with this endeavor preferring to steal and play with the tape measure, and more or less scoffing at my weight loss attempts.

Despite searching for new articles for weight loss inspiration this week, I find only the same old stuff being rewritten, restudied and regurgitated. According to  recent article, a supposedly "new" study shows a connection between interrupted and lack of sleep to obesity. Both are problems for me, and both ideas we've covered before here.

Apparently an irregular, restricted sleep schedule continued over a year period can amount to more than a 12 pound weight gain.

One of the articles quotes Orfeu Buxton, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who headed the research, as saying, “Getting adequate sleep is what we’re calling one of the three pillars of health: sleep, diet, and exercise go well together, and they interact. If you don’t get enough sleep, it’s hard to get enough exercise. If you’re not getting enough sleep, people eat more food. That causes them to gain weight and make inappropriate food choices — sugary treats and snacks.”

Another "new study" from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine tells us that the secret to weight loss is not through fad diets. According to the article, the secret to weight loss is  "a combination of more exercise, eating less fatty foods and joining a weight loss program. What doesn't work? Popular fad diets, liquid diets, and weight loss pills."

Ya, think?

I think Howard the Shelter cat could have arrived at that result. Apparently, though, those brides-to-be aren't heeding any of the logical weight loss advice with the latest Bridal Hunger Games thing. Instead, they are spending hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of dollars, and using feeding tubes, 800 calorie diets, shots, cleansing juices and such.

Don't these people think someone is going to notice when they mushroom back out to their pre-hunger game size?

I'm not saying that I am completely above this  smoke-and-mirrors approach to weight loss. I'm just waiting for the right one. If anyone ever finds a way to carry around a permanent PhotoShop filter, well then, count me in.

In the meantime, I've got my green tea, 100 calorie packet of dark chocolate almonds and exercise to see me through to my goal.

Fitness Challenge Update: Call Me the Tiger Mom of Nothing

[This article was first published as Call Me the Tiger Mom of Nothing on Technorati.]

Jeepers creepers, I'm not sure how a 7 year old can have weight issues. And, I'm not quite sure how such a thing can get parlayed into a fat little book contract either.

I'm a nice person, and I'm still waiting for a fat little book contract with a major publisher for my book.

Maybe that's my problem.

I'm probably too nice. Maybe.

And perhaps a tad bit too funny. Probably.

And most definitely, I'm not really a "Tiger Mom" of anything,m so I'm probably going to be sitting on my fat behind for quite some time…waiting and waiting and waiting. Just call me Tiger Mom of Nothing.

Apparently you have to be over the top or over the edge or out there on the stratosphere to get noticed anymore.

By now most of you have heard the story of Dara-Lynn Weiss, the New York mom, who put her daughter on a diet and then wrote about it in Vogue magazine. 

Diet doctors were aghast. Others defended her. The end result showed a 16 pound weight loss for the 7 year old over the course of a year and a fat book contract gain for mom.

Now wait just a darn tootin' minute, Missy. I'm down another pound this week.  I've lost 18 pounds since I started my "Frying-In-My-Own-Fat" Weight Loss Challenge. What about me?

But I'm not 7 years old.

I don't have a Tiger Mom.

And I'm pretty sure Vogue doesn't give a rat's behind about me.

After all, I'm just me working on being a little less of me.

Fitness Challenge Update: Easter Bunny Blamed For Weight Gain

[This article was first published as Easter Bunny Blamed For Weight Gain on Technorati.]

We all knew it was a matter of time before I fell off the weight loss bandwagon. Quite frankly I'm surprised I went as long as I did.

This is the first week I posted a weight gain –a half a pound. I realize it's not much of a gain, but a gain is still a gain. And I promised to be truthful in this fitness challenge reporting.

Am I happy about this latest turn of events? No siree, Missy, I am not.

I could make up excuses. I have plenty of them. Part of the blame falls squarely on those emergency chocolate batons I ate last week, or rather inhaled, from the stress of my job.

And yes, I have been under quite a bit of stress lately. So much so that I actually backed into my garage door on my way to work. (Did I mention the van was in the garage and the garage door was closed as I was backing out? Who knew all that glass shattering would make such a racket?) 

But I rather think the Easter bunny should shoulder some of this weight loss gain blame. It's those darn tootin' tasty Cadbury mini-chocolate Easter eggs that appear in drug stores everywhere about this time.

I think maybe three bags of those little guys have appeared in my pantry and disappeared in the past few weeks. For the weight loss challenge (or challenged), the Easter season seems to be a difficult time of year for losing weight with aisle upon aisle of Easter candy.

According to one website, just one solid chocolate bunny contains 890 calories which would equate to more than the caloric intake of two meals for me.

Another site has a cute little slide show illustrating how much Easter candy you can eat at 100 calories. Apparently, I can only eat six of those tasty little Cadbury mini-eggs for 96 calories.

Thus, the problem.

My problem.

At six mini-eggs, I'm barely just getting started.

Darn Easter bunny. If he drops off any more of those eggs, I think we'll be eating rabbit stew. Apparently there's only 159.1 calories in a cup of that.

Fitness Challenge Update: Diet Takes A Spring Break

[This article was first published as Diet Takes A Spring Break on Technorati.}

 

If being a yearbook adviser were a diet or an exercise program, I would be one Skinny Minnie.

Unfortunately, it is not.

While spring break is going full throttle even at destinations in Mexico deemed unsafe by the Texas Department of Public Safety, I find myself drowning in all things yearbook 24/7 because we must turn in all 272 pages now in order to have the yearbook back before the kiddos break for the summer.

Am I having fun over my spring break? No siree, Missy.  Unfortunately, my diet did.

So while spring breakers actually find themselves aligned with dead poets shouting,"Carpe Diem!" I find myself hunched over a computer and muttering phrases not fit for print.  When I should be beefing up my exercise programs because I am "off work," I am online submitting pages.

I've been so stressed with this yearbook thing that I ate my entire box of emergency chocolates that one of my BFFs gave me two weeks ago. ("I think you're going to need them," she foreshadowed.)  And that little box wasn't the cheap stuff either, but my most favorite chocolate–Hotel Chocolate. An entire little box of Caramel Chocolate Batons disappeared faster than you can shout, "I hate yearbook!"

Somehow I don't think that's what the helpful guy meant when he posted a comment a few weeks ago suggesting that I eat smaller and more frequent meals. Somehow I don't think eating a box of caramel chocolate batons fit into that little suggestion.

And yes, I know, I am pathetic.

Still, I did manage to lose a half a pound, but I don't think those caramel chocolate batons had a chance yet to settle on my hips.

I guess we'll find out next week.

Fitness Challenge Update: Those Without Sin Cast The First Chicken Wing

[This article was first published as Those Without Sin Cast The First Chicken Wing on Technorati."

I don't need a scientific survey to tell me that most people lie about how much they weigh. I do it all the time.

It's not because I don't know exactly how much I weigh. I do. It's just I don't really think it's anyone else's business which is why I only report the number of pounds lost for my "Frying-in-my-own-fat Weight Loss Challenge," never my actual weight. To get that little piece of information, my dears, you'll have to have top secret government clearance or send a squad of Navy SEALs or Army Rangers to force an accurate accounting.

So you can see why I don't understand the fuss over whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is lying about losing weight, or whether the First Lady deserves a pass for eating ribs or serving up fattening fair at a Super Bowl party.

In matters of weight and food, let those of you without sin cast the first chicken wing.

Those of us on this weight loss bandwagon work hard to try and eat healthy in our quest to shed our extra pounds, but we do falter in our struggle. I was reminded this weekend that we probably don't have to be so careful after reading a a news article coming out of Canada.  The article resurrects that Twinkie Diet from about a year ago which underscores that weight loss occurs when you use more calories than you take in no matter what you eat including vats of Twinkies. It also revisited that Imagine Diet.

The only thing I know for sure this week is that I really don't have any weight loss to report. I along with the needle on my scale seem to be stuck. (And, yes, I whacked it a few times. Still, a no go.)

And that, my dears, is no lie.

New diet pill promises 10% weight loss

[This article first published as New Diet Pill Promises 10 Percent Weight Loss on Technorati.]

According to a recent article, there's a new diet pill on the horizon--the first to receive tentative approval in more than a decade--that promises a 10 percent weight loss.

Still, there is concern about the drug's side effects. Apparently, the problem is not in creating weight loss drugs, but in creating weight loss drugs without side effects.

According to another news story, the "biggest problem in creating a weight-loss drug is that there appears to be no safe way to turn off one of the human body's most fundamental functions."

Tell me about it. They're talking about that thing that makes our bodies store fat the nano-second we cut back on food. You know, that thing that screams, "I'm starving! Save the fat, save the fat, save the fat!"

Yeah, that thing. Oh, how I hate that thing.

I sure wish losing weight were as simple as popping a pill, but there ain't no easy road to weight loss. No siree, Missy. I struggled like the rest of the fatsos this week increasing my workout intensity and watching my food intake, but not so much as to make that thing scream, "Save the fat, save the fat, save the fat!"

Apparently, I successfully outsmarted that darn tootin' thing as I am proud to report that my scale showed me 1.6 pounds lighter this week.

I suppose if losing weight were easy, 35 percent of the population wouldn't be fat, and we all would be running around looking like Heidi Klum or Brad Pitt.

If only.

Maybe one day someone will find a magic pill that will easily transform us back to that better, smaller version of ourselves. In the meantime, can't you just hear the Project Runway host saying, "One minute your thin and the next minute your fat!"

Thanks, Heidi.

In Search of Team Skinny

[This article was first published as In Search of Team Skinny on Technorati.]

Usually I am not fond of the word "contagious," but according to a new study, losing weight can be contagious.

"This is the first study to show that in these team-based campaigns, who's on your team really matters," lead author Tricia Leahey, Ph.D., of The Miriam Hospital and Alpert Medical School said in news reports. "Being surrounded by others with similar health goals all working to achieve the same thing may have really helped people with their weight loss efforts."

Apparently, weight loss outcomes "were clearly determined by which team an individual was on." 

Clearly, I need to sign up with Team Skinny because this week I was on Team Failure.

Despite my high hopes from the previous weeks, this week found me eating left over Valentine's Day chocolate… and brownies… and extra servings of this and that.

I even went to the movies (a rare treat for me) and got some of that movie popcorn… yep, with the butter… and the salt… and, oh yeah, a hefty portion of guilt. And if my little Fitness Pal calorie counter is correct, I just discovered that small bag of movie popcorn contained 420 calories which is more than I eat for lunch.

So because I'm on Team Failure, I opted not to weigh myself for this update. I figured it would just depress me and send me further into my Emergency Chocolate drawer.

Instead, I've decided to start anew this week with a better resolve and attitude… and if you find Team Skinny, tell them I'm ready for a change.

Fitness Challenge Update: Losing Weight the American Way

[This article was  first published as Continuing Weight Loss the American Way on Technorati.]

Last week found me taking care of some stuff in Colorado, so I opted to give myself a pass for losing weight as long as I didn’t gain any weight.

Still, I managed to lose about a half pound and gain a new found admiration for people who travel all the time. The traveling road is brutal and fraught with too much sugar, fat and salt.  

While I sat in my aisle seat waiting for take off, I was once again reminded the importance of sticking with this frying in your own fat weight loss challenge. A rather hefty woman made her way to the back of the plan with a seat belt extension in hand. I don’t want to ever become one of those people who make the news because they get booted off a plane for being too fat or made to pay for another ticket because they can’t squish their behinds into their assigned seat. No siree, Missy.

Things like that mortify me and make me pray--a prayer of thanks that I never reached that size. A prayer of thanks for God’s blessings and strength to keep this weight loss challenge thing going. A prayer for the hefty woman and whatever baggage she hauls around her.

Traveling also gave me a chance to reflect. Here are a few things I learned on this trip:
#1… Gaining A New Perspective…I flew American Airlines and despite its bankruptcy woes,  everyone with American was very, very pleasant. Not a sour, dour person even when faced with some really, really stupid passengers.
You’re probably wondering what all of that has to do with this weight loss challenge. Well, when I start feeling grumpy (which I do from time to time with this dieting thing), I think of others who are having tougher times than me like those American Airline folks. While I'm worrying about what food to put on the table, they're worrying about how to put food on the table. See what I mean?

#2…Finding Healthy…Although I miss the little snacks we use to get for free on flights (pretzels, nuts, blah, blah, blah) such things aren’t good for my weight loss thing and certainly not good for the seatbelt extender in the back of the plane. I don’t even drink the free sodas on airplanes. (Sodas are bad, remember?) Instead, I drank my overpriced $3.50 Fiji water. For a snack, I even managed to purchase a 130 calorie healthy snack at the airport (some hummus and cucumber slices.) Of course, I had to look past all the fattening stuff, but it can be done, and for once, I finally did it.

#3… Missing Fitness Routines… Being gone made me miss my exercise/yoga regiment. I really did miss it. For the first time, I realized I don't have to talk myself into going anymore. I just don't need to go; I want to go.
So maybe some more pounds will want to go, too, and take a little trip far, far away from my behind.

Seat belt extender? No danger here.

Challenge Update: Start Looking For A Sugar Daddy

[This article was first published as Start Looking For A Sugar Daddy on Technorati.]

Sometimes I think it's just best to ignore some of the stuff that seeps out of California especially San Francisco.

This is probably one of those times, but the buzz coming from over there about this sugar business (The Toxic Truth About Sugar) made more noise across the globe than a roomful of 6 year olds on a sugar rush after a Halloween party.

From the UK to France to Canada to Pakistan, news reports talked about the recommendation by three California researchers that sugar should be regulated. The three advocate controlling sugar sales to anyone under 17 years old and taxing the rest of us for our sugar habit.

If the sugar police had their way, having a Sugar Daddy would take on an entirely new meaning.

Understandably the Sugar Association found this latest report "non-scientific and irresponsible. Others just called the report "idiotic."

If I completely gave up sugar, I'd probably shed my extra poundage pretty speedy quick for my "Frying In My Own Fat" Weight Loss Challenge, but that will never happen. No siree, Missy.

Why? Because I enjoy sugar. I must have milk and sugar in my morning coffee. So that probably makes me a sugar addict and a diary addict and, oh yeah, a coffee addict…and a…

"Hi, my name is Carol and I'm addicted to sugar and milk and coffee… and chocolate and food… and …"

Jeepers creepers, my list is endless… Still, despite my apparent sugar addiction, I'm down almost another pound this week.

Like I said, we probably should just ignore most of that stuff that seeps across the border from California. I do have one thing left to say, though:

I'll give up my sugar packets when you can pry them from my cold, dead fingers.

Can You Weigh Me Now? Weight Fluctuations Cause Stress

(This article was first published as Weight Fluctuations Cause Stress on Technorati.)

I almost gave upon this weight loss challenge this week. I weighed myself and almost tossed the scale shot-put like into the backyard. It showed an increase even though I ate carefully, exercised and avoided all the stuff I wanted to eat.

Hells bells, I even avoided smelling donuts (One can't be too careful, you know. No siree, Missy.) Still, the scale showed an increase. When I picked up the darn tootin' thing to toss, I set the scale down again but in a different location and tried again.

This time It showed a 1.2 pound weight loss. And just to be sure, I sort of acted like the "Can-you-year-me-now" guy in that Verizon commercial except I was holding a scale and saying, "You-can-weigh-me-now."

The same, exact weight loss showed in several locations, so I can only surmise that the initial freak-out occurred because I had set the scale a bit topsyturvy on the tile.

Weight fluctuation apparently is normal. The Internet is filled with reasons why. Blame salt, the weather, hormones--you name it; just Google it.

Still, I probably shouldn't have eaten that tasty cheeseburger and french fries in celebration today of the 1.2 pound loss. In penance, at least I walked 45 minutes and went to my fat yoga class for two hours.

My yoga instructor told me she bought me some Valentine's chocolate that said, "You're No. 1" since I was the first person to sign up when she opened  her studio almost two years ago.

But then she decided that bordered on being a diet saboteur, so she didn't bring it to give to me. Instead, we all had to do extra yoga crunches because she said she ate nachos for lunch. (Like we would notice, since she's the size of a tooth pick.)

Something tells me those yoga crunches had nothing to do with nachos and a lot to do with that chocolate I didn't get. I think I gained two pounds just thinking about it.

I wonder how much thoughts weigh?

Fitness Challenge Update: Weighing In on the Plus Size Controversy

[This article was first published as Weighing In on the Plus Size Controversy on Technorati.]

Like most weeks of this weight loss challenge, I struggled.

First I struggled with the idea that apparently a size 6 is now a plus-size. At least in the fashion world. Who knew?
According to the January issue of PLUS model magazine, the average plus-size model 10 years ago was between a size 12 and 18. Now, the magazine claims plus-size models are between a size 6 and 14.
And as if that wasn't crazy enough (and don't you think it ought to be), the magazine claims that 20 years ago,  the average fashion model weighed 8 percent less than the average woman, but today the average model weighs 23 percent less than the average woman.
So I figure if I were a model, I'd be a Super Model. And by "Super," I'm not talking Super in a good way. More like Super-duper size.
So while I was pondering all of that, my school district decided to start a Biggest Loser challenge where you pony up ten bucks to participate and then agree to trot your super-duper derriere down to the nurse's office for an official weigh in each Wednesday. Then, in April at the end of the contest, the person who has the highest percentage of weight loss wins and collects all that moola.

All that sounded fine and dandy, but still didn't do much to move me to participate. I'm just not much of a joiner. But, then when they said participants could wear blue jeans on Weigh-in Wednesdays, well, they almost had me there.

You see, I'd do a lot to wear blue jeans and not have to stand in my closet pondering what to wear. I most certainly would pony up the ten bucks, but then there was that thing of having to have the nurse weigh me in.

It was a difficult decision. So much so that while I was weighing my desire to wear blue jeans against my need for anonymity, I smooth missed the deadline and now must continue my weight loss thing solo. I was a smidge disappointed that I allowed my indecision to make my decision.

Just as I was disappointed when my own solitary weigh-in showed no movement on my scale. I seem to be stuck. I'm not gaining, but I'm not losing weight either. I have lost inches, though, and that put me in a size smaller pair of pants.

Which, of course, made me feel super, and this time by "super," I mean super in a super-duper good way.

Will Power and Outsourcing Self Control Key Factors in Keeping Diet Resolutions

(This article was first published as Will Power and Outsourcing Self Control Key Factors in Keeping Diet Resolutions on Technorati.)

Let's just say that my "Post-holiday, Back-on-the-Fat-No-More" bandwagon was rather disappointing.

OK, so it was more than rather disappointing. The  disappointment was epic. Epic because I did all the things I needed to do and was supposed to do. Things like watch calories, eat tee-tiny portions and exercise five times this week. I get tired just thinking about it.

I even went to that special Fat Yoga class I signed up for. OK, so maybe it's called something like "Yoga for Weight Loss and Weight Management," but since I'm not a big fan of euphemisms, I call it my "Fat Yoga" class to distinguish it from the other classes I attend like the "Hotter-than-the-Dickens Yoga"  (my Monday night hot yoga class,) or the "I'm-staring-at-my-toes-because-I-can't-do-that-pose Yoga" class (my Wednesday night Power Yoga class) or the "I've-fallen-and-can't-get-up yoga class" for the other Thursday night Power Yoga Plus class.

Jeepers.

Despite my best efforts, my weight remained unchanged this week, but my resolve to finish out this "Frying In My Own Fat" Weight Loss Challenge remains strong especially after reading this New York Times article.

According to the article, people fail to keep their New Year's resolutions (or any resolution for that matter) because they simply run out of willpower. Will Power apparently is a "real form of mental energy, powered by glucose in the bloodstream, which is used up as you exert self-control."

And, sadly, once Mr. Will Power is gone, well chaos ensues, and you fall off whatever fat-no-more bandwagon you were on and  become part of that 36 percent who break their resolutions by the end of January or that 56 percent who cave in by July.

The article gave a bunch of tips on how to stay the course. One was to outsource your self-control by holding yourself accountable to friends or publicly pre-committing to your resolution. (Sort of like what I've been doing here.) I've always said public humiliation is a great motivator. There are even APPs to help you with that.

So apparently I'm just going to have to try harder and watch my internal Will Power meter because I am not giving up on this fat-no-more thing.

No siree, Missy. I'm determined not to be a resolution failure statistic.

Maybe Week 2 of my Fat Yoga class will wring out a pound or two this upcoming week, and Mr. Will Power will remain strong.

How's that for a bit of outsourcing self-control? And I didn't have to go off-shore to do it either.

Weight Loss Challenge Update–Another Year, Another Ton of Food

[This article was first published as Another Year, Another Ton of Food on Technorati.}


Christmas break finally ended, and with it, my hiatus from "My Frying In My Own Fat" Weight Loss Challenge.

I suppressed an anxiety/panic attack and finally stepped on my scale that had been leaning against my closet wall mocking me.

On the count of three, can we all do the dance of joy?

No, I did not lose any weight. But I did not gain any either despite the holiday noshing which included such delightful and delicious things like cheese cake, apple pie, holiday chocolate, freshly baked rolls and second helpings. (I get giddy and dizzy just thinking about it).

Finally, I got it.

Finally, I realized that if I ate so much of this, I couldn't have any of that. Or, if I ate this, I better not touch that. Or, if I exercised here, I could eat that over there.
And since I finally had a  better understanding about portions, I knew what a normal plate should look like.

Notice, I said "normal plate," not "normal person" because I was somewhat shocked when I heard a radio report over my break that

the average woman weighs about 165 pounds.
In another news report, I also heard that the average American eats about a ton of food a year. Suddenly, those two slices of cheese cake don't seem so bad after all.
Unless of course, I start inching toward inhaling the national average of 2,700 calories a day.

All of that news was enough to make me fork over an extra $40 and sign up for a special 5-week yoga for weight loss and management class at my favorite yoga studio.

I was a bit disheartened when I discovered that there were actually some Skinny Minnies signed up for the class. And, we're not talking about regular Skinny Minnies, but those perfect Skinny Minnies who can actually do all those crazy yoga poses and always look fab-u-lous doing them while I'm either falling over or studying my toes.

Despite that little setback, Chris (my No. 1 favorite yoga instructor and studio owner) told us to come to the new class with an open mind and good attitude.

Oh, I'll come with an open mind all right.

And an attitude.

I just can't promise what kind of attitude that will be.

At this point, the yogis of the world are probably gasping and muttering mantras about letting go of judgements and competition.

Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to let go…just as soon as I let go of another 10 pounds.

Let the games begin!