Obesity

Dr. Phil says that you can't change what you don't acknowledge.  I have been obese for 25 years and I faithfully get an annual physical.  Not once has a doctor mentioned my obesity.  Were they being polite because they knew me professionally or is it like the elephant in the room so let's not talk about it? Several years ago, when I was asked my weight when renewing my Drivers license,( I don't think you have to do that anymore) I decided that I was not going to lie anymore but tell the truth about my weight.  I believe that being faithful and truthful in small things will lead me to being faithful and truthful in all things and that's important to me.  I don't want to pretend that I'm not obese anymore. 


Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative effect on health. People are generally considered obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight by the square of the person's height, is over 7002294199500000000♠30 kg/m², with the range 7002245166250000000♠25–30 kg/m² defined as overweight.^[1] Some East Asian countries use lower values. Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.^[3]
Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility.   ^{(from Wikipedia)}

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) define morbid obesity as: Being 100 pounds or more above your ideal body weight. Or, having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater. Or, having a BMI of 35 or greater and one or more co-morbid conditions.

Obesity in the United States has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent decades. While many industrialized countries have experienced similar increases, obesity rates in the United States are among the highest in the world. Obesity has continued to grow within the United States. Two out of every three Americans are considered to be overweight or obese. During the early 21st century, America often contained the highest percentage of obese people in the world. Obesity has led to over 120,000 preventable deaths each year in the United States. An obese person in America incurs an average of $1,429 more in medical expenses annually. Approximately $147 billion is spent in added medical expenses per year within the United States. (from Wikipedia).


This is not meant as a judgment or condemnation. We are all on this journey called life and we have different struggles and need to love and support each other.  If we acknowledge our problems and ask for help, we will be better prepared to fix it.  This day, let's work together to understand and reduce obesity. 

Cheat/Treat Day

One of my favorite commercials:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT6n1HcJOio








I usually choose to have a cheat/treat after my weigh-in on Thursdays.  I do this as a way to reward myself, regardless of whether I have lost or gained weight.  It's just a way of saying "Ahhhh, I made it through the week. I was learning more about myself and trying to learn to eat healthier." 


Why do we see sweets or chips or high calorie "empty" foods as a treat?  Why don't we think that we are really treating ourselves when we are eating nutrient dense, wholesome foods?  Part of it is what we learned while growing up.  How many of us heard "if you clean your plate, you can have dessert" ?

Desserts are the sweet stuff of which memories are made, particularly in a holiday season, a time typically so rich with recollections.  For while tastes, trends and technology come and go, the country’s sweet tooth has remained ever keen. Why? Michael Krondl, a New York City food historian and author of “Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert,” says our continuing hunger for dessert is based on two things: childhood and celebrations. “Sweetness is one of the first tastes we love,” he says, referring to childhood. As for celebrations, “it used to be anything sweet was expensive because of the sugar” so sugar was saved for important things, like wedding cakes, birthday cakes and Christmas cookies. 

We can change traditions and our tastes.  My grandchildren feel that cantaloupe cubes or cucumber slices are a treat also.  How cool is that?  Instead of dessert being a daily or twice daily tradition, can we change it to once a week or once a month?  Can fresh fruit be our go to treat? 

Questions to ask ourselves:

• Do we really feel better after having a treat? 
• When you survey a table at a potluck, are there more sweets than healthy things?
• What can we do to change the family or community traditions to healthier things?
• After a treat/cheat is it harder to get back on track?
• This day, are there some non-food treats that we can use to reward ourselves? 

 There is great information on sugar addiction at  http://growinghumankindness.com/sugar-support/ 

Challenges and Joys

My grandchildren used to play a game before bedtime called Roses and Thorns.  In the game, they were to talk about the good and bad things in their days.  It was a good chance for their parents or grandparents to talk with them about the joys and challenges in life. 


My challenges lately have been:

• Adjusting to Van Hook and it's remoteness after a winter in Fargo
• Yeah for Amazon
• Yeah for new, well-stocked grocery stores in New Town and Stanley
• Adjusting to a different routine and a different house/kitchen
• Tolerating the cold and sometimes windy weather which make walking outside difficult
• More severe aching than usual probably due to the weather
• Getting off track with my commitment to healthier lifestyle during a several day Birthday celebration

My Joys have been:

• A cozy supper at a new place with friends I hadn't seen much this winter
• Warm tea and/or a hot bath after a chilly walk outside
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Good Movies
• Good Books
• Much needed rain and my mud boots
• Some delicious new recipes
• Having the time and energy to cook and clean up
• Quiet visits with a neighbor and my sister and brother in law

I read an excellent article about being able to tell the difference and react accordingly to a lump in the oatmeal or a lump in the breast.  My challenges this week were definitely a lump in the oatmeal.  This day is a new day and I will focus on the positive and continue with this commitment to a more healthy lifestyle. 

Accountability and Progress

A good reason for starting this blog is for accountability.  Today is weigh-in day.  I started this journey 40 days ago and I have lost 7 pounds.  I would certainly like to lose faster and there has been some ups and downs in these 40 days but I know I am in it for the long haul so will celebrate those 7 pounds being gone and the lessons I have learned along the way.  To keep myself accountable I plan to journal/track my food each day and to exercise at least 5 out of 7 days.  In these last 40 days I have tracked my food 30 out of 40 days and exercised 36 out of 40 days.  I use an app called My Fitness Pal which I love.  I started this journey using Weight Watchers because I have had success with them in the past.  I realized that I just wanted them for the accountability of the weigh-in and not the lectures so quickly switched to My Fitness Pal.  It's hard to track when I know I am over my calorie limit or that I am bingeing or eating un-healthily. If I don't deny my slip and acknowledge it instead, it will help me to analyze what gets me off track and figure out how to stay on course.  Here are the lessons I have learned:

• When going to a potluck, think about what you are really hungry for and have it!  I was really hungry for the awesome brisket but ate many other things before settling on a beef brisket sandwich.  If I had eaten that first, I may have been satisfied and avoided all of the other things. 
• Because it was my birthday and I didn't have cake that day, I made myself a pan of yummy Coconut Cream bars.  Over the course of several days, I ate several pieces and then finally froze the rest.  I should have frozen them or given them away or thrown them after the first piece. 
• I visited my daughters the weekend before my birthday.  They had a lovely party and we had a wonderful brownie fudge cake.  Steph and I were fighting over my having a piece of the cake before the meal was ready and she said "For the love of God and all things sacred, let this be the first time ever that we have a cake or bring a pan to a potluck or some other event where the first piece or first row is not already eaten before it gets to the event!!" While she was off in the other room, I snuck a piece (saying it was for Olivia)!!  Lesson learned:  have fun and sometimes it's ok to be patient for the good things in life!!

Today I am thankful for apps that help me track and for my honesty to myself and others. 

Wednesday is picture day!

Avocado Toast, Greek yogurt with nuts, fruit and splash of maple syrup and scrambled egg, spinach, pear tomato in a wrap.

The avocado/tomato/walnut/feta salad was AMAZING.  I nearly burned the walnuts while toasting them but their flavor was what really made the salad pop. The Southwest Salad is one of my favorites with black beans, corn, sweet peppers, Romaine lettuce and tostada strips.   The V8 Healthy greens was a new juice I tried.  I don't usually like to drink my fruits or vegetables but decided to give this a try.  More fruity than veggie and 90 calories.  Is equal to 1.5 servings of fruits and vegetables.  It will be handy to grab when traveling or if I have ran out of fresh fruits and veggies.

                           Asparagus, Tomato and Feta Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS (for 7 servings):
Vinaigrette:
6 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil...
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
2 lbs fresh asparagus (preferably medium thickness), tough ends trimmed, remaining diced into 2-inch pieces
1 (10.5 oz) pkg. grape tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (scant 1 cup)
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile prepare vinaigrette - add vinegar to a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat and allow to boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Pour into a jar or bowl, add olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, garlic and whisk to blend while seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Add asparagus to boiling water and allow to boil until tender crisp, about 4 - 5 minutes. Meanwhile fill a medium mixing bowl with ice and cold water. Drain and immediately transfer asparagus to ice water, let rest about 10 seconds then drain asparagus well. Transfer to a bowl with tomatoes and walnuts. Drizzle vinaigrette over top and toss lightly. Sprinkle over half of the feta then plate and top with remaining feta (just so the feta doesn't brown from tossing with all the dressing).
 Recipe source: Cooking Classy

SOUTHWEST SALAD

1/2 ripe avocado, mashed

3/4 cup packed fresh cilantro (I skip this cuz I don't like it) 

2 scallions, chopped or 1/4 cup chopped purple onion

1 clove garlic, quartered

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups mixed greens

1 cup black beans, canned (rinsed) or cooked

1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)

1 cup grape tomatoes

May add Tostada strips if you want.  Mash the avocado and add the lime  juice, sugar, and salt for the dressing.   



DIET VERSUS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHANGE

So why am I blogging and making a commitment to lose 66# by my 66th birthday in a year?  What makes me think I can be successful this time when I haven't been successful in losing more than 30# in the last 25 years?  And why were those 30# quickly regained? What makes this time different from the dozens of other diets I have tried? BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT I FINALLY GET IT....after a year of sporadically practicing clean eating I am finally ready to make this a permanent change because I realize that I am worth it.   Maybe I get it because I am getting older. Maybe I get it because the clean eating and mindful eating seems so right.  It goes along with all of the nutritional education I have had.  Maybe I get it because I have worked with the elderly my whole life and I know how important it is to be as healthy as possible as we approach our 70's and 80's and beyond.  Many of you may know that my Dad lived to the age of 100 and had a high quality of life until his death. I don't know or even care if I make it to 100 but I do know that I want the quality of my life to be excellent until I die.  Even though I have no significant health issues beyond my arthritis right now, I know it is only a matter of time that my obesity may lead to high blood pressure or diabetes or other complications.  Won't you join me on this journey? 


More than 100 million Americans were on a diet in 2012, reports ABC News. The weight-loss industry rakes in $20 billion annually -- with diet plans and supplements that promise to help you lose weight and keep it off -- and still nearly 70 percent of American adults remain overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While diets may help you lose some weight temporarily, lifestyle change is the key to long-term weight maintenance and health.


A diet consists of temporarily changing your eating habits to promote a certain outcome -- commonly weight loss -- before returning to your previous eating habits. On the other hand, a lifestyle change consists of adopting healthy overall habits that promote long-term weight control and health. In addition, diets focus on food intake, while lifestyle changes incorporate what you eat along with other factors that affect weight and health, such as physical activity. Where weight loss is concerned, a diet provides a temporary solution and singular approach to a multifaceted, long-term health issue.


from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/diet-vs-lifestyle-change-11130.html

Breakfast of Champions

Here are a few of my favorites that I've eaten this week:
Avocado Toast....poached eggs with avocado slices on whole grain toast and balsamic vinegar sprinkled on top. Eaten with Galia melon. The balsamic vinegar is an acquired taste so you can skip it if you want.

Slow scrambled eggs with spinach, onions, pear tomatoes, topped with Feta cheese and eaten in a wrap.

Triple zero Dannon greek yogurt with nuts, fruit and a splash of maple syrup.  The yogurt has no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no fat. I would not mind the full fat yogurt but I most want to avoid real and artificial sugar.

There's not a picture of what I had this morning. Oatmeal (check for sugar and chemicals) with fruit and Jif peanut powder. I often add coconut oil but forgot it this morning.

I rarely eat boxed cereal as most have a lot of chemicals and sugar and little protein. It's proven that protein staves off hunger later in the day. I am rarely hungry for breakfast but eat it anyway. I usually wake up around 7 and try to eat breakfast by 9. If I am on the road, I will grab a piece of fruit with nuts along with coffee and water.