THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE

I apologize to everyone for the interruption in posts this week.  Blogger was down for repairs since Thursday at noon, and was also in "read-only" mode on Wednesday.  Unfortunately the drafts I had prepared got lost during the site maintenance so it's back to the drawing board.  Things appear to be functional again so I will try and recreate the posts I intended for earlier in the week, momentarily.  Thanks for your patience.

-Jennifer

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

Well it is Weigh-in Tuesday and I lost another 5 pounds!  I think that's great and really restores my confidence in this process.  I once again believe that I can do this and there will be an eventual end to all the dieting, stress, and health problems I've been experiencing!  I owe a large portion of this success to the paleo way of eating.  It has definitely pulled me out of my diet plateau and reduced my dependence on carbs.  It has also granted me some other physical improvements like better sleep and fewer highs and lows.

I was able to make it to the gym every day this week.  I am taking today off so my body can rest.  I also had a "normal" meal with my not so normal family yesterday during Dancing with my mother.  I had a Chick-fila sandwich (and yes I ate the roll), waffle fries, and a sundae from Cold Stone.  It was quite a lot of calories for one day, more than I've had in a long time, but it didn't seem to weigh me down in the slightest.  I had a pretty good cardio session beforehand and seemed to metabolize the meal rather quickly.


I know the diet plan recommends limiting your cardio sessions and I have been careful not to over do it, but I love exercising and the gym.  Again, I think this is where you must adapt certain philosophies to suit your personal circumstances which is why I pick and chose from all the information out there. I have embraced enough of the caveman diet to reap the benefits without conforming to the point where I dislike my existence or burn out on a set of conditions that are too confining for me to enjoy personal success.


I feel pretty good about my approach because I am not completely dependent on exercise to lose the weight like I've done in the past, and yet I am also not completely dependent on dieting either, as I am routinely working out and enjoying certain indulgences when the need arises.  So far, so good!  I did not reach my 25 pound goal this week, falling shy by 3 pounds, but I believe I will make it next week.  Here's to hoping!


"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." -Plato

SO WHERE ARE THEY NOW...??

If you think permanent weight loss is an easy thing, statistically, it is nearly impossible.  Did you know that The National Institute of Health estimates that dieters will regain two-thirds of their lost weight within a year of completing their diet plan?  These same dieters are likely to gain all the weight back plus more within five years.  Still not convinced??  Well let's examine some high-profile cases.


No weight-loss show has gotten more attention in the last decade than The Biggest Loser.  With eleven seasons under their belt, this show continues to dominate even with the huge influx of new diet and health reality shows. While I've always found the contestants inspiring, I've at the same time questioned the authenticity of a show that boasts of one-hundred pound weight losses in as little as twelve weeks.  


I was prompted to do some digging.  I went all the way back to season one's winner, Ryan Benson.  Turns out, he gained back all of the 122 pounds he lost on the show.  He blames himself, citing a new job and the birth of his twin daughters for why he gained his weight back.  What!  You mean life happened!?  It's hard to imagine anyone not being able to lose weight if kept in the microcosm that is The Biggest Loser ranch.  Turns out Ryan is in good company.  Season three contestant, Kai Hibbard was anything but shy when it came time to discuss the seventy plus pounds she gained back.  She makes claims that the show pressured contestants to exercise even when severely injured, to diet by dehydration, and to ignore the advice of nutritionists.  She says the show promotes unrealistic, unhealthy, and even dangerous weight-loss practices.  Not all of the contestants have gained the weight back, but many have- a well kept secret that the show's producers would rather you not know.  I think we'd all be more impressed if the show platform was changed to, "The Biggest Maintainer."


So how about surgery?  That must be the answer, right??  Well does anyone remember Carnie Wilson's very public Gastric Bypass surgery aired live on the Internet?!  Carnie lost 152 pounds following that surgery, then gained seventy pounds during pregnancy, which she then lost after the birth of her daughter. But has anyone seen her lately?!?  She has gained all 152 pounds back plus some more. Apparently even reducing your stomach to the size of a walnut isn't enough to guarantee permanent weigh-loss.  American Idol judge Randy Jackson did a better job of keeping his post-surgery weight off, but he too admits to having gained a significant amount of pounds back.


Probably the most public example of a weight-loss struggle comes from America's sweetheart Oprah Winfrey.  No one has lost and gained weight in front of the camera more times than Oprah.  Watching her fail while having a personal trainer, dietitian, chef, access to the best medical help in the country and, well let's face it, enough money to buy anything or hire anybody she needs, begs the question of how can the average person keep the weight off if Oprah can't do it?!! That's a topic I'm hoping to explore in future posts.  


Not everyone, however, has been so forthcoming or honorable in their weight-loss discussions.  I smell a rat with Wynonna Judd who recently cited a 60 pound weight loss during her Oprah show appearance.  She looked like she was one exhale away from popping out of her too tight pants suit. Seriously, she couldn't even sit down.  When asked how she lost the weight, she said she started walking in the wilderness.  She has also told the media that she is losing weight though "brainwave optimization," a system whereby you discuss your issues while sensors placed on your skull map your brain activity and identify imbalances.  Take it from me, a few strolls in the woods and a brain map doesn't produce the kind of weight-loss Wynonna is claiming.  Nor do I believe that if you let lose the girdle inside her pants suit you would see a 60 pound weight loss.  Maybe 30, but I don't know about 60.  Perhaps it's the ridiculously fake red hair, the orange skin tone, and the clear indications that her and her mother have had a litany of plastic surgery, that makes me suspicious of her claims.


I experienced a similar disappointment when former American Idol contestant, Oscar winner, and now Weight Watchers representative, Jennifer Hudson refused to publicly reveal her weight loss number.  What's the big secret?!  If you want to promote a certain weight-loss program be prepared to discuss how many pounds you lost on it!!  When she finally did reveal the number on The Oprah Show, after much pleading from Oprah herself, Hudson made claims of an eighty pound loss thanks to Weight Watchers.  I have my doubts again.  I don't believe eighty was the number.  She never looked that big to begin with. Sorry Jennifer, a fatty can't fool another fatty!


Either way, I'm not here to judge anyone with a weight problem.  In no way am I attacking or putting down any of these celebrities for their struggles. Quite the contrary, I find their decision to go public with their problem both heroic and educational.  It goes to show that obesity is not a poor man's problem, or a loser's problem, but an every man's problem.


"Reality check.  You can never, ever, use weight loss to solve problems that are not related to your weight.  At your goal weight or not, you still have to live with yourself and deal with your problems. You will still have the same husband, the same job, the same kids, and the same life.  Losing weight is not a cure for life." -Dr. Phil McGraw

NOBODY'S BATTLE BUT YOUR OWN!

If you have not figured this out by now, Tera has once again quit the blog.  She has a good heart and wants so badly for this to work, but it just isn't and I don't believe in forcing a square peg into a round hole.  This is why I didn't change the opening again to reflect that there were two Tillys.  It is not because I don't want her to be a part of this or don't have all the faith in the world in her, but because I know how overwhelmed she is right now.  Nobody understands better than me just how much commitment this takes.  I wanted to give her a second chance because what kind of person would I be if I didn't?! But at the end of the day, this is nobody's battle but your own.  No one can peel this monkey off your back but you.  I wish her well in her weight-loss efforts.  We continue to be good friends, but you will no longer be getting updates on her progress through this blog.  I've learned my lesson and will thus go forward on my own.  My battle.  My monkey.  My blog.  My own!

"Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit." -Vince Lombardi

THIS IS HOW I ROLL...

It's not too often a fat girl gets some bragging rights, but today is the day!  I made this for dinner...

Mmmm....mmmmmm!  I bought those Fire Wire bendable grill skewers...has anybody seen these...??  They are perfect if you just have a small grill like I do, as the standard ones tend to hang off the sides.  I threaded these up with some gluten-free chicken meatballs, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, some red onion, and pineapple.  Then I basted them in a teriyaki sauce and grilled them until the pineapple caramelized.  Holy goodness were they delicious!  Turns out years of being a fat cook has paid off.

I wouldn't want to be on a diet of any kind, much less the one I'm on, and not know how to cook.  The stricter the regimen, the higher the skill set you need in order to keep dinner fresh and exciting.  I know it doesn't take a genius too make kebabs, but they really were scrumptious!  And it is VERY EXCITING when something is a delight to eat and yet completely within the guidelines of your eating plan.  My only complaint is the sodium was a little higher than I'd like from the store bought marinade.  Next time, I will make my own.  But all in all, no complaints!  I knew dustin' off the grill was gonna help us take the cuisine up a notch, and that it did!

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity." -Voltaire

THE FIVE POUND BABY

I LOST 5 POUNDS, baby!  Woot!  Woot!  I got some work ahead of me, but I'm all over it!  I backtracked in the last few months so I have a few pounds to get off before I can push this number forward, but I believe I will get there!  If you recall, I left off at twenty-one pounds.  I'd love nothing more than to see that become twenty-five pounds.  We'll see how my body responds to some additional exercise this week.  My husband lost two pounds.  Woot woot for him as well!  Though my sympathies tend to drop off for people who have fewer total pounds to lose than what I've already lost!  :-)~  I have faith in this paleo thing.  I'm sure none of this will happen as fast as I'd like it to, but I believe it will happen!  I love how I feel right now!  Let's see how far I can take this!

"The whole idea of motivation is a trap.  Forget motivation.  Just do it. Exercise, lose weight, test your blood sugar, or whatever.  Do it without motivation.  And then, guess what?  After you start doing the thing, that's when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep on doing it!"  -John C. Maxwell

PALEO WAY OF LIFE

I'm sure you must be curious as to what I've been eating on this almost all-protein diet.  I've been trying to keep things simple.  I eat three times a day- breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  (Before anybody writes to tell me about eating four to five smaller meals a day versus three larger meals per day; the grazing thing does not work for me.  I get the concept and the research that supports it.  It just doesn't work for me.  Increasing the frequency of times I eat a day also increases the opportunity for me to OVEREAT, especially if the last thing I had was a grape.  Soon "grazing" becomes an excuse to eat all day long.  It also requires you to have a job where you can just break food out whenever.  I never found this to be realistic.)  Just keepin' it real my friends!  Fortunately, the paleo diet does not mandate such frequency with regard to meals, stating that cavemen did indeed graze, but they also went long hours without food leading to a gorge when a big kill was made.

Having a plan helps.  I prepare some things in advance so they are available to me.  This makes eating a snap and generally reduces the temptation to chose something not on the diet.  You are less likely to go to the trouble of cooking a non-paleo meal, if a paleo meal is already on a plate in front of you.  So one of things I do is hard boil eggs or make egg muffins so I have them available for breakfast.  Because most traditional breakfast items are not paleo-friendly (cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, muffins, french toast, bagels, English muffins etc.) I find breakfast is the hardest meal to build variety into, unless you learn to eat foods that might otherwise be considered lunch or dinner options.  Having no desire for pot roast before 10 a.m., I have opted for fresh fruit and eggs.  I have one or two hard boiled eggs with a side of grapes, strawberries, or citrus.  Occasionally, I will substitute Greek yogurt when I feel I have had too many eggs.  I do have some dairy on this diet though I try to make it secondary to meat and produce and mainly stick to Greek yogurt and cheeses as opposed to say cracking open a pint of sour cream or some American Singles.  I guess this would be my interpretation of the 80% rule.

I have stumbled upon some recipes for coconut pancakes in my Blueprint cookbook.  I have no idea if they will be anything like traditional breakfast pancakes, but I am willing to give it a try.  If any of you have suggestions for paleo alternatives to traditional breakfast meals, please let me know.  Right now I am in love with making a two-egg omelette with diced tomatoes, spinach, and feta. YUM!

For lunch I have soup or salad.  I find lunch is much easier to keep interesting than breakfast.  When packing work lunches, I will roll lunch meat like you would for a party platter, or pack a can of tuna.  I have also fallen in love with chicken and apple sausages.  I eat sliced apples and celery with almond butter and have eaten marinated tomato slices in olive oil and balsamic vinegar with oregano.  Lunch is pretty easy and just as I get bored I usually think up something new to eat.

My dinnertime meal really hasn't changed much.  It goes something like this, pick a meat, pick a vegetable to steam, and voilá, dinner is served!  The only thing I've done is eliminate the carb (potato, rice, or pasta) that usually shares one-third of the plate.  My husband and I have had filled peppers, short ribs with braised vegetables, pork chops with mushrooms and onions and steamed asparagus.  Yesterday he cleaned the grill and I couldn't be more excited.  I think the grill is a must when eating paleo!  We bought stuff to make kebabs. We bought steaks.  And my friend gave me a recipe for spice rubbed chicken. We even bought some natural, all-beef hot dogs, so we could feel normal. We'll be eating them minus the bun of course;-)

As for exercising I have been very careful to heed the advice of the experts and have temporarily shelved my intense cardio workouts in place of walking and general exertion outside or around the house.  I do not want to trigger any intense cravings for carbs until my body is well adjusted to the new eating plan.  I think this week I will turn the notch up on my workouts now that I've had some time to get used to the diet.

"You know it's time to diet when you push away from the table and the table moves." -Quoted in The Cockle Bar