We found out a little over a month ago that my mom needed surgery. What we thought were gall bladder problems turned out to be a tumor. Of course, I’ve spent a lot of time worrying. Her surgery was last week, and she did terrific. I’m exhausted, but happy that it’s over for her.

I’m also up against a December deadline to (finally!!) finish my grad degree in computer science. Yep, it’s been a while, I’ve change instructors, changed plans, etc., but it looks like it’s going to happen. I have a lot of work to do in the next six weeks though.

Now, to add to my list of things to handle, I think I’m getting sick. My fever is 99.3 tonight, my throat is sore and I have a headache. Wonderful!

I’m trying to get caught up on twitter, stumbleupon, facebook, etc. tonight. I may not be as active onlne for the next month or so, but I won’t be totally off either. Wish me luck!

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I’ve avoided tracking my weight here in the past because, well, it’s a private thing. But I got to thinking, if I’m writing about losing weight, it only makes sense to track my weight too. No, I’m not ready to list my actual weight. That’s too much to ask!

The weight loss you see is counting from June 1. I’ll update it every week or so as it changes.

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It also made me think about paying more attention to what I eat, how much, and when. Let me explain.

Fat free

In the article, Shane discusses how many people get tricked into thinking that fat free is good for you, when in fact that’s not really the case. Here’s an example from my own experience.

A friend of mine used to watch her fat intake religiously. This was several years ago, when it was common to read that fat, and only fat, can turn in to fat on your body. The idea was that you could eat as much as you wanted as long as it was fat free, and you’d magically not gain weight. You’d even lose weight.

I know it sounds silly now, but people believed it. She used to bring an entire bag of fat free fig newtons to work for breakfast, and eat the whole thing. And she wondered why she couldn’t lose weight.

She fell victim to what happens to a lot of people who eat any kind of “diet” food. Knowing that it’s lower calorie, lower fat, lower sugar, etc. often just encourages us to eat more of it. We feel that it doesn’t quite count so much, so it’s o.k. to have one more.

So, the best solution may be to eat “real” foods and watch your portion sizes.

However, I realize that may not always be possible. Take my husband for example. He’s diabetic, so sugar and real sweeteners are a no-no for him. He uses splenda, and when he eats desserts, they’re splenda sweetened. For him, that’s a better option that sugar. Of course, he still has to watch his portion sizes very closely!

Things to avoid

The article linked above lists some foods to avoid, like MSG and high fructose corn syrup. Here are a few others.

1. Desserts. Most are loaded in calories, fat and sugar. Save these for a special occasion and substitute fruit instead.
2. Fast food. It’s tough to find something healthy at a drive through, no surprise there. Pack lunch instead. If you don’t have time or like doing that, try a “real” restaurant where you can get a vegetable lunch, fish, etc.
3. Most things that come in a box, can or bag. A boxed dinner is loaded in preservatives. Ditto for instant mix dishes. Buy yourself a crock pot and cook it yourself.

Again, common sense rules. Try to eat as much real, whole, fresh foods as possible. Avoid additives, processed foods, etc. If it comes from a box, you can’t recognize it, or it lasts darn near forever, you  probably shouldn’t be eating it!

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The gist of the article is this, we often over-estimate the strength of our willpower. And those who are the most confident of their ability to resist temptation are the ones who fail the most, and the worst.

If you’ve ever been on a diet, no one has to tell you that temptation often wins out over willpower. If it didn’t you wouldn’t need to keep dieting, would you? There are some things you can do to give yourself a better chance of succeeding.

1. Admit that there will be temptation, and accept that it may be hard to resist. Those who were most humble about their willpower were the ones most likely to succeed in resisting, according to the article.
2. Avoid situations where you’ll be tempted, as much as possible. Think of times when you usually “blow it” and try to do something different to help you resist. Television time is a tough one for me, so I try to keep busy knitting, writing, cleaning house, etc. If I just sit and watch television, I can eat hundreds of calories before I even realize it.
3. Build good habits. We’re creatures of habit. Often we do things without thinking, so it’s only smart to take advantage of that. When was the last time you ate a whole tub of popcorn at the movies before you realized it? Or maybe you ordered dessert before you remembered you were on a diet? Work on replacing those bad habits with good ones, and you’ll find yourself doing healthy things automatically instead.

So, the next time you’re faced with a situation that might cause you to fall off the wagon, take some time to build up your defenses before-hand.

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Stop drinking sugary soda

A 16 ounce cola has around 190 calories. That’s 190 calories of sugar, which for many people, will only make you hungrier an hour or two later.  If you want to lose weight more easily, this is a simple change.

Can’t stand diet soda? Switch to water instead. It’s even better, and you’ll avoid the artificial sweeteners.

Skip after dinner snacks

If you’re trying to lose weight, snacking in front of the television in the evenings can be a real diet breaker. One ounce of chips has around 150 calories, and lets face it, who can eat only one ounce? That’s a REALLY small serving, and I know that I don’t stick to that when snacking.

Try doing something with your hands while watching television to prevent snacking. Even better, get up and DO something instead of watching t.v.!

Get a little exercise

You don’t have to hit the gym for hours every week in order to lose ten pounds, or any amount of weight. Rather than make drastic lifestyle changes you’re not likely to keep up, try making smaller changes instead. Take the dog for a walk, wear a pedometer, mow the grass yourself instead of hiring someone to do it.

Skip dessert

Desserts can be loaded in extra calories. Try having a special dessert only once or twice a week instead of something sweet daily. A nice dessert at your favorite restaurant will be more enjoyable than a handful of cookies you eat in front of the t.v. As an added bonus, you won’t have the leftovers at home to tempt you.

Say no to second helpings

This is an easy way to lose a few pounds. Eat whatever you want, in your normal serving sizes. By not going back for seconds, you’ll cut your calories without feeling deprived. Take the leftovers for lunch and save money and calories by avoiding the fast food drive through.

Beware of Salads

What? Salads can be a great addition to your diet. They’re nutritious and low calorie, and they can certainly help in your weight loss efforts. However, if you’re topping your salad with diced eggs, shredded cheese, full-calorie dressing, beans, etc., you can be adding hundreds of calories to it that you don’t intend. That salad can end up with as many calories as a burger and fries!

Manage Stress

Stress makes many of us eat more than we should; I know it has that effect on me. Work on dealing with your stress before it contributes to a weight problem. If you’re trying to lose weight, try doing an activity you enjoy that helps you wind down and deal with the stress of your day.

Find Hidden Calories

A tablespoon of mayonnaise has 100 calories. A typical sandwich might have one or two tablespoons on it. Honey mustard has almost 50 calories per ounce. A baked potato is a good choice for lunch, until you add hundreds of calories in butter and sour cream. Adding cream to soups drastically increases their calorie count. Examine the recipes for what you’re eating and cut the extra calories that don’t contribute much to the dish’s flavor.

Be careful in restaurants

If you’re trying to lose weight, eating out can be very problematic. Portion sizes are large, and having a wide selection of food in front of you is tempting. Try ordering your meal instead of eating off the buffet. Most people will eat more from a buffet than they intend to. Order an appetizer instead of an entree, or split an entree with someone. Try drinking water or unsweet tea instead of soda.

Stop obsessing

Paradoxically, being hyper-focused on your weight is one of the worst thing you can do for your weight loss efforts. Instead, focus on eating healthy food, getting some exercise, and taking care of yourself overall. Doing those things and making simple, gradual changes will help you take off that ten pounds!

***

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101 thoughts on losing 100 pounds
Lots and lots of great tips. Some are common sense, but others were surprising and insightful.

What Sugar does to your Brain
High sugar diets are just not good for you!

Blood Sugar 101
A lot of people don’t understand what diabetes is or how it works. Sadly, that applies to a lot of diabetics as well! This site has some great information.

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Great tips for summer exercisers.

Decade by Decade Guide to Exercise
Tips for exercising, whether you’re in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s or beyond.

Avoid these 7 Danger Foods…
The focus is on avoiding the freshman 15, but this advice applies to anyone.

Top 10 Ways to Stay Energized
Lots of tips for keeping your energy levels high. Not strictly a diet- or fitness-related post, but useful nonetheless.

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I made it for about a week. We did some work over the weekend, and I spent a couple hours pulling up old carpet. That’s definitely exercise, but it also made me really sore and tired. I didn’t exercise for a couple of days, and I fell out of the rhythm of it.

Now, I’m coming down with a cold, so I doubt I’ll get back on track for a few days. It just goes to show how difficult changing your lifestyle can be! I never said I thought I’d have an easy time of it.

After I’m feeling better, I’m going to try to come up with some other method to motivate myself. Ideas?

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The routine has good warmup and cardio. I liked the fact that you can follow beginner, intermediate or advanced exercises all along the routine without picking a particular one and sticking with it. So, you can mix any of the three levels if some exercises are easier or harder for you. The music is good without being annoying or distracting. The instructor is pleasant without having any of the creepy cheerfulness that some aerobics teachers have!

This tape does include some floor exercises for toning, which isn’t something I was really looking for. I want something that’s a bit heavier on cardio and lighter on toning, but it’s a good workout nonetheless. I haven’t made it the whole way through the tape yet, but I think it’s one I’ll use again.

I’m out of shape (who’d have guessed?), but I made it a little more than 15 minutes at the beginner level. I could have gone longer, but I wasn’t in the mood to do the floor exercises. I did some additional cardio instead and called it a night. I’m not sure if I’ll do this one again tomorrow, this time with the floor routine, or look for something heavier on cardio. I guess I’ll just see what mood I’m in.

In case you hadn’t guessed, this was my exercise routine for tonight. After two nights of Wii boxing, my poor arms will not take that again. Wow, I wouldn’t have guessed I’d get so sore so quickly!

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We were out of town the first weekend of May, so I didn’t get started when I planned. After that, well I just procrastinated. I finally started yesterday and have exercised yesterday and today. I’ll keep the blog updated on how it’s going.

Yesterday my husband and I did about 40 minutes of Wii boxing and tennis. If you’re thinking that isn’t really exercise, I’d say that the boxing definitely is. I’m pretty competitive with that, so I work up a sweat.

Today, I did just 10 minutes of boxing. My arms are really sore from yesterday, and I was just tired. I committed to 10 minutes a day, and I also promised myself that I’d let myself off the hook once that was done, if I wanted.

I’m really not an exercise person, so I know doing this for 30 days straight will be a toughie for me. I’ve got some exercise videos to try out on netflix, the wii programs, the bowflex, and all of outdoors. I’m hoping that it will be easier if I try to keep it from getting boring!

Here are some things I’m going to do / try to keep myself on track.

• Variety. I’ve got several different exercises lined up, some of which are really simple to do.  I’m hoping that this will keep me from getting bored, or getting one set of muscles too tired or sore.
• Reward. Like I said, I’m really, really not an exercise person. I plan on buying myself something if I get through the 30 days. I’m going to buy enough nice yarn for a winter sweater.
• Accountability. I’m announcing my goal here, aren’t I? 
  
• Focus on the positive. While Idon’t like exercise, I also realize that it makes me feel better. I feel more energetic when I exercise, so I focus on that rather than how boring the exercise time will be.
• Don’t overdo. I have a tendency to jump right in and burn myself out. I’m resisting that urge by limiting my time and not letting myself get too sore or tired. I’d rather exercise moderately all 30 days that do a few hard sessions and give it up.

And by the way, I’m STILL working on the blog carnival. I was surprised by the number of submissions, and very pleased. As soon as I’ve finished, you’ll be seeing the post.

Anyone else out there doing your own exercise habit? How is it going?

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