ROAD TO NUTRITION AND HEALTH

IT'S THE WEEKEND!

2010-04-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

Good Morning All!

For someone trying to lose weight the words above are potentially the most dangerous thoughts one can have. The weekend means a free license to do anything right?

Isn't it amazing how we tell ourselves this? I am a Real Estate Broker so I work pretty much every weekend but somehow I still spent most of my life thinking weekends were "free"? If I add that to my free Wednesday nights (See blog written Thursday morning) I am in big trouble!

They mentioned in Weight Watchers last week that if you consider weekends "free" then you are not paying attention at least 104 days a year. That is three months or 1/4 of the year!

That is one heck of a lot of free time!

To me that isn't the main issue. The main issue is health. What kind of crap am I throwing in my body on those free days? If it isn't a natural product does my body even know how to process it? Nutrition courses are teaching that the answer is pretty much a resounding "no".

I try to buy Organic now but then go out and eat crap. That means I get the pesticides, trans fats etc. anyway so what is the point?

I think the point is we ALL have to stop eating the crap! Treats are totally OK but they should be Treats!

I think this is the closest I will ever come to preaching...promise. My goal is not to tell people what to do. My goal is entirely self-centred at the moment. It is to keep me healthy and on track.

Having said that so many people have contacted me through facebook or email to say that this blog is inspiring them to do something about their own health/weight issues. That is sooooo coool but also gets me thinking that if this really does inspire someone other than me maybe there is a way to support each other using this blog.

To be honest this is the first blog I have ever done but I think if people join as "followers" then they can enter their own comments in the page and keep me up-to-date on how they are doing and what works and doesn't. It's still a totally selfish initiative as it will keep me motivated and the world does revolve around me right? Just kidding :-)

Funny how I am able to just "blab" on this blog. Didn't know what I was going to write when I sat down five minutes ago and now I am writing a frickin novel! LOL

I went to the hypnotist yesterday. It was a good session but to be honest I am not sure if I was hypnotized or asleep. Apparently every time I see the colour "red" now I will think about being healthy. At least that is what my sub-concience has been told. I had no idea how much red there is in the world until you actually start noticing it. I must be thinking about being healthy every ten seconds or so now!

I am, in fact, being pretty healthy though, so whatever it is that is keeping me on track I hope it keeps on doing it!

Yesterday was great from a food perspective. After dinner I was still hungry and came real close to making more food...then I thought....OK Alan...if you are going to put calories in your body do you want food or do you want wine...you can't have both. Three glasses of wine later I was feeling pretty good:-)

Have a great weekend everyone and....

be healthy!

Alan

Hmmm...Good Days Can be Boring

2010-04-23T02:46:00.000-07:00

Hi All!

Not much to report today. I was EXTREMELY good food-wise yesterday so no little stories to tell.

I must have worked out real hard though cause I am REAL sore!

Doing this blog is interesting. Succeeding can be disappointing as it makes the blog far less interesting.

Today I see the hypnotist again. There are four more sessions and I understand that it doesn't work unless you want it to so....Man hypnotism is amazing! LOL. Seriously though, I really do want it to work!

Will let you know how it goes when I blog tomorrow.

Off to the gym.

Have a great day everyone and be healthy!

Alan

Sometimes There Is No Pleasure in Being Right!

2010-04-22T02:06:00.000-07:00

Well....I did it. I faced the weight scale.

I said yesterday that I thought I was about 30 pounds over goal weight. Well, now it is official. I am actually 29.6 pounds above goal. Just can't get much closer than that!

Just in case you are wondering. The "goal weight" is based on Weight Watcher's Weight ranges which are based on height, and Weight Watchers basis their weight ranges on the government's National Health Guidelines. So the government says I'm fat! LOL

To be honest I am not THAT stressed. This time around the weight has come back on in a much more "proportional" manner than it has in the past so I am not as embarrassed to walk out the door in the morning, don't feel a need to put a pillow in front of my stomach when sitting on the couch when company is over (as if it would hides something), and most importantly, I am unable to rest a plate of food on my stomach to eat off of. That used to make eating so much easier :-)

Don't get me wrong though...I still do have a tummy and it is going to go!

My biggest self analysis question for the day is "Why do I consider Wednesday nights FREE nights?". I have this thought in my head that because I weigh in on Wednesdays at 6:00pm I can eat what I want that night. After all...I don't have to get on a scale again for a whole week right?

I attend Weight Watchers in Burlington which is about an hour drive away because the leader there, Cindy Sinclair (love you Cindy!), is amazing, as is the group. My brother Mike and his partner Ann live in Burlington so I went to visit them after the meeting. They had a nice spread of food out on the table with healthy and non-healthy options. There was a beautiful and fresh fruit salad, yogurt, and then cookies, Samosas, Coffeecake etc.

Guess which options I chose? Oh well...I did eat some of the fruit salad because I thought I should (and it was delicious) but I positively gorged on the Cookies, Samosa's and Coffee Cake! I would say that makes me an idiot but that is not what makes me an idiot...that is just the icing on the "cake" so to speak.

What make me an idiot is that I actually PLANNED to be unhealthy. I knew cake would be there (they told me ahead of time) and I didn't even try to come up with a strategy. I fully committed to eating it because it was Wednesday. I could have had the healthy options but no...I planned for cake!

What makes me a double idiot is that instead of thinking about my commitment to the "blog" and how I should be eating healthy, I actually started planning in my head what I would say in the blog about the fact that I HAD eaten it.

It is true that it is a week until the next "weigh-in", and it is also true it probably will not be reflected on the scale by then. It is also true I deserve treats now and then and fully intend to have them, but I purposely threw health out the window when healthy options were set in front of me.

So what is the point of all this blabber. It is live and learn!

The "Wednesday Night Self-Challenge" is now on! I will be writing about how good I was AFTER the meeting when I write next Wednesday.

Have a great day everyone.

Be healthy!

Alan

Today's The Big Day - Weigh In Day!

2010-04-21T02:40:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

Well this is it. The day I have to face my sins. At 6pm tonight I will have to get on a scale and face the music.

I am a lifetime member at Weight Watchers so technically I only have to weigh in once a month but that has probably been my downfall. If I don't face the music I can pretend life is just a bowl of Cherries when it is really just a plate of Cheeseburgers.

So along with my renewed vigour for health and weight loss comes my renewed commitment to get on that damn scale and officially weigh in once a week.

I have been good the last few days but it is nowhere near enough to undo the damage I have done. I am guessing I am up 10 pounds from my last weigh in which would put me about 30 pounds above goal. How did it happen?!!! I still think 10 pounds is muscle from all my weight lifting...but still...20 pounds! Yikes!

Speaking of Weight Lifting I worked out with my Nutritionist/Trainer friend Anthony yesterday. He suggested that we do light weights for a change. My first thought was THANK GOD!!!

What I didn't realize was that he meant light weight and high reps. He almost killed me! At the end I was bitching about lifting light weights. He told me he was going to go to my blog and tell the world I couldn't even lift 15 pounds! LOL. Tough on you Anthony....I just beat you to it :-)

Yesterday was a very healthy day. Good organic food including lots of fruits.

Today is a day I usually starve myself because I am getting on a scale but this is supposed to be about "health" more than "weight" so I am going to resist the urge to "starve for results" and eat. Eventually I would like to do a one day fast once a week and it would make sense to do that on Wednesdays so my weight is less altered by my last meal, but I am not psychologically ready to start that part of the process again.

Wish me luck and....be healthy!

Alan

When Company Comes For Pasta

2010-04-20T02:31:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Yesterday was an overall good day (no cupcakes!). I did have some more wine though. Hang on...need my coffee before I type anymore (yet another vice but what do you expect...it's 5:20 in the morning! :-))....god that's good. I'm back.

My big question for the day is what Pasta is the correct Pasta to serve guests: White or Whole Wheat? Something else?

We eat Whole Wheat if we are on our own but let's be honest...white just tastes better!

We had our awesome neighbours Josh and Alix (and their baby Delaney) over for Pasta last night along with a our twenty-something year-old friend Kimme who moved here from England. We affectionately call her "our daughter".

We went for the "taste" and served white Pasta but most of us are trying to be healthy so I think we made the wrong call. Problem is if you serve white everyone thinks (That was good but I shouldn't have eaten it) but if you serve whole wheat everyone thinks (that was healthy but the whole grain Pasta was kinda ...well...blah). We are used to whole wheat now but does anyone out there actually like it?

Anyway, our "daughter" Kimme announced at the table that she would be moving back to England June 8th. Breaks my heart. Apparently my hubby Jamie has known for a few weeks but she wanted to tell me in person and this was the first chance. Who knew Jamie could keep a secret that good! I know he can keep secrets from other people but thought he would tell me! :-)

I am proud of him for keep in his promise to Kimme though.

We love you Kimme and will miss you very much (tearing up now).

That's it for now! Time to start getting some work done now that the coffee is kicking in.

Be healthy!

Alan

Survived Day 2 of "Back on Track"

2010-04-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty good day for me food wise (although I did eat another cup cake). I had a protein drink early in the morning and a 4 egg omelet mid morning. That means a 4 egg meal two days in a row. Probably not smart. I need to think of some good breakfast ideas and plan ahead!

Early afternoon I worked out hard with my friend Anthony the "nutritionist/trainer" and confessed my cup cake splurge to him. To my surprise he didn't have the heart attack I thought he would. I think he just pretended he didn't here it. The disappointment would be too much for him to handle!

The work out was a tough one. I worked out hard but felt kinda like puking. Didn't know why at first but realized later it was probably the bottle and a half of wine the night before. OK...I know...I have along way to go before I am healthy. I know graduating from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition at the end of next year will enable me to say I am a Registered Holistic Nutritionist but I have a long way to go before I am walking the walk.

Don't worry. I will get there if it kills me!

Dinner was very healthy: Fresh steamed fish and Bok Choy (sp?).

I was really hungry late though and made my self a sandwich but it was very healthy, and low fat, albeit processed.

Going to relax and watch a movie now. Shutter Island? Never heard of it but I know I probably should have.

Have a great night!

Be Healthy!

Alan

A Good Start...kinda/maybe

2010-04-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Ok. I think anybody reading this who has not been through the trials and tribulations of weight loss will think that yesterday was a horrible day for me, but I actually think that I did well because for the most part I was mentally aware of what was going in my mouth. I didn't make perfect choices and I did indulge but I made better choices than I would have otherwise.

Breakfast was poached eggs on 1 slice of 7 grain bread with pepper to add spice. I was out in my car doing the Real Estate Job in the day and I got really hungry but I purposely avoided sandwiches etc. as I wanted to avoid the bread intake. I did have Chili at Tim Hortons. I know it's still processed foods but I said "no" to the roll and only had the Chili. Two manderin oranges for a mid-afternoon snack and then came the troublesome dinner.

Went to our friend Quade's for dinner and had delicious Vegetarian Lasagna (lots of cheese so not low fat but delicious) with Salad I had two helpings and then we had birthday chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing for dessert. It was a belated birthday celebration for my partner. I know I should only have one but I had two. Also had about a bottle and a half of wine. I felt good :-))))

Disaster you say? Hardly! If you only knew what I was capable of. I think overall I did well and I am really motivated today. I am working out with my friend who's is a nutritionist and personal trainer today. He would have a heart attack if he knew I ate the cupcaked LOL (So I won't tell him) but he helps to keep me in check. I'm telling you if you live in the Toronto area and ever find yourself in need of a personal trainer and/or nutritionist call Anthony DiPasquale. He teaches nutrition at George Brown College here and I think he is the best in the business. His website is http://anthonydipasquale.com/ and I think he even works long distance with people. Contact him! You won't regret it. Just tell him Alan sent you :-)

I will continue to keep repeating my mantra to myself: "I Make Healthy Choices". Repeating this many times a day really seems to help!

Looking forward to a great day!

Be Heathy!

Alan

The Healthy Journey - Nutrition and Exercise

2010-04-17T04:19:00.000-07:00

OK....Here I go. I don't know whether this is "Julie & Julia" inspired or just an attempt to yet again try something new but I have decided to document my journey to health. Is it for me or for others? Who cares! All I know is that this is what I need to do right now. It is something new and I need something new. I have had many journeys over my life. Gained and lost over 50 pounds a couple of times, been bad and good with exercise, but keep slipping back into old habits.

I will keep this entry short, and perhaps you will learn more about me as the weeks/months (years?) pass. I have done Jenny Craig (more than once) , Atkins, and Weight Watchers (a multitude of times and still go to Weight Watchers). I am a Real Estate Broker but feel a need to learn more about my overall body, improve my health, and then share my knowledge with others.

I do not know how much I will use what I am learning but I am studying to be a Nutritionist at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. I am only on the third course of 19 courses but I will get there.

The problem is I am an idiot. LOL. I try to do all the right things and then I fall off the wagon. I actually study for Nutrition Exams eating Chocolate and Ice Cream and drinking pop because I need the "energy rush" to stay awake. How stupid is that?

I lost 50 pounds with Weight Watchers four years ago and I strongly believe in this program. I would tweek it a bit personally as I no longer believe in the national "healthy eating" guides as they are influenced by dairy board's etc., and Weight Watchers tends to follow the health guidelines of the countries they are operating in, but nonetheless the program is sound and can be extremely healthy. They de-emphasize the "Filling Foods" version of their plan but I believe it is the way to go and that should be the one emphasized. I would love to be a leader at Weight Watchers someday, or maybe run my own group program. Not so much for income, but just to help people learn and to keep myself motivated at the same time.

Over the years it is hard to stay inspired to keep the weight off though. In reality I haven't done it. 30 pounds of the 50 I lost has come back on. To be fair I weight train a lot now and at least 10 pounds of that is muscle but the stomach is much bigger than it should be.

So...Nutrition courses help, but it is not accomplishing my goal. At least not yet. I still eat crap.

Yesterday I started something new....5 sessions with a hypnotist to see if that will help. Session 1 was interesting. I want it to work and am putting faith in it. We will see. I am also trying to do self-hypnosis as they suggest (which I think is really just a form of meditating) while focusing on the Mantra "I make healthy choices". If nothing else it is a change and change is what I need to stay "on track".

My goal is to weigh in once a week at Weight Watchers (usually Wednesday nights) and write about my weight and journeys here. Maybe it will help to keep me on track.

If nothing else this is where I plan to keep it honest. Every trip to McDonald's, Burger King, Dairy Queen, etc. I will document here. Hopefully that will force me to see my reality so I emerge at the end as a heathy, qualified, nutritionist.

I don't know if anyone will ever read this, but maybe it doesn't matter. We all have our journeys. If you read my blog you may realize you are not alone. If you don't, just writing this may be what I need.

Here is hoping!

Be Healthy!

Alan