Weight-loss Gals

Everyone loves Balloons!

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:38:00 +0000

I did a weight loss presentation for the Tri La Vie Club at the Mission Viejo Mall here in Orange County, CA. It took weeks of preparation and I worried over a particular point in the presentation---the part about forgetting your past as a tool for motivation. I wanted to have the audience blow up balloons and eventually pop them. Sounds simple, but you have to be careful with audiences, especially men who smell "chick" stuff a mile away and take pains to avoid it (unless they are looking for a date in which case they flock there...another story for another day).

I finally decided to go for it. Putting an activity in the middle of a talk is a great way to keep attention. When the time came, I asked everyone to blow up their balloons, which I (thought I had) had carefully selected so that they would be easy enough to inflate, yet not so large that they would cause atmospheric changes or heart attacks when they popped. Much to my surprise, the men were all over the balloon stunt. They blew them up just as they were told and boldly popped them on cue, chuckling and enjoying the attention it brought.

It was only later that I discovered (when my 11 year old daughter turned purple trying to blow one of them up to no avail) that the balloons were nearly impossible to inflate and that the men were about the only ones with enough lung power to blow them up!

So the lesson is: 1. Always test your balloons before you pass them out ( err, test just one and throw it in the trash I mean) and 2. Everyone loves balloons, especially when they are a bit of a challenge.

The entire presentation (8 clips) is on youtube.com on the Ironplanner channel. Part 5 has the balloon stunt...check it out.

Sign up now for Summer Walk N Talk Class!

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Tue, 11 May 2010 00:24:00 +0000

The Community Services booklet is out and you can sign up for a summer Walk n Talk class now! If you aren't on a training plan now you should sign up for this class right away. At least you will have a big shot of motivation in July! Space is limited so don't delay.

We do all sorts of fun things in this class...I won't tell you what or it will ruin the suprise but TRUST ME, you will learn something new and helpful every session.

For more details, go to the Irvine Community Services website and look under Health and Wellness for the Walk n Talk class. http://ww.cityofirvine.org/depts/cs/classreg/default.asp.

For more info on the class go to http://ingridloosmiller.com and follow the links.

See you in July!

The Reality Check Test

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:05:00 +0000

Do you need some motivation to lose weight? Are you ambivalent about whether you really "Need" to or not? In 10 seconds you can have all the reality you need. Here's what you do. First, make sure there are no husbands or small children around. Pets seem to be entertained by this maneuver so they can stay, as long as they don't laugh.

Strip naked in front of a full length mirror ( with all the lights on). Cup your hands delicately and supportively over your bosom and jump up and down. Whoooaaaa! did you see that flesh moving? Go ahead and do it again, this time turning to one side, good, then the other. If you can try to look at your rear as you do this.

Now, all of your vital organs are under your muscles. Your fat ( for the most part) is laid over your muscles and it jiggles. So everything that jiggles when you jump up and down is FAT! Figure one handful is about 1 pound. How many handfuls can you grab?

Scary.

The Wall

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:13:00 +0000

The wall

The first few pounds come off relatively easily.

Your confidence grew and without meaning to, you started cutting corners. You didn’t write everything down. The measuring cups got dusty. You let yourself slack a little because____________ ( fill in the blank). The scale stopped moving. Now you are frustrated. You figure you have been “good” (but not good enough, says the scale).

Right now, at this very moment, you are at a crossroads, and it is like facing a 20 foot wall of concrete. You can’t see over it or around it, but you have to believe in what is behind it ( and not be afraid of it either).

Right now, at this very moment, you choose your future.

Right now, at this very moment, it is easy to give up, to tell yourself that the five or 10 pounds you have lost is a good start and that you will lose the rest later, after the new year, in the spring, etc.

Right now, you can focused with tunnel vision on your dream, rather than on the obsticles in your way.

Right now you can decide that you won’t give up, that you won’t give in, that no matter what, you are going to get what you want. You are going to have that body you want. You are going to have that life that is waiting for you and you are going to be proud of yourself this time.

Right now, you can step over that wall like it is a crack in the sidewalk and never look back.

Most people won’t step over.They will get stand in front of the wall trying to figure out why it is there until they get distracted with something else. Rather than cross over it, they will simply walk away.

They will try not to think about it, but they will know that they let the wall stop them and they will feel just a bit weaker, a bit less in control, they will lose a little bit of self-respect. And when they face the wall again ( and they will), they will have to decide again, but they will be few years older and they will realize that time has passed by and they are still out of control.

But they are not you.

Now is your chance....... Hurry!

Step over the wall.

Fecal Fat Loss?

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:11:00 +0000

OK, now I've heard everything. We all thought calcium was good for us because it builds strong bones but no no no, if you are interested in weight loss, calcium is good because it is a sponge to fat in your digestive system according to an October 2009 study (International Journal of Obesity (2010) 34, 127–135; doi:10.1038/ijo.2009.212; Effect of dairy and non-dairy calcium on fecal fat excretion in lactose digester and maldigester obese adults).

So admit it, isn't it tempting to have an extra glass of milk just to get some effortless weight loss? Just saying it fast makes me chuckle (Fecal Fat Loss, Fecal Fat Loss, Fecal Fat Loss). I have been known to do some silly things to try to lose weight, like buying a lifetime supply of green tea tablets to speed my metabolism and of course, never taking even one of the pills. I finally sold them for a song at a garage sale. To the purchaser I say "enjoy" as I am finally where I need to be mentally and physically. Lean and fit. Not tempted by gimmicks, placebos or Fecal Fat Loss. Becoming an athlete is the key to unlocking the treasures of mind that will FINALLY get you thinking straight about food and about what you want from your life.

Yes, I keep reading up on weight management related science. As a food coach and writer it is my job to stay informed and I pass the good stuff along to my readers but the last thing you people need is more detail about some nutrient or another. What you need is the magic key of athleticism. When I find a study that reveals how to tap into that, I will let you know. ( Fecal Fat Loss Fecal Fat Loss Fecal Fat Loss!)

Walk n Talk Class coming this summer

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:41:00 +0000

Wouldn't it be great if Walk n Talk classes became the new Jazzercise?Besides making me wealthy, it could be THE ANSWER the world is looking for.. A combination Weight Watcher's meeting and training rolled into one powerful hour. What is missing from Weight Watchers is the training ( what they call, yawn...."activity") Oh. How inspiring. Well, I am doing my part by starting the first Walk n Talk Class here in Irvine in July. Look at the Community Services listings for summer (not out yet) and sign right up. The more gals get out there and catch the training and weight loss bug (one big bug instead of the two little ones that run around bumping into eachother all the time), the better the world will be, and the happier and leaner you will be. Join us if you can.

Gotta Brag-New Weight Management For Triathletes book is out!

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:13:00 +0000

Dear Weight-loss gal, this book was written for folks that have the training part of the equation down pat, but still eat too much. Yes, athletes often eat too much. You might find this book interesting, sort of like seeing things from the other side..

Cheers!

Every triathlete wants to be and to look faster. The physiques of successful triathletes invites and inspires everyday age-groupers to look the part. This one- of-a-kind guide will help triathletes of all levels improve body composition for aesthetics and performance.

I know how depressing it is to train and perform as an endurance athlete without looking the part---let's face it, looking lean and fit is one of the reasons we do what we do.

Looks also matter because what you do with your body is a reflection of your character. If you don't control the aspects of life that are within your power, then you are selling yourself and your family short. You can't teach your children or anyone else about the importance of health and the joy of athleticism if you are overweight and sedentary.

Facts about calories are important, but knowing them does not make weight loss any easier.

This book bridges the gap between the nutritional information you already have, and the result you crave by providing day-to-day tools that allow you to eat less without feeling like you are going "cold turkey".

You will learn how to motivate yourself, how to overcome social and logistical issues and will equip you with the wherewithall to manage your weight for the rest of your life.

I show readers how to apply their athletic drive to the challenge of managing their weight. The book is science-based, filled with motivational tools and no nonsense strategies to get the weight off and to arrive at a weight that is right for you.

Learn how to use body composition data, the scale and your built-in desire for excellence to overcome long standing weight struggles.

The book features contributions from exercise physiologists, physical therapists and physicians, as well as inspiring interviews with professional triathletes Matt Lieto and Heather Wurtele, success stories and though-provoking topics like cosmetic surgery, exercise addiction, weight division racing and "The Ironman Trap".

This well-researched and thought-provoking book is available at amazon.com. and other fine bookstores.

Motivation- Get on with it already!

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:46:00 +0000

Losing as much weight as possible in the early weeks of a new commitment to get lean is CRUCIAL to long term success. Typical weight losers start to run out of steam after 12 weeks on a weight loss plan and if they don't see good results in the first 3 weeks, they have trouble garnering enough motivation to ride the wave of success into those later weeks. Make no mistake, changing your relationship with food takes a whole lot longer than 12 weeks--12 weeks is just the appetizer in a lifetime-course meal.

Being "realistic" sounds like such a negative thing, as if it is resigning to something less than what you hoped for. There is no reason to equate realism with resignation. Being realistic kicks ass! There are plenty of women out there that have succeeded in losing weight and have transformed their lives as their bodies and minds changed with weight loss. Yes, your mind changes. What do you think is in control of all this food and training stuff? Your brain of course.....so back to where we began.

Your motivation to change is the single MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR in your success. Without it, all the money time and resources in the world will not change your brain and the way you think of yourself and alas, the way you eat and go through your day.

So don't start a weight management plan with a fizzle, start it with a bang!
If you start a plan and it takes 3 weeks to get the first pound off you are in trouble and need to make some changes. It is like starting a race by sitting down at the starting line and waiting for it to be over. Do you have time for that? Are you willing to keep feeling like a frump for another day, week, 10 years? No one can do this for you. If you are lacking in motivation, go out and find some for crying out loud....read some funny weight loss books like "Till we eat again". Dare to dream the dream of being fit. Invest your time, your imagination and yes, your money into succeeding. Get the help you need and get the train rolling out of the station with no stops allowed until you reach your goal. Anyone or anything on the tracks had better get the heck out of the way because there no stopping you. Get on it!

Opposite Day-What Did You Resist?

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:36:00 +0000

Your New Year's Resolution to lose weight may be wearing thin for lack of motivation because, let's face it, you have been down this road before and look, you are still here.

Worry not, there are other roads to take. Like "Opposite Day" on Spongebob Squarepants (for those of you that don't have little kids you are missing out on the Bugs Bunny of this era) turn the world on it's head for a day. The results may suprise you.

Instead of recording what you eat each day, along with the number of calories, why not record what you RESISTED today? Don't be silly, I don't mean that you should list every food that you did not eat because that is an impossible task....just the contents of your fridge would take all day to list. Write down what you intended to eat, then thought better of and put down (either mentally or literally). In legal circles, this is known as specific intent and it requires not only a particular state of mind ( I am going to eat that cookie), it also requires an act toward achieving the goal (going into the kitchen to get it).

Instead of recording the calories, write down why you decided not to eat that third cookie or that last bite of sandwhich. One of the best reasons for resisting a food is that you wanted to be able to add it to your list. But once you list a thing or two you will discover that it feels really great to add things. It is like showing off to yourself. Hey Look! I am so "good" and "strong" and "studly" and "disciplined" that I can say no to food whenever I want to. In fact, passing up the food and writing it down feels better than actually eating the food......hummmmm, quite a concept.

Don't get extreme and eat nothing...that is not the point. Just experience what a kick it is to take pride in the amount of control you have, instead of beating yourself up because of the control you lack.

Training Keeps Hunger "Real"

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:20:00 +0000

One of the silly excuses for failing to become an athlete (getting active-making moving part of what you love to do every day) is that doing so will increase your appetite and tempt you to eat EVEN MORE! 2 Recent studies have shown that indeed, activity influences appetite regulation, but probably not in the way you would think. I won't bore you with the cites here, you can see them below. I will summarize:

One of them fund that activity increases the hunger signals, but it also makes those hunger signals shut-off more quickly. In other words, when you are active, you get truly hungry and after you eat, you feel more satisfied, not hungry anymore. A real life example of this is when you are with a friend and she asks, " I want to go to McD's, are you hungry?" and you pause and say, "nah, not really starving but yeah, I could eat, let's go." I won't even go down the road of what a poor choice this is but, you can see that activity can make the difference between hunger and satisfaction more apparent. So an athletic person could look her friend in the eye and say,,"no, I am definately not hungry" and because she is so wise she would add, "and I wouldn't eat McD's anyway".

The second study found that the hormones that control satiety in obese children are out of whack, and that increasing activity tends to NORMALIZE them. So, assuming this would hold true in adult females, becoming an athlete gets your hunger signals under control.

In both cases, activity helps with the feeling of being satisfied after eating. And we all know that EATING LESS is the key to weight-loss (while being an athlete is the key to having the right mental state so that you can execute a weight-loss plan and keep the weight off forever).

So the moral of the story is that being an athlete connects you better to your body signals....we already knew that in all sorts of touch-feely ways, but now we also know it when it comes to hunger. So Train! Eat! Enjoy!

See:
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Jan 21. [Epub ahead of print]
Changes in Circulating Satiety Hormones in Obese Children: A Randomized Controlled Physical Activity-Based Intervention Study.Balagopal PB, Gidding SS, Buckloh LM, Yarandi HN, Sylvester JE, George DE, Funanage VL.

AJCN 2009.27706,Dual process action of exercise on appetite control: increase in
orexigenic drive but improvement in meal-induced satiety1–4
Neil A King, Phillipa P Caudwell, Mark Hopkins, James R Stubbs, Erik Naslund, and John E Blundell

The Magic of Cadence

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:03:00 +0000

Our hearts beat to a rhythm, life is lived in 24-hour cycles and the earth goes around and around. Activity done to music is considered dance, but the dance is only made so because of the boom-boom-boom! Babies are rocked to sleep and hypnosis depends on the spell of repetitive movement.

To remain inert in this existence that is at every level, rhythmic, is bad for the soul and obviously (just look around) bad for the body. Moving your arms, legs or both a certain number of steps, pedals or strokes per minute is known as cadence, tempo or RPM.

Becoming an athlete turns up the volume of your favorite music allowing you hear the nuances of bass and treble that used to be obscured by hiss (overeating) and dead air (sloth). Miraculously, once you start running, walking, bicycling, etc. your body follows a rhythm and maintains it without much thought. This daily ritual, this daily dance, sets your mind free and it will, without fail, will make your world a better place.

Investing in your sport reinforces your athleticism. One of the of the easiest ways to invest is to seek improvement by getting faster or more efficient. One way to do this is to manipulate the tempo of your movements and do them faster. Teaching your body to move your feet faster is a simple and effective way to use more muscle, to burn more calories, and to get faster and more efficient at your sport.

All you need is a metronome, you know, those tick-tock things that musicians use to keep the beat? You can buy digital clip-on models at music stores (or from Amazon at right>>>>) and you can set the volume of the beep and the speed in RPM too. This feature known as a "pace alarm" is available on sport watches as well. There is one to use when you swim called the Finis Tempo Trainer and you can even use the "iTick App" on your iPhone.

The magic number to strive for in all of these activities is 90 RPM (or 180 steps/stokes per minute if you counting each one as opposed to each set of right left as one which is considered a revolution, thus revolutions per minute or RPM). This is a special number because it works in so many sports. Taking longer steps/stokes/strides extends your muscles further and puts more strain on your joints and is a less effective way to go faster than making your "revolutions" smaller/shorter and doing more of them.

Increasing your RPM means you will take smaller steps, move your arms faster, and/or use an easier gear on your bike.

Don't go for 90 RPM in one day or even 5, take your time and increase your turnover rate a little at a time over several weeks.

You need not listen to each and every beep from your metronome for the entire session, just tune into it periodically to keep you on tempo. This way you can enjoy your iPod/Mp3 as well. The farther away you are from 90 now, the longer it will take to achieve 90 as your regular RPM but once you do, you will be faster.

As you strive toward 90 rpm, your posture will change for the better, you will use your arms more ( walking or running ) extraneous movements will lessen and you will become a more efficient, MORE ATHLETIC machine.

Eventually, when you are ready to run REALLY REALLY fast, you will learn to move even faster but hey, this blog is about getting out the door, not getting to the winner's circle.

So keep running, swimming, walking, bicycling. Use your iPod, tune into your tempo, turn up the volume and enjoy the DANCE of athletic movement. Shake it daily. Shake it to music, turn up the volume and shake it faster baby!

The Art of Substitution

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:45:00 +0000

I must say that substituting an endive leaf for a tortilla chip is taking things pretty far but the world of food substitution is a matter of personal taste. If I can find something that tastes really close to the real deal and saves me a bunch calories, I am all for it. But you have to get creative and you have to be willing to experiment. This recent Weight Watcher's post has some helpful information. I can personally vouch for the cauliflower substitution for mashed potatoes and for the 97% fat free hot dogs.

Don't ask me why my linking function won't work. Here is the URL...
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=48551&sc=3017

Race if You Want Weight-loss Success

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:46:00 +0000

I can hear it all now..."A race? I'm not fast enough to race. I'm not an athlete. I can't do that" yadda yadda yadda. OK then, take the boring milk-toast route and call it a "Personal Contract".......just the description makes me shudder. Aren't those the things your kids bring home from school that you have to read and have your 7-year-old sign?

Forget it..Here's the deal. If you want to lose and maintain a significant weight loss, you have to "exercise" for 6 hours a week FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! Those are the facts. So what are you gonna do? walk around a 1/4 mile track everyday until your brain goes numb? What are the chances that you will still be doing that boring thing a year or two from now? ZERO.

OK. So go to Active.com or Raceplace.com and sign yourself up for some kind of event that sounds CHALLENGING. Fun isn't good enough because often an event that is only "fun" is one that you don't have to prepare for and the point of doing a race is to be intimidated into having to follow a structured program (Training Plan) in order to be able to finish the event in decent shape. It is up to you do decide what kind of event will fill the bill. Don't sign-up for something you can already do now and don't enter an event set for next week either. Give yourself adequate time to prepare.

How much time will you need? Start with where you are now. How many minutes can you continuously move forward in the activity without undue strain at this point. Then estimate how many minutes or hours it will take you to complete the event on race day-assuming a realistic pace (20 min/mile walking, 12-14 min/mile running). Our task it to add about 10% per week to your current time, until you get to about 80% of your estimated finish time) Oh man this is getting too mathematical.

How about this: Add about 15 min. per week to your current longest effort until you get close to your estimated race time. That is at minimum, the number of weeks you will need to prepare for an endurance event. You can free training plans all over the internet. Find one and start to follow it. Presto! no more "exercise" agony. Your schedule is all laid out for you and all you have to do it put one foot in front of the other and follow the yellow brick road.

What is beautiful about a race is that it LOOMS. You must get into the habit of TRAINING for it or else you will be embarrassed because you can't finish. You have to lose some weight so that you can wear something hot-looking at the race. The less weight you tote with you, the faster you will go and the less chaffing you will endure. You can't take more than 2 days off per week or you will fail. Got it?

No go out an get into a race. It is the most powerful "personal contract" around. Oh yeah, brag about your goal to all your friends and try to get them involved too. The more the merrier.

After you finish your first race, hurry and sign-up for another. A longer one? A faster finish time? A different sport? It is up to do. Just keep doing races and with each step you become healthier and more a believer in your athleticism. Be an athlete. It is the only way.

Dieting "Tips" are useless "Tweets"

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:31:00 +0000

Weight loss tips are useless bits of information that perpetuate the myth that weight-control is a simple task, that if you have enough information, your problem will be solved.

A shortage of information has never been the problem. My husband is a gifted salesman and he knows, the last thing a customer needs is a walking encyclopedia. Customers need solutions to their problems and a one-liner is never that. Indeed, spewing out lists of facts is where weight-loss services fall short. Being buried in information draws the focus away from our emotional selves (the real issue) and more on externals.

We are complex creatures. We Need. We are resourceful so we find ways to satisfy our needs and sometimes the solutions create problems of their own-like too much food does. We are wise enough to try for the easiest solution first. Going for the quick fix isn't lazy, it makes sense. And even when we realize that it isn't the best solution, the pleasant distraction keeps us from facing issues we believe to be difficult and impossible to change. Rather than take on the work, we say "what the hell" and keep eating. We hope that lightening will strike so that one day, food will lose its appeal and then, finally, we will tackle the problem.

But dealing with the emotional stuff is really not such a big deal. It is not terribly difficult and it is the only way to find the motivation to change. What it takes is the refusal to be distracted by the "tweets" and ringtones of life coming at you everyday.

It also requires that you stop being afraid-afraid that you will fail and afraid that you will have to give something up.

Stop believing that that life of a lean and fit person is a life of slavery to calories and workouts-that the feeling of safety, comfort and delight in good food is something you have do to without.

Believe that the perks you now get from food will be replaced by even better ones, by real things like self mastery and serenity (not swimsuit model looks) . Believe that the "good stuff" you now get from food won't matter to you much anymore. That, my friend, is the magic place worth getting to.That is the lightening strike. But unlike an act of nature, you have to create it.

-It has nothing to do with "weight loss tips".

Holiday Goals

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:09:00 +0000

Alright.....you know you have been thinking about it so there is no need to hide. You have been fretting about how to stay away from the multitude of temptations you will face in the next few weeks. Some are known and expected like your mom's special strudel (not really but I just love the write that word) and the like. This year, why not turn the tables.

Instead of worrying about all that you will have to resist, dream about the delights you will happily indulge in-that's right, set 3 goals. What are the 3 most delightful foods you look forward to this month? Write them down, post them on the fridge. Dream of them, bask in them, imagine the scent and sensation of them. OK that part was easy.

Now the hard part. Enjoy them without guilt. Allow yourself a few hours to enjoy each to it's fullest. Don't count the calories. Don't measure the portions. When you are done, throw the leftovers away and get on with your life.

Come on, I know you can do it. Just this once. Focus on the food that will delight you.......Oh yeah, and don't waste calories on any other crap that ends up under your nose. Choose wisely.

Enjoy!

Our True Dimensions?

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:34:00 +0000

Forget the scale, the photos and the handfuls of flab you can grab. Now there is a way to get the real story about how fat you are, or aren't.

I came across a unique weight management tool called, "Body Aspect" and once I started reading, I couldn't stop. The ad says, "start and stay motivated on weight loss programs and conquer obesity with Body Aspect's objective body shape and sizing technology" which creates a 3D image of your body that is displayed on a computer screen. This helps a person form a more realistic (and presumably, more positive) image of what they look like from all angles. Theoretically, this could be helpful for people that suffer from a distorted image of how they look. But wait-the problem is not what they see, but what their brains are telling them about it. One has to wonder what yet another image would really contribute since it too would be mis-perceived.

I guess it has helped some people. Here is what a satisfied customer said, "I was hugely surprised. I'd imagined myself 25 per cent bigger" This presumably from a woman who discovered she is not nearly as obese as she thought she was...........sounds like something else entirely.

But distorted perception cuts both ways. Look around, much of the US population lives in a state of denial about how overweight they really are. The fatter everyone gets, the easier it is to compare yourself to someone else and feel like you are doing OK. Don't despair, this device will take care of that "distortion" by showing a person how enormous they truly are.....They put it this way, "Our technology creates the 3D image of your client's perceived body size and compares it with reality to help create that all important desire to change".

But wait, there's more. The Body Aspect technology also "enables patients to visualize how they could look after weight loss by showing 3D comparisons of body size, shape and posture during weightloss programs to help keep slimmers motivated".

So I could go to this place and they could show me a ridiculously distorted (Barbie doll) image of what I "could" look like if I (fill in the blank) or bought their diet plan or weight-loss pill. Hmmmm, sounds like the same pitch we already get for everything that money can buy.

The best part of all though, is that "Our technology provides your clients with (sic.) an impartial assessment of their true body size that they can trust and believe". Finally, a place that will tell you the "truth".

Bottom line:
Our brains are messed up so we can't tell what is real.
This machine will generate an image that is either "real", or
shows us how tiny we are, or
shows us how huge we are, or
shows us what we might look like if we lost weight.

I wonder why this company is not running the world.....they seem to be able to please everyone.

Thankful for being fat?

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:15:00 +0000

I have always felt that the tendency to be fat is my cross to bear and I am thankful for it. Thank goodness I was overweight because it motivated me to exercise. Without the weight issue, I would not have had the drive to move. Now that I am lean, the desire to stay this way remains a tremendous motivator. Somewhere in my soul there is a rule that being a couch potato is unacceptable way to live one's life.

Coming to terms with the weight issue intellectually and emotionally, has been an ongoing struggle. But sometimes what we struggle with most opens the door to the way we can contribute to others. Hardship points us to our destiny.

I answered this challenge like most people, going through periods of control followed by months of resignation. I worked out in the gym. I even ran marathons ( yes you can run a marathon and be overweight).I was fit, but I was still heavy. I understood on an intellectual level that it would be a great victory to be able to accept and love my body the way it was so I tried. I read all the books about self-acceptance and the feminist oppression theories of sexual stereotyping and the media. You name it, I read it. For about a year, I avoided the scale and "got in touch" with my appetite, worked to accept myself. I wanted to be able to take pride in my size like Queen Latifa. I wished I could be like that. I failed.

In the deepest core of by being, I wanted to look like a lean, strong athlete and that desire smoldered, no matter what I said or did. My guess is that there are plenty of people out there that want to look like athletes too, even if their lives and their talents don't allow them to devote much time to it.

Don't ignore the voice! Look at your weight challenge as a gift-not a curse. Considering the other "issues" mankind has to deal with, controlling what you eat is at least, something YOU CONTROL.

When you see the physical hardships that others suffer, aren't you ashamed that you can't control your food? You should be. Check out the Challenged Athletes Federation.

Start down the path of taking control, no matter how long it takes. In learning to master yourself, you will experience an unmatched sense of arrival. Once you have mastered your demons, you will be able to help others master theirs. Isn't that what contributing is all about?

A sentence can say it all........

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:48:00 +0000

Sometimes a single sentence says much more than the words that make it up. The other day I was swimming with a friend of mine and she let fly a gem of a statement. It was delivered with perfect tone, expression and timing. I laughed out loud when she said it and thinking of it still makes me giggle. It was priceless.

We are kind of a comedy team, the two of us, going back and forth on the usual subjects (how busy we are, what's up with the kids, etc.) before moving on to what is really going on in our lives. The weight status report is always a segue into the emotional stuff. Only in the world of weight loss is being "up" a bad thing and being "down" a cause to celebrate.

I encourage my friend to worry less about the little ups and downs of the scale since weight fluctuations of up to 5 pounds are normal in some people and they don't necessarily reflect an increase in fat. Just imagine how much you would have to eat to put on 2 pounds in say, 2 days. You would have to eat 7,000 calories in addition to the 4,000 or so you need to sustain your weight. That is 11,0000 calories! A person could not easily consume that much.

That said, there are times when a higher number on the scale really does mean you have put on some fat. On this particular day, rather than the usual weight status reported as "up" or "down" my pal just looked at me earnestly, signed, and shook her head. She was not pleased when she uttered the words. There was no possibility of water retention or shrinkage from a too-hot clothes dryer. When a woman utters these words, it means the worst.......

"My panties are too tight"

Yup-Can't you just feel the elastic digging in? Can't up just see that fabric filled to capacity? Go with the feeling, experience it, be with it and use it to keep you out of the cookie jar. It isn't worth it.

How to make a simple training plan

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:56:00 +0000

Let's pretend you have transformed your identity. You are no longer an exerciser, you have redefined yourself as an "athlete". As such, you no longer "exercise" at random, you "train" at least 4 times a week and you have embraced a particular activity/sport as the focus of your efforts to improve.

Improvement comes in many forms, efficient movement, ease of execution, endurance and maybe even speed. As an athlete, you train with a particular event/race/occasion in mind. That date on your calendar is the carrot drawing you ever forward day after day, in your quest to improve. But how do you actually "train" for something?

It is simple really, especially when you are first starting out. Start with a blank calendar or just a sheet of paper (we will call it a training calendar) with 4 rows of 7 columns each. At the top, label the first column as sunday, then mon, tues. etc for the rest of the week.

The first 3 weeks will be called " build" weeks. The 4th week will be called a "recovery" week.
Decide how many days a week you will train, then decide which day of the week you want to have your longest training session. Stay with me here, there isn't much more. Use a pencil for the rest of this.

You will label various days "long day", "regular day", "speed day" and "day off"
You will have one "long day", one "speed day" and one or several "regular days" and at least one "day off" each week.

On the day you have designated at your long day, jot down how long you currently train on that day. Now add 10 minutes to that. For example, if your longest walk of the week is now 30 min. your "long day" walk will be 40 minutes. Write "long day-walk 40 min." on your calendar on that day. Then write in next weeks "long day", 50 minutes, then 60 minutes. The fourth week, write 30 min. again. The fourth week is your recovery week so your long day won't be very long at all.

The day after your long day should be a day off so write that on your page for each week.

Now go back to the top of your calendar page and fill in your "regular day" sessions for the other days of the week, however many days you plan to train. The sessions should be whatever amount of time you usually walk, but should shorter than your "long day". Add a total of 20 minutes spread among the regular walks you take each week.

When you total the time you spend walking each week ( this is called your weekly training volume) you will see an increase of 30 minutes per week. This is a very conservative schedule that will build your endurance. Notice I did NOT mention speed. It is not necessary to improve speed, at least not if you are a beginner to all this. You do not have to have any "speed days". If you just can't stand the idea of going easy all the time, I give you permission to designate one "speed day". On that day you can either move faster for the entire session, or alternate a few minutes of fast with a few minutes of slow until the time is up.

The total training time for the recovery week should be about the same as the total for the first week on the calendar. This recovery week allows your body to adjust to the increased demands you have placed on it. No matter how good you feel, do not skip the recovery week.

Congratulations! you now have a very basic, 4 week training plan. In 4 weeks, after the recovery week which is crucial, your fitness will be improved. Professional athletes in almost every sport structure their training around this kind of cycle. Three weeks on increasing volume followed by one week of less volume.There are lots of nuances to creating a training plan, but these are the basics.

Let's say you were training for a 5k walk. Completing 5k can take you anywhere from 35 min. to over an hour, depending on your normal speed. In order to prepare for a particular event, your "long day" should eventually be as long as you expect your "race" to last. Don't worry about distance, work with time. It is much easier.

To take an extreme example, if you were working up to walking a half-marathon ( 13.1 miles) marathon, you would continue adding time to these monthly training cycles until your long day was as long as it will take you to cover that distance. So you can see it takes more monthly training cycles to prepare for a long event than it does for a short one.

That is enough to get you started. Happy training!

Walking Faster For Fitness

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:10:00 +0000

Walking can be a highly athletic activity. Indeed, competitive race walkers can move as fast as 7-8 minutes per mile which is faster than I can run, and it takes a whole lot of muscle to move that fast. Race walking is different than regular walking. The propulsion comes from driving the hips, we all giggle at the wildly swinging booty of a racewalker.

At about 12 minutes per mile, race walking takes more energy than running and it burns more calories than regular walking. OK, I understand you don't want to make a scene shimmying your goods down the sidewalk for all to see, but there are things you can do to create a sort of hybrid walk-racewalk that gives you the best of both worlds...you will work up a sweat, use some muscle and still look relatively "normal" as you do it.

Step 1: Bend your arms at like a runner, instead of holding them straight down at your sides.

Step 2: Move your arms faster. Your arms and legs move in sync. When you move your arms faster, your legs will follow and moving faster takes more energy than moving slow.

Step 3: Lead with your hips a little. When you try to move your legs faster, it works much better when you get your hips involved.

Hips are part of your core, which are the muscles of your back, chest, abdomen and pelvis. These muscles are responsible for stabilizing most of your movement. You have probably heard alot about core strength and I will talk about that in later posts.

If you want to get fancy, invest in an electronic metronome like the Seiko DM50L which you can get through my triathlon website ( go to the "store" page and click on "electronics" to find it) or directly from amazon.com. This little gadget is about the size of a tiny box of raisins and it clips to your hat or your clothes. Set the alarm to beep 90 times a minute and try to hit the beep sound with every step of your right foot. It is difficult but with practice you will get there. Don't strain yourself though. If reaching 90 rpm is too hard, start with 80 and build up to it.

The two drawbacks of this approach are that: 1. you walking so much faster that your walking buddies will either have to change their pace to keep up, or you will be on your own. Maybe you will find a faster pack of walkers and 2. you will have to do more laundry because you will actually sweat when you go fast-yipee! the engine is MOVING.

For now, get started with the 3 steps-quickly.

How to use a bodyfat scale

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:21:00 +0000

I guess this post should really be called, "Why you shouldn't use a bodyfat scale".

I just finished writing a book about weight management. The chapter on body composition analysis included the latest research about the accuracy of body fat scales. So when my trusty digital scale finally died from overuse and stress, I spent the extra dough for a scale that measures body fat so I could put the theory to the test.

All I can say is that I am an idiot! I have my bodyfat tested every 6 months using the highly accurate 7 site-skinfold so I know what my numbers are. I put in the batteries, did all the set-up nonsense and with some anticipation, stepped onto the platform. It blinked. It considered. It passed a tiny current through my body then revealed.........a HUGE number for bodyfat% that is exactly twice my true number.

I was not only angry at myself for spending the extra money, I was angry that these scales are out there breaking the hearts of so many unsuspecting souls who put their faith in them.

The problem with most body fat measuring scales is that they only actually measure the bottom half of your body then use a formula to estimate your total body fat. For women that carry most of their fat on the bottom half (also known as FA women) this leads to numbers that are way off the mark.

The only saving grace is that I don't think most of the population is dialed-into the body fat % thing like they are to weight. But as an endurance athlete (triathlon), body fat percentage is much more important than pounds because it describes leaness. Having very little fat and enough muscle to do my sport is part of what I train for. It makes the world go around for me. Being lean is having muscles that show, not having muffin tops hanging over my pants or rolls over my bra strap. Being lean means I don't carry extra baggage to slow me down--well, at 49 years old I certainly have some extra baggage, but it is "life experience" not body fat.

Some day women will embrace the power of body fat percentages instead of weight. Weight is meaningless because it doesn't say anything about how much of you is fat and how much of you is muscle, bone and other stuff. Lean is good. Lean is beautiful.

Do yourself a favor and get your bodyfat tested at a medical facility using a 7-site skinfold. The folks there will be happy to tell you about healthy percentages for your age and those numbers should be the basis of your weight goals. Go ahead and use the scale to track your progress but for crying out loud, don't believe the numbers on a body fat scale! Go back to the same medical facility after 6 months of activity (about an hour a day) and healthy eating and see how much better your body has become. You will be pleased.

Cheers!

Vacation Exploration

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:18:00 +0000

Ah Vacation. Anticipation, preparation, transportation, disorientation, organization, exploration, relaxation and of when you get home-a whole families worth of laundry. For some, vacation is a reason not to move around much. If you don't pay attention, you could mistake all of those motionless spheres in the water as bobbing bouys but wait-one of them moved. Those are PEOPLE out there and they are ALIVE!

To redefine yourself from a slug to an athlete, you must change what vacation means to you. Sure, there are new food opportunities. But there is no reason that the amount of food you eat should increase just because you are away from home. Indeed, when you account for the umbrella festooned calorie bombs (cocktails) you find in your hand everyday at sunset, you may think that you should not eat at all-that would be a mistake of course. So wise Weight-loss gals go heavy on the activity to offset things.

"Activity" does not mean renting a $.99 air mattress ( known as a "floatie") and sprawling upon it. No, it means getting out of the hotel with your running shoes on before it gets hot and working up a serious sweat. Again, in Hawaii, the sweating begins as soon as you exit the air conditioning. Yes, tropical sweat is copious but somehow exotic too. It is all about attitude. It feels great to zip by the slothlike tourists. I assure you, no matter how slow you are, you will be the speediest in that crowd-and so "disciplined" and "fit" and feeling so POWERFUL.

Set a goal-find the nearest Starbucks, pancake restaurant, and sports bar for starters. Where can you rent a Kayak? Which hotel has the nicest beachfront? Romp through the streets at a faster than everyone else pace ( which again, isn't hard), work up some body heat and return to the hotel a hero brimming with discoveries from your reconissance, just as your little darlings are waking up.

Yes, use your vacation as an exploration and keep your booty moving every day. When you return home the scale will thank you.

Launching the website and the walk n' talk class

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:29:00 +0000

Today I published the new site http://www.weightlossgals.com and posted a notice on the Active.com message board for the "California walking" community. You can meet up with friendly like-minded others on the Active.com message boards.

I am offering a class called "walk n' talk" which for some, will be more talk than walk, but that's OK. It is all about getting out there and having fun while you are moving. For women, talk seems to help the process along.

I have taught this kind of class before and it is funny how women that walk the same speed always find something to talk about. Those that can't hold up the conversation tend to speed up in search of a more agreeable pod of walkers. It is rare indeed for a woman to slow down to wait for a group behind her to catch up.

We are all racers at heart. Moving backwards is against our nature. Keep racing!

Going Into The Closet......

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:19:00 +0000

Some women that have no sense of fashion. They mix colors and patterns in baffling combinations. Not everyone has a good eye for color and style, but everyone understands the concept of dressing for success. Clothes tell the world what you are up to-what persona you are adopting.

You tend to dress for what you aspire to. You don't wear grungy jeans to your first job interview, even though you are just a beginner. You wear a nice outfit with decent shoes. You do your hair and make sure there is no broccoli between your teeth. You present yourself as if you are worthy of the Vice-President's job. If you can look the part, you can be it.

So I ask, why do you go walking/running/riding/etc. in a t-shirt the size of Texas and pants that belong in the rag pile? What are you aspiring to in clothes like that? Training is among the most important things you do each day. Why don't you invest in doing it in decent clothes? Don't tell me its a comfort issue; a baggy cotton t-shirt causes more chaffing and sweating than a sport-specific outfit with moisture-wicking fabric.

You don't wear nice training clothes because you don't have them. Go ahead, admit it-you don't shop for them because you don't "care" about how you look when you train and you don't expect to stay motivated long enough to justify an investment. Wearing crappy clothes is a form of rebellion. It screams to the world how little you care about what you are doing. But if you are reading this you know you want to care, so here's a way to start.

Sometimes the best way to change your thoughts, feelings and attitudes is to start from the outside and work your way in. Start with the clothes. Go into your closet. Find your training clothes and arrange them nicely in a primo location. Spend a little money and put together some outfits that match and that function. If you see an outfit that takes your breath away (and you can afford it) buy it. When you look like marvelous, you feel marvelous. Tell the world that you take pride in your activity no matter what your size.

Dress like an athlete. Look like an athlete. Act like an athlete. Think like an athlete. Become an athlete.

Stop Exercising Part 2: The "f" word

IngridLoosMiller@gmail.com (Ingrid Loos Miller) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Do you know an athlete when you see one?

Most definitions of the word are something like this: a person trained in exercises, games, or contests requiring physical strength, skill, stamina, speed, etc.

You probably think of your neighborhood runner, the guy or gal you see every morning going through the paces with a stern look on their face as an athlete. When you see a group of women walking briskly down the street, chatting and laughing, do you consider them athletes? How about the local cycling club you see in packs every weekend.

They are all athletes. What sets them apart from exercisers is their enjoyment of what they are doing. It doesn't mean they smile all the time. But something about their activity feeds them, supplies them with "something essential for growth, maintenance, or operation".

An athlete looks at activity the way an "exerciser" looks at food:

It is something she is only allowed to have a certain amount of.

It is something she plans for and looks forward to almost every day.

She buys the right supplies so she can get the most enjoyment from it.

She looks forward to special occasions which are planned around the activity (an exotic location, participating with special friends or perhaps a race or special event).

She plans for weeks and sometimes months for a special occasion.

An athlete often tracks all of her training/activity and adds the total hours per week with a particular goal in mind.

She looks at the scale often to make sure she is on track.

She is motivated to get better and dreams about how it will be when she gets there (stronger, better, faster).

She reads about it, does it and talks about it with her friends. It is part of the fabric of her life.

An athlete is A physically fit person who enjoys sports and exercise. The physically fit part is secondary to the enjoyment. You can be an athlete too if you change your relationship with activity and think of it as ..........chocolate.