Tasty Thursday! (My Fitness Pal edition)

A day of calorie counting with My Fitness Pal looks pretty similar to a day on Weight Watchers.  However, there are some things that I've noticed that I'm doing differently now in regards to food choices.

1)  I'm snacking less now.  Especially at nighttime.  When I was on WW following the Simply Filling Technique, I had gotten into the habit of eating a bowl of shredded wheat with soy milk most nights, often an overflowing one that I wasn't even that hungry for.  I had convinced myself since shredded wheat and soy milk were Power Foods, that it was perfectly okay.  I would never do that now, unless I was under my calories for the day, which so far has not been a problem!

2)  I'm allowing myself to eat chips and cookies in actual moderation now.  Seriously, since this is my PMS/TOM week, I decided to allow myself an individual baggie of chips and an individual baggie of mini-oreos every day if I want them.  With calorie counting, those things are not that bad.  On WW, it would have meant several PoinstPlus, probably somewhere in the double digits.  And for some reason, for me that meant either "all" (eat an entire giant bag of chips or entire ream of oreos) or "nothing" (don't even LOOK at those foods).  But with calorie-counting, one serving a day is fine.

Okay, here goes:

Breakfast was at 8:30-ish and was amazing!!!  It was 1 cup of oats with 1 cup of almond milk, with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 tablespoon sugar free maple syrup...  Mmmm, it tasted like pancakes in oatmeal form!

The banana was my planned morning snack, but it had bruises so I couldn't eat it.  I know, but I just seriously cannot eat a badly bruised banana.  Not pictured:  1 ounce of almonds.

Lunch was a fun mix of leftovers in a bowl:  1 cup of barley, 1/2 cup of kidney beans, a bit of canned tomatoes, and some leftover broccoli and cauliflower, all mixed up with 1 teaspoon of EVOO.

My afternoon snack was described above- 1 baggie of mini-oreos and 1 baggie of Lay's potato chips.

Dinner was filling and yummy.  1 cup chickpeas, 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon EVOO.

My evening snack was the rest of this cantelope, which was delicious, but definately on its last legs!

Total calories for the day: 
1887 (calories eaten)
- 607 (exercise calories)
= 1280 net calories

Well, I'm off to earn my exercise calories with some The Firm and my bike!  :-)

Did you eat anything especially interesting or delicious today?

I will leave you all with an adorable picture of Rose and Dot. 

I feel skinny today!

Do you ever have a day where you feel as if your body looks like this?

I wonder what Alyssa eats...

That is how I feel today.  Seriously, I am having one of those rare and elusive "skinny days". 

And I'm PMS-ing, so this is a major NSV for me. No bloat whatsoever.

I know that it's all mental, and that I feel this way because I went from Intuitive Eating to My Fitness Pal, and feel as if the weight is already melting away...

But I'm going to hold onto this feeling!!! 

I just love skinny days.

P.S.  I am planning to do "Tasty Thursday" this week, since I missed it yesterday and need to buy batteries for my camera!  I want to show you guys that there really aren't too many changes from what I was eating on WW to IE to MFP. 

Confession: I'm going back to calorie-counting (for now)

Well...  as much as I really wanted to be an Intuitive Eater, I've come to (once again!) accept that I'm just not ready for it.

I gained again.  It's almost too depressing for me to even admit to you how much, after a week of pure IE, but okay- it was 2.2 pounds.  So in the last two weeks of Intuitive Eating, I have managed to regain 5 entire pounds.

I got a new scale, and it said that I was back up to 153!!!!!!!!!!!!  So that's what I'm tracking my weight as now.  A gain of almost 10 pounds since I hit my goal of 144. 

And that is just too scary for me to continue. 

I have to go back to tracking.  I have decided to not go back to Weight Watchers, simply because that's just too diet-y for me right now, and I'd like to do a combination of IE and dieting...  If that's possible!

So I signed up for My Fitness Pal and have been basically doing IE but with tracking for the last few days.

So I'm still listening to my hunger signals and choosing foods that I like (about 80% really ridiculously healthy options, with 20% processed/junk foods right now... yes I'd like to increase the former to 90% at some point) but with limits.

I feel bad about giving up on Intuitive Eating again.  However, for me, it just wasn't working!  A reader of mine, Kate from This is Not  Diet, said something to me that really made me think:  "I think the only way to "eat whatever you want" and not gain weight is if you don't "want" to overeat or eat a lot of junk."

And I do still want to eat junk and I still want to overeat.  I don't know why I still want to do those things, but I do.  So I need the accountabity of calorie-counting for now.  I'm going to give My Fitness Pal three months of commitment, that is my plan.  My birthday is October 7, and according to MFP, I will have reached my weight loss goal by then, and will be working towards maintenance again, which is where I want to be!  :-)

So I hope that you all understand, my dear readers.  I didn't want to give up on IE, but I've just discovered that I am not yet ready to be a true IE-er.  IE just wasn't good for me at this point in my life.

With that in mind, I must remember one of the affirmations from my box of affirmations: 

"Walking away from something that is bad for you is not giving up."

I still 100% believe in Intuitive Eating, and will go back to it eventually, but for now...  I need to work some stuff out.  And part of that journey will include counting calories for the food that I eat and the exercise that I do.  And I'm okay with that.

still on a journey...

STRUGGLING. But working on it...

Just a quick post to let you all know that I've been struggling with Intuitive Eating! 

It's definately not as easy as it sounds... 

Eat when hungry.  Stop eating when satisfied.

Seems simple, doesn't it?

Nope...

Weight Watchers was easier.  I'm almost 100% sure that the reason that WW was easier for me than IE has been is that I have been dieting since I was 11, so that's fifteen years.  Fifteen years of doing anything regularly will not be easy to give up.

I do still believe that Intuitive Eating will be worth it in the end. 

I don't want to track my food forever.  I don't want to worry about food and exercise forever. 

I just want to be one of those lucky people who gets to eat whatever they want and not gain weight!

Is that too much to ask for?

IE says "No, it's not too much to ask for.  In fact, if you follow the guidelines in this book, you will be one of those lucky people eventually."

So...  I'm working on it.

It's a struggle, but I'm going to power through!

Tonight, I'm going out to eat with some family.  And we're going to On The Border, which has some outstanding vegan options, as most Mexican places do. 

I'm planning to order the vegetable fajita with avocado!  Then we're going to see Bad Teacher, which looks hilarious to me.  Should be a fun night.

My plan for eating out:  Enjoy it.  Focus on the conversation more than the food.  Savor each bite, there is no reason to overeat on the tortilla chips just because the others do...  I don't go out to eat often, this is very rare, so I am going to enjoy it.  :-)

Some Comparisons...

Just for fun (and YES, this was actually fun for me, I'm a nerd), I decided to compare three tracking methods of what I ate yesterday. 

And just in case any of you are as nerdy as I am when it comes to this stuff (and chances are if you follow/read my blog, you are), I thought that I would share my findings on here.  :-)

Here's my hunger journal with Intuitive Eating for a day-
time- (hunger level before eating) food (hunger level after eating)

8:00am- (3) 1 Lara bar, 1 banana (5)

10:00am- (3) 1 Lara bar, 1 packet of craisins (5) -YES, I ate 2 Lara Bars in one morning!  I was in a hurry and didn't have time to make the oatmeal that I usually eat for breakfast. 

12:30pm- (3) refried beans mixed with salsa, with Wasa flatbread crackers (5)

3:30pm- (2) apple (5)

5:30pm- (3) beans, rice, steamed veggies, EVOO (6)

8:00pm- (3) peanut butter with karo (5)

10:00pm- (4) boca burger (6)

Okay, so there you have it- one random day of Intuitive Eating for me.  Lots of healthy stuff, some sweetness (If you haven't tried PB & karo, do it!  It's creamy deliciousness!), and tons of satisfaction.

I went to plug in all this good food on both Sparkpeople and Weight Watchers.

According to Sparkpeople, here are the stats for the day:

Daily Goals- 1720-2070 calories, no carb goal (I took that away), 44-77 grams of fat, and 60-172 grams of protein.

Daily Totals- 1804 calories, 291 carbs, 52 grams of fat, and 68 grams of protein.

Pretty good stats, if I do say so myself!


According to Weight Watchers, here are the stats for the day:

Daily Goals- 35 Daily PointsPlus, 49 Weekly PoinstPlus

Daily Totals- 39 PointsPlus used (all 35 daily plus 4 weeklies)

Again, NOT BAD.

***************

This isn't something that I'm planning to do often, as it pretty much would be detrimental to my progress with Intuitive Eating.

However, I'm glad that I did this.  It proves that IE can be a healthy and balanced way to eat that does not have to cause weight gain.

If I plugged in any days from last week, the numbers on both SP and WW would probably be laughable.  I was going through a food rebellion phase last week, eating lots of junk foods "because I could". 

Now, I'm approaching IE in a more balanced way.  There is no need to overeat on cookies and chips every day, because they will always be there as an option for me.

I simply choose to eat more filling foods the majority of the time.

Real Women.

Do you want to know a big pet peeve of mine?

When someone tells me that they love my curvy body, because I represent "real women". 

...

That's a lot of pressure!  Also, I don't believe it ONE BIT. 

Are some women out there not real women?

Was I more of a real woman when I looked like this?

Or this?

The truth is:

All women are REAL WOMEN. 

No matter what our size.

  

 No matter if we are trying to lose weight, trying to gain weight, or embracing our weight as it is.

Weight, curves, boobs, hips, waists... none of these things make us "real" or "not real". 

WE ARE ALL REAL WOMEN!!!!! 

So when can we start celebrating our bodies? 

When is it okay to start loving our individual, unique body shapes?

When is it appropriate to shout for joy about how beautiful our bodies are?

I say there is no time like RIGHT NOW. 

Embrace your body exactly as it is.

If you still have some pounds that you are wanting to lose or gain, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't or that you can't LOVE YOUR BODY.

This is me, and I'm a REAL WOMAN. 

And so are you!

(unless, of course, you are a man)

A BIG GAIN

What do you do when you have a really big gain???

Here's what I'm planning to do:  Look back at the last week, see what I ate and how I exercised.  Figure out what, if anything, went wrong.  Move on immediately into a GREAT week.  Oh, and NOT FREAK OUT.

Well folks, I gained a whopping 2.8 pounds this week.  The ironic thing is that is exactly how much my first loss at Weight Watchers was.  :-)  I remember looking at that little stamp at the meeting and being in a state happy wonderment when the receptionish wrote "-2.8".  In one week?  I had lost 2.8 in one week of eating less?!

In the same (but opposite) fashion, I have gained 2.8 pounds in one week of eating more.  Lots more.

And I do know that in the beginning of Intuitive Eating, weight gain is common.  Heck, it's the first time in years that I've rejected the diet mentality and allowed myself to enjoy any and all foods in whatever quantities I see fit.

The way that I gained this week is simple:  I slacked a bit (okay, a lot) on listening to my hunger signals.  I didn't even keep my food hunger journal.  I thought that I had "mastered" it.  Nope, I was wrong.

So to remedy this, I'm planning on going back to a pretty ancient concept this week: 

Food is fuel.

I'm going to attempt to go back to eating the same kinds of things that I ate while on the Simply Filling Technique, with little to no "junk" food.  Mostly whole, nutritious foods. 

Kind of like how Angie over at Oh She Glows eats:  Intuitively, but with a strong focus toward healthy and whole food choices.  That will be me this week!

I have added another page to the top of my blog for pictures of my foods.  You don't have to look at it throughout the week if you don't want to, but I'm planning to take pictures of all of my meals and snacks for a week and see if that helps me make healthier choices.

Here's a picture of me taken just a couple of days ago (that I like, of me in a swimsuit, sitting down no less), to make myself feel better:

happy and confident in my own skin!  Imagine that.

By the way,  I'm still in my goal weight range, just barely.  So I'm not beating myself up, I just cannot afford to have another week like this. 

Okay, rant over.  Moving on.

An update on Intuitive Exercise

So far, so good!  I am LOVING exercising this way.  I think that by not making a plan, I've actually exercised more this week that I usually do.  Typically by now I would have taken a day of rest, but since I'm really listening to my body and mind and only doing what I really want to do for exercise, I've just not wanted a DOR this week.  I'm sure my body will eventually crave rest, but for now, I'm going strong!

Last night I did walking/running intervals on the treadmill, and it felt so good.  I wasn't obligated to do it by some strict rule in my head ("You haven't run this week yet, you fool!  Time to get back on, even if you don't want to!!!") instead I really wanted to do it ("Wow, I've missed running; time to get my run on! Yay!").

looks like intuitive exercise to me!

[picture source]


As I ran I watched the last 20-30 minutes of Memoirs of a Geisha followed by the first half of last week's Army Wives.  Let me just say that while I was an emotional wreck (both of these TV options are extremely sappy), I still got in a good workout.  :-) 

I'm looking forward to continuing my journey with both IE and the newfound joys of Intuitive Exercise.

Don't forget to Like my Facebook Page, I post blog updates as well as other random health and fitness tips and articles. 

I still am working on my post about the third principle of Intuitive Eating: Make Peace with Food.  If you want to know all ten principles, just check out my new page!

I promise you a really good, really well thought-out blog entry soon!  Time to get some work done...

Tasty Tuesday!

Time for another edition of "Tasty Tuesday: Intuitive Eating style!"

Today started out normally, with a big bowl of oatmeal made with almond milk, with some applesauce mixed in.  I was really busy at work (surprise!) and only ended up eating about half of this.

At lunch (12:30 pm), I was way too hungry and had to really practice eating slowly in order to not overdo it.  I used the second half of an avocado to make this really easy guacamole (link to the allrecipes.com recipe) on some Wasa flatbread crackers.  A side of broccoli (ate a few bites of what's shown here) and some cookies for desert (ended up only eating one fig at lunchtime) completed this meal nicely.

A couple of hours later (around 3:30), hunger struck again, and I ate a Lara Bar, the other two cookies, and a packet of craisens (not pictured).

After work I got hungry around 6:30 and ate a banana, followed shortly by a bowl of beans and rice (the mix: brown rice, black beans, canned tomatoes, evoo).

because it's not Tasty Tuesday without a self-portrait!

Around 8, I ate 5 more fig newtons... yeah, those are GOOD!!! (they are also gone)

From 9 to 10, I exercised.  I did The Firm Wave DVD plus 20 minutes on the bike.

And that's it, folks.

OH, WAIT!  I added a new feature over there, did you see?  Leah: The Kind Weight Watcher now has a facebook page!  I know, right?  This just may be a "real blog" yet.  :-)

Good news/Bad news and Intuitive Exercise

First of all, some good news and bad news.  Since I pride myself in my blogging honesty, particularly in all things food and exercise, I felt the need to share a couple of things with you. 

Good news:  I was down 1.2 at my Saturday WI!  This means that last week's .6 gain was really just normal maintenance stuff.  I am planning to stick in the Weight Watchers maintenance range because I like it: 142-146.  Having this range gives me  sense of peace about my weight, instead of being so focused on staying at 144.0 forever.  (Of course, since I'm working on finding my happy/healthy weight with IE, the number may eventually go above or below that number).

Bad news: I binged.  A real binge, not a cutesy mini-binge.  I ate an entire pizza and two bowls of cereal, all while not hungry at all.  And this, after all of my progress with IE, while KNOWING that I am always allowed to eat anything.  I know that it was an emotional binge (bored, lonely, helpless).  It was stupid.  I don't like calling myself stupid, but that is what my actions indicated on Saturday night: stupidity. 

However- I learned my lesson.  My stomach was KILLING me after this binge.  I decided right then and there that it was over.  That I was going to move on immediately with my IE journey, and not let one binge destroy my efforts.  I could have easily restricted my eating the next day to "make up" for the binge, but I didn't.  I got right back on track.

I haven't gotten to this part of the book yet, but I remember there being a part in it about how even naturally intuitive eaters will sometimes overeat for emotional reasons, and that the difference between an IE-er and a dieter is that the IE-er doesn't see it as a big deal, and after the overeating, they immediately go right back to naturally listening to their hunger signals.

So in that way, I guess I am still on the right track towards becoming an intuitive eater. 

Okay, now for the other reason of this post: Intuitive Exercise!

I realized that I almost never follow my workout plan.  I have decided to stop making them.  Instead, I will just work to get in some sort of workout every day, taking one or two days off a week if I need to.  Instead of writing the plan over there (I don't know if anyone noticed, but I've been writing my workout plan to the right for a while now), I will write what I did that day after I do it.  That way, there is an accurate tracking of my workouts every week.  No plan.  Just do what I feel like doing that day.

Okay, now that I got all of that off my chest, I want to close with a couple of great quotes that I picked up from one of my new favorite blogs, The Begin Within Blog:

Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity. ~St. Augustine

Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables. ~Spanish Proverb

Bad habits are easier to abandon today than tomorrow. ~Yiddish Proverb

Coming up: Principle 3 of Intuitive Eating- Make Peace with Food; and Tasty Tuesday!

Blogs that I love

Seriously.  I love your blog!  You know who you are:  I read your blog, I comment (even when I don't comment, be assured that I'm reading it).  We are on the same path in one way or another.

We have something in common, be it Weight Watchers, FatSecret, 3FatChicks, vegan eating, health, exercise, LIFE, politics, feminism, you name it.  For some reason or another, I read your blog and I love it!

So here's a post dedicated to some of the blogs that I love.  I also have added the blog list over on the side, under my blog archive.  Some blogs are on there and not in this entry.  The ones that I'm mentioning here have really had an impact on me.  Some of you I've made real connections with and just know that if you lived in Memphis (or if I lived in your probably much nicer city) we would be good friends.

I almost hate to do this blog entry, because I know that I'll leave someone out, and for that, I apologize in advance.  Please let me know if you feel that you should have been in this list, and I will immediately add you on.  :-)

Also, if you're new to my blog, WELCOME!  If you have a blog, too, and you think that I would probably love it and you want me to add it to my blog reader over there, leave me the link in the comments and I'll check it out.  I love blogs!!!

note:  All blogs I mention today are weight loss, exercise, or health-related.  I follow many other blogs, too, and will do another post about them in the near future.

Okay, here's the list so far:

Blogs that I love and have been reading for a LONG TIME-
These are the blogs that I started reading around the time that I started this blog.  All of these blogs are very special to me, and I hope that you all continue to blog for a long time!

AJ's WLJ - Amanda shares her weight loss journey with Weight Watchers, and also shares about other aspects of her life.  She is an excellent writer and I have loved following along!

Becoming an Ex Yo-Yo Dieter- Debbie tells it like it is and shares her triumphs and her fears as she gets off of the yo-yo of dieting.

Crazy in Love +2 - Melissa shares her life with dieting and exercise as a Kind Dieting teacher with a husband and two kids!  I don't know how she does it all, but she does. 

FatGirlSlim - Florrie tells it like it is, and is a Weight Watcher blogging from England!  I love her humor and her style.

Katie's Way to Healthy- Katie is a VERY successful Weight Watcher who always shares her life with me, right in her blog.  I love how real she is.

My Vegan Weight Loss Journey - Katy is a vegan Weight Watcher who is always coming up with fun and creative ideas for both veganism and WW!  I love her blog.

The Dancing Paralegal - Marie talks weight loss among other things.  Her blog covers a lot, and right she's doing a series of blogs on a personal journey that I'm loving!

The Purple Goddess - Cyn talks Health, Paganism, and Family.  Three things I'm pretty passionate about, so no wonder I love her blog!  She also is a brilliant photographer and features her work often.

The Road to Skinny - Megan blogs about health, fitness, and her life.  I love it!

The Skinny Architect - Leanne talks about her journey towards health and fitness with vegetarianism and healthy eating.

To Write With Light - Jennifer talks weight loss, health, and happiness!  She also just got married, so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Blogs I've discovered more recently and already LOVE:

Cancer as my Catalyst - Connie shares her story of cancer survival with beauty and grace.  She also shares recipes and discusses diet and exercise.  sidenote: Connie is my cousin-in-law!  (Well, her sister married my cousin...)  Her blog is inspiring and very well-written!  And I may be doing a guest blog over there soon, how exciting!!!

Forgive and Forget the Fat - Liz shares her weight loss journey towards health and happiness!  Love her blog, and she's also a very supportive blogger who leaves awesome comments.  :-)

This is Not a Diet - Katy writes about how she lost over 100 pounds (120 I think?) by counting calories, going vegetarian, exercising, and learning to love her body.  It's quite inspiring!

Dances with Fat - Ragen is a dancer who blogs about body acceptance, and health at ALL sizes.  It's an amazing blog and I wish that I had found it sooner!

I'll be doing more of these posts in the future, because I just know that I left out some great blogs.  Remember- if your blog isn't in my list and you feel like I would love it, please give me the link and I"ll check it out!

Tasty Tuesday!

Tasty Tuesday is back, people!  Woo-hoo!  This is the first Tasty Tuesday entry of mine as an Intuitive Eater.  There are definately some differences between my Simply Filling Technique Tasty Tuesdays and my Intuitive Eating one.  The most obvious is that I'm not really 100% following the GHGs anymore, although I do still try to eat mostly healthy foods.

I forgot my camera for breakfast, so just believe me when I tell you that I had a banana around 8 and my regular oatmeal (oats, almond milk, applesauce) between 9 and 11 (eaten a bite at a time, here and there, as hungry). 

Lunch, around 12:30, was a fabulous mixture of leftovers.  Chickpeas, barley, tomatoes, some hummus, and a teaspoon of EVOO made up this delicious bowl, of which I ate a few bites (until satisfied).

I have plenty leftover for tomorrow's lunch, and maybe even some for Thursday.  Alongside my bowl, I had some carrots and a liter of water with a packet of pink lemonade Crystal Lite.

Around 3, I enjoyed a large Fuji apple, which was very delicious!  It's my favorite type of apple.  Yes, with a Diet Coke!  And yes, I desperately need to tidy up my desk.

After work (around 5:30), I was hungry and wanted some chips and salsa, so I had some of these yummy Red Hot Blues (my current obsession) with a side of refried beans and salsa.

About an hour later, I was a little hungry again and ate a Lara Bar.

From 8 to 9, I exercised!  First I did The Firm Weight Loss System DVD followed by 20 minutes on the recumbant bike.  Just to let you know how brutal that DVD is for me, I decided to post a gross sweaty post-workout picture of myself.  I'm sorry.

LOL, I didn't realize how hilarious my face looks here.  Exhausted but energized!  Great workout.
At 9, I had an ice cream sandwich.  Don't worry, it's vegan!  :-)  It's by Tofutti and it's delicious.

After eating this, I'm not gonna lie.  I had cravings and thoughts of eating more.  Eating the rest of the box of ice cream sandwiches, or some of the oreos, or some potato chips...

Then I remembered one of the basics of IE: I can eat that stuff any time I want it.  So there is no need to binge on it tonight and "start over" tomorrow.  Nope, it's there for if/when I want it.  So, I came on to blog my Tasty Tuesday post, and then I'm off to bed. 

I didn't count calories or PointsPlus, and I am not going to worry about the nutritional value of today's choices.  I have figured out that when I listen to my body, I generally make pretty healthy choices these days.  Could I have skipped the post-workout ice cream?  Absolutely.  But I was hungry and it was what I wanted.  :-)

The Scale that Never shows your Weight???

Okay, I want one!  There is a scale that will NEVER shows you your actual weight, but instead will secretly store your start weight and then only show you +/- from that initial weight.

So, I could step on this scale and not worry about whether or not it says "145" or "155" and instead just see "0", "-1.2", "+.4", etc.  Sounds amazing to me!!

I put this out there on the 20's Board (weightwatchers.com message board that I frequent) and was met with mixed feelings.  Most people said that they would probably still be mentally calculating their real weights and this would be a waste of money for them.

For me, a person with a history of eating disorders and a terrible history with THE SCALE and THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE, this product makes total sense.  I would love to just see PROGRESS, not THE NUMBER. 

Here's some info, straight from the site that sells these guys:

How it works:

The first time you use the scale, it registers (but does not display) your weight, storing it in the scale’s memory. From that point on, the Quantum Scale only displays weight loss or gain, never your actual weight!


Why it works:

By helping you focus on how far you’ve come rather than how far you have to go, the Quantum Scale rewards you with new found enthusiasm and a greater sense of accomplishment through a positive mind/body connection that grows stronger each time you step on the scale.

Gone is that three-digit number you’re obsessed with reaching! Also gone is that self-defeating reminder that you’re not meeting society’s self-imposed (and often unrealistic) standards no matter what your body type.

A picture of the scale that I just may get at some point (It's $60, so I will have to save for it):

Click on the scale to go to the site if you would like to learn about it.  I promise that if I buy this, I will review it here.  :-)

What do you think?  Yay or nay?

DVD Review: The Firm Weight Loss System- Ignite Calorie Burn

This is the workout I do when I say "The Firm WLSystem DVD". 

I had to review it on here, because it is AMAZING.  It's so amazing that I can't do it often because I'm sore for 2 or 3 days after doing this one.

There are two 20 minute workouts on this DVD.  I always do both of them, for a nice 40 minute workout.

Both workouts are a mixture of cardio and strength, which is what I am trying to do more of, since I tend to do all-cardio-all-the-time if left to my own devices...

The first instructor is named Emily and the second instructor is named Rebecca.  Both have two other instructors behind them, one of which does modified (easier/beginner) versions of the more extreme moves (I follow the modified for all push-up moves, because I'm still not doing "real" push-ups)

Emily's workout is my favorite, mostly because I love Emily.  She is also featured on The Firm Wave DVDs, which I still try to use regularly.  Emily's workout is TOUGH.  Lots of jumping, lots of squatting, and lots of jumping squats.  It's nuts!  Some of the movements go too quickly for me and I'm not sure if I'm doing them correctly.  There are even side-planks in this workout, which I was excited to see because I've been wanting to try those. 

Rebecca's workout is tough, too, but it's also pretty fun.  There is a volleyball sequence of moves that really make me smile every time, and I now think that if I was sure the ball wouldn't hit me in the face, I may enjoy volleyball. 

Both workouts feature "bursts".  Bursts are 8 second high-intensity cardio sessions, mostly jumping-related in some way.  It's crazy hard, but 8 seconds goes by pretty quickly.  8 second burst, followed by 12 second recovery (just stepping in rythym); repeat 4 times.  That happens every couple of minutes and I think is the real mastermind behind my aching muscles and this workout's effectiveness.

I have been doing this video an average of once a week for a few weeks now.  I did it on Saturday morning, and thought, "Finally, it's easy!" but I think that I pushed myself pretty hard because it's Monday and my muscles are still achey from it.  I especially always feel this workout in my thighs and butt.  I need to invest in some 8 pound dumbbells.  My 5's are getting too easy, and my 10's are way too heavy for these moves!

All in all, I give this DVD 4.5/5 stars.  I would give it all 5, but I am sure that it's not perfect.  The one thing that I don't like is when the instructors occasionally say things like, "I know you want to quit, DON'T QUIT!" because I don't want to quit.

I'm going to make it my goal to do this video TWICE this week, on Tuesday and Thursday.  I'll let you know how it goes/if it goes.

P.S. I did weigh-in on Saturday, and found that I was up .6.  I really think that was probably period bloat, not real weight-gain.  So I am considering it a maintain.  :-)  Still loving IE!

Reality...

I was at a birthday party on Wednesday for my little cousin.  I had a great time playing with the little kids and catching up with their parents.  I wore what I thought was a cute and comfy outfit: jeans that fit right, my Hello Kitty T-shirt and sneakers.  Here's a picture of me from that night:

Here's my issue:  When a friend tagged me on Facebook in some pictures from the party, I didn't see myself "at goal".  No, I see myself as one who still has some inches to lose.

Of course, I was PMS bloated and it could just be an unflattering outfit.  But I just wanted to come here and vent to you guys.  I'm not 100% satisfied with my body as it is.  Although I'm done trying to actively lose pounds, I still fully intend to lose a few more inches.

Plus, it's nice to be honest with you:  The pictures that I tend to share on here are completely posed and carefully selected to be the most flattering.  This is a shot of my body relaxed, in the background of a photo that was not meant to be about me.

I plan to accomplish my goal with Intuitive Eating and switching up my exercise routine even more.  And now that I'm at my goal weight, there is absolutely NO RUSH to get there.  I'm happy where I'm at, but I'm not quite done perfecting my physique.  I'll get there in time; of that I have no doubt.

And the winner of the 100 Followers Book Giveaway is...

Before I share the results,  I thought that I'd walk you through my extremely hi-tech drawing process.  First, there was the sophisticated entry database:

Ready to go in the hat...

Here I am in my lucky Memphis Grizzlies hat which became the "drawing hat" for this event.  I'm crossing my fingers for you because I really want YOU to win!

The drawing...

And the winner is:

Shabby Chic Mom - Susie!!! 

 Congratulations Susie!  You are the winner of my very first giveaway!  YAY!!!!!  Email me your shipping address at newgilmore@gmail.com and you'll receive your copy of PETA's Vegan College Cookbook very soon.  :-)

To everyone else- Thank you so much for entering the giveaway!  I plan to do a simular giveaway when/if I get to 150 followers, so be sure to keep on following and maybe you'll be the winner next time.  ;-)  Of course... *sniffle*... you're all winners in my heart and I wish that I could give every one of you a book! 



Intuitive Eating Food Journal

Today I decided to keep a food journal for awhile.  I'm doing this to learn to master "Honor Your Hunger".  I'm still learning my hunger signals, and I really think that this will benefit me to learn Intuitive Eating, even if keeping a food journal may seem counterproductive to my ultimate IE goal.  It really isn't!

This journal is 100% different from my old WW journal.  I will not be judging the quality of my food choices or anything about my food choices at all; All I will be tracking is my hunger level.  I will be using the hunger scale from the last entry, and will be trying to stay between a 3 and a 7.  The only reason that I even am writing down the food instead of just my hunger is that I want to learn which foods keep me satisfied the longest.

Here's how I did today:

Intuitive Eating Food/Hunger Log, June 1st 2011
time (pre-eating hunger level)- food (post-eating hunger level)

8:30am (3)- oatmeal w/ almond milk, applesauce, and peanut butter (5)

10:30am (5)
10:45am (4)

11:00am (3)- Lara Bar (5)

12:45pm (3.5)- watermelon, leftover beans and rice (5)

2:15pm (4)
2:30pm (3)- watermelon and craisins (5)

4:00pm (5)
4:30pm (4)

4:45 (2)- banana (4)

5:30 (3)- chocolate protein bar (5)

6:45 (4)- kale and bean salad, beets, carrots, tortilla chips (7)

8:30 (3)- saltines (5)

10:30pm (3)- wasa and salsa (5)

I really loved tracking my hunger today!  I've definately noticed that if I really listen to my hunger signals 100%, I am a grazer.  I get a little hungry every couple of hours.  So I'm eating a little bit every couple of hours.  I'm sure that you noticed there are no measurements or ammounts in my journal.  That's because I'm really focusing on listening to my hunger, so it's not important to me how much, only that I don't eat too much or too little. 

I'm planning to keep on tracking my hunger in this way until I've fully mastered honoring my hunger.

Entries will close for the 100 Followers Book Giveaway tomorrow (June 2nd) at 5:00pm central time.  This is because I will be at work until that time and won't have time to do the drawing until then.  So if you have not entered the drawing yet, there is still a chance for you!  :-)  I look forward to my first giveaway- Look for the winner tomorrow night!

Hunger Scale

As you all know, I've stepped away from Weight Watchers (WW) and have begun a new journey with Intuitive Eating (IE).


One thing that WW and IE have in common is that both encourage eating according to a "hunger scale". This is something that I never really embraced through WW, but am now really focused on with IE. I searched the web for good examples of hunger scales, and found one that really speaks to me.

It is targeted towards folks with eating disorders, so that's very possibly why it seemed just for me.

1. Starving State – I am so hungry I want to eat everything in sight. I feel urgency. I have severe hunger pangs. The feeling is intolerable. I may be shaky and lightheaded, weak, and/or sleepy. I am obsessing about food.

2. Ravenous State – I am overly hungry but not to the point where it is intolerable. I have pain in my stomach. I feel energy drained and a bit lethargic. I have lack of concentration and significant thoughts of food.

3. Solid Hunger State – I am solidly hungry. I have slight hunger pangs or twinges. The discomfort is mild. I definitely want to eat but I feel in control. I feel like I really know what I want to eat that will satisfy me.

4. Mild Hunger State – I am not quite hungry. I feel slight sensations in my stomach but I’m not quite ready to eat. I have a bit of stomach growling. Thoughts of food are mild. I know I will want to eat soon.

5. Neutral State – I feel neither hunger nor fullness. I really have no physical sensations at all. I have little or no thoughts of food. If I eat now, food may not taste as good as I hoped it would.

6. Mild Fullness State – I am a little full but I could eat a bit more to feel satisfied. I have slight sensations in my stomach but I feel it’s too soon to stop eating. I’m beginning to feel a bit more energized.

7. Solid Fullness State – I am solidly full. I feel no hunger pangs. I feel slight sensations in my stomach but they are not painful. I feel satisfied and peaceful. I feel like I have some energy in my body. It is a good feeling. Food begins to be a bit less appealing.

8. Slightly Overfull State – I feel slightly overfull like perhaps I should have stopped eating a few bites sooner. My stomach feels like it may be distended a bit. I feel slight pressure on my stomach from my clothes.

9. Overfull State – I am overfull. I feel physically uncomfortable. My clothes feel tighter around my stomach. I feel drained and sleepy. I am bloated.

10. Stuffed State – I am exceedingly full. I feel extremely physically uncomfortable. Food no longer tastes good. I ate much more than I feel was good for my body. I have no energy. I feel like I could get physically ill.

(from The Begin Within Blog.  If you like this hunger scale, check out the link because there is a really cool diagram over there, too!)

I never want to be at 1, 2, 8, 9, or 10 again. I am working very hard at staying between 3 and 7. I still find myself getting to 8 quite often, unfortunately! It's definately difficult to listen to my hunger signals 100% of the time, but I'm learning.

Anyone else working on listening to your hunger signals?

P.S. One final reminder to enter the book giveaway!  Today is the last day!  Also, if you are unable to leave comments and wish to enter the giveaway, I'm accepting entries through email because of Blogger issues: newgilmore@gmail.com