Archive for November, 2009

Use Am I Hungry to Lose Weight

Am I the only one that talks to themselves while eating?

Self-Talk: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44586678@N00/1459055735

Normally, I am thinking,

“mmm, this is good.  I want more of this.  Oh, wow, mmm.  Can I have some more?  This is some of the best food I have had in a while (since lunch).  mmm.  I have to keep eating this.  Good Cook!”

You know what, I normally do keep eating it.  I eat and eat until one of two things:  either there is no more food or I am entirely stuffed and full.

Obviously, this self-talk is sabotaging my goal of weight loss and weight management especially in my current semi-sedentary lifestyle. So, if I am to be serious about weight loss, One of my early goals must be to change my dining self-talk.

The best way for me to do this mentally is to constantly remind myself to eat until not hungry.  I have to ask myself after every bite of food.  Am I still hungry? If I answer yes, I keep eating.  If I answer no.  I stop. It’s a simple question, and if we’re honest with ourselves,  You will stop eating.  For me, I just don’t ask.  I just don’t think about stopping, because I am too busy stuffing my face and enjoying the food and drink.

Why is this eating such an important topic?

A Recent study that stated  reducing the amount of food you eat is more important than your exercise, and

“The message of our work is really simple,” although not agreeable to hear, Melanson said. “It all comes down to energy balance,” or, as you might have guessed, calories in and calories out.
Source: Edward Melanson, Ph.D., an associate professor in the division of endocrinology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, quote from: New York Times

The energy balance is what we’ve been stating here on Simpleweight since our inception.  If you read the study in more detail, you’ll realize there is no “afterburn” of exercise. This is great news for those of us who find indoor fall/winter exercise boring. The challenge then is decreasing the quantity of food you eat.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  Exercise is still required in the equation, but its not the first item that needs to be tackled in your weight management and weight loss endeavors.

Now in my most recent post, I asked are you serious about weight loss?

I said “I know what I need to do.  I need to move, I need to eat less, and I need to measure my progress.  Will I do it?  stay tuned.”

In my post about the slow weigh, I talked about the way to weight loss.  The first item on the list is measure your progress. That’s what I did this week. I wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t need to be.  I just needed to measure my progress.  I did that.  I weighed myself everyday, and I tracked my food three of the past six days.  When we’re starting lifestyle change such as a diet and exercise regiment, it is more a mental battle than a physical battle.  We often times beat ourselves up if we miss.  The key, I have found, is to getting right back up and re-establishing the good habits you want as soon as possible.  So, failure is expected.  We won’t be perfect, but if we can get started and stay started, inertia will take over.

My goal for the next week is to continue to measure my progress, but I’m going to add one more to it.

Consciously try to change my dining self-talk from: Am I full/Is this good to Am I hungry?

I will fail.  I am not perfect.  The key is What do you do when you fail?  How do you handle it?  How soon do you pick yourself up and start again?

If there is anything we at simpleweight can do to help your weight management, please let us know.

Are you serious about your physical fitness? Six questions to ask yourself now.

Inside a recent simpleweight conversation.

“When are you going to get serious about your weight loss?”, asked my wife

I was kind of surprised by the question.  I mean, I measure my activity, my biometrics, and some of my food everyday. I talk about weight loss and overall fitness often.  I think about it, read about it, and sometimes even pray or meditate about weight loss.

My response was, ” I am serious.”

My wife then asked,  ”Are you?”

I have let this stew for weeks.  In fact, I don’t remember the date of the conversation.  It could have been months ago, but it feels more recent than months.  So, I put weeks.  The fact that I don’t remember the date, but vividly remember the conversation details is telling. Turning that question over and over in my head.

Serious Contemplation -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/75199686@N00/3479743029

Am I serious about my physical fitness?

I’ve watched a few other bloggers struggle recently with this same question.  It often times is when we go dark.  What I mean by dark is when we’re not posting details, when we’re not measuring, when we’re not checking in publicly.  There is value in that.  Still, it reminds me of a conversation that I read about Knowing vs Doing and personal finance.  What I mean by that.  There is a difference of reading and learning about fitness and weight loss and actually doing it.  Knowing doesn’t make you lose weight.  Knowing doesn’t get you physically fit.  Knowing is just that.  You know.  Doing, now that is the difficult part.  Anyone can know what to do.  Doing takes disciplined action.

So, I thought to myself.  So, my wife doesn’t think I’m serious.  Well, Am I serious about physical fitness?  I’ve been formulating this over and over again.  My first thought then is.

What does it mean to be serious about physical fitness?

1. Move Everyday! I’m not talking about getting up, walking the few steps to the shower, then the few steps to kitchen to eat breakfast, then the few steps to the car, and then the few steps to the office, etc.  I’m talking about actual moving. Measurable Physical Activity.  Do I make it a priority in my every day routine to be active?  I have to say No.
2. Eat less food by eating only enough food until I’m not hungry. I do not do this at all. This is probably the biggest challenge for me. I always eat until I am full. I love food too much. I think, oh I have to have more of this.  its so good.  So, No.
3. Measure my progress to track trends. I weigh myself everyday.  I weigh some of my food everyday.  I don’t do enough physical activity to measure. Although, I measure items, recently, for the first time in a long time, I have not actually tracked the data except for the mental head check.  So, No, I don’t track the trends.
4. Control emotional eating by keeping a food journal. Nope, don’t do that.
5. (optionally) Eat healthy food. Eat Mostly plants (fruits, vegetables).  Stay away from sugary items, and get plenty of protein and fiber.  For the most part i do this.  I mean, I often eat Turkey based Chili, Tacos, Pasta Sauces.  I often eat vegetables at every dinner and lunch.  I often have fruits at lunch.  I eat whole grain breads, whole wheat pastas, and brown rice.  I try to eat poultry for protein with the occasional beef product thrown in there.  We use mostly olive oil based items rather than butter.  My snacks are rarely candy, although sometimes I splurge.  The issue for me is two fold:  I eat too much (see number 2) and sometimes I eat an over abundance proportionally of carbohydrates.  So, I’ll say yes.  I eat healthy food.
6. (optionally) Get enough sleep. Studies dictate that sleep helps with everything.  It helps keep the mind fresh which in turn helps keep you mentally sharp to deal with the day to day psychological struggles over eating. For the most part, I do sleep fine. Although there are times where work dictates fewer hours of sleep.

I have to say; it’s not looking good on my part.  Am I serious about my physical fitness?  The facts may dictate that I Know what to do, but my actions dictate that NO, I am not serious about my personal physical fitness.  You might have different criteria for being serious, but whatever they are.  I’d say if I look objectively at my situation, then No, I am not serious.  My actions speak louder than my words right now.

My next thought to myself, that I’ve been struggling with is:

Why am I not serious about physical fitness?

I mean, I have a fitness website.  I encourage everyone around me everyday to be active, to eat healthy, and to measure progress.  Begin with the end in mind, as Stephen Covey wrote.  Why?  What’s off in my motivations?  I finally came to the conclusion, that I don’t know.  I know it seems like a cop out.  It is.  Yet.  I have to be honest with myself first.  If I am not ready for it, then move on.  Am I ready to make the conscious effort that is necessary to change many years of bad fitness habits.  why now?  Why ever?  Good question.

So.  I know what I need to do.  I need to move, I need to eat less, and I need to measure my progress.  Will I do it?  stay tuned.

Are you Serious about Weight loss?  Ask yourself:

1. Do I move everyday?
2. Do I eat less food?
3. Do I measure my progress?
4. Do I control my emotional eating?
5. Do I eat healthy food?
6. Do I get enough sleep?

Let us know how we can help you get serious about your physical fitness.