The ELFF Diet

Feeling Like A Betrayal

So, it's been a few days since I've been here.  So sorry about that.  I'm feeling, right now, like my body is betraying me.  I went on a trip and was felled by a massive, horrendous, pukefest of a migraine.  I flew back and went to Muay Thai class, and right in the middle, I felt my calf muscle cramp.  And cramp, and cramp some more.  I limped off the mat and sat to the side, where I stretched.  And stretched and stretched some more. 

It's the next day now, and I can STILL feel the damned thing.  It's a gigantic lump in my leg and I've been rolling it out for an hour.  DEPART, CRAMP OF THE DEVIL.  DEPART, I SAY!

I attribute both the migraine and the cramp to a few errors in my diet.

• Not drinking enough water. I am usually VERY hydrated, but I had a ton of stress the day of my flight, and then the flight was delayed five hours and I didn't drink because I didn't want to have to pee on the flight. 
• Not eating well.  I flew with very little money - my debit card had been frozen that day (details over at Mom to the Screaming Masses) and I was afraid to spend all my money on one meal.
• Eating the wrong (i.e. no protein, high carb and fat) foods because they were cheaper
• Not traveling with my usual stash of oatmeal, protein powder, peanut butter and nuts.
• Not eating breakfast the next day.

Of course, if could just be that I'm getting old, and my body is betraying me. 

I hope I've learned my lesson and no one up there feels like I need another struggle!

Sixteen Ways To Motivation

As seen in Fitness Rx, February 2009.  I wrote my answers next to each tip.  Which of these worked for you?

1. Weigh yourself every day.  Did not do this until I'd reached my goal, did it for a while, stopped.
2. Make a public service announcement about your weight loss plans.  Did not do this.
3. Believe you can be successful. Did this.
4. Read inspirational stories about women who successfully lost weight. Did not do this.
5. Set realistic goals. Did this.  2 pounds a week.
6. Follow a program. Did not do this.
7. Eat only when you are hungry. Did this.
8. Keep a weight loss diary. Did this.
   
9. Diet with a friend. Did not do this.
10. Look in the mirror nude every day.  Did not do this before, do it now.
11. Take pictures.  Did not do it before, do it now.
12. Join a weight loss support group.  Did not do this.
13. Get the support of your significant other.  Did not seek this out.
14. Hang out with thinner people.  Did not do this, and I think it's actually stupid. Friends are friends, not weight.
15. Watch tv shows about weigh loss, diet and exercise. Nope.  Now I do, though.
    
16. Give your "fat" clothes to charity. Didn't do this until I actually HAD fat clothes, but now they are all gone.

My Number

was 65. 

So by my count there are at least five of us.  Bama Cheryl, Hilary, Kate, Elaine, Emily, and I make six. Wait - late entries from Alexis and Shannon and Jess. Anyone else?

Start on Tuesday with the first set - this first week, let's do Tuesday, either Wed or Thurs (your choice) and Friday, and then report on Friday.  Every other week, it'll be Monday-Wednesday-Friday. 

Game?

Beth, from sixidoit, you won the book.  Please contact me at momtothescreamingmassesATgmailDOTcom and I'll hook you up with Shauna.  Everyone else, I'm really thinking about sending my copy out - and once you read it, you'd need to send it on to the next reader.  Does that sound like a workable plan?  Of course, I absolutely think that everyone shold buy it - but if you can't afford it, I still think you should read it - it's that awesome. 

Ok.  Let;s plan to do the sit up challenge, starting on Tuesday - which happens to be Election day. New president, new abs for all of us, yes?  You'll need to check out the site for the initial test.  I'd like everyone to take the test on Sunday or Monday and post your results here, and then we can check in with each other every Friday. 

Sound good?

Book Review: The Amazing Adventures Of Dietgirl

I first met Shauna of Dietgirl fame at Blogher in 2007.  I adored her.  With a brilliant smile and a sunny disposition, she was a treat to have lunch with.  She was amazingly positive and very, very interesting.  And then she let the shoe drop.  She'd lost 175 pounds - an entire person.  I stood in awe of her many, many accomplishments - most important of all of those, she retained her charm and grace.  She is, and always will be, a class act.

When she contacted me to read her book, I was DELIGHTED and couldn't wait for it to appear in my mailbox.  When it came, I set everything else to the side and read.  And read, and read.  I couldn't stop - it was that awesome.  Throughout the book, I never felt a sense of shame for her size, a sense of despair, or that Shauna felt as if she wasn't an important person due to her weight - just that she had weight to lose and needed to do it.  And, man, did she do it.

The thougths that Shauna had, those that she wrote about herself, are the same ones that I've had, time and again.  "I'm only a chocolate bar away from 350 again!" Exactly.  The book followed her adventures over the course of FIVE years, a few continents and a couple of marriages (seriously - it's that good - you've got to read it to understand.)  I loved the pictures, the details, and felt not once as if I was preached to, but that I was reading the inner thoughts of a much beloved older sister. Shauna is a truly warm, personable person, who had a lot of weight to lose and did it responsibly, carefully, and with a great deal of wisdom.  She is truly a force to reckon with and a font of wisdom. And check out the drawings in the corner of each page - over the length of the book, the chubby diet girl transforms into a svelte, slim beauty - just like our heroine!

I've been sick for five days, and am not certain that I've done this magnificent book justice.  There was so much in this book that resonated with me that it's difficult to pull out just one, or a dozen, points.  I've loaned it out to others, and each and every person felt the same way.  They loved it, and so will you.

Shauna has graciously offered to give a copy to one of my readers, so if you are interested, leave a comment by Friday, January 16.  If you don't win, PLEASE, do yourself a favor and go buy a copy of this book.  You will NOT be disappointed.

As The Season Begins

I'm speaking, of course, about The Biggest Loser. It began again tonight, and, for a change from last season, I'm liking it. I didn't like the last season at all.  I know that the premise of the show is, of course, competition.  That's the draw of it.  In seasons past, the competition was not cut throat, at least not until the end.  The last season, though - it was bitter and nasty and I didn't even watch the last four weeks - it just really made me uncomfortable. 

What' I've seen so far, though, seems a bit more "We all have an issue and we need to work together, so let's cheer each other on."  I don't know if it'll last, but it was a nicer episode than any of the last season. For now, I'll keep watching.

What was really illuminating for me was watching the weigh ins.  This group of people is the heaviest of any season.  Which goes along with what Bob said in the beginning, and what, coincidentally, I heard Dr. Oz say - America is the heaviest it has ever been.  We are the fattest nation.  I liked watching it with my kids - it really hit close to home for me.  So many times, I just want a cookie or a bowl of pasta, and I think to myself, "It's just one bowl.  I really work hard, I can cheat once in a while."  And it's true - one bowl isn't a big deal.  But it's a slippery slope, and one bowl can lead to another and another - I certainly didn't plan on weighing over 200 pounds before I was 35.  I truly didn't see it coming, like so many people. 

Are you a fan of The Biggest Loser? What did you think of the first episode? 

Remember The 100 Pushup Challenge?

Now there's the 200 sit up challenge!

I actually think I may do this.  I made it through the fifth week of the 100 push up challenge, got up to I think 47 push ups in a row, and gave up.  I need a partner to hold me accountable - anyone?  Bueller?

What about it?  In fact, why don't we look at BOTH programs - anyone interested in attempting one, the other, or BOTH?

Being An Adult

Is pretty cool.  You can do what you want, when you want.  Don't want to go to bed?  NO problem - stay up until you feel like it.  Don't want to do the dishes, the laundry or buy that present for your husband's boss?  Then don't.

I didn't say that those things were wise, mind you. Merely that you have the option of making your own decisions. That pertains to diet and exercise as well. 

Being an adult means that you have the ability to drive through McDonald's and grab a couple of hot, fresh baked cookies and no one will tell you no. It means that you can buy Starbucks for breakfast and Chili's for dinner, and no one will tell you no.

Except me.  I'll tell you no. 

You don't need to eat what you want, when you want.  Just because there is a yummy, delicious cake downstairs doesn't mean that you need to go sneak a piece.  Just because no one is riding your butt to jog the track doesn't mean that you don't need to do it anyway. 

Be a grownup.  Make the good choices.  Eat the foods that your body needs - the lean protein, the green, red and orange vegetables, the salads and the fruit.  Drink water.  Drink more water than you think you need.  Make yourself get out there and exercise.  You'll be so happy that you did.