Buns of Steel Or a 50 Pound Ass'et: Part Two

It's Your Choice

Ok, so you know what works and you are willing to give it a “try”. You are right, I did not say, “do”, so you are not really all that committed but it is a start…. And a start is all we need when we are looking at a “change”- a change in habit, a change in activity, a change in perception and a change in health… Yes, a LIFE STYLE change…

Last week we talked about “what works” and generally “how” to get there. We discussed portion size and concluded that “palm size” portions can be a good measurement when judging what to and what not to put into your stomach… Remember, when your stomach starts to tell you that you are hungry, less that a palm full is not enough and over a palm full is TOO much…

Below are some Examples of palm size portions: They are general so keep this in mind. You still need to use your judgment.

Example of palm size portions:

• Half a sandwich not a foot-long sub
• 10 chips not a 10 oz bag
• 1 cup of cooked pasta not a half of a 16 oz package
• A small burger not a big Mac or whooper
• Three heaping tablespoons of ice cream not a pint or even a cup.

General good rules:

• Eat often and early
• Don’t skip meals
• Exercise
• Limit snacks to 110 calories per day
• Take a multivitamin
• Give yourself permission to eat
• Don’t eat sugar by itself… slow the digestion and obsorbtion by drinking a glass of milk or eating a slice of cheese

To summarize, eat early and often. Don’t make the mistake of eating five course meals. Have cereal for breakfast, fruit, and yogurt for a mid morning snack, half a sandwich for lunch the other at mid afternoon and a modest size dinner. One that fits in your hand….

I know this may be difficult at first, as it does not seem to be that much food. What you are doing is cutting down on the amount you eat at one sitting, spreading the intake around so your system does not “crave” and feel “deprived”. You eat when your are hungry or to keep from getting “famished”. The result is you are satisfied and do not binge later, consuming all you see. You eat to LIVE not live to EAT. You change a focus…. A mental mind set… and yes, you can do it.

It is time to relax the “restriction” against certain off limit foods. Foods like fat. Your body needs and craves fat. And this is especially true for women. Studies find that women who cut their fat intake by half find their dispositions take a dive. They get angrier, moodier, and more hostile - instead of cutting out all fat, focus on the good fat, the monounsaturated type. As long as you do not eat over 30% of your caloric intake in fat you will be ok. If your concern is sugar, do not eat it by itself.

To avoid the roller coaster affect of a sugar surge, nibble on something that slows digestion such as a slice of cheese with an apple, drink glass milk with the cookie or a little yogurt with the raspberries… Stay away from diet drinks as they just make you crave sugar more, hence more pounds.

Give yourself permission to eat – The key here is moderation and by eating smarter, you will out smart your female fatigue and your fat cells. The key is to eat less more often and exercise more…. As for the handful measuring cups, there are exceptions… Three handful of lettuce equals one and a good size bowl of soup equals one.

Remember when your stomach is empty the primary directive is to eat. It is needed to fill your energy and refuel your body…. IF YOU DON’T REFUEL WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF THESE SIGNALS YOUR BOOLD-GLUCOSE LEVEL PLUMMETS. This can cause headaches, heartburn, nausea, and irritability. Consequently, when you do stop to eat you can’t help but to overdo it.

If you are one who keeps on a revolving diet, maybe what you need is a life style change not a diet. Studies find that any diet works if you stick with it and if you cut your caloric intake by 700 calories, you will more than likely lose 15 pounds in 6 month and be able to keep it off. The key is staying on it and that means a life style change…

Recent studies say the best way to lose weight is to cut your food intake… Next, they will be telling us that exercise builds muscle and stronger bones…. Go figure... I wonder what these studies will show us next?

As always, it’s a choice…. Are you willing to make yours…? If you are not satisfied with how you look. If you are not satisfied with how you feel. Maybe it’s time for a change. If you are willing to make a life style change, what better time is there than now? Taking control of your eating habits and your exercise habits is the first step on that journey towards living the life you want.

Now is the time to KISS, to Keep It Simple Stupid…. Over complicate things and it is just too hard to keep it going and a Life style change means KEEPING IT GOING. If you are like most people, the Stupid part is just an excuse… A reason to not START or a reason to not SUCCEED.

I believe you can succeed, if you want. You can change your life style, if you want. You can do about anything, if you want. The choice is yours… but with want comes responsibility and commitment… Are you prepared to make those to YOU...?

As for now, this reservation recluse is heading for a “palm” full of M&M’s… Ok, maybe it should be pistachios…. It is a choice… Maybe you had no choice in the hand you were dealt? Maybe genetics have taken you hostage, yet you do have choice about what you are going to do about it and how to play your hand…. You do have a choice in HOW you are going to LIVE your life. I did not say it was easy, just that you had a choice. And as you know, I am all about choice.

So until next time… Eat what you want, when you want, how much you want and become the person those three horseman lead you to become…. What, When and HOW is all in your vocabulary, in hands, and your ability… therefore, so are YOU.

Pay attention to the Trail, don’t ride the ridges, and keep a low profile on the horizon… It’s a dangerous world out there.

The Static of Life...

Those of us who have been around a while, often come to the realization that the “static” of life can get overwhelming, the demands become too much and we find that instead of making "the difficulty choices",  we find ourselves trying to please...   That placing one foot  in front of the other seems to drag the other back and instead of getting further ahead, we find ourselves dragging our behind....  Sound familiar?

Sometimes we just need to find ourselves alone with our own thoughts, on our own time, in our own space..   This is easier said than done as the world often comes crashing in with a vengeance and we “find” that time is allusive.

It is vital that we find “time” for ourselves.  To find that time to listen to our own sense of self.  To pay attention to our own needs, our own wants and our own dreams...  Maybe it is important to pay attention to ourselves; to reconnect with what is important.  Maybe it is important to hear one’s own voice in the wind and take the time to revitalize our mind, our body and our spirit...  

Maybe it is important to reconnect with who we were and more importantly who we are as we grow into who we will be..

Sometimes, it helps to put yourself in natures care.  Things do not seem so gigantic then.  I find The ocean makes one realize how insignificant our troubles can be in relation to the whole and the hot sand how significant a moment can be.

Earlier today I watched a young girl find her solitude on the early morning beach.  I felt as if I were intruding on her special time...  I gave her, her space and careful not to intrude, I made my way around another point.  It led me into a jungle covered path away from the beach.   Here too was solitude.  I realized that one could find peace of mind anywhere if given the opportunity.  The key was to identify it, acknowledge it, and then accept it.... 

On my return I walked past the point where I first saw the young girl...  In her place was a mermaid made of sand.   The water slowly washing away at the form and I wondered what figure was true...  And wondered what essence would transpire the next time I walked in solitude and found self in the Essences and Solitude  of another....

In order to keep true to our nature, we must keep true to ourselves... 

As I find myself far away from the Rocky Mountains I find that one can find that truth most anywhere, if one cares to look; in the Rocky Mountains, the jungle of a distant island or the golden beach of the Hawaiian sand...

I find there is significant truth in the saying, "No matter where you go, you have to take yourself along.." and, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there."

As you contemplate today’s journey, may you enjoy your own company and have a purpose in your travels...  So until tomorrow, this Reservation Recluse wishes you safe passage.  The decisions you make today will be the foundations of your tomorrow..  I have made mine, now go make yours…

Until later, Mahalo

Buns of Steel or a 50 Pound Ass'et: Part One

What works?

Weight... Even though we are becoming a Nation of Obesity, none of us have this as an issue, RIGHT, especially you females out there? I know, abs like washboards, buns of steel and an attitude that lets you walk through and over hot lava. For the rest of us, whether you have 5 pounds to take off your belly or 50 pounds off your ass'ett, most of us will engage in some sort of diet…

If you are like the majority of people in the country this will not be the first diet you have undertaken, so you have a decision to make. Do you have a plan that works for you or are you going to try something new, something different? Does that something have to do with burning fat, the appropriate mixture of foods, or the chemical combinations of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins? Your plan might even consider throwing in an exercise here and there, or NOT.

What works? What has worked for you? Do you have a favorite diet? For that matter what doesn’t work for you? No matter if you are the Diva of Diets or the Delectable Delight of Low Fat Deserts, diets seem to be in style. So what does present research say about diets? Do they work? Contrary to many, yes they do…. Is one diet better than the other? Contrary to popular belief, no there isn’t one better than another. The common denominator towards success is your ability to stay on one and being capable of changing a life style.

A recent study indicated no “significant” difference. This study was completed using one group who worked a low fat, low carbohydrate, high protein diet while the other group worked a high fat, moderate protein, moderate carbohydrate diet. The result was each group lost 15 pounds over 6 months and each group kept 12 pounds off over the year; hence, no difference… The only similarity was both groups ate approximately 700 calories less than they were use to and they “stuck to it”. I know, “sticking” to a Diet is a lot harder than having chocolate cake “stick” to your thighs. The only difference is that having someone eat chocolate cake off your thighs might be more fun. Ok, so you are not going to let him get that close until “thunder thighs” make the transformation to “buns of steel”. It’s still a thought though…. Ok, I’ll concede, not a very good one but give me a break, I’m a guy…….

So, what about exercise? Even though exercise is healthy, it is not the panacea for weight loss… The “dynamic duo” of exercise and fewer calories appear to make the most sense. AS for the caloric type, it does not appear to matter as long as you stick with it… Therefore, pick something that you can “live” with. Something that you can make a life style instead of something you feel trapped and abused by.
Even though there appears not to be a “right”, “best “diet there are some principles that appear to help.

One: Listen to your stomach. Feed it when it is hungry and stop when it is full. That means becoming aware of your body and your stomachs desire for food, not your brains. The answer lies in your hand. Less than a handful and you are not filling your stomach enough. More than a handful and you are filling it too much… That means the traditional 3 times a day 5 course meal is out! It gives way to over eating and sugar imbalances, which lead to binges and over eating. The same goes for “starvation central”. It will only get you the concentration, anorexia look and then a spring back to 10 more pounds than you started with; not a good vision! The Pillsbury Dough Boy or Girl is not our poster child…

Next week we will talk about general rules and examples of palm size portions. So until then you have some choices to make. Where do you want to be 6 months from now? Remember it has taken you years to put it on. It will take you more than a few weeks to take it off…. A life style change is not a DIEt. It is a LIVit…… Until later then…

Eat when you’re hungry, drink when your dry and make love when the opportunity arise, three things that one should never put off until tomorrow. Putting off until tomorrow only makes for regret and binge behaviors…

Until next week, this Reservation Recluse is going to refuel…. A palm full of jerky and three fingers of good bourdon – on the rocks… to hell with “shaken and not stirred”.