Day 5

Since it's Sunday I slept in today. When I finally got up, it was close to 9am.

I made myself a fruit salad out of cantaloupe, honey dew and some other melon that I don't remember the name of. I added some fresh pineapple, blueberries and kiwi, and the salad kept me full till way past lunch.

This afternoon I went hiking for a good hour in the forrest and it was a nice exercise. The weather was nice but it's getting dark so early in the afternoon I walked fast because I was a little afraid of getting lost if i didn't make it out of the forrest before the sun went down.

For dinner I made lamb steak with potatoes au gratin and a green leaf salad.
I had a glass of red wine with my dinner, and a scope of mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. It tasted wonderful!

I probably should have skipped both the wine and the ice cream, but I didn't eat a lot of ice cream and honestly, why bother going on a diet if there's no lights in the food tunnell, right?

Day 4

I feel so much better. This day has gone by like a dream!

I made myself a fruit salad with 1 apple, 1 banana and a kiwi for breakfast.
Then I went hiking for an hour and I had lunch in the forrest. I had another fruit salad for lunch made of 1/2 honey dew melon, kiwi and a handfull of blueberries. I also brought a banana which I ate at the same time.

For dinner I had soup with meat, carrots and potatoes. I had a waffle for dessert but hey, it is Saturday night and after all, waffles are a human right, right? ;-)

All in all, day 4 has been the easies day so far. I hadn't lost any more weight this morning but I feel less bloated and I haven't been hungry for a minute. My blood sugar have been very stable today. I'm curious to see if it will stay that way because when my blood sugar fall, so does my mood. If this diet changes that, that alone is a good reason to stick with this diet long term!

Day 3

The head ache is gone!
Today has been better. I haven't been hungry all day. I had a banana for breakfast, then I had an apple, and another banana and a sharon fruit for lunch. I made myself a green leaf salad with tomatoes in the afternoon, and after that I ate three clementines.

I went out for pizza for dinner today. Pizza is a Friday staple in this house hold.
Yesterday I ordered fried rice with vegetables from a Chinese restaurants that uses fresh vegetables instead of frozen, for dinner. It filled me up enough so I didn't get hungry for the rest of the night.

I haven't been as good tonight. I've had three sips of Coca cola, 10-15 pringles and a couple of jelly beans. I'm going to find some grapes now so I don't get tempted to eat any more unhealthy sweets tonight.

Also, I had lost another 1/4 pound this morning. Not much to brag about, but as I've said earlier - it's the small steps!

Day 2

Yesterday went okay.
I managed to stay on the raw diet until dinner and ended my day with a sushi dinner.
I got a mild head ache in the afternoon but from what I've read from others who have started on the raw diet, many suffer from headache the first two, three days.

This morning I was a little hungry but a banana filled me up enough before I went to work.
I have had 2 bananas, one apple, one sharon fruit and a couple of almonds.
I haven't been hungry at all today but my mild headache is still here.
Also, this morning I had lost 1/2 pound since yesterday. It's the small things that matters, right? :-)

A new approach to an old problem

Posted by Fio.

The last few weeks - months - have been so busy I've hardly had time to cook, exercise or clean.
Then last night I realized that things won't be changing anytime soon. *IF* I want to loose weight, *I* need to make a change, because it won't happen out of the blue.

I also know that I need a schedule for weight loss. I need to do the same thing EVERY day. Loose diets plans don't work for me.

So I'm going back to what I know works for me: Raw until dinner.
I eat fruit and vegetables until dinner. It's easy for me because I LOVE fruits and vegetables!
I also love dinner. It's my favourite meal of the day.
Also, I think that I can vary my diet more if I include dinner, but half of my dinner will be a green salad. Also, I'm not much of a meat eater so my dinners will mostly be vegetarian.

Since I don't believe in starting tomorrow, I started today. I want to loose 20 pounds and it starts today.

So far, so good. I had one Fiji pear (looks like an apple, tastes like a pear) for breakfast.
Lunch was a banana, an apple and a bag of tasty cherry tomatoes.

I have 10 almonds in my purse that I will snack on for the next two hours.

And best of all, I'm not hungry. Yet! :-)

Aaaaarghhhhh!!!

Four weeks of summer vacation has taken it’s toll.
I’ve been good, exercise wise. I have walked almost every day but alas, that doesn’t help much considering all the fatty dinners and all the wine I have consumed for the last weeks. I’m stuck, weight wise. Stuck, stuck, stuck!
And it’s driving me crazy.

I definitely need to go back to a more healthy life style but honestly, I live pretty healthy. I just need to find a way to consume less calories that I burn. And that is not an easy task.
I have a job that won’t let me go dizzy headed through the day. I need to be razor sharp!
And I am anal about getting enough vitamins, protein, carbs and fat. Yes fat. My body needs fat, and so does everyone elses.

So, long story short: I’m back on track and I’ll keep you updated.

YoYo

Posted by Pasta

The Bad News: After 2 weeks of lying in bed and eating tons of fruit and Indian food in a pouch, I can't believe it, but I've gained 5 of the 6 pounds back.

The Experiment: I gotta question how much of that is "real." When you can't walk, you drink as little liquid as possible, for obvious reasons. I've progressed to lurching now, so I'm going to see how much of it falls off with the return of H20. I'll be back on WW tomorrow too, so I'm curious to see how the scale/timeline goes.

In a few weeks, I'll add some water aerobics to the mix, which should help.

Speaking of water exercise, the New York Times had an interesting article on 41 year-old Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. She's got an amazing body -- the most defined 6-pack abs I've ever seen on a woman. It costs her $100,000 per year to maintain: "Torres’s retinue includes a head coach, a sprint coach, a strength coach, two stretchers, two masseuses, a chiropractor and a nanny..."

What could we look like for $100,000? ....

These Feet Are Made For Swimming

Posted by Pasta, inspired by Fio


I am continually inspired by Fio. It's so much easier to stay on a good path when you have a diet buddy. Despite my sloth, I'm sticking to weight watchers. Luckily a diet rich in fruits and fibrous veggies is good for the post-surgery system. I'm also happy to report that there's a wonderful middle-eastern store in town which has agreed to deliver for me. Hummus is good for the digestion!

I've also brought in a woman to clean and arrange things for me. I watch her exercise. I'm sure it's helpful.

These feet are made for walking...

Posted by Fio.

So, I'm obviously not one of these fancy dressed chicks you'll find in some gyms. My exercise outfit consists of my Nike shoes and old yoga pants, a T-shirt and a fleece jacket. That's it.

I like to walk outdoors. I have tried yoga, boxing, aerobics, pilates, swimming, spinning...you name it. But somehow my schedule makes it hard to be at the gym at a certain time. Nature is always there and to be frank, it's free. With the world economy plumming, it's nice to be able to save money on something.

I still walk 3 miles plus five days a week. Even though I haven't lost a lot of weight, my body feels....more lean.

But I dived into this project with a plan to loose weight, so to be able to do so, I have changed my diet. Again.

This is my "new" eating plan:

Breakfast: Fruit and yogurt sprinkled with chopped nuts.

Lunch: Home made vegetable soup (I bring it to work in a thermos) and a whole grain roll.

Dinner: Something healthy and good made from a lot of vegetables and mainly fish. I am cutting meat out from my diet now. I have wanted to do so for a long time. I really just needed an excuse to do it. My main concern is, am I getting enough calcium in my diet?

I will have to look a little closer into that.

A Little Progress

Posted by Pasta

I'm pleased to say I've lost 5 pounds in 5 weeks.

I started to have a new health problem -- one which can be exacerbated by being overweight. I've never had better, stronger motivation in my life.

I admit, I enjoy being fit because it is easier to move, but aside from that, I never felt my weight stopping me from doing anything or putting my health in jeapordy. Until now.

I'm going in for more surgery this Friday so I'm going to have to put the diet on hold for now, but it really has changed my outlook. Last surgery, I loaded up on chocolate and cheese because I wanted some comfort food. Now I look at that as "dis-comfort" food!

I'm still rooting for you Fio!

Is the cup half empty or half full?

Posted by Fio.

After six weeks of dieting, I'm still only down two pounds!
I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I don't eat that much, and my love for fruit and vegetables should be giving me extra benefits, but no, no such thing as an extra benefit here.

For a while I was ready to blame it on pollution. I bet polluted air contain twice as many calories ad fresh air!
But then there would be more overweight people out there, don't you think?

I could choose to focus on the negative things here, but I won't.
Instead I will tell you what my 30 hikes and 100 miles in six weeks have taught me:

- I love the outdoors.
- Taking long walks with my dog is the best way to bond with him. We are best friends now.
- I think fresh air cleans my brains. I think so much better when I'm hiking and all the volume polluted air is not around me.
- Hiking makes me sleep better. You couldn't wake me with drum set if you wanted to.
- Hiking makes me appreciate good shoes. I love my hiking boots.
- I have a new appreciation for SPF 50 and sun block.
- I know more about water bottles than I ever imagined anyone would know, so I feel smarter.
- I'm pay more attention to the weather forecast than the news on TV. I know more about what goes on in the stratosphere than in Iraq now.
- The weather looks worse viewed from indoors. There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
After three miles and a hot shower, I feel as good as new!

At a Crossroads

by Pasta

On the plus side, I've lost 2.5 pounds. It may not sound like much, but momentum is everything.

On the motivational side, I'm experiencing health problems (posterior tibial tendon dysfunction PTTD) that can be directly linked to being overweight.

The bad news
I have spinal problems ( a bugling disc and a herniated disc) that are aggravated by exercise. I had a chat with my physical therapist today and truth to tell, even water aerobics aggravates my spinal problems. I love my PT and my water aerobics class. I LOVED losing weight this week, but I don't have any idea on how to lose weight without exercise. Some well-meaning friends of mine suggested yoga. I've taken a year of yoga classes and I loved them, but I am not about to trust anyone with my neck unless their triple-approved.

Back to the bad news--my spinal doc said my options are
1. suck it up and live in anywhere from everyday discomfort to constant agony
2. convince my primary physician to prescribe some unidentified drugs
3. get surgery.

So I'm VERY motivated by my feet, but very discouraged by my neck. I'm certain I'm not the onl one. If you're reading this and can identify -- please comment below!

Sleep and Exercise

by Pasta

I've made it almost an entire week on WeightWatchers and I can't believe it took me this long.

I know the reason though -- I can't stick to a diet unless its friend exercise is along for the ride. They reinforce each other. Exercising feels good (hopefully) and I'm more aware of my body which in turn makes me more conscious of the consequences of what and how much I put in it.

I thought I had grown to need less sleep, but the two days I exercised this week I went to sleep earlier and slept later. Last night I did not exercise and the sleep difference was DRAMATIC. I just couldn't feel tired enough to sleep until about 2:30am.

I enjoy having those extra hours ;-) but I think I'll get back to aquarobics on Monday anyway. I like that "good soreness" feeling you get from using your body.

I held my fort all through a hotel weekend

Posted by Fio.

I'm really proud of myself!
I spent last weekend at a hotel in Denmark, and as most people who have visited Denmark knows, the food there is AWESOME!

I usually have a hard time dieting when I'm gone for a weekend, especially when I stay somewhere where the food is great. This time, I decided to pack my sneakers, my yoga pants and a fleece jacket. It might sound gross to some, but I decided to use the sweather from the day before to walk up a sweat in. As people who have travelled knows, the more you bring, the less space you have for shopping, and I was destined to shop!

I started each day with a glass of apple juice, then I went for a long walk (more than an hour.)
The interesting thing is, I actually got to see more of the place this way. Details I would never have noticed if I wasn't walking on my feet.

After my walk, I showered and went out for lunch.
It felt so good to be able to eat without feeling guilty. I also believe that I watched my portions more this time because of my recent walk. My body felt lighter and when I got back home, I hadn't gained so much as an ounce!

From now on, I'll bring my sneakers wherever I travel, because I love to be able to eat without worrying about my weight, and that is especially important when you are in a place where the food is to die for.

Stop the Presses, Alert the Media. I Actually Exercised!!

by Pasta

I'd been stuck. I couldn't walk because of my ankles. I couldn't ride my bike because of my neck. Finally I found Water Aerobics!!

It was me, lots of grandmothers, some moms-to-be, and a few other out of shape or injured people. I couldn't do everything, but most of the time I could do at least something. It felt so great to be able to move a bit again! It was like being let out of a cage. Then I pushed too far and had to tone it down, but great to be moving!

Then I came home and stepped on the scale.

One pound down! With all the steroids, I count that as huge progress. Break out the carrot sticks, I'm celebrating. :-)

Go Fio!!!!

by Pasta

I'm cheering you on!!

I've been pretty frustrated with the exercise situation. My neck is only comfortable with walking, but my feet aren't up to it. And I find it impossible to lose weight, or even diet without exercising. They just reinforce each other you know? Exercise --moving that weight around--makes me more conscious of just exactly where that second breakfast (or dinner) I want winds up. I'm happy to say I found a 6pm-6:45pm water exercise class that starts this Wednesday and ends right before my next surgery.

I'm not sure if my bathing suit fits and I REALLY don't want to try it on...but it'll be worth it if I can shed some pounds ASAP.

Here's hoping some of Fio's success rubs off on me!

Finally, it happened to me!

Posted by Fio.

I'm down three pounds, and this time I think it's for real!
My clothes fit *a little better* and I have been 3 pounds down every morning for several days in a row now. I'm SO pleased!

I am going away this weekend and I know the food will be good, BUT I packed my sneakers and yoga pants, so I will practice portion control and take a walk every day.

I reaslly, really needed this. Finally, the hard work seems to be paying off! :-)

You convinced me Fio!

Posted by Pasta

The middle way. I bought ice cream, but it's mochi ice cream (looks like this. Bite sized pieces wrapped in a sticky rice shell. They're built for portion control but without the extra packaging.

I had some wine, but less. Then I went out and sat on the front porch and gazed at my crazy lawn exploding with 20 different kinds of flowers. Pinks, oranges, purples, and lots of greens. It was a feast for the eye.

All balanced out by a lean cuisine lunch (butternut ravioli with extra veggies) and a few mini-veggie corn dogs with a veggie bologna sandwich. I splurged and put a little creamy havarti on too.

It felt a lot better than downing too many margaritas with too many tortilla chips.

I may not be doing what I had aimed to, but this blog is definitely helping me NOT go off the deep end.

Thank you!

What would you want one month from now?

Posted by Fio.

Every time I am about to give up on something, I ask myself: How will I feel about this decision in a month?
I don't have a strong self determination and my will power is...hey, what's that again?

But I do have goals and before I break the rules I have set for myself, I try to think about the consequences.

What I'm trying to say is, I totally understand how hard it is to be on a diet.
I, personally, hate it.
Therefore I don't go on diets. I do life styles instead. The life style I have now consists of a lot of fresh air, fruit and vegetables, but I have fitted some wine and honey cake into my diet. It tastes way too good to be omitted from any diet, in my humble opinion.

Basically, I try to picture the person *I* want to be, and then I think about how to get there.

Right now, I want to be the outdoorsy type who eat healthy but I am by no means obsessing about food. I have found that if I have a carrot when I crave chocolate, I often just wanted something to chew on.
Also, I don't snack. I have a piece of fruit in between meals if I get hungry, and that's it.
As the food prices have risen, I drink more water, and that is also healthy for me.
I don't buy chocolate, cakes, sodas or other sweets regularly. If I don't have it at home, I won't be able to eat it, right?

Pasta, you asked me in your previous post what I would do if I were you.
I think I would choose the middle road. I think you will be more depressed about your weight in a month if you drop "dieting" completely, but who says you can't have some wine, chocolate and ice cream? I think that if you eat mostly healthy, you can have both wine and a treat occasionally.
And don't forget, I'm right here beside you, suffering and swearing. You can use me for support (or seek comforty in my failings :-) any time, hun.

Plateaus and Obstacles

by Pasta

I admire your tenacity Fio. You're going to see this through, you're in for the long haul, and really, what do you have to lose? You're establishing healthy eating habits, that can't possibly be a bad thing, right?

I'm at a crossroads...I feel like what I should do is work REALLY hard through the end of June to lose anything I can as soon as possible.

Here's why:
1. Saw the spine doctor today. MRI reveals slipped (aka herniated) discs in my neck. I go in tomorrow for an epidural.
2. Saw the ankle doctor today. MRI reveals more problems in my other ankle so I go in for surgery on June 27th.

The lighter I am before surgery, the easier my recovery will be. I'm lacking motivation though. I aggravated my neck and post-surgery ankle the other day. When I'm in pain, I want a nice glass of wine and some comfort food. Clearly, those will NOT bring me long term comfort.

So the question is...to give up now (which would be stupid but cozy) or tough it out for five more weeks and THEN give up (post-surgery and diet do NOT go together.)

Fio, what do you think?

And where's that butler with my sympathetic martini???