More bad language!...sigh... I can't get away from it. It's everywhere in the weight-loss world - pardon - book world. I suppose it's the latest way to try to seem catchy and edgy and to set oneself apart - except - everyone is doing it.
But I'm not going to get on my little soap box about it, lest I seem over-pious.
Anyway, while visiting 'The Skinny' - one of my new favorite blogs - I saw this post announcing an interview. Coming soon: The Skinny interview with Half-Assed author Jennette Fulda. It's a short, but interesting post that has footage from an interview she did on The Today Show
Jennette lost 200 lbs. A noteworthy achievement. And she is another blogger-turned-author.
I haven't bought the book and at present I have no plans to read it, but I have enjoyed my few visits to her blog www.pastaqueen.com.
Gail Gedan Spencer. co-author of 'The Skinny' did a follow-up interview as promised a week ago. Click here for The Skinny Interview.
I can identify with several things she says in both the television interview and the e-mail interview. 1) The denial factor. 2) That blogging, when done faithfully, does keep you accountable. And 3) Once you've been significantly overweight, you have to accept the fact that maintenance is probably going to be a lifelong struggle.
She says, "I think maintenance is the hardest part of weight loss. We’ve probably all heard stories of people who’ve lost a lot of weight and gained it back. I don’t want that to happen to me. I want to overcome any obstacles or struggles that might cause the weight to creep back on. Even when you lose a lot of weight, it’s never really over. You have to earn a healthy body every day for the rest of your life."
I believe that's true.
I've known since I was a pre-teen that I had tendencies toward addiction, and so I was vigilant about not experimenting with drugs, alcohol, and other addictive substances and practices. (We won't talk about the shopping - that is a whole other story...and I am not gonna go there!)
Somehow, I always managed to steer clear of food addictions. There were brief periods in my life when I would overeat for about 5 days and gain 5 - 7 pounds, but then I would level out, tighten up, exercise, and get a handle on whatever was causing me to stress-out and adopt the self-destructive behavior.
But this time things were different and I just spiraled out of control. So here I find myself, trying desperately to get a grip and just plain do better.
After a year of living dangerously, dietetically speaking, I realize that I need to reset my brain and my body chemistry. And that it won't happen overnight. And that it won't be over once I reach my target weight.
When I get my good body back, I will never be able to take it for granted again. I will have to be conscious about the choices I make. Every hour of every day for the rest of my life.
...sigh...seems so daunting...
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Denial
Denial will do you in every time!
There was one part of my brain where I was just not thinking about it. How fat I was getting. How awful I felt all the time. How bad I looked in my clothes.
It was like I just couldn't process it.
Even though it was with me every waking moment somehow I just tuned it out. I almost had to. Otherwise the dissatisfaction would have driven me to distraction.
Not action, just hopelessness and despair....Oh, wait... I lived there for a while, too.
Sitting around the house in sweat pants and a t-shirt you don't have to think about it, but the moment you want to leave the house - for anything - it becomes a problem.
What to wear to the grocery store? What to wear to the business meeting? What to wear to a party or concert?
Nothing looks good.
Nothing.
And I would tell myself: remember this.
Remember this frustration the next time you want an order of french fries or a slice of cheesecake.
Yet somehow, the denial won out every single time.
Some part of me would say: "Ok, just this last time. And I will start my new eating plan tomorrow." Or, "I'm going to swear off sugar and starches completely - indefinitely - so I can have this today because the weight will just melt away when I give it all up for good!"
Ah...the lies we tell ourselves, right?
There was one part of my brain where I was just not thinking about it. How fat I was getting. How awful I felt all the time. How bad I looked in my clothes.
It was like I just couldn't process it.
Even though it was with me every waking moment somehow I just tuned it out. I almost had to. Otherwise the dissatisfaction would have driven me to distraction.
Not action, just hopelessness and despair....Oh, wait... I lived there for a while, too.
Sitting around the house in sweat pants and a t-shirt you don't have to think about it, but the moment you want to leave the house - for anything - it becomes a problem.
What to wear to the grocery store? What to wear to the business meeting? What to wear to a party or concert?
Nothing looks good.
Nothing.
And I would tell myself: remember this.
Remember this frustration the next time you want an order of french fries or a slice of cheesecake.
Yet somehow, the denial won out every single time.
Some part of me would say: "Ok, just this last time. And I will start my new eating plan tomorrow." Or, "I'm going to swear off sugar and starches completely - indefinitely - so I can have this today because the weight will just melt away when I give it all up for good!"
Ah...the lies we tell ourselves, right?
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Skinny B*tch
The complete title is: Skinny Bitch : A No-Nonsense, Tough-Love Guide for Savvy Girls Who Want to Stop Eating Crap and Start Looking Fabulous. And today I walked into my local Barnes and Noble and plunked down $13.95 to purchase my very own copy.
(Note: Everyone who knows me personally knows that I am patently against use of the 'B' word and curse words in general. I make it a point not to use expletives in my every day speech - not even when I'm really angry. And that's part of the reason I avoided reading the book until now. It is literally dripping with foul language...part of the no-nonsense and tough love, I suppose.
Before you rush out and buy it, take that under advisement. There is hardly a page and nary a chapter where the authors don't assault you with some form of crude language about the junk we put in our bodies and the terrible havoc it wreaks on our health.
If you are easily offended or have religious convictions about cursing, I recommend you skip this book altogether...)
Now...having run my disclaimer...it is exactly what I needed.
A friend told me about this book six months ago.
I know. I know. It isn't a new book. It debuted in late 2005.
The authors were all over the talk shows and all over the Internet, but it was barely a blip on my radar. Another one of those pop culture crazes like 'He's Just Not That Into You', which also held no interest for me because I was in a committed long-term relationship.
In 2005, I weighed 105 lbs and really didn't think things would ever change. After all, I was 28 and fairly healthy and happy. Why would they? I thought if I had any tendencies toward obesity they would have presented themselves already and since they had not, I thought I was 'safe'.
Back to the book: Contrary to what the title suggests, the book isn't really about being skinny or bitchy, but mainly about trying to make healthy food choices. The authors say this, "A Skinny Bitch is someone who enjoys food, eats well, and loves her body as a result. It has nothing to do with how much you weigh or what size you are! Skinny Bitches come in all beautiful shapes and sizes!"
Now, I know it makes good marketing and pr sense to make generic, feel-good statements that are sweet and all-inclusive that way. However, if you do happen to read the book you can tell that healthy eating and clean living is the main goal and getting skinny is the by-product and side-effect, as it were.
I am hesitant to give a hearty endorsement to the book on account of the language and the fact that the authors make some pretty controversial statements about a lot of mainstream products and practices. Nonetheless, it contains a lot of facts I needed to be reminded of.
Laura Kelly, co-author of 'The Skinny' said exactly what I was thinking in an interview with 'SB' author Rory Freedman. She writes, "I see your book as a cautionary tale akin to Fast Food Nation and Super-Size Me. Something to pull out and re-read whenever the urge strikes for a bacon double cheeseburger and fries."
Let's all be honest. There is no way not to know that fast food is bad for you and will make you fat as will the habitual consumption of processed foods, pre-packaged convenience/snacks/junk food, as will constantly eating out, as will lack of exercise.
But it's like those V-8 commercials. Sometimes you need someone to give you a pop upside the head.
Sometimes you need to be confronted with the ugly truth of why 'sugar is the devil' and 'soda is liquid satan'.
It's funny how having those trite irreverent phrases in your consciousness makes it just a little easier not to reach for the candy bar or the coke while waiting in line at the grocery store.
And behind the cheeky little catch phrases there are facts about why certain foods are bad for you, but alas, there is where the book becomes most controversial. (Aside from the fact that these two women who look so cultured and refined in the jacket photo swear like sailors...) They attack meat and dairy unmercifully. And sugar. And diet sodas. And artificial sweeteners. And white bread. And white rice. And just about everything we eat in America.
They quote from other health food books and studies done by naturopathic and homeopathic doctors. And many people dismiss such findings and conclusions as pseudo-scientific quack-talk. I don't buy into every single thing they say, but there is a lot of truth in it.
I love how the book begins, "Are you sick and tired of being fat? Good. If you can't take one more day of self-loathing, you're ready to get skinny....You just need to smarten up and use your head, so that you can make intelligent and educated decisions for yourself...This knowledge will empower you.
This is not a diet. This is a way of life. A way to enjoy food. A way to feel healthy, clean, energized and pure. It's time to reclaim your mind and body..."
Amen, sisters!...Preach.
If you're on the fence about the book, at the very least check out Rory's interview with Laura Kelly on 'The Skinny'.
(Note: Everyone who knows me personally knows that I am patently against use of the 'B' word and curse words in general. I make it a point not to use expletives in my every day speech - not even when I'm really angry. And that's part of the reason I avoided reading the book until now. It is literally dripping with foul language...part of the no-nonsense and tough love, I suppose.
Before you rush out and buy it, take that under advisement. There is hardly a page and nary a chapter where the authors don't assault you with some form of crude language about the junk we put in our bodies and the terrible havoc it wreaks on our health.
If you are easily offended or have religious convictions about cursing, I recommend you skip this book altogether...)
Now...having run my disclaimer...it is exactly what I needed.
A friend told me about this book six months ago.
I know. I know. It isn't a new book. It debuted in late 2005.
The authors were all over the talk shows and all over the Internet, but it was barely a blip on my radar. Another one of those pop culture crazes like 'He's Just Not That Into You', which also held no interest for me because I was in a committed long-term relationship.
In 2005, I weighed 105 lbs and really didn't think things would ever change. After all, I was 28 and fairly healthy and happy. Why would they? I thought if I had any tendencies toward obesity they would have presented themselves already and since they had not, I thought I was 'safe'.
Back to the book: Contrary to what the title suggests, the book isn't really about being skinny or bitchy, but mainly about trying to make healthy food choices. The authors say this, "A Skinny Bitch is someone who enjoys food, eats well, and loves her body as a result. It has nothing to do with how much you weigh or what size you are! Skinny Bitches come in all beautiful shapes and sizes!"
Now, I know it makes good marketing and pr sense to make generic, feel-good statements that are sweet and all-inclusive that way. However, if you do happen to read the book you can tell that healthy eating and clean living is the main goal and getting skinny is the by-product and side-effect, as it were.
I am hesitant to give a hearty endorsement to the book on account of the language and the fact that the authors make some pretty controversial statements about a lot of mainstream products and practices. Nonetheless, it contains a lot of facts I needed to be reminded of.
Laura Kelly, co-author of 'The Skinny' said exactly what I was thinking in an interview with 'SB' author Rory Freedman. She writes, "I see your book as a cautionary tale akin to Fast Food Nation and Super-Size Me. Something to pull out and re-read whenever the urge strikes for a bacon double cheeseburger and fries."
Let's all be honest. There is no way not to know that fast food is bad for you and will make you fat as will the habitual consumption of processed foods, pre-packaged convenience/snacks/junk food, as will constantly eating out, as will lack of exercise.
But it's like those V-8 commercials. Sometimes you need someone to give you a pop upside the head.
Sometimes you need to be confronted with the ugly truth of why 'sugar is the devil' and 'soda is liquid satan'.
It's funny how having those trite irreverent phrases in your consciousness makes it just a little easier not to reach for the candy bar or the coke while waiting in line at the grocery store.
And behind the cheeky little catch phrases there are facts about why certain foods are bad for you, but alas, there is where the book becomes most controversial. (Aside from the fact that these two women who look so cultured and refined in the jacket photo swear like sailors...) They attack meat and dairy unmercifully. And sugar. And diet sodas. And artificial sweeteners. And white bread. And white rice. And just about everything we eat in America.
They quote from other health food books and studies done by naturopathic and homeopathic doctors. And many people dismiss such findings and conclusions as pseudo-scientific quack-talk. I don't buy into every single thing they say, but there is a lot of truth in it.
I love how the book begins, "Are you sick and tired of being fat? Good. If you can't take one more day of self-loathing, you're ready to get skinny....You just need to smarten up and use your head, so that you can make intelligent and educated decisions for yourself...This knowledge will empower you.
This is not a diet. This is a way of life. A way to enjoy food. A way to feel healthy, clean, energized and pure. It's time to reclaim your mind and body..."
Amen, sisters!...Preach.
If you're on the fence about the book, at the very least check out Rory's interview with Laura Kelly on 'The Skinny'.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
What's the Skinny Now?
180.0
So...it's been 10 weeks since my last confession - ahem - post.
You might think I had time to have lost 10 or 15 pounds since then, right?
Or perhaps you guessed that I hadn't posted because things were not going well.
SSDD.
Really. I'm not getting enough sleep. Not getting any exercise. Eating absolutely all of the wrong foods every single day. Eating right before bed time. Eating in the middle of the night. Literally.
Sometimes I'll go to bed, wake up at 2 or 3 to go to the bathroom and eat ice cream or some other junk or, like, a tv dinner in the middle of the night.
I don't care what the box says ... it is not a healthy choice if you eat it at 2:30 a.m and go back to sleep.
It's awful! The thing that makes me most angry with myself is that I know better! I know better than to do any and all of these things and yet somehow on some level I find myself powerless to break the cycle of bad habits.
I've been really stressed and a lot of it is emotional eating, but I also know there is a physical trigger. I totally need to detox. I know my body chemistry and hormones and pH balance and everything are all out of whack. I can feel it. I won't even talk about the current state of my colon.
I know - know - that the sluggishness and fatigue I am feeling go back to that. And it's keeping my body from absorbing nutrients like it should. Which is causing me to overeat and have crazy cravings for sugar and carbs.
Everyone knows that lack of sleep contributes to weight gain in several ways. 1) You're too tired to exercise. 2) The more hours you spend awake and alert and active, the more time you have to feel like you need to eat. And 3) the body also interprets lack of sleep as starvation for some odd reason and hangs on to its food stores and pads them about the stomach and thighs - go figure!
I'm drinking maybe 16 ounces of water on a good day. That's no good.
Yep.
Doing. Everything. Wrong.
I'm not just unhappy anymore.
I am officially 75 lbs over-weight and have long since crossed the threshold of 'a little chubby' and made my way actually to that place called 'obese.'
I have all kinds of stretch marks and cellulite and I am praying that they will go away with diet and exercise.
So, like I said, I am not just unhappy, I am really, truly unhealthy.
I feel like I am killing myself slowly.
I know that if I don't make changes and soon I will be setting myself up for all sorts if maladies: hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, cancer...
Plus, I just plain don't feel well. How could I with all of those bad habits?! It's a good thing I don't smoke or drink - I think I might have keeled over already.
In any case, my quality of life has fallen off considerably. I get winded walking up stairs and around the mall. Although I hardly go there any more because it is depressing looking at all of the cute clothes I can't wear.
We won't even talk about how it has affected my sense of style. I've taken to wearing flat shoes most of the time because I feel so heavy I feel like I will fall at the worst and at the least roll my ankle and give myself a bad sprain. My center of gravity and sense of balance are both off. And I feel frumpy and dumpy in everything.
I've even stopped wearing make-up and tweezing my brows.
It's not that I don't care.
It just takes so much effort...and I still feel completely unattractive no matter what clothes and accessories and cosmetics I'm wearing because there is no hiding the fact that I'm fat.
People who didn't know me a year or two ago don't know that I haven't always looked like this, but every time I see people who did, I see pity in their eyes. I really do.
I know everyone thinks I've let myself go. And I'm sure they wonder why.
I look into the eyes of friends and acquaintances and see the question: what happened? And the thought: what a shame.
I don't think it's my imagination.
I wrote my last post with so much conviction. I cannot believe that it translated into so little action.
...sigh...
So...it's been 10 weeks since my last confession - ahem - post.
You might think I had time to have lost 10 or 15 pounds since then, right?
Or perhaps you guessed that I hadn't posted because things were not going well.
SSDD.
Really. I'm not getting enough sleep. Not getting any exercise. Eating absolutely all of the wrong foods every single day. Eating right before bed time. Eating in the middle of the night. Literally.
Sometimes I'll go to bed, wake up at 2 or 3 to go to the bathroom and eat ice cream or some other junk or, like, a tv dinner in the middle of the night.
I don't care what the box says ... it is not a healthy choice if you eat it at 2:30 a.m and go back to sleep.
It's awful! The thing that makes me most angry with myself is that I know better! I know better than to do any and all of these things and yet somehow on some level I find myself powerless to break the cycle of bad habits.
I've been really stressed and a lot of it is emotional eating, but I also know there is a physical trigger. I totally need to detox. I know my body chemistry and hormones and pH balance and everything are all out of whack. I can feel it. I won't even talk about the current state of my colon.
I know - know - that the sluggishness and fatigue I am feeling go back to that. And it's keeping my body from absorbing nutrients like it should. Which is causing me to overeat and have crazy cravings for sugar and carbs.
Everyone knows that lack of sleep contributes to weight gain in several ways. 1) You're too tired to exercise. 2) The more hours you spend awake and alert and active, the more time you have to feel like you need to eat. And 3) the body also interprets lack of sleep as starvation for some odd reason and hangs on to its food stores and pads them about the stomach and thighs - go figure!
I'm drinking maybe 16 ounces of water on a good day. That's no good.
Yep.
Doing. Everything. Wrong.
I'm not just unhappy anymore.
I am officially 75 lbs over-weight and have long since crossed the threshold of 'a little chubby' and made my way actually to that place called 'obese.'
I have all kinds of stretch marks and cellulite and I am praying that they will go away with diet and exercise.
So, like I said, I am not just unhappy, I am really, truly unhealthy.
I feel like I am killing myself slowly.
I know that if I don't make changes and soon I will be setting myself up for all sorts if maladies: hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, cancer...
Plus, I just plain don't feel well. How could I with all of those bad habits?! It's a good thing I don't smoke or drink - I think I might have keeled over already.
In any case, my quality of life has fallen off considerably. I get winded walking up stairs and around the mall. Although I hardly go there any more because it is depressing looking at all of the cute clothes I can't wear.
We won't even talk about how it has affected my sense of style. I've taken to wearing flat shoes most of the time because I feel so heavy I feel like I will fall at the worst and at the least roll my ankle and give myself a bad sprain. My center of gravity and sense of balance are both off. And I feel frumpy and dumpy in everything.
I've even stopped wearing make-up and tweezing my brows.
It's not that I don't care.
It just takes so much effort...and I still feel completely unattractive no matter what clothes and accessories and cosmetics I'm wearing because there is no hiding the fact that I'm fat.
People who didn't know me a year or two ago don't know that I haven't always looked like this, but every time I see people who did, I see pity in their eyes. I really do.
I know everyone thinks I've let myself go. And I'm sure they wonder why.
I look into the eyes of friends and acquaintances and see the question: what happened? And the thought: what a shame.
I don't think it's my imagination.
I wrote my last post with so much conviction. I cannot believe that it translated into so little action.
...sigh...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
I'm So Over It!
175.0
Wow! It's been three whole months since I posted!
I did not know it had been that long.
Why have I been away?
I have been totally immersed in everything to do with the start-up of my business and I have totally neglected the weight loss efforts. I haven't even stepped on a scale because I knew - knew - I had gained even more weight.
I could guess what the numbers were and simply could not bring myself to stand there and get confirmation of my biggest fears.
I remember how miserably unhappy I was a year ago when I weighed in at a whopping 135!
My favorite jeans didn't fit right and my cute little sweaters were too tight.
Twelve months have passed and what I wouldn't give to see the 130s again! I never imagined my body would look like it does right now.
But last night I had a moment.
I looked in the mirror and I thought about all of the things that caused me to eat foods I shouldn't, cease to exercise, and neglect myself and my health in general and I just thought: I am so over it!
I'm over beating myself up about what I did and didn't do. I'm over being unhappy about how I look in my clothes. I'm over being uncomfortable in my skin and feeling like I'm walking around wearing a fat suit. I'm over wanting instant results. I'm over trying to be someone I'm not.
And for the first time since I talked about starting my weight loss journey, I believe I'm actually going to see some real results - because I'm done trying to lose the weight for superficial reasons and I finally addressed most of the issues that were at the heart of my weight gain.
Wow! It's been three whole months since I posted!
I did not know it had been that long.
Why have I been away?
I have been totally immersed in everything to do with the start-up of my business and I have totally neglected the weight loss efforts. I haven't even stepped on a scale because I knew - knew - I had gained even more weight.
I could guess what the numbers were and simply could not bring myself to stand there and get confirmation of my biggest fears.
I remember how miserably unhappy I was a year ago when I weighed in at a whopping 135!
My favorite jeans didn't fit right and my cute little sweaters were too tight.
Twelve months have passed and what I wouldn't give to see the 130s again! I never imagined my body would look like it does right now.
But last night I had a moment.
I looked in the mirror and I thought about all of the things that caused me to eat foods I shouldn't, cease to exercise, and neglect myself and my health in general and I just thought: I am so over it!
I'm over beating myself up about what I did and didn't do. I'm over being unhappy about how I look in my clothes. I'm over being uncomfortable in my skin and feeling like I'm walking around wearing a fat suit. I'm over wanting instant results. I'm over trying to be someone I'm not.
And for the first time since I talked about starting my weight loss journey, I believe I'm actually going to see some real results - because I'm done trying to lose the weight for superficial reasons and I finally addressed most of the issues that were at the heart of my weight gain.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Desperate Times...Desperate Measures
Okay...I absolutely have to blog about this for all my sisters in the struggle...
Has anyone else read the book 21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox, by Roni DeLuz?
It was published in May of this year and got lots of exposure on women's shows and in magazines. DeLuz was on The View and Extra. She received quite a bit of publicity when she worked with Robin Quivers (Howard Stern's co-host).
Now...all of this passed me by. I happened to see the book when I was in Barnes and Noble browsing last July. It caught my eye because 21 pounds in 21 days is quite a promise! As I have mentioned before, each time I gained this weight - 15 lbs and then 15 lbs again - it happened extremely quickly (within 7 - 10 days). Which I think is extremely unnatural for someone of my size and former weight and habits. Because this was so discouraging, I have wanted to lose the weight as quickly as I possibly could and still do it safely, without starving my body and getting into that unhealthy eating disorder zone.
I have been known to lose 15 lbs in as little as 10 days...so I know it can be done...anyhow, I picked up the book - back then, in July - expecting it to be the same knowledge and sound bites you find in women's magazines (eat grapefruit, drink cranberry juice) repackaged and expanded upon to fill 200-odd pages. I had no intention of buying it, but I did pick it up and flip through to see if there was anything novel about her approach.
I wanted to skim the diet plan and see what the recommended foods were. Well... I was quite surprised because the first hundred pages or so were actually educational. Although it has been marketed as a book that unlocks the secrets to quick weight loss (supposedly without feelings of deprivation), it is actually about cleansing your mind, body, and spirit and learning to be in tune with yourself - strengthening the mind/body connection through establishing various routines and disciplines.
I determined then that it would not be a quick read or a quick fix, and honestly, I knew I wasn't ready. I think I was still looking for a quick-fix and an easy out. She was preaching lifestyle changes and I was not ready to hear it. I was not ready to learn or make changes and all of it would have rolled off my consciousness like water off a duck's back.
But lately I have been feeling extremely unwell and not just unhappy about my weight. I know everybody has been like: hey, cheer up, you'll do fine, exercise, eat right and the weight will come off. I have conveyed so much of my unhappiness about the way I look, I don 't think anyone understands (because I didn't express it clearly, I am sure) how much of my unhappiness is about the way I feel.
I feel sluggish and tired. My circulation has gone to pot. I used to be able to sit cross-legged for hours (not that one should), but now, I can sit cross-legged or with one leg under the other for 10 minutes and the leg falls asleep to the point where I have to stand without moving for nearly a minute waiting for the blood and feeling to return so that I can walk on it without having it buckle under me. I am experiencing other symptoms that make me feel like I am dangerously close to being pre-diabetic and I know that I am on the path to obesity and the myriad health problems that accompany it.
So...as unhappy as I am about the way I look, I am actually much more concerned about the way I feel...so unhealthy. I am desperate to turn it around.
I have blogged before about how angry I am with myself because I know better. I have done so many of the things that I know better than to do and I have forgotten how to live the routines that kept me healthier and consequentially thinner. Simple things like mindfulness when eating, so that I recognize when I am full and stop - whether or not it tastes good or my plate is still more than half full.
This book is good because it is reminding me of the things I used to know how to do. It is making me remember things I learned long ago about how the body works and why certain habits run contrary to healthful living and weight loss efforts.
DeLuz is a naturopathic doctor and writes extensively about the body's ability to heal and regulate itself. Her advice and methods are non-traditional to be sure, so it's not for everyone, but I think many of us with locks (and the subset that is inclined towards juicing and vegetarianism and raw/live foods) will find it a good read. Even those who are not may find it an interesting read whether or not you actually agree with her theories or can see yourself adopting the lifestyle she recommends.
I would really appreciate comments from anyone who has read the book already and would encourage anyone who has not (and is constantly struggling with dieting disappointments) to look it over.
As I was saying, back in July, I knew I wasn't ready for it, but I filed the title and concept away as something to revisit later. Well, last week I decided the time had come, so I bought it on Sunday. I am only on page 70 so far, but I am really enjoying it. I will continue to blog about my impressions (which may change) and my success (or lack thereof) in following the detox regimen.
Has anyone else read the book 21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox, by Roni DeLuz?
It was published in May of this year and got lots of exposure on women's shows and in magazines. DeLuz was on The View and Extra. She received quite a bit of publicity when she worked with Robin Quivers (Howard Stern's co-host).
Now...all of this passed me by. I happened to see the book when I was in Barnes and Noble browsing last July. It caught my eye because 21 pounds in 21 days is quite a promise! As I have mentioned before, each time I gained this weight - 15 lbs and then 15 lbs again - it happened extremely quickly (within 7 - 10 days). Which I think is extremely unnatural for someone of my size and former weight and habits. Because this was so discouraging, I have wanted to lose the weight as quickly as I possibly could and still do it safely, without starving my body and getting into that unhealthy eating disorder zone.
I have been known to lose 15 lbs in as little as 10 days...so I know it can be done...anyhow, I picked up the book - back then, in July - expecting it to be the same knowledge and sound bites you find in women's magazines (eat grapefruit, drink cranberry juice) repackaged and expanded upon to fill 200-odd pages. I had no intention of buying it, but I did pick it up and flip through to see if there was anything novel about her approach.
I wanted to skim the diet plan and see what the recommended foods were. Well... I was quite surprised because the first hundred pages or so were actually educational. Although it has been marketed as a book that unlocks the secrets to quick weight loss (supposedly without feelings of deprivation), it is actually about cleansing your mind, body, and spirit and learning to be in tune with yourself - strengthening the mind/body connection through establishing various routines and disciplines.
I determined then that it would not be a quick read or a quick fix, and honestly, I knew I wasn't ready. I think I was still looking for a quick-fix and an easy out. She was preaching lifestyle changes and I was not ready to hear it. I was not ready to learn or make changes and all of it would have rolled off my consciousness like water off a duck's back.
But lately I have been feeling extremely unwell and not just unhappy about my weight. I know everybody has been like: hey, cheer up, you'll do fine, exercise, eat right and the weight will come off. I have conveyed so much of my unhappiness about the way I look, I don 't think anyone understands (because I didn't express it clearly, I am sure) how much of my unhappiness is about the way I feel.
I feel sluggish and tired. My circulation has gone to pot. I used to be able to sit cross-legged for hours (not that one should), but now, I can sit cross-legged or with one leg under the other for 10 minutes and the leg falls asleep to the point where I have to stand without moving for nearly a minute waiting for the blood and feeling to return so that I can walk on it without having it buckle under me. I am experiencing other symptoms that make me feel like I am dangerously close to being pre-diabetic and I know that I am on the path to obesity and the myriad health problems that accompany it.
So...as unhappy as I am about the way I look, I am actually much more concerned about the way I feel...so unhealthy. I am desperate to turn it around.
I have blogged before about how angry I am with myself because I know better. I have done so many of the things that I know better than to do and I have forgotten how to live the routines that kept me healthier and consequentially thinner. Simple things like mindfulness when eating, so that I recognize when I am full and stop - whether or not it tastes good or my plate is still more than half full.
This book is good because it is reminding me of the things I used to know how to do. It is making me remember things I learned long ago about how the body works and why certain habits run contrary to healthful living and weight loss efforts.
DeLuz is a naturopathic doctor and writes extensively about the body's ability to heal and regulate itself. Her advice and methods are non-traditional to be sure, so it's not for everyone, but I think many of us with locks (and the subset that is inclined towards juicing and vegetarianism and raw/live foods) will find it a good read. Even those who are not may find it an interesting read whether or not you actually agree with her theories or can see yourself adopting the lifestyle she recommends.
I would really appreciate comments from anyone who has read the book already and would encourage anyone who has not (and is constantly struggling with dieting disappointments) to look it over.
As I was saying, back in July, I knew I wasn't ready for it, but I filed the title and concept away as something to revisit later. Well, last week I decided the time had come, so I bought it on Sunday. I am only on page 70 so far, but I am really enjoying it. I will continue to blog about my impressions (which may change) and my success (or lack thereof) in following the detox regimen.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Recommended Reading
45 minutes; 2 miles; 300 calories
The same way I've done with my Sisterlocks blog, I've decided to pass on articles of interest that relate to weight loss and women. Because I have had so many body image issues of late, I found the following article to be a good read and thought my would appreciate it as well. From Newsweek: Why Women Lose Weight - Or Don't.
Incidentally, today I came home from the office at noon, changed into my workout clothes immediately and did 45 minutes on the treadmill. I walked 2 miles and burned 300 calories!
Yay for me!
I did not work out yesterday. I just let time get away from me and before I knew it, it was 1:30 a.m. and I really needed to get to bed, but I decided not to let it get me down, and not to beat myself up about it. I have told myself that while it is my goal to workout each and every day, I should recognize that sometimes that will not happen and I should not belittle myself or let it discourage me entirely.
I will simply make it a point not to skip two days in a row without good reason (like illness - simply being tired or not making time are no longer acceptable excuses.)
I will still be checking in regularly and updating, but I will not be recording my weight just yet. I never minded to weigh myself daily before, but once it got up over 150 (and stayed) the weigh-ins began to get terribly discouraging. I am now focusing on what I eat and my exercise routines.
I will post my weight again when I get into a more pleasing weight range and see more results - trending down. I just started exercising in earnest a week ago and I can already feel changes in my body. My muscles feel like they've been used and my body moves more easily. Still huffing and puffing on the treadmill, but if I stick with it, that should go away within the next couple of weeks.
Needless to say the January half-marathon is out, but I still have participation in a marathon as as a long-term goal. I just have to pick another date and a different city...stay tuned.
But I was saying...I feel changes in my body, but they are not showing up on the scale and I am not putting too much stock in the numbers or how my clothes fit just yet. I will see where I am in 10 more days. I feel like will take at least 2 weeks for my body to get used to the new program because I have been lazy and eating poorly for so long.
The same way I've done with my Sisterlocks blog, I've decided to pass on articles of interest that relate to weight loss and women. Because I have had so many body image issues of late, I found the following article to be a good read and thought my would appreciate it as well. From Newsweek: Why Women Lose Weight - Or Don't.
Incidentally, today I came home from the office at noon, changed into my workout clothes immediately and did 45 minutes on the treadmill. I walked 2 miles and burned 300 calories!
Yay for me!
I did not work out yesterday. I just let time get away from me and before I knew it, it was 1:30 a.m. and I really needed to get to bed, but I decided not to let it get me down, and not to beat myself up about it. I have told myself that while it is my goal to workout each and every day, I should recognize that sometimes that will not happen and I should not belittle myself or let it discourage me entirely.
I will simply make it a point not to skip two days in a row without good reason (like illness - simply being tired or not making time are no longer acceptable excuses.)
I will still be checking in regularly and updating, but I will not be recording my weight just yet. I never minded to weigh myself daily before, but once it got up over 150 (and stayed) the weigh-ins began to get terribly discouraging. I am now focusing on what I eat and my exercise routines.
I will post my weight again when I get into a more pleasing weight range and see more results - trending down. I just started exercising in earnest a week ago and I can already feel changes in my body. My muscles feel like they've been used and my body moves more easily. Still huffing and puffing on the treadmill, but if I stick with it, that should go away within the next couple of weeks.
Needless to say the January half-marathon is out, but I still have participation in a marathon as as a long-term goal. I just have to pick another date and a different city...stay tuned.
But I was saying...I feel changes in my body, but they are not showing up on the scale and I am not putting too much stock in the numbers or how my clothes fit just yet. I will see where I am in 10 more days. I feel like will take at least 2 weeks for my body to get used to the new program because I have been lazy and eating poorly for so long.
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