Diet Nightmares of Thanksgiving Past

Today as I was making turkey soup (one of my favorite Thanksgiving activities) I flashed back to past Thanksgivings when I would deprive myself of foods I loved because I was dieting.

Particularly memorable was the very first Thanksgiving that I made on my own, in my apartment.

I was a sophomore in college and had been cast in a theater production (Boccaccio Rhythm Theater…a bawdy collection of stories based on Boccaccio’s Decameron from the 1350’s…yes, this was a musical based on the era of the Black Plague.) OK, so that’s a long side note, the point was we were required to be present for rehearsals the day before and day after Thanksgiving. Since it was 100 miles each way and I didn’t have a car, there was no way I could go home for Thanksgiving.

Thus my first Thanksgiving away from home, my parents came to see me, and I prepared the full feast. Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie (from fresh pumpkins) and a mock mincemeat pie for Dad, his favorite. I don’t remember what else I made, but there was ample food for probably dozens of people even though there were just 4 of us—but that’s part of the Thanksgiving tradition, right?

Sounds like a pretty good memory right? Everything turned out well, to my recollection.

The thing was, I wouldn’t eat a bite of it.

Because I was dieting.

You see, that summer I had gone on the now-infamous “liquid protein diet.” I drank less than 400 calories a day. I was coaching and teaching swimming, so I swam my laps and was in the water pretty much all day long. It worked. I ended up losing over 60 pounds by the time I was done—about 15 more than I should have as a matter of fact.

At the beginning of November that year I weighed in at 110 pounds. I thought I was still fat and I was determined not to gain the weight back. So when I was up to 113 pounds right before Thanksgiving I decided that I wouldn’t eat again until I lost the 3 pounds. This was actually the method the diet prescribed and boy, did I follow it to the letter.

But I couldn’t stick to it. Not for long. This is one of the very real reasons diets don't work. Because I never dealt with the emotional reasons behind my eating, I was destined to ultimately overeat and gain weight.

I’m not saying I’m perfect these days, but I’m sure a lot better! I eat for health and for pleasure…and, yes, sometimes I eat for emotional reasons even though I know that’s not the healthiest choice. Taking of the mantle of perfection has really been liberating for me and allows me to love myself as I am now and allows for me to grow and become even better in the future.

That is something I am extremely grateful for!

Weight Loss Secret: Treat Yourself Like Your Car

I recently heard from a young man who said he knew he would lose weight even if he ate snacks and treats all the time as long as he burned more calories than he ate. He went on with some extensive math calculations on how many calories the average sedentary person burns and how he will be able to lose weight by adding some additional exercises and dropping his calorie intake to under 2000 per day.

My first reaction is, Heaven help this guy...I wonder if he has ever tried to diet before?

Begin healthy and losing weight is not just a math equation...and certainly not a simple one! First of all, there is no "average" person...we are all unique and we react differently to different foods, exercise and moods.

Second, even if you caloric intake is low, you can not heal your body and create healthy, lean tissues if you eat junk food all day long.

Rather than counting calories and trying to figure out the math of losing weight, treat your body at least as well as you would your vehicle. You wouldn't put sugar in your car's gas tank and expect it to run, would you? No, you give your car the proper grade gasoline and oil that it requires. You keep the radiator filled. You check your battery. You inflate the tires to get the best mileage.

Your body is a fantastically complex machine and deserves similar treatment. Give your body good quality fuel, as in lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats. Drink plenty of pure water (filter it yourself and save money and the environment) to help keep your system flushed and well regulated. By eating small amounts fairly often you keep your battery charged and like putting your car on cruise-control you can keep going and going without the roller-coaster ride of sugar rushes and crashes.

Quit counting calories and keep yourself on the highway of life, looking good and cruising by eating the right foods every day!

Weight Loss Success Calories NOT Key

It is not the number of calories you eat versus expend that is the most important measure of success for losing weight.

While reducing calories taken in and/or increasing the number of calories you burn is part of the equation--it is not the be-all to end-all.

This is my story--and I'm sticking to it--despite a federal study that claims otherwise.

This study followed people for 2 years (which for a dieter is an eternity) and found that whether the diet was low-fat or low-carb or high-protein did not matter...it wasn't the kind of diet that had the effect. The participants who had the greatest success, no matter what type of diet they were on reduced their caloric intake--and stuck with it.

Ah-ha! That is the key then, the sticking to it part!

Even in this study they note that the participants had trouble sticking to the plan--and weight lost was modest for most!!!

I've heard the calories in vs calories out theory since I was in high school. As a competitive athlete who worked out several hours a day and who did not eat a lot of food--and yet was still considered overweight--it just didn't make sense.

I knew in my heart there was more to it than simple math or physics!

Eating, body image and weight loss are emotional issues. And, defying all logic, it is quite possible for us to "hold on to" fat even if follow the mathematical equation.

This is why programs that include some sort of counseling or peer support have much greater results than diets that are simply following some eating rules.

With support, it is much easier to make the permanent life-style changes that are required to have permanent weight-loss results.

And to make the changes in our behavior we have to change what is going on in our heads first.

Bottom line, get your head 'in the game', decide that you are worth it, decide that you can achieve it, get some support, and every day take the action steps to get you to your health goals.

Weight Loss is Not a Simple Math Equation

Thank goodness! Math is not my strong suit! LOL!

There are lots of "experts" who maintain that losing weight is simply a matter of expending more calories than you ingest. That's a fancy way of saying eating less than you burn!

It is possible that it is that "simple" on a short-term, basic, theory kind of level.

However, personal experience (mine and that of millions of other folks around the world) proves that this math equation is not the long-term, real solution.

Yes, to have our optimum health we must make choices in what we eat that support our health. Our bodies need certain vitamins and minerals and nutrients in order to survive--and to thrive. (I vote for thriving!)

Yes, to have our optimum health we must move our bodies. By challenging our muscles and our bones we improve our strength, our flexibility, our circulation. All these challenges give us improved health for our entire lives...not just from a losing weight stand point.

Sometimes, even when we are doing these things we do not lose weight. I think that may be one of the great mysteries on earth! Each of our bodies is unique. That means what is the right balance for me might not work for you and vice versa. The right number and type of calories to be eaten for my body type and temperament to achieve ideal weight and health might lead to another person being overweight or underweight.

That is why we have to start by loving ourselves and listening to our own bodies.

Tomorrow we'll talk more about listening...

Cutting Calories in Small "Bites"

Sometimes when we decide we are going to drop a couple (or a lot) of pounds, we think we can do it overnight. Or that if we cut out a lot of calories all at once we will have greater success.

I've touched on this before, but it is so important to realize that the best thing we can do for ourselves and our bodies (and by example for our friends and family) is to make small changes that we can keep up!

Focus on cutting small amounts of calories out rather than reducing to 1200 or 1000 calories a day. It is much easier to do and be consistent with and the consistency is the key. Make it your goal to eat 100 fewer calories today and every day. It may not seem like much, but that 100 extra calories is what puts 10+ pounds on us every year.

By making small changes you barely miss what you cut out, so it is easy! Be gentle with yourself with this one and bump up the small changes over time. I know I didn't gain 100 pounds overnight, even though sometimes it sure felt like it!

Consistently making small changes you WILL see results. Seeing the results provides such a boost that you want to keep going.