Last Chance for Skinny

Heeeello Success!  I'm still at my daughter's house and this morning her scale read 180 lbs.  It's going down I tell you.  I will know my actual weight when I weigh in tomorrow.  

Food:  Two pieces of 50 calorie whole wheat toast with blue berry jam for breakfast.  Lunch in Nordstrum's, fruit salad and 1/2 of a vegetable panini.  For dinner we ate a picnic in the park. It included a wonderful strawberry and tomato salsa, blue chips, bird nests, and hummus.  A little white wine and lots of water.  (It rained)

Exercise:  Walked about 5 miles in the mall.  A daughter can shop!  

Today I would like to talk about the fat shopper.  How humiliating is it when you have to ask if the store carries your size?  I shopped in Macy's yesterday and found some really nice clothes (not in the fat section).  But when I went to Ann Taylor...forget it.  I couldn't find my size.  I liked this dress so much I thought to myself "Well I can try to squeeze into it and then wear it with a sweater", but instead it sort of fit.  Just didn't look good because you could see the roles. Maybe I should get one of those squeezey body things that they sell of T.V.  However this is what happened next....The sales clerk took one look at me and said "It looks like you need some help, a lot of help".  I took a deep breath and swallowed whatever dignity I had left and said "Do you guys even carry sizes to fit this body?" She replied with a funny comment like the larger sizes go quickly because no-one wears a size 2....and took me by the hand and helped me pick out some really great stuff.  I ended up getting a few things that are attractive looking and hide all of the lumps.  Then on to the Limited. (Don't forget I was shopping with my daughter, and we were on a mission to make me look chic, her idea). After shuffling through racks of skirts sized from 0 to 10, I turned to a sales clerk and asked for some much needed help. She found me a skirt on the sales rack that fit great.  She also said that the big sizes go right away! What was left on most of the racks were sizes 2, 8, and 10.  So if the big sizes go right away and they are left with the smaller sizes, wouldn't you think that they would order more big sizes? Ugh. 

The reason why some of us fat people look so damn sloppy is because we have to shop at the crappy stores and we aren't dressing stylishly because all of the stylish clothes are size 10!  If you go to the fat stores they feature the same boxy stuff, and it makes us look even bigger.  But what I learned yesterday is that a high waisted skirt and tucked in (yes I said tucked in) shirt, looks really nice....and if you put a little sweater with it...You actually look fabulous!  (yes I said fabulous)  Jones New York looked the best on me in Macy's...So there it is girls...but one thing I have to say is that I felt successful because I think I lost some weight.  I wish you happy shopping

Signed Last Chance for Skinny

Last Chance for Skinny

Hello Rounders, Today I weighed in at 181 lbs. but I'm at my daughters house and she has a different scale.  We think it is about 3 lbs. off.  

Food:  For breakfast I ate a bowl of oatmeal.  For Lunch I had one whole guacamole made into dip with tomato and onion.  I spread it on a very large whole wheat pita and added some lettuce to give it dimension.  I was delicious.  I was on the road for dinner so I ate a Burger King Veggie burger with tomato and lettuce.  I also ate a small fries.  For snack I ate a few handfuls of popcorn at the movies.

Exercise:  Nothing

Today I would like to talk about being healthy.  Someone sent me an anonymous suggestion about Last chance for healthy.  The vegan diet, when done well and correctly has been known to cure illnesses.  There are several books on the market that claim that whole foods can even cure cancer. One example is the experience of Christina Pirello, who has written a few cook books and has her own T.V. cooking show, emphasizes the value of whole foods.  Her latest book is "This Crazy Vegan Diet". Her story in brief,  is that she had cancer and she went on a strict whole foods diet and now she doesn't have cancer anymore.  In addition, I personally know a man who had colon cancer and he went on the same type of diet and now he doesn't have colon cancer anymore.  Both of them opted not to receive any type of conventional intervention.  However, let me just say that I am not endorsing any cure.  What I am emphasizing is that we need to stop eating dead flesh that is injected with chemicals, and stop drinking diet soda and eating sugar, if we want to be healthy.  So why did I eat fries for dinner? Weak moment.....But it's better than what I used to eat....and the important thing is to keep going.  

I was feeling so sickly this past weak and I went off my diet on Sunday....could that be why? Michael Savage on AM radio says you need to cut out foods and then reintroduce them and if you feel sickly again after you eat them, it means that you are allergic to that food.  Sounds like a good idea.  I don't know if I felt sick because I ate the Calamari, or if I needed to take vitamin B complex with iron, but I feel better.  We'll see what the fries do to me.!  

My suggestion to all of you...Take a minute and look up what a liver and heart looks like in an obese person.  I saw this on Oprah once and it is absolutely sick!  So today my daughter and I are going to try to eat just fruit and veggies...no carbs.  I'm not looking forward to it!

Signed, Last Chance for Skinny

Last Chance for Skinny

Hello Fellow Fat People, I'm sorry I've been down for the past few days.  I got very busy...got very tired...and got very lazy.  Confessions:  On Sunday I went off the Vegan diet and ate fried calamari with a salad for dinner when we went out for dinner.  Going out for dinner can be catastrophic to a dieter's plan.  Although your intentions are noble and you feel determined in the morning, they can be derailed with dinner plans by the evening.  I didn't cheat after that evening however, and it has been easy to get back on track.  When has that ever happened to you?  Usually when you cheat, you keep on cheating and eat like there is no tomorrow.  

Today I weighed in at 185.5 lbs.  Even though I didn't cheat, I did not move for 3 days.  I truly believe that you have to move for at least 20 to 30 minutes every day.  I feel much better today so I got up and got busy but still did not exercise except for walking up and down the steps.  So I'm kind of back to square one with the weight but I'm not giving up hope on my last chance for skinny.  

Last Chance for Skinny

Hello fellow excuse makers, I have just experienced every dieting fat girl's nightmare.  I bought a digital scale and I weighed in at 186.5 lbs.  Ugh! So I am back to where I started from.   My only consolation is that whatever weight I started off at, I lost 9 lbs, because today I weighed in on my old scale at 178 lbs.  So I know I'm on the right track.  

Food:  Yesterday morning I started the day with one of Aunt Marlene's breakfast bars.  For lunch I ate some left over Lasagna, and for dinner I ate some home made vegetable soup with tofu.  I also ate some baked apple crisp.  I drank tons of water with lemon too.  

Exercise:  Nothing.  I really need to get busy in this category.  My friend Jo told me that if you ride your bike for 3 hours a week, you reduce your chances of a heart attack by 50%.  That's amazing!  And biking is so much fun too.  

Today I would like to address the feeling of failure.  How many times have you failed on your diets?  The reason why I called this blog "Last chance for Skinny"  is because I feel as though this is my last chance.  It all started when I became very ill in May because of an over prescribed thyroid medication.  I landed in the hospital for three days and nearly suffered from a stroke.  We all have moments of revelations and that became my moment.  I knew that I had to get my health under control, and that I couldn't afford to fail this time.  My daughter had suggested that I read the book Skinny Bitch, and after reading the chapter on slaughter, I stopped eating meat.  I gradually eliminated all other foods until I was totally vegan.  I hadn't weighed myself until the day I started the blog, but I know that I had been loosing all along because my clothes were easier to get into. 

Vegan? I'm not going Vegan.  I keep hearing this.  I know how you feel and if you would have asked me 4 months ago if I would ever be a vegan I would have said Hell no!  Tofu?  That's just disgusting!  But here I am, a Vegan, and blogging about how great it is no less.  All I can say is that for the first time in my life I feel in control of my food intake, and I don't feel like a failure. So the way I look at it is this....I don't crave sweets, I feel in control, I'm not cheating, I am eating more fruits and vegetables than I have ever eaten before, I don't feel bloated, I don't have reflux, I don't have diarrhea, I'm not constipated, I don't feel sick, I'm not hungry, I don't need a nap, I actually feel pretty good.  So thats why it's my last chance, because if I can't loose weight with all of the above, I'll never loose weight!   

My advice to you is just try it!  Find the alternatives that work for you, and take the plunge.  I strongly suggest that you read the Skinny Bitch book before you start because it really helps your head.  And one more thing..you don't have to do it all at once.  It took me 2 1/2 months to eliminate all of the unhealthy foods from my diet.  

Signed, Last Chance for Skinny

Last Chance for Skinny

Hello Ladies, I'm sorry this blog is so late.  I was up all night with my dog.  So today I weighed in at 179.5 again, and I was so disappointed.  I think I need to invest in a digital scale because I started to cheat by standing on one foot, or hanging a few toes over the edge, in order to manipulate the numbers.  Not a good idea.  

I can't write a lot tonight but I just wanted to let you all know that you can post a comment on the blog now.  Let me know if you have any problems.  Happy dieting! Signed, Last Chance for Skinny

Last Chance for Skinny

Hello Chubettes, Today I weighed in at 179.5 lbs.  I woke up feeling fat so I was surprised at the result.  My goal this week is to get to 175.  I hope I can do it.   Yesterday was a stressfull day, and I ate a lot of carbohydrates.  I didn't drink enough water so my goal today is to drink, drink, drink water, and I also realized that I'm not eating enough fruit.  In fact today I woke up with leg cramps.  (Not enough potassium maybe)

Food:  

I started breakfast off with 1 of Aunt Marlene's breakfast bars.  For snack I ate the vegan dumplings, and a large salad, then later on in the day I ate a huge plate of left over risotto (more carbs).  For dinner, I made a really cool vegan porcine lasagna.  I had two servings.  So as you can see, I pigged out on carbs yesterday!  Maybe that is why I only lost .5 lbs.  

Exercise:

Road my bike with my dear friend Joani, and she taught me some different exercises to do...so I will refer to them as the Joani exercises when I blog about them.  We planned to ride bikes 3 days a week, but we'll so how that works out because I am a master at making excuses for not exercising.  

So today I would like to talk about stress, sugar, and blood sugar.  Some people stop eating when they get stressed out.  I chain eat, linking one carb loaded meal to the other, so there is a constant flow of sugar going into my mouth, through my pancreas and into my blood stream. 

This requires mastering the art of "Two Fisted Consumption"!  Feeling full?  What does that feel like?  When I'm upset, all I feel is empty, and the only way to fill the void is to eat mass quantities of  carbohydrates.  Of course, it doesn't work.  The comfort food sets off a surge of ups and downs in my blood sugar, and then the eventual chain reaction:  High blood sugar, leads to low blood sugar, which leads to low energy and feeling sleepy, which is followed a nap, and consequently waking up with a craving for sweets.  If I give in to the craving, the pattern continues.  Stress, sugar, low blood sugar! 

Since I've been on the vegan diet, I feel more in control of my stress.  I am able to think clearer. How is that possible?  I'm not an expert but I think it has to do with blood sugar.  The 1980's Fit for Life Diet (R) by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond stresses the importance of regulating your blood sugar.  Until now, this is the most healthy diet that I have ever been on. The basic premise of the diet is to clean the body of toxins.  Beginning by regulating your blood sugar and kicking the habit of sugar, as well as eating healthy salads, meat, and whole grains, but isolating them so as not to consume them together. What they forget to stress is how difficult it is to kick the sugar habit.  After 3 days without any sugar I was freaking out!   Just like a real addict, I gave in, drove to the store in a Northeaster storm risking my life, and bought a candy bar and practically without chewing, ate it in my car.  But my lack of success with this diet was all my fault.  I didn't understand the real necessity to use natural substitutes. I just did it cold turkey and that is why I failed.  

So why is the vegan diet different?  I think that my blood sugar is regulated even if I eat carbs, because the carbs that I am eating are all whole grain with no added sugar.  The breakfast bars have saved me on more than one freak out, as well as the non-dairy ice cream sandwiches.  So even though yesterday was a highly stressful day, I did not crave any candy or unhealthy sugar snacks, I just ate healthy carbs that did not add to my stress level.  

FYI:  I learned yesterday that if you cook the pasta al dente, it doesn't make your blood sugar go wild, because it takes longer to digest.  Makes sense right?  

Signed, Last chance for skinny

Last Chance for Skinny

Hello followers...I don't know if anyone is reading this but just in case you logged on yesterday and didn't see a new blog, I'm sorry for disappointing you.  Yesterday when my feet hit the ground, I began running, and didn't stop until late in the evening. 

I weighed in yesterday at 182 lbs.  Saturday was a busy day.

Food:  

Waffles made with whole wheat flour.  I cheated a little bit because they also consisted of egg and milk.  A substitute for that could be applesauce and soy milk.  I topped it with some organic maple syrup and some strawberries.  Later that day I had a vegan protein drink and some juice. For dinner I ate a small potato and a piece of carrot.  Once again I didn't eat enough food.  Which is totally amazing because that has never happened to me before.  Around 10 pm, I felt really hungry and I drank 2 beers and had some chips and guacamole.  Not good!  I thought for sure that I would have weighed in higher.  But I lost a pound.  

Exercise:  

I walked the dogs, and purged.  Purging takes a lot out of you because you move around more than usual.  

Today I weighed in at 180 lbs.  Can you believe it?  7 lbs. in just 5 days.  I feel really proud of myself.  Yesterday I went to Whole Foods and stocked up on Vegan ice cream, Vegan cookies and tons of whole grains, legumes, and organic wine.  

Food:  A large tomato for breakfast, vegan dumplings for lunch, Italian risotto with porcine mushrooms, artichokes, and a huge salad for dinner.  Later on in the evening I ate a vegan ice cream sandwich.  Yesterday I did a lot of moving and I think that really helped.   

Moving reminds me of another diet that I went on in the mid 90's.  The Susan Powders' Diet.  "Fat makes you fat"...."Move just move".... "Don't for to breath".  Actually this was one of the best diets that I have been on except my hair and nails got uglier than they already were.  So with supplements, I guess it could be considered a pretty good diet.  Knowing what we know now however, about Omega 3 and 6 fatty oils, it could really be dangerously unhealthy.  The main premise of this diet is cutting out all fat from your daily nutrition.  No butter, no dressing, no olive oil, nothing fried, no tomato sauce.  The most important part of the diet that Susan Powders stresses is moving.  She says that any kind of movement is beneficial. Do laundry while trying  to hold in your stomach, Clean the steps at a quick pace, Make the bed in 15 seconds.  Just move, move, move, and breath, breath, breath.  Remembering to breath was another huge part of the diet.  Oxygenate your body!  She is definitely right about that.  We westerners do not breath deeply.  The Asian meditation methods all promote deep breathing for better health.  I lost about 20 lbs. with this diet and I kept it off for about a year but then one day I just had a breakdown and ate ice cream, and then that was it.  

So I guess what I have tried to do throughout my life, is take what I like from every diet and live by it.  The problem is consistency.  I never do the same thing twice.  I like to change and experiment with different things.  But the way I see it is this diet is extremely grounding, and that's refreshing.  Don't forget to move and breath.