The Weight Boss

The Boss Looks Like This Now

Well my personal life is not spectacular.  My weight has gone down, yes–I’ve lost 20lbs total now, and I haven’t lost much lately.  People say “oh, it is because you’ve plateaued” and attempt to give me helpful advice.

The truth is more simple and embarrassing.  Like many people, I get depressed.  I didn’t quit eating, or stuff my face, I managed to maintain my weight, and even maybe lose a little size still.  So that is a victory.  I can’t let my bouts of depression sabotage me; which in the past they have done just that.

I just remind myself that I have a goal, and it is not on any specific time frame.  My weight loss up to date had been fantastic, and I’m not going backwards, so that’s great.  If you ever have similar issues, remember that body image is a tricky and complicated matter that can take time to wrap the mind around in any sensible or healthy way.

One step forward, no steps back.  I hope to be taking steps forward again soon.  And in one large sense:  not getting so down that I ate the entire refrigerator is a huge step for me.  And admitting to why I have quit working out.  It’s private, personal, and embarrassing to suffer from depression; worse if it entails overeating and weight gain.  I wanted to inspire.  I get about 20 comments a day on this blog.  ALL SPAM NOW.

My commentators were mainly friends anyhow when I had some.   But it does have a tendency to recalibrate the ol’ motivational compass.  Which way to magnetic north?

Frequently weighing in may motivate rather than scare you off.

We’ve all heard that wisdom about not stepping on the scale while trying to lose weight because you will be discouraged.  It amazes me how much this still goes around.  First off, in general, that is not true.  For every study that says it’s a bad idea, there is another saying that people who frequently weigh themselves lose a lot more weight.

I find not only that the high numbers make me work harder, but that as the numbers dwindle, that motivates me even more.

For myself I know what it is like to work like a maniac to lose weight and 3 days later see the same number on the scale.  But right now, the scale is my friend, and I will tell you why:

I have a scale that measures pounds and ounces.  To me the best sort of encouragement is when I step on that sucker and SEE a lower number.  I also measure myself, but weighing myself is quicker.  I lose about 2 to 8 ounces of weight every day.  You cannot expect to work out hard one week and lose ten pounds.  You have to be realistic.  I pull a lot more 2 ounce losses than 8.  But believe me, they add up.  Slow and steady wins the race.  And you want to do it the right way so it stays off.

When to Weigh:

This is a matter of preference.  Some people weigh first thing in the morning, after their toilet and before bathing.  This is a good policy.

I personally weigh myself several times a day and take my lowest weight of the day to log on my tracker.

How to Weigh:

You need to think about the state that you are in when you weigh.  Did you just eat?  Are you bloated?  Perhaps it is best to weigh naked each time because this ensures no variances in weight.  Sometimes I can weigh 5 more pounds when dressed than naked or in my underwear.  So whatever you decide to do, keep it consistent.  So that your results are dependable.

As for my weight lately?  My scale reads 182.5.  The gym’s scale reads 179.5.

According to my scale, I have lost almost 18 pounds since January 1.  According to theirs, almost 21.  Both good.  Weigh in.  It works.

Though it is somewhat embarrassing for me to share, I am posting these two graphs.  They show my progress in weight loss, though not all of it, just the last few weeks.  I pasted these from Fitday.com, where I have an account, and again I just sing their praises because Fitday rocks.

There you can see the period where I “took a break.”  I have set a first goal, which is to lose 25lbs by March 15.  It was a high goal but if I hadn’t set it so high, I would not done as well, and of course you can see I am back on the horse so to speak.

Weight Boss Kicks It Up a Notch

There’s no doubt about it.  Getting to the gym is tough.  I have a two year old, and before you say “baby sitter!” I have to say he’s got a disability.  So the only people who can handle him are me and my husband.

Well, I made a commitment.  I could sit back and say “oh, well, I had a fair run of it, but it’s over now.”  But that’s not going to cut it.  Are you using excuses?  I used excuses for years, and it landed me in obesity.  No more excuses.  You make the time.  If I can’t head to the gym at midnight any more, then I will work out at home.

So I just bought two work videos.  One is hiphop, and one is kick-boxing.  Each has 3 or 4 10 minute workouts.  I just completed my first kick-boxing segment, as a trial, before I take a bath and head for bed.

Ya know what?  It felt good.  So tomorrow I’m going to do it again.  All the workouts.  On both videos.  Because I am making the time.  And I encourage you to do the same.  If my fat butt can spend $10 and buy a video then jiggle it all around trying to look all tough and bad with my kickboxing moves and most likely looking like a fool….well you better do it too so that I’m not the only fool around.

Till next time, probably tomorrow.

TheWeightBoss

You know, when dieting, you grab a favorite goodie.  It may not even be that bad for you.  Like one of my guilty pleasures is regular sweet fruit yogurt.  No big deal, right?  I mean, it’s just 250 calories.  The problem is that that mentality sneaks up on us everywhere.  So you’ll just use butter to cook those tasty mushrooms instead of cooking spray.  No big deal.  Regular sour cream instead of fat free.  No big deal.

Well let’s look at that.  Let’s say that you eat that yogurt for breakfast every day.  Then it comes to 1750 calories a week.  Which is half the calories required to create a pound of fat.  Hmmm.  So why not buy light?  There is another alternative I buy now that is 90 calories.  That is 1120 calories less a week.  Less calories means less food to burn which means your workout burns more fat.  Hmmm.

So every night you’re cooking your delicious stir fries in butter.  Let’s say you do this 5 meals per week.  With 2 tbsp butter.  That amounts to about 600 calories.  Over a year that is 31,200 calories.  Why not just used butter flavored Pam in the face of that number?

Anyhow the point is that even if it is a 20 calorie difference, if the food is a major part of your diet, consider a healthier choice.  It seems silly, but this is a great alternative to counting calories.  Think about it.  1,000 small healthy choices add up.  So though it seems a little nit-picky at first, you are what you eat, and if you are eating extra calories, saturated fats, and letting them add up, then so you are the sum of those calories.

Which leads me to another final thought on this:  sometimes healthier substitutions are not lower in calories.  Like I can toss margarine out the door.  I want olive oil.  Is it less caloric?  No.  But it’s not processed junk either.  Could I eat a meal that touts to be lean and low in calories without paying attention to its contents?  Sure, I mean, it’s only 200 calories.  But I would rather eat a 300 calorie meal that is made of fresh stuff and identifiable products.  The truth is that we don’t entirely know the long term affects of eating all this processed and preserved junk lining the shelves and being advertised to us on TV.  But your body will surely feel better for the calories going in it only being quality ones.  If you were to eat only fresh foods and packaged foods with no more than 3-5 ingredients for one week, you would be amazed.  When I do it, I can think clearer, run faster, and feel better.

So consider cutting out the crap.  And grab some lean meat and veggies.  If you can’t see yourself living like that, at least add them to your diet.  One or two meals a week.  Trust me.  It’s good for you.

When I said I had tried almost everything to lose weight I meant it.  You name it, I have probably tried it.  Well today, I want to talk a bit about vitamins and their role in my life.

If you’re on a strict regimen of diet and exercise and haven’t thought about vitamins or don’t know where to start, now is the time to start considering them.  I am going to talk about some of the vitamins that you should keep in mind.  Of course, all vitamins are important, but figuring out what ones are most relevant to you is not an easy question to answer.

Your body’s individual dietary needs are unique.  They are ruled by your current diet, your age, race, and specific set of genetics.  So I’m just going to cover the tip of the iceberg here.  These are the ones I try to keep in my house for me and my husband.

CALCIUM

–Calcium is an essential vitamin.  If you are exercising and trying to build up your body, the strain on your bones from inactivity to so much exercise can be very damaging.  It isn’t uncommon to get bone sprains, which are tiny cracks in the bones that can become full-fledged fractures.  Which means you need to make certain that if your diet has little calcium in it that you are taking it in its stead.  This is particularly true for women, because their body’s supply depletes severely as they age.  Do your research on how much is recommended for your age, and do not exceed 4g a day.  This is actually one thing it may be better to get from a pill as dairy products are chock full of fat.

B6

–Though there are many faucets to what B6 can affect, one of the most useful bits of information about this vitamin is that it promotes cellular health which also extends to the production of some hormones that in imbalance can cause depression and sluggishness.  The number one reason I take B6 is that I “feel” healthier, mentally and physically, when I am taking it.

B12

–This vitamin is responsible for red blood cell growth.  One of the major benefits of this vitamin when it comes to weight loss is that it assists in the proper absorption of other vitamins to make sure your body gets the most nutrition it can.

Iron

–Iron helps your body’s red blood cells carry oxygen.  If you are iron deficient, you most likely will become anemic.  You will be pale, weak, faint, and lethargic.  I stress that if you are a woman especially, you should take your iron because a woman’s cycle causes a loss of this valuable mineral.

Glucomannan

–Okay, take a good note of this one because this is a natural appetite suppressant.  It’s main function as your ally is that is expands with things that will make your stomach feel full.  It doesn’t fix the whole problem, but every little bit helps when you are cutting yourself back to healthy levels of calories.

Zinc

–Think of this as your preventative doctor.  Zinc will help you heal wounds, improve your immune system, and help your body recover more quickly by aiding in protein synthesis and all other sorts of miraculous things.  Though it is important for everyone, I notice this as much more present in men’s vitamins.

Potassium

–Potassium is an important mineral in all the body’s basic functions.  It is also an electrolyte.  Yes, that’s right.  All those commercials touting their sugary drinks to be conducive to sports drinks claim that their product is superior to water because it has electrolytes.  See, without electrolytes, you will feel extremely dizzy and weak.  Once I developed a potassium deficiency and on the first day of college while getting into my desk I fell flat on my butt and my vision went black.  Besides being terribly embarrassing, it was also worrisome.  Do yourself a favor and make sure it is in your diet, but skip the sugary sports drinks; they’re not actually good for you.

Chromium Picolinate

–One day I walked into a pharmacy and asked the pharmacist on hand what vitamin I should add to my multivitamin that would be most helpful in my weight loss.  She recommended chromium picolinate.  The way she described it to me was that it helps my body’s metabolism work more effectively and that it is often one of the key ingredients in over-the-counter diet pills.  After looking at the ingredients of some of those pills, I can say that in a few, it is the only actual ingredient of any use in many.  So I take it.  I cannot say that I see any intense difference, but I keep it in my diet whenever I am on an exercise plan and if it could help and doesn’t hurt, why not?

This is some of my limited knowledge on vitamins.  Thanks to my mother, who forced them upon me as a child, I am more receptive to them as an adult and can appreciate their role in helping me supplement a diet that is lacking in these areas.  So do your own research, and find what you need.  Then take it.  A body without proper maintenance is just going to break down on you.  So keep healthy.