good things

Do You Splurge?

ice cream — photo by Jamieanne at Flickr

Yesterday, a really interesting conversation popped up on my food blog. I used the word “splurge” twice – one to jokingly say I’d eaten a whole bolani instead of my usual half. And then again when I had a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich after lunch.

In reality, I don’t consider EITHER of these things “splurges” and if I’d been talking out loud I would have used air quotes. But it prompted Mish to ask:

What do you think of the idea of ‘splurge’? I find that it can be a good thing to do, but also dangerous for me..because for me I find it’s wrapped with guilt.

Just wondering what you think of that.

To which I replied:

What do I think of “splurge?” Hmm. That is such a good question. I think I don’t use that anymore. For example, I had ice cream and cake on my birthday. But I didn’t think of it as “splurging.” I just thought if it as “ice cream and cake, which I am enjoying” rather than “something I don’t normally do.” It has the same emotional weight as “juicy plum.” It’s just one thing I’ve photographed in my day.

Does that make sense? I’ve never really thought of it in that way. I definitely USED to think of “splurge days” (Ha, usually the night after my WW weigh-ins!) but I just realized that I do not think in those terms anymore. Although a lot of what I eat would probably be considering splurging to other people (I’m writing this word so many times now it looks crazy, what a funny word). Fried food. Sweets. Cheese. To me, it’s all food.

I like that.

Then Mary chimed in and said:

Interesting. I don’t use the word splurge at all. In fact, it’s one of the words I hate. I really honestly don’t think of food in that kind of way. I read a food blog once where a girl ate a hamburger with some sides (beans? don’t remember) and she talked all about how it was a splurge but she enjoyed it so it was okay. I was thinking about how for me that was a normal meal – the idea of that being a splurge just made me feel like it’s a word I don’t want to be using for myself or in general.

Sorry, that might not be totally on topic, but I hate the word. And possibly the idea.

I know that many people incorporate the word, and the concept of “splurging” in their weight loss habits. I I used to. Back in my earlier WW days, I used to splurge (ie eat with abandon) the day or two after my weigh-ins.

But I realize I really do not think so much that way anymore (even though! I know! I used it twice in one blog post -it was sort of ironic). If I’m coming up to a big event — a birthday or wedding or something like that – I’ll plan for it. I’ll never go all-out and eat everything in sight as if it doesn’t matter. And like I said, if I eat cake, I’m just eating cake. Another time I’ll eat cherries. No one is more splurgey than the other.

I’ve really tried to stop thinking of foods as good or bad, as splurgey or everyday. Each day is different. Today I had “real” cheddar cheese on my English muffin instead of my more usual Laughing Cow Lite cheese. Did I splurge? (because I’d just done a 2 hour workout? :-)) Hmmm, I think of it as doing a little math in my head and deciding that I’d go for the real cheddar. Just because. Because I wanted to.

I think this is a real shift (and a good one) from the way I used to think before. What do you think? Do you still think in terms of splurges? What about “treats?” (another very provocative word)

August 18, 2010 13

Comfort vs Comfort Food

This event from yesterday impacted me so much that I am double-posting part of it from the food blog. Here’s what happened:

the problem was, I didn’t get enough sleep last night. I went to bed really late and got up unrested and so that was the wrong foot. It’s a Monday after a nice celebratory weekend. I went to work and the poor guy I had to work with was just a miserable soul in a lot of pain. I felt for him, and his pain leeched into me.

So by 11:30am I was just feeling terrible. Exhausted, cold (SO cold!), sad, lonely, (this is my not-so-social work place, as opposed to my super buddy workplace) and just DOWN. I began plotting all the ways I could comfort myself at lunchtime. I would take myself to this restaurant across the street that has ginormous portions of comfort food. I told myself I’d “forget” to bring my camera. YIKES.

But I was trying to be mindful. I was trying to recognize the fact that I was actively planning to use food for non-food distress. (even though hunger was part of the mix too) I teased it out in my head. I told myself, I could go to a soup place instead, and that way I could take care of cold, hunger and comfort all at once. That was a really good first step. Then I felt willing to bring my camera.

THEN I had a REAL stroke of genius. (ha!) I remembered that it was Monday, the only day of the week when Mr. McBody and I work about 2 blocks apart from each other. I texted him. “Lunch?” He had already eaten, but he said he’d come meet me. I waited on the street corner and man, I was never so happy to see someone. I really felt like he was literally saving me from a binge.

And it was like: OMG. I wanted comfort. And I got REAL LIVE human comfort. How fantastic was that!! He gave me the biggest hug. And all of a sudden I didn’t even need the soup. I was warm! I was loved!

We went to my favorite salad bar place and he sat with me while I ate my salad and listened to my woes and then gave me another big hug. And then I felt like I could make it through the afternoon.

I actually can’t stop thinking about this and I credit the reading of Savor (which I love) – about slowing that moment down, being mindful, and saying, what do I REALLY need?

I was hungry. I needed food. But what KIND of food?
I was cold. I put on my jacket.
I was lonely and needed comfort. I called out for my dear spouse, who luckily was close by.
I was tired. I had a cup of coffee because I couldn’t really go for a nap at the moment. But it taught me that going to bed early is key.

I was so ready to go and get some plate of SOMETHING to deal with all those things when in fact it would have helped none of them, not even the hunger, because it would have most likely been something regretful that I would then feel physically and emotionally bad about.

I’m learning! I’m really learning.

August 17, 2010 8

51

Great birthday weekend. I am currently working on a blog post that feels like it’s going to take a YEAR to write, so in the meanwhile, here are some highlights of turning 51:

Started with my first kettlebell class. I took a one-on-one with John Wild Buckley of the Orange Kettlebell Club. I loved it. He is very slow and meticulous and very focused on technique and doing everything exactly right. I was worried about my tendency toward back injuries and he was very attentive re that. So there was a lot of fine-tuning regarding posture (“Butt out!!”) and timing and such. I learned a lot. This guy knows so much and he is also so passionate and enthusiastic about kettlebells it’s contagious. He told me that kettlebells would change my life. “My LIFE?” I said, and laughed and he said yes, my LIFE. Okay!

We only did one basic thing: the basic swing. I thought I was going to learn to do all sorts of things but instead it was just that one thing, with higher and higher weights. We did most of it with me using a 44# lb weight (whoa!) which actually felt just fine. In the end there was even a higher one that I didn’t notice the number on. But: HEAVY.

All of these are the same size and shape, but vary in weight from 20-something lbs to like 150.

After that I went away for the weekend but on the way home I stopped at the sports store and picked up my own 30# kettlebell. Yay!

Other highlights of the weekend:

Spending time with the people I love. Couldn’t be better. I think it’s gonna be a good year.

August 16, 2010 8

Fake It Till You Make It

I’ve been all kinds of wiped out/off track/tired/disoriented since coming back from camp last week. I’ve been majorly “off my game” so to speak.

But I’ve been trying really hard not to let my inner Stuff get in the way of my outer Behavior. So even though I haven’t particularly been EMBRACING the idea of fitness or eating really well, I’ve been trying to do it Anyway. The “fake it till you make it” approach. And I think it may be working just a bit.

On Monday evening I went to the cemetery for trainer workout. I was sooo soo soooooooo not feeling it. But I felt like if I waited till I felt like it, I could end up not working out for weeks or more. So I went, and told myself I would go at whatever pace I felt like. It would be okay to be The Last One (my customary position during all of elementary, middle and high school phys. ed.).

I started out last. We were doing a 3.5 mile circuit up and down hills, at very fast racewalking pace. When I got there, I needed to go to bathroom BAD. But the cemetery public restroom, in the main building, was closed. Wahhh! Trainer told me there was a port a potty about halfway up the first hill. So I stopped there. The rest of the group kept going. Which put me at a good 2-3 minutes behind the whole crowd. Greeeeeeeeat. I gamely attemped to at least keep them in SIGHT.

I finally caught up with the last person right before the highest point. Then I figured it was my time to make up time. When we began the downhill stretch, I started slowly jogging. Surprise: it didn’t kill me. I told myself I’d keep jogging until I no longer felt like it. Surprise: I ended up passing everyone eventually, even the trainer, and ended up back at the starting point FIRST. Well, whaddya know.

I was glad I’d gone. I didn’t feel like any great endorphined ball of energy when I left, but I was glad I’d gone.

Yesterday I just worked all day. I didn’t work out at all.

Today, I went to my semi-private session at the gym. Trainer DJ was excited because he’d gotten some brand spanking new Ropes of Doom. All I wanted to do was lie on the floor and roll on the foam roller, but he wasn’t gonna have any of that. Me and my buddy ended up doing a ton of lungey things, then 25 Burpees (UGH!), more lunges with 10-lb weights (bicep curls into straight up in the air presses, while lunging/walking), then 50 raised leg butt lifts, then crooked pushups, then… he took the brand new Ropes out of the box. Shiny white! But not as long. But HARD! TOUGH! INflexible. Yow. They were truly killer. We ended up doing a totally kick-ass workout, in spite of my lack of oomph. Again, I did not leave feeling energized, but I was very happy I’d gone.

I feel like I’m beginning to get a bit of groove back. I ate vegetables for dinner tonight. I feel like I’m on my way back.

August 5, 2010 8

Guest Post: Karen from Before-And-After

Welcome to Karen, one of my first friends in the blogosphere. I’ve been so moved by her thought-and-feeling provoking blog, and happy she is here.

————

I am so honored to be guest posting for Foodie while she’s away. For me, she is a role model extraordinaire and I admire her on so many different levels.

I am here to talk about my journey a little bit. What I want to discuss specifically is overall health and how it can affect one’s ability to lose weight. I am not a doctor or health care professional so this is just my opinion, based on my experience.

I have come to believe that health issues can cause obesity, not necessarily the other way around (although both can be true). A year ago I was depressed and in chronic pain (muscles and joints). I felt like my brain was in a fog most of the time. I craved sugar in all its forms. I felt out of control with food and wine. I binged. I had regained 25 of the 55 pounds I had lost back in 2005 and 2006. I was a hot mess. I felt like a lazy, out-of-control failure.

In November, I went to see a naturopathic physician (http://www.naturopathic.org/) based on the recommendation of my chiropractor. He said that the naturopathic approach to medicine is more holistic and about balancing the body as an entire system, versus putting a band-aid on symptoms in the form of medication.

For example, a naturopath might see a slightly elevated thyroid number and instead of prescribing a drug, will look at adrenal function. Elevated cholesterol might be a function of elevated thyroid function. Nasal allergies might be due to an imbalance in the gut (as my husband found out after he saw the naturopath…after 50 years of suffering, he hasn’t had to take any sort of decongestant or allergy medication in nine months and his post-nasal drip is gone).

I was curious, but also somewhat skeptical. It’s not that I thought she was a “quack” or that naturopathy was like voodoo, but I think I had given up hope that a naturally healthy body weight, without extreme diets, and without doing what I find uncomfortable and difficult, was possible. I thought I was just getting old and tired.

So on my 47th birthday I had my first appointment with my naturopath. If you’re curious, you can read about the specifics here and here and here.

And details of my visit with the hormone specialist are here.

Why I am sharing all of this? Because I am no longer a hot mess. My aches and pains are (for the most part) gone and I enjoy exercising. I no longer crave any type of food or alcohol or feel “false hunger.” I do not overeat or binge. I am happy and my thoughts are clear. And I am losing weight naturally, without having to over think it, worry about it, or feel deprived. This is how I always thought it should be.

In addition to this, another huge component of my journey has been really getting in touch with who I am, what I want, and the emotions that surround food, my weight and my body. I didn’t want to discount that aspect of what I am doing for myself.

And finally, I want to say that in addition to the naturopath and hormone specialist (who is an MD and formerly practiced as an OB/GYN), I have a primary care doctor with whom I’ve been for 13 years. I keep all three of them in the loop!

I fully understand that each of us is on our own path and that what we learn and when we learn it happens at the right time for us. I am not here to say that the way I am doing it is the only way, but rather to share my experience. If you see in yourself any similarities to what I’ve described here, please advocate for yourself with your physician and/or seek alternative care through a licensed naturopath (http://www.naturopathic.org/).

July 31, 2010 7

Guest Post: @dailykat says it’s “Never Too Late…”

Welcome Kat from FitMindBodySpirit!!

Never too late….

I was excited and honored when Susan asked me to write a guest post for her this week while she is away on vacation. Then I panicked for a moment about what to write about… Weight loss is one of the most challenging things I have encountered in my forty three years here on the planet. It is challenging, but no matter what our situation, as long as we are breathing, it is not too late to reach for our goals, whatever they may be.

It is never too late to reach for our dreams and live the life we want to live. We all have challenges in our life at certain times. My road to weight loss has been full of ups, downs, starts and stops and has taken me much longer I initially expected. I am grateful that I am still in the game and that I haven’t given up. A little history…

In early 2006, I went on a spa trip with my girlfriends to Rancho La Puerta, a wonderful health spa in the northern mountains of Mexico, about an hour outside of San Diego. I had wanted to go to Rancho since I was a little girl. My mother went there when I was in the first grade and I remember wanting to go with her then. I looked forward to hiking and eating healthy food and getting a spa treatment or two. I knew that my weight had crept up over the previous 5 years, and was the highest it had been in my adult life. It had been 5 years since my last successful dieting attempt, I knew that I would not be running up the mountains, but I expected to be able to keep up with my girlfriends and have a good time.

What I didn’t expect to happen was what I now call my “Aha Moment” The first morning on “the ranch” I chose to do the gentle “rolling hills” hike while my girlfriends did the more strenuous mountain hike. I didn’t expect to be last in the crowd of the “easy hike.” I didn’t expect the “easy hike” to kick my ass completely. I didn’t expect to get really deep blisters on my feet the first morning of the week. I can go on and on with the list of challenges that I faced with that week. I had an emotional meltdown after a Pilates reformer class that left me feeling clumsy and not graceful. The tears turned into heaving sobs and I was in touch with a part of me that I hadn’t seen in awhile. I was blessed to have a close fried with me to help me get through those tough and raw emotions. My trip was much more uncomfortable than I had planned. As I was dealing with the physical pain from the blisters and my sore body, I also had to deal with the emotional wrenching process of confronting my morbid obesity and utter lack of fitness. Looking back now, I am very clear that this was my “Aha Moment”.

In 2007 I went back to the ranch with my girlfriends. I had lost about 25 pounds by this time, but had been exercising regularly for the year. It was a very cool feeling to be able to hike the more strenuous hikes and to be able to see the top of the mountain. It had been a good year and I was so pleased to see the progress with my fitness and the weight coming off.

I haven’t been back to the ranch since 2007, but I have continued to exercise. I have lost a little over 70 pounds since my first visit to Rancho La Puerta. This past year I got in the habit of daily exercise and am committed to losing more weight and becoming more fit. This past June I ran my first 5k, something I never expected to do. Next week I will begin training for the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Half Marathon on December 5^th.

It is never too late to reach our goals. We need to believe in our abilities and visualize our success. We need to gather the tools that we need to be successful. Keep on trying and don’t give up. Ask for support and believe in yourself. Seek progress, not perfection. Don’t forget to breathe. Forgive. Be grateful. Learn to love yourself. You ARE worth it!

Gently moving forward,

Kat

July 30, 2010 8

Guest Post: Healthy & Happy Living Tips from the Opposite Family

Welcome to Pubsgal from An Opposite Life! The first healthy-blogger friend I ever met.

(….And Possibly Only Applicable to the Opposite Family)

Hi, Foodie McBody fans! Foodie sent out an invite for guest posters,and I was excited and happy to have the opportunity to write a little something for “Food Food Body Body.”

But, um…what to write? I wanted it to be something about healthy living, but it seems to me I’m almost too immersed in this blogosphere to have any fresh ideas at the moment. So I thought, “Why not interview my family, who have been so supportive in my quest for a healthy body and a healthier approach to food?”

First I asked The Things, so named after the mischief-makers in “Cat in the Hat.” Thing 2, my 6-year-old daughter, was wheedling me to play a board game with her as I was snarfing down some nuts and a little Merlot for dinner. I interviewed her as she set up Littlest Pet Shop: The Board Game….

Pubsgal: “Do you know what ‘advice’ means?”

Thing 2: “No.”

Pubsgal: “It means ideas for things people need to do. What advice would you give people for being healthy?”

Thing 2 [after a thoughtful pause to consider]: “Eat healthy foods.”

Pubsgal: “For example…?”

Thing 2: “Don’t pick your nose and put it in your mouth. Use a tissue.”

(Did I mention that The Things are consummate masters of the non sequitur?)

Pubsgal: “Okay…Anything else?”

Thing 2: “Don’t kiss other people, other than your family.”

Pubsgal: “Why?”

Thing 2: “Because you’ll share germs.”

Well, now. I guess I won’t have to worry about her for another year or two or hopefully 20….

Thing 1, my eight-year-old son, wandered in from playing outside with a neighbor friend. Which was just as well, that homemade bicycle ramp was looking kind of rickety….

Pubsgal: “What advice do *you* have for healthy living?”

Thing 1: “Wash your hands always.” (Rich, considering how much we have to coach on this item.)

“And drink good and fresh water.” (Something they fortunately do. We keep a water dispenser in the fridge and their cups on the counter next to the fridge, so they can self-serve as desired. They *usually* remember to close the fridge door all the way….)

“And…Oh, Mommy! Check out these cars I got today…” (I guess toy cars are part of the healthy living formula. Which translated to more general terms means, “Have an interest or hobby.”)

Pubsgal: “Any more?”

Thing 1: “Always brush your teeth good. Eat healthy foods. Not just the food like donuts. Never eat junk food.”

Pubsgal: “Never? That sounds kind of extreme.”

(So…we should give up Sunday Donut Day here at Casa des Pubsfolk?)

Thing 1: “Well, just once in awhile.”

Pubsgal: “What should people do to be happy?”

Thing 1: “Play lots of play.”

[Exit Thing 1, to play with his new Indy cars. Quod erat demonstrandum, indeed!]

Thing 2 [chiming in]: “Play board games together.”

Pubsgal [reaching for the board game spinner]: “Hint taken.”

Thing 2: “Play with your family and friends. And do chores and…”

Pubsgal [perking up, dreaming of uncluttered floors]: “Oh! Does doing chores make you happy?”

Thing 2: “No.” [Pause to consider this quandary.] “Get all your chores done so you won’t have any more.”

So we finished up our game, and I wandered over to Mr. Handsome-and-Handy, who was just settling into the Man Cave to chillax on the computer. He worked hard taking care of The Things today: bathed kids, shopped with kids, fed kids, took kids to the park, and supervised the neighborhood bike and scooter session.

Pubsgal: “So I’m writing a guest post for Foodie’s blog today. What advice do you have for healthy living?”

Mr. H&H: “Get outside.”

Pubsgal: “Anything else?”

Mr. H&H: “Don’t read the news.”

Works for me. My philosophy? If it’s really big and important, the news will find me. Mr. H&H has been feeling rather stressed out lately by following news a little too much.

We then moved on to the “happy living” question. We made several obvious jokes that I won’t bother repeating here…I then asked the question muchly on my mind lately: “So what do *you* do to get out of a funk?”

[…more winking and nudging…]

Mr. H&H: “Oh! Hang on. Close your eyes.”

(What could it be? He was launching something on the web browser last I looked…)

Mr. H&H: “There. Open them.”

On the screen was Netflix, opened to a “Trailer Park Boys” episode.

There you have it! You may or may not find *all* of our family tips useful in your own quest for health and happiness, but hopefully they at least gave you a chuckle or two. They work for us!

July 27, 2010 10

Guest Post: Pat Barone on Driving Permanent Weight Change

I’m happy to welcome Pat Barone to guest-post for me while I’m away this week. She’s been a great inspiration to me and I had the pleasure of meeting her earlier this year. She’s a wonderful teacher and guide for many. Welcome Pat!

Driving Permanent Weight Change

After a lengthy destructive relationship with food, I set out to lose weight one final time. I knew I had a lot of learning to do because everything I’d ever tried in my life, literally hundreds of diets, had not kept the weight off.

But I had put my cowgirl boot down. I would do what was necessary to lose weight, but I wasn’t taking it back. Ever.

The lessons turned out to be profuse: jaw-dropping scientific data, mindbending “ah-ha” moments, and deep personal shifts in my attitude and beliefs. Literally, everything changed for me while I was losing weight and during the 10 years I’ve maintained that weight loss.

One lesson that sticks with me actually involved my car. One day, I stopped at a local gas station and filled up my gas tank. A while later, my car started sputtering and acting as if the engine was going to die. The car wouldn’t accelerate and I felt as though I was put-puttering along while cars all around me sped by.

I immediately connected the lack of performance with the new gas. It would run fine for a few blocks, then start the hesitation/sputtering routine again.

It was pure frustration! It just wouldn’t go!

I continued driving the car until it was about a quarter of a tank below full and refilled at another gas station. The problems lessened but were still there. Again, I drove it until it was a quarter of a tank less than full and refilled again. The problems ceased.

I realized I never got emotional about the bad gas (probably mixed with water) that I bought. I didn’t blame myself for it. I made a mental note never to buy from that particular gas station again, I did what I could to solve the problem, and I moved on.

Deeply immersed in weight loss, it occurred to me that, if I handled my own poor body fueling as sensibly, I might not have so many issues around food.

After all, food is fuel for your body. It’s the gasoline of life. That is all it is.

It isn’t an emotional caretaker, a shoulder to cry on, or a best friend.

My own poor fueling decisions usually involve carbs or sugar that set off the carb craving cycle. This craving cycle calls up too much insulin from the body, putting stress on it internally (even if you are not diabetic).

Would the way I handled my car’s gasoline work with my own fuel? It might look like this:

Take my energy down a quarter tank.
Refuel with protein.
Live life until my energy is down a quarter tank again.
Refuel with protein.
Rinse, repeat.

Separating eating and food from negative thinking and emotions turned out to be a huge step in changing my attitude about food. Whenever I see myself becoming attached to a certain food, or I hear “an energy buzz” around it, I know I’m putting more meaning into that food than it deserves or I want.

Then, it’s time to take a step back and remember: Food is fuel.

This doesn’t mean I don’t really enjoy food, all types of food: rich and mild, exotic and tame, new favorites and old.

But I’ll take my meal without the extra helping of charged emotion, or the label of “good” or “bad”, or the guilt, thank you!

Pat Barone, CPCC, PCC

Pat Barone earned her title “America’s Weight Loss Catalyst” by coaching thousands of clients toward permanent weight loss. Her status as an expert is heightened by her own personal weight loss success. In March, 2010, she celebrated 10 years at her current weight, which is 75 lbs. less than her highest weight. She regularly busts diet myths in her free newsletter “The Catalyst”, available at http://www.patbarone.com and blogs at http://www.stoprentingweightloss.com.

July 26, 2010 1

My Bag Is Packed

Vintage Suitcase

Originally uploaded by to be, inspired

I’m ready to go. To camp, which I’ve been preparing for the last 51 weeks. We begin tomorrow at the crack of dawn.

I’m bringing my laptop, a million chargers and cables, and all cameras but have no idea what this week will bring– food, blogging or activity wise. Wish me luck. Even if the worst happens (too much food, no blogging or exercise) it’s ONLY five days. Back on Friday.

In the meantime, please keep checking back for some awesome guest posts!!!!!!!! oxoxo

July 25, 2010 1

foodfoodbodybody

eat, move, think, feel

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