diet

I put twitter in my side bar...

No particular reason, nobody's keeping track of my eating but me - but I'm posting my meals to the twitter in my sidebar.  I hope that just putting them there will keep me on track a little more.  Not an issue now, but when I get back to school, there are way  more temptations.

(I run from Saturday to Friday, but I think I'll change from Frida to Thursday, so that "Fit Friday" will cover all seven days.)

Weight...stayed even.

Weight Watchers:  was within points (but this is my last weight watchers week, since I'm going more low-carb -again- and I can't eat the higher fat and stay within weight watchers points)

Exercise:
General Road Cycling,
06/14/2009 (Sunday), time, 01:56:53, total distance:24.25 mi., calories burned, 1,063

6/16/09 (Tuesday); time 1:58:48; distance, 25,09, calories burned 1080

6/18/09 (Thursday); time 1:25:03; distance, 17.46, calories burned, 773  (I had a flat tire and Tom came to pick me up in Conklin)

Total exercise: 5 hours, 20 minutes and 44 seconds.  Total miles on bike: 66.77.  I have a 40 mile ride tomorrow, which will go on next week.

My triglycerides are up and my gynecologist suggested I try to get some exercise in.

It's a frame of mind.  "Thin Within" doesn't refer to "losing weight".  They call it "releasing weight".  The thought being that if you "lose" something, you might find it again.  (And I HAVE found my lost weight again).

When you lose your keys, it means a lack of attention, carelessness.  The object of your search may be right under your nose, waiting for you to pick it up again.

When you "release" something, you let it go.

I'm thinking of those kids' movies where a baby wild thing is found by a family and raised to adulthood and released back into the wild, where it is supposed to be.   You don't expect (or want) those released animals to return to you.

When you "release" a brake, it's so the car can go.  Move forward.  Controlled, yes.  But no longer at a standstill because of what was holding it back.

Both of those thoughts about "release" can be applied to the health journey.

If I "release" my extra poundage into the wild blue yonder, it need to be with the expectation that they will not return to me.  I am purposefully behaving in a way that will send them away.  I am not searching for them.

I am also "releasing" my body from the extra weight.  I move better, feel better, act better.  I am no longer at a standstill because of the extra weight I carry around.

"Losing" weight is a diet, a burden.   It's work.

"Releasing" weight is freedom.  Will it require an effort?  Oh, yes!  But so does backpacking, hiking on a mountain, riding a bike...those are all "freedom" words to me.

From now on, I am not "losing weight"...I am "releasing" it.

Things I have learned:

  • except for carrots and cherry tomatoes, buy my vegetables in a can or frozen.
  • bananas travel pretty well
  • eat the rainbow!

Each basic color of fruits and vegetables have a variety of nutrients. By eating a variety of colors you get a wider variety of nutrients

(this is NOT anywhere close to being a complete list of foods)
The reds: tomatoes, berries, peppers, radishes provide nutrients that lowers blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol, and supports joint tissue

The Orange/yellows: carrots, yams, squash, papaya also lower LDL cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, promotes collagen formation (for joint support) and works with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones

White veggies (mushrooms, white tea, flaxseed and pumpkin) boosts immunity, may reduce risks of certain cancers, including hormone-related cancers.

Greens (wheat grass, spinach, sprouts and other greens) lower blood pressure, supports retinal health, boosts immunity and lower LDL cholesterol.

Purple/blue fruits and veggies (blueberries, pomegranates, grapes, eggplants and prunes may protect brain cells against Alzheimer's and other oxidative-related diseases, lowers LDL cholesterol and prevents LDL oxidation, helps the body fight allergens...

😉

Thirteen Healthy Foods I Like to Eat 1. Lean red beef2.pistachios (lots of copper, B6 and they raise the "good"cholesterol)3.Coffee! (Experts on an American Society for Nutrition panel recently concluded that drinking three to five 8-ounce cups a day lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and colon and liver cancers. "Among other things, the antioxidants in coffee protect your cells and DNA from damage," Bowden says. "Coffee seems to increase antioxidants in the blood, too.")4. Oatmeal5. Shrimp (Shrimp is also rich in cancer-fighting selenium and bone-building vitamin D.)6.Dark chocolate (Also, eating up to 3.6 ounces daily can be as effective as beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors at lowering blood pressure, notes a recent Archives of Internal Medicine study.)7. Fage Total 0% (fat) Greek style yogurt.8. Pop Secret 100 Calorie microwave popcorn9.Skinny Cow Low-Fat Ice Cream Sandwich (Vanilla)10. Progresso Light Vegetable & Noodle Soup (well...any of the Progresso light soups)11. McDonald's Egg McMuffin! (surprised? Only 12 g. of fat and under 300 calories. Just right for breakfast on the run)12. fat-free, sugar-free, sweetened with splenda Bluebunny superfruits yogurt (any flavor)13. My favorite smoothie: skim milk, a scoop of Slim-fast shake mix and 1/2 cup of fruit. add ice and blend.

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I covered this topic in another post...but I wanted to relate it to the diet topic...

"The map is not the territory."

I have a shelf-full of diet and fitness books. Some of them are very good...some of them are not. Many of them say the same thing, only with a different author, different name, only slightly different stuff.

From Atkins...it's only a little way to South Beach...to The Glucose Revolution...to Sugar Busters.

Next verse...same as the first.

I have another one on the way - I hope this one is different.

"The map is not the territory."

Pain Free Running... to Marathons for Beginners... to Running for Pleasure and Fitness.

"The map is not the territory."

All of these books do nothing if I never get off the couch. They do nothing if I hang onto my chips and cheese...and oreos.

"The map is not the territory."

I keep a diet and exercise log.  Having all of those lines to write my consumption in does NOTHING if I don't fill them in!  Having boxes to check won't make me healthier if I don't practice the territory that the map tells me to explore.

"The map is not the territory."

I custom wrote my log, with columns for whether or not my food is peanut-free.  The answer is not to look at the "map" and add more "map" (another column).  The answer is to live the territory.

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Or...

Adventures in changing your mind...

The book I'm reading first is "NLP: The New Technology of Achievement"

Chapter 1: "Changing Your Mind"

- point: we cannot NOT change. We are constantly changing, whether we are trying (and liking) a new food, moving away from an unhealthy friend or habit, or learning a new hobby.

The book says, "Pain is a sign that it is time to change."

My thought: every pain, no matter how small or minor, is like a corner in the road. You can keep going (and maybe practicing a better technique for "driving"), or you can choose to take one of the directions that the corner might take you. Choose a direction; there are many!

The Diet Connection:

Do I like the way my body feels when I treat it right? How do I feel when I do NOT treat it right?

- Nightshade plants. I know that I can eat 3 (three) french fries and my hips tighten up and hurt. I can choose to eat them or not - but over the years it has become easier for my brain to connect the pain to the eating of this food-family (potatoes are the worst for me)

- I am beginning the process with peanuts and possibly a couple of other foods. Do I like peanut butter (or certain foods with peanut butter) enough to put up with the coughing? Or am I willing to teach my brain to connect the pain of the cough and breathing difficulties with the eating of peanuts?

- and the rest of the diet...how does my body feel when I am eating and exercising right? Am I willing to keep a detailed food and beverage log for a time so that I can connect the feelings with the actions? (My "gut" tells me that if I spend a day without drinking "enough" water, I feel lethargic and night)

The diet wagon, I mean...took a couple of days off, but today I'm doing pretty well...

For lunch, grilled salmon fillets with yellow squash...

I've got steaks for the grill, but Tom is the griller in the family, he's very particular about who uses his grill...

Work lunches are sometimes tricky...tomorrow my class is going to see "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and we're taking sack lunches to eat at the theater. Atkins doesn't always go well with brown bags.

So, the plan is to make my lunch and green tea tonight (must have caffeine in the morning) and hopefully remember it (I put my keys in my lunch bag - that helps)

Yogurt with blueberries
salad with romaine and tomatoes
grilled tip steak
celery and cream cheese
and a low-carb Slim Fast snack bar for on the way home.

Atkins just takes more planning than a "grab it and go" lunch.