Most will want to skip this I'm sure. LOL
I really "know all this stuff" but I'm very excited about this class. Debbie, the dietitian, is so encouraging and knowledgeable and full of COMMON SENSE! I knew that I was doing all I could and my weight loss was VERY slow and/or stalled. I had to do something. I never would have met with Debbie if my cholesterol hadn't come up high. I was thinking of Weight Watchers - but I knew my philosphy on food is a bit different than theirs....so this is working. I can see if I can fit a once a week commitment into my schedule. AND I've learned from Debbie, that you take what works for you and if something doesn't work you "tweak it". No one program is going to work for every person, just as no one homeschooling curriculum is right for every family.
Obviously, as I shared earlier, she was right that my body was in "survival mode". Why it got there - I still don't totally get because I SWEAR I ATE every time my stomach growled.
ANYWAY.....today's class was on calories, portion sizes, basic nutrition, how many servings of each food group you should get a day....Oh - I was asked about protein today at co-op. She said a woman only needs 4 - 6 ounces a DAY (2-3 servings). That can come from eggs, nuts, meat, beans...etc... That really isn't much at all...I add nuts and seeds to my salads....and usually have a slice of lunch meat at lunch....I had three meatballs last night for dinner and that was all the protein I needed for the day. I know I'm not getting all the boxes checked each day but I'm getting the important ones for cholesterol and working on adding the others in. I stated right up front that I hate counting calories (I'm sure I wasn't the only one in the room who went "ugh" when she mentioned calories. I don't plan on spending the rest of my life counting calories. This is not a practice that will work long term for me). She suggested the class do it for 6 weeks because it would be eye-opening to see what you are really eating. She also had a neat little worksheet you could use where you don't count calories but check off boxes of various food groups. We went over all the food groups....guess what? Most the veggies I eat are FREE!!!! Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes are not. I can live with this! I talked with her a bit after class. I decided it would be good to count calories because obviously I've been surprised at how big some servings are and so this would help me get an idea of what a "typical" woman should be eating. Boy this goes against all my beliefs of the past few years.....She said that a short woman should have between 1200 - 1400 to lose weight. For a tall or short active woman it was higher - I think up to 1600 or 1800 calories. Well, I'm short. I'm active but I don't want to fall into THAT trap....so I picked the 1200-1400 numbers. She said that the MINIMUM anyone should ever eat before going into survival mode is 1200 calories. I have been eating so MUCH food the past two weeks (since my visit to her) that I was sure I was in the range...but wanted to be nearer the bottom...you know?
I decided to do the calorie thing until I'm consistently making choices that put me in the 1200 - 1400 range. I came home and figured out yesterday's calories...I went online and got calories for a 1/2 a chick fil a charbroiled chicken wrap (Cy brought 4 home the other night and I've been enjoying them), I figured out the calories for the dressing I make and how much I use, my salads are FREE...so....
Thank GOODNESS I had my chocolate covered almonds....I came in at 1000 calories yesterday. I just figured today's out and I've had 850 calories....guess I need some more almonds tonight...or something...but I'm stuffed. It's hard to figure out how to "not eat unless it's stomach hunger" (her comment today) and still get at least 1200 calories in. I can't figure out why I don't get hungry....Adrienne thought it may be psychological....All I know is that I think I'm going to need to find some sort of help figuring out what is a "good" amount to eat. I was SURE I was eating about 1400 calories a day since I've started eating all the time. I shudder to think how many calories I was eating before I met with her....and I still don't fully understand why the logic of 1200 to lose weight, 600 to lose even more doesn't work. LOL I would agree that counting calories was EYE OPENING....
I'm really thinking about what to do at the end of these 6 weeks. I really don't know. I think that I'm different in that yes, I seem to be fooling myself, but it isn't into thinking I'm eating LESS than I am...I simply think that every little bit of food is a huge number of calories. I've thought weight watchers....I've thought LA Weight Loss Centers but then I heard how much they charge and really by the end of the 6 weeks I'm hoping to not have much more to lose....I don't want to take all the supplements that LA pushes...but the idea of sitting down often with a nutritionist to discuss what you ate seems to be what I need. In other words I'm needing to figure out HEALTH and not really WEIGHT because it IS coming off again - and at a nice clip.
Honest - I won't do this all the time - I promise. I'm simply trying to process information and Mike isn't here for me to bore him with all this (I bet THIS is one time he's glad he's not here ::snort::) ...so ya'll get to hear it. ::snort:: I still struggle with the "this is gluttony - I'm not hungry" thoughts. How can it be gluttony if I've had only 850 calories today....but then "if you aren't hungry, then God is saying your body doesn't need the food - are you going to trust God or man-made food lists"....see my mixed up thought patterns. I prayed about this and know that I'm supposed to TRY to eat the way Debbie says is healthy for at least a month.
OH - she hasn't really heard of coconut oil but agreed to research it today. It's listed as "bad" in the literature they have at base. Well IT isn't but coconut and coconut milk is. She asked me to bring her any articles I have on it - so I'll be looking for some that are good - factual - and not from a company that manufactures coconut oil. If any of you have such websites, send them on to me. AND she said she isn't sure what to call my flax oil but to keep using it! LOL She said it could be grain or oil but she'll figure it out for me.
Ya' know if Cy would bring a SHAKE home tonight I'd get those calories in nothing flat! ::snort:: It looks like I need 350 calories still for the day and its 8:30 p.m. I simply don't think it is going to happen.....
Now I have a goal - work up to 10 servings of produce a day and 1200 calories.
7 comments:
De'Etta, do you think your body may have other hunger signals than stomach growling? If my stomach is growling, it is my last signal. Irritability and lack of concentration or headache are big hunger signals for me.
It is NOT gluttany to eat 1200-1400 calories a day, even if your stomach does not growl. You are doing a great job! Just as you need to not eat too much to be healthy, you also need to eat enough to be health :)
Did you know that fruits and veggies have all 24 amino acids your body needs to build proteins? So I can totally understand not needing all the animal protein, especially if you are eating 10 servings of fruits and veggies a day.
I really do enjoy your weight loss rambles. I'm reconsidering everything I've ever thought of as eating healthy and losing weight. I am no longer doing the fake food thing! When I was doing WW, I don't think I was really eating healthy. Less, yes, but not really healthy. I am really striving to learn what that is! I've also been wondering why coconut oil, so I'm interested in your articles, too.
~Kelly
I do this also. I struggle with eating and have a hard time with eating enough. I agree with Kelly, I've noticed that my first hunger signal is lack of concentration, which is hard when you aren't getting alot of sleep cause you can dismiss it as just being tired. If my stomach is growling then I'm too late, I've gone past regular hunger and can no longer make good decisions regarding food.
Keep up the good work!
Lisa
Kelly and Lisa...
Yes, I think there are other signals but in the programs I've faitfully followed for the past 9 years (I'm nothing if not determined) we were taught that "0" was growling...everything else was eating before your body truly reached stomach hunger. We were also taught that food should only fill stomach hunger and no other sorts of needs. One of the programs was more grace based than the other - by FAR....but the first one began to teach that if you ate ONE BITE past satisfied or ONE MINUTE before your stomach growled it was a sin (gluttony or selfishness or independence). I'm not one to mess with known sin in my life....I easily waited until the growl. LOL
Lisa, I've actually been eating this way for so long that a growling stomach is no longer a cue to eat without restraint. I welcomed the growl because then I could eat something and it didn't take much to get off 0 and to 5. 1/2 a cup of salad would do it for lunch or dinner...a few bites of pancake or hamburger.
I'm guessing that maybe they never meant for folks to take EVERYTHING they said and apply it. I mean they "say" to fear God more than the metabolism mongers...but are they really saying that for LONG PERIODS of times you should eat below 1200 calories? They say that when you have stored fat you don't need 1200 calories. You shouldn't fear eating less - in fact don't count calories and eat when hungry until satasified. I figured that I wasn't hungry because I had more stored fat....btw even when I did reach 130 (size 6)about 4 years ago - and didn't have the fat I have now....I still wasn't hungry and my body wasn't using stored fat....now...I DID lose weight on these programs and I did keep the weight off....the "problem" is that I've had 3 children since starting the programs....I would always gain massive amounts when pregnant and then loose it in 6 - 12 months. This last time last time....though I'm still eating very small meals only when my stomach growls the weight is not "melting off" but sort of being pried off ounce by ounce. ::snort:: So the programs worked well for me for about 7 years but the last 1 1/2 something has happened.
I now realize that I was eating WAY less than 1200 calories on most days. Exceptions being days we go out to eat - Sunday....but on that day I usually eat one meal - lunch. So even on those days I don't think I was way over 1600 calories.
I do think I learned some good things on those programs - especially the last one. I learned to evaluate why I wanted to eat. I love the principles in the last program. I loved the emphasis on healthy choices and exercise....and treating my body like the temple of God....I do think that the majority of folks who eat when they are hungry are probably still getting the 1200-1400 thing...but something happened strange to me. LOL
Now I'm stuffed all the time...and I'm simply not sure I can do 1200 every day but I can work up to doing it some days or most days...or something. We shall see...and I do really want to loose the last 16 lbs...but if it doesn't happen I at least need to be sure I'm not harming myself....
BTW - doesn't it seem COUNTER PRODUCTIVE to be working to be able to eat BIGGER amounts of food....this is all so strange to me. Really. OK - I agreed for a month.
The things you're finding out are interesting. I don't think I ever, well rarely get to the stomach growling but I do get irritable/distracted. I know I don't eat enough as sometimes I don't want to take the time, sometimes I don't like what I've made for the rest of the family..things like that. LOL Even as a vegetarian I'm not sure I could get in that many fruit and veggie servings!
I don't know if this helps you but I used to fear food. I had horrible food sensitivities that were undiagnosed for 8 years. Sometimes I could eat and I'd be fine, other times often the same food would make me extremely ill. After years of this I came to dread eating. If I had to be somewhere, I would skip meals until I got home, often only eating one meal a day. After a while, I really wasn't hungry anymore. Now, I know that you don't have food problems BUT fear of eating too much can be the same kind of fear. You basically talked your body into not needing as much to survive, just as I did but because our bodies really do need the food, it protects itself by holding on to anything it can.
It's taken me YEARS to trust food again and even so, when I have a set back my mind wants to take over and not eat. I think your nutritionalist is correct in making you eat more. After a while, you will adapt and as you see the weight loss you should be able to see that's good for you.
HTH!
Lisa
I remember when I first started working out my sister in law said I needed to eat more. I thought she was crazy and that I would just gain weight. Well, I tried it and it's amazing. . it has helped regulate my weight by eating small meals throughout the day. I use to starve myself and then eat one meal. Now, I enjoy "something" every few hours.
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