Find your way out of obesity Fortune

I read Alice Randall’s article, “Black Women and Fat,” in the May 6th Sunday edition of the New York Times. She talked about the positive attitude that many black women have about being fat. As she went on in the article, she noted the realistic health problems this attitude poses for the population, and that obese people content with themselves still have to change.  One sentence said it all to me: 

I expect obesity will be like alcoholism.  People who know the problem intimately find their way out, then lead a few others. The few become millions. 

I found the comment “People who know the problem intimately find their way out….” to be so wise! I connected to it. Change takes knowing the problem, intimately. Once you know the problem, change and lead others. Fantastic. Inspiring. I cut the excerpt out of the newspaper. What I have now is a fortune without a cookie. (And as we know, it’s probably better without the cookie.)

 

I’ll have to read more of Alice Randall’s works.  

Let’s Move! and…. Let’s Eat Unprocessed Food!

Michelle Obama has organized the Let’s Move! campaign targeted to young people to mobilize the American population to lose weight and combat obesity. This is an excellent and necessary cause. We all need to exercise, and it’s an important part of weight control. However, there’s more to combating obesity than exercise. Because there is very little government endorsed media movement to shift our diet from processed foods, such as soda, packaged snacks, fast food, and the giant portions served at a chain restaurant, the message the US government sends is: “We’ll talk about exercise, but we don’t want to offend the big processed food producers and large corporate restaurant chains.” Michelle Obama also started a garden of fresh fruits and veggies on the White House lawn a couple of years back. The First Lady’s garden doesn’t get the press coverage on the nightly news like the other “Let’s Move!” cause.

If the US government sends the message to not drink so much Coke and Pepsi, the companies that produce those products are not pleased. Large corporations have a lot of clout, and their messages are loud and clear. When fast food restaurants defend themselves against charges they’re causing obesity, they reply that the public just has to get out and work off all those calories. Well, it’s not that simple. Sugary and salty foods stimulate appetite and thirst. They make people want more. This is the way a food producing corporation sells their product. So the customer keeps coming back because their foods are so tasty and convenient. Meanwhile, the customer is getting fatter, visiting chain restaurants, and buying prepackaged foods with loyalty.

So, we’re supposed to consume lots of processed and fast foods created by large corporations, and then go out and exercise. Then, repeat steps one and two. It’s like being a gerbil on an exercise wheel. Eat lots of food and then move. Well, it doesn’t work that way. Let’s not let ourselves get caught in an addiction/consumption cycle.

Relax, focus on what’s real, and live.

Before and After Reminder Photo

Me in 2003 and in 2011

It helps to see how hard I’ve worked at getting out of obesity, and it’s a reminder to not go back. You could tell I didn’t really want my picture taken back then. Now, I’m fine with having my picture taken. I’m at 170 today, and probably about the same weight as in the picture on the right. I’m not sure what I weighed in the left picture, but probably I was over 200 lbs.

Hold your dreams loosely

http://bluebicicletta.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/9-hold-your-dreams-loosely-a-dozen-thoughts-on-living/

Blue Bicicletta has a great phrase of inspiration for those trying to lose weight. Which is, “Hold your dreams loosely.” I will add…when your pants fit tightly. Chill out with yourself. As I’ve crept up to 171 pounds with some throwing caution to the wind (waist) this makes me smile. Back on track today.  

Baked Goods

This is where crystallized sugar shows it’s skill. In baked goods! I’ve tried making baked goods sweetened with bananas or dates. They’re tasty, but there’s nothing like the texture of a muffin or cake that’s made with sugar crystals. Baking is all alchemy. The reaction of sugar and proteins of other ingredients create browning. Mixing sugar and fat before baking helps to aerate the butter, making the finished baked goodie light and raised.

How can my bananas in my brownie batter to do this? Maybe I’ll try mixing the banana and butter together. Maybe the bananas will aerate the butter? As for the browning, you really don’t have to worry about that, they are brownies already. So, I’ll keep experimenting with fruit sweetened baking.

April looks like June

It’s very warm here, since temperatures are about 20 degrees above normal. I’ve been out riding my bike instead of driving to do errands as much as possible. Still, I’ve been eating more sugar, and so I’ve inched up to 169. It tastes so good to have a chocolate bar, and if it’s a fair trade bar from Equal Exchange, it’s makes me feel more righteous and justified. Lately I’ve been edgy. I’m not sure if the mood and the inflammation are normal hormones or not, but I’d like to say it’s a surge in sugar intake. You can’t do anything about hormonal changes due to periods that are getting closer together in cycles. But you can stop eating refined sugar to control your seritonin receptors dependence on that for happy.

Getting used to the job.

Now I’m getting so hungry during the day without as much stress. But I’m counting calories, and compensating for the fact I got a big fat chocolate chunk cookie today. I’m glad it was really a good cookie. I hate it when I buy some kind of pastry or cookie as a treat, and it ends up not very good. So I’m glad it wasn’t a bad trip on empty calories. Ok, I’m going for a walk.
And I weigh 167. It’s still good, totally expected to go back up a pound or two.

165 pounds

I’ve struggled for months to get to this weight. Now it happened. But I’d say the weight loss, it’s still stress from the new job. I’m getting hungrier as I’m getting more relaxed at doing my new job, though. I don’t want a big appetite.

I’ve lost 45 pounds. Five pounds more and that’s a great number.

Out like a lion, now here in 2012

Weighing in at 167. There was stress and upheaval due to in-law heart attack in December, and my sister having a colon polyp that required removal of part of her colon 2 weeks ago. Health and stress, they are all related. I realize there is good stress and bad stress. Good stress can help you lose weight, if you choose to keep going with your regular food routine, and not charge it up with sugar and caffeine to deal with it. Everyone’s doing better. Father in law is doing fine, but still a type-A octogenarian. My sister is getting better day by day. She is a healthy person not overweight, never smoked, does yoga, eats well. Sometimes heredity trumps everything; that’s the only reason I can think she got that aggressive polyp. So even though I’m under 50, I plan to get a colonoscopy now.

I measure pounds

They say you should measure muscle tone, and how well your clothes fit over stepping on a scale to judge how well you’re doing in losing weight.  It’s so easy to jump on the scale, and see a number, so this is the best method for me.  Also, there’s evidence that the people who keep their weight off after losing weight weigh themselves at least once a week, so I weigh myself on a regular basis.

169 pounds.