drop the fork

Power Tools

I earn my living as a CPA. I deal with numbers and tax research every day. Bet you think this makes me a math whiz.

Umm . . . nope. It does not. I can't add two numbers in my head, unless they each have one digit. Dearest hubby can, but I can't. Just as soon as I visualize two numbers and attempt to add ‘em together, they morph. The digits drift away. Or, they change into something else. Or, they go >>poof<<.

But give me a calculator and a computer, and I’m the equal of any numbers wizard.

So, you ask, what does this have to do with weight loss?

Tools. Give me the right tools, and I can do just about anything.

Not only am I not a math wizard, I also do not have a natural ability to regulate how much food I eat. Either I didn’t get that particular talent, or I lost it somewhere along the way. So, it’s hard for me to unconsciously balance what I eat vs. what I burn. That’s why I use tools. I’m the equal of any “naturally” thin person, as long as I faithfully use my tools.

These are the tools that I use every day:

>>> Food Journal -- I do it the easy way, guys. I have a Palm Pilot with a huge customizable database. With a few clicks and scribbles, I can record any meal or snack. The program (Healthetech’s BalanceLog) even tracks nutrients, average caloric intake, and tells me when I’m over/under my average. Makes journaling a no-brainer.

>>> Food Scale -- when I’m at home, I weigh just about everything I eat. I’m not a fanatic about it . . . I’ll lick the peanut butter spoon. I do it simply because it eliminates “portion creep.” If I know what a serving size should look like, I’m more likely to estimate correctly when I eat out (which is a lot).

>>> Body Scale -- I weigh myself every morning, and record my weight on my Palm Pilot. It’s quick, I don’t get emotional about it, and it gives me useful info. I can look back and see how my weight fluctuates over time. I’ve learned, for example, that my weight stays roughly within a 4-pound range. I have about three years’ worth of data that tells me how much I can eat, on average, to maintain and to lose.

>>> Tape Measure -- the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. It weighs all of you . . . fat, muscle, bone, fluid, stomach contents. It can tell you if you’ve lost weight, but it can’t necessarily tell you if you’ve lost FAT. A tape measure, though, can help you calculate your body composition -- the part of you that is composed of lean mass, vs. fat. There are a number of overly-complicated formulae out there, but I like to use the U.S. Navy Circumference Method. It's easy, requires three measurements, and it appears to be reasonably accurate.

There are other tools that I use less frequently, but that are important, all the same:

>>> Meetings -- I’m a Weight Watchers lifetime member. I still weigh in every month, and I attend meetings nearly every week. I get support from my leader, as well as from the other members. I also get a chance to give back a little, by being a role model.

>>> Message Boards -- I’m a frequent poster on the Weight Watchers message boards. I have made a number of friends there (especially on the Nifty Fifties), and I have learned a lot from the experiences of other folks who are also on this lifelong journey.

>>> Email -- I correspond regularly with a few WW friends. We support each other and help each other maintain focus.

My tools are very important to me, because they give me the power to keep my weight right where it should be. I don’t resent having to use them. Look at it this way: do you resent having to use a hammer to drive in a nail? Do you get upset because you have to use a skillet to fry an egg? Of course not.

Use your power tools . . . they’ll get you where you want to go. And keep you where you want to stay.

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Why body composition is important

Why the scale lies

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Just Do It

Sometimes, I just don't want to work out.

Yeah, I know. Hard to believe. <snicker> I'm the one always singing the praises of exercise in general, and weight training in particular.

But tonight, I just didn't want to go. To the gym, that is. I had a slew of "reasons." I wanted to spend time at home with hubby, for once. I wanted to watch TV. It was too cold out. Too windy. Too dark. It wasn't my favorite gym. They don't have the machines I really like.

Whine, whine, whine.

Well, I made myself do it anyway. I asked hubby if it was OK if I didn't fix any dinner, and he said he was fine with grazing. So I heated me some greens and made some cheese 'n toast, then headed on out.

Once I got there, I changed and hit the elliptical trainer. Hmmm . . . my right knee is clicking again. Too much. It doesn't hurt, but I'm afraid that at some point, it will.

I'll tape it next time, and see if that helps any. Argh. This sure wasn't helping my mood any.

The music (iPod) got me going after a while. I have a mix mainly classic rock and disco, with some 90s and 00s thrown in, and a sprinkling of 60s. I don't have a particular mix; I just play it on shuffle and skip over songs that I'm not in the mood for. By the time 30 minutes had passed, I was feeling marginally better, and my knee was behaving itself. I moved on to weights.

It finally hit me, right in the middle of assisted pull-ups . . . I was actually enjoying myself. I think it was when I realized that I was developing considerable control over my "negative" pull-up sets. I did two sets of 6 reps, focusing on eccentric contraction only. Each time, I lowered myself very slowly, fully in control.* "Wow," I thought, "I'm actually getting somewhere . . . maybe I'll really be able to do an unassisted pull-up sometime within the next century."

Stay tuned.

So I'm home now, typing this entry, with difficulty . . . one of the hallmarks of a good workout is quivery muscles. I just finished a protein shake, and am popping some frozen grapes. No regrets, baby.

You never regret a workout. You may be glad it's over, but regret it? Naah.

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If you're a woman interested in weight training, look here first -- this site rocks:

stumptuous.com . . . women's weight training

Also of interest:

www.strongwomen.com

Dr. Peeke's Body for Life for Women

www.exrx.net -- weight training

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*Believe me . . . the first time I tried this, I dropped like a rock. Negative reps work because you can lower more weight than you can lift . . . and the act of lowering builds strength for lifting.

It's Just One Day

Thanksgiving arrives in just a few days. Are you ready?

Whenever a major food holiday looms, many of us have a tendency to say, "What the hell, there's no use dieting this week; I'll go back on my diet after it's over." This is not such a good idea, for several reasons.

First off, you should not be on a "diet" at all. Diets don't work. Being "on a diet" implies that a some point, you can be "off the diet." Seeing as how there's no cure for obesity, being "off the diet" is a slippery slope to fatland. If you are on a "diet," there are TONS of reasons to be "off" it -- holidays, birthdays, parties, vacations, office leftovers . . . the list is endless. Faced with all of these diet "exceptions," many folks falter -- and eventually give up in disgust.

The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to permanently modify your eating habits.

Second, Thanksgiving is only one day. There's absolutely no reason why you can't follow your usual food plan Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Remember, Thanksgiving is a holiDAY, not a holiWEEK. And whether you're trying to drop a few pounds or are maintaining a loss, it's fairly easy to modify your weekly intake to allow for some extra goodies on THE DAY. Don't deprive yourself; learning how to eat in moderation for the rest of your life doesn't mean you can't have some food fun. But don't go overboard, either. Have one slice of pumpkin pie, not three.

Now: let's address those leftovers.

If you're cooking this Thanksgiving, give as much stuff away as you can. Make little packets for everyone and tuck them in their hot little hands as they leave. If they won't take 'em, then divide your boomerang leftovers into meal-size portions and freeze 'em. That way, you'll be able to enjoy your favorite foods throughout the next month. Yesterday, for example, I slow-cooked a bunch of collard greens with smoked turkey wings. I filled one small container for hubby and me to nosh on for the next week. The rest went into one cup-size containers, and are now residing in my freezer.

If you're not cooking for Turkey Day: try to avoid taking home those little care packets. But if you are strong-armed into taking someone else's leftovers, you know what to do, right? FREEZE THEM.

Lastly, if you do end up eating more than you planned? Remember -- it's only one day. Don't fall into the guilt trap. Just get right back into your program the next day.

We don't have to be perfect to lose weight and keep it off. We just have to do the right thing most of the time.

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