Finding a Weigh Out of Fat: Volume II

This has not been a good week for me with my weight loss! I guess all the traveling and eating out has finally caught up with me. I think I've actually gained a couple of pounds and I am not happy about it. But. To dwell on that is just too frustrating so I'm going to put this down to experience and do my best to learn from it. (She said with tears in her eyes and teeth gritted tight. lol).

Last week I asked for any tips you guys wanted to share with everyone else. You left some pretty good ones. Lynne over at Lynne's Little Corner of the World gave what could arguably be the most important tip to remember: Don't expect miracles! So often, we'll start a weight loss plan and if we don't see dramatic results right away, we get discouraged and quit. The irony of that sort of thinking is, if you're losing more than 2 pounds a week, odds are you're doing something unhealthy anyway and you're probably going to gain all your lost weight back as soon as you stop whatever "diet" it is that you're on. Keep in mind, people: It took a bit of time for your arse to get to its current size...give yourself a break and understand that it's going to take time to get that chunky butt back to the size it ought to be. (I know, I know...I speak so eloquently about the human body, eh? lol). Lynne also suggested that we drink plenty of water, get in our daily recommended amount of calcium and that we write down everything we eat (you'd be surprised at how much you actually eat in a day). Also, it's important to not deprive ourselves of something we really, really want. The key is to learn to eat that special treat in moderation! (That means no diving head first into that vat of ice cream! Use a spoon, not a shovel!) Finally Lynne says we should exercise (even just a little bit every day) and that we should forgive ourselves when we slip up (I'm working on that one this week myself) and that we should be accountable to someone. Good advice, every single bit of it. Donna over at Cottage Days and Journeys also recommends exercise. I know! It sounds like so much work when you say those words, huh? But it's necessary, it truly is. You've got to get your body moving more, that's all there is to it. Take a walk in the evenings or early mornings. Park further from the door when you go to the store. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. You've all heard these things before and there's a reason people keep saying them - in order to lose weight once you reach a certain age, you not only have to eat right, you have to move more, too. And vice-versa. Exercise alone won't shrink that butt of yours. You've got to watch what you're eating, too. (I came to that realization the hard way. lol) Donna also shared a favorite saying of hers: Success is a decision. Think about that for a minute. All of us reading this and interacting with one another have made a decision to do better for our own good. Just taking this first step means we've achieved one level of success. One step at a time, people. One step at a time. And every step forward is a success. Jodie at Mommy of a Princess has changed up a lot of the foods she brings into her house. She's switched to whole grain pasta, brown rice, etc, and she only buys the snacks that are 100 calories or less (Speaking of which, have you tried the Nabisco Itty Bitty Nilla Wafer packs? OMG - I love Nilla Wafers. These packs are only 80 calories - 2 points for Weight Watchers. You just can't beat 'em!). Anywho, Jodie is also exercising more and she's also recognizing the fact that you shouldn't deprive yourself of something if you've really got a craving for it. Again, just eat that "something" in moderation. I think it's important for all of us to understand that we shouldn't be doing "diets". We should be doing "lifestyle changes". That means we need to learn the fine art of portion control - you can eat any darn thing you want, as long as you exercise portion control. Well - you shouldn't be having something outrageous for every meal, but you get the idea, right? Kathy at Remembering the Moments recommends Leslie Sansone's DVDs. She says that you can do these DVD's in your home and don't have to worry about bad weather, etc., and that's why she enjoys them so. That and she likes Leslie's personality. I, personally, haven't ever seen one of these, but they might just be worth looking into. Especially with winter headed our way (I can dream about cold weather, can't I? lol) Kathy says that the most important thing we can do for exercise, is to find something we really enjoy doing, be it walking, dancing, belly dancing, hula hooping or whatever! That's actually a great point. If you enjoy the activity, you're much more likely to keep at it. Good advice, Kathy! Mary at Book Fan-Mary exercises five days a week (Go Mary! You're my hero! lol) and she also journals. I know it seems like everyone is recommending pretty much the same thing over and over, but that's because these are tried and true methods that work. Exercise and journal. Exercise and journal. And cheat a little bit so you'll know you're human. (As do most of us, I believe the best weight loss plan must include a little wiggle room for the occasional cheat. Nobody can be happy if they're constantly feeling deprived. Just don't cheat too much or you wiggle will fast become a wobble!) Joan from Joan's Journeys left a little recipe for some Pita chips using butter flavored Pam. She also puts it on her no-fat popcorn. Cool, huh? Which sort of brings me to Robin @ Thrifty Miss Priss who suggested that we do a recipe thing in the future (seems like maybe she and Joan were on the same wave length there). What a great idea! How about we do that for next week? Any of you have a good recipe that works for losing weight, either post it in my comment section or e-mail it to me. I'll compile them for next week's Finding a Weigh Out of Fat post, that way you can print them all out at once if you want to. This shouldn't be too difficult to compile - heck, there's only about eight of us involved in this at this point. So you might could even send more than 1 recipe, if you've got them. I have a recipe for chicken that is out of this world. You'll love it. Randey's gotten to where he asks for it 2 and 3 nights a week. I've also got a pretty good dessert recipe, too. And I'd really like to have some recipes for vegetables. That's the hardest part of fixing dinner for me now that I'm trying to cook healthier. I'm from the South, you see. Most of my vegetable recipes call for tons of butter or bacon grease. lol We eat a lot of salad around here, but it'd be nice if I could serve something a little different every now and then. So send me your favorite low-cal or WW or whatever works for you kind of recipe! Can't wait to try them!

I'll close this post with the best tip I received last week. I think you guys will all love it as I do. Robin @ Thrifty Miss Priss said that the one thing that keeps her going is "fitting into smaller clothes because nothing tastes as good as THIN FEELS"! LOLOLOL I love that! I'm thinking of etching it onto to my refrigerator door. :)

P.S. Vee @ A Haven for Vee asked me last week what was I doing for exercise. To honest, I've been a real slacker lately. All that traveling kind of got me out of the habit. Bad Kari. Bad, bad Kari. But before my slump (a temporary one, I'm sure) Randey and I were walking around our neighborhood for about 20 minutes in the evenings. We usually went out about 4 nights a week. And tonight I rode my bike for the very first time. Yeah. I need a little more practice with the bike before I venture too far from home. lol Oh, and I wanted to tell you guys that another of our blogging friends, Sandy over at Dream, Create, Inspire, has started a blog with her 2 sisters, Linda and Debbie, about losing weight. They've named their blog Three Hotties Trapped in Fat Bodies (gotta love that name!). Go on over and check them out if you get the chance!