Want To Lose Weight? Ignore Most Nutrition Advice

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weight loss lies, weight loss myth busting, ignore nutirion advice to lose weight

Most nutrition recommendations are myths. Want to lose weight, you need to do your own research and talk to your doctor.

What you eat makes up 90% of the weight loss battle. Unfortunately, most of the nutrition recommendations are bunk! Check out this article a  friend sent me. It covers the 13 biggest myths that cause people to get fatter and sicker.

Up until last year, I believed every one of those myths. Once I tipped the scales at 325, I started to question things.

So how did I actually kick these myths to the curb? I did my research. That started with a great book I’ve mentioned before, Why We Get Fat. Not another diet book, it focuses on the science of what happens when we eat.  If you don’t know what 100 calories of pasta vs. 100 calories of protein does to your body, you’ll find it harder to lose weight.

After that, I actually talked to my doctor about a plan for losing weight — something that many of us don’t do.

After years of being part of Weight Watchers, I always ignored their advice about “consulting your doctor before starting a weight loss program.”  After all, I just needed to eat less and exercise more, right? If that was the case, why didn’t I lose the weight 5, 10, 20 years ago? Oh, I don’t have will power. What a crock!

For the last 50 years, we’ve let weight loss information be dominated by psychiatrists and nutritionists, and yet medical doctors are the ones who actually treat obese people. That just doesn’t seem right.

So last year I stopped listening to pop culture’s idea of weight loss and actually scheduled my very first physical. Boy what I shock. I was fatter and sicker than I thought.  It was like being in Bizzaro World – all my good numbers were way too low and all my bad numbers were way too high. But it was the eye-opener I needed.

The game plan I discussed with my doctor completely busted any nutrition myth I still believed.

A year later, the complete opposite happened at my physical – all my good numbers skyrocketed and the bad numbers dropped like stones.  We tweaked my weight loss plan and I’m continuing my march to good health.

OK, I’m off my soap box.

 

Weekly Goals: October 6-12

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I'm setting and tracking weekly goals that move me closer to my 3 month target weight of 227 lbs. by the end of 2013.

I’m setting and tracking weekly goals that move me closer to my 3 month target weight of 227 lbs. by the end of 2013.

Tomorrow a new week begins and that means I need new weight loss goals. Yes, its weekly goal setting time. The purpose of these weekly goals is to help me reach my 3-month goal of dropping 19.5 lbs. So far so good. I’ve hit last week’s goals and I’m down 1.8 lbs. as a result.

Starting Sunday I’m upping the intensity of my yoga workouts. I will conquer that blasted plank position!

On the nutrition front, I’m challenging my daily carb consumption by targeting the lower end of my range.

October 6-12 Goals

  • Workout – Do the non-modified plank position and push-ups during yoga; select new 30-Day Challenge
  • Nutrition – Eat a max of 20g of carbs/day for 4 days this week.
  • Other – Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize! Plus wax off the lady moustache.
  • Reward – Treat myself to a new book.

This Week’s Goals: Sept. 29 – Oct. 5

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I'm setting and tracking weekly goals that move me closer to my 3 month target weight of 227 lbs. by the end of 2013.

I’m setting and tracking weekly goals that move me closer to my 3 month target weight of 227 lbs. by the end of 2013.

To help me reach my 3 month goal of losing 19.5 lbs, I’m setting and tracking weekly targets for working out and nutrition. I’m tossing in a weekly reward for that little extra push.

Workout
Power walks on 3 days this week consisting of 1, 2 and 4 mile walks; do a 5K on October 5.

Nutrition
No dessert or wine this week.

Reward
Treat myself to a pedicure.

Remember: Written goals are dreams with deadlines!

Introducing Guest Blogger John Monk (aka My Hubby)

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My hubby and Dot2Trot guest blogger to provide the male perspective on low carb eating and exercise.

My hubby and Dot2Trot guest blogger to offer the male perspective on low carb eating and exercise.

I wish to welcome John L. Monk (my hubby) as a guest blogger. He’ll give the male perspective and wonderful tidbits from someone three days into his weight loss journey.

He’s an IT pro by day and at night he’s an author. He lost 60+ lbs. last year going low carb. Unfortunately, he gained a lot back since April. He found it a challenge to eat right from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. as donuts, pastries, muffins and pizza are plentiful at his office.

For the last three days he renewed his commitment to going low carb and he’s got something to say about it.

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Wanted: Weight Loss Buddy

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Finding a weight-loss buddy is key to success. Image courtesy of mrpuen and freedigitalphotos.net.

Finding a weight-loss buddy is key to success. Image courtesy of mrpuen and freedigitalphotos.net.

I’m convinced. “Going it alone” to lose weight doesn’t work. At least not for me. My biggest success came when my husband followed the program. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he stopped eating low carb at about the same time my plateau started.

For whatever reason he stopped eating healthy and ended up unconsciously as my saboteur.  When doubts popped into my head, he didn’t realize that telling me I’m looking great one minute, then saying, “Hey let’s order pizza tonight” a minute later wasn’t the support I needed.

Yes, we’d discuss it. Yes, he said “I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. I’ll do better.”

No, he didn’t do better.

I tried getting my diet buddy back, encouraging him to eat right and start back up with the gym. He’d try, but then always fell apart at work. Apparently, all the office pizza, donuts, cookies, brownies and other delectable treats ended up next to his desk.  The more food that appeared in his office, the stickier his fingers became.

As for going to the gym, I think writing his first novel took precedence.

Clearly, he wasn’t ready to start losing the weight again.

Flash forward to our weekend early morning excursion to IHOP. After eating a lot of pancakes with a side of bacon and eggs, he pronounced, “This is ridiculous. I’m too fat.”

This morning, I caught my husband reading one of my low carb eating “how to” books and fixed himself a low carb breakfast (eggs, bacon and tomato).  He pulled the workout bag out of the closet. He asked if he can go to grocery shopping with me – he plans to drink coffee and read the low carb book while I shop.  All the things he did when he lost his 60+ lbs (much of which he gained back) last year.

I’m expecting him to drive me nuts in the next few weeks. Peppering me with a question every 10 seconds, talking nonstop about the office food he refused, how much he can bench press…on and on and on.

Will it get on my nerves. Yep, but that’s OK. My job?  Keep calm and cheer him on.

I stumbled across the 10 Ways to Help a Loved One Lose Weight. The advice is solid. I think I’ll share with the old ball and chain. I’m convinced the more we work on each step, the more pounds will fall off.

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Weighing In On Heavy

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My new favorite weight loss show - Heavy. It takes an honest approach to losing weight. I just wish it spent a little more time on nutrition.

My new favorite weight loss show – Heavy. It takes an honest approach to losing weight. I just wish it spent a little more time on nutrition.

Yesterday I stumbled across Heavy, a show weigh loss reality show. I’m a little late to the party – the show aired in 2011-12 and season 2 starts in 2014. But better late than never.

Each episode follows 2 people in a 6-month weight loss program. They work with trainers and dietitians to change their habits and lose weight. While considered a reality show, in fact, it feels more like a documentary. No one is voted off. It’s not scripted. You get to know these people, warts and all.

This show cuts close to the bone. At times it’s like someone is holding a mirror up to me, making the show difficult to watch. But that’s why I love it too.

Some weeks you lose weight and others you gain. Sometimes life kicks your butt and you binge. Heavy captures this in spades. You really feel for these people, even if you disagree with some of their choices.

Weight loss is awesome, but hard as hell.  Heavy takes an honest look at the journey.  Sure there’s help in the form of trainers, but the individuals’ success or failure is all their own. And the show pulls no punches with the health problems these people face  – diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, skin disorders.

I wish they’d explore the nutrition side more. Food and nutrition are way more important than exercise when it comes to weight loss. If you don’t get the nutrition right, no amount of exercising helps.

Also front and center is the “calories-in, calories-out” myth, which, if you read this blog, you know I think is BS.

If I owned a weight loss spa, I’d give all of my guests a copy of Why We Get Fat and hire only nutritionists who understand it’s not about how much we eat, but what we eat (in fact, what we eat can trigger us to overeat). But that doesn’t make good TV.

Criticisms aside, I really love the show. As a big bonus, after watching the first episode online, I ended my afternoon with 30 minutes of yoga followed by a 15-minute walk.

Yes, the show is a big motivator.

Thanks To My Dentist, I’m Losing Weight Today

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Photo courtesy RepublicDomain.com

Eating like this cutie will help you weight. Photo courtesy RepublicDomain.com

Eating your food slow helps you eat less. How? Eat fast and you’ll over eat. Inhaling your meals messes with the release of hormones that indicates you are full and satisfied.

I tend to eat fast. Always have. It’s one of my last bad habits to break.

Well thanks to my dentist, I get to work on breaking that habit in a few minutes.

Thanks to his wonderful work in filling two cavities, my mouth is numb.  My lips feel like rubber and my shirt’s littered with water stains.

I plan to enjoy the salad I purchased yesterday. It’s pretty big, and I planned to only eat half. Normally, I would move half of the salad into a container for later. It’s a good way to make sure you don’t over eat  – out of sight, out of mind. Thanks to the anesthetic, perhaps I don’t have to split it in two before I start eating.

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Do You Take The Blue or Red Pill?

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My vitamin supplements and prescription meds...how deep does the rabbit-hole go?

My vitamin supplements and prescription meds…how deep does the rabbit-hole go?

I lost some good habits when I was in Arizona this summer.  Slowly I’ve added them back into my daily routine.  Today, I’m once again taking my supplements after breakfast. While I didn’t stop taking them completely, I did drop my daily routine.

Well now I’m committed to getting back on track. I take a few because my doctor recommended them, so this is a good thing.  Along with my regular prescription, I’m taking:

Vitamin D – I discovered my Vitamin D deficiency after my 2011 physical.  When your doctor recommends buying the Vitamin D with the “biggest number” on the bottle, you better heed warning sign.  The good news is that after taking it everyday for nearly 2 years, my Vitamin D levels are normal.

Vitamin C – At my last physical, my Vitamin C levels hit the bare minimum. Green leafy vegetables make up my sole source. Since the diabetes scare, I drastically cut back on sugar and switched to low-carb foods. The result, diabetes is no longer a risk, but my fruit intake is nearly non-existent. I’ll start adding fruit back in to my diet when I’m 30 lbs from goal. I’m not deficient in my Vitamin C levels. So I limit it to a low dose a few times a week.

Vitamin B – Another vitamin where I met the bare minimum. Looking to bump this level up, like Vitamin C, I limit this one to every other day. Vitamin B is great for skin health – perfect for my dry skin.

Omega 3 – Yea, fish oil! Good for my blood pressure. One of my dailies.

Baby Aspirin – Again, recommended by my doctor for good heart health. Also a daily.

Multivitamin – I take these every other day because, like all folks changing their eating habits, I’m not getting the full benefits of vitamins in the foods I’m eating.

Supplements are important, but you need to take the right ones. There are lots of problems with taking too many vitamins.  With jacked up levels of vitamins in foods, juices and water, it’s easy to over do it . I only take what my doctor recommends. And I’m careful to read the food labels. My next physical is coming up in November. Hopefully my numbers will improve again and I can drop some of the supplements.

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Weekly Weigh-In: Down 7.6 Pounds, Baby!

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Below 250 lbs for the first time in 10 years! Bye-bye plateau.

Below 250 lbs for the first time in 10 years! Bye-bye plateau.

When I woke up this morning, I had a great feeling about stepping on the scale.  I arrived at my Weight Watcher’s meeting to find the building empty.

Really!?!

Then I remembered that the meeting relocated due to renovations. But I couldn’t remember where. Thankfully, my trusty Weight Watchers app pointed me to the temporary place.  Come hell or high water, I was stepping on that scale today!

I arrived with a few minutes to spare. I stepped on the scale and experienced my second shock that morning. I knew I’d lost some weight, maybe a couple of pounds. Ha! I dropped nearly 8 lbs. this week. I did a little happy dance as I stepped off the scale.

After 4 months of battling this plateau – bouncing between 252 – 255 lbs – I finally broke through the 250 lbs. barrier. I feel awesome.

When I started this little journey, I set a goal of losing 185 lbs.  I knew I needed to break my weight loss into smaller chunks so as not to feel overwhelmed. I settled on 5% increments. So when I started, 5% of my total body weight was 15 lbs…10% equaled 30 lbs total, and so on – very doable chunks.

Since January, I set my sights on hitting 250 lbs. The last time I weighed 250 was my wedding more than 10 years ago. So 250 a milestone?  Oh, a big one.

I’ve finally crossed the my weight loss Rubicon!

My total weight loss is now 78 lbs. I am 4 lbs. shy of losing 25% of my body weight.

Well, if 250 lbs. is my Rubicon, then hitting 200 lbs. is my white whale (just without the personal destruction).

Happy hunting!

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Fighting The Belly Fat: 30-Day Sit Up Challenge

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The 30-Day Situp Challenge: Because losing 113 lbs. to get to my goal weight isn't enough of a challenge!

The 30-Day Situp Challenge: Because losing 113 lbs. to get to my goal weight isn’t enough of a challenge!

I’ve decided to do fitness challenges each month. I’m not able to target specific areas of my body for weight loss, but I can pick areas to tone.

Also, I worry about sagging skin. I’m in my 40s, so I know as I get older, my skin loses its elasticity.  Slow weight loss and toning my muscles can help with my skin snapping back.

So this month, it’s the 30-Day Sit Up Challenge. It’s the area of my body where have the most jiggling and the source of major health issues – my big, fat belly!

I know that belly fat brings with it serious health risks – diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. Belly fat doesn’t just jiggle around. It churns out hormones and inflammatory junk. Abdominal fat breaks down easily into fatty acids, flowing into the liver and muscles. When they go to the liver, they trigger a chain reaction – increasing bad cholesterol and insulin resistance. When your hit insulin resistance, you gain even more weight. Blood sugars go out of whack. Fats and clots get into the bloodstream.

It’s not a pretty picture!

The nice thing about the 30-Day Sit Up Challenge, it’s just one exercise. The bad thing about the 30-Day Sit Up Challenge, I have to do sit ups.

Right now I can do 20 sit ups. That increases to 35 by the end of the week.  At the end of the month, 140 sit ups.

The belly fat battle is one I intend to win!

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