So what am I eating….Here is a screen shot of my food log for one day. My afternoon snack is kind of in the air right now because I am just trying to eat things I have in the pantry. Dinner Kris and I alternate. We have two nights a week that we eat a meal together and the other nights we each just eat whatever we want. But we still eat our “on your own meals” together. We need to start eating at the dining room table. I think it would lead to nice conversation and a better awareness of what we are consuming.
Notice the chocolate coffee protein shake. Way better than coffee in the morning.
When the hot weather hit I went through my closet trying to find shorts and capris that I could wear. When I was unsuccessful with that I thought hmmm I should probably go through my jeans and see what fits me still.
This is the 53 pairs of pants/shorts/ capris that I own that DO NOT FIT ME. Ok so first thing that may come to mind is “why/how do you have so many pairs of pants?” That’s the first things Kris said lol he is so logical. Well I have been doing this weight yo yo for a long time. The size range of these pants go from 6-10. I know that seems like a huge range but I was in a size 6 last October but in a size 10 in the spring of 2011. I have acquired these 53 pairs of pants for a long time. One of the pair I wore on my 21st birthday. Which again you may ask “why do have pants from 8 years ago?”. Well I still own them cause the fit last fall. Every time I gained or lost weight I just bought up/down a size and it was no big deal. I just bought more pants instead of focusing on a steady weight. Well no more…I have 53 pairs of pants that don’t fit me and 4 pairs that do….how did I ever let it go this far?!?!?!
I did some research on the other benefits of losing weight and found an article “The Health Risks of Being Overweight or Obese” by Jane Kirby, RD and The American Dietetic Association. Did you know being just 20 pounds overweight doubles your risk of heart disease. So what am I like tripled now? And for those of you who remember my metal knee brace I was showing off in middle and high school, 9 to 13 pounds increases the pain in the knees. Read below for the other benefits. Are you overweight and experiencing any of these?
• Cancers: A postmenopausal woman doubles her risk for breast cancer if she gained as little as 20 pounds before menopause. Almost half of all breast cancer cases occur among obese women. The endometrial cancer risk among postmenopausal women also increases with weight gain, and being overweight increases the chances by one and a half times that a woman will die from her cancer.
• Diabetes: Nearly 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are obese. This disease is particularly linked to weight gain after the age of 18. Even overweight children are getting the kind of diabetes that used to be associated only with overweight adults.
Losing as little as 10 pounds can reduce your risk by 30 percent. And for those who already have type 2 diabetes, reducing body weight by as little as 5 percent can significantly improve blood glucose levels. Weight loss may also improve insulin sensitivity, which means that cells respond more efficiently to insulin.
• Gallbladder disease: The incidence of gallstones soars as a person’s body weight increases. A middle-aged woman who is more than 40 percent over her ideal body weight has a 33 percent greater chance of having gallstones than a lean woman of the same age.
• Heart disease: Nearly 70 percent of the diagnosed cases of heart disease are related to obesity. A weight gain of 20 pounds doubles your risk of heart disease. Fortunately, though, reducing your weight by only 5 to 10 percent increases your HDL levels while reducing LDL and triglyceride levels.
• Hypertension (high blood pressure): Being obese more than doubles your chances of developing high blood pressure. Statistics show that approximately 70 percent of obese American men and women have high blood pressure.
The good news is that you don’t have to reach your ideal weight to get your blood pressure down. Many people see improvements within the first two to three weeks of a weight-loss program. Losing even 5 to 10 pounds can produce significant benefits and may even eliminate the need to take medication.
• Respiratory problems: Respiratory complications, such as sleep apnea, are linked to obesity. Losing 10 to 15 percent of body weight can cure apnea.
• Osteoarthritis: Being overweight or obese increases your risk for getting this painful disease, causing the bone and cartilage in your joints to degenerate. One study reported that a weight gain of 9 to 13 pounds increased the pain in the knees of arthritis sufferers. On the flip side, losing the same amount decreases the odds of getting arthritis by 50 percent.
• Psychological and social effects: Overweight people often face discrimination at work and in social settings. Feelings of rejection, shame, or depression aren’t uncommon. Also, American society equates thinness with attractiveness.
Tomorrow I head up to NH for Jake’s birthday and then on to Maine for the traditional 4th of July/Jake’s Birthday Party. I am excited for another good year of celebrating. There is a total of 14 of us who are going to be up there. Heather, Jon and Kris and I are getting a separate camp site. We are all bringing our own food with enough to share. I am bringing a Southwest Potato Salad with only 60 calories and a Mexican Quinoa Salad (more of an entrée salad) with 278 calories. I will take some pictures and include the recipes later this week. I was creative on my beach attire since I don’t want to buy a one piece or be dressed inappropriately for the beach. Unlike some of the other overweight people you see on the beach I own a mirror (as Meg says) and will not be sporting a thong bikini “cuz I look good”.
Oh I almost forgot. I lost 1.6 pounds this week. Which goes right along with my goal of 1.5 pounds a week. I know it sounds little but your chances of gaining it all back increase when you lose too fast. So the recommend pace is 1-2 pounds a week. Hey the scale moved in the right direction and that’s all that matters.
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