Last week I was in the office kitchen at about 3 p.m. preparing my afternoon snack (I bring morning and afternoon snacks, plus lunch, with me to work). It was a stalk of celery with some Laughing Cow light garlic & herb cheese spread on it -- rather tasty. One of my male co-workers walked in and said, "Celery, huh?"
"Yep," I replied.
"Is that, like, your lunch?"
I laughed. "Um, no. I ate my lunch about three hours ago. This is just my afternoon, hungry-but-not-hungry-enough-to-eat-a-full-meal snack," I explained.
He looked at me like he didn't believe me.
Now, I understand that some women have issues with food. I probably fall into that category. And although I'm not fat, I don't exactly look like a woman who eats nothing but a stalk of celery for lunch. At least I hope I don't. I've always eaten pretty much whatever I want, whenever I want (that is my food issue). I remember one time in college going on a ... well, it wasn't exactly a date, but I went out to dinner with a friend of mine and his neighbor, who was captain of the Mizzou football team and with whom I entertained a brief fling (very brief). We went to Chili's, I ordered the grilled shrimp alfredo and proceeded to eat the entire plate of pasta, cream sauce and shrimp right in front of these boys.
Football Player was flabbergasted. When they put my plate down, he said, "Are you gonna eat that whole thing?" I looked at him like it was a stupid question, which it was, and said, "Yes." And then I did. And he marveled like he'd never seen a girl eat an entire plate of food before. Maybe he hadn't. I still remember to this day how shocked he was at my appetite.
Point being, no, I do not eat just celery. Or just grapefruit. Or just anything. I make it a priority in my life to eat a balanced diet, which means carbs and fats are most definitely included.
Anyway, this morning I went to breakfast with Damon and I ordered a black bean burrito (black beans, potatoes and optional scrambled eggs, smothered with green chili. Bombtastic). I asked for scrambled eggs but instead of actual scrambled eggs, I wanted Simply Eggs. My doctor said to eat only one egg a week, so I figure no eggs a week has got to be better than one. Our waitress was an older, motherly type. She said, "You're a little young to be ordering the Simply Eggs."
"I have cholesterol issues," I explained, not really wanting to detail those issues further.
The food came and it was really good; they had given me about half a plate of iceberg lettuce and tomato to eat with my burrito if I so chose. I don't like iceberg lettuce. I'm a lettuce snob. Spring mix, romaine, baby spinach? All good. Iceberg? Good for nothing but fiber, really, and I don't eat anything that is only useful for one of your dietary needs. Or I try not to. I get plenty of fiber in my diet; I don't need to eat a nutritionally void lettuce to up my fiber intake.
Waitress comes back and says, "You know, eating some of that lettuce would help with your cholesterol." I kind of laugh and say yeah, I know. Then I ask for a box. I put only the burrito in the box. When she's clearing my plate, she remarks again that I left all the iceberg on the plate. I said that I didn't really enjoy iceberg lettuce but I do manage to eat one big salad a day (true), so I was good on that.
And then again when we're paying the bill, she says, "She ordered Simply Eggs but put everything but the lettuce in her take-away box."
Funny what people will comment on when it comes to what you put in your mouth. They comment if it's not enough (in their mind): celery boy. They comment if it's too much (in their mind): shrimp alfredo boy. They comment if it's not correct (in their mind): iceberg lettuce waitress.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
ALI WON!!!
I have been watching The Biggest Loser all season. This show is my secret passion; I get sad when I miss it. My favorite contestant is Ali Vincent (I liked Brittany Aberle a lot, too). Ali got eliminated (I think at Week Four) but came back in a surprise twist; they allowed one eliminated woman and one eliminated man back on the show, and Ali got it.
And she freakin' won the whole thing last night!!!
She lost 112 pounds, 47.86 percent of her body weight. That's amazing!
She is the first female Biggest Loser.
It was awesome watching the finale -- first to see all the transformations people made in six months. Six months! Most of them looked like completely different people. And second to see Ali win it all. I was rooting for her to win. When she got eliminated, she blurted out, "I'm the Biggest Loser." At the time it seemed wishful thinking. But no! She really is!!
I was so proud of her. It was funny -- I really felt this swelling of pride in my chest, like Ali was my child and had just won this awesome prize. And the really great thing about the show is that even everyone who didn't win got the benefit of training by Bob and Jillian (two kick-ass trainers!) and learning about appropriate nutrition. Even the ones who didn't win look fantastic, which is a prize in and of itself (I'm corny).
Some people on some of the blogs are saying Ali took diet pills. She was off the ranch for a while and lost 33 pounds by herself; they're saying that we don't know what she did or didn't do, and it's unfair that they had her come back. Well, it was unfair that she was eliminated in the first place; she never once fell below the yellow line. It was a freak elimination. And all the contestants had at least six weeks at home by themselves. Anyone could have taken diet pills.
But I don't think she did. I think if you watch the show, and you see how hard she pushed herself and how determined she was to be the first female to win, you know that she didn't need diet pills. She's hot now, and she did it using the tried-and-true method. I think some people want to believe she used supplements because it's tough to lose weight like that the proper way. It's really, really difficult. I admire the hell out of anyone who can do it. And if people believe that Ali went from 234 pounds to 122 by using diet pills, that means they don't have to do all the hard work that Ali did to get to where she is. They can just pop a pill and eat whatever they want and not move their bodies and it will all be okay.
It's not about taking diet pills or even "going on a diet." It's about lifelong dietary changes. Lifestyle changes. I could take some medication to deal with the cholesterol issues I've inherited, or I could get off my butt and do something about it other than filling my body up with chemicals. Guess which way I'm going?
New season starts in October!
And she freakin' won the whole thing last night!!!
She lost 112 pounds, 47.86 percent of her body weight. That's amazing!
She is the first female Biggest Loser.
It was awesome watching the finale -- first to see all the transformations people made in six months. Six months! Most of them looked like completely different people. And second to see Ali win it all. I was rooting for her to win. When she got eliminated, she blurted out, "I'm the Biggest Loser." At the time it seemed wishful thinking. But no! She really is!!
I was so proud of her. It was funny -- I really felt this swelling of pride in my chest, like Ali was my child and had just won this awesome prize. And the really great thing about the show is that even everyone who didn't win got the benefit of training by Bob and Jillian (two kick-ass trainers!) and learning about appropriate nutrition. Even the ones who didn't win look fantastic, which is a prize in and of itself (I'm corny).
Some people on some of the blogs are saying Ali took diet pills. She was off the ranch for a while and lost 33 pounds by herself; they're saying that we don't know what she did or didn't do, and it's unfair that they had her come back. Well, it was unfair that she was eliminated in the first place; she never once fell below the yellow line. It was a freak elimination. And all the contestants had at least six weeks at home by themselves. Anyone could have taken diet pills.
But I don't think she did. I think if you watch the show, and you see how hard she pushed herself and how determined she was to be the first female to win, you know that she didn't need diet pills. She's hot now, and she did it using the tried-and-true method. I think some people want to believe she used supplements because it's tough to lose weight like that the proper way. It's really, really difficult. I admire the hell out of anyone who can do it. And if people believe that Ali went from 234 pounds to 122 by using diet pills, that means they don't have to do all the hard work that Ali did to get to where she is. They can just pop a pill and eat whatever they want and not move their bodies and it will all be okay.
It's not about taking diet pills or even "going on a diet." It's about lifelong dietary changes. Lifestyle changes. I could take some medication to deal with the cholesterol issues I've inherited, or I could get off my butt and do something about it other than filling my body up with chemicals. Guess which way I'm going?
New season starts in October!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
health nut
In my continuous quest for self-improvement, I've been working on my health. I remember when I was a vegetarian, my dad always used to ask me if I felt better eating no meat. I didn't really understand what he was talking about, but now that I'm older (and my body is maybe less resilient than it used to be), I definitely notice a difference.
That's perhaps the most surprising thing -- living well FEELS good. Exercise releases endorphins, those happy chemicals. Here are the things I've been doing that have resulted in good feelings, and also some tips as to how I've kept it going.
* QUIT SMOKING CIGARETTES! For real. It's been over a year and a half since I sucked down one of those little monsters, and I haven't had even a smidgen of a desire for once since I quit. I know it's hard; I smoked for almost ten years. I used a method of a combination Zyban/Wellbutrin prescription plus reading Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, which I highly recommend. Quitting lowered my cholesterol. Quitting got rid of that awful morning hacking cough to get the residual muck and phlegm out of my lungs, and it made it easier to breathe. Hence easier to work out, and work out effectively. Not to mention the money I've saved not buying cigarettes.
* Drink enough water. I drink right around 100 ounces a day, because I work out and I live at a high elevation. They have water calculators where you can figure out how much you need. I have a 32oz water bottle I carry everywhere with me. It's probably my favorite possession. At first you have to pee a lot, but keeping yourself hydrated is important -- sometimes you reach for food not because you're hungry, but because you're thirsty. Once you become accustomed to how it feels to be fully hydrated all the time, you really notice when you start to become dehydrated. And you can feel the difference between hunger and thirst. And if you want clearer skin and weight loss without a lot of effort, drinking more water is an easy and obvious solution.
* Quit drinking coffee. This one was tough for me; I love coffee, and I drank a lot of it every day. I had to catch the stomach flu to be able to quit; my stomach was far too upset to drink any coffee, and I was so miserable I didn't even notice the effects of caffeine withdrawal, which I know are brutal. But once I started getting better, I decided not to start a daily habit of coffee-drinking again. Instead, I drink tea -- black tea in the morning for breakfast, green or herbal tea in the afternoon and a peppermint/chamomile, caffeine-free tea in the evening. I still drink coffee every once in a while, like less than once a week. But with the lattes I was drinking, that meant a significant number of additional calories, plus I didn't really enjoy the jittery caffeinated feeling. The tea I drink in the morning has just enough to be a pep-up, and my desire for a cup of something hot and comforting a few times a day is satisfied.
* Follow a sensible diet. Don't eat out every day, preferably even every week. And fast food is included in eating out. I use mostly a South Beach Diet-style of nutrition; I eat whole grains instead of refined (pasta, bread, etc.); I try to have a big salad for one of my meals each day; the cheese I eat is exclusively low-fat or fat-free; the meats I eat are lean (mostly fish and poultry). It's not as hard as it sounds. Last night, I had burgers and grilled corn for dinner, except the burgers were turkey burgers, the buns were whole wheat (no enriched flour), the cheese was low-fat, I used mustard instead of mayonnaise and the butter flavoring for the corn came from an olive-oil based spread instead of actual butter or even margarine. And it still was delicious. I eat turkey bacon and turkey sausage for breakfast sometimes, whole-grain waffles ... you get the idea. It's still yummy, and it's much better for me. D and I sit down and make a grocery list together about once a week, talking about and figuring out what we want, and once at the store, we buy only what's on the list. Saves time and money.
* Exercise regularly. I do a combination of dance, yoga and pilates. I have quite a DVD collection that I've accumulated over years; so the difference is, I just use them. I rotate my workouts throughout the week. Every day I exercise, I give myself a sparkly star on my calendar and I note which workout I did; that way, I can look over the past few days and see what areas I need to focus on. After I collect a certain number of stars, I'm allowed a workout-related reward -- like a couple of new DVDs, a new pair of sneakers, some new clothes, whatever.
* Meditate. I meditate for about ten minutes every morning before I leave for work. It keeps me focused throughout my day and it's also easier to control my emotions; I'm calmer.
*Quit biting nails. It's better for my nails and my teeth. And now I have pretty nails. The trick is to get the nails long enough to where you can start taking care of them. Once they start looking truly lovely, it's a lot more difficult to bite. I also carry a file around with me everywhere I go in case I get a snag or rough spot that needs to be smoothed out. Don't use teeth for that.
* Get enough sleep. Seriously, I need about eight hours a night. If I don't get that, I'm cranky. If I get more, I'm cranky. Figure out what you need and then make sure you get it.
* Weigh daily. I use a scale that also calculates body fat percentage, and when I'm done weighing I write my weight and body fat percentage on my calendar. It's really motivating when I'm feeling blah about myself or my body to look at the calendar and see how much I've improved over the past week or month. I write the numbers tiny; probably no one but me would know what they are, but I don't really care if they do. It's for me and improving MYself, not for anybody else. And like the stars, it's a way to track where I've been and where I'm going.
* Clean house. It burns calories; it provides you with a calming, restful, peaceful environment instead of a chaotic one; it gives you the space to work out you didn't think you had. Because I do most of my workouts at home, I've designated the study as my workout room. I have all my DVDs in there, my weights, my yoga mat, my exercise ball. There's a mini DVD player I use to play the workouts. It took some time to get there, but because the desk is pretty neat and the floor is clear, I have the room to do the dancing and everything else in my DVDs without having to stay in one place the entire time. Plus, if your kitchen and dishes are clean, you're more likely and better able to make dinner yourself instead of going outside the house. Cleaning house is an improvement project in and of itself for me; I'm not the most organized person, and it took a long time before I figured out how to get it clean and keep it that way. Flylady.net was an invaluable resource for me.
* Take care! Take bubble baths. Lay clothes out the night before, with jewelry, which gives time to find a super-cute outfit that's coordinated and clean, and keeps mornings calmer. Just the little things that make you feel special and loved. I use my nice china on a daily basis. I burn the special candles. Why save it if you're not going to enjoy it?
And here are some of the wonderful benefits I've been reaping:
* I really enjoy breathing. That sounds weird, but when you do yoga and don't smoke, breath becomes a treat.
* I have more money because I don't eat out nearly as often and I don't smoke cigarettes.
* As stated above, my skin is clearer and softer.
* I've lost weight -- to date, almost 15 pounds.
* I can feel and see my muscles starting to really tone and define under my skin, which is awesome. I think I'm starting to get the body I've really always wanted. And it feels good!
* My posture has gotten much better (the yoga and pilates), which means that at the end of the day, I'm not as sore or tired, or as tight in the shoulders.
* Stretching regularly detoxifies me.
* I feel fuller after fewer calories. Combination of the types of food I'm eating and the water I'm drinking.
* My fingernails are, seriously, beautiful. They look awesome because I take care of them regularly, filing them to the same length, plus they're strong and not all discolored because of my diet. They make my hands look really pretty.
* I'm calmer throughout my day. I don't experience emotions like anger or sadness very intensely. Conversely, I can feel intensely happy just by being alive and breathing deeply.
* I have more gratitude and appreciation for life.
* I can have friends over whenever because my house isn't embarrassingly messy.
* I have time and focus to concentrate on more areas of my life where I want to improve.
* I have the energy to do what needs to be done with my day and not feel tired or sluggish throughout. I feel great.
* I have the satisfaction of having these goals that I've accomplished and seeing how far I've come since I started seriously working on myself.
* Basically, I feel better -- great -- in every aspect of my life: body, mind, spirit.
I have to note that these are all serious lifestyle changes that took a long, long time to implement. Part of my problem up until now getting really serious about living well was my tendency to crash and burn. I had all of these things I wanted to change about myself -- as you can see above. I started drinking an appropriate amount of water about three years ago. I quit smoking nineteen months ago. I've been working on my diet and finding recipes and meals that both D and I can eat for a while now. And the house has taken a long time to come together as well.
The only way I could have gotten this far and enjoyed the process this much is by just taking things one step at a time. There's no way I could have made all these changes at once and been successful. I've picked one aspect or problem to focus on and I've tracked my progress, day by day, on my calendar. I've given myself rewards for keeping the habit going once I got to a certain number of days following the habit. And the nice thing about going slowly is that you really notice the life and body changes that follow your behavior changes.
And now, I can start making broader goals for myself because I feel like I've got the basics under control. I am by no means done. I have problems and issues in my life that need changing, but they need the kind of time and attention I was unable to give them until now, because my body or my brain or my motivation or whatever was not in the right place. Now it's all falling into place, and I can pursue higher goals. Go me!
That's perhaps the most surprising thing -- living well FEELS good. Exercise releases endorphins, those happy chemicals. Here are the things I've been doing that have resulted in good feelings, and also some tips as to how I've kept it going.
* QUIT SMOKING CIGARETTES! For real. It's been over a year and a half since I sucked down one of those little monsters, and I haven't had even a smidgen of a desire for once since I quit. I know it's hard; I smoked for almost ten years. I used a method of a combination Zyban/Wellbutrin prescription plus reading Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, which I highly recommend. Quitting lowered my cholesterol. Quitting got rid of that awful morning hacking cough to get the residual muck and phlegm out of my lungs, and it made it easier to breathe. Hence easier to work out, and work out effectively. Not to mention the money I've saved not buying cigarettes.
* Drink enough water. I drink right around 100 ounces a day, because I work out and I live at a high elevation. They have water calculators where you can figure out how much you need. I have a 32oz water bottle I carry everywhere with me. It's probably my favorite possession. At first you have to pee a lot, but keeping yourself hydrated is important -- sometimes you reach for food not because you're hungry, but because you're thirsty. Once you become accustomed to how it feels to be fully hydrated all the time, you really notice when you start to become dehydrated. And you can feel the difference between hunger and thirst. And if you want clearer skin and weight loss without a lot of effort, drinking more water is an easy and obvious solution.
* Quit drinking coffee. This one was tough for me; I love coffee, and I drank a lot of it every day. I had to catch the stomach flu to be able to quit; my stomach was far too upset to drink any coffee, and I was so miserable I didn't even notice the effects of caffeine withdrawal, which I know are brutal. But once I started getting better, I decided not to start a daily habit of coffee-drinking again. Instead, I drink tea -- black tea in the morning for breakfast, green or herbal tea in the afternoon and a peppermint/chamomile, caffeine-free tea in the evening. I still drink coffee every once in a while, like less than once a week. But with the lattes I was drinking, that meant a significant number of additional calories, plus I didn't really enjoy the jittery caffeinated feeling. The tea I drink in the morning has just enough to be a pep-up, and my desire for a cup of something hot and comforting a few times a day is satisfied.
* Follow a sensible diet. Don't eat out every day, preferably even every week. And fast food is included in eating out. I use mostly a South Beach Diet-style of nutrition; I eat whole grains instead of refined (pasta, bread, etc.); I try to have a big salad for one of my meals each day; the cheese I eat is exclusively low-fat or fat-free; the meats I eat are lean (mostly fish and poultry). It's not as hard as it sounds. Last night, I had burgers and grilled corn for dinner, except the burgers were turkey burgers, the buns were whole wheat (no enriched flour), the cheese was low-fat, I used mustard instead of mayonnaise and the butter flavoring for the corn came from an olive-oil based spread instead of actual butter or even margarine. And it still was delicious. I eat turkey bacon and turkey sausage for breakfast sometimes, whole-grain waffles ... you get the idea. It's still yummy, and it's much better for me. D and I sit down and make a grocery list together about once a week, talking about and figuring out what we want, and once at the store, we buy only what's on the list. Saves time and money.
* Exercise regularly. I do a combination of dance, yoga and pilates. I have quite a DVD collection that I've accumulated over years; so the difference is, I just use them. I rotate my workouts throughout the week. Every day I exercise, I give myself a sparkly star on my calendar and I note which workout I did; that way, I can look over the past few days and see what areas I need to focus on. After I collect a certain number of stars, I'm allowed a workout-related reward -- like a couple of new DVDs, a new pair of sneakers, some new clothes, whatever.
* Meditate. I meditate for about ten minutes every morning before I leave for work. It keeps me focused throughout my day and it's also easier to control my emotions; I'm calmer.
*Quit biting nails. It's better for my nails and my teeth. And now I have pretty nails. The trick is to get the nails long enough to where you can start taking care of them. Once they start looking truly lovely, it's a lot more difficult to bite. I also carry a file around with me everywhere I go in case I get a snag or rough spot that needs to be smoothed out. Don't use teeth for that.
* Get enough sleep. Seriously, I need about eight hours a night. If I don't get that, I'm cranky. If I get more, I'm cranky. Figure out what you need and then make sure you get it.
* Weigh daily. I use a scale that also calculates body fat percentage, and when I'm done weighing I write my weight and body fat percentage on my calendar. It's really motivating when I'm feeling blah about myself or my body to look at the calendar and see how much I've improved over the past week or month. I write the numbers tiny; probably no one but me would know what they are, but I don't really care if they do. It's for me and improving MYself, not for anybody else. And like the stars, it's a way to track where I've been and where I'm going.
* Clean house. It burns calories; it provides you with a calming, restful, peaceful environment instead of a chaotic one; it gives you the space to work out you didn't think you had. Because I do most of my workouts at home, I've designated the study as my workout room. I have all my DVDs in there, my weights, my yoga mat, my exercise ball. There's a mini DVD player I use to play the workouts. It took some time to get there, but because the desk is pretty neat and the floor is clear, I have the room to do the dancing and everything else in my DVDs without having to stay in one place the entire time. Plus, if your kitchen and dishes are clean, you're more likely and better able to make dinner yourself instead of going outside the house. Cleaning house is an improvement project in and of itself for me; I'm not the most organized person, and it took a long time before I figured out how to get it clean and keep it that way. Flylady.net was an invaluable resource for me.
* Take care! Take bubble baths. Lay clothes out the night before, with jewelry, which gives time to find a super-cute outfit that's coordinated and clean, and keeps mornings calmer. Just the little things that make you feel special and loved. I use my nice china on a daily basis. I burn the special candles. Why save it if you're not going to enjoy it?
And here are some of the wonderful benefits I've been reaping:
* I really enjoy breathing. That sounds weird, but when you do yoga and don't smoke, breath becomes a treat.
* I have more money because I don't eat out nearly as often and I don't smoke cigarettes.
* As stated above, my skin is clearer and softer.
* I've lost weight -- to date, almost 15 pounds.
* I can feel and see my muscles starting to really tone and define under my skin, which is awesome. I think I'm starting to get the body I've really always wanted. And it feels good!
* My posture has gotten much better (the yoga and pilates), which means that at the end of the day, I'm not as sore or tired, or as tight in the shoulders.
* Stretching regularly detoxifies me.
* I feel fuller after fewer calories. Combination of the types of food I'm eating and the water I'm drinking.
* My fingernails are, seriously, beautiful. They look awesome because I take care of them regularly, filing them to the same length, plus they're strong and not all discolored because of my diet. They make my hands look really pretty.
* I'm calmer throughout my day. I don't experience emotions like anger or sadness very intensely. Conversely, I can feel intensely happy just by being alive and breathing deeply.
* I have more gratitude and appreciation for life.
* I can have friends over whenever because my house isn't embarrassingly messy.
* I have time and focus to concentrate on more areas of my life where I want to improve.
* I have the energy to do what needs to be done with my day and not feel tired or sluggish throughout. I feel great.
* I have the satisfaction of having these goals that I've accomplished and seeing how far I've come since I started seriously working on myself.
* Basically, I feel better -- great -- in every aspect of my life: body, mind, spirit.
I have to note that these are all serious lifestyle changes that took a long, long time to implement. Part of my problem up until now getting really serious about living well was my tendency to crash and burn. I had all of these things I wanted to change about myself -- as you can see above. I started drinking an appropriate amount of water about three years ago. I quit smoking nineteen months ago. I've been working on my diet and finding recipes and meals that both D and I can eat for a while now. And the house has taken a long time to come together as well.
The only way I could have gotten this far and enjoyed the process this much is by just taking things one step at a time. There's no way I could have made all these changes at once and been successful. I've picked one aspect or problem to focus on and I've tracked my progress, day by day, on my calendar. I've given myself rewards for keeping the habit going once I got to a certain number of days following the habit. And the nice thing about going slowly is that you really notice the life and body changes that follow your behavior changes.
And now, I can start making broader goals for myself because I feel like I've got the basics under control. I am by no means done. I have problems and issues in my life that need changing, but they need the kind of time and attention I was unable to give them until now, because my body or my brain or my motivation or whatever was not in the right place. Now it's all falling into place, and I can pursue higher goals. Go me!
Friday, April 4, 2008
deep thoughts
Just some random things I've been thinking about lately ...
*That lawsuit that was just overturned on appeal about the light cigarettes. People: Come on. It's not the tobacco companies' fault that you're an idiot. Light cigarettes aren't any better for you than heavy; the only reason you preferred light is because cigarettes taste nasty, and lights don't taste as strong. If only heavies were available, you would have smoked heavies instead. I used to smoke, I know these things. How about this instead: Quit smoking any of them. Then, you won't need to sue anybody because you'll already be richer from not spending money on cigarettes.
*Lately I've been losing some weight via the usual method: eat less (or better) foods, move your body more. The other day one of my cute little friends who's seven years my junior was like, "God, you've gotten skinny!" (That sounds like she was being mean, but really it was a compliment.) And I didn't really know what to say. Is "thanks" appropriate in that situation? I don't know; I guess I just feel that weight is such a personal thing, but obviously it's also a very noticeable thing to the people around you. Of course someone is going to comment if you've lost some weight (but not, funnily enough, if you've gained any weight). It's just always one of those moments that throws me for a loop; I don't know what to say to people.
*There was an interesting article in the New York Times about willpower. Everyone has a set amount of willpower. You can increase your level of willpower throughout your life, of course, by exercising willpower -- like a muscle, kind of -- but on any given day of our lives, we have a set amount of willpower. So if you spend that willpower by not eating any of the chocolate cake that your coworkers had for their birthday, you'll then find it more difficult to exercise it later -- like if you were intending to work out after work, you may not have the tenacity to follow through because you already used up a portion of your willpower on denying yourself the cake. Interesting stuff. It ties in with the weight loss thing, because I've been taking it slow, documenting my progress and when I reach a goal, I'm going to reward myself nicely. I've been doing the same thing with housework lately, and it's been going quite well. So hopefully my willpower muscle is getting stronger.
*That lawsuit that was just overturned on appeal about the light cigarettes. People: Come on. It's not the tobacco companies' fault that you're an idiot. Light cigarettes aren't any better for you than heavy; the only reason you preferred light is because cigarettes taste nasty, and lights don't taste as strong. If only heavies were available, you would have smoked heavies instead. I used to smoke, I know these things. How about this instead: Quit smoking any of them. Then, you won't need to sue anybody because you'll already be richer from not spending money on cigarettes.
*Lately I've been losing some weight via the usual method: eat less (or better) foods, move your body more. The other day one of my cute little friends who's seven years my junior was like, "God, you've gotten skinny!" (That sounds like she was being mean, but really it was a compliment.) And I didn't really know what to say. Is "thanks" appropriate in that situation? I don't know; I guess I just feel that weight is such a personal thing, but obviously it's also a very noticeable thing to the people around you. Of course someone is going to comment if you've lost some weight (but not, funnily enough, if you've gained any weight). It's just always one of those moments that throws me for a loop; I don't know what to say to people.
*There was an interesting article in the New York Times about willpower. Everyone has a set amount of willpower. You can increase your level of willpower throughout your life, of course, by exercising willpower -- like a muscle, kind of -- but on any given day of our lives, we have a set amount of willpower. So if you spend that willpower by not eating any of the chocolate cake that your coworkers had for their birthday, you'll then find it more difficult to exercise it later -- like if you were intending to work out after work, you may not have the tenacity to follow through because you already used up a portion of your willpower on denying yourself the cake. Interesting stuff. It ties in with the weight loss thing, because I've been taking it slow, documenting my progress and when I reach a goal, I'm going to reward myself nicely. I've been doing the same thing with housework lately, and it's been going quite well. So hopefully my willpower muscle is getting stronger.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)