Bad News, Good News

The Bad News is... for the first time since moving to Powell River 7 1/2 years ago I am sick. Very sick. This flu has kept me from exercising since February 9th, and the end is not in sight.

The Good News is... I have started to lose weight and see results. I am 5.8 pounds lighter than I was on January 4th, and the clothes I have been wearing are starting to hang on me, necessitating a shift to smaller clothes in my closet, which houses a wide range of sizes.

The Bad News is... fellow blogger Bethany is also sick with the flu. I tried to offer words of encouragement and tell her to hang in there, but my comment would not post.

The Good News is... Bethany seems to be self-motivated.

The Bad News is... if this disease doesn't kill me, boredom may. When my brain wasn't functioning at a level high enough to read or write, I spent my time thinking about my bucket list... the things I would like to do before I get too old to enjoy them (at which point I may as well have kicked the bucket.) Sadly, I will not fully enjoy any of those things unless I am able to feel good about the way I look, even if I just look good "for my age."

The Good News is... this is something over which I can exercise control. So I went online and found a calorie counter that I can post on the desk top of all my computers (both jobs, home, laptop) and keep track of what I eat. More importanly, as I went through the list to delete food I will NEVER eat (some meat and vegetables are too nasty to ingest), I became very aware of what I should and should not consider eating. I also had a paradigm shift. Rather than focusing on staying within a certain calorie intake limit, I decided to eat the least number of calories possible, while eating 5 or 6 times a day, and enjoying a balanced diet.

The Bad News is... good intentions are useless unless they are translated into good actions. Time will tell.

The Good News is... I am determined to keep fighting until I have won the battle of the bulge, so I might as well get it over with sooner than later , and start on that bucket list.

First month of Donate the Weight

After 1 month I have lost a total of 2.6 pounds. Not exactly what weight loss-dreams are made of! My clothes fit me better, so I know there have been some changes to my body, but the process is painfully slow. If it's due to the fact that I've been building muscle to burn fat, and muscle weighs more than fat, I am totally ready to see the muscle start doing its thing!

Shirley said it took her 6 weeks to start seeing results, after which she sometimes lost 10 pounds a month. So I'm hangin' in there. Actually, I'm committed to this process no matter how long it takes, as I am determined to win this battle. In the meantime, exercise and a proper diet can only make me healthier.

Zee pointed out that Shirley was not hampered by motion sickness, and she did more than just work out three times a week. So I guess I have to step it up (no pun intended). I will walk/run the three kilometers to work and back on those days that I don't need my car to go to the gym, and on the days I have my car I will take a lunch break and walk to the bank, post-office etc. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'll do it.

I've been drinking 8 glasses of water (most) days, and am eating 5 or 6 times a day, consuming only whole grains, lean protein, fruit, vegetables and healthy fats, with nothing after 6:30 (even though I can barely drag myself off the sofa by 6:30 after returning from the gym on the days I work out). But perhaps I am eating too much of those good things. So I'll start tracking everything I eat and see exactly how many calories I'm actually consuming on a daily basis. Zee suggested I take CLA, and since there is not a weight loss aid available that I have not tried at one time or another, I'll check my abandoned stock of remedies to find some CLA.

Yesterday I found and purchased a proper size exercise ball for my height. The balls at the gym are bigger than I am, and trying to use them is difficult at best. I inflated and tried the new ball, and it is a vast improvement. It will be a welcome relief not to be floundering around the exercise floor like a beached whale as the ball escapes my grasp or wobbles around the room while I teeter on the edge. Sometimes I catch a gimpse of myself and am grateful for the fact I am of an age where looking ridiculous no longer inhibits me the way it once did.

How to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day

Shirley came to the office yesterday and offered me some encouragement. I told her I was struggling with the need to drink 8 glasses of water a day. She suggested I set my alarm to ring every hour throughout the day, at which time I should drink a glass of water. Works like a charm.

Of course, instead of using the washroom two or three times a day I am running to it every couple of hours. But I just think about the fact that the water is flushing out my system. (No pun intended.)

The one thing I hate about getting older is the need to get up in the middle of the night to use the washroom. But this way I don't have to drink any water in the evening, so my sleep won't be interrupted any more than usual. :))

First Optional Weigh-in

Today I learned that since my initial weigh-in I have lost 2.2 pounds, or .01% of my starting body weight on January 4th. Based on Shirley's experience I wasn't expecting any weight loss. The fact that I am building muscle, which weighs more than fat, is something my aching body reminds me of on a daily basis. :))

Last weekend I met Kim and Tony Leach, who were part of the winning team in 2009. They still look terrific! Tony said he too worked out with Zee, and is now able to do things he could never have done before he started his weight-loss journey.

Last night while running on the treadmill. the sides of my back started to ache horribly. Zee said that's where my kidneys are located. He asked how much water I drank that day, and I had to confess it had only been about l cup. He said my kidneys need water. I think I learned my lesson. I collapsed on the sofa when I got home and was unable to do much of anything for the rest of the evening.

I had found myself moaning, "Oh God" as Zee led me through 18 different exercises, 20 repetitions each. I pointed out to Zee that I was appealing to the Deity for help while being tortured. Zee said he knows the Deity well, to which I responded, "Yes, I believe you're the one he threw out of heaven." Zee was unapologetic. lol

Some of the people weighing in have done incredibly well. It's a joy to watch their enthusiasm.

End of Week Two of Donate the Weight

Week two flew by, as I was consumed with major events in both my full-time and part-time jobs. The accounting course I am taking was totally neglected, and when it is over at the beginning of March I am going to take a break from my studies for three months so I can concentrate more on my weight loss. When I resume studies toward the end of June, I plan to be at or close to my ideal weight.

The last week was a blur, but some things stand out in my memory. Shirley visited me and offered encouragement. We talked about diet, and she pointed out that since this is the last time I want to have to lose weight, it must be achieved in a sustainable manner. That means I have to adopt a diet I can follow for the rest of my life, rather than one that brings rapid weight loss but is unstainable for long periods of time, and is followed by rapid weight gain when I go off it. Basically that means I should eat a healthy breakfast as soon as I get up, and then eat something every 3 hours thereafter, consuming 5 or 6 small meals or snacks each day, made up of whole grains, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, lean protein, healthy oils and low fat dairy products. Processed and fast foods are out, as are things that are white: white flour, white rice, white potatoes, etc. None of this is new to me, and I have adhered to such a diet for much of the last 3 years. However, it was not combined with exercise, so served only to maintain my weight rather than reduce it. I would get discouraged and go on a binge for several weeks or months, then have to go back to the gym and a severly restricted diet in order to lose most of what I had gained. A rather foolish pattern. So now that I am being guided through a more effective exercise regime in combination with eating right, I will be motivated to continue eating properly as I experience sustained weight loss. As Zee puts it, "You'll soon be able to trade in that keg for a six-pack."

I am staying off the scale until the weigh-in on Saturday, January 22nd. I don't expect to see a miracle, as I have definitely been building muscle, which weighs more than fat. I will admit I don't see much of a change in my body yet, but am much stronger and constantly aware of the muscles that are being worked on. Sometime Brian McCullough works out with Zee at the same time I do, and last night he told me he thinks of pain as weakness leaving his body. What a good quote!

End of Week One of Donate the Weight

People sometimes suggest I should just forget about my weight and accept my body as it is. That is so wrong, on so many levels.


First, it suggests I adopt a defeatist attitude. "This is too much work, so no matter how much I want or need to lose weight, I'm going to take the easy way out and simply give up." Believe me, I often think about doing just that, and at times it appears as though I have, but ultimately I can't. It doesn't mean I don't like myself as a person, and don't recognize that my appearance is just a small part of who I am, but I simply can't decide to be less than I can be. I am not able to change my height or my age, but I can control other aspects of the way I look.


Second, even if I could accept my body, others won't and that makes it nearly impossible to pretend I'm fine with it. I was having a conversation with someone who was talking about his disappointment when he finally met someone face to face that he had been communicating with over the internet. Turns out her face was pretty, (which was all he had seen in her photographs)but her body was not. As he described her flabby arms and rolls of fat I pointed out the he is not exactly svelte. To which he replied, "No I'm not. But would you be attracted to a fat man?" He has a point. Just because I'm short and round doesn't mean I don't want to be with someone who is tall and slim. (My husband and I resemble the comic-strip characters Mutt and Jeff.)


Thirdly, it's not all about appearances. Being overweight is very hard on your body, and it will take its toll sooner or later. Since "later" is fast approaching, the time to act is now.

Today I weighed myself to see how far I've come. I lost 5.4 pounds while on RESET, 2.8 pounds of which were lost since my official weigh-in on January 4th. Given Shirley's experience, I was prepared not to lose any weight for the first couple of weeks, so I'm happy with this. I've not yet received diet guidelines from Zee, but had to start eating something before my work-outs so I have strength to complete those seemingly endless repetitions, and don't pass out. Zee never pushes me past my limits, but neither does he let me quit. I don't have to finish at warp speed, but he never lowers the required time I must spend on the equipment, or the number of repetitions I must complete.

So we'll see where this journey takes me over the remaining weeks of the campaign. Making myself a priority has been difficult, but I have done everything possible to paint myself into a corner so I can't back out. :))

Day Six of Donate the Weight

Something many overweight people have in common is the belief we don't deserve to pamper ourselves or wear nice things. Why waste the time and money? We won't look good or feel good about ourselves anyway! So we spend our time and money on other things, that we think are more worthwhile.

It's a vicious cycle. The bigger we get, the more we reinforce our belief that there's "no point." In turn, the worse we look because we're not engaging in self care, the more we comfort ourselves with food. I often ask myself why it is that even though I want to be slim and fit, I obviously want to gobble down sweets even more! It's baffling.

I think the problem is exacerbated in our small, relaxed, informal community. When I lived and worked in a large city I felt I had no choice but to be properly goroomed, put on make-up each morning and dress in a professional manner. But I soon learned that is not necessary in Powell River. It was easy to stop caring how I look. Spending an extra 45 minutes being productive at the computer each morning took precedence over putting on make-up and doing something with my hair. What I wore became unimportant to me. But it takes a toll. People's response to your appearance greatly affects the way you see yourself, which affects the way you treat yourself.

So I started making a point of paying more attention to the way I look. And guess what! People began commenting on my weight loss... even when there had been no weight loss! I just smiled and said, "I'm trying."

Day Five of Donate the Weight

After picking up more completed Donate the Weight registration forms at a couple of fitness centres, and before I went prepare the office for "Before" photos to be taken, I went to learn the results of my examination by Dr. Ted Johnson, chiropractor. He gave me the complete report, and showed me the x-rays he took. They indicate my spine has gone out of alignment and stopped moving properly, causing my neck to wear out prematurely and restricting my movement. He said this will eventually put pressure on my nerve system and cause pain, unless some corrective work is done on my spine so we can prevent those problems from progressing.

My immediate response was, "Neck? What neck? The only real problem I have with my entire spine is located on the two inch area between my ears and shoulders? That space isn't even long enough to accommodate dangling earrings!" Go figure.

So now I had to decide if I should stick to my "if it's not broke, don't fix it" credo (I rarely see a doctor, and haven't looked for a new one since Dr. Human left) and wait until I'm in pain, or if I should adopt a more intelligent attitude. At first my husband was skeptical, but when I showed him the report and told him what I had seen in the x-rays, he changed his mind and urged me to do whatever it takes. I had alrealy booked my first two appointments, and will phone our private health care provider on Monday to see if our plan covers any of the cost.

I was disappointed that other than those who registered with me at the Society office, few Donate the Weight participants chose to have "Before" photos taken. I know it's difficult to face the truth about our weight (some people refuse to register for Donate the Weight because they don't want to know how much they actually weigh), and photographs make us face the hard truth. But our "After" photos will be so much more meaningful to us when we can put them beside our "Before" photos and see how far we've come.

I had opportunity to meet photographer Steve Grover's wife, Susan. She is the CT Technologist that operates our community's new CT Scan machine. Susan works at the hospital with the Society's BC Branch President, Krista Denniston. Steve said shortly after he and Susan moved to Powell River, Krista and her husband Dean Adam arranged a couple of BBQs to introduce him and Susan to their friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. How thoughtful! Krista makes us proud. :))

Our liaison person at Curves advised me she will put together a team of five women to respond to the challenge put out by the group of men from Catalyst Paper. I think the women will put those men to shame. Perhaps other teams will be formed and make the race even more interesting!

Day Four of Donate the Weight

I survived another one hour workout with Zee. The focus was on my triceps and biceps. I got through it by remembering Shirley in a sleeveless summer dress, with toned and muscled arms. Zee said she got them by doing the same kind of workouts.

I got through the previous night's workout (albeit barely) by recalling the photo of Shirley in her black dress. Perhaps that's because I had earlier noticed that Curves recently held a Little Black Dress Contest. What a good idea! When researching the basic requirements for my future new wardrobe I found the little black dress on every list.

I bought a little black dress at The Knack soon after moving to Powell River in 2003. It was too tight to wear, but I was optimistic that I would soon lose into it. WRONG. Instead of losing a few pounds, I gained a lot of pounds. That dress still hangs in my closet, mocking me at times and beckoning to me at others. It will never go out of style, and I look forward to wearing it in a few months' time.

Perhaps after Donate the Weight ends for the year we should have a "Little Black Dress" night for every woman that achieves a similar goal! Hmmm.

Day Three of Donate the Weight

Completed 1 hour workout with Zee. OMG!

Day Two of Donate the Weight

I have never liked the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. I don't want to be harebrained, but does winning require the I plod along at a snail's pace? I hope not. In fact, I refuse to believe that is the case.

Immediate and sustained results are what I seek. That is why attempting to lose weight can be so discouraging. How long can one be expected to deprive themselves of food they love, while engaging in activities they hate, without seeing the desired results?? Yes, I know that logic dictates the weight will come off eventually through proper diet and exercise, but I live in the present, not the future.

So I'm all for anything that brings immediate results. Even if it's characterized as "water loss" at least it's a loss. But when you find something that works in a healthy way, it needs to be shared.

Several months ago I was introduced to Usana's RESET program (Google "Usana Reset" or visit http://products.usana.com/en/products/us/macros/reset/). It has been my experience that if I follow the program as outlined I will not feel hungry, and it rids me of carbohydrate cravings, which are my downfall. Average weight loss is a pound a day for 5 days, and it sets the stage for continued weight loss (although at a slower pace) by eating low gycemic foods. I started the program 3 days ago, and the results have been more than I could have hoped for. If you're interested, I can introduce you to a local distributor of Usana products. It's only part of the weight loss equation, but it's a valuable component.

Day One of Donate the Weight

I suffer from acute motion sickness. If you've never experienced it you can't imagine how it feels. I break out in a sweat, and am overcome by a feeling of nausea. At first I feel like I'm going to die, but quickly fear I won't. It is brought on primarily by bumpy plane rides, rough waters, and winding roads. Rides at amusement parks are particularly brutal, but I have also experienced it simply whirling around the dance floor. It is absolutely incapacitating, and the only way to get over it is to curl up and sleep for several hours.

Last night unanticipated motion sickness was elicited by the floor exercies I was trying to do. After about 40 minutes I had to give up, go home and go to bed. Fortunately I have an electronic bracelet that emits small electric shocks into the acupuncture points on my wrist, and prevents motion sickness on most modes of transportation. Hopefully it will work next time I am at the gym. Otherwise Zee will have to change my workouts. Very disappointing.

It was a joy to meet participants as they came in to register for Donate the Weight. The exchange of ideas and information was very helpful, at least to me. Shirley's Story has really sparked the imaginations of many of us, who had pretty much given up on ever being physically fit.

Between registering and weighing participants, I met with chiropractor Ted Johnson who carried out a variety of tests on my spine, including x-rays. He will have a written report of his findings when I see him again Saturday morning. I am curious to hear what he has to say, as I have no aches or pains to complain about and am not aware of any problems.

My next scheduled work-out with Zee is Thursday. Today I will just do some brisk walking up and down Marine Avenue (1 km each way) as I make a bank deposit and run other errands. Zee will present me with an eating plan later this week. In the meantime, I am controlling my food intake. The race is on!

More Motivation

Shirley emailed to say she would pledge $1 for every pound I lose. I told her that could get expensive. She said it was for two good causes. :))

Dina Windsor, who offers women's fitness classes, emailed her January Class Schedule to me. I posted in on the Society's website at www.dennistonsociety.org under Donate the Weight, Prizes and Participating Businesses. Dina will also provide extra suppport to Donate the Weight participants via weekly health / lifestyle tips, menus and recipes. She has shared "Clean Eating" recipes with me in the past, and they're great!

I checked out the scale that will be used to weigh participants. The competition is based solely on the percentage of total weight lost, but the scale provides a lot of other useful information.
For example, it shows the % of body fat, which in my case is a staggering 41.9%. According to charts that came with the scale, as well as what I found on the Internet, I should aim for 25% to 30% body fat. I guess I have a bit to lose :))

My total body water is 42.9%. Because body fat contains some body water weight, body fat and body water percentages will not add up to 100%. The guide which accompanies the scale says water makes up approximately 50-70% of the body's weight and is present proportionally more in lean tissue compared to fat tissue. Water is a medium for biochemical reactions that regulate body functions. The optimal % total body water of an individual varies according to age and gender. According to the chart that came with the scale, and what I found on the Internet, when I'm down to 21 to 29% body fat my total body water should be 52-58%. As you lose fat, you need to have more water in your system to compensate. Your body will tend to do this naturally for you. That is part of why it's key, as part of any healthy diet, to drink a lot of water. You should never "lose weight" by losing water. That can cause dehydration issues, which can be quite serious!

My Bone Mineral Mass is 59 pounds and muscle mass is 44 pounds. According to the user guide, weight change may occur from a combination of losing or gaining fat or muscle. A 10-pound weight loss will be approximately 70% fat loss and 30% muscle loss. This scale allows us to determine the composition of lost weight. The idea is to build up muscle in the body, which supports stronger, healthier bones.

According to the scale I must eat 1797 calories per day to maintain my current weight. My ideal weight (according to the scale) is 150.2 lbs. and I would require 1724 calories per day to maintain that weight. I find that confusing. First of all, I was close to 150 pounds not so long ago, and it was definitely not my ideal weight!

In any case, I'm sure Zee will tell me what I should know, and I can pass it on to campaign participants who are weighing in at the Society office. Some past winners did not use a gym or a trainer, choosing instead to simply increase their activity and decrease their food intake. That's what it boils down to!