noodle’s doodles

I got back last night from the beautiful Philippines, a place called Cebu to be exact.  For those history buffs, that’s the place where the natives fought the Spanish and regained their independence.

The skies were blue with fluffy clouds, the sea was azure and the sand was soft and white.  Our resort was like a tropical paradise with palm trees and lagoon-style pools and thatched roofs.  It was breathtaking.

Being ever the adventurers, we decided to leave the resort and see some of the real world.  The people are extreamly poor but amazingly friendly and easy going (at least to us).  We hired a tricycle which is kind of a motorbike and side car and we went to see a few sights.  We also had amazing sea food: Chili shrimps and steamed clams.  That night we sat at the beach bar and had a few beers (San Miguel light!!). 

The next day we oragnised a snorkelling trip with the guy whose tricycle we had hired (Pinky).  I knew that people were taking advantage of us in terms of ‘foreigner prices’ for just about everything, but let’s face it $1 US dollar is not much to pay for a beer or a coke and these people need the income, their ecomony needs the tourism.  We set off to a coral reef which is a sanctuary for tropical fish.  I’m also a fish keeper so I’ll tell you, this was the highlight of my trip.  Litterally hundreds of thousands of fish, all the colours of the rainbow, swimming up and nibbling the bread we had.  It was like being in another universe!  We then went to have more sea food in a floating restaurant.  There were kids floating on home made contraptions, trying to sell shell necklaces.  We gave them money to share and took a couple.  Aparently these were the children of fisherfolks, and the poorest of all.  These kids weren’t even at school.

The next day, we stayed on the beach in the resort.  By now I was hooked on snorkelling and spent most of the day submersed checking out fish, seahorses, starfish, anenomies, urchins, crabs and more.  We met the family of a couple who were getting married that day and they invited us to the evening ceremony.  We dressed up and took a boat to the small private island that the resort owns.  Wow, what a gorgeous wedding…and lively too!  The guy was Irish and the girl was Philippina…lots of drinking ensued!  We had already made arangements to go out with Pinky and his friends because we wanted to see what the locals do on a Saturday night.  We snuck away from the Wedding for a few hours and went to the most bizarre ‘disco’ I’ve ever seen.  It was in an out door basketball court.  There was an entrance fee (a few pennies) so there were as many people outside the railings as inside dancing.  Needless to say we were the only foreigners.  The music was hip-hop and the drinks were so cheap.  We got so drunk!  On returning to the compound, some of the Irish folks were still partying so we continued with them until the wee hours and after some ill-advised night swimming/skinny dipping, I watched the sun come up in paradise.

We had raging hangovers the next day and I sat in the pool and read.  On the final day, we spent a few hours in the spa.  We had a trditional massage with hot banana leaves (??) and then we had facials.  I also had a mani-pedi to show off my new tan.  It was just amazing.

So, I’ve clearly forgotten what I intended to blog about…oh yeah, food.  I’ll be brief.  My food choices were so-so.  I ate a good balance with a few treats.  I also drank a fair bit.  The result, half a pound gain.  I can definately live with that for 5 days in heaven!

Seriously!  I chopped it in half and tried to ’scoop’ it out and now it’s in my eye, my keyboard (yep, eating at the computer on my break, tsk tsk), my monitor and beyond.  I always thought it looked like such an elegant food to eat on TV.  Not so.  Tips appreciated.

What I realise is that my range of food as a youngster was pretty limited and as an adult, there are lots of fruits and veg and such that I simply do not know what to do with.  I’m trying to challenge myself to mix up the diet and therefore nutrients.  I think I’ve only ever drank grapefruit juice.  No, I’m sure I’ve eaten it before…but how?  Ha Ha! 

I also bought a mango the other day but had no way to know if it was ripe…..it wasn’t!  Live and learn.  There are lots of other crazy fruits here that I cannot even begin to describe.  Sometimes the locals just laugh at me while I stand mesmorised at some odd looking round bumpy thing.  I pick it up, sniff it, roll it around in my hand and put it back looking confused.  But I’m trying.  I’m trying out some new foods and I’ll figure them out.  I have minimal cooking talents at the moment and I wish that to change.

So my challenge for the week (and I urge you all to join me) is to pick up one new fruit/veg/crazy foodstuff each week and give it a whirl.  Last week I got to grips with tofu.  I’ll let you know what this week brings!! (aside from a sticky chin/keyboard!) 

Mission 1: Accomplished!  I reached my mini goal on weigh in today.  I’m thrilled!  I actually passed it by a pound. 

Last Thursday I did the most gruelling session at fat camp.  The usual trainer was away so the owner came to instruct and show a new trainer the ropes.  He took no prisoners!  Only 3 people turned up (it’s very hot and humid) so most of the time I had one-on-one time with a trainer.  I really gave it my all and the pain has only just gone.  Despite the stiffness I got up on Saturday and ran and did some weights.  I’ve fallen slightly behind with my running schedule (the 10K is at the end of August) but I think I can make up some of that ground, plus bootcamp is definitely keeping me fit.

Now the confession!  It was a friend’s birthday yesterday and I drank more that I had planned but my food was fine.  Seemingly my extra efforts were enough to out-weigh my indescresions this weekend.  I’m going to double check my weight tomorrow in case the booze calories haven’t had a chance to ’stick’ yet, ha ha ha, is that even how it works??

I’m so pumped right now.  I ordered some bikinis online and will pick them up from the post office tomorrow.  On Thursday I’m jetting off to the Philippines for my summer holiday.  Ahhh, white beaches, relaxation, cocktails!  

So despite all this excitement I have to consider some goals.

My first goal is to maintain my weight over my holiday.  I also intend to keep close to my diet plan:  Minimal carbs, no bad fat, lots of fruit and veg.  This should be OK where I’m going.  I will be taking my workout gear so that I can use the gym or run on the beach if the mood takes me (I’m really starting to get a kick out of working out so this might happen!!), failing that/in addition I plan to do some enjoyable activities apart from lazing in the sun:  Tennis, snorkelling etc.  Lastly, I will try try try to keep to low cal drinks.  No pina coladas for me!! The drinking ban was officially lifted on Friday and I have to learn how to keep control of this aspect of the diet.  With mini goal reached, I have more motivation than ever to keep on track.

Thank you all for your wonderful support.  I’m sure I wouldn’t have gotten this far without buddyslim and my girl ‘Tea’ keeping me going!!  

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

VANCOUVER, B.C. — One of the largest clinical studies on keeping off the pounds after weight loss supplies more evidence that even when the battle of the bulge is won, the war is far from over.

Researchers at Brown University in Providence say the safety zone around weight maintenance is about 5 pounds. That’s the marker indicating it’s time to stop in your tracks and immediately reverse course before all is un-lost.

“The key factor is you must continue to monitor your weight after you’ve lost it, and if you start to regain, then immediately rein in your eating and step up your exercise,” says Rena Wing, a professor of psychiatry at Brown University and lead researcher on the new study called Stop Regain.

The researchers presented the new data Sunday at the annual meeting of the NAASO, the Obesity Society, an organization of professionals working in obesity research, treatment and prevention. NAASO stands for the North American Association for the Study of Obesity.

Scientists have long sought clues to the mystery of how to keep diet-weary Americans from regaining weight they’ve lost. Researchers here are talking about why that’s so hard to do for both behavioral and biological reasons.

“Weight-loss maintenance is the No. 1 problem in the treatment of obesity,” Wing says. “The question is: Can we stop regain? The answer is a resounding yes.” The government-financed Brown University study of about 300 people over 1½ years encouraged participants who had lost weight to do the following:

• Step on a scale every day.

• Try to be physically active at least an hour a day.

• Participate in face-to-face weight-maintenance classes or Internet programs that offer support and instruction.

• And if they regain 5 pounds, put on the brakes by following a better eating and exercise plan.

Fast start, then reversal

Several studies released at last year’s obesity meeting showed that dieters on aggressive programs lose an average of 20 to 22 pounds — or about 10% of their starting weight — in the first six months and then quit losing. Many then start to gain the weight back, which is frustrating to dieters and weight-loss professionals.

In considering behavioral obstacles, NAASO members considered other research Sunday on the effect of stress on 69 African-American women who had lost weight.

That study found that the women were more likely to regain weight if they were stressed or a little down, because that’s when they ate more high-calorie, high-fat foods, says Paula Rhode of the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She says the study focused on black women because they are at a high risk for obesity and obesity-related diseases. “These findings suggest that adding stress-management strategies to weight-loss programs may help prevent or delay weight regain,” Rhode says.

But experts now know that there’s a lot more to the problem than coping or lifestyle.

The National Weight Control Registry is a research study of adults who have succeeded at long-term weight loss. Its members include thousands of Americans who have lost and kept off at least 30 pounds for more than six years. They report taking these steps to avoid gaining weight: • Exercise regularly. They walk 4 miles a day or burn the equivalent in calories in another form of physical activity. • Limit calories to an average of about 1,800 a day. • Consume a relatively low-fat diet and have breakfast every day. • Do regular weigh-ins. • Eat in a consistent way. That means not overindulging on the weekends. • Keep track of what is eaten.

“Weight loss is not just about behavior and willpower; it’s biological,” says obesity society president Louis Aronne. “There is a coordinated mechanism in the body — designed to prevent you from starving to death — that makes weight loss difficult.”

Aronne explains that dieters’ own hormones start working against them as the body fights to get back to its former weight. In an effort to keep the dieter from starving, a hunger hormone called ghrelin increases and a fullness hormone called leptin decreases.

“So weight loss is not easy because the body is essentially working against you,” Aronne says.

But some people are able to overcome the obstacles. Researchers have learned a lot from members of the National Weight Control Registry, a study of about 5,000 people who lost an average of 73 pounds and kept off at least 30 pounds for more than six years.

As one of the founders of the registry, Wing used the data from the registry to design the latest study.

She and colleagues recruited 314 people who had lost 10% or more of their body weight in the past two years in a variety of ways, including following Weight Watchers, Atkins and other programs. The average weight lost was 44 pounds; some dropped more than 100 pounds.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. A control, or baseline, group received only a periodic newsletter with weight maintenance tips. A second group went to classes regularly for 18 months. The third group used the Internet to get educational information similar to the material covered in the classes. (Related story: The Internet as a weight loss tool )

The class and Internet groups were taught secrets of success from registry members and encouraged to follow their examples. They wrote their own weight-loss success stories to refer back to if they started gaining.

The dieters in the treatment groups kept track of their weight and plotted it on a chart that had green, yellow and red zones. Each week, the classroom participants called an automated answering service, and the other group entered their weight on the Stop Regain website.

If they were within 2 pounds of their goal, they were in the green zone and received small rewards once a month, such as green gum, a green Frisbee or a dollar bill.

If they went 3 to 4 pounds over that weight, they were in the yellow zone, which meant they should start watching their diet more closely and exercising more.

If they gained 5 pounds or more, they hit the red zone. Those in the face-to-face treatment group received a call from a weight-control counselor who would help them get back on track. Internet dieters got an e-mail from a specialist.

To combat the extra weight, dieters were advised to read their own weight-loss story and reinstate those behaviors or follow a low-calorie plan that included exercise.

The fruits of their labors

The findings after 18 months:

• About 70% of the newsletter group regained 5 pounds or more; 54% of the Internet group regained that much, as did 38% of the face-to-face group.

• The median weight gain was 10 pounds for the newsletter group; 6 pounds for the Internet group; 2.5 pounds for the face-to-face group.

• Among those who weighed in daily, 61% maintained their weight within 5 pounds. But weighing daily only helped those in the class and Internet groups.

• People who were the most successful exercised for about an hour a day.

“Face-to-face classes and the Internet support program were helpful because participants were taught how to make changes in eating and activity to immediately reverse small weight gains,” says Deborah Tate, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina and a co-investigator on the study.

The program really worked for some participants.

I’m a long way off this stage but thought it was really useful.  Maybe we should have a maintenance forum and encourage weekly weigh ins to keep track of the 5lb marker

Week 3 is where I thought I’d unravel.  The novelty has worn off the diet and exercise and it’s just normal life.  This was the week when I would decide (subconsciously) if this was the ‘lifestyle change’ we all long for and not the quick fix.

It meant that real life started to come back into play.  I had to miss bootcamp one night to go to a gig.  I’ve been out several times this week and tried to sick very close to my diet but I suspect salad from a restaurant is not quite as healthy as the ones I make at home (who knows what’s in those yummy dressings).  I also had a glass of wine.  This isn’t bad except that it was mostly out of peer pressure.  My husband and I go out regularly with this other couple.  We go out and get drunk and party at the weekends.  Our relationship with this couple is based on this activity above anything else.  They are tolerating my 1 month off the booze but I know that when August hits, they’ll all be expecting me to go back to binge drinking and cocktails.  I don’t want this (have you seen the calories in cocktails!!).  I want to become one of those people who can have a couple of glasses of wine and call it quits and can alternate alcoholic and non-alcholic drinks.  This will have massive long term health benefits for me.  Living in Hong Kong, the expat lifestyle is basically to go out to eat and get drunk as often as your hangovers will let you.  It’s been lots of fun for 2 years but now I see all the damage….on the scales.

So, back to the point:  This week I didn’t crumble.  I stuck at it albeit with some small indiscretions (glass of wine, some popcorn at the movies) but I didn’t let them throw me off track.  The results?  Today was weigh in day and I’ve lost 2 more pounds!! I’m 2 pounds off my mini goal with 2 weeks to my holidays!  Whoopeeeee  

First off…I maintained this week.  I’m pretty happy with that since I lost quite a lot in week one so I guess this was a ‘balancing out’ week (or something?!).

I see so clearly now that the weekends are my major downfall.  I didn’t do badly but I could have been much better with my routine.  Firstly, I ate 2 meals on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.  My whole meal routine goes totally out of the window.  I went out with friends on Friday.  I didn’t drink a drop of booze even though I accepted a new job (good for me), but I did eat out.  I made the best possible choices but I know it’s never going to be as healthy as something I make myself.  

We got a new PC on Friday and it’s really super cool.  I spent most of the weekend playing with the new toy and installing programs.  As a result (plus a genuine sore knee) I didn’t work out and I messed up my sleep patterns (bed late, up late).  I haven’t exactly done anything wrong (no naughty treats etc) but it was all a bit too much like the old me.

So enough about the past.  Today is Monday…it’s bootcamp day.  I’m going to go and kick my ass tonight.  I’m back on track.  The sun is shining! 

Good luck fellow buddies!!   

I planned to only weigh myself once a week, on Sundays, but that’s not happened.  I want to see the results of my hard work and see it now!

After a really good start last week, I’m not seeing anything in the weight department this week.  I’m just hovering around the same.  Now I fully expected this.  This happens each and every time I loose weight.  I drop 5lbs+ in the first week and then stick for a while.  I’ve never stuck with it long enough to get over this part.  Obviously this time, I’m not giving up so easily so I decided to look for evidence beyond the scales to fuel the motivation. 

Firstly, I am feeling so much better.  I am sleeping better and feel more energetic.  My fitness level has already improved in a week and a half and I can run 3Km without wanting to die.  My clothes feel more comfortable.  My skin looks a little better.  I love feeling full after a normal sized meal and I’m learning to listen to the ‘full up’ alarm.  I’m saving money buying food instead of eating out.  I haven’t had a hangover for 2 weeks.

 All little things that add up.  I commented on a blog yesterday that looking good was just the icing on the cake and our health and longevity is the ultimate prize.  I guess it’s sometimes hard to truly know what this means as a relatively healthy 28 year old.   

To all those that have maintained this week (or not), please let me know what signs you can see that this process is working… 

My official weigh in this morning showed big losses this week, almost 7lbs in fact.

Please don’t get worried, I’m really not doing anything out of the ordinary.  Yes my calories are around the 1200 marker (more or less) and I’m eating every time I’m hungry.  Beginners luck I guess.  The best news is that I’ve moved from the ‘obese’ to ‘overweight’ category on the BMI.  I’ve never been so happy to be called overweight!  ha ha!

This weekend was a struggle.  I was out all day Sat (gym, swim and cinema), so had to eat in a restaurant.  Plus I woke up late so sort of had a brunch and eveing meal.  But the evening meal had lots of calories so made up for missing a meal.  I tried to make good choices and wasn’t tempted by the bread basket!

 Today I had breakfast and a snack then went shopping.  I was in a part of town I didn’t know so well and I started to get hungrier and hungrier.  I had no idea where to eat and felt myself just about to cave into some crappy food then my scales flashed before my eyes and I grabbed the metro to a part of town I knew for a salad.  Hubby didn’t complain and ate salad too!  I felt much better for sticking to it. 

I don’t expect to loose so much every week, and I know it’s a bit extreme, but it is very satisfying to see my hard work paying off.  I even had a extra snack tonight to make sure I’m reaching 1200 cals.  I’m not here for the quick fix….I’m in this for the whole ride!

I broke my drinking fast last night.  A friend of mine had some bad news and I went to meet her for a drink.  I couldn’t bring myself to order a diet coke with her weeping into her whisky while her boyfriend was flying home to bury his dad.  Living out in Asia, that call is everyone’s worst fear .  It seems to have made it more personal for everyone.  

 So I broke it.  Who cares? I was pleased that I maintained a level of control.  I opted for red wine because I know it’s got some health giving properties, plus I don’t drink it often so I wouldn’t gulp it.  I kept it to 2 (very large I must say) glasses. 

 I think I’m learning about that ellusive quality: moderation!  It felt good to make the decision that I was going to have a drink with my friend in this circumstance and keep control of it.  I don’t want to sound like I should be on my way to AA, but my relationship with drink is the same as food…no moderation.  Until now, that is.

Thinking long term, I need to know how to balance life and loosing weight.  Right now, it’s all I think about, I’m consumed by calorie counting, this site, exercising etc and it’s keeping me right on track.  But this will fade when I reach my target and I can only hope I have all the skills to keep the sense of balance.  I guess this is why they call it a lifestyle change.

I’ll drink to that! 

I, like most on here, can’t actually figure out how I got to where I am.  I considered my previous diet OK.  It was: no breakfast, no snack, salad/sandwich for lunch, no snack, big dinner plus occasional treats.  This did not apply at the weekend which was a bit like: drink - eat - hangover - eat - drink - etc. 

 Now I’m starting to see the problems for myself (note mild sarcasm).  OK, I always knew the booze and kebabs wasn’t a good plan, but the rest of the week?  Well, we all know the virtues of breakfast but I have also started to realise that not snacking was another big problem.  I’m still finding it hard to allow myself to snack, but I haven’t yet been ’starving’ when I get to my meal times now that I am having 2 snacks a day.  I honestly managed to train myself so well that those evil snacks were my only problem!!  Now I feel like I’m eating all day, and I’m still cutting my calories in half.  I love it!

Still dreading going back on the booze though….I’m bound to want to eat something bad!  I’m avoiding that for now (booze free July!).  Anyone got any good ideas?  I can’t see me carrying carrot sticks into cocktail bars!