The Diet Naked Blog

Inspired by Diabetes

Here is a contest open to those who have diabetes or who have a friend or family member with diabetes.  Check it out and let us know if you enter.

Official Thursday Weigh-In

Okay, so look.  On Sunday, I weighed 167.6.  Yes!  It was amazing, a miracle, a thrill.  And then I proceeded to freak out, a victim of hormones (don't look at me like that, PMS is real), disappointment (read about it on my other blog), my late-night job and foolishness.  Why is it that I couldn't stop myself until today?  I don't know, but I consider this, my weigh-in day, an official stop sign.  STOP!  WRONG WAY! 

I'm just glad I didn't do that much damage.  My weight is 170.6 today.

A bunch of email got caught in a spam filter and just yesterday, I found it, including a link to this blog entry.  I found it hilarious . . . how many of us have eaten a healthy lunch . . . followed by 3 leftover fish sticks and a half a popsicle left on the counter and two cookies abandoned on the coffee table?

Well, it is what it is.  Check in now.  If you want.  If you dare.  If you need.  (And?  Did I enter your weights from last week?  I fear not . . . but I will.  Sooner or later.  Gah.  I'm overwhelmed.)

Self-Sabotage

Why is it that some of us sabotage ourselves?  I saw 167.6 pounds on the scale on Sunday (I checked because I'd been out of town for a couple of days) and I rejoiced . . . and then ate like a crazy woman.  Last night, in fact, at nearly midnight, I was at my computer with my hand plunged into a box of Captain Crunch (with Crunch Berries). 

Now, I could explain this as a hormone-related event, but I think the truth is that I'm sabotaging myself and I'm not exactly sure why.  Instead of cheering my accomplishments, I undermine them.

I'll be thinking on these things over the next few days. 

Product Review: Special K2O Protein Water Mix

You might remember back in December when I reviewed some protein-enhanced products from Special K.  I was not thrilled with the protein water because it contained sugar. 

Last week, I received some samples of Special K2O Protein Water Mix to try.  (I tried the Strawberry-Kiwi flavor, but my kids liked the Iced Tea and Pink Lemonade flavors.)  The mix comes in a little tube which you can dump into a 16.9 ounce water bottle.  Mix it up and you have a flavored drink with 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and zero grams of sugar per serving.

And, I thought it tasted good!  My kids liked it, too. 

The idea behind this drink mix is that it offers a portable way to take the edge off hunger between meals.  We all know that protein and fiber are important in satisfying hunger, and this product offers a bit of both while avoiding sugar.  I like this idea a lot!  I like this product.  It's nice to have another tool in the weight loss arsenal.

(You who are all about all-natural foods will probably want to steer clear of this product.  Just so you know.  I am all about artificial sweeteners, though, so this works for me.)

This item will be available in stores in August.  I received no compensation for this review, other than the product itself.

Core Exercises, Anyone?

Check out these core exercises.  I think I will try them myself.

The End

I ended my official exercise streak today.  I exercised every single day for fourteen months, give or take a few weeks.

And today, I spent the morning with friends from my adolescence, then drove three hours home, arriving here at 8:00 p.m.  I decided somewhere near Snoqualmie Pass that I was not going to exercise when I got home.

I think I proved my point . . . anyone can fit daily exercise into his or her life.  I've made it a habit.  Now, I'm going to downgrade to five or six days a week.

I'm not even disappointed with myself . . . all good things come to an end eventually.  Right?  (Mostly, I'm just exhausted from the continuous activity in the past few weeks.)

Official Thursday Weigh-In

I weighed in today at 169.4.  I was rather pleased with this, especially in light of this weeks' dalliance with French fries and homemade chocolate chip cookie dough.  (At least I had the good sense to freeze the cookies once they were baked.)

Now, time for you to check in, too.  Do you have any particular goals for the upcoming week?  I'm going out of town for a day and a half to visit some old friends . . . uh, some middle-aged friends . . . I mean, some friends I've known since junior high.  I intend to stay on my eating plan unless confronted with a slab of cheesecake.

Focus, focus, focus

Two nights ago, I was eating (from the bag!) those pink and white iced animal cookies.  FROM THE BAG, PEOPLE!  And earlier in the day, I'd had French fries from McDonalds.  FRENCH FRIES!  And let's not even talk about the homemade chocolate chip cookies on Sunday . . . what has happened to my self-control? 

So, yesterday, I started over.  I ate oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast.  I avoided snacking all morning.  I ate salad with albacore tuna for lunch, with some whole-wheat crackers and hummus.  I did not snack all afternoon.  (I know.  It's a miracle.)  Then, I made the kids fish-sticks and french fries for dinner.  (Don't ask . . . it was such a crazy day.)  I wanted to snatch one of those crispy fish sticks and pop it into my mouth, but I did not.

Instead, I cut up some zucchini, onion, and celery, stir-fried it with some cubes of tofu (which I really like, as it turns out), added a little Trader Joe's Thai Peanut Sauce and had a filling, satisfying dinner.

Last night, I really wanted something . . . but I couldn't figure out what.  So, I ate some sugar-free pudding.  I was up late working on my computer, so I chewed gum instead of eating.  Gum!  Gum is my new weight loss partner.

And because I had such a good day yesterday, I am determined to have a good day today.  So far, so good, but I am sure looking forward to lunch!  Focus--I am trying to regain some focus.

(Oh, and here's a testimonial about work-out partners.  I meet a friend every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. to walk three and a half miles.  I've been working until midnight, so I most certainly do NOT want to get up at 6:15 a.m. . . . but I know she's waiting for me.  This morning, she overslept, but I was already at her house and though I had come so close to not getting up myself, I was already awake, in the cold, ready to go.  So, I walked.  I ran, actually, part of the time.  If I didn't have a buddy expecting me to show up, I would never manage to do so.

Three cheers for walking partners!)

Questions for Marty Wolff?

Marty Wolff was a contestant on Season 3 of the NBC show, The Biggest Loser.  He lost 125 pounds.

I'm going to interview him in the next week or so . . . and I thought you might like to contribute some questions.  Post any questions about weight loss you might have for Marty in the comment section.

(And even though the scandal about him proposing recently to Amy, another contestant on the show is all over the Internet, let's avoid any questions about his personal life.  This isn't the time or place for that.)

Unscientific Survey

Raise your hand if you've ever eaten more than your fair share of something.  For instance, have you ever gotten to the bottom of a family-sized potato chip bag and realized you ate most of it?  Have you ever polished off a family-sized bag of chocolates?  Have you consumed four donuts in a row?

Or am I the only one?

SB noted in a previous comment that I seem unsympathetic to those who gain weight through no fault of their own and who most certainly have not eaten entire bags of Oreos.  I can see how she assumed this.  I tend to see the world through my own eyes and while I have been diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) which causes insulin resistance and weight gain, I have always known that every extra pound on my body is a result of overeating.  My comments in this blog are from that perspective and perhaps I'm careless in assuming that my readers understand that.

Most people are like me, I think.  Most of us gained weight because we ate too much.  It's just science.  You have to burn what you eat and if you don't, you'll store it as fat.  Calories in, calories out.

I do have sympathy for the rare person who struggles with weight gain due to a medical condition.  I do.  That person is rare, though.  Most of us would like to believe that we are not responsible for our own obesity.  I personally went to the doctor in the fall of 2005 hoping that something was wrong with my thyroid--because if nothing were wrong, then I was responsible for my own condition.

My thyroid was fine.  I had no one to blame but myself, which made me cry.  However, now that I've faced the truth (calories count even if no one sees me eat them), I've been able to lose weight.

And most overweight people can do the same. 

Those who can't do have my sympathy.  Really.