A book

Rachel's recent checking in post came at the right time for me.

Awhile ago, someone who cares for me shared their wish that I would lose more weight. More weight? Well, I lost about 38 kg over a four-five year period. Have kept that weight off for about a year or so . Have a healthy BMI but it is still a weight that is at the higher end of the healthy BMI.This pic was from 38 kg ago....

After Easter, this year, I tried stepping up workouts and eating mostly healthy. I lost 1 kg over the last three months. My doctor was pleased -she said most people who lose weight regain it and I hadn't. But that person-who-cares and myself weren't happy.

Could I deny myself a little, lose another ten kg,?

I bought some Weight Watchers magazines.And thought - - if they can do it, so can I. For my even better health; for fitness; for another; to learn even more self control and self discipline; and, yes, vanity prevailing, to look better.

Walking, jogging, instead of Taebo. Counting WW points. I lost a kg this week. Only nine more to go!

And I've ordered this book - from a lifetime Weight Watchers member. Looks good!

New goal weight, here I come!

Anyone going to join me?

Change One

Sounds sensible...Still working on those 5-10 kg here!

The Change One Diet is a weight loss program from prolific publisher Reader’s Digest. The content is authored by some of their leading health and nutrition writers.

The plan originally appeared in the book Change One: Lose Weight Simply, Safely, and Forever: The Breakthrough 12-Week Eating Plan from Reader’s Digest, and received very favorable reviews (typically 5/5). Reader’s Digest have now come up with a complete on-line format containing all the advice from the book plus additional tools.

The name “Change One” comes from the idea that you make a single change to your lifestyle and diet each week.

Start out by altering breakfast habits, then lunch, then dinner and so on. Each week gradual changes are made towards a 12 week goal. There are no restricted food groups as such, and the diet is simply a balanced plan based on an “optimal” caloric intake for weight loss. It’s a refreshing break away from the “bad/naughty” foods point-of-view that causes so many dieters to binge or fail.

Don't Diet!

From the book Eating Less - Say Goodbye to Overeating by Gilllian Riley.

It may be depressing but it is true that most people who lose weight by restricting their calorie intake put their lost weight - and more - back on.

Those who stay trim by eating a healthier diet and adopting a modest exercise programme fare better at keeping the weight off in the long term.

I don't do that any more!

From The Do-able Diet ~ Barbara Wimhurst, a mother in her 20s, lost 45 kg on her own by eating less and exercising...

I remind myself constantly "I don't do that anymore". Every time my eye wanders down the confectionery aisle, or I go to eat the crusts from my sons' lunch or I think to ask for some extra cream on the side, I repeat this affirmation, "I don't do that anymore". These words remind me of how far I have come and how much I prefer the sweet taste of freedom and success,

Diet Girl

I've been reading "The Amazing Advenures of Diet Girl". This is her blog.

Very inspiring. An Aussie, living in Scotland, who has lost and maintained the loss of 70 kg ( about 150 lbs).

How?

By eventually giving up diets and working on body image, eating healthfully , allowing food treats and exercising. And blogging about these things, in order to create an online community of support.

Like us. :-)

Genotype Diet

I read The Genotype Diet book over the weekend by Dr. D'Adamo. It certainly is an interesting read. It is essentially about how you can understand your genetic inheritance and work with it by eating and exercise to reach optimal health and to age well. The science is much easier to follow that the Eat Right for Your Type books, I think. And I'm always for anything that's going to give me an extra piece of self-understanding. I admit I am struggling with adapting the dietary changes, since I have really gotten used to the Type O program I've used for the last two years, and this has a few different emphases. But I do think that if you want help in making friends with your body, reading this book might help you. You could say his mantra is "one size doesn't NOT fit all," or in other words, the same sorts of diet and exercise approaches do not work for every person.

Another good book...

...on healthy eating, on body image, on emotional eating, on the mind stuff.

I wrote about "Joining the Thin Club" on my blog.

Anyone else have favourite fitness books? Or am I the only fitness/health/diet book junkie? lol!

Curently reading....

Secrets of a Former Fat Girl.

The title of a new book that I am reading.

Very helpful, if you have food and body issues to work through. As I do.

I wrote about the book on my blog ( click on the title above for the link...).

Back to More Variety in Workouts!

My flu has finally gone, only a lingering cough gives a hint that I was sick. So, the last few days I have been able to add cardio back into my workouts.

While I had the flu, I did weights - specifically, the Cindy Crawford workouts. They are fun and effective but don't leave a sick exerciser gasping for breath!

The last few days, I've done Taebo - Bootcamp 2, Bootcamp Cardio Liev, Billy's Favourite Moves, Taebo Blaster Ball workout.

Feels good to add in more variety. To be well! lol!

I also picked up a neat book - Walk Off Weight. I am not going to do walking for my cardio, I like more intensity than that. But I do like the crosstraining tips, the nutrition ideas, the 8 week food and activity journal. So, I'm off to do this 8 week plan for fitness, starting on Monday.

I also found my copy of The Best Life Diet by Bob Green. Thanks Anne for reminding me of this book! I think I'll pick it up where I left it off last tme.

Finally, I found an interesting book on, yes, weight loss but also on nutrition and fitness for the whole family. Eat, Drink and Weigh Less by Mollie Katzen ( the Moosewood Cookbook) and Walter Willet ( the Harvard Health Project). Many good ideas, supported by research.

All these books focus on a way of eating and working out for life, not on a more short term diet or workout plan. This has been the way I've lost ( 30kg) 66lbs , over the last five years, after a serious bout of medical/health problems and depression - both of which caused weight gain. Once I and doctors managed these, I had to set out to lose the weight that had been gained - hard for me, as I had always enjoyed working out and had to start again at the beginning. But I'm almost there! lol!

Reading on health, fitness and nutrition always motivates me!

A new book on walking and on faith.

For those of you who are walkers. It sounds good.

Walking the Walk: Get Fit With Faith by Leslie Sansone.

Today's workout..

...was Billy Blanks Bootcamp Basic Training ( 55 minutes). Haven't done this one for at least six months - maybe a year! - so it was good to pull it out. I go through stages of loving ( and then hating) bootcamp style workouts. Today I loved it!

And I am reading two of Debra Waterhouse's books on fitness and health and eating for women - one for women after age 35, one for after pregnancies. Very helpful!

A walking journal

I know that a few of you are walkers. Well, Leslie Sansone has a out a new Walker's Journal.

It has tips and space to record walks and food and goals and a daily happy thought, over a four month period.

Fed Up and Seven Habits

Leonie, I got the Fed Up book you rec'd from the library and read half of it last night! (I did skim over some parts that did not apply, but I found tons that did.)

I realize I am one of those who has let food take much too big of a role in my life.
I think she is onto something, and like the fact that she was in a similar boat- but pretty extreme, and then became a doctor- so seems to have a common sense approach to this. (not too psych-pop)

I like her goals- not dieting. She spends quite a bit of time on the whys, both physcially and psychologically. I also like that she has you really think about this and let it sink in. She also talks a lot about body image. I realized that I am a true child of the media and I guess like most people my age and younger, have been heavily influenced by the media.

This is part where I want spiritually to override.

One thing she talked about was to think about our genetics. If your parents are big-boned, or not petite, you probably will not look like Kate Moss. And if you do, you are probably ill.

I started thinking about me genetics. I take after my dad. He is 6'3". I am only 5'7" but I have his build. Broad shoulders (think Joan Crawford) long legs. When trying to decide if I was an apple or pear shape (you know the fitness test) I am neither. I finally found it, I am a watermelon.. I gain all over!

But, I also started thinking about my paternal grandmother. She is also built like her son. And I therefore am built like her. She was never a petite woman. She was never fat, but just strong and tall. I never thought that was a bad thing.

Oops! Yes I did! I remember asking a relative who I looked like. They said my grandmother. I asked if that meant I was pretty. The person just smiled and if to say no. Amazing how these things stick with a child! (Stephen Covey talks about that in 7 Habits)

I realistically thought about what my body can and should look like at age 47. And it is beautiful. I see other women and think they are very beautiful and they are not super thin. I am rather hung up on numbers. I was a bit heavy in high school then lost it in college and never wanted to go back.

But, I see that once one can accept their body and beautiful just as it is, then do healthy things to help it be better, that is were it's at!

Oh, other things I related to.. like don't buy new clothes until I lose weight and 'deserve it'. Silly things like that. Boy, the dieting media has really messed with our minds.

Now, add all this great advice to the character based insights I'm getting in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and I'm gonna be so balanced I won't be able to stand it! lol