My diet (and exercise) blog....

[politicat]

(I originally posted this in Cooking and Baking, since for me, this is mostly about food. But I guess it sort of applies over here, too. )

Link: http://platewatch.blogspot.com /

I've never had an easy relationship with food, I'll admit. In my own mind, I've always been overweight, even when I was on target. While I've never been clinically anorexic and never been bulimic, I've always been somewhat compulsive about counting calories, fat grams, cholesterol and protein grams. I've always been a bit compulsive about making sure I hit the balance between Resting Metabolism and caloric consumption, because I really hate sweating with lots of other people around. Phys. Ed. did a number on my head, and I'm terrified of gyms now. So while I've been obsessive (and there's a reason I do the work I do) the obsession has always been to get it just right, a probable legacy of my status as first born and Mother's Little Helper. For most of my life, it's been a functional relationship, one that kept me fit enough.

The past year, however, has been really, really bad, as my endocrine system has gone wonky and I've gained pounds on a diet that should be less than maintenance. The endocrine system issue is a genetic issue, one that I knew was coming and feared (which was part of the motivation for the earlier obsessions that I'd just about gotten broken.)

Now, knowing the problem is there, but not having a family doctor with a long history with the family (the price of living 1000 miles from any family member), getting the medical profession to realize that no, I'm not crazy and no, I don't live on chips, soda and cake, and no, I do in fact exercise quite a bit, means that I must go back to my obsessive noting down of every bit of food and exercise.

But... I love good food, and that's not something easy to change. Scaling portions has helped: I make mini muffins, and limit myself to one; I am in love with Pepperidge Farms' very thin sliced bread (since I can't seem to cut it that thin myself); my portion sizes have my clients looking envious. Substitutions help, too. Rice paper for tortillas is one such, light sour cream or plain yogurt for mayo is another. And weighing everything on the digital scale....

So in the interest of public service, I'm sharing my menus and my progress. I'll publish to the blog if anyone's interested (this also makes it easy for me to let the physicians know that I'm not entirely crazy.) in my low-fat, low calorie, (hopefully) high flavor recipes and such.

And thanks for your support in advance. This diet is driving me slightly crazy, and I hate having to go back to my old, obsessive ways.

[MissMillie]

1. Politicat, working out isn't just about burning calories

I understand your desire to keeping on track w/ your diet, and even if it is a bit obsessive, I think at its heart, it's a good thing.

But I am worried that you're neglecting exercise.

I hate working out in front of other people too. When I go to the gym, I go when hardly anyone else is there.

But it is important that you make your heart work for 30 minutes a day, at the very least 3 days a week. Your heart and lungs need that.

[politicat]

2. MissMillie, I do work out but not in a gym.

I have an exercycle at home, free weights, several yoga and Pilates DVDs and I walk everywhere. That is noted in the blog and in my diaries. Right now, I have a knee in need of ACL repair, so I am staying off the streets on my bicycle, not that I trust these idiots with their SUVs and ginormous trucks anyway.

I do either a yoga tape or a pilates tape every morning for conditioning (those get marked off physically at home since I don't have to go do the calorie calculations and use the tables) and I'm keeping my other records. I'll add them in eventually.

I don't like gyms. Period. I have something very like anxiety attacks in them. I really don't want to go into adolescent experiences here, thanks, but unpleasant is a very mild word. I am glad they work for you, but walking and biking and weights are what work for me. I cannot go into any place that smells like male sweat, rubber, heat, and disinfectant. (I'm hyperventilating a bit thinking about it.)

Further, I cannot swim in most pools - chlorine destroys my skin. (I'd give my right arm and move in a heartbeat if the Stanley would re-open their salt swimming pool, but it's not going to happen.)

So in actuality, I have my routines down and fairly well established, and until the last year, they worked very well. The last year has been very ugly; there's more going on than food. I'm losing height; I've got some very strange joint and skeletal issues, but the issue is to prove to the MDs that I'm not a loon who lives on Ho-hos.

[MissMillie]

3. Ok, I guess I didn't see that in your post

I have to admit that I didn't go to your blog, I was just going by the short blurb you posted here.

I would never ask anyone to do my routine, because in the end, we're only going to do what works for ourselves. What I do may not work for you, and I hope you know that I wouldn't ever insinuate that that exercise is a one-size-fits-all affair.

I'm glad you're working out--and doing what works for you.

[vikegirl]

4. The Tofu Teriyaki looked yummy!

Back in college, I was really OC with fat grams (it was the mid-90s, eh), and a year ago, with all this Atkins hype, I was a carb counting fanatic. Neither did anything for me, although come to think about it, I was in my best shape ever when I monitored my fat grams (but then again, I was seven years younger!). I think I've slowly realized that it's just not one precise variable but a combination.

You must have great willpower to try to keep it around 1300 calories--it seems so little!

BTW, from your blog I see you're from Boulder. I'm east of ya in Denver! :hi: