I've kind of been on a hiatus this week - not weighing myself - but I haven't overeaten so I'm pretty sure I'm still at #77. Jodi - I love those Kirkland men's jeans, but all of mine are pretty baggy now and they don't come smaller than 30's. They are great jeans though. The price is right and they last forever. Glad you are making good progress.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick (CG):
(He asks with a pang of guilt for even posting in this thread as he polishs off the third piece of fudge with "morning" coffee. )

You know, I could help you with that guilt. Why don't you just send me a big care package with whatever fudge you have the urge of making?

Elena
http://www.duoscarbo.com

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:
I'm at 90 today, which is my goal weight at weight watchers. A great day!

Congratulations AdagioM!!!!

I on the other hand, after spending months of eating relatively little and being the skinniest I have been in my life, all of a sudden want to eat everything in sight. Luckily there is not much to see when I'm home but when I go out I eat snickers bars and chorizo and all kinds of other bad things. anxiety attack?? Cold weather triggering the "add fat to body" syndrome? I hope it goes away soon!

Elena
http://www.duoscarbo.com

I haven't posted since I joined the WLC. I just read all the threads and find them very inspirational.
This week I decided to try eating in the 'Zone'. I've just been trying the recipies. Figuring out what my Zone numbers are for Protein; Carbs and Fats is too confusing. Today I weighed in at #96. Eating lots of kidney; pinto beans for breakfast will help anyone to lose weight .

quote:

I'm at 97#s. My lowest here was 85#s (Oct 28th).

Best not to think of it that way. But rather that you have gained one pound or two from last week. Take it a little at a time.

Not to beat the musical analogy to death but it is amazing how much it is like it. 6 weeks ago I never thought I would have everything learned for this competition. I still had to learn two half-hour concerti which are very difficult and a newly commissioned piece which we were sent Nov. 1st. When I thought of the amount of music I had to cover in 8 weeks I just despaired. I procrastinated, not even wanting to start. But I couldn't sleep at night and, realizing I wasn't going to NOT go to the competition, finally resolved to make a list of what needed to be worked on, how much time I would dedicate to each movement, etc. It suddenly all looked so achievable on paper, whereas in my head it was all so chaotic and beyond my grasp. although I didn't follow my schedule exactly it did get me back on track, and today I just finished playing through both concerti by memory, almost up to tempo.

If you start to despair, put your goals down on paper, and make them easy to obtain, go one pound at a time. It seems so silly to write these things down but it is amazing how seeing it in front of you will make a subjective desire into an objective thing you can look at and follow.

Just my thought for the day.

I also agree with teachum's advice not to overdo workouts if you are trying to eat less. Working out makes me (and most people) ravenous. Better to get you stomach used to eating less before you force it to hold up after a big workout as well.

Anyway, we all need an occasional break from rigidity.

Elena
http://www.duoscarbo.com

quote:

Originally posted by katie:

A good thing is that my son is doing cardio for himself! He does 30 minutes on an old recumbant, each and everyday, on his own initiative. He's just 11 yrs old. I'm proud of him.

You're clearly setting a wonderful example for him.

Elena
http://www.duoscarbo.com

I like your music analogy, Elena. I sure see it in my life. I'm playing things now that a year ago seemed totally unreachable for me - like Clair de Lune and, Raindrop. I'm also starting a Field's Nocturne that was difficult for me even read through a year ago, but now it seems doable. One thing we know for sure, we are going to be ten years older, ten years from now, so we might as well be better pianists and the weight we want to be.

quote:

Originally posted by katie:

Unfortunately, ...I've gained back most of what lost.
I'm at 97#s. My lowest here was 85#s (Oct 28th).

Have been upset-down lately (personal). No doubt this has something to do with the weight gain. It's a pretty big swing this time, 12#s. I do feel gross. I have to get my arse back in gear. I'm still seeing my trainer, but am napping afterwards. Not good. I need to cut this out.
(

So sorry, Katie. I deeply empathize. One of the sh*ttiest things about life (and somehow symbolic of so many others) is how fast weight can be gained and how slow it is to be lost, under the best of circumstances. Not referring of course, to fake loss and gain (water retention) but the real 3500 calories = lb bit.

I DO suspect your rapid regain must be at least in part water, though, as that's an awful lot for the time span. I've done as much in the past but that was exceptional.

Carbs and especially sugar DO make you retain water (and protein the opposite) - one reason the Atkins diet can yield such dramatic results but not hold up.

One suggestion I have, is to try my approach of less frequent weighing, for a while. Personally, I am excessively affected by numbers (and they can lead to eating if they're bad OR good ) The fit of clothes is entirely adequate as a cue, I find.

If you care to PM, feel free. I can imagine how demoralizing this is. Somehow, it's important to give yourself the sense of a fresh start. Least that's what I need to do under similar circumstances. Sometimes a temporary oddball diet of a few days can do that - a fruit juice fast, or even an actual fast.

Elena,

Just realized I haven't thanked you for your "undiet" post. I mailed it to five people, and didn't even tell you how great it was. (It was great!).

I'm glad you liked it, I got it from AOL. At least they're good for something!

Elena
http://www.duoscarbo.com

quote:

Originally posted by EHpianist:

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:
I'm at 90 today, which is my goal weight at weight watchers. A great day!

Congratulations AdagioM!!!!

I on the other hand, after spending months of eating relatively little and being the skinniest I have been in my life, all of a sudden want to eat everything in sight. Luckily there is not much to see when I'm home but when I go out I eat snickers bars and chorizo and all kinds of other bad things. anxiety attack?? Cold weather triggering the "add fat to body" syndrome? I hope it goes away soon!

Elena
http://www.duoscarbo.com

Partly a winter thing, and partly that things like Snickers bars (yum) are very sugary, and they make me crave more in the cycle of high blood sugar/low blood sugar. So just walk away from them and have an apple!

Katie - I know how it feels to get a few steps forward, and then a few steps back. So frustrating. And this is truly the WORST time of year to try to take any weight off. The weather just makes me want to eat and sleep.

I will say that it seems once you get past a certain point, and start to see some results, it has gotten a bit easier to resist, temptation, though. I don't whimper nearly as much when I pass the bakery counter at the grocery store. And once a week, I am treating myself to a meal where I eat whatever I want. Including dessert. And the weight is still coming off. Slowly, but it is. I'm doing weights at the gym three days a week - three sets of 8 on all the machines, plus abs on the ball. It takes about 35 minutes (because I alternate upper body, and lower body, so I go quickly from one machine to the next, without any breaks). And I'm getting some sort of cardio 6 days a week. Running (can't believe I'm doing that, but for some reason, it hasn't been bothering my knees like it did before) alternating with riding the horse. I think the reason my body isn't hurting is because I don't do the same thing two days in a row. And one day a week, I take completely off. It's working for now, anyway.

I was 91.5 this morning, I've been bouncing between 91.5 and 92.5 for the last four days. I'm actually fitting into my 32x34's without cutting the circulation off to my feet.

Oh, and I bought the COOLEST beaded silk evening jacket thing at the Goodwill yesterday - someone with excellent taste must've just died, I swear, there were the most amazing group of beaded evening gowns I've ever seen in my life - one of them was seriously red carpet worthy, and if it had been my size I would have bought it just to hang in my closet, but it was a size 4... Anyway, here's the picture (the beads don't show up that well, and the silver thread isn't quite this bright - it's reflecting the flash) - I also found a very cool almost brand new pair of black velvet pants that are LONG enough, and look most excellent with the jacket. Now I just need some funky shoes, and I'll be all set for the Christmas party.


Oh, and here's a bonus pic. I'm showing it you you all, because I'm too embarassed to admit to everyone out there that I went to the Goodwill and bought jewelry AGAIN. But I couldn't resist. This one is really old - probably Victorian. I'm not sure if the stone is glass or what, but it is beautifully faceted, and so lovely, I couldn't reisist. I am so on my way to bagladydom.



Jodi

Man! I can't believe jewelry like that ends up at Goodwill.

Well, I've pretty much stayed off this thread since my first post, because I've been at such a dead end. I've cut back just about everything I can except my beer at night, and too many glasses of wine with dinner and aft. So, I've mainly hovered at my starting awful 100 (which was a few pounds down from when I really horrified myself by stepping on the dreaded scales at the doctor's last summer). Anyway, since then, I've changed from 1% to skim milk (Puffin actually suggested it, much to the chagrine of Daddio who can't abide skim - hey he can buy his own carton), changed from heavy pub beers (again, blame Daddio) to light beer, and cut from three + ... glasses of wine to two (working on making that just one).

Lo and behold, I was at the Y swimming yesterday, and a lifeguard I hadn't seen for a month or more commented that I looked "skinny." Me, skinny? HAH! I just about choked. But, that was enough to make me hit the scales and I was at 96! Yeah, yeah, yeah! No wonder my wedding band was almost falling off again at the pool. I know - it's not much, but it's after feeling like things were hopeless. I just hope it's a continuous, albeit slow, downward trend. I have at least 8 to go before I'm where I'm semi-comfortable again (want get out of those DD bras! Yargh!)

"Unit Bias" :

Just How Much Is a Serving of Dip? Psychologists Believe "Unit Bias" Determines the Acceptable Amount to Eat
November 21, 2005

PHILADELPHIA -- Hosts can do their Thanksgiving guests a big favor by serving smaller portions using smaller utensils. That the word from psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania.

The findings, to be published in the journal Psychological Science, demonstrate the power of what the researchers have termed "unit bias": the sense that a particular portion of food is appropriate. Unit bias provides the basis for understanding why portion size influences how much food you eat. Their work on how individuals decide what goes into a single serving of food offers further warning to the weight-conscious in the coming holiday season.

"In terms of food, unit bias applies to what people think is the appropriate amount to consume, and it shows why smaller portion sizes can be just as satisfying," said Andrew B. Geier, lead author and a graduate student in Penn Department of Psychology. "A 12-ounce can of soda and a 24-ounce bottle are both seen as single units. But be careful, the 24-ounce bottle, though viewed as one unit, is actually more than two and a half servings of soda."

Unit bias can be seen in all types of consumption, whether it is how much food you take or how many times you ride the roller coaster. This bias, the researchers believe, is mostly derived from a culturally designated "proper" portion. It may also explain why portion size causes the French to eat much less than Americans.

he French eat from smaller portion sizes, but small portion size is only a barrier if there is something keeping them from consuming more portions," Geier said. "This is where we believe unit bias comes into play; without it, people would just eat more units."

According to Geier, people see food in natural consumption units, whether that is a single wrapped candy or a plateful of food.

Geier and Penn psychology professor Paul Rozin designed their experiments to observe how people choose to act in the presence of unlimited free food in public or private settings. In their study, they presented unsuspecting people with M&M's candies, Tootsie Rolls and Philadelphia-style soft pretzels. When changing the size of the portions whether by offering a whole or half of a pretzel, for example people will see the offered portion as a single unit. In the pretzel experiment, people would take and eat an entire pretzel even though they were eating twice as much as the other people who were sufficiently satisfied with a half pretzel as a single unit.

They also observed how the means of serving the portion could influence how much food is eaten. In the M&M experiment, the researchers offered a large mixing bowl of the candy at the front desk of the concierge of an apartment building. Below the bowl hung a sign that read "Eat Your Fill" with "please use the spoon to serve yourself" written underneath.

If presented with a small spoon, most passersby would take a single scoop, even though the sign encouraged them to take more. If given a much larger spoon, the subjects would still take a single scoop, even though that one scoop contained much more candy. The subjects were inadvertently eating twice as much candy when the larger scoop happened to be in the bowl.

"It is more than just people afraid of appearing greedy. They didn't know they were being observed," Geier said. "We have a culturally enforced 'consumption norm,' which promotes both the tendency to complete eating a unit and the idea that a single unit is the proper amount to eat."

The researchers believe a better understanding of unit bias will aid in studying the psychology of obesity.

"When we talk about overeating and obesity, we talk calories consumed and grams of fat, but we rarely mention context and environment what people see as the acceptable amount to eat," Geier said. "There are environmental elements that dramatically affect the choices and quantities of food we consume. This is a fundamental aspect of human food choice, which is seriously understudied considering its mammoth impact on the number of calories we consume every day. "

quote:

Hosts can do their Thanksgiving guests a big favor by serving smaller portions using smaller utensils. That the word from psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania.

I have a diet planned where I will only be allowed to use chopsticks (not being adept). One theory I have about why Asians are thinner.

Years ago I took a course at Penn State called "New weigh of life". One of many items on the curriculum was testing our notion of serving sizes. Very few were accurate when it came to guessing what a cup, TBspoon, ounce etc. corresponded to.