Category: The Dust Covered Entries

Recommendation:

Fill 1/2 your plate with fresh veggies and fruit

Skip bread

Avoid fast food.

Eat lean cuts of meat

Cut back on dairy products like milk and cheese.

 

ME:

I’ll have a double-cheeseburger, large order of fries, and an apple pie and large coke.

 

I wish I could say this was meant to be one of those funny memes you read on Facebook. It’s actually the truth of how I’ve done things.  Getting fast food is truly convenient. It’s a quick meal, I don’t have to prepare anything, there are no dishes to do and it is yummy and comforting.

I read a meme on social media that suggested we create a fast food place that served only fresh fruits, vegetables and salads.  I saw a lot of people had “liked” the post including myself and then I started wondering if it would really work.

It wouldn’t.

I’m not being pessimistic, I’m being realistic.

1. All those places serving processed fried foods are turning a pretty good profit and the reason is

due to the cost to produce the food actually fairly inexpensive when compared to serving things fresh from the farm.  Everything at the cheap ( yeah right ) fast food restaurants is filled with carbs, sugars, and chemicals designed to preserve the food as long as possible.

Fresh produce comes at a cost.  We have regional crops and seasonal crops so we do a lot of importing, exporting, shipping and receiving and not just within the borders of our own country. This is all done in a very tight time frame in order to get it to the stores so you can purchase and take home to rot in your crisper.   Because of this, the cost of the stuff for the end user is generally much more daunting than a frozen pizza.

http://blog.vitacost.com/cooking-recipe/junk-food-bad-for-your-waist-and-your-wallet.html

 

 

2. People with money invested in those very popular franchises won’t benefit from encouraging Americans to take on a healthier lifestyle. Nor will the pharmaceuticals or the doctors.  I know it all sounds like some sort of wild conspiracy theory but what benefit do any of them get from a change so large?  Less people in their restaurants, less people taking meds for diabetes and hypertension, less people going to the offices to treat weigh related medical issues?  Where is the incentive for these powerful and greedy entities to promote places that serve only fresh produce?

 

3. The government won’t step in and interfere. While this sounds like a great thing, I have to wonder why no one has proposed a bill to hike up the cost of processed foods and reduce the costs involved in the fresh and healthy foods.  Maybe offer incentives to people who choose to eat healthier. Like a break on their taxes with proof of their purchases.  Have a card that they swipe every time they buy an apple or an orange and give them a 10% discount on their federal taxes or a free gym membership or something!  Anything to encourage people to stop going after the quick and easy food that is slowly killing us all.

 

4. Americans would never go for it. A few would, but the majority will keep going for the burgers and fries and make jokes about the ones eating lettuce and cucumbers.   It’s the way we do things.   If the Government steps in, we’ll protest and fight it.  Its our bodies and we will destroy them if we see fit.

 

Still…   I’d love to have a place like that, somewhere they already chopped up all the ingredients for me and prepared the evening meal where I’m not stressing over if it was healthy and I wasn’t the one left to do the dishes…  Okay.. I just described a restaurant, but I was thinking more or less in the same format as say one of the big fast food giants… only fresh food instead of processed heart attacks waiting to happen.

I think about my body every single day. My thoughts are not positive ones and I’m trying very hard to change that.  Its amazing how powerful our brains are and that the mere effort of positive thinking can alter your perception… just as the power of negative thinking can.  When someone throws a compliment your way, it boosts your spirits, you feel lighter and a little more confident.  When you get the opposite, an insult or derogatory remark, you tend to spiral into a dark abyss of self-hatred.  The sad thing is how much more powerful the negative voice is.

In order to boost my positive thinking, I’ve been reading up on obesity, exercise ( ugh ), diets and on and on and on.  Trust me, with the internet, there is more than enough material touching on these subjects.  Today I ran across a little tidbit called the “Stunning Facts about Obesity”   (http://interesting-facts.com/obesity-facts/) .  It’s a mere list but it is enough to spawn some thoughts.

1. Obesity cost the US $254 Billion in 2013   – its 2016 now and I’m sure the numbers have escalated, yet I haven’t seen any fast food restaurants shutting down because people stopped going to them.  It is incredibly easy to find cheap & tasty comfort food.  It takes more effort to find the healthier choices and let’s be honest here, we are inherently lazy now.

 

2. Blacks have the highest rate of Obesity at 47.8% –   What is it about their metabolism that is so radically different than other races that make them more susceptible to weight gain?

 

3.     1 in 5 American Teenagers are obese. – Pretty sure these numbers are higher now with smart phones, online gaming and the general lack of interest in anything that is not connected electronically.   When I was a teen, the number had to have been something like 1 in 25 because it was certainly not an acceptable norm for me to be bigger than my classmates.

 

4. 280,000 people die each year in the US from obesity. – And there is no reason why this should be happening.  Obesity is not a disease.

 

5. In 2013 the AMA Classified obesity as a disease – okay, so I was wrong about that one. I still think it’s more of a symptom of an underlying health issue or a simple result of eating too much and exercising too little.

 

6.   34% of dogs are overweight or obese. – Quit feeding your leftover McDonalds to your pets!

 

7. The extra weight of obesity costs airlines $275 million per year –  They charge the big people extra to occupy two seats so the cost is in the fuel to haul these people?

 

8. 93 million Americans are affected by obesity – I think it’s fairer to say EVERYONE is affected. We all have people in our lives that are battling this monster.

 

9. 27% of Adults are too obese to serve in the military – this fact does not surprise me at all.

 

10. Excess body fat can cause Type 2 diabetes in 77% of women and 64% of men – and yet we all still opt to drink sugary sodas and stuff processed foods down our throats.

 

Current weight 301  – average steps 1500 a day ( except for that day that I sat on the couch all day watching a Once Upon a Time marathon )

When I was in my younger years, I would have been humiliated if I wore clothing that was too tight or to put on a shirt that emphasized my “love handles”.  In today’s society, this doesn’t seem to bother women or men very much.   I’m not sure if it’s simply because we are teaching tolerance and acceptance to the younger generation or if it’s because society itself has a waistline that is so much larger than it was back in those days.   Women today wear whatever they please whether it fits well or not.  This goes against everything I’ve conditioned myself to believe.   I hide the muffin top – they flaunt it!

I find it difficult to believe the bullying and teasing aren’t horrible in schools however, I am remember my days in high school.  The fear of walking down the hall where all the popular and beautiful slender people where hanging out, the loathing of getting up in front of the class to give a speech and see them all snickering and giving each other “the look”.   I entered high school unsure of myself and by the time I graduated I hated myself because this normal teenage teasing and taunting of the fat girl had convinced me that I was unworthy and would never find love because I was FAT.    I would see other large women and silently judge them and thank the skies that I wasn’t “that” bad.   I was ashamed of having to shop in the Women’s section because the teen fashions were too small for me and I was mortified to go into the Plus size stores like Lane Bryant or Catherine’s.   There was one store that was named “Ample Duds” and it made me cringe every time I even thought about it. (In fact I’m cringing right now) I had become prejudice against myself.

I look back at pictures now and realize that I was not fat, I just wasn’t skinny.

Now, 30 plus years in the future, I still have reservations about going to look for clothes.  Wal-Mart is cheap, but their clothing is geared towards making the big girl look frumpy. Its functional and while there are slight attempts at prettying it up, the less ample women continue to have a wider, more fashionable selection.   Department stores are a step up in quality but I seriously do not want to wear clothing that looks like curtains and couch patterns of an elderly couple.   I love the fashions at Lane Bryant, Catherine’s and Cato’s, they all carry the sizes for the people who eat their feelings.   Cato’s is the most reasonable on the wallet and the challenge I face there is not  “if” I find one top that will fit, but more like limiting myself to just one or two.

However, like most folks on a budget, I cannot afford to splurge on clothes of fashion when functional will do.  Wal-mart has been supplying me with a range of random clothing for years.  T-shirts and shorts are cheaper and bigger if you go to the men’s section  and I don’t doubt that with the way the world is going, eventually they’ll be producing clothing that is gender-neutral!

 

Steps – roughly 3,000 a day

Weight – back up to 302lbs – thank you Mother Nature for the water weight gain every month coupled with cravings for junk food and chocolate.

The weight didn’t just magically appear overnight, but it sure would be nice to see it disappear faster than that!   It took years of no self-discipline and giving into random cravings to achieve this body, yet I keep hoping to see vast improvements over just a few days of being more careful.  Let’s face it, we live in an instant-gratification era.  We want things immediately and grow impatient if we have to wait.  Like others in this technology advanced society, I don’t want to work for what I want, I want it handed to me and its frustrating that I have to actually earn the body I want.  This means dedication and perseverance and to stop finding “excuses” as to why I did not exercise, or why I ate that brownie.

Excuse #1  –  I’ve worked all day and I’m tired.

Why that doesn’t add up :  I sit in a chair for 8 hours a day talking on the phone and googling random things.  I get up about every two hours to walk to the bathroom or get a drink from the break room.  – and its usually a soda, not water.

Excuse #2 – its too hot outside to go walking

Why that’s not a valid reason:   I have a membership to the YMCA – I just never feel like driving there because its at least a 20 minute drive no matter what one I attend.  I could also get up a bit earlier before the heat of the day begins and go for that walk.

Excuse #3 – My leg, arm, chest, back, butt…etc hurts.

Why that doesn’t work :  most of the time its because I’ve sat around immobile and my body hates it so its yelling at me to start moving.

Excuse #4 – I have my period.

This will never be justified :  I’ve had this for at least 30 years.  I know what to expect, I know its coming and I know for a fact that moving around actually makes this whole natural ordeal much easier to deal with.

Bottom line is I suffer from an acute case of laziness when it comes to taking care of myself.  Yes I come home and clean the house, do the laundry, and fix dinner.  I also spend way too much time binge watching Doctor Who, Once Upon a Time and Supernatural.

I think what I need to do is simply get a treadmill and do binge-watching while I walk.

Current weight   300.9

Steps taken :  2743

 

When I was married, my husband used to go grocery shopping with me and I learned that we had very different styles in shopping.  He was mortified that I was keeping a running total on the items being thrown into the cart, jotting down numbers and trading out brand names for less expensive generics.  I won’t get into the way that played into the relationship – but you will note, we are no longer married.

I cannot even imagine the scene that would take place today if he could see the way I shop now.  I still watch the prices, but now I’m also watching calories and the sodium.   It seems to take forever to make decisions and because of the fine print on the back of packages, I am also forced to wear my reading glasses just to get groceries!   Ex-Hubby would have been beside himself if he had to participate in such practices!

Its not as easy to grocery shop now. I am the first to admit that I miss the carefree days of just dropping whatever I wanted into the cart.  Now I purchase large bags of things I can break down and put into smaller bags according to serving sizes and sometimes I even divide those into even smaller half sizes.  I buy fruit sparingly as I know if I get too much, it will become just another donation to the garbage bin.  I heard from somewhere that if you just walk the perimeter of the store and avoid going down any aisles, you will avoid a good portion the less than healthy choices.  I wish I could say this was a myth, but it seems to hold true.

I also found that I’m a judgmental of other people shopping.  I look in their carts and see all these processed foods, chips, sweets and basically all the health-freaks are telling the obese to avoid.  It’s the foods that families can afford which makes it really ironic.  You would think the healthy foods would be the less expensive items in order to encourage a healthier lifestyle ( but that’s another rant for another time ).  I look in my own cart and feel a bit of stuck up pride for the array of fruits and veggies in there, the cheese snacks and crackers.    It makes me feel like I’ve got a secret that none of the other shoppers are privy to.    Shhhh……

 

Saturday –  302 lbs      4879 steps

Sunday  – 300lbs                3673 steps

 

On to another week!

As a child, I was not slender and trim.  I was a “meat and potatoes” kind of girl according to one doctor’s statement to my mother.  At the time, I took it as a compliment, but in reality, the doctor was telling my mother to make sure I didn’t overdo it because I had the potential to go from meat and potatoes to…Holy Crap!

Grade school was the place I discovered I was different.  I wasn’t one of the popular girls and I really wanted to be but I played like a boy would rough and tough, I talked too loud and I dressed in jeans and t-shirts that were built for function not fashion.

High School was where I learned that I was “fat and disgusting, a whale, pig, hippo” and a variety of other heavy animals.  Thank you high school classmates for those nuggets of wisdom, they are forever embedded in my head.  While it may have seemed like no big deal to you, it was a VERY big deal to me and I learned how to hate my body, my face, and everything about who I was.

I’m not placing blame, I’m merely pointing out where I learned how to hate who I am.  It wasn’t magazines and television implanting the ideas, it was simply the cruel taunts of my peers who had no idea the damage they were causing.

I loathed all of them and I loathed myself, but somehow I survived it and moved on.  I lost weight but I always saw the fat girl in the mirror.   I’m pretty sure that is all I will ever see, even if I was the perfect slender, healthy weight.

I have to practice saying nice things about myself and I have to do it while staring in the mirror and seeing all the flaws.   It’s a technique that does work, but right now, I can only stand there for a moment or two before the age-old negative thoughts pop in telling me that I’m worthless and fat and not worth enough to make a difference to anyone.

 

Day 3 :  1352 steps     305lbs

Day 4 : 1653 steps        303lbs

I downloaded an app on my phone to record my steps called “Pacer”.  I didn’t start it until late afternoon so I won’t hang my head in shame for how little I have to report.   I also signed up with a company challenge through our insurance provider called  “Walking Works”.   Its sort of a contest against other companies to encourage us to get out and move.

 

 

 

Tuesday –   306 lbs                           597 steps                             June 14, 2016

I created a beautiful grilled chicken salad for dinner tonight with avocados, tomatoes, boiled eggs and mushrooms.   I did overdo it on the dressing though, there is just something about cucumber Ranch dressing that is awesome!

I spent only three or four minutes of self-loathing in front of the mirror.  I suppose that is an improvement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I woke to the sound of the alarm on my cell phone having already slept through the double alarm on my digital clock that sits on the night stand next to my bed.  It’s Monday and my first day back to work from a 9-day lockout. I wasn’t on a vacation ( I still have 40 hours of PTO reserved for that kind of fun ), instead I was in another state attending my only child’s wedding.   He’s younger than I was when I married, but I get the feeling he’s a lot smarter and knows more about being a good husband than I ever did about being a good wife.

The day after the wedding, friends and family started posting pictures on Facebook and I devoured them up like a kid at a candy store and then I found that chocolate covered coconut piece of candy that makes you gasp in surprise and disgust.  The pictures of me.  I had become the middle-aged heavy set woman who knows she’s overweight but is in totally denial about just how far she has let herself go.

After a long day and night of self-loathing and self-pitying, I made a decision to change the path I was on.  Thus, here I am Monday morning, groaning at the reality of having to give up my slumber and remembering the promises I had made to myself as I drifted off to sleep the night before.  Today was the day I started to change things up.

 

6 a.m. – I snoozed the alarm, wanting another five minutes, but my mind was already starting its morning prep work and I knew it was time to begin.

 

I weighed myself first thing.  307lbs.  Kicking the smoking habit had been rough on my weight and I knew it would be, but it still surprises me to see that high number flashing at me.

 

6:15 a.m. – Coffee  with a dollop of flavored creamer ( I’m NOT giving up my coffee ).

 

7:45 a.m. – stopped at the local convenience store for another coffee and a breakfast sandwich. I went with an omelet wrapped in a tortilla with a sticker on it boasting that it only had 220 calories.

 

Work is in an office where I sit for the entire 8hour shift answering phones and working on the computer.  Obviously I’m not getting exercise with this position so I made a point of getting up and walking around a little while on the phone ( Thank God for wireless headsets! )

 

12 p.m. –  I was actually looking forward to the salad I had gotten at the store when I bought breakfast.

 

2 p.m. – I read somewhere that you should drink water if you think you’re hungry because most times you’re thirsty but your body likes to send you mixed signals.   I wasn’t thirsty.

 

3 p.m.  – I am foraging  in my desk and eyeing the clock.  I found dry cereal in the break room and poured about a cup of it into a coffee filter ( as a container, nothing more ).

 

6:30 p.m. – serving of boiled potatoes, small steak and a ton of salad.  I’m feeling kind of proud of the day so far.

 

7 p.m. – 10 p.m.  – I’ve done three loads of laundry, power cleaned the kitchen, vacuumed the living room, finished the book I was reading and started converting some video files.

 

10 p.m. – there is a polish sausage in the refrigerator.  I’m eating it.

 

11:30 p.m. –  Day One is complete.