My Weight Loss Blog

Just a quick note to say I have removed my forums from this blog. I love the idea of forums as a way to get people talking to each other and being supportive, but they take far more work than I had imagined and frankly I simply had been ignoring them for some time. The result of that was the spammers moved in and starting hawking their products, and I really don’t want that.

So for those of you that realized I had some forums, well I don’t any more. For the majority of you that did not realize that - nothing to see hear, move along please.

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photo credit: *clairity*

As you are no doubt aware the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, which marks the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season (did you know about Cyber Monday, though?). Black Friday is a day to revel in all-out consumerism with many people camping out at night to stake their place in line for that limited supply must-have item.

For me however, and many of my dieting brethren, Thursday is the truly dark day - Black Thursday if you will. For that is the day we are tempted to gorge ourselves at the dinner trough, crash on the plush couch and take in a little football on the boob tube until the Tryptophan kicks in and we snooze away the day.

The funny thing about this is turkey is actually healthy. Many of us during the course of a normal week will substitute ground turkey for ground beef in an effort to be more health conscious. But of course on Thanksgiving the turkey isn’t ground - it comes with skin that has been slathered in butter. And mashed potatoes with gravy, and yams, and corn pudding, and bread, and my all-time favorite that my dad makes - Cajun oyster stuffing. I’ve seen the recipe and it is more laden with butter than your average Black Friday shopper is with credit card debt. But mmm, mmm is it good.

Did I mention the pies?

So, what this means is that a plan is needed when heading into the day. Without a plan I will be stuffed and asleep by 4:00pm, and that is a fact. I don’t want to be stuffed and asleep - I want to be satisfyingly full and alertly watching the Cowboys destroy the Seahawks.

Frankly it doesn’t matter what your plan is as long as you have one. For me, it’s all about turkey skin and cajun oyster stuffing. I am going to skip the appetizers no matter how tempting, and when I load up my plate at the buffet I am going to go very light on every side dish except for the cajun oyster stuffing, which I will enjoy immensely. A couple of spoon-fulls of mashed potatoes - and a cup of stuffing sounds like a good ratio. And I will make sure that I grab extra turkey skin with my turkey.

For me, this Black Thursday is going to be all about enjoying the taste of two things I really enjoy and don’t often get - turkey skin and cajun oyster stuffing.

Oh, and did I mention the pie? A single slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

I’m not going to be a grazing bunny rabbit this Thanksgiving but I’m not going to be a gorging pig either - somewhere in the middle ought to ensure I have the energy to get out the next day on the real dark day - Black Friday.

Do you get motivated reading about the success of others? I know I do, which is why I’ll be interviewing some great weight loss successes and sharing their stories here.

Today’s interview is with Matt Keeling who blogs at Confessions of a Guy at Weight Watchers:

Weight Loss Questions

Matt, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a 34 year IT Professional. Pretty normal really, I love sports, play some golf, drink some beer, enjoy cooking and try to be a good father to my son.

According to the sidebar of your blog you have lost 105 lbs since January. That’s truly amazing! What was the impetus to get started on your weight loss journey?

I had the proverbial slap in the face when I stepped on the scale at the Doctor on Jan 17th 2008. The scale read 400 lbs and it was all over. I was ashamed and embarrassed and scared all at the same time. I actually reread my first post from time to time to remind me why I got started.

Keep reading →

This is my first book review for a fiction book on this weight loss blog and it fits in well because weight and more specifically the vanity issues surrounding wanting to be a lower weight is the key theme in Two Weeks Under by Rivka Tadjer.

First, I will remind you that while I was sent this book by Tadjer’s publicist, that in no means clouds what I say in any review. My reviews are worthless if they are not 100% honest, and that is what I strive to be in any of my product reviews.

The Story
Professional women in Manhattan have suddenly taken to committing suicide. At the same time a new diet fad has emerged - vanity comas. A company called Monarch has a method called Metamorphosis that promises a new body in just “two weeks under” via an in-home coma.

The protagonist in the story, 35 year old Senior VP Elana Diamond, is a professional woman herself, competing with her ex-boyfriend to become president of her Fashion agency firm. Reminders of the power of weight and looks are never far from Elana whether it is dealing with supermodels or the expectations of the president she wants to replace. Ruminating on what happened to the fun times she used to have with her girlfriends on the weekends when they drank wine and ate “cheese and crackers by the pound” she thinks they are now “overbooked, overextended and overweight.”

The two story lines become intermixed when someone tied to Elana commits suicide, and Elana gets embroiled into the investigation surrounding the mystery of the suicide and the relationship to the latest diet fad of vanity comas, all while trying to impress her boss enough for him to annoint her president of her firm.

My Take
I enjoyed Two Weeks Under, reading it in just a couple of sittings. The writing is good and the pace never lets up. Certainly the premise was a little wacky and there were a number of times where events happened that were just too perfect (and unrealistic), such as the business presentations gone wrong, but ultimately I liked this book in the same way I like fun movies that the critics like to pan - you simply embrace the things that aren’t realistic and accept them without being critical, staying focused on the enjoyment you are getting from the book.

It’s been awhile since I have devoured a book as quickly as I did Two Weeks Under and I think that speaks volumes to whether it is a book worth reading.

I think it is.

This is a guest post by Shannon Clark from The Workout Insider.

When it comes to fat loss programs, one of the biggest reasons why people fail in their efforts at weight loss is simply because they can’t seem to stick with the program. Either cravings start creeping in, their busy schedule crowds out their workout, or the fat loss plan wasn’t something that they could realistically follow in the first place – whatever the reason, two weeks into the program and they’re off searching through the pantry for something to eat – something that’s not on the diet, of course.

To help combat this and increase the chances that you maintain your diet and exercise program long enough to actually see some results, you should try to incorporate some of the following tips.

All are designed to make your weight loss program more tolerable, yet still keep its effectiveness with regards to fat loss.

Fat Loss Tip #1: Pre-Pack Your Snacks
Being unprepared is a very common reason people fall off their diets. If you wind up stuck in a meeting at work and a basket of bagels and croissants is being passed around, chances are you’re going to dish yourself up one.

Instead, plan ahead for times like these and always have some ready-to-eat snacks on hand, stashed away in your desk, in your car, or even in your purse or bag.

Good examples of snacks would be pop-open cans of tuna and whole grain crackers, trail mix, a low-sugar protein bar, low-sodium beef jerky, or protein powder mixed with water alongside a handful of nuts.

Each of these will provide a more lasting source of energy and won’t throw your diet off course.

Fat Loss Tip #2: Plan For Weekly ‘Cheats’
If a diet has to be so incredibly strict that you absolutely must follow it 100% of the time to see any degree of results, chances are that diet is not designed properly.

In every diet there should be a good 10-20% of ‘wiggle’ room – room where you can play around and have some of the foods you enjoy.

That said, obviously you can’t get out of hand with this, so planning for a once-a-week cheat meal where you will indulge is a good technique.

If you know ahead of time that you have a big party to go to on Saturday night, make that night your cheat meal. This way you won’t stress about derailing your diet and can actually enjoy yourself stress-free at the party.

Likewise, if you and your significant other typically go out for a relaxing dinner one night a week, that can be your cheat meal. Having this in there will help you stick with your diet the rest of the time since you know soon enough you’ll be able to satisfy your cravings.

Fat Loss Tip #3: Break Your Workouts Up
Another way to make your life easier with regards to your workouts is to break them up into two sessions. Sometimes it can be hard to make it for a full hour at the gym after work, so consider taking a walk during your lunch hour and then stopping for thirty minutes after work to do some strength training.

Not only does this break up your day better, but you’ll get the benefits of increased metabolic rate twice per day, along with the appetite decreasing benefits exercise has.

Thinking that you absolutely must do your workout altogether in one session is a big mistake. This applies for cardio too – you can certainly split a longer cardio session up into two if it makes your life easier.

Fat Loss Tip #4: Find An Active ‘Buddy’
Since all of us have a need to socialize throughout the week, try to socialize with others who are leading an active lifestyle.

By doing so, the chances that they’re receptive to suggestions that you get out and do some form of activity rather than just sitting around visiting are higher.

If you can make your workout work double-time – increase your fitness level and help you see your friends, you’re really one step ahead of the game.

Fat Loss Tip #5: Get Help From A Certified Trainer
Finally, the last tip is to make sure you are getting help from a certified trainer in your area. If you are not on a proper program, you could be spending time in the gym performing exercises that aren’t really going to help you out a great deal, which could be omitted from your workout.

By investing in at least one session with a certified personal trainer, you’ll be sure you are doing exercises that will help you with the goal of fat loss, while also keeping your workouts on the shorter side if need be.

So, be sure you’re keeping these five fat loss tips in mind as you go about your weight loss program. Maintaining a workout and diet plan over the long haul is often the biggest determinant of success with regards to keeping the weight loss off, so something you should pay close attention too.

Shannon Clark holds a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Alberta and has been writing on the topics of health, fitness, and nutrition for the past six years. She is a frequent contributor to Bodybuilding.com and has her own information website, The Workout Insider.