I am obese.
Well, according to my BMI chart I am obese. If you saw me, you would probably do what everyone does and say things like:
“Oh that is rubbish, you are not obese!”
“That BMI chart is so ridiculous and it doesn’t account for so many things.”
“You don’t look chubby, what are you talking about?”
“Well, muscle weighs more than fat.” (This is completely untrue)
I agree with some of those statements and I believe everyone’s weight, size, and overall health is a personal feeling. Regardless of your size, you know when you are healthy. You know when you are overweight. You know, inherently, what is right for your body. I know I am healthy, but I also know I am a little bigger than I would like to be. I know, right now, I need to give myself a little check.
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| Chubby Teenager |
I have always been overweight and so is everyone in my immediate family. Obesity does not run in my family, bad eating and a sedentary lifestyle does. My weight and size have fluctuated as long as I can remember.
Becoming a vegetarian (although I hate to admit it) was purely for health reasons. I thought, “If I cut out meat, then I also cut out so much bad food.” Surprisingly, I was right. I lost weight. Was I any healthier, maybe...? However, factors in my life managed to put me right back on a track of poor (albeit vegetarian) choices and no exercise.
It is the same old story really. Every heavy person can share some tale of how they ended up becoming overweight and unhealthy. Many times it is just excuses, other times it’s a number of factors that led them to where they are.
When I chose to become vegan I gained weight; which is where the name of this blog came from. Although I tend to make good choices, I just eat too much and don’t exercise enough. It’s not very complicated. So, I need to give myself a check. Here it is:
After the jump…
Studies have shown that keeping a food diary helps people lose weight and get healthier. When people write down everything they eat, it gets much easier to realize how quickly serving sizes add up. Keeping a food diary is a fundamental tool in weight loss and one that I know works. Having done it before, I know it works for me.
No diets. No weird starvation. No crazy workout plan. Just writing down what I eat.
Keeping a food diary helps me in two ways. First, realizing my total intake helps me understand where I need to scale back. Two, keeping a food diary helps me ensure I am meeting my total nutritional needs. It never hurts to be sure!
I am using My Fitness Pal, an excellent food diary website that logs your food diary online for free. There is also a great mobile application if you have an iPhone or Android phone. Of course you can always use a pen and paper! There are also a couple of great websites that help you look up the total nutrition in foods without labels. Try Calorie King & Calorie Counter.
I have no plans to change anything on my blog. If I make a cake, I will post it. Cupcakes, why not? It is all about moderation, which I try to make clear as much as possible. You can be perfectly healthy at any size. My decision to lose weight is for me and me alone.
I have set some goals in my head, but I have never been a “goal weight” person. I think that is silly. I am much more of a “how do I feel” person. So let’s see where this journey takes me. Wish me luck!
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You're right: writing everything down definitely helps. I lost weight and am maintaining through WeightWatchers and track what I eat every day, including what WW calls BLTs--bites, licks, and tastes--which all add up. Like you, I don't diet in terms of restricting what I eat (you can eat whatever you want on WW--you just have to track it). I just watch what I eat and don't eat too much of it on most days (so that on the days I do it evens out). I struggled with my weight since high school, but it's become a piece of cake to maintain because I follow one rule: focus on what I *should* eat instead of what I shouldn't. By the time I eat 8-15 servings of veggies and fruit (veggies and fruit are "free" on WW, so I fill up on them), 2-3 servings of protein (tofu or beans), 2-3 servings of whole grains, and a little bit of fat from healthy oils or nuts, I just don't have much room to eat much more...though every day I do have at least one if not more treats like cookies, because I wouldn't be happy without them! WW is based on tracking what you eat--it really works! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of tracking everything that I eat throughout the day. I've tried to do it before. I've always run into a snag that derails me. Maybe you've over come this obstacle? I cook a lot of no recipe, single pot dishes: a bunch a veggies, beans, tofu, sauce, whatever I have in the frige, etc...How do you go about trying to record those meals? I used to try to guesstimate it, but I became easily frustrated with the time it took. And to me, not knowing exact amounts seemed to "void" the days results. Any ideas or suggestions? And thanks for writing this!
ReplyDeleteNo prob!
ReplyDeleteI would try a website like My Fitness Pal to enter in all of the ingredients. I think if you have a Weight Watchers membership there is something on there too. It is super tedious, but if you are really trying to keep an accurate food diary it is the only way to do it.
I cook like that too sometimes and having to write everything down makes me want to scream.
Google "recipe builders" and some of them will calculate calories, etc right on them. Worth a shot.
BEST OF LUCK! CV
Okay so two things... ONE: i freakin love my fitness pal and use it relig.... TWO: I cant believe that you used that picture from us on the plane... i swear its the angle in the pic, I never remember you looking like that.
ReplyDelete-you know who i am :)