Determined To Succeed

Day one-hundred-ten.

O.K. So? How did you do on Thanksgiving? Did you go off half-cocked and eat your fill? Or did you go off fully-cocked and clean your plates twice (and finish off others’ too)? I actually did O.K., but just O.K. I had one big plate of food, but just one. I had no dessert (I couldn’t have fit it inside me anyway – after all, my body is not Doctor Who’s TARDIS) but hours later I did have a small plate of fresh leftovers. In the end, like I said, I think I did O.K., and later today I will be working out. Or should I say working off (smile)? No matter the case, I enjoyed Turkey Day 2010, but now it’s time for serious work.

I said in my post on Wednesday that sometimes the holidays are about weight maintenance, and that is the truth. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed to the food gods to NOT gain weight. But that’s not how things work. The only way things work is when I make them work, plain and simple. That goes for all aspects of my life. All our lives, really, including food.

My biggest problem has always been portion control. It’s a thing that goes back for me to when I was a kid. My mom, who always did her absolute very best and worked so hard, did put food on our table, but there were times we both had less than what we wanted. There were times we went a bit hungry. That’s how I came to hoarde food, a trait I carried with me into adulthood. Sigh. Old habits die hard, I guess. Really, really hard.

So, as I surveyed the bounty on the table yesterday I gave thanks to God for the good things in my life, gave thanks for being able to become a better person, gave thanks and prayers for and to my mom, JoAnn (who I imagined had just as bountiful a Thanksgiving in Heaven as I did here) and gave thanks for the food in front of me. Then, I took a breath and decided I was only going to have one plate of food.

After all, no one was going to take my food away from me.

Now it’s the day after and I am thinking about returning to normalcy, returning to my routine of working out and eating smaller portions. Thanksgiving is an amazing day but today is another day, a Friday (and hell no – I didn’t go out at 2:00 a.m. to shop for Black Friday specials), a day leading into the weekend and you guys know how I sometimes fear the weekends. Sigh again, but it’s all O.K. It’s O.K. because, one, I know that Thanksgiving is a day to be enjoyed, food and all. Two, because weight loss and maintenance is all about getting into (or back into) routines and that is what I will be doing. What, I think, we will all be doing.

So, have a wonderful weekend, my friends in weight loss. I am also thankful to all of you, as well. We are all in this together and I am human. I love my turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and everything. But today is another day and this is another weekend, and by the time you next read me I will have worked out three times…and hopefully eaten less, too.

Download This Episode

I don’t know what it is these days. I just can’t seem to get out of bed. I fully admit there are times my sleep is thrown off because I am stupid (OK, maybe not stupid), like when I fall asleep for a couple of hours in front of the TV after eating. But mostly it’s because bed feels good and warm and I don’t wanna crawl out of it (wow, did that sound whiny or what?!). So, after convincing myself that the cinnamon and brown sugar oatmeal was a great reason to get out of bed, I finally did it and am now planted firmly in front my computer.

Yawn…

I can usually operate on a few hours sleep. Remember me telling you about my year of hell (working three jobs and getting four hours sleep a night for a year)? While those days are long gone I do find that getting good sleep does help. It doesn’t have to be 8-10 hours but it does. The interesting thing is that sleep is also important in losing weight…and lack of it might make you gain weight.

Think about it: If you’re feeling sleepy at work and are running on low energy, you may be tempted to reach for a cup of coffee (or several cups or really big ones like me – extra crunchy with sugar) and a doughnut (mmmmmmm, doughnuts)  for a quick shot of energy. Later you may skip the gym and pick up takeout on your way home because you are too tired and/or have no time to cook. When you finally find yourself back in your bed, you are too wound up to sleep.

What does this all mean? You may be able to fight off sleepiness, particularly at work, however the ultimate result is unwanted pounds from poor food choices coupled with lack of exercise. This sets the stage for obesity and further sleep loss. Think about it more: Sleep debt is like credit card debt. If you keep accumulating credit card debt, you will pay high interest rates or your account will be shut down until you pay it all off. If you accumulate too much sleep debt, your body will crash.

Exactly how lack of sleep affects our ability to lose weight has a lot to do with our nightly hormones.

The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is the “go” hormone that tells you when to eat. When you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating. So when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin. In other words, more ghrelin plus less leptin equals weight gain. You are eating more, plus your metabolism is slower when you are sleep-deprived.

Yawn…stretch….

So what can you do about sleep deprivation?

For starters, avoid any caffeine in the afternoon because it will keep you in the lighter stages of sleep — which are associated with poor sleep — at night.  Exercise also helps improve sleep quality (which is awesome for me since today is martial arts training – yea!). Watch what you eat before bedtime and don’t eat a big meal too close to bed time. Heavy, rich meals before bed can also increase risk of heartburn (which will certainly keep you up all night – remember the “IN-DE-GESSSSSSSTION commercials).

Ah, now I am awake. I know I’m gonna have more cool stories about today’s martial arts lesson (and the soreness I will surely feel) but it’s all good. I have eaten my oatmeal to jumpstart my metabolism. I will be working out today. It’s a good day, indeed.

Now if only I could do all this waking up and being energized earlier…

There are certain songs that will live forever. FOREVER, I tell you. Songs that make you tap your toes, chair dance in your car (c’mon, you know you do that from time to time) and sing along to when they come on the radio (or “shuffle” play on your iPod).

One of those songs for me is from what is arguably the greatest soundtrack ever, “Saturday Night Fever.” On that record (CD, MP3 download…whatever you kids call your new-fangled listening device of choice these days) is “Night Fever” by the Bee Gees. It has been well-over thirty years since that soundtrack was released and I still don’t quite know what Barry Gibb (the bearded one) is saying/singing in his high falsetto disco anthem. Hell, when I try to “sing” the damn thing all I end up doing is trying to imitate the high-pitched notes not sing the lyrics. I don’t even think dogs can hear singing that high. But tt’s fun, goofy and cheesy, like me. It’s got a great beat and I can dance to it. I give it an 87.

But something struck me last night as I ate a pretty late dinner – I have an eating problem. I’m a night eater. So sing it with me. “Night eater, night eat-tah. He’s got a way to chew it…”

Seriously, though, night eating is a problem for me. Even when I eat dinner at a reasonable hour there is something in my head that makes me want to eat late at night. I’m not even really that hungry. I just want to eat something. Anything. It could be chips, granola bars, ice-cream (which is deadly), leftovers, a Lean Cuisine, cookie, fries, bagel, cinnamon roll…anything. If it’s within reach, it better watch out ’cause I’m gonna boogie my way over to it, do the Tony Manero finger-pointy dance thingie, grab it and consume it.

But that can be bad, very, very bad, for two reasons.

One, according to Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., some research has shown that way that that food calories are distributed may affect hunger—and that, in turn, could affect weight gain. A 1999 study in the journal Appetite found that when lean, healthy men spread their meals evenly throughout the day—as opposed to eating larger meals more infrequently—they were less hungry. Other studies have shown that people who skip breakfast, or who delay eating earlier in the day, are more likely to binge later.

Going for long periods without eating creates a state where the body is low on fuel. Metabolism may slow to preserve energy, and the body may be more sensitive to the calories that come later—it may be more likely to store those calories as fat and not use them. Irregular eating usually leads to eating larger meals to make up for the energy deficit. A big meal may overload the body’s capacity to use those calories, and the extra may be more likely to be stored as fat.

Irregular eating is probably more of a problem than night eating. People who skip breakfast often shift their caloric intake to later in the day, eating the majority of their daily calories at night. Many obese people (like moi) display eating behaviors that often involve skipping breakfast (something I have been truly guilty of in the past). Further, since the body slows down in the evening, calories consumed at night may be more likely to be stored rather than used. Not only is a person less active, but all cells operate according to fluctuations in their patterns of activity throughout a 24-hour period. Body processes—such as gut motility in digestion or the absorption of nutrients from food—also seem to operate on a kind of body clock showing decreased activity at night.

Very interestink (said using a very bad German accent).

Two, eating late gives me weird dreams, man. I mean weird (but that’s a whole other blog for a whole other day)

So how can I (and you) curb being a “night eater, night eat-tah…?” Let’s all try these simple steps:

• Most people try to eat too few calories during the day only to binge late at night. Eat 3 good meals during the day with 1 or 2 between meal snacks. Eating more frequent, smaller meals will prevent you from feeling hungry throughout the day. And if you’re eating fiber and proteins and drinking enough water, you’ll actually feel fuller for longer periods of time and will not have the urge to snack so often. Here’s a sample eating schedule you (and I) can adopt:

1. 7:00 a.m. – Eat breakfast
2. 10:00 a.m. – Eat a light snack
3. 12:00 p.m. – Eat lunch
4. 4:00 p.m. – Eat a another snack
5. 7:00 p.m. – Eat a small dinner with a treat

• A good insurance policy is to eat most of your calories before 6 PM. Generally, the rule of the thumb is to not eat anything within 3 hours of your bedtime. And, if you must eat, then eat something healthy like a piece of fruit or a very small handful of nuts.
• When you feel the urge to eat late at night, try drinking 2 or more cups of water. You can also make a cup of herbal tea sweeten with honey or artificial sugar. Hot liquids have a soothing effect on emotions and appetite.
• Remind yourself that it’s normal to feel hungry late and that night eating, night eat-ting comes from habitually eating late. Breaking this habit is like learning to quit smoking. Remind yourself of your weight loss goal and one of the keys to losing this weight is to STOP late night eating. The temptation to snack late at night will not be as great if you don’t give into the urge for several weeks.
• Much late night eating after dinner can be avoided by hiding the junk food. Put foods that you’re prone to eat late at night out of sight. Better yet, don’t buy junk food at all and keep healthier snacks in da houze.
• Tell yourself to “suck it!” Suck on hard candy. Most hard candy have only a few calories and they give you the satisfaction of snacking.
• Keep a written copy of your eating diary (if you keep one) in view, which will keep your goal of losing weight firmly fixed in your mind.
• Some people have great success by simply brushing their teeth late at night. This method has been known to curb late night eating for many people.
• The most vulnerable time for eating late is 1 hour after dinner right up to bedtime. Keep your life interesting by working on a favorite hobby (like Disco dancing, or finding out what the hell Barry Gibb is actually singing when he sings “Night Fever“) and NOT watching TV. The ads on TV can subconsciously trigger the impulse to eat. Boredom is your biggest danger to late night eating.

That’s it. I start my Tuesday a half-pound up from yesterday (grrrrrr). But, as I am always fond of saying “I will work it off,” and I will. And later on,  when it gets to be about the time I lay my head down to sleep I’ll I will keep these tips in mind…

…especially the one about occupying one’s mind with other things, for I would rather have a Bee Gees song stuck in my head all night rather than stuff my face and gain weight back.

It is not often in life we get to visit Mecca, the home and/or birthplace of something we love. Heck, it’s even a rarity in the cartoon world, too (remember Homer Simpson’s all-too-brief “dream job” working as a taster for Duff Beer?). Well, I got the chance of a lifetime wrapping up the conference I attended because Atlanta is the home and birthplace of my number one kryptonite, above Chinese food and above Milky Way bars. You guessed it, Coca-Cola.

Yep. I treated myself to a tour of the World of Coca-Cola, a museum and tourist attraction dedicated to all things Coke. And I will admit now, part of the serious attraction of going was the ability to taste different Coke products from all over the world and have at the end of the tour – wait for it again – an ice-cold Coca-Cola. And I know what you’re thinking: “you mean to tell me, after all your griping about you gaining weight on your trip, you’re a drug addict going to the place that not only sells drugs but makes them?”

Yup.

I freely admit to going into the lion’s den, the belly of the whale. The place where it all happens (well, at least the museum dedicated to it). I have always said on my weight loss journey I will have the things I want, just in moderation. And yes, those of you who read me regularly know I have had a few bad Coke binges from time to time, so much so I had to detox from Coke for a time. But this was going to be cool, seeing a museum dedicated to the history of a drink invented by John S. Pemberton just a few blocks from the museum, itself. It was also a way to confront my desire and addiction to this awesome, yet fattening, beverage.

I won’t bore you with the details of every aspect of the place – the tour and brief walk through the history of the marketingf of Coke, the movies you see (including the 4D one), even its impact on pop culture. What I will tell you, though, since my blog is dedicated to eating (and drinking) and weight loss is the best part of visiting the place – tasting Coke products from all over the world.

Yes, at the end of your self-guided tour you get to a tasting room where you can personally sample, as many times as you’d like, each and every soft drink beverage made and distributed by Coca-Cola around the world. Like the awesome Sparletta brand Spar-Berry from Zimbabwe. Or the Fanta Good Apple Kiwi from Thailand. You can even taste the most horrible-tasting soft drink in the world – a drink available in Italy called Beverly. It is so bad the workers there encourage you to taste it just to see how bad it is (which is wretched). And while the ability to taste these beverages, including my beloved TAB, is cool. I was there for a glass (OK, plastic cup) of the “good stuff.”

Looking around the tastng room I was wondering where the regular Coke fountain was. It was awesome to see that it had a tasting room all it’s own, a room dedicated to Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Coke Cherry Zero, etc. In other words, the belly of the whale. I had two cups, each about four ounces, of Coke and then I cut myself off. Any all-you-can-eat buffet is dangerous and I avoid them at all costs. And in this all-you-can-drink buffet I limited myself to just a splash of each of the six other beverages I tasted because soft drinks are one of those things I am addicted to. It is a comfort food for me and therefore a dangerous one, and I didn’t want to inadvertently give myself the taste for the drug again. So I left after that, but not before taking a complimentary bottle of Coke on the way out (don’t worry, it was only another eight ounces).

My kryptonite foods are just that to me. They weaken me and cause me to go off the rails of my new and healthier lifestyle. I had to, over time, learn to control my cravings and desires for these things because they are all bad for you. Is pop as healthy as water? Hell no, and just because I visit the land of Coke I’m not going to change my mind. It is one of those things you should give up or seriously cut back on if you want to lose weight and keep it off. What was cool was seeing how one guy created the world’s number one soft drink and how that formula is one of the best and most kept secrets in the world.

I do my best every day to curtail having Cokes, you guys know that, and this visit helped me do that. I have overdosed on Coke from time to time. I am a Coke fiend. It is dangerous stuff to me. Every time I visit Wawa I have to stop myself from going to the cooler, the taste is that strong. And to be able to visit Mecca and not claim one of the Coke fountains for my very own and rip it from the wall and try to take it on trhe plane back with me is a triumph. Not just because I overcame the urge to do something stupid that would have landed me in jail, but because I have overcome so many urges along this almost five year weight loss journey(both weight loss and weight maintenance) to give in to the temptations that would easily take me back to being 400 pounds.

I may not have it every day anymore but I’ve never stopped drinking Coke. I never will completely. Everything in moderation, or to use another phrase “drink responsibly.” There are empty calories in soft drinks, and if you’re going to still have them have them as a treat not an every day with every meal thing like I once did. I have to moderate that moderation and not make up excuses to have as much Coke as I’ve been known to have in my life and in the pages of this blog.

When I get back home you bet your ass I will be hitting the gym to work off the calories of convention food, room service and Coca-Cola. I have to because I know I’ve gained some weight on this trip. Business trips frequently make us gain weight because they take us out of our normal routine. But re-reaching my weight loss goal will cause me to make the same sound heard when I open the ever-so-familiar bottle (fizzzzzzzzzz) and taste its icy-cold goodness…

…aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

I am a bit grumpy this morning. I am grumpy this morning because I am sick and tired of food – ALL FOOD – having stupid calories, and because genies in lamps don’t really exist.

I know this sounds completely insane but I always wonder in my heart and soul why everything we want to eat has to be “worked off” and “no good for us.” Why is it that Chinese food (yes, my dinner of choice last night) has to have not just calories but so much salt that it causes me to creep to another three more ounces this morning (hence part of my grumpyness).  I know it was “no good for me” and that I will “work it off,” but still. Can’t a guy have his beef chop suey after a workout and NOT have to still gain back ounces? Grrrrrrr.

And why can’t genies exist? These are so the times I wish I could find a genie in a lamp. I daydream about casually strolling the beach down in Atlantic City (after winning a few bucks at Craps, my favorite game) and stumbling across a beautiful, ornate golden lamp. I start brushing the sand off its surface when a cool-ass genie appears and says to me, “Dude. Wow. Thanks for finding me! You know how long I’ve been cooped up in coach in that thing? Where’s the baggage claim anyway? Oh, never mind. Since you found me and I have finally landed I will offer you three wishes as gratitude. The only condition is that you chuck me and the lamp back in the ocean when you’re done so that others may share your good fortune. And PS, show me where the Craps tables are, man. I’ve been itchin’ for some games of chance since that bazaar in Morocco 400 years ago.”

If only I could really have those three wishes. Besides the obvious one featuring lots of  money and one I would keep in my back pocket for another day, I think I would wish for me to never gain weight ever again from any food stuff ever in the history of the entire universe. That would include never gaining weight from any of the following yummy, delicious “no good for us” foods you have to “work off:”

• Cinnabon cinnamon rolls
• The afore-mentioned Chinese food (damn it all to hell – stupid ounces – grrrrrr)
• Hostess Cupcakes (don’t worry, I didn’t have any last night. Just thought about them, that’s all)
• Italian Beef  sandwiches
• Chicago-style hot dogs
• Cheesestea)k hoagies
• Alcohol (not that I am a beer drinker. I’m talking about my martinis and frosty, fruity island drinks you get with little umbrellas and s&^t)
• French fries (especially the big beefsteak or potato wedge kind)
• Strawberry ice-cream (again, don’t worry I didn’t have any last night
• Banana cream pie
• Chocolate cake and/or cupcakes (mmmmm, cupcakes – said like Homer Simpson drooling out the side of his mouth)
• Indian food (especially chicken tikka masala)
• Stuffed pizza (or any pizza for that matter)
• Buffalo wings
• Mashed potatoes (come to think of it the entirety of Thanksgiving dinner – including any and all leftovers)
• A plate of Southern food (fried chicken, a mess of greens and some kind of starch like grits)

Ok, Ok. I’ll stop now but you get my grumpy point this morning. Each one of us has foods we love but that are extremely bad for us. Just yesterday I was talking with people who felt bad for having a small box of Cheez-Its or a couple of cookies. But why should they feel bad? We like these foods, they just don’t like us back. Yeah, I would so use a wish and change all that.

Well, maybe I would. There is that world peace thing to consider, and all. It just “grinds my gears” – no wait, I used that slogan for a blog already. It just makes me grumpy we always have to pay the stupid “a moment on the lips, an eternity on the hips” price for the foods we enjoy most. And on grey, cloudy and rainy days like this perfectly suited for comfort foods and movies I don’t want to worry about the calories they leave behind.

Well, that’s OK. We can’t appreciate the destination without fully respecting the journey…

…every yummy, calorie-rich, has to be “worked off,” “no good for you” step of it.