Ridin' in the Rain

Since moving here, the girls and I ride our bikes to/from school every day.  When it rains, we generally walk so that we can use the big umbrella.  Today the rain was really coming down.  My youngest wanted me to drive them.  2 problems with this.  1) The car line at this school is utterly ridiculous!  2) We live a block away!  I am not driving them a block away!  So we sucked it up and rode our bikes because that's faster than walking and they have rain jackets so great.  Yeah...except I don't have a rain jacket.  I got back totally soaked through.  Clothes are in the dryer and am working so I lived but I will buying a rain jacket pronto!

My knee is feeling a bit better today.  Keeping the brace on for today but may try for a short, easy walk this evening.  I didn't walk last night to give it an opportunity to rest but don't want to go 2 days in a row.  Speaking of exercise, found this tidbit on CNN.

Excuse-proof your Workout

The point of this article to bust through the top 5 excuses for not working out.  Full article is linked to the title but I'll give you tidbits and my opinion in blue.  (Ah...I forgot how much I missed "In The News" posts...)


The excuse: I'm too pooped.

The reality: It's the number-one reason you blow off workouts. Know this, though: Studies have shown that regular physical activity can improve energy. If you don't believe it, commit to a week of exercise and see if you notice a difference.  Being too tired is one that I've used often enough.  And I know I feel more energy when I'm working out.  They give a suggestion about a special kind of alarm clock to get you up to go in the morning or enlisting a workout buddy if you prefer evenings.  Truth is... even if it's a walk, gotta just make yourself bust through the tired thing.

The excuse: There aren't enough hours in the day.  I'm not even going to bother putting in the reality piece of the article here.  There IS time...you just have to find it.

The excuse: I don't want to redo my hair and makeup.  I'm not justifying this one with the reality either. Seriously???  This is an excuse people use?  I've never been an overly girly type but come on!  Suck it up buttercup!


The excuse: Exercise makes me eat more.

The reality: Actually, if you work out at a moderate-to-vigorous level (think a brisk walk), a shift in hormones may help suppress your appetite immediately post-workout. In a recent study, researchers at Brigham Young University showed images of food to women who had just finished a 45-minute morning workout. Their neural response to the food was less than it was on non-exercise days. The researchers also found that women did not eat more on the workout day to make up for calories burned.
I've argued this point before.  I actually DO think exercise makes you eat more.  For this one study, there are others that show people DO eat more on days they work out vs days they don't.  That being said, I think a lot of that is mental and thinking you're allowed more calories just because you worked out.  But then again I wouldn't classify a "brisk walk" as moderate to vigorous either.

As you can see, I basically think this article is crap.  None of these tips actually help you stop making excuses.  I suppose it helps if you don't think you're making excuses.  If you use any of these excuses but think they're legitimate reasons as to why you aren't working out, then you're in denial and this article may help you see the light.  I, personally, am under no delusions regarding why I haven't been exercising.  I'm simply lazy.  

Happy Thursday everyone!

It's Coming Together

My van finally got here yesterday!  Just in time for Hubby to run his car into a curb in the rain and need the tire repaired.  So I'm still carless today but at least it's here.  This was our first experience having movers move us instead of doing it ourselves.  While I'll take this over the alternative any day, it's not without its challenges.  Feels like you do a lot of waiting and if you're an impatient person (such as myself), that's tough.  I've only got a few boxes to go in my office and I should be good to go in there.  Then we're down to the "What the heck do we do with this?" boxes.  I hate those.  I also have an organizational dilemma in the girls' bathroom.  They have one of those sinks without a cabinet or drawers underneath.  I have no idea what to do with all their bathroom crap...lotions, powders, hair ties (oh lord...the hair ties, headbands, barrettes....am I the only one that seems to horde these things?), etc.  Any suggestions?

I did alright with food yesterday.  Dinner could have been better but portion was good and still no snacking.  My water intake improved also.  Slowly but surely folks.

Let's share the love a little bit this Friday.

Holly at 300 lbs Down was interviewed for The Revolution of Health for the guy from the Biggest Loser Ranch.  You can check that here.

Chelle is going through a rough spot with the declining health of her grandma...please send her some hugs here.

And another addition of "In the News with Panda..."  I know I did a segment yesterday but this was too good to pass up.  This isn't a news article but an opinion piece on CNN regarding advancing the rights of fat people...fat acceptance if you will... Full article is here and, as always, my comments are in blue.

Another recent study found people who were "metabolically healthy" and overweight or obese had no higher death risk than metabolically healthy "normal" weight people.

I take an interest in the topic because I'm fat and because I don't have a death wish. I'm also interested because, like so many fat people, I've encountered weight discrimination when I seek routine medical care. I was 26 years old when I was denied the right to purchase health insurance. I had no significant history of illness or injury. I was just fat. That day, I became a fat rights activist.

A fat rights activist?  Really?  I'm not saying discriminating against fat people is good or ok (I've ranted about this before) but talk about fighting a losing battle.  

As a fat activist, I help as much as I can, but I'm no federal agency.

One woman called in the middle of the night, hoping I knew of an MRI she could use for an important test. The machine at her local hospital, which she'd used before, was being guarded by a technician who strictly enforced the weight limits. The tray that slides in and out of the machine could break. Instead, she was denied potentially life-saving information in a crisis. How many of the deaths blamed on weight are actually caused by medical equipment -- everything from blood pressure cuffs to surgical instruments -- that fails to accommodate fat people when we need it most?

I'll never forget the teenage girl who was told by a nurse practitioner that her complaint would go away once she lost weight. Luckily, she had the nerve and the parental backup to get another appointment and the prescription necessary to treat her condition. How many of the deaths blamed on fat actually happen when people are diagnosed as fat instead of being diagnosed and treated for an illness?

For the sake of argument, how many normal sized people would be denied life saving tests if this woman had broken the MRI machine?  Medical equipment is sized for average people.  I understand how humiliating it is.  I do...truly.  One blogger I follow was once told to go to the ZOO for a medical procedure because it was the only place with a machine big enough.  Are fat people animals?  Absolutely not but is it everyone else's problem to figure out a way to accommodate us or is it up to the individual to know where to go in case of an emergency?  Just as I knew which restaurants didn't have chairs Hubby or I would fit or if they only had booths, etc...we need to know which hospitals can accommodate larger folks.  As for the second paragraph...I agree, the diagnosis should never be "you're fat."  However, the article doesn't tell you what her ailment was...slightly high blood pressure?  Borderline diabetic?  Maybe instead of jumping to a prescription, we should try altering the lifestyle FIRST.  Just a thought. 

Then there are the fat people who did everything their doctors recommended to lose weight ... and died from dangerous diet drugs, from starvation diets, from mutilating weight-loss surgeries. I also hear from many people who live with the devastating physical and psychological consequences of such weight-loss attempts.

"Mutilating weight loss surgeries?"  I don't feel mutilated, thank you very much.  Would you call someone who has had knee replacement surgery or has a scar on their head from brain surgery "mutilated?"  Didn't think so...and you talk about fat bias? I have no issue with the other points.  Oftentimes, doctors suggest unhealthy remedies to lose weight.  I am of the belief that doctors don't know squat about nutrition and if they've never been obese, they really don't get it.  However, no doctor FORCES people do these things.  These are most likely people who feared for their health or REALLY wanted to lose weight and went to their doctor for help.  The docs did what they thought was right.  These doctors aren't doing the research on diet and exercise and metabolism.  Bariatric doctors and nutritionists do and even they're wrong a lot of the time.  No excuse for putting people's lives at risk to lose weight.  No excuse at all.  The article continues on to talk about medical professionals' personal opinions of fat people and the biases there.  Again, no argument.

These biases don't improve medical care. Two pioneers of the Health At Every Size approach, psychologist Deb Burgard and health promotion expert Lily O'Hara, analyze existing data to point out that using BMI as a proxy for metabolic health mislabels 51% of healthy people as unhealthy. Meanwhile, 23.5% of the thin people with risky indicators will not be screened or treated early because they "look" healthy.

I've talked about this as well.  Thin does not equal fit and fat doesn't necessarily equal unhealthy...yet.  I'll get to that at the end.  We all mostly agree that BMI is crap also.  

Here's a finding from the recent research that didn't make the headlines: For people over 65, being fat wasn't associated with increased risk, not even for the fattest old people. When do most people die, in our increasingly long-lived society? Over age 65, perhaps?

She links just about every other study for her statistics except this one.  Is it because she made it up?  Or is it because the study was crap from the get go.  What did they consider fat?  Was it just fat or was it morbidly obese?  There IS a difference.  She also doesn't say what they're at risk for...falling, complications of surgery often needed past the age of 65 (knee replacements, hip replacements, etc.  Anesthesia for fatter people IS riskier...sleep apnea anyone?), death?  I think she means death.  I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

I also learned this week that a highly accurate way to predict a person's risk of dying is to see how easily they can get up from the floor. I'm trying to imagine how different our health care system would be if, instead of focusing on weight and weight loss, caregivers did the sitting-rising test instead.

Sorry...this is just stupid.  How many of you at 250 lbs + easily got up off the floor?  One of the hardest exercise for me is sit ups.  Also, at 230 lbs, I could not just sit up when laying flat and guess what, at 168 lbs, I STILL CAN'T!  Am I healthier now than I was 70 lbs ago???  OF COURSE!  

Some closing comments.  For every research study she lists, I could list one that counters it.  Statistics can be manipulated to make a case for any side of an argument.  Do your own research.  Also, she was 26 with her first run in with medical bias with fatness and her other example was a teenager.  The longer you're obese, the more problems you'll have.  My father was fine until he was in his 50's...a triple bypass and Type II diabetes diagnosis later...not so much.  To say that you can be fat and healthy isn't necessarily wrong. But to say you'll ALWAYS be fat and healthy is unlikely.  This woman isn't doing anyone any favors.

Alright...I've ranted enough today.  How about a New Year's Friday Funny?

Day 2

We're on to Day 2 and so far, so good folks.  I had a healthy breakfast and lunch yesterday with a decent dinner.  No outside snacking.  Feeling really good about that.  I was STARVING when I went to sleep last night though.  I woke up today not starving.  Go figure.  I  knew it was in my head last night because I was hungry WHILE eating dinner.  Do you ever do that?  You're in the middle of the meal and you just know you're still hungry and you're still going to be hungry when you're done?  How is that possible?  Because your head messes with you, that's how.  For the last 2 months, I would just give in to that voice but not last night.  Last night I decided I would power through.  Mind over matter...I am NOT wasting away.  My stomach is NOT going to start eating itself if I go to bed hungry for one night.  And you know what?  It worked.  I'm having my coffee this morning and am in no rush for breakfast yet.

I'm focusing on food for the next week or 2 and then will figure out how to incorporate my exercise again.  I really miss working out.  (Yes, I just said that.)

Random Thought.  I love Pandora.  My mom got me a little ipod clock/radio thing for Christmas and I hook up my iphone and set it to pandora and rock out to 90's pop.  What I don't understand is how Britney Spears has a greatest hits album???

I'm bringing back an oldie but goodie feature of my blog where I talk about diet, fitness, and general health stuff in the news and give you my take.  I missed doing this for awhile but I have an opinion about everything so there ya go.  With the dawn of the new year and everyone resolving to lose weight, the news and morning shows are abuzz with the fad diet advice.  CNN is no exception.  Check out this little gem at their website - Retro Diet Tips that Work.  As per tradition, my comments are in blue.

The theory here is that people are shying away from gimmicks and embracing the natural food markets and turning to things like grapefruit and rice cakes (rice cakes are natural?) for dieting.  But also, these foods make us feel homey...

"Nostalgic feelings often make people gravitate towards classic diet items," says Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center and author of "Eating Mindfully."

"My clients tell me that they eat cabbage soup or low-fat cheese because those are things their mothers used to eat while dieting."

Really?  I know when I think of comfort food, I always rush right to cabbage soup!  

After all, low-fat cottage cheese is a great source of satiating protein; research shows that eating grapefruit can reduce insulin levels, and aid in weight loss; and rice cakes, which are low-cal, give you a lot of bang for your bite. Even baked potatoes -- diet terrorists during the low-carb craze -- can help you lose.

OK...I give you that...these are low cal.  The problem comes with how many you eat and what you put on them.  Rice cakes plain?  When was the last time you ate a plain rice cake?  You don't.  You add peanut butter or something equally fattening (I'm actually a proponent of PB...don't get me wrong) and you eat about a million of them.  Same thing with baked potatoes.  A normal size baked potato, not so bad.  Giant baked potatoes have become the norm and we load them up with butter, cheese and sour cream...not to mention bacon bits.  And there isn't much nutritional value in a potato or a rice cake or even grapefruit.  

"Things like Jell-O, cottage cheese, and cabbage have low calorie density, meaning they have few calories per ounce," Rolls says. "Foods such as air-popped popcorn and rice cakes have high volume, in that they are aerated and trick your mind into thinking you're eating more than you are. Both are effective for weight loss." Some may even have pound-melting superpowers.

"High-calcium foods (yogurt and cottage cheese) and high-fiber foods (like fruit and vegetables) may increase weight loss by either blocking the absorption of other calories or by enhancing metabolic efficiency," says weight control specialist Stephen Gullo, author of "The Thin Commandments Diet."

"We may not understand all the ways this works, but if you're losing weight, does it really matter?"

I love this!  They say there's scientific research backing this up and then go on to say they don't understand how it all works...as if there's a magic weight loss fairy going around looking for people eating these foods and zapping them with their magic wands, making them thinner.  Puh-lease.

I don't demonize any food groups.  Even candy has its place occasionally.  Seriously...sometimes you just need that skittle to maintain your sanity.  I get it.  And I'm not saying these foods don't have a place in your diet but nowhere in this entire article does it say eat protein.  Nowhere...they say get your protein from cottage cheese.  Mmmkay.  I don't like how they act like eating these foods aren't a fad...that going to "retro diet foods" isn't a fad.  Just using a word like "retro" makes it a fad!!!  People...a little common sense.  A balanced diet is the way to go.  For those of us banded...at least for me...I feel fuller on protein and stay fuller longer.  Just sayin'...

OK - Last tidbit...need some help!  I need some new bloggers to follow!  A lot of my old bloggers have stopped blogging altogether so I need some new fodder.  If you're new to me and I'm not following you, please leave a link!  If you know of any good ones out there, let me know.  Thanks!

Alright.  That's all I got for today.  Happy Thursday!

In The News 9-19-12

For this edition of "In the News with Panda..." I'm devoting the whole post to one in particular item.  You can click the title to go to the article but I'm actually copying and pasting the full article below.  My comments are in blue.

FDA-approved diet drug Qsymia now available with prescription

(CNN) -- A new diet drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July is now available for obese and at-risk overweight patients. The oral medication Qsymia can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription.
Qsymia (pronounced kyoo-SIM-ee-uh) is the second diet drug approved this year. The FDA approved a weight-loss pill called Belviq on June 27.

Patients in clinical trials experienced more dramatic weight loss with Qsymia than with Belviq. On Qsymia, patients went from an average 227 pounds to 204 pounds; on Belviq, the average weight dropped from 220 to 207.
Qsymia had been known as Qnexa until its approval. The FDA asked the company to change the name to avoid confusion with another drug on the market, according to the company.

Some consumer advocates worry that the medication's weight loss comes with a price. Some patients in the clinical trial suffered an increased heart rate and a condition called metabolic acidosis, which can lead to hyperventilation, fatigue and anorexia.  Really?  I've always joked about how an eating disorder could've benefitted from me but it was a joke.  I think this is an indication that the drug works a little TOO well.

Concerns have also been raised about birth defects. One of the ingredients in Qsymia is topiramate, an anti-convulsant that has been linked to birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate in babies born to women who have taken it for migraines or seizures. Qsymia's other ingredient is phentermine, an appetite suppressant.  Take note here.  How many women got the band or try to lose weight in order to GET pregnant?  Also, I always kind of worry about taking anything that causes birth defects even when I'm not trying to get pregnant.  If it's not good for baby making, is it good for my body?

"Our belief is that women will be invited (through) compelling advertising and marketing messages to experiment on themselves with a drug that has some effectiveness with healthy weight loss but possible serious risks," said Cindy Pearson, executive director of the National Women's Health Network.

Qsymia's manufacturer, Vivus Inc., says that the drug helped lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels in obese people and that people taking it were less likely to get type II diabetes.

"Obesity is not being adequately addressed by diet and lifestyle changes or currently available therapies," the company said. "The need for new options is urgent, particularly nonsurgical options."

The FDA approved Qsymia only for obese people or for overweight people with a body mass index greater than 27 who also suffer from weight-related conditions like hypertension and diabetes. Hmmm...BMI of 27.  I would weigh 138.5 lbs!  Holy crap!  I would KILL for that weight right now.  I get down to 138, I'm not taking any freakin' diet pills!

Doctors are free to prescribe the drug to anyone, however, and there are concerns that physicians will open "pill mills" and prescribe Qsymia to people who just want to lose a few pounds. That's what happened in the 1990s with fen-phen, another diet drug combination that includes phentermine.

An FDA advisory committee voted against Qsymia's approval in 2010. The panel recommended the drug's approval with a 20-2 vote in February, after Vivus proposed a risk management program to limit Qsymia's distribution and published additional results from one of its three clinical trials.

Vivus is offering the pill only through mail order, so doctors can't sell it directly, said Dr. Barbara Troupin, Vivus' vice president of scientific communications and risk management.
"There will not be dispensing from doctors' offices," she said. "Seeing that issue and what has happened in fad and diet drugs in the past, that is not a path that we're going to be taking."

The 4,430 overweight and obese patients in the Qsymia studies experienced various levels of weight loss. About half of patients on the recommended dose lost 10% of their weight, while four-fifths lost 5%. That amounts to about 12 pounds for a 227-pound person.

Meg Evans, one of the patients, started out at 230 pounds and lost 48 pounds her first year on the drug and another two pounds the second year.
"I loved it," she said. "I wasn't hungry. I almost had to remind myself to eat."
At 5 feet 9 inches tall, Evans, now 63, describes herself as having been "Twiggy-like" in college, weighing 120 pounds. Then she gained weight after having four children. An avid cook and eater, she said the drug made it easier to resist tempting foods.

"If I saw a chocolate-chip cookie, it was easy enough for me to say, 'I'm not really hungry. I can pass on it,' " Evans said.
She said the weight came off gradually, about four pounds a month, and her blood pressure went down almost immediately.

In February, Dr. Michael Lauer was one of two FDA advisory committee members who voted against Qsymia's approval.
"I believe that if the public were to 'buy' (Qsymia) after FDA approval, it would run the risk of severe, even fatal, consequences from another diet lemon," Lauer wrote in Annals of Internal Medicine, also noting that the drug led to a slight increase in heart rates.

The FDA and Vivus both acknowledge that the three clinical trials meant to measure Qsymia's safety and effectiveness were not designed to properly assess cardiovascular risk. The FDA has required Vivus to do a study on the drug's cardiovascular effects. Vivus earlier said it would be done after the drug's approval.  Seriously?  We're going to go ahead and test the cardiovascular effects (for anyone not paying attention, this is the effects it has on your HEART!!) AFTER the FDA approval?  Really?  What the hell are we paying the FDA for anyway if not to make sure these things are safe before they're made available to the general public.

Despite the label's warning that women of childbearing age should use birth control while on Qsymia, there are concerns that women will still get pregnant while on the drug. The FDA recommends a pregnancy test every month while on Qsymia.  Take heed.  They bring this up TWICE in this article.  Not good for babies!

In the drug-maker's two-year clinical trial, 34 women on Qsymia became pregnant, even though they were told repeatedly to use contraception. No birth defects happened in those pregnancies, according to the company.
Previous clinical trials of topiramate, one of the ingredients in Qsymia, have shown a risk of about five birth defects for every 1,000 pregnancies.

Comparing the anti-obesity drug to treatments for other chronic diseases, Troupin said patients will probably need to continue taking Qsymia long-term, though the new drug is not expected to be widely covered by health insurance plans.  If they don't know the short term effects using something like this has on your heart, what about long term?  And yet another thing that insurance companies aren't covering for you.  They'd rather pay for your blood pressure meds and your insulin, etc.  I'm not digging this product but if you need a prescription for it, health insurance should pay for it.  Done and done.

Evans, the patient who lost 50 pounds on the drug, said she has gained back about 20 pounds since the clinical trial ended two years ago and looks forward to going on Qsymia once it's approved, even though it can have side effects.
"There are side effects to everything," she said.  So she's already gained back 20.  Between this paragraph and the one before it, it's not sustainable weight loss and you'll have to be on this drug forever in order to maintain your new weight...which is only 10% lower than your weight before.  Is that worth taking a pill every day for the rest of your life with unknown cardiovascular risk?  Brilliant.

She added that the drug wasn't the only reason she lost weight. Weekly counseling on nutrition and exercise were a big factor, too.
The counselor helped her change her diet -- choosing a salad for lunch instead of a burger, forgoing pasta and potatoes at dinner -- and encouraged her to walk a few times a week in addition to her regular exercise as goalie in a women's soccer league.
"Before the medicine, I had been telling the girls they'd have to find a new goalie, because I couldn't dive for the ball like I did before," she said. "Then I lost the weight, and I was diving and bouncing back up and having a great old time again."  She lost an average of a pound a week.  I don't suppose the nutrition and exercise had anything to do with that?  No, no...it was the drug that made it easier for her to CHOOSE the right food and get the exercise in?  Sorry...I'm not buying it.

In The News & Checking In 9-13-12

CNN was awash with different health related stories yesterday so it's time for another installment of "In the News with Panda..."

Fish oil's heart benefits may be overstated

The article basically says that while omega 3 fatty acids are great, the concentrated form in a supplement isn't as good as the natural way and more research is needed to determine how effective it really is in preventing heart attacks and heart disease.  Here's the bit that bothers me...

These healthy fats have been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce triglycerides, and prevent heart rhythm abnormalities, but clinical trials investigating whether these properties translate into a lower risk of heart attack and stroke have had mixed results.

I am a believer that blood pressure, cholesterol numbers, etc. DO NOT cause heart attacks.  They are merely a symptom leading up to a heart attack.  A heart attack, itself, is merely a symptom of something else (blocked artery).  We spend so much money on drugs, supplements, etc. trying to treat symptoms instead of addressing the actual cause of these symptoms.  That's my soapbox on this one.

Next up...
Bride's vows: 'In fitness and in health'

I didn't watch the video but this is apparently one of the CNN Fit Nation people who got married and have lost a bunch of weight with a personal coach and all that.  She's got some good tips that I know we've all seen here in Blogland but I wanted to reiterate a couple of them.

1.  Diet is everything.  You know my take on this - it's all about the FOOD!
2.  Realistically assess your weaknesses.  I think this is a great one...I just don't like the example she uses.  She uses assessing her areas of weakness in the swimming portion of training for a triathlon.  I associate this with taking a realistic look at your goals, triggers and knowing what you will and what you WON'T do.  For instance, know your trigger food.  What's going to make you go off the deep end?  For me...it's sweets.  Another piece...I know I'll NEVER get up earlier than necessary to go work out.  I am NOT a morning work out person.  Do I feel good when I do?  Yes but the snooze button is going to win for me every time so there's no point in even putting that goal out there.   I need to find the time elsewhere in my day.  
3.  Track your progress.  We've all talked about it...not just weight...measurements!  You lose inches even when you're not losing weight but also NSV's!  It's not all about the sizes and the scale people!  

The only thing I don't agree with is I don't think you need to go meatless to be healthy.  A lot of vegetarians are NOT healthy but think they are because they don't eat meat.  You still need to make sure you're getting all your nutrients.  I'm not saying you HAVE to eat meat...but just because you don't eat meat doesn't make your diet a healthy one.  Does that make sense?

Here's a fun one -
Gross, sure -- but maggots have medical benefits

OK...This one I just found interesting as all get out and even though I'm allergic to penicillin, I'm going to have to put a no-maggot order in my medical file.  Eeeeewwwwww.

And on the exercise Front...
Tabata: Scorch calories without the time commitment

Has anyone does this?  It basically sounds like a fun word for "interval training" which is the basis of most group exercise classes as well as crossfit.  Nothing too groundbreaking here in my opinion.  I'm also not real sure that 25 minutes, 3 days a week will bring any real results as far as weight loss goes...but I'm curious as to if anyone has tried and their experiences with it.

So there's your health news from Panda.  Hope you enjoy.  As for checking in, yesterday was good up until dinner.  I didn't work out but that was planned as my body needed a rest day.  Hitting Bodyworks tonight (with Yolanda who is FABULOUS!).  But we had Burger King for dinner!  Yikes!  Whopper Junior with 4 french fries and 4 licks of my daughter's ice cream cone.  Oh well...today is another chance to do better.

Checking in for yesterday.
List of NO's:
No fast food. No Check - BK
No carbonation. Check
No Starbucks.  Check
No pasta, rice or bread. Bun on the Whopper Junior
No chocolate, candy or sweets.  Mostly Check - 4 licks of an ice cream cone
No juice, milk or sugary drinks.  No Check - Pink Lemonade at BK

List of WILL's:
I will work out at least 4 times this week.  2/4
I will limit the amount of processed foods I eat.  Mostly Check
I will go to sleep at a decent hour.  Eh Yesterday.
I will be kind to myself.  Check 
I WILL stay on plan.  Nope!

OK...I'm sure I've got 10 things for TTT in there somewhere.  Tomorrow is Friday...YAY!  Hope y'all are surviving the week.  Remember....it's all in how you look at things...

Ten Thing Thursday 9-6-12

It's been awhile since I've done TTT and I'm not sure that I have 10 things in me today but let's give it a shot anyway.  Thanks Laurabelle!

1.  I'm going rock climbing today!!  It's taken me 2 years to actually do it but BFF and I are heading over once she gets off work today.  I'm excited!  I've heard it's a great workout for your arms..is this true?  If so, I'm totally counting it as a work out this week.

2.  CNN posted this little gem yesterday.  You can be fat AND fit, researchers say.  Basically, it goes into this study they did with a bunch of obese people who work out regularly and came to the conclusion that fat doesn't necessarily equal unhealthy and that exercise can benefit everyone.  Nothing groundbreaking here folks except for the glaring missing link.  They did not include diabetes or prediabetes has a health factor.  Mmmmkay.  Great study.

3.  One thing I did think about this is that it proves my point that exercise also doesn't equal weight loss.  There are those who say they WILL NOT lose weight if they don't exercise.  I don't think that's true.  I think you'll feel better and be more motivated if you exercise so you're more committed and make better choices when you're exercising.  It all still comes down to FOOD.  Just my 2 cents.

4.  I have 5 meetings on my calendar today starting at 7:30 a.m.  Ugh.

5.  Here's another CNN tidbit -  The #NYFW diet: Part of the job?  It's got all your normal "models, bloggers, editor, etc. are all starving themselves for fashion and how this is terrible for you" parts (I'm sorry - one week of fasting or whatever isn't going to kill you...Overreact much?) but my favorite was this part about one fashion editor's tweets:  
She followed up with "#PRGirlDiet" regulations: "No non-purpose bread (ie bread baskets, pretzels, croutons) or candy/sugar. Basically anything fun. EXCEPT: frozen yogurt is ok."

The tweet prompted conversation over froyo toppings ("just sprinkles. One layer. No middle/ bottom") and how cutting out bread makes a huge difference ("Soon you'll realize your body hates it").

Bahahahaha!  Froyo with sprinkles is OK??  LOL!  Very random.  But also...what the heck is "non purpose" bread.  Does any bread really serve a purpose???  Fashion people...they make me laugh.

6.  I didn't work out last night.  I was feeling run down and needed some family time.  I don't feel at all guilty about it.  Rock climbing today, gym tomorrow and/or Saturday.  I'm still confident I'll get in at least 3 days this week.

7.  Special HUGE thank you to A.J. over at Wanna Pet My Port? for showing me how to unfollow blogs again.  I did some major housekeeping the last couple days and I can finally start following some new bloggers out there.

8.  This one's going to serve as my check in for yesterday.  It's lookin' good!

List of NO's:
No fast food. Check
No carbonation. Check
No Starbucks.  Check
No pasta, rice or bread. Check
No chocolate, candy or sweets.  Check
No juice, milk or sugary drinks.  Check - I did try unsweetened coconut milk yesterday.  Not a big fan.

List of WILL's:
I will work out at least 4 times this week.  1/4 - Nothing yesterday...but I'll make it.
I will limit the amount of processed foods I eat.  Check
I will go to sleep at a decent hour.  Check
I will be kind to myself.  Check
I WILL stay on plan.  Check!

9.  The AZ bloggers are meeting up on Sunday.  Not sure I can make it this time but I'm gonna try!
10.  Who knew I had 10 things in me today?  Thanks for the comments on my hair yesterday.  I won't be cutting it any time soon, mostly out of laziness and cheapness but I appreciate the suggestion of a long bob and will keep it in mind next time I hit the salon.  

In the News 8-23-12

First up...

'The Beast' races to lose 100 pounds

What an inspiration this guy is!  He started at 380 lbs and since February 2011, he's run a 5k, a 10k, a half marathon and a full marathon!  Now he's training for a full length Ironman competition.

What I love about this guy's story is that it's one I've heard repeated time and time again out here in the blogosphere.  He went to an amusement park with his daughter but wouldn't fit on the rides.  How many of us have spoken about the one thing...the one instance...that pushed us over the edge and we decided that enough was enough?  But that's certainly not the only similarity.  He found inspiration through social media.  An old friend on facebook lost 240 lbs and he looked to her for tips and support.  A great read if you're lacking in motivation this morning...

Let's move on to bad melons...oh the puns!  The puns!

FDA names Indiana farm tied to contaminated melons

So a salmonella outbreak has been traced back to a cantaloupe farm in Indiana.  So be careful when buying cantaloupes!  Is it just me or are there more and more food recalls lately?  Beef, lettuce, spinach...cantaloupe.  I mean...were there always this many recalls but the internet has made it easier to spread the word (which is a good thing) or it because there are more mass food producers out there? Back in the day when you used to buy produce from your local farm..and they had salmonella...I suppose it would only affect your local community so it wouldn't be a big deal, right?  It goes back to buying local...probably just a better way to go.  Smaller chance of getting it, you know where your food comes from and if you do happen to catch some deadly disease from it, it's a lot easier to nail down the culprit responsible.  Just sayin'...

Next up...for the empty nesters out there...how to keep your college kids healthy.  So their tips and then my thoughts in blue.

How to help your college student stay healthy away from home

•Get vaccinations, medical exams - You should be doing this anyway.

•Plan ahead for emergencies:  Have your health care provider prepare a written summary of any acute or chronic conditions for college records. Parents and students should review the details of the students' insurance plan.  If these plans are anything like the plans I had in college, you're better off sticking with your parents' plan, especially since you can stay on until 25 now. 

•Self-help 101: Basically, make sure your kids know their basic health status (allergies, etc.) but also make sure they have a first aid kit, epi pens, etc.  If you have a child who has chronic illnesses, you should've been making them more aware of it long before they're heading off to college!  Have they been in a bubble through high school?  Or have you been hovering so much that they've learned virtually no independence?!?!

•Prioritize sleep, good nutrition and exercise: Talk to your child about monitoring these (habits) and keep track of them.  If your child is living in a dorm or actually went to a different state for college, how are you supposed to track them??  Again...teach your kids some responsibility.  

•Encourage the use of support services on campus:  This one's a good idea. Most kids don't even know what's available to them.

•Stay alert to stress, anxiety and emotions:   Again, if your child doesn't live with you anymore, this is going to be tough.  Hopefully if your child is really struggling, they'll come to you with it but there's a good chance they won't.  You can try your best here but going to college is a major life change and yes..it can be emotionally taxing.  Again..if college were that easy then EVERYONE would go!  It's supposed to be a little demanding!

My issue with this article is that it just reinforces the idea that these "kids" aren't ready to be on their own.  I'm not saying don't prepare them.  You MUST prepare them.  But for the love of pete, start doing it in high school!  At 18, they're technically adults and there comes a time where you've gotta let go.  Now I've never been there.  My kids are little but I remember when my sister went off to college and then I went off to college and the whole idea was to find your way.  Don't worry so much.  College is NOT the real world yet.  They've got 4 more years to figure it all out..ahem...cause god knows WE all have it figured out, right?


And now it's time for the segment I like to call "From the Duh Section of the Paper..."

Study: Obesity surgery can help prevent diabetes

Do I really need to even go into this article?  OK...Fine..Some highlights, taken directly from the article... Again my thoughts are in blue.

Doctors are reporting a new benefit from weight-loss surgery — preventing diabetes. Shocker!

It is "provocative and exciting" that surgery can prevent diabetes, but it is "impractical and unjustified" to think of doing it on millions of obese adults, Dr. Danny Jacobs, a Duke University surgeon.  Really?  It's much better that we keep building dialysis centers every 10 feet.  

"If surgery is the only treatment we have, we have to accept the cost ramifications of that" and give up "the naive notion" that we can just teach severely obese people how to lose weight, said Roslin, who consults for some makers of bariatric surgery equipment.  I'm real surprised that a consultant for makers of bariatric surgery equipment would feel this way *rolling eyes*  This also shows how it is a money making proposition for them.  They don't care if you're one of the types that COULD lose the weight on your own.  They don't want you to...and they don't want you to believe you can.  Surgery is NOT the only treatment we have...people can diet and exercise and lose the weight themselves...  it's generally not as successful long term but it can be done!  There are hundreds of bloggers who prove that...The Beast up top proved that... my BFF proved that.  I don't like the negativity this guy puts out there.

Researchers led by Dr. Lars Sjstrm of Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, tracked 1,658 patients who had bariatric surgery — mostly bands and stomach stapling — and 1,771 similar patients who just got usual care and counseling on how to lose weight.
None had diabetes when the study began. After about 10 years on average among those still in the study, 392 developed diabetes in the usual care group versus 110 in the surgery group. Researchers calculated that surgery had reduced the odds of getting diabetes by 78 percent.


OK...so not much in the news today but a few things caught my eye.  Tomorrow's Friday, thank goodness and I've got a long workday ahead so off I go.  :)

Special shout out to Jenn who faced the inner demon yesterday and overcame it.  I'm proud of you!

In The News 8-8-12

It's time for another "In the News with Panda..."

No place for self-doubt in fitness

Part of CNN's "get healthy" kind of thing has a participant who lost 110 pounds, is a teacher and was determining what theme to decorate her classroom in for the coming year.  She chose sports but talks about the struggle with feeling that fitness "fit" her personality at this point.  Here's a snippet that really struck home to me.

Then the self-doubt came. I started to talk myself out of it, saying things like, “Me? I’m not in perfect shape yet; I still have weight to lose, and I’ll never be in Ironman shape. Will anyone take me seriously?”

But then I realized that it is the commitment and journey that matter. I’m not going to let my insecurities keep me from following my new passion. I WON’T GIVE UP!!

I want to model that commitment for my students. Too many times I let my self-doubt and insecurity prevent me from participating in sports activities. I need to remember that the important thing is to get started on the journey. So I am going with my athletic theme this year. I will share my enthusiasm and journey with my students, and hopefully many of them will be motivated to overcome their own doubts and get moving.

Not only do I admire the change this woman has made in her own mindset and self image but also in trying to pass along the importance of staying healthy to her students.  There's a debate about sports vs fitness in the comments but anything to get our youth up and running, jumping, playing, and exercising is a GOOD THING!

And on to the next one...

Long wait at the doctor's office? Blame the patients

This is one we can all relate too.  I once had an OB/GYN who used to make me wait at least an hour for every single appointment.  I had a similar problem with a pediatrician.  It's bad enough when you're pregnant and uncomfortable in those chairs but try to entertain a one year old for over an hour...a nightmare. This particular opinion piece is here, written by a plastic surgeon who pretty much blames the patients for the problem.  He gives 3 basic reasons why other patients make you wait:

1. Patients show up late.
2. Emergencies.
3. "Oh, by the way"

I think if patients are more than 10 minutes late, make them reschedule.  If they make a scene, they make a scene.  In the case of emergencies (especially with an OB/GYN), we all get that and are pretty understanding.  The "Oh by the way" is what gets me on this one.  He says, "Here is a typical scenario: It's the end of a 10-minute office visit, scheduled as a follow-up for high blood pressure. It's been 12 minutes, the patient has her prescriptions, and the visit is concluding.
"Marie, I think we've covered your blood pressure issues pretty well. Do you have any further questions?"
"No, we're all set."
The doctor begins to open the door and step out.
"Oh, doctor, by the way, I forgot to tell you. I had chest pain last night and passed out in the bathtub. And I have bloody diarrhea.""

I think this is a bit overstated as the "oh by the way" isn't usually as serious as what's brought up here which would undoubtedly lead to a trip to ER.  But also...high blood pressure conversation is just 10 minutes and bloody stool with passing out only warrants and additional 30??  Maybe it's the fact that docs are only scheduling 10 minutes with each patient that's the problem.  Are you really encouraging a dialogue and active participation in your patients' health if you're only giving them 10 minutes to go over all their concerns.  Even if you schedule your appointment with your doctor and say you've got this, this and this to talk about, they don't give you more time for that appointment.  They still expect to get you in and out in ten minutes.  Give me a break.

While I think good patient etiquette is important and all three of these things can contribute to a doctor running late.  There are a number of other things that contribute as well.  My list on top of those 3?

1.  Doctors requiring you to come in for something that could be done over the phone.  I needed another referral to the lapband doc that I had already been seeing over a year because insurance required it.  They made me come in to have a "chat" about it.  My husband is on testosterone meds.  He needs a new script every 3 months.  He goes and gives blood.  Depending on those results, they determine whether or not to adjust dosage.  This can be done over the phone.  But doctors gotta get their copay from you.  Give me a break.

2.  Doctors scheduling just 10 minutes to go over your entire health profile.  Filling out forms over and over and over again so they budget that time in.  Sure...you're appointment is at 9 but they figure it'll take you 15 minutes just to fill in your name, address, etc. that they ALREADY have as well as information that they don't need at all like SSN (don't get me started on security issues with doctors' offices).

3.  Incompetent office staff.  Generally, even if you find a great doctor, you find their office staff to be rude, slow, unresponsive or just plain incompetent.  This wastes everyone's time.

So that's my take.  My girls started school on Monday...I have no babies left in my house!  Lori started kindergarten is doing great so far.  Here are some pics.

   

In The News....7-16-12

So I'm taking off for vacation tomorrow and probably won't be checking in so I wanted to leave you some food for thought.  News to follow...first...a small personal victory.

Yesterday, I knew I didn't have a healthy lunch.  I was in meetings from 8-1 and didn't bring a healthy lunch. I brought mac and cheese because that's what I had in the house.  I was faced with the same dilemma for breakfast.  I had a Clif bar sitting in my desk, a vending machine approximately 20 feet away and a Starbucks down the street.  I pondered and debated and finally decided that since lunch was not going to be stellar, I was going to do better at breakfast.  So I walked down to a new diner that just opened up and does some breakfast-on-the-go type items and got bacon and eggs.  I substituted bananas for toast and gave the breakfast potatoes to a coworker.  Better decision?  By far!

Also, I fixed up my tickers.  I still have my overall progress because it's important to not forget how far we've come.  I've added a new one with this last 30 or so still to lose to represent a recommitment to final sprint toward the finish (so to speak...we all know it never really ends and maintenanceville is a journey unto itself but I digress...).

So the news...this article bugs me.

NYC's fat ban paying off

It's not the article that bothers me...it's the title.  5 years ago, New York City banned using trans fat in restaurants.  The article goes on and on about how people were against it for numerous reasons and none of those reasons came to fruition.  It then talks about how much less fat New Yorkers are now consuming because of this ban.  This is all well and good but nowhere in this entire article does it talk about WHY that matters.  WHY is this good?  Have we seen fewer prescriptions written for ailments associated with trans fat?  Is their obesity or high cholesterol rates down?  Has is actually helped the public in a tangible way instead of just saying "They're taking in less fat?"  The reason this bothers me is because NY is home to other regulatory type initiatives like the No Free Refills Initiative and the Big Gulps Are Evil Group.  I'm not saying Big Gulps are healthy but I'm a bit of a libertarian and I believe if people want to drink 8 gallons of soda a day and get to be 1540 pounds, that's their business.  As long as I'm not paying for your medical bills, I don't really care.  The title makes it seem like we're getting real results out of this ban but goes into very little detail, outside of purely trivial trans fat volume numbers, as to HOW that ban is paying off for New Yorkers on an honest level.  Questions, thoughts, concerns, confusions?  

Another story that caught my eye was this one:

Father, son lose 260 pounds after weight loss surgery

I was waiting for another surgery horror story...how they lost all this weight because they've been in a coma since undergoing WLS.  But this was not the case.  This father/son team got the lapband in 2009 and have been quite successful in doing so.  Both men were morbidly obese and for a teenager, he was starting his life on a very difficult path.  I liked this quote from his doctor as I think should serve as a good reminder to all of us who undergo WLS.

"The main thing we talk about is motivation," Liu says. "If they can't change their lifestyle, they aren't going to lose more than 30 to 40 pounds."

That might seem like a lot to some, but most who undergo the surgery have 80 to 100 pounds to lose. And if they don't eat right and exercise, they'll most likely gain it all back  

This falls right in line with our "It's not a magic wand mantra."  We can't argue with this and I don't think it was presented in such a way to frame WLS as "not working" or something that makes it "easy."  I also liked how they talked about what the duo can eat now.

Carbohydrates are pretty much off-limits as well, Matt says. Before the surgery, he would usually have a sandwich, chips and soda or a few pieces of pizza for lunch. Now he eats maybe half a chicken breast and half a cucumber. Dinners used to be double servings. Now he orders off the kids' menu at restaurants and can barely eat half.

It shows how the portions are cut but that he's not living off pudding and shakes. Overall, I was surprised to see such a positive portrayal of lapband patients in the news.  Usually it's the horror stories of WLS or the success stories of people who do it "naturally."  Don't get me wrong, I love the success stories but it's nice to see the positive side to WLS too.  The article wasn't open to comments so I also didn't have to endure the fat bashing that always seems to follow articles such as these.

OK...one last one because things like this crack me up.  From the "DUH" section of the paper, 

Too much TV linked with weaker kids

Really?  I really hope this wasn't a government funded study.  Good grief!  OK...let's get into it.

The more TV kids watch in early life, the thicker they get around the waistline and the weaker their muscle strength, a new study finds.

I'm shocked.  How about you?  Basically they polled people in how long kids spent watching TV per week starting at 2.5 years old.  Then when they were 10 years old, they put them through a series of physical fitness tests and found that the more TV kids watched, the less physically fit they were.  *SIGH*  And why is this study important?  Because apparently people never realized this.  The article goes on to explain.

"Kids who watch more TV are known to be less involved in physical activity and less inclined to play sports, but we found there is actually a potential risk in decreasing their athletic performance with too much television," says Fitzpatrick. "This can influence their health as adolescents and adults."

So there you go.  They learned that not only are kids less likely to WANT to be active, they won't be as good at it.  I can't believe they had to publish this.  I can't believe this is NEWS to some people.   Really??  I guess I give people too much credit or something.  

There you have it folks.  Little Tuesday tidbits for you.  Tonight will be spent getting the kiddos ready for the trip.  I bought all kinds of things to keep them busy on the plane.  We'll see how they do.  I'm going to try to fit everything all of our clothes and overnight things we'll need into one suitcase and then give the girls each their own backpack with stuff for the plane.  I'm hoping it all fits.  I'm a little bummed Hubby can't come with us but I'm hoping it pays off with a permanent position and at least I have my mom coming along to help out.  She's crazy good with my girls.  I'm optimistic about staying mostly on plan during my trip as we're visiting family so more eating at home vs out.  I have plans to formally work out at least one day while we're there and try to get more activity in as I go.  **Special note to Jenn - this doesn't mean a vacation for you.  I've still got my phone and a reminder to text you every day.  Go get 'em!  I'm proud of you for working out yesterday...keep it up!**

I hope y'all have a fabulous week and great weekend!  Stay strong in your choices and confident in your journeys.  I look forward to reading all about your accomplishments when I get back. 

I kid! I kid!