Excuses, Excuses, Excuses - Part Two

I overeat because I'm the family garbage disposal. Does the following statement remind you of your childhood? "Eat your dinner! There are starving children in [insert foreign country name here]!" For some it may have been the children of China, for others it would have been Ethiopia. Either way, I'm sure this sounds familiar.

I can't remember if that line was ever actually said at my family dinner table, but I do remember hearing it on TV, in movies, and it seems to have made an impact. It absolutely kills me to scrape my kid's plates of leftovers into the trash! I've tried guilt tripping them into eating (hey, it worked on me as a child!), tried packaging up their leftovers (which they refuse to eat) and even had them serve themselves so that my eyes weren't bigger than their stomachs. It didn't work.

Now, I don't think this was too much of a problem six years ago when it was only one child eating "real" food. But now that all three of my kids are at the "real" food stage it means three plates to clean. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but it doesn't just happen in the privacy of our own home but when we eat out at restaurants as well! Heck it happens at other family members houses too!

Now please understand, I don't lick their plates clean. In fact, I almost always leave a little behind. I guess, I more or less nibble off all three of their plates until I reach a point in my mind that is an acceptable amount to throw away. I think some people refer to it as grazing. Horrible, yes! Disgusting, I know! Now admit it; you've done it too!

How do I stop this madness? I've recently started having my kids clear the table. This involves them scraping their own plates into the trash. Do you see where I'm going with this? I can avoid most of the guilt that is associated with wasting food! I've also modified both the children serving sizes as well as my own. Knowing that I tend to graze (yes, like a cow - I find using disgusting imagery helps curb the temptation) off the children plates, I've cut back considerably the amount I serve myself each meal.

This is one of those lifestyle changes that I mentioned in my previous blog. It's going to take time and a little help from my friends but eventually I WILL get over my "issues." If you're looking for a little inspiration or just a good laugh, read the following post. It opened my eyes... and helped close my mouth : )

http://www.gadling.com/2008/04/01/starving-kids-in-china-growing-tired-of-us-leftovers/






Photo borrowed from: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blstb.msn.com/i/E3/3B96DEA2B25E1D9CAF8CD448DBB.jpg&imgrefurl=http://health.msn.com/nutrition/slideshow.aspx%3Fcp-documentid%3D100218116%26imageindex%3D5&usg=__vFV6yWjguQH_aiHKZTl1E6G5_Wo=&h=300&w=350&sz=26&hl=en&start=11&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=bDXXVojxhNy2TM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplate%2Bwith%2Bfood%2Bleft%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26channel%3Ds%26tbs%3Disch:1

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses - Part One

I overeat because I'm surrounded by the color red. LOL, ROFL, LMAO and every other acronym you can think of pertaining to laughing! I'm sorry but that sounds so lame. The sad part, it might actually be true! So much for my new red table linens, sofa cover, and throw pillows.

I've come to recognize that the key to real weight loss is more than just eating foods labeled "low fat" or "low calorie." And it's more than going for walks around the reservoir. To do this right, I'm going to have to get down to the root of the problem and make some lifestyle changes.

To make better diet choices, I needed to do some research. Now, those who know me, know that if I want to learn something, I read about it. I love reading. (Part of the reason why I am so sedentary, but more on that excuse later.) So that's what I've been doing. I've been researching why, as I got older, I began making such poor diet choices. I've also been looking for ways to reprogram myself away from these bad habits. This is the first of five "excuses" I've been using sometimes consciously; sometimes not. How about you?

Color me hungry. What color is a can of Coca Cola? What color is a box of MacDonald's french fries? What is the color you see in your mind when you think of the restaurant 'Panda Express?' Red. Red. Red. It's not a coincidence, it's a conspiracy! These companies are using color against us. Red (and orange too, since it's a form of red) is known as a stimulating color. It grabs your attention, increases your heart rate, and is often associated with energy (see Coke can). When you walk into Safeway, with it's bright red logo, your subconscious is thinking "buy more". As you walk down the snack isle seeing red Cheez-it boxes and Orville Redenbacher Popcorn boxes your brain is telling your stomach, "eat more". Do you still wonder why you go into the store with a hand basket and end up leaving with a push cart? The next time you drive through your town or go to the store, take a look at how many food related businesses (that includes gas station mini-marts) utilize red in their decor or advertising. As for my red toile table cloth and garnet suede sofa cover... I'm keeping them... come on, red is still my favorite color even if it's not good for my diet.

What people can do to counter act this overabundance of red: avoid convenience stores and restaurants. Purchasing your produce at a farmers market instead of the supermarket cuts down on the temptations presented through creative packaging. Also, if possible, purchase your poultry, meats, fish, cheese, coffee and breads at shops specializing in just those items. Again, you're bypassing the excess packaging and mega-chain marketing. In your home, decorate your most used rooms (places you tend to snack) in colors that are calming and supress appetite such as blues, greens and earth tones. And of course, always eat a filling but healthy snack before going anywhere that sells food. Especially the mall where a Cinnabon will undoubtedly try to lure you in with their cinnamoney ooey gooey goodness which is pumped out into the mall to make up for the lack of red in their advertising. Actually, that last part, I made up but hey it makes sense doesn't it?

It Takes An Online Village

It's official... OneLessFatGirl is everywhere. I've got a fan page on Facebook and an account on Twitter!

Thanks to my first fans - Nicole, Sandra & Vincent on Facebook & Keri here on Blogspot! I'm already receiving emails with tips and words of encouragement! You guys are awesome! Please share the site with friends and family who would be interested in following my journey or have tips from their own personal experiences!

If you haven't already, please check out my other W3B's (World Wide Web Bites). I just posted a really great recipe on FB for Crockpot Jambalaya (Approximately less than 200 calories per serving!) And my first Tweets are up!

It's cold and drizzling outside right now, making me hope for drier weather tomorrow so I can get in a good walk. In the meantime, I anxiously await delivery of my new elliptical on Tuesday! Yippee!!! I won't have to worry about the weather anymore!

Thanks again everyone!

Fat Girl Takes a Stand

It's 1 a.m. and I can't sleep. Instead of surfing the 'net for fabulous heels which I love to buy but never wear, I've decided to start a blog.

Why do I buy shoes and never wear them? Well - I absolutely adore shoes... and I'm fat. Not just chunky or heavy or thick but all-out OBESE. As you can see from my picture taken just moments ago, I'm 193 lbs. Now this probably wouldn't be a problem if I were 6 feet tall or so. But I'm not. I'm 5 feet and one-half inch. As you can probably imagine, I am no longer able to attractively fit my sausage-like feet into strappy stilettos or peek-a-boo pumps. Twenty minutes in anything over a one inch heel and it feels like I'm walking over broken glass. I mostly live in flip-flops and sneakers these days.

Why the blog? I'm taking back my life (and my love for shoes) by committing to losing 68 lbs. You, the readers, are my witnesses. I'm going to use a combination of diet modification, regular exercise and good old fashioned embarrassment to shed these extra pounds. Really, what's more embarrassing than sharing your true weight (not the one listed on your drivers license) with complete strangers around the world? So, come on! Take this journey with me. Misery loves company, so if you're trying to lose weight too, we can do this together! I'm looking for cheerleaders to help keep me motivated and on track but if you'd rather be a jeer leader, I could probably use a few of those too.

As either Lao-Tzu or Confucius once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Mine was off the scale and onto the world wide web.