Fad Diets or Life Style Change?

So this past Saturday morning I went to Walgreen's to pick up some ice for our camping trip. The cashier guy at the counter was helping me try to find some protein bars or Larabars or something like them with no sugar in it. He said, "Good luck there is sugar in everything."
I said, "We've been doing pretty well eating low sugar etc."
He said that he just lost like 60 pounds over the last year.
I said, "I lost 47 since January."
He said "How did you do it?"
I said "Diet and Exercise."
He said, "Have you ever heard of  "H"erbal Life?" (as he pronounces the H...cracked me up)
He said, " I took it and didn't even need to exercise."
I said, "I like to exercise, I enjoy it!"

He said did you see tha guy in line? He is doing the EGG DIET! I was like what is that...He said, "He eats eggs and chicken 7 times a day!"
He said You look good I don't think you need to lose anymore. (I didn't say I did.)

On my drive back home I was thinking what in the world.....taking pills to lose weight (herbal or not)  no exercising.......eating eggs 7 times a day. Come on people there is no magic to losing weight it is called a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE!!! Plain and simple if you want an easy way around it it won't last that long it has to be something you can do for the rest of your life. A way of life so you can be healthy. I am not saying I have all the answers or that I am perfect everyday.....I am striving to have a "lifestyle" that we can all LIVE with and be healthy.

There......I said my peace :)

Great Article ~ Let me ask you, Why do you eat?

Although this is an article from 1975 I think it still applies to us today! Enjoy :) I read this months ago and it made me think.

Don’t Eat Your Heart Out

Ronald L. Rhodes, “Don’t Eat Your Heart Out,” Ensign, Oct 1975, 72

“Stop crying, Johnny, and I’ll give you a big dish of ice cream.”

“You kids get your rooms cleaned up, and then you can have some pie.”

“Now, Susie, if you’ll stop fussing and get your ‘jamies’ on, I’ll give you some cake before you go to bed.”

How many times have you heard such expressions? They are symptomatic of an interesting contemporary problem. They betray an emotional reward orientation to the consumption of food, a tendency to eat in response to feelings and habit rather than to physical need.

Emotions play a dominant role in food selection. And in most of us these emotional determinants are established in childhood by well-meaning parents whose only desire is to show love and concern in a rather traditional fashion. But that kind of love is killing us! The long-range detrimental effects of such food abuse are becoming increasingly evident to the student of diet-health relationships. We are literally digging our graves with our spoons.

One may find dietary deficiencies in groups of all economic levels, even those that have the financial capabilities to provide better fare. 1 In most cases, minor deficiencies do not give rise to observable declines in health status or work efficiency. But significant dietary deficiencies, demonstrable especially among the underprivileged, may indeed give rise to clinically observable signs, such as anemia and shortness in stature. 2

But the bane of the western gourmand’s diet is not malnutrition, but overeating. Obesity (loosely defined as weight exceeding the recommended standard for sex and frame size by 20 percent or more) is a risk factor in several leading diseases. Diabetes, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, osteoarthritis, and gall bladder disease all occur more often in the obese than among individuals of normal weight.

Many obese people are acutely aware of these relationships, and for this reason, as well as for reasons of general appearance and feelings of well-being, have elected to try one of a variety of weight-reducing programs. But frequently these programs are downright dangerous. The effectiveness of practically all reducing programs, including those that are prescribed, falls somewhere in the range between poor and miserable. Their five-year success rate in the United States is almost zero. 3 No programs have been successful that did not entail a permanent change in dietary and/or activity habits.

The 1973–74 Relief Society lessons contained excellent information on basic principles of proper nutrition. However, knowledge alone, albeit indispensable in planning a proper diet, has been found inadequate in significantly altering dietary habits. In general, we eat what we like, not what we know is good for us. And our likes and dislikes are usually emotionally founded and well-established long before we can make rational decisions about them.

When we finally do understand the principles of nutrition, we tend simply to add the more nutritious foods to our already existing diet, thereby increasing our caloric intake. For example, we may learn that spinach is good for us, but we’re not likely to give up cake. We may learn to eat carrots for the eyes, but we don’t trade in our candy. It seems quite clear that to effect a satisfactory change in eating habits, there must be a change in deep-seated, long-standing attitudes affecting what and how much is eaten. Such habits and attitudes seem changeable only with difficulty. In fact, there is some recent evidence that early-established eating habits may be resistant to any change at all. 4

Where do we go from here? It’s obvious that some changes are desirable, not only to realize better nutrition but, more importantly, to reduce the incidence of obesity and its associated problems. Let’s take a look at some of the things we may be doing wrong as parents and what we might do to change them.

1. We use food as a reward. From the time our children are small we are inclined to make them feel happy when they are sad by administering a “spoonful of sugar” in some form. If Doug falls down and skins his knee, we make it better with bubble gum. If Marty’s heart is breaking because Daddy went to the store without him, we placate him with a popsicle. Children soon learn that feelings of discomfort or sadness can become happiness through eating. Such an early association between food and good feelings may well extend into adulthood as a self-reward habit involving a trip to the refrigerator every time a case of the blues arises. What the food-as-a-reward tradition lacks in quality it overcomes in simplicity. Most parents prefer the 30 seconds required to administer a candy mood-changer to the 15 minutes required to reward Johnny with a story about David and Goliath. Imagine the impact we might have on the lives of our children if we substituted rapture in the scriptures for contentment in cookies. Perhaps the child would even realize that there is more love involved in giving time than in giving substance. Or if time is short, a few moments of closeness and a few expressions of love might adequately attend the situation. Even a ten-cent balloon might be a healthier reward than a confectionery.

2. We use food as a punishment. When John doesn’t want to eat his dessert, his parents will probably be unconcerned. But if he balks at his broccoli, look out! Mom and Dad are likely to make such an issue of the matter that the mere sight of broccoli incites anger. Some parents will compound the problem by saying, “If you don’t finish your broccoli, you can’t have any pudding.” Then broccoli becomes the evil obstacle between John and that wonderful experience called dessert.

If you want your children to like carrots, don’t bully them into eating them. Why not try the more successful emotional approach used on television? Commercials on television associate foods with fun things like cartoons and toys. Why not develop some associations between good foods and happy, fun experiences like picnics and family home evenings? How about a pioneer dinner in the park featuring raw vegetables and fruits? Or let the little ones experiment by dipping vegetables in a variety of sauces and dressings in a fondue-style dinner.

3. We encourage snacking. To add to the conviviality of such occasions as watching television, reading, or socializing, we too often engage in snacking. And as an after-school ritual, the habit is probably firmly entrenched in most of our homes.

Children do get hungry between meals. But learning to live with that little bit of hunger, especially while yet young, may be healthier than eating at every urge. (Any Latter-day Saint knows that fasting becomes easier with practice.)

It would be best if we never developed the snack habit. If you don’t think you can accomplish that in your home, perhaps snacking could be shifted from cake and cookies to the less fattening fare of low-fat milk or fresh fruits. Of course, there is no guarantee that a well-established snack habit involving milk and fruit will not change for the worse when the child is on his own, but at least the youngster has been taught the proper principles.

Complete elimination of the well-embedded bedtime snack is also desirable, but if you can’t eliminate it, how about a glass of low-fat milk instead of a heaping plate of ice cream?

4. We eat opulently. A lavishly set table has become a symbol of success. “We always had more than we could eat at my home,” may be a braggart’s phrase, but that stuffed look is certainly testimony that it is not an empty boast.

“Waste not, want not” is a desirable ethic for frugal folk, but it might produce less obesity if it were applied at the time the plate was loaded up rather than at the time it is “cleaned up.” “Clean up your plate” is the prelude to dessert in so many homes that it’s no wonder a child feels he must eat till the food is gone, including what’s left in the serving bowls. Perhaps tables could be less sumptuously set with meals more carefully planned according to the basic food groups.

And when the food is gone, it’s gone. Some recent evidence suggests that less food will be consumed, and thus less need be prepared, if you can teach your children simply to eat more slowly. Is there really any sense in eating at each meal as though there was never going to be another one?

5. We serve too many desserts. I hesitate even to mention this last item. In many homes I’m sure it will be tantamount to heresy. But are desserts really necessary? In some homes they are so commonplace, they become ordinary and even a little dull. Reserving rich treats for special occasions would not only enhance the appreciation of both the treats and the special occasions, but would do much to eliminate obesity. If the dessert habit is too firmly entrenched, switch to fresh fruits. You may be surprised at how much your family will enjoy them.

The scriptures tell us that deathbed repentance is impossible. If we have a problem in our lives, we need to start as early as possible to resolve it, since repentance may take some time. And how much better it would be if we just never developed the problem in the first place. Poor eating habits, like all others, are hard to repent of, and prevention is infinitely more satisfactory than treatment. Therefore, start right now to try to correct your family’s bad eating habits:

Prepare less food.

Use more fruits and vegetables in your meals; cut down on fried and high-fat foods; serve desserts sparingly, using more fresh fruits.

As for snacks, particularly the highly processed varieties, a few days of standing firm against those pleadings for goodies might help extinguish that habit. Not having snack items around the house may reduce their consumption to almost zero.

Try to make meals a more leisurely and conversational experience.

Let’s help our children learn to eat the right amounts of the right foods for the right reasons.

[illustration] Illustrated by Julie Fuhriman

Notes

1. D. E. Scotland and J. A. Pritchard, “Iron Deficiency in Healthy Young College Women,” Journal of the American Medical Association, 199, March 1967, pp. 897–900.

2. Juline B. Richmond and Howard L. Weinberger, “Program Implications of New Knowledge Regarding the Physical, Intellectual, and Emotional Growth and Development and the Unmet Needs of Children and Youth,” American Journal of Public Health, Part 2, 60:4, April 1970, p. 34.

3. Paul B. Beeson and Walch McDermott, Textbook of Medicine, 13th Edition, W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1971, p. 1457.

4. S. L. Krittle and J. Hirschi, “Effect of early nutrition on the development of rat epididymal fat pads: cellularity and metabolism,” Journal of Clinical Investigation, 47:209l, 1968.

Notes

Dr. Ronald L. Rhodes is an associate professor of health education at Brigham Young University. He is the bishop of Orem 14th Ward, Orem Utah Sharon West Stake.

April Temptation

 The first half of April was a challenge with my sister visiting for Easter and Faith's Birthday. I did show some self control though. I did eat some things I didn't usually eat like Kettle Corn when we went to the movies, chocolate dipped strawberries Etc. 

Although my one "treat day" a week turned into more than one day a week. I BLAME my SISTER:) she has a sweet tooth and she is like Martha Stewart. It is hard to say NO but it is  possible to SAY NO TO SWEETS! I did some times......... other times I gave into TEMPTATION.

I did gain a couple pounds when my sister came to visit although I did still exercise when she was 

here too. Thank goodness or else it would have been more than a couple of pounds gained!

All of us at the OLIVE GARDEN.... I did say NO to the CHEESE on my salad.  I used to LOVE the bread sticks but I found that they were way too salty! So I think I had one bread stick. A few of us went to the Dairy Queen after some fun at the Park for some ICE CREAM.  You know I was looking forward to eating at DQ but as usual after I ate the ice cream I didn't feel too good about it and it never is as good as I think it will be! (VERY SWEET)

Easter Night I just decided that I was going to get my hair cut off! I called Mark Pardo Salon the next morning when they opened, got an appointment that day and got my hair cut off! I was so tired of my long hair. I had gotten it highlighted in the past and I was growing out my natural color. It was HOT and so hard to comb out...and I wanted a change! 

 I did go back to the salon  the next day to get more cut off, it needed to be more stacked in the back. These were the final results!

Some THINGS That I've Done From 11/09 - 4/10

Come along with me on my journey of discovery.......it began during the HOLIDAY SEASON

THANKSGIVING 2009

Chocolate Pecan Pie 

LOTS of  WHIPPED CREAM

NOVEMBER 2009

I weighed about 180 here. At this time I was eating what ever I wanted. My sister said at one point I thought you wanted to lose weight. As most people I didn't want to here that. even if I did want to lose weight I wasn't ready to at that point. I have come to realize when you are ready you are ready!

December 2009

We took a trip to Ohio where I am from......I was never so sick in my life. I had a horrible sinus infection that came around Thanksgiving and was still with me till January. I knew I needed to make some changes in my diet. Even though I knew that I just kept eating the "holiday treats". I noticed that  there seemed to be special occasions  ALL the TIME.  Everything seems to revolve around food. Food and desserts are what added to my "happiness" right?  Well......I am going to a birthday party.... Well it is Thanksgiving...it is Christmas its my BIRTHDAY and on and on till it seemed like I was eating SWEETS ALL THE TIME!!!!

DECEMBER 2009

Making Christmas cutout cookies our "Family Tradition"

JANUARY 2010 NEW YEAR'S DAY 

I gained about 5 pounds over the Christmas Holiday!   When I got back home I weighed 185. 

I had watched Dr. Oz and saw so many success stories of people leading healthier lives, eating better and exercising. I thought if these people can do it I can too. It really inspired me!  I was so sick of having no energy, being tired all the time and kind of down and sad.  Looking in the mirror I thought this isn't me! I knew from past experience that I was happier when I was exercising. I wanted me to come out again.

I needed to do something. My husband and I talked and we decided we would give the Wii Active a try so he bought it. I started exercising again around the first week in January. It had been about a year since I exercised! WOW.... I was sore. I always hated to do SQUATS they hurt too much. I was so sore in the beginning I could barely walk. But as I kept up the exercising I got stronger and soon I wasn't that sore anymore. So give it a good couple of weeks and don't give up! I actually liked doing squats. I was exercising 5-6 times a week. The first month doing the Wii Active I lost 10 pounds.

JANUARY 2010

JANUARY 2010

FEBRUARY 20, 2010

 I was down 15 pounds at this point weighing 165. People kind of noticed.......not too much though. 

One of my favorite things to eat is Steel Cut Oats Oatmeal. I put raisins, walnuts and soymilk in it. It was like a treat to me. 

At this point I was eating smaller portions and eating more often throughout the day. I would make a protein Smoothie in the mornings usually after I exercised. I didn't like eating before I exercised. (just a preference not something that is good or bad). Some more things that I ate at this time were  Fruits and veggies and brown rice, Hummus, Salads with spinach or romaine lettuce, yogurt, cottage cheese,fish, chicken, ground turkey. 

 I began to cut some things out of my diet and only allow myself to have those things one night a week on my "TREAT DAYS". That is what kept me going. I would look forward to eating the things I didn't normally eat. Like butter,cheese, ice cream (desserts), white bread, pizza etc. 

Side note *I never count calories, and keep in mind I am still nursing, so results may very :)

        

                                                                  FEBRUARY

                                                               

  I really had to plan my "TREAT DAYS" like if some ones birthday was coming up and I knew that we would be celebrating I had to not eat the "treats" at a family get together. Or if I would rather go out to eat one night and I knew we were going to have a family get together with Brandon's family I had to choose one or the other days to eat my "treats". It is very difficult at first when you start eating "different" or healthier. People will try to get you to eat things and you try to be polite. But I couldn't worry too much about offending people. This was my body and I was trying to make it healthier. Now this may seem a little ridiculous to some....but this is what I chose to do. I made the rules and I TRIED to follow them :) Well some times I did break them........like on my birthday WEEK 

                                          MARCH 9TH 2010 MY 34TH BIRTHDAY 

Tony Robins has a saying "Nothing TASTES as GOOD as being HEALTHY FEELS" So true I ate so much on my birthday I felt sick!!!! I told Brandon never to "let" me do that again :(

 I did get bored with the the Wii Active by itself. So I also started to lift weights, I tried doing TAE BO (not good for me) I hurt too bad it made my TMJD hurt worse. I guess I am getting OLD because I used to be able to do it, too high impact? I don't know. So I did pilates, I LOVE pilates it seems to work well and it is pretty much NO impact. So I would just mix these up through out the week. It seemed to help me not get bored :)                                                                                  

March 15th

Apparently I have become a "CARROT HUGGER"

APRIL 1st this is what I posted in my notes on Facebook

Some things I eat:

Clementine oranges,

Gala Apples,Strawberries,
Bananas,
Papaya,
Fresh pineapple,
Frozen Blueberries,
Frozen strawberries,
raisins,

Sweet yellow tomatoes (miniture),
Avocados,
Sweet potatoes,
onions,
jalapenos,
cilantro,
baby bella mushrooms,
Baby cucumbers,
tomatoes,
romaine lettuce,


Carrot juice,

Activia Yogurt,
cottage cheese 2% skim milk (daisy brand,)

chicken,
Ground Turkey,
eggs,
Soymilk,

I bought bison patties today to see if my body can handle that better than beef we'll see???,


GoLean crunch cereal,
Grape nuts cereal,
Steel Cut oats (irish oatmeal),
Flaxseed waffles,
Walnuts,
Hummus,
brown rice,



Olive oil,
whole wheat pitas,
soy protein no sugar added,
simply staceys's pita chips with sea salt,
whole wheat spaghetti noodles,
spaghetti sauce,

dark chocolate (dip strawberries in for a treat),

*I don't normally eat cheese,corn,potatoes,white bread,sugar,cow's milk,butter or margarine, 

I allow myself one treat day a week where I may eat some things that I normally don't eat like ice cream or cheese or pizza. 

Have you ever seen the movie FOOD INC.? Well I watched it and it really opened my eyes. It took me a while but I began to make some more changes in what I ate!

http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php

 I am not a vegetarian but I definitely eat less meat especially red meat. partly because my body doesn't handle it very well and  there is a lot of junk that is put into meat, and partly because I can't afford to buy the meat that I am willing to eat.  I  don't eat ham anymore I just think it is gross. I don't know maybe in my mind I think I will be what I eat and I don't want to be a pig any more???? Not quite sure.

 I would love to buy all  organic fruits and veggies, but I can't it is too expensive. I look forward to the farmers market!  I try to buy foods that don't have a lot of sugar in them. I look at labels constantly. 

If you don't read labels you need to!!! You would be surprised how many foods have HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP in them! In order to eat the way I feel I should I have to actually COOK! Which I am not the biggest fan of.    

Ok gotta go to bed.... more later :)

Pregnant TWICE in the last TWO YEARS

This is my journey of discovery and how I have changed over the last couple years. I have had 2 babies in the last 2 years. Faith was born and then 18 months later Lily was born. I know there are some women out there frustrated, beating themselves up for gaining weight for what ever reason. I am writing this  Blog  for you! If you want to change your lifestyle and need some support I am here. I am hoping to help you, and in turn help myself stay accountable at the same time. 

I LOVE FOOD! Especially fatty fried and sugary food!I believe I was addicted to "SUGAR". You know the white refined kind. Ooh not to mention CHOCOLATE, CHEESE, BUTTER, Sugary CEREAL, PIZZA , BREAD ETC. ETC.

JUNE 2006 

This is me and my hubby and my 3 children. We had been married only 6 months at this time. It didn't take too long before I got pregnant. 

AUGUST 2007 

Pregnant with #4 Very happy this was an answer to Our PRAYERS :)

SEPTEMBER 2007 

Our Annual Labor Day Hike up the Sandia Peak

JANUARY 2008

FEBRUARY 2008

FEBRUARY 2008 Logan's Birthday 9th Birthday

March 2008

My first baby Shower that my Husband's family had for us.

I was ready to have this little one, very uncomfortable!

MARCH 2008

I had to make this picture -large so you could see the scale

Yes! (I was actually excited) I knew it was almost time to have my baby because I weighed 197 POUNDS! I usually weigh about 200+ when I am about to deliver. It doesn't matter what I weighed when I got pregnant... I always weigh 200 pounds before I have my babies. (This is what I kept thinking over the course of my pregnany) Get to 200 and you are ready.......not a good thing.

End of March 2008 

At another baby shower....I have such sweet friends I am still grateful for all the love and support people showed us.

MARCH 2008

 A couple weeks before Faith was born. Yes I was ready to pop! 

Faith was born April 11th 2008

DECEMBER 2008

Getting back into shape......

MY FAMILY CHRISTMAS TIME 2008

JANUARY 2009 (Faith is 9 months old)

Ok so I got down to my pre-pregnancy weight (about 162) by running and walking. I would run and walk with Faith buckled in her car seat that attached into her stroller...... I was pregnant here and didn't know it yet!(the only half way decent pic I could find)  

And YES I do know what causes PREGNANCY :)

FEBRUARY 23rd

Notice the food (Red Lobster) it my son's 10th Birthday he loves this place. LOTS OF BUTTER! Who doesn't love everything drenched in butter!

APRIL 11th 2008

 Faith's 1st Birthday 

At this point I wasn't running anymore, I had to stop because I was having sciatic pain....no more exercising for me. I hadn't gained much weight..... yet. I was doing good because I was keeping track of what I was eating on a cool website that I could keep track of the calorie, fat etc.

MAY 2009 

 Dana's end of the school year Field Trip

JUNE 26th 2009 

with Maggie on her 6th Birthday....

I know I am pregnant but my food choices at the time started to consist of of 2 things BEN AND JERRY!!! 

or anything SUGARY or FATTENING! When I was pregnant I thought I am going to gain weight anyways I might as well enjoy myself. Not the best thing. I had an extremely hard pregnancy. I couldn't exercise I was tired a lot, grumpy etc etc. I just kept eating though thinking oh I am pregnant. 

4th of JULY

 That is a breakfast burrito with SAUSAGE and CHEESE, and a banana

SEPTEMBER 2009

Labor Day Hike

I had to take the Tram up the Mountain and meet the others this time! I was supposed to be on Modified bed rest but I chose to support the kiddos and my hubby. This was Faith's first time on the hike I met them at the top with FRIED CHICKEN, MASHED POTATOES, BICUITS ect. 

At this point I had to have help people brought me meals,  watched my kiddos, helped me with cleaning etc. It was a very frustrating time but the Lord blessed me with wonderful friends from Church that helped me so much and my Mother in Law was a SAINT she still is :)

35 WEEKS pregnant 

I thought I was going to deliver any minute. Well little miss Lily had other plans.......

                                                       Logan, Dana, Maggie and Faith

               Lily born OCTOBER 19th 2009  at 40 Wks and 2 Days