Fat Acceptance? Not Me!

 

I need to lose about 100 pounds. So, I am unhappily among those “fats” who are so loudly proclaiming (in my name) that FAT ACCEPTANCE is a must for society. I don’t agree with them. I do think everyone should be respected for who they are, yes. Treat everyone with kindness. However, obesity should not be deemed as “normal” just because half of our population is overweight now.

Obesity causes premature death. In fact the WHO says, “At least 28 million die each year as a result of being obese.” I go by scientific facts and see the cause and effect of being obese.

My being fifty-five years old doesn’t help in my work toward weight loss but I’m still working at it . . . still aiming at good health. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and am pre-diabetic. I get out of breath walking at a quick pace. I have no energy because I carry around so much fat on my small 5’2 frame. Some of my meds might encourage fat storage BUT I gained this weight by eating too much food.

I do think society definitely promotes too-thin frames on models – who have also been airbrushed on magazine covers. However, poor health can be a part of too-thin people, as well. Either end of the spectrum has concerns.

We should try to love our neighbors no matter what their size but when I see so many obese people recently promoting being fat as being normal, I cringe. Being a “Fat Activist” isn’t a role I’ll ever play because I don’t agree that it is a healthful manner of existing. Also, If I, a fat person, can’t speak my mind, then this isn’t a fair argument in the first place.

Take a look at the fat acceptance movement on YouTube. It’s a highly debated topic there.

While you’re there, check out MY weight-loss channel. I’m on WW ( Weight Watchers ), and it’s going very well. I just started and am down 4 pounds in just a few days. Lea James

Question: where do YOU stand on this subject and why? Please share in comments.

I wish all of my subscribers good health and a happy life.

Love y’all,

Lea

 

This blog is a personal outlet for my opinions and should therefore be seen as such.

Weight Loss and How to Stick With It!

This doesn’t look like a “diet” plate of food, does it? Well, guess what? It is. I’ve been fighting the bulge battle for 30 years and have lost every go round. Not lost weight but lost the diet game. I’d lose a few pounds and then gain back that amount plus a few more. I did that EVERY time I dieted.

I have tried multiple diet plans, too. Expensive ones where the food comes to me in the mail, Low Carb, Low Fat, Richard Simmons’ Deal a Meal, Cabbage Soup, Counting Calories, TOPS, Weight Watchers, etc.

I came to realize that it wasn’t the actual diet, per se (some were odd), but the fact that I didn’t stick with the plan long term. Well, who could stick with eating NO bread for the rest of her life? Not me. I chose a long term eating plan that I could stick with this time. Weight Watchers has always been suggested by my doctors, and I always enjoyed the freedom with that way of eating, so I began WW (their new way of referring to themselves) last week.

So far, so good but I’m having trouble with one area. The fact that I get “too” much freedom is a bit of a hindrance, believe it or not. The current plan has 200 FREE foods, meaning they have a zero Smart Points count (I get 28 points per day to spend on food. The bacon and eggs above equal 6 Points). On this list is white meat chicken, fruits, veggies, seafood, and other goodies. They assume the average dieter (which is not me) won’t overeat on eggs or beans, etc. They’re wrong.

My new antidepressant makes me hungry, so I find myself eating these free foods in quantities that aren’t diet-friendly. Example: I had a can of beans for lunch. A whole can.  Weird stuff.

Anyway, I thought I’d let my readers know that this plan really does work if YOU work it like you’re supposed to. With a few exceptions, I’ve stayed on plan and eaten very tasty meals. I drink water, iced tea, Coke Zero, and coffee mostly. I try to stay hydrated, though.

Oh, and I usually hated going to weekly meetings. I didn’t like having to take the time out of my day to do one more thing. However, my friends, I see now that these meetings are quite helpful. It’s not the weighing in for me, it’s the information from the other members and my fantastic leader (her name is Candy. LOL) and the camaraderie. It really does help me realize I’m not eating like this alone. I get some great ideas from the meetings.

So, I urge you, if you need to lose pounds – seriously – check into a plan that you know you will be able to LIVE with, and then take it head on!

I am sipping iced green tea with Stevia while I type. It’s refreshing and reminds me that spring is on the way!

Good luck, dears ~

 

Weight Loss and Yo-Yo Dieting! Help?!

January is cold, windy, and it gets dark early. January means putting away holiday ornaments and decorations. This month also promises that February will sprout forth crocus and daffodils to remind us that spring is coming in March and April.

Nature’s cycles remind me that I, too, have cycles – but they have not been so “natural” for me. I yo-yo diet. I hate it but it’s true. Last year at this time, I was 25 lbs lighter than this year. The meds I take for ADHD and Bipolar probably have a bit to do with the weight gain but the rest is my hand-to-mouth mistakes and lack of moving my body.

I’m thinking about spring approaching soon, and I can’t take another summer of being fat. It’s so uncomfortable, and the clothes I have are ugly and too snug.

I’ve been trying to diet and lose about 120 lbs since just after Christmas but to no avail. I lost 10 and gained it right back. Grrrr!

I can’t let meds’ side effects and low willpower keep me from my goals!

I have ideas.

1. Exercise even when I feel fatigued (it’s the meds and extra weight making me tired)
2. Journal EVERYthing I eat. Even one Hershey’s Kiss makes a difference.
3. Plan ahead for meals so I’m not stuck only poor choices at meal times.
4. Stay busy (busy mind and hands don’t snack)

Do you guys have any other suggestions? I’d love to hear them.

Now, to DO these four things on a constant basis until they are habitual . . .

 

Recipe for Easy Weight Watchers Zucchini Chips –

Oven Baked Zucchini Chips

Yields: 4 servings | Calories: 99 | Total Fat: 3 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 13 | Carbohydrates: 12 g | Sodium: 241 mg | Dietary Fiber: 2 g | Sugars: 2 g | Protein: 6 g | SmartPoints (Freestyle): 2 |

Ingredients-

• 1 (large) zucchini, cut into 1/8″ – 1/4″ slices
• 1/3 cup whole grain breadcrumbs, optional Panko
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, reduced fat
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Kosher or sea salt to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons low-fat milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine in a small mixing bowl, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Dip zucchini slices into milk and dredge into bread crumbs to coat both sides. Note: It may be necessary to press crumbs onto zucchini slices to ensure the crumbs stick.
3. Arrange zucchini on a non-stick cookie sheet and lightly mist with a non-stick cooking spray.
4. If using a rack, place rack on a cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes, turn over and continue baking until golden, approximately 10-15 minutes (being careful not to burn). Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.
5. TIP: Zucchini Chips will continue to get crispier while cooling.
6. NOTE: For gluten free chips, use gluten-free bread crumbs.

 

Why must getting healthy and trim be so dang difficult?!

Happy January, friends, and have an even better February!

Reasons I Can’t Lose Weight, and I Need to Lose 120 lbs!

 

I’ve heard it several times but never applied it to my own situation. Antidepressants can cause cause weight gain. I wondered why I’ve lost weight in the past but always gained it back.

It hit me yesterday; my doctor changed my antidepressant, and I read the enclosed paper about possible side effects. Issues with increased appetite (sometimes I just graze all day) and subsequent weight gain, there it was in black and white.

 

My age also contributes to natural weight gain. I’ll be 55 in two months. As we age, our metabolism slows. Yet another strike against my attempts at getting thinner and healthier.

Will I let it stop me from shedding this massive amount of weight? You bet your first child it won’t’!

My mantra for today is this: “Stay on track and see results.”

I’m off to exercise. Ugh. Yes, it is only the first part of my new exercise plan, and I still hate doing it. I can hardly wait until the day I look forward to the activity – and I know I will. I’ve been there before.

Love you guys! Here’s to a healthy 2019! Stick with your goals!

 

Motion Creates More Motion. My Weight Loss Strategy.

 

 

Here I am on New Year’s Eve. I visited with friends and learned a line dance called Rockin Cha. It would have been much more fun had my hips not been hurting from the activity. I’m in bad shape . . . like, having had zero exercise in a long time. So, any form of exertion really gets me winded and hurting. I hate this about myself. I’m glad I’m changing it!

I’ve realized something else; as long as I am inactive, I don’t have any motivation to “do” anything, much less move for an extended length of time. I’ve started using one spurt of energy to just stand up and stretch. Then, once I’m up, I focus on the reason I am making this life change. I want to be less limited in my every day life. I want to fit into restaurant booths again. I’d like to go to the movies and not have to hold my arms on my chest so I don’t take up mine AND my neighbor’s spaces on the arm rests. I don’t want my pre-diabetes to become diabetes. I have many, many reasons I want to get healthy). ANYway, while I stretch, I take deep breaths and keep my mind on what my plan is. The plan that will get me where I need and want to be, health wise. I don’t whine about it, I just walk to the elliptical machine – sometimes I’m even barefoot – and slip my earbuds into my phone an let the iTunes begin. I step on the machine and push Start. I go for at least ten minutes but aim for even one more minute than I did the day before (IF I exercised then). Once I’m in motion, I feel full of oxygen and enjoy the music. I feel productive and proud of myself.

So, my dear friends, it’s about making that first move UP and off the couch!

When I get on my elliptical machine, which is my favorite form of exercise, I have no stamina. I only last ten minutes! There was a time I spent an hour on that machine. I get frustrated easily but I know it”s normal and to be expected for the level of fitness at which I’m starting out. I try to give myself a break as I would for anyone else. I have a cute exercise shirt I’m dying to wear but it’s just too small  (it’s a small-fitting 2x) 😦  Fitting into that shirt is one of my beginning goals. See it below:

 

I wonder if you have noticed that I haven’t told you my actual weight. I’m being honest with you guys but I can’t bring myself to quote how large I’ve gotten. One day soon, I will have the strength to share that number with you. I’m 5’2, so even a little weight feels like a lot but as I’ve said, I have 120 lbs to lose! I chose the Weight Watchers Online eating plan to help me control the quantity and quality of foods I eat.

I hope to be a contact of sorts with other women or men in cyber land – to show you it CAN be done. You have heard it many times before but I mean to show you – If I can do this, so can you!

Join me if you need to lose some significant weight. Let’s do this together. Feel free to comment and let me know what’s on your mind or what subject you might like me to cover here.

I’m off to grab some lunch. Tuna with crunchy veggies sounds good. Y’all have a great day! Lea

New Year Changes and Your Frame of Mind While Doing Them

 

Hello, friends! That’s me at Halloween. I post this picture because it’s whimsical and fun. It made me think of my weight loss journey. I’m making changes to my whole life by just changing the way I eat and think of the fuel going into my body.

I may as well enjoy this path because there is no real END to it. I will always have to watch my weight. I’m a 5’2 Cajun woman with curves everywhere; I doubt I will magically transform with a string bean body.

I like to listen to Tony Robbins. In one of his YouTube videos, he says, “We live who we believe we are.” In other words, my body shows my inner standards about who I believe I am. In addition, my actions make my results.

Another interesting thought is this:  Skill comes from repetition.

Whatever I think of myself and whatever I DO each day, becomes “me.”

You may have heard this before. If so, let’s make changes together. I’m losing fat and getting my body in healthy condition. What do you need to change? Surely you have a negative trait or lazy habit you’d like to get rid of.

If I am excited and inspired enough, I will keep my eyes on my goal and behave in a way that will help me get there. Yes, there will be numerous set-backs and oops moments. I had one late last night – my FIRST stupid night on this new plan. But I’m back today, staying on the road to my goal.

Here is what yesterday’s dinner looked like. It was grilled rainbow trout with lemon pepper, turnip greens, and a kale salad. We went to Cracker Barrel. I stayed on plan and had a delish dinner!

 

I’m trying to stay in the zone of “this is a long haul but I WILL make changes!”

Here I am on New Year’s Eve. Partying my fat butt off with friends. I learned a line dance called Rockin’ Cha and was sore all day yesterday. LOL!

Let’s figure out who we want to be and then aim that direction!

My mantra today is ” I choose myself.”

Love y’all, — Lea

My Big Fat Cajun Life. My Journey With Obesity and How I’m Losing Weight

That’s me. I look like I have “attitude,” don’t I? Well, sometimes I do. I need to lose 120 lbs, and that affects my whole life. I’ve started a major life-change diet today. I am using the Weight Watchers plan to “get er done.” I intend to exercise daily and lose approximately 2-5 lbs a week.

I thought I’d take my readers/subscribers on my journey. Hopefully, if you need to make a big change in your life, you might find motivation, encouragement, and acceptance here.

I had scrambled eggs and half a banana for breakfast. Here I go . . . Come with!

Lea

 

Low Carb vs Junk Food Diet

I’ve made a discovery. I had to choose a path to travel when I approached a fork in the road. Ironic that it’s called a FORK when my diet is what drastically changed. Over the last couple of decades, I made junk food my go-to when I felt stressed, bored, afraid, or whatever other emotion I was dealing with. I was alone a lot in my first marriage and fell to food as a coping mechanism.

You’ve heard this tale before by many others BUT mine hit me square in the face tonight. With hubby number two off at a meeting, I was bored and hungry. Instead of choosing the low carbohydrate foods in my pantry, I turned backward and drove to a taco stand. It sounded so tasty, and it HAD been a month since I’d changed my diet. I deserved one meal I craved, right?

I crushed the tacos in a bowl and added salsa. I sat down to watch a sit-com  – anticipating the first bite of an old delicious friend, a taco with an actual crunchy shell on it.

Boom! There was the taste. Only it wasn’t what I remembered. It had a stale, kind of burned taste, and the texture of the meat was odd. It was packed together tightly but get this . . . there was almost no taste at all. It WASN’T delicious. It was greasy and bland and not even close to what my mind remembered.

I finished the tacos anyway, secretly hoping each bite would find me enchanted again with my old habit. Nope. So, I ate until I was too full (like I once did) and felt like crap! Within fifteen minutes, I had a headache. I kid you not. MSG? I knew there was no “going back.”

I had taken a path of clean eating over the last month, and it prevailed. I was both encouraged and disappointed. I didn’t have the old habit I once counted on as my Band-Aid.

Yet, I faced a new path . . . one with a healthier destination.

I now walk in the light of health and won’t have the old unhealthful habits. I guess that’s one way to quit a habit you hate. It becomes something you detest after a while.

My bare feet take me to a happier and tastier place, and I do enjoy the journey much more than I used to. Soon, there will be no fat, headaches, mood-changing sugars, or any other detriment that I once held so closely.

I wonder what else 2018 has in store.

Happy February, dear ones ~

Soup-Bowl Cabbage Rolls – Tasty Recipe!

Prep: 15 minutes   Cook 30 minutes  Makes 4 large servings

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 garlic clove, chopped or minced

1 small head of cabbage, chopped

2 1/2 Cups water

2/3 Cup uncooked long grain white rice

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

In a nonstick Dutch oven, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in the next 8 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until rice is tender (25 minutes). Stir in tomatoes and salt. Heat through.

397 Calories, 9g fat (4 sat fat), 56 mg cholesterol, 707 mg sodium, 51 g carbohydrates, 6 g sugar, 9 g fiber, 30 g protein.