Health & Fitness

To Benefit or Not to Benefit

Julie Blair Lane — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:21:00 GMT

The unhealthy state of affairs in my aging family members has me thinking more and more about what is truly "good for me" and what is not. Do I want to be on a pacemaker, shooting insulin in my body and/or barely able to walk later? This is just the tip of the iceberg of what is awaiting me due to genetics. The Apostle Paul even said, "everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial." Ideally, identifying what is beneficial and doing that more often than that which does not benefit would be a start. A ding dong may taste good and may be "permissible" but is it my "best choice"? I emphasize "choice" because well, isn't that really what this is about - choices?

If I eat the ding dong, my choice is taste over waist, is it not? Likewise I could argue that a choice for broccoli might mean waist over taste (as I don't find broccoli nearly as tasty as chocolate). But perhaps I'm looking at this all wrong? In the past if I chose broccoli I did so either as a martyr (oh poor me, I have to eat this vile weed and can't enjoy food at all) or as a self-professed saint (oh look at me, I'm such a healthy minded person and so disciplined). Neither mindset is healthy in the light of Truth and Balance. When it comes to "food", is it really about "being right or being wrong"? I don't think so. I think it's more about what is beneficial and what doesn't benefit.

And then, I must ask myself, what am I striving to benefit? My ego? My vanity? My cravings? My flesh? All of which are shallow things to invest in. Rather then, should I be striving to benefit the Temple of the Lord, which is my physical body. Looking to benefit the Kingdom of Heaven through glorifying the God who created me would be a better choice as well. And if I see the choice between broccoli and the ding dong as more of a choice than a curse or a right, wouldn't it free me to better make the more beneficial decision? The decision that will most benefit my purpose on this earth? Ah, but what is my purpose? I may not know the full scope of that but what I do know is that my purpose does not involve willingly destroying my body any more than it involves the worship of my physical body. My purpose that I am positive of is to reflect the glory of God...to point others back to Him...to live beyond my flesh nature through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hmm, kind of alters the perspective of those daily food decisions doesn't it?

i'll be returning soon...

Julie Blair Lane — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:34:00 GMT

I really miss writing for this blog....actually, I've missed writing in general! As I mentioned before, we moved, yet again. This time though, we are hopeful it will be permanent. We're still surrounded by boxes and hundreds of stray items looking for a home in our new home. Despite this, my plan is to resume a more “normal” routine beginning Monday morning (Oh Lord please help me with this!). I do know that when I return, my online time will be limited to email, this blog and a couple of forums.

Speaking of forums, I haven't formally introduced one of my favorite projects to date. If you are a woman struggling with body image and weightloss, you might consider checking out GAINChange. Feel free to use my contact form or email me at j.blair.lane@gmail.com express interest in joining us. We do have some restrictions on who may join so be sure to check out the site.

Well, I'd better return to the land of cardboard chaos! Looking forward to being back in the swing of things next week!

Dude, that is like so heavy

Julie Blair Lane — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

After my outburst over the scale last week and then a calorie check revealing that I was slipping into old habits again (I tend to convert to the starve/binge method...lovely huh?)....anyway I've decided that the scale will have to be off-limits for me for a bit. If you don't think I'm obsessed, what if I tell you that it's not unusual for me to weigh multiple times during the day. Now, maybe that wouldn't be so bad if it didn't let it affect my mood....but I do....and it does. I tend to go into panic mode if I gain weight and then I'll start cutting calories (without realizing it mind you). I'll cut until I just can't take it anymore and then I binge. One of the first signs that I'm eating too little during the week is when I eat something bad one day and have a sudden and severe gain the next ....which of course prompts the cycle all over again.

It is painfully obvious to me that I am unable to judge on my own how much I should eat each day. When I think I'm doing good and I plug the calories in the next day they are almost always below 1000...um, this is not good. I tell you I have no idea I'm doing it. I think, "I'm eating clean, I'm doing good". It's not just about eating clean though, it's about eating enough to adequately fuel my body. I will be posting on the technical topic of calorie consumption in the future but that isn't necessarily what this post is about. This is about my eating disorder and what I'm going to do over the next several weeks to correct some things.

First of all, I decided that I needed some extra motivation to keep me focused on moving forward....in a positive way. So, I've signed up for the Body For Life challenge. I completed this 12 week challenge with incredible results in 2000. It was so exciting to send off my packet at the end of the challenge. They sent me a cool t-shirt and a certificate of achievement (both of which I still have). The certificate is in my focus binder to this day. I often look at it and the nice, encouraging form letter I got from Porter Freeman (a fellow challenger). I plan to do as many back to back challenge entries as I need to reach my goals.

Secondly I needed to address my obvious problem with food. So, I spent almost three hours today detailing out my food plan for the next week. After I wrote it up I signed into fitday.com and figured the calorie totals for each day. I was stunned that even with entering SIX meals per day I had to up the portions on most days to even get above 1000 calories. I don't want to go below 1200 but my target 1700/day. Ideally I'd like to stay between 1500 and 1700 most days. This is going to take some serious re-training on my part as my natural instinct is to slash the calories. I know that it is highly possible for me to gain weight initially and that is the reason I won't be stepping on the scale again until probably the end of April. I started out the year really good with my food and then began to cut a little more each week. I guess I'll need to track my food for a while until it becomes habit to feed myself instead of starve myself.

Third, I will be exercising more consistently. Anne from OWOA has challenged me to do the Couch to 5K program with her beginning in April. Again, this is merely a tool to keep me working toward a set goal. I plan to continue with pilates as well. Even though I won't be stepping on the scale, I will be measuring and taking photos (um, no you can't see them yet lol). Why am I writing all of this out here? Because I am sure I am not the only person on the planet who deals with this...and those other gals need to know they aren't alone. Because I need the accountability. And Because I believe God can do great things through my weaknesses. I'm going to need to cling to Him daily to accomplish this. I'm also posting this because someone may read it and the Lord may lay it on their heart to pray for me and the other ladies who fight this demon every day.

The Last 12 Weeks

Julie Blair Lane — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 07:45:00 GMT

Yesterday I was in a really foul mood. I'm doing a little better today after having the last 24 hours to process some things. I'm still up in weight this morning (up 1) but I'm not going to dwell on that right now. Instead, I decided to go ahead and do my measurements. Once I calculated them, I figured it would be good to share the results because they prove that the scale is a very inaccurate representation of what is really going on...How so? Well, I'm so glad you asked.

The scale claims that I lost 22.4 lbs in the last 12 weeks. Sure, this is good but I was going for 24 lbs of fat as my goal. When I calculated my body fat (I average the results of 2 calculators) I was surprised to discover that I actually lost 26.17 lbs of body fat! What does this mean? It means that I gained 3.77 lbs of lean mass (which is good), something the scale can't distinguish.

Overall, my measurements changed quite a bit in the last 12 weeks:

Chest (-7cm)
Waist (-12cm)
Hips (-7.5cm)
Thigh (-6cm)
Arm (-3cm)
Overall Body Fat (-8.5%)

So, if you still think it's not worth the time to measure yourself every few weeks, think again. The scale is an "ok" way to measure your progress but it probably shouldn't be your only way. Some take pictures (I do this too) and that's good as well. Of course, depending on angle or how close you are to the camera, this can even skew the results when comparing the two. Measurements though, they speak the truth and when coupled with other forms of measurement (scale, photos, bf calculators...etc) you can really get the full picture of what your eating and exercise plan is doing for you (or not doing for you).

My Day of Food: 14 Mar

Julie Blair Lane — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:54:00 GMT

Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs (2 whites, 1 whole)
Sausage Patty
1/2 cup Grapes
Herbal Tea
Vitamin/Mineral

Mid-morning Snack

String Cheese
1/2 Small Apple

Lunch

Salmon Fillet
Salad (lettuce, tomato, shredded cheddar, slivered almonds & honey mustard dressing)

Afternoon Snack

Celery
Laughing Cow Lite Swiss Original - 2 wedges
V8

Dinner

Chicken Parmesan
1 cup Green Beans
Sugar Free Jell-O w/ whipped topping
Vitamin/Mineral

Evening Snack

Cheddar Cheese
Popcorn

Nutritional Breakdown:

Calories	1408
Sat. Fat	23
Carbs	90
Fiber	19
Protein	113
Water	120 oz

Notes: I really had to work at it to get in this many calories yesterday. I should be averaging around 1700 a day. I shouldn't go below 1200 but some days I do without realizing it. As for exercise I did a 2 mile walk/jog and upper body pilates.

I Have a Dream

Julie Blair Lane — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:11:00 GMT

Ok, so maybe this post won't be as profound and influential as the like-wise titled speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. However, like Mr. King, I also have a dream. Sure, I dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all but when Blest asked us to "Dream Big" she wasn't talking about peace, civil rights or the betterment of all mankind. No, she was talking about something far more personal...our weight. I know, I know - such a heavy subject.

Joking aside, I wonder if more of us felt better about ourselves might it be for the betterment of all mankind...or at the very least, the mankind we interact with on a daily basis?

Despite how difficult this road to a healthy weight, I have a dream. Yes, I have a dream that one day I will only see cottage cheese in my fridge and not on my thighs. I have a dream that when I go to the store to shop for clothes I won't leave crying. I have a dream that one day I'll wear clothing because I actually like it and not because it's the only thing that fits or because it "hides the fat". I have a dream that when we go to Walt Disney World next year, I will be able to ride any ride, I will wear a swim suit at the pool and I will have no problem walking the average five miles a day that most people walk while there. I have a dream that one day I'll run a marathon (or bike the MS 150) and take swing dance lessons (hoping I can talk the hubby into this one). I have a dream of being a healthy example for my kids of what a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom can be. I have a dream that one day my weight will no longer physically, mentally or emotionally trap me and keep me from doing the things I long to do.

Yes, I have a dream...

How to Treat on Your Diet

Julie Blair Lane — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 13:54:00 GMT

Last time we talked about cheating but today I'd like to discuss treating. I believe there is a HUGE difference between a Cheat and a Treat. A Cheat to me equals "giving in to temptation" whereas a Treat equals "enjoying in moderation". I believe that every diet should incorporate treats and those that don't...well, they set you up for cheats (which are usually much more harmful than a planned treat). So, without further ado...this is the way to "treat on your diet":

Believe Your Willpower is Bogus - If you believe that you can be tempted (which we ALL can be) you are well on your way to treating. You know that you are not perfect and will never be. You know that if you don't plan ahead, you will likely chose something less than ideal in a pinch. You know that you can't trust your feelings. You keep your focus on your goals and you do not rely on your willpower to accomplish them.

Fantasize about The NEW You - People who lose sight of what they are working towards are far more likely to cheat. They want the overnight cure...when it doesn't happen they become discouraged and end up cheating. You know it's going to take time and work to change your body so face the music but don't forget to daydream about what it will be like to realize your goals. Review those goals daily and especially when you feel tempted to undo all your hard work with a binge.

Plan Breaks from The Good Food - You know it would be highly unlikely to go the rest of your life without having so much as a small cookie. So, it only makes sense to go ahead and plan for it. Whether you plan to treat yourself once a day (a friend of mine has a small piece of dark chocolate every afternoon), once a week (I have a free-day each week) or once a month...it doesn't matter what you choose, just pick a time/day when you will give yourself a treat. A girlfriend of mine used to keep a list of all the junk she craved throughout the week. Then, on her "treat" day (or free-day) she would eat things from that list. Your method may be different but be sure to plan those breaks.

When You Treat, Enjoy It! - You've planned for this treat. You've worked hard and you've exercised patience. You aren't giving in to some craving, you are deliberately enjoying the food you've chosen to treat yourself with. Often times when people hear that I have a free-day they tend to say things that could make me feel guilty for enjoying some of The Other Food. Things like, "think how far you could be if you didn't do that". Cheating should produce guilt...treating should not. If you allow guilt to creep into your treating...it will turn to cheating so keep an eye on that. When you build enjoyable, guilt-free, treating into your diet plan you are far more likely to stick to it long-term. You are also more likely to reach your goals as a result.

Go Blair, It's Your Birthday

Julie Blair Lane — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 14:20:00 GMT

When Blest, over at OWOA, said we had to do a workout we’ve never done before, I was at a loss for ideas. I’ve been working out since the fifth grade so there isn’t much I haven’t tried between different gyms, videos and heck…the military for that matter. Then I remembered my sister telling me recently that she was really getting into a dance jam video she has. Aside from tap dancing and general “crazy dancing” with the kids…I haven’t done much dancing. I thought I might hit blockbuster sometime this week and then I remembered that we now have TiVo again so why not search for a workout on my own television. So on Monday I set my wonderful TiVo to record a Hip-Hop workout this morning at 9am.

The kids and I only made it through half of it (30 minutes). Man, I was groovin’! And sweatin’! The woman (MaDonna Grimes) kept saying, “are ya feelin’ it now?” I was like, “yeah girl!” I don’t think I believed it would be that much of a workout….literally dripping sweat over here and that was only half the workout! I’ve told TiVo not to delete it because I really want to nail those dance steps now. I’m a perfectionist and if I’m going to hip-hop, I want to do it right and not look like an idiot. They move fast when they do it at tempo and then there’s all those moves to remember…and in the right order lol.

I’m really glad I tried something new this morning. It was a lot of fun….so much so that if it hadn’t been for the sweat and panting, I wouldn’t have thought I was working out. And yes, it’s my birthday!

How to Cheat on Your Diet

Julie Blair Lane — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:05:00 GMT

Cheating is a Diet's worst nightmare. It is something that can undo literally months worth of work. And yet, most Americans cheat at some time or another. For many, that first step over the line sends them into a tailspin of out-of-control eating. Many could argue it's because they feel deprived (come on, we're Americans, not that many of us feel truly "deprived"). Most of us could probably stand to feel deprived a lot more often than we do so we won't think we deserve things we don't. Many blame society or special events or circumstances. So why do some people fail continually and others seem to never (or rarely) fall off the wagon? What I believe is the leading cause of cheating on your diet comes down to four simple steps. If you'd like to cheat...these will get you there in a hurry:

Believe In Your Own Willpower - Essentially, you just need to believe that you are soooo strong that you can never be tempted to go astray. Tell yourself that you've got it together and would never cheat on your diet. Why do you need to work in healthy treats (or even the occasional planned unhealthy one)? Those are for the weak ones who don't have the willpower that you do. You don't need to plan ahead either, (again, that's for the weaklings) you'll always chose what's best for you no matter how hungry you might get. Bring on the special events and circumstances, you're sticking to your diet come hell or high water...but it won't hurt to just think about the food...right?

Fantasize About The Other Food - You know what the "other food" is. It's that stuff that calls you...tempting you to take just one bite to satisfy your craving. Everyone has their own "other food" category - you know what yours is. No matter what "diet plan" you are doing, it has "other food" that you are recommended to stay away from for the most part. But you, you believe you're strong enough to handle it so you don't stop your mind when it begins to daydream about eating some of that food. You begin to imagine how good it tastes and you wonder how something so good could be bad for you. Bring on the sights, smells and whatever else you've got...you're strong remember...a little craving never hurt anyone right?

Compare The Other Food to The Good Food - You've done it haven't you? "This salad would taste better if it were a big fat juicy burger, fries and chocolate shake". You've been daydreaming about the other food all day and now it's time for lunch and it's leaving you feeling "less than satisfied". Not because it's not filling, but because you're thinking about how it doesn't taste quite as good as what your willpower is now forbidding you to have. And why can't you have it? I mean, look at how strong you are? Don't you deserve it for being so strong? Why should you be deprived? Choices? You don't have choices, that stupid diet has made up your mind for you! Why should you have to wait for that special dinner out with your spouse like you had planned? You deserve that "goodie" for being such a "goodie" yourself all morning. Besides, you're strong enough to say "no" the next time...right?

Eat The Other Food - You give in but you're still telling yourself that it's not that big of a deal. So what if you blew dinner, you had that salad at lunch and you're so strong that tonight when you sit down to watch a movie with your spouse (and he has some of the other food) you'll just have your healthy snack like usual. But then it comes time for that movie...your spouse is eating ice cream (or whatever strikes your fancy to imagine it is)...you've resisted eating when he/she has eaten it before...why do you feel so weak all of the sudden? Where is this guilt coming from? Didn't I deserve to cheat? I should be allowed to be happy right? Why am I not feeling as good as I thought I would? Well darn it, I've ruined the day anyway..."Honey, do we have any more of that ice cream?" And there you are, cheating again.

I've been through this cycle so many times I can usually recognize it by the first step. And, if it stops there...or at any step between there and actually eating the food...I've won the battle. However, I'm still paying for all the times it didn't stop there. I literally carry that burden every day, but there is hope and later we will discuss "How to Treat on Your Diet".

"Reclaim My Body": The Binder

Julie Blair Lane — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:24:00 GMT

I've had the same binder for my health and fitness goals since 2000. When I lost over 100 pounds in 2000, this binder went with me almost everywhere. I kept all kinds of interesting things in it to keep me focused on the task at hand. Since the birth of my youngest in 2004 (and my ongoing failed attempts to lose the weight...again) I've emptied that binder several times to start afresh. After I empty it though, there are always things I add back to it such as great articles on water and sleep, a couple of motivational stories of people who have succeeded, a cool advertisement for Gold's Gym and my weigh in/measurement worksheet from when I made it to goal the last time. It also has those clear pockets on the outside of it. In one side I have my "certificate of achievement" from the first Body For Life challenge I ever completed.

Before I began my "reclaim my body" goals on January 2nd, once again I went through the ritual of clearing it out and replacing those items I wanted to keep. Then, I printed out a blank 12 week workout schedule, a daily weigh in chart and a weigh in/measurement worksheet. I punched holes in these and added them to my binder. In the inner pocket I also placed a small notepad on which to record my food each day. I logged my initial weigh in and measurements and I was ready to go. I review this binder every morning and evening. When I take my second set of photos, I'll print them both out and place those in the binder as well. I have a separate index binder for scripture pertaining to this struggle.

I know it sounds like a lot of work to keep track of these things and in some instances can even be quite depressing. I know from experience though that once you start making some great strides, you will LOVE having all of that "start" info. To see how far you've come seems to make how far you have left seem easier to tolerate. Consider getting yourself a binder and get to logging your progress. I plan on this being the last time I start a "new" binder. When I reach goal, it will be time to focus on maintaining and time to graduate from this binder to something else.