jamie

Can anyone relate to that moment you had in school or at work where you got something that everyone else struggled to get?? And it was so clear as day to you that you couldn’t understand WHY they didn’t get it? And you wanted so badly to teach them, but you couldn’t quite find the words that elicited that very “aha” moment in you in them? Perhaps it’s timing, the right combination of words and action that made it possible for you to see what you were once blind to too.
It’s really quite ironic, my battle with food. I fought and fought because that’s what you do. My mother dieted, my aunties dieted, my grandmothers, cousins, friends, and friends’ mothers dieted too. I must diet too or… I’ll get “fat”. From my very first diet to my very last I suffered, struggled, and tortured myself both mentally and physically for 15 years. I realize many of you have more experience in this type of self-torture and I consider myself blessed for my “aha” intervention to have come when it did. I call this battle ironic because the second I willingly dropped my sword was very moment food no longer consumed me.
We’re so afraid of feeding ourselves anymore because we’ve been taught that food makes you fat. There are people making millions on 100 calorie snacks, 300 calorie meals, and appetite suppressors…yet we’re still fat. Do you wonder why? Do you wonder why you can eat 1000 calories a day and still gain weight? Do you wonder why all you want to do is eat? Do you wonder why the person next to you can eat whatever they want and weigh 110lbs?
I read your blogs and hurt for you. I hurt because I know what you’re going through and I know it doesn’t have to be. I want you to know that you don’t have deprive yourself to be thin. Dieting is not the answer.
I challenge you to start feeding your bodies in the way they were intended to be. I encourage you to be active and eat ENOUGH. Stop depriving yourselves and do what’s right. BS has given you the tools to be able calculate just what should be going into your body. Forget losing 1lb or 2lbs a week. Calculate how many calories you should be eating to maintain your IDEAL weight. Got it? Surprised aren’t you… I’m 25, 110lbs, and I consume nearly 2000 calories a day. I bet most of you don’t even begin to approach that many calories in a day. And you wonder why you’re overweight.
I challenge you to eat your recommended calorie intake for your IDEAL weight for one month… and lock that scale in the closet until that month is up. This means log, log, log. Count those calories to make SURE you’re eating enough. If you’re consciously eating and logging it will be hard for you to surpass that number (unless your diet consists of big macs, and mcdonalds fries–aka fake food!)
I lost 25lbs to reach my intended healthy weight by doing this and I’ve kept it off without dieting. I no longer log my intake because I have learned to listen to my body and I know how much it needs to stay happy. I eat what I want when I want… and now I’m the 110lb person that can eat whatever I want and not get “fat”.
Trust your body. Trust what God has given you. Trust that He never intended this struggle. Be patient. Be healthy. Be free.

It’s been nearly a year and a half since I’ve given up the diet and I’m down 23lbs. I’m finally happy with my body and happy with my relationship with food. I started eating ONLY the things I love. I took advantage of my food obsession and simply cut out the things I don’t like. You’re no longer depriving yourself. Suddenly you’re content after just a few bites because you know you can have that chocolate cake or that bowl of pasta anytime you want and as often as you like. So how did I get to where I am today? I got picky. If I didn’t like what was in front of me (whether I bought it, cooked it, or someone else made it) I wasn’t going to eat it. I eat only what tastes good to me. How many of you have polished a plate full of something that didn’t even taste good to you? Ooooh Oooh I have!!! Why?!?! Allow yourself to indulge. When I say indulge I don’t mean PIG OUT. I mean eat and enjoy whatever it is you want and eat until you are satisfied. Start thinking about what satisfaction really means. My second secret… eat only when you’re hungry. Easy, right? If you’re not a breakfast person then don’t force yourself to eat just because someone said you should. Eat a large healthy brunch or lunch and you’ll be satiated until dinner time. If you need the oral fix drink tea or coffee in the morning. Hungry between meals? Snack! Eat what you want and love it. Know that your body needs to be fed… Please feel free to message me!

Finally bought a new battery for my scale today. It’s been out of commission since June. Guess who reached her mini goal!? THIS GIRL RIGHT HERE!! Happy Dance!

Winter is approaching here in the northwest and it’s time to clean out the closet. Usually this involves me getting rid of all the clothes I COULD wear last year, but can’t fit in anymore. THIS year is different. I’m now putting on the clothes I put away because I couldn’t bear to part with them after they wouldn’t button up. YAY! Happy Dance! Go clean out your closet!!

Checking in on all my buddies out there… how is everyone this week? Striving for mindful, healthy eating I hope! Today marks one week since I’ve given up the diet and already I am feeling happier, more energized, and comfortably FULL! In fact, I’m having a hard time reaching the recommended calorie intake! It’s like winning the lottery after being deprived for so long… you don’t know how to spend the excess. I have a hard time choosing what I want to eat now because I never allowed myself so much freedom! Yesterday I ate nearly 1600 calories and was eating nearly every 2 hours. I’m finding that I’m able to enjoy my food more because I’m no longer worrying about when and what I’ll get to eat next because I can pretty much eat whenever I want and still stay within my goal to lose weight.

Give up the diet! Continue to eat ENOUGH! Find your recommended caloric intake based on your activity level and weight loss goal (no more than 1% of your current weight!!!!) and log, log, log religiously you intake to ensure you are getting that amount.  Feed your body or you will never get out of the cycle!

Great video for you all to watch… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufMKbOaYWok . This guy has some awesome information to share. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything he has to say, he’s definetly on the right track.

Do let me know how you are doing!!

Are you eating enough? Wonder why it’s harder and harder to diet and lose weight? Me too! Today’s dieting industry makes billions on successfully keeping us in the cycle. I shouldn’t have to live on 900 calories a day to not have to gain weight. I shouldn’t have to feel like I’m depriving myself when my best friend can inhale a whole order of mozzerella sticks and maintain a 5′4 115lb figure! What’s the secret? Metabolism! Ya, you’ve heard it before and if you’re anything like me you’ve strangled it to near death with your on again off again yo-yo dieting. You can be sooo good all week long and the moment you “slip” up your body holds on for dear life for the nourishment it needs. There’s a thing called BMR. There are a hundred calculators out there to find out what it is. This is the bare minimum your body needs to function. When you’re advised not to go below your BMR it’s because any less your body locks on to anything it can get its hands on not because it’s just unhealthy. People don’t talk enough about WHY you should do this!  That means if you’re netting well below your BMR, the moment you take in any more your body (even if its a measly 1200 calories) is going to hold on = you GAIN weight. The so called “starvation mode” is real. It’s not just dangerous, it’s counterproductive! You can fluctuate between a 800-1300 calories (WELL BELOW ANY HEALTHY ADULTS RECOMMENDED CAL INTAKE TO LOSE WEIGHT!!) and gain because your body is FREAKING OUT! And we wonder why it’s harder and harder to lose weight! There is no quick way to lose weight. You must eat enough to lose! It’s hard to trust your body to do this, but it works. I’ve recently taken the challenge and have upped my net calories to the recommended 1500 (based on my height, weight, and activity level) to lose 1.5lbs a week. I have tried to keep my intake under 1000 for the 5 years and have STRUGGLED. I expect to gain a little before I lose as my metabolism must catch up, but I will keep you posted on this new journey. I’m trusting my body! Who else trusts their body!?

For the first time in my life I feel like I’ve found my motivation for living a healthy lifestyle.  About a week or so ago I read Skinny Bitch.  It’s life changing and hilarious! While most of you probably won’t want to adopt the vegan lifestyle they preach, it has tons of extra information to guilt you into feeding your body the things it needs and deserves. You’ll WANT to eat healthy after reading this book.

Remember, you deserve only the best. Society has tricked us into consuming cheap, fake, addictive foods all for the benefit of big companies. We deserve better. We deserve only the BEST. Healthy=Skinny! READ THIS BOOK!

If I put half the effort I do in obsessing over food and my weight into my workouts I’d like be looking hotter than Carmen Electra… Between the media and society we are brainwashed into believing there should be a shortcut to everything and that being skinny is synonymous with healthy and beautiful. The last week or so I’ve started the recommended 45 minutes of cardio, eating more, eating HEALTHY, and drinking lots more water and by golly it really works! It may be a lot slower than dieting, but I’m confident that this is how I should be living and it feels really good! You have to push yourself that extra mile if you want to be successful in this new lifestyle. No shortcuts! Do it right!!!

Some yummy foods to try…

Slim Bear Ice Cream Sandwiches 100cal

Alaskan Salmon Burgers 130cal and 15g protein

Veggiburgers 100cal

Persevere…I know. 4lbs gained since my last weigh in about a week ago. Why?? I upped my calories to about 1200 from the 1000 as suggested by my fellow bloggers in addition to eating every few hours, cutting diet soda and sweeteners, eating TONS of veggies, lots of fiber, and drinking more water. I excercise 3-4 times a week and spend my 12hr shifts as a ICU RN running my tail off! Can my metabolism be that whack now?? I have read that your body makes adjustments when you only slightly adjust your calorie intake and that fasting 2-3 days with minimal calorie intake will cause your body to tap into fat… is this true? I’ve always had good luck making a drastic cut in the past, but thought I should be healthier this time. Would fasting be bad for me? I need advice!

I came across a great article in SELF magazine yesterday. So many magazines today are geared toward weight loss and “skinnying” down…yada yada yada. I was really surprised to read this article in SELF because it was about being realistic about our weight and making realistic goals about weight maintenance/loss/gain with the consideration of our lifestyles, heredity, health history, and weaknesses so that we can feel good about ourselves without depriving ourselves. I found it to be very eye opening and for someone who has dealt with an eating disorder very ::exhale:: worthy. So pick it up and find your happy weight. At 23 and 5′2 my happy weight is 114lb. No 5′2, 23year old is the same though! You’ll just have to read it!