The Answer to Your Question is:

I've been getting a lot of questions about what's my secret to my weight loss.... Well folks, it's really not a secret.  While I was in college, the first couple years I didn't exercise other than walking from my car to my classes and I ate fast food often.  When I got to almost 190 lbs in 2008 I knew something had to be done quick as I weighed as much as my mom for the first time ever in my life.  I did start off with a strict diet for the first 6 months of this journey, but I've lost most of the weight doing the little things that everyone can do to make themselves healthier and in the end make themselves lighter.

Here are the basic things to remember, and that we hear from doctors and the news repeatedly:

1) drink WATER!  Most people don't drink anywhere near enough and they consume beverages such as soda in  abundance.  Diet soda doesn't help as the sweet flavor triggers things in your brain to make you crave REAL sugar and many people who drink diet soda end up overeating.  In addition, the carbonation in soda makes you bloated and the high sodium of all sodas make you retain water.  Water helps curb cravings and usually when you feel hungry it's because you're actually dehydrated.  Drink 8-16 oz of water and if after that you're still hungry, eat something light.

2)  Don't eat meat at every meal!  I know, it sounds bizarre.  However, most people eat too much meat and it's usually heavily processed.  If you substitute a vegan meat substitute for at least one meal a day, you will see immediate results, usually in how you overall feel.  I recommend trying the Morning Star "Chik'n" Nuggets or using their "crumblers" as a substitute for ground meat in things like hamburger helpers or in tacos.  You just season it like you would hamburger meat.

3) Eat your veggies & fruit!  They're not only good for you, but they contain water and are usually low calorie.    Just make sure you don't slather them in butter or cheese as that counteracts the nutritional value of the veggies.  Broccoli with a vegan cheese substitute is actually a good option and tastes great too!

4)  Move!  Even if you don't have time to do an actual workout, move.  I will do things like overhand claps, jumping jacks, crunches, or walking or running up and down the stairs at random times.  If you take a few minutes periodically through out the day, you end up exercising more than if you wanted to make it to the gym and then don't show up cuz you're tired after a long day.

5)  Take a moment to just breath!  Take a moment to just stretch.  Whether it's just trying to touch your toes or sitting down with legs extended and reaching in front of you, just stretch those muscles and you will feel much better & refreshed.  Being stressed out can cause you to hold onto unwanted weight since it produces cortisol, a hormone, that can cause you to hold onto weight and not digest food properly.  When we become overly stressed, our bodies divert blood away from our digestive system to allow us to deal with the situation at hand.  This causes the body to not process nutrients properly and can cause weight gain.

So really, these aren't secrets.  They've been said repeatedly on the news, by tv doctors, and on the internet.  It's all about life style changes.  I have had only 3 sodas in the last month and I haven't had a donut since like March if not February.  I do have a weakness for ice cream, and it can be enjoyed, I just do so in smaller amounts.  I'd be lying if I said I don't enjoy a cheeseburger at McDonald's on occasion and will eat some of my fave foods.  The key is moderation and to know they are treats.  I did totally pig out on pizza last weekend and felt bloated and yucky afterwards, but boy was it good!  But did I return to my old eating habits I had in college?  No, Monday I went back to my normal eating habits and will remember that pizza with great fondness and may order another one in a month or so.  Our favorite guilty food pleasures should be enjoyed seldom.  This way they can really be enjoyed and savored.... Mmmmm now I want some fried chicken, and not the vegan variety or the better for you Chick-fil-a stuff either, good ol' fashion greasy fried chicken LOL... I'll just day dream about it cuz I can't splurge for awhile :)

SQUEEEE

When I first started this blog, I started mostly with my attempts at losing weight and making positive lifestyle choices.  Well here we are 2 years later and I have finally got to my first major goal, weight wise, when I first started my lifestyle changes.  In October 2008, I weighed over 185 and in 6 months I had lost 15 lbs.  It has taken me until now to get below 150 lbs!  I am 5'4" and a healthy weight for me is from 130-145.  I have a new goal now!  I want to reach 140 by my 30th birthday in January.  I think 9 lbs in 3 months isn't impossible and I know I can do it.

I'm already seeing changes in how my clothes fit and it's a good thing, though I want someone to explain to me why the sleeves of women's t-shirts are so damn small!  I had this problem back in 99 after I got out of the Army (weighing more than I do now).  Do they think that women have tiny arms, even if they're skinny?  It's so irritating.  I really hate having to by larger tops just so my arms aren't having the blood cut off by the sleeves.  I have to say having most of your shorts almost fall off is awesome!  The only thing keeping them on is my "bubble" butt LOL.

I'm sure I'm going to annoy some to no end with my enthusiasm about the weight loss and the leaning of my body, but I haven't been so stoked and motivated!

Day 47

I just noticed I haven't posted in awhile and I'm sorry.  I've just been going about life as close to normal as I can.  I've been working out and trying to get down to weight but it seems the more I try, the more I see nothing on the scale or the tape, yet I can see that my abs are getting flatter... Oh well.  I haven't had a soda in 3 days now.  Yes, I do have a Red Bull in the morning, but hey, a girl needs her B vitamins and the caffeine!  I've been drinking LOTS of water and eating well.  Most of my diet is either vegetarian or health food.  I do treat myself to something not so good for me, but it's not all the time.  I do love me a cheeseburger on occasion lol.

I do have to say that Skype is so awesome!  Getting to see my hubby brings me so much joy and helps the days without hearing from him a bit easier to deal with.  I'm pretty sure he'll be proud of my keeping up the work out. I have say I did take a break from it when all the drama started happening but I think exercising is helping me deal with stress of it all.  I'm already seeing an improvement in my stress induced stomach issues and in the hair loss.  That is always good, but I am tired of the hair in my brush...

Well, not really much else to say, it's lunch time & I'm starved and I've got a ferret running around like a crazed loon.

What Would Marvin Harris Do? (Originally Posted on MySpace in 2007 on my blog there)

The title is a joke in my anthropological theory class but here's my book review on Cannibals and Kings by marvin harris. Enjoy!

Marvin Harris, love him or hate him, he was (and may still be) one of the greatest minds in Anthropology. His many works on different subjects, from cannibalism to theory, have shaped the thinking of those after him. He argued against insensible rationale and for a new way of looking at culture. One might consider him one of the reasons post-modernist theory really took off. However, he did not just push for this particular line of thinking but was known to take a materialist view point from time to time. In his work Cannibals and Kings he brings in this line of thinking on top of a historical deterministic point of view as he stated in the introduction of the book. In addition to this line of thinking, at the end of the book he also adds that cultural determinist would understand his line of thinking as well, since there is a fine line between the two.

Through out this text Harris consistently refers back to the "reproductive and ecological pressures" on a culture. These pressures are what jump start change within a culture. What is fascinating is the fact that many cultures make the same changes, yet depending on the environmental elements of an area slight variations occur, such as pigs being tabooed in the Middle East and cows in India. These were cultural responses to environmental changes in the area. This equates to a cost/benefit approach to all changes, whether it be from hunter/collector to band society, band to village, village to chiefdom, chiefdom to state, and so on. The use of the terms cost and benefit alone tell us of the materialistic, almost Marxist, approach. He also discusses the correlations between reproductive pressures, intensification, and depletion and how a culture adapts and changes.

Harris presents each of his theoretical assumptions, reproductive and ecological pressures, the cost/benefits of change, and also intensification and depletion with examples from both modern and ancient cultural groups. Food, mainly protein consumption, is one of the main ways he demonstrates the effects of his ideas. My favorite group example was the Aztecs. Their use of cannibalism as a means for obtaining protein in an area almost devoid of animal protein was very insightful and made perfect sense. A group needs protein to survive and in response to their gaining agricultural expertise and growth of the group itself, protein began to lack. The cultural change was to go to war, obtain prisoners and then eat them in what appears as a cultural gloss of religion. But the reality is that it was in response to the reproductive pressures, the intensification on the environment and the depletion of these resource so that there was no animal protein base and limited plant protein base.

Really his central argument is that no matter what differences cultures may have they tend to follow a determined path based on their own interactions with the environment. Take the people of India. Because of monsoon seasons they were able to farm, but needed animal help to cultivate the land. They then used cows and oxen to till the land and grow crops. As the population began to intensify however the land area allotted for each family farm grew smaller and the number of cows that could be used for food became smaller since they were really needed more for the fields. Harris helps explain this by demonstrating how many calories it would take to raise a cow to kill versus how many calories one would get from eating the cow and compares it to the amount of calories it would take to raise a cow to help with the fields and the caloric return of the harvest. It was overwhelming the difference. On a caloric level, it is more cost effective to raise cows and oxen to help in fields than to butcher them. As the intensification led to lower efficiency, the culture responded by making it a religious taboo to consume beef. This makes perfect sense when one looks at the fact that if a family killed its last cow during an extremely bad dry spell, when the rains came, they would not have a cow to help with the fields and would have a much lower caloric return. Therefore making beef taboo was a way to help preserve a the peoples way of life through culture.

This is in comparison with the Aztecs who, in the middle of the Valley of Mexico, ran out of animal protein, reacted in another manner. They did not have domesticated animals to help in their fields as it were and had developed a form of agriculture sans animal help. With intensification came even more of a protein shortage and the culture had to react. It did so in the manner spoken of above. The reaction of the Spaniards when they arrived in the New World should be expected since their agriculture was based on rainfall and started in a feudal system. When the Spanish faced similar protein shortages their culture had reacted differently, but it was inevitable with population intensification and the like. However, the Aztecs methods can not be looked down on for it was how their culture reacted to a determined situation.

Harris's use of other anthropological data used in comparison with his theoretical approaches allows for an almost flawless argument. He uses data collected by himself and others on cultural groups who basically are the epitome of their particular type, i.e. the Indus Valley people for hydraulic groups, the Bushmen for hunter-collector societies. With this data he shows how cultural groups are related and therefore there is an amount of determinism involved. It is not a matter of evolution but of the society about to break on itself and change occurring. A good example of this is that the Chinese basically invented the steam engine, however it was not implemented until all natural means of transporting goods were depleted and it was the only hope for the culture. He also addresses what he feels in inaccurate methods of looking at culture, such as the Freudian approach to male supremacy. Harris feels that male supremacy cultures are in response to the environment and reproductive pressures where as the Freudian approach blames mom and your upbringing. In the context of cultures as a whole, the Freudian approach is not applicable in this situation. He does point out that there are some good things about Freud's work, but it just does not apply to cultural anthropology, it is more individual analysis.

One subject touched on frequently, even with dealing with European cultures, was female infanticide. Each culture practices it, in one shape or another, and whether they want to admit it or not. With European cultures, especially during medieval times, killing your infants was considered murder, unless it was on "accident." As Harris points out through out the text, the reason females were chosen for this treatment was not because the group did not realize that killing females was going to make having more children more difficult, but because the cost and benefits of more males was more beneficial to the whole. Take the Eskimos for example. They live by mostly hunting, since there really is not much plant foods available in the Artic region. Therefore if there are reproductive pressures causing intensification on the environment, then the first to be removed from the equation would be the "weaker" females. Harris never once says that females are indeed weaker. He actually makes it very clear that to kill female babies is not necessarily the best of decisions, but it is what is the most cost efficient means of being able to continue to obtain food. More males means that they will be able to haul in the large prey that are available to them in that region. More females would not mean complete disaster but would require more calories be spent in the attempt to obtain the same prey.

Through the readings outside of this text, you can see the background that Harris came up through in the field of anthropology. From Durkhiem on, the building blocks of materialism and historical determinism can be seen and are reflected in this piece. In addition, many anthropologist have also been influenced by him as well.

No one can make me say there were weaknesses in this book, unless you count making one think. It was slightly dense in places but overall ease to read. I would like to point out that if one did not look at the copyright, you may find it hard to believe it was not written at the start of the Iraq incident with this quote:

"Today, hovering on the brink of a third world war, we are scarcely in position to look down on the Aztecs. In our nuclear age the world survives only because each side is convinced the moral standards of the other are low enough to sanction the annihilation of hundreds of millions of people in retaliation for a first strike. Thanks to radioactivity the survivors will not even be able to bury the dead, let alone eat them (121)."

Even though this text is 30 years old it can be related to today. This work shows that no matter the individual choices, the cultural outcome will be the same. We will either stretch forth with new technology or we will decline back into a "lower" level of society. As we intensify our efforts at food production, we lead, inevitable, to declining efficiency.

More Diet Info

So, I did have the krab with mushrooms last night for dinner, cooked in a little olive oil and a clove of garlic that I minced myself. Oh so tasty. Then I had me a Shiner Black (it was a dollar cheaper than Shiner Boch). Oh the tasty goodness of it all.

I do have to say one thing about the vegetarian diet, and not to sound gross, but it makes you poop a lot. This is a good thing though. It cleanses the system. Fiber is part of a healthy diet anyways. Besides most Americans don't poop enough. Yeah, I'm talking about poop! I don't mind though, I have always been known for my "potty" mouth, hahahahaha. Oh I'm cheesy. I'm still not completely over my stomach ailments that have plagued me since I hit puberty (bleeding ulcer, IBS, etc) but the symptoms are decreasing and I am feeling much better. Now for the weight to come off. It has been proven though most people store at least 5 lbs of backed up fecal matter in their colon and intestines, so once my body cleanses itself, I'm sure that's a quick 5 lbs gone, at least. I've already started to see a decrease in my belly size. My gastro-intestinal problems have caused my abdomen to push out some and it is coming back, but I think I need to work on my abs some to help in this process as well as they have been built up, sticking out around my troubled gastro system. My body still doesn't know what to do without high frutose corn syrup (HFCS) though. It will take time, and the withdrawals will be worth it.

Well, I must be getting back to work, and will update later, especially after this weekend when temptation is at it's peak for drinking a Dr Pepper.

What I've been eating

Well, I think I'll share some of the tasty treats I've been eating this week.

Tuesday: Breakfast was organic frosted flakes with soy milk (serving size followed), snack was Kashi Cherry Dark Chocolate granola bar, lunch I had my left overs from the night before with broccoli added in and cheese, second snack was 10 "Teddy Bear" cookies at 10 calories per cookie and a yogurt, and dinner was a BK veggie burger with only cheese. My drinks: hi*ball energy drink, water, unsweat tea, 2 small oj's, an all natural soda and 2 Bud Lites.

Wednesday: Breakfast was Kashi CDC granola bar and a small oj. Snack was some of those divine wine grapes, lunch was vegan "chik'n" with broccoli and a very small amount of cheese, second snack was yogurt, and dinner was broccoli and cheese (i wasn't that hungry by time I got home last night). My drinks: hi*ball energy drink, water, 2 small oj's, 3 Zeigan Bochs, and all natural soda.

So far today: Breakfast KCDC granola bar and orange Vitamin Water. Snack was the cashew clusters my mum got. Lunch was a BK veggie burger only cheese, no bun. Second snack will be 10 "teddy bear" cookies at 10 calories per cookie. So far my drinks have been: hi*ball energy drink, water, before mentioned Vitamin Water, unsweet tea, and I'm fixing to hit the natural soda. I'm not sure what I'll have for dinner tonight, but I got krab meat and other goodies at home.

Middle of first week: Vegetarian Style

Well, I'm doing good on my diet. I really don't like calling it a diet though. Anywho! Still no meat other than seafood and that was even only once this week. I've been having bouts of dizziness, but I think this has more to do with my sinuses than it does my eating habits. I do need to test my blood sugar when I get home to see if it's low. If it is, I'm going to need to inject more protein into my diet some how. I'll figure that out in the grocery store this weekend. I'm enjoying the food I eat though and that's the amazing thing. I've also not had any high fructose corn syrup all week either, which this could be withdrawals as well. Well, this is brief, I'm going to run.

My Diet: Official Day One (yesterday 9/29/08)

Well, I wasn't feeling well yesterday but still stuck to my guns. For breakfast, I had a Bagelfuls by Kraft (I think) and a small orange juice. Snack was some wine grapes that were on sale at Whole Foods (yum!). Lunch was vegan "chicken" with no meat or soy, broccoli, and all sprinkled with a little bit of cheese. That was awesome! My afternoon snack was some yogurt. For dinner I fixed some imitation crab meat, one medium portabella mushroom cap, a clove of garlic and some of the broccoli I boiled up Sunday. Oh that was divine. My drinks were the orange juice, my hi*ball energy water, water, unsweet tea, an all natural soda, and one Budweiser. Like I said I'm allowing myself dairy and seafood. I stuck within my prescribed guidelines for myself and felt content with my food choices. I do want some more OJ though!

Diet Food Review: hi*ball Energy: Sparkling Energy Water

I'm trying to get past the Monster Energy drinks. I'm completely addicted to them. They taste like liquid Smarties. Those just happen to be one of my all-time favorite Halloween candies! But the high-fructose corn syrup and other additives make them bad for me and so I'm trying to find a healthier alternative. So I'm trying new energy drinks that I find at Whole Foods (see links at bottom).

The first I'm trying is called "hi*ball ENERGY" and I'm having the orange flavor. It's a sparkling water with orange flavor. A long time ago I found I hated sparkling waters due to their obnoxious flavor and texture and general bad after taste. As I'm drinking this, the only time I taste orange is the after taste. The sparkling part of the water is slightly annoying, but like coffee it will grow on you. Overall, I'd say it's ok.

For a product with only 10 calories, the "energy" for the cost is amazing. It doesn't leave you feeling gittery or spike your blood sugar like the main stream energy drinks do. One of the main reasons I'm wanting to look for a substitute for the Monsters is that diabetes runs strongly in my family, and I'm trying to avoid it via my diet. My only real complaints of the product is that it comes in a glass bottle, which some places will not allow you to have and it's only 10 oz. I'm used to my 16 oz Monster which lasts me about 2 hours. However, the fact that I'm taking in more water than suger is a facture that I take into consideration.

My recommendation is that if you like sparkling water and want to give up the mainstream energy drinks, this may be the one for you. The company has a whole line and even has mixers. I have links below.

www.wholefoodsmarket.com

www.hiballer.com I've had difficulty just typing this one in, but had to Google it to get to the actual page.

Diet Food Review: Special K Protein Water

As I begin to try new foods as I change my diet, I will write reviews of the items I have tried, especially if I hated it a lot or if I love to the extreme. Today's review is on the Special K Protein Water, the Ice Tea Flavor.

I hated it! First off, it taste like overly sweetened instant tea, which for all Southerners, is nasty. Secondly, it feels really thick in the mouth. A girl in my Grammar class last night said it has to do with the added protein and fiber, but I disagree. I've had protein enriched juices and they do not have this texture issue. It is something apparently with this product. In addition to these issues, the product states it helps with the feeling of fullness when used in conjunction with a high protein/high fiber diet, as I have, it does not.

The only person I would recommend this product to is an individual that just needs something sweet but needs few calories. This product has only 50 calories per bottle. But for that kind of intake, I'd rather have a Vitamin water which for the full bottle (not the 32 oz size though) is only 125 calories and tastes a million times better.

Dieting and Me

I've never been good with strict diets. I think one should have what they crave because you wouldn't be craving it if your body didn't need something in it. (See studies on kids that crave "inedible" things and dogs eating cat poop!) I've always just watched how much I eat of the foods I crave. It should be noted that I also have had a very limited diet until the last year because I'm so picky and finally started trying new things. I'm really on an eastern food kick.

But I've found that even with watching what I eat, limiting my soda intake to one a day (I have to have my Dr Pepper people!), and trying to limit exactly what goes into my mouth, I'm still not losing any weight. I don't have time to workout more than I do (which is yoga twice a week at school) as I work 30-40 hours a week, have four classes, and need time to do homework/eat/sleep. Also, my family members (all overweight but two) are getting diagnosed with diabetes one after another and I've come to a strong conclusion, it's time to do what needs to be done... go vegetarian.

I've already limited myself to red meat less than twice a week, and so far this week not at all. I will NEVER give up fish and seafood as I love them too much to give them up. But all the chicken and turkey (I haven't eaten pork in years) as got to go as well as the cheese. I'm still going to eat yogurt as it's a more enjoyable way to get the good bacteria my stomach needs for me to keep my gastro-intestinal functions healthy. I know there are pills with this bacteria in them, but I can't remember to take them and don't take vitamins because I always forget. I can't help it. So, starting Monday, I will post how I'm doing with this process of cutting out meat. Wish me luck in my endeavours, I'm going to need it.