Just had to post this....
http://news.yahoo.com/farmers-may-kicked-off-local-climate-change-3-205700360.html
Un-frickin-believable.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Why Today Was Better than Okay
I gave people the information they needed, rather than the usual apologetic shrug (finally feeling worthy of the title "information professional").
I stumbled across a solution that will put an end to the repeated invasion of space by an overly entitled co-worker (straight up ethering that biatch!).
I followed through on health and nutrition goals (maybe this time for good!).
That's all I have, but that's all I need in order to feel good about today. We'll see what tomorrow has in store....
I stumbled across a solution that will put an end to the repeated invasion of space by an overly entitled co-worker (straight up ethering that biatch!).
I followed through on health and nutrition goals (maybe this time for good!).
That's all I have, but that's all I need in order to feel good about today. We'll see what tomorrow has in store....
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Less Is More
As the year comes to a close, I must admit to engaging in one of the most cliched of New Year's traditions: making a list of resolutions I know I won't keep. Weight loss used to be a recurrent theme, until recently when I learned how to keep it under control. So my new resolution was to simply clean up my diet (for health reasons), and that still is the case. But just today, I've decided to add on a second resolution to the list: recognize when less is more and act accordingly.
Like most phrases rattled off with little thought to its origin, the original meaning and context of "less is more" eludes me. But due to events over the past year, it has taken on a personal meaning for me--that the best solution to a problem is often the simplest one.
In terms of slimming down, I've experienced enough frustration following conventional wisdom that encourages elaborate weight-loss regimes to appreciate simple solutions that actually work. So I no longer restrict calories (which drives me crazy with hunger); reduce fat and/or carbs and increase fiber (which drives me crazy period); exercise a minimum of 45 minutes at 60-80% of my maximum heart rate (which makes me dizzy and requires a huge time commitment); drink 8 glasses of water daily plus an extra glass for every 10 pounds of excess weight (which increases both my appetite and my trips to the ladies' room); consume 2-3 servings of dairy each day (which makes me more susceptible to colds); or eat grilled chicken, brown rice, steamed vegetables, and "dietetic" versions of my favorite foods and drinks (which simply isn't how a sane person should live).
It took me 8 months of losing weight and 8 months of keeping it off to learn that the simplest solution to weight loss--for me--was to avoid eating beyond satiety and walk 30 minutes every other day at a slightly challenging pace. All the other elaborate strategies are not only unnecessary, but unsustainable for me. It took a lot of trial and error for me to realize this, but now that I know, there's no turning back.
In my previous blog entry, I blamed some of my weight loss misadventures on a system that, I believe, is rigged to make Americans gain weight so that we'll spend loads of money trying to lose it or buying medication for weight-related ailments. While I still believe this is true, I realize my own complicity in my struggle with weight loss: I tend to solve problems through elaborate means. This applies not only to the weight loss strategies mentioned above, but to other areas of my life, including work.
I recently organized an office event that was meant to simply provide an opportunity for people to get together and chat for an hour or so. Perfectionist that I am, I had almost turned it into an event where we, the organizers, were catering lunch items for the attendees and arranging for invited speakers to address theme-related topics, when all that was needed was a designated space and a couple announcements to attract attendees to meet and shoot the breeze. One of the other organizers managed to talk me down from my "pie in the sky" ambitions. Thankfully, I listened, because not only was the more simplistic approach successful--in fact, our most highly attended event to date--it saved me a lot of unnecessary stress and strife. Similar event-planning experiences with this group have taught me to seek out and apply the most simplistic approach that I can get away with.
While the elaborate approach often means adding those little touches that elevate something from mediocrity to "fabulosity," it can also be nerve-racking and simply not worth the effort, depending on the situation. The key is to learn when more is needed and when you can hold back and get away with less.
This mindset was reinforced by a recent situation in my personal life--as recent as a week ago. I found out that a relative of mine got assaulted while walking home from a bus stop. While the attack didn't render serious injuries--not even enough to require any medical attention--it did traumatize her, and it scared the bejeezus out of me enough to offer to help her get a new car.
I have a twelve-year old car that runs perfectly fine, but lately I've been looking for an excuse to buy a new car, and I rashly decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to get one. So acting on the emotions of wanting to protect my younger relative as well as indulge myself, I decided to buy myself a new car and give her my current one. After a bit of research, I realized that buying a new car--plus paying several thousand dollars for a major tune-up and detail work on my current car--would take a sizable chunk out of my savings and would seriously undermine my efforts to buy a house. I soon decided that the simpler solution would be to purchase a used car for her and keep my own car.
I'm surprised, ashamed, and a bit concerned that I even contemplated that original more elaborate plan, but I'm relieved that I quickly came to my senses. It simply makes NO sense to spend 10's of thousands of dollars on a situation that could easily be resolved for less than 5 thousand. And coming to this realization relieved me of the mounting blood pressure and anxiety I was beginning to experience knowing that my house savings was about to be squandered on a frivolous impulse buy.
In light of my previous weight loss strategies, my approach to planning work-related events, and now this recent "mental car-buying frenzy," I know that I'll have to work hard on applying the "less is more" philosophy in terms of seeking the simplest approach to solving problems. However, the situation with my relative has led me to think of "less is more" in another equally important light.
Once I decided to buy her a used car, then the questions became "how much?" and "how old?" She's in her early twenties, living on her own, working part-time, and going to school. She explained that she wasn't able to save for a car because she wasn't getting enough hours at work and that she had rent to pay and "well, cable." While I could definitely sympathize with the first two reasons, the "cable" excuse was a little off-putting. And then I thought about the smart phone that she owns (when I don't own one), the nice clothes she always wears (which are always a cut above mine), and the recent Kindle she bought for her mother's birthday.
And then I thought about how she's living on her own while attending college, when she could have stayed at home, saved money, and delayed venturing out on her own until after graduation, when she could work full-time and afford rent without also having to pay tuition. And then I remembered her mentioning a boyfriend, her evenings spent at jazz clubs, and her overall more active--and thus more expensive--social life than mine. And as I kept having these thoughts, both the purchase price and year of the car kept decreasing to the point where I don't want to spend more than several thousand on a well-maintained car built in the 90's--a starter car, if you will. Something to get her from A to B reliably, but won't spoil her. Something that will motivate her to work towards an upgrade.
I grew up having the basic necessities with very little of the luxuries she's had. I wasn't blessed with benefactors to give me these things. What's more, my struggling single mother, who made education a priority, tightened her belt so she could afford to send me to private schools all throughout my childhood. Not only did this mean having little else in the household budget for luxuries like VCR's, microwaves, cable, or even color TV, it meant being reminded of how "underprivileged" I was, as I was surrounded by all the material trappings of my middle class schoolmates whose parents could afford those things.
This has shaped a mindset in me where I'm well aware of--and, oftentimes, in contact with--certain lifestyles in which I simply can't indulge. So now that I can afford the smart phone, the iPad, the cable subscription, and the thirty-thousand dollar car that each of my colleagues have, I refrain from indulging in these luxuries because I know that I can't pay for them AND simultaneously amass enough wealth to place a nice down payment on a house. I know I have to sacrifice and do with "less" now in order to have "more" in the future. I'm also less quick to spend on impulse purchases because I know how much time and effort it took to amass what I currently have, and I don't want to blow it all away and have to spend more time and sacrifice replenishing it.
This lesson has recently saved me from plunking down an exorbitant amount of money on something "just because I can afford it," and I'd like for my relative to learn this lesson herself. Buying her an "appropriate car at an appropriate price" would be my attempt to avoid spoiling her. I don't want to further enable a lifestyle (that I'm beginning to perceive) of misplaced priorities and excessive self-indulgence. While it may or may not work, it's a philosophy that I'd like to encourage in others--especially if my money is involved.
Sacrificing and making do with less adds more value to life in other ways, it builds character, it makes one appreciate the rare and occasional indulgence ever more, and leaves one with more to show for at the end of the day. For these reasons, restraint and self-discipline, along with simplicity and good old-fashioned common sense, are some of the personal traits that I'll be refining throughout 2012--and likely beyond. Now if only I could apply this "less is more" philosophy to these long meandering blog entries! Well, maybe that's something I can work on for 2013. In the meantime, Happy New Year to anyone reading this. And may self-reflection keep you on the path of continuous self-improvement--and sticking to all your New Year's resolutions!
Like most phrases rattled off with little thought to its origin, the original meaning and context of "less is more" eludes me. But due to events over the past year, it has taken on a personal meaning for me--that the best solution to a problem is often the simplest one.
In terms of slimming down, I've experienced enough frustration following conventional wisdom that encourages elaborate weight-loss regimes to appreciate simple solutions that actually work. So I no longer restrict calories (which drives me crazy with hunger); reduce fat and/or carbs and increase fiber (which drives me crazy period); exercise a minimum of 45 minutes at 60-80% of my maximum heart rate (which makes me dizzy and requires a huge time commitment); drink 8 glasses of water daily plus an extra glass for every 10 pounds of excess weight (which increases both my appetite and my trips to the ladies' room); consume 2-3 servings of dairy each day (which makes me more susceptible to colds); or eat grilled chicken, brown rice, steamed vegetables, and "dietetic" versions of my favorite foods and drinks (which simply isn't how a sane person should live).
It took me 8 months of losing weight and 8 months of keeping it off to learn that the simplest solution to weight loss--for me--was to avoid eating beyond satiety and walk 30 minutes every other day at a slightly challenging pace. All the other elaborate strategies are not only unnecessary, but unsustainable for me. It took a lot of trial and error for me to realize this, but now that I know, there's no turning back.
In my previous blog entry, I blamed some of my weight loss misadventures on a system that, I believe, is rigged to make Americans gain weight so that we'll spend loads of money trying to lose it or buying medication for weight-related ailments. While I still believe this is true, I realize my own complicity in my struggle with weight loss: I tend to solve problems through elaborate means. This applies not only to the weight loss strategies mentioned above, but to other areas of my life, including work.
I recently organized an office event that was meant to simply provide an opportunity for people to get together and chat for an hour or so. Perfectionist that I am, I had almost turned it into an event where we, the organizers, were catering lunch items for the attendees and arranging for invited speakers to address theme-related topics, when all that was needed was a designated space and a couple announcements to attract attendees to meet and shoot the breeze. One of the other organizers managed to talk me down from my "pie in the sky" ambitions. Thankfully, I listened, because not only was the more simplistic approach successful--in fact, our most highly attended event to date--it saved me a lot of unnecessary stress and strife. Similar event-planning experiences with this group have taught me to seek out and apply the most simplistic approach that I can get away with.
While the elaborate approach often means adding those little touches that elevate something from mediocrity to "fabulosity," it can also be nerve-racking and simply not worth the effort, depending on the situation. The key is to learn when more is needed and when you can hold back and get away with less.
This mindset was reinforced by a recent situation in my personal life--as recent as a week ago. I found out that a relative of mine got assaulted while walking home from a bus stop. While the attack didn't render serious injuries--not even enough to require any medical attention--it did traumatize her, and it scared the bejeezus out of me enough to offer to help her get a new car.
I have a twelve-year old car that runs perfectly fine, but lately I've been looking for an excuse to buy a new car, and I rashly decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to get one. So acting on the emotions of wanting to protect my younger relative as well as indulge myself, I decided to buy myself a new car and give her my current one. After a bit of research, I realized that buying a new car--plus paying several thousand dollars for a major tune-up and detail work on my current car--would take a sizable chunk out of my savings and would seriously undermine my efforts to buy a house. I soon decided that the simpler solution would be to purchase a used car for her and keep my own car.
I'm surprised, ashamed, and a bit concerned that I even contemplated that original more elaborate plan, but I'm relieved that I quickly came to my senses. It simply makes NO sense to spend 10's of thousands of dollars on a situation that could easily be resolved for less than 5 thousand. And coming to this realization relieved me of the mounting blood pressure and anxiety I was beginning to experience knowing that my house savings was about to be squandered on a frivolous impulse buy.
In light of my previous weight loss strategies, my approach to planning work-related events, and now this recent "mental car-buying frenzy," I know that I'll have to work hard on applying the "less is more" philosophy in terms of seeking the simplest approach to solving problems. However, the situation with my relative has led me to think of "less is more" in another equally important light.
Once I decided to buy her a used car, then the questions became "how much?" and "how old?" She's in her early twenties, living on her own, working part-time, and going to school. She explained that she wasn't able to save for a car because she wasn't getting enough hours at work and that she had rent to pay and "well, cable." While I could definitely sympathize with the first two reasons, the "cable" excuse was a little off-putting. And then I thought about the smart phone that she owns (when I don't own one), the nice clothes she always wears (which are always a cut above mine), and the recent Kindle she bought for her mother's birthday.
And then I thought about how she's living on her own while attending college, when she could have stayed at home, saved money, and delayed venturing out on her own until after graduation, when she could work full-time and afford rent without also having to pay tuition. And then I remembered her mentioning a boyfriend, her evenings spent at jazz clubs, and her overall more active--and thus more expensive--social life than mine. And as I kept having these thoughts, both the purchase price and year of the car kept decreasing to the point where I don't want to spend more than several thousand on a well-maintained car built in the 90's--a starter car, if you will. Something to get her from A to B reliably, but won't spoil her. Something that will motivate her to work towards an upgrade.
I grew up having the basic necessities with very little of the luxuries she's had. I wasn't blessed with benefactors to give me these things. What's more, my struggling single mother, who made education a priority, tightened her belt so she could afford to send me to private schools all throughout my childhood. Not only did this mean having little else in the household budget for luxuries like VCR's, microwaves, cable, or even color TV, it meant being reminded of how "underprivileged" I was, as I was surrounded by all the material trappings of my middle class schoolmates whose parents could afford those things.
This has shaped a mindset in me where I'm well aware of--and, oftentimes, in contact with--certain lifestyles in which I simply can't indulge. So now that I can afford the smart phone, the iPad, the cable subscription, and the thirty-thousand dollar car that each of my colleagues have, I refrain from indulging in these luxuries because I know that I can't pay for them AND simultaneously amass enough wealth to place a nice down payment on a house. I know I have to sacrifice and do with "less" now in order to have "more" in the future. I'm also less quick to spend on impulse purchases because I know how much time and effort it took to amass what I currently have, and I don't want to blow it all away and have to spend more time and sacrifice replenishing it.
This lesson has recently saved me from plunking down an exorbitant amount of money on something "just because I can afford it," and I'd like for my relative to learn this lesson herself. Buying her an "appropriate car at an appropriate price" would be my attempt to avoid spoiling her. I don't want to further enable a lifestyle (that I'm beginning to perceive) of misplaced priorities and excessive self-indulgence. While it may or may not work, it's a philosophy that I'd like to encourage in others--especially if my money is involved.
Sacrificing and making do with less adds more value to life in other ways, it builds character, it makes one appreciate the rare and occasional indulgence ever more, and leaves one with more to show for at the end of the day. For these reasons, restraint and self-discipline, along with simplicity and good old-fashioned common sense, are some of the personal traits that I'll be refining throughout 2012--and likely beyond. Now if only I could apply this "less is more" philosophy to these long meandering blog entries! Well, maybe that's something I can work on for 2013. In the meantime, Happy New Year to anyone reading this. And may self-reflection keep you on the path of continuous self-improvement--and sticking to all your New Year's resolutions!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
How I Loss It Effortlessly
One only needs to look at the date of my last entry to know that it's been a while since I've been on here. Lately, I just haven't had the time or inspiration to write. But such is not the case--temporarily-speaking, at least--now that I'm (1) on vacation and that I've (2) recently weighed myself, liked what I saw, and decided to blog about the experience.
Today, the scale read 141 and I couldn't be happier. Eight months ago, I weighed myself and the scale read 141. That was eight months after I'd decided to lose weight on my terms. I'm not sure what I weighed 16 months ago, but it was probably somewhere between 175 and 180 lbs. I refused to weigh myself at that initial stage because I didn't want to fall into the same cycle of starving-and-binging that had me go from 180 lbs. down to 121 and back up towards 180 again.
Losing weight "on my terms" meant avoiding this punishing cycle and eating whatever I wanted, but doing it in accordance with my body's signals. Unfortunately, my body often signals me to eat burger combos and barbecue rib dinners. Still, I had managed to do this while still losing weight and keeping it off. So I was happy, and I decided to celebrate with, what else? A cheeseburger combo from Wendy's!
I went through the drive-thru and ordered a #1. When given the options of "small," "medium," or "large," I nervously ordered the small, hoping I wouldn't have to eat again a couple hours later to feel satiated. When I got the food, I was astonished at the sight of what was called a "small." I swear the size of my drink used to be considered a "large" 25-30 years ago. For the last couple of decades, it has been considered a "medium." Now it's a "small?" I can't fathom what would have constituted a "large soda" at Wendy's, not to mention how many people regularly convince themselves that they "need" to purchase all that extra food and beverage.
The pressure to eat more is omnipresent, especially when eating out. I recently went to a movie theater where I had to repeatedly turn down "encouragements" to enlarge my soda and popcorn. I was able to shun the larger portions, now, knowing how all those extra calories expand my waistline. But there was a time when I was less knowledgeable and would have taken the bait. Countless others still fall into this trap based on the same lack of awareness. And sometimes, they're not even given a choice of sizes and are forced to purchase larger portions. I recently had a combo at Rally's where the smallest soda was 32 ounces!
Screenshot of "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" showing America's increasing annual sugar
consumption over time as a result of the increasing portion sizes of products like Coke.
It's no wonder that the fast food industry is the first to be implicated in the increasing "obesity epidemic." But is the problem the food in and of itself or the portion sizes? The answer is obviously both, but I think the contribution that portion size brings to the table is overlooked. I'm thoroughly convinced that people can enjoy the foods they love--even fast food--and they can eat them on a regular basis, and not only maintain, but lose weight. I'm proof-positive of this. However, not enough people are aware of this, and they probably wouldn't believe it even if they were told because they're too brainwashed into believing otherwise.
What are they brainwashed into believing? That the only road to successful weight loss is to adopt the following lifestyle:
The last time I binged (and cried vehemently) was when I polished off an entire pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream after failing yet again to lose that last stubborn pound that would have put my weight at the desired 120 lbs. That was the last time I swore I'd ever diet, and I haven't looked back since. I figured I'd rather be fat and happy than miserable and thin. It was only 16 months ago, that I followed the inspiration of effortlessly thin people and learned to eat and exercise reasonably in order to lose weight effortlessly.
I got my first bout of inspiration after watching a documentary called "Why Are Thin People Not Fat." Ironically, the premise involved an experiment where naturally thin people were encouraged to overeat in order to observe individual differences in weight gain. However, what struck me most in the documentary were the repeated explanations for why these people were thin. Every one of them said that they ate whatever and whenever they want, they just stopped whenever they were full. Simple logic, yet elusive up until the point of seeing this documentary and making the connection to the eating habits of some of my own family members, including my very own mother.
As long as I have known my mother, I have never known her to have a weight problem, and her dietary habits are worse than mine! I'd always figured she'd inherited her natural thinness from her father and I simply hadn't. Neither my grandfather, nor my aunts and uncles or their children have had healthy eating habits, yet they're all thin. What they all have in common with each other and with the people in the documentary is that they never overeat!
I, on the other hand, have always felt guilty at wasting food, and I feel like a failure if I don't finish what I've started. I've often unbuckled my pants in order to make room for more food. And, as embarrassing as it is to admit this, I've even, um, "relieved myself" in order to make room for more. As stupid (and gross) as this all sounds, it was a common habit of mine, and it's likely the cause of my lifelong issues with weight.
As someone who gravitates towards fast food, my "waste not want not" philosophy coupled with restaurants' astronomical portion sizes was a recipe for disaster. And as an increasingly iron-deficient person who believed that only the most exhausting exercise--that induced light-headedness and dizziness--would yield weight-loss results, I shunned exercise more and more as I could no longer sustain or even hit the 4 mph mark that I was convinced was necessary to effectively burn calories.
Not understanding the source of my weight-gain, I believed that it just wasn't in the cards for me to be thin, and that unless I fell for the hype of subjecting myself to punishing regimens, I was destined to be fat. It was only after looking at the aforementioned video and observing my relatives that I realized that punishing dietary and exercise tactics were not necessary and, in fact, were setting me up for failure.
Yet these tactics--among many other unsustainable gimmicks--are the only solutions offered through the media. People aren't aware of the interconnection between their specific body makeups and the environment in which they live. They are told that the only way to lose weight is to deprive themselves while being forced to live in a saturated environment where unhealthy foods are the cheapest, most convenient options available. What's worse (and from my experience, the most important factor) is that these unhealthy foods are being doled out in increasingly higher portions.
My conspiratorial mind inclines me to believe that it's all rigged. I honestly believe these restaurants and fast food eateries receive financial incentives (or something) to increase their portion sizes. Otherwise, why would they keep increasing them? Who's paying them to do this? Who knows! But my guess would be those who'd profit the most from this "setup": the weight loss industry, the health care industry, or some other segment of the PTB.
All I know is that none of us have to keep falling into this trap. Based on what I've learned and experienced, this is why I think some people are effortlessly thin and others are not.
We all fall somewhere between the two extremes, where effortlessly thin people possess all the factors in the left column, morbidly obese people possess all the factors in the right column, and the rest of us have some combination of both.
Here's what I've determined to be the factors that led me to become obese.
The key to getting out of the obesity range, for me, was to learn what I'm working with body-wise (items 1-3), be aware of the environment I'm living in, and adjust my lifestyle (items 4-5) so that I could succeed at being a normal size within that context. I never go hungry and I still eat fast food. Hell, Wendy's was my 3rd burger meal just this week! And by "burger meal," I mean "beef" burger (not that worthless "turkey" or "soy" crap!) with cheese and mayo, a side of fries, and a full-caloried coke! The same kind of meal my effortlessly thin relatives would normally have. I've just learned to insist on eating only the amount of food that satisfies my appetite and to be okay with 30-minute walks that barely break a sweat. Basically, I follow these four tenets:
Am I thin? No, but I'm not obese or even overweight, and I actually enjoy shopping because the clothes look good on me now. Am I healthy? Honestly, no. But when I do decide to curb my fast food habits, it will be for health reasons rather than to lose weight, and I'll probably be more likely to stick with the healthier regime. Finally, since three of my rules direct me to eat according to my appetite, I never go hungry, and I am never miserable. I eat enough to get rid of my hunger, but now I keep my pants buckled. (And, um, that other embarrassing business is always kept to a minimum!)
Today, the scale read 141 and I couldn't be happier. Eight months ago, I weighed myself and the scale read 141. That was eight months after I'd decided to lose weight on my terms. I'm not sure what I weighed 16 months ago, but it was probably somewhere between 175 and 180 lbs. I refused to weigh myself at that initial stage because I didn't want to fall into the same cycle of starving-and-binging that had me go from 180 lbs. down to 121 and back up towards 180 again.
Losing weight "on my terms" meant avoiding this punishing cycle and eating whatever I wanted, but doing it in accordance with my body's signals. Unfortunately, my body often signals me to eat burger combos and barbecue rib dinners. Still, I had managed to do this while still losing weight and keeping it off. So I was happy, and I decided to celebrate with, what else? A cheeseburger combo from Wendy's!
I went through the drive-thru and ordered a #1. When given the options of "small," "medium," or "large," I nervously ordered the small, hoping I wouldn't have to eat again a couple hours later to feel satiated. When I got the food, I was astonished at the sight of what was called a "small." I swear the size of my drink used to be considered a "large" 25-30 years ago. For the last couple of decades, it has been considered a "medium." Now it's a "small?" I can't fathom what would have constituted a "large soda" at Wendy's, not to mention how many people regularly convince themselves that they "need" to purchase all that extra food and beverage.
The pressure to eat more is omnipresent, especially when eating out. I recently went to a movie theater where I had to repeatedly turn down "encouragements" to enlarge my soda and popcorn. I was able to shun the larger portions, now, knowing how all those extra calories expand my waistline. But there was a time when I was less knowledgeable and would have taken the bait. Countless others still fall into this trap based on the same lack of awareness. And sometimes, they're not even given a choice of sizes and are forced to purchase larger portions. I recently had a combo at Rally's where the smallest soda was 32 ounces!
Screenshot of "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" showing America's increasing annual sugarconsumption over time as a result of the increasing portion sizes of products like Coke.
It's no wonder that the fast food industry is the first to be implicated in the increasing "obesity epidemic." But is the problem the food in and of itself or the portion sizes? The answer is obviously both, but I think the contribution that portion size brings to the table is overlooked. I'm thoroughly convinced that people can enjoy the foods they love--even fast food--and they can eat them on a regular basis, and not only maintain, but lose weight. I'm proof-positive of this. However, not enough people are aware of this, and they probably wouldn't believe it even if they were told because they're too brainwashed into believing otherwise.
What are they brainwashed into believing? That the only road to successful weight loss is to adopt the following lifestyle:
- Go hungry
- Have Spartan eating habits, vilifying normal foods (i.e. foods with fat, sugar, and flavor--the same foods that people in France, Italy, and everywhere else indulge in with nary a weight issue)
- Restrict calories or count Weight Watchers points
- Spend time and money meeting with others to talk/obsess about your (and sometimes their) weight loss issues
- Wile hours away at the gym
The last time I binged (and cried vehemently) was when I polished off an entire pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream after failing yet again to lose that last stubborn pound that would have put my weight at the desired 120 lbs. That was the last time I swore I'd ever diet, and I haven't looked back since. I figured I'd rather be fat and happy than miserable and thin. It was only 16 months ago, that I followed the inspiration of effortlessly thin people and learned to eat and exercise reasonably in order to lose weight effortlessly.
I got my first bout of inspiration after watching a documentary called "Why Are Thin People Not Fat." Ironically, the premise involved an experiment where naturally thin people were encouraged to overeat in order to observe individual differences in weight gain. However, what struck me most in the documentary were the repeated explanations for why these people were thin. Every one of them said that they ate whatever and whenever they want, they just stopped whenever they were full. Simple logic, yet elusive up until the point of seeing this documentary and making the connection to the eating habits of some of my own family members, including my very own mother.
As long as I have known my mother, I have never known her to have a weight problem, and her dietary habits are worse than mine! I'd always figured she'd inherited her natural thinness from her father and I simply hadn't. Neither my grandfather, nor my aunts and uncles or their children have had healthy eating habits, yet they're all thin. What they all have in common with each other and with the people in the documentary is that they never overeat!
I, on the other hand, have always felt guilty at wasting food, and I feel like a failure if I don't finish what I've started. I've often unbuckled my pants in order to make room for more food. And, as embarrassing as it is to admit this, I've even, um, "relieved myself" in order to make room for more. As stupid (and gross) as this all sounds, it was a common habit of mine, and it's likely the cause of my lifelong issues with weight.
As someone who gravitates towards fast food, my "waste not want not" philosophy coupled with restaurants' astronomical portion sizes was a recipe for disaster. And as an increasingly iron-deficient person who believed that only the most exhausting exercise--that induced light-headedness and dizziness--would yield weight-loss results, I shunned exercise more and more as I could no longer sustain or even hit the 4 mph mark that I was convinced was necessary to effectively burn calories.
Not understanding the source of my weight-gain, I believed that it just wasn't in the cards for me to be thin, and that unless I fell for the hype of subjecting myself to punishing regimens, I was destined to be fat. It was only after looking at the aforementioned video and observing my relatives that I realized that punishing dietary and exercise tactics were not necessary and, in fact, were setting me up for failure.
Yet these tactics--among many other unsustainable gimmicks--are the only solutions offered through the media. People aren't aware of the interconnection between their specific body makeups and the environment in which they live. They are told that the only way to lose weight is to deprive themselves while being forced to live in a saturated environment where unhealthy foods are the cheapest, most convenient options available. What's worse (and from my experience, the most important factor) is that these unhealthy foods are being doled out in increasingly higher portions.
My conspiratorial mind inclines me to believe that it's all rigged. I honestly believe these restaurants and fast food eateries receive financial incentives (or something) to increase their portion sizes. Otherwise, why would they keep increasing them? Who's paying them to do this? Who knows! But my guess would be those who'd profit the most from this "setup": the weight loss industry, the health care industry, or some other segment of the PTB.
All I know is that none of us have to keep falling into this trap. Based on what I've learned and experienced, this is why I think some people are effortlessly thin and others are not.
We all fall somewhere between the two extremes, where effortlessly thin people possess all the factors in the left column, morbidly obese people possess all the factors in the right column, and the rest of us have some combination of both.Here's what I've determined to be the factors that led me to become obese.
The key to getting out of the obesity range, for me, was to learn what I'm working with body-wise (items 1-3), be aware of the environment I'm living in, and adjust my lifestyle (items 4-5) so that I could succeed at being a normal size within that context. I never go hungry and I still eat fast food. Hell, Wendy's was my 3rd burger meal just this week! And by "burger meal," I mean "beef" burger (not that worthless "turkey" or "soy" crap!) with cheese and mayo, a side of fries, and a full-caloried coke! The same kind of meal my effortlessly thin relatives would normally have. I've just learned to insist on eating only the amount of food that satisfies my appetite and to be okay with 30-minute walks that barely break a sweat. Basically, I follow these four tenets:
- Eat only when you're hungry; eat only what you're hungry for.
- Eat only when you're hungry; eat only what you're hungry for.
- Eat only when you're hungry; eat only what you're hungry for.
- Exercise 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week as rigorously as possible without getting exhausted or dizzy.
Am I thin? No, but I'm not obese or even overweight, and I actually enjoy shopping because the clothes look good on me now. Am I healthy? Honestly, no. But when I do decide to curb my fast food habits, it will be for health reasons rather than to lose weight, and I'll probably be more likely to stick with the healthier regime. Finally, since three of my rules direct me to eat according to my appetite, I never go hungry, and I am never miserable. I eat enough to get rid of my hunger, but now I keep my pants buckled. (And, um, that other embarrassing business is always kept to a minimum!)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Cue the En Vogue Music....
It's me again, back from a long hiatus. I could give many reasons for my extended absence, but truth be told, I just haven't felt like writing for a long time--until now.Recent events at work have compelled me to find an outlet to work out my thoughts. The events are nothing major: just the same old struggles of severing "friendship" bonds that I no longer want tying me down as well as "movin' on up" in my organization while lazy co-workers bitch, complain, accuse, make excuses, and do everything under the sun--except their work--as they watch from the sidelines, stagnating and festering in their same positions.
Why can't people just do what they're paid to do? It's so simple. They could avoid so much of the extraneous B.S. if they just focused on their jobs. Then we'd all be rewarded for the stellar work each one of us contributes, we'd all feel appreciated and validated, and there'd be no need for them to feel resentment towards me, or for me to feel guilt at receiving opportunities denied to others.
What's really tragic are those people who've managed to get ahead in the past and then muck it up with their unprofessionalism, plotting, scheming, and other craziness. These people, more than anyone else, make me firmly committed to keeping my distance from them. I don't want to be associated in any way, shape, or form with these "bad karma magnets." And I swear, those who do associate with them are going nowhere fast.
People like this have also made me realize the need to keep my sense of self-worth independent of advancement or demotion. I've seen people who've attached their egos to their positions of power, only to get humiliated and deflated when the rug is pulled out from under them. One person likes you and gives you an opportunity, then the regime changes, and if you've abused your power and pissed off too many people, there goes your prestige and honor.
At the end of the day, I'm there to do a job. If the current regime wants to promote me to a managerial position in order to carry out their goals, I hope I will always remain grounded enough to just focus on the task at hand and disavow myself from any delusions of grandeur or honor. If the next (or even current) regime feels it's time to demote me from a higher position of power, I still hope I can just focus on whatever needs to be done to contribute to the organization the best way that I can.
Based on my own experiences as well as what I've witnessed of others', I've come to realize the true meaning of "work is work." The minute you start attaching your identity to a particular "clique" or position of prestige, you're setting yourself up for a lot of unnecessary and avoidable misery in the future. When all is said and done, it's just a job. If emotions start to boil for whatever reason, give it up, turn it loose, and move on. Not an easy lesson to live by, but vital if you want to avoid going postal--and no job or social group is worth making me go out like that. Not a chance in hell would I let that happen.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Leadership Will Be the Death of Me?
I've said before how I don't like staring crazy in the eye. I explained the rationale in a previous post and I spent not one but two entries complaining about the uncanny gazes of shifty-looking Disney characters staring at me from that damn billboard across from my parking lot at work.
While I still vehemently avoid peering into the "windows to the soul" of unbalanced vagrants and other crazy people, for some reason I decided to muster up enough courage to stare into the eye of the storm of leadership and face head-on whatever craziness came my way.
Bless my heart, I can be so naive and sanguine at times. Leadership is HELL! It requires dealing with some of craziest mofo's in the world, and after only 3 months of weathering that never-ending storm of mania I'm ready to throw in the towel and quit!
I've had to deal with the gamut of ridiculous situations including: confrontation, unprovoked defensiveness, posturing to conceal ignorance, confrontation, undermining of my authority, words taken out of context and used against me, confrontation, excessive sensitivity, unrealistic demands, confrontation.... It's all I can do to keep from lashing out at the lot of them and yelling (Kurupt-style) "Why can't we just chill and get along? Motherf*cka! The views you choose to use is wrong, motherf*cka! Relax." Yes. They, I, and everyone else need to just take a deep breath and relax. Hakuna matata, que sera sera, and all that jazz.
During times like these I constantly have to remind myself that whatever doesn't kill me will only make me stronger. Unfortunately, I was having this very thought during a recent commute to work when I looked up and noticed yet another Disney billboard ad.
They're kidding, right?
Should I be worried? (No seriously. Should I?)
While I still vehemently avoid peering into the "windows to the soul" of unbalanced vagrants and other crazy people, for some reason I decided to muster up enough courage to stare into the eye of the storm of leadership and face head-on whatever craziness came my way.
Bless my heart, I can be so naive and sanguine at times. Leadership is HELL! It requires dealing with some of craziest mofo's in the world, and after only 3 months of weathering that never-ending storm of mania I'm ready to throw in the towel and quit!
I've had to deal with the gamut of ridiculous situations including: confrontation, unprovoked defensiveness, posturing to conceal ignorance, confrontation, undermining of my authority, words taken out of context and used against me, confrontation, excessive sensitivity, unrealistic demands, confrontation.... It's all I can do to keep from lashing out at the lot of them and yelling (Kurupt-style) "Why can't we just chill and get along? Motherf*cka! The views you choose to use is wrong, motherf*cka! Relax." Yes. They, I, and everyone else need to just take a deep breath and relax. Hakuna matata, que sera sera, and all that jazz.
During times like these I constantly have to remind myself that whatever doesn't kill me will only make me stronger. Unfortunately, I was having this very thought during a recent commute to work when I looked up and noticed yet another Disney billboard ad.
They're kidding, right?Should I be worried? (No seriously. Should I?)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
It goes without saying that this is both tragic and frightening at the same time. It seems that the "perfect storm" of events has created the potential for a disaster of epic proportions. An earthquake of record-breaking magnitude hit a locale that was not only prone to result in a massive tsunami but also potentially lead to nuclear meltdown. With so many coincidental elements at play, it's hard not to venture off into conspiracy land and conjure up the possibility of these people being "targeted." Whether they were or not, my heart goes out to them and their loved ones. I hope the worst is behind them and that they recover from this tragedy as quickly as possible.
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