Shaken Not Stirred

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

A New Craze

I am all for dieting right now. Since I've had no physical activity, save maybe thirty minute stints on a treadmill here and there, I've gained some weight. In the past I've written about my up and down weight problem. I'm not bullemic (I only throw up when I drink too much tequila) and I'm certainly not anorexic--place a bag of Funyuns or a pecan pie in front of my face and you'll see what the real meaning of feeding frenzy means (a shark's hunger instinct has nothing on me when it comes to those two foods). But I've broken out my winter clothes from last year and they are a bit snug. I tried to blame it on the moths, yes, maybe the moths ate some of the cloth and that is my flannel lined khakis have shrunk. But underneath some of my sweaters, I look much like the Pillsbury dough boy. I'm not ticklish, so poking my stomach won't evoke an eruption of laughter. At least I don't have the flabby manbreasts that I once had--so many eons and pounds ago.

In the past I've tried numerous diets. I've done slim fast. Yuke--it's ground chalk in liquid form. I think of it as colored potting soil with food coloring to appeal to those who think that a brown or pink color makes things taste better. The only thing it did for me was cause massive diarrhea. I think that it just grabbed everything in my intestines and swam for daylight.

My favorite go was the Atkins diet. I lost a humongous amount of freshman weight on this diet--about 35 pounds. But I soon grew tired of hunting and clubbing for my meals. You could eat all you wanted, so long as the food fell in the carnivore category. There is only so much "protein" a guy can take, without getting to eat mashed potatoes, Texas toast or french fries with it.

I haven't gained that much weight. According to my ideal weight, calculated by some formula I learned in medical school, I'm only about 15 pounds overweight. However, on a 5'4" Asian, this little bit shows. We don't have the bone mass or height to hide extra skin. So I've decided to diet again. Nothing drastic, but to cut down on eating altogether--smaller portions and more treadmill.

This controlled portions and eating in moderation makes sense and logically works. The key being you eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full. It's all about moderation. I read this article called: Intuitive Eating on yahoo, which explained eat what you want, but in moderation. Quite simple actually.

As you can see, I still have no idea how to do the magic "links" thing on my blog. Otherwise I would hyper link you to it.One lesson at a time. I just recently learned how to put many of my favorite blogs onto my site. The jist of the article is, this professor says that you can eat anything you want, not deny yourself. But you have to stop when you are full and only eat when you are hungry. You'll lose weight. Duh!

So I guess, according to him, I'm doing the intuitive diet. I'm eating when I'm hungry and stopping when I feel full. I'm just waiting for the professor to come out with a book so I can do it properly and also jump the "intuitive eating" craze.

25 Comments:

  • I lost a lot of weight 4 years ago, and boy did it feel good. You'll feel great once you get rid of it. Eat 250 calories less and burn 250 calories more a day, and you'll drop a pound a week.

    By Blogger Luke, at 12:37 PM  

  • Weight is such a touchy subject!

    Though, I must say that I'm all for eating healthy, most of the time. Fresh fruits, veggies, water and lots of dried plums will have a more pleasant effect on ones digestion than slim fast. That stuff is wrong.

    I agree that we should stop eating when we feel full. It's so hard to do around the holidays though!

    By Blogger Sweet Tea, at 12:51 PM  

  • I am absolutely dreading the day when my metabolism stoops below super-human levels. I've always eaten like there's no tomorrow, and it's going to be a tough transition someday to switch to this "moderation" bit of which you speak. Fuckin' A.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:13 PM  

  • Very good tips!
    I cannot eat or drink those slimfast products either. They make me gag!
    I think moderation with physical activity is the key.
    I need to work on that physical activity a bit! :)

    By Blogger Lee Ann, at 1:33 PM  

  • Hi Angel!

    Long time! Wow you have quite a growing list of readers. As you saw from my blog, I'm on a eat when you feel hungry and in small portions diet. Maybe you can try it. :)

    Mondeep

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:08 PM  

  • I have never been one for dieting.....I LOVE to eat to much!! I hope my metabolism does not slow down any more than it already has. I am thinking about doing what you are doing to....just usually after I have eaten a plate load of food and my stomach is so full it hurts (like at Thanksgiving.....and soon to be at Christmas!!) What is that formula you were talking about....I mean it is hard....b/c I have always wondered how much I am suppose to wiegh. :)
    Good luck with the dieting, and don't do it TOOOOOOOO much..... that could be bad (I am sure that you won't) ;)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:22 PM  

  • As you rightly said, its all about the 'quantity' intake. I read an article on health.msn.com where they experimented with people who were given larger portions and they automatically eat more.

    I think just a diet will make you gain weight as soon as you stop. It has to be a good combination of exercise and diet.

    I was always fighting off those extra pounds and with a good combo of diet and exercise I am very happy with my waistline

    As someone rightly said 'Eat Pigs, dont eat LIKE a pig'

    cheers !

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:30 PM  

  • to the right of the color palet option when writing a new post is a funny little icon. (to the left of how you want to format the printing options) if you type something on your post, like say, CLICK HERE, highlight those words then click that funny little icon, you can paste in any link, hit ok, then click back on the linking words (CLICK HERE) to let the link know where to go. Once you do it once, it is really easy.

    as for dieting, you should read the book "body for life" by Bill Phillips. it is the best book out there. seriously. i got myself in to the best shape of my life sdoing that program. At 30 years old, i was finally happy with my body. it's a 12 week program that anyone can do. and you are not hungry. i completely changed the shape of my body. i even gave myself a cute bubble butt. once i have this second baby, i will be back at it and i guarentee happy with my results.

    By Blogger cher, at 5:06 PM  

  • Intuitive eating, I take it is eating when you are hungry but not eating when you generelly just eat for the hell of it. Sounds pretty simple on paper.

    By Blogger :P fuzzbox, at 5:08 PM  

  • I did Atkins too and lost 30lbs. It's soooooo hard to stay on Atkins for me though. At some point..you just miss breat and potatos so much....*sigh*

    By Blogger Lindsey, at 6:37 PM  

  • I always just eat a lot. Good luck, buddy!

    By Blogger Chairborne Stranger, at 6:48 PM  

  • the intuitive diet is the hardest of all (and the best), because we don't eat to satisfy hunger only, but for pleasure too, or when we are bored or sad.
    Therefore it is easy to confuse comfort for hunger. Good luck, you'll make it :)

    By Blogger x, at 6:52 PM  

  • My sister and her husband have been on the Atkins diet for over a year and they both lost weight but I still think it can't be healthy.

    Hvae you heard about this "new" non-diet they are talking about on the "news" channels lately; you basically stock your house up with absolutely naything and everything you love, healthy or not, and eat when you want, what you want, but only when you fell hungry. I actually do this and it seems to work for me. But there was a time when I did not know what hungry or not meant. This is the problem.

    Good Luck!

    By Blogger Cathy, at 7:38 PM  

  • The intuitive diet...is that like thinking about food you like, and then intuitively going after it and slamming it into your mouth?

    If so, I'm already on that diet.

    By Blogger Jay Noel, at 8:06 PM  

  • I think it's also important to CHEW the food slowly..not to mention with delight. You'll end up eating less too.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:43 PM  

  • I did the Atkins thing. Lost 30 pounds in 30 days. But there are only so many times you can eat a ham & cheese omelet for breakfast before you say "Hey, some hash browns and toast would complement this very nicely."

    By Blogger j merlino, at 12:58 AM  

  • There is only so much that one can do. Ultimately it boils down to one's genes, I guess.

    By Blogger Wriju, at 1:15 AM  

  • Being small sucks...I can sometimes eat as much as my hubby & he's a foot taller than me & a good 80 lbs heavier...it's just not fair.

    Also, when you're "not tall"...5 lbs gained SHOWS sooo much.

    Good luck with it all.

    By Blogger Chick, at 8:10 AM  

  • Howdy Angel. I followed Cathy over here, only to be shocked you're from Charleston. I grew up in Huntington!

    The way I see it with diets is they're for people who don't want to accept that they must watch what they put in their mouths. I eat whatever I want, but I do it with thought. No four scoops of ice cream, two.

    If you're one of those depressed eaters, who feel like food is a reward don't go on a diet, it won't work. Go to a shrink and sort your head out first.

    By Blogger Eric, at 10:00 AM  

  • starvation is definitely the best method.

    By Blogger markus, at 10:54 AM  

  • good luck with that- after this baby pops out, i'll be in the same boat! lol

    By Blogger Foxy, at 1:35 PM  

  • If you work out 3-4 a week, you can eat anything you want.

    By Blogger Anhoni Patel, at 4:07 PM  

  • Hi Angel..Just stopping on over from Cathy's blog.

    Goodluck in whatever Diet/healthy way of eating you choose..It's a struggle..Been there done that 1000's of times. I agree with mysterious in blue, the hardest time is during the holidays. Eat and enjoy until Jan 1 2006..lol

    By Blogger Heidi, at 6:30 PM  

  • I'm dealing with that whole slowing metabolism thing. I used to eat like a Hoover. Food in my presence would disappear. Food in my presence still has a habit of disappearing, but it tends to re-appear around the midriff now.

    Single and spare tires don't mix unless you are helping the cheerleading squad or travelling bikini squad change the tire on their van... hmmmm....

    Intuitive eating is simple. When you're hungry, eat. When you’re done, stop. And raise your activity level, not just on the treadmill. Walk around downtown instead of taking the bus or car, take stairs instead of escalators. That is the main thing, raising you activity level so you raise your metabolism.

    By Blogger blackcrag, at 11:53 PM  

  • Someone made me vegetarian adobo... very nice! I reckon it's not fattening?

    By Blogger missy, at 4:25 AM  

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