Over the Plateau!

So, despite waking up this morning with a blistering swore throat, I did wake up to some good news--I'm over my weight-loss plateau!!! Since September, I have lost 40lbs, but then for most of half of December and all of January, I was on a plateau, as these things happen. I decided not to weigh for a couple weeks, kept up the diet and exercise and this morning I weighed and I have lost another 3.6lbs!!! So, hopefully, I won't hit another plateau for another 36.4lbs (tee-hee, I know that's not likely), but come on body, at least give me another 20lbs--I promise to do the work. So, that picture? Its supposed to be a plateau, ominous, right? Well, plateau's end--even if it takes six weeks. Concentrating on following a "healthy lifestyle plan" rather than a short term diet is what got me through it. I have decided to only exercise at a level that I can maintain while balancing other aspects of life. Maybe if I did do the biggest loser type exercise routine I would have come out of this plateau earlier, but I don't think that I could maintain that on my own. What I can do is go to the gym 2-3 times per week and integrate home exercise, like a long walk or pilates, along with a structured yoga class once per week. I can workout 4 times per week, sometimes three, sometimes five, but seven days a week for four hours is not something I can or will do, so why make weight-loss habits unsustainable? It just leads to a feeling of failure. Instead, I have set up a reasonable goal for myself and met it. I was patient these past few weeks and now its paid off. Also, I should mention that because of the 40lbs loss, I had a little hair thinning which freaked me out. I had my vitamin levels and protein checked out by my doctor and I'm fine. She said that losing 40lbs is a shock to the body and that thinning is normal, but should subside. My hair is no longer shedding excessively (and it wasn't really really bad, just noticable in the shower and on my sweater). The shedding and plateau co-insided, so my body needed a break so that's why I didn't freak out during this plateau. I needed to listen to my body, concentrate on nutrients, proteins and vitamins and just be patient. I'll probably not weigh for at least another week because too much weighing increases my neurosis--I know that some people weigh everyday--but for me, I want to listen to my body in other ways, while still having some idea of the number on the scale. I knew that it was probably okay to weigh this morning because my jeans were getting loose again, if they felt tight, I probably would have waited another week so as not to discourage myself. Also, the elliptical is getting easier again, so adding a little weight there for a better work-out is also an indicator that perhaps weighing is safe again. Anyway, I hope to be able to report another pound or two next Friday.

Yoga: TODAY!

Check out this description of the yoga class I'm taking today:

Yinyasa

– Yinyasa features both the active movement of vinyasa, as well as the complementary practice of yin which focuses on release of the deep connective tissues. Like a satisfying exhale after rapid breathing, the passive poses of yin feel deeply relaxing especially following the strength-building poses typical of vinyasa. The goal of this class is to help build focus and strength, and then to enjoy the relief of passive stretching and a more peaceful mind.

Yes, darnit, I'm going to YOGA. Today...Friday, the day that is today, I'm going to yoga, grrr....okay, I haven't been to a yoga class in a while. Wish me luck and courage to actually do it. I'll report back...

Update: I actually wrote this post Wednesday and scheduled it to appear on Friday as extra encouragement to go to yoga. I really do want to go to yoga, but I woke up with a blistering swore throat this morning. I am going to go to this yoga class next Friday instead because my throat hurts, I'm stuffed up and this in not the best state to show up for a yoga class for the first time. I was starting to get a swore throat yesterday afternoon, but I still went to the gym, but now I think I might actually be sick or on the precipice. I gargled salt water, I'm having tea--what else can I do, dear readers, to stave off this cold? Leave your best advice in the comments!

Government’s Dietary Advice: Eat Less

On Monday, officials at the USDA "issued their bluntest nutrition advice to date: drink water instead of sugary drinks like soda, fill your plate with fruits and vegetables and cut down on processed foods filled with sodium, fat or sugar. More important, perhaps, the government told Americans, “Enjoy your food, but eat less.” Many Americans eat too many calories every day, expanding their waistlines and imperiling their health."

The clear message that half of your plate should consist of fruits and vegetables is certainly one to be applauded. But in an era of super-sized portions, what does "eat less" really mean? There's talk that processed food manufacturers will be pressured to reformulate many of their recipes in order to reduce the sodium present in their "food products," but what about restaurants' super-sized portions? For many Americans, the super-sized portion is the new normal and they mimic those restaurant portions at home. How can we scale down the new normal to reasonable portion?

Its really interesting to learn that Americans eat 180% of the allowed solid fats and refined sugars (see chart above). Its equally interesting to see that even with the recent push toward more whole grains, Americans are still only getting 15% of the recommended goal and only 59% of the recommended vegetable intake (although, that is still a 'failing grade' it is higher than I might have thought). I think that the USDA might benefit from using some of Michael Pollan's vocabulary: "eat real food, mostly plants, but not too much." Real Food is what we are talking about here, but to invoke that kind of language would have the processed food manufacturers up in arms because nothing threatens an industry more than showing that the emperor has no clothes. So, the USDA follows a half-measures approach, food plebes are still confused and foodies are still a small segment of the population, but hey, consider committing to one day of "real food"--nothing processed or packaged--one day per week and go from there.

READ THE NYT SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

A Food Manifesto for the Future

Mark Bittman has an excellent article up on the NYT opinion's page today. Read it in its entirely HERE. His primary suggestions for creating a sustainable food-system for the future includes ending subsidies for corn/soy which generally end up as feed for animals and as "food products" for processed foods. He also suggests splitting up the USDA, which I think is rather novel. Essentially, the USDA is in charge of both making healthy food recommendations for Americans and promoting our big agri-business, these missions are in conflict with one another as they are currently constructed and health loses to profit everytime. He'd like to see those subsidies transferred to non-monoculture farms that seek to feed people directly, through food rather than food products, and the encouragement of farmers and super markets in food deserts. There are a few other excellent suggestions, but one that his suggestion for ending mono-culture, big-ag doesn't hit on is a major problem nobody seems to talk about: ending the presidential primary season starting in Iowa. No candidate, Democrat or Republican would make it through the Iowa primary to stand a chance in the later primaries, if he or she advocated the ending of subsidies for corn/soy...it just wouldn't happen and this is a problem for the rest of us. The current primaries are a problem, where states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina get to dictate who the rest of the states get to consider for their candidates. I like the idea of regional primaries where the first set in the regional primaries would rotate--so, a Northeastern region, Mid-West, West, Rocky/Plains, Southeastern, Southwestern, etc.

As it stands right now, this reform movement cannot come out of presidential politics because Iowa is too powerful, let alone big agribusiness in general. Anyway, check out Bittman's article.

Lisa's 8 Week Winter Jump Start: Week 6

This Jump start has been a struggle for me, but now I am in the zone.

Successes

1. Working out 6 of 7 days
2. 2/2/11 down 4.8 lbs

Setbacks
1. 1/26/11 up 1.8 lbs

Total lost from start 8.4 lbs for a weight of 242. ( This is my 10% mark from when I started Weight Watchers)

I am more motivated to keep weight going down to prepare to look awesome on Spring break. This motivation is really working for me. I never figured me to be so vain.

How Cute is this Blog

Quick recommendation, I'm enamored with a blog I only recently found (through a link from a blog I love, The Kim Challenge). Anyway, my new blog to read (since I recently gave up a not to be named blog because all she does anymore is post a daily recipe of a dessert...okay, an occasional savory recipe, but its all mainly desserts and no longer food or lifestyle blogging...its her blog, so her focus, but its seriously lost its luster)....oops, sorry about the tangent, but the new blog to read is:

Pink of Perfection

Boycotting Palin for February

So, like Paris Hilton a couple years ago, there's a planned boycott of all things Sarah Palin for the month of February. Considering that yesterday she tried to make the revolution in Egypt ALL ABOUT HER, I'm on board with this boycott, that includes (starting after this post), not writing about her or CLICKING ARTICLES ABOUT HER elsewhere for the month of February. Of course, there is always the possibility that she does something so enormously offensive, I may have to click and read an article, but hopefully not. Remember, the more attention she gets, the more money she makes--she's got quite the con going right now and though she may very well be considering running for president, the vast majority of Americans would never vote for her, thank goodness, so she will probably not be the Republican nominee in 2012.

Update: Okay, one last funny at Palin's expense:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
From Russia With Gov
www.thedailyshow.com
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Disinformation Campaign Targeting African Americans and Planned Parenthood

There's a really good article up on Jezebel HERE about a disinformation campaign aimed at African Americans and Planned Parenthood to equate abortion with slavery and to suggest that African Americans are being targeted by Planned Parenthood for "elimination" through abortion. Planned Parenthood is being pro-active in trying to get the real statistics out, that African Americans account for 15% of their clients and that the general population of African Americans in the US is 13%, which is within the expected population range of use. Also, what stuck out at me is that the organization already has several well-regarded African American healthcare workers and health policy folks in their organization, so there isn't some sort of "white organization seeks leaders in black community" implication of this story--they are a highly diverse organization that seeks out people of many races and genders to do their good work as a matter of principal (and as a matter of greater effectiveness). Read the whole thing, but one other thing that really shocked me was a statistic about infant mortality: "The African-American infant mortality rate is more than twice that of white infants. College and graduate school-educated African-American mothers have a higher infant mortality rate than white mothers who didn't finish high school." You read that right, white high school dropouts are less likely to have their children die in the first year of life than a GRADUATE SCHOOL EDUCATED African American Woman. I'm not saying that high-school drop outs deserve to have their babies die, but education is linked to longevity, access to healthcare, general health, etc. Why are highly accomplished women of color experiencing infant death for their children more than would seem plausible? Gotta be racism...seriously, it has to be...unless somebody can prove to me that black babies are super delicate and white babies are made out of that airplane black box material that survives plane crashes...its gotta be racism.

Watch the Fat Nutritionist Eat

This is pretty clever. In order to show "normal eating" the Fat Nutritionist, Michelle, actually eats what her readers suggest. Above you'll find her eating pickled herring and below a Cadbury Creme Egg. One might seem pretty healthy/gross and the other naughty/good, but neither are good/bad or any other socially constructed dichotomy -- rather, they are food, containing nutrients and calories in kind and varying proportions. Much of her work is devoted to dispelling this notion that foods are inherently good or bad, but rather food. One of my favorite recent posts of hers focuses on how certain foods make her feel during certain part of the day, like she mentions feeling good after eating oatmeal with some sort of fat in the morning. Below after the Cadbury video is an excerpt and link to that post, which I must recommend you go on and read in its entirety.

Excerpt

"If you’ve never, ever stopped to think about how food makes you feel after eating it, maybe you’ve been so caught up in the shame-spiral of restraint and disinhibition that you haven’t had much mental real estate to devote to the idea. Or maybe you’ve been eating according to externally-imposed nutrition rules and guidelines without really pausing to notice how you actually feel when you eat that way. Or you’re in the midst of the great divorce. And you’re not alone.

But learning how food makes you feel, both immediately and a little way down the road, is a fundamental part of learning how to care for yourself.

In my mind, food that makes you feel weird or off — no matter how good it tastes right now — isn’t food you can unconditionally love. Amounts of food that make you feel bad aren’t amounts of food you actually want to eat. And if you find yourself continually sacrificing your well-being for the lovely, immediate feel and taste of food, it’s a sign that something has gone wrong."

READ IT ALL HERE

Don't Let Republicans Re-define Rape

Disgusting, seriously disgusting. Shakesville shares resources to fight HR3 HERE and Amanda Marcotte once again lays it all out on the table HERE. The official (and seriously misleading title of the bill) is: “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.” Here's the thing though, tax-payer funded abortions are already illegal, except in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother. This bill seeks to do a couple disgusting things: outlaws PRIVATE INSURANCE MONEY from covering abortion, therefore, if you are currently employed through your insurer, you might be covered for abortion services, but after this legislation, that would be banned. Secondly, it seeks to redefine RAPE to "forcible rape" which means that rape by intimidation, rape by drugging, rape by a superior, statutory rape, 'date' rape or acquaintance rape and pretty much any rape in which you weren't beaten nearly to death wouldn't count as rape at all. This also seeks to exclude the incest provision if you are over 18 and raping the mentally incompetent is totally hunky-dory as well. Over 9,000 women every year become pregnant from A REPORTED RAPE. Just let that sink in...how many women become pregnant and don't report the rape? We don't know, there can only be estimates.

Back to the first provision, banning private insurance from paying for abortion: most women who seek out an abortion pay out of pocket, afraid to leave a medical record of shame or that an abortion would get back to their employer, which is sad in and of itself, but when abortions are generally paid for by private insurance, they tend to be the more difficult, surgical abortions. The later term abortions and they are often had because the woman's life or health is in danger or because the fetus isn't viable. Those abortions can be very expensive and they are generally due to crummy luck. Often those are wanted pregnancies, but circumstances turn them into tragedies. Now, those tragedies get to bankrupt families because some self-righteous Republican perverts want to punish dirty sluts because that's their favorite way to pay back their rabid misogynistic base. This isn't about life, its about female sexuality being used as the whipping boy of the culture wars.

Update: Another excellent article breaking this situation down on Alternet, again by Amanda Marcotte, read it HERE.

Bristol Palin Nixed From Abstinence Panel Following Student Protests

Radaronline reports: Bristol Palin was dropped from talking on a Washington University panel next month following protests by the University’s student body.


The protest was the cost of her appearance in relation to her expertise in Sex Education. I agree for a fee of $15,000- 30,000 to talk about your personal teen pregnancy is outrages. I am sure there are teen moms near Washington University for a much more reasonable fee.

I am not knocking Bristol's hustle, but with limit student funds at universities, I think these questions need to be asked.

Lisa's 8 Week Winter Jump Start: Week 4 & 5

This Jump start has been a struggle for me.

Successes

1. Working out more consistently.
2. Trying new exercises.
3. 1/19/11 down 1.6 lbs
4. I am losing inches down 3.5 inches since the start of this Jump start

Setbacks
1. 1/26/11 up 1.8 lbs


Total lost from start 3.6 lbs for a weight of 246.6


I am more motivated to keep weight going down to prepare to look awesome on Spring break.

Vote Summer

Beyond Birth Control Commercial

So, I've seen a couple feminist sites making fun of this Beyaz Birth Control commercial. First off, yes, Beyaz is just Yaz but with folate...which is something pharmaceutical companies do all the time. They tweak their original drug, rename and rebrand it and then start the marketing when their old product is available to be copied for cheaper, generics.

I like this commercial--yes, it looks like it takes place in some other-worldly Sephora--but it emphasizes that birth-control relates to your life choices and working toward goals. THIS COMMERCIAL SHOULD BE AIRED DURING TEEN MOM ON MTV EVERYWEEK. All of these women are grown and they're working toward goals like graduate school, buying a house, a dream trip to Paris, etc. Yes, birth-control does help women work toward goals like these (and that's why the anti-sex brigades want it made more difficult to access). So, I'm giving the makers of this commercial Kudos of the Week! (Although, of course, that doesn't mean that I think anyone should drop their current birth-control brand and sign-up for Beyaz. Stick with what works for you).

Is MTV's Skins Child Porn?

Radaronline reports:

MTV's new drama Skins is generating a ton of controversy for the network, as critics claim its' racy content of sex, violence and drug use among minors -- using actual minors in the cast -- might be in violation of federal child pornography statutes.

I think this show shines the light a little to brightly on the out of control teen behaviour. I believe most teens experiement and on a much lower level then these teens.

Also, I beleive parental supervision needs to come in play of the teen actors as well as the teen viewers.

Steve Jobs: Does Being a CEO Terminate Your Medical Privacy Rights???

So, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Inc., is taking another leave of absence. Last year, he left while undergoing a liver transplant (though that wasn't disclosed until after he returned to work) and this time it remains undisclosed, though speculation is that he has cancer. Above, you'll find two pictures of Mr. Jobs, the larger one was taken prior to his first medical leave and the second is a more recent photograph. Yes, he's lost weight.

Apple stock has suffered in the wake of this recent announcement, Mr. Jobs has led the company in its recent technological triumphs, including the introduction of the i-lines (ipod, iphone, ipad, etc.) which have had a huge impact on technology and quite frankly our culture at-large. Valley Wag, a Gawker technology publication, among others has called for Apple to "end their code of silence" as regards Jobs' health. His health and the health of Apple, that line of reasoning contends, is intertwined and must be shared, for the sake of share-holders and Apple-dependent techies. It is true that succession is not clear at Apple Inc.--at least to the outside observer--but just because Mr. Jobs is a CEO, does that make his medical privacy rights less-than yours or mine? If he were the President of the United States, perhaps yes, but Mr. Jobs is a private citizen and his medical history and current medical condition is his concern, his families' concern and under his doctors' care. But, I'd like to point out that he has enjoyed certain other rights, not afforded other plebes--he has taken more than six months off. Under the Family Medical Leave Act, you can take 12-weeks, unpaid for your health crisis or your family members (that's good), but it isn't nearly as indulgent as Mr. Jobs' leave-time has been. Half of all bankruptcies in this nation are due to medical expenses and much of that is due to inadequate health-insurance, but when your illness leaves you too sick to work and unpaid leave is all your must be granted legally, millions of Americans suffer.

I wish Mr. Jobs well and I hope he recovers.

Must Read: A Weight-Loss Skeptic Discusses Losing 60lbs

Check out this Alternet article HERE by Greta Christina. Here personal blog is HERE. I love this chick, seriously. She's been mindfully engaged in losing weight in keeping with "my feminist ideals and my resistance to body fascism." She's also keen on underscoring how evidence based research on weight, health and successful weight-loss influence her body-acceptance philosophy, but also supports her endeavors to lose weight. In other words, fat-acceptance and losing fat aren't necessarily contradictory. Fat Acceptance is mostly about embracing the full humanity of fat people--mooing at them on the street, sidelining them socially, making jokes at their expense and of course, institutionalizing their oppression by supporting discriminatory policies (such as charging them more for Health Insurance as the State of Alabama tried to do a few years ago for their fat employees) is wrong and thus fat-acceptance folks (who may or may not be fat) should work toward equity for the fat in the public square (and the tv-sitcom). Greta Christina and Jennette Fulda are the two well known(ish) figures who both discuss fat-acceptance AND weight-loss for health (and who have both lost significant amounts of weight) while also remaining allies to the fat community.

Currently, I've lost about 40lbs, though I intend to lose more and I may slip into the "passing as thin" territory in another 40lbs, but I will always be fat-identified. To me, that means working toward fat-acceptance and evidence based health advocacy. I've said it before, I don't think you need to be thin to be healthy, but I don't think that it is right to say that morbid obesity doesn't have an impact on your health either--obesity impacts your health over time and although I or my friend over here or over there, may have a healthy blood pressure and blood lipid panel right now, overtime, the chronic wear and tear of obesity leads to general declines in health and mobility. These are general facts, but obesity does not diminish my humanity or the humanity of my fat brothers or sisters. Working for walkable, livable cities/towns; subsidized fresh fruits and vegetables (and de-subsidized corn/soy/meat) as part of agriculture policy; flexible work schedules and pro-health policies in work places that aren't discriminatory; truly UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE--these are the kinds of policies that will help to erase the "obesity crisis," not another weight-loss competition show. Health is collective as well as individual. Peace

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Charlie Sheen's Former Madam: Lindsay's A Drug Addict, Charlie Just Likes To Party

Radaronline Reports the comments of Heidi Fleiss:

She said: "Look, people need to leave Charlie the f**k alone. Do they really expect him to go to church when he is not working?

"He is the highest paid actor on television -- on a really popular show -- and he always delivers by turning up on time and putting in great performances, and that's all that matters.

"There is no comparison with Lindsay Lohan because she is not functional and is an addict with a sickness - I should know because I've been to rehab several times too.

"It's not as if we see Charlie smoking a crack pipe or anything, the guy just loves to party, and people just don't seem to want to accept that.


I don't agree with her opinion, but many people have the thought if a person is successful then you can't have a problem. As long as people are successful they don't want to address destructive behaviour.

Oprah: Depression Made Me Eat 30 Pounds of Mac 'N' Cheese

US Magazine reports, after the failure of her movie "Beloved" Oprah states:

"I ate about 30 pounds worth," she reveals. "I'm not kidding! It's the only time in my life I was ever depressed. I recognized I was depressed because I've done enough shows [to know], 'Oh, this is what those people must feel like."

I feel bad for her, but for all realness I couldn't afford the cheese on 30 lbs of Mac & Cheese.

Lisa's 8 Week Winter Jump Start: Week 2 & 3

I have been gone shy. Sorry for the delay in post.

Successes

1. 14 days in a row of vitamin

2. Mindfully walking to reach 10,000 steps a day.

3. 1/5/11 done 3.4 lbs

4. 1/12/11 done 0.4 lbs

Total lost from start 3.8 lbs for a weight of 246.6

I am more motivated to keep weight going down to prepare to look awesome on Spring break.

Carrie Fisher New Celebrity Spokesperson For Jenny Craig

Fisher -- who weighed 105 lbs. while making the Star Wars triology and at her heaviest, ballooned up to 180 lbs. -- says she's struggled with her weight for the past three years, and hopes to lose 30-pounds in 2011.

Fisher will appear in Jenny Craig's new advertising campaign that launches in February 2011.

We will see how this goes. So for now I will just wish her luck.

Biggest Weight Stories of 2010

Since I linked yesterday to Jezebel's Photoshop Hall of Shame gallery, I thought I'd also share this link to their "The Biggest Weight Stories" of 2010. Jezebel does a great job of covering both the social injustices committed against fat folks and a balancing of health-related articles or health-trend pieces. They are very balanced on this--they have a strict anti-body-snarking policy, but they aren't HAES fundamentalists. Most of these articles, we at FFFB linked to or discussed ourselves during 2010, but they all bear re-hashing.

Women Laughing Alone with Salad

This is hilarious, its a gallery of stock photos of women "laughing alone with salad" or fruit/veggies. Seriously, what's so funny? Is salad really that charming? Its just like those tampon ads with women jumping around in gauzy white skirts--so cliche that after a while, you're wondering? "Why arent' I thrilled to be alone with healthy food?" "Why don't I feel like wearing white while menstruating...isn't that the ideal to strive for in period protection?"

Anyway, checkout the gallery HERE.

Photoshop's Hall of Shame

Checkout Jezebel's gallery of the Best & Worst of Photoshop's Hall of Shame HERE. I don't know why every time I see these side-by side comparisons, I'm still shocked. Its all fake people! But how "they" (they being the overlord masters of the image industry) choose to photoshop individuals is culturally significant. Take, for example, the lightening of Gabourey Sidibe's skin or the cinching of Christina Hendricks' waist or the air-brushing out of wrinkles or even smile lines. These things don't happen in a vaccuum and it isn't just about air-brushing out a pimple or a scar--its erasing race, body-type and age. Let's not also forget that in many instances, the photoshopping of images produces non-human bodies--limbs missing bones, limbs missing period, necks incapable of holding up oddly large heads, etc. In order to "idealize" these people are made into cartoons.

Lisa's 8 Week Winiter Jump Start

So school is out. I have more time to focus on health. For this Jump Start I will focus on healthy habits and not weight loss.

Here are the two major goals I am focusinig on for Week 1-3:

1. Yoga twice a week.

2. Multi-vitamin daily.

Starting Stats 12/29/10:

Weight: 250.4 lbs

Arms: 15.5 in

Hips: 53 in

Bust: 48 in

Waist: 43 in

Thighs: 29.5 in