CONFESSIONS OF A FAT GIRL

Fashion That Heals?

Anyone ever heard of Skineez?

You can imagine my skepticism-- They are basically a pair of Spanx that rid you of cellulite.

So why am I skeptical... Because this idea seems ridiculous to me? Well it does, but that's not all. Because they sell them at my local Macy's and ONLY in the plus-size department? Ignorant but even that doesn't shock me....

I just have to wonder, frankly, if a pair of shorts is all you need to be flab-free, why aren't they just ALL THE RAGE? Why isn't EVERYONE wearing them? Why aren't there celebs being photographed in them or some cheesy 2am commercial endorsing them?

By the way, that photo totally grosses me out.

{End scene. AJ steps down off soapbox.}

Guest Blogger -- From a Reader

It's been a while since I welcomed a guest blogger and Katie, a regular reader of COFG, wanted to share some of her personal favorite tips for Winter weight-watching:

5 Tips for Fall and Winter Dieting

 

Fall brings along many changes: the leaves fall, the weather cools down, and food becomes heartier. With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, the opportunities to trip up on your diet increase exponentially. Here are a few tips to keep your diet in check, regardless of the temptations out there.

 

Portion Control

 

It is always good to keep how much you are eating in mind when you eat a meal. Chances are you are eating far more than your body needs to stay energized. Monitor what you eat and how much you eat, and do your best to keep it down to what you need to have in order to maintain good overall health and nutrition. If you are at a big dinner, eat one plate of your favorite items and resist the temptation to go back for more.

 

Drink More Water

 

Staying hydrated and getting plenty of water will benefit you in multiple ways. Not only does getting proper hydration help eliminate toxins, but helps to maintain your ph and is great for the skin in the dry winter weather. Drinking plenty of water is recommended in most diet plans and should help throughout the day with minimizing extra food cravings as well.

 

Snack Effectively

 

Cold weather puts extra strain on your body in many different ways, so your cravings for comfort foods are going to increase. Fight off the urge to splurge with some healthier snack alternatives. Eat some fresh fruit or raw, unsalted nuts between meals, and watch the cravings disappear. You will stay fueled without adding extra weight or insulation to your frame.

 

Stick to Regular Coffee or Tea

 

The cooler climate also creates a desire to drink hot beverages to warm you up. Rather than getting a high-calorie pumpkin spice latte or hot chocolate with whipped cream, opt for regular coffee or tea, which has far fewer calories. Diet versions of holiday favorites are also available, and seasonal creamers come in low-cal versions too.

 

Savor Sparingly

 

The time will come when you absolutely must have a piece of cake, pumpkin pie, or your favorite cookie. Just do it, but do so sparingly. Have a small piece or one cookie, and then get right back on your diet plan. It’s not wrong to want a treat every now and then, but don’t go overboard.

 

By-line:  This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of nursing schools. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.

 

 

 

Quote of the Month

From my clever friend, Meg:

"Last night I had INTENSE sugar cravings... so I put on my bikini. That scared me away from eating..."

Don't laugh. You know it would work for you too!

Oditties and Endities

October is coming and I always look forward to October so much because I love the onset of Fall and the foreshadow of Winter; the arrival of the Halloween and then Thanksgiving seasons.

My physical health continues to fluctuate but my mental health has really improved. I mean, it's not perfect but I am happy to report back that the new meds, once the nauseau phase passed, are sensational. In fact, maybe too sensational. I'm amazingly calm. At times, I'd almost daresay I'm unfeeling. This week, at a time when I should have been quite upset and drowning myself in a good fit of tears, I was completely caught up in my head but also totally placid.

I can also say, with a mix of relief and shock, that my parents have been rather stupendous lately. With all my emotion and irrational behavior lately, they have been right there, urging me to do what I had to to get through it, and doing what they could to help. As a result of my emotional hit parade, my weight issues have been pushed down a couple notches on their priority list of things to worry about.

Hey- I'll take it where and how I can!

Of course, this has made me inexcusably lazy, completely ignoring pivotal things like, well, MOVEMENT and MOTIVATION. LOL. My diet hasn't been completely unfortunate though the cheese-its I had today at 11am might have been a tad unnecessary (I was SO craving them and we happen to have them in a vending machine at work). My immediate goal right now is to cut my soda intake in half (it's increased exponentially lately) and get back to trying to drink more WATER. In fact, I've started to notice the lack of hydration effecting me. My skin is very dry- especially my sclap, and my insomnia, which is always a problem, is much worse.

Tomorrow, my friends? Friday. I leave you now a euphoric, blissful girl. I am going to snuggle up in bed a little early tonight, and prematurely enjoy a little TGIF peace.

I Love This

http://goop.com/

Nifty Little Gizmo

Thanks to my friend Jen for this -- I thought it was a pretty cool gadget and wanted to pass it on:

Fit but You Know It
Your New Fitness Tracking Device

Sure, you put in your gym time, and pay close attention to the food groups. (Pretty sure there are four—sushi, kobe, soymilk, vodka.)

Still, life in Los Angeles requires you to track your fitness more closely...or find a gadget that'll do it all for you. Which is why you'll want to pre-order your Fitbit now.

Just drop the small gadget in your pants pocket, and as you go about your day, Fitbit uses motion-sensing technology (similar to how the Wii knows you're swinging the non-existent tennis racket) to gauge every calorie you burn. It'll note your accomplishments when you're on the treadmill, getting numbers on Runyon Canyon, moving your martini glass to and from your mouth...and engaging in other vigorous endeavors that, assuming your pants remain at least partially on, will remain between you, your partner and Fitbit.

Every time you pass within 25 feet of the charger base station, Fitbit automatically transmits its data and uploads it to your website, where you can also enter every calorie consumed. So you can either obsessively track every flow chart online, or just occasionally take a look at the gadget's avatar—if the little plant is growing, well done. If it's wilting, well, might be time for some more vigorous endeavors.

Sometimes your health requires these kinds of sacrifices.

More here, including purchase: http://www.fitbit.com/

Out of Shape, Out of Motivation

How is everyone's weekend?

I spent the week looking forward to my weekend but I'm afraid it's not at all going according to plan. I guess that's not so bad because ultimately, I was (am) able to spend the whole weekend being lazy, if not asleep...

Anyway, Thursday night I was at a wrap party for the CBS reality show "Big Brother" (at left: me and my friend Matthew in the BB Diary Room) and it was FANTASTIC! God, I've been such a social hermit lately and it felt good to be OUT and dressed up a little, dancing and seeing friends I've not seen in a while. I indulged in the buffet-- actually, I didn't eat anything particularly bad for me except I did have some pasta and a couple beers. Luckily, I kept getting distracted before I could remember to check out the ice cream sundae station or the s'mores. I did bite into a churro but it was stale... Am I rambling? ...But the dancing was great fun and probably good exercise. I was really just elated to be out. I stayed out til 3am.

So it was no surprise that I was a zombie on Friday at the office. Man, my body HURT. I did CPR training at the office on Thursday - I was on my knees, bent over a mannequin all day there (insert dirty joke here) and then dancing Thursday night... On Friday, my legs felt like jello. I could barely cross the street to get into my dad's car when he picked me up to go to lunch.

I don't know... is it my weight? A little, of course. But I am just SO out of shape. I'm a walking puzzle- overweight, in great health, and out of shape. {sigh}

So I cancelled my Friday night plans knowing that I'd be miserable anywhere else but in bed and went to bed early instead. It was a little depressing but I was too tired to care that much about it. Of course, this also had me up early on Saturday, which annoyed me.

By this afternoon, my still achy body needed to sleep again but that got put off when my parents called. I'll spare you the details but our friendly chat turned into a fight. To be honest and fair, it was not their fault. I was crabby and feeling a little gloomy so I snapped at something my mom said. She handed the phone off to my dad and he gave me an earful. I tried to apologize and they eventually accepted. But by the time I got off the phone, I was REALLY in need of a lay-down. I passed out.

And that pretty much brings us current. I was supposed to meet a friend at 8 to go out but didn't wake up til about 7:45. Christ! So, groggy, I called him and apologized, cancelled MORE of my weekend plans and have spent another night in front of the TV.

I bet you're all jubilant after reading this delightful recounting of my weekend activities...

C'est la vie, oui?

And this is what's new...

Everyone's good advice on the new meds was/is appreciated. I have to tell you the nauseau in the morning is gross. I feel pretty much like I would expect a pregnant woman with morning sickness might feel like thought I've only just come close to vomiting once. I eat toast or drink a soda and I'm fine in an hour. And frankly, it's worth it because I feel BETTER.

My God, I spent the last few weeks in this haze and half the time, on the verge of tears. Some of the time, actually IN tears. But I'm better now. I'm not GREAT, but I'm better.

Tomorrow I have to remember to call my doctor to get my lab results from Saturday -- I'm sure I am fine, though. It was just a routine check. And if something was wrong, my phone would ring.

And in totally unrelated news, I am ashamed to confess tonight, I craved fast food. I seldom do and when I do, it's usually at 2am. But I craved fast food like hell after work today and opted for Togos. It's not McDonald's, so I feel a little more at ease with it, but I'm still achy from the ginormous sub I shoved down my throat along with some chips. {sigh}

I've been thinking lately, though, that it might be time for me to really go hard core. Push myself for just one week and see how I do. Maybe I will be so very pleased with the results, I can do it a second week... and a third. But the temptation in my life is great and I am most often too weak to fight it.

But it's something I'm considering.

And in completely unrelated news, tomorrow I get to wear my yoga pants and a t-shirt to work because we're having a 5-hour CPR training course. Was I keen to get certified in CPR? Maybe a little. Was I keen to not be at my desk for five hours, goof off with my friends and mouth-kiss a mannequin in my yoga pants? Abso-fuckin-lutely.

Sweet dreams.