Perfectly Imperfect

July 15th, 2008 by LB, under Fit Commitment, Weight No Longer. 1 Comment

I’ve always believed that what endears us to others is our humaness.  I wanted to write about this because through reading The Art of Being, by Dennis Merritt Jones, I can see in a new way how this applies to our bodies and our selves.  He talks about the famous story of Michelangelo working on the Statue Of David, and being asked by an apprentice how he would ever achieve perfection from a crude slab of marble.  The response is now famous. 

“I have nothing to add because the perfection is already there.  All I have to do is remove the necessary pieces.”

~Michealangelo

Merritt likens this to the idea that life is really about subtraction, as opposed to addition.  Its not that we need to have an enhanced body, or a better butt, a firmer stomach,  the right piece of exercise equipment or the perfect exercise outfit.  Instead we need to be prepared to let go of some unecessary ’stuff’ such as old ideas, beliefs or behaviors.  The truth is we are perfectly imperfect just as we are.

Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away, when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness.

~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This Is Who I Am

July 2nd, 2008 by LB, under Weight No Longer. 4 Comments

 

I stumbled on this book in Misty River Books in Terrace, and I aboslutely love it.  This Is Who I Am celebrates beauty in all shapes and sizes through stunning photographs and short one page summaries about each woman’s relationship with her body.    The book advocates a getting comfortable in your own skin approach and talks about how the images of women in the media represent an incredibly narrow segment of the population, and how even these images are doctored to create an even more unrealisitic and unattainable standard of beauty.

Like many of you, I know all this yet still struggle.  I find images very powerful and so for me being able to page through these photographs is a very evocative reminder.  I am happy to share, so let me know if you’d like to have a look.  This book will find a permanent home in the library of my new studio.

Success in Simplicity

June 25th, 2008 by LB, under Weight No Longer. 3 Comments

Three months ago, after looking at an older picture of me,  I set out lose fifteen pounds.  I detailed my simple plan, and wanted to update you all by letting you know that the mission has been accomplished. Even I am amazed how simple, yet effective, it is. Please notice I said simple, not easy.  I think my estimate of what I weighed in that photo was a little off as I still feel like I have a ways to go, but I’m very motivated to continue.

So throw out all the complicated diet books, and stop supporting the 32 billion dollar a year diet industry.  There is a magic answer that involves plenty of good food, and it really is easier than you think. 

Shop Smart

May 27th, 2008 by LB, under Weight No Longer. 7 Comments

I’d like to add one more little tidbit to this simple straightforward weight managment plan I am concocting.   Don’t shop when hungry.   No really, we all say it, but how many of us still do it.  All of your dietary choices are made in the grocery store because let’s face it, if its coming home, its going to get eaten.    If you’re going shopping after work, pack an extra something to nibble on before you shop.  I tried it on Friday and it really worked.  I even spent less than I normally do.

The 80/20 Rule

May 27th, 2008 by LB, under Weight No Longer. 2 Comments

Almost two months ago I posted about my desire to loose fifteen pounds, and I listed some practical and simple ways I planned to do it.  I have pretty much stuck to my plan consequently loosing ten pounds, but in order to sustain this I am noticing that occasional indulgences are absolutely necessary.  Things like my daughter’s birthday pie (she didn’t want cake) and the chocolate in my hotel room.

This is where the 80/20 rule applies.  Its what you do 80% of the time that’s important.   Make 80% of what you eat healthy and for the other 20%, live a little.  Savour, and enjoy, as food truly is one of the great pleasures in life.

Succumbing to Temptation

May 8th, 2008 by LB, under Weight No Longer. No Comments

As you all know, because I have publically declared and documented my struggle with my weight, I am currently on a reduction plan.  Last night though when I checked into my hotel, I found that I have been elevated to some new special guest status which seems to warrant chocolate in my room upon arrival.  I can’t imagine anything more tempting.  Okay maybe, I can, but let’s save that for another day. 

I did the only thing a reasonable (okay maybe not always) woman would do in a chocolate laden room; I ate it.  But I didn’t just gobble it up.  I drew a bath with lots of bubbles, climbed in and truly savoured every bit, and felt sooo completely satisfied.  And the point of all this babbling is to share the idea of mindful eating.

Mindful eating means really paying attention to what you are ingesting.  Chewing slowly and thorougly while taking your time to really enjoy the tastes, smells and sensations of the food in your mouth, and how it makes you feel after.  It also means not doing other things while you are eating, something I am notoriously guilty of.  I’m finding this in-the-now approach to eating is really changing what I crave and how much I eat.

5 down and 10 to go…

April 21st, 2008 by LB, under Weight No Longer. 2 Comments

Yep, this is a status update.  After about four weeks I am down five pounds with ten more to go in order to reach my goal.  In recent years I have lost five pounds, only to put it back on more times than I can count, but not this time.  Nope.  No way.  I am going the distance.

A realisitic goal weight is the the lowest weight you have been able to maintain as an adult for over a year, and healthy weight loss is one to two pounds per week, so I am right on target.  I’m still loading up on fruits and veggies, sticking to high fibre carbs, eating mindfully and packing a healthy lunch.  The latter of which seems to be key.

So, I’m feeling great already and completely motivated to stay on course. 

At My Best Fifteen Pounds Less

March 30th, 2008 by LB, under Weight No Longer. 11 Comments

Shark makes little photo albums for herself of pictures she likes and she recently pulled out this one of her and I when we lived in San Diego five years ago.  I was fifteen pounds lighter than I am right now, and those of you who know me know I do not advocate using a scale.  My message has always been, do all the right things and let go of that you think it should look like.

But the hard cold truth is I am not doing all the right things.  Yes, I have always struggled with my weight, but over the last couple of years I have developed some bad habits, and I have been spending more time in front of a damn computer in an office.  In addition, I have been so busy I find myself eating mindlessly all the time.  I eat while driving, while walking around, and even while working.  I neglect to pack a healthy lunch and consequently often end up eating some baked thing during the day and then arrive at home so famished I gorge on something really stupid while making dinner.  And really truthfully, I eat too many cookies.

So, here’s the thing.  In the past I have beaten myself up and believed that I was fat and therefore unattractive and undesirable, and I think that becomes like a self fulfilling prophecy.  Not only that, but I am just fine the way I am right now.   Better than fine, some might argue.  I know deep down inside that no one is going to love me more fifteen pounds less, and I won’t be any better or more accompished a person than I am right now, but the key is I’ll feel better, and frankly that’s worth the extra effort.

I’m likening this to the 42 km marathon journey I talked about last month.  You know, the pay off for heard work, and how when it gets tough I remind myself I’m at 36 KM and that there will be a 42.2 KM finish line.  I know I can get there using the same strength I used to go that distance; it’s just a matter of setting my sites and going for it.  And this is even better than the marathon because at the end I’m going to feel fabulous.

I decided to air this publically on Facebook because I thought it would strengthen my resolve and was surprised at the reponses I got from people who said, ‘yep, I’ve done it, and I’m here for you’, and those who said ‘I’m with you, let’s do this together’.  Hence, my blogging about it as well.  And, I believe in walking the talk.

In case you’re curious, here’s my plan:

Load up on fruits and veggies

Cut back on breads and refined carbohydrates while still eating whole grains

Stick with non fat milk and dairy (except cheese where the non fat version is so gross its just not worth it – so part skim whenever possible and keep cheese consumption low)

Include some protein with all meals to increase saiety

Pack a healthy lunch every day

Eat more slowly and truly chew my food properly

Stop mindless eating.  I will focus on enjoying eating, and not eat while doing something else.

Avoid the coffee shop and the bakery (love you all, but for the time being I need to focus)

And just for now I am completely eliminating milk chocolate and cookies.  I believe in occasional indulgences, but for right now I need to focus on getting myself on track.

The other thing I’d like to mention is weight management research and literature points to the lowest weight you have been able to obtain for a year as an adult as a reasonable, safe and obtainable goal weight, rather than some ideal set by a height/weight table, or even BMI which is still based on height and weight.  So please note my goal here is exactly that.

So far one down, and fourteen to go…..

In the Absense of Mirrors

November 20th, 2007 by LB, under Fit Commitment, Weight No Longer. 1 Comment

Like so many or you, I struggle daily with my body image, but a funny thing happened on this trip.  For nearly a month I had no occassion to look in a mirror, in fact for much of the trip I didn’t even have access to one.  It was heavenly.  I didn’t wear make up, or even brush my hair, and all my clothing decisions were made on the basis of function, and I loved my body every minute or every day…..  It packed kayaks, gear and water up and down beaches that went on for miles, and it paddled, and swam in the ocean, and even climbed mountains with a 50 pound backpack.  Its a wonderful thing to have a body that can do such great things. 

But last night when I was teaching a class in front of the mirror, I could feel those same old feelings bubbling up, so I reminded myself….. A mirror should be to assess your alignment, or apply make up, or brush your hair, but never to assess your value as a person, or determine the worth of your body.

KISS

October 13th, 2007 by LB, under Weight No Longer. No Comments

 We all know there is a plethora of diet plans out there . Some of them good, some of them are not so good, and some are downright dangerous.  In our endless desire to be ‘thin’ its easy to get swept ways by the illuision of the magic pill, but I have recently redisocovered how effective the Keep It Simple Silly principle is when it comes to healthy eating.

I decided I’d had enough of trying complex plans and even abandoned the idea of focusing on calorie reduction.  Instead I sought only to increase my intake of fruits and vegetables.  That’s it – just consuming more fruits and vegetables.   This conicided nicely with the weekly deliveries of organic home grown produce from Maude Island Organics.  Its great to focus on a what-to-do behavior versus a what-NOT-to- do behavior which always seems wrought with guilt and failure.

This seems so simple and to be honest, even I am surprised how effective this has been.  I think Shark is getting a little sick of lettuce and spinach and she’s not a fan of Cream of Brocolli soup, even when enhanced with fresh pesto, but its been great to watch her become more concious of how many fruits and veggies she eats in a day.  

Those of you with kids you can borrow this technique developed by the Action Schools Healthy Eating Team. 

Give your child six bracelets, one to represent each of the daily servings of Fruits and Vegetables. If they put all the bracelets on their left wrist at the beginning of the day, they can transfer one over with each serving they consume, until hopefully, at the end of the day, all the bracelets have been moved.

So, I say nix the complex diet plans and load up on fruits and veggies.