Now, normally, I am a pretty even tempered person. I definitely have flare ups, but in general I can let other peoples stupidity and arrogance roll off my back…well at least not let it get to the point where I’m so angry that I get heart palpitations.

But this. This was something else.

Now, maybe I stepped out of line and gave too much information or didn’t present it well, whatever. But this. This INFURIATED me!

“I’m not going to be taking it to heart?”

Are you fucking kidding me. This girl didn’t even eat 800 calories yesterday. And living off Diet Cokes and Special K products.

Do people just not understand what a calorie is?! It’s not WORKING for you. You’re starving. Of course you’re losing weight. Eating at least 1200 calories is NOT overeating. Especially not when you should probably be eating 1800 calories a day.

I’m STILL mad about this. And it happened yesterday.

(Nothing personal to you youngins) But the arrogance of 18 year olds sometimes.

I’m not trying to sound snotty or self centered… but I’ve been doing this for 2 years, have done almost every diet under the sun at some point in my life and am studying to become a Nutritionist. Don’t just blow me off. And DON’T coming crying to me when you realize that you’ve seriously damaged your metabolism and that you’ve hit a plateau from hell.

The Special K diet has always gotten under my skin though. It’s just a product. It cannot help you lose weight. Plus it being packed with so many bullshit ingredients and high fructose corn syrup automatically puts it on my shit list.

You don’t need some bullshit product to lose weight though. Just restrict your calories (SOME!! NOT TO 800 A DAY!) and even if you didn’t exercise you would still lose weight. Your body NEEDS a certain amount of calories a day just to function. And if you deprive it of that there will (eventually) be serious consequences. Trust me. I know.

At one point I think I was living off of like 950 calories a day. I’m 5’11 (ish) that was NOT enough food. I was so lethargic and so cranky and it messed up my metabolism for a long time.

I know there are people who will, like the arrogant girl above, just blow me off. There will be people who will tell me to get off my soap box….

But a calorie isn’t just some arbitrary number or unit of measure. It’s not just some thing that cause you to gain or lose weight. IT ISN’T EVIL.

Your body needs calories. And if this carb restriction has taught me anything it’s definitely taught me about empty carbs and empty calories. Don’t just put bullshit in your body just because. Don’t just fill up on empty carbohydrates that will do nothing for you in the long run. Don’t just eat chemicals because they are low calorie and you can therefore eat more. Make your calories count for something. The protein, fats, carbs. Make them count. Give your body fuel, not just junk.

Oh, and apparently telling me you’re not going to take something to heart is a really bad fucking idea.

Heh.

/soap box

I subscribe to a “Diet & Nutrition” enewsletter from EverydayHealth.com and I saw this really interesting article. I thought it was relevant. I’ve seen quite a few people disappointed in themselves or near giving up. This is definitely worth a read, even if you’re doing great :-)

Losing weight — and keeping it off for good — requires both physical and mental preparation. You need to determine a weight-loss plan that you are able to stick with for the long haul. It’s not easy, but there are steps you can take to stay motivated.

10 Ways to Get Psyched for Weight Loss

1. Commit. “The first step is making a commitment to yourself,” says Anne Wolf, RD, a registered dietitian and researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. “Make a commitment and then share that commitment with somebody else.” This will make you more accountable to your diet, exercise plan, and weight-loss goals.

Sarah’s note: LIKE MAKING A TUMBLR! WOOT!

2. Make a plan. “Think about you as a person, as a whole being, and come up with a plan that’s going to be best for you,” says Wolf. It should be a program that will help you lose weight, but also be easy to stick to. This goes for both diet and exercise.

Sarah’s note: What works for me, won’t necessarily work for you, etc. Don’t compare yourselves to others, just take notes.

3. Don’t wait for the “right time.” At one time or another, everyone has determined what they think is the perfect time to start a diet — after the holidays, after vacation, after tomorrow. “I think it’s important to recognize that there’s never a perfect time to start,” says Martin Binks, PhD, director of behavioral health research at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center and assistant professor at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

Sarah’s note: Ok, so lunch was bad. Don’t make the whole day a waste. Eat well at dinner. One meal/day/week/month won’t ruin everything forever. Don’t wait to start again, just do it.

4. Get in the right mindset. Don’t fall into an “all-or-nothing” way of thinking, stresses Binks. You don’t have to give up all decadent foods or exercise strenuously every day of the week. It’s about small changes in your lifestyle that you can stick with and that will brings results overtime.

Sarah’s note: I used to do the “all-or-nothing” ALL the time. “Well, I can only do 20 minutes on the treadmill, so it’s not worth it” EVERY THING MAKES A DIFFERENCE! Additionally, I still eat pizza, I still eat cupcakes, I still eat lots of things that are generally thought of as taboo when “dieting.” It’s all about small changes and moderation, do that and stop giving up everything. It makes it unbearable.

5. Be realistic. “Think about how your life is right now, and what you can realistically achieve in terms of an exercise and eating plan,” says Binks. That means considering all aspects of your life, including work and family responsibilities. “If you will be traveling for business over the next two months, you probably need to think of a plan to eat healthily in restaurants instead of a stringent plan you would always need to modify,” says Binks.

Sarah’s note: Balance is the most important thing. And the hardest to achieve. If you can only get to the gym twice a week, that’s fine. If you can only cook dinner 3 times a week, that’s fine. As long as you are keeping your life in balance, that’s the important part.

6. Make time for exercise. Fitness is a key component of losing and keeping off weight. It’s important to create an exercise plan that’s realistic according to your schedule. “Think about how much time you’re going to have for exercise. Anything that gets you moving in the right direction is a good start,” says Binks. Decide to make physical activity part of every day. All those extra steps add up to pounds lost, and it’s even easier when they’re steps that you don’t really consider exercise — like a walk during lunch hour or hiking in a state park on the weekend.

Sarah’s note: Now, I am now where near doing exercise every day. But I do try to make sure I’m at least being more active everyday. I get up to go to the printer more often. I cook more often. I park farther away when I go to the grocery store. I take the cart back. The little things add up, so instead of driving myself crazy and throwing my life out of balance, those are the things that I do.

7. Figure out what motivates you. Ask yourself questions to figure out what will help you meet your weight-loss goals, advises Wolf. For example, “Do you need a workout buddy? A reward at certain goals? How can you incorporate healthy foods that you enjoy? What types of activity don’t feel like work to you?” These answers will help you formulate a plan that you can stick with.

Sarah’s note: Getting a sticker for working out…it makes me way more happy then it should. Additionally, I set up little rewards for myself for every 10 lbs that I lose. Motivation, it’s a beautiful thing :-)

8. Don’t think diet, think life change. Preparing to lose weight isn’t about starting a diet, it’s about “starting to make healthy adjustments that you’re going to fit into your life,” says Binks. Being “on a diet” implies that it will end. To maintain a healthy weight, the diet and exercise changes you make in your life should be permanent.

Sarah’s note: Basically, if you look at what you’re doing right now and it makes you want to throw up/cry to think about doing it everyday for the rest of your life, it’s probably a diet. So, change the mindset and change the things that make you want to cry/throw up and keep living your life!

9. Create a network for weight loss. “There’s a social network that begins to develop as you start to attend fitness classes,” says Wolf. Taking a yoga, aerobics, spinning, or kickboxing class gives you support. Make friends at the gym, or visit online community groups to find individuals with similar weight-loss goals. Not only will losing weight be more fun, but it will also be more effective.

Sarah’s note: TUMBLR TUMBLR TUMBLR TUMBLR!!!!!! YAY US!

10. Use outside resources. “If you have a difficult time with meals, there are companies like Jenny Craig that prepare your meals for you, if you have the money for them,” says Wolf. She also suggests considering what sort of gyms, classes, and parks you have nearby — facilities that help you achieve your weight-loss goals.

Sarah’s note: Again, this would be Tumblr, or the gym, or a yoga class, or even messaging me to ask for help with cooking. If you need help in any aspect you should go find it! :-)

It’s not about preparing for a diet, but changing your life so that you don’t need to diet. Eventually making healthy food choices and getting regular exercise will become a part of your day you don’t even have to think about!

Article here.

Only this time, it’s a good thing!

Working out makes me want to work out more!

My brain luckily knows better however, keeping me from over-working because over doing it is a definite no-no, and I don’t want to burn out.

It’s like there is this fire that has been ignited in me. I have this drive that I have been missing for years.

A flame that the depression and anxieties have covered up. Buried deep inside of me.

I guess maybe part of me didn’t want to uncover it. But there’s no turning back now.

With every exercise I grow stronger, faster, healthier. Happier.

This is what I mean when I say, “it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change.”

Pun indeed intended :-)

(I know I’ve mentioned this before, stick with me, please)

Two weeks of eating maintenance calories. 2,500 calories. Seriously. Insane amount of food.

However, it taught me a very valuable lesson.

My body requires a lot of food to simply maintain the weight I’m at right now; 2,500 calories worth to be exact.

So, that being said, even if I eat 1,700 calories a day… or 1,800 calories a day, I will still be at a caloric deficit. So, if I go over my calories? Still at a caloric deficit. I would have to eat my maintenance calories PLUS more food to gain fat. Pretty much everything else is just water weight gains (this statement is not verified by the SHA—smarthealth association—but I think I remember him saying that)

Additionally, eating too little for too long will deplete your body of cortisol, thyroid, and leptin. So mix up your calories sometimes, eat a little bit more. You won’t destroy all things by doing it. Your body will probably actually thank you.

So please.

Stop worrying about every calorie.

Relax a little.

The weight will come off.

— To love myself completely. Yup, there will be days I feel puffy fat, or my face will be spotty, but I will still love myself.

— To nourish and not starve my body. After doing this 2 weeks of maintenance eating I realized how much food my body really needs. (i.e. listen to Alex/myfitnesspal.)

— To not obsess about calories. Yes, this is hard. But if I go a little over my calories, no big deal, if I want to eat some chocolate (yay portion control) I will. This is my life, I don’t want to live in a self-inflicted bubble.

— To push myself. There will be days I don’t want to work out, or cook dinner, or calculate my calories. But those are the times I should do it more than ever.

— To rest. While I’ll push myself, I won’t overdo it and burn myself out.

— To listen to my body. Am I really hungry? Am I thirsty? Am I pushing too hard? Can I push harder?

— To realize this is my life. I will not live by the standards of others. I will not let other dictate what I should and should not say, do, or eat; unless it’s my choice.

— To not set a deadline. It took me 3+ years to put on this weight, I will not dictate how long it takes to come off, nor will I be upset about the rate at which I lose the weight. It’s coming off, that’s amazing.

— To love my (tumblr) neighbor. The world is so full of hate, we don’t need more. I will never send a mean anon message; I will never call anyone ugly; I will ignore the green-eyed monster and cheer on my fellow fitblrs—never cutting someone down for their accomplishments.

— To celebrate my accomplishments. I’ve lost almost 50 lbs! I’ve lost 43+ inches. Like my guns accomplishment! Yeah, I will not lose sight of that.

— To live, to the best of my ability, a happy, healthy life. This one, I think, is self explanatory.

-Sarah

Anyone else want to sign this with me?