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FAT & UNHAPPY: How Strong is Food’s Grip?
Does food have a grip on you, or do you have a grip on food?
I can’t tell you how many people tell me they are so sick of themselves. Sick of not controlling their food intake and weight. Food clearly has a grip on their life and they are eating themselves unhappy. Today we’re going to dive deep into the seriousness of letting food control your life. Get ready, because this isn’t going to be pretty!
Gluttony: to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth.
You don’t have to be FAT to struggle with food
When I think of gluttony, I think of seriously overweight people like ”Fat Bastard” in the Austin Powers movie. However, you don’t have to be morbidly obese to struggle with gluttony. Just ask Steve and I. We’ve seriously gulped down hideous amounts of food at times, and not once did we ever push away from the table feeling good about it. And we make a boatload of excuses to match the boatload of food we consume.
“We deserve it”. “We’ve been training so hard”. “At least it was all healthy”. But no matter what our lame excuses are, too much is too much – and it’s not healthy.
We humans like to rationalize pretty much everything. We’re the first people to judge someone else’s “sin” and then make excuses for our own. Of course, most of us don’t think of ourselves as gluttons, but if you are gulping down too much food, then you are indeed a glutton. Sorry, but it’s true.
If you can’t control it…
S
ure, it would be super easy to look at someone addicted to crack and think “wow, I can’t believe someone would do that to themselves”, yet you maybe addicted to food. Just because food is legal, doesn’t mean we should abuse our bodies with it.
This is not a fun topic, but I think it’s important to address. Coming from a strong Christian home, I was taught to take care of my body – and treat it like a temple. However, I’ve treated my body like a saloon, garbage dump, and smoke stack in the past. I would have NEVER brought some of the things I put in my body into a church. Ironically, when I was the least disciplined with what went into my mouth, I was also the least disciplined in other areas of my life.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to target alcohol, cigarettes and drugs as the evil things you should get rid of – but what makes us think we can continue overeating and not practicing self-control with the rest of our life?
It’s not about Vanity
Interestingly enough, most of us know better. We know we should be working out and eating healthier, but we don’t do it. Did you know that just knowing what to do and not doing it is wrong? I’m not just suggesting it is not good for you, I’m saying it’s flat wrong.
“It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:17
You don’t have to believe in God to benefit from scripture – and I believe most of us want to do the “right” thing. I think the problem lies in that we don’t think of eating poorly as right or wrong, but just a matter of vanity or choice. I mean, there are no food police giving out tickets for poor eating. We have the “right” to eat however we want – right? We may have that right, but that doesn’t make it right.
Maybe, if you’re struggling with self-control around food, you should treat the problem less like a vanity thing, and more as a right and wrong thing. You probably know what’s best for you, now you just need to start doing it.
Food Addiction:
1.) Decreases self esteem
2.) Increases jealousy
3.) Causes us to hide (especially from cameras)
4.) Makes us tired and lazy
5.) Makes us look and feel unattractive, which can be harmful in relationships
6.) Makes us physically ill
7.) Can be expensive (dining out/cocktails)
8.) Makes us unhappy
9.) Causes depression and added stress
10.) Makes us insecure and lack confidence in our work
If those are just a FEW things unhealthy eating habits can do to our lives, then why would even hesitate to get help and get healthy? It’s time to get healthy and happy again!
NOTE: If you think for one minute I’m judging you, or anyone struggling with eating – think again. We ALL struggle. I struggle. If you put a basket of nachos in front of me, I’ll out-eat any of you if I don’t practice self-control – and even my best self-control will still be overeating I guarantee!! The only difference is, I may go run it off. This is something I will continue to improve and manage for the rest of my life. When it comes to my body, I don’t want to look bad as much as I don’t want to disappoint God by mistreating this body he gave me. I want to be a good steward of my physical body as well as my life. When I’m done with this life, I want Him to say “Well done”. I will never be perfect, and I will always fail, but I will never stop trying – and I think that’s all He asks for. 
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Dangerous (Hot Body) Curves Ahead
“DANGEROUS CURVES AHEAD”. Key Word: AHEAD – Coming. Around the Corner. Not here yet.
If I were to think about the work that goes into getting fit, I’d quit. Instead, I have to think about the reward. The problem is, I can only see and feel the now.
With every step I run, my initial thought is “this sucks”, “I can’t wait until this is over”, etc. However, what I immediately think after that is “I’m going to feel so good when this is done”, “I’m getting fit”, and “this is going to be SO worth it”. BUT, those positive thoughts are NOT natural – they are practiced behavior.
Let’s face it! The majority of people (including me) don’t like working out. It takes up time in our busy schedule. It wears our body out when our body is already worn out from work. And don’t forget the part about it just plain hurts sometimes (OK, most of the time).
FOCUS
As I sit and type this blog, my entire body is SO sore. I can complain about it, or I can celebrate it – and I choose to celebrate it. I choose to focus on the goal, not the process. I choose to focus on what I am investing IN and not the actual investment itself. AND I definitely choose to NOT focus on the fat that is still holding on despite my hard work, knowing in my heart it’s coming off…eventually.
THE REWARD IS WORTH THE WORK
It’s so easy to get on a pity party about how hard you are working or what foods you are missing out on, yet, we often forget that is SUCH a small sacrifice for the HUGE reward that comes from all of that discipline. Good health, long life, energy, feeling fit, looking fit, choosing clothes that actually look good on instead of choosing clothes that just hide the fat the best – and the list goes on. The benefits WAY outweigh and outlast any of the brief sacrifices of small short-lived pleasures.
FIT THOUGHT: We get 24 hours a day to enjoy a reward for a couple hours of working out and eating clean.
The good news is as you get closer to the goal, it is easier to SEE the goal and know it’s becoming a reality. The hardest part is when you are doing all the work and not seeing the reward at all. Everyone goes through that. There is a process your body goes through before your hard work is seen by the naked eye. So, like the above cartoon, you have to simply imagine it. You post photos of people who have been doing what you are doing, training like you are training, eating like you are eating – and remind yourself that is where you are heading.
Keep your eye on the prize.
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PerkyJerky for Dieters: Beware or Belove?
To jerk or not to jerk: That is the question for today’s dieters on search for a low-carb salty snack.
Everyone who knows me, knows I like salty snacks more than I like sweets. You’ll never find me craving ice cream at night or indulging in chocolate – but give me some chips and salsa and WATCH OUT! So, what does one do to satisfy a salty craving? I’ll tell you what: Grab some jerky!!
Oh, I can hear your thoughts right now. At least half of you reading this are thinking “but that has so much sodium!‘. Well, I think you need to hold on to your panties, because I think you may be in for a big surprise. But before I dazzle you with my pFit pFacts, I first must tell you a little more about my newfound love: PerkyJerky.
After I got a surprise shipment of this mysterious jerky, I opened the bag and fell madly in love as soon as the first piece of juicy meat candy hit in my mouth! Oh. My. Gosh. You had me at hello PerkyJerky! This jerky was NOTHING like I had ever tasted before. It was sweeter, more tender and more flavorful than any other jerky I had ever tasted. I knew, at that very moment, PerkyJerky and I were going to have a very special relationship.
After practically telling the whole world about my new turkey PerkyJerky discovery, I decided to write a review (which you are reading right now). So in preparation of this review, I decided to do some research to combat the popular sodium question. Now is the time for you to hold on to your panties. Read the rest of this entry
Scared Fat? Don’t let fear stand in the way!
How many things have you NOT done because you let fear or doubt take over your thoughts and actions? I can’t tell you how many people I have run into at the gym that let their insecurities lead their path. They never even have a chance at success because they don’t even give many things a try.
We have people that really need to attend an aerobics class that just don’t take it because they are scared of failing, sticking it out, not keeping up, going the wrong way, or doing the wrong thing. There are others who never go on the weight floor because they don’t like lifting their 5lb dumbbell next to beefy guys lifting 50lb dumbbells just one bench over. Then there are others who never even step foot in a gym because just walking in the door is scarier than a Halloween movie (Jason .
We ALL have our own ‘FIRSTS’
IF ONLY people would realize EVERYONE has those same fears. Everyone walks in a gym for the FIRST time, everyone has to take that FIRST class, and everyone tries an exercise for the FIRST time. Sure ‘FIRSTS’ are ALWAYS scary, but if you want to succeed you have to take that FIRST step – and the FIRST step is always the SCARIEST STEP.
Ironically, everyone around you is likely so worried about what they look like, they are too busy to even notice you or notice how much weight you are (or are not) lifting or how hard (or not so hard) you are working out. The gym is the ONE place you should be the MOST comfortable – it’s a place where EVERYONE is working to improve and every single person in that gym has that one thing in common.
Unfortunately, many people think they have to lose 10lbs before they can join a gym or they have to practice a certain class at home before they go “public” – but that is their pride talking. Some of you will buy every As Seen On TV fitness gadget and video so you can secretly workout at home when you can have much better instruction and much more fun at a gym but you let fear keep you hiding out in your living room using fitness junk and crappy fitness DVDs. Believe me, I understand the need to hide. I only want to do stuff I’m great at – which is pretty limiting considering I am not great at many things. There is a reason we call it an aerobics or yoga CLASS – it’s not an aerobics PERFORMANCE. Geeesh!!
It’s time we get over ourselves!!
Get over our pride, fear, insecurities and doubts. We need to start doing what we NEED to do and no longer only do what we feel comfortable doing. Whether it’s time to finally invest in the home gym of your dreams or join a gym – it’s time you take the plunge!!
What is the WORST that could happen? We try a diet and it doesn’t work for us – so what?! So we learned that diet doesn’t work so we can try another. So what if we workout everyday and don’t lose as much weight as we hoped – we are getting healthier. Really, there is nothing to lose when we just TRY, but we have EVERYTHING to gain! We gain experience and we make improvements – not matter how big or small.
What have you been avoiding?
Have you been wanting to take a yoga class but your fear has kept you away? Maybe you know you need a boot camp program to whip your body into shape but you are terrified it will be too hard (believe me – everyone is just as terrified as you that first day but the people who do it, get major results and NEVER regret it). Have you wanted to run a 5K or maybe even do a marathon but are scared of the unknown? You’re not alone. If you do any of these things you will be joining millions of others who are just like you, but they are doing it despite their fears.
Step outside of your comfort zone and take the first real step to success today.
Diet: What you DON’T know CAN hurt you
Wouldn’t it be nice if every food item came with a label on it? If only we knew how many calories were each home-cooked meal, baked good and menu item, many of us would make much better decisions. The hardest part about dieting is trying to guess how many calories are in these types of foods. We tend to underestimate calories when we leave it up to our own guess work. We want to believe certain foods are OK to eat. Then after we talk our self in to believing we’ve made the right choice we expect to lose weight as if our guess was always accurate.
I did something the other day that enlightened me on this very subject. I picked up a low-calorie snack on a recent road trip. I noticed the snack was a little over 200 calories. I wasn’t too thrilled about this since I try to keep my snacks to 150 calories or less but I thought I should bring it in case I got hungry. I found myself picking up the snack while I was driving along, re-reading the package over and over – contemplating whether it was worth it or not. I ultimately decided it wasn’t worth it and would prefer to eat something better later. Read the rest of this entry
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How Much Protein Do I Need?
QUESTION: How much protein do I need?
ANSWER: That depends on your goals. ACSM recommends you take no more than 1gm per poud of body weight, although body builders are known for taking up to 2gms per pound of body weight. I am a 145lbs and I try to get a third of my calories from protein, which (when dieting) equals 100gms of protein or .7gms per pound of my body weight. (THE MATH: 1200 calories x 1/3 = 400 calories divided by 4 (4 calories per gram of protein) = 100gms of protein). The most protein I get is around 130gms of protein while Steve probably gets more like . (I normally have one post workout shake and another shake either in the morning after my run or before bed. Steve averages 190-210gms of protein a day.
Most trainers in the industry suggest .5-.75gms per pound of your ideal body weight for women and 1-2gm per pound of ideal body weight for me. I would say anyone’s minimum should be .5gms of protein per pound of “IDEAL” body weight. For instance, if you are 200lbs but you want to be 150lbs, I’d suggest never dropping below 75gms of protein if you are actively workout. Of course this varies with people’s training, weight goals, existing lean mass, gender, etc – but it’s a good general rule of thumb. Read the rest of this entry
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Q&A: Staying Focused on Weight Loss
Q. Can you give me some tips on how to stay focused on losing weight?
A. Sure! This is actually much easier than you think. Since weight loss is determined by calories in vs. calories out, the way to stay focused on losing weight is to stay focused on your calorie intake. Here are a few tips.
Before you can focus on a calorie, you have to understand how each calorie affects you. It takes 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat. This means if you are currently maintaining your weight, and were to decrease your caloric intake by 1,000 calories a day, you would lose a pound every 3 ½ days. If you want to lose 2lbs a week, then simply take your goal and divide it by 2 and you will have an idea of how many weeks it should take you to reach your goal. For instance, if I wanted to lose 20lbs (20 divided by 2), it will take approximately Read the rest of this entry
Memorial Day = Fat Day? NO!
When someone has been really training hard and dieting, a day like Memorial Day can be as scary as a horror flick. No matter how great you’ve been all week long, one bad meal can blow the whole week. BUT Memorial Day can be one of the healthiest holidays of the year if you want it to be.
Think about it. Valentine’s Day is normally a fancy dinner out with high-cal gourmet foods and wine, Mother’s Day is often a buffet lunch after church, Thanksgiving is the biggest meal of the year with the most side dishes and desserts, and Christmastime is filled sweet treats. What makes Memorial Day have the advantage? It’s a grilling day!
Many other holidays are filled with casseroles and complicated recipes but Memorial Day is all about being simple. Grill up some meat and add a couple of simple side dishes and you are good to go!
Also, while many holidays are normally centered on laziness and food, Memorial Day is an active fun day. It’s a day that is normally filled with beach parties, parades, pool parties, boating, going to the park and just enjoying the great outdoors.
Cut calories on your Memorial Day:
1.) Grill white meat. Skip the steaks, grill marinated turkey, chicken or fish to get the most protein with the fewest calories and fat.
2.) Keep sides simple, using whole foods. Make skewers with green pepper, onion, mushroom, pineapple and tomato. Grill asparagus or corn, and throw in a simple salad.
3.) Make fruits and veggies your finger food. Trade chips for carrots, celery, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and cauliflower, and spice it up with a nice greek yogurt dip or hummus. Fresh fruit always is refreshing on a hot summer day too. If you MUST have some salty snacks, throw in a few pretzel thins and nuts – but leave the chips at the grocery store because if you buy them, they WILL be eaten!
4.) Don’t drink your calories. There are a lot of misconceptions about alcoholic beverages. Just know that 1gm of alcohol has 7 calories, compared to a carbohydrate or a gram of protein having 4 calories per gram. It is VERY easy to consume a LOT of calories when you drink, so be wise. If you want to have a drink in your hand most of the day, choose a sipper – like a glass of Merlot. Avoid beer on a hot day because you will likely drink a lot of it because it’s cold and “refreshing”. Instead, drink a TON of water or sparkling water with lime. If you plan on drinking something special, drink one water for every beer or soda you drink to help you stay hydrated and to help cut calories.
5.) Keep a tally. If you haven’t been dieting – you can skip this step. BUT if you’ve been dieting hard and training even harder – this step is a MUST. Keep a tally on your calories to help you hold yourself accountable. If you don’t, you’ll likely eat twice as much. Look at labels, look up calories on your iphone and keep a running total for the day. You’ll be amazed how much this helps keep your eating under control.
6.) Eat first. So you have no control over what you will be around because you are going to someone else’s house? I have an easy answer – EAT! Yep, you hear right – eat or have a big protein shake before you go to their house. You’ll be much less likely to eat their garbage and you’ll be less focused on food.
7.) Don’t feel sorry for yourself. If you are at a party and you see everyone else eating and drinking whatever they want, don’t feel sorry for yourself. Instead, realize everyone is looking at your discipline in admiration. They see a determined, focused and controlled person. If people would be honest, most of the people around you would probably admit they envy your dedication. Remember, you never know who YOU’LL inspire. Stay focused and don’t give in like anyone else. You aren’t just anyone other Joe-Schmo! You are a success story in the making! And when you reach your goal and get that rockin’ body, I don’t think anyone will be feeling sorry for you then – and they’ll remember the time you stuck with your guns on Memorial Day. (and you’ll be hoping the next holiday party is a pool party so you can show off your new hot bod!) :)
Happy Memorial Day Everyone!
