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Weight Loss Exercise

Dealing with Setbacks

This last couple of weeks I feel are all about me but I am hoping that you can learn from my problems.

We all deal with problems and setbacks when we are getting fit or healthier. Usually this is because we are beating our body into changing one way or the other. How you deal with your injury or setback will directly affect how you move forward afterwards.

Dealing with Setbacks

Dealing with Setbacks

Last week I decided that I was going to really pick it up trying to get in the best shape of my life so I could dominate in street hockey next week. I did this by doing lots of cardio, running, riding, rowing, elliptical trainer. But the trouble is that I have been cardio-lazy all winter while doing speed style weight workouts, you know like turbulence training.

Well my body got really mad at that straight out cardio and I seem to have wrecked my back. This happens lots to people and when it happens to you how do you react?

Well the best way to react is to heal and work around the injury. Ice and heat alternating a few times a day, aspirin for the pain and continue trying to exercise.

When eating this happens a lot. You cut your eating and change your diet and in your head you are struggling, starving, and feel like you are doing without. Then suddenly you find a cake and eat it.

What do you do next? Well I would have to ask why you are starving yourself and depriving? My best idea is to regroup after eating that cake and  try to decide what was wrong. Plan what you will do. I will tell you right now that just by drinking more water, spacing out your eating to 6 smaller meals, and cutting out all the bread, potatoes, and rice from your diet will make a huge difference.

So think back, how do you tend to react to setbacks? I know this is always a process that you have to look back at your past and see how you can adjust.

I always used to be disappointed in myself that I did not have unlimited willpower until I realized that I was setting far too high a standard for myself.  You should look at yourself the same way, recognize your limitations and don’t try to be some kind of hero but just always move forward in your dreams and goals.


Dealing with Setbacks

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Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

Desserts for Diabetics

Desserts for Diabetics are hard to find because desserts are often sweet and high in sugar, and for this reason diabetics tend to avoid them to prevent their blood glucose levels from skyrocketing. But just because you are diabetic does not mean you can no longer treat yourself to dessert after dinner. Although you have to pay attention to your sugar intake, the American Diabetes Association says that it is safe to eat any food as long as you limit your portions and factor that food in your daily allowance of carbohydrates and calories.

Desserts for Diabetics – Plan Ahead

A diabetic diet plan typically limits carbohydrate intake. Diabetics who want to eat dessert must include the dessert in their overall carb intake for the meal. To keep within the recommended allowance, substitute the dessert for another carbohydrate-containing food. By eliminating bread, potatoes or pasta, you can have a serving of your favorite dessert instead. Don’t forget to keep track of the total number of calories, too.

Desserts for Diabetics – Fresh Fruits for Dessert

Desserts for Diabetics

Desserts for Diabetics

Fresh fruits are some of the best desserts for diabetics. Fruits are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. They can help satisfy your sweet tooth without wreaking havoc on your blood glucose levels.

Sugar-Free Desserts for Diabetics

Sugar substitutes can be used for baking desserts for diabetics. The most popular sugar substitutes are sucralose and acesulfame. A non-nutritive sweetener or sugar replacement can be used to bake your favorite cakes and cookies at home. You can also continue to use regular sugar, but reduce the amount by up to one-third or one-half.

Foods and drinks with very few calories are considered free foods and you can have them for dessert. These foods include sugar-free gelatin snacks and ice pops. Prepare a delicious dessert by adding fresh diced fruits to a low-calorie gelatin mix.

Suggestions for Desserts for Diabetics

Diabetics also want to eat dessert now and then. By limiting your portions, it’s possible for you to enjoy cakes, cookies, and ice cream. You can also eat low-carbohydrate desserts such as fruit salads or ice pops made from frozen fruit juice.

If you do your own baking, try reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe by up to one-half. Once you get used to limiting the amount of sugar in your desserts, you may find regular desserts too sweet for your taste.

You can prevent your blood sugar from spiking by eating dessert as part of your meal. Just keep in mind that diabetics should keep an eye on their total calorie intake. When choosing desserts for diabetics, opt for low-calorie foods that are high in nutrients in order to maintain a healthy weight.

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General Weight Loss Tips

Brain Over Binge: Part 1

I never thought, in a million years, that words from any book would ever help me to stop overeating or binge eating for good.  I wanted to believe they would and it never stopped me from buying them. I read many thousands of words telling me that I was an emotional eater, a stress eater, an addict, disordered and diseased. I read many more thousands of words telling me that I had deep seated issues and until I resolved them I would never stop eating too much. And I read even more thousands of words telling me to cut out flour, sugar, salt, potatoes, honey, red meat, beans, to count calories, to cut carbs, to calculate points, or to cut the fat. I was told moderation and lifestyle change more times than I care to say. Two words that I never truly got.

And then Beth came along and left this comment:

Hello! First time commenter!

I’m not sure if anyone has suggested this book, or if you have read it. Brain over Binge by Kathryn Hansen.

I’ve been a binge eater most of my adult life, and after reading this book, I stopped. I’m not sure how or why, but I did. Dieting and restricting causes bingeing, that I know.

Take care good luck to you in the new year!

I was intrigued and went over to Amazon to read the reviews. Within five minutes I was already into the first chapter on my Kindle. I couldn’t wait to buy the book, the reviews peeked my interest and I was ready to dive in. The words used to describe the book mention bulimia, which I do not relate to in any sort of way. So I want to say first, that if you have struggled with any form of eating to the excess, please consider reading this book. Whatever you call it, overeating, binge eating, bulimia, etc., if you suffer for the urge to eat beyond being full, if you’ve had moments of autopilot eating, if yeou’ve eaten on numerous occasions to the point of being uncomfortably or painfully full, if you have moments of being able to consume large amounts of food- this book is for you.

Every journey is personal and individual, binge eating is not black and white. As I read Kathryn’s words, a women who has never been obese or even overweight I can honestly say I’ve never eaten to the excess that she describes in Brain Over Binge. I’ve also never exercised for hours on end to burn the calories I’ve consumed. This is her form of purging and why she calls herself bulimic.

But I am obese, and it’s not because of moderate or “normal” eating. It never has been. I’ve been thinking about my weight since I was eight years old and dieting for so long  that I’ve never really known what normal eating looks or feels like. I’ve never known what it wa

I’ve had glimmers of hope, mainly with intuitive eating, but my urges to eat more always took over. I’ve been saying tomorrow I’ll be better for so long, it’s become my default response when things became too much.

Since reading Brain Over Binge, I’ve debated how I’d approach presenting this information on my blog. And after much debate I decided that I could only best explain how I’ve changed as a result. The book is too in depth and I fear I would do Kathryn and her research much disservice to explain it in any other way. You can read more about her and purchase the book on her website here: Brain Over Binge.

I would love to discuss this book more in depth with those that have read the book or plan to read the book and would like to open my comments up for that.

I was in no way compensated for my opinion. I’ve linked directly to Kathryn’s site, not Amazon, for those interested in purchasing it. 

Thursday morning after reading the first few pages of Brain Over Binge I decided that I wanted to eat a biscuit while reading the book. I rarely eat fast food biscuits, but this morning all I wanted to do was eat while reading a book about eating. I can’t make this stuff up.

Normally, a day that starts with a 900 calories biscuit meal doesn’t end well. Because I wasn’t “perfect” at breakfast I would normally use that as an excuse to eat what I wanted for the rest of the day and start over tomorrow.

But something changed in those next three hours. I learned that I am not all of the horrible things I always believed I was because of my binge eating. I learned that I am not an emotional eater or addicted to sugar like I always thought. I learned that when I changed my career, hair, or bought something new, I was trying to change my life. I was trying to fulfill and fill ever corner of my life with events and stuff in a desperate attempt to recover.

I believed that somehow, changing any part of my life would make me complete so that I could stop overeating once and for all. I’ve searched in vain for over ten years for ways to make me whole. To fix me. To dull the desire to keep eating. I believed that I just hadn’t found the right program to tell me how to be better. The right experience, job, relationship, or outfit. I believed that I had to turn my life upside down to make real changes. That I’d have to give up ever food that I ever binged to be better, to stop slowly killing myself and to gain control once and for all. On some level, I already knew all of this, I just couldn’t believe it was that easy.

After those three hours of reading I said to Josh “I finally get it”. And then I started to sob, mostly because I felt like three thousand pounds had been lifted from my shoulders. All I could say was “There’s nothing wrong with me! Why didn’t anyone ever tell me?! I’m not crazy, lazy, stupid, diseased or suffering.”.

And Thursday, for the first time in my life I learned how to almost effortlessly calm myself and take control. In just a few hours my day had turned around. It wasn’t perfect, I hadn’t solved my life’s problems- I just ate and moved on and I felt normal. Instead of stuffing or fighting my urges to eat, I just sat with them and reminded myself that those thoughts are not me. I am not every thought or urge that I have.

Friday I played with fire. I made cookies. I ate two and put the rest away. And these weren’t just any cookie, I declared them my favorite cookie. They were amazing. I made a lovely dinner or salad and lentil soup. Nourishing and healthful food that I truly craved and then had two cookies and moved on. Even as I type this, there are a bowl of cookies on the counter and that all too familiar voice to eat all of them and start over tomorrow, is dull. It’s almost nonexistent. And for that, I am grateful.

I realize that this post is full of hyperbole, as is my fashion when I get excited about something, but I can honestly say to you that I will never binge again. I will never hide or sneak food. Eat in the car or give myself the promises of tomorrow. And as they say, the proof is in the pudding, I so look forward to sharing this journey with you.

 

 

 

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