Benefits of being short *and* curvy

Monday, November 10, 2008

I read recently that women shorter than 5'5" have a stronger heart. I don't really think a lot about being short (I'm 5'1"), until I have to ask my husband -- who is also short, but taller than me -- to get something for me, or my petite jeans are dragging on the floor. It's nice to know I *might* have a healthier heart.

The next nice tidbit is that fat that settles on your thighs & butt supposedly helps you process blood sugar better. If that's the case, that I'm sure to be a queen when it comes to blood sugar!

Being curvy is something I've mostly made peace with, too. Even though thin is still in, there are enough curvy actresses around now that there are models for us real women too, if we care to look for them -- altho I'd be happy to be as slim as JLo, or Kate Winslet, or Sandra Bullock, for instance. But they have real women's bodies.

The message, of course, is to love your body as it is, since after all it's the only one you're going to get. And to look for the positive in everything, because it's always there if you dig hard enough.

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have
perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that
we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."
-- Marie Curie

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SQUIRTZIE 11/10/2008 9:47PM

Great blog!!! I feel the same way. I am only 5 feet. I used to be able to buy petite (many years ago) or more recently short and the length of pants fit. Now short still drags on the ground. I'm with you on the blood sugar--boy if that's true. Report Inappropriate Comment

A food aha! moment

Saturday, November 08, 2008

I was sitting eating some home made mac & cheese the other day -- and not the kind that comes out of the box, either, really home made from scratch. And it's really, really good. Not exactly low fat, but I'm careful to only eat it now and again, and it does at least have butternut squash in it.

Food, for me, can be an almost orgasmic pleasure (can we say that here?). I can remember restaurants I ate at 20 years ago by their scrumptious crepes with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. And it's not just sweets, either. Anything that is truly yummy to me -- even if that's a whole grain dish -- can just float my boat.

And that's where my aha! moment came in. I realized how much more satisfaction I get from eating real food vs eating food that comes out of a box -- whether that be mac & cheese, or a frozen entree. Sure, many box foods taste good; they can even be addictive . . . but they do NOT taste anywhere nearly as good as good food I make myself (although a good restaurant meal is even better, because I didn't have to wash dishes to get it).

It's okay to get this kind of pleasure from "real" food, too -- not so much if all you're eating is chocolate, ding dongs, and cheez whiz -- none of which is "real" food. Okay, yes, chocolate is real food, you got me there. We SHOULD get this kind of pleasure from our food.

If you're eating your food in the car out of a box, or standing up, or throwing out the wrappers and burying them in the trash so no one will see, then you're only cheating yourself. You're denying yourself the pleasure of eating, and why is that? Because you think you're not worthy of a home cooked meal?

Don't get me wrong, of course I know that sometimes your food will be eaten in the car, or out of a box. Life does happen. But if all your food is eaten that way, then you're truly not treating yourself well, and you have to take a good, hard look at the choices you are making -- and how they are effecting your life.

Take time out today. Really enjoy at the very least one meal. Eat it sitting down, with the tv off and no book open, off of real plates. Notice how you feel afterwards. Do you feel satisfied? Nourished? Full? Remember that feeling the next time you're tempted to eat while watching tv or madly dashing off to the next event.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

STARTSPARKING 11/9/2008 7:43AM

You and I have always felt quite a few commonalities between us, and this blog post proved it again. I swear I didn't read this one before I wrote mine about the food hater, but perhaps I should print it out and show it to her. (I'm just kidding of course because I don't know that lady that well at all.) Maybe she doesn't enjoy eating because most of her experiences have been negative. Like you commented on my blog, food really ought to be pleasure in moderation. We know obsession about food or weight can lead to conditions such as obesity and eating disorders. However, there seems to be something wrong with her attitude also. Here's another one to file under our commonalities... I also wanted to use the "o" word to describe pleasurable food experiences but wasn't sure I could on SP. Report Inappropriate Comment

MTER67 11/9/2008 4:18AM

I made homemade chicken noodle soup the other night for dinner. It was fabulous and I have had a bowl of it for lunch for the past two days, too. When I asked my kids what they wanted for their lunches today, they chose "chicken and stars," the Campbell's soup with nothing but sodium and noodles, over MY soup! I was insulted. I think all the processed foods train our taste buds to prefer that stuff over homemade. I don't care for frozen or boxed meals because the textures (mushy) bug me and the saltiness is unpalatable. Real food is a pain when you don't have the time to make it, but the flavors and textures are so much more satisfying. The hardest part for me is keeping ingredients on hand. If I had someone to shop for me, I'd be all set! Great blog, thank you! Report Inappropriate Comment

SQUIRTZIE 11/8/2008 7:21PM

This blog is so true! I enjoy eating a good meal in a restaurant, but most of them now use what I call "TV Dinners." When I moved to the Red River Valley it was so nice most of the restaurants use "Real" food. Most food is made from scratch even the pies have scratch pie crusts--not the mix or frozen crust. I usually cook my own food and have it for 3 or 4 meals. Sometimes I freeze some but if it is something I really like I eat it till it is gone. Report Inappropriate Comment

MOMMA_GRIZZ 11/8/2008 10:13AM

How true! Wouldn't it also be a treat if we ate that home cooked meal on a dinner setting reserved for guests - used that bone china - and fully experienced the meal? Think I'm going to do that this weekend. Treat myself (and my family) to a special dinner, just because. Thanks for sharing today. Report Inappropriate Comment

My get up & go . . .

Friday, November 07, 2008

. . . got up and went. I always feel that way this time of year. The shorter days just do me in -- I have no motivation to move at all after it gets dark, and it gets dark way too early. It's a struggle to force myself to exercise. I do it, but my workouts don't always energize me.

I have no excuse today. It was an absolutely, stunningly goregeous day. Low to mid 70s. Bright blue sky. I got up, did the normal feeding circus, knitted for a while while watching the news, walked the dogs, went to my meeting. Came home, ate lunch, watched a tv show. Did my strength training. Emptied the dishwasher & started refilling it. Took the dogs around the block to get the mail, made dinner. Most people do all those things *and* work 8 or more hours a day.

When I thought about writing this blog earlier, I still hadn't finished emptying the dishwasher, and the new dirty dishes were piling up, but I managed to finish that off while I was making my tea after dinner. Still, yesterday's laundry still lies untouched in the dryer.

The scale has been moving in the wrong direction, too. Not much, just barely half a pound, but I had small gains the past couple of weeks, which is unusual for me -- usually I'll have a small gain and then lose the next week. I've addressed some of the little things that I think may have been tripping me up: the little pieces of chocolate (I moved it to a cabinet where I wouldn't see it 10 times a day); the ciabattini rolls that were so great, and I even hollowed them out, but they still weren't exactly small -- I bought some whole wheat hamburger buns this week instead.

My gains may also be due to the reintroduction of weight training. My month of Zumba included toning, but with very light weights (really, really light weights), and I'm back to training with heavier weights. Only I don't feel thinner; I wasn't really surprised to see a gain this week -- although hope does spring eternal.

Do I have a point? Not really. Just venting a bit. My motivation to lose weight is still high, but it's sort of a the mind is willing but the body isn't sort of thing.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

STARTSPARKING 11/9/2008 7:55AM

The days are so short, and food temptations are plentiful this time of year. I've also been having trouble staying on track lately. I made some slight progress with eating more sensibly this week, but then indulged too much again at a family get together last night. Someone mentioned that at least I am keeping an eye on the situation, so I won't go back to where I was before. Currently I am not hoping for much weight loss, and maintaining would be "good enough" for now. I'm not thrilled with it, but it is better than constantly tormenting myself. Do I have a point? I guess not much of one either. Anyway, keep up your motivation, and eventually our time will come again. Report Inappropriate Comment

MTER67 11/7/2008 9:09PM

I feel your pain. Your blog describes the way I was feeling yesterday, I think. Sometimes my day is so full of everyday chores, I want to throw up my arms and scream "UNCLE!" I am ALWAYS behind on the laundry and gone are the days when all the dishes are cleaned up right away. And don't say, "It's okay, you have 4 kids." I don't care how many kids are milling about, or how many hours a person works or doesn't--clutter and mess and undone chores are a MAJOR stresser. And it's hard to go dancing off to work out or run, when there is so much piled up at home. We don't have DST over here, so it is dark in the morning and dark in the evening, too. The weather is still hot and humid, and we've had some rain in the mix. I ran this morning around 8:00 and it was already very muggy. The sun was hot. Now it's pouring rain outside! Report Inappropriate Comment

MOMMA_GRIZZ 11/7/2008 7:42PM

I agree - this time of year, It's almost like fighting hibernation, eh? Sometimes you need to listen to your body and just go with the flow. Good for you for moving the chocolates and buying wholewheat buns....it's a start. Report Inappropriate Comment

Desire brings results

Thursday, November 06, 2008

That's what I read in a magazine article today when I stopped at the bookstore. The article went on to say that you have to believe in yourself, of course.

I don't think it's desire that works. It's fair to say that the vast majority of people who end up on this site truly do have a desire to lose weight. If they don't -- if they're doing it to please someone else or mollify their doctor, then they most likely won't succeed. There are plenty of people on SP who have the desire, but won't make it.

Belief, as I wrote yesterday, is another story. Belief works. We have to believe we will do this, even when the scale goes up when we don't think it should. We have to believe we will do this, even when the scale stays stuck for weeks or even months.

There are times when it does seem too hard or too time consuming. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, and I was pretty tired today. I did my exercise, I made myself a healthy lunch, but when I got to the bookstore I found myself briefly wondering why can't I go get myself a treat? Really, what difference will one high fat, sugar laden cookie make in the scheme of things?

I won't keep you in suspense; I didn't get the cookie. It probably didn't help that I was just a little bit hungry, even though I'd had a healthy snack before hitting the bookstore. I will have a home made treat tonight. One that isn't quite so high fat or sugar laden, but still quite satisfying (and chocolate, of course); one that I made myself, so I know what's in it -- down to the blueberries & spinach (yes, that's right, you'd never know they're in there).

That article was part of what helped me resist the cookie. The scale hasn't been moving much lately. That's not so bad, except for the fact that I feel pudgy. It's a couple of weeks before TOM, though, and often I do feel pudgy around now.

One thing I know for sure: I know where I get when I let myself go. I don't want to go there again. I feel so much better, and I know that while getting to goal weight won't make my problems magically disappear, it will make me feel good about myself. And I'm worth it.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

STARTSPARKING 11/9/2008 8:07AM

Desire is just a beginning. After all, who doesn't want to be healthy and to look better? However, one has to truly believe in order to START to make a long lasting change. Even believing is not enough. There has to be real work involved to sustain that belief and to put belief into action. Good for you for resisting temptation and not getting that cookie. Thanks for the reminder that I also don't want to go back to where I was. No matter how tough my current setback is, I will keep working on myself because I am also worth it. Report Inappropriate Comment

MOMMA_GRIZZ 11/6/2008 9:17PM

I agree wholeheartedly with what you wrote. The belief has to be there along with the sense of self-worth. It's funny - one's selfworth only improves on this journey - no matter how small on thinks their achievements are - it is fantastic! Report Inappropriate Comment

MTER67 11/6/2008 6:51PM

Good for you. I am glad that you are so determined and know where you DON'T want to end up again. I think that kind of determination is vital to success. I'm intrigued by your spinach, blueberry and chocolate concoction; you really ought to post the recipe in your blog. I just can't imagine all those flavors tossed together, but then again, Jason Mraz makes a "chocomole" with avocado and chocolate, that he swears is good, and who am I to argue with my fantasy boyfriend? Have you ever read CJ's blog? She wrote one a week or so ago with a story about a pig and a chicken. The pig and the chicken decide to go into business together. They want to open a restaurant and are trying to decide on the kind. The chicken comes up with the name: "How about "Ham and Eggs?" The pig says, "No way. In Ham and Eggs, you are only involved and I would have to be totally COMMITTED!" Anyway, she goes on to compare the "pig" to successful Sparkers. There are chickens here who are involved, but will eventually fade away because they aren't committed like the pigs are. Funny analogy, but I think it is very true. You really do have to live and breath this commitment if it's gonna work over the long haul. You can get to her blog through the link in my "Spark friends." She always has something interesting to say! Report Inappropriate Comment

Yes, we can

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Ok, I just couldn't help injecting a little advice from our president-elect (in the US, that is). In all these many months of campaigning, I didn't stop to think about how pertinent Obama's advice is for those trying to make a lifestyle change, no matter what that change may be.

"Yes, we can". Believe in yourself. It will get you through the good times *and* the bad times.

"Change we can believe in". This goes hand in hand with the above statement. We have to believe that the changes we make are changes we can sustain for the rest of our lives.

I didn't plan this blog; it just came to me. But these sentiments are truly at the bottom of lifestyle changes. Believe, believe, believer. And of course never give up.

"I just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is, why did other people stop?"
-- William Stafford

Why do we stop? Why do we give up? Often times it's frustration at a scale that won't budge. Which is why it's so important to not go only by the scale, and why the scale isn't the end-all and be-all of measurements. I haven't lost much weight recently, I don't feel thinner, but I have dropped another inch off my waist (can't say as I feel it) -- and in the photos my husband took yesterday, I can actually see some changes in my body -- even if I can't feel them.

Sometimes it's what we think is a lack of will power, but the truth is, it's changes that are too radical that we can't sustain, whether that's too much exercise or too restrictive eating.

Sometimes we just lose the faith. We figure that we were just meant to be fat; why fight it?

I have been there, done that with all of this. And I'm done. The number isn't important -- how I *feel* is important. If I want something, I have something -- but I enjoy it; no more furtive eating for me. I can take a break from exercising without ballooning up overnight.

And my wandering blog is back to balance yet again.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

STARTSPARKING 11/9/2008 8:19AM

I really love Obama's campaign slogan of "Yes, we can" and "Change we can believe in". I often thought about our country's current economic condition and my own quest for a healthier lifestyle. Neither is ideal, but that's when we have to truly believe and work even harder. It's easier to keep going when things are going well because we have great results as our payoff. However, it's MORE vital to work even harder to get back on track when things aren't going well instead throwing in the towel. Thank you for another uplifting blog post, my friend. Report Inappropriate Comment

MTER67 11/5/2008 11:58PM

Wow, I am not used to this new blog format--when did this happen? You are right; sometimes you have to keep going even when it would be easier to throw in the towel. Thank you for the reminder to "believe"--like many things in life, you have to keep the faith and believe that you are doing the right things, even though you may not see results right away. Report Inappropriate Comment

SQUIRTZIE 11/5/2008 11:41PM

Great blog!! You have such wise sayings. Report Inappropriate Comment

MOMMA_GRIZZ 11/5/2008 11:13PM

What a wonderful blog! Yes I believe! and Yes we can do it! Yeah! Report Inappropriate Comment

KROLES55 11/5/2008 12:17PM

Just wanted to drop by and say "I agree." Report Inappropriate Comment