Hollow Days

Whilst reading The Hunger Games I was struck when she (the protagonist, Katniss) mentioned hollow days. She defined them as days when no matter how much you eat you never feel full. I call them bottomless days, but I think I will call them hollow days now. I like it better.

I can relate to the phenomenon. They are extremely frustrating. Somedays it seems like it's going to be a hollow day, but I eat some healthy food and I end up feeling full. Somedays healthy food just is not cutting it. So I have a little of whatever junk food I'm craving and that does it. I'm full.

But there are other days nothing does it. It doesn't matter how much of what I eat, I don't feel even slightly satiated.

I try to deal with them by walking a fine line between healthy and junk food and not blowing my diet too much.

I guess that's all I can do.

My First Weigh In

As you may recall my new goal was to lose half a pound this week. I didn't, I overshot by 2 pounds. Needless to say, I'm very happy about that. So I don't have to count calories this week, but if I don't lose half a pound (maybe more) this week, it's back to the counting.

So right now I am very positive.

Fucking 180's

I am so sick of the 180's! I am so sick of not making any progress! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I need to do something to get out of this funk. I have a plan. If I don't lose half a pound a week, I have to track my calories 4 days that week. It's not that I hate counting calories, but it is a hassle- an effective hassle.

So here goes...

Apples and Pears

I recently read Apples and Pears by Dr. Marie Savard. Basically, she posits that your waist to hip ratio can determine what diseases and conditions a person (well woman, it is just geared to women) is more prone to develop. She also thinks that women should adapt their diet strategy to the body shape to increase their chances of dieting success. I thought it was interesting, and I would the like to see the science behind it expanded. She quoted some interesting studies, but it didn't seem like body shape was the primary focus of the studies. Also, the diet advice was very slim. It's not like it was bad advice, but it was a lot of common knowledge stuff.

On a personal note, sorry I've been neglecting my blog. It's disheartening to post when there is no good news. I'm just stagnating in the mid 180's. It's frustrating to not move down. I'm making some changes. I'm off sweets again and I can't eat the popcorn at work. I've also increased my strength training and reduced my cardio from an hour to 45 minutes; from what I've read that can help get break through a plateau.

I hope to post again soon with good news!

Update

Sorry I've such a slacker about posting, but unfortunately there isn't much to report. I was stuck in a rut and not able to lose anything. But I've started a competition with my sister and that has put a fire under me. I've increased my weight training and scaled back my cardio. I've heard that can help stop the damn plateauing. I fucking hate the plateau!

I'll let you know how I do...

Hunger Free Forever

To jump start this losing cycle I read Hunger Free Forever - Tame Your Appetite and Tune Your Metabolism for Lifelong Weight Control by Michael T. Murray, N.D. and Michael R. Lyon, M.D.

If they had just left out the product placement it would have been fine (eat right, exercise, eat lots of fiber) but it was ruined by them shilling PGX. It is essentially a fiber supplement to regulate blood sugar. It seems silly to spend an arm and a leg (this sucker ain't cheap) on a pill that will impede the absorption of nutrients so you have to take a vitamin as well.

I found a study done on rats that concluded it doesn't do any harm, but some of the makers of it have been charged with making false and unsubstantiated claims.

So other than that bit of annoyance, the parts of about diet and exercise were good, but nothing new.

Back to Work

My six weeks of maintaining are over so I need to get back to losing. My next goal is to hit 169 by November 27th. That is about a pound a week, so I feel confident I can do it. It also means I will be able to maintain over Christmas, which is nice.

Now for the progress, here are the pictures:

This is me, two years ago, September 2008:

Now:

It's like two different people.