Who is a calorie counter? Hands up? The method by which calories are measured and the information by which foods are labelled are based on a system by American chemist Wilbur Atwater from over 2000 years ago, writes the BBC.
Since then we have moved on in our knowledge about food and nutrition and therefore, scientists recognise that calorie counting can not be an exact science, because for example the texture, fibre content and how it is cooked can have an effect on the calories in food.
The report suggests food labelling can be up to 25% inaccurate in terms of calorie content. So for those who rely on the calories, you may need to rethink how you manage your food intake.
Perhaps , this reiterates what was said in a recent post, perhaps it is time that we learn to listen to our bodies, we learn to understand what our bodies needs and how much.
Christmas once again is fast approaching, in fact only yesterday I walked around Fortnum & Mason looking at their fabulous Christmas food. You are constantly reminded of the indulgence that you could get through over the festive period. For our friends in the US, it starts soon with Thanks Giving.
However, I was having a think about this and about how over Christmas I actually tend to loose a little weight rather than gain it. I think it comes down to the fact, and I may investigate and research this further, but I give it up over this season. I just stop dieting because their is no point but what I find tends to happen is that I take the pressure off, so I stop with this binge, denial, binge, cycle and eat when I want and what I want. What I tend to find starts to happen is that I start to listen to my body and not my emotions.
It is two months away still, however for those of us that promised ourselves that we would be 100 pounds lighter by the end of the year but have in fact not lost a pound, the thought of the Christmas party fills us with dread.
It starts soon when the company invite goes out and all the skinny birds start to have those conversation about the new dress they are going to buy whilst you are mentally going through the kaftans hanging in your wardrobe wandering which one to drag out for this year’s party.
Are you like me? Do you dread it, do you resent the thought of getting your fat body into a new outfit that you don’t want to buy because it doesn’t matter how well fitted it is you will never look like Heidi Klum. How much do you hate those events, having to dance even those your knees are breaking, your feet hurt and you feel like a heifer bobbing up and down on the dance floor.
However, you should enjoy it, you should go you have worked as hard as anyone else so here are some tips to help you get through Company Christmas Party
Don’t be afraid to ask, in most plus size shops the women are trained to know what suits a plus size body
Be comfortable, if you know your knees and feet ache after five minutes in heels, just don’t wear them, there are beautiful flat pumps you can buy. The same goes for your outfit, if you are going to buy a blouse that you then end up pulling at all night then don’t do it.
Don’t drown in material, the one thing that obese women like to is to cover up but whilst this may make us look a little less self conscious it does not always look the best.
Try on different outfits, try on clothes that you wouldn’t normally try on you may surprise yourself with what works
Take an honest friend, take someone who will tell you that your bum looks big in that outfit
Keep it simple, Christmas is actually a good season to wear black, no fussy prints.
Feel fabulous, by treating yourself, get your hair professionally blow dried, have a manicure and if your bank account will allow get your make up done too.
Try for the day of the party, not to stuff your face, I know for a Fat Bird it is easier said than done but there is nothing worse that getting really to go out feeling bloated
Check your accessories, again ask but their is a skill to accessorising as a fat bird.
Finally, if you do decide to go, go with a positive attitude and make the decision that you are going to have a good time and don’t worry about what anyone else may think.
A joint study by Cornell University and the University of Buffalo claims that those shoppers who pay cash are more likely to choose healthy options for their shopping trolleys. Apparently those shoppers that paid cash are less likely to buy junk food and are more likely to choose healthy options.
I have to say as a Fat Bird, this is a load of rubbish. I have more than decided what junk food I am going to purchase before I leave my house, whether I pay with cash, a credit card or buttons.
What the study does not seem to say is how many people who took part in it were overweight. I mean to me it is a little like saying that if an alcoholic pays for drinks with cash then he will choose the non alcoholic variety.
The reason we are obese is not because of the payment options we choose to make purchases it is because we have physical and emotional patterns of behaviour that need to be rewired.
At Fat Birds, there have been a lot of talk recently about Self Esteem. I truly believe that it is at the core of the majority of most people’s problems. Us Fat Birds hiding behind our obese bodies because we don’t have the courage to believe we are as good as others and we don’t deserve to have what we want in life, that we are not worthy to follow the path we want to follow.
It is so easy to say, just start to believe, just act like you are. Similar to what we discussed in Monday’s post where must people believe that fat people should just stop eating , there are years and years of ingrained mental programming and teaching to learn how to have such low self esteem. So what do you do, how do you turn around years and years of learning not to like yourself?
I was reminded of a brilliant man who I have seen talk at a conference. He has a huge mind and has spent his life studying human behaviour. Through his research he has come to recognise that there are a number of human traits that are common to us all and in fact we all possess these traits. He devised a method through his Breakthrough Experience to help you identify these traits and help you to recognise how similar you are to those you never believe you can be like.
These is a very high level overview of the exercise but my advise is to either purchase the book or to book on a Breakthrough Experience event http://demartini.eventbrite.com/
Exercise
The first thing to do is identify someone who’s live you would like to live, who you would think you could never be like, for example Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston, Tamara Mellon; anyone you admire.
Research these people and write down all the traits that you can identify, such as kind, courageous, dedicated, tenancious …….. Keep going, keep researching every time you find a new trait write it down.
The next step in the process is to take each trait and look to your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours and write down who would say that you posess that trait. Don’t be humble, do be afraid to be honest, because there are always people who will see you in a different light than you do. You may not think that you are courageous but there will be someone in your life who thinks you are.
By the time you complete the exercise you will come to realise that you possess all you need to possess to be the person you want to be and already are. It is a very powerful exercise.
It makes you realise that what you think about yourself, is simply that, thoughts that you have decided to have that you create to be your own reality.
I have done a number of these now researching how a lack of nutrients may be impacting our ability to overcome our emotional addiction to food.
One of the most common vitamins that we are aware of is vitamin C. So easy is it to get vitamin C, that in the developed world it has almost been wiped out. However, as an obese women if I really take note of what I eat, and am honest, when I am going through particularly bad periods I can go a long time without any vegetables or fruit, therefore, am I getting a sufficient amount of vitamin C daily.
I always associated, as probably most of us did, a lack of vitamin C causing colds. I was astounded to discover that there was a mental impact to a lack of vitamin C. Once again I certainly show mild symptoms.
Therefore, whilst it can take a prolonged period of over a month with no Vitamin C, to start showing serious symptoms, however, mild symptoms can be overlooked if there has been a short period with out the vitamin. Symptoms can be lack of energy, mental depression and in extreme cases confusion.
Below of just some of the foods that contain vitamin C, it could not be an easier and actually tastier vitamin to eat, even for us fat birds.
Dr Mark Hyman, wrote a recent article in the Huffington Post, posing the question is the reason that so many people are obese as a result of food addiction?
I wanted to scream “OF COURSE IT IS”. This question is not posed for smokers, alcoholics or drug addicts. Why do people assume that obese people just have no self discipline or simply don’t know what they should or shouldn’t eat.
I think if anyone measured the strength of craving for a food addict and a smoker they would be on the same scale.
However, once again what is failed to be tackled is why someone chooses an addiction. This comes down, again, to the mind, body, spirit connection. There is a reason that we start to feed our negative emotions in the same way that an alcoholic will give their pain a drink.
The root cause of the problem needs to be uncovered in order for the addiction to be treated, until such time we will continue to battle with our addiction.
The LA Times published an article on 9th October, titled What Now For Weight Loss? It was in response to the announcement that the weight loss drug Meridia was to be removed from sale due to an increase risk of heart problems for those suffering cardiovascular disease, leaving the only prescription drug, as the dreaded Xencial.
These came along side the fact that the Obesity Meeting was taking place between 9th Oct & today, where the world’s leading experts will meet in San Diego todiscuss how to manage the ever growing problem of Obesity. The article seems to focus on the practical side of loosing weight, however, on reading the schedule of events at the conference there is a focus on emotional side of obesity.
Once again, I am going to start sounding like a parrot but there is no cure to the problem if no all pieces of the jigsaw are in place.
If you missed the documentary, Supersize Me, then you need to rent it straight away. The documentary, for those who don’t know or have conveniently forgotten, is an autobiographical journey of Morgan Spurlock’s journey of eating only fast food for 30 days. On his journey we followed as he took his initial medical tests, how the food was starting to affect him negatively, we were also witness to the unbelievable impact that this food had on his health in such a short period of time. I have found another video of a group of people who tried the experiment.
The part of the documentary that was so shocking was the bonus footage where they took some McDonalds meals put the food into glass jars and they left the to see what happens, the results are scary, you have to remind yourself that this is what is happening to your body
John Robbins, wrote a recent article for the Huffington Post, with a reminder of Supersize Me, but he went a little further showing a clip from an advert the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, have released. The PCRM are a pro vegetarian organisation and research certainly shows the health aspects of a vegetarian diet. For most of us the thought of living a totally vegetarian lifestyle is just too much, but we could all make a huge more effort to get more veg in our diets, maybe even committing to one day a week vegetarian.
This leads nicely to this weeks episode of River Cottage, for those not familiar with Huge Fearnley-Whittingstall’s programmes, you should learn more about him at www.rivercottage.net. He is in the 3rd week of a new series called River Cottage Every Day, each week he has concentrated on a different food group, week one – meat, week two – fish and week 3 – vegetables
We go back to the subject again, the more of the correct nutrients you have the more you will mentally be able to overcome your obesity, I post, article after article about the mind, body, spirit connection, if you do not concentrate on all elements you are missing the piece of the jigsaw. This is not about dieting, it is about eating good for you healthy food, so give more vegetables a go, you never know you may actually enjoy them. Click below for one of Huge’s great recipes
