Sugar Sweet

I’m sure we could all say that we eat way too much sugar, it’s become a real talking point as the obesity crisis spirals out of control and we look for both the reasons for why it’s happened and for possible solutions.

English: Macro photograph of a pile of sugar (saccharose) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sugar is at the core of this – what we don’t as consumers understand is the true effect on our bodies and minds. In light of this I conducted a very simple experiment this week purely based on my problem with sugar which is once I eat something sugary I want MORE!   I’m instantly craving the stuff, I’m hungry, it’s as if a monster takes over pulling me over to the dark side.

Why does this happen?  I’m the kind that likes to research these big questions so after some digging I came across this book. Managing sugar it appears is crucial, it’s this that is at the heart of our health and obesity problems and only understanding this will save this and the next generations from a fate which is becoming ever more real. Children will die before their parents, never be able to experience the childhoods we did and the pressure on our social and health services will be overwhelming and unsustainable.  None of this is new news, however it appears to me that we are more happy to bury our heads about the reality. Yes its about inactivity however if what we eat wasn’t such an issue that might not matter quite as much?  I also have fit friends and smaller friends who have appalling diets yet feel that as they aren’t obese that it’s not a problem?

When I was obese there were patterns to my eating, there was bingeing, one bar of chocolate would lead to a further 3, a tub of ice cream could be almost inhaled, I’m not proud of that but at the time as well as the emotional causes, it seemed uncontrollable. Other foods would have the same effect, but these were processed foods, take a look at the sugar content and you’ll be surprised and hopefully shocked at how much they contain.

I haven’t eliminated sugary foods as I’ve got smaller, however I do have to work hard and recently I noticed that it was becoming harder. I also have almost the model 40+ female body, as I go through my 40s the hips and tummy have become more rounded, despite the exercise, very little seems to move – from talking to experts this is done to a big degree to diet and specifically sugar.

So while I read about this, I’m taking simple steps to reduce sugar – reduce and eliminate processed food and to cook more from scratch using pure ingredients. Of course then I am cutting right back on the things we think of as really sugary, sweets and chocolate in particular. So this week the opportunity arrived to test my theory that if you start to eat something sweet, stopping will be really difficult, so I wouldn’t start. My friend had 2 eggs left over from Easter on her desk, one very small Lindt egg and then a creme egg.  My research tells me if I eat the small one, I will want the bigger one and then I would probably be hitting the vending machine. Could I not eat either, could I beat the craving? They stayed on her desk for two days, I also reduced my overall sugar intake, the cravings were hard, it’s calling you, trying to bait you. On the third day they were moved to my desk drawer so every time I opened it, there they would be staring at me, shouting ‘eat me’!

On Friday afternoon they were both still there. The cravings were almost gone, but my head was now telling me I was in control not the sugar.  I am not craving it. The trick on Monday will be to see if I can eat the small one and leave the large one.  It doesn’t work to just eliminate sugar, you will crave it, the important thing is to gain control.  I have of course still been eating other foods (natural sugars in fruit for example) that contain sugar over the week, what is different is that I am not allowing it to control my hunger or my mind and not using it as empty calories.  In fact on Friday afternoon I eat a sweet apple, there were no post-cravings for more sugar or food?  Interesting eh?

So think about it – portions are already too big, if those portions are also sugar loaded then you are overloading your body, it certainly wasn’t designed to deal with it and you are almost giving it permission to want yet more and then some.

Reducing sugar and other useless food is essential to saving ourselves, yes it will take work, yes it will probably need intervention but if you are prepared to take responsibility for yourself, start eating better, and appreciating what you put into your body.  And as an end to this piece, I have this on my fridge just as a little reminder.

Flexible & Core

I’m aging, my body is aging, we can’t escape it, we just need to find ways of working with it!

I’ve been getting a bit frustrated that during and especially after walking or even swimming my hips and lower back are sore and stiff. Now I’ve discovered exercise I want to be able to do it for as long as possible so needed to find a solution.

I love Pilates however I’ve done very little over the last year or so, a couple of years I was doing a lot, including a couple of intense courses in Italy. I then read an article and it was recommended to watch David Beckham’s latest TV Ad (this isn’t a difficult task given he’s only wearing his pants for most of it!), however the main reason was to appreciate how he runs, he has extremely strong core muscles, these hold his pelvis when he runs so it’s smooth, only his lower body moves. So fascinating food for thought.

This is what Pilates does, it builds and strengthens your core muscles, it makes you more flexible and importantly helps you to avoid injury, this becomes increasingly important as you age as well. I really enjoy the flexibility it provides, I managed after the first course to be able to get my feet behind my head, it had been over 20 years since the last time I’d managed to do that, it was a great challenge to have and I was over the moon to be able to do it.

I also bought a book about Pilates anatomy which is amazing, I always like to be able to understand the science behind how our bodies work and the seed was firmly sown that I needed to hit the Pilates studio  again.

I found a new class and armed with a new thicker mat to protect my knees (surgery means they often don’t react well to having weight through them) I got going. Given it had been a while I was pleased to be able to keep up and apart from a few of the more difficult moves I was ok.

I walked back to the car already feeling my hips were less stiff and my lower back looser. I’m going to take more classes, I need to ensure that I’m doing it right, I’m interested in what it can do and hopefully it will help me to be able to mix up the exercise, enjoy it and still be doing it in years to come. I did my course with ladies who were much older than me, they were all keeping fit using Pilates – I’m there too!

Getting Wet (again)

I went swimming this morning, I have to admit, its been a while. There are several reasons for this, they’ve been refurbishing the changing rooms which meant a hike around the building in your swimsuit and I have really been enjoying the walking. I have missed it though, it felt pretty darn good to put on my swimsuit again!

Everytime I return to the pool, I’m reminded of how far I’ve come from that first trip over 3 years ago, the smell of chlorine always motivates me too. Swimming pretty much made my life better and was the start of my love of exercise and fitness.

Swimming really is the ideal exercise to start with if you’re thinking about making your first venture into getting fit. It’s ideal if you’re conscious about your body, this may sound bonkers but once you’ve made your way from the changing room you’re in the water and no-one can see you?  And that walk, well I can guarantee everyone is concentrating on their swimming so they probably won’t even see you – take a big breath and go for it!

Couple of tips for feeling a bit more confident (for the girls) – buy a good supporting swimsuit, if yours is a bit old and baggy, you’ll drag in the water as you collect it between your skin and the suit and you will look bigger than you are. If like me you’re over 40 or you have a big bust, make sure you get one with support, it does make a difference. Swimsuits are great these days, you can buy them with support for just about everything, the right one will also pull your tummy in. I actually feel really good about my body in my swimsuit, or maybe I just have a thing about tight lycra!  It really is worth spending some money on them, look out for sales where you can pick up good suits much cheaper and if you find one you really like, buy 2, that way you never have the excuse that the suit is in the wash. 

When you go off to buy one, try lots on, they all have different shapes and you can look and feel totally different in two suits that may look almost identical. If you’re conscious about the tops of your legs, you can get some suits that have short type bottoms which are great for making you feel more confident.

Men – the advice for you is similar, buy new kit, make sure it fits, it doesn’t matter if its a pair of speedos or longer length trunks, just make sure it fits and you feel good. Again baggy shorts will drag in the water.

That is the important thing – if YOU feel good, then you’ll enjoy your swim more and keep going. Another tip is to take your towel with you, put it on the side so you can grab it as soon as you’re out of the water.

Get yourself some goggles, a nose clip if you need one and grab a bottle of water (you wouldn’t go to the gym without a drink, swimming might take place in water but you still need to stay hydrated, drinking the pool doesn’t count!) So you’ve got your swimsuit on, you’re in the pool, you look around you and there are people thundering up and down, doing crawl, how do you feel?

I remember thinking ‘oh god, is that what I need to do to make it count?’ – no is the simple answer, don’t worry about what stroke you use, how long it takes you the first few times or how many lengths you can do. You’re there, you’re doing it, you’re not on the sofa, you are doing SPORT, you are taking RESPONSIBILITY and getting FIT!

The first time I went (after not swimming for over 25 odd years) I managed 14 lengths, thought I was going to die, that everyone was watching me and thinking ‘what is that fat, old woman doing?’. Twelve weeks later I swam 180 lengths for charity, the swimsuit was 2 sizes smaller and I loved every minute!  The photo is me doing that big swim, since then I’ve lost a further 3 stones and swimming has always been a big part of that.

So I challenge YOU to give it a go, it really is a great form of exercise & a lot of fun.

Acceptance

When I was big, my self-esteem was at rock bottom, I was though very good at putting on a front to hide this. Now I’m smaller and fitter I still often struggle with this.

I’ve had to get used to looking very different, I also have the ‘scars’ of obesity, many who have been very overweight, especially for a prolonged amount of time will understand this, the loose and damaged skin is the most obvious thing that remains.  It does affect you, when you’re wearing your fabulous new smaller clothes it’s not obvious, however in summer, when swimming, or in relationships it’s on show and can need a lot of mental strength to deal with.  You may of course be lucky and have springy skin but in the majority when you lose a substantial amount of weight in your 40s you won’t magically spring back to the body you had in your 20s.

Don’t get me wrong I love my smaller body, my health is better, the awful things about being obese are no longer here but it’s hard when people do look or it affects a new relationship, all of which have happened more than once.

Lifting weights has helped, by building muscle mass into the space left by the demise of fat it does help. I also took the decision not to lose a lot more weight as it will make the situation worse, I’m now at a healthy weight and I’ve concentrated on improving my fitness levels rather than focus on what the scales say.

What happens when you lose a lot of weight isn’t talked about a lot, we should deal with it more, I have come across people who haven’t been able to deal with either the physical or emotional effects and have returned to obesity. You do have to deal with it all, there is help out there, it is important not to think that life will be the same once you’ve lost the weight, to be able to maintain it, you need to do as much work with your head as you do with your body to be successful.

To end on a very positive note I wouldn’t want to go back, I like to look on my ‘scars’ like any other, it shows what has happened in my life, everything that has happened in my life is important and has made me the woman I am today. I can’t make them disappear and hopefully those people who really matter will not be bothered and will accept them because they are part of me.

Horses, Running & Responsibility

There have been a lot of news stories and articles around recently to keep me occupied, this is a brain dump of my thoughts, they sort of relate to one another!

You can’t ignore the horsemeat scandal – however it made me think. We were all making a fuss about horsemeat in our food, yet the items in question included processed ready meals, we had been more than happy to consume the additives, preservatives, sugar, salt and poor quality meat that they contain for years, yet horsemeat was a step too far?

We should have all seen the Jamie Oliver programmes showing what goes into processed food, yet this was acceptable, we didn’t complain about that?  We’re still not, all we need now is an assurance that there’s no horsemeat in our food?  It all feels wrong, we should be protesting that processed food has become standard fare, that fresh food is more expensive or that cooking classes have been removed from curriculums?

So while you’re checking the ingredients on a box and wondering if there’s a risk of horse being an ingredient, check out the rest of the information, its shocking!

So now to running, on a couple of occasions recently while out on my speed walks I have been forced off the pavement by the local running clubs, once right into the road. I’ve talked to some people about how important keeping fit is to me however when say I don’t run (I can’t by the way, I’m preserving my cruciate ligament reconstruction and the surgeon has recommended I don’t) they turn off and lose interest.

I’m all for running if you can however if you do other things, it’s just as valid and important, please don’t treat us like second class citizens – we may not be training for marathons but we’re meeting our own challenges and working hard at changing our lives and keeping active.

My worry is that when people are thinking about getting fit, and they can’t run (and if you’re very obese, running may not be a good idea) or don’t enjoy it, that they feel there aren’t options for them. I often also hear ‘I hate the gym’ or can’t afford classes. It couldn’t be further from the truth. There are a huge range of activities that can get you fit, help you lose or control your weight and make you happy! The happy bit is very important, if you really don’t enjoy something, the odds are on you’ll give up on it, so find something or a combination of things you enjoy. I mix up what I do frequently now, from swimming, walking, fixed bike cycling, pilates, weights work…hiking, etc etc, there’s always something you can try out.

And finally an article from the BBC about the food we serve and have available in the vicinity of hospitals today. It poses the question about taking personal responsibility for the obesity crisis, if this is enough or should we be doing far more to encourage people to change their lifestyles?

Education about the effects of obesity isn’t working, shock stories about diabetes, high blood pressure, high risk pregnancies etc etc are making little difference. I do feel that we are skirting around the reality of an ever increasing obese population.

The perception of what is now ‘large’ is fascinating, I belong to a dating site and the number of men who list their build as ‘average’ when its clear from their photos that they are overweight is amazing (and disturbing). We watch programmes about extreme obesity, do we now feel that unless we are ‘supersize’ that we’re not overweight and we can go further into denial and that it doesn’t apply to us?  Or even more worryingly think that gastric surgery is the answer? Are our heads now stuck very firmly in the ground?

While I was reading this particular article I also found this one, we need to seriously consider the effect obesity will have on our NHS, how will you feel if your vital cancer treatment is not available because of the extra burden of diabetes treatment or the bill for treating high blood pressure increases (which it will), there are already news reports that lack of funding is resulting in more diabetes related amputations – that’s pretty scary stuff.

So what next?  Do we need to stop pussy footing around and be more forceful? If we can’t take personal responsibility for our own lives, should the fast food industry be forced to change, should there be programmes in schools to look seriously at our kids health?  Ultimately does the Government need to grasp the crisis by the balls and do something?

And it’s not just about what we eat, it’s about getting active too – I’ll write about that separately but while I’m doing that lets take a look at what the Taiwan Government have decided to do about their obesity crisis!

So think about what you eat, how much you move and realise that you have to take personal responsibility for your lifestyle, you can have control if you want it badly enough?

Helpful!

I went out with my work colleagues last week – we went to a Harvester. Now I’m not a fan of mass produced, chain restaurants, I find the food predictable and just a bit boring.

However I was pleasantly surprised to find the menu full of calorie information. You can could easily see how you could build up the count to way over your recommended daily allowance if you weren’t careful! The 430 calories for ‘seasoned fries’ were downright scary!

It was also good to see that online, they give a lot of guidance on food allergies - including gluten and dairy which always cause issues when you’re not cooking yourself.

It does though bring it home just how much you can eat when you’re out, without knowing it, all the extras can take you way above what you probably think you’re consuming. Add in a coke or a beer and you’re in big trouble!

Whilst all this is great as a treat, if you do this a couple of times a week, without any exercise or being careful about what else you eat then you are going to put on weight.
I try to have an idea of nutrition, so when I’m eating out I can make informed choices. I do though get annoyed at portions that are way too big. When you’re brought up that it’s good manners to clear your plate or ‘eat as much as you want’ means pile it high, then your head will rule your stomach and you will eat your way through far more than you actually need.

I took the option in the Harvester to go for the boiled potatoes, however EIGHT of them was a bit overkill and for that amount I would have disputed the calories stated!   And beware the salad bar, just because it’s on the salad bar, doesn’t mean it’s healthy, by the time you’ve piled it high, added dressings and some croutons!

Beware of this, you’ll need to know when you’re full, if you’re not sure, when you’re half way through a plate, stop, put down your cutlery and let your stomach work out what’s going on, I can guarantee that you will start to feel full. If you are STOP eating.  Put your napkin over your food or make it clear to the waitress that you’re done.

And if the waitress says ‘was there something wrong with it?’ because you’ve left some, tell her the portions were just too much. I always wonder why women are always expected to consume the same portion sizes as men??   And the amount of wasted food is sad and something I’d also like considered.

I know it’s not easy but willpower is very important, it doesn’t mean you can’t have the nice things, you can, just not tons of it!  Over time it becomes easier to know what your limit is.

When it comes to a pudding, don’t feel its wrong to order one with a friend and have two spoons. It’s about a little of something fabulous not so much that you end up with that feeling of being ‘stuffed’.

By following these simple things, you can still eat out while you’re aiming to lose weight or determined to keep it off.

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I’ve picked up on my stats report that Ads for diet supplements appear to have featured on my site, I do not support or have any control over these I’m afraid.

I don’t advocate using ‘wonder’ supplements that promise quick weight loss. The only thing I support is eating less, eating better and moving more. There are no short cuts, to be able to sustain long term weight loss you stand a much better chance by losing weight slowly and sensibly.

Don’t waste your money, effort or time.