The Military Diet--Day 3 and Summation

Day 4

Official weigh-in: 133.4 pounds

Official weight loss: 3-1/2 pounds

--After the first day, I didn't lose any more weight, which was very discouraging. Last night, which was Day 3, I had eaten the entire day's allotment by 4:30 pm. Sorry, but 1100 calories just isn't enough food for a whole day. I don't know about you, but unless I was comatose, I couldn't do it. And it didn't help that I had a retirement dinner to go to, and was absolutely famished when I got there.

--I had a plan and am pretty proud of myself for sticking to it, even though there was temptation all around me. I ate only 1 mozarella stick (there were plates of appetizers, and believe me, I was so hungry it wasn't easy to resist). I ordered a glass of cabernet sauvignon and iced water (which I drank all of) and ordered salmon and asparagus. I had a second glass of wine and only took 2 bites of the au gratin potatoes that came with it. I weighed the same this morning as I did after the Day 1. At least I didn't gain!! I said no to dessert. 

Summation

--One of the things I forgot to mention is that coffee is allowed on this diet, a LOT of coffee!! Which I love anyways, so that's fine, and I substituted sugar-free vanilla syrup in place of CoffeeMate. 

--I think overall it taught me a lot about myself and my eating patterns; first of all, I thought I knew what to eat! Realizing I ate more apples, bananas, and ice cream in the last three days than I've eaten in 10 years taught me that number one, I really don't understand nutrition and number 2, I don't need to feel bad about wanting ice cream once in a while and should actually eat it!! I have a lot of myths about certain foods that are just plain incorrect. 

--I also learned that I DO have willpower, and that given a script, I'm excellent at following it. I loved the challenge. I learned that I do tend to overeat, even on "healthy" food, and I don't think I've been getting enough of the right types of nutrition, CLEARLY, if I haven't had an apple or banana in 10 years. Who eats an apple and a hard-boiled egg for dinner?? People DO. People who eat for their health and not their emotions, THAT'S who. 

--I also learned that since my parents didn't have any money growing up, eating out was something we just never did, unless it was McDonald's. Now I gave up fast food about 10 years ago, and red meat over 5 years ago, but I still somehow have a Pavlovian response to eating out. I do love french fries and anything salty-crunchy-greasy and we do eat out a lot, and I realized that to me, that's my reward. FOOD. And I saw on Facebook one day, someone posted a quote that said, "Don't reward yourself with food. You're not a dog", and I thought about that a long time these last three days I was "depriving" myself. And I use the word "deprivation" because isn't that how we always feel when we are on a "diet"??? You can have this but not that. 

--My husband tells me, "Lauren, just run 10 miles a day. Then you can eat whatever you want." Well, I like to run, but I don't even know if I CAN run 10 miles a day. I think he must've said it in jest, because the truth is, it's impossible to do (for me, maybe for YOU). So, what can I do to keep myself from gaining weight? How can I lose that last stubborn 5 pounds???

--I can continue to exercise and log my food intake on my FitBit profile. That is the best way to face head-on what really goes in my mouth. 

--It's not about deprivation, it's thinking about my body as a machine that needs the right kind of fuel to operate at maximum efficiency. I CAN have ice cream, and I CAN have apples for breakfast and feel good.I

--I feel cleansed. I feel spiritual today as I embark on eating "normally", which for me has taken on a different tone. I fully plan on continuing to add apples and bananas and cottage cheese to my daily eating plan (note: I wanted to say "diet" but that implies deprivation). I have not felt bloated, which is a truly wonderful feeling. I look better in my clothes just losing that 4-1/2 pounds (I lost a pound the day before I started the 3-day diet). And that maybe it's not about actual poundage--what the scales says--but how I look in my clothes and feel when I look in the mirror. I look pretty damn good at 133.4, and yeah, I know I'll look even better if and when I can lose the next five pounds. 

--I plan on implementing the Day1 of the Military Diet, and possibly adding Day 2 on a weekly basis. It feels so good eating clean, that the idea of going and eating bar food really doesn't appeal to me. And if I can do this on a weekly basis, it's likely the pounds won't sneak up on me during the holidays. It's a way for me to have my fun and dial it back. It was actually not that hard at all (Day 1) and I actually think it will be fun and challenging to do it on a regular basis.

--I also learned that I could never be a supermodel if this is what it takes to be super-thin!! I love food and I just think good food and eating is sexy and a wonderful part of life. In my desperate desire to look a certain way, it was a real wake-up call that if that's what I have to do to look the way I want to look, it's just not worth it. I will continue to focus on transforming my body through weightlifting and exercise and really try to remember that my body wants and needs more fruit and veggies and that the reward isn't french fries or a slim waistline. It's hopefully building a strong immune system so I'm healthy for my kids and my family and have a happier life. That all sounds so cliche but I've never tried any kind of crash diet before. And honestly, I don't judge others the harsh way I judge myself, and I'm sure not even my husband would notice an extra 5 pounds, so why does it matter so much to me? My friend and personal trainer Mike firmly believes and tells his female clients that we shoudn't even be weighing ourselves daily the way we do; that we put way too much emphasis on a number we think we should be.  Rather, shouldn't we have an honest assessment of how we feel and look in our clothes as our guide? Thank you Mike, I will try to keep that in mind.

--Will I ever do the 3 day Military Diet again? No. The third day was ridiculously low in calories, and unsustainable. They need to realize some of us have 18 hour days and 1100 calories isn't enough. I was so weak and dizzy from lack of food, and it would've been helpful to have had suggestions for healthy snacks. I understand the whole concept is a crash diet to lose as much weight as possible in the shortest amount of time possible, but really, starvation only leads to bingeing, and I know I for one do NOT want to resort to that.

--If you give the Military Diet a try, PLEASE comment here and let me know how it goes for you! I specifically want to know these five things:

1. What is your current weight?

2. How much do you want to lose overall? (not just in the 3 days)

3. What is your target weight goal?

4. How much did you lose on the 3-Day Military Diet?

5. How did you feel?

--Thank you for reading and I would love to hear from you!

"Just Do It" and other silly notions about resolutions

Happy New Year! Welcome 2012! Fresh slate; a brand-new year has begun. The annual tradition of resolution-making is well under way for many people. I've had the same resolution year after year after year, that still hasn't been crossed off my to-do list. I can't tell you what it is because you will tell me, "Just Do It", like the Nike slogan. Yeah, yeah, yeah, if it were that easy, I'd have done it by now. And that's the thing about resolutions--we make hard ones we are unlikely to keep.

What if we were to make resolutions like my friend revealed to me the other night: "eat less pasta." Now that's one she can probably accomplish with little self-injury. How about a resolution to "watch more TV"? If you're someone like me who can never stop moving, this is actually an improvement to my quality of life. My children rarely see me in other than upright and erect, fastly moving like a vacuum cleaner. How about, "I resolve to step over toys, dirty clothes and other clutter without cussing." That would be a good one for me. I could possibly do this. (We could also make a resolution to pick up after ourselves so I wouldn't have to even make that cussing resolution in the first place, but I'm just as much a slob as my children are. Tim is excluded from this. Poor guy is the neatnik in the family. His resolution would probably be similar--step over clutter, refrain from cussing, and refrain from picking up after us once again). 

Here's another resolution I bet most people could make and keep--"Text people back ASAP." It's frustrating to write people and they don't respond. FOR DAYS. Now notice I didn't say anything about phone calls. That's a trickier one. Phone calls interrupt more and I know for a fact that I can't just call someone and talk for 10 minutes; it's like going into Target and not spending at least a hundred dollars. I know I can't do it, so I have to just not go to Target. Same with phone calls. But texting is quicker and less intrusive. You write me a sentence, I write you back a sentence. See how easy that is? That took a total of one minute. I can text you when I'm in the bathroom but I can't call you from there. If you're stuck in the 20th century and don't text at all, well, that's one less resolution you'll have to make but you're getting left out of the loop.

We make ourselves promises to improve our lives, our bodies, our mental health, and the quality of life for those around us. I won't use this blog to wag my finger is anybody's face and make you feel badly if you fall off your resolution band wagon. I'm just as guilty as the next guy. But we CAN give ourselves a pat on the back for the resolutions we have kept, or will be trying to keep as the newness of the new year fades. 

I'm happy to say that I don't have to make any more resolutions to lose weight or get in shape. DONE! I am very proud of that. Are there other things I need to work on? But of course silly! I could probably make a list of 20 things I could do to improve my life and the lives of my loved ones. We all have daily struggles and challenges and you don't need me to remind you about dealing with vices, financial planning, communicating better, eating healthier, yada yada yada. That's called "life". Our pursuit of happiness is laden with trying to balance work and pleasure. Maturing is the thing that spurs us to first admit areas of our lives that aren't working for us, and conquering the immediate gratifications that got us into trouble in the first place.

I'm inspired by the words written, not spoken, by Roger Ebert, who due to a lengthy battle with cancer had his lower jaw removed has permanently lost his ability to eat, drink, and talk forever and "speaks" through a computer-generated voice named "Alex"--

We all know people who have been challenged by physical circumstance (my cousin Brian Hayden, for one--please read his blog www.brianhayden.com). I have been very fortunate in my life SO FAR and I am humbled by people like Brian and Roger, and my close friend Inka and now a new friend who also has had to make very difficult life decisions due to having been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

So spring forth my friends into 2012 with (hopefully!!!) an optimistic outlook that only YOU can make 2012 better for you. It's true that the only person you can change is you; and that you can only control HOW you react to the things that happen TO you; you can't control anyone or anything else. But that doesn't make you powerless. You can accomplish much if you just set your mind to it.

I'm rooting for you.

http://www.esquire.com/features/roger-ebert-0310-4

http://brianhayden.com/
http://www.43things.com/resolutions/trends

The Newsletter that caused my insanity is here!

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your requests that I publish it here. Hope you enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

                                                               *****************

                                                     Merry Christmas from the Kuckelman’s

As I sit down to write this holiday letter, I have to say, ‘I’m so proud of the four of us!”. This is our 2nd Christmas in Wisconsin. We picked up and moved 1800 miles away from family and friends to a “frozen tundra” where we knew not a single soul. So much has changed in one year.

Ian turned 16 in May and got his driver’s license in July! He is driving Tim’s old Honda Civic and he loves his independence.  Mom doesn’t have to drive him around anymore :(  He spent summer with his friends boating on the lake and working!  Ian got his first job! He’s a line-server at Q’doba, a Mexican fast food restaurant where he combines his love of money and available food. He spends his money on nutritional supplements, guitar strings and on his girlfriend. Ian became both a high school junior and a college freshman! He is enrolled at Carroll University taking Calculus 3 with mostly college sophomores and juniors. It’s his favorite class, and his “easiest”. Go figure. He’s still working out at the gym and has joined the weightlifting team at school. He had his first competition this week and placed 3rd overall out of 15 weightlifters in his division!! He can also bounce his pecs up and down and make us all laugh. Ian’s just a great kid and a complete joy to be around.

His little sister Jennifer is a 7th grader this year and turning into quite a lovely young lady. She is self-assured and happy, and is quite a social butterfly. She and her “posse” of girlfriends have sleepovers and make horrendous messes in the kitchen they call “baking”. They are an adorable group of friends and they are all so fun to be around. Jennifer is taking guitar as well. Three guitarists now in the family! She loves music and she has tried to teach me to “Dougie”  to the new Dubstep music trend. It’s not pretty. She’s attending school dances and loves her school. She likes how they all have lockers and the kids decorate them for each other’s birthdays. Jennifer still rides her beloved Poetry, who’s boarded about a mile away. She’s very much interested in fashion and design and she makes clothes by hand for her Barbies. Jennifer herself looks more beautiful than any model the way she tastefully wears her make-up and clothes, and all her friends let her do make-overs on them! She is a happy-go-lucky girl, a free-spirit and she is absolutely a joy to be around.

Tim has been Vice President of E-Commerce at Kohl’s now for one year, and we are so proud of him. We also love all the sales at Kohl’s and make sure we support him by shopping there as often as possible. He travels a lot to his warehouses during the week but we almost always have him home on weekends. Tim’s favorite things to do are making big breakfasts for the kids and their friends on Saturdays. We celebrated our 20th year since we met and our 18th wedding anniversary in April. We are still crazy about each other and love being home with the kids. For fun, we are in a band together--Tim rocks the guitar and sings, and I sing, and we love performing with our band, Rok Kandi. It’s something fun we get to do together; practicing and learning new songs. We also try to play tennis together on Sundays.

Like Ian, I got a job too! I started working in March as a part-time bartender at the gym we go to. It was my saving grace, as I finally started to make friends. I love my job as I get paid to talk to people. Perfect, huh?! I love weightlifting almost as much as Ian and I also started tennis lessons in summer. I have become addicted and play in a women’s league. I’ve been taking private vocal lessons for a year now, and my vocal coach has become a dear friend as well.  I’m also still the nutty animal girl who loves to feed the squirrels and chipmunks and cardinals. Tim calls their food “bait” for the cats.

We have adjusted to the weird weather here--summer is warm but not hot like Reedley was (much to Ian’s dismay) and there are a lot of thunderstorms. We like those. We all got to experience our very first blizzard in February and the kids got a snow day off from school--their very first! Wisconsin has become home for us now, especially since some very special family and friends have come to visit us--Randy, Inka and her twin daughters; and Tim’s mom Carolyn has come twice and she and Don are planning a trip soon. We love being near them and family in Kansas and have made the 10-hour drive twice.  It was great seeing everyone at Don’s 80th birthday party in August! Next--make a trip to Texas to see new grand-nephew baby Graham! With Ian driving now, Tim and I like to sit in the back seat. We have a beautiful guest room -we will spoil you rotten--just ask Inka- so please come see us!! We flew back to California last December to see my family and our friends. We miss so many dear friends and family in California and Kansas. We wish you all a happy healthy holiday season. We feel very blessed and are very grateful to have each and every one of you who is holding this newsletter in our lives.  

Love always and God bless, 

The Kuckelman’s

P.S. We are all on Facebook! If we are not already “friends” please add us so we can better keep in touch!

One-size-does-not-fit-all

I was just reading an article in today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel business section about health club membership prices and the competition between gyms here locally for new and existing members. In the Milwaukee area, it reported that approximately 22.4% of residents belonged to a gym in 2010.  Then it goes on to talk about  how a new gym that has opened recently is only charging $10 to join and how that affects the other gyms.

I got stuck on the "22.4%" and did a little more math and came up with 77.6% of residents in Milwaukee did NOT have a gym membership in 2010!! I wonder if the people that do these statistics ever stop to ask people WHY they don't belong to a gym?! Hmm??

Well, I'm here to answer the question for you. First of all, since I moved here to Wisconsin, I'm shocked the number is so low. Why? Because the weather sucks here for like 9 months out of the year. (Ok, make it 10. Even in summer, it's usually raining). Exercising outdoors here is really not an option most of the year, so I'm shocked the number isn't the other way around. Kind of answers the question about why many Wisconsinites are overweight....) I'm a runner, or at least I used to be when I lived in California. I ran year-round. I mean, when the coldest it's going to get is in the 40's, running outdoors is a pleasurable thing to do. I love it. I love the early morning smells in the spring and summer, and the crisp fresh air in the winter. In fall, I love crunching the fallen leaves as I run. I think in the whole year I've lived here in Wisconsin, I've run less than 8 times outdoors. It's just not pleasurable.

So--how does a person find a gym to join when their are so many to choose from? Well, it's really an individual choice. Just like buying underwear. One size does not fit all. What are your fitness goals? Are you the kind of person that likes to exercise alone or in a group setting, or with just one other person? Do you even know? What is your fitness level right now? What's your work/school/child care schedule like? 

Those of you that know me know that I've become a gym rat- I live there. I work at a gym, I work out at least 5 days a week. I gave up running for the most part, only because I really hate treadmills. I feel like a mouse on a wheel. I became a certified Spin instructor a year ago only to realize Spinning here is really "cycling" and it's for road bikers. Bleh. I know--I should give it another try and maybe I will. But I got bitten by the tennis bug and it's not only great cardio but I made friends too and joined a league and now compete.  It's so much fun and terribly addicting. I have become a tennis whore and will play anyone who'll play me. On alternating days, I lift weights. My triceps are my best asset now. (Who'd have thunk?)

Why is it only 22.4% of people here going to the gym? What are they doing to stay in shape? Well, many of them aren't, and many people have exercise equipment in their homes. And like many people, when the weather gets too bad, I've got my Pilates DVD I do in my bedroom. And don't forget, crunches can be done anywhere. 

Is it the cost of gyms that keep people away? Or could it be something else? I have almost always belonged to a gym. What I look for in a gym seems to change from time to time, but I adapt. I don't switch gyms often, although I have done so. Is there an "ultimate" gym? And if there was, how much would you be willing to pay to join it?

Ian, my son, and I and one of his friends have this conversation on a regular basis, as we are planning on opening our own gym in the future. Here are some of the things we've come up with that being gym rats ourselves, we find important in a good gym:

1. CLEAN--the gym has got to be clean. It needs to not only LOOK clean, but BE clean. When you're running on a treadmill, with nothing to look at besides either a wall or a TV screen, you tend to notice the build-up of sticky lint along the edges. Yuk.

2. ATTRACTIVE WORKERS/OTHER MEMBERS--do not laugh at this! You know you notice. Maybe it's not important to you but subliminally, you notice. Whether or not you're single or not, the attractiveness of the people around you either inspire you or they don't.

3. NEW AND LATEST IN EQUIPMENT--my son and his friend have become experts on weightlifting equipment. A little Internet research on what's latest and greatest and safest and if a gym has outdated equipment, who'd want to go there?

4. FREE STUFF--this you really won't find everywhere, but we think it's important.  My gym has complimentary soaps, deodorant spray and hairspray! Another gym I used to belong to had the right idea--every time you checked in, it counted your attendances and when you got to a certain number, you'd get a free 1/2 hour massage, or sports drink, or membership to a special class. Great idea. Kind of like punching a smoothie card--buy 10 and get one free. Cool!!! 

5. PERSONAL TRAINERS THAT KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT--this is a big one. If you're a newbie and don't know any better, you tend to take what they say as gospel. I've seen and heard many give bad advice, dangerous even. The trainers at the gym I go to are certified and they DO know what they're talking about, but it's not like that everywhere. 

6. FUN CLASSES--this is my area of 'expertise". Are the classes not only conveniently timed, but are they FUN?? I know many that are NOT fun. They are boring and hard and you have to force yourself to go. Why do they keep these instructors??? It baffles me. For the most part, the instructors at my gym love what they do and it shows in their enthusiasm.  But personally, counting off seconds or minutes or pretending we are climbing hills when we have never biked outside in our lives (except with our children) is NOT fun. Sweating in public, especially in a group, should be fun. And no over-crowding. If a class is so popular you can't move without getting swatted in the eye, they need to have more classes.

7. NICE LOCKER ROOMS--One gym I used to belong to had these pretty little individual vanity desks that resembled backstage dressing rooms like celebrities use.  All the lockers actually worked. And another one had this hideous greenish-blue stained carpet that was about 100 years old and disgusting. If you are afraid to be barefoot--let alone naked--in a locker room, it doesn't matter how nice the employees are. Yuk. 

8. THE LITTLE THINGS--It's the little things that add up to make it or break it as a successful gym. Do they sell healthy snacks and sports drinks? Are they reasonably priced? Do they offer free training when you join? Do they have nutritional counseling? Do you like the way the towels smell? Does the staff seem happy and do they treat you well? Are they nearby? Do you like their hours of operation? Do you feel welcomed? Do you like the house music? Are people friendly? What are the other members like? Do you feel safe in the parking lot? Do you enjoy the classes? I'm sure there are more "little things" that I missed, but if you don't belong to a gym right now, I'm sure you can elaborate for me.

The bottom line is, gyms are big business, and they need you. Without you, they can't survive. Like most businesses, they want to please you. With so many gyms available, what is it that makes YOU want to join, keep going, or quit? Because staying healthy is really every single person's goal, or it should be. You don't have to want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger to work out at a gym, nor desire the biceps of Demi Moore. Most gyms offer a free one-week trial membership to get you to join--so think about what's important to YOU before you plunk down your credit card.

And remember--exercise should be fun, and consistency is the key to accomplishing your fitness goals.

You can do it!

I know you can.

Now get out there and sweat!!!