I Blew It...

How many times during our weight loss journeys do we think this? We're faced with seemingly impossible situations and end up caving and giving in... then we think... "I blew it." But how often does it stop there? In "The Thin Commandments" Dr Stephen Gullo refers to this as the "I blew it" Syndrome. We fall down and instead of getting right back up, it turns into a spiral straight downhill. One bite, turns to a whole meal binge, which turns to a whole day, which leads to a whole week and before you know it, you're right back in your old habits and way off track. Then one day you look up and wonder how on earth you got there!

No person gets fat off of one pasta dish or a few hors d'oeuvres. What happens is though that when the "I Blew It" Syndrome kicks in we lose control... the problem is not with the food.. it's with the mindset and behavior. Dr Gullo lists the issues that arise when we let this mindset take over.

"
1) Sets up an impossible tension in your life: that you have to be either perfect or a failure.
2)Lets your mental screen go blank, so you shut down everything that you've learned about food management.
3)Lets mistakes pile up, which drowns your motivation, skews your perspective, and overwhelms your willpower.
4)Destroys focus on your eating and weight control. (Studies all show that staying focused on your eating behavior is what makes you a winner.)
5)Is self-defeating. It cuts off learning from the mistake and locks you into a pattern of repeating it.
6)Only helps you learn that you're gaining weight, which is obvious.
7)Ruins your chance to cut off the mistake and keep any weight gain small and temporary
8)Keeps you from proving to yourself that you can stop and correct the error.
9)Turns a few minutes of unwise eating into something that will take days, months, or even years to make up for.
10)Paralyzes you into a mode of helplessness that lets one mistake end up becoming thousands of calories
11)Doesn't do justice to your intelligence, your life smarts.
12)Doesn't make you lose weight; it only makes you lose hope.
13)Doesn't answer the most important question of all: What went wrong in this situation and what could I do differently?"

When you feel the "I Blew It" Syndrome taking over it's time to take a step back. Physically tell yourself - "STOP IT!!!" By doing this you regain control. You remind yourself that YOU not FOOD has the power. You have control of what you put in your mouth. That bag of chips does not open itself up and pour itself down your throat. So you ate 1 handful... so what.... STOP! Get right back on track and you will succeed knowing that you have overcome a potentially very detrimental situation.

Make yourself a strategy for what to do next time you start to slip. Plan out daily menus and activities. Bordom is never a good thing on a new way of eating. Get out and get moving! You'll get your mind off of what you had wanted to do in the first place. Determine to yourself that no matter what you do or where you are, good choices will be availble. If you are going to be somewhere that you KNOW there will not be an acceptable option, eat something before hand so that you won't be tempted to give in when the opportunity comes. Even if it is not necessarily on your program or way of eating, having the mentality that you will find a way can be empowering. A good choice even when not the "best" choice is better than a bad one!

So promise me something... Promise you'll never say "I Blew It" again... you didn't blow it... just STOP.

More Menus!!

Well I have another menu to share with you today! I am so thrilled to be living this maintenance lifestyle with you. It is such a freedom to be able to eat healthfully and love what it is doing for my body and lifestyle! I have so much more energy now. I love to excercise and get out! This afternoon actually we're planning on going for a family bike ride when my husband comes home. How exciting to actually plan on something like this and know that I can participate and enjoy the time together instead of huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf not 10 minutes into it!

So here we go.... My Maintenance Menu for today!!!

Breakfast: Berry and Cheese Crepe and 3 slices of Lean Turkey Bacon

Morning snack: Dannon Light and Fit Carb and Sugar Control Vanilla yogurt with 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries, 1 slice of GG Scandinavian Crispbread w/ Organic Peanut Butter

Lunch: Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad w/ Red Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil and Alfredo Chicken

Afternoon snack: Whey Protein "cookie" w/ FF cream cheese, celery sticks

Dinner: Grilled Steelhead Trout, steamed brocolli, organic brown rice
Dessert: Faux Peach Cobbler

Calories: 1509 Fat: 54 Carbs: 79

Even desserts can be fun and exciting on this new way of eating without being laden with sugar or extra white carbs. Here's one of my favorite summer time treats w/ a low carb twist!

Faux Peach Cobbler

1 medium fresh peach (or sliced frozen unsweetened peaches, about 3/4 cup or 8 slices)
0 Calorie Butter Spray
Cinnamon and splenda (or liquid stevia is good too) to taste
Fat Free Whipped Cream

Slice the peach into a microwave safe bowl and spray a few times w/ your butter spray. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sweetener to taste and toss lightly to coat the peaches. Microwave for approx 1 minute. When you remove it, stir once more to make sure the peaches are nice and tender. Top with a little fat free whipped cream and enjoy this light and refreshing summer dessert!

A day in the life...

I get asked all the time to share what I am eating now on maintenance. In looking over my lists I realized something. Sometimes it is hard just looking at a food list or diary to know really how people are eating and what they are doing to make their plan work for them. I thought I'd take a minute and share with you what one of my days on average looks like.

**Please note: The recipes menu I will be sharing here is maintenance standard. But hopefully maybe for those following their own low carb plan or planning ahead for their own maintenance programs this will give you something to look forward too! :)

Today's menu:

Breakfast - Fiber One Berry Medley with Coffee

Mid-morning snack - 1/2 Almond Breeze peanut butter chocolate milk shake w/ whey protein, low fat cheese wedge

Lunch - Turkey and Swiss Lettuce wraps, dill pickle spears and Diet soda, 1 small purple plum, 1 Carb Smart Ice Cream bar for dessert

Afternoon snack - celery and southwest dip, turkey pepperoni chips, Diet Pepsi "float"

Dinner: Tamago Egg Sushi w/ sauteed mushrooms, Edamame, side salad.

Total cals: 1209 total carbs: 90g Total protein: 110g

I believe my carbs were a little higher than usual today because in the berry medley I added about 1/3 of a banana today and had the ice cream bar this afternoon. But all in all this is a very good representation I think of how I can eat now on a daily basis!

I wanted to share the recipe for the Fiber One Berry Medley because this has become such a staple of my maintenance diet now!

Fiber One Berry Medley:
1/4 cup Fiber One Cereal
1 tbls Almond Meal
1 tsp Flax Meal
1 scoop vanilla or berry flavored whey protein
2 tlbs Low Fat or Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 (serving)cup of Carb Control Yogurt (strawberry or vanilla)
1/2 cup mixed berries (I love strawberries and blueberries)
Splenda to taste

Mix all together and enjoy this nutritious and filling breakfast!

I'll be posting more menus as time allows. Learning to eat healthy on maintenance has been such an exciting adventure. I can't wait to share more of my finds with you!

Mentality of a Stall

I've been assisting people on their weight loss journeys now for several months since I lost 100lbs. One thing that I have seen on a regular recurring basis is the question about what to do when you hit a stall. People as me all the time... did you? What did you do? Let's face it. The reality is that we ALL will hit stalls in our journeys. Whether it is 1 day or 5 or 7. It happens. This is part of dieting that we have to accept. Our bodies have to take a break and re-adjust. The key is - what do you do when you stall? This is the question of the ages I guess. But probably one of the hardest that those who are actively dieting have the hardest time with.

In the past... if I would hit a stall I would eventually give up and quit my diet. But why? Did I feel it wasn't working for me anymore? If a stall is inevitable at one point or another then why did I give up? Handling a stall is really a 2 part process as far as I can see.

1) It is the opportunity to re-evaluate what I am doing. Have I changed anything in the last week that could be cause for upset within my losing process? Many times I would be able to look back over my food diary and pinpoint where I had changed things up which in turn caused my loss speed to slow down. This is how I learned some very important lessons about not messing with what works!

2) A choice has to be made between 2 REAL FACTS. I can do one of 2 things. That's it. No other options! I can either stick to my plan, or I can go off of it and give up. WHAT?! Give up is an option? It is the only other option. You either stick to your program or you don't. It's that simple. So then you have to determine what happens with each option.

As far as I can see that part is simple too. If you stick to your program you WILL lose again. You cannot sustain a low cal/carb/fat diet and NOT lose. It's simple math! If you need to maintain 3500 calories to maintain 1 lbs and you are consuming less than that, then you will lose! If you go off of your program.... you will gain. Period. End of story. Most people when they go off of plan due to a stall simply return to their previous eating habits. It was these eating habits that got us fat in the first place, so what is the point of returning to them?

We then complain that this plan or that one didn't work for us because WE made the choice to go off. This is the crucial time when really we need to buckle down, re-evaluate and if it truly is a stall, get tough. Show your body that you WILL NOT give in to it's pitiful cries for comfort foods. You know what is best for you.. not those fat cells that are withering away - screaming the whole time.... "I'm melting... I'm melting" OK Wicked Witch fat... it's your time... now scoot!

Making Waves - Radio Waves that is!!!

I was contacted this evening by a radio talk show in Springfield Illinois. The host had read the article and wants to speak with me on a live radio interview tomorrow morning (6/4) at 10:10AM Central time (11:10 eastern, 8:10 Pacific and 9:10 mountain). I am so excited about this opportunity. The Lord is so good to me! I would love to have all my fellow Low Carb fans join me and listen in! The interview will be broadcast live over streaming audio so log on to hear it!!!!

The website is: www.wmay.com and just click on the listen live link at the top!!!

Wish me luck!!!!

I Start My Diet Over Every Day - I'M SUCH A LOSER!

Special thanks to my dear friend Regandy for the following post. She really hit the nail on the head this time!

"I start over every day.

Every day is a NEW opportunity. Every day is another clean slate. Every day! I have NOT been perfect with this way of eating... HEY I HAVEN'T BEEN PERFECT AT LIFE EITHER!! But I'm still living.. and I'm still trying.

I have binged. I have stalled. I have whined. I have pushed. I have cheered. I have cried. I have jumped for joy.

I have had some awesome perfect days. I have had some "squeaky" days. I've had some REBELLIOUS days! hahaha

I AM NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT THAT I HAVE STARTED OVER MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT ON BOTH HANDS. That is the key. I REFUSE to give up. I REFUSE to think about what I did yesterday or last weekend. I try very hard to keep looking forward.

AND....

The weaker days are getting fewer and fewer... farther and farther between them. Would you beat your child for not walking perfectly within the first months of learning? Would you use as strong a language with a beginner "reader" as you would for yourself for not doing it perfectly? Would you toss out your child for not brushing their teeth because you have told them at least a dozen times what to do? I THINK NOT! Give yourself a break!!!

If you struggle with "perfection" -- determine to be ONE OF "THOSE" PEOPLE ....... start over every morning. I love a new day!



New day = new chance to get it right."

Christin's Great Hollywood Adventure...

Wow… that’s about all I can say right now about these last few days. This program has done so much to change my life in so many ways. I think when you get right down to it… it’s changed not only my life, but that of my family, friends, and those around me too.

I am so privileged and blessed to be able to represent this way of eating in the manner that I have been selected. Woman’s World magazine and all those who put my trip together this week have been amazing. I have NEVER in my life been so pampered and primped and pawed over! I LOVED IT!!!! So here is my account now for my friends and those who are wanting to know my Cinderella story of your everyday average housewife from Texas turned Hollywood model for the day!

My trip began in Houston TX early Monday morning… I was accompanied by my wonderfully supportive husband on this whirlwind adventure. We arrived at the airport early to attempt at a seat change because of my recent knee surgery we were hoping to get bumped up…. Didn’t happen… this flight was booked solid. So we boarded and took our place on the last row of the airplane. Not the most choice spot, but I was too excited about what was to come to really mind.

When we arrived in LA the chauffeur was there to pick us up in a nice Lincoln Business Class limo which took us straight over to the photo-shoot in the Media District of Melrose. When we went into the studio we were introduced to the “team.” Makeup, hair, creative director, stylist, photographer, they were all there. Rested for a few minutes and then whisked off to begin the transformation process. From plain ole’ me to… “Ahbsolutely Fahbulus dahling….!!!!”

Soooo you know in the movies where they show a photo shoot and the model says crazy things to make her face look right? Loud music playing and lots of lights and “give me attitude” talk from the photographer. I was so taken aback!!! That really is the way they do it! I had to stop myself so many times from laughing. But all in all, it was an amazing experience. They even let me keep 2 of the outfits!

We took a taxi from the shoot to the hotel and got checked in. We were given a beautiful suite very near Malibu and Hollywood Blvd. We quickly got changed and decided to head out and get some touring done. Headed from there to Hollywood Blvd to take in the sights… Kodak Theater, Mann Chinese Theater, Walk of Stars, whirlwind… but we saw it all!

After our quick tour of Hollywood we went to dinner at Kama Shiro restaurant overlooking the LA skyline. We literally watched the sunset over LA with the “HOLLYWOOD” sign overlooking us. It was beautiful. Oh… and my dear sweet husband tried eel for the first time. Yes we are no longer country… we have arrived and are experiencing the high life at last!

After dinner my dear friend Ana and her husband picked us up from the restaurant and we went to have coffee over at Universal Studios! We talked a long time and walked around Universal taking in some of the sights… after Universal they took us on a driving tour of some of the other sights we had yet to see that day. Culminating with pictures on beautiful Rodeo Dr. Although it was closed, it was still incredible to see and at least learn about all the different things that happen in a day in sunny CA.

It was sad to see such a wonderful trip come to an end, but then all good things do don’t they? It just gives me something AWESOME to look forward to. Don’t know when, but I am definitely going back. California is everything that I imagined it to be and more. Yes there are downsides to everywhere, every town, but I still wanted to see more. This experience brings new a whole new meaning to the phrase “California or BUST!”

Overcoming Self-Sabotage

I wanted to post here today an excerpt that I found regarding the DIET guide to emotional eating because it is definitely something that I have struggled with and deal with all the time. I was trying to explain to my mom about my lifestyle change this week. She was having a hard time understanding why now that I'm on goal I still won't eat "normal" foods.

What I told her was likening myself to a drug addict or alcoholic. Those people, once they overcome their addiction, must learn to recognize their triggers, the things that set them off on a binge or in need for a fix. Once they discover what those things are they do what is necessary to avoid them at all costs. For most of them, it also involves removing the temptation all together and not placing themselves in situations where alcohol or drugs would be. For those of us w/ food addictions it is much more difficult. We cannot remove ourselves from food. We must have it to live/survive. Therefore, we have to learn to control it by recognizing and removing our triggers. Those who follow the Kimkins way of life have learned that carbs for the most part are our triggers. For some it's salty flour carbs - pasta, chips, potatos, corn... for others its the sweet sugary carbs - cookies, refined sugars, etc... still for others, it may even be a combination of the two plus high fat foods such as cheeses and dairy products. The point is, in order to be successful at this type of lifestyle change, each person must learn to recognize his/her own triggers or "demons" and overcome them.

So, just as some alcoholics are eventually able to maybe have 1 drink every now and then only because they have recognized their demons and learned to deal with them, so I eventually hope to be able to add some higher carb items back to my diet on an occasional basis. However, I will no longer be able to endulge in my previous lifestyles regularity because I have learned to recognize my triggers and know that if I were to succumb to the "just one" that is so often presented to me, it would set off my emotional and physiological response to one more and one more and one more... thus cycling back into my previous destructive habits. Now... I have proven to myself that this method works for me. If I did dive into a certain "high carb" frenzy and totally give in one day, I could possibly say to myself...well I know the secret to getting it back off... so what's it going to hurt? Once again, that is the thinking that has caused me to fail every other diet that I've ever tried and put the weight right back on. Therefore, by my choice, I choose now and forever more to refrain from giving in to those certain food demons all together.

Here is the excerpt from the D.I.E.T. article:

"Traditional dieting strategies don't work for emotional eaters because the psychological aspects of weight management aren't fully addressed by most plans. Most diet programs don't deal with self-sabotage and the real reasons why we knock ourselves off track. To achieve lasting weight management success, emotional eaters need to go through the following four stages of change.

D - Discover: The first step is to discover our hidden emotional obstacles and understand the food-feelings connection that makes balanced eating so difficult. It's essential to tune in to our inner selves before we can attempt to change our outer appearance. We need to identify the self-defeating thoughts and attitudes, that lead us to sabotage our success with such frustrating regularity. Discovery is crucial because it's impossible to win the weight war until we know who the enemy really is.

I - Invent: Once we've discovered the emotional issues and self-defeating ways of thinking that have always stood in our way, we need to invent a new way of managing our lives and ourselves. It's time to break free from old habits and standard modes of operating. This requires that we invent healthier, more nurturing ways of thinking to combat those self-defeating tendencies.

E - Extinguish: The next step is to extinguish the old, unhealthy ways of thinking, feeling and perceiving as we adopt our newly-invented life plan. Healing old wounds and building new skills will help us deal with life's troubles head on and decrease our reliance on food.

T - Transform: Our final task is to transform our new insights, skills and healing into a positive lifestyle that emphasizes healthy food choices and regular exercise. After much hard work, one of my clients got to this stage and said, "I'm at the point now where exercising and eating right are emotionally uncomplicated." What she meant was that she at last felt free of her old emotional shackles and could now make the commitment necessary for the long-term task of successful weight management.

The D.I.E.T. Plan is a sometimes tough -- but necessary -- process for those of us with emotional eating issues. Remember: Until you deal with the demons, you can't tackle the fat."

Finding the New Me

Editor's Note: Please note that the Kimkins Diet has been proven to be a dangerous Very Low Calorie Diet. Please see my article HERE for further information regarding new developments about this program and my decision to step away.

I attended my first weight loss support group meeting when I was 10 years old. Not because I was made to go, but because I thought I needed it. You know those people who struggle their ENTIRE life with their weight? Hello... my name is Christin and I am a habitual "yo-yo dieter." Can I get an AMEN? When I was even as young as 8 or 9, I was very aware that my friends were all smaller than me. Now if you ask me... no child should have that hanging over their head all the time. All throughout my pre-teens and through even the teenage years I would look at others and compensate for my over indulgence by thinking "at least I'm not as big as this person or that person..." Looking back, I could have gone one of 3 ways. Either I was going to become anorexic, bulimic or I would become a comfort eater. Seeing as I LOVED food so much... there was no way I was giving it up totally... I thought, maybe I'll just eat what I like then throw it up. No can do... unfortunately my body has a visible reaction to hurling that put bulimia out of the picture too. That left me at comfort eating.

I would see a thinner person, get depressed, and grab a candy bar. Then get upset that I gave in to my compulsion and eat an extra piece of bread or a little bigger slice of cake. Cookies were good too. Whatever was within my sights that sounded good at the moment of compulsion or needed comfort I'd grab. That wasn't the worst of it though, I was ashamed of myself, so there were many times that I would hide to eat my indulgence. After all, with a very popular brother in basketball and a sister in gymnastics and both in great shape, how could I let on that I had a problem? As if hiding while stuffing my face would make the calories and fat somehow disappear. I guess I was under the delusion that my increasing size would not be enough of a give away.

I wish I could say that I wised up as I got older, but the compulsion just shifted gears. I was still a whole hearted comfort eater. But for some reason the hiding seemed to become a moot point. So I took my habits into the open, unabashedly displaying my gross enjoyment of the culinary arts. Somehow in the midst of all of this a wonderful man who could look past my addiction married me. YES! Now I don't even have to worry about attracting anyone! I'm set!!! Then something happened….

Somehow something inside of me started to feel that it was time to give up my old ways and turn over a new leaf. So I spent WAY TOO MUCH money on an all out weight-loss campaign. I lost a lot of weight and I felt great. I was happy with my new look, my husband was happy too. I got pregnant. Now I had an excuse to eat what I wanted to because of course the baby needed it! Then my life fell apart. Those of you who know me know the entire story which will take an entire separate blog to go into, but the important part of this particular one is that we ended up losing that baby.

Of course I was devastated. Although I had not gained all the weight back that I lost, I was already in the downward spiral of bad eating habits again. I had not made the mental transformation that I have discovered is vital to successful sustained weight-loss. So here I was again, on the destructive path to obesity once again. I got pregnant again not that much longer after the first one and this time everything was good to go. I actually gained 70 pounds that pregnancy. I was amazed at how fast it all adds up plus baby! At the end of the pregnancy I was at a new all time high. That's ok…. it'll all come off once I have the baby right? WRONG. I was totally baffled at after having an 8lb baby how could I only lose 5?

I thought I was happy. I had a husband and a baby and everything seemed to be good! 2 years later I had only lost about 20 lbs from the 70 that I had gained. And here I was pregnant again. I did better with this pregnancy though, only gained 30. But ummmm…. Wait a minute… that means NEW HIGH. After that baby I did lose about 20 again (that seems to be my post pregnancy number). Went on with my life… seemingly happy, but still secretly full of discontent and angst against those in my life who were so thin and attractive. I seemed to have a vision problem as well. Although I knew in my head I was overweight every time I looked in the mirror, I just didn't see it. I have heard of people having distorted realities regarding their weight. Like an anorexic person seeing fat on their body when there is none. I seemed to have the opposite fantasy.

Truth be told, I guess I was just scared. I was so deep in the way that I had lived my life, eating whatever and however I wanted that it terrified me to think of changing they way I viewed things. I have come to the realization though that true change begins in the mind. I wanted the body, and mentally I viewed myself as having the body. But, just like any addiction, you have to admit you have a problem before you can do anything about it. I had to say to myself "Christin, you are fat. You are severely overweight, and you must change your lifestyle if you want to be there for your husband and children long term." You will never achieve long term success if you do not change your ideas and mindset about nutrition and weight-loss. Yes, we all want to see quick results. That's what motivates us and keeps us going when things slow down or you are craving just that little piece of chocolate (my weakness). But I had to be willing to accept even slow results if that meant making a better tomorrow for me and my family.

Once I came to the understanding with myself that I had to accept whatever came in order to achieve the results that I wanted (a better, healthier body for me that I wasn't ashamed of, and a future with their mother for my children). I began to do my research on what diet program would be the best for me that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg to get in on as well. I had LONG dreaded low carb diets. I LOVE bread, potatoes, starches… you name it, if it had carbs, I was all about it. But, in my new mindset I knew that sacrifices must be made. I also had to assure myself that the sacrifices that I would be making now would be worth it long term, because I wasn't saying farewell to those things permanently, just temporarily until I could learn to integrate them back into my life in a healthy manner.

I knew that low carb diets were the ones that had the quickest results (again with the quick thing I know, but for someone that is overweight, you need results fast right?). If you too are overweight, you know what I mean about results. I looked all over for what would be the best option for me. I really couldn't stand all the fat that was allowed with some low carb diets. My dad did that and although he lost weight, his cholesterol went through the roof and he put it right back on. I learned about myself that I needed structure and a "list" of what I can and can't eat. These other low-carb/calorie diets that are out there are way too open about all your options. For me, the more options, the more chances for me to over do it.

So here I was, I knew I needed Low Carb, Low Fat, and restricted so that I knew what was ok and what wasn't. Then I found it. After doing searches for those criteria, one name kept popping up over and over. Kimkins. I decided to take the plunge and give it a try. WOW. First month I lost 30 pounds…. Surely there must be something wrong here… is this even possible??? The next month I lost another 20! I am VERY HAPPY to say that after 4 months on the program I have lost 80 pounds!!!!!! I have even taken the next step in my new way of life and begun training to run in my first 5K ever! And, in January of next year my goal is to run in a half marathon!

So this is me. Learning to love the new me. Learning to make a better life for myself. Committing before myself, my family, and now the world to never allow food to take control of me again. Committing to set a good example for those who look up to me. Committing to give my children and husband a future. Committing to be happy, inside and out.


Hello, my name is Christin, and I am no longer a yo-yo dieter.

Before:



After: