Are Your Friends Making You Fat?

Just read a great NY Times article from 9/13/09. We were cleaning out old newspapers and I saw the magazine cover story: "Are Your Friends Making You Fat?" Yes they are. There is evidence that 3 degrees of separation effects your weight, smoking and happiness. Obesity is contagious. Researchers replicated the way people influence one another and the virtual society they created, slowly became obese. If one person is obese and strategically placed in the group and influences one person it is contagious. Fascinating.

The solution is not to diet with a friend, but to diet with friends of friends- then everyone is surrounded by one person that is losing weight. Losing weight is hard. Right now around the holidays, it is just about impossible. But keeping it off if every one around you is obese is even harder.

No wonder I want everyone I know to join the step up plan. I am terrified of gaining back all of the weight. I am hoping that I have changed my habits. Maintenance could be harder than losing. I just can't imagine it but it may be true.

Humans are social beings. We are pack animals that want to be like the rest, be included and a part of the whole. Being different doesn't feel good. My hope is that through this Blog and my journey I can get others to join me, feel included and motivated. Maybe we can influence each other to be healthy and fit too.

Hannuka

This is what I said as a part of the 1st service this morning at Church where Allison was an angel in the Christmas pagent. We watched Fidler on the Roof last night (well the first half anyway) and we ate Latkes. I have been failing at staying on my program the past few days. I have even forgotten my pedometer. As I get into all of the traditions of the seasons I fall short on my new habits. I will do better tomorrow.
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The word tradition comes from the Latin which means "handing over or passing on".
This is the season of traditions. I have many traditions that I am passing on to my daughter. I think we need the traditions to help us feel that we belong to something larger than ourselves. It comforts me and allows me to be child again.

I grew up in a very non conventional family- actually many diverse households. I lived for a time on a commune, my stepmother is Jewish (Dad's 3rd wife) my mom's second husband was black and we moved in these world with ease at kids. Dad, the Maoist, read the communist manifesto at the dinner table a couple of times when I was in middle school until my sister and I revolted. I was taught that religion was the opiate of the masses, but remember going to Catholic church with my grandma on Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday. We never went went to temple, but observed the Jewish holidays. No wonder I am a UU, I love it that all of this is kind of normal here. We had a Christmas tree / Hanukkah bush and an annual solstice- toboggan party. The winter nights in Minnesota are very long and very very cold. My father believed in honoring the pagan traditions.

In honor of the traditions and diversity in my family and the world, and in honor of Marly,(noni to Allison) my step mother our relationship, and my love for her and her family especially my Grandma Louise (Babba Lou to Allison) I pass the Jewish traditions onto Allison. We light the menorah from my childhood, spin the dradle, eat latkes, Allison gets one small present each night like I did, and we retell the story of the miracle of the oil lasting 8 nights.

Allison has a poem to share about what Hannuka means to her

H- Happiness

A- A time to gather

N- Nation of believers

N- New toys

U- Uninterrupted light

K- Kitchen- I smell Latkes

A- A time to celebrate

(lighting of the menora with Allison)

This from our president, just one day after receiving the Noble peace Prize:

"The Hanukkah story of the Maccabees and the miracles they witnessed reminds us that faith and perseverance are powerful forces that can sustain us in difficult times and help us overcome even the greatest odds. Hanukkah is not only a time to celebrate the faith and customs of the Jewish people, but for people of all faiths to celebrate the common aspirations we share,"

"As families, friends and neighbors gather together to kindle the lights, may Hanukkah's lessons inspire us all to give thanks for the blessings we enjoy, to find light in times of darkness, and to work together for a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow."

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Julie / Julia

I got the movie Julie and Julia yesterday from Redbox ($1 one night rentals) and it was fabulous. I like many others of my generation learned to cook primarily from 2 books. First and foremost for the basics The Joy of Cooking, and once I realized that I loved cooking and food then I graduated to Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child.

I remember watching her on PBS, and as a teenager,watching the Dan Akroyd skit on SNL- bleeding all over the kitchen. I still find it hilarious. What appalled me from the movie was the butter. Oh my, how she loved butter. I can not eat like that. How do the French stay so thin eating all that butter. Oh well. I dusted off my used copy and will start to read it again with fresh eyes and see how I can make wonderful food like Julia sans the butter. Probably not possible, like Latkes with out oil.

I have been so focused on counting the calories that I forgot about the joy of eating and of cooking. Julie and Julia reminded me of the Joy.

Step Up Recruits Again

If you live in the Chapel Hill area and want to loose 10% of your weight or more, please, please, please do your self a favor and sign up for the last cohort of the Step Up study. I signed up a year ago and let me tell you it is the absolute best thing I have ever done for my body and physical health.

The program is amazing, life changing and they pay you. Ok, it's not much but, you are not paying for weight watchers and you are getting, in my mind, a much better program. You are pretty much gauranteed to loose 10% of your body weight in the 18 months, beacuse they care, they follow you and will even give you meal replacements if you are not on track to meet your goal.

I can not say enough positive about my experience. It has impacted every aspect of my life in a positive way. I do not regret one minute of it and wish every one struggling with weight for their whole life like me, could have the experience I have had in losing the weight. I am not done yet, (I am half way through) but I have only 20 pounds to go.

Here's the info I recieved:
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Dear Step Up study participants,

We are getting ready to recruit for the final round of study participants for the Step Up study. Many of you have told us that you have friends, co-workers or family
members who may be interested in participating. Please help spread the word that we are now begin recruitment for this third and final round of the study. Groups will start in February 2010 and we are we are beginning the eligibility screening now. If you know anyone who might be interested, please have them give us a call ( 919-966-5852 ) or send me an email, and we can give them more details about the program. They can also go to the website, www.uncweightresearch.org, for additional
information. Please pass it on!!

Thank you!
Kristen

--
Kristen Polzien, PhD.
Exercise Physiologist
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
1700 MLK Jr. Blvd., Suite 136
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Phone: (919) 966-9762
Fax: (919) 843-6663

Fine Dining

I have been working on setting up the endowment at our church for over six years. Today was the congregational meeting and I am now the chair of the endowment committee. Today we graduated from an interim committee. To celebrate we went to Fleming's steak house for fine dining.

I was underwhelmed and didn't do as well as I had hope. I ate very little before the meal so I was famished. I should have sent the bread away but I didn't. I ate my whole salad wedge- it was lovely but by the time the prime rib came I wasn't that hungry so I ate maybe 25%- 30% and same with my side- the sauteed spinach.

I used to love going out for a nice dinner, and this was my favorite- steak, salad sauteed spinach and mushrooms and molten chocolate cake. While eating I was distracted by counting the calories and suspicious of the butter. You know it is conspiracy by restaurateurs.... cover everything in butter to enhance flavor and fatten us all up. I passed on the wine to share the dessert.

So I sit here thinking about the over $100 we spent and wondering why I don't enjoy it anymore and wondering what to do next time. Fine dining at home perhaps-NY strip steaks from whole foods on the grill, but the service isn't very good here.

How to Manage December

Let's see what we have planned for December: Saturday is the greening of the church- Chili- not too bad for the diet. Dinner at Flemming's steak house on Sunday. Lunch out on Monday, a Christmas Carol (play) on Thursday night, Friday is the first night of Hanukkah which means greasy fired Latkes. Ok so that is only the first week.

I can handle all of this if I plan for it so here goes my tips and tricks.
1. Jack up the exercise- double the walks and classes- Tuesdays and Thursdays are now walk, spin, yoga mornings.
2. Eating out- count everything. Eat half of the portion or less. Practice portion control.
3. Parties- try 3 bites of everything no more, count everything. Have one glass of wine then go to water.
4. Latkes- have half of one and try to make some with pam in the oven- this is a hard one to manage around because the whole purpose is to eat oil.
5. Baking cookies and making candy- freeze or box for gifts immediately. Eat one of everything. Sit down and savor it and eat it very slowly enjoy every bite.
6. Out of town guests- Have things for them to enjoy but also the food that keeps you successful.
7. Christmas Day- portion control and have veggies that fill you up and just a few bites of the treats.
8. No eating after 7 pm
9. Drink lots of water
10. Weigh every day

Retail Therapy

I get a buzz from finding great deals shopping. It is really like a drug for me and I am on a binge right now and trying to figure out why. Is it a bad thing? It is just a little embarrassing, but I am also very proud of the great deals I got. I am comfortable writing this to the world but won't tell my husband. He has never read my blog so I think my secret is safe.

I had $40 in Kohl's cash that I had to spend this week or it is worthless. So I went to Kohl's last night after the weigh in/ UNC meeting. I went a bit crazy, and spent more than the $40 by $25 (16 articles of clothing most 90% some 80% off and one really cute top that was only 60% off for $7.20, a pair of jeans with a belt for $8- my most expensive buy plus a soap and lotion caddy for the guest bath $3.20 and 5 body sprays in a box for $2.80, I could go on). Then today we went to the mall, my daughter and I, so that she could go to build-a-bear for a promo code for their website. I spent spent another $20. So a total of $45 (or $85 if you count the cash back that I had to spend from black Friday shopping). To justify: I spend less than $1000 per year on clothes, and haven't bought much, if anything in the past month and a half except at the goodwill-a pair of Bill Blass skinny black jeans size 10 tall (which I wore black Friday and yesterday shopping!) and a robe I found when dropping off some things off a few weeks back. It just comes in spurts.

So here goes the confession ...I bought 25 articles of clothes in the past 2 days (26if you count the $4.40 dress with free shipping from Kohl.com yesterday morning.) I know it is too much but the deals were so great and the clothes look so good on I couldn't resist. It is still new to me that I can buy normal clothes off the rack and they fit. Today everything from JC Penny's was marked down to $1.97 nice spring and summer clothes. I spent $19.10 and saved $236.27. I bought 3 pair of capris - white black and brown- one pair was originally $42 and nice tops, some I can wear for business under jackets and some casual tops too.

With the sales items I bought in September and the last 2 days. I have replaced my complete summer wardrobe from size 18-20 to size 10-12. On one hand I need to have the smaller size clothes and it is great to get them all now in the winter at huge discounts. I gave away all of my big clothes so I have to keep on the program if I want to leave the house clothed. But on the other hand it feel excessive and a bit compulsive.

Golden Corral

The Golden Corral is what is wrong with the American diet. I knew I shouldn't have gone there. But I was on the slippery slope and couldn't help myself. We were driving back from Ohio and as a family couldn't decide where to eat in Galipolis, just before crossing into West Virginia. There wasn't a lot to choose from, so for some unknown reason I thought that the best choice. I was very wrong.

The food quantity is very high and the quality very low. Enough said. I finished first and walked the parking lot to get some steps in. Once we got in the car I started to feel ill. My stomach hurt all the way back to NC. I told my family to never let me do it again. Every time I eat there (once every 1-2 years) I leave saying I don't ever need to do that again. And then I am there doing the same damage.

Well I have recovered from the over eating and drinking in Ohio including the Golden Corral, and by some miracle I am down 1.6 pounds in the past week. For the past 2 days I am back at it on my diet and exercising. I got in over 17,000 steps yesterday. Today is the beginning of week 40 of this program and tonight is my 9th month assessment (weigh in and surveys). I am feeling pretty good about my progress and my ability to make it through the holidays.

(For those who are not familiar with Golden Corral like my family in Mpls- it is an all you can eat buffet of buffets with everything under sun- Something like 20 main courses, 20 side dishes, a huge salad bar, grilled meats, soups, ice cream plus 30 dessert choices. They have everything from pizza to tacos to pot roast to fresh rolls, grilled pork chops, mini cheese burgers, mac and cheese, greens, fried clam strips, popcorn shrimp, fresh baked cookies, etc etc etc.)