I am my own advocate! The Obesity Code Podcast Nov 2017

The Obesity Code Podcast Thanksgiving 2017

I love the Obesity Code Podcast. Be sure to check out Megan in the Thanksgiving 2017 episode at 15:00 talking about being in recovery.

" I am my own advocate"

Indeed! 

You are not alone: Here's to Holiday food sobriety. Please know I'm enjoying great food, that is ON TEMPLATE.  I'm adding some coconut milk to my coffee, breaking out the good Theo Chocolate, buying expensive sparkling water.

Most importantly, being food sober means I can enjoy family, friends, the beach, time at home with my kid, the cats and in my garden. When I was soothing with food, I really wasn't fully in my regular life.

No reason to go back to eating foods that take me away from my real life to numb out and binge eat.

I am my own advocate!!! 7th food sober Thanksgiving. 

Happy Thanksgiving (US) and here's to safe travels to my blogging friends world wide.
You can check out some of my food eats over on my IG stories: Karenspaleolife https://www.instagram.com/karenspaleolife/

Also, follow Keep It Up David Thanksgiving (rule 3 modified- I must eat only on template foods) Pledge
https://keepitupdavid.wordpress.com/2017/11/14/pledge2018/

Safe travles to all!

Trend lines matter, 2-3 weeks for me to reverse the trend in weight maintenance

THIS

My goal was to just get a level line going. Just to hit a level, not even to lose. I started getting a flat line just before I started my Nov 4, 2017 Time Restricted Eating and monitoring total intake.

I also had a couple of super stressful weeks. My stress level is going to get worse. My weight gain doesn't have to go the wrong way.

 I started reversing a gain trend Nov 4, 2017. I used either an 11:12 eating to fasting window OR a 17:7 fasting window.  From the Vora Fasting App. (link) 

2 weeks of fasting stats Nov 2017

Fasting start times 17:7 OR Fasting 11:13 Nov 2017

 It takes me 2-3 weeks to see weight changes in long term maintenance, with IF and Time Restricted Eating windows while monitoring my food intake


 It takes me 2-3 weeks to see weight changes in long term maintenance, with IF and Time Restricted Eating windows while monitoring my food intake


It takes me 2-3 weeks to see weight changes in long term maintenance, with IF and Time Restricted Eating windows while monitoring my food intake.

That's just so I'll remember this key take away from 2017.
Yo! It's going to take awhile.
I've got all the high risk obesity genetics.

My obesity genetics don't have to come out to play anymore. I can keep them in remission. They came out to play for 40 years. I'm done with that. Done with obesity, morbid obesity. I'll still get binge urges, maybe even a lapse now and again. Food addiction is merely in remission. That's all I want. Remission.

I'll always be high risk for weight regain. I'll always stay 1 step ahead of binge eating, weight regain, and root cause thinking. Always. Because I promised myself that the next 40 years are MINE. 

And they are. And I've got 2-3 weeks, 2-3 months, 2-3 years, even 2-3 decades.

Next check in will be early December 2017. Can I get 2-3 weeks of sustainable weight trending?

I've got 2-3 weeks.

What's working now

1. Tracking on MFP, food, weight
2. Trend lines on Fitbit
3. Vora App for IF and time restricted eating windows.

What didn't work in the past

1. Not tracking weight or food intake
2. Not taking 2-3 week actions on weight trendlines
3. Eating constantly because WW told me to eat often to keep my metabolism going and to avoid sugar crashes. What baloney that was. DANG. Terrible advice. My own fault for following it for too many years.

Here's to your next 2-3 weeks. Thanksgiving does not have to be gain time, it can be level time.

I have 2-3 weeks, and more!

5 years, 9 months in long term weight maintenance- keeping it LEVEL

May 2011 to November 2017 Weight Maintenance

May 2011 to November 2017 Weight Maintenance

Starting weight 187.4 lbs

Goal Range 113-125  lbs 

2017 best Goal Weight Range 113 to 116

Current Weight  116.0  lbs

Keeping off    71.4 lbs

Time in maintenance 5 years, 9 months

Age 51

Menopause 4+years

Height 5'1"

BMI 21.3

BMI ave this month 21.9

BMI ave last month 21.6

Glucose (fasting & 2hr post this month range 75 to 106 mg/dL)

Ketone blood= 0.2 to 0.6 mmol/L

Food Template:  Paleo, LCHF,  Keto-( due to fasting ), 

Total Carb ave = 42 grams per day
Net Carb ave = 28 grams per day

Abstain from all grains, most sugars*, dairy. Nut free, artificial sweetener free **
* 85% chocolate or 1-2 squares of 70% chocolate, maybe 4 squares on the weekends, Okay. LOL!
** Tiny bit of stevia in my Natural Calm, magnesium supplement

12:12.  I'm alternating short TRE with the 12:12, most days

Food Timing or Time Restricted Eating Window  (TRE) or Intermittent Fasting (IF) 17:7 or 18:6 (1X per week)

17: 7 example:

17 hours fasting (water only)
7 hours eating, 3 meals
Eat 6am Stop eating at 1 pm

Or 18:6, I change it up a bit

12:12 Example

12 hrs fasting (water only)

12 hours eating, 3 meals, one small meal (no protein)

Eat 6am, Stop eating at 6pm

Auto-Immune Hashimoto's Disease 1997, 100 ug Synthroid daily

Food Addict in Recovery: 6+ years

High Risk, but never diagnosed Type 2 diabetes

Walking 9464  ave steps per day, October

Weight lifting : 1X per week, 

Sprints  4 days per week stair sprints 

Stair Ave/day for the month 14 stairs (Apple Health Kit)

Flexibility and stretching: 2-3X per week at home or gym- sit to stand to sit. 

Meditation  I stopped this month! Taking a break

San Clemente, CA Oct 2017

What's working: 

1. Okay, short! I had some sleep issues in Oct 2017. I traced it back to a certain meditation app, possibly, or just stress, so I'm going to switch meditation apps and get back on it in Nov 2017. I am sleeping better this month.  November 2017 half stress, one quarter relax, one quarter bust a cleaning mode this year. 

2. Funny, I went from my lowest adult weight to slightly over my best 113-116 lb range in one month. Ha! Best not to celebrate too much about any one month's data. I've added more 17:7 fasting days and I'm getting slightly higher protein. I'm still LCHF. And, I've leveled out a bit. 

3 Trend lines: LEVELED! A few more weeks and I may or may not see a shift down. Time and my food choices will tell. I'm also monitoring my total intake of food. Totals still matter. I get the feeling that I may be seeing things 2-3 weeks down the road from whatever hormonal responses that make up weight are at play. Who knows. 

Intermittent fasting via Time restricted eating windows, food tracking, daily weighing. All excellent tools in my weight maintenance practice. 

What didn't work in the past

1. Using food to soothe my feelings and not sleeping well

2. Only getting on the scale 4X per year, maybe more maybe less. 

3. Not measuring meant no trend lines for guidance. Taking action quick enough. Missing that key habit.

Long term weight maintenance 2011-2017

Trend lines matter, so does total intake, narrow window scoop Nov 2017

Okay, want to follow along with a trend leveling out and possibly reversal?

It's all about my narrow window. I can easily go above my calorie window
and dietary fat window. Easily. Come along with me for a few weeks.

Most stressful work  month this year. Yeah! No excuses.
Actions now = results no matter what. That's life, YO!

I spy with my little eyes an upward trend.
It's at the top of my best weight maintenance range 113-116
All I need are 4-5 points under or at my trending average for a flat line
That's why weighing in weekly is not enough for me. I need to adjust at the 4-5 day mark.

Nov 2017 Weight Maintenance

September- Nov 2017 Weight Maintenance

Is this trending okay?... yes!!! It's data. I recorded it, but now I need to act.

Do I need to be mindful of and take some small actions... YES!!!
This is how I stay in long term weight maintenance.
Small changes, because my Weight Maintenance is built on my narrow ranges.
I live within the narrow, but actionable window.

1. Total intake calories? 
(100-150 calories higher can = upward trend. So can eating 100-150 lower!)
So says my Fitbit

I don't get normal hungry and full signals, so I use My Fitness Pal and FitBit to track.

2. Macros, fat vs protein? 
Getting my fat grams close to equaling my protein grams (64% fat, 22% protein, 12% carbs)
I remain LCHF/Paleo/Low levels of Keto, but shifting slightly by moving my protein higher is
always a WIN for me. Better hungry full signals, too.  LC and my body provides the HF!

I can shift my protein higher, presumably access my body fat to burn. Check out the KetoGains group

https://ketogains.com/2016/09/ketogains-fat-loss-chart/



3. Time Restricted eating? 17:7 works well, but so does 12:12 or 13:11

1,2,3 Yes!!!

Goal: Turn Oct 2017 upward trend into a flat line

Long term goal, downward trend with new flat line1-2 pounds lower

Going above my calorie and dietary fat window!

Trend lines in weight maintenance, they matter! Nov 2017

Heading into a super busy 6-9 months. So I'll be posting more photos than topics.


I'm settling into my winter trend line- AKA, the very top of my best weight maintenance range. I'm feeling pretty good.

What is working now:

1. I had terrible sleep for a while there in October. Now that I'm sleeping better I may or may not return to center of  my best weight. I'm still good inside the 113-116 range. Really, I feel great.

 There is no reason for me to adjust anything OTHER than getting a flat line in this yearly graph. Interesting that my weight at the lower plateau is staying longer. I suspect I'll go between the two plateaus from here on out if 2017 is any indication.

2017 weight maintenance, keeping 72+ pounds off

2. New silocone O-Ring for my Instant Pot. Yep! My lid always fit a bit wonky, so I replaced my silicone O-ring for my Instant Pot and I know feel comfortable making homemade broth. Mostly chicken, but by adding 1 nice beef bone with lots of bone marrow (purchased at Whole Foods) I get gelatin in my mostly chicken broth.

I also find good GI works when I add a little beef to my broth. 

Defatting & finding gelatin in my chicken broth!

3. Beach walks and photography. Yep! Very relaxing. 

Beach Glass Sunset

The sea glass colors are fabulous!

What didn't work in the past

1. Not prioritizing sleep, not looking at weight trend lines. Not taking action on day 4-5 of an upward trend.

2. Eating WW frozen meals and thinking I was going to get lean. LOL. I did almost get Type 2 diabetes. Because low fat high carb is not optimal for me. And fruit is not free by a long shot for my genetics. Little did I know that Paleo/LCHF could be fast, and inexpensive by using the whole animal and cool tools like the InstantPot. I can use fruit in flavoring in salad dressing. It's all good. Tasty and the correct hungry full signals- most of the time.

3. Not being able to walk far or boulder hop due to my weight and my plantar fasciitis. Beach combing was possible, but it was by far much more painful and I could not squat, boulder hop or walk as long or as far as I can now.

Hope nobody is falling into the binge eat, repent, repeat cycle for the Holiday 2017 season. Good news is you can stop today and be in a better place by tonight. And the next day and the 1 month and 27 days we have left in 2017.  Get out of your own way. Moderating junk is wheeeee fun, until it's not. Then it's just a mental and physical pain. I know, I lived 40 years that way.

Take it from me: Do not wait until 2018 and don't align yourself with anyone who is waiting until the new year to take action. Long term weight maintenance is a "Right Here Right Now" sort of life.

Off to relax before the beach weather leaves us. Looks like we are about to start our So. Cal rainy season.  Because my car  plants could use some water.