2017 Weight Maintenance Wrap Up- a normal weight is essential for me

Bye 2017. Good, not so great, and mostly okay. Living life at or near my "best weight" is essential.


LCHF, Paleo, mild- Keto, Time Restricted eating brought great weight control.  Obesity effects my physical, mental, and cuts to my core of my soul in a negative weight. Maintaining a normal weight is one of my top priorities. 

2017 fifth year of long term weight maintenance

I started measuring ketones so I could put some data behind my "mild keto" claim. I'm not sure if it helps me with weight maintenance or not, but certainly, it doesn't seem to hurt. Plus extra energy and all the early 30's feels. I'm 51. So there's that!

I had the lowest HA1c of the decade at 4.8 ng/mL. Whoooooo!!!!

I stopped eating most coconut products in an effort to eat more ancestral.

I survived a case of shingles. The singles anti-viral med works great for me. I'm fortunate.

I hit stairs and did some elevation sprinting. More push-ups, more standing from sitting without using my hands mobility. 

I had some fun travels and dug deeper into my family tree, connected with some newly discovered cousins.

I've had a truckload of fun with my Sea Glass hobby

So. Cal Sea Glass 

2018 is going to be a year of change.

I'm preparing mentally for having my teen (aka Jr. Family member) attend college in the fall of 2018.

Work will continue to be a fast paced and I'll need roll with it, flexibility 100% sort of environment. I've got 15+ years more to work. So I will learn, grow, flex as much as I do with my health and mobility. It's likely to be all about SKILZ. I'm up for it.

Life goes on, however, it's much easier for me to live life at a normal weight.
I see many accounts that you don't find happiness at your best weight or goal weight.

I'm happier  at my weight maintenance range

I feel the best 113-116 lbs.  Even up to 125, it's okay. I'm not okay above 125. At all.

I feel so much better. I've placed compulsive overeating, morbid obesity, Type 2 diabetes- all are in remission. Life for me is so much happier and easier. It's also much cheaper in not being sick as much and not having diabetes, migraines, aches and pains.

Onward 2018 is going bite me in the rump if I don't keep my food sobriety, including my weight in check. It's my truth, I own it.

Here's to 2018. Do what makes you happy and happier than before, even if it's not popular on social media.

I didn't have to run to keep in front of this wave. I stood, observed the biggest wave cycles, then took my best photos and this short film.

Onward. Happy Dry Feet 2018. From just beyond the soak zone. Glad to be away from the mile of denial, obesity, and binge eating. Almost 6 years. Feels good. Not going back.

7th Food Sober Christmas, 2017

Newport Beach Dec 2017

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!!!!!

This is my 7th Food Sober Holiday Season. 

Please know, if you are abstaining, you are not alone. I'm abstaining, fasting for part of the day and exercising. I eat like I care about myself! I care about disease prevention, taking care of myself and my family financially. And physically. 

I can see why the weight maintenance remission period is 2-5 years into a stable weight. I could have easily gone back to my moderating ways in years 1-5.

Once I hit year 5 of abstaining from my binge triggers- all grains, all nuts, most emulsifiers, most sugars

(My exceptions are soy lecithin and a small amount of sugar in 70% chocolate, after careful testing)

This year, same old same old.  Life is GOOD!

LCHF is so delicious. Keto keeps me feeling 31 instead of 51. Fitbit keeps me honest. 

What's working now

1. No Sugars, No Grains

2. Abstaining

3. Time Restricted Eating (6am until 1pm)

4. Daily weighing

5. 60+ minutes of exercise

6. 2 gym work outs

7. Stair Sprints

8. LCHF

9. Keto because I fast

10. Glucose monitoring, because I am at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, HA1c low 5's or high 4's

It's not my fault. I was told a load of junk by many. Weight loss groups (WW), Doctor, employer, (no, eating whole grains is not a good thing it's a fat, obese, diabetic thing) magazines. Good thing I can think for myself now. Putting myself in charge was a game changer. 

We've been told incorrectly.

What didn't work in the past

 1. Grains made my cats sick and me overweight with high inflammation & binge eating

2. Moderation of junk food kept me morbidly obese

3. Eating 6 meals a day kept my glucose high. I was almost diagnosed pre-diabetic

4. Not weighing in kept the door open for compulsive overeating

5. Moving 20 minutes felt like reason to eat a Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich

6. Gym is for others

7. My knees hurt so bad, stairs were avoided.

8. Low fat high carb kept me sick

9. I never gave myself a chance to use my own body fat for fuel

10. I ignored my glucose and HA1c until it got to 5.7% 

Hope you are all out having fun with your family. Safe travels. You are not alone. It's not your fault. It is our responsibility to find what works. Onward.

5 years, 10 months long term weight maintenance, very fortunate

May 2011 to Dec 2017 LCHF

May 2011 compared to Dec 2017 Low Carb, Time restricted eating

Starting weight 187.4 lbs

Goal Range 113-125  lbs 

2017 best Goal Weight Range 113 to 116

Current Weight  116.8   lbs

Keeping off    70.6 lbs

Time in maintenance 5 years, 10 months

Age 51

Menopause 4+years

Height 5'1"

BMI 22.1

BMI ave November  21.9

BMI ave October 21.6

Sort version update for Nov 2017.

I'm flat lined out in the 116's. I'd prefer to be 116 or lower. 13-116 is my BEST weight So, I need to lose about a pound.

It could take me a couple of months to lose AND sustain the loss... so I'll be doing that work. 

GRAPHS, because, I use my data as a key tool for weight maintenance. 

Stepping back and looking. I'm pretty happy. I feel okay. I won't always feel my BEST, but that's okay. It's good enough. My maintenance plan is sustainable. Sustainability is the best I can hope for, along with my health. I'm very fortunate. 

Weight Related Blog award 2017, Yes, Weight Maintenance is sustainable (for me)

Hello All,

I was ranked #18 on this "awards" site. I have concerns. See the note below.

*** I removed the link****  due to click bait at the site.
Look at the list, but don't click on the list at the other site.
Just google the blogger you find interesting.*****

NOTE:

0. The site itself is a big redirect to a "reader". All the nopes. Look but don't click (google)
1.The linked site has many errors in the bios.
2. Fact check to see if the bloggers are still reaching their goals or who they say they are.
3. Photoshop is used in several cases. Fakers. Several. Keep your eyes wide open.
4. High clicks don't always mean factual blogging.
5. Be weary of commercial bloggers, there are great ones and fake ones.

Choose who you follow and why very carefully. Surround yourself with real folks who are blogging about real results. What did and didn't work. Who aren't shilling expensive products.

Long term weight maintenance is sustainable for many. Don't let media or anyone else tell you it's not. There are lots of folks who maintain their weight loss. Yes, lots do not. I did not for 40 years. I never stopped trying.

6 years, 10 months

6 years, 10 months weight maintenance

I was ranked 18  on this website. The name on the badge is funny because regular readers know how much I kept myself stuck by staying counting WW points.

Moderating the junk food at WW kept me stuck for many years. I can't recommend WW due to the marketing of processed foods, the fruit is free but for me, I got really sick binge eating and got high glucose readings from this plan.

Please, if you are counting points, calories or macros please grab a glucose meter and check fasting and 2 hour post at home glucose readings. Save yourself from a preventable disease. 

Luckily, I broke free of the WW mentality a few months from being diagnosed as a pre-diabetic. . Eating low points bars and WW enchiladas almost had me very sick.

I kept myself stuck for many years.

 Paleo, LCHF, Keto and fasting  and abstaining are much better tools for me. For weight maintenance, disease free living, for not binge eating.

Oh me. Anyway, when I consider not blogging, ranking 18 out of 60 means there is relative content on my blog. I'll keep going. I've only been maintaining 6 years and 10 months now. I've got another 34 years or so to go.

Weight gain post menopausal is common, however not that normal. Don't buy into it. Find your real food tools, bloggers, recipes, habits, and behaviors. Tough to do in this process food driven world, I know.

Here's why I blog: I want people to know as it relates to me and long term Weight Maintenance

Here's what works for me:

1. Weight Maintenance is sustainable (Long term blogging buddies who maintain)
2. Abstaining from binge food is most important (Barbara Berkeley, MD and Gretchen Rubin)
3. Cooking at home will save your finances (Thank you Nom Nom Paleo)
4.  Paleo is sustainable (Thank you Robb Wolf and Melissa Hartwig))
5. Modified AIP is sustainable (Thank you Mickie Trescott)
6. LCHF is sustainable (Thank you Low Carb USA and The Low Carb Dietician)
7. Keto is a great tool (Thank you Keto Forums)
8. Time Restricted Eating Windows/ Intermittent Fasting is a great tool (Thank you Dr. Fung and Dr Panda)


Please, if you are searching for weight maintenance, you can find it, but not without a lot of tools. Find what works best. Find Weight Main Don't follow the fakers.

It's a long haul and long term maintenance takes work by year, month, week, day, and even by hour.

What didn't work in the past

1. Following bloggers who were gaining and giving advice- not just WW, but Paleo, LCHF, Keto.
2. Moderating the candy bars at WW meetings (HEY MAN, only 2 points, eat up)
3. Eating out a slice of pizza or a WW enchilada tray because I was busy
4. Not seeing how I look, feel and perform- and thinking grains were healthy. I got so sick
5. Dairy. It doesn't work for me post Hashimoto's disease.
6. Low fat, high carb.  Grains made me fat. As in morbidly obese
7. Eating high carb kept me from using my own body fat to become lean. Truth!
8. Eating frequently kept my blood glucose super high

Please, choose who you follow very, very carefully. Weight Maintenance is possible for those who seek it. I'm not saying it's easy, but it is possible. If you say it's not, then it won't be. So choose your tribe carefully. Choose your thoughts carefully, too.

Onward.

New Keto Podcast - Keto Woman, Daisy Brackenhall

Podcast recommendation: Keto Woman (iTunes link)

Daisy's FB page link 

I enjoyed interacting with Daisy Brackenhall over at the Ketogenic Forums, so when she started her own podcast, I was thrilled.

Please go subscribe to the podcast, download some episodes and learn from other woman who have improved their health with a Ketogenic lifestyle.

I need to keep my head in the game, so listening to success stories is very good for my long term game.

PLUS! I can recommend certain episodes to my friends who suffer with some of the same disease states that Daisy's guests have overcome.

Let me know if you like this podcast, too. Fabulous.

I'll be updating my Paleo/LCHF/Keto resources with the Keto Woman included.

Here's to staying well and continual learning.

Leveled out, for now- two types of weight regain for me Nov 2017

Okay, Nov 2017. Another chapter of my Art and Science of Weight Maintenance. In the books.

 My plan was to just get level. I did but not before having a secondary cause of weight regain near goal. It happens. Life happens.

Long story short, I got to my goal of getting level. But there were two different flavors or causes of  my weight regain.

Why did I gain? 
Cause 1: The one in RED seemed more hormonal, due to meal timing, maybe increase in calories in (yes, I if i over eat, I will gain). Fewer longer fasting days.

Cause 2:  The second one in YELLOW corresponds to travel, eat outs, exposure to grains (probably corn) and multiple small spider bites. Short term, yet high inflammatory. I had such bad knee pain going up stairs that I had to hobble. It hurt, a lot.

I have not had the chance to look at what both scenarios look like until late this week. Very interesting. Once I know the process, I can troubleshoot more effectively. Throw in 2 root causes and it is a lot more work.

IMO: It really pays to touch base with your own causes of weight regain (if you can ID them) and get familiar with effective stability tools. Once I boil the whole process down to the right tools, then reversing weight gain at or near goal seems easier for me. Easier than trying to reverse 10-20 + pounds. I found much harder to reverse higher numbers.

Identifying weight regain when part of it is hormonal is tricky, but I can use tools, use data, trend lines and take additional steps. It could be easier, but it also could be harder, too.

Why I address it ASAP:
Once I start trending past my best weight, the gain can become fast and furious. It's not my fault

Why? Weight gain is common. Obesity is hardcoded in my FTO genes. Obesity and Type 2 diabetes. High risk. I was previously obese or yo-yo dieting 40 years. Add in an extra ghrelin gene and "off signals" for eating that are faulty. Weight regain and Food Addiction are BEASTS. Chronic, life long disease.

I deserve the best treatment I can give myself. It's not like the government or most workplace wellness programs pushing high carb grains are going to help me. I need to seek my own solutions.

I am not a bad person, glutton, weak willed, needing to moderate my binge food, unwilling, or any other unsavory name thrown at the regainers. 

Why? multiple root causes of obesity probably have created 2 different kinds of weight gain for me.

I knew this, but to see them within 5 weeks or so, really brought home the art and science of weight maintenance. I have to apply many tools to keep a fast and furious weight regain from happening

Tools last month were:- AKA what is working

1. Time Restricted Eating windows (IF) more frequently. More frequent 17:7 fasts daily, with 11:13 and 12:12 thrown in there. ( helps me lose weight right at goal weight, which is very hard for me)

Hours spent fasting

Bimodal fasting for me! Start times

2. LCHF food template, fasting keeps me in a low level Ketosis. ( I can burn my own body fat & it's nutritious and delicious. )

3. My Fitness Pal and Fitbit  (I can keep track of total intake and activity)

In one of my groups, there is a motto:  Keep Calm and Keto ON  (KCKO). Yep!!!

In the past what didn't work

1. Eating all the time. Breakfast, snack, Lunch, snack, Dinner, BINGE EAT while watching Biggest LOSER. Um, I gained weight during this time.

2. Moderate eating with a Calories in Calories out approach only. Thinking I could be lean by eating my binge foods. No that Lean Cuisine Pizza was not lean (high carb) and certainly was not cuisine.

3. Not tracking total intake, including macros and fooling myself on activity. NO, no that weight gain was never muscle.

Onward. Keep Calm and Weight Maintenance On!  (KCWMO)

The big picture looks pretty good. Glad I did the work last month. This is the longest I've been this stable. My whole 51 years of life. Let's see what the next meal brings.....

2017 , 5th year of weight maintenance

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.

Run! From fun-size Halloween Candy 2017 because obesity and diabetes are far from FUN! 7th Food Sober year

RUN!!! If you are an abstainer, I'll hope you are like this Sandpiper. RUN from slippery slope thinking at Halloween.

Run from these slippery slope thinking when considering moderating fun sized Halloween Candy. Because Obesity, Binge Eating, Diabetes and complications are far from fun.

Think about the time lost in life- brain space and painful diseases that stinking thinking brings. It's so NOT FUN!

What didn't work in the past

1. I can eat just one (nope! I'm a food addict, I used that excuse all the time, It was never one)

2. I can buy candy I don't like and pass that out ( proximity = high chance of binge)

3. I can buy candy and bring the left overs into work (what left overs?)

4. I can bring it into work ( I must have hated my co-workers, sorry peeps!, They struggle, too)

5. Everybody eats Halloween Candy, it's okay for me to moderate (no, not everyone eats this crap)


Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes are at record levels. Good news, remission is possible. But only if you as an individual choose to walk away from the current environment and stinking thinking.

What works now

1. I abstain from all candy  ( exceptions small amounts of planned 85% or less often 70% chocolate)

2. I buy small amounts of candy to hand out ONLY if my other family member wants to do so. (I recognize not all people need to abstain 100%)

3. I make any extra candy hit the trashcan, with bleach poured over it. 7th year, no dumpster diving. Yaaaay!

4. My co-workers deserve better. I'll bring in meat or vege, or spices, or olive oil to share for general use. All holidays do not require junk food to celebrate.

5.  Food addicts in recovery, Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, Type 2 Diabetics, Type 1 diabetics, NSNG and more- Many of my friends and support group abstain from Halloween Candy. Ain't no big deal. YO!.

Recovery is sweet enough. Here's to a Food Sober Halloween 2017. You deserve health and wellness, not painful diseases and struggle. Onward!

5 years, 8 months long term weight maintenance, lowest adult weight, longest time in maintenance!

May 2011 to September 2017

May 2011 to September 2017

Starting weight 187.4 lbs

Goal Range 113-125  lbs 

2017 best Goal Weight Range 113 to 116

Current Weight  112.6  lbs

Keeping off    74.8  lbs

Time in maintenance 5 years, 8 months

Age 51

Menopause 4+years

Height 5'1"

BMI 21.3

BMI ave this month 21.5

BMI ave last month 21.5

Glucose (fasting & 2hr post this month range 79 to 109 mg/dL)

Ketone blood= 0.2 to 0.8 mmol/L

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

Total Carb ave = 31 grams per day
Net Carb ave = 22 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 11915  ave steps per day,  August

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 1-2X per week, Headspace. 

_________________________________________________

Lowest adult weight, longest time in weight maintenance. Really, looking at the 2017 graphs, I've been more stable this year than any other year in long term weight maintenance. 

WOW!!!!   

Insurance blood draw, everything looks great- my total cholesterol and LDL are high (lean mass hyper responder for cholesterol), yet my HDL is a whopping 101, triglycerides are 68,  hs-CRP is 0.6,  HA1c is all time low 4.8

Cholesterol/ HDL ratio is 3.7

Triglyceride/HDL ratio is 0.67

Blood pressure 106/68

Resting Heart rate ave last month 56 bpm

Yep! Lean. Muscular, Energy is high, joint pain low. Sleep is pretty good. Mobility is excellent.  $60 per month insurance discount 5/5 parameters. 

What's working for me now

1. LCHF and Time Restricted eating for the win!

What didn't work in the past

1. Low fat and eating allllll the time. 

There will be GRAPHS. 

Good DATA = Good DECISIONS    YO!