The weight game: why the non-diet diet works (for me at least)

You're not the boss of me chunky monkey dessert at Pubbelly. 

Every once in a while I read something that perfectly encapsulates my own experience. Most recently it was a New York Magazine article by Melissa Dahl called, "A Non-Diet Diet: The Case for Eating Whatever You Want."

The gist of the piece is that evidence is increasingly showing that elimination based diets yield only short term results, and that eating what you want when you want it is the key to reaching your ideal weight. The official term for this approach is intuitive eating, and it's rooted in the notion that our body inherently knows what it needs. The trick is knowing how to listen to it. 

This means the following: 1) eating slowly and taking time to evaluate how full you feel. 2) Avoiding eating for any reason other than physical hunger, i.e., sadness, stress, boredom, happiness etc.  And my favorite, 3) allowing yourself to eat anything you desire.

Peoples' initial response to such an approach is fear they'll end up eating junk food all the time, but the reality is quite the opposite. The idea behind intuitive eating is that because you're paying attention to how food makes you feel, you simply won't want to eat crap all the time. Furthermore, since there's no such thing as forbidden food, you won't be drawn to it in the same way.

If you recall, in late 2012 I wrote about how for the first time in my life I had taken to emotional eating (boredom at work mostly), and no matter what I tried I couldn't lose the weight and fit into my pants. The post was my way of admitting my behaviour to myself and resolving to be more conscious.

The problem was that despite getting better at eating only when I was hungry,  I had taken to cutting out a lot of foods from my diet. Suddenly, all I could think about was dessert and pasta. It followed that every time I let myself indulge in such "treats," I never felt satisfied and kept wanting to have more. Dahl's article cites research that shows when parents implement very strict eating rules, their kids eat more of off-limit snacks when they're able to get ahold of them.

In any case, my weight didn't go down and I hated thinking about what I was and wasn't eating so much.  Then came my second post on the subject, where I declared I was just going to accept my body as it is and I was no longer going to think about losing the weight. It's a tough concept to fully grasp, but what we think and tell ourselves becomes our reality.

It followed that right around this time I met my now boyfriend, and I was so happy and preoccupied with other thoughts that not thinking about my weight was surprisingly simple. We were also dining out ALL the time, and hell no was I going to turn down a little dessert!

And then just like that -- without thinking about it -- I lost the weight. And I haven't put it back on. I also workout less. It's fascinating to me that by not denying myself of dessert and the like, I actually want it less, and I'm satisfied after just a few bites. Weird as it might sound, intuitive eating worked (and works) for me, and who would've thought it could be so easy.

Disclosure: I'm not by any means an expert on this subject matter, I'm simply discussing an article that resonated with me and my own experience. By sharing this with you my only hope is that it might be helpful in some way.

xoxo

Val 

The weight game: playing without losing your head part II

Every time I read something with a title along the lines of "How to get your body beach ready in two weeks," or "Five foods that will give you a flat belly," I swear it's going to be my last one, but of course, it never is. I keep thinking the next one will hold the secret to end all secrets -- the one that will bring me one step closer to looking like Jessica Alba in a bikini. It never does.

And the more I read, the more confused I become. One's telling me eating Greek yogurt will do wonders for my waistline, while the next expert is suggesting I ban all dairy from my diet. Caffeine is the devil on Monday, but on Tuesday it's being lauded for its health benefits. Pardon my French but WTF?! I realized I was becoming a slave to my heath/beach body quest when my morning bowl of cereal started to overflow as I attempted to fill it with as many "superfoods" as humanely possible. Enough was enough.

With bathing suit season officially upon us, it's easy to become obsessed with clocking in hours at the gym and with what one puts into his or her mouth. Make no mistake both are important, particularly the latter, but any obsession is unhealthy.

In a recent intenSati class, the inspirational founder, Patricia Moreno, said something that really stuck and which I'm going to try to internalize; the key word here being try. For those of you who don't know, intenSati is a high intensity, affirmation shouting workout focused around self-empowerment via changing your mindset. To convey a point, Patricia drew a circle to represent one's life/well-being. She allocated a tiny piece to working out, and a slightly bigger piece to what one eats. However, the biggest chunk of the circle was one's thoughts. Her point was, if we want to love our lives -- and our bodies -- it all begins with what we think and what we tell ourselves.

She preaches, and I agree, that to achieve our goals (career, fitness, relationship etc.), we have to start from a place of self-acceptance and love. If we accept ourselves exactly as we are, all the while striving to be our personal best -- not anyone else's (here's to you Jessica Alba), everything else will fall into place. For instance, we'll make the right decisions regarding what we put into our mouths because we'll choose foods that give us energy and make us feel good.

Okay, so you're probably thinking this is all high and mighty Val, but WTF am I supposed to do when I have to be in a two-piece next week? I hear ya loud and clear, but if you take anything away from this post, it's put down whatever you're reading and tell yourself you're perfect just the way you are. Instead of trying to change things, focus on being grateful for what you have and doing what will make you feel even better. I'm going to try this, and if I end up miserable and 10 pounds heavier -- I'll be the first to let you know.

I'll start with accepting I'll never look like Jessica Alba in a bikini, something that being of sound mind I always knew, but perhaps never fully reconciled. I also know while diet and exercise can go a long way in changing our physiques and improving our health, a little something called DNA plays an even bigger role (at least that's what the scientists are saying today). Or as my mother aptly puts it, "no matter what, I'll never be a tall blonde". Being her kin, I'll also never be a leggy blonde (thanks mom, thanks), and perhaps with the exception of pregnancy, I will forever be flat of chest (sounds better than flat chested, no?).

I also know while it may work great for some, eliminating meat, dairy, coffee and all sugar from my diet won't make me feel better (depressed is the word I'm looking for). Yes, it's important to educate oneself about the latest nutrition and fitness research, but I'd say (I could be totally wrong) it's equally as significant to listen to one's body and do what feels right for YOU and makes YOU happy. Come to think of it, I've been at my ideal weight only when I've been happy and at peace with my situation -- not the other way around. And especially not when I've been obsessing over how I look. Is there any way I can declare this the summer of self-love without making you want to punch me in the face? Can I also add happy and confident people are always the most attractive ones? Guess I just did.

The circle of "life", or just the delicious zucchini frittata at Locande Verde 

Better late than never: 2013 resolutions

Me in "guru pose" (as my friend Pam called it) on New Year's eve in Saint. Martin. 

Happy 2013 dear readers! I've finally come up with some New Year's resolutions I think I can actually keep. What was that? Disbelief? Oh no you didn'ttttt (insert mandatory finger waving and snapping). Besides, putting my resolutions on the web for all to see already implies a certain degree of accountability, right? I think so anyways.

 What are your resolutions? Send them my way and we can keep each other in-check. Thank you again for reading, it means the world to me as this blog is truly a labor of love. 

1. Blog more. Duh. 

2. De-clutter. Cabinets, closet, desk -- the works. I find I breathe easier when there's less "stuff" around me. It's also a major time-saver, especially for someone who is perennially late. That brings me to my second resolution...

3. Be on time. Stop under-estimating how much time I need to get ready and arrive at my final destination. 

4. Get together with friends more often during the week. Drinks on a Wednesday despite having work the next day? Yes please! Life's too short to not take advantage of NYC's vibrant nightlife which some argue attracts better crowds (ahem, eligible bachelors) on weekdays. 

5. Eat less sweets. Moderation, moderation, moderation.

6. Keep changing up my exercise regime to avoid getting bored and to keep my muscles on their toes so to speak. Last year I fell in love with the ballet inspired barre-burn classes and the heart-pumping, affirmation shouting inten-sati classes at Equinox. In 2013, I'm trying pilates on the megaformer at SLT. It has been described as "pilates on steroids", and while I'm scared, I'm also kind of psyched. I've also just gotten into Mary Helen Bowers' ballet-based dvd workouts. The former ballerina and Natalie Portman's trainer for Black Swan helps you get that long and lean ballerina body. Her quick, targeted workouts are perfect when you're traveling or pressed for time. 

7. Sport a bold lip more often. It's an instant winter pick-me-up on days when I'm looking Edward-Cullen-esque. My current favorite is Nars' Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in "Dragon Girl".

8. Smile more at strangers. As Gandhi said, "be the change you wish to see in the world", and I would like to live in a more positive, upbeat world. And also because you never know who will smile back... 

9. Reap the benefits of living in New York City by attending more art exhibits, plays, comedy shows, musicals and concerts. 

10. Remain calm. I almost want to cross this one off the list because calm and me don't exactly go together, but I really, really, really want to try to keep my cool in the face of  stress this year. I can and I will try and that's the most we can ever ask of ourselves -- to try. And if we fail -- there's always 2014.

Xoxo

Val 

The weight game: playing without losing your head

No reservations - enjoying a heavenly birthday brunch at The Dutch

I've had to buy some new pants recently. Normally, this would be a cause for celebration, or something to that effect, but the emphasis here is on the had.  You guessed it -- yours truly has put on weight. The lethal combination of stress/exhaustion from balancing work with school and a social life led me down the dangerous path of snacking when I (insert gasp) -- wasn't hungry. Aside from the financial "toll" of emotional eating, I was getting terrible stomach pains and felt like crap. Don't be mistaken, I'm not calling myself even remotely "large" or even suggesting I need to lose any weight, but my "situation" got me thinking about issues many of us -- correct me if I'm wrong -- grapple with.

Growing up, I never thought twice about what I ate; fortunately, my parents went to great lengths to maintain a healthy household without ever bringing the word "calorie" into the equation. It's precisely why I hate that as I get older and my metabolism slows down and my mother no longer cooks for me, I need to think more about my food choices if I want to feel good and look the way I've grown accustomed to. And while I know it's wrong to eat my feelings rather than deal with the stress head on -- I also don't want thoughts about food and looks to permeate my life to the point where I stop enjoying either. What to do, what to do?

For a while I had no idea, so I just kept snacking (healthy snacks no less ) in the hopes I would find a solution. I didn't. Perhaps you'll agree one of life's greatest challenges is finding a balance that works for you. It's certainly something I struggle with and I'm sharing my story because I'm getting warmer. For starters, I started to re-train my body with the focus on feeling better.  It wasn't easy saying goodbye to my anxiety rice cakes and melancholia granola bars, but I did, and I felt better instantly. It also helped that I realized green juices and I just weren't meant to be, but that's another story...

However, even though I felt better, I couldn't stop chastising myself up about gaining the weight. My poor parents had to endure my whining all throughout their visit until finally my dad looked at me and said: "Val, you look great, just buy some bigger pants and shut-up already". He was right. Now that my stomach was no longer bothering me and I ceased eating when I wasn't hungry (most of the time at least, I'm human), it occurred to me that if losing those extra couple pounds means having to deprive myself of delicious meals (dessert included)  -- it's not worth it (for me). To each his own, but I love food too much and have always been a staunch believer in the only eat it if it's yummy rule to monitor what I eat to that extent. Maybe my old pants just aren't meant to fit again. It's not like I'm earning my bread and butter as a VS model. The important thing is I'm healthy and thanks to group fitness classes I actually want to go to -- I'm the fittest I've ever been.

What makes me laugh is how prior to moving to New York, my anxiety caused me to drop several pounds and I spent most of it lamenting the loss of my otherwise ample tush. Why women, me among them, are hard-wired to never be satisfied and always want what they can't have will remain a mystery and fact of life. However, I'm trying hard to be more accepting of myself and making changes if necessary without sacrificing what makes me happy -- larger pants and occasional pumpkin pie notwithstanding.

Chia seeds: the new "it" superfood

Whole organic black chia seeds $6.98 for 300g

The name makes me giggle because it reminds me of chia pets (remember those? I certainly do), but chia seeds are actually a superfood that is so easy to incorporate into our daily diets that it's worth ch-ch-ch-cheering about. The Aztecs and Mayans have cultivated and consumed chia (a plant species) for millennia, and lately it has been on the tip of many a nutritionist's tongue because it's naturally gluten-free, contains loads of fibre, essential fats, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and antioxidants. Chia seeds are being touted as an excellent source of long-term energy that enables the body to function at its highest level and burn more calories during the day. What's more, chia has been linked to reducing insomnia, nervousness, constipation, improving cognition and soothing dry skin. Need I say more?

How to add chia to your diet: Chia seeds don't have much of a taste, which makes them ideal for adding to soups, smoothies, cereals, yogurt, oatmeal, salads etc. Some will even use the seeds as an egg replacement in recipes. There's also the option of soaking them in water. All you have to do is put two tablespoons or more in a bowl and cover with some water. In approximately 20 minutes they will have doubled in size, resulting in a thick pudding. You can buy whole chia seeds or ground chia, just keep in mind it's better to get dark coloured chia as it is has more nutrients than the lighter variety. I bought my organic Prana brand chia $6.89 at A Votre Sante on Sherbrooke St. West near Vendome, but they are sold at most health food stores.

Visit: pranana.com for more information and recipes.

 Sources: Chatelaine , The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder CN , Wikipedia 

Talking fitness and nutrition with one hard-core personal trainer

In my head, the new year doesn't begin on January 1^st, but rather it's ushered in by the start of the new scholastic year, which coincidentally, is around the same time the Jewish New Year is celebrated (great minds think alike). And as we all know too well, a new year goes part and parcel with – dare I say it – new year's resolutions. These of course usually start and end with “I want to lose weight and be more active/fit/toned etc”. While I've adhered to my past two new year's resolutions to get more active, I still long for those ellusive toned arms and abs. I also want to eat more fruits, vegetables and protein (I've got the carbohydrate part on lock-down), but I digress... I'm writing this post because after a long and indulgent summer, I think we can all benefit from some tips on how we can stay healthy this year. Recently, I got the chance to speak with certified personal trainer Valerie Wiseman (nickname: "The Drill Sergeant" due to her brutally tough, but effective methods), about her views on food and fitness. I'm of the notion that ignorance – while blissful – doesn't actually do much for our posteriors, so we might as well get as informed as possible and then make our own decisions based on what's right for us. 

Valerie Wiseman hard at work 

What kind of fitness plan would you recommend to a female in her 20's who has barely worked out and wants to tone up and lose a couple of pounds?

I would suggest to get into the gym three times a week for about 45 minutes and to do some resistance training and weights. For women it's good because it strengthens the bones. If it's only to tone up and lose a couple of pounds, you don't have to go to the gym five days a week and go crazy, it's not necessary. I'd also recommend that on a daily basis she try to sit on the computer or by the TV less, and whenever possible to do more activities outdoors.

But what about cardio?

If she does her weight training properly and as she's doing it keeps her heart rate up, the cardio isn't even necessary.

But that's for someone who only wants to lose a couple of pounds, should someone who wants to lose ten pounds or more incorporate cardio into their exercise routine?

Yes. I would say on the days when you're not weight training to do some cardio. I'd also suggest making your weight training a little more intense. But as I always say, 75 to 80 per cent of weight loss comes down to the food you're eating. You're not going to lose the weight or get the results you want just from going to the gym and by not making changes to your diet. It might work when you're 20, but when you're over 30 it won't work because your body changes.

Now that we're on the subject of eating, what kind of dietary advice would you give your clients who want to lost 10-15 pounds? 20 plus pounds?

You have to cut out all the processed foods and all the foods you know you shouldn't be eating. Anything that you find in the aisles in the middle of the grocery store – stay away from.

The more weight you want to lose, the more strict you have to be. Nothing comes quickly and if it does, it's going to come back quickly because you're not putting yourself on a realistic food regime (I hate using the word “diet”). I think the key to weight loss is to adapt a lifestyle change that is sustainable. If you can't keep it up and it's torture for you everyday, it's not going to last and it's not going to give you the results that you want.

If a client of yours wants to lose quite a bit of weight, do you recommend they go see a nutritionist?

Definitely. Most people don't know the first thing about nutrition. You don't have to make major changes; it's about tweaking things, changing things, becoming aware of what you put into your mouth and how much you eat. Most nutritionists will make their clients write down everything they eat for about two weeks and people are always amazed by how much food they consume. Most people eat just to eat. I do it sometimes; I catch myself.

You've recently started taking courses to become certified as a naturopath, what do you plan to do with that certification and why did you feel it was worth getting?

I don't relish the idea of going to a doctor. I believe there's a better way to live and a better way to take care of yourself than going to see a doctor who just prescribes medicine, which I don't believe works to begin with and just masks most problems. Most of our problems stem from a nutritional aspect. And with that certification I want to be able to inform people and help people live a better lifestyle, with more fruits, more vegetables. I've only started, but I'm learning so much already about how to keep your body disease free by keeping it more alkaline as opposed to acidic. You have to eat more raw foods, and food that is closer to its natural form as opposed to processed food that isn't even real food. I mean if you read some labels, there's maybe a couple of ingredients that you know and the rest are all these names you've never even heard of, and this is what people are putting inside of themselves.

What is the biggest exercise mistake that people make when they first start training?

Not having proper form is a big mistake, and this is where seeing a good trainer comes in because they can show you how to do exercises properly. If you do an exercise on a continuous basis and you don't have the proper form, you will eventually injure yourself, and once you're injured you're back to square one because you can't move. People also tend to make the mistake of overdoing it. And like with diet, people should plan to do something they can maintain, that will fit into their schedule and become part of their normal lives because everyone has busy lives. I don't believe in diets or crazy binge workouts because you can't maintain that.

What would you say to that same 20 year-old female who wants to lose a couple of pounds and wants to tone up but cant afford a trainer, or can only afford a couple of sessions?

I think she could get a lot out of three-four sessions with a trainer. Once you have a foundation, you can always go online and look things up and do your research. Go to a good source and pick up information. You can also do classes if you can't afford a trainer and you can get similar benefits.

In your opinion, what are some of the most effective exercises a woman can do at the gym?

Lunges. Your biggest muscle groups are in your legs so you want to work the legs and the glutes. I don't believe in spot training though; you want to strengthen the body evenly all over. You can start with the lower body and then balance out with triceps, biceps, shoulders, chest, back etc. Push-ups are great too.

It's interesting because most of those exercises don't require a gym...

You can do a full-out workout without being in a gym and just using your body weight. You can go into a park and jump on the monkey bars. You try swinging from a dead start on a swing, that takes a lot of core and upper body strength; you're using your entire body swinging.

What's your opinion regarding yoga? Do you suggest to your clients that they do it to compliment their strength training?

Absolutely. The thing with yoga is you really have to start at a level that's appropriate because there are these crazy classes and everyone thinks oh it's yoga, it's easy, and then they're going in and doing things their bodies aren't used to, and coming out with pulled muscles, sore backs etc. It's like anything else, if you don't know what you're doing and you jump into it, you're going to get hurt and then you wont be able to do it.

Is it possible for two women to do almost exactly the same weight training exercises but to get different results?

Yes. It's based on genetics, and several other factors, but I tell my female clients that no matter what they will not explode into the hulk if they workout with weights. That was the fear 20-30 years ago, but it doesn't happen like that.

You used to do lots of figure competitions and you said the one that just passed will be your last, what originally piqued your interest in the sport?

When I was 17 years old, I remember seeing this girl Cory Everson. She was tall, blonde, very pretty, and really stood out from the pack because body builders were all known for heavy steroid use and she was so fit and beautiful to look at without doing all the steroids. When i saw her I said wow, I'd love to be like her. Then in CEGEP I took a body building course. Then I started dating my now ex-husband and when he found out I was interested in it he looked at me and said: “what are you trying to do? Be a man?” And so it was put aside and forgotten about it. After my first child i got into doing aerobics. It was the 80's and aerobics was the thing. Then my friend who was doing all the aerobics classes started teaching weight training and I started training with him after my second child. I was so out of shape and weight training changed by body and I just continued doing it from the time i was 26 till today, so for 20 years now. Then when I was 38 I got divorced and I said to myself I'm going to get into body building and I did my first competition when I was 40 and finished 2^nd in the nationals and just continued doing them. I eventually had to stop doing the body building because for me to progress I'd have to start doing steroids to keep up with the other girls, so I moved down to figure competitions which is a notch below body building. Sadly, lately I'm seeing steroid use even in the figure competitions and it has turned me off the sport. Me doing drugs is just not going to happen and now I go to these competitions and realize I can't possibly compete against this. I think I've had my time with the competitions. It's a lot of work, it's a lot of sacrifice.

What's going to be your fitness routine going forward?

I will still weight train just to maintain the muscle and keep the bones nice and dense and keep my shape. Right now I'm really enjoying cycling outdoors and I'll do that for as long as I can. In the winter I can do indoor spinning; there's no impact and that's what leans me out. Everyone's got their cardio that works for them. I've tried the running. Doesn't work. I've tried the elliptical. I can't ever see myself not going to the gym or training, or doing anything active because it's part of my life. It's like eating and sleeping. It's very calming too.

If you had to pick a mantra what would it be?

You are what you eat.

I like that, but I just find it so confusing now to know what is healthy and good for you because there are so many contradictory views out there. One day eggs are great, the next day they're the devil...

Everyday there's some new thought, it's true. I say eat as clean as you can and you'll be fine. You want a bowl of oatmeal, don't get the Quaker instant oatmeal that you just pour some boiling water into it and it's ready in five minutes, get steel cut oatmeal and take the time to make it. Go and eat things that are as close to the way they came. There's always new and contradictory research when it comes to exercise too. I tell my clients, when you do something and it doesn't feel right or it hurts, don't do it. You've gotta know your body and be in touch with your body and what feels right when you eat or exercise. You take what you can from everything and adjust it to how it fits into your life. We're definitely overloaded with information these days, there's way too much out there.

For more info contact Valerie Wiseman: 514-947-1802