FatGirl vs World

So... in July 2014, I got an email from an Associate Producer at ZoCo -- Dr. Oz's production company, and an affiliate of Harpo, Oprah's company -- asking me if I wanted to be considered for an "upcoming segment on the show" regarding their "new life change" shows:  "The show would be based around one guest who wants to get on  the right track to changing their life for the better. This will be a great opportunity for someone like yourself who has been on a weight loss journey."  The Associate Producer then listed a bunch of questions IN ALL CAPS (wtf?).  

At the time, I thought about all of my friends who had been published in books, featured in magazines, on local or nation-wide news, or who had achieved international recognition.  I wondered: Was this my time in the sun?

After 30 seconds of due consideration, I penned my response:

[Associate Producer]:

Thanks for reaching out to me -- but I feel that Dr. Oz's promotion of weight loss pills doesn't fit with my mission statement or branding.

Cheers!

-Robby

The more and more I read about Dr. Oz, the more I think that I dodged a bullet.  Earlier in the year the FTC investigated the "doctor" that Dr. Oz backed in regards to the green coffee bean extract diet – Lindsey Duncan – and they've just this week ruled that his claims were deceptive, fining Duncan's companies $9 million.


Does Dr. Oz say some good things? Sure.  But even a broken clock is right twice a day.

More fun links:

• John Oliver attacks Dr. Oz and nutritional supplements withthe help of George R. R. Martin
  http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/23/5834858/john-oliver-attacks-dr-oz-and-nutritional-supplements-with-the-help
• Dr. Oz's 10 Most Controversial Weight Loss Supplements http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/06/18/dr-oz-senate-scolding-his-10-most-controversial-weight-loss-supplements/ 
• Dr, Oz and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Dayhttp://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/dr-oz-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day/

Growing up, I think it'd be fair to say that I was a sugar addict.  My brother and I could kill all sorts of sweets -- cherry Pepsi, Entenmann's baked goods (the raspberry danish was often considered "breakfast"), you name it.  I remember when we'd make iced tea from a powder mix -- it'd resemble SLUDGE.  We'd have contests to see who could eat/drink the most sludge before it became intolerably sweet or sour. 

The school lunch choices weren't that great (mmmm breadtangle of pizza), but I all too often chose the snack line instead of the line where they'd serve things resembling actual food.  I'm pretty sure that my body is still paying for those choices, such as the Little Debbie Zebra Cakes that I'd eat 4 at a time, or the Little Debbie Pecan Spinwheels.  Without anyone there to regulate my choices, I was the master of my own disaster.

Candy was another one of those things I had issues with.  Unlike food that pretended to be healthy (such as the word "raspberry" causing ooohs and aaahs before the word danish), candy had no health value.  They were empty calories.  The weird thing is that if someone had said "you can either eat 4 twizzlers or have a cup of fresh raspberries," I probably would have eaten the raspberries.  But public school didn't offer that.  But you could get all the Twix you wanted, an Icee, soft-serve ice cream, and just about every snack cake possible.

I was so incredibly pleased to see Jack Sht's blog post this morning -- in which he made not only a great decision for himself, but also for his readership.  He encouraged me to finally reply to this email that had been sitting in my inbox:

Screw your "Confidentiality Information" -- My readership deserves to know the delusional message you're sending around. Besides, I never agreed to maintain your confidentiality.

UM.... WHAT?!?!?  
"a nice treat in a healthy diet"  -- how about a HEALTHY TREAT in a HEALTHY DIET?

My response?


I'm pretty sure the younger version of myself would be proud of me for (1) standing up to the big guy and (2) doing it for the right reasons.

In celebration of my 100th follower (the lovely Frannie Dee), my wonderful dietician Rebecca Scritchfield has agreed to answer five question that hopefully will help you on your journey to becoming a healthier you!  She's helped me identify areas where I need to be more mindful and can improve.  I've lost 13 lbs since first meeting her!

So a hearty thanks to her on a personal level, but also for answering the questions below for all of my blog followers.  First, get to know a little about Rebecca!

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First, let me explain something about nutritionists. Technically, anyone can hang up a sign and call themselves a nutritionist because it is not a real health professional term. This is important because there are for-profit companies that offer weekend and online courses in nutrition and provide a "certification," but it's not actually anything that let's people legally provide nutrition services in Washington, DCt and many states.

I think anyone can benefit from a visit with a nutrition expert. Look for a registered dietitian (RD). These are health professionals who have completed the minimum criteria of graduating with a 4-year degree from an accredited college or university, an accredited dietetic internship, and passed national board examinations.

I specialize in healthy weight management and sports nutrition. I help people fuel with good food to meet their lifestyle needs whether they get 2 hours of exercise a week or 20.

[Rebecca has 3 main areas in her practice:  sports nutrition; weight management; and medical nutrition therapy.]

First off, how many people actually see a general practitioner once a year? Most doctors will weigh their patients, but they fall short of talking to them about their weight, nutrition habits, and exercise schedule. In fact, a March 2010 survey of physicians showed that 72% of doctors said that nobody in their office is trained on dealing with weight management problems.

Enter the nutrition expert. That's our expertise. We have a nutrition care process for accurately assessing and diagnosing nutrition problems and working with clients on a plan for making behavior changes. We're also on top of the latest scientific evidence and research on weight management and we follow trends in the culinary and food industry worlds as well.

I've been on and off diets since I was 12 years old and if there's one thing I learned it's that they are a total waste of time and energy. In fact, UCLA research has even shown that people who diet are worse off than people who don't.  They gain all the weight back -- and more! I don't diet anymore and I don't let my clients diet either. We talk a lot about healthy nutrition, hunger/fullness, and emotional eating. We also talk about exercise and stress management. It's much harder to commit to exploring the barriers to achieving a healthy weight, but the rewards are worth it.

"Quick and easy" depends on the person's perspective. For example, I can say "don't drink your calories, switch from soda to water or calorie free beverages", but some people may find that to be a hard change. Maybe they could try to cut their beverage calories in half to start.

The best thing I can suggest to everyone is don't do anything you can't keep up the rest of your life. That's why I tell people to pick a "small change" and commit to one week or even one day of trying it out. You may decide to eat two fresh fruits a day as a small change. After the first week, you're willing to try it again... and again... and before you know it, it's your behavior.

The second best thing I can suggest is eating 3-4 times a day and moderate portions. Many people eat only twice a day and it's just not possible to get the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and balance of nutrients in only 2 meals a day. They might meet your calorie needs, but it is not just calories that determine your health.

When I do a nutrition assessment, I analyze their current usual eating habits and compare that to their estimated needs. I'll figure out the differences between where they are and where they should be to reach their goals. Calories are definitely involved, but I really try to make sure we're not spending our time in sessions talking "numbers" because it is behaviors that matter.

If someone is under their calorie needs it could be a lack of knowledge  -- people want to eat healthy, but they are being too restrictive. They're undereating and won't lose weight because the body is resistant. It could also be an eating disorder, which has a whole other set of signs besides inadequate calorie intake.

If the calorie intake is excessive, usually the biggest barrier is not enough of a balanced plate, where 1/3 to 1/2 the plate as fruits or veggies with the meals. Fruits and veggies are low in calories and full of nutrition. Usually people are going for quick grab-and-go foods they don't make and the calories from the prepared foods add up very quickly.

If people want to meet their nutrition needs, they should invest in themselves and have a nutrition assessment done with a registered dietitian. They will get custom and specific advice for eating healthy based on where they are at right now. It's information that can help them for the rest of their lives.

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I highly suggest you follow Rebecca on Twitter -- as she always has some great information.  Til next time, my loves!

First of all, the Center for Disease Control has a great Web site about weight loss.  You should check it out for all of its information, tips, guides, etc.

But I want to hilight one thing that I think a few people need to hear:

[E]vidence shows that people who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more successful at keeping weight off. Healthy weight loss isn't just about a "diet" or "program." It's about an ongoing lifestyle that includes long-term changes in daily eating and exercise habits.

(emphasis added).  So please, no more obsessing over not having lost a ridiculous amount of weight in one week.  Do not stress if you haven't lost weight in one week (it's about the trend, not the specific weigh-in, as many things can cause your body to fluctuate up or down 1-2lbs every day). 

So... New Rule (#5)

1.  Leave No One Behind -- if someone asks for help, give it.
2.  I will do no harm to my body.
3.  I will not think badly when I look at myself in the mirror.
4.  I will not judge someone without recognizing the journey they are on first.
5.  I dictate how I feel about myself, not the scale.

I know she's female b/c even when she's wrong, she's right
8.25 km on the Interval Training (warmup of 20 x-ramp; 1 resistance then into 4 x-ramp; 1 resistance --> 10 x-ramp; 8 resistance) (1 hour even, 740 calories burned, over 10k steps)

Prior to running I did some upper body weights (gotta have nice arms for the bridesmaid dress) as well as some piriformis stretching prior to running.

I challenge you to do the same.  The piriformis is an under-stretched, under-utilized muscle.  I bet you hadn't even heard of it before I mentioned it (unless you've studied physiology).  It's the muscle that connects your upper body (your sacrum) to your lower body (head of the femur).  There are a few ways to stretch the piriformis -- sitting, standing, or on the floor (on your back or using it as leverage), but I highly suggest you become familiar with this muscle.  It'll help your hips stay loose when you run.  ((And don't forget to rock some warrior poses to work the other hip flexor muscles!  ((Warrior I, Warrior II especially))

I really want to get to 100 followers...

As an incentive, I'll put it to you all this way:  when I reach 100 followers (42 more!), I will post a mini-interview with Registered Dietitian, Rebecca Scritchfield that was done specifically for this blog!  Not only is she my dietitian, but she was also recognized by the American Dietetic Association as 2009's Young Dietitian of the Year.  Pretty cool, right?  She's an amazing resource, a wealth of information (always posting great articles like this one), and one of my biggest supporters (she's been there and done that).

Until I reach 100, you just get the questions (her answers are fantastic, btw)!

Question 1:  Who should see a nutritionist/ can you break down your patients into a few categories?

Question 2:  What insights might a nutritionist have that the average GP/internist might not?

Question 3:  How does your own weight loss struggle inform your practice as a nutritionist?

Question 4:  Do you have a few quick & easy changes people can make to improve their diets?

Question 5:  If someone isn't meeting their caloric targets, what's usually the suspect? How should they meet their target in a healthy way?


Thanks to all who share my blog!  I'm really excited to not only reach one of my goals, but by doing so help you reach your goals!  To all my new followers, welcome to my blog and I can't wait to have some fun!

People always say there's a difference between running on the ground vs. running on a treadmill vs. running on an elliptical.  There is a different load on your body during each exercise, and each exercise has a benefit the other doesn't have. 

However, in American Fitness, "Treadmills vs. Elliptical Trainers," Jul/Aug2002, Vol. 20 Issue 4, p9, Thomas Altena, a professor of nutritional and exercise physiologist of the University of Missouri-Columbia measured oxygen retention, lactic acid build-up, heart rate, and perceived rate of exertion to compare treadmills and elliptical trainers.  He writes ""In this study, the physiological responses associated with elliptical exercise were nearly identical to treadmill exercise."  ((and if this is the case, why do so many people I know with bad knees insist on running on a treadmill because it burns more calories?))

Okay... so riddle me this:  why does my body crap out on me (mainly a tightness in my chest and a lactic acid buildup) when I run 10 minutes on a treadmill, but I can run the same pace on an elliptical for 60 minutes?  I expect the elliptical to be a little bit easier, but I didn't expect there to be such a dramatic difference in my ability.  Who knows, maybe I have some sort of mental block/prejudice against treadmills.

So yesterday was Pay It Forward Day. 
I think the overweight/obesity epidemic is something that requires a societal change, and most of all, support from each other. 

A while ago, I wrote my father an email, and I find myself forwarding it to a few people at work.  I'm going to share it with you all here.  Now keep in mind, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a nutritionist, and I've not yet won my battle. But these are the things I've picked up along the way:

You asked for some information regarding the GoWear Fit device that I'm wearing. The links to their Web site are below, as well as to Amazon.com (where there are reviews, and it's a little less expensive). You get 3 months of the Web application with purchase of the devise. If you sign up for 1 year, it's 7-8 bucks a month. That's two Starbucks chai lattes.

In typical Robby fashion, I didn't want to give you that information in a vacuum, so I've provided a ton more information to you.

I love you lots! Good luck.

-Robby

my boss just ordered 2 GoWear Fits (one for him, one for his wife) and 2 other people asked me about mine today (summer = short sleeve shirts)

I'm excited to tell people how great this little device is, especially for people who like DATA.
It won't lose the weight for you, but it will make it less of a mystery.

Tomorrow I get to meet Rebecca Scritchfield and Bernie Salazar (at-home winner of The Biggest Loser, Season 5).  I'm kinda jazzed.  I'm hoping it will help reinvigorate me, clear up some questions and get me back on the right track (especially when my own back is not in the right track :( )

Not quite a week, and I've noticed something with my GoWear Fit.
Even with erring on the side of too many calories in something, and being meticulous in recording everything, I'm totally undershooting what I should be eating, calorically speaking, and definitely not enough fruits and veggies.

To lose 1.5 lbs a week, at my weight and height, the GoWear Fit wants me to burn 2460 calories a day and consume 1710. Those 750 calories a day difference = 1.5lbs a week (or a 5250 calorie deficit). I've already burned 2015 calories today and that's without exercising.

I need to prime the pump--get the calories in my body first before my body will be okay with burning them. I mean, take today.... I feel like I've eaten a lot, and I've only had 985 calories. Egads!