A Good Night of Zzzzzz's!

I've decide to "out" myself!  What could it be you ask?  What "secret" am I "hiding"?  It must be sinister if it's a secret, right?  OK! Ready?  Listen closely since I'm only going to say this once... I love to sleep!  I LOVE a nap on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon . And just forget about it if I'm on vacation!  Interestingly a couple of famous individuals, Winston Churchill and J F Kennedy, were "nappers".  I'm obviously in good company!   Naps or sleep, in my humble opinion, rocks!  I enjoy getting to bed early and when I do actually get to bed early, I feel great the next day!  But if you think about it, most people don't want to be labeled as "sleepers"!  As weired as it sounds, its just not popular to be a "sleeper"  If you look closely,  the word "sleeper" is very similar to "leper"!

Instead, most people BRAG about how little sleep they need. Most people wear they're 5 hour maximum sleep badges as proudly as a triathlon winner wears their blue ribbons!  But the point I want to make; without proper amounts of sleep you'll actually be a LOSER and diminish your chances of being a winner.  At least your chances of being a weight loss winner!  Fact: weight loss efforts are hindered without adequate amounts of sleep!

According to the CDC website (www.cdc.gov/sleep/how_much_sleep.htm, also see National Sleep Foundation's website) the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep!  Scandalous!  Teens (10-17) need 8.5-9.25 hours!  Any self respecting Teen would be laughed right out of high school!  What is even "worse" school age children,  5-10, need a whopping 10-11 hours per day!  So it obvious that sleep is a necessary evil no matter how old or young you are.

Lack of sleep has been found to alter concentration, perception, motivation, memory formation and even increase the incidence of obesity.  The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School (website), states that "there is a direct link between how someone sleeps and their overall health and function.  Chronic sleep deprivation leads to a number of other illnesses; cardiovascular disease such  hypertension, stroke, diabetes  (and) the development of obesity and weight gain".  Harvard's website video "Why Sleep Matters" reports, "people who are sleep deprived have poor regulation of some of the hormones that control appetite and hunger and (alter those) hormones in such a way that promotes eating and weight gain."

Many things can interrupt a restful nights sleep.  Stress and anxiety are probably the biggest culprits that can alter sleep patterns and sleep stages.  However, menopause, hormone imbalances, diet, and lack of exercise can also contribute to insomnia.  In much of today's society "the go go go" mentality rules and caffeine is often a stimulant used to maintain that go go go lifestyle.   Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and soft drinks, just to name a few.  Can you imagine starting your day without a cup of joe?  Just what would Starbucks think?!  The foods and drinks in one's diet can greatly impact sleep.  Alcohol is another culprit. Many people will use and abuse alcohol by naming it as a "stress reliever" and use it as a  sedative.  In actuality, it negatively affects the quality of sleep by causing dehydration which alters sleep quality and  patterns.

So what can you do to help induce and improve sleep?  Exercise!  I knew you'd guess it!  Exercise can be a great stress reliever; hence, a fabulous "fixer" to insomnia.  According to www.holisticonline.com insomniacs lead more sedentary lives than good sleepers. Exercise fatigue acts as a tranquilizer improving quality of rest.  Exercise can reduce tension and anxiety.  Exercise can cause the brain to compensate for physical and emotional stress by increasing deeper sleep: deeper sleep means less stress. Hence, a cycle effect.  

So, if you're working hard to loss a few pounds or even a LOT of pounds stop to consider if you're getting the necessary amounts of sleep.  Take a hard look at the amount of caffeine that is finding its way into your daily diet and try and minimize caffeine especially 4-5 hours before bedtime.  Include strenuous cardiovascular exercise in your fitness routine to induce deeper more restful sleep but ideally early in the day or mid day.  Remember exercise can help you "wake up" or stay alert during the day which can be substitute to caffeine so don't do strenuous exercise near bedtime. Gentler relaxing strolls, warm baths and meditation can help promote relaxation and sleepiness in the evening.

So,  I don't want to be a trendsetter but if I must, I must!  If someone has to be the person to put the "good" back into a "good night's sleep" it can be me!  Because,  I LIKE sleep and I don't mind being called a "sleeper".

Short but sweet!

The diet has been going well...except for last evening and today. (Typical Saturday night of over abundance of wine, leading to a Sunday of bad food choices.) But the good news is I'll be back on track tomorrow!  One day will not deter me! I'm committed! Therefore, I realize there will be days where things won't always go as planned.  I want this to be a "life style" change and a journey not a "diet" or a sprint.  I must learn to make the right choices and do the work in order for my weight and health to change for the better.  And of course, I'm not too upset with a bad day and half since I've lost an additional 2 pounds!  YEA!

Another Sunday morning

Its seems the Sunday morning "ughs" have arrived.  I had too much vino last night so now I'm craving food, food and more food...and of course Diet Coke!  I also attended an afternoon party on Saturday so of course, I munched on just about everything within reach!  I basically had no self control!  My "planned" eating for the day went right out the door!  My plan of  "eat a little something before you go" really backfired since not only did I eat before the party... I ate during the party... and then after the party too!  While at the party, I drank water and didn't drink frosty fluffy high calorie drinks ALL day....just a jug of wine in the evening...oh soooo much better, right?

The good news is I have lost 3 pounds since starting this blog...I started it in August...its now September 12!  Many committed dieters would have lost that in a week! (Think Biggest Loser where they lose 15 pounds in a week! By the way, The Biggest Loser  is scheduled to start Tuesday, September 21! I'm going to DVR the show to keep myself motivated!)   Thus far,  I've only succeeded in working out regularly!  I'm very happy about that but I can't seem to get a handle on the "eating side"of dieting!

Since its September 12 and a perfect "in between time"-no big EATING holidays coming up-I've decided to bring out "the Big Guns"!  Bringing out the BIG GUNS means several things to me.  First and foremost, adhering to a diet!  I'm going to follow a "version" of South Beach and incorporate a bit of Jillian Michaels' Master Your Metabolism.  I'll eat organic and stay away from "flake foods.  I'll even work to drink water and not Diet Coke!  I'll be thrilled if I can keep my Diet Coke consumption to one a day.  I'll follow the Phase I of the South Beach Diet EXCEPT for fresh fruit.  I just think organic fresh fruit is good for you regardless of the carbs!

Second, I'll document everything I eat... faithfully! I've found a great app on the IPAD for calculating the amount of calories needed to reach your goal weight.   The app/site is called My Fitness Pal. Check it out! You can access the site using any computer too so updating is easy.  You can use it to list every item you eat along with the nutritional info for each.  It also allows you to post your daily exercise and the amount of calories you "worked off" for a particular exercise.    Third.  My goal to run another road race, a 5K.  The race I'm planning to run is in  early October, that should be "do able".  I'll do several 5 Ks to prepare for an 8K.  So I'll have a "long term" plan for running.

According to the My Fitness Pal, my target calorie per day, to lose 1.5 pounds per week, is 1200 total calories...that's not much!  So exercise will be imperative for me to keep my daily calorie intake to 1200!  Also, I must admit that when I'm blogging, my resolve is firm.  I truly get motivated by writing this blog. So, I must continue to document my struggles on a regular basis.  My blog plan was to post once or twice a week.  I'm going to TRY to post twice a week, once mid week and once on the weekend.  That way, I'll be motivating myself mid week which is when my "diet resolve" becomes weak.  Of course the weekends are tough due to lure of wine.  So the South Beach Phase I no alcohol will be good for me if I can adhere!


So everyone, anyone, please send "good support vibs" because I'm going to need it!  I'll keep you "posted" on my results!

Great Quotes!

It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
Eleanor Roosevelt 

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.  ~Plato

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.
Eleanor Roosevelt 


The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck!  ~Author Unknown


A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
Eleanor Roosevelt 


The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.
-Joe Paterno


The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt 


Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.
Eleanor Roosevelt