168

 I have a cute story about time management that I learned at my daughter's college orientation.  In summer of 2006 we traveled to Washington DC for my daughter's 2 1/2 day freshman orientation at GWU.  The first day late morning session we enter the auditorium and there is a flip chart with the number 168 written on it, the only thing on the stage.  It was a prop for the Dean of Students' talk with students and parents.  So he comes out asking us what the number represented and there was all kinds of answers; he told us that everyone had it and even Oprah.  I guess in 2006 no one knew what he was talking about and I am wondering if many people know about it now.  Anyway this goes on for about 5 or 10 minutes but no one in the audience guessed.  Then he stated that this is the number of hours everyone had in a week.  Yep, we all have 168 hours a week, 24x7.  Then he breaks down the numbers and I start writing on my piece of paper also and when he was done the students still had about 52 hours left to do whatever; classes, sleep, studying and a few other things were covered. I found this fascinating because if we break down the hours in a day, it doesn't seem like we have any time left.  I learned a lot from this session and I had taken a few time management classes just for me as a young wife and mother and it helped tremendously but this was 15 years later and I learned something new.
I know a lot of people who really don't want to hear this but it's true and I think every one should seriously look at how they are spending their time.  My one day that I don't worry about time is Sunday, unless I am working on a project.  So even on Saturday, because I kept running out of time on Saturdays and it was getting frustrating to me, I manage my time.  I get up very early to get my runs in usually somewhere between 3-10 miles or more if a race is close.  I also try real hard to get 7 hours of sleep a night.
I really feel sad when I hear a person is overwhelmed and do not have time for themselves.  I am sure everyone does the best they can but we can all do just a little bit more with figuring out our 168.

A Maintainer's World Wednesday

If you are like me, just needing some inspiration to make it through the Month of December (MOD), take a look at this edition of A Maintainer's World Wednesday.  The following links are full of just what we are all needing at this time.  This is my therapy putting these links together each week.  I don't do a lot of commentary but I do make comments on some individual blogs.  As usual this is a work in progress, if I am missing a maintainer that should be on this list, then feel free to let me know.  I also have a To Watch list that I am working on.

110 Pounds and Counting – Skirt's Too Tight

300 Pounds Down -- Universal Studios

At Goal Weight Watcher -- Tuesday 12-4-12

Debby Weighs In – Taking One Hat Off, Putting the Next One On

Fit to the Finish – Monday Morning Restarts

Fixing Myself Happy -- More Than A Week Gone By

Garden Girl – My transition from weight loss to weight maintenance

Half Size Me -- Tune in for the Latest Podcast

hopfulandfree -- of fairy tales, thin privilege and dominant social discourses (part one)

Hungry Girl -- Chew the Right Thing

It Sux To Be Fat -- Day at a Time December

Jack-Sprat.net – 360, and go!

Keeping it Off -- Whole 30, Day 1/30

Keeping the Pounds Off! – Process This Part One

Myra's Journey -- Back To School

No Celery Please -- I Feel Pretty

Poonapalooza -- Concave arm pits and skinny butts

Prior Fat Girl -- The Day My Life Changed...

Refuse to Regain – The Calm Before the Serious Holiday Storm

Roni’s Weigh -- Tough Mudder Florida 2012

The Fit Bee -- Where My Heart Belongs

Tracy Reifkind's Training Food and Thought -- Namaste

Weight Off My Shoulders -- 2012 Road Races

What's new in weight maintenance research?

I received the following citations in my inbox this morning from PubMed.  I found 3 of them interesting, my notes are below in red. #s 2, 3 & 5; my search is keyword and pertains to "weight maintenance." What is good about the 3 articles that I like is that they are also freely available to read full-text.

1.	Inactivation of Socs3 in the Hypothalamus Enhances the Hindbrain Response to Endogenous Satiety Signals via Oxytocin Signaling.
	Matarazzo V, Schaller F, Nédélec E, Benani A, Pénicaud L, Muscatelli F, Moyse E, Bauer S.
	J Neurosci. 2012 Nov 28;32(48):17097-107. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1669-12.2012.
	PMID: 23197703 [PubMed - in process]
	Related citations

2.	Intermittent fasting combined with calorie restriction is effective for weight loss and cardio-protection in obese women.
	Klempel MC, Kroeger CM, Bhutani S, Trepanowski JF, Varady KA.
	Nutr J. 2012 Nov 21;11(1):98. [Epub ahead of print]
	PMID: 23171320 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] Free Article
	Related citations --the focus here is on Cardio Protection, so the severity of a one day fasting/week is understandable.  I am sure many will disagree with me because it's been said that not eating will throw off a person's metabolism.  They said the same about low calorie or high fat diets for years also.  I feel every body is different and if this helps to protect an obese woman's heart and possibly jump start weight loss, well....again, this is only my opinion. (my Disclaimer is above)

3.	Group dialectical behavior therapy adapted for obese emotional eaters: a pilot study.
	Roosen MA, Safer D, Adler S, Cebolla A, van Strien T.
	Nutr Hosp. 2012 Aug;27(4):1141-7. doi: 10.3305/nh.2012.27.4.5843.
	PMID: 23165554 [PubMed - in process] Free Article
	Related citations--found this abstract to be fascinating and hope to have the time soon to read the entire article, I read up a little on dialectical behavior therapy and thought it makes perfectly good sense to apply this to obese emotional eaters, I like these results: "The ability of DBT to limit the upward trajectory of weight gain in obese patients with high degrees of emotional eating suggests that DBT may also help limit the increase or even prevent onset of obesity related morbidity in these patients."

4.	Developing and Piloting the Journey to Native Youth Health Program in Northern Plains Indian Communities.
	Brown B, Noonan C, Harris KJ, Parker M, Gaskill S, Ricci C, Cobbs G, Gress S.
	Diabetes Educ. 2012 Nov 13. [Epub ahead of print]
	PMID: 23150531 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
	Related citations

5.	Body weight changes and outpatient medical care utilisation: Results of the MONICA/KORA cohorts S3/F3 and S4/F4.
	Wolfenstetter SB, Menn P, Holle R, Mielck A, Meisinger C, von Lengerke T.
	Psychosoc Med. 2012;9:Doc09. doi: 10.3205/psm000087. Epub 2012 Oct 25.
	PMID: 23133503 [PubMed] Free PMC Article
	Related citations--I think there are a lot of things going on in this study done in Germany according to the abstract.  I do feel that there is a ton of data to be lifted from this study with respect to whether those who seek outpatient medical care and if they gain or lose weight.  I think maybe they even have data on whether or not they sought more or less outpatient treatment because of co-morbidity's like diabetes, heart/circulation problems or breathing/asthma problems. I would love to find out what they mean in their conclusions of "weight development."

A Maintainer's World Wednesday

Because I start working on this Post on Tuesday, I miss some of the rest of the week, especially when it is a Holiday.  So many of these links are with Thanksgiving in mind...Enjoy!!!


110 Pounds and Counting – Don't Wait

300 Pounds Down -- Never let go

At Goal Weight Watcher -- Challenges

Debby Weighs In – The Post/Tday Report

Fit to the Finish – Getting Up and Out on a Cold Winter's Morning

Garden Girl – Staying on track for the holidays--my holiday list 2012

Half Size Me -- Tune in for the Latest Podcast

Hungry Girl -- Chew the Right Thing

It Sux To Be Fat -- Thankful in 2012

Jack-Sprat.net – Paying the Price

Keeping it Off -- Enough!!

Keeping the Pounds Off! – Edible Poison

Losing 147 -- Geek out with Thanksgiving data

Myra's Journey -- Challenge

No Celery Please -- On Thankfulness

Poonapalooza -- Unrecognizable me

Prior Fat Girl -- I don't need a ride; I can run!

Refuse to Regain – Our Seasonal Mantra: No Holiday Weight Gain. Stick with me!

Roni’s Weigh -- Note to Self

Tracy Reifkind's Training Food and Thought -- "Fave Five" Options!

Weight Off My Shoulders -- Variety is the Spice of Life

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off...

and start all over again; I love the version of Pick Yourself Up by Diana Krall, it's on the 1998 album.  Anyway, I always sing this song when I am down or when I just need to get going again and today is that day for some people, the Monday following Thanksgiving.  There are many people who just try to get through the holidays and start after the New Year.  Well, I tried this for years and it just made me more depressed, especially competing with all the other people who were trying to keep their resolutions.  It made me very sad when in January I would have to wait in line at the gym for a bike or treadmill or if I wanted to get into that spinning class---I would lose out to the volumes of others trying to get in the same class.  It all became very frustrating to me.  I started figuring that it has to be a better way, so a few years ago when I was trying to kick start my journey, I decided to start after Thanksgiving.  I have to say that although I had one false start, 2009, (meaning I lost the weight and gained it back); I feel really good about starting the day after Thanksgiving.  I feel like I get a jumpstart on everything and it's working for me.  I am sure many people would say, why not give yourself a chance to get through the holidays.  Again, I just figured that if I can get through the holidays; then I can do this.
On another note, I saw this article today and it just made me very sad.  Not sure whom is to blame but it is just sad none the less.

An Anniversary...of sorts

Well, one year ago today (sort of, because the Thanksgiving holiday rotates), I started on my current journey by walking into this place the day after Thanksgiving.  I actually made the appointment over a week before; I didn't want to go through the holiday season, gain more weight and have more to work off.  I was very sad because I had gained back the 40 lbs I had lost AGAIN!!!! I had started running and was trying to make smart decisions and I thought starting the day after Thanksgiving would be good for me.  For me, and I can say this honestly, the journey to maintenance is a long and winding one but the light bulbs continue to go off.  First I let go of white sugar and high fructose corn syrup and then caffeine.  I felt that it was time for me to take charge of me.  I am sure I have said before that I would never give up coffee; but I have.  I think so many people on the journey always think they are going to miss something; but you don't and it's always something else.  I just wanted to reflect on where I was and how I felt a year ago.  Always good to see progress.

A Maintainer's World Wednesday

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!  I will be getting up in the morning to run the Alexandria Turkey Trot, my second year doing this, 5 miles, not bad for Thanksgiving morning.

110 Pounds and Counting – Weekend, Interrupted

300 Pounds Down -- The Enemy Never takes a Vacation

A Lifetime Loser -- In which this loser is married to a winner

At Goal Weight Watcher --Ghosts of Holidays Past

Believing it's Possible is Half the Battle -- Skipping...I can do that!

Debby Weighs In – What are YOU doing for Thanksgiving this year?

Fit to the Finish – Are You Mentally Prepared for the Holidays?

Fixing Myself Happy -- A little of everything

Garden Girl – Power to the graph and pedometer-Maintenance Tools

Half Size Me -- Tune in for the Latest Podcast

Happy Weight After -- 180.2...178.6

Hungry Healthy Happy -- Healthy Holiday Gift Options

It Sux To Be Fat -- The Missing Link

Jack-Sprat.net – Troubled Waters

Keeping the Pounds Off! – The Voice of my Bullsh*t Meter

Lap Band Gal - After Spending Thousands of Dollars on my Lap Band...

Losing 147 -- Revelation that most of you knew

Myra's Journey -- Start Over

Poonapalooza -- A Mountain run, free coffee, winter vegetables

Prior Fat Girl -- November Runnin'

Refuse to Regain – Meatless Fruitless Mondays

Roni’s Weigh -- Keep Track of your Weigh with Google Docs

The Anti-Jared -- BREAKING NEWS!!! Fat People Can Inspire!

The Fit Bee -- ...My Second Philadelphia Marathon

Weight Off My Shoulders -- My Back Vs. Pure Barre


Hopefully I am getting better at this; I have great plans for this page, please stay tuned!!!!