March to Weight Loss Challenge: How I lost 100 pounds with diet food swaps

I began this new year by issuing a No Junk January weight loss challenge. Now as most of us will agree, New Year's resolutions usually end with in January. So next  month, we moved to Fat Free February. Let's keep the diet momentum going with a March to Weight Loss Challenge. Here are 1200 calorie diet food swaps to "spring" into healthier eating. 

Part of how I lost 100 pounds, without gastric bypass, was by calorie restricting on a 1200 calorie diet. I switched to lighter versions of these foods: milk, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, dressings, dips, spreads and butter and low carb or keto bread. I explained why in my Fat Free February challenge posts. As we've learned from the keto diet, lowfat and zero fat foods have other junk in them that is actually worse for weight loss than fat. And some fats, like MUFA--monounsaturated fatty acids-- and PUFA--polyunsaturated fatty acids are actually burn unhealthier saturated fats and transfats. 

Another part of how I lost 100 pounds was with keto and refined sugar food swaps. Calorie restricting on a 1200 calorie diet is a lot easier to manage if you reduce refined sugar intake. You'll feel a lot fuller because you can eat more if you're not having to factor in the calorie load of refined sugar foods. I use blue agave syrup, coconut sugar, erythritol and fresh fruit as alternative sweeteners. I also avoid artificial sweeteners which has the same negative effect on the body as real refined sugar. 

The biggest change I made to end obesity was in portion control. If you watch the show "My 600-lb Life" you see gastric bypass patients before surgery, eating portions that could feed a family. "My 600-lb Life" staff helps people learn portion control by calorie restricting to a more reasonable amount. Many "My  600-lb Life" patients claim they can't get full eating so little. And the farther into obesity you are, the more you need to feel full. But as you lose weight, it gets easier. 

Stay tuned for more diet food swaps and tips to March to Weight Loss! 

#howilost100pounds

Fat burning keto foods for Fat Free February Weight Loss Challenge

Hello friends of this blog on how I lost 100 pounds. I issued a Fat Free February Weight Loss Challenge a month ago and that month is almost up. But wait, there's more! Tomorrow begins my March to Weight Loss challenge and to round out this month, here are fat burning keto foods to cleanse, build brown fat, boost metabolism and bust white adipose tissue ("bad fat.") 

Before I begin, I want to address a question that comes up about how I lost 100 pounds. People with morbid obesity, like I had, will often ask if it's possible to lose weight without gastric bypass. Will calorie restricting (or keto, intermittent fasting or some other type of diet change) alone lose weight? Answer: YES! As shows like "My 600-lb Life" have proved, it's actually gastric bypass alone that won't lose weight. 

Yesterday I blogged that patients with morbid obesity on "My 600-lb Life" are required to lose weight prior to surgery. And to do that, they must follow a calorie restricting 1200 calorie diet which includes eating keto fat burning foods and avoiding sugary, junk carbs. After gastric bypass, "My 600-lb Life" patients must continue the 1200 calorie diet to continue weight loss. 

And lose weight you will with calorie restricting, even if you are calorie restricting for completely different reasons. The Catholic church calls for intermittent fasting during the Lenten season, which we entered earlier in February. For 40 days, we eat more fish and vegetables and less fatty, junky, fried and sugary food. And every year, if we follow practice Lenten fasting correctly, we lose weight. 

So without further ado, here are:

Keto fat burning foods for weight loss: 

avocado

BERRIES (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, cranberries)

olives (yes, these are berries too)

coconut oil 

tomatoes (tomato juice, zero sugar salsa)

lemons

limes

oats and oatmeal (so not necessarily keto, but high fiber so super good for fat burning)

kiwi

grapefruit (tons of fiber)

pears (high fiber)

apples (high fiber)

cantaloupe and watermelon (loads of lycopene so great for men's health, especially)

seeds (chia, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)

nuts (best are almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts)

spinach, kale

broccoli

cauliflower

spaghetti squash

peas (high in fiber and protein)

cabbage and brussels sprouts

Stay tuned for more March to Weight Loss tips! #howilost100pounds

Does Fat Free February weight loss challenge address morbid obesity?

Hi friends! This blog covers how I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass and recently I issued a Fat Free February weight loss challenge. It piggybacked on my No Junk January new year's weight loss and next month is March to Weight Loss. Maybe you're wondering how challenges like this can help lose weight when morbid obesity is a problem. Sure, 50 pounds, but what if I am 200 pounds overweight? That's different, right? I have to get gastric bypass surgery, don't I?

Well, the short answer, no. Weight loss, with calorie restricting as I used on the 1200 calorie diet, was how I lost 100 pounds. And if I needed to lose more weight, I'd have kept going. It will take longer to lose weight the more there is to shed but the process remains the same. That said, starting weight loss sooner rather than later is a good plan. And Dr. Now of "My 600-lb Life" will back me up on that. 

"My 600-lb Life" began with older overweight patients. Recently, the demographic seeking gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity seems to be getting younger. Alarmingly, many teens and even tweens of "My 600-lb Life" patients can't wait to reach majority to have a gastric bypass! This is systemic, generational obesity at its most terrifying. 

I was deemed overweight as a child and put on a 1000 calorie restricting diet. In 1972, what was considered overweight, for kids, was lower. And did that intense calorie restricting help me lose weight? No that was called adolescence. Adult obesity set in well into my 40s, after losing to stillborn babies and being on the antidepressant Paxil for depression and anxiety. 

But I digress. So how can weight loss challenges like Fat Free February end obesity? By getting the ball rolling. Even if gastric bypass is on the horizon, patients still have to lose weight prior to surgery. Yes, there is a lot of back-and-forth about the effectiveness of calorie restricting on a 1200 calorie diet. But I will say, from experience that how I lost 100 pounds began by realizing that I had to change how I ate. I couldn't keep making excuses and overeating because I was getting more overweight every month. 

If you need to lose weight, won't you join me on this Fat Free February weight loss challenge then stick around for March to Weight Loss! 

Obesity, mobility scooters and "I hurt all the time" T-shirt concerning

Shopping yesterday, I saw a morbidly obese woman on a mobility scooter wearing a concerning shirt. It stated "I'm in pain constantly, every moment of every day." I believe it was a fibromyalgia awareness T-shirt. I've seen this woman countless times, bossing staff around, being rude to other customers and complaining when the mobility scooter wasn't charged. It was pointed out that it had just been used but she expected that "someone" should have somehow known she was coming in and had it ready. Her behavior represents what I call "weaponized obesity." 

So why does her fibromyalgia shirt trouble me? Not that fibromyalgia isn't painful. I was diagnosed years ago with a chronic and intense type with neuralgia. I also hurt all the time. But I know from experience that obesity or just being overweight makes these chronic pain conditions so much worse. And there's such a thing as weaponizing pain or obesity, with rudeness, self-pity and entitlement. Using store mobility scooters, which are designed for elderly or people with disabilities, for example. If you need one, get your own and leave it for people who NEED it. 

Watch one episode of "My 600-lb Life" and you'll see what I mean. Gastric bypass patients will find any excuse and then invent some to avoid weight loss and blame their health problems and chronic pain on every thing but the real problem: morbid obesity. This blog covers how I lost 100 pounds and I know those excuses well. I will say I never expected special treatment, though. 

I'll be the one to say the non PC thing that many others are thinking. Obesity is not a disability in itself because it's manageable with diet, exercise and weight loss. Dr. Now proves it time and again on "My 600-lb Life." And if people are in so much pain that they have to wear T-shirts telling us, then maybe lose weight and see if it helps. But no, then that would take away the excuse to expect special treatment. 

Part of how I lost 100 pounds, without gastric bypass, was to lose weight, the old-fashioned way, with calorie restricting, like Dr. Now uses on "My 600-lb Life." When I did, many conditions improved (pre-diabetes, liver functioning, depression, hypertension).  Chronic pain is still an issue. So am I saying weight loss will fix fibromyalgia, back pain, knee pain, etc? Maybe not completely but, obesity sure isn't going to. 

If you are overweight and want to lose weight, like I did, let me assure you that you can do it! Even if it doesn't clear up every problem, I guarantee it feels a lot better than self-pity. 

Is obesity healthy and beautiful?

I don't know what article I opened but lately my news home feed is flooded with the "I'm overweight and hot" articles. Well, they're not actually articles, but more blog posts (truthfully I don't read them so I don't know the source). Anyway, the poster shares her height, weight and photos of herself , declaring something to the effect that even though she is "overweight" or even "obese" many people find her attractive, guys hit on her, etc. 

I find these posts disturbing, frankly. Because obesity isn't attractive? No. Because women can't be overweight and acceptable? H to the NO! Because this sad "pick me" attention seeking behavior makes them vulnerable (a little--the comments can be quite hurtful)? What bothers me is them trying to prove that overweight can't be beautiful because men think they are attractive.  

This need for validation is concerning, as weight loss blogger. The issue isn't whether women are beautiful despite what the scale says because someone says they are. Beauty goes far beyond looks and I believe everyone is beautiful because we are made in the image of God. The concern with obesity is the multiple health concerns attached. 

HAES, Healthy at any Size, says that all bodies are healthy and that no one should work at weight loss unless they want to. Certainly someone who weighs say, 40 pounds more than what the BMI (body mass index calls for) will have fewer issues than someone who is 100- 200 lbs (or more) overweight. But HAES doesn't care how much you weigh, it's all healthy. 

I'm sorry but no it's not. The nature of weight gain is to snowball. The more I gain, the incrementally more, and faster, I gain weight. And even if I could stay at just 40 pounds overweight, I would still be predisposed to certain health risks: diabetes, hypertension, back and leg problems, heart problems, liver functioning, even Covid poses a greater threat to those outside the recommended weight. 

In shows like "My 600-lb Life" we meet gastric bypass patients who have gained to extremes. But they began at the same place everyone else does and got to that point by ignoring weight gain. And they are riddled with health problems. "My 600-lb Life" gastric bypass surgeon Dr. Now always sees them when they are literally at death's door. 

Will the women in the articles mentioned get as big as "My 600-lb Life"? Probably not. But I'm sure the people on "My 600-lb Life" never imagined it would get that bad either. With movements like HAES encouraging weight gain, there's a greater chance of seeing more of these situations. Because it's common for people who are overweight to ignore weight gain. Many are just as overweight as those on the show, but in denial. I know what I'm talking about. Part of how I lost 100 pounds was to open my eyes to how big I was and do something about it. 

Lenten fasting and weight loss? Amen!

 A blessed Ash Wednesday to all. Whether you're Catholic or not I invite you to join me as we kick off the Lenten season in a Fat-Free February weight loss challenge. Lent is a time in the  Catholic liturgical calendar when we walk with our Savior, through the temptation in the desert on His way to the cross. We practice Christian values of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We are called to follow these all year long but in a special way in the Lenten season. We return our attention to these core habits which I can really admit in my own life, sometimes gets diverted. 

The focus of this blog is on weight loss, specifically how I lost 100 times without gastric bypass. So you may be wondering does it really count for spiritual reasons if I'm trying to lose weight by fasting. This question came up in a q&A on an orthodox Christian site as well. And my answer to that is yes if you are fasting for religious reasons first and weight loss as a happy outcome. Actually, having said that, any practice that gets us focusing less on ourselves, our needs and more usually our wants, has spiritual benefit too. 

And if you are fasting as the church calls for, by eating simpler, low to zero sugar, fish instead of fatty heavy meat, less dairy and no junk, then you will lose weight regardless. So part of my Family at Free February weight loss challenge will include a Catholic Lenten type fast. And I will follow my Lenten fast by being more faithful to calorie restricting in a 1200 calorie diet. I will also do intermittent fasting every Wednesday and Friday, following the (keto) bread and water fast that Our Lady, the Blessed Mother called us to at her Medjugorie apparition. I will talk more about that later. Blessings to you all. Love mar

Fat Free February weight loss challenge asks if calorie restricting really works

 Hello and welcome to this blog on how I lost 100 pounds (without gastric bypass) and you can too! Last month I issued a No Junk January weight loss challenge for the new year and this month, we're keeping the mojo going with Fat Free February. A friend was kind enough to say that these challenges motivated her to lose weight and hopefully they've helped you too! 

Not fat free as in zero fat foods: experience and research shows that those don't always address weight loss goals sufficiently. Fat Free February means that we're working to rid our bodies of excess "white adipose tissue" (or white fat, stored fat). Stored fat encases organs to protect them but if there's too much, restricts healthy functioning. It clogs arteries, slows metabolism, makes us lethargic, depressed etc. 

So in Fat Free February we don't want to get rid of all stored fat. It just makes for good alliteration lol! We do want to increase brown fat (healthy fat) by increasing intake of MUFAS (monounsaturated fatty acids) and PUFAS (polyunsaturated fatty acids) which dissolved saturated fats. I love the names: MUFAS and PUFAS. They sound like junky Saturday morning kids breakfast cereal! 

To lose weight, the keto diet would have us eat lots of fats, including saturated fats. Part of how I lost 100 pounds was to eat a modified keto diet (though I didn't know at the time that's what I was doing). I have my reservations about keto because. So many people I've known to use it, while having initial success with weight loss, were not able to keep it off as the keto diet is pretty difficult to maintain. I'm not even sure it's healthy to eat that way long term. 

What's worked for me is GOCR--good ole calorie restricting--for me, 1200 calorie diet--including limiting  sugar, particularly refined sugar, saturated fats, junk or empty carbs and balancing fiber, protein and fats. Calorie restricting (1200 calorie diet) has gotten a lot of bad PR, particularly from groups like HAES (Healthy at Every Size). HAES maintains that obesity isn't really unhealthy and that body positivity really matters. Even many basic weight loss diets eschew calorie restricting. 

However, I've found that the only way to end obesity is to portion control which is in effect calorie restricting. Exercise as in movement is important too. But alone, it will not lose weight. I went from  normal to overweight to obese by eating more and moving less. Not all by choice, sedentary job, etc. Didn't matter though because those two things shot me to morbid obesity. So the path back has to include calorie restricting in 1200 calorie diet and portion control. 

Stay tuned for more Fat Free February posts and be ready for next month when we'll do a March to Weight Loss challenge! 

(P.S. Don't you love the very serious look 😶on my grandson Emmett's face? 😁)