Day 12: Weigh-In & Research

According to yesterday's weigh-in, I lost another 1.8 lbs, for a grand 11 day weight loss total of 4.7 lbs.  So I should, by all accounts, be happy that the scale is moving in the right direction.  However, I find that I am in a Day-Twelve Funk.  I know that I need to look at the results on a larger scale than a week-by-week numbers game, especially knowing that there will be natural times during the month when the weight will not come off as fast, and in fact may plateau or even show a gain.  This is a normal part of the process.  Even so, I find myself thinking "I should be losing more than 1.8 lbs in a week on this plan.  I could lose that amount on my own".  I am just not as jazzed today about the program as I was days ago.  Ironically, my friend who is also doing this plan went through something very similar on day twelve.  It is really a gift to have a friend going through the same program.  She can relate to what I am going through and has been a good support.  We support each other.  My friend had the courage to reach out and seek support when she went through a rough day.  That gave me permission to do the same.  The benefits of the buddy-system should not be underestimated!           

So this is my plan of action: I need to eat more if I feel hungry.  I encounter a real fear of doing so.  At the same time, if I don't, my body's metabolism might start to slow down and my behavior of restricting will actually work against me.  I have plenty of options.  I just need to follow through on the behavior. 

(Plenty of options.)

Yesterday's meeting went well.  The homework is as follows: 1.) Sample an HMR chicken soup mixed with an entree on my most challenging day.  I wrote in my food journal that I will do this on Sunday.  The nutritionist passed out samples of one of the entrees (Chicken Creole, I believe) blended with the chicken soup mix and served as a hearty soup.  It really was rich and filling - quite good.  I might try that on Sunday.

Every week the group leader discusses some related research.  For example, last night we discussed a brief overview of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1999) in which 24 women, between the ages of 20-45, ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a laboratory one day per week for a month.  The gist of the results: Those that ate soup before lunch consumed less calories overall.  I looked up the actual journal article online to review the methodology, results, and discussion sections.  Participants were divided into 4 different groups: A control group that did not eat a snack before lunch, and 3 other groups that ate  "pre-load" snacks of the same calorie content before lunch.

• Control Group: No snack pre-load
• Snack Group 1: Chicken Rice Casserole
• Snack Group 2: Chicken Rice Casserole and a glass of water
• Snack Group 3: Chicken Rice Casserole made as a soup

As expected, individuals in the control group ate more at lunch than those in any of the three snack groups.  What was a bit more surprising was that those individuals who ate the chicken rice casserole made into a soup ate 446 fewer calories at lunch, on average, than did their peers in the other two snack groups. Subjects did not compensate at dinner for this reduction in lunch intake.  While the sample size was low, the results were still interesting and notable.

The authors concluded that "consuming foods with a high water content more effectively reduced subsequent energy intake than did drinking water with food".  The authors discussed how food mixed with water appears to increase the level of satiety as opposed to water served with the food (but not as part of the food).  They suggest that it is possible that the water added to the food changes the weight & volume of the food, and therefore the dispersion of nutrient content; this might somehow activate mechanisms involved in hunger.  Water alone may tend to activate thirst mechanisms.  The full research article, titled "Water incorporated into a food but not served with a food decreases energy intake in lean women" can be located here. 

The second homework assignment was to "sample 2 bouts of physical activity (PA) for at least 10 minutes each" in one day.  Those people who are already getting in 2 different types of activity per day were asked to either add to the time, or add a 3rd activity.

Well, I'm starting to feel my groove coming back.  I have to run as a friend is going to stop by and bring my bicycle to the shop to be repaired.  Looking forward to getting back on the bike trails!

Keep the momentum and have a healthy, happy Friday!  


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