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[Sandra Ahten]

Greetings Dear Subscribers,

What do I tell my friend Carin, who is working out an hour-plus every day, 
eats reasonably, and is gaining weight? "It is definitely inches," she tells 
me, "I'm not just gaining muscle." It's not reasonable for her to increase 
her exercise. She really doesn't want to diet -- but she doesn't want to 
keep gaining either. She asks me, "Do you eat until you're full?"

As we sweated and paced on side-by-side treadmills I answered, "Yes, I 
usually do." But then I reflect some more. "Well, sometimes I don't -- but 
then when I'm hungry again, I eat again." She tells me that she has 
concluded that she is just going to have to be hungry sometimes. That didn't 
sound good, but I was at a loss for what to say.
Apparently this month I've taken off from my job as a weight loss consultant 
  has slowed me down a bit -- because it wasn't until I got home that the 
answer to Carin's dilemma dawned on me: vegetables, vegetables, vegetables, 
vegetables, and fruit. I know Carin eats healthy. I often drop by her house, 
and I see her making fruit smoothies for her kids, whipping up a 
veggie-and-cheese burrito, or dishing out some black bean soup.  But, as I 
have learned myself the hard way, eating healthy does not necessarily mean 
not gaining weight.  There are those who are born with super-charged 
metabolism, and then there are the rest of us. The rest of us need to fill 
up on "zero point" vegetables and to be aware of the calorie content of even 
healthy items in order to not be hungry and not gain weight.
You, like Carin, may not want to diet -- but education regarding the actual 
calories of certain food is enlightening. Recently, I was watching a news 
report about the commercial sell-out of our schools. The dilemma was the 
offering of soda products in the schools, even elementary schools -- and the 
subtle and not-so-subtle brainwashing of our children to buy junk food. An 
expert pointed out that for an average person it took just an extra 120 
calories a day to gain 12 pounds per year. It was pointed out that 120 
calories is the content of about half a can of soda. However, I want to 
point out, it is also the calories in 3 ounces of apple juice, 6 ounces of 
skim milk, or half of a banana.

Whether you want to call it dieting or not, in a society as plentiful as 
ours, where so much wonderful food is available, it is imperative that you 
educate yourself about the calorie content of food and be vigilant about 
your own consumption. I personally had to "diet" to do this. When I found 
out how many "points" I could realistically consume in order to lose weight 
-- or at least quit gaining -- one of the things I cut from my diet was 
fruit juice. I also severely cut down on other things that I considered 
healthy and started replacing them with lower calorie foods and drinks.

What is dieting? It always seems to includes tracking what you eat in order 
that you have a realistic picture about what you are consuming. Perhaps you, 
like Carin, have a resistance to doing this. If so, ask yourself what you 
are willing to do. One of the guidelines for most "diets," and one that is 
included in the recommended "food pyramid," is to get in a certain amount of 
vegetables per day. If you are going to change your diet with out "dieting," 
start by filling up on non-starchy vegetables and getting 6 to 8 glasses of 
water a day. If your issues are bigger than this, you may have to ask 
yourself what else you are willing to do; what else you are willing to 
change. But you have to start somewhere. For those of you who have lost the 
weight and never want to have to diet again -- you know this is a basic 
guideline you'll need to live by.

I'll be back at Weight Watchers beginning Tuesday, November 5th. It has been 
good to have this time to work on my book, make lots of art, and spend 
precious time with my husband (who had emergency surgery for a detached 
retina last Thursday) -- but I'll be glad to be back too. I miss your 
inspiration, yours stories, your laughter, sharing your successes, easing 
your disappointments, and together finding ways to make our lives a little 
easier. Take care until then.

Sandra
p.s.
I have a couple of openings for my "Women's Body Group," a five week group 
that meets on Thursday from 9-10:30am. Participants explore their own core 
issues in relation to the impact of society on their thoughts and feelings 
about their bodies as well as their own history and hopes.  Discussion on 
body image, healthy lifestyle goal setting, and support with a holistic 
approach to growth that includes self-help, spirituality, and creativity. 
The goals of the group will be set by the women in attendance. As faciltator 
I will be providing suggested readings, exercises, and guidance. Group 
begins November 7th.




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