Chimin' in: A new wagon

So I'm still determined - or at the very least, hoping very hard - to get my pants looser. The points thing ain't got much lifestyle traction for me anymore. And yes, I concede.

I just so happened to record an episode of Oprah early this season. (Really, this is related...) It was one with her pal, Dr. Oz, Mehmet Oz. Oprah sure has a knack of finding people who explain things well and make things very accessible. And she then has a knack for making them famous. Anyway, there were 3 segments of the show that day that have been settling into me and creating a new resolve and strategy for eating and pants-loosening.

I humbly present the 3 below, along with my initial applications:

1) More fiber
We all know this one - and our preferred method and product has been Fiber One. Unlike a while ago, I can eat it now but chocolate soy milk is pretty integral to the experience. With regular milk, I can hardly keep it down.

With this one, I don't need to explain my theories - you know them, you've laughed, and you've come to believe. But if you check out Dr. Oz's "experiment" with 2 low-to-no-fiber diet, European truck drivers the point really hits home. He made each swallow a transmitter pill that tracked their digestion and how long it was taking "from end to end." It took one of the drivers, Wolfgang over 40 hours to pass the pill. Both were then given a high-fiber diet (I wish they'd give more specifics and ideas here) and Wolfgang cut his time down to 12 hours!

And of course, this isn't speaking specifically to weight loss but you know my "grease the skids" theory. And there are plenty of other positive effects of fiber as Dr. Judy's advised.

Link to Oprah/Oz fiber experiment.

D's initial application: More thought to fiber intake. Been starting each day with a packet/bowl of oatmeal - and been eating it (scarfing it down) before I leave the house. High-fiber cereal on hand at work too.

2) More calcium
I remember an article that ran (HA!) in Runner's World a couple of years ago about dairy's impact on weight loss. There wasn't much detail but it made an impression. Well, leave it to Dr. Oz to do an experiment (don't ask me why all his subjects are European) that hits the point home.

This group was given a diet high in dairy-based calcium one week, followed by a one low-in-dairy/-calcium the next. Stool samples were taken and the amount of fat that was absorbed/passed through was measured and compared. Conclusion: Calcium can double your fat excretion! And leave it to Dr. Oz to bring in a dramatic visual - 6.5 pounds of lard! Yup, he said that a daily intake of 1200 mgs of calcium a day can mean 6.5 pounds of fat loss in a year! Hey, SIGN ME UP!

More Oprah /Oz calcium details and explanation here.

D's initial application: Less regard for points and an increased, unabashed consumption of soy milk. 1-3 cups a day. Being better with my calcium supplements (but I wish it said how much magnesium was in these things too). And I think I've put ice cream on a figuratively lower shelf now too. Well, at least the fancy kind Marty received as a thank you gift here at the office. YUM! :-)

3) Raw food
So they fed another group of European subjects raw food. ELEVEN pounds of it (raw fruit, vegetables and nuts) per day for 12 days! Poor peeps. But the results were sort of astounding... cholesterol dropped 25%, blood pressure 10%, and each lost 10 pounds and over 2 inches off their waist - all in 12 days!

Nutrient-rich foods. Yup, I'm a believer. And I think this is where Weight Watchers was good in translating the benefits making raw veggies zero points. But also not so good overall - because I could focus on and be successful with my points but still be missing key nutrient and not have a well-balanced diet. Remember my post back a few months ago about needing to eat more vegetables? Yup. And really this #3 (raw food) has a high correlation with #1 (more fiber).

Link to Oprah/Oz "raw food" summary.

D's initial application: I've been trying to eat more veggies, thinking about this raw food component. Don't make reservations at Cafe Gratitude yet! - I ain't going that far. Just more veggies - 11 pounds is extreme but I'm trying to increase my relative volume. Also WW was/is so anti-nuts because of the fat, but I'm slowly re-programming myself to move toward them rather than away. Mmmm, pistachios!

Haven't started yet - but my mom has for many years been starting her days with what she calls "nutrition soup." She blends 5-6 different vegetables/fruit into a "smoothie." Drinks it down and she's already ahead of the health game for the day. I like it - the idea of getting in the veggies and fiber that efficiently. And it tastes ok. Not bad, really. I think you have to treat it like good medicine. But the hassle has made it a non-consideration. But times are a-changin'. I'm planning to start blending after our household's next Berkeley Bowl run.

Here's some tips from my mom if you're interested:

Usual ingredients:
Main ingredient - organic oat bran (1/3 or half cup)
1) 1 small apple (or half big one) - keep the skin on
2) 1 kiwi - skin off
3) two stalks of celery
4) some berries (blueberry is preferred)
5) some dark green veggies - e.g., a few broccoli florets
then add water.

So in response Bora's last question (points vs. lifestyle): Lifestyle.

I feel freer to be without points, but now strategizing with these new learnings/convictions. Right now, my pants... have been tighter, and have been looser. But I'm feeling pretty good and we'll see if this jumpstarts some good, loosening, longer-life-living change!

:-)