Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Another crazy idea...

Healthy PlanetI know, I'm chock full of crazy ideas, but I wanted to share with you my latest.

This one was hatched as a result of yesterday's post, Overeating and the Environment. I know a lot of us (well, some at least) struggle with stress eating and a few extra pounds so I thought, what fun! Let's make this a group effort to try to drop some extra weight with conservation and health in mind. Plus, the New Year is coming up and shouldn't losing weight be a resolution?

Here's what I'm thinking:

1. I'd post on this topic on Saturdays starting January 2008
2. You can participate actively or anonymously or whatever makes you comfy
3. I'd help you calculate a target weight based on your height and frame size
4. I'll try to find a calculation on how much your extra weight transfers into extra CO2 emitted per year (kinda like a clothesdryer, but it's you!)
5. I'll provide information on how many calories you need each day to get to your goal weight
6. I'll provide a forum and support for meeting a goal that not only affects the environment, albeit on a small (or in some cases, large?) scale, but also your health and future health costs
7. Help you to track and reduce your food waste [UPDATED]
8. I'll amaze and entertain!

I even have a fun name for this project:

No Overeating While Attempting to Save The Environment (NOWASTE)

So, let me know what you think!



In case you all are fearing for your lives here, I must first say there will be a hearty disclaimer attached to this project as I am not a professional. That said, I have many years experience in training for running races, a marathon and a triathlon as well as a constant fixation with nutrition. I just need to shake off the cobwebs encasing this knowledge.

34 comments:

Debbie said...

I wanted to vote "I love it and I can't wait to hear more" AND "You are totally off your rocker" but for some reason that option wasn't available. ;)

Lissa said...

Great idea. I've been keeping my "local eating" and "eating only enough" thoughts at top of mind since I've been more active at my YMCA membership over the past few weeks, and it's certainly been helping me to be more focused/driven. I don't often eat more than I need, or turn to food in times of stress, but I do need to make sure my diet is balanced for optimal health -- I'm sure there are others out there with that need who would see your challenge as inspiration.

Anonymous said...

I'm SO in!!! Thanks for waiting until the first of the year though! This is a great idea and something that Dan and I have talked about frequently. Maybe it's not what we consume but how much we consume in addition to how much we waste. If that makes sense.

I'm so excited about this challenge! And only 5 more days til my first DivaCup foray. Details to come...

Green Bean said...

Sounds great. Last winter, I joined Weight Watchers and lost 15 lbs. I was very happy with the weight that came off but as I became more aware of the environment's woes, I realized that I lost the weight by relying primarily on highly processed and packaged foods.

I have since cut those foods out of my life (goodbye Weight Watcher bars, Skinny Cows and Lean Cuisines). They weren't healthy for me or the environment - though they sure did make me look good. :P When I first transitioned to local eating, I shed a few more pounds because I hadn't added sweets back in or found a replacement for my processed, packaged treats. Since then, I've consumed far too much fair trade chocolate and sugar and regained half the weight I lost. That's a long way of saying, I'm in!

BTW, I'd like to reccommend the book SKINNY BITCH. The book is geared toward a life style that I have completely rejected on one hand BUT, on the other hand, the book is, in some ways, a Dummie's Guide to Omnivore's Dilemma - revealing the atrocities of factory farms and advocating veganism. Interesting.

Anonymous said...

Sigh. Crunch, how did you know I need to lose weight?

Christmas party, Thursday night. Three dresses out of the closet before I found one that fit.

Damn Chocolate.

I'm in.

Anonymous said...

Hi Crunchy-
I wanted to click on the option I am not overweight but VERY interested!! I applaud you whole heartedly for bringing up things that most people are too chicken (haha) to address. As a "skinny bitch", someone that does not gain weight (although I am young and haven't had any children yet so that may change but looking at my parents I kinda doubt it)I have always been afraid to point this out to other people otherwise I would get the response"how would you know you haven't struggled with weight a day in your life.." Anyway, what I want to point out is that overeating is like any other addiction, it is a replacement for some emotional element that is missing in your life and I myself have my own addictions (not substance abuse or anything like that but bargain hunting, internet surfing, compulsive organizing) that don't show up in my dress size. So I feel like I DO understand overeating in some ways. What I want you to add to this challenge is some self-examination of why people are overeating to begin with. This could lead to better emotional health overall which I see as only a positive for our species and the planet. And that way those of us with other addictions can participating by coming up with a plan to deal with those too. OK, hope this makes sense and I think it is so wonderful that you are making this a dialog.

Also, I will partake a little in the eating part by modifying our diet towards more environmentally friendly food, we are veggie but eat lots of dairy, I will substitute more with plant based protein and I will also examine some of the treats we eat occasionally (like chocolate and ice cream) and come up with more environmentally responsible replacements.

Wow, that was long!

Anonymous said...

I'm not overweight, but I love this idea just because it's one way to look at our choices differently. Even though I don't have a weight problem, too often we eat things that come in a lot of packaging (things that often lead to weight issues). Thinking of it in terms of environment, and health, is a great combo!

Miss Sub said...

Oh Crunch! You need another option! I'm with Ms. Core, I don't need to lose weight but this is an amazingly uncrazy idea!

I decided my new year's resolution is to start packing healthy (at least healthier than Taco time and Jack in the Box!) lunches for work. I'm sure the past couple months have not been good on my cholesterol!

So I'm in! And I'm so glad that you pointed out another reason why I need to stick to this resolution!
*heart!*

Tara said...

I'm also in the "don't need to lose but want to be more mindful" category. Although if I keep consuming fair trade dark chocolate at the rate I have been, I will soon be out of that category. I'm in.

Greenpa said...

Seems like a PERFECT time to combine with my favorite action- UNPLUG YOUR FRIDGE.

:-) Don'tcha think? Get that 5 gallon pail of icecream out of the house. PLAN for "no waste" meals; no leftovers.

It all kind of goes together.

Johanna in NZ said...

I am very interested in this as I tend to eat when I am stressed and chocolate is my drug of choice. Usually fair trade dark chocolate, but still.

Anonymous said...

I can lose maybe 3-5 pounds, but not really more than that. However, I would like to be more mindful about holiday eating.

I'm wondering, would this mean for those of us in our comfortable zone, we should still eat less and exercise less? Hmm...

Gift of Green said...

You're off your rocker, but in a good way. Help us, NOWASTE, help us.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE this idea, but like many, don't really need to lose any weight. Maybe for those of us in that catefoty, we could focus on not wasting as much food. I know in our house, we throw away or compost enough food to feed another family. It doesn't matter if we're eating it or not - it's still being purchased, prepared and disposed of. That's what we need to work on!
Susan

Theresa said...

Count me in! I need to lose about 20 -25 lbs and I can use all the motivation, tips, cajoling, etc., I can get.

ruchi said...

I think there needs to be some option to participate for people who don't necessarily want to lose poundage.

I am actually the opposite of a stress-eater. When I get stressed or upset, I can't eat. It all comes from the same place, we just manifest our stress in different ways.

Minni Mum said...

Love it! Good excuse to stop using the electric ice cream maker. Oh wait! No more icecream? Damn :-( I'm still in though ;-)

I've also nominated you for A Roar for Powerful Words award, see here :-)

DC said...

"I think there needs to be some option to participate for people who don't necessarily want to lose poundage."

People who don't need to lose weight could participate by reducing the food wasted by not being consumed (i.e., thrown out).

According to a study by the University of Arizona Garbage Project, Americans throw away 1.3 pounds of food every day, or 474.5 pounds per year. According to a British organization, Waste and Resources Action Programme, we "could make carbon savings equivalent to taking an estimated 1 in 5 cars off the road if we avoided throwing away all the food that we could have eaten."

So maybe those interested could use a kitchen scale to weigh food that is thrown out each day, with the idea of moving to zero food waste.

Just an idea -- take it or leave it.

Crunchy Chicken said...

Ok! It sounds like there's enough interest with this one. I'll tinker with the goals of Project NOWASTE to be based on overall food consumption and reducing food waste.

Anonymous said...

This is a totally good idea. I am fine with my weight (within some pounds..) but I have a bad habit during the holidays. There is always so much food, buffets, etc. I'll take something, take a bite, and if I don't like it, I throw it away (like last night at my husband's job's super big Christmas party). This habit may be partly why I don't really need to lose weight, but gosh, that's wasteful! Last night I threw out a piece of cake minus a bite, most of a piece of pizza, and some cheese.

So this holiday season, I'll either first sample off of my husband's plate, or I'll try to only take things that I know I'll want to finish.

Crunchy Chicken said...

I've updated the list of goals (which I'll further refine as we get closer to 2008) and added a new option to the poll.

I understand a lot of you who already voted would have preferred the last (new) voting option, but I'm keeping that in mind :)

Cristina said...

I just found your blog recently and love it. I would love to participate in this as I still have pregnancy weight to lose!

Anonymous said...

I am ABSOLUTELY in on this! Fair trade chocolate, local organic cheese, Bucklin Red Zinfandel are my drugs of choice. They are awesome products in Moderation. But where the heck is Moderation? I can't find it on a map!

I need to lose about 15 pounds AND start running again!

Anonymous said...

Crunchy, you said you have many years experience in training for running, etc, so you might want to add in somewhere that when ppl are eating less/healthier, exercise is also an important part of losing weight (altho actually calculating it for the challenge would be a bit much).

Someone said they eat when they're stressed. Exercise is a good replacement for "i have a problem so i'll eat to feel better." As well as physically buring calories, exercise releases endorphins that make you feel better, so if you were stressed/depressed/etc, you're getting rid of that too.

Walking is the easiest/cheapest/greenest way to exercise. And if you're replacing a car trip with walking, its even better.

Anonymous said...

i'm excited that you decided to include an option that didn't necessarily involve losing weight.

Unknown said...

Unlike most of you here who have commented, I do need to lose weight! And I'd love to try this. I often feel like a hypocrite for advocating a greener lifestyle while consuming too much (processed) food. Thanks for the idea!

stephanie said...

Mrs. Crunchy, is there nothing you can't do?

I look forward to hearing more :)

Kristi said...

I'm so in! Portion control here is terrible. I look at what my whole family ate when I was growing up, and the same dinner won't feed us all now. My best friends have informed me that I'm participating in the Bloomsday run/walk in May, in part because I'm the only one not exercising. Curses.

Susan M.B. Sullivan said...

I can use all the help I can get. Like Green Bean commented, last time I was my ideal weight I got there by using foods I don't eat now. Now that we're eating locally, I need to plan a lot better to have good foods ready when I'm hungry and not just ingredients.

salmonpoetry said...

since many people (myself included) seem not to need to lose weight, maybe we can focus on the broader health implications of healthy, local eating. weight, while important and a huge (literally) issue in our country at the moment, is not the only indicator of health, in fact new research shows that people who are average or slightly overweight tend to be the healthiest (though it has not convinced me yet). but still, not being overweight does not equal being healthy, necessarily.
i look forward to being part of this project and to being more mindful about my food and the bigger consequences of it for my health, the environment, and our world.

patricia said...

I don't really need to lose weight--I've been a vegetarian for years and am now trying to move into the local growing scene in and outside of Chicago but I appreciate your idea of tying the perennial concern with losing or sustaining a healthy weight with the environmental costs of overeating. I love your blog and actually discovered it as I was preparing for our book group discussion of ANIMAL/VEGETABLE/MIRACLE next week. Do you have the questions from chapters 1-12? I couldn't find them. Thanks peace--drpob1@gmail.com

Fresh and Feisty said...

This is a wonderful idea. I joined WW and have lost 20lbs since August and have noticed that I need to rethink my purchases since I don't eat as much. In my particular case, a lot of the excess eating is emotional as one person mentioned but also (watch out guys) very attached to some hormone problems I have. I am learning those are all excuses though. Probably the best thing has been getting a dog and having to walk him. We usually walk about 2 miles in the morning and I'm going to start walking him at least another mile in the evening. We both need it. So count me in!

Anonymous said...

I'm in. I have gained 20lbs in the past 2 years. I am now 160 and want to be back to 140. I just don't like myself this way. So count me in. I am 5ft, 6 in, 36DDD so too thin and I look silly. Wish me luck, maybe if its an environment issue I will have better luck.

Veggie said...

I write the expiry dates of my tofu (and the like) on my calendar to remind me to use them up.