Time for another special episode recorded at Balticon 46. Like last episode, this one got held up for a while  because of the Balticon Wrap-up feed I'm doing over at Swimming Cat Studios. This is another simultaneous release, so if you're subscribed to both feeds, you'll get the same episode twice. Sorry about that. This is the recording from The Shrinking Man Project Live! with special guests, Veronica Giguere, Starla Huchton, Justin Macumber, and substituting for Tee Morris, Lauren “Scribe” Harris. This started as a revisiting of The Shrinking Man Project Live from Balticon 45, but ended up a little more like an episode of The Fit-2-Write podcast, a podcast that Lauren, Justin, and Tee started to talk about their own weight loss challenges. The topic for this panel was Inspiration, both for creative endeavors such as writing, and for starting and keeping with your weight loss program. We didn’t have a huge audience this year, but I think we had some really good discussion.

Show notes below the cut.

Show notes:

Welcome
About this episode
Intro
Who has never heard of the Shrinking Man Project before?
About the podcast
Weight loss and Writing, and Creativity.
Inspiration, Find it and Being it.
Introductions

Doc - 115 pounds down
Starla Huchton - 30 pounds down
Justin McCumber - 25 pounds down
Tee is tired and needs a lie down.
Lauren "Scribe" Harris - 17 pounds down
Veronica Giguere - 50 pounds down

That moment you decide to make a real change.

Me - I want to sit in chairs.
Starla - 206 is too much.
Justin - Too big for the cat scan machine.
Scribe - Heart pounding from walking up a single flight of stairs.
Veronica - Got to look good in the ugly dress for the wedding, and giving students advice she wasn't taking.

Waiting for inspiration.

Is the spark to get you started, but you have to keep it alive.
Cutting out all of x.

Focus on what you're giving up, not where you are going.

Recurring problems?

Starla - Can't tell myself "No".

Starbucks is Evil.

Justin - Want what I can't have.

Just eat smart.
Avoid excess.

Scribe - The bad thing becomes the reward.

Gateway to giving up.
Food is not a reward.

Veronica - Convenience is a trap.

Great food with a little extra effort.
How to make all food more healthy?
Taste good and healthy? Win!

Doc - Overdoing it. Especially with cheese.

Weight Watchers points.
Budgeting your food.
Substitute better foods.

Re-discovering mushrooms.

Trade-offs.
Good food, not "diet food".
Get what I need, but not the excess.

Fruit - Just a taste of sweet.
Mixed berries and sugar-free whipped cream.

Not depriving, rewarding!

Substitutions

Starla - Hot tea instead of sweets.

Grown up kool aid.

Scribe - Stevia or Truvia.

Not in Coffee.

Justin - I hate numbers. Not going to count anything.

Find your own way.
Portion control.

Single serving ice cream.

How much is a serving?

Tools

Lose it!

Counts your food for you.

My Fitness Pal
Weight Watchers app

Need the exercise, too
"OK to cheat for one meal a week"

Slippery slope
Needed release
Diet Holiday one day a month.

Tastes start to shift.

Bad food tastes bad.
Tastes oily
Thin crust instead of stuffed crust.

No more pre-packaged food.

Re-discovering cooking

Get wise about choosing your foods.

Re-discovering farmers markets
Peanut butter without suck.
Fresh ground nut butter.

Others being inspired by you

Starla - Cosplay group.

Started bringing them to the gym and got them started.

Veronica - Husband joined into fitness plan.

Boss started running with her.

Scribe - Can't let them down.
Doc - Not just doing it for me, but for those who need me to break ground.

The Victory Belt.

Wraps around to the small of my back.