| # | Author | Message |
21
| sherrytodd
Wed 4/26/2006 2:02p | You can do it!
I lost 30 pounds doing weight watchers online. It's very helpful to at least keep a journal of what you are eating. I was amazed that when I wrote it down, I was actually eating more then I thought. I liked weight watchers because they have great recipes and the point system was pretty easy to live with once you got used to the points of the most common things you eat. It got to the point where I could plan my day in my head.
And Skinny Cows are AWESOME! |
22
| RAM1984
Wed 4/26/2006 2:48p | >>So for you veteran "food habit changed" folks - IS diet soda ok?<<
This is purely a personal choice. My husband and I just do not want the chemicals. (And there is evidence that artificial sweeteners cause cravings for real sweets.)
We also do not do any caffeine. This too is a personal choice. (Latest studies indicate no bad effects from casual use.)
A lot of help I am. I just do not want anyone to think I am on a soapbox. (Like everyone should do it my way.) I am in favor of whatever works for each individual.
My one piece of advice to myself and anyone intersted is: eat less, exercise more.
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23
| smeeeko
Wed 4/26/2006 3:18p | re: water.. I flavor mine with crystal light but once I get used to drinking it I can drink bottled water a lot more than I used to. I don't drink as much diet soda as I used to. It's not the diet soda anyway, it's your body thinking you are thirsty because the diet soda dehydrates you.
re: skinny cows.. you can get bonus packs of these at Costco sometimes.. they only have the 2flavors though. believe it or not, I really don't dig the chocolate. I like the vanilla. There's also mint, peanut butter and a couple other flavors of ice cream sandwiches they make.. They also have the fudge bars but they don't seem to be on sale. I love WW drumsticks but they never seem to be on sale either. If you are a coffee junky (again with the no sales very often) Starbucks fat free Frapachino bars are good too! sometimes they'll have a couppon on the box itself (these are all items that are available at a local grocery.. NOT Costco/Sams Club). However, we have been lucky to find Lean Cuisine 4pks there.. sometimes Healthy Choice meals.
re: low point meals.. try your local Trader Joe's or Henry's Market.. Trader Joe's brand (which isn't everywhere (oh how I wish florida or Texas had them!) has a really yummy mushroom fettuchine that serves about 3 servings suposedly.. Sean & I will split it as the points aren't that bad at about 3-4pts a serving. I could eat the whole thing in one sitting if I'm not careful.. it's that good!
re: portions when you get used to portion sizing and journaling your food you see how much food that people get served at restaurants. We don't have those applebee's that have the WW menu (my mom goes there in Sarasota) but when you go to someplace like Pasta Pomodoro or California Pizza Kitchen or whatever your local fave chain place is (I'm getting to like Islands a lot). We'll order like a couple appetizers and split them. The hamburgers are scary bad.. mushroom cheeseburger was like 55pts (that's like 2days of points for me.. I get alloted about 24pts a day if I want to be naughty now & again.. it's by weight). So splitting these huge meals or being sure to take home leftovers for lunch the next day really helps. Avacado instead of mayonaise.. avacado is better fat than mayo anyway you slice it.. it's a healthier fat.. so when you can choose gauc instead of sour cream.. better yet make salsa your new best friend. Tomato sauce is very low in calories.
re: snacks.. nuts! they're very fattening but filling! they are also good for you. If I eat the nature valley granola bar it's like 2-3 points but I get filled up and don't crave the chips and snacks so much. If you don't like peanuts almonds or cashews (unsalted mind you) are just as good.. just an 1ounce a serving. =)
re: dessert.. Did I mention CALSMART ice cream? It's like no sugar added by Breyers I think.. 1/2cup servings and so you have your ice cream and eat it too. =)
if you eat out a lot (whether for work or whatever), don't forget the web for resources of healthy food.. there's a site called Dotti's Weighloss Zone (she was on WW but really it's a great site for any dieter) and there's constant updates for menu items with calorie, fat, fiber carbs (I think) etc.. so if I go somewhere new and I am able to look it up I will have some sort of idea what they have on the menu I can opt for. I try really hard to watch my portions and not eat the wrong thing but no one is perfect and I often will fall off the dieter wagon.. plateauing WILL happen.. knowing that will help some to not get depressed about it. Also there are so many folks out there rooting for us that you will never be alone should you decide to stay on this path, regardless of whether you go on an official diet or just make some food changes. =) |
24
| cape cod joe
Wed 4/26/2006 3:25p | My brother is gay and that is the least of his problems. He used to smoke, drink, and eat. He quit the smoking and the drinking but not the eating and is over 350 pounds as he has been for decades. My mother, last month, hadn't seen him in a few weeks and thought he may be considering suicide because of his weight as my sister had contemplated years earlieer (weight) so she wanted me to give him the usual pep talk.
A simple thing to help people is to say our most important power that no one can take away from us is our power to choose.
I'm sleeping at 2 in the morning and so is my brother. I GET up at 3 to work out and my brother can as can ANYONE in this free country of ours can but he doesn't. It's everyone's choice. We CAN get up! No one has a gun to your head and says just lie there and not try to get up to change your life. You don't have to work out 4 hours a day like me, but how about getting up 1 hour earlier and exercising EVERY day?
The votes are in and the chads have been determined. Carbs kill you and make you fat. There is NO more debating. Cut the carbs, eat the cheese (I just ate half a pound just now, eat the fats, and mostly protein and you WILL be lean as God made us to be. Everyone wants to go to Heaven but no one wants to die. You don't have to die like Jesus. Just stop the JUNK sugar. Exercise! NO ONE is stopping you.
Don't wait till tomorrow because my question is "What is going to make tomorrow more propitious than today to start?" NOTHING is the answer. Get away from the computer and exercise!
You'll get endorphins. You'll be stoked! It's not money. It's feeling good about yourself and people with bmi's over 40 are kidding themselves if they think they feel good about themselves. YOU CAN DO IT!
See you at 3 because I can't wait for another day that God has blessed us with to choose success and happiness over SSDD> groundhog's day type existence. |
25
| cape cod joe
Thu 4/27/2006 1:07a | Like Michael Jordan said to Bugs in Space Jam "You have them riveted"! NOT!!
I tried! See you in 4 hours:) |
26
| beamerdog
Thu 4/27/2006 6:02a | >>My brother is gay and that is the least of his problems<<
Whew, I thought I was in WE for a second there! joe, however you feel about it, there are a lot of people in the community section who don't see that as a problem. At lp we try to keep that over in a different forum :-)
Must be something in the air, 'cause last night I decided that I needed to lose a few pounds. It's pretty hard to do when you're diabetic and balancing the excercise you already do, diet, change in metabolism due to weather changes, and insulin. So I'm going to walk an additional 30 minutes a day split in two sessions and cut back my insulin (which in and of itself will help me lose weight). Small safe steps for me.
Weight watchers is a great way to go.
I NEVER tell people anything about their weight or losing it unless they ask. And then I try and be kind about it because they already know the problem exists. Mostly what people need is huge encouragement.
So Go Guys! Less Food! More Fiber! I wanna smell that sweat!
well, not really the last one... |
27
| cape cod joe
Thu 4/27/2006 7:02a | Gay no problem for me Beamer as I have posted tons on that just recently. It is for my brother as his therapist and he have determined that to be a major cause for his weight gain. Just wanted to clarigy NO PROBLEM for me what your predilections, or whatever. Save it for WE and move everyone YOU CAN DO IT! |
28
| amazedncal2
Thu 4/27/2006 7:06a | About the string cheese: it is one of the lowest in fat of the cheeses. I buy the 2% string cheese. Another thing about it is it is pre packaged (one portion) and ready to go. Protein is supposed to stay with you longer so I use the apple for the fill up/fiber and then pull apart the string cheese and eat it slower that way.
I am also a weight watchers person. I second the vote for checking out dottis.
Another thing about the skinny cows. We put them in a bowl and eat them with a spoon to make them last longer :) You can even put a small portion of FF cool whip on for a sundae :) Mint is my personal favorite.
Sooooooooo true about the mirror at home thing. My sisters and I have done the yo yo thing forever. We NEVER say anything to each other about weight because our mother was fanatic about it and our father made it his mission to comment on how we looked. We realize that food is our depression, get back at mom and dad kicker and it's a no brainer that we eat for comfort and to destress. We all agree that we look in the mirror at home straight on. Think we look pretty OK and then see ourselves sideways in the mirror while out shopping. WOW, who is that person in my clothes? We are all developing health issues that may be helped by losing weight.
I also think that the diet soda thing is a personal choice. For instance on WW you can use diet soda or decaf drinks for part of your suggested water intake for the day. My husband drinks diet soda all day and has lost weight like crazy. I stick to water because the stuff in the diet soda makes my insides feel bad.
HEY, DLR is a GREAT place to power walk :):):):) 999HAUNTS, just for a heads up, we met you at the DCA Halloween Treat mini meet. I was wearing the Mickey pumpkin head hat and my husband was wearing the goofy pumpkin head hat :) We never come home from a trip to DLR having gained weight because of all the walking we do :) If we are serious about the weight loss we'll have an ice cream cone instead of a sundae. Split the box of popcorn etc. Lots of ways to cut down and still enjoy some treats :) Sounds like you are doing well.
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29
| sherrytodd
Thu 4/27/2006 7:10a | Ooooo, I made a skinny cow sundae. I put a skinny cow in a bowel, chopped up some strawberries and added a little fat free cool whip. It was yummy. =) |
30
| cape cod joe
Thu 4/27/2006 8:07a | Is skinny cow like an oxymoron Sherry or more like an oxenmoron?:) |
