The Diet/Self-Improvement Thread

[karen]

Sarah has inspired me to drop some weight. She's been doing wonderfully on her diet- and each time she posts with some exciting news a lot of people chime in to congratulate her, and there's always a few that say "boy- I should really do that too". It's easy to put off going on a diet, or really any sort of self-improvement- so I've decided there's no time like the present.

Here's my plan
Eat breakfast- I never do this, and end-up making bad choices during the day because I'm starving
Exercise- I'm not much of a jock, but I plan to do 50 crunches a day at a minimum
Cut back on red meat, refined white flour, candy, and peanut butter- a real weakness of mine
Eliminate anything with corn syrup in it (the jury is out on corn syrup- but it's in everything that's not good for you, so I'm cutting it out)
drink more water
take vitamins- including a green tea suppliment
eat fish 2 times a week
eat more fruits, veggies, and whole grains

I'm really bad with portion control, mindless eating when I'm in front of the computer (which is a lot), and eating a lot of takeout are my big downfalls. Does anyone have any tips/suggestions? I think I can handle the mindless eating-it's a question of stocking up on some healthier snacks, like apples. The takeout is going to be more difficult. Anyone have any easy recipes? Maybe something I can make ahead or put in the crock pot for dinner?

I want to lose 20 pounds by Valentine's Day. Who's with me? I'm thinking if we all supported each other that we'd have a better chance of success- and for Valentine's day we'll have some sort of celebration!

[~*mikie*~]

Man-o-man-o-man, Karen. You starting *now*??? With the holiday hubbub beginning? I really *need* to be better & to LOSE some (& I mean where "it" won't FIND me again!). Hubby & I are TRYING, as we speak, to be better....well, HE's *always* eating healthfully ~ you'd NEVER guess his age ~ but he's recently begun feeding *me* more healthfully, so THAT's a start. Tell you what...I WILL GET ON BESSIE & HW DAILY. No crunches for *me*,lol. Bessie is my elliptical machine ~ she's on my sunporch & greets me every day ~ she & I have gone 309 miles together & I still love her. HW is my Healthwalker & that sucker is at LEAST 12 yrs old & I won't part w/it. Half the time it functions as an undie-drying thingamajig, but I enjoy it when I use it. So I WILL use both Bessie & HW daily! That's a start!

Try RED TEA, Karen....Rooibos...it's wonderful. Hot or iced, I drink it daily. Great for you!

mikie

[JenW]

I am in, too. I am not sure I will be ready to start until Dec. 7. We are having a party this weekend and the menu is set. I will try to be more aware of the amount I eat, though. We are doing extensive appetizers and dessert rather than a meal.

I know I am getting a Wii Fit for Christmas. I also have an ancient Nordic Trak. Plus I have all of those tension bands, but I eventually need a new exercise ball. (My DS plays video games bouncing up and down on that thing....He will have some awesome core muscles!!) I have been very lax in the exercise department and my joints are not happy with me.

Definitely need more water, exercise, and a healthier eating plan. I am notorious for snacking on the wrong things, and poor at portion control.

[Heathcliff79]

Count me in! 20 by Feb. 14!

I've actually just started my diet / exercise program a week ago. I've been getting sick every few weeks this past fall, and I'm guessing that it's because I've been too busy and stressed to take care of myself, and it just backfires on me. I've been going back to the gym this week, and so far I've been feeling so much better! It's so important to find time to do that sort of thing *especially* when you don't have time for it!

I've also allowed myself MMU incentives for every 5 lbs. I lose along the way!

[Cupcake]

Two very frequently mentioned tips - but rarely followed and paid attention to see how well they really do work - drink a little water frequently and regularly throughout the day. i.e. every time you reach for a coffee / tea etc, take a few sips of water first. It actually does affect the body and after a short while, it's like a sense reawakens and craves fresh water all day.

Second thing - pay attention to what you eat and really savor it. If you eat while you're doing something else, you A) won't notice how much you're eating, B) won't feel indulged as you're not paying attention to the 'experience' of what you're eating and C) you won't notice your body's subtle response telling you when you've had enough as your attention is elsewhere.

Often people mistake thirst for hunger, so drinking water helps cut down the compulsion to eat. Paying attention to what you eat is good for obvious reasons but also, so that you don't feel deprived. Have what you want, but *enjoy* it - as mad as this sounds, make a real effort to enjoy your food. Then it won't just be this thing you throw down your neck and carry around your butt and wonder why you don't feel all that satisfied. When you enjoy food, even the simplest stuff, like with water, your body adjusts over time and actually eventually starts to want the healthy stuff and be indifferent to the junk our minds think we want. My golden rule is: pay attention so you enjoy the process - and don't make 'rules' for yourself or instinctively they'll feel oppressive and offputting. Hope that helps.

[tizzylou]

I'm going to join you and keep on trying, I have lost 3.5 pounds in the last 10 0r 11 days . 4 of us weighed in at work on the monday before Thanksgiving, and when I weighed in yesterday that was my loss. I probably have an edge in the fact that when I am stressed I tend not to eat, and as you all know I'm just a little stressed at the moment, so that will at least help on the snacking issues,
I am trying to make healther choices in the cafeteria at work ( you would think a hospital would offer healthy food) , but in actuality alot of it is breaded and fried, they do have a salad bar, so that is where I am trying to head. i drink lots of water, but will try to increase my intake of both it and either green tea or red tea. Do try it as it is wonderful. And start riding the exercise bike, and slowly start taking the stairs at work. As many times as I go up and downstairs, if i would just actuallly use the 4 flights of stairs everyday, I could probably lose 20 pounds easily. And to spend time on my Wii Fit, when i remember to use it, I love it, so must work at making it a habit.

Hollis

[egerandi]

Oooh, nice, I just started losing weight again. Big parts in it are two of the things that are mentioned before me: drinking a lot of water and portion control. I used to eat to the point where I felt sick, but the food was too good to resist. Now I portion smaller at home, and try to eat only half when I eat out. Waiting a bit after you eat will really tell you if you need more or not. Also, drink before you eat: it was big deal for me as when I was growing up my mom wouldn't let us drink before eating so we won't fill up (my sis and I were bad eaters, as in not eating), and we had to finish what was on our plate.

I also try and do a veggie side with my meals, be it steamed veggies or a simple salad of lettuce and tomatoes with a bit of EVOO and whatever vinegar I feel like, like balsamic, rice, apple cider. I keep healthy snack foods, like carrots or almonds and dried fruits like prunes and munch on those, with moderation (yeah, don't overeat on prunes, hehehe). Sometimes I indulge in a bit of hummus or other not too bad dippings to don't let it get boring. I also have lots of Soyjoy on hand, and some nice dark chocolate if the craving strikes. I learned it's better to give in to very small amounts of indulgence (they say the first few bites are the best, so you don't need much, and like it was mentioned, you gotta savor it...) then try to eat other stuff to kill it off, because you just end up eating more and still crave that whatever you really wanted to eat.

But yeah, lots of fruit, veggies, water and portion control. I bag out pretty much anything into snack-sized ziplocks, so I don't accidentally eat too much out of the original bag. I love tea, and buy the good stuff that I can re-brew, so that gives me the caffeine in the morning, and continue giving me the green or oolong benefits without making me want to climb the wall later on. And yes, roibos is awesome. I drink that at night, different flavors, so it's like a snack, but not really. Trick your mind

Exercise, oh boy... That I'm lacking, but I do walk to work and home, so that's 15 mins each way. I'm planning on buying a small pilates sort of machine I read about in Cooking Light (Workout 180), but I was actually eying a Wii fit. Could you post your experience with that? I used to have an exercise ball, gotta get me another one.

Good luck ladies, and let's keep this going!

[karen]

This is actually going to be fun! I'm excited to have some diet buddies!!! Mikie that's fantastic that DH is cooking healthy for you! I know it's not the ideal time of year to start, but in the past I've had a habit of packing on the pounds, and then just getting depressed and giving up. I'm hoping that this pre-emptive holiday diet will ward-off the January funk that I tend to get.

I made a kick-off dinner tonight- just a stir-fry with imitation crab meat and a lemon/garlic sauce over brown rice. Just the exercise of cooking for myself and reading labels at the grocery store I think is going to help. I used frozen veggies so it was pretty easy, and only took about 15 minutes. It was actually a lot of food for very few calories, and I'm still pretty full. I had an apple for dessert- I find that if I save room for dessert that I tend to pace myself more, and don't overeat as much.

I also enrolled in a study at Cornell- I googled mindless eating, and found this site:
http://www.mindlesseating.org
That guy is very very cool- his blog is great, and I'm grabbing his book this weekend.

He claims that with his techniques you can easily trim about 300 calories a day and it ends-up being a 30 pound weight loss over the course of a year. I'd like to progress a little faster than that but I'll take it where I can get it.

For the study I have to do the following 3 things every day for a month:
drink water with every meal
don't eat between 4-6
brush and floss after dinner

I think I can manage that.

Yes...how is the Wii fit? Do you think it would be good for couples, or is it more of a solo thing? We do need some sort of cardio or something, but I know I'm just not going to be up for going outside and walking- it's too cold!

[boadicea23]

What has made the biggest difference for me is eating lean proteins and healthy carbs (I follow the South Beach plan) and finding a form of exercise that agrees with me. I've cut out pasta and bread and snack on low fat cheese. Over the last 4 1/2 years, I've lost 77 lbs (I also had a baby during that time. . so I gained and relost some of that weight as well. . .currently I'm less than my HS weight which was where I was back to pre-pregnancy and I wasn't tiny in HS) I try to make healthy food choices when I go out to eat, but I also don't drive myself crazy either. Also, in dealing with the holidays, I find giving yourself permission to go off every once in a while, as long as you are sure to get back on track afterwards. I let myself go crazy on holidays. I plan for it. I think about it. Eat myself silly. And then go back to my normal eating the day (or week in the case of birthday/Christmas) after.

For exercise, I walk when I can but I also have a really active 2 1/2 yr old son who keeps me moving, which is why I'm now below where I was when I got pregnant. I'm also lucky in that I have a very supportive husband who will go walking with me, who is willing to try whatever recipes I find on the Internet, and who knows that just because I am changing my outside doesn't mean that I am changing my inside.

A big part of losing weight is the decision to do it. You have to be willing to sacrifice a little and not feel sorry for yourself when you are feeling deprived and not completely give up or beat yourself up for falling off the wagon. Reward yourself in non-food ways for mini-goals if you have a lot of weight to lose (which is why I have so many darn lipglosses.) Know that you are making a lifestyle change so that you are healthy for your loved ones.

Good Luck to everyone in pursuing your goals!
-Amber

[Ghost]

Hi all

Oh goodie more dieting friends

Well I'll try and pass on some wisdom tips of my own:
1) Drink a least 2 litre of water a day. I fill a 1 litre bottle every morning and drink it through out the day at work. If you exercise you're supposed to drink an extra litre to every hour you do. I guess I'm lucky as I'm not a tea or coffee drinker. I would rather have a glass of juice or a glass of ice cold water.
2) Try to cut back on carbs - this was a big one for me as I'm a big fan of sandwiches, baguettes etc but don't cut entirely as you need energy.
3) Eat more fruit and veg - I have a glass of juice with my breakfast, bowl of fruit salad from the trolley at elevens' and a bag of steamed veg with every meal (I do this regardless of pasta or something veg is supposed to go with )
4) Take time to eat breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!
5) Vary your diet as you will get bored and eating anything in sight.
6) Have treat do not deprive yourself - have a reward system. I like the lose 5lb and buy something from silknaturals (must try that one)
7) Enjoy the challenge. You never know what your capability of until your tested.
8) Try not get discourage by other people. I've been a big girl most of my life, but I was happy. I never cared what people thought of me (or said about me) and I always knew that I could do anything I set my mind to (this is my 1st diet). Well someone I consider a good friend, one day turned around to me at the beginning of my diet and said "you know what Sarah, I didn't think you would stick with it!!!!". Yes I have always had a passion for food but I know how strong willed a person I am and when I say I'll do something I do it. The thought of quitting never entered my mind. This person is still a good friend of mine but instead of caving in to this it just fed my resolve to keep going - stubborn like a mule just like my mum
9) Exercise, Exercise, Exercise - I know I know its a bad word but its worth it. Before dieting I never exercised but now I have a rosemary conley dvd (60 year old work out goddess in UK who knows what she's on about. She’s been doing it 40 or 20 years now). I try and do 30 min workout 2 or 3 times after work during a 5 day working week, then 40min - 1hr (depending on mood) on saturday and sunday. Now I have huge thigh and calf muscles, muscle in my arms and on my stomach - so its well worth it.
10) Try not go overboard - I got commited too much and it resulted with me being very tired and shaky after exercise. I had an routine blood test to check my anaemia and it turned out I had low blood sugar - not good. So please dieting/eat healthy but find a balance!!!

Way to go karen & tissylou for starting before xmas. I started before xmas last year and I'm so glad I did. In my first 3 weeks I lost a stone and a half. Did I mention I'm a big girl, the bigger you are the quicker you lose weight. I get weighed again at my doctor’s surgery on the 17th. its only 2 weeks this time instead of 3 as of xmas. But I did tell her It won't be great as I have 4 xmas meals to go to. but I'm still determined to make a dent.

Even though of what my friend said above, the amount of compliments I have gotten is a real confidence booster. We have a trolley that comes around at work around 11am, literally the whole floor goes to the trolley (picture a trolley loaded with chocolate, sandwiches, cake, soup etc and a administrative women craving chocolate, need I say more lol) Everyone always say how great I look, how much I've change and their are all soo supportive of me. So remember even those there will be bad parts, the good ones far out weight those to become distant memories to put a smile on your face

lots of love and support to all SN dieters. together we will be strong, health and fab-u-lous