Healthy Weight Loss

[*Anya*]

I really appreciate the honesty and openness so many offer in this thread.

Many of us have or had the same struggles with eating and food.

For me, I simply can't look at it as deprivation. I already know what everything tastes like because I have eaten it all! In a moment of eating, almost to me as though it were a drug but after it is gone, the self-loathing is/was tremendous. I have great empathy for those that deal with their own demons of alcohol and drugs because in some way, my relationship with food has been a similar struggle. We just can't stop eating altogether which makes our struggle a little different.

I just can't go there again. I am dealing with so much in my life that I can't afford one more thing to feel badly about myself. Control over my eating is about the only power I feel I have right now. I feel if I give that up-I am lost.

It is not deprivation for me. It is working to give myself the gift of health

[little_ms_sunshyne]

hello everyone!

Boy I miss this space! It is always filled with such positive energy!

Crockpot recipe made my tummy rumble! Sounds yummy!

My healthy lifestyle is on track. I gave myself 1 unhealthy dinner a week to keep from goin nuts and it works! Feel good. Havent weighed myself in weeks but can feel a change. I am no longer out of breath running up and down stairs at work that feels good!

Trying to come back often! Hope everyone has a great hump day!

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by T4Texas

Let me begin by saying I am overweight and have been for about half my life. I have ballooned up over 300 pounds and dropped down to 150 at various times, been on more diets than you can shake a stick at and failed miserably at keeping the weight off. I eat very little compared to some but manage to maintain the weight somehow.
So after struggling with all this, I became diabetic about ten years ago and earlier this year was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Many of my health issues stem from being overweight which I recognize. My cardiologist told me I must make drastic reductions in my salt intake and so this prompted me to really sit down and think about how I needed to modify my diet.
The biggest problem was always the diet itself and the urge to cheat. I would last about a week and then go back to eating whatever I wanted to eat. I really had to change my mindset about eating and about cheating. So the first thing I did was to not look at it as a "diet", but more as the desire to eat healthy. Telling yourself you're on a diet is sometimes setting yourself up for failure if you lack willpower. The next thing I did was to cut out 99% of processed food out of my intake. I even stopped buying lean cuisine as they have more sodium than I wanted. Every freakin thing under the sun has salt in it I found out so it was a matter of choosing things with less salt. I try to stay under 1000mg salt a day which isnt all that easy considering one fast food burger might have that much in it. The way around that for me was to buy fresh. Fresh has no salt or very minimal in most cases. I dont cook with salt so it put me in control of how much sodium was going into my body. I have changed my basic diet to fresh fruit and vegetables, some meat and if I want something sweet its either yogurt or something sugar free. I cut out sodas other than an occasional coke zero and drink tea or water. Also, no more eating out, although I still have mexican food once a month as a treat. I found this eating regime much easier to stick to and have learned to be creative with the menu. I roast a lot of veggies in the oven like yellow squash, onion, bell pepper and zuccini or whatever combination sounds good at the time. I steer away from frying things in oil and oven bake chops or boneless skinless chicken breast to satisfy the meat need. I use a lot of spices like garlic or the no salt spice blends which really jazz up everything. Since february I have lost about 40 pounds just by modifying my diet. The best thing is I dont feel hungry or deprived, dont feel the need to cheat and when I go grocery shopping its more an adventure now to create something new that fits my demand. About 3 months into this, I returned to the cardiologist for a stress test and found out that my heart function which had been down around 20% had risen to nearly 50%. I feel better than I have felt in a long time and feel Im on a good road as long as I stay on the medications and watch the diet. My biggest problem has been lunch. I drive all day on the road and have to take my lunch since I cant run thru the burger places anymore except for salads without dressing so am always on the lookout for portable low sodium ideas.

Great, great job! Congrats!

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Thinker

I'm starting to ween myself off of the Weight Watchers online tracking. Tracking and figuring points everyday for the last 4+ months have given me the information I need to carry on without it; I am *very* clear what "overeating" is for me. I do a significant amount of cardio every morning and work my core 3-4 times per week. With all of that, I have faith these last 5 pounds will eventually come off.

Only 5 left? That is awesome!

[DapperButch]

Gosh, all of you guys work really hard. You are an inspiration!

Ok, getting on that eliptical now...4 days out of 4!

[JustJo]

Good morning everyone

I've been struggling (and occasionally giving in a tiny bit) with some emotional eating this past week, but am still following my eating plan as faithfully as I can and finding that, overall, it's pretty easy to stick to.

I also jump on the scale each morning, knowing that there will be some normal ups and downs depending on hormones, water intake, etc. I find that daily check in helps keep me on track. I only have an "official" weigh in once a week on Saturday morning.

I was getting worried that my few little fails on the emotional eating may have thrown me off course, but the scale says I'm still on track. I jumped on this morning and it's down another pound...and it's only mid-week.

Plan for the day includes making a giant pot of homemade vegetable soup.....yummy, healthy, and filling.

[*Anya*]

T4Texas, I bring my lunch to work almost everybody. I will pack each item separately and put it in a cooler bag with blue ice. I will put lettuce in one plastic container, tomatoes, veggies, and sliced, skinned chicken breast or plain tuna, even salmon in another. Those individual packs of tuna/salmon in foil are awesome and u don't need to drain them. I will put low-fat/low sodium dressing in a separate little container, too.

I always bring a big bowl and dump it together when ready to eat. If I am running late in the morning or did not put my lunch items together @ night, which I always try to do; I have gone to a cafe around my job just before 11am, when they no longer make breakfast. I say: eggwhite omelet please, no butter or salt, fresh spinach and mushrooms. No hash browns and no toast. It is delicious and very filling. Those days I just eat lunch earlier.

I also pack two fruits & one yogurt in my cooler. That way, I am set for the day and have healthy food if I am hungry. I just think out my food for each day ahead of time.

I have other ideas but if you do not have access to a microwave, it does take a bit more planning but not impossible. Best of luck

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Only 5 left? That is awesome!

Yeah, but it's been 4 or 5 pounds for at least a month now.......maybe 5 weeks. I'm truly STUCK.

That's why I had to finally just surrender the weight part of it for now and make sure I'm focusing on the good things I'm doing with caloric intake and cardio. If I'm true to myself with those two things, then the rest will eventually take care of itself.

*shrug*

[JustJo]

So, just in the spirit of sharing....here's what's simmering on the stove right now...

• 1 large onion, chopped
• couple stalks of celery, including the leaves, chopped
• couple cloves of garlic, chopped
• simmering in a dollop of EVOO
• about 1 lb. of sirloin, cubed

That all got left to simmer and think until the veggies were translucent and the meat was browned....then I added:

• 3-1/2 carrots, chopped....would have been 4 but I'm crunching on half of one
• one big can of diced tomatoes, with the juice
• one can full of water
• big handful of parsley, crushed
• a little salt and pepper....will adjust that later
• big handful of fresh green beans, cut into lengths....all that was left in the bag but wish I had a bit more...guess I shouldn't have eaten so many of them last night
• 2 small cans of canellini beans

A bit later, closer to eating time, I'll add...

• a big pour of frozen corn (the mixed yellow and white that I love)
• a big pour of frozen peas
• broccoli, chopped
• cauliflower, chopped
• another can of tomatoes and water, if it's needed (and probably will be)

I don't add the broccoli and cauliflower early because long simmering makes their flavors completely take over the soup....and the frozen stuff seems to retain shape and flavor better added later on too.

I'd add some fresh spinach if I had any, but I'm out!

[Thinker]

Acting "as if"...

I was just reading an article about weight loss plateaus and saw a recommendation to try some primal challenge......I forget the wording on it but it had "primal" somewhere in there.

The recommendation is to go 30 days living and acting "as if" you are one of those full-on, hard-core health nuts. You eat perfectly, act "as if" you don't crave sweets or any of the bad stuff, work out every chance you get, etc...

I'm not willing to try it for 30 days, but I'm gonna give it a shot for one week starting this Friday.

I'm going to miss my sweet potato chips.

[lipstixgal]

Originally Posted by JustJo

So, just in the spirit of sharing....here's what's simmering on the stove right now...

• 1 large onion, chopped
• couple stalks of celery, including the leaves, chopped
• couple cloves of garlic, chopped
• simmering in a dollop of EVOO
• about 1 lb. of sirloin, cubed

That all got left to simmer and think until the veggies were translucent and the meat was browned....then I added:

• 3-1/2 carrots, chopped....would have been 4 but I'm crunching on half of one
• one big can of diced tomatoes, with the juice
• one can full of water
• big handful of parsley, crushed
• a little salt and pepper....will adjust that later
• big handful of fresh green beans, cut into lengths....all that was left in the bag but wish I had a bit more...guess I shouldn't have eaten so many of them last night
• 2 small cans of canellini beans

A bit later, closer to eating time, I'll add...

• a big pour of frozen corn (the mixed yellow and white that I love)
• a big pour of frozen peas
• broccoli, chopped
• cauliflower, chopped
• another can of tomatoes and water, if it's needed (and probably will be)

I don't add the broccoli and cauliflower early because long simmering makes their flavors completely take over the soup....and the frozen stuff seems to retain shape and flavor better added later on too.

I'd add some fresh spinach if I had any, but I'm out!

Oh sounds yummy I am going to the store to get the ingredients for the soup for tonight's dinner!!
Thanks Jo for your recipes...

[Zimmeh]

Good Morning Everyone,

I had a small piece of pork chop, brown rice and yellow corn for dinner lastnight at work. The people in the cafeteria like to pile food higher than you head on the plates...I just ask them to give me one small scoop of rice and extra veggies.

I have noticed that since I am coming home after midnight, that I am starving and I don't want to eat anything that late at night. I am going to bring my string cheese with me and maybe have one if I can around 9pm and see if this helps. For our international food day next Thursday, I am thinking of making my family's chewie cake.

Have a great day!

Zimmy

[PinkieLee]

Originally Posted by ZimmygLrL

Good Morning Everyone,

I had a small piece of pork chop, brown rice and yellow corn for dinner lastnight at work. The people in the cafeteria like to pile food higher than you head on the plates...I just ask them to give me one small scoop of rice and extra veggies.

I have noticed that since I am coming home after midnight, that I am starving and I don't want to eat anything that late at night. I am going to bring my string cheese with me and maybe have one if I can around 9pm and see if this helps. For our international food day next Thursday, I am thinking of making my family's chewie cake.

Have a great day!

Zimmy

Girl, I'm telling you... POPCORN is my lifesaver! It's the only thing that I eat when it's late and I'm starving that kills the hunger pains! They have 94% fat free butter AND kettle corn, too.

[PinkieLee]

Speaking of eating out... Zimmy is so right about the portion sizes when you go out to eat. One thing that we've started doing is just splitting a regular size meal. Yep, even when we both crave mexican food, we get the fajitas for 1 and just split it. There is more than enough and we often have leftovers, too! Other places, we just split the entree and order an extra salad. Hey, it helps keep our portions under control AND helps us save $$.

I made a roast in the crockpot yesterday and it was so good...and I have enough leftover for lunch today. All I have to do is microwave one of those individual servings of brown rice and voila lunch is served.

[JustJo]

Today's menu so far...

Breakfast:

• black coffee
• 1 slice whole wheat toast with tuna salad

Mid-morning:

• half a big carrot, raw

Early lunch:

• big bowl of homemade veggie soup....delicious

Late lunch :

• another big bowl of veggie soup....couldn't resist and don't need to!
• unsweetened ice tea (homebrewed half black, half green) with a dollop of pomegranite juice for fun
  
  Planning on a snack later:
• low-fat mozz string cheese
• olives
  
  Dinner tonight may be more soup.....or maybe a stir fry with basmati rice, haven't decided yet, but whatever it is....there will be lots of veggies!

[turasultana]

Next two days will be a challenge.

tonight is a work team happy hour/dinner at a really good italian place.

tomorrow is an outing with a couple of work friends to Korean Fried Chicken place called "Mad For Chicken" its SO good. I did figure out that points for this specific restaurant are 8 points for 3 drumsticks or 10 points for 8 wing pieces. So not terrible...

i would say if you ever get a chance to try korean fried chicken... (just budget the points for it!).

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Thinker

Yeah, but it's been 4 or 5 pounds for at least a month now.......maybe 5 weeks. I'm truly STUCK.

That's why I had to finally just surrender the weight part of it for now and make sure I'm focusing on the good things I'm doing with caloric intake and cardio. If I'm true to myself with those two things, then the rest will eventually take care of itself.

*shrug*

Yes, that is a while to be on a plateau. I hear that when we hit plateaus that we should change up our type of exercise. If you walked, swim. If you swam, cycle. I know that you are jogging now. Did you walk before or were you doing something totally different?

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Yes, that is a while to be on a plateau. I hear that when we hit plateaus that we should change up our type of exercise. If you walked, swim. If you swam, cycle. I know that you are jogging now. Did you walk before or were you doing something totally different?

I started the jogging as a way to shake things up. Before jogging, I was walking and doing stairs. I was also lifting every other day and stopped doing that when I started jogging.

I'm going to stick with the jogging. For the first time in my life, I feel I am actually capable of doing it! It doesn't hurt my knees, and it's wonderful for my heart. I'm actually looking forward to going for my next round of lab work.

I'm slowly making some real positive changes with my diet. I think I'm getting to a place where I'm going to feel really good about how I'm taking care of my body, and I feel better about that than anything else. I will continue trying this and trying that in an effort to drop a little more weight and a couple more inches around my belly, but I had to let go of the obsession with that particular number; it was driving me friggin' nuts!!!

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Pinkie popcorn has become my savior too! I eat it during the day at school...yummy! Laughing cow cheese and crackers too! Oooo and yogurt!

Sooooo..i gave in and weighed myself after several weeks...10 pounds! Whoohooo!

2 more days until week is over!

[T4Texas]

Thanks Anya for the ideas. The tuna in a bag sounds good.
Another thing I do is never go to the store hungry. I will eat something even its a piece of toast before grocery shopping so that I dont buy the whole store out or impulse buy.