Healthy Weight Loss

[sylvie]

Originally Posted by PinkieLee

Another thing that I've always had a problem with is protion control. Go to any restaurant... the plates are the size of platters now and can easily be split between 2 people, or saved for 2 meals! At home, we've switched to eating meals on salad plates. It tricks my mind thinking that I've got a full plate!

GOOD LUCK my friend!

i sooo hear you about portion control, it was one of my biggest problems (still is).. my dietician actually helped me with portions just recently, and my meal plan..

just as the suggestion, she said meat should be 2 oz.. that vegetables should cover half of the plate, the protein and starch should just be small bits.. this was a huge adjustment for me, i was doing the opposite lots of times lol..

she also said it's important to eat snacks between meals.. morning snack is fruit, afternoon snack is fruit and a protein, and evening snack is anything from 100-150 calories.. Along with my meals, breakfast (protein, starch and fruit), lunch (protein, starch and vegetables) and same for supper..

i find following that food plan (which is possible is much like ww) - i don't feel hungry, and even in the evenings which is when i would do most of my binge eating, i dont even go for food, i feel content and full .. it amazes me, i never thought i would ever get my night binging under control..

i have always been very interested in trying ww.. Just curious, are they meals you have to buy (ww meals) or is it a book of recipes that you follow? i know they do a point system right? do you just get points for eating what you want sorta thing and have to stay within a certain amount?

i'm starting to be in a safe place emotionally where i can maybe start following a plan like that as far as eating goes..

[sylvie]

Originally Posted by Gemme

What works best for YOU? Do you need an immediate reward or can you work towards a reward goal?

For example, I could go buy a dress that I really wanted if I worked out for x number of days continually or on schedule. Or I could allow myself a half an hour of personal, just for me time after each workout of a half hour or more. Or for every day you work out, put x amount of money aside for a future pleasure.

It's nice to say that the workout is motivation enough, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes you need that extra push to get you there and through it, even though you know it is good for you.

I do agree that doing something you enjoy for the workout is important, otherwise you'll come to resent the workout and that's not the path to follow.

Gemme!!
thank you! its kind of funny, my counsellor just suggested this very thing for me yesterday, even. to set some goals, if i complete the things i want as a way to motivate myself, and i have to say it works.. today i jumped right to it =)

but i also love your idea of putting money aside too, for someone who lives pay to pay and has 2 teenagers eating me out of the home - money has been a struggle of mine.. but putting a lil aside here and there, would be the best idea because then it wouldnt be so hard come reward time ..

you always have such great ideas!! ♥ *smiles* thank you!

[sweetfemme247]

I am having a issue with exercising to lose weight, I dont want to walk alone, if I have to I wont do it. no one in my family will go with me.... it is hard for me to lose weight also due to my thyroid and it doesnt work very well.

[PinkieLee]

Hi Sylvie

WW does not have required eating plans or meals that you have to follow. They do have the Smart Ones frozen dinners in the grocery store that are awesome for lunches, though. Depending on your current weight and goal, you have a target number of points that you should stay under per day (like 45). WW online has a nifty little calculator that you plug the nutrional label info (fat, carbs, protein & fiber) and it tells you how many points each serving is.

My honey has the app on her phone, so when we are grocery shopping we can make smarter choices what to buy.

Going out to eat can be tricky, but I found a website that you can pretty much type in ANY fast food restaurant and it gives you a points breakdown for everything on their menu. http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/w...rs-points.html

They even have these little cheat sheets for like mexican restaurants, chinese buffets, beer/liquor happy hours... where you add the things to your plate and it shows you the actual points and better choices that were on the menu!

Fruits & veggies are 0 points... so having a salad and/or fruit with your meal is always a good filler.

I do the online program, but I have a friend of mine that actually does the local meetings. Like with anything else, it's a lifestyle change. It's forcing me to focus on what I eat, when I eat and how I feel when I eat.

[sylvie]

Originally Posted by sweetfemme247

I am having a issue with exercising to lose weight, I dont want to walk alone, if I have to I wont do it. no one in my family will go with me.... it is hard for me to lose weight also due to my thyroid and it doesnt work very well.

sometimes it isn't fun to walk alone for sure.. i was the same way, but then i started making some walking buddies which was great at first, but then when the novelty wore off for them, i had no walking buddy again..

i eventually found it better to just get up and go.. if i know i need to go walking but dont feel motivated, i find things i can do , ex: running an errand, ill walk and go do it.. its much easier if there is a reason to get yourself moving sometimes..

or maybe get yourself an mp3 player or ipod, if you are a music lover like i am.. i dont have one yet, but think i will get one , one day soon.. because music makes me boogie and i enjoy the walk much more.. so just find reasons to get out there, because once you DO get out there, you'll feel wonderful for having done it! promise! =)

[sylvie]

Originally Posted by PinkieLee

Hi Sylvie

WW does not have required eating plans or meals that you have to follow. They do have the Smart Ones frozen dinners in the grocery store that are awesome for lunches, though. Depending on your current weight and goal, you have a target number of points that you should stay under per day (like 45). WW online has a nifty little calculator that you plug the nutrional label info (fat, carbs, protein & fiber) and it tells you how many points each serving is.

My honey has the app on her phone, so when we are grocery shopping we can make smarter choices what to buy.

Going out to eat can be tricky, but I found a website that you can pretty much type in ANY fast food restaurant and it gives you a points breakdown for everything on their menu. http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/w...rs-points.html

They even have these little cheat sheets for like mexican restaurants, chinese buffets, beer/liquor happy hours... where you add the things to your plate and it shows you the actual points and better choices that were on the menu!

Fruits & veggies are 0 points... so having a salad and/or fruit with your meal is always a good filler.

I do the online program, but I have a friend of mine that actually does the local meetings. Like with anything else, it's a lifestyle change. It's forcing me to focus on what I eat, when I eat and how I feel when I eat.

thank you so much Tonya, i appreciate the information.. i'll check out the website for sure.. i'm definitely onboard for the lifestyle change, ive been making a lot of changes recently and feeling pretty motivated that i can finally take this on and have some control, i know once i got going with it, or anything for that matter, it continues to feel good and is encouraging to keep at it, and makes us feel so positive and happy for doing so..

TY TY !! for the sites and information! xx

[PinkieLee]

You are so very welcome Sylvie!

I guess with WW, I'm having to hold myself accountable for everything I eat now. Most of my adult life, I've been a binge eater, so having to write down every single thing I eat is helping me take back control of my eating habits.

I wish you the best of luck on your continued journey for a healthier life...mind, body & spirit!

xoxo

[PinkieLee]

Originally Posted by sweetfemme247

I am having a issue with exercising to lose weight, I dont want to walk alone, if I have to I wont do it. no one in my family will go with me.... it is hard for me to lose weight also due to my thyroid and it doesnt work very well.

Like Sylvie said, try listening to music to get you motivated. If you don't feel like walking alone, put on your headphones or crank up the music and dance your booty off in your room. Hey, 30 minutes of moving your body does wonders for your mood & burns calories, too!

GOOD LUCK honey!

[sylvie]

Originally Posted by PinkieLee

You are so very welcome Sylvie!

I guess with WW, I'm having to hold myself accountable for everything I eat now. Most of my adult life, I've been a binge eater, so having to write down every single thing I eat is helping me take back control of my eating habits.

I wish you the best of luck on your continued journey for a healthier life...mind, body & spirit!

xoxo

i, too, have been a binge eater, for the last 10 years or so.. Which is why im in counselling now.. i can definitely relate with needing to hold yourself accountable, i know i find charting what i do each day a huge help, so definitely is why i'm interested in ww and this point system. i find i'm very emotionally attached to my food, it's been my source of peace for so long now, so letting go of my food is letting go of my peace..

these last few weeks, since counselling, OA meetings and alot of inner work has already proven much change for me, it's an incredible feeling.. so if i can match it with exercise and the healthy eating, i would be successful, so that's where i am at now.. it's a lot of work, so HUGS to you! i soooo relate, and am proud of you!

[PinkieLee]

Originally Posted by sylvie

i, too, have been a binge eater, for the last 10 years or so.. Which is why im in counselling now.. i can definitely relate with needing to hold yourself accountable, i know i find charting what i do each day a huge help, so definitely is why i'm interested in ww and this point system. i find i'm very emotionally attached to my food, it's been my source of peace for so long now, so letting go of my food is letting go of my peace..

these last few weeks, since counselling, OA meetings and alot of inner work has already proven much change for me, it's an incredible feeling.. so if i can match it with exercise and the healthy eating, i would be successful, so that's where i am at now.. it's a lot of work, so HUGS to you! i soooo relate, and am proud of you!

And honey I am so very proud of you! You are making positive changes in your life right now... and I have all the faith in the world in you. YES, YOU CAN DO IT!

[JustJo]

Thanks for the inspiration all....and for the idea of walk/run Pinkie Lee.

I can't run due to nerve sensitivity in my feet from the diabetes, but I thought I could use the technique. I just did 10 minutes on the Mobia (my max at the moment), relaxed until my heart rate and breathing was normal again...then hopped back on for another 5 minutes.

It worked great...and I managed a total of 15 minutes instead of 10.

Now I'm thinking....hmmmm....if I did that twice a day, there would be my half an hour session. Sure, it's spread out...but that's better than not doing it at all....and will certainly help build up my endurance, too.

[Licious]

Thank you for starting this thread. Have some pounds I added over the last year that simply must go for health reasons. *subscribing*

[Kelt]

I was just crunching my data again (surprise) and came up with something truly weird, at least to me. I measure myself quarterly at 9 different points in order to see where the pounds are coming from, this time I tallied it all up from the start and so far I have lost a total of 74 inches in girth. What is weird/creepy about this is that I am only 65 inches tall. And still have more to lose.



As far as accountability goes, since my last check in with you all, I have dropped another 26 lbs.

I think I am funding orthodontics for my tailor's daughter.

[Medusa]

I've become enamoured with smoothies over the last couple of months. A smoothie for breakfast isn't as heavy for me as eggs or something hot and in the summertime I really appreciate a cool breakfast.

My current fave:

My modified "Chocolate Elvis"

1/2c Blue Diamond Chocolate Almond Milk
One whole banana
1 tbsp of reduced fat organic peanut butter
crushed ice

This smoothie has 3 - 4 points depending on your peanut butter and is delicious. GREAT protein and super filling.

[PinkieLee]

Like Medusa, I LOVE smoothies in the mornings. It's so damn hot, I can't eat a hot, big breakfast. What I usually make is...

a few frozen strawberries
a few frozen pineapples
a whole banana
and a splash of the 50/50 orange juice

I've never figured out the WW points on it, because it would pretty much just be for the juice. Sometimes I'll make a piece of toast or a bagel thin with a lil' bit of butter, too to fill me up.

[Medusa]

Pinks - Do you use a hand mixer or dump it all in a blender? I got a Cuisinart hand blender and it has made alllllll the difference and SUCH a time-saver!

[PinkieLee]

Originally Posted by Medusa

Pinks - Do you use a hand mixer or dump it all in a blender? I got a Cuisinart hand blender and it has made alllllll the difference and SUCH a time-saver!

I just dump it in a blender. I have been wanting to get a hand blender instead of pulling the big ol' blender out all the time and only having to dirty up the glass I make the smoothie in!

[Medusa]

That was my big thing with the smoothies...hell, it's my thing with the whole idea of putting more thought into what I eat.

It takes TIME! And time is something that is as precious as platinum in my life these days. I'm used to ripping open packages and boxes when it's dinner time and it's a new habit to get into to actually marinate chicken or defrost something.

One thing I have been doing a lot of is marinating chicken the night before and then coming home after work the next day and popping it on the grill. It's easier that way (and pretty yumz too!)

[Scorp]

I should have lost more than I have so far for being on the WW online program for 4 months now.

I've fallen off the wagon and it's no one else's fault but mine. When I get like this I usually sabotage myself and figure wtf, I'll just eat this and that and tomorrow I'll get back on the wagon. Never happened. I gained 4 lbs, which to some it isn't a big deal. To me it is, as there is no gray area. I have to apply myself and go all or nothing which is surprising because I'm usually very self disciplined with a lot of things.

Prior to the gaining, I was strict and doing well. It was actually fun (believe it or not). Now, 4 months later, I'm starting to go down that road of slowly eating the bad things again, and/or allowing more of those foods with a higher point range. I know when this downfall all started, which was the weekend we got married (back in May). I figured it's ok to celebrate and eat what I wanted, but poor excuse, I knew what the outcome would be from that point on.

I need to convince myself to get back on and get into the mindset I was in when I first started this off again/on again journey. I hate dieting and it sucks because I miss all kinds of foods. I've never enjoyed eating vegetables, I would always have to force myself to eat them and it's worse being on this diet. The same applies to fruits, but I do enjoy summer fruit and always have.

It doesn't matter what anyone says or does, I know the drill and the formalities of what is expected as well as the program I am (should be) following correctly. It's always been a bit of a battle. The worse thing anyone can say to me is "oh you've been doing fine and are able to cheat and enjoy what you like". I know folks mean well, but in my book NO to me that isn't acceptable because it's like a drug, the first little taste of something makes me end up going on an eating frenzy. I know myself better than anyone and I have to control it. I'm just pissed at myself because I should have at least lost more weight at this point and should be down 2 sizes from when I originally started this. And, let's not forget about the hormonal issues I have that adds difficulty to losing weight. Fuckin' sucks.

I'm not sure what it's going to take for me to get back in the "mindset" and I know I gotta do it. Maybe a fuckin' Hanibal Lecter mask and wear it 24/7 to prevent me from eating all kinds of crap.

Lastly, congrats to everyone for doing so well. I think I may need to visit this thread more often for inspiration from all of you.

Best,
-Scorp-

[PinkieLee]

awwww Scorpie, please don't beat yourself up too bad! You have done amazing with your weight loss ~ hey 30 pounds is a fuckin' unbelievable start! You will regain your focus again and get back on track!

I know this weekend was rough for me, too. It was a holiday weekend AND D's birthday, which meant birthday parties with lots of fattening foods, not to mention beer with very little water, which has left me feeling groggy and guilty. I stepped on the scale and noticed a weight gain, but I refuse to let that discourage me!

Last night, I packaged up all my goodies for work (celery & carrot sticks, veggie chips and yogurt). I made a batch of tuna fish (with a little bit of light miracle whip & mustard) for lunches for a couple of days, and cut up fruit for salads.

I KNOW that if I don't have the food ready when I'm hungry, I'm gonna binge on crap food.

This is a journey for all of us... sometimes we get sidetracked or life gets in the way, but we have the power to take the control back! I am so proud of everyone here who is making smartier, healthier choices and for motivating us to stay on track!