Healthy Weight Loss

[JustJo]

Hi everyone,

I looked for a thread on this topic and didn't see one...so (since this is part of my goal for this year), I thought I'd start one.

As a diabetic, I have to be careful of fad diets... and losing weight makes it much easier to manage my condition (not to mention finding cute clothes when out shopping!)

When I was first diagnosed, I followed the diabetic diet religiously, walked an hour a day, and lost 50 lbs. Woo hoo! Unfortunately, the diabetic diet makes life no fun...and I gradually went off of it. As a result, I've regained about 25 of those pounds over the last 5 years. Not a quick gain, but frustrating and unhealthy.

So...for 2011...I've resolved to get back to my walking...starting with 2 miles a day since I'm out of shape and working (as quickly as possible) back to the 4 mile walk that helped me lose weight initially, and which I know helps me maintain a healthy level of fitness.

I've also resolved to improve my diet...not the diabetic diet (cuz I'll want to hurt someone), but an easier to manage version using Weight Watchers points.

My weight loss goal (for now) is 35 lbs.

Here's a link to a very handy list of food point values (but I still cannot figure out the crazy formula on top to save my life...all I know is that about 25 points works for me).

Anyone want to share hints, tips, advice, and support on losing weight in a healthy way?

[lipstixgal]

This is great and the points chart is good too. I am trying to do weight watchers too and have 29 points per day and have to lose like 50 lbs so I am subscribing to this thread for daily inspiration!!

[shadows papa]

Subscribing and will be back later!

[JustJo]

Sweet! I just found this great link for calculating how many Weight Watchers points you're allowed each day...and it's easy.

The best part? I get 26 points, not 25.....wooooooooo hooooooo!

I also found another link to a calculator that tells you how many extra points you can earn by exercising...so every brisk half hour walk gives me 2 more points. Love it! Now that's incentive to put on my walking shoes.

[sylvie]

yaaaaaay !
this thread is right up my alley, actually..
one of my resolutions is not just about losing some weight, but getting healthy again..

i will definitely be checking out the point system links! thank you!
looking forward to making some BIG changes in my life
having some buddies to do it with will help tremendously!

[Tommi]

I go to a WW Meeting every Sat. AM at 6:30. They have a new points calculator and a new ponts system that started this year...UGH..

My Doc told me I was borderline diabetic about 6 months ago. My cholesterol was high, along with my BP..and my thyroid was wacky.

She said you must have beans, legumes, veggie's and fruits in the house. You must quit using Drive-Thrus as your food groups, and you must exercise.

I BEGAN eating organic fruits and veggies, veggie soups , regularly and quit eating meat, bread and dessert. I eat fish more often. My lab results last month were dramatically improved, plus I had a healthy weight loss, and feel great.

It will be an amazing year, and I am dedicated to either growing to 8 feet tall, or losing weight, feeling better, and having my bloodwork and BP results be great. Tired of being undertall for my weight.

I struggle, but am surviving and thriving. I am a NON-Cook, so, steaming veggies and making veggie soup is easy. After dinner was hardest-because chocolate or sweets call to me. My solution was not to buy, or allow bad stuff in my house. Holidays and Birthdays are exempt, and looked at as an okay time to have single portions of bad stuff I can't leave in the cupboards or fridge. I have air popped popcorn, without anything, and that does the trick.

Jacuzzi and pool in the morning, and walking the 2 flights of stairs at work instead of the elevators has helped.

When I NOW grocery shop, I take the extra steps and return the shopping cart to the rack at the store. Every step is helping. Oh..and my buddy bought me a new pedometer for Christmas.

Okay. subscribing and thriving, with a LOoooooonnnnng way to go.

[sylvie]

[QUOTE=Tommi;261051]
Oh..and my buddy bought me a new pedometer for Christmas.
[QUOTE]

those pedometers are GREAT.. i have one, and actually need to start using it again, im curious just how much walking i do in the run of a day, but when i was using it, i found that seeing how many steps i took was very encouraging to want more and more, and you are right every step does count Tommi!! mine comes with a radio on it though which burned the batteries like crazy, i need to figure out how to switch that option off, or maybe ill just buy some rechargables!

long road for us all, but i'm on board too.. i needed to clear my mind before i could commit, and i feel i am 'there' now..

i need this, for health & for self esteem!

[JustJo]

Yay! I am so glad to have others to share this project with!

And yes on pedometers! My doctor told me to aim for 10,000 steps a day...challenging when I work from home and the furthest I go is the coffe pot.

I put the dog on leash and walked 2 miles today...first time in a long time (like over 4 months). Wow, I could feel it ...and so could he, poor thing...but it's good for both of us. I figure I'll start with 2 miles and work our way up. The doc said that doing 2 separate walks of 2 miles a day is even better because it keeps the metabolism fired up...so that's what I'm aiming for.

Tommi...I'm so glad you're seeing results. You definitely want to stay out of diabetic territory if you possibly can...it's no fun. I have damage to my eyes, and the nerves in my feet...scary stuff. And, oh yea, fast food is my mortal enemy. Periodically it lures me back (because I simply adore Big Macs)...but they really aren't worth what they do to me...or anyone for that matter!

Yay us!

[sylvie]

10,000 a day! seems like sooo much, hehe..
but, i bet they add up way quick, i am going to dig out my pedometer right now, actually and get the battery/radio situation figured out , and then use it tomorrow or sunday! just curious how many steps i would take in the run of a normal day, without an actual work out.. and then one with a work out.. heh

i'm really happy about this thread..
i was tested for diabetes not all that long ago actually, but results came back negative, thankfully.. i had a lot of the symptoms, especially the excessive thirst, i can't seem to quench it most times..

[lipstixgal]

I just shoveled not something I really want to do but does that count as an activity?? I also walked today too which should count as an activity also..whoo hoo

[katsarecool]

Shoveling does count!!!! Count me in!

[Gemme]

Just for kicks, I plugged my info into the points'ometer and came up with 24. I'm not sure what good that will do me, as I don't count points, but it's good to know, I guess.

*grin*

I use the website thedailyplate.com to log my daily food intake and exercise. You set up your free profile, with your age, activity level, et cetera and then, as you add food, it makes the adjustments necessary. When you add exercise or actitivies (shoveling, sex, even walking on crutches!), it makes the adjustments to your caloric limit, since an exercising and/or working hard body requires more fuel.

For me, it's helped a bit to remind myself that that's all food is. Fuel. Some days, usually about 10-14 days out of the month, I don't care what the Hell it is, I just WANT it, but the rest of the time, it helps. I don't put sugar or sand in my car. It would ruin my engine, so why do I put so much sugar and junk in my body? I've had to have some pretty heavy 'what is food to me' discussions with myself over the past few months.

On my better days, it's fuel for my body. On my less than stellar days, it's comfort to soothe sadness or hurt feelings, to alleviate boredom, or to fill a void of some kind that I'm just not ready to address.

I've actively been exercising and eating healthier for about 2.5 months now. I had the luxury of being able to spend a LOT of time at the gym (nearly every day for at least an hour) before I found my job. Now, I am going about 3 times a week for an hour and a half each time. Since I began doing all this, I've dropped about 15 pounds.

I still have a little ways to go before I am at my goal weight, but it's not just the number on the scale that I'm working towards. I'm slowing teaching myself that, while it's fine to indulge now and then and for special occasions, when I reach for something to eat, I want my first instinct to be something that is good for me. I am making progress, but it's definitely a journey that I've just begun.

[lipstixgal]

I had a WW meal and a salad maybe banana bread for dessert or just a yogurt as a snack because you need three milks for WW..I'm so glad this thread is here..Thanks Jo[/COLOR]

[Tommi]

Originally Posted by katsarecool

Shoveling does count!!!! Count me in!

Never gonna have snow here. BUT , I did trim a 15 foot high Bougainvillea bush, and raked eucalyptus and pepper tree debris from our 7 days of rain. Grass is still too mushy to mow today though.

So,if interested, here is a Body Mass Index Calculator . Here it is..

[betenoire]

I don't like the BMI thing at all. it doesn't take into account things like body type and muscle mass.

[Zimmeh]

Thank you Tommi!!!

I just did the BMI calculation and my results did not please me. I am going to lose those last 30lbs.

Zimmy

Originally Posted by Tommi

Never gonna have snow here. BUT , I did trim a 15 foot high Bougainvillea bush, and raked eucalyptus and pepper tree debris from our 7 days of rain. Grass is still too mushy to mow today though.

So,if interested, here is a Body Mass Index Calculator . Here it is..

[Tommi]

Originally Posted by betenoire

I don't like the BMI thing at all. it doesn't take into account things like body type and muscle mass.

"Center for Disease Body Mass Index: FAQ link

""""CDC:Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problem"

The better discriptors here

How reliable is BMI as an indicator of body fatness?
The correlation between the BMI number and body fatness is fairly strong; however the correlation varies by sex, race, and age. These variations include the following examples: 3, 4

At the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men.
At the same BMI, older people, on average, tend to have more body fat than younger adults.
Highly trained athletes may have a high BMI because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fatness.
It is also important to remember that BMI is only one factor related to risk for disease. For assessing someone's likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines recommend looking at two other predictors:

The individual's waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases).
Other risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).
For more information about the assessment of health risk for developing overweight- and obesity-related diseases, visit the following Web pages from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:"""Assessing Your Risk
Body Mass Index Table
Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults

[Zimmeh]

Thank you Jo Jo for starting this thread!

Four years ago I put myself on a diet to lose the weight I had gained from being in college. My starting weight was 210lbs and I am 5'0 tall. I lost 60lbs and I have been able to keep 43lbs off.

I was drinking three 20oz bottles of coke a day. That was my first step, to give up soda. I did it cold turkey and I lost 35lbs in two months. I can powerwalk three miles a day and I try to do that atleast three times a week.

My goal is now to lose the last 30lbs to bring me down to 137lbs.

If you have an iPhone, the app I use is called LoseIt.

I'm subscribing!

Zimmy

[Tommi]

Give up Diet Coke....So, that really helps huh............

[shadows papa]

Originally Posted by Tommi

"Center for Disease Body Mass Index: FAQ link

""""CDC:Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problem"

The better discriptors here

How reliable is BMI as an indicator of body fatness?
The correlation between the BMI number and body fatness is fairly strong; however the correlation varies by sex, race, and age. These variations include the following examples: 3, 4

At the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men.
At the same BMI, older people, on average, tend to have more body fat than younger adults.
Highly trained athletes may have a high BMI because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fatness.
It is also important to remember that BMI is only one factor related to risk for disease. For assessing someone's likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines recommend looking at two other predictors:

The individual's waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases).
Other risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).
For more information about the assessment of health risk for developing overweight- and obesity-related diseases, visit the following Web pages from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:"""Assessing Your Risk
Body Mass Index Table
Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults

Tommi thanks for the additional info on the BMI. I'm not and never will be a huge proponent of using this scale but I am a nutrition wonk and LOVE learning new things!