Healthy Weight Loss

[Medusa]

Weigh-in day today revealed a total of 3.6 pounds gone forever since last Sunday.

I am SUPER happy with that because I had 2 meals out this week and both of them were buffets. (which can be super scary for a foodie like me).

Some tricks I employed at the buffet dinners we had this week:

1. Ordered unsweet tea and water and drank almost 1/3 glass before I ever began eating. I have read multiple articles about water being essential for digestion and it also helps you feel more full!

2. Started with a salad. A BIG one of mostly greens and carrots. When I say big, I mean BIG. Green roughage is great for digestion and lettuce is virtually calorie-free.

3. I was reasonable about what I wanted to eat. i.e. One of our meals was Chinese and I LOVE me some crab rangoons. They are pretty hefty on points and also fried (which I stridently try to avoid) but I'm sorry, going to a Chinese meal without at least one crab rangoon would leave me feeling deprived. So I ate one! It was GREAT and I felt super-satisfied with it.

4. Load up on veggies: I had green beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, boiled cabbage, spinach, and brown rice at the country-cooking buffet before chowing down on a couple of bites of steak, grilled chicken, and a wonderful sliver of meatloaf.

5. Have dessert. Or don't. But don't obsess about it. The country cooking buffet had homemade carrot cake with cream cheese icing. That's a huge weakness for me. HUGE.
I sat for a minute thinking that I was going to skip dessert but then asked myself, "Is it reasonable?" The answer was yes after thinking of the good workouts this week and all the meals within strict point range.
I ate some carrot cake! Not a lot, but enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. It was delicious and wonderful and I did not feel deprived!

Anyone else have tips, I'd love to hear them!

[Tcountry]

restaurant/buffet tips
...go with a good friend...get lost in a great convo. Resulting in eating less cause u are talking more
...at the buffet...walk around & pick out a few things u really want...leave the rest alone & only eat half of the stuff u picked
...(Sunshyne & I do this) take another foodie with u & split the meal (it got us thru vacation)


Don't forget it is ok to have a cheat day. Have an awesome meal then get back on track. It is a lifestyle change....still gotta do what makes you happy!

Sounds like u had a great week....everyone is doing so well...I love stalking Sunshyne & reading this thread.

[little_ms_sunshyne]

We made it through another week! Whoohoo!

Ezee~ the bright side is you maintained your weight and still had fun this last week! I read your posts and it sounds like you do great! Keep going! You've got this

[sweetfemme247]

I dont think I will ever lose weight while living with my aunt, instead of encouraging me, she puts me down

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by sweetfemme247

I dont think I will ever lose weight while living with my aunt, instead of encouraging me, she puts me down

Hey sweetfemme,

I know how hard this is. Long story, but my family is highly critical...particularly around issues of weight. Since they are naturally slim and athletically built people, and I take after the other (round and soft) side of the family, they really couldn't relate to me or my realities.

One of the things that I found helpful is to call them out on it (and, yes, that's difficult). Generally, people who make passive-aggressive nasty or ciritical remarks aren't expecting for you to respond other than by being hurt.

I'm not saying get into a huge argument.....but a calm honest response that questions them can be remarkably effective.

My mother couldn't speak for about 5 minutes the first time I responded with "So Mom, the last few times I've seen you, you've made critical remarks about my weight. Do you honestly think that the most important thing about me is the size of my waist?"

It might not have been the most brilliant question, but it did slow her down.
After that, every time she'd be critical I'd call it out and question if that's what she really meant to say, and if she was actually defining me and our relationship by my weight.

Eventually, she stopped.

I'm not promising anything....but people who use sarcasm and criticism to control others aren't usually prepared for calm, honest confrontation.

Just something to think about....and wishing you the best.

[sweetfemme247]

Originally Posted by JustJo

Hey sweetfemme,

I know how hard this is. Long story, but my family is highly critical...particularly around issues of weight. Since they are naturally slim and athletically built people, and I take after the other (round and soft) side of the family, they really couldn't relate to me or my realities.

One of the things that I found helpful is to call them out on it (and, yes, that's difficult). Generally, people who make passive-aggressive nasty or ciritical remarks aren't expecting for you to respond other than by being hurt.

I'm not saying get into a huge argument.....but a calm honest response that questions them can be remarkably effective.

My mother couldn't speak for about 5 minutes the first time I responded with "So Mom, the last few times I've seen you, you've made critical remarks about my weight. Do you honestly think that the most important thing about me is the size of my waist?"

It might not have been the most brilliant question, but it did slow her down.
After that, every time she'd be critical I'd call it out and question if that's what she really meant to say, and if she was actually defining me and our relationship by my weight.

Eventually, she stopped.

I'm not promising anything....but people who use sarcasm and criticism to control others aren't usually prepared for calm, honest confrontation.

Just something to think about....and wishing you the best.

my family is way bigger then me and she gets pissed if i lose weight and she dont

[PinkieLee]

Originally Posted by sweetfemme247

my family is way bigger then me and she gets pissed if i lose weight and she dont

I know it has to be hard when family and/or friends don't support you on this journey. But remember, you are doing this for YOU, not for them. People use those bullying tactics out of jealousy. (they are miserable, so they want you to be miserable, too). So, you keep moving in the right direction... and know that you have lots of support here!

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by sweetfemme247

my family is way bigger then me and she gets pissed if i lose weight and she dont

That's a tough one for sure.

One of the biggest things I've had to learn (and learn again and again and again ) is to not compare myself to other people. Somehow it always ends up with me feeling crappy.

And, sometimes, family and friends want to keep you pulled down to their level. It's an unfortunate truth that not everyone is happy to see others succeed, or be happy.

I'd say focus on yourself...do what you know is right for you...and do your best to let the negativity slide off. Like others have said here....sometimes distance is your friend, especially when you're surrounded by negativity.

[Zimmeh]

Congrats and I do the same thing. I pick at my food and eat until I am full. If I want dessert, I will nibble on it until I to am satisfied.

Have a great day!

Zimmy

Originally Posted by Medusa

Weigh-in day today revealed a total of 3.6 pounds gone forever since last Sunday.

I am SUPER happy with that because I had 2 meals out this week and both of them were buffets. (which can be super scary for a foodie like me).

Some tricks I employed at the buffet dinners we had this week:

1. Ordered unsweet tea and water and drank almost 1/3 glass before I ever began eating. I have read multiple articles about water being essential for digestion and it also helps you feel more full!

2. Started with a salad. A BIG one of mostly greens and carrots. When I say big, I mean BIG. Green roughage is great for digestion and lettuce is virtually calorie-free.

3. I was reasonable about what I wanted to eat. i.e. One of our meals was Chinese and I LOVE me some crab rangoons. They are pretty hefty on points and also fried (which I stridently try to avoid) but I'm sorry, going to a Chinese meal without at least one crab rangoon would leave me feeling deprived. So I ate one! It was GREAT and I felt super-satisfied with it.

4. Load up on veggies: I had green beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, boiled cabbage, spinach, and brown rice at the country-cooking buffet before chowing down on a couple of bites of steak, grilled chicken, and a wonderful sliver of meatloaf.

5. Have dessert. Or don't. But don't obsess about it. The country cooking buffet had homemade carrot cake with cream cheese icing. That's a huge weakness for me. HUGE.
I sat for a minute thinking that I was going to skip dessert but then asked myself, "Is it reasonable?" The answer was yes after thinking of the good workouts this week and all the meals within strict point range.
I ate some carrot cake! Not a lot, but enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. It was delicious and wonderful and I did not feel deprived!

Anyone else have tips, I'd love to hear them!

[Inked_Trinity]

Good morning everyone! Just got home from the gym. Went 6 hard rounds with my trainer this morning. I have a feeling I'm going to be a little sore tomorrow, took some good body shots. Had my protein shake for breakfast and I have dropped 1lb. Only 14 more to go! FIGHT ON!

[jelli]

Originally Posted by Inked_Trinity

Good morning everyone! Just got home from the gym. Went 6 hard rounds with my trainer this morning. I have a feeling I'm going to be a little sore tomorrow, took some good body shots. Had my protein shake for breakfast and I have dropped 1lb. Only 14 more to go! FIGHT ON!

Hope you aren't too sore come morning light. You got this!

[Rockinonahigh]

I kinda fell off the wagon seat this morning,I ate a hunybun oooooo it was so good,did I feel guilty noooooooo I did not.What is qing up my stomach is eating a bit of roast,potatos( very small one) then less than a half hour haveing a bowl of near frozen peaches with cottage cheese.It was hot cause the ac had been on the fritz and the place hadnt cooled off well enough..yet.
I havent eaten that much so close together in a long time,u can bet it will be a longer time before I do it again.As Scarlett said ..tomorrow is another day.

[Inked_Trinity]

UGH!!!!! I am so sore today. I can't let the pain stop me from going to the gym tonight. I have to be a little bit crazy to enjoy boxing so much. I really just want to go back to bed, skip work and everything else today. I keep telling myself... what do you want? And what are you willing to do to get it? It's not helping this morning! UNMOTIVATED!

[JustJo]

Baked chicken and two bowls of salad for dinner last night.

[Leigh]

Originally Posted by JustJo

Hey sweetfemme,

I know how hard this is. Long story, but my family is highly critical...particularly around issues of weight. Since they are naturally slim and athletically built people, and I take after the other (round and soft) side of the family, they really couldn't relate to me or my realities.

One of the things that I found helpful is to call them out on it (and, yes, that's difficult). Generally, people who make passive-aggressive nasty or ciritical remarks aren't expecting for you to respond other than by being hurt.

I'm not saying get into a huge argument.....but a calm honest response that questions them can be remarkably effective.

My mother couldn't speak for about 5 minutes the first time I responded with "So Mom, the last few times I've seen you, you've made critical remarks about my weight. Do you honestly think that the most important thing about me is the size of my waist?"

It might not have been the most brilliant question, but it did slow her down.
After that, every time she'd be critical I'd call it out and question if that's what she really meant to say, and if she was actually defining me and our relationship by my weight.

Eventually, she stopped.

I'm not promising anything....but people who use sarcasm and criticism to control others aren't usually prepared for calm, honest confrontation.

Just something to think about....and wishing you the best.

Jo,

I know this reality all too well, having so many people remind Me constantly about My weight and how I'm a "big" person. I get it I'm fat, I see it everyday and I encounter the bullshit that comes along with it everyday of My life. Last night I went to visit My best friend L and her boyfriend J, with whom I had a falling out with the other day though we talked things out before it ended our friendships. J is not a big guy though he does have a beer gut, and he is constantly making fun of My weight ~ if I try and tell him that it hurts Me and that I want it to stop his famous remark is "suck it up princess". Why should I? Just because he's used to stick thin people being in his life, why should I deal with that kind of negativity? Me and him bug one another, which is fine I can deal with it, but his biggest thing is to use My weight against Me like its funny.

I hate the fact that so many people define one's relationship with another person based on their weight. I totally understand health concerns and such, but there is no excuse for making fun of someone just because they are overweight ~ there's no excuse for it. I don't make fun of people for anything, whether it be overweight or something else, because I know how much that kind of thing hurts. I like your approach to your mom and how you handled her criticism of you but I just wonder, how do you handle someone who is constantly using your weight against you? When they are not rational or think its just plain funny to make fun of you, how do you really make them understand that its not okay? I'm still trying to figure this out and short of telling him to eff off and get out of My life, I don't know what else to do ~ I'm at a loss here.

Anyways enough of a thread derail, I hope that everyone has a fantastic day and that everyone's weight loss is on track :-)

[Medusa]

It's telling that I had a super stressful night last night being up alllllllll night with work-related fuckery and am completely exhausted but still feel the need to connect to this thread. That makes me happy.

It's because you all rock. Truly. In magical ways.

Matthew- Don't let mean-spirited people get in your head. People who do shit like that usually have their own internal stuff that tells them they can't support someone else or be positive because they are too busy being unhappy. Look yourself in the mirror and see the wonderful person that you are, the sweetness and light and flip the bird to that kind of negativity. You are going places, baby!

Now - In order to get my mind off of what looks to be another 20-hour day at work, I decided to cook up something yummy. I am very privileged to get to work from home whenever I want and I am taking full advantage of it today by filling the house with yummy smells!

Here is a semi-recipe for "Medusa's ALMOST Vegetarian Enchiladas":

(and anyone who cooks authentic Mexican might want to turn their head right now because this is the Arkansas version....NO, there's no VELVEETA envolved!!! LOL)

Diced Tomatoes (I used a can because I'm lazy)
Boneless Skinless chicken (I had a bunch that I had grilled up so I used about 3 large chicken breasts pieced up)
Chopped Garlic ( I used 2 cloves of fresh)
Chopped onion and bell pepper (to taste)
Sweet red pepper (I leave mine in strips)
Kernel corn (I used a drained can because Im lazy)
Chopped jalapenos (a friend gave us a sack so I chopped up two!)
chili powder, cumin, cilantro, black pepper, etc. (to taste!)

Cook all this together on low in a huge skillet with lid on. You won't need any oil or anything because of the juice from the tomatoes but you can add a little stock if you want.

All of the above ingredients only has points from the chicken! You can also add lots of other veggies depending on what you have.

Once this simmers down a bit, I usually add a can of black beans (drained). Don't stir too much or you'll get a gray mush that is super un-appetizing.

Make up a pan of homemade enchilada sauce. I use the following:

10oz can of tomato paste
beef stock (the low sodium kind!)
cumin
oregano (YES, it's good!)
chili powder
a tiny bit of corn starch to thicken

Keep this warm but not hot or you'll burn the shit out of your fingers.

Grab some corn tortillas!

Once your chicken and sauce is done, roll a corn tortilla in your enchilada sauce so that both sides are coated and lay in a baking dish. Fill with your chicken mixture and roll up. Pop in the oven at 350degrees for a little bit, maybe 20-25 minutes? and Voila!
I used to roll these in oil first to pick up the sauce but you save a LOT of points when you leave out the oil and also can save a lot of points by not adding cheese.


When I add these up, the points arent bad. If you use the small corn tortillas (which will make a LOT in a big baking dish), these enchiladas are only 3 points each. I make mine pretty big so 2 is a nice lunch with a side salad.

The tortillas 1 use are only a point each

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Can we just say YUMMOLA!

Originally Posted by Medusa

It's telling that I had a super stressful night last night being up alllllllll night with work-related fuckery and am completely exhausted but still feel the need to connect to this thread. That makes me happy.

It's because you all rock. Truly. In magical ways.

Matthew- Don't let mean-spirited people get in your head. People who do shit like that usually have their own internal stuff that tells
them they can't support someone else or be positive because they are too busy being unhappy. Look yourself in the mirror and see the wonderful person that you are, the sweetness and light and flip the bird to that kind of negativity. You are going places, baby!

Now - In order to get my mind off of what looks to be another 20-hour day at work, I decided to cook up something yummy. I am very privileged to get to work from home whenever I want and I am taking full advantage of it today by filling the house with yummy smells!

Here is a semi-recipe for "Medusa's ALMOST Vegetarian Enchiladas":

(and anyone who cooks authentic Mexican might want to turn their head right now because this is the Arkansas version....NO, there's no VELVEETA envolved!!! LOL)

Diced Tomatoes (I used a can because I'm lazy)
Boneless Skinless chicken (I had a bunch that I had grilled up so I used about 3 large chicken breasts pieced up)
Chopped Garlic ( I used 2 cloves of fresh)
Chopped onion and bell pepper (to taste)
Sweet red pepper (I leave mine in strips)
Kernel corn (I used a drained can because Im lazy)
Chopped jalapenos (a friend gave us a sack so I chopped up two!)
chili powder, cumin, cilantro, black pepper, etc. (to taste!)

Cook all this together on low in a huge skillet with lid on. You won't need any oil or anything because of the juice from the tomatoes but you can add a little stock if you want.

All of the above ingredients only has points from the chicken! You can also add lots of other veggies depending on what you have.

Once this simmers down a bit, I usually add a can of black beans (drained). Don't stir too much or you'll get a gray mush that is super un-appetizing.

Make up a pan of homemade enchilada sauce. I use the following:

10oz can of tomato paste
beef stock (the low sodium kind!)
cumin
oregano (YES, it's good!)
chili powder
a tiny bit of corn starch to thicken

Keep this warm but not hot or you'll burn the shit out of your fingers.

Grab some corn tortillas!

Once your chicken and sauce is done, roll a corn tortilla in your enchilada sauce so that both sides are coated and lay in a baking dish. Fill with your chicken mixture and roll up. Pop in the oven at 350degrees for a little bit, maybe 20-25 minutes? and Voila!
I used to roll these in oil first to pick up the sauce but you save a LOT of points when you leave out the oil and also can save a lot of points by not adding cheese.


When I add these up, the points arent bad. If you use the small corn tortillas (which will make a LOT in a big baking dish), these enchiladas are only 3 points each. I make mine pretty big so 2 is a nice lunch with a side salad.

The tortillas 1 use are only a point each

[PinkieLee]

Medusa, those enchiladas sounds YUMMY! I am so gonna add those ingrediants to my shopping list for next week!

We eat a LOT of chicken at our house... so finding new adaptions to old time favorite receipes has been fun for me. D loves the old Campbells Soup receipe for chicken & rice with mushroom soup. Well, instead of baking the white rice & chicken smothered in cream of mushroom soup this is what I've changed it to...

Cooking the chicken breasts in a skillet with a lil' EVOO.
We switched from white rice to brown rice... Sucess Rice makes a kick ass boil in the bag brown rice.
Then I mix the cooked brown rice with about 1/2 the can of FAT FREE cream of mushroom soup and use the other 1/2 of the can to cover the chicken (just pour it on top of the chicken while the skillet is still warm).

Making those few lil' adjustments, helps cut the WW points in half & lower the calorie/carb count!

It's still so easy to make, and still tastes a lot like the traditional receipe... which is always good for us. Then I just make a salad or a couple of veggies for side dishes. There is always plenty left over for lunch the next day, too.

[JustJo]

Both of those recipes sound sooooo good....gonna' have to try them!

And, on another note....as you may recall, I went off artificial sweeteners. No more diet cokes, coke frees, etc.

Instead I drink Sobe LifeWater (sweetened with stevia) or drink unsweetened ice tea I brew at home (part black tea, part green tea for the good stuff in the green tea). Sometimes I drink it plain...sometimes I add a little stevia or agave or even honey....depending on the status of my sweet tooth.

Well....diet coke (or even worse, coke free) was a big addiction for me. If they were in the house, I would drink them...a couple a day. If they weren't in the house, I'd frequently be asking Scoote "can you bring me home a Coke Free honey?"

Addiction.

I would crave them.

Well, it's been a few weeks and....although it was difficult in the beginning...I don't crave them at all anymore. Poof! Gone! I'm totally satisfied with my water, iced tea, Sobe or coffee (or the occasional V8).

It's too early to tell what the long term effect will be. But here's the interesting parallel....I crave sweets much, much less often as well.

I'm not craving cookies or chocolate or candy bars....(almost) at all. And I haven't been craving any McDonald's runs for Big Macs and fries either.

Unheard of.

And makes me very happy.

[Medusa]

Just so we all know? THESE are amazing:



Only 2 points for 10 of them and they are yummmmmmaaayyy!!