Healthy Weight Loss

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

I too love big salads. What is your dressing recipe?

I actually have one of those "Good Seasons" salad dressing cruets that you use with the packets of seasoning to make it at home.

It has lines on it for vinegar, water and oil....so I'm not sure of the measurements because I just fill up to the line.

So, I pour in apple cider vinegar up to the line (because it's supposed to be a healthy vinegar that helps you lose weight....and I like the taste), water to the next line, then...instead of the seasoning packet I put in a little chopped garlic that I buy in the jar, a little salt and pepper, a little parsley, a little dried onion flakes, a little italian seasoning mix that has oregano and basil and probably more parsley ...just whatever looks right. Then extra virgin olive oil to the oil line on the cruet and shake it up.

It literally only takes a few minutes to make.

When this one runs out I'm planning on trying a mexican-ish one with a little chili pepper, some cilantro, maybe a blob of salsa lol....and use black beans and avocado in my salad instead of the white beans/chick peas I've been using.

[Scorp]

Hey All,

One of the BEST things we have invested in is a Vitamix.

We've had ours for 3 years and it's amazing. It makes everything you can think of and very easy. It comes with a great, easy recipe book and the things you can do with this is unbelievable.

It costs a pretty penny but worth every cent.

It's NOT a blender, or a food processor. What makes it so ideal is:

It has a 2 peak horsepower motor that proples blades up to 240 mph and blends tough ingredients.

It chops, creams, blends, cooks, grinds, kneads, churns.

Cleans itself with a drop of dish soap and warm water; just run on High for 30 seconds

We even make fresh fruit sorbet, "real" peanut butter out of salted/unsalted nuts, hot soups and MANY other things (too long to list here)...This thing is amazing and well worth it and it's nutritional value will also blow you away.

[PinkieLee]

Scorpie sounds like an infomercial
**kidding**

That sounds like an awesome kitchen gadget to have ~ actually useful, and won't sit in a cabinet collecting dust!

[Scorp]

**ACT NOW ** AND GET YOUR FREE DVD TO EAT THIS NOT THAT!...SO CALL OUR OPERATORS TO CHAT!

Originally Posted by PinkieLee

Scorpie sounds like an infomercial
**kidding**

[ruffryder]

That's great Scorp! I just bought one by GE from Walmart. Less than $20. It's a blender and food processor in one. Has different sizes of cups and shakers for juice. I used it this morning to make a fresh orange juice smoothie with a dash of stevia and ice! saved some aside to drizzle on my spinach I'm going to have for lunch with cod. The other day I used it to puree some tomatoes and jalapeno for a spicy tomato sauce I used on my chicken breast. Good investment indeed!

Originally Posted by Scorp

Hey All,

One of the BEST things we have invested in is a Vitamix.

We've had ours for 3 years and it's amazing. It makes everything you can think of and very easy. It comes with a great, easy recipe book and the things you can do with this is unbelievable.

It costs a pretty penny but worth every cent.

It's NOT a blender, or a food processor. What makes it so ideal is:

It has a 2 peak horsepower motor that proples blades up to 240 mph and blends tough ingredients.

It chops, creams, blends, cooks, grinds, kneads, churns.

Cleans itself with a drop of dish soap and warm water; just run on High for 30 seconds

We even make fresh fruit sorbet, "real" peanut butter out of salted/unsalted nuts, hot soups and MANY other things (too long to list here)...This thing is amazing and well worth it and it's nutritional value will also blow you away.

[ruffryder]

Thanks Jo for the ideas! I will have to try that.. Any other ideas for no fat, no sugar, low sodium dressings anyone?

some one sent me to this website.. http://www.waldenfarms.com/products/dressings.html not sure if they sell it in any supermarkets though.

Originally Posted by JustJo

I actually have one of those "Good Seasons" salad dressing cruets that you use with the packets of seasoning to make it at home.

It has lines on it for vinegar, water and oil....so I'm not sure of the measurements because I just fill up to the line.

So, I pour in apple cider vinegar up to the line (because it's supposed to be a healthy vinegar that helps you lose weight....and I like the taste), water to the next line, then...instead of the seasoning packet I put in a little chopped garlic that I buy in the jar, a little salt and pepper, a little parsley, a little dried onion flakes, a little italian seasoning mix that has oregano and basil and probably more parsley ...just whatever looks right. Then extra virgin olive oil to the oil line on the cruet and shake it up.

It literally only takes a few minutes to make.

When this one runs out I'm planning on trying a mexican-ish one with a little chili pepper, some cilantro, maybe a blob of salsa lol....and use black beans and avocado in my salad instead of the white beans/chick peas I've been using.

[nycfem]

I use Waldenfarms dressings all the time and think they are pretty good. My favorite is the Honey Dijon, and I also like the Rasberry Vinaigrette. Of course, the negative, imo, is that they are artificially sweetened (with sucralose, which is hundreds of times sweeter than a lot of other artificial sweeteners, like Splenda, so - on a positive note- a tiny bit will do the trick as an ingredient in the dressing). I am generally keen on avoiding artificial sweeteners, but I do like that it has 0 calories with a decent taste

Originally Posted by ruffryder_0187

Thanks Jo for the ideas! I will have to try that.. Any other ideas for no fat, no sugar, low sodium dressings anyone?

some one sent me to this website.. http://www.waldenfarms.com/products/dressings.html not sure if they sell it in any supermarkets though.

[nycfem]

Adding: Waldenfarms is found in mainstream grocery stores, a big plus! It comes in a glass bottle.

[ruffryder]

Glad to see everyone is doing well in here! Thanks for all the information and ideas provided. Last night before bed I ended my day with an ab workout I found as an app on my phone. It allows me to work my abs in a few different ways and feels good! This morning I weighed and I was down 2 lbs from yesterday so it's good to see my diet is working! Have a great day everybody!

[Zimmeh]

I love the organic olive oil based raspberry vinegarette that I can pick up at the grocery store. Usually, when I eat a salad, I have the cook put it on the side and I dip my fork into it. The name of the company is BoltHouse farms. I am including a link to their recipe page.

Enjoy!

http://bolthouse.com/our-recipes/dressings

Zimmy

Originally Posted by ruffryder_0187

Thanks Jo for the ideas! I will have to try that.. Any other ideas for no fat, no sugar, low sodium dressings anyone?

some one sent me to this website.. http://www.waldenfarms.com/products/dressings.html not sure if they sell it in any supermarkets though.

[ruffryder]

Thanks for the web links and tips again everybody! Have a good night. Get some rest. Here is another link you may be interested in . http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/learn_more

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by ruffryder_0187

Thanks Jo for the ideas! I will have to try that.. Any other ideas for no fat, no sugar, low sodium dressings anyone?

some one sent me to this website.. http://www.waldenfarms.com/products/dressings.html not sure if they sell it in any supermarkets though.

Make your own? EVOO, honey mustard or dijon, lemon juice, and ponzu. Wisk and pour!

[Rockinonahigh]

I know I havent said much lately about to much,gess im going thrue a quiet spell or something..you know how life goes.Id like you to know that ive been readiing how things have been going for you and wish it hadnt been that way.Onething I do know is that you have made some very possitive changes as well as good desisions in your life.Changes are hard at first but once you get to makeing them it becomes less hard to do,just takeing one step at the time has been said by many, but is so true.In one post you said u were thinking of geting a place of your own,wich is a great idea,I did the same many years ago and have never regreted doing so..the freedom and peace of mind was worth haveing done the move,I still stayed intouch with family but haveing a place to call my own was and is priceless.
As for changeing your eating habbits and getting more exersise is one of the best things you can do for yourself.I know how you feel about cokes I use to drink a 12 pack a day then got to three a day and now I still he 8 canns in a 24 pack to the third case that my son bought tonight,I doubt I will totaly quit sodas but now and again its ok to have a bit of it,water and chrystle light is my fix how.I also as of next monday will be smoke free for a year...that was harder than droping the soda habbit.Even tho I eat something I shouldnt hear and there wich I think is ok I have changed my diet 180 degrees around.I wish we lived closer We could be weigh loss buddies and hit the gym also.Being we can only suport each other and others on this issue on line, it will have to do.But together we can and do help eachother by what we post.Good luck my friend in your journey,keep those post comeing its good to read them.

[Cowboi]

When I stepped on the scales this morning, and I have reached my 1st personal goal !!!!! So now I am sitting here having my oatmeal pancake. YaY its friday!!!

[*Anya*]

I appreciate this site, not only for the encouragement, support and tips but to receive information on both sides of diet and eating possibilities.

This is not at all to be critical of anyone type of eating plan to achieve their goal but to ensure I always critically evaluate what would be best for me personally. It is just how I was taught in nursing school.

In that vein, the Mayo Clinic website had a Registered Dietitian address the issue of Hcg:

HCG diet: Is it safe and effective?
Does the HCG diet work — and is it safe?

Answer
from Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.

Because the HCG diet combines injections or supplements of the HCG hormone along with severe calorie restriction, you may lose weight — at least for the short term. But it's the calorie restriction that causes the weight loss, not the HCG. In addition, the safety of HCG for weight loss is uncertain, and the hormone hasn't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for obesity or weight control.

HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy. As a prescription medication, HCG is used mainly to treat fertility issues.

Proponents of the HCG diet say that HCG can help you lose weight, burn fat and redistribute fat away from your buttocks and stomach. On the HCG diet, you either receive injections of HCG or take HCG supplements. The HCG diet also requires you to drastically cut your calorie intake, typically consuming just 500 to 800 calories a day — about one-fourth to one-half of the standard calorie recommendations. The HCG diet is typically offered through weight-loss clinics that say they will provide medical supervision.

Although researchers have studied the HCG diet for years, no high-quality studies have shown that the hormone itself helps weight loss. Following any very low calorie diet is likely to result in weight loss, regardless of taking HCG. And the HCG diet can have drawbacks. Severe calorie restriction can make it hard to meet all of your nutritional needs. And rapid weight loss can lead to gallstones. Also, HCG can cause side effects, including headache, fatigue, irritability and male breast enlargement. And be careful about buying HCG products on the Internet — they might not be what they say they are.

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by Cowboi

When I stepped on the scales this morning, and I have reached my 1st personal goal !!!!! So now I am sitting here having my oatmeal pancake. YaY its friday!!!

Woooo Hoooooo! Fantastic!
Congratulations on reaching that milestone!

Originally Posted by Anya/Georgia

I appreciate this site, not only for the encouragement, support and tips but to receive information on both sides of diet and eating possibilities.

This is not at all to be critical of anyone type of eating plan to achieve their goal but to ensure I always critically evaluate what would be best for me personally. It is just how I was taught in nursing school.

In that vein, the Mayo Clinic website had a Registered Dietitian address the issue of Hcg:

HCG diet: Is it safe and effective?
Does the HCG diet work — and is it safe?

Answer
from Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.

Because the HCG diet combines injections or supplements of the HCG hormone along with severe calorie restriction, you may lose weight — at least for the short term. But it's the calorie restriction that causes the weight loss, not the HCG. In addition, the safety of HCG for weight loss is uncertain, and the hormone hasn't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for obesity or weight control.

HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy. As a prescription medication, HCG is used mainly to treat fertility issues.

Proponents of the HCG diet say that HCG can help you lose weight, burn fat and redistribute fat away from your buttocks and stomach. On the HCG diet, you either receive injections of HCG or take HCG supplements. The HCG diet also requires you to drastically cut your calorie intake, typically consuming just 500 to 800 calories a day — about one-fourth to one-half of the standard calorie recommendations. The HCG diet is typically offered through weight-loss clinics that say they will provide medical supervision.

Although researchers have studied the HCG diet for years, no high-quality studies have shown that the hormone itself helps weight loss. Following any very low calorie diet is likely to result in weight loss, regardless of taking HCG. And the HCG diet can have drawbacks. Severe calorie restriction can make it hard to meet all of your nutritional needs. And rapid weight loss can lead to gallstones. Also, HCG can cause side effects, including headache, fatigue, irritability and male breast enlargement. And be careful about buying HCG products on the Internet — they might not be what they say they are.

Anya....I'm so glad you posted this.

I read Starbuck's post and, as happy as I am that you achieved the results you want, it frankly scares the crap out of me to hear about people injecting themselves with stuff and living on severe calorie restriction just to lose weight.

My dearest friend has been on a lifetime of yo-yo dieting...often with very severe calorie restrictions. She's lost dramatic amounts of weight many times, only to regain it and then some.

After her last wildly calorie restricted diet (of about 500 calories a day) she ended up having to have her gall bladder removed, and suddenly started having thyroid problems....something she had never experienced before. In addition, her metabolism is destroyed, she's flirting with diabetes...and she is now bigger than she's ever been.

She's working with a nutritionist now (thank goodness) who is helping her learn to eat sensibly, and working with a counselor to try to sort through some of her issues with food....but her body is (probably) permanently damaged, according to her doctor, because of these kinds of diets. The doctor equated it to living through several famines...and the damage that does. She's left wishing that she had never done the diets, but it's not something she can take back.

There's no way you can get all of the nutrition you need each day in 500 calories. And starving and injecting yourself doesn't change your relationship to what you eat...it just forces your body to comply (temporarily). For me, this is like the lap band and stomach stapling....yes, it works....temporarily.

I don't want to sound like I'm coming down on anyone or criticizing their choices....I'm not. But I actually started this thread in response to a post about HCG and the 500 calorie diet....and, with respect, I'd prefer that that kind of advice stayed in that thread rather than this one.

This one is about healthy weight loss.

Thanks everyone for understanding.

[PinkieLee]

Originally Posted by Cowboi

When I stepped on the scales this morning, and I have reached my 1st personal goal !!!!! So now I am sitting here having my oatmeal pancake. YaY its friday!!!

Woooohoooooooooo this is the best news I've heard all day! CONGRATS on crossing your first goal... you ROCK!!!

[PinkieLee]

Welcome Starbuck!

First of all, I would like to say congratulations on your weight loss. I bet you feel amazing!

Like you, I've also done the HCG diet. Well, not as extreme as yours with the 500 calorie a day restriction. We have 2 weight loss clinics here that pretty much specialize in this kind of weight loss. They combine HCG and B12, put you on Adipex (yeah, speed) and tell you to stay within 1000 - 1200 calories a day. You come in once a week, pay $14 for the shots & get a $10 week perscription... they weigh you and say "see you next week." Well, when I did this years ago, I lost an unbelievable 65 pounds.... only to gain it all back plus another 15 pounds.

Like others said, this was a temporary fix. I was bouncing off the walls, thanks to the speed, and just didn't eat. I NEVER learned why I overate, anything about triggers, or how to actually eat healthy foods without feeling deprived. I hate to admit it... I've tried this method at last 5 times in the past 7 years. FOR ME, it doesn't work longterm.

[nycfem]

What are EVOO and ponzu? And do you use lemon juice from an actual lemon or the kind from the store in a container?

Noting that Corkey and Ami are a bottomless well of useful information in and out of the kitchen.

Originally Posted by Corkey

Make your own? EVOO, honey mustard or dijon, lemon juice, and ponzu. Wisk and pour!

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

What are EVOO and ponzu? And do you use lemon juice from an actual lemon or the kind from the store in a container?

Noting that Corkey and Ami are a bottomless well of useful information in and out of the kitchen.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) bottle or fresh squeezed are fine, shake the bottle first as it tends to separate. Ponzu is a umami (one of the flavor senses), it is soy sauce and lemon or lime juice and adds some citrus acid to any salads, meats for marinating and soups. It can be found next to soy sauce at your grocery store.