Healthy Weight Loss

[Zimmeh]

This has been a hard week for me. Monday was the ten year anniversary of my dad passing away, so I have been depressed all week. Work is killing me and my soon to be ex roommate is calling me, some not so nice names since I got my braces. As a result, I broke down on Monday and cried for 20 minutes in my boss' office and went to Baskin and Robbins for ice cream. The only person who has supported me this week is Ruff and I'm thankful for hys love and friendship . Once we move this weekend, I will pick my self esteem up and put one foot in front of the other and get back to my happy life!

I found the Carnation instant breakfast shakes are good since I still cannot eat any meat. I have been eating potatoes, soup, Greek yogurt, apple sauce and jell-o for the last nine days.

Hugs to all of you!

Zimmeh

[*Anya*]

Just posting in here helps a great deal.

Yesterday morning, I rose like Lazarus, off of the couch and did 15 sit-ups plus other exercises.

I am still totally unable to do leg-lifts yet but it is a start and was far less painful than I feared.

Next, is to tackle walking.

Have a good weekend everyone

[deedarino]

Originally Posted by Zimmeh

This has been a hard week for me. Monday was the ten year anniversary of my dad passing away, so I have been depressed all week. Work is killing me and my soon to be ex roommate is calling me, some not so nice names since I got my braces. As a result, I broke down on Monday and cried for 20 minutes in my boss' office and went to Baskin and Robbins for ice cream. The only person who has supported me this week is Ruff and I'm thankful for hys love and friendship . Once we move this weekend, I will pick my self esteem up and put one foot in front of the other and get back to my happy life!

I found the Carnation instant breakfast shakes are good since I still cannot eat any meat. I have been eating potatoes, soup, Greek yogurt, apple sauce and jell-o for the last nine days.

Hugs to all of you!

Zimmeh

I believe carnation instant breakfast is one of the keys to my success. It help me to never feel deprived...

[Lady_Di]

Instant breakfast... I remember the sugar free version did help, though without milk now, it is not high enough protein for me. But blended with ice it can fool me into thinking it is a shake. And after my surgery, I could literally not tolerate artificial sweetners at all, they hurt my tummy. Which in my opinion was a total G.d thing, as I think that stuff is so bad for us. Today I can tolerate a bit of them, but not much. I usually end up watering them down big time. Or just bypassing anything artificial, in general and on principle. Nice to have principles today, no?

Personally I found a nutritional drink I can simply mix with water and still gives me like 28 grams of protein. Very satiating.

ilikechike.com

http://www.chikenutrition.com/

Those that can still tolerate lactose even get a bigger bang for the buck I suppose. Bottom line I like it, which for me is rare for me, I do not like most of these sweet things. I do not have much of a sweet tooth.

Try the Strawberry. It is my favourite. Sometimes I even add frozen organic strawberries, as I really really love em and they are guilt free indulgences.

Though my mentor, whom I have mentioned several times here, swears by the Orange Creme flavour. I also had a bumper crop of peaches this year, so have frozen peaches, which when I add them to the Very Vanilla makes a killer peach ice cream, I swear. It is amazingly like peach ice cream. Yes, I add a lot of peaches and ice, too. It is good, try it. I hear some folks add greek yogurt, too. And even cook brownies and what not with this stuff. I have not, but I have read those that do. Very cool, imo.

Low glycemic frozen wild blueberries are also great additions. Though I prefer them all by themselves, best thing on earth to me. And totally guilt free, a rare thing these days.


My splurges lately, because of packing up everything and what not... watermelon and clearing out everything in my freezer, which is actually only full of healthy whole foods, mostly organic or free range, grass fed. Expensive but I am worth it

I did buy some junk for my road trip, but I am not all that into it. A tiny bit of naughty is not such a big deal, today. The watermelon is a much preferred treat to me these days. I simply know I feel so much better when I eat healthy. It reinforces itself. And it is better to lose slowly but surely, even back slide a bit and get back on track, than to do it super quickly and then see saw back up. I think that sort of thing is very hard on our bodies. We have all done so much damage, totally our own doing. But it does not consign us to doing this or anything the rest of our lives.

I love the fact that we as human beings have Free Agency. We have choices all along the way and it feels good to take responsibility for my choices today, good, bad or indifferent.

Welcome to the new folks here and to the lurkers and thread stalkers. I have had more than one phone call in the past few months that have mentioned they did that, lol. For those that are too shy to post or whatever reasons you may have, that is okay too. As many have said before here... whatever works for you.

Just do it.

and...

Never give up! Each and everyone here is worth it. I love you all, and if no one told you today that they love you. I do, whether you like it or not.

(I hear that everyday at a 12 step group I go to, and the guy that always says it, really means it. And I can honestly say I do as well.)


WWJD?
I really do ask myself this...

the answer is easy.


Love

[Ginger]

So I've lost between six and nine pounds (it varies day-to-day but even with the one-step-forward-one-step-back effect, the plateaus are consistently moving in the right direction).

I think six to nine more and I'd be thrilled.

A body is a terrible thing to waste. So is a life. I'm being more careful about what I admit into my realm of existence.

Even though I'm confused most days about the things I'm weighing (no pun intended), I'm certain that it all starts right here, with me.

[girl_dee]

Syr brought home some organic Chia seeds for me. i said *what the heck do you do with those?* well, apparently a lot!!


I googled several articles including this one, and i started eating them yesterday, so we will see!


What are Chia seeds anyway?
What are the top ten ways you benefit from eating chia seeds?
The top 10 benefits of eating chia seeds seen here are in no particular order. Which one is most important to you? You can expierience all of the following benefits when you order MySeeds Chia.
1. Lose Weight Without Starving
The Chia Seed is a dieter’s dream come true. The tiny, healthy seeds can be made to taste like whatever you want, and their unique gelling action keeps you feeling full for hours. Hunger is a main enemy of real weight loss, and you don’t want to fight it with jittery expensive pills. When a chia seed

is exposed to water, it forms a coating of gel, increasing its size and weight. Since the gel made of water, it has no calories. It’s also difficult to remove from the seed, meaning that it helps your body think it is full, without adding calories!
2. Balance Blood Sugar
Keeping balanced levels of blood sugar is important for both health and energy. Blood sugar may spike after meals, especially if you eat high-starchy foods or sweets. This can lead to ‘slumps’ in your day where you feel tired and out of energy. By balancing your blood sugar, you not only lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, but you also ensure steady, constant energy throughout your day.


But how does the Chia Seed help with this? Both the gelling action of the seed, and it’s unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber combine to slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars. If you eat chia with a meal, it will help you turn your food into constant, steady energy rather than a series of ups and downs that wear you out.

3. Help Prevent Diverticulitis / Diverticulosis
With the abundance of over-processed foods and white flour on the market today, rich sources of fiber are harder to come by. These foods of convenience have contributed to the rise of diverticulitis. Irregularity is a

big factor in this risky condition. To help ensure regularity, you need plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber in your diet. If you don’t want to eat celery, and whole-grain everything…or piles of bran flakes, the Chia Seed is here to help. Each seed is coated with soluble fibers which aid its gelling action. The exterior of the seed is protected by insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber is unable to be digested (it does not contribute any calories, or break down) so instead, it helps keep food moving smoothly through the digestive process. Soluble fiber, and the gel coating of the seed keeps the colon hydrated and ensures the easy movement of food.

4. Add healthy omega-3 oil to your diet
Omega-3 oil is usually thought of as “that healthy stuff in fish”. But, what if you don’t want to eat fish every day? What if you’re a vegetarian, or simply worried about pollution adding harmful substances to your fish dinner?

Chia is the richest plant-source of this healthy oil. By weight, chia contains more omega 3 than salmon, and it still tastes like whatever you want! Omega 3 oil is important in heart and cholesterol health. It’s also recently been targeted as a weight-loss helper. USA Weekend magazine also reports on a study where overweight dieters who included omega 3s in their eating plan lost 2 more pounds monthly than the control group, who did not.

5. Feel more energized all day long
Don’t want to feel like taking an afternoon nap? Your energy levels have a lot to do with what you eat. Chia is one of nature’s highest plant-based sources of complete protein. Usually protein from items like peanut butter

and some beans are incomplete, meaning you have to combine them with other foods to get the full benefit. Not Chia though, it’s protein is complete to raise your energy levels. The combination of complete protein, vitamins, minerals and blood-sugar balancing gel all work together to make sure you have steady, never jittery energy.

6. Bake with less fat
Do you enjoy making baked goods at home, but hate all the butter and oil that has to go into them? Chia gel can substitute for half the butter in most recipes! The food will bake the same and taste the

same (or better) from the addition of the chia gel. All you need to do is divide the amount of butter or oil in half, and then use the same amount of chia gel to fill in. The anti-oxidants in chia can even help keep the food tasting fresh longer. Everything from cookies to cakes to muffins, pancakes and waffles can be made with chia gel as your butter replacement. Which recipe will become your new favorite?

7. Add age-defying anti-oxidants
Anti-oxidants have been in the news lately due to their super healthy benefits. You know that blueberries and several exotic fruits (that aren’t always in season) have them, but did you know that chia is extremely high in anti-oxidants too? These helpful substances are what makes the Chia Seed stay .

fresh for so long. At room temperature, they’ll stay fresh and ready to eat for over two whole years! And that’s all without a single chemical or preservative. This amazing ability is not found in other seeds like flax or sesame, because those seeds don’t have the same rich anti-oxidant content.
Anti-oxidants help prevent free-radical damage in your body. Free radicals lead to problematic conditions such as premature aging of the skin and inflammation of various tissues. Fight free radical damage by staying fresh and healthy with nature’s anti-oxidant powerhouse


8. Cut cravings for food
Being deficient in minerals or vitamins can create a craving for food. For example, if you’re low on calcium, you may feel compelled to eat lots of cheese and ice cream. This happens because your body knows that cheese is a source of calcium, and it hasn’t been getting enough. But what if dairy and whole

milk are a “Diet don’t”? You can always add calcium to your food by sprinkling on the chia. By weight, chia has more calcium than whole milk. It also has magnesium and boron, essential trace minerals used in the absorption of calcium and other vitamins. By balancing your vitamins and minerals with chia, you can curb cravings that might tempt you.

9. You can pack in more flavorful punch
How can a seed with NO flavor help the foods you already like to taste better? First, because they have no taste of their own, chia seeds will never cover up or add to the flavor of your food. Second, when the seeds hydrate, they magnify the taste of whatever they were added to. Put them in pudding?

Chocolaty! Swirl them into a smoothie? Fruity! The same thing goes with dressings, dips, salsas, sauces and more. These two factors combine to let chia seeds take on the taste of whatever you add them to. They distribute and never dilute, the flavors you love.

10. Save your money
Why should eating less cost you more? You already know diet pills are expensive, and ‘box meal plans’ can run up to $500.00 a month. If you’re buying ‘calorie counting packs’ or other individual portions in the store, you can also end up paying more because more preparation and materials go

into these foods. More than enough chia for 1 month costs less than a dollar a day. You can use as much or as little as you want to achieve your own desired results. There are no preparations required for these simple seeds, not even pesticides need to be used to grow them. They’re always safe and 100% chemical free. A measuring spoon is all you’ll need when you’re ready to take advantage of chia for yourself. It doesn’t get any easier or more inexpensive.