Healthy Weight Loss

[*Anya*]

One thing I did that not everyone may be able to do, is to move my full-length mirror into the kitchen.

I have it right next to my refrigerator.

That's an appetite killer, I will tell you that.

Makes me think two and three times about whether or not I am really hungry and secondly, if I really am, if what I am planning on eating is the best choice for myself.

Still totally off sweets. This week alone at work, I said no to coconut macaroons and a chocolate baby shower sheet cake. Two favorites, too.

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by *Anya*

Still totally off sweets. This week alone at work, I said no to coconut macaroons and a chocolate baby shower sheet cake. Two favorites, too.

Bravo my friend! It's hard to turn down the goodies, especially our favorites.

I know that it would be much harder for me if I worked in our headquarters offices instead of at home. Every time I go there, people are constantly bringing in treats, inviting people to come finish off the luncheon from whatever meeting went on, and going on Starbuck's runs.

I salute all of you who deal with those challenges at work.

I'm still plugging away....no gain or loss for this week. Did miss a workout at Curves...just too sore from overdoing physical work in the house and yard...so figuring it probably all works out. I am planning on taking the dogs for a nice, long beach walk tomorrow....and having a swim this afternoon.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[ruffryder]

Hello and happy weekend healthies !!

I found this article at Shape and thought I'd share it here. It says 7 Foods A Nutritionist Would Never Eat .. so maybe you shouldn't either!

1. Rice Cakes - They are the ultimate diet food for low-fat/no-fat, but don’t be fooled. Rice cakes can have a glycemic index rating as high as 91 (pure glucose has a rating of 100), making it the kind of carbohydrate that will send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride. This is bad for weight loss and for your health.

2. Fat Free Salad Dressing - It's a good food gone bad. Salad dressing is the perfect combination of vinegar (which helps control blood sugar) and plant oils (full of essential fatty acids and sometimes antioxidants). But the result of fat-free salad dressings is sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients not so good.

3. Seitan - Originally from Asia, is a common meat substitute for vegetarian dishes. Unlike many meat substitutes, seitan is not soy derived but made entirely of wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is a highly allergenic protein that is naturally found only in small amounts in wheat-based products. While there is no research linking seitan intake to increased prevalence of gluten allergies or intolerances, but perhaps eating a lot of this allergenic protein may trigger development of a more severe gluten allergy or intolerance.

4. Shark - The risk/benefit ratio of eating fish (the benefits of omega-3 fats vs. the risk of mercury) typically falls in favor of the omega-3 fats and their incredible health effects. Shark is one of the exceptions. Despite having an omega-3 fat content similar to tuna, shark contains almost three times the amount of mercury. Tilefish is another high mercury/low omega-3 fish that should be avoided. Salmon is your best bet for maximizing omega-3 fats while minimizing mercury levels.

5. Refined and Refortified Grains - Unfortunately this rules out a majority of the carbohydrates found on supermarket shelves. Refined and re-fortified grains are grain-based foods like certain breakfast cereals, pastas, and rice products that have been refined such that the naturally occurring fiber, vitamins, and minerals have been removed. Companies then replace the fiber and synthetic versions of the vitamins and minerals that were initially removed.

6. Sugar Sweetened Beverages - If you stop eating only one thing on this list, it should be sugar-sweetened beverages. The empty calories help pad your waistline without offering any sense of satiety or fullness. Plus, simple sugars do an excellent job of lowering your good cholesterol and increasing your triglyceride levels (two risk factors for heart disease). Drinking sugary beverages also promotes disturbances in your body’s inflammatory balance, making it harder to recover from exercise and increasing your risk of numerous chronic diseases.

7. Grits - Another hyper-refined carbohydrate. Nutritionally speaking, grits lack significant amounts of vitamins or minerals. They contain a minute amount of fiber and no essential fats. Their flavor is lacking and thus butter or heavy cream is used to make them palatable, bringing together the blood-vessel-destroying, unholy marriage of simple carbohydrates and saturated fat.

I know for me I need to check the fat free dressings I have! I think some of you have offered recipes and alternatives here for dressings. I also need to get away from sodas, whether they are no calorie or otherwise. I had lost some lbs and gained them back and I know where they came from, sugar and carbs! I'm gonna focus on 10 lbs for now, losing 10 lbs and I'm gonna go for this by end of the year and see where I stand. That's a good goal for me.

I start my new position at work tonight and I don't plan on eating all night or early morning while I'm working. I need to plan accordingly and eat dinner before I go to work and take a snack or two that is good for me. I'll also be drinking black coffee and tea. On the plus side, I'll be getting off my arse and moving more for this job!

[Zimmeh]

I found a cool app for my iPhone..It is called Yoga Builder and I am going to start out with the semi easy poses until I work up to the harder ones...I have been emotionally stressed out at work and I have been munching and less than a month ago I could get into my size 11 Junior skinny jeans and now my work pants are a little snug..Time to get rid of the extra weight!

Zimmeh

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by ruffryder

Hello and happy weekend healthies !!

I found this article at Shape and thought I'd share it here. It says 7 Foods A Nutritionist Would Never Eat .. so maybe you shouldn't either!

1. Rice Cakes - They are the ultimate diet food for low-fat/no-fat, but don’t be fooled. Rice cakes can have a glycemic index rating as high as 91 (pure glucose has a rating of 100), making it the kind of carbohydrate that will send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride. This is bad for weight loss and for your health.

2. Fat Free Salad Dressing - It's a good food gone bad. Salad dressing is the perfect combination of vinegar (which helps control blood sugar) and plant oils (full of essential fatty acids and sometimes antioxidants). But the result of fat-free salad dressings is sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients not so good.

3. Seitan - Originally from Asia, is a common meat substitute for vegetarian dishes. Unlike many meat substitutes, seitan is not soy derived but made entirely of wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is a highly allergenic protein that is naturally found only in small amounts in wheat-based products. While there is no research linking seitan intake to increased prevalence of gluten allergies or intolerances, but perhaps eating a lot of this allergenic protein may trigger development of a more severe gluten allergy or intolerance.

4. Shark - The risk/benefit ratio of eating fish (the benefits of omega-3 fats vs. the risk of mercury) typically falls in favor of the omega-3 fats and their incredible health effects. Shark is one of the exceptions. Despite having an omega-3 fat content similar to tuna, shark contains almost three times the amount of mercury. Tilefish is another high mercury/low omega-3 fish that should be avoided. Salmon is your best bet for maximizing omega-3 fats while minimizing mercury levels.

5. Refined and Refortified Grains - Unfortunately this rules out a majority of the carbohydrates found on supermarket shelves. Refined and re-fortified grains are grain-based foods like certain breakfast cereals, pastas, and rice products that have been refined such that the naturally occurring fiber, vitamins, and minerals have been removed. Companies then replace the fiber and synthetic versions of the vitamins and minerals that were initially removed.

6. Sugar Sweetened Beverages - If you stop eating only one thing on this list, it should be sugar-sweetened beverages. The empty calories help pad your waistline without offering any sense of satiety or fullness. Plus, simple sugars do an excellent job of lowering your good cholesterol and increasing your triglyceride levels (two risk factors for heart disease). Drinking sugary beverages also promotes disturbances in your body’s inflammatory balance, making it harder to recover from exercise and increasing your risk of numerous chronic diseases.

7. Grits - Another hyper-refined carbohydrate. Nutritionally speaking, grits lack significant amounts of vitamins or minerals. They contain a minute amount of fiber and no essential fats. Their flavor is lacking and thus butter or heavy cream is used to make them palatable, bringing together the blood-vessel-destroying, unholy marriage of simple carbohydrates and saturated fat.

I know for me I need to check the fat free dressings I have! I think some of you have offered recipes and alternatives here for dressings. I also need to get away from sodas, whether they are no calorie or otherwise. I had lost some lbs and gained them back and I know where they came from, sugar and carbs! I'm gonna focus on 10 lbs for now, losing 10 lbs and I'm gonna go for this by end of the year and see where I stand. That's a good goal for me.

I start my new position at work tonight and I don't plan on eating all night or early morning while I'm working. I need to plan accordingly and eat dinner before I go to work and take a snack or two that is good for me. I'll also be drinking black coffee and tea. On the plus side, I'll be getting off my arse and moving more for this job!

NO GRITS?????????

[Gráinne]

Hi, all!

I too can blame a terrible year for getting way out of control with eating well and movement (as in: none). The kicker is, I can eat even when great things happen, too. Bottom line: No one opens my mouth and stuffs food in but me. And Tahiti cookies and cheesecake don't make problems go away or add anything to good experiences. They're just ingredients.

Yesterday I went to the exercise room at my complex and did a mile in 25 minutes and some seconds. I did get up to a 22 minute mile, but can't sustain that for any length. 25 minutes is about it. Therefore, my first goal is to get down to an 18 minute mile, 15 if I'm really ambitious. Then I'll go on to the couch-5K program.

I too have an inexpensive gym membership that also has access to another gym offering spinning, Zumba, and kickboxing. There's just no excuse. I also realized I've been paying along my WeightWatchers online membership and not using it. That needs to change, but moving consistently is the first step.

I'm grateful for both this thread and the fat positive thread. It's OK and a good thing to want to be healthy at whatever weight that is.

Good week, everyone

It feels good to test myself, to feel that hum and feel the sweat.

[girl_dee]

Well i knew it was coming but two weeks on the road and one of those weeks being in New Orleans my jeans are just screaming at me.



Time to DETOX !

[starryeyes]

Me too!! I am keep gaining and I am not moving at all. I need to change my mind frame and get it together. I was interpreting for a pride festival yesterday, and after seeing some of the pictures on Facebook I feel so defeated! I am 25lbs up from my lowest weight 2 years ago. I keep justifying that I am still less than when I started (at 250lbs) but that justification is keeping me stagnant. I know I can set 10lb goals and get that 25 off and more in no time with some motivation.

I am ready!!!!

[JustJo]

Hi healthies

I just got off the phone with my oldest and dearest friend, and I'm just sitting here, so sad and hurting for her. She has always struggled with her weight and, while I would be overweight and pretty much holding steady, she worked incredibly hard over and over for years to lose the weight, but would always gain it back. She's been on every diet I know of, and her weight has fluctuated by as much as 100 lbs up and down, over and over.

In recent years, she just keeps gaining, no matter how hard she tries. She's been working with a nutritionist, working out....and still gaining. Her doctor has told her that all of her yo-yo dieting has essentially damaged her metabolism ....and she no longer has that internal set point that most of us have.

On top of that, her life is full of stress and....like me and many others....she is a stress and emotional eater.

She's 5'2" and is currently at her heaviest ever weight of 283.
She's seriously considering bariatric surgery.
I'm worried about her.

[*Anya*]

I am sitting in Nordie's Bistro and was just beating myself up because the "Not your daughter's jeans", dress slacks and blouse that I just bought, are not size 10 but are 12 petite ( I am a shorty: 5"3).

I had to give myself a stern talking to.

In 2009, I was in size 22's. Yep, not only short but short and fat.

I hope that does not offend anyone but for me, there are no euphuisms. It is exactly what I was.

I am not thin, maybe if I had larger breasts, I could be considered voluptuous. I don't know exactly what I am, other than hypercritical of myself.

I am back where I was after I lost 50 pounds. My cholesterol is staying at 170, from the high of 270, even after stopping the Lipitor.

Self-acceptance.

Even more difficult than losing weight.

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by *Anya*

I am sitting in Nordie's Bistro and was just beating myself up because the "Not your daughter's jeans", dress slacks and blouse that I just bought, are not size 10 but are 12 petite ( I am a shorty: 5"3).

I had to give myself a stern talking to.

In 2009, I was in size 22's. Yep, not only short but short and fat.

I hope that does not offend anyone but for me, there are no euphuisms. It is exactly what I was.

I am not thin, maybe if I had larger breasts, I could be considered voluptuous. I don't know exactly what I am, other than hypercritical of myself.

I am back where I was after I lost 50 pounds. My cholesterol is staying at 170, from the high of 270, even after stopping the Lipitor.

Self-acceptance.

Even more difficult than losing weight.

((((( Anya )))))

I'm so glad that you posted this.

I think it's so easy to get caught up in berating ourselves because we aren't where we want to be instead of patting ourselves on the back for what we've accomplished.

Your cholesterol count alone equals a big improvement health-wise.

I know that I sometimes go a bit sideways and grumble about the world's slowest weight loss. I see others losing 1, 2, 5 or more pounds each week....and I'm averaging 2 a month. I know it's partly genetic, partly diabetes medications, partly because I'm exercising and being more active but not doing serious "training" and, in largest part, because I'm not dieting. I've just been making small life changes that I can live with forever.

So....when I really want a cheeseburger, I go get one. But I don't drive thru McDonald's multiple times in a week anymore. If I really want some ice cream I have it, but I don't drown my sorrows in a pint of Ben & Jerry's every night.

At the end of the day, here's what I have to look at. I've been in Florida a little over 2 years. Since I've been here, my highest weight was 229, but I'm not sure exactly when that was. I struggled mightily to break the 200 barrier, and now I'm running a pretty consistent 193 - 195, with a gradual trending downward slope. This morning was 193.

That's the lowest weight I've been in so long that I can't remember the last time.

That's a loss of 36 pounds....and slightly more than 15% of my starting body weight. I KNOW that positively impacts my health, not to mention how I look and feel....and that's where I need to focus, not on how far I still have to go.

Hugs to you all