Week 4, Diet/Health Challenge

[4kids4me]

Hi Ladies,

 

How did everyone's week go? Is it getting easier or harder?

 

For me, definitely harder! It was a complete wash-out and I refuse to weigh myself until next week!!! Once I start to "cheat" it just spirals and gets worse. Now here I am with a major stomach ache, feeling lethargic and just generally yucky.

 

I look forward to hearing from all of the participants...maybe I'll be encouraged from your stories!!!

 

Caralyn :)

[Parrothead]

I am now soda/coke/pop free. I still haven't gotten dh on board about once a week meatless night. Last week he wanted some ham in the black-eyed peas. He said it would "make a meal out of them." Then he found a recipe for lentils that contains ground beef.

 

I'm afraid it is becoming a power struggle so I am going to give it up for now. I can regulate my meat intake and to some extent dd's. I can also make meals with lots of veggies.

[gandpsmommy]

I made major progress this week. I bought a Jillian Michael's dvd. It's not Shred because I couldn't find it in the stores, and 13 people are ahead of me to get it at the library. It's called No More Trouble Zones. Wow, it's an amazing workout! The first day I couldn't possibly do everything, and I was so sore I could barely bend down to put on socks, or walk up and down stairs. But after just one week of doing it (5 days) + running a 5k on the treadmill at the gym on Saturday, I can really feel the difference. My glutes are tighter, my legs are starting to look shaplier already, my chest is higher, and I'm finding it much easier to make healthy food choices. I don't want to throw away all that hard work for a little treat that will last a few seconds. I did reward myself with a few squares of Wildlife organic dark chocolate with cranberries and almonds last night, though. But, all four of us shared one bar, so nobody pigged out.

 

At the grocery store I stocked up on healthy snacks: lots of fresh fruit, nuts & seeds, hummus, multigrain english muffins, etc. I've been eating a big salad for lunch everyday.

 

I think I've lost a few pounds, but I'm not sure exactly how much I weighed when I started. I'm very encouraged, though.

[Parrothead]

 

For me, definitely harder! It was a complete wash-out and I refuse to weigh myself until next week!!! Once I start to "cheat" it just spirals and gets worse. Now here I am with a major stomach ache, feeling lethargic and just generally yucky.

 

 

Get up, dust yourself off and get back on that healthy living lifestyle. Remember it is all in your attitude. Refuse to be the one that can't be where you want to be.

 

I've accomplished a lot in the last month due to the fact that I refuse to be left behind. You can do it too.

 

Oh, remember a little snack does not need to lead down the destruction highway. Rewards are good if used as rewards.

Edited January 25, 2010 by Parrothead

[lynn]

I am still on track on my 10K schedule. We found a nordic track a neighbor was discarding and have been using that on my off days. I have also added Jillian Michaels 1 month to slim workout to mix things up a bit. I just hope my motivation wont' waver. So far so good though.

[4kids4me]

Get up, dust yourself off and get back on that healthy living lifestyle. Remember it is all in your attitude. Refuse to be the one that can't be where you want to be.

 

I've accomplished a lot in the last month due to the fact that I refuse to be left behind. You can do it too.

 

Oh, remember a little snack does not need to lead down the destruction highway. Rewards are good if used as rewards.

 

Thanks for the encouragement! I really appreciate it.

 

Caralyn

[Renee in NC]

This week was a washout for me as well. I wasn't doing well on the Eat to Live plan, so I was adding stuff back into my diet. Then I began eating *too* much as well. I feel terrible! I realized last night that I felt 100 times better on Eat to Live.

 

My aches and pains had gone away. My feet used to hurt so badly that often I would limp when I walked. That had gone away, the heartburn had gone away, the stomach issues had gone away but now they are back in full force.

 

The dairy and wheat have to go - when I added those back in is when I started feeling really bad again. I know that I have dairy allergy issues, but now it is worse and the affect is a lot more than I thought it was.

 

So back to Eat to Live!:tongue_smilie:

[momofkhm]

I had a prayer retreat over the weekend so I missed Saturday's workout. And the rain around here! It's more of a mud run than anything else since I'm trying to stay on soft surfaces.

 

I have successfully shrunk my tummy! I'm not afraid to leave food on my plate at home. Now lets see if that carries over to away from home. Yesterday dd said I was a good mom for leaving dh and ds at 5 Guys. We were all done with our burgers but sitting there eating fries. She was saying that since we left, I saved her from eating fries mindlessly. She's the one with the most visible weight issue of my kids so I was happy she noticed that in herself. Her reason was actually the reason I left in the first place!

[luvnlattes]

I wish I could say it's getting easier but it's still hard! The best time for me to exercise is early in the a.m. My goal is to go 4x a week. The first 2 weeks I did, but the last 2 weeks I've only gone 3x. Both weeks I told myself I would make it up on Saturday but by Saturday I had talked myself out of going that day. That's the problem....I talk to myself too much:)

 

I'm doing better on the eating. Not every day mind you, but most days. If I have an off day, I shrug it off and start the next day with a clean slate. I weighed in on Friday and I am down 5 lbs. which was an encouragement! I'm hoping that I can be down another 5 by the end of February.

 

Hang in there. Even if you're not doing it "perfectly" in your mind you are probably doing better than you were!

[Matryoshka]

Finished first week of Phase 2 and I'm down 6 lbs. overall - yay!

 

Exercise is still middling - did my normal 2 days of Pilates, and went ice skating with my kids, which barely counts, but I'm moving, right?

 

I still need to get to bed consistently on time. I struggle with that.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Definitely harder. I broke down and had 3 sodas. I craved food all week long, made myself a pan of brownies... I did manage to continue walking/running 5 days, but it was soooo hard to get out of bed.

 

"What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

[4kids4me]

This week was a washout for me as well. I wasn't doing well on the Eat to Live plan, so I was adding stuff back into my diet. Then I began eating *too* much as well. I feel terrible! I realized last night that I felt 100 times better on Eat to Live.

 

My aches and pains had gone away. My feet used to hurt so badly that often I would limp when I walked. That had gone away, the heartburn had gone away, the stomach issues had gone away but now they are back in full force.

 

The dairy and wheat have to go - when I added those back in is when I started feeling really bad again. I know that I have dairy allergy issues, but now it is worse and the affect is a lot more than I thought it was.

 

So back to Eat to Live!:tongue_smilie:

 

You know, I am completely tracking with you when you say you feel better when you're eating better....so why, oh why, is it SO easy to fall into the trap of eating poorly? It's that moment of satisfaction that obviously doesn't last long that just gets me every time! Then I feel like crap and find it hard to move back into good eating. Why is a "treat" chocolate cake (that makes me feel gross) and not a salad (which makes me feel good)? Ugh!!!

[Renee in NC]

You know, I am completely tracking with you when you say you feel better when you're eating better....so why, oh why, is it SO easy to fall into the trap of eating poorly? It's that moment of satisfaction that obviously doesn't last long that just gets me every time! Then I feel like crap and find it hard to move back into good eating. Why is a "treat" chocolate cake (that makes me feel gross) and not a salad (which makes me feel good)? Ugh!!!

 

I think this is the first time I really realized how much what you eat affects how you feel. Sounds so easy, yet I never really *got* that until yesterday.

[elise1mds]

Weekends are tough for me, because I don't want to cook and finding things on restaurant menus that are South-Beach-acceptable is difficult. HOWEVER, I am still down almost 8 pounds, and I haven't gone UP for more than a day or two at any point in time, so that's good, I guess. I keep telling myself that one day at a time is all it takes, but it's getting tough. DH's birthday is this week, too, and he wants cake. I told him I'd make him brownies if he promised to take them on his work trip next week!

[Narrow Gate Academy]

It wasn't the best week for me either. I didn't gain any, but I didn't lose any either. Morning workouts have been tough since my youngest has started waking up at night again. I only did one workout video, but I'm counting restacking the firewood to get a tarp over it before the rain as #2. I'm doing better on water, and so so on eating.

[jenL]

I'm doing well eating, making sure I eat every 2-3 hours, and eating healthy things: fruits, veggies, yogurt vs. cookies, brownies, chips. I'm also keeping more veggies on my plate at dinner, and I'm avoiding 2nds unless it's veggies. My portion sizes are also smaller than before.

 

As for exercise, this is still so hard for me to make routine. We were up last night later than normal due to a tornado warning, and then after only 3 hours of sleep, ds woke up with a fever, and I was kept awake for another hour and 1/2. Needlesstosay, I did not get up to work-out this morning.

[lakotajm]

Well at least I'm not the only one who had soda and brownies this week!

My brownies were gluten-free, and divine. My daughter helped me make them and we took them down to a local Ag Expo baking contest. We won a blue ribbon!

 

I blow it when I make something for the girls that I shouldn't eat. Like macaroni and cheese tonight-not the boxed kind. And I have wheat and dairy allergies. But I tasted as I cooked and then just had to have a serving (or there would have been leftovers-can't have that;)). Ugh..now my stomach is popping. "Why do we do it?" is a great question. I wish I knew.

 

And I have not worked out yet this week or over the weekend. I have been stressing about trying to get our school schedule back in line and still not making headway. So I am not pleased with my self.

 

I am also not doing well with parenting issues. Started seeing a Christian counselor for my dd6. But I wonder about the lady-her advice seems pretty lame.

 

Well, back to the old drawing board, as Wile E. Coyote would say.

 

Lakota

[mama2cntrykids]

I'm on week two (kind of behind, huh?). I've been exercising everyday and having a big salad for lunch, really paying attention to my portion sizes and WHAT I eat. I have not had coffee for a week. I know coffee really isn't bad, BUT when I added the creamer (about 2-3 tbs per cup x 8/day), it certainly was! Oh, ALL I drink is water now. If I'm craving chocolate, I have a square of dark chocolate, it keeps me from spiraling.

 

I had been doing Leslie Sansone, but with all this Jillian talk, I went out and bought one of her dvd's. It's not Shred, but I assume similar. Man alive...that girl rocks my world!! Seriously, I was in rough shape today (still am). My legs KILL me! I have never worked up such a sweat using Leslie as I did with Jillian. Have Mercy girl:lol:!

 

Oh, I've lost 5 lb in the past two weeks. Stuff I need to work on...going to be before 11pm!! I've also added Flaxseed Oil and Vit. B12 pills to my lifestyle change.

 

Feeling strong(er)!:lol:

[presley]

Terri and matroyshka: You ladies are doing fab! Very inspiring. JenL and mama2cntrykids, you have very sensible approaches to eating.

 

I have done poorly with my diet. Some days okay, but I still basically just eat what I want when hungry or tired.

 

I did my Leslie Sansone 2 miles for 5 days last week and even though I don't notice any toning or weight loss, I just feel SO good while doing it and mentally afterwards. It's been so long since I made time for exercise.

 

So, I wouldn't say I'm doing better or worse this week, basically about the same.

 

(mama2cntrykids: I applaud you for giving up coffee, that would probably be the last thing I could cut out and I also use a lot of creamer).

[Matryoshka]

I am still down almost 8 pounds, and I haven't gone UP for more than a day or two at any point in time, so that's good, I guess. I keep telling myself that one day at a time is all it takes, but it's getting tough. DH's birthday is this week, too, and he wants cake. I told him I'd make him brownies if he promised to take them on his work trip next week!

 

You must be on phase 2 by now... South Beach cookbooks have cake recipes!!

 

Here, a phase 2 brownie recipe:

 

3/4 c. hazelnuts

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate

1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 t. instant coffee powder

1/2 c. trans-fat free margarine

1 T. vanilla extract

1/4 c. granular sugar substitute

2 large eggs

1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips, roughly chopped

 

- Heat oven to 350, coat 8x8 in. baking pan with cooking spray

- Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and lightly golden, 8-10 min. Cool briefly, then roughly chop.

- Heat chocolate in small saucepan over med-low heat, whisking constantly, until melted, ~1 min. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

- Sift flour, cinnamon, and coffee powder in med. bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat marg. and vanilla till creamy. Add sugar substitute and continue to beat on high till well mixed. Add eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and beat to combine. Add melted chocolate and beat until combined. Add nuts and chocolate chips.

- Pour batter into baking pan and bake until tester in center comes out clean, about 20 min. Cut into 32 pieces (1 in. x 2 in.) (small portions is part of the secret!) and serve.

 

It says you can freeze them. One brownie has 70 calories - you could take one out every now and then for a mid-afternoon snack.

 

I had whole wheat spaghetti and turkey meatballs for dinner - that's allowed on phase 2 - don't over-deprive yourself, it backfires! Slow and steady wins the race. :)

 

Weekends are tough for me, because I don't want to cook and finding things on restaurant menus that are South-Beach-acceptable is difficult.

 

For restaurants, just get an entree salad and make sure the meat isn't breaded and it isn't full of corn or tortilla chips or something. A little fruit on phase 2 is no problem (if it has apples or mandarin oranges, for example). If you must have dressing, a trick is to get a low-fat dressing on the side and dip the tip of your fork in it instead of pouring it over.

 

Another option that's always good in restaurants is fish - salmon especially. You can usually find salmon with a veggie - just ask for an extra veggie side instead of the carb. Some restaurants actually have the mashed cauliflower you can get in place of potatoes (I know the 99 does, of all places!)

[4kids4me]

I think this is the first time I really realized how much what you eat affects how you feel. Sounds so easy, yet I never really *got* that until yesterday.

 

You know, Renee, it's one thing to get it, and another thing to follow through on it!!! LOL Even though I know it, that chocolate cake is is much more tempting to eat than the thought of feeling really well the next day. Do you think you're "there" yet and can follow through? I don't think I am, though I really want to be!!!!

[Mommyfaithe]

Hi Ladies,

 

How did everyone's week go? Is it getting easier or harder?

 

For me, definitely harder! It was a complete wash-out and I refuse to weigh myself until next week!!! Once I start to "cheat" it just spirals and gets worse. Now here I am with a major stomach ache, feeling lethargic and just generally yucky.

 

I look forward to hearing from all of the participants...maybe I'll be encouraged from your stories!!!

 

Caralyn :)

 

I have been a total health failure since before Christmas. I need to get on the bandwagon. Mind if I join you guys?

 

~~Faithe

[4kids4me]

I have been a total health failure since before Christmas. I need to get on the bandwagon. Mind if I join you guys?

 

~~Faithe

 

Of course! Welcome! :)

[hsbaby]

I don't know how I missed this before, but i'd love to join you:) Dh and I booked a vacation which will require that I wear a swimsuit.....soooooo, I have been trying to get these last 12 pounds off. Since the first I am down 7 pounds. I have been limiting my caloric intake (I use the Lose it! pp on the iPod...I love it!) and have been exercising. In fact, I haven't missed a day since the first of January. It is NOT getting any easier. I would say this last week has been the hardest. For the first time I feel really hungry. I've also been more irritable:( I'm like a two year old when it comes to giving up certain foods or limiting my portions. I think this last week has been particularly tough because I haven't lost even .5 lb. in the last week....despite sticking to my exercising and calorie intake...ugh!!! Anyway, hopefully my next update will be less whiney and more encouraging..haha:)

[4kids4me]

I don't know how I missed this before, but i'd love to join you:) Dh and I booked a vacation which will require that I wear a swimsuit.....soooooo, I have been trying to get these last 12 pounds off. Since the first I am down 7 pounds. I have been limiting my caloric intake (I use the Lose it! pp on the iPod...I love it!) and have been exercising. In fact, I haven't missed a day since the first of January. It is NOT getting any easier. I would say this last week has been the hardest. For the first time I feel really hungry. I've also been more irritable:( I'm like a two year old when it comes to giving up certain foods or limiting my portions. I think this last week has been particularly tough because I haven't lost even .5 lb. in the last week....despite sticking to my exercising and calorie intake...ugh!!! Anyway, hopefully my next update will be less whiney and more encouraging..haha:)

 

Wow, you've really done well all these weeks. Congrats. You're almost there. If you're feeling hungry due to limiting portions, could you just "eat clean" and up your intake of food (meaning eating healthy protein, veggies, fruit, complex carbs)? That might take the edge off a little.

[Ruby]

I guess this is the accountablity part that i don't like. But I am here to confess to having done nothing much in the way of exercise in three weeks even though I started out with a bang. Its good to realize the cycle of eating bad, makes you feel crummmy, which makes you tired, which makes you not want to buckle down and find the time to exercise. So here's to day one......again. :001_smile: Ruby. Do I get points for still checking in?:D

[gandpsmommy]

Hi Ladies,

 

How did everyone's week go? Is it getting easier or harder?

 

For me, definitely harder! It was a complete wash-out and I refuse to weigh myself until next week!!! Once I start to "cheat" it just spirals and gets worse. Now here I am with a major stomach ache, feeling lethargic and just generally yucky.

 

I look forward to hearing from all of the participants...maybe I'll be encouraged from your stories!!!

 

Caralyn :)

 

Caralyn, I didn't have time to respond yesterday, but I just wanted to encourage you to keep trying. I started trying to lose weight in November, joined a gym and started going four times a week, started eating a modified Eat to Live style diet, and was seeing results. I was energized and hopeful.

 

Then Thanksgiving came. I was so disciplined that I even did pretty well on Thanksgiving day, eating only a little dessert to keep it festive. But I had leftover pumpkin cheesecake to take home with me, and then for some ambiguous reason I decided to make a pecan pie for dh since it's his favorite and no one made it for Thanksgiving. The leftover cheesecake and the pecan pie did me in. And then I had to skip going to the gym because dh had to work late, and because I needed the alone time to do Christmas shopping for the kids instead. Pretty soon I was almost back to where I had started, and it felt pointless to try doing anything about it during the Christmas season. So, I just ate cookies, candy, desserts, etc.

 

After Christmas I felt horrible physically and emotionally about the way I was eating, but I felt inert. I didn't have the strength to get back in there and try again. Until you started this thread. And the first week, and even the second week I wasn't doing very well. But I started making small changes in the way I ate, adding in more salad and fruit. And then I bought the Jullian Michael's dvd and finally got to start going back to the gym on a more regular basis. And I got rid of all the sweets and didn't buy more at the store; instead I stocked up on healthy snacks. All the little things started adding up.

 

I still have a long way to go to get to my goal weight and fitness level, and sometimes when I'm tired it just seems overwhelming. But I've realized that it's a lot of variables working together that have caused me to be overweight, and it has to be a lot of things working together to get rid of the extra fat. So, I make myself do the exercise dvd 5 days a week, even though I sometimes dread it. And I go to the gym when I get a chance, even though I'm tired. And I try to make better food choices. But if I slip up and eat something I really shouldn't have, I can't make it an excuse to give up. I just have to choose something better for the next snack or meal.

 

You've inspired us by starting this thread, so get back in there and make a small change, and then another, and let them add up. Good luck!

[4kids4me]

I guess this is the accountablity part that i don't like. But I am here to confess to having done nothing much in the way of exercise in three weeks even though I started out with a bang. Its good to realize the cycle of eating bad, makes you feel crummmy, which makes you tired, which makes you not want to buckle down and find the time to exercise. So here's to day one......again. :001_smile: Ruby. Do I get points for still checking in?:D

 

lol...ya, you get brownie points....roflolol!!!! Better than actual brownies (well, not really!!!). Good for you for checking in. I realize it's hard to check in when one hasn't done well, but for those of us that haven't, we need to keep moving forward.

[Diane in CO]

I guess this is the accountablity part that i don't like. But I am here to confess to having done nothing much in the way of exercise in three weeks even though I started out with a bang. Its good to realize the cycle of eating bad, makes you feel crummmy, which makes you tired, which makes you not want to buckle down and find the time to exercise. So here's to day one......again. :001_smile: Ruby. Do I get points for still checking in?:D

 

You and me both Ruby :D I am here as well. I am glad that I found this thread again as I had a healthy lunch (turkey sandwich on wheat with tomatoes and a glass a water), however I REALLLLLLLLY wanted to finish it off with a Large Traders Joe's chocolate chip cookie. Needless to say, I will NOT be having that cookie now and I am going to get some exercise in today.

 

Here's to day one for the second time :glare:

 

Diane

[4kids4me]

You've inspired us by starting this thread, so get back in there and make a small change, and then another, and let them add up. Good luck!

 

Thanks, Terri, for the encouraging words. It really is helpful to know that there are others that are feeling and going through the same thing...and we just need to keep pressing on. Sometimes it really feels hopeless, then other days, not so bad! Getting it into my heart that this is a journey, not a destination is really hard. I know it in my head, but my heart is saying something else! It is often easier to encourage others rather than do it myself!!!

 

I didn't mention, though, that though I've not been doing well with eating, and I've stopped doing P90X because I hurt my wrist (not necessarily due to the program), I have continued with my 10k running group. We're up to 6k now, so I'm doing that 3x/week (ok, I missed one time last week!). It is SO hard to push myself to get out there at 6:15 when it's below freezing and the snow is whipping at my face....but I do it. The friendships made are worth it alone, and the encouragement from the other runners is amazing. I guess that's why I keep coming back here, too!!! :)

[Ruby]

I did go grocery shopping tonight and loaded up with good carbs, lots of veggies and lean meats. I know my lack of motivation to move my butt is because I feel like crud from all of the junk I've been eating. Tomorrow I'll be drinking my water and eating better. Hopefully with an energy drink (a healthy one) I'll push on through and move my body. Looking at the Jillian DVD's. I know I can do this. Once I get started I'm good. I just have to not stop or figure out how to hop back on that wagon. I need to pull out my vision board. It's doing me know good wherever I stashed it. :lol: Ruby

[mom31257]

Here's how things are going so far:

 

Raw food: I have managed to eat it at every meal since the first of the year, except 1, when it was not available.

Water: I'm doing much better this week than last. I've had at least 8 cups each day, sometimes more.

Exercise: I've exercised twice this week and going to walk for an hour tonight with a friend. I plan to do at least one more time this week.

Snacks: I have snacked too much this week. I'm not supposed to be doing that at all, but I started my period and I'm so much hungrier then.

Weight: Because I started my period, I am not getting on the scale this week. I always gain a couple of pounds while I'm on it, and I don't want to be discouraged.

[jengjohnson]

I haven't posted since the beginning, but am doing pretty well. Dh had some health problems and then we went on vacation so I haven't been on the boards. I'm so excited to find that I actually lost weight on vacation (ski trip). I knew I was getting plenty of exercise and tried to make good choices in the restaurants and limit my beer to one with dinner, LOL. It's such a relief to get on the scale and see improvement.

 

Vacation was fun, but I'm happy to be back home where it's easier to eat better. Dh even found that his cholesterol is up so he's more eager to eat healthy. Now we start back to our full activity schedule (co-op, clubs, etc.) so we'll see if I'm able to keep up the exercise.

 

I'm setting a goal to do a sprint triathlon this spring (I did a couple 12 years ago-before children). Getting in shape for the ski trip was so motivating that I hope having a new goal will keep me going.

[Guest Keaton]

This post helps all the people to know some information on healthy diet plans. With the proper balanced diet and routine exercises people can maintain their health in a good condition. Walking is the very good exercise people can opt for.

[Ruby]

finally started over. Jillian's shred. Day one. DONE! that's all I'm sayin. Ruby

[Ravin]

I haven't been on this forum in a while, can I join in? I started on my weight-loss/lifestyle change plan in December, and so far I've lost a bit over 15 lbs. I've got about 25 to go to get to my goal weight.

 

Here's what I've done:

1. Cut out sodas. I went a long time before without them so it was easy.

2. Drink a lot of water. I make myself down a liter in between meals, so I'm drinking 3-5 liters a day.

3. Cut portion sizes. I'm eating half or less of what I used to in a meal.

4. Reach for the veggies and fruit first, no portion limits--when I have a snack, that's what I try to go for first, and when I have a balanced meal that's not everything jumbled together (we eat a lot of 1-dish meals like casseroles and stir fry around here), that's what I eat first. I'm allowed to eat as much veggies and fruit as I want, too.

5. Proteins second. I eat protein foods after the veggies, because they're supposed to satiate more quickly.

6. Whole grain carbs--I've cut WAAAAAAY back on the sugar and revived my former whole grain habits. I even started buying whole wheat pasta again, even though it's more expensive. I also don't eat the carbs until I've eaten my protein and veggie foods.

7. Savor treats--I still let myself have some sweets and treats, but instead of munching a handful of candy, I'll get one small piece of, say, chocolate, and eat it slowly, taking tiny bites and savoring the flavor. I generally let myself have one small treat a day, and pay attention to how my body reacts to it--I'm probably cutting out ice cream, after the small cup I had day before yesterday left me feeling bloated!

8. Only buy healthy stuff and cook balanced meals--I figure if I don't let the junk into the house, I won't be tempted to put it on my plate.

9. Working out--I started a simple calisthenics program, and then last week started jogging. I ride my bike to/from work 2 nights a week, and now if I get a little lazy and get DH to give me a ride on one of those nights, I walk the 2 miles home instead of taking the bus. I've been kind of spotty in the working-out area, but I feel overall I'm making progress.

 

I'm sticking with it even on our upcoming trip to Estrella War (medieval re-enactment event at which we'll be camping for 5 days). Instead of buying into our group's kitchen this year, I'll be bringing our food. It'll be less expensive for us (and can use my food stamps instead of forking over cash) AND means I can stick to my diet and easily avoid stuff DD can't have because of her egg allergies. Last year my New Year's diet attempt was totally derailed by Estrella.

[Diane in CO]

I haven't been on this forum in a while, can I join in? I started on my weight-loss/lifestyle change plan in December, and so far I've lost a bit over 15 lbs. I've got about 25 to go to get to my goal weight.

 

Here's what I've done:

1. Cut out sodas. I went a long time before without them so it was easy.

2. Drink a lot of water. I make myself down a liter in between meals, so I'm drinking 3-5 liters a day.

3. Cut portion sizes. I'm eating half or less of what I used to in a meal.

4. Reach for the veggies and fruit first, no portion limits--when I have a snack, that's what I try to go for first, and when I have a balanced meal that's not everything jumbled together (we eat a lot of 1-dish meals like casseroles and stir fry around here), that's what I eat first. I'm allowed to eat as much veggies and fruit as I want, too.

5. Proteins second. I eat protein foods after the veggies, because they're supposed to satiate more quickly.

6. Whole grain carbs--I've cut WAAAAAAY back on the sugar and revived my former whole grain habits. I even started buying whole wheat pasta again, even though it's more expensive. I also don't eat the carbs until I've eaten my protein and veggie foods.

7. Savor treats--I still let myself have some sweets and treats, but instead of munching a handful of candy, I'll get one small piece of, say, chocolate, and eat it slowly, taking tiny bites and savoring the flavor. I generally let myself have one small treat a day, and pay attention to how my body reacts to it--I'm probably cutting out ice cream, after the small cup I had day before yesterday left me feeling bloated!

8. Only buy healthy stuff and cook balanced meals--I figure if I don't let the junk into the house, I won't be tempted to put it on my plate.

9. Working out--I started a simple calisthenics program, and then last week started jogging. I ride my bike to/from work 2 nights a week, and now if I get a little lazy and get DH to give me a ride on one of those nights, I walk the 2 miles home instead of taking the bus. I've been kind of spotty in the working-out area, but I feel overall I'm making progress.

 

I'm sticking with it even on our upcoming trip to Estrella War (medieval re-enactment event at which we'll be camping for 5 days). Instead of buying into our group's kitchen this year, I'll be bringing our food. It'll be less expensive for us (and can use my food stamps instead of forking over cash) AND means I can stick to my diet and easily avoid stuff DD can't have because of her egg allergies. Last year my New Year's diet attempt was totally derailed by Estrella.

 

 

Hey, I really like this method and am going to have to try it. Sounds so reasonable and actually doable. Thank you for posting :hurray: