If you were going to majorly clean up your diet over summer vacation...

[KungFuPanda]

For me, drinking only water is an easy change to make. I enjoy flavored drinks, but I don't crave them. After that I'd focus on grilled veggies and soups, because I like those more than salads unless it's super hot. I adore soups. If you just simmer some broccoli until it's tender, then blend it with a little of the cooking water and salt, you get a soup that is creamier than you thought it could be. It's so good that I'd attempt this with other seasonal veggies.

[Laurie4b]

Thanks everyone!

I feel like I'm the kind of person who needs a concrete plan to stay on track. If I set rules I'll stick with it. 

I'm at a good weight. I think I'm around 118 at 5'3". I'm vegetarian and married to a vegan, my kids are vegan. I only cook vegan food. We eat well.

Too well sometimes. :)

 

Here's what I've come up with so far.

First, I need portion control. A heaping second plate of anything always leaves me in pain. I have a friend who says, "Yeah, it's that second dinner that put on this weight!" She cooks healthy food, too. 

No more eating after a certain time in the evening. What time? I don't know yet. 3 hours before bedtime at the latest. If you allow 12 hours between last meal of the day and first meal of the next, it apparently is very helpful to your insulin regulation. 

I'm going to go off sugar (I don't use sugar replacements), flour, juice, soda, and fried foods. Sounds like a plan. Do you need to give yourself an allowance of these foods? For instance, some people do better cold turkey; others might do better planning to have a treat once a week. 

I want to replace things like russet potatoes and white rices with healthier alternatives. Trader Joe's sells cauliflower rice in its frozen food section. It's already been "riced" for you. Or you could choose brown rice or quinoa or something. White rice has less arsenic than brown, so there's a possible reason for keeping the white. If you cook it, refrigerate it and then warm it up, it changes the starches into resistant starch, which is actually good for you. 

 

I eat very little dairy. Mostly a fresh French feta from the Persian market. I don't drink alcohol. I have one cup of coffee in the morning and a cup of tea in the afternoon. I'm not changing any of that. :)  

 

For exercise, I want to commit to swimming everyday. Wanting to commit is the first step! Will you set a length of time or a number of laps? 

 

I'm small but a little jiggly. I have always had stomach issues, and I never technically lost the baby fat. My kids are now 14 and 17.  :wacko:  

I'd love for this to be "the summer I pulled it together."

 

I would add some kind of strength training to the swimming. 

[wintermom]

I don't quite see what the "majorly clean up my diet" means when you are already vegetarian, eat well, and are not over-weight. If it's the "jiggly body bits" you mentioned wanting to address, that is a different issue than diet - it's going to be best addressed with building muscle. Core body strength exercises, like plank, push-ups and sit-ups will help a lot with the tummy and arm jiggles. Swimming may help, depending on what you are doing in the water. Walking, running or other weight-baring activities are great for the legs. Tennis is good for both upper and lower body work-out. Home renovations can also be great for building muscle. I installed flooring last summer and my arms were rock hard - no jiggles at all. ;)

 

 

[alisoncooks]

I would add some kind of strength training to the swimming. 

 

Yes.  The diet sounds great -- I bet some strength training will tighten everything up!

[helena]

I don't quite see what the "majorly clean up my diet" means when you are already vegetarian, eat well, and are not over-weight. If it's the "jiggly body bits" you mentioned wanting to address, that is a different issue than diet - it's going to be best addressed with building muscle. Core body strength exercises, like plank, push-ups and sit-ups will help a lot with the tummy and arm jiggles. Swimming may help, depending on what you are doing in the water. Walking, running or other weight-baring activities are great for the legs. Tennis is good for both upper and lower body work-out. Home renovations can also be great for building muscle. I installed flooring last summer and my arms were rock hard - no jiggles at all. ;)

I'm not overweight, but a lot of my clothes aren't fitting anymore. I eat well, but I know I'm over eating bread, rice, and potatoes. I use more oil than I ought to, and I eat way too many sweets. 

I'm also having gastrointestinal problems due to Lupus. I feel bloated and burn-y. It's just a mess in there. I just had a lot of tests done, blood work, ultrasound, CT scan... This is just par for the course, living with this crap illness. It's a powerless feeling. I want to feel great, the Drs can't seem to do much, I have limited energy to fight back. I'm just trying to work with what I have. KWIM?  

 

I thought of swimming because it's something I have easy access to and it's gentle on my body. I can add sit-ups. I'd love to do that! So, what kind of sit-ups are people doing these days?  :blush: My kids are fencers and they're always telling me about fitness stuff that's outdated. 

 

We're renovating our house too! I've been slowly building a garden... my arms and legs are looking pretty good. :)

[Laurie4b]

I'm not overweight, but a lot of my clothes aren't fitting anymore. I eat well, but I know I'm over eating bread, rice, and potatoes. I use more oil than I ought to, and I eat way too many sweets. 

I'm also having gastrointestinal problems due to Lupus. I feel bloated and burn-y. It's just a mess in there. I just had a lot of tests done, blood work, ultrasound, CT scan... This is just par for the course, living with this crap illness. It's a powerless feeling. I want to feel great, the Drs can't seem to do much, I have limited energy to fight back. I'm just trying to work with what I have. KWIM?  

 

I thought of swimming because it's something I have easy access to and it's gentle on my body. I can add sit-ups. I'd love to do that! So, what kind of sit-ups are people doing these days?  :blush: My kids are fencers and they're always telling me about fitness stuff that's outdated. 

 

We're renovating our house too! I've been slowly building a garden... my arms and legs are looking pretty good. :)

 

Maybe a low FODMAP diet would help with the GI stuff?  (I hate the diet; it's restrictive, but it works for IBS, so maybe it would help with your situation.)

 

Planks are today's sit-ups  (i.e.. they are the go-to ab exercise.) . They work the whole core, not just the muscles in front like sit-ups do and much less chance of back or neck strain. http://www.lifeshape.net/blog/2014/10/the-next-best-exercise-youre-not-doing/   Here is an article that has good illustrations that illustrate a progression. You just time yourself; once you can go 30-60 seconds, try the next progression up. You can do it 1-3 times per day. 

Edited June 12, 2016 by Laurie4b

[Luckymama]

Older dd (food allergies plus queried IBS from her GI) and dh (lactose intolerance plus unknowns) are following FODMAP this summer while younger dd (different food allergies) is away. They are attempting to identify their triggers, which so far (3rd week) appear to be onions and garlic and certain veggies. It is very difficult for them. It is also difficult to plan and cook for! But it will be worth it in the long run.

[wintermom]

I'm not overweight, but a lot of my clothes aren't fitting anymore. I eat well, but I know I'm over eating bread, rice, and potatoes. I use more oil than I ought to, and I eat way too many sweets. 

I'm also having gastrointestinal problems due to Lupus. I feel bloated and burn-y. It's just a mess in there. I just had a lot of tests done, blood work, ultrasound, CT scan... This is just par for the course, living with this crap illness. It's a powerless feeling. I want to feel great, the Drs can't seem to do much, I have limited energy to fight back. I'm just trying to work with what I have. KWIM?  

 

I thought of swimming because it's something I have easy access to and it's gentle on my body. I can add sit-ups. I'd love to do that! So, what kind of sit-ups are people doing these days?  :blush: My kids are fencers and they're always telling me about fitness stuff that's outdated. 

 

We're renovating our house too! I've been slowly building a garden... my arms and legs are looking pretty good. :)

 

That's too bad. I'm not sure how gentle swimming will be on your skin, though, if you are experiencing skin lesions. Chlorine can be pretty nasty. I guess you can try it out and see.  Simply walking and doing some planks, home renos and gardening may be good options. 

 

Cutting back on starches and sugars are going to be helpful for fitting better into your clothes. And when you're busy walking and gardening, you'll be eating less. 

[helena]

That's too bad. I'm not sure how gentle swimming will be on your skin, though, if you are experiencing skin lesions. Chlorine can be pretty nasty. I guess you can try it out and see.  Simply walking and doing some planks, home renos and gardening may be good options. 

 

Cutting back on starches and sugars are going to be helpful for fitting better into your clothes. And when you're busy walking and gardening, you'll be eating less. 

 

Luckily, I don't have skin lesions. But the chlorine has kept me out of the water many times. I tend to get hives after swimming.

Lately I've been getting in the shower before I swim, hoping that it minimizes the chlorine that soaks in to my skin. It's an improvement. 

 

I'm on day 3 already and I'm not being crazy over a bunch of rules. It's interesting how many times I wander into the kitchen looking for something sweet. Basically it's all day and night. :/ 

Edited June 13, 2016 by helena