What if anything are you doing differently to lose weight?

[Maggie]

Seeing as I am on this health kick now and I am wanting to lose weight .. the CORRECT way .. I find myself wondering.
What have you done differently to help you lose weight?

I have opted to use fried foods sparingly such as when I am craving fried chicken.
I am baking chicken now and not breading it heavily as I have done in the past.
I am easing up on the creamy things such as sour cream/ranch dressing yeah all the good stuff.
I am giving it to myself if I crave too bad but in lesser amounts as before.
Instead of THOSE heaping helpings, *wink*
I measure out 1-1/2 cup size portion.
I can still satisfy the craving yet halting the poundage!
Make sense?

So..what have you done to help yourself become healthier?

Maggiek

[healthydana]

Hi Maggie:

I've recently decided "I'm going to DO it!"... instead of "I'm going to TRY". This mindset has truly helped... along with the following:

I've joined curves. It's great! For 30 minutes a day - I go 4 times a week during my lunch hour (being a single mom who works full time - this is best for my schedule)... It has made an incredible difference in my physique in a very short period of time.

I also use www.fitday.com. It records all your calories for the day - which is so helpful. It also allows you to set goals and keeps track of a bunch of things... including your activities for the day and how many calories I've burned.

It's working! God bless. HD

[Maggie]

Hey Dana, thanks for the suggestions. I had thought about joining Curves as one just opened not far from me.

I have not heard of the fit day site but I will gladly check it out.
Hey...anything that can help is worth checking into!

You have a great day and God Bless you as well!
Maggiek

[sagithree]

Hi ladies!

As someone who's had weight issues most of her life I can relate to your posts.

Congrats on turning over a new leaf to become a new & improved you!

I lost 45 lbs when I "stopped" dieting! Crazy, isn't it? I hate counting calories, measuring foods, the whole process of "monitoring" what I ate was a drag.

I decided to eat from all the food groups, 6 small meals a day, eating whole grains, fruits & veggies, and drinking lots of water. Instead of eating at designated times, I ate when I "felt" hungry. Part of the trick is to have better food choices available. By eating when you're hungry, you'll eat less when you do eat. As opposed to waiting til the designated meal hour - sometimes I'd be starved and then overeat. By eating when hungry, you don't feel starved.

The more processed foods are, the less healthy they are because they're harder for our bodies to break down and tend to have more calories.

Physical activity is a must. But it shouldn't be torture! :) Find something you enjoy doing and you'll stick to it. What can you do to make the activity "fun"? Go biking with a girlfriend so you can chat as you go; dance to your favorite music; go mall walking (just leave the cash & credit cards at home! LOL

Most definitely, have a support system in place to help you when you need a boost to keep moving forward with this goal: family, friends, joining an organization like Curves, Weight Watchers, etc.

I think it's terrific you've both put yourselves on your priority lists! You deserve this! You'll feel better, have more energy, your whole outlook on life brightens!

Good luck!

Sagithree

[Maggie]

I agree with you about losing more weight AFTER you stop dieting than WHILE you are dieting.
Several years ago, this comes into the mind over matter thing again, I lost 45 pounds with TOPS(Taking Off Pounds Sensibly). It had all the elements of a support group, you weighed in each week, kept a food diary, we had guest speakers each week so the information was there, and even had prizes for most weight off each week. Then BAM my exhusband sued me for child custody, called social services on me and declared me an unfit mother! *explictive used here!*
Classic to our whole marriage, he still had control over me even though he was messing around with a young girl, and we were no longer together.
I was right back to square one!
Hence, becoming an emotional eater!
But your ideas and suggestions are great and sensible.
My mother had diabetes. She was a very large gal at that point in her life.
She is the only person whom I have ever actually seen lose 150 pounds and KEEP IT OFF!
She did it the diabetic diet way.
She ate 6 meals a day or however many..whenever she was hungry, but she substituted things. If I eat these two peices of bread, I cant have that angel food cake with strawberries this evening, so I wont eat the bread now..I'll basically have it later on.
She is no longer with us now due to cancer several years after her first diagnosis but I learned and saw that some forms of "dieting" indeed work.
My thing is I am now watching 30 Minute Meals on The Food Network. It sure has changed my way at looking at the processed foods.
I can make some really delicious healthy meals in 30 mintues the same amount of time that it would take to heat up water and boil something. *ICK*
I used to think that was the simplest, easiest, and yeah even healthy way to eat.
BOY, WAS I WRONG!
I suggest everyone take a look at her program sometime. Her name is Rachel Ray and she's so cute too and dare I say it...funky?!?!
I really like her approach to sharing her culinary techniques.
Its not like Martha Stewart using things you would not normally have in your pantry like CAPERS!!
But normal everyday fresh items, like garlic and onions, rosemary and thyme.
So thanks for sharing and good luck in your quest to a healthier lifestyle and oh yeah...

YOU GO, GIRL, 45 pounds lighter!!!

Maggiek

[sagithree]

You're right on track, Maggie. :)

Good point about healthy lifestyles have to revolve around how we live. Martha Stewart's cooking spots, though they look like fabulous dishes, are not practical for the majority of us. We don't have time to prep gourmet meals!

But then again, boiling water for many of these quick packed meals can defeat one's healthy eating plans too.

I applaud your seeking out food sources you know will work for you.

As for you set back with emotional eating, (it happens to all of us! Been there! ) We have to deal with what triggers this type of eating. Have you sought counseling? Even journaling can open up what it is we need to address. It did for me. Then we can replace bad habits with good ones. Instead of grabbing the chocolate ice cream when upset (as I would do - or grab a handful of cookies! ) next time you get upset, grab a pen & paper; or call a friend; or take a walk. Most of the time, the need to feed will pass.

Overeating is self-destructive. Even if it is being used to "feel good" . I love Dr Phil's line about eating to "have a party in my mouth"! LOL That's exactly what it was for me! I'd be hurt, feeling down, but I enjoy food. So for that period of time as I ate, I felt good, enjoying the food. But afterwards! Ugh! Guilt city! Then I felt defeated and like, what's the point! And felt bad about myself. That defeated what I really wanted to happen.

It feels so much better to journal out the emotions or walk them off! I still have to watch my weight & have a few pounds yet to lose. It takes time to change old, bad habits. From my experience, it gets easier the more you practice replacing the old habits with new ones.

So hang in there! :) You can do it! Best of luck!

Sagithree

[ddowe]

Hi Maggie,

Have you read The Mind Body Makeover Project? The UFO test is really helpful in indentifying what might be in the way of succesful weight loss.

As a result of the UFO test I'm working with Carol Look using EFT to change my energy around losing weight. She is fantastic. Her web site is http://www.carollook.com

I'm also about to purchase a light visor-getting ready for winter!

Good Luck!

[skaycee]

Hello all, yesterday I posted some information about a great book I'm using to lose weight and get healthier, and I wanted to make another comment on that post but can't find where I posted! So I will put my comment here. I'm using the book The Schwarzbein Principle, by Dr. Diana Schwarzbein, and I said that I thought it's probably something like the Atkins diet plan. But I really over-generalized on that because Schwarzbein's plan is NOT only about losing weight, and is NOT about a drastic reduction in carbs and an extreme increase in proteins which results in ketones being excreted etc. (this kind of dieting can damage your metabolism) Rather, Schwarzbein's plan is a gentle, makes-sense kind of eating, where you do eat proteins, carbs & fats, but you focus on natural foods, and lower your intake of man-made foods. It's a very easy way to eat -- I'm eating almost anything I want, just not a lot of breads, potatoes & desserts. I didn't lose anything the first week, and then 5 lbs just dropped off of me, even though I wasn't really trying. Then I went on vacation & got off the plan, didn't gain anything, but have gone back on the plan today and will stay with it now. I FEEL so much better eating this way, and for me, that's the key. Anyway, I wanted to be clear about the Schwarzbein vs Atkins & other "diet" plans. This isn't a diet and I do believe the book can be very helpful to anyone wanting to lose weight and be healthier. The book was recommended to me by my chiropractor.

[lynn]

Loosing weight is sooo different for all walks of life...some people like me hate to excerise...some people have cravings for sweets...what did it for me is Weight watchers....it is hard at times, you eat in a point range,,,you can eat what you want...but you have to be a dilagent counter....or bust....the meetings once a week are a must....but the cost is relatively low....and the support is great....and you do not deprive yourself of sweets....and it does work,,,the weight comes off, the hard part mostly is when your at your goal,,,is KEEPING IT OFF!
I am not there yet....so I will have to wait for that part of the answer.....Good luck in your journey! The plan that fits best in your lifestyle.

Lynn