September 2009 Weddings
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Another food post - this one about dieting
Okay, so. I'm going on a diet. Well, really more of I want to make a lifestyle change and stop eating crap and start eating better. My goal is to teach Guy and I (who were never taught by our parents) how to eat well so that we can set a good example for Ellie. We don't want her to have the weight issues that we've had.
So, does anyone have any tips for me? I'll take tips on anything. How to avoid temptation, how to put together quick healthy meals, healthy snacks, anything.
I've thought about checking out Weight Watchers online, but I haven't gotten around to it. Any thoughts on that?
So, does anyone have any tips for me? I'll take tips on anything. How to avoid temptation, how to put together quick healthy meals, healthy snacks, anything.
I've thought about checking out Weight Watchers online, but I haven't gotten around to it. Any thoughts on that?
Re: Another food post - this one about dieting
I've tried all sorts of diets and also tried just forcing myself to eat better, but none of them really stuck with me. I was constantly trying to eat "good" foods that I wound up taking off days where I consumed way too many calories. What's working for me now is really changing my whole outlook on "good" and "bad" foods which is that I shouldn't assign a morality to my food.
There's nothing wrong with eating "bad" foods but what I need to pay attention to is: does it fill me up and how does it make me feel after? I've always been annoyed when I eat something and it doesn't fill me up. Or when I eat a bunch and am physically full but not mentally satisfied. I've found that salads satisfy both, while just eating chicken wings doesn't. I've also found that eating meals helps me feel better instead of snacking all day. And eating a slice of cake makes me feel good, but eating more than that doesn't. So I learned to listen to my body more.
All of this came from reading the book "Health at Every Size" by Linda Bacon. It did change the way I approach food and it actually helped me lose weight while I was in Syracuse surrounded by fried foods.
As for exercise, I've always loved to be able to run like some of the runners in my high school track team so that was naturally something I wanted to incorporate into my life. Is there something like that you want to do?
Steven and I actually just started doing this last month. More of a "let's get healthy" than a "lets lose weight". So, tip #1? Watch the Sodium. it is insane how much sodium is in the packaged foods we eat. Cutting that out can help you so much. Since we cut this stuff out, neither one of us has gotten the headaches we used to.
Tip #2? Salads. I never was big on salads. But i've tried them lately, and it helps me not eat so much, and helps me get veggies that i dont usually eat.
Tip 3- shop on the outside aisles of the store, and get spices. It's the more expensive, but healthier, food locale.
Tip #4: exercise. I now exercise 6x a week. And I love it. I feel great.
weight watchers works. I've done it. lost 20 lbs in less than 3 months before the wedding. But it didnt help me get healthy.
Feel free to message me if you want to. This is a new journey for me. I had 70lbs to go, now I've got 60, and I've lost 2lbs a week steadily for 4 weeks.
Thanks for the book rec! It sounds like something that could be helpful. I'll check it out!
I'm really trying to find a balance. More keeping myself from gaining weight rather than trying to lose it. I know what to do to lose a ton of weight, but I don't want to work out 6 times a week and eat nothing but chicken breast and vegetables.
That being said, I've learned a few things along the way:
1. give yourself a cheat day. Eat what you want, and don't feel guilty about it, as long as it's within reason. Total deprivation just leads to binging. Let yourself eat a burger and fries. It's ok. It's actually good for your metabolism.
2. find all kinds of different ways to make veggies. Make it intersting. Veggies get boring if you just steam them all the time. I highly recommend roasting.
3. Variety. don't just limit yourself to chicken and fish. Pork tenderloin is very lean, sometimes moreso than chicken.
4. ditch the white carbs. If you're going to eat carbs, go whole grain: bread, english muffins, pasta, tortillas.
5. remove as much processed food as you can. Like Hizzle said, most processed stuff contains a crapload of sodium, which makes you bloated.
6. slowly increase your water intake until you get over 64 oz. 64 oz is the minimum one should be drinking. I aim for 100oz a day. It really is amazing how it can cut down how hungry you get.
7. Be patient. Losing weight the right way menasa doing it slowly. I'm so guilty of wanting the pounds to come off super fast. But the reality is that if it comes off fast, then it will go back on quickly too.
I also like "Eat This, Not That" (I think we've talked about this book before on the board) for learning how to make smarter food choices.
The number one thing for me is to cook and not go for convenience. This starts the moment you wake up (which means now that I've started to watch what I'm eating I'm on my last box of my beloved sugary cereal) to the moment you go to bed.
It is really hard, I'm not going to lie. But the important thing is not to beat yourself up over the slip ups and instead resolve to make the next choice better.
Also, have "healthy" snacks available- beggies to grab, crackers counted into 100 calorie snack packs (do it yourself for an easy and much cheaper way), frozen fruit into a smoothie, etc. That way if you're starving you don't feel like you need to turn to junk. This is where it gets pricey for me- sometimes I want sweet- and 4 fruit gummies isn't going to do it, so yogurt covered pretzels, etc. can be substituted, but they're a more expensive choice.
The water thing is a good tip too. MMM water. I try to drink 80oz a day, but truthfully most of that for me is at night. I need to get better about this during the workday.
Stand up for something you believe in.
Do you have cable? We have an exercise on demand channel on our On Demand menu that is full of yoga and pilates 30 and 60 min classes. That way, you can do it at home, and it won't necessarily require a babysitter.
Stand up for something you believe in.
no we are not! and I can definitely support ya, as I'm joining you
i think jill and you are friends though so i will add you through her.
I also joined this website called MyFitnessPal and it's basically a free weight watchers type thing... because we didnt want to pay for something and me not stick with it, like I usually do. haha. Its a calorie counter, but also tallies up your fat, sodium, carbs, etc, so what ever you want to cut back on, you can keep an eye on it. and... there's an app for that. Haha.
What's made the single biggest difference for us is menu planning. Over the weekend we sit down and plan out 5 different meals for the week and grocery shop for those meals. That way when we get home we don't have to figure out what to eat, we just pick one of the meals we already have planned. This has really helped us cut down on ordering out or just making pasta.
Water is a huge deal too. We both drink at least 64oz a day
Salads and always having new things to toss into salads to keep them interesting
Cutting down on packaged food in general.
Those are probably the top changes we've made so far
This is an excellent one that i forgot. for us, it needs to be easy to eat healthy. so we have to do the menu planning and we had to get rid of most of the unhealthy foods in our house that were easy to fix. so if it's easier for me to grab a handful of grapes then go buy some chips, i'm going to eat the grapes.
Losing weight is one of the hardest things you will ever undertake. After battling my weight since my teens and trying WW and a million other things, I finally lost about 75 lbs three years ago by just deciding one day to eat better. It sounds so simple, but it is just really hard in a world of junk food and emotional eating. And giant portions.
Moderation really is the key. Knowing that I would be able to have a cookie now and then, or pizza, and that nothing was off limits, was really just a good way to approach it. Any diets I'd try in the past would outlaw the stuff I loved, and then it would just make me want it more. Knowing that I could have pizza on saturday night--and stopping with a few slices--just worked.
In the beginning tho, I just stopped eating sweets and chips and all that stuff. I gardually added them back in, but I think it worked for me at that early stage because I didn't have the self-control. I would have had a cookie and felt like crap and let it derail the whole process, and I'd have given up. So I would just tell myself, as I walked by hundreds of cookie trays in the office kitchen, "You don't eat that anymore." And not having to make the choice, the "do I have this cookie and gain a lb?" was like a huge weight (no pun) being lifted off my shoulders.
Another key, too, is to not waste your time eating something you don't like, just because it's lower calories or healthier. Try to find the foods you do like that work within your plan because it will just be easier to stay on track. Try to find the veggies you do like, for example.
And the little things add up. Shredded cheese on a salad? Yeah, it's good but it's extra calories I didn't need. Salad dressings can be a fat trap, so I would toss on some lime juice or even salsa.
I went low-carb too, not by design, it was just how it worked out. I slowly added whole grains back in. I found I would be happier and more satisfied with one slice of thick, high-fiber wheat bread vs two slices of flimsy light bread, for example.
I never counted calories. Cut out the alcohol (didn't drink much back then anyway), fried food and junk.
I also started running about a year after I'd already dropped three sizes, and that really made the final difference.
Of course, I say all this as I am 15 lbs heavier since the wedding. Well, 5 were post-wedding, 10 were since my accident in Oct when I went all woe-is-me and couldn't work out at all.
And if you have a bad day and go off your plan, or eat something you wish you hadn't, DON'T LET IT GET TO YOU. Acknowledge it, and move on. It's a new way of life, not a diet.
Good luck!!
This! I remember how sometimes after I'd have dinner out, and feel like I ate a whole basket of chips and salsa myself, I'd be surprised to actually lose weight. But there's something to be said for mixing it up. When you eat the same foods over and over and keep your calorie intake low, your metabolism gets used to it and goes into "starvation mode" and holds onto everything. Sometimes, you gotta change it up to throw it out of whack.
updated 10.03.12
Holley and I were just chatting off board about weight loss stuff this morning...
MB introduced me to Hungry Girl. Subscribe to their emails. You can also go to their website (www.hungrygirl.com) and access all previous emails. They have grocery shopping lists and substitution ideas and recipes that I'm not afraid to try. I spent my weekend sifting through the recipes that I wouldn't mind trying and printed them out.
I also just started using livestrong.com to log all my food in take. It's free and easy to use.
I've done weight watchers in the past and I was very successful. I just don't have the funds to do it right now. Like someone else said, though, it helped me to lose weight - but not to really eat healthy. I ate whatever I wanted as long as it was in the point allowance I had.
Mary, we have U-verse, I will check On Demand to see if there's exercise programs. That's a fantastic idea!
One more question - Guy and I don't eat dinner together during the week since we're on opposite schedules. Any tips on cooking for one (and a half)? Ellie eats whatever I eat but, of course, she doesn't eat much.
Also, I had a bit of a wake up call last week. I had dinner with former BFF and she ordered dinner for her daughter who is 2 in May. She ordered her a corn dog, fries, and Dr. Pepper. I realized right then that she's putting her daughter on the fast track to a life of poor eating, and I don't want to do that to my child. Thus, Ellie and I had a small steak, roasted potatoes, and broccoli for supper that night.
That might sound pretentious, but really my main goal in all of this is to set a good example for my daughter. It really kind of shocks me when I see others who don't care what their kids eat.
Adding to what's already been said:
I third (or fourth?) the water. I drink about 64oz of water (or more) a day. It keeps me from snacking when I really, really want to. Also (I know we've had this debate before, but....) I do use the Crystal lite packs in my water. However, I spread them over the bottles. It says you're supposed to pour them into 8-16 ozs, but I put my pack into 32 oz. So only 2 packs a day instead of, like, 8. Some people just don't like the taste of plain water--and I'm one of them.
Also, moderation. Learn your serving sizes. That is the hardest thing for me. More veggies on your plate than meat; and I'm a meat-n-taters kinda gal, so it's been rough.
And, a small tip: I've learned that I eat more fruits and veggies if I prepackage them myself. Buy a bag of baby carrots and split them up by the serving size into those ziplock snack size bags. Then when you want a snack, you can just grab a snack bag and be done with it. I do the same for grapes and other F&V.
Good luck!
I thought this was going to be a problem for me too (Danny swing shifts), but I've learned to just make it as if he were eating with you. Then you can make him a plate and stick it in the fridge and he can eat it when he wants. The rest you pack as leftovers for lunch the next day.
Oh yeah... how could I forget HungryGirl??!
updated 10.03.12
Yeah. When I lived at home, I cooked for 4 (or more) so going from all those people to just me and Danny was hard in itself. Then there are the days when I'm alone at night and hungry...So I make a full dinner and he can pick at it later.
That keeps me from going the "convenient" route that Mary was talking about.
Oh, yeah, LC=ewww.
For me its: Hmm, do I...
A. make dinner
B. ramen noodles
C. cereal
D. none of the above and snack all night like a loser
It got to the point that choice D just wasn't satisfying anymore.
Another couple of tips:
1. Use smaller plates - most people place food on their plate to fill the plate. If you use smaller plates, you'll eat smaller portions.
2. When serving your food, fill half the plate with veggies and then 1/4 starch and 1/4 meat.
This! I also only cook like 3-4 nights a week tops - I cook for 4-6 people each meal, then have leftovers to take for lunch or eat during the week, espeically on the nights that I work late and take dinner to work with me and H is left home alone.
I'm very well known for making big pan of tetrazzini or enchiladas or something and we'll eat off them all week. With summer coming up, it's not unusual for us to grill eleventy billion chicken breasts (usually with the tequilla lime marinade, yum!) to throw into salads, fajitas, sandwiches and whatnot through out the week.
You're looking for meal planning help, girl, I got yo back! I actually help one of Scott's coworkers meal plan - look at the ads and what's on sale, give her recipes and a shopping list. So if you want help, just let me know!
and I'm not a huge Hungry Girl fan. She uses a lot of processed stuff. You're better off trying to eat more clean.
Isn't there another tip like these that is something along the lines of making sure your food is only stacked an inch or so high? You can use a smaller plate, but if you stack your spaghetti like a little mountain it kinda defeats the purpose, no?
You've gotten some really good tips already. Cutting sodium, drinking plenty of water, and having healthy snacks prepared are big ones for me. I also HAVE to exercise to lose weight. It doesn't matter how healthy I eat, if I don't exercise I don't lose. It sounds like the On Demand choices might be really good for you.
Menu planning is the biggest thing for me. Every weekend before I go grocery shopping, I make a menu for the week. I post it on my refrigerator. It have to have a plan, otherwise I just end up cooking junk every night. It also cuts down on our grocery bill. I usually cook a few veggie meals each week, and I almost always make a pot of soup. I also keep frozen seafood, tilapia and shrimp usually. Planning meals around those things keeps us from getting in a grilled chicken slump. Also, try veggies and fruit you think you don't like. This was big for Robin in the beginning. He now loves fresh brussel sprouts, asparagus, and spinach. Like Neuner said, roasting is your friend. I also love grilled veggies. I'll throw squash, zucchini, or asparagus on the George Foreman. So good!
Subscribe to some good, healthy magazines. I like Cooking Light and Clean Eating. Each time I get a magazine, I flag recipes. I have a recipe box that I only allow myself to put healthy recipes in. (I have lots of cookbooks and one with my mom's favorite recipes, but they're all like Biscuick and cream of something soup). When I menu plan, I use my little recipe box. I like to have new ideas, so I don't feel like I'm just cooking the same things all of the time.
ETA: I thought of more. ;-) If you're thinking about WW, you may want to give dailyplate.com a shot. It's basically just an online food journal. You log what you've eaten, and it tracks your calories, fat, sodium, etc. I used this when I was dieting pre-wedding (lost 30lbs), and it really helped me hold myself accountable.
I also second Hungry Girl. I have one of their cookbooks, and it is great. They have some really good desserts, too.