Diet and Exercise Accountability Thread

[NorthMinnesota]

OK...I'm in! I need the outside motivation. I need to lose way more than anyone has listed. In the past year I have gained almost 30 libs. I had quit exercising and just got lazy with my eating. I have been somewhat careful lately and have not gained anymore but our trip to Playa in April should help motivate me. Have a long family history of diabetes so I'm going to go back to a modified South Beach program. Hope I can count on some help from you all! Thanks!

[SunKneeMarie]

I don't need to lose any weight (yeah, yeah, blame my parents) but I would like to eat a lot healthier as I've been feeling sluggish lately and I think the crapfest I partook in over the holidays has a lot to do with that feeling. So I would love to read about healthy snack and lunch ideas as those seem to be my two weakest areas. I still won't give up my chocolate ... although dark chocolate in moderation has some health benefits, right??

[Kellyk]

I won't weigh myself for a couple of weeks. I'm just going to concentrate on modifying my diet and start kicking up the walking and yoga without the pressure of the numbers I know where I was before the holidays and I know where I ultimately want to be so I'm thinking that by PF I'd like to loose 12-15 lbs and by July I'd like to have lost around 25-30. I had my organic oatmeal with walnuts, flax seeds and blueberries for breakfast. Lunch is homemade soup with turkey and mixed veggies dinner's gonna be a salmon/field green salad topped with a few seeds and nuts and lemon/oliveoil/herb dressing. I' hope I'm not back here crying at 10 pm when the icecream is callin' my name.

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by kirbyfan

Wow, 2 lbs a week...i dont think i could do that! I can lose almost a pound a day if i try. I lost over 30 lbs in 45 days last time and felt awesome!!!
2 lbs a week would be psychologically damaging I for me...then again its really easy for me to shed the weight so .75 lbs a day is no big deal.

it might be easy for you to lose a pound a day, but it is not usually effective in the long run to lose more than a pound a week. Most people who lose weight that fast put it on again just as fast, and then some.
Reason being, to lose it that quickly they go on some kind of unhealthy, very restrictive low cal diet which is unsustainable in the long run, or do much more exericise that they will not be able to keep up long term. And that's not even going into what that does to your metabolism.
Slow and steady wins the race. it took me a year to lose 35 pounds and I still gained back almost half....but I also kept half of it off for the past 6 years too. (I was too skinny too at 120 pounds and all muscle .)

[pamplemoose77]

Originally Posted by Kellyk

. I had my organic oatmeal with walnuts, flax seeds and blueberries for breakfast. Lunch is homemade soup with turkey and mixed veggies dinner's gonna be a salmon/field green salad topped with a few seeds and nuts and lemon/oliveoil/herb dressing. I' hope I'm not back here crying at 10 pm when the icecream is callin' my name.

mmm, you oatmeal sounds delish! all of it does... i do like eating healthy.. i enjoy how it tastes... for me it's just a matter of actually buying it all and preparing it, rather than copping out for easy stuff too bad we don't live closer... i've read bout friends/neighbors forming produce co-ops where they took turns preparing the veggies/fruits for a few days at a time.. that'd be awesome!

[Slynky]

I agree with Sunny20!!! I work out every day and hard. Every other day is a two hour work out with weights- I spin just about every day and am addicted to it. I also go back and forth with my diet. I always use my clothes as my guide. If they are tight I eat better. Even with all that exercise I am not a skinny mini nor would I want to be. I still have some celulite on my legs (thanks to being 40+). But since I gave up the scale I am so much happier. I could never weigh as little as I did in highschool. It is impossible . So my two cents is: Find an exercise you actually like and go for it. Baby steps until you are in a habbit...I think it takes six weeks to form a habbit???? Anyway, my motivation is: its either exercise every day or PROZAC. And I am quite serious.

[Slynky]

Ice cream, chocolate and booze!!!! I eat ice cream every day

[NorthMinnesota]

I can not eat cooked oatmeal! Yucko....I think it is the texture...makes me gag! Is there another way to reap the benefits fot breakfast??? Anyone have any suggestions?

[fireinmn]

I'll join in too! No weight issues for me, just need to start training again. Since I stopped last fall, my backside has changed a bit My first race will be near the end of May...I've got some work to do!

We're hoping to purchase a bike trainer so I can get some biking in while there is still snow on the ground...until then it's the treadmill for me or perhaps, on a really nice day, running outside. I may also add some weights, but I don't want to start too hard...nice and easy.

Good luck to you all! Looking forward to hearing about your progress.

[michele1004]

Originally Posted by Slynky

Ice cream, chocolate and booze!!!! I eat ice cream every day

Wine and salty foods!!!!!

[fireinmn]

Originally Posted by NorthMinnesota

I can not eat cooked oatmeal! Yucko....I think it is the texture...makes me gag! Is there another way to reap the benefits fot breakfast??? Anyone have any suggestions?

I was the same as you, but I learned to just choke it down... There is also cream of wheat or malto meal as another option.

[Kellyk]

I'm not a nutritionist or a practicing nutritional consultant but I did take an extensive course on nutrition that is geared toward that profession so I thought I would just list a few tips that you may or may not know or have blocked out So here ya go:

and BTW...I can't spell worth a flip so pardon my mistakes heehee

Whole wheat does not = whole grain. If a lable says 'whole wheat' its most likely made from finely milled flour and has the same Glycemic index as regular flour. You may get more nutrients but you'll get the same puffiness and rise in insuline. Make sure it says whole grain and you should be able to see the grains.

Artificial sweeteners are NOT good for dieters. They actually have been shown to increase your appetite not to mention what they do to your liver, kidneys, nervous system etc.... A good sub is small amounts of honey, black strap molassas, pure can syrup, unprocessed sugars, or an herb you can find in the supplement section called Stevia. A little goes a long way.

High Fructose Corn Syrup, IMO, is one of the worst food additives on the market. There are some Drs and Nutritionists who believe that the introduction of HFCS is one of the main reasons for the growing type 2 diabetes epidemic...especially in children. I have a friend who did nothing but cut that out of her diet and lost 40 lbs!!!

High protein diets are not for everyone and not for long term use. I could go into what it does to your body yadda yadda but just know that on the average a person cannot use up more than 3 oz of protein at a time. Use meats as a side dish not the main course.

Good fats help you loose weight and keep your skin and hair looking healthy too. Walnuts, flax seeds, salmon/oily fish are all good fats. Olive oil is not an EFA but it helps in conversion processes in your body so use it on your salads.

Lots of purifyed water. Tap water is loaded with chlorine and floride which can confuse the thyroid and hinder weight loss. Drink half your weight in water in ounces everyday and for every caffienated drink you consume add another glass.

Okay that's just a few off of the top of my head. I know there are others who have more knowledge and experience than I do so maybe someone else can share some tips as well.

[MikenJulie]

I think I have the biggest battle out of everyone here, I'm in the 250lb range, looking to get back into my 1997 weight of 162lbs. We're looking at 80-90lbs!! Ouch!!

Started a "toxic cleanse" today, high fiber, no meat (will eat 1 egg every two days for protien). Elliptical training of 1/2 hour a day after work. No more sugars (except what's in the booze, gotta have a bit of a crutch!), only drinking soda water to have the illusion I'm not drinking boring water. I have a soda machine so I'm not adding extra sodium like the store bought water.

I used to have a 30-32" waist, not I'm 42" plus. I hate not being healthy or having to squeeze into the small plane seats.

Quit smoking- check.
Cut back on booze- check.
Diet and excersize- underway.

You guys/gals won't recognize me next year when we come down in the fall, here's to your/ our health everyone! A V-8 juice cheers!!

[Sunny20]

Originally Posted by Kellyk

I'm not a nutritionist or a practicing nutritional consultant but I did take an extensive course on nutrition that is geared toward that profession so I thought I would just list a few tips that you may or may not know or have blocked out So here ya go:

Whole wheat does not = whole grain. If a lable says 'whole wheat' its most likely made from finely milled flour and has the same Glycemic index as regular flour. You may get more nutrients but you'll get the same puffiness and rise in insuline. Make sure it says whole grain and you should be able to see the grains.

Artificial sweeteners are NOT good for dieters. They actually have been shown to increase your appetite not to mention what they do to your liver, kidneys, nervous system etc.... A good sub is small amounts of honey, black strap molassas, pure can syrup, unprocessed sugars, or an herb you can find in the supplement section called Stevia. A little goes a long way.

High Fructose Corn Syrup, IMO, is one of the worst food additives on the market. There are some Drs and Nutritionists who believe that the introduction of HFCS is one of the main reasons for the growing type 2 diabetes epidemic...especially in children. I have a friend who did nothing but cut that out of her diet and lost 40 lbs!!!

High protein diets are not for everyone and not for long term use. I could go into what it does to your body yadda yadda but just know that on the average a person cannot use up more than 3 oz of protein at a time. Use meats as a side dish not the main course.

Good fats help you loose weight and keep your skin and hair looking healthy too. Walnuts, flax seeds, salmon/oily fish are all good fats. Olive oil is not an EFA helps in conversion processes in your body so use it on your salads.

Lots of purifyed water. Tap water is loaded with chlorine and floride which can confuse the thyroid and hinder weight loss. Drink half your weight in water everyday and for every caffienated drink you consume add another glass.

Okay that's just a few off of the top of my head. I know there are others who have more knowledge and experience than I do so maybe someone else can share some tips as well.

Lot's of very good points..
Good thing is that I don't need to buy water.. Our tap water is as good as purified

Good luck you all..

[Rissask]

Lots of purifyed water. Tap water is loaded with chlorine and floride which can confuse the thyroid and hinder weight loss. Drink half your weight in water everyday and for every caffienated drink you consume add another glass.

I am supposed to drink 65 POUNDS of water a DAY?? I don't think so!
I always drink tap water...I never heard that about the thyroid before.