TREKBBS Weight-Loss Central
- Thread starter Garm Bel Iblis
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This probably isn't the preferable route for most people, but I recently went on a gluten (wheat) free diet due to an allergy, and I've lost 10lbs over the span of a month and a half. This was even with me drinking an extra bottle of soda a day (to stay awake in business classes) and eating more. I've been told this is because the wheat turns straight to sugars when it's in your system. It's kinda tough to do, especially when trying to come up with meal options, but it's worked for me a lot.
I've lost track of my weight ever since I tried to wash my scale and it stopped working. Hope it isn't going up too much. Last I knew it was hovering around 202, up a bit from my 195 average six months ago.
I don't drink soda with any regularity anymore, but I do drink a fair amount of tea (with skim milk and Splenda). Maybe 2 mugs per day, sometimes a bit more.
I don't drink soda with any regularity anymore, but I do drink a fair amount of tea (with skim milk and Splenda). Maybe 2 mugs per day, sometimes a bit more.
I normally do pretty well diet-wise UNTIL I sit down in front of the TV. From then on all bets are off. To combat this I started playing Bejeweled online while watching to have something to do besides make trips to the kitchen. Also, one of these days I'm going to beat my roommate's high score!
I don't drink anything other than filtered water, skim milk, V8 juice and unsweetened green tea. Cutting out soft drinks and cartoned juices helps a lot with weight since they are loaded with sugar. If you really want fruit juice pick up Mott's for Tot's--it has quite a bit less sugar than your regular variety. They make an Apple with Grape variety and a Fruit Punch.
I also don't eat any red meat. If you detoxify your body by not eating it for a few weeks and then try to go back to it it will taste so bad that you'll never have to worry about eating red meat again. I mainly only eat skinless boneless chicken breasts and fish like salmon which has the added bonus of healthy fats like Omega-3. I also rarely fry anything opting to bake most of the time or grill it. Although when I do eat something fried I use olive oil which again has fat but is the good kind. If I want tacos or a hamburger I use 99% ground turkey or ground chicken. I eat a lot of vegetables either grilling or boiling them using very little salt if any. I rarely use butter or oleo for seasoning.
I usually eat a good breakfast consisting of Special K or Bran Flakes but the kind without the sugar. Then I'll add a sliced banana for a touch of sweetness plus it is a great source for potassium.
I try to eat every few hours something small. I found that a peanut butter sandwich with a very small amount of low sugar jelly fills me up . I avoid the jellies with Splenda and other artificial sweeteners. I use the Smart Balance Smooth peanut butter because it is made with flax seed oil--another good oil and flax seed is really good for you. I also love a good sweet potato--high in fiber and better for you than a regular one. That usually satisfies any cravings and won't leave me with a full stomach when I hit the gym after work.
Instead of candy bars, pies and cakes--I opt for all sorts of fruits. Lately I find myself eating the superfood blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwis and oranges. I don't add any sugar to cause them to macerate--it kinda defeats the purpose. And if I have a really big sweet tooth I buy one of those personal size watermelons and eat it in one sitting.
I try to work out about 4 times a week. I try to run about 3-3.5 miles every other day and mix in the gym about 3 times a week with strength training.
I also don't eat any red meat. If you detoxify your body by not eating it for a few weeks and then try to go back to it it will taste so bad that you'll never have to worry about eating red meat again. I mainly only eat skinless boneless chicken breasts and fish like salmon which has the added bonus of healthy fats like Omega-3. I also rarely fry anything opting to bake most of the time or grill it. Although when I do eat something fried I use olive oil which again has fat but is the good kind. If I want tacos or a hamburger I use 99% ground turkey or ground chicken. I eat a lot of vegetables either grilling or boiling them using very little salt if any. I rarely use butter or oleo for seasoning.
I usually eat a good breakfast consisting of Special K or Bran Flakes but the kind without the sugar. Then I'll add a sliced banana for a touch of sweetness plus it is a great source for potassium.
I try to eat every few hours something small. I found that a peanut butter sandwich with a very small amount of low sugar jelly fills me up . I avoid the jellies with Splenda and other artificial sweeteners. I use the Smart Balance Smooth peanut butter because it is made with flax seed oil--another good oil and flax seed is really good for you. I also love a good sweet potato--high in fiber and better for you than a regular one. That usually satisfies any cravings and won't leave me with a full stomach when I hit the gym after work.
Instead of candy bars, pies and cakes--I opt for all sorts of fruits. Lately I find myself eating the superfood blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwis and oranges. I don't add any sugar to cause them to macerate--it kinda defeats the purpose. And if I have a really big sweet tooth I buy one of those personal size watermelons and eat it in one sitting.
I try to work out about 4 times a week. I try to run about 3-3.5 miles every other day and mix in the gym about 3 times a week with strength training.
Sounds like you have been reading some of the same articles I have been reading in recent months. Only I'm not nearly as strict with myself as you are. I'm more in the 'make some improvements but don't make yourself crazy' camp in that regard.
I do need to drink more water and cut out the diet soda...but on the plus side, I do try to drink at least a mug per day of plain green tea in place of coffee/diet soda (nirvana would be if I could ever give up diet soda completely and move to just water and green iced tea after the noon hour), and when I drink alcohol (which isn't that often), it is now red wine. I also really like the Bolthouse Farms Berry Boost Smoothie - it is low in calories, no added sugar or chemicals, and packed full of the anti-aging 'superfood' berries. I can't handle skim milk, but have successfully weaned my way down to 1% (drank 2% for years)....and I'm good with that. I want to be healthier, but not make myself miserable in the process.
And skim milk makes me gag - I'd rather have no milk at all, and at my age, that is not an option - gotta keep up the calcium intake.One thing I refuse to give up in the beverage department, however, is my morning coffee. This is non-negotiable, as far as I'm concerned. Life is simply not worth living without coffee in the morning - end of discussion. And I am completely serious when I say that. The fat-free creamer that I use is no doubt packed with chemicals, but I don't care. This one is completely off the table - it is the one thing that I will never give up, under any circumstances. Coffee is my biggest 'comfort food' and as far as I am concerned, an essential food group.
I have also been cutting back on red meats and eating salmon (which has alot of omega-3 in it, but not alot of mercury - lucky for me it's my favorite fish), Boca burgers (soy protein), fat-free cottage cheese and skinless chicken breast meat (although I tend to do curries loaded with turmeric in my crockpot, rather than just plain dried-out chicken breasts). I also eat a couple of eggs per week, but not more than that. I think it is important to vary my protein sources so I'm good with a couple of eggs - my cholesterol has never been an issue, so I add this bit of variety. I do not buy cold cuts as a rule, but I will pick up the occasional package of thin-sliced turkey breast. Probably has more chemicals than I'd like, but again, I am a firm believer in variety - no point in making myself crazy. And at least turkey is low-fat. I also buy the Weight Watchers yogurt cups and eat about 1 per day. I think they have splenda or one of those crappy chemicals in them, but I am at the age where females really need to start upping calcium intake, and so I believe the trade-off is a good one. Plus, the strawberry one is so good that it's almost like a treat....and that keeps me away from stuff like ice cream.
For breakfast, I've been eating alot of plain oatmeal...but I also do those Vitatops (from the health food section). They are like the top of a muffin and very tasty, but they have like 6 g of fiber in them, for only 100 calories. I like the cran-bran one best - it's like having a muffin for breakfast...only alot healthier. Plus, you keep them in your freezer, so you don't have to worry about them going bad. I also love bananas, and eat 3 or 4 per week as mid-morning snacks.
I've been eating light bread for years, but now I try to pick the ones with the highest fiber content - those Arnold multi-grain sandwich thins are good for me because they fill me up for not alot of calories.
I also eat peanut butter, but I've been using whipped Peter Pan as I can use less and it feels like/spreads like the same amount. Although I will check out that Smart Balance peanut butter - I like the idea of the flaxseed in it. Right now, the ONLY oil I use in cooking is olive oil. And I use a bit of that on salads as well. I have been considering adding walnuts to my diet (another one of those superfoods), but so far the calories have keep me away. But I should really work them in, because I do like them.
I confess I do use sweetened preserves - I buy that super-expensive Hero jam - it has sugar in it, but not a bunch of chemicals and preservatives. And for the amount I use per week, the sugar is just not that big of a deal. The sugar-free jams taste terrible to me, and so I don't sweat this very small item. Once again, keeping my sanity and perspective is critical here. I simply refuse to make food into a prison built out of dried out chicken breasts, skim milk, broccoli, and bran.
Because of my tendency toward depression, I absolutely get my aerobic exercise - I walk/jog on my treadmill at least 5 days a week, but many weeks six days. I always give myself one day a week off though. Weekend days I stay on there longer than weekdays due to time constraints, but I figure 30 minutes is certainly better than nothing. I don't lift weights or anything because I'm mostly doing the exercise to keep the depression and stress at bay - for me, the other health benefits I get from walking/jogging are simply a bonus. My chief concern is my issue with depression, and doing everything I can to help myself. Not that I minimize the other health benefits or anything....it's just that for me, keeping out of depression is a constant struggle, and that comes before anything else.
I have also read that getting enough sleep is important (for both weight-related and depression-related reasons) - and that has become one of the chief benefits of working from home, as far as I'm concerned. I used to waste 2 hours plus per day sitting in stressful and frustrating Atlanta traffic. Now I get more sleep than I used to, plus I save money, the environment, and the stress sitting in traffic here generates. The downside is that I have less human contact, which is not good. Devil and the deep blue sea in that regard...but it IS nice to get enough sleep, finally.
Lately I have been reading articles about 'brain health' - keeping yourself sharp as you age by doing puzzles, driving different routes, reading books of all types (not just the same genres you have always read), etc. Apparently, living in a rut, never varying your schedule and lifestyle choices, kinda turns your brain off. Makes sense to me...but I have to figure out ways of incorporating it. I even read one article that said that if you are right-handed try and do some things with your left hand. How easy is that?
For me, weight in-and-of-itself is not really the chief issue. I mean, I want to work my way into better shape all the time, but I have arrived at the place where it is overall health that matters - not just fitting into a size 6 pair of slacks. When I was in my 20's, that was what weight-loss and weight control were all about to me...but I have changed my perspective on that now that I am older. My sister getting cancer has also been a huge influence on my changing attitudes about food, exercise, sleep and other healthful pursuits.
I have a ways to go, I guess. But I am certainly doing better than I was a few years ago, and progress is good.
My family doesn't like skim milk either. Their complaint is that it is too watery. I really can't tell the difference myself and somedays after a long run on a hot day I actually prefer a glass of it with ice than water.
I have been buying Hormel's Natural Choice packaged deli meats for the last several months because they are almost 100% natural and minimally processed. You might try those--you can get them at Wal-Mart. The Smoked Turkey and Chicken varieties are pretty good. Of course, the only downside is that being minimally processed you need to eat it within a week or it goes bad.
I like walnuts too. I usually have a can of mixed nuts seasoned with sea salt sitting around or just one of those small cans of all natural almonds unseasoned.
Sounds like you are doing really well. And you are right you can't be miserable and it is perfectly fine to splurge every so often otherwise you'll just burn out and not stick with it.I have a ways to go, I guess. But I am certainly doing better than I was a few years ago, and progress is good.
Those are delicious.
^ Oh wow! Thanks for the tip about the Hormel Natural Choice deli meats! I must have missed them so far (although I don't really do much grocery shopping at Wal-Mart - I'll have to look into that also).
That and the peanut butter tip are ones I am definitely going to check out.
Baby steps, I guess.
That and the peanut butter tip are ones I am definitely going to check out.
Baby steps, I guess.
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