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Author: joan
Date: 01-14-04 16:00
Just wondering if anyone here is trying to eat less, like I am, but has not been able to go "healthy" all the way. I just can't seem to make myself cut out most of the things I normally eat. Such as..........chips, cookies, cake - all the stuff that really has no nutritional value.
I can't seem to make myself get up and eat really good, low fat, nutritional food each day. I have cut way down on the amount of food I eat, and try to stay between 1200 and 1500 calories a day but I just can't seem to get the motivation to "just say no" to the kinds of foods I've eaten all my life. Junk and sweets that is. I have lost 32 pounds, very slowly, and know that I will never go back to over eating but at this rate it will take me five years to lose all of the weight!!!
I have begun to at least walk for exercise. I walk every other day for 30 minutes (rheumatoid arthritis - need to rest my joints between walks-thus every other day).
Just wondering if anyone else out there is having the same problem. Everyone seems to be doing so good, eating all of the right things and exercising a lot.
I guess there is no answer to this - just wanted to share. Feeling like you guys are miles ahead of me with your good "mindset" about eating and exercising.
Joan
255/223/140
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Author: simply trying
Date: 01-14-04 17:30
I use to come home after bowling on friday nights and eat a family size bag of chips telling myself that they made the bag so big with barely any chips in it...Well if it fits in a serving bowl then it is for more then one person!!! And yes sometimes I still crave those junk foods but once I started comparing foods in calorie amounts the temptations were not as often...
I think the most important part right now for you is to try and not have those foods in your home ...Chose 1 item that is considered "snack food" but not totally artery cloger food...
One great recipe I have found is to use soft taco shells, spray with a little pam, season (popcorn seasonning works great) cut into wedges and bake at 350F for about 5 minutes turning over halfway...
When you have those with salsa, it feels like you are being real bad and eating junk but you are actually having a very decent snack....
The more you remove sweets, the less you`ll want them...The cravings are tough at first but eventually your body gets used to it and you won`t feel so deprive...When the craving hits here is few things you may want to try.
-Have a galss of water , walk out of the kitchen and read a good book.
- I f you are real hungry then have a bowl of cereal(if it`s for snack) instead..
-Figure out the amount of cals you need per day to maintain and only substract 500 cals per day from the total for now until you get used to eating a bit less...Then in a month or so you can reaveluate the numbers...
Eat smaller meals 5-6x per day....
Hope this helps...I know that at the worst part of any weightloss attemps, the one thing that would take my mind of food was to take a bubble bath with a good book...By the time I would come out all wrinkled the cravings were gone...G
p/s How old / tall are you? cause if you need 2200 cals to mainatin your current weight then try 1700 cals per day for now...It depends on your height /age/weight/ and activity level
5` 4 and 3/4 inches
previous weightloss from 2002- 2003
jan 2002 --198 lbs/ down to 160 lbs
start losing weight again July 19th 2004
168 lbs/ 157 lbs / 145 lbs
inches lost from may 5th to-oct 2nd 2004=15.5in
Post Edited (01-14-04 17:34)
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Author: Lesleybird
Date: 01-14-04 17:33
Joan, Don't worry. One was not ment to go without their favorite foods completely to be thin. I still allow myself something sweet every day or I will not stay on my diet at all. Give yourself permission to eat a little "junk" or sweet foods every day. If you are on 1500 calories try to make at least 1100 of them very nutritious so that you can have your sweets etc. I fond some Jolly Rancher suckers that are only 60 calories a piece that take an hour to eat. Good luck, Lesley
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Author: Alexsmum
Date: 01-14-04 19:54
One thing that kept me on the straight and narrow was a food diary. I would map out what I was going to eat, down to the servings and calories for the entire day. Breakfast, lunch dinner and snack. It was like my recipie for the day that kept me from going astray. *Hey that rhymed*
NOTHING IN LIFE THAT IS WORTH HAVING IS EASY!
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Author: 2bthin
Date: 01-14-04 22:06
Yeah I do understand, I have a very hard time eating completely healthy all day everyday, so I decided to go out and find things that seem like junk food, but without all the calories or fat of real junk food.
Some of the things I've found are WOW potato chips, Wow Doritos, and for the sweet tooth I have found that Jelly beans work really good, and then for ice cream I have found Healthy Smart Ice cream bars (Fat free and No sugar added) made with splenda! These are all really good and they curb my junk food cravings with out using all my calories up for the day!
Hope this helps!
Missy
186/181/145
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Author: Doug
Date: 01-14-04 22:37
I was also never able to cut out sweets. The key is moderation. I still eat that sort of food but not nearly as often.
If you cannot eliminate it, incorporate it. As long as you allow some room for junk food in your diet it will not stop you from losing weight. But you do have to make up for it elsewhere. Instead of pretending I am going to consume nothing but healthy food all day I eat less healthy food to make up for the junk food.
Trying to go cold turkey would not work for me. When I really want some ice cream nothing else will do. But I have learned to eat a moderate single serving from a ice parlor a couple of times a month instead of having a big bowl every night from a .5 gallon container in my freezer every night.
Doug 272/164/170
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Author: Ron
Date: 01-15-04 04:26
Doug, I can't have a 1/2 gal of ice cream at night any more? :>(
ah.... those were the days. Now I can't wait to get to LTFitness to run and jump on that scale.
Just once I might weigh a 1/2 gal of ice cream just to see.....
260/251/175ish
1/1/04
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Author: jessica
Date: 01-15-04 09:16
Hey Lesleybird,don't you think out of 1500 calories 400 is a little much for junk food? I would think 200calories would be plenty considering how many lighter products are on the market.400 calories is like almost 1/3 of you daily food,that just seems a little high for everyday eating.Maybe for special occasions,like a birthday party,but not everyday.
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Author: joan
Date: 01-15-04 10:37
Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately my husband's main food group is "sweets" and he does not have a weight problem so I can't really take all of that food out of the house and I think it's important to be able to "live" with the food and still be in control. At least that's my situation. If I lived alone I would get rid of the junk but truthfully, I could overeat with any number of foods that are healthy so that might not be the answer for me anyway.
I decided to try and stick with 1500 calories a day and this morning I sat down and wrote down the entire day's menu so that everything is planned (even the sweets) so as not to go over 1500 calories. If I can stick with this and a little exercise maybe I can drop a pound a week.
I'm somewhat still in "shock" that 1500 calories is not that much food, or the food I want to eat anyway. Feel like I've lost my best friend, know what I mean? But.................that's the way it goes. With what I have lost I can tell that being happier in my body feels so much better than eating - in the long run. Just have to take it one day at a time.
Thanks again
Joan
255/223/140
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Author: hoola
Date: 01-15-04 11:59
actually when the cravings stop and they will after a while of not eating junk. you will be amazed at how much food you can eat and still keep your calorie intake 1500. my cals are for the most part 1500-2000 cals a day which for me is a low cal diet. and i eat non stop all day long. i have 3 large mealsa day and snack every few hours. there is a thin line between snacks and 5 meals a day. i do have to add though i do not eat any junk food anymore. EVER. somedays i find that i am hunting for food just to get my calories in!! i wouldnt really say im on a low carb diet but i have given up white bread,white rice,potatoes,white flour pasta, ect... i do eat stuff like oat bran,rye bread ect...i stuff myself with fruits and veggies all day long. i even keep those foods on the lower level of the glycemic*spell* index to keep my blood sugar from bouncing all around and giving me nasty cravings.
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-myadventure some of my before and after pics. i have a couple pounds to go
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Author: Fabulous@50
Date: 01-15-04 12:00
Joan,
You wrote, "Feel like I've lost my best friend, know what I mean? " With that statement you hit the nail squarely on the head.
You are using sweets and fattening food as your "drug of choice." You are using it for recreation, reward, consolation, and comfort. You are choosing the immediate pleasure of ingesting your "drug" over the future reward of having a healthier you.
Your sweet tooth is an addiction and a symptom of something missing in your life. Unless you face the emotions tied up in your cravings for food, no diet or diet tip will work for you long-term.
I suggest you read a copy of Dr Phil's book--although I have yet to read it--I hear people who say that the book addresses one's emotional ties to food (which clearly you've expressed you have).
That one sentence you wrote above, speaks volumes on why you are struggling with your weight loss.
Fabulous@50
225/156/150
Program Start: May 12, 2003
“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand - and melting like a snowflake.”
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Author: joan
Date: 01-15-04 12:56
Yes, I know I am an "emotional" eater. Allways have been and I think most people who are very overweight got themselves that way from eating; trying to "stuff" those feelings away. What those feelings are and how to overcome them would belong on another discussion board I suppose.
I do have Dr. Phil's book but have only started to read it. Solve the problem - solve the behavior, right?
But thanks for reminding me. As you can "read between the lines" those of us here who have gotten their weight under control for the long term have solved their own emotional issues. More power to them.
What does worry me is that some here seem to have traded their eating addiction with an exercising addiction. It is hard to believe that maintaining anything over an hour of exercise a day for the rest of their life is a realistic option. But hey, they are ahead of me so who am I to critisize. Thanks for your reply.
Joan
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Author: hoola
Date: 01-15-04 13:25
i have to agree with the over an hour a day exercising. i know the more a person does is better to a degree and everyone is different. strive for say 2 days of cardio of 3 miles at a brisk pace. once you build up this can easily be achieved. then a day of strength training. then repete. so 2days cardio 1day strength. easy! there is nothing obssessive about that. 45mins a day. i spent more time than that watching my favorite tv programs when i was 365lbs. when im done with my exercise for the day im done. i am on my tush for 10 hours a day so i wouldnt say im very active. i would find it much healthy to be addicted to exercise than to overeat on junk food! im not addicted to exercise or eating right. im addicted to being healthy!!! i dind it haard to believe any healthy diet program will be successfull and stay successful without a moderate amount of exercise to boot. i know you can win your battle as many of us have. i will keep you in my prayers that you find the strength to overcome everything that stays in your way.
365/225/200
__sometimes people have to stop looking for reasons they cant do it and start looking for ways they can__
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-myadventure
Post Edited (01-15-04 13:26)
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Author: joan
Date: 01-15-04 14:12
Thanks hoola for the support. Checked out your website. Wow!!! You have lost a whole person and look happy and healthy with the new you. Good going - and you did it now, while you are young - that's great!
An hour out of my 18 hour day is not too much to spend on exercise - not at all! The "high" that comes from eating right and exercising is so much better than the short lived feeling you get from food. At least I have experienced that and know what it feels like.
Share with us how you lost all of your weight.
Joan
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Author: hoola
Date: 01-15-04 15:38
well in the beginning i started out the wrong way. i restricted my calories to a dangerous level. say 600 sometimes less cals per day while exercising at unhealthy levels for the amount of food i was comsuming. the weight was comming off but only half as fat. the other half was my muscle tissue which i would regret. loosing all that muscle made my body compinsate my storing more fat and losing more muscle. and my weight loss stopped even at those extreme low calorie intake my metabolism was at a standstill and i was in trouble. soooo i read up on exercise routines i could start off at slowly. i upped my calorie intake slowly over the next month to around 1200-1400 at that time. my body adjusted slowly. then i upped my calorie intake to 1500-1600 with walking i added strength training 2 days a week. the pounds started melting away. literally. i now am eating anywhere from 1500-2000+cals daily and still losing but slower now than i was. in a year and under an extra month i have lost now 140lbs i would have done it so much different now that i know more about how to go about it. in the beginning i was just so scared and wanted to lose the weight fast and i didnt care how i did. i wouldnt say im really a carb counter but a modified carb counter/calorie counter. i keep bad carbs away white bread,white rice,pasta,potatoes,all sugar,junk food, ect.. i eat rye bread whole grains in moderation i love oat bran for breakfast with walnuts and cottage cheese. mmmm. i eat all the veggies and fruits i want. but i eat my food in order of the glycemic index. i stay away from foods that will make my blood sugar bounce around and cause cravings for things i dont need. if your blood sugar rises fast and drops shortly after fast you will have more of a chance of binging and we all know how good binging makes us feel. after a while it does get easier i promise. rule of thumb.. ((junk food craves junk food)) its true. at one time i was so obssessed i would weigh myself every 2 or so hours. i would drink a glass of water and go weigh myself. lol it sounds funny but when a person has been overweight thier whole life it is easy to get obssessed with little things like that when the pounds start comming off. stay focused and keep positive people around you. you will be suprised the people who will keep pushing junk in front of you. say no and mean it. get the point accross the first time so they dont keep doing it. if they love you they will understand. oh yeah it never hurts to pray. :) i am getting close to my goal and an a little jittery about maintnance but it will be ok.
stay focused
eat healthy so you can eat more!
stay focused
get support
stay focused
exercise but dont overdo it
stay focused
drink liters upon liters of water a day
take suppliments if needed
keep in touch with your doc if you have health probs.
oh yeah.. stay focused.. lol i know you can do it. i have no doubt in my mind.
Post Edited (01-15-04 15:40)
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Author: joan
Date: 01-15-04 16:01
Thanks for all of the information. Boy, you really did it. As usualy, when I read stories like yours I say to myself, "If he can do it so can I".
I am sure you will have no problem with maintaining a weight you are comfortable with. You've got all the tools you need to never have a weight problem in your life again!!
Joan
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Author: Lesleybird
Date: 01-15-04 16:05
Jessica, My idea of junk food is maybe a power bar which if full of sugar but has hardly any fat, and abut 240 calories. Also light popcorn, chocolate pudding made with skim milk etc. I consider anything fried as junk food, but don't think that anyone needs to eat much of that. By junk food I mean peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which are not really junk food, but satisfy a sweet tooth. By junk food I also mean macaroni and cheese....not really a junk food but.....Well I don't eat any chips with full fat etc. that is real junk food. I don't think anyone needs to eat much food without any nutritional value at all. By 400 calories in junk food I mean things like the chocolate pudding made with skim milk....not completely junk. Know what I mean? Lesley
Post Edited (01-15-04 16:11)
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Author: efs
Date: 01-15-04 16:07
Hoola,
Thanks so much for sharing your story, I appreciate your honesty. Congrats on all your success...
-Emily
efs 202/163/160
program start: Jan. 2003
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Author: jessica
Date: 01-15-04 17:16
Okay Lesleybird,you're off the hook.I thought you meant chips and ice cream.I also condsider many things "snack food" that I guess really aren't,like cereal with skim milk,a fat free grilled cheese sandwich,etc.I try to keep "real" junk food away for the most part.I have 2 kids so we keep it here at home,but I try to stay away from it.
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Author: Gary
Date: 01-16-04 05:33
The key is to find substitutes for the regular high calorie cookies, chips, and cakes you eat, Pringles now makes fat-free chips (you still need to keep the quanity you eat within reason, but they are lower calories and fat than regular chips), I make sugar-free Jello with a little added pineapple or mandarin oranges, topped with fat-free Cool Whip, sometimes we will have fat-free pudding cups topped with fat-free Cool Whip, there are also low-fat ice cream bars and sugar-free popsicles, Baked Tostitoes are lower calorie and are great with homemade salsa.
Here is an excerpt from a previous post that can be of help also -
There are companies that make low-calorie stuff to snack on, here are some links I found with some such examples, if your local grocery store does not carry stuff like this then email them these links and ask if they could start carrying such products -
http://www.waldenfarms.com/
http://www.pizzafree.com/
http://www.robbinsnest.org/
Gary 360/175/175
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