Nutrition and exercise!

[ShooShooBaby]

i've thought about doing the bento box thang but i'm so lazy about packing lunches. i could probably save a bundle though, and ensure healthy food when i hate the special at my school's vegetarian cafe!

i've thought about bellydancing, too. now that my school schedule's set for the quarter, maybe i'll look into it. the key is finding a studio close enough to home that i won't skip class when the weather is really bad.

and so far i've been really good about riding my bike! the only bus trips i've taken have been to school - i've been bike commuting everywhere else (and taking the kid i nanny out for long walks everyday, raining or not!).

 

[CanadaDoll]

Shooshoobaby, your schools recreation center might have an instructor if it's popular in your area, usually they're students at the institution themselves.
Congratulations on the bike riding!

 

[ShooShooBaby]

Shooshoobaby, your schools recreation center might have an instructor if it's popular in your area, usually they're students at the institution themselves.
Congratulations on the bike riding!

for some reason it's only offered on fridays! which is the one day i absolutely cannot make it to campus! it's cheaper to take it privately though, than to pay for a one-credit class.

 

[CanadaDoll]

That's too bad, but so long as you find a good studio that's all that matters, and hey if you can find it for cheaper way to go!:eusa_clap

 

[scarlett]

Lola and ladies - bellydancing is wonderful. I was a professional for 5 years and still dance for the love of it. The best part is you get a great workout but it's so much fun it doesn't feel like a workout. 2 left feet aside, my first teacher said "if you can walk, you can bellydance." If you get an instructor that teaches alot of choreography and that's not what you want, look for another. There are so many styles and techniques, you are sure to find one that suits you. www.MECDA.org is a great resource. Have fun.

 

[CanadaDoll]

Thanks for the input scarlett, how long have you been dancing?

 

[Viola]

My number one vice is pasta. I adore pasta. But if I'm going to drop any more sizes, I need to watch frequency and portions. I'm down to a size six in pants (bigger up top, but, ahem, some of that is inavoidable) but I'd like to get a couple sizes smaller this year. And I eat well otherwise, pretty much.

Are those whole wheat or spinach pastas really any better for you than regular or would I be kidding myself?

 

[~*Red*~]

My number one vice is pasta. I adore pasta. But if I'm going to drop any more sizes, I need to watch frequency and portions. I'm down to a size six in pants (bigger up top, but, ahem, some of that is inavoidable) but I'd like to get a couple sizes smaller this year. And I eat well otherwise, pretty much.

Are those whole wheat or spinach pastas really any better for you than regular or would I be kidding myself?

Last week at the commissary, I bought a box of MIssion Grain Whole Grain Rotini. And It looks all nasty and super hard, but it's pretty damn good! Honestly, you can't tell much of a difference when it's cooked, except that it's well.. heartier? Not so flimsy, if you know what I mean. You have to cook it longer, for sure, but I always cook to taste, never what it says on the box. I made a pasta salad out of it with chicken breast, artichoke hearts and tomatoes. YUMMY! And I am one of the pickiest eaters alive!lol It has 5g of fiber and 8 g of protein, 190 cal and 2g of fat per serving.

 

[Viola]

Thanks, Red! I'm going to pick up a few boxes. I'm scaling back... to only eating pasta two or three times a week... so this really helps me.

 

[Lola Getz]

Thank you for the information, Scarlett! I'm going to call my local studio (I live in the middle of nowhere so it's either there or nowhere) to see if I can try a class and see if it's a "fit"

Viola, I think when given a choice, whole grain is better. Whole wheat pasta back in the day was pretty gross, IMO, but the new kinds are delicious. My big problem too is portion size with pastas. I could eat a whole plate full when a serving is a fraction of that. What can I say? I do love food.

 

[Paisley]

Are there any books or workout videos that anyone would suggest?

Body for Life by Bill Phillips. I've been on it since 2003 (not so much last year due to an illness and injury). You eat six small meals a day and work out six times per week--three 20-minute aerobic workouts and three weight training workouts. You can do them at home.

You have one free day a week when you don't exercise and eat anything and everything you want.

 

[ShooShooBaby]

My number one vice is pasta. I adore pasta. But if I'm going to drop any more sizes, I need to watch frequency and portions. I'm down to a size six in pants (bigger up top, but, ahem, some of that is inavoidable) but I'd like to get a couple sizes smaller this year. And I eat well otherwise, pretty much.

Are those whole wheat or spinach pastas really any better for you than regular or would I be kidding myself?

whole wheat, brown rice, or quinoa pastas are definitely healthy for you. i think the spinach ones tend to be mostly plain old refined flour, though. i find if i cook the whole-grain pastas a bit longer, they taste better. you can also ween yourself onto them by mixing them half-and-half with the refined pasta you're used to.

 

[anabolina]

I found this diet, ahem, food plan, on another forum and think it looks really promising.

http://www.nowloss.com/lose-weight-fast.htm

Essentially, its a lot of protein and fruits and veggies, but isn't too restrictive except in terms of calories and I've been craving fresh fruits and veggies lately, so I'm actually looking forward to starting in the morning(had to buy everything tonight.) It does say some stuff I'm not really sure I believe about exercising in the morning and about vaw veggies helping you lose weight faster then cooked ones, but I like that it calls for a lot of veggies and flexibility. Yeah, and it calls for a diet supplement, but I'm just going to use caffeine free green tea in the morning and evenings.I'll let ya'll know how it goes. I got off Atkins this past Christmas and gained a bit of weight and haven't felt really motivated to start back, so I'll try this for a month, my sister's joining me in it, and hopefully my jeans will once more fit when I leave for Korea.

Also, these pepperoni bites are awesome. I was actually able to stop after the portion was over and put the rest up until tomorrow. They're a little smaller then the typical ones, but taste very similar. Oh, and they're only a dollar too.

http://www.michelinas.com/ProductByBrand_LG_10654_Pepperoni_Snack_Rolls_1Lean_Gourmet.aspx

 

[Lil' Miss A]

I've started to walk to work, walk to town and back at lunch which comes to about 2 hrs walking a day. I also started aerobics once a week for an hour.

I'm also starting to walk home 3 times a week this week, which is an extra 50mins per day.

I haven't dieted as my diet is fine as it it.

I've lost 6-7 pounds since xmas which is great...but i've stopped losing weight.
I've heard that it could be because i'm gaining in muscle?

I've also been told that you reach a 'plateau' period, where you don't seem to lose any for a while.

Anyone else had this?

 

[gluegungeisha]

I've just been dropping weight on my regime, which was not my goal at all! I'm too skinny as it is.

Last night I had a really starchy dinner (with a big salad with it, of course) because I started to worry about the weight loss when I looked in the mirror. It's a cheap way to be able to eat a lot of food without getting too full, and obviously not the best way to go...but it always works for me as a temporary fix during weight-loss emergencies. :-/

I'm going to try to be able increase my intake of protein-rich foods. They fill me up so quickly, so I have a difficult time eating greater portions of them!

 

[gluegungeisha]

I've started to walk to work, walk to town and back at lunch which comes to about 2 hrs walking a day. I also started aerobics once a week for an hour.

I'm also starting to walk home 3 times a week this week, which is an extra 50mins per day.

I haven't dieted as my diet is fine as it it.

I've lost 6-7 pounds since xmas which is great...but i've stopped losing weight.
I've heard that it could be because i'm gaining in muscle?

I've also been told that you reach a 'plateau' period, where you don't seem to lose any for a while.

Anyone else had this?

If you're still sticking to your plan the way you did when you started it, plateau probably has to do with your metabolism slowing down as you lose weight.

 

[ShooShooBaby]

ggg, have you tried adding more avocados and other (healthy) fats? there's a south african nutrition expert who advocates a mostly raw diet. she recommends 2 avocados a day if you're trying to maintain weight, but just 1 if you're trying to lose! :eusa_clap maybe you could eat three? haha!

 

[certainlyred]

whole wheat, brown rice, or quinoa pastas are definitely healthy for you. i think the spinach ones tend to be mostly plain old refined flour, though. i find if i cook the whole-grain pastas a bit longer, they taste better. you can also ween yourself onto them by mixing them half-and-half with the refined pasta you're used to.

Some pasta companies are actually making enriched pastas now that have the same taste and texture of refined flour but are oomphed up with fiber, protein, and calcium. I think one company makes "Smart Taste" or something like that. If you can't stand the roughness of whole wheat pasta, that would be a good choice.

 

[Lil' Miss A]

If you're still sticking to your plan the way you did when you started it, plateau probably has to do with your metabolism slowing down as you lose weight.

I did wonder.

I walked to work all last week, did a 5 mile walk on Sat, 3 mile sunday. 3 hrs of walking yesterday and an hour of aerobics, and ive not lost a thing [huh]

 

[certainlyred]

Ahh, I'm glad I'm not the only one trying to get out of a winter health-slump.

I'm actually underweight (always have been, no matter what I eat/do), so my goals don't involve weight loss.

Neither do mine, ggg. I'm a recovering anoretic, so I have a hard enough time keeping weight on!

But I do pilates, too, and they're amazing. You don't lose weight like cardio, but you get nice and toned. I do yoga as well.

Good luck with your own goals!