Nutrition and exercise!

[Laura Chase]

A year ago I started on a program called De Danske Vægtkonsulenter/Weightconsultants and it's just perfect, you have this program you cross off and follow, all food is weighed (in the beginning, anyway, after a while you know how much 170 g. of meat is).

The main rules are:
No sugar, use artifical sweetener in stead (moderately!).
4 pieces of fruit a day.
300 g. of vegetables for lunch and dinner, so 600 g. all in all per day.
Only lean meat (no duck, fois gras, lamb).
Fish 3 times a week.
A lot of milk-products every day.
Certain amounts of cheese are allowed, but no fatter than 27%.
Lots of eggs!
No nuts and dried fruit (too much sugar).

Of course, there are specific measurments for all these things. Write me a pm if you are interested in details.

It works like a charm, I'm losing 2 pounds/1 kg. a week (it varies, sometimes only 1,5 and sometimes 3). I don't exercise strenuously (I don't like sports and I hate gyms), but I do bike a lot almost every day. I've been on this program before, last summer, and I lost 28 pounds during a period of 4-5 months but then had to stop for a period (a year), and now I'm working on it again.

Oh, I might also mention that this concept is somewhat like Weight Watchers (I think, I've never tried WW), you are supposed to go to these meetings weekly and get weight and hear "inspirational speeches". I never did that, I just went first time and then a second time some months after starting. I hated it and found the "inspirational speeches" cheesy and discouraging, and I didn't want to pay for them. Do just to let you know that it's possible to do it on your own as well, as long as you have their little manual and the diet plan (you need to go to an intruduction meeting to get that, and it costs a small amount).

 

[hotrodmama0201]

So after $143 dollars at the grocery store tonight, I am on my way back to my old self again.
Basically what happened is my husband and I have been in a bad pickle for the past few months. I quit my job for various reasons I won't get into, and it took me 3 months to find another one! So living on his income alone, after paying the bills and filling up the tank, that left us about 30-40 dollars a week for food. The result: Ramen noodles (the devil!), mac-n-cheese, Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, frozen chicken nuggets and other confections, Chef Boyardee, ugh.
I can't believe what only 3 months of Ramen and tuna mac has done to my body. NEVER AGAIN! God help me if we are EVER that broke again, I would rather starve than put that junk in my body.
So now that I am working and we can "eat real food again", tonight I bought boneless chicken breasts, ground turkey, fish, lots of veggies especially green (broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts) salad fixin's, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, yogurt, nice organic eggs, nuts, granola bars, and nice fresh fruit bananas, apples and grapes.
My body is saying "Thank YOU"

 

[mackenzie]

I've been trying a million different diets and no-one has worked for long. I've always been thinking about myself as the chubby one, and lately I've been realising that in the begining it wasn't even true, but I became chubby just because I thought of myself as chubby. A year ago I tried the GI-diet and dropped 3 kilos and almost 6 cm of my waist in 3 weeks (mostly water I know, but 6 cm- 2.5 inches makes a difference when you put your skirt on). After my 3 weeks without carbs I started to count calories and putting back the good carbs in my diet. eating every three hours and allowing
myself one day a week to eat a little something extra (cookies or icecream). I found myself not wanting sugar anymore wich has to do with the insuline level being steadier when you eat regular and slower carbs. I manage
to keep my weight as I do not think of myself as chubby anymore. I got over my weird relationship with food and now I eat because I need to instead of eating beacuse I don't have anything better to do.
Good luck with the diets and don't listen to unsuportive "friends".

 

[Naama]

I've been trying a million different diets and no-one has worked for long. I've always been thinking about myself as the chubby one, and lately I've been realising that in the begining it wasn't even true, but I became chubby just because I thought of myself as chubby.

I know where you are coming from. I also always thought that I was chubby and then somewhere in high school I did put on a lot of weight and then I really was chubby. But now looking on older photos, I never was chubby bevore. Strange how that works.... But good for you that you managed to eat right and healthy.



Naama

 

[Laura Chase]

I'm telling you gals, this stuff really works. Two weeks later I've lost 6 pounds and 1,5 inch off my waist.

 

[ChefCK]

First off, I applaud everyone for wanting to eat healthier and get some exercise. :eusa_clap

I've skimmed through the thread because the title of the thread caught my attention and I teach a course that encompasses fitness, nutrition, and cooking. To be fair, my students learn cafeteria style cooking, but I'm notorious in my workplace for switching unhealthy ingredients for healthier ones.

One of the discussions that is inevitable is the diet talks. Atkins, Core, South Beach, on and on it goes. Now, I'm not saying that they are complete crap and I do agree that they work for some people. The problem with marketed diets of any kind is that you have to continue on it. People drop the weight, go back to their old habits and are surprised when the weight comes back on.

The Atkins' Diet reduces carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are essential for energy. You need at minimum 4-8 servings ( ex: 1 serving = 1 cup of whole grain cereal) daily vs 5.5 ounces of meat, fish, poultry per day.

www.mypyramid.gov is an excellent source for proper serving size and the types/amounts of food to eat. Did you know that the preferred serving size of a meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards. A daily serving of meat is only 5 ounces. The American standard is 8, 12, 16 ounces.


You always hear "Exercise combined with a well-balanced diet is the key to weight loss". Well, it's true. Many people view exercise as a bad thing. Something that involves treadmills, weights, stationery bikes, sweaty, grunting muscle-bound jocks...

Go through your day and look at this: How often do you vacuum, sweep, mop, dust throughout the day? That's exercise. Are you able to walk to the grocer? Take a backpack or a wagon. Can you ride a bike to the grocer? Do you live in an area that you can hike? How about swim? Save those empty milk jugs and clean them out really well. In the beginning fill 1/4 of it with sand (preferred) or water. Use those for weight lifting. Once it seems easy, fill it half way and so on. Do Bicep Curls/tricep extensions with cans of vegetables or fruit. Sounds weird, but if you are broke...it works. Have any stairs? Making three trips with the laundry basket is exercise. Do several sets of controlled stair climbing.

To those of you who went out and started paying for gym memberships and personal trainers: Who checked the personal trainers certifications? If you want a good personal trainer, they should be certified by American College of Sports and Medicine (ACSM) and/or have a Cooper's Institute certification. They also have to maintain a certain amount of hours/clients to keep their certification. A lot of personal trainers aren't certified and got the position just because they worked out well.

If you have bad knees like me and go to the gym, instead of the treadmill use the elliptical (cross-trainer).

Ladies, the main thing is having the determination to eat healthy and exercise. I'll be honest, I don't eat healthy all the time. I have a weakness for Reese's cups and Kit-Kats. There are some nights that I don't feel like cooking and we may heat up a pizza. Also, I don't eat three full meals each day. I eat smaller portions 6-8 times a day (Half a peanut butter sandwich and carrot sticks for example). My family genetics is to have some weight, but with my smaller portions throughout the day, swimming 45-60 minutes twice a week, and 45 minutes of a non-swim workout (core training, cardio, weight lifting) once a week, I've managed to avoid the weight issues my family has.

For dinner, I only make enough to give proper portions + just enough for a small lunch the next day.

Nutrition and Fitness is not rocket science. We are just inundated with all these "diet pills/supplements", "fad diets," etc etc. Please consider researching mypyramid.gov for you and your families. Use that information, to build some simple balanced meal menus and then look at what you can incorporate into you daily routine that would be considered exercise.

Reduce the fried foods, replace the chips with apple wedges. Try to ration the chocolate and if you are craving something sweet, peach slices (not the ones in syrup) are awesome.

For those who eat out a lot for lunch: A fast food meal costs almost $7 now. A sandwich and bottle of water from a place like Whole Foods will cost 4-5$. Read the fine print on Subway. The nutritional value is for a 6" turkey sandwich on wheat with no extras. It's healthier fast food, but not really that healthy. If you can, pack a lunch. You'll save money and know what you are getting.


Ok, I'll stop. I apologize about going on and on. I just get in the zone because this has been my career for the last eight years.

 

[mackenzie]

ChefCK- I agree with you. I think it is important to underline the fact that everyone has to educate themselfs about nutrition. For instance, beverages- we get a lot of "empty" calories from the things we drink. It is better to eat an orange than to drink a glass of orangejuice. and if you are like me; a sugarjunkie, don't even drink the dietsodas, because the artifical sweetner can affect you insuline level and you get the same affect as if you have been drinking the regular soda. And besides aspartame for instanse can effect the brain so you can develope alzaimers. It is easy to lose weight, anyone can do it, the hard part is to keep it of and with proper education it becomes possible.
So, now I'm done with my semireligious ranting. sorry

 

[Minerva]

www.mypyramid.gov is an excellent source for proper serving size and the types/amounts of food to eat. Did you know that the preferred serving size of a meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards. A daily serving of meat is only 5 ounces. The American standard is 8, 12, 16 ounces.

I'm going to have to disagree with you that the so-called "Food Pyramid" works for everyone. What does work is to think about what your ancestors would have been eating, and go with that. Those foods are what you've evolved to be eating. If you stick to that, you should be safe enough.

I'll use myself as an example. That tiny portion of meat with a load of carbs would do me in completely. My family runs to hypoglycemia. If we don't get at least as much protein as carbs, we get seriously messed-up blood sugar. And I'll tell you, since I was pregnant, I've been prone to dreadful reflux. Carbs make it worse, so the last thing I need to be looking for dinner is a plate of pasta with a tiny meatball or two. I'll take the nice 20oz porterhouse with some soup instead of potato, or a nice place of fish and rice if it's not a steak place, thank you very much!

I'm sure there's someone out there who does well on a steady diet of low-protein food, but to say everyone should eat like that is silly.

 

[Lillemor]

I'm going to have to disagree with you that the so-called "Food Pyramid" works for everyone. What does work is to think about what your ancestors would have been eating, and go with that. Those foods are what you've evolved to be eating. If you stick to that, you should be safe enough.

I'll use myself as an example. That tiny portion of meat with a load of carbs would do me in completely. My family runs to hypoglycemia. If we don't get at least as much protein as carbs, we get seriously messed-up blood sugar. And I'll tell you, since I was pregnant, I've been prone to dreadful reflux. Carbs make it worse, so the last thing I need to be looking for dinner is a plate of pasta with a tiny meatball or two. I'll take the nice 20oz porterhouse with some soup instead of potato, or a nice place of fish and rice if it's not a steak place, thank you very much!

I'm sure there's someone out there who does well on a steady diet of low-protein food, but to say everyone should eat like that is silly.

The food pyramid is supposed to be turned upside down now according to nutrion "experts". I do find that the foods in the bottom of the pyramid throws my weight completely out of control. When I cut down on white bread, pasta, and generally wheat and starchy foods, the weight just flew off. I used to be obese but I've never had a sweet tooth or any other cravings than wheat products.

Like many people of Mongolid ancestry, I have lactose intolerance to some degree. I can eat cheese but I'll have to reserve the toilet for a whole day if I have as much as a glass of cold milk . So while milk can take off some of the hunger it's not for everyone.

Since going from obese to slim last year, I probably obsess more about fitness and nutrition than others. I hope it passes. For a while last year I got a high out of going a bit under the ideal but not into underweight. I think I'm over that stage now and I try to just stay a couple of kilos on either side of my ideal weight which is one I've chosen out of my "normal" healthy BMI range.

 

[Blondie]

Lillemor would love to hear how you lost the weight !
Its amazing how we all have to find what works for us , not everyone can do the same diet and get results,
i tried WW and gained weight !
Did anyone see Secret Lives of Women on TV last night ( was a repeat )about the Burlesque Dancer at Viva Las Vegas who lost 100 plus pounds ? Was great !!!

 

[artful dodgette]

that's amazing laura!:eusa_clap

 

[Minerva]

The food pyramid is supposed to be turned upside down now according to nutrion "experts". I do find that the foods in the bottom of the pyramid throws my weight completely out of control. When I cut down on white bread, pasta, and generally wheat and starchy foods, the weight just flew off. I used to be obese but I've never had a sweet tooth or any other cravings than wheat products.

Like many people of Mongolid ancestry, I have lactose intolerance to some degree. I can eat cheese but I'll have to reserve the toilet for a whole day if I have as much as a glass of cold milk . So while milk can take off some of the hunger it's not for everyone.

I hear you on the lactose intolerance! You might try goat- or sheep-milk instead of cow, if you can get them. I find that I tolerate those better. If National Geographic is to be believed, those are the common meat animals for my father's family's ancestral region. I don't think cows are common in West Africa, so it stands to reason that cow's milk and I do not get along. I think sometimes the diet experts forget that most of the world is not of European descent when they make suggestions about dairy products.

My husband will also vouch on the weight loss from cutting down the carbs. He may have complained about the higher-protein diet I've been switching us to, but he's lost a much-needed bit of weight.

 

[Swing Kitty]

Do you know what? I'm just rubbish at dieting. I'll start a diet, fail miserably after a couple of days because they're all too restrictive, and then feel so crap about myself for failing that I end up eating more rubbish. It's a vicious cycle I've been in for years

And I'm not even overweight! I'm the right weight for my height! I've just convinced myself I need to lost weight, cause I'm a total ninny. So, now I've decided, healthy eating, not restricting myself (it sounds like such a clichè, but as soon as I tell myself I can't have something...i.e. cheese, it's all I bloody want) and letting myself have what I feel like, and do more walking! I used to play badminton as well, which I really enjoyed, so I'm thinking about taking it up again.

I read this quote the other day by a model who had an eating disorder:

"I think that half the women in this world who are plus-size would not be if they never went on a diet."

And I really think that's true. It's the horrid yo-yoing that makes you gain weight.

Damn dieting

 

[Lillemor]

Blondie. You're not going to believe this but I had tried and tried to lose weight for nearly a decade and I was just praying that I could lose at least 2½kgs/5lbs over 2 years. Things just got worse after each child birth and I'd been overweight most of my life. Then I had a bad case of the flu in
Nov.06. After that, instead of trying to regain apetite as many usually do after an illness and just continue to eat as they always have, I decided to take advantage of my diminished appetite and also cut out the evil I suspected was guilty of my overweight and it turned out I was right

Cutting heavily down on carbs and accepting that I had, relative to my built and height, been eating too much helped me to shed the lbs by watching those carbs carefully and eating portions that are more in proportion to what a person of my height and built should be eating. I just need to get that last part into some people's (read; other women's) heads!

Minerva, thanks for the tips. I'll look into it. I don't know what diary animals are common in SE Asia but I do know that Asians in high school used to wring their noses when I told them that Danish children commonly drink cold milk, several times a day. The Asians I visited occasionally served hot milk but they were South Asians of Caucasian ancestry and not Mongolid though there are plenty of Mongolid or mixed Caucasian/Mongolid people in those countries too.

 

[Blondie]

LilleMor,
That is FANTASTIC !
You are truely inspirational,
a very sensible way to lose weight :eusa_clap

 

[Naama]

I read this quote the other day by a model who had an eating disorder:

"I think that half the women in this world who are plus-size would not be if they never went on a diet."

And I really think that's true. It's the horrid yo-yoing that makes you gain weight.

Damn dieting

Well, I have to say I was overweighed from my mid to my late teens, and I went on a diet (a rather drastic one) and lost a lot of weight, but after that I changed a lot of my eating habits and since I knew about all the calories of the different foods, I could maintaine my weight (a bit of the weight came back, but only a little, I'm on a normal weight by now).
So if you change you're nutrition afterwards, I think there is not really a problem with going on a "diet" (but with "diet" I think you should rather count calories then doing crazy things like only eating cabbage soup for 2 weeks)



Naama

 

[Lillemor]

Well, I have to say I was overweighed from my mid to my late teens, and I went on a diet (a rather drastic one) and lost a lot of weight, but after that I changed a lot of my eating habits and since I knew about all the calories of the different foods, I could maintaine my weight (a bit of the weight came back, but only a little, I'm on a normal weight by now).
So if you change you're nutrition afterwards, I think there is not really a problem with going on a "diet" (but with "diet" I think you should rather count calories then doing crazy things like only eating cabbage soup for 2 weeks)



Naama

I was typing, then the phone rang and everything went haywire. I was going to post something like that so thanks Naame. I've never dieted and only thought of ways I could tolerably change my permanent "diet". I think the feeling of failure and triumph takes over and that's what's causing the vicious cycle for many women.

Right now I have 3kgs to lose because I've been eating too many icecreams and "snobrød". The last thing is a type of bread you bake over an open fire on a stick. Anyway, I know it's just the extra junk I have to cut out.

It's not what you eat on special occasions or occasionally but what you eat in between those times that matter

Sorry, it's not my intention to sound better knowing, lecture or make anyone feel miserable.

fftopic: I think all my posts need to come with that disclaimer. I just have a strange way of wording things when I write as opposed to when I speak. I'm not intentionally insensitive. *Peace!*

 

[FedoraGent]

Has anyone ever done Weight Watchers?

Folks,

As time goes by I'm starting to realize that I need to take hold of certain parts of my life that are lacking. One serious situation is my weight and I've always struggled thoroughly with that. It's always been an up and down thing, and I've had people suggest Weight Watchers. Has anyone ever done Weight Watchers and do you know if it's expensive?

FG.

 

[Josephine]

Folks,

As time goes by I'm starting to realize that I need to take hold of certain parts of my life that are lacking. One serious situation is my weight and I've always struggled thoroughly with that. It's always been an up and down thing, and I've had people suggest Weight Watchers. Has anyone ever done Weight Watchers and do you know if it's expensive?

FG.

I did WW online, it was $15 a month for it. I lost about 40 lb (plateaued, got bummed, ate more, and gain some back but that's my fault), The Husband lost more than me and kept most of it off. I think if you go to the meetings you will keep it off better than I did, we just could not get to meetings with the three kids we have.

 

[anabolina]

My sister's on weight watchers and she loves it. She's hasn't lost too much weight in the last year, but she hasn't gained any either. I lost about 15 pounds in Korea because I didn't really like the taste of Korean food, so I ate just enough to feel satisfied without feeling full. In the evenings I ate sandwiches and the ocaisonal pizza, so I was only really skimping on lunch and ate a normal breakfast and felt really heavy and lethargic whenever I ate heavy foods, oh and walked 1-2 hours a day with my dog. lol. I don't know if the weight came off because of the food or the walking.

My fav diet is Atkins. All my fav foods and I feel satisfied. I try really to limit it to leaner meats and as many veggies as I can get, because I think the cheese it what makes me feel heavy. I tried the mini-meals thing once and couldn't stay on it long enough to see a benefit, I was hungry all the time and only thought about food.

I know everyone's body chemistry is different, as is our psyches. I'm an emotional eater. I feel stressed and depressed and carboload and feel horrid afterward. My weight's been creeping up steadily because I keep running up to Taco Bell and Sonic since I'm temping right now and looking for a permanent job. I'm trying to control that behavoir and recomitted to watching what I eat a few days ago and am still in the honeymoon phase where if someone offered me a peice of chocolate cake, I would turn them down. I'm going to try to meet goal by January 1. Wish me luck!!!

ETA: Has anyone tried electronic fitness games? I'ev been looking at them lately as a way to make fitness more, you know, fun. I tried the Yourself Fitness and it was a total snoozefest. Awesome idea, but I only did it once because the workout was 30minutes of basically the same 3 moves with varying intensities. The Wii and Wii fit is too expensive at $350 and so I settled on the eyetoy and convinced my Mom to buy it for the family. The eyetoy works with the ps2 and is a camera that films you into the games. For example, we only have kinetic right now and have only tried 2 of the mini-games so for. This one where you hit one color ball while avoiding the other color ball. Now that's fun, but the combat/kickboxing one is a lot more fun. Me and 2 of my sisters were up late last night doing it and kept puching each other out of the way to take a turn. Aw good times. For example, in the combat game you punch, elbow, kick, and duck around the ball on the screen and the camera catches your movesments and while you play the game, it tells when you hit it, are hit, and suchlike. The camera isn't totally acurate, but its still a lot of fun so far. So has anyone else tried e-fitness?