July Healthy Living Club

[Carol]

Post your diet / excercise / lifestyle questions, concerns, tips and experiences here!

Good Luck, Everyone. :walk:

[TheDuckRocks]

Once again I'm stuck!:( No weight change in 2 weeks now. Only 4 more pounds to reach my Weight Watcher goal, can't belive how hard these last few pounds have become.:mad:

[sagessa]

This is the first time I've poked my head into the Healthy Living Club, but I could use some help and maybe a little encouragement.

I've been losing weight fairly steadily (38 lbs since December), but for the past few weeks the scale seems to be stuck. I could really use some tips on how to change things up to get the scale moving again.

Mostly what I've been doing is portion control and calorie cutting (I'm getting really sick of Lean Cuisine for lunch at work!). I know I need to start adding excercise, but I'm not sure where to start.

Any advice on how to make my meals more exciting, or how to get more active would be greatly appreciated!

Rachel R.

[kaerbear178]

Any advice on how to make my meals more exciting, or how to get more active would be greatly appreciated!

Rachel R.

Hi Rachel,
This is my first time posting here as well. My best advice would be to start exercising. I have always stopped and started in the past but I have a friend that I go with to the gym now and it makes working out a lot more fun. Start out easy at first. Weight training mixed with cardio is important. It will make you feel stronger and it's how you get that toned appearance. If you don't like going to the gym start by taking walks around your neighborhood. Good luck!

So far I have lost 10 pounds in 8 weeks, but I have lost a lot of inches around my legs which is where I have been focusing my energies. 5 months until my wedding and disneymoon! 15 pounds to go.

[ImagiAsh]

These tips are based off of my own personal diet and exercise routines:

1) MOST HELPFUL TIP (in my opinion): Make a list of the foods you wish to cut out. My list included: french fries, dunkin donuts, ice cream, KFC, hamburgers, and hot dogs. I don't drink soda, but if I did, that would be on there. Actually having a list written out helps so much, because I just keep it in my pocketbook and can pull it out wherever I am to do a double check and make sure I'm not eating something I said I wouldn't eat. I believe more in portion control than actually getting rid of foods all together, but if you want to take the pounds off, I found it better to just get rid of those tempting (and unhealthy!!) foods and then portion control whatever you allow yourself to eat afterwards.

2) Try to avoid the "excess" of meals. I'm talking about toppings that you can do without. If you get a salad, recognize how many unnecessary calories come with it. Get rid of that parmesan cheese, croutons, bread stick, etc. Stick with the low fat dressings or consider getting a spritzer from your local supermarket to do a portion control on the amount of dressing you put on. My personal fav salad to get is a small Romaine dish with grilled chicken and vinaigrette dressing. :thumbsup:

3) Have breakfast! I'm not a doctor, but I recall hearing that having a healthy breakfast to kick off your morning will help the digestive system throughout the day. I usually do fruit or yogurt and a small container of cereal (pretty good for the train ride into NYC:) ) Plus, it helps wake ya up!!

4) As far as exercising:

Walk! This is probably THE most important thing you can do. Find time in your day for walking. No, I don't mean count the 15 feet you walk to your car every morning.;) Try and set aside 15-30mins of your day for the sole purpose of walking. For me, I commute into NYC everyday from Long Island. I arrive 30 minutes before my job actually starts and I spend that time each morning walking 6 avenues along Central Park. Obviously, I don't know everyone's circumstances, but if you could find any time to walk, it's the best thing you could do for yourself.
Situps! Ugh, ya I know. The dreaded situps. Many people don't do them, because they just hate doing them. :secret: You don't need to sit down for 1 hour doing situps, but a good idea would be to do 50 situps (or whatever your goal is) right before you get in the shower. Concentrate on doing your situps slowly. The slower you go, the more your muscles are working out. Taking ten minutes out before you hop in the shower isn't THAT bad, is it?
Weights! Now folks... this is simple! You can do this while watching TV!! It would be hard for me to recommend (and describe) specific weight lifting techniques on here, so you can look up examples on google if you have any questions.
:mickey:

[conorsmom2000]

or how to get more active would be greatly appreciated!

Rachel R.



Walk! This is probably THE most important thing you can do. Find time in your day for walking. No, I don't mean count the 15 feet you walk to your car every morning.;) Try and set aside 15-30mins of your day for the sole purpose of walking. For me, I commute into NYC everyday from Long Island. I arrive 30 minutes before my job actually starts and I spend that time each morning walking 6 avenues along Central Park. Obviously, I don't know everyone's circumstances, but if you could find any time to walk, it's the best thing you could do for yourself.

I've been away from this thread for way too long, but am finally getting on track! :blush:

I wanted to add to what was said about the walking - it really is the easiest, best exercise you can do for yourself! I got my sister and I both pedometers (Ormon HJ-112 for anyone interested - the best pedometer I've ever owned! :thumbsup: ) We have a competition each week to see who can get the most steps in. The guidelines are to try and get 10,000 steps a day (4 to 5 miles, depending on your stride). It's harder than it sounds - on a typical day at home, if I'm not really paying attention to my steps, I might only do 4,500! So, now I've started walking my dog twice a day (15 to 20 minutes a walk) and I try to find other ways to get the steps to hit the 10,000 and I can definitely see results. This pedomter tracks steps, aerobic steps (any 10 minutes+ of consistent walking), calories burned, and distance - it keeps 7 days in it's memory so you can monitor your progress. It has definitely been a huge motivator in getting me to walk more! :mickey: :thumbsup:

[Horizon93]

My first time here as well. Ggreat thread!

DW and I have been following the YOU: On A Diet plan since January. We started with the purging of the fridge and the cabinets of all of the bad stuff. That was hard, but kind of fun.We have cpmmpletely changed what we eat.

We walk 30 minutes a day no matter what. I also wear a podometer. A little Omron. It works great and is tons of fun on WDW trips.

I believe that changing what you eat and drink, and exercising every day really helps. I have lost 17 pounds but more importantly, 2" off my waist and I have way more energy! DW has had very similar results. (She was in much better shape than I when we started.) It helps working as a team.

Good luck everyone! Glad I found the thread.

[TheDuckRocks]

"Another pound bites the dust and another ones gone....."
Can anyone tell I've been listening to Queen?
67 pounds gone or the amount my 9 year old granddaughter weighs. I can't even pick her up and I have carrying that around with me 24/7.
3 more pounds to Weight Watcher goal. My doctor would like to see me lose 7 more than that....SOOOOOO! We'll see.
And the best news is I've had my high blood pressure meds reduced and my colesterol (sp) count is 171 down from 238. WOOOHOOO!!!

[Horizon93]

Kay, that is great! Congratulations!:muscles: great to see the BP amd cholesterol going down. It is incredible what a healthy diet and exercise plan can do.

[ImagiAsh]

And the best news is I've had my high blood pressure meds reduced and my colesterol (sp) count is 171 down from 238. WOOOHOOO!!!

Congratulations, Kay!!! That is such great news!:D

[Here we go again...]

Congratulations Kay!!! I know you will reach your goal. :thumbsup:

I am back on track after being in Disney World and Destin for 10 days. I tried and tried to stick to salads, but I can only eat so much green stuff.
I did avoid fried foods, and realized today that even though I did eat plenty of red meats and chicken, I was able to avoid the carbs... without even thinking about it. I did not have any burgers or fries, and I stayed away from potatoes and chips too. And, I was happy with only a tase of the deserts. Hmmmm... maybe I am learning how to eat a little healthier!

For those of you asking about exercise, I highly reccommend a swimming pool. We have a therapy place that offers a wellness program. We have access to the pool and gym, but I am doing much better in the pool. I am going with a friend that wants and needs to lose weight too. So, she is actually pushing me very hard right now. I think we are good for each other.

I go to WW Saturday... Wish me luck. If I was able to maintain my weight in Disney I will be happy. Since the doctor said I could walk no more than 3 hours a day I was limited to the amount of exercise I could do. (She also said that anyone who goes to Disney World 5 weeks after knee replacement is insane :blush: ) So I am hoping for no gain this week...

[TheDuckRocks]

Angel, your doctor must be one of those "others" who never do get our love of Disney.
I will be interested to hear how you did on your trip when you weigh in on Saturday. I think you'll do OK. And remember one of the most important things we learn on the program is the ablity to get right back on track at the next meal. :thumbsup:

[princessjojo]

These ideas are really interesting. DH & I are both trying to lose some size and weight. DH needed to lose about 40-50lbs. So far he has lost about 20 over the last 2 weeks. Where he works, it's really hot and he has to climb about 8 stories every day, sometimes many many times. That, combined with the heat, he has either worked it off or sweated it off.

I on the other hand, only want to lose about 10lbs, but am looking more into losing more size than weight. I try not to get too hung up on the numbers, but make note of my progress with the pants I wore 2 years ago. It's a realistic goal for me, but it's really hard. I really want to control the issue before I let it get out of hand.

I want to be in great walking condition before next June, too! Can't let the kids outdo me, can I?

[marlyn]

Hi gang. Congrats to all who are doing such a fantastic job on their weight loss journey. :thumbsup:

I agree with everyone about exercise, especially for those reaching a plateau. Even starting with a short walk is better than nothing. I am going to Curves and really like it.

I have been on WW for a long time and have been getting too lazy with it. I needed a kick start to get back on track so I have started doing the Slim Fast plan. I find the meal bars and shakes much easier to stick to with my busy work schedule. It is fruit and vegetable season so I am stocking up on lots of different things to help with my snack cravings. I think the key is to always have healthy, yummy choices on hand so you don't impulse eat.

Good luck to everyone. 351 days until my Cruise! I will be thin and healthy by then!

[dlpmikki]

My BiL had a minor heart attack and his method to lose weight was to eat off smaller plates. This gave him his portion control and he has lost several stone.

I lost weight and got better toned by following Body for Life. It's all about being sensible in eating and exercising. As others have said swimming is very good exercise without being hard on your body. Walking is also excellent and easy to implement. Try walking up stairs more as that is great cardio exercise. My main exercise is tennis now but I play several times a week for a few hours at a time. It is great fun ;) Fortnately after i have played tennis I usually don't have much appetite either so that works well too.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water when you exercise.

[Here we go again...]

Well guys, I went to my weigh in today since I will be out of town tomorrow.

After spending 10 days in Disney World and Destin.....
Drum roll please...:drum:

I lost 6 pounds!!!!!!
I could not believe it! I have now lost 29.4 pounds. I am feeling better and the exercise is getting easier. If only this darn knee would cooperate...

[Horizon93]

Congrats Angel!:muscles:

I think we all walk so much at WDW that it helps as long as we make sound menu choices. I know on our last trip, the podometer showed 70 miles walking! That burns some calories!

Good luck with your knee.

[Lacy]

Kay and Angel Congrats to both of you on your successes. Angel, that is quite an accomplishment to not only not gain weight but to actually continue to lose weight on a trip!

This is my first time in this thread as well. Over the last several months I noticed most of my clothes weren't fitting so I decided it is time to get serious. I've started the Best Life Diet, which I like because it isn't really like a diet. It recommends increasing you activity level and getting a pedometer to help track this. So I got a pedometer at Target but I've noticed that it isn't very accurate. I clipped it on counted 20 steps and checked the pedometer and it said 30. I had my DH try it as well to make sure it wasn't just my walk and he had the same result. So I have a question for those of you that use pedometers. Do yours match your step counts or do you account for it being a little off and shoot for more than 10,000 steps on the pedometer?

[Horizon93]

Lacy,

I wear a podometer every day. It is an Omron. It is really accurate, I had to measure my stride and enter it in. It works great and it cost me about $20.

[TheDuckRocks]

I lost 6 pounds!!!!!!

I told you so!:D

Now for me I was up 1/2 pound on Saturday.:(
I do know why......I wasn't eating as I should have been.:blush:
Well, a new week has started for me and I'm behaving myself. I think I'm so close to goal that I'm becoming a smarty pants and can go back to the old habits that got me fat in the first place. No, I can't! And no I don't really want to either.

[Here we go again...]

Kay,
Please don't get discouraged by a little gain. We all know that our weight can fluctuate for many reasons. Keep looking forward... never look back. That person (or 2) that you once were is long gone. I know when I get to my goal I will have lost an entire person... that is scary. How do we let that happen?

Anyway, keep up the good work and think about the bright healthy future you have ahead of you. :thumbsup:

[ElenitaB]

Congratulations, Kay! :notworth: Congrats, Angel, on the good work (and the loss) while you were on vacation! :thumbsup:

WW was just not doing it for me this time around as I'm way too busy at work to have time to cook and shop to cook. Soooo, I ordered NutriSystem (for both me and DS :secret: ). I'm on my second day now... the food is decent (and high fiber) and I'm drinking 8 cups of water and eating 3+ vegetables, 2 fruit and 2 dairy servings... right in line with WW and American Cancer Society recommendations. At this point, the convenience, the limited food choices and the fact that it's ready and waiting for us, fits into my life right now. Next week I'll report in the results of Week 1.

[Here we go again...]

Ellen, I am so happy to see you have joined Nutri System. I hear they have a wonderful program. I hope you do as well as one of my friend. The weight just falls off of her.

How is Ben Doing on the food?

[ElenitaB]

So far there's been only one thing he didn't like (their breakfast pastry which smelled awesome but looked to have the texture of a whole wheat Fig Newton - he doesn't like those either). Everything else has received a big :thumbsup: He did go out to lunch yesterday at Bubba Gump's with friends (while I was getting treatment) and even there he tried to find what he thought was the less fattening option on the menu and drank water instead of his usual Speckled Lemonade. And they walked all over the city... so much so that he fell asleep driving home yesterday afternoon and his legs were tired last night.

I think he likes the novelty of being able to pick out what he wants to try.

[Here we go again...]

Well, I managed to stay on track again this week. I went to Weight Watchers this morning and lost another 1.4 pounds!
I am now down a total of 30.8!! :cloud9:
I would love to see it come off faster, but they say this is the way to do it and keep it off. We will see.

I bought the Hip Hop Abs videos... has anyone tried them? I have yet to even open the package.

[Horizon93]

Congrats Angel! Keep yp the good work!

Hey, anyone here read YOU: On a Diet? It is similar to WW. DW and I have been following it since Jan 1. It has worked incredibly for both of us. Just curious to see if anyone else is following it.

[TheDuckRocks]

Weigh-in yesterday.....stayed the same!
Those last 3 & 1/2 pounds are really making me mad!!!!:mad:
(And I have been eating correctly!!!)

[ElenitaB]

Kay, don't despair. You're plateauing and just have to wait it out. Keep at it, up your water intake and change out the exercise routine!

I finished my first week on NutriSystem. I've been off it twice but neither time with major extravagances (a single burger with a salad, for example), and all I have to show for it is a 3 pound loss. :( I really had been hoping for something more. Oh well, I'll keep on going and see what I can do by the end of the month.

Yes, many of us have read You: On a Diet and some folk here are following it as well. Glad you're getting good results with it. Are you following the exercise plan as well?

[Horizon93]

Ellen,

DW and I are following it almost to the letter. We do the 20 minute workout with some additional simple free weight work 3 days a week. Walk 30 minutes a day no matter what. We love the change in our eating as well. We really look forward to dinner each day.

The weight loss has been impressive. I dropped a little quicker than DW, (she started out in much better shape than me.) The "waist loss" has been significant. The other thing is that we feel so much beter!

[TheDuckRocks]

Ellen
3 pounds is a wonderful weight loss in a week! Keep up the good work and don't expect losses like they advertise on TV and in magazines. They are just not normal, usually water loss and easy to gain right back.

[Here we go again...]

Ellen,
You should be very proud of a 3 pound weight loss!!
I have been averaging about 2 pounds per week and at first I was really bummed out about it. Now, after losing 30 pounds I am pretty darn excited! I know it will take me a while to get where I want to be, but I am feeling better.

[TheDuckRocks]

Lost 1 pound at my Weight Watchers meeting this morning.:D 2 1/2 to go!!! And better than that is with just 1/2 pound more lost I don't have to pay any more as I'm a Lifetime member.
Oh boy, more money for Mickey :bar: bars at WDW when we go in Jan. (Just kidding! That would kind of defeat the purpose of all the hard work I've put into losing the over 60 pounds this past year.)

[Here we go again...]

I lost 1 pound at my weigh in today! I was worried about this week because we went to New Orleans this week and I had a little extra to eat and I had some mixed drinks. Those mixed drinks sure add points pretty quick...

Tonight I totally blew my diet. It was my DH's surprise 50th birthday party. We had it catered and the food was amazing!

I did get to dance tonight... My knee is finally beginning to feel like it belongs to me. Of course I am in a LOT of pain now. It is okay, it was worth it... I have missed dancing and having fun.