Community Chat

[CareBears]

As others have mentioned, Weight Watchers, Weight Watchers, Weight Watchers, it is the BEST lifestyle plan for making permanent changes to improving your health, I guarantee any doctor would stand behind you with this plan!

[AuntG]

Sure I can relate to your struggles.  Wishing you luck - try what you think might work for you and ignore the naysayers on the boards who are quick to tell you what you are doing " wrong".

[nun ya]

I refuse to use the "diet" word. It makes me miserable and I feel like I am missing out on what I want to eat. So...I just eat less of what I want. I started doing this about a yr and a half and lost 40 lbs.

[willdob3]

@Shorty2U

It sounds like you have good intentions but have no clue how to go about it in a healthy manner. Especially because of your back issues, I highly recommend you check out Whole30. It will get the "junk" out of your diet, help you feel better, and also help you identify what foods you might want to limit in the future. It is a great way to get started eating healthy while foods.

[onlyshopsonline]

@Shorty2U  I've lost 40 pounds since September, with very little exercise because of back pain, and muscle weakness.  This has been caused by my hypothyroidism.  I now have a low grade thyroid cancer.  And they have discovered I am also hyperparathyroid (parathyroid adenoma) which may be the cause of my body pain.

I've been insulin resistant for years and it was creeping up, so my endo started me on Metformin.  My whole metabolism is a mess, and it's probably been that way most of my life.  I think The Metformin has helped with my weight loss.  But, I have been careful about what I'm eating.  I've looked at your daily menu, and I don't think you're eating enough, and you need a little more protein.

I'm from an Italian background and never thought I could live without pasta. But, I rarely eat it now.  I don't even eat the whole grain variety.  I do eat Quinoa.  You need to learn to balance your meals with a healthy carb, lean protein, and veggie/fruit.  My typical breakfast is a whole grain sandwhich thin with a slice of low fat cheese and egg.  And, a banana.  That puts me slightly over my mealtime carb count, but it doesn't disturb my blood glucose.  Eating out is difficult.  Even when I thought I was ordering healthy, I checked restaurant nutrition online, and I was astonished at the calorie, fat and carb content of a simple restaurant meal.  If you have a Zoe's Kitchen in your area, try them.  That's about the only place I will eat out anymore.

Another thing that I think has helped was to get my body clock back on track.  Over the years, I had become a night owl and my body clock reversed.  I think a lot of that had to do with my hypothyroidism as well.  I would sleep all day and then couldn't sleep at night.  When my thyroid meds were changed, my sleep cycle normalized quite a bit.

It's a daily struggle.  I fell off the wagon, a little, since Easter.  But, I'm back on track.  Once you have eliminated the "bad" carbs, you'll lose the sugar and carb cravings.  But it does take a couple of weeks, so stick to it!  You'll get there.

[SaRina]

If you completely eliminate foods you love and go on some restrictive eating regimen, you will fail both psychologically and physically. You need to fuel your body with nutrients in order for your metabolism to work optimally.

Do you love pasta and can't imagine living without it? Then you need to have pasta, but there are a few things you can do to minimize the bad effects -- measure it out before cooking, make sure your vegetables out-volume the pasta, make sure to have some lean protein with pasta.... or.... save your pasta for a cheat day, which you should allow yourself.

Some tips that helped me in the past and that I still employ:  I eat my dinner in a bowl or a salad plate, I eat protein at every meal, I only eat carbs like potatoes, bread, pasta, rice at one meal during the day.

Losing weight is 85% diet. With this in mind, I have been able to lose weight during times I wasn't able to exercise.

[SilleeMee]

Buy these two things. Together they will cost less than $25. Very helpful! A nutrition coach suggested these for me. The scale is "Biggest Loser" brand.

[2blonde]

@Shorty2U  You are hungry because you are eating way too many carbs!  Please add more protein to your diet.  Lean chicken, fish, and lots of beans (especially dark red kidney) will be great for you, and you can just add them to your salads.  For breakfast (or whatever your first meal is), eat protein.....even 1 egg will make you feel satisfied for quite a long time.  You can even incorporate a little cheese.  Peanut butter is something I eat by the gallons.....even right from the jar.  It won't make you fat.  Instead of eating only a couple larger meals, you should spread your food out during the day......even 5 small meals will keep your metabolism running higher all day without the insulin spikes.

If you can add some weight training to your routine, that would build some muscle.  Muscle burns calories all day long, even after you're done exercising, while fat justs sits there.  I've been working out, jogging, riding my bike for 38 years, so I've learned a few things.  I'm 68 and still very fit and trim.  I wish you the best of success!

[SaRina]

@2blondesaid:  Peanut butter is something I eat by the gallons.....even right from the jar.  It won't make you fat.

-------------------------------------------------------------

I take some exception to this statement. PB is loaded with calories and fat, so if you eat enough of it, it will make you very fat -- especially for someone who doesn't exercise as rigorously as it sounds like you do.

PB is excellent for satiety and may keep a person from over-eating, but that means only a tsp or tbs in a day.

I can just picture some people sitting there with an open jar of PB, diggin in, so I didn't want them to be misled. :-)

[2blonde]

---

@SaRina wrote:

@2blondesaid:  Peanut butter is something I eat by the gallons.....even right from the jar.  It won't make you fat.

-------------------------------------------------------------

I take some exception to this statement. PB is loaded with calories and fat, so if you eat enough of it, it will make you very fat -- especially for someone who doesn't exercise as rigorously as it sounds like you do.

PB is excellent for satiety and may keep a person from over-eating, but that means only a tsp or tbs in a day.

I can just picture some people sitting there with an open jar of PB, diggin in, so I didn't want them to be mislead. :-)

---

@SaRina  Sorry, but it doesn't work that way for me.  Anytime I get the munchies, I eat some extra crunchy peanut butter, and I feel satisfied. The more of it I eat, the less I eat sweets, and I stay thin.  I also have a desk job where I sit for the better part of 40 hours a week, so it's not like I'm moving all the time.  I'm 5' 4-1/2" and weigh 105.