Wellness

[Mindy D]

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@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

I have heard that you should never use the word "diet" when you are trying to lose weight!  It has such a negative connotation.  Well, I am trying to "diet", "modify my eating  habits", "eat less", "eat healthier", or whatever you want to call it, but I seem to be struggling and I don't feel like I am getting much of any where! 

I haven't "dieted" in many years.  In my younger years, I was no stranger to diets, having gone on just about every known diet at the time, including, total starvation (pretty much), cabbage soup diet, no carbs, weight watchers, jenny craig, l.a. weight loss, etc. --- all with varying degrees of success.  

I was at the weight I wanted to be for a long time but after recently retiring, put on quite a few pounds.  When I retired, I really retired!  Any how, I put the brakes on and decided --- enough is enough.  

I don't want to go on any set plan or special diet, but what I want to ask of you all here is what tips and things work for you when trying to lose some weight?

What I have been doing is this:  

Eat a regular breakfast consisting of a small bowl of oats, banana and coffee with dash of low fat cream

No lunch or snack

Dinner-- normal dinner with a meat - perhaps chicken, steak, pork, vegetable, small salad and mixed fruit bowl - occasionally a starch

No snack 

Once a week I allow myself a piece of cake or scoop or icecream

Should I be having snacks??

Does this seem like a decent way to eat to lose weight?

Also, do you weigh yourself daily or once a week?

DH says I should weight myself every day, as he does.  When I do this, I tend to get disgusted if I don't lose or go up and then get discouraged.  I think I might do better if I would do once a week, maybe this is not being diligent enough though.

I do walk pretty much daily for at least an hour, maybe more.  So far, I haven't been able to do other exercises but have been doing yard work and other chores.

I have lost a bit of weight but seem to be stuck and some days go up a bit.  Do you have any advice or tips for me before I get discouraged and quit??

Sorry this is so long!!

I appreciate your support and help! 

(By the way, I don't have a ton to lose --- approximately 15 lbs)

Thanks!!

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You can eat a big salad but measure your dressings and keep track of the dressing calories. Some dressings can be much lower in calories than others. Watch what you put on the vegetables; butter, keep track of this. Chicken skin is high calorie and if you remove it you can save plenty of calories. You don’t have to remove it every time. Your plan is a little low in calcium, you could add in a salad dressing using plain yogurt in the recipe. 

[AngelPuppy1]

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@Mindy D wrote:

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@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

I have heard that you should never use the word "diet" when you are trying to lose weight!  It has such a negative connotation.  Well, I am trying to "diet", "modify my eating  habits", "eat less", "eat healthier", or whatever you want to call it, but I seem to be struggling and I don't feel like I am getting much of any where! 

I haven't "dieted" in many years.  In my younger years, I was no stranger to diets, having gone on just about every known diet at the time, including, total starvation (pretty much), cabbage soup diet, no carbs, weight watchers, jenny craig, l.a. weight loss, etc. --- all with varying degrees of success.  

I was at the weight I wanted to be for a long time but after recently retiring, put on quite a few pounds.  When I retired, I really retired!  Any how, I put the brakes on and decided --- enough is enough.  

I don't want to go on any set plan or special diet, but what I want to ask of you all here is what tips and things work for you when trying to lose some weight?

What I have been doing is this:  

Eat a regular breakfast consisting of a small bowl of oats, banana and coffee with dash of low fat cream

No lunch or snack

Dinner-- normal dinner with a meat - perhaps chicken, steak, pork, vegetable, small salad and mixed fruit bowl - occasionally a starch

No snack 

Once a week I allow myself a piece of cake or scoop or icecream

Should I be having snacks??

Does this seem like a decent way to eat to lose weight?

Also, do you weigh yourself daily or once a week?

DH says I should weight myself every day, as he does.  When I do this, I tend to get disgusted if I don't lose or go up and then get discouraged.  I think I might do better if I would do once a week, maybe this is not being diligent enough though.

I do walk pretty much daily for at least an hour, maybe more.  So far, I haven't been able to do other exercises but have been doing yard work and other chores.

I have lost a bit of weight but seem to be stuck and some days go up a bit.  Do you have any advice or tips for me before I get discouraged and quit??

Sorry this is so long!!

I appreciate your support and help! 

(By the way, I don't have a ton to lose --- approximately 15 lbs)

Thanks!!

---

What is really helpful to me, no matter what I eat, is keeping track of what I eat. It can be surprising how many calories are in things and it can also surprise you how little activity you can be getting. For your plan, you might want to use the free app called MYFITNESSPAL. This will help you stay organized, focused, and know more about your progress. The only negative with this plan is that it doesn’t help with people that have almost no mobility, but since you are walking, this wouldn’t be an issue for you. You can use an analogy between keeping track of your food and activity and keeping track of how much money up you spend from your bank account. 

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@Mindy D 

I have a little journal which I'm writing my foods down.  Yes, it is amazing how helpful this is.  It keeps you more mindful of what you are eating!  Thanks for your post!

[AngelPuppy1]

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@Mindy D wrote:

---

@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

I have heard that you should never use the word "diet" when you are trying to lose weight!  It has such a negative connotation.  Well, I am trying to "diet", "modify my eating  habits", "eat less", "eat healthier", or whatever you want to call it, but I seem to be struggling and I don't feel like I am getting much of any where! 

I haven't "dieted" in many years.  In my younger years, I was no stranger to diets, having gone on just about every known diet at the time, including, total starvation (pretty much), cabbage soup diet, no carbs, weight watchers, jenny craig, l.a. weight loss, etc. --- all with varying degrees of success.  

I was at the weight I wanted to be for a long time but after recently retiring, put on quite a few pounds.  When I retired, I really retired!  Any how, I put the brakes on and decided --- enough is enough.  

I don't want to go on any set plan or special diet, but what I want to ask of you all here is what tips and things work for you when trying to lose some weight?

What I have been doing is this:  

Eat a regular breakfast consisting of a small bowl of oats, banana and coffee with dash of low fat cream

No lunch or snack

Dinner-- normal dinner with a meat - perhaps chicken, steak, pork, vegetable, small salad and mixed fruit bowl - occasionally a starch

No snack 

Once a week I allow myself a piece of cake or scoop or icecream

Should I be having snacks??

Does this seem like a decent way to eat to lose weight?

Also, do you weigh yourself daily or once a week?

DH says I should weight myself every day, as he does.  When I do this, I tend to get disgusted if I don't lose or go up and then get discouraged.  I think I might do better if I would do once a week, maybe this is not being diligent enough though.

I do walk pretty much daily for at least an hour, maybe more.  So far, I haven't been able to do other exercises but have been doing yard work and other chores.

I have lost a bit of weight but seem to be stuck and some days go up a bit.  Do you have any advice or tips for me before I get discouraged and quit??

Sorry this is so long!!

I appreciate your support and help! 

(By the way, I don't have a ton to lose --- approximately 15 lbs)

Thanks!!

---

You can eat a big salad but measure your dressings and keep track of the dressing calories. Some dressings can be much lower in calories than others. Watch what you put on the vegetables; butter, keep track of this. Chicken skin is high calorie and if you remove it you can save plenty of calories. You don’t have to remove it every time. Your plan is a little low in calcium, you could add in a salad dressing using plain yogurt in the recipe. 

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@Mindy D 

I do like salads, luckily.  I don't care for the skin of chicken so never eat that.  I think I need to add so greek yogurt perhaps to my diet for some more calcium.  Thank you for your post!

[magicmoodz]

@AngelPuppy1 

I'm not sure if it has been brought up yet, but have you considered intermittent fasting? The premise isn't what you eat, but when you eat. The window of eating is usually 8 hours, say from noon to 8:00 pm.

This way of eating has gotten to be a popular lifestyle for many. I just read Halle Berry doesn't begin eating until 2:00 pm. It seems if you skipped breakfast and had lunch instead you would be practicing this concept.

[AngelPuppy1]

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@magicmoodz wrote:

@AngelPuppy1 

I'm not sure if it has been brought up yet, but have you considered intermittent fasting? The premise isn't what you eat, but when you eat. The window of eating is usually 8 hours, say from noon to 8:00 pm.

This way of eating has gotten to be a popular lifestyle for many. I just read Halle Berry doesn't begin eating until 2:00 pm. It seems if you skipped breakfast and had lunch instead you would be practicing this concept.

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@magicmoodz 

I have read and heard about this.  Not sure about it though.  I guess in a way I sort of fast. Some days I don't eat anything from about 4:00 p.m. until about 5:00 a.m. next morning.  Thanks for your post!  

[Mindy D]

A couple of posters mentioned potatoes. Potatoes are great, BUT, there’s a big problem with what people crave and put on them. If you eat potatoes and crave a topping you will have to create one that is not high in calories.

I’d like to add that small red potatoes with the skin on are delicious. You could eat three to four of them depending on size, but you have to count the calories you’re getting. I make enough potatoes for the family by boiling them until soft. Then I transfer to a pot and measure a bit of olive oil, small amount of salt, add fresh very finely chopped or puréed garlic and cilantro paste that’s sold in the vegetable section of the grocery store. I just mix the stuff to coat the potatoes and heat on medium for a minute. The olive has to be measured. Nice to add this to your meal a couple times a week. 

If you start adding to your first meal plan, with just one medium baked potato with butter on both halves, you add many calories. So be careful with things you add on. 

[sidsmom]

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@Mindy D wrote:

A couple of posters mentioned potatoes. Potatoes are great, 

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I stopped there.😆

I LOVE potatoes.

They are soooo low in calories & fat...and so satiating &

talk about comfort food!  I just finished a 10-day challenge

eating nothing but potatoes & non-starchy vegetables.

No added fat...just s/p, ketchup, non-fat condiments.  

Mashed, baked fries, steamed, soups, grilled.

I ate roughly 3lbs of potatoes a day...and lost 2~pounds   

It’s such a simple way to eat...just on autopilot..and talk about cheap!

Can’t recommend it enough for weight loss & regain health. 

[magicmoodz]

@AngelPuppy1 

Please don't think I am being bossy.   I just want to share with you what I have studied. 

I think your window of eating is a bit too long. You are clocking in at 12 hours and for weight loss, optimum would be around 8 hours. I know it's hard. I get up at 3:45am and try not to eat before 10:00 am. It's probably not that I am so hungry; it's that I was conditioned to eat breakfast early.

You sound committed to reaching a goal. I am sure you will find your groove!

[Catiele]

I started eating less about six days ago. Don’t like to use word diet. It just doesn’t work for me. I am eating less and no desert and walking. I have lost three pounds. That may be all I lose. For me having a goal doesn’t work. Good luck girls.

[AngelPuppy1]

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@Mindy D wrote:

A couple of posters mentioned potatoes. Potatoes are great, BUT, there’s a big problem with what people crave and put on them. If you eat potatoes and crave a topping you will have to create one that is not high in calories.

I’d like to add that small red potatoes with the skin on are delicious. You could eat three to four of them depending on size, but you have to count the calories you’re getting. I make enough potatoes for the family by boiling them until soft. Then I transfer to a pot and measure a bit of olive oil, small amount of salt, add fresh very finely chopped or puréed garlic and cilantro paste that’s sold in the vegetable section of the grocery store. I just mix the stuff to coat the potatoes and heat on medium for a minute. The olive has to be measured. Nice to add this to your meal a couple times a week. 

If you start adding to your first meal plan, with just one medium baked potato with butter on both halves, you add many calories. So be careful with things you add on. 

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@Mindy D 

I like potatoes a lot -- what's not to like, right??  But, I try not to eat a lot of them in any fashion.  Thanks!