OT - Going on a Diet

[lollycross]

I'll have a go at it too; I NEED to loose at least 10 pounds,
Lolly

[TelegramSam]

I've lost about 10 pounds since I started college, and I could stand to lose around 15-20 more but frankly I've never been able to stay on a diet more than a few days. I don't snack when I'm at school since I don't keep much food in my room (on purpose), but I still eat cake and other sweets in rather unhealty amounts at mealtimes. I blame the dining halls, most of their food is bleh, but the cookies and cakes are evilly delicious.

[DCrom]

I could stand to loose some weight at the moment, but as long as I'm travelling a lot it's hard to get on a regular diet. For now, I'm just trying to exercise and hold the line.

I'm with T-Sam, though: the easiest weight I ever lost was when I was in college - I lost 15 pounds the first semester. The dining halls were "all you can eat" - it's just that "all you can eat" wasn't much if you had any functioning taste buds.

[Jim Wright]

Need to lose the weight but will stick to walking. Lost 15-20 lbs last summer just walking .. then came winter .. and the holidays .. so back into walking.

If u try walking - get some good walking shoes .. went from 2 to 4 miles by just getting the shoes. Legs had been taking a beating with the other shoes.

Jessie, have a lot of moms out walking around here pushing strollers ... arms get in shape too .. pushing those things. Kids love it

It really works and I have a lot more energy ..

Jim

[Whistlin'Dixie]

I guess I could lose about 10 pounds.

The "office chicks" at our practice are all on Atkins, and ARE losing! They are inspiring each other.

I don't want to go drastic, though. Too hard to give up the cookies. I will just try to eat less. Oh, and less bacon, and chocolate, too.

Mary

[Soineanta]

This seems a good post to rejoin the Board on!

Not only have I been too busy to participate in Chiff over the last school year, this past semester I've also been too busy to keep in shape... the freshman 15 is no joke! although mine is only about a freshman 10. This summer I plan to swim and either work out or kayak every day, and to eat well again - no more skipping breakfast or nasty school food. I'm glad there's a thread I can go to for inspiration, because summer in FL just tends to cause laziness.

I've missed you guys and I'm glad to be back!

[The Weekenders]

Dr. Weekenders prescribes:

Lots of exercise. Hey, its almost summer so that should work out. Don't know your geography, Jessie, but a jogging stroller is a mighty good workout. Start early or you will never do it (voice of experience speaking). By the time I was ready to spend the bux, the kids were too big.

TRY and stick to low glycemic index foods.
http://diabetes.about.com/library/mendo ... ilists.htm

DO give up caffeinne. It gives you the same kind of high that high- glycemic foods do. You soar, then crash and burn. And almost always, you think that food will solve the problem because you mistake it with insulin reaction aftermath. Hi-quality decaf coffee, if you can get it, is good. Decafs teas are okay, though kinda weak.

Avoid white flour and anything with hydrogenated oil.

Splenda is not THAT bad to replace sugar. Doesn't give me headaches like aspartame. Hansen's makes Splenda soda-pops. I haven't tried em yet, but APPARENTLY Carbo-Right candies are dacent.

Cut back on the Guiness and just have whisky and water.

Find REAL stone-ground whole wheat flour. STONEBUHR brand is not actually stoneground (with real stonebuhrs) or at least they don't say they are. Steel-cut flour causes insulin reaction much quicker. I buy all my flour from a water-driven stone mill in Ukiah, CAlif. 25 lbs for $7. I use the breadmaker once or twice a week. But I take it out at the "punch down" stage and use a real loaf pan so I don't get weird size slices. If you are gonna have carbs, get the best quality with the slowest absorption that you can.

Go to Costco and buy giant jars of peanuts and cashews. As long as you dump the white flour and sugars, you get to have em!!! I stayed at my post-Atkins weight for months and yet had nuts all the time. 'Twas only backslidin around Valentines Day and a visit from out-of-towners that involved lots of eating/drinkin out that did me in.

A big ol salad AND a vegetable at every meal help make up for the no bread, rice or taters. Lotsa mouth noise with the salad, and you will learn that red bell peppers have sneaky sugar that you crave. I think its okay there.

People are very ready to criticize the Atkins approach but I think that there is a middle ground, more actually weighted towards Atkins that will work. It takes longer if you avoid induction but the general philosophy is good. Forget about pasta, unless you drop big bux on whole-wheat and even then, I doubt it's that good for ya. Ditto with taters. I miss them a lot but the insulin thing is undisputable. Eat taters and yer hungry again soon and not the healthier for the experience.

If you cut way back on the carbs, then gorge on em, you will experience the "carb coma." It's sort of like eating too much turkey at Thanksgiving and melting into a chair. Once you have experienced that, you really think about the whole theory.

DISCLAIMER; All of the above are opinions by a complete amateur, non-trained as nutritionist. I lost 22 with WeightWatchers but 12 more with Atkins and they were the good 12 that made me think I had a fighting chance at lookin decent in clothes and not having sore knees and ankles from walking the Earth in my dotage.

SO DON'T FLAME ME. Just make your own post.

[spittin_in_the_wind]

Dr. Weekenders prescribes:

Lots of exercise. Hey, its almost summer so that should work out. Don't know your geography, Jessie, but a jogging stroller is a mighty good workout. Start early or you will never do it (voice of experience speaking). By the time I was ready to spend the bux, the kids were too big.

TRY and stick to low glycemic index foods.
http://diabetes.about.com/library/mendo ... ilists.htm

DO give up caffeinne. It gives you the same kind of high that high- glycemic foods do. You soar, then crash and burn. And almost always, you think that food will solve the problem because you mistake it with insulin reaction aftermath. Hi-quality decaf coffee, if you can get it, is good. Decafs teas are okay, though kinda weak.

Avoid white flour and anything with hydrogenated oil.

Splenda is not THAT bad to replace sugar. Doesn't give me headaches like aspartame. Hansen's makes Splenda soda-pops. I haven't tried em yet, but APPARENTLY Carbo-Right candies are dacent.

Cut back on the Guiness and just have whisky and water.

Find REAL stone-ground whole wheat flour. STONEBUHR brand is not actually stoneground (with real stonebuhrs) or at least they don't say they are. Steel-cut flour causes insulin reaction much quicker. I buy all my flour from a water-driven stone mill in Ukiah, CAlif. 25 lbs for $7. I use the breadmaker once or twice a week. But I take it out at the "punch down" stage and use a real loaf pan so I don't get weird size slices. If you are gonna have carbs, get the best quality with the slowest absorption that you can.

Go to Costco and buy giant jars of peanuts and cashews. As long as you dump the white flour and sugars, you get to have em!!! I stayed at my post-Atkins weight for months and yet had nuts all the time. 'Twas only backslidin around Valentines Day and a visit from out-of-towners that involved lots of eating/drinkin out that did me in.

A big ol salad AND a vegetable at every meal help make up for the no bread, rice or taters. Lotsa mouth noise with the salad, and you will learn that red bell peppers have sneaky sugar that you crave. I think its okay there.

People are very ready to criticize the Atkins approach but I think that there is a middle ground, more actually weighted towards Atkins that will work. It takes longer if you avoid induction but the general philosophy is good. Forget about pasta, unless you drop big bux on whole-wheat and even then, I doubt it's that good for ya. Ditto with taters. I miss them a lot but the insulin thing is undisputable. Eat taters and yer hungry again soon and not the healthier for the experience.

If you cut way back on the carbs, then gorge on em, you will experience the "carb coma." It's sort of like eating too much turkey at Thanksgiving and melting into a chair. Once you have experienced that, you really think about the whole theory.

DISCLAIMER; All of the above are opinions by a complete amateur, non-trained as nutritionist. I lost 22 with WeightWatchers but 12 more with Atkins and they were the good 12 that made me think I had a fighting chance at lookin decent in clothes and not having sore knees and ankles from walking the Earth in my dotage.

SO DON'T FLAME ME. Just make your own post.

Well, Week, that advice sounds pretty much like what my hubby's Dr. prescribed for impending insulin resistance. And all the dieting in the world is useless without exercise. However, I have to say, it's pretty tough to exercise with little kids in your life, although my hubby has done an excellent job of sticking to it, and has lost about 20 lb in the last 9 months. (Of course, I am getting virtually no exercise, so there is a cost to every gain...)

Not too sure about the jogging stroller idea for a little baby, as the jolting is really bad for a little one....better to wait a bit on that, I think.

Robin

[Lark]

The C&F weight loss and fitness challenge!

Ok, this is what I’m suggesting. I can create a leader board of such of people’s current weight, goals, and there progress in a online chat so you can easily compare yourselves to each other and be shamed in to continuing… well I suppose we can help encourage each other too, what ever works.

I imagine 2 charts:

the first showing name (online pseudonym is good enough), current weight, goal weight, and in-between those weekly updates in the form of a weigh ins every Friday.

EG:
(Name)--(starting weight)--(Week 1)--(Goal)
(Lark)----(200 Lb)------------(198 Lb)---(180 Lb)

The second char would be for those (like my self) that are seeking no so much weight loss, as an increase of cardiovascular health. So would list name (again pseudonym is ok), aerobic activity (can be anything, bicycle, aerobics, treadmill, walking, etc) and how long you can go now, how long your goal is, and again, weekly updates on how you are doing. This would lend it’s self to more of a race, as we could measure improvement, and who ever improves the most, wins!

EG:
(Name)--(Activity)----------(Starting time)--(Week 1)--(Goal)
(Lark)---(Stationary bike)--(5 min)-----------(10 min)--(45 min)

I can get this set up before Friday if you like, just email me at diet@larkwoodworks.com, with the relevant information, which chart you like to be in (both if you like) and we can be off. Just e-mail the updates on Friday, and I’ll post it.

If you have suggestions, additions etc, post them here and we can fine-tune.

[littlejohngael]

Count me in too, Jessie. I was trying to lose 45lbs to reach a target weight of 185lbs. Then I got terribly ill (all my GC buddies know that story). I put on another 15lbs. ... So I need to lose about 60lbs!

But my original reward/incentive is still in place. <subliminal_bloom>I promised to go overboard on a whistle purchase when I lost what feels like a ton of weight.</subliminal_bloom>

I'm diabetic, so I'll be utilizing much of what Weeks posted. And I'll agree with Robin. It sounds very similar to what my doctor has already prescribed.

Keep the thread going. I'm going to bed and will start this diet in the morning. ...

Best of luck to all!!

Little John

[Jerry Freeman]

I strongly agree with everything Weeks has said here (in this thread, I mean).

I worked with Rick Mendosa on several articles he wrote for us when I was editor of a health related website. Making use of the Glycemic Index can add firepower to everything else you do by reducing carbohydrate cravings and helping to keep a high energy level.

The idea of the glycemic index is that different carbohydrate sources raise blood sugar at different speeds. Those carbohydrate foods classified as "high glycemic" raise blood sugar fast. This triggers an insulin surge to prevent the blood sugar from going too high.

Insulin has two important effects:

1. It removes glucose from the blood and thereby reduces blood sugar, and

2. It sends the glucose into the body's cells with instructions to convert it to fat and store it for later use.

Subjectively, this means there are two effects we might feel:

1. We might feel the effects of removing the glucose from the bloodstream. One way this might show up is in the form of carbohydrate cravings. When the quick rise in blood sugar from a high glycemic feeding triggers an insulin surge, the blood sugar may fall too quickly and too far, triggering a craving for foods that will bring blood sugar up quickly again. This is the basis of the addictive nature, for some people, of high glycemic carbohydrates. One may also notice that there's less energy or more fatigue with higher glycemic foods, since glucose is the body's main source of energy, and insulin takes glucose out of circulation.

2. We might notice that we tend to gain weight more easily, both because there's a tendency to eat more if there are more high glycemic carbs in the diet, and because even with the same caloric intake, there may be more of a tendency to store fat.

There are many easy substitutions that involve no sacrifice at all. For example, berries, apples, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, are considerably lower on the glycemic index than bananas or oranges.

Beans, nuts, barley are lower than potatoes, rice or wheat products. Any carbohydrate food will have a lower glycemic effect (blood sugar raising/insulin stimulating) if it is mixed with some protein and/or fatty content.

Fish (sardines, mackerel, herring, salmon, tuna) and nuts are examples of healthy fatty foods, though even saturated fats like butter will reduce the glycemic effect of modest amounts of carbs in the same meal or snack. Aside from cholesterol concerns, the problem with dietary fats and oils when trying to control weight is that fats are concentrated calories: 9 calories per gram of fat vs. 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate. On the other hand, a modest amount of fat helps create a feeling of satiety. Alcohol, BTW has 7 calories per gram.

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. The numbers given in the Glycemic Index may differ from one version of the chart to another.

The two different versions use two different reference foods. One assigns a number of 100 to Glucose (50g); the other assigns a number of 100 to white bread.

White bread has a Glycemic Index number of 70 on the version of the chart that's based on glucose as 100. To convert the GI number found on one version of the chart to the number as it would appear on the other version, either multiply or divide the number on the chart by .7.

You multiply by .7 to convert from the white bread-based number to the glucose based number (white bread is 100 on the white bread based version, 70 on the glucose based version); you divide by .7 to convert in the other direction.

The version of the chart that Weekenders has linked to is the one that uses glucose as the GI 100 reference food.

[The Weekenders]

Yeah, I wondered about jogging stroller too soon for baby. But I just meant that to consider it as an exercise is good INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THE "RIGHT TIME" to go biking, tennis etc.. Too often, people just stay home and IN with the new baby because they are so protective. Then they get in the habit of not taking them out and thinking they can't go out because they would have to leave the baby.

My boys did not like snugglies. We tried about three kinds and they just didn't work. That is when we should have bought the jogging stroller but didn't.

I know it sounds like a no-brainer but face it, when baby comes, it sucks most of your brains and sense away and leaves you a bit mushy in the reasoning department. So forgive me stating the obvious.

[Darwin]

And all the dieting in the world is useless without exercise.

I dunno 'bout that. I lost my 55 pounds (over 20 percent of my starting weight) with no more exercise than working downstairs and sleeping upstairs. It involved little more than cutting my sugar and starch intake--and reducing the overall quantity.

This is not to say that the right kind of exercise is not extremely good for you, just that it is not absolutely essential to weight loss.

[Wombat]

A few years ago I suddenly noticed that middle-aged spread was getting to a point where I could no longer ignore it, despite regular exercise. I lost about 34 pounds in as many weeks with a very sustainable diet and exercise. I stayed at around 80 kgms (160 pounds) for about 4 years—I'm just 6 foot tall—but last year I lapsed and the weight gradually returned. I now have about half of the excess off and I'm headed back to where I want to be.

Swimming is good for everyone, especially with flippers and some kick-board work. You also need some impact exercise. Beware though: if you don't exercise regularly already you'll actually put on a lot of muscle initially so don't think the diet isn't working and don't expect those old jeans to fit—you now have thigh muscles you didn't have before.

The only diet I'd even consider is an emotionally sustainable diet—one I could fairly happily stick with if I had to after the excess weight has gone. That means I haven't given up sweets altogether but try to limit myself to, say, chocolate ice cream once or twice a week only. When I was still drinking alcohol I restricted that to once a week.

I eat carbohydrates and lean meat but not much of either. I really don't restrict myself much with fruit or steamed vegetables and eat lots of both. I aim for a balanced diet with lots of different fruit and veg each day to give me the minerals I need. I drink lots of water. My weight loss is more erratic this time around because I seem to loose too much too quickly when I really cut out sugar but once I start eating chocolate biscuits (cookies to you) back it goes on again as fast as I was losing it. I need to figure out a way of eating a little chocolate as a treat without binging.

[jbarter]

Me too, me too. Currently 160 pounds, down from 175, and want to get to 135. At 5'4" that would be an OK dancing weight. Last time I was measured I'd shrunk to 5'3", I thought the inches were supposed to come off your middle.