Counting Calories Works

[amber]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

LOL diet sodas, I need the real deal. Classic Coca-Cola...its definitely my #1 Craving....and im dying for it right now.

Yeah. I got it. have some bottled fizz water. Also, I did not recommend diet sodas at all.

[amber]

Originally Posted by xxxmx

it's like our own little support group

i stopped buying junk and anything that comes in bulk. it's more expensive to buy individually packaged snacks, but i don't have to think about how much i'm eating. and i always keep fruit around. it's easy to grab a slice of cantaloupe or a bunch of grapes out of the fridge.

we were talking health/diet at work today (middle school teachers, everyone bitches about everything) and someone commented on how the freezer was full of healthy choice and lean cuisine. i don't eat them (sodium is a no-no for me) but people swear that just by bringing them for lunch drops a few pounds. speaking of food, hell's kitchen is on.........

Why can't you eat sodium? How do you eat chips and salsa? Do you have to buy no salt chips? My god, it's like the gulag! I just salted my grilled cheese sandwich...

[xxxmx]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

But, put a pound of guac in front of ya and the skies ( ) the limit

CILANTROOOOOOOOO!

all this healty eating started as soon as i got away from you. i take that back... that was a damned good omelette!

[xxxmx]

Originally Posted by amber

Why can't you eat sodium? How do you eat chips and salsa? Do you have to buy no salt chips? My god, it's like the gulag! I just salted my grilled cheese sandwich...

i can't not eat it, i just try to stay away from it when possible. high blood pressure runs in the family and sodium definitely aggravates that. i do eat unsalted pretzels...

[amber]

Originally Posted by xxxmx

i can't not eat it, i just try to stay away from it when possible. high blood pressure runs in the family and sodium definitely aggravates that. i do eat unsalted pretzels...

oooohhh. Hey, I just found this, as part of a larger article, which estimated about 30% of people are "salt sensitive"
"It now appears that the blood pressure--salt connection is true only for certain "salt sensitive" people or groups."
Apparently the doc can test for salt sensitivity, and here are common groups:
* Female gender
* Age
* Obesity (abdominal obesity)
* Alcoholism
* African-American origin
* Level of blood pressure
* Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH)
* Low renin hypertension (hypertensive patients with a low plasma renin activity)
* Impaired glucose tolerance
* Diabetes
* Renal insufficiency
* Positive family history of hypertension
* (Higher) microalbuminuria

The most important of these is age. With increasing age, salt sensitivity increases. African-Americans also have a much higher prevalence of salt sensitivity than Caucasians. Another important factor is weight. Excess weight and obesity are clearly associated with increased salt sensitivity."

I found this snippet, too:

"So what's the problem? For starters, salt is a primary determinant of taste in food--fat, of course, is the other--and 80% of the salt we consume comes from processed foods, making it difficult to avoid. Then there's the kicker: While the government has been denouncing salt as a health hazard for decades, no amount of scientific effort has been able to dispense with the suspicions that it is not. Indeed, the controversy over the benefits, if any, of salt reduction now constitutes one of the longest running, most vitriolic, and surreal disputes in all of medicine."
http://www.junkscience.com/jan01/saltwars.htm

I looked for these because I've been hearing the past 20 years or so that salt has not been proven - studies have not been conclusive enough - to be a direct cause of high blood pressure. Suprised you haven't heard anything.

Our processed foods do contain ridiculous amounts, though - So I think it's good to steer clear.

Maybe I've never been overweight, maybe all these years I've simply been bloated from too much salt! I'm pretty out of control with it.
P.S. Pretzels are pretty high on the ol' glycemic index. Just saying.

[sparky]

So, Amber, in terms of portion control...is the following going to help anything?
I had 5 small meals today. The last one was one of my usual dinners. It was some stir fry thing from Trader Joe's. I usually it all at once. It is about 750 calories. I had a 40 minutes swim, then I ate half of it. Went out for a 40 minute bike ride, lifted some weights, took a shower. Then had the other half of it two hours later. Is this an improvement, to eat it split up like that over a few hours ?

[amber]

Originally Posted by sparky

So, Amber, in terms of portion control...is the following going to help anything?
I had 5 small meals today. The last one was one of my usual dinners. It was some stir fry thing from Trader Joe's. I usually it all at once. It is about 750 calories. I had a 40 minutes swim, then I ate half of it. Went out for a 40 minute bike ride, lifted some weights, took a shower. Then had the other half of it two hours later. Is this an improvement, to eat it split up like that over a few hours ?

Yes. Not only does it force your metabolism to keep working, but it provides your body with nutrients to work out more effectively, and with less strain to your body. Also, since your blood sugar is stabilized, you may be able to work out longer, and also/therefore to burn more calories overall. You don't want a blood sugar dip while you are exercising. Especially because it appears you exercise alot, your body needs the nutrients.
Party on, Spark.

I had stir fry, too! But I added an extra bag o' broccoli. I find that the more veggies I eat, the less hungry I am, and the less crap I crave. Oh, and cut as much sugar as possible. But that doesn't really apply to you.

[sparky]

Originally Posted by amber

Yes. Not only does it force your metabolism to keep working, but it provides your body with nutrients to work out more effectively, and with less strain to your body. Also, since your blood sugar is stabilized, you may be able to work out longer, and also/therefore to burn more calories overall. You don't want a blood sugar dip while you are exercising. Especially because it appears you exercise alot, your body needs the nutrients.
Party on, Spark.

I had stir fry, too! But I added an extra bag o' broccoli. I find that the more veggies I eat, the less hungry I am, and the less crap I crave. Oh, and cut as much sugar as possible. But that doesn't really apply to you.

Excellent. The cool thing is, even after doing this just a bit over the last week, I find that I feel better and have more energy. There is none of that after meal bloat and laziness. Sure, gorging myself feels good. For about five minutes. Then I feel like a pig. When I went out riding after eating half my normal dinner, I felt so light and great. I am used to feeling a little lethargic after a meal.

I was also thinking what had changed in my diet. I realized I am not drinking as much water. I used to buy these boxes of big assed bottles of water. But I got sick of carrying the boxes, so I switched to 16 oz bottles of Crystal Geyser fizzy water. I am drinking half the water I used to. That must be increasing the size of my gut. Buying big box tomorrow.

No, the sugar thing doesn't apply to me. I just want to sit down and eat an entire 16 oz bag of Spicy Nacho Doritos in one sitting. And some pizza. And drink a six pack. I want salt and grease and booze.

Bad bad Sparky.

[amber]

Originally Posted by sparky

Excellent. The cool thing is, even after doing this just a bit over the last week, I find that I feel better and have more energy. There is none of that after meal bloat and laziness. Sure, gorging myself feels good. For about five minutes. Then I feel like a pig. When I went out riding after eating half my normal dinner, I felt so light and great. I am used to feeling a little lethargic after a meal.

I was also thinking what had changed in my diet. I realized I am not drinking as much water. I used to buy these boxes of big assed bottles of water. But I got sick of carrying the boxes, so I switched to 16 oz bottles of Crystal Geyser fizzy water. I am drinking half the water I used to. That must be increasing the size of my gut. Buying big box tomorrow.

No, the sugar thing doesn't apply to me. I just want to sit down and eat an entire 16 oz bag of Spicy Nacho Doritos in one sitting. And some pizza. And drink a six pack. I want salt and grease and booze.

Bad bad Sparky.

Yes, I want that too. Right now in fact. Good thing I have no money. But Doritos might as well be sugar, as they are all carbs. mmmm.....I did the thing where I spent all my grocery money at once on healthful things (I think I bought a treat or two) and so, I have to eat the stuff because I spent all my money! Brilliant.
I just ran out of popcorn, too. But I have blueberries for my sweet tooth.

Wow, exactly how you said you felt with the change is just what I said. I've been slacking on my water, too. I've done that "gorge myself after working out" because I didn't eat soon enough, and I just end up eating too much, and if there is junk in the house, too much junk. You know, be starving, pound some chips while your cooking something, eat anything in your sight because you're starving....bad.

I find it hard to believe you develop any kind of gut with that workout schedule. But I'm sure you eat a lot, I always did.

Anyway, it's cool that that is working out so well for you. I have only been doing yoga cause of my legs, they are slowly getting better, but today I jumped rope for 50 minutes (listened to Wildheart LP, then part of RAL LP while doing so in my frontroom ) I'm going to try to do it every other day, alternate with yoga. I don't think it hurts my leg problem.

BTW - if you want to switch your workout up to boost calorie burnage, jump rope kicks your ass from here to Timespace and back. And my god, your calf muscles will be the stuff of legend. Like, if you vary your workout once a week, your body responds accordingly and burns more calories, did you know that? It's because it gets used to the amount of energy required for your regular workouts, and it simply doesn't have to work as hard/burn as many calories to do the same tasks. It's known scientifically as a "rut".

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by sparky

Bad bad Sparky.

is there really any such thing?

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by amber

I could be a nutritionist in some yoga retreat in Beliz....

sounds good to me!

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by amber

BTW - if you want to switch your workout up to boost calorie burnage, jump rope kicks your ass from here to Timespace and back. And my god, your calf muscles will be the stuff of legend. Like, if you vary your workout once a week, your body responds accordingly and burns more calories, did you know that? It's because it gets used to the amount of energy required for your regular workouts, and it simply doesn't have to work as hard/burn as many calories to do the same tasks. It's known scientifically as a "rut".

I was afraid of this so I started alternating my days with step aerobics and tennis. I just upped the ante on my bench height too so that should be something of a change up. It now takes much more energy to do the step. I'm going to have to keep upping it though because now I think I'm getting used to it and it's becoming easier. Curses!

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I was afraid of this so I started alternating my days with step aerobics and tennis. I just upped the ante on my bench height too so that should be something of a change up. It now takes much more energy to do the step. I'm going to have to keep upping it though because now I think I'm getting used to it and it's becoming easier. Curses!

I know. ain't it a bitch. not only do you have to exercise, but you have to vary your exercises. I've been in a rut since Friday. haven't walked or anything. I haven't blown my diet, but I'm not drinking as much water as I should. I'm just DEpressed and these are the times when I want to eat anything in sight.

[amber]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I was afraid of this so I started alternating my days with step aerobics and tennis. I just upped the ante on my bench height too so that should be something of a change up. It now takes much more energy to do the step. I'm going to have to keep upping it though because now I think I'm getting used to it and it's becoming easier. Curses!

Great job. Periodic sprints during your workout can accomplish the same thing. I guess you can't sprint during Step, but people who do machines can, or who walk or run outside, or who do a bike. I mean, I guess you could do sprints outside one day a week or something. Or on the treadmill. Also, if you did any weights, since it appears you do none, that would be the best.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

I know. ain't it a bitch. not only do you have to exercise, but you have to vary your exercises. I've been in a rut since Friday. haven't walked or anything. I haven't blown my diet, but I'm not drinking as much water as I should. I'm just DEpressed and these are the times when I want to eat anything in sight.

When your are depressed, that is the best time to exercise, particularly IMO cardio, because it is a pick me up for you as endorphines are released, etc. Also, if you miss a few days, don't beat yourself up about it. Just try and do better in the future. Remember, the long term is your focus.