Food n Fitness Thread #9837483

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by skcin

Jimmy -You're very welcome! That's what this thread is for - sharing tips & secrets for success & also letting people know from personal experience what has & hasn't worked for you. Admitting to yourself exactly what you eat & how much of it is a huge step toward getting control of your diet. I was in a rut a few months ago & Theresa sent me some great tips. They were geared toard WW members, but most of it applies to anyone. The biggest thing was writing down what you eat, at least for a few weeks. I started doing that & starting shedding the pounds again.

Looks like your portions could be a problem, although you ARE a growing boy so you don't want to cut back too much, lol. Can you try & cut it down to 2 burgers? Also, limit the Chinese food to once a week? Ice cream is pretty bad, which breaks my heart because I love it. You can either switch to a lowfat frozen yogurt, or to a "no sugar added" or light ice cream - I believe I've seen coffee flavors in these types.

For lunch, the fruit is good, but perhaps change it up once in a while - a banana, orange, kiwi, or berries instead of the melon? Do you like raw veggies? Baby carrots or cukes in low fat dip is delish. Are you having your sandwich on white bread? No fiber, little nutritional value - whole wheat is the best, but most "light" breads have more fiber added to them too, and they make those in white, Italian, rye, etc.

How many Coke's do you drink per day? If you've been drinking 2 or 3, cut down to 1 & like Jaz said, that 1 can be your daily treat. And I know you said NO fake Coke, but have you tried the Coke Zero? I have heard good things.




I've had it. It's pretty good, but I rarely buy it. Cuz I'm cheap. Mike's is now making a fantastic Light Hard Lemonade 75 cals, I believe.

Low carb-type beers (Michelob Ultra, Labatt Select) are better diet-wise because they're lower in calories than other beers. But to me, they are very watery & I end up drinking a lot more. And then I get sick.

Light beers with the fewest calories are Genesee Light (heehee) and Miller Light - they both have around 95. Coors light, Bud light & Labatt Blue light are all around 110. F*cking Michelob light is like 130 - only a few less than regular. I consider it false advertising.


Just to give you an idea, a comparison with WW points:

3 regular beers = 9 points
3 light beers = 6 points
3 LIght Hard lemonades = 5 points
3 Beck's Light = 4 points

Hey Paula,

I can definitely cut back on the burgers and the chinese food I can definitely spread out to like once every 2 weeks. I think soda is the big problem, but starting today until the end of my couch to 5k program, I am giving up all the fast food and all the soda. When I stop, I may take those tips on the portions.

Yeah, the watermelon wasn't doing it for me today, so yeah I am ready to switch it up. Taking away my wheat bread is going to kill me.

[skcin]

^ Why take away wheat bread? Just make sure it has a good amount of fiber in it. Arnold makes a fantastic light wheat bread - it's amazing. They also have a 7 grain or something like that.

I don't want you to feel like you're giving up everything you love.

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

You're my kind of woman. A small fry has about 250 calories, and I'd much rather have them than two cups of regular soda. I'd rather eat my calories than drink them (unless it's alcohol.)

See? YOU understand me, Krista!

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
a good rule of thumb that I use is that the first couple ingredients in a bread product should not be enriched or bleached flour or sugar. it should be whole wheat or something like that.

I'm now 6.2 lbs from my goal.

[skcin]

^ Edging ever closer.

Hey Jimmy - got this email today from The Biggest Loser. Of course, it's only the partial article, I have to pay to read the rest. But even this little blurb says a lot.

When All or Nothing Equals Nothing
End the mental yo-yo and find a happier, slimmer you

Either you're eating everything in sight. Or you're being so strict with your diet that you deny yourself even a single cookie. Is this you?


If your answer is yes, you're an "all or nothing" dieter. "This is the most common pattern," says BLC nutrition expert Greg Hottinger. "One cause of 'all or nothing' is trying to make things happen too quickly, like sprinting out of the starting gates of a marathon run. This usually looks like undereating and overexercising. Both are a set-up for burnout, injury, and quitting."


"Another cause of 'all or nothing' is being perfectionistic, thinking that slipping up equals failure. The perfectionistic person cruises along at the beginning and then crashes after hitting the first big bump in the road."


How to solve the "all or nothing" syndrome? "You can't expect to be around delicious food without feeling its magnetic pull. You can, however, learn to take care of yourself in these situations, make healthier choices, eat mindfully, and take better overall care of yourself.

Did week 1 day 2 of the Cto5K plan yesterday, elliptical this morning. Still doing the "Core Secrets" workouts 3 times a week, usually in the evening while watching TV. They're amazingly effective at toning.

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by skcin

^ Edging ever closer.

Hey Jimmy - got this email today from The Biggest Loser. Of course, it's only the partial article, I have to pay to read the rest. But even this little blurb says a lot.



Did week 1 day 2 of the Cto5K plan yesterday, elliptical this morning. Still doing the "Core Secrets" workouts 3 times a week, usually in the evening while watching TV. They're amazingly effective at toning.

Thanks Paula, that article says alot. I wanted to cold turkey for a while until I saw some physical results. I need to get rid of these thunder thighs and love handles. I HATE THEM!

Wait till Week 3 of couch to 5k.....ouch is all I have to say. I am sure week 4 will only be worse. I don't like week 3 because it makes you run longer so I don't reach all the way back to my house like the previous workouts. I am doing these workouts ina 2 mile loop.

I took your advice Paula and I have a calendar and I'm going to write down if I have any unhealthy foods/drinks. I think if I see that I had fast food on this date, I will go cold turkey for the rest of that week. Its all modivation factors. ALSO......where can I get a cheap effective scale?

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

^^^
a good rule of thumb that I use is that the first couple ingredients in a bread product should not be enriched or bleached flour or sugar. it should be whole wheat or something like that.

I'm now 6.2 lbs from my goal.

Thats so awesome Jazzy!!! How many pounds have you lost since last year when you cracked down?

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

Thats so awesome Jazzy!!! How many pounds have you lost since last year when you cracked down?

forty****ingfour. I can't believe I actually had that much to love, um, I mean lose. I have exactly 6 more to lose as of this morning.

I've been really strict on my sugar and white flour intake recently and it's paying off.

[skcin]

^ That just blow my mind, Jaz. I never would have thought you needed to lose 50 pounds, you carried it quite well. You're awesome.


Jimmy - Household scales are notoriously off by as much as 10 pounds, even if it's a pricier model. I wouldn't worry too much about anything fancy (ones that supposedly measure body fat, water retention, etc.) Just buy a decent scale for $20 from Target or Bed Bath & Beyond.

Once you decide where to put it in your house, always leave it in that spot (moving it around frequently can affect the calibration.) Weigh yourself once a week at the same of day time wearing the same amount of clothing to get the most accurate measure of how much you've lost. Remember that your weight can vary by a couple of pounds day to day depending on water retention, dehydration, pooping, eating, etc. So a daily weigh-in will only make you more frustrated, IMO. Once a week is plenty.

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
amen and amen.

EDIT: and amen on the fact that I'm awesome. I know, I can't believe it either. I was such a skinny little bitch all through college that I guess I kept thinking I was that same skinny bitch while my ass kept spreading and spreading. luckily, tape of my NOTS performance showed otherwise. it was right after I saw that footage I realized I had to lose some weight.

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by skcin

^ That just blow my mind, Jaz. I never would have thought you needed to lose 50 pounds, you carried it quite well. You're awesome.


Jimmy - Household scales are notoriously off by as much as 10 pounds, even if it's a pricier model. I wouldn't worry too much about anything fancy (ones that supposedly measure body fat, water retention, etc.) Just buy a decent scale for $20 from Target or Bed Bath & Beyond.

Once you decide where to put it in your house, always leave it in that spot (moving it around frequently can affect the calibration.) Weigh yourself once a week at the same of day time wearing the same amount of clothing to get the most accurate measure of how much you've lost. Remember that your weight can vary by a couple of pounds day to day depending on water retention, dehydration, pooping, eating, etc. So a daily weigh-in will only make you more frustrated, IMO. Once a week is plenty.

Sounds good...I knew my neighbors was off when it said I was only 157 lbs, then when I went to the Doctors the next week I was 166lbs.

Hehe..you said poop

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

Sounds good...I knew my neighbors was off when it said I was only 157 lbs, then when I went to the Doctors the next week I was 166lbs.

Hehe..you said poop

honestly, I thought you were really skinny. you def. don't look 166 or even 157. I am struggling about giving out the actual number of my weight, but let's just say you look way smaller than me so those 2 numbers don't sound right...get it? :wink: of course, this is all just from what I've gathered. I think I prove that sometimes you just can't tell til you're on the scale.

how tall are you?

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

honestly, I thought you were really skinny. you def. don't look 166 or even 157. I am struggling about giving out the actual number of my weight, but let's just say you look way smaller than me so those 2 numbers don't sound right...get it? :wink: of course, this is all just from what I've gathered. I think I prove that sometimes you just can't tell til you're on the scale.

how tall are you?

Thanks for the compliments. I think I am the right size, I am just trying to work on some problem areas, most importantly my thighs. They are out of control. And like I said before, love handles. I am 5'8 166lbs, but that was in February, before I started exercising. I am hoping to be less than that now, but wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't because I can tell I have gained a lot of muscle in my legs.

Is it normal for my shins to still be killing me?

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

Thanks for the compliments. I think I am the right size, I am just trying to work on some problem areas, most importantly my thighs. They are out of control. And like I said before, love handles. I am 5'8 166lbs, but that was in February, before I started exercising. I am hoping to be less than that now, but wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't because I can tell I have gained a lot of muscle in my legs.

Is it normal for my shins to still be killing me?

oh, so we're about the same height. I'm 5'8" ish as well. according to Blue Cross/Blue Shield 158 lbs is the highest weight we should ever be at. are you small or medium framed? I can't remember. I'd say medium, like me.

anyway, yeah, your shins will hurt like that for a while, at least mine did. what helps is to do really good stretches before and after working out. also, try not to run too much...work on building stamina in your walk first. I used to barely be able to walk at 3.3 mph, but now I walk at 4.2 mph. it does get better I promise. for love handles, nothing I've found works better than ball exercises. you know, the big bouncy ball that you sit on and use to exercise? awesome. I'd recommend the Danskin version. I've lost almost all of my "spare tire" -

hips and thighs are hard parts to work on, much like love handles. do lots of resistance training with those exercise bands...those are low impact and work well. squats work. check out things like Shape magazine too...not to sound too girly, but a lot of women's magazine regularly run articles on how to address hips and thighs since that's a spot most women have difficulty reshaping.

also, be sure to gauge your loss in how your clothes fit not just the numbers cause muscle weighs more than fat.

hope this helps!

[skcin]

I wasn't expecting to, but I lost another 2.5 pounds. That put me at a total of 18 pounds lost - just over a pound from goal! If all goes well, I'll be at goal by next week & I'll start the WW maintenance plan.

Since we were discussing beer yesterday, I decided to do a bit of research. This info was found on the internet, so take it with a grain of salt - I don't know if it's all totally accurate, but seems to be pretty close. Obviously, that Beck's Light that Sparky mentioned is the best diet-wise. Here's the data on some others. And no, I'm not an alcoholic. But I am a nerd.

BEER - CALORIES - CARBS

Amstel Light - 95 - 5
Bud Lt - 115 - 4
Genesee Lt - 95 - ?
Miller Lt - 95 - 3
Michelob Lt - 125! - 9! How can they call this light beer?
Molson Lt - 120 - 7
Coors Lt - 102 - 5
Corona Lt - 105 - 5
Labatt Blue Lt - 110 - 8
Mike's Lt lemonade - 75 - 2
Rock Green Light - 95 - 3
Yuengling Lt - 98 - 6.5

[DrummerDeanna]

^^

Well isn't hard liquor worse calorie wise? I can't remember where I heard that and I much prefer it to beer

I have skipped the gym for a week - but last night felt like absolute and total sh*t so I figured it was directly related to that and the fact that I've not been eating well either. Sooo I went back to the gym today and already feel better....it's going to be an amazing weekend so I hope to get out on my bike a lot.