u2bonogirl said:
getting fiber into your diet is a good thing. It helps get rid of excess fat in your digestive system. So like, apples, or some low sugar bran cereal...stuff like that.
Oatmeal is great because it fills you up, and is good for you. I has fiber in it, and fruit is good in it too.
definitely stay away from soda. If youre dying for it drink some diet, but try and stick with water for a refreshment.
A handfull of almonds for a midday snack is great too
One good fact to know is that when you start to eat less your body begins to get used to a lower intake and adjusts to that, lowering your metabolism unless youre doing something to raise it. A great way is just to go for a walk every day or do something active so your body expects to have to burn food off
good luck
I agree with most of what u2bonogirl says, EXCEPT DIET SODA.
AVOID ASPARTAME AT ALL COSTS!! There's a reason they put warning labels on it, you know. Besides, how many skinny people do you know that drink diet sodas? You can do research for yourself on aspartame (also known as Nutrasweet or Equal). But all it will do is keep fat cells in your body. The more you drink in, the more fat your liver has to make to insulate yourself from the toxins because your body can't flush it out. (I used to work for a chiropractor but you can check this out for yourself if you like.)
I think portion control is scary - you need to keep your metabolism up in order to become a fuel burning machine rather than a fat storing machine. If you limit what you eat, your body goes into 'starvation mode' and then will store fat to help you through the lean times. You think you're losing weight, but check your body fat percentage - muscle is more dense than fat, (about 6 times more dense), so if have the same mass, the fat will weigh less. BUT that doesn't mean you start out eating just anything. Eat 6 times a day - and you'll be amazed how hard this is to do. But lots of fiber and protein to feed your muscles. I highly recommend having organically grown food where possible. It just doesn't make sense to me to add more pesticides and hormones that I don't need when I'm trying to get rid of stuff. And the first week, cheating won't help you. I know it's hard - but it's only for a week. You've got to get your body to access the stored fat first, and cheating on a diet will only confuse the body and make it think that it's going back to the bloodstream for energy. It's very difficult for it to just switch back and forth like that. (I'm not explaining it very good here - but basically the body goes through three levels of energy access- the bloodstream, which is the quickest and easiest route, then another route that escapes my memory at the moment, and then to the fat storage. You want it to be accessing the fat storage - and it takes a long time for the body to realize this.) And the cool thing is, once you get your body to do what you want it to do, you will be able to come back to those sweets that you love so much. When I did it, I literally told myself that I went on a vacation from those kinds of foods. It was a great mind shift and it really got me through it! AND you'll be amazed that you'll feel satisfied with just a few of them when you do actually have them!
Bono's American Wife said:
You don't have to buy any special foods for WW and you don't have to buy any of their products. If I remember correctly, its $30 to register and I pay $10.95 per week membership.
For about $30/month you can get a Curves membership (they're everywhere these days -
www.curves.com) which will give you the support and encouragement you need to lose. And they now offer a weight managment class, which stresses not only healthy (and ample) eating but also the most important component - exercise.
U2Girl1978 said:
My office has so many sweets, it's ridiculous. I try not to eat any of it but it calls out to me... :lol
Seriously, this is some great advice that you all have been giving me. I appreciate it. Thanks!
I think I'm going to get a treadmill.
It's difficult to resist sweets when you're already eating a bunch of crap. But you know what? If your body is getting what it needs, you don't really worry so much about sweets hanging around. There's cookies and homemade(!) brownies and little hard candies around me all day long at work, and I don't even give them a 2nd glance because I'm eating right.
I've been a Curves member since May 2004. Since that time I've lost a total of 24.60 inches, 25.00 pounds, and 17.61 pounds of body fat. My BMI has fallen from 39 to 34. (They keep monthly tabs on you and today was my weigh/measure day, so I thought I'd share.) I took the weight management class about 2 months ago and it gave me the tools I need to make the right choices about food intake, and I know I will NEVER, EVER gain back the weight I've lost because of the education they've given me about food. The owners and other members of Curves have also done these classes and have kept weight off for years, which is something that keeps me going. I've got about 40 pounds to go to get to my personal goal, and I'm certain I'll be there by the holidays. I can't stress enough how important it is to combine exercise with the right foods - and to have the education and encouragement the people there have given me has been priceless.
Unfortunately, it's true that there is no quick fix to getting in shape. I applaud you because it looks like you've got a healthy mind in this already - it's encouraging to see that you're going to get a treadmill rather than a bunch of diet pills, so
for that (I'd give you snaps but I don't think there's a snap smilie!) Just remember than losing more than 2 pounds a week can be dangerous - and keep in mind you also want to check your body fat percentage. If you're losing weight but your BF% keeps increasing, it means you're losing muscle, and that will ultimately set you up for failure. I think what I'm saying is, bottom line - there's no way to do it all by yourself, unless you take classes to be a personal trainer. So good luck in your journey, dear!
And be easy on yourself! It's just not realistic to expect to all of a sudden start working out 3 times a week and drinking 64 oz of water a day and eat right. I currently drink about 100 oz of water a day, work out 3x a week, and am always aware of what food I put in my body. It took me about 6 months to get to a regular workout routine, 8 months to drink at least 64 oz of water daily, and about a year to really understand my relationship with food - mainly, when I eat crap, I'm going to feel like crap. So why do I want to eat crap anymore? Anyway it's baby steps. I first started working out 2x a week, and didn't beat myself up if I didn't go that third time. Then I realized I wanted to be there, so eventually it happened. I first started with a goal of about an extra 20oz of water a day. Maybe I should mention that in my heyday I drank about 12 diet sodas A DAY. Yes, you read that right - 12 A DAY. One day, a couple of months ago now, I decided it would be my last one. But I was drinking about maybe 2-4 a day by that point, so it was easy to step down and quit altogether. Besides, by that time I had found something else I started craving - good old H2O. I got a water pitcher that filters tap water and a big jug that I just refill all day long. And don't worry about going to the bathroom a lot; that will wear off in about a month once your kidneys get adjusted to the new volume.
Please PM or email me and keep me posted on your progress, and feel free to ask any questions!!!
P.S. There were a lot of women in my weight managment class who said that they tried Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. in the past and this was the only thing that would actually work and keep working. I think it's because of the emphasis on exercise and keeping those muscles healthy.
I'm sorry this is such a long post, but I hope it will give you some more information and some inspiration on your journey!!! I'm really excited for you and wish you all the best. Please make sure to PM/email me with whatever you need.