<p>Brandon’s mom, talk to your doctor! (as tired as that phrase is :D)</p>
<p>Are you sure your diet hasn’t changed?</p>
<p>When I do the food log, I do well. I don’t go back and look at it for things to cut out; it is more the discipline of reconsidering eating something as I am about to write it down.</p>
<p>Also portion control. A morning and afternoon snack help me keep lunch and dinner a reasonable size. I alos use seltzer and crushed ice to cut juices, fruit smoothies, etc. I still get the sweet taste, just less calories. Also I allot a cookie or two (small) with hot tea as an after dinner snack.</p>
<p>I have rediscovered my mountain bike after using a treadmill on and off for the past year. I have a 9-10 mile route I ride each morning, with some hills. Most fun I have had doing exercise in a long time. I plan to extend rides on the weekend.</p>
<p>I have already lost three pounds since Sunday, against my target of fifteen. Encouraging so far.</p>
<p>Brandon’s mom, isn’t it frustrating? If it makes you feel any better, I’m your height but have you beat on weight (and not in good way). It’s sad when we go to our doctors hoping they find a thyroid problem isn’t it—every couple years I ask to be retested! and no dice here either.</p>
<p>I was going to try Curves…but I don’t know. I have all the equipment here that if I would just do it, I could easily get a work-out at home. Luckily I had kids that used all this exercise stuff–treadmill, bike, weights,etc.</p>
<p>Good luck with the biking, if your H. is doing it with you (and the doggies) that might be enough fun to reallly stick with it. Unfortunately, the only exercise my H. is interested in is golf—BORING!</p>
<p>Right now I’m trying to do the WW thing with a friend who was diagnosed with diabetes and has to lose weight. Maybe for her sake I can stick with it. But boy do I hate counting those points!</p>
<p>Since some of you have mentioned thyroid issues… Current (mainstream, not alternative) research suggests that the TSH should really be between around 1 and 2 for most women to feel and be well. In the past, normal was considered to be at 5 or less, give or take and many doctors, even some good ones, are still stuck on those numbers. If your TSH is higher than this you might consider seeing an endocrinologist rather than a GP or other primary care person. They are much more up to date and could possibly run some antithyroid antibody or other tests to see if there’s any chance of Hashimoto’s or another thyroid condition. Thyroid meds should never be used for weight loss alone, of course.</p>
<p>Since May I 've lost about 20 lbs. </p>
<p>How I did it? I go to the gym and do ONE HOUR of cardio daily (I do the elliptical machine and on level 7 it’s generally about 7.5 ‘miles’ and about 650 calories burned in that one hour). If it is a tennis day I do tennis instead, but then it needs to be 2.5 hours because doubles tennis is much less intense. Occasionally I will substitute something else, like walking the stadium steps at the college for an hour or swimming for an hour. I’ll skip max one day a week but I rarely feel like skipping.</p>
<p>I eat using a basic food combining plan. In the am, all fruit. Whatever fruits you want. Lunch & dinner: you choose either carbs + vegetables or protein + vegetables, but NEVER carb + protein. I try to use whole carbs 90% of the time, but once in a while I have white flour carbs. Good fats also allowed.</p>
<p>I was very strict with this plan for the first 2.5 months and then once I’d begun to really lose weight I relaxed. Now I will eat maybe 2 or 3 carb + protein meals per week because it is simply easier to do so (especially when out at a friend’s house-- spaghetti served, etc). Also I added back in the occasional sweet treat and I will have alcoholic drinks if desired. If I have dessert or booze I try to have it by itself and at least two hours apart from other foods.</p>
<p>Honestly I feel better sticking pretty closely to the plan. It is extremely easy to stick to as you CAN have anything but just not all at once. I don’t know if there is something to the digestion angle or whether it is just being more mindful and skipping one part of what is served!</p>
<p>Congrats to you SBMom! I lost 25 pounds in 2004 but gained some back.</p>
<p>I find that Tai chi, deep tissue massage and Reiki are very helpful for losing that fat…</p>
<p>Diets don’t work for me. I am a compulsive overeater. Next month I will celebrate 29 years of recovery in Overeaters Anonymous. It has not only changed my body, it has changed my attitude and outlook on life. I eat moderately and stay away from the “hard stuff” because I can’t eat JUST ONE. I walk about 80 minutes on a treadmill at 13% incline about 6 days a week and do a few upper body weights. I have not weighed myself in about 15 years. Today my goal is to be healthy and sane.</p>
<p>I have only scanned this thread, so apologize if this has been mentioned, but “The Sonoma Diet” sounds perfect for you! I get emails from them from <a href="mailto:dietdaily@sonomadiet.com">dietdaily@sonomadiet.com</a>. There is a book you can buy (pick it up at Costco or any bookstore). also try <a href=“http://www.SonomaDiet.com%5B/url%5D”>www.SonomaDiet.com</a> or <a href=“http://www.SonomaDietLiving.com%5B/url%5D”>www.SonomaDietLiving.com</a>
Now, that said, I haven’t used it. I lost 20 # a yr ago with Jenny Craig and have kept it off 
I gave the Sonoma Diet book to a friend and planned, if I gained back any weight, I’d try this diet. It looks great, and of course incorporates the wines of the sonoma valley. I HATE, and won’t do low carb diets. I can do low fat, but not low carb. And I am a wine afficianado - won’t give that up either. Jenny Craig was pretty easy- well balanced meals, you can pick what you want to eat, and I quickly cut back on their food and ate more of mine after a few weeks. I lost the 20# in 3 months, and did little, if any exercise. It just took getting into the right mindset. I really enjoy being in size 6 clothes! Go for it! Good luck!</p>
<p>“I HATE, and won’t do low carb diets. I can do low fat, but not low carb. And I am a wine afficianado - won’t give that up either.”</p>
<p>You’d like what my dh calls “The North Bronx Diet”. Wine is not a carb. Honey on a bagel for dessert is not a carb. Sugar in your coffee is not a carb. All the other carbs are carbs though.</p>
<p>mathmom-
I like your h’s thinking. Agree completely. However, I might add, in my book, pretzels are not carbs; pasta is not a carb, and really good breads and rolls (including bagels and challah) are not carbs.</p>
<p>I think that’s the 1984 diet. ;)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Tiramisu??? :D</p>
<p>Anybody ever heard of the Win Diet? I don’t know anything about it. I know someone who went on this diet last spring, and she looks almost too thin now. She was very secretive about the whole thing, but I observed her bringing her own bowls of food when we had a couple of meals in a group. I have no idea as to what were in the bowls, but I know that they were not veggies. She lost her weight so quickly, that I really was wondering if she took some medication that encouraged weight loss.</p>
<p>I don’t know who to credit for this, but someone just sent it to me this week and I thought it was on topic, if not particularly helpful to the OP!</p>
<p>HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER
SESSION :</p>
<p>Q: I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it… don’t waste
them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart
will not make you live longer; that’s like saying you can extend the life of
your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.</p>
<p>Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what
are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient
mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken.
Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a
pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable
products.</p>
<p>Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water
out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made
out of grain Bottoms up!</p>
<p>Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio
is two to one, etc.</p>
<p>Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise
program?
A: Can’t think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain…Good!</p>
<p>Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU’RE NOT LISTENING!!! … Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they’re permeated in it.
How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?</p>
<p>Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the
middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You
should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.</p>
<p>Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO . Cocoa beans! Another
vegetable!!! It’s the best feel-good food around!</p>
<p>Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.</p>
<p>Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! ‘Round’ is a shape!</p>
<p>Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about
food and diets. And remember: “Life should NOT be a journey to the grave
with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved
body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in
the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming Whoo
what a ride”.</p>
<p>Roshke, I wonder if laughter is aerobic exercise? I haven’t laughed out loud while reading CC in a while – thanks! :)</p>
<p>This is my new philosophy for life:</p>
<p>
I’m sending this to all my friends.</p>
<p>Really enjoyed that Roshke, I sent to many of my friends.</p>
<p>Has anyone read “The Cinderella Pact” by Sarah Strohmeyer? Just started it. It’s about 3 women and their weight problems–they make a pact to finally stick with it and shed the pounds.</p>
<p>
Breakin’ out the tiramisu even as I type this! ;)</p>
<p>SBmom-
congrats on the weight loss! That sounds sorta like the Zone diet.
SBmom- 1984? How did you know my weight?
Berurah- Tiramisu is grand, but I am more of a cannoli person. No carbs, of course.</p>
<p>Glad you guys liked it! :)</p>
<p>THE win diet looks downright scary <a href=“http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/low_calorie.htm[/url]”>http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/low_calorie.htm</a></p>