<p>Nobody could put on the feed bag with package of cookies or junk food like I could. I’m living testimony to the fact that it is possible to stop. It takes several months to learn the new behavior. During that first few months, I forced myself to read the nutrition label and think about the way it felt to get on the scale and see that I had lost five pounds. Could I skip the snacks for just five pounds of weight loss? A modest two or three week goal? Yes. It wasn’t like I was never going to eat Pringles again…</p>
<p>I can say that I have trained myself to just not want the junk food as much. With certain rare irresistable exceptions, I can knowingly skip junk food even when it’s in the house. Or, when I decide that a 200 calorie treat is something I can live with, I have learned to take the portion, put it on a plate, and go eat it. Under no circumstances do I ever want to just start plowing through a bag of junk food. That’s trouble. If a reasonable portion isn’t enough to be a snack, then it’s probably something that shouldn’t be a part of my diet.</p>
<p>The one snack I haven’t been able to resist is a box of corn flakes. I’m now OK with a very small bowl, probably a quarter the serving I used to scarf down, but still…it’s really a food that we are better just not having in the house. That way, I’ll grab a bowl of carrots, celery, and green olives – a snack that is quite satisfying and far fewer calories.</p>
<p>idad…I’ve never been a “feedbag” type. More the type to open the pantry door and grab ONE cookie if there’s a bag in there. But I’ll do that 3- 5 times and I don’t NEED those cookies. Better to keep them out.
Recently, we visited family and after a long trip, we were greeted with wine, brownies…and potato chips. All tasted good to me but not my normal diet for sure!</p>
<p>The best motivator I’ve ever encountered is T2 diabetes. Fear of retinopathy, neuropathy, and premature death from cardiovascular disease has done what nothing else ever could, including vanity. Although brief fantasies of indulgence have crossed my mind when I let myself get hungry when out and about, I can now confidently enter a Dunkin Donuts and order a coffee with cream and no sugar and not even consider eating anything. And man, I LOOOVE donuts!</p>
<p>I’m now officially in the “healthy weight” range of the BMI scale for the first time in over 20 years–just! I’d like to lose another 10 or 12 lbs, I think. Or however much is necessary to address my waist measurement issue.</p>
<p>It would also appear, from my BG readings, that this has coincided with a significant drop in insulin resistance. Getting down to a BMI of 22 or 23 and losing more visceral/abdominal fat may well mean an even more significant improvement, enabling me to eat more in the way of fruit and so forth without undesirable spikes. </p>
<p>I was doing some reading over the weekend and going from 35-40 to 25 and under is worth two to four years additional life on average in the study. I think that the additional years are nice but what’s nicer is the better quality of life.</p>
<p>Congrats on getting that BMI down. Many of us have a long way to go on joining you.</p>
<p>I can’t find a way to describe the amount of cereal my husband considers a “serving”. I don’t know why he doesn’t just get out the mixing bowl. He buys cereal in bulk in the huge boxes at Sam’s/Costco. We have large cereal bowls and he fills them over the brim. It’s nuts. Fortunately, he’s pretty thin and very fit from all his cycling. </p>
<p>In other news. I’m not running at all (again). Looking grim for the Sept 25 Women’s Half Marathon which I REALLY wanted to do (even if it wasn’t “racing”) because you get a neat finisher’s medal with a charm that you can wear as a necklace (I realize that I am motivated by very trivial things…). I don’t think I could stand to walk 13.1 miles, and I am not going to run a step until I am pain free. Right now I can pretty much only do elliptical (perhaps the bike if I ever get on it again…). I am sitting on a pillow here at work and have ordered up two memory foam cushions- 1 for the car and 1 for my office.</p>
<p>Congratulations, Consolation, for getting into that healthy weight range. Like you, I was there about 15 years ago, and I hope to return! My mother had a major, debilitating stroke at 81 (she is still alive, but very disabled and has vascular dementia). That’s my motivation. She had never smoked in her life, never had high blood pressure, and had good cholesterol until age 80, when it became just high enough to take a low dose of a statin (heaven forbid she should change her diet). But she was overweight and sedentary. After her stroke, it was discovered that she had congestive heart failure. I don’t want to go there. So sometimes those scary motivators are what we need.</p>
<p>Way to go Consolation! Your determination has really helped you achieve a wonderful goal! Hooray for you!!! Wishing you more success as you pursue eliminating those pounds!</p>
<p>I have also given up cereal and pasta during this battle. I never really ate a lot at a time but I do love spoon size shredded wheat…no sugar! </p>
<p>In the gym again this morning. Seemed like I struggled a bit. Must not have eaten enough yesterday due to double workout. Have my weigh in for my mid 90 day challenge this weekend. Will be interesting to see what their scale says.</p>
<p>Muscles can use glucose and fat for energy, but your brain requires glucose. Since there is no direct metabolic pathway from fat to glucose, your body will use amino acids instead.</p>
<p>The key to avoiding that ammonia smell is to ingest sufficient carbohydrates. If you eat an ample amount of carbohydrate with every meal, then you should have plenty to fuel your exercise activity. Even people who work out on an empty stomach should have some glucose in their bloodstream upon rising - unless they subscribe to the myth that cutting out carbohydrates before bed helps you lose fat. If you find that the ammonia smell persists (even when you consume carbohydrate with every meal), try having a low glycemic carbohydrate before you workout.</p>
<p>A little oatmeal, a small apple, or even a piece of sprouted grain bread can provide the fuel that your body needs. Remember, your body requires fuel to burn fat! So don’t think that providing some carbs before cardio is going to eliminate the fat burning process. In fact, most of my clients who consume a light meal before working out report that their energy levels go through the roof, and they have an incredible workout. If adding 80 calories in the form of a slice of sprouted grain bread kicks your energy levels into high gear and helps you burn 100 more calories during exercise (while sparing your muscles from being used as fuel), there is no reason to worry about dropping fat! </p>
<p>I timed my distance today, and I can comfortably make 3.15 miles in exactly 40 minutes. That’s with 14 minutes of running, and 4 minutes of the walk at an 8% incline. Thursday, I am going out on a dirt trail to do my walk/run, so I guess that is the real test of long it will take to complete. Of course, at this point I’m just happy to do all this pain free.</p>
<p>I’m back and I’m bad! Swilling a large Dunkin Donuts coffee with cream and chowing down on a turkey on rye sandwich.</p>
<p>That wasn’t bad at all. Kind of like watching football on the couch. You roll over, dose off, drool a little on your arm, and when it wake up, it’s the end of the third quarter and you have no idea what happened!</p>
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<p>As for cereal, I’ve used mixing bowls. I’m not proud. Like I say, I could chow down with the best of ‘em. Add some sugar, a little half n’ half. Now that’s what I call a midnight snack! Combine that with no exercise and I can’t figure out for the life of me why I started gaining weight…</p>
<p>Anyway, on the rare occasions when I have cereal now, I use a little 4-inch diameter fruit bowl and literally have just a little snack.</p>
<p>Who the hell eats a vegetable based low carb diet? What they don’t tell you is that the only people in that sample were 23 year old 102 pound yoga instructors. The animal-based diet sample was overweight truck drivers who eat nothing but baby back ribs, drink whiskey, and smoke two packs a day! Guess what? They died more than the yoga instructors!</p>
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<p>PS: A little animal-based protein sammich and a cup of coffee with cream. I almost feel human again. It was the strangest thing. With no fuel, I was freezing cold all night and all morning.</p>
<p>MoWC - YIKES! You are really serious this time!</p>
<p>Reading through this thread is so uplifting - not the injuries, of course - but the determination of so many to truly make meaningful changes in their lives. Yesterday, I happened to be home when the “Doctors” was on and saw a segment when the tall, studly doc abandoned his normal eating/exercising and went on an unhealthy diet. It was amazing how quickly his weight and BP increased. Sobering.</p>
<p>Recently, the young people DH supervise were here for training. He wanted to take them out to eat and they chose Chilies. DH looked up the menu and read the nutritional PDF and was utterly blown away by the fat, sodium, and caloric content of the just the appetizers. Even things that SEEM healthy, are ladened with salt and fat. </p>
<p>wip…somebody posted a Chile’s ingredient list a while back (Chicken Enchiladas?)- the list went on forever. Don’t wont to go near there. I’ve also looked up places like Chipotle and Panera and it’s shocking the amount of salt and fat in those meals. That’s why cooking at home makes sense. I make a mean chicken enchilada! Lots of support here and that’s great. Some of my friends think I’m nuts though…</p>
<p>IDAD…congrats! And yeah, my yoga teacher is always sending me these studies showing I would live longer if I was a vegan. Compares folks who eat beans and sprouts with those who eat hotdogs and Wendy’s “baconators.” Duh. </p>
<p>MOWC…sorry :(. Hope you heal and get back to running soon.</p>
<p>No offense to any vegans out there, but from my limited exposure to vegans, I think that if I had to eat like that I’d rather be dead.</p>
<p>I made it out for a little mini 2-mile walk this afternoon (I’m taking after MOWC, nothing can keep me down!). Second time out with this little iPod gizmo. I touched my fencepost down by old mill at the river that Google Maps pedomter says is .78965 miles from my garage door. The nice lady who lives in the iPod said that I had walked .79 miles. Not only is it accurate, but it’s exactly the same distance it gave me to the fence post the other day.</p>
<p>Google Pedometer says that the entire route I walked is 1.9938 miles. When I touched the garage door coming home, the *Lady in the iPod *said I had walked 1.99 miles. Not bad, considering that I haven’t calibrated it yet. I probably should just leave well enough alone.</p>
<p>Felt great to get in a bonus walk today. I wasn’t looking to get in any heavy lifting, but a little stroll on a nice afternoon was just the ticket after nothing but sugar water for 24 hours.</p>
<p>I went to Chipotle recently and had a burrito. Came home and looked up the calories and found out it was a cool 1200 calories or so. Next time, I’ll leave out the rice and go for extra meat and veggies. My fajitas at home aren’t really what you would call “diet”, but at least I can make them out of chicken or fish and keep them semi-reasonable.</p>
<p>I’ve been tracking calories for the last week just to get a read on where I am these days. It’s a pretty steady 1700 to 1800 calories a day, which is almost exactly 900 calories less than I need to maintain weight. That is pretty much perfectly in keeping with my average 1.8 pounds a week rate of loss. The curve has started to shallow out a bit as I get down to a more reasonable weight. I have also stepped up my exercise a lot as I have gotten fitter.</p>
<p>I haven’t been to CMG since the spring (before working out) but I loved their food. My problem is still getting enough calories. I’ve eaten 1,200 calories today (a lot of carbs) and run six miles and I’m very hungry. I could make a few sandwiches at home to get to 1,900 or get a Quiznos veggie sub (500 cals per half). I was still hungry during the run though, even with all of those carbs. I feel very good right now.</p>
<p>I’m probably tracking idad on the calories with me weighing about 10 pounds more. I will go up to 2100-2200 calories/day if I feel that I need them. Tomorrow is tennis day so I should probably eat more carbs tonight and bring along a bottle of gator/power-ade.</p>
Although brief fantasies of indulgence have crossed my mind when I let myself get hungry when out and about, I can now confidently enter a Dunkin Donuts and order a coffee with cream and no sugar and not even consider eating anything. And man, I LOOOVE donuts!</p>