<p>Welcome, Katie! You can start anytime … the current goal we are tracking is losing 5 pounds over the next month. Some of us started last Monday, but others started later due to travel or other schedule issues. Please join this discussion, and review some of the good ideas some of our expert posters have documented since this forum began.</p>
<p>Consolation, sounds like you may have other complications with diabetes that may be throwing off your weight loss goals. If you are doing everything correct, you should lose weight, but if your body chemistry or insulin is reluctant to help, you will see challenges that the rest of us don’t understand. I hope you get some new insight or test results from your medical contacts that can help. You certainly sound like you have the discipline, which for some of us is the bigger challenge.</p>
<p>Congratulations on starting, katiemom! I think that for people without special dietary needs, it is wise to try to eat broadly, and just be aware of the caloric and nutritional value of what you consume. I will say that carbs create a craving for carbs, so keeping them on the lower side is probably a good idea. Using MFP or some other food diary and getting a handle on what you are actually eating is a good step.</p>
<p>Marilyn, getting down to a size 12 from a 20 is a GREAT achievement! You can wear normal clothes, and shop in normal stores. I know it’s tough to even maintain when you can’t exercise. In late March, just when I had gotten my exercise program back on track, I had an eye emergency that required me to do almost nothing for 3 weeks except sit on the couch. I couldn’t even lift anything heavy or bend over, and had to sleep sitting up. Then, just when that was coming to an end, I suddenly developed an extremely painful cyst on the sole of my foot that had to be drained and immobilized me for a couple more weeks. Very frustrating, but you will get there.</p>
<p>Up two pounds from Sunday, down half a pound from Tuesday, where should I count from!? I knew last week would be difficult - not just that I couldn’t do much in the way of real exercise, but I had a house full of in-laws this weekend.</p>
<p>I have not posted on this thread, but have just starting to reference it because I gained 7 pounds over two months due to medication I was taking. I’m no longer on the medication, and was just hoping the pounds would gradually melt away, but instead, I gained 2 more pounds in two weeks! Out of sheer terror, I started writing down everything I ate, so I could show my doctor that I’m not overeating. </p>
<p>Also, out of panic mode, I started weighing myself every evening and every morning. This practice has delivered some interesting information. If I go by my morning weight, I have lost one pound over the last two weeks. But if I go by my evening weight, I have lost 4 pounds over the last two weeks. In other words, my fluctuation between morning and evening weight has narrowed. In the past, I have always weighed myself in the morning, and then been frustrated by the slow progress. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next two weeks.</p>
<p>I’m also adding a trick that has worked for me in the past. I am walking for a total of one hour a day, but at intermittent times throughout the day. For me, it seems as if I burn more calories by spreading it out. Statistically that’s not the case, but I don’t care. The other benefit is I now feel skinny. I’m not, but for some reason, walking a total of 60 minutes a day does that for me.</p>
<p>At any rate, I am just sharing this information in case it is helpful for any others who are frustrated by the whole process.</p>
<p>Oh dear…I think I have discovered the problem! I signed up for My Fitness Pal (thanks to everyone for the suggestion!) and I have already consumed my calories for the day and it is only 1:30! This is not a happy place to be! Who knew a brownie had so many calories! I think my craving for carbs and sweets is going to be my big issue!
Thanks for the welcome…this is going to be a tough journey for me!!</p>
<p>Okay, compared to last week, I am down a little over a pound. I walked three times. So, progress! I admit, I was hoping for a better result, but let’s see what happens this week. Ice cream season should be over soon, and that will help, LOL.</p>
<p>Good for you, mstee. For me, winter is harder-- all the holiday and other baking and that plate of greens just doesn’t look as enticing as it does when it’s hot out.</p>
<p>It is actually shocking how many calories most foods have. Now that some restaurants are putting the calorie values of their dishes on the menu, you realise that 90% of the stuff on there is not for you unless that is going to be your only meal of the day. Limiting your carb intake will help not just in losing weight but will avoid fluctuations in blood sugar levels and thus an urge to keep eating.</p>
<p>Fooey … I ate too much this weekend after an Oktoberfest buffet. I was moving all weekend so was hoping the exercise and walking and cleaning would cancel out. I think this is the part of my weight loss routine where I panic and temporarily eat more than I normally do because of some sense of starvation about to come. </p>
<p>Oh well, I am up a pound since last Monday, but still have continued to drink water, take my vitamins, and mostly am eating more veggies. Now have to log specifically everything I eat (but am not going to log that bratwurst or knackwurst or chocolate dessert … that damage is done and it showed on the scale.)</p>
<p>Fly me, I love your post. I love that while you are watching the scale, you have mentally got to the point of realizing that the scale #is not the only motivating factor - how you feel is, AND it feels great to feel good!!! Also you have altered your exercise to a plan that works for you - an hour spread throughout the day - if it works for you , you are surely more likely to do it!! High five to you!!</p>
<p>Hm…must be an East Coast thing. I also forgot what I weighed last week. I wrote the date down, but not my weight. So if I remember the correct weight, then I stayed the same. I am doing many things right - Weight Watchers, getting activity into my life. The weight loss will come. (Have lost over 9 pounds so far.)</p>
<p>1moremom - Oh, winter can be the best time for greens! Braised kale, steamed baby bok choy, roasted brussels sprouts - all with garlic and/or lemon and/or vinegar and/or red pepper flakes!</p>
<p>I’m watching The Voice, and have spent the entire time doing bicep curls, flys, tricep dips, ab exercises, counter pushups, and stretches. I have that pleasant slight ache all over and feel very virtuous! :D</p>
<p>katiemom, I think you should look at restricting carbs. They do create cravings. You could try eating no more than 35gms of complex carbs at a meal to start. It requires a lot of label reading and attention to start with, but it gets a lot easier. If that works for you, great. If not, take it down to 20 or 25 net gms per meal. Make sure you combine your carbs with protein and/or fats to slow them down. If you do this for a month the cravings WILL begin to lessen.</p>
<p>Alumother, I love those things but what I crave in the winter is big bowls of pasta and stew with dumplings and thick soup with fresh bread. I actually have brussels sprouts for dinner tonight. I roast them, mix them with white beans and top with walnuts and grated pecorino or bleu cheese.</p>
<p>Weighed in again this morning and dutifully recorded the number…I think a daily weigh in will be the only way to keep me on track although I realize weekly trends are going to be a more accurate portrayal of my progress.
Consolation…I think you may be right…I was shocked at the amount of sugar and carbs and fat I consumed and did not even hit the target for protein per “my fitness pal”.
Any suggestions for EASY meals/snacks from the group? I do not like to cook…so simple and things that can be prepared ahead of time would be great!</p>
<p>Lunch or Dinner:
A protein - lean meat or fish
1-2 vegetables - raw or cooked, but only one (or none) being starchy (potatos, corn, etc.)
Dairy item - milk to drink, cheese to top protein or vegetable, plain yogurt w/small amount fruit
IMO, stay away from casseroles, processed foods, etc. Stir fries are good (have them without the rice or very little)</p>
<p>Snacks:
Think pure things, unprocessed
raw veggies and cheese
a dozen almonds
an apple w/peanut butter
hummus and raw veggies</p>
<p>Deli meat (chicken, turkey) rolled up around a skim milk cheese stick, or carrot is a possibility.</p>
<p>For snacks, I usually have carrot sticks with hummus, 1/4 cup of Greek Yogurt with a 1/4 cup of fresh fruit and 1 TB or so of granola, the peanut butter thread gave me peanut butter cravings - mostly I just have a tsp straight, but it’s good on apples and bananas, just be careful not to eat too much!</p>
<p>For lunch and dinner I often just saute or grill meat and sprinkle some sort of spice mix or fresh herbs on it. Fresh salsas are good too - you can buy them or make your own. I have about 4 oz of meat, 6 oz of cooked veg (almost never starchy), and up to 6 oz of raw vegetable (big mixed salad.)</p>
<p>Last night I baked chicken breasts with bone drizzled with a bit of olive oil and herbs. I used half the chicken with the skin removed in a big salad. My H will probably make a burrito or soft taco with the leftovers tonight. I find that with an empty nest it is easy to just cook more of the protein and use it again in another dish.
I also tend to use quinoa as my grain. I rarely make rice anymore.
One meal that I tend to make almost weekly. Skinny chicken breasts marinated in fresh lemon juice, a bit of olive oil and herbs from my garden. Grill. Greek salad with cucumber, tomato, red pepper, red onion. A few kalamata olives diced. I use the barefoot contessa greek salad dressing. Add the feta just before serving. Hot quinoa as the side. For my H who needs the calories I put a frozen piece of TJ Naan on the BBQ. I make extra. After dinner I take two lunch size containers, layer the quinoa, greek salad and diced up chicken breast. It makes a yummy lunch that you can just grab on your way out in the AM.
On the occasion I grill a steak I find it weight loss friendly to serve it sliced in a salad or served on top of a bed of fresh lightly sauted vegetables.
I tried a new flavor of the Chobani mini last night as an after dinner snack. 100 calorie Mint with mini dark chocolate chips. It was pretty tasty.
I usually make a vinegar based salad dressing but last night I made a blue cheese dressing. I used greek non fat yogurt with a bit of olive oil and garlic. Added in a small amount of blue cheese. Let it thicken and before serving added water a small amount at a time to thin it down. I find I can stick to a better way of eating if I allow myself to add some creamy based items into my diet. Greek yogurt is a great way of doing that.</p>
<p>Here’s what I ordered for lunch last Friday at ChickFilA. It was delicious and 180 calories without the nut toppings (they put them in the bag packaged separately - in the future I’ll tell them to leave them out). I did get dressing and dipped my fork occasionally, but it was very, very good! All the fruit tasted fresh & delicious…180 calories!!! </p>
<p>**Edit: sorry, link didn’t work…trying again (or google ‘chickfila market salad’) </p>
<p>Good for you AllThisIsNewToMe. I don’t have the willpower to order a salad at ChickFila. I love their basic chicken sandwich. For that reason I avoid most fast food places.</p>