Yet Another Diet and Exercise Thread - need help

Parent Cafe
81

<p>Since CORE only allows fat free cheese (no low fat), I find I don’t eat it that often anymore either–no more cheese and crackers. I used to be a huge brie fan but try to limit that to a really, really special occasion now. I might use 1/4 c. feta (3 pts) as part of my weekly allowance because I still crave the salty taste with tomato and cucumber. But, you are right. Cutting out the cheese altogether wouldn’t be a bad thing. </p>

<p>Since bread isn’t a CORE food, I don’t have sandwiches at all anymore and don’t miss them. I do miss dipping french bread in olive oil and spices (another Friday night mainstay that had to go out the window).</p>

<p>My motivation is that I was a heart attack or stroke just waiting to happen. I had every risk factor in the book and was just plain angry that I expected to die before I had a chance to live, feeling trapped in a job I despised because I was the primary source of support for the family and they most emphatically didn’t want me to quit. To be fair, I was in such bad shape I wasn’t much fun for the family except as a source of a paycheck. </p>

<p>My health finally deteriorated to the point, my H realized I really could die and the paycheck would be lost then anyway. I have lost 31 pounds since I quit in February and have made getting my health back my number one job. I’m probably only half way there. Since I’m not working, I have time to cook good dinners every night and I find I love to clean, go grocery shopping, work in the yard, do laundry, etc. so the family feels like they are benefitting from my staying home more than they thought they would. I think they envisioned me staying in bed and sleeping all day. </p>

<p>The lagging fear is that I have lost this weight several times before, gotten in top physical condition and then something happens and I go back to old habits. I’m hoping that the difference this time is I am too old to play that game. It’s like Russian roulette. The next time would kill me, so I think this time is for keeps. Plus, I wil NOT get sucked back into my old work, despite emails with people asking me to just do this one consulting bit or whatever. It’s a trap and I know that now.</p>

<p>H is a health nut, so supportive, but also competitive. He doesn’t want to eat anything I don’t eat. Whenever I diet, he looses weight and at 6 feet and 160pounds of muscle, he really needs to keep on every pound he has.</p>

82

<p>This is one of my favorite vegetarian recipes: [Chana</a> Masala](<a href=“http://vegancore.blogspot.com/2006/05/sunday-521-chana-masala.html"]Chana”>vegan*core)</p>

<p>Another easy one, courtesy of a merchant at a farmer’s market in Fernet-Voltaire, France: </p>

<p>Cut one large eggplant into medium-size cubes. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and saute the eggplant. Add more olive oil if necessary, but not too much (the eggplant will absorb the oil and soften). Add minced garlic to your preference (for me, that would be one full bulb) and saute, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft but not disintegrating. Add salt and pepper. Take the pan off the stove and add a copious amount of fresh chopped basil. Stir.</p>

<p>Serve with pasta. I like spinach linguine with this recipe, but whole-grain is probably healthier.</p>

<p>The above can be modified to include basically any fresh vegetables. I made something similar with fresh tomatoes, green beans, half a cup of white wine, and a dash of paprika the other night (along with olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, etc.), served with whole-grain rotini.</p>

83

<p>It sounds really good, camelia. Unfortunately, veggies and pasta wouldn’t count as a meal at my house. H would eat it politely, and then go make himself a sandwich. But I’m hoping to serve meat as a side on my vegetarian days - so that H can have meat if he wants, and I don’t have to. Like tonight, I’m making bean soup, with a broiled ham slice. I’ll skip the ham.</p>

<p>I’m drinking my soy shake as I write. (Lunch.) It’s quite good. I made it wrong, though. First, I bought the lowest calorie soy milk I could find (80 cals per 8 oz) - so it is unflavored and unsweetened. Then, I hunted all through my fridge, panty and cupboards, but I apparently have not bought any cocoa since we moved back from Germany! So I added a tiny bit of vanilla, and half a pack of Splenda. Half a banana and a couple strawberries. (Next time, I won’t freeze the strawberries or will cut them smaller first - they had a hard time in the blender.) Alas, no chocolate.</p>

<p>It’s still really good. If the “bean juice” helps with some of the natural aging (eg. hormonal) stuff, that’s great. I notice that it still has 4 gms of fat - a lot more than my skim milk does. And same amount of calcium. So the advantage to the soy over skim milk is a toss up.</p>

84

<p>binx–as a long-term veg, I’ve been making double meals for years. Like you said, the vegetarian person can always use the traditional ‘side dish’ as their main meal, and skip the meat. It can work.</p>

<p>I used to say my hub & I were like Jack & Mrs. Spratt–me: no meat, fat or hi-cal desserts; him: no vegetables or whole grains. Basically, we could go out to eat, split an entree & both be happy. He’s since improved.</p>

85

<p>I second the suggestion to START somewhere. I lost 70 pounds in around seven months. I started with a new bike. I first road the bike so my H wouldn’t regret buying it. He’ll tell you that he thought it would sit in the garage gathering dust. That new bike was the start I needed. Once I
started, there always seemed to be something or someone to keep me going.
After a couple months I started some strength training. There are alot of exercises you can do without any equipment using your body weight such as pushups, crucnches, ect. I was surprised at how much strength training a couple times a week helps. After about three months I started running. I’m now training to run a marathon this fall. </p>

<p>BBinx- one thing you might enjoy is nordic walking. It is really big in Europe. Walking with the poles burns 20% more calories than regular walking, but you don’t feel like you are working any harder. I had some friends with joint issues say it helps.</p>

<p>I second the oatmeal idea. I use the quaker low sugar variety.</p>

<p>As far coke, it is the phosphoric acid in it that leaches the calcium.</p>

86

<p>So you guys eat instant oatmeal packs without any water?
Looking for hiking snack ideas but that seems like it would be a bit like eating sand. I guess I should try it before I judge…</p>

87

<p>No, I think they are all in the vicinity of hot water.</p>

88

<p>Oatmeal- definitely need hot water. Oats can be rolled up with peanut butter, but you need something to wash it down! (like a beer)</p>

89

<p>LOL re: beer chaser for oatmeal.</p>

<p>I’ve found (for travel) that power bars (w/high protein content and decent fiber) are good to have. I try to get the ones that are approx 140 cals, cut them up, put them in a zip lock and eat them a little at a time. Consistent energy, that way.</p>

90

<p>LOL - yeah I thought someone mentioned bringing those oatmeal packets on a hike and I just didn’t get it - unless you’re carrying a thermos or are camping out at the end… PB/Oatmeal and beer sounds pretty good though!</p>

91

<p>“Regarding soy, I sometimes make a “meatball” sandwich using Trader Joe’s “meatless meatballs” (made from soy protein).”</p>

<p>I like Nate’s brand “meatballs,” which you can get at Whole Foods. They are excellent, and I have served them to people who did not realize they weren’t eating meat. These are delicious either in marinara sauce or in sweet-and-sour sauce (small can tomato sauce, small jar apricot preserves or orange marmalade, lemon juice, brown sugar, raisins, pepper). Put them over noodles or smashed Yukon Gold potatoes.</p>

<p>The soy crumbles (ground beef substitute) are also good in spicy dishes like chili or sloppy Joes. They can go into any recipe calling for browned ground beef.</p>

<p>Instead of white rice, try making barley or wheat pilaf. When your carbs comes wrapped in fiber and protein, you stay full longer. Barilla Plus pasta does the same and it doesn’t taste like health food.</p>

<p>My favorite healthy summer dish, baked stuffed zucchini, is as satisfying as lasagna when the gorgeous vegetables are in season. You chop up the centers of the zucchini with onions, peppers, and garlic, saute this till golden brown, mix this into low-fat ricotta with chopped fresh herbs and a handful of parmesan, fill the zucchini and bake them in tomato sauce. Ridiculously good.</p>

92

<p>MOWC, I didn’t realize you needed the hot water. Glad to have the correction; that won’t work then on our hikes unless you count the water in our backbacks as hot (LOL). </p>

<p>GolfingMom, I’m impressed. I always hit plateaus and can’t lose that fast. My body sees a diet coming a mile away even with very intensive exercise and fights me every step of the way. I always get there eventually because I am too Type A to let my body win and then after a year of this massive fight to get off all the weight, I relax a little and it comes pouring back on. This time keeping the weight off forever is my new full time job.</p>

93

<p>How’s everybody doing? Progress reports?</p>

<p>Worknprogress - I’m ready for my next recipe. Please be very specific - like, tell me where in the grocery store to look for things. You should have seen me hunting for soy milk! I have no idea what hummus is - I don’t know if it’s an ingredient or end product. I am very ignorant about food stuffs.</p>

<p>When we visited California last summer, we went to Trader Joe’s. Those of you on the west coast need to know that your grocery stores have completely different foods than ours!</p>

<p>My smoothie for lunch yesterday stayed with me all afternoon. I’m going to have another today. My D wanted to know how it was, so today I’ll share.</p>

<p>My split-pea soup last night wasn’t very good. (My H ate several bowls but he eats anything.) It didn’t stay with me, either. If anybody has any good bean soup recipes - with or without meat - please share.</p>

<p>My weight has been essentially unchanged for the past 3 days. Since my scale is accurate to the .2 pounds, I like to see a change! Especially when I’ve been being good. I am not very patient. But I know from past efforts that I can stay the same for awhile, then suddenly drop. No rhyme or reason.</p>

<p>Yesterday I did the first 10 minute workout of the second DVD. There are several different programs, and I am just taking them in order. The first was was cardio, and was basically an aerobic exercise.</p>

<p>I liked that there was a “shadow” leader doing simplified steps. Sometimes when she was jumping or bouncing too much and I was afraid I would hurt my knee, I was able to watch the other leader. The camera man, however, only showed the second person occasionally, so it was sometimes hard to get a long enough look at what she was doing differently.</p>

<p>My other mini-complaint is that, although it is billed as 10 minute workouts for the busy woman, they spend a really long time at the beginning on advertisements. This is before the menu pops up. There may be a way to skip over it, but I am technology deficient - I was proud of myself for figuring out how to work the TV and DVD and surround sound. So I put the DVD on, go do something else for a few minutes, and come back.</p>

94

<p>

Lentils, not beans, but still delicious: [French</a> Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme](<a href=“http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=105"]French”>http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=105)</p>

<p>The [recipe</a> I linked to in #82](<a href=“http://vegancore.blogspot.com/2006/05/sunday-521-chana-masala.html"]recipe”>vegan*core) is fantastic as well (basically chickpeas, tomatoes, and spices; soy yogurt isn’t necessary, I use soy milk or leave it out). Serve with rice, naan bread, or on its own.</p>

95

<p>“If anybody has any good bean soup recipes - with or without meat - please share.”</p>

<p>I made a terrific bean soup this week. The main secret is to use as many types of beans as possible so there’s a variety of colors, textures, and flavors. Ideally, go to a market where there are beans, lentils, dried peas, etc. in bins, and just fill up a big bag by taking a scoop of every one.</p>

<p>Soak the beans. Then boil them until they are tender with a ham hock, smoked turkey wing, or some chopped leftover ham, along with bay leaves, dried thyme, and pepper. Using stock instead of water is nice, but not necessary. When the beans are almost tender, take out the meat (if using hock or wing), pull the meat off the bone, chop and return it to the soup, and discard the bone and skin. Add a big can of chopped tomatoes with their juice, and plenty of chopped celery, onions, carrots, and garlic. Simmer for 45 minutes or so, and season with salt, pepper, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and hot sauce.</p>

96

<p>Binx, you might find hummus with the dips and spreads. Ours is also near the olive bar and fresh mozarella. It comes in little tubs and is light brown.</p>

97

<p>Good 7 mile run this morning even though I didn’t feel like going out the door. Beautiful morning in middle Tennessee- 62, clear, low humidity. Saw a deer and two bunnies. Ran a little harder than I should have and probably left some of my 4th of July race out there this morning. Drank milk with Ovaltine for breakfast. We have a cooking contest at work today so I plan to eat more than usual for lunch. I actually brought an oriental salad for it, which is the first time in my entire life I have participated in any contest involving food that didn’t involve simply EATING it! Confession- H actually made the salad for me to bring. (it is EXTREMELY easy and makes a lot).</p>

98

<p>Okay, I’m in. I turned 50 earlier this year - 'nuff said? I’ve seriously fallen into “disrepair” over the past few years after staying on top of the weight and basic conditioning most of my life-three active kids and I was right with them. Then they passed me by and suddenly I was on the sidelines! The weight is still okay, but considering how much muscle I’ve given up - I should probably be lighter. (It’s good to be tall.)</p>

<p>Just got a bunch of testing done, with more still on the horizon. Bone density needs a bit of attention. Way low on Vitamin D. Cholesterol and blood pressure are non issues, thank you grandma and grandpa!</p>

<p>So I gotta work out. I just don’t stick with it. So far I’m 2 weeks into a walking campaign and have added a bit of jogging (I think I walk faster than I jog, but I feel the jog more). I have no patience, though, and tend to push too much too fast and end up too sore and then I quit. Physical therapy has done wonders for my wobbly knee and chronic bad shoulder, and taught me a lot about what I should be doing. But there is a disconnect between my ears - I can’t seem to fully grasp that I really am 50 and can’t pound the pavement like I did at 25. I’m trying a log this go around to see if a written record with a more defined plan will keep me in check and ultimately on task.</p>

<p>And reading the posts here is keeping me inspired.</p>

99

<p>Got dressed in my work-out attire and did not run or work out. lol. Researched lots of college stuff for son though… (excuse??). lol</p>

100

<p>Did my usual 3-mile fun walk with a partner this morning and have been deep cleaning all morning for major company this week-end. As a result, I am not motivated for my 2:00 serious work-out, which includes weights today and the fast work on the treadmill. I am sorely tempted to cut back a little on the weights–fewer sets, maybe skip the lunges (hate those), but MOWC, you are setting a great example. How you feel and what you do don’t have to be perfectly correlated.</p>

<p>Speaking of good recipes, try combining corn, black beans, avocado, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, cilantro, and pepper (salf if desired). Last night we put that on top of grilled flank steak rubbed with garlic and it was wonderful. Because of the protein in the black beans, Binx could eat it without the flank steak. We also supplemented with a tossed salad.</p>