Fitness and Good Health for '04 and Beyond

[vjm1639]

What a great post!  DH and I decided that for Valentines Day this year we would buy a couples gym membership. Figured it was the best thing we could do for our hearts! 5 years ago we quit smoking and since then we've both put on quite a bit of weight.  Between hitting the 40s and stopping smoking, the metabolism just has hit a standstill. It is definitely time to do something!!  I refuse to do any "diet" that I know I won't stick to permanently so we're trying to do more of a lifestyle change. Lots more exercise and more healthy foods and less junk food...just not limiting anything specific.  I hope since we are doing this together that it will be easier to maintain. At least when we're on the bikes and treadmill there is someone to talk to! ;>

[NightOwl]

What a great post!  DH and I decided that for Valentines Day this year we would buy a couples gym membership. Figured it was the best thing we could do for our hearts! 5 years ago we quit smoking and since then we've both put on quite a bit of weight.  Between hitting the 40s and stopping smoking, the metabolism just has hit a standstill. It is definitely time to do something!!  I refuse to do any "diet" that I know I won't stick to permanently so we're trying to do more of a lifestyle change. Lots more exercise and more healthy foods and less junk food...just not limiting anything specific.  I hope since we are doing this together that it will be easier to maintain. At least when we're on the bikes and treadmill there is someone to talk to! ;>

vjm, THANK YOU for such an inspiring post! Seems like you have got it in a nutshell when you use the word "Lifestyle"  What I am getting out of these posts is that we  all have to find our own way, but it isnt just what we eat or how we exercise, but a whole commitment to a better life.

Someone once wisely observed that we need "awareness of each moment and how fully we live it" and what you and DH have done sounds to me like you are  doing just that!  Please keep on letting us know how you like the gym and what your favorite gym activites are.  AND FEEL FREE TO BRAG!!!!!

Now would someone please ask my Darling Husband not to put the big can of Honey-Roasted Peanuts where I have to pass it a hundred times a day?

[MommaMia]

Some tips I have.  Some of them came from when I had surgery on my wrist on my writing hand. It was in a cast to above my elbow for 6 weeks.  During that time I found that I had lost 5 pounds without even really trying.


 Over Eating
For me the biggest problem is not what I eat, but how much I eat.  Most people eat so quickly that their brain doesn't register that the hunger feeling is satisfied until you have already over eaten.  


1.  H2O
Drink an 8 oz glass of water before you sit down to your meal.  It will help fill you up.

2.  Rough It
Eat a salad (with lowfat dressing) BEFORE you begin the rest of your meal.  If your stomach is already half full with high fiber, low fat food,(roughage) you are less likely to over eat.  Skip cheese and meats, eggs and croutons in salad.  Opt instead for green leafy lettuce (no iceberg), tomatoes, carrots, peppers, cellery, fruits (dried ones are supper yummy).  

3.  Half Time
Use half the amount of dressing you normally would.  It's amazing how much we overdo dressing.  For kicks...try pouring the amount of dressing you normally would put on your salad into an empty salad dish.  (Pretend you have your salad in it.)  Now, with a rubber spatula scrape the dressing that's in the dish into a graduated measuring cup.  I bet you'll be surprised how much dressing you use!  A normal serving size of dressing is just 2 tablespoons!  If you are concerned that just 2 tablespoons isn't enough to coat your salad, try putting your salad into a ziplock baggie, add the 2 tablespoons of dressing, seal bag.  Now shake it up to distribute the dressing throughout the salad.  Try half time on other things like bread and butter and sugar and cream in your coffee.  Don't deprive yourself of things you like.  Just limit how much you give yourself.

4.  Downsize I
Replace your dinner plate with a luncheon sized plate.  When you load food onto a big dinnerplate, you can really pack a sizeable amount onto the plate without realizing it.  People tend to not like to see empty space on the plate and fill it up.  When you use a luncheon sized plate, less food can fit on the plate but the plate still looks full, tricking your eye, and your stomach.

5.  Space Out
Leave space between food.  Try the old kid's "no food touches another" rule.  You'll HAVE to put less on your plate.

6.  Switch Sides
Eat using the oppsosite hand that you normally use.   It forces you to eat more slowly, giving your brain and stomach a chance to feel that full feeling before you have cleaned your plate!

7.  Downsize II
Try using a smaller fork.  One with shorter and less tines will hold less food in each bite.  Less food = eat more slowly = feel full faster.

8.  Stop Look and Listen.
Stop eating, look at what's on your plate, and listen to your stomach when that full feeling first hits you!  Don't continue eating just because your Mom taught you to clear your plate.

9.  Leave a Little.  
Try to always leave a little food on the plate.   It feels good to be able to say to yourself "I don't need that last little bit!"  Every little bit you leave is a handful of fat and calories you didn't paste directly to your hips.

10.    Second Chance
This one is for when  you are going to be eating a meal that you absolutely love and you KNOW you will be having seconds. (for me this is my spaghetti rule... Cream cheese chicken too!)  You begin eating your first serving of your favorite yummy.  Half way through that serving, stop and refill your plate.  This tricks you into thinking and feeling like you have gotten seconds, but instead of eating double the amount of a single serving, you have only eaten one and a half times as much.  Don't forget the Leave a Little rule.

11.  Just Desserts
Don't wait an hour to cut the pie and serve dessert.  Chances are in an hour you'll feel like you have plenty of room for a slice of pie, or cake or whatever yummy you are serving.  As soon as you finish your dinner, it's time to serve the dessert!  That way you are feeling full already and just a taste or two of dessert will be more than enough.  A tip about cutting pie and cake... Use the cutting/serving spatula as a guide for how big a piece to cut.  We all tend to cut pieces that are way too big!  The average pie serving spatula is a really decent serving size and actually, cutting a piece just half the size of the spatula should give you plenty of dessert if you have followed the rest of the rules!  Don't forget... the Leave a Little rule applies to dessert too!

[vjm1639]

  Welll..this just stinks...we join the gym, go three times, just starting to get over the first soreness and BAM...I get the flu.   YUK!!!  I'm hoping DH doesn't get it and am trying to get him to take Echinacea and Vitamin C to ward it off.  He's wonderful at trying to take care of  me, but I just don't want him to get this. It's not fun.  Oh well...at least I haven't felt like eating much this week...
 
There are some wonderful tips on this site though. I was watching a show..Oprah maybe, this week and one of the diet tips from a doctor was using the smaller plate that Cindy suggested.  He says a lot of it is psychological. If you use your normal plate with smaller portions, it looks like you aren't eating as much, but if you use the smaller plate, you basically trick yourself.

[birol]

Some of them we save for special occasions to be honest. Like today, Kids are at home because it is a PA day, so we make something called "MANTI", takes two hours minimum for 4 of us to prepare, good for two dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow.

Some other stuff, we do it once a week. Other than that we usually try to eat light vegetable full meals. like a small chicken piece and tons of veggies. Chicken and rice, and stuff like that.

Typical Turkish Cuisine is plain fattening and a danger to anyone's health. Full of fat, meat and pasta or rice. Stuff like Dolma (stuffed vine leaves) are rareties indeed. We don't have much healthy stuff like that If anyone ever gets to visit us, they can be assured of unhealthy, fattening, vein clogging meals

As we say, "nothing will happen by trying it once", and hey, they ARE delicicous !

Hey, Birol, I've always meant to ask--do you-all do Turkish cuisine at home on a regular basis or save it for special occasions?  It's wonderful food.  I especially love Turkish style  dolma--and borek.  (Why dont we have an icon that licks its lips and says, "YUM!")

[labontefan]

Good post!!

I posted sometime back about the rough year I had in 2002...lost my dad right at the end of 2001, then my mom less than 10 months later in October 2002. In between, there were several other deaths among friends and family. Obviously, it was a stressful year. It also gave me a real sense of my own mortality. I'm not getting any younger (already passed the big 5-0), and I'm quite a bit overweight. The weight started coming on gradually when I got close to 40 and just kept on coming! I decided I didn't like being a fat old lady. There's not anything I can do about the old--except stay active and think young (and visit my hairdresser on a regular basis   ), but I can do something about the fat!

In January of 2003, I joined Weight Watchers. I went to Weight Watchers back in the 80's when I had a weight gain and it really worked. I kept the weight off for a lot of years.

I'm quite happy to report that in my first year, I've lost ~50 pounds! (I had lost 50 pounds by November, then the holidays got here and I've spent the last couple of months gaining and losing the same 5 pounds. But I think I'm back on track now!)

I've still got a loooooong way to go. But I already feel MUCH better. My friends and coworkers have been very supportive. And it's fun to put your clothes on and they're baggy! Or dig out a pair of jeans you haven't been able to wear in awhile and they fit!

I'm eating healthier too--less fat and junk food, more milk (skim) and veggies. I've almost given up soft drinks for bottled water. (I drink a lot of Propel. It's basically flavored water, although it does have some extra vitamins and minerals thrown in.)

I still need to get more exercise...I'm going to try walking more when the weather improves.

I think my camping helps too. When we're at the races, we do a lot of walking. And when I'm cranking up the top, I keep telling myself, "It's activity points!"  

[vjm1639]

Wow...Ann that's amazing!!! 50 Lbs!! That is just fantastic. Actually in all I've read, doctors seem to be the happiest with the Weight Watcher's way of "dieting" as the healthiest.  It seems to teach you more how to regulate what you eat without denying any certain type of food.  Congratulations to you!  What an inspiration!

[Ab Diver]

Way to go, Ann! That's a fantastic achievement. Where I've usually started my trail runs on my lunch hour, there is a lady who roller blades for about an hour every day. She's lost 66 lbs just from zipping back and forth over a 1.5 mile paved course. I gotta tell ya, she sure looks like she's having fun losing weight.

Me? I am still keeping with the running. Went out and had a real fun time fighting gale force winds and torrential rain earlier this week, running along ocean cliffs. It was the first time I've ever purposely went *out* into a winter storm here on the coast, and it was one of the most humbling, yet enjoyable, things I've ever done in my life. Even managed to gain on a seagull that I surprised and was trying to fly away from me. Ever see a bird realize a lowly land dweller was moving faster than it is flying? Yes, bird's really can show horror on their faces.
 
I bought a small wrist-worn GPS unit for runners, and tried it out yesterday. It said my weekend "Long and Slow" run was 8.03 miles. That makes 25 miles in the last week. The legs are sore in different places each day, but nothing that doesn't go away in a day or so. All my reading says this is normal, and anything that hurts for more than three-four days and doesn't go away is a sign to back off on my training. And I STILL haven't lost any weight. Must have been that fourth helping of pizza and extra microbrew or two I washed it down with.  :rolleyes:     I know, my bad....
 
The good news is I received a tentative date of July 24th for the marathon, so that gives me a firmer date for the calendar. But the bad news is it's in Salt Lake City, UT, and I live basically at sea level in Northern Calif.  Dunno how I'm going to get there, I'll jump off that bridge when I get to it. (Maybe a family camping trip to Utah is in order? ) But at that altitude, guess who's gunna be sucking major wind, even if he's in the best shape of his life? This is getting more challenging all the time.

[NightOwl]

Ann, you are SOOOO entitled to BRAG!! :S Emotional stress and shock can really do a number on health, especially weight it seems, as there is such great comfort in food.  I can really  identify with that!  (Actually, I guess most of us can.    ) And the older you get (you mentioned being over the big  Five Oh  now) the harder it gets to lose weight!

But as you know, spring is a-comin'--that will surely help make it easier to be active--and as time goes on, the more weight you lose, the easier it will be to "move the body" and exercise more.

And ab diver,  I well remember the challenge of just walking up a hill when we drove directly from Michigan to  Rocky Mt National Park in Colorado.  I was very fit and only in my mid-thirties, but boy, I got out of the car and climbed a hill to get a photo of a field full of  gorgeous wildflowers and was I EVER glad the way back to the car was all DOWNhill! :eek:   After a few days, we acclimated and I hardly noticed it any more, but it was rough at first.

So I think you are really wise to be anticipating the change in altitude you will encounter when you get to Utah for the marathon. Also, Utah can be pretty hot in mid-day even at higher altitudes.

BTW, as to your lack of weight loss despite a lot of exercise --take measurements.  Muscle weighs MORE than fat but fat takes up more "outer space"  (inner, too  )  And once your muscle mass is built up, the weight loss will also occur as muscle burns more fat than fat does and continues burning it even after you are not exercising.

[wiininkwe]

When Elisa first brought back this very important topic, I was enthusiastic about getting back into the swing of things.  Did start (and am continuing to learn) the movements of Tai Chi.  And, as Andi said in an earlier post, they really are harder than they look.  But, as for anything else, well, I have to confess that my mouth went into gear and the rest of me didn't.
 
  Over the past weekend we went to visit our property up north, and I ended up staying in the van reading and drinking coffee while my DH and DP (puppy) went off to romp in the snow and take a walk.  The reason?  I'm too da** fat and out of shape to struggle thru 8-10 inches of snow without having lots of trouble breathing, etc.  I was totally disgusted with myself, and while I sat there I began to reassess my 'condition'.  
  My weight:  I am not kidding when I say that I weigh as much as 2 people my size should.  That's unacceptable to me any longer.  I also carry most of that fat around my middle, the 'apple shape', which adds to the load on my heart.  
My medical health:  High cholesterol, high sugar levels, asthma, arthritis and Fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome.  I take meds for the high cholesterol, but even tho my Dr and I have tried various different types, they haven't lowered it significantly.  Not to mention that almost every one I've tried has caused moderate to severe muscle aches, which I don't need seeing as I already deal with that from the FM.   My weight adds to the pain of the arthritis, mainly because I'm forcing my poor bones to carry me and that other person around all the time.  
 
 Well, I've finally had enough!!  About a year ago I made the effort to start using a Low carb approach to eating, and in 6 weeks I lost almost 40 pounds, and felt great, my sugars were under control, and the cholesterol had started to come down.  Then I went on vacation, and that included a vacation from my new way of eating.   The vacation came to an end, but for some reason I didn't get back into the more healthy diet.  I gained all the weight back, and have been miserable again for a long time.   After the self examination in my van on Saturday, I made the decision to get back on the stick.  On Monday morning when I got up, I began again a low carb plan for living.   This time I mean to keep this plan for life.  
I am re-reading the book "Protein Power" by Michael and MaryAnn Eades, which outlines an approach to Low carb living similiar, but not identical to the Atkins plan.   It educates very clearly about the functions of sugars and carbs and insulin, making it easy to understand why we are a nation of fatties. This is helping me set my goals and plans.   (an example of how people are having a hard time getting it:  my sister is diabetic, yet eats lots of ice cream.  She justifies it by saying that she only buys low fat ice cream, doesn't see why it should affect her diet)
 
After only 3 days on this plan, I already feel an increase in my energy levels.   I remember from last year when I did this that it only took a short time to begin seeing the difference in my self, as the fat began to go away.  I'm anxious to see those changes again.  As I start feeling better, I'll also start adding more exercise into the plan.
And, believe it or not, it's only taken a few days to start losing the addiction to sugar and carb laden foods.  When I need a sweet, I eat sugar free jello, or lo carb yogurt, or. a new thing since last year, Entemann's lo carb brownies.  (rich, fudgy, delicious, 6 g carbs per serving)   Even though I know there's more to it than this, I remind myself that I will from now on restrict or at least limit my intake of 'anything white'.   This is a kind of simplified way of explaining it to others, who don't get the concept of what foods are high in carbs.   The whites are flours, sugars, pasta, potatoes, rice.  (a cousin actually asked if that meant that I could eat chocolate ice cream)
 
Anyway, my point of bringing all this to this forum is that I want to let you know that as my closest friends, I'm looking to you for your support and approval, and hoping that you'll also learn from my progress and or mistakes as I go down this road.  Thanks for being here....
T

[B-flat]

T, that is a great way to get back on track.  I, too, have fallen off the wagon from the best way of eating which was also a modified version of the ATkins but a little different.  I just happen to feel better and have more energy on a lower carb diet.  One thing I do is take one meal per month where I eat whatever I want.  That makes it easier not to feel deprived and then I just get right back on the diet.  With all the new menus at the restaurants now featuring the low carb menus, it will not be so bad to eat out and you'll be less likely to want to cheat from your diet.  When pounds creep up over the years a few at a time, then suddenly it amounts to a lot of pounds and excess fat.  Go for it T, and keep up the good work toward feeling and looking better.....once and for all.  I'm in there with you.  I've got to keep off this extra 30 pounds!

[NightOwl]

WAY TO GO, T WOMAN!:S

I really understand where you are coming from, and  know from personal experience how wretched I always feel when I overload the simple carbs  No  physical or mental energy--no ambition.  And then I get really p*ssed off at myself because I know these things  are poison for me..

But on lean meats and green veggies, man, I am (as we say in the South) Out There  Tearin' Up Stumps!   After  the last 3 weeks back on this Way of Eating, I have recently cleaned and organized  closets, sorted out cabinets and  even gone under the attic eaves and dragged stuff out of there.  (Billy is afraid to turn his back on me for fear I'll dispose of his old--and  favorite--shirt)

Toni, I remember your dedication to this program before and was so impressed with your determination.  I was amazed at how quickly you got great results and I know you can do it again, and even go further.  And this time it will be a bit easier, I bet, since you already know the ropes and besides lo-carbing is now in style and you'll be able to find suitable foods more easily , as Nancy points out.

Keep us informed of all your progress (and even your little mishaps.)

Have you had a chance to try our your Door Gym yet?  Isnt it a great idea?   I really like mine and find it even easier to use than my Pilates machine. Once you get used to it and work up your own routine, it will begin to help you gain strength and firm up as well as contribute to weight loss. (I use mine while I watch tv and can feel  my muscles  building up already.  :W

[wiininkwe]

Just checking in after my first week of "Livin La Vida Lo-Carb" and letting you know how it's going so far.  
 
 First off, I feel great, my energy level is right up there.  It's so different from the wild swings that you get when you have that sugar buzz and then it fades.   This is definitely more stable.  While I have had a few moments of temptation, I am getting past the addiction to carbs, and when I really need something sweet, there are some new products out that allow me to get a taste of it.  Entemanns new lo carb 'Fantastic Fudge Brownies' are so chocolatey and rich that it's taken me 10 days and I still haven't been able to polish off a whole 13 oz package.  Today the remainder
goes in the trash, and that's never happened before!!   I'm eating lots of sugar free jello, and that helps also with the liquid intake.  
I'm still catching on to which foods you can subtract the dietary fiber from, and yesterday I got a shock when Elisa and I figured out that farm raised fish (in this case Atlantic Salmon) are fed with grains and byproducts, so contain carbs.  
Another trick she and I have come up with (actually, did this as a kid and then Elisa reminded me of it) is mixing diet pop, oops, soda, with milk.  It gives a refreshing milkshake like taste, adds a little protein and very little carbs.
 
Oh, almost forgot!!  I have lost 6 pounds.  Jeez, isn't that the whole point, the most important part?   Well, at the beginning it was, but now as you can see, the other benefits are so great, that they almost overshadow the weight part.  (almost)
 
DH is starting to watch and listen and even ask questions about what I'm doing, and I notice has started to substitute some of his snacks, etc with better choices.   I'm not pushing, but do like what I see.
T

[Acts 2:38 girl]

OK, I've been reading, but not wanting to join in.  I started the Atkins diet about 3 months ago, and just as my sugar addiction was beat - I quit!   :rolleyes:   (hey - I had to celebrate DD baby dedication with some cake - right??!!)  Anyhow - I've decided to give it a go once again.  This time I've decided to wean myself off sugar.  Coffee is my biggest temptation because it's easily 2-3 teaspoons of sugar X 4 large mugs a day.  So yesterday I started and prayed that God would change my tastebuds and let me LIKE Splenda.  I can barely tolerate the stuff - and forget about Equal, sweet and low, etc. I did OK yesterday.  Mixed in splenda and sugar, etc.  Only had about half the sugar I usually do.  By 9pm I was pacing the kitchen looking for anything that was sweet that wasn't packed with sugar.  So I settled for a small glass of fruit punch, which worked!    This morning I got up and had a big cup of coffee with only Splenda and it was not super sweet, but it was OK.  I've decided not to quit cold-turkey, but hopefully within a few days I'll be sugar-free.  I'm not sure if I like that, but I really don't like looking like this even more.  And I know it won't be forever, just a few weeks.  I do know I'll never be able to take in as much sugar as I did before.  If I keep that up I'll be diabetic before I'm 40.    
Plus, I want my DH to be able to say, " Dang, check that woman out - Hey- that's my wife!!

[wiininkwe]

Hey, Andi, really glad to see you here!!   Don't give up on the sugar thing, just keep on cutting it out little by little until you can't notice the difference anymore.  I was that way with diet pop.  Couldn't stand the stuff, no matter what kind it was.  Then I found the new diet coke with lime and I love it, and drinking it has sensitized me to the artificial sweetener taste or something, 'cause now I can drink most kinds without too much trouble.  (It still isn't quite the same as the real thing, but at least now it's not half bad.)   Andi, you know me well enough to know that i don't have a real well developed sense of self discipline, so if I can do this, almost anyone can.  I value your input on things, and it's good to know that you and I are fighting this same fight together.  If there's any time you need a bit of encouragement, you can count on me!!   Just rememeber that the sugar is just as addicting as a drug, and getting it out of your life is just as hard as becoming drug free.   If you are doing it, at any level, more power to you.
T