What are your diet/exercise routines?

[caz_cheer_jenn]

Well, I have made the decision to get rid of the fat that has been creeping up on me for the last three years. Actually, I decided to buy Dr. Phil's book after hearing such great stuff about it, and that has helped me decide to make a real effort this time. The last time I lost 45 pounds, I used pills and that was not good...as soon as I stopped taking them, the weight crept right back. Obviously a bad idea, since it was not a lifestyle change.

 

Anyway, one of the best things I learned is that it helps to MAP OUT your goals....as in, write it down so you can see it staring you in the face if you lose heart. So I bought a calendar and I wrote down where I wanted to be by certain dates. I made the goal of losing about 10 pounds a month until my birthday in May. That will bring me from where I was (210 pounds) to where I want to be (120-130 pounds). As it stands right now, I have been doing my thing for 3 weeks, and I am down 8 pounds!!! YAY!!! I know it does not sound like a lot, but it is in line with my goals so I am happy. The key I think is to keep goals reasonable, and I think that 2-3 pounds a week is very reasonable and attainable. MUCH more do-able than saying "I want to lose 80 or 90 pounds"....that just sounds too overwhelming.

 

So, I was wondering what everyone else does to shed the pounds. I am working out for 40 minutes on my crosstrainer 4-5 mornings a week, before I eat anything (they say that this is the best time to work out, since you are burning calories left over from the day before). According to the digital read-out on my crosstrainer, I am burning between 450 and 475 calories during each workout.

 

As for nutrition, I am being smart. I pair one serving of protein with one serving of good carbs (fruits, veggies, etc.) and I drink TONS of water. I try to eat 4-5 times a day, but sometimes I eat less if I am too busy on the go. I am also taking vitamin supplements that go along with Dr. Phil's program...although I am not sure if they are really doing anything other than making me have to pee every 20 minutes! (I guess that's good, gets rid of the water weight.) I still eat stuff that I love, even if it is not the most healthy, but I eat VERY small amounts of it. Just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth and that's it. And even if I eat something that might be a little fattening, I don't let it ruin my outlook on my weight-loss. Little treats here and there make it more bearable, and my goals are not compromised.

 

So, 3 weeks and 8 pounds later....I am excited! I am sticking with my goals and I feel great about it, since I am making my own choices and I am not on some strict "diet".

 

What is everyone else doing out there?

[disconcertainly]

You do most certainly need a goal. I have joined weight watchers and I have lost 20lbs over the past 14weeks!!

Set a small goal for yourself at first like 10% of your body weight!!! Oh and always drink a TON of water.

Congrats on the 8lbs!

 

I try to eat smartones for lunch and then a dinner not to fatty... I also go to the gym three times a week for at least an hour.

[seahorse]

I weigh 140 pounds and would like to lose at least 14 of them. My bf says he likes me the way I am, but about 9 months ago I lost about 10 pounds and he kept telling me how sexy I looked. I've managed to regain that weight now. It's hard because I'm not a natural exerciser. I love to swim, but the nearest pool is quite a few miles away. I swim a lot more in the summer as we are near the sea, however it's hard to measure how much you swim that way.

 

I also like to walk, but what I need is motivation, a walk buddy or something, to make me get out of the house. I used to do some jogging, but ended up with a badly inflamed knee, which the Dr told me was down to running on the road. I guess it was just too high impact. I've also done yoga, which I find really energizing and mind clearing.

 

My will power atm isn't very good when it comes to food. I've started keeping a food diary this week, to see exactly what I'm putting in my mouth.

 

Any tips?

 

seahorse

[moimeme]

jenn -

 

Congratulations! It sounds like you are doing everything right, from eating several small meals to having small amounts of your favourite treats. That's pretty much the way I eat and I have no trouble at all sticking to my ideal weight. If you decide this is how you'll eat for a lifetime, with occasional meals out for treats, you'll do fine. I eat fried stuff or fries only once every few months and I really don't miss them. Once you get used to eating lighter, heavy food becomes very unappealing.

 

My 'golden rule' is to not eat unless I am hungry and to stop eating when I am full. Not stuffed, mind you, just when the hunger is satisfied. If I start eating foods just because I want the taste, that'll put some weight on.

 

The other thing is that if I notice that a couple of pounds might have landed on me, I take action right away and cut back a bit on food as well as increase the exercise. It is so much easier to stop weight from accumulating if you nip it in the bud rather than waiting until the two pounds turns into ten!

 

My exercises are dancing and walking. I walk home from work every night, which takes 40 minutes, plus I have a 15-minute walk to the bus in the morning. I take dance classes and go to practices, but there aren't as many during the summer so the walking is keeping me fit. I also live close to downtown, so I always walk to go shopping or do other errands.

 

In the coming year, I want to get in the habit of using tapes to do some strength exercises and some stretching for flexibility, since dance doesn't do that for all the muscles.

 

BTW, I'm pretty sure it's all the water you're drinking rather than the vitamins that sends you to the washroom all the time.

[caz_cheer_jenn]

Well, it just seems like I drink the same amount of water every day, and I would visit the bathroom often. But when I started taking the vitamin supplements, it seemed like I had to go even more frequently and with this weird urgency. Like when I started to feel like I had to go, it was serious, I had to GO right then! I don't know...it's not a big deal, it's just that it seems like the vitamins make it more prominent.

[johan]

I have never had a weight problem, but I do look out for my health. I exercise pretty regularly, trail running mostly, or hiking. Lifting weights in the winter time. I used to race bicycles, and that taught me proper diet and exercise habits.

 

Of course the number one thing you need to do is find an exercise you can get into. Pick something that seems very challenging to you at first, because it will be more obvious as you improve, and that will motivate you. This year I picked the steepest, hardest trail around and take the longest uphill section first so I can gauge my fitness. At first I couldn't run it all, but now I do. It hurts like hell, but it's very motivating to see the improvement. But don't force yourself to do too much.

 

As far as diet goes, I don't believe in dieting to lose weight. I believe people eat too much when something is missing from their diet. If you eat well, your body won't be screaming for food all the time, and your caloric intake should be about what you require. I try to stick to "super foods" that are very high in particular nutrients: Beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, soy, spinach, tea, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts and yogurt. Some others I've found: tuna and napa cabbage.

 

Also I am against vitamin supplements. They are just a way of letting yourself off the hook for eating right, the nutrients are NOT the same as what you get from real food, and your body doesn't absorb them as well. One example: the vitamin A you get from pills can be toxic as it builds in your system, but you can eat carrots until your skin turns orange (literally) with no worries. One medium sized carrot roughly 5 inches long will provide all the vitamin A you need in a day.

 

Early this year I was very scientific for a couple weeks: I weighed everything I ate and calculated all the nutrients and calories in my food using a program I downloaded for free. What I found was that in order to get all required nutrients based on my gender, build and age, I was eating all the time, almost to the point that I got tired of it. Breakfast is absolutely essential, or else you get behind. I ate lots of fruits and veggies of various sorts, mostly raw, a little meat, a little more complex carbs. The calories worked out to somewhere between 1800 and 2000 a day, which is a little low for me. So I could take in a couple hundred extra any way I wanted. Usually Starbucks ice cream or cookies or something. I didn't have to cut out butter or cream for my tea or anything else that I appreciate. The fat content of my diet accounted for less than 30% of my calories. Cholesterol was no problem. I had no candy or chocolate. I still have the spreadsheets I worked out so you can see all the foods I ate. I can send it if you want to see it.

 

Also I HIGHLY recommend supplementing your diet with psyllium fiber. It's nearly impossible to get the recommended amount of dietary fiber. I usually got between 25 and 35 grams without supplementing. Flax seed oil is very good for you. And don't be too anal when it comes to sunscreen. I realize skin cancer is bad, but it's not easy to get enough vitamin D just from your diet. Our skin tans for a reason anyway. Just be careful not to overdo it.

 

Now you know everything I know.

[johan]

As far as water goes, it's good that you drink a lot. But there was a study recently that showed that people who let their thirst be their guide were sufficiently hydrated. The recommended gallon a day (or whatever it is) is just an arbitrary goal. If you like to drink a lot, go for it. Don't forget that food provides quite a bit of water as well.

[caz_cheer_jenn]

I guess I am just trying to keep things simple, johan.....and I hate to say it but your post sounded SOOOO complicated! I am just watching my portion sizes, cutting back to low-fat versions of the things that I eat, and making sure that I am eating good protein (fish, lean meat, chicken) and good carbs (no pasta, bread, or starchy vegetables). This seems to be working because I don't feel like I am really on a diet...I'm just making more healthy choices and exercising. As long as my body continues to respond positively and the weight keeps coming down, I'm happy. If I hit a snag in the process, then I'll have to be a little more strict with myself. But for now, I think it's better that I don't consider myself to be "dieting." I'm trying to make the lifestyle change that is so important for permanent weight-loss, so that I don't have to constantly worry about what I am putting in my mouth.