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Post by pikachu on May 31, 2018 1:21:38 GMT
MyFitnessPal has been very helpful to me! The site can help you set your calorie limit per day based on how much weight you have to lose and how fast you want to lose it, you can track nutrient levels like fat, fiber, iron, sodium and there's a food diary to record what you eat and an exercise tracker to track your activity. If you use TrackMyFitness, it can link to your account at MyFitnessPal and automatically add calories burned from activity.
As far as diet plans to follow, I've heard people having good results with the Keto Diet but I'm not willing to give up carbs. I do better with trying to choose low fat/low sugar/low sodium food options and trying to get myself to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
The main things are activity and accountability. It never works to say you're just going to eat less. Unless you're keeping track of the food you eat and your activity, it'd too easy to go off track.
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Brooks
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Post by Brooks on May 31, 2018 14:29:01 GMT
It is easy enough for me to keep my kitchen clean - well stocked with healthy foods and purged of stuff I don't think I should eat, because I only have to behave myself while in the grocery store. But I have a major problem at work, where I spend most of my waking hours during the week and where I face the most stress likely to drive me to junk food. Our vending machines now accept plastic and $5 bills, so I protect myself by restricting cash to $20 bills and leaving my debit/credit cards at home. Even $10 bills are too tempting and I could use them to raid the commissary on the ground floor, but the battleaxe who runs it doesn't tolerate breaking $20 for low priced purchases. Breaks my heart when people put out junk food in the lounges, it's not fair.
A good night's sleep is huge. I don't sleep very well so I'm working on that. Microwave energy from cordless phones and WiFi interferes with sleep. I got rid of my cordless phone set and turn off WiFi at night and do noticeably better without them. Now I'm trying blue blocker glasses in the evening.
I don't usually have very much weight to take off, so it is important to me to eat as healthfully as I can while I'm dieting. That means plenty of good fat in my diet because many phytonutrients in vegetables aren't absorbed without it. Avocados rock! And fat is more satiating so I eat less and don't get hungry as quickly.
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Post by sweetmermaid1 on Jun 4, 2018 6:45:32 GMT
My diet tip is not to diet. Dieting is a short term denial of the foods that you want to eat. Eating what you crave (salt, sugar etc) is ok...you are craving it for a reason. Eat one portion and your crave will be gone. The next time eat half a portion and follow that with twice the portion of something healthy. Your body will crave the good stuff.
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Post by pikachu on Jun 4, 2018 16:23:08 GMT
I don't think "diet" necessarily has to mean something temporary. When you talk about an animal's eating habits, you might say they live off a regular diet of fruits, nuts, and seeds so when I'm talking about dieting, I really mean trying to change my current eating habits and adopt a healthier diet.
Another diet tip that helps is to eat and drink from smaller plates, bowls, and cups. A few months ago, I got some divided plates from the baby section at Target and I think they're great! They're microwave safe, one half of the plate is a big section and the other half of the plate is divided into two sections. I put meat in one of the small sections, fruit or another side in the other small section, and use the big half of the plate for vegetables.
I also switched from 18 ounce plastic cups to 9 ounce cups.
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Post by Imperfect1 on Jun 4, 2018 19:24:01 GMT
I'm such a foodie and a sugar-holic (a really bad combination for anyone trying to keep their weight down) and I DON'T want to give up any food. I know -- that's not good! Sooooo, this kinda forced me to become more active, to burn up those extra calories. And, I have to say, it's been enough of an incentive that I really have been very good about increasing my exercise and other activities while trying to hold the weight line down.
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Post by combatcutie on Jun 4, 2018 19:27:57 GMT
A bunch of people I know are doing weight watchers and have lost a lot of weight.
I'm not a very good tracker of what I eat, so I've been doing Les Mills Combat and love it. In the first 2 weeks, I noticed a difference in my toning and waiste
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Post by momrek06 on Jun 4, 2018 19:36:21 GMT
Lots of exercise and tons of water!!!
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Post by waywyrd on Jun 4, 2018 22:46:25 GMT
I have no patience with programs and points and keeping track of calories. In the words of Michael Pollan: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. I avoid processed and prepackaged "food" and try not to eat too much fried stuff or red meat. I guess I mostly eat a Mediterranean style diet...lots of fruits and veggies, beans, grains, nuts, fish and chicken. And do what James Brown said - get up offa that thing! I make sure to work in some exercise every day.
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Post by Cootie on Jun 5, 2018 3:54:33 GMT
Using a salad sized plate for all meals is an easy thing to do to reduce calories. I don't diet but after using My Fitness Pal and other tracking devices I've gotten to know what the nutritional value of lots of foods are. I try to choose superfoods at every meal in order to get the greatest bang for each meal. And sleep is big. And taking time to go outside and walk. My workouts take place in the garden and during housework. I don't sit very much and think that those who sit all day are at a great disadvantage. Take walks on your breaks! I think that anything we can do to reduce sugar intake is really important, especially corn syrup. And if you can grow food on your own or frequent farmers markets to support locally grown food, you will get fresher and more nutritious meals in the end.
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Post by cornholio on Jun 14, 2018 4:04:13 GMT
I'm down 36 pounds since Jan... I was in a rut for several months towards the end of 2017 when my dear friend died of brain cancer and then my sweet kitty Salem was dying and just wanted to sleep on my chest ALL THE TIME. So I was sad and did a lot of vegging out, binge watching TV shows and carelessly eating pints of Ben & Jerry's. Salem died in January and I decided it was time to get off my duff and get busy & back to my normal active self.
Since then I've been doing Pure Barre and spin classes. Each class 6x a week, so 12 hours total. I already did these classes all along but would do barre 5x a week and spin once or maybe twice. So I really have ramped up the cardio, the Barre classes are more for toning.
The big thing is: I used to go out with friends for lunch pretty much every day. And always ate the bread on the table! A social thing, but honestly - I don't want to spend the $ and want to eat clean. I do fortunately have some really healthy options I can still go to maybe once a week for lunch instead (Food & Thought farm to table or True Food Kitchen). But mostly I would rather just have iced coffee in the AM, a protein bar and/or protein shake in the afternoon and dinner would be salad/veggies/grilled chicken/fish/shrimp etc., but heavy on the veggies. No Ben & Jerry's. There are times when I just want a treat, but that's been once every 3 weeks or so and now I'll get a halo, skinny cow or one of the other new options that's 300 calories for the whole point. Halo banana, yum!
Also: I had a food allergy blood test. I already knew I was allergic to pineapple, but learned I'm allergic to cinnamon, gluten, eggs and peanuts as well. Weird BUT, made sense. Mild allergies that mess with the digestion, not full-blown death by peanut. But I already knew that when we get a case of Cliff bars, I could never eat the peanut butter ones because I'd feel sick afterwards. So I need to avoid these items. Meanwhile I've heard from a ton of people that avoiding gluten results in weight-loss. I was skeptical. But there's no denying that I've been avoiding gluten and the weight is coming off. Whatever, something is working! :-)
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Post by MissScarlet on Jun 14, 2018 4:23:13 GMT
I know this is going to sound like a commercial, but it's the truth & there's really no other way to put it. I lost 35 pounds 3 years ago & have kept it off (except for a pesky 5 pounds that come back on every Winter, and then off in Summer) with Beachbody & Shakeology. Their DVD workout programs are great, plus you are encouraged to eat right & be more active overall. You are given suggestions as to how.
I've found that the real bugger is keeping the weight off. Eating healthy & working out/staying active are a lifelong change you have to make. That's tough. I still crave sweets & junk food & a lazy lifestyle, but I've learned to control it. But it's still hard to do. Plus, the older we are, the harder it is to take & keep the weight off. Our habits are more ingrained than when we were younger.
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Post by ibot2much on Jun 16, 2018 13:45:22 GMT
I was diagnosed with a serious health condition just about a year ago. Since that time, I have lost 70 pounds from eating a non carb diet. I don't measure or attend meeting; I just don't eat carbs except for Cheerios, berries in the morning. I switched from skim milk to almond milk and replaced my other fruit snack with a handful of pistachio nuts. Within 6 months my numbers were in the normal range and they continue to be so after a year. I have dropped 6 dress sizes. We eat out 2 times a week as I refused to give up my lifestyle. Every Italian restaurant we know will replace the pasta with a green vegetable and I totally avoid the bread basket which is really the hardest thing as I love good bakery bread....but sugar and refinded flour are deadly so it is now easier to pass on them.
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Post by Eastcoastmom on Jun 16, 2018 18:28:54 GMT
That is amazing, ibot2much!!! Congratulations! You must feel and look amazing!! 👏 👏
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Post by ibot2much on Jun 16, 2018 19:13:38 GMT
Thanks. I am 70 years old so the metabolism is slow. My doctor was suprised that I did so well. I do feel wonderful and can walk long distances and when my house cleaner retired from the business, I didn't replace her, but can easily do my own cleaning...so lots of good has come from the no carbs.
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Post by Kao on Oct 23, 2018 19:10:53 GMT
Anyone doing keto? I'm kinda intrigued...
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Brooks
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Post by Brooks on Oct 24, 2018 14:27:31 GMT
I only "did" keto during a 7 day water fast in that I was checking my blood ketone levels to see how quickly or easily I developed ketosis. Keto means ketosis and you won't know unless you check blood sugar and blood ketones, and the ketone strips are quite expensive. Otherwise you're probably just doing low carb. I would take a look at anything by Dr. Jason Fung. Burning fats instead of sugars is much cleaner and therefore healthier - more efficient and less reactive oxygen species generated. However from my reading you don't want to stay in ketosis for an extended time. You're better off mixing it up especially if your intent is to lose weight. The easiest way to get into ketosis is by fasting for 2 or 3 days. To try to do it just by diet can take much longer, which may be fine too.
My current opinion is that light pollution is a critical issue - blue only light, dirty electricity, WiFi. Because it destroys mitochondrial function, and the only way to burn calories is at the mitochondrial level. You want them humming away. It's also critical to general health. Anything by Dr. Jack Kruse helps explain this. 5g will make everything so much more difficult. Worth starting to explore the issues now. I replaced all my squirrely bulbs at home with incandescents, and at work I'm redoing in my interior, fluorescent-lit office with all incandescents and a blue light screen protector on my computer monitor. Less efficient, but it replaces some of the missing infrared and ultraviolet light we require. But nothing beats sun exposure.
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Post by Critical on Oct 24, 2018 17:47:29 GMT
IMO, giving up (largely) a whole food group just isn't realistic and also (IMO) not the healthiest thing to do. Anyone I've known who's done a low or no carb diet has eventually gone OFF that diet and gained the weight back very quickly. My one friend gained all her weight back after a trip to Italy where she *gasp* ate bread AND drank wine. She walked a bunch while there, so only gained a few pounds, but when she got back, the floodgates had been opened! She's back to her original weight.
I think keto probably helps take weight off quickly, but unless you really don't like carbs, it's not sustainable. My friend's carb-free diet was beyond restrictive - no sweet potatoes, (no potatoes, period), no rice of any kind, no bananas, strawberries or any other carb-y produce. IMO, a healthy diet can and should include those things. Frankly, I also don't think eating so much meat is healthy either.
The easiest diet, IMO, is just eating fewer calories. Because fresh veggies and lean meats have fewer calories AND are better for you, they're an healthy way to eat a lot and feel full, but still keep your calories low. My motto has always been that I can eat anything, but I can't eat EVERYTHING.
I guess this is all to say, everything in moderation and keeping things simple is an easier way to lose weight and sustain that weight loss.
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Post by nennie on Oct 24, 2018 19:37:25 GMT
I think moderation is the best type of dieting. I did follow low carb and lost 20 pounds but I didn't cut them all out. I still watch my carbs simply because they make me feel sluggish if I eat to many. It's all about balance. I could never be vegan or vegetarian because I do like some meat in my diet.
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Brooks
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Post by Brooks on Oct 24, 2018 21:03:32 GMT
What your body does with what you eat is largely dictated by hormones. Does it go to energy or to fat? Calories are just part of it. Two very different diets of the same total calories could have very different effects and therefore one will be much more pleasant to lose weight on than the other and less like to reset your metabolic weight. Moderation is fine if you are already following a healthy diet. For instance, any amount of sugar substitutes is bad for your gut microbes, and the microbes have a say in whether you can more easily lose weight. Kruse worked out the adjustments needed for optimal leptin response, again largely a matter of how and when you expose yourself to good or bad light. The more your life is based on natural sunlight the easier the excess weight will come off without adjusting anything about what you eat.
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Post by nennie on Oct 24, 2018 22:57:15 GMT
What your body does with what you eat is largely dictated by hormones. Does it go to energy or to fat? Calories are just part of it. Two very different diets of the same total calories could have very different effects and therefore one will be much more pleasant to lose weight on than the other and less like to reset your metabolic weight. Moderation is fine if you are already following a healthy diet. For instance, any amount of sugar substitutes is bad for your gut microbes, and the microbes have a say in whether you can more easily lose weight. Kruse worked out the adjustments needed for optimal leptin response, again largely a matter of how and when you expose yourself to good or bad light. The more your life is based on natural sunlight the easier the excess weight will come off without adjusting anything about what you eat.I should be skinny as a rail if that be the case,which I'm not. I am always in the sunshine and my house has windows everywhere without curtains covering them. I do watch what I eat. I do have days I eat what I shouldn't but for the most part am very conscious of what I do eat.
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Post by waywyrd on Oct 24, 2018 23:11:22 GMT
One thing that has helped me lose a few unwanted pounds this summer - thanks, menopause! - was fasting. I think someone mentioned it somewhere else on this board...but I stop eating at 7 pm, and don't eat again til morning, about 7-7:30 am or so. Easy 12 hour fast, since I'm asleep for a lot of it! Water and unsweetened tea are all I have after 7. I don't always get to do it on Friday or Saturday nights, but pretty much every other night I do. Bonus: no more acid reflux at night from eating late, which was causing me to have trouble swallowing at times.
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Brooks
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Post by Brooks on Oct 24, 2018 23:18:45 GMT
What your body does with what you eat is largely dictated by hormones. Does it go to energy or to fat? Calories are just part of it. Two very different diets of the same total calories could have very different effects and therefore one will be much more pleasant to lose weight on than the other and less like to reset your metabolic weight. Moderation is fine if you are already following a healthy diet. For instance, any amount of sugar substitutes is bad for your gut microbes, and the microbes have a say in whether you can more easily lose weight. Kruse worked out the adjustments needed for optimal leptin response, again largely a matter of how and when you expose yourself to good or bad light. The more your life is based on natural sunlight the easier the excess weight will come off without adjusting anything about what you eat.I should be skinny as a rail if that be the case,which I'm not. I am always in the sunshine and my house has windows everywhere without curtains covering them. I do watch what I eat. I do have days I eat what I shouldn't but for the most part am very conscious of what I do eat. Maybe the question is how healthy are you. Natural sunlight, especially if you reset early in the morning, is really important. And so is avoiding blue light, dirty electricity, and WiFi-like energy. I need to work another 5 years and I am very concerned that conditions at work not impact my health. I can only control so much but I'm doing more about it than I had anticipated.
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Post by nennie on Oct 24, 2018 23:32:53 GMT
I should be skinny as a rail if that be the case,which I'm not. I am always in the sunshine and my house has windows everywhere without curtains covering them. I do watch what I eat. I do have days I eat what I shouldn't but for the most part am very conscious of what I do eat. Maybe the question is how healthy are you. Natural sunlight, especially if you reset early in the morning, is really important. And so is avoiding blue light, dirty electricity, and WiFi-like energy. I need to work another 5 years and I am very concerned that conditions at work not impact my health. I can only control so much but I'm doing more about it than I had anticipated. I am basically healthy. Need to lose a few more pounds. At 64 I think I am 44 and live an active life. I keep the roads hot toting a 16 year old to his soccer games everywhere and then I make 3 hour one way trips to see my grandson play football.
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Post by Kao on Oct 25, 2018 2:34:57 GMT
IMO, giving up (largely) a whole food group just isn't realistic and also (IMO) not the healthiest thing to do. Anyone I've known who's done a low or no carb diet has eventually gone OFF that diet and gained the weight back very quickly. My one friend gained all her weight back after a trip to Italy where she *gasp* ate bread AND drank wine. She walked a bunch while there, so only gained a few pounds, but when she got back, the floodgates had been opened! She's back to her original weight. I think keto probably helps take weight off quickly, but unless you really don't like carbs, it's not sustainable. My friend's carb-free diet was beyond restrictive - no sweet potatoes, (no potatoes, period), no rice of any kind, no bananas, strawberries or any other carb-y produce. IMO, a healthy diet can and should include those things. Frankly, I also don't think eating so much meat is healthy either. The easiest diet, IMO, is just eating fewer calories. Because fresh veggies and lean meats have fewer calories AND are better for you, they're an healthy way to eat a lot and feel full, but still keep your calories low. My motto has always been that I can eat anything, but I can't eat EVERYTHING. I guess this is all to say, everything in moderation and keeping things simple is an easier way to lose weight and sustain that weight loss. Unfortunately, I have to avoid most carbs because of health reasons. I do try to keep the carbs I do eat to certain grains like quinoa, cheerios, steel cut oatmeal, fruits and veggies. I try to stay away from breads, potatoes, pastas, and pastries (or if I do have them it's a once in a blue moon thing).
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Brooks
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Post by Brooks on Oct 25, 2018 9:17:00 GMT
Kao, you're doing great adjusting to your diagnosis, but please avoid all non-organic oats. Glyphosate is in almost all our food now and for non-organic oats like cheerios has been tested at **a thousand times** the level of most other foods. (Non-organic wheat and legumes can also be in that range.) This has been in the news lately. Very toxic levels and very damaging in many ways. FDA is supposed to test foods for pesticides and herbicides but has refused to ever test for glyphosate because typical of federal agencies they work for industry (Monsanto) instead of us. So what we know comes from private labs.
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Post by ibot2much on Oct 25, 2018 15:13:09 GMT
Kao..Your food consumption sounds like mine.....Have had good luck in the last 17 months and continue to lose at a slower rate....Not unhappy with the slower loss as now I look like a normal sized person.
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Brooks
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Post by Brooks on Oct 26, 2018 10:00:21 GMT
I am always in the sunshine and my house has windows everywhere without curtains covering them. Windows block important parts of the spectrum, like UV-A, so window exposure doesn't count much. You need to be outside. Especially early in the morning because the natural wavelengths reset your circadian clock. Ideally with bare hands and feet on the ground, recharging. Or leather soles instead of synthetic. Outside, expose as much skin as possible. Inside, cover up your skin as much as possible, including your thyroid region. Jack Kruse is so interesting. Are you familiar with photosynthesis? It's driven by photons from the sun. Water and CO2 make glucose and O2. What happens in our mitochondria reverses the photosynthesis process and also relies on photons of certain wavelengths to work properly. Glucose (or fat/protein) and O2 make water and CO2. Doesn't have to be light within the range we can see. Infrared and ultraviolet are also important to your health. Blue light by itself never occurs in nature without accompanying red light; that's harmful. If electronics and lights are ever redesigned based on red light we will be so much healthier! As long as I'm working I'm unlikely to get proper sun exposure at any time of day during the week but I'm at least changing my office environment so it won't be so damaging. I'm in a very energy efficient building. Can't wait to hear management's reaction to my incandescents!
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