The Diet/Self-Improvement Thread

[kitten1711]

You girls are so inspiring!!!

I've been using a UK based website - http://www.nutracheck.co.uk

It asks for your current weight, height & allows you to input other measurements (i.e. waist size) if you wish so you can also monitor the inches you loose as well as pounds (handy if you are exercising & dieting at the same time as although you may not loose weight due to putting on muscle mass, your clothes will feel looser as you loose fat) to help keep you motivated .

It tells you your current BMI & asks you how much weight you would like to loose per week, or asks a target date toloose the weight by & calculates it accordingly (if you are working towards a big event etc). You can also choose to make 1 day per week easier (if you are going for a meal or a night out) and reduced calories eaten for the rest of the week automatically to compensate.

If you've ever used WeightWatchers it's very similar, tracks exercise, food, portions of fruit/veg, water etc but it's all based on regular food nutrition values rather than the WeightWatchers 'points' system. They have a massive database of branded stuff & basic foods, plus sections for average calories/fat for popular takeaways .

They also have a site you can log into from your mobile/pda etc when on the go, and it synchronises all of your data (i.e. if you are away for the weekend you can still track your intake or check how 'bad' fr you something might be before you eat it). You can also create your own recipes and there is a nifty 'food swap' icon you can click on to find a healthier alterntive instead of what you usually eat.

It is much cheaper than WW too, at £19.99 for a 3 month subscription. And you can try it out for free for 5 days to see what you think before spending anything.

I have been doing it for 2 weeks now and have lost 4lbs (I chose to loose 1.5lbs per week so that's a bonus ). I have another 12lbs to loose to get to my target weight and it feels really do-able.

Today I have just enough calories left to have a glass of wine and half a home made pizza which I'm really looking forward to.

[egerandi]

Oh, that indeed looks pretty impressive! For now, I just downloaded a simple calorie counter (free) app to my iPhone, called Lose It! It has a pretty decent db of foods and exercise, but I can add my own too. I try to cook as much as I can, so I can add those to the db, don't have to guess the calories. There is one funny thing about it - they give you like 40 calories for showering for 10 mins! Hello! I'll be in the bathroom for the rest of the day

I may look into something bit more complex (I like the idea of tracking your inches not just your weight), and considering buying a good scale that shows body fat as well. Any recommendations? I'm going to buy that body fat pincher thinger too, just in case.

This is working nicely for now to keep my eating in check. I was out yesterday in a club, and starving, and it helped me to chose a hot dog, 240cals, instead of what I really wanted, chips and nacho cheese (I'm mad about that fake yellow cheese, can't help it), which wold have been around 700, yikes. I didn't drink alcohol either So yeah, keeping tab of my 'spending' should help.

[kitten1711]

I did actually look for a download/program I could pay for just the once instead of subscribing to something (although I now really like what I've got) but all of the ones I found were very much tailored to the US market.

I like the 40 calories for showering - I prefer baths myself but I'm sure you won't clock up much for that!!!!

Regarding scales, from personal experience I would recommend electronic ones (can't cheat by sticking your leg out over the side like on the old fashioned ones with a dial ) but the ones I have only weigh you and don't do anything else fancy (don't measure body composition etc). They are by Salter, and I bought them in the UK in Boots - you can switch between imperial & metric measurements, but that's about it. I've had them around 5 years now and have only had to change the battery once (one of the little square 9v ones).

I have never used the fat caliper method & from what I hear it's pretty dfficult to measure exactly the same spot every time you do it so can be misleading. As long as you are not on a mega low calorie diet & make sure to do some weight bearing exercise & reps of light weights you should maintain muscle mass and burn fat.

I totally fell 'off the wagon' last night after a crappy day at work - dinner was healthy enough (a pork chop with salad) but afterwards me & OH bought some wine & chocolate and polished off the lot . So today I will have to be pretty good but next weigh in isn't til friday so time yet to redeem myself!

[egerandi]

Oh, haha, don't feel bad! My BF's brother is in town, so we hit up Claim Jumpers last night. I calculated my dinner (with a nice glass of red), and ahem... I'll just be good, scratch that, better today Which means no Crumbs cupcake today... It's my boss' bday and he brought in some giant and awesome looking cupcakes. I randomly found a blog that mentioned the calories: 780 (almost as much as my lavish dinner, craziness)! But, I'd rather have 2 glasses of some good Zin than eat that monster anyway, heh.

Scale is on its way to me, but I can already tell the difference, the belly isn't bulging over as much, yay! I'm also going to buy a pair of jeans in a size smaller (almost fit last time I was buying), and being the frugal girl I am, I'd better fit in those soon! Motivation, see?

I also started exercising again, just bought this: Workout 180, http://www.workout180.com/ - step, balance board and resistance bands for the toning.

Here is to having fun with it, and not be ashamed of enjoying life in the meantime

[egerandi]

My new scale finally arrived, and yippee! Somehow I lost about 5lbs since the holidays It's been years since I was under 135lbs, so I'm getting excited a bit. I'm keeping very close tab on my calories, and it shows in the waistline as well as those annoying back 'handles' are shrinking too. My BF calls them side of beef, hehe. Luckily, I like fresh produce and to cook, so I know what goes into my food. All I had to do is watch it a bit closer. I also walk about a 1.5 to and from work during the week, so that helps with the toning

All in all, I'm glad I stuck with it this time. I had tried many times before, and the lack of results were just too discouraging.

[Ghost]

Congrats egerandi on your success. You should be proud

Well its another 3 weeks and I got weight today and I've lost 3lb yay . But I'm sure I've lost more I had last week off from work so out of 7 days, I did exercises for 6 days of those (god I was knackered after) and then another 3 more days after that before weigh day. But I saw the result and my thigh muscle have gotten big again.

It's been recommeneded by two seperate people I know that I might want to join a gym called Curves. I thought it might be nice to join since I've been doing the same rosemary conley's dvd for a year now. I'd meet other people trying to loose weight and the fact I'd have to pay around £30 month is more of an incentive to go. I mean I could spend that £30 on something else....................... like Silknaturals make up for instance . Also its a few mintues walk from my work place so its not out of my way going home.

[egerandi]

6 days out of 7, wow! No such discipline here, heh. I try to pull out my workout 180 when I can, but knowing myself all too well, I also bought a jump rope for quick but intense cardio. It's hard! I finally made the rope short enough, but still, can't even go jumping for a minute, I have to rest. Goodie, lots of room for improvement

[JenW]

It is time for me to report. I am closing in on ten pounds lost including the few I lost after Christmas last year. For the past several weeks I really have not been staying with it and slacking on the exercise. I think I am back on track for good.

I have been a chronic dieter since I was in my teens, then it was partly due to a poor body image. I always wanted to be thin and tall. I am genetically average height and very curvy. I have read just about every plan out there and tried a good portion of all of them. Also, I failed at all of them and gained more weight after giving up on each plan I tried. I know that I cannot do a plan that will not fit into the rest of my days. No crazy, restrictive eating plan, or huge amounts of exercise will be sustainable for me. So for several years I have done nothing except put on a few more. Lately, I have been looking back at what the problems were to cause me to quit after losing about 20 lbs on each plan. On Weight Watchers I just got tired of the calorie restricitons and I still craved sweets and bread all the time. I also got tired of all the counting whether it was points or exchanges. On Atkins I felt the best I have in many years, was rarely sick, and had only minor cravings, but I got tired of passing up special occasions(cake!!!) and got tired of cooking two meals at night, one for myself and one for my family. I don't seem to do well with too many restrictions.

For the past several weeks I have felt like my brain is fuzzy, I have been exhausted all the time, and I think it correlates to the amount of carbs I have been eating. For the weeks prior to last, I seemed to crave carbs every few hours. It is not like real hunger where any food will satisfy, it is a compulsion that seems beyond something that I can control with will power. Like it was chemical or hormonal. And there is no logical reason why one would be hungry a few hours after eating a meal when you are my size.

So last week I had a lightbulb moment. I remember friends having been on this plan in the 90s called the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. It is essentially a low carb plan with perks and even similar to WW core plan. I have a low carb breakfast and lunch and then a balanced dinner with my family. If there is something carby that I want, I just plan it into my dinner. And that can include dessert, pasta, pizza crust, beans and rice or whatever as long as I have a balanced meal of protein, veggies, and high carb food, and it is eaten within an hour time frame. The hour time frame has something to do with a second insulin release. Not everyone has a carb sensitivity, but I do and it has gotten worse as I have gotten older. As with any way of eating, this will not work for everyone, but it is perfect for me. I started last Wednesday.

Just let me say I feel so much better. I have my clarity of mind back (at least mostly ) and my cravings are gone. I think the knowing I can have whatever I want in the scope of high carb foods at my dinner meal makes this really easy for me. And I can just fix for dinner what I have been fixing. I also feel like I have the energy to exercise again. And I think I am in a better mood.....I should ask the family about that one. Even if I lose weight slowly, the way I feel is enough to keep me eating this way. Let's hope I can get by the acid test of around 20 lbs. lost. I will report in later. I think I will lose at least three to four pounds in my first week and am hoping to settle into 1-2 after that.

[egerandi]

Oh, that's awesome, I'm glad to hear you found something that's working for you! I don't believe there is a 'one-size-fits-all' diet out there. I have been through a few myself that worked for others, but gave up on them soon as there were no improvements. It was especially difficult because up to 30 I could eat just about anything I wanted and I was fine, although I have been a good eater since my teens.

Unlike you, I'm actually having fun with the portion control and keeping a close tab on my calorie intake. It's like a game - I eat good and varied meals, just smaller, with tons of fresh veggies and fruits, but I do have my chocolate or bread if I want it. Inputting the negative calories from exercise makes it look worth it too. Like, I live 15 min walk from my office, and a couple months ago I started hopping on the bus that saves me maybe 5 mins. When I realized I would lose like 40 cals, I said no to the bus

So, yes, to each its own, and I wish good luck to all the ladies out there to find the best way that works for them. There is a good article about this in one of the recent Real Simple magazines, worth a look (I'll find the actual month if someone's interested).

Oh, and lost another 2lbs since last week, wooo!

[karen]

Wow!!! You're all doing fantastic!! We're back on the wagon- we kind of postponed things for a while when we moved, and then got sick. Tonight's dinner was stuffed peppers with ground turkey, and black beans- it was yummy with a little salsa. Yesterday was soba noodles with grilled chicken and asparagus. One of these days we'll get the Wii setup, and the scale unpacked.