Anyone up for a challenge?

[mininik]

Starting today I am making it a goal to no longer endulge in junk food except in small amounts on very special occassions. Please note, this is not some "New Year's Resolution," just something I know I have to do. There was a time not long ago when walking through the bakery of a grocery store turned my stomach, and it's not because I felt the need to eat every pastry or fresh loaf of bread in sight, but rather because I felt NO DESIRE to eat processed junk. (The pasta, chip, candy and ice cream aisles had the same effect.) Back then I did not find myself feeling deprived and rarely felt truly hungry, though I worked hard daily and ate very little. Every so often I would indulge in a bit of my favorite ice cream, but it really wasn't necessary as when I did I found it no longer tasted as good as I remembered.

After some stressful years and letting myself "go" a bit, this time around will be no different, except that in addition to cutting out the white breads, pasta, candy, ice cream and chips, I will also be cutting out the diet drinks which I have become addicted to. It's amazing to me how an addiction takes hold a little at a time, but it's time to take control and get back to being truly healthy. I will not follow any "diet" plan; simply respect my body, drink lots of water and eat mainly good protein and fresh veggies and fruits in proper proportions when I am TRULY hungry.

Since being truly healthy is my goal and not just losing the 20 or so extra pounds I've yet to shed, exercise will be my other daily commitment. Considering that I've got a lot to overcome with my eating habits, I'll start with the realistic goal of 30 minutes of actual exercise per day. No more excuses! I have six dogs that need to get out and there are plenty of places here to walk, jog, hike or bike, so cardio shouldn't be a problem. For strength training we have a Bowflex downstairs. I've also plans to start taking belly dancing lessons which will help with my balance and toning.

This post is an open invitation to any of you who are interested in sharing your daily successes involving similar goals. Since bumping this post up daily may become annoying to some who aren't planning to become involved, I'll only post here once per week with my updates. For now I'd love to know if anyone else is up to the challenge?

 

[jrae]

I need to do the same thing! I will join you...I will eat healthier and exercise 1/2 hour per day!!! I bought a new treadmill in March right before a riding accident sent me into surgery...only used the thing 3 x til now! It's time to get motivated!

 

[FairytailGlennMinis]

oh man....i gained 20lbs after getting sick 2.5 years or so ago and it has not come off. I have to be VERY carefull because over doing it can make me sick again. I find I have no willpower with food...I will try to keep up.

-Amy

 

[Fred]

My problem is by the time I get home at night doing the work I do there is no way I want to exercise but I will, I will, starting tonight. Plus I have been eating waaay too much junk lately. Linda

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Oh you can't start now, all the good food happens in December! OH!

 

[Jetiki]

I tossed the soda's about 3 yrs ago, I don't think I can give up tea though I have reduced the amount of sugar I use in it. I eat, too much at times, but I try to eat healthy, I have no chips, there are frozen to bake cookies in my house but I haven't cooked them, I have no desire to eat them, I had 2 slices of pumpkin pie at thanksgiving, on 2 different days I thought I'd be sick from them. If I can only get motivated enough to exercise, I try but then either my asthma acts up or the other injuries I have start complaining to the point I have to stop, I start gradually but always end up hurting myself, I don't know what I am doing wrong.

Karen

 

[Elsa]

Good for you

I've been eating healthier for a while now, mostly just cutting out excess carbs and making sure I eat lots of protein. Now when I eat pasta, bread and such it just makes my stomach feel horrible because I've gotten used to going without it.

I think if you drink soda, and switch over to water, that's where you'll see the most change. It's realllly hard at first, but try switching to juice or something similar if water is too drastic.

Working out has always been on-again, off-again relationship for me....I mean, to actually do it and--and keep doing it?? As in, for more than a few weeks? Permanently? That was just crazy talk. Working out was like having old boyfriend that I couldn't quite get rid of. One I kept in touch with because in the back of my mind, I thought, "Maybe one day..." and then when we tried it yet again, I thought, "Maybe this time, it will work..." but I knew it never would and inevitably I'd find myself losing interest, and then not getting in contact for another 5 months. I still don't really work out, but rather do situps and stretches morning and night for a good 10 mins. It doesn't sound like much biut in conjunction to eating better it makes a big difference

 

[luckymeacres]

I have started back in May. I write down everything I eat, keep track helps you realize what you are actually eating. If I don't write it I don't bite it no matter how much I want to. Here are some pictures from last Christmas and the new picture 119 pounds lighter that I took for this year.

I walk a brisk 1 1/2 miles almost every evening.

 

[wantminimore]

Wow, way to go luckymeacres

Keep up the good work!!

Leslie

 

[jrae]

WOW! You are an inspiration to us all! You look wonderful! Congrats...

Let's go girls!!!

 

[Relic]

What a great before and after...wow the work as l'm sure it must have been really paid of...you look great.

 

[StellaLenoir]

I have started back in May. I write down everything I eat, keep track helps you realize what you are actually eating. If I don't write it I don't bite it no matter how much I want to. Here are some pictures from last Christmas and the new picture 119 pounds lighter that I took for this year.

I walk a brisk 1 1/2 miles almost every evening.

wow!!!! I just had to comment on how great you look!!! You look so shapely and years younger! And you kept your boobs! not fair! Congratulations on such a wonderful change!

 

[mininik]

I'm glad to see this post getting some others to commit to a healthier lifestyle! Let's take this one day at a time, drop the words, "diet," "maybe" and "try" and JUST DO IT. I know I picked a tough time of the year to start with all the good food and stress, but YOU DON'T NEED ALL THAT. Post here if you feel the need for support. We are just getting rid of ALL THE JUNK and replacing it with a A LITTLE EXERCISE. For what that processed junk and laying around all day does to our bodies it is simply NOT WORTH IT. Writing everything down as far as what you eat as well as how much you get moving and doing what is a great idea that I am going to implement. luckymeacres, you are an inspiration!

This morning I am starting out with a bottle of Dasani WATER. It tastes great! I DO NOT NEED diet drinks. I WILL NOT have my usual glasses of them between now and lunch or the rest of the day. What's everyone having to eat? I don't do breakfast, so I'm thinking about a salad for lunch with ONE SERVING of Italian dressing.

Remember to listen to your bodies today.

 

[nootka]

Yay, mininik!

I did this years ago, though I have not been as faithful to it, it is a huge improvement over my old eating habits and exercise habits. Even with the horses, it's hard to get a good 30 minutes per day of hard work. Taking care of Miniatures is NOT that hard, even cleaning 6 stalls.

So I have an exercise bike for watching tv. If I'm going to watch tv or read bb's on my laptop, then I'm going to be pedaling.

My favorite breakfast that takes a while to eat, yet is very healthy (even for people on sugar restricted diets) is this: plain cheerios (one cup) and about a quarter cup of dry roasted, no salt almonds. The almonds are somewhat high in calories, but they are GOOD calories and the result is that I do not feel hungry for HOURS even with hard work. If I do, then a few more cheerios works. I have my coffee w/sugar-free vanilla syrup and some skim milk.

For lunch, or a snack if I really want it, I will have a banana and an oz. (or two) of high-quality dark chocolate (my favorite indulgence). A slice of whole/multi-grain bread with some smart balance and red raspberry jam.

I usually eat pretty well for dinner, and have something like green chile w/eggs on a tortilla w/tomatoes or salsa.

Sunflower seeds are an awesome snack, dry roasted w/no salt. This website will be a good way to research the foods that are best for you (it tells you the fullness factor, glycemic load, inflammation factor, etc:

www.nutritiondata.com

Anyway, I have lost about 60 lb. since Colton was born, and want to do another 30 if possible.

I can wear size 10 jeans, now!!!

I have a pair of size 8 waiting for me...this is NOT a New Year's resolution though it was two years ago, and I have stuck to it because I realized it was a new life resolution to help avoid health problems and just plain feel better. I think eating this way is better for our planet, period (less red meat, less meat overall, and less processed foods--think of the longterm effects on the planet not only in raising the food, preparing it, but the effects in the form of poisoning our groundwater w/medications flushed into our wastewater through our bodies). I DO on occasion eat junk, and I even enjoy it, but I do so in moderation and it is nowhere near a regular habit. I never do soda, only water and/or green tea.

Just some tips and I would be glad to check in here, too, if it's alright with everyone else wanting to devote some back porch space to all of us being healthier and stronger.

(luckyme, you are amazing, you look awesome!!!)

I want to emphasize that the exercise is important. It really does help with depressive feelings, the ones that if they get out of control will also cause people to overeat again. It might seem like a pain to get up and go for a long walk, or to work out, but it WILL start feeling good about five minutes into it,and you will reap the benefits for a long time.

Plus you will sleep better, and feel better overall even if all you change is 30 min. per day. Break it up into ten-minute blocks, it will be just as effective if not more so in some cases.

Liz

 

[Casnos Minis]

[SIZE=12pt]I'm doing that with my cousin and her mom. I've lost 10 pounds since September. I've lost a total of 40 pounds since last year. It's s low a nasty process, but it's coming off. My exercise besides walking is cleaning stalls and riding. Riding burns something like 560 calories. I have to start riding more, right now I only do 1 day a week. I clean my 3 stalls here at home and I go to the barn and clean 7 more stalls and turn out the horses. Plus just chasing my kids should be enough exercise. [/SIZE]

Christy

 

[FairytailGlennMinis]

I tossed out the sodas as well. I have a can or drink while out about every other week or so. I keep a liter size bottle of water with me at all times and try to drink at least two of them a day. I very rarely eat sweets--it is carbs that are my addiction. I am a bread-a-holic. Pastas, potatoes, breads....ahhh that is the good stuff! I eat lots of fruits and love veggies too. I need more slow and steady exercise...I think that is my main foe even more than dietary. After years of on and off steroids (prednisone and deximethasone) my metabolism just needs a kick in the rear.

 

[Basketmiss]

Luckyme you look wonderful and I bet you feel great too!!

It makes such a diff in how you feel and thats a good thing!!

I know you all dont probably want to hear this but Diet Soda is NOT good for you! It has Aspartame in it instead of sugar but aspartame is not good for you! It can cause Joint pain, Breathing difficulty,Seizures,Heart palpitations,Anxiety Attacks, Slurred speech, Weight gain.. Thats why people drink it to have as much as they want and not feel guilty because they dont think they will gain weight... All the problems it can cause are FAR WORSE than just weight gain... To me it isnt worth it.. I used to drink regular Pepsii til I changed my eating and I was not gonna drink diet so I just dont have soda anymore! It is possible.

I used to have lots of headaches but once I changed my eating and I have NO caffeine I dont have headaches anymore- Now you would think the opposite, because your so used to caffeine in your coffee, soda, chocolate, you think that will get rid of your headaches but not true. Once you stop all that junk you wont have headaches, or be starving, or feel bad...

Ok Feb 26th ( will be 3 years this coming Feb) I decided I was gonna change my eating and lose some weight.

This really works and I lost 26 pounds, went from a size 12 to a 4 or 6 now... I love being back where I was Before kids, mine are 14 and 10..

Is NOT a Diet, so dont panic..

This isnt done on Fat period so dont worry if it has so many ? fat grams .

If you buy Low Fat They only increase the CARBS, the carbs are what stay on your body, hips, thighs, stomachs, so increasing the carbs IS NOT a GOOD THING . Trust me on this...

Read the labels on the low fat and the reg and you will see.

we need carbs for energy but too many carbs ( which we are all guilty of ) our body just stores up as fat...

You just eat certain things together so your body burns the food correctly and doesnt store any fat on you..

Its done on servings- if you look on the package and see what a serving is you will probably be amazed at how many SERVINGS you were eating...

1 carb serving is 15g

Breakfast- eat 1 protein and 1 carb- such as 2 tspoons of peanut butter on a piece of toast - I have this everyday because I like it... or 1 piece of bread ( carb) and 1 egg ( protein)

Morning snack- 1 fruit say a banana, or apple, or whatever, plus 1 protein.

I like to have a banana and 1/4 cup of almonds or pecans.

Lunch- 2 proteins, 2 veggies, 1 carb,

2 cups of salad is 2 veggies, or like 10 baby carrots and a couple stalks of celery would be 2 veggies.

If you have a ham and cheese sandwich, the ham and cheese are the 2 proteins, while 1 piece of bread is your 1 carb. Have the raw carrots and celery and thats lunch..

Afternoon snack- 1 protein and 1 carb

Dinner- 2 proteins. 2 veggies, 1 fruit, 1 carb.

You can have pasta BUT have a 1/2 cup cooked with your hamburger (good amount) that is your 2 proteins and 1 carb, then have a 2 cups salad, plus your 1 fruit, you will be full..

Also what really helped me get my stomach down was drinking 3 cups of cold milk everyday. Skim, 1%, or 2% is fine. You must drink them at 3 different times during the day, I drink mine at Breakfast, Lunch, and Afternoon snack, you can whenever you want..

This sounds hard but ISNT!! Once you do it you wont believe how full you will be and you wont want junk food. You are getting all that junk out of your body..

Remember Proteins are - Cheese,Meat, Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Nuts, Peanutbutter ( dont worry that you have heard peanUtbutter is fattening)

Carbs are - all the good stuff!! Chips, Pasta, Crackers, Cereal, Icecream, Cake, Cookies, Potatoes, Corn...

Veggies are- Lettuce, Spinach, Green beans, Peas, Carrots, POTATOES and CORN are Not Veggies, they are carbs

You get to have carbs just 1 serving if it 15g, if it is more than that dont eat or just have a bite, which is all you can have to get in at 15 g of carbs...

So you will start to make wiser carb choices, like you can have 14 pringles as your carb BUT you can only have 1/2 cup of icecream ( not much).

If you have 1 slice of bread that is your carb so no chips or any other carb, so I eat a sandwich without bread, just stack up that meat and cheese and eat it and then I have 14 pringles which is my carb, plus my veggies...

Dont ever eat a carb by itself! If you have alittle icecream eat 1/4 cup of nuts at the same time.

A serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.

2 cups salad is 2 veggie servings.

If you have a Meal of Roast beef, potatoes, corn, rolls, you just had 1 protein and 3 carbs and probably way more than 1 serving ... So you get up from the table and feel WAY bloated and miserable! If you try this you wont feel bloasted anymore- it is such a great feeling not to have to undo your pants after a meal!!

Now I did this and it was easy, and guess what I lost 26 pounds and didnt exercise. I mean I did my normal daily things and I do go 90 to nothing but NO formal excercise...

Now exercise is a good thing but some people think they can eat whatever they want and just exercise and they will be fine.

For most this is not true. You must change how much food you intake and eat the right things together because there is no way that you will exercise enough to take all those carbs and calories off that you are putting in ( if you eat anything you want).

Try this I promise it isnt hard. It seems like alot at first but once you do it you think " Man I see what I have been doing wrong all these years)

I hope someone will take the time to try and you will see results ..

If not then I have just typed a whole bunch today..

I love to help others with something that I KNOW works...

Good Luck, you can do it!!

Missy

 

[mininik]

Excellent posts and an awesome formula, Missy. I just had a can of tuna, with a teaspoon of mayo for lunch. I'll have that salad for dinner. I've also started a second bottle of water and after a bit of research, have found out I should be drinking at least half a gallon per day.

 

[tigeresss]

This is a great thread!!

Remember that breakfast and lunch should be your biggest meals of the day. With dinner being the smallest. You should never skip breakfast, that's setting yourself up for failure. It kickstarts your metabolism. You should also ideally be eating every 3-4hours and when you eat you're eating tiny meals. Portion sizes are also very key, just because you've got a normal sized plate doesn't mean it should be full. Drinking 2-2.5L's of water everyday. Try your hardest to stay away from anything that is packaged/microwaveable etc. Check out those sodium and sugar levels-often if it's low in salt it's loaded with sugar and vice versa. A healthy lifestyle is just that...a change in lifestyle. A poor diet isn't just about gaining weight/self esteem it is a life and death situation. 67% of the population in the US is either overweight or obese...which is a major stress for families and the healthcare system. If you can't find motivation then take into consideration the thousands of people dieing yearly from being overweight. Do you really want to be slowly comitting suicide?

Remember, eating healthy doesn't have to be a chore or disgusting.

Exercise...and you need to exercise for a minimum of 20minutes before any of "the right fat" gets burned. So if you exercise for 15minutes you're not doing any good. Although it is better than nothing! It's best to always try and make sure it's at least 30minutes that you exercise for. Basically there are three types of exercises you need to do to keep your body healthy and to be fit/lose weight. Strength exercises, flexibility exercises and endurance exercises. Endurance exercises are things such as running, walking, swimming etc and should be done anywhere from 4-7 days a week. Flexibility exercises should also be done 4-7 days a week and they are things like yoga, dance, golf, tai chi, house work, barn work etc. Strength exercises are things like lifting weights or any form of weight training, putting groceries away, climbing stairs, mucking out paddocks etc and they should be done 2-4 days a week. Remember to start out slow and work your way up as it's very hard on your organs to suddenly start working very hard.

Eat 6 small meals throughout the day, do NOT eat big meals. ALWAYS eat breakfast no matter what. Lunch should always be your biggest meal out of them all. You should never eat before going to bed...a bare minimum of three hours before bed although it's best to go with four. So if you go to bed at 11pm then don't eat anything (you can drink water) after 7pm or 8pm at the very latest. Try to cut any and ALL packaged foods out of your diet. Do not drink any juice, if you want juice than have some fruit. Cut all "junk" beverages (any sweetened drink) out of your diet ex coffee, soda, alcohol etc. Don't drink energy drinks or sports drinks. Eat ONLY whole grain breads, pastas etc. Do not eat white breads or white pasta or white rice. Stop chewing gum because it gets your gastric juices "flowing" and sends "I'm hungry" messages to your brain. If you are “really hungry” but it's at a time when you are just bored, or right before bed then drink a big glass of water. Make sure you're having a BARE MINIMUM of eight glasses(8oz) of water per day, although it's recommended you have 12 glasses a day.

Eat things that are low in both sugars, and sodium (salt). You need to read labels, as often if it says "low in salt" it's very high in sugar. Or if it says, "low in sugar" it's often very high in salt.

You should be eating veggies and fruits as snacks and if possible at every meal. Remember that digestion starts in the mouth (well technically it starts when you start cooking but that's a whole other subject) you should be chewing your food a MINIMUM of 22 times prior to swallowing. You need to slow down and chew. This not only helps with digestion and absorption of nutrients but it helps you to eat less as your brain is given time to tell you you're full.

A lot of people find it makes it easier if they keep a food diary. Basically write down everything you eat and when. That way you can go over it, see what things you can work on. Educate yourself on the new Health Canada food guide. The old one was terrible and so they've finally redone it.

Don't use fad diets...many of them have major flaws within them and some of them can cause damage to your body. You should only be losing a small amount of weight per month ( a max of approx. 10 pounds/month depending on the person) which is another problem with these fad diets.

For breakfast (around 8am) I always have a glass of water and a bowl of cereal. The cereal is one that took me ages to find as it has the lowest sugar and sodium levels as well as high fibre and it tastes great.

Around 10 30 or 11am I will have a carrot, some peas and an apple spread over about an hour.

Around 1pm I will eat my lunch which is normally a sandwich...multigrain bread (you should NOT be eating any white bread/pasta/rice etc...so bad for you), with mustard, turkey, lettuce and tomatoes.

Around 3pm I will eat a bunch of melon and pineapple.

I might have some nuts or more fruit or vegies something else for a snack a bit later on.

As soon as I come home I eat dinner which is generally some form of meat or tofu product (I only eat beef twice a week, although you're only supposed to eat it ONCE a week) with lots of vegetables and there may be some mashed potato or something like. Although if there is a starch such as mash pots there's usually only about 1tablespoon of it.

As a snack I will have a glass of orange juice and really the only reason I drink that is I mix in my fibre powder (I take iron pills) with it. Other than that the only drink I drink is water. There is NO pop/soda in our house and it has always (and will always) been like that. It's horrible stuff that should be banned.

All throughout the day I'm drinking water and each day I drink a minimum of 2.5L's although it's usually much more.

You shouldn't eat anything less than four (three if you're pushing it) hours prior to going to bed. If you eat in those few hours prior to bed then it all gets stored as fat and isn't digested all that well.

Maybe once a week I'll treat myself to some junk food but I can't do much more than that otherwise I want it all the time. Luckily if I eat too much junk food I get bad cuts/sores in my mouth so it's quite a good deterrant.

I go to the gym and love it. I feel gross, unhealthy, and can't sleep if I haven't exercised that day. My job involves me sitting down for 8hours and it's really hard on my body. I prioritize and make time for myself to exercise.

Monday: Go to the gym I do cardio (normally on the treadmill and then the bikes) for a minimum of 40minutes but normally it's about 55minutes. I then do most of the weight machines our facility has focusing on the entire body. Although here it's mostly arms and legs. I then do my ball exercises as well as my free weight exercises and my many ab exercises. I also do some pilates. I then stretch for a long while and just chill for a minute. I then swim laps for a minimum of 20minutes but will go longer depending on how I feel.

Tuesday: One hour long Pilates class

Wednesday 1.5 hour long yoga class

Thursday: Same as Monday

Friday: Same as Monday/Thursday

Saturday: I ride my horse

Sunday: I ride my horse and if I feel up to it will go to the gym, although if I go to the gym on the weekend (which doesn't happen very often) it's VERY relaxed compared with during the week.

A big problem I see while at the gym is that most people do their exercises wrong. Which means they're putting all this effort in but getting very poor results. For example, people doing sit ups often let their rectus abdominus(sp???) "stick out" which is a big no no.

At my most I was 195lbs (I'm a hair away from 5ft11) and given my body type, age, BMI, etc I am meant to be between 140lbs and 160lbs. I lost lots of weight but I then had a surgery and got out of shape. I went back up to 190lbs in September. I am now at 170lbs on a bad day and have the beginnings of a six pack! Coooool! ahaha. The weight is just falling off which is a great plus to being healthy. Although more than anything I've got tone/definition and fab muscles. Weight loss is important to me from a medical point of view as the excess weight is very hard on my knees which in turn makes my hips worse, which makes my knees worse! By February I plan to be down to 155lbs or 150lbs and I don't plan to get any smaller than that as I think I will look too thin. Normally you should only be loseing a few pounds per week but my body thinks nothing of gaining/loseing 15lbs in a matter of two days.

Good luck to everyone!

 

[Connie P]

Evelyn,

YOU LOOK FANTASTIC!!!!! WOWWEEE!! GOOD JOB GIRLFRIEND. YOUR BRINGING SEXY BACK BABY!!