DIETERS

[miniwhinny]

I didn't want to put this post on your thread but I want you to know that I am SOOOOO rooting for you ALL because along with weight loss comes a decreased chance of all kinds of life threatening illnesses and I want ALL of our LB family to live long, healthy and happy lives.

I'd like to give a little help from the other side. I'm 51, 5' 7"s and weigh 123lbs. Before you roll your eyes and tell me it's my metabolism...it ISN'T. I was overweight as a kid and tried every diet in the world. I'm a firm believer that NO diet works because it's just not human nature to withhold "comfort" to ourselves and lets face it - food IS comforting. It's our one and only primal need. Look at your foals...they struggle to their feet with every ounce of strength and determination to do one thing...to nurse and after nursing comes the second need...comfort and closeness.

SO this is my advice to y'all. Fill need #2. Love yourselves, your family, your horses, your friends etc. Be good, be kind and fill in any holes that you have in your emotional lives. If your stuck in a poor me mode (and we ALL get them) go one time - just ONE TIME to a homeless shelter where there are "normal" just like us families with children. Volunteer there (or an animal shelter) and then go home and look at everything you have even though it may not be much (I bet you'll go back too because helping others is always cool)

Why am I mentioning this...because you CAN'T control "comfort" issues until you stop eating for comfort replacement and start eating to live.

I'm not saying that's what everyone is doing but a vast majority have at least started this way (and then created a habit)

Now that you've filled the holes in the dam that leads to overeating I want to give some tips on eating.

I never withhold food from myself. I "graze" all day long. I buy the tastiest cookies I can find (Trader Joe's Drizzles ummmnn) ...not the lowest calorie...the tastiest and half way through the morning when I'm getting blood sugar lows I make myself a cup of green tea (VERY good for you) and eat a cookie. The sugar from the cookie fullfills my need for sweetness so 30 minutes later when I'm making lunch I'm way more likely to eat less than if Id not have eaten and came into lunch starving. If I need a snack mid afternoon rather than getting a plate of potato chips I'll just grab two or three and walk away and eat them slowly...just savor the taste. Then go for some fruit.

They key to my weight has been living this lifestyle and it's a lifestyle that I can maintain forever because I'm never going without. I just do way less. Hubby went on a diet two weeks ago and he's soooo miserable. He does the three low calorie starve yourself meals and by evening he's so hungry he eats like a horse all night long.

I think what I'm trying to say is that the only way a change can come about is if you do it in a way that you could live that way forever without feeling that you are deprived. Allow yourself some treats but learn to take just one. Like everything else it takes a little while to change but if you get to the end of the day and ask yourself "so how was that?" If your answer back to yourself is "hey, you know what...not too bad"...Then your on your way to a true lifestyle change.

GOOD LUCK to everyone ((((HUGS))))

 

[twister]

Thank you for your advice miniwhinny, I have already been on a different lifestyle this past year and it is paying off.

Yvonne

 

[Mona]

Thanks for the encouragement and words of wisdom!

 

[Miniv]

SO MUCH of what you said rings true to me!

So many diets and prepared foods will work for the short term.......but how many will CONTINUE to work with EACH INDIVIDUAL lifestyle???

It all comes down to moderation (just as you describe in your own daily schedule)........and ADJUSTING AMOUNTS and perhaps a little bit in the ingredients of what we like to cook. I happen to know that there are several recipes I cook that don't need quite so many tablespoons of butter or margarine.......Or spraying a pan with "non-stick oil spray" instead is helpful.

All I can say is that the best "DIET" I ever practiced was to shrink my stomach and eat with moderation and COMMON SENSE. It lasted the longest........for YEARS, as a matter of fact........until I hit my midlife cr*p AND quit smoking at the same time. LOL!

(So, back to square one, eh?)

 

[miniwhinny]

I'm just so excited for our dieters. I want them all to know that they have a HUGE support group here. We may not be part of the weight loss but we're sure here cheering you all on. Maybe it would be cool if some of us could join for other things...like giving up smoking ( I don't smoke myself...just an idea) maybe we could start at the same time and post our progress with you guys. I'm sure we all have some bad habit that we'd like to shed...it would be really cool to take Linda's idea and enlarge it to cover more of us. But whatever...I'm sure wanting to see those guys and gals shedding lbs getting healthy. I think it's a great idea because we're already friends and family here...this is a great support group.

 

[sfmini]

I won't be joining your group either as my weight loss is going to be shooting like a rocket. I had a verticle sleeve gastrectomy a week ago (85% of the stomach removed) so can't really share much in the way of recipes (only so many ways to fix protien drinks) but sometimes the folks in my online support group come up with some that sound really good that I will pass along.

Some tricks I learned during the six month prep I went through before my surgery:

Use smaller plates 8"

Take tiny bites, chew 30 times

Take 30 minutes to eat - this and the tiny bites allow the stomach time to send out the full signal to the brain

No fluids 30 minutes before and after meals, dring 64 oz of water in a day. I know people will argue this one but it allows food to stay in the stomach longer and thus you stay satisfied longer. This tip really does work, it may drive you a bit nuts at first wanting to drink but if you chew a lot you will find you have no need for a drink during the meal.

Eat foods bought from the perimiter of the grocery store and stay out of the middle as much as possible!

Good luck, I'll be rootin for you guys!

 

[HGFarm]

Hey some great handy hints!!! Thanks all! We should have a weekly 'weigh in' or at least report how much we have lost.... if any

And sfmini, hope you will have a quick recovery and are doing ok!!

 

[Mona]

We should have a weekly 'weigh in' or at least report how much we have lost.... if any

Laurie, there already is a "weigh in" thread. it is pinned at the top of this forum.