lifestyle changes for health

[momz]

DH has developed some health issues. He was very healthy and fit during the early years of our marriage. But family life and work responsibilities has slowed him down regarding exercise and diet. Face it, after a long day of working and parenting, it's just easier to sit in front of the TV or computer and consum processed foods.

So, we find ourselves needing to make some drastic changes. It's easy to say "exercise more and eat a healthy diet". But, it's not so easy to do it.

Anyone have recommendations regarding resources that will help us understand the steps we need to take to acheive a healthy lifestyle? Books, websites, personal anecdotes?

We need some encouraging words!

 

[Kellydelly]

DH has developed some health issues. He was very healthy and fit during the early years of our marriage. But family life and work responsibilities has slowed him down regarding exercise and diet. Face it, after a long day of working and parenting, it's just easier to sit in front of the TV or computer and consum processed foods.

So, we find ourselves needing to make some drastic changes. It's easy to say "exercise more and eat a healthy diet". But, it's not so easy to do it.

Anyone have recommendations regarding resources that will help us understand the steps we need to take to acheive a healthy lifestyle? Books, websites, personal anecdotes?

We need some encouraging words!

I would start with going for a daily walk, if your neighborhood allows, and just be more conscientious about the food you are putting in your grocery cart. Now that I am middle aged too (42), I can relate to the couch thing. I am hoping that when spring arrives I will be motivated to get out and move more . I also need to eat better. It really is a choice. I love fresh veggies and fruit, I just need to buy more of them and prep them for the kids and hubby too .

 

[wishesuponastar]

I can relate OP but starting in January this year my DH and I made a commitment to workout at the gym and eat better. We go after we eat dinner and I have to be honest that most days I don't want to go exercise but having my DH as my buddy helps. So hopefully you can help each other to stay motivated. When I started on the treadmill I was only walking 10 minutes but now I'm up to 20-30. Good luck! You will feel better giving your heart a workout.

 

[mtemm]

dh and I have both made a new commitment to health recently. we used to be avid exercisers but over that last couple of years it has had its ups and downs and we are both out of shape. we also haven't been eating as healthfully as we could be, both have a sweet tooth that has gotten out of control and this winter has definitely put us on a downward slide.

over the last couple of weeks we have made some big changes. for dh he started reading a blog that he really likes. http://kaplifestyle.com/ it just really speaks to him and motivates him and he has done a complete 180. he is eating healthier than I have ever seen him eat, even when he was in excellent shape, and has rejoined the gym I go to.

I have stepped up my workouts and have stopped with the sweets/started focusing on good, clean, healthy foods again. I also finally kicked diet coke to the curb (again!) 2 months ago and have just been drinking water and milk and a small glass of oj in the morning. I have always enjoyed reading fitness mags and blogs, but for some reason became fascinated with Cameron diaz's book, the body book. I don't know why, most of it is info I know, but for whatever reason it is helping to motivate me.

it definitely helps when we are on the same page.

both of us have already lost some weight, our energy level is up, and we just feel really good. skin looks fabulous, too.

good luck!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

DH has developed some health issues. He was very healthy and fit during the early years of our marriage. But family life and work responsibilities has slowed him down regarding exercise and diet. Face it, after a long day of working and parenting, it's just easier to sit in front of the TV or computer and consum processed foods.

So, we find ourselves needing to make some drastic changes. It's easy to say "exercise more and eat a healthy diet". But, it's not so easy to do it.

Anyone have recommendations regarding resources that will help us understand the steps we need to take to acheive a healthy lifestyle? Books, websites, personal anecdotes?

We need some encouraging words!

Think of it as a journey toward a new lifestyle. I am on that journey now.

First off I would have to caution you on the "we" part of this journey. You and your dh have to go at your own pace.

As much as I would LOVE to have my DH by my side, it is not going to happen right now. He is moving much slower than I in regards to exercise and that is because of different physical issues.

You have to allow yourself to set your own personal pace and own personal goals.

If you have physical limitations I would encourage to seek out a sports physical therapist. Now I had pain in my foot that I had to sort out but the basic exercises I got from the PT was my first stepping stone to actually being able to exercise. Think of it as pre-exercise. This is how you avoid injury.

If you have not had a physical exam at your PCP or putting off other tests get in there and get a full blood panel and anything else you need.

Make sure to discuss diet and exercise with your PCP. If you have physical issues your PCP can write you a script to see a PT if you need it.

Get good shoes. Seek out a pedorthist at a shoe store that has a certified pedorthist on staff. Get fitted for shoes that will support your structure and keep your feet aligned. Or if you have plantar faciitis or other foot aliment seek out a podiatrist and get some custom orthotics if needed.

Once you get the "bare bones" of you health and structure and get the green light to "go", then you can begin to exercise.

Lastly, please take the "drastic approach" from your vocabulary. That is not the way to approach making lifestyle changes.

The reality of making lifestyle changes are PAINFULLY slow. I am on a full yr plus of making changes. I am more focused on exercise at the moment than diet.

I have been trying to improve my diet by eating more FRESH fruits and veggies at every meal. While that seems so small to others, that is big to us.

 

[java]

I started about 2 months ago. Just decided enough. I have lost over 20 pounds so far. Initially I just cut out stuff, no bread, no pasta, limited sugar, tons of vegetables. Then I stopped losing. So I started working out. It was easier now that I was lighter.

I work out 30 minutes a day currently. Everyday. Even though they say take a break day to let your muscles adjust, I know if I stop one day that will be the end for me. I use an elliptical. I like it.

I am going to try to find a weight loss group too. Safety in numbers!

And honestly it all started after I saw a startling show My 600 pound life. I realized that you have to pay attention. Know what you are eating.

My cousin is trying too so he and I check in with each once a week. Give pep talks to each other. Oh and protein! Eat a protein rich breakfast. I am eating an apple with a TBSP of peanut butter for breakfast. Last night I made a zucchini crusted pizza. It was yummy.

 

[momz]

I started about 2 months ago. Just decided enough. I have lost over 20 pounds so far. Initially I just cut out stuff, no bread, no pasta, limited sugar, tons of vegetables. Then I stopped losing. So I started working out. It was easier now that I was lighter.

I work out 30 minutes a day currently. Everyday. Even though they say take a break day to let your muscles adjust, I know if I stop one day that will be the end for me. I use an elliptical. I like it.

I am going to try to find a weight loss group too. Safety in numbers!

And honestly it all started after I saw a startling show My 600 pound life. I realized that you have to pay attention. Know what you are eating.

My cousin is trying too so he and I check in with each once a week. Give pep talks to each other. Oh and protein! Eat a protein rich breakfast. I am eating an apple with a TBSP of peanut butter for breakfast. Last night I made a zucchini crusted pizza. It was yummy.

Can you share your recipe for the zucchini crusted pizza?

 

[bigbabyblues]

I don't know if any of this will work for your family, but it is what we are doing. I have always been underweight but have never been one to exercise at all, and my family heart history is bad. DH works as a flight paramedic and needed to lose about 7 lbs to maintain his required weight, and we both wanted to be healthier.

We started a Couch 2 5K program back in the fall. DH is doing much better than I am (I had surgery in November and am too much of a wimp to run when it is below freezing and/or snowy/icy), but I have started again. I only go twice a week right now. He runs with me on the days I go, and he does his own pace when I don't (or he goes with me and then runs his a different time that day). He runs every other day.

DH's main issue was portion control. We keep a lot of fresh veggies and fruit in the fridge, cheese and crackers, that type of thing, and that is what we have for snacks. Every weekend, DH makes a huge salad (romaine, fresh spinach, cauliflower, and broccoli for right now, looking forward to different summer veggies), and keeps it in the fridge. All four of us eat on that through the week. We don't keep chips, cookies, or anything like that around the house. Occasionally, we will bake cookies or brownies, but not all the time. We don't use packaged or processed foods (we do buy boxed pasta).

We don't make or use anything that is low fat/reduced calories, we haven't cut out cheese, or cream, or anything like that. We still use flavored coffee cream, and we have not cut out sugar in coffee or iced tea. We don't use any artificial sweeteners. We don't drink soda or eat out except for birthdays/anniversary (fast food or otherwise) but we cut that out several years ago. We will get a pizza from our favorite place every other month or so. I guess I say these things to say that this doesn't feel like any of us has made huge changes or like we are deprived, DH hasn't felt like he is being forced to do this, it isn't like my idea of "dieting".

He has lost 18 lbs since November, and is now well under the weight he has to maintain for work. We are planning to run our first 5K as a family in May.

I think small steps is the way to start. I agree with the pp who suggested going for a walk in the evenings. Don't set goals unattainable goals, it will make you feel worse. Take a look at your meals and what would be easy to change, and go from there.

 

[java]

Here is the zucchini crust recipe I used. I did substitute almond flour for the regular flour.
http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2013/09/best-zucchini-recipe-ever-zucchini-crust-pizza/

 

[Teresa Pitman]

There is a really good book called "The Pillars of Health" by John Pierre. His website is http://www.johnpierre.com/.


What I like about him is that he understands the struggles people often have and doesn't belittle you because you are fat or out of shape - he just offers lots of simple ways to start improving. I've heard him speak as well and he's great - he has worked with a lot of famous people.

TP

 

[mkmomto2]

In January, my husband and I watched the documentary "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". It was interesting. My hubby had juiced before, so we pulled out our juicer and started. We didn't go crazy with it, but we started juicing veggies and fruits. I make a big pitcher in the morning and drink two big glasses a day as does he. In addition, we cut out most processed foods and white starches. I'm completely hooked. I lost 20 lbs so far and have a ton of energy. I now need to start exercising to really boost my health. I don't think that one way is right for everyone, but this has really helped me.

 

[worm761]

Lifestyle changes are hard and take forever to do. It isn't an overnight process. It is a working process. I started with Pinterest. I found healthy recipes and started introducing them. I like eatbetteramerica.com. They "healthify" a lot of recipes. I don't care for the amount of processed foods they use but I know how to get around that. Skinnytaste.com has some really good recipes too.

I joined a weight loss group on Facebook. While I have never met any of these ladies in real life, we are super close to each other. They are my best support group. Though my husband is on this journey with me and is super supportive too.

We joined a gym. Just a few weeks ago but it was another step. We tried out the different machines to see what we liked. Found things we enjoy doing and go early in the morning. We have found that after he gets home from work, I have been with the kids and house all day, then dinner and then nothing. We don't really want to do much of anything but watch TV. So we get up at 3:30 in the morning and hit the gym at 4. It works for us.

Something I noticed was that I was buying fresh fruit only to end up tossing it out. But I bought a small already cut up fruit mix and ate it all. It might be more expensive but it was prepped for me and was eaten and not thrown away. Maybe think of buying some fruit bowls and veggie trays. If it is prepped and there when you want to snack then you are more likely to eat it than if you had to do the work right then.

 

[leebee]

You need to look further if you want a high protein breakfast, because peanut butter is not really a high protein food. 1 tablespoon of peanut butter has 3.7 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat, for 94 calories. A hardboiled egg has 6 grams of protein, 4.5 grams of fat, for 77 calories. To get the same 6 grams of protein from peanut butter as from an egg, you'd also be getting 13 grams of fat and about 145 calories.

I am trying to eat a protein-packed breakfast, and it's hard, as I have no interest in food in the morning (and don't really want to get up any earlier than I do, to make time to cook and eat)! Also, we are trying to consume fewer processed foods. No more of my "go to" dinner items: rice-a-roni, noodle-roni, stove top, etc. We are being selective about other things such as yogurt, cheese, sour cream, etc., looking for brands made from simpler ingredients. We don't usually eat junk food (except DH loves pretzels), sweets, or soda, so no problem there. I have significantly reduced my carbohydrate consumption, although DH still loves his pasta, rice, and bread, although now he's eating more whole-grain versions of these. I am also avoiding potatoes, corn, peas, and squash, although DH is fine with them. I am extremely sensitive to carbohydrates, DH not at all. That's OK. We have each lost some weight (about 10 pounds ) and I am psyching myself up to exercise. DH works out regularly as he is training for summer half-marathons and marathons; I am just waiting for it to get warm enough for the ice to melt and then I'll start walking, as I am in training for our October trip to Disney World!! I have to believe that I will have a better trip if I am stronger, healthier, and lugging far fewer pounds around the World!

 

[Mdtigger99]

Read Grain Brain

 

[NHdisneylover]

Good for you

I have lost 20 pounds so far since mid January.

What I did to start was work on getting in 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day. I started slow--not pushing it at all; I figured if I was too sore from the first few days

I slowly upped the difficulty level, as I was getting into better shape, and also adding time 5 to 10 minutes at a time, until I was up to an hour.

For food, the main things I have done are:

1. not drink any Coke before lunch time. I love Coke so cutting back on that really helps. I did not set any limits; I just don't drink it in the a.m. now and also now always drink a glass of water before any glass of Coke. The result has been that I drink a lot less without feeling deprived.

2. I work on having my larger meal at lunch and a smaller meal for dinner. I also try to have very few carbs at dinner time.

3. I make sure I get some exercise after dinner. Going for walk is perfect if the weather is nice. Playing on the Wii fit is good otherwise.

So far it is pretty painless, I feel a lot better and I look much nicer too

 

[WDWBarb]

Great documentary - Forks Over Knives. It's on both Amazon Prime and Netflix. Very much worth a watch.

 

[low-key]

ya just never know what will be the key to changing your life style, about 8 years ago, had a real bad tooth ache couldnt eat hardly anything, for like a month, didnt want to go to dentist cause i knew it was going to be expensive havent been there in a while, anyway, because of that I lost about 20-30 lbs, and that inspired me to working out and now Im at the gym every day after work ( but i dont have any teeth , no im teasing, got my teeth fixed)


long post

 

[java]

You need to look further if you want a high protein breakfast, because peanut butter is not really a high protein food. 1 tablespoon of peanut butter has 3.7 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat, for 94 calories. A hardboiled egg has 6 grams of protein, 4.5 grams of fat, for 77 calories. To get the same 6 grams of protein from peanut butter as from an egg, you'd also be getting 13 grams of fat !

Initially I was doing eggs, but then I started thinking about cholesterol. So I limit that form of protein to once a week, today actually. I know the PB isn't ideal but it's way better than the pop tart I used to eat.
Oh and I eat all natural PB so my numbers are slightly better 4.5 grams of Protein

 

[HeatherC]

I am a big fan of Weight Watchers. It teaches you portion control and helps you make healthier choices. It is a points system where foods are all assigned a point. You get so many points a day and quickly learn what foods are worth the points to keep you feeling good, satisfied and energized while still allowing room for occasional treats.

For me, it is a realistic plan to help start a lifestyle change...not just to lose weight.

 

[marmalade]

Great documentary - Forks Over Knives. It's on both Amazon Prime and Netflix. Very much worth a watch.

This documentary changed my life, I recommend it to everyone.