Total lifestyle change - looking for advice and tips

[Gabes_mommy]

Hi everyone,
I have wanted to lose weight for quite a while and I have successfully lost 10-15 pounds here and there on "diets" but I have always gained it back.

I finally feel ready for the first time to make real life changes. No more "dieting" for me as it just doesn't work. I want to become a healthy eater and a fitness convert.

So far my exercising has been going great. I have started doing 30 minutes on the treadmill almost every day (at least 5 times a week) and I am doing a 35 minute "tae bo cardio" DVD 3 - 4 times a week as well. I am also looking for another DVD or show I can do on the days I don't do tae bo. Any suggestions?

For my eating plan I am trying to eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day (usually 2 salads and a serving of fruit as an afternoon snack). I am also trying to give up my diet soda habit and I am down to one can a day. Soda is my only form of caffeine intake so I am weaning off of it.

I am also trying to cut out sweets and that is going OK - somedays I am successful, some days not so much, but it is a day to day struggle.

Here is what I ate yesterday which is typical for me, I would love some input:

Breakfast - weight watchers smart one breakfast sandwich (4 points) and diet pepsi

Lunch - salad (mixed veggie) with creamy italian dressing (3 points) and 3 turkey meatballs (4 points), Dannon light & Fit yogurt

Afternoon Snack - 1.5 cups of purple grapes

Dinner - Homemade pizza roll made with pre-made dough, low fat cheese and turkey pepperoni (2 slices), salad w/ cream italian dressing


I also drink plenty of water, at least 80 ounces a day. It is all I drink after my daily soda.

My goal is to lose 40 pounds.

Thank you in advance for any advice or tips. I am really committed to changing my life for the better.

 

[pjlla]

Well... I'm guessing by the fact that you mentioned "points" that you are trying to follow Weight Watchers?

Here are just a few thoughts that come to mind...

Are you journaling all your food? You really need to be because the human mind is FAULTY when it comes to remembering what goes in our mouths!

Are you weighing/measuring your foods? It is important to do this regularly, especially when you first start eating differently. It is too easy to overestimate portion sizes.

Are you working out at a fat-burning level? You can usually tell because it should be difficult (but not impossible) to carry on a conversation and you should definitely be breaking a sweat. **It sounds like you are doing well with the exercise already, but just thought I'd mention these things. BTW, lots of us here on the WISH board really like the Walk Away The Pounds DVDs. I also really like the Biggest Loser DVDs.

Be sure that you are getting enough dairy. I only saw the one yogurt and the cheese on the dinner for your dairy. That really isn't enough. Maybe you could replace the turkey meatballs (lots of calories for not a lot of nutritional value) with something like lowfat cottage cheese or a cheese stick.

Could you find a lower point salad dressing that you still enjoy? If you could replace a point or two from your dressing with some lean protein, you would probably end up feeling fuller. I use the Paul Newman's lowfat balsamic vinegrette and the lowfat sesame ginger... they are both delicious and are 1 point for 2 Tb, which is usually more than enough to dress a large salad. You could also consider watering down your creamy italian with a bit of vinegar, water, or skim milk so that you could use less.

Don't forget about your healthy oils/fats. The only fats I saw in your day (of course, I understand this was ONE DAY and probably not a full representation of your diet) were from the salad dressing, the cheese, the bread dough, and the pepperoni. Unless the salad dsg was made with EVOO, none of those would count as your healthy fats. Add some avocado to your salad for some really healthy fats... add some fish to your diet. Nuts are also a source of healthy fats, but they are very calorie dense, so measure well!!

Anyhow... are you attending WW meetings or doing it online or just "winging" it and doing it yourself? If you are attending meetings, you will get TONS of great tips, tricks, and support there!

Good job giving up the diet soda... that is an important step!

I'm not sure how many points you get for the day, but I am guessing that the day you mentioned you may have gone over your points (unless you were using additional Flex points). My guess would be that the pizza roll for dinner may have been at least 6-9 points per slice... assuming that it is white dough, not whole wheat. And I'm not sure if you used a measured amount of cheese and pepperoni. Did you have a points value for that meal and forget to post it, or did you not figure it out yet? You should always try to know the points value of a food BEFORE you eat it... I have learned that the hard way!!

Anyhow, there is a WW thread on the WISH board that you could hop on to and you are always welcome to join us on the for the current Biggest Loser challenge.

Well... I've rambled on long enough! Good luck with your new lifestyle!.................P

 

[NY Disney fan]

OP, your diet needs an overhaul (ie, more fruit and veggies). Also, eat 5-6 times a day. Journaling your food is critical.

 

[FireDancer]

I'm going to jump on the food journal band wagon. Not only is it the only way to know what you are eating but it helps to keep portions under control which is just as important.

I would suggest cutting out the soda all together. The artificial sweeteners in diet soda may have no calories but they are not good either. I try to stay away from anything invented in a laboratory. This includes Splenda. Yes, the marketing says it is just like sugar but the science doesn't agree. There are whole books written about it.

Exercise is great and important but just as important is not allowing that to plateau. Once your body gets used to the increased exercise it gets more efficient at it. This sounds great but in reality the 100th time anyone walks 5 miles at a 17 minute mile pace they will burn less calories than the first time. I would either increase the time or the intensity. The same goes for the gym. If anyone is using 10lb weights for a particular exercise they really shouldn't be still using that weight a year or even a month from now. When you can get in exercise will depend on your schedule. I bring my gym clothes to work and hit the gym on the way home. I have it on my calendar like an appointment and treat it as mandatory. I run after dark. Whenever the best time is for you write it down. Much like with the food journal having it in writing makes you feel accountable.

The best way to deal with food is to look at it differently. It is not something we eat to feel better or for comfort. Food is fuel, not a friend. If there is a food that you have trouble avoiding don't have it in the house. It is hard to eat a pint of ice cream if there is none in the house for example.

I found that when I decided to re-think my lifestyle that it became easy over time. After a while it is no longer a new lifestyle, it is just your normal lifestyle. I don't miss pop, fast food, sugary desserts, or any of the other foods I used to consume in excess. Sure, I'll have dessert from time to time or have an extra helping of something at a party or around the holidays, but those are rare.

Good luck, there is a lot of good info here on the WISH boards and anything you want to know someone will have an answer to or a suggestion for.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Congratulations on getting to this point and knowing you can do it!


Food is fuel and make the best use of what you use. Bottom line calories in must be less than calories out in order to lose. I love the idea of journaling. I find most success when I do the journal.

Try your library for some exercise DVDs to try some different opportunities.

 

[redlight]

Sounds like a good plan. I have to get back on the wagon myself.

 

[ohMom]

please consider joining in on the upcoming Biggest Loser challenge