Official Weight Loss Club Thread

[ollielvr]

This is a great idea! Thanks for the support. I lost 75lbs. 5years ago. I have slowly creeped up the weight. I have gained about 15lbs back. I just had surgery on my knee so I have not been able to be as active. I normally play soccer 4 nights per week and work out at a gym. You all have given me the motivation to eat right too. It feels so good once you get going to have a healthy diet. Do you ever have cravings for anything fatty and splurge? How do you deal with the cravings. Once I start eating something bad, its hard for me to keep on track. Thanks for all the support!

[Muffie's Mom]

Please remember that they request you download the 10 day FREE TRIAL Diet Organizer first to make sure you don't have any problems downloading it and the program is what you want.

If and when you are ready to download the FULL version of Diet Organizer, just let me know by PM as I NOW have the internet site for the $25 price link.

Thanks and keep eating healthy.

[Muffie's Mom]

Originally Posted by ollielvr

This is a great idea! Thanks for the support. I lost 75lbs. 5years ago. I have slowly creeped up the weight. I have gained about 15lbs back. I just had surgery on my knee so I have not been able to be as active. I normally play soccer 4 nights per week and work out at a gym. You all have given me the motivation to eat right too. It feels so good once you get going to have a healthy diet. Do you ever have cravings for anything fatty and splurge? How do you deal with the cravings. Once I start eating something bad, its hard for me to keep on track. Thanks for all the support!

Hi there! I'm so glad to hear that you are starting to eat healthy again. It does get addictive, doesn't it?

Does Glad (Jaspers Mom) have your name and email address? If not, go ahead and PM her with that information. Lots of the names on our list is by user name with pets name in parenthesis.

The nice thing about eating healthy is you can KEEP eating healthy for the rest of your life and not gain back weight that you've lost.

Just this afternoon I put a few articles on this thread about cravings which should help guide you some.

Even if you slip up once or twice, it's not the end-of-the-world, or the end of your ability to make wise eating choices again. Balance low- and higher-calorie foods, set your own traditions with healthier recipes, take short walking breaks for yourself, and you'll have fun again with the healthy eating.

[Muffie's Mom]

Sticking to Lifestyle Changes: Increasing Physical Activity

How do I pick activities I can stick with?

You don't always need high-intensity exercise to improve fitness and decrease health risks.

Increasing the amount of moderate physical activity (like walking or gardening) has clear health benefits.

Start with simple, everyday activities that are fun and easy for you to do.

Walking 10 minutes a day is a good place to start for most people.

Pick a few activities that you can make part of your daily routine.

Slowly increase how often and how long you do an activity.

Start with low intensity and slowly increase the intensity.

Don't overdo it when you start out.


Daily Activities

Park your car further away from work or from the entrance to a shopping mall.

Get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Walk upstairs every time you have something to carry up, instead of waiting for a pile.

Walk down the hall to talk to a coworker instead of picking up the telephone.

Walk to a nearby store rather than driving.

Do yard work instead of hiring someone else to do it.

Use a rake rather than a leaf blower.

Use a lawn mower that you push (but still gas-powered) instead of a riding mower.

Go for a two-minute walk around the house during TV commercials (especially food commercials!).

Do stretching exercises while watching TV.

Stand up while you're talking on the telephone instead of sitting.

[red98vett]

I do MOST of the daily activities ! I thought I was living a life of no activity ...but I AM THE Lawn Dude in my house along with the gardner and trash man - I have a Push mower and don't OWN a blower - I DO park miles away from stores (only cause I'm driving a pig of a van right now & can hardly park it) and I ALWAYS pace when I'm on the phone -

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeee I'm getting EXERCISE !

[Muffie's Mom]

Originally Posted by red98vett

I do MOST of the daily activities ! I thought I was living a life of no activity ...but I AM THE Lawn Dude in my house along with the gardner and trash man - I have a Push mower and don't OWN a blower - I DO park miles away from stores (only cause I'm driving a pig of a van right now & can hardly park it) and I ALWAYS pace when I'm on the phone -

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeee I'm getting EXERCISE !

See all the exercise you're getting after all. You're no couch potato! Maybe a computer potato but not a couch potato!! hahaha

[jenstals]

I joined CURVES this past weekend....and hope to stay with it! A friend joined with me...so I am hoping that this in conjunction with my change in eating habits will be helpful

[Muffie's Mom]

Originally Posted by jenstals

I joined CURVES this past weekend....and hope to stay with it! A friend joined with me...so I am hoping that this in conjunction with my change in eating habits will be helpful

Alright! Here's another one that's getting with it and going to do some exercising! Good for you, Jen. I'm glad I touched base with you.

Good luck! Try eating some of the Bran Buds! Man, good fiber! TMI!

[jenstals]

Thanks Pat!!!

[Muffie's Mom]

People naturally perform better when others are on their side and helping out. Even in everyday eating and fitness, we’ve found that people who involve others and ask for help get much better results and stick to their programs longer than people who try to do it on their own.

Why is that? For starters, positive peer pressure can be one of the most powerful motivators around. It’s tougher to quit when someone else is counting on you. In fact, with a group that’s pulling for you, it’s less likely that you’ll want to quit.

When you involve others, you have access to more knowledge, more ideas, more enthusiasm, and more resources. You will find out that you need others looking out for you if you have any chance at all of winning. You can take advantage of the same benefits.

Finally, having other people help out just makes changing your lifestyle a lot more fun.

We are putting emphasis on meeting and getting to know other members. I've seen it happen when members rally behind someone who’s struggling, or congratulate the latest success.

You can build a similar team around your goals for healthy eating. People that can help with your new eating habits are all around you. You can do this without making a lot of demands on anyone’s time. Some possible ways to build a strong team by only asking one thing of each person:

Ask a friend to check with you once a week to see how you’re doing.

Ask your spouse to be there when you need to unload.

Ask a coworker to keep you upbeat.

Ask your kids to help you find ways to have active fun.

Ask your brother-in-law to pass along inspirational reading and interesting health news.

Ask your photographer sister to take "before" and "in-progress" pictures.

Better yet, why not ask someone to join your quest for eating healthy?

Going through and succeeding with a changing lifestyles with a friend or buddy can create a bond that carries over into other areas of your life.

So, those of you who are already getting the weekly stats, look to see who else is in our group. There are probably some of your friends here also.

Good luck.

[Jaspermom]

Great to see people are moving about AND eating healthy!! Exercise is a great way to assist in weight loss!

Keep up the great work, everyone!!

[KELLYLYNN]

Originally Posted by teri88

Hey KellyLynn, if you run out of things to do you are welcome to come to my house! I so wish I could be a stay at home mom, and have a clean house. By the time I get home from work I'm so exaughsted and boy does my house look it.

I wish I could stay home to, I work Mon-Fri 9 1/2 hours and day, plus every other Saturday, i'm a lab Tech. for a Slag Mill, yep i come complete with steel toe boots, a coveralls. (Man's job) I do all this cleaning when i get home... i'm just a hyper person, i can't sit still for more than two min. and I'm a clean freak, )

[Muffie's Mom]

Water is a Secret Ingredient
Water: The Wild Card of Weight Loss

Is water important? Well let’s see, other than making up 50 – 60% of our bodies, regulating body temperature, helping our breathing, transporting nutrients, carrying away waste and helping our muscles function, water is pretty much useless. Oh, and you need water or, after three days without it, you’ll die.

So in other words, water is pretty darn essential. It can even be an extremely important (and often unappreciated) weight loss factor.

Somehow, though, water is one of the most neglected parts of our diet. Some of us possibly go an entire day at times without one glass! Every part of your body is dependent on and comprised of water, and the most important parts need even more. Your brain is made up of 75% water, your blood 82% and your lungs nearly 90%.

Besides being a vital component of your body, water also helps to reduce weight. The more hydrated you are, the quicker your metabolism works. When you are dehydrated – even before you start becoming thirsty – your liver has to help the kidneys function and can’t metabolize fat as quickly. Your metabolism slows down, causing some unwanted fat to remain.

If your body is used to not getting water, it actually stores more in ankles, hips and thighs. In other words, it doesn’t trust you to keep bringing water, so it keeps what it can get, like a thirsty cactus. Once it realizes the water will keep coming, your body will get rid of the stores and you’ll lose weight!

Plus, if you’re suffering from cravings or having trouble controlling hunger, drinking water is a quick, healthy way to feel full. Drink a glass when you normally snack, and have one before your meal and right before going out.

Staying hydrated is not restricted to drinking water; milk, juice and other liquids – even some fruits and vegetables – are good sources of water. But avoid caffeinated beverages (coffee, soda), as they actually cause you to lose fluids and become dehydrated.

The recommended daily amount of water is eight 8-ounce glasses a day, but don’t feel bad if you have neglected your water intake. Even if you constantly drink coffee or soda, you can make some simple changes to increase the water in your diet. Here are just a few ways to get more water every day:


Find the water bottles with pop tops. They’re easier to carry around and use than twist off caps.

Keep a water bottle in the car.

Take a water break instead of a smoke break at work.

Set a rule with your water glass: once it’s empty, it gets filled back up right away.

Drink orange juice or eat fruit in the morning.

Get two water bottles, one for work and one for home. Fill up one every day when you leave to go home, and fill up the other before you go to bed each night.

Order water at restaurants instead of soda. Even if you have something else to drink, have water too.

Weekends are the toughest, so be aware of your water and fluid intake throughout Saturday and Sunday. Keep more than one water bottle in the fridge so you always have a cold one.

Good luck!

[Muffie's Mom]

Coffee drinks.

With the rise of the chain coffee houses has come the popularity of creamy coffee drinks that are chock full of sugar and calories.

A 16-ounce café mocha averages 300 to 350 calories, while a 16-ounce frozen coffee drink can have anywhere from 300 to more than 500 calories, depending on what "extras" you have added.

Whipped cream alone can add more than 100 calories!

Surprised????? My breakfast or lunch isn't even that many calories!

[KELLYLYNN]

Originally Posted by Muffie's Mom

Coffee drinks.

With the rise of the chain coffee houses has come the popularity of creamy coffee drinks that are chock full of sugar and calories.

A 16-ounce café mocha averages 300 to 350 calories, while a 16-ounce frozen coffee drink can have anywhere from 300 to more than 500 calories, depending on what "extras" you have added.

Whipped cream alone can add more than 100 calories!

Surprised????? My breakfast or lunch isn't even that many calories!

Wow !! i stop at Starbucks every morning and get a doubleshot Espresso and cream, gotta have my caffine to get me thru the day... but it's 6.5fl oz. and 140 calories, but this is my breakfast?