Let’s share our journey for those of us that want to pursue a healthier lifestyle to lose weight.

[VacationForever]

Pretty good, I would have had the whole box.

The little voice in my head guilt me into stopping at 3.

 

[nomoretslt]

I would kill for one of the sundaes from Ghirardelli in Disney Springs!

Oh they are sooo good! We always make sure to cruise into the store for our free piece of chocolate. I’ve been clinging to the false hope I’d still be able to do our DVC stay this Saturday. Not happening even if they did reopen. United has cancelled all direct flights from Newark to Orlando....they were going to route us thru DC on the way down and Houston on the way back. 12 hour days. Nope.

Anyway I’m back to slowly losing....it’s tough when you only have a few pounds to go. Usually I’d be doing extra walking, but seeing that the track I use is closed and also the state trail....I’m doing the best I can with my Leslie Sansone and my WW punch DVD. There is an old Nordic track ski machine in the basement. Maybe it’s time to dust it off.

A sobering fact regarding the virus and deaths. 80% or was it higher had diabetes, hypertension, heart issues or was very elderly. A good incentive to re-examine ones eating, drinking and exercise habits.

Trigger foods....potato chips, especially salt and vinegar. Hard to stop once I start. I’ll count out a serving and then close it and put it away. Sometimes it works.

 

[Rolltydr]

I finally lost a couple more pounds this week. I’ve got at least 8 more to go but I’d like to lose another 13-15 to give myself a little cushion for when we start traveling again. It seems like I always gain a few pounds on our trips.

 

[Panina]

I had a rough day yesterday, ate too many pears and ice cream cones. There is no junk in my home so ice cream cones were the closest to cookies. Now they can’t be in my home either.

I had such a belly ache and it was a slow go this morning probably because of the extra sugar. So far today, ok with the food.

One thing I have kept up with is my 5 miles a day. I read somewhere just exercising and eating right gives an immediate boost to your immune system even if even you have an underlying condition. Now if I can only find the article to post.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I had a rough day yesterday, ate too many pears and ice cream cones. There is no junk in my home so ice cream cones were the closest to cookies. Now they can’t be in my home either.

I had such a belly ache and it was a slow go this morning probably because of the extra sugar. So far today, ok with the food.

One thing I have kept up with is my 5 miles a day. I read somewhere just exercising and eating right gives an immediate boost to your immune system even if even you have an underlying condition. Now if I can only find the article to post.

The important thing is not to beat yourself up over it.

I am now down 61 pounds. I am staying on plan. It's good we are not going to restaurants.

I have been looking for healthy pancake recipes to replace my Optavia pancake (it's 100 calories), and I have found some good ones that are low-calorie and no sugar. I can continue having pancakes when I am on maintenance. This is exciting! If anyone wants to try the pancake, I can post the recipe I found online. I even found a waffle recipe.

Brownies are something I may just buy from Optavia, so I can still have that little bit of dessert every night.

 

[easyrider]

This quarantine has me up about 10 pounds. I know why. It has more to do with chips, salsa, brownies, banana bread and not enough real exercise. I keep telling myself to watch it but then someone will make something good and instead of watching I'm eating.

Bill

 

[Old Hickory]

A sobering fact regarding the virus and deaths. 80% or was it higher had diabetes, hypertension, heart issues or was very elderly. A good incentive to re-examine ones eating, drinking and exercise habits.

You can exclude the age part because we can't fix that. But you can eliminate all high carb foods (added sugar, pasta, rice, bread, and potatoes) and processed foods along with including a minimum 30 minutes per day of exercise in order to feel better and live with less inflammation (chronic inflammation is the source of many illnesses).

Living a better life is a choice.

 

[rickandcindy23]

This quarantine has me up about 10 pounds. I know why. It has more to do with chips, salsa, brownies, banana bread and not enough real exercise. I keep telling myself to watch it but then someone will make something good and instead of watching I'm eating.

Bill

You are on Rick's diet, Bill. All of those things, he is eating regularly. He bakes his own banana bread, and I stay away from the kitchen and the delicious smell. His recipe is so good. It's got sour cream in it, and you actually put cinnamon sugar in the little pans to coat the outside of the bread with sugary goodness. He also makes Ghirardelli brownies at least once a week. Chips and salsa and chips and queso are his nighttime snack. He hasn't gained weight, however. He is perpetually thin.

 

[nomoretslt]

You can exclude the age part because we can't fix that. But you can eliminate all high carb foods (added sugar, pasta, rice, bread, and potatoes) and processed foods along with including a minimum 30 minutes per day of exercise in order to feel better and live with less inflammation (chronic inflammation is the source of many illnesses).

Living a better life is a choice.

I am at a relatively healthy weight for my age and height. I limit myself to one sweet treat in the afternoon. But I will never eliminate bread, pasta, rice or potatoes from my diet. I don’t eat large portions of these items. This is what Weight Watchers helped me with....portion control. Everyone is different. And your body changes over time. I was always too skinny. Ate everything but never gained weight until it hit my 40’s. And when I think about what my grandma ate...lots of starches and treats, and she lived to be 90.

My family is more prone to Alzheimer’s and breast cancer....so I want to enjoy my meals while I can still remember them. . Moderation is the key for me.

 

[easyrider]

You are on Rick's diet, Bill. All of those things, he is eating regularly. He bakes his own banana bread, and I stay away from the kitchen and the delicious smell. His recipe is so good. It's got sour cream in it, and you actually put cinnamon sugar in the little pans to coat the outside of the bread with sugary goodness. He also makes Ghirardelli brownies at least once a week. Chips and salsa and chips and queso are his nighttime snack. He hasn't gained weight, however. He is perpetually thin.

You are bad Cindy. So bad, lol. I started druling reading about Rick's munchies.

Bill

 

[rickandcindy23]

I lost a pound. Weighed in this morning. Now I am down 62 pounds.

Skinny Rick is also down a few pounds this month. Yard work and junk food, and he loses weight.

 

[VacationForever]

I am still 1 lb up from pre-SIP but I am hopeful to get it under control because we are golfing again starting tomorrow! Spending 4 hours out there always burns several hundred calories and now it is a matter of not getting myself into starvation mode at the end of the round where all I want to do is to eat for the rest of the day. I bought some gluten-free peanut butter cookies, 150 calories per pack and I will try that as my mid-round snack tomorrow.

 

[Quilter]

. . .
I decided that wasn't going to work long term so I looked up on Directv to see what exercise shows were available. I found one series called "Classical Stretch" on PBS and I'm loving it. They are older shower, filmed between 2012 and 2014. They were filmed in Jamaica so there is always a beautiful background. And even though it's all stretch, she works all of the body. It's just what I need. Each session is 30 minutes long.

Last year I found a stretch class based on that same technique. My instructor was trained by Miranda. I loved it. Then the instructor went to St. Pete for her annual winter trip. I have no idea if she has returned.

 

[Quilter]

I just went through this thread again to see the different programs that are being used.

Hoping this thread didn't lose steam as that stinky virus messes with people's head. Where is everyone?

Now that we're home I have appointment with Dr. next week to set up blood work. I've been jotting down a food diary this week to give him an example of what I'm eating. Very curious where my sugar and cholesterol will be once I get it back. It will be a couple weeks before I know. Meanwhile, the weight keeps dropping even though I'm eating 3 nice meals and a snack everyday.

 

[bluehende]

I am down 11 since this all started. A little disappointing since I have been pretty darn good with the food. No heavy cardio but a lot of walking. I would have hoped for about 15 or so.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I am doing Optavia and am down 63 pounds, but I keep hoping to drop another 17 pounds. I just need to keep at it. Doing Optavia and love the program.

 

[Panina]

I am down 11 since this all started. A little disappointing since I have been pretty darn good with the food. No heavy cardio but a lot of walking. I would have hoped for about 15 or so.

You are doing great. A little at a time adds up.

 

[Panina]

I seem to just being staying the same. I am happy I did not gain weight but I just want to get this weight off and eliminate this risk factor.

I know doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is not the way to go so I am changing up when and what I eat.

 

[nomoretslt]

I haven’t gained but am just losing slowly. Like .1 or .2 a day and sometimes nothing. I’m still okay with that. Been keeping busy with outside house maintenance and keeping the inside clean and organized. We haven’t sold a home in around 36 years. It is a pain in the butt. We’ve had a few people come and look (it’s still permitted in our state, but practically nothing else is......I really need a haircut and pedicure). I’m getting a bit depressed with everything, but am determined to not go down the junk food road.

Monday I will join a virtual Weight Watchers meeting. It’s not the same at all but I need some kind of human companionship.... I really need a spouse break.

@Quilter ... 3 nice meals and a snack sounds like a good plan that’s working for you. I need 3 meals....but portion control works for me.

@Panina ...the article you were trying to find....Dr Oz (not a fan) had a good column a few days ago that mentions those stats. The article said something about “here’s a good reason to prevent diseases like obesity, diabetes, etc.”. I cut the article out but now I can’t find it after putting things away before a prospective buyer came today.

 

[VacationForever]

I am still up a pound since SIP started. I was heading out to golf early morning yesterday and I cut my finger on a piece of glass from a broken spice bottle which had gone under the fridge and when I swept junk out from under the fridge, it cut my poor finger. It was bleeding so badly that we had skip golf for the day. Then feeling sorry for myself in the afternoon I had a donut from an unopened box of gluten-free donuts that had been sitting in the freezer for a couple of years. I can't win. I have been snacking all day today again, lots of pistachios, an apple, prunes and my favorite adzuki beans dessert which I had made a couple of days ago. Tomorrow is a new day and a golf day so hopefully I will get back on track.

 

[Quilter]

@Quilter ... 3 nice meals and a snack sounds like a good plan that’s working for you. I need 3 meals....but portion control works for me.

The portions for these meals seem to monitor themselves. DH, DD and now BIL are eating the food I'm planning. The fat (not counted), protein (not counting) and fiber are primary sources. They satisfy and it's easier to say enough is enough.

BIL is newest to this. He's the nicest, most caring, considerate person to a fault. The last years of my MIL's life he made the weekend trip to be a companion since she was pretty home bound. Now he has quit his job to make sure the middle brother who has Parkinson's doesn't sink into depression by being alone too often. He also house sits for us and takes great care of the cat. Lots of self-made rules of "politeness" that can border on high-maintenance. If you had a business this is the guy who is so honest and eager to please you'd treasure him as an employee. I've asked him to move in with us but he values his independence and rents a room in a house about 1/2 hour from here.

We've SIP with DD until this week. We came home to MI on Monday. BIL was watching our house so he's now SIP with us. His pattern of eating was to have some prepared food from market or Panera or Lee's chicken as take out. Maybe a frozen dinner from grocery that didn't have ingredients that "bothered him". Gaps in hunger would be satisfied with bowls of rice Krispy type cereal with skim milk or cheese. His latest favorite meal was an Indian dish he found at a local market that he would pair with pita bread. That market is too small for his comfort now so he hasn't had it for several weeks. We are both sugar addicts and historically could really enjoy a night of a binge on cake. In past visits he would graciously eat my cooking but he made it clear certain foods "bothered him". Staples in my cooking include garlic, onions and a wide range of spices. No, no, no. Later, when I would ask if something "bothered him" he'd say no. Then I would reveal the taboo ingredient. Slowly he was coming around to understanding he was banning an ingredient when in reality it was a preservative in the prepared food that was really causing his sensitivity. While he ate cheese, he had given up most other fat because he blamed it for his weight gain. He's 30-50 lbs. overweight. Daily pattern went from depriving himself to bowls of cereal or cheese to ward off hunger.

Now we're thrown together for lengths of time. It's either SIP here or at the rooming house. I've made it clear that by going back and forth he is exposing us to whatever and wherever his contacts have been exposed to. He's getting the picture. DH and I are 7 years older than him.

So he sees the product of our new lifestyle. He's a tough nut to crack but after 5 days he said at dinner last night that we're living pretty good. On our walk yesterday I asked if the soup from yesterday (made from leftovers of chicken dinner) "bothered him". No. Then I asked if the meatballs we had for dinner "bothered him". No. Both had onions. The chicken-dinner-then-soup gave us at least 3 meals. The meatballs were at least 3. Final meatball meal was a Big Mac salad including cheddar cheese and homemade Thousand Island dressing. Portions are as much as you want but I make enough for the 3 of us and we dish up to share evenly.

Pizza and salad last night. Since that's a starch from wheat we will back off of more bread type food for a few days. 3 of us so each can have a 1/3 of pizza. Same for salad. If we have a hankering for a touch of chocolate afterwards I have a homemade chocolate bar recipe that we cut portions from. It's a Dr. Mark Hyman recipe sweetened with dates.

Other meals are comparable. Breakfast can be leftovers from day before or something like a couple eggs, 1/2 avocado, handful of blueberries and clementine. For lunch today I'm looking at the recipe on the back of a package of red lentils. It's a rare total vegetarian meal for us. DH already made some Basmatti rice and it's in the fridge. What I've learned is if rice is cooled and then reheated it is a resistant starch and therefore doesn't feed you but will be food for your good gut buddies.

Portion control is determined by how I feel. The first night of meatballs was so tasty that I "ate just one more". It sent me over the edge of comfort. I had too much food still sitting in my tummy when I was trying to fall asleep. I have to watch the amount of chicken when we have the weekly chicken dinner. I love the dark meat and can eat a leg and a thigh. All dark meat seems to be mine since the others only like the white. If I indulge in the other thigh it will be too much. If I keep my plate to 75% veggie then I'm fine. I can indulge in pouring olive oil over everything. (What the others don't dwell on is that they get the balance of the dark meat in the soup ).

It's the fat (good fats), fiber and protein that self-regulate the portions. Fat burns fat. I've heard it for a couple years but now I actually believe it. But don't combine it with a lot of starch (which the body turns to sugar below the neck) or you have fat sugar and that messes with metabolism.

 

[Panina]

Just saw this, thought so funny. I have too much time on my hands.

 

[Quilter]

It took me about 4 listens to get through this podcast. 3 doctors talk about their own struggle to find the lifestyle “diet” for themselves and how they counsel patients. https://drhyman.com/blog/2020/01/22/podcast-ep90/

 

[VacationForever]

I just got my lab test results back earlier this week. My cholesterol numbers were fantastic. I attribute that to eating healthier food at home, with significantly lower saturated fats intake.

Then today, boohoo... I fell and twisted my ankle badly in a covered dip below some grass at Hole 10 on the golf course. The swelling came on very quickly and I had to get out of my shoes, and I could not put any weight on that foot. We came home right away. My ankle swelled to three times the size. My husband played nurse and has been keeping my ankle iced, rotating out the ice packs every 30 minutes. My ankle is so inflamed that I could not even feel the cold in the ice packs. I have now taken 2 Ibuprofen and will take another one before bed time. It has really helped with my pain and probably swelling. The swelling has gone down a little and it is now developing a large blue area under the skin. I don't know how I could be so messed up and I have never sprained my ankle that badly. I had a menu planned for this week, today I was supposed to be making crab cakes... argh.

Oh, we use one of the office swivel roller chairs as my wheelchair to get me to the bathroom. Tonight is going to be rough.

 

[Panina]

I just got my lab test results back earlier this week. My cholesterol numbers were fantastic. I attribute that to eating healthier food at home, with significantly lower saturated fats intake.

Then today, boohoo... I fell and twisted my ankle badly in a covered dip below some grass at Hole 10 on the golf course. The swelling came on very quickly and I had to get out of my shoes, and I could not put any weight on that foot. We came home right away. My ankle swelled to three times the size. My husband played nurse and has been keeping my ankle iced, rotating out the ice packs every 30 minutes. My ankle is so inflamed that I could not even feel the cold in the ice packs. I have now taken 2 Ibuprofen and will take another one before bed time. It has really helped with my pain and probably swelling. The swelling has gone down a little and it is now developing a large blue area under the skin. I don't know how I could be so messed up and I have never sprained my ankle that badly. I had a menu planned for this week, today I was supposed to be making crab cakes... argh.

Oh, we use one of the office swivel roller chairs as my wheelchair to get me to the bathroom. Tonight is going to be rough.

Ouch, sounds like a sprain I had years ago. For me it was a twist in a heeled boot that just went the wrong way. It took a few weeks to get better, no weight was to be put on it for the first few days and it was wrapped to help with the swelling as well as kept elevated, by the time it heeled I needed some physical therapy.

I know you don’t want to hear this but if it gets worse you really need to go get it checked out. I hope you feel better.