Everyday Systems

clarinetgal

If you want specific exercise dvd instructors, one of favorites is Tracey Mallett. She has several dvds out where the workouts are divided into short segments for cardio, toning, abs, etc... I especially love her ab work. My abs respond really well to it. I also do mostly Leslie Sansone for cardio, ...

clarinetgal

I'm another one who believes that it's more important to find what you enjoy and what works for your body and stick with that. I know for me, interval training does not work. It makes me tired and super hungry (which causes me to overeat), and it makes me cranky (I haven't figured that part out, but...

clarinetgal

I know what you mean, Wosnes. That's one of the things I've learned, is that just because something says it's organic, it doesn't mean it's the best food. Like you said, my priority for right now is to shift to the pasture-raised dairy and eggs. I haven't bought the free range meat yet, but I know I...

clarinetgal

I'm slowly but surely shifting from eating a lot of processed foods to eating a lot more whole foods (such as butter, organic eggs, etc...). It's a lot more work, but it's worth it! I'm definitely noticing a difference in how I feel.

clarinetgal

Wosnes, I've never liked beer or any alcoholic drinks (except for the really sweet mixed drinks). It's just as well, because it makes it easy to stay away from. That's one vice I DON'T need.

clarinetgal

I do dvds exclusively (they work best with my schedule), and I try to mix it up. Since I've been sick this past week, I've been doing all yoga and pilates workouts. I'm really enjoying them right now!

clarinetgal

Kimbo, I will definitely look up that book. Thanks!

clarinetgal

Yep, I have noticed that! Back when I was eating sweets more often, I would always eat my dessert with lunch. The protein and fat from the rest of my lunch definitely kept my blood sugar in check.

clarinetgal

I'm a picky eater, too. I HATE cold cheese, but I'll eat cheese if it's melted, like on pizza (although lately, my stomach has NOT liked melted cheese). I also have never liked the taste of milk (which is just as well, since my body has grown much less tolerant of dairy). I hate olives of any kind. ...

clarinetgal

I HATE food journals. I've been seeing a nutritionist for the past 6 months to help me with some food issues (two immediate family members have cancer, and I wanted help in improving my eating, so I hopefully don't get it, too), and one of the things she's had me do is keep a food journal. Yes, it's...

clarinetgal

You could try dropping down to a smaller plate size. If you eat on a 10 inch plate, use a 9 or an 8 inch plate. As long as you don't overload those plates, you should definitely be able to reduce your calorie intake.

clarinetgal

I did! I ate a bunch of Halloween candy on Saturday night (my church had a big party that night), and I felt AWFUL all day on Sunday. Plus, I realized after eating that candy, that I really do not like that kind of chocolate anymore. It tastes way too artificial for me now. Like you, I've spent the ...

clarinetgal

Is your form of exercise really focused on the core? I know when I focus on the core more, that's the first place where I lose weight. I think like others have already mentioned, you could have also lost some bloating around your middle, depending on what kinds of foods you were eating.

clarinetgal

I know in Michael Pollan's books, he talks about eating until you're 70-80% full. I interpret that as feeling just full enough, without feeling overly full or stuffed. That rule works pretty well for me.

clarinetgal

I read a book not too long ago called The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl. Yes, I know it's about a woman, but it's actually a really good story. It's about a younger woman (I think she was 23 at the time) who was over 300 pounds, and she finally decided that enough was enough, and she wanted to los...

clarinetgal

Connorcream, Very interesting! I think I'm just starting that part of my journey, for myself. For me, I've recently come to realize that I don't need to eat at every gathering that has food. Last week was my first time of actually not eating at a Bible study gathering, and that was huge for me. I ha...

clarinetgal

That's a great post, and very true!

clarinetgal

I'm kind of doing what Sienna is doing. I loosely count calories, but I don't make a huge deal out of it, don't log anything or track it, etc... What really helps me when I want to lose weight is I eat all of my meals on 8 inch plates. I know from past experience counting calories that it's hard to ...

clarinetgal

Thanks. I needed this little reminder. I was doing REALLY great on my plan for the past few days, and then I blew it today. I had my flu shot, which caused me to feel weird and off, but I gave myself permission to blow it on my eating. I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I'm just going to make ...

clarinetgal

Reinhard, Thanks for the idea about holidays.

That was something I hadn't figured out how to handle yet.

clarinetgal

The one plate rule is what helps this mod work so well. It's hard to overindulge too much, when you're limited to one plate. Sure it wouldn't work, if you had dessert with every meal (unless you really limited the healthy stuff), but it really helps me to be able to enjoy a little bit of dessert eve...

clarinetgal

I would say that as long as it fits onto your plate and you keep it to the one serving, it should be fine.

clarinetgal

That sounds very similar to what I do, when I'm really on top of my eating. I'll eat 3 meals a day, and I'll include a small portion of dessert on my lunch plate, but I'll balance it out with something healthy like a salad with protein; a sandwich, an apple, and some carrot sticks; or something else...

clarinetgal

Budgeting is a good analogy. The two definitely relate to eachother. People have different budgets, and people have different calorie needs, depending on their bodies. I liked what you said about the sticker shock, too. It's so true! I'm doing sort of a mix of calorie counting and No S right now. I ...

clarinetgal

Connorcream, Daily weighing has proved to be a good reality check for me, as well. I find that when I go for a week or two without weighing myself, I gain weight.

clarinetgal

I work out with Leslie, too, sometimes. LOL on not battling the extra pounds. :D She talks about that in most of her workouts. Horseback riding is a great workout! I've only done it once, but I really felt it in my core. Thanks to all of the strength work I've done, I was the only person in my group...

clarinetgal

Connorcream, I loved reading your story, and especially about your 'ah ha' moment that motivated you to change the way you eat, and your life. :D Congratulations on being so close to goal! I also thought that where you mentioned your son needing to monitor his food intake and your friends with diabe...

clarinetgal

Happy birthday, Reinhard!

clarinetgal

Very good point! I think I'm at that point right now. The scale hasn't dropped for me yet, but I notice my clothes are fitting me looser, and my waist is a little smaller, so I'm assuming the weight loss will come really soon.

clarinetgal

(9/28) Success! (9/29) Failure , but not a huge one. I did really well with breakfast and lunch. My problem happened with dinner. I ate a light dinner, because I was expecting to do an intense workout tonight (my church has a great workout class Wednesday nights). However, I found out after I got to...

clarinetgal

That IS a good post. It's so true that you need to find something that works for you, and that you can willingly stick with for the rest of your life.

clarinetgal

Time to resurrect this check in again. My behavior has gotten WAY off track, since my vacation back in August, so I thought it would be a good time to get back to a sane way of eating again. My goal, for now, is to get back to eating 3 meals a day. My one exception to this will be Wednesday, since I...

clarinetgal

Aleria, You certainly do not look obese at all, and if you've lost 3 inches in your waist, it sounds like you're doing great. :D I think the way manufacturers size clothing is absolutely wrong. I hate vanity sizing. Yes, I wear a lot of size 4s, but sometimes I need 6s and other times, 8s, and it ma...

clarinetgal

I liked that article a lot! I think it makes a lot of sense! Sometimes, I get SO tired of the scale. I've been experimenting lately with having a couple of days a week or so where I don't weigh myself, and I've found it to be very freeing. I've been using BMI to keep my weight in check for awhile, a...

clarinetgal

I found it! Thanks, Wosnes!

clarinetgal

Congratulations! She's beautiful! And great job on being so close to your pre-pregnancy weight!

clarinetgal

I'm glad I stumbled onto this thread! I am NOT the most creative at coming up with dinner ideas. I'll try out Mark Bittman's idea on using 10 ingredients to come up with 5 meals and see how that goes for me.
Tonight's dinner was leftover Chinese food. I'm not sure what tomorrow's dinner will be yet.

clarinetgal

As long as you're sure they wouldn't be offended, I would say it was just fine to politely decline the food. Otherwise, maybe take small portions of whatever is offered and just say you're full, if they try to offer you any more food.

clarinetgal

I made homemade soup for the first time, and it was SO good! I put a bowl of my soup onto a plate, and I filled the rest of my plate with a piece of bread with butter and a small salad. It was such a good meal!

clarinetgal

That's all you can do. If nothing else, you'll at least reap all of the other benefits of strength training, which makes it worth it right there.

clarinetgal

It sounds like you're doing great, and the habits you're working on cultivating sound like they can definitely be sustained for life. I found Strong Women Stay Slim in a thrift store the other day, and I just started reading it. It's definitely a good book! I've been strength training for a long tim...

clarinetgal

It sounds like you're off to a good start, though! Just keep working at it, and the other habits should come in no time.

clarinetgal

You can institute a 4th mini meal in between lunch and dinner, and just make your dinner a little smaller. As Reinhard says in his book, there's no rule that says you have to eat 3 meals a day, that is just what works for most people.

clarinetgal

That's a good insight, Connorcream! I just got back from vacation, and I totally and completely blew it with my eating. I definitely should have had a plan and stuck with it. I have now spent all week working to take off the weight I gained on my trip, and it has not been a fun week. Oh well. Lesson...

clarinetgal

I second the weight training! Also, if you're not already doing this, you can add in some walking or other cardio several times a week. By adding in exercise, you'll be creating a calorie deficit for yourself each day, and you won't have to cut back on your food nearly as much.

clarinetgal

I was ordered to have a C section because of my size.

I don't blame you on not looking forward to a male doctor. I had to have one for one of my visits, and I liked my female OB much better.

clarinetgal

I remember those feelings well. If I had not had to have a C section (my son ended up being almost 11 pounds and I'm only 5'1), I think he would have been born at 42 weeks. He was NOT happy to be taken out of me. LOL!

clarinetgal

That's great that you're putting so much thought into it. As others have said, you need to find a way of eating and exercising that works for you, and that you can sustain for life.

clarinetgal

Kathleen, That's neat about your SIL! I hope that I can be like that when I'm 50 (and even when I'm way older!). I'm sure you'll get there, too, with the strength training.

clarinetgal

Kathleen, I was just reading back in your thread a little bit, and I read what you posted on strength training. That is one of the best things you can do for your body! Once you hit 35 (I just turned 35 this year), you start to lose .5 pound of muscle each year, which means your metabolism slows dow...

clarinetgal

I can't wait until your baby is born.

clarinetgal

I just got back from a trip to a spot on the Oregon coast, and one night, my husband and I were able to go out to eat at a nice restaurant (grandma and grandpa watched our son :D ). That restaurant served a really big portion of dinner, plus we started off the meal with a piece of buttered bread for...

clarinetgal

Like others have said, I eat about half of it and take the rest home. It makes for a great lunch the next day!

clarinetgal

How exciting for you! Are you dilated at all?

clarinetgal

That's an interesting article! There was a point in my life where I was working out pretty intensely (high impact cardio and lifting heavier weights), but I was eating too much (due to stress from it being my first year of teaching), and I was overweight. My top weight at that point was about 150 po...

clarinetgal

I'm another one who has enjoyed reading your check in. DH and I are going to start TTC our second baby in a few months, and I want to make sure that this time, I don't gain 52 pounds (like I did in my last pregnancy), so I'm glad I read about your eating plan for your pregnancy.

clarinetgal

Kathleen, Well, it sounds like you have some good plans in place, so I wish you the best.

clarinetgal

Kathleen, In a way, I understand how you feel. Your reaction to portion control is how I tend to react to calorie counting. I'll do it for about a week or so, but then I start to feel miserable and like I'm being punished, and I rebel and overeat. I respect people who do calorie count and log their ...

clarinetgal

For me, it's sweets, hands down. I've hated snacking for most of my life, and I was able to easily stop eating seconds, but I have yet to master the no sweets rule. At least I'm consuming less of them (I try to have a small amount on my lunch plate and that's it), so it's a start.

clarinetgal

I'm still a work in progress in this area. The one plate rule has REALLY helped me to figure out when I'm actually full. In addition, I love the rule in Michael Pollan's books that talks about eating until you're 70-80% full. By doing a combination of the one plate rule in No S and Michael Pollan's ...

clarinetgal

Thanks, Connorcream!

I love the idea of beng a study of one. I will definitely look into the info you gave me.

clarinetgal

Your weight loss journey is so inspiring to me. I don't have much to lose, only about 5-10 more pounds (tops), but you're one of the ones who has inspired me to give calorie counting another try. So if I understand right, you're also limiting your carbs? I've thought about this (I have MAJOR problem...

clarinetgal

Good for you for sticking with it! My son has Autism, too, and I have days where I have a really hard time hanging in there, but exercise is one of the things that has really gotten me through (which is why I'm so passionate about it).

clarinetgal

Good for you! Keep it up!

clarinetgal

It's definitely important to have a variety of exercise video instructors. For one thing, it should help keep your body from plateauing (as long as you do a variety of exercise workouts -- such as walking, tae bo, etc...) and for another thing, it really helps to keep the boredom away. I mainly stic...

clarinetgal

I don't have much to add, but I've noticed that I feel my best when I stop at about 70-80% fullness. As other have said, it'll take some time, but definitely experiment and see what works best for you.

clarinetgal

Definitely don't do too much too soon. Take it easy.

clarinetgal

My abs and waist are where I always lose weight first. Then my face.

clarinetgal

I think it's fine -- especially since it sounds like you're really active. As long as it's a meal and not junk food, it should be okay. I know Reinhard says in the book that you don't 'have' to have 3 meals a day. That's just the number that works the best for most people.

clarinetgal

I'll second Leslie Sansone! I have about 20 of her dvds. I'm more intermediate, but I still pull out some of her more beginner workouts from time to time, just because I enjoy them. Exercise TV has a series called Ultimate Body which is on Amazon. I would say they're more intermediate level, so you ...

clarinetgal

Cassie, Leslie Sansone would be a great place to start. I know she's been mentioned a few times already. She has several workouts that clock in at about 15 minutes, even less, as you build up your fitness levels. Some of her 12-minute miles are pretty fast! Her newer dvds are VERY well chaptered, so...

clarinetgal

I'm not sure what your fitness level is, but Tracey Mallett makes workout dvds that are all short segments. She has a series called the Quick Blast Series, that is two dvds with a bunch of six-minute segments that cover cardio, toning, abs, and yoga/pilates. I would say that they're higher intermedi...

clarinetgal

Congratulatons on your success!

clarinetgal

Wosnes, I know the few times I've had butter, I've liked it. I've never liked any of the margerines or healthy spreads.
Paulawylma, Very interesting!

clarinetgal

wosnes, Yes, there was!

After reading that book, I've decided that if I can tolerate whole, organic milk (I tend to have problems with dairy), then I'll make the switch to whole milk. I also think I want to start using butter, instead of the Smart Balance buttery spread I'm using now.

clarinetgal

Shannon, That's very interesting about your background! Good for you on backing out of the ministry when you felt it wasn't part of your calling. I'm sure that wherever you end up once you start working again will be exactly where you're meant to be. Bright Angel, What is the name of your software p...

clarinetgal

This has turned into a very interesting thread! Connorcream, I like what you said about paying attention to how certain kinds of calories affect you. I'm actually doing an elimination diet for the next few weeks to determine whether I have allergies to wheat, dairy, or soy (since all 3 affect my sto...

clarinetgal

Wosnes, You are so right! I read another book recently (The Anti Inflammation Zone by Dr. Barry Sears) that talked about how all of the processed foods we eat throw off our balance of Omega 3s and Omega 6s, which leads to inflammation and eventually, all sorts of diseases (heart disease, diabetes, c...

clarinetgal

I can certainly understand some of your feelings. I was at a normal weight when I got pregnant with my son about 3 years ago (he'll be 3 in October!), and I ended up gaining 52 pounds. I ate some pretty good things like fruits and carrot sticks, but I also ate a lot of crud. I never got anything lik...

clarinetgal

Wosnes, You're right about the engineered foods! Were you the one who was talking about Nina Planck awhile back? I'm reading her book "Real Food" right now, and it's VERY interesting!

clarinetgal

I'm pretty much in maintenance right now. I 'could' lose a few more pounds, but I don't need to, so I'm not actively trying to lose weight. Anyway, I mostly follow No S principles (I'm actually trying out Vanilla NO S again). I eat carefully most days a week, and I do allow myself some treats on the...

clarinetgal

Isn't that sad?

People are going to eat what they want to eat, though, and it's hard to convince them otherwise.

clarinetgal

I do! I love to exercise! I have about 50 exercise dvds, and Leslie Sansone's workouts make up almost half of my collection, because I love her. :D In addition to Leslie Sansone, I lift weights, do pilates and yoga, walk outside, and I sometimes ride my recumbent bike while watching TV. I'm finding ...

clarinetgal

Marc, It's VERY possible that your higher BMI is because of muscle. I know I've read about people such as Arnold Schwarzenneger and Tom Cruise (?) who have higher BMIs but are very muscular and fit.
I'm also at the point of maintenance right now, and yes, it can be hard, but it sure is worth it.

clarinetgal

Sherry, I'm pretty eclectic when it comes to my exercise dvd collection. Lately, I've been into the Ultimate Body series (from Exercise TV). Pretty much all of the workouts are at least a solid intermediate level, if not slightly higher. All of the Ultimate Body dvd workouts are 10-20 minutes, plus ...

clarinetgal

You are totally right! I'm glad you found a way to tweak No S so that it works for you. I mostly follow No S, but I do count calories (just not super strictly), and I sometimes use Intuitive Eating principles. The other thing I do is I allow myself a small amount of sweets each day, because when I w...

clarinetgal

You really do look great! Way to go!

clarinetgal

I struggle with this, too. I tend to overeat on the weekends, and it usually takes me until Thursday or Friday morning to get back to my low weight. I do a sort of combination of calorie counting and No S principles. If I was really bad over the weekend, I strictly count calories for a few days (I'v...

clarinetgal

I suppose another idea is to try picking one meal where you have a little bit of sweets (say either lunch or dinner) and carve a spot for it on your plate. Once you're done with that sweet, that's it for the day. That's the aproach I use most of the time, and it does work for me most of the time. Th...

clarinetgal

That sounds good!

clarinetgal

Shandy, I'll have to try the peanut butter on apple slices. Thanks!

clarinetgal

Ewww! My two year old son loves Ritz crackers with peanut butter, and I'm working VERY hard to wean him off of the Ritz crackers (not the peanut butter, though!), because I don't want him eating all of that crud.

clarinetgal

I eat chips sometimes, and crackers really aren't much different than chips. If you look at the ingredients list on regular chips -- not baked or low-fat -- chips may be healthier than crackers. Well, at least potato chips. The ingredients are only potatoes, fat and salt. No chemicals. Wosnes, I di...

clarinetgal

Thanks, and good luck to you! The Mindless Eating book sounds interesting!

clarinetgal

OT, I totally identify with your post. I'm at the point where I've lost almost all of the weight I gained during my pregnancy (52 pounds!), and I look pretty good and don't 'need' to lose any more weight, but I also want more defined abs. There's a part of me that enjoys focusing on my eating and fi...

clarinetgal

Wosnes, Good point about the crackers. Sometimes, I crave them, so maybe I'll add them back in as part of a meal from time to time. I eat chips sometimes, and crackers really aren't much different than chips. Great idea about the bread! Bread really is expensive. I may start baking my own bread soon...

clarinetgal

I think your plan sounds good. Give it a try.

clarinetgal

Definitely snack foods (crackers, granola bars, etc...), diet soda (thank goodness!), creamer in my coffee, pretty much all frozen meals, except for on days when I'm extra rushed, and I don't have time to eat an actual meal.

clarinetgal

Brightangel, I'm more of a bottom heavy hourglass, too. I like being curvy, but you're right that there's no one, set idea on how a female body should look.

clarinetgal

I'm at the point where I think I'm going to set a very generous range for myself of 120-129 pounds. For where I'm at now (hovering around 128-129. I'm 5'1), my size 4 and 6 jeans fit me very comfortably. According to the weight charts, I could weigh anywhere from 100-131 and still be at a healthy we...

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