MDC Weight-loss Club: Monday weigh-in (March 29th) - Page 3

[Valerie.Qc]

Lack of sleep hey? So now I have an excuse not to loose those last pounds :

I've fell off the healthy eating wagon , my sleep is poor (should see me when I wake up in the morning - call me Ms Zombie! : ), and it's spiraling... I feel tired so I don't eat well (and cunsum(sp?) too much cafein) and my meal doesn't provide the energy my body need so I feel tired See the patern??? Argh!!!!

I think it's hormon related... I have spotting since last sunday (day 19 of my cycle) and I feel yucky when it happen (well, I'm feeling blah since my MC... but I need to move on!!!) As soon as AF shows up I'll start using my Yam cream again - it helped last fall.

[Melissa S]

Valerie, what's yam cream? I just started a thread in the fertility forum b/c I thought I was pg but it turns out I got AF. I think b/c of the nausea, dizziness and fatigue my hormones are wacked out. Not helpful when trying to lose weight. What does yam cream do and where can you get it?

Melissa

[Mavournin]

I am so glad I found this thread!

I am so disgusted with myself lately. I've always been heavy (save for the one time in high school) and after dd was born I lost lots and then promptly gained it all back. Now I've had ds (he's 3 mos.) and lost a fair amount and now I'm starting to pack it back on....

I really need some encouragement. I'm not even sure where to start.

[Melissa S]

Gillian:

there is some good approaches to weight loss in the Dr.Phil Weight Loss Solution thread also under the personal Growth forum. sophies on parenting but his weight loss approach is great! Of course, you must think along the lines of a lifestyle change for life with the goal not of losing weight, but of being healthy and feeling good. Start by making a mini goal, both weight wise and by what changes in your lifestyle you want to make. Divide your goals into what you want to accomplish by next week, month, two months, etc... to a year from now. Be realistic. The best weight loss is that which comes off slowly and stays off. Welcome to the MDC weight loss thread. I know you will really appreciate the encouragement and accountability these wonderful women have to give you.

Melissa

[Periwinkle]

Gillian, I'm glad you found us. As someone who gained 68 lbs. during my pregnancy with dd and ds AND weighed 20 lbs. more than I should when I got pregnant, I know what it's like to stare down the face of a huge weight loss. It sounds like even though you weigh less now, you have had that struggle over your life.

I really need some encouragement. I'm not even sure where to start.

Since you are only starting to put weight back on now, ideally you can stop it in its tracks. Can you figure out what is driving you to eat... what your triggers are? Like maybe when both kiddies are asleep (that was a big one for me... self-comfort time!!). Then identify something to do during that time that is just as easy and just as rewarding but doesn't involve food. I watch Tivo'd reality TV shows and The OC (omg how humiliating). I probably should work out, but Survivor is much easier and I make a cup of tea and just enjoy the brain drain. Anyway, the second thing that helped me was don't buy the unhealthy food in the first place. Eat a good meal BEFORE grocery shopping, and then make sure that whatever foods you can't resist and/or are unhealthy don't even come into your house. None of them. Then have easy-to-reach for treats around instead - with such little ones, you need fast food, it just has to be healthy. Veggie sticks and hummus. Whole wheat crackers and part-skim cheese sticks. fruit. Whatever.

So finding something to do that is fun (and the key is easy) for you when you would otherwise munch... and having your first line of defense be in the grocery store itself.... these are two pretty easy changes to make immediately that have really helped me a lot.

As for how to get started with exercise, I'll let someone else help there. All I do is go on one walk a day pushing dd and ds in the stroller, and I absolutely detest "working out" so I could probably use the advice too.

Come here for support and check in weekly. The times when I don't come here fairly regularly are the times I'm off my diet. I always come back like "Hi - it's been awhile. OK, I have 6 MORE pounds to lose now..." So keep coming!

[Mavournin]

Thanks guys!

Oh, I *know* what my problem is - - SUGAR! I'm totally addicted! But I think that it must be like any other drug - going cold turkey must be a recipe for failure. So I think my small goal for the week is to leave the cookies alone...

I think I'm just really overwhelmed by the whole weight loss experience. I do keep looking at as a huge chunk of weight and not small steps. I really need to lose around 100 lbs. I've never said that outloud before either. I guess that's progress!

Melissa - Thanks for suggesting checking out Dr. Phil's plan. I've been apprehensive about investigating it since I usually tune out his junk. But I guess it's a starting point.

[Melissa S]

Gillian,
I just realized I deleted some of that sentence on Dr.Phil. What I meant to say was that most ppl practicing AP disagree with his philosiphies on parenting and the like, but his blunt foreward approach gave me the gumption to get real and look my problems in the face. His plan is not a diet. He is very anti-diet. He teaches you how to eat balanced, not counting calories. He teaches about bad eating habits and how to replace them with good ones and addresses emotional eating and how eating disorders or eating for comfort can be resolved. There is alot of input from dieticians and nutritionists in this book as well. You could probably check out the Dr.Phil website and see the message board on the Ultimate Weight Loss Solution if you needed some extra input. I started out in September with the book before discovering this thread and had already lost 15 lbs before coming here. So far I've only lost 5 since coming here and I'm at a plateau right now. I have 20 more to lose and I must tell you it doesn't matter how much weight you have to lose, we all struggle and have our challenges. My additional weight is probably just as big a deal to me as yours is to you, so don't be discouraged if you think you have alot more to lose. It's great that you are beginning to be honest with yourself. If you are truely ready to change, you will succeed!

Melissa

[Melissa S]

edited, see next post

[Melissa S]

Check out this advice for jump starting your metabolism when you've hit a plateau at this thread:
http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...40#post1279640

Melissa

[Valerie.Qc]

Melissa - Yams have something in them that can be transformed into progesteron so I'm using this cream to help my body with his progesteron production (low progesteron can cause spotting).

Some people say the body can't use the yam to produce progesteron, that yam cream is not usefull...

Since I don't like to take artificial hormones I decided to try it anyway... And it worked for me. It might not work for everyone but - real effect or placebo - it stopped my spotting for many months after the 3 months cure.

I've bought this cream at my local natural food and health shop. It was a recommendation of the owner (a naturopath I think).

[Peppamint]

Originally posted by Valérie.Qc
Melissa - Yams have something in them that can be transformed into progesteron so I'm using this cream to help my body with his progesteron production (low progesteron can cause spotting).

Some people say the body can't use the yam to produce progesteron, that yam cream is not usefull...

Since I don't like to take artificial hormones I decided to try it anyway... And it worked for me. It might not work for everyone but - real effect or placebo - it stopped my spotting for many months after the 3 months cure.

I've bought this cream at my local natural food and health shop. It was a recommendation of the owner (a naturopath I think).

My mom has been using it for awhile and it really helps her out, she often has a period twice in a month and spots in between. She skipped using it for a few months and she's been having really awful heavy periods. What is this about the "3 months cure". Are you only supposed to use it three months at a time or something?

[happyhealthymama]

[QUOTE=busybusymama .. there is this wonderful tea called yerbamate...and you can get the Wisdom Herbs brand called YerbaMate with Sweetleaf stevia. (It is naturally caffiene free also)All you do is brew the tea and since it has the stevialeaf in it it's already sweet, just brew and drink. I love it....i had actually forgotten about it and this reminded me. I think it's time to get some more, it really will help me stay away from soda if I can have some type of sweet drink if I need to.[/QUOTE]

I do love this tea, it really does curb your appetite if you drink a cup 15 minutes before you eat. It has many antioxidants and tastes great. I love all the products Wisdom Natural Brands makes especially there steviaplus, I love the extra fiber that they add to their stevia powder. On special occasions the kids love the flavored stevia, a few drops of the root beer or grape in sparkling water and it is a natural soda. Since Timmy has diabetes artificial sweeteners were recommended but I would NEVER give those to him, I like the stevia instead, much more natural and healthy IMO. I found a lot of good recipes at www.sweetleaf.com

Another of my favorite recipes is to make homemade applesauce. I love this recipe and will never buy the pre-made kind at the store with preservatives and added sugar again. Cut up 3 apples and 2 pears, throw it all in the blender, you can even add another of your favorite fruits such as strawberries or blueberries, I like cranberries around the Holidays tastes like cranberry sauce.Blend it all up until it's saucy and enjoy. You may want to add stevia or honey if the pears didn't sweeten it enough. ENJOY

[Melissa S]

It's been awhile...

Actually a very long time since I have been here. I have made alot of changes since last posting here. Namely, there is NO white sugar in my house!!! I use Stevia Extract to sweeten things like homemade yogurt popscicles and berry shakes. I rarely buy anything in the store with even a hint of sugar. Ocassionally I will buy Corn Flakes or something for the kids but that's it. It's been hard for my kids since I stopped baking treats but to compromise I have given us a "treat day" which happens on Fridays. Today is my youngest's Birthday and she is three. It's hard to believe she was about 6 months old when I first joined the boards. Anyway, I have bought a HUGE watermelon instead of a birthday cake. Imagine me sticking candles in that thing, LOL. I might make a fruit pizza with a stevia sweetened sponge cake but right now that seems like so much work, plus I am also using mostly whole wheat flour and oat flour so I'm not to keen on using white flour. I'm not a radical.... yet, LOL. I still make allowances from time to time but I can say I am making healthier choices for whole foods 9 times out of ten. I am also down to 160 pounds and watching my portions... which means I am eating more protein and vegetables and less starchy carbs and dairy. I rarely drink milk anymore. I mostly use it for baking muffins or pancakes. I have rice milk on my cereal. I have started to make my own crackers as well. Gradually I have been learning to make everything from scratch. Getting off the sugar was the best thing I have ever done for my health. I have less fibromialga and chronic fatigue flare ups and less depression. It has been a struggle. It seems here in Canada every social event centers around food. Most of the people in my DH's family do not watch what they eat or eat whole foods often so I get invited to DQ and birthday parties complete with chocolate cake and ice cream for family events. My mother is also off sugar and has lost 6 pounds in a month and generally speaking my side of the family is beginning to eat more naturally and more whole foods. My brother and his wife also have attempted sugar free living but sometimes it is difficult on a fixed budget to eat properly. What do you eat when the fruit and veggies run out??? You bake!!! Anyway, I have lots of support on one side of the family and none on the other, in fact, on the other they tell me I've lost enough weight and give me excuses not to be so religious about my food choices. Ah well, this too shall pass. My main support has been a private MSN group that branched off from the Dr. Phil boards. While we have formed great online relationships (being a small group), many of them do not get my aversion to sugar and seemingly radical alternative heatlh ideas, so it's good to be back here.

Melissa

[happyhealthymama]

Wow, you are doing great! All those changes are very similar to what I do! I love the idea of the watermelon cake, I will have to use that sometime for a sweet summer treat. Don't let your family, the ones who don't eat as healthy get you down, some of my family is the same way, all you can do is be a bright shining HEALTHY example for them and hopefully they may learn something form you It really is amazing how much happier, more energy you have and how your outlook on life increases with a healthy diet. Your family is lucky to have such a caring mom, they are truely blessed just as you are too! Every once in a while you have to splurge on sweets, so that's why it's nice to indulge when you visit the other family so you don't have to have it in your house, the eating healthy 75% of the time makes up for the rest of the not so healthy times. I know what you mean about the budget, eating fresh, organic, whole foods is expensive but our health is forever if we take care of ourselves today! I feel the same way some people think I am crazy when they learn about my healthy eating habits, but i would never go back to my old heavier, un-knowing ways....I love my eating habits and know that they work wonderfully for me now! I really think the health and medical world is going to take a huge leap back to all natural and alternative therapies and I can't wait. I like encouraging natural remedies over the harsh prescriptions and medicines out there, after all we should "Let our food be our medicine and our medicine be our food." Thank-you for responding you really can learn something new everyday