Title Change: Wanna help me with a diet and exercise makeover?

[annettemarie]

I need to lose 50 to 75 pounds and lower my cholesterol. I found the book The Rice Diet Solution and was wondering if anyone had tried it. I googled, and WebMD was kind of ambivalent about it. Other sites said it was a good transitional program to kick off weight loss, but that staying on it long-term was dangerous.

I've tried Weight Watchers and I've tried just watching what I eat. I really need something that doesn't cost a lot (or any) extra money, something I can do at home.

Thoughts?

[bec]

I've been doing South Beach Diet. You might check the book out. It makes a lot of sense, nutritionally, and seems like a lifestyle that is in line with my goals, and health. It is a diet that is about making sure you have plenty of protein, veggies, fiber, and differentiates between good carbs and bad carbs.

[frogguruami]

I do low carb. So far I am down 70 pounds (35 more to go til my first goal) and my cholesterol has gone down 20 points and my ratio of HDL and LDL has improved. My triglycerides are down 100 points.

[fek&fuzz]

What's your typical diet like now? Maybe we can make some suggestions for easy changes to what you are eating now, that won't seem like such a giant change (and therefore might be easier to stick with.)

What are you doing for exercise right now?

[annettemarie]

My typical diet sucks, to be honest. I feed my kids pretty healthy, organic when possible (although they seem to be boycotting anything green) and then I sneak out and eat McDonalds. And I know the trick is eat less, exercise more, but I think I am (a) an extremely weak person with no willpower and/or (b) carrying around some food issues that stem from abuse when I was young. Probably a combination of both. I tell people I chunked up from having 4 kids, but the truth is I chunked up once I realized I could eat what I wanted.

Probably more info than you wanted.

So, my diet sucks, I grab convenience foods or feed everyone else, skip meals, and then binge, and my only exercise is toddler herding. We can't afford to buy exercise equipment or a gym membership, and every time I try to do yoga, a kid climbs on me. Plus, yoga isn't all that good for weight loss. It just makes me a flexible, relaxed chubby person.

I want another baby and I don't know if I can do it with this extra weight. Plus the whole "cholesterol is high and I don't want to die young" thing.

I guess I'm looking for an overall weight loss game plan. Maybe I should change my title. I don't know why this is so hard. I am certainly motivated. I know I look like crap. But when push comes to shove, I can't seem to make any changes.

[texmati]

I came here with the same question....

I could have written your posts. There is a book called the 'beck diet solution', which helped me a little with some of my food/willpower issues-- I *was* sabatoging myself! I hope that helps, and I'll be lurking on this thread for more solutions.

[CathToria]

I posted a similar post 2.5 years ago. For me, here are some things that have been working:

1- don;t wait until tomorrow, or MOnday, or Jan 1st to start a "diet", or even stop a binge. every little bit counts.

2- Since every little bit counts, you have the choice and teh power to decide what you want to eat

3- When I am hungry, I try to eat a fruit or veggie 1st.

4- Keep a bin of snacks in teh car... for me it's apples, nuts in zipper bags, trail mix, and dark choc zone bars. I used to drive through McD's every month or so b/c I was hungry for a snack and didn;t have the time to go home to eat.. now I have no excuse, it's cheaper, saves more time and is better for me. And if it was a somewhat "emotional" need that I was trying to fill w/ food.. teh zone bar covers that

5- find an exercise that you like. for me, it's the gym. i LIKE going. once I've worked out for teh day, I'm more likely to make good food choices.

HTH

[bec]

When I first started losing weight, I made very small changes in the beginning. I would park at the far end of the parking lot, every time I went out. I would put the baby (she was 6 months at the time, but we continued well into toddlerhood) in the backpack, and would walk or clean or whatever. I cut out "during the day" sweets. I would allow myself one treat in the evening.

This made the transition from really crappy lifestyle to healthy lifestyle much more bearable, not so sudden, and something I could maintain, long term.

As far as exercise, it doesn't have to be a formal exercise. Just get your body more active. Find a way to walk (with the kids is a great way to do it with the family).

[zoe196]

I have just started exercising and paying attention to my diet as of Sept. 1st...it's going really well and what's really working for me is a website called fitday.com-- it's free and it tracks your calories/nutrition/activity/ weightloss goal...it's made me so much more aware of what and how I'm eating as well as making me accountable. As far as the exercise goes I have joined a gym 5 mins up the road which has a very reasonable lunch-time membership and I have been forcing myself to go and do cardio and then weights...on the 3 days a week I can't go I've been doing lunges, squats, calf raises, tricep dips and I'm going to get an exercise ball soon so I can add to my home routine. I have also been doing a lot of yoga/stretching as I really need it now I'm working my muscles. I was really flabby and I can feel muscles building in places that have ALWAYS been flabby on me (butt and legs for a start). I'm glad I'm exercsing as well as eating well because I want to lose fat, not muscle!

so that's what's working for me and believe me, if I can do this anyone can!!

Good luck!

Zoe, mama to Thomas 1-06