Health - Greenwood,IN

I don't diet. I make life changes, it is way easier! I have given up white food, I eat all my fruits and veggies and I have learned how to bake healthy treats. I cook now and I don't buy foods that I don't understand the ingredients.

I just take better care of myself. I watch my portion sizes, I work out because it makes me feel better. It took a while to see the results but I have to say it is sooooo worth it in the end!

I am 51 and have been "dieting" since I was 12! So I have some advice that may keep you from still having to deal with this when you are my age. Over the past 39 years, I have been at a GOOD weight many times. But, because I was focused on a number on the scale, instead of on how my body felt, I was never completely happy. Because I still felt fat and was sure I needed to lose another 5, 10, or 15 lbs, I'd get frustrated when the scale wasn't budging, and start going back to the bad eating habits I had had previously - or QUIT the good habits I had developed, like exercise, drinking water, and choosing fruits/vegetables instead of less healthy choices. Looking back at pictures from those "plateaus" I realize that I was really looking great! So my advice is:
1)Make sure you are "dieting" in a healthy way, incorporating changes that you can live with long-term.
2)Focus on BECOMING HEALTHY instead of "getting thin". Don't let that number on the scale distract you from your true goal of better health.
3)Don't try to change everything at once - baby steps! One week, you might focus on getting in adequate water, the next you keep drinking water and commit to having your salad dressing on the side, the next you keep doing the two previous steps but add a daily walk around the block.
4)Plan ahead for life changes, whether small or large. I know most of the time when I "fell off the wagon" it was because we moved, had a baby, had guests who stayed several weeks, went on vacation, or had a death in the family. In most cases I KNEW those things were coming up, but I didn't PLAN how to deal with them.
5)Be kind to yourself. Realize that occasionally something will come up that means you won't stick to your diet/exercise program completely. So what? You had super rich "Death by Chocolate" dessert last night? Don't let that derail you today. Again, you're focused on HEALTH, not the number on the scale.
I could probably go on and on, but at 51 I am finally getting it all together. I will probably be healthier at 70 than I was at 40 - and if healthy means I am 10 lbs higher than the number on the weight charts - oh well!
All the best!

Hi S.,
I agree with the other two moms. With my second pregnancy, because of an undiagnosed condition, I gained 65+ lbs! I was eating right (I thought!) and exercising like crazy. After a few months of losing only 1/2 lb per month I knew I had to do something else. I started focusing on just being healthier and using the right supplements (nothing weight-loss related) and the weight just started falling off. If you want to know about the supplements, let me know.
As a personal trainer and wellness educator I would add a few other tips:
always eat a healthy breakfast
don't go too low calorie (that will really do a number on your metabolism!)
Eat small meals frequently throught the day. Write down when and what you ate.
When the urge to eat something you know you shouldn't, drink a glass of water and wait ten minutes. You may forget about the urge, if not choose something healthful.
Do both strenght training and cardio.
Get plenty of sleep.
Hope this helps!
Victoria

I change my way of thinking. I don't "diet and exercise"... it sounds to dreary and hard. Instead, I eat (healthy) and play. Instead of going to the gym or running a treadmill at home, find a sport you love and then play it a few times a week. I play ice hockey twice a week unless it's a tournament weekend and then it can be 3-6 games in a weekend. Now that's a workout! But it doesn't feel like a workout - it's just having fun.

I also play with my kids... shooting hoops in the driveway (my 4 year old just started basketball and loves it) or playing soccer in the backyard (or basement when snow is on the ground). My 2 year old loves to rollerblade so we'll skate around in the driveway (or garage when there's snow on the ground). The key is to be somewhat active all day long instead of sitting for a few hours, having a burst of activity, and then sitting around some more.

As for food... I hate the word 'diet'. Just eat a wide variety of healthy food. Lots of fruits and veggies. Avoid going out to restaurants. Use common sense when cooking at home - go easy on the 'cream' soups/sauces, don't add sugar to everything, eat mostly 'brown' food like brown rice and whole wheat bread instead of white rice/bread, etc. Best thing is to just drink lots and lots of water - many experts say at least 125 oz a day.

As for motivation - set a goal. I've kept myself in line the past few months because my hockey team is going to the U.S. Nationals tournament next month and I want to be able to play my best. I've lost 15 lbs in the past few months and have really toned up alot. I have many friends who sign up to run a 5k or even the mini-marathon to get themselves to start running. Others plan a week-long backpacking trip with friends so they know they need to get in shape for it. I have many friends who play dodgeball, soccer and basketball through a local parks department (ours has alot of adult leagues to choose from and you can sign up as individuals and they'll put you on a team).

S., it is likely that if you could see some changes in your body you could be more motivated. I work in health and wellness industry and our program guarentees with proper use to be successful. It has also been proven that people using shake meal replacements are more likely to loose double the pounds as a regular deprivation diet. Also it is important that you keep your motabolism working well. Our program is actually having a special going right now that if you use it for 3 months you get the 4th month free. Works out to be about $6 a day. And it works, you're not hungry and it truly tastes good. Keeps muscle mass strong and thus keeps your metabolism up. let me know how I can help you.
S.

Don't give up! Set a goal to stick with it for another 2 months. Evaluate your progress at that point -- are you seeing results? Don't cheat -- stick to it with your diet & exercise 3-5 times a week. You can walk, do ab work for 5-10 minutes, do push ups off the wall, have running races with your kids (if you have them or neighbors if you don't), jump rope for 10 minutes. Just keep varying your exercises & have fun with it. You can do it and you WILL see results! =)

It is a PROCESS!! Your chances of keeping it off are GREATER, if you lose weight SLOWLY. In addition, it needs to be a LIFESTYLE change, not just about a "diet" - a four letter word I don't allow my clients to say. It takes TIME to figure things out, what works for you, reading and understanding labels, making new, different and healthier choices, getting the family on board, etc.

You REALLY didn't talk about what you are or aren't doing. You HAVE to change your exercise regime, making it harder, changing the type of cardio, etc. in order to get results. You MUST be in "overload" in order for training to take effect. If you are going thru the same routine, same way, at the same intensity level you were 6 weeks ago, you're NOT working up to your potential and thus your body is not going to burn calories if it's not difficult enough.

At LEAST the last 3-4 reps should be HARD. Change the type of cardio, change the intensity of some of your cardio, use stairs at home, if you have them, doing short bursts of intense intervals.

What are your eating habits like? Sufficient amounts of water (1/2 your body weight in ounces at MINIMUM), eating at least 5-6 times a day, eating at least 5-8 fruits and vegetables daily? You CAN change your metabolism just by doing many of these things. Skipping meals and limiting your caloric intake will only SLOW down your body's ability to burn calories. It take a MINIMUM of 1200 calories DAILY for the body to function.

If you are losing weight, even slowly, then you ARE moving in the right direction. I do ALOT of compound movements with my clients - lots of "multi-tasking" when it comes to exercise. i.e. lunges with overhead presses - LOTS of muscle recruitment/calorie burn, change an angle to make it more difficult, on a ball, on a Bosu, etc. Make SURE you are maximizing your time and effort.

Rather than look at how slowly you are moving in the right direction, ask yourself how you can better maximize your time and effort. What things do you need to change/tweek to make a difference. Little changes DO make a big difference.

Hi S.,

Liz has it right. You have to change your mindset and not simply diet but look at what you should eat. What is good for you is also good for the rest of your family. When my husband decided he was too big and was actually frightened about his size we talked long and hard about NOT dieting but getting healthy. As he got healthier the weight came off. I started him on an absorbable (guaranteed) multivitamin/mineral complex and the weight started dropping off. His body simply needed the nutrition to balance everything out. After a 60 pound loss in 6 months, he was encouraged to start running again like he did in college and dropped another 50 pounds. He's still on the vitamin 5 years later and the weight is still off.

Hope I helped!

M.

Sticking to a diet is tough. I have been trying to lose weight for a long time. I finally found success with a free website sparkpeople.com Give it a try. It has been so helpful for me.

A dietician once gave a diabetic patient really good advice in front of me: no diet is bad unless you're not willing to commit to it for the rest of your life.

Basically, if you diet, you will only commit for a short period of time (long enough to see results) without changing your behaviors and your relationship with food.

If you're in Greenwood, there are some really good dieticians at St. Francis - I would recommend seeing if your insurance covers consultations to have them help you design meal plans around what you like, what's reasonable for weight loss/weight maintenance in the long term.

Most dieticians I know (as well as people who've consistently had good luck with weight loss) recommend Weight Watchers because it's very balanced and holds you accountable in conjunction with a good exercise program.

Good luck. I'm training for the Mini and haven't lost more than 2 lbs since the beginning of January.

Get a buddy to keep one another accountable. Even if you don't exercise together, you can report what you eat (everything) and when you exercise. Better, join a mom's group that centers around exercise. Journal about you envision for yourself in terms of health and what you would like to model for your children. What do you want your children to see? An active healthy mom? One who is sedentary? One who eats right consistently? One who binges on carbs when upset? (oh wait, that's me: ) It may also be the way you are working out and your body not responding as quickly as it used to. I second the sleep. Go to bed early so as not to indulge at night and all the other advise you've received. It is a mindset but friends can help or harm your goals.

Jen

find yummy food!!! just because you are dieting does not mean you need to deprive yourself the joy of good food. look for healthy recipes that sound delicious and enjoy cooking and eating good, healthy and nutritious food. the less canned ingredients the better. try to buy most of your groceries in the produce dept and stay away from processed and saturated fat foods. don't buy sweets--just keep them out of your house so you won't even think about it.

thai, indian, japanese, and vegetarian cuisines have great recipes for dieting.

use brown rice instead of white, whole wheat instead of white flour... etc.

avocados are really good. even my kids gobble them up and ask for 3rd and 4ths!!

S.,

Here is a great little article that I thought you'd enjoy!

http://www.reliv.com/includes/userfiles/file/wellness/US/...

If you need any information, please give me a call or email.

Good Luck!
A.
www.HopeShared.com

In the past 7 weeks I have lost 14 pounds. I admit that it is hard to keep motivated sometimes.

I have to remind myself that I hate being 'between sizes' and need to just loose all the weight now so I can buy clothing that fits. I am tired of not committing to a size. I haven't committed to a size in 6 years. Enough.

Writing down what I eat is key. I follow the diabetic exchange diet (not because of diabetes, it is just a healthy way to eat). That way I just mark a line in my calendar of what I just ate and tally it up.

Exercise makes you hungrier too. You have to remember to not eat more. Exercise is not a reason to eat a big desert, it is a way to loose more weight.

Don't eliminate all yummy food. Just makes you feel deprived. Work treats into your diet. A 100 calorie ice cream or a 90 calorie chocolate fiber one bar are some good choices.

Good luck, help some of that helps.