Bleh.

[Sir Rubi]

A lot of what follows is frustration, but in here is a request for ideas because I've run out.

So. Got on the scale the other day and it errored out. Yes, the digital scale actually refused to weigh me. My next thought was "ask Katy to come look at it, since you're generally clueless anyway," so I did. She got on it and it worked fine.

I then stepped onto the scale again another five times, just to make sure. It still wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole.

*sigh*

Now granted, I haven't been my usual Nazi self when it comes to dieting, mostly because of Katy. She is a very big advocate of balance (in everything and very much in food--not a bad trait ;) ), while I'm totalitarian when it comes to many things, especially diet. For it to work, in my mind, it must be immediate, unwavering and total. I would've made a great dictator :twisted:

Anyhow, I've exceeded my starting weight from way back when and passed the 300 mark, so you can imagine that I'm feeling like a cow right now.

Last time I lost a bunch of weight was Atkins and before that, it was generally a low-fat, low-calorie diet, with almost every meal measured, planned, re-planned and (like I said before) basically totalitarian in style.

So I retried Atkins. That didn't work. I've been trying Weight Watchers, but I only seem to be gaining (no, I'm not cheating :P ). I'm up and about in the house a lot, doing housework, etc, chasing after the kids... We don't really have the spare money or time for a membership somewhere at an exercise club and with the kids, and no one to watch them, no real way to get away to do that anyway.

On top of this, I can't expect the family to adopt a totalitarian diet like I might use, otherwise.

All of which is beside the point since, after trying most of what I can come up with (short of starving myself, which I DID try - one meal a day - but Katy found out and screamed at me ;) ).

Anyway, I don't know what to do. This weight has GOT to go but I can't seem to get rid of it. We've been to the Doctor about it and he told me that he doesn't believe me when I say I've made myself more active and am not eating like swine because it's impossible. He won't give me a perscription for it and claims that the Lexapro that I'm taking (to keep me from ripping people's heads from their shoulders in fits of rage) doesn't affect diet.

So, I'm not sure what to do. Anyone else been in a similar situation? Any diet ideas (aside from cutting off my head, which I know would help me drop 20 pounds right off the bat, alread :P )?

[kullen]

Well, the best advice I can give is eat at least 3 meals a day and reduce the portions you eat. Keep fresh fruit or veggies around to snack on inbetween meals. Avoid fried foods. Even when the family is having fried chicken, a grilled or baked version isn't hard to fix on the side. Avoid fast food burgers and fries. Stick to grilled chicken and salads when getting fast food.

Find a way to do some cardio. Don't know if you have the funds to put into a treadmill or eliptical machine, but both would work well.. and if not, just get out and run.

Cardio and weight training improve matabolism, since muscle burns more calories then fat. Even if you do nothing else, just adding muscle tone will help in weight loss.

[Erudite]

Dieting without exercise is slow. Exercise without moderating food intake is slow. Dieting and exercising is still slow, but faster than doing one or the other individually.

I don't know much about your lifestyle, Rubi, but I'd guess that your normal physical activities ("I'm up and about in the house a lot, doing housework, etc, chasing after the kids...") just aren't enough. Try to make time to do cardio - it's the most efficient way to burn calories. Walk, run, use an exercise video (aerobics, tae bo, etc.), etc.

[Zyzzyx]

Find a way to do some cardio. Don't know if you have the funds to put into a treadmill or eliptical machine, but both would work well.. and if not, just get out and run.
Or even just getting out for a good walk instead of running. Hardest part there, and with most exercise, is making the time for it. So add it to the daily schedule, don't make it something to do "if I have time".

I'll defer to others regarding food, I'm still fighting that one m'self. This next month is going to be a challenge to seriously cut back on how much I eat out, and start making my own meals. (besides frozen burritos, pizza, or bratwursts) ;)

[Draknor]

I'm a big fan of the smaller portion size idea, too. Also, a couple of my weaknesses were (still are, but I'm getting better) chips and cheese. I've switched to baked chips (the lays ripple chips aren't half bad) and the 2% cheese. If I can buy something I normally eat in a reduced fat variety, I do. Even if it's only 25-30% less it helps.

I pretty much always have the "healthy" microwave entrees for lunch. Hard to get used to the small portions, but you do eventually.

If you aren't already, eating 4-6 servings of fruit/veggies a day did wonders for my weight loss over a six month period. Going out for even a 15-20 minute walk a day also helps a lot.

Light beer helps, too. :*

All that said, it's usually been easier for me to lose weight than most people. I know it's a struggle for a lot of people. Just try to keep at it and you'll get there. An ocassional stumble is okay - just get back on track the next day and don't worry about the indiscretion. You gotta have some fun. :lowsmile:

[DinbinFanfoom]

I'll echo what everyone else is saying. Exercise (cardio) is hard at first, until you make it a habit (which takes a few weeks). I certainly didn't look forward to my jogs at first. I couldn't even run for 2 minutes at a moderate pace without tuckering out. I also didn't have money for memberships (plus I HATE gyms; everybody looking at you, travelling there, etc.) So I started simple: a pair of 20lb dumbells and some running shoes. That's all you need really. Start the cardio by walking at a reasonable pace. I'll say roughly 4mph. For you, that might not be a great workout because I think you're a lot taller than me, IIRC (me have stumpy legs; I'm geared low, yeah, that's it).

As far as the diet goes, just be sensible. No going back for seconds is a relatively easy one to try, I found. Let the food settle and you'll realize "Hey, I'm not STILL as hungry after 1 plate as I usually am". Because if you're like me, you were raised by wolves and can down a plate of food in about 30 seconds. :mrgreen: Your body is beyond usefully full before it even registers in your brain. And it's OK to snack, just cut out the BAD snacks... Popcorn is pretty OK, it's got some calories but as long as you use a seasoned powder topping instead of melted butter, it's relatively good.

I stay away from potato chips cuz well, they're really from the devil, and not just for losing weight. Little grease slivers... Would be fine for a weekly treat or something...

I don't really have much of a sweet-tooth so skipping dessert wasn't a problem either, but might help you as well... desserts are loaded with empty calories and fat and don't contribute a lot to you health-wise.

Also, try not to eat carb-heavy stuff after 8pm.

[attriel]

I'm havign a similiar problem, so I know your pain. Went to the doc last week and my weight was up another 5lbs. The more I work out and diet the more my weight goes up!!!

So, I've been reading a bunch of dieting & exercise stuff on the web. Exercise: you want to do it before eating, esp in the morning. If you can't get out for a 10-15 minute wakl/jog before breakfast, see if you can't take a sammich and go walking during the lunch hour (however long it really is :o )

I don't know what you eat or drink, but I've switched to diet soda's most of the time (but I hate the taste of aspartame, so I can only drink like 2 varieties in diet). Drink a lot of water. Apparentyl it (a) helps you digest better and get more energy (wtf? it's WATER!), and (b) fills you so you don't keep snacking

And go for the fruit, boo! I've been snacking like mad at the office lately, bag of low fat popcorn, baked potato chips, big sammich, etc. So I took in fruit yesterday. Had my lean cuisine lunch. A bannanna. An apple. and a pound of carrots. Apparently I really AM hungry, but most of those have more good than bad in them so snacking them is OK :)

'Course, like I said. I was up another 5 lbs the last trip, so my advice is suspect ...

[kullen]

Carrots are awesome.. I keep a bag or two of those precut ones and just pull them out when I feel like I need a snack.

[Shiz]

Cut out all soda and juice. Water is everywhere so try switching to water only. The smaller portions is also a good idea. Eat your 3 meals a day, but only eat half of what you think you want. When you get hungry, drink water.

[DinbinFanfoom]

I'm havign a similiar problem, so I know your pain. Went to the doc last week and my weight was up another 5lbs. The more I work out and diet the more my weight goes up!!!Don't worry TOOOO much about weight... go for how your pants fit. ;) If you're doing any weight training at all, you'll likely swap a bit of fat for muscle, which is a lot denser. This means your weight drops slower/plateau's/raises even though you feel "smaller". You knew that though.
So, I've been reading a bunch of dieting & exercise stuff on the web. Exercise: you want to do it before eating, esp in the morning.Jibes with what I've read. Cardio with your muscles "empty" means you're more likely to burn from fat, instead of your liver, etc.
I don't know what you eat or drink, but I've switched to diet soda's most of the time (but I hate the taste of aspartame, so I can only drink like 2 varieties in diet).Me too. I hate Diet Coke, but I've found the C2 stuff to be a good balance point.
Drink a lot of water. Apparentyl it (a) helps you digest better and get more energy (wtf? it's WATER!), and (b) fills you so you don't keep snackingOn the energy front: water is a transport mechanism. Gets nutrients and energy TO your muscles, and moves waste products away. It's like... engine oil. Edit: OK, maybe that's a sucky analogy.

[Raveneye]

Chalk me up as another probelm child. I have lost nothing since January, and seem to bounce in the range of 210-215 (my goal was to get down to 200 by now, and even if I make 200 at 6' tall my BMI is still "over" according to the charts).

Anyway, I'm trying some changes over the next few weeks to see that happens. All have been recommended by a buddy of mine who is a certified dietician and exercise freak, as well as stuff I picked up from reading various sources.

1) Drink water. Lots of it. Get a pitcher with ice water for your office, and drink it continuously throughout the day. Not only does it keep you feeling full, but it helps you digest food, gives you energy (because most folks are mildly dehydrated and don't even know it) and ICE water actually burns calories as your body warms it up.

2) Go for a 30 minute WALK 3 times a week. Doing this will enable you to do one of two things, either add an extra 100-200 calories a day to your diet OR help you reach a weight loss goal faster. Simple excursions around the neighborhood are all that's required, speed walking is not neccessary. I'm going to start walking the dog later in the evening so we can stay out longer, he needs to lose some pounds too!

3) Replace chips and fries with fruit. If you pack a work lunch often like I do, try replacing the chips or french fries with some fruit. It doesn't have to be an apple or banana, canned peaches, pears, pinapples or oranges do the trick and can be put in small containers to keep nicely in the fridge. Doing this at even one meal a day will reduce calorie and fat intake considerably.

4) Use sweets responsibly. Giving up chocolate or sweets is a bad idea, sooner or later you're going to binge or go back to eating them at bad times. Instead, get manageable treats for yourself. Look for small portions or reduced fat/calorie treats, and eat them early enough that you can burn them off later. Instead of a cupcake or a chocolate bar at 8:00pm while watching TV, try snaking on a handful of M&M's or a a couple of reduced fat cookies around 3pm when the sugar will provide a boost and you still have lots of time to work off the extra calories.

5) Workout in the AM, or if that's not possible, before dinner. I cannot workout in the mornings, our family schedule just does not permit it. I was going crazy missing workouts and trying to work around everyone, so I changed tactics and now I'm working out before dinner. It does suck to come home from a hard day at work and know I need to head downstairs to workout right away, but I get the benefit of both stress relief and not feeling as hungry post-workout as I would had I just strapped on the feedbag after walking in the door.

6) Smaller portions, no seconds. This is hard for me. Like Dinbin, I was raised by wolves to rip flesh from the bone and gobble it down in mere seconds. If I were single, I could likely accomplish the "slow meal" by adding a book or some gaming to the mix, but that's not an option when the kids and the wife are eating with me. Instead I have to deliberately slow myself down, and even that is hit or miss. I need improvement here, as I'm convinced my daily caloric intake is too high.


Anyway, I'm going to see how combining all of the above works for me over July and August. My goal is to drop 10-15 pounds over the summer as well as just to generally feel better (healthier) all the time and get back some of the energy that this extra weight seems to sap from me.

[Sylvene]

Rubi, if you are really serious about this, it's a change of lifestyle. It really is.

When I worked in a Call Center, it was a high stress environment with lots of overtime, meetings, events, etc. and all of them had FOOD. Sedantary lifestyle plus bad eating... I gained 40 lbs. On my 5'2" & 110 lb frame, that's a lot.

I ended up consulting with a personal trainer who was also a female body builder and we worked up a diet that I followed religiously for a few months.

We cut fat and carbs to almost non-existent, cut out salt and caffeine, refined sugar - it makes your body hold water, I was on a 1000 calorie a day diet, had lots of water and I had one free day a week when I did not have to watch what I ate. That helped a lot with the diet.

I went to smaller portions but ate more often, lots of steamed veggies, and 5 meals a day. You also have to watch your fruit as some are higher in sugars and carbs than others.

A typical day was like this:

Breakfast: (Jump start the body)
1 cup yogurt with muesli and a drizzle of honey or
Slice of ham and toast
Glass of fresh squeezed juice.

Mid-morning: (keep it going)
Cup of tea with a bit of honey
A few pretzels or a banana

Lunch: (feed it)
Grilled chicken breast with steamed cauliflower or broccoli or
Tuna/Chicken salad with fat free mayo, celery, small piece of cheese.

Tea break:
Cup of tea
couple of those fat free yummy chocolate cookies

Dinner: (make sure you have an early dinner, not one hour before bed)
Grilled Chicken / lean meat with veggies, potato with butter buds
Dinner salad with salt/pepper/vinegar/olive oil dressing or other low carb, low fat and low-salt dressing.

I'm Asian and have a lot of carbs (rice & noodles) in my regular diet, so it was tough. Sometimes I would have a craving for potato chips so bad I thought Sunday would never come around, but what I ended up with was learning to use herbs and spices. A lot of yummy meals and a taste for less sweet and less salt in my diet.

Good luck. I'm rooting for ya.

[Raveneye]

Oh, I almost forgot, another thing you can do is cut the cheese. No, not that kind of cutting the cheese, I mean literally cut cheese out of your diet.

It's pretty amazing how much fat and calories you can shave off a weekly total by simply not putting cheese slices on sandwiches or burgers, not using shreded cheese on salads or Mexican/Italian foods, and otherwise avoiding cheese whenever possible. I have to do this routinely thanks to my lovely medical condition that makes cheese my evil enemy, and I have to say I do not miss it at all. I now stuff my grilled chicken burrito with lettuce, tomato, black olive and salsa and the taste is amazing compared to the old overpowering shredded cheese taste.

[Zyzzyx]

Oh, I almost forgot, another thing you can do is cut the cheese. No, not that kind of cutting the cheese, I mean literally cut cheese out of your diet.
/em notes that he's chowing down on a few slices of cold pizza while reading this

Dump the cheese? Hmm... tough one. Here and there, maybe. But I do love my baby loaves of Tillamook Extra Shard Cheddar. Mmmmm....

Something to ponder though.

[Charinida]

I know, in the future, I will need to be careful or start watching what I eat...

But, I don't think I can't drop my cheese or rice eitehr... Or noodles... (udon, yakisoba... etc etc)

But it is something I will need to keep in mind (reading the above posts)

[Asharad]

Carrots are awesome.. I keep a bag or two of those precut ones and just pull them out when I feel like I need a snack.

yeah me too, actually. That and grapes.

If you are looking for a good, fast, cheap cardio exercise, get a jump rope.

I boxed in college, and I hate running, so whenever I feel like I need to strip down (weight wise) I start boxing. I'm fortunate enough to have a garage I've converted into a gym, so I've got my heavy bag up there. I try and do 5 two minute rounds four times a week. That's a hell of a workout.

Understanding that not everyone has access to a heavy bag, jump rope and then shadow box (go on line and see how to properly throw a left jab, a straight right, an overhand right, and a left hook...thats all you really need- all good punches get their power from the legs and trunk, so you end up working everything). You got to actually go hard, but you'll be shocked how much of a workout it is and less boring, I think, than running, cause you can imagine you are fighting ninjas.

It's great for you, and its a manly sort of work out.

[Raveneye]

You got to actually go hard, but you'll be shocked how much of a workout it is and less boring, I think, than running, cause you can imagine you are fighting ninjas.

'Cause as we all know, Ninjas are the archenemy of pirates.

[Asharad]

You got to actually go hard, but you'll be shocked how much of a workout it is and less boring, I think, than running, cause you can imagine you are fighting ninjas.

'Cause as we all know, Ninjas are the archenemy of pirates.

Exactly.

[Tasiana]

Dont fret Rubi! About 5 months ago, I had gained 15 lbs due to not paying any attention to my diet over a long period of time. I felt tired all of the time, wasn't sleeping well, and over all was in a terrible mood. I knew that it was time for a change!

In addition I quit smoking...which wasn't easy at first by all means. I knew that this couldn't be solved by some fad diet or any get-slim-quick routine. This was going to take a complete over-haul and life style change. This has really worked for me and I feel great! :mrgreen:

This is pretty much what I did:

1. Quit smoking

2. Cut down/stop drinking caffeine...I hardly ever drink any sodas anymore and if I do they are always diet. (yeah they taste funny at first...but now I cant even stand to have one sip of regular).

3. Eat a well rounded diet...follow the food pyramid. That works for me...I eat plenty of veggies (im a carrot sticks fan too) and fruit through out the day. I also snack on nuts and I have found that Snickers low carb marathon bar is delicious! Perfect for a mid afternoon snack!

4. Eat multiple small meals a day...this really kick starts your metabolism.

5. Join a fitness club and work out at least 4 times a week. (I usually find myself working out every day...but that's mainly due to the fact that Ive become very addicted to exercise.) I separate my weight routines and do atleast 40 minutes of cardio per session.

6. Drink plenty of water. (8 - 10oz glasses/day).

7. Avoid fast food places. I also take my own lunch to work everyday which helps me to eat better as well.

8. Cut down the booze...I love my wine, but instead of drinking a bottle, a glass (or two :rolleyes: ) is very satisfying.

All of these changes have really helped me lose weight and keep the weight off! I hope this helps. :cool: You can do it! :wink:

[Xuthia]

I have no problem downsizing portions.
I have no problem giving up cheese or pasta.
I have no problem giving up fat.
But, but, give up caffeine? give up cookies? I'm too weak . . .

Sylvene -- I had a similar experience this past semester. Too much work, too much overtime, too much stress and waaay too little rest and exercise.
And, geez, am I paying now!

</Swears to exercise more . . .>

[DinbinFanfoom]

For me, seeing the first evidence of "progress" went a long way to convincing me that I was actually accomplishing anything. After that, it got easier. It's about momentum, I think. Probably not the answer you wanted! :|

[Erudite]

2. Cut down/stop drinking caffeine...I hardly ever drink any sodas anymore and if I do they are always diet. (yeah they taste funny at first...but now I cant even stand to have one sip of regular).

I hear mixed things about caffeine. "It boosts you metabolism." "It affects your insulin levels." "It drains necessary electrolytes." "It's dehydrating."

I never drink cola. I drink loads of coffee and tea. It doesn't seem to affect me one way or the other. /em shrugs