Lifestyle changes

Good idea - it can definitely save calories (unless of course you pile on cheese and/or mayo).
My problem isn't calorie intake. I don't eat enough so it's a lifestyle change to have breakfast. I sometimes have lunch, but not usually.

I am also weaning off a medication with a side-effect of weight gain. This will lead to more insomnia but I don't want to gain any more weight. My hips and knees already hurt enough.

My goal weight loss is the 50 lbs. I've gained in the past year (which, again, I know is due to the meds versus my eating habits).
 
I've gained some 10 pounds during the past few years and developed cellulite and a nice "six months pregnant belly" which shows especially in the evening (or when I try to fit into my old jeans). The new RA med has elevated my cholesterol level but the doc said that a family history of no significant coronary diseases and a good ratio between HDL/LDL outweighs the increase. I exercise way too little and have bad eating habits: a lot of fatty, salty snacks like crisps/chips, salted peanuts, cheese etc. in the evening although our general meals are healthy.

I've started daily stretching and a few minutes daily recumbent biking (exercise bike with a back rest) with the most tense resistance/setting. I also say "yes" a bit more often if my hubby asks me to join him for a walk. From this day on, I'll start eating more carrots, cabbage, cucumber, fruit and frozen berries while watching tv or surfing on the net.

My hubby lost some 20 kg/44 pounds in a couple of years by changing his Coke into Zero, reducing cheese consumption and quitting eating at 6-8 pm (no evening snacks). Otherwise he eats anything, including occasional cakes, candies, chips/crisps, creamy dressings, mayo and ice cream. In general, it's the food intake/consumption (exercise) ratio that counts - not a strict diet/regimen. If you walk on a daily basis and catch your breath a few times a week (without getting addicted to desired values or wristband rates), you can eat pretty much anything.

A Finnish celebrity Aira Samulin, aged 93, once gave a good advice in a women's magazine: "Eat whatever you desire but always eat composedly and stop as soon as you feel full" (<- That might be sooner than you'd expect). She also has just one serving of alcohol at a time.
 
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If you walk on a daily basis and catch your breath a few times a week (without getting addicted to desired values or wristband rates), you can eat pretty much anything.

I wish that were true... I used to go to a gym, walk and swim several lengths in a pool every day. That was about 8 years ago. The only way I could get to a 'normal' weight back then was to restrict calories. Any more than 1500 per day and the weight piled on.
 
Yesterday, I had a veggie burrito for lunch and a small piece of chicken breast with rice for dinner.

I drank 12 bottles of water throughout the day and didn't have any iced tea.

I couldn't try the exercises because of severe pain but I'm going to try to push through it today.

I think I'm going to go back to a regime I did ages ago. I will try to eat vegetarian for six days per week and have what I want (within reason, of course) the 7th day.

How are you all doing?

Just got home from a half working day in office. I had a piadina (a sort of burrito) filled with veggies and ricotta.
I'm going to do my pilates excercises now. Can you make some of them?

I have to say though that have a 'normal' working day in the office, by going back and forth office-set, has helped. My mood is up!

I only have to remember to drink more water, at least 2 litres. I'm almost sure I won't be succesful, but worth it a try.
 
I wish that were true... I used to go to a gym, walk and swim several lengths in a pool every day. That was about 8 years ago. The only way I could get to a 'normal' weight back then was to restrict calories. Any more than 1500 per day and the weight piled on.
Well, I guess this applies best to teenagers and young adults (so not to me either). Personal metabolism and the way in which it changes throughout the years varies greatly. Some people can eat whatever they want until they're old (without gaining any weight) but most people show symptoms of decelerated metabolism in their 40's or 50's and start to build up love handles. There are reverse cases as well: my 80-year old stepdad eats candies and junk food as much as he can but he's been losing weight gradually for 10-15 years although he doesn't do that much sports anymore, just golf (without a cart) and bowling. Of course the Cal (kilocalorie) intake has to be adjusted to personal consumption. Your calorie intake seems rather small. I never count calories (I just weigh myself every few months or so) but I guess I eat about half of what I ate during my younger and more active years.
 
I've talked to my husband extensively about this over the weekend, and I'm making another small change to my diet. I have started on monday with reducing the sugary items I eat. I've been using the wartime rationing system as inspiration. My goal is not to lose weight , but to achieve optimum health in my diet and see what it does for me. Losing weight is welcome but optional.
For now I am going for the Australian world war 2 ration limit of 500 g sweets a month, which is truly a lot less than I am used to eating. This means I can have a max of 125 g of candy or chocolate a week. I just weighed out my ration yesterday, and came to 12 easter eggs for a week. That's what I will stick to. So far eating 2 easter eggs and not more has not been hard because my meals have been more filling without the sugary stuff.
Otherwise I am also limiting sugar by not buying sugared yoghurts, desserts, cakes or cookies. I can make desserts and baked goods myself from the rationed allowance of sugar and fat that my family would have in the US or Australian system. I didn't choose to use the UK system as this seemed very austere and not feasible with my eating disorder or the demands of my other family members.

The following items I am rationing:
Sweets: 500 g a month for me alone, my husband is not doing it

Rations for the whole family of 3:
Butter: 250 g a week (one stick) for bread or baking
Margarine : 250 g a week
Cooking fats and oil: 80 ml a week
Milk: 3 liters a week (one for each person in our household)
Yoghurt: 1 liter a week
Sugar: 500 g a week
Red meat: 500 g a week
Bacon/deli meats: 200 g a week
Cheese: 450 g a week
Eggs: 6 a week
Tea : 250 g a month

Not rationed
Fruits
Veg
Starches (bread, potatoes etc)
Fish
Poultry
Preserves
Alcohol (as I almost never consume it anyway)
Nuts and seeds

I also posted this in: Wartime cooking
 
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Just got home from a half working day in office. I had a piadina (a sort of burrito) filled with veggies and ricotta.
I'm going to do my pilates excercises now. Can you make some of them?

I have to say though that have a 'normal' working day in the office, by going back and forth office-set, has helped. My mood is up!

I only have to remember to drink more water, at least 2 litres. I'm almost sure I won't be succesful, but worth it a try.
Yeah! I'm glad your mood is on the upswing!!!

I absolutely believe that you can reach your goal of drinking more water. You can do it!!! Just believe. ;-)
 
Well, I guess this applies best to teenagers and young adults (so not to me either). Personal metabolism and the way in which it changes throughout the years varies greatly. Some people can eat whatever they want until they're old (without gaining any weight) but most people show symptoms of decelerated metabolism in their 40's or 50's and start to build up love handles. There are reverse cases as well: my 80-year old stepdad eats candies and junk food as much as he can but he's been losing weight gradually for 10-15 years although he doesn't do that much sports anymore, just golf (without a cart) and bowling. Of course the Cal (kilocalorie) intake has to be adjusted to personal consumption. Your calorie intake seems rather small. I never count calories (I just weigh myself every few months or so) but I guess I eat about half of what I ate during my younger and more active years.

I think quite a bit it is just genetics. My ex is thin. He eats everything under the sun and doesn't gain any weight. None. He honestly eats ice cream every night and nothing happens. His mother was like that and my son is that way.

The idea of women being "thin" as the ideal is a relatively new (in relation to how long civilization actually is) as sturdier women were needed to have children and work hard in the home. Around here it was called "good birthing hips". So we may be reaching for an "ideal" that doesn't really exist except in Barbie doll land.

I don't own a scale or bother counting calories. I have seen how scales can be detrimental with people obsessively weighing themselves. I saw quite a bit of this when I joined a "mother's club" (all of us were pregnant at the same time). It was a sickness all in itself. Plus, I know that I don't get anywhere near 1200 calories (the "ideal" according to the current AMA dietary standards).

The bottom line is I want to feel better by reducing stress, adding light exercises and giving up alcohol. So far, the biggest challenge has been stress control. Just crazy family stuff but I'm getting better about standing my ground so that helps.
 
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I've gained some 10 pounds during the past few years and developed cellulite and a nice "six months pregnant belly" which shows especially in the evening (or when I try to fit into my old jeans). The new RA med has elevated my cholesterol level but the doc said that a family history of no significant coronary diseases and a good ratio between HDL/LDL outweighs the increase. I exercise way too little and have bad eating habits: a lot of fatty, salty snacks like crisps/chips, salted peanuts, cheese etc. in the evening although our general meals are healthy.

I've started daily stretching and a few minutes daily recumbent biking (exercise bike with a back rest) with the most tense resistance/setting. I also say "yes" a bit more often if my hubby asks me to join him for a walk. From this day on, I'll start eating more carrots, cabbage, cucumber, fruit and frozen berries while watching tv or surfing on the net.

My hubby lost some 20 kg/44 pounds in a couple of years by changing his Coke into Zero, reducing cheese consumption and quitting eating at 6-8 pm (no evening snacks). Otherwise he eats anything, including occasional cakes, candies, chips/crisps, creamy dressings, mayo and ice cream. In general, it's the food intake/consumption (exercise) ratio that counts - not a strict diet/regimen. If you walk on a daily basis and catch your breath a few times a week (without getting addicted to desired values or wristband rates), you can eat pretty much anything.

A Finnish celebrity Aira Samulin, aged 93, once gave a good advice in a women's magazine: "Eat whatever you desire but always eat composedly and stop as soon as you feel full" (<- That might be sooner than you'd expect). She also has just one serving of alcohol at a time.

Good luck on your dietary goals! I know you can do it. ;-)
 
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