January Weight Loss Challenge To All Ducks

[old] efg · Post by **[old] efg** » January 16th, 2006, 1:46 pm

Hi, Since announcing things on the forum makes them all the more likely to actually happen... Today starts my no snack foods week. Susan's suggestion of having raw vegetables on hand should help. I'm talking about cutting out the white bread, cheese, pretzels, tortilla chips, candies (even "just a few" add up pretty quickly to a lot of empty calories). I might still let myself have dessert once this week (I don't believe in total deprivation), but it's the mostly unmonitored snacking that seems to give me the most trouble. I should have known better, but I lost weight with the holiday challenge, and I was satisfied with my new weight, but it is harder to KEEP my weight there than I thought it would be. Even with all the January challenge rowing. I gained a bit last week, all in the last half of the week, when I went crazy on snacks. So, anyone who wants to join me - feel free. And add your suggestions for good, healthy snacks. Emilia

[old] woolsmith · Post by **[old] woolsmith** » January 16th, 2006, 2:11 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(Canada Goose @ Jan 16 2006, 01:16 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Hi everybody! I just thought I would do my weekly check-in to say how I'm doing on my weight loss goal. I lost another 1.5 pounds last week! I am now into the 140's (148.5). Yay! I have another 13.5 pounds to go before I reach my goal of lightweight status. It wasn't quite as easy this week, the first week the pounds just melted away. I am being very careful about what I am eating, pretty much exactly what Linda M. was talking about in her last post is what I am eating (more veggies, fruits and whole grains, no sugar). I got weighed mid-week and didn't see any progress, so I increased my exercise and that seemed to do the trick. Phew! Go Ducks! Shannon </td></tr></table> Yay, Shannon! Sounds like you're doing it right and getting results, too. Nice job! I completely agree with Linda as well. More and more of the studies on carbohydrate metabolism are in line with what she wrote. And in regards to carbohydrate metabolism in the body, folks who are overweight tend to have insulin resistance, which makes it harder for glucose to get from the bloodstream into the cells, which can then make the extra blood glucose get stored as fat, which makes us overweight, which makes the insulin resistance worse.... See how that vortex can go?? Exercise has been shown to decrease insulin resistance, which in turn decreases the amounts of insulin being secreted into the bloodstream by the pancreas. High insulin levels in the blood are being studied as a possible co-factor in heart disease. Cholesterol isn't the whole answer, otherwise why would folks with normal cholesterol levels also be having heart attacks? High insulin levels are known to damage the lining of the arteries, so if you have rough artery walls and lots of sticky cholesterol (or sticky blood clotting factors) in the blood, guess what happens? A velcro effect. Arteries get clogged, and there ya go. Smoking does the same thing, btw, because nicotine damages artery walls as well. Combine smoking with high insulin levels and cholesterol levels, and then ya really got a bad setup there. Of course, many other components besides these are being studied (inflammation factors, etc.) to determine their relationships to heart disease and other weight-related issues. Folks with diets high in simple carbs (sugar and white flour) are the ones who tend to have the "belly fat" which seems to correlate more closely to Type II Diabetes and heart disease. Abdominal fat seems to be more hormonally/chemically active, producing stuff in the body that can potentially contribute to weight-related health problems. I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and because of the hyperinsulinemia (high blood levels of insulin) that goes along with that, I've been advised to follow a lower carbohydrate diet and use, ahem, better quality carbs like the stuff Linda mentioned. Since I've lost the 40 pounds and have been exercising regularly, my fasting insulin levels have dropped, my BP is in normal ranges (last night it was 120/78! Used to be in the 150's/90-100). I've still got a ways to go, but the results so far have helped motivate me to keep plugging away! Now, generalizing this to all overweight people, one of my theories (and I have no research data to back me up, btw, so I am not recommending this as a weight loss plan) is that folks who are overweight in general probably need to do a lower carb (note that I'm not saying "low carbohydrate") diet regimen, then as they lose weight and the insulin resistance decreases, they can gradually increase the percentage of carbs. My thinking is that normal weight people can get by better with a higher percentage of carbs as compared to overweight folks. Now, I am NOT a dietitian, but I think plugging into one is a good idea, just to get a good overview of what you're doing, plus the education factor is invaluable. A dietitian can be a great guide for an individual plan, one that fits you and your lifestyle, eating habits, etc. Anyway, we'll see if later research data will prove or disprove my theory in the future. And because I've upped my Dr. Pepper and cookie consumption in the last few months, gee, I haven't lost any more weight. I wonder why? Duh! So I've tried to really stock up with good carbs and better quality choices, and I've been pretty good at doing the 1 can of DP or other soda per day. I've been using 100% whole wheat pastas and tortillas (gotta read those labels, not everything is 100%!), fresh fruits and veggies, frozen instead of canned stuff, leaner cuts of meats, watching the quality/quantity of fats, etc. Geesh, I know all this stuff, but I ain't doin' it right! I'm going to try to follow your lead there, Emilia! I'm going to eat better stuff. I was kinda bad last week, mostly wallowing in self-pity for not feeling well. I just need to stuff my husband up in the attic and lock him in there. He works in a retail grocery setting and picks up illegal stuff and brings it home. And I'm bad, even if he hides it, I find it! Geesh, didn't plan to do a physiology lesson. A very simplistic discussion of a very complicated issue. And cardiovascular stuff isn't my forte anyway--I do Pap tests for a living! --Jen. After all that, gotta go row now!

[old] Jemima · Post by **[old] Jemima** » January 16th, 2006, 2:58 pm

I lost 15 pound in the last 6 months, but from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day gained 5 pounds back (but what a party!) I've lost that now. So I didn't know whether my starting point would be New Year's Eve weight or New Year's Day weight. I'm back to my Christmas weight now. Anyway, I lost 15 pounds and went down 3 shorts sizes. Currently my pants are pretty loose, but the weight isn't going down. My tummy's really flattened out. hubby thinks it's because of the rowing but I think it's a combination of rowing and all the other things I'm doing. Snack foods, I snack on figs and almonds. My local whole foods makes this fig and almond cake. It's 800 calories and I cut it into 8. When I crave sugar I eat one piece. For those eating carrots be careful you don't eat too many. Nuts are good to snack on, but not in large quantities. I allow myself one coffee (plain latte) a day and that's my treat. I'm trying to go no sugar. I also don't eat after the evening meal, that helps. As to theories of being overweight. One theory is that you have a deficiency of some vital vitamin and you crave that, but you eat other things. Imagine never drinking and only eating dry foods. You would crave fluid but eat solids. That's the theory with people who are overweight so we need to make sure we are not deficient in vital nutrients or we will eat the wrong foods. Does that make sense? Often we crave sugar or salt but that is our body telling us we need something, the trick is to find out what. Tina

[old] Canada Goose · Post by **[old] Canada Goose** » January 16th, 2006, 4:34 pm

Lots of interesting posts on here the past few days. I agree with Tina about not eating after the evening meal. That really seems to help me. I plan out what food I will be eating in advance. I eat three healthy meals and have one planned snack in the late afternoon. This seems to work for me. I have heard it recommended to eat up to six small meals/day, but I am a busy homeschooling Mom, and don't want to bother with the six meals. For snacks I have nuts, but it can be easy to go overboard on nuts, so I measure them out with a quarter cup measuring cup. Other times I like to have a piece of fruit, or a rice cake with nut butter on it. I also like to have a piece of tofu jerky. OK, I know that tofu isn't for everyone, but I am mostly vegan (no meat, dairy or eggs), so it works for me. One thing that I am finding interesting is that since January 1st, I haven't had any sugar or anything with flour in it (just whole grains) and my food tastes so good! I really enjoy every meal. I don't know what it is, but the food just tastes more flavourful and better! Shannon

[old] seat5 · Post by **[old] seat5** » January 16th, 2006, 11:19 pm

Here's a bit of fun! I've been at this job for about a year now, and have gotten slowly in better shape as the year has gone on, and now my boss is going to buy a rower because she wants to get in shape like me. I don't row to look better but I guess that's happening!

[old] MomofJBN · Post by **[old] MomofJBN** » January 17th, 2006, 12:12 am

That's cool, Carla! You're inspiring people. Schenley

[old] billandmargaret · Post by **[old] billandmargaret** » January 17th, 2006, 2:27 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(efg @ Jan 16 2006, 09:46 AM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Hi, Since announcing things on the forum makes them all the more likely to actually happen... Today starts my no snack foods week. Susan's suggestion of having raw vegetables on hand should help. I'm talking about cutting out the white bread, cheese, pretzels, tortilla chips, candies (even "just a few" add up pretty quickly to a lot of empty calories). I might still let myself have dessert once this week (I don't believe in total deprivation), but it's the mostly unmonitored snacking that seems to give me the most trouble. I should have known better, but I lost weight with the holiday challenge, and I was satisfied with my new weight, but it is harder to KEEP my weight there than I thought it would be. Even with all the January challenge rowing. I gained a bit last week, all in the last half of the week, when I went crazy on snacks. So, anyone who wants to join me - feel free. And add your suggestions for good, healthy snacks. Emilia </td></tr></table> I'll give it a try. I'll still have desserts with my family, but we don't have them often. I'm too busy rowing and cooking vegies to bake dessert. But for snacks, I'll limit myself to 120 calories each, once in the am, once in the pm, none after supper. I'll try it for the rest of this week. Emilia, I've seen all the meters you've racked up and am in awe. You might want to make sure you're not shorting yourself too many calories with all that rowing, so you don't set yourself up for cravings. You've earned yourself some pasta or whole grain with all that exercise; make sure you aren't too stingy with yourself at mealtime. One heatlhy snack I like is "spicy peanut dip" for carrots, etc. It's basically 1/2 peanut butter (the variety without added fat or sugar to keep it healthy) and 1/2 salsa, plus a little lemon juice and salt. It's more satisfying then vegies alone without going crazy. Alright, then. Fruit, vegie & nut snacks this week. Margaret

[old] efg · Post by **[old] efg** » January 17th, 2006, 5:24 am

Hi, The early row plan didn't work. I am really NOT a morning person. You can bet I'll be rowing tomorrow (later today ), though. The dinner party with my husband's colleagues was fine. It was weird having caterers come and set up food. Even my wedding wasn't catered - my mom and I cooked. I'm not sure we'll go the catered route again. The food was fine, but we have TONS of leftovers which we'll never be able to finish, and I hate wasting. Also, with so much food, I really find that it bugs me not to know exactly how it was made. I tend to use very little oil, fat, salt, etc. When I use oil, I like to know what kind of oil it is. I guess I'm pretty picky. . At least I won't have to cook tomorrow: MORE TIME TO ROW!!!! I had dessert - good, but that's it for the week. No snacks today. That wasn't even tough - I was too busy cleaning! Shannon, I find it relatively easy to have many small meals every day as long as I don't mind having the same thing over and over again. Two of my favorite meals are lentil soup (with kale and wheatberries or barley for a complete meal in a bowl) and veggie chili. No one else in my family likes either dish . So, when I make them, they last me an entire week. Heat and eat. If you saw me eat, Margaret, you'd know I'm not stingy with myself. I just felt that with all that rowing I should be exempt from regaining - even if I cheated a bit or ate huge portions. After all, it is mostly HEALTHY food. Guess the real world doesn't work that way. I thought whole grains and veggies were supposed to be so filling you ate less. HA! And I read that spicy foods signal you to stop eating sooner. DOUBLE HA! Not in my case. My favorite condiment is chili paste. I like carrots with plain yoghurt. I'll have to make sure I have some on hand this week. I like peanut butter on toast for breakfast. Almond butter, too. And this time of year just seems right for oatmeal. Tina, figs and almonds are two of my favorites too. I think I know just the treat you are talking about. My parents have a fig tree RIGHT NEXT TO THEIR HOUSE. Last time I visited them, I ate dozens of figs right off the tree. Yum! It was also pistachio season, so we ate fresh (raw) pistachios. I'd never had them before - you have to peel off a husk to get to the shell. Congratulations, Carla, on getting another person to start rowing! I got my brother to join our team - he's contributed over 70 K. He has to go to a gym after work to row, so I'm really proud of him. He's even thinking of joining a virtual team after the challenge ends. He was never into rowing before. He'd do it when visiting us because there were no other options, but I think he's hooked now. I'm afraid to see how much I weigh after the dinner party. I had seconds AND a glass of wine . And the previously mentioned dessert. seat5 and Carol, I may complain about how hard it is to keep the numbers on the scale from creeping up, but the real benefit is being more fit. My scale also measures body fat %, and that has dropped by 5 points since mid-Nov. And my old clothes fit again. Rowing also helps with my back pain - I think it is making my back stronger. It definitely relieves stress, which also helps to minimize the discomfort from my back. Emilia

LindaM · Post by **LindaM** » January 17th, 2006, 10:58 am

Here's a contrary opinion about eating after dinner. If I go to bed hungry or near hungry, I don't sleep well and I tend to eat bad carbs in the morning when I wake because I feel like I'm starving. But eating a good snack before bed doesn't have to be a lot of calories. Here are a few suggestions: An 8 oz glass of skim milk and 10 almonds. 3 dried prunes (or 2 dried figs) and one small square of dark chocolate with tea. 4 T of skim ricotta cheese with vanilla or lemon extract and 5 dark chocolate chips and tea. I almost always have a "dessert" like these each night at 8:30 or 9:00.

[old] efg · Post by **[old] efg** » January 17th, 2006, 1:17 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(LindaM @ Jan 17 2006, 07:58 AM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Here's a contrary opinion about eating after dinner. ... one small square of dark chocolate with tea. </td></tr></table> That's one of my favorite nighttime snacks too! Emilia

[old] rhorva@hotmail.com · Post by **[old] rhorva@hotmail.com** » January 17th, 2006, 9:57 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(efg @ Jan 17 2006, 01:17 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(LindaM @ Jan 17 2006, 07:58 AM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Here's a contrary opinion about eating after dinner. ... one small square of dark chocolate with tea. </td></tr></table> That's one of my favorite nighttime snacks too! Emilia </td></tr></table> Emilila: I'm DOWN with that Square of Chocolate and Herbal Tea plan!! I remember before I lost my initial big pile of weight I used to eat a HUGE bowl of air-popped popcorn every night.. it may have been air-popped but I was STILL piling on the CARBS just before bed-time. You can bet that's gone. I'm going to join you on the NO SNACK WEEK.. BOY will THAT be a hard one for me but I'm going to do it for ONE WEEK!! GO DUCKS! Rubber Ducky

[old] efg · Post by **[old] efg** » January 17th, 2006, 10:33 pm

OK, is this fair??? My husband came home today with a box of snacks left over from some meeting he went to. Granola bars, Snickers bars, Almond Joy, Hersehy's w/ Almonds (all some of my favorites), salt & vinegar potato chips. Good thing I made the no snacks pledge. But really - this is tough! My usual tactic to avoid temptation is to keep such treats OUT OF THE HOUSE! To be fair to my husband, he didn't know about my no snacks plan, but he does know that his cholesterol is high and that I am trying to feed us all healthy, nutritious meals. Grrr... Emilia

[old] billandmargaret · Post by **[old] billandmargaret** » January 18th, 2006, 1:00 am

I used to think it was crazy to throw away "good" food, but I've resorted to that occasionally. Now my husband understands that my resistance to the least healthy snacks is about zilch so he leaves those leftovers at work. My biggest downfall of all is tortilla chips. Ideally I'd have better self-restraint; I'm working on that. Maybe I should just forgo snacks alltogether this week for practice, except coffee with milk and unsweetened tea. No row today; my lymph nodes felt swollen and I rested instead. Also, I'd like to improve my rowing time and taking alternating days off seems to help. I feel better already. Margaret

[old] woolsmith · Post by **[old] woolsmith** » January 18th, 2006, 12:32 pm

Hey Tina! As for which weight to use when you weighed on 1/1, *I'd* use whichever one showed the biggest weight loss. Sometimes, if you don't work the system, the system works you! Emilia--we'll have to lock both our husbands up in my attic, right along with all their tasty snacks they bring home with them. (Don't worry, there's a microwave, TV, lotsa books, craft toys, it's own bathroom and all up there...hmm, maybe WE'LL go up there, take the rower, and leave them down here!) Margaret--It kills me to throw away good food, too! But now I've come to the point that it's gonna kill me if I DON'T. Especially since I was raised with all those usual food guilt trips laid onto us by well-meaning mothers. But like I mentioned in one of my other posts awhile back, I'd gladly fork out big bucks to be able to walk out of my doc's office and be normal weight. So by wasting the food, I'm kind of doing the same thing, just in bits and pieces. It's a struggle though! Geesh, I hate to waste food...the garage sale woman in me just cringes. Maybe feeling so rotten last week was a harbinger of the sore throat and mild head cold I have now. Can't complain too much though, this is the first cold I've had in almost 2 years. Nah, I'm gonna complain anyway. --Jen

[old] efg · Post by **[old] efg** » January 18th, 2006, 1:52 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Emilia--we'll have to lock both our husbands up in my attic, right along with all their tasty snacks they bring home with them. (Don't worry, there's a microwave, TV, lotsa books, craft toys, it's own bathroom and all up there...hmm, maybe WE'LL go up there, take the rower, and leave them down here!) </td></tr></table> Hey Jen - This plan sounds good to me. Peace and quiet and time to row...what more could one ask for? Emilia

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