THE 50+ POUNDS CLUB

amother

Wed, Dec 31 2008, 9:13 pm

Hi all!

As the subject title implies, this is the ultimate thread of support, tips, tricks, venting, sharing, caring, what works, what doesn’t, etc. etc. etc. for people with 50+ pounds to lose. Of course, everyone is welcome to post (no naysayers or negativity, please), but sometimes there is a different mindset between people who are in the basic healthy range of weight but want to lose up to 20 pounds and people who are in or were in the overweight or obese range. But, again, anyone who can contribute positively is welcome, welcome, welcome…Feel free to post anon. I will call myself the “OP amother,” but feel free to differentiate yourself by color or any other way you desire.

Let me begin…

I have somewhere in the ballpark of 60 pounds to lose. [For an exact number I will weigh myself on 1/7/09, as I have a doctor’s appt. that day and can then see how my at-home digital scale compares to the scale at the doctor’s office, and after that monthly on the first of the month.] I will be posting my weights.

I am a compulsive eater. I contacted the director of Soveya (you can google them for website) who gave me a food plan (will share below) as well as psychological support (again, will share highlights below). A lot of this is similar to OA. For some reason or another, although I have had successful days I have then fallen behind. Starting tomorrow, 1/1/09, I am beginning the plan / lifestyle change with renewed enthusiasm. Hence the impetus for this post. I hope to update daily as a way to ensure compliance.

The goal is to have a healthy relationship with food. Weight loss is a benefit, but not the goal. You must be committed to serious changes. This commitment often comes when one reaches a point of desperation. Many people self-medicate by eating to avoid pain. This is avoidance but does not address the underlying problem(s). Compulsive eaters have a food problem, not a weight problem, and therefore the recovery comes from addressing the food problem and how to develop a healthy relationship w/ food.

Surrender and Serenity: A compulsive eater (hereafter referred to as CE) needs to surrender. By this we mean that they have to acknowledge (understand and emotionally accept) that they are powerless over food. They know this because of self-honesty – a history of the behavior of compulsive eating even w/ a desire to stop. As such, they have to follow a regimented food plan. With the surrender and adherence to the food plan comes the serenity. Daven to Hashem for help! This can enhance your relationship w/ Hashem and your Yiddishkeit.

Take it one day at a time. The goal when we get up every morning is to be food plan compliant TODAY. Anyone can do anything for one day. We fast on Yom Kippur even if we are hungry. We abstain from relations during niddah even if we have the desire. Again, the goal is not to eat compulsively for one day---TODAY. Don’t think “how will I handle tomorrow/ next week/ next month/ Yom Tov. It’s the fear of “tomorrow” that makes it difficult to be compliant today.

Compliance w/ the food plan is not easy (although things do get much much easier) – the goal is not an easier life but a BETTER life. NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS COMPLIANCE FEELS. EVERY DAY OF COMPLIANCE PUTS ANOTHER BLOCK BETWEEN YOU AND THE FIRST BITE (what leads to our downfall).

When a food craving comes, process and validate your feelings but don’t act on them. Recognize the craving for as an “uncomfortable feeling” that will pass (and it does pass, as well as come fewer and farther between). Distract yourself/ have a drink of water, and before you know it the feeling is gone. IF YOU STAY ON THE TRAIN THE SCENERY ALWAYS CHANGES.

THE FOOD PLAN:

Abstinence from:
-sugar and artificial sweeteners
-grains that are processed into flour

The body processes sugar like a drug. Sugar is the most used product in processed foods. They create endorphins and you just want more. We must also abstain from flour as the body metabolizes flour into sugar.

You will need a digital scale as we weigh and measure 3 meals a day.

Breakfast:
1) PROTEIN – either 2 eggs, or 8 oz. plain yogurt, or 4 oz. cottage/farmers cheese, or 2 oz. hard cheese
2) GRAIN – 2 oz. oatmeal (weigh the dry flakes) or grits or Shredded Wheat or any puffed cereal
3) FRUIT – one whole fruit or 6 oz. cut fruit

Lunch:
1) PROTEIN – either 2 eggs, or 4 oz. meat/chicken/fish/beans/chummus, or 2 oz. hard cheese or nuts or peanut butter. Meat/chicken/fish should be weighed after cooking.
2) GRAIN – 4 oz. cooked: potato, sweet potato, brown rice, barley, kasha, quinoa, or 4 rice cakes, or 6 wheat thins
3) VEGETABLE – 6 oz. cooked vegetable or sugar-free tomato sauce
4) SALAD – 6 oz. raw veggies
5) FAT – 1 tablespoon oil, or salad dressing, or mayonnaise, or butter/margarine
6) FRUIT – one whole fruit or 6 oz. cut fruit

Dinner:
Same as lunch minus the grain category

Also:
-Shabbos/Yom Tov have one whole wheat matza per seudah to be yotzei. This is in addition to the grain at lunchtime.
-Sugar is OK as long as it appears in the 5th or lower ingredient in salad dressing/ sauces
-drinks limited to water, seltzer, decaff coffe/tea
-can have unlimited amounts of seasonings, garlic, cinnamon, lemon juice, mustard, soy sauce (w/ out corn starch), cooking spray
-eat from all of the categories for each meal

I find the freezer to be my best friend – I can cook up large pots of meatballs, cooked veggies, etc. and freeze in the appropriate portions.

So this is where I am holding. Starting tomorrow morning 1/1/09 I will begin this lifestyle change. I will take one day at a time. I know the beginning may be tough, but things will get easier.

What about you?

ShakleeMom

Wed, Dec 31 2008, 9:37 pm

I have to lose it but I'm doing nothing. so now what

bnm

Wed, Dec 31 2008, 9:56 pm

I have to lose 50 pounds but 35 is babywheight and I'm nursing... how do I lose weight without affecting my milk? I eat healthy, I just don't exercise enough.

amother

Wed, Dec 31 2008, 10:09 pm

ShakleeMom wrote:

I have to lose it but I'm doing nothing. so now what

OP amother here:

Well, let's brainstorm together...

Are you looking for/ do you need a major lifestyle change or just minor?

Do you want to post a day's menu of what you ate and we can start there?

Have you ever lost significant weight before? If so, via what method?

How committed are you right now?

Do you know what your downfalls are?

ShakleeMom

Wed, Dec 31 2008, 10:17 pm

What’s holding me back is that I cannot have any raw fruits or vegetables because of the SCD diet that I am committed to for healing of Crohn’s disease. I crave a crispy salad, many times per day. no can due.

So my challeng s to constantly cook up my veggies into attractive kugels and wraps and whatnot and always remember at 10:30 to start warming it for myself for lunch. I was never able to go on the OA diet because I season my veggies with teriyaki, soy sauce, and red wine mostly. All of those have sugar.

I am so stuck.

Otherwise, my routine is great – I stick to my plan, never cheat, don’t feel th e need to cheat, never crave cakes or sweets. I crave protein. As much as I can horde, I will eat of it. But its’ tough to keep eating cooked foods made in advance so I can heat and eat.

Why I don’t lose weight? My metabolism is shot. If I eat a strict amount of calories er week I still don’t lose. If I dream of a pita, I already gain from it.

Next up – exercise. Very hard to even think about it, too soon after baby.

So you see all of you – be happy with your problems!

amother

Wed, Dec 31 2008, 10:17 pm

bnm wrote:

I have to lose 50 pounds but 35 is babywheight and I'm nursing... how do I lose weight without affecting my milk? I eat healthy, I just don't exercise enough.

OP amother here:

I think that drinking a ton of water as well as eating foods w/ a high water content (ie - soups, stews fruits, veggies) is the key to maintaining good milk supply.

Do you want to answer the questions I posed to Shaklee Mom?

ShakleeMom

Wed, Dec 31 2008, 10:20 pm

When I was young(er) I did do better the week that I was rigid about drinking 8 cups of water. Gulp. I despise water. I must have my crystal light, but drinking more than 3 cups of it kills my gut.

de_goldy

Wed, Dec 31 2008, 10:23 pm

I am in the process... have lost 35lbs in the last 6 months, would like to lose another 35lbs but am a bit stuck at the moment.

OP amother - great post. Your plan sounds great, hatzlacha!!

ShakleeMom

Wed, Dec 31 2008, 10:32 pm

My favorite parve lunch is portabella mushrooms stir fried (drop of oil) with onions and zucchini. When ready, I add teriyaki and red wine. Takes about 10 minutes the whole thing. Then I stuff about 10 oz. into a whole wheat pita. This fills me for about 7 hours. You can see how I have a lot of adjustments here.

bnm

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 12:43 am

Are you looking for/ do you need a major lifestyle change or just minor? minor

Do you want to post a day's menu of what you ate and we can start there?

today wasn't a good day:
had a pastramis sandwich for lunch, terra chips and pomegranate seeds for snack, chicken, potatoes, vegi soup and cabbage salad for supper, and some watermelon for desert.
however today I walked a lot. I was on the avenue for a few hours.

yesterday was better- cereal and milk, salad for lunch, breaded chicken cutlet, eggroll, and mushroom soup for supper. I also walked around for 2 hours.

both days I drank a lot. I drink OJ, soy milk, water, coke etc...
I'm usally good about eating breakfast, today was an exception. my regular breakfast is 2 slices toasted whole wheat bread with a spread. spread can be anything found in the fridge.

Have you ever lost significant weight before? If so, via what method?
yes, by eating healthy, cutting out most fats but not all-I need some fats to lose weight, and exercising

How committed are you right now?very committed, though right now I just want to eat right. I'll start exercising when I get clearance from my ob.

Do you know what your downfalls are?
when I don't have patience to prepare something decent so I eat the first thing in sight. Also I see I have to start drinking lower calorie beverages.

Chani

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 6:02 am

I actually came online this morning specifically to start a thread just like this one!

I successfully lost 45 lbs. a couple of years ago and then gained it all back. Grrrr.

My plan is simply 1500 calories a day, with an attempt to be healthy in food choices, and 3 hours of exercise a week - fit in however I can into my schedule. (As you can see, I like simplicity!)

I've considered getting a lap-band; however, many of my friends who've gotten one have had issues, so I'm a little scared of it.

amother

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 6:16 am

ShakleeMom wrote:

OP amother here

Shak, dear, unfortunately (?) I am a bit ignorant regarding Crohns/ the SCD diet. So, kick me in the pants if my suggestions are off base...

Can you eat (in terms of Crohn's/ your preferences) plain cooked veggies, not baked into kugels etc.? It seems that would save you calories as well as time. Can your crockpot be your friend in terms of some hot cooked options? For instance, last night I sliced up zucchinis (took only seconds using the slicing blade on my food processor) and put in crockpot w/ sugar free tomato sauce. Cooked on high for 2 hours, then turned to low overnight, and will now keep on warm. It smells delish. If it seems undoable can you try this for 1 day and report back to us?

amother

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 6:18 am

de_goldy wrote:

I am in the process... have lost 35lbs in the last 6 months, would like to lose another 35lbs but am a bit stuck at the moment.

OP amother - great post. Your plan sounds great, hatzlacha!!

OP amother here:

de_goldy, can you share w/ us how you lost the 35 lbs (good for you!)? Have you maintained this loss? Can you identify what's "tripping you up" now?

amother

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 6:27 am

I need to lose just under 50. mostly baby weight. I'n still nursing now so I hope when I stop I will find it easier to lose. I'm a junk food addict.

hannah95

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 7:20 am

I also should lose some weight. I've tried many diets, but my advice would be never do a crash diet, it may work for a while but once you'll stop, you'll gain everything back and more ... Adjust things slowly, introduce veggies slowly if you can and are not eating them, stop snacking if you are doing that, one step at a time ... it is what works best for me. I also find that very restrictive diets tend to frustrate me, and this in not a good feeling.
Good luck ladies Smile

pacifier

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 10:09 am

I know I don't belong to this thread.... I only want to lose 5 pounds. but I do eat all day long so I think I may understand the feelings of a compulsive eater?

first, an idea for vegetable snacking: if you cook them in a steamer, they have much more flavor. try celery,broccoli, potatoes, squash......

now, my question, if someone is a compulsive eater, and not only they suddenly cut back on all sugar and grains, but also eat only 3 meals a day, how does one expect to stay on that diet long enough to get better?

is there any food that one is allowed to munch on all day long?

Boys"R"Us

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 10:17 am

I was about 15 pounds above my goal weight when I got pregnant. I gained 50lb with the pregnancy, and now, 3 weeks pp, I am 31 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight. That leaves me with about 45lb to lose. My plan is to wait until my weight stops coming off (the preg weight that just naturally comes off), and then as SOON as I start gaining (this always happens to me!), I will go back on my Weight Watchers diet. If I do nothing, I end up fairly quickly weighing as much as I did at the end of my pregnancy. I plan to go back to the gym as soon as the doctor ok's it - I'll ask at my 6wk pp check-up.

~Debbie

smilingmom

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 11:17 am

Thanks for the inspiration. I have to lose 50 plus pounds. I have never been motivated to be on a diet for more than two days (and that was only once). I am off today and will use sparkpeople.com It is a great program and FREE, you put in your height & weight and goal weight, and how quickly you want to lose. You can add in any conditions you have, ie diabetes, Crohns or acid reflux. And check off foods you do not eat ie pork, shell fish. They give you a diet mealplan with a shopping list.
I will keep you posted on my success.

Barbara

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 11:25 am

bnm wrote:

I have to lose 50 pounds but 35 is babywheight and I'm nursing... how do I lose weight without affecting my milk? I eat healthy, I just don't exercise enough.

Weight watchers has a program for nursing mothers (IIRC, it adds points to the regular program to account for the extra calories needed, and suggests additional nutrients -- like oil and dairy -- that you need. There are also Mommy sessions in which kids are welcome.

I don't know where you live, but its tough in the Northern US right now because of the weather. In just a couple of months, can you commit to taking the baby (& any other kids) on a walk 3 times a week? Or buy a video with a 20 minute workout.

I need to lose about another 50. I've already lost 70. The first 60 were easy. Its been S L O W and difficult since then, but I'm trying to keep plugging along.

Barbara

Thu, Jan 01 2009, 11:37 am

bnm wrote:

A place to start is the beverages. OJ, soy milk and Coke are packing in a substantial amount of calories. Switch some of these to lower calorie beverages, like water (plain or with Crystal Light or a wedge of lemon). Try watering down some of the OJ; when DS was young, we made *orange soda* with 1/3 OJ and 2/3 plain seltzer.