Losing weight and healthy diet!

[Mantherpanther]

Ok, i just bought A fit bit. i bought it to motivate me into getting active. Ive gained alot of weight in the last yr. I use to be 100 before i had kids, but that was 8 yrs ago. 3 kids later im 167, and steadily climbing. Ive cut out alot of the bad foods that i use to eat and now eat more fruits and veggies, and drink nothing but water except for special occasions ill have a mixed drink. Ive been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and my cholestrol is high. Since ive stopped working a yr ago ive gained weight steadily every month. can anyone help me with some suggestions on getting active and eating correclty? Im also at risk for diabetes. I had gestational with my last pregnancy. Im 5'3 31 yrs old

[SunsetRunner]

There are all kinds of fad diets that people are on, and they are very defensive about it.

Look up the Mayo Clinic Diet (these are medical experts), and start a program of walking,

increasing distance slowly, leading to jogging (once weight gets in the "normal" range).

[Trooper]

I started out by buying Lean Cuisine Meals or Smart One Meals. I bought several meals, one type for Breakfast, One type for Lunch, One type for Dinner, and a snack. I did this for about two to three months. This gave my body time to adjust to eating smaller and calorie controlled portions. A lot of people do not like what I did because the foods are processed and have high levels of sodium. But they worked for me. Today, I rarely use them. I now fix my own meals at home. I make an Egg White McMuffin that  rivals McDonalds. I can make my own low cal versions of Panini or Tortilla with egg, bacon, potatoe, and cheese. My food plan is geared toward what  like to eat, and not what some, "egghead," or movie star eats. Your walking should start out at about 1/2 mile a day and increase up to 1 mile later on. For the excercise portion,  I started walking last week and got blisters all over my feet because I did not get the right shoes. You need a good pair of running shoes. They have more padding according the guy at ACADEMY store. Don't get the walking shoes!!

[Raviv]

Answers for that are going to be all over the map.  There are many different ways people eat healthy, and they all think their way is the best.

For me, I try to go as natural as I can, but I don't stress over it.  I just make choices as they come, so one day "natural" is eggs and one day "natural" is choosing Del Taco over Wendy's.  I don't avoid carbs or fat, I shoot for a good balance between all three.  I actually have my goal macros set at 1/3 of my calories from each.  Sometimes that works out, and sometimes it doesn't.  For instance, today I should have had more protein and less fat - I have mass quantities of guacamole to thank for that. 

Calories are important, but so are things like food quality and how satiated those foods make you feel.  You can get 400 calories from a few cookies, and that will be lacking in the nutrition your body needs. It will also spike your blood sugar, and then later it will drop, making you crave sugar to push it back up.  You can get those same calories from a bowl of white rice, which is pretty high in carbs (better nutritionally, but still missing a lot) and you'll be hungry sooner rather than later.  Or you can use your 400 calories to make a meal with a balanced mix of carbs, fat and protein which will fill you up and keep you feeling that way for a while.  You really do need a good balance of all three.

Just how high is your cholesterol?  They keep moving the ranges, so you need to keep that in mind.  But what you really want to watch is your triglycerides.  They're a decent marker as to whether your actual health is improving or not.

Oh, and just in case anyone hasn't mentioned it before - eating cholesterol does not cause cholesterol in your blood stream.  Your body creates cholesterol in response to inflammation as a way to clear junk out.  I have no idea why people think that, but they do.

Other stupid human tricks that work well - eat slowly and mindfully (don't watch TV when you eat) so you end up eating only what you're really hungry for.  If you start jonesing for food, try drinking some water first and see if you're just thirsty.  Keep good foods (fruit, veggies, eggs, cheese) where you're more likely to see them first.

[Mantherpanther]

unfortunately i cannot eat them because of the sodium. My sodium Levels are high. My doctor told me to cut my sodium intake way down. but overall what you did sounds like a good idea. right now i feel like im starving all the time while im cutting my portions down. 😞 and sometimes i end up binge eating things i shouldnt.

[Mantherpanther]

awesome, Lol on your first few paragraphs. i know that feeling all too well. I usually wake up and eat 2 eggs with fruits. sometimes i make myself a breakfast sandwich, i had to watch everything i ate on the 1200 calorie diet i was on last pregnancy. i had to eat portions, certain amount of fats, meats, carbs, etc. i was basically on a dibetic diet. since then i have a more balanced meal setup. like instead of 2 carbs like pasta and potaoes i make asparagus and roasted potatoes with salmon or chicken. my view on food prep has changed a whole bunch. i do like to binge on cookies, and empty carbs and calories sometimes, especially when im stressed, which is all the time with my 3 yr old. lol. i am in total agreement with you. let me ask, does the time you eat affect you? sometimes we eat at 8 sometimes 9pm for dinner. im really horrible at consistent meal times. I love eggs, so im glad to hear that eating cholestorol wont hurt it. my doctor told me the range my levels were in but i totally forgot. she said it was high but not high enough for medication yet.

[Raviv]

For me, there are some mornings when I can get by with a coffee and whole milk and that will hold me until lunch.  Other days I want more.  I do use a low carb protein shake some mornings, mostly because I want something quick and it's an easy way to get more protein, which I often need.  On the weekends, I have more time and I'll make some eggs, but it's usually later on after I've been up for a few hours.  In a nutshell, I don't start eating on any given day until I'm actually hungry, not just out of habit or because it's a certain time of day.

I have noticed that I wake up hungry if I had a carb-heavy dinner the night before.  Pasta, rice - I limit them now (just because the nutritional return on investment is so low), but before I would have them for dinner and wake up with my stomach demanding to be fed.

For me, cooking is a little bit of a pain in the butt, so keeping it simple works well in a lot of ways.  It's hard to go wrong with a basic meat, veggie, fat and a little bit of carb meal.  It's usually quicker than something elaborate, simpler ingredients mean I'm probably getting more nutrition and less filler it's easier to track what I'm actually eating, and if I make a big batch of it, then I can either bring it to work for lunch or reheat it for a quick dinner on another night.

The nice thing about having a Fitbit and tracking your food is that extra activity will increase your allowed calories.  Go for a long, brisk walk?  It should add in a few more.  On the bad side, if you sit around all day, it will call you on it and lower it a tiny bit.  You're not stuck trying to stick to 1200 calories on days when you're burning a lot more.

[EliseCS]

I agree with a lot of what the other people have said so far. I'm also in the boat of - just be more mindful and really know what you're eating. I am morbidly obese and started out at 315lbs. I'm down to 299lbs.  I used MyFitnessPal to get started and it really helped me realize how many calories, fats, carbs, etc are in foods. I track everything. It really keeps me in check on what I'm eating. I have a two year old and a 4 month old, so I know finding time to exercise is rough. I bought a treadmill so I could jump on it when the kids are napping or down for the night. However, doing a home exercise video that you like, or a walking video (i know it sounds silly, but my mother - who is in fabulous shape - still sweats doing the walking videos) would work the same. Just get moving. If you're able, take the kid/s out for a walk, but I know that's not always something you can do. Just start out doing 10 or 20 minutes of exercise every day. Any little bit helps. Keeping track of what you eat will make you realize what has more calories is usually higher in carbs, sugar, or fat. You eventually just look at certain foods and think "is that really worth eating?" or "I'm only going to have 1/2 cup rice so I can eat more chicken/veggies". It'll just become second nature. Try not to buy a lot of junk food or your trigger foods, whatever they may be. I don't deprive myself of anything, though. I bought snack size ice cream cones because I have a horrible sweet tooth, this way I can still get my sweets in without wrecking my day. We still eat out about once a week, I just eat less or order something that is better for me. Make it work for you and you'll stick to it. Good luck!

[SunsetRunner]

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@Mantherpanther wrote:

awesome, Lol on your first few paragraphs. i know that feeling all too well. I usually wake up and eat 2 eggs with fruits. sometimes i make myself a breakfast sandwich, i had to watch everything i ate on the 1200 calorie diet i was on last pregnancy. i had to eat portions, certain amount of fats, meats, carbs, etc. i was basically on a dibetic diet. since then i have a more balanced meal setup. like instead of 2 carbs like pasta and potaoes i make asparagus and roasted potatoes with salmon or chicken. my view on food prep has changed a whole bunch. i do like to binge on cookies, and empty carbs and calories sometimes, especially when im stressed, which is all the time with my 3 yr old. lol. i am in total agreement with you. let me ask, does the time you eat affect you? sometimes we eat at 8 sometimes 9pm for dinner. im really horrible at consistent meal times. I love eggs, so im glad to hear that eating cholestorol wont hurt it. my doctor told me the range my levels were in but i totally forgot. she said it was high but not high enough for medication yet.

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http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol/faq-...

[Paradise555]

For me, I would recommend keep doing what your doing that is eating healthy, exercise and most of all have fun doing it. I feel that if I am not having fun while exercising then I am not losing the weight. Make up games to do to help lose weight be creative.

[Mantherpanther]

thanks, you all have been a help to me. =D you all have great ideas. Ive gotten on the eliptical ive had for 6 months now that i havent used twice already in two days. seems like the watch makes you accountable for the things you do than if you didnt have one at all. lol it may sound crazy but if i look at how many steps ive taken and its not alot it makes me feel bad, and i get up and walk.