General Diet Plans and Questions General diet questions, support for various diet plans other than those listed below.

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Old 02-08-2001, 11:43 AM   #1  
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I have been counting calories since jan.1.I have lost 5 pounds so far. I know it isn't alot but it is a start.
If anyone would like to join me feel free.
I eat about 1800 a day.
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Old 02-08-2001, 06:29 PM   #2  
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I also am trying to count calories. I am trying to stay at 1600 calories per day with about 30 grams of fat. I don't have a scale and don't weigh myself but my size 18Ws are already getting lose and they were tight. I am trying to exercise at least 5 times per week. Michaela how do you stay within your range and how much weight do you have to lose?
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Old 02-08-2001, 10:14 PM   #3  
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I am a calorie counter too. Counting calories is the first time I have been really successful dieting. Once I lost 50 lbs on WW, but I did it by eating veggies in bulk and not by cutting back on how much I ate. Then, of course, gained it all back over the course of 4 or 5 years. This time around I use www.dietwatch.com (www.fitday.com is also good) and log everything I eat. Doing it this way means I get to see how many calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesteral, fiber, carbohydrates, protien, A, C, iron, and calciium I have each day. The advantage of using the software to log food, besides the fact that it is free is that you can use it to make sure you are getting a balanced diet. The first time around I ate almost all carbs and veggies ( because I liked carbs so much -- a typical meal would be 2 -3 cups of pasta under a bag of stir fried veggies, 2 or 3 times a day). Now the RDA of Carbs seriously feels like low carb to me. But I didn't want to jump on the no carb bandwagon, I think it is wrong to cut an entire food group out of your diet. I make sure I get my protien and my fat and my calcium and stay withing the healthy range for carbs for the day-- so all in all I feel I am eating healthy now, something I had not done before. In a way I feel like a walking advertisement for dietwatch. I have lost 52 lbs so far, I am not hungry all the time, I feel better and most of all, I know I can do this for the rest of my life and not just until I meet goal. That is the most empowring feeling you can have.

A 1200 calorie a day diet on dietwatch includes 44g protien, 180g carbs, 40 g fat, and a minimun of 25 grams fiber. The only one I don't often make is the fat -- I usually end up around 30 - 35 grams.

I started counting calories in August 2000 and have lost 52 lbs so far. Right now I weigh less than I ever imagined weighing and before I started eating healthy. Before I would have been perfectly happy stopping at the weight I am now (148 lbs) and staying there for the rest of my life. Instead, I feel so good about my eating that I am ready to lose another 30 lbs or so and get down to a weeight that could actually be called "normal" or even "thin" and when I get there I am going to stay there. I am going for 110 lbs. I have never been there, but I am thinking it will look and feel great.

I also need to put in a good word for 3FC -- without this website, and all the good ideas, and great people adn support, I might not have made it through the first few months. Retraining yourself when you have had bad eating habits your whole life is no easy task. There were many days where I came and logged onto the computer to avoid rummaging through the fridge. It is easier now, but it was pretty hard at first.

Oh, and I thought I should add in (so I don't get yelled at) that I am eating 1200 calories a day right now because I am on doctors orders to stay off my feet for 2 weeks until I get knee surgery, which means I am completely inactive and can't work out. When I was exercising everyday I ate 1400-1600 calories a day.
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Motto 'I will stop eating when I feel full'

[This message has been edited by morrigan (edited 02-08-2001).]
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Old 02-08-2001, 10:29 PM   #4  
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Sunshine Girl: I found it is easier to stay withing my calorie range by eating lots of high fiber foods. Oatmeal for breakfast, apples, kashi, thick soups for lunch, and lots of veggies with dinner. I also eat a lot of low fat alternative (light fat free yogurt has 90 calories while just fat free has 180). Chedder cheese is 120 calories and ounce with around 12 grams of fat while fat free feta is o grams of fat and only 30 calories an ounce. I eat lots of spicy stuff (like salsa over potatoes instead of butter) and cut out the carbs (like when my hubby and I cook fajitas for dinner he has two or three rolled up in tortillas while I have a pile of fajita meat over lettuce with tomato, avacado, and nonfat sour cream and no tortilla). I also treat myself when I want to. If I am craving a cinnamon roll -- I buy one and then usually give 1/2 to someone else before I dig in, don't feel guilty at all and just add it into my calories for the day.
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Old 02-08-2001, 11:00 PM   #5  
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MORRIGAN - I did not know they made fat free feta cheese. Can you find it at a supermarket? Also, does it taste like feta cheese? Some fat free cheese is just horrible (in my opinion)
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Old 02-08-2001, 11:32 PM   #6  
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It is not as good as real feta by any stretch of the imagination, but at 30 calories and ounce I am more than happy to cheese of any kind. It really tastes up stir fries. I buy it at Safeway, our local grocery store, in the deli cheese section.
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Old 02-09-2001, 01:29 AM   #7  
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The only fat-free cheese I have ever been able to sort of, kind of, enjoy, was a Monterey Jack that Trader Joe's sells. They also sell a fatfree Jalepeno Jack.

I tend to stay away from foods that are made fat-free anyway because I would rather have a little of the 'real thing' than a lot of something that is going to ultimately end up not satisfying my taste for cheese or whatever it is I'm craving. (The Snackwells Syndrome - how many of you bought boxes of those Devil's Food Cookie Cakes just because they were fat-free??).

Right now, I'm having a devil of a time losing weight, even though I'm keeping my calories down and working out for 1 1/2 - 2 hours daily. A friend of mine from London is visiting, he is an athlete and advised me that I should take it easy, so I did take yesterday off and seemed to have more energy this morning! I also am switching from cold cereal in the morning to oatmeal - easier to measure out. I just measure one cup dry oats to 3 cups boiling water with a pinch of salt, turn the stove off, cover it up and go take my shower! Oatmeal is also denser so I think it sticks with me longer. Hopefully that will get my scale moving downwards (even though I can see a noticeable difference in the way my clothes fit).

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Old 02-09-2001, 05:22 AM   #8  
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That is exactly how I do breakfast every day. I either do 1/2 cup oats or 1/3 cup kashi or oat bran, get in the shower and it is done when I get out. I top it with applesauce -- all that fiber really starts your day off good.

I read a recent article on the benefits of fiber. The insoluble kind in oatmeal and apples actually lowers your cholesteral and fiber also lets you absorb fewer of the calories you eat, since some of the fat in your diet sticks to the fiber molecules that pass through your system undigested. There were alot of other really interesting things about fiber (along with the don't overdo it wanrings and consequences) -- but in general they found that people who included a higher amount of fiber in their diet program lost more weight and were able to keep the weight off longer. The hypothesis being that high fiber foods filleed you up more and thus you ate less that if you would have had a low fiber alternative. All you have to do is compare raisin bran to toast and jam to figure that one out yourself.

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Valentines Day Goal 146
Motto 'I will stop eating when I feel full'
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Old 02-09-2001, 11:18 AM   #9  
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I'm never going to stop recommending this book! "The Fat of the Land" has a whole chapter on 'The Fiber Factor' that is extremely interesting reading -- not to mention worthwhile. Not only does fiber make you feel full, but the lack of fiber results in a whole lot of nasty and uncomforable diseases such as hemorrhoids, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS, diverticular diseases, constipation, etc...

And Type II Diabetes sufferers are definitely helped by fiber intake, not only due to weight loss but fiber acts directly to slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. Since complex carbos also regulate insulin flow, and fiber usually accompanies such carbohydrates, together thy can have a strong impact in the regulation of insulin and in improving diabetics' health while reducing their need for medication.

Also, by its very presence, fiber lowers the caloric value of food. If you eat five ounces of food and an ounce of that is fiber, then you've only eaten four ounces of calories! Fiber also aids weight loss by wrapping up food and preventing its contact with the calorie-absorbing mechanisms in your body, and speeds the nutrients through the body. Important to those on high-protein diets -- fiber is only found in plant products -- animal products have NO fiber in them whatsoever.

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[This message has been edited by MrsJim (edited 02-09-2001).]
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Old 02-09-2001, 07:27 PM   #10  
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Mrs. Jim

Just wanted to pop in and say I've been reading this book since you recommended it on another thread. Thanks!

Whenever I see you on the boards I can't wait to read your advice...I really appreciate your healthy and balanced approach to weightloss.

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Old 02-09-2001, 10:24 PM   #11  
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Mony --

Thanks for the thumbs-up...you really made my day!

Just trying to do my part to spread the word that you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to lose weight...knowledge and persistence are the keys. (Of course, I'm not disparaging Weight Watchers...they've always been up to date on the latest nutritional info and the group support is terrific as well - the fact that they don't make you sign a contract and you can 'quit when you want' makes WW a much better option than some other plans out there).

I'm so glad that you are enjoying Michael Fumento's book - check out his website at www.fumento.com - he also gets the most hilarious hate mail I've ever read!

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Old 02-09-2001, 11:33 PM   #12  
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MRSJIM. I want to put in with a second for what Mony said. I have often looked at your website as inspiration for my own battle with weight and I like your perspective on things. Those hiking picures of Yosemite and the one at the bar with your hubby look alot like my photo albums. I have some hiking photos on my website from before I started dieting and I can't wait to put some from next summer up where I am looking alot more like your yosemite pics.
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Old 02-10-2001, 02:31 AM   #13  
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Morrigan --

More warm fuzzies! Thanks so much - it's great to know that you all actually READ my longwinded disserations!!

The pic of Jim was taken about 6 years ago. He's a bass player and the guy in the photo with him is one of his old bandmates - taken in their basement/practice room in San Diego.

Jim moved shortly thereafter up here to Northern California - we met at a Jam Night. I broke my strict rule of "no dating musicians" after we became friends!!

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Old 02-20-2001, 05:03 AM   #14  
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Wow, I really like how the support flows around here. Actually I didn't think it would be easy to find people who count calories only, or moderately. But I'm glad I did.

I count calories but not fat and not carbs, I believe in moderate calories. I eat between 1500-2000 everyday. I have 74 more pounds to go. I'm glad I've found this board and would be completely interested in like minded pals.

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Old 02-20-2001, 07:43 AM   #15  
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kimmieone,
I read your post and was wondering how long you've been counting calories and how much you've lost so far. I'm just starting out and am trying to get information on different perspectives of counting calories.
Thanks.
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