[Saffron]

to incorporate into your lifestyle? Healthy Eating or Exercise? I am having no difficulty fitting exercise into my day. I love it. I feel great and I am proud of the accomplishment but I am still eating too much of the wrong foods. I went for a 45 minute jog last night while pushing two kids in a jogging stroller. It was a great WHOLE BODY workout. But then i came home and ate a ton of Raviloi, potato chips and icecream. I am sure the exercise is helping me to not gain so much weight but i am also sure that there is NO WAY i am going to lose weight if I continue eating like this.

So what was harder for you? And how did you jump the hurdle?

[lisette831]

the exercise was the easy part.

it was changing my eating habits that i found to be the worst - no more eating a large pizza at 2am in the morning, no more burger king and i cut out pepsi and sugar altogether.

how did i jump the hurdle? i told myself that i can't lose weight efficiently if i keep up what i'm doing. i simply *had* to lose weight. i was miserable. what really pushed me (the final straw) was that i couldn't fit into most of my clothes anymore, and when i tried to buy new clothes, i looked horrible and it made me sad. so i said that's it. if you don't get control of this, you're going to be 300lbs in no time. it was that fear that really pushed me.

so giving up (not entirely mind you) my bad foods was the hardest. i still eat pizza - just a small amount once a week, and i haven't been hungry since i changed my eating habits.

[JuliaTN]

Healthy eating is way harder for me. I was raised with Coke in my baby bottle and I'm still not ready to give it up. Spinach cheese dip is health food in my family. After 3 months of intensively exercising and only losing 4 lbs I realized that I had to make some dietary changes as well. Since then I have lost 9 lbs in about 8 weeks. I have found some ways to make small changes that add up over the long haul:

1. I eat lots of mexican style foods - I have started using the fajita size whole wheat tortillas instead of the full size white flour ones. Helps with portion control & you get some fiber at the same time. I've also added romaine leaves as a healthy filler and I use a sprinkling of cheese instead of making a quesadilla.
2. I bake or broil fish; boneless, skinless chicken tenders; or 4 oz beef filets instead of going out to eat and getting chicken fingers (one of my weaknesses). If I want a "crunch" I crush fat free croutons and sprinkle them on top of the fish or chicken before broiling. Lean meats are low in calories, high in protein & very filling.
3. I eat several small meals a day. I used to have a snack for breakfast, wait until about 3-4 pm, then have a huge meal. My reasoning was that I could eat whatever I wanted to and as much as I wanted to if I was only really eating one meal a day right? As a result, I would absolutely stuff myself to the bursting point because if I got hungry again I was not allowed to eat again or I would blow my "diet" Now, when I get hungry...I eat. A novel idea I know but I don't feel like I have to eat a day's worth of food in one meal and it helps me to control my portions.
4. I let myself eat pretty much what I want to but I am no longer allowed to eat until I feel full. I eat until I no longer feel hungry. I've told myself "yes, this tastes really good and it will taste just as good 4 hours from now when I'm hungry again if I REALLY still want more" It makes a huge difference in the way I feel just being able to breathe comfortably after a meal. If I want potato chips I have some but I take 3-4 out of the package, put the package back and then eat them instead of half the bag.
5. I eat 95% of my meals at home where I can control what goes into it. I used to eat 95% of my meals out and there really is no telling how many calories I was consuming but I would guess around 2500-3000. Now I keep it to 1200-1500
There are other changes that I want to make but I don't want to do anything that I can't keep doing for the rest of my life. I am slowly "working up" to it and seeing what I can cope with and what I can't on a long term basis.

Hope some of this helps.

[BellaLumina]

I'm the opposite of you all. I have a much harder time incorporating exercise into my life. I found changing my eating habits to be relatively easy with lots of planning and a few slips. I also love vegetables and whole foods. I actually crave salads. That certainly helps!

But exercise is so hard to do (insert prolonged whine!).
First because I have fibromyalgia. But mostly because it's not habit for me. I enjoy swimming when I do it but there are so many excuses available for me not to exercise. I have options galore, even when I'm having a bad day, but I don't remember to try them. I'm really having to kick myself to remember to work out and trying to do as much planning on my exercise as I do on my food.

[FerretNose]

great question!

Oh Lordy, how i hate exercise. The eating part wasn't a walk in the park, but I did it relatively easy... required learing different ways to cook and shop, but I found that part interesting. Who doesn't love getting new kitchen gadgets and trying new foods out? (okay, maybe someone doesnt) It's exercise i hate! I hate the DOMS, I hate the sweat. The only part of exercise i don't absolutely dread is lifing weights, becuase it has immediate results and therefore gives me a mental boost; it also takes less time. I used to have to lay around all day in preparation for 30 minutes of aerobics... and spend all day psyching myself up for it. Hmm. I just got an idea for a thread. But it'll have to be later. I gotta clean out my filthy car.

[BellaLumina]

FerretNose: Does cleaning out your car count as exercise?

[kykaree]

I loathed and detested exercise. I love fruit and veggies and whole foods, but exercise was a real problem for me. Partly because I have asthma, I have dysphraxia which makes co ordination extremely difficult, and basically I have always been told I was useless at it.

Sooooooooooooo the big achievement I have made is exercising 60 - 90 minutes a day. I go to the gym every morning and swim afterwards, and often go to the gym at lunch, or have a walk. And you know what, I love it now, it took 6 weeks to get to the point where I enjoyed it, and now I couldn't be without it. I have learnt so much, I do weight training, swimming, cross trainer all sorts of things.

I try to exercise formally 5 - 6 times per week, and I have one rest day, but usually do a walk, this week it was an 8 mile hike!!!

I actually got a personal trainer when I started, I only needed one session, and it really gave me confidence. Both gyms I belong to have personal trainers that have helped me loads.

[marbleflys]

Exercise is the easy part, I grew up playing sports and was a gym regular and until I hit my 30s I could eat anything and still maintain my normal weight of about 125-135......I was never bigger than a size 7.

But it's hard to change old habits.....and now it's awfully hard for me to lose it and keep it off unless I eat smaller portions, less fat and more veggies...(fruit is sometimes not appealing to me)..

Even with wt. loss drugs, portion control and exercise, I still lose at the slowest rate possible.......

[KIMMIFIER]

EXERCISE UGH!!!!!
I never thought I would be doing it 5-7 days a week several times a day like I am.
the food changes were easy. Once I decided to completely eliminate sugar and the like form my diet I stuck with it and after a week or so I no longer craved or desired it. I won't lie occasionally I will be baking homemade cookies for my husband and daughter and the smell just sends me craving but in general, the food changes were easy peasy. Haven't cheated once since starting April 7th!

Exercise....I never even really planned to incorporate it into my new way of life. I figured I could get away with just the eating but my brain new better and talked my body inton walking one day. I found I really enjoy walking though will be the first to admit some days its hard to get going. Especially in this heat lately. Once I am out there though I think why didn't I just get out here earlier and get this done? I also do aerobics and strength training now and love them. Some days I will walk twice, watch 2 45min dvd's and ride my bike. I would have NEVER dreamt it in a million years. I have even thought to myself maybe some day I would like to really get into lifting weights. But today, I woke up with a headache (PMS probably) and haven't shook it all day. Exercise isnt gona happen I'm sorry to say. So I still struggle. Exercise is way harder!

Kim

[smilan]

Definitley the Eating!!

I can work out daily even twice a day when I am really stoked, but I have NEVER mastered the whole eating right thing. I love cheese and white creamy sauce, and everthing rich! I have managed to control my portions and to add some healthy things. I lose weigh this way, but my results would probably be astonishing if I could really get rid of those indulgences.

[marbleflys]

I have yet to find a substitute for a glass of Pino Grigio or Merlot, SIGH!

[MorticiaAddams]

It would be the eating for me.
I hate to cook.
I also had no clue on nutrution.
I still hate to cook but im learning what I can on what I should be eating and how much of what I can.

[kykaree]

That was such a great question, i really enjoyed reading everyone's replies! It's fascinating to see how different we all are, and how our struggles are similar yet unique, great stuff!!!

[paperclippy]

Exercise was harder for me. Moving from eating at a school dining hall to cooking for myself, I was able to start cooking healthy from the beginning. But I had never been able to stick to exercise my entire life.

Now, I work out 5-6 times per week and I feel great though!

[Glory87]

Changing my eating habits has been super easy - I love healthy food and except for Christmas and a June visit from my parents, I haven't deviated from my healthy eating at all. Exercise - I hate it, I hate getting up early, it bores me and it hurts and I HATE being sore. I'm trying to fit it in, but it's a fight every time.