Congratulations Renee!! That's great, just about 3 lbs. You are moving right along now. Good job. You are an inspiration. Wow, that is cold. Stay warm my friend.
Love2garden, Your doing great! If it works for you, then use it. Glad you realize what not to do. Now that you have changed direction, just keep that great focus.
Andi-Wowwee 3.5 pounds. Now I know why you have been so quiet lately. It is because you have been busy working on that new atitude and body. Keep it up lady. With that kind of effort you soon will be changing your cute profile picture to something still cute, but slender and in control.
Munching down on some fresh steamed kale, pumpkin, onion, and mushroom mix for lunch. Very good on a Sunday afternoon. Hope to hear soon from others of the group how they are doing.
According to the old rule of thumb, you're supposed to drink eight glasses of water per day (and some experts recommend even more). That can seem like a daunting task on some days, but here's the catch: You don't have to drink all that water. Roughly 20% of our daily H2O intake comes from solid foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
It's still important to drink plenty of water—especially in the summertime—but you can also quench your thirst with these 15 hugely hydrating foods, all of which are at least 90% water by weight.
Cucumber (Water content: 96.7%) This summer veggie—which has the highest water content of any solid food—is perfect in salads, or sliced up and served with some hummus, says Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet: 10 Steps to a Thinner and Healthier Youand a consultant to Mindbloom, a technology company that makes life-improvement apps. Want to pump up cucumber's hydrating power even more? Try blending it with nonfat yogurt, mint, and ice cubes to make cucumber soup. "Soup is always hydrating, but you may not want to eat something hot in the summertime," Gans says. "Chilled cucumber soup, on the other hand, is so refreshing and delicious any time of year."
Iceberg lettuce (Water content: 95.6%) Iceberg lettuce tends to get a bad rap, nutrition-wise. Health experts often recommend shunning it in favor of darker greens like spinach or romaine lettuce, which contain higher amounts of fiber and nutrients such as folate and vitamin K. It's a different story when it comes to water content, though: Crispy iceberg has the highest of any lettuce, followed by butterhead, green leaf, and romaine varieties.
Celery (Water content: 95.4%) That urban legend about celery having negative calories isn't quite true, but it's pretty close. Like all foods that are high in water, celery has very few calories—just 6 calories per stalk. And its one-two punch of fiber and water helps to fill you up and curb your appetite. This lightweight veggie isn't short on nutrition, however. Celery contains folate and vitamins A, C, and K. And thanks in part to its high water content, celery neutralizes stomach acid and is often recommended as a natural remedy for heartburn and acid reflux.
Radishes (Water content: 95.3%) These refreshing root vegetables should be a fixture in your spring and summer salads. They provide a burst of spicy-sweet flavor—and color!—in a small package, and more importantly they're filled with antioxidants such as catechin (also found in green tea). A crunchy texture also makes radishes a perfect addition to healthy summer coleslaw—no mayo required. Slice them up with shredded cabbage and carrots, sliced snow peas, and chopped hazelnuts and parsley, and toss with poppy seeds, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Tomatoes (Water content: 94.5%) Sliced and diced tomatoes will always be a mainstay of salads, sauces, and sandwiches, but don't forget about sweet cherry and grape varieties, which make an excellent hydrating snack, Gans says. "They're great to just pop in your mouth, maybe with some nuts or some low-sodium cheese," she says. "You get this great explosion of flavor when you bite into them." Having friends over? Skewer grape tomatoes, basil leaves, and small chunks of mozzarella on toothpicks for a quick and easy appetizer.
Green peppers (Water content: 93.9%) Bell peppers of all shades have a high water content, but green peppers lead the pack, just edging out the red and yellow varieties (which are about 92% water). And contrary to popular belief, green peppers contain just as many antioxidants as their slightly sweeter siblings. Peppers are a great pre-dinner or late-night snack, Gans says. "We tell people to munch on veggies when they have a craving, but a lot of people get bored of carrots and celery pretty quickly," she says. "Peppers are great to slice up when you get home from work, while you're making or waiting for dinner."
Cauliflower (Water content: 92.1%) Don't let cauliflower's pale complexion fool you: In addition to having lots of water, these unassuming florets are packed with vitamins and phytonutrients that have been shown to help lower cholesterol and fight cancer, including breast cancer. (A 2012 study of breast cancer patients by Vanderbilt University researchers found that eating cruciferous veggies like cauliflower was associated with a lower risk of dying from the disease or seeing a recurrence.) "Break them up and add them to a salad for a satisfying crunch," Gans suggests. "You can even skip the croutons!" Watermelon (Water content: 91.5%) It's fairly obvious that watermelon is full of, well, water, but this juicy melon is also among the richest sources of lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant found in red fruits and vegetables. In fact, watermelon contains more lycopene than raw tomatoes—about 12 milligrams per wedge, versus 3 milligrams per medium-sized tomato. Although this melon is plenty hydrating on its own, Gans loves to mix it with water in the summertime. "Keep a water pitcher in the fridge with watermelon cubes in the bottom," she says. "It's really refreshing, and great incentive to drink more water overall."
Spinach (Water content: 91.4%) Iceberg lettuce may have a higher water content, but spinach is usually a better bet overall. Piling raw spinach leaves on your sandwich or salad provides nearly as much built-in hydration, with an added nutritional punch. Spinach is rich in lutein, potassium, fiber, and brain-boosting folate, and just one cup of raw leaves contains 15% of your daily intake of vitamin E—an important antioxidant for fighting off the damaging molecules known as free radicals.
Star fruit(Water content: 91.4%) This tropical fruit, also known ascarambola, comes in sweet and tart varieties and has a juicy texture similar to pineapple. Its eye-catching shape looks great in a fruit salad or as an edible garnish on the rim of a summer cocktail, and as an added bonus it's rich in antioxidants, especially epicatechin—a heart-healthy compound also found in red wine, dark chocolate, and green tea. One note of caution: People with kidney problems should avoid star fruit because of its high levels of oxalic acid.
Strawberries (Water content: 91.0%) All berries are good foods for hydration, but juicy red strawberries are easily the best of the bunch. Raspberries and blueberries both hover around 85% water, while blackberries are only slightly better at 88.2%. "I love strawberries blended in a smoothie or mixed with plain nonfat yogurt—another hydrating food," Gans says. Strawberries add natural sweetness to the yogurt, she adds, and the combo of carbohydrates, fiber, and protein make a great post-workout recovery snack.
Broccoli (Water content: 90.7%) Like its cousin cauliflower, raw broccoli adds a satisfying crunch to a salad. But its nutritional profile—lots of fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C—is slightly more impressive. What's more, broccoli is the only cruciferous vegetable (a category that contains cabbage and kale, in addition to cauliflower) with a significant amount of sulforaphane, a potent compound that boosts the body's protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals.
Grapefruit (Water content: 90.5%) This juicy, tangy citrus fruit can help lower cholesterol and shrink your waistline, research suggests. In one study, people who ate one grapefruit a day lowered their bad (LDL) cholesterol by 15.5% and their triglycerides by 27%. In another, eating half a grapefruit—roughly 40 calories—before each meal helped dieters lose about three and a half pounds over 12 weeks. Researchers say that compounds in the fruit help fuel fat burn and stabilize blood sugar, therefore helping to reduce cravings.
Baby carrots (Water content: 90.4%) A carrot's a carrot, right? Not when it comes to water content. As it turns out, the baby-sized carrots that have become a staple in supermarkets and lunchboxes contain more water than full-size carrots (which are merely 88.3% water).The ready-to-eat convenience factor is hard to top, as well. Snack on them right out of the bag, dip them in hummus or guacamole, or—for a bit of added crunch and bright orange color—chop them up and add them to salads or salsas.
Cantaloupe (Water content: 90.2%) This succulent melon provides a big nutritional payoff for very few calories. One six-ounce serving—about one-quarter of a melon—contains just 50 calories but delivers a full 100% of your recommended daily intake of vitamins A and C. "I love cantaloupe as a dessert," Gans says. "If you've got a sweet tooth, it will definitely satisfy." Tired of plain old raw fruit? Blend cantaloupe with yogurt and freeze it into sherbet, or puree it with orange juice and mint to make a refreshing soup.
(http://www.vegfriend.com/profiles/blogs/15-foods-that-help-you-stay-hydrated, Article by Amanda MacMillan)
Love the Eat Your Water tips Corinna! Looking at the list reminded me to make 5 Veggie salad for lunch this week. Just my clever name for lettuce plus a minimum of any 5 veggies, most of which are on your water list. I am putting together my shopping list this morning, so the timing was perfect. Thank you!
Good job on the weighins, All! I am even par for the week, which I will take. Being gone and out of a routine make it hard for me to lose even though I (mostly)stay on program. I still realllllly want my ticker!
The thing I need to let go of is thinking there is "just one thing" I need to do differently that will make pounds magically disappear. For me, I feel best and have success when little things on all fronts are integrated and working together. I know this week I need to drink more water and get some exercise in daily.
Hi, May I join this group? I haven't yet read through the entire thread but love the "mission statement". CADE says it all for me. 2015 is my year to get out and exercise. I've been procrastinating for months and months. I lost weight with low carb & now am working on more balance. Looking forward to resuming the hula hoop after a 55 yr hiatus...if I could do it at 6yrs, why not at 61?
Huge realization for me was to let go the belief I'd die if I went hungry! I carried it most of my life and only let go of it in past few years. Still took a long time to fully adjust to the truth. Yesterday I ate breakfast, became busy and didn't realize till 7 or 8 hours later that I had not eaten, nor had I felt hungry till then
Just jumping in here. Hope that's okay. Yes. Reading in Overfed Head that "Hunger is NOT an emergency" hit me like a ton of bricks. Really? It's not. I thought it was. One sentence but so powerful to change an ingrained mindset.
I have been eating too many almonds but have cut way back lately. I've broken a 7-month stall, but there's other things been going on so I dunno if cutting the nuts did it. But it helped. I made some of my own granola so I am still eating some nuts but it's a lot less than I was munching on. I like the crunch so they've really served a purpose.
Mars735, I never could hula hoop.
Last edited by Mad Donnelly; 01-18-2015 at 08:08 PM.
Shari, You did good not gaining any weight this week. Keep posting and you will soon get your ticker.
Mars735, Welcome to the group. Nice to hear that you will be brave enough to test and refresh your hula hooping skills once again.
Mad Donnelly, Yes, nuts are good for you, but in moderation. Too many also pack on the pounds. As for hula hooping, it was a suggestion to try something fun that would also burn calories. Some people like it, some don't. Do you like dancing to music or walking to music? What fun exercises do you like doing?
Corinna, Believe me my dancing is so bad I'd better do so in private. Had to laugh tho.
Welcome, Mad Donnally, aren't almonds great!!! Not a question, but a celebration. I do keep these in the TV room as a better than average snack. They are high in calcium, too.
Mars 735, are you serious about trying the hula hoop? At least I'm not so large that it wouldn't go around my hips, but certainly heading that way.
Temperature is great, close to 50 here and sunny. We are going for a walk as soon as my Asthma meds kick in. Really need the sunshine and certainly the walking on purpose.
Diet is going great and for some strange reason do not feel deprived. Amazing!!! Eating healthy and with DD and DH both cooking healthy, what a help.
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I'm not doing really great with my food and weight, but I'm making great strides with my exercising. I mainly exercise while watching my soaps, between 12:30 and 2PM. I'm going to be watching anyway, so it's better to use that time for exercising rather than sitting in my recliner. I have arthritis and fluid in my right knee and it makes it difficult to walk up steps normally. I have to just do both feet on one step at a time. I have been trying to do exercises to strengthen the muscles around my knee and it must be working. After my workout, I was able to walk up the stairs normally. I don't want to rush this, but take my time strengthening my knee until I can do this all the time. Then I'll work on going down the stairs. Going down is harder than going up.
I like dancing for exercise, but I also don't want to do it in public. LOL I have several exercise videos, and I don't necessarily do the steps they are showing, but just dance around to the music.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 01-19-2015 at 03:33 PM.
Hmmm, I may -- if I happen upon one -- try hula hooping again. "You know, for KIDS!" It was always fun even not being good at it.
The almonds weren't adding weight, and they haven't always been a lifelong go to snack for me for some reason; but I wanted to add a few things for variety (I low carb, by the way) to replace the things that are easy to have on hand like, say, pretzels. I can eat the same thing over and over without getting bored but I did need some things.
I did a few new things last year but I didn't get to everything, and one of those things was salsa lessons. I see people dancing the salsa and it just looks so fun. I'm a little better than 2 left feet but not much and I don't pic k up choreography quickly so I'd def. need lessons. I don't mind dancing in public but sometimes I'll just move but not necessarily dance when I hear something (went to a MLK parade today and I love a good drum cadence so when the band came by I'm just kind of bouncing and clapping and moving!), you know? I'll try and dance in the car while I'm driving and I have my playlists on.
We are trying to plan our vacation now and I'm sort of all over the place. For years there was this health spa in Mexico that I wanted to visit that was very reasonable but it's since closed down. Does anyone know of any health spas/"fat farm" places that aren't the hoity toitiest? I dunno if my husband's down for it, but I'd just love a week immersed in focusing on my health but I can't break the bank for it. It really could be anywhere (once my husband gets his passport). There's one in Thailand that has an inexpensive daily rate; but, of course, there's the airfare. I just don't want some place that's like $4,000 per person for a week.
Love2garden Glad you got some sunshine to brighten your day. Hope you were able to do some walking. Sounds like the changes you are making for a healthy lifestyle are already impacting the rest of your household as well. That's terrific.
Carol Sue That is good news about your knee and getting up the stairs. You are making good progress. Slow and easy is the best way. You are doing it. Any movement while dancing is good. Do you like swimming? Now about your food. How can we help you with your food choices?
Mad Donnelly Hula Hoops are easy to find in the kids section at most stores. If you live in the U.S.A., then I believe stores like Wal-Mart or K-Mart would have one. Sorry I don't have much information about health resorts. Maybe others do.
Aloha, I'm back from our Hawaiian vacation and getting back into routine. I got a juicer right before I left and Wednesday started Joe Cross's 15 day cleanse and juice fast. I am super pleased with my juicer and am doing pretty good on the 5 day cleanse section. I am pleased to report I didn't gain any weight on vacation, fhew. HI to all the new thread chicks(mars, mad, beached & Lizzie). Good to be home again. My hula hoop had arrived and it is a challenge and workout to keep that hoop up. I think I did 12 all over my body before it hit the ground this morning.
Mad & Mars, I bought an adult hula hoop via E-bay and am happy with the size and weight.
Renee & Andi, Congrats to both on your weight loss. May we all be inspired by your success.
Corinna, Your consistant progress(weight loss) is awesome. You must be pleased!
Last edited by workinglikeadog; 01-23-2015 at 10:44 AM.
Reason: edit
Dianawhat a lot of memories you will have from a vacation to Hawaii! What parts of the island did you enjoy the most? Never been but one close fried grew up there and we knew him and loved how this architect designed his home in colder climate but it still had many of the characteristics of his family home in Hawaii. Party there in good weather meant the doors front and back were open to delightful gardens outside.
CorinnaYou are going to be at your goal before long. Please stay with us as you go into maintenance. We appreciate your leadership.
Carol Sue I forgot to ask you, with bum knee, what exercises you do while you watch your soaps? Perhaps I can add some of those into my time watching ballgames with DH.
We went to our favorite Asian restaurant last night and as usual I got Red Curry Chicken with side of steamed veggies. Worth waiting for and such a large portion that I brought 1/2 of it home for another meal! Usually we just go to lunch with smaller portions, so I was surprised.
That's great, just about 3 lbs. You are moving right along now. Good job. 
You are an inspiration. Wow, that is cold. Stay warm my friend. 
If it works for you, then use it. Glad you realize what not to do. Now that you have changed direction, just keep that great focus. 
Wowwee 3.5 pounds. Now I know why you have been so quiet lately. It is because you have been busy working on that new atitude and body. Keep it up lady. With that kind of effort you soon will be changing your cute profile picture to something still cute, but slender and in control. 
15 Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated
Hope you were able to do some walking. Sounds like the changes you are making for a healthy lifestyle are already impacting the rest of your household as well. That's terrific. 
Now about your food. How can we help you with your food choices? 
Sorry I don't have much information about health resorts. Maybe others do.
