Hello everyone and best wishes to all!
I am new to the boards. Was reading over support groups & this one sounds right up my alley. My biggest diet hurdle is overcoming sweets. I am currently eating a pseudo- Paleo diet. I have found that the higher percentage of protein I consume at mealtime then I am in better control of my cravings for sweets. I do eat a piece or two of fruit daily, and try for veggies 3-4x's a day. I would love to up my veggie and lower the meat proportion on my plate as the #'s on my scales aren't budging despite my daily cardio excersize.
Plus, I am finding it difficult with a DH who has weight issues but doesn't care. He cooks more meals than I do & feels slighted if I don't try a bit of everything. And he is def a chocoholic
I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you- to learn from and support- thank you (<- I love this little guy
I am concerned about cutting out complex carbs such as fruit...
Can you recommend some reading links for my Paleo start?
Thanks to everyone for all the welcoming support
Hi ErinT and thanks for the welcome!
I am a scale watcher big time. I follow "MyFitnessPal" app and it prompts to record daily weight. I have decided not to do this. I just get too frustrated. So now, I am giving myself weekly weigh-ins at the same time every Sunday.
Hope this may help. Good luck on your journey
Hi Michelle! I eat almost paleo! There are a number of websites devoted to the Paleo diet that you can find information on. Paleo does not allow any grains..no wheat, no corn, no oats...and the vegetables and fruits allowed are ones that you could find as a hunter gatherer. Lean meats, preferably pastured or wild- such as venison, are encouraged. Fish, shellfish, etc. is allowed. Eggs are ok, but dairy is not. They say no caveman would run down a cow and steal the milk! My paleo is even stricter as I use it to try and control my blood sugar. (I am diabetic) I do not eat fruits. I follow Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution and it is the only diet that has helped me maintain normal levels. Our little group here has used Wednesday as a Weigh In day. Some of us are good about remember it, and others not so good! Feel free to join us if you like on that. On the Paleo, just do a Google search for Paleo recipes. You will get a lot of suggestions and can go look. I found lists of allowed foods. I did find it amusing that they differed greatly. Some said sweet potatoes, others did not. It is not a really easy program to follow, but I have read of fantastic results and have friends who do it and love it. Welcome to our little group! So glad to have you!
Wow! Such good information- thanks, Ellen
My husband is an outdoor enthusiast. He is a charter captain for inshore fishing. Since we are so close to the ocean, we usually have a freezer stocked with a wide variety of fresh seafood. Also, he loves to hunt. We also are very close to many Natl. forests so game is plentiful.
I am in need of some variety. I have found in the past that I fell off the wagon when food groups were not allowed; SB for example, however lost 30 lbs. on it.
I am going to google, like you suggested, to find more variety and recipes.
I do so love fresh fruit- that I know is fructose and perpetuates my sugar craving
Thanks again for all the good info, Ellen. Looking forward to getting to know everyone. I planned to weigh myself on Sundays but Wednesdays will give me more accountability
I've managed to sneak in some sweet treats lately without binging or overeating - YAYYY! It *is* a lot more fun to be able to have a small square of chocolate once in a while than to be *completely* sugar-free, I find, but ONLY ONLY if I don't get out of control with it.
We went to a nearby retreat center and walked on their wooded trails today. A young family with three small boys came along. The boys loved it! I am willing to bet they took GREAT naps! The whole trail is over two miles, but we only did about a mile. We walked down to the river and back. It was about to rain, so overcast, but still enjoyable.
Tonight I made a cheddar broccoli chicken soup. Since we can't have corn, eggs or gluten around here I had to get creative with the thickener. I tried some chia flour. It is very low carb, and high protein. When it gets wet it gets gelatinous. It works well as an egg substitute, but I have never tried it as a thickener. It worked great! So excited to have a new thickener that is not carb laden...like cornstarch and arrowroot.
Trimmed a few large bowls I threw last night. I am beginning to feel a bit encouraged. I am whittling down the TO DO list slowly but surely. I have a few more details to figure out, but I am beginning to feel like I may finish sooner rather than later! I still have one large bowl and a very large platter to trim, but they were still too wet.
Guess I will head to bed. I am yawning my head off...and I ALWAYS wake up before 7..maybe if I go to bed earlier I will sleep better.
I'm getting sleepy. Maybe its going to be an early night. Had a nice lazy day today. We snacked for dinner. Tomorrow night I'll have to use up my ground turkey I have thawed out.
Ellen- Your soup sounds just yummy. I would love the retreat and wish we had one nearby. You sound mighty busy.
JoJo- I love to have a square of dark chocolate now and then.
Michelle-I've heard to have your fruit before 2 in the afternoon. It helps with the carbs. Don't know how true that is but I try it. That 30 lbs is great. I weigh on Wed.
Erin-Hope you're doing well...
Solly- Hope your leg is better. Thats a heck of a thing.
@JoJo- I hear ya! I know in the past that if I ate just one cookie, why then I was heading for 4-5 more. I just have no control with sugar if I eat it. However, I have found that fruits, and the occasional dark chocolate piece of candy doesn't trigger me. Hmm...
@Ellen- Your soup sounds amazing! Will have to try the chai four.
@Toni- I wonder why the recommends are to have fruit before 2pm?
I was struggling yesterday with this 'carb-flu'. I broke down and ate an apple. Voila. I felt better within an hour or so. Don't think I am going to give up my fresh fruit. Thanks for the encouragement, Toni.
Hope everyone has a blessed Sunday!
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and the week ahead is full of good eating days!
I have officially started my healthy eating plan today (so cliche on a Monday!). I sat my partner down last night and explained what support I would need and what I was going to do. I've decides that I will also keep a record of my weight loss on the fridge so we can both see it!
Can I ask you all some questions?
Do you weigh in daily or weekly and if so why?
Did you cut out all sugar straight away? Or did you do it gradually?
Finally, did you use sugar substitutes at all?
Thanks for your help!
Ellen - do you do pottery for work or for fun? Sounds great, must be great to be able to do somethin like that from scratch!
Morning! Trying to decide if I want to go to water aerobics, or just walk around the loop for three miles. I am leaning towards the walk. I haven't done it in ages.
We were invited to dinner at a friend's house last night. She is a Personal Chef and a certified pastry chef. She teaches classes at the Cooks Warehouse here and is an amazing chef. Dinner was chicken gumbo. She even went to the trouble of making one gluten free for Tom and I. I skipped the dessert, but noshed well on the gumbo and marinated shrimp she had. The salad she made was wonderful too. It was a great night!
TONI: I was really sleepy last night too! But then I did not go to bed until midnight. Argh! Thankfully, I slept pretty well.
TEESH: I weigh in once a week if that. I determined that I was eating for health and while weight loss is great, the most important thing is to eat right. I love getting on the scale after a week or more and finding I have lost! Its just a different mindset and helps me not obsess about food all the time and get stressed. I cut out all the sugar straight away. No reason to linger through withdrawal. Drop it all, and WILL have some withdrawals to deal with, but fight like a tiger. Its SO worth it on the other end! I do not use any sugar substitutes. Here is why: They trick your brain into thinking something sweet is coming and it releases insulin to handle it, but there is no sugar. The theory is that it contributes to insulin resistance. They are all unnatural chemicals anyway. I know plenty of folks who disagree with me though.. On the pottery..I do it for fun AND work. My degree from college is in ceramics. I have been throwing on the potter's wheel for over 40 years. It is my medium for my art.
Off to find some breakfast and make my espresso! And that bum of a husband of mine mentioned he finished the roasted beans, so I will have to roast a batch before I can brew!
Good morning everyone
I'm back to keep in the loop. I haven't been good about the sugar. I've switched ice cream for hemp-based 'ice-cream, but there's still sugar in it.
And although I can easily make a smoothie with powdered chocolate (nothing added), my hand still grabs that chocolate bar on my way out of the grocery You know, reading what I'm writing, I sound like what Pink would call 'a stupid girl'.
Anyway, I'm back to report in every day. I'm going to start eating along the lines of 'Eat to Live'; I'll be sure to get in lots of veggies and clear out the junk.
HI ladies. Today I officially start my program to lose wt for jamaica and b/c I really need to get this wt off.it was a busy week filled with food so glad it is over. My leg is better (I hope) so will start back on treadmill today. Going to do some upper body exercises too. Nothing that affects my back. This weekend my right hand was rippled with RA. Last week it was the left. The RA doc says my deeds may not be enough anymore and thinks I should switch to an infusion drug. I am so afraid all the side affects include lymphoma and since having cancer once do not want to chance it, guess I will tough out the pain.
Ellen, how nice of your friend to make you a gluten free meal. How was your walk. Is it nice weather there?
Toni, hope you got a good nights sleep. I am considering looking thru the 17 day diet again. I did lose rather quickly but phase one is tough.
Tanisha, I am right here with you on that Monday cliche and starting again too.we can do this.
Jojo, good for you managing a small cheat. Ni have to learn how to do that. I tend to go off the wagon for days.
Michelle, welcome to our group. Ellen gave you some great advice. I use fitness pal also. Just don't record my wt in it.
Had some Greek yogurt with berries this morning and green tea. Dinner is chicken and asparagus and a salad. Lunch may be a ww meal or lean cuisine. Off to balance my checkbook and then work on my taxes. Fun day ha ha. Have a great day.
(<- I love this little guy
You know, reading what I'm writing, I sound like what Pink would call 'a stupid girl'. 
