is anyone using food exchanges to lose weight.
 

I was wondering if anyone out there is losing weight by using food exchanges like the old weight watchers program or richard simmons. I think I am going to try this and see how it goes.

If you are also losing weight this way please join me in a chat. So we can help each other .

bev

Bev - the current issue of Woman's Day magazine has a great exchange program in it.

I'm doing an exchange plan through my medical clinic. I believe it's the same thing. I would love to chat with somebody about it.

I am also doing an exchange program so if you would like to chat I am here.

bev

Great!!!
So how many exchanges are you on. I'm on:
6 starch
6 protein
2 milk
3 veggie
3 fruit
2 fat
This is supposed to equal about 1400 calories.

Hi, are you doing exchanges for medical reasons? I lost weight many years ago using exchanges so I decided to go back to it again.

So how is the exchanges doing for you so far?

The exchanges I am eatting right now are:
milk-2
fat-3
fruit-2
veggies- 3
protein- 5
starch-6

Not a specific medical condiiton. Every time I went to the Dr he was putting me on yet another medication. This last time he kind of put his foot down and very strongly suggested I attend their 6 month weight management program. I did so and that is what I am on now. I am currently on meds for: Hypertension, Hypothyroid, Insulin resistance, High Cholesterol, High Triglycerides & PCOS.
It looks like you and I have about the same exchanges. I get 1 more protein, 1 more fruit & 1 less fat than you. Do you know how many calories yours equates to?
I kind of messed up in the beginning of mine. I thought an exchange was the same as a serving. So for protein I assumed that a 3-4 oz piece of meat was 1 exchange. Come to find out, it is 1 oz is 1 exchange. That was kind of good because I was struggling to get in 6 "servings" of meat per day.
I don't think I've had a day yet where I have eaten my 3 servings of veggies. Only a couple of times I got in my 3 fruits. Plus, I rarely get in my 2 milks. My starches I have NO problem getting all those in..... :D

Hi, My exchanges come to about 1300 calories. i have the biggest programs with getting in my protein and veggies. Like you I don't have trouble with getting my starches in.

I also have some medical problems that I take medication for: high cholestrol; knee problems and irritable bowel syndrome.

You are lucky that your doctor has a program with weight control. MY og/gyn sent me to a nutritionist who has my doing exchanges a few years ago. I am going to call and get the name of the nutritionist just so she can check and make sure I am eatting the right exchanges.

So how much weight have you lost since you started using exchanges. When weight watchers had exchanges I lost 30 lbs on it, so I am hoping for the same results.

well I hope to hear from you soon

bev

Before you envy my my Dr for offering this program, I should add it is costing me $200.00. This is for 6 months worth of weekly meetings. They said after the 6 months we are welcome to continue coming for free. Of course, we would be listening to the same lectures all over again....

It has been a little over a month and I've lost 14 pounds. I know that sounds good, but for as big as I am, I would have thought I would lose alot more in the beginning. Of course, with the exception of the 1st week, I've yet to stay on plan for an entire week.

My biggest weakness right now is my Pepsi. That is the main place I am "falling off the wagon" so to speak. Once I start drinking my Pepsi I start craving some of the other things I love. I did so well in the beginning because I made sure I was drinking in all my water. I wouldn't wait until I was thirsty, I would start as soon as I woke up and drink all day. Therefore, if I wasn't thirsty, I wouldn't crave soda. It worked!!! Then I got sick of drinking water..... I also find the same with food. Although I'm not hungry in the morning, if I eat my planned breakfast and then lunch, it is much easier to stick with it. Instead, I started not eating because I didn't feel like it. Next thing I knew, I was really hungry and then came the cravings.
I'm so mad at myself because I went to the store today and ended up buying a HUGE box of cheeze-its. How can I be so stupid. I know I won't be able to bring myself to throw them away. I'll reason that I'll let me kids eat them but if they're in my house, they are going to be calling out to me night and day.

So.....what kinds of food are you eating? I'm already getting bored with the limited selection of things I've chosen.

Hi, I wish we had a weight loss program like that. My doctor sent me to a dietician a few years ago but they no longer do that. I looked in the phone book and a few are in priviate practice( which my health insurance will not cover) but that would cost a fortune to go to them. I even checked out our hospital and they don't have anything either. Oh well I quess I will just have to keep up what I am doing.

DId your doctor only give you only a few foods that you can eat? I eat anthing that I can fit into a food group.

It is nice to meet someone who also struggles to stay on their plan. Like you I also have trouble staying on the eatting plan for an entire week. I really wish it was a little easier.

My number one weakness is my diet soda. I prefer diet soda over water. If I could stop drinking it and drink my water i would probably do better but I am tired of water. I also have trouble drinking water in the winter.

well have a nice day

bev

Dieting for Dummies
 

Hi, Bev and others. I am doing a version of the food exchange by following the food pyramid. In December 2002, I checked out Dieting for Dummies from my local library. This is a great, no nonsense, common sense book. In the book, the author gives you a specific formula to figure out how many calories you should be getting, depending on your gender, weight, and activity level (not like some of those quick formulas you find in the fitness magazines). Depending on your calorie level, she uses the food pyramid to help you determine how many servings of each group you need. I’m on 1500 calories a day, which allows me to lose approx. 1 lb. a week. I’ve lost about 30 lbs. since I started the program and have 10 more to go. I would have been at goal weight by now, but I was on maintenance calories for several months because I just needed a break at the time – luckily I didn’t gain any weight. I started back on my 1500 calories a few weeks ago and have been losing at least 1 lb. a week since then. I’m very satisfied with this progress since I’m finding that eating 1500 calories allows me to be satisfied and not hungry all the time like I was when I’ve attempted to eat only 1200. The breakdown of what I’m supposed to have follows:

Breads & Grains: 6 servings (I never really end up eating this many servings for some reason)
Fruits: 2 servings
Vegetables: 3 servings
Dairy: 2 servings (this is the more difficult category for me to fill each day)
Meats: 6 servings (1 oz. is a serving)

I really think that eating a good balance of whole foods has made a difference in my weight loss. I have a friend who was following a 1500 calorie diet but wasn’t following any food exchanges. I seemed to lose weight faster than her. This may just be my imagination, but I still feel that by following exchanges, I’m treating my body well and giving it the nutrition it needs.

As far as boredom goes, my only suggestion is to try different recipes and browse the grocery store for new “finds.”(this has actually become a fun activity for me!). When I say “try new recipes,” I don’t mean that you have to go out and buy a low fat cookbook. I usually get a traditional recipe and modify it a bit so that it’s lower in fat and calories (maybe I’ll use half the oil the recipe calls for, add more veggies, etc.). Here are some of my meals:

Breakfasts:
Open-faced egg & cheese sandwich (on a piece of whole wheat bread)
Plain instant oatmeal with a little honey & some dried cherries or raisins
Slice of whole wheat toast with 1 tbsp. peanut butter; 1 cup milk

Lunches:
Good salad (i.e., salad with lots of veggies) with 2 oz. broiled, cut-up chicken, chunks of apples, some raisins, and 1 tbsp. of Maries Blue Cheese dressing.

Homemade soup (I make my own; most canned kinds have too much sodium).
Turkey and cheese sandwich with Dijon mustard

Homemade chili with some carrot sticks on the side.

Dinners:
Broiled chicken or fish with baked yam and side of veggies (here’s a trick to quickly cook your frozen veggies right along with your broiled protein: simply put the frozen veggies in the same pan as your chicken or fish, spray with cooking spray, sprinkle some salt, and broil as usual. The veggies come out nice and browned, like they’re grilled).

Bacon and cheese omelet made with 2 whole eggs and 1 egg white.

Homemade pizza

As you can see, I make a lot of homemade dishes. I avoid processed foods and artificial sweeteners. I plan what I’ll make at the end of the week and use a couple of hours on a weekend day to make my dishes. I freeze portions so that I can have them later in the week or even weeks later. It does take more time and planning, but I find that this is the only way I’ve been able to stick to my plan as long as I have.

As far as getting in your veggies, that can be difficult. Try to force yourself include a serving or two of vegetables with lunch or dinner (at dinner, I always have 2 servings). I eat two snacks a day and these snacks will usually include a piece of fruit. Sometimes I have a lower fat version of hot cocoa.

Most of all, journal your food. I write down the night before what I plan to eat the next day. This way you can see the areas in which you’re deficient. For instance, if I notice that I’m not getting enough veggies, I’ll change my plan a bit to include more veggies.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps.

Hi vmelo , It is really nice to have another person on this thread. You have done great on the food exchange plan. I am going to check that book out of my library and see what it says about how many calories I should be having. I also believe it is best to lose weight following a balance diet and not one who you can't eat a certain food.

I hope everyone is having a good day

bev

vmelo thanks for that great post and especially the information on the book. I'm going to check Amazon right now to see if it is available. Does it include exchanges for eating out and prepared foods (like pizza etc...) I know the formula for figuring it out, I just hate doing it.

My Dr hasn't restricted me from any foods. There just are very very few foods I like. Unfortunately, the ones I do like are all bad for me.... Cheese is one of my major downfalls as is Pepsi (no diet here....) I also totally hate cooking anything!!!

I thought this would be easy to do as I tend to survive on sandwiches and such. I figured this plan would allow me to do that. I could have a turkey on whole wheat, maybe an occasional ham & cheese....Problem is, I love mayo and don't like the sandwiches without it. I tried the reduced fat mayo and it was AWFUL!!! I ended up having to toss the whole sandwich!! So now I'm struggling to find other foods. Here is a sample of what I've had today, I would appreciate any feedback!!

Breakfast:
1/2 a cinnamon raisin english muffin w/margarine & 1 small orange
(1 starch, 1 fat, 1 fruit)

Lunch:
Spaghetti w/Prego spag. sause and wayyyy to much parmesan cheese, 1 slice of garlic toast.
(2 starch, 1 veggie? (I'm not sure if I can count the sauce as a veggie?). approx 3 protein.)

Snack:
Dill pickle & 1 oz cheddar cheese
(1 protein) I don't think the pickle counts as anything. I wish it counted as a veggie.

Dinner:
Ham & Cheese Hot pocket (not a good choice...I know)
(2-Protein (high fat) & 3 starch)

Snack:
30 grapes
(2 fruit)

So this means I got in all my starch (6), protein (6) & fruit. No veggies (unless my spag. sauce counts) & no milk. Although 2 servings of fat, all my protein choices were high fat. I'm not quite sure how that works.

Hi, I am also going to order that book. I am hoping it will help me.
jujubeee, Your right you probably should have more milk and veggies. Also like you stated your protein were high fat things maybe try for some lower fat protein items.

I am not the best one to say anything about your diet since I really blew it big time yesterday. Yesterday was one of those days where I can not get enough food. I really need to get it under control.

well I hope everyone has a nice Saturday

bev

I found Dieting for Dummies at overstock.com for $8.79

bev