prayer is the answer

Hi Patti -

I think by recognizing that you need and want help, you've made the first of many changes that will get you on the road to success. You're right - there are TONS of diets, plans, and groups out there - but the simplest, easiest thing to do is to make SMALL Changes that YOU can LIVE WITH. Don't make them all at once, make just a few at a time. For instance - if you are in pain from walking, try doing some great aerobic activities that you do sitting down! Just start by moving, and move what doesn't hurt. Use small hand weights and work on your arms. All of it will help your heart to become stronger.

You didn't mention what your typical eating plan is but - start making small, liveable changes there, too. Perhaps stop eating one or two bad things (fried foods, fast food, starchy carbs, etc.) and replace them with more veggies, fiber and protein. If you drink water, add an extra 8 oz. If you don't drink ANY, replace what you do drink one glass at a time until you can replace 2 then 3, etc.....

A KEY is to come here often - post, read, study - ask questions, and know that people support you and have great advice !! MAny success stories, triumphs, as well as people falling down and needing support, just like you. I know what you mean about being adopted - I really was adopted as an infant, and there's nothing like having that specially chosen family to support you! Best of luck, Patti!

Hey Patti, you can lose weight! Concentrate on eating smaller portions of healthy foods (lean proteins like chicken breast or fish, whole grains like brown rice or whole wheat pasta, tons and tons of fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy like fat free yogurt and a little healthy fat like olive oil and walnuts).

Every meal, try to imagine your plate is divided into quarters - Fill 1/2 with vegetables, 1/4 with a lean protein (about the size of deck of cards) and 1/4 with a healthy carbohydrate (like brown rice or a baked sweet potato or whole wheat couscous). Healthy food doesn't have to be boring - I spice mine liberally with lemon, garlic, onion, cumin, cayenne, oregano, fresh basil, white pepper, etc.

If you're on the internet, you have a literal treasure trove of healthy recipes at your fingertips - Cooking Light is a great resource for starters. Don't be afraid to try new things, don't be afraid to experiment. Don't be afraid to doctor up your own favorite recipes into something healthier.

My biggest lesson - healthy eating doesn't happen by accident. If you walk in the kitchen to make some lunch, you better have something healthy and on hand or might be so hungry and impatient you just eat ANY old thing. This is especially true in restaurants - pick a restaurant that has healthy options, make your choice from the menu online, know what you're going to order before you get there. Don't look at the menu, don't look at what other people are eating, just order what you planned.

I do a ton of menu planning - by Sunday afternoon, I know what I'm going to have for pretty much every meal/snack for the entire week. By Sunday night, I've gone to the grocery store, bought everything I need and packed my lunches, baggied up my snacks for the entire week. When coworkers want to go out to pizza, I have a healthy lunch ready (which is also tasty) so I'm not as tempted. Plus, I hate for food to go to waste!

Congratulations on quitting smoking! You've already proved you can do a really hard thing well. Losing weight is hard but also doable!

Glory in your weight loss journey you mention that you make up bags of vegies for snacking and you mention the dip you make and portion out, is it in the book or one you make on your own???Thanks


Rule 11 - Plan plan plan plan. I plan and shop so I have healthy food on hand all the time. I plan for meals, I plan for snacks. I sit down on Sunday night and menu plan/grocery stop for the entire week. I keep dried fruit/nuts around for quick boosts. I go to the store at least 3 times a week. I buy food, use plastic baggies to portion it into one size servings. I ALWAYS HAVE options for healthy eating. I have a couple of healthy frozen dinners at home, I have some of that tomato/roasted red pepper soup on hand at work, I have dried fruit stashed at home/work for healthy snacks. On Sunday nights, I make veggie dip and portion it out for the weeks. I cut up 5 days of veggies for snack. I’m never without

Yep, I make two dips that are pretty easy.

Hummus

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and reserve liquid
Splash of lemon juice
Crushed garlic (to taste, I like a lot)
Anything else you think might be tasty - I like sun dried tomatoes or roasted red pepper or kalamata olives
Crushed red pepper (I like a little, I like spicy)

Put ingredients in a blender and gently pulse. Slowly add reserve liquid until you achieve the desired consistency. If you feel you have room in your calorie count for the day, you can add a tablespoon of olive oil or a tablespoon of tahini. It tastes pretty good without the oil, though!

Spinach Dip

1 package of low fat (or fat free) cottage cheese (blended with my immersion blender to get rid of the lumps)
1 package of frozen chopped spinach (defrosted and drained really really well)
1/2 chopped red onion
1/2 package Lipton onion soup mix
Anything else you think would be tasty - I love to add sun dried tomatoes

Mix up in big bowl!

I hope you enjoy the book - for the first time healthy eating made SENSE in a way that old fad crash diets never did.

I do eat a lot of salads, but I like salads. I eat a lot of other stuff though! You can do so many yummy things with vegetables besides salads - grilling and roasting are great options. I also eat a lot of stir fries, healthy pasta dishes, home made pizza, maple glazed salmon, veggie stuffed omelettes, tacos! I have always loved food and liking the foods I eat daily was a #1 priority for me, since I needed to stick with it. My approach is a combination of eating whole foods, calorie counting and volumetrics (eating large quantities of lower calorie foods to feel more full). A couple of other good books I would recommend - Mindless Eating (such an amazing insight to why we sometimes overeat) and Volumetrics

The other thing I would recommend - buy a good food scale and some pretty measuring cups (so you will use them!) Get familiar with portion sizes and never trust your eyeballs It must sound crazy - after 3 1/2 years, I STILL measured my granola this morning with a 1/2 cup measuring cup - it's the only way for me to portion control effectively.

Patti

I wanna be adopted too

First of all, you've already lost 7 pounds! That's huge! At least for me, getting started is the hardest part. Once I start seeing results like that it motivates me to keep going.

I have the same problem you do - I like a good salad just like everyone else, but I get sick of them really fast! Instead of eating salads, I tend to snack on fruits. I keep a supply of oranges and apples and celery in my fridge, and when I feel like munching, I grab one. Now I'm totally addicted.