My Weight Loss

[A.Life.Age.X]

Ok, I'll join all the other New Years resolution people. I've always struggled with food addiction and it is extremely difficult for me to not be overweight. Thankfully I stay active enough so that I've never ballooned out of control but I've still been way outside my desired shape.

I was very chubby until 9th grade, then lost everything through Cross Country in HS and stayed level at 160-165 lbs. Then gained a lot back in college. Graduating college I was 190 lbs then over one year of intense discipline decreased it back to about 165 lbs. Now it looks like I'm about 172-175 lbs depending on the scale. So I think I'd like to take about 10 lbs off.

My biggest problems:
1. Alcohol consumption - for a long time I was averaging 10-14 beers/week which is probably like 1500-2000 calores/week I don't need. My goal is to decrease that to 3-6 beers/week

2. Eating out - I absolutely am in love with eating out at really nice places. The food is alway super rich and portions are usually huge. I was probably eating out for dinner at least 3 times/week and eating out for lunch 5 times/week. I aim to bring lunch every day now and eat out maybe just 1 or 2 times/week for dinner.

3. Portion control - I love to cook for myself but cannot do this anymore simply because if I make a lot of food, I will have no will power to resist eating massive portions (we're talking 1500+ calories in one sitting). Instead I'm going to try and live off of sandwiches (mostly tuna and peanut butter), yogurt, powerbars, salad and Lean Cuisine. My appetite and ability to consume large amounts of food is just sick. I really think my stomach is a bottomless pit sometimes , it's that bad. But I do believe your stomach shrinks and expands and when it shrinks, that voracious appetite does decrease substantially.

4. Exercise - I've been running 10-15 miles week for 3 years now which has helped tremendously. I also do a full upper body workout 2 times/week. Lately however, i've slacked and probably averaged 5-10 miles/week over the past few months, closer to the 5 side. I need to get the miles up again. I run in 5 miles blocks usually and lift on those same days because I hate the gym so much I prefer to get everythign done in one day even if it takes me 2+ hours in total. This can become extremely difficult when work and exams heat up which is the problem I ran into this Fall.

5. Soda/Juice/any other sugar filled liquid - This just has to go. There is no excuse for drinking full calorie soda or juice (soda, esp. Coke and rootbeer, are my bigger weaknesses). What I found works amazingly is replacing soda with Poland Spring or equivalent flavored sparkling water. You'll get used to it after awhile and forget what all that sugar even feels like on your lips.

[A.Life.Age.X]

I'd like to state that eating a 500 calorie lunch when you're used to like 1200 is agonizing.

[Maine-iac]

It is horrible at the start, but after about 10 to 14 days, you get used to it and it starts to seem normal. That first week or two is a killer, though.

[yanz]

question about eating out: I also love it, but I find that the places with rich recipes tend to serve smaller portional. Additionally, the food is fresher/healthier. OTOH, if you go somewhere in between (quality/price wise), you may get a huge portion of something greasy/salty/sugary, none of which are good for you.

BTW, I've found that cutting down dinner is much easier than lunch, since lunch is used to energize you for the whole day, whereas at dinner, you only need to satisfy a light hunger craving, and the satiety needs to only last a few hours or so until bed (unless, of course, you eat an early dinner and stay up late). Basically, whatever meal is your main meal of the day (ie, the one that is expected to keep you going through your busiest hours), don't try to modify it too much (unless you're just eating really unhealthy things and want to modify the meal to be healthier). However, your secondary meal(s) can be cut to a fraction of what it normally is, and you might not even notice too much.

For me, breakfast and dinner are my secondary meals. Two years ago, I used to eat a 500-600 calorie breakfast and an 800+ calorie dinner. Now, my breakfast is 100-200 cals and my dinner is 250-500 cals, and it's not so bad at all. However, I haven't really changed my lunch size (my primary meal), which is probably why I don't feel much hunger during my day...

[A.Life.Age.X]

question about eating out: I also love it, but I find that the places with rich recipes tend to serve smaller portional. Additionally, the food is fresher/healthier. OTOH, if you go somewhere in between (quality/price wise), you may get a huge portion of something greasy/salty/sugary, none of which are good for you....

I think it really depends. You live in Boston, a city I'm really familiar with in terms of eating out. I agree with you that some great gourmet restaurants, e.g. Lucca in the N.End, Metropolis Cafe in the S.End, Davio in Park Plaza will give small, rich portions, but there's a lot of really good quality restaurants e..g many Italian places in the N. End, which have very large portions, great quality and great value. I don't normally eat out at places with entrees >$20, which is when you normally get the smaller portions unless it's a special occasion or the weekend. There's so many times on weeknights that I'm exhausted and just want to sit down and have someone serve me. I'm going to places better than TGIF or Joe's Bar & Grill or those other crappy American places, but in terms of calories, I'm easily packing in >1200.


BTW, I've found that cutting down dinner is much easier than lunch, since lunch is used to energize you for the whole day, whereas at dinner, you only need to satisfy a light hunger craving, and the satiety needs to only last a few hours or so until bed (unless, of course, you eat an early dinner and stay up late). Basically, whatever meal is your main meal of the day (ie, the one that is expected to keep you going through your busiest hours), don't try to modify it too much (unless you're just eating really unhealthy things and want to modify the meal to be healthier). However, your secondary meal(s) can be cut to a fraction of what it normally is, and you might not even notice too much.

For me, breakfast and dinner are my secondary meals. Two years ago, I used to eat a 500-600 calorie breakfast and an 800+ calorie dinner. Now, my breakfast is 100-200 cals and my dinner is 250-500 cals, and it's not so bad at all. However, I haven't really changed my lunch size (my primary meal), which is probably why I don't feel much hunger during my day...

Yeah, in principle I agree with you. Lunch was a huge meal of mine but dinner was also a huge meal. I think I need to curb my lunch calories because I always work out after work and after 2 hours in the gym, I'm just ravenous. I think it would be extremely difficult to hold back then, while at lunch I don't feel quite as drained, especially if I have a 200 calorie energy bar for breakfast.

BTW. an absolutely amazing lunch spot in Back Bay is B.Good (on Dartmouth St). They list all their calorie and fat content, and it's extemely reasonable to get a delicious, filling meal for <700 calories. If I lived there, I'd be at B.Good every day.

[yanz]

Been at B.Good. I'm not a big burger person, so it's not quite to my liking, but bf loves it. Of course, bf is typically content with eating a small pbj for lunch, and then having like a 2000 calorie dinner. It's all a matter of when you expend the most energy (for him, it's after dinner). I still think that if lunch is supposed to hold you over both for the work day and for your workout, it makes sense to have a bigger lunch. Since you're not using your dinner for anything, why eat so much? I realize you're getting mad hunger pangs from your stomach, but I'm sure those can be dealt with after some time/adjustment...

As for those really good Italian restaurants with large portions...unfortunately, the food tends to be quite greasy and salty = unhealthy. Don't get me wrong - I love a place like Giaccomo's, but every time I go there, I'm prepared for a health setback...

[high9]

3. Portion control - I love to cook for myself but cannot do this anymore simply because if I make a lot of food, I will have no will power to resist eating massive portions (we're talking 1500+ calories in one sitting). Instead I'm going to try and live off of sandwiches (mostly tuna and peanut butter), yogurt, powerbars, salad and Lean Cuisine. My appetite and ability to consume large amounts of food is just sick. I really think my stomach is a bottomless pit sometimes , it's that bad. But I do believe your stomach shrinks and expands and when it shrinks, that voracious appetite does decrease substantially.


I can also be bad at portion control, so I'm pretty much the same as you - but I found that when I chew each piece of food a lot (I aim for 30, because thats what the experts say but I rarely make it past 15 chews), I fill up much quicker and that makes eating out and portion control much easier. I've been told it has something to do with the brain registering that it is full. If you're a fast eater, try the extended chewing thing - your friends will hate you, but you won't be as hungry...

[Maine-iac]

On the portion control thing, you might try cooking at home, but cooking things that you can easily make in single servings, such as eggs, chops, small steaks, chicken breast, etc.

The Lean Cusine option is a good back-up, but it can get pretty boring after awhile.

[A.Life.Age.X]

On the portion control thing, you might try cooking at home, but cooking things that you can easily make in single servings, such as eggs, chops, small steaks, chicken breast, etc.

The Lean Cusine option is a good back-up, but it can get pretty boring after awhile.

Yeah, I'm thinking about starting to eat more eggs. I've never been a huge breakfast person and haven't really thought about eggs for dinner but I think it could work and give me more variety.

Meat is tough for me since I can't grill anything in my tiny place (have a Foreman Grill but the clean up and smell is too much to handle) and strongly prefer grilled steak/chicken to other cooking methods. The packaging can be a pain too. I wish they sold chicken breasts that were individually wrapped/packaged. It can be very inconvenient and messy to deal with an open package of meat especially when I'm pressed for time and trying to keep my place from being condemned.

Good thing about Lean Cuisine is they seem to have about 100 different options. I've been very impressed with their quality so far considering it's a TV dinner. Maybe the whole "Flash frozen" thing is more than just marketing.

[A.Life.Age.X]

I can also be bad at portion control, so I'm pretty much the same as you - but I found that when I chew each piece of food a lot (I aim for 30, because thats what the experts say but I rarely make it past 15 chews), I fill up much quicker and that makes eating out and portion control much easier. I've been told it has something to do with the brain registering that it is full. If you're a fast eater, try the extended chewing thing - your friends will hate you, but you won't be as hungry...

I've only met one person in the world who regularly eats faster than me, so I know it's a problem. I've heard about chewing more being better for appetite control and digestion. Don't know how factual is it, but I will definitely make an attempt to work on it. I think if I eat more regularly throughout the day it will be easier. Often when I'm famished, it's just so hard to slow down.

[A.Life.Age.X]

I still think that if lunch is supposed to hold you over both for the work day and for your workout, it makes sense to have a bigger lunch. Since you're not using your dinner for anything, why eat so much? I realize you're getting mad hunger pangs from your stomach, but I'm sure those can be dealt with after some time/adjustment...
...

I guess I've found that no matter how big a lunch I eat, I'll always be just as hungry for dinner after a workout. So therefore it makes since to cut back on lunch. I'm not sure I buy into the idea that eating at night when you don't use it for anything. Why wouldn't that food just carry over till the next day?


As for those really good Italian restaurants with large portions...unfortunately, the food tends to be quite greasy and salty = unhealthy. Don't get me wrong - I love a place like Giaccomo's, but every time I go there, I'm prepared for a health setback...

Well do you equate greasy with oil and butter? If so, any nice restaurant is going to be unhealthy. That's kind of the definition of rich food, IMO.

[LoneGirl]

Yeah, I'm thinking about starting to eat more eggs. I've never been a huge breakfast person and haven't really thought about eggs for dinner but I think it could work and give me more variety.



A veggie omelet with a little bit of cheese makes a very tasty dinner. It's a great way to use up any leftover veggies that you've bought for salads (mushrooms, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, etc) and since eggs are a good source of protein, it will keep you feeling full longer.

[LoneGirl]

I guess I've found that no matter how big a lunch I eat, I'll always be just as hungry for dinner after a workout. So therefore it makes since to cut back on lunch. I'm not sure I buy into the idea that eating at night when you don't use it for anything. Why wouldn't that food just carry over till the next day?



The food is going to sit in your system while you sleep (your least active part of the day) and by morning it'll be long digested. It's not going to carry over to the next day. That's why the morning meal is called breakfast - you're "breaking the fast" you've been on all night.

[A.Life.Age.X]

Where is the energy (calories) going then after it's digested? It doesn't get converted to fat cells that quickly, right? Don't they always tell marathon runners to stuff their faces the night before a race? I have a 2 mile round trip walk everyday to work, so I walk 1 mile everyday within an hour of being awake. I never eat breakfast before this time and always believe my dinner from last night will fuel me.

Are there any links that discuss this? From talking to people about food/digestion/weight loss, there's so many conflicting opinions.

[MrsFrog]

Don't they always tell marathon runners to stuff their faces the night before a race?

No, they don't

[LoneGirl]

Don't they always tell marathon runners to stuff their faces the night before a race?

No, they don't

Stuffing yourself full of pasta the night before a race will do nothing. Runners slowly up their carb intake starting about a week before a race. And preparing to run a marathon is alot different (and alot harder on your body) than walking a mile to work. Your body doesn't need stored fuel in order to walk a mile.

Some experts agree that working out in the morning before you eat will help burn more fat. But this does not mean you should eat alot of food before bed.

[A.Life.Age.X]

Well, then I messed up last night. This was my meal at about 8:00 PM...I can't slip up like this again.

1. Sporkie (individual)
Sweet Italian sausage with ricotta cheese, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
2. 3 very dense dinner rolls dipped in oil
3. side garden salad with Italian dressing
4. small piece of chicken, 4 shrimp and 2 bites of rigatoni
5. glass of red wine

[annabel lee]

3. Portion control - I love to cook for myself but cannot do this anymore simply because if I make a lot of food, I will have no will power to resist eating massive portions (we're talking 1500+ calories in one sitting). Instead I'm going to try and live off of sandwiches (mostly tuna and peanut butter), yogurt, powerbars, salad and Lean Cuisine. My appetite and ability to consume large amounts of food is just sick. I really think my stomach is a bottomless pit sometimes , it's that bad. But I do believe your stomach shrinks and expands and when it shrinks, that voracious appetite does decrease substantially.


What I've started doing on occasion is cooking, say, an 8x11 platter of lasagna, letting it cool...then cut it into individual pieces, wrap each piece in foil, and throw them all in a freezer bag and label it. Same thing if I cook 2 pounds of chicken at once. Or if I make a full package of pasta, immediately distribute it into individual-serving-sized tupperwares or ziplocs. Basically, I'm making my own "TV dinners." Just note that if you're making something that doesn't freeze well (like spaghetti), you have to be OK with eating the same thing for dinner every night for a week.

[Katie.]

As for chicken breasts, we buy a bag of individual quick frozen ones. Just take out what you need, defrost, and marinate. I don't like leftover chicken very much. Frozen meals have a lot of sodium, particularly if that's all you eat over a long period of time. Also like Maine-iac said, it will get monotonous.

We finally bought a new George Foreman last year - it's the kind where you take the plates out and can put them in the dishwasher. Soooo worth it! That wouldn't help with the smell but it has made cleanup a breeze. Even if you don't have a dishwasher, it is still a lot easier to clean them in the sink.

[Maine-iac]

Meat is tough for me since I can't grill anything in my tiny place (have a Foreman Grill but the clean up and smell is too much to handle) and strongly prefer grilled steak/chicken to other cooking methods. The packaging can be a pain too. I wish they sold chicken breasts that were individually wrapped/packaged. It can be very inconvenient and messy to deal with an open package of meat especially when I'm pressed for time and trying to keep my place from being condemned.



1. The Foreman cleans much easier if you clean it when it is warm. If it's cooled down too much, just turn it back on for a minute or two and then scrub it. The new ones have removable plates that you can stick in the dishwasher, but I'm too cheap to get one when the old one still works.
2. Can't say that I notice the smell much, but if it bothers you, and if you have a stove with a ventilation fan over it, put the Forman on the stovetop and turn the fan on.
3. Re chicken breasts: I bring them home from the store, open the package, put each one in a separate ziploc bag, and voila! single serving packs. One for that night, the rest in the freezer.
4. Broiling is almost as good as grilling, with less clean-up.

[A.Life.Age.X]

Well I'm sure if you have a full sized house with a separate kitchen then the smell would be a non-issue. I'm in a 300 sq ft studio with like a 7 foot ceiling...definitely not a place for claustrophobiacs. In the Summer, it's fine cause i can open all the windows but in the Winter, things get very stuffy and the smells from any cooking are gonna linger around for a couple days.

I'm going to have to look into frozen chicken breasts...never thought they even sold those. I'll also check out broiling recipes. Thanks for the suggestions.

[MrsFrog]

I'm going to have to look into frozen chicken breasts...never thought they even sold those. I'll also check out broiling recipes. Thanks for the suggestions.

They're quite good, and since they are flash frozen I think they're better that freezing your own

[A.Life.Age.X]

I think yesterday was my first day with approximately 2000 calories in years. It wasn't as bad as I thought although I had to hold back pretty strong urges late at night.

Drinks
Starbucks tall mocha (no WC) = 240 calories
Diet Dr. Pepper( I hate diet but it's worth saving the 200 calories) = 0 calories
Water = 0 calories

Snacks
2 Kudos bars = 2 @ 100 = 200 calories

Food
5 mini pitas = 5 @ 70 = 350 calories
4 oz of hummous = 200 calories
60% of a Freschetta pizza = .6*1700 = 1020 calories

Total calories = 240+200+1570 = 2010

Exercise = 2 miles walking @ 15 minutes/mile, 5 miles running @ 8 minutes/mile.

[Bison]

Another chicken breast comment... I know Perdue has indiv. packaged chicken breasts (non-frozen) that they sell in packs of 6. They're about 5 oz. each, and usually flavored (I've seen Italian and Tomato Basil.) I have these (the Italian) quite a bit.

[yanz]

You can save an extra 60 cals on your Mocha by getting skim milk. I can barely taste the difference, and that's only bc I grew up on whole milk in Europe (fair bit more fat content than American whole milk).

[A.Life.Age.X]

Thanks for the suggestion, Yanz. I'll try it out next time I'm there. I was wary of the skim because I know when I make my own coffee, I notice a huge difference between skim and whole and find skim almost unbearable. Hopefully, the mocha syrup will mask the lack of richness.

[yanz]

Thanks for the suggestion, Yanz. I'll try it out next time I'm there. I was wary of the skim because I know when I make my own coffee, I notice a huge difference between skim and whole and find skim almost unbearable. Hopefully, the mocha syrup will mask the lack of richness.

Exactly. Once you realize that most of what you're drinking is a combo of mocha syrup and espresso, the little bit of milk loses much of its contribution to taste. BTW, I get mine without WC too, but I add foam on top: more fluffiness, and even less milk :tup:

[A.Life.Age.X]

Tried the skim mocha on Monday. It was pretty rough as the lack of richness was incredibly noticable. It might be something your taste buds get accustomed to however and I'll try to keep it up for as long as possible.

Weekend was less than idea. I had 4 large pieces of pizza on Saturday. Then on Sunday, I drank 7 pints of beer. I did walk many miles (10+) but that's not enough. I'll have to make up for it this week somehow.

[yanz]

The alternative is to get a 'short.' It's an actual normal-sized drink (unlike the 'tall' which is 12 oz. It's not advertized on the menu, and you can only order hot drinks in 'short.' If you get a short mocha, they still use a shot of espresso and just slightly less mocha sause (or even the same amount - not sure), but the real reduction comes in the amount of milk, so it becomes a far more concentrated beverage (which you may be a fan of).
Although it is somewhat shocking [volume-wise] if you're used to drinking something 1.5 - 2x the size...

[Katie.]

What about asking for 2% instead of making the jump to skim all at once? I get 2% even though I like skim OK because it fills me up and tastes a lot better.

[A.Life.Age.X]

What about asking for 2% instead of making the jump to skim all at once? I get 2% even though I like skim OK because it fills me up and tastes a lot better.


Hmm.. I didn't know Starbucks had 2%. I don't think I've ever seen someone order it. 2% would be a very good compromise for me right now.

[Katie.]

What about asking for 2% instead of making the jump to skim all at once? I get 2% even though I like skim OK because it fills me up and tastes a lot better.


Hmm.. I didn't know Starbucks had 2%. I don't think I've ever seen someone order it. 2% would be a very good compromise for me right now.

If you order 2% I think they mix whole and skim, but they will understand what you are talking about.

[A.Life.Age.X]

If you order 2% I think they mix whole and skim, but they will understand what you are talking about.

I heard my first 2% today, so I guess you're right. I tried Soy Mocha for the first time today and it was surprisingly really good. I'm guessing Soy < whole milk and maybe < 2% too so it might be the perfect compromise.

I've been fairly happy with my progress. I don't use scales everyday and will only weight myself once/month or so but I judge my progress on how my clothes feel and how I look in the mirror. I'm definitely down from my high and if I had to guess, i'd imagine I've lost about 1-2 lbs of fat. Cutting out the beer has helped tremendously (have not bought one six pack for my apartment since the first post) as has furiously hitting the gym.

I had a relapse this weekend where I had about 2500 calories in blueberry pancakes but hopefully I can get back on track this week.

[Katie.]

Tall soy mocha with no WC is 200 cals according to the Starbucks website, w/5 grams of fat. 2% is about the same (their website doesn't specify, but I split the difference between whole (240 w/10g fat) and skim (170 w/0g fat)). Soy costs more, that's why I would choose the 2%, but if you like it, go for it!

[A.Life.Age.X]

Looks like I've lost about 2 lbs in a bit over a month. I'm at 170-172 from 172-175. Giving up the 6 packs in my apartment has been the life saver as has bringing lunch to work more often. I still can't quit Starbucks though and have found myself drinking more wine to compensate for the lack of beer.

Increasing my cardio hasn't hurt either.

[A.Life.Age.X]

Damn these weekends are tough. I had a major relapse yesterday.

3.5 pieces of pizza
1/3 lb burger (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles) with garlic steamed veggies (carrots broccoli, red peppers)
3 mini Reeses Peanut butter cups
1 12 oz Coke
1 Tall Starbucks mocha (w/whipped :()
1 16 oz Fanta Orange
2/3 of a Friendlys Reese Pieces mini sundae
2 glasses of Pinot Noir

I need to give up calorie liquids. It's just so easy and convenient when you're studying or working though.

[A.Life.Age.X]

169.6 after a 6.25 mile run. Probably lost a lot of water but it's the first time I've been under 170 in a long time.

[A.Life.Age.X]

167 after 5 mile run.

Cutting out beer is such a weight reducer.

[A.Life.Age.X]

171 after 2 hour workout includig 5 mile run

Don't know how much weight I put back on but it's at least a couple lbs. I went through 1 month of disgusting eating habits due to no time. I ate out almost every meal and partook in some truly terrifying binge eating. I need to get down to high 160's by the end of May.

Going to the supermarket tonight for the first time in over 2 months. I intend to buy a lot of low fat yogurt, tuna fish, whole wheat bread, hummous, banannas, and power bars.

[shadyridr]

How tall are you?

[yanz]

there's also the aspect of body structure...my ex was 5 inches shorter than my bf, but he weighed slightly more. Both lean (used to be runners) - so fat is not the issue, but the ex had a larger frame, thereby allowing more weight (bone, muscle, whatever).

I think that's why people argue that the BMI only works for "average" sized people ;)

[A.Life.Age.X]

How tall are you?

5'10''

Unfortunately I'm still at ~170 lbs. Just love food and stuffing my greedy face so much. I've eaten well for about a week (approx 1,800-2,000 calories/day) with one day where messed up (probably around 3,500 calories). I hope I can keep this up.