First Weight Off Post

[cornerofmadness]

Well my request for companions on this journey to a healthier, slimmer us was well and truly met. I'm not going to list you all out here. Since no one had any dissenting ideas, I'm just going to do a post on sundays where we can announce our success/failure, whine and praise, share tips and recipes. It's all very informal. Come and go as you please. Play nice. I don't think I need to say that but it never hurts to remind us when we're dealing with a touchy topic to begin with.

I don't think we have to announce our weights unless we want to. Some of us are comfortable with that. Others aren't. Our goals might be nice to know. Ironically, today as I fixed up the nutrition lectures for my nurses, the new material included a BMI calculator. Yes, they're not 100% accurate but it's free and easy. If you want me to run it for you and see what it says you need to lose, ask (or PM if you don't want to put your height and weight out in the open.)

my goal is 75 pounds off. Yeah. I'm fat. I know this. But hell this time last year that number would have been 100 pounds so progress. I'm not bothering with my measurements. I don't know it. Round and lump, that's a measurement right?


My first tip: From Obesity magazine, drink 2 8 oz glasses of water before every meal. Well, we're supposed to drink 8 of those a day anyhow, this gets 6 of them out of the way. The idea here is that how hungry/sated we are is based mostly on stretch of the stomach. This stretches it out and says we're full so we eat less. Besides, again, you need that water any how.

First couple of recipes such as they are. Both are from the South Beach Diet book.



Roast Beef Wrap (lunch)
1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese
4 9-10' tortillas (note from me, be careful buying these, some especially the mission brand, can have up to 300 calories a tortilla)
sliced red onion
spinache (I'm sure you could use a few leaves of whatever leafy green you have)
8 oz sliced roast beef.

spread cream cheese on the tortillas, put in the meat and veggies and roll. obviously it should make 4 of them.

My other suggestion for this, if you're like me, and making them the night before for lunch, roll it up with the meat alone and put the veggies in a baggie til just before eating or it'll get soggy.



Ricotta Creme (dessert)

1/2 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp of flavored extract (lemon, orange, vanilla, you get the idea)
1 package sugar substitute (I use splenda but if you wanted something more natural, try the stevia products but try it first. SOme people like me find stevia bitter not sweet)

just mix it all up and serve. I really like these


p.s. dont' read too much into the music select. That's just what came up on my 'spa shuffle'

Comments

[anat-astarte.livejournal.com]

Ooh I am very interested in this! I've fallen off the weight loss wagon since last year but I've gotten back on now and giving it another shot. Thanks for the recipes!

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I miss those cheesie desserts. I keep telling Mom about them but she doesn't believe me, so I'll have to take some for her sometime.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

they're not bad and they're cheap

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Both sisters' doctors told them they needed to LOSE WEIGHT, so they're working on that now. Yay.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

feel free to weigh in with the rest of us. Like I said, it's an informal thing. feel free to share

[winters-queen.livejournal.com]

I have about 60 pounds I want to lose. Hell any weight loss by the time I go to the doc in March is good. Need to work on my cholesterol so she doesn't up those meds. I've been trying to drink more water over everything else to begin with.

And that wrap sounds yummy.

[seatbeltdrivein.livejournal.com]

I can vouch for the ricotta creme recipe. It's amazing. I've been eating it ever since my mother went on the south beach diet a few years ago (at least I think that was the diet...).

I weigh a precarious 168, which wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't 5'1. As it stands, I am just a round sort of midget. My goal is to lose 45 pounds, but like you said, it's a lot less this year than it is last year. At the beginning of 2008, I weighed around 240, so I'm pretty happy to be where I am. Any chance of getting that BMI number and whatnot? :D

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it is. I mean it sounds weird but it really IS good (well ricotta DOES give us cheesecake...)

wow, good for you. that certainly was a dangerous weight you were at.

your BMI is 34 and it said you need to lose around 44 pounds. so your goal is spot on. good luck

[seatbeltdrivein.livejournal.com]

It was dangerous, and I was pretty miserable. I can't imagine going back to being like that.

Excellent, I was hoping I'd picked a reasonable goal!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I can definitely understand that. That's my weight now but i'm 8 inches taller (and I still feel horrible)

you did

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

good luck. feel free to join us

[ladystarlightsj.livejournal.com]

That wrap sounds pretty good, and I'd imagine you could sub out the meat for what you had.

And I wouldn't mind a BMI -- 205.5 lbs and 5' 7". My goal is about 45 pounds more to lose.

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can't eat stevia; I seem to have the problem with it that most people have with aspartame (go figure).

Today was not a good weigh-in day for me; I have been eating almost non-stop all day. But now I will knuckle down and behave myself, dang it.

I'll weigh myself in the morning and see where I am.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i use the lunchmeat roast beast and yes they have a turkey one that's pretty much the same but used a wheat pita...

BMI -32, pounds to lose 46 so yes you're right on the money

[marlex.livejournal.com]

As of this morning, I'm 192. Started the diet on Monday, but didn't weight myself until Friday.

My goal is 170.

I'm 5'9" for the BMI thing, which may change my goal.

A few years ago I was 212, then dieted down to 180 over about a nine-month period, and have been hovering around 190-195 for the past year and a half.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's sort of the same with me. It gives me headaches and an upset stomach

well i was eating the last of the christmas cookies while typing this...

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

boy everyone's goals are like dead on. BMI 27 and need to lose 26 pounds good luck

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

I just think it tastes really weird, not sweet or sour but just sort of UGH.

OMG, I still have toffee in this house. (I finished all the onion & chive crackers with blue cheese/pecan dip... sigh)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

understood

and ooo blue cheese

[bob_fish.livejournal.com]

I'm doing the South Beach diet. The initial strict two weeks kind of seem a bit scary and faddish (and the weight seems to be dropping off with pleasing yet worrying speed - I lost 8lb in the first week?!), but after that (when you get to reintroduce sensible amounts of relatively virtuous carbs like brown rice and wholemeal bread) it seems more sensible. Progress is good but I don't want to yoyo.

My goal for now is to drop 21 pounds from my weight when I started before I head to Singapore in April for the twins' birthday. That will put me about 4 pounds over having a BMI in the normal range (Dr H is calculating for me), and back to my pre-marriage weight and therefore able to fit into all my clothes. Let's see if I get there, but if I do I'd ultimately like to drop about another 8lb.

I also want to start running again? I think part of the reason I've gained weight steadily is being pretty sedentary. I have not been running so far thanks to vile cold, but it's getting better so I might.

[ladystarlightsj.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I've got a sensible goal, but I can't help thinking that I should consult with my doctor once I get closer. I'd like to be a little more in the 'normal' range -- I went and found an online calculator and my goal will put me just on the line. But not thinking about that for now....

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's always a good idea anyhow

[caffeinified.livejournal.com]

I'm shooting for 15 lbs off. Apparently my ideal weight is 132 but with my boobs that's never gonna happen unless I get a surgical reduction lol But I think I'd look fantastic and feel good at 150.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yes the first week of that diet is faddishbut unlike atkins the remainder of the diet is pretty sustainable without health impacts. My issues with it is that it has too much fish and it's expensive (well it WAS made for South Beach) however the written materials on how food works is pretty good

sounds like a reasonable goal to me.

I'll take up running the next time the house is on fire

[bob_fish.livejournal.com]

Yes, I don't think I would have gone for it without the later part which is more sensible and lets you eat fruit. I miss fruit. It is worryingly expensive, though. And I'm kind of sick of meat and eggs?

The supporting material's good but the evangelical tone annoys me. I can't see myself never eating a potato again. I do want to get into good habits, though, so I like the gradual downshift.

*goes to get matches*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

the meat and eggs I'm good with (well being diabetic I sort of have to be)

and yes I agree about the evangelical tone (jillian michaels book is WORSE, omg bad)

i'm so pigeon toed I'd probably fall in the fire

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

sounds like a plan. good luck

[enemytosleep]

So my goal is to lose 30 lbs and get my BMI below 25 (it's currently 28). I like the water suggestion, I drink a lot anyway, but timing it with my meals can help!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

here's hoping at any rate. I might need to bring water in. the water in the fountains here got even more repulsive.

good luck

[ital-gal.livejournal.com]

well, I`d like to say today is not good for weigh in since lots of eating and drinking going on over the weekend. Plus the obligatory eating all the fattening foods in the house before starting diet. But I`m in the no more excuses zone, so I`m gonna have to say 80kg which is about 176 lbs and I`m 5`3. The heaviest I`ve been in about 10 years. sigh. Go ahead and hit me with the BMI bad news... And I was doing great a month ago.

I`m interested in eventually hearing about what kind of diet plan people are using... I have my tried and true, but will probably have to mix it up.

Thought the sound beach diet used too many prepared foods or something when I read it a couple of years ago. I already know I need to keep my carbs wayyyy low. Is anybody a fan of the Zone?

[spiderling.livejournal.com]

FUCKING LJ ATE MY GIANT LONG COMMENT!

Short version= find this http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Wholesome_Sweeteners/Organic_Zero.html natural sweetener better than stevia

Lift wights. Cardio will not help you but for stamina.

Good luck.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

neither lifting weights nor cardio helped. belonged to a gym for 10 years. the hormones seem to insure that.

haven't tried that sweeter yet. thanks

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i was trying to think on this one since there aren't processed foods at all on my south beach diet book then I was wondering if you meant the later books which did rely on the whole south beach chain of food (which aren't good)

I really don't have a diet plan. eating less and better is pretty much it.

BMI - 31, pounds to lose 23. that's not that bad. good luck

[spiderling.livejournal.com]

For you no, not with the hormones, but in general for people withought metabolic issues it should help.

Whole Foods might have the Organic Zero or if you have an organic/health food place.

It's not. The taste takes a bit of getting used to. Took me a year or so before I found it just about as satisfying as sugar. I haven't actually had sugar in 3 years or so.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yes it should

yes i do one's 100 miles away and the other's 50 so... splenda