DiscussionsCooking for Two

This is my first post and would love to join or start a group with interest in healthy weight.

I have maintained , for almost 10 years now  a 100+ weight loss.  Sometimes it is not easy!  I just tyr to eat healty, make sure I always eat breakfast, one that is high in fiber so it will keep me full longer. Portion control is the most important thing.  We forget what A PORTION is.  I will actually measure out 1 cup of cereal or 1/2 cup of cereal depending on what it is I am eating.  And I will measure out the 1/2 cup of milk that will go on the cereal.  If I am having soup I will try to get mostly broth and try not to get more than a cup of meat, veggies and what ever else is in the soup.  When I make rice or noodles for the soup I make that seperate and measure out some for myself, I then add the rice or noodles to the soup for my husband. 
Sounds like a lot of measuring but I don't count calories for the most part but I just eat in moderation.  Going out to dinner I will ask for a to go container when my food arrives and I pack most of it right away.  I say most because I will have had a salad or soup and possibly some bread so most of the main meal becomes my dinner the next day.
I exercise 6 days a week. I love my Curves, great work out and friendly people.  I loved it so much that when I retired from my "real" job I started working part time at Curves.
Good luck if you need any encouragement just ask.  I promise I will not be as wordy as this post has been.
Merry Christmas.

When people start talking about weight I shut up, despite my obvious need to pay attention.  Twice in my life I have lost 100 pounds.  I'm now back at my zenith, upwards of 200.  I'm 57 and have numerous health problems ranging from a rebuilt back with four lumbar fusions, chronic pain, hypertension, diabetes and recurrent severe depression.

I also have a strong aversion to healthy food (which is part of the hurdle I have to get over to lose weight).  I just want comfort food.  Once I get into a pattern of eating healthy foods, I can sustain it though I'm very vulnerable (part of chronic depression).  I once spent an entire year eating only Poptarts.

I'm scared of kitchens since that's where there are refrigerators and ready-to-eat food.  My husband does the cooking, but that also drives me nuts since he doesn't clean and I wind up all too close to the referigerator after all.

I can't do Curves or Pilates or even move much without sharp pain.  But I know from experience that I have to exercise, even if just in the pool, to ease the pain.  And I have to get to the point where I can walk and ride bike to get any actual health benefits or support weight loss.  But I just dread movement.  I'd rather stay in my recliner and read.

Now I'm considering bariatric surgery.  Rather, my doctor is considering it and I'm trying to convince him.  I need a boost, and I'd rather not just have a kick in the pants as a boost.  That's only been a temporary help in the past.

I remember how much better it felt not to carry around an extra 100 pounds.  I remember running upstairs, gardening without requiring a hydraulic lift to get me off the ground, cross country skiing and hiking with my family and riding the tandem bicycle with my husband, the patient pastor.

I must sound crazy to all you kitchen people.  I appreciate the easy recipes, especially with cookie dough or other easy Pillsbury shortcuts.  Now I need to make a couple of pans of bars for the reception following my son's wedding on Saturday (Jan. 3).  Any suggestions or support would be welcome!!

Carol It sounds like you have had your ups and downs with weight, most of us have. My husband joined Weight Watchers after trying Jenny Craig, and Atkins both of which helped him loose but after leaving the program gained it back. He has lost over 40 pounds  on Weight Watchers and is doing great. It is a life style of eating now to us both.

He is a Diabetic also so he waited untill he lost some weight before starting to exercise again which I think is wise for anyone.

He still has pizza, steak and wings on occasion as he just counts his points daily so he doesn't feel deprived. It might be worth looking into.

You can also find sugar free desserts and puddings  to satisfy your sweet tooth. We also started eating a healthy chocolate which you can find information about on my blog site at http://lightenupforgoodhealth.blogspot.com along with recipes to help loos and maintain weight.

I have found the chocolate curbs my appetite and also helps to releave stress and depression.

Hope to see you there! When you visit leave a comment please and let me know you were there.

chocolatelover7777

Hi Carol, since it is Jan. life should get easier but it is a struggle daily of watching food intake and being guilty most of the time.  Every time I pull into Dunkin Doughnuts it takes me twice around the block before I pull in. I have back, hip, knee and feet problems but does that stop me?  Fortunately, I still get around fairly well as my grandkids are very active and I love to be with them. I just bought a tape for exercising to Dancing with the Stars.  It must be like singing in the shower so nobody sees you or hears you.  Search for that beautiful sense of humor and lets dig in our heels.  Who needs those dam doughnuts!!!

I am 64 and I have been on my "new" eating plan for 4 months. It is working well for me and saving me a lot of money since I decided how Nutri System works without spending the money to be on that system.

I have taught nutrition for years so I use the info that I have taught along with the good food that I enjoy. It is working so well and my Dr. is so pleased. I am NOT an exercise nut so that is just what I do daily and no big walks or workouts. I figure at my age that I deserve to be a little lazy but want to be a good weight for my frame.

Hope to hear from you!

Susie

I would sure love to know the secret that you have discovered.  I have tried to use the glycemic index but just can't seem to figure out how to put it all together to make it work.  I can't afford the Nutri System being a single Mom.  Any tips you could give would be greatly appreciated.  I'd like to lose 50 pounds...

Thanks!!!

I try to eat 4-6 times a day to avoid eating a lot on the main meals. Cereals, coffee/tea, fruits, yoghurt on breakfast-mid break. Then meat/salad or fish, pasta in the afternoon and a light diner to sleep well.

Not diet at all, just eating a few of everything will help.

 I just joined about 30 minutes ago.  I've been enjoying reading the blogs...which is something new for me.   Just wanting you to know that gastric bypass was my ONLY way I could begin to lose weight and get on top of it...unfortunately.  I had been in a head on car accident in '91, broke both feet, hip & pelvis - etc etc etc...so being ambulatory was very very difficult.  The combined problem of me loving food, loved cooking and eating, and being quite immobil, added many many pounds to my 5'6" body.  When I got married in '69 I was a size 12, 147 lbs and when I had my surgery I had ballooned to 352 lbs and in a 5X size clothing.  Thanks to my surgery, I have lost 140 lbs - still have about 50 i want to get off.  If you do have the surgery - begin exercising immediately - even if it's sitting in your chair and waving your arms and jiggling your legs.  It's a beginning.  I didn't do any exercising until I had lost almost all my weight - and now have lots of baggy skin.  Of course, it makes a difference how long you've been heavy - how much your skin has stretched out - the resiliance and heridity if it will spring back into shape.  I love my gastroenterologist - he knows exactly what happens to a person when they have the surgery, because he had the surgeon who taught him, also do a bypass on him.  He needed to lose weight also.  

Just a word of warning...i've gotten to a plateau and it's difficult to get the rest of it off, b/c I've stretched my stomach a bit, and conditioned my stomach to being able to eat some sweets again.  I should have never done that - it caused me to stop losing way too quickly.  Best of luck if you decide to go ahead with the surgery.  It was a life saver for me.   It also has to be a mental change to be able to stick to a change in eating habits.  I slip occasionally - way too often actually - and have to change my mentality back to where it was when I had the surgery. 

Keep in touch to let me know how  you're doing

mlzeut

Good luck getting "back on track" I know it is so hard to loose weight.  When Imy husband and I started on our "diet" I thought , yeah this isn't going to last long...we've done this before and it never lasted.....oh well here we go again.... all these thoughts went through my head and you want to know something, about a month into it I actually had the thought go through my head..I am going to make this work this time! it was like a switch was turned on and I knew that I was going to make this work. 
I have said it is just like giving up alcohol or smoking you can't do it for someone else, you can't do it for a wedding,a reunion you have to do it for yourself.  The only problem is an alcoholic can live with out alcohol and a drug addict can live with out drugs but we can't live with out food.  That makes it a little more of a challange. 
I started working out, at home, after I had lost over 100 pounds I did join Curves because I needed something more than what I was doing at home and I wanted the comfort of an all womens club.  Been there ever since I am now a Coach there and I love it.
OK  I will get down off my soapbox...
Again good luck getting back on track.  If you need any encouragement just drop a note here.

Your story sounds so familiar. I have always had weight issues and got very depressed had sky high blood pressure, back problems etc. On Dec. 5th I had bariatric surgery. I have lost 58 pounds so far. I am off of two of three blood pressure meds. and off my anti depressant. I just know that I will never be able to eat some things and I have not had a problem with that. I feel so much better. I can cross my legs again, get off the couch with ease and have a much better outlook on life. I need to eat alot of protein foods and very little sugar. Anything I buy has to be 5 grams of sugar or less. No breads or potatos, and my portions are very small but so is my stomach. My stomach is the size of an egg now. I would recommend the surgery to anyone who is struggling as much as you are. In some cases your diabetes is easily controlled because of your diet. Good luck to you. 

Just saw your message today, probably ou are not still available to talk, but hope you are.  How are you doing now?  Have you lost all the weight you wanted to?  I also have health issues, two knee replacements, spine problems, arthritis moderate to severe.  The only exercise I do is walking, very diificult but I enjoy it anyway.  Did the weight watchers help you?  Seems like a good program.  Hope to hear from you.  Sunshine 41

Not really, I fudged all the recipes, I love to cook and from scratch.  I also have arthritis and sever psoriasis.  I did lose some but gained most of it back, still trying but was raised cooking. 
How about you?

I HAVE MAINTAINED MY WEIGHT-LOSS FOR 3 YEARS NOW.  I've loss 39 pounds and would like to keep it off. But, sometimes it so hard because i;am such an junck food eater. So will you please give me some tips on good recipes.                                                              joesibel

Hi,

Here is a site that offers helpful tips on weight loss and diets. HTH! :)

http://weightloss.besthelptips.com/