Challenge 01/12/10: Tips, Tricks, & Great Ideas!

Usually when my husband brings home sweets I get a banana or something sweet instead.. I kinda give in but I split it in half so I get my fix but don't overdue it

Whenever I cook meals from my SP meal plan, I freeze whatever is left over so that it's already prepared when I need it again. Also, when I am at work, everytime I get up to do anything, I make sure to get a glass of water. Even if I am going to or coming from the bathroom, I get another glass of water on the way back to my desk.

thanks. terrific.

i drink more water from a sipper bottle than from a glass.

i grab gum when my head says i'm not really entitled to be hungry.

i start dinner with soup or salad,, so i feel full by the time i'm done.

i make big pot of soup on sunday.

i walk whenever i can.

i borrow exercise dvd's from the libray to add variety to my exercises.

Edited by: MINNIE at: 1/13/2010 (01:13)

I love this! Thanks to everyone for such wonderful Tips!

My Tip... To Always Stay Positive with My Journey Efforts and never feel bad about a slip up. Knowing that everyone will work out if I stick with it and track is the best tip for me. :-)

Two thoughts come to mind that might be helpful to someone else. One, just because you make the cookie dough doesn't mean you must bake the whole batch right away. When I make cookies (and I do so a lot with two high school aged daughters), I bake off a dozen and then portion out the rest of the dough and freeze the individual servings. Next time I want a cookie, I only take out the number of dough balls I want and cook them. I can't tell you how many calories I've saved not needing to perform quality control when baking! Second, I never eat anything sweet before lunch. Notice I didn't say I don't eat sweets; I just said I wait until after lunch. I can resist temptation if I never start, but if I do, well, that's another story. So, I hold off, eat lunch first, then eat the yummy thing. Because I waited, I got the healthy stuff in first and don't have as much room for the good, I mean junky stuff. Good luck, Sparkers!

I have healthy snacks in the filing cabinet at work, in my big bag that goes every where with me and in the car. I try to stay away from drive through places to eat.

Really great tips here. Thanks everyone for sharing!

I exercise in the morning - before my day gets hectic or my list of reasons I can't start popping up. In order to accomplish this, I have to prepare for the morning the night before - I have my outfit picked out, down to the accessories, I know what I am eating for breakfast, if I am bringing my lunch the next day (which I try to do at least every other day) I pack in the night before. I've been exercising 6 to 7 days a week for 15 months and have never been late to work - it's all in the preparation!

I feel like Ive really indulged if I have ice cream....by accident, I picked up DRYERS 1/2 fat, 1/3 less calorie ice cream....they have many flavors and tastes just the same! I could not believe it.....my boyfriend didnt even know until he went to get more the next night!!!!!! Thats pretty good :-)

Thanks for all the tips!

Steph

Spark people has taught me a lot! i don't post often, but i learn a lot from reading so thank you all.

1)logging what i will eat the day before i eat it. prevents surprises in food tracking and mindless snacking.

2) track track track your food! eye opening

3) learning to cook healthier. sometimes the recipes are bust but i learn more about combining flavors, things that i thought i wouldn't like but wind up loving (like kale chips...delish!)and keeping my meals interesting and diverse

I eat breakfast every day!

Also, i take time to pack my lunch the night before. This keeps me from being tempted to grab something fast when i'm hungry. Also, i've discovered that packing a lunch ensures that i always end up with something yummy and healthy. And my lunches always look better than microwave dinners that my co-workers heat up day after day!

i also add clear, flavourless benefibre to my water. It adds no flavour and i get some soluble fibre to boot!!

If I want something sweet, like ice cream, I buy a very small package of it so doesn't tempt me very long.

I have also recently substituted all recipes that call for ground beef with ground turkey... it tastes so much better & has way less fat!

When I go grocery shopping, I pass up all lanes with bad foods. If I have to go down a bad lane to get a food item, I give myself tunnel vision (literally). I tell myself to keep walking, and by the time I did get done grocery shopping, I won't want that bad food anymore. I don't take my daughter anymore just so I can get in and out and not worry about picking up the wrong thing! lol

There're SO many great tips in here, thanks so much to everyone for giving them all!!

Something that I think works really well for me is to choose different healthy recipes with my boyfriend (get most of them from sparkrecipes.com!) We decide on one, then make it and eat it together! It makes him feel involved and it lets me always have healthy dinners! You could even try getting your kids to help if you have them. :)

Whenever I go grocery shopping, I don't go down the cookie aisle and my hubby reminds me that instead of cookies or candy or fattening food, I can buy something nice for myself like an herbal facial mask or a book that I want to read or whatever. That way I can have a little pick me up and I am then reminded when I use it that I didn't choose the cookies or candy.
Also, for Christmas we received a box of fruit (oranges and grapefruits) and each time that I want a snack, I grab up an orange or two, slice them up and eat them with a glass of water. The vitamin C is good for my allergies, the water is good for my skin and afterwards I don't feel guilty.
Lastly, when I get a craving for something, I try to wait as long as possible for it and then decide if I really want it. Usually, I choose to light a few candles in the bathroom and hop in a hot tub. You can't eat cookies while your taking a relaxing bath and then I go to bed and get plenty of sleep for the next day.
If all else fails, remember, don't beat yourself up over it. Everyone makes mistakes. Just remember to do better the next time.

I plan all of my meals and snacks before I go to the grocery store. I go once a week to save time and money. When I bring the items home, I try to get a start on pre-cooking or preparing some of the food in advance. The more I have ready to go during the week, the less likely it is that I will stop for carry-out or fast food.

Something that has worked for me over the past week or so is to tell myself thaty once I leave the table after my evening meal that's the last time I'll eat for the evening. It's put a stop to the night snacking so far.

I just keep reminding myself that NOTHING is off limits. I can have a moderate amount of whatever I want. Once the 'guilt' is removed so is most of the temptation. I do hear it 'calling me' if I know I can have it at any time.... meaning I rarely tuck into the junk.

When I have too much to do and can't put away a block of time to exercise, I incorporate exercise into whatever I'm doing. Butt squeezes while sitting at the computer, side leg raises while cooking at the stove, squats while folding laundry, or just exaggerate whatever movement I have to make. If I need to reach out and grab something, I reach as far as I can stretch.

This isn't on the food idea either but to get to the gym.
I take my change of clothes with me to work and stop at the gym on the way home that way I don't have the temptation of going home and sitting down.

I agree, track track, track!

Things that have worked for me but are pretty basic: drink water, add variety to exercizes, find low cal replacment foods, be consistent, use sp, tell your friends what you are doing (they have tips and motivation), and finally take a day off! Nothing is worth doing if you can't enjoy yourself!

Edited by: ERNOINACTION at: 1/12/2010 (12:52)

I love chocolate!!! So, to keep it in control I do a couple of things:

1) I measure out a serving of Ghiradelli 60% semi-sweet chocolate chips and I will have one at a time throughout the day - I really savor and let it melt in my mouth.

2) I measure out a T of Nutella and lick it every once in a while

This gives my the chocolate fix but I don't keep eating huge portions all day long.

Track, track, track! That's my tip!!!

I substitute egg whites (for eggs), applesauce (1/2 the oil) in all recipes that I made. If I can sbstitute an ingredient I do. However I can to make it more healthy without lossing the taste.

Ok will have to think about this one. Thanks for all the ideas so far.

Great ideas everyone! Thanks for sharing.

I heard an acronym for START yesterday that was good.

S - Start slowly, set yourself up for success
T - Try new things, don't say you can't do something or don't like something before you have tried it.
A - Add movement everywhere, walking farther, calf raises while waiting in line, etc.
R - Realize that you are human & will make mistakes
T- Take time to recognize your successes - celebrate!

Putting 8 pennies and a shot glass on the counter next to the kitchen sink is a great way to get in your daily water requirements. Each time I pass the sink, I drink a glass of water, and put one penny in the shot glass. Before you know it, I have all my water requirements in for the day, and I tend to eat less because of it! Don't go to bed with any pennies left on the counter!! Use them all up each day.

Use the nutrition tracker! It will surprise you. I thought I was eating healthy (which I was), but 2,500 calories of healthy food is still 2,500 calories!

I have also learned to avoid pre-packaged and processed foods. Amazingly, food has more flavor now that I'm eating the real stuff!

Exercise tip: Find something you enjoy doing! If you don't like it, you won't want to do it, and eventually you'll just stop completely! I discovered the Wii Fit and now I enjoy doing "step" on it while I watch TV :)

Wow!! Great ideas..thank you!

I try to get on the treadmill about 30-45 minutes after I have breakfast. If I do it early in the day there is a better chance of me not pushing it to the side and not doing it at all. I also have my treadmill in the bedroom and I DVR all of the shows I like to watch so the hour I spend on the treadmill I watch my shows and it makes the time go by so much faster.

The absolute biggest thing that has helped me so far has been using the SP nutrition tracker. I never had realized how many calories I was having every day until I started using the tracker. Now I have my calorie range and protein goal set in there and I can see where I am lacking or overdoing it and adjust. This has been huge for me!

Make exercising FUN!
I cannot stand going to the gym, and I hate doing boring workouts.
I started dancing as my form of working out. I love dancing, so I'm doing something I love and also getting a workout!

What has helped me most is when I know I'm going out for a meal, I usually try to get the menu of the restaurant online and figure out the calories beforehand. I pretty much know the calorie and fat content of almost everything I eat. When something new is introduced to me and I indulge, I just chalk it up to experimenting - I figure out the calorie & fat content then make it work with my daily ranges. If I happen to go over, I don't beat myself up; I just resolve to do better the next day.

I've also stopped being so hard on myself when the time comes and I am not up to working out or if I want a treat. My new lifestyle is flexible enough to allow for the occasional detour yet strict enough that I don't take detours often.

I have two for working out.
I do a workout in the morning before I go to work, this one gets done every day. This way if something comes up in the afternoon that keeps me from that workout, I have at least done 30 - 45 minutes already.

For my afternoon workouts, when I get home, I change right away and start because if I sit down even for one minute I will not get up!

As for food, moderation is the key. If I want something I have it, but a serving or less if it is really bad! Sometimes just one bite is enough for the craving to go away.

I don't buy treats at the store. If I want something, I make it. I know it's fresher then, and, during the baking /cooking process I can decide if I really want it. Then, when I have extra, I can bring them into the newsroom! Everyone in a newsroom loves to eat.

OK, I'm trying to keep it down to three that are specific to the specific "spheres of success" I've ID'd on sparkpeople

1. Motivational - I'm maintaining my weight right now, but this will work even if you've only lost 5 lbs. If you feel yourself sliding, pick up a weight that represents what you lost. When I lift a 25 lb weight, I snap right out of my funk! I do NOT want to go back to carrying THAT around everywhere!

2. Nutrition - I only eat wholesome, natural foods. No more sugar-free jello, diet pop, slimfast or other "diet foods." I would eat these and never feel satisfied. The minute I switched to real dark chocolate, fruit and cheese, yogurt and honey, the weight fell off.

3. Fitness - Take a rest day if you need it, but get back on track right after that! I haven't gone more than one day without exercise in months. It is really hard to keep my momentum going if I do.

4. Wellness - Get those eight hours of sleep! Or at least as close to as you can. I struggle with insomnia, but if I have a particularly bad night, I still wake up the same time to keep my sleep schedule consistent. A good nights rest means that I will be happy and energetic, keeping my attitude positive and my workouts fun!

This is a great challenge, I'll be checking in all day. Guess I won't be getting much school work done, lol!

I give myself a sticker on my kitchen calandar every day that I work out. It's a little silly, but works for me. And when company asks, it gives me a chance to talk about my goals & how I'm reaching them. . . makes me a little more accountable too.

Also, when the occasional bag of chips (a BIG temptation for me) enters my kitchen, I put a sticky note on it with the number of pounds I have lost to remind me of how far I've come. Maybe those chips aren't really worth it afterall. :)

I carry around my "current picture" which I ALWAYS WILL. my airforce friend who is a size 8 shocked me one day and showed me her size 16 picture she keeps in her wallet. Yes it's worn, and she keeps it as a reminder of what happens when your not careful.

Me...I read spark, join teams and drink HOT TEA when cravings start. Hot drinks are soothing and curb the edge.

Exercise wise, when I don't feel like going to the gym I find something fun to do instead like playing a sport (racquetball, badminton, tennis, basketball, snowshoeing, etc.) or going for a hike. I don't get the strenght training but I still burn calories, often more calories, and work the big muscles. It sometimes pays off to take deep breath of fresh air! Be active!

I make a motivational poster every month. I read thru multiple health, fitness, and clean eating magazines. I cut out several new exercises to try, new recipes, quotes and tips. I use it throughout the month. I love it!

These are all great suggestions!! This is a great challenge, too. We all can use new suggestions that may help us along the way.

Jan. 1st, I started a 21 day habit making challenge. I'm starting over from scratch. I've always struggled with consistency. You always hear that it takes 21 days to make it a habit. So I'm going with exercise first. I made a chart and I put a sticker on it when I get my exercise done everyday. I have to do it 21 days in a row. If I miss a day, I have to start over again. After I'm done I'll go to the next thing till I've gone through everything and hopefully everything will be a habit and I can stay consistent.

I also put leftovers in 1 serving size containers and freeze them. I either put a not on the container with the calories or write it down on a paper.

I also put the calories on my recipe cards.

Good Suggestions. I found that when you start exercising, Start off low and work your way up. Just make it hard enough. That way you don't get too sore or too bored.

Whenever I feel like I'm out of control- the first thing I do is focus on my water 8 glasses- it stablizied me to move forward-

Protein will stop the hungry cravings- add it with every snack- sometime I take one piece of roasted meat/chicken/fish left over from the dinner last night and cut it up into 5 pieces and add it to my snacks and meals the next day to make sure I'm eating protein all day long.

Get off sugar to stop the terrible cravings- It was an impossible dream for me, but I finally did it by using my skinny hot chocolate to see me through- 1 cup of nonfat milk microwaved for 2.5 min then 1.5 t of dark cocoa and 2-3 splendas...(I'll get off splenda later) it evened out my insulin swings, gives me calcium, and I filled in my diet with high fiber/high nutrition foods...and I'm a new woman. Sharon

Edited by: SLJWATTS at: 1/12/2010 (07:16)

For each restaurant that we visit I pre-calculated the calories in 2 entrees and a breakfast, print this on one sheet of paper to carry in my purse.

Now I'm ready if we go out before I've planned it in my nutrition tracker.

You can use the food grouping feature in the tracker to calculate the total calories and name it after the meal. For example I have one called Pete's Steakhouse salad for my favorite salad at our favorite restaurant.

Give yourself rewards for reaching mini-goals.

At the beginning of the week, I make a big pot of something healthy for dinner. Then, after dinner I split it up into 1 serving containers and put them in the fridge. Now I have my lunch for the week too! No need to scramble or worry what's for lunch.

I drink a protien drink while working out, or shortly after. This helps my muscles a lot and allows me to hit the gym daily.

I keep a pack of gum in my purse. If I feel like eating something, I ask myself if I'm actually hungry. If the answer is no, I pop in a stick of gum. Keeps me from nibbling away useless calories.

Hope those help someone out there :)

I make a big pot of vegetable soup. Then freeze it into 1 serving size. So when I wait too long for lunch and want to grab the first thing in sight (usually a block of cheese!), I can get a bowl of soup in 2 minutes and garnish it with a small MEASURED amount of cheese.

I have a container (an antique wooden bucket) in which I've put decorated slips of paper that have exercise suggestions or motivational quotes. When I'm tempted to snack, I reach in and draw out a slip, doing whatever exercise is listed, or journaling on the quotation.
We have no snacks available that would not have to be prepared in some manner....no quick "reach for a snack", but for fruits and veggies.

I agree with Erika on the challenges thing (I just write out a list, tho, not a spread sheet!). Also - get your kids involved, if you have young ones. Is there anything more fun then them duckwalking with you around the house quacking? I'm sure I work a little harder when they're there with me.

When i get cravings in the night - i brush my teeth too. it really works! also i think if u are craving for something a nibble satisfies the craving without hurting your calorie count.

I also recommend standing or walking about while talking on the phone

Whenever I get really hungry, I brush my teeth then drink as much water as I can without making myself sick. Even if I'm still hungry, my stomach is so full, I couldn't bear to eat anything!!

ALso, [has nothing to do with food but...] I add a lot of teams with daily challenges then every night, I make a list/spreadsheet [yes, I'm OCD] of the next day's challenges. The next morning, I go for a run then go to work and when I get home, before I relax, I do all of my challenges and the Bootcamp video. This has really been working for me.

Another thing is I only buy healthy snacks and I only eat the serving size and after every bite, I take a drink of water so that I get fuller faster. It really works!!

Tips, tricks, ideas ...

Drinking water
Smaller plates, glasses, silverware
Journaling
Using SP

Greetings!

After dinner is when i feel most like something sweet so im getting into the habit of after dinner going outside and watering my vege garden and looking at my sunflowers.

Even walking around the backyard in the sun makes me forget my cravings!

My tip is keep yourself active!

Thanks for those suggestions!

Have plenty of fruit and cut up vegies in the fridge. That way I have healthy snacks in my reach.

When I want chocolate I make SF FF jello pudding.

Other urges I can usually satisfy with a ghlass of water and waiting 10 minutes. Or a nice brisk walk.

I'm anxious to hear your ideas!!!

A lot of people have asked me how I've managed to lose 104 pounds in 15 months without hitting a plateau (the only time I don't lose weight is usually during PMS). I attribute most of it to calorie cycling.

Often, when people start dieting, they get into a food rut and eat the same things day after day or at least keep their calorie intake at the same level. When that happens, our bodies panic and start holding onto whatever it can because it is preparing for a famine (starvation mode). The premise behind calorie cycling is that you never let your body figure out that you're dieting and keep it from going into starvation mode.

Basically, what you want to do with calorie cycling is eat on the high end of your calorie range one day, then on the low end the next.

To begin, you will want to pick your high days (days you know you will eat more calories) and plan your week around them ~ maybe you go out to eat once a week, that would probably be a high day. You may also want to make sure your high day is not the day before you weigh in. Once you get the hang of it, you can just look at your "Weekly Progress" on your "my Nutrition" page and see what you need to do from day to day.

My calorie range is 1200-1550. I usually try to eat between 1200-1275 on my low days then 1475-1550 on my high day. I have figured out that 2 low days then a high day works best for me. Some people alternate 1 high, 1 low. Others take the extra calories that aren't eaten on the low days and add them to a high day. You'll have to figure out what works best for you.

Challenge 01/12/10:

Happy Tuesday to you!

Most of us have come to Sparkpeople after we have tried pretty much everything. We have done the starvation and radical dieting. We have spent hard-earned dollars on gimmick weight loss pills and exercise equipment. We definitely know what doesn't work. However, many of us have also picked up helpful information along the way. We now know what works.

I thought we could use our knowledge to help one another today. Our challenge today is to SHARE SOMETHING POSITIVE THAT WILL HELP YOU ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY.

For example:

When I buy a box of cookies, crackers, or "temptation foods", I bring the container home and dole out servings into containers (i.e. plastic baggie, etc.) I have a basket in my pantry for snacks for our family. When my son, husband, or myself want a snack, we can grab a pre-measured food. I write the calories on the container so it is easy to put into the Sparkpeople nutrition system.

Another thing I do is have plenty of "healthy snacks" on hand for our family such as: fresh & dried fruit, almonds, whole wheat pretzels, skim string cheese, lite peanut butter, nonfat yogurt, sugar free popsicles, etc. If I have to buy chips/cookies for a gathering, I try to get a baked version or I bake my own (i.e. sweet potato fries, healthy cookies & muffins, etc.)

LET'S SHARE POSITIVE IDEAS WITH ONE ANOTHER. We all want to look fantastic by the end of 2010. We CAN do this together!!!

Have a LET ME JOT DOWN THESE GREAT IDEAS Tuesday!
Shan