Health and Fitness, July, 2010

[Indiana]

I should say the first is the food group. The next is the average calories for that food group. The next is the number of items of that food group and the last the calorie count. So you could have 6 starch/bread. Included in that group are bread, crackers, potato, corn, and peas. So it is easy.

Plus there are 200 extra calories for the day.

I guessed at your age for the formula. I think I'm close.

[lucylee]

Age -- 48 -- for another month! (Probably another reason I'm hitting this "reality check," right?)

Thanks, Indiana. You know, I might should make myself some cards, like Richard Simmons' plan, and see how that would work.

Now, is this granola bar I just ate "dirt" or does it have a place on the chart?
It is the Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch -- almond crunch.
The ingredients are listed as follows: almonds, roasted peanuts, sugar, sunflower seeds, corn syrup, yellow corn flour, salt, corn oil, calcium carbonate.
It has 190 calories, 130 from fat (but surely most of that is from the nuts)
Total fat -- 13 g, no cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, total carbohydrates -- 13g, fiber 2g, sugars 6g, protein 6 g

[Indiana]

If you look at the day you posted you had:

10:30 breakfast
-- part of two fried eggs (I only eat the whites, so it's tricky)
-- part of an Egg McMuffin (mainly ate the slice of Canadian bacon, part of one side of the muffin, a few bites of the cheese)
-- Cini-minis (or whatever McD's calls their cinnamon roll things now)
-- banana
-- diet Pepsi

2 starch, 2 1/2 meat, 1/2 fat
3 1/2 starch, 3 fat
2 fruit

2:30 snack
-- bottle of flavored water
-- package of peanut butter crackers

1 1/2 starch, 2 fats

4:30 snack
-- bottle of flavored water
-- granola bar (Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch, 190 calories, 6 g protein, 6g sugar, 13 g total carbohydrates)

2 starch

6:00 supper
-- diet Pepsi
-- bar-b-que sandwich (just meat & bread)
-- a few potato chips
-- frosted mini wheats for dessert

3 meat, 2 starch, 1 fat
1 starch, 1 fat
2 starch

The only reason I'm posting this is so you can see what food groups you had and how easy it is to count exchanges.

It was interesting - you had:

13 1/2 starch = 1080
5 1/2 meat = 302
7 1/2 fat = 300
2 fruit = 120

Very interesting...

[Harmony]

I've been reading all this with interest.

I'm in trouble too.

On our trip there didn't seem to be enough food. I lost over 3 lbs. in 5 days. Of course I didn't keep that off because it was lost during a great deal of stress and both DH and I were in a panic about no food by the time we got back in the car to come home. I am back up that 3+ pounds.

I've tried and tried to jump-start all this dieting again. It has been 11 months of dieting (or trying) for me. I'm just burned out counting calories, keeping charts, thinking about it, thinking, thinking, shopping, chopping, eating, not eating.

I've racked my brain thinking about what to do. It's too hot to exercise much. Even in the house. My exchange diet is 1500 calories and I don't lose anything on that.

I was thinking if I could do something simple like pick a few foods and just eat those and every few days do other foods - just those, I might be able to manage this. But the figuring & marking down, and looking up is just too much for me right now.

I don't have the advantage of keeping a lot of it in my memory either. I end up having to look it all up. Even when I did WW points. I can see why people do those pre-packaged diet plans. They're just so easy...if they just weren't so darned expensive.

[Harriet]

Here is the cheerleader, sitting on the sidelines, sis boom bah, ya'll.

Lynlee, I wanted to tell you I am sprinkling raw sunflower seeds on salads - pretty, and fun texture, too.

OKay, 5 pounds. Radiant!

Nancy, about sausage, we are using turkey sausage and it does not seem to bother tummies at all.

Harmony, you are having a momentary glitch brought on by a trip that was mentally tough re: foods. Unimportant. The 11 months of common sense and exercise have gotten you trim and fit enough to be wearing clothing that you CHOOSE to wear. Do you know how INSPIRED that is?????? Those of us wearing clothes/sizes other than our first choices SALUTE YOU. If you really wish for a rest-your-brain substitute for a NutriSystemish program for a while, go over to grocery frozen lite meals with the numbers on the box, plus fresh foods you don't have to count. Careful of pasta if it affects your acid reflux - that is a reason I stay away from the LeanCuisines/SmartOnes of the world.

[Lynlee]

This`book`taught`me`about`relationships`between`food`,exercise`,`personal`interactions`
and`brain`chemistry,`moods`,`energy`,wellness`,OCD,`etc.`Its`a`no`meds`approach`for`some.
(I`lent`it`to`pdoc`and`he`said`then`he`could`understand`my`sugar`avoidance`better.)
http://www.amazon.com/Peak-Performance- ... 0062512331
http://www.robertsoninstitute.org/ABOUT ... unders.htm

This`is`about`different`food`with`slower`release`of`energy`to`sustain`longer.
http://www.glycemicindex.com/
I`have`a`couple`of`these`books`-mostly`for`the`tables`they`contain.
As`there`are`so`many`foods`I`don't`eat`the`diet`plans`are`"annoying"`
but`they`do`give`me`ideas`to`play`with.

Lost`my`prev`post....

Well`done`OKay`getting`started`on`a`plan/some`rules`that`suit`you.

Today`I`had`to`follow`my`"rule"`to`get`past`99c`treat`at`checkout.`An`old`favorite.
I`know`me.`Down`the`track`I'd`risk`having`meals`just`of`chocolate`if`I`got`started.

Yesterday`I`managed`to`jog`down`the`street`with`ddog,then`fast`walk`for`a`while`longer.
So`I`must`be`getting`stronger.`
Today`I`went`to`moderate`level`yoga.`Only`came`out`of`2`poses`early`so`theres`improvement.

[lucylee]

-- diet Pepsi
-- bar-b-que sandwich (just meat & bread)
-- a few potato chips
-- frosted mini wheats for dessert
3 meat, 2 starch, 1 fat
1 starch, 1 fat
2 starch
The only reason I'm posting this is so you can see what food groups you had and how easy it is to count exchanges.
It was interesting - you had:
13 1/2 starch = 1080
5 1/2 meat = 302
7 1/2 fat = 300
2 fruit = 120
Very interesting...

Well, yes, I'll admit that is pretty interesting... 13 1/2 starches in one day... amazing that dh didn't have to peel me off the floor, I guess.
BUT... "How easy it is to count exchanges" -- nope -- I don't get it. How do I get 3 meats out of 1 bar-b-que sandwich?
And why don't I get any credit for peanut butter crackers? PB is supposed to be a protein, isn't it?
I think leaving out the starches would be a HUGE HUGE help in my diet, right?
And why does my granola bar, which is mostly almonds and peanuts, count for nothing but starches?

I'm not trying to be difficult, really, Indiana. I know the cinnamon rolls are bad. And I know I need more fruits and vegetables. I just don't understand why the pb crackers and granola bars are so bad.

I ate bad today, too... but I bought salad, grapes, and apples at the grocery store tonight, and I did NOT replenish the mini wheat supply!

And Harmony, I'm with you -- except I am in AWE of you, b/c I cannot imagine 11 months of this. I cannot keep anything in my head either, and the looking up and checking calories and points and exchanges -- it just blows my mind.

The 12-hour fast -- no eating from 6pm -- 6am would be a good idea, except the last two night we've eaten supper after 8:00 and I have been starving. I don't think fasting from 10:00 p.m. till 10:00 a.m. gives the same result.

[Lynlee]

I`just`signed`up`to`this`newsletter.
http://ginews.blogspot.com/
ok...It`says`the`sugar`connection`is`not`what`I`thought.
Maybe`its`just`my`taste`buds,and`the`things`it`gets`added`to.

[Indiana]

Harmony I know you are frustrated. My tricks when I hit a plateau were:

1. I would look at my portions to make sure they hadn't crept up in size.

2. If they were fine I would continue what I was doing.

I found that my body needed to catch up once in a while to get used to being nourished the way I was doing it by eating healthy. I knew this was for a life time so I just kept on keeping on. My body would catch up it wouldn't be as fluffy and although the weight loss didn't show my clothes fit better.

It was frustrating but it worked for me.

The other thing is I wouldn't hold any faith in the numbers you just got. Some if not almost all of the increase back is probably fluid retention from traveling. So I wouldn't fiddle with going to just a few foods.

[Indiana]

Well, yes, I'll admit that is pretty interesting... 13 1/2 starches in one day... amazing that dh didn't have to peel me off the floor, I guess.
BUT... "How easy it is to count exchanges" -- nope -- I don't get it. How do I get 3 meats out of 1 bar-b-que sandwich?
And why don't I get any credit for peanut butter crackers? PB is supposed to be a protein, isn't it?
I think leaving out the starches would be a HUGE HUGE help in my diet, right?
And why does my granola bar, which is mostly almonds and peanuts, count for nothing but starches?

lucylee your calories came from starches, fat and meat. Although 1800 calories it helps if you include vegetables, fruit and dairy.

There was probably at least 3 ounces of meat on the bun which you give you 3 meats. One meat is an ounce.

You do get credit for the pb crackers. The 1 1/2 starch is from the crackers and the 2 fats is from the peanut butter.
although the pb is protein is is also considered fat. There is nothing wrong with the pb crackers. Some other foods need be be added instead of more starch. So if you are having 6 starch in a day 1 1/2 would be used by the pb crackers. Instead of having them as a snack they could be for lunch with fruit and fresh veggies cut-up. The 2 fats go against your 4 fats. You could also have 3 of the crackers with lunch and save the other 3 for a snack. Have them with fruit for your snack.

There is nothing wrong with the granola bars. They are good. They are all starch because of the wheat and grains in the bars with just a sprinkling of nuts. You could do the same with them as I suggested with the pb crackers.

lucylee nothing is "bad" there are just some better portions and combinations to have.

Oh oh I wanted to say your walking is one of the best things ever. On my way to work each nmorning I would walk the aisles of a super store near work to get my walking in. (I could walk then.)

Do you want to do yesterday or today's to get a better feel?