Health, Good Practises, and Exercise

[D.T.]

I wanted to supplement my original post. 🙂

Healthy eating, controlled eating, doesn't have to mean food without seasoning, plain food, etc.

I always see people suggesting weight loss or healthy foods and so many times it's a plain piece of baked chicken, with plain veggies. No wonder so many people derail 😀

Here's a couple of meals we had one day recently:

Citrus Couscous Salad
2 cups cooked couscous with 1½ cups each cooked chickpeas and cooked artichoke hearts, 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved), 10 Kalamata olives, 2 tsp EVOO, juice from each ½ lemon and ½ orange, 1 tsp each lemon and orange zest, ½ cup chopped parsley

Ginger Chicken
Stir-fry 4 oz diced chicken breast with 1 tsp each sesame seed oil and minced ginger, 1 cup cooked broccoli and cauliflower florets (leftovers), 2 tbsp sliced almonds, 2 tsp soy sauce. Serve over 1 cup cooked brown rice.

They were delicious. Healthy. Very filling (and calorie and nutrient specific). Don't poo-poo things like chick peas, especially in a recipe, they're terrific 🙂

If OP is willing to find a substitute for diet soda (water or a naturally-flavored drink) then I would highly recommend it.

You know what works outstandingly well for soda replacement:

I know, it's just "plain water", but there's a very definite soda like enjoyment. And the brands we consume don't have additional sodium.

I'm drinking one right now! 😀

 

[ardchoille50]

This idea is one of the things that inspired me to eat healthier and lose weight. I hope the idea can helpful to others.

 

[mgguy]

I find that smoking a good cigar helps keep my appetite in check. Swimming helps too.

 

[td1439]

I'm 42, 5'11", generally in the 215-220 range. I was probably up close to 250 a few years ago. With my schedule and home life, it's hard to fit in exercise; my commute is 40 miles and I don't get home until at least 5:30, where I have 2 kids and a live-in mother-in-law with Parkinson's who needs a lot of care from my wife (meaning I need to pick up the slack in other areas). Afternoon/evening workouts are just not in the cards for me. So a couple of years ago I went from short workouts in the fitness room at the school where I work to longer sessions at Planet Fitness.

During the school year, I get up at 4:30 and head to the PF right near my school. That usually gives me about an hour to work out before I need to get to work. During the summer, I am able to transfer my membership to a PF near where I live; I get up at 5:00 and go for an hour and a half or so. I've also started making protein smoothies for breakfast - milk, Greek yogurt, protein powder, kale/spinach, fruit, ice.

I'm happy to have lost some weight, but I feel like I've hit a plateau, although I try to mix things up. Unfortunately, I hurt my shoulder back in November lifting, and I'm starting to think I tore my rotator cuff. So I've been doing mostly cardio since then. I think it's a combination of my genetics (I definitely inherited the same metabolism and body shape as my mom) and the fact that I probably have too much sugar in my diet (mostly due to coffee consumption - damn you Dunkin' Donuts and your flavor swirls!) I do eat a big salad every day during the school year which always includes a bunch of broccoli, peppers, and string beans, plus at least one piece of fruit every day as well. My cholesterol was 140 at my last checkup, which was great to see. I gotta just be disciplined this summer about what I eat and hope that if I need shoulder surgery I can still do something active.

 

[rhett7660]

I'm seeing a lot of "only drink water"-- I was under the impression that drinking black coffee was okay.... Is it not?

Black coffee is fine. It is when you start drinking coffee and adding sugars, sugar alternatives, and of course items with lots of sugar i.e. creamers etc that black coffee starts to loses it's okay to drink status.

I usually add no sugar almond milk as a substitute for creamer.

 

[anjinha]

Black coffee is fine. It is when you start drinking coffee and adding sugars, sugar alternatives, and of course items with lots of sugar i.e. creamers etc that black coffee starts to loses it's okay to drink status.

I usually add no sugar almond milk as a substitute for creamer.

Same with tea. I drink lots of tea, but I drink it plain most of the time.

 

[Renzatic]

I know, it's just "plain water", but there's a very definite soda like enjoyment. And the brands we consume don't have additional sodium.

I'm drinking one right now! 😀

I'm now on a quest to find some of that stuff.

 

[rhett7660]

You know what works outstandingly well for soda replacement:

Image

I know, it's just "plain water", but there's a very definite soda like enjoyment. And the brands we consume don't have additional sodium.

I'm drinking one right now! 😀

The wife loves this stuff, me not so much. The soda aspect of it, is what she really enjoys about it also.

 

[macapple9]

The good thing is that these come in different flavors too. no need to sacrifice taste.

 

[Renzatic]

Unfortunately, my quest for that specific brand of canned fizz water wasn't quite as successful as I hoped it'd be. I did find some, though. A 12-pack of Vintage seltzer.

For some reason, I like seltzer, and having it canned is somehow even better. I could probably cut soft drinks from my diet entirely with this stuff.

 

[D.T.]

Unfortunately, my quest for that specific brand of canned fizz water wasn't quite as successful as I hoped it'd be. I did find some, though. A 12-pack of Vintage seltzer.

For some reason, I like seltzer, and having it canned is somehow even better. I could probably cut soft drinks from my diet entirely with this stuff.

Anything should be cool. In our smaller Pubs they have several brands, and I usually score whatever is on sale - that CD is usually 2 12-packs for $6 which is pretty good.

 

[Renzatic]

Anything should be cool. In our smaller Pubs they have several brands, and I usually score whatever is on sale - that CD is usually 2 12-packs for $6 which is pretty good.

That's about how much I paid for the Vintage. Now I just need to see if I can find a more local supplier. I drove about 15 miles south looking for the Canada Dry (like I said, it was a quest), only to come across it instead. If I can't find someone selling it in town, I might have to order it from Amazon or something.

...and that weirds me out. Buying groceries online seems odd to me.

 

[mrnoglue]

I was told (not by an expert), that consuming artificial sweeteners tricks the body into releasing insulin which causes weight gain? I need to research this, but thought I'd first ask of anyone has heard of this?

Hey there! Despite being heavily studied, the effects of artificial sweeteners on the body are not well known (disputed) -- especially in regards to diet and weight loss.

A good rule of thumb is treat your artificial intake of sugar the same way you would as if you were consuming real sugar. For example, take a can of pepsi vs. diet pepsi. A 12 oz can of pepsi has 40 grams of sugar. Treat a can of diet pepsi as if you consumed 40 grams of sugar, and limit the rest of your daily sugar intake accordingly.

I try to keep my daily sugar intake below 60 grams. I generally miss that goal, hitting between 80-90 grams a day. Keep a food log, track how much sugar your consuming, and pay special attention to artificial or added sugar, as that is the easiest to cut out of your diet.

My body does better when I eat less processed foods and consume less added sugar. I lose weight, feel better, and have more energy. That is probably a good place to start, and then go from there!

 

[Huntn]

Hey there! Despite being heavily studied, the effects of artificial sweeteners on the body are not well known (disputed) -- especially in regards to diet and weight loss.

A good rule of thumb is treat your artificial intake of sugar the same way you would as if you were consuming real sugar. For example, take a can of pepsi vs. diet pepsi. A 12 oz can of pepsi has 40 grams of sugar. Treat a can of diet pepsi as if you consumed 40 grams of sugar, and limit the rest of your daily sugar intake accordingly.

I try to keep my daily sugar intake below 60 grams. I generally miss that goal, hitting between 80-90 grams a day. Keep a food log, track how much sugar your consuming, and pay special attention to artificial or added sugar, as that is the easiest to cut out of your diet.

My body does better when I eat less processed foods and consume less added sugar. I lose weight, feel better, and have more energy. That is probably a good place to start, and then go from there!

Thanks for the suggestions! 🙂

 

[2298754]

Last May, I was about 225 lb and 5 11ish. I'm at 182 lb, as of 6-7 weeks ago.

I started out super slowly, trying to get the hang of working out and dieting. It really wasn't until last Fall when the weight really started to come off. I went from a 36 waist size to a 31-32.

Have been too busy with work for the last few weeks. Will be back to the regular routine next week.

The end goal is 170-175 and then it's time to work on getting my shoulders and core stronger.

I wish the Apple Watch inventory would get better. I want a fitness tracker and have been holding out for it.

Does anyone have any suggestions for not getting bored while doing cardio? I switch up my music, go on Youtube, Netflix, etc.

 

[determined09]

Is plain Perrier water okay? I had a coworker tell me that's like drinking a carbonated drink.

 

[gadgetgirl85]

Is plain Perrier water okay? I had a coworker tell me that's like drinking a carbonated drink.

It's fine. Nothing wrong with mineral water...nice with lemon/lime.

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I'm 5"3, 126 pounds. I lost nearly 70 pounds just by eating less and exercising. I try to minimise processed foods as much as I can. I eat plenty of those evil 'carbs' as well. Mainly in fruit/veg/oats but still have a little bread as well.

 

[determined09]

It's fine. Nothing wrong with mineral water...nice with lemon/lime.

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I'm 5"3, 126 pounds. I lost nearly 70 pounds just by eating less and exercising. I try to minimise processed foods as much as I can. I eat plenty of those evil 'carbs' as well. Mainly in fruit/veg/oats but still have a little bread as well.

Thanks

 

[Cpt. Gilgamesh]

I was never "fit". In grade school, I was overweight. Not interested in sports and not interested in being social. It gave me time to discover my passion for technology and my faith (perhaps not in the healthiest manner), but my weight prevented me from being social. It changed in high school when I started eating right and breaking past my barriers by socializing in church and school and participating. I wasn't in incredible shape (5'9", 160lbs) but it was the best shape I was ever in. I went to college and I gained a good bit of weight. I became anti-social and just extremely unhappy and stressed once again.

Long story short, I found a good therapist who helped me to deal with stress and build good habits that help me to live my everyday life. So I'm in another journey towards my weight goal. Your fitness really does depend a good bit on your mental health and your outlook on life. Whatever inspires you (family, friends, faith, etc) is really just as important to how you view your health and fitness and the physical aspects of it. Like quitting smoking. You can have great physical improvements to your health, but if you're not mentally prepared to quit, you simply can't.

We're not perfect. My current diet and fitness activities sure aren't perfect but you build up one step at a time. I always felt embarrassed admitting I had to diet and exercise, but I've realized that no one should be embarrassed for wanting to live a better life for themselves and their loved ones. I'm sure many of you have had similar experiences. Sorry for this long post; I'm trying not to study for this online class 😛

 

[Cpt. Gilgamesh]

I gotta just be disciplined this summer about what I eat and hope that if I need shoulder surgery I can still do something active.

I always found summer to be a great time for renewal and change. I sort of set my "New Years Resolutions" in the summer. 😉

 

[ardchoille50]

I was recently given a blender and decided to try it out today. This is a tasty and healthy treat on a hot day.

10 whole strawberries
1 banana
1/2 apple (skinned)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
handful of ice

The drink I made, in the center of the picture, didn't last long 🙂

 

[ardchoille50]

I was never in good shape as a child, parents thought junk food was ok. Well, after a year of eating healthy foods (I limit myself to fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes, tuna, salmon, white meat chicken/turkey, protein powder, water) I have turned myself around and am in great shape. I'm 51 years old and decided to try running on a treadmill a couple months ago. Today I jogged just over 2.5 miles non-stop and was barely breathing hard when I got off the treadmill.

I lift weights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and jog at least two miles every other day - I rest on Sunday. I've seen gradual improvement in everything over the past two months. I feel great and have a lot of energy at age 51.

One of my favorite quotes: "Exercise will not fix bad nutrition."

 

[D.T.]

I feel great and have a lot of energy at age 51.

Awesome ... ! You look terrific.

 

[0388631]

I eat what I was within reason. I eat a lot of red meat and pork and lamb. I have very good levels according to my doctor and cardiologist. I also work out when I can. One thing I did do this last year was lessen my coffee and black tea intake. I also bought the stevia extract powder that Whole Foods and Trader Joe's sells and use them in any drink I need. They came (not sure about newer containers) with a tiny scoop. One 45 mg scoop is like having 2 tbsp of sugar in a cup of tea or whatever. Bitterness only came through at 4-5 scoops, and at that point it's disgustingly sweet. And the bitterness is like burnt sugar and not metallic tasting or bitter like aloe vera. So if you enjoy burnt sugar lacing on a cream puff or something like that (or creme brulle or flan sauce), then you'll like it. Each container has around 670 servings and is under $12.

Wife and I tried it with some baking, just a couple scoops with regular sugar, and through trial and error we found the right amount of the stuff to cut the calories in certain sugar rich foods. Obviously full on stevia would taste bad. I myself had been using sugar or xylitol (has zero effect on my digestion) as a means for years. Coconut butter oil works well as a vegetable oil replacement and everything tastes richer. Coconut butter, which we make ourselves is fantastic on warm bread, pancakes or waffles. Or straight out of the container. Goes well with freshly made whipped cream, bananas and macadamia nuts on pancakes.

Thankfully there's a new trend of no artificial and more wholesome foods being offered even by mass manufacturers. Which will be easier when we get to the point of establishing good diet and exercise in our two kids, who are due soon. These days I see a lot of non GMO and USDA Organic official labeling when I go shopping. Practically every other product has it, and if it doesn't, a competitor does.

 

[sdilley14]

I was recently given a blender and decided to try it out today. This is a tasty and healthy treat on a hot day.

10 whole strawberries
1 banana
1/2 apple (skinned)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
handful of ice

The drink I made, in the center of the picture, didn't last long 🙂

View attachment 566392

I personally wouldn't drink too many of those. All of those ingredients are extremely high in sugar and carbs. Even if it comes from natural sources like fruit, sugar is still sugar. I'm sure it tastes great, and it's better than drinking soda or whatever, but don't be fooled into thinking a concoction like that is "healthy". That right there is a treat to be consumed in moderation. 🙂