Posts by dolceamara

To this day it astounds me how the food companies manage to get all that sugar and salt into those foods. I mean really, where do they put it!? I got quite an education when I started reading labels.

Unfortunately, I also have a family history of diabetes, and my dad, despite being slightly overweight but not obese, has recently been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Thankfully he'll be able to control it with diet because they caught it early while he was young. The way I see it, it's either deal with revamping my diet now or deal with it later, and there's no time like the present.

I agree that while a calorie is a calorie in the sense that you need to expend 3500 of them to lose a pound (or consume to gain), it's not as simple as just that. There are so many other factors that go into it (sodium and sugar levels, etc). Frankly, trying to work the science of it gives me a headache, so I just eat healthier foods because I KNOW that's what's good for me and my body will thank me in the long run. I tend to think that people who hold tightly to the "a calorie is a calorie" mantra just want an excuse to eat only junk when they know well enough it's not good for them.

I'm a writer, so I write. Definitely keeps my mind off mindless snacking. Though, if I get too engrossed, I have to remind myself to eat!

Cleaning and reading are two other things that help me out too :) Though, from the state of my apartment, it's quite obvious that I prefer reading :P

baby steps is the way to go! I found that if I tried to do too much at once, I wouldn't be able to. I'd get discouraged and fall back into old habits and have to start from scratch all over again.

You also don't have to do all your exercise at once. You can break it up into 5-10 minutes here and there throughout the day when you have time. It doesn't seem like much, but the little things add up over time.

Good luck! :)

If you have access to a gym, you could use the leg press machine there. I've found that they put less pressure on my knees while still working the same muscle groups as lunges.

I'd also recommend swimming and/or water aerobics. I just recently got back into it and it always did wonders for my legs. Bonus, swimming is a total body workout, so you get to work all the muscle groups and being in the water means it's very low/no impact.

Original Post by kathygator:

I don't know why...but I think it has something to do with the calories burned in racing past the mirror in order to avoid seeing yourself naked..;)

bwahahahahah XD that made my day!

I am CONVINCED that they put something addictive in it because I seriously could eat a whole jar of it!

I found out it had partially-hydrogenated oil in it, which is why I try to not eat it, but I suppose sometimes is ok :D

Here's a link to the nutritional info on their website:

http://www.nutellausa.com/nutInfo.htm

Thankfully, I was never a big soda drinker in the first place, but yes, I've found myself drinking and prefering water or unsweetened tea more than anything else. I still drink the occasional glass of juice, but usually only a few days a week, if that. Though, if I miss breakfast, sometimes I like a glass of apple or orange juice to kick start my day.

Natural, no sugar (or corn syrup!) added juices work well for me if I need a calorie boost, though.

This year I won't be able to go home for Thanksgiving, but I really do still want to make dinner for me and my boyfriend. Luckily, nothing in my family's traditional recipes are really that laden with fat or are particularly bad (except the sweet potato casserole *__*) But my plan is to make what I want and just portion control. I'm usually pretty good about not over doing it, especially on holidays. It'll be easier since I'm only cooking for two.

Besides that, I'm planning to experiment with some more veggie sides and stay away from too many starches.

Plus hit the gym over the 4 day holiday that I get.

I was watching food network this weekend, and Ellie Krieger, who has a healthy cooking show, said that she categorizes food as: often, sometimes, and rarely (or something like that). I have to say I completely agree!

The point being that nothing should be forbidden. Everything in moderation!             

I have to agree with gfrisbie that it seems like this book was purely made for shock value. I have a hard time believing a lot of the "facts" listed between the pages.

Personally, books like this rub me the wrong way. I don't like "diets" that promote the removal of a complete food group. If people wanted to do that, they would go vegetarian or vegan (which is completely their choice!)

Any diet labeling one food or another as evil just doesn't sit well for me.

To each their own, though. They can sit back and shun dairy for all I care. Leaves more for me :)

I am the same way. The week before I bloat up like a balloon, but after the first couple days of TTOM, I'm feeling skinnier than I do the rest of the month! Haha!

Low iron, maybe? That's the only thing that strikes me as having red meat as a cure.

I'm no doctor, so it's hard to say. Perhaps you should make an appointment and ask your doc what could be the problem?

Definitely DEFINITELY contact your Dr. ASAP! I'm not sure what you are taking, but if you can stop taking it until you see your doc, you should immediately stop taking the meds. This happened to me when I found out I had developed an allergy to penicillin. Not fun! Please call your doctor right away! Even if it's not an allergy, something else could be wrong and you should get some medical attention.

I think that it varies person to person and even day to day. Somedays, when I'm more active, I tend to eat more carbs because my body craves the energy. On less active days I tend to eat more protein and veggies to keep me feeling full. It really depends. I think the best way is to train yourself to listen to your body. A lot of it is trial and error; you'll have to play with the percentages to find out what is right for you.

Typically, I tend to stick to the 20-30-50 (fat-protein-carb) ratio, because that's what works well for me. But again, I'll tweak that on any given day if I feel I need more of one or the other.