Posts by trayceebee

I have one and I really like it. I got it in September when the Wii fit plus came out. I do not use it instead of working out of the gym but use it more for my off days and just to play. I like it because the wii plus gives you a calorie count for the activites you are doing. I am addicted to the hula hooping. The plus also lets you put together a routine or do one that is already created that combines strength/cardio/yoga. The plus as the added feature of some "games" such as biking, skateboarding, juggling, etc.

I also have Gold's Cardio - it is a cardio boxing game that uses 2 Wii remotes. I find that I have often built up a bit of sweat doing it and it feel like a real workout.

I also have the biggest loser game and jillian micheals 2010. Nothing really great about either of them. They can be played with or with out the fit balance board.

I do not have but I have heard great things about AE Active. I have heard that there is a new version coming out soon with more activities and I was holding out for that. I think that it can be used with or without the balance board.

I think it is all a matter of finding what works for you. It has been a three year process for me to get from 208 to my lowest of 136... unfortunately I have gain some back, but have started to get it back off. I always have found it somewhat difficult to stay within my calorie allowance. I try to keep it between 1400 – 1600.

I had a trainer tell me to use a format of Breakfast – 200 - 300 calories, Lunch – 300 – 400 calories, Snack – 150, Dinner – 400 – 500, Snack – 150. Which in theory seems ok, but it doesn’t work with my hunger. I tried it, but problems were dinner and snack. I would end up with a dinner that was more like 600 calories and by the time my last snack rolled around I was still hungry and those 150 calories, easily became more like 400 – 500. Now I have worked this around a bit and this seems to be working for me.

 Breakfast (7AM) – 200 – 300 (coffee, egg/egg whites, one toast), Snack (10:30AM) – 150 – 175 (Oatmeal, fruit, or cereal), Lunch (12 – 1 PM) – 200 – 300 (salad, frozen meal, soup, or left-overs), Snack (2:30PM) – 50 – 150 (fruit or yogurt), Dinner (4:30PM) – 300 – 400 (small meal), & Dinner (8PM) – 300 – 400 (small meal)

I always have found it somewhat difficult to stay within my calorie allowance. I try to keep it between 1400 – 1600. I had a trainer tell me to use a format of Breakfast – 200 - 300 calories, Lunch – 300 – 400 calories, Snack – 150, Dinner – 400 – 500, Snack – 150. Which in theory seems ok, but it doesn’t work with my hunger. I tried it but problems were dinner and snack. I would end up with a dinner that was more like 600 calories and by the time my last snack rolled around I was still hungry and those 150 calories, easily became more like 400 – 500. You know, grab a snack, then go back for just a little of something else, then something esle...

Now I have worked this around a bit and this seems to be working for me.

 Breakfast (7AM) – 200 – 300 (coffee, egg/egg whites, one toast)

Snack (10:30AM) – 150 – 175 (Oatmeal, fruit, or cereal)

Lunch (12 – 1 PM) – 200 – 300 (salad, frozen meal, soup, or left-overs)

Snack (2:30PM) – 50 – 150 (fruit &/or yogurt)

Dinner (4:30PM) – 250 – 400 (small meal)

Dinner (7 - 8PM) – 250 – 400 (small meal)

So far so good. I do feel satisfied for the whole day. So perhaps playing around with when you are eating may be important.

I also love the mexican ground round. It is awesome for taco salad. Once I cooked ground beef and used ol' el paso seasoning mix for my boyfriend's tacos and I made myself a salad. He ended up eating some of the Yves because he thought it tasted better.

What type of meals do you use the other flavours for? I have used the Italian in spagetti, but the Asian I have never tried.

I love Sol Cuisine's meatless burgers. For 110 calories per patty, it allows me to have my burger "treat" and keep the meal really low cal. I have tried a lot of vegetarian burgers and this is one of my favorites. And Canadian, the company is the GTA.

I have it on a roll, loaded with tomato, lettuce and onion, with a side of sweet potatoe fries. Oh Heaven. And all for about 350 calories.

Like others I have found that cardio machines, this site, and other exercise charts, give me a higher calorie count then my HRM. I know that weight loss is not a simple math equation, but I do keep a chart in exel tracking the number of calories consumed and burn to figure out what should be my expected weight loss each week. Before the HRM I found I was often frustrated because I wasn't seeing the results I was expecting, but with the HRM I find my tracking is much more accurate.

I also like the HRM because it is a means of knowing if I am working out hard enough. I don't enjoy being "uncomfortable" so sometimes when I am doing my cardio, whether it is on the bike, treadmill, or crosstrainer, I find I tend to ease up and sort of coast along. Seeing my heart rate it gives me immediate feedback that I need to step it up.

I actually had a few this week;

Ran for 40 minutes straight, 3.4 miles. Yippee!

Hit a total of 70lbs lost (Since I started making healthy changes 3 yrs ago).

My size 6 dress pants are almost too loose to wear. The idea that I might have to get a size 4 is just crazy to me.

I had kept a bin of clothes from 3 years ago. My thinking was that if I wasn't successful I didn't want to have to buy all new "fat" clothes. I went through the bin and I put on my old favourite cords and top. I was so hard to believe that those size 16 were once snug on me, they hung off of me, and went I let go of the pants they fell to the floor. I put all the clothes in a bag to be donated.

I just got a Timex Road Trainer at Sportchek. They had other types such as Polar, Garmin, and MIO. I looked on line and Future Shop also sells them online and in store, the Running Room again online and in store, I think any where that sells electronics or sports items would carry something.

I paid 129 for mine. The girl working was very helpful and reccomended the one I got.

I think some of the polar ones were about $99 at Sportchek.

Some of my favourite snacks right now include...

Glenny's Spud delites - (Found at Bulk Barn) 100 calories per bag and tastes almost like Munchos... BarBQ Munchos.

Superslim Brown Rice Crisps - 16 for 80 calories

Crab flavoured Alaskan Pollack - 100g for 90 calories (I love this stuff!)

Baby carrots - can't get enough... 12 for 30 calories

I just bought a rice cooker and it cooks brown rice perfectly. But it does take a little longer. I love my rice cooker because it also allows me to steam veggies at the same time. Cooking it in a pot on the stove top takes about 40 minutes plus. Only trick I do is cook a big batch and freeze it in portions so when I come home hungry all I have to do is cook my fish... or whatever I am having, and heat up the rice in the microwave for a few minutes. I find it to be a real time saver and keeps me eating healthy. Rice does freeze really well. I can't tell the difference between the fresh cook and that that has been in the freezer.

I had a birthday and my burn meter went down 10 calories. For every lb I loss my burn meter goes down about 10 too. Remember a smaller body takes less energy to move. Have you had a loss?

When you do exercise you have the amount you burn... your case 600 calories, when you add it, the burn meter does add it, but you have to consider that during that hour you exercised you body burned calories just for existing.  The burn meter doesn't count both. So in you case the hour you were on the bike you burned 600 calories, if you were on the couch, you still would have burned 100 calories... Clear as mud? Perhaps someone can explain better.

I wouldn't stress about 35 calories, unless of course you are feeling like you want/need more food.

Are you satisfied with your meals? Your dinner looks great.  But breakfast and lunch work leave me hungry... I would need more protein and fiber. I would have oatmeal (with fruit and a little splenda) or kashi crunch for breakfast, they do keep me satisfied and give me the sweet that I like. For lunch a huge salad with protein, your egg whites, or chicken...

Do you exercise? I do, just so those little extras don't matter. Just an extra few minutes and it is like the extra 35 calories didn't happen ;)

When my parents were staying with me awhile back my dad eat one of my Yves Veggie wieners. He has heart issues, possible a result of his hot dog addition..lol. My mom had been buying him low fat beef versions and to our great surprise he liked mine better then the low fat ones. I have never tried a low fat one, so I can't say, but it might be worth a try for you.

Actually I think that if your body temp is cold that you burn more calories... shivering to keep warm, but to cool the body you sweat... which doesn't burn calories.

I used to drink a great deal of pop. Always diet. The debate over sweeteners wasn't enough to get me to quit drinking it, but learning about what the phosporic acid in the pop was doing to me was what I needed. How great does weak bones and soft teeth sound...

"Phosphoric Acid
The chemicals in soda pop fall under the categories of artificial flavorings, artificial color additives and dyes, acidifying agents, buffering agents, viscosity-producing agents, foaming agents, and preservatives. One of these chemical additives, phosphoric acid, is added to many kinds of soda pop to help keep the carbonated bubbles from going flat. Because good health depends upon our bodies being able to maintain a one-to-one balance between calcium and phosphorus in our systems, calcium is released from our teeth and bones into our bloodstreams to help balance the phosphoric acid in the pop we drink. Eventually the phosphoric acid is excreted, taking with it the released calcium. Thus, a habit of soft drink consumption actually robs our bodies of calcium, leading to a condition known as osteoporosis – soft teeth and weak bones. "