Posts by lyri

This sounds lazy but, put me down for 50. I haven't walked in a few months and my knees haven't been behaving very well. So I hope I can make it!

I took Paxil and didn't like it, so I know where you are coming from.

I took Lexapro, and out of 3 SSRI's I tried, it was the one with the least side-effects. It didn't make me gain weight, it didn't do crazy things to my appetite (others did). And when coming off it, I didn't have any major withdrawal issues and I managed to lower dosages very quickly.

As for it's therapeutic ability, I'd say it was fine. It was probably as effective as Zoloft and more effective than Paxil for me.

Like any SSRI, Lexapro can have side effects and has basically the same side effect profile (lower libido and weight gain being the two that are most complained about) as any other drug in its category, but if you're gonna take an SSRI and are worried about side effects, Lexapro is probably the one to take because it's the "lightest" when it comes to those side effects.

But remember, everyone has completely different reactions to each SSRI (which is why every SSRI  basically does the same thing, but some people can tolerate one better than others), so the only way of really knowing is trying. And considering you took Paxil when you were 16 to 19, your body and brain might (and probably will) react differently to an SSRI now than it did then.

My shoe size varies a half size (8.5 to 8) depending on weight. I haven't really measured how much weight is between each size.

- Frozen yogurt

- Apples sprinkled with cinnamon

- Baked apples with cinnamon and brown sugar (I throw some fat free whipped cream on the side for extra yum)

- Some sorbets are pretty good, but they aren't all low-cal

- 100 calorie ice cream sandwiches

Lately I haven't been counting tomato sauce because carrying a refridgerated jar to my computer to log it, and then tag it for future use is sort of a pain, considering it only has 50 cals max (usually more around 30) for the amount I use. I do take it into account and mentally add those 50 cals to what I think I consumed, but I don't bother logging it.

I don't bother logging sugar free gum or diet coke anymore. Sometimes I'll put in my Crystal Light, but not always, since I only consume about 2 cups (10 cals) a day.

- Salads, at least restaurant ones.

- Sorbet. I still eat it, but it has a lot of sugar and cals so I have to take it into account when I'm figuring out my daily menu.

- Smoothies. I always try to make them at home now so I can watch what I put in them.

- Some muffins and cookies (like at Subway, Starbucks, and fast foods)

I weigh in when I wake up, in the kitchen/dining room (that's where the scale is), after going to the bathroom. I weigh in every day, because weight fluctuations mean that if I weigh in once a week I might think I didn't lose anything, but may have actually lost a pound or two. So I just weigh in everyday and follow the trend line instead of the actual numbers.

ETA: when I say after going to the bathroom, I mean peeing. My bowel movements are too irregular to depend on them for my weigh-ins.

Since I rarely eat plain bananas, I like them yellow with brown spots. I usually use them in smoothies or for oatmeal, so they are best with a bit of mush. They're also much sweeter so I can cut down on the added sweeteners.

I LOVE cheese. I eat AT LEAST 1 oz of cheese a day, I just make sure keep it within my alloted calories.

Most of the time, though, I try to eat Reduced Fat cheese (NOT fat free) made with 2% milk if I'm using it as an ingredient because the flavor difference is not as obvious. If it's a snack, I go for the regular stuff.

I think my worst experience has been fat free cream cheese. It tastes like plastic in cream form. I tried to see if it was an "acquired taste" but after multiple tries, I'll just stick to the regular kind when I do decide to stock cream cheese in my house. I also have issues with fat free margarine and fat free cheese. I like some reduced fat cheeses, but entirely fat free is completely gross to me.

Original Post by nat1968:

 It seems to me, however, that telling someone who has an intense fear of gaining weight to see a doctor is pretty much like telling a person with claustrophobia to take the lift, or someone with insect phobia to handle a cockroach.

I completely disagree. If we're gonna compare it to phobias, it's actually like telling someone whose phobia is getting in the way of their daily activities to go see a therapist. (And trust me, I've been there, saying no to everything because I was afraid of confronting a phobia.)

We're not telling that person to gain weight and see that it's okay to eat, we're telling that person to get professional help.

True, sodium and high saturated fat are huge issues. But if you're out with not much time and feel like having some fries and they are within your calories, I say go ahead. The thing is not to make a daily thing out of it, and not to supersize everything into the largest combo that can fit in a plastic tray.

Original Post by gi-jane:

Original Post by edspillane:

great ideas; i think I need to at restaurants learn not to clear my plate.  I've always had that problem...eating everything that I'm served.

If you're in the U.S. you have my sympathy.  Restaurants there seem to operate on the mentality that if the diner can still walk at the end of the meal, they haven't had enough to eat.    Can you ask for a child's portion, maybe?  Share with a friend?  Transfer what you don't want into the doggy bag but leave it behind rather than take home congealed leftovers... (brrr)?

 

Yes, here, when eating out, if you don't feel extremely fatigued and full, you haven't eaten.

Anyhow, other than what's already been suggested, sometimes I bring what's left on the doggy bag and give it to another member of my family. For example, when out for pizza, whatever's left usually goes home with me and I often give it to my sister because she's as much of a pizza freak as I am. I mean, I may bring it home and have it later in the day if the leftovers are from lunch, but if it's late and my calories are done for the day, I just give it to someone else.

Sharing with a friend is ideal, but sometimes you're eating alone, or eating with someone much bigger who can handle more calories, or just eating with someone that doesn't eat what you do. If that's the case, split it in half anyway and share it with someone who isn't necessarily there at the moment, like a roommate or a sibling or whoever you live with. Hey, you can give it to a homeless person or a stray dog.

Many of us can't handle the idea of wasted food, so we clear the plate. But you can always come up with ways to make that food not really be wasted.

Ok, you say you like chocolate and candy. Have you tried eating smaller portions of it, or do you just binge on it every time you try?

Because I love chocolate and candy and ice cream and sweets and I haven't given up one single thing and I still keep it under 1400 cals a day on most days.

I am not always cold, but I am often colder than the person next to me, which is weird considering I'm live a tropical climate. When I was in college, if I was in a cold classroom and people had one jacket on, I had two and was still shivering and couldn't concentrate. I often have to wear a light jacket inside my house when everyone else is fine in a tshirt.

But I have hypothyroidism and my hemoglobin is on the lower end of the normal range. So for me it's normal, but not for the average person.