Posts by tadpole185

I stick a piece of gum in my mouth whenever I see junk food and get a craving for it.

Original Post by dartrinton:

my tips are use butter, oil and full fat products liberally. eat nuts, but not too many , they are heavy on the stomach. eat chocolates, ice cream, dried fruits like raisins are great ( one cup has over 500 calories) eat full fat cheese, and even go as far as putting extra egg yolks when you make scrammbled eggs.

I agree with most of this, but butter, egg yolks, and full fat cheese have lots of saturated fat and cholesterol since they're animal products. I would definitely add more fat to your diet, but I'd be more selective and use nuts and plant based oils. Avocados are delicious and calorie dense - have you tried those yet?

Davefire and bigmommah both have good ideas. Personally, I can't do anything in moderation. I'm an all-or-nothing type of girl. So I'll let myself binge on special occasions the way Davefire does (like my birthday or Thanksgiving). But, for some people, enjoying dessert in moderation eases temptation. Which ever works for you!

It took me a while to figure out the whole calorie burn meter too!

The burn meter calculates the amount of calories you burn on an average day. It factors in sleep as well. If you enter in all of the activities you do, then it will replace your "average" burn with the calories burnt during that activity.

Suppose your average hourly burn is 2400 (I know that's high, but it makes things easier to explain). You would burn an average of 100 calories per hour. Now, if you walk for 1 hour, and that burns 300 calories per hour, this is what happens.

1. CC will add 300 calories to your burn meter.

2. CC will subtract one average hour (100 calories) from your burn meter. That is because you replaced one average hour with one hour of activity. Now, your burn meter will read 2600.

It's a bit confusing! But, in short, I agree with the others. Keeping your activity level at sedentary and entering all activities is most accurate, if you can keep up with it!

Original Post by thejabronisayz:

I use to be a junkie when it came to soda. I drank soda ALL THE TIME, morning, afternoon, and especially at night right before bed. 

When I quit drinking soda, I lost 10 pounds effortlessly, and I think that quitting drinking will have a similar affect. I'm in college right now, and now that it's summer, I drink more alcohol (more time for parties). I eat better and exercise more, but that darn alcohol!

Original Post by lyssalou76:

They are called hyperkeratosis pilaris

While this is one cause of those little red bumps, there are others also. The one I know of is Pseudomonas, which is a bacteria that is native to the skin. It grows in hair follicles and walls itself off so your immune system can't find it. If you can, you should see a dermatologist to determine the problem you have with your skin so you can get the right treatment. The wrong treatment might make it worse.

It looks like you don't get enough EFA (essential fatty acids) in your diet. EFAs are found in fish, walnuts, flax seed, pumpkin seed, and vegetable oils (like canola or soy). If you don't like those kinds of foods, try taking a supplement, like flax seed oil (they're relatively inexpensive).

It also seems like you need more iron in your diet. If you choose not to eat red meat, then make sure you have Vitamin C with your iron. This will help improve absorption.

Best of luck!

In the US, "whole grain" is defined by the USDA, whereas "12 grain" and "multi-grain" are not. Whole grain means that the entire wheat is used (germ, bran and endosperm). It doesn't just apply to breads though: for example, popcorn is a whole grain!

Whole wheat breads are breads that are "whole grain." A lot of companies will market their breads as "multi-grain" because the name sounds healthier. As many others have said, make sure to read the label. The first ingredient should be "whole wheat flour" if it is truly a whole grain bread.

Many breads, especially light or low-carb breads, are enriched with fiber and nutrients. Whole wheat flour is naturally higher in fat and more dense than de-germed (white) flour. That's why it's important to read the labels =)

If you're from the UK or somewhere outside of the US, I'm not sure how the food labeling rules work, so this might not apply.

Good for you! I think a lot of losing weight is not getting too caught up in it. Stress (and frustration) make it harder to lose weight. And, like you said, not all methods work for everyone. Forcing yourself into eating habits that are unnatural isn't healthy for your body. I'm happy this worked out for you. Congratulations!

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Wait, did you start Feb 8 or 28?

If the 8th, then in 7 weeks you have lost 8 pounds - over 1 lb/week loss.

If the 28th, then in only 4 weeks you have lost 8 pounds - almost 2 lb/week loss!

Both are great, but you shouldn't be losing any faster than that.

 I could not agree more. Losing 1-2 pounds per week is the healthy way to lose weight. You are much less likely to experience the dreaded plateau, and you are not going to harm your metabolism. Congratulations, and keep up the good work!

I concur, perhaps you should see a therapist. Dietitians are good for devising meal plans and coaching people about healthy food choices. If self-control is your issue, your best choice is someone who specializes in behavioral therapy rather than nutrition.

That sounds awesome. I've heard about those types of tests because I study nutrition, but I didn't realize they were so easily accessible!

Original Post by kosherbean:

here are some super helpful, quick and easy general guidelines for a SUPER EFFECTIVE diet.

Fruits: 3 medium whole fruits daily. (apple, orange, banana)

Veggies: 3 cups daily: (1 cup dark green leaves/broccoli . 1 cup baby carrots. 1/2 cup corn or peas.)

Dairy: 3 cups or less daily: (Low fat or skim only. Fatfree milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese.)

Meat/Protein: 5 - 6 oz per day. (l hardboiled egg, 2 oz deli sliced turkey, 3 oz lean meats (size of card deck))

Grains: 6-7 daily. Whole wheat only. (1 slice bread=1. 1/2 cup oatmeal=1.)

Fats: Limit to 1 tbsp per day. ( nuts/seeds, nut/seed butters only.)

Sugars: no candy, no cookies, no sweets. NONE.

Find you BMI. Find how many calories you need per day. Subtract 500 to lose 1/2 lbs a week. Caloris in vs. Calories out. Excersize 3 times a week minimum.

THIS IS YOUR BIBLE. lol :)

I agree on almost everything - except the fats. You may need more fat than just 1 tbsp per day, depending on what you have eaten. If the foods you chose for a day were lean, you should add nuts, nut butters, or some other source of unsaturated fats (avocados and flax seeds come to mind). If you eat a fatty fish (such as salmon), you probably will not need to add additional fat to your diet for the day.

So...the amount of fats you eat on a given day depends on the other foods you consume. Unless you have some sort of medical condition, your goal is to reach 20% of your calories from fat, and keep it less than 35% of your calories from fat.

Why do you need fat? Fat helps keep you feeling full and satisfied. It also helps you absorb certain nutrients, such as vitamins A, D, E and K. Finally, fat helps keep you regular. Best of luck!

Only a week? I agree with sully and minie. You have to give it more time. Sounds like you're in it for a quick fix. Losing weight shouldn't be temporary. It's about changing your lifestyle so you can maintain that lower weight.

Original Post by coley_moley:

I HATE that full bloated feeling after eating too much.

Nuts and dried fruits are very calorie dense. 1/4 cup of nuts has almost 200 calories in it. If you would like to up your calories (and personally, I feel that it would help you), try those. They shouldn't make you feel bloated or full.