Posts by emily532

I agree. An iPhone app would be ultra great. It would be awesome if I could keep track of everything on my iPhone while I'm traveling and then upload it all to CC when I return home and sync up my iPhone. I'm keeping track of everything I eat in the "Notes" firmware now and then reyping it into CC when I get home, because even over WiFi, it takes me at least 5 minutes of distraction from eating companions to log everything in to CC (I know, I should just get the 3G).

There is an iPhone app "Restaurants" dreporto, that I used when I'm out traveling now to get quick info about chain restaurants/fast food calorie content. The calories/nutrition info don't always match CC's, but it's really really close, only off by a few calories in my experience. And "restaurants" has some nutritional info for items CC doesn't have (example: specialty fountain drinks at Sonic, or kid's meal values.) I think it's under "healthcare and fitness" in the app store. It reads which restaurants are around you using the Maps pinpointing capability, lists them all, and even maps them for you if you don't know how to get there. It definitely helps me make better choices.

Does anyone else see the flawed logic in the assertion that a vehicle manufacturing company would secretly team up with a premier medical research institution to design a diet plan exclusively available to UAW employees? I assure you the biomedical researchers at Johns-Hopkins are spending their energy and expertise curing cancer, juvenile diabetes, and other terrible diseases from which millions of people suffer every day. They would not take time out from their busy schedule doing important research to develop a get-skinny-quick cabbage soup diet.

It doesn't sound healthy and you'll probably end up getting sick. Seriously, someone could make up any combination of foods and call it a miracle diet and people would try it as long as there was a aire of exclusivity attached to it.

Congratulations on making the decision! It's hard at first, but when your blood sugar stabilizes after a few days, you'll be glad you did.

My experience: I feel like I should go to a Refined Carbohydrates Anonymous meeting or two (somebody please let me know if those actually exist). The withdrawals were SOOOO bad, then when my blood sugar levels stabilized after fighting through it for a couple of days, my whole mood and personality changed for the better, I didn't feel so tired all the time, and pounds started melting off, even though that wasn't my initial intention. I'm down almost 10 pounds from where I was 10 days ago when I made the initial decision to give up sugar. The cravings are coming less and less too. But I had to give up sugar AND all refined carbs for it to work, and get off oral contraceptives for me to even have a chance at succeeding. For me at least, BC Pills = sugar cravings. Sorry if TMI :)

An end note about artificial sweeteners: I've been told (and experienced myself) that artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, inhibit your brain's ability to recognize messages from your stomach that you're full. You end up eating way more calories that way. A few people I know switched from regular coke to diet coke and actually gained weight because they were eating so much more.

Hi grrouchie. I agree with you about this website's weight suggestions being a little preposterous. I signed up a few days ago and the website's suggestion to me was "136.6." I am a 5'6" 27 year old female with a medium frame, and I don't think I've been in the 136.6 range since middle school. I'm not looking to be a size 2 or 4, just an 8 or a 10. My friend who runs 3 miles a day and is my height can't seem to get below 140. Plus, I'm from Louisiana originally, (hopefully moving back soon) and they look at a woman who is that small as skeletal. I have to agree. I don't want to see definition in my ribs when I look in the mirror and I don't want to blow away in the wind. I think this obesity epidemic has made everyone a little unrealistic and paranoid. The top number in the healthy weight range for my height is 151, and it's entirely unrealistic to expect anything lighter than 145 or so for myself.

Anyway, I'm glad someone agrees with me. Try to be weight you're most comfortable with and you feel healthiest at, and don't let these "weight parameters" make you paranoid.

--Emily

I just started the calorie count website a few days ago. I'm like you, Jaz, I got so upset when I saw pictures of myself and didn't even recognize myself, I decided I had to do something. I've decided I'm not buying any new clothes until I can buy a size smaller. I'm also hovering around 180 now. I can't seem to get below that 180 benchmark and it's definitely frustrating. I know it probably doesn't make any sense, but even if it's just 179. 8, it would still be "making progress" at least in my mind. I keep telling myself, okay, stick to your calorie plan and tomorrow will be the day. But then I get on the scale and I'm either 180.6, or even back up to 184, which is truly disappointing.  How can I be eating 1300 calories a day and gain weight?

Anyway, I'm not sure how the buddy process works, but it would help to have a support system. It's frustrating to complain about how hard it is to lose weight to your friends who are all sizes 6-10, and one of them runs marathons!

I can't even imagine being able to get myself to exercise AND eat well at the same time.  If any of you have room for another support buddy, please add me! I can be way more encouraging toward other people than I can of myself, and I need help!

Emily