Size 12-14

[Eveylyn]

For the last 8 years or so i have been a 12/14. (Depends on the season. Summers 12, Winters 14) I've never really thought of myself as a "big girl" When i look in the mirror i feel fine. I always thought i was average. My partner never had a problem so i didn't really care. Yesterday we took our annual Christmas portraits.

 

Problem!!!!!! It has appeared though i am the same size. I look larger. I truly look like a big girl. I decided to finally step on a scale (haven't had one in years!) at 5'4" i wiegh 173 lbs. My partner who stands at 4'9" is 160. We are big girls.

 

So we made a plan. Lets diet. Here in lies the problem. Whats a diet? What works? We live in a small, small, very small community. There is no gym. There is no Y, there is a walmart! Theres a Mcdonalds, KFC, BurgerKing, Arby's, Sonic, Taco Bell, Taco Taste, Subway, (the list goes on) Yes the whole town is fat! LOL.....Not to mention, her family is hispanic. Which means Lots of beans with lard, Lots of Rice, Lots of Cheese, Tortillas. OMG, I'm hungry just thinking of it all.

 

Help Please.....Where do we start. (btw, i've stopped smoking about 3 years ago. I've replaced that addiction with a candy addiction. after a meal I HAVE TO HAVE A SWEET! I also hate water.....go figure! )

[ghost69]

what you are currently eating is not a diet. you need to make a major change. you guys can start walking.

[melrich]

you guys can start walking.

 

Yeah, walking you can do anywhere. Build up to some light jogging maybe.

 

The community cannot be that small if you have so many fast food places? So maybe you can find a small commnuity market or farmers market in the region where you can get fruit and vegetables.

[Scorpion Fury]

Prepare your own meals at home, don't eat the fast food. Go grocery shopping. Do you know what's healthy to buy and what's not so good for you?

[Clementine orange]

Some dietary changes obviously, you can see that. Basically cut out all or most fast food.

How about this plan, every morning, get up 3/4 hour earlier than you ordinary would and go for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. What a great way to start the day and get to know your area. Plus if there's a coffeeshop/cafe around then that's a bonus too. (no sugar in your coffee and no danishes either!)

[Eveylyn]

. Do you know what's healthy to buy and what's not so good for you?

 

 

I imagine, vegtables. But truly the only vegtables we eat are A. Canned, and B. I drain the water and add butter....

 

I don't think i would know how to prepare raw vegtables. And what about taste?????

[Eveylyn]

(no sugar in your coffee and no danishes either!)

 

 

 

I truly laughed when i read this! Uh, how do i not?

[kuiks8]

maybe start with some small changes...as everyone said start walking more....don't drink your calories...and cut out one major bad food habit for a couple months and see how you feel after that.

Also maybe wait until after the holidays b/c you might just get disheartened if you try to do it now...

[melrich]

I don't think i would know how to prepare raw vegtables. And what about taste?????

 

Vegetables are very easy to cook. You can steam, bake or grill them and really the only thing you need to learn is the time for each vegetable. The internet is full of recipes.

 

Re. the taste, freshly cooked vegetables taste great. If you need to splash a bit of olive oil and some salt.

[Eveylyn]

The community cannot be that small if you have so many fast food places? So maybe you can find a small commnuity market or farmers market in the region where you can get fruit and vegetables.

 

I live in a mining town Phelps Dodge/ Freeport McMoran owns pretty much everything. It started out as a boomtown, then the Mormonds took over. The closest community market would be in phoenix 3 hours away. But we go into the city once a month, i could definetly purchase a few things there.

 

Thanks for the tips!!!

[kuiks8]

I imagine, vegtables. But truly the only vegtables we eat are A. Canned, and B. I drain the water and add butter....

 

I don't think i would know how to prepare raw vegtables. And what about taste?????

 

do you want to change? if you want to be healthier/smaller you will have to make some changes...and they won't be easy...

[PixelPusher]

-Water: Buy some of those "crystal light" packets you can add to water... it gives it flavor but doesn't add a bunch of sugar or calories.

- Walking: Yep, get walkingfor at least 20-minutes 5-times per week. You don't have to power-walk but don't meander, either. Get your heart working a bit.

- Fast food: Give it up entirely. The ONLY fast food I would eat is Subway and even then get a 6" on WHOLE wheat (no other bread) and get a lean meat: turkey, etc. NO cheese, light mayo (or no mayo) and tons of veggies.

- Start cooking at home and have healthy snacks with you.

- Eat 6 times per day: A healthy breakfast, a light midmorning snack, lunch, midafternoon snack, and dinner. Watch portions.

- Sweet tooth: Substitute an orange or grapes for candy. They're just as sweet. Switching candy for smoking is better, but still not great. If you can give up smoking, you can resist your sweet tooth.

 

I suggest buying the South Beach Diet and following it to the letter. My girlfriend and I have been on it since October, and we both have lost over 10lbs each. Once you get to the Phase we're in (maintenance) then you've already changed your eating habits and that sugar (or in my case, chips) don't really look appealing anymore.

[Clementine orange]

I live in a mining town Phelps Dodge/ Freeport McMoran owns pretty much everything. It started out as a boomtown, then the Mormonds took over. The closest community market would be in phoenix 3 hours away. But we go into the city once a month, i could definetly purchase a few things there.

 

Thanks for the tips!!!

 

keep your eyes on the prize, and measure your progress.

What the heck are mormounds?

[Applewhite]

Stop adding butter to your veggies In fact I think the only oils you should use on a regular basis are olive oil and canola oil. But your veggies can just be steemed or boiled. You don't have to fry them! You can even put frozen veggies in the microwave, it is very easy and fast. Some will argue they are not as good as fresh, but I am sure everyone will agree it is better than your current diet.

 

For people that like food, South Beach is a good diet. Search the forums for it. If you actually stick to it, it really really works.

[Clementine orange]

.

 

-Water: Buy some of those "crystal light" packets you can add to water... it gives it flavor but doesn't add a bunch of sugar or calories.

 

.

 

Those crystal light mini packs are great! I love those. I pound back one of those whenever I have a craving for something sweet. Greatest invention ever! Kiwi-grapfruit rules!

 

Recently there was a really good thread here on "cheat food" that cause minimal damage - I'll see if I can find it.

[Eveylyn]

WOW! Small steps sound like the keys! Yes i want to change! Thanks for the tips!

[abitbroken]

Here are a few simple changes you can make that will help you and won't be too painful:

 

- Eat at home before you go grocery shopping so you don't eat at the McD's n Walmart. This way also you are not hungry and can shop with your head and not your stomach

 

- Add olive oil, nuts, and seafood to your diet.

 

- Cut out soft drinks. Even if they are "diet" - you get all sorts of stuff you don't need like aspartame, colorings, etc. I kicked them by buying seltzer water and then adding some juice to it. It still has the carbonation without the empty calories. I do not desire soft drinks anymore except I do drink a natural brewed ginger ale from whole foods...yum!

 

- Juices - stop buying juice that is 1-10% juice - it is all a bunch of sugar. Buy 100% orange juice, apple, cranberry, etc. If it is too strong (some grape juices are strong to people and you can't drink 100% cranberry juice - dilute them with water or seltzer/soda water.

 

- Milk is for baby cows, not adults. If you drink milk with dinner, consider going for dairy that is organic/from cows with no added hormones and antibiotics. It is the antibiotics, etc that cows are given that can make us fat. Also, consider getting your calcium from fresh cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, and soymilk instead.

 

- Pay attention to your meats. There are many reasonably priced that are now from chicken, etc that were not given hormones, etc.

 

- use spices and herbs instead of salt. If you watch your sodium intake it REALLY makes a difference

 

- When your partner's relatives make a hispanic dinner, enjoy the things cooked in lard, but use PORTION CONTROL. Eat a salad or something very healthy ahead of time if that helps you so that you can have a little to break bread with the family, but still are being reasonable for your health. Also, for cooking at home, look for cookbooks that show you how to substitute ingredients in traditional dishes that aren't going to make a difference in taste.

 

Also, make sure you get a protein at breakfast so you will last through the day better and do not skip breakfast. Also, some people find that eating 5 small meals works better than 3 large ones.

[abitbroken]

Those crystal light mini packs are great! I love those. I pound back one of those whenever I have a craving for something sweet. Greatest invention ever! Kiwi-grapfruit rules!

 

Recently there was a really good thread here on "cheat food" that cause minimal damage - I'll see if I can find it.

 

just watch the ingredients. Crystal light has aspartame or nutrasweet that not might agree with everyone's systems. What about squeezing some lemon or lime in water instead to give it a little flavor?

[Zeitgeist]

Do a Google search on "Shangri-La diet". It's fairly simple. You eat a tablespoon of extra light olive oil an hour before you plan on eating. Eat another tablespoon an hour after you eat. Within a few days, you will notice that you eat less and less food to the point that only a few bites will make you feel like you ate a Thanksgiving meal. I didn't need to lose any weight, but I tried it out of curiosity and I can attest to it working. You can read on the websites about the theory behind why it works. Any other diet you try will most likely fail because it depends on one thing that is VERY difficult to control - your willpower. This diet changes your willpower so you actually don't want to eat.

[abitbroken]

Also, every time you have the urge to eat (not counting when you wake up in the morning and obviously need breakfast), have a tall glass of water first. Sometimes our body tells us it is hungry because we are dehydrated. Because we won't or are not giving it the hydration it needs, it craves food to try to extract the water from it.

 

After drinking the water, if you are still very hungry, then eat until you are not hungry anymore rather than until you are stuffed. Be satisfied but not stuffed.

 

Also keep a notebook and pay attention to when you eat to reward yourself. It is VERY common to have the inner dialogue of "wow, I gave a very good presentation...that deserves an ice cream! (or a beer, or dinner out ,whatever). When we are kids, reward eating is something our parents think is a good idea. In fact, the award for a contest at school once was the biggest sunday on the menu at the ice cream parlor. My ex remembers not getting dessert for not cleaning his room, and remembers being able to indulge himself with as much candy as he wanted if he did good.

 

Sometimes it doesn't carry over into adult hood, but some really do have it ingrained. It can be broken by saying "i did an awesome job on that report...I deserve a bubble bath/quiet time/a walk with the dog/a movie/to have a quiet evening in with my partner/tickets to a show/to watch my favorite show instead of working tonight or whatever floats your boat) I am not saying that you have a food reward issue, but MANY of us grew up that way.

 

Also, pay attention to and seriously consider if you don't have the tools to eat healthy (parents ate junk and didn't teach you how to make healthy choices and you never persued the info on your own) or you eat emotionally also. Just good stuff to think about.

[Parsley]

Just a couple of things to add to some already great tips from people here!

 

Someone mentioned eating grapes when you crave sweets - try freezing the grapes. Then they last longer in your mouth and sort of trick your brain into thinking it's having a sweet. Also, they taste amazing!

 

You say you don't know how to cook healthy foods. Have a look online, there are plenty of recipes, many of them incredibly simple to follow. Find some recipes online you think look nice, go for about a week's worth, but if you find more, great! Sit down and write out a menu for the week, with a lunch and dinner. I would suggest eating porridge for breakfast - slow release energy means you won't get hungry anywhere near as fast. Make sure you buy just plain oats, and not the ready made stuff though. Write down what ingredients you need to buy for all these dishes.

 

Do you have any supermarkets near you that can do internet shopping? If you can then do it online!! Far far less opportunity for seeing something tempting and buying it. With online shopping you can go for exactly what you want without being sidelined. If you can't do internet shopping, make sure you have your list ^ ready in hand, detailing everything you need, and do not deviate! Have a section for veg, a section for meat, a section for 'Other foodstuffs' (things like seasonings etc) and another for home supplies (shampoo, bin bags...). Don't buy your veg more than a week before you're going to use it.

 

Give yourself no option to go to the fast food places. If you have a menu already set for the week, you've already found the recipe, and bought the food, then you'll be put off wasting what you've got. Find recipes that excite you, that make you say "ooh I want to try that!" Grow to enjoy cooking!

 

Good luck!

[annie24]

i am a lifetime member of weight watchers. i highly recommend them. lots of support, and they can really help you get started on your new healthy lifestyle, with lots of good tasting recipes also!

 

my other piece of advice is 1 - walk, and 2 - get home DVDs. you don't need a fancy gym to get slim. i used all sorts of home workout DVDs and lost weight like that. good luck! let me know if you have questions.

[Eveylyn]

Ok! So i did it! Last night i steamed some brocoli. I had cheese with it but it was very little compared to normal. We ate baked chicken, instead of fried and we cut out the rice last night. This morning, we walked! it was to the mailbox at the end of our street but it was a start right? we also bought bottled water! (i'm struggling with this one) Day one almost complete!

 

Thanks for the help guys! i'll keep you posted!