Ummm hello, how did I gain all this winter weight??

[ivanadiamond]

I am thinking about getting meals delivered to jump start losing my winter weight, I have gained 10 pounds over the last six months.

I have searched diets, etc on other threads, but I am wondering specifically if any one has had any luck with meal deliveries? I know how to eat right and cook right, but just find myself too busy lately to have time to shop, prepare and pack lunches and make healthy dinners at night. My new job keeps me really busy and I had lost the mojo to work out too. Anyway, I am back on track at the gym and want to try out a meal plan for 30 days...

has anyone tried susan's healthy gourmet, the zonechefs, or sunfare? I don't really want to try nutrisystem or frozen diet dinners, I would like to eat real food and learn portion control. I don't want to go on a diet because inherently I will have to go off of it and I know I will gain the weight again.

I have heard the best recommendations about Sunfare, but it costs a lot so I greatly appreciate any input!

Thanks!

 

[Caribou]

I don''t have any suggestions Ivana, just wanted to empathize with you. I was looking the mirror today wondering how I gained this, what to me seems like, 50 lbs (IRL, 5lbs) over night!!!!

I''m going on a Supermodel diet. hehe....only eating 1 carrot a day.

Kidding.

 

[ivanadiamond]

well if we are doing the supermodel diet, don''t we get at least two glasses of champagne with our carrots

this girl I work with does jenny craig meals, she lost a lot of weight on them, but they are frozen meals...I feel like I could just fill up my freezer with frozen diet food if I wanted to go that route, but I know myself I would burn out.

I just turned 31 two week ago and I swear my hair is going grey and I am gaining weight at record speed, my body is just changing...and it ain''t so purty...

 

[Caribou]

Date: 3/24/2006 1:56:37 PM
Author: ivanadiamond
well if we are doing the supermodel diet, don''t we get at least two glasses of champagne with our carrots

this girl I work with does jenny craig meals, she lost a lot of weight on them, but they are frozen meals...I feel like I could just fill up my freezer with frozen diet food if I wanted to go that route, but I know myself I would burn out.

I just turned 31 two week ago and I swear my hair is going grey and I am gaining weight at record speed, my body is just changing...and it ain''t so purty...

HAPPY Belated BIRTHDAY!

When was your birthday? My FI''s was the 7th.

My old boss did the Weight Watchers one where you have to count something, not calories..I can''t remember what it is. But he lost a bunch of weight, in a couple months. In that one you can eat whatever you want (for the most part) in moderation.

I''ll be 34 in 3 weeks, it''s all been down since 29 I think. I found my first grey hair a few months ago, in the back of my head, I was mordified and ran out to the store and bought hair dye. Since both my parents were older than I am when they greyed I thought I had time...

WRONG!

Getting old sucks!!!!! We should all be able to stay 29 forever!

 

[Mara]

ivana, do you guys have a whole foods or trader joes near you or something?

i get alot of my prepared stuff from there, they have tons of salads, even fresh daily sushi and we do ''stuffed chicken breast'' and fish for dinner, it doesn''t take much time to prepare dinner as i am not a really patient person.

i also know certain places to get lunch which are fairly healthy, aka blendz for salads, or sonoma chicken coop for salads or subway or erik''s deli (no mayo!) for sandwiches...etc. so finding places near you that have an option or two for you to always know is there is important to me...

i don''t make or pack anything for lunch or anything. i have high-fiber cereal for breakfast, a sandwich or salad or sushi for lunch, and for dinner we make it 3-4x a week at home, chicken or fish and then eat out the rest of the time, but i try to watch portions.

also drink lots of water, cut out juices or sugary drinks and you will see a huge difference right there!

sometimes small changes can go a long way. good luck!

 

[selflove]

OMG, and how about the crows feet around your eyes, seen any of them yet?? argh!!!

Don''t forget about the cigarettes and cocaine with your supermodel diets...they should be well balanced.

I have had several friends who did well with the Weight Watchers method, which to me seems like a fancy way of counting calories. My very slim 63 year-old aunt swears by counting calories, keeping it less than 1500/day. I tried that a few years ago and lost a lot but of course it takes self control to not get the 600-calorie latte and 500 calorie muffin at Starbucks.

One thing I have been doing for the past year is 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. I never knew how hard that is to do! I do it for health reasons, not to lose weight, but I think if one modified their diet and replaced their everyday food with 5 f&v''s/day they''d have to lose some weight. (Although the carrot sticks make me crave chocolate...go figure?!)

 

[ivanadiamond]

Thanks for all the tips ladies!!

I am laughing so hard thinking about a carrot/champagne/cigarette/cocaine diet....we can call it The Other Four C's diet and start our own company

Mara, i shop at trader joes regularly and eat salads for lunch, but my down fall lately has been wine, cheese, crackers and bread....and I have been helping myself to it far too often lately. And the fact that my body moves in three positions every day; sit (desk); lounge (couch) and lay (bed)...really i don't know how i couldn't have gained any weight with such an active lifestyle

But the short list that I am going to stop eating is white starches, sodas and cutting back on the alcohol...

caribou i turned the big 3-1 on march 13th...

 

[Mara]

ivana just don''t keep that stuff in the house!!

i find that because my self-control is not always the best, i just don''t keep stuff that i fall for easily in the house. because then i have to make a trip to go get it and i can usually talk myself out of it on the way there!! though most of the time i don''t want anything that badly to move off the couch to go buy it and bring it home!

it''s like i love double stuff oreos but i know when i buy them i will be eating them all week long. that''s why i literally buy one bag a year. and then greg gives me grief because he knows i adore them and will eat like 1/2 the bag! haha.

 

[ammayernyc]

I did Zone Chefs last year. It''s great -- but you can''t be a normal person and stick to the plan. If it is to work, you can NEVER eat out. You can''t have any drinks aside from water or something without calories. It''s not made for ''real'' people. That being said, the food wasn''t so horrible. There were definitely some meals that I couldn''t eat, but I think that''s normal. Although -- I told them specifically no pepper and there were definitely peppers at some meals -- even one snack was a stuffed pepper... so I had to go off the diet for that meal...

 

[ivanadiamond]

Amanda,

how long did you do it for and did it work for you? I was thinking about doing the 31 day program, but doing it 5 days a week and taking the weekends off. Do you think that will work or doing I have to do 31 days straight to see results?

are the entrees easy to prepare yourself later? were you full? sorry for all the questions, but I just want to know as much as possible before paying so much...

thanks every one!

Mara, you can always send the other half of the oreo bag to Socal if you ever feel bad

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I am having really good luck with weight watchers. I love that you don''t really have to cut anything out of your diet. I can not do the no carb thing. Too painful. I really do my own version and basically just count calories. I also have been exercising more and it is kind of cool seeing my body change back to my college days. Well, maybe I am not there...yet. I posted a thread about eating out on a diet and I know Whole Foods is on that website. It helps to know WHAT you are eating. Sometimes when I find out how many calories are in something so little it just doesn''t seem good anymore. I have lost about 6 lbs in about a month and I have had a few cheat days

Actually I feel like I am cheating all the time but it seems to be working. WW makes really great low cal desserts. I love their little chocolate cakes (80 calories). They are great when you just NEED some chocolate!

 

[ivanadiamond]

thank you for all your responses and tips!

SD lady and Tacori- so do you buy weight watchers frozen meals or do you cook your own meals and count the points?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 3/24/2006 6:07:55 PM
Author: ivanadiamond
thank you for all your responses and tips!


SD lady and Tacori- so do you buy weight watchers frozen meals or do you cook your own meals and count the points?

Both. WW has a brand called "Smart Ones". I eat out a lot but use http://www.dwlz.com/Restaurants/1allrestaurants.html to determine what to order BEFORE I go. I made lots of small changes. Buying baked chips instead of eating regular or worse, fries (my fav. food), low fat butter, low fat cheese, weight control oatmeal, that sort of thing. I also try to only eat the serving size (sometimes I slip though) and pay attention to what I am eating. All the small changes, including exercise, including eating 30-50% LESS calories really add up.

ETA: my original goal was also 10 lbs. The first 4 lbs melted off pretty quickly (2 weeks). The weight lost has slowed down a bit but I also have more mussle than before so that obviously is affecting my weight but I am ok with that. I am over half way to my goal!!!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

ID: I hear ya girl! I too am wondering how/where this extra poundage appeared. Well, I know, but...

Anyway, I'm not much help with food delivery services. I try to prepare my meals for the week on Sunday eves. It's tough, 'cause I travel for biz almost every week. Like Mara, I'm also on the TJ's eating plan (notice how I don't say diet!). I get a ton of their prepared stuff when I just don't feel like making it myself.

There's a couple of us down here in the S. Bay. How 'bout meeting up after work or weekend mornings for powerwalking on the strand? There was a time when I was doing it 3-4 times a week- like during the spring/summer when it was light out at 7p, and I LOVED it! It's sooo good to "walk" the day's worries away!

 

[monarch64]

Date: 3/24/2006 5:10:51 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady

Date: 3/24/2006 1:56:37 PM
Author: ivanadiamond
well if we are doing the supermodel diet, don''t we get at least two glasses of champagne with our carrots

this girl I work with does jenny craig meals, she lost a lot of weight on them, but they are frozen meals...I feel like I could just fill up my freezer with frozen diet food if I wanted to go that route, but I know myself I would burn out.

I just turned 31 two week ago and I swear my hair is going grey and I am gaining weight at record speed, my body is just changing...and it ain''t so purty...

You know, it seems I did this as well... and, Weight Watchers meals do the same thing Jenny''s do.. its all portion control. I have lost 19 pounds since November just watching my points value (I can have 20 per day and yep, I do cheat sometimes). I realistically have 20 more to go but would be happy with just 10.

That''s what''s workin for me

Good job, SDL! I''m proud of you, as always!!!

I joined e-diets about 8 weeks ago and have lost five pounds and kept it off, still losing now. It keeps me accountable for what I eat everyday, as well as how many minutes I exercise, because it has support groups that kind of remind me of PS...you find a group within your age range to motivate you and check in with every day. Anyway...I also write down everything I eat/drink every day, which keeps me not only accountable, but also helps me see what my downfalls/strengths are. It''s been a big help. I''m not trying to lose weight fast; rather, I''m trying to establish a healthy calorie intake and exercise level for my height and current weight, and also trying to maintain my health throughout my life.

I love Lean Cuisine pasta meals (without meat, I''m a vegetarian) but there are so many other frozen dinners out there that are conducive to eating healthy. Amy''s, Healthy Choice, WW, etc.

E-diets is great for me because I can print out a personalized meal plan every Sunday and shop from that...if I don''t like something on the meal plan I have the option to change it. Let me know if you have any questions--I don''t work for them, I just love the site, so fire away!

 

[selflove]

Ivana--don''t forget about the fourth activity position: sitting in the car. This is So Cal, after all.

I support Mara''s idea: don''t buy bad food to keep in your house. I follow that rule too (although FI doesn''t but I''m not so drawn to his junk food).

Also, don''t you live just steps away from the beach? Take a walk on the strand a few nights a week, or rollerblade or bike ride. You''re so perfectly located to the best workout in the world!!

You also might want to post this question about the packaged food in the Family and Home forum.

 

[Mara]

there was also a thread in hangout about weight and tips on losing it, maybe some of that information will assist, ivana!

my biggest tips:
--water water water
--no sodas, juices etc
--exercise even if it''s just walking
--pre-planning meals, or buying dinner for the night and getting next day''s lunch etc.
--don''t keep sweets/whateveryourdownfallis in the house (Greg knows he has to get his cookie and pizza fix while at work!)
--throw away the scale and use the measuring tape and/or your clothes fits to determine how things are going

if you are a big soda drinker or something, even just drinking water instead will make a big change, sodas are so bad for us even though they taste so good!

 

[ivanadiamond]

You girls are the best! Thanks so much for all this wonderful advice!

Tacori- thanks for that great website, I have been checking it out and can''t believe how many places are on there!

Chargergirl- I would love to meet after work a few nights a week and work out- any time! We could even attempt to do the sand dunes...are there good days for you?

SDL- thank you for all your great tips, I am going to try their food this week!

Monarch, thank you for the e-diet website tip I am going to try that, plus the entrees you mentioned

selflove- you would think seeing all the beach bodies would motivate me more, I am def. going to start walking and working out a lot more often. so far so good~!

Mara- thanks for all the tips, I am pretty good about drinking sodas, like you I keep them down to 2 a week. And I drink water all the time, but the wine and cocktails have been getting the best of me. I am keeping it in check now, although saturday I was a bit naughty...but who can resist veuve, you can''t blame a girl

Thanks again!!!!!!

 

[ChooChoo]

My biggest tip: no food AT ALL after dinner, and dinner has to be done by 8:00 p.m., 9 at the latest. I probably cut out about a quarter of my daily calories just by doing that. All that nighttime snacking adds up! And, it''s when your metabolism is slowest, so eating late at night really kills any attempt at a diet.

 

[selflove]

I''m in for power walks on the Strand after work!! I can''t get there until 7pm but I''m in.

As for the eating late at night, I went to a fitness seminar last week and they said that it''s a myth that you pack on the pounds if you eat late at night or too close to your bedtime. They said it doesn''t matter when you eat, if you burn off the calories you take in during the day.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I am glad you found it helpful. With anything I think you have to hit rock bottom before you are motivated to change a behavior (diet, smoking, any bad habits...). For me it was getting weighed at the Dr''s office. It was the first time in my life I actually wanted to cry about my weight. It was such a horrible feeling but it jump started my 10 lb slim down so in the end I am glad it happened. Good luck. Keep us updated on your progress.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

ivanadiamond & selflove:

Strand walks at 7p on weeknights work for me. Especially after daylight savings time kicks in this weekend!

Figures that I''ll be out of all town all next week. Let''s shoot for the following week- I can do Monday the 10th, Wednesday the 12th, and Thursday the 13th.

How''s that for getting the ball rolling- and my butt moving?

CG

 

[ivanadiamond]

Monday the 10th, YAY! where should we meet?

 

[TravelingGal]

Anybody roller blade? I''d love to strand-blade! If you ladies are walking, I''ll probably run into you guys down there.

You know what is a great workout for the L.A. ladies? You know 190th street? Between PCH and Anza it is VERY hilly. The first hill coming from Anza is a major butt burner (I think the light is Flager)...I lost 20 pounds that way 3 years ago. Just walking up and down that thing...and then graduated to running up and down that hill. It''s a killer. Park at the 99 cent store and walk from there. Not as pretty as the beach, the hills really help.

 

[ivanadiamond]

I am a terrible rollerblader, but am totally down for the 190 street walk. The sand dunes in Manhattan beach are great too. Hope it doesn''t rain next Monday, I am looking forward to starting out walk sessions

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 4/3/2006 8:10:47 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Anybody roller blade? I''d love to strand-blade! If you ladies are walking, I''ll probably run into you guys down there.

You know what is a great workout for the L.A. ladies? You know 190th street? Between PCH and Anza it is VERY hilly. The first hill coming from Anza is a major butt burner (I think the light is Flager)...I lost 20 pounds that way 3 years ago. Just walking up and down that thing...and then graduated to running up and down that hill. It''s a killer. Park at the 99 cent store and walk from there. Not as pretty as the beach, the hills really help.

Too funny- yep, I know 190th! I live right off it, between Rindge and Anza! I once tried to ride my bike up that hill and gave up. I had to take a major detour.

I can do either the 190th hill or the Strand. If I do the Strand, then I usually park at the structure just north of Pier Ave in HB., and walk to the MB pier & back. I believe that it''s just shy of 2 miles one way. Not a bad walk!

ivanadiamond- do you have a preference?

Let''s cross our fingers for no rain on Monday! This weather sucks.

 

[selflove]

Ya, this weather WAY sucks!! I''m down for next week, Monday the 10th. Much more fun than the treadmill at the gym. I would walk or rollerblade.

What say we rollerblade 190th?

just kidding

Charger--I tried to ride a bike up that hill once too. I couldn''t make it either, had to push my bike! How embarrassing!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 4/4/2006 9:05:33 PM
Author: selflove
Ya, this weather WAY sucks!! I''m down for next week, Monday the 10th. Much more fun than the treadmill at the gym. I would walk or rollerblade.

What say we rollerblade 190th?

just kidding

Charger--I tried to ride a bike up that hill once too. I couldn''t make it either, had to push my bike! How embarrassing!

Oh yeah, let''s all rollerblade DOWN that hill. Then our boyfriends/fiances/husbands will have to find 4 new women because we''ll be road pizza!

Chargergrrl, I probably live about a 3 minute drive from you...

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Hey Gals:
I''m still planning to do a strand power walk tomorrow at 7p. I''m parking at the structure just north of pier ave in HB, and will wait over right on the strand at GOOD STUFF (at the benches where you wait for a table).
It sounds like it''s going to rain, but it should only happen in the morning. I wont go if it dumps buckets.
Hope to see y''all!

CG

 

[ivanadiamond]

Hi Chargergirl!

I so tried to get out of this, but I have to meet my parents for dinner tonight - I am so sorry! but I think it might rain? If so, is there another night that works for you girls?