Monday, September 1, 2008

Okay, Let's Turn A New Leaf

Let's be honest, the last two weeks have not been my best. In fact since I started this blog I have had more than my fair share of "do overs." As it has been pointed out to me by not only my own observations but by those of strangers reading my blog, my food consumption is not where it needs to be. In fact it is not even in the same galaxy that it needs to be. I don't know what to do. I feel really lost. I have tried every diet known to man; Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, LA Weight loss..... you name it, I tried it. I have read countless books on diet & weight loss; Eat Right for Your Type, French Women Don't Get Fat, Fat is a Feminist Issue, You! On a Diet..... just to name a few. I even went to a dietitian a few years back.

When it comes to food, food combining, portion control I am completely lost. Math has never been my best subject and the thought of trying to figure out what my calories need to be in order to support weight loss while working out and having a physical job like massage makes me want to scream. I don't really understand how many calories are in certain foods and how to calculate up or down for portion size. I have tried many times to "get it" but have only been met with failure in the past. Maybe someone can explain it to me in a way that makes since? Does anyone know of any websites or tools that help with this and I mean in layman's terms?

Please, only positive and helpful comments from now on. :)

6 comments:

Amy said...

try sparkpeople.com. It's free, you log your food intake and it figures everything out for you! This may be just what you need. :) Hope it helps!

Anonymous said...

The only thing that has ever really worked for me was counting points at Weight Watchers. The weight drops right off when I follow the plan, but then I get lazy and don't want to count points (which is code for I don't know how to control my binges so I just abandon my good efforts). I know I will eventually do it again after I work on some of the emotional issues, but to me WW was the only plan that taught me how to eat real food in the right portions.

My mom was able to keep going with it and lost over 120 pounds and has kept it off for a year. Even now on maintenance she still attends meetings and counts because she starts gaining the minute she stops. Eventually I know I will need to do the same, but I need to get myself at a point where I am ready to commit to that.

Good luck, so much info out there it can easily put you in overload!

CindyLou said...

Have you considered intuitive eating? It doesn't involve calorie counting or anything, just involves being very "in-touch" with your body and it's needs. I really don't know much about it, but I have heard that it comes with some success.

Wildflower said...

Have you ever heard of Dr. Dean Ornish? He, along with several other doctors, advocates a low-fat vegan diet, which can help reverse heart disease, diabetes, as well as lose weight. I have been trying to follow it because my cholesterol is much too high--in the first 3 months my cholesterol went down 35 points and it is continuing to go down. I have also seen other people go off blood pressure and diabetes medication and lose weight while following it. It is hard to follow all the time, (at least for me--I love cheese) but he says you will see success to the degree that you incorporate the ideas into your eating. The main idea is to change what you eat, not how much you eat (and it is good food). If you are interested I have an extra copy of his book "Eat More, Weigh Less" that I found at the used book store.

diana.daniel said...

As you know, O, I should count carbs to know how much insulin to take when I eat, as much as it bores and frustrates me, I get it closer to right when i weigh and measure.

Plus, if you do it a few times, you get a good idea of what your plates/glasses/bowls hold. Then you know what a cup of pasta looks like in a bowl, and you can start eye-balling and stop measuring.

There are some good clues you can find on-line to get visual clues about how much food is a reasonable portion... deck of cards, the size of your palm, dice, ping pong balls, etc.

Calorie King is a good site too. It has tons of restaurant food, and great info for basic things too. You can also control portion size (i.e. get the carbs for a large banana vs. a small banana)

Good luck, buddy!! It can be hard. I know. Be Strong!!
Diana

Dark Fury said...

OK, what the F? Who's been trash talking? Big F You Bomb on that!

On the positive side! I find that the weight watchers points system is the easiest way to compute this kind of stuff. Hell, you can even get a calculator for $10 to do the math for you! I have one you can have if you want it. I've done it twice and lost weight both times (I quit both times due to money issues and once I stopped logging every day I lost interest) and, now that I can afford it, I'll be going back. Let me know if you want to discuss anything. Also, I think you're doing well. It takes time to change adn we all have up times and down times. Keep up the good fight! You can do it. I believe in you!