Woo hoo - weight loss

[alpinerabbit]

yay. If I trust the scales, I lost 8 pounds since the 1st of February starting from 154... right now I am lower than mid-season last year. I reckoned if I lost 2 pounds off the bike (by buying a new ride) I might as well help a little myself.

I wasn't very hard on myself - cutting out the little chocolates we get with coffee and the sugar in the coffee; having a sustained-release breakfast (favorite was pumpernickel with cheese in a measured 250 cal serving); only veg with maybe a little dairy protein for lunch; and moderate dinners (fish or meat /vegetables). Pre-training I would get a 150-200 cal snack. I did need a mid-afternoon snack in the beginning but my food needs really went down.

Oh yes and cutting out Alcohol Monday-Thursday nights. I used to have wine often with my partner to wind down after a stressful day. Weekends we ate rather normal meals and did have a bottle of wine... yep, when we open a bottle it usually does not outlast the night.

Maybe, just maybe the biggest lifestyle change is commuting a mere 6km 4-5x a week.

[Starfish]

Hey, what an awesome report! And, it all sounds very sane. You must be feeling great! Good for you!! :) :) :)

[kiwi girl]

well done alpinerabbit.

I have a bit more than 8 pounds to lose but also hope that a series of small changes might do it since I'm prepared to be patient.

I am particularly encouraged about the part that cutting out alcohol Monday - Thursday played - this is a key component of my own strategy

[jesvetmed]

Yeah Alpine!!!! :D
I too have been excited about the weight loss this year. Feels good, huh?!
I lost 12.5 lb since January. Finally broke the 170lb barrier, 169.6 this am! I haven't been this low in over 10 years. YIPPEE!
Jes

[minn]

I noticed alpinerabbit mentioned sustained-release breakfasts, could I get some more examples of those?? I would like to lose a little weight, but am also training for a triathlon. I often feel hungry an hour after I eat any meal. I think I might need to eat more protein. I don't know a whole lot about nutrition. Any suggestions?

[alpinerabbit]

That would be anything that does not release simple sugars into your bloodstream rapidly. Such as the darkest dark bread you can find - in the US, I don't know if you can find pumpernickel. I often had 2 slices of pumpernickel and 50g gruyere (I live in switzerland so I get decent cheese).

Simple sugars are hidden in many commercial cereals (not in plain rolled grains), sugar in coffee, in fruit yoghurt, and in orange juice (!). White bread, jam.

some protein helps - cheese, a boiled egg, cottage cheese. Maybe a home-made cereal from rolled oats, crushed nuts, some protein powder, a few (!)raisins, some cinnamon and maybe a wee tad of sugar or honey.

Just measure your portions. 250 cal is not a lot.
maybe google for glycemic index and breakfast suggestions for diabetics?

[minn]

MMMmmm, bread. I love pumpernickel!! I never knew it was good for me too. I'll have to go to the bakery after work. Thanks for the advice.

[SoCalQT2]

congratulations. this sounds like a really sane way to "diet" (ugh, i hate the word). i need to lose weight but feel overwhelmed before i ever get started. i think i might try your method little changes here and there so i can keep it off. thanks.

[violette]

Congratulations...

Feel geat, doesn't it. You seem to be eating very well. It pays off!

[anitaroy121]

Hi friends, I am 17 years old and work out a lot so I drink a lot of water (about 2 gallons a day). Some time I get a bit tired of it in the day. Is diet drinks bad in any way. Am I ruining my diet with them? I just started drinking diet. I really get bored of water or need to get full so I don't take too much drinking diet. Is there any other solution for me regarding this case?

[shootingstar]

Hi friends, I am 17 years old and work out a lot so I drink a lot of water (about 2 gallons a day). Some time I get a bit tired of it in the day. Is diet drinks bad in any way. Am I ruining my diet with them? I just started drinking diet. I really get bored of water or need to get full so I don't take too much drinking diet. Is there any other solution for me regarding this case?

What is your weight and height? Unless your doctor has told you to lose weight, your body still needs healthy solid food at 17 yrs. Not sure what your definition of a diet drink would be. Let us know.

As for some healthy liquid, consider integrating veggie broth soups or there are thicker soups, etc. ie. carrot, squash.

Describe some of your meals for us. Do you try to cook/prepare some of your own foods at home? It might be a good start to become more aware of some good stuff that you need.

[Tuckervill]

Two gallons of water a day is a LOT of water. If you use the now-debunked figure of eight 8-oz glasses of water a day, that's only 64 ounces. Two gallons is 256 ounces!

Too much water--it can dilute your blood and make you sick and even die.

Maybe it only seems like you're drinking that much. Maybe you can try using a water bottle with measurements on it and measure how much you drink on a typical day.

That said, if you don't mind water, don't go to diet drinks--go with tea. There are lots of teas on the market, but most of them have high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener, which isn't good for me. I drink plain unsweet iced tea, except in the morning, when I drink hot Earl Gray with sugar and milk. Sugar is not the enemy--TOO MUCH sugar is.

When I am feeling particularly bored with tea, I have a soda--not a diet soda, and I try to find one with sugar (like Jones Soda) and not HFCS. No harm in an occasional soda. For me, occasional means once a month or less, I think.

Karen

[alpinerabbit]

Yes, all kinds of teas are good to take out the boredom. Try yogi tea chai or lemon&ginger, or peppermint. No sugar.


Sweet tastes promote the release of insulin, which causes glucose (blood sugar) to be stored as fat. This is an adaptive response, because for millions of years sweet tastes have meant that blood glucose levels are about to rise, and when there is excess sugar it ought to be stored for times of fasting, when food is not readily available. Artificial sweeteners have the same effect on insulin: sweet diet drinks will increase insulin and thus the storage of fat. In this case, though, no sugar is provided by the beverage, so the drinker stores away glucose already present in the blood, glucose that is needed for energy. The result is a decrease in blood sugar, and a corresponding increase in hunger. The drinker eats more, and gains weight.