Mr. Silver says "Silver tried to kill me!!!"

[Triskeliongirl]

Keep the ideas coming...I think I'm getting the message, but I grew up in Alabama, so I'm not real quick on the uptake...

So, what I'm hearing is:
- it's not the number of calories, it's the composition

- carb calories are bad

- protein and fiber calories are best

Am I starting to understand or am I still missing something?:

No that's not it at all. Again, listen to your wife. She gets it! It is about calories, but different foods make it easier to stave off hunger and be satisfied on a reduced calorie diet. For many of us, too many high glycemic carbs, not balanced with protein, make us hungry a few hours later. For example, if I eat a subway sandwich for lunch, I will get hungry again in the afternoon, but if I eat a grilled chicken salad (dressed with a little olive oil and vinegar), it will hold me until dinner. But, if I don't eat enough carbs, I'll have trouble exercising, so I target the timing of eating my carbs to support my cycling. Veggies help fill us up, and give us the nutrients we need without consuming a lot of calories. You need to listen to your body, and learn how it reacts to differernt kinds of foods, as KLH suggested in an earlier message.

[Mr. Bloom]

I've read and noted every comment posted on this and am learning alot (including an affirmation of what my lovely wife has been preaching for years!). So, let me go on the record saying something that I've not often said:

Silver Darling, you are right

OK, so why will you be proud of me?

Arriving at Home #2 tonight, I braved a severe rain storm, without umbrella, to stop at Kroger (no excuses due to the weather)to get:

-1 crown of broccoli

-a handful of snap beans

-a small can of chicken meat

I came home and used my new RICE cooker to steam my veggies while I exercised (20 minutes) and visited with a neighbor.

Then I sat down to a sumptuous, healthy repast! Wow! It was great! And it only cost $4.30!

Are you proud of me? Am I getting the message?

Do I get a SILVER Star!

[emily_in_nc]

Arriving at Home #2 tonight, I braved a severe rain storm, without umbrella, to stop at Kroger (no excuses due to the weather)to get:

-1 crown of broccoli

-a handful of snap beans

-a small can of chicken meat

A lovely meal! Good going!

Also, on the rice front. Since you obviously like rice, eat whole brown rice, not white. Since it's a whole grain, it has extra fiber and nutrients, and will stick with you longer than white rice. Just make sure to eat veggies and protein (like chicken or fish) along with the rice so that you're getting some protein and more vitamins, minerals, and fiber along with the rice carbs.

Lots of good advice here, and you're a great sport for listening to all us gals and for actually changing based on what you're hearing. Best of luck in your lifestyle change and weight loss goals!

Emily

[silver]

A big silver STAR for Mr. Silver!!!

[LBTC]

I totally agree with Lisa (not that any else is wrong, but this approach should *work*)

When DH and I found we had gotten depressed and packed on more weight than we thought (never get depressed in a house with no scale and no full length mirror!); we started small....change one habit, get it to stick, move on to another. Our start was carrot sticks for a morning snack. Eventually I realized the glycemic index was all wrong, but it was still a good start. Little bits at a time, get used to what you are doing, get comfortable with it, then add something new to your routine.

When we get a chance to cook, we cook a big batch of something, then freeze individual sized containers. Over the years the containers have gotten smaller for both DH and me. We aren't exactly counting calories, but we are trying to reduce our portion sizes which will definitely mean less calories.

Remember the 80/20 rule. Be absolutely as healthy as possible 80% of the time, and 20% of the time eat what you like. Eventually, as Lisa and KSH both said, you'll so enjoy your healthy food and be used to not being overfull, that even the fun foods you usually avoid will be a nice little enjoyable snack and you won't even want to overdo it!

Of course, for me, now suddenly I have to figure out what I *can* and *can't* eat. I was loving sugar snap peas every morning, but I suspect it aggravates my Crohn's, so I gave them up. A friend just recommended a naturopath who really helped him with changing his diet for a similar condition, so I'm hoping that will help figure out which foods are triggers. Once I know what I have to avoid and what I can eat, I will be all over it!!

And exercising while the veggies cooked - that is true multi-tasking! Way to go! Tonight I rode the bike on trainer for 33 minutes while I helped DH study for his test tomorrow. A perfect combination.

Keep going, man, you can do it!

~T~

[KSH]

Arriving at Home #2 tonight, I braved a severe rain storm, without umbrella, to stop at Kroger (no excuses due to the weather)to get:

-1 crown of broccoli

-a handful of snap beans

-a small can of chicken meat

I came home and used my new RICE cooker to steam my veggies while I exercised (20 minutes) and visited with a neighbor.

GREAT JOB!!!!

Sounds yummy and healthy... very nice! Working out... while cooking... perfect!

Keep up the great work *pats Mr. Silver on the back*. You are trying and working hard at it... and even putting up with all of our advice and detailing of everything you eat! You are one mentally strong man!

[Tuckervill]

Nice thread. I have a few things to add. Some of the incremental changes I've made over the last few years:

1. Season up! Herbs don't have enough calories to matter. Steamed veggies are better tasting with some combo seasoning sprinkled on. Get a few different ones to vary the taste. Use flavored oils to saute them.

2. Use the smaller plates instead of the big dinner plate. We have 8 inch plates and 12 inch plates. I regularly use the 8 inch plates. It makes it harder to pile on, and I barely have enough room for 4 oz of meat when I put on the two cups of salad. I recently saw a study that said we eat more if we are served on bigger plates.

3. Stick to the best. I only use real butter, the best olive oil, and the highest quality cuts of meat. Because I like to be thrifty, this helps me be more aware of how much I'm using up. I never buy anything that says "light" or diet, because that doesn't help me learn anything about portion control.

4. I cook up a bunch of diced chicken, and sliced bacon, once or twice a week, so when I'm fixing a lunch salad, I already have the chicken ready. The bacon is for crumbling over a baked potato or a BLT, heavy on the Lt, for lunch.

Also, think of this as a learning curve. You're ascending the curve right now, and you won't learn it all at once. Incremental changes are the best. Good luck!

Karen

[Mr. Bloom]

I agree that quality food is best...tonight when I got home, Silver had gotten Chinese to go from a pigfest buffet that we resolved to not go back to years ago...alas, the meat quality was ****.

So, today, I did reasonably well:

First, a local accounting firm had sent holiday chocolates to me while I was out of the office yesterday. I sent specific instructions by email that they were to be placed in the break room and eaten before I returned They were and everyone was happy including me I'm a great guy to work for.

So, I exercised (elliptical) for 35 minutes this morning.

Ate:

-2 South Beach Meal Bars 420 calories
-Wheat Cheese Crackers 200 calories...(I forgot to bring healthy snack!)
-Teriyaki Chicken w/Rice & Broccoli about 550 calories (?)
-Carry Out Chicken/Beef/Broccoli about 500 calories (I skipped the rice to avoid a team estrogen scolding )

So, I don't think I've been perfect, but I've been balanced with carb and protein...haven't I?

[Wahine]

Mr. Silver,

I think you're doing great. You had a day today that was not well planned out in terms of snacks etc and you managed to keep it pretty balanced and kept your total caloric intake pretty low. I'm also really impressed with how you handled the chocolates. I don't think that I would have been so restrained.

Good work.

[silver]

Hey, you know I would never have gotten Chinese Takeout if it was up to me! I only did that 'cause my sister asked for it!

[SouthernBelle]

I've tried to post this twice already, but my cat keeps sitting on my mouse.

Just a couple of additions to the good hints already received.

Avoid the pre-packaged stuff. I know it's convenient with your commute.

Make up big pots of soups and chili on weekends. They travel well and reheat easily. A favortie trick is to add some fresh spinach to my chili when I reheat.

Rice: Lundberg's Wild Blend. Kroger has it. I cook it in ff chicken broth. Make a big veggie stir fry to serve over it. It travels well too. Doesn't clump up like white.

[jeannierides]

Mr. Silver, I'll chime in with my .02 as well. I think you're on the right track! Congratulations on giving away the chocolate! I received 10 lbs. of pink M&M's - from my SO at Christmas - can't give those away, so I've hidden them. Kind of "out of sight, out of mind". Well, maybe.

You have gotten loads of great advice from the others...and some of mine may be redundant but here goes...

Anyway, I would also say to watch your sodium. All (and I mean ALL) prepared meals/snacks etc. are extremely heavy with sodium. That can cause more than just weight issues.

As the others have said, take a little time on a day off and cook ahead... several chicken breasts or tenders for adding to a salad or brown rice. You can find frozen tilapia & salmon filets that are individually packaged for fast thaw and cooking at the groc and Costco (I always buy mine from costco). That way you can pull them out of the freezer, drop them in some cold water for 20 minutes or so (or use your microwave to thaw) - and they're ready to cook. Every time you cook, prepare more than for just one meal. Always make enough for leftoveres either for lunch - or the next night if you are both just too tired to deal with cooking.

As for snacking, I agree that carrots by themselves might not be what you need, but my personal trainer/ nutritionist at the gym said that just a tablespoon of pnut butter on some apple slices, or a piece of string cheese (you can get the low-fat mozzerello), a cup of low fat organic yogurt (stay away also from aspartame if you can). All of those things will give you carbs and protein.

Well, I guess that was more than .02. Good luck, you're doing great!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You'd probably be healthier and less hungry if you spread a tablespoon or two of natural apple butter between two slices of 100% whole wheat bread and eat that instead of those over-processed diet "meal bars". And I heartily second the recommendation of little dabs of peanut butter on an apple (or a pear)- yummy!!
There are some really DELICIOUS rice blends with wild and brown rices available- so nutty, flavorful and chewy and wonderful compared to nutrition-stripped white rice. Lots of fiber and nutrition there. You can make up a pot and divide it into several servings ahead of time.

[Bikingmomof3]

You are doing really well. Lifestyle change is difficult. I really like Larabars and keep them with me, incase I get tied up and miss a meal (I eat 6 meals, like LSH).

It took me awhile to get used to eating different. Going to 6 meals was difficult at first, now I cannot think of eating any other way. It does keep you from feeling hungry. Aside from that, I did not do anything drastic. I still eat food I like, even chocolate. I would not stick to it if the food were not something I truly loved. If I do have a yummy, decadent treat, I make certain it is something decadent. No cady bars-not worth it in my book. I will go buy something truly wonderful once a month. It makes it that much better.

You have received some wonderful suggestions. A few examples. Oatmeal is great, sadly I *only* like it in cookie form. So no oatmeal for me.

Apple butter has been sugggested-again, not something I like, so I will not use it.

Cottage cheese-nasty, vile stuff, IMO, so I skip that. I know it is wonderful for me, still the texture-I cannot get beyond the texture.


Long post short-find healthy foods you truly enjoy eating. That way, you will stick to your new lifestyle. This is for life and life is too short to eat foods we do not like.

What works for one person may not work of another. Same with exercise. Some work out 30 minutes a day other 3 hours a day. I persoanlly do not have 3 hours to devote to exercise. Does that make it wrong, no. It just does not fit into my current life style (I do have a husband and 3 teen boys ).

Ah, my post is getting longer (ignore all typos and gramatical errors). Take the wonderful advice and figure out what foods you truly enjoy. Same with exercise. Whe you find the right balance that works for you (and that is the key point, what works for you) stick with it.

Last point, drink lots and lots of water. You may spend a lot of time in the bathroom the first week , but your body will thank you.

[emily_in_nc]

And fruit! Try adding at least one piece, maybe two of fruit to your daily intake. Not huge pieces necessarily, but a small to medium apple, tangerine, small bowl of berries (can be frozen) or whatever you like. Really good for you, fiber, vitamins/minerals, etc.

You're doing great!

Emily