Totally obsessed with HungryGirl

[uforgot]

I have not read The End of Overeating but it sure does look interesting.

Zen, I had not heard of this book, but after your link I thought it looked interesting too. I bought it yesterday and it IS good. I'm about a third of the way through it. So far it talks about how major restaurant chains fix certain popular entrees. I had no idea. I'll admit, I didn't know anything about chemicals, processing and foods but have been fighting the weight loss battle my entire life. This is an entirely new approach. Maybe I just need to get smart and eat correctly instead of conveniently.

That's the thing that has been bothering me about weight watchers lately. We sit around and talk about how to get the most food for the fewest points. I looked at all of their offerings. 1 and 2 point snacks, rice etc, all in boxes and bags. How can this be right? You can eat an entire bag of 94% fat free popcorn for 3 points. An entire bag? Should that be the norm for a snack? Shouldn't I be concerned with portion control? And the correct nutrition for a 50 mile ride? My leader is no help. They are not trained all that well for healthy eating, just point eating, and cute sayings. They encourage you to get 7 fitness points per week. Last week I had 45 and gained 2 pounds.

I also saw a copy of HungryGirl at Schnucks yesterday, right after my Overeating book purchase. The recipe I turned to? Carmelized onion and even I was horrified at the ingredients. Marketing all recipes as under 200 calories will make those on the diet yo-yo buy it. Along with those snacks (Hostess ding dongs, oreo chips, etc) that have the "100 calorie bags". How many people are going to think that these are good choices based on calorie counts? How is eating these snacks (along with those 2 point calorie bars) conducive to healthy eating?

Anyway, sorry for the ramblings. It's what has been in my head since I rejoined Weight Watchers. This book is shedding lots of light so far, answering lots of questions I had, and thanks so much for the link Zen!
Maybe I can get off of the diet roller coaster.

[Zen]

I guess I should read that book now

[Running Mommy]

hmmm. Now I'm intrigued, and I must buy the book. Not the hungry girl book, the other one.
I have been eating clean for a solid week, and I have no need for the crap. I'm eating as much food in it's whole unprocessed state as possible, And it seems to be working. Lastnight I was up 5+ times "flushing" it out. The weight is flushing out- literally. And it's not just water.
I feel soo much better already! My poor body needed it so bad.

[ny biker]

uforgot, you might want to have a look at Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guide Book. She addresses eating to lose weight in addition to fueling for athletic activities.

http://www.nancyclarkrd.com/books/sportsnutrition.asp

(It's available in bookstores and at Amazon, too.)

[tulip]

uforgot, that is a great post. I'm not struggling with weight, and I hardly eat convenience foods (just not the way I was raised, I guess), but I see people every day who are struggling. I've never done weight watchers, but it seems to work for alot of people. However, your observations about points and nutrition seem spot-on to me. I really like that you are *thinking* about your choices--that seems to be missing from the discussion too often. Thanks.

[uforgot]

Thanks for the recommendation NY biker! I'm about finished with the Overeating book and I think your book would be a good companion to it. The OE book addresses why we overeat and why we should avoid convenience food, but just goes into the psychology of it and how to stop the urges. It's apparently not willpower, but more of an addiction that we have to learn to control. No recipes or food plans, but a terrific book. I was raised on convenience food, am known as the microwave queen, and if that's the jist of the problem, some serious education needs to be enacted. Just look at a school lunch menu. Chicken nuggets, corn dogs...

Tulip seems to be an example of what is wrong with diets. She doesn't eat convenience food, doesn't worry about weight and is probably not obsessing about food 24-7. Weight Watchers has you weigh your food, count points, count activity...holy cow! You HAVE to think about it all the time. I cancelled my membership.

Running Mommy - I'd like to know what you are doing differently. What have you cut out? What have you added? Any certain plan or just your own?

Thanks for the help everyone!

[Crankin]

Uforgot, you are on the right track. I have always been suspicious of WW; I have had several friends who have done it, but they never *keep* the weight off. It's like the system helps you find the easiest way to eat the most bad stuff you can, and lose at the same time. I know this doesn't apply to everyone, but you have to change your way of eating and thinking about food for for life, as Tulip said.
Nancy Clark has a sports nutrition book that is just for cyclists, in addition to her regular sports nutrition book. It is excellent, but you have to order it from her web site; you can't get it from Amazon, etc. or in a bookstore.
Thirty years ago I was eating dinner at my parents' house when my dad told me I getting to be "a bit piggy." He was right. I totally changed my habits and started exercising. It took me a year, but I lost 25 pounds. The only time I started to gain it back (including after my pregnancies) is when I had slacked off on the exercise as I was starting menopause. I knew I had to change up my routine, and that's when I started cycling. But, my eating habits only had to be modified a little, because I had set the good habits when I was young.

[tulip]

uforgot, you are right, partly. I don't obsess about food or my weight--I often forget to weigh myself for weeks on end. When I do, I might be up a few, or down a few, but it's all in the right ballpark for me.

But for all of my adult life until a few years ago, I was about 15 lbs heavier than I am now. What changed? First off, when I was heavier, I still didn't obsess and I did not eat convenience foods (other than Starbucks--bad), but I did overeat and I ate the wrong things. I ate way too many carbs and not nearly enough protein. I also did not eat an apple a day, something that I think really has helped me be more healthy. Sounds naive and trite, but it's part of eating healthy for me. And I had the 1000-calorie breakfast from SB--triple grande latte and "low fat" cinnamon coffee cake---every day.

I'm bound to alienate the vegetarians on this list, but I was pretty much a vegetarian for many years because my then-DH was. We ate lots of carbs. For me, I needed protein in the form of chicken and a bit of beef. That's just me. It has worked for me. I eat less food when I eat meat.

There was also alot of emotional stuff going on in my life and when I addressed that (personal life, work life), the pounds melted off of me. Oh, and Pilates really helps too.

FWIW, neither my mother nor my brother even have microwave ovens. I do, and use it to warm up things I've made (I make alot of homeade foods, and always have leftovers). I don't buy or eat ready-made meals and such. Only microwave popcorn, which I have about once every couple of months.

I think that learning to cook, and even growing your own food or at least herbs, is a great way to learn to think about what goes into your mouth. Even shopping at the farmers market--it's mindful, not mindless like at the grocery store. When I go to the grocery store (and I do shop there), I always feel like I have to rush to get out. When I go to the farmers market, I like to linger and look and compare and even talk to the vendors and farmers. I get my beef directly from small farm where the cattle is raised, and that always involves at least an hour of chatting with the wonderful farm wife who sells the beef. (she homeschools her kids and likes adult conversation, which she doesn't get everyday!) It's really a cool way to do things, and I'm so grateful that I can do it this way.

Best of luck in your new way of thinking!