Totally obsessed with HungryGirl

[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.

[skinimini]

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.

I can totally see your point of view, but for me WW has worked better than any other "diet" I've ever tried. In the past 14 months I've lost 75 lbs--75 lbs that will never be back on my body, because I have truly changed the way I eat. I have 5 more to go for my official WW goal and then I'll probably lose another few after that. The WW method is all about accountability and making the right choices--isn't that what we try to do in every aspect of our lives? After months of counting those points, I've gotten to a place in my life where I know what is right for my body and I understand how much I can and should eat and know that if I'm exercising really hard, then I need to fuel my body with good food. Yes, there are those people on WW (or other diets) who eat anything as long as it fits into the daily point values, whether it's healthy or not. I've had friends who do exactly that. But, they haven't really made the commitment to make a change and they won't be successful as long as they continually lie to themselves (OK, I'm a little preachy here). So, I guess what I'm saying is that WW is a tool and it's a good tool if you use it correctly.

My new mantra is "eat what you want, eat less of it". I also love Yoda's quote (as someone else on TE does as well) "Do or do not...there is no try"

[Grits]

I just ordered Nancy Clark's nutrition guide for cyclists. I'll let ya'll know how it is after I read it.

[SportySam]

In response to Uforgot. I have been doing WW since January and have lost almost 30 pounds. I get what you are saying about the exercise for sure. I exercise A LOT and when I asked about how to calculate WW points in relation to heart rate she looked at me like I was crazy. Also one of the things that the meeting head says is that you should only eat 4 of the many exercise points you earn...but while that might work for some people...if I work out for an hour and a half and am burning 15 or so points...I might be really hungry and want to eat more than four points. She(my meeting director) actually told me I was working out too hard! Can you believe it! I thought she was crazy!! So usually I try to only eat my four exercise points but other times I just need to eat more so I do.

As for the unhealthy processed snacks...my WW leader always stresses the good health guidelines...so if I were you I might change meetings/places and the leaders are all different from each other. I have not gone back to the crazy lady who told me I work out too much! I do endulge in some of what all of you might determine "bad" or processed but things like the WW cookies and creme bars help me over my chocolate craving. You might ask why I don't just have a little piece of a bar of chocolate...because I have NO control! So I like the pre-wrapped stuff...but instead of sugary things...fruit has also helped me a lot.

[PamNY]

I just ordered Nancy Clark's nutrition guide for cyclists. I'll let ya'll know how it is after I read it.

I would love to hear what you think of it.

Pam

[Susan Otcenas]

1) I own the Nancy Clark book. It's excellent.
2) I lost 36 pounds on WW and am now at goal. I subscribed to Hungry Girl to see what all the fuss was about. I would not eat 99% of the junk (which seems like paid placement to me) that she promotes via the email.
3) WW, like any "diet" or "program", is all about what YOU make of it. I've never bought a WW product, and eat virtually no processed foods. My diet is whole grains, lean proteins and piles of fresh fruits and veggies. What WW provides for *me* and for most people who have been successful at it, is a structure inside which we can learn how to eat healthfully and exercise portion control. For life.
4) Sporty Sam, as you said - your old leader is a crackpot. Our bodies require FUEL to exercise. Food does not make us fat. Carbohydrates do not make us fat. Heck, FAT does not make us fat. What makes us fat is an excess of calories in over calories out. Period. Consistently consume fewer calories than you burn and you WILL lose weight.

Susan

[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!

[shootingstar]

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.

I actually didn't live in any home with a microwave until I was 42 ..when started I living with my partner. It never occurred to me to buy a microwave. Seriously.

My parents still don't have a microwave. We would never dream of buying a microwave as a gift for them. It would be wasted...unless they became so disabled to cook safely at the stove. Maybe that will be the time in future we'll do buy such a gift.

Even now, I seldom cook foods with leftover amounts for microwave nuking. My style of cooking just does not lend itself often to equally tasty leftovers the next day anyway. Whereas it's my partner using the microwave for frozen veggie soups that he makes or to warm up his bagel.

All through university, as a break from intensive study and as a form of therapy, I enjoyed cooking dinner for myself. Same core style of cooking as I do now. Maybe at that time, I did instant noodles with hot water thing, Kraft macaroni and cheese, Campbell soup, ..um..2-3 times per month. My parents didn't have enough money to pay my tuition nor accommodation, but one thing they did help out..was my mother gave me packets of pre-cut, frozen meat for my freezer when I was student. Looking back, it was probably godsend..not only financially but also ...extended a healthy diet for a stressful time in my life.

Well into my full-time paid career years, she was still giving me some care packages of fresh veggies that she had washed and cut for me when I visited occasionally. To last 1-2 wks.

It took a certain amount of repetition by me to get her to stop doing this.

So really, I have been indoctrinated....by a parent to prepare meals/dishes based on whole food. I just could not throw out these care pkgs. and good practices from momma.

I owe alot of how I eat now, my relative health..to this foundational start in life.

Same for my partner for similar cooking philosophy of his mother.

But our weight gain comes from desserts purchased outside of home. Sigh.