Need to drop some weight...

[AutumnBreez]

I have found since I have cut soda at the end of last year, refined sugars, dairy products, white flour/bread and began an adventure with living foods (raw foods) I have more energy and have lost 12 pounds. Now I am adding in the cycling and expect to widdle down, maybe not so much the weight as the size of my body should slim down.
You don't have to eat as much of raw as you do cooked to feel full, the body does not have to work as hard in finding the enzymes, less stress more energy.
If you eat nuts or seeds, remember to soak them like you would beans, without heat (not blanching), before eating them. They have enzyme inhibitors that have to be tricked into being released so your body can digest them easier. I have seen so much success from my forum buddies without trying to lose, it happens anyway.
Doctors recommend this treatment to cancer patients, why wait till you get it?! My plan, to eat raw, fill my lungs with fresh country air, and cycle long. Yep, this is the life!

[AutumnBreez]

Ok, I lost the weight but I am bringing in other foods because it is not enough of a boost for cycling.

[jobob]

A strange thing has happened to me in the last few months. It seems like my metabolism has changed, or perhaps my stomach has shrunk, but I just don't seem to get hungry as much anymore, and when I do, I feel full after consuming less food than I used to. And I hardly ever snack between meals anymore.

Ever since I got braces (just on my lower teeth) I've had to chew verrry slowly and deliberately - I'm now officially the World's Slowest Eater - but I think eating so slowly has made a huge difference. That and the fact that some foods just don't seem to taste as good to me as they used to, particularly sweet things, which might be due to some foods interacting w. the metal to give them a slightly off taste. And I just don't seem to crave them anymore. Plus, every time I eat something between meals I'm faced with the prospect of getting the remnants out of my braces - I generally carry a little travel toothbrush with me, but just the thought of having to run off to brush my teeth makes me stop and think 'do I really want this?' , and more often than not I realize, eh, notsomuch. Either that or I'll opt for a yogurt, rather than a muffin or some cookies.

The offshoot is, since the beginning of the year I've dropped another 10 lbs without really trying , so I'm now at my "ultimate goal" weight of 140 - heck, I'm even within 5 lbs of the weight on my driver's license, which I haven't been in, um, over 20 years .

And you should see my clothes, LOL! It seems those last 10 lbs made a big difference in my pants size, I had to go out and buy a few new pairs of pants & jeans (size 10 jeans & a pair of size 8 dress pants, woo woo - never thought I'd see that) because my 12's and 14's were just entirely too baggy (though my husband said they look very gangsta on me, heh). And I even had to buy new cycling shorts - L's became too L.

I still sometimes eat what a lot of people would consider junk, but Irulan, you're right, I really don't crave the junk food anymore, and even when I eat the junk, I eat much less of it. But I still won't refuse an In-N-Out burger if it's offered to me - I just might not eat the whole thing, or pass on the fries . And I still have 2 boxes of relatively untouched Girls Scout cookies in my office - once in a while I'll have one cookie, and that's it - that's so unlike me, LOL.

I just hope that once the braces come off (in theory before the end of the year) I won't go crazynutso and go back to my old eating habits but I don't think that will happen, I really like how I look nowadays.

[Allie1DukeFn]

I actually went to a nutrionist to help me with weight loss. One of the best things she did was do the test to determine my resting metabolic rate. Basically how many calories my body will burn in a day if I do nothing but sit on my rear end. Mine was 1,700. So we came up with an eating plan that was between 1,200 and 1,400 a day. I've been consistently losing about a pound a week. Down 18 lbs, 7 more to go!

The other thing that really seems to have made a difference is eating ~something~ about every 2 hours. Even if it is just a sugar free jello. If you aren't constantly feeding your body - your body thinks it needs to conserve energy and goes into starvation mode and your metabolism doesn't burn any fat. If you are constantly giving yourself energy - your metabolism keeps chugging along.

We also found an AMAZING cookbook from the American Heart Association! It has these really great recipes that sound totally weird but somehow everything just turns out tasting really great! Like putting shredded zucchini into meatloaf! Who would have thunk it? But it's fabulous! If you're interested they have sample recipes on the web site at - http://www.americanheart.org/present...tifier=3031321

The book is "The No Fad Diet" It really works well - my hubby is even happy with the recipes. Doesn't even realize he is eating healthy! We also started using the Barilla Plus pasta. It is kind of a compromise between regular and whole wheat.

[Blueberry]

It has these really great recipes that sound totally weird but somehow everything just turns out tasting really great! Like putting shredded zucchini into meatloaf!

Allie1DukeFn-

I have to second the recommendations for the heart association cookbooks! I have an older one that I purchased off ebay which is wonderful!

I have used the zucchini trick with some frequency, though I don't think this cookbook is where I got the idea. One of my favorite treats are zucchini turkey burgers. Shred a zucchini, add ground turkey, an egg and I add some terryaki sauce. Delicious! I'd rather have those than a "real burger" any day!

If only eating healthy didn't cost more and take up so much more time, I'd be all set!

[Trekhawk]

[QUOTE=Jenc]I am in need of losing a minimum of about 20 lbs and a maximum of about 50 lbs.

Make sure you always eat breakfast. This is one thing I have heard over the years and always do myself or can't function but I noticed it mentioned again in this months Bicycling mag.

It states " according to the National Weight Control registry, a database of rock-star dieters who've lost weight and kept it off for three years or more, this is the only thing virtually all sucessful losers do.

Good luck

[Dogmama]

Don't forget to add weight training. The majority of the calories burned are used during every day activities (basal metabolism.) Muscle requires more calories to simply exist. So, by adding weight training, not only are you fighting osteoporosis, looking better nekked, but also adding fat burning muscle.

[Allie1DukeFn]

Do you try to focus on upper body and abs for the weights and let the bike take care of the lower? I did one of my tapes on Tuesday that I ~thought~ was mostly upper body, but I must have been wrong because I could barely walk Tuesday and Wednesday. DH kept saying it was the biking - but after 3 weeks - I hadn't felt like that so why all of a sudden would I? I think the weights and the biking was just too much.

I did a 20 minute Yoga tape yesterday and made myself go out on the bike - actually really helped to loosen everything back up again. I'm still a little tight this morning - but not too bad.

Definitely need to find something that is strictly upper body!

[oldbikah]

[QUOTE=Allie1DukeFn]I actually went to a nutrionist to help me with weight loss. One of the best things she did was do the test to determine my resting metabolic rate. Basically how many calories my body will burn in a day if I do nothing but sit on my rear end. Mine was 1,700. QUOTE]

That is great! I have never been to a nutrionist and would love to know HOW the metabolic rate is actually tested. This summer I have been following weight watchers and have lost 20 pounds so far, 10 more to go. I agree wholeheartedly with all the dieters who say "eat little, and often" as it makes a huge difference to me, plus the concept "no exercise, no weight loss". Also I do not find that it costs me anymore $ to eat healthy. Junk food ain't cheap!

The Weight Watchers website also has some good recipes anyone would like, and they are all generally easy to do.

[Allie1DukeFn]

You have to fast for 4 hours before you do it. There is this little machine you breath into for I think it is about 15 minutes. The machine records something from how you're breathing in a resting state and then does the calculation. I've got a brochure at home - I'll see if it gives any more technical details about the process and post.

[Dogmama]

Do you try to focus on upper body and abs for the weights and let the bike take care of the lower?
Definitely need to find something that is strictly upper body!

During peak riding seasons, I'll do one day/week of nothing but legs and upper body the other times (~ 2-3X/week). Riding doesn't really hit hamstrings or calves and muscle imbalances can lead to problems. My leg work has no direct quad work during peak riding seasons; I focus on glutes, hams and calves.

Legs are big muscles. Even a little more work than usual will make them sore.

[Helen]

You have to fast for 4 hours before you do it. There is this little machine you breath into for I think it is about 15 minutes. The machine records something from how you're breathing in a resting state and then does the calculation. I've got a brochure at home - I'll see if it gives any more technical details about the process and post.

You have to take into consideration that this calculation can change rapidly depending on your main body factors differences. Even a slight change in your lifestlye can result in a different metabolical factor.

[Trekhawk]

What is the optimal time period between the time we wake up and the time we should eat breakfast.
I often forget about it (because of my morning e-mails ) and remember to eat it later (after an hour or so).

Hi Cristina - sorry not sure on that one. My routine is to eat as soon as I get up then move on with the rest of the day. This seems to work for me and I find I have heaps of energy until lunch if necessary.

[LBTC]

mmmmmm breakfast

mornings are: brush hair and put in pony tail, wash face, apply oils and lotions, put clothes on, walk dogs, make dogs and cats fresh food, mix favourite juices together, give the cat his pill, let the dogs outside, eat breakfast, which is currently a small amount of Mueslix (yummy) with a sliced banana and a whole whack of prune activia yogurt (stepped away from the soy milk after the "stomach flu" last week and really like the yogurt on cereal thing). I'm usually eating about an hour after I get out of bed. heh After that, I make my lunch, hide dog cookies all over the house, change into my working clothes, then walk to work. All told, I have to be out of bed about 2 hours before I need to be at work and you'll notice I don't do makeup, don't have a shower in the morning, and I do so very little with my hair!! heehee

I think an hour after waking up is really good timing for eating breakfast. My only rule is that I eat breakfast before I really go out. When I broke my shoulder riding to work a bunch of years ago, I used to not eat breakfast until about 10:00 in the morning, 2 hours after I started work. As a result, I went about 27 hours without food and with virtually nothing to drink....and the surgery was still 24 hours after that! Lesson learned. You never know what will happen on the way to work!!

Now....if I could only follow my own advice and stay away from the hot chocolate at work.....maybe I could stop growing this silly "beer" belly!

Namaste,
~T~

[Trekhawk]

[QUOTE=LBTC)Now....if I could only follow my own advice and stay away from the hot chocolate at work.....maybe I could stop growing this silly "beer" belly!
Namaste,
~T~[/QUOTE]

mmmm did someone mention hot chocolate. Yummy who could resist that.