A new beginning in getting HEALTHY...2017, here we come!!!

Just thought I'd start a new thread and put my old one to sleep as per what Fallen Pixels is doing...let's put that nasty ol' monkey year behind us and continue (or in my case, begin again) to get or maintain a healthy lifestyle!

As for my personal journey, after recovering for 2 1/2 years, 3 surgeries after I lost my 48lbs from Christmas, 2013 to May, 2014, and now recovering from surgery, I don't mind telling you that I'm DONE with it all!!!

Although my exercise right now consists of trying to walk on and off a 3" wood plank my DH made for me as per my physiotherapist's instructions, I know from my last experience that frankly exercise has very little to do with losing weight.
I did none the winter of my loss. What exercise does is tone you, and make you more heart-healthy, among other benefits.

I guess what I'm trying to do is encourage those of you who are like me, who are unable to exercise, to get on a healthy eating program and not to stress about what you can't do. You WILL lose weight...calories in, calories out, simple as that, no magic pills, or Oprah would be pushing those!!:tongue:

We're going through left-overs today and tomorrow, from the weekend, and I've been going over my last diet journals to reacquaint myself with my program. The worst days are the first 4, I found...from then on, it's one day at a time!

Good luck to all of us, an Happy New Year, and a Happy New YOU!!

Congrats on starting this new thread Lynn! I am not ready to do this just yet.......someone may have to drag me kicking and screaming from the boxed chocolates hanging around here before I get serious once again.
I can testify that the working out is not THE most important part to weight loss and feeling healthy, it is the food.
I know this because I have dropped 50 lbs 2 times doing just changing my diet.

Around here it is quite difficult for me to maintain my weight loss success for very long since I still LOVE cooking for the family and they love meals all ready and waiting for them....but at some point that will need to be revisited. If it was simple, everyone on the planet would be the ideal weight right??

Good luck to any newcomers joining in on this thread!!

I'll join the new thread too. I enjoy the company, although I felt like I lacked encouragement or feedback when I used to post in the old thread.

I recently hit my goal weight, which was to get back into my healthy BMI range...even though I don't necessarily trust their approach. Canadian Tire has a digital glass scale on sale for $11.99 right now, so I bought one yesterday. I don't like to compare weights between scales because that can be misleading. I hadn't weighed myself since mid October at my doctor's office. I have lost an additional 6lbs since then. I now weigh 27lbs less than when I married Dh 5+yrs ago. I weigh what I did in high school. I'd still like to tone my belly...twins have stretched things out some...which isto be expected after carrying 12lbs of babies. I'm 5'10" tall and still nursing our twins. I have some health problems that limit some of my activities and cause me pain. Later this month it will be 10yrs since I was the passenger in a vehicle when it was struck by a car...which is how these health problems began. I try to cook healthy for our family, but we still have some quick meal options, and Dh likes us to eat out as a family once a week. I bake and eat some of it. I have reduced the sugar, fat, and chocolate content of some of my recipes. I've also increased the fruit and fibre content of some of these recipes. I still buy chips and Icecream, but I don't like other deep fried foods. Part of what I'm trying to say is that you don't necessarily have to deprive yourself in order to experience success or improvement.

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Originally Posted by Angela273

I'll join the new thread too. I enjoy the company, although I felt like I lacked encouragement or feedback when I used to post in the old thread.

I recently hit my goal weight, which was to get back into my healthy BMI range...even though I don't necessarily trust their approach. Canadian Tire has a digital glass scale on sale for $11.99 right now, so I bought one yesterday. I don't like to compare weights between scales because that can be misleading. I hadn't weighed myself since mid October at my doctor's office. I have lost an additional 6lbs since then. I now weigh 27lbs less than when I married Dh 5+yrs ago. I weigh what I did in high school. I'd still like to tone my belly...twins have stretched things out some...which isto be expected after carrying 12lbs of babies. I'm 5'10" tall and still nursing our twins. I have some health problems that limit some of my activities and cause me pain. Later this month it will be 10yrs since I was the passenger in a vehicle when it was struck by a car...which is how these health problems began. I try to cook healthy for our family, but we still have some quick meal options, and Dh likes us to eat out as a family once a week. I bake and eat some of it. I have reduced the sugar, fat, and chocolate content of some of my recipes. I've also increased the fruit and fibre content of some of these recipes. I still buy chips and Icecream, but I don't like other deep fried foods. Part of what I'm trying to say is that you don't necessarily have to deprive yourself in order to experience success or improvement.

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LOLOLOL. your GOAL WEIGHT!!..congratulations!!! And YOU need encouragement??!!:cheesygrin:
So many here are still struggling with motivation, let alone the whole 'losing' part...we'd be anxious for your support, too, Sweets!!
Keep up the good work; some of us know how difficult it is to lose weight and keep it off!!:thumbs_up:

http://images.locanto.com.au/1189390...luations_3.jpg

THIS is SO TRUE!! It's the starting that's hard.


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...09ef2d703b.jpg

When I lost those 48lbs, I only had carbs once per day, and not after lunch (so, b'fast, lunch), and usually two 'skinny' slices of bread (not necessarily diet bread..you have to look, but whole grain breads can equal those silly see-through slices labelled "weight watchers' or similar)...so anyhoodles, I just found this and it's a pretty nice list!
Sometimes it's just hard to THINK of something different!
http://carbswitch.com/wp-content/upl...ocery-list.jpg

I shall lurke as I did last year and try and be more active on the thread. I did manage to lose almost 30 pounds and I hope to do the same again this year.

Maybe we can shake things up a little here, too and post recipes we seem to go back to when we're watching our weight...or just breakfast and lunch ideas...I'm not one to have "one chicken breast, 1/3C brown rice, small salad, chick peas" for lunch. I like my sandwiches...tuna, egg salad, and never felt deprived. I kept my calories to about 300 per meal, including snacks. Generally I took in 1000 healthy calories per day..sometimes less, sometimes more.

So I'll start:

My breakfast is generally one cup of cereal (as long as the calories are under 250), with skim milk, black coffee, and about an hour later, fruit (apple, handful of grapes)
I never tire of the same thing and it's pretty easy, not hanging onto the fridge to find something, anything!

I'll also scramble 2 whole eggs,(150 cal) lightly saute them in a small pat of butter (1 tsp, 34 cal), and have that with one slice of my low cal toast (90-ish cal) = 274 calories (and very filling!)

I also like 1 cup canned peaches in water, with 2 toast, lightly buttered.

Also...1 cup low fat cottage cheese (200 cal), sprinkled with cinnamon and my sweet 'n low, and one toast. But I love cottage cheese! :)

Anyway....not exciting, but not "fussy" to make, either, esp since I'm not able to cook up large meals, yet.

Hope that helps someone.

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Originally Posted by lilo0003

I shall lurke as I did last year and try and be more active on the thread. I did manage to lose almost 30 pounds and I hope to do the same again this year.

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Lurk to your heart's content, @lilo0003 , but pull out those pom-poms now and then and cheer us on...heaven knows we sure can use it!! :cheer2:

I am going to try and stop junk at the door.

I keep grocery stats of store, quantity, price, etc. but I am adding a new column to my spreadsheet: "food" or "junk"? That way, I can do a report of all the "food" (meat/fish/poultry, low-fat dairy, vegetables and fruit, basic carbs like pasta and rice, etc.) and all the "junk" (processed, boxed, canned, high fat, POTATO CHIPS, CHEESE lol) that I buy.

I am looking for new ideas for the same old ingredients. Harissa is quite hot these days http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Harissa and I haven't done anything using it, but with the winter here I'm thinking harissa roasted root vegetables. D doesn't like things flaming hot, so I would replace most of the chilis with regular sweet and smoked sweet paprika.

Also I want to get this book from the library, All Under Heaven https://www.amazon.ca/All-Under-Heav...l+under+heaven because I am in search of Chinese recipes that have no sweetener or sweetness. D likes his food savoury, period, and finds stuff like oyster sauce and hoisin sauce so sweet that they disgust him. I figure if I can find some from-scratch recipes, I can take the sweetness out. In general I am trying to get rid of condiments in favour of spice.

Our Zehrs has a new spices line called Dion http://www.epicesdion.com/en/products/ which includes a lot of exotic stuff (and it is a heck of a lot cheaper than McCormick!) I have been very happy with the prices and quality, and I don't have to run around to find odd spices anymore. I am going to let Dion be an inspiration to me this year.

Another trend I think might be useful is savoury yogurt, cottage cheese and porridges. Think cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro, mint, parsley, spices...

Interested to try: bean pasta and bean snacks (I love Indian legume-based snacks but they are sooo fatty!) Trending this year...

Is anyone going to join weight watchers again this year? I joined WW last year for 3 months and it has changed the way i think about food and eating and how to lose weight. :)

Wish you best of luck everyone on your journey. I won't be able to actively participate here with my semester starting on Jan 4th (right on my b'day! How terrible!) (Sniff sniff)

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Originally Posted by Lynn49

LOLOLOL. your GOAL WEIGHT!!..congratulations!!! And YOU need encouragement??!!:cheesygrin:
So many here are still struggling with motivation, let alone the whole 'losing' part...we'd be anxious for your support, too, Sweets!!
Keep up the good work; some of us know how difficult it is to lose weight and keep it off!!:thumbs_up:

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I was hesitant to write that, but in the old thread I sometimes felt ignored when I was posting my small losses. I always continued to check the thread and provide encouragement to others. Very few people in my family are a healthy weight, same goes for our friends. I posted a brag about my dad in the old thread that I think people should check out. My Dh, older brother, older sister, and both of my parents should also lose some weight. I am not passing judgement, but rather stating a fact that even they acknowledge. I try to encourage them and also let them know how I have been achieving my small weight losses. It's not easy to do when we have three small children and I am constantly sleep deprived. Experiencing constant pain is also not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

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Originally Posted by lilo0003

I shall lurke as I did last year and try and be more active on the thread. I did manage to lose almost 30 pounds and I hope to do the same again this year.

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That's awesone Lilo! You are doing a great job. Keep it up.

I'll follow this thread - I tend towards "real" foods (we still have junk food here - that's not so much for me! but I love baked goods). My big trigger is sodium so I tend to try and limit it to approx 300 mg per meal (spread across the day)