Motivation Pls! Weight-loss Journey

I'm going to make the broccoli shrimp pasta tonight.

Winchester, when you freeze your broth, what portions do you freeze it in? I really need to clean out my freezers and start using them. How long does it last frozen?

One of my favorite things to eat is just chop up some vegetables, usually a red or orange pepper, a red onion, mushrooms, zucchini, maybe butternut squash. Then marinate them in balsamic vinegarette dressing for a while and bake about 30 minutes at 350. I've also used a drained version of the veggies (after roasting) as a pizza topping.

I freeze broth in several amounts. Most often I'll use a quart container and that I'll use for soup or stew. The one-cup portions I'll use for sauting onions and such. Sometimes a recipe may only call for 1/2 cup of broth, so it works to freeze in different sizes.

One thing about frozen....if you have a microwave, it's so easy to thaw your broth to use. If I've forgotten to get broth out of the freezer ahead of time, I'll go ahead and spray my pan with cooking spray. I'll start sauting my vegetables and then put the container of broth in the microwave and thaw it out. It doesn't take long at all. Frozen broth is good for 2-3 months, although I've kept it as long as 4 months. Don't think I'd want to go over that, although you probably could.

Love balsamic vinegarette! I'm going to try that as a pizza topping....it sounds wonderful. Especially over grilled pizza dough. Mmmmm. A lot of times now, we don't use pizza sauce on pizza. We just use a nice assortment of sauteed or grilled vegetables with a sprinkle of mozzarella.

Mariya, it's so hard when you get into that kind of a pattern; it's difficult to break free, so to speak. Part of why we have that weight loss group is b/c I've been in denial, too. I guess I just figured that I did it before and I can do it again. But this time, it's really hard. And I really hate carrying that weight around. I don't look good and I don't feel good. It turns into a vicious cycle.

So...we have to do something about those 15 pounds you want to lose to fit into that dress! And since I refuse to buy new clothes right now, I'm either going to have to get rid of the weight or walk around naked....and I'm not going naked.

Tomorrow (Monday) morning, I'm going to start posting in the weight loss group. I'm going to definitely need some support. Good luck, Mariya! We can do this!

Originally Posted by Winchester

Love balsamic vinegarette! I'm going to try that as a pizza topping....it sounds wonderful. Especially over grilled pizza dough. Mmmmm. A lot of times now, we don't use pizza sauce on pizza. We just use a nice assortment of sauteed or grilled vegetables with a sprinkle of mozzarella.

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Oh! I forgot to add, instead of tomato pizza sauce, I used a lowfat spinach/artichoke spread.

Originally Posted by Carolina

This is close to Core, although Core is not all you can eat. It is all you can eat in the "core list" - greens, for example. You don't count points, but it is certainly not all you can eat. Starchy vegetables are limited to one meal a day, and so are whole grains. Butter is a no - milk and yoghurt are fat free, so is the cheese. Meats are limited to lean cuts.... Oils are vegetable, olive, for example, and limited to 2 tbsp a day. Besides that all fat free dressings and margarine, mayo, etc.
Definitely easier if you stay within the "core list", but still have to watch quite a bit

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Actually I said that I eat as much as I want (of healthy foods) instead of counting calories or weighing the foods, etc. I eat until my hunger is satisfied.

I don't know about "all you can eat" - that sounds like some kind of challenge.

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

Actually I said that I eat as much as I want (of healthy foods) instead of counting calories or weighing the foods, etc. I eat until my hunger is satisfied.

I don't know about "all you can eat" - that sounds like some kind of challenge.

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Still, on your post:

I eat as much as I want of meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, butter, cheese, honey, maple syrup, and whole grains. I'd drink milk if I could find it raw.

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This would not work with Core - Butter is a no. Cheese must be fat free. Meats must be lean. Grains must be restricted to one meal. Starchy fruits and vegetables, the same - one meal. Milk and yoghurt, fat free... Anyways, you get the picture.
For core, yes, you eat until you are satisfied - from the "Core List" of foods. The rest you can eat one meal a day - these are whole grains, starchy veggies, certain fruits, etc.
It is easier than counting points, but not as simple as eating heathy as yours....
I like your deal much better, BTY.

I don't know about the WW core diet, only like I said I believe it's similar to what I eat.

I'm convinced that low-fat and no-fat diets make our bodies hold on to fat since it thinks there's none coming in. (Just like if you don't eat enough food your body goes into starvation mode and holds onto everything.) I'm not talking about the fat in cupcakes and ice cream, though, but in avocados, seeds, nuts, cheese and butter (or raw dairy), and even fat from meats. Those are okay by themselves (just don't add in Twinkies or potato chips or other junk).

If the food is messed with, processed, stripped, stuff taken out and other stuff put in, etc. then the body has problems. Food in its whole form is perfect like it is and the body reacts well!

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

I don't know about the WW core diet, only like I said I believe it's similar to what I eat.

I'm convinced that low-fat and no-fat diets make our bodies hold on to fat since it thinks there's none coming in. (Just like if you don't eat enough food your body goes into starvation mode and holds onto everything.) I'm not talking about the fat in cupcakes and ice cream, though, but in avocados, seeds, nuts, cheese and butter (or raw dairy), and even fat from meats. Those are okay by themselves (just don't add in Twinkies or potato chips or other junk).

If the food is messed with, processed, stripped, stuff taken out and other stuff put in, etc. then the body has problems. Food in its whole form is perfect like it is and the body reacts well!

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Yep yep.... There is a lot to say for healthy and balanced diet.....
A couple of things my doctor told me to do though: If you feel like eating junk, or a sweet thing - Ice cream, a dessert, something - eat that specific thing immediately. Otherwise you will eat everything in the world trying to satisfy that crave for no avail. Also, shock your system from time to time if you are on a low cal diet (which I rather just eat healthy) so you speed up your metabolism and take it off starvation mode - take one day of the week to do this - say Sundays, for example, and splurge.
One thing that has helped me a lot (I think) is adding Flaxseed Meal to my diet - I take 2 tbsp of golden organic flax seed meal before each meal. It is packed with fiber and omega 3 and 6.
By eating healthy and being happy and eating my fiber I have lost 54lbs in the last year and I am back on my healthy/normal weight. I was a little "cow" before (for me, at least)

The broccoli shrimp pasta toss was to die for.

Tonight is chicken with sun dried tomato sauce (from the group list by Winchester), and a side of roasted corn/black beans/jalapeno/cilantro/coconut. That's a new recipe...I'll let ya know how it is!

Originally Posted by kluchetta

The broccoli shrimp pasta toss was to die for.

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I totally agree! I added some bell peppers and mushrooms. Perfect opportunity to finish what I had before it went in the trash!

You all are going to hate me for this. I've lost 45 pounds in the last 18 months and I never tried to do it.

I lost a big chunk at the start when I lost my job and stopped eating out at lunch. Never realized how much weight I kept on from eating fast food lunches all the time.

I've made a point of eating more healthy. All fresh ingredients and no processed foods. I pretty much eat as much as I want, but only what's good for me. I've noticed that when I do regress and eat things like potato chips, I stop losing weight. When I don't snack, I continually lose.

When I started work again about 9 months ago, I took a job where I'm on my feet all day, lifting heavy things. On a slow day I walk about 5 miles. On really busy days I can put in 20 miles. DH and I have actually swapped portion sizes. I always take the larger portion for dinner, as I burn off the calories faster than his office job. The point to this: keep moving. I've lost about 15 pounds since I started, and I actually eat more now than I did before I took the job. Just recently I decided to drop another 10 pounds (5 down, 5 to go btw). I've just reduced portion sizes a bit and I'm losing weight again. I should be at goal in another 30 days or so.

I never deny myself that I really want to eat. I truly believe that once you deny yourself of something, you crave it more. I just limit the junk food to satisfy my craving.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

You all are going to hate me for this. I've lost 45 pounds in the last 18 months and I never tried to do it.

I lost a big chunk at the start when I lost my job and stopped eating out at lunch. Never realized how much weight I kept on from eating fast food lunches all the time.

I've made a point of eating more healthy. All fresh ingredients and no processed foods. I pretty much eat as much as I want, but only what's good for me. I've noticed that when I do regress and eat things like potato chips, I stop losing weight. When I don't snack, I continually lose.

When I started work again about 9 months ago, I took a job where I'm on my feet all day, lifting heavy things. On a slow day I walk about 5 miles. On really busy days I can put in 20 miles. DH and I have actually swapped portion sizes. I always take the larger portion for dinner, as I burn off the calories faster than his office job. The point to this: keep moving. I've lost about 15 pounds since I started, and I actually eat more now than I did before I took the job. Just recently I decided to drop another 10 pounds (5 down, 5 to go btw). I've just reduced portion sizes a bit and I'm losing weight again. I should be at goal in another 30 days or so.

I never deny myself that I really want to eat. I truly believe that once you deny yourself of something, you crave it more. I just limit the junk food to satisfy my craving.

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I don't hate you, I think that's awesome! And so true about the junk food lunches! (saves money too)

I've had two days on the job and I already feel lighter! I've been eating pretty normal, just no chance to overeat because of my nerves since it's a new job for me. We had company lunches for the new hires yesterday and today, one was Thai food the other cheesecake factory, and i only ate half of what was on my plate both times so that's pretty good, and then I had pretty light dinners too. I had some junk food snacks which were offered to me and I couldnt say no but it wasn't too bad! I'll weigh myself tomorrow and see if I've lost anything by not binging on sweets for two days.

Oh goodness, I'm having Aunt Flo visiting right now. Just ate a bunch of pistachios and some ritz and cheese handi snacks. Buuuttttttt...I guess it could be worse. I mean I also ate 2 bananas today, and ate normally otherwise. Probably just need a LOT of water tomorrow. And...I didn't eat like a gallon of ice cream or anything! gotta look on the bright side.

Lost 3 pounds!

It's amazing what not snacking at night can do. I don't eat now after 6:00. Brush and floss my teeth at 6:00. And that's it for the rest of the night. Just a little bit of added incentive, I guess; if I brush, I don't want to have to do it again because I ate something.

Hit the treadmill and elliptical last night. And hit the treadmill this morning. It's an exercise night tonight.

Originally Posted by Winchester

Lost 3 pounds!

It's amazing what not snacking at night can do. I don't eat now after 6:00. Brush and floss my teeth at 6:00. And that's it for the rest of the night. Just a little bit of added incentive, I guess; if I brush, I don't want to have to do it again because I ate something.

Hit the treadmill and elliptical last night. And hit the treadmill this morning. It's an exercise night tonight.

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3 pounds is great! Snacking after dinner is terrible for a diet. Some nights I am guilty of it-and I love those starchy salty things at night. Now I try to chew some gum or something. It's not what I'm yearning for, but it's working I guess.

Congrats on losing 3 lbs!! I stayed the same.. today's only the 3rd day, so I am not expecting any changes yet.

I keep coming back here to find the recipes! Making the broccoli shrimp stir fry tonight!

Originally Posted by parsleysage

Sure, Karen!

I need some accountability in my eating. I'm into the Paleo diet/lifestyle, though, which is a bit different from Weight Watchers, but the motivation and inspiration/success stories part will be the same. Any other takers?

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Wow..I didn't expect to see that here as I just started reading this thread. I don't do paleo but I do follow a low/balanced carb lifestyle that is much higher in fat and protein than many other folks normal diet. I do find paleo a bit intriguing best wishes to all working on improving health via diet change.

I like this thread and hope I can join in too. I'm trying for the ol' lifestyle change and it worked ok for the first bit but I've started snacking like crazy (weather change maybe) either way it's time to buckle down. Ideally I'd like to lose 30lbs Currently I eat breakfast and pack a healthy lunch for work every day (but i snack between lunch and supper terribly...worst time for me). Dinner is hit and miss on healthy. Usually I try to cook on Sundays so I'm set for the week. I exercise for an hour 4 days per week, walk most days at lunch and get at least 30 mins of exercise in on the other 3 days...so far I lost 10lbs. It has been painfully slow and I know it's my eating I need to fix. GL all!

I have missed this thread somehow... I wish I could get remotivated... last year I joined Sparkpeople.com (best thing that ever happened to me) and lost 32lbs by changing my eating habits, cut out processed foods and cooked fresh, drank lots of water, started adding vitamins to my daily diet, and exercise became something I looked forward to ( I was walking 3-6 miles a day). Then my world turned upside down... my youngest daughter returned home from a placement center for out of control teens and seemed to be a changed child... at first. Her issues were violence against me, running away, drugs & all sorts of dangerous behaviors that go along with them. Thankfully, she has remained drug-free, and she hasn't turned to physical violence again, but she went from being this sweet thing when she came home to a verbally disrespectful and hateful person. She's staying with her dad temporarily, but he is moving across the country in a couple weeks so she will be coming back here.. though he promised her she could come live with him when school is out. Between that stress and the fact that I started taking college classes full-time on top of a full-time job... I have gained back all I lost and then some... I just can't find the motivation to get back to it. Then I saw on the news the other day that your hormones work against you and even a year after you've lost weight they are higher trying to get you to eat what your body thinks it's missing... How unfair is that!?! So, I suppose what I want to say is I wish you all the best of luck , because it is soooooo hard, but I know it can be done. And maybe one of these days I'll be back on here bragging about losing a few pounds myself!