I had decided a while back that I needed to try and get on a better eating plan and lose some pounds before I have to spend my time standing in anatomy lab in January. So, after looking over the alternatives, I decided to count portions. I know fully well that crazy cabbage, all meat, etc diets won’t work for me, so I’m doing it the hard way, actually measuring my food into portions (and learning to measure by eye) and keeping a food journal. I quickly learned, that if left to my own devices, my diet would be all carbs, protein, fat and sugar. I love veggies, but its that “grab and go” mentality, you know. So, I have begun the slow loss to try and get a bit slimmer before starting school. I gained after breaking my foot (decreased mobility) and having the pulmonary embolisum (NO more trips to BAngladesh, thank you!) and so that wasn’t helping. First weeks report is: two pound loss!! Yippee! I really HATE being hungry, so its been a bit difficult, but hoping it will get easier. 
Kathy
Kathy,
I really like weight watchers. Have you ever tried it?
I have my lifetime membership. Unfortunately I stopped going and gained over the pat year. I returned to wt. watchers last week. I weghed more than when I was 9 mos pregnant with my son. Ug! At least I am back in the saddle now so to speak. Even when I gain a small ammount of wt. it really affects my mobility.
You should not be hungry on a healthy eating plan. water fruits and veggies are our friends!
Keep it up!
Shirl
I have struggled with my weight and fibromyalgia for the past ten years now following a car accident. I also have PCOS. I am concerned about this issue as well and want to be in MUCH better shape prior to the physical demands that are to come. I am now taking a multi-vitamin with extra B’s, Omega fish oil capsules, and cutting waaaaay back on sugar. I do feel much better but still struggle with the “preparation” part of making lifestyle changes in my eating. I like to stay in bed until I absolutely have to get up (usually about 6:30am) and then like to shower, get dressed and run out the door. How I wish that there were healthy fast food places…I dislike the fast foods salads as it seems so many of them use iceberg lettuce with no flavors and lots of preservatives. I do see some interesting ones that could pass for nutritional but at $5 a pop it is not in my every day budget. 
Any one have any ideas on how to boost metabolism? Is there a possibility that such a thing can be done?
E Lynne
Hi Kathy,
I am currently doing Weight Watchers. You can even do it on-line. We are starting meetings at the hospital which will be great for me.
Portion control is a great start but try to get some exercise. Start very, very slowly and keep a log. Start with a simple walk for 10 minutes. Use that time to clear your head and think about all of the wonderful things that you are going to learn in England.
Any exercise helps with stress reduction. I make myself walk the stairs whenever possible. The first time I did the stairs, I thought my heart was going to burst. Then I realized that I was holding my breath. Now I walk down two and up one. It isn’t much but it is a start.
Good luck and take it slow. I have been snacking on these wonderful grape tomatoes. Tastier than grapes. I also am trying to get my caffeine level down but I love good fresh coffee.
Natalie 
I found that the FIX IT NOW rule for grocery shopping helps me get my veggies and salads in. The FIX IT NOW rule is: as soon as you get the fruits and veggies home from the store, you wash, cut, chop, prepare, put in containers, BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE. If I put the groceries away and sit down, I just know that a week from now I’m going to be throwing moldy vegetables in the garbage.
If you turn your healthy, low-cal foods into “grab and go” meals up front, you improve your chances of eating them. And I think that with certain very nutritious, very low-cal foods like spinach, mushrooms, summer squash, etc., you don’t have to worry about portion control. Good for you for taking this step! It’s pretty tough sometimes.
Denise
Vita & I were just chatting about the flab situation when she was out this way… Each pledged 15 pounds by Christmas? Celebrate with a drink after finals!
I have put back on about 20-30 pounds since my show last April and am gearing up to do another one in June so I need to lean out slowly & retain my existing muscle mass.
In all my dieting for fat loss, for the show, I have learned that I HAVE to count my calories or basically know the value & be responsible for that value on a daily basis. My natural ‘habits’ are not that strict 
Anyway, am going to just make cleaner choices at this point and not overly restrict calories. This fall, given work & school & parenting, my exercise is about 60 minutes everyday - aiming for the morning but might spill to lunch hour - no evenings. Will start up with 20 minutes sprints and then lift for about 45 minutes - 6x a week with yoga/daughter time on Sundays. Should I get lazy, then I eat less… At the end of the day for me its about calories in (food)/calories out (how much my butt moved that day)…
Last time I leaned out I was eating meat so I relied heavily upon that but now I more ovo/lacto veggie head so we’ll see how that plays out.
The hungries - I too am not fond of them but it reminds me to drink water… everytime I get hungry guzzle guzzle…
Seems everyone is dieting in some form or another. I really liked the “Fix It Now” approach and will try that. I like Weight Watchers a lot, and have considered the cost rather prohibitive. However, perhaps I should also consider the reasons and the outcome/rewards. Anastasia, the only thing I know to boost your metabolism in a healthy way…is exercise. I’ll be honest, I’m not fond of exercise. I loved the water aerobics class I was in, but didn’t go back since that is where I was assaulted. That also played into the weight gain. I guess I just need to bite the bullet and go down to the apartment work out center. It has several pieces of equipment, including several very nice treadmills (which I did better on than my skinny hubby!). If I can’t walk on a treadmill in an air conditioned room with a TV in front of me, that would be pathetic, right?? Thanks for all of the ideas. I need to do it for me, and also for my family. My 12 year old boy, at 4’11" , just hit 165 pounds and has a 36 inch waist! We all love food, sigh.
Kathy
I am also a Weight Watchers online member. It works, BUT for some reason after sitting in classes all day, I get home and I am famished even though I have eaten a sensible lunch and a snack. Does overusing your brain make you hungrier 
That happened to me as well when I was at the outpatient clinic all day…I was famished by 6pm. At home I could eat sparingly and not feel so hungry at the end of the day. I wonder if hunger can be confused with mental fatigue?
I spoke with a colleage about this and he takes these supplements to keep himself functioning at an optimal level while cutting back on portions:
Folic Acid 800 mcg
B12 1000mcg
B 1 100mg
Niacinamide (B3) 300mg
B 6 200mg
Inosital 650mg
Vit C 1000mg
Chelated Calcium 350mg
Magnesium 100mg
Zinc 10mg
E Lynne
Hi there,
You are probably not hungry but thirsty. I found that when I kept myself hydrated (can be very difficult to do in class), I was not starved when I got home. I also kept those little baby carrots in my back pack and munched on them during class. People used to tease me about crunching during lecture. I also kept a liter bottle of water on my desk and swigged during lectures.
I do not drink coffee after my morning cup because caffeine is a great diuretic and I find myself dry. Now being a little dry is a good thing for a surgeon but I now drink water between cases and just visit the "sandbox’ before I start each case. If I am hydrated, I am not hungry.
When I work out in hot weather, I can drop six to ten pounds of fluid during a 45-minute jog so I take a huge water bottle with me.
Stay away from juices and carbonated soft drinks because of the sugar and the carbonation. I was never a juice person and I mix diet Coke with half water because it is too strong for me. Having a european mother, I never used ice in any drink so I drink most everything lukewarm.
Workouts have been great for stress.
Natalie
Week one was okay, and I lost two pounds. Still, I didn’t feel comfortable with the whole thing. Its easier to kid yourself and I really want to be successful. So, I joined WW online. It is really great. Not only can I keep up with everything online, they also have a program that allows me to put in any food and it calculates points! That is very helpful for me. Putting it in on the computer also makes me feel more accountable as well. I’ve done really well this week, and Monday is my weigh in, so I’ll let you know how things are going for me! Yesterday was my daughter’s 7th birthday party and I didn’t even touch the cheese dip and chocolate cake I made for her party.
Kathy
Quote:
I do not drink coffee after my morning cup because caffeine is a great diuretic and I find myself dry.
Natalie
Hey Natalie,
This is kind of a tangent, but I read a fascinating article on water consumption in the Tufts Health & Nutrition Newsletter (which I love) a few months ago. Here’s the link: New Consumption Guidelines Issued for Water, Sodium, and Potassium .
In it I was extremely surprised to see the following:
“It’s that water doesn’t only come from drinking water. It also comes from milk, juice, coffee, alcoholic drinks (that’s right, coffee and alcohol), other beverages, and the moisture content of solid foods…Regarding caffeine, the panel says, ‘as early as 1928, it was reported that caffeine-containing beverages did not significantly increase 24-hour urine output’ and that any diuretic effects they have may be transient in nature. Alcohol is not a water robber, either, the panel reports. In fact, the new guidelines say that coffee, tea, colas, and (in moderation) alcoholic beverages ‘can contribute to total water intake,’ particularly in habitual consumers of caffeinated beverages like coffee because there’s an adaptation mechanism. The more regularly you drink it, the more the body is able to hold onto the water it provides. In other words, the popular notion that for every cup of coffee you consume you need to drink a cup of water to replace lost fluid is false.”
I’d always heard it was a strong diurretic as well, so I mentioned it to my honors bio professor last semester also (yes, I’ve been annoying everyone with this article), and he said he wasn’t surprised.
Of course, caffeine has other issues, but you may not have to cut out your fresh brewed coffee after all (especially if you have them regularly)!
Cheers,
Erica
Hey, second week on healthy eating plan (and week 1 on Weight Watchers)- I stuck to it religiously and LOST TEN POUNDS!! WOW!!! I am so pumped right now. WOO HOO!!!
Kathy
Kathy -
Way to go! I need to start too :-). You might want to check out some books by Covert Bailey (the “fit or fat” series). It is simple and inspirational.
-Sara
Sara,
Thanks for the info, I’ll check them out.
Kathy
Kathy,
Way to go girl!
I am back to weight watchers. This is my second week. 3.4 pounds lost week one. Two pounds week two. Weight watchers introduced the new turnaround program so it was a good week to return. The two options flex (previously referred to as points) and core allow members choice. I stuck with flex (points) because that is what has worked for me in the past. If I write it down I am accountable.
Keep up the good work!
I am loving the core foods program–just switched to it this week. With the luscious summer fruits, I’m living high on the hog.
You girls are braver than I am, when I did the assessment and it talked about eating until full without counting, I said “no way!” I’m not sure I always know what “full” is
Kathy
I got on the scale and saw that I lost 5 lbs. without trying, it’s because I’m back in school and stressed and extremely busy. I went 12 hrs. without eating, I was in class or in lab, then in computer lab to graph data, then over to the library, etc. I’m just on the run all the time. I usually get a fruit smoothie with an immune booster put in it and just keep going. 14 weeks left of school, Whew!!!
I hope school has that effect on me!!!
Kathy