Healthier me

[Neil D]

The trouble with dieting is that you are thinking about food all the time....I know...I am eating 6 small meals every 3 hours, and I still have this urge to eat something..

And then there is this gym where I am weight lifting 3/week and using the stationary bike....nothing feels soo good as knowing that you have completed that 20 minute fat burning workout on the bike...in addition to the 1/2 hour weight lifting exercises....

Been doing that for the last 10 days, and have lost 3 lbs...hope to loose more...

[Dr. Shane]

Well, to be honest, when I wasn't dieting... I was thinking about food all the time too. So that didn't change much for me. However at this point, I don't consider myself to be dieting, but I am watching what I eat.

Rush Limbaugh said something that didn't make sense to me at the time. He said the key to him losing weight was getting a new attitude toward food. And while he doesn't grasp the benefits of exercise, I think he is right about the new attitude thing.

I look at food differently. When I choose to eat, I ask myself what the food has to offer me. I look at it like a business transition. Each day I have 2,000 or so calories to "spend" (like money). If a certain food "costs" 500 calories I want to know I am getting a good deal. Taste is part of it. I want something that tastes good. But I also want nutrition and not a lot of fat. I read all the labels of what I eat. I have learned enough to know about what I am getting in restaurants. I don't want empty calories. I am looking to get the most nutrition for the least amount of calories.

I won't even consider junk food like potato or tortilla chips unless they are baked. I mostly snack on things like low-fat popcorn, sweetened shredded wheat (dry), nuts in the shell, sugar-free jello and satisfy my sweet tooth with diet soda. That is what works for me. Each of us are different but I think as a general rule, if we change our attitude about food it will go a long way to controlling our weight.

[lazarus]

Since I started running I have found that my tastes have changed. I eat less sweet stuff. I found that I actually want to eat healthier. I love doughnuts and sweets but I seem to have lost the taste for them, maybe its temporary.

I read somewhere that the body can naturally let itself know what it needs and adjust your cravings accordingly. That may not be true but it seems to be happening to me.

[Bravus]

Yeah, there definitely seem to be 'vicious cycles' and 'virtuous cycles' with these things, laz: do more exercise, feel better, eat less and eat better... they all seem to complement and support one another. Doing all the opposites, they also seem to support one another.

And yeah, 'dieting' is bad, because it puts your body in 'famine mode' and makes you gain weight even faster when you stop. Changing your attitude to food and your habits is the key, and adding exercise is crucial. Fat slows your metabolism and lean muscle speeds it. Another virtuous cycle: if you exercise you'll build muscle and burn fat even when you're not exercising.

Drinks are the other one: even the 'healthy' alternatives like green iced tea contain so much sugar they're maybe 200 calories... a significant part of your daily energy need/allowance. Water is best... zero calories, have as much as you want!