Become Healthier Together: Join the Fiber 35 Diet!

[speedychef]

Wow, I really dig SparkPeople! Entering your food in there makes you really think when you're eating!

 

[raebates]

I don't think I've slept this much since my surgery. I'm feeling a bit better, though, and eating good stuff.I slept in this morning until 4:50. I'm off now to make myself some breakfast. I'm thinking whole grain pancakes sound good.

 

[speedychef]

I've been eating healthier and managing to get my exercise in every day. I find that telling others about it helps hold myself accountable, so thanks for being there for me! Spark People is cool, too, because you can track your calories and all that jazz. It makes me re-think all those beers I drank this weekend!

 

[AJPratt]

I just found this thread. Dave and I started to see a nutritionist 3 weeks ago. Actually, my PL lady friend started seeing her and lost over 45 pounds. So, Dave is down 15 pounds and I am down 10. It has been quite an education. She did warn me that he would lose faster. We were given food journals and different lists of food at different times. Its amazing that everything you thought you knew was wrong. You shouldn't starve yourself, you should actually eat more frequently and have carbs earlier in the day.

Here is her site, if anyone wants more info: http://www.nancyadlernutrition.com/plan.html

 

[Brandie]

Well, I didn't do very well over the holiday weekend--doughnuts are my downfall, and darn it if someone didn't get doughnuts every morning.

I've done okay today--Cheerios for breakfast, ran two miles with the jogging stroller (my punishment for not getting up early to run...), mini corn dogs for lunch (hey--I have kids), and Crystal Light to drink all day. I also played outside in the hose with older DD and washed my large SUV by hand. I think I'm back on track! I think dinner will be six-cheese tortellini with marinara sauce...mmmmmmm. I'm getting my buns out of bed for three miles tomorrow morning!

 

[raebates]

Did pretty well over the weekend. I'm hoping that by next Monday I'll be able to exercise. What I'm really excited about is I've got an appointment to have my ears candled on Friday after work. It's sooo relaxing!For those who don't know, ear candling is where they put a specially made candle in your ear. They light the candle, and the capillary action draws the wax out of your ear. The woman who does mine usually does two in each ear.Yes, I realize The Furry Guy could do this for me. (You can get the candles in most health food stores.) However, he's not likely to dim the lights, have soft, soothing music playing, massage my hands and face, and give me cold water and a mint when he's done. Eulagene does that. She's wonderful.

 

[Kathytnt]

I have never done ear candling but a lot of customers that visit the health food store where I work think it is awesome

 

[raebates]

It's great. Again, soooooo relaxing.

 

[chefann]

With my luck, my hair would go up in flames. Not relaxing.

 

[AJPratt]

With my luck, my hair would go up in flames. Not relaxing.

Yea, like a bad perm I once had!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I just found this thread. Dave and I started to see a nutritionist 3 weeks ago. Actually, my PL lady friend started seeing her and lost over 45 pounds. So, Dave is down 15 pounds and I am down 10. It has been quite an education. She did warn me that he would lose faster. We were given food journals and different lists of food at different times. Its amazing that everything you thought you knew was wrong. You shouldn't starve yourself, you should actually eat more frequently and have carbs earlier in the day.

Here is her site, if anyone wants more info: http://www.nancyadlernutrition.com/plan.html

Anne,

I checked out her site - very interesting - really alot the way I already eat. It wasn't clear to me her view on artificial sweeteners? What does she recommend? I don't eat artificial sweeteners, and very little sugar, but do use some Agave Nectar, which is a natural sweetener, but doesn't mess with blood sugar levels - so doesn't produce sugar cravings.

I have an appointment w/ a nutritionist for June 11 - I am very excited to go! I was very fortunate, because she is really in demand, and usually is booked 6-8 weeks out, but when I called, I was able to get in in 2 weeks because of a cancellation!

 

[raebates]

With my luck, my hair would go up in flames. Not relaxing.

Yet another reason to let Eulagene, who swaddles my head in towels to protect my hair, do this, and keep The Furry Guy away from my head with lit candles.

 

[chefann]

I could see where Furry Guy would want to keep his furry self away from lit candles, too.

 

[AJPratt]

Anne,

I checked out her site - very interesting - really alot the way I already eat. It wasn't clear to me her view on artificial sweeteners? What does she recommend? I don't eat artificial sweeteners, and very little sugar, but do use some Agave Nectar, which is a natural sweetener, but doesn't mess with blood sugar levels - so doesn't produce sugar cravings.

I have an appointment w/ a nutritionist for June 11 - I am very excited to go! I was very fortunate, because she is really in demand, and usually is booked 6-8 weeks out, but when I called, I was able to get in in 2 weeks because of a cancellation!

As far as sweeteners go, she recommends Stevia, also a natural sweetener. If we have anything with artificial sweeteners, we have to limit them to two or three a day (if we have coffee or tea, we can have 3). She says that Splenda is "better" than aspartame, but really, you need to moderate your intake of anything artificial. I think she would rather us just stick to natural stuff when possible. I have posted before about aspartame and Splenda, but I guess if you are diabetic, they would be better than sugar for you? Sorta like the lesser of the two evils.

 

[raebates]

Yeah, Ann, candles and fur aren't a good combination.

 

[Brandie]

I am learning some interesting things on this thread...

Today's not a bad day--ran a tough three miles this morning, had Cheerios for breakfast, goldfish crackers for a snack, and cheese & bacon quesadillas with salsa for lunch. Planning taco salad for dinner...

 

[raebates]

Its' hot and humid. Bad for shingles. Bad for edema. Bad for appetite. Thankfully, there's a grocery store nearby. I went there and picked up some fresh fruit and cheese sticks for lunch. Got some pomegranate iced tea, too. Yum.

 

[Brandie]

Yard work with scissors...Again, not a bad day--ran a hard two miles this morning, standard Cheerio breakfast, had a PB&J (made with the cut-n-seal, of course) at my DD's end-of-year picnic at the hoity-toity preschool, ate a little ice cream at the same picnic, mowed my lawn, weeded the front gardens, trimmed around the front gardens (with scissors--couldn't get the darned weed-whacker to start), shaped the bushes in the front yard, and then had some Dora the Explorer cookies with a little frosting with older DD while younger DD slept .

Haven't decided on dinner yet, but DH will be home (first time this week) for it, so I'm thinking of making him grill out! Hmmm...I think I'll go pull something out of the freezer that will go nicely on the grill. Yummy.

 

[Brandie]

Hey, Rae--

I'm not much for iced tea, but I sure do love a good pomegranite. Mmmm...

 

[raebates]

I'm meeting a friend for dinner. Probably pasta with a light tomato sauce of some kind. We'll be attending Forging Fifty-One's first concert. Forging Fifty-One is a Christian band that includes a few young men from my church. They are very talented young men. I'm looking forward to their concert. It's at a local church during their outreach ministry.

 

[raebates]

Pomegranate is great.

 

[Brandie]

Haven't run yet today, but I've definitely had some exercise--walked around the zoo for a couple of hours with the girls, played outside, went for a walk in the neighborhood...

Food has been so-so. With a picnic lunch, I didn't get much nutrients, and then DD wanted to "share" a Blizzard at the zoo. She had like ten bites, and with them being three bucks (for the small) at the zoo, I felt it was a waste not to finish it for her .

I have a show tomorrow, so we'll see what the day brings...

 

[janetupnorth]

I LOVE grapefruit, Rae, and I don't have any! I, too, am in training...certainly for nothing like the Hood to Coast! I'm training for the Chicago Triathlon and the Chicago Marathon. I just need to get my booty out and DO IT! I like to take Holly the Husky with me when I train, but that doesn't work so well on the bike, so I'm not so good about biking and swimming...

Kim - just found this thread and caught this. I have 2 dogs (Samoyed/Border Collie mix) and I have bicycle joggers hooked up to my bike for taking them out. I can give you some links to a couple of types you might be interested in. Just PM me if you want to know. I work for the company I got them from so I don't like to post on a forum and make it look like I'm "advertising". I found the one model works great for my dogs and even when I have 1 rather than 2 on the bike, I'm not thrown off balance.

 

[raebates]

Got my ears candled today. Ahh, I'm so relaxed!

 

[Kurtkey]

I have a question. Not sure if this is the place, but the best place I could find

I am a diet soda person. After reading some information, I've decided to stay away from aspartame, which means I'm having to give up a lot!!!! It's in EVERYTHING!!! In trying to find something else to drink, I've read the other alternative is sucralose (Splenda's version). Everything has one of these ingredients in it and from what I've read, both have HUGE risks.

Does anyone know if the risks are real, or do you have to drink so much of it that it really doesn't matter??

I'm new to paying attention to ingredients, but think I should

Thanks!!

 

[Brandie]

I don't know much about artificial sweeteners, but I do know that many times when results come out about risks of those types of things, the results are based on controlled lab studies where rats or mice or whatever are injected with the substance at a rate far higher than any normal person would consume (all the hubbub about Tab causing cancer a number of years ago was apparently based on rats being injected with what would be the equivalent of over 50 sodas a day!). I tend not to worry too much about those types of warnings, though I also believe that moderation in everything makes you less susceptible to any of the "dangers" of additives.

On the note of the healthy squad--I ran four on Friday, 2.5 yesterday, and I am hoping to get home from my cluster meeting tonight early enough to get in a quick three. I am down to 151.4 lbs as of this morning (just a little more for my Jimmy Johns reward...), and I am feeling better about the Hood to Coast every day I run.

How is everyone else doing?

 

[raebates]

At really well this weekend. Biked today--yeah! Feeling good and energetic again.

 

[AJPratt]

I think the concerns are real. Here's a link to a thread where we discussed it. My personal feeling is that if you limit your intake of these items, then small traces won't be harmful, maybe a diet coke once of twice a week, but if you drink several a day, it could add up. I look at it like the Mercury issue. I'm not a doctor, but that is just my take on it.

http://www.chefsuccess.com/showthread.php?t=9666&highlight=aspartame

 

[jenniferlynne]

I would love to lose about 100 pounds. I lost 5 pounds last week without even trying. I was so excited. My secret? I got up off my butt. I had a desk job for over 11 years and that is when I slowly started putting on weight. Had a baby and turned 30 and then it started to really pack on. Quit my desk job and started babysitting and doing PC. Here came the stress eating!!! Well, I decided to quit babysitting and get a part time 3rd shift job at Home Depot. The HD job and the babysitting overlapped by 3 months. I was too tired to do anything. Well, last week was finally my first week of no babysitting. It was wonderful!! I spent all of my days outside working in the garden or flower beds and my nights working at Home Depot (on my feet, but I love it). If I had been sitting on my rear I would have been mindlessly snacking. Instead I kept forgetting to eat because I was doing something I enjoyed and time was flying by. I hope it's not a phase and I continue to lose weight.

 

[katie0128]

I decided I'm going to lose 10 lbs by NC... need to lose about 45, but 10 in 5 weeks seems doable and NC is such a good incentive!
Ate well yesterday, don't have much time for excercise - 3 kids under 8 - but I do cut the grass 1-2 times a week and walk as much as I can everywhere else. Sitting here munching on carrots and dip (fat free, of course!) and drinking my Crystal Lite peach tea instead of my usual diet pop! It's a start. Now if I can only find where I hid my scale...

 

[raebates]

Biked this morning. Ate grapefruit and Kashi cereal and had a cup of green tea. Yum!

 

[Brandie]

Ran three miles this morning. Standard Cheerios breakfast with OJ (not Simpson). Haven't had any snacks yet, and leftovers are on the menu for lunch! Don't know about dinner yet...

I'm still not convinced that artificial sweeteners are going to harm me as long as I consume things in great moderation. I'm not a soda drinker (except on a very occasional basis), and I use only real sugar in all my cooking and so on. Actually, I'm really into using only "real" ingredients whenever possible (butter, not margarine; sugar, not sweeteners; fresh, not processed). I like to be able to pronounce everything on the label whenever possible! I'm not on the organic bandwagon because I'm not certain that the cost is worth it. I have a VERY good friend who is a chemist and whose husband is a PhD (chemistry), and they eat non-organic. They know this stuff inside and out and don't feel that it's damaging to consume (or not so to the point that it should be a great concern to the average consumer). I trust her.

I will say, though, that I wash everything with FIT. E.coli is a four-letter word in my household, and washing anything and everything fresh that comes through my door is a MUST. My daughter spent three weeks in the hospital battling HUS because of E.coli-infected bagged salad.

 

[JAE]

I love health and exercise discussions!
I didn't read the entire thread, but I would recommend the Dr. Oz book You on a Diet . There are a lot of great insights in there. It was inspiring for me to read. I watch him on Oprah. Also, I just found a good site to help me eat healthy www.whfoods.org It has a list of the 100 healthiest foods, and I've been trying to stock my fridge and cupboards with those foods. A few weeks ago I started exercising with a someone who happens to be a nutritionist/vegan. I try not to tell her the things I eat, but I ask her all kinds of questions and get free advice. I've felt very convicted about what I put into my body and what I should be putting into it instead. I've lost 5-6 pounds since exercising with her just by getting more fruit and vegetables while cutting out most dairy and non-whole grains (cutting out almost all flour, even whole wheat). I don't have a problem keeping with an exercise program. I run, walk, do pilates, and lift weights. It's my eating that needs taming, and I need to get more sleep.
I've been baking sweet potato wedges on my large bar pan. We eat the leftovers cold. Unbelievably delicious! After school snack is put in the blender but washed in PC colander and cut up with PC knives: half an avocado, 15 strawberries (aprx), 20 grapes (aprx.) My kids and I love it. It's my yogurt replacement. I get my calcium from dark green lettuces, cut up with my salad chopper or my kitchen shears using my PC bowl to eat out of. OF COURSE!
Blessings as you try to be healthier!

 

[PamperChefCarol]

Speaking of baking sweet potatoes...

Last night I cut and peeled a butternut squash. Cut it into "french fry" shaped pieces. Mixed it with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper and baked it at 400 for about 25 min. Not as crispy as fries, but pretty good.

Just another option for your diets.

 

[JAE]

Spaghetti squash on the bar panYes, I made spaghetti squash on my large bar pan and it was so good. I'd never had spaghetti squash before. I think it needs to be cooked for about 45minutes at 325 degrees. You just cut the squash in half and place it inside down on the greased pan (I sprayed it with olive oil from the spritzer). A knife is supposed to go into it with ease if it is finished. My vegan friend fools people at potlucks using this instead of actual spaghetti noodles. It didn't quite fool my family, but I'm going to keep trying!

 

[raebates]

Lunch was a wonderful fresh salad. I love places that use a variety of greens. Tasty.


(Got to make up for the cake I had at last night's meeting. Brandie makes good cake.)

 

[Brandie]

Thanks, Rae! Emma and I had a little slice for dessert after lunch today. I think that was the best batch of frosting I have done in a while (and my frosting is consistently good, if I do say so myself). Anne was proof of that! Note to everyone who wasn't at our meeting: Anne, our director, kept stealing spreader-fulls of frosting out of the bowl while the meeting was going on before I could do my "lesson" on decorating the Barbie bride cake!

 

[AJPratt]

Note to everyone who wasn't at our meeting: Anne, our director, kept stealing spreader-fulls of frosting out of the bowl while the meeting was going on before I could do my "lesson" on decorating the Barbie bride cake!

I think the "e" at the end makes us like that!

 

[JAE]

Start your day right!Good morning ladies!
This site is my new obsession. Too bad I stayed up so late last night reading posts! I just wanted to encourage everyone to get out and walk for 30 minutes and/or do strength training for at least 10 minutes. EAT MORE VEGETABLES! My Bible study went out to Logan's last night. Because it's a steak house, Logans doesn't have much in the way of veggie entree's. I ordered a sweet potato w/o butter (they put butter on it anyway, I took as much off as I could) and a grilled vegetable skewer. Don't get me wrong. I ate the bread. It was sooo good. No time for oatmeal this morning, but I'll have raisin bran. I'm all about the fiber!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Good morning ladies!
This site is my new obsession. Too bad I stayed up so late last night reading posts! I just wanted to encourage everyone to get out and walk for 30 minutes and/or do strength training for at least 10 minutes. EAT MORE VEGETABLES! My Bible study went out to Logan's last night. Because it's a steak house, Logans doesn't have much in the way of veggie entree's. I ordered a sweet potato w/o butter (they put butter on it anyway, I took as much off as I could) and a grilled vegetable skewer. Don't get me wrong. I ate the bread. It was sooo good. No time for oatmeal this morning, but I'll have raisin bran. I'm all about the fiber!

Hey Jae - I live in Jenison......we are practically neighbors! I just left a post for you on the "directors issues" thread about visiting my cluster.
I am totally all about eating healthy! I stay away from HFCS, and hydrogenated oils, no artificial sweeteners.....etc.......We love fruits and veggies at our house (but not vegetarian) and can't wait for our garden to start producing! One of my best friends lives in the Historic Downtown district in Holland (12th Street) and I often come over and walk to the Farmers Market w/ her on Sat. LOVE the Holland Farmers Market!

 

[raebates]

I'm so glad to be able to bike again. Breakfast was grapefruit and some Kashi cereal. I haven't decided about lunch yet. Maybe I'll see what soups my favorite little spot is serving today.

 

[Brandie]

Haven't run yet today--I'm planning to do an easy two mile run this evening when DH gets home.

Had the standard breakfast, and then went to lunch with my mom and grandmother (and both girls...). Had salad, a little pasta with meat sauce, a toasted ravioli, and some water. Feeling pretty fantastic. I'm also down to 150.8! Less than a pound to go, and then a few days there for Goal#1! YEA!

 

[raebates]

Congrats, Brandie! I had to laugh. The only easy two miles I've ever done is in the car.

Lunch was Mexican food with the girls. Just one wet beef burrito with lots of salsa. Not too bad.

 

[Chef Kearns]

Congrats, Brandie! I had to laugh. The only easy two miles I've ever done is in the car.

Rae you are a riot!! I've been reading this intermittingly. I haven't committed to it because I hate failing! For instance I've been saying that I was for sure promoting to Director by the next conference for the past 5 conferences!!

I do want to get healthy. My goal is to lose 80 pounds and basically keep up with my kids. I don't want them to remember me as a big fat lady. I want them to remember me biking with them, running with them, playing with them. I have got to stop coming up with excuses to not go to the gym!! Although my last one was a good one...I had surgery 2 weeks ago!! hehehhee.

 

[raebates]

Warning: do not read the Brownie S'Mores thread. It will be detrimental to your desire to eat healthy!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Warning: do not read the Brownie S'Mores thread. It will be detrimental to your desire to eat healthy!

Okay - that is hilarious! I just read the brownie thread and was getting on this thread to say "Uh....Rae......?"







I think its a well-balanced life to eat healthy but include some absolutely decadent treats along the way!

 

[raebates]

I don't know. Just looking at the picture raised my blood sugar about 50 points.

 

[chefpattie]

I would Love to try this with you guys, I was about 100 pounds overweight in June of last year, then the doctor told me that I had type 2 diabetic and sent me to nutrition classes which I did learn a lot from and I have lost about 50 lbs and I got my sugar levels to level off. But I have reached a platoe I have tried everything I had can't seem to get anymore weight to come off and my sugar levels won't balance out anyone with sugesstions

 

[JAE]

My computer crashed, but I'd love to talk sometime. I'll have to check in with you here later. Gotta get off hubby's computer.

 

[JAE]

Hoping everyone's day went well as far as eating and exercising goes. I live a mile from the beach at Lake Michigan and was able to take a walk in the sand. So good for the glutes! Tonight for dinner I used my large bar pan for roasted vegetables. I cut up a summer squash, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini, sprayed the pan with olive oil and baked at 425 for 25 minutes. Usually I use some kind of herb, garlic and onion, but I was too busy crying over my computer crashing. Right now I'm using my husband's. The veggies were great.
I did have a couple of peanut butter cookies with hershey's kisses, though. I'm not on a diet, just trying to eat more vegetables.
Keep eating your fruits and veggies!