So tell me. *arranges self into confidence-exchanging pose* If it’s been 6 months since your baby was born and you would like to stop wearing the goddamn gol-dang maternity clothes already, what small and easy changes would you make to get started on that path?
And listen, I do mean SMALL AND EASY. If your idea of a small and easy first step is “Well, first I cut out all sugars and flours,” or, “Well, I run an additional mile,” or, “Well, I have a salad instead of dinner,” then you and I might as well stop this little chat right here and save ourselves the grief of the ensuing “discussion,” much of which would involve (a) weeping and (b) railing, not to mention (c) sarcastic air quotes. Those things would require the kind of lifestyle change that would make digging a quarry look like planting a tulip bulb.
No, I am thinking of something more like all those articles that suggest cheerily that you can become ripped/buff by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Perhaps this substitution makes a serious difference only if you live on one of the uppermost floors of the Burj Dubai and consistently have to go back for your forgotten keys, but I prefer to think of it as the kind of small adjustment that accumulates, for an overall improvement in health and well-being.
And that is the kind of suggestion I am looking for from you. Do you eat protein for breakfast? Do you make yourself “pay for” each cookie by eating a vegetable first? Do you see if you can wait five more minutes for lunch, and now five more minutes, and now five more? Do you swing your arms madly, power-walker-style, when you go up and down the stairs to do laundry? Do you play games that involve lifting your children up over your head?
And don’t be shy about telling me the ones that aren’t technically very healthy, like skipping lunch or drinking lots of coffee. I want your little nearly-painless tricks, so SPILL.
For me, one of the best things I did was establish a schedule and try to stick to it. Before this I would go HOURS without eating and then overeat when I did eat.
So I started eating breakfast as soon as I woke up at 7am (oatmeal- really fills you up)Snack at 10am (yogurt or some sort of protein) lunch at 12:30 (sandwich and a fruit) snack at 3 (almonds or granola bar) and supper at 5:30 (ckn/salad/grain etc) And then NO snacking after supper. That’s an ideal day- of course they don’t all resemble this but if you do like sugar/candy- eat it and then have a slice of cheese or hardboiled egg because the dense protein will squash the sugar craving that keeps you going back for more and more. Good luck :)
First of all, let’s ease into this by remembering that the holiday season is an impossible time to lose weight, and if one simply *maintains* one’s weight during this time, she is doing an awesome job.
Secondly, I don’t know if Henry is eating solids yet, but I always seem to gain weight around the 6 month postpartum mark because I continue to eat as if I am the child’s only source of nutrients. Reminding myself that I am not the sole provider anymore helps me back away from the second helping of dessert. Most of the time.
I eat something small every three hours. String cheese, wheat crackers, yogurt, carrots, apples, pria bar (chocolate mint yumm), something that doesn’t require any prep. Definitely eat breakfast as soon as possible and do the best you can for lunch and din. I’m pretty big on wheat stuff too. And mozzarella cheese.
It might seem like a HUGE step, but I love weight watchers (online) for the very reasons you mention. It somehow helps you learn all the little tricks on your own. I could NEVER have learned all the small things that work for me (eat more protein, bulk out meals with veggies, exercise every day, eat oatmeal every morning, don’t drink your calories) all at once, on my own, but with ww I adapted my life slowly, still got to eat chocolate, and very very slowly my whole life changed. I would highly recommend it. It’s a great learning process.
A few that come to mind:
Make yourself drink a whole glass of water before you eat anything, even a teeny tiny cookie.
Use a smaller plate for meals.
Try to eat a lean protein with every meal/snack.
Get a skipping rope and skip fast for as long as you can. Your heart will be racing like Lightening McQueen!
I try to use less butter/mayo/salad dressing on whatever I’m eating. Not no butter/mayo/salad dressing, just less.
I try to eat half of what I intended to eat.. but that requires that you be honest with yourself :)
when I was walking on the treadmill daily and drinking lots of water, I never felt compelled to stuff 56 kit kats down my pie hole.
Right now I employ the “too lazy to get up off the computer to get a snack” tactic.
Bad habit that works for me:
Drinking a large coffee that is mostly skim milk with one of those new Spenda + Hazelnut flavoring packets instead of breakfast. I find that this will fill me up, I guess because most of it is hot milk.
Um, I also eat a LOT of protein because it is more filling. So, I would arrange your meals as follows: Eat veggies first, with a fat (like butter or salad dressing – this helps fill you up. I hate being hungry!), then protein, THEN carbs. Hopefully by the time you get to the rice or pasta, you won’t want as much of it.
Also, I usually invest in some lite Cool Whip and Sugar Free Jello cups for treats. And sugar free popsicles. Because I really really like treats and need a substitute for cookies and candy. Also, this is a lousy time of year to lose weight. Start in January with the rest of the country.Hope this helps!
I cut out one food. Usually ice cream. Cutting out all sweets won’t help, and I do tend to make up for the ice cream with some other sweets, but those other ones don’t tend to be as fatty as ice cream maybe? Or maybe it’s just that I am happy with a smaller portion. With ice cream I can eat a whole pint in 10 minutes. And when I do eat ice cream I buy the pint containers because if I buy anything bigger I’ll eat all of that too.
I also try not to bake as much. I love my own cooking. I will eat an entire batch of cookies. Store bought cookies don’t have the same effect on me. Maybe because I don’t smell them cooking? Maybe because I have to buy them? Maybe they just aren’t as good?
Considering I’m 30lbs overweight, I’m probably not the best person to ask/respond. But I know what I’m SUPOSSED to do; I just don’t do it. Because I LOVE the alcohol and I’d rather nap (than work out or do anything that even resembles exercise). Also, I am a single mom, and though I only have one, I get the PURE EXHAUSTION and I HAVE NO TIME factor thingy.
But. I can tell you a couple of things:
1. Do NOT wait until you are starving to eat. This is bad. You will be starving and you will stuff your face with anything you can grab, which may be crap.
2. DO try and eat something every 2 hours. Of course, you have to make that “something” healthy because I’ve tried the four oreos every 2 hours diet and look where it got me (I had them with a glass of milk, so I thought I was in the clear!!:)) I’m talking a handful of carrots, of peanuts, an apple, yogurt or bannana…
3. Do drink DIET soda and diet soda only, not regular. if you can stomach it. If not, drink regular soda only once per day when you need it the most (i.e. with lunch or 3pm; for me anyway).
4. The SUGARBUSTERS! book is an excellent resource and though it is generally geared toward diabetics and those with naturally high blood sugar (me), it definitely explains in a scientific yet easy-to-grasp way (Remember: I was an english major!) how certain foods affect your blood sugar levels and therefore your metabolism and appetite. They have a “lifestyle change” plan and I’ve done it and it works but it is STRICT (mainly: limit carbs + sugar), but I would still read it for the info; it definitely helped ME better understand how foods work together for and against your body (tip: Don’t eat chicken with pasta. Also: eat a piece of fruit at least 30min. before a sandwhich).
5. This is getting too long, so I’ll leave you with this: THINK:
whole-wheat/whole-grain.
whole-wheat pasta, tortilla shells, bread, bagels, waffles, (not the pancakes though those are gross), ETC.
For more, email me. Like I’m a fucking dietician or something.
Try just leaving a bite or two of each portion of food on your plate. That way you are still eating and it’s not that hard to NOT take a bite or two.
Also, drink more water.
Also, I try to make 2 veggies and a meat and/or bread/pasta with every meal. And eat the veggies first. (unless I’m pregnant. Then breakfast could just be brownies.)
I joined WW Online and lost 30 pounds in just a couple of months. I don’t really keep track of what I eat like I used to and I still keep the weight off by doing this:
I eat the same breakfast and lunch every. freaking. day. It doesn’t bother me because half the time I’m trying to get the kid to eat, so really, it’s nice to know exactly what I’m having so I can stuff it into my mouth as fast as possible.
I eat two pieces of whole wheat toast with light butter for breakfast (along with a Coke – its my weakness) and then I eat a sandwich for lunch (two more slices of whole wheat toast with deli chicken breast and light mayo) and then I have kind of whatever I want for dinner within reason. I just don’t eat a ton of it. Also we eat very little red meat anymore, and substitute ground turkey in most of our recipes. (Just double the spices.)
If I HAVE to have a snack in the afternoon, I eat a couple of crackers and hummus or an apple or some baked chips and salsa. SALSA IS TOTALLY A VEGETABLE.
And also, instead of having chocolate chip cookies or other yummy treats, I eat a Fudgsicle every night. It’s one WW point, but it makes me feel like I’m getting away with something.
In reality, a healthy balanced diet and exercise and strength training are the best ways to get and stay fit, which is what I finally did, but I don’t have five small children, so let’s be realistic, shall we?
When I wanted to drop weight fast, I alternated cups of coffee and V8 during the day and ate a normal dinner and tried to limit dessert to a few times a week.
I’m not advocating this because I know it is not the best or healthiest thing to do, but if you like v8 and coffee, it really works. You get your veggies and calcium and a little boost from the coffee and it kept me pretty full all day. Oh, I used the v8 low-sodium because the regular is too salty but they have lemon twist and extra spicy flavors too.
Not a long term option, but doing this a few days a week might help!
Stop eating in the evening. Set a time, like 7 pm and do eat anything after that. For this to work for me, I do not go into the kitchen for any reason in the evening.
I wait to eat breakfast until I get to work, which ends up being about 9:00AM. Because of my thyroid meds I can’t eat as soon as I get up anyway. Like Jess, I try to eat small snacks during the day….a rice cake, a piece of string cheese.
I’m no model eater though, that’s for sure. I do drink coffee in excess and on occasion will substitute a Peppermint Mocha and scone from Starbucks for a well balanced meal.
My problem is that I refuse to starve myself. I hate feeling hungry. I try and do everything in moderation….but it doesn’t always work.
I am not helpful at all, am I?
One word: pedometer. Automatically counts the number of steps you take every day (and you would be amazed, really). Start small. I eventually worked up to the recommended 10,000 steps a day and lost 20 lbs. in the last 2 years, w/o dieting. To get to 10,000, you would eventually have to get outside and seriously walk (with kids, that would present a problem), but it works. Really
Hey! I have a controversial and possibly inadvisable suggestion! I think I will avoid checking back after this!
Due to the top-secret nature of my job, I am privy to some relatively new and very convincing research that suggests that meal-skipping is not bad for you. The gist of it is that a feast/famine pattern is what our DNA and body chemistry are built to handle. I don’t worry about meal-skipping at all, or even eating ONLY ONCE A DAY.
And as long as we are giving conventional wisdom the finger, I also think the Atkins Diet is mostly healthy (research supports this too).
OKAY BYE! AM NEVER COMING BACK!
I park at the back of every parking lot. I’ve also found that coffee and/or Diet Coke at 10am will stop my hunger pains (but they say to drink water and that doesn’t work for me) enough to get me through to when an appropriate time to eat lunch would be.
I eat half of everything and if I’m satisfied, I stop. But the key here is to get up and throw the rest away. Or wrap it up and put it away. If you’re sitting at a table with a bunch of people and you’ve only eaten half your meal and the other half is staring at you? Even if you’re no longer hungry, you will pick. This is bad.
Eliminate temptation. My husband is a dessert freak. And he used to leave his chocolates, doughnuts, and cupcakes out on the counters. If I see it, I will want it. And I will most likely find an excuse or a reason to have it. I cleaned out a cabinet just for his unhealthy snacks and now everything is put away. I don’t see it and I don’t go looking.
If you take the kids to the park, instead of hanging out on a bench supervising, try to get involved in their games. Playing tag or running in circles around the swing-set will not only excite them (and totally wear them out), but it’ll get you to be a little more active while having fun with your family at the same time.
Be open to suggestions. I used to make a ton of excuses why not eating after 7 wouldn’t work for me. Or how I don’t have time for the gym. These were all choices I made; not real reasons.
Don’t get too down on yourself that you let it all go altogether. That happened to me and I’ll never forgive myself for the rut and misery I caused myself.
Sorry for the longest comment ever. Good luck to you!
Protein for breakfast usually helps me keep my head out of the tub of ice cream a bit longer. Although less so when it is protein plus brownies for breakfast.
I drink a diet shake for one meal a day. Usually breakfast. I lost four pounds over Thanksgiving week.
I also learned that I need to eat every couple of hours to keep my metabolism boosted.
Please take all this with a grain of salt seeing as I’m in no position to give advice on this particular subject.
I don’t know if this qualifies as a little step, but I did make myself eat protein every time I snacked or had a meal. It didn’t have to be JUST protein, but it had to contain a decent amount of protein. e.g, peanut butter on bread, or soy chicken patty, or eggs..etc.
It was kind of hard for me, being used to such a high-carb lifestyle, but it did help me shed some pounds.
I loved WW online for this. :)
I loved WW online for this. :)
I loved WW online for this. :)
Oatmeal for breakfast fills me up for the morning AND keeps me from snacking in the afternoons (there is a scientific reason for this, but I don’t remember it and can’t check since I lent my Dr. Oz book to a friend). I also drink a huge glass of water if I get the urge to snack (usually after dinner). Also, a handful of almonds about 20 minutes before meals keeps you from eating too much.
Tessie – My husband only really eats one meal a day and he is lean and in great shape. Nice to hear that research supports his weird habit!
My recent trick that seems to work really well is eating a high fiber breakfast coupled with something with fat in it. The high fiber makes you full, but the fat tells your boby you are full and most importantly, satisfied. The fat may be peanut butter, or cheese or an egg. Coupled with fiber it seems to satisfy me a bit longer and push lunch (and/or snacking) back a bit.
Stand up more, instead of sitting. I just read a study about how sitting down slows the metabolism and standing up burns way more calories.
Here are a few things I did when I was actively working on weight loss:
Didn’t buy any junk food – at all. If it’s not in the house, I can’t snack on it. Husband will eat an entire bag of potato chips while on the computer, so it wasn’t just me.
Bought popcorn kernels so if we want a crunchy salty snack we have to make it. Often my laziness would outweigh my desire for a snack.
Made a deal with myself that if I wanted dessert I had to make it from scratch. Ice cream, cake, pie, cookies, etc. all had to be made from scratch. Again laziness would be out snacking. Also, lack of ingredients would stop me sometimes as well.
Walking. I walked around the neighborhood, to the park, to pick up my kid from school, etc. Makes a big difference over time. Besides, I hate running, so THAT wasn’t going to happen! A good pedometer is key because you can obsess over the numbers and start doing little things to walk a little more (e.g. park farther away).
Protein. Fill up on it to keep from craving carbs. A protein shake at breakfast helped a lot.
Stopped drinking sodas and juices. There are a TON of useless calories in fruit juice and soda. I prefer to spend those calories on dessert!
Stopped eating crap versions of the things I liked most. For instance chocolate: stopped eating Hershey’s and the like and treated myself to high end chocolate. A little goes a long way.
Gardened like mad. Not an option in winter, although there is always raking to do!
Good luck, Swistle!
i have nothing to offer, but man am i learning a lot! although my dad had a kidney stone a few years ago and had to drink some ludicrous quantity of water every day for a while afterwards, and he attested that it stoppered even his voracious appetite..
I ALWAYS have a bottle of water in my hand. Drinking tons and tons of water is a great hunger-stopper. Even if you’re just using it to wash down the cake. Just make yourself drink more water for each snack you have.
Also starting the day with a healthy breakfast is a good way to help you try to stay motivated to continue eating healthy throughout the day. I know if I start with a crappy breakfast, then it’s going to be a Cap ‘n Crunch, Little Debbie, and hey, why not Ben & Jerry, too? kind of day. But starting with healthy things- oatmeal, yogurt, wheat toast, egg- and filling up on them, too- is a good way for me to try to keep it up.
Also, no eating after a certain time at night helps a lot, too. Even if you eat an extra brownie in one sitting because you know that you’re going to want it later and you might as well get it in now before it’s too late… For me, having a cut off time has definitely been a good thing.
I am only 2.5 months postpartum, but yeah. I hate that I still weigh almost as much as when I was pregnant with a 10 lb baby.
I stopped eating 12 cookies plus 4 glasses of milk for lunch. I’m not kidding.
I am half-heartedly counting WW points, giving myself 40/day.
I have a bag of Hershey’s kisses in my house and I can eat 5/day (don’t always stick to that). If I eat more than 5, though, I can’t drink wine in the evening.
I MUST have something sweet in my house or else I’ll make a batch of cookies and gorge. Curse you, Swistle, for those butterscotch cookies you posted about. They are divine.
I try to have stuff I can eat quickly (Lean Pockets, leftovers, sandwich stuff) or else I will give in to my desire to make a batch of cookies and gorge.
I park FAR away from the store front, even with Matthew in tow. It makes me walk.
I eat six small reasonably healthy portions.
I do NOT beat myself up when I eat something bad, I just try to balance the bad with some good the next day or whatever.
I bring healthy stuff to work to snack on – even when I am at home I some times take out the healthy items and put them on the counter in one spot so I will eat those versus rooting around and ending up with a bag of chips in my hand.
I just mentally (and not all hard core or anything) keep track of the ratio of fruits and veggies I am eating versus other foods. I cut back on cereals, granola bars and pre made foods (like crackers or frozen meals.) I drink a shit load of water.
Hope those are helpful – I did not read all of the comments so others may have said the same things…
I park FAR away from the store front, even with Matthew in tow. It makes me walk.
I eat six small reasonably healthy portions.
I do NOT beat myself up when I eat something bad, I just try to balance the bad with some good the next day or whatever.
I bring healthy stuff to work to snack on – even when I am at home I some times take out the healthy items and put them on the counter in one spot so I will eat those versus rooting around and ending up with a bag of chips in my hand.
I just mentally (and not all hard core or anything) keep track of the ratio of fruits and veggies I am eating versus other foods. I cut back on cereals, granola bars and pre made foods (like crackers or frozen meals.) I drink a shit load of water.
Hope those are helpful – I did not read all of the comments so others may have said the same things…
I park FAR away from the store front, even with Matthew in tow. It makes me walk.
I eat six small reasonably healthy portions.
I do NOT beat myself up when I eat something bad, I just try to balance the bad with some good the next day or whatever.
I bring healthy stuff to work to snack on – even when I am at home I some times take out the healthy items and put them on the counter in one spot so I will eat those versus rooting around and ending up with a bag of chips in my hand.
I just mentally (and not all hard core or anything) keep track of the ratio of fruits and veggies I am eating versus other foods. I cut back on cereals, granola bars and pre made foods (like crackers or frozen meals.) I drink a shit load of water.
Hope those are helpful – I did not read all of the comments so others may have said the same things…
I didn’t read all these other comments so apologies if I’m repeating. But:
I drink a glass of water before every meal.
I eat protein with every meal.
I put my fork down between every bite in order to eat more slowly, since it takes your brain awhile to register that you feel full.
I always carry a granola bar with me so if I get hungry, I’m less tempted to grab something unhealthy.
I eat small, healthy snacks twice a day in addition to three meals.
I avoid the grocery store when I’m hungry.
I brush my teeth fairly early in the evening so that I’m less tempted to snack before bed.
I DO take the stairs instead of the elevator, and I SWEAR it helps. At least, I feel more virtuous when I do it, and that’s something.
If I do something that I know was bad for me, like eat a candy bar for no reason, I remind myself that a few extra calories every now and then do not ruin a healthy eating plan. I do not allow the incident to lead into more unhealthy eating.
When I go to a restaurant, I ask for a to-go box when I order and put half my meal into it before I start eating.
I tried WW online too and it works. It’s really pretty easy. Counting the points is a pain at first, but once you figure out the points in the stuff you eat most often it’s simple. The best part is that you don’t have to cut out any specific foods!
I don’t eat after 7:30pm. And I stick to that because I basically eat whatever else I want. I also try to eat the bulk of my calories at lunch and then eat a light dinner…but this may not be possible as it would involve changing the whole family and the kids with the school lunch and and and.
Also I try *try* not to drink calories. So no sugary sodas, no juice, just water or skim milk or diet soda (preferably caffeine free) but to each her own.
An I whole-heartedly agree with the schedule thing, I eat a lot more the hungrier I get so it’s much better to set the schedule and eat by the clock.
I also make small sacrifices that are doable for me…like I eat only whole wheat bread but I get to have white pasta because I hate whole wheat pasta. The compromise is that I use a red sauce rather than white so ultimately it’s fewer calories.
The smaller plate thing works, as does smaller fork/spoon. Also I look for an excuse to go outside and down the stairs to the mailbox or the dumpster or around the parking lot…anything to get in a few extra steps.
Hopefully all of this will work in 8 months when I’m postpartum!
oh i am so there. i need to lose my belly. i have been working out and doesn’t seem to help. it is my eating habits that need the help. right now, instead of eating FIVE cookies i will try to eat FOUR. that is how bad it is for me. i am thinking of online WW b/c many folks liking it. huh. any ANY type of exercise always seems to help my mood. so that is my suggestion. i am talking about 10 push ups, it is a start and something is better than nothing.
I find Zone bars which have around 16 grams of protein in each one will fill me for about two hours. That’s helpful between lunch and dinner and then in the evening when I tend to snack.
Also, I try to snack in the evening on grapes or apples, because sadly, sometimes I just want the actual action of putting stuff into my mouth. This is so embarrassing, but it’s true.
Sometimes it’s really not the taste, but the activity. Isn’t that weird?
I completely agree with Elizabeth. I had my 3rd daughter 3years ago and could never lose the weight. I ran into an old neighbor about a month ago and she had lost 65 pounds in 7 months on Weight Watchers. I joined. In one month I’ve lost almost 15 pounds…and it was the easiest thing I’ve ever done!!! Love love love it, I’ll never go back!
Shannon
I know it’s already been mentioned (and it can be big change)but I’ven been doing Weight Watchers online since mid-august, I am almost 8 months post-partum and nursing, and I’ve lost almost 30 pounds. And that’s with out any exercise. My little suggestions are you start eating reduced fat and fat free foods. Drink lots of water and eat smaller portions.
I haven’t had a baby, but I do hav ea wedding coming up that requires me to not be so “puffy.” Oh man, these are all good ideas, but I know myself and I know that I can’t eat whole grain all the time or I’ll kill myself. I’m just too addicted to food, which is a place for a therapist, not a diet. Anyway, since I’d rather starve and then eat something I want, I have started skipping lunch and drinking peppermint tea all the live long day. This stills any hunger pains and is better for me than coffee or diet soda, but has some flavor. Then I have whatever I want for dinner, and let it be known that we eat a well balanced diet, it’s just heavy on the meat and potatoes and wine.
I have started eating eggs in the morning. I scramble an egg, throw on some cheese and eat it by itself or on one piece of whole grain toast or rolled up in half of a low carb wrap. I also have a glass of V8 with it. With this breakfast I can pretty much make it all morning without snacking. And if I do get hungry and need something I don’t have that dire sugar crash sending me looking for cookies.
I started having just 2 scrambled eggs and black coffee for breakfast vs my hot cocoa and cinnamon oatmeal days of pregnancy. Not keeping high calorie snacks in the house. If they aren’t there you don’t eat them. Buying bags of frozen edamame (I cover mine with sea salt) at the grocery store to munch on vs potato chips. Oreo and Chips Ahoy 100 CALORIE PACKS!!! Need I say more? Oh, and those sugar free fudgesicles (40 CALORIES AND THEY TASTE GOOD). I bought sugar free or low fat ice cream too. Basically I didn’t starve myself I just changed what I was eating.
Oh, and I also agree with cutting out cokes and sugary drinks. I do unsweet tea, low fat milk, fat free lattes at Starbucks, Diet Dr. Pepper, black coffee, etc. I don’t want to waste perfectly good calories on drinking when there is food to eat.
Have not read the comments yet, but I definitely will~
If I am feeling snackish, I drink a glass of water and wait five minutes. Sometimes it does not matter and I end up eating the bad food I had wanted to anyway, and then feel sloshy and bloated.
But sometimes it does work, and I figure drinking more water is always good anyway.
Swistle!
I just read that the Judstra quads are here!
You must go over and read the website. And you must announce it so we can all talk about the names. (You promised when you held the vote!)
Jen
I’ve been sneaking in good foods into otherwise bad foods…to increase volume. For example, last night we had ground beef tacos. usually, its just that ground beef with tortillas and then stuffed with lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc. Well, last night I added shredded cabbage to the ground beef and tomato and sliced onions and sliced bell pepper and I probably could have kept adding things (like squash? or spinach?). Then, I stuffed my tacos with that mixture and lettuce, tomato, etc. I was STUFFED. It felt like I was eating a lot, but mostly it was vegetables. Tricky Tricky. :o)
I try to watch portion size and drink a lot of water. I have to have a splash of juice in the water though, otherwise I feel water-logged.
I also periodically wear a little pedometer to count the number of steps I take. It’s kind of fun to try to increase the number and I find that I park a little farther away, etc. I only do it for a few days now and then or I’d drive myself crazy but it’s fun and it works.
I find that drinking my coffee black instead of with cream or (worse still and yummier still) flavored creamer helps me start the day feeling very virtuous–and it does save calories, especially not using the flavored stuff. And eating some protien every time I eat is very helpful.
I switched to the fat-free French Vanilla creamer.
Then the next week, I switched to whole wheat bread.
Then the next week I started walking in the mornings.
The next week I gave up pancakes for breakfast.
I keep boiled eggs in the fridge and if I feel like a snack, I’ll eat an egg (keeping it down to two eggs a day) and drink some tomato juice. I’m losing weight but my cholesterol is probably through the roof.
I also drink a glass of water before I eat anything.
I’ll try and be good during the week and then not worry about what I’m eating too much on the weekends (not binging though).
Good luck!
I started eating my ice cream out of a teacup. Seems silly, but I still felt like I was getting a full serving of ice cream, but it was only about half what I would have put in a bowl.
Oh, and avoid anything that says “diet” “low fat” or “fat free” because these fool your body into thinking that even though things taste sweet they aren’t filling…and then you wind up having to eat a lot more in order to feel satisfied. I think its easier to justify eating the entire container of diet whatever, but if its the kind with extra fat added…well, you’ll probably be happy with just a little.
I eat smaller portions. It works for me and I’m super lazy.
I still get dessert, too.
It’s been said, and it’s not easy, but I lost 25 pounds on WW online and it’s the only – THE ONLY – thing that worked, and it worked so spectacularly that I wear fitted jeans every day just because I can.
It was worth it — worth every agonizing second — and they do have a plan for nursing moms online.
BUT! If you really are looking for easy fixes, start with fruit. Add at least three servings of fruit a day — you’ll be less hungry for other stuff, and it’s sweet enough that you’ll find yourself craving sweets less, I swear.
Grapes are good for this. Good grapes, that is. That’s the key, actually — get good fruit that you really really like. Fuck mealy bananas and assy apples. Go for the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwis, funky oranges, pomegranates, persimmons! All of them! Have FUN with the fruit, and enjoy it.
Just don’t eat an entire cantaloupe in one sitting, as I did one day and ended up getting OH SO SICK OMG NO NO NO, do not do that.
My son is almost 10 months and just 2 months ago I vowed to stop wearing maternity wear. I have nothing else that fits though. Ack.
I started Weight Watchers a month ago. But the little things I do is drink water if I feel like I’m hungry. Most times I’m just thirsty. I also dance around the house. It’s my form of exercise. Lame, but it works.
What works for me: I eat from a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. It’s some kind a nifty mind trick – you think you’re eating more than you are. It sounds dumb, but it works.
Also, always always always eat breakfast. Even if you’re not hungry, or not a morning person, it helps because it kicks your system awake and into calorie burning.
And I try to drink more water than anything. Coffees and sugary drinks are good for filling you up, but they’re just empty calories. I limit myself to one cup of coffee (two on days when one is by no means enough).
Lastly, if I have to have junk, I set an absolute limit. ONE cookie, not two. I usually find that my cravings die off about a half hour after the one anyway. Hope it helps!
I’m 4.5 months post-partum and have lost all 90+ pounds that I put on during my pregnancy.
What have I done? Well … I’ve been nursing exclusively. Considering my 4.5-month old just got bumped up to a size FOUR diaper this week, it’s clear he is sucking the fat right out of me.
I also stopped drinking OJ in the morning. Instead, I have a big glass of ice water and a bowl of Kashi cereal. For lunch, I graze on whatever the kids haven’t eaten >> mostly fruit, sandwich crusts, more fruit. For dinner, we eat around 6 PM every night. I’ll have a larger serving at dinner, but figure since I haven’t eaten much all day – it’s OK. I also have a bowl of ice cream every.single.night. I tend to eat sweets when they are available, so I really limit having them in the house. I’ve become extremely proficient at THROWING THINGS AWAY.
Other stuff: I chase our triplets during a mile or so walk that we take, everyday. And I drink a lot of water. No soft drinks, diet or other, over here.
Would you believe the word verification reads: PTDNCOOKE?
Put on some music and dance your ass off at least once a day, include the kids and expend some of their energy while your at it. 2 birds, 1 stone!
ergh, I hear you! I’m at the 7 month mark, and I’m back in my maternity pants…not because I can’t fit in my regular ones, but these are soooo comfy (they’re Old Navy cargo type pants with just a little elastic in the back….so now I have to wear them with a belt, so it’s ok right? right?!).
Anyway, I have found the hardest thing is getting back to exercise. I used to run almost daily and now it seems I just don’t have the time. It’s getting too cold outside so I have to use the treadmill, and there always seems to be something else to do.
I love food too much, so I’ve always used running as a way to eat what I want. Now what? And with Christmas coming up?! I’ve given myself the usual January date to really start, but let’s see if we can’t also do better now.
Let me know what you come up with – I might have to join you!
i used to love to prop my legs up and jiggle my thighs back and forth just to watch the fat jiggle…i convinced myself the act of jiggling was exercise! then i moved to jiggling allll my fat in front of the mirror, again, i decided that counted as exercise plus it was pretty darn funny
I have no idea how much soda you drink, if any, but cutting that out helped me a lot. I still drink it when I go out to eat, but I don’t keep it in the house very often. This worked for me b/c I still got some soda sometimes, but didn’t have it on hand at home. I drink water or unsweet iced tea. I’m pregnant right now, so I’m not thinking weight loss, but I will be in the spring. Good luck!
ps: I’ve been thinking about the comment I left last night and I don’t want to come off sounding like I’ve got the 411 on losing weight, an enviable body type and the discipline to do it. That’s far from the truth!!
Most of my pg weight was water retention, which came off quickly. But, I’m still about 20-25 pounds more than I was in college so I’d love to get down to “that” weight (130, if you must know). I know to do that, I need to cut out my daily dose of ice cream, exercise more & stop eating giant portions at dinner. I’m also afraid that I’m going to totally BALLOON once Henry stops nursing, because my metabolism is definitely slowing down…
Ok, well I just read all of the comments, and now? Now, I’m going to start eating protien for breakfast, I *might* join WW after Christmas (they should have some good “sales” then, right?).
Also? Now I’m hungry.
make a lot of healthy snacks in advance, so you can grab a snack easily whenever you want something to munch.
This can be anything from veggies in plastic baggies to home baked goods that are not as rich as what you usually make.
At meals, drink an extra glass of water.
Try to increase the veggies on the plate, and cut off a piece of the bread / meat and give to someone else at the table, so it’s just a little less.
Increase fiber intake here and there – it makes you more full. Beans, for example. Or add Flaxmeal to your baking recipes.
I started writing comments, but got too depressed. These mostly sound like…DIETS. Rather than little tricks. But I’ve made a mental note of the little tricks I did see.
You have a way with words, Swistle. You are cracking me up, as usual. Thank you.
For me, I try not to deny myself things, because then I just want them MORE. And more is not good when one is trying to lose weight.
So. I try to add things to my diet. Fiber-type things. I switch over to bread that has the most fiber in it per slice that I can find. I eat the weight-control oatmeal, or frosted mini-wheats. I pick my favorite veggie for dinner and I double my portion, and try to eat it first so that 1) I will eat all of them, and 2) they will fill me up.
And I always need a dessert. So I try to do the sugared cereal instead of ice cream at night, so I get something sweet but also something healthier than ice cream.
I also give in to Claire wanting an extra nursing, because Hey! That’s like an extra piece of chocolate for me! I hope all (or some) of this works for you.
My quick little tip would be to try to avoid soda altogether. We all know that regular soda has a ton of sugar and calories that none of us needs, but even though diet is diet, it doesn’t do anybody any actual good. It’s nutritionally devoid so I would suggest just getting rid of it altogether. I don’t know if you even drink soda, but I know it’s a weakness for lots of us. Anyway, there are much better things to drink that actually do a lot of good. Drinking water is supposed to be the best thing for you whether you’re dieting or not. And since water is boring, flavored water is fantastic! You can get it carbonated if you like bubbles. :) I also like those little packets of sugar-free tea or lemonade to add to a glass or bottle of water to make it interesting.
I also eat a little snack of just a couple wheat thins or something before I leave work so that by the time dinner’s ready I’m not ravenous and I don’t pork out way more than I should.
This is fairly easy for me, but I’ve only got one child. There’s a huge chance it’s not as easy with five. Whenever I’m playing with Little Elvis, or letting him crawl around, I get on the floor with him and do sit-ups while he wanders. He gets the biggest kick out of it, and I feel like I’m doing something to work on the jiggle. (This can backfire, though. On Thursday he pinched the part of my tummy that was jutting over my jeans during one of my sit-ups.
Diet Coke- and lots of it. The caffiene curbs your appetite and the carbonation is filling. Surely the fact that you are shaking burns some calories too. If you can find a mall with a place where you get to refill your own cup, get a Ginormous diet coke, walk around 2 times, refill, shop around, refill, walk around 2 times, refill and head home. It worked for me!
I forgot to mention, the acid in the Diet Coke did give me tooth sensitivity. Who needs teeth when you have a small ass? But, i did take some extra calcium citrate just bucuz.
Hi! I’ve missed reading your blog; it’s nice to be back.
I drink whey protein (from Trader Joe’s) mixed with milk for breakfast. I mix the chocolate and vanilla flavors. I don’t eat much bread. And I walk a lot.
Also, at this point I’d rather sleep than eat during my free time . . .
good luck!