Diets

[ASLhands]

Originally Posted by christykay

Sweetie-I don't think you had 15 pounds to loose in the first place.

I know it seems that way, but I am only 5'0. I should be between 102 and 117 to have a healthy BMI

[TheWife]

Originally Posted by laralen02

Has anyone tried/thought about Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig? I thought it would be kind of conducive with my work schedule and eating habits (I RARELY cook unless there's someone here besides me!)

I tried NS because I felt like my life was too hectic to calorie count, but 99% of the food was NASTY, and it's REALLY expensive. I realized it wasn't that hard to count calories on your own, once you do it for a few weeks, you can eyeball things pretty well. Honestly, I see no reason to pay for a service like eDiets or NS, it can be done on your own, just the same, w/o the money wasted.

[laralen02]

Originally Posted by TheWife

I tried NS because I felt like my life was too hectic to calorie count, but 99% of the food was NASTY, and it's REALLY expensive. I realized it wasn't that hard to count calories on your own, once you do it for a few weeks, you can eyeball things pretty well. Honestly, I see no reason to pay for a service like eDiets or NS, it can be done on your own, just the same, w/o the money wasted.

Boo. I was hoping it would be good. I don't have a problem counting calories, I just thought it would be convenient to just have everything right THERE. But I can be pretty picky about what I eat, so maybe not the best idea for me!

[TheWife]

It was definitely more convenient! But, in their meal plans, you still have to make things that are perishable items, like having a yogurt, making a salad TWICE a day, etc. None of their food is perishable, if that tells you anything. Nothing goes in the fridge or freezer, so it's loaded with perservatives and additives to make it shelf stable. And they WILL let you replace foods you've tried that you don't like, say you buy 3 of one thing and don't like it, you can send back the 2 for something else, but they don't refund the one you ate. The problem is, there isn't much to replace it with. I'm not THAT picky with food, and I did lose weight when I started using their food, but it was because I couldn't finish almost everything I ate! And their foods are LOADED with Splenda and other sugar substitutes, and the taste was very strong and bitter, it's all you could taste. You are much better off IMO, saving the money and just doing a little extra prep work yourself, so that you'll still enjoy eating. For example, I have 2 large divided trays that I chop veggies into once a week, so that I can make a salad at anytime throughout the week, in less than a minute, cause it's all right there. And the same veggies can go in stir-fry, tacos, soup, etc. With my chopped veggie trays I can prepare a lot of foods, fast, and they are made with fresh, wholesome veggies, no preservatives or fake sugar, etc.

[christykay]

Originally Posted by ASLhands

I know it seems that way, but I am only 5'0. I should be between 102 and 117 to have a healthy BMI

Makes sense. I am 5'7" and am at 125 how is my BMI? Where is the easiest place to look that up?

[ASLhands]

Originally Posted by christykay

Makes sense. I am 5'7" and am at 125 how is my BMI? Where is the easiest place to look that up?

Your BMI is good. It is within the normal range. You can search online for a BMI calculator. The one I like is from the mayo clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bmi-calculator/NU00597

You should be between 121 lbs and 160 lbs. I really love this stuff. So interesting. I am training to be an exercise instructor, outside of my regular job. So fun!

[roz]

Just remember BMI is not all that you should consider! Someone who works out a lot and weighs more due to muscle has a higher bmi.

My nutrition professor who was like a muscled stick was borderline obese on the bmi.

[Flybird]

Losing Weight--Start By Counting Calories

This has some good info in it. Its true about BMI's, I wouldn't ever compare myself to that scale. You could have your body fat measured at the gym and use that as an indicator. I could go on all day about why "diets" dont work. Basically smaller meals more often, healthy choices, a proper balance of carbs, protein and fat with the correct amount of calories is the way to go. If your working out at a gym ask if they have the APEX system. It works really well at determining the foods you should eat based on a questionnaire of how you eat and what satisfies you. Then you'll have a good understanding of how to prepare your own menus. Eating this way should be more of a lifestyle change and not a quick fix. ALso, make sure you incorporate weight training into your routine. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn even at rest which allows you to consume more calories! Dont worry - its very hard for women to pack on the muscle like men can so dont ever worry about bulking up.

[SeatClutcher]

Originally Posted by roz

Just remember BMI is not all that you should consider! Someone who works out a lot and weighs more due to muscle has a higher bmi.

My nutrition professor who was like a muscled stick was borderline obese on the bmi.

Thanks for posting this - that's what troubles me about the BMI thing. It suggests that someone with heavier muscle mass might be obese, BMI-wise, which misleads those losing weight.

(Kind of like how no-carb diets take the all-or-nothing approach - the body needs carbs! Just not SO MANY of them.)

[czechmate]

Originally Posted by TheWife

It was definitely more convenient! But, in their meal plans, you still have to make things that are perishable items, like having a yogurt, making a salad TWICE a day, etc. None of their food is perishable, if that tells you anything. Nothing goes in the fridge or freezer, so it's loaded with perservatives and additives to make it shelf stable. And they WILL let you replace foods you've tried that you don't like, say you buy 3 of one thing and don't like it, you can send back the 2 for something else, but they don't refund the one you ate. The problem is, there isn't much to replace it with. I'm not THAT picky with food, and I did lose weight when I started using their food, but it was because I couldn't finish almost everything I ate! And their foods are LOADED with Splenda and other sugar substitutes, and the taste was very strong and bitter, it's all you could taste. You are much better off IMO, saving the money and just doing a little extra prep work yourself, so that you'll still enjoy eating. For example, I have 2 large divided trays that I chop veggies into once a week, so that I can make a salad at anytime throughout the week, in less than a minute, cause it's all right there. And the same veggies can go in stir-fry, tacos, soup, etc. With my chopped veggie trays I can prepare a lot of foods, fast, and they are made with fresh, wholesome veggies, no preservatives or fake sugar, etc.

I totally agree about fake sugar or preservatives - they're so digusting. I was forced to have a diet soda yesterday at a party (no other choice, no h20 fountain and it was 88*) and it was horrible. I was shocked by how many little kids were drinking the diet sodas!

Here's a question - do any of you let your kids drink diet soda?