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Post by chexbres on Nov 2, 2015 8:32:33 GMT
That sounds like the ideal diet food!
OK - how about changing the focus a little?
We all know that they don't work, but many people try them anyway, hoping for magic. Which fad diets have you tried? Let's talk about the most bizarre versions, just for fun.
I tried one which involved eating only small, individual items that you could count. You could eat anything you wanted - like Tic-Tacs, green peas, M&Ms, cherries, - but you could only eat 8 of them at the time, and only 3 times a day. I found it in a magazine, obviously invented by someone with serious food issues, but I tried it anyway. I think I lasted 2 whole days before I keeled over...
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Post by rikita on Nov 2, 2015 8:46:58 GMT
never tried any diet in the proper sense, just this calory counting thing ...
btw, since mr. r. is starting his new job today, i am not bringing a. to daycare again, and i decided to use that for at least a tiny bit of exercise - ran for a couple of minutes up and down in the park and walked up the stairs, ran back down and then back up when i got home. the plan is to slowly increase this a bit, and hopefully do it every day. not much, as i do have to get home and start work (which in theory i am doing at this very moment), but at least something ...
hm, that sounds like very little food ... only 8 small items, 3 times a day, altogether? wouldn't that mean you end up starving? or 3 times a day for each (i.e. you'd eat 3x8 peas and 3x8 cherries and 3x8 tic-tacs on the same day)?
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Post by breeze on Nov 2, 2015 11:42:10 GMT
The New York Times had an article this week which I now can't find. The author had asked several nutritionists about weight control and one thing that came up, other than the usual suspects, was the need to get enough sleep. That's important to me, because I find if I'm tired I eat more.
When I want to lose weight, that's the first thing on my list--get more sleep. Cutting back on food is way down the list. First I make sure I'm getting enough sleep. After a few days, when I feel well rested, I go on to step two, which is exercising more. In my case, that's walking. I start to walk longer distances or for a longer time. Next I stop eating crapola and start eating plain and nutritious food. I can eat as much as I want of the healthful stuff. Let's face it, plain food gets boring, so it's a natural next step to eat less.
Researchers at Penn State University have determined that soup helps people lose weight. That was good to learn since I love soup and could eat it every day. On Mondays I make a good soup from scratch for dinner, and several days a week I make leftover soup for lunch.
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Post by breeze on Nov 2, 2015 13:21:39 GMT
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Post by mickthecactus on Nov 2, 2015 14:37:59 GMT
I wonder what effect long term medication e.g blood pressure tablets, statins etc have on weight gain?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2015 15:41:43 GMT
I remember that one of the French ways to jump start a diet is to have a day of 100% leeks. You are supposed to choose a day of non-activity such as Sunday and boil some leeks (bouillon cube authorised). On that day, you are supposed to eat only the boiled leeks and have the broth as soup, but nothing else. After peeing your brains out, you have lost about 2kgs of water by the next day, which puts you in a good mood when you step off the scale and allows you to start the real calorie-counting diet or whatever. You also feel cleansed of a lot of toxins.
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Post by rikita on Nov 2, 2015 16:23:02 GMT
yeah but it is easy to say you need more sleep ... i know i need more sleep, but if i slept more i'd have no time for the things i enjoy, and then i'd probably eat more out of frustration ...
i love soups and have some soup recipes that make me very full with very little calories. shame mr. r. is not very fond of soup, else we'd have that several times per week. but i don't think all soups are good for weight loss - there are some that are quite heavy, too, depends what's in them ...
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Post by chexbres on Nov 2, 2015 20:43:10 GMT
This year's version of leek soup is made with cabbage and garlic. My building's gardienne swears by it. Works the same as the leeks, only smells a lot worse - especially when she starts boiling it to death around 6 AM...
A friend gets her kids to eat vegetables by grinding them up in soup. Even left-over salad goes in there.
It seems to me that a good many French movies have a couple of things in common: Male friends and family always take a moment to enjoy peeing outdoors. There are always books, books, books - piled up everywhere. Whenever there's a family meal, there is always soup - usually looks grey-green and unappetizing, but if it was real soup, it was probably delicious.
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Post by whatagain on Nov 3, 2015 13:07:15 GMT
Sleep more sounds quite intelligent. I also must be in good shape to eat less and better
Today I'll eat less. I have slept far from enough but needed some fresh air to evacuate my hangover.
Now seeing food repulses me. Water. No more Ricard no more wine no more rum. Never again. Promised. Beuhh.
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Post by mickthecactus on Nov 3, 2015 13:14:26 GMT
Ricard, wine and rum?
I'm not surprised.......
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Post by rikita on Nov 3, 2015 22:35:14 GMT
i had two glasses of punch at our halloween party. that was the most i have drunk in years, i felt quite tipsy.
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Post by chexbres on Nov 4, 2015 8:14:11 GMT
Yesterday, I really thought I was coming down with the flu, but probably wasn't because I was really very hungry. But because I felt so bad, I gave myself permission to eat anything and everything that I wanted. Luckily, today I feel much better, so will hopefully act accordingly
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Post by tod2 on Nov 4, 2015 11:05:39 GMT
Mick - I'm wondering about the same thing having been on them for about 10 years at least.
My husband says the way to go on diet (cutting portion size & booze) is not to tell anyone you are on a diet. This way you get no finger pointing when you have a little set-back and no guilt trips when you do sneak that sweet or biscuit. Only you are in charge.
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Post by rikita on Nov 4, 2015 22:56:21 GMT
well not directly about losing weight but i was told today i need to eat more fibre, so i guess i gotta improve what i eat (though i already eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and i eat dark bread with seeds in it etc.) ...
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Post by chexbres on Nov 6, 2015 20:50:00 GMT
Oatmeal is great for fibre. Really does lower cholesterol, too. I don't always have time to cook it from scratch, so I keep a bag of puffed oat cereal handy (just oats and air, nothing else).
Do you like artichokes, rikita? Those are really good, too.
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Post by whatagain on Nov 6, 2015 21:24:16 GMT
Spent 3 days gardening No wine Limited food Lost 3 kgms. 2 of water I guess and 75 g at the haircut.
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Post by rikita on Nov 6, 2015 23:11:22 GMT
had oatmeal (cooked with milk, walnuts, linseeds and other things) for lunch the last two days. haven't had a lot of artichokes yet, but the ones i had were alright ...
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Post by tod2 on Nov 7, 2015 5:18:10 GMT
Chexbres - cooking oatmeal from scratch?? What about the instant stuff. Pour on boiling milk or water - maybe tweak it for 30secs in the microwave and Bob's your aunty!
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Post by rikita on Nov 7, 2015 8:10:46 GMT
the one i make is the instant stuff i suppose. or is it what you mean by cereal? i mean oatflakes, like this: i still like to cook them for a few minutes, though ...
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Post by tod2 on Nov 7, 2015 10:59:57 GMT
No. Not those. Ours come in a measured helping and are fine. Yours look more effective though. Will try and send photo.
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Post by lagatta on Nov 7, 2015 23:54:39 GMT
I make my porridge from scratch, but use flakes of other grains (such as rye) as well as oat.
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Post by chexbres on Nov 8, 2015 19:24:09 GMT
I don't know how or if these oat flakes were processed - they come from the health food store and the bag just says "flocons d'avoine" - but about 2/3 cup only takes 8 mins to cook, so I can do that while I'm feeding the dog.
I grew up on old-fashioned Quaker Oats and grits - the kind that took forever to cook - and never have liked any type of "quick" cereals. I know they're convenient and a lot of people love them, though.
I will confess to a fondness for instant potatoes - the kind that come in a box and are made with milk and butter. If I'm really sick, that's what I usually want to eat - but then, and only then!
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 9, 2015 23:49:17 GMT
Finally, here I am to join the ranks of the pure and the disciplined!
I've furiously avoided this thread because it's like a stick poking into one of my fat rolls -- a reminder that I'm my own worst enemy.
Anyway, there I was in Sam's today when suddenly I was as Paul on the road to Damascus. Well, except that Paul just lay there being all dazzled and I marched around throwing bags of washed-and-ready-to-eat raw vegetables in my cart. It's true that I live just steps from both a fruit/veg store and also an entire market. It's also true that on Fridays and Saturdays there is an organic market within easy walking distance of my house. But I figured if I bought the quick preparation stuff that is also expensive & liable to go bad if not used, my innate frugality would force me to stick with it. Anyway, I love salad, so I won't be suffering. I came home from Sam's and made a nice bowl of leaves, flinging cherry tomatoes into my mouth all the while. Now I feel all virtuous, even though I've only been in diet mode for around three hours.
P.S. ~ ditto on only the old fashioned oats & grits!
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Post by mich64 on Nov 10, 2015 1:42:38 GMT
You can do it Bixa!
I eat a salad everyday, I love it too! I would say my diet is good, I generally eat well balanced meals of a protein and vegetables. I do not eat much fruit but I probably make that up in vegetables. I do not often eat bread or pasta and may have a dessert twice a week. I do need to drink more water though.
The moving part is where I have difficulty motivating myself. I am enjoying my treadmill and my gosh it is good workout and is quite different from my walking on my deck or in the lake so I am hoping to have some success with that.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 10, 2015 4:07:56 GMT
I thought about you today in Sam's, Mich, when I passed a treadmill. It looked like something I could hurt myself on.
My downfall is not so much sweet stuff as too much pasta & snacking and not enough exercise. Also, I can eat as much as any contestant at a county fair.
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Post by breeze on Nov 10, 2015 14:31:38 GMT
Sweets are my downfall. My grandmother's motto, and now mine, is "I'm not satisfied till I'm sick."
I'm looking for an easy-to-prepare, healthful, satisfying, low-calorie dessert that comes only in small portions (otherwise I can't stop). I can put peanut butter on an apple slice, but ho hum. I can easily bake cookies; I just can't easily stop eating them.
Currently I'm using Lindt chocolate balls for medicinal purposes, trying to see if 2 of these after a meal are enough to satisfy my giant-size cravings. So far, no.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 10, 2015 14:42:23 GMT
The only way I can control myself with certain temptations is to not have them in the house -- cold turkey or nothing.
When I'm in diet mode and being ever so pure, raisins work as that after-meal sweet hit. I know that's not what you wanted to hear.
I love your grandmother's motto. A friend of mine used to say that the way to know when to stop eating was not when your stomach was full, but when you went slightly deaf from all the cholesterol mounting to your brain.
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Post by mossie on Nov 10, 2015 20:56:51 GMT
That is rather like the saying when one has drunk perhaps a little too much
"My back teeth are floating"
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Post by rikita on Nov 10, 2015 22:45:04 GMT
jell-o is relatively low on calories afaik (i guess it depends a bit how you prepare it). though of course it is not as fun as something really rich and creamy and chocolatey, but it can still be nice. portion-size depends on how much you prepare.
another one can be some kind of quarkspeise (dictionary calls it junket?) - you need quark (curd, junket or quark according to the dictionary), best the low fat kind, add some liquid (i usually add a bit of yoghurt, and then some water or some fruit juice, depending on the flavor and calories i want to reach), and then some fruit (ripe pears or strawberries cut very small, or some blueberries or cherries - those i often take the preserved kind and use the juice for flavouring). if i have a chocolate craving, i grate some dark chocolate, not too much, and add it. all mixed (by hand) well, so it gets a nicely smooth texture. again, you can vary the amount you make according from how much you think you should eat, you can make very small portion (though i guess you still have the ingredients there). it has some calories of course, but not huge amounts, compared to cream desserts.
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Post by lagatta on Nov 10, 2015 22:46:11 GMT
That's a great expression.
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