Hi Everyone,

I just got the Daybook yesterday and I am a tad lost on here. Not quite sure where to get started.

I am the mom of a 2 year old boy and 6 month old girl. I have been going to the gym since 7 weeks post partum however something is up and I haven't lost any weight. I've lost some inches but no weight. My output is good it is my intake that is WAY WAY WAY OFF. I am having a hard time with snacking and cheese. I am not a "diary" person so this is all very new to me. I hope to really get something out of these forums.

I am just not sure where to start. Any tips?

Thanks
Melissa

quote:

Thank you again so much. Today was better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today (I hope). All of your advice is really great and Peg I will take your advice to just start with one suggestion at a time b/c BOY you guys certainly gave me a lot of them!

Wonderful news! I guarantee the days get easier...not all of them are easy but they do get a lot easier. I too was worried we might have overwhelmed so I'm glad to hear you can try that approach. If you feel like it, share what your baby step is. Not just because some of us, like me especially, are always curious but also because you might find that adds a level of accountability with supportive folks that have been right in your shoes before. And of course, ask questions as you get going...as you can see...there's no lack of willingness to toss out ideas!

Peg

welcome!
you've got plenty of awesome tips but i just wanted to tell you i am a mom of young ones too--two yr old twins. So we're in this together! I can't remember if you said you were home with them right now, but I think you did. . . I am, and I like you, am noticing the major challenges that presents: constant access to kitchen, need for gratification/stimulation, constant dealing with food for others.

But I'm also noticing the positive sides of this "job"/lifestyle in terms of eating.
I am not exposed to crazy office parties or take-out; I can plan and cook my meals. I always have access to fresh/refrigerated food and not snack-machines, you know?

So I'm trying to capitalize on the benefits, and I just keep going back to the journal/this site, even after low, low days.
dana

quote:

Originally posted by gavin&emma's_mom:
It means so much to me....

Melissa

That's good! Take one suggestion... I was sort of worried we'd overwhelmed you!

OK, so Melissa, do your friends call you Missy?? That would be much easier to type than gavin and emmas mom. Anyway, I too, am glad you are here. I have been around for a few years. Honey, give yourself 21 days at the very least, to form new habits. Take them one at a time and we will all support you. We certainly all understand and have been up and down many times. Stick with it, you owe it to yourself to be entirely healthy and happy!! MJ

Hi all,

Thank you again so much. Today was better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today (I hope). All of your advice is really great and Peg I will take your advice to just start with one suggestion at a time b/c BOY you guys certainly gave me a lot of them!

It means so much to me....

Melissa

How are you doing Melissa? There's a lot of information in this post already. Just wanted to encourage you not to wander away frustrated. If you are overwhelmed, just pick one thing that one person said and comment/ask questions/try a new strategy with that. This post will always be available for you to come back to in a few weeks when you are ready for your next 'bite'. Have you heard the saying about how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Happy Tuesday!

Peg

Welcome!

First of all, losing the inches is fabulous! It means you are putting on lots of muscle. Muscle is a good thing. Maybe you want to put the scale away for a little while, and use NSVs for a bit. NSVs are "non-scale-victories". I've been measuring using "goal pants", I get something a size smaller than I am currently wearing, and use that as a measure.

You do not want to get caught up in the idea that food is "evil". Its so easy to do, too.
Finding snacking alternatives, like the popcorn, are fantastic. An apple and a nut butter can be a good snack... you've had some good suggestions. Sometimes a healthy snack and a bite of something unhealthy does it for me.

Start small. Try eating something every three to four hours to train your metabolism.

Good luck, and welcome!

Welcome! We are glad that you are here. Obviously, there is not shortage of good advice here. I will add my 2 cents worth.

One of my favorite things that I have learned from KD is to think of snacks as opportunities to get in nutrition that you are missing at meals. I like to have a couple of her slaw salads (from the Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen book) in my fridge. They help with those emergency "I don't care what I eat just give me something now" moments.

And it is so great that you have broken out of the baby fog and are going to the gym. I hope that you can truly enjoy your journey to better health!

Kathy

Hi and welcome Melissa!

quote:

Originally posted by gavin&emma's_mom:
The problem that I have with food is that I will do GREAT in the morning but by lunch it is all over for me and I will be famished and pretty much eat anything I can get my hands on - including pretzels and goldfish crackers which I have plenty on hand b/c of my 2 year old son.

I also like cheese - a lot - I tried giving it up and I tried to eat fat free but it isn't working.

It really sounds like you need a mid morning snack. And you really need a better plan for lunch. You can’t hit lunch time famished, that doesn’t work. And you need something for lunch more filling and more nutritious than goldfish and cheese.

I also have a terrible cheese addiction. My love of saturated fat caught up with me and affects my cholesterol and I have to be really careful about how much I eat. I don’t like most low fat or nonfat cheeses, either. I have found a couple of kinds/brands that I’m ok with the low fat (so it may help to keep looking and try different brands). But, I saw a dietician and she pointed out that even the low fat cheeses have a lot of calories and a lot of saturated fat and are not exactly a calorie/fat bargain especially when one piece of cheese is about a bite of food and you are still hungry after you eat it.

I can’t keep some kinds of cheese in the house, or I eat it (duh! What else am I going to do with it? Decorate with it?). It really is so easy to snack on. I just do way better when it isn’t here 24/7 (but I do buy real full fat cheese occasionally.)

Can you strike some kind of cheese moderation compromise? Like Wednesdays and Sundays are “cheese days” and the rest of the days are fruit and yogurt days (or something that is less calorific and more filling than cheese and crackers). Can you buy cheese in the deli case and just buy a portion controlled amount? You don’t have to buy a whole block of cheese. You can buy a couple of slices. That way, you are not totally giving up cheese… but you are not spending 300+(?) calories a day on a little, tiny snack.

Are there some kinds of cheese that you are ok with smaller portions? Like bleu and feta are pretty strong and a little goes a long way. Would it work to have a pear and ½-1 oz of bleu cheese for a snack? That way you are getting your cheese fix AND some fruit and it is filling and will stay with you a couple of hours. Or would it work to have a salad with some feta? Or some hummus and a little feta in a pita. Same thing… more filling than cheese and crackers… get some veggie servings in… and still get a cheese fix.

And about the crackers. You don't have to keep pretzels and goldfish in the house. They aren't terribly nutritious for either you or your two year old. You really can hand a two year old a piece of whole wheat bread. Those are healthier calories - for both you and him. Pretzels and crackers are ok snacks once in a while, but they are pretty much empty calories and don’t sustain or fill you up. But there really are no foods that you have to buy “for the kids”. Kids don’t need special snack foods - especially when you find them really tempting.

quote:

Originally posted by gavin&emma's_mom:
The problem that I have with food is that I will do GREAT in the morning but by lunch it is all over for me and I will be famished and pretty much eat anything I can get my hands on - including pretzels and goldfish crackers ...
I have MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR portion control issues. Sometimes ... I feel as if I have a never ending pit down there.
I have a lot of weight to lose ... Sometimes it just gets overwhelming and I get discouraged.

Melissa

Hi, Melissa, and welcome! I love your honesty and freshness in expressing yourself. A couple things you said perked my interest. First, you talked about not knowing how to put the brakes on, and not being able to stop with the pretzels and crackers; not being able to recognize fullness. I think a protein/good carb snack might help you, because eating processed carbs increases insulin production which increases appetite! Try good, low-fat cheese (more satisfying than fat-free) paired with a crunchy apple or mixed raw veggie sticks. I reached my weight goal by planning these snacks in mid-morning and mid-afternoon -- key word, "planning", making them a non-negotiable, because by the time you get starving you're out of control. It helped!

Second, you are overwhelmed with how much weight you need to lose. If you could break it down into small goals, that might help. Also if you look upon your weight loss journey as an enjoyable road to creating better health and better eating habits, not like a sentence in jail, you might be less overwhelmed. I am a Weight Watchers lifetime member -- though staying at goal is very challenging! -- and I think back on the days I was losing weight toward my goal as happy, goal-oriented and positive. I hope you can too!

Good luck!
Grace

Hi Melissa,

Welcome! I have an 8 month old daughter so I know what you mean about it being hard to get to the gym. I have found that I do much better if I plan to work out at home. During my daughters last nap of the day I work out for 30 minutes to Denise Austin (taped from earlier in the day). We are also starting a tradition of a before dinner walk. When the weather is nice we take a long walk, if it is not so nice we take a quick 10 minute spin around the block all bundled up. I know you will do great!

Jennifer

Welcome Melissa!

Good for you getting to the gym. As a mother of two little ones myself, I know how vital having that time for yourself can be!

I've also struggled with porton control issues and grazing on the kids snacks. Here's what's worked for me, maybe some of it might work for you:

1. manage stress! Having two wee ones is stressful, and stress stimulates the appetite. Getting stress levels under control can really cut back on stress-hunger. Yoga, an evening bath, a quiet break with some herbal tea, making time each day to read or listen to music are all good ways to manage stress.

2. ditch the diet soda! As Bee said, there's some evidence that artificial sweeteners increase the appetite. My DH thought this was hokum, so he put it to the test. A week of no Diet Coke, and he curbed his late night snacking. He started with the daily diet coke again, and the snacking came back.

3. measure your portions. The best way to control portion size is to learn what a portion should look and feel like. Ayurvedic tradition is that the ideal size of a meal is what would fit in your hands of you placed them side by side, palms up, cupped. Imagine filling that natural bowl, and try to limit meals to that size.

4. Eat a good breakfast, and plan for snacks. If you go overboard at lunch, it may be because you are not eaating enough at breakfast or that you need a small morning snack. Try a piece of fruit at 10 am and see if that helps you eat a more modest lunch.

Hope that helps.

alli

Hi and welcome, Melissa! We're glad you found us.

I can so relate to the cola "drug of choice" problem, although I'm a Diet Coke head. I've cut back a lot, but I haven't been able to kick it completely. For me, water has to be sparkling and/or flavored to be a good substitute. Try having at least one bottle of your favorite water instead of one glass or can of Diet Pepsi every day. Baby steps...

I also agree with Sandy about learning to measure as a way to gain some portion control perspective. Commit to measuring out a single serving of everything you eat for a day, just so you get an idea of what a serving really looks like.

And if you're getting to the gym four times a week when you have two kids, I'm incredibly proud of you! That's fantastic. But it's also fantastic to get there three times or two times a week, under the circumstances. Even once a week is better than not at all, so keep that in mind when you consider your accomplishments.

Good luck and keep posting!

I also struggled (struggle at times) with portion control issues. Most of us do.

When I decided to lost my excess weight about 5 years ago I sought the help of a registered dietician. She sat up a very sensible food plan for me based on servings/exchanges. I began to weigh and measure food. I also started to eat a protein carb combination every 3-4 hours. I was stunned to learn that I was not hungry eationg this way.

I had been eating too much- too many simple carbs out of HUNGER and fatigue and boredom.

I had never had a food journal before and found it VERY helpful.

Glad you are here. I encourage you to get loads of support here and elsewhere.

I seems that each person here has lost weight in different ways.

You'll get lots more valuable input.

Melissa
My biggest problem was portion sizes too. What worked for me was using a smaller plate for my food and loading the plate up with veggies. I still need to have my plate look visually full even if it is mostly with low calorie foods : ) Same with snacks which is why air popped corn is one of my favorites - high volume, low calories : )

You may want to start with some baby steps - leaving a couple of bites on your plate and gradually working your way down to a regular sized portion.

A couple of other things jump out at me - there have been some studies that suggest that artificial sweetners (like those found in diet pop) may actually increase hunger. You may really want to consider trying to cut down on your soda habit for that reason alone.

In terms of your workout, since you are already doing the eliptical for cardio, you could use your walking time to do weights instead. It will help you tone more as you drop weight and the more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate.

Welcome Melissa!
I don't think there is much I can add right now to what has already been said except about water.
I also had a Diet Coke habit which I had to give up for medical reasons. I found that as i was switching over I could drink more water if it was room temperature instead of ice cold. Another reason you are having a problem with drinking water could be that your tap water does not taste very good. I now drink a couple of brands of bottled water and only have an occasional diet coke.
I like to drink Smart Water by Glaceau, it has electrolites in it like Gatorade does but no flavors or sweeteners. For flavored water I like Fruit 2o. the Raspberry and Peach are my favorites. They are sweetened with Splenda.

Melissa,
Sounds like you are on a good track with the exercise. Keep shooting to get that up to 4x a week. Something to consider is what to do if you can't make the entire hour at the gym. A walk with the kids or something is better than nothing.

In terms of the hunger, you might not be eating enough for breakfast. A lot of people make that mistake thinking they'll get off to a really 'clean' start of the day but it is so clean they get derailed. What exactly are you choosing for breakfast? You might look through the What's For Dinner folder to see some examples of what most of us are eating. The other post I bumped from HannahsMommy will help too I bet.

See ya tonight!

Peg

WOW - you guys are quick! Makes me feel VERY welcomed!!

No, I am not nursing right now. As of the beginning of the year I am working on a commitment to myself of 4x per week at the gym. Typically when I go I do the Elliptical for 30 minutes and then walk for 20-25 minutes with a 5 minute cooldown. I think that this is FINALLY the week that I will make it to 4x a week. It is always one thing after another that I find it hard to get to the gym. I feel GREAT afterwards but getting there is 1/2 the battle. I would say though that I go consistently 2x per week at a minimum.

I want to get into doing some weights and ab work for my "mummy tummy" that I have got going on - the sad part is that I had that even BEFORE I got pregnant.

The problem that I have with food is that I will do GREAT in the morning but by lunch it is all over for me and I will be famished and pretty much eat anything I can get my hands on - including pretzels and goldfish crackers which I have plenty on hand b/c of my 2 year old son.

I also like cheese - a lot - I tried giving it up and I tried to eat fat free but it isn't working.

I have MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR portion control issues. Sometimes I do not know when to STOP and put the breaks on b/c I feel as if I have a never ending pit down there.

I drink diet soda - caffeine free diet pepsi is my drug of choice. I wish I could get into drinking more water and green tea but it doesn't give me the same level of satisfaction I get with diet soda.

I wish I had an "off" button sometimes...I have a lot of weight to lose - I could easily do 100lbs...my BMI is up around 41 and it needs to be about 24/25 so I have a LONG way to go. Sometimes it just gets overwhelming and I get discouraged. It also doesn't help that my husband can get up and work out 5x a week and is a thin as a rail :-)

Thanks guys...I will look for the other topics....after the kiddos go to bed tonight.

Melissa

Welcome Melissa! I applaude you're wanting to get back in shape to run after those two adorable kids! Please share with us what you are eating now. Are you nursing? What are you doing at the gym? Tell us about what you are doing, and we'd be able to give you some baby steps to get you started. Many of us have had kids and didn't do the "loosing the baby weight" until the kids were in school....ugh, that doesn't make it easier...so we've been there and done that. We are so glad you are here.....welcome, and stay awhile to chat.

Cathy J