Vegetarian Weight Watchers Boogie 2011

[nolabear]

All right. I give up. I surrender to reality. I've got to do something about my weight and I'm doing it here, where I know people. If you want to discuss ongoing diet, exercise, fitness, weight loss, etc. issues I offer up this thread. I'd love to hear just what it's like for you to try to keep at a good healthy weight in whatever world you're living in, and I'll do the same.

My husband has decided to try being vegetarian, and I'm at least going to give it a go (some fish now and then). And I rejoined Weight Watchers. Just made my first pot of vegan chili and it's not bad.

Now if I can just talk my ass onto that recumbent bike...

Anybody up for a little support group action?

[Extend a Hand]

1. I am

In fact, I just joined weight watchers a couple of hours ago. I had a really stressful year and quit smoking last year and really packed on some pounds.

[nolabear]

3. LOL we were probably doing it at the same time.

Frankly, if I stick to it, it works very well. Are you going to go to meetings? I'm really anti-meeting but there's a good leader near me, a fairly old guy who's part stand-up comedian and part drill sargeant. I like him. I'm still not planning to go to meetings though, unless I just can't keep on track on my own.

[Extend a Hand]

7. I'm just doing the online plan

my husband just retired and we are leaving the frigid temperatures here to live on our boat down south for the winter.

[Systematic Chaos]

2. Good for you on the vegetarian thing!

Just remember that if you go with a plant-based diet, built around lots of complex starches (rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and so forth), supplemented with vegetables and fruits, it's nearly impossible to gain weight and very easy to lose it.

There are tons of great recipes and other ideas at www.drmcdougall.com -- as well as lots of health related articles and an excellent discussion board. You don't have to spend one red cent to get a lot of benefits from that site.

That is the plan I follow, and it's helped me lose a LOT of weight! Still have a ways to go, though.

[nolabear]

4. Thanks for the site. I'll check it out.

Do you eat substitutes like tofu and tempeh and such? I like them, always have, but I expect that sometimes I'll struggle. I know how to combine things.

I'd like to see the effects, besides weight loss, on the body. I'm the freakin' QUEEN of heartburn and sometimes carbs and beans and such bug me. Meat doesn't, interestingly, in reasonable amounts.

[Systematic Chaos]

6. We do use tofu a couple of times per month, and fake meats like Boca Burgers on rare occasions.

Mostly, though, we eat a lot of potatoes and rice. We have a pressure cooker now, which cuts the cooking time of bagged beans down to almost nothing.

If you are getting a lot of heartburn from certain foods, that might be an indication of a mild food allergy. The McDougall site offers a lot of advice on performing an elimination diet to help get rid of the offenders.

[nolabear]

8. I'm fond of Garden Burgers and my husband loves field roast

By the way, it's now after ten, I'm gearing up for bed, and I'm HUNGRY. But tomorrow, I shop so I'll have more veggie and fruit snackables available.

[handmade34]

5. oh fun!

don't give up... stand up and take charge!! :) I love veggie chili and good for you and hubby - stopping meat is awesome!

my 2 cents because I need the advice as well:

keep a journal (it IS about calories)
get and give support (good start here)
move some everyday


I took part in a study once through UVM... lost 26 lbs... these are the keys to success...
journal, support and some expenditure of energy

[nolabear]

9. Thanks. your advice is good! I'm working on all three.

See you here for mutual support I hope. I've done it before so I just have to "flip the switch" and get determined. I know it has to be a forever switch.

[handmade34]

10. Good Morning!

great day to take a walk or ... :-) I noticed you are in WA... how 'bout a challenge? I'm headed there for work at the end of March (coming in around the 20th)... we set a goal and I buy (coffee, tea, etc) if you are closer...??? :fistbump:

[nolabear]

11. Not a bad goal. Thanks.

So far so good.

[nolabear]

12. Day Two. MAN did I do some veggie shopping.

I notice already a somewhat "cleaner" feeling. I have to make sure to eat and drink enough, though. I'm already in danger of eating too little and not drinking enough water and of course I can't keep that up.

I'll make some veggie soup this evening for freezing in portions so I can take it for a quick lunch.

Anyone else?

[nolabear]

13. Day Three. I should remember the things that feel better when I eat much less.

I do sleep better when I go to bed a little hungry, and I do feel less strain on my organs--don't know quite how to explain that except that the energy upticks just a bit and I don't have the constant heartburn.

It was a bit of a struggle last night. I got that restless, somewhat depleted, "what can I eat--oh, right, nothing" over and over feeling. I suppose I have to break the thought habits as well as the physical.

Off to breakfast (yogurt, granola, fruit) and to figure out what to take to work for lunch.

To anyone who might be paying attention, do share.

[handmade34]

14. hot chocolate?

good organic natural cocoa 20 calories/2 tbls... fat free milk approx 100 calories.... (I use xylitol to sweeten) approx 20-30 calories... pure vanilla

mix cocoa with 1/2 cup water, heat and stir until boil... add xylitiol, then milk, heat to good temp... add vanilla.... pour into fun mug and savor... YUM!! (about 140 - 150 calories)

Ya, I sleep much better when I go to bed a little hungry.

drink V-8 / tomato juice I like celery and (fat free) cream cheese yum!

remember granola can have really high caloric content

[nolabear]

16. I found a granola that's 100 cal for a quarter cup

which is all I use in my yogurt, which is Greek nonfat vanilla and also about 120 calories. So no prob. I live for that crunch.

[Codeine]

15. Welcome to the veg side.

I've been a vegan for twenty+ years and I feel great. Hope vegetarianism works as well for you! :hi:

[nolabear]

17. Day four, BIG mistake.

I didn't eat enough. I am in blood sugar hell (no diabetes issues) at the end of a long work day. Fortunately I have a kind husband who's making field roast paninis on Sarah Lee Light Bread. LOTS of veggies.

I've got to stop this though.

[nolabear]

18. Day Six. Back on track.

I'm doing really well. Got a break in the action at work today so am off to buy vegetable broth to make a buttload of WW Vegetable Soup to freeze and eat.

I'm actually managing to stop and appreciate my times of desperation and craziness (and around weight loss I can get pretty crazy) and step back, consider the reality of the situation, and calm myself down rather than react by eating something out of either anxiety or resentment.

Anyone?

[nolabear]

19. Two weeks, four pounds. This is how they say it should happen.

And I have to remember that. It's so easy to want to lose a pound a day, to do the Biggest Loser thing, lose ten pounds a week. But I've got a sedentary job, and so far haven't flipped the excercise switch in addition to the food switch. But I'm feeling good, sleeping better, and clearly have more energy.

Not where I want to be yet (not in terms of weight but in terms of the way I live my life related to fitness and self care) but I'm going in the right direction, and that strikes me as a far better thing than an attachment to a number.

Remind me of that when I freak out one of these days, if anyone's reading this.

[kudzu22]

20. How much do you have to lose?

I lost 120 pounds on WW over two years, and have kept it off for 1.5 years since then. I hate Biggest Loser because they make it a contest and encourage unhealthy weight loss. 1-2 pounds a week is perfect.

[nolabear]

21. Oh, let's just say a bunch. Sounds like you did it right.

I've done it before but it crept back. This time, forever!

[nolabear]

22. Still working it! Weighing only once a week is tough!

But weighing every day made me nuts. So I weigh on Sundays.

Just made a nice stir fry of halibut, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, capers, basil. Sered with brown rice. It was delicious.

[kudzu22]

23. I came to the same conclusion

Once a week is plenty. Any more and you'll drive yourself crazy.

[nolabear]

24. Week Four Pizza Freakout.

Four slices of really good pizza. I had plenty of discretionary points but I doubt they're meant to be used all at once. This is the crazy...am I okay because I had discretionary points or is it too close to the Sunday weigh-in so I'll not show a loss this week even though I've been really on point otherwise and would I have lost more weight this week if I hadn't or is it more important to enjoy not bloody starving for one evening and getting back on the bus now and yeah yeah yeah yadda yadda.

I know all the answers, but it's interesting how crazy it can get all the same.

And how's YOUR week going?

[bestwaytolosefat]

25. Eight to Ten Glasses of Water Daily?

Nothing to share just yet. But I have a question about drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day. What do you guys do to maintain drinking that volume every day? I mean, come on, I asked my friends and not even one of them is able to reach five glasses daily.