Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

[anubisa]

Hey guys,

So I made an appointment to see my bariatric surgeon in March and I have vowed to lose 30 lbs by then. The appointment is March 7. First, I am not going into one of those crazy ass diets or miracle pills crap things. Tried them before and it didn't work and am much smarter now. However, I want to prove to the surgeon I am serious now that they have the lap band. You see I have two illnesses beside my epilepsy and that is hypothyroidism and panhypopituitarism. For those who don't know, it means that my thyroid and pituitary glands under function. So there is this certain medicine I always have to take. Well last year they kept telling me that I couldn't do any of the surgeries because I would have to be off the pill for like two weeks before and two weeks after. That's not going to work. It's essential that I take that pill. We even asked about doing injections. They just didn't want to work with us. So anyway, now that the lap band is available and it is a minimally invasive surgery and it doesn't remove anything, I want to show that I can change my habits and that I deserve a chance to get this operation and lose the weight for myself and my health.

Sorry about the long speech. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knew any good websites with healthy recipes or weight loss tips. I would be greatly appreciated. These can be blogs too. Suggestions are welcomed too. Thanks for the help.

[Shahaku]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

I'm not really good at losing weight, but that's more a self control issue than a knowledge one. I do know there isn't a "magic cure". Portion control and exercise are key to losing weight. When I was semi-successful (before getting pregnant until she stopped nursing) I found an exercise system that worked for me, and I joined a few programs that held me accountable (in this case, martial arts, and weight loss competitions at my work).

I think it's really important that the physical activity be something that you really enjoy doing. I go hiking with my daughter, but that's not enough, and not often enough now, to really do any good for me. I also enjoy martial arts. I got into Pilates for awhile. Whatever it is, if you don't find some joy in doing it, it won't last long. You can't have an exercise regimen that you hate and stick with it.

Accountability is important. Get involved with a group somehow, or just another friend who is also on the journey. Knowing that not reaching your goal will let someone else down makes it all that much more important. Friendly (literally) competition can also be helpful.

Food wise, three small meals, with snacks in between, is the best system I've found for weight loss. I have also heard really great things about going in the other direction and fasting for 16 hours a day and only eating in the other 8. But if your self-control is iffy, that's not going to work. Finding foods that are high in mass, but low in calories is also good, as is drinking a full glass of water before each meal. High mass foods (like celery, pickles, and watermelon) help you feel full without really adding a whole lot to your calorie intake for the day. Drinking a glass of water before a meal does the same think, it helps you feel full without the calories.

Make a list of safe snack foods (you can find 100 calorie snack lists all over). Again, going for high mass, low calorie content is great here. Here's an example: https://greatist.com/health/100-calorie-snacks Plan your grocery shopping so that you know exactly what you're getting and you don't get distracted with the junk food. Meal planning is great.

[Eleanor]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

Those are great tips Shahaku. Especially making the exercise fun. Otherwise it will only feel like punishment.

I've only been on one diet myself and lost 10 kg / 22 lbs. What was tough for me was the hunger all day long. And in the end that didn't work out. So make sure you don't go hungry. Just eat enough of the healthy stuff and bring some healthy/ safe snack foods with you all the time. And replace sugar containing beverages with water, tea and coffee.

I also lost another unintentional 5 kg when I went vegan. Which means I don't eat any animal foods like meat, fish, dairy and eggs. I replaced all that with more vegetables, potatoes, rice, nuts, etc. Every now and then I eat vegan meat. Being vegan is something that's really easy for me to stick to. So it's way easier for me to say no to unhealthy snacks, since most of them contain animal products in them. I'm not saying you should go vegan, but find a healthy lifestyle (not just a diet) that you know you can stick to. That way it will make it easier to reach your goal and to stay on your target weight.

Good luck with losing the weight. You can do it!

[Torey]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

My two cousins, a friend at work and my wife have all lost around 20 pounds on the Keto diet (or a variation of it - low/no carbs with no sugar).

May be worth a try?

Good luck!

[prometheus]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

Aren't you referred to a dietician? If not you should demand it, they are integral to pre and post surgical care. Or are you in the US so this costs more? If you are seeing one ask them for websites - they should know the most trustworthy sources and be able to personalise their recommendation with the full knowledge of your medical history.

[thalassa]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

Exercise is great and you need it for your physical health, but its probably not going to help you lose weight all that much, at least not quickly. Don't skip it, it really is critical for things like heart health, bone density, muscle mass, etc...and some of (muscle mass) things can help when it comes to your resting energy consumption. And, when you are talking about long term caloric deficits (or surplus), the calories burned by exercise can lead to long term weight loss (provided you don't unwittingly compensate for it by being hungrier or less active outside of exercise). There are really huge misconceptions about metabolism and how it works...in terms of readability, there's this article by Vox (or a couple dozen scientific studies)...I really recommend reading it.


The magazine Eating Well has a pretty good website, with meal plans and meal prepping.

http://www.eatingwell.com/category/4286/meal-plans/#%2Fstep1%3Fpsrc=R507ERB1471WL

Whatever you do, I really recommend keeping a food journal or using a meal tracking app.

[faye_cat]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

Darebee.com has many different workout programs and meal plans. They do a great job of representing all levels of fitness and you can sort based on the exercises you can or can't do (so no cardio, only strength training, etc) and the workouts often give you a meal plan that they recommend with it.

http://www.thevireolife.com/ has a lot of good information, I've met the founder in person and she practices what she preaches. She has worked in the medical field so she's all about doing things the safe and healthy way.

One thing that really helped my husband with his fitness was meal prep, if you have time for it.

[anubisa]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

Thank you everyone for the input and help. I'm also going to try and find some weight loss forums for support as well.

[kashioz]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

EatingWell
Skinnytaste
Eat Yourself Skinny

These Are Best...

[anunitu]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

i lost weight,but not in a good way,when i ended up in the hospital with diabetic blood sugar they said hit 900,never having diabetes before,i had no idea just how high that was

i went from 240,weight gained after quitting smoking,went down to 160 in about 4-5 weeks in the hospital,they said i was in a coma for about a week. when I woke up there were needles in both arms feeding me I think,i had had a stroke as well,a minor one it seemed,but a stroke non the less,i am still getting back my full strength. but as i said a bad way to lose weight. i am staying right at 170 more or less, up 3 lbs,down 4 lbs,so mainly staying at 170, and feeling much better having shed that weight still dealing with the effects of the diabetes,but that has also altered my diet choices.

[anubisa]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

i lost weight,but not in a good way,when i ended up in the hospital with diabetic blood sugar they said hit 900,never having diabetes before,i had no idea just how high that was

i went from 240,weight gained after quitting smoking,went down to 160 in about 4-5 weeks in the hospital,they said i was in a coma for about a week. when I woke up there were needles in both arms feeding me I think,i had had a stroke as well,a minor one it seemed,but a stroke non the less,i am still getting back my full strength. but as i said a bad way to lose weight. i am staying right at 170 more or less, up 3 lbs,down 4 lbs,so mainly staying at 170, and feeling much better having shed that weight still dealing with the effects of the diabetes,but that has also altered my diet choices.

Oh no. I hope you get better.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

I'm dealing with a digestive order, and the food elimination diet that the naturopath has me on caused me to lose 20lbs.

On one hand, I can add as much fat to food as I want now and don't gain weight, but on the other, I can only eat fruit, vegetables (but not potatoes, mushrooms, or peas), meat, fish, nuts (but not pistachios), and fats. No dairy, no gluten, no rice, no corn, no yeast, very minimal sugar, among a few other things.

[anunitu]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

i can relate on the food issues vol.

[Ula]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

sparkpeople.com

[Azvanna]

Re: Weight loss and healthy recipe websites?

I whole heartedly recommend Weight Watchers. I signed up again last year and have enjoyed losing weight at a steady pace. I haven't had to make huge lifestyle changes, only small incremental changes. I love going to my studio sessions and catching up with friends I've made there. My coach is so inspiring and is a shoulder to cry on and a hand up when things go bad.

I think weight loss is about that commitment to yourself, keeping your dream and goal in the foremost of your conscious thoughts. It's also about other people around you agreeing with you on the significance of what you're doing.

If you want to start off with some gentle exercise, I love Lesley Sansone's walk at home YouTube clips. They're free and I can't help but like her!

Good luck Anubisa! It sounds like you have a lot going on with your health. Don't be discouraged if things don't work out for you straight away. With all your other health issues going on behind the scenes, you might need a really personalised approach to weight loss. I wish you every success! I would love to hear how you're going as you progress.