Noom and all the other Food Conscious Folks

[Deleted]

JG, late 30s mom to a 4.5 yo son, married, dog mom, paid to be a full time doer of power point decks and runner of meetings.

I reached my highest weight ever right around my birthday this year and decided enough was enough. My BMI also hit the Obese category and that scared me. It's not going to get easier when I hit 40 and I need to enjoy my life now. For the first time I was not comfortable or able to do things I did before and that really ticked me off. Also, I have some health conditions that get better if I maintain a healthier weight.

I'm a perpetual yo yo dieter. I was actually at my goal weight about 4 years ago but health stuff and stress did a number. I've made some efforts to get back on track and will lose 10 lbs and then stop and gain back more. So I really need to learn a lifestyle approach. I joined WW the day after my birthday and it's really clicking for me. I'm just starting to add back exercise with a morning routine.

My weak areas are cheese, booze, and not enjoying exercise.

[loony]

I have been lurking this thread, but am trying to make better choices for long term.

Loony, late 30's mom of two. My mom is a fitness guru, which pretty much guaranteed the "freshman 30" as a "fuck you mom". I was my heaviest when pregnant with my oldest and was able to get down between them with a couple whole30s and running. Praise be to the stroller nap!!

20 months after my youngest was born, I am now in the pant size I want to be, but I definitely have some bad habits and my goals are to curb the sweet tooth and booze as well as become more fit.

I've gotten to a point where the number on the scale doesn't really matter, but I am much more conscious of muscle tone and clothes fit.

[cagoldi]

Hello.

I'm Goldi. I don't usually stray far from my home board, N13. I'm 35 and I have two boys (almost 4 and almost 1).

I have lost 23 or so pounds since I've started paying attention after my last baby, but I still have probably another 20-25 to go. Eating well is not a challenge for me, but finding the time to work out and getting my body to cooperate are huge obstacles.

[Deleted]

I'm thisbitch aka TB. Mid 40s mom to two. Up until my first kid, I maintained a happy weight by lifestyle alone. Since the kid was born, I've been yoyo dieting, which I hate. I also hate my weight and recently moved into the overweight BMI category. As further incentive to get myself together, I'm very definitely at the age where my peers and I are starting to see the health effects of lifestyle habits, and I don't want to deal with those.

I enjoy exercise although it's been harder to be generally active since the kids were born plus they're sort of energy vampires. I'm also good about eating relatively healthy. Basically I've got a good foundation and I'm surrounded by lots of healthy, active people, so I want to use those to my advantage.

Wine is not my friend. And I desperately want to switch from a mindset of restriction/permission into a more global mindset of healthy living. I also find it super frustrating that I used to have it and now I am struggling to get back.

[angelashly]

angelashly- 33 mom to 1 dd. I have always been small, but slowly the weight has packed on. I lost 30 pounds after my dd and even though it wasn't enough I kept it off. Then last summer I saw a picture of myself and I couldn't believe what I looked like. I started a diet bet here and weighed myself and I am not sure how, but I had gained 40 pounds in a year.

I want to lose weight for many reasons, My health, so I can be around my dd and family for a long time, plus like brux I want to be able to buy cute clothes again. I want to be able to go into a store and not have to pay more for a shirt that isn't even cute because I have to buy a plus size shirt. I want to feel comfortable in my body and not have people ask me when I am due. I also want to show my dd good eating habits. We can eat good things, but it is ok to stop when full and eat fruits and veggies as snacks sometimes.

We found old pictures of us and my dd didn't even realize it was me. I was so small then.

[Ali7P]

I'm Allie. 35, married and mom to a 6 year old (in 10 days!!) and 1 year old. I was overweight crossing into obesity throughout my 20's. My wedding couldn't even motivate me to lose weight. At 30, when DD1 was 1 year I got serious, joined WW online and started doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. I wanted to lose 20 lbs, I was so motivated that it was *actually* working this time that I lost 50. I went from 203 to 150 in 8 months. I maintained around 165-170 for a couple of years by continuing to workout and mostly watch what I ate. I got KU w/ DD2 and it's been hard since then. I'm 168 & I'm carrying my weight in my stomach now.

I'm training for a half marathon and I want to lose some weight so it's easier to run. And I just think, it's now or never, it's not going to get easier as I approach 40. I want to have a "great body". I want to feel better in my clothes, I want to wear a 2 piece and feel good.

Also, wine is not my friend either. Neither are chips. But I love those bitches.

[angelashly]

Aug 11, 2017 6:26:53 GMT -6 Ali7P said:

I'm Allie. 35, married and mom to a 6 year old (in 10 days!!) and 1 year old. I was overweight crossing into obesity throughout my 20's. My wedding couldn't even motivate me to lose weight. At 30, when DD1 was 1 year I got serious, joined WW online and started doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. I wanted to lose 20 lbs, I was so motivated that it was *actually* working this time that I lost 50. I went from 203 to 150 in 8 months. I maintained around 165-170 for a couple of years by continuing to workout and mostly watch what I ate. I got KU w/ DD2 and it's been hard since then. I'm 168 & I'm carrying my weight in my stomach now.

I'm training for a half marathon and I want to lose some weight so it's easier to run. And I just think, it's now or never, it's not going to get easier as I approach 40. I want to have a "great body". I want to feel better in my clothes, I want to wear a 2 piece and feel good.

Also, wine is not my friend either. Neither are chips. But I love those bitches.

We all have those toxic friends

[angelashly]

Also I will Semi AW:

I weighed myself this morning on a whim because I have been trying to do it only weekly so I don't obsess and I was down some more. As of today I hit the 10# mark. I am not counting it until Monday which is my official weigh in day, but I am super happy.

[angelashly]

Aug 11, 2017 6:48:40 GMT -6 HilarityEnsued said:

I'm Hilarity, aka HE, and I'm about to be 35. For most of my life I was a rather skinny bitch, and in my head that is still the body that I have. Then I see pictures of myself and I'm like "who the fuck is that????". I have sort of steadily been putting on weight since I got married, but I was maintaining at reasonably acceptable places for long periods of time. Enter having two kids, and now that number is a number I'm not remotely happy with, and I need to change.

I want my outside to look like the body I have in my head. I want to fit better in clothes. I want to buy cuter clothes. I want to feel comfortable being less covered up in very hot weather (for example, I'm not exaggerating when I say I literally do not own a pair of shorts). I want to look more like the woman I did when I got married. I want to readily jump into pictures with my kids and not worry about them needing to be in front of me to cover my parts I don't want to be photographed.

I want to live out the rest of my adult life as a fit and healthy person. I want to just exercise as a regular thing instead of spending time each day thinking about what my life would be like if I exercised regularly.

My main downfall is sweet. I really don't drink much at all. But like... give me all the cupcakes and cookies.

After having DD 6.5 years ago I don't drink as much as I used to, but I like wine or vodka lemonades on the weekend especially in the summer,  but I haven't had any since we started this and I have found I don't miss it.

[Ali7P]

Today was my weigh in day and I'm the same as last week. I'm not too stressed about it because H and I went out last night and I had a couple of drinks plus 2 chicken wings and a southwest spring roll. So, I'm sure that didn't help things. I am going to go through my MFP food diary for last week to see where I can improve. But even before I do that, I'm thinking that wine is my problem. I didn't have more than 1 or 2 glasses, but I did drink almost every night. So, I want to see my results next week without it. DD1's bday party is next Sunday so if I can make a little more improvement before then, I'll be happy!

[angelashly]

Aug 11, 2017 7:22:27 GMT -6 HilarityEnsued said:

Aug 11, 2017 6:54:00 GMT -6 angelashly said:

After having DD 6.5 years ago I don't drink as much as I used to, but I like wine or vodka lemonades on the weekend especially in the summer,  but I haven't had any since we started this and I have found I don't miss it.

I've been honest here about my family's extensive, dysfunctional history with alcohol.  I would not say that I consciously chose to not drink regularly, but I just don't do it.

And to be totally honest, I drink because I want to be buzzed/drunk.  I do not drink because I just LOVE the flavor of any alcoholic beverage ever.  Mind you, I absolutely enjoy many different cocktails and various kinds of wine, but I'm drinking because I want to alter my senses.  I'm an extensive Type-A control freak, so I'm only ever willing to go down the road of altered senses when all the other pieces fall into the appropriate place (e.g. childcare, the next day not being a work day, etc.).  So, from a situational standpoint, it just doesn't occur that much.

Now... dessert on the other hand.

I think deep down I am the same. My biological mom and her family have several alcoholics and often chose partying over their kids so I have always said I would never end up like that.

[cagoldi]

HilarityEnsued I can relate to all of that about still being a thin person in your head, and the mirror/pictures not matching up with the image in your mind.

Congratulations, @angashly!

[trippyalien]

Hi. Trippyalien here. I am married and a step-mom to an awesome 6.5 year old. Up until I moved here to TX to be with my now-husband, I had always been able to maintain a fairly decent weight. It would fluctuate, but I was always active and healthy and knew when to reign it in when things started to get to high.

Now I live in a place where I drive everywhere, it is too hot to actually enjoy being outside in the summer, and have a sedentary desk job. None of these things have done nice things to my figure (I was living in NYC before this and walked EVERYWHERE). I had been on a good, healthy kick earlier this year and though I avoided weighing myself, I was feeling pretty good. Then earlier this summer, I had a bit of a cancer scare that resulted in surgery and it kind of rocked my world and threw everything off. Recovery meant I couldn't workout, I started drinking more often because of the stress, and I indulged way too often in indulgent meals out and garbage snack food my office provides. I knew it wasn't the best thing, but I wasn't really in a good mental spot, so I figured "fuck it."

My turning point was seeing a family picture from our vacation. I was sitting in the front of our whole extended family and I looked HUGE.  

It is time to make a change and once and for all be the healthy, slim person I know I can be. I want to be comfortable in clothes. I want to wear all the things I have hanging in my closet that I avoid like the plague because they are too fitted. I want to feel confident in a bikini (something I haven't been in many years). One thing that is really helping me this time is looking at this as a lifestyle change instead of just a punishment for gaining as I have done in the past. The punishment gets tired fast, so I go off the rails as soon as I hit my goal. This is for life.

My weaknesses are craft beer and skipping workouts to hang out with friends/my husband (5 AM workouts tend to cramp your evening social life).

Thank you for being welcoming and inclusive even though I am not a regular.

[dogbutt]

I'm dogbutt, 30 years old with a 2yo Dd. I started my weight loss journey a couple years ago because I was laid off and stressed about finding a job that I gained 15 pounds. I started working out and joined weight watchers And wasn't losing weight. Turns out I was pregnant. I gained 50 some pounds during the pregnancy even though I was eating well and working out 4x a week and twice with a personal trainer. after the kid was born I was excited to see he weight melt off as so many olds told me would happen. Guess what it didn't. Fast forward to now, I decided in MAy I hate how I look and I notice I'm becoming a hermit because I feel ugly and uncomefotable in my skin. I started weight watchers again and wasn't losing weight so I'm trying Noom.

I'm committed now for my daughter. I want to be able to show her how to have a healthy relationship with food and not worry about weight like I have my entire life. I was skinny bitch in high school through softmore year of college then gained like 20 pounds. I would like to be the weight I was when I graduated college. My other motivation is eventually we plan to get married and I want to look hot on my wedding day since pictures will obviously be taken. I'm relieved we canceled the wedding because i wasn't losing weight and didn't want to go dress shopping. I just knew finding a wedding dress would be a miserable experiences and I would have to settle for some dress that isn't my style. I just want to wear cute clothes again. I'm sick of wearing old navy clothes. I want nice pretty stuff! I love fashion but try to tell myself I hate fashion and really it's because I look terrible in everything now.

I'm feeling confident that this is the time I will be successful. I have to thank you guys for all the support and cheering. It has helped me a lot to keep me motivated to stick with the program. I'm not perfect but I'm learning how to balance delicious food with healthy choices and not kick myself if I have a bad day.

[Ali7P]

@shinyredsmartazz, That's a 90 lb loss in under 2 years!!! Amazing!!!

[Ali7P]

PSA - I was thinking about my meal prep for next week and came across this article with links to make-ahead breakfasts.
www.thekitchn.com/24-big-batch-breakfasts-you-can-make-ahead-of-time-229838
It looks like there's something for everyone here.

[brux]

What do you guys thing about regular desserts or regular bread or regular drinks, if they fit in your calorie allowances?

I'm a little confused why giving up any of those things is necessary if you're satisfied from a hunger standpoint and within your acceptable calories. Maybe it's a question for a future plateau where I look at my diet and see I'm not losing weight and I'm eating well, so I have to cut something out?

But for now, is there grievous harm in consuming some garbage choices regularly?

[trippyalien]

Aug 11, 2017 9:31:54 GMT -6 brux said:

What do you guys thing about regular desserts or regular bread or regular drinks, if they fit in your calorie allowances?

I'm a little confused why giving up any of those things is necessary if you're satisfied from a hunger standpoint and within your acceptable calories. Maybe it's a question for a future plateau where I look at my diet and see I'm not losing weight and I'm eating well, so I have to cut something out?

But for now, is there grievous harm in consuming some garbage choices regularly?

For me, I know my personality is one of an abstainer. I do better with completely avoiding sugary desserts and most bread products when I am in weight loss mode. I still consume plenty of carbs, they are just in the form of fruit, veggies, and minimally processed grains. I feel like I do better at sticking with it and feel better when my calorie allotment is filled with foods that I know are nutritionally dense. I have done well sticking within these parameters without having to closely track calories.

However, I know a lot of people are better at moderating consumption and sticking within a calorie goal, and therefore, I don't think foods like bread or desserts that fit within your plan are going to derail your progress. I think the important thing is sticking with something that you feel comfortable with so it is sustainable long term.

[Deleted]

I have a couple of reasons for wanting to avoid alcohol and junk food all together, but this is just me.

1- when I "eat clean" I feel better. I sleep better. My moods are better, my skin looks better. I can actually tell the difference in how I feel when my nutrition is good and I would rather have that good feeling more of the time.

2- for me, eating/drinking crap leads to cravings for it, which I don't have if I avoid it, and therefore the abstaining is easier than moderating to me.

3- when I drink, I often make poor nutrition choices that I wouldn't make sober. Last night I had a couple of glasses of wine and ended up eating a couple of handfuls of TJs chocolate chip cookies. Sober me wouldn't give those cookies the time of day. (FFFC)

4- finally, nutrition is about more than just calories. The food you eat sends hormonal messages to your body. I keep reading and as I understand the science behind this isn't fully developed but the research is strong enough to back that up. I think that eating poorly affects more than just weight and I have some concern with the health risk is associated with poor diet.

This is just for me and not me telling anyone else how to live their lives.

[Ali7P]

Aug 11, 2017 9:31:54 GMT -6 brux said:

What do you guys thing about regular desserts or regular bread or regular drinks, if they fit in your calorie allowances?

I'm a little confused why giving up any of those things is necessary if you're satisfied from a hunger standpoint and within your acceptable calories. Maybe it's a question for a future plateau where I look at my diet and see I'm not losing weight and I'm eating well, so I have to cut something out?

But for now, is there grievous harm in consuming some garbage choices regularly?

I'm trying to figure this out myself. Usually when I'm in "weight loss mode" I abstain from these things, including alcoholic beverages.  I mentioned up thread that I was still drinking a glass or 2 of wine at night (but I skipped the snacks that I usually pair with it) and my progress has stalled.  I'm not ready to totally change course due to 1 bad week, but it does make me think I should skip drinking my calories, even if they fit into my calorie allowance. 

So, maybe it's something to experiment with and see what works for you. 

[Deleted]

brux, this is for you, but HilarityEnsued, you may find it helpful as well. This is straight science, no influence of my personal opinions.


www.bistromd.com/health-tips/curb-your-appetite-by-avoiding-foods-that-make-you-hungrier

[cagoldi]

Aug 11, 2017 10:14:25 GMT -6 thisbitch said:

I have a couple of reasons for wanting to avoid alcohol and junk food all together, but this is just me.

1- when I "eat clean" I feel better. I sleep better. My moods are better, my skin looks better. I can actually tell the difference in how I feel when my nutrition is good and I would rather have that good feeling more of the time.

2- for me, eating/drinking crap leads to cravings for it, which I don't have if I avoid it, and therefore the abstaining is easier than moderating to me.

3- when I drink, I often make poor nutrition choices that I wouldn't make sober. Last night I had a couple of glasses of wine and ended up eating a couple of handfuls of TJs chocolate chip cookies. Sober me wouldn't give those cookies the time of day. (FFFC)

4- finally, nutrition is about more than just calories. The food you eat sends hormonal messages to your body. I keep reading and as I understand the science behind this isn't fully developed but the research is strong enough to back that up. I think that eating poorly affects more than just weight and I have some concern with the health risk is associated with poor diet.

This is just for me and not me telling anyone else how to live their lives.

I'm really with you on all of this.

#3 not so much if I'm out because there isn't a lot of vegan junk food but if I'm drinking at home I will eat an entire bag of jalapeño chips or something if they are around. Plus, I mostly feel like crap the next day and that is not appealing when I have work and kids to deal with.

But I generally think YMMV. If the little indulgences actually help keep someone on track, more power to them.

[brux]

I figure I'll have to play around with it, and probably change tactics over time. But in the long run, I'm going to be a drinker and a dessert eater so cutting those out seems counter intuitive.

[brux]

I spent $10 on two tubs of my favorite cottage cheese yesterday.

At lunch yesterday, I tried to get a single serve of mass-market low fat cottage cheese because it was cheaper. I couldn't even finish it because it wasn't the flavor I was craving. So I decided it was worth the money to go get the brand I really love (Hi, Good Culture, Hi!) and enjoy it every other day. Buying it in a larger container that I'll have to break down into smaller ones myself makes it not too terribly priced per serving.

[Deleted]

Trying again. It's a good article, I'm definitely not trying to sell anything.

www.bistromd.com/health-tips/curb-your-appetite-by-avoiding-foods-that-make-you-hungrier

I don't know why it's doing that. I googled snack food and appetite enhancers and this article was on the first page of my google results. I don't even know that company, but the article was a good read. Concise and informative with good science.

[Deleted]

This is also good article. I'm not advocating the food list at the bottom- I didn't even read that, but the top part explaining how metabolism works is helpful.

www.organicauthority.com/mojo-foods/no-more-diets-16-foods-that-naturally-boost-your-metabolism.html

[Deleted]

I loved the intros!

I think we should try to merge the WW thread and this thread. It's basically the same kind of chatter.

[Deleted]

Cleanse is done. 3 pounds total loss. I'm glad I did it. It was like a giant reset button on my habits and I picked up a few healthy snack and smoothie ideas. I ate some dairy today so hopefully my stomach doesn't revolt.

I also went to my yoga class this morning. I didn't want to. I didn't get enough sleep last night, am stressed, and have a sore throat. But I'm so glad I did. She did detox twists and stomach compressions so that went perfectly with my cleanse theme this week. Also, the class is 1 hour and 10 minutes but she lets one wave leave at 50 minutes if you have to. It's really nice that she does that, but the way my mind works if I can't stay for the whole class I don't go. Well, today I couldn't stay and I still went. Because you know what? 50 friggin minutes of yoga is better than 0 minutes of yoga. Like duh, but I need to repeat that for myself. Lol.

And final update, the DRESS FITS!!! The smaller of the two sizes fits with wiggle room. I'm dancing on air over this.

[angelashly]

Aug 11, 2017 9:31:54 GMT -6 brux said:

What do you guys thing about regular desserts or regular bread or regular drinks, if they fit in your calorie allowances?

I'm a little confused why giving up any of those things is necessary if you're satisfied from a hunger standpoint and within your acceptable calories. Maybe it's a question for a future plateau where I look at my diet and see I'm not losing weight and I'm eating well, so I have to cut something out?

But for now, is there grievous harm in consuming some garbage choices regularly?

For me it is because I have no self control when it comes to stopping after 1 or 2 cookies. It is something I recognize in myself and so I am limiting my intake of it.

That being said I still have pizza every Friday and count it and build my day around it because I am not giving it up.

But with wine while I like it I am also in the do I want to use 200 calories for this really when I could eat another chicken breast and stay full. I also am one who tends to snack while drinking.

[angelashly]

Aug 11, 2017 11:37:12 GMT -6 @juliagulia said:

Cleanse is done. 3 pounds total loss. I'm glad I did it. It was like a giant reset button on my habits and I picked up a few healthy snack and smoothie ideas. I ate some dairy today so hopefully my stomach doesn't revolt.

I also went to my yoga class this morning. I didn't want to. I didn't get enough sleep last night, am stressed, and have a sore throat. But I'm so glad I did. She did detox twists and stomach compressions so that went perfectly with my cleanse theme this week. Also, the class is 1 hour and 10 minutes but she lets one wave leave at 50 minutes if you have to. It's really nice that she does that, but the way my mind works if I can't stay for the whole class I don't go. Well, today I couldn't stay and I still went. Because you know what? 50 friggin minutes of yoga is better than 0 minutes of yoga. Like duh, but I need to repeat that for myself. Lol.

And final update, the DRESS FITS!!! The smaller of the two sizes fits with wiggle room. I'm dancing on air over this.

YAY!!!