Help My Wife and I Eat Better and Lose Weight

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

But we also have spag bog

I guess spag is spaghetti, but what's bog?

Bolognese (with apols to Porcy)

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

About fat, in general I use olive oil and avoid every other stuff like butter, ecc..

So do we - olive oil based marg, too.

MG

[porcy62]

But we also have spag bog

I guess spag is spaghetti, but what's bog?

Bolognese (with apols to Porcy)

MG

Apols accepted.

When I was in Portugal I was discussing about Bolognese with an irish couple. Actually, there is no traditional italian sauce with this name. We call it "Ragù" and it is done with chopped meat and tomato. Soft fry a chopped onion, a chopped carrot, a chopped celery in olive oil, add the meat and tomatoes. Top the spag with grated parmesan cheese and you have a spaghetti al ragù. Not really dietetic.

Try this:

1/2 kg of mussels, garlic, 1/2 kg of ripe tomato and parsil.

Put the mussels in a pot, let them cook until they are open. Remove the mussels from the shell, BUT DON'T THROW AWAY THE WATER IN THE POT.

In a pan put a clove of garlic in olive oil, let it get blonde, remove it and put the peeled and chopped tomatoes in it. Instead of salt put in the sauce some of the water of the mussels after you have filtered it. Dose it with a tea spoon, it might be very salted. When the sauce is ready add the mussels, you may chop some of them. Top with chopped parsil. Really dietetic and tasty sauce. I put some red hot peppers with the garlic.

Edited August 9, 2007 by porcy62

[sal]

drink A LOT of coffee too, hah, if you can handle it. (some people can't.)

I've found that coffee does curb my appetite, but then again sometimes it makes it harder to fall asleep.

[7/4]

drink A LOT of coffee too, hah, if you can handle it. (some people can't.)

I've found that coffee does curb my appetite, but then again sometimes it makes it harder to fall asleep.

I can't really handle it anymore, it's nice to get all wired up, but it screws with my sleep too much.

[B. Clugston]

Cut out sugar and cut back on bread. Don't eat white bread. Drink lots of water. Cut out pop. Fish is good, but if you don't like it, try and have more protein than carbs.

Have brown rice instead of white rice. Eating white bread and white rice is liking eating a bowl of sugar.

[7/4]

Cut out sugar and cut back on bread. Don't eat white bread. Drink lots of water. Cut out pop. Fish is good, but if you don't like it, try and have more protein than carbs.

Have brown rice instead of white rice. Eating white bread and white rice is liking eating a bowl of sugar.

That's right, cut the carbs.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

i know "cooking light," etc help some people & that there's significant genetic variation but EXERCISE, activity is by far most important. i'm like a a goddamn lizard so the heat doesn't bother me; i assume you can handle it too or else why move to Fla? even shooting hoops is good, tho' swimming, LIGHT weights, VIGOROUS bike riding, serious hiking, handball etc are all worthy too.

I don't do ANY exercise I can avoid - never have (so 63's not a good time to start). Strolling - NOT vigorous walking - to Tonyrefail (25 mins), if the weather's nice and I have some reason to go. 'Course, if I have some vigorous African music on the walkman... (PS and I get the bus back, because it's almost all uphill and the bus is free.)

I'm about half a stone overweight for my height, which I'm comfortable with.

MG

Edited August 9, 2007 by The Magnificent Goldberg

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Cut out sugar and cut back on bread. Don't eat white bread. Drink lots of water. Cut out pop. Fish is good, but if you don't like it, try and have more protein than carbs.

Have brown rice instead of white rice. Eating white bread and white rice is liking eating a bowl of sugar.

Yeah, wholemeal bread, brown rice. Pop is yukky anyway. Oily fish is best - salmon, sardines, pilchards etc - you may prefer those.

I used to take sugar in tea and coffee but cut that out in the eighties - a grain at a time.

MG

[Dan Gould]

Cut out pop.

Is it OK if I drink soda instead?

[Guy Berger]

Cut down on sodas [high in sodium...even the diet sodas].

I assume you mean sugar? Coke has very little sodium, and I'll speculate that this is true for most other sodas.

Somebody mentioned drinking orange juice -- the stuff you buy at the store has a ton of sugar in it. I am guessing home-squeezed stuff is less problematic.

Guy

[Guest donald petersen]

coffee will not only curb your appetite but if you drink the good stuff it will give you "the dumpz" and you will get rid of a lot of the food in your belly.

[Chuck Nessa]

Most don't want to hear it but follow the "Weight Watchers" regime. Just really smart eating and exercise program. My wife and I lost a combined 125 lbs (over 5 years ago) and still love eating.

It balances fat, fiber, carbs, calories, etc.

Most folks need some sort of discipline and WW provides this.

[sal]

Most don't want to hear it but follow the "Weight Watchers" regime.

I read somewhere that WW is the only diet verified by medical professionals as a guarenteed method of weight loss. Of all diets out there, WW is the only one that will work for all people as long as the program is followed.

[Kalo]

Plankton.

[Jazzmoose]

Cut down on sodas [high in sodium...even the diet sodas].

I assume you mean sugar? Coke has very little sodium, and I'll speculate that this is true for most other sodas.

Somebody mentioned drinking orange juice -- the stuff you buy at the store has a ton of sugar in it. I am guessing home-squeezed stuff is less problematic.

Guy

No, he means sodium. Yeah, it's 'low sodium' if you compare it to food, but how many other saltwater beverages do you consume? I got a 12 pack of Diet Coke a while back that they'd missed putting sweetener in, and let me tell you, it was an eye opener!

[MoGrubb]

Help My Wife and I Eat Better and Lose Weight, Share Your Favorite HEALTHY Recipes

Not to be impertinent, but, have you considered gastric bypass surgery? [i'm looking into it.]

[Guy Berger]

Cut down on sodas [high in sodium...even the diet sodas].

I assume you mean sugar? Coke has very little sodium, and I'll speculate that this is true for most other sodas.

Somebody mentioned drinking orange juice -- the stuff you buy at the store has a ton of sugar in it. I am guessing home-squeezed stuff is less problematic.

Guy

No, he means sodium. Yeah, it's 'low sodium' if you compare it to food, but how many other saltwater beverages do you consume? I got a 12 pack of Diet Coke a while back that they'd missed putting sweetener in, and let me tell you, it was an eye opener!

Whaddaya know -- a serving of Coke does have about 2 1/3 times the sodium of a serving of Minute Maid orange juice. That said, unless you are drinking ridiculous amounts of coke (I drank two bottles today) it's probably not going to make a big impact on your sodium consumption. And honestly, if you're agitated about the sodium in coke but unperturbed by the sugar...

LOL on the saltwater beverages, Moose.

Guy

[Guy Berger]

About fat, in general I use olive oil and avoid every other stuff like butter, ecc..

So do we - olive oil based marg, too.

MG

Isn't margarine worse than butter? Or only certain types?

Guy

[Guy Berger]

Got an old bike around the house you're not riding? You can get a bike trainer for $120 or less (maybe just $80) that will turn a regular bike into a stationary one. I bought one made by Blackburn.You can read magazines (preferably ones that only you read, unless dried out sweat droplet damage doesn't bug her) when you ride away for 40 minutes or an hour or more. I now get through more of the Economist thanks to stationary riding.

I agree -- the stationary bike is perfect for reading the Economist. Unfortunately, my new apt complex doesn't have one, so I (attempt to) read it while on the Treadmill.

Guy

[Chuck Nessa]

Got an old bike around the house you're not riding? You can get a bike trainer for $120 or less (maybe just $80) that will turn a regular bike into a stationary one. I bought one made by Blackburn.You can read magazines (preferably ones that only you read, unless dried out sweat droplet damage doesn't bug her) when you ride away for 40 minutes or an hour or more. I now get through more of the Economist thanks to stationary riding.

I agree -- the stationary bike is perfect for reading the Economist. Unfortunately, my new apt complex doesn't have one, so I (attempt to) read it while on the Treadmill.

Guy

Guy, have you dealt with serious weight loss or are your posts theoretical?

BTW, nuts are full of fat. Salt free nuts don't help much.

[ghost of miles]

Most don't want to hear it but follow the "Weight Watchers" regime. Just really smart eating and exercise program. My wife and I lost a combined 125 lbs (over 5 years ago) and still love eating.

It balances fat, fiber, carbs, calories, etc.

Most folks need some sort of discipline and WW provides this.

My mom did WW around the time she turned 40 and went from 165 to 125 lbs--stayed there for pretty much the rest of her life (18 years). Re: coffee, never really thought about it in terms of weight loss; I drink a ton of it, as it's my one remaining chemical vice, and I've stayed thin, but not sure I'd recommend it as the foundation of a diet. (Where's a "wired" emoticon when we need one?) As a supplementary course of action it might be helpful, though.

[JSngry]

FWW...

I di macrobiotic seriously for 2+ years back in the college days and have never been healthier or more fit, not even close. It's not bullshit at all, but it does require dedication, discipline & structure, qualities which dietarily went out the window w/my first adult "romantic trauma". Never quite got to macrobiotics after that...

However, teh basic principals - eat local, eat whole, and eat balanced (the whole yin/yang thing as it applies to food - and life for that matter - only seems crazy until you start looking At/thinking about it. Then it's the most logical thing you ever heard of...) are sound ones. However, don't "halfway" attempt a macrobiotic diet, because it's all about the wholism of the approach (and contrary to cliche, there is a diverse variety of foods you can eat, and flavorful ways of preparation). A lot of people either get the basics, don't explore past the rather unappealing "basics", go crazy from eating brown rice and...brown rice and say fukkit, or else don't learn how to transitiion, mess themselves up (and it is easy to do that...), and think it's evil. But it can work, it can be enjoyable, and it is definitely made me healthier, significantly healthier, than I've ever been in my life. But it ain't a casual thing...

I lost about 27 lbs. here a while back just using portion control. Instead of 2-3 plates, just eat one, and use a little sense about what you put on it. But then I quit smoking about 2-3 months ago and 17 of it came back in 3 weeks. Literally - 3 weeks. Un-freakin' believable... But LTB & I are exercising now and reconsidering certain meal choices, so eventually that should go away.

If it don't, I'm gonna be pissed and maybe resume smoking...

[porcy62]

FWW...

I di macrobiotic seriously for 2+ years back in the college days and have never been healthier or more fit, not even close.

When I was at college I got my V° dan Karate degree, never been healtier or more fit..and I never followed any macrobiotic diet...I suspect it depended on my age.

[Dan Gould]

Well thanks everybody for the commentary and advice.

Regarding exercise:

I do feel that this is the biggest thing lacking as far as the two sides of the coin go. When I last exercised regularly (had a stairmaster at home) I lost a huge amount of weight and kept it off. Then one day it was like I hit a wall, and my previously strong legs that had no problem going 45 minutes or even an hour on the stepper suddenly would start cramping and barking at me much earlier and before I knew it, I'd pretty much stopped using it. At the same time I lost contact with my last tennis partner and that went by the wayside as well and I was into full sedentary stasis except for the occasional relatively short-term adoption of a walking regimen (I've never been a runner in the first place) or finding a short-lived tennis partner.

Now, since April or so, I've been playing tennis once a week with a pro but my legs remain a problem. Basically my calves start protesting within minutes and while they eventually loosen up and settle down, my legs still ache and I'm still left requiring more breaks than I did when I was younger. I do own a tennis ball machine and keep planning to use it twice a week in between lessons in hopes of getting my legs in shape.

Now my wife on the other hand has remained fully sedentary for a while now, and to complicate matters, she has had a knee injury that has her rather hobbled lately. On the positive side, her partner has a degree in exercise physiology/sports medicine and wants to help her by getting a dual gym membership. Cost is a factor but I think she should do it as soon as possible.

We've discussed, and plan to take up soon, a morning walking regimen with the dogs, and I also have previously bought - but not used regularly enough - a set of resistance bands. I've done enough strength training in the past to not look like a weakling, it would be nice to get those muscles defined again.

On The Eating Side:

I think that one of the biggest challenges for me is the fact that I am working from the house now and so I have access to snacks whenever I feel like it. Aside from that, its difficult to point out obvious problems in my diet. I do 99% of the cooking and we rotate between pasta, chicken, pork and steak. So if steak and pasta are the problem, its not like we are eating that much of it. Side dishes are usually salad, steamed green beans (with margarine and onion or garlic powder, salt and pepper), and baked or smashed potatoes. The one item my wife has agreed to do away with is one of her comfort foods, and that would be tater tots. We liven things up with the occasional stir fry, Onion or Black Bean soup (my specialties) or lasagna, chicken soup or chicken pot pie (my wife).

We do plan to increase the veggie quotient with asparagus and sweet potatoes instead of Idaho.

Junk food is not an issue for me, though my wife sometimes gives into temptation when she is running around for work between her two offices or when she has to go meet a client. Actually, a bigger problem for her according to her partner (and I totally agree) is that her approach to dieting has been all wrong. She may eat nothing for breakfast and something very small for lunch (she brings in microwavable soup) and then goes home for dinner. He has been telling her that she's put her body into a state of near starvation in which the body doesn't know when its next meal is coming and therefore is holding on to her fat stores and seeking to add more.

Thanks again to everyone who posted.