kristingjertsen Member

I have a dairy allergy so I was able to resist the Halloween Candy. Did have a setback when I found a big box of dairy free peanut butter cups on sale for a dollar. Ate 10 in 3 days, then got smart and gave them to my college son to take to his roommates. Oh well. I have changed my weight loss strategy once again (so far…

Daily. I mix it up--body weight exercises, stretching, walking, 2 to 3 visits to the gym per week, light weights. I live with a spinal cord injury, so I truly appreciate that "health is wealth". The physical activity helps me manage my pain level, keeps my body stronger and more functional, and allows me to live a good…

I had a rotator cuff tear and rotator cuff tendonitis. After surgery and Physical therapy, my doctor's and PT's recommendation was that I shift to lighter weights and avoid lifting weight above shoulder height which I have continued to do. I have also learned to be body conscious during cleaning and home maintenance. Think…

Healing yes, but not in a month. Slow and steady like the tortoise. Your PT will set the pace, best advice I can give you is to be the star patient who always does the Home Exercise Program the PT gives out. I hope you are able to avoid surgery, but if you end up needing it then do it. The internal joint derangement due to…

Good for you--the small decisions can add up to big changes.

My mom always said, "You cannot make another person change. People change when the consequences of not changing get too painful to endure. Then all you need to do is get out of their way and cheer them on." Sounds like you reached that moment. Congratulations! I am so happy you have found a way to make your life better.…

Very possible. 5 foot, four inches and my highest weight was 196 lbs. I lost 46 lbs. when I was 50 years old and kept 26 of those pounds off up until now. You do have to watch out for menopause--I regained those pounds due to a combination of menopause and a painful injury that slowed me down for a couple of years…

Keep doing what you are doing. You will not have to deal with the real consequences of weight loss surgery and the limitations it can create. I do understand your feelings. Kind of feel the same way when I go to the gym, work out, and then look at the beautiful 20 year old women with their flat stomachs and pert rear ends…

Potato chips, candy, cookies, cake, and pie. I don't keep these in the house because I will eat them all up. Oh, and Thin Mints.

For me, it seems to be a simple carbs/sugar/insulin response issue. I will overeat regular pasta, but not on whole wheat. If I eat a sweet treat like blueberry pie, it is easy for me to finish off the entire tin. I have learned to keep my cravings under control by limiting access (I made a trip to Earthfare to get a single…

Kind has new "candy bars" with strawberry and chocolate and banana and chocolate flavors. 130 calories, some fiber, made with real bananas and strawberries. Another way to enjoy a sweet treat without blowing my calorie budget for the day. Again, very sugary so eat after a meal, not as a snack.

Valsoia Dairy Free Gelato (chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, and other flavors). Between 140 and 170 calories for a 2/3 cup serving and low in saturated fat. Does have a lot of sugar, so I eat it as dessert after eating a high protein and vegetable meal which keeps me from overeating it). Even 1/3 cup is enough to…

Restaurant meals are a problem for me too. Lots of hidden fat, sugar, designed to make food taste better. Huge portion sizes are also problematic. I do much better in meeting my goals when I eat mostly home cooked meals. One issue is that my family members love buffets, burger joints, and BBQ--very difficult to control…

Take a standing break from your chair several times per hour.You might want to do some walking and stretching too.

If you did not gain all the weight back, celebrate the pounds you managed to keep off. They count, too. Look at your diet, activity level, age (alas, the older I get, the slower my metabolism) and try, try, try again. I have learned the hard way that dieting is the easy part. Keeping the weight (or most of the weight) off…

I vote for building muscle. Also works to reduce saggy skin on your upper thighs after weight loss. Gravity gets us all in the end, but muscle keeps us stronger and more independent as we age.

Chicken breast tenders or fish and sliced veggies cooked on our cuisinart panini press, which doubles as a small indoor grill. I make a pot of brown rice or other whole grain each week and portion it out in 1/2 cup servings. I season the meat or fish with old bay seasoning, chicken seasons, goya adobo, curry, garam masala,…

The local business park has walking trails with exercise stations. There are parks and greenways nearby, too and you can always walk in your neighborhood and work out with body weight exercises and weights at home. I belong to local gym for 14 per month for all classes and amenities.

Every morning. Keeps me honest--if I skip a few days, I notice my weight begins to climb. I don't worry about occasional ups and downs, just overall pattern.

Definitely work with a professional if possible. Some PT practices have trainers on staff or you could pay a PT to help you develop a program to safely exercise. Listen to your body and take time to figure out how to exercise safely. I live with a spinal cord injury due to stenosis which impacts the strength of my upper…

Dash diet worked for me when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, along with walking 30 minutes per day. You might want to meet with a Nutritionist who specializes in Diabetes to create a healthy diet.

My tip is to only buy Halloween Candy that does not appeal to you. I don't put chocolate in the bowl, but Nerds, Twizzlers, Ring Pops, Laffy Taffy, and any candy kids like that I don't. Another is to keep Holiday Meals a one day event. I cook just enough of the really fattening foods (stuffing, pecan pie, macaroni and…

Elsie, I just read your post. I am going to tell my husband about the Cuisinart Indoor grill. Our panini press, pots and pans, and a lot of our kitchen equipment is Cuisinart. I love it, especially after 20 years of using hand me down pans that I bought at thrift stores.

Breakfast--Bob's Redmill 10 grain hot cereal cooked with 1 tsp earth balance and 1/4 cup soy milk, 2 eggs over easy, grilled onions and peppers, coffee with splenda, 3/4 cup soy milk, and a dusting of 100% cocoa powder. We just bought a Panini press and I am experimenting with cooking veggies, meat, fish on the mini grill…

Please add me in. I have lost 8 lbs with MFP, but stuck for the past month. How do I join?

My mom told me that "people change when the consequences of staying the same becomes too painful to bear." The reality is that you are not going to be able to change another person's eating or exercise habits. Take care of yourself. Cook healthy food and exercise and ignore any negative feedback about being a controlling…

My father had extreme morbid obesity and died at 58 after struggling for 2 decades with multiple health problems--type 2 diabetes which led to vision problems and neuropathy, high blood pressure, heart disease which lead to a triple bypass, colon cancer, gastric reflux disease, sleep apnea, severe arthritis and joint pain…

I discovered I had a true milk allergy as an adult. My chronic stuffy noise wasn't seasonal allergies, but a reaction to casein in food and beverages. Once I quit cold turkey I could breath through my nose, my lifelong acne cleared up, and I started feeling better. I am grateful that there are so many plant-based "milk"…

Start slowly with walking and gentle stretching. Then add light weights (and I mean really light, like 2 pounds). Keep track of your eating and portion sizes. As you gradually lose weight and get stronger, the process gets easier. Walking to the end of my street was rough when I weighed 196 lbs--I began by walking to the…

I tried Keto, but found that it really aggravated my chronic pain due to back surgery and spinal cord injury. I find I do better eating a mostly plant based diet with added servings of healthy fats (cold pressed oils, avocado, walnuts, sardines, salmon). You have to do what works best for your body in the long term. I…