Site Meter Vamps and Scamps: The Diet Blues

Sunday, January 22, 2006

The Diet Blues




I love food. A mudslide frappuccino (introduced to me by Shiloh Walker) is God’s little gift to the word via Starbucks. (God works in mysterious ways). And then there’s the pastry issue...like cake. There is nothing like double-chocolate cake and butter icing. And what about a cheeseburger? Barbecue rib...I love ribs! Chips...are chips not the best thing ever. Potato, grease, salt...what more could a girl ask for?

Summer’s coming and RT is in Daytona and there’s the get-together in June and there will be no more sweaters to stretch over my fat. So, I have to diet and worst of all...exercise and not just my fingers on the keyboard. I have to tread on the mill. I hate treading. I like sitting.

Last year I joined Curves...great idea...then I realized you actually had to go, not just fork over the money, to lose weight. Awk! I paid them, what more do they want? It’s good enough to get results from the electric company...I pay them and they give me light. I pay the telephone company and I get to talk. I pay Curves, I lose weight. Right?

Not exactly. So, I am now on Weight Watchers and counting points...like an apple is one point and an apple pie is a gazillion. A rice cake is one, fried rice uses all my points for a year.

Anyone else out there ever diet? What has worked for you? What doesn’t! What was your worse diet? I did the cabbage soup diet once and drove my dh right out of the house with the stench. We had to Fabreeze the house.

I need inspiration, guys! Anyone got any inspiration to share? A trick to shedding flab? I have a lot to shed between now and May!

Dianne-the-plump

18 comments:

jennyowl said...

I heard that the 3 day diet is quite effective. My sister's company, a coop, promoted it to their staff. One of the key items in the diet is beetroot. http://www.income.coop/diet/index.asp

Nicole said...

Well, I'm doing WW and have lost almost 30 pounds in the last year. And really...I don't feel like I'm missing out on food. For one thing, those flex points are there for a reason. And using up a gazillion points every once in awhile isn't going to derail your whole diet if you don't let it. So splurge on occasion.

And I bring a book sometimes while I'm hitting the treadmill. :-) Makes time go by faster.

Anonymous said...

I've tried several diets - the grapefruit diet, the low carb diet, the fruit diet, taking appetite suppresants, etc. I believe the only true cure is exercise and eating healthy. Splurge every once in a while. It's a lifestyle, not a diet.

Shiloh Walker said...

don't blame ME... nobody said you had to drink one.

BTW, none of the other ladies blamed me. And they were drinking them too. Blame one of them...maybe it's their fault. Wasn't LuAnn drinking one?

;p

Jodi said...

Eating healthy and exercise! I have started walking for a minimum of 40 minutes a day and going to the gym 3 nights a week. I've lost 7 pounds, which isn't a lot, but it's a start for me. I have to get the eating healthy down! LOL

DianneCastell said...

Okay, I'm still blaming Shi for the frapp addiction. Had one yesterday...I can do a lite with no whipped cream and it's 2 points. I get 22 so that's not bad.
How do you all read on the treadmill? I bounce too much. I think it's all my weight moving at once that causes a wave effect.
I do listen to writing tapes, that helps.
With the flex points on WW it does help and you have to drink a lot of water. That helps too except I'm alwasy running to the potti.
Thanks for all your suggestions. I'll look into beetroot.
Nicole, that you lost 30 pounds is wonderful. You are my inspiration.

lamclane said...

On of the chickies from theat Biggest Loser show says that her secret is to graze all day... nobble almost constantly so you never really get hungry and it keeps your sugar levels constant.

A great idea in theory if you don't have to prepare big meals for a family. I have another friend who is doing the Suzanne Summers diet...sort of like South Beach.

I think diets work only because they give hou guidelines. I think anything will work if you stick with it...ah but there in lies the rub, huh?

I just bought a case of Slim Fast. It has worked for me a couple of times so I'm doing what I know works for me. It's easy and I can drink it in my car or at my desk. The new formula has more protein instead of carbs so I liked that idea, too.

I do agree with Kim, though, exercise is more important than anything. My eating habits haven't changed much but I sit at my desk so many darned hours that I've just packed on the weight.

Stacy~ said...

Someone in my office was on this 3-day diet where you're supposed to lose 9 pounds. She lost 8 1/2 lbs. But now what? The word diet is really tricky because once the 3 days, or the 30 days, is up, or once someone loses the amount of weight they were trying to lose, then we go back to our originally scheduled eating habits and end up even worse. So I hate that word.

Lisa F. said it - it's a lifestyle change, one you have to embrace fully and seriously if you want to lose weight. I know from experience it's not easy - there's a zillion excuses in the book. If possible, get a buddy to exercise with you and you can help each other.

Personally, I always thought it was easy to do the treadmill with the t.v. in front of you - walk as you watch "Desperate Housewives". Nothing like a bit of James Denton to work up a sweat! Btw, I have a membership at a club and I haven't been since September - talk about lazy! The winter months are the worst.

Judy F said...

I need to do something. I had lost a lot of weight years ago by something I bought at GNC but that doesn't really teach you to eat right. I am like you dianne me and sweets are close friends.

I can't to the slimfast stuff unless a restroom is handy. TMI...

I am thinking about taking up some form of dancy. Kirstie Alley just dances to songs in her home. Works for me.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dianne,

Don't give up and keep your chin up and keep telling yourself you can do this!!!

Although I have never dieted. My mom has many times. I watched her struggle a lot.

But she succeeded by using the grapefruit diet and also doing the hypnosis thingy. It worked wonders for her. She lost 110 pounds!!! I was so proud of her.

The only other thing is if you want to keep it off - you have to keep trying :-)

I wish you all the luck in the world with the diet and hope you find something that works for you.

But also remember, we all love you for who you are :-)

Billie Jo

Anonymous said...

I've found that my attitude and true commitment to losing weight has made all of the difference. When I go into it half-heartedly, it just never works. I've taken to watching movies while doing the treadmill, I have to much trouble reading while I'm walking, but I do ok with watching tv. I can't be much help on the eating part because I had gastric bypass 3 years ago, which was the only thing that could help me to limit my appetite, especially for sweets - I can eat a little, but not too much, or I get sick. Of course, no one wants to do this unless they have no other choice. I was very lucky that it was successful for me and has made me a healthy person once again. I wish everyone luck who is trying to get healthy. Despite the surgery, I'm hardly thin, but I'm happy with my weight now, and I feel good, which is all I need.

Lucy Monroe said...

Ohhh...Dianne, timely topic. I think keeping a food diary really helps and so does sharing your experience with others who are dieting too, or who simply care. Kudos go a long way in helping you avoid the next Frapaccino. :)

Hugs,
Lucy

Anonymous said...

Dieting -- something I am so familiar with. I have tried a number of those crazy diets over the years. I even read Dr. Phil's weight loss book last year, and watched his shows. Made me want to snack in front of the TV! LOL. I really think that nothing works for the long run except smaller portions of healthy food and exercise. Gotta do both to lose. I walk every day unless the weather is really bad, and I also have an exercise bike. I listen to audio books on the bike because I hate it so much otherwise. As I've gotten older I've made piece with the fact that I'm never going to be thin, but I want to avoid the bovine look as long as possible -- so I keep at it. Oh, and I have a dh who can eat *anything* and never gain an ounce. So not fair!

Jennifer Y. said...

"DIET"...what an awful four-letter word...LOL.

For me will power and excercise are what help whenever I try to lose weight. It also helps to watch what I eat and cut out certain things. I am hopelessly addicted to soft drinks, so when it comes to them will power is something I struggle with. However, I am starting to limit my soft drink intake so I can eventually quit them altogether (that was my resolution for the year).

The last time I did weight watchers I lost over 20 pounds. However, I have since gained that plus more back (I stopped watching what I ate). I hope to start it up again and lose some weight.

Good luck to you!

Nicole said...

Yeah, I bounce while I read, but I get used to it. It's probably not something everyone can do. My gym also has tvs set up that you can listen to if you have an FM radio. So I go at night and usually find some show to watch.

A food scale is also useful to really figure out how much a portion is. Like cereal...I was always putting way more than the serving in my bowl.

Though honestly...I'm still not perfect on it, but I figure as long as I'm moving in the downward direction on the scale, I'm not going to beat myself up for having that Hershey's S'Mores bar...having a husband, a skinny husband, with a sweet tooth sucks.

DianneCastell said...

Least I have lots of company on the diet scene.
You all have helped a lot. I will tread and keep at it. Billie Jo...your mom lost 110#! Holy cow. Incredible. My hat is off to her.
I so admire all of you who exercize. You are my inspiration.
I will do this. No cookies!
Thanks!

Wolfy said...

Dianne I hear you about the weight and it seems like all my good intentions fall by the wayside.

I too have tried a few of the fad diets, the pineapple one, have also tried weight watchers, but for some reason that one just did not work for me........although it helps for me to limit by bread intake, but I find that I just have to really watch what I eat, and make sure I sit down to eat it at the table (not in front of the computer).

Good luck in your drive to lose weight I am sure you will succeed because attitude is the biggest motivator.

Anonymous said...

I tried WW many years ago, and I learned that for me diets really dont work. I guess is just the fact that I have to restrain myself on foods I love. The only thing that has really work for me is excercise. For the first couple of days I eat like a madwoman! But after a while my appetite gets under control and I eat less. Someone explained to me about some kind of hormones being released that suppress your appetite. I ve tried to get on diets to loose weight faster but just the fact that I cant have something makes me obsess about it. So I cant diet. I have a slider and what I do is I haveit in front of the TV and watch my favorite programs while I excersise. I makes the time go faster wich makes it a whole lot easier for me.