Well, one out of two. I donlt mind getting older, and I am not trying to hook a may-un. But I hate the way I look at this weight, and it is physically difficult to do things (like climb stairs and put on my shoes) . . . I donlt want to be a Beauty Queen, just a chic, slim older woman.
Berries and small quantities of melons are good on low carb diets. Veggies are rather important, but you should stay away from peas, carrots, corn and potatoes. A little bit of each isn’t too bad, but they’re high starch foods. Also, when the urge to eat sweets hits, sugar free chocolates are delicious, as is the Breyer’s CarbSmart ice cream someone mentioned. Celery basically works on any diet. Try some celery with brie, peanut butter, or cream cheese. When you’re hungry, instead of trying to eat something low in fat but high in sugar, do the opposite. Don’t reach for a few chips/crackers/cookies. Instead eat a couple slices of bacon, a few chicken wings, a salad with all the fixings, or a serving or two of nuts. You’ll be surprised how much more filling a quarter cup of almonds is than the equivalent amount of potato chips.
You are so on-target. Half the time I think, Oh, crap, I’m only eating this because I can’t drink/take drugs/have sex/your vice of choice."
Happily, I don’t like cheese or salad dressings; my downfall is piza (light on the cheese!), Chinese food . . and ice cream.
Ipecac, anyone?
Atkins, Atkins, Atkins
The first 2 weeks will be the worst as you wean yourself off of sugar. Write down everything you eat in a normal day, cut out the obvious sugars (ice cream) and reduce your bread intake by half or more. Fruit isn’t that bad, although the hardcore Atkins people will say otherwise, but just dont go hog wild with it. You’ll be amazed at how food loses its appeal after a couple of weeks. You’ll pretty much have to make yourself eat. I lost 35 pounds on it and now eat almost whatever I want, just in strict moderation. You can do it.
Hmmm, I’ve heard plusses and minuses about Atkins. My problem is, I know what I should and shoudn’t eat–but when I am tired, busy, hungry, overwhelmed with work and various personal/professional problems, I need some mental or physical trick to just not eat.
I am gonna try the “five piece of fruit” and “leave half your plate” gags, they sound pretty good. Remember, I do not care about my health–any vitamins or supplements that fill you up?
Maybe I’ll try the Scarsdale Diet–you know, every time you go to open the fridge, Jean Harris shoots you . . .
I read a (not great) novel where the main character lost piles of weight by imagining threads of mold running through whatever she was eating. I may have to try that myself now that the hummingbird has swapped the crack for hormone replacement therapy.
Mmmm . . . Mold . . .
I did see that filled-up pig stomach on Mythbusters and that did put me off my feed for awhile.
If you crave, try making yourself wait 15 minutes before giving in to the craving. If, at the end of 15 minutes, you still want the [insert vice of choice here], then have it it moderation.
Water is also the nectar of the WeightLossGods. Drinking water can make you feel less inclined to indulge as well.
Heh, you sound kinda like me. Well, I haven’t lost tons of weight, so don’t take my continuing advice too seriously, but…
I found the easiest way to quit snacking was to quit buying snacky kind of foods. I still buy easy to prepare food in a box, but the preperation is key. I’m not going to spend 15 minutes whipping up a dinner-type meal, I’ll wait 30 and eat dinner. This way my lazyness works FOR me.
I like snacking on raw mushrooms, myself.
I’ve never done the Atkins diet, but I occasionally cut back on carbs a lot and find that my snacking-cravings are greatly reduced.
To handle cravings, you can also keep almonds or very dark chocolate on hand. Marcona almonds are expensive but yummy. The fat and protein in almonds (or other analogous sources of fat and protein) will help satisfy a craving without too many calories.
I also learned that a lot of my snacking was a way of getting sensory stimulation. So I ended up buying a jar of Old Bay seasoning and “snacking” on that–lick your finger, stick it in the jar, lick it off, repeat. Lots of stimulation, essentially zero calories.
Drink lots of water. Keep a large bottle with you throughout the day; I end up drinking a litre and a half that way. It’s also wonderful for your skin.
Eat your bigger meals earlier in the day. Don’t go to bed with a full stomach
Find time to exercise; 15 minutes twice a day might be easier to do that 30 minutes once a day.
Drop carbs as much as possible.
Good luck… it’s never easy.
Geez, it’s got to be easier than you StraightDopers are prescribing for gawdsakes!!
Eve, have a fag and a coffee for brekky, that cuts yer appetite until at least mid-morning, then go and pig-out on some bagels or croissants to get you through 'til lunchtime.
THEN at lunchtime, have a latte and a fag before you tuck into some spag/pasta carbonara, and you’ll not be able to finish it and you’ll be able to get the remainder to take home in a ‘doggie bag’ for dinner that night.
When you do get home, quaff a bottle of Cab Sav before dinner, and then the carbonara will wait until another night.
Simple. 
(IANADietician just by-the-by, just in case anybody wanted to take me seriously and call me out for giving dodgy advice and promoting smoking and drinking as panaceas for weight-loss. But, hey, this diet has worked for ME…)
Okay, I was talking to my sister about new year’s resolutions, and we got on the topic of the FlyLady, who says you can do anything for fifteen minutes, including cleaning (which I hate only slightly more than people who stand with their mouths hanging open when you talk to them). I’m slowly being converted to the fifteen-minute camp – set a timer for fifteen minutes, and clean, study, do whatever for just fifteen minutes and when the timer dings, you STOP, no matter what. Move on to the next task.
That being said, I think this could apply nicely to exercise. You could even clean AND exercise at the same time – Olympic cleaning! Heaviest vaccuum ever, knee steps while you mop. Or when you get a craving, you could set the timer for fifteen minutes and do something to distract yourself. When the timer goes, decide if you’re still hungry and if you are, let yourself indulge.
Anyway, everyone should check out the FlyLady’s site if they feel like they need help becoming organized or forming a habit (good or otherwise.)
Oh, I forgot to add the part about my sister and I becoming exercise buddies. After it thaws in Wisconsin, we’re going to go walking/running/dancing/skipping by the lake whenever we can. Do you have a diet or exercise buddy, Eve? Working with a partner makes things easier, especially if you have a kick-your-ass if-you-get-off-track clause, like Rach and I do. We haven’t had a fight since like 1993, so I don’t know who would win anymore. It’s an adventure!
Try the Cool Hand Luke Diet. 50 eggs a day.
Ok nobody should do this, but around this time last year when I wsa DEAD broke and staying with my great uncle in house full of drug addicts and assholes I ate one small steak (3-4 oz) and a baked potato a day.
thats it
I lost about 20 pounds inside of a month, and was Fvery VERY irritable
Well, that should be easy . . . Oh, wait, you mean a cigarette? Damn.
As for exercise, I walk (briskly–practically running) 2 miles/day. More on weekends. I don’t have a car. Anything more than that is just not doable, because of my schedule and my LBS (Lazy Bitch Syndrome).
But I like a lot of these tips, many thanks–is “tea” the same as water? I love a good cup of tea (black, of course, no sugar or cream or honey). They will have to catheterize me at my desk . . .
I used to start the day filling up on a muffin as my one treat, but this is war, so I guess it’s an apple for breakfast now.
I can’t believe the heathens suggesting our Eve does cleaning! The mind boggles!