Hee! Thanks so much, Minki! *throws love at you* ! ! !

And it's not good. Not at all. It also has a lot to do with extremely high cortisol levels, which causes the extremely slow metabolism and weight gain.

Thanks so much, Raven!

Like I said before, if you want to join in, you go right ahead and post your stats. It's a lot easier when you have a visual, as well as a weight-loss buddy.

As for body fat percentage, I think that the doctor will be doing that sometime. I just did these quick-n-dirty on a website. XD

RECIPE POST!!

I just purchased the Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook, and wow, are there some awesome recipes in there. In this diet, you are supposed to eat 6 small meals every day every two to three hours. At every meal, combine lean protein and complex carbs. And never, ever miss a meal, especially breakfast!

At first I was shocked at how nearly all of the recipes had such high carb counts, but I went to the back of the book to find out that they are all Complex carbs, which are really good for you and take more work to digest, so the body works harder and gets more nutrients out of it. Complex carbs also tend to be accompanied by fiber. The healthiest form of energy comes from complex carbohydrates present in high-fiber veggies.

Now for one day worth of recipes!

Break Your Fast wrote:

BREAKFAST FRUIT AND NUT COOKIES 12 cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup / 125 ml brown sugar
1/4 cup / 60 ml melted Olivina or light oil
3 egg whites
1/4 cup / 60 ml finely chopped dried figs
1/4 cup / 60 ml dried cranberries
1 tsp / 5 ml best-quality vanilla
1 cup / 240 ml all-purpose flour
1/2 / 125 ml whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup / 125 ml bran flakes
2 Tbsp / 30 ml ground flax seed
1/2 tsp / 2.5 ml baking soda
1/4 tsp / 1.25 ml ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp / 1.23 ml ground allspice
1/4 cup / 60 ml slivered almonds

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.
2. Combine sugar, oil and egg whiles in a large mixing bowl. Stir in chopped dried fruits and vanilla.
3. Lightly spoon all-purpose flour into measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine whole-wheat flour, bran, baking soda, flax seed, and spices. Stir with a whisk or fork.
4. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in almonds.
5. Drop by tablespoon onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pans and transfer to sire racks to cool completely.

Nutritional Value Per Cookie:
Calories: 154 | Calories from Fat: 56 | Protein: 2g | Carbs: 22 | Dietary Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Fat: 6 | Sodium: 26mg

How Soupa! wrote:

SPLIT PEA AND ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP 8 servings

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp / 90 ml best-quality olive oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup / 125 ml fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
2 1/2 tsp / 12 ml dried thyme
2 tsp / 10 ml dried marjoram
3 bay leaves
11 cups / 2.6 L low fat, low-sodium chicken stock
3 cups / 720 ml dried split peas
1 1/2 lbs / 680g roasted turkey breast, bone in

Preparation:
1. Heat olive oil in heavy stockpot over low heat. Add root vegetables and dried herbs. Cover and cook until all veggies are soft, about 20 minutes.
2. Add all the chicken stock, peas, and roasted meat.. Bring to a simmer, cover partially and cook until peas are tender and the soup begins to thicken a little. This takes about 45 minutes.
3. Remove turkey and cut meat into one-inch cubes. Discard the bone. Remove bay leaves. Return meat to soup and serve.

Nutritional Value Per Serving:
Calories: 522 | Calories from Fat: 103 | Protein: 42g | Carbs: 62g | Dietary Fiber: 0.70g | Sugars: 6g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 784mg

Graaiiiiins... wrote:

COUSCOUS SALAD GREEK STYLE 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup / 240 ml dry whole-wheat couscous
3/4 cup / 180 ml low-fat, low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp / 30 ml best-quality olive oil
3/4 cup / 180 ml fresh squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp / 15 ml lime juice [that's the juice in one lime, so just buy the lime and squeeze]
1/2 cup / 125 ml grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup / 240 ml cucumber, chopped and seeded
1/4 cup / 60 ml chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup / 125 ml goat cheese or feta cheese
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Bring stock and orange juice to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Then turn off heat and cover pot tightly. Don't peek. Let stand.
2. Make dressing by combining olive oil and lime juice. Whisk and set aside.
3. Back to the couscous. Remove lid and fluff grains with a fork. Add chopped vegetables and drizzle with dressing. Add oregano and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.

Nutritional Value Per Serving:
Calories: 233 | Calories from Fat: 77 | Protein: 7g | Carbs: 33g | Dietary Fiber: 6g | Sugars: 4g | Fat: 8g: Sodium: 222mg

One-Dish Wonder wrote:

SLOW-COOKER CHICKEN CASSOULET 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 x 15 oz can / 420g navy beans, pinto beans, or black-eyed peas, rinsed and well drained
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 small skinless boneless turkey breast cut into 4 large pieces
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbsp / 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 2/3 cups / 400 ml low-sodium chicken stock
4 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
4 garlic cloves passed through a garlic press
1/4 cup / 60 ml sundried tomatoes [not those packed in oil]
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup / 60 ml fresh basil, chopped finely
1 tsp / 5 ml thyme
2 Tbsp / 30 ml fresh minced parsley

Preparation:
1. Spread half of the beans in the bottom of your slow-cooker pot.
2. Season poultry with pepper and sea salt. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Brown the poultry on both sides in the skillet for about 5 minutes each side. Place the browned chicken on top of the beans in the slow cooker. Top with remaining beans and the chicken stock. Use water if you don't have any.
3. Sauté the celery, garlic, sundried tomatoes, carrots, and herbs using the same skillet. Spread this mixture over the ingredients in the crock pot. Cover and put this on slow heat for a few hours. [Approximately three or four. Begin to cook this as soon as you finish your couscous, and then just set it and forget it.]

Nutritional Value Per Serving:
Calories: 261 | Calories from Fat: 57 | Protein: 24g | Carbs: 24g | Dietary Fiber: 6g | Sugars: 3 | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 553mg

Would you like a Protein with that? wrote:

SUMMER ROASTED SALMON 4 servings

Ingredients
5 - 6 oz salmon fillets, fresh from a reliable source if possible
2 Tbsp / 30 ml best-quality olive oil
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup / 60 ml combined fresh chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme, and basil

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F / 232°C.
2. Prepare a baking dish with a light coating of cooking spray or olive oil. Place salmon fillets in the baking dish skin side down. Brush a coating of olive oil onto the salmon. Sprinkle each fillet with some sea salt and black pepper. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the salmon.
3. Roast the fillets in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Dust each fillet with a generous helping of the chopped herbs. Serve hot.


Nutritional Value Per Serving:
Calories: 200 | Calories from Fat: 59 | Protein: 78g | Carbs: 1g | Dietary Fiber: 0.5g | Sugars: 0.5g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 109mg

Go Veg. wrote:

STUFFED PEPPERS 4 servings
Ingredients:
Water
Sea salt
4 large red bell peppers -- make sure the peppers can sit upright nicely. Remove top, ribs, and seeds/
2 cups / 480 ml cooked brown rice
1 tsp / 5 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 cup / 240 ml butternut squash, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic passed through a garlic press
2 cups / 480 ml fresh Roma tomatoes, diced and set over a fine mesh sieve to drain
1 x 15 oz / 420g can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup / 420 ml corn kernels
1/2 cup / 125 ml fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of one fresh lime
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Spray

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F . 177°C. Place cooked brown rice in a bowl and let cool. Set aside.
2. Make sure there is a rack in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the peppers in the boiling water and cook briefly. The peppers need to be just a little soft. Remove the peppers from the water and put them on a plate lined with paper towels, upside down so the water can drain out.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté carrot and butternut squash. Cook for 10 minutes, covered. Add garlic and cook a few minutes more. Now add tomatoes, beans, and corn. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Add vegetable mixture to cooled, cooked brown rice. Season with cilantro, lime juice, sea salt and black pepper. Mix with clean, bare hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.
5. Prepare a small baking pan with a light coating of nonstick spray. Place each of the peppers right up in the pan. Stuff each pepper right side up in the pan. Stuff each pepper with brown rice filling. Don't pack the rice mixture too tightly. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Nutritional Value Per Serving:
Calories: 302 | Calories from Fat: 30 | Protein: 11g | Carbs: 59g | Dietary Fiber: 12g | Sugars: 12g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 518mg

Good luuuuuck~


I myself want to exercise more but... I physically can't do much more than walk. So I will cheer you on as I walk in circles and try to eat well~~

Lady Nilamarthiel wrote:

So, in order to become healthy and be happy with myself, I am on a new health plan. In this thread, I will:

* Track my progress
* Share healthy, yummy recipes
* Beg shamelessly for love and support.
* Encourage those who want to join in to come on in and track your progress with me!

You hardly need to beg for love and support here! This is awesome and you should be very proud of yourself for taking this on! I've been through the diet maze a few times, my last effort successfully taking me from 284 to 160. I mean to resume dieting again in January, and I'll totally come in on this thread with you! I have a few diet recipes of my own! So glad you took before shots. I didn't, so I don't really have anything to truly track the whole progress I've made. (I do have shots from a couple months in, thanks car crash motivated nudes of bruising for insurance purposes!) If I had it to do over again, I'd have taken progress pictures once every couple months or so. It'd have been nice to have them to gloat over now, and pictures show progress better than a scale can.

At any rate, congratulations, and I'll be cheering for you! (I'd give you poptarts but that would be inappropriate.)

Good luck to all! You all deserve to have the body that works and feels and looks the way you want it to. It takes a lot of courage to change yourself for the better, so I just want everyone to know that you've got my support. There are going to be bad days and good days, but if you keep at it, you will succeed!

OnionPrince wrote:

Modern life is not conducive to health.

But quirky inventors are finding ways to make it somewhat more conducive to good health.  May I present, The TreadDesk!  Tired of sitting at the desk?  Stand up and turn on the slow moving treadmill underneath to walk your way thin while doing your desk work.

Sorry, I saw this on the news the other day and thought it was just plain awesome. 

Lady N, I might be joining you.  Okay, some people probably saw my post that said I was going to (including stats and unflattering photos taken yesterday morning), then noticed it was deleted.  Well, I got a little paranoid.  I want to see how the next week or so goes before I get too public with my attempt at weight loss.  For some people 'publicity' might be encouraging to do better, for me...it causes me to freak out which is one of the many reasons I eat too much.   Regardless, you've got my support, and a silent buddy trying to work hard a state below you.

I've also read that eating foods containing high amounts of capsaicin, so basically hot peppers, help to rev up your metabolism. As does green tea. Most weight-loss pills will contain green tea extract and many contain chili peppers.

Unexpected double posting is unexpected. But also really neat!

"The Vitals as of 12/19/07 wrote:

Starting Weight: 258 lbs
Current Weight: 241 lbs
Goal Weight: 150 lbs
Waist Size: 39 in.
Hip Size: 51 in.
Dress/Jean size: 20

!!!!!

Last edited by Lady Nilamarthiel (12-19-2007 12:09:00 PM)

Stormcrow wrote:

I've never had a BMI taken

Just go here to calculate your BMI.  It's true that it's not a perfect measure, as it doesn't take into account certain body types, but I still feel it gives you a ballpark figure to go with--at least when you know you're not especially big boned or muscular, etc.

I'll probably post my stats (and possibly repost my before pictures) next week.  Thus far, my attempt at exercising again is going well.  Monday I worked out for 45 minutes (bike ride for 25 while watching anime, then various weight exercises for my arms, jump roping, push ups, and crunches), 55 minutes on Tuesday (same as before except a bit of dancing around to get a little longer), and today I went for 70 minutes (50 minutes on the bike--decided to finish of the series because I only had 2 episodes to go.) 

Exercise is often my hardest part.  As much as I love to be active, right now, there's not a tennis court nearby nor is it the right weather (tennis with gloves on is very, very difficult).  I have to slowly get myself into a workout routine, which right now is going well.  Biking to anime is pretty effective for me, as long as I can work myself into a bit of a rut so I just do it automatically.

That's not to say the food part isn't just as difficult, but I've succeeded with it before.  It was so hard when I lost that 20 pounds as not only did I have to keep myself from emotion eating (5 days a week I counted calories, 2 days I didn't, so I did have my freebie days), but I also had to be careful not to slip into my old habit of just not eating at all.  So technically, I know I can force myself into eating less, so I'll focus on the exercise then slowly start adding in the calorie reduction.  Plus, before that happens I'm getting myself used to snacking more on fruits and veggies, so that'll make it easier.

This is the best bodyfat calculator I've found. All you need is a tape measure and approximate knowledge of how much you weigh. It's not perfect, but it's reasonably accurate and it's a far better measure of health than BMI. http://www.healthcentral.com/cholestero … 4-143.html

According to the test, my body fat percentage is 27.8.  I'm not terribly upset by that.  It's higher than healthy, but also quite a bit less than the average.

Last edited by Cerise (12-21-2007 10:06:56 PM)

It is indeed not a substitute for getting dunked, but it's about as accurate as skinfold caliper readings, and much simpler.

And I won't post my numbers here (unless someone is burningly curious, which I doubt), but according to the BMI scale I'm overweight, while according to the bodyfat percentage calculator I'm healthy. This is because I have too many muscles.