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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-13-2005
Question
26
Wed, 01-11-2006 - 1:58pm

(sorry I couldn't think of a better title)

These girls we see on TV and/or movies... Jennifer Anistons, Jessica Simpsons, etc. etc. - they are skinny... and they claim to have their regimens for staying that way... Yoga, Pilates, working out with a trainer... and I see pictures of them at the cafe eating a salad... the same kind of things NORMAL girls do to try to keep a slim, sexy figure.

Now here's my question: do these people (maybe you are one of them) not crave Steak and Shake hamburgers and yummy french fries... what about blizzards from Dairy Queen? Do the candy bars in the grocery check out aisle not call their name? To have a slim, nice figure... do you have to start eating ONLY those things like salads and primarily HEALTHY stuff!? I guess if it tastes really good to you and you like it - it's not a problem... and I'm sure having a blizzard here and there - once a month or something is okay when you are eating healthy the rest of the time...

I guess my thing is... I find myself wanting something sweet (bad for me) all the time... a cookie after my subway lunch... dessert after my dinner at Outback Steakhouse... it's so convenient to pick up a candy bar as I'm headed out of the store. But I"m starting to realize... not everyone eats like this... I call it "eating like an adult" when you don't do the things I've found habit. Eating the salads and not giving in to the candy bar craving... but then I look at these skinny minnies on TV and think... so they really don't/can't just pick up a candy bar when they are headed out of the grocery store... bummer!

I don't know my point of this post... just trying to wrap my brain around the realization that I guess you can't have both... enjoy eating the crap I eat and look good... it's one or the other!

Hmmm... gotta figure that out for myself I guess!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2005
In reply to: sortaconfused
Wed, 01-11-2006 - 3:46pm

I think it takes time to break those cravings. I am an incredibly healthy eater now, and actually CRAVE fruits and vegetables way before I crave candy bars. Not that I don't have the occasional blizzard or yummy dark chocolate bar myself.

Old me: drank 6 cans of coke a day as a kid, 12 cups of coffee as an adult; ate chips, candy, pizza -- all stuff with high fat, high calories and low nutrition

New me (past 5-6 years): no coke or soda, one cup of coffee, eat salads, grilled chicken, lots of veggies fruits and whole grains.

I got there by telling myself that each veggie was helping to prevent cancer. That the antioxidants in fruit would do the same, that blueberries help prevent Alzheimer's...

Somewhere along the line, I realized that REAL food (food in its natural form without additives and preservatives, tons of sugar and fat) TASTES good.

Don't know if that helps. Try substituting something healthy and sweet, like a tangerine, next time you want a candy bar and try to break the habit and craving cycle.

AJ, enjoying life with C.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2003
In reply to: sortaconfused
Wed, 01-11-2006 - 4:04pm

You also have to remember that we all have different metabolism rates and that some (like me) are just naturally thin. So that no matter how much they work out or how they eat, some were going to be thin anyway.

For instance, I haven't worked out regularly in about a year and though I try to watch my calories and fatty foods, I go through binges and times when I crave Burger King, french fries and ice cream, but somehow I stay at around 115 pounds. I've never been over 120. I look really fit and trim but my body really does most of the work for me. I do plan on changing my eating habits and getting into a regular workout regimen but honestly, I don't have to do anything to stay thin. I just am.

So not everyone has the same struggle.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2005
In reply to: sortaconfused
Wed, 01-11-2006 - 4:57pm

I am also naturally thin. (and I definitely don't share that to rub it in -- I think everyone's body has a different "happy weight" where your body naturally wants to settle).

It's good to remember that thin does not necessarily mean healthy (see the "old me" in a previous post).

So what if you have a few extra pounds? Are you healthy? Do you feel good? That's really more important than a stupid number on a scale.

The benefit to eating well is the nutrition which:
- helps prevent disease
- helps your skin look better
- gives you more energy
- boosts memory and clarity of thought
- etc.

There are lots of good reasons to try and eat better other than weight loss. Try making small changes, and don't ever deprive yourself completely. Have that once a month Blizzard, because life is too short not to. :)

AJ, enjoying life with C.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2005
In reply to: sortaconfused
Wed, 01-11-2006 - 6:30pm

I compltely agree. Being thin means nothing if you don't have health to show for it. Once I realized this, I made choices for health and not weight.

A friend of mine is effortlessly thin. She can eat and drink enough to put anyone to shame. But she's not healthy. She's been known to smoke, not get enough sleep and live on McDonald's fries. She wanted to go running with me once and we didn't get to 5 minutes in and she had to stop.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-06-2004
In reply to: sortaconfused
Wed, 01-11-2006 - 7:36pm
I'm of the opinion you can have both. The trick is everything is moderation. I eat whatever I want, from good, healthy food to candy bars, cookies, ice cream, and all that's bad for you. The trick, for me at least, is that I don't overindulge. I tend to eat many small meals throughout the day rather than larger meals, which I think helps in allowing me to eat what I want and to make sure I'm not eating too much of it.
Avatar for cl_shywon
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
In reply to: sortaconfused
Wed, 01-11-2006 - 10:47pm

The bottom line is that you have to burn as many calories as you take in to maintain weight.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2004
In reply to: sortaconfused
Thu, 01-12-2006 - 10:54am
It's exercise, too.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2005
In reply to: sortaconfused
Thu, 01-12-2006 - 11:49am

It is definitely exercise as well. As I said before, I am naturally thin - but ever since I hit 30, I've noticed that I do gain weight a lot more easily than I used to. I have to think twice about what I eat and drink. (Many Starbucks "coffees," like a grande latte or mocha, can be as many as 500 calories!! Alcohol also really adds up).

I work out for at least an hour at least three times per week. That includes weight lifting and heavy cardio. So, I'm sure that's helping me stay at my current weight. Not to beat a dead horse, but the whole disease prevention thing gets me to the gym as well. Heart disease, breast cancer and MS run in my family - so that's a huge motivator for me.

The general rule is that 3,500 calories = one pound of fat. So, a combination of reducing calories for the day and upping calories burned off through exercise helps you lose weight.

Congrats on your weight loss, Stacey! That's great.

AJ, enjoying life with C.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2005
In reply to: sortaconfused
Thu, 01-12-2006 - 12:14pm
I think besides exercise, one important thing to do is only eat when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full. Portion sizes at restaurants are just getting bigger and bigger and people feel obligated to eat all of it since many parents used to tell them they couldn't leave the table until their plate was clear. It's a habit. Instead of forcing yourself to eat everything on the plate, don't be afraid to listen to your body and ask for a take out box!
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-13-2005
In reply to: sortaconfused
Thu, 01-12-2006 - 2:06pm

oh good so by my calculations of what I ate yesterday, I'm on my way to 230 pounds or I have to work off 950 calories which is like 6 hours on the treadmill. Hmmmmm......

It does add up quickly and until yesterday I'd never really sat down and written it out. I knew it was a good thing to do but I figured a) I didn't want to know or b) I'd cheat and not write things down anyway. But this morning I worked up a graph and I'm gonna try this... course I went to lunch with a girlfriend at a random cafe and had something that is VERY hard to find the nutrition value for... oh and I'm sure the french fries didn't help... isn't that like the first cardnial rule... no fried foods!? Who seriously NEVER eats fried foods and WHY!?!?!?

I like working out - but find it hard to find time... meaning I'm lazy. But I would rather work out than not eat my candy bar (and it's not daily but when I really want one!).

I guess I have my work cut out for me... thank you all for your good advice!

I'm a naturally "heavy" girl too! :( But I have boobs! :p




Edited 1/12/2006 2:23 pm ET by sortaconfused

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