Trying to get motivated again

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Trying to get motivated again
6
Thu, 01-15-2004 - 8:31am
Last year I lost 21 lbs and I still have a few to go. I am really needing to get motivated again. The way that I lost the weight was by watching my fat. It was real easy for me to do and it worked. I did not have a set amount of fat per day, just tried to be careful. I was eating the frozen meals for lunch but I have gotten tired of them and I have started cooking low fat dinners so that I can bring left overs to work. My husband needs to lose weight as well and this would be a good way for him to lose too. My main problem is not having the energy in the afternoons to exercise. I take a multivitamin everyday for women. I would like to know if anyone out there has tried the new Oil of Olay vitamins or the energy pack for women? Just wanting to know if they feel a difference. Thanks for listening and if anyone has any advise be glad to hear it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2000
Thu, 01-15-2004 - 9:37am
Welcome, and congrats on your 21-pound loss! Yes, it's difficult to get motivated when you reach a plateau. To me it sounds like you're doing fine on the eating - I'm a low-fat cook, because I know that's where our weakness is, and in the past it's helped husband's cholesterol. You probably could use a kick start, and without changing your current eating (ie. switching to low carb for a few weeks), the best way to do that is to add a little exercise. I know, difficult when you feel beat, but it doesn't take a huge committment. 3-4x a week, 30-45 minutes per session. I was pretty successful back in 1998 before I got pregnant, and that was exercising at night after working all day. Start out with brisk walking, encourage hubby to join you. Perhaps check out various exercise videos that you can do at home - if you feel cramped for time, that eliminates driving to a gym or exercise class (I personally don't relish adding additional traveling time to the time I already take to exercise). There's some truth in that exercise gives you more energy - you rest better at night, all other things being equal (ie. there's not something specific keeping you awake).

I've not tried specific vitamins or energy packs. I once took chromium picolinate, but have recently read cautions about them. I'm sure there are more that are safe than not, though it takes research, you never know the whole story, and like with ephedra, the bad things usually come out only after someone has serious complications. But speaking of energy, additional protein can help in that, which can also curb hunger in between meals. Protein takes longer to digest, meaning other nutrients, some which give you energy, are absorbed more slowly. It's not like a light switch, but there's something to it. I'll snack on an apple with a bit of peanut butter to dip it in. Protein bars, eggs (I use the cholesterol free egg products)... tuna on crackers or salad... all of those can give you a bit of a spark.

I'm not a nutritionist or an exercise guru, but have done a little bit of reading to at least be pointed in what I think is the right direction. There are other women here who can offer more insight. Hope you stick around! This board is a great motivator.





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C

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2000
Thu, 01-15-2004 - 9:38am

C

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 01-15-2004 - 11:49am

I think Cus pretty much covered it all.

Live With Passion!

Phyllis

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 01-15-2004 - 12:10pm
Welcome to the board. Hope you'll post regularly, so we can get to know each other.

Rhonda


Time invested in improving ourselves cuts down on time disapproving of others.

       ~~Rhonda~~


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 01-15-2004 - 12:41pm
Could the change in your lunch menu have something to do with your energy dropping during mid-afternoon or did you experience low energy prior to this? If your blood sugar is dropping mid-afternoon, have you tried a small snack, perhaps a piece of fruit?

Prior to determining if your decreased energy level is caused by lack of vitamins, you might want to track your food intake, even for just one “typical-meal” day. I use http://www.fitday.com to track my meals, and you can get various reports including one which indicates if you are getting the level of vitamins and minerals adults should have out of the food you are eating each day. It woke me up to the fact that I need to take a multi-vitamin plus extra calcium. Tracking meals can be tedious, but going through the motion even just one time can give insight into what we are putting into our body...and what may be lacking.

Hope you stick around - it's very nice here!

Lynn (another newbie)

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Thu, 01-15-2004 - 2:34pm
I have had low energy for several years now. My doctor has tested my thyroid several times and it always comes back ok. Even with eating better and healthier and when I exercise I still have no energy. It kinda makes me feel like, why bother to exercise I still feel the same afterwards. That is why I was wanting the information on the Oil of Olay energy packs for women. I am going to go ahead and try it, it can't hurt and the name Oil of Olay has been around for awhile so I figured it would be something good. I will let you know how they work for me. Thanks for all the replies!!