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Storytime BearsOK I will first say I LOVE Winnie the Pooh, but the other day I had said to my husband that I was frustrated about the weight I have gained over the winter and my youngest son goes "mom you aren't fat , you are just built like Winnie the Pooh" First I went " Ahhhhh that was so cute" but then I got to thinking of the image of Pooh's big butt getting stuck in Rabbits door hole, this hit way too close to home, I could picture my big butt in the exact same way, I got chills thinking of Rabbit decorating it to try to hide it. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please anyone that has any good dieting hints please post them here,
Bear Hugs
Jodi aka pooh
Jodi.... first of all..... don't diet. Did you notice the first 3 letters of diet are die?.... dieting will lose some weight..for a while...but if you don't change things..it will just re-appear.
Honestly, it is just a difference in life style that is important. What goes in goes on....... so...you must change some of the things that go into your mouth as well as making sure you utilize the same amount of calories as you put in. If you don't burn off enough of the caloric intake...then it adds up each day...... and just desposits as fat and excess weight....... check out labels... see how much actual fat and caloric value is in everything.....and I mean EVERYTHING (every teaspoon full) that goes into your mouth. I can almost guarantee ...you wil be horribly shocked!!
Use less salt... eat less fat .. less prepared foods..... and especially, eat smaller portions, but, do enjoy a bit of everything... sometimes we just neeeeeeed a piece of carrot cake with real cream chese icing and dammit we should have it!! But....in reality.... a tiny piece is enough to say we had it; savour each tiny bite and really enjoy it, isn't it?
Somewhere in your day make time for a good 30 minutes of pretty vigorous exercise... as well as just trying to keep more active overall. Use stairs..... park you vehicle on the perimeter of lots (not next to the door... make yourself walk as far as possible to the shop) saves dings in your vehicle too.....
I always recommend a good treadmill so that you can exercise year round. Cold and icy conditions make for no exercise at all...and truly...walking is the best exercise of all. It utilizes every bone and muscle in our bodies. It also aids in the digestion and elimination process.... which will also do more in the weight control department than you could ever believe possible. Don't waste money on one that is difficult or painful to use.... spend serious time to try them out before you make your investment choice and get a good one with a nice comfy tread. I use mine almost every day...love it. It is easy to do while watching tv or listening to music... I also like to do some arm exercises while walking a good clip... it gets easier with practice. The time absolutly flies by and then it is on to the stetching. Oh, yes... stretching.... don't forget ...a long muscle is a strong muscle.... please do that too...it is easier to injure tight muscles and fibres than it is elongated and elastic muscles......
okay...'nuff ....off my soap box for now... except to say...don't diet. Just change a few things...and you will be pleasantly surprised with your results....
LuxembearsAwe Jodi, When I read the thread title I thought someone was comparing your bears to Pooh. That's a great compliment. You know....many of them do look like a pooh bear. 
Pooh is such a dear sweet character but I agree, I wouldn't want to be phsyically compared to him either.
Veronica has some great adivice. I'll just add my two cents:
DANCE DANCE DANCE. It is an amazing work-out for those of us who hate to 'work out', like me. You can burn 300 calories an hour which I believe translates into a pound and hour.
I also agree with Veronica about "dieting". When I forget about dieting and just eat normally then I see a drop in my weight. I eat small meals ( I have to with the diabetes). Just remember that if you eat a lot at one sitting your body will burn what it needs at the time and store the rest as fat for later. Also, "fat-free" can be very misleading. Look for "sugar-free" foods as well. When sugar is not used at the time of consumption your body chemistry will change the sugar by altering one carbon atom then store it as fat. I learned this in chemistry when I went to school for my Nursing Degree.
I can't wait until it gets warmer so I can go bike riding. That's a great way to get excerise and it's fun too.
Posts: 1,836I gained weight when my thyroid went. Once it was leveled out with meds I found the weight watchers point system helped me. I didn't join or attend meetings. A friend who joined gave me her slider thing for figuring out point values of foods...after a little while I just found that you're avoiding high fat/high calorie items and looking for good fiber filled foods. Knowing what a portion is helped greatly. I avoid all "processed" foods at this point. I do buy packaged foods...but I can pronounce all of the ingredients and I know what each ingredient is.
I agree with veronica in that the word "diet" is abused today by those who will make money off us. But diet isn't the bad thing they've made it into..your daily diet is just what you decide to eat. It's "the foods eaten". The tips, tricks and fads are scams, not a life long diet for good health.
I personally don't like the idea of the prepackaged plans only because they're not teaching you to feed yourself. In my last job every single person who lost weight on LA, Jenny, and nutri gained it back when they stopped eating the packets of food. They simply were lost without the premades...and it gets expensive! I eat probably 70-80% organics (maybe more) and it's still not as much $$ wise as the prepackaged diet stuff. If you're able to succeed off of the processed packets then it's great, but I never saw it first hand so I wouldn't tell a friend to try it.
I do light gentle motion exercises and stretching because my joints and muscles can not take heavy poundings at this point. I also walk when I can..even if it means taking a few parking spaces back from the "good spots".... the little extra bits like that count.
AND I ALWAYS gain a few extra pounds in the winter too. (call me Pooh!)..to the point that I'm making vats of homemade vegetable soups right now to help me loose a few! My mom always called it the "winter chubbies". It is an actual physical thing for humans and animals to gain a little in hibernation months. But since I'm not a hibernating bear I think I'll eat soup and cut out the unnecessary things so I can fit into my jeans!! 
:hug:
~Chrissi
Dolls N DreamsHi, cut out soft drinks if you drink them, and no salt or sugar that is always a good sure way to drop some pounds.
fribbles, ltd.---I'm breaking out my rollerblades and am going to skate in my office building's basement [it's an historic 1920s building with a ballroom upstairs] to start getting ready for spring---saw some robins, the first of the year, today! As for cutting out pop, I wish I could, but pop and coffee aren't my vices---sugar in the form of candies, cakes and cookies are!! *sob*
I agree, exercise is the way to go.
Best of luck to all of us!
Amelia
Melbourne, AustraliaOK I will first say I LOVE Winnie the Pooh, but the other day I had said to my husband that I was frustrated about the weight I have gained over the winter and my youngest son goes "mom you aren't fat , you are just built like Winnie the Pooh" First I went " Ahhhhh that was so cute" but then I got to thinking of the image of Pooh's big butt getting stuck in Rabbits door hole, this hit way too close to home, I could picture my big butt in the exact same way, I got chills thinking of Rabbit decorating it to try to hide it. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please anyone that has any good dieting hints please post them here,
Bear Hugs
Jodi aka pooh
Jodi this is what's commonly known as Bearmaker's Disease :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Forget the diet, eat smaller sensible meals and excercise regularly, even if it's only walking the dog or pushing a pram for an hour EVERY DAY!
Little Bear GuyJodi, I am struggling with my weight right now and have been advised by my doctor to lose a lot of weight. She basically told me the same thing everyone else has been saying, don't diet. I don't use table salt anymore, it's ok to use sea salt but it can't be ionized salt. I no longer have pop, chips , or any baked goods (although it doesn't hurt in moderation). Also use olive oil , and becel margarine if you need to use margarine. No more white bread that's a no no, eat a multi grain bread. I have cut down my intake of cheese and other dairy products and only skim mikl or 1%. When doing your dinner, your meat portion should be about the size of a deck of playing cards, fill up half of your plate with veggies and the other half with a small amount of rice or salad. Eat lots of fruit for snacks, basically follow the food guide and the weight will come off , it will come off slower than most diets but you want it to come off slow not fast.
Anyway Dr Shane signing out
big hugs
Shane
:crackup: Jodi, you are hillarious. What a cute story. I'm sure your butt's not that big. It's probably nothing some warm weather & the activity that goes along with it won't cure.
This will be a fun thread to watch & see what other people come up with
Big Hugs,
Denise : )
Storytime Bears:crackup: Bearmaking disease, that's hilarious, I believe mine is in the critical stage. :crackup: :crackup:
It's funny for quite a while now I have had this little secret, I will share with you all, that my husband has no clue I do. When I get a picture taken of myself I put it on photoshop and do a little creative photoshop work and carve off some extra weight, it's amazing how easy it is and how good I have gotten with it, 
but over this winter I have put on so much that no amount of photoshop dieting will help. I think my biggest problem is I stay up really late to work and I seem to want to snack late, plus I am 2 years from the big 5-0 and my body is changing so much. I am thru menopause and ever since that, I just seem to look at food and get fat.
Menopause sucks , I get hot flashes still and I swear it is like torture, you get so hot you feel like tearing off all of your clothes but you've gotten so fat there is no way you would ever be naked. And what is up with the hair that seems to be popping up in places you didn't even know you could get hair. 
OK I have now shared with you all that I am a sweaty, fat hairy mess, Ok , as my oldest son would say "seriously mom way too much information"
Apple Dumpling DesignsJodi,
My secret....I use smaller plates...seriously. Proportions is a bit of a optical illusion. I read that recently. If you have a smaller plate with smaller portions it feels like the same amount. We (as in Americans) have this distorted idea that we have to have big portions and bigger dinnerware to hold our bigger portions...made sense to me. I also eat 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day that way I never get "hungry" so I don't just stuff myself. I also don't want that late night snack. I lost 18-1/2 pound over the holidays....WHAT...I thought my doctor was kidding. I knew my pants felt a little looser. I almost made her nurse reweigh me but I didn't want to push it.
I've kept doing it and well....it's still coming off and I've been struggle with that post-pregnancy weight now for.........16 years. Time to get over it, don't you think?
Hugs,
Storytime Bears:crackup: :crackup: Shantell :"I've kept doing it and well....it's still coming off and I've been struggle with that post-pregnancy weight now for.........16 years. Time to get over it, don't you think?" :crackup: :crackup:
I think you are right about the smaller plate, I think we in america are super sizing ourselves by what we are using to put our food on and our drinks in. I remember when a 16 oz bottle of coke was a huge drink. I don't drink much pop/soda at all, I hate Caffeine drinks, but I do drink a lot of orange juice, which has a ton of calories.
My weakness is a drink I love to make, I take 8 ounce of 2% milk, put in it in a blender, then I add 4 tablespoons of sugar free hot choc mix, then I take 1 piece of dove dark choc, I blend that all up, then I add crushed ice and blend it until it is as thick as a milk shake, I then top it with whipped cream and drizzle with sugar free choc syrup. Hmmmmmm and no wonder I look like pooh bear I am so bad, here you all are giving great dieting advice and I am sharing my frozen choc drink recipe, I swear I am hopeless.
Flying Fur StudiosJodi, since last year, I've lost a TONNE of weight. I can't diet or I go crazy, so I just watch what I eat, move more and once a week I have a CHEAT day. I can eat whatever I want that day, so if during the week I get cravings for stuff, I know it's only a few days away until I can have it.
I also stopped eating after dinner. That was a tough one, took me months to wean (sp?) myself off that habit.
If you ever need support, I'm here for you.
My motto is as long as you're not getting fatter, you're halfway there! It took me years to put on all that weight, so it's only normal that it will take years to come off. Plus, the bigger you are, the easier it is to loose weight at the beginning, so you're in good shape! Drink 10 of those yummy frozen drinks on your cheat day!
Thanks for letting me ramble.....
Matilda Huggington-beareSorry I have to log off now so I didnt get to read everyones post. I do want to say though. ADD some MEDITATION to your day as well. It is not healthy to be constantly on the go...exercising. Its not possible to keep it up unless you are that type of person. So take time out each day for some peace and quite. It need only take 10 - 20 minutes. Ok gotta go :dance:
Wendy
Jellybelly Bearshaha, I love pooh I love the stoutness song that he sings hehe
So much great advice here...I can only repeat, small meals...and don't forgo all yummy food...just smaller portions. Good luck :hug:
"a bear by kim"yep, i agree, dont diet!! iv lost three stone in the past year but i think its from making bears and not snacking so much! and having two little kids to run around after.
id just limit yourself on your naughty treats, ie choc, one bar every other day and take it from there, i suppose its like smoking, easier to cut down than to stop all together.
i dont think your butt is that big, but then kids are painfuly honest, i was told this morning that my tummy looks like jelly but it could be worse, so i say look on the bright side, be happy with your bum coz it could be bigger!!!
Storytime BearsYou guys are so sweet and there are some really good tips here, I am serious, we should put together a book and title it "How to make Pooh, but not become Pooh"
You know it's funny when I was in my teens and in my 20's I thought I was soooooo fat and would never wear a bathing suit, I weighed all of 105 in high school and 120 in my 20's, I wish we in America would help girls get a better body image, so we could have a more realistic view of our bodies. Now that I weigh one****cough,cough**** pounds I really regret not enjoying myself more and not wasting so much energy on feeling fat when I wasn't. It's funny though now that I am getting older it's not so much about how I look, it is how I am feeling , my knees and feet are feeling the strain of the extra weight and that I am most concerned about.
I guess I need to realize, that really, all in all I should feel lucky, because as my dad would always say when any of us kids would complain , he would say: "I complained about the holes in my shoes until the day, I saw a man with no feet" (my dad would be so happy I have repeated this because when I was a teenager wanting a new outfit I told him I never wanted to hear this saying again, ahhhh now I just need to find a thread that I can use , "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it must be a duck" )
Veronica is right. Don't diet...change your eating habits.
About a year ago I quit taking an Rx. I had gained almost 30 lbs. during that time. My metabolism was all screwed up and all I did was gain weight. I had been on diets before and lost weight but felt crummy. It wasn't sustainable. But then I broke my hand in July '06 in a bike wreck and decided it was time to address my weight while I recuperated.
It's very basic..calories in, calories out and get the MOST out of the food you consume. I have lost almost 30 lbs. since last July and feel GREAT. Most of that time I was sidelined with my injury. I COMPLETELY changed the way I ate. I can still enjoy dinner out occasionally and eat a dessert now and then. it's the day to day eating that is the important part to maintain a healthy weight. If you are 100% willing to learn about food then you can do it to. You have to know what you are eating all the time. Hidden calories are death.
Think of it this way, you can lose weight if you eat 1000 calories of whatever you want, whether it be candy bars or a well balanced meal. But of course you would never do that because its not healthy. So what you have to do is get the most nutrition out of your calories. And that is why you need to educate yourself on foods. The Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig systems do it all the thinking for you. In the long run if you really want to change your eating lifestyle then don't depend on a weight loss program.
Food is great and should be enjoyed. And when you have a well-balanced eating program you can treat yourself to wine, beer, crackers, cheese, sweets, whatever on occasion. And believe me, when you do change your eating habits and you are eating balanced and correctly, you WILL NOT CRAVE foods, nor will you feel hunger pangs.
It's not a magic formula, just a little education on foods, vitamins and caloric intake, with commitment and consistency. I wanted to change my entire eating plan for the rest of my life so I did the reading. There are things I just won't eat anymore and totally don't miss. Because usually if I eat them I feel terrible afterwards and have a "food hangover."
In fact this weekend I was able to buy a SMALLER swimsuit for the first time in more than 8 years. My husband lost 15 lbs. during our "eating reconstruction" without even trying.
You can do it it Jodi!!!
You can burn 300 calories an hour which I believe translates into a pound and hour.
Actually 3,500 calories equals a pound. I know, that stinks. I would like your equation better.
Storytime Bears"Think of it this way, you can lose weight if you eat 1000 calories of whatever you want, whether it be candy bars or a well balanced meal. "
Hmmmmmmm I think I like this diet
Just kidding
Seriously though, I think there is some really good info here, I am going to pull all of the info together and come up with a "Don't want to be built like Pooh diet plan" and I think it would be fun if I would give it a try and I will keep everyone posted on how it's going, and if anyone else wants to join in we can have a little on line support group. What does anyone think, anyone up for a little personal de-poohing?
What does anyone think, anyone up for a little personal de-poohing?
It's a great idea! You can share recipes too. I know a gal that has a blog for this, everybody gets to post what they ate and how they felt, how many pounds they lost or didn't lose. It's a great way to support each other and share information. I know I have a few "lighter" recipes that taste great.
Bears by EdieFor exercise let me suggest the "Walk Away the Pounds" DVD's by Leslie Sansone. I have been doing that every morning for over a year now (well 5 days a week actually - I take the weekends off - ) and just love it. Very invigorating way to start the day and she has different levels and lengths of routines, plus you can work at your own pace to some extent, adding weights, etc. I used to walk outside but couldn't keep a regular routine with bad weather etc. and also have done the treadmill and elipse for years but find them so MUCH more boring. The in home walking program is so much fun and easy to follow and seems to really get results for lots of people.
I also recommend the book on weight training by Joyce Vedral - "Weight Training Made Easy". I do her routines 5 days a week as well and really like it.
I think the biggest culprit for weight gain is "bad" carbohydrates. The more you eat the more you want! And remember that fat is not all bad - you need some fat to lose weight but it has to be the good fats. Omega 3 in particular.
Lots of good advice on this thread and I think each person has to find what works best for them as we are all so individual!
Little Bear GuyJodi that drink of yours sounds sensational and I bet if you stopped drinking it the pounds would melt away , ok maybe not stop all together but consider it a treat once a month or something like that. It sounds sooo good but I would hate to think of the calories that are in it but mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
hugs
Shane
'Bear' Bottoms OriginalsI must say, I cracked up laughing at your description of being wedged in Rabbit's door and having your backside decorated to cover you up!!! :crackup: I wasn't laughing at YOu though, of course, but the description was hilarious.
I unfortunately can't add anything on weight loss... besides the tip that I think has already been given. Lifestyle change. When I wanted to lose weight after my first was born.. ok ok, she was a year old already... lol I had to change my eating habits for good and adopt a better exercise plan. But dieting doesn't work... if it did, everyone would be thin and those diet companies would go out of business after everyone had lost the weight they wanted to. That's how they get you. So you have to change the way you look at food and exercise. It worked for me! I lost 25 lbs in about 3 months, and not by starving... just eating healthy and jogging on a daily basis. Instead of a cheeseburger @ Wendy's, I started getting those Mandarin Chicken Salads. They are awesome!
Kimberly W.
Storytime BearsI know what you mean about the drink I was thinking because the hot choc. was sugar free it was OK but then one day I was looking at the whipped cream can, because when I would make these for myself and son I would use a ton of whipped cream, I almost fainted when I saw there was 80 servings in one can, well it was lasting us about 3 drinks apiece. It really makes my head spin when I think of the calories I drank with my sugar free drink. 
For a treat it is really good and if you go to starbucks they have the same drink but they charge 5.00 for it.
I am going to get that walking DVD , not that the ice is off the road I could see doing it.
