Let's Do Lunch Class at my church

[leisuregranny]

Awesome class at church last night.  Very interesting and informative.  Love Rhonda to pieces, so friendly and outgoing.  Anyway, I've kind of played with this woe for the last week, and have read many, many posts, but today I officially begin.  I always have beans and fruit in the house so that's not an issue.  I need to come up with inovative ways to prepare beans and veggies so I don't get too bored.  I'm excited.  My book should be in today.  One question, though.  Is coffee legal on LDL?  I love my almond amaretto coffee. 

[RB Kayaking]

Leisure Granny,

Start roasting your veggies--you won't be able to eat just one!  Take a head of califlower and cut off the green parts.  Then slice into about 1/4 inch slices (core and all) it kinda falls apart but put it all onto a cookie sheet and drizzle with your favorite oil and place into a hot oven 400 for about 40 minutes.  When it starts to turn brown--it's getting close.

After you make this the first time you can add your favorite spices on it and have a different taste every time you make it.

Roasting works great for carrots, onions, green beans, squash and so many other veggies.

RB Kayaking

[leisuregranny]

Mary, the coffee I drink is regular flavored coffee beans that I grind myself at the store.  Nothing else added except 2 tsp Splenda and a little Stevia to 20 oz. of coffee, although I know I will have to give up my twice weekly thick and creamy (and sweet) cappucinnos I get from the truck stop down the road. 

RB, I do roast veggies.  My husband and I love them.  We don't eat a lot of meat except chicken and a little fish (& the occasional BBQ'd meats) and very little rice or pasta, so we've always eaten all kinds of fruits and veggies.  We plant a large garden twice a year, so we always have fresh veggies.  The only thing, being from south Louisiana (40 minutes SE of New Orleans), everything is seasoned with oil, or butter, or a sauce of some kind, or fried.  We Cajuns do love our food.    But for the most part, my hubby and I don't eat that way often, and we hardly ever eat anything fried anymore.  If I do get a craving for fried foods, I "fry" in the oven.  So it shouldn't be too hard for me to adapt to LDL. I guess Weight Watchers did teach me a few things. My biggest problem is sweets.  I am a 100% sugarholic.  When I get a serious craving for sweets, I can eat a whole container of cake icing or marshmallow creme in one sitting.  So I really want to kick the sugar habit.  I've done it once before with hypnotism, but that was years ago before I became a Christian and learned what the Bible had to say about it.  But I don't want to do that again. So I think the LDL woe is a win/win situation.  I can kick my sugar cravings for good and get thin and healthy in the process. 

Thanks to all of you seasoned LDL'ers out there for all your help.  I'm gonna need it.

Blessings,
Sylvia

[RB Kayaking]

Leisure Granny,

I know how the Cajuns love to eat--I lived in Metarie for two years.

You are talking to an x-sugar a holic.  I had made up my mind to drop sugar from my diet--just not sure how--and then discovered LDL.

Eat fresh sweet fruit--eat eat eat sweet fresh fruit.  Eat all the fresh sweet fruit for breakfast and dinner.  It took all of three days to cure me of my sugar addiction.  I still love my fresh sweet fruit.  I eat it all the time.

Trust this way of eating and the pounds will fall off.

RB

[leisuregranny]

Thanks, RB.  I definitely will eat more fruit.  I did the fruit and soup flush today, but I think I may have eaten too much white bean soup.    I ate nearly 3 cups.  I have learned over the years that my body doesn't respond well to too much complex carbs, so I may try to limit myself to one serving of beans a day and concentrate more on other veggies and the fruit.  I'm sure it will take some trial and error to make this woe work for me.  Thanks for all your encouragement.  I am hoping my sugar craving go away as quickly as yours did.

Blessings,
Sylvia

[RB Kayaking]

If you need to eat three bowls of bean soup--eat it.  That will help you with bread and pasta addictions.  Ask me how I know, LOL.

RB

[redkat]

Welcome Terlyn, Leisuregranny, and any of Crickadoodle's (Rhonda's) new recruits.  We are glad to have you here.  If you want to be fit, healthy, and weigh less, you have come to the right place!!  And to think you can acheive all of that by eating lots and lots of really great food.  Who knew?? 

If you, like myself, have tried all of the fad diets of the past, just toss out all of that "knowledge".  You won't need it here.  Just eat, eat, eat... fruit, beans, fresh veggies, lean meats...all either eaten fresh or cooked in a wealth of ways that are truly delicious.  Browze the boards under the recipe section and you will find numerous recipes for breakfast foods, soups, main dishes, desserts, snacks....all you need to feel really full and satisfied, while losing weight by eating it.

You WILL lose your cravings for sugars, sodas, breads, rice, potatoes...all of those things that got you to where you are now.  It worked for me.  I used to eat chocolate after every meal.  (Meal wasn't complete until the bite of chocolate!!).  I haven't had any chocolate since September (except for Christmas) and don't really think about it. 

Please post any questions you may have and someone will surely jump in and answer for you. 

Most of all, enjoy the trip on the train to "Skinnytown".

[CodingQueen]

Thanks, RB.  I definitely will eat more fruit.  I did the fruit and soup flush today, but I think I may have eaten too much white bean soup.    I ate nearly 3 cups.  I have learned over the years that my body doesn't respond well to too much complex carbs, so I may try to limit myself to one serving of beans a day and concentrate more on other veggies and the fruit.  I'm sure it will take some trial and error to make this woe work for me.  Thanks for all your encouragement.  I am hoping my sugar craving go away as quickly as yours did.

Blessings,
Sylvia

It often depends on what you mix your complex carbs with as to whether or not you're going to have a negative effect. If you've had problems in the past try not eating them with any protein, fruit or cooked tomatoes at that meal.

CQ

[Bethann]

I continue to be amazed and thankful how helpful everyone is here!
Blessings to you today! 

Welcome Terlyn, Leisuregranny, Rhonda and any other recruits! LDL is wonderful! It is so worth it! 

[leisuregranny]

Tonight's class was great again.  Crickadoodle brought a crockpot full of her version of Nikki's Favorite Bean Soup.  It was absolutely outstanding. Can't wait to make this soup in a few days.  I'll be doing the soup and fruit flush again this Monday, and I want to stay with a lighter soup for that.  4.6 pounds gone in one week. Whoo Hoo!  Love it, love it, love it.

Blessings,
Sylvia

[julie409]

Sylvia,

That's terrific!  Congratulations!

Julie

[crickadoodle]

Julybug -- from experience with your husband you've gained such sensitivity for others.  Isn't that what the problems of life were meant to do?  Thank you for sharing what you did.  I do know of a person in our church who can't read at all and I'll bet she doesn't attend the classes for that very reason.  I'm sure there are others. 

Thank you, Sylvia, for your enthusiasm.  I'm glad the soup was delicious!  I was a bit worried, since I have a cold and it really didn't taste right to me -- but nothing has been tasting right!    I could tell that the soup was very creamy and it felt so good on my throat.  I had 9 different kinds of beans in this one and it was hard to find many that were totally intact!  The beans I used were: big limas (which I couldn't see anywhere in there!), black beans, small red beans, regular red beans, black eyed peas, split peas, pinto beans, white beans and lentils.  FYI -- I buy 9 -- 1 lb. bags of beans.  I get 3 -- 1 gallon ZipLock bags.  I put 2/3 cup of each of the 9 bags of beans in each one gallon bag and end up with 3 -- 3 lb. bags of nine beans -- Oh, except, I left out the lentils until I was ready to cook the soup.  I knew they'd disintergrate way too soon if I soaked them overnight.

Julie -- you are so right that if even just one person is helped, it is rewarding to share with others what we've been so blessed by.  I think more than one is catching on, though!  Our second class wasn't as big as our first -- probably about 1/2 the size.  I was prepared for that, though.  When you share about LDL, it seems too good to be true or sometimes people just think they can't give up grains -- breads, potatoes, whatever.  I made sure that I covered the whole LDL plan with them the first night, and gave them a sheet with the info, in case they didn't make another class.  Last night class was a review of LDL and then we looked at what stress, sleep and exercise do for your weight.  Next class will be on ways to increase your metabolism.  So, it isn't going to be solely on LDL, but it'll be a place they can go to get support while just getting started on LDL.  They'll always be time for questions.

[Bethann]

Audio book! Great idea!
We have learned how wonderful they can be since my Mother has lost her sight! She sure loves her audio books!

[wendysgoodnews]

I love the idea of an audio book.  I listen to teaching tapes when I travel and when I walk so this would be a great book to add to my library.

[crickadoodle]

Well, the class at church is going very well, I feel.  I love getting the feedback that people are losing weight.  I can see how excited some of them are -- so it is the same experience I had with LDL.

Since LDL is so simple, the first class covered the basics.  I've gone on to a few other topics that are important to realize about losing weight.  The second class dealt with 3 things I felt really helped me lose weight -- de-stressing my life, getting enough sleep, and exercise.  It was very interesting to study up on those 3 things.  Stress and a lack of sleep really do sabotage weight loss.  Exercise helps you get rid of stress and also helps you sleep better at night.  I guess all three fit together.

The third class was about ways to speed up your metabolism.  I really think this is so important to know.  I did research online, again.  The most amazing thing I realized was that as you age your metabolism decreases to the same degree that as you age your muscle mass decreases.  Muscle burns more calories than fat and the statistics are so telling.  The main thing you really need to do is increase your muscle mass.  So many people think any kind of exercise will do this, but that is not the case.  Aerobic exercise doesn't increase muscle mass -- so that means walking, running, cycling, etc. will not cause you to gain muscle.  Muscle is built by doing resistance and weight bearing exercises.  This is crucial -- and I see it visually in my poor mom.  Her muscle mass has gone to almost nothing.  I decided that every other day she is going to use light free weights (dumb bells) and ankle weights to build up some muscle. 

Oh, that is the good news.  No matter how old you are, you can build muscle.  I know now that even though I've lost muscle mass, I can build muscle back and actually have more muscle than I had in previous decades.

The statistics say that the average American loses 0.5 % of muscle every year from age 25 - 60.  Then at 60 it doubles to 1% a year.  At 70 it doubles again to 2%, 80 -- 4% and 90 -- 8%.  It is due to inactivity.  If you stay active and do weight bearing exercise -- or work like gardening -- you can maintain and even reverse this. 

Muscle and metabolism are just about one in the same.  That's why men lose weight so much faster than women -- they have more muscle!  It just all makes so much sense to me now and I'm so glad I got the chance to teach this class.  Teachers always learn so much more than their students.  It is good to be armed with information.  It strengthens your resolve to do what is right. 

Now, I know that you will still lose weight following LDL if you don't exercise, but eating LDL will not increase your muscle mass.  We need to do our part to keep our bodies strong.  I have lost my weight with LDL and it is the only way I'd tell people to lose weight.  That being said, I do want to encourage everyone to do weight bearing or resistance exercise to build muscle mass.

Another thing I realized is that women especially fear being muscle bound. (You don't have to be a body builder about it!)  They also fear the weight they'll gain having muscle, because they've heard that muscle weighs more than fat.  OK, let's think logically about this.  A pound of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle.  Imagine a pound of feathers and a pound of lead.  The lead will be smaller, take up less space -- right?  You can have two women of equal heights and bone size who both weigh 130 lbs.  The one with more muscle mass will be smaller than the one who lacks muscle.  I'm thinking that as I gain muscle mass, I could actually gain weight, but that will be a healthy weight gain and I will be smaller in size.  Don't fear gaining weight that is muscle weight -- you will be smaller in size. (And stronger to do the things you need to do, even in old age.)

I have experienced being stronger in my legs.  I know that there was a time that I had to hold onto the railing to climb the stairs.  Today, I can jog up the stairs.  That has empowered me.  Seeing my mom need a walker to walk really drives the point home to me -- she is not overweight.  Weight is not the only thing we need to be concerned about as we age -- and we are all aging.  I love my Total Gym, because I am stronger because of it.  It wasn't expensive from a sporting goods store -- around $100, a little more.  Or -- you can get some free weights.  As you get used to the weight of your free weights, get the next size weight.  Also, remember that you need to skip a day between weight training workouts, so your body can repair the small tears in your muscles.  These tears are good and they are what build your muscles.  You don't have to skip days between aerobic exercise, because you aren't building muscle with that type of exercise.

[crickadoodle]

Well, I have just one more class to teach and so far it has gone well.  The students have begun sharing their successes.  Last night some reported on their weight loss so far.  After a month one had lost 13 lbs., a couple lost 10, a few said 8 lbs. and one lady reported 6 lbs. -- but she doesn't appear to have very much to lose.  She is loving this way of eating and her husband (who isn't taking the class) lost 10 lbs. too.  She said they have decided that they love eating this way and will continue for life.  That's what I call a success story. One man in the class has lost 10 lbs. and had set a goal to be able to sit in one of the desks in the room we meet in.  He's always had to bring a folding chair in to sit on.  Well, last night at the end of class he decided to try to sit in the desk and he did it.  We all clapped for him.  I told him we call those non scale victories.    He is now looking for the tool he has somewhere that makes notches in belts.   

Many are pursuing good health.  Some are hoping to be able to get off medicines.  I'm firmly convinced that if we continuing sharing the LDL way of eating and losing with others, we can drive down the cost of health care in real ways without government intervention.  Can you imagine if all people took responsibility for their health in this way what changes they'd experience?  I have experienced it for myself and know that I am so much healthier today than I was at this time last year -- or 9 months ago.  I have strength and energy to do what I need to do for my family. 

Anyway, I am so pleased that people are being helped by the information I was able to give them about LDL and other things I've found that helped me reach below my goal.  I got a church building reserved for a week from Saturday for our LDL Potluck Lunch, then the next day I'll leave for the San Antonio LDL convention. 

Oh, my last class to teach will be a review of what we learned and then a few things students wanted to learn -- like how to read labels, and how to do some weight bearing exercises with free weights.  Also, we are going to look at some menus and find ways to eat out while making wise choices. I actually will have only taught 4 classes.  I can't imagine what I'd have done if I did the full 6 weeks.  I had to cancel one week, because of Mom's surgery and the last week is canceled because of the LDL Convention -- but when I do it again, I'll tell them it'll be only 4 weeks long.  No use making it longer than it has to be. 

[Bethann]

So interesting Crickadoodle!
Thank you for sharing!  :rose:
Have a great time at the convention!  :thumbsup:
We who can't go envy you!  :sad:

I said a prayer for your Mom!

[crickadoodle]

thank you so much, Beth Ann! 

I have the Wed. night class left and on Sunday night we just reviewed and shared our successes.  I did talk a little about eating out and making wise choices there and I showed them a few weight bearing exercises with free weights.

Mom and I are going to the convention and we are looking forward to it.  I'm hoping it won't be too much for her.  We'll take it slow, though.  I figure we should stop often so she can walk around a little.