I spent ten dollars on a Whole Foods ‘Salad’ bar today

That is all.

anyways, just wanted to note i read some of the older posts (oct 2007 etc) and its really interesting to see how your eating evolved!

LadyW,
A lot of your questions are answered on the FAQ page about my weight loss vs. weight maintenace. Honestly, not much has changed because this was a lifestyle change. I have maintained my weight for about a year now, so the “squiggly line” method of lose some, gain some seems to be working well.
http://www.katheats.com/?page_id=279

I don’t think you need 60 minutes of exercise daily (as the American Heart Association recommends) to lose weight successfully but I certainly think every bit of movement helps. Try not to think of it as “you have spend hour at the gym” but maybe 30 minutes of cardio at the gym and a walk later in the evening. Or a long walk outside with your dog. Maybe a hike with your family on the weekend. Every bit of physical activity helps keep your metabolism humming and fitness levels up and will make your weigh loss path much easier than without.

As for motivation to diet, don’t think of it as a diet! When I first started out I was so excited to lose weight that I starting cooking healthy and packing healthy lunches and the more I got into the health food trend and the more fun healthy recipes I tried, the more fun I had. Probably why I am going into nutrition now! I highly recommend you read the book SuperFoods HealthStyle to get excited about nutrition and healthy eating instead of viewing it as deprivation for the rest of your life.

CarrieH,
Glad you liked the squash!! A few minutes in the microwave should be just what you need to get it hot again.

Laurel ,
I try to keep my HR above 150 during cardio, which is about 75% of my max, and I’d say my level is pretty intense but sustainable for 20-30 minutes too. For weight training, I have a bunch of different exercises I do: free weights, machines, jumping, pull-ups – I just do what I’m in the mood for and try to do something different for the 2-3 upper body workouts each week. I don’t keep track of my weight amounts or reps, but I have a general idea in my head of my progress (I’ve moved from 80lbs of assisted on the pull-up machine to 70 )

Kath

I have a question about exercise. When you work out, what would you say your level of exertion is (low, medium, high; 70% of heart’s capacity or however that’s worded in terms of heart rate)? And do you work your muscles to fatigue?

Do you have a set plan in mind in terms of weight training (are you following a program or one that you created)? Do you log your results as well?

Thanks for your continued hard work and fantastic blog.

I hope you have been having a great weekend.

I roasted my first spaghetti squash today and have my family coming over for dinner tonight to try it with me. I tried it just out of the oven, though, and loved it! To re-heat it, should I just put it in the microwave for a minute or two or should I re-heat it in the oven in a bowl?

Thanks, and good luck on the homework.

Carrie H

i would like to start losing a little weight in a healthy way–i think excess pounds have crept up due to a new job which limits my activity level + some mindless eating habits ive let in my life.

kath–what was your net intake when you were trying to lose weight? i eat much like you eat now–with meals composed of healthy fats, whole grains, vegetables etc…if you had the goal of losing weight, what would you “cut out”? also, is it true that you need 60 min of exercise 7days/week to really see weight fall off? finally, how did you keep from getting overwhelmed with the prospect of trying to lose weight (or essentially diet!)? i hate the thought of it, though im bound to like the end results.