How to lose weight... really?

[EJFan]

Why on earth whould anyone do that? I think you're giving pretty sound advice. I've found that worked for me was to gather info from lots of places and use what I thought was best for ME. Everyone else's mileage may vary.

some people are very adamant that THEIR method is 100% the one and only right way to do things. there are biological and chemical facts, then there are opinions. i try to make it clear when i'm stating one or the other but sometimes it gets misinterpreted or i write it incorrectly. so i hadda put up a disclaimer. lol.

 

[Christina O. Leigh]

*****************************

 

[Lyrical Fool]

Re: How to lose weight...really

I'm glad I found this thread.

I am all about Weight Watchers. I love it. It's fairly expensive, but the fact that I'm not paying for a gym membership (borrowed work out equipment and walking) makes up for it.

Two years ago, I lost over 60 lbs on it, and I just started back (after being off of it 2 years, I gained about 15 lbs of it back).

For me, it's not about the points, although the points is how it works. It's about being accountable. Writing everything down, seeing it there in black and white (Oh my god, did I really eat that?) is tremendous.

It's about personal accountability, and I've found that this sort of discipline has spilled over into other areas of my life.

I did WW as my "divorce diet." It works.

And I can still have deep friend sweet and sour stuff once in a while.

 

[EJFan]

Two years ago, I lost over 60 lbs on it, and I just started back (after being off of it 2 years, I gained about 15 lbs of it back).

AWESOME! congratulations!

 

[~hellbaby~]

I'm on the red bull,cigarettes and smart pop diet. Since Jan.29, I've lost 23 lbs.
I stopped drinking alcohol too, I think thats what is doing it.

 

[EJFan]

Do you have any pics so i can see the way these are done?

i had a minute so i've linked to each of them at their pages on exrx. sometimes their search function is temperamental so i figured i'd hit it while it's working.

thin-tummy, lifting one leg (313)
static lunge
DB lying row
DB upright row

mini-circuit two
curlup (515) (this is a just a situp)
DB bench step
DB lying pullover
DB bench press

mini-circuit three
pushup hold (a pushup, but hold for a beat at the top DO NOT LOCK ELBOWS)
standing single-leg calf raise
DB seated hammer curl w/twist (as shown, but seated)
DB tricep kickbacks

 

[EJFan]

I'm on the red bull,cigarettes and smart pop diet. Since Jan.29, I've lost 23 lbs.
I stopped drinking alcohol too, I think thats what is doing it.

LMAO!!!! i was gonna try that one but couldn't afford the red bull.

 

[muddpuppy]

i had a minute so i've linked to each of them at their pages on exrx. sometimes their search function is temperamental so i figured i'd hit it while it's working.

thin-tummy, lifting one leg (313)
static lunge
DB lying row
DB upright row

mini-circuit two
curlup (515) (this is a just a situp)
DB bench step
DB lying pullover
DB bench press

mini-circuit three
pushup hold (a pushup, but hold for a beat at the top DO NOT LOCK ELBOWS)
standing single-leg calf raise
DB seated hammer curl w/twist (as shown, but seated)
DB tricep kickbacks

Thanx EJ! Your awesome!

 

[EJFan]

Thanx EJ! Your awesome!

you're more than welcome. you'll notice i didn't include the "thin tummy"... that's because it's a static exercise designed to isolate and flex your lower abs. it's something you kinda have to learn rather than be told about. know what i mean?

please remember one thing... our goals are different. i want to add muscle mass and you want to lose weight. lifting is fine for cardio but there's a special way to approach it. what worked for me (yes, i lifted for cardio) was to use relatively light weights, high rep-counts and VERY short breaks between sets (30 seconds). this method isn't optimal for gaining mass but it worked for me to lose fat.

 

[Kassandra13]

This have proven to be quite an informative thread!

I have a question that may seem rather silly, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I'm trying to start small, cutting sugar out of my diet - but does that include honey? If I could replace the sugar in my tea with honey that would make things easy - but I'm not sure how healthy honey is. I'd much rather have something natural than a weird chemical sugar subsitute. Any thoughts?

 

[EJFan]

This have proven to be quite an informative thread!

I have a question that may seem rather silly, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I'm trying to start small, cutting sugar out of my diet - but does that include honey? If I could replace the sugar in my tea with honey that would make things easy - but I'm not sure how healthy honey is. I'd much rather have something natural than a weird chemical sugar subsitute. Any thoughts?

like so much in the health & nutrition areas, this question can't be answered easily. honey is better in as much as it's not processed like white sugar is... if you were to compare a natural cane-sugar to honey it wouldn't be that different (i'm speculating here, so i'd suggest confirming that).

a lot of the "what's good and what's bad" type of stuff really depends on your specific body chemistry and lifestyle. anything in moderation isn't going to really hurt you. that's the most important thing to remember. i'm a recreational weightlifter and stay clear of ALL sweeteners 90% of the time. i only grab those kinds of things right around workout time.

all in all it really depends on your goals, body and point of view. how much tea are you drinking? if you're just doing a cup or two a day, who cares about a teaspoon or two of honey. and remember... it all comes down to calories when we talk about weight loss/gain. regardless of WHAT you're eating, if you have too many kcal's, you'll gain weight... too few and you lose... even if it's an all-lard diet.

there are two calorie estimate equations here. just scroll down to the entry titled "caloric estimates."

 

[Patchouli]

This have proven to be quite an informative thread!

I have a question that may seem rather silly, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I'm trying to start small, cutting sugar out of my diet - but does that include honey? If I could replace the sugar in my tea with honey that would make things easy - but I'm not sure how healthy honey is. I'd much rather have something natural than a weird chemical sugar subsitute. Any thoughts?

i agree with ejfan, as long as you are consuming it in moderation you should be okay. however, honey does provide additional calories. i prefer to do without it, if i can. try changing the kind of tea you drink. i switched from a berry tea that i only like sweetened to green tea in the morning and mint tea in the afternoon. they both taste perfectly yummy to me unsweetened.

if you do decide to use honey, try to buy locally produced organic honey. the closer to you, the better. supposedly, daily exposure to the (bee processed) leftover pollens in honey can help with allergies. this is still debated, but i do find it helps me. it may only be psychosomatic though .

there's another option, especially if you don't want to use chemicals but still crave a sweet taste from time to time. there's a plant called stevia and its extract is something like 100x sweeter than sugar, with no calories. you can usually find it in health food stores. it tastes a lot like nutrasweet.

i also find that taking some fiber about fifteen minutes before meals with a full glass of water helps to curb my appetite a bit. it is supposed to make you feel full faster and also to slow down the rate of glucose absorption into your system (blood sugar spikes can lead to sugar cravings after a meal). i use psyllium capsules but i suppose metamucil would work just as well. a word of caution, don't take fiber within an hour of any medication. it can alter how your body absorbs it.

lastly , if you are craving something to drink besides water, and don't want to drink chemically sweetened soda, try this...get some frozen strawberries, raspberries or both and blend one cup with 3-4 cups of either; water with the juice of 1-2 lemons, or an herbal berry tea. sweeten it with stevia to taste and enjoy. the way i figure it, each cup has only about 15-20 calories (depending on the amount of water) and tastes really good.

 

[warrior queen]

the only way to lose weight is to consume less calories than you use.

and that's it.
no magic formula, no amount of excercise, no gimmicks.

just eat less than you use in a day, and you will lose weight.

i'm down 20+ kilograms in less than 8 months because of this simple rule.

 

[Willing and Unsure]

the only way to lose weight is to consume less calories than you use.

and that's it.
no magic formula, no amount of excercise, no gimmicks.

just eat less than you use in a day, and you will lose weight.

i'm down 20+ kilograms in less than 8 months because of this simple rule.

That doesn't work for everyone. I'm at a point where my friends and family would insist that I'm anorexic if I were to eat any less than I already do. I know that's the case of other people as well.

 

[EJFan]

the only way to lose weight is to consume less calories than you use.

and that's it.
no magic formula, no amount of excercise, no gimmicks.

just eat less than you use in a day, and you will lose weight.

i'm down 20+ kilograms in less than 8 months because of this simple rule.

this is absolutely correct.

W&U... if you're not losing weight it has to be because you're kcal intake is greater than or equal to what you're burning. your family could be like mine and they assume that if you're not eating a dozen 5-course meals a day you're anorexic. lol. if you're trying to lose, not succeeding and your diet is solid, add some cardio... 20+ minutes at least 3x a week. and plug your diet into fitday.com to see your macro breakdown.

it can take some time to find dietary habits that suit your body and lifestyle. just be patient and pay attention to what your body's doing.

 

[PrinceM]

i lost a lot of weight recently., my trick, was eating less, smaller portions, and WATER WATER WATER.

Every time you feel like snacking on sweets between meals, drink a tall pint glass of water. it helps, and you wont be hungry for another hour or so. then usually, you only have to have another glass, to get you to the next meal. of course, there are things you can snack on.

most people gain wait from the between meal snacking. just try to cut that out, and eat the amount of food that you should be eating to maintain your ideal weight.

the biggest part of it, is mental. convince youself you can do it. if you can get through the first 2 weeks, its easy after that. most diets are given up in those first 2 weeks. set some kind of goal for yourself. create a weigh in chart for yourself, and on sunday mornings, weigh yourself and chart your progress. seeing the lbs total go down each week is a very cool site and motivates you more!

good luck!

 

[Patchouli]

That doesn't work for everyone. I'm at a point where my friends and family would insist that I'm anorexic if I were to eat any less than I already do. I know that's the case of other people as well.

the body is not a closed system. everything affects everything else. there are disorders that can affect whether or not you are gaining weight by slowing down your metabolism. thyroid problems are a case in point. my thyroid stopped working the week before my 19th b-day. i became incredibly cold and tired all the time and less and less hungry. within 6 months, i'd put on 40 pounds eating what would have caused rapid weight loss in me before my thyroid went kaput.

there are other disorders that can have a similar effect. pcos, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, cushing's disease, microadenoma prolactinoma, celiac disease (and other gastrointestinal diseases that cause malabsorption), and so on.

so, i think saying that you need to take in fewer calories then you use is true, but only in its simplest form. how well your bodily systems are working has a huge bearing on your metabolism which is almost entirely responsible for weight gain or loss. it is possible for someone to eat little enough to be thought anorexic and still not lose weight.

this is why my first suggestion was to go to the doctor for a full physical.

 

[EJFan]

the body is not a closed system. everything affects everything else. there are disorders that can affect whether or not you are gaining weight by slowing down your metabolism. thyroid problems are a case in point. my thyroid stopped working the week before my 19th b-day. i became incredibly cold and tired all the time and less and less hungry. within 6 months, i'd put on 40 pounds eating what would have caused rapid weight loss in me before my thyroid went kaput.

there are other disorders that can have a similar effect. pcos, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, cushing's disease, microadenoma prolactinoma, celiac disease (and other gastrointestinal diseases that cause malabsorption), and so on.

so, i think saying that you need to take in less calories then you use is true, but only in its simplest form. how well your bodily systems are working has a huge bearing on your metabolism which is almost entirely responsible for weight gain or loss. it is possible for someone to eat little enough to be thought anorexic and still not lose weight.

this is why my first suggestion was to go to the doctor for a full physical.

good point.

to get a general idea of what your maintenance calories are, do a search for a calorie calculator (or go to the one i linked to above) and see how you make out. if you're eating under 1200 kcals/day (generally considered starvation level for women) and still not losing weight there's something else going on with your health

 

[Hairgrip]

As per my sig I'm doing the battle and am set to win the war -

I'm following the Slimming World plan - www.bodyoptimise.com or www.slimmingworld.co.uk

It's working for me because I can have variety - pasta, potatoes, meat, cheese, normal food. I have tried WW, and sure I lost a bit, but I didn't need to eat heathily. With WW you can eat utter crap and lose weight, which is kinda scarey.

If you hit the urls above you'll find sample menus. You eat to be full. In fact the new part of WW Switch programme looks like they stole it from SW. But hey, all's fair in love and slimming...

 

[DarkMuse]

Hmmmm....

When I was about 20-22 I was overweight--5'6" and 200-215 lbs.

I lost it when I was 22. I stopped working at McDonald's, then started working at a warehouse where I climbed a ladder all day, and did lots of heavy lifting. I got toned, and life was good.

Then I started gaining a bit back, then lost it again when I went on Depo.
Now I'm gaining more back, because of hormone therapy (a lot of water weight...ugh). I'm about 160, so I'm still smaller than I was in the beginning. My ideal is 140.

Everyone does it differently. My advice? Drink TONS of water (at least 10 8oz glasses a day), and walk a lot. I walk to and from work, and pretty well everywhere else I need to go. I'm convinced that that is what helps me keep my weight under a bit of control.

 

[muddpuppy]

Yay!!!

Just a couple lines to let ya'll know, i have lost 3 pounds since this thread started... I know that it dont seem like much but its enough to keep me going... Thanx to all who posted, your ideas have been wonderful! Please, keep them coming...

 

[Eilan]

Just a couple lines to let ya'll know, i have lost 3 pounds since this thread started... I know that it dont seem like much but its enough to keep me going... Thanx to all who posted, your ideas have been wonderful! Please, keep them coming...

Congratulations!

 

[muddpuppy]

Congratulations!

Thank you, Eilan
Although... I may have gained it all back over dinner tonight...

 

[EJFan]

Just a couple lines to let ya'll know, i have lost 3 pounds since this thread started... I know that it dont seem like much but its enough to keep me going... Thanx to all who posted, your ideas have been wonderful! Please, keep them coming...

congratulations!!! i never had the guts to weigh myself this early on but it seems like you're on the right track.

just an FYI... your weight will tend to bounce around a little at first so PLEASE don't get depressed if you see it pop back up in the coming days. just roll with it, don't panic and remember that the mirror and your clothes are better judges of your appearance than a scale can ever be.

keep it up (or down, as the case may be)!!!!!

 

[warrior queen]

That doesn't work for everyone. I'm at a point where my friends and family would insist that I'm anorexic if I were to eat any less than I already do. I know that's the case of other people as well.

that could be because of the type of foods you're eating.

1/2 cup of peas has more sugars than 1/2 cup of beans.
1/2 cup of corn has more sugar than 1/2 cup of peas.

it's all related to the calorific values of the foods (ie. their sugar vs. nutrient value)

for instance, did you know that 2 glasses of orange juice is equal to a full days calories? there are 13 teaspoons of sugar in each glass of oj (250ml)!