Weight loss tips?

[binka_nugget]

Hey Slick, what always messes me up are grains! I do well on a more protein-based diet.. nothing excessive, I just have to watch the amount of carbs I take in. What I'll do at night is boil a few eggs and have them ready to go in the morning. I try to eat small frequent meals through out the day so they make for a nice breakfast or snack during work.

I had a hard time dropping weight in the beginning. I'd drop a pound or two, then stay there.. didn't matter how well I ate or how much I worked out. Then all of the sudden the pounds starting dropping really quickly! It's also possible you're just building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat so it's a good idea to try body measurements too!

I've picked up a few tricks over the past little while.. I allow myself to eat whatever I want. If I want chocolate cake, I can have it! The only thing is that I HAVE to work it off at the gym. I don't feel like I'm restricted or missing out on anything. I also have healthy snacks ready to go in zip lock bags. I have frozen grapes in the freezer. They make for a nice healthy snack when I'm getting the munchies. If I crave chocolate I grab a baggie of Special K Chocolate. Filling, and there are chocolate pieces!

[carole]

There are so many delicious low fat treats around today, one never has to feel like you are missing out, and especially in the states your choice is unlimited,so no excuses really.

I would like to say set yourself little goals in increments, and reward yourself when you reach them,NOT WITH FOOD THOUGH, maybe a new hair do, a book, a movie.

I have mine set, first is to get my highlights done, i have reached that goal already, but have no money yet for it, has been an expensive month, ho hum, next goal i reach i will get a weight watchers magazine subscription and then the final will be at my goal target weight, of course will be new clothes, outer and under, cannot wait.

For me it is going to take a long time, i envision being there for the summer, and quick is not always the best, slowly but surely will help you keep it off.

I intend to try and eat as i do now forever, except i will allow myself a few extra points per day, which will be consumed in fruit, and if i want a special treat i will work it in with my points.

Anyhow good luck everyone.

[sumbirdy]

Wow...I had forgotten that this thread existed. I have dropped maybe a couple of pounds, but not much. And it's frustrating! Nothing seems to be really working. What is BFL?

[ramanth]

What is BFL?

Body For Life - http://bodyforlife.com/index.asp is a 12 Week program.

I have friends that had fantastic results with this program. To cut costs, I picked the book up at the local library.

I'm down from 140 to 130 currently. I'm at the beginning of Week 8.

Weight Training - http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/weighttraining.asp
Cardio - http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/cardiotraining.asp
Meal Plan - http://bodyforlife.com/nutrition/createmeal.asp
Food List - http://bodyforlife.com/nutrition/foodlist.asp

[slick]

Sumbirdy:
I certainly didn't mean to hijack your thread. I've been wondering how you are doing.

Your body is saying, "Woman, what are you doing to me?"

LOL Richard.

I'm now proud to say that it's working....I've lost 5 pounds since March 9th. I wasn't losing any weight to begin with, then all of a sudden I saw results at the snap of a finger. I guess my body was really getting used to this idea of actually getting oxygen to all the muscles.

I've decided not to use WW just yet. I'm doing this only with sensible eating and a rigid exercise program. The only "rest' nights are Friday and Sunday. We work out on the treadmill and weights on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings. Tuesday and Thursday are swim nights. I have a personal trainer coming over next Saturday the 28th to give us some motivation and tips.

My problem foods are salt, butter and cheese. I've cut way back on butter and cheese but salt is my problem child. However Gini told me about Mrs. Dash and I've purchased two different flavours....Extra Spicy (because I love foods with a "kick") and Lemon Pepper and they really seem to be doing the trick for me.

And continuing to talk about food, I'm finding that I need variety so I'm trying to switch things around a bit. For example, today I allowed myself one piece of toast with 1 oz of melted Partly Skimmed mozza cheeze sprinkled with Extra Spicy Mrs. Dash. Man....I savoured every mouthful.

I'm getting sick of eating Oatmeal every morning so I bought some Cream of Wheat yesterday. I'm eating at least 3 pieces of fruit a day and lots of veggies. I must say that right now I can't eat as much as I used to. I get full faster. Could my stomach be shrinking?

I'm going to allow myself 1 treat per week. That can be in the form of food or in my case tonight I've had 1/2 glass of wine. I know alcohol is off the menu but if my diet is too rigid and too predicable I won't stay on it. Once a month I'll do something for myself like a manicure or taking my Mom out for lunch.

I'm not sure why but my mind is really set on doing this and the fact that I'm doing this with my neighbour really helps alot. We signed a contract for 3 months and I guess what motivates me is that I don't want to let her or myself down.

Oh and the one huge plus is that I'm sleeping so much better.

Congratulations to all of you participating in this struggle and I celebrate your successes. And thanks for all of the tips and tricks.

[RICHARD]

Sumbirdy:
I certainly didn't mean to hijack your thread. I've been wondering how you are doing.
LOL Richard.

I'm now proud to say that it's working....I've lost 5 pounds since March 9th. I wasn't losing any weight to begin with, then all of a sudden I saw results at the snap of a finger. I guess my body was really getting used to this idea of actually getting oxygen to all the muscles.

Afraid of getting your arse kicked, eh?

You made me think about the "Mr Clean" thread and wondered if Mrs. Dash made an appearance.

Your stomach is shrinking and you will find that you must adjust your portion sizes otherwise you will eat and old sized portion and end up miserable with a tummy ache.

The thing that I have learned about 'diets' and 'giving up' treats is that if you treat yourself in moderation, a few cookies every other day, a cheat here or there, you do not freak out and tell yourself "I have to run 30 miles tomorrow to work off the cheese cake!"

Know what you can do after you have a treat. You do not have to suffer to lose weight.

Keep at it!

[carole]

Richard you hit the nail on the head there, i don't feel at all like i am suffering, i have just eaten a very delicious WW chocolate eclair, and the best part is i know at the end of the week i will loose weight, and i have still enjoyed a few treats along the way.

It is the only way to do it really, as if it is too strict you will certainly go off it, Slick you have the right idea there and congratulations on your efforts, keep at it, it will come off, be patient, not that i have any of that, i want it off today all of it, and it is very slow, but i am getting there.

Sumbirdy, two pounds might not seem a lot to you, but it is still two pounds you are not carrying around with you anymore, think of it as two pounds less of butter, go look in the supermarket , that is quite a lot,you will get there , have faith and don't let that little voice in your head,tell you different,give it a chance and keep at it.

I have been struggling with my weight since the birth of my second child almost 17 years ago, been up and down,but this time i am highly motivated, and success is just around the corner for me, i have my ups and downs too, but for me the motivation was a health issue, having arthritis in my knees and hip, and also i want to look better, but this time my main reason is health and that is why i am so motivated and determined to do it once and for all this time,with no going back.

[sumbirdy]

Sumbirdy:
I certainly didn't mean to hijack your thread. I've been wondering how you are doing.
.

It's fine. Actually I'm very happy you brought this thread back as I had forgotten it existed. And right now, this is a thread I can really use.

[Cataholic]

Slick, have you tried the laughing cow lite cheese? It is wonderful. A wedge is 1 point (I think!) I spread that on a half piece whole grain pita, add lettuce, sometimes a veggie sausage, and yum!!

I think these 5 things are helpful. Eliminate all junk (and that is different for each of us)from the diet except 1 or 2 items. Eat better and high fiber/filled foods. Eat less of the better foods. Move and finally move some more!
Moving more means more energy spent, better heart health, and less sub-conscious snacking(unless you are eating while walking!)

[carole]

You know i never give up cheese when on WW, infact i seem to crave it even more, i need it for my calcium intake as i am not a big dairy product eater or milk drinker, i do not have a lot, but i always have it grated with my salad,so in summer i nearly have it every night, it is about the amount not what you eat really, i do choose a lower fat option and eat Edam cheese .

[slick]

I'm down 10 pounds since March 9th. I figure 10 lbs a month is slow enough that I'm going to keep it off. This is by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do....my cancer sir jury was a breeze compared to this. No WW, no commercial products....just a good healthy diet and exercise. I've already seen a significant drop in my blood sugar level and blood pressure even with only 10 lbs. 50 more to go.

Hey, if I can do it, YOU can do it!

[k9krazee]

That's awesome, Slick! And it really is a lot of work, more than I thought it'd be. I've managed to lose 20 pounds so far.

I went from this:


To this:


I want to lose 20 more. That will put my BMI in the middle of the "normal" range, right now I'm 2 pounds away from not being overweight! I now know what I have to do too. It's a great feeling. I've put this off for 5+ years now, and just have to tell anybody that wants to lose weight that there's no time like the present! The feeling of accomplishment is awesome!

I took full body pictures of myself every 2 weeks as well and set them as my background on my computer for awhile. It helped me to actually see the results and keep me motivated.

I also used Sparkpeople.com religiously for the first month or so. I tracked every food I ate and every time I went to the gym. It held me accountable. I'd get on just to read the motivational forums if I was feeling lousy. It made a big difference for me and actually made me commited to a healthier lifestyle.

[carole]

what a fantastic result, you look wonderful, you were so pretty to begin with anyway, but i bet you are feeling on top of the world now.

I am really happy with my results so far, i now have lost 5.8kgs and i intend to keep going and hopefully loose another 7kgs,(I have not weighed at this weight for over six years, infact i am slightly lower than i was then,) I have reached my first interim goals, now two more to go and the last one is my goal weight,i am giving myself plenty of time to loose it, and i hope by xmas time to be at my goal, if not before,,i know if it comes off slower i will have a much better chance of keeping it off once and for all.

Keep at it everyone it is so worth it, i went shopping for a new pair of jeans today, as my others are nearly falling off me even with a belt,and i also spent two hours trying on clothes, most of which I would have had no chance of fitting before, not everything looked great, but they sure as heck looked a lot better than before.

I bought a long sleeved hooded top with a shiny motif on it with rock written on it in pink on black, it was for my daughter but she did not like it, i tried it on and it fits, a tad tight, but hey will be there in a few weeks, now that was a good feeling lol.

[ramanth]

Way to go Ashley!!

I completed 9 of the 12 weeks of BFL. I sabotaged myself by working out while ill during Week 9. When I went to start Week 10, my body gave out.

Instead of trying to redo the weeks I missed, I decided to start a second BFL Challenge.

I've dropped 10 pounds so far. Just a few more to go.

Before:


Today:


Tough!

[Willow Oak]

The secret?

Drink water instead of pop- I cut back on my pop intake- now it's more a treat than a thrist quencher.

I used to drink two 12-ounce cans of coke at every meal. Then I went cold turkey and started drinking only water instead. It was awful and I hated it, but within time I got used to it. Now I always drink water at every meal, and I can't stand the taste of coke. That one thing was the only adjustment I made.

And oh yeah, I dropped from 245 to 190. Now all the women want me!

By the way, I do eat less than before. I've thought about it, and I think that the coke tasted so good at the time, and I was enjoying eating so much because of it that I tended to eat more. Switching to water slowed down my eating a bit. Just a theory.