Weight Loss Qs

[Kristy1014]

I just posted something similar to this on the Weight Loss Thread that is posted on this Message Board.

Booked my trip for January 20th! I am going to start a new diet plan this week. What do you do to get in shape. I am hoping this trip will keep me motivated through the Holiday Season-the thought of putting on a bathing suit might make me stay away from the Holiday goodies! Anyway, I was in Jamaica in May of this year and we booked the trip very last minute-2 weeks before leaving. So I did the Atkins Diet as a quick fix and lost 10 pounds in 10 days! That is not something I could do long term. I have done Weight Watchers and I am kind of burnt out from the whole counting points thing. Anyone have a diet plan that they like? I go to the gym-I do mostly cardio. I am just looking for something different to get me motivated! Thanks!

[Roclin]

Absolutely, what you're looking for is a lifestyle change instead of looking for quick fixes. The most long staying change I made was to decide to make healthy choices and not to focus on weight loss. I lost 40 lbs over 9 months and have never put it back on... that was 6 years ago. My primary exercise has been walking during that time. 30-45 minutes a day.

The other thing you can do is start to do some resistance training instead of all cardio. Lean muscle burns considerably more calories than just doing cardio.

Good luck!!!! and have a fabulous time on our vacation!!!

ENJOY!

[jon1963]

My wife did and keeps up with the Weight Watchers program and looks great. Just pick one and keep up with it and it will stay off.

[steverandlinda]

eat less burn more via a balance of cardio and weight training
the human body has not changed much ...
eat small portions frequently
make fruits and veggies a staple minimize your white foods flour & sugar
there you go

[Ron & Rosa 25]

Kristy, we did the Rotation Diet, which has been around for years. It's calorie-based - that alone gives away its age - and is designed to last just 3 weeks. Of course most folks need to lose more weight than they could possibly hope to lose in such a short amount of time. But it's meant to serve as a springboard to any long term goal of losing a whole lotta weight, for which I need to do. In those few weeks I dropped 23 lbs and Rosa lost 9 lbs.

So what did we get out of that short term diet to take us thru the long term? And as far as I'm concerned, long term is the rest of our lives. Well, we have severely reduced our intake of:
*salt
*sugar and artificially sweetened drinks
*fats

We eat lots of vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meats & fish.
We drink lots of water - I probably average close to two gallons per day. Yes, that means many, many trips to the little boys room, but it's a small price to pay.
We try to get in about 10-12 miles per week with some brisk walking.

This formula, fueled by a huge determination to live a healthier lifestyle, has made it easy to follow. We still enjoy our little culinary diversions every now and then, but these diversions are fewer and farther between than the old days. We have a ways to go, especially me, but there ain't no stopping us now.

[LetsGooooooo]

Personally, I'm a fan of the SBD. I lost 25 lbs in just over a few months and have kept of most of it off. I still follow it, for the most part. Not that I starve or deprive myself. If i feel like having a treat I do, I just watch what I eat and cut back if I feel like I've over indulged.

[Vee]

Kristy - You are probably going to get a LOT of answers here, but.... here goes.

First, I would stop thinking like you're going to "diet". You need a lifestyle change. Diets don't work. Changing the way you eat long term DOES work.

I use WW, but I use it kind of loosely. My goal is to eat what I want, when I want, but 100% "clean." I don't eat anything that is low-fat, low-salt, sugar-free, etc etc etc. I use real olive oil, real butter, I eat bread, pasta etc. The difference is I don't eat anything that comes out of a "box" or the freezer.

Have you heard about shopping the perimeter of your grocery store? Well, in essence, that is what I do. I eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean (and some fatty) meats, chicken, fish, yogurt, dairy, whole grains, etc. What I have found in my years of eating this is that you get full much faster and you are satisfied much MUCH longer. When I was doing the low-fat, sugar-free nonsense, I would eat something, and 15 minutes later I was hungry again. I would end up consuming lots of calories and still not be satisfied.

Now if I'm hungry, I will have an apple and a little peanut butter, or a slice of cheese or a couple of almonds. And a big glass of water. And I find that not only am I not hungry anymore, but I'm satisfied.

I try to avoid sugar as much as possible -- especially hidden added sugars, but will have a little dark chocolate every evening before bed as my "treat" and I don't deprive myself of dessert if I really want it. The difference is I take the time to really ENJOY it, and I ask myself if I do REALLY want it. And it's interesting because even when I DO get dessert, many times I find that after a couple of bites, I'm good, and don't need the rest.

This method of eating is NOT going to lose you 10 lbs in 10 days, but I have steadily lost 25 lbs over the last year and a half and kept it off. I am down to 141 (I'm 5'8") and have 6 lbs left to go, and while it WON'T come off before my next trip to Couples (in 6 days...) I am confident that it WILL come off.

Please feel free to PM me if you want anymore info. veronica <at> dvdconsulting <dot> com.

And Good Luck!!

[janey]

Vary your gym workout. Do cardio on different machines and vary the intensity and time you work out for. If you can, grab a personal trainer for an hour and get him to show you some good weights. The more lean muscle you have the more calories you burn even when resting!! If you drink, cut down, or even cut out the alcohol. It worked wonders for me. And most importantly, in my opinion, don't obsess about it. Take it steady. The slower the weight comes off the longer it stays off.

[tracyl]

Vee... I love your suggestion of "shopping the perimeter". I have never heard of that. I am at a point in my life that I have gained a few pounds and it makes me sad to look in the mirror but I have not had the motivation to get it off - not even our upcoming trip ot CTI in 3 weeks. I'm not over the top - (5'9" 145 lbs) - but for my body build it's about 8 - 10 pounds too much and that is enough to make me feel not good about myself. But by reading your post, I think it has sparked a little something in me and I am going to try this... starting TODAY! No, I won't be in tip toned shape (my babies were quite large and left me with wonderful reminders everyday on my belly ), but maybe by the time we land in Jamaica, I can be a few pounds lighter and feel a little better about myself! THX!

[Pixel]

I use this web site — www.sparkpeople.com. It's a free diet and exercise tracking site with message boards, support articles and tips. I've lost some pounds, but most importantly I've lost inches, changed how I eat and gained strength. In two weeks, I am going to run my first 10K.

The plan is simple. Burn more calories than you eat. I track my food, which studies show helps people lose more and keep weight off. And I exercise for at least 180 minutes (three hours) a week, with both strength and cardio. Like others have said, it's a lifestyle change, not a diet.

[Roclin]

On a somewhat related note, here's a link to a small article on why diets fail.

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well...ost-diets-fail

[Bkhiattky]

Weight Watchers has been my saving grace, plus walking and dancing. I have turned it into my lifestyle and haven't looked back in over a year now.

[Ron & Rosa 25]

On a somewhat related note, here's a link to a small article on why diets fail.

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well...ost-diets-fail

Nice link. Five excellent points, all accurate to the Nth degree. And most importantly, I, and probably many others, have succombed to all those reasons at one time or another as to why previous attempts have ultimately failed.

If there's one major philosophical difference in my approach this time as to the others in years past, it's that I always use to look at losing weight as a diet and a temporary means to an end. This time I've faced my demons head on and recognized that it's a lifestyle change on which I've embarked, that there is no end - well at least not until I'm six feet under.

[Roclin]

Nice link. Five excellent points, all accurate to the Nth degree. And most importantly, I, and probably many others, have succombed to all those reasons at one time or another as to why previous attempts have ultimately failed.

If there's one major philosophical difference in my approach this time as to the others in years past, it's that I always use to look at losing weight as a diet and a temporary means to an end. This time I've faced my demons head on and recognized that it's a lifestyle change on which I've embarked, that there is no end - well at least not until I'm six feet under.

Good luck with your new direction Ron and Rosa 25! I'm confident you will be successful!

[Melea]

We are doing P90X! Talk about a workout! Wow!! Only a couple of weeks in and already can see a difference!

[Kristy1014]

What is P90X?
I have started to watch what I eat and kicked up my workouts. I was alwasys going to the gym and sticking to teh elliptical, this week I started running on the treadmill and I did the bike. I am trying to do it in baby steps.....pick up my intensity, next week I am going to ad abs to my cardio, etc. In the past I have tried to change everything all at once and it would last 2 weeks and I would go back to my old ways! So this time, I am trying to not be too hard on myself...and make small changes with eating and add a mix to my work out!

[Ashley]

Oh yeah! We are doing P90X and love it. We are on Phase 3 now and I'm down 15 pounds and 6% body fat :-)
Be warned though, this is a TOUGH INTENSE WORKOUT and FOOD PLAN. I'm serious, it is like an hour and 15 mins per day with the longest workout (Yoga) running at just over 1.5 hours. And yes, it goes 7 days a week.

[Melea]

Kristy1014 - were you able to find information on P90X online? If you google it I know a lot of sites will come up, probably linking directly to beachbody. I thought everyone has seen that infomercial... maybe it constantly plays here to motivate me. Haha. But it is an INTENSE workout, but fun, not boring, and I love that we are doing this together!

Ashley - way to go!! We will only be 60something days in when we go in December but I expect to see a big difference between now and then! You've gotten great results! That's awesome!

[ponyk]

I thought I would throw in my two cents about the p90x. Iam a firefighter and try to stay fit. The city I work for bought p90x for all of the stations. I am here to tell you it works. we have guys who lost up to 60 lbs. If your up for an intense workout this would definatly help you out. good luck with whatever you do.