Brief introduction and question about weight loss

[ConfusedButLoved]

Hello all!

 

I wanted to introduce myself in the fitness forums since I will probably be spending most of my forum time on here. I am currently studying at home to be a nutritionist.

 

After many attempts to self motivate (and encouragement from my better half) I have finally started a long overdue diet. Well, I guess I can't technically call it a diet. I am simply trying to eat healthier food groups and trying not to eat past 7 or 8.

 

So onto my question...

I am 23 years old, 5'2, and weigh 136. My goal weight would be somewhere around 120-125. I am currently keeping my calorie count right at 1,500 a day. I am also doing light to moderate exercise like riding the crosstrainer. After some reading and research I see there is a debate about what is the best way to shed the few extra pounds. One being calorie counting (what I am currently doing) and then there is watching fat intake, low carbs, yadda yadda...

 

So what is the best way to lose weight without putting ones self on a strict next-to-impossible diet. I am not trying to lose so many pounds in so many months, I just want to find a way get in better shape and be healthier altogether along with the benefit of slimming up a bit.

 

Personal stories or expert advice would be greatly appriciated!

 

TIA!

[Tony T]

You can read every diet book in the world and pour over millions of pounds of research but when the rubber hits the road there is ONLY ONE ANSWER: Take in less calories than you consume.

 

To stay in shape, lose the weight you need by dieting and you don't have much to lose. Then exercise to stay toned and in shape and eat whatever you like....ice cream or whatever...just make sure you don't eat more than you use up in energy.

 

The average person your size uses about 2,000 calories a day. But YOU have to make that determination based on your lifestyle, your activity level each day, etc. A person who sits behind a computer all day shouldn't take in much more than 1200 (plus or minus) calories a day if they want to stay just where they are.

 

Also, I would suggest cutting your portions. The major problem with the current obesity epidemic is people eat way more at meals than they need. Restaurants serve way more than is required. Cold drinks are way larger than they need to be. You have to police your own gut and what goes into your mouth. Do a good job of that and you'll be the right weight forever.

 

I forgot to mention the eating in between meals and late at night. There are certain lite type things you can eat, like a few spoons of low fat cottage cheese or some celery,etc. if you become starved out of your mind. However, snacks seem to be the way many people end up overweight. Unconscious, in between meal and late night snacking can screw your diet to hell.

 

Good luck!

[ConfusedButLoved]

Also, I would suggest cutting your portions. The major problem with the current obesity epidemic is people eat way more at meals than they need. Restaurants serve way more than is required. Cold drinks are way larger than they need to be. You have to police your own gut and what goes into your mouth. Do a good job of that and you'll be the right weight forever.

 

Good luck!

 

That is exactly what my husband and I were talking about the other day! They give you enough for 3 meals at one sitting in some restaurants not to mention all the free bread or chips and salsa you want! I am having to stay away from some of my favorite places to eat while cutting down on my calorie intake.

 

I agree calorie counting is the best way to go altogether, just wanted some other opinions on the subject. It wasn't until I undstood what exactly a calorie was and what roles it plays that I see why watching you're intake of them is so important!

 

Thanks for the comment Tony!!

[Tony T]

That is exactly what my husband and I were talking about the other day! They give you enough for 3 meals at one sitting in some restaurants not to mention all the free bread or chips and salsa you want! I am having to stay away from some of my favorite places to eat while cutting down on my calorie intake.

 

I agree calorie counting is the best way to go altogether, just wanted some other opinions on the subject. It wasn't until I undstood what exactly a calorie was and what roles it plays that I see why watching you're intake of them is so important!

 

You don't need to stay away from your favorite eating places. Just tell them to serve you 1/3 or 1/2 the order at your table and box up the rest to go. Use self control and make sure you take the remainder home for another day. That way you stretch your eating out dollar to include MORE meals and you cut down on calories as well.

 

I have a friend who lost a ton of weight by doing that exact thing. When the food was brought to the table, he immediately asked for a doggy bag and scooped half his food right into it to be eaten at home within a few days.

 

It's critical, too, to watch out for sodium and fat content at restaurants. The way they get people to go back is to soak the food in stuff that's fattening. It just tastes good. For fun, Google some of your favorite national chain restaurants. Most of this have a nutrition section and you might be surprised to see just how many calories, fat and carbs are in your favorite meals.

 

Try going to: http://my.dietpower.com/restaurants.php Many of your favorite places will be listed there. You can scroll down just a bit and click on the links of the places you desire. If they don't have the nerve to put up nutrition information, then something smells with them.

[PositiveShine]

CBL, thanks for opening up this great thread! I am 5'4", 115-120 lbs, and am fighting to stay at this weight despite my sedentary life in my cubicle and lack of motivation to be active in my free time. I wish I could account my drop from 133 lbs to my current weight from a diet plan, but rather lost it from stress. I would love to be healthy, firm, and have a reasonable eating lifestyle . . . not know that I lost the wrong type of body weight. The scale isn't always everything by a long shot.

 

You are right on about the "non-extreme" diet, and seem to already know a lot about fitness/nutrition. I had no idea about this stuff at 23, and hope to learn more from this thread and future posts!

 

All the best.

[ConfusedButLoved]

Thanks for reminding me, Tony, that I failed to mention I am also keeping my diet low sodium. One thing that women battle with is water weight and bloating!

 

I don't plan on staying away from my favorite restaurants forever, just until I know I have more willpower under my belt. I am terrible at self controling my eating and figured the best place to start was here at home where I can control what I bring in my house. Over all I feel so much better just knowing that I am takign care of myself and not putting anything harmful into my body. My only splurge right now is Coke Zero, which probably is harmful in its own way (especially with the carbination and all that sodium) but it really is my ONLY splurge!

 

Also thanks Tony for the idea of seeing how much calories/sodium are in my favorte foods! I didn't know that was possible I'm almost scared to look! haha Now that I am aware of how many calories my body needs a day I CAN'T BELIEVE how many I was putting in it before!

 

Thanks for replying PS! Trust me I know all about stress! I have the opposite problem that you have, I eat out of boredom and stress. I would definately look up what you should do in order to eat a healthy amount with out gaining unwanted weight back. You might gain a few pounds as you're body tries to level off, but it will be from having the right nutrients in you're body and not necessarily from fat.

[PositiveShine]

Is it just me, or do we ladies always eat/not eat from emotions?? Been there as well, CBL . . . I'm sure when the stress wears off, I'll want to look to food as a reward or to relieve boredom after work!

 

I admire your drive, and hope it s contagious . I need someone to give me a kick in the rear and hold me accountable. Gym buddies are priceless, and I'm currently on the look-out.

 

Thanks for the nutritional advice! Sounds like I need to stay away from that stinky scale, haha.

[cuteblondegurl]

I went from a size 14 to a 7. Lost about 35 pounds in 4 months. I started doing cardio 5 times a week and weight training twice a week. Cardio usually consisted of jogging outdoors or doing the crosstrainer.

 

I now eat 5 small meals a day instead of 3. I do not deprive myself of good food. However, the only thing that I do not consume is fried foods.

[Jinxx]

I went from a size 14 to a 7. Lost about 35 pounds in 4 months. I started doing cardio 5 times a week and weight training twice a week. Cardio usually consisted of jogging outdoors or doing the crosstrainer.

 

I now eat 5 small meals a day instead of 3. I do not deprive myself of good food. However, the only thing that I do not consume is fried foods.

 

I was also going to suggest the cardio. Walking/running on a treadmill for a good 45 minutes a few times a week and also incorporating additional walking around your neighboorhood in your daily activities will also help.

 

Do you do any sports such as tennis/golf? Those are other activities that will get you in shape and help reach your goal. Or invest in an Indo Board. A wonderful tool to keep handy while you're watching television. It helps with balance and coordination. You'll work up a nice sweat and tone your legs and abdominals at the same time.

 

Spreading out your meals in small in portions will keep you full and satisfied as well as keep your energy level up.

 

Good luck to you!

[ConfusedButLoved]

Well it is my third week on the diet. I haven't lost any noticable weight although my clothes do seem just a taaad easier. I think that may be due to my consuming a smaller amount of sodium.

 

It is hard for me to have any time for cardio seeing as I have the kids all day and they keep me pretty busy. I have slacked a bit by not getting on the crosstrainer any this week. To be honest I am a bit discouraged. I was hoping I'd see some results by now but I really don't see anything. I have tried to stay pretty strict although I cheat a little bit here and there. I do stay pretty focused though.

 

I eat through out the day instead of eating any "meals". I'll have some Special K in the morning for breakfast and whenever I feel hungry again I will have a hand full of grapes or an orange, than an hour or so later I'll have some yogert, then maybe a sandwitch with mustard (no mayo) or some steamed veggies... I stay right in my 15,000 calories a day (before 7) and am wondering if I should lower it to 12,000. I definately need to start cardio back up.

 

I am seeing some old friends in 2 weeks and I was hoping to have slimmed up just a bit before then. It was sort of a goal but looks like unless I drop a few inches in the next 2 weeks I won't be buying any new cute clothes.

[josie54]

My guess is that you're not seeing results because you're not emphasizing exercise in your plan. I've battled my weight for years, but I don't see results unless I get on a regular exercise plan and STICK TO IT. For me, that means 5-6 days/week of exercise, an hour a day. I do 3 days cardio, 2-3 days strength training.

 

Do I always get to that frequency of exercise? No. But when I don't, I know exactly why the numbers on the scale are going up. So there's really no frustration or confusion when I gain weight--I know exactly what's going on and what needs to happen. There's really some comfort in that. And when I do stick to my exercise plan, I lose weight at a regular 1-2 pounds a week.

 

The exercise also has benefits beyond just burning calories. I find that after exercising vigorously for an hour, I'm less hungry and have to battle my appetite much less. It also makes me feel a sense of accomplishment, so I feel better, more focused, and more productive for the rest of the day. Except for overcoming that initial "I don't wanna do it" at the start, there's really no down side to exercise.

 

Also, strength training is incredibly important. It not only helps you get toned, but also builds muscle, which burns more calories.

 

Regular exercise + sensible eating. I know it's hard to do, but to lose weight, there has to be a commitment to both. It's really the only way.

[stace79]

Here's my story....

 

At my heaviest, I was at 250 pounds (5'7''). I was easily a 22/24 size dress/pants. It was horrible.

 

The first phase of weight loss, I cut way back on food. My average daily meals would be:

Breakfast: a nutrigrain bar and glass of OJ

Lunch: turkey sandwich on wheat bread with lettuce, tomato and mustard, a cup of nonfat yogurt or a piece of fruit and two snackwell's cookies

Dinner: salad with light or fat free dressing, lots of tomatoes and cucumbers and veggies like that, a chicken breast or filet of fish and lowfat pudding or two pepperidge farms milano cookies

I stopped drinking any carbonated beverages and only had water, Propel, Gatorade or sometimes Arizone iced tea

 

I started walking six days a week with my dog for at least half an hour. I was so overweight I got shin splints, my hips killed me when I was done and some days I felt like I sweat out all the liquid I drank.

 

I lost 50 pounds in six months. My doctor was amazed.

 

Since then, I have focused more on weight training which has boosted my metabolism. I still try to eat low-fat foods and watch my portions. A big help is when I go out to eat, I either share with my lunch companion or I take home half of my order. (This also helps save money on meals!!)

 

I still don't drink regular sodas, and I try to limit diet sodas to once every three to four days. I keep low calorie snacks at my desk, and a pile of Lean Cuisine meals in the freezer at work. I can have fast food once in awhile (like once a month) and not freak out about gaining a pound.

 

The most important change in my lifestyle is that I focused on my health and fitness, not my weight on a scale. I can tell I'm successful when my clothes fit looser, I don't get winded going up stairs at work and my body just looks more toned in a bathing suit.

 

I have reached 165 pounds now (this is five years since I started my "revolution"). I would like to shed another 15 pounds or so, maybe reach a size 10. I am size 12/14 now.

 

Overall my doctors are amazed that I did this and maintained it all on my own without any diet aids, classes, programs, interventions or whatever.

 

My friends who didn't know me at my "fattest" are absolutely, jaw-dropping shocked when they see old pictures of me. I asked my bf to pick me out in a photo of three people from when I weighed 250, and he said I wasn't in the photo.

 

Getting and staying healthy is the best thing anyone can do for himself....good luck.

[33chris]

There is a lot of great advice here, so Ill just chime in briefly on what has worked for me. Watching your calorie intake is key as others have said -- expend more calories than you take in and you will lose weight. I however cant stand actually counting and charting the calories for every little thing I eat, so I usually just plan my meals in advance, figure out the nutritional breakdown for each meal, and then try to stick to my meal plan. I try to keep a breakdown where 40% of my calories come from protein sources (fish, chicken breast, turkey...), 40% of my calories come from complex carb sources (sweet potatoes, brown rice, veggies!!!), and 20% come from good fat sources (olive oil for example).

 

A few other things that I personally have found critical to losing weight (for me): drink a ton of water; no sugar whatsoever (no sodas, no juice (you can eat real fruit though), certainly no candy); limited alcohol intake; and eat about 5-6 small meals evenly spaced throughout the day. The last one helps because it will boost your metabolism (since your body is being fed every 3 hours or so, it will never enter a semi-starvation mode and start storing calories as fat... instead it will keep buring calories for energy!). I would also definitely recommend some full-body strength training and cardio.

[Onelife]

One important thing is try not to focus too much on the weight but it should be about how you feel and how you fit in your clothes (the one before you start this plan).

 

I ran across this article and found it very useful.

 

http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/articles-submit/gary-matthews/4-weight-loss-tips.htm

 

I've been following these tips for about 3 months and very happy with the result. It's not the kind of advice that you will see the result overnight but if you keep up with it you will really see the good result. I've lost 4 pounds in the past month(third month) and I feel that I am going to the right direction. The first two months I hardly lost in weight and in fact had gained some as my body built up muscles which weigh more than fat! Now it starts to pay off and I feel so good with it.

 

Hope it helps.

[Phoebe]

This will probably sound crazy. Don't set goals, instead of trying to lose weight try and live healthier. Your calorie intake should diminish naturally, and you'll be exercising more.

 

I don't have the willpower (or care enough) to stick to diets, and whenever I tried to lose weight by exercising I'd feel so disappointed when I didn't lose so many pounds in so many weeks and lost my motivation. Now I jog after work with no thought of losing weight, just focusing on getting further and further out (and back!). I have lots more energy when I get home, which means I'm more active and strangely I'm not normally very hungry either. I also feel like I'm accomplishing something, when I first started jogging I couldn't get to the end of the drive without stopping for breath, now I'm going three miles!!

 

This approach is probably not going to work though if your weight is seriously bothering you now.

[Green]

If your a younger woman Id recomdend doing cardio atleast 45 minutes 5 days a week at a high pulse rate. I would urge atleast 3 days of weight training high reps, building your muscles will help you get that perfect slim toned body, and make it much easier to keep. As far as nutrition eat natural, avoid all soft drinks diet or other wise and tv dinners. Avoid High Fructose corn syrup and anything else high in sugar or fat. Eat grilled chicken, turky, vegatables, fruits, and nuts. 5 or 6 meals spread out through the day with an emphasis on big breakfasts, and not eating 4 hours before you go to sleep. Get atleast 8 hours of sleep(most people)