weightloss success stories?

[BUBS]

I went through a bad break up a little over a year ago, still getting over it unfortunately. But in the process I've gained 50lbs. My weight has always fluctuated and I'm ashamed of myself for really giving in to whatever it was that I wanted at the time and using depression or heart ache or back pain as an excuse. I know losing weight wont solve my problems, but I know it certainly couldn't hurt them either. I've done TONS of diets in the past and life style changes, from water fasting, to counting calories, to cutting carbs out. I know its unrealistic to lose all of this weight by summer (3 months away) and even unrealistic to lose it by my friends annual week long beach house birthday at the end of July (5 months away) but I'd love to take whatever advice I can get, or hear some inspirational stories. I'm 5'2 and 160lbs right now.

 

Is it completely unrealistic to hope to lose 50 lbs in 5 months? What strategy's do you guys use?

[jba10582]

July 5 is 14 weeks away from today.

 

50/14 = 3.57 lbs per week = 3.57*3500= 12500 calories per week = 1785 cal per day deficit.

 

It is unrealistic to lose that much weight without really intense daily activities.

 

Most people will recommend a healthy 500 cal per day deficit, which means you lose about 14 pounds over that time period (1 lb per week) and more if you exercise with the 500 cal deficit.

[thefooloftheyear]

I went through a bad break up a little over a year ago, still getting over it unfortunately. But in the process I've gained 50lbs. My weight has always fluctuated and I'm ashamed of myself for really giving in to whatever it was that I wanted at the time and using depression or heart ache or back pain as an excuse. I know losing weight wont solve my problems, but I know it certainly couldn't hurt them either. I've done TONS of diets in the past and life style changes, from water fasting, to counting calories, to cutting carbs out. I know its unrealistic to lose all of this weight by summer (3 months away) and even unrealistic to lose it by my friends annual week long beach house birthday at the end of July (5 months away) but I'd love to take whatever advice I can get, or hear some inspirational stories. I'm 5'2 and 160lbs right now.

 

Is it completely unrealistic to hope to lose 50 lbs in 5 months? What strategy's do you guys use?

 

 

Its not doable....IMO..

 

Id say it would take a solid year to get to that type of weight loss/conditioning...maybe even more...But who cares?? No better time than right now..Every day, you will be better than the day before. Even if you only get to around 20/25 lbs by then, it will still be VERY noticeable on someone as small as you are..

 

As far as diets go, I dont favor all of the fad stuff..Forget about no carbs, starvation diets, fasting, shakes..etc..Its all nonsense, imo...You WILL get what you want by eating a reasonable amount of healthy foods and getting yourself to a gym and devloping a sensible workout regimen...DONT fall into a trap of starving yourself and working tirelessly on cardio machines...Its not the way to a nice and healthy body..Incorporate some resistance(weight) training and some cardio as well..You will develop a sound base of muscle which will resist fat and give you a far better shape than you would be able to achieve by cardio alone.

 

 

At the end you may even wind up a bit heavier than you wanted, but you will like the way you look...I promise you!

 

Good luck!

 

TFY

[jba10582]

actually that was june 5. July 5th is 18 weeks away.

[BUBS]

I'm factoring 5 months, not July 5th, the beach party is the end of July into August. Sorry for not being clear about that!

[BUBS]

So is 50 lbs in 5 months, or 10 lbs a month an unreasonable goal? Thanks for all of the replies so far, I appreciate any advice. Of course I understand that I can't force the weight to come off, and the last thing I want to do is do a crash diet. Just hoping to hear some stories, or get info on what the best approach would be.

[TaraMaiden]

Investigate 'The Fast Diet.'

That's not 'fast' as in 'quick', that's 'fast' as in 'abstain'.

It's also known as 'the 5:2 diet'.

 

I don't really like to call it a diet. I would be much happier if they referred to it as "an education in considering a healthier eating regime. But I guess that's a bit wordy...

I began this regime on June 12th 2013. By September 3rd, I had lost 28lbs.

I admit I then hit a plateau, and it took me another month or so to lose those last tenacious 5lbs! But I persevered. And it paid off....

 

Seriously Google the fast diet.

You could do worse.....

[jba10582]

haha...I create an excel spread sheet to track my own progress at times. I think of things on a weekly basis rather than monthly basis but, I still think that is really pushing it terms of weight loss. I would not say impossible but extremely difficult even with zero cheat meals and counting everything you eat from now until then.

[JamesM]

I lost forty pounds over a year. 30# was in six months. The last 10# took five more months.

 

That was over two years ago.

 

I have kept off 35 to 39# of the forty consistently. My BMI is at 22/23.

 

Today as I type, I am 38# less than the highest point when I began my diet.

 

I went to the doctor for a physical a few weeks back, and my weight was 32# less since my last physical which was four years ago (and not at my highest weight level). My cholesterol had dropped 30 points My HDL went up and my LDL went down. My blood sugar went from pre-diabetes to normal (105 to 90). All of the other numbers were better, too. Since I regulate my blood pressure at home, I know that it has dropped from a little high down into the normal range. He was amazed and very happy that someone listened to his "life change" lecture...which was one of my first wakeup calls.

 

Why did I do it?

 

My motive was first health and then became looks as I realized that men my age don't usually look slim.

 

What did I do?

 

I simply adjusted my diet so that I could live with it. As hard as this sounds or as easy as it reads, it isn't either. It simply involves finding what works for you. After a bit of adjusting, the plan becomes easy provided you can sick with it. If it doesn't work, then adjust it so that it fits you and your lifestyle.

 

I began drinking meal replacement shakes once or twice a day. And my snacks were protein bars or similar snacks that were low in sugar and higher in protein. Since I like my coffee, I needed snacks that worked with it. At suppertime, I simply watched the amount I ate and not what I ate. In the evening instead of high sugar snacks, I ate some high protein yogurt a couple of hours before bedtime.

 

BUT....I allowed myself more leeway on the weekend. I had that favorite snack on Friday night. I had a higher carb breakfast. I enjoyed the brownie with my coffee. By doing this, I never felt like I gave up anything. I simply had a reason to look forward to my weekends.

 

Two years later, I am still following the same plan and am not sick of it. Along the way, I have changed some details such as protein bar brands, meal replacement shake brands, and changed to a small lunch instead of a shake.

 

What do I think is the main reason I was able to lose weight?

 

Obviously, I needed the diet change. And I also have exercised, but I did that before I lost the weight. But there is one more thing that many people do not do and resist which for me was the most helpful thing I did.

 

I weighed myself twice a day every day. In the morning, I weighed myself. And in the evening, I weighed myself. Why? Because by knowing what I weighed each day, I learned what made my weight go up and down. I learned what days my weight went up or down. I learned what worked and what didn't. And I recorded every weight in a book.

 

I still do this every day. When I forget for a period of time, then I soon learn that I can forget to watch what I eat.

 

Is it restricting?

 

Somewhat. But the rewards are great.

 

I feel so much better than I did two years ago. I have more energy. I look so much healthier and better...or so I am told. I fit in clothes that I haven't worn since I was first married almost 25 years ago.

 

Does it take discipline?

 

Of course.

 

What happens if I slip?

 

You gain weight, and you begin all over. BY knowing what your weight is, you learn what works. You feel you have the resources to gain control over it again when you do slip. You don't feel that it is hopeless at all. You gain a little on vacation, knowing that when you get back, you will simply follow your plan and lose it again.

 

You can do the same if it works for you. It did for me.

 

What is my biggest fear?

 

That I will return to my heavy weight again.

 

How do I avoid this?

 

I weigh myself every day.

Edited February 27, 2014 by JamesM

[BUBS]

Thanks guys, I'm loving the feedback.

 

Tara- I did a 17 day water fast that was unsuccessful and I did actually attempt doing interminnent fasting but I always caved and ate wayyy too much. Maybe I will look into trying it again though. Your results are amazing!

 

J- I know its far fetched, and it would require something I lack a lot of lately which is discipline. I highly doubt I can shed 10 lbs a month after the water weight is dropped, but I know its technically possible. Your feedback is great. I have a hard time not setting long term goals for myself, and landmarks like beach parties always seem to whip people into shape. I just dont know where to begin.

 

I cut out soda this week, and reduced my portion sizes. Normally all I was eating was fast food, chocolate, bread, and garbage, so I've also been packing my lunches and breakfasts and snacks, though I cant say I dont cheat here and there, my focus is moderation, and avoiding bad carbs like white bread, things of that sort.

[BUBS]

Thank you James for your inspirational story. When you say you gave yourself a little freedom on the weekends, would consider that a cheat weekend, or just specific meals?

[ctxinfl]

I went through a bad break up a little over a year ago, still getting over it unfortunately. But in the process I've gained 50lbs. My weight has always fluctuated and I'm ashamed of myself for really giving in to whatever it was that I wanted at the time and using depression or heart ache or back pain as an excuse. I know losing weight wont solve my problems, but I know it certainly couldn't hurt them either. I've done TONS of diets in the past and life style changes, from water fasting, to counting calories, to cutting carbs out. I know its unrealistic to lose all of this weight by summer (3 months away) and even unrealistic to lose it by my friends annual week long beach house birthday at the end of July (5 months away) but I'd love to take whatever advice I can get, or hear some inspirational stories. I'm 5'2 and 160lbs right now.

 

Is it completely unrealistic to hope to lose 50 lbs in 5 months? What strategy's do you guys use?

 

I don't think 50 in three months is realistic, though 30 certainly is. The key thing to keep in mind is to not treat weight loss as a diet. Your mindset needs to be that "This is the way I'm going to live from this day forward." You need to exercise and eat well. Eating well doesn't mean eating very little; it means eating enough and eating quality food.

[ctxinfl]

Also, if you don't mind spending the money it isn't a bad idea to invest in a pre-written program. I used P90x (I more or less still do.) when I wanted to drop weight. It works really well, though there is no magic behind it: eat right and exercise. You can certainly create a program yourself, though the nice thing about a program like P90x is that it is already laid out for you. Aside from tweaking the diet it is ready to go.

[TaraMaiden]

Thanks guys, I'm loving the feedback.

 

Tara- I did a 17 day water fast that was unsuccessful and I did actually attempt doing interminnent fasting but I always caved and ate wayyy too much. Maybe I will look into trying it again though. Your results are amazing!

Well I did 500 calories for 2 48-hour periods/week, but I arranged these periods as I wanted to..... The remaining time I stuck to around 1200 calories/day. If circumstances made me exceed that limit, I just adjusted the following day.

Yes, it takes willpower and self-discipline; you have to want this enough. But I think you do.....;

[BUBS]

I do have p90x, I borrowed it from a friend though hes eager for me to return it as I've had it for over a year and never been able to do more than a week of it. So I'm not sure if I could get the full 90 day program out of it before having to return it. But thanks for the advice, maybe I will try to write down which workouts he does and the amount of minutes per, and just follow the routine even after I return it if I can motivate myself to push that hard.

 

Tara- thats a good plan, I'll def have to look into it and see if maybe another go will do some justice this time around.

 

The most effective diet or weightloss regime I ever tried in reality was a hybrid of the Atkins diet, and using p90x a few times a week not following entirely. But I love bread and sweets so I fell back into the same routine the second my break up occurred. The funny thing was that it actually took ALOT to put the weight back on, I was very careless, when I expected doing a diet with such low amount of carbs and working out like that would lead to me ballooning up rather quickly after faltering.

[ctxinfl]

motivate myself

 

Those are the keywords. You have to motivate yourself. No program or diet will work if you don't motivate yourself.

 

1. Exercise. Use a combination of cardio (Don't overdue it. I do cardio once a week; sometimes two. That's it.), resistance training, stretching, and flexibility.

 

2. Eat well. This does not mean starving yourself. It means eating quality foods and taking in enough calories to fuel your workouts as well as your normal daily requirements.

 

3. Give yourself a cheat day once a week. Don't go whole hog on the cheat day, though relax your dietary restrictions. But the rest of the week you need to avoid candy, potato chips, soda, etc.

 

That's all there is to losing weight. It's a VERY simple formula. If you can motivate yourself.

[thefooloftheyear]

I do have p90x, I borrowed it from a friend though hes eager for me to return it as I've had it for over a year and never been able to do more than a week of it. So I'm not sure if I could get the full 90 day program out of it before having to return it. But thanks for the advice, maybe I will try to write down which workouts he does and the amount of minutes per, and just follow the routine even after I return it if I can motivate myself to push that hard.

 

Tara- thats a good plan, I'll def have to look into it and see if maybe another go will do some justice this time around.

 

The most effective diet or weightloss regime I ever tried in reality was a hybrid of the Atkins diet, and using p90x a few times a week not following entirely. But I love bread and sweets so I fell back into the same routine the second my break up occurred. The funny thing was that it actually took ALOT to put the weight back on, I was very careless, when I expected doing a diet with such low amount of carbs and working out like that would lead to me ballooning up rather quickly after faltering.

 

Its not about food..No weightloss program is effective without exercise, IMO....

 

A friend of mine lost 45 lbs last year, but did no exercise...He looked better with the extra 45 lbs...Im dead serious..He looks like a deflated balloon...Wide hips and narrow shoulders...etc...He may be a bit more "healthy", but I do wonder how healthy he really is...If I didnt know him, Id think he was sick..

 

The beauty of being involved in a regular exercise program is that you don't have to necessarily limit the amount of food you eat, so long as its a clean diet...That makes it easier to stick to it, rather than walking around all day starving to death..Thats how people fall off the wagon, and gain the weight right back..

 

Stick with the exercise..The P90 isnt bad, but you'd be better off in a gym that has some weight equipment to mix it up..

 

.02

 

TFY

[JamesM]

Thank you James for your inspirational story. When you say you gave yourself a little freedom on the weekends, would consider that a cheat weekend, or just specific meals?

 

I "cheated" on certain snacks that mattered to me and I ate "normally." I did watch portions.

 

I still do the same thing.

 

The weekend is simply a different meal plan from the week.

 

I don't consider it cheating because it is part of the lifestyle that works for me. I simply eat differently on the weekends. I don't gorge or binge on foods, but I eat more of what I like. From Monday through Friday, I follow a different plan. Occasionally, I "cheat" on my weekly plan (and that I call cheating), but I don't feel the need to because I know that on Friday, I can eat what I miss now. If I simply said no more sweets (as an example) and no more evening snack (which was a big thing for me), then I don't know that I could stick to this plan.

 

And the key for me (which is controversial for some but I feel strongly is crucial for the success of any weight loss/maintenance is weighing myself daily.

[JamesM]

Its not about food..No weightloss program is effective without exercise, IMO....

 

Disagree based on many years of experience with exercise and weight loss.

 

It is ALL about the food....and much less about the exercise.

 

Actually, it is simply this.....

 

What goes in must be burned...or it stays.

 

BUT....many, many times myself and my wife have exercised without losing much or any weight at all. Why? Because we did not cut down the amount of food taken in compared to the amount being burned.

 

It is important to exercise for your health. On that we agree. It is not necessary to exercise to lose weight. I rarely do cardio and hate it. I enjoy lifting and do it (when I follow my schedule) four times a week. The muscles give me strength to do more during the week. It gives me energy to get off my behind and do stuff. But it by itself doesn't help me lose weight.

 

If you eat what you burn, then you lose. If you eat more than you burn, you gain.

[jba10582]

Well, I think it's awesome that you want to get started, no matter what your motivation is. I think once you get the momentum going also, not only will it feel better and you will feel better, but you'll be happy with the results. Don't get too caught up on trying to push for really high goals, go with what you, and your body is comfortable with and it will adapt. If you are losing weight over the long trend others will notice especially if they haven't seen you in a while.

[thefooloftheyear]

Disagree based on many years of experience with exercise and weight loss.

 

It is ALL about the food....and much less about the exercise.

 

Actually, it is simply this.....

 

What goes in must be burned...or it stays.

 

BUT....many, many times myself and my wife have exercised without losing much or any weight at all. Why? Because we did not cut down the amount of food taken in compared to the amount being burned.

 

It is important to exercise for your health. On that we agree. It is not necessary to exercise to lose weight. I rarely do cardio and hate it. I enjoy lifting and do it (when I follow my schedule) four times a week. The muscles give me strength to do more during the week. It gives me energy to get off my behind and do stuff. But it by itself doesn't help me lose weight.

 

If you eat what you burn, then you lose. If you eat more than you burn, you gain.

 

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree..And I might just have more experience than you do...but I dont want to start a pissing contest..

 

 

Sure, desert anyone on an island and theyll waste away to nothing..What does that prove??

 

A body that has little or no muscle mass will be a fat magnet...Its a proven fact. And no diet will work in the long term if its just crackers and celery stalks....500 calories a day is just dumb..

 

I was never fat, but before getting back into the gym, I could gain 15 lbs or so pretty easily eating around 3000 cals a day, yet now that I have a lot of muscle mass and train regularly, I currently eat between 6000 and 7000 calories a day of clean food and only slowly gain muscle mass and NO fat....If your theory was correct I should be fat as a horse. (I'm 5'6" and currently weigh 210 with a bodyfat around 12%-14% or so...which is pretty lean.)

 

No one I know that loses weight without a good exercise plan ever keeps it off....Like I said...If you dont move around you just become a magnet for fat deposits..

 

TFY

[jba10582]

Lyle McDonald has a very good website that has a lot of good free information on fat loss, muscle gain, nutrition ect.

 

Lyle McDonald - Bodyrecomposition

[regine_phalange]

My brother lost about 28 kgs with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and portion control (he used to eat a LOT, then he started eating normal portions). Now he gained some kgs again, but because he is building muscle mass. There is also this website Before And After Fat Loss where some of the people who upload photos say their tips.

[jba10582]

My brother lost about 28 kgs with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and portion control (he used to eat a LOT, then he started eating normal portions). Now he gained some kgs again, but because he is building muscle mass. There is also this website Before And After Fat Loss where some of the people who upload photos say their tips.

 

 

Are some of the after pics considered SFW?

[regine_phalange]

Are some of the after pics considered SFW?

 

Hmm, most of them yes,but some no! Keep that for later.