Any DUers have success losing weight? What worked for you?

[mahina]

I know the standard less calories in than out, and that is a given. Beyond that, anyone have
actual success, and how?

I love activity, love excercise, don't eat junk food, never go to fast food places, hardly ever have desert and if I do it's just a bite...but it's creeping up steadily, and it's a problem. Hoping to learn the results of all the good hearts and minds out there.

Thanks and aloha.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. A tummy tuck.

Seriously.

:hide:

[Skittles]

83. I prefer diet and exericse to surgery

[Manifestor_of_Light]

118. Didn't work.

I was of normal weight in high school. I gained weight very gradually over the decades.

I have a dead thyroid and take Armour thyroid. I take twice as much thyroid as most people think and I have a malabsorption problem with it. The amount that would give most people bulging eyeballs and a racing heart doesn't make me hyperactive.

I have a very slow metabolism. When I went on a doctor-supervised low calorie diet I lost about five pounds and stopped because my metabolism slows down even more. This was a bariatric physician that supervised me. I had to skip breakfast one morning and go to her office for a blood draw. They took the blood and I damn near passed out. I then realized that I was starving to death and never went back to her again. I don't think diets work. The only one that helped me lose weight was South Beach (NO carbs, nothing but protein and good fats) but I couldn't stay on it, I was hungry and craved carbs.

My mother spent my childhood urging me to eat and swore I did not eat enough to keep a bird alive, and it was NOT junk food either.

I suspect I have a lot of inflammation and my adrenals don't work. I also don't produce any testosterone that I can tell, which burns fat and builds muscle (I'm female). Both men and women produce testosterone.

And for all the perfect people on DU who talk about "rare metabolic problems", there are 40 million people in the U.S. who have an underfunctioning thyroid and it is often misdiagnosed as depression, and undertreated, and treated with ineffective meds (Synthroid). I've argued with a bunch of doctors about natural (Armour) thyroid and they want to put me on Synthroid which doesn't work. I really don't want to stop taking thyroid and get near going into a coma, which once happened to me when an idiot doc took me OFF thyroid for several years.

Then there are other metabolic problems like diabetes, low blood sugar, adrenal fatigue, and autoimmune diseases that aggravate or cause those metabolic problems. I don't know how many people in the U.S. have autoimmune diseases but I'm sure it's in the tens of millions. I have serious allergies and asthma. My dead thyroid was caused by an autoimmune disease forty-five years ago.

Hell, I was deathly ill with bacterial pneumonia and bronchitis & sinus infections off and on for about six years, and hardly ate anything and barfed up mucus on a regular basis. My immune system was destroyed by stress from my job and a horribly nagging husband, and I crashed. It took about 10 years before I stopped getting a sinus infection about once a month.

I only lost about five pounds.

Regulation of weight is complex and the docs still don't understand all of it.

Read up on "metabolic syndrome" or "syndrome X".

Read up on thyroid disorders and their vast prevalence at www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Educate yourself and stop beating up on overweight people.

:grr: :banghead:

On EDIT:
The suggestions further down in the thread about exercising and eating right, eating several small meals a day and drinking water and so forth are all GOOD. However, I have done those things and could not nearly enough to get to my ideal healthy weight. I hate fatty meat, too much salt and spice, and snacks. I don't eat any frozen dinners and mostly cook from scratch.

My mother and my grandmother used to yell at me at the dinner table about not eating enough. I don't have an eating disorder, I just have some serious food allergies (shellfish, tomatoes, bell peppers, spicy peppers) and an aversion to crappy cooking, greasy and spicy foods.

I have always been a picky eater and the older I get the more picky I am.

[mahina]

121. Loved your post, thank you.

I take 125 mcg Sythroid, down from 225 this year. Didn't know that the natural kind works better. Asthma- check. Inflammation and allergies- check. I sure would like to talk with you some more, it sounds like you have things figured out.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

168. Please go to this site:

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Patient experiences much like mine. Mary Shomon is the internet expert on thyroid trouble.

I'm not sure if I have things figured out, but I'm trying to figure them out. Iodine is not good for people who already have a dead thyroid.

My mother was diagnosed with the same (Hashimoto's disease) thing I was, at the same age, back in the 1930s and was put on Armour Thyroid.

My mother's sister has one-half of her gland that works and one half that doesn't. Two of her daughters who are always slim and cheerful have normal thyroid. The two that have always been pudgy and grumpy have a dead thyroid. Why am I not surprised????

And my mother's mother was blessed with an overactive thyroid. She was an overachiever before they invented the word, and she thought everyone else was lazy. We didn't bounce out of bed at 6:30 am and turn the radio on blaring to do those "farm chores". :grr:

[kimmerspixelated]

133. Just a suggestion

Most thyroid disorders are a result of iodine deficiencies. I've heard of Nascent Iodine and Iodoral or sea kelp doing wonders to help the the thyroid stimulate it's own hormones.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. It's good that you already know.

Because that's how you do it.

You work your body, and consume fewer calories than you used to...Voila! You lose weight.

But here's the secret: Don't go on a diet.

You need to do what you can live with over the long haul. If you go on a diet, then you can come off it. Change how you live.

I did that, and I lost 50 pounds over about 10 years. Yes, that's a long time, but that's how it went on.

I was rarely hungry, and I almost never felt deprived.

Good luck! You can do it too!

:hug:

[elocs]

55. When I worked at the zoo each of the animals had a diet.

It was what they ate all the time and not what they were fed to cause them to lose weight. So unless a person's "diet" is what they will continue to eat they will eventually regain weight when they resume their old "diet".

[RagAss]

3. No bread.

[msongs]

6. nothing made from flour......

breads, pasta, etc. cuz what goes on bread? fat, oil, meat, grease. What goes on pasta usually? fat, oil, meat, grease.
whole grains like wheat, good. and yummy tho gives yer teeth a good workout.
and anything with added sugars.

btw sugar coated cereal = flour + sugar lol

Msongs

[Sebastian Doyle]

16. And avoid anything with high fructose corn poison in it.

It's a fast track straight to the fat cells, by way of the bloodstream (which is how it spikes the blood sugar)

[stanwyck]

143. The refined sugar industry currently has an ad running

(it's on every morning on MSNBC) under sugarscam.com, which claims that all sugar is the same: corn syrup, carotene, honey, etc. AND, as usual with the rightwing, there is a LITTLE truth there. The body DOES process sugar from different sources in a similar matter. BUT, as you note, the spike to the blood is from refined sugar, NOT the natural sugars in fruits and vegetables. Also, refined sugars are notorious for the company they keep: empty calories, generally fat and flour, as in cookies, doughnuts. At least when you eat a carrot, you get fiber and vitamins. Oddly, the "sugarscam" ads don't mention this.

[LaPera]

88. dupe.

[alittlelark]

63. +1

[Lorien]

173. Whole grain bread only. Avoiding all carbs is absurd; your body requires

"good", complex carbs to function properly. Read Dr, Andrew Weil, Dr. Mark Hyman, even Susan Sommers books. Whole foods, including whole grains, are essential to good health unless you are wheat or gluten intolerant...and then you should still be consuming brown rice.

[Obamanaut]

4. Several things. Use smaller plates - dinner plates have grown

larger over the years.

With the smaller plates, use smaller portions, and don't get seconds.

Eat four or five times a day rather than three full meals, spreading the entire days food ration over those 4 - 5 small meals.

Don't eat anything after two hours before bedtime.

Drink lots of water. Limit sweetened beverages.

Keep a journal of every single morsel that passes your lips. Add the calories for those morsels.

Check out this chart for calories and fat content http://www.ntwrks.com/~mikev/chart1.html At the bottom there are different ways to sort the entries.

edited to add if you give yourself a treat, such as a cookie, make it last. I can make one fig newton last for seven bites. Chew it till there is nothing left before taking another bite of that delicious fig newton. And exercise a little more - walking is good.

[greytdemocrat]

5. As you get older...

I used to be able to eat anything, any amounts, when I was in my 20's 30's. My
metabolism was just running hotter I guess. Now, I find I have to hit the gym many
times a week and still...LOL.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. It's true that your metabolism slows down as you get older...

Exercise helps increase that.

[greytdemocrat]

9. Hee,hee.

Well, it's an excuse I use and I'm sticking to it. :D

[Writer]

7. The South Beach diet and moderate exercise.

I've lost 20 lbs. since February and my husband has lost 35 or so.

[tosh]

25. South Beach works best for me, too. nt.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

86. Had good success with South Beach

Lost 90 lbs on that one.

Still it's taken some decdication on my part to keep it off.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

90. Lost Almost 100 lbs on South Beach.........

........over the course of a year. That was a good 3-4 years ago, and most of the weight is back. I just got back on a diet/exercise plan that incorporates parts of South Beach, along with cutting of portion size, and exercise. The weight is starting to come off, but it's much slower now that I'm older and can't work out as vigorously.

Another thing you might try is Alli. Essentially, they leech fat out of your meals, so if you use them in addition to a diet/exercise program, they'll help keep you from digesting a portion of the fat you eat.

Combine everything and you should have good success losing weight.

[patrice]

10. My daughter has had great success by eating small amounts of fresh fruits & vegetables 5 times @ day

small amounts of meat once a day, as a flavoring mostly

no sugar, no corn, no rice, other grains that are sprouted only, any nuts you want

about a gallon of water a day

she did not exercise, but she has started an exercise program in order to tone up.

[travelingtypist]

11. When I quit drinking diet soda

I lost about ten pounds. I replaced Dt Mt Dew and Diet Pepsi (and lo-carb Monsters) with cold-brew tea sweetened with Splenda. It's darndest thing. Still can't figure it out. It helped my pocketbook, too.

[wickerwoman]

34. Diet soda makes me ravenously hungry.

Usually after I eat, I'm not really hungry again for three or four hours but if I drink diet coke with the meal, I'm starving again an hour later.

I don't know what it is, but I've definitely noticed it too.

It might not have any calories, but something in their screws with your sense of hunger and probably causes you to overeat a little.

[GoCubsGo]

113. They fill me up...

Of course, that all goes away when I belch. I never noticed increased hunger after drinking soft drinks. I'm trying to cut back, and I find that I'm just as satisfied with a can of seltzer. For me, it's more the carbonation than the flavorings. Probably a good thing, as those Diet Cokes I love so much are not good for one's teeth and bones.

[Thickasabrick]

12. I count carbs - works for me. nt

[Stinky The Clown]

13. A heart attack

Convinced me to drop a few pounds.

Also to quit smoking.

Nothing like having a drink with the Grim Reaper to get one's attention.

[kestrel91316]

14. Have somebody steal your car when your income is insufficient to

replace it. Works for me!

:rofl:

Walking and bicycling everywhere, and too depressed to eat for a few weeks. But I look GREAT, now!!

[Juche]

15. LOL

Finding out someone you were deeply in love with had gotten married can cause you to drop 30 pounds in 2 months.



Also, try to eat as much soluble fiber, insoluble fiber and casein protein as you possibly can for breakfast, and eat some more for lunch. Stuff yourself at breakfast you can. It can help stabilize blood sugar throughout the day.

Here is a study on police officers who ate either no protein, whey protein or casein protein for breakfast and lunch. The casein group lost 3x more fat than the non-protein group, and almost 2x as much as the whey group.

http://www.illpumpyouup.com/articles/whey-protein-vs-casein-protein.htm

IS CASEIN WHEY BETTER?
If you’ve been on the whey bandwagon, I think the results of this study are going to surprise you. All of the participants lost bodyfat. Even the control group decreased their bodyfat from 27% to 25% with the very modest diet they were put on. To put this in perspective, although officers in all the groups had been eating fewer than the number of calories they actually needed before the study began, their food choices and eating patterns had been poor (please, no doughnut jokes).

The group that consumed the whey supplement in addition to exercising went from 27% to 23% bodyfat, while the exercise plus casein group dropped from 26% to 18% over the 12 weeks. The average amount of fat loss was 2.5, 4.2 and 7 kg in the control, whey and casein groups, respectively for all three groups, that’s a high amount of fat loss in such a short time.


http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/weight_loss_healthy_breakfast

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617142920.htm

The first half of the eight-month study focused on weight loss, and the last four months on weight maintenance. At four months, the women on the strict low-carb diet dropped an average of about 28 pounds, and the women on the big-breakfast diet lost nearly 23 pounds on average, which according to Jakubowicz was not significantly different. But at 8 months, the low-carb dieters regained an average of 18 pounds, while the big-breakfast group continued to lose weight, shedding another 16.5 pounds.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312115053.htm

Boosting calcium consumption spurs weight loss, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the British Journal of Nutrition, but only in people whose diets are calcium deficient.

[laughingliberal]

142. The information on casein is interesting

May be the reason for the studies showing those who consume 24 oz of dairy products in a 24 hour period burn fat faster. This was one of those things noticed by accident but was duplicated in every study on which it was done. Has been something of a mystery but I noticed a few months ago I started craving milk a lot. Nothing else in my diet changed but I lost 5 lbs in 2 weeks. Perhaps it's the casein.

[emulatorloo]

17. 5 small meals a day, protein every meal, low- glycemic carbs, good fats

Otherwise known as http://www.zonediet.com/

Easy once you get the hang of it. Will change your life fot the better.

I stopped having to take my diabetes meds after a month, and trust me I took a lot of diabetes meds.

Lost a lot of weight, feel great. If I can do it anybody can.

[Obamanaut]

19. It's true. I no longer take blood pressure meds or cholesterol meds.

My wake up call was a bleeding stomach ulcer that the doctor said was life threatening. My post 4 (slightly up thread) lists what I did, similar to what you described.

Good for you on your weight loss! :yourock:

[wickerwoman]

18. Some resources:

I really like www.sparkpeople.com. It has free calorie and exercise trackers and lots of good motivational tools. And it's totally free (but a little slow sometimes thanks to heavy traffic). I make myself log every calorie on sparkpeople. It gives you a much better awareness of where you're going wrong with your eating (700 calories for a slice a Costco pizza!) and there will be a lot of times when you're considering an extra popsicle but the extra effort of going online and logging it will make you think again.

South Beach worked great for me (lost 70 pounds and kept it off for 3 years) but when I changed jobs it became impossible to keep up with it. No processed foods = virtually no convenience foods = cooking *all* the time = impractical for a busy schedule (unless you can afford to eat out a lot and only buy meat and vegetables from restaurants).

Volumetrics is a little more sane and has *great* recipes. I'd use it if you need a little more structure than just sparkpeople alone.

Good luck!

[justgamma]

42. I'll second the Sparkpeople resources.

I've lost 110# in the last year and a half. Tracking your food is the key. Then you can see what you need to do and tweak your diet.

My main suggestion is don't talk yourself into eating things you don't need. I was standing at the concession machine staring at a Snickers bar when I started this journey. Thinking about how it tasted and smelled and felt in my mouth. Walked away and patted myself on the back for talking myself out of it. Then it hit me. I stood there and tried to talk myself into eating it. After that, it got so much easier to stay with the healthy eating.

[Lars39]

44. I've been interested in that site...

can you plug in the ingredients to recipes and get nutritional data? I'd like to see if any of my recipes are acceptable now.

[wickerwoman]

47. Yep.

Log into your account. Then go to the Healthy Lifestyle tab and then down to sparkrecipes.com. Choose the recipe calculator. You can input any recipe you want and it will give a full nutritional analysis (and you can add it to your meal tracking).

[Lars39]

50. Thanks!

:hi:

[Blue_In_AK]

66. That looks like a good link.

Thank you.

[Liberal_in_LA]

77. That Costco pizza. Yumm. and so cheap. lol

[mia]

103. Thank you . Lots of good info there.

I just joined www.sparkpeople.com.

[Codeine]

20. You can never, ever, ever lose weight.

Nothing will ever take it off, and no amount of moderating your food intake will impact your weight in any fashion.

At least that's what DU has taught me over the years. ;)

[rucky]

70. There's nothing you can do about it, and it's all your fault.

Wisdom from DU.

[Mind_your_head]

21. Lots of great suggestions. I'll add another

Make ONE CHANGE in your diet and stick with it, like giving up soda-pop (pure HFCS in a bottle) or eating an apple or banana before you go for that cookie (maybe you won't want the cookie after all?!) Once you've got that change down, then make another progression, etc.

Something that is helpful for *me*, is that I often have a glass of tomato/V-8 juice (or sometimes a cup of chicken broth if that sounds better) about a 1/2 hour or more before my meal. It really helps curb my appetite - the 1/2 hour or more part is essential.

[tabbycat31]

22. a few things

1) drink a full glass of water before every meal
2) Cook from scratch whenever possible and know what's in your foods
3) Try to avoid HFCS (easier said than done)
4) Use a smaller plate
5) portion control.

[GoCubsGo]

115. A couple more things to add...

5a) Measure/weigh what you put on your plate, and then...
5b) Write down everything you eat. Get a a calorie book or visit a site like www.calorieking.com and calculate your caloric intake.

Most people would be amazed at just how much they're really eating in a day.

[RB TexLa]

23. Turkey bacon and two eggs for breakfast, skip lunch, workout, turkey, fish or grilled chicken for

dinner.

Skip eating two or three days a week. Works great. Also keeps you from giving as much of your money to other people for food.

[Thickasabrick]

153. Sounds like low carb. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. Eat when you are hungry, don't when you are not

don't eat in front of the TV, or when readying et al

EAT SLOWLY, at least 20 minutes

And of course chew your food... your mother was right on that, at least 20 times

Oh and there are NO forbidden foods, unless of course you happen to have dietary needs for medical reasons.

As to exercise... park away from the store and WALK.

Get a pedomoeter and try to hit 10K steps\day.

Oh and I have lost 50+ pounds and kept them off already for three years +.

Oh and variety is the spice of life, but that goes without saying.

Of course I have chosen to take out of the diet HFCS... and other additives, but that is about it.

[Codeine]

27. Why the chewing?

I never got that. What's it do to assist weight loss?

If I chew most food twenty times I feel like I'll hurl.

[Hippo_Tron]

37. It takes your body a while to realize it is full

I don't particularly like chewing 20 times either and I'm kind of a naturally fast eater. What I do alternatively is wait about 10 minutes or so to decide if I really want seconds or desert.

[Codeine]

39. Now that makes sense.

I eat slowly anyway -- i generally nibble a meal as I do other things.

[nadinbrzezinski]

56. I had to teach myself to slow down

funny thing, I was a slow eater growing up... but as a medic eat or forgo lunch... if the alarm went, well that was it. So I learned to eat military style.

Took me almost ten years to break that habit... and it took things like putting my fork down between bytes, and consciously eating slowly.

:rofl:

It is also standard advise by those in the know since it takes the brain about twenty minutes to get the signal... hey you HAD ENOUGH.

Funny if I eat too fast, boy I pay for it these days.

[Dorian Gray]

98. It actually helps you eat slower

The longer you chew, the longer it takes to eat. And then you start to feel full before the meal is over.

I think some people claim it makes digestion easier, too. I don't know about that. But I do believe it helps you take longer to eat, thus feeling full before you finish all the morsels of food on your plate.

[UndertheOcean]

26. This really works ,try it out : Eat Less , move more.

[mahina]

127. Let me guess: you don't have to work on it.

I used to be an aerobics instructor, my ex was a lifeguard, and when I was fit I thought it was easy. It was easy because I was fit.

No thyroid, a baby and ten tons of stress, no time to even go for a walk around the block? Watch what happens.

I have time now to get back into the joy of moving and I love it, as mentioned earlier.

Thanks for your comment.

[Lorien]

174. Yeah, tell that to a person with Graves disease

or one of the many other conditions that effect millions by causing weight gain. weight is a far more complex issue than those who have never struggled with it realize. It's like someone telling you "So you're depressed? Then just decide NOT to be depressed. See? Simple!"

[Tesha]

28. There are plenty of good suggestions up above; I'll add one more and an observation.

My suggestion: Walk, a lot. Mr. Tesha's been doing 4-ish miles most days
and its made a big difference for him. I can't go as far as he can, but it's
helped me, too.

An observation: Even a small change in your diet can make a big difference
when you keep up that change over time. Example: a twelve-ounce can of
Mountain Dew is about 180 calories. 7 cans of Mountain Dew is 1260 calories
so if you simply eliminate a daily can of Mountain Dew from your food intake
and make no other changes, you will lose one pound of weight every three
weeks.

Tesha

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

29. Stop eating the second you aren't hungry anymore.

Instead of when you are full. Drink nothing but water.

[Rabrrrrrr]

30. Watch the fat, eat from the outside of the grocery store (produce, dairy, meat), exercise

and change up the foods from day to day - if the body is confused, it will burn more calories.

And drink enough water.

And eat more veggies than carbs or meat. Lots of good, green veggies.

And stay the hell away from "diets" and other fad bullshit, like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers or other crap. That shit's just expensive tasteless garbage for morons.

Just eat natural, watch the fat, confuse the body, and exercise.

Without the exercise, you won't get far.

[Codeine]

31. "if the body is confused, it will burn more calories"

What on earth? How is that supposed to work? "OMG I've never seen baba ganoush before, better burn some extra calories!"

That sounds really, really absurd.

[Rabrrrrrr]

36. If the body gets used to consuming the same thing, it doesn't need to burn as much energy to do it.

Same with exercise - if one keeps changing speeds, and the muscles one is working on, the body can't "get used to it", and so burns more energy in the activities.

Obviously, the body has no mental capacity to be confused - I'm speaking purely metaphorically here.

[Codeine]

38. Any links that might support this assertion? nt

[Rabrrrrrr]

41. No, just the stuff I read and learn from my nutritionist.

Believe or not - doesn't matter to me. We're only talking a few percentage points at most, anyway.

Nothing to get one's undies all twisted up about.

[Codeine]

45. Fair enough.

Bit too confrontational of late -- I should stop watching Gordon Ramsay. :rofl:

:hi:

[Gwendolyn]

96. Just google muscle confusion principle. Many athletes use it. Here's one link:

http://www.articlealley.com/article_802946_23.html

Same idea applies for dieting. A woman might alternate between ingesting 1000, 1200, and 1800 per week. Keeps the body from switching into starvation mode and psychologically too, it's easier on a person.

[Codeine]

107. I understand muscle confusion. Seems to work.

And varying the amount of calories seems logical. Food confusion, however, seems absurd.

[Gwendolyn]

114. Ahhh! I read the poster's comments as caloric confusion.

The body doesn't seem to be confused by types of foods at all. Anyway, it certainly seems to know what to do with copious amounts of ice cream and double cheese pizza. :)

[jeffrey_X]

51. dairy and meat are two of the things you should be eliminating...

not all meats. but fatty red meats definitely.

[mrs_p]

32. yes, on weight watchers

i lost 70 pounds and kept it off for 2 years - then let some weight creep back on and am back on WW - down 25 and feel great. there is no other way - you have to keep your portions under control, eat healthy, nutritious food, and exercise. i have always been athletic - it is portion control that is essential for me, as i can gain weight even eating healthy food.

good luck!

[AlinPA]

33. Eat very little bread, potatoes and pastas.

[Sinti]

35. Don't think in terms of diet - think nutrition :)

Consider the nutritional value of what you eat. Consider potential toxins like artificial colors and flavors. White bread versus whole wheat and so on - a varied natural diet will serve any metabolism well. After a while of this, if you try to eat something artificial it will taste horrible, like poison. Drink water - plain purfied/filtered water. For some people it's hard to follow at first, but I've never seen it fail for those who did.

If you are a "hungry" person, eat many small meals/snacks throughout the day. Never eat to quite full. Our stomachs are expandable like a rubber band, and if it is over-full too often it will expand to accommodate that much all the time. So you have to shrink the capacity of your stomach by eating small meals many times a day. This also tells your body you have plenty to eat, and will keep your metabolism from slowing due to a perceived need to conserve.

You have to make sure you get enough calcium and potassium also, they are needed for various chemical exchangers in your body that give you energy from your food.

Don't focus only on cardio-style activity, lifting some weight will firm up muscles, and the muscles will burn more calories.

As you grow older you body can go through changes that cause it to not be as tolerant to grains, or milk, or whatever - so, if you're having real trouble, you can try cutting single things out (such as grains or milk products) and seeing if it helps. You probably don't want to cut any one thing for more than a couple of weeks to see if it helps, if no change go back to enjoying it.

Stay positive and as low stress as possible - maybe try meditating. Stress could potentially also cause your metabolism to slow - the single biggest threat to any creatures existence is hunger, so it's possible if not proven. Reward yourself, also, with non-food items, especially if you're a reward eater. You deserve a treat, so have one - but a treat of some little trinket, or a pedicure, or whatever.

Most importantly, keep trying. It's about health. You love you and people love you and want you healthy - I think you have to keep this fact in mind, so it's not as much of a struggle as an everyday thing :)

[Blue_In_AK]

67. This is sensible advice.

:thumbsup:

[Regret My New Name]

40. I managed to lost about 50-60lbs a few years ago and have kept it off...

In the 5 months or so of actual weight loss, I really watched how many calories I took in. I personally found I was able to function alright if I took in about 1400-1500 calories. I was able to do that by pretty much eating the same things all the time. Which worked for me because I didn't have a family to feed or eat with. Probably would be harder for others.

In addition to that, I got a bowflex treadclimber and used it pretty much everyday for an hour(well, I worked my way up) The thing was expensive, but it's a good workout... I also attempted to do strength training about 3 days a week. I found that a heavy workout made me less likely to eat "bad" stuff too, because it would mean I did my workout for nothing... Once I got down to about 170lbs, I started to relax on my "diet"(I never really considered it a diet, just limiting the number of calories... it was just easier for me to eat the same veggies, soup, or hame/turkey wraps everyday) Now I just try to keep my calories somewhere around 2,000 a day... I also run outside about five miles 3 or 4 days a week. I've managed to maintain my weight since I lost, even during the holidays.

That's how it worked for me. Oh, you might also check out some websites dedicated just weight loss. I know reading other people's stories was a good motivator. I mean, when you see pictures of people who were 300lbs go down to 165, it's pretty a good motivator and gets you thinking it's possible. (http://weight-loss.fitness.com)

[SoCalDem]

43. pneumonia

:(

[busybl]

80. did that diet once too. I don't recommend it.

[YvonneCa]

46. Getting GWB out of office...

...worked for me. Seriously, it did. :7

[wickerwoman]

See having Bush in office was a great diet for me.

Between getting nauseous every time I saw him, having the shit scared out of me on a regular basis and being so angry I could spit nails, I could hardly keep any food down at all!

Plus protesting was great exercise! Ah, the good ole days...

[YvonneCa]

59. LOL. I had the opposite reaction. Compulsive...

...eating every time he did something dumb...and that was every other minute. :7

[GoCubsGo]

116. Me, too.

Thanks to him, I lost my job two years ago, and haven't found anything permanent since then. I gained 30 pounds from stress-eating. This after having lost more than 50 a couple of years prior to that.

[YvonneCa]

120. I'm sorry about the job...

...loss. That has to be tough in times like these. Hang in there... :grouphug:

[Cleita]

48. That calorie thing works for me if I stick to it. It's the only thing that works for me actually..

The rub is that you have to keep counting the calories once you lose the weight or you do gain it all back. The thing with counting the calories is most people don't realize that little portion of french fries or tiny slice of pizza packs the calories that it does. You may think you aren't eating a whole lot and maybe even feel hungry but the calories never lie.

[kestrel91316]

157. I have treated myself to a LARGE order of McDonald's french fries twice

in the past month, and have still dropped a couple of pounds. But I need to NOT make it a habit, lol. And I need to keep avoiding pizza, because even with walking 15+ miles a week and cycling 20+, I betcha I could gain weight if I ate pizza as ofter as I like, lol.

[951-Riverside]

49. Eat one small meal a day and drink lots of water for 30 days n/t

[jeffrey_X]

53. Wrong. It should be several small meals / snacks throughout the day

instead of 2 or 3 big ones.

helps increase your metabolism.

[jeffrey_X]

54. Don't eat late. Chew your food extremely well. Reduce your portion sizes

Try to get some exercise a few times a week.

[busybl]

82. is that the p.o.w. diet?

[dysfunctional press]

52. cutting starch COMPLETELY from my diet did it for me.

i had to, for medical reasons.

and as it turns out- starch is not a natural part of the human diet.
but- it's the biggest part of many people's diets today.

[pscot]

57. A 4 month bout

with clostridium dificile proved remarkably effective. Probably not for everyone.

[nadinbrzezinski]

60. No, that is not a health program I would recommend

:rlol:

[JerseygirlCT]

165. Yeah, 9 mos of a Crohn's flare did wonders, too

Funny how it only took about 6 weeks to gain it all back, though...

[ellie]

58. Weight Watchers

hands down is the best program ever and I have tried them all. I did it online last year and lost 40 pounds and have kept it off. You get so many points in a day depending on how much you weight and you can eat whatever you want but you have to count the points.

[busybl]

81. it's become so expensive now though

[AllieB]

61. No sugar. No wheat/gluten/flour. Low glycemic.

Whole foods-veggies, nuts, seeds, meat/chicken/fish. Not a whole lot of dairy (though I love it). I exercise moderately these days, and I don't necessarily believe in calories-in/calories out, because people's metabolisms vary greatly.

[LittleOne]

62. No starch, grains, sugar or dairy.

Eat fish, lean meats, soy and plenty of veggies and fruits. Cuts your grocery bill in half and you feel great and loose weight.

[Blue_In_AK]

64. I can lose to a point

but I still stay about 10 lbs above where I allegedly should be BMI-wise. When I want to knock off a few extra pounds, I cut out everything that's white. It seems to work.

[Juche]

65. Don't cut out everything white

Some of us white guys like an extra 10 pounds.

Oh yes, I went there.

[Blue_In_AK]

69. You are a bad, bad boy

:spank:

[GoCubsGo]

163. I hope you aren't cutting cauliflower

I recently discovered the roasted version, and cannot get enough of it. Here's a recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_cauliflower/

I usually just use olive oil, salt and pepper. Good and good for you. Even if you don't like cauliflower, I cannot recommend enough that you try it!

[krispos42]

68. I lost 200 pounds

Divoced my ex!

*rimshot*

[mahina]

129. Ha. Ha!

Love your sig btw

[niceypoo]

71. It isn't about dieting, diets fail unless they are permanent

It is about a fundamental change of eating habits. There are things that you can eat all you want. Salads, chicken, fish, vegetables. You should also eat smaller portions of complex carbohydrates like brown rice and really dense whole grain breads.

You should cut out most white flour, pretty much all sugar and most milk products. Milk contains a lot of sugar.

When you starve yourself your body goes into survival mode and conserves energy and throws off your metabolism. The trick is to eat more meals, but eat things that you can eat and include small servings of complex carbohydrates with each meal. A small serving of complex carbs can be a slice of dense multi grain bread. Don't starve yourself of fats, they are very important for metabolizing certain vitamins. Fat isnt really the enemy, sugar and bad carbs are.

Once a week eat whatever you want, desert included. There are two women at work whom I have convinced to do this and both have lost weight over the last couple of years. My boss loses 1-2 lbs a month, consistently and whenever I go into her office, she is always munching on something. You have to make a commitment.

Myself, I eat this way for a couple months before I go on a vacation to lose whatever fat I have.

[wildflowergardener]

72. weight

The only thing that ever worked for me was counting calories. I could never keep it up though, until I found a site called the Daily Plate, that makes it easy to do - you input your weight goal, and then all your meals in their database, and exercise you do, and it is easy to tell how much more you can eat that day - because it tells you how many calories you have left, plus how many of the various types of food types you've eaten, fat, sodium, etc. so you can make sure you are eating a balanced diet. It made it easy enough that I kept it up until I lost the weight - and gave me a better idea of how much I could be eating and still lose weight - and how many calories various meals had, that I hadn't realized had as many as they did. The best thing is, it's free.

[TuxedoKat]

73. This book has been very helpful to me lately

The Insulin-Resistance Diet: How to Turn Off Your Body's Fat-Making Machine.

This book (and there are many others out there like it) makes so much sense. Basically it is
eating so that your blood sugar stays at about the same level so that it is not being spiked
by high-glycemic carbs (pastries, breads, pastas, rice, potatoes, many refined foods, etc.).
When you eat foods like that first on an empty stomach, it makes your pancreas work harder by
having to dump a load of insulin in to counteract the rise in blood sugar. It also puts your
body into a fat storage mode. These types of foods get digested very quickly so if you are eating
a majority of these kinds of foods often, you get hungry again quickly. The idea is to eat your
protein and vegetables first, which blunts the glycemic load, and then eat your carbs last. You
also don't want to eat too many carbs, or at least balance them with veggies, fruit and protein.
Avoid high carb foods, but if you must eat them, eat smaller amounts and eat them last. I've
only been doing this for about a week but I do feel better, am hardly ever hungry and do not
at all feel restricted or feel like I'm dieting when I eat this way. I think I've lost a few
pounds too as my clothes feel thinner.

Also, avoiding wheat is a good idea too, and you might feel better too. If you've never
gone without it, just try avoiding it for a few days. You might be amazed at how good you
feel.

Ann Louise Gittelman wrote some good books too, The Fat Flush Diet, etc. I feel great when
I follow her way of eating and lose weight quickly but it is very hard to stick to it. I
can pretty much do the same thing but without feeling so restricted by following the insulin-
resistance diet book instead.

As far as supplements, I've read some positive things about CLA (congugated linoleic acid),
Vitamin D (probably not an issue of a deficit there in Hawaii though, and Omega 3).
Gittelman was recently touting how beneficial CLA was, you might be able to find something
on it on her website. She's a nutritionist so she uses science to back up her claims.

[Beaverhausen]

74. Weight Watchers - follow the plan and attend weekly meetings

also, exercise. I lost 50 lbs on Weight Watchers and ate real food - just less of it.

You must attend meetings.

YOU MUST ATTEND MEETINGS.

If you are addicted to food like I am - YOU MUST ATTEND MEETINGS.

[kestrel91316]

158. I did fine with WW online this time. I am not a group meeting-oriented person,

and the online allowed me to track so that I felt some accountability.

I have discontinued the online, but am still weighing weekly and eating roughly what i did when I was tracking. It's still working slowly, but then I am within a couple of pounds of goal.

[Cid_B]

75. Best success...

I've ever had losing weight was living with my dad before I joined the Army. (Several years of desk work in Europe will pack on the pounds).

Gym 3-4 times a week - hour of cardio mostly - lots and lots of stir fry - didnt eat much that wasnt meat or vegetables.

20 lbs in about 2 1/2 months.

[donheld]

76. 50 pounds in the last year

50 Minutes 5 days a week on the crosstrainer 5 days a week Also 5 days of weight training. This in spite of 1) a sprained ankle and 2) kidney stones. all during the last year. I cut out all the junk. I have not been on any definable diet, but I did cut the junk eat sensibly. It's a diet I can live with rarely if ever feel deprived. Take it one day at a time. The weight didn't come off easily, but it's off. Hopefully more will be gone soon.

[busybl]

78. I've lost 70 pounds in the last year

All I did was start eating more sensibly. I was addicted to sweets and it showed. First thing I did was stop drinking soda.
And when I make a sandwich, I ask myself whether a slice of cheese would really make a difference in the taste.
Stopped putting whipped cream on stuff. Just extra calories. I'd have the cobbler or whatever, but not
add any extra calories. A little help I hope.
Now my problem is affording new clothes.

[mahina]

132. Boy I wish I did all that naughty stuff so I could stop it.

Whipped cream is just a memory. Enjoy your new sleek bod~!

[cliffordu]

79. Three hours of single speed mountain biking a day. Real mountain biking.

And I mean stand up and grind the hills out, too.

I started cause it's the only thing I ever did that was worth a shit for killing depression. Works for both things.

[RedCappedBandit]

84. Losing weight is easy.

Eat healthy and exercise a lot.


Now gaining muscle is the hard part. ;)

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

85. It may sound personal but how overweight are you?

Are you way above a healthy body mass index or do you just want to firm up a little?

My best advice is if you haven't already find an excercise activity you enjoy. Per food try to eat a lot of fresh vegetables and whole grains ie no refined flour. For desserts stick to fresh fruit.

Avoid soft drinks. If you doubt me on that one weigh out the amount of sugar listed on the side of one. It'll surprise you how much that is.

Good luck and I hope you're successful.

[mahina]

128. Thanks...I never drink soda, diet or otherwise.

It makes me feel sick. I love fresh veggies and excercise, am exploring the no refined grains now, and desert is a banana or an apple. Thanks for the good wishes, aloha.

[Hannah Bell]

87. not eating meat. it's good for 10 pounds.

[LTR]

89. I lost a ton of weight eating half a grapefruit for breakfast

Did that for six months or so (along with my usual 2-3 cups of black coffee - wasn't giving that up!). I recommend ruby red grapefruit, as it has a nice sweet, less sour flavor.

Also ate other fruit throughout the day, such as apples.

And I'm not much of a dairy person (lactose intolerant), though I do like cheese. I only use lactose-free milk, and usually with high-fiber cereal (whenever I ate it) or for cooking. Can't even stomach the thought of drinking a glass of milk.

That was good for 20 lbs or so (currently 180-85, 5'10"). But my weight can often go up and down.

[LaPera]

91. No dairy products - I've seen plenty of fat Vegetarians....But I've never seen a fat Vegan

Fat Vegetarians who no meat, but do eat lots of cheese (and other diary products).

Vegans of course eat neither meat nor any meat byproducts (diary, eggs, etc)....And are never fat.

However, I believe soy products, which Vegans live by & eat all kinds of products with soy. If the soy is NOT organic it can also be a problem (so many chemicals & pollutants in non certified organic soy products). I'm speaking of soy mainly in regards to health concerns, not weight gain as in diary products.

[Codeine]

108. I've known fat vegans.

Doesn't matter what you're eating if you're eating too much.

[Ignis]

149. *burp* You rang?

;)

Working long hours at a cubicle job can take its toll on even the healthiest diet. A fair bit of exercise can work wonders, but after a really horrible bike accident a few years ago, I put on quite a few vegan-friendly pounds.

[Codeine]

154. We do eat a carbolicious diet! :) nt

[Ignis]

161. I'll have the potato pasta with a side of bread, please!

;)

[magdalena]

92. I was quite overweight 10ish years ago

Lost around 80lbs without dieting at all, just started weightlifting about an hour a day 4times a week. Took about 8 months to take off all that weight. I imagine it would've gone faster if I watched what I ate, but I love food too much.

[Missy Vixen]

93. Hypnosis

Don't knock it till you've tried it.

[mikeSchmuckabee]

94. Paper Route

It's like doing line drills in slow motion. It's better than exercise because you get paid for it, and you have to do it every day with no excuses.

[Fumesucker]

95. A proper training regimen in aerobic fitness plus no processed foods..

No HFCS, no "diet" drinks, no sodas, I drink mostly fruit juices and water, the occasional cup of hot tea or coffee, the occasional iced tea, I use regular sugar to sweeten my drinks.

I use this site to help me with my diet..

http://www.dietitian.com/

Find your maximum heart rate..(you'll need a heart rate monitor to do this kind of program effectively, they run about $50 for a decent one).

http://www.howtobefit.com/determine-maximum-heart-rate.htm

Then determine your training zones.

http://www.howtobefit.com/five-heart-rate-zones.htm

I spend thirty minutes every single day in zone 2, 60% to 70% of maximum heart rate, I use a Nordic Track ski machine for this, they are ridiculously cheap on Craigslist these days.

I also do bike rides on our local "rails to trails" path, up to two hours in zone 2 and zone 3 with occasional short sprints to zone four or five to build strength, I can ride 27 miles in two hours without ever having to open my mouth to breathe.

Basically the more time you spend in zones two and three every day the more weight you will lose if you also control your eating properly.

[Dorian Gray]

97. I've lost 75 lbs....

slowly and steadily. (Over three years) I went to a nutritionist, which is covered by my insurance. ($25 co-pay per appt.)

I keep a food journal (I think that sometimes we don't know just how many calories we actually take in. Especially through liquids.... drinks (not just alcohol) that contain calories. Wine, juice, soda, etc. Quitting all caloric drinks, with the occassional glass of wine, was a huge help!).

What I would do is keep a weeks worth of journals without tallying the calories. Eat what you normally do. (And drink what you normally do.) Then at the end of the week, calculate the calories that you took in each day. For a female, you should be looking at 2000-2250 to maintain your weight. Less to lose.

With exercise, I aim for 1500 - 1700 a day to lose weight. (Though I've been on a bit of a break for the last month.)

[mahina]

134. That's a great suggestion Dorian, thanks.

I've been on a couple of log-in programs, and its super fricken tedious. I can keep a list for a week and then log it all in at one time, easy peasy. I never thought of that. It would serve to keep attention and accountability as well as track the data.

You're the best, mahalo.

[Dorian Gray]

162. I tried to do it on line

(Sparkpeople.com and Calorieking.com)

But it takes so long to do it. It's simply easier for me to keep a written journal. I have the latest Calorie King book, which is a great help. But after awhile you get so used to calorie counting it becomes second nature.

[Mari333]

99. well, I maintain a good weight by being a vegan

not that it is the way to do it, but my entire biological family is obese and they all consume large quantities of meat and cheese etc..
so, I am the only one who is thin. Thats all 5 of my bros and sisters and mom..all obese
maybe just vegetarianism, or cut out red meat and cheese.
nonetheless, I am a walking case study in my family. good luck.

[Robb]

100. Giardiasis worked wonders for me.

Other than that, pick an activity you love, do it more than usual, and watch what you eat every single time you eat. :hi:

[old mark]

101. My cardiologist put me on a high protein, very low carb diet, similar to

Pritikin to lower my blood sugar. I am slowly losing weight on this diet, and it is very easy for me, except for the occasional cheat. Since retiring 3 years ago, I have gone from nearly 270 to 225 and I'm in the process of going down to 180 or even less - I will go where it takes me.
I also do moderate exercise, which I am about to increase. I use no alcohol, junk food, sodas or sugar and very little prepared-frozen or pre-cooked-food. I eat meats,fish, eggs,lots of fresh vegies and fruit, nuts, no dairy except the cream in my tea which I refuse to give up.
I feel good and it seems to work well for me.

mark

[WhiteTara]

102. check your shampoo

does it contain laurels? Do you buy food in plastic? drink from plastic bottles? BPA is a hormone producer...plumps you up...it's not just the food we eat, but the containers it comes in as well. Eating out has so many more calories and transfats and HFCS and MSG.

[mahina]

131. Geez, thanks...how long does it take to get rid of those effects?

Where would I go to find out how to balance that stuff out? Or shake it off?
We've switched to carrying water and coffee etc in Klean Kanteens, and don't ever use a micro w plastic. I did accidentally cook a roast (one of only a couple I cooked last year, we cut way down on meat) with the plastic liner thing still under it. I was exhausted and just didn't see it. I wondered what kind of effects that might have had and did gain a lot after that episode.

Eeeps.

[midnight armadillo]

104. 24 lbs off since June

For me it's moderate exercise, since when I start exercising in earnest my appetite goes through the roof and I eat enough to compensate for the exercise. So instead of near-daily bike rides and weightlifting, I'm doing two decent rides a week and just doing yard work, coaching soccer etc on the weekends to keep the old carcass moving. On top of that I'm just trying to eat lightly. 24 lbs off so far and it's coming off. Once I'm closer to my target weight I'll start exercising more since I miss being in better shape.

Some people can exercise like mad and lose lots of weight, but I lack the willpower to control my food intake when I do that.

[distantearlywarning]

105. The only thing that ever worked for me was Weight Watchers

I think it works (when other diets fail) for two reasons:

1) The way it is set up is like a game, which is motivating instead of discouraging and depressing for me. It's like an interesting challenge every day managing the points, which disguises the fact that I might be being deprived in some way. And I get to eat some "naughty" foods as long as I manage things well (the game thing again), which is very encouraging. Everything is so clear and easy to deal with on WW - it's less of a part-time job than dieting usually is.

2) The whole points thing does a great job of "balancing" calories in vs. calories out, which (for me anyway) seems to keep my metabolism on a totally even keel. I am one of those people who doesn't lose weight at all if I am eating either a few hundred too many or a few hundred too few calories daily - it has to be a perfect balance to work for me - and the WW system makes it extremely easy to know *exactly* where you are at any given time. It also includes exercise in the equation, which is important because I am unable to lose weight simply by dieting (one of the many curses of the thyroid patient :-( )

In general, I felt like, unlike other diets which seemed to be trying to make me engage in disordered eating patterns, WW was trying to teach me how "normal" people eat - they only eat as much as their metabolism and activity level needs to eat, they eat foods that are high in fiber and nutrients, low in fat, and which taste good without being excessively calorie dense, if they know they're going to eat a cheeseburger or a piece of pie, they eat less earlier in the day to compensate, etc etc.

I literally never lost more than 5 lbs on any other diet. I would lose 5 lbs, and then completely stall out, regardless of my faithfulness to the program. I would lose maybe 1/4 lb a week after the first few weeks because my body would just give up or something. On WW last year, I was always totally amazed when I got on the scale week after week and would be down a lb or more. And I never felt that hungry or deprived - also a change from other diets (probably due to the metabolism balancing aspect of WW).

I lost 25 lbs last year on WW before grad school got completely crazy for me, and haven't gained an ounce back in the last 8 months either (probably because WW also taught me something about portion control and exactly what my trade-offs are re: naughty food). After I have surgery later in the month for an unrelated issue, I'm planning on going back on WW to get the other 25 lbs off. And amazingly enough, I'm even looking forward to it. :-)

[donco6]

106. The only thing that works for me is low carb.

5'10" 180 lbs but was up to 195 after I quit smoking. Lost it all on low carb and a little exercise. No sugar, no bread potatoes, pasta etc

[Wiley50]

109. My doctors, at this moment, are trying to figure out how I lost over 70 pounds in 6 months

So far, all tests are "unremarkable and thats with my primary care (an internist), a gastrointestinal specialist and now a urologist put a cather and bag in me which I have to wear until he can get me into a hospital (to scope me" on the 30th. The motherfucker hurts like hell when I have to pee. I'd complain to my primary care but he and his family are on a Disney cruise on the "Big Red Boat". They've been gone since last Friday. I don't know how long those things last, but I hope he's back in the office tomorrow.

Anyone know?

[tabasco]

110. Jogging, weight lifting

High protein diet

[WyLoochka]

111. Rowing 6-8 miles/day

5 days/week, running 2-3 miles/day 4-5 days/week and one 8-12 mile hike/week has helped me over the past 4 months. As cited above, metabolism slows down over time.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

112. Weight Watchers, but the ORIGINAL plan, NOT the current one.

The first two Weight Watchers cookbooks, authored by founder Jean Nidetch, are most likely available used from Amazon or any similar reseller. Do an Amazon search on her name and you'll see both books in the results:

Weight Watchers Program Cookbook by Jean Nidetch (Hardcover - 1976)
22 Used & new from $0.01

Weight Watchers' New Program Cookbook by Jean Nidetch (Hardcover - Oct 16, 1978)
192 Used & new from $0.01

The original plan was determined by your age and gender. You then had a specific amount of protein at each meal, plus "limited" vegetables (primarily the vegetables containing sugar like peas, etc) and "unlimited" vegetables (vegetables like French style string beans...you could eat all you wanted, but "regular" green beans were limited). Fruits were required, overall it was a very balanced and very healthy eating plan. I lost weight on the program and it kept me full and satisfied.

Nidetch sold Weight Watchers to the H. J. Heinz Company in 1978. She is still a consultant but the current plan bears no resemblance to the original, and that's the one I recommend. It worked for me. Also, I did not "join" Weight Watchers or attend meetings, I just followed the plan. Joining a group doesn't motivate me. I can only motivate myself, but I understand that other people need and want that kind of support.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

117. Getting a dog

and taking her for walks at least 3 times a day. She's my personal trainer.

[Kaleva]

119. I hear death works great but the side effects are serious.

While the corpse loses mass and weight quite rapidly, it becomes less attractive and develops a noticeable smell. Also, if one chooses this plan, the weight loss cannot be stopped. So, keep that in mind.

[RebelOne]

122. Year before last I did something to my back and the pain

was so intense that I did not have any appetite. Ever since then, I have cut back on eating and lost 20 pounds. I found that eating a large breakfast, a moderate lunch and little or no dinner works for me to keep the weight off. It also helps that I am a vegetarian.

[mahina]

130. Thanks Reb, I hope your pain is gone or at least controlled.

Aloha.

[brooklynite]

123. Two parts

1. A very responsible diet (vegatrian every other night; two vegetables at every meal; no butter in cooking)

2. Exercise every day (I take the philosphy that I WILL exercise unless there's a reason I absolutely can't).

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

124. I'm looking to loose about 60+ lbs... not sure where to start

210-220lbs used to be a real healthy weight for me... but recently I've been up around 265ish and it really makes me depressed.
More than half my clothes don't fit, I'm tired and self conscious. Quite frankly, and excuse my language, I'm f*cking sick of being overweight.

I don't eat alot of sweets, wife doesn't let me buy soda, I don't drink much if at all, and probably eat less fast food than average. One advantage I think I may have is I LOVE to cook - especially from scratch. Simultaneously, it's probably the reason I'm fat because I grew up in an Italian household so cooking without things like flour, olive oil, butter, and meat is all crazy talk. Also, being a former NCAA football player, I'm not averse to structured exercise but running is torture for me. I can only jog about two 10 minute miles before I fall over.

I've read alot about this "south beach diet", but it seems geared towards ~20-30 pounds of weight loss. Also, it seems sort of like a fad and I'm looking to lose about 60 or more pounds. I'd love to be around or under 200lbs again - permanently. I think once I loose it I'd have no problem keeping it off (because I'm relatively young) but I can't seem to get started.

[Scout]

125. plan to take two years or more ... and make small changes

i've just lost 40 pounds in the last year. i gradually made small changes: started eating breakfast most days instead of skipping it; eliminated almost all regular pop and all diet pop; drastically reduced ordering out for lunch or getting fast food (i didn't get fast food very often either); exercise (worked with a personal trainer for weights, cardio, swim, walk the dogs); i'm still losing.

set a goal for yourself that will force you to lose it ... (for instand) i made reservations for the mule ride to the bottom of the grand canyon, where they have a weight limit of 200 pounds to ride. i leave at the end of the month. i still have a few pounds to go but i'm working at it right up until the minute i step on the scale.

don't beat yourself up over it. if you need to take a break once in a while, do so. just don't gain while you're taking the break, and don't take too long a break before you get back on your program. it's hard, i know it. it sucks, i know that too. it sucks more to be too fat to do what you want, i finally decided. my weight hasn't been this low in 20 years!

good luck.

[mahina]

141. Thanks Scout, keep in touch, drop me a note any time and

talk story w me about progress. Wishing us both good luck, enjoy your trip!

[taught_me_patience]

137. Count calories very stringently

and you'll find you're eating a lot more than you think. You'll also find that your daily requirement of 3k (give or take) is a suprisingly small amount of food.

Break up meals into 5 smaller meals to keep your metabolism going
Exercise both weights and cardio
Do low heart rate cardio first thing in the morning (130 hr no need to run) and weights at night
Cut out simple carbs
Don't lose more than 2lbs a week, or you'll be losing muscle

As a former football player, you know how hard it is to lose weight but maintain strength. Good luck.

[mahina]

138. OK you are my new buddy. Hope you don't mind.

I'm right there with you, exhausted, way bigger than I want to be. Let's just take 5 pounds at a time and not get freaked out about how much there is to go. Baby steps.

I found a water aerobics class across the island this summer and liked it a lot but it was a heck of a drive. Just found one (free! at the city park) right in my valley so I'm going 5 days a week. It's low impact, which is important for me because I want to keep my knees :) and it gets a good workout without pain. Soon I'll add a couple of days of weights.

I can't run any more either, and I used to be an athlete too. Remember all those athletes who dropped dead jogging...our bodies are telling us loud and clear to find a better way to move. OK, will do...

I won't pester you or anything but feel free to write to me any time. We're on the same journey. To your good health and mine, aloha!

[dysfunctional press]

164. i lost 60 lbs over a few months by cutting starch from my diet, completely.

and yes- that means no bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cake, etc.
and almost NO processed foods, because just about everything has 'modified food starch' listed as an ingredient.
i also don't drink alcohol. but i do drink regular soda- i can't STAND the taste of the diet stuff.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

169. Pepsi Max... 0 sugar and tons of caffine. :)

[dysfunctional press]

170. i'll give it a try...

but i have yet to find a diet soda that i can stomach.

[NNN0LHI]

126. Try giving up breakfast

You will be real hungry by the time lunch comes around but your stomach shrinks so you eat like a bird by then.

It works for me.

Don

[Stuart G]

135. Try OA. see link below.

http://www.oa.org/

It works.

[CLANG]

136. I lost 68 lbs (35 more to go).

I counted calories. 1500 a day for 5 months now.

[mahina]

139. Awesome!

That is fantastic, great going! Congrats on your super success and thanks for telling me about it. How did you count the cals, with a plain journal or ?

[CLANG]

152. I don't use a journal - I keep it in my head

I just read packaging and look at the Daily Plate to find out calorie counts for food I buy. I never eat a meal without first planning a max calorie count. I usually don't eat breakfast, so I have 1500 calories to split up for two meals. I treat myself most Friday nights with a trip to OUTBACK Steakhouse. I can have a 9 ounce fillet, or the salmon, both delicious, and I get 2 orders of steamed broccoli (no butter) and sprinkle with lemon wedges. It is truly awesome and less than 600 calories. With my meal I will have water or a diet soda. I tell them to not bring out the bread!

When I eat lunch, I often get a sub - no cheese, lean meat, brown mustard condiment. If I get a salad I use oil sparingly and red wine vinegar.

I take a good multivitamin and a Omega-3 capsule, along with a healthy dose of Benefiber in the morning! I guess that's my breakfast!!

Don't put the cheese and sour cream on top of chili!

[JuniperLea]

155. I love Daily Plate!

I created two little Excel spreadsheets... one worksheet to list all the foods I like (used Daily Plate a lot to build this list) and another to tally the calories, fiber, fat, etc. I can copy the food items over quickly, and even plan ahead so I can have that extra piece of chocolate;)

[LuckyTheDog]

140. I lost 103 lbs using Weight Watchers

Good program.

[southernyankeebelle]

144. The problem is not losing the weight. Its keeping it off. All I have

to do is look at food and it goes to my hips. Am 61 I wish I knew the magic bullet. What you are doing seems fine. I would tell you today I met a 73 man who was doing some work on our heater at home. We got on the subject and I asked him if he would like something to eat. He said he just as lunch. He said he only eats 3 meals a day and doesn't eat in between. He was slim. Sounds like good advice and drunk lots of water because it makes you full.

[Foolacious]

145. Three things:

1. Don't eat absolute crap. If you want the occasional hamburger, okay, as long as you do the other two things here.

2. Completely avoid carbohydrates within 6 hours of going to bed.

3. HARD exercise. Exercise that builds muscle, which has these benefits: (A) muscle burns more calories than fat; (B) muscle takes less space than fat (it's denser); (C) your appetite might be strongly suppressed following a hard workout (YMMV). This can be cardio training, or weight training, or a combination. But it has to be HARD. You REALLY have to work.

Be aware, this is not for the faint of heart. You have to work up to it, you should use a qualified trainer who understands YOUR goals (and your age and any limitations), and you have to work HARD. If you leave a workout feeling like you moved around a bit and have plenty of energy left over, you are not working hard. If you can do two pushups after a chest/arms workout, you're not working hard. Also, very importantly, leave adequate time for recovery after a workout. If you are 50 years old and you work your legs to rubber on Wednesday, then don't expect to work them again like that for a week.

This protocol will add weight and muscle to the underweight, and will remove weight -- but still add muscle -- to the overweight.

[Uncle Joe]

146. Meditation and visualization, you have to imagine or picture your self as slim in your mind's eye;

even if you haven't reached that point yet on the physical plane.

If you do that consistently you will subconsciously/consciously start taking on habits that will bring about the desired result to make the physical plane attune with your subconsicous self-image.

[arthritisR_US]

147. cancer. n/t

[sakabatou]

148. I haven't lost weight per se

But I've lost fat weight but gained muscle from weight training.

[JuniperLea]

150. Change your life...

To keep from feeling hungry you must keep your blood sugar level as even as possible. I eat like a Hobbit for the most part. Breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, supper, and afters. Remember that protein and fats take longer to metabolize, and keep your blood sugar level longer.

Eat two to three milk products or proteins daily, three fruits, a large salad (with low fat dressing) and 1 - 2 cups of cooked or raw veggies. Fill the remaining calories with things you like... and love! Portion control is key. When you eat the things you NEED to eat (this list) you'll have less room for the more caloric favorites.

There are many really cool tools online to help you determine how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, and how many to consume to lose. Try not to lose more than a pound or two a week, or you'll put it right back on. The longer you take, the more likely you are to keep it off, and the more likely you are to actually change your eating habits. It's the change of habit that is most important.

Chocolate is my favorite thing... I eat chocolate every day! Work your favorite things into your daily routine!

Another good tip is to find a good bowl, not too big, not to small... it should hold about 1 cup. Never eat more than that bowl can hold for any one meal.

Find an activity that you like to do... and become religious about it. For me, it was walking my dogs on the local dog beach. I started out walking for 45 minutes once a week. I'm now up to 3 - 5 hours a week. Walking in the packed sand at water's edge for part of the time, and in the loose sand as well. It's fun! I've given myself permission to be addicted to this activity! So have my dogs:) I can do this almost year-round in So Cal... find something available to you all the time, and do it all the time.

Good luck!

[Ignis]

151. Simple rule: The BULK of your food should be vegetables.

Disclaimer #1: I'm not here to preach a vegan diet to anyone else, though it works for me.

Disclaimer #2: I am not a doctor. I am not a nutritionist. You should visit both before making any significant dietary changes.

But if you work at increasing the % of vegetables in of your total food volume consumed per day, you will lose weight when compared with the SAD. Eat salads, eat steamed veggies with a light sauce, snack on crudites, etc.

Here's a great trick for most meals: Make a bigger salad (including protein) than you think you can eat, and eat all of it. Wait a while (~10 mins), and then eat whatever carb-rich products you need to feel full. If you keep that up for 2 weeks, you'll notice a shift in your hunger patterns, energy level, and overall desire for fatty/rich/carby foods.

Good luck! :hi:

[HipChick]

156. some natural...Apple Cider Vinegar...I lost a total of 70lbs..

I let myself blow up to 200lbs..its big for me, I've always been a thin person...I didn't diet..just watched what I ate..no carbs or fats after 5pm, and exercised and about half a cup of Apple Cider Vinegar everyday..down to 130lbs...

[JerseygirlCT]

166. What's behind the vinegar? nt

[DireStrike]

159. Wisdom tooth pulled. Also cut soda consumption by 80%.

Been changing eating habits also. Salty snacks --> walnuts. They let you eat something that is pretty good and you feel you've had enough very quickly. Unlike say, goldfish, which I can eat an entire box of without noticing.

Lost 2 pants sizes in as many weeks. Didn't really NEED to, but I did. Still have some belly fat, sadly.

Instead of soda I drank more water, plain tea (no milk or sugar... not awesome but it is a change from water), and juice with 100% juice content. It was and still is tough. I think I'm gonna have a pepsi right now, and then no more tomorrow or the next day lol.

I'm sure the tougher you are on the cutting consumption, the more it helps. I really shouldn't have one now. But I don't really need to keep the weight off either. If it comes back I can drop it again.

[mnhtnbb]

160. Cut out booze and wine. I know, it's tough, especially as you age (58)

and it gets harder to lose weight.

I was able to go the entire month of August without alcohol. I walk at least 5 times/week for 45 minutes
or more; cut out desserts; no snacks after 8 PM. With all that I only lost about 8 lbs in a month.

I'm now down 13 pounds but I've been having wine in Sept. and Oct.

[JustAnotherGen]

167. I eat anti inflammatory

I lost 15 pounds without blinking an eye by following that concept. It's now just 'natural' to me. I do have an auto immune disease - so for me it's critical for OVERALL health.

Anti Inflammatory is a lot of raw nuts, raw fruits, raw veggies. Very little if any dairy, red meat makes me ill now, lots of fresh fish/shellfish. Only filtered water. Eat plain nonfat greek yogurt with berries and sunflower seeds and a bit of raw honey.

I don't have the following things in my refrigerator: Butter, mayo, sour cream, catsup, commercial salad dressings.
In my cabinets - wheat flour, white rice, wheat based pasta. I do have rice flour, gluten free pasta, and lots of dried beans and wild rice and quinoa.

I also have different infused olive oils, vinegars, and tons of fresh and dried organic herbs.

Try also giving up the coffee and tea for a few days and see if it impacts your appetite. Do that on a weekend where you can relax and sleep when necessary to get through the aches, headaches. Pure organic cherry or cranberry juice mixed with filter water will help to ease it.

Oh - and I feel really really really good! :-)

Oh - and you have to cut out nightshades. They might not be 'irritants' for you - but give them up for a week or two and see how you feel: Tomatos, squash, zucchini, and eggplant.

[Occam Bandage]

171. I was five pounds more than I wanted to be. So I started cutting down my portions by one-quarter.

Then I went back to normal portions once I hit target weight.

[ddeclue]

172. 3 hours a week in the gym and eating healthier.