Diets
 

Hey Everyone-

Does anyone know of any good diets that can help me lose about 10-15 lbs.. I've been looking up information on the internet but some seem so strict or require so much food *come on, I'm a poor college student* Any ideas???

advice
 

I'll tell you what I'm doing... I'm trying to lose about 15 lbs this summer, to get down to about 125 lbs at 5'5. I have a lot of free time, so what the heck. Instead of looking for some special diet with lots of rules and restrictions, why not just eat properly and in moderation, and get lots of exercise? A diet can't last forever. If you really want to keep the weight OFF once you've lost it, you need to change your lifestyle. To lose weight, you need to reduce the number of calories you take in. While it's not necessary or good for your mental health to keep an exact tally of calories consumed each day, try to have at least some clue what you're putting in your mouth. For a woman, about 1500 cal/day is about right for weight loss. Here are some basic suggestions about eating right...

--Eat foods that contain lots of water to help you feel full... you may want to look at the Volumetrics book... for instance, eat grapes instead of raisins (more filling).

--Be really careful about drinking your calories. Skim milk is about the only exception here, but otherwise try to drink calorie-free things... water, diet soda, coffee. Whole fruit is better for you than juice, anyway.

--Don't cut out carbs, but switch to whole wheat types. This stuff actually tastes good, and it is more filling since it contains much more fiber than regular white products. There is whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, etc etc.

--Eating 5 small meals a day really can be helpful, if this is feasible for you. Each small meal should contain some type of protein (cheese, fish, chicken, nuts) plus some type of carb (fruit, veggie, rice, pasta, bread). When you eat protein with your carbs, it helps you feel full longer.

--Eat a ton of veggies, they're very filling and low-cal. Eat fruit, too, but don't go overboard.

--Eat "good" fats, like peanut butter, nuts, olives, olive oil, salmon. A handful of almonds or walnuts makes a healthy, filling snack (with protein!)

In addition to getting your eating habits in order, working out can be a huge help in losing weight. I highly recommend running... it seems to hit muscles that nothing else does. When I first started running, it was SO hard, even though I could easily go for 40 minutes on the elliptical machine. Lifting weights is also important for weight loss. You won't bulk up--it's VERY hard for a woman to do that--so don't even worry about that. You will look much more toned, and your metabolism will speed up. So basically what I'd recommend is about 30+ min of cardio, at least 4X a week, plus weightlifting, about every other day. You will notice changes in your body much more quickly if you exercise AND eat less instead of just eating less. The more time you're willing to devote to exercise, the better results you'll see. I haven't found a summer job yet, so I have time to work out twice a day (taking every fourth day off as a rest day). On an average day, I might ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes, stretch, and lift in the morning, then take an hour fast walk in the evening.

For a great way to keep track of your weight loss progress, and for an online food diary (if you decide to keep one), look at this free site: www.nutridiary.com

try at your own risk
 

I do not condone trying these diets, but even my mother said they can work. This website is pretty comprehensive.
I agree with Twinstars though.
http://www.webterrace.com/fad/home.htm

Twinstars gave some great advice. I, too, am trying to lose 10-15 lbs this summer. I'm not following any strict diet - I'm eating what I want, just in moderation. And if I'm "bad" one day, I'll be good the next. I just don't overindulge.

I'm also trying to go to the gym every day - and do an hour on the eliptical trainer. I just don't have the stamina to run yet. I also play about an hour or two of dance dance revolution with the playstation - its an AWESOME workout.

The formula is very simple for weight loss. Calories in should be more than calories out. If you eat less and exercise more, it should just melt off.

Good luck!

I lost wt. using my own diet formulation-I called it the "soup diet". I ate primarily vegetable soup and also ate soybean products (I don't eat meat so I am sure you can substitute chicken for the soybean), which is very healthy. I exercised 4X per week-mainly cardio (I played raquetball). It took me 6 months but I lost almost 24# and felt I did it in a very healthy way. I did not gain the wt. back for 6 years.

Kudos to twinstars :)

I agree with you, so far I have lost 50 pounds, and it was all listed in her post. Eat healthy, it's a change in lifestyle not just a temp diet. Eat less in 5 or 6 smaller meals. Move more, get in some cardio at least 4 times a week and soon you will get bored and that usually a good time to add some weight training to your routine. My bestfriend is a personal trainer so I was gently nudged along the way and he is still working with me on a "perfect" diet. Like before diet is a big part of it and if you can keep changing how you look at food, it will really help!

Best of luck with your goals! :) Please go about this in a healthy manner. You don't want to yo yo and put everything back on in a few months that you took so much time to lose!

Twinstars- great advice. The whole idea is to eat SENSIBLY and get a balanced diet. Diets, though, come with two major caveats:

1) When you lose weight by diet alone, or dieting plus cardio-only exercise, about a third of what you lost will be MUSCLE. Your body doesn't know that you want to lose fat, it only knows that when you drastically cut calories, a famine must be coming, and it will start feeding off muscle and keep the fat around to keep you warm.

The way to prevent this is by lifting weights at least 3x a week. Weightlifting is incredibly good for you: it builds lean muscle, which for each pound must burn 30 calories a day just to stay alive, and weights build bone density so you're less likely to get osteoporosis later in life. It WILL NOT make you look like a man, only about 2 percent of women have the genes necessary to really bulk up from weightlifting. You will see more muscle definition and a sleeker look overall.

2) Once you lose the weight, the only way to really keep it off is to stay with that diet for the rest of your life.

I've found that while I've never been on a diet in my life, I crave junk food a lot less when I work out on a regular basis. Drink lots of water and avoid caffeine. Also AVOID ANY WEIGHT-LOSS PILLS like Hydroxycut, Xenadrine, etc. These products contain ephedra, which is banned in several states and is on its way to being banned in the rest of the US unless the companies that make the pills carry a $4 million (or is it billion?) insurance policy.

Know that the best indicator of whether a diet is working is not your scale, it's your pants. I do not own a scale and only ever get weighed when I go to the doctor. Body composition is more important than the number. I will freely admit that at 5'4" with a medium-size bone structure, I weigh 132 pounds (went to the dr yesterday). UF_Pike would probably call me a fat chick (sorry, chic, LOL), but he doesn't know that I'm mostly muscle and wear a size 4. Since I started seriously working out in January, I haven't lost a pound, but I've lost inches and a dress size and I look much better.

Allie is SO correct about not yo-yo dieting. That is the absolute best way to completely ruin your metabolism and guarantee that you will have more difficulty losing weight in the future.

This has gone on for a while, sorry, I just get passionate about people being healthy. :)

WEIGHT WATCHERS!!!!!!!!!

I have been doing it and it is seriously one of the best things I have ever done! I LOVE IT!

So far I have lost 27 lbs. I have gotten a bunch of my sisters to do it also, its a great support system.

Some of my tips:

1) Before you start changing any of your other eating or excercise habits, begin by drinking as much water as you can handle. It gets your system cleansed and ready for any diet changes, etc. Also, drink water with meals because it will make you eat less.

2) Eat a good breakfast...it goes a long way!

3) Start small! Don't say: "I'm going to stop eating chips and chocolate, and stop drinking soda!"...instead, start with "This week I'm going to cut back on doritos, or only drink two cans of pepsi."

4) Try to curb your munchies between dinner and bedtime. Try not to snack after 8pm.

5) Find some sort of excercise that you like and make it a routine, even if it's only a walk around the block after dinner. Personally, I really like the Pilates: Conditioning for Weight Loss. I do it every morning when I wake up, no excuses.

My mom started weight watchers back in November and I think she has lost close to 60 pounds!!! Once she started losing weight she become a treadmill freak...YEAHHHH mom!

My mom also lost 60 pounds on Weight Watchers. I think it took her about 10-11 months. She tells everyone about how great it is, and she's happier with herself than I've ever seen, so I think it's a wonderful thing. One of the things that I personally think is good about it is that you eat the same things you always do, but it teaches you moderation because you have to stay within a certain number of points. It's a lot healthier than diets where you have to eat specific foods for a certain amount of time, because those diets don't teach you how to deal with your normal eating habits.

I agree---my boyfriend was trying to lose a couple of pounds, and we went to GNC together because he wanted to check out the Xenadrine. The clerk was telling him how great it was, and he was just about to buy it when I asked about the side effects. The clerk admitted that it can cause anxiety, shaking, and a few others that I can't remember. My boyfriend changed his mind very quickly after that!

I tried Atkin's Diet and lost ten pounds in a week. I don't recommend it because it made me feel sick. You eat lots of protein and no carbs and no fruit! :(
I know many people who have had great success with Weight Watchers. Plus you get peer support.
Before you try any diet, I suggest that you consult a doctor.

Any diet where you lose ten pounds in a week is mostly water weight. The minute you go off the diet, you'd gain it right back.

Great advice in this thread- I agree witht he people who say exercise- weight training AND cardio, five small meals a day- something I try, and can be difficult but is worthwhile as it kicked my weightloss into gear, drink at least 8 glasses of water/day, etc. This info is everywhere, I won't repeat it AGAIN, lol.

Weight Watchers is the best! There are no forbidden foods, but moderation is the key. In the past two months, I lost a total of 8 pounds. I love being on WW. I could eat what I want within reason, the meetings are fun and supportive, I don't feel deprived and it's easy to follow!

I have seen these commercials for those weight loss drugs. I am weary of them due to their side effects. Anyone remember Phen-Fen (or is it Fen-Phen?)?

I used to have a chiropractor who tried to put me on the Atkins Diet. I ignored him knowing that I could never follow the guidlines. I can't let go of my carbs (pasta, rice, cereal and chocolate) and hate to be deprived. Even acquaintances that were on or have friends that did Atkins advised me not to do it.

I have noticed the informercial for The Six Week Body Makover. I would like to know, for my curiosity, if anyone has tried this.


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I'm a Weight Watchers girl! I've lost 22 lbs so far, and it has been so easy. In my area, it's only $15 to join, and $9 a week for students, so even on a tight budget, its managable. There's no good/bad foods, eat what you want, just plan and account for it.